Chapter Text
"Marinette, please! You have to calm down!"
Tikki's panicked voice floated through Marinette's muddled consciousness as she continued running blindly through the city. Tears streamed down her face and her breath came in gasping sobs. She paid no heed to where she was going; taking turns at random, with no particular destination in mind. She just needed to get away. As far as possible from that place and those people; the ones she used to call friends.
How could they do that to her? How could they be so taken in by that liar?
Lila had finally made good on her threat to take Marinette's friends from her. Even Adrien, who knew she was a liar and had promised to stand by her. Them against the world, that was what he'd promised. Yet, while the entire class turned on her, he stood there and did nothing. Not a single word of defense for the girl he continuously claimed to be a "good friend".
He'd had the grace to look guilty, but what did that matter when he still refused to do anything?
She still wasn't entirely sure how it had happened. It felt so sudden, the change in everyone's opinion of her; but she couldn't believe they were all so easily manipulated as to flip that easily. No, it must have happened gradually. Lila continually whispering lies and casting doubt while Marinette was too busy with her many responsibilities to notice. All it had taken, was one more small attempt to debunk one of her stories, and they'd had enough.
Suddenly, the entire class (with the exception of Chloe, who couldn't have cared less) was ganging up on her. They called her a bully. A desperate attention seeker. Said she was just jealous of Lila; of how amazing she was, of the attention she was receiving. That was why she tried to turn them all against her, even as Lila tried 'so hard' to be her friend despite her disdain.
Can you imagine? Marinette, jealous of Lila?
Marinette, who had designed a hat Gabriel Agreste chose to feature in one of his shows? One that had impressed Audrey Bourgeois enough to offer her a job in New York? Marinette, who had designed sunglasses and album covers for Jagged Stone? Who's costume designs for Kitty Section had been featured on TV despite the best efforts of XY and his father to steal them? Who's uncle, an award-winning chef, had renamed one of his most popular dishes after her?
The very notion was ridiculous, and yet, they all believed it.
After all the things she had done? All the favors, the gifts, the words of encouragement, the helping hand she'd given them all? All without expecting anything in return. They had called her their 'everyday Ladybug', for goodness sake. And they actually believed she would be so cruel? So vindictive? So petty?
Her steps came to an abrupt halt when she found herself at a dead end, staring at a brick wall at the end of a narrow alley. A tiny red figure appeared in front of her eyes, begging her to take a deep breath and reign in her emotions. She couldn't attract an akuma when she was the only one who could purify them. It was too dangerous.
A part of her knew, Tikki was right. They couldn't afford for Ladybug to be compromised. But she was just so tired. Tired of being the only one who wasn't allowed to feel, because her responsibilities were too great. She was a teenage girl for crying out loud! Even Chat was allowed to sulk and pout, while she was always expected to take the high road. Always.
Tikki's high voice pitched even higher and Marinette didn't have to look to know what had her so anxious.
"Marinette! Please! You can do this, you've done it before. Just fight back your emotions!"
The tears stopped as determination set in.
Deep breath in.
"I'm sorry, Tikki."
"Marinette! No-" the little kwami's words cut off as she ripped the earrings from her ears and tossed them aside.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the little black butterfly land on her wrist, sinking into the beaded charm bracelet; the last remnant of her now nonexistent friendships. Blessed calm overtook her as a familiar voice spoke in her mind.
"Hello, Miss Miraculous. You're always the one there for your friends, but none were there when you needed them. They put their faith in a liar you were powerless to protect them from."
Hawkmoth smiled, feeling a surge of anger through the telepathic connection. He'd tried to akumatize this girl multiple times before, but had been thwarted each time. This time was different. It was the strongest aura of negative emotion he'd ever felt. Betrayal, pain, anger, a strong sense of righteous injustice. She would be his most powerful akuma yet.
"I can give you the power you lack to seek justice. The power of every victim. But, I need something in return."
"Consider it done."
Her determination was almost a physical thing. He could feel it in his core.
Finally, he would succeed.
"Master! Master!"
Wayzz zipped out of Fu's pocket, yellow eyes wide with alarm. Ducking into a side street, away from prying eyes, Fu waited for the turtle kwami to explain.
