I hate Lie-la Rossi.
"It is in your arms I feel the safest. I built my home in your heart, the roots of my soul wrapped around your lungs. It is with you I know where I belong." - B.B.
— MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG stared at her soulmate tattoo. It was a drawing of a katana with a drawing of a robin.
Tradition says that your soulmate will have another tattoo, something that relates to you. When they meet you, it is said that the tattoos start glowing a bright gold. Though, it's also tradition to have only one drawing. Marinette wasn't sure what to think of that. Something like 'Of course her soulmate bond would be different. Why was she even surprised?' or what?
She sighed as she listened to Lila spew out her crap to her 'oh-so-sweet friends' quoting Lila of course. Marinette snorted when she heard Lila's newest lie. "Oh you know Damian Wayne is my soulmate? My drawing is of a dollar sign. He even sent me a letter telling me how much he loved me but I don't know where it's gone. I left it over there-" she blabbered, pointing at Marinette's desk. "-I don't know where it's gone."
Marinette could see she was not-so-subtly pinning the blame on her but there was nothing she could do about it. Her gullible followers, Alya, Rose and Mylene glared at her for 'stealing' Lila's absolutely real letter from a celebrity who probably doesn't even know her name.
Really the only people who didn't believe Lila were Nino, Kim, Max, Alix and Chloe. Nino found out when he tried to find proof for his ex-girlfriend's blog as people were saying Lie-la was lying. Kim and Alix found out when she claimed to know some celebrity who died 5 years ago. Chloe already knew, she just didn't give a damn about the class. Though she did apologize to Marinette for her behavior.
She, Alix and Marinette were quickly becoming best friends. They told each other literally everything. Issues, jokes, crushes everything. Speaking of crushes, Marinette's unhealthy crush on Adrien died out quickly when she learned what a coward he was. Really. He was willing to let her take the blame to 'keep the class happy' because they were totally going to be happy when they realized Lie-la had been, indeed, lying.
At any rate, Lila's latest lie was probably because of their class trip to Gotham. Marinette was the one who signed up and won the trip but Lila (of course, when hasn't she ruined something?) took the credit for it saying "Oh you know, I asked Bruce to tour us around because we're such close friends..." Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Marinette jumped when Kim suddenly said "Yo Mari! 10 euros Lie-la's lying about one of the Waynes."
Marinette grinned at him and retorted "I'm not taking such a stupid bet Kim. You and I both know she definitely is."
Chloe gave a haughty sniff as they left the school and said "Of course she is. I cannot believe the sheep believe that...actually scratch that. I can. But I can't believe Sabrina would believe something like that. She knows Damian Wayne is cold." It was no secret Chloe was hurt by Sabrina's abandonment of her.
"And did you even hear what Lie-la said? She was like Me and Damiboo are soulmates. He's such a sweetheart, always buying me gifts." Alix chimed in, doing a remarkable imitation of Lila.
Marinette snorted at that. "Hey guys, do you wanna come to the bakery to pack? We're leaving tomorrow anyway."
Everyone nodded excitedly.
☆☆☆☆☆
The next day, at the airport....
Marinette was so excited to go, she couldn't even keep still. Tikki and Kaalki giggled at her enthusiasm. As Marinette was the Guardian now, she could take whatever miraculous she wanted. She also had the miracle box inside her suitcase, just to be safe.
She was so lost in thought, she nearly jumped out of her skin when Alix saw her and yelled "Hey Mari! Come on, we're about to leave right now!"
Marinette rushed over to her friends and walked with them to the desk while Lila's sheep followed her. Nino joked with her as they walked and said "Wow, Mari's actually on time for once."
She laughed at him and shot back "Oh hush you, I'm perfectly capable of being on time."
Max snorted at that. He said "According to my data you have been late 98% of the time, so-"
He was rudely interrupted by Lila, who was holding pieces of paper. She simpered "Oh Marinette, I'm so sorry for you, but your ticket is completely spoilt. You can't possibly go now!"
Alya sneered at her and said "Good riddance!"
The lady at the counter, seeing her issue, said "That's no problem, we have one extra seat in the first class, your classmate can sit there. It's on the house too. That's no issue right?" she asked Marinette.
Marinette smiled gratefully at her and said "No, of course not!"
She stifled a giggle when she saw Lila's face turning into an...interesting shade of purple.
☆☆☆☆☆
After the plane landed in Gotham, the class went together, to the bus that would take them to their hotel. Thank Kwami Lila didn't try anything else. They were each given their own rooms, and as class representative, Marinette got to have a room on her own.
Lila kicked up a fuss about that. She whined to the hotel manager "But I need a room for myself because I have diseases."
