Crimson

New

Kara had always been a bit different to the rest of her family. Marinette didn't quite know what it was.

But she wasn't all that surprised finding her standing on her balcony after school one day. "Auntie Kara..." She bit her lip.

Before she said anything, dressed as Supergirl, she wrapped her in a hug. "You want to explain?" She said softly.

Marinette looked away. "I'm happy here... Don't make me go back..."

Kara's lips parted in surprise. "But the family -"

"Probably barely realise I'm gone." She finished. She clenched her fist.

"Mari that's not-" she paused when she met her teary eyes. "Is that what... Oh honey..." She hugged her.

"I can't go back. Please... I can't deal with those inadequacies anymore... I'm more than that! I'm tired of not being seen by who I am and instead being seen as the only Kent child with no powers! I'm not a Kryptonian. I'm not Clarks daughter. I am not a Kent anymore." With every word came more tears.

It broke Kara's heart. She never told anyone, just let the family go on.

"Mars-El... That's what it would be..." She said quietly. "Your Kryptonian name is Mars-El..."

Marinette looked up at her, seeing her on the verge of tears.

"Kara..." She hugged her tighter. "Thank you... Please ... Don't tell them you've seen me... Or that you know in here... Please."

Kara hesitated. Kal had been deviated the first few days, but he seemed to shove it down after that. If someone even brought her up, he'd snap at them.

But seeing this fragile girl in front of her, she needed someone she felt important with. At the moment, that wasn't Kal...

"I promise... But only if you unblock me. Message me at least once a week so I know you're alive. Okay?"

Marinette relaxed into a slight smile "thank you..."

..~~..

Kara avoided the Kent's for two weeks after that.

..~~..

Marinette had relaxed into a new routine. She snarked with Chloe when entering the classroom, sat at her seat, continued to overachieve. But now she had friends. Then she'd get home from school, call Damien and message Kara.

She was happy enough until, at the age of 14, she saw a man about to get hit by a car. With superhuman speed, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to safety. She gasped to herself. "S-sorry sir. I hope you're okay. Um I have to get to school" she squeaked before running past. How had she done that?

Her day could only get worse when a giant stone being appeared.

Marinette felt sick. She couldn't do anything. All those feelings came back. She had nothing to offer. She ran home, tears in her eyes.

She was half considering trying to call Kara to come over and help but that idea was soon out the window when she arrived in her room to so a small black and red hexagonal box.

"You want me to be a hero?" She gasped.

Tikki was a little surprised that she wasn't taken aback by her appearance.

Marinette was extremely conflicted. She couldn't do it just to make her dad proud. She had to want to help and she did. More than anything she wanted to help people and she finally had the chance but she had always been told that she couldn't. She wasn't like her family she couldn't be a hero. Maybe this could change that.

"What do I have to do?"

It wasn't long until she was leaping and bounding across rooftops. Her suit was dark, the reds were dark. A lot of her suit was black. Her family's hero symbol embroidered at the top of one part of her cape that seems to be split in two.

She felt like she was flying and she couldn't help the grin on her face at having control of her path in the air.

Half way through a jump, she was crashed into by a blonde boy in a black cat suit. "You must be my partner." She smiled at him.

"I suppose I am." He grinned back.

"So what's your name?" She asked him.

"Um Chat noir. Call me Chat noir."

"Crimson." She offered her hand for a shake.

She had to admit, Chat's lack of experience was worrying but she put her training from the bats to good use. She always had the brains in her family even if she didn't have the brawn. The lucky charm was the perfect power for her to have.

Once the akuma was dealt with, she went to Chat. "Hey um.... I couldn't help but notice that you don't seem to have much fighting experience? Would it... Would you allow me to train you?"

The boy blinked and grinned. "Can't wait!"

"I won't be going easy on you." She smirked slightly before leaping away, leaving Chat Noir to deal with the press. (Well... Alya)

Once Marinette had detransformed at home, she felt drained, weak. "T-tikki is this normal?"

Tikki flitted around her nervously. "It shouldn't be. Pardon me Marinette but um... Are you completely human?"

Marinette stared at her, a little offended.

"I-its just that.... You see... It seems that  you have a weakness to magic. It's not deadly but you're drained by it more than a human would be..."

Marinette hesitated. Was she? "My biological dad... He's Kryptonian. They're vulnerable to magic and Kryptonite... But I don't show signs of being one"

Tikki circled her. "Tom?"

"Um no... He's not my real dad. I left. My lack of abilities meant I didn't really fit in with my family."

"Either way you certainly are not completely human. But don't worry! I can help you with your magic weakness! Only thing I can't do is make your suit indestructible due to this."

Marinette nodded in surprise. "R-right!"

The next day, when Stoneheart dopplegangers appeared all over the city, Marinette was in a serious state of panic.

"I'm not cut out for this."

"Marinette that isn't true! Everyone makes mistakes!"  Tikki tried.

Marinette felt sick. Maybe her dad was right, she wasn't cut out for it.

"Marinette!" Tikki squeaked. "You're in a better place than anyone. You can do this!"

Marinette reluctantly transformed again, heading into action, rescuing Alya and her partner.

The police talked down on them.

She snapped, "You think we asked for this?! We were given a damn job to do! Back off and let us do it!" Her overreaction due to being absolutely terrified that she would fail. Her partner seemed to notice.

Chat placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You can do this..."

She smiled up at him.

When a giant head of butterflies was coughed up she sneered.

She started forward and and she flew up to him. It looked like a super jump that was given by the miraculous. She knew though, she felt it. She flew.

It took her a moment to recover from her shock. She shook herself out of it and started to swipe away with her yo-yo. She turned to address the crowd. "Hawkmoth is a manipulator. But let me make this promise. We will do our best to protect this city. We will find him and he will hand us his miraculous!"

The cover is the suit for Marinette in this AU. I drew it before I wrote the description hehe.
:)