"I sense a disturbance, much stronger than any we've seen yet!"
"You think Ladybug and Chat Noir will need extra assistance for this one?" He mentally calculated the distance from here to the school. He'd taken to keeping the miraculous with him at all times since Hawkmoth discovered his identity. It was risky to have them out in the open, but safer than leaving them behind somewhere to be found. He just needed to get to wherever Marinette and her friends were to distribute them.
"That's the problem, Master. I can't sense Tikki anymore. She's no longer active."
Icy dread washed over him at the implication that Ladybug herself had been akumatized.
"Do you know where the akuma is? Can you take us there?" He needed to see it for himself.
Wayzz nodded, and began flying down the side street as Fu followed. A few blocks later, they came upon an empty alleyway.
"It was just here," Wayzz said quietly.
The pair snuck carefully down the narrow pathway towards the dead end. There, on the ground, lay a pair of discarded red and black earrings. The dread solidified in Fu's stomach at this confirmation that Ladybug had indeed been compromised. One thing didn't make sense though.
If Marinette had thrown away her earrings before being akumatized, and she knew Hawkmoth would want them, why did she leave them here?
He bent to scoop them up, just as a figure materialized behind him and Wayzz gasped loudly. "Master, lookout!"
Instinctively, Fu dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the sticky web that had been shot at him. In the same breath, he called for his transformation, becoming Jade Turtle for the first time in ages, and immediately invoked his power, creating a shield around himself.
He watched as the akuma shifted from a giant spider into a massive rock monster and began pounding away on the barrier. The akuma continued shifting through different forms of previous victims, trying their powers out against the shield, which held firm.
He realized then, just how clever Marinette truly was. She'd left the earrings purposely to draw him to her, and used Vanisher's power to turn invisible while she waited for him to come and collect the earrings. She knew he kept the miraculous with him now, and planned to collect them all at once. With no one to help him, Chat Noir would be easily defeated.
The same quality that made her such a fantastic Ladybug, was also the quality that made her a terrifying akuma.
Scrambling through the bag at his feet, he pulled out the horse miraculous and slipped it on. "Kaalki, we need a portal!" He heard the akuma's cry of frustration as the portal closed behind him and he disappeared into the school.
Quickly gathering the miraculous he needed, he gave the kwamis a few quick instructions before sending them off to find their holders.
Adrien headed downstairs to the courtyard, towards the school doors where his bodyguard was waiting to take him home for lunch. A horrible, heavy feeling had been following him since the moment he had watched Marinette turn teary blue eyes on him, silently begging for help, before running from the classroom.
Had he been wrong? Should he have stood up to Lila? If he had tried to defend Marinette, would anyone have believed him? Would Lila have just turned their classmates against him as well? Would she get angry enough to get akumatized again?
No. It wasn't worth the risk. Marinette would be alright. She always was.
It had been nearly an hour since she'd left, and no akuma had shown up yet. He was sure that, once she'd gotten away from everyone, she'd calmed down. She'd be back after lunch. Back to her usual positive self, if perhaps a little subdued after her treatment this morning.
Everything was fine.
He was pulled from his thoughts when he was nearly bowled down the stairs as Kim darted past him, disappearing into an empty classroom. Max hustled by a moment later, into a different room. Above him, he saw a streak of yellow cross the sky.
Was that... Queen Bee?
No sooner had he thought it, then Rena Rouge and Carapace burst out of the locker room. Pegasus and Roi Singe appeared not long after. What on earth was happening?
And why were his teammates at the school?
Ducking into another empty room, he quickly transformed into Chat Noir and tried to call Ladybug to see what was going on. Why had she called on so many of their teammates? When she didn't answer, he took off in the direction he'd seen the others heading.
A loud bang, followed by several screams sounded behind him and he turned to see the school courtyard rapidly filling with water while students scrambled for higher ground. The streets iced over and cars skidded over the slick surface and crashed into each other.
Was Syren back? Or Frozer? What the-
Before he could complete the thought, he was yanked roughly backwards by the collar. He screamed as he flew through the air, smashing through a window. Groaning, he lifted his head off the floor just in time to see- "Rena?"
