Chapter Text
Pain is all that Marinette can focus on when she opens her eyes – that and confusion because she doesn’t know why she hurts, nor where she is. What she does know is that she is on her back, crumpled in on herself against a door and staring up at a dark ceiling, illuminated by a single, dingy bulb in its centre.
Wincing at the pain radiating through her body, at the way her muscles strain and bones creak from laying on the floor in a foetal position for who knows how long, Marinette rises to sit and takes stock of her considerable injuries. Her body aches and creaks, sending spasms through her as she adjusts her position. Blood drips from her forehead and upper arm, and a decent amount seeps from her side. She is clad in her red and black-spotted suit and a yoyo lies splayed across the floor at her side. The suit is heavily damaged despite its sturdy nature.
A flash of light erupts suddenly and the damaged suit disappears, replaced with a charming shirt, shorts, and a pair of pink flats. Almost immediately, the blood from her numerous wounds stain the pretty pink blouse, ruining it. However the beauty of the ensemble is quickly forgotten as she rips the decorative sleeve off her arm in order to stop the blood flow. It’s a process, but eventually she manages to stop and tie off most of the bleeding.
As Marinette holds the fabric at her side, she forces herself to her feet and observes the scene around her. She’s in a bunker-like room with no windows, a door leading to a small, dead-end bathroom, and another barred and dead-locked door. The room is small, just large enough for a desk and a chair at one end and a couch against the other. There is a mini fridge in the corner with a microwave sitting on top, along with what looks like a barrage of snacks arranged neatly on a shelf above it. However the most striking thing is the wall above the somewhat cluttered desk; the space is filled with maps and strange documents written in a bizarre, vaguely familiar language. Others are written in a mix of French and English, both of which she is able to read readily, however they make no sense to her. In addition, photos of a variety of people span across the board, connected with varying colours of string. In the corner is an eye-catching egg-shaped red and black-spotted box that has blood splattered across it. Given her wounds, Marinette assumes it’s her own.
Aside from the blood, nothing in the room appears disturbed. However there is one thing that is strikingly and obviously missing from the current situation, one that Marinette inherently knows is integral to her survival:
Her memory .
Silent, controlled panic surges within Marinette as she attempts to make sense of what she sees, her mind racing as she tries to piece together what has led to her current situation. To her dismay, she quickly finds that she has no memory to fall back on – nothing that would explain why she is injured, where she is, nor what she is doing in this room . Her memory is a blank aside from seemingly ingrained basic knowledge, but no memories of her own or any indication of how she knows anything. She knows the exact temperature croissants need to be baked at to reach a perfect flaky consistency. She knows that spandex is the most difficult fabric to sew (in her opinion, apparently). She knows that Paris has been held hostage by an emotional terrorist by the name of Hawkmoth for a majority of her life. Yet none of this knowledge has any source within the blank space of memory in her mind.
Despite these gaps, Marinette innately knows three things that she believes to be integral to understanding her current situation: her name, the fact that she is Ladybug, the heroine of Paris and enemy of Hawkmoth, and that she had been the one to lock herself in this room.
As Marinette tries to process this, something bright on the desk catches the light and subsequently, her attention. Wary, Marinette approaches and finds a bloodstained scrap of paper pinned to the table with a long, antique-looking knife. Beside it is a cracked blue and purple brooch and a white and blue pocket watch with three long black scratches across it, similarly coated in what Marinette assumes is her own blood.
The note has been scrawled out quickly.
Chat has turned. Trust no one but yourself .
A sinking, horrified feeling curls in Marinette’s chest. The young woman isn’t sure what the note means, but given her injuries and the fact that she apparently can’t trust anyone but herself, she knows that whatever situation she is in can’t be good.
Turning to the notes on the table, Marinette begins to read, hopeful that perhaps she can learn more about what is happening – and what she’s supposed to do next.
Meanwhile, in a certain safe house located within the bounds of Crime Alley in Gotham, Red Hood finds himself tied to a chair with a certain magical yoyo, watching as who can only be Ladybug paces his living room.
To say Red Hood is confused is an understatement.
Even after nearly fifteen minutes of strained silence, Red Hood can’t fathom how Ladybug, the magical French heroine with whom he does not get along with, found said safe house, nor why she would be so inclined as to ambush him the way she did.
Upon reentering his apartment after a particularly long night, Jason hadn’t even had the time to remove his helmet before she descended upon him – which given the circumstances, is probably for the best; If Bruce found out he had been so easily subdued by the magical heroine while unmasked, Jason may have had to dig his own second grave.
Despite the strange circumstance, the former crime boss-turned-antihero has to admit he’s impressed. The young, distractingly limber heroine had made quick work of him. Ladybug hadn’t given the seasoned vigilante time to react in the slightest, taking him down swiftly and disarming him before he had even realised what was happening. Sure, Jason’s ego is a bit bruised, but considering this is Ladybug of all people, he’s at peace with the situation. Or perhaps the better way to put it is that he’s intrigued , especially since she and her team are banned from Gotham and prohibited from contacting any of Batman’s team, which Bruce still considers Jason a part of despite his adamant refusal. And that’s not even including the fact that as stated previously, Red Hood and Ladybug do not get along. In fact, most are under the impression that the two hate one another, and after six less-than-stellar attempts at conducting missions together, Jason is inclined to agree.
After so many years battling the magical terrorist in Paris, Wonder Woman had officially invited the two young heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, to join the League so that the two might better hone their abilities and take down their villain. Given Hawkmoth’s ability, the League’s means of aiding the situation is limited, so Wonder Woman believed that offering the two training would better help the two make progress in a war that has been waged for nearly seven years. While not everyone in the League had been happy with the Amazoinian’s decision (namely Batman), the Parisian heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir as well as their Order have proven to be valuable allies. The power they wield really is on par with gods and generally overpowered, which has made taking down other major threats that the League faces that much easier.
