Chapter Text
Marinette was at the Wayne Manor until the quarantine let up in France. Her Maman and Papa suggested it and Marinette was happy to spend more time with her siblings.
This also meant, though, that she was doing her online classes in a house where her siblings also live. Marinette liked to do the online classes in one of the two family living rooms, or the library. Currently she’s in the library and Damian is on a couch ten or so feet behind the desk she’s sitting at, reading a book.
Sadly, her classmates noticed him.
“Hey Marinette, who's that?”
“No one,” Marinette quickly spit out.
The boy made a noise similar to a scoff, “My name is Damian Wayne, you uneducated peasant.”
Marinette hissed, “no it’s not. He’s kidding. I’ll be right back.”
Marinette turned the mute on and pushed herself out of her chair quickly, turning to glare at the boy. The whole class could see both of them glaring at each other and arguing with their words and flailing arms. The class were looking in between them like a tennis match.
Then a black mass, which they identified seconds later as a cat, walked across Marinette’s keyboard, its back foot hitting the mute button.
“-u shut up for once in your life?! For once I’m grateful Rossi is here! She’ll convince them I paid you to say that or something, which is much better than the alternative. Kwami, do you even think before you speak?!”
A few of the previous holders sucked in a breath. Others were trying to figure out what language the word ‘Kwami’ was.
“Why don’t you shut up?! Why do you even care if they know who I am or not?! Are you ashamed of us?! You’re the one being stupid!! If they knew then they wouldn’t bully you anymore! Our family has power!”
“I don’t want that kind of power! You know that! I never have! That's why I live in Paris and not Gotham . I love you guys, I do, but that is not the kind of power I want.”
¾ of the class was in shock at this point.
“Well, it’s stupid! It can protect you!” The boy sounded like he was pouting and growling at the same time.
“I can damn-well protect myself and you know it! I don’t need any of your guys’ so-called protection!” She hissed out.
“What if you can’t one day, huh?! What then?!” The boy screamed back.
“Then I die. And I stay dead. You hear me? Not that Jason would let you guys try anything to do with the pond of glowing rage sewer water,” She muttered that last part, and it wasn’t picked up by the computer, before adding on, “I can kick your ass. I am on the same level as Cass, addition to having the same mentality as Jason and I have the fucking fire swords. I can protect myself, and I won’t hesitate when it comes to an actual dangerous situation.”
(From here it’s quiet enough the mic can’t pick it up. Also, I don’t know how or why Marinette managed to get trained by the All-Caste. Once again, lost the AU.)
“But what if something or someone is better than you?”
“‘Mian, if that’s what happens, it would only be more people dying if one of you were there.”
Marinette sighs with a mix of frustration and resignation, before walking over to the boy, who they could now see was about the same height as her, maybe a bit shorter. Marinette tugged him to her chest and put her chin on top of his head.
“I’ll be fine, Dames, promise. You know I would never willingly leave you guys. Also, I’m sorry for telling you to shut up.”
Damian sniffed, “you did before. How can you make that promise?”
Marinette grimaced sadly, rocking them back and forth slightly.
“It wasn’t my choice. I know how to protect myself and others better now. I’ll be okay.” The next part she said louder (and so was heard by the eavesdroppers,) “And whenever you need me or need to hear my voice, I’m only a call away. Never further than that. I love you, kiddo.”
After a few seconds, the class slowly started coming out of their shock and processing what they just saw and heard.
“Hey, Marinette?” Nino said, “you uh… well. Your cat turned off the mute.”
Marinette stared at the computer for a second before plopping her face in Damian’s hair and groaning loudly.
“I despise your cat sometimes, ‘Mian.”
“You don’t like cats in general.”
Marinette sighed and grumbled, “true.”
After another few seconds of silence, Marinette let go of Damian and walked back to her seat, dropping into it, “What did you guys hear?”
“…you said Kwami.”
“Why would you be living in Gotham? Your parents live in France.”
“What did you mean, Fire Swords??”
“You trip all the time!! You can’t even protect yourself from stairs!”
“The most dangerous thing would be Hawkmoth and even if you are good at fighting, I don’t think that's gonna help you there.”
“What did you mean, our family???”
“Why’d you emphasize staying dead like that?”
“Who's that boy actually?”
The last one made everyone get louder.
Marinette sighed and smiled a clearly fake smile.
“Vamos, hermano.”
Damian walked over. Marinette pushed her seat back a bit and pulled him on top of her lap, ignoring the growling and “let me go”’s.
“Guys, meet my little brother. ‘Mian, meet my class.”
Damian’s brain caught up to all the questions, “…who is Hawkmoth?”
“Fuck,” Marinette said, “okay guys I gotta go so I can bribe my baby brother into not telling… others. More. Yes. Okaybye-“ she hung up.