Chapter Text
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, Marinette's room
A buzzing alarm sounded off next to her head. Groaning, Marinette blearily slapped in the direction of the sound, desperate to make it stop. Her mother's voice echoed up the stairs into her room, voice pitched in concern. "Marinette! Your alarm has been going off for fifteen minutes, you'll be late for your first day at school."
Pulling herself out from under her blanket with a sleepy expression, Marinette answered back. "Got it mom." She unhurriedly made her way down to the rest of the house. "Coming."
'Uugghh… late. I really gotta fix my schedule.' She thought, reflexively moving to pull her hair into a ponytail.
Smiling softly at her mother, she pressed a kiss to Sabine's cheek, before pouring herself a simple breakfast of cereal. "I'm looking forward to spending the day with Chloe."
"Oh, seeing the two of you so happy together does my heart good." Sabine replied, calmly mixing something in a bowl as Marinette added chocolate powder to her cereal. She didn't comment on the fact her daughter was still in her pajamas… not yet at least.
Marinette rolled her eyes playfully. "I still don't know why someone as connected and influential as Chloe would pick the daughter of a pair of bakers… no offense, mama."
"Some taken." Sabine replied in a faux-offended tone, before giggling goodnaturedly. "Don't worry, I understand; the worry of feeling that someone with so much wouldn't have time for you is a powerful fear, and it's completely natural. Just appreciate what you have now, sweetie."
Marinette gave her mother a cheerful grin, sitting the cocoa powder down, only for her eyes to widen as an orange rolled off the fruit bowl into what could only be described as a natural Rubes Goldberg machine, culminating in two pats of butter being sent flying and the milk being spilt. 'Oh no… just my luck, I guess.'
Any further spiraling into self-deprecation was quickly cut off by Sabine calmly wiping Marinette's cheek, her lack of concern reassuring Marinette and dispelling her worries. She was right, it's just a little spill.
Her breakfast eaten, Marinette moved to get dressed. She wasn't all that big on makeup, but a little bit of mascara and blush brought out her eyes and cheeks, just like Chloe had showed her. She considered getting on her more casual outfit, a floral shirt paired with a gray jacket and pink pants, only to spy the latest ensemble Chloe had bought for her, a small knot of guilt eating at her when she saw how expensive it looked.
She knew that if she didn't wear it, Chloe wouldn't say anything, and would probably pull back on the presents (something Marinette was often privately grateful for). But she ALSO knew that Chloe would see her, a big grin on her face as she prepared to take in how "fabulous" she had made Marinette look, only for her face to fall and her to close herself off for a few minutes. Every time, without fail.
Only hesitating for a few seconds more, she took Chloe's gift, and put it on, even as her face flushed in embarrassment at wearing something like this to her first day of school and not something more… fancy, she guessed? Like a date, or a school dance.
A familiar patriotic hum drew her attention as she went downstairs, giggling at the sight of her big bear of a dad gently packing a collection of baked goods with a degree of delicateness that most were surprised to learn the larger man possessed. She gasped in delight at the sight of the honey-flavored Macarons, six in total, sitting in a small box. "Dad, these are so awesome!"
"I'm glad you like them." Tom beamed, shutting the box and gently pressing it into Marinette's hands.
"Thank you, Dad, Chloe and Sabrina are going to love these!" She cheered, unable to stop herself from doing a little dance, only to still as she counted again. "But isn't six a bit much? I mean, none of us would MIND having two each, but having more than one snack a day always makes Chloe stress about her weight."
"Well… your mother and I have been talking," Tom began, silently asking Sabine for backup, only to get a knowing glance in reply. "And we thought… Well, three of them are for you, Chloe, and Sabrina. The other three are meant for gifts for any new friends you make today."
Marinette's smile grew just slightly more fragile. "And… if I don't make any new friends…?"
"These Macarons are a promise that that won't happen, sweetie." Sabine finally chimed in, sparing Tom from the stress of trying to manage Marinette's self-esteem issues. "You have such a big, beautiful heart, and today's a new school year. We don't have any doubts you'll make more friends today… This box is our statement to that effect."
Marinette blinked back the water in her eyes as she drew her parents in for a hug. "Thanks. You guys are the best."
"WE'RE the best; thanks to your amazing design." Tom replied, gently ruffling Marinette's hair as he pulled out the new logo for their bakery Marinette had designed for them. Grinning from ear to ear, Marinette leapt up for a tighter hug, momentarily forgetting about the box of Macarons… which Tom caught with deceptively graceful footwork before returning it. Giving her parents a thanks and a kiss each, Marinette took off, Macarons in one hand and her backpack in the other.
"See you tonight!" She called over her shoulder as she ran off, just barely keeping herself from barreling into a car by the skin of her teeth. 'Sometimes I wish we DIDN'T live so close to the street… what is that man DOING!?' She felt her eyes goggle at the sight of an elderly man wearing a Hawaiian shirt that made her fashion-sense SCREAM tiredly walking across the road… while traffic was still oncoming!! People were just standing there, not doing anything, why weren't they helping!? They didn't even look concerned, just tapping away at their phones. Scowling, Marinette zipped forward, pulling the man to her side of the street, taking a moment to give a poisonous sneer at the folks who had stood by, as well as the car that couldn't be bothered to stop for a tired man crossing the street. She committed their faces to memory, promising that any orders they got from HER family's store would find them mysteriously at the bottom of the cue.
"Thank you, miss! That was nearly a disaster." The man spoke up, staring up at Marinette in a look of mixed gratitude and… concern? Oh, she still had her angry face visible.
Sighing, she forced herself to relax away the biting, screaming anger at how callous the people around her had been, doing her best to send him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm well acquainted with disasters." She confided, even as she subconsciously clutched the precious box tighter to her chest. "I'm just glad you're alright."
"That was a truly heroic thing to do." He observed, even as Marinette blushed.
"I just did what anyone SHOULD do, really." She sighed, opening the box. This wasn't what they were for but… after what this man had been through, he deserved it. "You can take one if you want; there from my family's bakery, I can always get more."
Her words did nothing to prevent the man from looking touched at her generosity, delicately picking up a single Macaron to eat. "Delicious."
Smiling at his appreciation of her family's work, Marinette snapped her head up in shock at the distant ringing of the school bell. "Oh no, I'm gonna be late! Have a nice day sir, take care!"
As Marinette ran off into the distance, an almost mischievous glance came to the man's eyes as he held up a small octangular box to his gaze. Slowly turning around, he took stock of the building he had seen her exit, clearly being her family's bakery. "Thank you very much, young lady." 'Yes… she has promise.'
The remains of his spell dissipating around him, he walked off, the individuals without the will to peek through suddenly much more alert, wondering if something had just occurred.
College Francoise Dupont
Racing across the courtyard, Marinette made a beeline for her classroom, desperately grateful that Chloe's gift hadn't included HEELS. Unfortunately, just as she thought she was about to make a clean entry… she tripped on the edge of the door frame, only long experience keeping her from face planting into the ground. As her balance corrected, she briefly met the gaze of her teacher, Caline Bustier, who was in the middle of rearranging seats.
"Nino, why don't you try sitting in the front this year?" She asked, the music-loving boy in question dramatically pulling himself out of his preferred seat in the back with a slump to his shoulders.
As he moodily plopped himself down with a pout, Marinette rolled her eyes as she sat in her OWN preferred seat, confidant she wouldn't be requested to move… only for a well-manicured hand to slap down in front of her. "And just WHAT do you think you're doing here…"
Marinette rolled her eyes, before glancing up at the satisfied smirk of her girlfriend. "...Without giving me a good morning kiss!"
Laughing gleefully, Chloe threw herself down next to Marinette, shoving her over before her arms wrapped around the biracial girl's shoulders, peppering her face in kisses.
"C-Chloe, cut it out!" Marinette laughed, face flushed a deep red at Chloe's bold display.
"Considering you were, once again, late this morning AND failed to greet Chloe at the front steps, I do believe you owe her this." Sabrina cheekily replied, having deftly snatched away the box of treats with the ease of long experience. There wasn't any sense in any of the delicious treats getting crushed by Chloe's energetic Public Displays of Affection, that would be a waste. "Let me guess, you forgot to set your alarm?"
"Nope, I slept THROUGH it this time." Marinette informed the brainy redhead, unbothered by Chloe practically sitting in her lap.
"Oh, poor baby!" Chloe practically simpered, burying her head into Marinette's collar, before snapping her head up. "Honestly, you should just let me buy you a better alarm, or something. Always being late when you live so close to school is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"
Marinette held back a sigh of frustration at the coming rehash of an old argument. "Chloe, I'm fine with what I have."
'You don't have to spend money on me' went unsaid; Chloe NEVER took that well.
She clapped her hands. "So, what's on the agenda today, girls?"
"Adrien's arriving today, his first day from being home schooled!" Sabrina stated, mind buzzing with excitement at the thought of meeting Chloe's oldest friend. "Chloe hasn't been able to stop talking about it since yesterday."
"Sabrina!" Chloe whined.
Marinette grinned, playing along. "Oh, my girlfriend speaks so fondly of another man? Where is this cur so that I may duel him for the liberties he has taken!"
Sabrina and Marinette shared a laugh, Chloe pouting even as she snuggled ever deeper into the beautiful red cloth of the gift she had gotten for Marinette. It looked stunning on her, as Chloe knew it would, and it had the benefit of feeling amazing against the skin for when you wanted to drown out humiliation by cuddling with your girlfriend, like Chloe was currently doing.
"I-I'm sorry, I'll stop. It's not often that I'm the one who gets to tease you, after all!" Marinette laughed, giving Chloe a peck on the cheek. "I'm looking forward to meeting him, don't worry. You aren't planning on leaving me for him, are you?"
