Epilogue: Picking up the Pieces

The clean up operation felt like it was taking an age. Even if the Justice League themselves had been asked to take a part in it.

Once The Joker had been defeated, Batman had handed him to the surviving staff members of Arkham Asylum to hold onto while the prison was being fixed. Both Marinette and Adrien had been concerned about The Joker blurting their secret identities to the staff, but surprisingly, the clown had chosen to keep that information to himself. The last they had seen of him was watching Aaron Cash and another guard drag him away, wrapped in a straitjacket, and giggling inanely. It was as if he didn't even care that he was arrested again.

"I'll rest up in good ol' Arkham as always and then I'll be back, Batsy Patsy! And I won't stop with just you...I'll come for your teen brats too!" The Joker warned, "Mark my words, neither of you have seen the last of The Joker! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

The cryptic laughter that had followed on the heels of his threat still rang in Marinette and Adrien's heads, even though it had now been a couple of days since the incident with The Joker had passed.

At the very least, what occurred afterwards had more than made up for the horrific events of that day. Once the Joker had been taken away, Batman had called Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and The Spoiler to come help with repairs and then had sent another call to the Justice League. The asylum needed all the help it could get in terms of repairs and prisoner control so he was all too happy to call as many people as he needed. Shortly afterwards, Marinette and Adrien had found themselves meeting some of the most famous faces in the hero community. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Firestorm, Hawk Man, Hawk Girl, Supergirl and even the android Red Tornado had arrived to join Batman's sidekicks in helping with repairs. The two teens had found it impossible to contain themselves as the entire league stood before them.

"Adrien...am I dreaming?" Marinette gasped, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"I hope neither of us are. We are literally staring...at the Justice League themselves!" Adrien cried, sounding more fanboyish than ever before, "Man, they all look so cool!"

Superman had taken in their enthusiasm with his usual sense of modesty before turning to Batman.

"So these are the two who helped you defeat The Joker?" he asked.

"That's right." Batman responded, "They're the heroes of Paris, Ladybug and Cat Noir. They also helped me catch The Riddler too. But not before he took a life..."

Marinette and Adrien nodded grimly as they remembered Chloe's demise at the sick puzzlemaster's hands. They still cringed whenever they thought about it.

"It's a good thing you three managed to prevent it from being more." Superman approved, "We'd love to get to know them but first, we'd best get to work. It looks like there's a lot to do here."

And after two days had gone by, the League were putting the finishing touches onto the repairs. Firestorm had played a huge part in it thanks to his ability to manipulate atoms and molecules to his whim. Much of the heavy-lifting had been carried out by the strongest members of the team while many of the others had kept a close watch on the inmates, making sure they were secure and any that had managed to slip away in The Joker's carnage had been apprehended. They would be finished very soon.

Over in Wayne Manor, Marinette and Adrien were sitting closely together on the large sofa in the equally large living room. Adrien had to admit, even though the house seemed ancient, he felt it was a lot better than the home he had. His home was pale, bland, and didn't have a sense of warmth that Wayne Manor had. It had history, grandness, and a rich colour of light brown floors and a darker shade of the walls and structures, with incredible portraits of the Wayne ancestors to the far left of the room.

The French teens were watching the news, which was playing a recently recorded interview with Superman. Batman rarely ever spoke to the camera, so if anything huge happened in Gotham, the Last Son of Krypton would provide a story to the media. It was only fitting, given Gotham was the sister city to Metropolis. For how the news heard about what was going on, you didn't need to have super eyesight to see what was going on at Arkham given its short distance from Gotham.

"First of all, I need to inform you that those responsible for the destruction here are responsible for the pain that was inflicted on Paris. From what Batman has told me, Ladybug and Chat Noir tracked Joker and Hawk Moth to Arkham. They figured that Joker and Hawk Moth were going to brainwash several Arkham inmates to bring chaos to Gotham..."

He bit his lip at that point and when Adrien realised what it was all about, he couldn't help but feel touched.

