"I'm sending you to Paris." Amira heard her father say out of the blue.
"Wha-what?" Amira sputtered out, rising from her seat, cushions tumbled to the floor.
"I'll have all the necessary arrangements done by the end of this month, no, week." Bruce said, searching his desk for some papers.
"Dad, what are-"
"You'll be living with Tom and his wife-"
"What do you-"
"I'll also have to do the necessary paperwork for you to attend a school in Paris-"
"But I don't need to move to be safe. I'm perfectly-" Amira argued, standing in front of his desk, the Batman plushie in her hand.
"If I thought you were safe here, I wouldn't have you-"
"I don't want to-" Amira cut off again, trying to get her feelings across to her father.
"You're going to go to Paris where it's safe. Where no villain nor enemy will find you." Bruce stated, almost glaring at Amira.
"I. Don't. Want. To." Amira gritted, feeling her hand tightly squeeze the plushie in her hand. She just started to do well again. She finally had someone to talk to at school, even if Babs was years older than her.
"This isn't up for discussion Amira." Bruce glared, his eyes narrowed. "You're going to Paris where it's safe, whether you like it or not. Am I clear?"
Amira felt herself shake, hating that she held no power to go against her own father. Amira looked at the Batman in her hand, scowling as she looked at it. Without a second thought, Amira ripped it in half and threw it to the floor. "Why the hell did I ever idolize you?" Amira growled, marching out of the study, ignoring her father's yells for her to come back.
She almost slammed the doors into Dick's face, but even when he asked her what happened, she simply glared at him with unshed tears before picking up her pace.
She shut her room door closed as she walked to her bed, or at least attempted to. Just two steps away from it, she collapsed to the floor, grasping the rug underneath her as she let her tears escape.
She let herself scream into the void that was her room.
——-
Amira looked at the boxes surrounding her and then at the empty room before her, feeling her panic rising as she started at the brightly lit attic.
She couldn't say goodbye to Dick...nor Wally...or Barbara.
Even as she kept locked within her room that week, her mode of communicating with Dick was also cut off.
She was made to leave the manor without a word that Friday morning, to board the jet without a word and be sent off without anything more than a hug from Alfred.
Her father had told her that she would keep doing her class work remotely, seeing as it was the last semester of the school year and there was no point in making her completely withdraw.
But come the next school year, she would be a student at College Francoise Dupont, the school across the street from where she and the Dupain-Chengs would reside.
She knew her father was hurting, but this? This was too much.
She headed up the skylight, thinking fresh air would help to calm her down, but was proved wrong when she saw the blue sky.
How the hell was this supposed to feel like home when it felt nothing like Gotham?
Where were the gray skies? The arcs and cobblestone that hid malicious secrets? Where were the gargoyles that followed her every move? Her home?
Amira went back down, looking at the place she had to call her room. The tall ceiling loomed over her, as if laughing at her.
"How are you doing, Amira?" Tom asked her in French, Amira turning ever so slightly to look at the baker. Right, how did she forget? This was Tom's hometown. Of course he would feel at home here in Paris while she didn't.
"Doing alright?" Sabine asked, holding their daughter in her arms. She really forgot about her too, didn't she?
Amira looked at the couple, letting a smile form on her lips.
"I'm doing alright, Papa, Maman. If anything, just taking in the view." Amira lied through her teeth.
That's right. She couldn't make any trouble for her host parents. While she knew Tom since she was a toddler, she was still figuring out Sabine.
Tom met the woman years ago and married her just two years ago. A year into their marriage, they had Bridgette. Of course, the Dupain-Chengs knew that Amira would once again use their surname while in Paris. It will be a bit confusing, but they knew it would be fine as long as the name was used for school purposes only.
Documents for school were easier to forge than for those for the government, or so Bruce once told them.
"Well, if you need anything," Tom started.
"We will be right downstairs." Sabine finished.
With that, the two went down the stairs, leaving Amira to unpack her things.
So this was her new life.
As she unpacked her things, she found Jason's old journal with a worn out bookmark in her hands. She watched as her tears hit the surface of the journal.
"Jason...just what am I supposed to do?"
——-
Dick couldn't take it anymore, hell, he wanted to do this when he first heard about Amira leaving the country against her will. Of course, he couldn't do anything when Alfred practically threatened him if Dick ever did what he was currently doing.
