Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Marinette heard the crash of stone and saw the smoke rising in the distance as she saw a building come tumbling down.

Cursing herself for not realizing what was going on sooner, she rounded a corner and saw the akuma. Cat was already fighting it alone, the villain dressed like a demolition specialist and ripping up the road with a super-powered jackhammer.

Marinette leaped for it as a great yawning chasm stretched out before her, the road ripping itself open and she just barely grasped onto a steel pipe and pulled herself up like a professional rock climber.

She had to get to her partner, and grasped upwards even as a torrent of water threatened to throw her deeper into the abyss. Grabbing onto a metal handhold, she pulled herself up and over only for her eyes to widen.

Lila was standing directly in the akuma’s line of fire, the villain tossing around sticks of dynamite and shouting up a storm. “Fire me, will they? Well here’s what I say to them! FIRE IN THE HOLE!”

And Marinette moved. Now it must be said, she despised Lila but she didn’t want to see her dead. Especially not when there was something that she could do about it.

Dynamite came whistling through the air, in almost cartoonish fashion except no this was reality. Marinette shoved Lila to the ground as the explosive flew over their heads and caused a car to go up in a fireball.

“Get off me!” Lila snarled, shoving Marinette aside before she saw another stick thrown wildly.

“Move!” Marinette shouted, pulling Lila along by the hand and grasping an arm tightly as she basically tugged her along the sidewalk.

“...okay, not arguing…” Lila squeaked out as she saw another car go up in a fireball and a cauldron of smoke. Spitting and swearing under her breath, she was uttering words that Marinette knew if she ever said, her grandmother would shove a bar of soap in her mouth.

“...seriously, what’s his problem?” the Italian then said back in French.

“Be sensitive, he just got fired from his job,” Marinette sighed exasperatedly. “You’d be a bit pissed too.”

“Oh so you do curse,” Lila shot back as they ran for it. “I always thought you were too goody two shoes for that sort of thing.”

“...it’s been a very tiring day, Lila and I don’t have time to argue,” Marinette grumbled, tugging her along with enough force she might have accidentally ripped Lila’s arm from its socket. “So just keep running.”

“No, I think we’re far enough away to… to stop and take a rest yeah?” Lila said, slipping backwards onto a bench. “Listen, I don’t even hear the sounds of explosions anymore!”

She was soon corrected, as the sounds of battle drew nearer. 

“They’re coming this way!” Marinette exclaimed as she heard the akuma’s angered shouting and wow he was mad. 

Cat Noir vaulted by, shouting: “Run for it you two!”

Another stick of dynamite came whistling through the air, and he spun his baton attempting to deflect it. However, he was thrown backwards into a car, caving it inwards. 

The villain was hammering away at the street, and too late Marinette noticed the vibrations were about to bring another building down. She saw a shadow looming over her and then came a Crash! and a horrified scream and then darkness.

-----

Marinette awoke, woozy and a bit sore. All around her lay the ruins of a building and she heard a voice calling for her.

“...Cat?” Marinette whispered numbly before calling: “Cat? Is that you?”

“Oh thank god, Marinette!” Cat shouted. “L-Listen, Ladybug should be on the way, I don’t know what’s keeping her, but she should be on the way. We’ll defeat the akuma and fix everything. You just stay put alright?”

Marinette nodded, but had no intention of following that order. Ladybug would be coming as soon as she got out of this rubble. ...strike that, her leg was broken and there was no way she would be able to fight like that.

“Tikki,” she whispered into her purse without hesitation after considering the situation she was in. “Go find Alya, tell her what’s happened, who I am. Everything. Paris needs a Ladybug, and right now that’s her okay?”

With a sigh, Marinette slipped down against the rubble of a ruined wall and groaned. Watching Tikki fly off with the earrings, she thought to herself: “...well, this is a fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into isn’t it girl? You see, this is what you get for going and helping… Oh no! Lila!”

She spotted the distinctive orange jacket that the girl wore, horribly ugly but so very visible. The girl was lying prone on the floor, hopefully just unconscious. Marinette couldn’t live with a death on her conscience, even if it was… well, Lila’s.

Wincing in pain as she limped towards Lila’s hopefully not dead form, the girl let out a sigh she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in relief. Thankfully, Lila was still alive, her body slowly rising and falling with each exhale of a breath.

For a moment, Marinette debated if she should leave her like that but looked upwards and the part of the ‘roof’ -was that a roof?- that was above them? It did not look stable at all.

Dragging Lila away as best she could, again the sounds of battle could be heard from somewhere outside. Hopefully, Tikki had found Alya, and that Cat was doing well in holding the villain back until she got here.

She had faith in him. Her partner may have been a bit of a goof, but when the chips were down he… was actually pretty competent as a hero, perhaps even more than her. When he got focused, he got dangerous. Scary even.

And it was a fairly well-known fact that amongst those on Social Media that Cat, for whatever reason, considered her his Princess. God only knew what was running through his head right now, what he was thinking.

“...ugh, where are we?”

Oh, so Sleeping Beauty awakened. Okay, so how to approach this?

“...well, uh, don’t freak out but we’re…” Marinette tried to breach the subject delicately. “...kinda trapped under a building?”

Lila’s eyes widened and she let out a shriek. “WHHHHHHAAAAAATTTT?”

Nice, real nice Marinette. Way to break it to her delicately.

“That damn cat!” Lila snapped. “He should have seen this coming, saved us! The useless idiot!”

Uh okay, Marinette could tolerate a lot from Lila, but nobody talked smack about her partner like that!

“Hey, watch it,” Marinette pointed at her, glaring daggers. “He was doing the best he could, he was trying not to get killed by the akuma. All of his attention was on him, and he thought we’d gotten out of there. So shut it okay?”

“Ooooooh, does someone have a crush?” Lila sneered, equally willing to fire back with a snarky comment or two. “I’ve heard he visits you on your balcony, so do you let any stray cats in or just him?”

The lascivious tone in Lila’s voice said it all, and Marinette sighed: “I’m not even going to dignify that one with a response.”

“So we gotta get out of here right?” Lila asked, sounding a bit panicky and was looking for any available exits. Marinette’s eyes narrowed, claustrophobia maybe? “So let’s start digging!”

“One, my leg’s busted so I can’t be much help and two, we don’t even know how deep we are,” Marinette pointed out. “Move one wrong thing and you could bring the entire building down on top of us.”

“...but we gotta get out of here…” Lila whispered, still sounding panicked. Yep, definitely claustrophobia. Not that Marinette was going to judge. She hated spiders personally, nobody could control what they were afraid of.

“Hey, listen, we just gotta sit and be patient,” Marinette said calmly, a lot calmer than she actually felt honestly. “Ladybug’s on the way, and she and Cat will defeat the akuma like always and we’ll be out of here soon.”

“We’d better be…” Lila muttered.

“Hey…” Marinette said, not even knowing why but putting an arm around her. “Ladybug’s never failed yet right?”

“...no,” Lila admitted, somewhat bitterly. “No she hasn’t. And Paris just loves her for it.”

Okay so yeah, truth be told Marinette still felt a bit guilty about the calling Lila out as her superhero self thing. It was an unnecessary abuse of authority borne out of desperation and jealousy and maybe it would have changed nothing if she didn’t do it but she still shouldn’t have done it anyways.

“...you really hate Ladybug, don’t you?” Marinette said kindly.

“She humiliated me…” Lila mumbled petulantly, crossing her arms and sticking out her lip not unlike a child.

“And I’m sure she feels very bad about that,” Marinette replied. “She’s only human after all, and… admittedly I can’t entirely blame her for actually worrying about you.”

“W… Sorry, worrying about me?” Lila scoffed. “Did you literally not just hear me? She humiliated me, and you have the audacity to claim she was worrying about me?”

“She just didn’t want Hawk Moth to come after you,” okay that was a lie but it could have happened in hindsight. Nobody, not even Lila deserved that creepy emotional predator after them and their family. “Or your family. Claiming you were Ladybug’s best friend really put a target on your back, you know.”

“I… I suppose, yeah, and… my family… Yeah, I really screwed up didn’t I?” Lila said, Marinette choosing not to answer. “...god, my mom. She must be so worried about me, I haven’t come home yet and she’s probably seen the news!”

Lila noticed Marinette’s expression.

“Wait, don’t look so surprised at this, Dupain-Cheng. I may be many things but fuck I’m not heartless!” the Italian said. “...wow, here we are talking heart to heart while chaos erupts around us. Funny what happens when disaster strikes. What next, are we going to start braiding each other’s hair and talk about boys?”

“You really like Adrien, don’t you?” Marinette asked, ironically proving Lila right even as it pained her to come to this conclusion. “You know, you don’t have to lie to make him like you. In fact, I’d advise against it, be your true self around him honestly.”

Marinette had several snarky remarks about having already seen Lila’s true self prepared but held back. Or, more heartbreakingly, maybe Lila had lied for so long about who she was that… maybe even she didn’t know what her true self was like anymore.

Though honestly, and there was irony for you, Marinette was starting to get an idea.

“Pfft, that’s the sad thing Dupain-Cheng, I… just can’t. Not lie, I mean. It’s not a lying disorder, it’s… well, I suppose I just liked doing it so much that I can’t help myself any more.”

“How so?” Marinette asked.

“It started off so simply, me wanting to make up tall tales to fit in. I guess I liked doing it a little too much,” Lila shrugged. “Yeah yeah, I know it sounds sleazy of me but it’s how I am. It’s what I do.”

No. Marinette’s eyes were not watering. No they most certainly were not! No sir!

“It’s been a strange sort of day when I’m suddenly feeling bad for Lila of all people!”

What could she say to that? Like, what seriously could she say to that?

“So, wow, strange sort of day when we’re laying truths to each other. Bearing our hearts and souls. I assume you’ve got some deep dark secret as well?” Lila remarked. “Like you were one of the temporary heroes or something?”

“Not yet, maybe one day right?” Marinette shrugged. “I suppose it’d be cool, leaping across Paris and saving the day right?”

Marinette had to suppress a snort. Oh, if she only knew!

Another crash, and Lila looked up in fear to see if the building was collapsing in on itself. Then a war cry from somewhere up above and the crash of thunder. ...huh, that was new.

Marinette vaguely remembered Master Fu telling her about the dragon and its abilities. Perhaps that’s what was going on. ...wow the battle must have gotten violent if the other Miraculous were being brought out.

“Sounds nasty,” Lila commented. “Battle sounds like it’s getting ugly out there.”

“See, we should be out shortly! Sounds like there’s another Miraculous in play…” Marinette mused.

“How do you know there are others?” Lila questioned.

“Well, there must be, right?” Marinette lied, giving a little shrug. “I mean, Hawk Moth has one and the Cat and the Bug can’t just simply be the only ones right?”

“That’s… yeah, that’s true,” Lila said, giving a little nod. “...so you think I’d make a great hero?”

“What? Lila, come on you can’t just come out and say stuff like that!” Marinette balked at her, eyes comically wide. “Like… Like…”

“I dunno, I think I’m pretty smart and I trained myself in several martial arts. Not a lie by the way,” Lila had to clarify, which was pretty sad when Marinette thought about it. “Diplomat’s daughter and all, pretty prime target for kidnapping.”

“I… yeah, I can’t imagine having to move from place to place, never really having a chance to settle down,” Marinette said, her voice again turning sympathetic.

“Don’t I know it!” Lila said. “...oh, give it a few months and I’ll probably be out of Paris, out of everyone’s hair. Where to next? Saudia Arabia? Maybe hobnobbing with Prince Ali?”

Her voice had turned bitter again and tragically Marinette realized Lila had probably never had a real friend in her life. Granted, she made it incredibly difficult to get one, but all the same…

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Lila replied. “What do you care? Last I checked, you hated me.”

“Not as much as I used to,” Marinette clarified.

“Much appreciated,” Lila said, though it was hard to tell if she was being sarcastic or not. Silence took over for a few minutes, though not for long.

“So, martial arts huh?” Marinette tried to break the awkward silence, still trying to work out the enigma that was Lila Rossi. “Maybe you could teach me a few pointers? Paris is pretty dangerous these days after all.”

“I’ll see what I can do, though no promises given we probably only have a couple of months before I move again. And that’s probably being generous,” Lila guessed, her voice turning hot and harsh again. “I took up martial arts for a different reason, to quell my fury. I have… understandable anger issues.”

“I can imagine, with the constant moving and all. You…” Marinette paused. “...never really got a chance to have friends did you?”

“No, and even if I did well I’d never get to spend too much time with them,” Lila replied in an utterly foul tone. “Yeah, well I don’t need them anyways. World traveling makes up for it!”

She was lying, obviously.

“Well…” Marinette smiled, linking her finger with Lila’s own. “...you got one.”

Lila smiled, surprised and touched. But before she could say anything on the matter water then smashed in through a wall, and the sun began to shine in…

“Come on!” Marinette said, limping to the entrance.

“Oh no! You’re hurt, no way you’re getting out of here without my help,” Lila muttered, taking stock of the situation. “...ugh, I can’t believe I’m doing this but I suppose your class would lynch me if I left you behind.”

Hosting Marinette up and practically cradling her as she carried her bodily out of the building, Lila had almost forgotten what the sun felt like. Two heroes, one obviously Ladybug -but different somehow, even if it wasn’t clear exactly why- along with an Asian dragon-themed hero were giving chase to the akuma.

Lila had honestly never caught the damn thing’s name, nor did she honestly care. 

“C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

-----

Magical light washed over the city, just as Marinette had predicted and brick and mortar and stone began repairing themselves as chasms stitched themselves back together.

“...so…” Lila looked up at the sky. “...I guess we’re buddy buddy now?”

“I guess,” Marinette acknowledged, rubbing her arm nervously. “It’s… yeah it’s a weird feeling y’know?”

“Tell me about it…” Lila said, before taking a deep breath. “...I guess we’re starting over. Hi, my name’s Lila Rossi.”

She stuck out her hand.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Marinette answered, taking it and shaking it. “So nice to finally meet you.”

“So, see you in class tomorrow?” Lila’s eyes sparkled, perhaps with tears. 

“Yeah!”

As Marinette walked home, she was joined by Cat.

“Hey, was that Lila I saw you talking with?” he asked, and Marinette smiled at him. “I guess you’re friends now?”

“Yes,” she said. “Yes, it was. And yeah, I guess we are.”

-----

Lila walked home, not really sure where to go from here. Friends, actually friends with Marinette. That was… uh, okay yeah she was going to have to have some time to herself to process this. Like, uh okay then.

She still hated Ladybug though. She probably always would.

Maybe it was spiteful of her and apparently, the hero had saved her life today. Lila knew she had *plenty* of issues still to work out and yep her anger for Ladybug still raged hard like an inferno.

But… but maybe she could learn to tolerate her. For Marinette’s sake.

After all, the girl spoke so highly of her and so did the rest of Paris. Maybe she wasn’t all that bad.

And Lila found herself rushing into her mother’s arms for comfort. A childish notion perhaps, but she did it anyways.

“Oh Lila, ero così preoccupata per te! Ho visto il telegiornale ed ero preoccupato che tu fossi rimasto intrappolato in uno di quegli edifici che crollano!” her momma worried and fretted.

“Lo ero, mamma. Ma non preoccuparti. Ladybug mi ha salvato,” Lila replied, holding her mom tight. “Sono al sicuro. Sono a casa.”

Chapter Text

Lila officially hated spring in Paris, the rain coming down like a torrent from slate-grey skies. The headlights of cars shone like lanterns, peering out from the darkness creating a sea of light.

The wind, thankfully, wasn’t frighteningly cold like it had been last winter. Slashing into her skin like the claws of a beast and biting at her face with great fangs. It was just a gentle whisper, the calming breath of life.

Hailing a cab would be impossible in this weather honestly, everyone apparently having the same idea as her and wanting to get home. A step to the left just narrowly avoided water thrown into her face and Lila grumbled something under her breath. A shouted apology echoed out from the car, though it went mostly unheard.

It was pretty brave of her, deciding to walk all of the way home. She bet Ladybug didn’t have to deal with this. Rain slid down shingles, falling down glass windows and on rare occasions the sun peeked itself through the thick gray blankets up above. It shone off puddles, casting light onto them although those brief moments of warm reprieve were soon lost. 

Horns continued to honk as thunder rumbled up above, and honestly? A part of Lila enjoyed this brief moment alone. Away from her class, where she could collect her thoughts.

That enjoyance was soon tossed to the side when water actually was splashed into her face, thrown like a deluge over her and soaking the Italian to the bone. Shouting angrily in Italian at the offending party, Lila groaned to herself. Her clothes were halfway to being ruined.

Damnit.

She’d paid a lot of money for this jacket.

A sneeze. Great, that was just great. With the way her luck had been today, she was probably coming down with a cold as well. Lovely.

-----

“Hey, was that Lila I saw you talking with?” he asked, and Marinette smiled at him. “I guess you’re friends now?”

“Yes,” she said. “Yes it was. And yeah, I guess we are.”

Were they though? Were they really? Marinette hadn’t forgotten Lila wanting to make her life hell and part of her still didn’t trust the girl.

She was still petty, and incredibly spiteful and honestly Marinette was wondering if she’d finally gone around the bend. 

It had been bound to happen eventually, she supposed.

It was playing dangerous, really. Like walking on a live wire and hoping not to get shocked in the process.

And yet she was doing it anyways, like gleefully stepping onto the third rail. Maybe a part of her was just so done with making enemies outside of the mask. That the first chance she got to pull someone onto her side, she took it. No matter what the risk of getting stabbed in the back was.

And there was a risk, the paranoid part of her said. The one which had kept her alive in her ongoing fight against Hawk Moth. It was telling her she might as well pull up her shirt, let Lila raise the knife.

And yet… the other part of Marinette said to ignore her paranoia. Clearly, there was more going on with Lila than meets the eye. Maybe she should let this play out.

“...hey, has anyone seen Lila this morning?” Rose’s voice pulled her out of her internal musings. “She’s not normally this late.”

“Sorry…” the Italian’s voice came as she slowly trudged into class looking, admittedly, actually pretty terrible. With a cough, she made her way to her seat. “...I was slow getting out of bed this morning.”

