Breaking Free

Chapter 2

Marinette

After Chloes personal escort into the Manor, we made it to the dinning room.  I was not expecting to see a hallway. The structure, the design, it was all very rustic. Victorian era is a definite.
"Marinette come on. I'm hungry."
I looked around "sorry, just had an inspirational moment."
Chloe snorted "of course you did. When doesn't MDC get a break."
"Never, obviously." I smirked and took a seat. Everyone else took a seat around the table. It was kinda awkward at first. They kept trying to bring me into conversations, but it only got worse. So I kept my eyes mostly on my plate.
"Marinette, what do you do?"
I looked up from my plate. "Pardon?"
"Do you have any hobbies?" Dick asked
I nodded "yeah, I mostly design. But it's nothing special."
Bruce shook his head. "From what I've heard, your really talented."
"She is. She even made our dresses." Chloé bragged.
"Chloeeee, stooop. It's embarrassing." I said as I covered my face with my hands.
"No its not. Your MDC for gods sake. You designed for Clara Nightingale, Jagged Stone and my mom. Your crazy for not bragging about this."
"Wait your MDC?!?" Tim asked
I nodded slowly.
"Do you know how hard it is to commotion you?!?!?!" Dick exclaimed
"No?"
"It's hard. I have been trying for years!!"
I blushed three shades of red. "I had to shit down my online shop last year. I was lacking....um...... reviews?"
I didn't mean it to come out as a question, but it's out there now. I looked back at my plate and casually ate some food. Never making eye contact.
"What's the real reason why?" It was Tim that asked.
"I-I- I gotta go. I will see you back at the hotel."
I got up and speed walked my way out. As soon as I was out the door, I burst into a run. Keeping my mind blank and my eyes focused on what's in front of me, I ran.

Chloe

"Why did you bring it up?" I asked ice lining my voice.
"She finally calmed down enough to come to this stupid dinner earlier!"
"Chloe, darling you need to calm down." Mom said
"Mom, you know better than anyone what Mari goes through when we bring THEM up! You saw what happened before dinner. She threw her phone across the room, they BROKE her. I gotta go make sure Marinette doesn't fling herself off a bridge. Enjoy the rest of dinner. Mom I will text you when I find her."
I got up and glared at Tim in my way out. I felt Pollen getting antsy in my pocket. I waited till we were out of the house before calling my transmission.
"Pollen Buzz on!"
Throwing my spinning top and launched myself into the sky. I looked out into the street, trying to find Marinette. I searched all over the place, I was about to just head back to the hotel when I found her sitting on a bench in the park, hands over her ears. Dropping down and detransforming I rushed to her.
"Marinette. Mari look at me." I said.
She shook her head. Damn she is too far gone. I pulled out my phone and dialed mom.
"Mom, I found Marinette."
"How is she?"
"Not good. We're in a park, she is really spiraling. I can't pull her out of it. What do I do?"
"Call Luka and Kagami. I will be there soon. Don't move!"
"Alright."
I hung up and quickly dialed Luka. I knew Kagami would be with him, they have date night today.
"Hey Chloe, what's up?"
"Marinette, she is spiraling really badly and I can't get her out. Help!"
"Put me on speaker phone."
"Marinette, it Luka."
"L-Luka?"
"Hey Marinette, can you look at Chloé?....Take a deep breath in and out."
"Marinette, it Kagami. Can you put your hand out so Tikki can sit down."
"See Marinette, it ok. Your gonna be fine."
She nodded once, then twice.
"Thanks guys." She whispered.
"No problem. Be carful."
"Chlo keep an eye on her. This won't be the last time it happens. Especially since the posts are out there."
"Will do. Buy."
I hung up and looked at my best friend. She had a tear fall out of her eye. She looked so hurt and broken again. She finally got the smile back on her face, and those stupid people had to drag her back into the pain. And the boys asking further, I get why they asked, but still.
"Let's head home Mari."
I helped her up and escorted her home.
After a hot bath and some tea, Mari fell asleep.

Adruy

"Can you explain what's wrong with Miss. Marinette and Miss Chloe." Alfred asked.
I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to block out the images of the posts she read earlier.
"Marinette was bulled by this girl at her old school. Before she came, her classmates and here were inseparable. They did everything together. But the girl came and she turned them all against her. Even her friends she has known since kindergarten. She was beaten, used, and they destroyed her designs. The bully, she claimed Marinette stole her designs for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. When Mari tried to prove they were hers, the class ripped them out of her sketch book, then destroyed the book after. Chloe tried to stick up for her, but no one listened to her. They went from destroying her books to beating her. Her parents didn't find out about it till recently. Then her grandfather figure died and she couldn't take it anymore. So Chloe and I talked to her parents and now I am her legal Guardian. When you pushed about her website... her classmates trashed it with bad reviews. None of them were true, but she lost business because of it."
"I am getting the jet ready and we are going to kill the class!!!" Jason yelled
"Sit down!" Bruce demanded
Slowly so very slowly they sat back down. I looked at the group before me and gave a small smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Damian asked
"You guys nearly know Marinette, and your willing to go kill her classmates for her. One, she would literally yell at you to stay out of it. Two, I know about your night activities. You guys will be a lot more helpful than Chat Noir is during a battle now a days."
When the silence filled the room, I looked up. They were all staring at me.
"What is it?"
"Who is Chat Noir?" Kor'i asked
"He was one of Paris's hero's, the. ladybug took his miraculous away. Thank god. He was such a harasser. He was constantly flirting and asking her out during fights. She kept rejecting, he kept coming back. He stopped showing up to battles around the same time Lila showed up. Marinette was at the end of both sticks. Chat would try and talk about Ladybug to Marinette. She felt bad for him and offered comfort. That was before he became a jerk. One time he broke into her house and tried to force out Ladybugs secret identity. Marinette was the only one that knew who she was, he though he could get it out of her. Thanks to Ryuko and Viperion he was taken out. His ring was taken away after he killed the Guardian." I sighed that was a rough day for Marinette. Now she knows why. "I have to go. I have to make sure Marinette is ok. Please don't bring this up to her. She will when she's ready, or if you find her crying or in a panic attack. Don't say anything to her, or you have me, Chloe, Luka and Kagami to deal with."