Barging into Bruce's study, Dick didn't care if Bruce was in the middle of a phone call. Ending the call, Dick made Bruce look at him.
"What the hell made you think sending Amira by herself to Paris was a good idea?" Dick growled, hating that Bruce remained indifferent.
With a sigh, Bruce set down the phone.
"She's not alone. She's with Tom and his wife. They'll take good care of her."
"That isn't the point here Bruce! You've literally sent Amira across the Atlantic, away from all the people she knew as family, just because it would give you a peace of mind?"
"It was necessary."
"It was extreme, even for you!" Dick gritted. "Amira needs us to be by her side, not across an ocean, all by herself!"
"If that's what you came here to talk about, I suggest you leave. I have an important call to-"
"Fine! Be that way! Dick yelled, slamming the door behind as he left the study.
He couldn't believe it. He really couldn't.
Sending Amira to a place she didn't know, a place where she would have trouble with adjusting to all on her own?
How could Bruce do this to her?
Once in his room, Dick huffed, pacing around his room in attempts to calm himself down. As he kept pacing around, he noticed his suitcase peering from under his bed.
That's right. He was 17, almost 18 in a few months.
Who needed Bruce anyways?
——-
Amira needed a break from unpacking, so taking her keys and her phone (that she managed to buy without her father knowing), Amira went off to explore. Of course, she told her 'parents' before going off, thanking that they at least understood her, unlike her own father.
Amira sighed as she looked out towards the Seine, wondering why many tourists believed that this river lived up to its fame, the river making her remember one of her father's stories about her mother.
Her mother and father had come here before, a year before she was born. Talia. That was her mother's name. While Amira hated the fact that she learned her mother's name 12 years too late, she was glad to finally have the name of the woman who brought her into this world.
Even if the world was against her.
The two were just two love birds, even if they only knew each other for a year. In that year, they came to the Seine together and placed a lock on that very bridge, thinking they too would end up together. Seems like the universe had other plans for the two.
Amira kept walking around town, getting a feel for it, remembering landmarks in case she ever got lost and didn't have her phone.
As she passed by a park, she couldn't help but notice the mob of girls looking at something...or rather, someone.
As she approached the mob, she finally saw what they were all desperately trying to get to see.
"Adrien!" A girl shouted, said boy turning to greet them, causing the girls to let out a deathly squeal, causing Amira to cover her ears.
Damn fangirls and their screams. Just when she thought she got used to them, she was always proven wrong. Then again, Dick's fanclub wasn't as rowdy as these girls. They at least respected Dick and his wishes of them not causing trouble for him.
Amira left the mob, wondering why the boy looked so familiar only to look up and see why. His damned face was all over the place.
A model...he was a model...
A decent looking model to be quite honest. But despite being a model, he had nothing compared to-
Amira caught herself mid sentence, wondering why she thought that...
Did she really miss him that much?
Not thinking much of it, she kept walking.
——-
"What do you mean he isn't home?" Bruce asked, looking up from his documents. He watched as Alfred remained unfazed by Bruce's raise in tone.
"Master Dick told me to give you this if you should ever ask about his whereabouts." Alfred handed over an envelope to Bruce. But Bruce simply let it hang, getting up to search for his missing son. "Master Bruce, I suggest you don't-"
"We have patrol tonight and he should have been here by now, prepping for it. He should be-"
"-in Bludhaven by now." Alfred completes, making Bruce stop.
"What?"
"Master Dick wanted to tell you that he was heading to Bludhaven." Alfred said, laying down the envelope Dick had wanted to give to Bruce. "'Crime never rests' he said before leaving with nothing but a small suitcase. Although if you ask me, it seems like he's taken the next step in his life. But what about you, Master Bruce?
Are you ready to take the next step?"
Bruce's mouth formed a thin line, eyeing the envelope on the desk.
"I guess I better get used to doing patrols by myself then."
——-
Amira couldn't believe her eyes. Who the hell would just push an elderly old man as they're crossing the street? Not even Gothamites did that (unless there was some type of crime going around).
"Are you alright sir?" She asked the elderly man, helping him up and handing him his cane.