The fox holder floated just outside the window, glaring at him. Except, it wasn't Rena. And it wasn't Volpina. He blinked and suddenly it was Evillistrator in front of him... but not the same Evillistrator. This one was a girl. She scribbled something on her tablet, and he was yanked backwards again, this time by Queen Bee's top, just as a cage materialized where he'd just been laying.
Bewildered, he watched as she snarled, transforming again into Mime, who would up an imaginary lasso and cast it in his direction. Rena swooped in to deflect it with her flute before it caught him.
"Nah, uh, bitch! Let's go kitty." she turned and dragged him along with her as they raced scross the office floor they'd landed in and out the opposite window, following the rest of the team, while the strange akuma pursued them as Reverser, on a hoverboard.
He swerved right as a paper plane flew past his ear and one of his teammates tossed a potted plant from someone's roof back at Reverser, sending her tumbling from the sky. He picked up the pace and caught up with the team, looking around at each of them.
"Will some one please tell me what the hell is going on?" he growled. "And where is Ladybug?"
"Not coming," Carapace answered from his right.
"What?!"
"She's apparently out of commission today," Pegasus replied. "But we weren't told why. Her kwami is standing by to purify the akuma once we release it, however."
"Oookay…" He felt a twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't get to see his lady, but was glad she hadn't left them totally without her help. He'd ask her about it later. "And who exactly is the akuma? How are they able to change forms like that?"
"No idea what her akuma name is," Rena said, tone dripping with disgust. "But it's Marinette. And she's apparently supposed to be the strongest akuma yet."
Chat's steps faltered and he nearly face planted on the roof. Marinette?! No. It couldn't be. She never gets akumatized.
First time for everything. A snarky voice in his mind, that sounded suspiciously like Plagg, said.
Before he could contemplate it anymore, the team came to an abrupt halt, half the team on one roof, the rest on the other, as Reverser-Marinette suddenly appeared in the space between them.
"Woah!"
Several things happened at once. Roi Singe called his power, Carapace grabbed his shield to throw at Reverser who threw a paper plane at him, and Rena raised her flute to her lips. The plane flew through Carapace's chest as he threw the shield, which flew harmlessly past it's target, hitting Roi Singe's hand where the banana had just appeared. It bounced off Roi Singe's head. He tried to use his staff to charge at Reverser, but somehow managed to hit himself in the face instead, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Rena released her illusion which Reverser easily swatted away. She transformed into Sandboy- Sandgirl?- and blew a handful of sand into Rena's face. She stumbled backward with a scream, swinging her flute wildly as she was suddenly plunged into her own living hell.
Within a matter of seconds, three of Chat's teammates had their own powers turned on them, and two had wasted their special powers, starting the timers on their detransformations, all while Chat watch on in stunned awe.
He was still reeling from the revelation that it was Marinette they were fighting. He'd been so sure she would be alright, but had obviously underestimated how much having her friends turn on her, and him not defending her, had affected her.
Looking at her now, he didn't recognize the girl laughing cruelly as she watched Rena fight off her worst nightmare. When Carapace tried to rush in and help her, Sandgirl became Dark Cupid, hitting him in the back with an arrow. He stopped in his tracks, and began laughing and teasing Rena, distressing her even more.
Pegasus and Queen Bee attacked simultaneously from opposite sides. At the last second, Marinette became Troublemaker, clicking her pen to make herself disappear and the two collided with each other. Solidifying in front of Roi Singe, she became Bubbler, wrapping him in a bubble just as he got to his feet.
Queen Bee shoved Pegasus off herself with a snarled, "Move, idiot!" Getting back on her feet, she pulled back her arm and threw her top as she charged, Pegasus right behind her.
In transformations so fast, he almost didn't see it, Bubbler became Lady Wifi, throwing a 'pause' at Queen Bee, freezing her and her top in place, before becoming Pixelator. Lifting her camera, she snapped a shot of Pegasus, who disappeared with the flash. Just as quickly, Lady Wifi was back, unpausing Queen Bee.
She ducked, dodging the top flying at her head, and popped back up in the akumatized form of Chloe's mother, Style Queen. The glittering figure, startled Queen Bee for a moment, and she tripped over her own feet.
Style Queen taunted Queen Bee as she fought furiously, her punches and kicks moving uselessly through shifting glitter. When she was close enough, Style Queen became Queen Wasp, stunning Queen Bee with a venom shot to the shoulder.
