The Guild of the Forsaken

CHAPTER 29 - The Lucid Rivers of Lies and Deceit

!Tw: Blood, Torture!

Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill

September 26th 2024

GOTHAM CITY

Calm was something that Marinette Dupain-Cheng rarely was.

To others she would appear the definition of the word, someone so at ease at times it could be perceived as insulting. Masks truly were an incredible thing. Another personality woven so deeply into her own even she sometimes couldn't tell the difference.

But inside, past the lucid rivers of lies and deceit there was only wrath in his golden throne. Pointing and scarring with his elongated claws. Infuriated at being caged.

Anger most commonly was her favoured emotion, the one fundamentally drilled into her brain, sometimes the one she was told not to display.

To say that seeing her Angel bursting into her place of work caused an ocean of rage to fill her would be an unjust lie. For once the anger was calmed. Tamed by the gentle hand of the only one capable of doing so.

It was dare she say 'nice' to be spending time with him. Time that despite not being herself (in every sense of the word) was spent in a state of humour.

Teasing remarks were exchanged even despite him keeping up is façade of distain for the world. But Marinette knows that it mostly isn't a charade anyway, he generally does have a dislike for most things.

Pervious meetings between them have ended with knives to throats, something that while Marinette certainly got a rush out of, she didn't want everything to end in a fight. Unfortunately for her that has been how everything else has ended.

Is it wrong of her to want to treasure a small burst of peace?

Watching him leave the shop was difficult, all she had wanted to do was pull him close and never let him go. But she couldn't, not while there is still dangers about, not while she wasn't herself.

Rolling her jaw Marinette continues cleaning up the small café in preparation for closing, in a manner of which is quicker than normal. After Luka delivered the news that they had a new assignment their rush to get home increased tenfold.

There reason for being in Gotham is no coincidence or a cheap shot to get at her Angel. In fact she could have gone anywhere after Greece. But she couldn't.

Because the Miraculi was here. In Gotham.

They had located it before Luka's capture and imprisonment, and for obvious reasons it had been pushed to the backburner. In addition the Miraculi was living peacefully, the owners unaware of its importance.

Hearing from the grapevine that the owners planned to sell it during a fancy auction at some point in the near future boosted the mission's importance up a few notches.

Marinette was unsure of what the Miraculi was. In all honesty she doubts that she even asked. When Max had located it for her there was so much else going on that Marinette didn't pay much attention to the news. That is certainly biting her in the arse now.

Sparing a glance around the café she takes note that it is only her and Luka cleaning the small space.

"Where does Max want us to be tonight?" Her voices manages to startle Luka who is in the middle of wiping down a table. Glaring half-heartedly at her he lays down the wipe he was using.

"Some fancy bar or club. There is apparently a guy who knows what it is and wishes to buy it from the current holders," Marinette nods and brushes her hands on her apron.