#platonic brucinette

[blackroserelina]

Once Lost Now Found

I'm not much of a writer I had to use AI to even get this done, but this is basically the story for the lost one out line I did. I'm not fully happy with it but it's what I can do.

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"Pfft, what a bust," Marinette exclaimed as she stomped into the dimly lit coffee shop. The hotel's coffee pot had decided to brew its last cup of sludge that morning, leaving her desperate for a decent caffeine fix before the big tour of Wayne Enterprise. She was in Gotham for a class trip, and the thought of facing the day without her usual buzz was as appealing as a soggy croissant.

Her eyes landed on the menu, and she felt a glimmer of hope as she spotted the "Death by Espresso" option. "Perfect," she murmured, stepping up to the counter. "One of those, please."

The barista, a young man with a slightly worried look, asked "You're sure you can handle it?"

Marinette's determination didn't waver. "Trust me, I need it."

As she waited for her drink, she heard the door chime, and in walked a figure that was both familiar and foreign to her. Tim Drake, in his casual yet expensive attire, strode in with the confidence of someone who was used to the chaos of Gotham. His eyes scanned the room, and when they met hers, he paused for a fraction of a second before ordering the same lethal concoction.

Their drinks arrived simultaneously, and they both went to grab them, "Well, I guess we have similar tastes in coffee," Tim said, noticing her bewilderment.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

Tim's eyes searched hers, and she felt a strange sense of comfort from his presence. "I'm Tim," he said, extending a hand. "Timothy Drake."

Marinette took his hand, her grip firm yet gentle. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Tim's smile grew as he replied, "Nice to meet you, Marinette."

As they stepped out of the coffee shop, the harsh reality of Gotham's streets hit them like a cold wind. Marinette's eyes grew wide as she spotted the bus, her class's yellow beacon of safety, pulling away from the curb. Panic set in, and she looked around frantically for any sign of the teacher who was supposed to be looking out for her.

"You, okay?" Tim asked, his eyes narrowing at the bus's retreating figure.

Marinette nodded, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. "Yeah, I just… I can't believe they left without me."

Tim's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and concern. "That's unacceptable. You're not from around here, are you?"

Marinette nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's a class trip from Paris. I won the contest to come here."

Tim's eyes widened. "Paris? That's amazing! But it's also incredibly irresponsible of them to leave you behind."

Marinette felt a warmth spread through her chest at his genuine concern. "It's okay," she lied, trying to put on a brave face. "I'm sure they'll realize and come back for me."

Tim's expression was grim. "I wouldn't bet on it. Gotham's not the safest place to be stranded, especially if you're not from around here." He checked his watch. "Look, I'm heading to Wayne Enterprise myself for some work. You can come with me, and I'll make sure you get to the tour on time."

Marinette hesitated, eyeing him warily. Gotham was a city of shadows and secrets, and she wasn't about to trust a stranger, no matter how kind he seemed. But as she focused on his aura, she felt a gentle warmth, a sense of protection and sincerity that washed away her fears. "Okay," she agreed, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Tim."

The ride to Wayne Enterprise was filled with nervous energy, their conversation bouncing between the mundane and the profound. Tim spoke of his love for Gotham, despite its dangers, and Marinette shared her excitement for the tour, her voice filled with hope and wonder. As they approached the towering building, Marinette's heart raced.

Upon their arrival, Dick Grayson was already waiting for them. His gaze swept over the group of students, and his eyes lingered on Marinette as she stepped into the lobby, clutching her purse tightly to herself. His stomach twisted in knots as he heard the whispers of her classmates, the cruel taunts that seemed to follow her wherever she went. He had been informed by Tim of the situation, and it was all he could do to keep from swooping in and putting an end to it right there.

As Marinette sees her class, she knows her time with him has ended so she waves goodbye to Tim.

"I'll be okay," she assured him with a forced smile. "Thank you again for the ride."

Tim nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary before he turned to leave. Dick stepped forward, a mask of professionalism sliding into place as he began the tour. Throughout the grand halls of Wayne Enterprise, Lila's voice echoed like a siren's call, weaving tall tales of her connections and the importance of her family name. The class hung on her every word, their eyes glazed over with adoration, while Dick felt his patience wearing thinner than a spider's web.

Marinette alone remained unshaken by Lila's deceitful charm, her eyes never leaving Dick as she listened to the real stories he shared about the company's history and its commitment to the city. Her gaze was a beacon of sanity in a sea of naivety. He found himself grateful for her silent support, her nods of understanding grounding him in the face of such blatant dishonesty.

As the tour dragged on, the rest of the class remained enraptured by Lila's fabrications, while Marinette discreetly sent glances Dick's way, her expressions a silent question. He returned her looks with a mix of exasperation and amusement, his respect for her growing with every step.

"Miss Bustier," Dick called out, his voice echoing in the vast lobby, "I think it's time we moved on."

Lila rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, come on, Mr. Grayson, we're having so much fun!"

The class giggled in unison, clearly on her side. Dick felt a headache coming on. "Miss Rossi," he said firmly, "let's not hold up the tour any longer."

Lila huffed, but complied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Marinette couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for Dick. He had been trying so hard to give them a real insight into the company, and all they cared about were her classmates' petty gossip and exaggerated tales of wealth. She walked closer to him, her eyes scanning and hands fiddling with the locket that was her silent companion around her neck.

"Thank you for the tour," she said quietly, her voice sincere.

Dick nodded, his eyes scanning the locket around her neck. It was a subtle gesture, but Marinette caught it. "You're welcome, Marinette. It's not every day we get such an insightful visitor."

As the tour concluded, the students dispersed, eager to explore the rest of Gotham, but Marinette lingered, her eyes on the locket that had drawn Dick's attention. The rest of the class had ignored the actual tour, lost in Lila's fabricated tales of grandeur, but she had been the one to truly listen and appreciate the stories Dick had shared about the city and the company.

Dick noticed her lingering and approached her. "You seem like the only one who actually enjoyed the tour," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Marinette shrugged, her cheeks flushing. "I guess I just like to learn about new places."

Dick's smile grew, and he gave her a warm pat on the shoulder. "You're a breath of fresh air in this city," he said before turning to leave.

Marinette watched him go, her thoughts a jumble of confusion and excitement. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to him than met the eye. She knew he wasn't just any employee at Wayne Enterprise; she could feel it.

The class trip continued, and that evening they all went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. The chatter was loud, a cacophony of French and English blending together. Lila, as usual, held court, spinning tales of her fabulous life in Paris that made the other students' eyes widen with envy. Marinette tried to ignore the noise, focusing instead on her meal. The food was delicious, but the company was… less than ideal.

As the meal ended and the students began to leave, Marinette told Miss Bustier that she had to use the restroom really quick.

"Don't take too long," Miss Bustier called out, already halfway out the door.

Marinette nodded and hurried to the bathroom. When she emerged, the restaurant was empty except for a few lingering staff. She felt a cold hand of fear grips her heart—she had been left behind again. Panic rising, she fumbled for her phone in her pocket, only to find it as lifeless as a forgotten souvenir. The battery was dead.

With no way to call for help, she stepped out into the darkening streets of Gotham. The once vibrant and bustling metropolis now seemed like a labyrinth of shadows and danger. She had been warned about the city's notorious reputation, but she never thought she would be alone in it. As she wandered, trying to remember the way back to the hotel, she heard the distant sound of laughter and footsteps growing louder. Two men turned the corner, leering at her.

"Looks like we found ourselves a little tourist," one of them sneered, his teeth glinting in the dim streetlight.

Marinette took a deep breath, her hand instinctively moving to the locket around her neck. It was all she had left of home, of her father, and she wasn't about to let anyone take that from her. She had been trained in martial arts, thanks to her adopted mother's insistence and with her experience as Ladybug, she wasn't going to let fear dictate her actions.

The alley grew quieter as their footsteps grew closer. The moon cast eerie shadows that danced on the damp pavement. The smell of rotting trash mixed with the scent of rain that hung in the air. She knew she had to end this quickly. With a swift move, she grabbed one man's arm and twisted it behind his back, causing him to cry out in pain. The second man lunged at her, but she was ready. She ducked under his arm and delivered a powerful kick to his midsection, sending him reeling into the wall.

As she spun around to face the first attacker, she felt a hand on her shoulder, firm yet gentle. "Easy there, kitten," a gruff voice said. She whipped around, ready to fight, only to find a man dressed in red and black, a hood shadowing his face.

Marinette's heart raced as she took in the newcomer. The two men she had just fought were groaning on the ground, but the new figure didn't seem concerned with them. "Who are you?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man in red and black, known as Red Hood, chuckled softly. "Someone who doesn't like to see a pretty girl like you fighting in the streets."

Marinette's eyes narrowed, and she took a step back, her instincts telling her to be wary. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

Red Hood's grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment before he realized his mistake and let go. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said, his voice calmer now. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Marinette eyed him warily, her heart pounding in her chest. The locket felt heavy around her neck, a silent reminder of her father's love and protection. "Thanks," she managed to say, her voice still shaking slightly. "I can handle myself."

Red Hood studied her for a moment, his eyes piercing through the shadows of his hood. "I can see that," he said with a hint of admiration. "But it's not every day you find a tourist who can take down two thugs without breaking a sweat. What's your secret?"

Marinette swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. She couldn't tell him the truth, not here, not now. "Just a little self-defense," she lied, trying to keep her voice steady. "My mom taught me."

Red Hood's eyes searched hers as if looking for a glimpse of the truth behind her words. After a moment, he nodded. "Good for you," he said, his voice carrying a hint of a Southern drawl. "But you shouldn't be out here alone. It's not safe."

Marinette felt a shiver run down her spine, her earlier bravado fading in the face of his intense gaze. "I know," she murmured, her eyes darting to the unconscious men on the ground. "My class left me behind."

Red Hood's expression darkened. "Stay here," he instructed, his voice firm. He stepped over to the thugs and tied them up with a swiftness that spoke of experience. He pulled out a small communicator from his utility belt and spoke into it, arranging for their pickup.

Marinette watched him, feeling a strange sense of comfort in his presence. She knew he was dangerous, a vigilante of some kind, but he didn't feel threatening to her. Her eyes wandered to the locket again, the warm metal pressing against her skin.

"You okay?" Red Hood asked, his voice softer now.

Marinette nodded, still trembling slightly. "I think so," she whispered. "I just want to go back to the hotel."

Red Hood looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "I'll take you there," he said. "But you have to stay close."

Marinette nodded, her eyes never leaving his. She could feel his concern, his protective aura wrapping around her like a warm blanket. As they walked through the streets of Gotham, she couldn't help but feel a strange kinship with him. Despite his intimidating exterior, there was something comforting about the way he moved, the confidence in his steps.

"What's your name?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Red Hood," he replied, his eyes never leaving the shadows. "How about you?"

Marinette took a deep breath, the air thick with the scent of rain. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Red Hood nodded. "Nice to meet you, Marinette," he said, his eyes scanning the street. "Now, let's get you out of here."

They moved swiftly through the alleyways, sticking to the shadows. Marinette could feel his eyes on her, checking if she was okay, if she needed help. She didn't. Her training as Ladybug had prepared her for moments like this, but she appreciated his concern.

As they neared the hotel, the streets grew quieter, the neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement. The rain had started to fall, a soft patter that grew louder with each step. Red Hood pulled his hood up further, shielding his face from the downpour.