“Woah girl, are you sure you should even be here?” Marinette heard Alya say, the Creole girl rushing to Lila’s side. “You look like you’re going to collapse.”

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s nothing really,” Lila said, however weakly. Marinette would honestly debate that statement. “I should be, relatively, fine.”

“Relatively fine?” Alya said. “You don’t even look close to relatively, if you’re asking me.”

“Whatever,” Lila replied, somewhat snippishly. Her voice raised, her tone was fiery and irritated. “Look, look, I’m not going to just fall over Alya, like I’m fine. I’m not going to suddenly collapse, I don’t need you worrying about me.”

Huh, this was a change. Usually Lila just ate up the attention from the class and yet now the tables had turned.  Here she was, actively seeking being alone. 

How the worm turned. 

“Woah, hey, okay,” Alya said, wisely deciding to back off for the moment. “But I’m telling you right now, I don’t really think you should be in school today girl. Like I’m half tempted to march you straight to the nurse’s office or better yet march you straight to the bus stop and get you home.”

A part of Marinette agreed, not wanting to see Lila today after still figuring out where they stood. It was just incredibly awkward as it is.

And now here she was, actually agreeing with wanting to see the Italian marched right up to the nurse’s office. 

“...look, if it makes you feel any better I’ll check myself into the nurse’s office at around lunchtime. I just don’t want to disrupt class any further okay?” Lila said, not even needing to turn on the crocodile tears to get all attention and sympathy on her. “I’m just going to power on through this for the time being.”

“Okay…” Appropriately satisfied for the time being, Alya turned her attention to the board and waited for Ms. Bustier to come in. “I’m just telling you girl, you don’t look well at all and are you sure you’ll be able to focus?”

“I’m fine Alya,” Lila lied, just wanting to be left alone.

“It’s just… well, you do look pretty sick,” Alya said. “I know the last time I was sick, I could barely focus on schoolwork as it is.”

Finally, Marinette said something.

“Look, let’s just leave Lila be for right now, okay?” she said, soothingly, in an attempt to placate her best friend. “I’ll take her up to the nurse’s office later for you okay? But let’s just let Lila be for now okay? She requested it of us, so we’ll do that alright?”

“Okay…” Alya said, seemingly stunned that there wasn’t any argument from her. Apparently expecting Marinette’s hatred for Lila to take over or something. Which hurt she wouldn’t lie, but Marinette knew a few days ago she probably wouldn’t have been as nice.

Class seemed to pass as if time had slowed to a crawl, Marinette far too preoccupied by Lila to really be able to pay any honest attention to the lesson.

Yeah, she knew that there were certain shoujo manga that went this way but ewww no thank you. This was reality and the enemies-to-lovers trope would certainly not be happening to her on her watch! 

Okay, so Lila wasn’t completely horrible but she was still a long way off from anyone that Marinette would consider honest dating material. Hell, she’d probably date Chloe before she even considered dating Lila. There was just waaaaaay too much to unpack there honestly.

Lila, for her part, didn't seem to be looking much better throughout the class and at times looked as if she was about to collapse. She’d sneezed several times and generally looked utterly wretched. And not in the usual sense that Marinette had come to think of with this girl.

She couldn’t believe it, but she actually pitied her one-time arch-rival. Probably because Marinette knew she was drawing from personal experience.

She may or may not have attempted to power through her own sicknesses once or twice. With huge helpings of cold and flu medication. It had been a… rather embarrassing day when she’d somehow managed to make a bigger fool of herself than normal around Adrien.

“Oh… hi Adrien…” she’d uttered while utterly high on her medication. “How’s your day?”

“You look terrible,” the blonde said bluntly. “You sure you shouldn’t be at home?”

“No, no, it’s worth it,” Marinette mumbled, not really keeping track of what she was actually saying. “...especially when the one I love is near…”

Too late she realized and hoped that Adrien had misheard.

“Hmmm?”

“...I’m in Ladybug with someone?” Marinette continued to mumble, apparently unaware of the shocked look that Adrien was giving her. “Like I’m in Ladybug.”

“Uh… okay then,” Adrien said, backing up awkwardly and shooting her finger guns in an attempt to look cooler than he probably felt. “I’m happy for you!”

The next day, apparently the entire class had somehow got the notion she was dating Ladybug herself. Alya was shaking her head and chuckling, saying: “Only you girl…”

Well that had been an utter disaster and to this day the class still thought she was dating the savior of Paris. That she was dating herself.

...which was both hilarious and humiliating. Marinette wasn’t that narcissistic to commit self-cest and even Tikki got in on the act saying: “...well it’s certainly possible with Mullo’s help!”

Cue a groan and a facedesk so hard that she still had the headaches.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Marinette finally decided, having had enough of Lila looking utterly pitiful. Grabbing her by the arm, she pulled the Italian up and out of her seat. “...honestly, I can’t stand looking at you.”

“In general, you mean?” Lila deadpanned.

“No, I mean looking at you,” Marinette clarified. “Like this. You look terrible.”

“Oh please, cut the pity. You and Alya and Rose, all of you were way too concerned for me,” Lila returned fire. “I’m fine. Yeah, I’ve been in better shape but I’m not suddenly going to keel over.”

“Good grief, why are you so stubborn?” Marinette said, all but frog-marching her out of the room. “We’re just trying to help. That’s what we do here, this class is like family.”

Perhaps unsurprising, given they’d suffered almost an entire school year with a magical terrorist looming over their heads. And yeah, even if families fought, that’s what they basically were. And Lila was like that bratty sister Marinette got so annoyed by.

“I’m fine. Like I’ve been able to comprehend the lessons, right?” Lila said. “So no need to worry.”

She staggered, looking honestly a bit woozy before murmuring: “Okay, uh woah…”

“My sensors indicate that your body is running hotter than normal,” Markov said as up he flew out of Max’s bag. “You, Lila Rossi, despite your protests, are most certainly not ‘fine’.” 

“See, the robot agrees,” Marinette put her foot down, having had quite enough of this. “Now come on. With me!”

“Oh, are you sure you just don’t want to shove me behind a locker or drag me out behind the school?” Lila teased, despite her terrible feelings still managing to muster up some fire. “Because really, if you want to just be alone with me well there’s no shame in admitting it.”

“No!” Marinette retorted. “I… no. Just no.”

“Oh right, I forgot,” Lila smirked. “You’re dating Ladybug. I mean, okay yeah there’s certainly loads better fish in the sea but to each her own. I won’t judge.”

Marinette may not have been the kind to date herself, but she certainly suspected Lila was most certainly the type. Just a hunch, just a suspicion.

“...I’m going to pretend you’re not speaking,” Marinette said to herself. “I’m just going to walk you home, to your mother and then I am not going to think about you for the rest of the day.”

Good grief, who knew being Lila Rossi’s friend could be so exhausting? Oh, the difficulties in being a hero really…

“...you know, we still really haven’t talked about the elephant in the room between us,” Lila went on. She rubbed at her nose with a handkerchief. “Adrien. You like him, I like him and though you’re dating Ladybug now I can’t deny the feelings are still there.”

“Oh hush,” Marinette said. “I’m actually very happy not dating him for the moment.”

Lies.

“Whatever you say…” Lila commented, still dabbing at her nose with a handkerchief.. “But be warned, I may just snap him up whenever you’re not looking. So sort out your feelings fast, otherwise… well!”

Marinette suppressed the urge to growl.

She was honestly missing class because of this. Oh well, Alya should have notes of all the important bits.

“Oh thank you, mia bella, for returning my daughter to me,” Ms. Rossi, a wonderful woman of some years said to her. Marinette was shocked , as she honestly did look like an older version of her daughter. “I had been worried when she stepped out of the house this morning.”

“...anything for a friend,” Marinette said, still stunned those words were coming out of her mouth. She studied the older Italian. 

She was honestly fairly pretty and wow looks like Lila had been telling the truth. Funny that. Ms. Rossi lived in the part of town and wore the kind of clothes only a diplomat could afford. 

And speaking of a mother and daughter… “Ti avevo detto di non uscire di casa stamattina! Una madre lo sa sempre. Tu, mia cara, sembravi incredibilmente malata. Te l'ho detto.”

And at this Lila replied: “Devo mantenere alti i miei voti, mamma!”

“Nessun voto vale questo,” Ms. Rossi replied. “Ti ho mandato un messaggio. Te l'avevo detto che saresti dovuto tornare a casa ieri. Cosa stavi facendo? Imitando quel film americano cantando e saltellando sotto la pioggia?”

Marinette winced at the harsh tones being used, and while she only understood a little bit of Italian she got the sentiment. It was obvious the elder Rossi loved her daughter very much.

Another ‘thank you’ and Marinette was basically hurried off.

-----

Amazingly, Marinette really hadn’t missed much and was thankful that her best friend kept notes. 

That being said, wow her life was changing fast like she’d been sucked up into a whirlwind.

“...Hey Cat?” she said over patrols one night, worrying if she was honestly giving too much out. “...you ever been friends with someone you know you should hate but somehow manage to put up with?”

“No, can’t say that I have,” her partner, loyal and concerned as ever said. “...something wrong? Like is there someone I should know about, someone I need to hit?”

“No!” Ladybug said quickly, touched but still shocked. “It’s just… there’s someone in my civilian life, I don’t know why I’m friends with her and yet I am anyways.”

“Well, I’m sure there must be a reason,” Cat tried to be supportive, bless him, even if he barely knew what was going on.

“Yes, I’m sure there’s a reason,” Ladybug said. “It’s just… well, she can be incredibly aggravating at times. Like, really and I mean really aggravating. A complete pain in the neck.”

“...it’s Chloe isn't it?” Cat said without hesitation. Ladybug blinked. Well, given the information she’d just handed him well she supposed she couldn’t blame him. That was probably where her mind would have gone.

“No, thank god no!” she quickly replied, suppressing the involuntary shudder. “...I’m scared you even thought about that.”

“She’s been getting better,” Cat said. “...she was a good Queen Bee.”

“A passable Queen Bee,” Ladybug clarified. “I’m honestly thinking we should replace her if we have a choice.”

“Mhmm, that’s fair…” Cat seemed slightly sad by the idea. But really in the end he didn’t seem to have any real desire to argue. It was fairly telling by his tone, and honestly, the way he spoke seemed to be in almost wholehearted agreement.

Better to have someone not ruled by her ego as the bearer of one of the more dangerous Miraculous.

“Thanks for listening though,” Ladybug smiled.

“What I’m here for.”

-----

In any event, every so often AKA a few times a week, Marinette found herself just checking up on Lila. The irony hadn’t been lost on her, once Lila had lied about having Ladybug as her best friend and now it had come true.

“...you really shouldn’t be here,” Lila said, looking worse than ever with a warm rag resting on her forehead. The covers had been drawn over herself, and honestly it had been hard to believe that this was the girl that once tormented her. “You might get sick yourself, and I’m pretty sure Francois Dupont would love for their little darling to be out sick.”

Marinette ignored her, going back to the kitchen to fetch the Italian a cold drink or two.

“All the same,” Marinette said. “You look like you could use a friend.”

“I mean, give your classmates time and they’ll be lining up at the door,” Lila said, mustering up the strength to look outside. “...I’m surprised they’re not doing that already.”

She popped open the offered beverage.

“The whole class is pitching in to get you some bouquets of flowers, I’m just the only one brave enough to come and visit you,” Marinette said. “Maybe honestly I’m your only real friend.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“I mean, let’s be real. My class, to you, is sometimes nothing more than a means to an end,” Marinette said frankly. “When they get famous, you will be able to say they know you and you’ll be able to ride their coattails. Get on the fame train and ride it till the end.”

“So why are you,” Lila said. “The Everyday Ladybug associating with me then?”

“Because I’m nice like that,” Marinette started. “Because as I said, I’m probably your only real friend.”

“If I was you, well I’d stay pretty clear of someone like me. Try and get my whole class away from someone like me.” Lila said in reply.

“Well, because I believe you can be better I guess?” Marinette shrugged. “I don’t know, honestly I’m probably as amazed as you are that we’re still talking. That we haven’t killed each other yet.”

“...maybe tomorrow,” Lila muttered, looking at the trash can as if she was about to projectile vomit into it. “When I don’t want to feel like just keeling over and dying.”

“Yes well,” Marinette said, sitting in the window sill. “Until then, I’ll be by your side. Because well, like it or not we’re friends now. I know, I can hardly believe it myself.”

“Oh right, I keep forgetting you adopt lost puppies,” Lila replied, dryly her voice like acid. “You take in broken people off your doorstep. Like Adrien and like Juleka and like everyone else. Because your heart is sooooooo big.”

“Yep,” Marinette said, not even trying to deny it. “Basically.”

“Well, newsflash. I’m not broken,” Lila said, her tone of denial saying otherwise. “I’m perfectly fine as is.”

“That heart-to-heart conversation we shared trapped under a building?” Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow. “What was that then?”

“It never happened,” Lila said. “I said it just to get you off my back, so we wouldn’t have to spend that time trapped in silence.”

“Mhmm,” Marinette said, not believing her for a second. “Like I said. You have a friend now.”

“Yeah, a very annoying one.”

“Your mother seems nice,” Marinette said. “...truth be told, I… I, yeah I admit I thought you were lying about her as well.”

“As if I’d ever lie about my mother!” Lila scoffed, sounding truly offended.

“Well, you’ve never given me a reason to believe you wouldn’t.”

Lila sighed, falling back on her bed. “...yeah fair.”

“Look, you don’t have to lie,” Marinette said, not really finding it within herself to be able to hate the Italian anymore. Honestly, she could only pity her. “See, I’m very certain that the class would love the real you.”

“I… I know, it’s just… it's hard alright?” Lila stammered out in admittance. “I’ve done this sort of shit for so long that it’s become basically second nature to me. I do it by reflex at this point.”

“I dunno, I think you’d find it easier than you’d think,” Marinette observed. “I’ve been sitting with you for about 15 minutes now and I haven’t heard you spout one lie.”

“Give me time…” Lila uttered bitterly.

“You can be-”

“Better?” Lila chuckled. “Is that what you were going to say? Please do go on, stroke my ego. Feed me falsehoods.”

“...who said I was feeding you falsehoods?” Marinette asked, actually honest about that. “I actually believe you can be a good person, Lila Rossi. I know, I know, it stuns me too. At times I can hardly believe the words are coming out of my mouth.”

“Mhmm, and what says to you that I won’t be too much work? Even for you?” Lila asked. “Admit it, a part of you is still scared of me. I did make your life hell for a bit.”

“Trust me, I've endured years of Chloe,” Marinette replied. “Anything you could have said to me is cupcakes compared to what she’s pulled over the years.”

Lila snorted. “And she’s a Miraculous holder!”

Marinette soon joined in on the laughter that followed.

“Well, if anything, this proves that Ladybug’s judgment is skewed,” Lila went on, after collecting herself. “Handing someone like her a Miraculous. Like really!”

“Well, do you see anyone else lining up?” Marinette pointed out.

“Oh, I’m sure if Ladybug later this day put out a call that she was aiming to replace Queen Bee?” Lila said, her tone still sarcastic as ever. “I’m sure citizens would practically throw themselves at her trying to prove their worth.”

Well, maybe not throw themselves at her exactly…

“Of course she’d have to deal with one pissed-off princess but eh,” Lila shrugged. “I’m honestly amazed that you haven’t been given a Miraculous. You’re perfect for it!”

“W-Well I wouldn’t go that far…” Marinette stammered.

“Ladybug’s girlfriend,” Lila stressed. “Need I say more?”

“...you do know that was a mistake on my part right?” Marinette drawled. “I was high on cold medication.”

“Mhmm, sure you were,” Lila nodded, her tone indicating she didn’t really believe that. “You two are perfect for each other, all precious and goody goody. The school adores you, and the city adores Ladybug. You both are icons in a way.”

“Your point?”

“Woe betide Francois Dupont, no… the city the day that Hawk Moth akumatizes you!” Lila went on.

“You’re assuming I won’t fight him off,” Marinette pointed out.

“Nobody has yet.” Lila returned.

“Well, maybe I’ll be the first,” Marinette replied. “I’m strong, I’m confident. I’m Marinette!”

“Ooooh, such an ego!” Lila returned, forcing a grin despite her otherwise miserable state. “You trying to give Bourgeois a run for her money?”

“Well you said it yourself,” Marinette replied. “I’d probably be a much better superhero!”

And at this, Lila actually laughed.

-----

Marinette made it a point to visit Lila over the next few weeks while she recovered, the two trading verbal blows as often as they did friendship moments.

And uggggggh, she was beginning to regret it. She woke up that morning, her head hurting like it had been hit by a hurricane. Her whole body ached and yep she wasn’t going to go to school this morning.

“...see what happens when I try to be nice to Lila, Tikki?” Marinette mumbled, her head running hot. “I end up getting burned in the process.”

“I think it’s nice that you’re willing to extend a hand of friendship to her,” the sprite said. “Yes, maybe her attitude does need a… bit of work, but something tells me that nobody’s ever tried to help her before. So she’s had no reason to be nice.”

“...you always have the answers, don’t you Tikki?” Marinette mumbled.

“Well I have been around for millennia, one does tend to pick up some sage wisdom over the centuries,” the little god smiled. “You get some rest, okay Marinette?”

And to her honest surprise, Lila was there rushing to her side.

“Well, you were there for me when I was feeling like crap, so…” the Italian said. “It’s only fair that I be here for you in your hour of need.”

“Great, we can end up trading sicknesses again,” Marinette said. “Here, take mine. I’m sure you won’t mind.”

Lila chuckled. “Whatever you say friend of mine.”

Chapter Text

Let it be said, of course, that despite Lila not being as much of a pain in the neck as she was previously? Marinette still found herself honestly surprised by the girl.

It started off like any other day of course, Marinette being one of the first to rise and start opening up the bakery. Lights were flipped on and signs were beginning to be set out with pastries displayed in glass cases.

Contrary to popular belief, Marinette tried not to be late for class. Really, she did! Trouble was, helping to open up the bakery for the day often put a damper on those plans. She supposed she could let her maman and her papa do most of the work but that wasn’t her. Her kwami had always said that her Chosen had so much of herself to give to the world and this was only more evidence of that.

