Chapter Text
Marinette woke up a few hours after lunch. She was surprised to see a large TV at the foot of her bed. She didn’t have to wonder long. Orphan immediately noticed she had woken up and said, “Good afternoon, Marinette.”
Marinette waved at Orphan, or Cassandra, as she now knew her. However, she should probably stick to calling her Orphan while she was wearing her vigilante outfit.
Orphan’s greeting alerted everyone else in the room that she was awake, waking up Tikki, who was on Marinette's shoulder, and pulling Spoiler’s attention away from her new laptop and Harley from her book.
“Good afternoon, Pumpkin. Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Cass dropped by to deliver the laptop and other things,” Harley said, pulling Marinette’s attention to the other side of the room.
Harley walked up to the TV stand and opened the laptop. Then, she pulled an overbed table close to Marinette and placed the keyboard and drawing pad on it.
“Press this button to turn on the laptop,” Harley pointed to a key on the keyboard.
Marinette pressed the button, and the laptop and TV turned on. The TV displayed the laptop's screen.
“You can use the drawing pad to use the move cursor,” Harley said, then pointed to an app on the TV’s screen. “This app is a text-to-speech app.”
Marinette grabbed the pen and tapped the drawing pad to open the app.
“Trying typing something,” Harley said.
Marinette typed, “Good afternoon.”
“Now you can press this play button at the top here or press this button on the keyboard to submit it,” Harley pointed to each button.
Marinette pressed the button on the keyboard. She was shocked when her own voice came from the TV speakers. The voice was slightly robotic but still closely matched hers.
Her shocked expression got a giggle out of everyone in the room, including Tikki, who was sitting on Harley’s shoulder.
“Bruce records everything when he’s doing his nighttime activities. That includes the rooftop conversation and the call to set it up. Sorry, he’s paranoid that way, but it did give us enough voice samples to have an AI learn your voice and replicate it. At least as far as your English is concerned. Your French might sound a bit rough,” Harley explained.
“How do I change the language?” Marinette asked.
“There is a little drop-down menu up here,” Harley pointed to a spot in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Marinette changed the language to French and typed, “comment est mon français.”
The AI’s French voice did sound a lot like hers, though it was much stiffer and more robotic.
Marinette switched it back to English and typed, “It’s not too bad. However, it’s a bit weird to hear my own voice, even when it sounds a bit robotic.”
“You can turn it off or change it if you want,” Harley said, pointing to another drop-down list. “Though the only other voice in the program currently is a generic robot voice.”
“I think I’ll leave it as is for now,” Marinette replied.
“Okay,” Harley said, “can you minimize the window for a second?”
Marinette did as she was asked.
“This is your internet browser, and this is a messenger. You can contact any of us at any time using it. You can also do video calls with it. The laptop has a camera built-in. We have also already included your parents’ contact information in the messenger, so I recommend messaging or calling them soon. You don’t have to do it right now, but you shouldn’t wait too long,” Harley explained, “And I think that’s it. Any questions?”
“No, I think I got it,” Marinette replied.
“Alright, we’ll leave you alone for now. Let us know if you need privacy, and we’ll step outside. We won’t go far; we’ll just be outside the door. We’re here to protect you just as much as we are to keep you company,” Harley said.
“Thanks, but does that mean you haven’t captured Joker yet?” Marinette asked.
Everyone’s faces fell slightly, and Harley said, “No. Not yet. He went underground after he attacked you, and we haven’t been able to find where he’s hiding.”
“But we won’t rest until we do,” Orphan said.
“And when we do, we’ll kick all his teeth down his throat for you,” Spoiler said, punching her palm.
“Until then, you’ll have me and at least two other members of the Bat Family in this room with you to make sure Joker can’t ever hurt you again, okay?” Harley added.
“Okay, and thank you,” Marinette replied.
“No thanks necessary. It’s what we do,” Harley smiled.
“I think I’ll call my parents now. Can you move the laptop closer? I don’t want my parents to see all the medical equipment in the frame,” Marinette asked.
“Sure, but you do realize you have bandages around your neck and a shoulder brace, right? You might be able to hide your hand, chest tube, and stomach, but I don’t think you can hide those,” Harley answered.
“I know, but I’m hoping the less they see, the less worried they would be,” Marinette replied.
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, but we can still try it,” Harley said.
After a couple of minutes, Marinette's laptop, keyboard, and drawing pad were arranged comfortably on and around her lap.
“Want us to give you some privacy?” Harley asked.
“No, it’s okay. You guys can stay,” Marinette answered.
She opened the messenger app and started a video call with her parents.
While the video call rang and was waiting to be accepted by Marinette’s parents, Spoiler realized Tikki was still sitting on Marinette’s shoulder.
“Wait, Tikki, you’re in view of the camera,” Spoiler said.
“It’s fine, Kwamis don’t appear in cameras,” Tikki replied.
