Chapter Text
Christmas came about a month after Marinette moved in.
Dick spent the morning at the Manor, but he wanted to come home to Marinette for the evening. His family was surprisingly understanding about it, and Dick did not ask any questions. In fact, they often went down to see friends during the day, so he thought something like this might be going on. That's one person less to convince to let them go.
Anyway, he figured out the best gift for Marinette.
He knew she had always wanted an animal of some kind. He asked Marinette about it once and she told him that she wanted a hamster when she was a kid, but couldn't have one because of the bakery. But now she doesn't want a hamster. She said it was bad memories. Dick didn't ask her about it.
And once when they were watching late-night animal movies, the question came up whether they liked cats or dogs better. Marinette doesn't like cats, but she has no problems with dogs. She used to get a few dog customers in the bakery and they would always let her pet their dog. They were very friendly with her. And Dick, who lived with Damian, was used to living with all kinds of animals.
So he did some research, planned and visited pet shops to find the perfect dog for Marinette in a dog shelter. It was an Australian Shepherd. It had a rich, light, white and caramel-coloured fur. The fur was not well spread with the colours, it had a slightly spotted effect. The doggy wasn't that big yet, it fit in an arm. He could tell it was young. It seemed calm though, which would be good for Marinette. Its eyes were different colours, blue and light brown.
Dick asked the seller for more details. It turned out that the dog was female and her name was Kiki. Luckily, all major vet procedures (e.g. vaccinations, castration) had been done by her previous owners. Also, she was house-trained. She couldn't form a close bond with her owners, because they died in an accident a few weeks after she was taken in.
And so, Dick happily walked home with Kiki and two big bags with all the important things that came with her.
...
When he got home, Marinette wasn't home yet.
He did not know where she went, most likely to get some ingredients for dinner. They were not far into the afternoon, so he wasn't too worried. Okay, who am I kidding, he was worried, but only after one missed call. Sometimes she forgot to turn on her phone. Maybe that was it.
He stared at the dark screen for a long time, but then a call came in. Without hesitation, he picked it up.
"Hi, why didn't you answer before? I was worried!" he cried.
"Umm, Dick?"
Shit. Well, that wasn't Marinette.
He quickly checked the caller ID. Tim. It was Tim, the best detective in the world, who could figure out in half a minute that this call wasn't for him. He's probably going to jump to the wrong conclusion, maybe that he has a girlfriend.
If he's lucky he doesn't go around the house shouting 'Hey everyone, Dick's got a girlfriend!'.
"I just called because I need you on a case," he began, "Scarecrow had the great idea that Christmas should be spent in fear. Maybe you could come there?"
Maybe he wasn’t conscious enough to notice the slip? Or he just let him get away with it?
"Sure. Where exactly?”
"You know, there's a shopping mall near you, about 10 minutes away," answered Tim. Dick knew the place. Sometimes Marinette took him there to buy things. "There may be a possible hostage situation."
"Okay, on my way."
He quickly dressed in his Nightwing suit. Time was not on his side.
Then, he turned to Kiki.
"Will you be all right on your own?" he asked. Kiki turned her head slightly, but remained still. "Be a good doggy while I'm gone, okay?"
On the way out, he patted her on the head. "If Marinette gets home before me, please take care of her," he said. The dog licked his hand approvingly, making Dick laugh.
He shook his head, distancing himself from his thoughts. He had to hurry.
...
"I'll be there in five minutes. Do you have more details that could help?"
"Hold on a minute!" he growled.
Nightwing jumped to another rooftop.
"And... gotcha!" Tim exclaimed. "Scarecrow's not far from the entrance, and he's got a hostage. Seems to be a teenage girl."
"Got it!"
Nightwing arrived at the mall. He went to one of the upper windows. Then, he broke it silently. This will make easier to get to him.
He climbed through the window, only to see Scarecrow and the hostage. Tim was right. The hostage was a teenage girl with bluish-black hair, about 5'2" tall. Dick's eyes widened.
"Shit. That's my kid."
...
Across the city, Tim spat out his coffee.
These hallucinations are getting worse.
He really needs to sleep.
...
Nightwing was still cursing to himself as he watched them. Of course it had to be Marinette. That's their luck. He looked back at Marinettere to make sure she was all right.
She looked like she was fine as she was yelling at Scarecrow loudly-
Wait... yelling?!
...
Marinette was not having it today.
First of all, she hates Christmas. She hates all the stupid music that is played everywhere. Shitty songs. Then there is the crowd. Marinette doesn't like people. Even at school (which is small, with only two hundred students), she escapes to a toilet cubicle or the library at break times. But at Christmas they are literally everywhere.
Secondly, at Christmas, memories creep into her head. Not the bad ones, but of everything he had lost. It just drives her crazy. She tried to shut it up with everything else, but it's hard enough when everything is screaming in your face that it's Christmas.
And Dick went home. To his real family. Of course, she understands he doesn't have to be home all day, but it would have been nice.
Then she has to go shopping because she is out of paint for Dick's present. And of course the nearest shop where she could buy it is in a shopping center. Marinette bravely fought the crowd and her anxiety attacks. When she'd be happy to leave, idiotic random people were crowded at the entrance, blocking the exit from someone small, like Marinette.
Marinette just suddenly got fed up. There was so much going on around her. Everything was noisy. There were so many people. Too many. Her head was throbbing. Not in a teary way, but like a volcano waiting to erupt. She was annoyed by everything. Even with herself. Her hair didn't look right, her shoes were pressing her feet and her dress felt strangely tight, even though it was two sizes bigger. She was about to shout everyone down just to get home and cry.