Yes, she was the daughter of a billionaire, but that didn't stop Grandpere Alfred from making sure she was shaped into a decent human being.
"Thank you, young lady." The elderly man replied, shakily getting up. "I'm terribly sorry for making you-"
"No problem at all sir." Amira told him with a small smile. "If anything, it gave me a slight feel of home." Amira bid the old man goodbye, not realizing the perplexed look on his face.
-
Bruce let out a long sigh as he rubbed his temples, trying to figure out why the universe was against him so much lately.
First, Dick leaves for Bludhaven without a single word. Then he wouldn't pick up his phone whenever Bruce called, although he did at least read the messages Bruce would leave him.
Second, Amira also stopped picking up the phone as well. Whenever Bruce would call the bakery, Amira would pick up before hanging up promptly. Unlike Dick, Amira didn't have a phone, so he couldn't just leave her a message directly for her. He would have to relay it, something he didn't want to do.
And when he thought his week couldn't get any worse, it did.
He was at another charity event, when Killer Croc decided to attack. Stuck between a stone and a wall, Bruce was about to resort to possibly exposing himself when a girl crashed in, wearing a bat logo across her chest.
While she was knocked out the minute she came to the scene, it gave Bruce a decent window to change into Batman.
And here he was, standing in an alley with a girl who's red hair made him think he knew her behind the yellow mask and black cowl.
"What were you thinking?" Batman hissed, looking at the girl in front of him. "What made you think that wearing that outfit would-"
"This was the only way to get your attention." The girl spoke, unfazed by his furrowed brows. "You need a partner and don't say you don't, because your recent fights tend to prove otherwise. The girl cut to the chase, placing her hand on top of her yellow utility belt. "Your attacks are sloppy and you're biting off more than you can chew to make up for Nightwing's sudden change of patrol."
Batman frowned, wondering how much this girl knew about him and his activities.
"It wasn't sudden. He was going to-"
"Because that clearly explains why Nightwing is only seen patrolling Bludhaven as of five days ago." The girl says, waiting for Batman's next excuse. When there was none, the girl continued. "I know why he moved. I know why you're lagging behind. It's what happened to Robin...isn't it?"
The girl knew that it was a touchy subject, she knew and yet she still needed to voice it. She needed Batman to come back to his senses. Gotham needed him to come back.
"Robin-"
"Robin died in your last mission involving Joker. It didn't take long to connect the dots when all of the evidence was there. No Robin sighting in the past month, no Nightwing seen with you for the past two weeks and Nightwing suddenly appearing in Bludhaven this week? Not exactly being the most discreet here, B."
"Listen here-" Batman started, only then realizing who this young woman was. How did he not notice her before? After all, she used to follow her father like a chick would follow its mother. "Barbara." He didn't miss the way she flinched, her eyes growing wide. "Vigilantism isn't a game."
"How-"
"If your father found out-"
"He won't." Barbara declared. "He may be a detective, but he is my father. It shouldn't be too hard to make him-"
"That's not what I'm worried about, although I'm sure he would quickly find out about you doing this." Batman said, starting the Batmobile. "I'm worried about how it will affect your relationship with your father. What would he say when you finally decide to tell him your..." Batman realising he never heard her alias.
"Batgirl." Barbara provided.
"What will he say when you finally tell him your Batgirl? That you're working with Batman, a man he despises?"
"He doesn't really despise you." Barbara said, looking down at her feet. "If anything, he's grateful that you're doing what you're doing: keeping Gotham safe." Batman looked at Barbara with calculating eyes before he stepped into the Batmobile.
"Get in. I'm taking you home."
——-
After dropping Barbara home, Bruce wasn't expecting to find yet another unwanted visitor in the Cave.
"Hey, um..hi." The boy said, Batman wondering why the Drakes' kid was doing in his Cave.
Sure, the two families have never talked to each other, but Bruce made it his business to investigate them thoroughly. "My name's Tim. Tim Drake. I...I know you're Bruce Wayne and I knew who Robin was too, but that's not why I'm here!" Tim quickly added when he noticed Batman approach him with narrowed eyes. "I..I wanted to ask you something else."
"Then speak." Bruce growled, towering over the boy, but Tim didn't back down from his glare.
"Where's Amira, your daughter?"