"I will have to admit, there was a major casualty in the battle for Arkham. Joker betrayed Hawk Moth and killed him the second he got the chance. I know there's many speculations on Hawk Moth's identity, but I urge everyone, from the press to the civilians, respect the fact that a young man lost his father and he needs a lot of space. That's all I'm saying for now."

Adrien was left speechless by Superman's response to the interviewer in regards to his father. He looked away in disbelief, though touched by the Kryptonian's deep kindness.

"I didn't think he was that soft hearted..." hHe noted to himself quietly. Marinette took hold of his hand and gave him a comforting smile.

"He's always got the best intentions and he knows how to respect other people. That's what makes him good with what he does." she reminded him. It was no secret Marinette was a bit of a fan of Superman, and she had no idea how similar she was in terms to his alter ego.

The screen then displayed footage of Mayor Bourgeois, looking tired but somewhat hopeful. This was a live broadcast the TV was showing, and it was appropriate as the situation at Arkham tied to what happened at Paris.

"I still grieve for the loss of my daughter." the major said, not a single shred of his old arrogance or conceitedness as he spoke, "Chloe was my whole world. I will admit that she...didn't exactly make friends with many people and some may have disapproved of how she acted. But she was still my daughter. And this is why I have nothing but my sincerest thanks to the Batman of Gotham and of course, France's young heroes, for all they've done for us. The criminals responsible for this are doing time for their crimes and I'm happy to say it'll be a LONG time before any of them see the light of day again!"

Their dislike of Chloe aside, Marinette and Adrien couldn't help but side with the mayor. An unusual feeling for both of them for they didn't often agree with the mayor. But they both knew that it was right. Chloe had been avenged, her death hadn't been in vain and nobody else in Paris or Gotham would share her fate for now.

"As a token of my thanks, I am going to use my resources and whatever else I have at my disposal to make sure any filthy criminal like The Riddler, Hawk Moth or The Joker gets the comeuppance they deserve and that nobody else gets so heartlessly slaughtered like my Chloe!" the mayor went on, "Ladybug, Cat Noir, Justice League, if you're hearing this, you will be happy to hear that I am willing to work alongside you and do whatever it takes to aid you in your crusade against crime. My services will be forever available to you."

The two teens looked at each other with approval in their eyes. It was about time Andre actually made a smart move for once. It was a shame it took such a tragic event to make it happen, but it just meant that something good at least had come out of it.

Marinette then got a pleasant surprise as Alfred entered the room with two very familiar people beside him. He cleared his throat politely.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, I believe I have two people who are very keen to see you." he announced.

The young bluenette let out a gasp of joy as the two newcomers entered the living room. Standing there, as bright and warm as they always were, were Thomas and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Marinette was gone from the sofa in a second and enveloped both her parents in a tight hug.

"Mom! Dad! You both made it, I'm so glad you're here!" she exclaimed happily.

"We're glad to be here, dear, and we're glad you're safe" Thomas said warmly, patting his daughter's back.

"I'm just glad you weren't staying in the actual city. I've heard all sorts of thugs hang around there. No offence, sir." Sabine said, finishing her sentence as she looked at Alfred, who waved it off, literally.

"It's fine, Mrs Dupain-Cheng. Trust me, your daughter and her boyfriend are safe here." he assured, making both bakers look at Marinette and Adrien in silent shock. Both teens blushed brightly. The two parents knew what that meant.

"Well...that's a lot to take in" Thomas chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, not sure what else to say.

"I say it's about time! She talks about you a lot, Adrien, dear!" Sabine exclaimed, much more vocal at what Alfred let slip.

"Mom, not now!" Marinette exclaimed, blushing even brighter and hiding her face behind a pillow. Right now, if she could choose between her parents and The Joker, she would willingly take The Joker.

"I'm not surprised honestly." Adrien chuckled, rubbing the back of his head shyly, "But I can tell you that I couldn't be happier to be your daughter's boyfriend. You should feel proud to have such a kind-hearted, sweet, friendly and caring daughter like Marinette."