Chat was still rooted to the spot, gaping at his now completely decommissioned team as Queen Wasp-Marinette turned to him. A purple butterfly appeared over her eyes, a grin spreading over her face that man Chat shiver. No doubt, Hawkmoth was commending her on the fight so far and telling her to go after his ring while he had no one left to help him. He felt a small measure of relief at the fact that Ladybug wasn't here to witness this, or risk losing her miraculous as well.
Pulling himself together, Chat prepared for a fight as Marinette approached, but froze again when the black and yellow stripes she wore melted into the black and red spots of Antibug. The resemblance to his lady was so jarring, he could hardly breathe. Memories of the Antibug from his Sandboy induced nightmare assaulted him when she spoke.
"Aw, poor kitty. All alone without your Lady to help save your useless ass. She really is better off without you. Imagine how much more she might have been able to do without your dumb ass getting in her way, and distracting her with ill-timed flirting?"
Chat shuddered, and backed away a step. Even her voice sounded the same, saying out loud all the insecure things he'd thought in his own head over the course of their partnership.
"What good are you to her as a partner when you just stood there and did nothing while your teammates were attacked?" She gestured around her to what was left of his friends. She sniffed. "You're as bad as Adrien; the coward."
She flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture and that's when he saw it. The bracelet around her wrist that housed the akuma. His chest tightened as he recognized it as the lucky charm he'd given her for her birthday and a fresh wave of guilt hit him.
This was his fault.
Marinette was right, he'd been a coward for not defending her against Lila. Even if it wouldn't have done any good, she was still his friend. She deserved better from him. He'd been worried about Lila being akumatized again, and had prioritized her feelings over Marinette's. Look where that had gotten them. Fighting the most powerful akuma he'd ever seen, without Ladybug to help.
Not that it mattered much. He'd had an entire team of miraculous holders to help, and Marinette had taken them out, one-by-one in five minutes.
Indeed, at that moment, he heard the final beeping of Rena and Roi Singe's miraculous. Flashes of orange and gold light preceded the appearance of Alya and Kim, momentarily distracting him as Antibug charged. He just managed to raise his staff in time to block her first shot with her yo-yo.
"Marinette," he pleaded as they fought. "Please, stop this. This isn't you."
She growled as he deflected a punch and swept his legs out from under him with a low kick. He rolled out of the way as her fist slammed into the concrete rooftop where his head had been. Popping up on his feet he tried again to reason with her.
"You're such an amazing girl, Marinette. You're smart, and kind, you'd do anything for your friends."
He ducked to avoid a spinning kick, throwing out his staff to block the follow-up punch. The entire time they'd been fighting he'd been on the defensive, not wanting to hurt her, even in this form.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you to make you this way. I'm sure if you just talk to your friends-" he choked on the rest of his words as Silencer appeared in front of him, pressing a finger to his lips.
Her eyes smirked at him behind her visor, shaking her head as she captured his voice. He opened and closed his mouth, looking like a fish as he tried to speak, to no avail.
While she was preoccupied with his inability to speak, he grabbed for the bracelet on her wrist, but she was faster. Catching his hand, she rammed her head forward, headbutting him in the nose.
Chat stumbled back a few feet, clutching his nose as his vision blurred briefly. When it cleared, Antibug was before him again. "You talk too much, kitty."
She called for her lucky charm, a terrifying looking sword landing in her hands as she prowled forward. Before she could use the weapon, Chat's eyes darted to the side as a flash of blue caught his eye. Following his line of sight, Antibug quickly morphed into the Collector, using her sketchbook to catch the lyre flying at her head, as Viperion and Ryuuko appeared out of nowhere. He suddenly wasn't alone anymore.
His excitement was short lived, however, as the Collector became Timebreaker, skating forward to tag Viperion, before he could set the time point for his Second Chance. Ryuuko squared up, preparing to call forth one of her elements as she faced off with the newly transformed Stormy Weather.
Chat watched the two stare each other down like an old western. Ryuuko was the only member of the team who's identity he actually knew. Brilliant as Marinette was, Kagami was a formidable opponent. Time would tell if she'd be able to stop her, but she'd bought him some time to come up with a plan.
