LadyBugOut AU (Snippets)

Guardian of the Soul

Summary:
Marinette and Fu talk about what happened in "Fu Takes Charge."

Chapter Text
"...Adrien is Chat Noir."

Tikki quietly watched Marinette, both confused and relieved at the reaction. "I thought you'd be freaking out more."

"I did too," Marinette admitted, "but... it explains a lot, honestly." She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "And it's not like I'm disappointed."

"You're not?" Tikki asked. "I know you took down the pictures, but..."

Marinette shook her head. "I... I think I've been over Adrien for a long time. This was just..."

"The final nail in the coffin?" Tikki guessed.

"Yeah. Knowing he's Chat..." She groaned and rubbed her head. "Even if I was still in love with him, I wouldn't be able to deal with a lifetime of Chat Noir."

Tikki nodded silently, not knowing what else to do than just watch her holder absorb what'd just happened.

Then, Marinette's phone rang, chiming with a jingle that Marinette had handpicked.

Tikki glanced at the name that appeared, just to be sure. "It's Master Fu."

Marinette stared blankly at the phone at first, still seeming to be in a daze, then reached over and picked it up. She tapped a couple buttons, ensuring that the phone would be loud enough for both her and Tikki to hear, then set it back on the table.

"Master?" she called.

"Hello, Marinette," Fu responded. "...I'm sure you have a lot on your mind right now."

Marinette let out a single chuckle. "Not really. I was a little surprised to see you do that, but that's all."

"Ah. Yes, of course." He sounded as though he wanted to say more, but no words followed.

Marinette blinked, watching the phone to make sure the call hadn't cut off. It hadn't.

She thought it might be wrong to ask Fu about what had happened earlier, but she couldn't help herself. "...Master, why did you want me to see that? Chat de-transforming, I mean. Is this part of being a Guardian? Do I have to know in case I need to give out a temporary miraculous? Is it important for something, or is it some kind of test?"

It was unusual for Master Fu to be so quiet. While he was generally patient, he was quick to respond, especially when the situation called for it. Now though, he seemed distant; distracted even.

"...It had nothing to do with my position as a Guardian," Fu admitted.

Marinette paused. She blinked. "Wait. It... doesn't?"

There was a sigh from Fu's end. "I know it took me far too long to reprimand Adrien for his behavior. Perhaps it was the fact that I was never fully-trained, but nonetheless, I wasn't watchful enough of his actions. I saw signs that things had gone wrong, yet I ignored them. I wanted to believe that I hadn't made another mistake, but I had. You suffered for what should have already been handled."

"It wasn't..." Marinette's voice went quiet, sounding unsure, "that bad."

"...You're a good person, Marinette, and perhaps an even greater Ladybug. The ladybug and cat are meant to compliment and balance each other out, but that was not what happened. You stood strong and always managed to come out on top, even when Chat was unable to support you. You shouldn't need to do it, though it's an admirable trait."

Marinette became sheepish under the high praise, tugging gently on one of her pigtails.

Fu continued, "In a way, I'm at least glad that we were able to make progress towards Hawk Moth, but that doesn't excuse what happened. If I'd paid more attention, I might have been able to cease Chat's behavior before it went too far."

"Master Fu--" Marinette tried to interject.

"You don't have to console me, Marinette. I've come to terms with what I've done, and I could not have asked for a better ladybug holder to show me my shortcomings. Yes, I wish I'd known sooner, but knowledge is valuable, regardless of age."

"So... wait." Marinette's eyes widened with surprise. "Then... you did it for me?"

"There was no rule that said that you had to know," Fu confirmed, "so yes, I did. I knew you were fond of Adrien... or at least that you were. I wasn't sure if you were still intent on pursuing him, but you deserved to know that he and Chat were the same person."

Marinette nodded, even though Fu couldn't see it. "I see. T-thank you."

Tikki piped up softly, "And you're okay, Master? After all of that..."

Fu chuckled. "Of course I am. Plagg has already been taken care of, after all. I can rest easy, knowing that, though I advise that you tell the public right away."

"Right, of course! I--wait--" Marinette leaned over, hovering over the phone. "You already gave the cat miraculous away?!"

"I've had a plan for a while, Marinette. I've made sure to put it in very capable hands. I imagine you'll get along well."

Once Marinette had calmed down from the surprise, she replied, "I'm sure we will. You picked them, after all."

"Ah, don't forget. I may have taken your recommendations into account."

She giggled. Fu obviously couldn't tell her for sure if her recommendations had an impact, but she nonetheless appreciated the sentiment.

"And... Marinette."

Marinette stiffened at the stricter tone. "Yes?"

"I mean it just as much as last time; if we want to be a team, you'll have to trust me. If any of your holders are acting out, I need you to tell me. You shouldn't have to defend a troublesome teammate for the sake of keeping some semblance of peace."

Marinette's shoulders eased with relief, glad that she wasn't being reprimanded for anything. "Yeah, I understand. I will." She paused, realizing that the call was probably coming to an end. "Oh, and Master? Before you go, just one more thing..."

"Hm?" Fu sounded confused that there was still something else to be said.

Marinette glanced at Tikki, then back at the phone. She grinned genuinely. "I know some things didn't go how we wanted, but... you still stepped in to help me with Chat, and you were willing to give Wayzz away for his sake and the sake of Paris. I think you're a great Guardian, and I really mean that."

"...Ah," Fu said, though sounding like he'd meant to say something much more profound. Even though they weren't face-to-face, Marinette knew that he was smiling. She imagined a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you, Marinette."

With that, the phone call clicked off, leaving Marinette and Tikki staring at the home screen picture, which was just Kitty Section all attempting to cram themselves in to be in view of the phone's camera.

Tikki stared at Marinette with a thoughtful gaze. "So there's a new cat now."

Marinette nodded.

"It makes sense," Tikki mused. "The other heroes were always told that they didn't have to come if it wasn't convenient for them, so you could've been all alone for a couple fights without Chat."

Marinette hummed at that, still staring at the picture on her phone. While Tikki was technically correct in saying that she might've been alone without a new cat, she had a distinct feeling that she wouldn't have felt alone.

Before LadyBugOut, being Ladybug had become quite the chore. Chat was a problem, certainly, but there was always her concern of bad press and more akuma ruining her day.

Now though, she found herself able to take a bit of joy in her heroism. She could even take pleasure in dealing with akuma, knowing that she was steadily getting closer to Hawk Moth with each passing butterfly of his.

And her teammates cared about her just as she cared for them. The people of Paris were on her side now, and most were quick to come to her defense.

So, really, she was never alone. Not anymore.

With a determined smile, Marinette stood up and turned to Tikki. "Anyway, let's go! We've got an announcement to make and a patrol to take care of!"