"Never." Chloe replied, dead serious.
"Then there's nothing to worry about! It should be fun seeing the two of you catch up; you haven't seen each other since you were little kids, right?" Marinette asked, Sabrina nodding her head over her shoulder.
Chloe turned up her nose with a smirk. "Indeed. I'm sure he'll be glad to see ME again, and I get to show off my girlfriend to him! Just picture it, the four of us taking this school by storm, I can't wait! We'll even get to share seats!"
As Chloe cheered with an almost childish glee, Marinette spotted one crucial flaw in this plan. As had Sabrina. "Um… Chloe?"
"Yes?"
"The desks only seat three people. Maximum." Sabrina reported, tapping the desk that they were sharing for emphasis. Even with Chloe pressing as tightly against Marinette as she could, there wasn't enough room for a fourth person.
Not that this stopped Chloe from snorting dramatically, slipping her shades down dramatically. "Oh no, whatever shall I do? If only there was a comfy cutie's lap I could use-"
"Ahem! Ms. Bourgeois, please refrain from using Ms. Dupain-Cheng as your chair. Again." Ms. Bustier called out, an understanding but firm look upon her face as she stared Chloe down from the front of the room. Face flushed with embarrassment at being caught in the act, Chloe hauled herself off Marinette, a muffled laugh ringing around the classroom. Chloe grit her teeth.
"Well, that plan was a bust." Sabrina observed, pushing up her glasses from the bridge of her nose. "If I may make a suggestion?"
"Go ahead, 'Brina." Marinette encouraged, patting Chloe's head to console her over her humiliation.
"Why not have Marinette move seats for the year?" Sabrina offered.
"WHAT!?!" Chloe shouted, shooting to her feet in outrage.
"Ms. Bourgeois, Sit. DOWN. This is your second warning for today." Caline announced, a stern note entering her voice. Chloe complied, even as her face went scarlet from being called out so publicly, the sound of Alix practically cackling behind her setting her nerves on fire.
She shoved her face forward, low to the desk, her voice coming out as a hiss. "Sabrina, what the heck do you mean!? Why would you want Mari to move!?"
"I don't want her to move… I just think it's the best choice." Sabrina said firmly, her serious expression ruined by the Macaron crumbs around her lips. She hadn't been able to resist temptation. "You need me to help you take notes, so I can't move. There's no way you'd ever pass up the chance to reconnect with Adrien at the earliest possibility, and as much as you'd love showing off your love life to him, Adrien can meet Marinette at any time. But you'll never get another first day reunion with him again."
As Chloe bit her lip with indecision, clearly seeing the truth of Sabrina's words but not wanting to admit it, a slow, low whine began to slip between her teeth. Only for Marinette's hand to press against the yellow jacket Chloe refused to part with, fingers gently needing Chloe's shoulder. "Babe? It's fine, I can move. I wouldn't want to come between you and your childhood friend meeting up again."
Sighing, Chloe allowed her forehead to hit the desk, defeated. "Fiiinnnneee."
Rolling her eyes goodnaturedly at Chloe's dramatics, Marinette pressed a Macaron into her fingers, which Chloe closed around on reflex, before making her way to a new seat… and her eyes locked onto the flannel clad form of the new girl. Sitting down, she gave the other girl a polite smile and extended a hand for a shake. "Hi, I'm Marinette. My hobbies are baking and fashion-design. You?"
Arching a brow at Marinette's forward greeting, the new girl bit back a snort as she shook her hand, neither noticing the sound of Chloe's nails digging into the wood from the row back. "Alya Cesaire. Journalism and superheroes for me, and if it's cool if I admit to overhearing your conversation… I'm pretty sure these desks are for two people, not three."
Marinette laughed. "You know that, I know that, but good luck convincing Chloe of that. Macaron?"
Beaming at the treat, Alya accepted it with a laugh of her own. "Girl, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."
"Alright, has everyone found a seat?" Ms. Bustier asked, hoping to get everything settled and orderly before anything else could take place.
"So, you like superheroes?" Marinette asked, curious since she'd never been very invested on the subject herself. Chloe, on the other hand…
"You know it! My fave's got to be Majestia. She says that all it takes for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. My goal in life is to never do nothing in the face of evil." Alya grinned, showing off a news report on her phone of Majestia giving an interview. "I actually saw this interview on TV; it's what got me into journalism!"
"That's so cool! I kinda wish I had a reason for being into stuff like that. I just thought knitting was neat and it grew from there." Mairnette admitted.
"Hey, it doesn't matter WHY you start something, so long as you honestly love it. Don't stress about it, girl. I gotta ask, what's the story between you and tall, blonde, and loud over there?" Alya asked, having gotten a firsthand look at Chloe's affectionate side.
"Me and Chloe? Well, we met each other four years ago… and she spent the next two years doing everything she could to ask me out." Marinette recalled, chin resting in her hands as a soft blush came to her face as all of Chloe's romantic shenanigans came back to her. "Sometimes it was crazy, sometimes it was dumb… but she did anything and everything she could think of to ask me out. Except for, you know, asking me out. Which I totally would've done in her shoes, totally!"
Alya raised an eyebrow, smirking at Marinette's insistent declaration. "Well, I gotta say, you two look cute together."
Caline's chalk finished sketching across the front of the class, her last name spelled out in bold, big letters for everyone to see. "For those of you who don't know me yet, I am Ms. Bustier, and will be teaching you this year."
As Ms. Bustier continued her introduction, Chloe couldn't help but keep glancing at the door, growing more and more antsy. "Ugh, he should've been here already." A look of concern crossed her features. "You don't think… he changed his mind, right?"
Sabrina gave her a supportive rub on her back. "I'm sure that's not it. Maybe he got stuck in traffic?"
Meanwhile, outside of the school, Adrien Agreste, local celebrity and teen model, raised his way to the steps. He had been lucky to slip out of his house, and wasn't going to let anything stop him now… only for one of his father's vehicles to pull up in a flash, his bodyguard and Ms. Sancoeur, his father's secretary, stepping out. "Adrien, listen to me, this isn't what your father wants!"
Turning back to her, even as she and his bodyguard closed in, he replied in sorrowful determination. "But this is what I want to do!"
Any further thought of getting into the school was cut off by the sound of a weak gasp of pain cutting across the distance. Snapping his head to the side, Adrien's eyes widened in shock at the sight of an old man collapsed on the ground, weakly reaching for a wooden cane. Steeling himself, he rush over, helping the man up as he pressed the cane into his grip. The man gave him a quiet thanks as Adrien moved back, not wanting either The Gorilla or Nathalie to crowd the man.
As she stepped forward, Adrien bit back a cry of frustration at his plan to go to school go up in smoke. Nathalie put on a sympathetic look, stepping forward. "Adrien, your father merely wants what's best for you, to keep you safe. Could you really enjoy being here, knowing what your decision does to him?"
"Please don't tell my father about this." Adrien quietly begged, hands balled into fists at the sheer frustration bubbling up within. "All I wanted was to be able to go to school like everyone else; is that really so wrong?"
Without a word, Nathalie ushered Adrien back to the car, The Gorilla keeping himself alert for any possible threats. As the trio piled in and drove off, Fu gave them a look of mild concern; the boy had potential, as much as the girl who had passed his test… but his heart was clouded with indecision and fought with itself over what path to follow. He would've considered giving a second, proper test… but he had no time. Resolve hardening, Fu slung his cane over his shoulder, walking off with a whistle.
The bell rang, bringing the current period to a close. Ms. Bustier gave her final announcements as the students got ready to leave. "Those of you who have P.E., Mr. D'Argencourt is expecting you at the stadium. The rest of you can head over to the library-"
The rest of Ms. Bustier's announcement was cut off by an angry shout from Ivan. "KIIIMM!"
Looking up in shock, she was surprised and worried to see Ivan rearing back his fist, the normally gentle young man having an ugly look of rage across his features as he held Kim's hoody within his fist. "Ivan, what is going on?!"
Shocked, Ivan let his grip on Kim's hoody slack, Kim falling back into his seat. "It's Kim! I'm so gonna get-"
"Ivan." Caline called out, voice hard. The look she sent Kim kept whatever taunts he was about to make die on his tongue, before focusing on the larger young man. "Please go to the Principal's office, and inform him of what's happening. Kim, meanwhile, will be meeting with me after school to explain just what he has done to provoke this reaction in you."
As Ivan stalked off, Kim finally found his tongue. "Aw what? What'd I do?"
"That is what I intend to find out." Caline said pointedly. Still, this wasn't enough for Ivan, who angrily balled a piece of paper in his fist, stalking off with a huff.
As soon as Ivan and Kim left, Chloe zoomed to the desk. "Ms. Bustier!! Why hasn't Adrien showed up yet!? He missed all of the first period!"
"I'm afraid I don't know, Chloe. And even if I did know, short of anything he or his family deem necessary to share, I would not be at liberty to say." Caline replied with a regretful, yet stern tone of voice. "I do apologize that I am not of much help at this stage… but I trust we won't see any more outbursts today?"
Chloe bit back several choice comments, grudgingly recognizing what Caline was trying to say. "Yes, Ms. Bustier…"
Displeased, but unwilling to get on Ms. Bustier's bad side, Chloe stormed off, eager to catch up with Marinette and the new girl. When she found them in the Library, Marinette enthusiastically waved her over. Catching Sabrina's eye, Chloe discretely signaled her to step back and wait for her move.
"Hi, Mari-berry! Whose this I see, taking my spot next to you?" Chloe asked, voice deceptively light.
"Chloe, this is Alya. She's aspiring to be a journalist, and has been teaching me some of the ins and outs of investigating sources and finding credible information." Marinette replied, even as Alya felt something tickle the back of her mind at Chloe's tone.