“Oh,” Spoiler replied.
She and the other members of the Bat Family made a mental note of that fact.
A couple of seconds later, the call was accepted. A tired-looking Tom and Sabine appeared on the TV. They looked to be in the Dupain-Cheng’s living room, sitting on the couch.
Marinette couldn’t help feeling guilty about her parents’ tired expressions. She doubted they managed to get much sleep because they were worried about her.
However, their tired expressions vanished when they saw their daughter. In the span of an instant, their expressions went from tired to alert and happy to worried.
“Marinette!” Her parents exclaimed.
“Bǎobèi, are you okay?” Sabine continued in French, minus the first word.
Marinette gave her best reassuring smile and typed into the text-to-speech app, “Je vais bien. Désolé de t'inquiéter.”
Her parents were surprised when they heard their daughter’s voice. Dick had told them that her vocal cords had been damaged and could see the bandages around her throat, so they expected her to be unable to talk or at least have a weak voice. They were so shocked by Marinette’s “voice” that they didn’t notice her pronunciation was off.
However, Marinette noticed and quickly changed the app’s language from English to French. She typed in French, “Sorry, I’m using a text-to-speech app, and the language was set to English, not French.”
Her stiffer and more robotic French pronunciations seemed to snap her parents out of their shock.
“A text-to-speech app?” Tom asked.
Marinette shared her screen with her parents and typed, “Yeah, I type out what I want to say here, and then the program will use an AI-generated voice to say it.”
“Oh, well, I’m surprised it sounds so much like your own voice,” Sabine said.
“Yeah, apparently, they had some voice recordings from phone calls between M. Wayne and me and used them to help the AI sound like me. Its English pronunciation is much better than its French,” Marinette replied.
“I think the French sounds pretty good,” Tom complimented.
Marinette barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at her father’s compliment. She knew he was trying to be kind and upbeat for her, but she knew the AI’s French pronunciation was barely passible.
“Anyways, how are you doing, honey? M. Grayson told us a bit about your injuries, but he didn’t go into much detail,” Sabine said.
“I’m doing okay. They are giving me painkillers, so I’m pretty comfortable,” Marinette replied.
“I’m glad to hear you're doing well, but when do you think you’ll be coming back home?” Sabine asked, “We want to come to see you, but M. Grayson says it is too dangerous since Joker hasn’t been caught yet.”
“I agree with M. Grayson that it’s too dangerous to come to Gotham until Joker is caught,” Marinette replied. “I don’t know when I’ll get out of the hospital and be able to fly back home.”
“You should be out of the hospital in about five days, but it will be about two weeks before you can safely fly back home,” Harley said in French.
Marinette was a bit surprised that Harley spoke in French. She hadn’t realized that she could speak French or understand it. Granted, she never attempted to speak to her in French or anything, and Damian and Dick also both spoke the language. Dick spoke multiple languages. So, Marinette guessed that it wasn’t that surprising. She wondered if all the members of the Bat Family spoke French and if they knew other languages as well.
She didn’t get to wonder for long as her mother pulled her attention back to the conversation by asking, “Marinette, who is that?”
Marinette glanced over at Harley, and gestured for her to come over, figuring it would be quicker and easier for Harley to introduce herself instead of typing it out.
The blonde doctor moved from her lounge chair to Marinette’s bed. She leaned into the laptop’s camera view, careful of the injured girl’s limbs and the various wires and cables of the machines connected to her.
“Hello, Mme. Cheng and M. Dupain. I’m Dr. Harley Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s wife, and before you ask, no, I’m not your daughter’s doctor. I’m a psychiatrist, but when you’re a doctor in Gotham, no matter what kind you are, you get familiar with trauma. Which is why I was able to answer your question about when Marinette can come home,” Harley greeted in French.
“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Wayne. Dick mentioned you. He also gave us your number, but we never got around to calling you,” Sabine said.
“Just Harley is fine. I don’t practice medicine much anymore, and Mrs. Wayne is a bit too formal.”
“Alright, then call me Sabine in return,” Sabine replied.
“And Tom as well,” Tom added.
Harley smiled and nodded.
“So, be honest with us, Harley. How is our daughter actually doing?” Sabine asked.
“HEY!” Marinette typed quickly, and the AI voice exclaimed. She then typed at a slightly slower rate, “I told you I’m doing fine.”
“Yes, we know dear, but you may be putting on an act,” Sabine retorted.
Marinette looked offended and started to type something. She stopped when Harley giggled and ruffled her hair.
“That is something you would do, pumpkin,” Harley said, then turned to Marinette’s parents. “But your daughter is tell… er, isn’t lying. All things considered, she is doing well, and her wounds seem to be healing as expected.”
“That’s good to hear,” Sabine sighed in relief.
“How are you guys doing? Did either of you get akumatized? Is the bakery doing okay? The press isn’t bothering you too much, are they?” Marinette asked.