Since the two Parisian heroes joined the Justice League, Red Hood has had the opportunity to work with Ladybug on exactly six occasions, usually ones that deal with strange magics that have managed to run rampant in Gotham. Without warning, the Parisian team will show up and help clean up the issue, paying no heed to Batman’s no metas or magic rule. The brooding vigilante has not been pleased with their interference, but to Jason’s amusement, hasn’t been able to debate Ladybug on the issue. The specific magic is her domain and as per her Order’s alliance with the League, she has full authority over any issue relating to it. It’s been Batman’s bad luck that many of the insane, power-hungry, and corrupted persons seeking the Order’s brand of magic are citizens of Gotham. The only thing Bruce has been able to do is make it known that outside of magical threats, Ladybug and her associates are not welcome in Gotham. He has even gone so far as to forbid arbitrary contact between her and his team, which has led to most of the Gotham vigilante’s distrusting them as well.
However, Red Hood and Ladybug’s ill-relationship is not related to Batman’s dislike of magic. If anything, Batman’s blatant dislike of Ladybug had initially made Jason want to befriend her just to spite him. Unfortunately, that ship sunk the first time they teamed up together and realised that they have conflicting ideals and methodology – and are apparently unable to have a conversation without ‘bickering,’ as Wonder Woman called it. Red Hood’s relationship with Chat Noir is just as bad, if not worse – the cat boy has serious issues with Red Hood for some reason and is extremely vocal about it .
At the end of the day, Red Hood and Ladybug’s personalities just don’t click. Red Hood tends to deal with a situation quickly and handle the consequences later, whereas Ladybug prefers to observe carefully before taking action, considering every eventuality before she makes a move. This means that the few times that Red Hood and Ladybug have had to work together, they have dissolved into shouting matches about the best course of action, often leading to a stalemate or an even more dangerous situation as neither is willing to concede. It has gotten to the point that whenever they do have to work together, they are always placed in different units – as far away from the other as they can get. They are on the same side and can work well together if they have to. . . so long as they don’t have to talk to each other. Hell, even Batman works better with her than Red Hood does, which is unfortunate because despite what everyone around them thinks, Jason doesn’t actually hate Ladybug.
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Jason actually admires Ladybug a lot . On top of being naturally charming and sweet, she’s an absolute badass in a fight. She reminds him a lot of Wonder Woman: strong, confident, capable, and unwavering in her ideals. She is also devastatingly attractive, which is distracting in the field and usually leaves him scrambling to focus at the most inopportune moments.
What’s even more unfortunate (for Jason, anyway) is that Ladybug is very similar to Tim, which he finds unnerving. Like Tim, Ladybug plans for just about every eventuality and has back up plans for her backup plans. She is meticulous, cautious, and always looking for a workaround, just like Tim does, only she also has magic and luck on her side, meaning that she nearly always finds the perfect solution. This similarity often leads to Jason quipping back at Ladybug a bit more harshly like he would with Tim, which only fuels their animosity.
All of this makes Ladybug frighteningly brilliant and capable, which also only makes Jason like her more , despite the strangeness. She is nearly always successful in her endeavours and is a valuable, formidable ally, but with his straightforward, crass, and often brutish personality, he can’t help but find her methods irritating, especially if he can get to the same place in half the time – even if it’s not a perfect solution.
It is heartbreakingly frustrating that despite his admiration (and attraction) to Ladybug, she drives him up a wall whenever they are forced to work together (sometimes literally if she’s in a particularly bad mood – Chat Noir has nothing on Red Hood’s ability to infuriate the Parisian heroine). In all honesty, Jason half believes that the heroine hates him, which is a bit of a bummer because she’s devastatingly hot and the fact that her suit practically clings to her every curve. Her breaking in, assaulting him, and tying him to a chair isn’t exactly refuting this assumption.
Which brings him back to the absurdity of his current situation.
A million and one reasons flit through Red Hood’s head as he tries to imagine a scenario where Ladybug would break the tentative peace she and Batman have reached because of him . As far as Jason knows, he hasn’t done anything explicitly illegal recently and he definitely hasn’t been messing with anything magical, which might explain why Ladybug would defy Batman and make unsanctioned contact with Red Hood. It would also explain why she’s currently holding him hostage – given his criminal background, he can’t exactly blame her either. However it does not explain why Ladybug would be fretting the way she is nor why instead of taking him into some sort of custody, she’s pacing about his living room looking as though the world is about to end. The only thing Jason can tell is that the woman is agitated – he can practically feel the anxiety pulsing off her in waves as she mutters in rapid French under her breath, far too fast for him to catch any of it. Not that he probably could have on a good day – his French is rusty.
Given this, Jason can’t find a good reason as to why Ladybug would hold Red Hood hostage in his own home, tying him up like the criminal he may or may not be, in a town she is usually restricted from entering. Yet here Ladybug paces across his recently vacuumed living room floor, well within the limits of Gotham and holding someone Batman considers part of his team hostage.
So yeah, Jason, for once in his life, is stunned silent. Apart from his initial stream of expletives at being attacked, he hadn’t managed to say a word since realising that it was Ladybug assaulting him nearly fifteen minutes ago, still trying to process what in the hell is happening.
However, that doesn’t last forever and he eventually finds his voice, only as per usual, his smart mouth gets the best of him.
“. . . So is this some sort of kinky bonding shit or am I a hostage?”
Now, Jason knows he’s being intentionally antagonistic with this snarky line. However the reaction he gets out of Ladybug takes him off guard for the second time tonight.
To Jason’s utter shock, without even sparing Jason a look, Ladybug smirks to herself and replies, “Depends on how you look at it.”
The silence that follows is telling, especially when Ladybug’s expression shifts from stunned to mortified in a matter of seconds.
“No – sorry – that’s not – I didn’t mean – this isn’t a kink thing, I swear! I just – I meant the hostage comment – oh kwami what am I even saying?!” Ladybug fumbles over her words, her mortification palpable.