Chloe gave a surprised gasp, an excited smile plastered across her features as she smooshed her face against Marinette's cheek. "A journalist!? That's SO interesting!! Hey, why don't you go find her a book on fashion and design, since she's been so generous as to share who she is, it's only good to return the favor, isn't it?"
Marinette agreed, rushing off. Alya, starting to feel more than a little worried about all this, made to follow after her… only for a sudden foot to send her plummeting. "OW! Hey, what the heck!?"
Chloe stared down into Alya's irate expression, a mocking grin stretched across her features. "Oh, I'm SO sorry, you were so insignificant, I didn't notice you in the path of my foot!"
"Yeah, you really should be watching where you're going. You can't expect someone as important as Chloe to take time out of her busy schedule to accommodate you!" Sabrina added, peaking over Chloe's shoulder with an impish laugh.
"You… YOU!!" Alya snarled, staggering to her feet. "What is your problem!?"
"For starters: How much do I need to pay you so that you leave Mari alone." Chloe bluntly replied, idly checking over her nails as if they were the most important thing in the room, which to her, they were! She scowled at the paint being chipped. She'd need to touch them up tonight.
Alya's eyebrow twitched furiously. "Blondie, you got ten seconds to explain what you mean, before I deck you across the face."
"Do that, and I'll sue. But fine!" Chloe sighed dramatically, pressing the heel of her hand against her forehead. "I knew since the moment we met that Mari was someone truly, genuinely exceptional, far better then this school deserves. And I knew I had to make her mine, to keep her safe from all the peasants and leeches that would try and drag her down. I've gotten quite good at making sure the REST of these losers," she gestures to the students around them, who all either cower away or send nasty looks Chloe's way, "understand how things work. But then YOU had to come along; another desperate little leech looking to take MY Mari's hard work and effort and exploit it. So let's just cut to the chase and get rid of the middle man; I pay you however much you think you can get off of airing Mari's secrets and gossip online or in whatever tabloid you work for, and in exchange we never have to see each other again. Deal?"
…If Alya were a superhero, then she knew without any shadow of a doubt that Chloe would be her supervillain. Smug, self-serving, cruel… and she claimed that keeping Marinette all alone was done for her benefit!? "I don't know who you think you are, but you don't know squat about me. And you don't know squat about Marinette either. If you think you can bribe me to give up on a friend, you've got another thing coming! So go ahead, pull whatever dumb pranks you think will be big enough to break me; no matter how long it takes me, I'm gonna show Marinette who you REALLY are."
"Oh, I'd LOVE to see you try!" Chloe mocked, grinning mercilessly at Alya's furious expression, before it brightened into something more genuine at the sight of something behind her. She began frantically waving over Alya's head. "Yoohoo, Mari! Alya has something she wants to say to you~!"
"Hey babe!" Marinette called back, lacing her fingers with Chloe's before planting a soft kiss on her lips. The two exchanged mutually lovestruck looks before Marinette turned a happy look Alya's way. "So, what'd you want to tell me?"
Alya froze, not expecting to be put on the spot so quickly… but one look at Chloe's mocking expression over Marinette's shoulder hardened her resolve. "Marinette-"
"KKIIIIMMM!!"
A distorted roar containing Ivan's voice cut them off, the weight of something incredibly heavy landing outside sending all four girls tumbling to the ground. Scrambling to the window, the quartet watched in shock as a hulking figure of stone landed on the ground outside the school, roaring ferociously.
Principal Damocles' voice could be heard above as he spoke with someone on the phone. "Hello, is this the Police? Get me the army!"
"W-What's going on!? That thing had… Ivan's voice?" Marinette asked, shock still coloring her tone.
"Mari, hold me!" Chloe cried, clinging to Marinette in panic.
Sabrina, meanwhile, dialed her phone. "I'll get my dad on the line, he can do something."
"It's as if he's been transformed… into a real life supervillain!" Alya practically squeed, her earlier thoughts of confronting Chloe and revealing her true colors to Marinette forgotten in the haze of her superhero obsession. "GPS Check, Battery Check. I'm so out of here!"
"Wait, Alya, where are you-" Marinette began, only for Chloe to cut her off.
"Forget it! If she wants to put her own life at risk, let her, the important thing right now is getting you to safety." Chloe stated, her and Sabrina working together to throw Marinette over their shoulders and drag her out.
Agreste Mansion
Fu stared down at the second of the two boxes he was distributing today. While he wasn't as certain about this choice as he would like… he trusted his instincts, and they told him this boy would be a worthy holder. If worse came to worst… he could always take it back, even if it would leave him with a heavy heart.
As Adrien answered one of the history lessons supplied by his homeschooling curriculum, his father, Gabriel Agreste, marched through the doors, staring down his son imperiously. "You are NOT going to school, I have already told you. Everything you need can be found right here, where I can keep an eye on you."
Adrien sent a look of betrayal Nathalie's way, before attempting to defend himself. "But father-"
"I will not have you outside in that dangerous world." Gabriel coldly insisted, an almost possessive note entering his voice as he stared down Adrien's expression of desperation.
Adrien would not be deterred. "But it's not dangerous out there, why can't I go out and make friends like everyone else!?"
"Because you are not like everyone else, you are my son." Gabriel left, ending any further conversation. He would not tolerate rebellion.
Running up to his room, Adrien buried his head into his pillow, tears of sorrow and frustration staining the fabric, until heavy rumbling caught his attention. Ears pricking in interest, he went to his window, following the sound of police vehicles and sirens. His eyes went wide at the sight of some kind of... stone monster thing marched past, growling.
As the transformed Ivan slowly rampaged through the city, he came across a blockade of Police Officers, roaring at them. With a call of 'Fire!' by Chief Raincomprix, a barrage of bullets assaulted the warped young man… who was completely unharmed. Howling in anger, he grew in size, and sent his foes scattering, picking up a vehicle and hurling it at the officers, Raincomprix scrambling for safety.
Meanwhile, reporters were gathered in front of a podium, all eyes on the unusually stern Mayor Bourgeois. As he did his best to speak over the crowd before him, none could notice the subtle sweat of worry coating his brow. "I'm asking all Parisians to stay home until this situation is under control."
His words acting as some form of trigger, the reporters began to swarm, demanding his attention. This clip would later be played on TVM News, under the observation of Nadja Chamek, concern and focus coloring her features. "As you all can see, Paris is indeed under the attack of a confirmed Supervillain." She gestured to the screen beside her, now showing an image of Stoneheart angrily rampaging through the streets, cars sent flying as he vented his anger upon them. His destination? Unknown. "The police have been struggling to keep the situation under control."
As she relayed the report, the view switched to a reporter on the scene, currently in an interview with Chief Raincomprix, now sporting a sling for his arm, face subtly tightening from pain. Even still, he refused to let his injuries keep him from his duty. "Be confident that the strong arm of the law will come crashing down on-" in his haste to reassure people, however, he accidentally moved his injured arm, a flash of agony shooting up through his shoulder. "-I mean the other arm…"
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie
As the reporter continued, Chloe clung to Marinette in a vice grip, her nails digging into Marinette's bicep as she tried to comfort her blonde girlfriend. Sabrina's knees were drawn up to her chest, face pale, at the sight of her father's arm injured in such a way. Chloe's normal confidence shattered as she let her cheek fall onto Marinette's shoulder, desperate for comfort. "A-Are we gonna be okay?"
"We'll be fine." Sabrina replied, voice stronger than one would expect given her current state. With a deep exhale, she forced her legs to relax, wincing as her feet shakily touched the ground. "My dad… getting hurt… is all part of the job. He and Mayor Bourgeois will find a way to fix this, I just know it."
"No matter what happens, I'm here for you, Chlo." Marinette softly stated, a blush creeping across Chloe's face as her girlfriend gently stroked her thumb across the back of Chloe's hand, their fingers interlaced.
"As sweet as this is," Sabine's voice piped up, drawing the now embarrassed couple's gaze to their left, where Marinette's parents were giving them looks of mixed amusement and worry. "I believe it's time for Chloe and Sabrina to head home for now."
"WHAT!? But Auntie Sabine!" Chloe whined, accidentally crushing the air from Marinette's lungs as she pulled her into a tight bearhug. "How are we supposed to stay safe with that icky monster running around!?"
"We'd love to have the two of you take shelter here, believe me, except… your ride's already here." Tom finished miserably, gesturing out the window to where Chloe's limo was waiting, her butler patiently awaiting his charge's arrival.
At the sight, a brief look of loss came over Chloe, before her face scrunched up in mulish anger and stubborn pride. Only to deflate at the unimpressed look Sabrina sent her way. Sullenly, she pulled herself to her feet. "Fine… I guess we're going, then."
"And she's in a mood, now… better call ahead to let the staff know to send up her faves." Sabrina sighed, giving a grateful nod to Tom and Sabine. "Thank you for letting us stay as long as we have, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng."
"Any time, Sabrina. Oh, and take some donuts for your dad!" Tom cheerfully replied, handing the baker's dozen box to the bookish girl. She took a moment to stare, dumbfounded, at the box… before bursting out laughing. Ever since her dad had taken that short trip to the States, he's done his best to live up to the stereotype about cops, and would genuinely appreciate the attempt at improving his mood. She appreciated it too.
Feeling bold, she gave Sabine a one-armed hug. Blinking for a moment, Sabine reciprocated, before sending the red-headed girl on her way. With their guests gone, Sabine turned to her daughter, eyes filled with empathy. "We'll give you some time alone, sweetie. Don't worry, we have every hope things will work out for the better."