Marinette felt a twinge of sadness as they approached the hotel's glowing entrance. She didn't want to leave him, didn't want to return to the cold reality of her classmates' indifference. But she knew she had to.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the rain. "For everything."

Red Hood nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're welcome," he said, his grip on her shoulder reassuring. "And remember, Gotham can be a tough place. Stick with your group and stay safe."

Marinette stepped into the light of the hotel lobby, the warmth enveloping her as the rain continued to fall outside. She watched as Red Hood melted back into the shadows, his figure disappearing as if he had never been there. The encounter left her with more questions than answers, but she knew she had to keep moving forward.

The elevator ride to her room felt like an eternity. Each floor that passed brought back the memory of her father's eyes." The locket felt like a burning ember against her skin, a constant reminder of her lost past.

When the doors finally opened, Marinette rushed into her room and collapsed onto the bed, the locket still clutched in her hand. She stared at it, the inscription blurring through her tears. "My most beloved daughter M.W.," she whispered, tracing the letters with her thumb. "Daddy loves you always." as she cried herself to sleep.

The next day, she was paired with Damian Wayne for the visit to Gotham Academy. His cold demeanor was intimidating, but Marinette felt a strange pull towards him. Throughout the day, she saw glimpses of kindness beneath his tough exterior, especially when he defended her from a sneering comment by one of the other students. His sharp gaze was assessing, and she couldn't help but feel that he was searching for something in her, something she wasn't even sure she knew existed.

As they walked the halls, Marinette found herself opening up to Damian, sharing her love for art and her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. His initial skepticism gradually gave way to something resembling respect, and by the end of the day, she had earned a rare smile from the young heir to the Wayne legacy.

In the bustling cafeteria, they sat side by side, surrounded by the cacophony of chatter and clanging trays. Marinette picked at her food, lost in thought about the events of the past few days.

"You know," Damian began, his voice low and contemplative, "you're not like the others."

Marinette looked up from her tray, surprised by his sudden openness. "What do you mean?" she asked a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

Damian's gaze was fixed on her, his dark eyes unreadable. "You're… different," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You have… a strength about you."

Marinette felt her cheeks flush. "Thanks," she murmured, unsure of how to respond.

Damian's gaze remained steadfast. "You remind me of someone," he said, his voice a mix of curiosity and something else she couldn't quite place.

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Could he somehow know about her secret life as Ladybug? She quickly dismissed the thought. No, it wasn't possible. "Really?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual. "Who?"

Damian leaned closer, his eyes searching hers. "Someone important," he said, his voice dropping even lower. "Someone who has faced darkness and come out stronger for it."

Marinette's heart raced. Could he be referring to Ladybug? Her mind raced with possibilities, but she kept her expression neutral. "That's a nice compliment," she said, her voice a mere whisper.

Damian nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "It's more than that," he said, his voice intense. "It's a recognition of something… extraordinary."

Marinette felt a jolt of adrenaline. She had never met anyone who seemed to see through her so easily. Her heart pounded in her chest as she wondered if he could be talking about her heroic alter ego. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Damian leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "I've seen the way you handle yourself," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "The way you stand up to bullies, even when you're scared. It's… inspiring."

Marinette felt a warmth spread through her, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Someone was finally seeing her, not just her classmates' version of her. "Thank you," she said, genuinely touched by his words.

Damian's smirk grew. "You're welcome," he said. "You know, if you ever need anything while you're in Gotham, just let me know."

Marinette's eyes widened slightly. Was he offering to help her, not just as a fellow student but as something more? "Thanks," she said, her voice a bit shaky. "But I'm sure I'll be fine."

Damian's smirk didn't falter. "I'm sure you will," he said, his tone sincere. "But sometimes, even the strongest heroes need a hand."

Marinette's thoughts swirled as she took in his words. Was he hinting at something? Did he know her secret? Impossible, she thought, pushing the doubt aside. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that he saw more than he let on.

The rest of the day at Gotham Academy was a blur. The tension between her and Damian grew thicker with every shared glance and whispered conversation. She felt like she was walking on eggshells, not wanting to give anything away.

As the class boarded the bus back to the hotel, Marinette couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She knew she had to keep her distance from the Wayne brothers, not just to protect her secret but also to protect them from the danger that followed her. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow connected, that they were all part of something much larger than themselves.

That night, she couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing with the day's events. The way Red Hood had moved, the way Tim and Dick had looked at her during the tour, and now Damian's cryptic words. It was all too much to process. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with excitement and fear.

The next day, the class was scheduled to visit the Gotham Museum of Art.

Marinette walked through the grand halls, feeling a strange mix of awe and anxiety. She had always loved art, but in Gotham, it felt different, as if each painting held a secret of the city's dark soul. She found solace in the quiet whispers of the brushstrokes, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.

As the tour group moved from one exhibit to the next, she noticed a peculiar painting that had been recently added. It was a portrait of a young girl with her mother, and the girl's eyes seemed to follow her, filled with a sense of longing that resonated deep within her. The plaque beside it read, "Marinette Wayne," and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

The first name was the same as hers, and the resemblance in the eyes was uncanny. The more she stared, the more she felt like she was looking into a mirror reflecting a past she couldn't remember. The rest of the class had moved on, but she remained, lost in the haunting beauty of the portrait.

It was then that she heard a soft footstep behind her, and she spun around to see Bruce Wayne standing there, his eyes fixed on the painting as well.

"It's a beautiful piece, isn't it?" he said, his voice low and measured.

Marinette nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from the painting. "It's… haunting," she murmured.

Bruce stepped closer, his eyes never leaving the painting. "It reminds me of someone," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Someone very important to me."

Marinette felt her heart clench in her chest for some reason.

Bruce continued, "Marinette was my daughter," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "She was… she was everything to me."

Marinette's breath caught in her throat. The locket grew heavier on her neck. "Your…daughter?" she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bruce nodded his gaze still on the painting. "Yes," he said, his voice filled with a sadness that seemed to echo through the museum. "She was taken from me when she was very young. I've been searching for her ever since."

Marinette's eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. "What…what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Bruce took a deep breath, his eyes welling up with pain. "She was kidnapped," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I've devoted my life to finding her, and to making sure no one else has to go through what she did."

Marinette's hand flew to her locket, her heart racing for some reason. She felt a strange kinship with this man, a bond that she couldn't explain. "Di… did you ever find any leads?" she asked.

Bruce's eyes searched hers, the pain in his gaze was palpable. "No," he said, his voice strained. "Every trail went cold. I never gave up hope, but… it's been so long."

Marinette felt a tear slip down her cheek. The story was all too familiar, but she didn't know why. "I'm sorry," she murmured, not knowing what else to say.

Bruce's gaze softened, and he reached out to gently wipe the tear away. "It's alright," he said, his voice filled with a warmth she hadn't heard in years. "Life is full of tragedies, but also moments of beauty, like this painting."

Marinette nodded, her eyes still glued to the portrait. "It's just… it's eerie how much she looks like me," she whispered.

Bruce's hand froze, and he leaned in closer, examining her features. "You do share a resemblance," he said, his voice tight with restrained emotion. "Perhaps it's the eyes."

Marinette's heart raced as he took a step back, composing himself. "It's just a coincidence," she said, trying to convince herself as much as him. "I'm sure lots of people have similar eyes."

Bruce nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on the locket she unconsciously clutched. "Perhaps," he murmured, his voice thick with unspoken questions. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Marinette's hand tightened around the locket, the carving of 'M.W.' feeling like a brand on her skin. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle that was her life.

"Marinette," Bruce said gently, using her name for the first time. The sound of it on his lips sent a wave of longing through her. "Do you have a moment to talk in private?"

She nodded, and he led her to a secluded corner of the museum. The silence between them was deafening, filled with the weight of unspoken truths.

"I know this might sound strange," Bruce began, his voice gentle yet firm. "But I need to ask you something important." He took hold of the locket around her neck, the weight of its contents heavy. "Do you know what this means?"

Marinette's eyes grew wide with shock "It's… it's just a necklace," she lied, her voice trembling. "It's special to me, but I don't know what it means."

Bruce's eyes searched hers, and she could see the hope and fear mingling in the depths of his gaze. "Marinette," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Look inside."

With trembling hands, she opened the locket. The same words she had read countless times stared back at her, "My most beloved daughter M.W. Daddy loves you always." But this time, something clicked. The initials matched the name from the painting. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

Bruce's eyes searched hers, holding the locket between them. "Do you know who this is?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of hope and fear.

Marinette felt the room spin as she stared at the locket, the reality of the situation crashing down upon her. "It… it's me," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "It's… I'm M.W."

Bruce's hand trembled as he cupped her cheek, his eyes searching hers. "Marinette," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Is it possible?"

Marinette's eyes filled with tears as she nodded slowly. "I… I think so," she choked out, the weight of the revelation too much to bear.

Bruce's own eyes glistened with unshed tears as he cradled her face in his hands. "Marinette," he breathed, her name like a prayer on his lips. "My baby girl."

The dam of emotions broke, and Marinette threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring her to this moment, to this place where she could finally find the love she had been searching for her entire life. Bruce held her tightly, his own eyes filled with tears as he whispered soothing words into her ear, the warmth of his embrace bringing a sense of belonging she had never felt before.

Marinette pulled away, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Daddy," she whispered, testing the word she hadn't dared to speak in so long.

Their moment was interrupted by the concerned chatter of the approaching tour group. Bruce quickly composed himself, his eyes scanning the room. He knew they couldn't stay here, not like this. "Marinette," he said, urgency in his tone. "We need to talk. In private."

They found a quiet spot in the museum's garden, the chilly Gotham air a stark contrast to the warmth of their conversation. "What do we do now?" Marinette asked, her voice still shaking.

Bruce took a deep breath, the reality of the situation setting in. "First, we need to find out for sure," he said, his voice firm.

Marinette nodded, wiping her eyes. "How do we do that?" she asked, hope mingling with fear.

Bruce took a deep breath. "We need to get a DNA test," he said. "It's the only way to be certain."

Marinette's heart raced at the thought. "But…but what if it's true?" she stammered. "What if I am your daughter?"

Bruce's gaze softened as he took her hand in his. "Then we'll deal with it together," he assured her. "But we need to be certain."

Marinette nodded, her mind racing with the implications. "Okay," she said, her voice small. "But how do we explain this to everyone?"

Bruce's expression grew serious. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "For now, we need to keep this between us. The less people know, the better."

Marinette nodded, her mind reeling with the gravity of their situation. She knew that if it were true, it would change everything. Her life in Paris, her friends, her secret identity – all of it would be turned upside down.

"We'll figure this out together," he said, his voice a soothing balm to her racing thoughts. "But for now, we need to keep this between us. I'll arrange for a discreet DNA test tomorrow."

Marinette nodded, her mind racing with the implications of her potential lineage. Could she really be the lost daughter of Bruce Wayne? It was too much to comprehend.

The rest of the day was a blur as she went through the motions of the tour, her thoughts consumed by the revelation. She couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and dread intertwined. Her heart ached with the hope of finally finding her family, yet the fear of losing everything she knew was ever-present.

That night, she lay in her hotel bed, the locket clutched tightly in her hand. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, and she couldn't shake the feeling that her entire life was about to change. The DNA test loomed over her like a storm cloud, and she found it hard to sleep.

The next day, Bruce arranged for a private meeting in his office at Wayne Enterprise. Under the guise of meeting the winner that won the class this trip. The gleaming skyscraper stood tall against the gloomy Gotham skyline, a symbol of hope amidst the city's darkness. Marinette's heart hammered in her chest as she stepped into the elevator, feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down on her.