“The bakery is doing just fine, so are we, dear. Neither of us got akumatized,” Tom replied, “We were just worried about you. The press barely bothered us at all.”
Marinette knew her father was lying but decided not to call him out on it. He was just trying not to stress her more than she already was. She would have done the same thing if she were in his shoes. So, she smiled and replied, “I’m glad you guys are doing well.”
“Oh, M. Grayson is here in Paris investigating those lies that dreadful article said about you. I’m not sure how long he will be here, but he thought he would be back in Gotham before you came home. He asked if there was anything we thought you might like from home to take back to Gotham while you recover in there,” Tom said.
“I can’t really think of anything. I already have my laptop and phone with me, and I can’t really draw or sew at the moment. So, I don’t need any of that. I should be able to get laundry done here, so I can just wear what I already packed. So, I don’t think I need anything from home. Maybe you can give Dick some macaroons to share with his family.” Marinette replied.
“Oh, we would love to try the goods from your bakery. Dick told us that it is the best bakery in Paris,” Harley replied.
“That’s true. We are the best bakery in Paris,” Tom said proudly.
“Then please give some treats to Dick to bring back to us,” Harley said.
“Of course,” Sabine said, “and Marinette, if you think of anything you might need later, don’t hesitate to tell us, and we’ll make sure to give it to M. Grayson.”
“I will,” Marinette replied.
Tom loudly yawned.
“Excuse me.”
“I guess that’s our cue to let you go,” Sabine said.
“It is a little late over there in Paris, isn’t it?” Marinette replied.
“Yes, it’s a little after ten here,” her mother replied.
“That’s not that late,” Marinette retorted.
“Maybe for you, young lady, but a good night's sleep is important if you don’t want to look thirty by the time you're twenty. So, while we get some rest, I suggest you do the same,” Sabine said.
Marinette rolled her eyes.
“Okay, Maman.”
“I mean it. Get some rest,” Sabine said in a sterner tone.
“I will.”
Her mother seemed satisfied with her response and said, “Alright dear, we’ll let you go. Good night. Love you.”
“Love you too, Maman, Papa.”
“Love you, sweetheart. Make sure to get plenty of rest,” Tom said.
“I will.”
“Harley, look out for our daughter for us,” Sabine said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect her like she is my own,” Harley replied.
Marinette’s parents told their daughter they loved her one last time before ending the video call.
“That went well,” Harley said in English as she took the laptop from Marinette’s lap and put it back on the TV stand desk.
“Did you expect it to go badly?” Marinette asked after changing the AI voice to English.
“I think you’re forgetting who my ex is,” Harley said cautiously.
Marinette’s and Tikki’s eyes widened in realization.
“Yeah, I was a little worried they might recognize me and know about my time as a rogue. I’m not sure how they would react to the ex of the man who attacked you being around you so much,” Harley continued.
“For the record, I don’t have a problem with you being Joker’s ex, and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t either,” Marinette said.
“I wouldn’t have asked you to fill in for Marinette as Ladybug if I didn’t trust you,” Tikki added.
“Yeah, come on, Harles. You are nothing like you used to be,” the Spoiler said, “Well, not in any of the negative ways.”
“You’re awesome,” Orphan added.
“Aw, thanks, girls. I really appreciate it,” Harley smiled.
She reached out and fixed Marinette’s slightly messy hair before returning to her lounge chair. When she sat down, her foot accidentally hit Tim’s bag, which he had left behind.
“Oh, right, I almost forgot. We have your personal phone.”
Harley pulled out Marinette’s personal phone. Tikki flew over to her and took the phone from her.
“Thank you,” Tikki said.
She delivered the phone to her wielder, placing it on the overbed table.
“We also have your school phone, but that number got leaked and… yeah. I’m sure you can imagine what happened after that. We figured you didn’t want to deal with it right now, so we left it back at the manor. If you need it, let us know, and we’ll get it for you,” Spoiler said.
“I’ll probably need to do school things later, but you’re right. I'd rather not deal with it now,” Marinette replied.
“I wouldn’t worry about school too much anyways,” Spoiler replied.
“Why?”
“Dick has found evidence that your principal was embezzling money from the school. He also has enough evidence to bury Lila Rossi, and when it comes out to what she did to you, I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire school staff gets investigated for neglect or something. You might not have a school to return to in two weeks,” Spoiler answered.
Marinette stared at Spoiler in disbelief.
“I think she is exaggerating a bit about not having a school to return to, but there will definitely be a disruption in the school. I wouldn’t worry too much about any schoolwork you miss. We can also tutor you or hire a tutor while you recover so you won’t fall behind. Not that that’s something for you to worry about according to your grades,” Harley said.
“That’s a relief. Though, I still have commissions to worry about,” Marinette typed.