Hearing Adrien compliment her so passionately made Marinette feel warm and fuzzy inside. She wasn't even sure if her heart was still beating or not. How she'd longed to hear her dream boy say such nice things about her! Sabine and Tom looked equally as flattered.

"Well, I don't call her my sweet little pastry for nothing!" Tom said, laughing heartily.

"I suppose you'll want me to leave now." Alfred said nonchalantly, feeling a little out of place in this family reunion.

Nobody objected so the butler quietly allowed himself to disappear, exiting through the door he'd entered so the Dupain-Chengs and Adrien could have some alone time together.

He smiled fondly, noting to himself that it was nice to see a fresher feeling of emotions be present in the manor. Last time he saw such a sweet romance was that of Tim and Stephanie. It was years since Tim moved out of Wayne Manor, so Alfred warmly welcomed the time of the loving emotions he witnessed.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Bruce coming down the stairs, holding a few paper files under his arm, regarding Alfred with a quick nod.

"The Dupain-Cheng family arrived just now, sir. I can gladly tell you all is well with them in the living room." he said rather pleasantly, getting a small smile off of Bruce.

"That's good. We'll make them feel at home while they're here." he responded.

"Shall I prepare their rooms for them, sir?" Alfred questioned as he held his hands together expectantly.

"Yes you can. I'll let them know while I'm passing through." Bruce replied, steadying his hold on the papers, which Alfred regarded with a raised eyebrow.

"Mind if I ask what are those, Master Wayne?" he asked with a hint of interest in his voice.

"A bit of info I got Barbara to send to me about the Miraculouses. When Adrien and Marinette are ready, they'll have to speak to some people soon." he informed as he began to go towards the living room, Alfred's head turning after him.

"How soon, Master Wayne?" he inquired, to which he gotten a small smirk in response from his old friend.

"You'll see".

He entered the room, leaving Alfred to his duties. As soon as he entered, four heads all turned in his direction as they acknowledged the fact that somebody had come in. And not just anybody, but Bruce Wayne himself no less. Adrien and Marinette winked at each other, remembering that his secret had to stay with them. The last thing they needed were Sabine and Tom finding out they were talking to Batman himself.

"Greetings Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng." Bruce greeted with a polite wave, "I assume you both had a pleasant flight here."

"We did thank you Mr. Wayne." Sabine replied, "Though me and Tom could barely keep ourselves contained as we approached Gotham. We were worrying about our little Marinette the whole time."

"How's she been for ya by the way?" Tom asked curiously, "Good as gold no doubt."

"She's been very well thanks." Bruce replied, nodding over to the blue-haired teen, "She's been a very pleasant guest in my home along with Adrien. I couldn't have been happier to take care of her for you."

The small Chinese woman and the huge French man beamed in delight. Marinette beamed too, but unknown to her parents, she winked slyly at Bruce Wayne. The billionaire CEO winked back at her. They both knew just how literally Wayne had meant those words.

"That's our little Marinette." Tom replied, "She may have two left feet sometimes but she's a great kid!"

The bluenette sighed in annoyance. For once, couldn't she meet somebody without her parents mentioning her clumsiness?!

"Well during her stay, she hasn't shown any signs of having two left feet." Bruce said with a slight smirk, "She seems to have both feet quite firmly on the ground to me."

That set them all off. Both parents and teens giggled at the Wayne Enterprises CEO's little joke. Neither of them knew that Bruce Wayne had such a great sense of humour. As soon as they stopped laughing though, Sabine took notice of the sheath of papers in Bruce's hands.

"Oh, you must be busy. Those must be important documents you've got there." she politely noted, making Bruce glance at the papers.

"These are for my company, but this doesn't stop me from seeing my guests are alright. When Adrien is ready, I'm willing to contact his associates in Paris. He'll need a home to go to when he gets back." he explained softly, getting a small nod from Adrien.

"Thanks, Mr Wayne. That'd be nice." he said quietly, remembering how his house was left in a wrecked state the last time he saw it.