When the elevator doors slid open, she was greeted by Alfred, Bruce's loyal butler. His kind eyes searched hers, and she wondered if he knew the truth they were about to uncover. He led her into a plush office, where Bruce was waiting, his expression a mask of calm she couldn't quite read.

The DNA test was quick and painless, but the wait was agonizing. They talked in hushed tones, avoiding the subject at hand, their eyes darting to the clock on the wall as the minutes ticked by. Marinette felt like she was in a dream, one that she didn't want to end but knew would bring a reality she wasn't prepared for.

Bruce excused himself to take a call, leaving Marinette alone with her thoughts. She gazed out the window at the sprawling cityscape, the stark contrast of the gleaming Wayne Tower against the grimy buildings of Gotham a stark reminder of the life she might have had.

When he returned, his eyes were heavy with a mix of anticipation and dread. "The results will be in tomorrow," he said, his voice tight.

Marinette nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling a knot form in her stomach.

The next 24 hours were the longest of her life. She walked through the streets of Gotham, the weight of the locket and the potential truth it held pressing down on her like a leaden cloak. She couldn't focus on anything else, her thoughts a tornado of what-ifs and maybes. Her interactions with her classmates were forced, her mind elsewhere.

The night brought no rest. She tossed and turned in her hotel bed, the locket lying like a hot coal on her chest. The whispers of the wind outside seemed to carry the secrets of the city, secrets that could soon be her own. The room felt too small, the air too thick to breathe.

The next day dragged on like a mournful symphony, each second a painful crescendo towards the truth. The class continued with their Gotham adventures, but Marinette was lost in her thoughts, unable to fully engage with the world around her. She found solace in the quiet moments, the gentle hum of the city's pulse a lullaby that sang of a past she had long ago forgotten.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting Gotham in a cloak of twilight, Marinette waited anxiously in the hotel lobby. The grand clock ticked away the moments, each chime echoing through her soul like a countdown to destiny. And then, as if on cue, the elevator doors parted, and Bruce emerged, his eyes filled with a solemn intensity that told her the moment of truth had arrived.

He approached her, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. In his hand, he held a small envelope, the seal of the lab stark and official. Marinette's heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest as he handed it to her, his own hand trembling slightly.

With trembling fingers, she took the envelope and slid out the single sheet of paper. The words she read sent a shockwave through her entire being. The DNA test results were conclusive: she was indeed Marinette Wayne, the long-lost daughter of Bruce Wayne. The truth hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt her legs give out beneath her.

Bruce caught her before she could fall, his strong arms wrapping around her as she sobbed into his chest. "It's okay," he murmured over and over, his voice a comforting rumble that she hadn't heard since she was a child. "You're home now."

Marinette looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice small and scared.

Bruce's gaze held hers, filled with a fierce determination. "We get to know each other," he said firmly. "You're not alone anymore."

Marinette nodded, her heart swelling with a mix of joy and fear. She had found her father, but what about her mother? The woman in the portrait, the woman she had never known?

Bruce seemed to read her thoughts. "Your mother was a wonderful person," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "She was… she was taken from us when you were very young. But I promise you, she would be proud of the strong, brave woman you've become."

Marinette felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to spill over. "I don't know how to be a Wayne," she whispered. "I don't know anything about this life."

Bruce's grip on her tightened. "You don't have to be anyone but yourself," he assured her. "I'll be here to guide you, to help you navigate this new chapter."

Marinette took a shaky breath, trying to process the monumental revelation. "What about my life in Paris? I have responsibility there."

Bruce nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. "We'll figure it out," he promised. "We'll take it one step at a time."

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

What a drag!

Summary: Mari taking out the trash. The trash in question is Gabriel Agreste.

Marinette had never expected a dead body to be so heavy.

She hissed the few curses she knew between pants as she dragged it through back alley after back alley. All she needed to do was carry him to the pier and throw him off it.

There were two major problems with her plan, though:

She was an 11-year-old trying to drag the corpse of a fully grown man around, and the pier was still several blocks away.

Sweat dripped down her nose, catching in the fabric of her polka-dotted mask. The mask was decidedly not making it easier to breathe, but she didn’t have much of an option. Even if her hair had been dyed blue recently, making her easy to identify, that was something she could change if need be. If someone saw her face, though, she would be doomed.

Her shoulders ached as she lugged the trash bag filled to bursting with Gabriel Agreste down another alley. 'Luckily', his weight forced her to shuffle, which kicked away all of the abandoned shards of glass and needles on the ground before they could rip the trash bag and make things a million times harder.

Not that that ended up mattering in the end, though.

Her back hit something hard, but she knew that she shouldn’t have reached a wall yet.

Slowly, as if she thought that she might be able to bore the local cryptid into leaving, she tipped her head back to see who – or what – she had run into.

Her eyes met the white lenses of a bat mask.

He looked unimpressed. Not that this was strange, from what Marinette had heard the man was known for always being unimpressed with anything and everything.

“Taking out the trash?” he said. His voice had been altered by a voice changer, making it artificially deep, and this only made him seem more like he was going to beat her into a bloody pulp.

She glanced down at the trash bag. A few of Gabriel’s fingers had broken through the plastic, sticking out at an awkward angle. There was a very visible imprint of the man’s face pressed against the side.

Yeah, no, there was no way that Batman didn’t know.

For just half a second, she considered swinging the bag around and hitting Batman with it, but she didn’t think she would be able to do it faster than he could move out of the way. Even if she could manage it, it was more likely that the bag, which was already on its last legs, would snap, and Gabriel’s corpse would end up splatting on the ground, right out in the open where everyone could see.

So, she sent her brightest smile, making sure it was wide enough for the skin around her eyes to crinkle at the edges.

“Yep!” She turned to face him, still smiling. She thrust the bag into Batman’s hands. “Mind helping me out a little?”

And, in that moment where the man was shocked by the sheer audacity of her play, his lips parted in slight surprise... she booked it.

Of course, Batman wasn’t one that was easily outsmarted, especially by children, and a grappling hook was quick to loop itself around her waist and drag her right back to the man.

She shrieked as a hand grabbed her by the back of the shirt, twisting around desperately to try and scratch and kick and bite at Batman, but her blows glanced right off of the kevlar of his armor, and she knew it was useless. Tears built in the corners of her eyes. Frustrated, maybe, or just plain scared. She was doing nothing outside of tiring herself out. But she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Because stopping meant losing, and losing meant losing everything.

But she couldn’t do anything, and it became difficult to even keep her head up. The night's ‘shenanigans’ caught up to her all at once, and she was so tired.

She was allowed to fall the last foot to the ground. She just barely stopped herself from face-planting on the asphalt, her arms trembling where they held her up.

“Fuck you,” she hissed. She swallowed back bile. She didn’t know that many swears, but god would she make sure to use all of the ones she did know. “You show up now? Asshole.”

His face remained impassive.

“Asshole,” she repeated, finally willing herself to shift to a more normal sitting position, if only so she would be able to send Batman her harshest glare. “I know you can’t be everywhere, or whatever, it’s fine. I did this because I know you can’t save everyone. But why show your ugly mask now?”

Maybe if she’d waited one more day, then maybe she wouldn’t have had to sneak into the high school division of Gotham Academy for a five-finger discount on some acid. Maybe Gabriel could have been dealt with by the police, and she wouldn’t have to risk everything for her friend.

She would do it all again, in a heartbeat, don’t get her wrong. She’d known the risks when she’d offered Adrien’s dad that cupcake with a particularly unique filling.

But it was hard to come to terms with the fact that it might not have been necessary at all.

Her vision blurred with tears. “Fuck you,” she said, softly, with feeling.

He looked at her for just a few moments more.

And then he sighed, quietly, resignedly. “Go home.”

Her head jerked up to look at him, her eyes wide. “What?”

“Go. Home.” Batman gave her a smile. It was wobbly, as if his mouth muscles were unused to moving, but definitely there. “I will monitor you to make sure this doesn’t become a thing for you, of course… but I’ll deal with this one for you.”

She looked at him for just a moment more, wondering if it was a trick.

But he seemed genuine.

Slowly, shakily, she rose to her feet.

She took a few cautious steps back, almost daring him to take it back, still watching him.

[soulmate-game]

Work burned me out, middle management positions are draining. What was supposed to be an angsty oneshot is now… yeah I’m continuing it. Not a full series, just a two-parter… hopefully.

Edit: I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THIS CLUSTERFUCK OF AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER IS, but BUCKLE IN BECAUSE IT PROBABLY DOESN’T PASS SAFETY REGULATIONS! HOOOOO BOY

Part 1

—*—*—*—*—*

“…” she stared at the being in front of her, face frighteningly blank. Next to her, Bruce fidgeted.

“I’m not going anywhere, so you either gotta learn to love me real quick or get lost quicker,” the child snarked from where he was sitting upside-down on the bat computer chair. “And don’t call me Richard, my name’s Dick.”

“I don’t remember you working with a fetus, Batman,” Marinette slowly drawled, emphasizing the vigilante’s name despite none of the three of them being suited up. Dick shot up with a cry of indignation.

“I am not a fetus! I’m fifteen! I’ve been Robin since I was twelve!”

“Nope,” Marinette countered, unmoved. “I started out as Ladybug when I was twelve, and I was never as small as you,” she blatantly lied. Dick was already taller than her, which wasn’t much of an achievement considering that she was five-foot-one-inch tall. “You are six years old, tops.”

Dick let out an almost inhuman screech of complaint. Even as he rambled on angrily about how wrong she was, Marinette only nodded as if he proved her right about something.

“That was a good squawk though. Definitely a birdie.”

It took another twenty minutes before Dick ran off to tell on Marinette to Alfred, giving her and Bruce some alone time. With which she used to whirl to him and immediately hiss in equal parts fury and worry;

“Please tell me he wasn’t—“

“The timeline is gone,” Bruce reminded her, bracing her by putting both his hands on her shoulders. “He doesn’t remember.”

“Still!”

He let out such a heavy sigh that he seemed to deflate with it, his dark circles growing more pronounced.

“He wasn’t supposed to be,” he admitted softly. “When he turned sixteen, last time, I allowed him to form his own team of teen heroes. Supervised from afar by myself of course, not that they knew that. I had given them the order to stay back and guard their city, but they disobeyed me and snuck onto the battlefield anyway.”

Marinette rubbed at her temples, nodding. “Teenagers have a habit of doing that. This time around, can we ask Bunnyx to supervise them? She has all the energy of a teenager, so she’ll fit in, but the maturity of someone trusted to guard all the timelines.”

Bruce paused, thinking of what little he knew of the pastel rabbit themed hero, and then reluctantly nodded. “That… might be for the best. And giving them more opportunities to train with…” he hummed, hand on his chin. “I might actually change things up, in that case. Instead of jumping to put teens on their own in a tower, the old Justice League headquarters is more protected. And if we started with the ‘sidekicks’,” he gave very purposeful air quotes, “of other Leaguers, it would create a better support system than letting teenagers run around with… really, not enough regulation.”

“Gotta love hindsight,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “The whole teenagers by themselves thing only worked for my team because we were overly traumatized and each saw different apocalypses before we turned sixteen. Bunnyx could fix them herself back then, but still.”

“Best to do better by the new generation,” Bruce agreed with her unspoken statement. “I can still put that old team together again when they’re older, support their development elsewhere in the meantime.”

