Duty to protect

Fragile

Selina knew she couldn't push Marinette to do anything in this state. Instead, she gently moved her to Luka's arms.

She kissed her forehead. "It'll be okay kitten I promise... I'll see you soon."

Marinette nodded and Selina left.

Bruce could only watch as his daughter fell apart... He had planned to try and approach her, to apologise despite knowing she likely wouldn't forgive him, "I'm so sorry..." He said quietly, well aware that she couldn't hear him. He was trying to think of things that she liked that he could get for her, coming to the realisation was that he barely knew her at all... And what he did know was how little she actually cared for material things.

He was at a loss as he returned to the manor with added weight to his shoulders.

Luka hugged Marinette protectively as she cried, humming a Jagged Stone song he knew she liked. He thanked the stars that they weren't in Paris... None of them could fight Marinette as it is but with even more enhancements? No...

Marinette was never someone to trifle with... But she was so stoned cold and selective about loyalties and trust that it didn't matter who got in her way, they soon got out.

She was the type of person that from an outside perspective, seemed to know exactly how her life was built. She seemed like she knew who she was, she had her life together, was successful and happy...

In reality, she was anything but...

She knew nothing of her own life. She didn't know how to be her own person and she was only now realising that she didn't know herself at all. She was too used to using other faces. Faking, as if constantly undercover to maintain likability.

She may have been scared of being rejected...

Or she genuinely didn't know how not to hide herself almost all the time. That's why she couldn't make decisions...

The others not bound to the class joined in a group hug.

..~~..

Damien was pacing so much he was wearing a crevice into the floor.

"Dames stop. She'll be back. She needs time to process. It's the first time she's said no to something in her life and it was to Bruce no less." Barbara sighed. She felt for the girl. She wanted to help but realistically couldn't do anything. It was in Bruce's hands...

"I'll kill him." He sneered.

"No you won't." Jason huffed, "'Cause you know Mari wouldn't want that."

"She said she wanted to go back to Mother! When she first came back... She said after Hawkmoth was gone, she would return to the league! They turned her into an object, a shield! They tortured her and she wants to go back!" Damien had the strong urge to throw someone across the room.

Jason flinched a bit at that, he knew what they treated her like, his time in the league of assassins was... Not remembered well... But he did remember seeing a 5-6 year old Marinette get stabbed through the shoulder with a scalding hot knife. To 'get used to the pain she'd get as a shield' and if she reacted, she would be killed or lashed or burned them chucked in the pits ready to start over again.

To think she wanted to go back to that made him feel genuinely sick. She'd rather go back there than stay?

"That's... We won't let that happen." Jason clenched his fists.