——-
Amira looked at the picture on her phone, not realizing how much she was squeezing it until her hand started to ache. Scowling, Amira threw her phone against her wall, yelling as she began to thrash her room. Thankfully, half of her things were still in boxes and the Dupain-Chengs were out for the day.
It hasn't even been two months since Amira arrived in Paris, not even one year since Jason's death and yet...and yet! He dared to replace him!
Amira recalled the headline on the Gotham Gazette's latest issue.
FINALLY BACK! : ROBIN'S FIRST APPEARANCE AFTER TWO MONTHS OF SILENCE
As if that wasn't enough, when she scrolled further down the article, she was met with another revelation. Batgirl.
She remembered the years of pleading with her father to let her join him, to let her help keep Gotham safe and each time she asked, her father dismissed her out of hand.
She knew how to operate the Batcomputer, she knew she could have worked perfectly with Jason, she knew how he operated, she knew she was ready...but he always shut her down.
And yet when this girl comes around, he quickly accepts her? Just like that?
This girl who came out of nowhere... This girl who probably knows next to nothing on how he operates? On what it meant to wear the infamous bat emblem on her person?
He lets her join him?
Amira stopped throwing her things, quickly going to pick them up and putting them back into place.
Maybe this is why her father sent her to Paris, using his 'concern for her safety' as an excuse to kick her out of Gotham. To make her leave so he can replace her with someone else. If that was the case...then fine...
Let him keep replacing them.
Let him do what he wants, because guess what?
She too is going to do what she wants, whether he likes it or not.
——-
Months passed by, it finally being September, Amira finally having adapted to her new home. But just as she started to adapt to her new life, another thing was hurdled her way.
College Françoise Dupont.
Her father insisted she attend this school, one of the few reminders that he had control over every aspect of her life.
Sighing, Amira made her way to school. She stared at the stairs that lead to the school, scoffing at the size of it.
To be honest it looked like the size of her old school's library. That or perhaps Amira just forgot how Gotham Academy's library truly was in size.
Knowing that she had no other choice, Amira walked into the school and hunted for her class, looking at her timetable and at the numbers of the doors within the school.
Something she quickly realized was that she was right. This school was small. Too small for her liking.
She managed to find her class, located on the second floor of the building, a bit too close to the stairs if you asked her.
Stepping into her classroom, she was met with several pairs of eyes. Ignoring them, Amira headed to the teacher, remembering everything she had researched before transferring to this school.
Caline Bustier - her main teacher and her teacher for French, literature, and poetry.
From what Amira could remember, Bustier is a supposed passionate teacher, eager to protect and nurture her students, hence why she has had the same class for the past several years. Apparently she begged the principal to let her keep teaching the same class year after year.
While yes, it did show her love for her students, Amira took it as a sign of fear. Fear of not being able to teach another group of students that weren't the ones she had already taught before. Students that she knew how to control, not having to start from scratch to learn about their weaknesses and strengths. She feared failure, perhaps change.
"Hello, Miss Bustier. My name is Marinette-"
"So you're Marinette!" Miss Bustier interrupted, causing Marinette to narrow her eyes and scrunch her nose in annoyance. "I'm so glad to have you in our class! Please take a seat!"
Marinette simply stood there, looking at her class and then at Miss Bustier. "I can sit anywhere?"
"Pardon?" Miss Bustier asked, tilting her head a bit. That's when it hit her. "Oh! That's right! You've recently transferred from-"
"Can I or can I not?" Marinette asked impatiently.
"Y-Yes. You can sit anywhere you want." Miss Bustier stammered, watching Marinette choose the seat in the front towards her left.
Marinette proceeded to take out her notebook and go over her classes, taking mental notes on what supplies to buy and which she didn't.
Everything was going swell, the class slowly filling in until a certain brat entered the class.
"Move aside! Your Queen is coming through." Chloe announces as Sabrina made sure that her path was clear.
Chloe Bourgeois, the daughter of Paris' mayor. Nothing but a spoiled brat from Marinette's research. As long as she steered away from Chloe, she was fine.
With Chloe being the last person to enter, Miss Bustier started the class.
——-
Hell. It was utter hell.
Marinette held the urge to drag her hands down her face at how boring French was.
