Love creeps up on you

chapter four

In Gotham, Bruce Wayne was seething. He was mad, and rightfully so. Hal Jordan had written a serious issue off as a prank and decided that one one-day visit was suitable to determine whether something was a threat without notifying anyone else.

The man put on his suit and cowl and rounded up his brood before heading for the tower.

When they arrived, the entire Justice League was already gathered.

"This better be good, Batman." Superman said, flanked by the two super sons. The younger headed for Robin and the elder made his way to Red Robin as everyone was seated.

Red Robin made his way to the head of the table.

"While this information wasn't discovered on professional terms, something has come to mine and Batman's attention that we are unable to ignore. We have reason to believe that Paris is under attack and that the villain is basically holding the city hostage emotionally. This is obviously detrimental for-"

"It was just some parisian teens deciding to prank the Justice League. Don't worry about it, kid." Red Robin tried not to lose his temper. He reminded himself Hal Jordan was given his ring for a reason and therefore was not utterly incompetent. He breathed deeply before continuing as if he hadn't been interrupted in the first place.

"As i was saying, this could be detrimental for the city because of how long they've had to endure the attacks without help other than two permanent heroes as well as a few temporary ones. Their leader seems to be a girl whose suit is vaguely based on a Ladybug and who does infact go by that name. Her partner is a boy who seems to be around the same age who calls himself Chat Noir and his suit is based off of a cat. Now-"

Before he had the chance to continue, Wonder Woman stormed from the room and it didn't look like she was coming back any time soon. Red Robin sighed at the second interruption and went to continue but then Wonder Woman had returned with her mother in tow.

"Tell her what you told us,Red Robin," the heroine demanded. He internally groaned and gave her and the rest of the JL all of the information he had gathered, while managing to not get interrupted this time.

Queen Hippolyta was far from pleased.

———————

In Paris, Marinette was tired. School had been as terrible as ever and she'd just finished a post about mental health and taking care of oneself for her blog, miraculous.com(the irony was not lost on her)as well as giving a summary of the recent akumas as well as the videos she downloaded from street cameras so that people knew what to expect were they to occur again. The people needed somewhere that they could find good ways to cope and help others prevent akumas and it only took up some of her time. She did realise that she took none of her own advice, but she was Ladybug, Protector of Paris. She couldn't succumb to Hawkmoth. She didn't allow herself to think about what would happen if she did. She shut herself down and methodically began repairing the teared stitches of her favourite jacket that had been ripped by Lila's obnoxiously orange claws.

It became one of those days where she did what needed to be done in an almost robotic manner, void of emotion. She went downstairs and did her shift at the bakery with a blankness in her stare. Everything she did was the same as usual but it looked almost too natural. She was slowly becoming drained. And as Adrien entered the bakery, she wished she felt something. He wasn't the person she loved anymore but maybe he never was. He saw Lila's lies as the equivalent of bad press. He wanted her to take the high road, even as the path seemed to get narrower and narrower, closing in on her and suffocating her until she just felt so trapped. She wouldn't back down, no matter how much her stomach turns just looking at who used to be both her biggest inspiration and crush. All she saw now was the enabler he probably always had been.

An easy smile graced his lips at the sight of her, not taking note of her clear discomfort. But luckily for her, he just asked for two simple croissants and half a dozen macaroons. But then after he payed, instead of leaving, he invited her to share with him. His eyes gave him away. He wasn't here for the food, he was here to talk. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do. But her mother also didn't recognise her disconcertment, probably writing it off as hesitance to leave her work post. Sabine shooed her to a table and left them there.

Adrien had a serious look in his eye as he berated her. From an outside perspective, it looked casual. It just looked like a conversation between friends. His body language completely contradicts what he's saying. In reality, he was trying to convince her to not retaliate even as Lila continuously mistreats her. To her absolute horror, she feels tears begin to gather in her eyes but she forces them back. She refuses to cry over this. She watched almost absently as he just disregards her feelings and puts Lila's above them.
She mutters under her breath and his ranting halts.

"What'd you say, Mari?" His tone was sharp and accusatory. That kinda hurt.

"What about me? Am i immune to akumatization? Do i really mean that little to you that you simply don't take my feeling into consideration?" Her voice was quiet but firm as she met his eyes from across the table. She wasn't expecting his eyes to soften and a smile to take over his features. He leant over the table and took her two hands in his, holding too tightly to be comfortable.

"Lila is more prone to akumatization, Mari. You know this. Volpina is a regular akuma nowadays and we really need to keep it down or she may actually get in trouble with the heroes for the continuous disturbances when really it can all be solved if you just leave her be." He took a tone that was so familiar. She could of sworn she'd heard it before but it was as if it was just out of reach. It was like an adult talking down to a child. Oh shit.

She knew where she'd heard it before. She looked down at her hands, seeing them still being held firmly by his. On the ring finger of his right hand, there was a silver ring that vaguely resembled the cat miraculous. Well wasn't this a development.

Overwhelmed, she went to get up but his grip shifted from her hands to her left wrist. His grip was firm and she didn't want to fight her way out of it in the middle of her parents patisserie. She turned and his hold on her seemed to tighten almost unconsciously as he once again reminded her to just let Lila be. Then he smiled brightly at her and for the first time, she couldn't recognise him. It was as if he was a completely different person. The memories of Felix came back to her and she shivered involuntarily. Red was blooming on her wrists as the bell chimed and Adrien left. She didn't run or cry as she wanted to. She took a deep breath before taking her place behind the counter and picking up where she left off.