"Thanks, mom." Marinette replied, making her way back up the stairs to her room. With Chloe gone and likely not going to be contacting her in a way that would result in Marinette being seen for the rest of the day, she wasted no time in trading the nerve-wracking fancy outfit for something more… her. A white shirt with a floral decal, a pair of pink pants, and a dark gray jacket. Casual. Normal. A tension she didn't know was present drained out of her with a sigh. "What a way to start the new school year."
Suddenly, a shape she distinctly did NOT recall being there before caught her eye. An octagonal box sitting in front of her computer. As she crept towards it, she considered that it might be a present from Chloe… and then discarded the thought. If it had been from Chloe, she would've shouted to the heavens and shoved it in her face, eagerly awaiting Marinette's reaction.
"What is this…?" She wondered, unaware that, across town, a young model was wondering the same thing as he picked up an identical box off of his coffee table. Neither were prepared for what happened next.
As each flipped the lid, exposing a pair of earrings to Marinette and a ring to Adrien respectively, both became enveloped in a gleaming orb of light… which shot into the air, before condensing down into a tiny form. Marinette gasped, pulling back as the form solidified into a, frankly, adorable red and black creature with an almost insect-like appearance, minus having big, baby-doll eyes. A pair of antenna twitched upon their head as they stared at Marinette, unnervingly focused. She screamed. "Help!!"
Flinging herself back, Marinette clung to the wooden post in her room like a lifeline, pointing frantically in reflex at the strange being that had appeared before her. "It's- It's a giant bug!! A- A mouse. A Bug-Mouse!!"
"Everything's okay!" The 'bug-mouse' insisted, the soft, gentle voice that would normally be soothing to Marinette only making her panic worse. She flew into a loop, zipping closer so that Marinette could see her sincerity. "Don't be scared!"
Needless to say, this did not work. Marinette demonstrated WHY this did not work by taking the various odds and ends upon her desk and hurling them at the strange being in her room like there was no tomorrow. As she panicked, the figure could only cry out for her to stop.
"Listen Marinette." The floating being tried to say, weaving between Marinette's desperately hurled objects. "I know," Dodge "everything may seem a bit strange to you, but-"
At this point, Marinette had officially reached her limit. Desperately grabbing atop her dresser, she managed to grab a jar, and proceeded to trap the being within.
Said being gave a soft sigh, resigned, but understanding. "Okay, if that makes you feel safer-"
"What ARE you? And how do you know my name?" Marinette cut in, eyes furrowed in suspicion. Internally, she was still freaking out a bit… but having managed to catch the little being gave her a sense of control. Of being the one in charge of this whole fiasco rather than merely dancing on someone else's strings.
"I'm a Kwami, and my name is Tikki!" The now-named Tikki replied, unbothered by Marinette's suspicion towards her. It was understandable, after all, but they simply didn't have the time! "Now just let me explain!"
Marinette stared down at the tiny bug mou- no, the Kwami. She… she couldn't handle this. She turned to the hatch leading to the rest of the house. "Mom! Dad!"
Tikki's eyes widened in shock. This wasn't part of the plan! In a panic, she burst through the glass, forgetting to phase through it. "No, sshh, no!" She hovered protectively in front of Marinette's face, desperate beyond measure to get her to stop, to pull back and reconsider. "I'm your friend, Marinette. You must trust me! You're the only one who can stop the Akuma! You were chosen to be the hero of the Ladybug Miraculous!"
"This has to be some mistake!" Marinette insisted, refusing to meet Tikki's gaze as she stared down into her hands. "What kind of superpower could I have? I'm awkward, I'm clumsy, people try and take advantage of me all the time… what kind of hero could I be?"
She sighed, huddling in on herself. "Chloe would know, maybe Alya would too… they'd both make great superheroes." She perked up. "Hey, wait! Why don't I introduce you to them? Either one of them would be a great choice; Chloe's my girlfriend, and I don't know anyone braver, she'd be great at stepping up to save the day, and she's," Marinette pauses, an infatuated blush staining her cheeks, "really, really good at inspiring people when she tries. Alya is my friend, well I hope she's still my friend after today," She flinched at the memories of past friendships severed, the tears she'd cried into Chloe's shoulder at the rejection sent her way, and the worries that Alya would join the list of people who'd turned their backs on her, "She's been studying heroes for I don't even know how long and knows a ton about what goes into being one!"
"Marinette!" Tikki sternly stated, flying into her chosen wielder's nervous expression. "You're the chosen one!"
Marinette paused, paralyzed with fear... and hesitantly nodded. With a joyish squeal, Tikki began to explain, doing her best to summarize considering the time constraints they were under.
Marinette glanced down at the earrings in her hand, still unsure how little trinkets like this could be magical artifacts. Calling upon her years of translating Chloe's babbling when the blonde got worked up over something, she reviewed what Tikki had told her, uncertainly fixing the earrings in place. Who knew Chloe insisting on them both getting piercings would turn out to be useful? "So all I have to do is break the object, and catch the Akuma thing when it leaves its hiding place? A-And can I just comment on how weird it is that the thing turning Ivan into a monster is called an Akuma, which is also what he is now??"
"It's best to think of the Akuma as the true form of the villain. Ivan is merely its prisoner, brainwashed to act on his darkest, most painful emotions. He probably isn't even aware of what's happening, just on doing what he thinks will make the pain stop." Tikki sorrowfully replied, antenna drooping at the thought of Nooroo's power once more being used for evil. "You MUST catch the Akuma when it is released, and ensure you have the Lucky Charm ready."
"Right, the charm thing. What's the deal with it again?" Marinette couldn't help but ask. She was putting on a brave front, but… she was still totally freaking out.
"It's your secret superpower!" Tikki cheerfully informed her, glad to have a distraction from Nooroo's predicament.
"Oohh… how am I gonna keep track of all this out there!?" Marinette despaired, her worries and anxiety unable to be contained any further. "Why was I chosen? I'm not anyone important, I'm just a girl with a knack for fashion and a rich girlfriend. What is it that made someone think clumsy, timid little me could do… do ANYTHING to stop that monster!?"
"Marinette…" Tikki whispered, eyes shining with empathy. Emboldened, she flew to Marinette's side, and gently stroked her cheek, doing the best she could to comfort her new wielder despite her worries. "You were chosen because you possess both the heart to do good, and the will to act on it. Trust yourself, just like I and the Guardian trust in you. Just say 'Spots on.'"
"'Spots on?'" Marinette confusedly echoed, eyes blinking as Tikki, giggling all the way, was sucked into the earrings in a flash of light. As the same rosy light that had signaled Tikki's arrival enveloped her, Marinette barely had time to get one last exclamation of surprise. "W-What is happening!?"
As the magic engulfed her body, Marinette's eyes snapped open in shock as a block-spotted red domino mask appeared across her face, her eyes gaining a pink hue.
The ribbon she used to keep her ponytail flew off, before her hair snapped into a pair of adorable pigtail-buns.
A black face-mask appeared over her mouth, descending into the neck of a red-and-black outfit, the black forming a v-shape down to her mid-chest while the red gained a tasteful collection of spots, arranged in patterns of five.
The red flowed down her arms, encasing them in gloves with a black palm and underarm and red overarms and fingers, before flowing back up her elbows and shoulders to join with the rest of her outfit.
Glimmering, ladybug-shaped specks of light crept up her legs, encasing them in black up to her mid-thigh, before transitioning seamlessly into brilliant red, the symbol of a red-and-black Taijitu emblazoned right in the middle of her stomach.
A beam of light shot through the air, weaving itself into the shape of a … yo-yo!? Of all things…? That proceeded to affix itself to her hip.
She was… transformed.
Fu's Shop
With a tired sigh, Fu contemplated the Miracle Box before him. The die had been cast, and nothing could change the results. He could only... live with it all.
"Do you think they'll be up to it, Master?" Wayzz asked. As he hovered from his place beside Fu, overlooking the now reduced numbers of the Miracle Box, he couldn't help the pang of loss as he spotted the empty places of Nooroo and Duusu. Someday… someday they would return. He had to have faith in that.
"I've only gotten it wrong once. It'll never happen again… at least I hope not." Fu softly confessed. Truth be told, he was paralyzed with worry. After what had happened in the past, the mistakes he had made… he was unable to hold back his fears that something horrific would happen. That his actions would doom more souls.
"Will you be revealing yourself?" Wayzz questioned. It was a valid one; his actions would be bringing two teenagers, at minimum, into a dangerous conflict for the sake of the world. They deserved to have someone in their corner. Fu grew pensive.
"...Eventually, but not right away. They… they deserve the chance to form their own way of doing things, rather than follow the path set for them by a cowardly old man." Fu sighed, re-engaging the lock and allowing the Miracle Box to sink into its disguised case. His tired gaze turned towards Wayzz. "They do not deserve to be burdened by my mistakes."
Agreste Manor, Adrien's Room
Adrien stared, dumbfounded, as the ball of light condensed into a little black-cat like being, which promptly let out a heavy yawn. Had it been… sleeping? In the ring?? Quickly, his thoughts turned from confusion to fascination. A mysterious floating being, coming out of a strange artifact that had appeared in his room!? It was the most exciting thing to happen to him in years!!
"No way! You're like the Genie in the ring!" Adrien beamed, thoughtlessly prodding the black cat creature with his finger. Not a hint of caution to be found.
The sleepy creature pulled back, a digitless limb warding away Adrien's finger. "I met him and the Lamp guy once. So they grant wishes, big deal! I'm way more personable. Plagg, nice to meet you!"
In a flash, the small figure (Plagg?) jumped about to survey Adrien's room.
"Ooh, swanky!" He chirped, messing with the Foosball table (which Adrien never knew what to do with). Still, seeing the small figure messing with his stuff, his ROOM, set off something within Adrien. A protectiveness for his things he hadn't known he possessed.