And after all of this shit, some idiot scarecrow attacks.
...
"Now you are going to experience your fears," yelled Scarecrow. "This is Christmas everyone!"
Greenish gas filled the space after his words. Fear toxin.
Marinette had heard about this thing before. When it’s inhaled, the victim hallucinates their own worst fears becoming a reality.
Unfortunately for Scarecrow, Marinette had already fought all her fears at some point.
Dealing with deadly akumas? Check!
Walking on dead bodies into battle? Check!
Seeing the death of your supposed partner and being left of your own? Check!
Driven to murder because there was no other option? Check!
Abandoned by all your loved ones? Check!
Fail over and over? Check!
Die? Check!
She could feel the fear toxin getting into her lungs. She wasn't afraid.
She closed her eyes.
And the hallucinations began.
First it was an akuma. There were bodies everywhere, scattered, burned. All she could sense were screams and the smell of death. Everywhere. Marinette didn't move.
The picture changed quickly. It was her parents, arguing with her, as they trashed her stuff. All her drawings, her clothes. She was standing straight all along.
Again, the picture changed. The voices have stopped. Chat Noir was there only. He walked towards her. Out of reflex, she stepped back. Her back hit the wall, and she couldn't go away. He ran his hand over her body. He started kissing her, pushing his tongue down her throat, aggressively. She couldn’t breathe.
She was... scared of Chat Noir?
Yes, the answer came immediately.
But... she was stronger than him. This can't happen because she was stronger. He had already been stripped of his power. He could not harm her even if he wanted to.
Damn it, she was Ladybug after all.
No.
She is Ladybug.
She pushed the hallucination-Chat Noir away.
As if sensing that this was no longer working, the fear toxin showed her an another vision.
Dick's lifeless body lying on the street.
She wasn't prepared for this. Her hand tightened. How dare he!
She wasn't afraid, she wasn't pissed off, she was angry. Really angry. She had not been this angry for months. It was as if one of her lost pieces had been returned.
With that, she slipped into Ladybug's mentality in a second.
And trust me, every single person knows not to fuck with the angry Ladybug.
...
Her senses began to return normal.
"...whoa!" she heard Scarecrow's cheerful voice. "So far, very few people have not screamed while they were under the influence of the toxin.” She opened her eyes, as he let out a little laugh.
She saw the blood next to her. And a body. Someone- Someone killed themselves out of fear.
”Have you taken any kind of antidote? No, you couldn’t have enough time for that," Scarecrow thought out loud. Then he shook his head and smiled like a mad scientist. "You like being hurt that much, huh?”
"No." She groaned.
"Is that how much you enjoy my fear toxin then?
"I’m not. Neither will you."
"Oh, my! I'm so scared! And exactly how-" He couldn't finish.
Marinette's fist hit him straight in the face in a blink of an eye. It would be an overstatement to say that he flew backwards, but he definitely fell back half a metre.
"I've had enough," she muttered. "I'm sick of you bastards who terrorize people just because you can." Images of the dead floated in front of her eyes.
She looked around and saw a couple of needles. It must be a new development.
"There are not even heroes to fight you properly!" She raised her voice.
Why is there no one here to save them?
"You just enjoy the other’s suffering!”
She picked up the needle.
Why do people like this exist?
"How many people do you kill just because you think you can?!"
How many people died because of Batman's stupid no-killing rule?!
"And guess what. We've all had enough!" She cried loudly.
Wasn’t it enough already?
Her body moved faster than her thoughts. She stuck the needle into Scarecrow's neck.
It's time to know his own poison.
"If nobody does anything...” she laughed hysterically. "I have to do it myself, right?!"
Scarecrow cried out in fear and struggled. He didn't stand a chance against his own invention.
This... wasn't enough.
It could happen at any time. Who will be the next victim of this man?
Why is no one doing anything?!
"I’ll put an end to this."
She must stop him from killing more people.
She slowly took one of the knives off his belt, and lifted it over his body.
"I'm not afraid."
I am Ladybug.
She swung down with the knife-
But a hand caught her arm, stopping her.
"That's not the way, kid."
Marinette blinked. The voice was familiar.
She looked back over her shoulder. Nightwing stood there and held her arm gently.
Could it be...?
"Put that down," he said in a soft voice.
Marinette realised what she had in her hand. How little it was up to. She almost-
She dropped the knife.
She was sick.
Tears left her eyes faster and faster, until Marinette sobbed into Nightwing's arms. She knew these arms. So many times she sobbed in one of these bear hugs.
Marinette cried and wailed, meanwhile Nightwing picked her up and took her to one of the ambulances.
She couldn't listen to the words they said. At some point Nightwing disappeared, but Dick turned up a few minutes later. At first, they were reluctant to let Marinette go with him, but he explained the situation well enough and showed his police ID.
Dick hugged her, then he put her in the car and drove home.
...
They sat together on the couch while Marinette calmed down. They discussed the incident (since Dick was not there officially) so he found out how she felt about it. Of course, they spent most of the evening talking and watching some romantic film together.
Around midnight, Marinette was almost asleep, so Dick suggested they go sleep now.
"Dick," he heard a tired and confused voice. "Why is a dog in my bed?"
"Shit, I forgot about her. Well..." he panicked inside, "you know. Merry Christmas?"
But Marinette just laughed a little, then crawled into bed next to Kiki.
Maybe this wasn't a bad Christmas after all.