She raised her right hand to look at it. Each finger was strapped down to a stiff board, immobilizing them, and a thin gauze pad covered the top of her hand and up to her middle knuckles. However, around the edges of the gauze pad, she could see her black and blue skin underneath. Worst yet, she still couldn’t feel her right hand past the wrist.
“But I’m not sure when I’ll be able to work on those again,” she added.
A deafening silence filled the room.
Everyone knew what Marinette implied was a genuine concern and possibility. They knew that she was right-hand dominant, and impaired motor function in her hand would make it incredibly difficult for her to create her art. It is a devastating and frustrating place for an artist to be in.
However, Orphan was the first to break the silence.
“We will help you with your commissions while your hand heals. Well, to be honest, it’ll mostly be Alfred since he’s the only one who can sew well enough to meet your standards, and with a little convincing, Damian would be willing to do some design sketches.”
“You guys don’t need to do that. The Kwamis are willing to help me with my commissions when I need it,” Marinette replied.
“Marinette, we can only help you with the small things, but a dress is too much for us. Do you remember the last time we tried using a sewing machine?” Tikki retorted.
Marinette winced. The last time the Kwamis had tried using a sewing machine was a disaster. The length of their stitches was all over the place, and they somehow seemed to jam the machine every few minutes. She spent more time fixing the Kwamis’ mistakes than it would have taken actually to make the dress. They did better with a sewing machine that could be set to a sewing speed, but they still had trouble not wrinkling the materials she used for her commissions.
“Oh, I know that wince. That’s the same wince Alfred had before banning us from the kitchen,” Spoiler said.
“You mean he banned you two from the kitchen? I’m still allowed to use it,” Harley clarified smugly.
Spoiler blew a raspberry at her.
“Still, you’re already doing so much for me, helping me figure out who Shadow Moth is and paying for my medical expenses. I would hate to impose on you even more,” Marinette replied.
“Don’t worry about it. Helping people is what we do. Also, you were supposed to be under our protection while on your field trip. Joker hurting you is a failure on our part. Paying for your medical expenses is the least we can do,” Harley replied.
“Plus, Bruce is Scrooge McDuck levels of wealthy, so your medical bills are nothing to him,” Spoiler added.
“Scrooge McDuck?” Marinette raised an eyebrow.
“A cartoon duck character that is comically wealthy,” Orphan answered.
“Anyways, even if you are really that worried about imposing on us, we could find someone to assemble your commissions for you. Don’t many famous designers have a team of people to create the outfits they design instead of making it themselves?” Harley said.
“That’s true, but I don’t know if I can do that without my secret identity getting out,” Marinette replied.
“What does you being Ladybug have to do with your design commissions?” Spoiler asked.
Marinette and Tikki raised an eyebrow.
“Nothing. I’m talking about my CDM identity,” Marinette replied.
“YOU’RE CDM!?” Spoiler exclaimed.
Harley and Orphan both shushed her.
“Sorry,” Spoiler whispered before turning to a normal volume. “Marinette, you’re CDM?”
“Yes,” Marinette replied.
She didn’t see much point in keeping her identity as CDM a secret since they already knew she was Ladybug, and she knew they were the Bat Family.
“Oh my god, I love your work. I’ve been trying to get a commission from you for months, but your commission slots fill up before I can get one.” Spoiler said.
“I’m glad you like my work, and I'm sorry about the commission slots always being filled up. Having to fight a magic supervillain and do school at the same time kind of limits the amount of time I have to dedicate to the commissions,” Marinette replied.
“Oh yeah, I totally get it. College alone was rough while being a vigilante. I can hardly imagine what it would be like trying to start a business on top of that,” Spoiler said.
“Having an awful sleep schedule and no social life helps,” Marinette replied.
“You must have been able to hide it extremely well if we weren’t able to find out about it until now,” Spoiler said.
“I found out about it,” said a voice from the TV, catching everyone by surprise.
A second later, Oracle’s icon appeared on the TV.
“Hello, Marinette, I’m Oracle. We haven’t met yet. You’re going to have to excuse me for not telling you my real name at the moment, but we try to keep a ‘no real names over the Bat Comms’ policy. So, I’ll let one of the lovely ladies in your room tell you my name. I’m the Bat Family’s woman in the chair. I handle everything from communication to hacking to intel gathering.”
“That’s Barbara, but almost everyone calls her Babs,” Harley said.
“Which you can, too,” Oracle added.
“And what do you mean you found about Marinette being CDM?” Spoiler asked.
“When she gave Singal her number, it didn’t match the number she gave for the contest and wasn’t tied to her name. However, the number was linked to a company called CDM EURL. It is owned by Penny Rolling, Jagged Stone’s manager slash wife, but it only has one employee—a designer. Whenever they paid the designer, the same amount would appear in Marinette’s bank account a day or two later. Not hard to put two and two together after that,” Oracle answered.
“So, you only discovered that she was CDM because she gave us her CDM number,” Spoiler retorted.