So imagine her surprise one weekend when Lila waltzed into her bakery, sat down and opened up the latest issue of Shonen Jump. She was muttering under her breath about a guy named ‘Deku’ and… well it was probably a name. It sounded Japanese, it wasn’t like Marinette knew the name all too well.

“You read comics?” Marinette asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she took it in. “...well manga but same thing really. Just Japanese comics.”

“...uh, doesn’t everyone these days? Don’t look so surprised, close that slack jaw of yours. You’ll let flies in, it’s unsightly,” Lila told Marinette, the girl numbly obeying her. “And yes I do. I love the paperiniks back home, shame you can’t really get them over here in France… This is the next best thing really.”

Marinette sat down next to her, figuring she could spare a few moments of her time. Once again, the weirdness of this entire situation caught up with her. A few weeks ago, she would have been frothing at the mouth even thinking about Lila Rossi.

“I guess I was always the weird kid back home,” Lila shrugged, flipping another page. “...like boys don’t tend to enjoy girls reading the same comics they do. It’s a very masculine type thing.”

“Bullshit,” Marinette said, the words slipping out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. “There’s plenty of female-oriented comics out there.”

“Mhmmm,” Lila said. “In Japan. Not so much in the West. America and the like doesn’t seem to ‘get’ the idea of girls comics. Japan does, thankfully. Yay for Shoujo Manga. But you can’t deny Western comics are for the dudes. Puh-lease, half of those women look like porn stars.”

...well Marinette couldn’t deny that. Certain artwork she’d seen just made her feel all dirty inside. Like there was certain art you drew but you just simply didn’t publish y’know? Even so…

“I know plenty of guys who would love to know a girl who loves comics,” Marinette replied. “Nathaniel for example…”

“Well, Nath is a rare breed honestly,” Lila replied. “As I said, most of the guys just look at us weird. Like we’re somehow a threat, like we’re somehow imposing.”

“I mean, that’s not what I’ve seen.”

“Maybe we’ve just had different experiences then,” Lila shrugged. “With me, with my experience? I’ve usually been the only girl in a den full of geeks. The only bitch in a pack of wolves.”

“As I said, you should come down to the library sometime, at the school I mean,” Marinette offered, extending a hand. “My friends and I? We usually meet up every week to talk about the latest comics. The newest plot twists.”

Again, Marinette couldn’t get over how eerily weird this was.

“...I swear ‘Zuku is going to turn out to be the freakin’ Avatar by this point,” Lila uttered to herself. “...why not? I mean Todoroki already looks like Prince Zuko anyways.”

Marinette chuckled. “...yeah something tells me you’re going to fit in just fine.”

-----

“...huh, she was right,” Lila said to herself. They’d arrived at the library, with several other fellow nerds already gathered like moths to the flame. This little group included Adrien, Alya, Chloe -for whatever reason, Lila dared not to think what it was-, Marc, Natheniel, and Alix. And needless to say, they did not welcome her warmly enough.

“Lila, what are you doing here?” Chloe said, scowling at her.

“If you must know, Queenie, I was personally invited to join today’s meet up,” Lila said, crossing her arms. And at that moment, Marinette was running up and joined up with them. 

“I can vouch,” Marinette said, panting a bit. “I was the one who invited her.”

“Since when did you two become such good friends,” the former Queen Bee said, still not believing in how this can come to pass. 

“I’m gonna have to side with Chloe here,” Alix said, agreeing with her. She paused, apparently shocked at the notion and looking a bit disgusted with herself. “I’ve seen Lila not uphold a few things AND she ruined my artwork.”

Marinette turned to look at her friend who laughed somewhat sheepishly. “...I spilled a few paints, okay? I was sorta clumsy. And apologies for not always coming through, I’m a busy girl. Busy life. Diplomat’s daughter and all that.”

Both Alix and Chloe squinted at her, mentally agreeing to keep a closer eye on her. Once that was out of the way, though, they got started with their meeting. 

“....soooooo,” Alix said, trying to break the increasingly awkward silence. “...that last chapter anyone?”

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO LUFFY!?!” Both screamed Chloe and Adrien, clearly sharing the same brain cell. 

“One moment, he was holding his own against Kaido,” Chloe started.

“And the next, he's out cold and being thrown off the floating island!!” Adrien finished, both are clearly scared.

“AND THERE'S A BREAK NEXT WEEK!!” Chloe barked, slamming her hands on the table for emphasis. Lila, somewhat stunned into silence leaned over to Marinette finally finding her voice.

“...what happened to Chloe?” she wondered. “...like when did she become such a nerd?”

“I… you know I don’t actually know?” Marinette admitted with a small shrug. “She just showed up out of the blue one day, and well… none of us can really get her to leave.”

“You mean you don’t want to hurt Adrien’s feelings,” Lila said, working through the cryptic code. “...is that it?”

“...well, I…” Marinette tugged at her tank. “...maybe? Look, this is the one time when she doesn’t seem so bad so I guess I just don’t have the heart to kick her?”

“Plus I invited her in,” Adrien said, giving Marinette a fairly wilting smile that made her weak at the knee. Admittedly, it was hard to be intimidated by him when hello he was such a big dork. “She’s been a manga fan for a while, actually.”

“Yes, well, don’t tell Daddy,” Chloe said. “My father, admittedly, whenever he thinks of manga he thinks of naughty tentacles.”

There was a shared look of outrage.

“...really? The lowest common denominator?” Lila asked disgustedly, giving Chloe a surprising glance of female fan solidarity.

“Yes, well that’s my father for you. I don’t hold out hope for him to understand, really,” Chloe shrugged. “He won’t even allow me to be seen at manga shops, not the Mayor’s Daughter oh no. I must be seen doing more ‘proper’ things for someone of my status.”

“..so how…?” Lila pondered, still looking somewhat disgusted.

“Sabrina, and later Adrien snuck some to me in the mail,” Chloe replied. “And I… I may or may not download certain things off certain sites.”

“Oooooh, so the Mayor’s Daughter is breaking a few laws?” Alix snorted. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“It’s only illegal if I get caught,” Chloe replied, smugly. Lila sat with wide eyes, her whole world rocked a little.

“...you ever have one of those moments where you wonder what the hell just happened?” the Italian said, blinking a little in shock. “...I’m having one of them right now.”

“Welcome to my world,” Marinette nodded in agreement and completely relating. She’d had one of those just a few weeks back when she’d learned that maybe - just maybe - Lila wasn’t as terrible as she previously thought. “...it seems to happen quite a lot for me actually.”

More than Lila actually honestly knew or Marinette was actually willing to divulge. Her ‘other life’ had gotten pretty strange at times. Hawk Moth had some seriously strange ideas for akumas at times and… well, they did tend to leave her slack-jawed.

Or maybe that was just at his apparent stupidity. Looking at you Gigantitan, or the many akumatizations of Mr. Pigeon. They said the definition of insanity was trying the same thing over and over again and somehow expecting a different result.

...so what did that say about Hawk Moth?

Then again, Marinette had worked out a while back that her archenemy was seriously insane. He honestly thought two magical jewels would help him gain ultimate power. Which was true but there would always be a trade-off... Did Hawk Moth even know about that or frighteningly, did he even care?

Right, enough dark thoughts. There was a time and a place for that.

“...speaking of revelations, man I just can’t get over the fact that Dabi is in reality Touya! Like… Santo cielo! Merda… I… I was hoping it wasn’t true,” Lila said, shaking her head. “I mean, I suspected with the apparent hatred he had for Endeavor not to mention his powers but… I didn’t want it to be true. Oh, my poor heart is breaking!”

It was obvious by the look on her face that Chloe was holding back some truly snarky remark, probably along the lines of ‘you have a heart?’ or something like that. Only the disapproving look from Adrien apparently kept her from saying anything.

Which of course Lila noticed.

“Whipped.”

And all eyes turned to her, Chloe’s own orbs apparently boring into her skull. Hoping that the Italian would catch fire or something. At least that was Marinette’s theory.

“...excuse you?”

“I said you’re whipped, Bourgeois,” Lila replied. “Do I need to repeat it, because if I have to I swear that I will. Are you deaf or something? Because I said you’re whipped.”

“Uh, okay girls, maybe we should settle down…” Marinette tried to mediate, putting her hands between the two and hoping that the hair-pulling wouldn’t start. 

“Where do you get off, Rossi? Huh? I’d love to peer inside that mind of yours,” Chloe said, rising up from the table like a deranged harpy. She stalked over to Lila like a wolf would her prey. “I would, just so I could see where you get off saying those things.”

“...oh well, there goes our chance for a peaceful discussion…” Nathaniel muttered, his head hitting the table.

“Forget that,” Alix remarked. “I want to see if I should start handing out tickets. Fight!”

Marinette gently shoved the shorter girl back into her chair. “Nobody’s fighting anyone.”

Wisely, she kept an eye out for butterflies.

“Why do you care? I mean it’s obvious that Adrien is the only one who’s managed to keep you under control,” Lila sneered, with Marinette sighing in the background. She was beginning to share Nathaniel’s weariness honestly. Part of her had known it was a bad idea to have these two in the same room together. 

Meanwhile, Lila went on. “...I can see why you haven’t been called upon to serve as one of Ladybug’s support heroes. She probably doesn’t want to deal with your ego.”

“That’s enough!” Marinette said, having had quite enough before pulling Lila back down into her chair by the hem of her jacket. “Both of you.”

Thankfully, no butterflies had apparently flown in. Not yet at least. 

“Whatever, I don’t have to stand around listening to this,” Chloe scoffed before striding out with her head held high.

“Chlo…” Adrien called after her before trying to retrieve her. However, it was obvious he’d fail and the blonde spared a glance towards Lila. He was giving her an intense look, his tone angry. “Nice one.”

“Fine, you want to cater to her, be my guests,” Lila said, getting up and walking out herself. “I'm blowing this place. If you want to invite me back, make sure it’s on a day when Queenie isn’t here okay?”

Marinette soon followed, the whole situation having deteriorated rather fast actually. Faster than she would have expected. “Lila…”

“If you want me to apologize, don’t start. I have better things to do than cater to her easily shattered ego,” the Italian practically snarled. She took a deep breath, calming herself before speaking more gently. “I’m warning you right now, girl. Queenie is going to be trouble one day. Mark my words. She’s seeking validation and she’ll go to lengths to get it.”

“...well, I wish I could say that you’re wrong,” Marinette did agree after a sigh while rubbing her forehead. “But… what you did back there? That was supposed to be an argument-free zone. Where nerds of the earth could unite. Y’know?”

“You want my advice?” Lila said, giving her friend a significant look. “If you want an argument-free zone, don’t invite the people who’ll start something.”

Marinette would certainly keep that in mind.

-----

Time passed, and Marinette hoped that Lila wouldn’t get into any more disagreements with Chloe. So far, they didn’t seem to be firing any shots across the bow at each other. They were mostly civil, tolerating each other. Well, tolerating each other as the best two people with equally intense personalities could.

Hopefully, today would be the perfect escape from the class’s headaches. Now it must be said, Marinette loved and adored her class. Really, she did! They were her best friends! That being said, sometimes friends needed a break from friends. Especially when said friends had some fairly intense personalities.

A girl did need time to unwind after all.

Every year, this big comic convention came to Paris and obviously Marinette had begged and pleaded to get to go. Luck had apparently been on her side this time, and now here she was walking into nerd heaven dressed as the one and only Sailor Mars.

She’d always been her favorite Sailor Scout as a kid, Marinette had never knew why. She’d always felt a connection to her she supposed.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into paradise, and lights and sounds were all around her. Bright colors filled her sight, a truly massive banner of All Might unfolding down from above her. He was grinning his signature grin, with the words ‘I AM HERE!’ below as he thumbs upped the viewer.

It was honestly as inspiring as the one on the page and Marinette couldn’t help herself as she grinned back. Still smiling like the sun as she strode deeper into the convention, all worries began to leave her.

For once, she didn’t have to be Ladybug. Instead, here she was only a hero in her imagination. Idly, she found herself wandering from stall to stall with no clear destination in mind until she heard a voice call out to her.

“Marinette!” came Lila’s voice and her head shot up and her eyes widened. Lila, it seemed, had enough of a sense of humor to come dressed as her akuma form.

“...Volpina?” Marinette said, somewhat hesitantly as the paranoid Ladybug half of her said to prepare for a fight. She forced the paranoia down, there was none of that malice she’d seen the first time around.

“Well, Vorpika, if you want to be pedantic about the whole matter. I guess Hawk Moth didn’t read certain Italian comics, honestly,” Lila said, sounding somewhat offended. “Then again, I shouldn’t have expected that level of intelligence and insight from a man who thinks the height of true terror is a pigeon supervillain. Maybe they should fuck on off and go play Hatoful Boyfriend together eh?”

Marinette snorted, unable to keep herself from giggling. It was taking all of her self-restraint not to fall over laughing. “You’re… you’re terrible!”

And at this Lila grinned. “I know. Well, if you have a bit of a reputation, you might as well live up to it right?”

It didn’t take all but of five seconds for Marinette to realize she was talking about what Chloe said to her.

In any event, the whole thing passed without much incident really. Just the two of them enjoying the convention and for once not having to worry about a certain emotional predator sticking his nose into things.

Maybe it was the fact that she was wearing a Sailor Mars costume. Maybe it was the fact that Lila was wearing a costume styled after her akuma self. Whatever it was, Marinette felt empowered.

These high heel boots were made for walking and one day they’d probably walk all over Hawk Moth. Or so the song went.

Somehow, Lila seemed to know this entire hall better than Marinette would have imagined. She was practically dragged from one end to the other. They managed to pick up a few things, officially to give to their classmates so they didn’t miss out. Unofficially, for bragging rights.

The entire thing felt like a whirlwind tour, honestly, with Marinette rarely afforded a chance to sit down and relax for a moment. It was chaotic as hell and yep she loved it. It had been a while since she smiled this much, the constant attacks wearing her down. Battering at her very soul like a ram would to a castle door.

Yes, it was true she’d felt a wee bit more frazzled lately. Like all of her muscles were tense, all of her nerves on the edge. Like she was ready to run at the slightest opportunity. Indeed, part of Marinette had caught herself examining the room for potential exits in case of akuma attacks.

She’d, in fact, already noticed several different fire exits that would be all too easy to dash out in the midst of chaos. Marinette knew she was way too tense, and that all of this blame could be laid squarely at butterfly boy’s feet.

Marinette checked her phone, knowing that she was looking for news on akuma attacks. She hated herself for that.

Thankfully, relievingly, nothing came up. She found herself, with a yelp, dragged to the meet and greets. The entire thing flew by in a glorious blur, Marinette with a few new pictures and a few new autographs from her idols.

Marinette almost died realizing she now had an autograph from Nanase Ohkawa!!! herself not to mention one from Sebastian Stan. Oh she so ‘stanned’ him hard. Hehe.

And oh, her phone was lighting up with notifications from jealous classmates at her new status update.

#Heroes in Arms with Hemsworth and Hiddleston!

Yep, meeting Thor and Loki themselves. She could officially die happy now. She looked to the sky which often threatened butterflies and grinned.

“Not today, Satan!”

-----

It was late when everything finally died down and the ethereal high the two had been on finally began to wear off.

“I can’t…” Lila stammered, unable to keep the unrepentant grin off her face. “Oh, I can’t believe we saw them! Them, Marinette!”

She grabbed her best friend and shook her, vibrating in excitement and looking as if she was about to scream out in joy.

Still, all the same, a part of her wondered…

“You think we went a bit far, Lila?” Marinette asked. “Like, basically boasting and bragging about who we saw and who we met?”

“I mean, it’s social media. That’s basically the whole point isn’t it?” Lila shrugged. “God gave us social media so we can brag about our accomplishments to the plebians. From the heavens!”

“...please don’t call them plebians,” Marinette sighed, rubbing her forehead. “It’s not a nice thing to do.”

“Nobody said I had to be a completely nice person,” Lila replied with a shrug. “I’m not a perfect princess like you, Mari. Look, I envy you at times. To have all the patience that you do, to deal with the people that you do.”

Marinette looked on, expectantly and hoping Lila would get to her point soon.

“But that’s the thing, I’m not you,” Lila said. “People are selfish, girl. I know you don’t like to hear it, but people are secretly selfish. I bet they’ve asked you for favors plenty of times, you friends. Hoping and expecting that you’ll do their whims.”

“Those don’t sound like my friends,” Marinette replied, looking Lila dead in the eyes. “Please don’t mistake my friends for people like that.”

Her voice was giving off a warning tone. It was hardening, turning into the same tone she used as Ladybug. Her ‘I am a superhero and you will listen to me’ voice as she’d termed it. More often than not, people seemed to do exactly that whenever they heard her use it.

Hopefully, Lila would do the same.

Look, Marinette understood that her friend had some issues. But that didn’t excuse her for being a bit of a bitch sometimes. She still hadn’t forgotten what kind of person Lila could be if she really tried.

And sometimes Lila actually really was a very trying sort of person.

For all of the crap that she gave Chloe, rightfully or wrongly well Lila had an equally intense personality. Just as fiery.

Just as passionate.

“I’m trying to help you Marinette, expose you to some of the evils of the world,” Lila went on. “Be glad I’m peeling off the bandage gently, instead of ripping it off outright.”

“...well, don’t. Like, don’t,” Marinette said, still in that warning tone of voice. “I know what my friends are like and they’re anything but what you describe. Look, I’m sorry if you’re so cynical but not everyone is like the people who’ve hurt you.”

Marinette had no doubt people had hurt Lila in the past, hardened her to the world. Maybe she meant her mother, consistently leaving her for her job. While it was obviously for a greater purpose, at times Marinette wished that Ms. Rossi would spare some more time for her daughter.

...she wouldn’t know what she would do if her parents were so busy that they couldn’t spare time for her. They always, no matter what else was going on, managed to involve themselves in her life as best as they could.

“...I wish I could believe that,” Lila uttered. “But, you’re you and I’m me. I guess we just have very different outlooks on things.”

