Bug Bites

Chapter| Thirty

"She did what?" Chloe's voice screeched and echoed against the walls of the sanctum.

Nino looked her right in her blue eyes, "Marinette followed Stephen into outer space."

"Of course she did, cause why wouldn't she?" Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose muttering how Marinette was the sole cause of her rising blood pressure. Taking a deep breathe, Chloe looked over at Wong. "Why would she go and ask you to open a portal on a spaceship to get the Stephen?"

Wong knew that out of all the teenagers who now frequented the sanctum, Stephen and Marinette had a special bond. The day he pulled her aside to talk about her powers was the day everything changed between the two. Wong never thought he'd ever see Stephen care for someone like that, as if she were his own daughter. Yet like Master Fu, Stephen also put too much on her shoulders. Wong knew Stephen spoke to her about her destiny. Like how Stephen was the Sorcerer Supreme and protected the Time Stone, Marinette was the Enchantress, she protected the balance. What the balance was exactly was still a mystery to them. 

It was still a pity to know what an ending a burden like that to bear would end like. Yet everyone had roles in this to play, and they were just doing their parts. 

"What are we supposed to do while we wait around to see if she's okay?" Chloe asks no one in particular, she was spiraling in one of her worry rants that were always induced by Marinette. 

Adrien sighed softly, wishing that Marinette would let them in more. She had gotten better, had tried to be better. Yet she wouldn't come around them too often or speak to the kwamis. Plagg admitted he saw much of Tikki in her, because where Tikki had been kind and outgoing- she was to herself and always tending to her responsibilities. 

Nino had been close to Marinette because to training, but the day that Luka and Kagami left New York was the day any trace of Marinette from before New York was seen. Nino really believed that Luka took a part of her with him, because no matter what anyone would say, even Mari, there was a part of her that was in love with Luka. There had been a part of her that wasn't ready to let go yet, despite Peter. She never admitted those feelings to anyone. 

"We protect the miraculous." Adrien says, leaning against the window. 

"She's not going to be the same." Chloe reminds him, "She hasn't been the same for a while."

Adrien frowned and looked at her, "The issues is us thinking she would be the same, Chlo. She's been through more than we can ever imagine feeling. Yeah we've been through some shit too, but she's still trying and that expectation of her isn't fair."

"I know, I know." Chloe's shoulders slumped. "I worry about her, and her powers. I know it's wrong, but what if she did lose control or of it gets to be too much?"

"She's strong." Nino says, "And you have to give it to her. She's been better about including us in everyday life. It's this hero stuff that's more hard for her."

"You want her to include us, and she does when it involves the miraculous." Adrien says, realization slowly settling as he sits up. "But when it comes to world level threats, she excludes us. Is it because of her abilities or because she's the guardian trying to protect the kwami's?"

"Probably both." Nino pipes in, "She trains hard to control her power. Peter tries to include her in daily activities, and she does some of them to appease him. She wants to protect everyone she cares about, so most times she opts out of the invites to train."

"I just hope she's safe." Chloe mutters, feeling useless. "What are we supposed to do while she's out there? Do we expose ourselves even more tying to help?"