“How did you access my bank account?” Marinette asked.
“First of all, I would have figured it out when I checked her bank account. I just discovered it faster because she gave us her CDM number. Secondly, I hacked your bank, Marinette,” Oracle replied.
“Doesn’t matter, you still only figured it out because she gave us her number,” Spoiler replied.
“Ah, should I get a new bank?” Marinette asked.
“Whatever. You’re just mad that I didn’t tell you she was CDM,” Oracle retorted, “And you don’t need to get a new bank, Marinette. I can hack into anything, and your bank was secure enough that I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Well, why didn’t you tell me she was CDM?” Spoiler asked.
“Since I didn’t think it was relevant to our investigation at the time, I didn’t mention it. I figured Marinette would appreciate not having her other secret identity revealed for no reason,” Oracle replied.
“Which I do,” Marinette added.
“Fine, I guess you have a point,” Spoiler conceded.
“Who else knows I’m CDM?” Marinette asked.
“Just Nightwing and Signal,” Oracle replied.
Marinette considered asking who Signal was but figured she would find out later when she meets his public self.
“So, Ti- I mean Red Robin doesn’t know she is CDM?” Spoiler asked, sounding excited.
“That’s right,” Oracle said, a smirk evident in her voice.
“I can’t believe I know who CDM is, and he doesn’t,” Spoiler squealed.
Marinette glanced at Orphan and Harley, looking for an explanation.
“Tim’s also a massive fan of yours and has been wanting to commission you as well,” Harley said.
“That’s right. Which means we can surprise him with it later,” Spoiler said. “Assume you're okay with him finding out.”
“At this point, I don’t really see the point in keeping my identity as CDM a secret from you all,” Marinette replied.
“Great. I can’t wait to see his face when he gets a CDM article and finds out you’re her,” Spoiler said.
“I would be happy to make something for him and the rest of you,” Marinette replied, “Though it may take until I get around to making them.”
“That’s alright; focus on your recovery first so you can keep designing your amazing outfit,” Spoiler replied.
“Will do.”
“Well, it was nice talking to you, Marinette, but I need to get back to work. I hope to talk to you in person soon,” Oracle said.
“Nice talking to you, too,” Marinette replied.
“Remember to take breaks,” Harley quickly chimed in.
“Yes, Mom,” Oracle sarcastically replied before her icon disappeared from the TV.
A couple of seconds later, a message appeared on the TV screen.
P.S. Might want to check your phone, Marinette. There are a lot of messages. – O
The message vanished after a few seconds, and Marinette checked her phone.
Oracle was right about there being a lot of messages. Most of the messages were from Zoé’s phone number and seemed to be a mix of the blonde siblings using the same phone. Their messages started mundane, simply asking how she was doing, and escalated to threats of stealing their mother’s car to drive to Gotham to check on her. She had a few messages from Jagged and Penny checking in on her and asking her to call them when she had the chance. Penny also mentioned she would be helping WE legal team with the lawsuit. Luke had sent her messages seeing if she was okay after the news report and mentioning Dick stopped by to interview him. He also asked about what was going on at her school. Kagami even sent her a message asking how she was and wishing her the best in case she was unable to respond to her quickly due to her mother. She also had a message from a client confirming the approval of a design.
However, Marinette noticed that almost all the messages asking about her condition were sent before the Joker attacked her. Zoé and Chloé were the only ones to ask how she was after the attack, but they didn’t mention it.
“Is Joker attacking me a secret?” Marinette typed into the text-to-speech app.
“Right, I guess we forgot to tell you,” Harley answered. “It’s sort of a secret. We told your parents because they are your parents. Obviously, they should know about that sort of thing. But we keep it out of the media so as not to stir up the media storm even more. However, the media is likely to find out about it in the next day or two. So, it’s secret, but it’s on the verge of getting out.”
“So, is it okay if I tell my friends about it then?” Marinette asked.
“Yeah, if you think they can keep it a secret for a couple of days,” Harley replied.
Marinette gave a thumbs up.
She began replying to the messages, starting with the client. She told them she had a personal emergency and couldn’t create the outfit by hand. She then asked if it was okay if she passed the designs off to a fabrication studio to actually create the outfit. She also made sure to tell them they wouldn’t be charged extra for this and even offered to give them a discount on their commission.
She then moved on to Kagami, Luka, Penny, and Jagged, keeping her replies short. She told them she was okay, got attacked by Joker, and was injured but recovering. She told Luka she’d tell him more about what was going on with school when she returned to Paris. She also told Penny and Jagged that her injuries would prevent her from finishing their commission in time. She gave them the same offer she gave her other client, giving her design to a fabrication studio to craft.
Marinette sent a similar short reply to Zoé and Chloé, but unlike the others, her phone buzzed with a call a second after she sent the message. She almost accepted the call before remembering she couldn’t talk, so she declined it. She started to type a message, telling them she couldn’t talk at the moment. Her phone buzzed again before she could finish it, somehow seeming angry. She declined the call and finished her text.