Despite already being 13 year olds, they were going over material that Marinette knew they covered during Ecole Primaire. Why was Miss Bustier still teaching this material?
With the sound of the bell, her class started to move around when Miss Bustier called out Ivan.
Turning around, Marinette watched as Ivan was about to punch Kim. Within seconds, Marinette put herself between Ivan and Kim, staring at Ivan.
"What is going on?" Marinette asked, hating herself that she still managed to get into anti-bullying mode thanks to being in the role for five straight years.
"It's Kim." Ivan growled, Marinette noticing Kim shift in his place. "I'm going to-"
"Punching him won't do anything." Marinette cut off, noticing that Miss Bustier still hadn't bothered to come up to the two boys to see what was wrong. "If anything, it might prove you guilty rather than innocent."
Marinette watched as Ivan lowered his arm, only then Marinette noticing the paper in his hand. "Kim. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I didn't do anything!" Kim cried out. "Ivan just suddenly wanted to hit me!"
Marinette glared at him as she took the info, gesturing Ivan to hand over the paper in his hand. Hesitantly, he did.
Reading the paper, Marinette knew who started it. Turning to her teacher, she frowned. "Miss Bustier, I'm pretty sure you're familiar with my old school, correct?"
"Yes." Miss Bustier replied. "Gotham Academy, if I remember correctly." Marinette ignored the waves of gasps that rippled through the class.
Was her school that known? Or simply because Gotham was in the name?
"As you know, Gotham Academy is well known for its anti-bullying program, for I was the head student of that program for 5 years straight. So my question is, what haven't you moved?"
"Pardon?"
"I said: why haven't you moved? Instead of rushing here to see what actually happened here or to even dismantle the fight, you decided to just stand there and watch. You called out Kim. While I understand that you were worried about Kim, what about Ivan?"
"Ivan?" Miss Bustier repeated, wondering where exactly Marinette was going with this. "Ivan was going to hit Kim, so of course I was going to worry about Kim! As a teacher-"
"But what about Ivan?" Marinette asked again. How she hated when people didn't answer her questions properly. "What were you planning to tell him? Or rather, what were you thinking when you saw Ivan raise his hand against Kim?"
"I...I was going to send him to the prin-"
"Then you failed him as a teacher." Marinette cut off, walking up to Miss Bustier. "As a teacher, you're supposed to be there for the students, meaning remaining neutral during arguments. As a neutral party, you have to look at both sides of the story." Marinette slammed the crumbled piece of paper against her desk. "You were just about to make the situation worse by sending the victim to the principal rather than the person who started the problem."
Marinette went to grab her bag and stared at Miss Bustier. "If you were a teacher at my old school and someone reported this incident the way it almost happened, you would've had your teaching license halted and sent to several anti bullying workshops. You would then be re-evaluated to see if you can teach again. If not, you would be fired then and there. So word of advice Miss Bustier, don't let the spark turn into a flame when you have the chance to snuff it out."
Marinette left the classroom, heading to her next class. Hopefully she would be able to convince her gym teacher to get her into the fencing club. She needed to blow off some steam.
——-
There went her chance at asking the teacher to join the fencing team.
As soon as Marinette got to persuade the coach to teach her how to fence, a villain appeared, wrecking havoc with her...whatever it was she was using.
Thanks to the attack, the students were sent home early, Marinette now in her room. She frowned as she paced around in her room, hating her situation.
There was a villain. In Paris. Where her father couldn't reach her. The irony.
Marinette let out a dry chuckle, not believing this all.
"Father is across the ocean, there's a villain running loose in the streets and here I am! Missing the opportunity of a lifetime!"
She would have proven herself to her father. That she was up for crime fighting.
But the universe just had to be against her...or so she thought.
As she slumped into her computer chair, she noticed the black box with an ever so familiar red emblem on the top of the hexagon shaped lid.
Something screamed at her to leave it alone while a piece of her whispered to open it.
Prying the box open, Marinette watched as a red orb manifested in front of her, her eyes following it as it morphed into an odd creature. Making sure the creature was what emerged from the box, Marinette looked back down to the box, noticing a pair of earrings.
Ladybug themed earrings...o...kay...
"Hello!" The being spoke, Marinette quickly snapping from her trance. "I know this is all weird to you, but I can explain. My name is Tikki and I am a Kwami. To be more precise, the Kwami of creation."