"Oh he's got that lady and bodyguard of his, they might be able to talk to you about it" Sabine replied, taking notice of Adrien's sullen look.

"Ah yes, there's those two. I will have to get some answers from them first, for obvious reasons." Bruce replied, his tone going firm.

Adrien knew what he meant. As far as they knew, the Gorilla had nothing to do with Gabriel's secret, but they needed to make sure things were all clear with Nathalie. They had to be just sure.

"I-I can show you how to contact them, Mr Wayne, if you'd want." Adrien then spoke up, feeling it was best to give Marinette and her parents all the time they needed to catch up together. He also wasn't ready for more pitying regarding his father.

"That would be good. Come with me." Bruce offered with an outstretched hand, to which Adrien followed after. He glanced back at Marinette with a small smile.

"I'll be back soon" he said quietly, getting a nod off the baker family.

Once they left, Thomas tapped Marinette's shoulder.

"How's he taking it? His papa being Hawk Moth?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice. Marinette exhaled through her nose, still trying to shake off the horrible image of Gabriel's body rotting away with the decaying rot that destroyed Arkham Asylum's kitchen.

"It's still sinking in, really. I knew his dad was a bit...distant, but we all didn't think he was a super villain..." Marinette spoke with a lot of honesty in her voice. She herself was still finding it a bit hard to cope with, given she once looked up to Gabriel for his fashion designs.

"Poor boy. He's a nice young man, so it's horrible he gotten all this." Sabine added with a lot of sympathy for the absent blond boy.

"It's horrible with what we've all been through...Joker nearly killed you both that night. I wouldn't be able to live without you both. Then there's my friends seeing Chloe getting killed..." Marinette pointed out, wondering how the likes of Alya, Nino, Nathanael, Lila, and the others were with the ordeal they were put through.

"We'll pull through this together. That's what matters" Thomas said warmly as he pulled his family into a loving hug. A smile crossed Marinette's lips, happy to have her parents by her side in one piece.

With Adrien, he was walking with Bruce around the back garden of Wayne Manor, mostly talking about the contact details in getting hold of Nathalie.

"You will be okay if I ask her a few questions about what she really did with your father?" Bruce asked concernedly.

"I know why you have to do it, Mr Wayne. But from what I saw of them together, Nathalie was a bit scared of him. I doubt she knew he was Hawk Moth, but if you have to make sure then it's okay." came Adrien's response, his voice distant as he admired the garden.

"Thank you Adrien." Bruce replied. He glanced down at the papers again briefly before looking back up at Adrien. The teen boy noticed this and he put two and two together in his head.

"Those papers aren't really business related aren't they?" he asked.

Bruce was quietly impressed. Adrien maybe a bit of a joker and more fun-loving than some heroes out there but he clearly had a sharp mind. He'd make a good detective if he had more training in his life.

"Not exactly." the rich man admitted, "I had Barbara Gordon, one of my associates, look into the history of these Miraculouses that empowered you, Marinette and Gabriel."

"Did she find out anything interesting?" the blonde boy asked curiously. He was keen to see where this was going.

"Well, according to what she found out, the Miraculouses have ties to Tibet. One of the people Barbara spoke to has pointed out one of the Kwami is missing. It looks like a peacock of some kind." Bruce explained, causing a thoughtful expression to cross Adrien's face.

"Peacock...Tibet...I think I remember finding something to do with that in one of my dad's hidden cupboards. I didn't pay much attention to it back then, but I remember seeing a map of Tibet and some sort of tool that looked like peacock feathers...you think this could have anything to do with my mother?"

"It's possible. I'll tell Barbara what you told me. She could find some way of getting into your old home before anyone else finds those items. These papers, though..."

He trailed off as he handed them to Adrien, who was stunned to see some of it contained rather graphic images, specifically property damage and a few remains of bodies...the dates though greatly surprised him.