Marinette received a text back a few seconds later.
What do you mean Joker attacked you? What happened? We didn’t hear about it on the news. – Z
Elaborate on what you mean by okay – C
Marinette wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be touched that Chloé cared about her or offended by her implication.
Joker showed up at the hotel and attacked me. Wayne Enterprises wanted to keep out of the media for now, hoping they would calm down some. However, they did say the media will likely report on it in a couple of days. But seriously, I’m fine. She replied
Okay, but do your parents know about the attack at least? – Z
Also,“I’m fine” doesn’t elaborate on what you mean by okay, and if you were fine, why didn’t you reply to any of our texts or calls – C
Yes, my parents know about it. They are my parents, and I didn’t reply because I didn’t have my phone on me.
And why didn’t you have your phone? – C
Marinette considered how to reply. She knew her being in the hospital would likely be revealed when the media reported on her attack. However, she wasn’t sure about how detailed her injuries would be reported. She didn’t want to worry her friends, but if she lied about the severity of her injuries and they found out about it, they would give her hell for it.
“Do you know if the media will mention I’m in the hospital?” Marinette typed into her text-to-speech app.
“Why?” Harley raised an eyebrow.
“I’m messaging Zoé and Chloé, and they’re asking why I didn’t answer my phone the past couple of days. I’m trying to decide what to tell them.”
“Chloé? Is that the girl whose jaw you broke?” Spoiler asked.
“Yes,” Marinette blushed, “and Zoé is her sister.”
“Well, the news will likely say you were attacked and went to the hospital with severe injuries. They shouldn’t report any specifics about your injuries, and the hospital staff know how to keep their mouth shut. So, while the media may learn the specifics, it’s unlikely,” Harley replied.
“What are you going to tell them, Marinette? You know they’ll find out everything sooner or later,” Tikki replied.
Marinette sighed through her nose.
“You’re right.”
I didn’t have my phone because I’m in the hospital. I won’t go into all the details because things are still fuzzy and hard for me to talk about. I won’t lie and say my injuries aren’t severe. They are pretty bad, but I’m stable and on the road to recovery. So, I’m okay. She sent the blonde sisters.
She didn’t have to wait long for a reply. Her phone vibrated with a phone call from Zoé. She declined the call and sent them a text.
I can’t talk right now, and I mean that literally. My vocal cords got damaged, so I can’t talk right now.
Her phone buzzed with a phone call from Zoé. She declined, wondering why they kept trying to call her when they now knew she couldn’t physically couldn’t talk.
She wasn’t wondering long as her phone buzzed with a text almost immediately.
DUPAIN-CHENG ANSWER THE CALL SO I CAN YELL AT YOU
Even though there was no letter to denote which sister sent the text, she knew who it was, and for some reason, it brought a small smile to her face that Chloé wanted to yell at her. She replied with.
I’m still in the hospital and don’t think the staff would appreciate hearing you yell at me.
There was a longer delay than usual before Marinette got a reply.
Sorry about that. Chloé snatched the phone out of my hand. I had to wrestle it away from her. How badly are your vocal cords hurt? Will you be able to talk soon? – Z
Marinette couldn’t help but wince at the question of her ability to speak soon.
“Everything okay?” Harley asked, seeing her wince.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I don’t know. It’s kind of a wait-and-see sort of thing. Marinette replied to Zoé.
Oh... Well, do you know if Chloé and I would be able to visit you while you’re in Gotham? It’s been forever since we last saw each other. – Z
“Hey, Harley, would it be possible for Zoé and Chloé to visit me while I’m here?” Marinette typed in her text-to-speech app, “In Gotham, I mean. Not necessarily the hospital.”
“It’ll have to wait until we catch Joker, but they can come visit you. They live in Metropolis, right?” Harley replied.
“Yeah.”
“Then how about we plan for next Friday? You should be out of the hospital, and Joker should be caught by then. After school that day, they can drive over and spend a night or two and drive back on Saturday or Sunday,” Harley said.
“Are you sure that’s okay? Don’t you need to talk to M. Wayne about it? And what about your other nightly activities?” Marinette asked.
“Yes, but I’m sure B will be fine with it. As for the other nightly activities, only Cass, Damian, and Tim are living at the manor at the moment. We’ll just make sure the entrance to the cave is closed and have the others cover the shift for those nights,” Harley replied.
“I’m already covering next Friday night for Tim,” Spoiler said.
“See? It’ll be fine,” Harley gestured to Spoiler.
“Alright, I’ll tell them next Friday,” Marinette said before sending a message to the blonde sisters.
Sorry for the wait. Yes, you can come to visit me next Friday. I should be out of the hospital by then and will be staying at the Wayne Manor while I heal enough to be able to fly back to Paris. Mme. Wayne said it was okay if you drive over after school and spent a night or two, then drive back on Saturday or Sunday. She still needs to make sure M. Wayne is okay with it, but she’s confident he’ll agree. Does that work for you?
