Ripples | Miraculous Ladybug x Reader |

Timebreaker

She just wanted to have a civil conversation. Just to lay out the facts and observations and suggest training them herself. Even carving out time to have specialized regimes and giving resources they would need. That's all (Y/n) wanted to do.

"We can't trust you!" Ladybug's words cut deep as they echoed through the city for all to hear. (Y/n) knew that on this side of things, their relationship was rocky. Not the best but not the worse, still it was something she could deal with. At least (Y/n) thought she could. "You show up out of nowhere one day and expect us to believe who you say you are. And then our last fight, I almost lost my miraculous and Alya...Alya didn't deserve that. While you were MIA, probably having fun elsewhere."

"Ladybug! That's too far!" Cat Noir yelled, stepping between the two. Of course (Y/n) knew that, she knew how close it was but it was either risk exposing herself for all to see or just sitting out one stupid fight. She'd thought Ladybug might understand a bit. She thought that on the other end of that mask, where Marinette was, (Y/n) thought she would see that girl a bit more. As confident as the bluette was as Ladybug, (Y/n) thought the girl she knew was still there. The kind-hearted girl she was getting to know bit by bit. "Artemis, are you okay?"

Even with Cat Noir at her side, (Y/n)...was just unsure of this. Past doubts beginning to fill her up. She wanted nothing more than go and hide in some dark corner.

"Artemis?" As Cat Noir's clawed hand grasped hers, not in some flirty way as he so often did but there for comfort, (Y/n) took a deep breathe before continuing.

"Look, I understand that you have doubts about me. But everything I have said and even done up until this point has be genuine. I only wanted to help in any way I could. And yes, you're right so many things could have gone wrong. It's not like I want people like Alya to be akumatized." (Y/n) paused for a moment, thinking back to the day after Alya was akumatized. (Y/n) was stuck to her side, asking if things were okay, apologizing every so often for not stopping things sooner. Even as they went for food, Alya kept reassuring her it wasn't her fault. That the inspiring journalist should have known when enough was enough. And that she was glad to have a friend like (Y/n) in the first place. It put things at ease..until now. "Or I want you to lose your miraculous. It's why we're meeting like this in the first place. Because we all have faults, whether we want to admit it or not. Faults we can grow from if we do it right. So just hear me out."

"Will you Ladybug? I trust her, can't that be worth something?"

"Fine."

"Thank you." (Y/n) muttered, flashing a small smile at the duo, especially for Cat Noir for standing by her. Maybe it was the air about her in this persona that Cat Noir couldn't help but deny. Knowing it was from somewhere he couldn't quite put his finger on. Or maybe because he just had a good instinct about (Y/n), in this form at least. "But as I wanted to say, as good as you both are, especially as newbies to this, you're still new bloods in a sense. You both have talent and your potential is limitless as long as you push yourselves, which isn't the case right now. And I know you both have busy lives outside of this, I do too. I'm not asking you to drop everything and commit to this but I'm asking you guys to put a few more hours in, maybe less. I will train you both as you need to be, rather than leaving you in the dark about everything. Maybe even give you some common tactics used in battles. It'll better prepare us for what's to come, maybe even grant you both new abilities. What do you say?"

(Y/n) asked them, guestering her hand out. She looked as a mix of emotions and thoughts crossed through their eyes. She watched them turn to one another before turning back to her, opening their mouths to speak.

-------

(Y/n) groaned as she rolled out of bed, still reeling back from last night. Her sleepy eyes turning to her wall of pictures, finding the first one anyone ever took of the trio. How they stood united, each holding either a smile or smirk as they took down the baddie for the day. They looked like a team...she only wished that was the actual case.