Bio!Dad Bruce

Chapter 22

Dark Mouse sat further away from everyone trying to come up with a different plan for saving Marinette, although, Javelina would just say he was brooding like always. Kupuas came to sit next to him.

"I feel like this is all my fault."

"I mean, it kind of is."

"What do you mean?"

Kupuas sighed, "Bruce, it's clear that something happened in Paris. Something that really messed with her. And instead of acting like a concerned adult with a traumatized child, as you have with literally every child you've come across since Dick, you acted like she was an assassin sent to kill you but you couldn't get rid of her."

Dark Mouse gave an unsure look, "She tried to kill Jason."

She leveled a dry look at him, "You can not honestly say with the way this family is, that someone trying to kill someone else in it is that much of a red flag. Damien still routinely tries to kill everyone."

Húsān spoke up, "Does he? How nice."

"Not now Mother. We are trying to save my sister." Ibex snapped.

---

Marionette smiled as the hotel came into sight.  Before she could take another step, a very familiar yoyo wrapped around her waist. Her delighted gasp made her seem more like a child than someone trying to commit murder (along with a successful one beforehand). "Little Bug! What a wonderfully unexpected surprise! Oh, I should have known that sneaky little rabbit would get involved! You'll have to tell her hi for me! But I'm afraid it will have to wait! I've got a pesky butterfly to pin by his wings!"

"I can't let you do that." Ladybug said decisively, as she tried not to look too closely at who was in front of her.

Marionette's smile didn't waver, if anything it grew bigger. "But you absolutely can Little Bug! After everything, he's done, it'll be mercy towards the world for me to end him!"

"Marinette. I know you're still in there. You don't want to do this."

Marionette's expression closed off. Instead of demented joy, she was cold and calculating, "Do you really think that I'm worried about what will happen when this wears off? When I'm back to being a pushover, a doormat for everyone else? I'm doomed either way!" She smiled viciously, "With everything that Gabriel Agreste has done, he deserves what's coming to him. And there is nothing you can do to stop me Little Bug." Without warning, Marionette grabbed the end of the yoyo attached to her and pulled it, forcing Ladybug off her feet.

Ladybug flipped and managed to land on both feet. She kept hold of her end of the yoyo as a spinning top wrapped around Marionette's other hand.

Marionette followed the attached string, expecting to see a familiar (if annoying) bee, instead, she was greeted with the sight of a very different person. "And who might you be that my sneaky little rabbit friend has gotten you involved?"

This new bee didn't waste time with pleasantries and instead just called for Venom. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

Marionette rolled her shoulders and subtly tested the grip both had on their respective weapons, "If that's how you want to play it." She once again yanked on the strings and forced both Miraculous users to fly towards her. At the last second, she jumped straight into the air and let them crash into each other. Marionette was so distracted by ensuring she wouldn't land on a misplaced Venom that she completely missed the tiger that tackled her from behind.

She jerked sideways and ended up hitting her head on the cold roof tile. The last thing she heard before blacking out completely was, "Sorry Cupcake. But it really is for your own good."