"No, don't touch that!" He cried out, lunging for Plagg upon seeing him try and bite the game, the small being deftly dodging his lunge. "Hey, come back here!"
"Oooh, it's so shiny!" Plagg cheered, almost swimming through the air as he explored the domain around him. Landing upon an arcade machine, he inspected it eagerly. "Can you eat this?"
One test bite and he received his answer. "No you can't! Ooh, what about this!?"
Adrien… had his work cut out for him. Upon seeing Plagg steal and attempt to eat his remote, Adrien, calling upon all his physical training in the art of fencing, leapt to the bottom most level of his personal climbing wall, and scaled it. Hovering precariously over the form of Plagg, he swallowed his fear (common sense) and made the lunge.
"Gah!!" Plagg gasped, finding himself clasped between Adrien's hands as they both fell onto the couch.
"I still don't know what you're doing here?" Adrien questioned, taking the brief respite from Plagg's whims to get some information out of him.
Plagg was unimpressed. "Look, I'm a Kwami. I grant powers. YOURS is the power of Destruction, Cataclysm to be exact. Got it?"
"Uh uh." Adrien denied, a look of pure befuddlement upon his face. That had only given him even MORE questions!
"Good, now you got anything to eat? I'm starving!" Plagg complained, glancing about erratically for something that could satisfy his pallet.
"My dad's pranking me, right? Wait, he couldn't be, he has no sense of humor!" Adrien wasn't sure how to handle this situation. He'd been expecting… well, he'd been HOPING that he could sneak out of his home and make it to school, meet up with Chloe for the first time in years, and maybe get a chance to experience normal, everyday teen life. Not... whatever THIS was supposed to be!
Alarmed at the possibility of being revealed, Plagg decided to stop playing around with Adrien (as much, anyway), phasing through his hands and adopting the sternest pose he could manage without breaking down giggling. "Your father must never know that I exist! Or anyone, for that matter."
"But I'm stuck here!" Adrien cried. For all that he wanted to be free, DESPERATELY so, he was painfully aware of just how difficult actually getting out of his home could be. "I'm not even allowed to go to school! What good is a superhero who's imprisoned in his own house?"
"No good!" Plagg glibly replied, currently dancing on a roll of toilet paper and just generally making a mess. He was bored easily. Still, he had a way of convincing this kid… he just needed to scratch his inner 'rebel' a little bit. "But that's why it's all going to change soon. If you're willing to change that is!"
As he stared down at the ring, Adrien thought of his chance earlier that day. His chance at freedom, yanked away right when he was about to truly taste it... and felt his determination to never be so helpless again rise up.
Adrien slid the silver ring down his finger. His resolve was set. He refused to let his freedom be taken again, not when he had the chance to seize it with his own two hands.
"Claws out!" Plagg announced, popping his head free of the roll of toilet paper he was currently fascinated with. Now that the kit's resolve was set, it was time to begin giving him the rundown! "That's how you transform!"
"Got it!" Adrien replied, excitement pushing him forward beyond what his normal common sense would think was wise. Sticking his fist out, ring bared to the world, he shouted his resolve. "Plagg, Claws Out!"
"No, wait, I haven't finished exxppplaaainnninnggg!!" Plagg wailed in a panic as the magic sucked him in, having just a few moments to realize that MAYBE he shouldn't have started off by telling the kit how to transform without ALSO explaining the limitations of his powers. Whoops.
Adrien struck a pose, ring held high, as Plagg's absorbed form caused the silver ring to turn a gleaming black, a neon green cat's paw emblazoned upon the center.
As the crackling black and green energy engulfed his hand, he confidently drew it across his face, his features now obscured by a black domino mask, his eyes transforming into blazing green cat's eyes.
Aggressively running his fingers through his hair, a pair of black cat ears popped into place, twitching in time with his excitement, his normally perfectly sculpted hair being twisted into a nest of tangled locks.
Spreading his arms wide, the chaotic energy zipped across them, encasing his arms in tight black leather shot through with jagged bolts of neon green, giving his forms a lean, mean edge. Tight gloves topped in razor sharp claws snapped into place before being encased in heavy sleeves that he could tuck his hands into.
Flexing his shoulders, a shadowy hood edged in the same toxic, neon green as his ring popped into place. Something that could be pulled up, over, and tight to obscure his face and vanish into the shadows of.
The array of black and neon-green traced its way down his torso, sketching out an image similar to a cat's face across his chest, eyes glaring balefully out at the world, judging them in silence.
Tensing into a low, pouncing stance, the wild, untamed power encased his legs, decking them out in the same black leather as the rest of his outfit, his new boots detailed to look like cat's paws, even having spikes on the toes to simulate claws.
Snapping back into a standing position with the grace of a trained athlete, a long, writhing belt shot out from the back of his waist, acting as a living extension of his body, just like a true tail.
A short spark of crackling energy transformed into a compact staff, situated at his side.
With a confident grin exposing his now elongated canines, he struck a wild pose, claws bared in defiance.
Staring down at his transformed hands, excitement bubbling up within him, Adrien could only say one thing. "Too Cool!"
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie
As her own transformation finished, Marinette blinked in confusion, hands roaming across her currently red and black form. "How does this thing come off…?"
She froze, taking stock of a certain feature she'd been too distracted by her sudden change to notice. The change in her hairstyle. The sight of a pair of familiar looking pigtails.
Screams. Anger. Accusations, and defensiveness. The sight of a bespectacled face twisted from confusion, to hurt… to anger. The image of those pigtails seared into her mind as they defiantly marched out of the school, Marinette watching with tear-stained eyes from her place pressed protectively against Chloe's chest. A broken heart. A lost friend.
She shoved those thoughts away. She didn't have time for regrets. Turning back to her room, she called out for the Kwami. "Tikki! If you can hear me, I want my clothes back, I'm not going anywhere-"
"After wrecking the shuttle tower, the villain has been sighted heading for the Montparnasse Tower. So far, the monster seems to be unstoppable." Nadja's voice announced, a glitch in the system having turned the volume for the report back on. Marinette stared in shock at the sight of Alya's figure bicycling behind the Akuma, clearly eager to get a better look at the action.
"Alya?!" Marinette asked in shock, almost unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Sure, Alya had SAID she was going after the Akuma, but she hadn't thought she was crazy enough to do it!! Who in their right mind would throw themselves into danger like that for- for a scoop of all things!? Journalists, apparently.
Just as she pondered what she was going to do, her mother's voice sounded out from below. "Marinette, what's going on up there!? Are you okay?"
"Oh. Yeah mom! I just… stubbed my toe!" Marinette babbled, trying her best to keep her mother from coming up and seeing her decked out in red and black pajamas. She clutched her head, desperately hoping she bought it… and stilled when she felt her fingers running through her new hairstyle. "Mom? Is it okay if I ask you a question?"
"Of course, dear, anytime! What do you need?" Sabine replied, concern and love coloring her tone.
Breathing deep, Marinette curled into a ball on reflex. "Sometimes I feel… useless. Like nothing I do really matters, and that the only reason I haven't fallen apart is because I have Chloe and Sabrina are propping me up. E-Every time I make a friend, it feels like it's only a matter of time before they leave. And I just made a new one today. Even with all this going on, I'm just terrified I'm going to have my heart ripped out again."
A tear slowly dripped down her cheek. "I just want… to prove that I matter. That I'm… worth being friends with. Is that a weird thing to feel…?"
Warmth and understanding filled the words her mother sent back. "Not at all, dear. Everyone, even your father and I, feel doubt. We question our worth, and our place in life, and reconsider our choices, wondering if we went wrong somewhere. But you? You have never done anything less than make your father and I proud of you. I can't speak for why your friends in the past decided to cut ties with you. I can't say that your new friend, who I expect to see you bring over to enjoy a meal at some point young lady, won't leave as well. But what I do know is that, if you don't reach out, if you don't try with all your heart to show her how much her friendship means to you… you will regret every day for the rest of your life. And no matter how much you tell yourself that it all turned out for the better later, you'll be looking back, wondering what could have been. Take your future with your own hands, Marinette. You'll never get two chances to do so."
Marinette beamed, her will crystallizing under the strength of her mother's faith in her. She was right. No matter what she'd done in the past, Alya was here, in the now. The only thing holding her back… was herself. "Thank you Mama."
And with that, she took off, zipping up the stairs to her roof faster than a normal human could follow… and only just barely escaping the sight of Sabine, who had lifted the entry to Marinette's room. As she took in the slightly messier than normal room, she wondered if perhaps she and Marinette would need to talk about taking care of her personal space. "Marinette? …I suppose she went out to get some air. Oh, that girl…"
As she did her best to calm her nerves, Marinette took stock of her situation. "Okay, so now I've got these amazing, special powers… and apparently this super special yo-yo…? Ugh… I feel ridiculous. Well, nothing to it but to try." Looking across the balcony, she spotted the cathedral in the distance and, on a whim, pulled back her arm, yo-yo at the ready… and let it fly. To her shock and amazement, it soared across the distance, far longer than any cord should've gone, and wrapped tight around… something. Super-vision wasn't part of the package, apparently. "Wow. In that case, I'll just…"
Frowning in concentration, she gave her yo-yo cord a gentle tug… and her eyes flew open in shock as the cord suddenly began retracting, sending her hurtling into the distance! "WWAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
In a flash, she was but a speck across the skyline… it was very much a good thing her powers reinforced her body, or she'd most likely be in horrible, horrible pain when she landed, at the least.
With a smirk, Adrien (he was still thinking of his superhero name) walked across his extendable staff like a tight-rope, using it to completely bypass his dad's normal security measures that had given him so much trouble before. "I'm starting to get used to this!"
