Chapter Text
“I’m sorry, Mlle. Rossi, but you can’t honestly expect us to believe that you did not mean your words. Mlle. Césaire recorded you. And despite what you may think, that is not illegal, especially in instances where her concerns were not only valid, but expected. M. Allard also had a microphone on his person during the time of the event, and your words, as well as your blatant assault on his hand, is more than enough for grounds of expulsion.”
(It’s not her fault. If Adrien had just decided to bend to her will like last time, then this wouldn’t have happened. She wasn’t to blame. If Marinette weren’t so condescending and acting like she was better and had her own agenda, then she would still be the queen. Why did what she did matter, anyway? If Alya hadn’t recorded her threat in the bathroom, then everything would still be fine. It’s not her fault. It didn’t matter. Nothing she did warranted all of this. It’s not her fault. It’s everyone else’s fault. It’s not her fault. It’s not her fault. It’s not her fault. It’s not her fault.)
“You’ve disappointed me, Lila. Your mother would be ashamed of your actions if she were here today. You not only have lied to my face, but you’ve admitted that you have no care for your actions. You’ve stolen and lost the book for my inspiration, and you don’t care for anyone but yourself. I suppose you’ll have all the time to yourself now that you are obligated to stay on house arrest. No activities, and you will be supervised anytime you are out of your room. Not only that, but the brand has also begun to fail because of your actions. You have truly failed to learn anything after the incident with the tabloids. Go to your room, now, Lila. We will speak more at dinner.”
(Her mother is alive. Her mother is Benigna Rossi. Her mother is Emelie Agreste. Adrien’s mother was Emelie Agreste. Her mother was Benigna Rossi. Her mother is Emelie Agreste. Her mother was alive. Her mother was missing. Her mother, Benigna Agreste, is missing. Her mother is not Emelie Agreste, Emelie is Adrien’s mother. Her mother is missing. Her mother, who cared for her and was gone, who she lied to every day, is gone. Her mother is missing and her mother is Benigna Agreste. Not Benigna Rossi. Not Emelie Agreste. Her mother is Benigna Agreste. Her mother is missing. She doesn’t have her mother.)
“You are mistaken, Lila Agreste. I’m not here to akumatize you. I’m here to thank you. Adrien Allard may no longer recall his time as Speedy, but his abilities have certainly come in handy. You see, he shared your memories with me, so I know that you attempted to make a Wish. Or rather, you made your Wish and suffered the consequences for it. Your wording only made it worse for you. Not only that, but it’s clear that you do not have the memories of this world, only the ones from your old timeline. I can see where the timeline shifted, but that doesn’t matter. Thanks to you, I have knowledge of many future akumas. Your Ladybug and Cat Noir are nothing like this Ladybug and Cat Walker. They are still inexperienced, so thank you for giving me this second chance, Lila Agreste. Or should I say, Lila Rossi?”
(Her name is Lila. Lila Agreste. She is the daughter of Gabriel and Benigna Agreste. Her mother is an ambassador. Her father… Her father is a fashion designer. Her mother is always busy at work. Her mother is no longer here. Her mother believes her lies. Her mother is gone. Her father is gone. Her father is downstairs. Her father loves her. Her father hates her. Her father is Gabriel. Her father cares about her. Her father says she is perfect. Gabriel said she is perfect. Her father is Gabriel. Her name is Lila. Her name is Lila Agreste. Her name is Lila Rossi. Her name is Lila Agreste. Her name is Lila Rossi. Her name is Lila Agreste. Her name is Lila Rossi.)
I don’t know who I am anymore.
Cat Walker looked over the city from as high as his pole would allow him to. Up high and away from the noise of crowds was one of the more calming parts of this hero gig.
When Plagg first showed up that day, Fèlix thought he did not fit the call of a hero. He was impulsive, he got in trouble often at school with ignorant teachers who did not understand that he couldn’t process information as fast as they wanted him to. There was a reason he was able to skip a grade when he studied on his own during the previous summer rather than at the teachers’ pace. He was a year younger than his fellow students in lycèe , so he was surprised to meet a band of people who understood his desires and accommodated him.
Three months later, after his cousin was akumatized into Speedy, he felt the need to ask.
