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“Everyone know the drill,” Ladybug asked tiredly. She looked over at Chat Noir with some envy. He had the ability to lean on his staff. She had to keep herself upright and standing confidently, especially once the recording starts.
“Yes, Bug,” Chat said, green eyes slow blinking at her.
“Ready whenever you are, Ladybug,” Viperion confirmed with a nod. The other members of the Team that could make it—Purple Tigress, Belle, and Ryuko—all showed her a sign of affirmation as well.
“Here we go,” she sighed, setting up her yo-yo to record yet another video to send to the Justice League.
It’d been months—nearly a year—since she and Chat began their stints as the Heroes of Paris. Under-trained and overwhelmed, it didn’t take many battles with akumas before they sent their first video to the League. They hadn’t gotten a response back immediately, well, aside from a general email thanking them for the information and stating that the League would be in touch as soon as they were able. They understood this; there were many cities and towns all across the world who were likely sending for help from the League. She and Chat were able to defeat akumas and return things to normal, so they weren’t all too worried. But once weeks turned into months… That’s when new holders started to appear in the videos. A rotating cast—with the obvious exceptions of LB and Chat—of teenage superheroes, all begging for even just one member to visit Paris for a few days.
The outer edge of the screen inside the yo-yo lit up in red, signaling that the video had started recording.
“Hello, Members of the Justice League,” Ladybug said, her back straight and gaze even. “I am one of the Heroes of Paris, Ladybug. This is my partner and co-team leader, Chat Noir. In today’s video, we are joined by Viperion, Purple Tigress, Honey Belle, and Ryuko.”
Ladybug paused, taking in a deep breath. She knew what she said next was necessary, that it needed to be said since there had been absolutely zero follow-up from the League. That didn’t mean it made it any easier for her to say, though.
Squaring her shoulders, she started again. “This is the last video that we, the Heroes of Paris, will be sending for the foreseeable future. After months of no contact and follow-up from the Justice League, we have decided to stop petitioning you for help. Along with this, we politely say that you are not allowed in our City as Heroes.”
Chat interjected here. “If you are visiting Paris as civilians, by all means, come and enjoy the city.” Purple Tigress nodded with a sharp smile.
“But do not engage in combat if you see a battle begin,” Honey Belle finished. “You have forgone your right to have a say in what happens in our City.”
Ladybug gave Belle an exasperated but fond look, shaking her head slightly, before she continued. “If any breach is made of this condition, we will be forced to take action. Please, for your sake, don’t force us.” Tigress leaned on Belle affectionately for a moment, letting the other girl know silently that she supported her.
“We do not know why you have not responded,” Ryuko said, stepping forward. “But we know enough to take that as a response in and of itself.”
“We hope that there will be no issues between our two teams after this video,” Ladybug finished. “Thank you for your time. Bug out.”
She walked over to the yo-yo and stopped recording. “I’ll look this over tonight when we’re done here,” she said, reattaching her yo-yo to her hip. “It will be sent out by tomorrow at the latest.”
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that they have the nerve to call themselves defenders of our planet when they can’t even give us a text back,” Honey Belle scoffed, flipping one of her low pigtails over her shoulder.
“Well, short of Atlanteans deciding to attack Paris, it doesn’t seem like we’ll have to deal with them at all,” Viperion said, grasping at optimism with both hands.
“There is that,” Chat Noir nodded sagely. He opened his mouth to say something more, but then his stomach growled. His cheeks flush pink, and he looks away from the rest of the group.
“Hungry, Kitty?” Ladybug teased. Ryuko, Tigress, and Belle were laughing quietly in the background. “It’s alright. I am, too. We can head back to mine and eat there. Maman and Papa will have plenty of food, of course.”
“Last one there has to sit in the wobbly chair!” Chat called, immediately launching himself to the next roof. The outraged cries of the rest of the team followed, footsteps heard lightly running across the rooftops. If a regular citizen were to look up at the right moment, they would see five of Paris’ Heroes silhouetted against the full moon.
“Did we make the right decision,” Marinette asked Tikki quietly later that night.
The Team had gone back to the bakery after the recording and ate their weight in breads and pastries. Unfortunately, both Adrien and Kagami were expected to be up early in the morning for a fencing tourney, and quickly went their separate ways after eating and getting to relax a little. The rest of the Team—Luka, Juleka, and Chloé—had crashed in Marinette’s room for an impromptu sleepover. Marinette had waited until her teammates and friends were asleep before discussing her feelings with Tikki—and any other kwami who wanted to be part of the conversation.
“I think that every group of Holders is different,” Tikki started, leaning back against the little pillow Marinette had made for her. “Each new generation of Heroes faces some new obstacle. It’s less a question of did you make the right decision, and more a question of how the Team is going to grow from this experience. You’re a good leader, Marinette,” the tiny goddess said earnestly, “and Adrien balances your leadership style well. As long as the whole of you all continue to work together, I think that it won’t matter in the end if the Justice League helps or not.”
“We’ve seen many things over our long, long lives,” Sass said, his s-sounds being more a hiss than an “s”. “You handle the roles of leader, of Ladybug, of Guardian, and of yourself as a civilian much better now than before when no one but Luka knew who you were.”
“You were nervous about that decision, my Guardian,” Pollen reminded her gently, “of revealing all of your identities to each other. You were scared the Team would fracture with this knowledge. But you have only built stronger bonds, learned how to move with each other in battle and in training.”
“I think that whatever decision is made by you is not made hastily. You put time into thinking about all the different threads that could unravel based upon each option that is available.” Roaar added, blinking wearily before giving Marinette and the other kwamis a small nod and zipping down to Juleka’s side.
“Like Tikki said,” Sass gestured to her, “so long as the whole of you work together towards your goal, things will turn out as they should.”
Marinette nodded, clearly absorbing everything they had told her. “Thank you, guys. I appreciate your thoughts on this.” She looked each of the awake kwamis in the eye as she said that, letting them know how sincere she was. Behind Sass, her eye caught sight of the clock. “And we should all get some rest. It’s late, and today was… It was a lot.”
“Goodnight, my Guardian,” Pollen said. She rejoined Chloe, settling into the crook of her neck.
“Goodnight, Marinette,” Sass gave her a tiny salute, and then disappeared into Luka’s blankets.
“You’re doing a good job, Marinette,” Tikki said, only loud enough for Marinette to hear after she settled down in her bed properly. “Things will be alright.”
“Things will be alright,” Marinette repeated, a certainty in her tone that she didn’t have minutes ago. “I'm not giving up.” She closed her eyes, the sounds of tiny kwami snores and the breathing of her teammates, her friends, filling the night’s silence.