Calling forth water first, Ryuuko aimed a heavy stream at Stormy Weather, who conjured strong winds to curve the spout around her body, dousing the still dreaming Alya, and making Carapace laugh harder. She tried wind second, which Stormy Weather countered with another powerful gust of her own.
Knowing what was coming next, Chat crept closer on silent feet, getting into position behind Stormy Weather while she was distracted by her fight with Ryuuko.
Stormy Weather pointed her umbrella at Ryuuko as she summoned her lightning, doing the same. The two strikes met with a blinding flash and terrific shockwave of energy, throwing both girls back. Stormy Weather flew straight into Chat, who caught her by the arm, ripping off her bracelet.
"No!" she cried as the string tore, releasing the akuma inside.
Tikki quickly swooped in to capture the akuma, releasing it again, now pure white. Tiny ladybugs swirled across the city as she invoked the miraculous cure, and his teammates were released from the magic binding them.
In his arms, Marinette groaned, clutching her head as she looked around in confusion.
"Oh no!" she gasped. "Oh my God, I was akumatized!"
"It's ok, Marinette!" Tikki squeaked in front of her, gently patting her cheek.
Marinette's face crumpled as she shook her head. "No. No it isn't. I can't believe I let that happen! I'm-"
"Hey, hey," Chat stepped in, relieved to hear his voice restored. "It's all right."
"Like hell it is," Alya sneered, as Carapace landed beside them, with her in his arms. "Really Marinette? You got akumatized because we called you out over how you've been treating Lila? What's the matter? Didn't like being outed as a bully? You're as bad as Chloe."
"Alya," Chat growled in warning as Marinette curled in on herself. She'd done nothing to deserve such abuse, and the vehemence with which her former best friend was attacking her was a bit scary.
"Hey! I resent that," Queen Bee snapped. "I'm nothing like Dupain-Cheng. We're not even in the same league; how dare you compare me to her?"
"Yeah!" Kim agreed, crossing his arms. Pegasus stood beside him, hands on his hips. His eyes were hidden by his glasses, but Chat was sure he was glaring too. Even Carapace seemed to have no sympathy for Marinette, which astounded him. Was no one willing to stand up for her?
"Back off!" Viperion and Ryuuko stepped between himself, Marinette and the rest of the team. Both of them held defensive positions, staring the others down.
"She's a victim," Ryuuko insisted, her voice ice cold. "Just like all of you have been at some point. Some more than others," she added, looking pointedly at Queen Bee who huffed and flicked her ponytail over her shoulder.
"Whatever," Alya said, rolling her eyes. "Let's get out of here, turtle boy. Maybe we'll still have time to grab something to eat since we missed lunch thanks to 'Hey Jealousy' over here."
Chat, Viperion and Ryuuko glared at the others as they tsked, and took off, leaving Marinette behind. Marinette whimpered, and Chat's heart ached when he looked down to see her shaking and crying, arms wrapped around herself. He tightened his hold on her.
"Hey," Viperion said softly, leaning down to eye level. "Are you ok? What happened?"
Marinette shook her head. "I- I- don't w-wanna talk about it."
Viperion appeared as heartbroken as Chat felt as he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, and Chat wondered who he was that he seemed to care so much about her.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Ryuuko said, placing a hand on her other shoulder so Marinette was surrounded by support. "Let us walk you home though, so we can make sure you're alright, ok?"
Marinette nodded silently, gravitating towards Viperion who scooped her up in his arms to carry her home. Ryuuko followed as he stepped to the edge of the roof and looked back at Chat. "You coming?"
"You go on," he said, looking around for Tikki; but the little red kwami was nowhere in sight. "I need to talk to Ma- the guardian and figure out what happened to Ladybug."
The duo nodded as Ryuuko's miraculous let out it's first beep. "Better hurry. Later Chat Noir."
He waved them off, deciding to check on Marinette later, as Adrien, to apologize. Hopefully, she would forgive him; but given how disgusted with him she'd seemed, he wasn't so sure.
Fu watched the group of young heroes, from his hiding spot on a neighboring roof. An ugly feeling settled in his stomach as he watched the people that Marinette had trusted enough to chose to wield miraculous, treat her with contempt.