Perhaps she should have been paying better attention, honestly as they walked into the metro station. Something had seemed off in hindsight, a little something seemed different. But Marinette, at the time, never noticed.

The cars in front of them seemed to call out to them, like a siren song almost. Tikki was buzzing out a warning, perhaps sensing that unfamiliar magic.

Then all went a strange eerie green and then all went black.

-----

Marinette and Lila awoke in a strange sort of place, obviously not Paris but somewhere in the wilderness. A shriek bubbled its way up out of one of their throats.

All around them was a sea of green, flower-filled fields eventually giving way to forests and forests eventually giving way to snow-capped mountains. Down below, after a few miles of hills was a strange small town that looked French but obviously not. 

It looked fake, almost too fairy-tale ish to actually honestly be real.

And then came the voice, mechanical and it set Marinette on edge. The hairs on the back of her neck rose up, her paranoid half screaming out a warning. Too late, she realized, that her earrings no longer functioned. She was all alone.

Well, almost all alone. To her right was Lila, looking suitably freaked not that Marinette could honestly blame her in that regard. The voice, it came from the skies and it came from all around greeting them but not in an altogether friendly way.

“Welcome passengers…”

Chapter Text

“Mental wounds not healing

Life's a bitter shame

I'm going off the rails on a crazy train…” 

Ozzy Osbourne: Crazy Train, Blizzard of Oz

------

Another day, another car. Such was how it was and how it had been for the past few weeks. Was it weeks? It could have been months. Time lost all meaning on this seemingly infinite journey.

Another door opened, allowing the two passengers another glimpse at the endless wasteland that stretched out before them. 

The train tracks thundered below them, battered and beaten by massive steel wheels as the impossibly massive machine crossed the infinite expanse. The wild wastes stretched out for seemingly impossible miles, no life in this desert. No trees, not even a tumbleweed. Probably not even bacteria.

Sere, dry air rushed up from the sands as the two girls crossed over yet another catwalk. Thin rails were on either side of them, looking fairly rusty and not at all safe. The dried-blood wastes seemed to beckon, though neither gave into the temptation.

Occasionally, you could see something rise up disproving the lie of lifelessness. Twisted, ugly things that could barely be counted as something alive. Like creatures from a fever dream, living night terrors.

Thunderous grey clouds loomed overhead, ominously low as lightning crackled in the sky with the clouds themselves merging together into this stone-colored curtain above. Light just barely broke through the slate.

And together, they passed into another car.

{468}

------

This whole thing was twisted, demented. Designed by some mad god in a frenzied fit, the deity probably laughing his head off as countless passengers played the Train’s game.

Both of their hands glowed a sickeningly jade shade, the Number lit up like a lamp in the dark. It rose and it fell, depending on the situation.

And apparently, when it zeroed out, something was supposed to happen. Their journey was supposed to finally come to an end.

Marinette couldn’t wait for that. 

And then, when all was over, she wouldn’t even think about Lila Rossi for the rest of her life. She’d transfer to another class, maybe even switch schools just to avoid her.

It was hell, being stuck with the lying Italian. Even now, she could hear the faint rumble of wheels against train tracks, a reminder of her apparent forever torment. She’d never look at a train the same way again.

The worst part of the whole deal was, apparently Lila’s number was in sync with her own. A strange, twisted form of duet. 

The Train had tricked her, disguised itself as the Metro before luring her onboard. It was fairly horrifying, thinking it as alive in any sense and yet… the Train seemed to bear an almost frightening intelligence. Disguising itself as it did, labeling her with a number.

She’d seen things, too weird to explain away. Too weird to say as anything else.

She was a Passenger now, and she would ride and she would ride. Sadly, when she looked out a window bright, she saw the stars come out and knew them to be a lie. A creation of the Train.

Oh, how she rode and what did she see when she looked out her window? Fakes. Illusions. A hollow sky.

Stars made for her tonight.

Just to disguise the fact that she was living a lie.

“...well, that was unpleasant,” Lila drawled, having a gift for understatement as their bones began to ache from all the running they’d been doing lately. Lila’s temper seemed to have a penchant for offending the denizens. Shockingly. “Never going to that restaurant again, I’m leaving such a terrible review on Yelp.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure Yelp extends to extra-dimensional crazy trains,” Marinette returned, her voice equally deadpan. “Did you have to snap at the waiter? He was just doing his job!”

“The food was terrible.”

{478}

The number climbed, Lila showing no remorse for her actions. Marinette sighed, they were never getting off the train by this point.

“Lila, your number…” Marinette warned, knowing it’d probably fall on deaf ears by this point. Honestly, she was amazed it wasn’t higher considering Lila’s personality. “No, our number…”

Marinette had worked out how the Numbers worked, at least she thought she had. Every so often, she saw hers fall. Lila’s fall, both usually correlated to them working something out. Coming to some sort of an understanding.

Marinette had accepted half of her problems in life lately related to Lila and she imagined a lot of Lila’s problems in turn related back to her. Maybe it was projection, sure, but it couldn’t have been a coincidence that their numbers were the exact same. And always the exact same.

Get the numbers down to zero, and they got off the train.

Easier said than done though really…

“Whatever…” Lila grumbled.

“Don’t you want to get off this train?” Marinette questioned.

“Well, yeah, of course I do. I just…” Lila searched for an answer. “It’s just do I have to play by this Train’s rules? Of course, you’re doing what it wants. I bet you’ve never stepped out of line in your life.”

“Considering playing by the Train’s rules gets us off of it?” Marinette answered. “Yeah, I’m going to keep from stepping out of line for as long as I can.”

“And do you really think this train has any intention of actually letting us off? You’ve seen what it’s like. How do you know the Train isn’t flat out lying to us,” oh the irony there. “...and that getting your number down to zero won’t kill us both?”

Marinette wanted to answer, but she couldn’t in good conscience really do so. She’d seen what had happened the last time a passenger ‘got off’. Both of them had. A vortex had ripped open the skies, a person apparently vaporized and sucked up inside it.

Marinette could barely sleep thinking about what she had seen, and sometimes she woke up screaming thinking about it happening to her.

“There we go,” Lila replied. “I know you’ve at least considered the possibility. I’m… afraid, Dupain-Cheng, I don’t want that to happen to me.”

“Neither do I, Lila… Neither do I. But…” Marinette gathered her courage. “I have to believe that there’s a way off of this Train. That our nightmare will end. Otherwise, giving into despair, and letting it swallow me up… No, I can’t accept that happening to me. I refuse to give up.”

{400}

“Because of course, you don’t. You’re confident, you’re Marinette,” Lila sighed, her head resting up against a wall. “...I just wish I shared your confidence, bakery girl.”

{390}

A theory hit Marinette like a thunderbolt. Now obviously, she had no proof that it was even correct but if it was… it explained a bit. More than she would have liked.

“Is that why you’re always lying?” she posed the question. “Because you’re afraid of facing yourself?”

Lila didn’t answer, even as they went onto the next car. Again, rusty earth was visible for the briefest of moments before they stepped into another world.

Cool, fresh air greeted them as they stepped into a red and orange forest apparently forever fall. Leaves crunched beneath their feet with every step and a chill was in the air, Apparently early warning signs of winter.

“...it reminds me of home,” Lila suddenly said, apparently overcome with a bout of wistfulness. “I don’t know if you’ll ever believe me, but… I used to love walking through the woods as a kid. Me and my madre, okay? We used to make so much time for each other and…”

“And?” Marinette asked, begging for her to go on.

“...and nothing,” Lila lied, not even trying to disguise it under barriers of false innocence. “It’s nothing.”

Marinette sighed, for a moment she’d been so close to peering through the many apparent walls that Lila had built for herself.

They shrouded her like a veil. Honestly, the Chinese girl knew that something had always been off about Lila. Maybe she’d been reaching, but there had to be a reason that she was the way she was.

Perhaps she was being foolish, but she had to believe there was a reason that Lila was the way that she was.

“It didn’t sound like nothing to me,” Marinette replied. “It sounded like you were talking about your mother. You and her, going on long walks in the woods. Wasn’t that where you were going with that?”

“Please, do me a favor and don’t pursue this,” Lila replied. “Like, let it go Dupain-Cheng. It’s none of your business.”

Again, she was building the walls around herself back up.

“...you’re going to have to talk about it eventually, Lila,” Marinette sighed. “If this train works the way I think it does, there can’t be any secrets between us.”

“That goes double for you, Dupain-Cheng,” Lila said in return. “Make no mistake, I can tell when I’m being bullshitted. I’ve lied so much I’ve picked up a knack for being able to tell when others are too.”

They exited the car, walking into another one. In front of them was a blank white expanse, sorta reminding Marinette of those science labs from that one game. Hopefully with no evil sentient AIs.

...though it could be debated that they already had one of those in the Conductor. His apparent uncaringness for those on his train was fairly disturbing. Even now, Marinette got the distinct feeling he was watching them.

Each step created a musical note beneath their feet, and on a whim, Marinette began pressing various parts of the wall. Pulling and tugging, she began creating a structure.

“Amusing,” Lila deadpanned upon seeing what this car was capable of. “It’s just like a child’s toy. A childish car for a childish girl.”

Marinette ignored her, throwing up a wall between them.

Oddly, there was no door. Lila could only guess you had to make it yourself.

“Now who’s dodging the question?” Lila asked, clambering over colorful blocks. “You said it yourself, Marinette. There can’t be any secrets between us, and so what are you keeping from me?”

Their numbers climbed.

{400}

“Whatever, I’ll work it out eventually,” Lila sighed to herself, beginning to create a door with the blocks. “Look, fine, you want me to talk? Let’s talk. I’ll throw you a bone.”

Marinette looked at her oddly.

“I miss my mother, and yeah maybe that wasn’t so hard to admit. I’m a mommy’s girl,” Lila explained. “As I was saying back in that car, we… used to take long walks in the autumn air. It was one of the few times my madre wasn’t pursuing politics. Now… Now though?”

She laughed bitterly, even as she sat atop a pile of blocks pausing her creations. 

“She’s never around when I need her,” the Italian said. “Maybe I’m acting out, just hoping to get her attention. Maybe if I shame the family by causing enough trouble, she’ll finally notice me again.”

Lila sounded like she was close to tears, never noticing her number beginning to drop. It fell tremendously, some of the walls beginning to collapse.

{270}

“So that’s why you’re lying?”

“Pathetic isn’t it?” Lila chuckled, her laugh still incredibly bitter. 

“Surely your mother…”

“If you’re going to say she still cares,” Lila said. “Just stop right there. I’ve heard that before, never seen any evidence to the contrary.”

{290}

“Maybe if you just…” Marinette started, somewhat nervously.

“Attempt to understand her?” Lila said to her before snorting. “I think I understand her enough. Can you imagine what it’s like, Dupain-Cheng? Having to eat alone for night after night? Just hoping your mom will pick up and answer the phone when you call her?”

“No…” her fellow passenger admitted, shaking her head.

“I didn’t think so,” Lila said, raising up enough blocks to form a recognizable door. Tugging it open, more hot and dry air slammed into her face as the wastes beckoned. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

The next car was quite a contrast to the last one. Going from a purely sterile environment, they transitioned to fields of endless green.

Roman-like structures rose up from the fields of green, tall and proud with white marble shining in the fake sun. Grass gently blew in the breeze, a cool breeze upon the two girl’s faces as the green velds apparently went on forever. It would be so easy to tumble down the hill, giggling and roll into town.

Though the cynical, paranoid part of Marinette told her not to do anything. To stay put right where she was. The thing about this train was you could never let your guard down. Not if you wanted to live longer anyways.

{310}

Shit, her number had risen again. Given the spiteful curse in Italian from Lila, she knew it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Maybe she was too paranoid. During her time as Ladybug, it constantly felt like she was on the edge of a knife. That she was at a tipping point, her stress ruling her. There had been times that she’d wanted to scream at the world, rage against the heavens.

But no. Stress attracted akumas and she could never afford to be akumatized. Not while Paris was under her protection.

Could she tell anyone about what she was going through? No, not if she wanted to protect them. 

{340}

“Damn it Marinette, whatever’s going through your head right now get it together? We’re going to be stuck on this train forever unless you pull yourself together.” Lila chastised.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Marinette mumbled. “My anxiety. I’m spiraling and… and… you're making it worse. I-I j-just wuh-want t-to…”

Damn it.

In a rare moment of kindness, Lila placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Hey, are you alright?”

“D-Damn i-it. I-I th-th-thought th-that I-I had this dealt with…” Marinette said. It was absolutely embarrassing, humiliating for her stammer to return in front of her archrival. “I-I used to buh-be like this a co-couple of years ago, back when Ch-Chloe’s bullying was ru-really bu-bad.”

She forced herself to force the stutter down, remembering years of speech therapy and calming techniques. Honestly, maybe she was stupid for doing this, letting down her walls in front of Lila of all people but… then again, a lack of trust probably got her in this situation didn’t it?

“G-God th-this is em-em-embarassing, you shouldn’t have to see me like this,” Marinette muttered looking towards Lila. “Go ahead, laugh. Isn’t that what you want to do? I’m ready.”

Lila threw back her head and sighed. “...no, I don’t think I will.”

“W-What?”

“I mean, I know why I’m here, I’ve been a complete bitch,” Lila said, apparently in admittance with her number beginning to fall. “I’m pretty sure just laughing at you for something beyond your control won’t improve my situation.”

{200}

Their number, Marinette noted happily, was at the lowest it had ever been since they started this madcap journey. “Now come on,” Lila said, grasping Marinette’s hand as they started their way down the hill. “Whatever’s down there, we face it together yeah?”

“I-I’m just glad H-H-Hawk Moth isn’t here,” Marinette said, correcting herself where she could. “I-I’m pretty sure both of us as we are? We’re prime buh-butterfly b-b-bait.”

Lila gave a grudging nod, and a grumble of what was probably affirmation.

“...you said it,” Marinette thought she muttered, but she honestly couldn’t be sure. Her Italian wasn’t as great as it could have been.

She made a note to change that. Definitely would have made conversations with her grandmother that much easier. Or it could make working out whatever Lila was saying behind her back a bit simpler.

In any event, whatever they expected to find in this car wasn’t what they got.

Before them lay a sea of fur, and all around them was a torrent of friendly barking. She couldn’t help herself, Marinette was overcome by all the cuteness.

“PUPPIES!” She called out, running over to a bundle of corgis and clutching them tight like they were stuffed animals.

“...must you? They’re only dogs,” Lila scoffed before a corgi walked over to her leg sniffing it. “...oh hello there.”

Her resolve was crumbling. And then she realized something.

“I swear if you’re going to use me as a hydrant I will not be happy. There’s a bathroom over there isn’t there? Behind a bush?” Lila uttered, gesturing to the aforementioned shrub.

The little corgi just stood on its hind legs, apparently expecting something.

“What, do you want a ball? Is that what you want?” Lila said, looking around as nearby her fellow passenger was dogpiled -hehe- by several corgis all licking her. “Here, go get the ball.”

Lazily, she tossed a rubber ball. Not that the corgi cared, as it was off in a start to chase after it anyways.

Nearby...

“Oh, who’s a good boy, huh?” Marinette baby talked to one of the corgis as she rubbed its belly. “Who’s a good boy? You are, yes you are!”

Before she could say anything else, what sounded like royal trumpets blew as a corgi wearing an adorable little crown strode up.

Royalty should not be this cute!

“Welcome passengers, to Corginia,” said the little king. Alright, Lila thought. That was it, she was checking on out of here. This was it, it was officially too weird for her. “I am King Atticus, King and Uniter of the Cardigans and the Pembroke.”

“And you are…” Marinette ran up to him, hugging him tightly and squishing him to her face. “TOO CUTE!”

“If I were a less accepting man, I would ask you to refrain from holding the royal form tightly,” Atticus said. “But… but this is fine.”

...huh, who knew dogs could reference memes?

In any event, Atticus led them to the collection of buildings and out of the sun, all the while explaining that this was basically normal for him. “Yes, yes, you two aren’t the first passengers to pass my way through my fair kingdom of Corginia. Nor will you be the last, it’s safe to assume….to this day I wonder how fair Miss Tulip the Literate is doing.”

“...who?” Marinette asked.

“A great hero to Corginia, may the songs be sung about her forever. And a very dear friend,” King Atticus said in a sad, wistful tone. “If either of you are ever in North Branch, Minnesota please do drop in and tell her that I miss her. In fact, I think you should do it anyways. Former passengers should stick together, correct?”

“...well, we’re not off the train yet…” Marinette rubbed an arm subconsciously.

“Correct, yet. Give it time,” the corgi king grinned as several corgis ran up barking to Marinette and Lila. Atticus, if it were possible for a dog, blushed. “Please excuse us. We just get really excited when someone new comes through the door.”

“...so I see…” Marinette said, rubbing one of their heads. Atticus tried not to look jealous. Really, he tried.

“...well, I’m pleased one of us has faith in us making it off this damnable Train…” Lila muttered to herself.

Atticus inspected their hands and nodded. “Mhmmm, duel numbers. That’s not something I’ve seen in a while. Interesting, really.”

“...so this has happened before?” Lila dared to ask.

“Oh yes, quite. I didn’t meet them, but there were these two lads from Canada some years ago. Only a few decades ago, actually. They were so innately connected that one’s problems were the others,” the corgi said. “I suspect something similar between you two, correct?”

“Yeah, uh, we’ve worked that out…” Lila nodded.

“Well, congratulations! It’s a simple matter getting off the train,” Atticus said, the little corgi happily trodding along the ground and apparently expecting the two to follow. “All you two have to do is work out whatever is going on between you two and there you have it!”

“Yeah, easier said than done…” Marinette admitted.

“Oh well, nothing ever worth doing should ever be easy,” Atticus went on. “Do you think uniting the two corgi nations was easy? No sir! But I persevered and look at Corginia now, standing tall and proud. A beacon to all of the other cars!”

He sat down, apparently expecting treats for his accomplishment. And so Lila gave him some.

“Do not fear your numbers,” the King went on. “They’re only countdowns after all. They only serve to remind you of the fact that you’re getting closer and closer to getting off this train.”

“Again, easier said than done.”