Yeah, I think that should work for us. And are you really going to be staying at the Wayne manor? – Z
Yeah, I think it’s so they can make sure I’m safe while I recover since the hotel didn’t exactly… work out. Marinette replied.
I guess you’re right. How long are you going to be staying there? It seems like a while if you are going to be there until next Friday, and we are allowed to come over and stay the night. – Z
I don’t know. I was told I should be out of the hospital in 5 days and about 2 weeks before I can fly back to Paris. Marinette replied.
Wow, is that 5 days a part of the 2 weeks or in addition to? – Z
I think it is a part of it. Marinette replied.
That’s not too bad then. You will only miss 2 weeks of school rather than 3. – Z
Well, I might be a bit longer than that. M. Wayne sent someone to investigate the “bullying” going on at Dupont, and apparently, they found that M. Damocles had been embezzling money from the school. Marinette messaged back.
No way! – Z
I could have told you that – C
You knew about the embezzling, Chloé? Marinette asked.
Considering I know how much money my father was giving the school, and how few of the improvements that were supposed to happen to the school actually got done. Yeah, it’s pretty obvious he was embezzling money. – C
Though some of that money may have been given to the school to buy off Damocles, specifically. – C
When she thought about it, Marinette had to admit that Chloé was right. It was pretty obvious that M. Damocles was stealing money from the school. Her locker hadn’t had a proper lock on it in a while, and she knew hers wasn’t the one. She tried to convince him to replace the locks on the lockers, even using the time he expelled her for “stealing” Lila’s necklace as a reason, but it was in vain. He said the locks were fine, and there wasn’t room in the budget to replace them if they didn’t need replacing. Not to mention, it was almost impossible to get a budget increase for any of the clubs, new lab equipment, or art supplies.
Why didn’t you say anything? Marinette asked.
I had no reason to tell anyone anything, and then after I moved to America, I forgot about it. – C
You’re ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Marinette replied.
Don’t you dare use my own catchphrase against me, Dupain-Cheng. I’ll smack you regardless of your injuries. – C
Marinette couldn’t help but chuckle at Chloé’s reply. Which she instantly regretted as a sharp pain burst from her injured throat.
“Marinette, you okay?” Tikki asked, getting the attention of everyone else.
“Fine,” Marinette typed into the text-to-speech app and waved off everyone’s concern.
LOL, but try not to make me laugh right now. It hurts when I do. Marinette texted the sisters.
Sorry – Z
You deserve it – C
Just to let you know, I just smacked Chloé and told her to be nice for you. – Z
Thanks, Zo. I owe you one. Marinette replied.
np – Z
Anyways, how are you two doing? I remember the article mentioning both of you by name. Marinette asked.
We’re fine. Not our first rodeo with the news, and they’ve learned not to mess with our mother or us. – C
Rodeo? Marinette asked.
It’s a competitive fair for cowboys and cowgirls. – C
I know what a rodeo is. I’m just surprised that you would use that expression, Chloé. Marinette replied.
She’s been seeing a boy at school who lives on a ranch outside the city. – Z
I’m not seeing a boy. He’s a friendly acquaintance. We share a couple of classes and volunteer at the same place. That’s all – C
She’s blushing like a tomato – Z
Marinette smiled and texted back.
Hehe, well, I’m happy to hear you found someone you have an interest in, and are volunteering.
How are you so sickeningly sweet, Dupain-Cheng? It’s annoying – C
I think it’s the painkillers they have me on. They’re really good. :) Marinette replied.
And you call me ridiculous – C
Don’t you mean utterly ridiculous? ;) Marinette replied.
I’m going to stab you Dupain-Cheng – C
Alright, alright, calm down, you two. I think that’s the cue to let you get some rest, Mari. You need it to recover. – Z
Marinette wanted to argue against it but found herself to be fairly exhausted.
I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. Marinette replied.
Good, now get some rest – Z
I will
And reply to our texts next time – Z
I WILL. Thanks for checking in on me, and I’m glad you girls are doing okay as well. Marinette said.
Anytime. Talk to you later – Z & C
Marinette put her phone to sleep and laid it on the overbed table.
“I’m going to take a nap,” Marinette typed into the text-to-speech app.
“Okay, honey. We’ll wake you for dinner,” Harley commented.
Marinette closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep until dinner time.
Marinette’s dinner consisted of no-pulp apple juice and a vitamin IV bag. There was also a change of guard. Red Hood and Robin replaced Spoiler and Orphan as her Bat Family guards, whom Marinette recognized as Jason and Damian.
“Hey, Pixie, how are you feeling?” Red Hood asked.
“Pretty good,” Marinette replied through the text-to-speech app.