Meanwhile, Jason is wondering if he’s hallucinating. If he hadn’t been wearing his helmet, Ladybug would have seen the way Jason’s jaw drops in utter shock and a vicious blush floods his cheeks, because since when does Ladybug respond to Jason’s crass comments with anything other than exasperated annoyance – let alone flirt with him?
For a moment, something warm floods Red Hood, something he recognises and immediately dimisses, because Jason doesn’t get lucky in the love department, meaning that there is almost no chance that Ladybug would be interested in him, especially considering their animosity-filled dynamic. Hell, Dick is probably the vigilante she gets on best with out of Bruce’s team (outside of maybe Tim) and Dick had actually asked her out after their first mission together to no avail. Ladybug had turned the first Robin down flat, and according to the extensive records of the Ladyblog , she had been doing the same to Chat Noir, her literal partner, for years. Given her tumultuous relationship with Red Hood, there is almost no way that she would pick him over the Golden Boy Wonder who can charm just about anyone he sets his mind to, or the partner who has had her back for almost a decade. Plus, the Ladybug Jason knows would have either thrown him out the window or shot him a disgusted glare after a comment like that.
Wary, Jason gives the woman a curious once over, only to realise that she’s somewhat different from the last time he saw her. The more he studies the woman in front of him, the more he finds small differences from the Ladybug he knows, which just leaves him more confused because he inherently knows this is Ladybug – he’s spent enough time observing her to know the heroine when he sees her. Jason knows those blue-bell eyes, the fairy-like grace with which she moves, even the number of spots that adorn her suit. Moreover, Ladybug has an anxious habit of pacing while she tries to sort through an issue, a scrunch of her nose when she’s displeased with a thought, and a half-skip she takes when she has an idea – all three of which this woman has done in the last fifteen minutes.
However, there are differences between what he knows and the woman before him as well, which is leaving him uncertain about the identity of this Ladybug – and that had been before she began flirting with him.
For one, this Ladybug is softer somehow, less rigid despite her anxious state. In addition, her suit is slightly different – darker, with a high ponytail instead of her usual pigtails. She also seems to know the layout of his safe house apartment far better than she should given the manner with which she had taken him down.
Jason’s only conclusion is that this must be a clone of some sort – or something similar, like he had fallen into another universe at some point. Either way, this isn’t the Ladybug he knows, but at the same time it is.
Which means Red Hood is potentially being held captive by an unknown entity and has yet to be able to escape the confines of his restraints. Worse, he has no way of accessing his utility belt to set off a distress signal to any of his teammates, Bat Clan or otherwise. Hell, Jason can’t even activate the one in his helmet because he had deactivated his comms as soon as he had wrapped up his patrol, long before he had made his way back to his place. And none of this compares to the bone chilling fear that shoots down his spine when he recalls the last time he had been chained to a chair, unable to escape. It’s not a pleasant memory.
“Kwami, sorry – that was inappropriate, wasn’t it?” Ladybug frets, her embarrassed demeanour a stark contrast to her previous one. “After three years it’s become a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, especially considering the circumstances –”
“Who are you?” Red Hood cuts the potential imposter off, now significantly more on edge than he had been a moment prior. “You’re not Ladybug. You may look like her, but you’re not her, so who are you and why are you here? Are you a clone or something? Did Talia send you? Luther?”
The woman in front of him starts, surprise etched across her features. However, her surprise doesn’t last long as a warm and affectionate smile pulls across her lips.
This only manages to confuse and unnerve Jason even more.
“You’ve always known how to read me,” she breathes under her breath, seeming to relax briefly before stiffening once more, back on task and once more at conflict with herself. “You’re only kinda right, though. I am Ladybug, but not exactly the one you know. I don’t think – I really can’t elaborate much further on it, but I really need your help and I’m not sure how to go about this. I’m technically breaking so many rules just by coming here and I’m already afraid of messing anything up.”
Not sensing a lie in her words, Red Hood stares at her for a minute, distrustful and confused as he tries to compute whatever gibberish the woman had tried to pass off as an answer to his question. Even so, Jason is inclined to believe the woman. His instincts rarely steer him wrong and given the shit he’s seen since Batman caught him stealing the wheels off the Batmobile, this is hardly anything new. Plus, he knows that Ladybug does tend to show up in other suits due to her brand of magic. However, none of this means he’s not completely baffled by the woman’s logic.
“. . . You hog-tied me to a chair to ask me for help?” Red Hood finally asks, his voice laced with incredulity. “What do you need help with that requires kidnapping a former crime boss? If you’re really Ladybug, you know I don’t deal with magic shit.”
A beat passes as Ladybug blinks at him, the reality of her actions seeming to hit her.
“. . . The secret kind?” The heroine replies weakly, her entire demeanour faltering.
Red Hood stares at Ladybug, taken aback by this new information, not because it’s a secret, but because as much as he admires the woman, they don’t work together well. He would never have considered himself someone that she would come to in a pinch, especially not when she has so many other options. She has an entire magical Order at her fingertips as well as the Justice League and her actual partner, Chat Noir – whom he gets on with even worse than with Ladybug. The Cat actively dislikes him and makes passive aggressive comments whenever they’ve worked together in the past. To be fair, Red Hood doesn’t exactly take it either. He dishes it out just as hard, if not more frankly – he doesn’t play with passive shit, going straight for ‘aggressive’ instead.
So with all of these different options, why has the seemingly overpowered heroine come to Red Hood for help? It makes no logical sense. Jason doesn’t deal with magical crap, which is pretty much all Ladybug handles.
“And you need my help?” Red Hood repeats, wondering if this is some sort of residual pit-madness hallucination or something. Or maybe he’s been drugged. That seems like the more reasonable option.
Ladybug twists her hands in front of her and nods.
“You’re literally the only one I can ask.”
Red Hood takes a deep breath, trying not to explode at yet another cryptic answer.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He barks, his irritation spiking.
Ladybug lets out a whine and begins to pace again, visibly overwhelmed.