“The harder you make it for yourself with your worrying and fretting, the longer you’ll be here,” Atticus said, with a wisdom beyond his years. “I will give you shelter for the night, you both look tired. Relax, for here you are safe. Corginia remains a friend to all passengers.”

When night fell, Marinette snuck away from Lila and took a deep breath glad for the peace and quiet.

But it didn’t remain that way, as the soft pitter-patter of pawsteps came up from behind.

Sure enough, there was the Corgi King with a concerned expression cast upon his face.

“Now tell me your troubles,” he requested, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Whatever we say shall not leave this room. It shall stay between us.”

“Alright, it’s like this,” Marinette sighed. “I have… doubts I’ll ever be able to fully work out my troubles with Lila.”

“That’s what everyone says about their troubles,” Atticus replied. “More often than not, they succeed though.”

“But Lila…” Marinette sighed. “...Look, I know we’re starting to reach an understanding but she used to make my life hell. Still does in fact. I’m supposed to just up and forgive her?”

“Maybe not no, but perhaps you can try and understand her,” the corgi replied. “You don’t have to forgive everyone for everything.”

“That’s not what my teacher says…” Marinette mumbled.

“Yes, well, perhaps she is mistaken. Adults, alas, despite what they may think do not have all the answers,” Atticus said. “Maybe your teacher thinks she knows what’s best for you, but we all make mistakes.”

“...even you?” Marinette asked, picking up on the implication.

“Yes, even me,” Atticus said. “I should tell you about the Great Treat Crisis of ‘76 sometime! Now that was a nightmare! The kingdom has still yet to recover, sadly!”

Marinette giggled.

“Excuse you, it was no laughing matter!” Atticus said, offended. Marinette smiled at him.

“No, it’s just…” the Chinese girl said as the true ridiculousness of her scenario began to set in. “...here I am, getting life lessons from a little corgi of all things. On an infinite train in another dimension.”

“Well, we corgis are known to be very wise,” Atticus acknowledged. “We all give great face licks.”

Which he soundly proved, Marinette nearly bowled over by the energetic King.

“Thanks, I guess,” she said. “...you know, it’s weird. A few months ago I wouldn’t have even considered making friends with Lila, and yet now…?”

“Here you are?”

“Yeah…” Marinette said, continuing. “It’s funny how incredibly strange sets of circumstances change people. And I don’t think they can get any stranger than this!”

“So what will you do when you zero out your number?” her new friend inquired.

“...honestly? I don’t know. God, I hope Cat’s been holding down the fort while I’m gone. I can’t imagine what Paris has been like in my absence,” Marinette muttered.

“Ah, so you’re a Princess, and Paris is your kingdom?” Atticus bowed. “Your majesty!”

“Well, no, I’m not sure I’d put it like that. I mean Cat calls me his Princess but it’s just a nickname,” Marinette rambled on. “I mean I protect Paris but I don’t rule over it.”

“In any event, I am sure your city, this ‘Paris’ would be proud of you. Even where you are now,” Atticus said. “I’m sure this Cat will understand, even if I’m personally not a fan of felines. The tricksters.”

“What about Lila?” Marinette said. “I can’t just tell her! I’d never hear the end of it.”

“In war, I’ve found the greatest way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend. Perhaps,” Atticus said. “Perhaps that’s what you need to do here? Find some way to understand Lila, and for her to understand you.”

“Perhaps…” Marinette trailed off, never noticing her number beginning to drop...

{130}

Chapter Text

As it turned out, they’d only been gone a few weeks at worst. That being said, things in Paris had definitely changed while they were gone. Cat seemed more serious, more focused Ladybug had noticed while out on patrol. An understandable side effect of having to shoulder the burden alone.

He’d also come off as colder, more distant. Perhaps also understandable. God, Marinette thought to herself. He probably thought that she’d abandoned him. Oh, her poor kitty. She’d try and breach the subject later. Try and explain where she had been. How though? How could you just explain that you were trapped in another dimension for weeks on end, forced to work through your issues by some madcap train? 

There had been a lot of hugging and tears when she finally showed up on her parents' doorstep. Some of the crying had obviously not been all of her parents. Apparently, wild stories had begun to circulate. Because of course they had.

Apparently, Chloe - ugh - had started up a rumor that she’d killed Lila. Baked her bits into something called beef wellingtons. And that she herself had skipped town on vacation to drive suspicion away from her.

Marinette as a side-effect was now more convinced than ever that Chloe was unworthy of the Bee Miraculous. 

Obviously nobody had believed her insane tale, but there had been a lawsuit. The bakery barely survived.

They’d kept her seat warm though, basically all but reserving it for her. Marinette had heard rumors of someone coming pretty close to turning her seat into a shrine for the departed.

“MARINETTE!” Alya ran up, tackling her into one of her surely world-famous bear hugs. She’d basically all but blindsided her.

“...hey Als,” the girl replied, relishing the hug and wishing that her friend would never let her go. It had been far too long since she’d heard her bestie’s voice. Even now she would never look at trains the same way again. No, next time she needed to cross the channel she’d just take a plane.

“Oh, tell me where you’ve been girl,” the Creole girl begged. “Like… oh god, it’s been a mess since you’ve been gone. Chloe’s been on the warpath and yeah sure none of us have believed her crap but all the same…”

Alya honestly sounded close to tears, like she was at the end of her rope. 

“I’ve heard the stories she’s been spreading around,” Marinette confirmed, basically numb to the nonsense the blonde pulled by this point. “I’m not surprised, really… Remind me again why Adrien’s friends with her?”

“He’s not,” Alya said and when her best friend looked at her in surprise Alya simply winced. “...yeah, right you weren’t here for this but Sunshine got mad. Like Chloe was going on and on about how you’d murdered Lila -which again none of us believed for a second- and he finally put his foot down. Like I swear to this day that his eyes were glowing. Glowing girl! I didn’t even know he could raise his voice.”

“H-He… he did all that for me?” Marinette felt weak at the knee.

“Looks like he’s not so blind to your presence after all, eh?” Alya winked before sighing as her shoulders slumped. “...still, all the same it got messy. Like the poor boy, well you said Chloe was his only friend before he came here right? It’s… uh, he doesn’t like to show it but it has affected him. He’s smiling but not smiling, you know what I mean?”

Marinette nodded as she winced internally. Both of her boys were hurting right now, and all because she’d stepped on that damnable Train.

...her boys? Since when were he and Cat ‘her boys?’. Look, she knew she’d been given plenty of time to reflect on what everyone meant to her but all the same… 

Great, just what she needed. Even more complicated relationships. As if she didn’t have enough of those already in her life.

“...well, we can’t say we didn’t see this coming,” Marinette mused to herself. “Chloe has been getting awfully intolerable lately hasn’t she? Like she’s made an extra effort to be a bitch.”

“Agreed, I can’t believe she actually said all of that, y’know? Like, I…” Alya sighed, resignedly. “Like I honestly thought that Ladybug giving her the Bee would start to change her.”

“Good theory, except one honest problem with that. I actually didn’t give her anything. It was meant for you Als.”

“That’s reality for you I suppose…” the Creole girl went on. “Oh well, the good thing is we haven’t seen her as Queen Bee in ages. I guess Ladybug took notice and stripped her of the Bee. I still don’t get it though.”

“Get what?” Marinette asked, somewhat stupidly.

“Why she just up and left us. I don’t want to say abandoned Paris, she would never do that! We all have theories of course, maybe Hawk Moth has her. Hopefully had, as in past tense. That’s the most popular one, of course,” Alya explained. “That’s the one we’re all hoping but not hoping is true, y’know?”

Right, remind her to make an appearance tonight just to remind Paris that she was alive. Lift up their spirits.

If only she hadn’t been wearing her earrings when she got on the Train. Tikki might have been able to fly off, find a replacement Ladybug. 

Sadly, for weeks on end Paris was left to wonder… what had happened to their Lady Luck? Had she forsaken then? Left them to rot? To squander under Hawk Moth’s rule?

On the Train, Tikki had vanished. Like magic seemed to cancel out, and the earrings had been just that. Earrings. It had been a harrowing, heartbreaking experience knowing that her best friend had been just out of reach. It had been like she’d been stripped naked, exposed to the world.

It had certainly felt that way at least, being as vulnerable as she was. She’d had to survive the Train without magic. Without the power of the Miraculous.

If she’d taken them for granted before, she certainly didn’t now.

“...things have changed, haven’t they?” Lila said while they walked to their next class, books wrapped tightly in their arms. “It’s… it’s like the world’s gone on without us. Were we even missed?”

“Well, Chloe turned me into a killer while we were gone, so apparently not at least from her perspective.” Marinette deadpanned.

“Yes, well, she doesn’t matter anyways,” Lila returned, her voice equally acidic. If not more so. She raised an eyebrow. “...out of curiosity, what did she…?”

“Oh, didn’t you know? Apparently I turned you into the pastry equivalent of Soylent Green,” Marinette remarked, and at this Lila nearly bust a gut laughing. “Yeah, apparently that’s what happened. Go figure.”

“Well, the more things change…” Lila smirked. “The class didn’t make a shrine to you, did they? I mean with the way they fall over themselves for you sometimes…”

“N-No,” Marinette said a little too quickly before deciding to change the subject. Before this got weird and all. “...what about you, did… did anyone miss you?”

Lila’s expression quickly lost any ferocity it might have had. “...no. Not really.”

“Not even the rest of my class?” Marinette asked softly, not really sure how to approach this. As for a while, Lila getting to the rest of her class had honestly been something she cared not to think about.

“Yes, well, I guess I never wormed my way into their hearts the way that you did,” Lila muttered. “Oh well, what can I do really? I guess I’m just not ‘special’ the way that you are. I’m not an angel from heaven. I don’t walk on water.”

Marinette sighed, Lila still had some… issues to work though. It was amazing the Train had let them off. But at least she wasn’t casually lying with every breath and trying to make an effort to be nice. Maybe not a stupendous person, but at least decent.

As a side note, Marinette was keeping an eye out for butterflies.

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” the girl said to her weirdly new friend. And former co-passenger in arms. “I’m sure at least a few of my class missed you.”

“Mhmm, maybe, but…” Lila sighed. “I’m not so sure that’s the case. At least compared to you anyways. You’re their Everyday Ladybug. I’m just the new transfer student.”

Lila’s bravado had dropped upon losing her mask. She no longer strutted with that same confidence and actually bordered on shy. It was like she didn’t know how to talk to people now, given she no longer could hide behind the guise of knowing famous figures.

“...the new transfer student who lied out of her ass,” the Italian went on, and Marinette winced.

Lila had confessed to everything as soon as she stepped foot in the classroom. Understandably, she was no longer quite so popular and indeed most of the class gave her wary looks. Gave her a few feet of distance while they were in the hallways.

“...well, I can’t say I didn’t expect it,” Marinette admitted. “Like I knew it was coming.”

“And do you also expect an akumatization out of this?” Lila asked, and at this her probably only friend looked alarmed. She was searching the skies for butterflies. The Italian was quick to clarify. “Not from me. But from one of your classmates. They feel betrayed, Mari. I’d be amazed if a villain doesn’t come after me soon.”

There came an explosion. Truly, Lila must have been psychic.

“I’m like a freakin’ prophet,” the Italian uttered, before shoving Marinette away. “Get to safety, Mari. Run, go now! I guess it’s time for me to face the music.”

Marinette looked considerably alarmed as she found a spot to transform.

“Tikki, we can’t just let her give herself to the villain!” the girl panicked as she called for her transformation: “Tikki, Spots On!”

The red light washed over her and she couldn’t believe how much she used to take this for granted. Smashing through a window, the heroine propelled herself up onto the roof and took to running.

Quickly, she spotted the villain. It was tastelessly gaudy as always, and actually it seemed Hawk Moth’s fashion sense had gotten worse in the time being. It gave out a call, roaring: “I am TRUTHSEEKER! Nobody shall ever lie to me again!”

Marinette’s heart sank. Oh, one of these. This was going to be fun.

The villain’s face was recognizable enough, it was Rose. Swinging into action, the spotted heroine heard the cheers rise up as hope returned to Paris. Of course, there had been a few patrols before this and rumors had already started to fly that Ladybug had escaped wherever Hawk Moth had been keeping her.

But now here she was, in full view and shining in the sun.

Flying into a dive kick, Ladybug heard the unmistakable crunch of a broken nose. Bounding backwards, she flipped landing on a bench. 

“Where have you been Ladybug?” the villain called out, sounding desperate and heartbroken. Her outfit resembled a noir detective, except far too pink and bordering on tasteless. “Tell me!”

The heroine dived to the left as a beam ripped through the air.

Another flip to avoid another beam, and Ladybug leaped forwards with her yo-yo shooting out to nail Truthseeker in the forehead. Pulling her tool back, she prepared to wrap it around the villain’s legs and trip her up.

Feathers whistled through the air, and a black shape leaped in front of her spinning a baton. The Cat and the Bug were back again.

“Milady,” her partner said, rather frostily. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mayura. Great. “I assume by her rantings and ravings, the akuma is after Lila?”

“Yes, but what’s with…”

“While you were…” Cat started, and to her shock he began to say ‘gone’ before hesitating. “Missing, it seems Hawk Moth decided to take advantage of our desperation. Press home the advantage.”

Cat pulled her along, his baton spinning to keep deflecting the onslaught of razor-sharp feathers.

Ladybug would admit she was out of practice, the few weeks on the Train keeping her from keeping in-sync with Cat. Who, it seemed, didn’t believe that she’d really been captured. He’d always been slightly more perceptive than anyone else, so it figured. Great, her partner hated her and Mayura seemed to be a more active participant in battles.

“What a mess!”

Mayura ran forwards, slashing at them with her fan even as Cat called out something weird. Something unfamiliar.

“Black Hole!”

He slammed his palm into the earth, the ground beginning to ripple as it fell away into the abyss. Mayura tried to leap away, but fell into darkness.

“...where did she…?” Ladybug asked, not sure if she really wanted to know.

“Alternate dimension,” Cat said gruffly, clearly he had more powers than she’d ever known about. “I’ll drop her somewhere in Paris later. I don’t know where. Maybe into the Seine.”

Well, that was one problem solved. Now for the other.

“Look, Cat-”

“Save it,” her partner said. “Let’s just defeat the villain, okay?”

Yeah, okay…

In any event, despite their otherwise spotless teamwork -haha- suffering a little? Soon, Rose was free and the akuma had been cleansed. And yet… it didn’t really feel like a victory. There was no pounding of fists, no puns. Her partnership with Cat had been ripped in two, perhaps beyond repair…

“Bye-bye little butterfly…” Marinette sighed sadly.

-----

“Hey, you okay?” Lila asked after school let out, apparently having noticed her friend’s dour mood. Not that it hadn’t been obvious. “...you seem out of it.”

“It’s just… I guess you’re right,” Marinette lied, well sorta. It was more like a half truth. “It’s like the world’s gone on without us, I guess.”

“Hey,” Lila said, slinging an arm around her. Weeks ago, Marinette would have balked at the gesture but well things had been pretty freakin’ weird lately. Enemies became friends, and friends became enemies. “At least we got each other, right?”

“Sounds corny.”

“Well,” Lila’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “I blame you. You’re a very corny girl, after all.”

Marinette snorted, in spite of the situation. Yeah, she needed that laugh.

“...it’s just what do I do now? Pretend that life goes on, that nothing happened at all?” she wondered to herself.

“Mhmmm, I wouldn’t say that but… well, you want my advice?” Lila asked, checking to make sure her friend was hanging on suitably rapt attention. “Good, okay then. Well, whenever I moved to a new city the very first thing I did was find things that reminded me of home. Settled into familiar routines. That’s my advice about what you should do going forth, you don’t have to take it but trust a girl who’s seen the way of the world. Been around the block before.”

Marinette considered her options before sighing. Yeah, it wasn’t like she had any better ideas and from a logical standpoint Lila’s idea had merit. Like she may not be able to repair her partnership with Cat but she could keep moving forwards. Just one foot in front of the other, until she found her footing again. That was all she could do really.

There were a few things that Marinette remembered liked doing when she felt down. When it seemed like the world had been ripped out from under and she might not recover. Days when her neverending fight with Hawk Moth had been especially tiring or particularly desperate. 

She, as Lila had suggested, settled into the familiar easily. Picking up the pen and drawing whatever came to mind. Usually it was nothing especially interesting, but every now and again she hit the nail upon the head. Came up with something particularly inspiring.

There had been, at one point, while they were on the train a car based entirely around the idea of a fashion show. That had made Marinette feel particularly homesick. Of course, she kept her head up and moved on.

On a similar note, one of the last cars they’d been in before leaving the Train hopefully forever? A car based on the debutante balls of old. Where everyone had worn fancy dresses and stylish suits. It was where the new Lila had made her debut, practically free of all of her old worries. She’d strode down those steps into society, ready to make a proper woman of herself. Debut the new her to anyone who cared to pay attention.

It had been rather enrapturing and somewhat thrilling. That being said, Marinette wished she could have taken some sketches of the fancy attire on every side. Just for later inspiration. She’d always been a Pinterest girl, building off the ideas of others and doing them in sorta her own way.

Standing on the shoulders of the fashion gurus who came before, really.

She couldn’t really rush home fast enough, her eyes alight with a familiar flame. A spark about to be set ablaze.

Plugging in her phone, the Chinese girl let a song of relatable fashion filter into her ears.

“Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did

Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid

I'm still standing after all this time

Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind

“I'm still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah

I'm still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah…”

-----

Tikki had seen how her chosen suffered, how the bond between her and her partner began to grow ever more distant. How the two began to grow apart.

While she no doubt believed that with time, the relationship could be repaired it was undeniable that Hawk Moth would take advantage of this. Without help, the battle could easily be lost.

It was risky, yeah, but the safety of Paris outweighed the danger. She needed to act, and fast. Do something to tip the balance back in their favor.

Hopefully, the Great Guardian would agree with her.

Tikki sighed, he meant well but Fu had always been especially paranoid about putting more Miraculous into circulation. It was always a risk that Hawk Moth would get lucky, steal it and have another ally on his side.