“Looks like they’re giving you the good stuff,” Red Hood said, flicking the empty vitamin IV bag.
“Yeah, real five-five star meal,” Marinette replied, then added, “That’s sarcasm, by the way. The app can’t do sarcasm.”
“Well, there is only so much Oracle can do in a day while also helping track down Joker and with a limited speech sample,” Red Hood replied.
“I’m not complaining. It’s much better than having to write everything out and have someone read it off a screen or paper,” Marinette replied.
“Can’t argue there,” Red Hood said.
He sat at the circular table in the corner where Robin was already sitting. He moved one of the empty chairs over to use as a footrest and propped his feet up. He then pulled out a book titled Northanger Abby.
Marinette raised an eyebrow at Red Hood’s reading material.
Red Hood noticed her expression and asked, “What? A man can read Jane Austen?”
“No. I just didn’t think it would be something you would read,” Marinette replied.
“Jane Austen was a great novelist, and I enjoy her books,” Red Hood retorted, “Though, I’m not the only one who enjoys her books.”
He gestured slightly with his head towards Robin. Marinette’s eyes flicked towards Robin, who was glaring at his older brother.
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t go telling my secrets to people we barely know,” Robin said.
“How is you liking Jane Austen a secret? Everyone in the family, JL, and Titans knows you’re a Jane Austen fan,” Red Hood asked.
“Because you told them I am,” Robin retorted.
“No, I only told the Justice League and the Titans. Cass was the one who told the family after seeing you reading Sense and Sensibility,” Red Hood corrected, “besides, I don’t think you can say we barely know Marinette. We probably know more about her than her friends or family.”
Marinette began typing on her laptop to refute Red Hood but stopped partway through when she realized that he was probably right. While the entire Bat Family didn’t know that she was CDM, they still knew about her being bullied, the real reason she had to shut down her first website, and that she was Ladybug. That was more than she could say about anyone else she knew, excluding the Kwamis, of course. The Bat Family were the only ones who knew about all aspects of her life.
“I hate to admit it, but I think he’s right. I’ve really only known you guys for almost a week, and you know more about me than anyone.” Marinette finally typed into the text-to-speech app.
“Is that bad?” She added after a moment.
“I can’t say that it’s great, but you do have not one but two secret identities, one of which is a magical superhero. So, honestly, it’s not surprising that no one knew all parts of your life. That’s kind of the point of secret identities,” Harley commented, “Plus, you got background checked by both Tim and Babs; there is not a lot they can’t uncover.”
“You didn’t find out I was Ladybug until the Kwamis showed themselves to you,” Marinette repeated.
“Ts,” Robin clicked his tongue, “That’s only because you had magic hiding your identity.”
“Sore loser,” Marinette replied.
“I am not a sore loser,” Robin retorted.
Red Hood and Harley chuckled.
“She has you there, little bird,” Harley cackled.
“I told you to stop calling me that,” Robin glared and crossed his arms.
“And a child too, it seems,” Marinette smirked.
“Don’t think just because you’re in a hospital bed, I won’t stab you,” Robin replied.
“Surprisingly, it's not the first time I’ve been told that today. Looks like you lose again,” Marinette retorted.
“Or you’re just a very stabable person,” Robin offered.
“That is part of why I’m in here,” Marinette replied.
Red Hood about fell out of his chair from how hard he was laughing.
Robin opened his mouth to say something, but Harley interrupted him.
“Alright, alright,” Harley said as she brought her laugh under control, “while some good-natured teasing is fun and all, I think things are getting a bit too heated. So, why don’t we stop before we say something we regret.”
Robin glared at Harley and sighed heavily through his nose.
“I’m going to make a security sweep around the floor,” Robin said and walked out of the room in a controlled manner. His movement was slightly stiff as he prevented himself from storming out of the room.
“Why’d you do that?” Red Hood asked after Robin left the room.
“Because I had a feeling he would have said something that would have upset Marinette,” Harley replied, then looked toward Marinette, “And don’t you think it’s a bit too soon to be making jokes about Joker attacking you?”
Marinette cringed. Harley was right. She got so caught up in the moment of teasing Robin/Damian that she forgot about everything for a second. If he had said whatever Harley thought he was going to say it probably would have sent her into a panic attack and killed the positive atmosphere they had created.
“You’re right, sorry. I just got caught up in the moment. He’s just so fun to tease,” Marinette replied.
After the text-to-speech app said the words she had typed, there was a pause of realization of what exactly she had typed out.
Red Hood burst into hysterical laughter and fell out of his chair while Harley and Tikki giggled. Marinette’s face became as red as Tikki’s, and scrambled to type out a correction, but it wound up being a jumble of letters.
“tagawegt gbjiktr whate um ewafghrtgg wgs,” The text-to-speech out garbled out.
Marinette whined briefly; the sharp pain made her quick stop, and she sunk into her bed the best she could, wishing it would just swallow her whole.