Tikki had described what had happened to cause her enough grief to not only attract an akuma, but accept it. Marinette had mentioned the girl Lila before; the liar who pretended to be the fox holder. Despite being akumatized three times, that they knew of (twice in the same form), he hadn't considered her much of a threat before. Now, given the way she appeared to have been able to turn Marinette's friends so thoroughly against her with her words, he was beginning to rethink that.
Tikki had also told him about the way Adrien had failed to defend Marinette against her friends, though he knew none of what Lila was saying was true. He'd been considering reclaiming the black chat miraculous and giving it to another. The boy Luka, who held the snake, he knew had feelings for Marinette. Perhaps he would make a better partner for her.
Now, watching the way Chat Noir snapped at one of his teammates and held Marinette protectively, he wondered if the boy had seen the error of his behavior. Adrien was young and naïve, having lived a very sheltered life thus far. He was, perhaps, more socially inept than his peers. Maybe he was learning. Either way, he would keep a closer eye on him.
Marinette was one of the strongest Ladybugs he had ever seen, and she needed an equally strong and supportive partner. If it turned out that Adrien wasn't up to the job, he would find another.
Chat Noir looked around as the other two left to take Marinette home, and Fu knew he was looking for him to give an explanation as to why Ladybug hadn't been present for today's fight. He would leave it up to Marinette to decide what to tell him, however.
He had other miraculous to collect.
"Alya Cesaire. Nino Lahiffe."
The pair spun around, peering at the old man curiously.
"How do you know our names?" Alya asked, hands planted on her hips.
"My name is Master Fu, I am the guardian of the miraculous. I distributed your miraculous today in Ladybug's absence, and I have come to collect them."
The couple exchanged a glance, Alya crossing her arms defensively. "Ladybug sent you?" her brow lifted skeptically.
"It is true," Wayzz said, floating out from behind Nino's shoulder.
"You know this guy, little dude?"
"Indeed," the little turtle said with a sage nod. "Master Fu has been the guardian and holder of the turtle miraculous for many years."
Alya scowled, and the pair exchanged another look before reluctantly handing over their miraculous. Fu gave both kwamis a snack before replacing their jewels in his bag.
"I should tell you, that this may well have been the last time you will ever see those miraculous."
"What?!" Alya screeched. "Why?"
"Yeah. I know Alya's time ran out during the fight, but Marinette was preoccupied at the time, she didn't even notice. I doubt Hawkmoth knows her identity." Nino wrapped an arm protectively around his girlfriend's waist.
"That is not the issue here. I am aware of what happened today to lead to Miss Dupain-Cheng's akumatization, namely your parts in it. I'm also aware of your treatment of her after."
"So this is Marinette's doing then?" Alya spat. "What authority does she have? It's not our fault she's jealous that Ladybug didn't choose her for a miraculous too."
Fu's expression hardened. "Rest assured that Ladybug herself is just as ashamed of your behavior as I am. I will leave it to her discretion whether she decides to give you another chance as I trust her judgment, but I wouldn't count on it." With that, he turned and left the room, looking for the rest of his targets.
The conversations with Kim and Max went similarly, but with slightly less hostility than he'd encountered with Alya. Surprisingly, Chloe had been the easiest to retrieve her miraculous from. When Fu told her she likely wouldn't receive it again, mainly because Hawkmoth knew her identity, as previously stated, she merely shrugged.
"Whatever. I'm just glad Ladybug trusted me enough to fill in for her in her absence," she said primly, turning on her heel and marching from the room with her nose in the air. All Fu could do was shake his head.
Far more impressed with the conduct of the snake and dragon holders, Fu's conversations with those young people went a bit differently. Not wanting to leave Ladybug without help in case her partnership with Chat Noir was weakening, and given the state of her now dismantled team, he allowed them both to keep their miraculous, thanking them for their help.
Then, he went to visit Ladybug.
Hawkmoth roared in frustration, slamming his cane into the ground.
So close.
He'd been so close.
As predicted, Miss Dupain-Cheng had been, by far, the strongest akuma he'd ever created. Her skill and intelligence had been truly impressive to witness as she took out each miraculous holder with nary an issue. If it hadn't been for the formidable Miss Tsurugi, she likely would've succeeded, and all of this would finally be over.