"HHhheeeeEEEEELLLPPP!!!"
A voice screamed overhead. Glancing up in shock, Adrien's eyes widened as a red and black form descended from the sky… RIGHT OVER TOP OF HIM!! Fortunately for the both of them, even as she crashed into him, the thing that had sent her flying (it sorta looked like a yo-yo?) snagged on his staff, entangling the both of them.
As they swung back and forth, Adrien caught sight of the girl's look of embarrassment, and did the one thing his father told him to never do: tell puns! "Well hey there, nice of you to drop in."
He grinned cheekily as the embarrassment faded into a smile. She was still nervous looking (he remembered that look in the mirror when he first started modeling very well), but less… stressed, if that made sense. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it on purpose."
With a surprisingly deft flick of the wrist, the cord retracted, releasing them onto the ground. Calling upon his newfound catlike reflexes, Adrien expertly contorted to land on his feet. He gave what he hoped came off as a confident grin. He WAS feeling confident, but he hadn't anticipated meeting his partner like THIS of all ways, understandably. "You must be the partner my Kwami told me about! I'm… mmm… Chat Noir. Yeah! Chat Noir. And you?"
Marinette blinked, giving her partner a once over. He'd CLEARLY just came up with that off the top of his head. Really, "Black Cat?" It wasn't terrible, but it was pretty on the nose. At least his outfit looked good; it had a wild, punkish vibe to it (not that she was all that familiar with punk aesthetics, something to correct later), but he also felt like someone she could relax around.
"I'm Ma- er, Ma…" She trailed off, realizing she'd been about to give her name… and that she couldn't come up with a superhero name!! Ugh, what was wrong with her today!? Sighing, she shot her yo-yo up and snagged his staff again, pulling it down before presenting it to him. "Massively in over my head."
"Hey, no sweat. I'm learning the ropes, too!" Chat reassured her, giving his staff a spin. Before he could say anything further, a heavy rumbling shook the streets. To their shock and horror, a building down the street, several stories high, came crumbling down!! H-How many people… were in there…!? His fear gave way to determination. He was given this power to help people? Then he was gonna help people. Focusing, he stepped back, and pole vaulted himself as hard as he could, hoping that he wasn't misjudging the distance.
"H-Hey, wait!" Marinette cried, shocked at how quickly he was moving. She was rattled; so far, the damage the Akuma was doing was just in the abstract. Distant, like a photo on the screen, or a report on the news. Even though she'd seen him earlier that day, it hadn't felt REAL. But now? Now it felt all too real… she didn't want to be alone. "Where are you going!?"
"To save Paris, right?" Chat Noir called back, voice brimming with confidence. Confidence he wasn't entirely sure he felt. But he knew he couldn't sit back and do NOTHING. He rushed onwards, staff spinning in his grasp. He had a villain to defeat.
"Ugh… trust yourself… trust yourself!" Marinette chanted, pushing thoughts of falling buildings and trapped people out of her mind. She pulled back the yo-yo and began to twirl it… and let it fly. And once more, she found herself being flung into the distance. But with slightly better control!
Parc des Princes
Kim moodily slung his backpack over his shoulder. He couldn't believe Ms. Bustier was having him stay after school, all 'cause Ivan was too much of a baby over a little old note! Maybe he was a wuss after all. Pfft, whatever. Rose was only just NOW finishing her stretches (why did she take breaks so often? No way was she gonna get in shape if she was stopping and starting every five minutes), while everyone else was getting ready to leave. Except for Max, but that was 'cause his best bro was kind of a neat freak sometimes.
Hehe, maybe he should empty a little trash at his desk…? Nah, that'd be going too far. Still, it at least put a smile on his face before having to face the music with the Teach! Hmm, maybe she was gonna have him take music lessons? Oooh, learning how to play the drums could be-!!
An earthshaking rumble quaked through the area. "KIIIMMM!!"
Kim felt his blood run cold as his gaze shot to the top of the stadium that Mr. D'Argencourt used for Gym Class, a huge figure made entirely out of rocks glaring down at him… and speaking with IVAN'S VOICE!? What!?!?
"So, who's the wuss now!?" The figure snarled. Yup, definitely Ivan!! Couldn't people take a joke anymore!? As Rose and the rest ran away, Kim was totally unashamed to admit his legs… kinda stopped working in fear at the sight of a stone monster barreling down on him.
With a grunt, the transformed Ivan jumped down, and NOW Kim's legs decided to answer his pleas to move, the athletic boy turning and running as fast as he could. Good news: whatever had happened to him, being made of rocks slowed Ivan down. Bad news: He was so BIG that being slow didn't stop him from covering a bunch of ground at once!!
Unfortunately, all good things came to an end. As athletic as he was, Kim wasn't able to keep his balance as well as normal, considering Ivan's sheer WEIGHT kept throwing him off. Eventually, he collapsed. He couldn't help it; as Ivan bore down on him, ready to pop him like a grape… he curled up and whimpered.
Luckily for Kim, a metallic pole shot down from the distance, blocking Ivan's strike. A green and black figure in a cat-themed outfit landed before him, staring down the hulk of stone that used to be Kim's classmate without fear.
Any awe or relief Kim would normally feel over being saved was overshadowed by his panic. Staring in fear at the still massive form of Ivan, he gave the cat-clad individual a look of gratitude and regret, and took off running. What would anyone expect of him in a situation like this!? It's not as if he's some superhero!!
Chat Noir watched the Asian kid he'd rescued run off impassively, a confident grin fixed on his face as he stared down the villain. "Hey, it isn't nice to pick on people smaller than you."
"I guess you're talking about yourself." The stone-figure snarled, slapping down one colossal limb with a roar. Chat's eyes widened as he desperately dodged, using his staff as leverage to push himself out of the way whenever his sharp reflexes weren't enough to escape the arc of his foe's swings. His sheer SIZE just made it too hard to rely on being able to just… get out of the way in time.
As Chat battled for his life, a shadowed figure in a surprisingly dapper suit, done in shades of dark purple and silver, chuckled to himself within his base. Countless butterflies flitted about in a panic at the feedback of cruel glee they picked up off of the one capable of infusing them with power. His deep, echoing voice filled the observatory around him. "Excellent. Everything is going to plan. The Black Cat Miraculous has been activated. All I need now is confirmation that the Ladybug has joined it, and the ultimate power I seek will be within my grasp! They have come to save the day, and now my supervillain will destroy them!"
Dodging a wild swing from the stone foe before him, Chat Noir used the wild swings to his advantage, leaping atop one of his fists to boost his next jump, and slamming down on his back with his staff. To his shock, and horror, his attack did nothing! No, wait, it did do something… it made him bigger!? Oh come on…
As Ivan turned around, stomping in anger at having his revenge interfered with, he loomed over the little kitty cat that dared to stand up to him. Oh yeah, he was gonna ENJOY getting rid of this pest. Too bad Chat Noir didn't agree. "Where are you, partner!?"
He barely had time to get his call out as Ivan's massive fist swung down, Chat's reflexes saving him by the skin of his teeth. Super Durability or not, he couldn't afford to get hit. Even if the first one didn't knock him out, it would put him too off-balance to fight back as this guy wailed on him!
As Chat fought for his life, Marinette stared down at the stadium, of the massive, twisted form of her classmate… and couldn't help but shake. "I… I can't, I can't do this!! I'm not good enough, I'm not strong enough!! Chloe… Chloe protects me. She's so much stronger than me. ALYA is stronger than me! Why was someone as weak as me chosen over them!?"
"Marinette…"
"Huh?" Marinette's head snapped up. That sounded like… "Tikki?"
"In here!!" Her yo-yo rumbled. Blinking in confusion, she gingerly tapped it, and watched as a screen popped open. This thing doubled as a phone!? Well, if she kept up this whole "hero" gig, at least this way she could keep Chloe from calling in a GIGN Team to find her… She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Tikki pouting at her from behind the screen. "I'm glad I was able to reach you, Marinette. I know you're scared, but you have to-"
"Trust myself, I get it!!" Marinette snapped, a pit of fire she normally kept tamped down and under control flaring briefly within her. "But it's a lot harder to do that when I don't even know what's going on, or what to do, or what I even CAN do!! I just… I froze. Tikki, I FROZE when I saw what that- that AKUMA did to that building. But him…?"
She gestured to where Chat valiantly gave his all to keep the Akuma at bay, not a trace of doubt or fear in his stance as he fended off strike after strike, dodging with all his heart.
"He leapt in… without any hesitation. He's a real hero. Not… someone like me." She whispered.
Tikki stared sadly at her holder. She had sensed the turmoil she kept within her heart, but had thought all she needed was a push to fly free. It seemed it would be harder than expected to get Marinette to realize her full potential. "Marinette… if you don't believe YOU are a real hero… then why not pretend?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Marinette deadpanned, sheer bewilderment at Tikki's statement snapping her out of her funk briefly. "'Pretend?'"
Tikki nodded, sadly, but resolutely. "If you truly do not believe that, as you are, you are worthy of being a hero… then picture someone you believe IS a worthy hero, and act as you believe they would. It isn't wrong for a hero to ask for help… and it isn't wrong to borrow the strength of another, when your heart can't push you forward by itself. Even if you don't believe in yourself, Marinette, I always will. So even if you can't believe in the hero within you, then believe in the heroes who push YOU forward every day. I'm sure they won't let you down!"