“I mean – I just couldn’t think of another way to do this that wouldn’t get us both in trouble because all I know is you’re supposed to help,” she begins, but her words quickly dissolve into a ramble. “Also, Batman isn’t exactly my biggest fan right now and he banned me from the city and he always refuses to get involved in anything that I do and I’m already not supposed to reach out to any of his team right now and I don’t have much time and you told me I just showed up here so – oh kwami is this a bad idea? Were you just messing with me? It wouldn’t be the first time and – No – no, it’s a good one – it has to be because it’s how you said it was and I’m still technically following Batman’s order since you never considered yourself part of his tea–”
“Whoa there, Bug,” Red Hood cuts Ladybug off, the edge of his irritation ebbed by the amount of nonsensical word vomit that had just escaped her. “You’re not making any sense. Start at the beginning and tell me how we got to this – and maybe start with why you broke into my safe house and tied me to a chair.”
Ladybug stares at Red Hood, flushed, before slumping and burying her head in her hands. It’s a sight that leaves Red Hood feeling wary and oddly guilty. He’s never seen the confident heroine in such a state and it's pretty unnerving.
“Oh kwami, I really did that, didn’t I? Crepes, this is so much harder than I thought it would be. What am I even doing?” She groans.
“Technically this could be considered illegal detainment,” Red Hood supplies unhelpfully. “Or you know, really kinky foreplay. Not that I’m exactly opposed to helping you out in that department. ‘Never been on this side of bondage, but I’m definitely willing to –”
“Oh mon cherie , this isn’t new to you in the slightest,” Ladybug counters in a surprisingly sultry voice, once more taking Red Hood off guard – and apparently herself as her mouth audibly snaps shut. As Ladybug locks eyes with Red Hood’s helmet, her eyes grow wide and a furious blush colours her cheeks. Meanwhile, Jason is trying not to choke on his spit, once more relieved that his helmet is concealing his facial expression. It does not, however, conceal the shudder that runs through his entire body.
Clearing his throat, Jason gives a trembling laugh.
“. . . Holy shit, Bug, I don’t know what’s up with you, but that was hot as fuck.”
Still red in the face, Ladybug falters in her movements, visibly panicked and to Jason's further confusion, conflicted.
“I – no, that was a – ugh, I blame you for this!” The heroine squeaks, appearing mortified as she glares at the man. “All you ever do is flirt with me and I’m so used to us just – ugh why do you have to be so attractive?! This is not good for my mental state, especially not right now! You know how in my head I get! This is just asking for me to start catastrophizing and once that happens I’ll start spiralling and I can't do that right now because we do not have time for me to have a freak out when I don’t have the right you to pull me out of an anxiety spiral!”
Once she finishes her outburst Ladybug deflates again, her shoulders sagging and visibly frustrated as she buries her face in her hands. Muttering to herself in French, the woman begins to take deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Jason is stalled, wondering again if he’s hallucinating or experiencing some sort of psychotic break because none of what she has just said makes any sense.
Silence permeates the room as Jason processes what she’s just yelled at him. As soon as it sets in that he is not, in fact, hallucinating, and that Ladybug had basically just yelled at him for being attractive and turning her into a rambling mess while claiming he isn’t the right him . While normally Jason would have been over the moon to hear that first bit from the woman, he can’t help the disappointment that eats through him, because to him, all of this is nothing more than proof that this can’t be Ladybug.
“. . . Alright, who the fuck are you really? ‘Cause now I know you can’t be Ladybug,” he eventually asks, unable to keep the dismissive, angry tone out of his voice. “If you’d done your research, you’d know that we don’t get along. As much as I try, you flirtin’ with me ain’t our relationship, sweetheart. In fact, we don’t have a relationship to begin with. We’re basically strangers who work together on occasion.”
Ladybug immediately stiffens, her eyes growing wide as she begins waving her hands in front of her.
“I – I – You – no, uh – Yo–You know that’s not true!” She flounders, trying to mask her panic with indignation and failing. “I’m not flirt– well, I mean I did but I don't mean – I – we’re not strangers! We – we do have a good relationship – or well, we will – I mean, no, that –I – You– we’re comrades at the very least so denying that is – you just – you sound ridiculous!”
Jason scoffs at the woman’s pitiful argument.
“By saying what we are isn’t a relationship?” He asks in a huff before biting, “Because it fucking isn’t. You can’t stand me. That’s all Ladybug and I have ever had – me flirting and making stupid remarks and ignoring her plans while she blows me off and yells at me for fucking things up. That’s like the exact opposite of any kind of relationship – friendly or otherwise. The real Ladybug would never come to me in a pinch, let alone flirt with me.”
“That’s not true!” Ladybug declares, pain and regret written in her eyes. “Yes, we may never agree on the best course of action, and yes, you may choose the absolute worst way to phrase things and your timing on a lot of your jokes or flirty remarks tends to be horrible, but I’ve never thought less of you as an ally! I’ve always known that if I was in a tight spot, I could come to you –”
“Sweetheart, the magical yoyo digging into my thighs is not supporting your argument here, Red Hood spits sarcastically. “If you wanted to convince me that you’re really Ladybug, you should have strung me upside down from a lamp post. Or maybe Wayne Enterprises. She’s threatened both in the past and all this is giving kinky ‘Netflix and chill.’”
To Jason’s surprise, Ladybug stares at him a moment before falling into a fit of halting giggles. It shocks Jason, not having expected that reaction, nor the visible effort it takes her to refocus herself.
Taking a deep breath, Ladybug slaps her cheeks as she tries to stop smiling.
“No – no ! That’s not – I just – ugh , no ! We don’t have time for this!” Ladybug manages, obviously more mad at herself than anything. With an expression of fierce determination, Ladybug jumps to her feet and glares fiercely at Jason, which quickly cows Jason’s agitated mood as she continues, her earlier anxiety causing tears to prick at her eyes. “Our previous relationship that may or may not exist aside, I’m desperate and running out of time and you’re the only one I can turn to about this so can you just–just stop with the sarcasm and witty quips for two seconds?! I can’t focus when you do that and this is a serious situation that is going to have so much fallout if we can't get it under control!”