“Oh, and now that we’re done on that topic,” Marinette snapped her fingers before pointing to the staircase that Dick had disappeared up. “He’s going to make my life a living hell, isn’t he?”

Bruce groaned, offering her a lopsided grimace of apology. “He’s a menace,” he agreed. “He’s scared away any woman I’ve brought to the house, even though most of them are completely platonic. I have to make the press believe the whole playboy thing somehow, and inviting my friends over to chat is the easiest way to do so without breaking hearts for real. Dick hasn’t caught on yet,” Bruce rubbed his forehead. “His antics to scare away Selina Kyle are legendary already, and she’s sapphic. She couldn’t be attracted to me if I was the last man on earth.”

“Could have fooled me,” Marinette teased, suddenly impish. “She’s catwoman, isn’t she?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes, saying only: “Chat Noir. Year one.”

It was Marinette’s turn to grimace. “Point taken. But in my defense, he took way too long to realize he’s gay and watched too much anime at the time.”

Bruce let out one of his unfairly charming chuckles, changing position so that his arm was around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. She fit there surprisingly well, for someone almost half his size. She leaned into him, and the both just soaked in the comfort of one another for a long moment.

“You know,” Bruce started for a while. “If you want to stay in Gotham, we can make you another alter ego so that you don’t accidentally lure Shadow Moth here. Tell that fox of yours to make it seem like you’re in Paris and take some of the weight off of your shoulders for a change. Blackmail Constantine into charming some jars to keep the butterflies in until you can purify them.”

“Hmmm.” She closed her eyes. “Ladybird sounds nice. Fits with the bird thing that Robin has going for him.”

Bruce laughed. “That’ll really annoy him,” he warned, amused. Marinette’s close-eyed smile was pure mischief.

“That’s the whole point. I’m not letting a fetus win against me, bat-boy.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Marinette wasn’t speaking to Bunnyx. Bruce didn’t know what they had said to one another, but he could guess it had to do with Jason.

With his baby, who he just buried. The boy Marinette had thought of a son ever since he first brought him home. She had even smoothed things over between Dick and Jason, which he had considered nothing short of a miracle at the time.

But that miracle was nowhere to be seen now, with Marinette every bit as despondent next to him as he was. He wanted to be angry with her, he did, but he couldn’t. He had seen her blow up at Bunnyx, seen her try to hold her status as Grand Guardian over the bunny holder.

Bunnyx had simply said that she wouldn’t answer to Ladybug until after the grief passed then, and ran away into her burrow.

“Is this the payment?” He heard her whisper, her voice hoarse and broken. “For the do-over? We passed the old timeline. We took down Shadow Moth. Is this the price?” Tears dripped down her face silently, she didn’t seem to notice them. “Was I not a good enough mother? Should I—“ she stopped herself, shaking her head. He didn’t ask what she was about to say. Maybe he should have.

—*—*—*—*—*

Tim was great. He was too much like Marinette at times, which made Bruce’s chest ache, but he was a great Robin. A great son. His experience with Marinette proved priceless when it came to helping curb Tim’s overworking habits and caffeine addiction.

But not even Tim could find where Marinette had disappeared to, even with his detective skills surpassing Bruce’s already.

Tim was the first son of his that didn’t get to grow up with Marinette at all.

—*—*—*—*—*

“It’s fine, Baobei,” she whispered, stepping to the side. Behind her was the waterfall that hid the tunnel to the Batcave. “He’s not the one to blame. He did his best, even now he’s doing his best.”

“Then why does—“

“Because other people need him, and he has too big of a heart to turn them away,” her mouth tilted a little, smile lopsided and sad. “Timothy didn’t replace you. He just forced Bruce to live again. Bruce didn’t kill Joker, because he didn’t want to taint another child with the sight of murder.”

“And you?” The voice was dark, deadly, gruff. Older, and yet… so achingly familiar. She smiled at him again, soft and sad and… proud.

“I don’t have one,” she lied. She had tried, tried so hard. Bruce had gotten in her way first, and then the very same desire to not taint more children with the image of death.

But her baby needed a scapegoat, and she was willing to throw herself on the fire for him.

“That’s why it’s fine,” she repeated. “If this is what you want. Just, please. Let it end with me.”

This time, Marinette made sure she had the Time miraculous safely in her pocket. Nobody would interfere with this.

The bullet sent her into the flow of the waterfall, red flowing behind her like the carpet she used to walk down with Bruce whenever she released a new collection. She felt no regret as she closed her eyes and fell.

—*—*—*—*—*

The shot hadn’t been fatal. Red Hood might have been mad with Pit Rage, but his fondness for his only true mother figure was ever present. He simply wanted to see if she was serious about taking that shot.

His regret was immediate when she didn’t even try to dodge. The bullet had only grazed her shoulder, but she didn’t seem to notice that. She had been so ready to die— to let him kill her— that she had passed out before hitting the water. He dragged her to the Batcave, knowing he had a lot to answer for.

Bruce wished he could have found her sooner, found both of them sooner. But at least they were back.

—*—*—*—*—*

“… I mean,” she rocked on her heels. “You are growing a bit old for Robin…”

Tim glared at her, not appreciating the insight.

“Bruce is stuck in the timestream, and you aren’t doing a thing about it. I don’t hold your opinion very highly right now,” he snipped back. She snorted, glancing away.

As if that little stunt to “kill Batman” could ever fool her. She’d been there for the real thing, thanks, she could spot a fake a mile away. “He’s got Bunnyx going to find him. She owes me big time, let her do the heavy lifting for a change.”

“How many years have you held that grudge?” Barbara asked, eyebrows raised as she wheeled herself towards the bat computer. “Even Jason thinks you should have let it go by now.”

Marinette scoffed at the exact same time as a certain someone tutted next to her, making them look for a moment like a perfect pair.

Crossed arms, a scoff, annoyed glare? If a DNA test hadn’t already proven otherwise, they might have thought Damian was hers.

“Fetuses don’t get to judge me,” was her only argument before she turned on her heel and walked away.

“I am not a fetus! Lady Marinette, I am ten years old!”

—*—*—*—*—*

Bonus:

Jason was curled up around Marinette, despite being told numerous times not to crowd her on the med-bay bed. He argued that he shot her, so he gets to nurse her back to health.

Did she use her blood, tainted by years of use of the Ladybug, to purify his pit madness? Yes. Had he figured that out yet? Nope.

“Love you, Mom,” he murmured in his sleep. Marinette, who had been awake for about an hour already, smiled to herself.

“Love you, Baobei.”

[maribat-statisfaction]

Ao3 Ship Tracking: January 18th, 2025

For Previous Stats, check below the lists!

Maribat Ships

Daminette = 2171

Jasonette = 882

Timari = 668

Dickinette = 353

Cassette = 104

Brucinette = 91

Konette = 48

SpeedBuggie* = 25

Marave = 14

Marivy = 1

Adribat Ships

AdriDami = 30

Alley Cat* = 28

Timdrien = 24

Pun Lovers* = 8

Mirabat Ships (Other Miraculous x DC)

Red Bee (Chloe/Tim) = 21

Red Wasp (Zoe/Tim) = 8

Blood Bee (Chloe/Damian) = 7

Night Bee (Chloe/Dick) = 4

Changes:

Red Bee and Blood Bee were added to the list

Ships w/ fun names moving forward will have a key at the bottom to avoid parathesis use and have it easier to read

Daminette increased 6 since Jan 5th

Timari increased 2 since Jan 5th

Jasonette, Konette, & Red Wasp increased 1 since Jan 5th

Key:

SpeedBuggie = Wally/Marinette Alley Cat = Adrien/Jason Pun Lovers = Adrien/Dick "Bee" = Chloe Ships "Wasp" = Zoe Ships

Admin Notes: Feel free to require any other ships or tags to be included in the tracking. This can include a tag for Bio-Parent things or platonic relationships if they are wanted. Additions will be accepted until February

Here is the google sheet set up to allow fandom goers to see the progress as it updates every 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month.

~ Maribat Staturdays: Ao3 Ship Tracking ~

January 5th's Ao3 Stats

[abyssal-ali]

Emoji Request Masterlist

Welcome to Ali's Diner! The Mix'n'Match menu has 100s of combos! Buy a meal for a friend or yourself for only $7. No meal costs over $13!

One item = $1. Limits are by each Menu Item's category. Minimum $5, maximum $13. Enjoy!

Ask about Substitutions*

Requests Masterlist

Fandom: $1

🦸‍♂️ DC

🐞 DCxMLB

👻 DCxMLBxDP or DCxDP 

📺 K-drama (if no title is stated, author's choice. Must be one I've completed.)

🎵 K-pop (if no group is stated, author's choice. Must be one I am familiar with.)

Ship: $1 (+1 if one is Gen/Platonic)

🖤 Brucinette

💚 Daminette

🐦‍⬛ DamiRae

💙 Dickinette

💛 Dukinette

👨‍👦 Gen Batfam

❤️ Jasonette

❣️JayRae

💜 JaySteph 

🩶 Maribat BatBoy Ship of Author's Choice

🤍 Maribat Rare Pair (if not stated, author's choice. Scale of 1-5 rarity)

🧡 Timari

🩷 ___ x Y/N (I've never done these before but I'd be willing to try.)

🔥 Zutara

Genre: $1-2

🌩 Angst

☀️ Crack

☁️ Fluff

🌨 Genre of Author's Choice

🌦 Headcanon(s)

🌤 Hurt/Comfort

Dynamics: $1-2

🙄 Basically Married but not "In a Relationship" (I2L on steroids)

💥 Enemies to Lovers

👫 Friends to Lovers

😠 Grumpy x Sunshine

🤡 Idiots to Lovers

🫂 Platonic

👋 Strangers to Friends 

Tropes: $1-2

💔 BreakUp

💬 Confession

🎭 Identity Shenanigans 

🫠Meet Awkward

🤝 Meet Cute

🏆 Milestone

🤯 Misunderstanding 

❗️Revelation

AU: $1-3

🧚‍♂️ Fairytale 

😈 Hades/Persephone

⌛Historical

⚔️ Mafia

🧍No Capes

☠️ Pirates

👑 Royals

💍 Soulmates

🧛 Supernatural (all one species)

🧞 Supernatural (varied species)