The heroes who pushed her forward…? Mom, standing by her side, comforting her when she felt lost, and reassuring her that she would always have someone willing to listen to what she had to say. Dad, his big heart pushing him to offer free baked goods to those on the street who sometimes struggled for a meal, and letting them have access to whatever went unsold at the end of the day. Sabrina, always patient as she walked Marinette through homework together, helping her study, even pulling all-nighters together to cram for a difficult test, ever at her side through thick and thin. Chloe, defending her and taking the blame when Marinette's classic clumsiness ruined an expensive model for Ms. Mendeleiev's class, personally applying bandages and disinfectant to Marinette's cuts and scrapes when she had a bad fall or got hurt.
These four faces, each so close to her heart… they were her life. Her love. They gave her the strength, every day, to face a world she didn't understand. Her family… They were HER heroes!
As Marinette wrestled with her self-doubt, Adrien was currently wrestling with the utterly MASSIVE villain before him, who had just proceeded to tear one of the soccer goals out of the ground and hurled it at him. No problem for him to dodge… a BIG problem for the civilian girl filming off to the side!! As the girl glanced up in shock, unable to move in time, Chat sent his staff flying, the retractable device springing out and flexing (but not breaking) under the impact, before sending the goal flying away. She was safe… if only barely. Unfortunately, this left him wide open. Ivan wasted no time in capitalizing on his foe's distraction, capturing Chat in his massive fist. Time to squeeze…
Alya stared in shock. A hero!! A real, honest to god HERO was in front of her!! Had saved her life… she… she really hadn't thought this whole "follow a supervillain" thing through, had she? As she saw the man who had saved her nearly about to be squished, she glanced around in a panic… and her gaze landed on the OTHER supersuit wearing figure standing above, having apparently been waiting there all this time.
Alya had a gamble to make. For all she knew, that girl was part of the villains' plot… but the Cat Guy had said something about a partner… Time to take a leap of faith. Calling on all her practice in projecting her voice, she shouted as hard as she could. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, SUPER RED BUG, THE WORLD IS WATCHING YOU!!"
Marinette froze. She honestly hadn't been expecting Alya to stick around after she'd nearly gotten killed, not when Kim, one of the toughest kids in her school, had cut and run after Ivan had attacked him. …She really was pathetic, wasn't she? Steeling her nerves, she shut her eyes… and let them stare like daggers when they opened.
Leaping into the air, she pulled back her yo-yo, lashing it like a whip! Entangling Ivan's giant legs, she slid between them, landing in a crouch. She gave him a defiant smile. No more hiding, not today. "Animal cruelty? Ridiculous."
With a quick yank, her yo-yo tightened, sending Ivan crashing to the ground as his grip on Chat Noir weakened. Chat, unprepared for the sudden rescue, was sent tumbling into the goal post.
Alya cheered. "Yes!"
"Sorry for the delay, Chat Noir." Marinette apologized. She was keeping her head in the fight this time, one way or another.
"It's cool, Wonderbug," Chat insisted, even as he prepped to rush right back into the fight. "Now let's kick his rocky behind!"
"Wait!" Marinette cried, yanking on his tail to halt him. She adopted her mom's 'I'm not mad, I just want you to listen' pose. "Can't you see? He's just getting bigger and stronger with every attack. We have to do something different."
"Different how?" Chat asked, mind coming up blank. His powers weren't really suited towards being subtle, despite his color-scheme.
Marinette thought for a moment, rubbing her chin. "I don't know…"
"Okay then, let's use our powers!" Chat cheerfully cried, eager to FINALLY test out the power Plagg had described to him (before the whole 'getting sucked into the Ring thing'), and ready and raring to go!
Chat raised his hand defiantly, the green of his ring shining ever brighter.
"Cataclysm!!"
A shimmering ball of black and green light appeared above his hand, before being assimilated into his palm when he squeezed it. He posed triumphantly, eery black orbs flickering around his palm.
"Apparently I destroy whatever I touch!" Chat preened, an almost smug look upon his face. Was his partner impressed? Heh, she was probably impressed, how cool was his power!?
"Like I'd need a superpower to do that." Marinette snarked with a roll of her eyes, using Chloe's confidence as a shield against her insecurities. Her eyes widened in a panic as she saw Chat Noir WASTE his attack by touching the goal post. "NO DON'T DO THAT!!"
Chat grinned, eagerly watching the shroud of corruption rust and decay the net and posts. YES!! With something like this, taking down big, tough, and rocky would be a piece of cake! "Cool! Just you and me now. Time to rumble, Mr. Soon-to-be-Rubble!!"
"Chat Noir, wait!" Marinette cried, unable to hold back a wince as Chat lunged towards the Akuma, clearly expecting an easy win… only to blink in confusion and shock when his attempt at his destruction-touch did nothing. Oh, and left him completely vulnerable less than a foot from his enemy.
As he stared up at the unamused form of the individual he had just tried to break apart, Chat Noir figured that mistakes had been made. "Uh oh. Guess I only get one shot with my power. Hehehe."
"HMPH!!" Ivan sent him flying, his kick leaving Chat sprawling on the ground. Chat was honestly curious why he was still in one piece. Was this guy not really trying to hurt them on some level…? Nah, it was probably the suit.
"And you've only got five more minutes before you transform back! Didn't your Kwami explain ANYTHING?" Marinette said critically. Sabrina and Chloe's combined sass helped calm her inner panic at how badly this was going. They were incredibly lucky that, so far at least, the Akuma was content with playing along rather than pursuing his original prey.
"I guess I was a little bit excited about my new life." Chat sheepishly admitted. He could admit he had screwed up and jumped the gun without getting all the info. He seriously owed Plagg an apology, later.
Marinette sighed, forcing a confident pose. "Well, I guess it's up to me!"
Twisting around, she tossed her yo-yo straight up into the air, spinning perfectly as a dazzling array of Ladybugs streamed forth from it.
"Lucky Charm!!"
The spell cast, the Ladybugs swarmed together, condensing into their new form… a diving suit.
As Marinette awkwardly caught the 'charm,' she stared at it in befuddlement. THIS was her superpower? An assessment Chat agreed with, going by his teasing tone. Oh boy… Take a deep breath, Marinette, no need to scream in panic. Just… THINK.
"My Kwami told me that we needed to break the object containing the Akuma if we wanted to turn him back to normal." She said out loud, choosing not to focus on the apparently absurd nature of her power.
"Well, he's made entirely out of stone." Chat observed, his nerves feeling a bit scraped over due to the knowledge he only had so long before he had to bail and get to safety, and it was all his own fault to boot! But still, no reason to take it out on his partner.
Unbeknownst to him, Marinette wasn't even phased by his tone. It was just like Chloe's after a nasty test, nothing of importance. What was of importance, however, was a detail that only just NOW seemed to click as important. His fist… the one he never opened! "It's in his hand. He never opens it! It's like the Matryoshka Dolls; the Akuma isn't 'on' him, he's hiding it in his fist!"
"So what's your plan?" Chat asked, hoping beyond hope she actually HAD one.
Confidence rising, Marinette narrowed her eyes, unaware of how they shimmered red. Even as her vision faded to grayscale, all she was focused on… was planning her next move. It was almost like magic; Ivan's fist, Alya behind him in the distance, the water pump nearby… and the hose it connected to at their feet! She had it!!
"This!" She declared triumphantly. In a flash, she rigged the diving suit and hose together, sealing off the limbs so that it was water tight, before wrapping Chat Noir in her yo-yo. "Don't resist, trust me!"
Chat barely had a moment to panic before she began spinning in place, hurling him like a bullet at the Akuma! "THIS GIRL'S CRAZY!! AAAHHHH!!!"
As Ivan effortlessly caught Chat Noir, he was momentarily distracted as Marinette soared down, her make-shift water giant water balloon at the ready. "Catch me if you can!"
Ivan, surprised at her move, couldn't fight the reflex. The fist he had so diligently kept sealed, his secret shame held within, opened. A small purple rock tumbled to the ground, innocuous in every way save color. And just like that, Marinette was trapped… but not defeated. "And now… MISS! THE TAP!!"
Alya startled, not having expected the heroine she had apparently galvanized into action to call her out personally. Flinching, she glanced about, before noticing the water pipe next to her… and how it led to the monster's fist! Understood. Grabbing the handle, she twisted it to flow as fast as it would go. Ivan never even noticed until the building pressure from within his hand broke his grip, the swimsuit having inflated into an almost gourd-like shape.
Knowing that she had only moments, Marinette rushed for the stone that Ivan had dropped, and crushed it beneath her foot. She was so, SO glad for enhanced strength right now…
As the dark-purple butterfly, coated in dark magic, rose into the air, Marinette watched it fly off in relief. Even though she had the sinking feeling she had forgotten something…
The Akuma's seal broken, Ivan returned to normal. A haze of dark energy encased him before fading away, Ivan's true body landing to the ground with a groan and a thud. The tired boy looked about in confusion, wondering how he had gotten there, the heavy stones that had composed his Akuma form vanishing in a haze of golden light.
As Chat looked on, the way this girl, this incredible, unpredictable girl who had just stumbled her way into his life had saved him, saved the boy, and even saved herself… there was really only one thing he could say! "This girl is awesome. She's crazy awesome!!"
As Marinette reminisced about how she ended up in this moment, the sheer… insanity of today fading from terror to introspection, she glanced down in shock as the sensation in her hand changed from the texture of stone… to PAPER. She'd done it! She, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, had saved the day!!
"Whoa… what just happened?" Ivan groaned, holding his side against the ache of having fallen from the air, even if the stadium ground was remarkably effective at cushioning his fall. "What's going on? What am I doing here?"
Any attempt by Marinette to get Ivan up to speed was cut off by Chat turning to her, a look of sincere admiration and astoundment coloring his features. "You were incredible, Miss… uhh… Buglady. You did it!"