Guilt creeps up through Jason’s chest when he sees the genuine fear in this Ladybug's watery eyes. Even if he has his suspicions about the legitimacy of her identity, he knows he can’t just sit here and do nothing when the young woman is obviously distressed – at the very least, he doesn’t believe her to be faking the pure unadulterated panic coming off her in waves.
“Hey – no, don’t – Look, I’m sorry. I know I’m an ass with no filter. It’s just how I tend to deal with stressful situations,” Red Hood sighs, regret piercing him. “I’m just trying to get some answers here ‘cause like I said, none of this is makin’ a lick of sense. As much as I’d love for this to be real, you and me don’t have this kind of relationship and you flirtin’ like this, intentional or not, is really messin’ with my head. I don’t handle that stuff well.”
Ladybug blinks at Jason a moment, her expression conflicted. Eventually she sighs and falls back onto the couch again (far too familiarly and at ease in someone else’s safe-house apartment in Jason’s opinion) before burying her face in her hands.
“. . . No – this isn’t your fault. You’re not an ass, Jay,” Ladybug grumbles, not noticing the way Red Hood stiffens in his chair. “You’re just so you no matter the circumstance and I’m stressed and having a hard time holding back so I don’t reveal too much and I’m obviously failing at this. . . Kwami, this is so much more difficult than I thought it would be. I hadn’t realised how warped your understanding of my feelings would be.”
Silence follows Ladybug’s statement and when Red Hood doesn’t respond, Ladybug glances up at him, only to find him staring at her from within the confines of his helmet, his back erect and his muscles tense. When their eyes meet, Jason breaks the silence.
“. . . You know my name,” he states rather than asks, his tone flat with a slight edge to it.
Ladybug visibly pales, her eyes glazing momentarily as she thinks back over what she's just said. A different sort of anxiety flashes through her expression, which has grown wary.
“I – no, um – I didn’t mean. . .” She trails off, all too aware of how monumentally she had just screwed up.
Silence once more hangs heavy between them, but eventually Ladybug slumps into her seat and nods, appearing small and defeated. After a moment, she raises her head tentatively, her bluebell eyes watching Jason's body language cautiously.
“. . . I do. You're Jason Todd. . . The second Robin, adopted son of Bruce Wayne, former crime lord, mostly reformed anti-hero by the alias of Red Hood.”
Another beat of silence passes before Jason, too, slumps in his seat.
“ Fuck .” Jason inwardly cringes when the implications of the situation sets in. “B is gonna fuckin’ kill me.”
A bit taken aback by that being the first thing out of his mouth after an unwilling identity reveal, Ladybug huffs in annoyance and rolls her eyes.
“Bruce needs to get off his high horse. More of his enemies know who he is than his allies do . We’re just lucky that the miraculous magic protects our identities out of our suits or we’d all be in the weeds by association. Our enemies tend to be a lot more dangerous than his.”
At this, Jason’s jaw drops within his helmet, disbelief piercing him.
“You know about Bruce? You know he's –”
“Batman? Yes. I know everyone's identities. I have for a while now,” Ladybug replies with a pained expression.
Jason gapes at the woman, not understanding.
“What, but – how did you find out?”
Another minute passes as Ladybug seems to consider her answer. Eventually she sighs and gives Jason a wry smile.
“. . . You told me. Three years ago. Or I guess, soon? It’s kind of complicated.”
Jason stares at Ladybug, not understanding shit. At this point, he’s reached the end of his patience and if he wasn’t being held captive by a magic yoyo, he would have tied Ladybug to the chair to try to get some answers out of her, to hell with all of this cryptic nonsense.
“Alright, cut the shit,” Jason finally hisses, the edges of pit madness tickling his mind in his frustration as his voice grows steadily louder. “Tell me what the fuck is going on right now because you’re confusing the fuck outta me. I still have no fucking clue how the hell you figured me out ‘cause I’ve told you exactly shit about me or my family! And why the hell you’re coming to me for help in the first place and why does it involve ambushing me and trying me to a fucking chair!”
Ladybug winces and curls in on herself. The sight has regret creeping up on Jason yet again, but he quickly pushes the feeling down, allowing some of the pit madness to fuel his outrage. She’s been yanking him around since she showed up and talking in circles, flirting with him and spewing absolute nonsense. Considering the circumstances, Jason deserves an explanation, especially since she apparently knows his and his family’s identities.
“. . . You told me it would be like this,” Ladybug whispers just loud enough for him to hear. “You told me to just be frank with you because I suck at keeping secrets from you and me floundering around like this was just going to put you on edge.”
A beat passes as Jason tries not to blow up at yet another cryptic response from the heroine.
“That doesn’t answer shit,” Jason bites. “What the hell do you mean ‘I’ told you? I’ve never told you my name or anything else for that matter. The Ladybug I know doesn’t talk to me ever – all we ever do is argue and the last time we worked together she threatened to throw me into a volcano if I ever got in her way again!”
In response, Ladybug blinks in surprise. However instead of flinching, her lips twitch, threatening at a smile.
“. . . That sounds about right. You’re a bit too good at pushing my buttons, Jay, especially today's me. I used to be pretty. . . stiff when it came to missions and you like to wing it and take things as they come. I remember always wanting to throttle you for not following my plans. Still do, sometimes, but you’ve managed to rub off on me some.”
The weight of Ladybug’s words fall over Jason and he falters in his anger, the pieces of the woman’s cryptic actions and words beginning to fall into place.
“ Today's you?” Jason repeats.
Ladybug nods solemnly.
“I wasn't lying when I said that I am Ladybug, but I’m not the Ladybug you know either,” the heroine explains as she brings her feet up onto the couch and wraps her arms around her knees. “I’m from roughly three and a half years in the future. I got dragged here by the nineteen year old me – today’s me.”