“What did Speedy mean when he said that Lila was from an alternate timeline?”
Plagg explained. He explained that Lila used to be known as Lila Rossi, and she betrayed Hawk Moth after defeating Ladybug and Cat Noir, stealing their Miraculous, and wishing herself to be Gabriel’s daughter. That in the world, he and Ladybug’s Kwami, Tikki, decided not to return to their previous holders and choose new ones. Plagg had met him before, but the circumstances this time were different. Before, he said, Fèlix was not a good person or a potentially good Black Cat. In this new timeline, Fèlix was better off and was chosen.
“Who was the other Cat?”
He physically couldn’t say. But he could say that the other Cat looked almost exactly like him.
“Adrien?”
Though Plagg couldn’t confirm it with his voice, his face said it all. Then he said it was time for him to meet the Guardian of the Miraculous.
Looking across the Parisian rooftops, he looked around for that specific landmark Plagg pointed out. As soon as he saw it, he lowered the height of the baton and de-transformed, making the rest of his way on foot. Hopefully, Plagg knew what he was talking about, or he was about to speak nonsense to an old man.
Master Fu had expected Marinette at her usual time for her Mandarin lessons; without the burden of the Miraculous, she was tardy much less often than before. What he did not expect was to see the grimoire in her hands.
“Lila is in even worse trouble than she was before because she lost her father’s book. I recognized some of the characters from one of your previous lessons.”
In an attempt to subtly train Marinette for the future of presenting her with a Miraculous - the Mouse, perhaps? - Master Fu had taken to giving her lessons of the Guardian’s script under the guise of exploring the Chinese characters of the past and present. Who knew that skill would come in handy now?
“Fu Shifu? Why would M. Agreste have an old book about superheroes? Some of the characters here read like a list of ingredients.”
He told the truth. His status as a Guardian, that he distributed the earrings and ring to Ladybug and Cat Walker. He introduced her to Wayzz. He asked her if she wanted to help by continuing her lessons alongside being mentored for his role as Guardian of the Miraculous. He stressed that she was under no obligation to say yes. He did not tell her what Plagg and Tikki told him about the alternate timeline.
“The heroes are already doing great against Hawk Moth, but I don’t see how I can assist.”
Potions of the book, abilities that may be unlocked, and, once she was ready for it, a Miraculous of her own to aid them in battle.
“Yes, Fu Shifu. I wasn’t going to say no, I just didn’t understand how I could help. But maybe not a Miraculous right now, there’s a lot going on at my school for me to handle that responsibility.”
And just like that, Fate had brought Marinette back to the Guardian. Just like before.
Gabriel sat at his desk, mouth pressing against his clasped hands as his elbows rested in front of him. The daughter he knew was no more.
Her rampant behavior the past week was all explained once Speedy searched through her memories and Hawk Moth was also able to view them. Alternate timelines, a poorly-worded Wish, and a girl with a vendetta and a sadistic streak.
His daughter, Lila, spent very little time in public. Before her death, Benigna had been adamant that Lila spend more time with other children her age to help her develop. At the time, Gabriel didn’t see the point, as Lila’s extracurriculars that she wanted prevented her from having time that wasn’t spent modeling. Benigna had been just as adamant that Lila stop modeling since she was young.
He should have listened to her then.
After her death, her body in its coffin below the house rather than at its gravestone on the manor grounds, Gabriel has sought to remedy her wishes. Alas, it proved too late.
The incident with Lila’s lies and the tabloids was almost enough to make him rescind her, as she was damaging both the brand and herself with them. But it was her class president who convinced her to stay. Though Lila proceeded to exaggerate accomplishments while speaking to Ms. Beauregard, she seemed to finally understand that actions have consequences and she could not act as she did on sets and public appearances.
Then Lila Rossi made her Wish and stole his daughter from her. Gabriel did not know who this imposter was, but she was not his daughter. And so, she would be treated as such. He kept her on house arrest, away from both himself and the public. Natalie and her hired bodyguard would likely be the only ones left to interact with her and to make sure she continued her studies online, her other activities taken away.