"Victorian London, Seventeenth Century Japan, Eighteen Hundred America...these are going as far back as the Greek Times! Hang on...this means-"

"Not all wielders of the Chat Miraculous have used their powers for good, or couldn't be able to control their powers. You seem to be doing just fine, but...I feel you haven't mastered your skills yet" Bruce interrupted, choosing his words carefully so as not to cross the line of trust.

"Do you think you can help me then? Stop me from losing control?" Adrien responded in a hopeful voice, only for Bruce's expression to form into a regrettable look.

"I'm sorry to say this, Adrien, but I'm no expert on magic...someone else will have to handle that area of expertise. Someone who's an expert in the Dark Arts." Bruce explained, making Adrien frown in confusion.

"Well, who can do that then?" He asked in wonder.

"That'll be me, mate."

Stunned at the voice of the newcomer, Adrien turned to see a man standing a few feet from him and Bruce. Dressed in a brownish coat, with his shirt collar undone widely, a loose red tie hanging rather untidily from said collar, dark trousers and matching shoes, as well as having messily combed spiked fair hair was a man who had a cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth. His blue eyes looking empty yet held a mix of seriousness and casualness.

"He's the man that can help you in this area. I am sorry." Bruce informed, not taking too well on the man's presence as he approached him and Adrien, who felt like he was looking in a dark mirror of himself. The man cracked a smile as he held out his hand to Adrien.

"John Constantine, expert in the Dark Arts, drinks, music, and deep insight into the world of demonic entities, at your begrudging service." he spoke, his British voice light yet somewhat sarcastic.

Adrien felt unsure at first, not liking the rough state of the man, nor his cigarette, but deciding to be polite about it, he chosen to shake the hand of Constantine, who smirked as he caught a glimpse of the Chat Miraculous ring.

"My my, the real deal. Didn't think the cat was a pretty boy. You better be a fast learner, nipper, because I don't want to repeat myself." he chuckled, unnerving Adrien as a long puff of smoke blew into Bruce's face, making his face twist in irritation.

"I told you no smoking on my property, Constantine." he growled, making the British man promptly drop the cigarette and stamped on it with his heel.

"Sorry about that, Bruce mate. Just appreciate the fact I got here quickly." he said in a mockingly hurt tone, making Bruce sigh in annoyance.

"If you're going to be disrespectful, I might make Adrien change his mind." he warned, only for Constantine to put up a wavering hand.

"Say no more, I know how to get on with young lads like this nipper, we'll get things sorted in no time, always need to reconnect across the channel." he said, his face empty of any enthusiasm.

Adrien ran his eyes over the scruffy looking Brit before him. He was beginning to feel unsure about this. He couldn't say he welcomed the idea of having to spend any time with this man. He didn't seem very friendly and the look of him gave him the impression that spending any level of time with him would get him diseased.

"Um...Bruce? Do you think he's the right guy?" the teen hero asked nervously.

"He may seem like a bit of a...as his people might say, "twat" Adrien, but don't let that fool you." Bruce said reassuringly, "He's not a bad man deep down. He's even part of another Justice League, the Justice League Dark. He's exactly the man who'll help you control your power."

"I've always been keen to see this "Cat Ring" trinket in action." John admitted, straightening out his tie for no real reason, "That kind of magic is not something you see very often, and probably for the right reasons. So how does it work mate?"

Adrien had a feeling he was going to get mocked big time by the British magic expert, but if what he just heard about him was true, he felt it was only best to give him a glimpse of his powers. Flexing his fingers, he inhaled a bit of air before calling on his powers.

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" he yelled.

A blast of yellow and green occurred and Constantine watched closely as he spotted Plagg fly into the ring in a blur. Though the finished result, with Chat Noir standing before him, gotten a smirk out of him.

"Heh, blimey, didn't think nippers your age were into wearing leather. Guess you can blame your cat for that, though, pretty boy." he chuckled as he gotten out his cigarette lighter.

Chat Noir blushed brightly in embarrassment and looked at Bruce with a deep frown.

"Do I HAVE to work with him?" he asked with a hint of a whine to his voice.