“. . . What in the actual fuck?” Jason manages, his thoughts racing as he studies the woman in front of him. Logically, he knows that this isn’t impossible – Bruce had been trapped in the Time Stream for two years after all and this sort of shit happens to the Flash every other month or so, and that’s not even mentioning what happened with Jon Kent – but Jason himself doesn’t have a ton of experience with Time shenanigans. In fact, he’s honestly revisiting the option that he might be hallucinating or even dreaming.
Meanwhile, Ladybug continues, her earlier seriousness returning.
“We’re caught in a kind of magical dimensional time break,” she tries to explain, unphased by his expletives. “Or rather, I am. The other me pulled me through, but for some reason I didn’t end up with her. It’s actually really complicated and I’m not a hundred percent sure how to explain it.”
“. . . What the fuck is that supposed to mean??” Jason presses, ignoring the lightheadedness that is creeping up on him at the absurdity of the situation.
Ladybug sighs as she mentally chews over the best way to explain.
“One of the miraculous I protect is the Rabbit Miraculous of Time,” she begins, her hands waving around expressively as she explains. “It’s a bit special that if used a certain way, it can be used as a fail safe if the Guardian watching over it is threatened in some way. The me of this time enacted the Last Resort and pulled me through to help fix the situation, only it didn’t work out the way it was supposed to, which I assume means that the miraculous must be damaged somehow because I showed up in Nepal of all places almost twelve hours ago and little me was nowhere to be found!”
At this, Jason pales, not completely understanding the situation he has just found himself in but noting the gravity of her particular verbiage.
“A last resort? What sort of last resort?”
Ladybug deflates even further and winces.
“Not a good one. It’s basically only one step above giving up my Guardianship completely. I wouldn’t use it unless I absolutely had to,” she explains emphatically. “I’m in danger somewhere out there and I have no clue what kind of fight I’m about to walk in on.”
Fuck. Jason had been correct to be concerned.
“Fuck,” Jason voices his previous thought. “You don’t know where she is – or–or where you are – or –”
Ladybug jumps to her feet, anxiety returning to her expression.
“Exactly! When the portal opened and the signal came through, I suited up expecting to walk into some sort of fight or – or something but instead I wound up walking in on some sort of magical kung fu training in another magical group’s temple in Nepal and younger me wasn’t even there! And to make things worse, I can’t even try to track her because my communicator is down because of the lock little me placed on the miraculous means I’m going to have to search for her manually and hope luck is actually on my side!”
Jason’s heart drops to his stomach.
“Shouldn’t you know how this is all going to play out?!” He asks incredulously. “You’re from the future!”
Ladybug lets out a hysterical laugh.
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?!” She cries in exasperation, her frustrations bringing more tears to her eyes. “But no! Because part of the method younger me used causes memory loss! I don’t actually remember most of this, only the ending and the little details my Jay has let slip over the last few years! After whatever issue that called me here is resolved, everything returns to normal and my memory of almost the entire incident is erased! According to my Timeline, we do succeed, I just don’t know how!”
Jason’s heart squeezes in his chest.
“So you can’t remember anything?! What’s the benefit of this last resort then?!”
“Exactly! I have no clue!” Ladybug admits, visibly shaking from the stress she is under. “I might only be needed to fill in certain blanks that little me needs to solve a problem, or I might be being held hostage and need to be rescued or – or it could be a lot of things!” She cries, tears pricking at her eyes. “Without meeting myself, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do! That’s why I came to you!”
Red Hood stiffens even more, ice flowing through his veins as the situation grows more severe the longer they talk. Meanwhile, this older Ladybug continues, her emotions obviously frayed.
“Younger me – the last resort she pulled is one that a Guardian only uses if they are in serious danger, especially if the knowledge they possess is in danger. But if I did it while knowing that the Rabbit miraculous is damaged like I expect it is, things might be much worse than I came prepared for! Which is why I panicked and came directly to you without a plan,” Ladybug explains as she wrings her hands, looking to Jason desperately. “There is a good chance that this time period’s Ladybug is either walking around with no memory while being hunted or she’s been captured and is locked up somewhere with no idea why. ” Ladybug stops and stares down Jason pleadingly. “I know you’re not technically my Jason and I’m not your Mar–Ladybug, but something bad is going to happen if we can’t find the other me, solve whatever situation she’s found herself in, and repair the Rabbit miraculous.”
A pit forms in Jason’s stomach as he attempts to process this information. It’s a lot, with far too much magic for his liking. Even so, it’s dire, which means that Jason doesn't have much of a choice but to help.
“. . . Alright, yeah, that’s a major issue and I’ll definitely help, but Bug – why do you even need me?” Jason eventually manages, still not following why she’d come to him. “I mean, I’m flattered, but I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to magic. Surely you could get better back-up than a non-magic, non-meta zombie antihero to figure this shit out.”
Ladybug falters at this, appearing caught. She sighs, wringing her hands together again before taking a deep breath.
“. . . Because I need my partner, Jay. I can’t. . . I can’t do this alone,” she explains weakly, looking up at him with watery eyes.
“Then why not go find your partner?” Jason asks in confused exasperation. “I’m sure Chat–”
“No.”
At the mention of Chat Noir, Ladybug visibly finches, causing Jason’s mouth to snap shut abruptly.
A beat passes as Ladybug finds her voice again.
“Chat Noir is. . .” The French heroine eventually begins, emotion welling in her eyes as she holds back tears. “Chat is the reason I’m here. He’s why we’re in this mess. I may not remember everything, but I remember that much. I remember the days leading up to now. . . What he did to me.” Ladybug’s voice cracks as she tries to continue, her voice barely above a whisper. “He betrayed me. He’s teamed up with Hawkmoth and someone from the League of Assassins.” Ladybug shakes her head and takes a deep breath, steeling herself. “Either way, Chat is no longer my partner. Hasn’t been for years.”
Red Hood stares at Ladybug in disbelief, his conviction that this isn’t right growing yet again. Chat betraying Ladybug makes no sense. Chat is extremely devoted to Ladybug and has been for nearly a decade. He can’t imagine a scenario where the catboy would turn his back on his ‘Bugaboo,’ especially as the two have literally been best friends for over a decade.