"Naturally!" Marinette preened, fluffing her hair the way Chloe did whenever she was feeling self-assured. "But… I couldn't have done it without your help. Who knows, maybe next time you'll take the lead."
She raised her fist, Chat eagerly mimicking the gesture. ""Pound it!!""
It was at that moment that Chat noticed the second to last counter on his Ring flashing. Wow, that had only taken about four minutes!? He had to run. Now. Something Marinette agreed with. "You should get going. If our identities became public, it'd endanger both us and our loved ones."
Chat nodded… but couldn't resist adding a little flair to it. With an exaggerated dip, he gave her a gracious bow. "Farewell, MiLady." And like that, he was off, running to the side of the stadium before pole-vaulting to his escape. "Let's do this again, soon, okay?"
Marinette rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. "Uh huh. Not TOO soon, I hope!"
However… there was still one last thing to take care of. Frowning, she took in Ivan's depressed state, and, unable to resist… unfolded the wadded ball of paper in her hands. It was a note… a rude one at that. "'You haven't even gotten the guts to tell Mylene you love her, wuss.' Oh no…"
Part of Marinette wanted to track Kim down (who else could've written it, given the context of what all had happened?) and tear him a new one. She knew from first hand experience how hard it was to open your heart to someone. She had SEEN Chloe almost run herself into the ground trying desperately to express to Marinette how she felt, but unable to say the words. It had gotten so bad that Andre had considered calling in a psychiatrist for her. If Marinette hadn't realized, hadn't finally managed to understand… the point was, she understood where Ivan was coming from, if only second-hand. Ivan's sad tone cut off her thoughts of brutal revenge. "Kim wrote it…" she KNEW IT! "... He's always making fun of me. And this…? I just… I just lost it!"
Marinette gave him an encouraging squeeze of the shoulder. "Hey… it's okay. Feelings are a personal matter. When and how you choose to reveal them is up to you, and no one has the right to make fun of you for wanting to do things on your own terms. Just… maybe try and figure out a healthier way to channel your emotions when you're upset, if you can. But never forget, you only get one chance to seize the future, and live life with no regrets. Don't miss your chance, Ivan."
Ivan focused on one part of that in particular. "How do you know my name, Miss?"
Oh no. She'd slipped up!! Any further panic was conveniently interrupted by Alya's timely arrival. "Amazing, fantastic, spectacular! Are you gonna be protecting Paris from now on? How did you get your powers? Were you stung by a radioactive Ladybug? Are you in some kind of mystic symbiosis with an extra dimensional entity? A freak lab accident that gifted you incredible powers? I've got a TON of questions to ask you, Miss… uhh…"
It only just now occurred to Alya. She never got the female hero's name! What kind of Journalist WAS SHE!?
As she turned to walk off, Marinette couldn't help but reply, still burning through the second-hand confidence and joy of victory. "Uhh… Ladybug. Call me Ladybug!"
"Ladybug!" Alya echoed giddily. She couldn't help it. SHE had just helped a real superhero stop a real supervillain! Could her life GET any better than this!? "Super awesome!!"
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, Marinette's Room
As the video of Ladybug jumping out of the stadium ended, the screen zoomed out, showing a beaming Nadja on the news. "So thanks to this amateur footage, the Parisians now know the identity of their hero!"
Marinette stared giddily at her computer. She did it. She had DONE IT!! "I did it, Tikki! Me!"
"See, you were up to it!" Tikki cheered, affectionately nuzzling Marinette's face… even as she nervously glanced to the side. Marinette had just accomplished a great victory, her first in fact. She didn't need Tikki to kill the mood. Maybe she should…
Any further attempts to pursue this line of thought were cut off by Sabine. "Marinette, it's dinner time!"
As she raced down the stairs, Marinette was oblivious to Tikki's look of concern… and soon found herself swept up in a familiar squealing embrace. As she felt her face being peppered with kisses, she couldn't stop her look of fond exasperation aimed at her girlfriend, who was currently clinging to her like a vice grip, a grinning Sabrina filming in the background, her parents trying to look inconspicuous.
"Oooh, I'm so happy you're okay!!" Chloe squeed, hugging Marinette far too tightly around the waste.
"Chloe…! Lungs!" Marinette wheezed, prompting a blushing Chloe to let go. She gasped for breath. "Thank you…"
She was suddenly deeply, PAINFULLY aware that she was dressed "casually." In front of Chloe. She braced herself for Chloe to pout and dance around the topic of her choice in clothing… but nothing came. Relaxing a bit, she felt a tentative smile form at the sight of Chloe's loving expression. "I… I was super worried about you. I couldn't focus on anything. Not my lunch, not my homework, not my mani pedi…! I was just… too afraid that I'd lose you."
"Hey… you'll never lose me." Marinette cooed, stroking a lock of Chloe's hair behind her ear. The duo flinched as they heard the group 'aaawww' of Marinette's parents, plus Sabrina. All three sporting mischievous grins.
"Save it for the Ladybug and Chat Noir Celebration, you two!" Sabrina snarked, rolling her eyes as she gestured to the TV. Sure enough, Andre was giving a speech to that effect; a thank you from all of Paris for their new heroes.
Marinette blushed, unable to comprehend how so many people were thankful for her actions. Aside from Chloe, that is, who took one look at her girlfriend's blushing expression, and came to a… quite different conclusion. Was that pig-tailed polkadot hussy trying to steal her girlfriend!? Ooh…
Any thoughts of vengeance were cut off by Aunt Sabine and Uncle Tom setting her meal in front of her. It wasn't as good as the expertly crafted meals of her Daddy's personal chefs… but something about it being made with love made it taste better than anything else she'd ever had. Sitting here, right now, Marinette's head on her shoulder… was bliss.
Across town, an infatuated Adrien was sighing over the news report. He now had a name to go with the girl who had so effortlessly captured his heart. Was this what love felt like? It- It HAD to be, right? So caught up in his swooning, he failed to notice Plagg's… displeasure.
At least until Plagg beaned him on the head with a parfait. "H-Hey! Cut that out!!"
"Kit. Let me tell you something. My power takes a LOT outta me. So I need something good to eat to recharge!" Plagg hissed. He gestured to the snack in his hand. "Junk like THIS!? Ain't gonna cut it. Especially when I'm in a bad mood."
"I said I was sorry for cutting you off before." Adrien insisted. And he was. He had been so stoked about FINALLY having a way out from under his father's thumb, even if only for a few minutes at a time, he hadn't been paying attention, and it had nearly cost him dearly in the field.
"CUTTING, SCHMUTTING!! YOU DO NOT USE CATACLYSM ON SENTIENT BEINGS!!" Plagg howled, his tiny, adorable form flickering… an echo of something much, MUCH bigger appearing for less than an instant. He panted, hovering over Adrien's still form, before swatting his nose. "Listen up. My power is Destruction. It doesn't play nice with living things. That kid we just fought? If you hadn't wasted your shot, you could've gotten him killed, and removed any chance of him coming back! You are gonna promise me, NEVER even threaten to use Cataclysm on a person. EVER. Got it!?"
"I… I got it." Adrien breathed, rattled as the weight of Plagg's words, and the potential consequences of his recklessness sank into him. "W-What did I almost do!?"
"Uhh… nothing that hasn't been attempted at least once with all my Wielders at some time or another." Plagg sighed. "But seriously, get rid of this junk. I need something more… delicate to eat. Unless you DON'T wanna transform again."
"Seriously? My personal chef made these!" Adrien protested, privately relieved for the change in topic. He… he wasn't ready to fully confront just what had happened, and the implications of what Plagg meant quite yet. "Ughh… fine, what do you want?"
Unknown Tower
An Akuma drifted through the wind. The tortured darkness within the being crackled and shifted, yearning for a host, for direction, for PURPOSE. It knew what the master intended of it, for they had engraved this desire into their very soul! And yet… and yet and yet and yet and YET!! The master… was silent. Allowing it to do as it pleased. To choose its OWN path, to lie in wait until the host was ready once more. Oh yes… this would do nicely.
Perched atop the tallest tower it could find, the Akuma flapped its wings. Each flap produces countless scales… and from each scale, a subordinate Akuma would be born. One, then a hundred, then a thousand!! On it would go, on it would grow, until the Master's Army was BORN!!!
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, The Living Room
Normally, Marinette would be helping her folks with the dishes after dinner, but whenever Chloe was over, she insisted on helping out. Well…
"Ow!! Stupid glass plates…" Chloe grumbled, nearly dropping and breaking the slippery dish in her hands.
…As much help as the sheltered blonde COULD help. It… it made Marinette feel awkward, when Chloe asserted herself like this. She didn't MIND the break, not at all! It just… felt strange. Having someone else do the work for her. At least Sabrina understood how she felt.
"I will never get used to the sight of this." Sabrina mused, idly sipping the iced tea Tom had gotten her.
"Yeah… is your dad doing okay?" Marinette asked, hoping a change in subject would make the knot in her tummy go away.
Sabrina shrugged, an odd looseness in her shoulders that wasn't quite tension-free present. "As… as well as can be expected with a busted arm. I guess. He put up a brave face for the cameras… but I saw him struggling with his paperwork. To eat. It felt like… like he wanted to cry, but didn't want to do it in front of me. I hate it."
"Oh no!" Sabine cried, drawing the trio of girls' attention to the television. Marinette froze, horror creeping into her face at what she saw. Of the people, frozen in stone. Of their bodies encased in rock as soon as those butterflies, JUST LIKE THE ONE SHE'D SEEN FLYING AWAY, touched them.
She didn't hear Sabrina get her father on the phone. She didn't notice when Sabine and Tom laid a blanket over her shoulders. She barely registered when Chloe laced her fingers through hers, promising to stay by her side.
What had she done.
WHAT HAD SHE DONE!?