⚠⚠⚠ (!!Warning!! Suicide, abuse, self-harm, swearing and bullying are mentioned throughout this chapter and I advise sensitive readers to be cautious reading ahead.) ⚠⚠⚠

Lots of love Abs xx

It was now lunch time and they had toured roughly the bottom half of the building, it was definitely bigger than the class thought. Marinette was yet to fully trust Nino but sitting with him at lunch wouldn't hurt? She wouldn't be alone with just her brothers.

Sitting in a chair, Nino sitting opposite. She wasn't actually going to eat but had a water bottle in hand while Nino bought a sandwich, the two ate in a comfortable silence and every now and then picking up small talk. It really wasn't all bad

As they began to converse once again, they were interrupted by an, Oh so loving girl.

"I know that we're not on good terms but I thought if we want to be civil and good friends, the most I could do is offer you some food as a sort of peace offering."

In Lila's hand, she held what looked like a normal chocolate chip cookie. Marinette had seen it when she was buying her water, but didn't find her appetite big enough to eat actual food.

Taking the cookie from her hand very slowly, she inspected the muffin before suspiciously eyeing the girl who handed it to her.

"Thanks, I guess?"

She couldn't forgive the liar for what she's done to her, all the mental and physical abuse could never be taken back and no matter what she did, Marinette would never forgive the Italian for as long as she lives.

"Aw, it was no problem. Feel free whenever you want to return the favour." Lila was gone as quick as she came, leaving the two alone again.

As soon as she was out of earshot, the two looked at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Marinette talked first,

"That was too suspicious."

"I agree, knowing Lila she probably poisoned the poor cookie."

"I know what you mean."

She stared back at the piece of biscuit sitting in her hand, spinning it and turning it upside down, inspecting it hard. Nino voiced his thoughts

"Eat it, you've only had water and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't know where to buy poison or a person who sells that sort of stuff." Marinette hummed in reply agreeing with his statement

Taking the cookie out of the tissue, she broke it in half and held one half towards the boy who narrowed his eyes at it.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

Marinette scoffed.

"If it's poisoned, I'm not dying alone Nino."

He laughed and took the cookie from her hand with no further objection.

"If it's poisoned then I'll meet you in heaven Marinette." His sentence making her let out a genuine laugh at his comment.

"If we don't die then here's to a new friendship." she held the cookie in a motion similar to how you would with a champagne glass before saying cheers

"To a new friendship."

The two cookies made quick contact following the motion of two glasses making contact after you say cheers, both of them laughing.

Taking the first bite at the same time, it seemed fine, tasted like a normal chocolate chip cookie.

She nearly swallowed before she saw her two brothers who were their tour guides entering the cafeteria where some of the employee's were having their lunch break. She waved them down with a slight smile on her face before she stopped.

Her chewing came to a halt and her smile dropped.

She turned back to Nino who was staring at her as if sensing something was wrong with her. Snatching the tissue the cookie was once wrapped in, she spat the remaining's into the tissue before hastily trying to open her water bottle. Nino watched with furrowed eyebrows before suspiciously taking another small bite of the cookie before his eyes widened.

How hadn't he tasted it before! It wasn't any ordinary chocolate chip cookie, it had cherries in the mix.

The whole class knew of Marinette's allergies after she told them she was allergic, they didn't believe her till she showed them even touching the fruit irritated her skin. Lila wasn't in the class then, someone snitched and practically wanted to kill her.

This was an actual attempt to take their lives!

Marinette began to cough and it wasn't subtle, it was hard and wouldn't stop. Her breathing followed, she began to hyperventilate and ever so slowly was she losing her breath. Nino wasn't exactly sure what to do, he'd never been in this type of situation before but knew one thing: if someone had allergies then they had an epi pen.

"Mari, I need you to point to me where you epi pen is."

Nino tried to stay calm, but in reality he was freaking out. What was he supposed to do?! Marinette didn't reply, she couldn't reply but clawed the table's edge, her eyes scrunched close as she tried to steady her breathing but all she could feel was her airways closing.

Tears began to collect in the corner of her eyes, she seemed to have caught the attention of some of the people eating as she felt several eyes on her and Nino. Not only that but the normal chatter began to die down.

"Marinette, do you have your pen on you?!"

Nino's voice came out faded to her ears, she could only form a few words.

"Marinette...

have...

on you."

the rest was gibberish.

Her coughs got harsher and she felt her skin get itchy and more irritated, if she wasn't holding onto the table for support she would be gripping her throat and itching wherever she was given access. The room got more quiet and she could practically feel people move forward to their table.

Nino was now out of his seat trying to pry out any sort of word out of Marinette to where her pen would be, despite not knowing how to use it, he knew it could do something and right now something was better than nothing. The crowd around her table seemed to catch Jason and Dick's attention, it was only right of them to check.

As they approached the table, they could slowly make out the harsh coughs and jagged breaths but couldn't make out who from the crowded people. The employee's moved, making way for the previous CEO's of WE, they were still important people and had their respect.

As they reached the table, the first thing they saw made them stop in their tracks, Marinette was crouched down in her seat, gripping the table to hard her knuckles were white. Her coughs sounded as if it was killing her throat, her breath nearly none existent as if she no longer had lungs, both mixing as her wheezes became distorted.

As Dick ran to her side, he tried to get out words from her to understand what happened for her to end up like this, he hated to see his sister like this. While Jason went to Nino who was out of his seat.

"What happened to her?" His voice held concern but was strict enough to get words out of him.

"She ate the cookie, it had cherries in it-" before he could even finish his explanation Jason's eyes went wide and whispered under her breath.

"She's allergic to cherries."

Nino wasn't able to give an answer despite it sounding like a statement more than a question, Jason turned around and stared at his elder brother and baby sister.

"She's having an allergic reaction. Where's her pen Dick?" His voice was slightly frantic.

The eldest Wayne brother looked up at his brother and processed the words 'She's having an allergic reaction'

He picked up her shoulders so that Marinette was at least sitting up, her hands now clawing at her neck as the other hand went all around her body trying to itch something, anything. Her eyes opened to show her bluebell eyes as they glistened with tears, they held desperation. Marinette never felt more helpless in her life, she was practically strangling herself, she was losing oxygen and was finding it near impossible to keep her eyes open.

She felt the presence of her brothers, the presence of half the cafeteria, but she felt numb. Her throat was tingling and she could feels her airways closing, preventing herself from breathing and allowing oxygen into her lungs. She felt her skin tingle as it felt like pins and needles, she just wanted to scratch it all day till the feeling disappeared.

As her eye lids began to close, the words around her began to fade away till she was able to interpret something, the words 'epi pen'. She knew where it was, but she didn't have the strength to move her arms to open her purse, she didn't have the strength to open her mouth and muster words, that was almost impossible right now.

She forced her eyes back open and stared back into her brothers, before eyeing her purse that sat on her shoulders. His eyes followed hers and immediately understood. He hastily opened her purse and was met with her pen. When she was first given the pen, her whole family was taught how to administrate it in any dire case, Dick's relieved he remembered how to.

Her eyelids became droopy as she felt a single prick in her thigh. She couldn't muster anything but pain. It had been forever since she last had an allergic reaction and she couldn't remember this pain, its not the same pain as the one she feels when in battle.

She felt herself being picked up, she heard someone shouting to move out the way. She felt herself being placed on a cold surface but it was all a blur. She was being asked questions but she couldn't answer, she couldn't open her mouth, she felt paralysed.

One thing she could remember was that familiar laugh of the one and only Lila Rossi, along with the rest of her mindless class. It resonated through her mind, it echoed and it was all she could hear as everything went black.