“. . . no offence, but are you positive you’re in the right universe?” Jason tries again, a bit more gently. “Cause after listening to you, I gotta say, the miraculous might be more broken than you think. I think you got sent to a different universe or dimension or timeline or some shit, ‘cause as far as this world is concerned, Chat Noir is in love with you and wouldn’t do something like that. And like I said, the you of this world hates me, so you coming to me at all is just –”
Ladybug’s eyes grow wide.
“You really think I hate you?” She cuts him off, a shocking amount of hurt evident in her bluebell eyes.
Jason falters, not having expected that reaction. Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he averts his gaze.
“. . . I mean, yeah – the other you, at least. It’s not like we’ve ever gotten along. The Justice League doesn’t pair us up for a reason. Our styles don’t match – it’s the same reason Red Robin and I rarely team up. It just doesn’t work. And this world’s Chat is devoted to you. He’d never turn his back on you.”
Ladybug frowns and shakes her head.
“No, Jay – I – this is definitely the right universe,” she begins, struggling with her words. “The magic doesn't work that way and –Jay, you’ve told me about this – how you’d be sceptical since we’re not exactly close at this point in time and –”
“That's an understatement,” Jason mutters, still not convinced. Ladybug’s expression fills with sadness and regret.
“Jay, we bicker and you can be a sarcastic asshole, but you’re honest and your heart is always in the right place. You’re brave and steadfast and – and honestly, I wish I had your tenacity and willingness to make the hard decisions, especially when they’re unpopular. It’s something I struggle with constantly.”
Jason grows quiet, not having expected that kind of an answer. In response, Ladybug smiles gently and continues.
“I’ve never hated you, Jay – even if you can be a massive idiot with impulse control issues.”
Jason blinks, trying to control the vicious blush that has spread throughout his entire body. Never has anyone described Jason so kindly, so admirably.
Before he canrespond, Ladybug continues, “And for the record, I know you’ve never actually hated me either, Jay. The you I know has always been quite vocal about the fact you’ve always liked me.” Ladybug’s expression falters, growing forlorn. “And as for Chat. . . there are special circumstances that I only became aware of later that. . . They don't excuse his actions, but it does explain them. I've gotten over the hurt for the most part, but it does still sting. Really screwed me up for a while because even after everything he and I had been through, the pain and suffering of our people, he still chose his personal gain and happiness over the balance of the world. He was the only one I trusted for most of my life and he stabbed me in the back.”
The heaviness that washes over Ladybug hits Jason too close to home, recalling how betrayed he felt by Bruce when he died the first time. This however seems significantly worse.
“Fuck. I’m so sorry, Bug,” Red Hood mutters, hating the look on her face.
Ladybug shakes her head, a smile pulling at her lips as she meets Jason’s gaze.
“It’s fine. I’ve had years to get over it. Plus, my new partner has helped me learn to trust again. He's pretty amazing – literally everything I could have ever asked for.”
“Oh. Okay then.” Jason frowns, a twinge of disappointment pricking his chest at the affection in her tone for this new person. “Okay, so where do we find him?”
The woman stares at him, amusement playing in her eyes.
“Mon Dieu, it's you Jason! You're my partner!” Ladybug laughs, warm yet oddly sad. “That's why I'm here and tied you to one of our dining chairs. Younger me won't be able to handle the fall out of whatever has happened on her own. She needs her partner, Jay – We need you.”
Jason blinks at the woman, his scepticism getting the better of him.
“. . . Sorry I – I believe you, Bug – but I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around this. I wasn't jokin’ when I said that we don't work together well. All we ever do is argue and last time we tried to team up, Wonder Woman had to step in and physically separate us.”
The French hero frowns at him, irritation and hurt evident in her expression.
“Unless I’ve been hallucinating the last three years of my life, I am absolutely positive that we can, in fact, cooperate, Jay – extremely successfully so, I might add! So stop trying to tell me that we don’t work well together because that is a lie!”
Pain stings Jason’s chest as he looks away. Despite how much he might want it to be true, he can’t help the suspicion that there’s been a mistake somewhere.
“Bug. . . I’m not calling you a liar. I just can’t help but wonder if this is the right timeline or dimension – or there’s something wrong with whatever magic shit you’re working with ‘cause. . . I can’t even imagine a world where you don’t hate me. What you’re saying. . . It's like a dream. I don’t get this lucky.”
Ladybug stares at Jason, her mouth opening and closing helplessly as she struggles to find her words. Eventually, she turns pink in the face and lets out a frustrated shriek.
“ Merde , Jay – How can you – do you – gyah! You are such a stubborn mule !” Ladybug screeches, her frustration growing. “Of course you’re unlucky! You’re my partner, you idiot Cat! You have to be! It’s one of the reasons we work!”
Jason opens his mouth to argue, only Ladybug lets out an aggravated cry.
“Would you seriously just shut up! I’m trying to tell you how much I like you!” She exclaims, appearing somewhat hurt and desperate as she tries to convey her sincerity. “You are my world, Jason Peter Todd! This you! You and my Jason are the same person – this is the same universe! I know my magic and I know you! You are the only reason I was able to deal with the dumpster fire that is my life! You’re the one who took care of me for months while I recovered from this shitshow we’re in, the one who gave up his ties to Batman and the Outlaws to become my partner because I needed you!”
Jason stares at Ladybug in shock, stunned silent, which seems to be all the encouragement Ladybug needs as she continues, her words spilling from her lips so fast that Jason is impressed he’s able to catch anything at all.
“I know that you still have nightmares of your time with the Joker,” she lists, pain evident in her eyes as her voice grows quiet and thick with emotion. “I know how you wake up in sweats, still thinking you’re being tortured. I know about the guilt you feel everyday for attacking Tim and not remembering baby Damian. I know about the hurt that Bruce has left you with for both abandoning you and replacing you so quickly, about your stepmom and your bio-mom. I know about the self doubt you carry with you every day and your distrust in anyone and everyone.”