🏫 University

🦹‍♂️ Villain

🏢 Workplace

Quote Prompt: $1-2

Pick one or two quotes from one of the lists off of this masterlist and tell me which!

~~~House Specialties~~~

Chef's Special: 50% Off

Drop a "🌈" in my asks/DMs and I'll choose & write randomly chosen results for each category.

*Substitutions

Feel free to ask about anything or request something that isn't on here. It doesn't mean the chef will comply, but it doesn't hurt to ask! Any category you're not sure about can be replaced with a "🔄" emoji that the chef will randomly choose or decide fits the drabble best.

Your own ideas (E.g. 🐞 + 🧡 + ☁️ + 👫 + 💬 + Dragon Shifter AU + Flirty Friends to Lovers 4?)

[meduarts]

Secretary!Marinette Part 9 (Idea Dump)

I don't know how many of these I'll do but I'm having so much fun coming up with ideas! Anyways this dump is going to explore Marinette's and Bruce's relationship! Let's start!! Bruce is kinda OOC but... I want a soft Dad-daughter relationship ok. SUE ME.

Bruce is confused most of the time when Mari showed him how much of an overly competent secretary she is.

She somehow knows when he was faking over meetings because he doesn't want to deal with investors and when he doesn't want to go to meetings because of a serious problem.

He's also kinda confused about how a small woman like her hides the strength of a million strong men. He often watches her pick up the largest boxes that probably weigh thrice her weight. She could manhandle him if the situation went awry from rogue, attacks, and lastly, he saw her punch through thick wooden doors before because one of his younger sons was kidnapped for ransom. That was scary, and he had never felt so safe before in his life.

He is also quite confused as to how she could give so much kindness to strangers and expect nothing from it. She often bakes him pastries and made sure that he has enough snacks during his working hour. She often made sure that his outfit is warm enough and he even got a knitted scarf as a gift from her that she knits herself.

He wanted to adopt her after learning about her past. So, he sometimes slips a paper adoption in the files that she was supposed to work on that day and it has become a game for them of some sort.

Bruce is awkward with his feelings and Marinette finds it hilarious. Marinette teaches him a secret handshake and at first, he did it awkwardly, and then it became a habit. Marinette likes to give him huge bear hugs and at first, Bruce did not know what to do. Like the secret handshake, it became a habit.

They both love to troll the Wayne Staff, at first, Bruce tries to stop her from creating chaos, but then he joins in and they made sure to team up to troll pesky business partners, reporters, and even investors alike.

Bruce doesn't know this but it was he who got adopted first by Marinette before he got the chance to adopt her.

The girl treats her like her father that needs help to manage his life. She worries about him when he gets no sleep. She constantly deals with difficult investors or potential business partners to make sure that her dad boss doesn't have to deal with headaches often. She even made sure that those pesky tabloid reporters left him and his family alone.

Like a cub trying to protect her parents, people often pegged her as a ferocious little kitten (because of her small posture) trying to claw away anyone that feels like a threat to her cat dad. Bruce found this amusing.

She knows that Bruce can handle himself but that doesn't mean he has to. If she can do it for him, then she would!

Once, she mistakenly called her dad out of office hours and Bruce had a permanent grin for the rest of the week.

Bruce invited her often for family dinners, which elates Dick because he would make sure to rope her to hang out with him as often as he could, sometimes Marinette would join him in his sitting area quietly gossiping or hearing each other's stories.

She became fast friends with Alfred and would often team up to bully Bruce to take care of himself more. They would inform one another when Bruce is skipping dinners and take turns scolding Bruce.

She ropes Bruce into taking yoga classes and even asked him to garden with her. It became a weekend father-daughter bonding time. Bruce is especially proud of his zucchini and tomato garden. She even helps Bruce with gift shopping for his kids and helps arrange a private family time for him as well. As usual, he would extend the invitation to Mari and sometimes she joins.

When Mari gets very sleepy during winter, he became full-on dad mode. Worrying his daughter secretary every time he noticed how sluggish she became during the cold weather. When Mari unexpectedly hibernates, he panics. ohnomydaughtersuddenlystopsrespondingandbecamereallycoldwhatshouldido???

When Bruce finally realizes that he had been unofficially adopted by Marinette Jason teases him nonstop. When Dick and Marinette start dating, he is elated. When they got engaged he is stoked. When Marinette asked for him to walk her down the aisle, he tears up. When they give him his first grandchild, he cries again.

[moonlitceleste]

Maribat Meme Art

Soo I spent the last two weeks turning these maribat memes into art (thanks  @bunathebunny for starting the thread).

I have plans to make more, so keep your eyes peeled for a part 2!

[phis-corner]

I recently read your platonic brucinette post, it was amazing, i couldn't stop laughing. What if she invites herself over to the Manor or something and the boys have no idea who she is (cause I feel like he wouldn't mention her cause she would probably ruin his reputation even more since his kids would probably spread the stories to their own friends) but I feel like maybe Tim already know her since he was in Paris looking for Bruce (when he got "killed" by Darkseid), he would probably see her as a mom or fun aunt that he could vent to

Ask and you shall recieve! again, any grammar mistakes are because I did not bother proofreading. whoops.

Masterlist ◈ Original

Dick Grayson had seen a lot of unexpected things throughout his lifetime, but he really did not expect to come downstairs for a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast and find a woman who looked eerily like the late Martha Wayne sitting at the table and eating his Bat Puffs.

Wait.

“Those are my Bat Puffs!” Dick shrieks, because he has priorities. That’s the last of his cereal, okay? And it’s going to be two days before Alfred goes on his next grocery run and he’s really bad at shopping for food on his own. Sue him.

Not-Or-Maybe-Possibly-If-You-Believe-Conspiracy-Theories-Martha-Wayne simply laughs, and easily dances out of the way of his grab for the bowl, moving out of his reach with an elegance and grace that can only mean she spends part of her day dressed in a different costume. Whether or not she was a good guy still remained to be seen, considering she had somehow broken into the Manor without setting a single alarm off and was currently eating the last of his Bat Puffs. 

A truly despicable act, indeed.

“Grayson?” Damian chooses that exact moment to come down the stairs. “I heard you scream. What’s-” He snarls the moment he catches sight of Not-Martha-Wayne, pulling out a knife from somewhere in the folds of his pajamas and hurling it at her head with impressive speed and accuracy.

Not-Martha-Wayne simply ducks, letting the knife thud into the wall behind her, making Dick wince. Alfred was not going to be happy.

“Identify yourself, woman!” Damian screeches, pulling out another knife. “Who are you, and how did you get in here?”

Not-Martha-Wayne tilts her head, blue eyes sparkling with mirth. “Really? I’m not even allowed to eat cereal in my own home now?”

Dick is slowly growing more and more convinced that Not-Martha-Wayne is actually Zombie-Martha-Wayne.

Damian freezes, eyeing her suspiciously. “Your home?”

“Wh’s goin’ on?” Tim slurs, stumbling down the stairs. “Why ‘re you all screamin’?”

Maybe-Zombie-Martha-Wayne brightens when she sees Tim. “Timber! How’s it going?”

Tim rubs his eyes, once, twice, and then his face splits into a grin when he finally registers Maybe-Zombie-Martha-Wayne’s presence. “Marinette! It’s so good to see you!”

And okay, what.

Tim hurries down the stairs (meaning only marginally faster than before, he hasn’t had his morning coffee yet,) and ignores the coffee machine in favor of hugging Possibly-Undead-Martha-Wayne, who laughs and puts down the bowl of Bat Puffs in favor of hugging him back. Dick takes the opportunity to snatch the bowl away from her, mourning the fact that there’s only a bit of milk left at the bottom of the bowl.

“Good to see you too, Tim,” Not-Martha-Wayne, whose name is apparently Marinette (why does that sound familiar?) ruffles Tim’s hair. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Tim,” Dick says, at the same time Damian demands “Drake.”

“How do you know this woman?” They say at the same time (Dick stubbornly ignores that Damian replaced ‘woman’ with ‘harlot’).

“You mean you don’t?” Tim asks, frowning. “She’s-”

“Marinette,” Bruce cuts Tim off, having appeared at the foot of the stairs in his usual dramatic fashion. 

Not-Martha-Wayne-But-Still-Really-Looks-Like-Her-Whose-Name-Is-Apparently-Marinette beams and waves cheerfully at Bruce, who looks done with life. “Hey, little brother! I see you haven’t gotten tired of dressing up as a giant bat to beat people up yet!”

Well, that was a lot to unpack. Dick decided he’d start with the easiest thing.

“Little brother?” He looks from Marinette to Bruce, Bruce to Marinette, noting the resemblance in both of them to Thomas and Martha Wayne. “You mean- she’s your older sister?” Dick shrieks, turning to Bruce. “Why have we never heard about her?”

“Really, Bruce?” Marinette gasps, mockingly placing a hand over her heart. “I’m devastated. How could you, after everything we’ve been through, not even tell your hundred thousand children that I even exist?”

Bruce doesn’t reply, instead letting out one long sigh through his nose. Huh. Sixteen whole seconds. Impressive.

“Just kidding,” Marinette grins once Bruce has finally stopped sighing. “He’s never told you because I travel the world a lot, my job is super dangerous, and because I’d expose all his deepest, darkest secrets.”

“Like his greatest fears?” Damian asks. Cass, who had silently entered the kitchen at some point or another, stood behind him, ready just in case he pulled out another knife.

Marinette tilts her head. “What? No!” Like how he wiped off one of the eyebrows on Sylvia McCartney’s face when he was four-”

She doesn’t get to finish that sentence because Bruce has made a mad dash across the kitchen, evidently aiming to get her to stay quiet. Marinette dances out of his hold with a giggle and continues speaking even as Bruce chases her all around the kitchen.

“-anyway, he declared that ‘she had something on her face’, wiped off one of her drawn-on eyebrows-” She ducks underneath a plate, which Cass deftly catches before it hits the wall. “-and then went ‘There. I got it for you!’”

A shoe flies at her head. Marinette bats it away with one hand. 

Dick tries valiantly to stifle his snickers, but judging by the evil eye Bruce is giving him, it’s not quite working.

“And there was that time we were at that four-star restaurant in Star City and he ate too much and-” Marinette raises an eyebrow as she catches a toaster in her hands. “Really now, Bruce? A toaster? You know it’ll take more than that to stop me. So he ate too much and got a stomach ache, then started holding his torso and very loudly declaring that he was starting his period.”

Dick doesn’t even bother holding in the laughter this time, and neither do any of his siblings. If only Jason was here to see this, but alas, he was at his own apartment and had no clue that this was going on. Neither did Steph, for that matter, and Duke was already out on patrol since he was somehow a morning person. What a travesty.

“And then there was that time when-” Marinette is cut off by another one of Bruce’s long, very drawn-out sighs. 

“Look, Mari, I think they get the point,” He groans (well - as close to groaning as the Batman ever got), pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can stop now.”

“Oh, you’re just annoyed that you couldn’t stop me,” Marinette retorts with yet another smile, and Dick is once again struck by how similar she looks to the lady in the portrait that hangs over the fireplace in the largest of the Manor’s three living rooms. “I suppose you’re right, however. Despite the abundance of embarrassing stories, they do run out at some point, and I’d prefer not to use them all up in one go, ya know? I have to be the cool aunt. Kate can keep wine aunt, but I’m the cool one now.”

“I think Miss Katherine might disagree with that,” Alfred says mildly. “However, I do believe you can win the children over if you tell them about the time your father brought Master Bruce to his board meeting.”

The look of utter betrayal Bruce gives Alfred makes them crack up all over again.

--o0o--

“Man, I am so glad you got it all on camera,” Duke grins, placing two bowls of popcorn on the coffee table before flopping back down onto the couch. “This is going to be great.”

Tim waves a hand dismissively. “I just hacked the cameras in the Manor. Bruce’s paranoia backfired this time.”

Steph cheers and immediately makes a grab for the popcorn as Cass hits the play button on the remote, and Dick can’t help but crack a smile at his own face when he sees the last of his cereal being eaten.

“Richard, I find it concerning that your first thought was of your cereal and not the intruder,” Damian observes.

Dick ruffles his hair, drawing out a squawk of protest. “Well, what can I say? I really like Bat Puffs.”

The Wayne siblings settle down for a movie night that is definitely going to be filled with lots of laughter.

permanent tags

@wannajointhecrabcult @miraculous-simmer7 @certainmuffinbagelcalzone @fantasyislive @chocolateherringtacofan @junarvion @susiej1118 @aestheticnpoetic @toodaloo-kangaroo @ladybug-182 @itsmeevie01 @g-arya @souleateralicestein @nightstarblue @i-is-mysterious @moonystars14 @vixen-uchiha @flapdoodle-noodle @labschaos @nathleigh @jalaluvsu @kaithehero @iamablinkmarvelarmy @luveverything12 @technicallyburninggarden 

unspecified

@momothefemur @indecisive-mess-named-me @laurcad123 @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @sassakitty @fusser90

[queenz-z]

[marauderundercover]

pieces fall right into place

Background here

“Mama! Monster!” Marinette immediately leaps off of the couch and rushes to her daughter’s room, heart pounding in her chest. Bursting into the dark room, Marinette immediately flips the overhead light on, scanning the room for any intruders. 

“Where’d the monster go, baby?” Marinette asks softly, scooping her daughter into her arms. Eléonore sniffles before pointing towards the closet. Now most people, when asking a two-year old about the monster they saw, would reassure the toddler that there was no monster. And that the closet was empty. But Marinette wasn’t stupid. She’d been friends with John Constantine for years, after all. Instead of going towards the closet, Marinette slowly backs out of the room. There was the chance, obviously, that there wasn’t actually a monster. That her daughter had merely had a bad dream because of all of the boxes that were stacked in her room. But Marinette wasn’t stupid. And she wasn’t going to take any chances. The second she’s out of the room, she rushes to the closet that John had warded for her when she first moved in almost five years ago. Ella cuddles closer as Marinette steps into the closet, crouching to avoid hitting her head on the shelves. Sitting with her back pressed against the back of the closet, Marinette takes a second to take in a shaky breath before pulling out her phone. 