But right now, the little god was more worried about her Chosen and her partner than what Hawk Moth might do. They needed help. One of their allies, the Queen Bee had turned out to be none too trustworthy and while Nino and Alya were fine enough Tikki needed to confer with Fu to decide if giving them the Fox and the Turtle on a more permanent basis was acceptable.

A brief thought fluttered into her mind. What if…? No, maybe not yet. She, well Tikki needed to spend more time around her to decide if that was really an option.

A possibility, yes, certainly. But was it wise? That was the question…

Times like these, the little fairy thought that she really felt her age.

-----

Drawings had flown off the page, like magic. Perhaps being friends with the Spirit of Creation had some unexpected benefits. 

For a while, she’d managed to lose herself in the spirit of designing. It felt like she was on the rebound, some of her old life returning to her. Her pen had been like lightning, her hand movements swift as designs came to life. Shaping themselves on the page.

Some of them had been tricker than others to bring to life, sew and stitch together. But it was all in the name of art. Fashion called out to her! It would not be denied!

Amazingly, she’d managed to make it through the entire design and creation promise without a single akuma attack. Huh, apparently good luck was smiling on her. Creation appeased by her offerings.

At times, Marinette would admit she considered putting her creations out there. Like opening up an Etsy shop or putting them up on Redbubble. Throwing herself to the wolves, if you will. Opening herself up to the judgement of the masses.

Cowardice had always taken ahold of her, as if grasping her in a vice grip. A part of Marinette knew people loved her work. She’d always gotten high praise. Even Gabriel Agreste had approved of her work once. And it was well known how infamously hard to please he was.

...that being said, it wasn’t exactly like she exactly strived for his approval nowadays. He’d been a great designer, practically an inspiration. But when she saw how he treated his son? Well, suffice to say Marinette decided not to chase after his fashion house. There were plenty more offerings.

“And turn!”

For now though, instead of pursuing haute couture she would follow her own path. Stun and amaze not with the latest fashion trends but with more original works. Take the world by storm and all that.

Or at least the city of Paris. Marinette’s photo shoots had always exuded a sense of professionalism really. One of the few times she’d managed to muster up the courage to talk to Adrien actually. Get his unique perspective on how this sort of thing was done honestly. Apparently, when talking about her passions all of her nervousness just melted away.

If Marinette didn’t honestly know better, she would have sworn she’d been possessed. It was like she became a completely different person when concerned with her craft.

“Oh, that’s perfect!”

The camera flashed, and Lila beamed into the camera. The Italian had already gone several fashions, currently modeling a sundress taking inspiration from of all heroes Rena Rouge. Oh, the irony in that statement!

She was sure Alya would be flattered.

There had been a few ‘eh’ designs, others Marinette would not forget about any time soon. One of her personal favorites had been a stylish number with a little cape styled after the wings of a bee. It had been fluffed up, like fuzz and was mostly blue on black. Styled after a carpenter bee in Asia.

Lila was on fire during the whole ordeal, strutting her stuff and actually posing. Worries and shyness had vanished, replaced by a familiar confidence.

Changing behind the walls of a paper curtain, she now emerged in a tracksuit themed after one of the more recent heroes. All had been given proper homage, such as Carapace getting very street-styled wear. Perfect to go out on the town and go breakdancing really.

The Cat gained a stylish tuxedo, perfect for those times when you wanted to be the picture of class and elegance. For those international men of mystery in debutante settings. A wonderful tribute to her partner, hopefully he’d see it and be flattered. 

Cat… 

No no, don’t think of him now. You had work to do.

Snap! Snap! Snap!

The camera flashed again and again and yeah this was going great. Lila pressed herself close to her friend, almost uncomfortably so as she leaned her head over to see the pictures. She studied them with wide curious eyes, amazed at Marinette’s prowess.

“...and to think I once hated your guts,” the Italian uttered. “Like, wow! This is astonishing, it’s like professional levels of quality.”

Marinette met her friend’s eyes, those green pools almost intoxicating. It was hard to tear herself away from them to look back at the computer. Her latest outfit lay wrapped around her, another fox-styled outfit. It was more ‘street’ than the last, the standout piece being an eared beanie. Fabric lay tied around her waist, giving her a casual almost uncaring appearance. 

It was almost cute in a way. No, that wasn’t right. Lila was almost cute. What?

No no, focus. Even if that was hard to do with one of your best friends laying so close to you they were almost glued to your body. Her breasts pressing into your back.

Marinette would admit on the Train, she and Lila often snuggled up for comfort. She’d seen the girl in various states of undress and she would be a fool not to admit she was pretty in an exotic way. But woah okay there was way too much to unpack there. Like wowza. Not something she was sure she wanted to consider.

At least in this lifetime anyways.

Chapter Text

“Ladybug, are you sure you don’t need help from moi?” came that irritating, somewhat infuriating and frankly exasperating voice. It came from atop a balcony, like a twisted Juliet calling out to her Romeo. Except there was no love in this relationship. “...looks like that akuma is giving you such a hard time and well, I thought the Queen Bee could offer up her help mhmm?”

Nope, nope, nope! Not in a million years, Chloe. Not after spreading rumors that she’d murdered Lila and baked her into pastries. That had been the last straw for her. Chloe’s behavior even after getting the Bee had been… bothersome to say the least.

It was like she assumed she was entitled to being a hero. Now, to be fair, Ladybug could understand her lashing out for some form of acknowledgment. With a mother who barely remembered she existed and a class who she knew hated her? ...well, the heroine was sympathetic but she also remembered what Chloe had done to deserve that ire.

Years of bullying simply didn’t just erase themselves overnight. On the Train, Marinette had come to a simple conclusion. If Chloe didn’t shape up, and it was apparent she had no real desire to, well the Bee would simply have to go to someone else.

She sucked in a breath. Oh well, nothing for it. Time for Chloe to face the music.

“...Look, I’m sorry Chloe, but no I can’t accept your help. Not now, and not ever,” Ladybug said, her tone keeping itself even. She was desperately not trying to let any emotion seep into it, for her relief to show itself in her words. “Not after… not after your behavior.”

“But I’ve been a good hero, one of your best!” Chloe said, trying to regain her position. “You chose me!”

“No, I didn’t,” Ladybug corrected her, trying to ignore the explosion in the background. “You chose yourself as the Bee. I’m not sure how you found the Bee Miraculous, but I am sure what was going through your head when you put it on. You wanted the spotlight to be on you, and yes you were a great help against Malediktator and on Heroes’ Day, but…”

“But…” Chloe’s eyes started to fill with tears. Ladybug tried not to meet her eyes, admittedly this was hard for her. Crushing someone’s dreams. But… it was for the best, really. Chloe needed that wake-up call, and the more she thought about it the less difficult it was for her.

“But nothing,” Ladybug laughed bitterly, accidentally letting a bit of emotion leak through. “You think I’m not aware of your behavior as a civilian? Of you belittling others and walking all over them?”

“But… I’m trying to be better…” Chloe whispered.

“You’re obviously not trying hard enough,” Marinette said, and yes it was Marinette speaking this time. Not Ladybug. “You spread rumors of Marinette Dupain-Cheng murdering someone, just for kicks. I’m sorry Chloe, but I can’t let you be Queen Bee again. Not after this.”

“Very well then,” Chloe hissed. “I guess it’s apparent from this point on, we’re now enemies. I hate you Ladybug, if you’re not with me I guess you’re against me. Go on, get lost! I don’t want to see you around here again!”

Ladybug sighed as she swung off, towards the scene of the disaster. She’d traded one enemy for another. Great, just great.

Oh well, it was for the best right? ...admittedly, she could have handled it better, kept her emotions at bay. Chloe needed to understand that losing access to what was only a temporary Miraculous anyways was her own fault. But… she needn’t have been so harsh about it… right?

“Oh well, there’s nothing you can do about it now…” Ladybug mused to herself as she swung from building to building, at one point running along a wall before leaping to a rooftop. “You’ve made your choice, and Chloe, it seems, has made hers. It’s vexing I know, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Now for the akuma.

“You’re late,” Cat said, Marinette’s heart deflating a bit in reminder of how things had changed between them. “I assume something more important had your attention Ladybug?”

“More important than this akuma?” Ladybug said, taking a moment to analyze its design. It resembled a mad construction worker, with sticks of dynamite in each hand. 

“BA BA BOOM BABY!” the akuma laughed. “So I assume you want to know my motivations right? YOU AIN’T GETTING NO MOTIVATIONS BABY! Down, down with the man!”

“...oh, so one of these,” Cat said, throwing up his hand as a whistling stick of dynamite flew towards the two. “BLACK HOLE!”

The sky warped and folded in on itself as the explosion was swallowed up inside. Fire rushed out of the wormhole, before falling back in to parts unknown.

“Yeah, it was more important than this akuma,” Ladybug admitted. “It’s about… Cat I think we need a new Bee Miraculous holder.”

“Chloe, huh?” Cat sighed, looking weary and exhausted. “Yeah, that fits. I have noticed her growing entitlement issues. I was going to talk to her myself but-”

Before he could say anything else though, a certain akuma butted in.

“I needed an idea alright? So I went and asked the Man Above. The big bad butterfly! So he says to me, 'you gotta do something smart, baby; something BIG'! BIG BIG BIG! He says 'you wanna be a supervillain, right?', and I go, ‘yeah baby!’ and so the butterfly man says to me 'give me your miraculous’ and I get to bomb all day and all night long! BA BA BOOM BABY!”

He slid a bomb under Ladybug’s feet, there was a beeping sound and she went sky-high. Her suit protected her against the worst of the blast, albeit it was covered in scorch marks. Blackened and charred.

The heroine reacted fast, throwing her yo-yo wide and letting it pull her to another building. She swung around, and kicked the mad bomber to the ground from behind. 

“It’s over, now where’s your akuma?” Cat said, his staff pinning one of the madman’s hands to the ground.

“You mean where isn’t it?” the Mad Bomber laughed. “I didn’t keep it on me, no no no I’m not that dumb! But oh that’s not your only problem is it? No no no! Hhhhahahahaha! Sixty seconds to midnight. Sixty seconds to nowhere, baby!”

“...what, what do you mean?” Ladybug stammered, fear overtaking her just by the sheer insanity in his voice. The sheer unhinged madness. 

“I wanted to go big man, go big big big! You gotta go bold, like you gotta go bad. Like you just gotta start making gravy without the lumps! Aaaaahahahahahaha! He says to me, ‘you gotta have style, if you want to be a real villain you gotta go big! Big big baby!’ and so I said to him that I will! BOOM!”

“...no, he wouldn’t,” Cat whispered in horror before his eyes narrowed. “No, that’s not right. He would. He’s planted bombs all around the city!”

“...and we don’t have time to get to them all…” Ladybug whispered, eyes widened in horror as the realization set in. The imagery of her city becoming flames and smoke. “...Cat, what do we do?”

“There’s only one thing left for me to try, but… I’m not sure if I can. I’ve never done it to this extent before,” Cat whispered. “Ladybug, if I fail… I’m sorry. But I have to do this. BLACK HOLES!”

And his partner’s eyes only widened even further as wormholes opened up all over the city sucking up explosives all over the city. The sky was alight with fire for a few brief horrifying seconds, before that too became only a memory.

Cat smiled weakly, seeing his success before falling forwards into exhausted unconsciousness.

“CAT!”

-----

Master Fu had been furious , he’d chastised Cat for reckless usage of his powers and over-exhaustion. It hadn’t been true anger though, he’d understood the situation. It had been that kind of fury only a parent got when someone did something incredibly stupid but brave.

However, she was now down a partner. At least for the time. For the next few days, he’d be resting in bed, healing. Fu had come up with an excuse, saying he’d found Adrien on the street keeling over from over-exhaustion.

Over extertion.

And yes, Marinette knew who he was now. Watching Master Fu slip off the ring, her whole body almost went slack and she’d nearly fainted dead away. Then the laughter came, the realization of how dumb they’d been. About how she’d rejected Adrien for Adrien!

Of course, then the rage followed after it as it rushed through her body like an inferno. Of how the excuse didn’t need much scrutiny. Of how that of course nobody would question it. Because of his goddamned father.

Marinette had offered to take him home, because she wanted to have words. Like she would seriously have words with her partner’s father. 

“I… see,” Gabriel said, looking over his exhausted child. “...apparently I have made a mistake.”

Oh, a mistake? Is that what he dared to call it? She was well aware of what she was going to do next may end up with her blacklisted from the fashion world. But right now, she was too worked up to even care.

“A… mistake, is that what you call it?” Marinette seethed, some of her ‘I am a superhero and you will listen to me’ voice creeping into her tone. She took a step forwards, her shoes clacking against the marble floor. Another step. “...working your son into exhaustion is a mistake? Oh no no, this is a little bit more than a mistake.”

Normally, Marinette knew she’d never be this brave. But this was her partner she was talking about here. They looked after each other, and sure Cat didn’t think much of her right now. But she would always look after him. No matter what.

“I’ve routinely seen your son walk into class looking tired, and just that little bit too thin.”

“He has a busy life, Miss Dupain-Cheng, and alas I admit his schedule sometimes does keep him up. But as for his figure? He must be kept to a certain standard.”

“Whose standards? The public’s?” Marinette asked. “Or yours? Check Instagram or Facebook, I’ve seen plenty of comments about how he looks a bit too thin. About how his smile never reaches his eyes.”

“Miss Dupain-Cheng, I don’t believe the public knows the intricate workings of the modeling business. They are in no position to judge how I do things, now is that all? I would request you leave me to care for my son, I’ve already admitted I have made a mistake working him so hard. What more do you want me to say?”

“For you to admit that you’re a terrible father,” Marinette said, arms crossed. “He’s already lost his mother, you could at least try to be a father to him.”

“You’re treading on dangerous grounds, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I know how to handle my family, so please for your own sake,” Marinette knew she was being threatened. “Mind your own business. It is heartwarming you’re concerned for your friend’s safety, but please allow me to parent as how I see fit.”

“You’re not parenting him,” she couldn’t resist one final jab. “You’re controlling him. Treating him as if he were your own personal doll.”

“Go. Now!” Gabriel was pointing towards the door, his face one of barely-masked rage at being questioned. Marinette gave him a dirty look, before taking his advice.

Her mind was a mess, filled with a broiling righteous rage and fury about to come to the surface. She knew there was going to be a butterfly coming after her, and had prepared in advance. She’d handed her earrings off to Tikki, knowing there was a chance that she’d become butterfly bait. That she would get so worked up and so furious on Adrien’s behalf that there would be a new akuma by the end of the day.

And sure enough… “Protector… You think that one of your friends isn’t being cared for properly. Well, now I’m giving you the ability to make sure nobody hurts him ever again. All I ask for in exchange is Ladybug and Cat Noir’s Miraculous. Do we have a deal?”

Marinette chuckled, though not for the reason Hawk Moth would have thought. The joke was on him after all.

The last thought before she went under? “Come find me, Alya.”

“Yes, Hawk Moth.”

-----

“MARINETTE!”

She was vaguely aware of what was going on. She was supposed to be doing something, wasn’t she? Protecting someone?

Then the rage took over, a darkness burbling from up inside her as it threatened to swallow all of her light.

And the Protector was born. Fighting with saintly grace, the knight charged forth with her lance of love in hand.

Her class had been put through so much, all of them. All of them were broken and battered, they needed her protection. Marinette had been too weak, she refused to step up. So now it was her turn.

Chloe, she’d be the first to go. Ms. Bustier refused to deal with her, she bent at the knee whenever Chloe talked about getting her daddy to deal with whatever ailed her. She’d failed as an educator, failed failed failed.

Failed.

Failed.

Failed.

Chloe would have to go. She would have to go, she would be dealt with. Queen Bee needed her crown squashed under her feet.

She’d very much enjoy wiping that vexing smirk off of her face. Yes, that’s what she’d do.

And these heroes rose up to stop her? Didn’t they know she was just trying to help?

Oh well, if they intended to stand in her way well she’d just have to stop them. If they refused to move, well they would be moved.

“Now, have at thee!”

-----

Two times as Ladybug, twice more than she would have honestly liked. Twice she had to fill in for her best friend.

Twice she did it to save her best friend.

Twice she exchanged a fox’s coat for spots.

Rage filled her, her costume practically glowing with the light of creation. Rena Rouge wasn’t here right now, oh no. Lady Sunspot took her place.

Leaping backwards, Alya chastised herself. Of course, Marinette had been Ladybug, who else? 

Even her akumatization only wanted to protect her classmates. Even if that amounted to burning those who had failed her at the stake.

Oh, the irony the girl thought to herself as she took in Marinette’s akuma form. It resembled Joan D’Arc because of course it would. Hawk Moth apparently failed to grasp the meaning of subtle.

As if to emphasize the difference between her and Marinette, even her partner was different. Cat had apparently over-extended himself in that last fight. Paris understood. And they cheered on Kuro Neko in his place.

“You know the ironic thing?” Kuro Neko asked, the voice familiar but Alya unable to place it. “I’m actually allergic to cats.”

Lance clashed with staff, sparks flying as the weapons ground themselves together. The heroine shoved her staff into the akuma’s chest before pressing a button. It extended, and sent The Protector flying.

“That was… disconcerting,” Kuro Neko replied, looking decidedly displeased. “...how do they do it? You must realize of course, that both Ladybug and the real Cat Noir probably know these people. Their battles have always been filled with a certain aggressiveness. Like there had been something personal to it. I see now what it is.”

“You don’t know the half of it, partner!” Alya thought as she swung after the villain.

Flipping through the air to deal with her nerves, she swung to the next building via wrapping her yo-yo around a light pole and flying upwards. Landing atop a roof, she ran forwards and grabbed the Protector in a hold.

Tugging the villain down to the ground, she whispered: “I’m sorry, Marinette…”

One of her legs was wrapped around the akuma’s own, an arm wrapped around the knight’s waist in a hold.

“Kuro Neko, her akuma! Go for it!”

The Japanese heroine surged forth only to be knocked flat on her ass by Mayura. The villain swang her fan, sharp feathers rushing towards her. Kuro went for her staff, spinning it like a windmill.