The hotel manager rolled his eyes at her and replied calmly "I'm sorry ma'am but you were supposed to write that in the folder that was given to us. As you didn't Ms Dupain-Cheng will be getting the room."
Lila stomped her foot - actually stomped her foot - and flounced off to her room with her flunkies following her. Alix and Kim burst out laughing at her 3-year-old tantrum as they were walking to their rooms.
When Marinette entered hers, she looked around. It wasn't too small, with plain cream walls and light furniture scattered around. Tikki and Kaalki flew out of her bag as she changed and dropped into bed like a stone.
Jetlag was a pain.
☆☆☆☆☆
Marinette woke up to the sounds of Tikki and Kaalki yelling at her to get up. When she saw the time she shrieked and ran around getting ready as fast as possible. Her class was supposed to leave in 5 minutes!
Once she was ready, she took off like a shot, down the stairs into the hall, Tikki's luck preventing her from tripping down and breaking a bone. She arrived in time only to see the bus taking off without her.
Marinette let out a breath of frustration. She couldn't believe the class just left without her. When she opened her phone for directions to WE, she saw the multitude of texts Alix and Chloe had sent her. Apparently, Lila had convinced Ms Bustier to change the timing and she claimed to have 'informed' Marinette. So, Ms Bustier being the incompetent teacher she is, left without Marinette.
Marinette glared at the screen while she waited for the directions to come up. She blew out a sigh of relief when she saw WE was only a few blocks away.
She ran, following the directions. When she finally reached WE she saw Ms Bustier arguing with a handsome man who was saying "Ma'am, I'm sorry but we cannot start the tour without your last student-"
Alya, ever the polite one, interrupted and said "But Marinette's always late, can't we just start without her?"
Another shorter man, about her age, but equally handsome with dark green eyes said "No we cannot and she's not late. You are early." and he walked off.
Unfortunately, Marinette was running in his direction and crashed into him.
Marinette apologized profusely, while helping the man up. "I'm so, so, so sorry Monsieur, I was running late for my class and I was in a hurry so-"
Her rambling stopped abruptly when she saw her soulmate tattoo (the katana) was glowing gold.
The man - her soulmate! - smiled at her and said "It seems that you are my soulmate. My name is Damian. Damian Wayne."
Marinette smiled at him. A real genuine, bright one - one that hadn't been seen in months. She breathed out "Hi Damian, my name is Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
☆☆☆☆☆
Damian Wayne was not having a good morning.
First Father decided he should 'interact' with people more of his age so he was required to go with Grayson to the WE tour. Really wasn't Kent enough?
Then, he sees the people of the class from France, save for a few, are ridiculously stupid. For god's sake they believe a liar when she says she has 'tinnitus' from saving Jagged Stone's cat!
And then their stupid teacher left a student behind. In Gotham. The most crime-ridden city in the world. Clearly she was not capable of being a teacher.
Grayson was currently arguing with her saying ""Ma'am, I'm sorry but we cannot start the tour without your last student-"
When he was interrupted by the liar's flunky saying "But Marinette's always late, can't we just start without her?"
Damian glared at her. If it was up to him, she and the most of the class with her would be kicked out. He gritted his teeth and replied as politely as he could "No we cannot and she's not late. You are early."
And he walked, Father be damned. He would not tour such an idiotic and manner less class. He had better things to do. As he was about to leave something - no, something - crashed into him and started apologizing profusely in accented English. The voice suddenly stopped and when Damian looked at his drawing of a ladybug and needle he suddenly saw why.
She was his soulmate.
He looked down at the petite girl in front of him and his breath hitched when he saw he beautiful bluebell eyes. Damian smiled at her and introduced himself. He said "It seems that you are my soulmate. My name is Damian. Damian Wayne."
She smiled at him - it was truly beautiful, he would like to draw it sometime - and replied "Hi Damian, my name is Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Damian ignored the class' shouting at the sausage haired girl when they heard that. It seemed that they had figured out she was a liar. Whatever. He held out his arm to his soulmate and asked her "Shall we?"
She smiled at him sweetly and linked her arm with his. "We shall."
BONUS:
Marinette: I still don't understand why there was a drawing of a robin on my arm.
Damian *sheepishly*: Uhh..habibti...I wanted to tell you...I'm actually Robin.
Marinette *obliviously*: Like the vigilante?
Damian *nods*: Yes.
Marinette *smiles at him*: Great! Then I think its a good time to tell you I'm Ladybug! Superhero of Paris and Guardian of the Miraculous!
Damian *suddenly worrying about her*: Have you gotten hurt before? Any wounds? Does anything hurt? Pennyworth! Please bring the first-aid kit!
Marinette *sighs*: Whoops...guess I shouldn't have told you that.