“‘Ello.” The familiar voice says, and Marinette’s relieved that he actually sounds calm for once. There’d been several times in the past where she’d called and literally heard the wails of the damned in the background. 

“Eléonore saw a monster in her room.” Marinette says, skipping straight to the point. 

“What did it look like?” John asks, and Marinette scoffs. 

“I didn’t stick around to look, John. I was a little busy making sure our daughter was safe.” She points out. 

“Right. Can you ask Ella what color it was? She’s pretty good at colors.” John says. Marinette gently pushes the baby hairs out of her daughter’s face. 

“Hey bébé, dad has a question about the monster.” Marinette says softly. Ella immediately sits up, a huge grin spread across her face. Marinette smiles, despite the situation, and presses the speaker button. 

“Hi daddy!” Ella says. 

“Hello love, mama says you saw a monster.” John says, his voice immediately far softer than it had been when he was talking to Marinette. Ella nods. 

“Scary monster.” She affirms. 

“I know, sweetheart. Can you tell me what color it was? I’m on my way to help.” He says, and Marinette feels her shoulders slump in relief. When it came to magic or supernatural problems that came about, she was glad that she’d always been able to call John. Their friendship (and yes, despite their daughter it would only ever be platonic between them) had been one of her first outside of the original Miraculous team. Ever since stepping out of Paris and into the world as a whole, she’d had John to rely on. Even if he could be a complete ass at times. Marinette vaguely listens to Ella and John, only really focusing when John calls her name. Glancing down at their daughter, she realizes that she’d fallen asleep.

“Sorry, what?” Marinette asks. John huffs. 

“I’ve gotta get off the line, but I’m almost at your apartment. Call your fiance, would ya? No need to have him panic if Oracle spots me in the area. And tell him to stay clear til I’ve checked out the area.” He says. Marinette agrees and hangs up before quickly dialing Bruce. 

“Hello darling. Everything alright? I thought you said you were going to bed early tonight.” Bruce says, the worry obvious in his voice. 

“Ella saw a monster in her room. John’s on his way to check it out for us.” Marinette says with a sigh. 

“What? Are you both okay? Do I need to come over? I can be there in less than five minutes.” He rambles. 

“We’re fine. We’re in a safe place, mon amour, I promise. John said not to come over until he’s checked it out.” She says. Bruce grumbles lowly, and Marinette suppresses a snort. Bruce and John were definitely…reluctant to interact as much as they did. John was more okay with it, simply because of the fact that he knew it annoyed Bruce. But for Marinette, it was important to her that the three of them worked together and got along, for Eléonore. Even though they’d been working at it for two years, it was still hard at times. But they made it work. 

“Perhaps you should come stay here tonight.” Bruce offered, and Marinette couldn’t help but smile. 

“Trying to get us to move in quicker?” She teases. 

“I just- I worry about you. Both of you.” He says, his voice serious. 

“I know, love. I just- the wards on the closet-” She starts, but Bruce cuts her off. 

“About that-” He starts. “I actually asked Constantine to add some wards to the Manor.” He says. Marinette blinks in shock. Bruce, who was notorious for not accepting help, had reached out to someone he wasn’t a huge fan of. 

“What?” Marinette asks, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“He told me once that he has more enemies than I do. Enemies that aren’t deterred by the security I already have on the Manor. I thought…I needed to make sure that you and Ella would be safe. Constantine agreed, obviously.” He explains. Marinette feels warmth flood her chest. 

“I love you.” She says, grinning softly, and she’s almost able to tune out the sounds of the fight outside of the small closet. Obviously life wasn’t going to be easy. She’d known that from the moment she saw the two lines on the test. But she knew it would all work out in the end. 

Tag list: @maribat-calendar-events

[soulmate-game]

It was over. For real this time, it was done. Pink hair, darker with matted blood, splayed out on the broken gravel. The white and blue that usually cloaked the mysterious Bunnyx was stripped away, Miraculous lost in the battle.

They had known. He had known. Shadow Moth.

He had known when she would pop out of her burrow, and surprised the normally all-knowing hero. Viperion had fallen long earlier, the only reason Bunnyx had even been forced to get involved.

They lost. It was all lost.

Dust clogged the air, stagnant without any wind to send it anywhere. Suspended, in the lacking gravity that came from the battle. It hadn’t been Chat Blanc, and yet the moon was still naught but shards in a darkened sky.

There was no going back. She couldn’t find any of the Miraculous that could turn back time. Her earrings were still in, but Tikki was silent. Silent and still, where the Kwamii lay in her palms.

Plagg was awake, but despondent. He hadn’t said a word since Adrien’s heart stopped, since the transformation was ripped away from him. She wasn’t sure if he would ever speak again, the way he was looking at Tikki’s fragile, limp form.

And, as she once again was left staring at her own glass eyes and mangled body below her, she wasn’t sure it mattered. Shadow Moth— Gabriel— was dead. But so was everyone else. So was she.

The League had tried— in a fit of desperation, she had called them in. Called them to their deaths alongside her and her team. Only one remained standing, only one life still burning amongst the wreckage.

“… I’m sorry,” he whispered in the stagnant air. He was not without his own injuries, beat and bleeding to within an inch of his life. An inch that nobody else had left, but one that would still fizzle out without a hospital to tend to him.

“Maybe it’s the hallucinations that come with my concussion, or my lack of blood, but… I feel you there,” he continued his soliloquy, staring up at the rubble that once was the moon. “If I could still move, I’d grab the earrings and the ring. Constantine mentioned them before we headed over.”

She tilted her head at him, ripping her gaze from her own corpse. From what she could tell, she was the only ghost here. May as well give him the respect of hearing his last words.

“And I’d wish for a do-over. Nothing perfect, I’ve been disillusioned about getting a happily ever after. But this world deserves better. Longer. You should have had help, we should have insisted on providing more assistance— even from afar. Guidance. Something. And now look where our negligence landed us.”

She would wish, too. If she could still interact with the world. If she wasn’t intangible.

“Bruce,” he rasped. “If you really are there,” he seemed to actually find her then, staring right into her eyes. “There’s nobody for you to tell anymore. But my name is Bruce Wayne. If… if either of us get another chance, find me.”

He faded.

She waited until he was gone, no ghost remaining of him like she did. At least he could have someone by his side at the end.

She sighed, wondering why she was cursed to this lonely end. The wish… even if she could, she couldn’t grab—

A pebble shifted, and she froze.

A moment passed. She stomped down.

The gravel crunched under her foot.

The gravel.

Crunched.

She had never moved so fast in her entire existence.

—*—*—*—*—*

He looked different without a half-burned cowl struggling to hide his chiseled jaw. She watched through the window as he tiredly swept his fingers through his hair.

“Who am I meeting with, again?” He asked his assistant, who didn’t even glance at her clipboard before replying.

“MDC, the French designer who reached out about a partnership,” she recited easily. “The same woman who has been standing outside the door waiting for you to invite her in, because her appointment started five minutes ago.”

His head whipped up, and she couldn’t help but wave at him through the glass. When their eyes met, he jolted as if struck by lightning. His pupils shrunk— whether in fear or memory, she could not tell. What she did know, though, was that he scattered papers across the floor in his rush to stand.

“Y—“ he cut himself off, swallowing thickly and making a show of adjusting his blazer. “Miss MDC? Please come in.”

“Please, call me Marinette,” she insisted, finally stepping around the window and through the open door. After his assistant left and the door was closed, they stood in silence. Marinette had planned— stewed, really— for months about how this meeting would go. She had worked so hard for it, but what if he didn’t believe her? What if…

“You got it,” he whispered, a soft smile stretching across his lips as his eyes overflowed with wonder directed at her. “You got us a do-over.”

That startled a strangled laugh from her. He remembered. What kind of awful curse made him remember when not even Tikki and Plagg did?

“Somehow,” she agreed. “We have a lot to talk about, Bruce Wayne. Maybe even over dinner?”

His responding chuckle was deep and unfairly charming. “Relationships formed from trauma hardly pan out well, but why not? Can’t turn out any worse than the apocalypse.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Oh wow, maybe ao3 crashing affected me more deeply than I thought. Do I have a problem? I might have a problem lol.

[ellienettie]

cnxmcms I'd honestly love to see Plagg and Tikki accidentally losing baby Mari and then one of the batboys end up finding her and bring her to Bruce.

If it's Dick I can see him going to several places first and Tikki and Plagg getting lost looking for Mari. When nobody comes Dick just decides "we could use another baby sister anyway" and brings her to Bruce.

If it's Jason I can see him going "...Bruce will NOT have you." and literally hunt for her parents until he kinda sits and thinks "what if they're neglectful. I mean who would lose a literal BABY and STILL not look for them? But I can't adopt her... Bruce it is."

If it's Tim, mari grabs on to his pants because the material is great and Tim just goes "...when did we adopt you? Whatever. To home we go."

If it's Damian he sees Titus loving her or smth and him just going "...no parents...you're my sibling now"

I remember seeing this one thing on tumblr though where (sorta Marinette? No description) goes and hangs on to Bruce's pants and Bruce just goes "I've been adopted." and dick's all "no. Come back. Drop the child." and bruce goes "I can't she said no. I'm adopted now."

AU where Marinette fails in the final battle (either Chat betrayed her or died) and in order to save her Tiki and plagg turn her into into a baby and get human forms, they now have to figure out how to raise a human child in human society. Meanwhile, a magic user of your choosing alerts the bats to some powerful magic in Gotham and now they're on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Chaos ensues.

Heavily based off of the Wish Me Away AU by @goggles-mcgee so credit to them for the idea.

[meduarts]

Managing Life (Part 4/?)

Summary: Marinette has been Audrey Bourgeois' secretary ever since she voiced out her dream of having her own business. Audrey thinks that she should learn more about the nooks and crannies of running a fashion business. However, fate has other plans for her, and honestly, what can our resident guardian could do to counter fate?

Disclaimer: I do not own MLB or DCU.

Pairings: Dick Grayson/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

A/n: Well, here we are with another update. Special thanks to @mysnis for giving me the idea for this chapter in particular!

<Previous Chapter> <Next Chapter>

<Beginning>

Marinette had just finished the online meeting about the progress report from the main Style Queen branch in Paris. She huffed tiredly as she began to relax her overly stiffed body, a result from sitting for 5 hours straight for the meeting. She was going to lay on her bed when her phone started to ring.

She checked on who was calling her and to her surprise, it was Audrey. Curious, she picks up the call. "Madame? Do you need me to bake you more baked goods?" She asked in concern.

"Non non! Everything is perfect as usual! I'm just here to inform you that you have an interview with Brucie, tomorrow morning! I already made sure that your morning schedule is clear!"

"W-wait, What?" Marinette replied dumbly.

"Do I need to spell it out for you, Marinette? Tomorrow morning, you have an interview with Bruce Wayne. He was looking for a new secretary and you are currently looking for a new mentor! Fate, non?"

"F-fate?? Wait! That dinner! I knew you were planning something! Did you pimp me out to him???" Marinette accused while ruffling her hair nervously.

She could hear Audrey's signature shrill laugh from the other side of the connection, "Oh please, Pimping sounds so crude! I merely just help out my darling protege to find a mentor! Anyways, be ready tomorrow morning, Brucie kindly told me that his Butler shall pick you up at 8 A.M sharp! Wear one of your designs and don't bother getting your portfolio and resume together because I already sent a copy to him! Entendue? Good! Have a good night's rest, my dear! Ta~' Then she hung up.

Marinette looked at her phone in disbelief, she was utterly speechless. She has an interview with Bruce Wayne. She has an interview with Bruce Wayne. INTERVIEW! BRUCE WAYNE!

The young secretary's mind went overdrive and crashed immediately. Negative thoughts about the things that would happen and imaginative scenarios about how she would fail the interview, making a mockery of herself in front of one of the most powerful men in Gotham began to pop into her mind. She didn't even notice that she was hyperventilating were it not for the kwamis shouts around her.

"Breathe, Marinette!" Exclaimed Tikki in her ear.

Marinette began rebooting and she made sure to do the breathing exercise that her therapist had mentioned. Once she is calm enough, the fact that she has an interview tomorrow morning made her anxious again. She bolted out from her bed and began pacing.

"Oh, this is a disaster! Completely a disaster! I-i'm nowhere ready! Merde, what if I fall, what if I accidentally spill water on his expensive suit?! WHAT IF I MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE???!!" She panics.

The kwamis looked at each other, exasperated at their silly Guardian. They watched in amusement at Marinette's tirade.

"What if I made him hate me?! I might have to fake my death, change my identity and move somewhere remote! To bora-bora or somewhere in Southeast Asia?! Perhaps, Indonesia?! Yeah, that sounds like a good failsafe, I could even change my name, dyed my hair, and even get cosmetic surgery to alter my look! Maybe I should become a hermit in Tibet instead! YES! That's a good idea!"

Plagg sighed frustratedly at his kitten, and he decided to put a stop to this ridiculous rant. He zoomed in front of Marinette and slap her nose, "Get a hold of yourself, kitten. It's getting ridiculous.".