He'd have to keep a closer eye on his son's friend's. One could prove to be the key to his plans and the other a thorn in his side.
As for Miss Rossi... well she'd unexpectedly proven her worth as an ally again, by pushing Miss Dupain-Cheng over the edge. Perhaps it was time to pay her another visit.
Ladybug was much subdued at patrol the next evening. After explaining what had happened to her parents, Marinette had stayed home from school the rest of the day and the following. They had asked her to consider whether she wanted to continue at Francoise Dupont, or if she wanted to try a new school. She had decided to give her old school one more chance, to see if her friends had changed their minds at all. If not, she would try somewhere else.
She wasn't holding her breath.
"You're awfully quiet tonight M'Lady," Chat said from his perch beside her. "Penny for your thoughts?"
She sighed, looking out over the twinkling lights of Paris. "I was just thinking about the akuma yesterday. I have a feeling it's time to rethink some of the decisions I've made regarding our team."
Chat winced. "I'm sorry. You're not thinking of replacing me are you?" He joked, but his heart was pounding.
He'd stopped by Marinette's house that afternoon when she didn't show up for school. She'd listened to his apology, though she didn't seem particularly impressed. He still had no idea where their friendship stood, but he had a feeling it wasn't good.
"No, kitty," Ladybug smiled at him. "I'm not replacing you. You were there for me-a-ri-nette- when nearly no one else was. She appreciates it, and so do I. I know I can count on you. Some of our friends though... that's a different story."
Chat winced internally. Guilt was still riding him hard, but at least his lady didn't seem upset with him, even if Marinette was. For once, he was actually glad they didn't know each other's identities. If she knew he was Adrien, she may not be as forgiving.
"I have had enough sadness for now, though. How about a lighter topic?"
"As you wish M'Lady... How do you feel about cheese?"
Ladybug's laughter rang out, a bright spot in the dark night.
When Marinette arrived at school the next day, she was unsurprised to find her seat occupied, and was met with a mix of reactions from her classmates from avoiding eye contact, to outright glares. Without a word, she slipped to the back of the classroom, and set her bag down at one of the empty desks. Pulling a small stack of paper from her bag, she returned to the front to lay them on Miss Bustier's desk.
As she returned to her seat, she passed Lila who was sitting in her seat next to Alya, surrounded by other students. She caught snippets of whispers as she passed and clenched her fists, determined to ignore them.
"I can't believe she got herself akumatized because we called her on her shit," Alex said.
Lila pasted on a sympathetic look worthy of an Oscar. "She's probably just not used to people being so honest with her. You've all been so kind to her for so long. It's hard being treated unfairly..."
Marinette grit her teeth and stared out the window, trying to tune them out.
"Unfairly?" Alya scoffed. "If anyone was being treated unfairly, Lila, it was you. You've done nothing wrong, Marinette was the one being mean. I can't believe we actually elected her class representative, as if she actually cares about anyone but herself. I'm glad you brought that up yesterday, Alex. She should definitely give the title to someone more deserving."
Marinette whipped her head around, snapping back at them all, startling a few. "Like none of you have ever been akumatized? Some of you more than once," she glared at Lila. "Everyone forgave you. It wasn't your fault. Why am I different?"
"Everyone else got akumatized for legitimate reasons," Alya snarked.
Marinette, pursed her lips to keep from saying something she'd regret. She was so tired of fighting, and after the last few days, she simply didn't have the energy anymore. With a sigh, she turned back to the window. "Not that it really matters now, anyway."
"What does that mean?"
Before she could respond, Miss Bustier entered the room and everyone returned to their seats. Adrien ran into the room late, shooting the teacher an apologetic smile. To the surprise of the class, he walked right past Nino with a short wave, and headed to the back to sit next to Marinette. His friendly smile was met with indifference.
He'd stopped by to apologize yesterday, but to Marinette, it was too little too late. The blinders had been taken off the moment he'd refused to stand up for her. She'd reanalyzed his behavior, noticing flaws she hadn't before. Her new assessment of him, found him lacking, and the crush she'd been harboring for him since day one, had quickly dimmed.
