mind over mask

sixty-six

Before I swung over to the BatCave, I headed back to my apartment. I was careful not to wake up the Kwamiis, except for one. I plucked the ring from it's resting spot, and Plagg stirred.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I put a finger to my mouth. He nodded.

I came out the same way I came in, through the window, and Plagg floated with me. I closed it behind me, and sat on the rooftop.

"How did it go?" Plagg asked, excitedly looking around for his friend. "Come on, Mari!"

I shook my head. Plagg descended out of the air, resting on my knee. "No..."

"I tried. But I was too late. The Black Mask got rid of him, probably weeks ago. We're back at square one. I failed Nooroo. I failed you, and Tikki. I failed, as the Guardian of the Miraculous."

"Marinette," he whines, "you did your best."

The tears start to fall. "It wasn't enough. It's never enough."

I was going to break. 

"It will be! You just have to keep going!" He raises his little paws, "I'm not as good at this cheering up thing like Sugarcube is, but are one of the best Ladybugs she has had the pleasure of knowing. You work hard, and you're working against what feels like the whole world. One day, it'll pay off. One day, we'll have our entire family to celebrate."

"Thanks Plagg," I breathed out. "Now, it's time to go face the music."

He questioned, "Go face the music? What did you do?"

"I broke protocol and went off alone." I winced.

"MARINETTE!" He boomed.

"Shhhh! You'll wake up the rest of Gotham!"

"What happened to Lover Boy?" Plagg said in a singy-singy voice.

I groaned. My face fell into my hands, "Don't even get me started with that."

"Uh oh. You need to go clean up your messes." He encouraged.

"Then let's go, and get it over with." I threw my yo-yo, with Plagg firmly holding onto my shoulder, and we went towards the outskirts of town.

I did not, in fact, get it over with.

When I entered the BatCave, mostly everyone had left. Probably to go gain a few more hours of precious sleep, before beginning the day ahead.

Jason was at his locker, putting away one of his many red helmets. When he saw me, he started laughing. 

"You can be buried next to me," he jokes, and starts to walk away from me.

"What?"

"You pissed off Demon Spawn, which isn't all that hard to do. But you pissed off B at the same time, which is a rare feat. So, I offer you a grave next to mine. Don't worry, I'll make sure you have nice flowers at your funeral."

"Thank you, Jason, for the favor I didn't ask for." I said with all the sarcasm I could manage. 

"Your death," is all the consolence he offered me.

I sighed, "Might as well be."

Alfred descends down the steps in the BatCave, after I had changed out of my suit, and into the clothes I had on before the night went sideways.

Hawkmoth was right.

"My, my, Marinette. What did you do?" The pseudo-grandfather asked me.

I rasped, "What do you mean?"