"Oh chill out, mate, I'm just pulling your tail. Like me or not, I'm your only hope of using your powers properly. Stops the likes of Trigon's or Blaze's wankers coming after you and using it for their own means." Constantine spoke up before Bruce could say anything.

"Watch the language." the billionaire warned sharply, getting another wave off of Constantine.

"Oh calm down, I'm sure your butler says all sorts of things under the sun. Now get lost, master and apprentice need to work." he said calmly as he put an arm around Chat Noir's back, walking him towards a bush nearby.

Bruce, however, stayed where he was, keeping a close eye on the Brit. He trusted Constantine but he wanted to make sure if Chat Noir was really up for it.

"Now as rich boy over there said, I look like the usual rude twat that tries to tell all sorts of rubbish to earn a bit of money, tell idiots to fuck off when I feel like it, but believe me when I say this, I only want to help. Humanity needs to strive forward, not sink and rot, aim for greater things. You can help in that part of the picture mate, if you'll listen to what I have to say." Constantine explained, his voice still casual, but a bit of lightness came to it.

Despite feeling uncomfortable around him, Cat Noir had the feeling that Constantine meant what he said. He knew too well that not everybody who behaved like a jerk was a total jerk through and through. Even the biggest of jerks carried a heart of gold after all.

"OK then Constantine, whatever you say." Cat Noir said, "I'm ready."

"Good show old boy." John replied casually, "Let's get started..."

Back inside the manor, Alfred came back to the living room, clearing his throat to make his presence known to the family of bakers.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just need your opinions on my work for the rooms you'll be staying in, Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng. Just need to be sure everything is up to your standards." he requested politely, not wanting to come across as his usual sarcastic self towards them. They were kind guests that needed the respect he had to give.

"Oh, of course. Will you be alright waiting here, Marinette?" Sabine questioned her daughter as she and Thomas stood up.

"Go on ahead, I'm not gonna disappear!" she assured in a bright voice, patting her parents' arms.

"Alright, we'll be back soon though." Sabine responded, taking Thomas's hand as she and him followed Alfred out into the grand front lobby of the manor.

As Marinette was about to take her seat, her ears perked up as she heard Alfred's voice rise a little as he addressed someone in the lobby.

"Ah, Miss Prince, glad you made it. Just take a seat in the living room and you'll be seen to, shortly." he stated, making Marinette frown. Neither Bruce or Alfred mentioned anyone else would be coming. Neither had she ever heard them once associating themselves with someone known as "Miss Prince".

Shortly after, in walked a young looking woman with slightly dark Caucasian skin and a pair of slim square spectacles resting on her nose. She wore a rather slim fitting buttoned up white suit jacket, a large pearl yellow necklace upon her neck, with dark trousers hugging her legs while her feet were partially bare with white sandals. Her dark hair was nearly tied into a bun on the back of her head, while her blue eyes scanned the room in wonder before settling on Marinette.

The bluenette didn't know why, but this woman seemed to have a strong sense of wisdom to her, despite her young beautiful features. A friendly smile crossed the woman's face as she spoke.

"Ah, hello. You must be the girl I've heard about. Pleasure to meet you." she greeted politely, her voice carrying a Middle Eastern accent to her.

"Hi Miss Prince." Marinette replied, shaking the woman's hand. She wasn't sure why, but she felt strangely at ease with this woman. She was the sort of person who didn't even have to try to look friendly, she just naturally did.

"Please, just call me Diana." the woman replied, "And you must be Marinette Dupain-Cheng am I right?"

"That's me." Marinette replied brightly, "Big fan of the Justice League and big supporter of Ladybug and Cat Noir back in my home city!"

"That might explain the ladybug earrings you wear then." Diana remarked, smiling.

Marinette giggled as she put a hand over her right ear. This woman clearly had very observant eyes. She seemed like the type of person who wouldn't miss a trick.

"Yeah, I pretty much wear them for that." the bluenette replied.

"I imagine. And yet, they look vaguely familiar..." Diana remarked, her voice trailing off as if something had occurred to her.