Kwami of creation...that implies that there are others like this creature out there.
"Tikki...although I want to say that it's a pleasure to meet you, I know there's a reason behind you gracing me with your presence." Tikki nodded, handing Marinette over the earrings.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I need you to take down Remediator."
——-
After Tikki laid down the groundwork on how her miraculous worked, Marinette got to work.
She managed to track down Remediator, surveying her action before deciding on a plan to take down the...akuma?
No, that was the name of the thing that possessed her teacher. Villain would be the better term.
As she watched Remediator 'fix' people's problems, Marinette couldn't help but notice the heart located on Remediator's chest fill up, almost as if it fed off - no.
It did feed off of the problems Remediator supposedly fixed. Now, how exactly was she-
"Get away from them!" someone shouted, Marinette looking to the direction of which the voice came from that was about to attack Remediator.
A blond boy cladded in black -black leather to be more precise- extended his bo staff to try and fling the 'villain' away from her new set of prey.
Sighing, Marinette sprung from her hiding spot and prevented the boy from hitting the 'villain,' earning a glare and a 'hey' from the boy.
"What were you thinking?" Marinette growled, crossing her arms.
"Well hello to you too." The boy said, eyeing Marinette's odd choice of wearing a black slit miniskirt and short black cape over her red skin tight bodysuit. "To think such a bossy-" the boy promptly shut up when Marinette glared at him.
"I'm going to forget what you just said if you answer my previous question. What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking of defeating the villain. Isn't that our job?" The boy asked in response.
"Yes, it's our job to-"
"Then let's go! The people-"
"The people are alright." Marinette spoke, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If anything, the akumatized person isn't really doing much." Marinette filled in, watching the boy tilt his head. How did he not notice the victim actually helping solve people's problem despite being dubbed a villain? "Are you being serious right now?" Marinette dragged her hands over her face. "Are you telling me you haven't been trying to investigate the victim to see if they're truly hurting anyone?"
When she saw the boy slowly shake his head, Marinette let out a heavy sigh.
"What? I see a villain, I quickly head over and fight them off. It's our job after all."
"Our job is to protect the people, but that doesn't mean we have to ruthlessly attack the victim or villain. Since we don't know the full capacity of their powers, we have to proceed cautiously. We also have to make sure they destroy as little property as possible." Marinette warned, the boy arching a brow. Just how much did he not realize? "We don't know if the damage they cause is permanent or not...we don't want innocent people to die, or do we?"
She watched as the boy's eyes widened, only then his role finally sinking in. Marinette watched as the boy looked down at his hands, trembling more as he kept staring at them.
"So what are we supposed to do?" The boy asked Marinette, looking at her with fear in his eyes.
"De-escalate the situation." Marinette said, only then realizing something. "What's your name?"
"Adri-"
"Not your actual name you idiot. We mustn't know each other's identities under any circumstance!" Marinette warned. "So, what's your alias?" The boy hummed before he smiled.
"Chat. Chat Noir. What about you?"
"Ladybird." Ladybird provided quickly, raising a brow when Chat Noir looked at her in...admiration? "What?"
"Not only did you already have your outfit down, but also your name. Have you been Ladybird for a while?"
"Nope. Been Ladybird for a few hours." The two were snapped from their conversation when they heard a scream nearby. "Come on Chat, we have a victim to help."
——-
After an hour of trying to calm the victim down, but coming to no avail (since Ladybird couldn't exactly bring Marinette to her), the duo resorted to fighting the victim, finding her akuma to be trapped in a piece of paper tucked in her skirt pocket.
Ordering Chat to take Miss Bustier back to the school, Ladybird stood below the Eiffel Tower.
"De-evilize." Ladybird said as she captured the akuma, purifying it with her yo-yo and then releasing it. "Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybird shouted as she then threw her yo-yo in the air as Tikki had told her, watching as millions of ladybugs erupted from her tiny yo-yo and spread throughout Paris, fixing any damage and reversing the victim's effects on any person inflicted by the victim's power.
"That was amazing!" A girl shouted from across the police tape, Ladybird turning to see her classmate...or rather her seat 'buddy'. Alya is her name...if Marinette remembered correctly. "Say, can we know the name of the hero who just finished saving Paris?" Alya asked, smiling as she watched Ladybird approach her.
