#tltb

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

"Dami-" Marinette was cut off when Damian hugged her close.

She laughed in relief, tears streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around him. It was him! It was Damian!

"Where were you?" Jason asked. Marinette felt the older brother hug them both, and, although she knew he'd never admit it, Marinette felt Jason's tears on her shoulder.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Jacey."

Pulling away slowly, Marinette whipped her face woth her sleeve and smiled. "We should get you to Bruce."

"Whatever you say, my Angel. Where is Bruce, anyway?"

"In his 'office'," Jason answered.

He began leading them towards the stairs, but stopped suddenly when Damian began humming.

"Wait, actually, Tim is in the office. Bruce is out with Selina."

Marinette scrunched up her nose. "No, he's-"

Jason looked at Marinette in an attempt to tell her something with his eyes, but she couldn't understand. Still, she decided to trust him. Never had Marinette seen this type of panic on anyone's face.

"Or, I guess he must've left while I was napping."

Jason nodded. "He did. Tim is alone in the office right now."

"Well, we could always wait for Bruce in the living room," Marinette offered, her brain trying to understand why Jason would lie.

"Exactly. Besides, Damian, you should rest. You're probably exhausted."

Damian laughed. "No, I want to see Tim. You should stop worrying about me, Jacey, people will think you care."

Marinette froze, because in that moment, everything clicked.

'Jacey.' 'My Angel.' 'Bruce.' 'Tim.'

That's not what Damian called any of them.

"What," she started, tears forming in her eyes, "the hell have you done to him?"

Damian furrowed his brows, an arm reaching out for Marinette. "What's wrong, betrothed?"

Marinette jerked away, removing an earring to summon Tikki. Jason was at her side, ready to fight, as she transformed.

Damian appeared confused as he backed into a corner. "Marinette, please, tell me what's wrong!"

"Why are you here?" Jason demanded.

The thing finally gave up on the act. "To destroy all of you. Oh, and the rescue the mangy cat."

"Stop talking," Marinette warned, but it just looks at her and smirked.

This twisted thing in front of them was the work of Hawkmoth. And Marinette hated it. She hated it so much.

The thing knew, too.

"You're smarter than anticipated. This extraction was supposed to be quick and easy. I guess your little sweetheart gave me the wrong cues. That's what gave me away, isn't it? Well, I guess we could always just torture him a little more."

Ladybug charged the thing, anger clouding her vision. She wrapped her yo-yo around its feet and pulled. As it hit the ground, it disappeared.

Like one of Volpina's illusions. But, no, she had held it. It had cried with her. Maybe it was an akuma. Unless-

The thought made Ladybug shiver. Unless Volpina's powers had grown. But that would mean she was working with Hawkmoth. Which meant-

"Jason, take me to Bruce."

"No way. How do I know you're not one of those things?"

Marinette didn't have time for this. She had to warn Bruce. "Please, Jason," she begged. "Take me there."

"Fine," he huffed, as he lead her down the stairs.

Once they reached the bottom, there was nothing but a regular, empty basement.

"Wha-" she didn't even know what her question was. Was Jason joking?

"Don't worry," he said, as he approached a frame of the cat that had welcomed Bruce and removed it from the wall. "There's always more than meets the eye when it comes to the Bat."

He pulled the lever.

And revealed the Cave.

Taglist:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57596311/chapters/157457497

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57596311/chapters/157456792