The Protector seized her chance, slamming an elbow into Lady Sunspot’s face. As the heroine howled in pain, she managed to pry herself free.

“You won’t stop me, my class…” the akuma said defiantly. “I have to protect them!:”

Then, as she rubbed her broken nose, Lady Sunspot watched in bug-eyed shock as the Protector went after Mayura. Whispering a shocked curse, she watched the akuma slug the villain across the face.

“...what the...? Not me, go after them! Lord Hawk Moth wants their Miraculous!” 

“You’ve put my class in danger time and time again, Mayura,” the akuma hissed, jabbing at her with her lance. “You and Hawk Moth. Don’t you get it? I’m tired of you two ruining our lives just for some insane power quest! Take a hint and buzz off bitch! Understand?”

With that she socked the villain right across the face with a loud crack sound. Her brooch came flying off from the force of the punch. Kuro Neko and Lady Sunspot could only watch in wide-eyed, understandable shock.

“...what? It’s in the name! Protector, and I protect my class!” the akuma shrugged, watching the woman trip over the side of the roof. Wincing, the villain looked down and said: “...relax, she just landed on one of those airbeds. I suppose it won’t matter who it is in the end, given Paris is liable to forget her identity the moment you do your Miraculous Ladybug thing right? ...or would it be Miraculous Alyabug?”

“...yep akuma or no that’s definitely Marinette.”

Tossing the Peacock Brooch to the two heroes, the villain went on with: “...can’t promise you two will be able to keep this…”

“...shit, she’s right.”

“Anyways, I got to go deal with Chloe. You in girl?” Protector said, turning time-honored words against them. “I mean, the more the merrier right?”

Despite hating Chloe, Alya refused to let her best friend become a killer, and charged towards her spinning her yo-yo in a red blur of light.

“...I thought not. Have at thee!”

From her window, Lila watched the fight as both Cat and Bug bounded after who she knew could only be Marinette. 

Her heart pounded like a drum, realizing that was her best friend who needed saving for once. Contrary to popular belief, Lila could feel a certain amount of guilt for her actions. And she remembered what she’d said to Marinette back then.

How raw hatred and jealousy overtook her and what might have resulted had she pushed Marinette too far.

“...that might have been me she was threatening to kill,” Lila whispered, having heard the whole exchange. “...Me, a target of an akuma. Someone actually wanting to kill me. Oh cazzo. Come il caro dio in paradiso. It could have been me on her hit list. ...by all rights, it should be me.”

While Lila knew she’d never be a fan of Ladybug, she hoped this substitute would be able to save her only friend.

-----

Marinette wasn’t sure how Alya had saved her, but indeed she was now purified of evil. Hawk Moth… damn him, had taken her innate desires to protect her classmates and twisted them.

Marinette had quickly thought up some story for the press, on how she was training a sidekick who could take over for her just in case. They, still believing the lie of how Hawk Moth had captured her accepted it with very few questions asked.

“...I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you everything, Adrien. No more secrets,” she whispered to the boy at his bedside. She’d snuck in late one night, ‘coincidentally’ passing him by on a patrol. “...we should have known who we were from the start. It would have saved us a whole lot of pain and embarrassment. One day, I’ll tell you everything. Who I am, about the Train… Yeah, one day.”

She would hope for a brighter day, and think that maybe it wouldn’t turn to despair like it did that day.

“You made a good choice, Pigtails,” Plagg floated near her head. “Not just as who you’re training as a successor but who to wield me as an alternate as well. Fencer Girl’s got a drive to her, you know. Something we really should be sure to nurture.”

“You’re saying you’d give up Adrien for Kagami?” Ladybug asked, surprised.

“No, I doubt Fencer Girl would be pleased to give me such stinky cheese,” Plagg grinned. “Besides, I have only one kitten and it’s this oblivious little shit right here. Yeah, sure your relationship is a bit stormy right now but what’s a few thundershowers between friends?”

It sounded like it was from a movie, Marinette wouldn’t have honestly believed Plagg had said it had she not heard him say it. It was so unlike him.

“I didn’t know you could be so wise.”

“Hello, I’m a millennia-old god. I’d like to think I’d pick up a few bits and pieces along the way,” Plagg replied. “What I’m saying is, well you’re looking for a new Bee and Kagami’s looking for an escape from an equally lonely household. You know where I’m going with this?”

Ladybug smiled. “...yeah, I think I can arrange something.”

“Shame you and Fangirl’s relationship went down in flames as it did, but oh well I suppose it couldn’t be helped,” Plagg replied, the little God of Destruction giving what probably amounted to a shrug. “Some people have their heads so far up their own asses there’s not much you can do. They gotta pull their own heads out first before you can help them.”

“...yeah, not sure Chloe’s going to be doing that anytime soon,” Ladybug sighed, shaking her head. “Hand someone all of the money in the world and not put your foot down to correct her when you should? ...well, it is a bit of a tragedy I admit but honestly the Mayor really should have dealt with his daughter.”

“Now I’m no family counselor and I don’t even pretend to want to be, but…” Plagg ‘mhmmed’ to himself. “I think he just didn’t want to lose her, you know? I mean you’ve seen what his wife is like. Some people really shouldn’t have children y’know?”

“Oh agreed, both of them are victims in their own regard but it still doesn’t excuse them. It explains them, but it doesn’t excuse them,” Ladybug said, running her fingers through her partner’s hair. Normally she would have been falling all over herself by this point but she supposed finding out how dorky her partner really was helped shatter the image of him being an angel from heaven.

“...so apparently you socked Mayura in the face while as an Akuma,” Plagg cackled. “...I mean nobody remembers you doing it except me, Fencer Girl, Blogger and Mayura herself but trust me. Badass.”

Ladybug rubbed her fist subconsciously as vague images wormed their way into her head. “...huh, so I did.”

The face was an outline, hinting at who it tried to depict. But alas she couldn’t force a clearer image to the surface.

“...maybe one day we’ll reclaim the Peacock for real,” Ladybug sighed before Plagg grinned. 

“Oh, that’s the best part. It’s sitting in the Miracle Box back at Master Fu’s. Seems the one thing Blogger’s version of the Cure didn’t do? Send it back to Mayura, whoever she was. Looks like it knew what was the ‘right’ thing.”

“Small victories,” Ladybug smiled, hope flooding her body like a tsunami. “...for the first time, you know I actually think we can win this.”

“...so do you have anyone in mind to wear it?”

Shades of auburn and scarlet hair filled her mind’s eye and at this the heroine smiled at the little god. “...yeah, you know I think I have someone in mind. The question is… will she accept it?”

Chapter Text

For the record, Lila had thought she’d reconciled her feelings towards Ladybug well enough. That she didn’t need her in her life and yet… Things were complicated by the fact that honestly the heroine felt… genuine really. The worst part was despite that one moment of arrogance, of self-importance she still seemed to be trying to be an honest hero.

It would have been easier if it was obvious that she was deluding herself, that she was under some sort of self-imposed illusion of being a real hero. And yet that simply wasn’t the case.

This was a girl who pulled kittens -not just ones clad in black leather- out of trees for Pete’s sake.

So, yeah, when Ladybug showed up on her balcony with a Miraculous in hand, Lila was a mess of conflicting feelings.

“...god, I really hope I’m imagining this,” Lila pinched her brow. “A nightmare, yeah that’s what this is. A nightmare and I’ll wake up any moment now. Yep, any moment now…”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed,” her enemy replies politely, no venom in her tone unlike the last time they’d met.

“...well, that wouldn’t be anything new for me,” Lila returned. “Get out of here, before I decide to call the police.”

Ladybug looked unfazed by her threat, and stubbornly persisted.

“I’m here to offer you an opportunity, please don’t make me think I’m making a mistake,” the heroine says politely. 

“Is it the opportunity to rewind time and make it so we’d never meet because god I’d take that one in a heartbeat!” Lila snipes.

“Nope, sorry that’s a different Miraculous and it’s reserved for someone else,” Ladybug said, her tone still unbearably polite. “Now please, will you listen to what I have to say?”

Lila sighed, wondering if in a few moments she’d be regretting this. “...alright, fine but you have five minutes. After that I’m calling the cops.”

“Lila Rossi, here is the Miraculous of the Peacock, which grants the power of Emotion. You will use it for the greater good,” the spotted heroine said, with the moon at her back illuminating her like some sort of angel Lila supposed. “Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I trust you?"

Lila laughed. “...how long have you been waiting to finally come to me? I mean, I assume you’ve exhausted everyone else in Paris as candidates so here you are, showing up on my doorstep.”

Every word of that dripped with sarcasm, Lila simply couldn’t help herself. It came all but natural to her by this point.

Lila listened and only found silence greeting her. “...well, there’s no screaming or explosions so clearly the world’s not coming to an end. And yet here you are.”

At this, Ladybug gently set the box down on Lila’s bedside table, and leaned in the windowsill. “...I was wrong back then, I freely admit it.”

Lila bit back a retort of how she could admit her mistakes apparently.

“I was… well, no there was simply no excuse for how I acted. I suppose I could simply say that I was having a bad day or that I was worried for your family with you ‘outing’ yourself as my best friend but… no, how I acted was simply inexcusable. It was simply petty jealousy, simple as that.”

“...oh, that’s all it was?” Lila replied.

“Yes, it was,” Ladybug said in response. “I was… jealous at how close you were getting to Adrien and well I suppose I acted without thinking.”

“You suppose?” Lila asked.

“In any event, I apologize for that and I should have let things play out. I should never have ruined things for you and I admit I acted no better than Gabriel. Shielding Adrien from the world and deciding what was right for him,” Ladybug said, and Lila’s jaw dropped at how… humble the heroine was acting. She supposed if this was some Japanese anime, she’d be prostrating herself before her. “So for that, I apologize.”

Lila’s mouth acted without thinking.

“I accept your apology, and… I apologize for saying I hated you. Maybe I did for a time, but… honestly, you’re a very hard person to hate with how… genuine I suppose is the word? How genuine you are.”

She honestly didn’t know how else to explain it, and with a sigh walked over to the box that the heroine had placed nearby. Her hand drifted to it, her mind urging her on.

“...I still don’t feel entirely right picking this up, you know,” Lila said even as her hand stayed still over the little octagonal-shaped box. “After all that has happened.”

“Really?” Ladybug asked. “From what I’ve been hearing you’ve honestly strived to become a much better person and if anyone’s able to redeem the peacock it should be you.”

“Why not the Ladyblogger?” Lila asked. “She’s a huge fan of superheroes so if anyone should carry this weight, this responsibility it should be her. Unless…”

Here she chuckled.

“What? What is it?” Ladybug inquired.

“She’s your replacement isn’t she?” Lila said before letting out another chuckle. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I’ve only just now realized. Because who else would it be, that you’d choose to fight in your place as Ladybug than the world’s biggest fan of hers?”

“Well, I can’t confirm or deny…” Ladybug started.

“...you do know that basically confirms it for me right?” Lila asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like it would have been better for you if you hadn’t said anything.”

After a brief moment of thought, Lila found her answer.

“But yes, I won’t leave you hanging for an answer. It’s just the kind of girl that I am,” she said before opening up the box. “...so, let’s do this.”

A blue blur rocketed out of the box, zipping around the room like Haley’s Comet on a sugar rush practically bouncing off the walls like a ping-pong ball. It zipped and dashed around the room, apparently cheering.

“Freeeeeeeeeee! I’m freeeeeeeee, freeeeeee at last!” the little blue… thing cheered, tackling Ladybug in a hug. “I know I’ve already said this but thank you thank you! Thank you for freeing me from that horrid woman. It was like a nightmare, really.”

Lila could only watch in shock, eyes widened comically. Nobody had ever told her about this being part of the deal!

“Love is such a torrential emotion, alas,” the little fairy creature said. “While I, alas, cannot reveal my previous holder’s name thanks to the magic of the miraculous… I can say she was horribly misguided. As if Hawk Moth would ever be attractive to anyone!”

Ladybug and Lila shared an identical disturbed look at the idea.

“But I must digress, good intentions but a bad target for one’s affections. My miraculous being used in such a manner is utterly disgraceful,” Duusu said before bowing before Lila. “My name is Duusu, the Kwami of Emotion at your service. Just as Tikki helps to provide Ladybug her power, I shall help provide your own.”

“...given this whole thing seems to be out of a magical girl cartoon, I’m assuming there’s some sort of transformation phrase?”

“Yes, there is. To transform into your hero form, all you’d have to say is: “Duusu, Spread my Feathers!” and that would be that. Normally I’d explain my powers, but…” they looked at Lila and sighed sadly. “Given I assume you’re already aware of what I can do no thanks to that horrid several months under her control, I suppose I don’t need to.”

“I admit, this is my first time honestly meeting Duusu and learning what it was like for… her?” Ladybug sounded unsure, given Duusu bore the features of a peacock yet seemed fairly feminine as well. “For the past few days, their Miraculous had to be repaired.”

“Oh yes, quite. If my former holder kept using it as she did, who knows what might have happened!” Duusu teared up a little, but recomposed themselves. “In any event, Lila Rossi, what say you? How’d you like to introduce my powers to Paris in a more proper fashion?”

“Well, I have only one thing to say,” Lila said, almost smirking. “Duusu… Spread My Feathers!”

-----

Lila had a few vague memories of her time as Volpina, leaping over rooftops and the sheer feeling of freedom it gave her.

But that was nothing comparing it to this, experiencing it first-hand with powers that were actually hers. Ones that she’d earned, not asked for and ones that were the real deal and not some cheap copy.

It was just a totally different feeling, one she wasn’t really sure how to even describe really. The sheer rush as she raced by buildings, bounding over rooftops as her whole body crackled with life. With magic surging through her whole body, ancient and wild as the deep forests.

She was now seeing through different eyes, flare-ups of emotion indicated in varying colors. Hot angry red, cool tranquil greens and blues. Nervous yellows. All possible candidates for her feathers.

“...okay, we gotta stop and take a breather,” Lila paused, sitting down on a ledge. She’d already decided on a name, Pavone Reale. Simple, yet elegant. “...this is all incredibly overwhelming honestly.”

“Yeah, it’s… something isn’t it?” Ladybug admitted, sitting down next to her. “I remember when I first got my Miraculous. It was… something else, it’s hard to describe the feeling you know? The sheer raw sensation you get when you’re seeing the world in a whole new way.”

“And you get to experience this every day, you and Cat. You happy few, and… well, it’s enough to make a girl jealous y’know?” Pavone admitted. “I’m surprised nobody else has complained.”

“I do have doubts, I suppose. About not expanding the roster, and… okay, I'm going to be honest with you, like fully. You’re a dry run. A test,” Ladybug explained, the two looking out over Paris with legs dangling over the side of the building. “A test to see if Paris would accept more heroes.”

Pavone snorted. “Are you kidding? Of course they would, Paris loves you guys. I’m sure that they’d be honored to have their own miniature Justice League.”

“It’s just… there is a risk, y’know?” Ladybug said. “Forget going and grabbing the Miraculous from the Guardian for a minute. Risking myself or him or the Miracle Box getting captured. Forget all that.”

“I’m listening,” Pavona said.

“It’s well… once there’s more Miraculous out in the world, there’s the risk of Hawk Moth grabbing them and adding to his own power. And whoever gets a Miraculous, there’s a target on their back from the day they put it on.”

“There’s always a risk, you’re really answering your own question,” Pavona said. “Sure they’ve got targets on their back but you’ve picked these people. They understand what they’re getting themselves into.”

“I suppose…” Ladybug admitted with a nod.

“There’s been a target on your back from day one, you and Cat’s. And your powers are only growing, so… whatever happens if Hawk Moth gets his hands on someone else’s Miraculous can’t be much worse than him getting his hands on you and your partner’s.”

“Point,” Ladybug acknowledged, shifting slightly. “...I’ve always wondered what he even wants with the two, you know?”

“What do supervillains always want?” Pavona said. “Power.”

“I mean, I suppose but he’s got the Moth. That’s plenty enough power for anyone, he can create supervillains,” Ladybug said with her partner looking understandably skeptical. Finally, she spoke again.

“Mast… The Guardian, he said that if the Cat and the Bug were to be combined something would always have to be exchanged in order for the Wish to work. Say for example if he wanted someone resurrected, someone else would have to die. A life for a life. You think Hawk Moth knows that?” she questioned.

“You think he honestly cares?” Pavona asked.

“We may never know,” Ladybug said worriedly. “And I for one, don’t ever want to find out. But you’re right, and maybe I am being stupid. Paranoid. Sure, there’s a risk but there’s always a risk when every morning I put on these earrings and go for a run. That Hawk Moth may beat me, and he may steal the source of my power. That he’d be one step closer to domination or whatever he wants.”

“...it’s scary, isn’t it? That you’re fighting a war and very few people seem to understand that,” Pavona admitted before she said: “...which is why you need teammates, it can’t just be you and Cat anymore. You need people who understand your position. What you’re going through.”

At this, Ladybug smiled. “Thanks, I guess I never thought about it that way.”

“How much have you actually shared with Cat?” Pavona asked, leaning in with a quizzical expression. One of curiosity. “Just curious.”

“Some, okay a bunch of stuff but there’s only so much you can share with someone who’s not a girl you know?”

“Well,” Pavona laughed long and hard, the sound carrying itself across the city. “Thank goodness that I’m here then!”

-----

“Let me ask you something,” Ladybug said as they took to street level, skipping rooftops for paved streets. “Why do you think I’m so popular with Paris?”

“Well, you fight day in and day out against an emotional predator with a serious and seriously worrying interest for that matter in teenagers,” Pavona said. “I mean… no offense, but it seems like a pretty stupid question.”

They strode around another corner, and in front of them was what was obviously a soup kitchen by the line of homeless struggling to get in. “It’s not just the big stuff, Pavona. It’s the small stuff too, it’s not always a flashy fight against a supervillain. Heroism is about everything you do in life, even things like this. Helping those less fortunate, that doesn’t always mean those in peril.”

Pavona chuckled. “You’re something else. Like I said, genuine. And here I thought we’d be fighting villains.”

“No, I’m not going to throw you into the deep end of the pool just yet,” Ladybug says. “Not before you learn how to swim.”