"The name's Ladybird, but I am no hero. I'm just doing what I must to keep Paris safe." With those words, Ladybird ran off, using her yo-yo to lift herself onto a building and disappear into the distance.
-
Stepping into her room, Amira finally let herself relax.
"Tikki, spots off." Amira recited, watching her transformation wear off. Just as she was about to ask Tikki for her end of the deal, a voice spoke up.
"What is the meaning of this?" Amira whipped her head around, her eyes wide before narrowing upon seeing her father.
"What are you doing here?"
"Did you really think I wouldn't find a way to keep knowing of your activities outside of Gotham?" Bruce asked, looking at her monitors at her desk. It was only then that Amira understood what he meant by that.
"You hacked into my devices from across the ocean?" Amira gritted. "Was isolating me not enough for you, so you had to resort towards invading my privacy too?" She didn't get a response.
"When I heard that there was a villain in Paris-" Bruce continued, walking to her small window that was across from where he stood.
"Don't-" a whine. "She wasn't a villain! The true mastermind manipulated her emotions and took advantage of it to turn her-"
"That doesn't matter." Bruce stated. "She was still putting you in danger, whether directly or indirectly. But judging from your entrance and outfit, I'm going to guess that it was directly."
"I was able to defend myself. I was able to defeat her." Amira pointed out, not bringing up that thanks to her suit being magical, all of her injuries were healed once dropping her transformation. She didn't want to give him any more flaws to tear apart. "Some random stranger had more confidence in me being able to take down a villain than you ever-"
"They were lucky that you knew what you were doing. That you had experience in martial arts and weaponry. Or did you forget who trained you?" Bruce reminded, making Amira shrink into herself, because...he had a point.
"But-"
"Not to mention how much of a deadweight your partner was."
"He-"
"He relied on you to keep catching him, to keep directing him. All he did was follow your orders, never once thinking for himself or trying to guess your next step. What good is a partner if all they do is create more work for you?" Bruce asked, watching Amira shut up. "Did you really think this situation-"
"Yes." Amira answered. "And I wasn't wrong. I-"
Amira was cut off by a video appearing on her main monitor's screen. A video addressed to her...or rather Ladybird.
He introduced himself as Hawkmoth, declaring himself as Ladybird's and Chat Noir's enemy. Declaring that he was after their miraculous and wouldn't stop until he had them. Once the video ended, Amira felt her father's shadow loom over her.
"Hand them over."
"What?" Amira squeaked out, making sure to keep looking at her father. She couldn't afford to hand them over. So to prevent that, she had to avoid looking at the box at her desk and try to not shield the earrings she was wearing. "No! I'm not going to hand them over just because you said so!"
"Amira, hand them over. If that man is after these miraculouses, then I need you to hand them over. I won't allow him-"
"I vowed to protect them! To keep them away from the enemy that is Hawkmoth and he will not get his hands on them! Nor will I allow you to have them either." Amira promised, taking a stance. "If you want them from me, you'll have to-" Amira called back her transformation, watching her father stare at her with wide eyes. "You will have to take them from my cold dead body! After all, you don't need me, just like you didn't need Jason! We are so easily replaceable after all."
"Amira, what are you-"
At that moment, her ceiling began to rumble, causing the two of them to go on alert. Soon, someone crashed through her small skylight, cement falling into her room while dust filled in the remaining space.
With the dust making her lose sight of her father, Amira kept her guard up when she quickly turned around to avoid being hit from behind.
"Amira! Where are you?" She heard her father ask, but she didn't respond. Who knew if this was part of his plan. Who knew if this was his way of telling her he would get his way no matter what.
Amira dodged another attack to her side, Amira crouching to avoid it while also sweeping her leg under her opponent, only to find out he was able to fly. Looking up to the person before her, she froze.
He was glowing green, also wearing a domino mask across his face.
"Sorry kid. But we were left with no choice but to take you by force."
"Wha-" Amira's words were cut short when she felt someone else behind her.
The last thing Amira remembered was a beautiful woman giving her an apologetic look as Amira fell to the ground. Had she remained conscious for a while longer, she would've heard her father crying out her name, agony coating his voice.