Her assault on another student—in another life, Adrien Allard would have been Adrien Agreste—with his book of Miraculous heroes was just another reason to keep her away. How she knew about the safe behind the painting he didn’t know, the memories didn’t show that, but the cameras clearly caught her hacking it open and stealing the book with a malicious and triumphant grin on her face. She didn’t take the Peacock Brooch, either unaware of its value or uncaring for it. The memories weren’t clear on that, either.
Several akuma he could see would fail, but with a few modifications, and when their host would eventually break down, he would akumatise them and fix what he saw wrong. He didn’t see as many as he would have liked, but he could adapt. He first lost his wife, and now his daughter.
Once he made his Wish, he would get both back once and for all.
Allegra’s parents may have been divorced, but they remained civil enough that she could go to and from either of her parents’ houses as she wanted without a court judgment, though her mom was listed as her primary caretaker while she was still underage. Her father, having recently discovered his sexuality and been the initial cause of the divorce the previous year, had met a man at work and was spending time with him.
She opted to spend the next few nights at her mother’s house if he wanted him to, causing her to laugh at the blush spreading before assuring him she was joking. She reiterated that she would spend the next few days with her mother anyway, as her and her friends’ usual hangout, a cute little bistro that just opened earlier that year, was closer there than it was to her father’s. That week, and weekend, she would be spending time with Fèlix’s cousin who had just moved to France the week before.
It wasn’t surprising that Adrien wouldn’t be attending the same school as them. After all, despite being about the same age, Adrien was still in collège , and Fèlix had skipped a grade. What she was surprised to know was that Adrien would be attending the same school where her mother was employed as a counselor.
Claude, Allan, and Bridgette wouldn’t be able to see him until the end of the week, as they had their own art project that they were working on that they needed to finish. Allegra was never one for physical art, but rather musical art, so she had first bragging rights that Adrien was the embodiment of sunshine and yes, looked like he and Fèlix could be twins. One wore a perpetual smile, had glasses, and had unkempt hair, and the other had a perpetual stare that looked like he was constantly constipated.
“I am not constipated, Allegra, I am annoyed.”
“We love you anyway, Fifi.”
“'Fifi'? How did you—? Adrien!”
Allegra laughed as Fèlix took out his phone to berate his cousin, his usual gloves outfitted to handle a touchscreen. He never really took them off unless he was eating, and everyone made sure not to get too excitable and hang off of him too often, or at all if he was in one of his moods.
Still. Things could be worse, in her opinion.
In Juleka’s opinion, things couldn’t get any worse.
In fairness, the issue was finally over. Lila wasn’t attending school anymore and had been expelled, but the usual Miraculous Cure had healed Adrien’s hand and had almost gotten her off the hook for the physical assault charge. If Adrien’s dad hadn’t been paranoid and attached a mic to his son, and if Marinette and Alya hadn’t been there at Adrien’s request to act as witnesses, then the charge would have dropped for lack of evidence and her punishment would not have been so severe. Juleka didn’t know the full extent of the consequences Lila would be going through, and frankly, she didn’t care.
Each of them in the class eventually decided to spend time with Adrien one on one for a while, so they could look after him while not hounding him with everyone all at once. Class solidarity and all that.
“You better not flirt with another one of my friends, Luka, or I’ll smack you with my pillow.”
“It’s not my fault they get flustered so easily.”
“It is and you know it, you whore.”
“Juleka! Apologize to your brother.”
“Fine, Maman . I’m sorry you’re a whore, Luka.”
“You know what? I’ll take it.”
Like she said: things could not get any worse.
At first, it was a little awkward to hang out with Adrien by himself without Alya or Marinette acting as a buffer. Nino had been out that first week Adrien arrived, so he was nervous that maybe they wouldn’t click as just the two of them. Turned out, they had plenty to do.
Adrien wasn’t well-versed in the sort of genre Nino was into, and delighted in listening to some tracks and even personal demos for his gig as a rising DJ.
“Let me listen, let me listen!”
“No, way, little dude. Mom says you’re not old enough to listen to this kind of music.”
“I’m not a little kid, Nino! I’m plenty old enough to listen to the stupid stuff you do!”
“Mom and Dad left me in charge while they went out for dinner, and I enforce what they enforce. No music. You want to watch a movie before you go to bed?”
“As long as it’s not a baby music movie.”