Marinette stared at this stranger quizzically. Was she indicating that she was a previous Ladybug or something? It seemed there was more to her than met the eye.

"So um...what do you do Diana and why are you seeing me right now?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

Diana giggled brightly, touched by the innocent tone of Marinette.

"Sorry for staring, I had to be sure. I knew your parents would be here, so that's why I came like this, didn't want to shock them." she explained, gesturing at her rather respectable clothing. Marinette just tilted her head and frowned in confusion.

"Um...I'm sorry, but could you be a bit clearer? Not to be rude" she pleaded, quickly changing her tone.

Diana beamed at her and flexed out her arms. "Certainly. But don't get too excited: we can't let your parents know." she winked.

Before Marinette could give out another question, her eyes went wide as Diana swiftly slammed her forearms together. Radiating from her forearms came a blast of bright yellow light, which shot harmlessly through the room, though Marinette's heart jumped in shock as she sprung to her feet. What she saw next left her utterly speechless.

Standing before her was the same woman, only her modernised clothing and glasses were gone, with her hair now loose and brushing against her bare shoulders. Silver gauntlets hugged her forearms while sleek, bright red armour clung to her torso, with a W shaped armour of yellow stretched across her breast line. A deep blue war skirt hung from her waist with silver stars added to them, while her armoured leggings stretched from her thighs to her toes, red and yellow as her torso armour, while at her hip was a looped up golden lasso.

Marinette's eyes nearly bulged out from her head in utter shock as it sunk into her on who this was.

"W-W-Wonder Woman!?" she gasped in disbelief.

"The one and only my child." Wonder Woman replied, "I had assumed you'd be quite amazed to see me."

"Amazed? That word's not enough!" Marinette squealed enthusiastically, "You're like my favourite member of the Justice League! Ohmigosh, I'm actually looking at you right now! Eeeeeeeee!"

"Please dear, there's no need for such fanfare." Wonder Woman gently replied, "Now then, I think you have a little friend that might be happy to see me."

"Really?" Marinette asked quizzically.

That was when, out of her little purse, Tikki poked her head out and yawned sleepily. She smacked her lips and rubbed her eyes groggily.

"Huuurm, Marinette, is it time to get up already?" she murmured.

The little kwami then widened her eyes as she gazed up at the mighty Amazon warrior standing before her. She hadn't expected anything like this and yet she knew who this woman was. Beaming delightedly, Tikki flew up out of the purse and nuzzled up against Wonder Woman's cheek.

"Princess Diana! Wow, I didn't expect to see you again!" Tikki exclaimed excitedly, "You look incredible! The new armour looks amazing!"

"Thanks very much little Tikki." Wonder Woman replied softly.

Marinette stared with her mouth forming a wide O as she took this in. It was incredible. She had dealt with many akuma villains, survived a fight with a god and Batman's enemies...and yet THIS was somehow more shocking than those things!

"What in the world...you two...KNOW each other?!" Marinette exclaimed, her eyes so wide that they nearly burst out of their sockets.

Both Wonder Woman and Tikki nodded brightly.

"Mm hm. We go back a long time" the latter confirmed as she sat in the Amazon's hands.

Marinette pointed a trembling finger at the princess standing before her, an excited smile twitching upwards.

"D-Does that mean...y-you were...?"

"Oh no no, not me, dear child. I was too little to wield the earrings. It was my mother. She was the Ladybug of her time." Wonder Woman explained pleasantly, getting a squeak from Tikki.

"Oh! How is your mother? I haven't heard from Hippolyta for centuries! She still looks good?" she asked eagerly.

"Heh, oh Tikki, we're from Themyscira, you know we never age after we love our teenage years." Wonder Woman snickered.

Marinette took all of this in with a feeling of wonder. She never could've anticipated something like this. The Queen of the Amazons and the mother of Wonder Woman herself had once been Ladybug? It was all so incredible and yet the French girl surprisingly found herself accepting it. She couldn't find any reason to question it. After all, the Ladybug persona went back many generations so why wouldn't it be hard to believe that an Amazon had once worn the earrings?