It worked instantly, the girl sucked a deep breath before letting out a huge sigh. "Sorry..." She mumbled softly. "I spiralled again, didn't I?" She meekly asked Plagg with a sheepish smile.

Plagg gave her a droll look, "Ya think? You even talked about getting plastic surgery and becoming a hermit in Tibet."

Marinette blushed in embarrassment, "Yeah, I don't know where that came from."

The other kwamis floated around Marinette, some were giggling and some were looking at her with an exasperated smile. Duusu flew forward and hugged Marinette's cheek. "It's going to be alright, peafowl! You are good at your job and I'm sure that the Wayne man was impressed with your achievements!"

"That's right, Marinette! I'm sure that you'll do fine in your interview! Besides, we're always there for you so you're never alone!" Tikki agreed.

Nooroo shyly floats forward, "I-if it made you feel better. I-i'll be honored to accompany you! P-perhaps my calmness could help!" He offered meekly.

Marinette smiled warmly and reached forward so that Nooro could perch on her palm. She brought him closer and gave the butterfly kwami a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Nooroo. You're such a dear." She complimented which made the said kwami blush.

Marinette then looks at the assembled kwami and smiles brightly at them. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know where would I be without you all."

"Crash and Burn?" Plagg snarks. "A complete mess?" Trixx added. "Rich but not as elegant!" pipes Kaalki. Tikki and Wayzz moved to them and gave all three a whack.

"Don't listen to them, Guardian. I'm sure without us you would be okay." Wayzz argued.

"But I'd be lonely. Either way, I'm glad that we could meet. I'm glad that fate brought me to you. I love you guys." Marinette said and they all share a big hug.

She doesn't know what will happen tomorrow, but with the kwami around, she felt like she could do anything. With her resolve set, she started to form a plan on how to tackle the interview tomorrow.

She can do this!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't do this~" She whined miserably while hiding her face behind her hands. Currently, she's on her way to the Wayne Enterprise HQ. As Audrey had said Bruce's Butler, Alfred Pennyworth, picked her up at exactly 8 A.M. She wasn't late which was a good sign, she even made sure that she wore her best-designed dress! But after a few minutes sitting in Bruce Wayne's car, her anxiety had come back with gusto.

Alfred clears his throat to catch Marinette's attention. When the nervous girl looks up he gave her a warm smile. "What seems to be the problem, Ms Dupain-Cheng?" He asked kindly.

Marinette chewed her lips while her hands were fiddling together trying to keep herself grounded. "I-it's nothing, Mr Pennyworth. I'm just being silly, that's all."

Alfred hummed thoughtfully, "It must not be that silly since it's making you so nervous. Perhaps, I could give you a bit of advice if you want to talk about it?" he offered kindly.

The girl shrinks but then she felt an encouraging pat from her breast pocket. She looked downwards and was greeted by Nooro's encouraging smile. She let out a shaky sigh, "Well...I'm just nervous about this interview. Mme Bourgeois told me last night and I haven't prepared anything yet! I'm afraid of giving M Wayne the wrong impression. Not to mention, I had coincidentally met him at the park before and I did this stupid thing where I get to be this ridiculous know-it-all! Maybe I shouldn't do this interview." She whined to herself. Alfred smiled softly as he briefly glance at the ruffled-looking girl from the rearview mirror.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, I think it is best if you take a deep breath and think about your next step and only the next step. You will never know whether you'll succeed or fail, right? Just one step, Ms Dupain-Cheng. Only one step." Advised the old butler while giving a knowing smile from the mirror. Marinette replied with a sheepish smile of her own.

She looks at her hands again and took a peek at Nooroo who was giving her a wide smile. She nodded to herself, took a deep breath, closes her eyes, and tries to clear her mind. Taking Alfred's words to heart she plans in her mind. She was going to do her best in the interview, she plans on what she was going to speak as an introduction and then she opened her eyes with renewed vigour.

She looks at Alfred and smiled brightly, "Thank you for your advice, sir. It definitely works." Her hands raised to her chest to cup the butterfly pendant that she had worn that day. "Just one step..." She whispered again for courage, then a whisper of a familiar voice added.

Do the next right thing.

She could feel her eyes beginning to water, somehow she could feel Master Fu's encouraging pat on her shoulder. A strange but familiar warmth surged to her whole body and she could feel her nerve starting to lessen. She will do the interview to her best ability. After all what's the worst thing that could happen?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The worst thing did kind of happened.

So, after thanking Alfred for driving her to Wayne Enterprise and for the advice Marinette walked bravely to the huge building. Everything was going well so far, she told the receptionist about her appointment and the nice lady showed her the way to Mr Wayne's office.

The worst thing happened when she walked out of the elevator and ran into someone, hard. Her nerve came again during the elevator ride and once the door opened she bolted out from the confined space, and barreled into someone, sending them both to the ground with a loud thud.

"O-oh my gosh! I-I'm so sorry! I-i wasn't looking." She stuttered apologetically as she moved away from the person.

The one whom she stumbled to turns out to be a man who seemed to be the same age as she was. The man shook his head and held out a hand to stop Marinette's stuttering. "It's...fine." He said politely with a smile. He picked himself up and look at Marinette with a calculating gaze. "Who are you?" He asked politely.

"I-i'm Marinette. I-i was here f-for the interview? W-with Mr Wayne?" She said unsurely. She could feel herself being judged under those scrutinizing eyes of his and Marinette unconsciously flinched.

The man hummed noncommittally. "The office is just down the hall. Good luck, I think you'll need it." He said with a bored tone.

That set Marinette off from her previous nervous self. "And what makes you think I'll need it?" A hint of sass bleeds through in her tone. The man blinked, clearly unexpected to see a change of tone from Marinette.

"Oh, I'm not implying anything! It's just..." The man trailed off his words, his eyes darting around the room trying to think of a more polite way to voice his 'concerns'. "Look, I'm sure you are a very competent person, it's just I know Bruce and I don't think he's looking for someone like...you?" He finished unsurely.

Marinette was appalled, no she was furious, sure she had sent the guy flying with her nervous stumble but she couldn't help it. Her nerves got the better of her! However, that doesn't give him any right to judge her so lowly!

Before she could even give a seething remark the man pats her shoulder and gave an empathetic smile, which to Marinette looked so condescending that she wants to punch that smile off his face. "Anyways, good luck and I'm sure that there'll be another path for you." He 'advised' helpfully and leave Marinette seething and glaring murderously on his disappearing back.

Oh, she'll show him. If before she just wants to give her best for this interview and just leave everything to fate, now she's determined to get that job. She'll show him how much of a terrifying secretary she could be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick couldn't believe his odds to stumble upon the girl that he had met as Nightwing. The one that had confused his mind with the way the reports told how she had handled the Riddler and his goons. When the girl had sent him to the ground with her powerful stumble and had stuttered out her apology he was ready to believe that what happened with the Riddler had been a fluke.

There was no way that someone like her could do what the reports had stated. Yep, Dick now has a firm belief that what she had done was certainly a fluke. When she introduced herself and told him that she was here for the Secretary/PA interview with Bruce he winced inwardly.

The girl will be eaten by the wolves, where in this case the wolf is Bruce, but he digresses. So he wished the girl good luck and it seems that she had taken it wrongly. Dick had to find the right words to not hurt Marinette's feelings and after saying his piece he thought that he had done a pretty decent job to shoot down any hope for working as Bruce's PA.

He knows his adopted father and he knows that Bruce doesn't appreciate a scatterbrain of a secretary, even if she's quite pretty. He left the girl in the hallway thinking that it'll be the last time he'll ever see her again.

Short answer from the universe? He was wrong. He was so wrong.,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette waits outside of the CEO's office, still stewing from that guy's condescending attitude. Not even Nooroo's gentle pat could calm down her rage. She hopes that she won't see that guy soon because as much as she prides her ability to control her emotions she wouldn't count herself to not slap the guy silly.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, Mr Wayne is ready for your interview." Called the lovely secretary who gave her an encouraging smile.

Marinette shoot out from her seat and nodded excitedly. "Thank you! I'm ready now." She said as she pats down her skirt to smooth any wrinkles away. She marched confidently to the office and greet the familiar man with a bright smile.

"M Wayne! We meet again!"

"Ah, Marinette. I can call you that right?"

She nodded with a confident smile as she approach his desk and waited next to the chair in front of him waiting for his permission.

"Oh! Please, sit-sit! I'm sure you already know what we're going to do today?" He asked with a pleasant smile. Marinette took a seat and gave a small shrug.

"I have to say, M Wayne. Madame Bourgeois informed me on such short notice that I'm afraid my preparation would not be as much as I wanted." She explained elegantly.

"Really? Audrey gave you such short notice? Do you want to reschedule the interview?" Bruce offered fully expecting her to accept the new agreement, instead, Marinette shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'm ready." She confidently declined. "I have a point to prove." She added with a smirk. Bruce chuckled and with that, the interview starts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette didn't know how they even moved to this topic but right now, instead of interviewing, Marinette is eagerly pointing out the flaws of Batman's hero costume as well as the early Robins costume. Thankfully, Bruce didn't seem put off instead he was listening very intently and even took some notes from her rant. It was pretty surrealistic.

The interview had started out great and it didn't feel like she was being interviewed for a job position, to be honest. They talk about her ability to plan on her feet and anticipate unexpected occurrences. They talk about how she manages Audrey's schedule and made sure the company runs smoothly if one of the others is not present in HQ. Bruce even asked about how she handles difficult business partners or clients and considering the pleased smile on his face she felt like she nailed this interview. At one point, Bruce had asked about her fashion business and Marinette had excitedly explained how she started the business when she was thirteen during the heights of Hawkmoth's reign of terror. All in all, she would consider this a success!

While she was going to move on to talk about the atrocious colour shade that the first Robin had, Bruce Wayne's secretary had come inside the office to inform them about the fitting appointment that they had in one of the reserved meeting rooms. So, they ended the interview there and leave the office while discussing a new topic which is about capes.

"I'm just saying M Wayne, I just think that they should invest in an easily removed cape system. Imagine if the enemy manages to get their hands on the cape? Disaster!" She rants as Bruce frowned thoughtfully.

"You may have a point. Anyways, perhaps we should shelve this conversation for another time. We're here." He said as he opened the meeting room to show that there was already someone inside. "Ah! You're here, perfect. Marinette, I'd like to introduce you to my son. Richard Grayson."

Before either person could introduce themself they both gasped dramatically and pointed at each other with a different variety of shock.

"YOU!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taglist: @timinette-is-bestbest, @peach-blueberry-pie, @tinybrie, @taewinterbear95, @its-maemain, @flyhighdreamer, @kokoroluna @kitsun3699 @lilfuturescarss @kaimodius @sinoffalsejudgement @night-ngale @laydeekrayzee @fauxnormal @stella17luna @plz-excuse-my-inner-gay @ae-vixrose @toodaloo-kangaroo @ascetic-orange @l-of-the-gbt @lex-am @hemeraandnyxx @tbehartoo @babylovebug18 @allis-sun @wheredoesonegetnameideas @coolspidermanmusicflower @ascetic-orange @th3crypt1d @kamarallil @0anodite0 @talafairy(Tell me if you want to be a part of the taglist!)

[amaya-james]

How the Batfamily answer Marinette’s phone calls.

*Marinette’s calling*

Dick: Hey sunshine, how are you?

______

*Marinette’s calling*

Tim: Bean, where’s my coffee?

______

*Marinette’s calling*

Jason: Pixie, come over and spar with me!

______

*Marinette’s calling*

Damian: Angel, go on patrol with me.

______

*Marinette’s calling*

Bruce: The adoption papers are ready.

[abyssal-ali]

Emoji Request Masterlist

Welcome to Ali's Diner! The Mix 'n' Match menu has 100s of combos! Buy a meal for a friend or yourself for only $7. No meal costs over $13!

One item = $1. Limits are by each Menu Item's category. Minimum $5, maximum $13. Enjoy!

Ask about Substitutions*

Requests Masterlist

Fandom: $1

🦸‍♂️ DC

🐞 DCxMLB

👻 DCxMLBxDP or DCxDP 

📺 K-drama (if no title is stated, author's choice. Must be one I've completed.)

🎵 K-pop (if no group is stated, author's choice. Must be one I am familiar with.)

Ship: $1 (+1 if one is Gen/Platonic)

🖤 Brucinette

💚 Daminette

🐦‍⬛ DamiRae

💙 Dickinette

💛 Dukinette

👨‍👦 Gen Batfam

❤️ Jasonette

❣️JayRae

💜 JaySteph 

🩶 Maribat BatBoy Ship of Author's Choice

🤍 Maribat Rare Pair (if not stated, author's choice. Scale of 1-5 rarity)

🧡 Timari

🩷 ___ x Y/N (I've never done these before but I'd be willing to try.)

🔥 Zutara

Genre: $1-2

🌩 Angst

☀️ Crack

☁️ Fluff

🌨 Genre of Author's Choice

🌦 Headcanon(s)

🌤 Hurt/Comfort

Dynamics: $1-2

🙄 Basically Married but not "In a Relationship" (I2L on steroids)

💥 Enemies to Lovers

👫 Friends to Lovers

😠 Grumpy x Sunshine

🤡 Idiots to Lovers

🫂 Platonic

👋 Strangers to Friends 

Tropes: $1-2

💔 BreakUp

💬 Confession

🎭 Identity Shenanigans 

🫠Meet Awkward

🤝 Meet Cute

🏆 Milestone

🤯 Misunderstanding 

❗️Revelation

AU: $1-3

🧚‍♂️ Fairytale 

😈 Hades/Persephone

⌛Historical

⚔️ Mafia

🧍No Capes

☠️ Pirates

👑 Royals

💍 Soulmates

🧛 Supernatural (all one species)

🧞 Supernatural (varied species)

🏫 University

🦹‍♂️ Villain

🏢 Workplace

Quote Prompt: $1-2

Pick one or two quotes from one of the lists off of this masterlist and tell me which!