“ Ghostbusters , then?”
“Duh.”
Nino apologized for his brother’s bratty behavior, but Adrien seemed surprisingly chill with it.
“It’s not like Fèlix and I were any better when we were younger in London. You haven’t seen us at the same time yet, the resemblance is something of a running joke in our family. I think it’s because our moms are twins, and despite having different fathers, were just inherited the identical twin gene without the actual twin part. Fèlix is a few months older.”
Then, because Nino didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, asked, “Are you sure you dudes have different dads, though?”
Once again, Adrien’s laughter surprised him. “Trust me, we’ve checked.”
Well, thank goodness for that, then.
“Wow, you’re really good at Ultra Mecha Strike, Adrien.”
“Thanks. I played the first Ultra Mecha back in London. Fèlix and I used to tag team all the time before he moved here.”
“Did you play the original Mecha Strike?”
“The original?”
“Yeah, my dad has the older ones. The original Mecha Strike and its sequel were arcade games in the 80s, then Super Mecha Strike one and two came out in the 90s when home consoles became more popular. Then the RPG game Mecha Strike Adventures came out, and its sequel Adventures II, then III, then some card and tabletop games, then the Ultra series for modern consoles.”
“Wow. I had no idea there were so many. I only bought the first Ultra game cuz the box art had a mecha cat on it.”
“You know that there’s going to be a free update for European servers to include Ladybug and Cat Walker-inspired Mechas?”
“Obviously I wouldn’t know that, but that’s so cool! Wait, NO!”
“Ha-ha! And there you have it, a sweet defeat ordered up, Marinette style! Boo-ya!”
“C’mon, that’s not fair! Your other hand isn’t even touching the controller, how is that fair!”
“Pfft, sore loser. Best two out of three?”
“How about a bet for this next one?”
“Ooh, I like the way you’re thinking, Allard. Let’s see… When I win this next round, then you have to play without your glasses for the rest of the game. Make it harder for yourself.”
“Okay, fine. If you win. If I win, then…you have to go on a date with me. Deal?”
“Deal. Wait, what?”
“No takebacks! We already shook on it.”
“Wait, hang on, what? Stop, I’m processing!”
“Well, process faster, Dupain-Cheng, or get ready for an enchanting evening!”
“Stop trying to flatter me into losing! Rrgh , I’ll get you for this, Adrien!”
“Hurry up and get a hit in, Marinette! Or it’s a night out with me!”
“Hm. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad, after all.”
“Wait, what?”
The Universe demands balance, and will neither care nor detest whoever decides to take control of Fate for their own needs. The only reason the Universe will intervene is when Fate threatens its balance.
The Anomaly, demanding her own selfish and twisted sense of perfection, made a Wish and offered nothing to balance the Universe in this new timeline. As such, the Universe sought to take the price of its own accord.
There’s no telling what the Anomaly’s price was. Perhaps it was her sanity; for a long time afterward, the Anomaly was unable to differentiate her sense of self between the two timelines.
Perhaps it was the Anomaly’s mother. In the previous timeline, the Peacock suffered the consequences of a broken Miraculous, and her husband, the Butterfly, attempted to revive her. In this new world, the Anomaly’s mother has no connection to the Miraculous outside of marrying the Butterfly and as such, suffered a natural death.
Whatever the price, the Universe balances the world. The Butterfly continued to terrorize the citizens, but the Universe pays him no mind. Unless he desires his own Wish and refuses to offer a price, then the Universe will not intervene.
The new Ladybug and Black Cat are just as young and naive as any other at the beginning of their time. These new ones will face similar hardships but are much better off than they could be in this new world. And for the previous bearers of the earrings and ring...
Admittedly, the Universe was fond of these two, despite their many, many, many flaws. They were strong, they were full of heart, and they were brave. Though bearers they may be no longer, they still contain the aura of a Ladybug and Black Cat. The destinies of the two were always intertwined, just like their predecessors.
They were simply made for each other. The Universe should know; it created them and every other aspect of the universe, after all.
The end may be coming, but the story is never truly over. Whether or not it be told, it can be assured that the Universe will always keep the world balanced. Not at peace, not in chaos, but the perfect amalgamation of both.
After all, you live in the Universe, do you not?