"I never thought I'd hear such a story." Marinette said slowly, "Tikki once bestowed her powers to an Amazon! And just when I thought her history was already fascinating!" she added, beaming delightedly.

"History has a habit of amazing and intriguing many individuals in the most unexpected of ways Marinette." Wonder Woman replied.

"So is there a reason that you're seeing me and you're telling me all of this?" Marinette asked curiously. It had just dawned on her that this all seemed to be happening and nobody had yet explained why, if there even was a reason for it.

Wonder Woman's face went stern, only slightly, as she knelt in front of Marinette and took hold of her hands.

"Master Fu might've taught you many things, Marinette, but one day Tikki will go to another holder. That and when Batman told me what Joker did to you, I realize now that you'll need training, mostly when you're not Ladybug" she informed, her voice full of wisdom and concern.

It dawned on Marinette with what the princess was talking about "You mean...you'll teach me how to fight? I'm...no good with swords...bit of a klutz really, I just gave it all I could against Joker." she giggled shyly, only to get a playful giggle from the Amazon before her.

"Don't worry, there'll be no sword training. You need to be taught the skilled ways of hand to hand combat, by the way of the Amazons. You do mostly rely on the yo-yo, but it's not always the yo-yo that's the answer, Marinette".

"I think I understand. It's one of those "it's not the weapon, it's the hand that wields it" kind of deals isn't it?" Marinette asked. She wasn't sure where that quote had come from but something told her that it was basically what Wonder Woman was saying.

"Absolutely." the Amazon princess replied, "I was taught to wield many weapons when I was trained in Themyscira. I was taught to wield swords, shields, bows and arrows, spears, axes, my Lasso of Truth and even trained to fight in unarmed combat. Sometimes all it takes to take your down your enemy is your bare hands. I will mentor you child, and I'll teach you how to be a fighter not just inside the costume, but outside of it too."

"That way when I'm moved onto my next owner, you can still be a hero without me!" Tikki piped cheerfully.

Marinette didn't much fancy the idea of having to say goodbye to Tikki. She couldn't imagine life without her and the ability to become Ladybug. But the fact that Wonder Woman, the strongest and most skilled woman who ever lived, was going to mentor her for the possibility she couldn't become Ladybug, was definitely very considerate on their part. She liked the idea of being able to take down villains without needing a Miraculous all the time. It would be useful in many situations that could arise. Beaming, Marinette shook Wonder Woman's hand.

"OK then Wonder Woman, I'm ready to go." she said, "When do we start?"

"Right now if you like." Wonder Woman replied casually, "Wayne Manor's grounds will make a fitting battlefield."

With nothing left to say, the two females and the little kwami left the room to begin the training. Marinette could feel her stomach tingle with excitement. As unexpected as this had been, she knew that her life was about to change in the most incredible way. Much like Adrien, her life was going to be more than just the wielder of a Miraculous item.

Both teens had started off being defenders of a city. And in the span of a few days, it seemed that they were going to become greater than that. Defenders of the world in fact. And there was nothing that could be more miraculous than that...

And thus we bring an end to this crossover epic. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it (and I'm surprised how many favourites this thing got! I guess a Batman/Ladybug crossover is more popular than I thought! XD) and you all stuck with me and my co-writer, Reece Wooldridge, to the end, even during our long hiatus. :D

I can't thank you guys enough for your kind feedback and your support. You've all been AWESOME! But the most thanks goes to my co-writer, Reece Wooldridge (you can find him on DeviantArt under the username "Tails-2-Me") for joining me in writing this crossover. This story wouldn't exist if he hadn't joined me. Thanks so much for joining me buddy. (hugs)

Will there be a sequel to this? No. No there won't. But we're leaving open opportunities for sequels, hence the way this ended, so we may well change our minds and do one in the future. For now though, it's the end and I hope to see you all in my next fanfics! ^^