Not Falling in Love (Daminette)

Ch 1 (Marinette)

Gotham. It's a dangerous city. But I'm used to danger.

When I was 14-years-old, a weird old man gave me the ladybug miraculous, granting me the powers of creation and luck. But it wasn't just the ladybug earrings. There were other magical jewelry kept in his miracle box, and other superheroes in Paris. 

Because of this magical jewelry, Chat Noir and I were forced to become the protectors of Paris, and saved innocent civilians from an evil moth supervillain. A supervillain who preyed on your negative emotions and transformed you into a villain with dark akumas.

So yeah, I'm used to danger.

But I'm not used to villains like the Joker, who laugh maniacally while shooting people down with a machine gun.

I run behind a car and take shelter before the crazed clown opens fire on the street.

Brrrrrrrrap! Bam! Bam! Bam!

People drop dead on the concrete, blood pouring from bullet holes in their skin, and screaming in terror. He giggles like a child playing a target shooting game at a carnival. His prize is bloodshed. This is just a game to the Joker. A sick and twisted game.

Hawk Moth wasn't like this. Hawk Moth was a villain, but he wasn't a psychopath.

Should I transform? I don't even know how to deal with a situation like this. I'm used to dealing with akumatized victims, not homicidal clowns. But I can't just stand here and watch more people die.

I unzip the handsewn pink purse that hangs at my side and look at the small red creature inside.

"Tikki," I talk to the ladybug Kwami over the sound of the gunfire, "c'est mauvais, things are looking really bad out here...should I transform?"

"I don't know, Marinette," says Tikki. "We still haven't changed your ladybug costume design."

"Je sais," I sigh. "I know. Someone might recognize me and wonder what a Parisian superhero is doing in Gotham. But someone needs to stop the Joker!"

Vvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrrr- the sound of a car engine fills the street. The shooting stops.

"Marinette, look!" Tikki exclaims. 

I carefully peer over the hood of the car that I hide behind. I gasp, and then a relieved smile pulls at my lips. "Looks like someone's here to stop the Joker after all."

Batman jumps out of the Batmobile and charges at the Joker. His black cape flutters behind him in the wind. He pulls out a bat-a-rang from his utility belt and aims it at the Joker's head.

The Joker moves out of the way just in time, and Batman's weapon crashes into a light pole. 

"Well well well, if it isn't our favorite, Batsy," the Joker cracks a smile. "Ya had me worried. I was beginning to think that you might not show."

"I'll always be here to protect the city," Batman rumbles. He punches one of Joker's henchmen in the face and breaks his nose.

"Aww, Bats, you make me blush!"

"I'll make you regret waking up this morning."

"Oh please, do show me your worst," the Joker laughs maniacally. He picks up the machine gun and begins another round of shooting.

I shiver. The Joker's laugh sends chills up my spine. He really is different from Hawk Moth.

"What do we have over here?"

I whip my head around and come face-to-face with one of the Joker's ugliest henchmen. He looks down on me with his beady eyes and smirks. 

I grip my purse strap and attempt to make a run for it. The henchman grabs me by the hair and yanks me back.