~~~House Specialties~~~

Chef's Special: 50% Off

Drop a "🌈" in my asks/DMs and I'll choose & write randomly chosen results for each category.

*Substitutions

Feel free to ask about anything or request something that isn't on here. It doesn't mean the chef will comply, but it doesn't hurt to ask! Any category you're not sure about can be replaced with a "🔄" emoji that the chef will randomly choose or decide fits the drabble best.

Your own ideas (E.g. 🐞 + 🧡 + ☁️ + 👫 + 💬 + Dragon Shifter AU + Flirty Friends to Lovers 4?)

Request Masterlist

RULES:

Hi! I have horrible writer's block and I want to try demolishing it by sprinting drabbles.

Send me an ask (anon is okay) or DM with your request.

If you'd like some requesting guidance, check out my Emoji Request Maasterlist, where I have lists of everything from ships to AUs.

I reserve the right to choose which requests I take and how I fill them.

Ao3 Series | Masterlist 1 | Masterlist 2

REQUESTS:

↬ Request #1 | @the-coffee-fandom -> DCxMLB: Timari, Hurt/Comfort, Ash (I used this hurt/comfort prompt list and Coffee chose 15: "My mom used to do that."

↬ Request #2 | @velveteenshadow -> DCxMLB: Chlamian + Jasonette, Horror (it became Crack), Serial Killer in a Zombie AU

↬ Request #3 | @izanae -> DCxMLB: Roynette, Hurt/Comfort, Playing with Fire (I added "We can’t help who we fall in love with” “I don’t care what others think. They don’t know you like I do” “You can’t keep holding my past against me".)

[galla02006]

[Brucinette] prompt/idea

Here’s the thing, I’m not a writer but I have unfortunately fallen into the rabbit hole that is Maribat, English is also not my first language, so correcting me and my grammar is welcomed and appreciated.

---

So basically She has a crush on Adrian but the difference is that after a few weeks she realizes that she sees him more like a best friend/brother

At the same time, she realizes he's gay but says nothing to him until there like 16

btw she gets Tikki at 13 a few months later the Lila incident happens and just because I'm a salty person, the class betrayal (excluding Alex, Julica, Luca, Kagami, and of course Adrian, side note Chloe too) happens but instead of wallowing in self-pity she suks it up and doesn't care, because our girl knows her worth and stuff

She becomes the Guardian at 14, she and Adrian reveal themselves to each other and are basically like:

Like a week later Marinette ends up running into Chloe being sad and stuff, they have this heart to heart chat about the class and how Sabrina left her, the Miracle Queen incident, their parents, the expectations set on them, Chloe apologizes and they end up becoming friends (#ILoveChloeRedemptionFics)

15 nothing big happens

16 it's time for that talk with Adrian this is how I imagine it would go:

Mari: Adrian we need to talk.

Adrian: yes Mari?

Mari: Adrian, how do I put this...

Adrian: Mari are you ok?

Mari: You know what I'll just say it.

*Marinette places Adrian’s hands in her own*

Adrian: ok now you're starting to scare me.

Mari: Adrian… You're gay.

…

Adrian: what?

Mari: Chris Hemsworth or Gal Gadot.

Adrian: Chris Hems-

…

A few more years later after college

So basically I imagine Both Adrian and Marinette’s parents are setting them up on dates left and right, so they come up with this plan to fake date, Mari because she wants to focus on her Fashion career and Adrian become he doesn't want to date girls, and Gabrial doesn't know he's gay and wouldn't approve of it.

So basically everyone falls for it except their friends who know the truth.

Time skip 2 years later they decide to get married because they both want kids and trust each other. (they're basically 26 at this point)

(side note: Adrian doesn't model anymore and decided he wants to be a photographer and does business on the side, he’s co CEO with Mari for MD (Miraculous Designs)

27 is a hectic year Mari and Adrian have twin girls, Emily and Valerie, Adrian finally comes out to his father (doesn't take it well and the fight), they take Hawkmoth down finding out it's actually Gabrial, move to New York because Mari need to keep the balance and stuff, plus it's where all their friends live now, they also get divorced, but still live together.

I imagine Emily with Straight blond hair and blue eyes, and Valerie with really wavy Red hair and blue eyes that match her sister’s (BTW I imagine Gina, Mari’s grandma had red hair when she was younger))

Over the years she’s visited the Guardian temple, finished her training, she’s become a fashion icon/household name.

Let’s say now she’s about 35 and decides to move to Gotham because of the imbalance in the city, Emily and Valerie come with.

for some reason, I imagine Emily being this sweet Angelic child and Valerie being this little daredevil child that will milk you for all you’re worth that only really listens to her mother, and sometimes Adrian, and her aunts and uncles, I also imagine their as chaotic at their parents and thrive on all the chaos they’d create.

at this point I imagine Adrian has a boyfriend, he was either dating him before he got divorced in secret except only his friends knew, or they started after, it’s just idk if it should be a made-up character, Luca, or another person from ML or DC

Now this is how I imagine Bruce and Marinette would meet

Mari would be invited to a Wayne foundation party/gala as MDC, she’d of course go because it’s charity.

While she’s there she drops a check in the donation box, grabs a drink, and heads to the balcony to avoid the snotty rich people.

When she’s on the balcony, she’s probably designing/Sketchy something inspired by the view in a design book she managed to fit in her bag when she’s rudely interrupted byyyyy ‘dorm role please’ you guessed it, Bruce.

I imagine she wouldn’t know who he is and would end up having this conversation with him that would end up in them exchanging first names and phone numbers.

They end up on a few dates together, a few identities and secret reveals later, and they’re married with A house/mansion, a dozen or so children, a zoo, oh and Alfred! :D

---

That really all I have for this idea, I also have somewhat of an idea of how the kids would meet and react to their parent's partner/lover.