A113

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Damian "I was raised to be and expect the best and I continue to bear a crushing guilt no matter the cost upon me despite the fact that some actions were from when I was 5 years old and most people I meet only want me for my money resources or body and a lot of people decide they can't stand me because most of the time I'm just telling the truth and doing what I spent my childhood doing and then was suddenly introduced into a completely different lifestyle away from my mother who was among the first people to love me in a way I never have been loved before and I have literally been to hell and back and nothing I do can wipe the phantom blood from my hands and I struggle with a certain level of insecurity and why are you glaring at me because I'm better than you?" Al Ghul Wayne.

Like yeah she still harbors great guilt and self-loathing and all that not-fun stuff, but imagine her turning that negative energy into yet another boost to do something right. I mean yeah, she's tired and worn out and deserves to have been said by now "Ok that's enough." But she keeps pushing past a BRAND NEW limit to try and make up for what she has done. She knows she can't go back. She knows she can't fix it. Alya is still in her heart, but it hurts to look at her former best friend. And don't start on Adrien. The burn marks of the press have formed over into scar tissue that aches due to not fully healing yet. It may not scald, but she will never get used to or rid of it.

She still hates being a superhero. She has and most likely never will find it "fun." But she does like laughing and kicking ass (totally not because she feels she still has many duties to uphold).

She feels great pleasure in carrying out duties for others. She likes being useful. She likes knowing that she is a hero that benefits others. (Totally not a soul-crushing atlas complex worsened by reality-bending entities in her pocket).

I do agree with @brucewaynehater101 's take on selfless heroes. (I know the above text is contradictory to this but bear with me.) I feel that in Marinette's case, it would only really come for her when she rediscovers something she truly enjoys again. FOR HERSELF and no one else. That doesn't directly result in the world ending preferably 🥲. And if the job tries to take that away from her again? Well, plagg isn't the only being with the power to destroy.

She's a good superhero. A little too good actually.

She would excel at being under the wing of PROPER mentors (functionally not emotionally/mentally. Like Ms. Ma'am is still drowning in self-loathing and doubt come on now 😅).

Hell, put her on the Justice League for a while. (Yes I believe in contradictory headcanons. She would be/not be on the justice league).

Something something "despite the events/aftermath of Paris and her public actions, she is a valuable asset and a powerful ally to have on this team." -Wonder Woman probably. (Maybe by this point the other miraculous holders have retired bc Mari convinced all but a few to. Adrien retires to recuperate, Kagami stays active to follow/watch Marinette, Alya retires to try and figure things out/pain, Nino retires to help his friends, Luka is still out of comission, Chloe (who honestly kinda still deserved to be Queen Bee before her rewrite) is elsewhere and that's it. I will never understand the entire class possessing a miraculous and never will so I won't.)

Let her rise through the ranks and absolutely deck even some of the more experienced members because some people keep forgetting that when Marinette locks in to save people...SHE LOCKS IN TO SAVE PEOPLE.

And yes she's short as hell because I said so. But don't mistake that for small and petite.