Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
 The next day, since several JL members were there, there was a  briefing on Batman's progress in finding Ladybug. He'd spoken with  former holders, but no one except Chloe knew LB's identity, and she  wasn't talking. 
 Of course, there had to be another alien invasion during the  briefing, when only a fraction of the JL was there at the front lines.  On the plus side, at least they were at the front lines and could  hopefully prevent damage that occurred between their transport to the  scene from the Watchtower. 
 Everyone suited up and called in backup. 
 The first to arrive were Constantine, GL#3 (Guy Gardner), Dr. Fate, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, Fire & Ice, and Supergirl. 
 Flash and Kid Flash ran over and soon almost all the JL and Titans were there. 
 Most of the battle took place in the air. 
 Batman couldn't help but hope Ladybug would come out of retirement to defend her city again. 
 However, she was currently on top of the Eiffel Tower as Valkyrie,  taking out alien ships, and using her knives to cut essential parts.  Whatever her knives were made of, they were strong enough to cut the  alien materials. 
 Red Robin wondered how she knew which parts were essential but was too preoccupied to ask. 
 Then, a bolt of energy fired from one of the ships hit the Tower  and knocked Valkyrie off, sending her plunging to the ground. Wonder  Woman was on a lower ring of the Tower and tossed her lasso out to snag  Valkyrie on her way down. 
 "NO!" she screeched. 
 Diana understood– she wouldn't like to be falling so many feet if she couldn't fly, either. 
 But the lasso began to glow more than normal – oh wait, that was Valkyrie. 
 Diana's hold on her lasso loosened in her shock, and Valkyrie hovered midair. 
 She sighed heavily. "Why now," in a monotone voice. 
 A white, pulsing light blinded everyone. When they looked up,  Valkyrie was glowing with a bright frequency. Her eyes were a burning  blue, her hair was defying gravity and her skin appeared burning gold  from the inside out, she was in a white catsuit, and she was flying. 
 Pulsing multi-coloured orbs of light and energy hovered around her hands. 
 With a burst of speed, she flew up to the leading alien warship and spoke in an eerie, unsettling voice. 
 "I must defend my land. You will not win against me, for I am  Guardian. I'll give you one chance. Leave peacefully, and I will spare  you. Go, now." 
 To everyone's shock, the ships actually turned and left, the few  fighters who had been deployed to Earthbegam beaming back up to their  ship. 
 Guardian stayed hovering and ready to fire until the last ship was  out of sight. Then she turned and flew down the top of the Tower. Her  index finger touched the tip and a bar of light spread down the sides  and across Earth, fixing all the damage that had been caused. 
 The light dimmed, and Valkyrie reappeared. She slid down the side,  hopping off into Superboy's hug. He picked her up in a bridal carry and  she rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted from expending so much  energy at once.  
 Batman cleared his throat behind them. "Valkyrie, what was that?" 
 "Uh, I got hit by an alien energy bolt and fell off the tower and then sent the aliens off with my super cool new powers?" 
 "Try again, Ladybug. That damage reversal sure looked a lot like your old "Miraculous Ladybug" cure-all." 
 The JL and TT members not involved in the drama were shooed off by  the Bats and the ones that remained gathered in the JL's temporary  Parisian HQ. Batman led the conversation. 
 "So, would you like to explain some things to us, Valkyrie? Or should I say, Ladybug?" 
 "Not really, no." 
 "Let's start with an easy question. Where is the vessel?" 
 Valkyrie lifted her shirt to show the tattoo. "I   am   the vessel." 
 Her shoulders slumped. "Mullo, Trixx, Nooroo, Pollen, Plagg,  Duusu, Tikki, Kaalki, Sass, Stompp, Roarr, Daizzi, Longg, Orikko, Fluff,  Ziggy, Wayzz, Xuppu, Barkk, divide." 
 With each name said, the Leaguers' eyes bugged a little more. The Kwami flew protectively around Valkyrie.  
 "As to why I never told you and hid my previous ID, I knew you'd  act like this, all suspicious. Because it's magic and you don't  understand it except that it's immensely powerful and I'm just a  teenager. It's none of your business, and none of you understand the  Order's ways anyhow." 
 "...so why did you reveal it now?" 
 "I didn't   want   to but I didn't want to see the world end again more." 
 "Um,   again  ?" 
 "Different timeline, won't happen again," Valkyrie waved off Superman's concern.  
 "Diana's Lasso unbalances Trixx's and my illusion magic and upsets  my balance, which is why I fainted that time we sparred and was  revealed today." 
 Batman stood up. 
 Two long knives formed in Valkyrie's hands and she slid into a defensive position. 
 Red Robin and Robin side-eyed each other. They knew they hadn't hallucinated weapons appearing and disappearing.  
 "Calm down, Valkyrie. Just because I dislike and don't understand  magic doesn't mean I don't love you or that I want you to give up  your...Kwami," Batman soothed. "I just wish you could have trusted me." 
 Valkyrie turned invisible, and when she reappeared, she was hugging Batman. 
 Dick and Damian in particular were enamored with the Kwami. Tim  got too annoyed with trying to figure them out, and Jason was a little  cold because Plagg and Tikki created the Lazarus Pits. Cass got along  well with Nooroo and Sass, and Steph squealed at the kwami cuteness  overload. Babs liked them okay but the more...energetic kwami got on her  nerves, reminding her of the Waynes' antics.  
 Jon was just relieved Marinette didn't have to hide them anymore and that he didn't have to keep yet another secret. 
 Nowadays when Valkyrie went out, she used her powers seamlessly,  terrifying the criminals who encountered her and frustrating her family,  who continually got pranked by her. Sometimes she used multiplication  to be Delphi and Valkyrie at the same time, and sometimes Supergirl Jr.  joined Superboy in Metropolis on date night.