Miss Bustier called the class to order, noticing the papers on her desk. She took a glance at them and frowned up at Marinette. "Uh... Well, class, it seems I have some unfortunate news to give you. It seems Marinette has decided to resign her position as class representative."
There were a few shocked murmurs from her classmates, but several smiled. "Good, she got the memo," someone muttered. Alex, probably.
"I'm also sorry to say that it seems, this will be her last day with us at Francois Dupont."
This announcement got much more attention. Several people, including Alya, turned in their seats to give her shocked looks, while Adrien outright gaped, looking stricken. Chloe rolled her eyes at the news, while Lila made sure Marinette saw her smug, victorious smile before replacing it with the same shocked expression as everyone else.
"I'm sorry to see you go Marinette," Miss Bustier said genuinely. "You'll certainly be missed, but you're a bright, talented young woman. We wish you the best."
Rather than responding, Marinette merely pressed her lips together and nodded.
Marinette had been texting with Luka a lot the last few days. Sweetheart that he was, he'd wanted to make sure she was alright, claiming to have heard about her akumatization from Juleka. Of course he wasn't aware she knew he was Viperion, having given him the miraculous herself.
When she'd mentioned switching schools, he'd suggested she look into the arts school that he attended. Having confirmed what she already knew, that her old friends wouldn't be welcoming her back, she texted her parents and asked them to set up an interview there for her.
It would be better for her, she decided, to be surrounded by more likeminded students who could help cultivate her creative talents, rather than continue suffering the isolation and unappreciated efforts of her current friendships. Perhaps one day, they would see Lila for who she really was, but she wouldn't be there to see it. She was done trying to save them from themselves.
"You're leaving?" Adrien's soft voice sounded from the other side of her locker door, and for once, Marinette didn't startle at the sound of it.
She grabbed the last of her personal belongings, stuffing them in her bag before shutting the door with a smart snap. She met his green gaze head-on, forcibly ignoring the sadness in it. "Yes."
"Is it- because of me?"
"You mean because you didn't stand up for me after promising we were 'in it together'?" He winced. "No. At least, not entirely."
She went to step past him, but was stopped by a question from Alya who was leaning against her locker, watching. "Then why are you leaving?" Most of the sharpness had left her tone and she sounded genuinely confused.
Suddenly, Marinette was surrounded by her classmates who were all looking at her curiously, and- was that a hint of regret? Ha. The irony. These same classmates were ganging up on her yesterday, calling her names and saying terrible things about her, and now they wanted to know why she was leaving?
To get away from you.
"The fact that any of you even need to ask that question tells me I made the right decision."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, I'm leaving because I want to be somewhere where I can make real friends who actually understand me, and appreciate me. Friends who don't ignore the fact that I have obligations and responsibilities beyond homework, and don't just expect me to drop everything and help without returning the favor. Friends who won't make hurtful accusations without proof."
"We had proof!" Alya's voice was defensive, but much weaker than usual.
"The proof of a liar." Marinette held up her hand to stall any protests. "It doesn't really matter if you agree or not. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. I just hope, for your sakes, it's before she can do any further damage." She glanced back at Adrien who actually looked contrite. Perhaps his apology had been genuine, but it had still come too late. The time for action was when she'd looked to him for help and he chose to ignore her.
A few students looked contemplative, but still, no one said a word as she pushed her way through the crowd and left the locker room. Lila was waiting for her outside, but Marinette held her hand up when she opened her mouth to speak.
"Save it Lila. You got what you wanted, I won't be here to oppose you anymore. Can I give you a bit of friendly advice, though?"
Lila sniffed, looking amused.
"Your lies may be winning you friends now, but be careful the web you weave. Lies have a way of coming back to bite you, and a spider who isn't careful, can find themselves caught in their own sticky trap."
Lila rolled her eyes, looking for all the world like she couldn't care less, but Marinette saw the flicker of worry in her expression. Yeah... she'd get hers. Marinette just wished she could be there to witness it.
"Good luck," she said as she turned and walked away. She felt a small sense of satisfaction knowing her current pain wouldn't be for nothing. Karma would come for Lila eventually, but it wasn't her responsibility to make that happen. Perhaps in that sense, Adrien had a point.
For now, she washed her hands of the whole thing.