Pavona shrugged, accepting that. “Mhmmm, fair.”

“I know it sounds corny and maybe it is,” Ladybug said as they walked inside, happy greetings of recognition followed by surprised exclamations. Obviously, no doubt in reference to an actual peacock wielder. “But this? This is why I became a hero, to help people. Forget the supervillains for a minute, this is what I really use my powers for. Seeing the joy on their faces? It makes all the pain and exhaustion worth it.”

A spike of pure raw joy from Ladybug, enough to light up a room. It all but drowned out the nervousness people had of Pavona.

“So, let me ask you,” the hero in training said as she looked around the room, people trying to fight off the cold in blankets. Others handing out obviously pre-prepared food. “...why do you even think I want to be a hero?”

“Why’d you go out and buy that fox necklace? Underneath all of this,” Ladybug said. “I think a part of you is just crying out to be recognized. To be acknowledged.”

“...you think that’s it? Well, you wouldn’t be wrong, it’s hard living in your mother’s shadow,” Pavona sighed, resting up against a wall. “...so what do I go and do? I go and get myself akumatized and become a supervillain. Several times in fact. I work with Hawk Moth. God, it makes me feel so sick inside, realizing I had to go that for people to acknowledge me.”

They’d made their way to the kitchen, and the young woman found her hands already hard at work. Faint memories of happier times, with her family before her life became a whirlwind threatened to bubble to the surface.

“If it helps,” another voice came, unfamiliar. “...I know how that feels. My sister… well, if you know her name and I don’t doubt you do, well… you can sorta guess what living with her might be like.”

Pavona’s head shot up, studying the newcomer. She spoke with a thick American accent, somewhere from the East Coast by the sound of it. Her facial features struck her somewhat familiar but Pavona couldn’t place exactly where or why.

“Zoe!” Ladybug greets with a happy smile. “I didn’t expect you to be here tonight.”

“Yeah well, Chloe’s been particularly unbearable so I had to get out of the house. Something about you rejecting her? I dunno, I didn’t really catch all of it, or honestly care for that matter,” the blonde said.

Finally, it hits her. “...Chloe’s your sister?” Pavona croaks out.

“Half-sister, I’m the family’s dirty little secret I’m afraid,” Zoe cracks a grin. “Imagine what it’d be like if the press got wind of the ‘perfect family’ not being so perfect.”

Pavona winced. “...yeah, I guess I’m not as shocked as I should be. Audrey seems exactly the type. Your mom and… well, I guess your step-dad never seemed to be really ‘happy’.”

“It’s just a thing they put on for the cameras. Spend five minutes with them?” Zoe replies as she continues cooking. “You can tell they’re about five minutes away from killing each other. I’m amazed Hawk Moth hasn’t taken advantage of that yet.”

Again, Pavona winces. “I’m… sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Zoe said. “Not much you can do about it really. I’ve grown used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to have grown used to it though,” Pavona replied. “Families should be different. Perfect.”

“We haven’t been a family in ages, not in the way you’re thinking,” Zoe shrugged, totally indifferent to it all. “Honestly, when I came to Paris I’d expected them to be worse. Color me surprised that nobody’s filed for divorce yet.”

Pavona had joined her in the cooking, remembering something that her nonna had taught her. Warm smiles, and even warmer smells found themselves worming their way into her mind and a single tear leaked down her face as she thought of happier times.

“Yeah, well, give it time…” the heroine in training drawled, hoping nobody had noticed.

“I’m not going to be too broken up about it if it does happen, I want dad away from that devil woman.” Zoe sighed.

“You make Audrey sound like she’s Cruella De Vil,” Pavona replied.

“She basically is, isn’t she?” Zoe joked. “Maybe she doesn’t skin puppies though, in fact I don’t think she even likes animals.”

“She doesn’t like anyone, not even her own daughter,” Pavona said, placing her recipe in the microwave. Ladybug, nearby was preparing something else. “...apologies. This is your mother I’m talking about.”

“I know, and honestly I’m all for someone talking smack about her. She’s not really my mother,” Zoe said. “I’m already searching for my own apartment, as it is. My only wish is my sister not being so… infected by my mom. But… alas, not much I can do to change that. Chloe’s too set in her ways.”

“...Yeah, that’s the truth. It is a bit of a shame though,” Ladybug put in. “...she was doing honestly fairly well for a while there.”

“You tried, Ladybug, that’s all I can ask for,” Zoe smiled sadly. “But my sister’s like a wasp, you’re going to get stung if you stick too close to her.”

Pavona knows she has to do something. She can hear the brokenness in Zoe’s tone, no matter how much the American tries to hide it.

“She could have been like a bee, buzzing and shining in the sun,” Ladybug agrees sadly. “Instead…”

Suddenly Pavona gets an idea, a crazy stupid idea but it might just work. Maybe she’d spent too much time around Marinette to be healthy, she thinks.

“Maybe you don’t have to buy an apartment,” Pavona suggested and here Zoe looked at her confused. “I have this friend, she’s pretty lonely herself and could use the company.”

Zoe smiled, looking grateful. “I’ll… I’ll consider it, but how do you know she’ll accept?”

“Trust me,” Pavona said. “She will.”

Ladybug sends her an approving glance and no her soul did most certainly not lift a bit no sir!

“You’re very different from your sister,” Pavona observes. “Chloe as I know her wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this. I don’t think…”

She stops herself, remembering who she’s insulting.

“That she’s ever been selfless in her entire life?” Zoe asked. “It’s okay, you can say it. I’m well aware of the kind of person that my sister is.”

She smiles again, sadly and accepting of the fact. Not that she should be, Pavona’s heart screams. Part of her knows she’s always wanted a sister, someone to bitch with. And that if she ever had one, she wouldn’t treat her so terribly. Treat her like Chloe did her own, half-sister or not.

Maybe if she had a sister, she would have had someone to stop her. Keep her in check, reign her in before she’d gotten too terrible.

“Oh well, I think that’s enough food!” Zoe smiled, happier this time. “...yeah, I think this should be enough for a few nights.”

They were greeted with grateful shakes of the hands, happy tears and all nervousness from before had changed to a weary relief. Happiness in the fact that Paris had a new hero, and Ladybug had a new possible sidekick.

A new sidekick, the thought sticks out to her.

“...what do you think Cat will think of me?” Pavona wondered. “...I mean, he’s your real partner and I know you two have been growing apart lately…”

“I’m sure he’ll understand, and honestly some part of me knows he’ll be relieved more than anything else,” Ladybug said. “It doesn’t show as often as it does with me, but he’s tired Pavona. He wants this war to end, just like I do. I think that’s why his other powers manifested before mine, because he’s exhausted. He wanted a new way to win.”

“A way to even the odds,” Pavona reaffirmed. She said: “...well, given that I’ve got the Peacock now and it’s out of Hawk Moth’s hands I’d say the odds have certainly been evened.”

“I’m not sure he’ll see it that way,” Ladybug said, noticeable self-doubt beginning to plague her. “After all, it took one of your best friends being akumatized to get the Peacock back.”

One of her best friends, and the way Ladybug said it said to her that she was sure of their friendship. Weirdly, Lila was intent on agreeing with her honestly. She certainly didn’t hate her anymore at any rate.

Perhaps the heroine owning up, and apologizing had something to do with it. Amazing what swallowing your pride could do.

“You should talk to him,” Pavona suggests, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Because of course it was. “I don’t know what’s really going on between you two, but you two need to work it out. If he’s willing to victim blame…”

“He’s not victim-blaming me, he knows it was a lie to placate the public. It’s my fault,” Ladybug mutters, and in a voice softer she says: “...if I hadn’t gotten on that damn Train…”

Pavona swears she must have misheard because she must have. Ladybug had been a Passenger as well? Well, given the stress of being at war with an emotional predator, it wasn’t that surprising...

“It’s not your fault for Hawk Moth capturing you,” she said. “The only one whose at fault here is Hawk Ass.”

Ladybug snorts, it was a wet ugly sound. “If only that were true…”

“Listen…” here Pavona grasped her hand gently with her own. “Just talk to Cat, work out your shit. Paris can’t wait for you two resolve your lover’s spat. So fix it.”

Ladybug smiled, apparently appreciating the up-front honesty.  “...you know, I think I made the right decision in giving you a Miraculous.”

And Lila smirks. “Damn right you did.”

Chapter Text

Paris seemed especially cold tonight, Ladybug mused to herself as she rested in her usual spot, overlooking the glittering city with lights like a million fireflies.

“You called?” Cat said, the heroine having never heard his approaching footsteps. He’d come out of nowhere, like a ninja. Before, he’d always been loud and everyone else heard him coming. Now though, he came as silently as a whisper on the wind.

“Another thing that’s changed between us…” Ladybug thought solemnly to herself. “...how much else have I missed out on, between then and… and the time that I went away?”

Her hand shook, and she resisted the urge to check for a glowing green number. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught herself doing that. Every now and again, she found her eyes subconsciously drifting towards her hand. Just to check to see if a now long gone number had risen or fallen.

“Yes, I… I suppose I owe you an explanation, I…” Ladybug said. “I… I lied.”

She took a deep shuddering breath, about to bear her soul to him.

“Of… Of course you already knew that but I had the nerve to lie to your face,” she continued. “...when you of all people, my partner, deserve the truth. I… I was on a Train Cat, and it was horrible…”

“A… train?” Cat breached carefully, his eyes showing confusion. 

“Yeah, a train but not a train. It was horrible, it was insane and I was trapped for god knows how long. Me and Lila,” Ladybug whispered, wiping away tears. “...I guess that explains why we’ve been so chummy lately right?”

She fought back a bitter laugh, before everything was warm. Cat had pulled her into a tight hug, not really sure what she meant but knowing his partner needed comforting.

“It’s… it’s okay,” Cat said, his voice far warmer than it had been lately. More understanding. “...take all the time you need, I’ll be here for you. You don’t have to explain everything all at once, go at your own pace.”

“Still no Milady, huh?” Ladybug thought to herself, cursing herself for how selfish that probably sounded.

“I... I’m still not really sure how to explain it Cat, you… you would have had to have been there,” she went on, still fighting back tears. “N-Not that I’d ever want you to be there. It would have been more bearable, I suppose with you by my side but…”

“But what?” Cat asked, not sure if he should press any further.

“Cat, promise me,” Ladybug said, looking him dead in the eye with the most serious expression that he’d ever seen on her face. “Promise me, if you ever see a train glowing green like it came from the bowels of hell itself -it probably has- to NEVER get on. Promise me that.”

“I promise you that,” Cat said, still not entirely understanding but his tone sincere. Then came a breath of fresh air, something so incredibly relieving. “Milady.”

“I… Thank you,” Ladybug replied, her eyes a bit more watery as she wiped her tears again. “Thank you, you don’t know how much it means for me to hear you say that.”

“...soooooo, you and Lila huh?” Cat said, still holding her tight. “Do you think she knows who you are?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure,” his partner admitted, snuggling into his warmth. “...she hates me, or hated me. I’m not sure where we stand in our superhero lives. She’s at least tolerant towards me and she accepted the burden of being the new Peacock so…”

“You really think you… no, we can trust her?” Cat asked. “Forgive me, I don’t ever want to doubt you Milady but… with her history…?”

“Yeah, I can understand why you’d be so on the fence about this,” Ladybug said, perhaps understating it. Yep, she was definitely understating the matter. “But she’s changed, she saved my life several times on the Train. Sometimes without even thinking.”

“...several times huh?” Cat pondered, leaning back to look up at the stars. “...and I suppose it makes up for all of the times she’s…?”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m fairly certain Lila knows one doesn’t excuse the other,” Ladybug replied before she smiled. “But… it’s a start anyways.”

“I suppose…” her partner said, trailing off. With a groan, he ran a glove-clad hand through his hair. “...I guess we’re just going to have to get used to having her around with us, huh?”

“Yep, but don’t worry silly kitty,” Ladybug said, booping him on the nose. “You’ll always be my Number One.”

“I assume she won’t be the last addition to our team?” Cat presumed. “Forgive me Milady, but I have noticed you do seem to be on a bit of a recruitment drive. Or at least, I hope that’s what I’m seeing.”

“How’d you figure?” 

“Well,” Cat went on. “You’re pretty chummy to Chloe’s half-sister, I’ve noticed. You’ve been paying her visits! Not to mention, you turned our original Bee loose.”

“Yeah, I did, but she was becoming a liability. Chloe… Well, I guess she assumed having superpowers excused every little thing she did as a civilian,” Ladybug sighed wearily. “...I was already thinking of pulling her as a team member with her identity being exposed and her family in danger. But her recent actions cemented it.”

“Yeah, agreed,” Cat nodded. “I was hoping she’d get better but…”

“We both were,” Ladybug acknowledged with a little nod. “But yeah, I’m debating adding Zoe to the team. She’s actively striving to be a better person over her sister. She’s certainly got what it takes, I’m pretty on the fence as is but I’m thinking she’ll be a perfect replacement.”

“Our new bee,” Cat said before pausing. “A newbee.”

Ladybug snorted, swatting at his arm. “You’re terrible.”

God, how she’d missed those puns. 

“But yeah, I like her too,” Cat said. “She’s probably our best bet to join us on patrol. Of course, we’ll have to give her a trial run but… yeah, I think she’s perfect.”

“You sound like you have a crush on her,” Ladybug teased. “Don’t go holding out on me, go on spill!”

Cat snorted, and it soon became laughter that carried itself all the way across the city into the night.

A few nights later, Ladybug found herself braving the winter chill again but across the seas and into the wild wild wilderness that was… Minnesota. She had someone she just had to see.

They both did.

“...you sure this is the place?” Lila asked, having passed a sign a short while back that gave away the town’s name. North Branch, it seemed a certain King was right on the money. Sure enough, they’d found their fellow passenger right in the phonebook.

In front of them was a house, nothing too fancy and nothing too different from the others stretching out across either side of the street. It was… somewhat intimidating, Marinette would admit walking up the drive. 

Knowing that just a few feet ahead of them, behind a door was a connection to their past. Someone else who was part of a rare ‘happy few’, who knew what they’d gone through.

There were whispers on the internet, of course. Certain forums speaking of a ghostly train likening it to a modern-day myth. 

But here, in front of them, was the first person that they knew had gone through the same thing.

“...well, the address seems right,” Marinette mused, her feet apparently failing her. “...you know, it really scares me what you can look up on Google. Just sayin’.”

“...well, she’s not psychic,” Lila deadpanned. “She won’t actually know you’re here until you knock on the door.”

“I know, it’s just… intimidating,” Marinette said. “I don’t like having to talk about our experiences, or better yet acknowledge that the Train exists unless I absolutely have to.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean…” Lila nodded, drawing her jacket closer to herself. A familiar brooch had found itself pinned to it. “I swear, if I ever meet who designed that train, I’m going to punch them square in the face. Nobody deserves what it puts you through, all in the name of ‘helping you’ of course.”

“Well, nothing for it,” Marinette decided, gathering up her courage. She squared her jaw, straightened up her shoulders before striding forwards up the drive. “You’re right, she’s not psychic. The only way we’re going to meet Tulip is if we go up and introduce ourselves.”

The way up the path was slick in areas, obviously not fully cleared and at least once, Lila had to hold out her arm to catch her. Stop her from falling and breaking her face open on the concrete. It was… quite the change from how their relationship had started out.

Looking back, they’d been such idiots basically fighting over a boy and whoever ruled the school. In a few years, it wouldn’t matter and they’d be somewhere else and living different lives.

Schoolyard rulership honestly didn’t matter now, not when Paris was under attack by an increasingly ruthless enemy. One who wouldn’t give in until he had what he wanted.

For now, a brief reprieve to face one’s own personal demons.

Gently, Marinette knocked on the door. A brief little rap, just enough to let those inside know that they were here.

“...um hello?” Tulip’s mother answered, a woman of some years. “...I don’t think I’ve seen you two around here before? You’re not new neighbors are you? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone new moving in here, and in any event it’s late. Both of you should be at home.”

“We’re…” Marinette paused, well she certainly couldn’t say that they were friends of Tulip’s could she? “...we know Tulip. We just want to talk to her, that’s all?”

Her English wasn’t especially great, and her voice carried a thick accent. It was clear she wasn’t from around here. Lila’s English was better, years of travel doing her favors.

“Well, I don’t recognize you,” Tulip’s mom said. “You’re not from around here, are you? Are you friends of hers on the internet?”

“Mom?” a redheaded girl, with prescription glasses walked up. “...something the matter?”

“Oh no, they were just leaving,” her mother said.

“Corginia sends it’s regards,” Lila said and at this Tulip’s eyes widened.

“...is that some sort of online game?” the mother wondered aloud, before her daughter sent her a reassuring smile. 

“It’s okay mom, let them in,” Tulip said. “They’re friends.”

Subconsciously, Marinette rubbed her hand and forced herself not to check it. A fact that her fellow passenger noticed.

“It’s difficult isn’t it?” the redhead said, adjusting her glasses. “...you have to force yourself not to check it, and… and after a time it becomes easier but…”

“The urge never really goes away does it?” Marinette said, their fellow Passenger giving a small nod.

“How long were you on the Train?” Tulip asked, once they’d been out of earshot. Mind, it may not have mattered, her mother may have thought that they were just talking about some online role-playing game.

“Just a few short weeks, though honestly? It felt more like an eternity if you ask me,” Lila said, her voice sounding so drained and Tulip nodding sympathetically.

“Lucky you, I was there for months. When I came home… Everything, it’d…” Tulip trained off, the three of them sharing an exchange without words. Something only they knew how to talk about.

“...I’ve heard it’s like coming home from a war,” Marinette admitted. “You’ve been away for so long, and the whole world’s moved on without you and everything’s just simply changed. Who do you talk to? Who would understand? Who would believe you?”

“Well, I’m here to listen, I can talk to you about it. I understand every bit of it,” Tulip said before pulling out several beanbags from her closet. Flopping down in the nearest one, she adjusted her glasses again before speaking. And she smiled. “Now tell me, because I really want to know. How’s Corginia?”

Fin

-----

I am a passenger

And I ride, and I ride...