Ladybug moves to kneel in front of him, her hand reaching up to caress the cheek of his helmet.
“I also know that you're the most compassionate, considerate, caring, and steadfast person in my life. You’ve been through hell and have come out stronger, willing to face your fears every day in order to do what you think is right, even if the world is against you. You are the bravest man I know and I don’t know where I would be without you. . .” Ladybug trails off a moment before continuing, “And more than anything, I know that I love you, you massive, stubborn, horribly dense idiot.”
For the umpteenth time since returning to his apartment, Jason Todd is left baffled, confused, and bewildered. However for the first time – perhaps the first time in his life, in fact – he is overwhelmed with pure elation, tenderness, and wonder.
Jason had given up on love. He wasn't that lucky and whenever he did develop feelings for someone, it always fell flat, usually screwed up by the demons of his past or the complicated life he still leads. That’s one of the biggest reasons he had repressed his feelings for the spotted heroine, that and the fact that he never seemed to get along with her despite his tentative feelings for her.
And now, here this woman is, telling him that somehow, he’d been successful in love with someone as amazing as her, even with her knowing all of his baggage.
“. . . You love me?” Jason breathes, his voice thick and strangled even through the autotune of his helmet. “Knowing all that messed up shit?”
Hearing this, Ladybug relaxes and smiles at him softly, her expression filled with adoration, love, and tender care. Jason has never seen someone look at him that way and it leaves him breathless.
“Of course I do. More than anything,” she whispers, reaching out and placing her hand on his knee. “That’s how I know I have the right Jason and the right universe. I know my own magic, Jay, and I know you because you’re mine , just like I’m yours . This is real.”
Jason stares at the woman in front of him, confusion and warmth lacing him.
“. . . You’re being serious right now?” He tries to confirm as his heart races in his chest.
“As a crowbar,” Ladybug replies with a knowing smirk.
Jason stares at her for a moment, both shocked and amused.
“. . . fuck, we must be together if you’re making that joke.”
Blinking in surprise, Ladybug lets out a disbelieving laugh before levying him with a look of incredulity.
“Really? That’s what convinces you?”
Jason shrugs, still a bit dazed from his sudden onslaught of emotions.
“Sorta. Most people shy away from mentioning that shit around me. The only ones who don’t are the people I’m closest with.”
Ladybug hums her understanding, smiling warmly at him.
“True. Roy’s been leaving crowbars in our apartment every time we forget to invite him anywhere, the needy brat. Last week we found one in the fridge because we went to the zoo without him. You threatened to beat him with it if he didn’t knock it off.”
“. . . We live together?” Jason confirms incredulously, gaping from within his helmet.
“For the last two years, if you don’t count our time living at the Order’s Temple,” Ladybug nods. “We lived there for about a year, but as soon as you were done with your training we moved in together near Gotham’s fashion district. Although if you do count the Temple, we’ve been living together practically our entire relationship.”
“And we’ve been together three years?” Jason asks, computing as he recalls that this Ladybug is supposedly from three and a half years in the future.
“Three years and six months,” Ladybug clarifies, beaming at the anti-hero happily.
Jason blinks.
“But how. . . That would mean that we’re supposed to get together now, but the younger you never –”
“Jay, for the last time, I never hated you,” Ladybug repeats, growing a bit exasperated with his continuous denials. “I’ve liked you since the beginning. I just didn’t have a lot of experience dealing with romantic relationships and you have a propensity for actively trying to ruffle my feathers. I could never get a word out aside from scolding you because you always had me flustered and confused – I couldn’t think straight and didn’t know how to respond half the time.”
Jason considers this, recalling every time Ladybug had turned a vivid red because of something he said. Given what he now knows, he realises it hadn’t been out of anger or frustration like he had assumed.
“Fuck. . . Can you untie me?” Jason finally replies, desire pooling in his stomach. “‘Cause I’d really like to get this helmet off and kiss you now.”
Ladybug simply smirks and shakes her head knowingly.
“Not gonna happen, mon amour. I'm not taking our first kiss from younger me. I will, however, take this off,” she states as she approaches him. To Jason’s shock, the petite woman reaches down with practised fingers and expertly unlocks his helmet, removing it expertly. He didn’t even need to tell her how to unlatch the panel.
Freed from his helmet, Jason stares up at the beautiful woman with wide eyes, his cheeks flushed and heart erratic. He knows he must look a mess – sweaty and dishevelled from his patrol and most likely visibly smitten from the last hour’s revelations. Even so, Ladybug doesn’t seem to mind, smiling down at him warmly with eyes so filled with love that Jason’s mouth runs dry. However the woman doesn’t move to release her yoyo’s hold on Jason.
“Not gonna untie me?” Jason asks, pressing against his confines pointedly, wondering if she’s just forgotten.
However, to his surprise, Ladybug smiles sweetly and shakes her head.
“Now why would I do that when you’re so much easier to transport like this?” She asks loftily as she seemingly pulls out a pair of glasses from thin air and places them on her nose.
Jason frowns, suddenly wary. He’s seen Ladybug use those in the field. The next moment she smirks.
“Tikki, Kaalki – Unify!” Ladybug calls out and in a flash of light, Pegabug is standing in her place.
Jason flinches from the light, scowling at the sudden burst.
“Shit, Bug, how ‘bout a little warning –”
“Voyage!”
Jason stares wide-eyed as a bluish portal appears in front of him, however before he can say anything, Pegabun grips the back of Jason’s chair and begins to drag him through.
“Right, come along, mon cherie!” The heroine quips. “We gotta find the other me before it's too late.”
“Wait – can’t you just untie–”
“Just trust me, Jay!” Ladybug insists. “I’m the lucky one between us, remember?”
Jason blinks at the woman before slumping back in his dining room chair, resigned.
This is certainly the strangest hostage situation he’s ever been in. Although Jason can’t say he’s upset about it. In fact, he’s the happiest he’s been in a long time, and most definitely the most determined – apparently, he has to go save his girlfriend.