Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I giggled and tapped on my poor roommate's head. Grim was laying face down on the grass and he had only just finished the last of the warm up exercises. One would think a cat like him would have plenty of stamina for the relatively easy sets Vargas put us through for gym class. Though I honestly couldn’t blame him much. I can remember a time when I would have been in his position. It is only through years of hero work that made me as fit as I am today. “Come on, Grim. You’re usually brimming with energy.”

“It ran away when Vargas started talking.” Grim sat up and accepted my proffered water bottle. He took three big gulps and only just managed to give it back before he collapsed onto his back. “Is class over yet?”

Chuckling partially in pity, I shook my head in negative. “Sorry, but he mentioned an assessment exam today.”

A loud groan erupted from the tiny creature. Little paws flailed angrily in the air. “What does that even mean?!”

I pulled him to his feet. “Probably just a general assessment to see where we stand fitness wise. Schools in my world would record our times and reps at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year exam and show us how much we improved. Maybe it’s something like that.”

The black, flaming cat snorted. “Whatever. I’m getting a nap after this.”

“Me too.” I joined the flow of first years to the entrance of the stadium where Professor Vargas was waiting in all his beefy, narcissistic glory. He was legitimately flexing his arms while waiting and only put his arms down when the entire class was present.

Professor Vargas gestured to the expanse of the battle arena: a large sand pit enclosed by stone seats much like an ancient colosseum. “Welcome to your first trial, firsties! In this pit, you will have to face every foe you have ever fought and defeat them if you want to pass your first exam. There is no need to worry for your safety, the golem clones are just mimicking the memories you have of your previous battles. All you gotta do is place your hand on the crystal by the gate and enter the arena! A special shield will be erected around the arena to keep you inside and those outside from interfering. You will remain inside until you have defeated every foe the arena creates or until you are too beaten down to continue. Understand that this orb will grant the golems an imitation of the abilities of your previous opponents, so they are not even at full strength. You defeated them once, you will defeat them again. Any questions before we begin?"

Ace raised his hand. "I know that some of my classmates grew up very sheltered by protective parents. What if they've never faced danger before?"

Vargas nodded and pointed at the sky with one of his giant hands. "Excellent question, Mr. Trapolla. If someone truly is lacking a history of confrontation, then the orb will simply provide a faceless golem that will attack them. This exam is meant to test your battle prowess and show me exactly where you are skill wise."

Epel was shaking as he raised his hand. "What if we have developed a phobia of something we faced before?"

Vargas didn't even blink. "The test will stop when you have defeated the opponent or you receive too much damage to continue safely. There is no surrender option."

“Professor, can I talk to you for a moment in private?” I held my trembling hand up in worry. He gestured to the side and I trailed after him anxiously. “Just a few questions, sir. Um… would I have to face every last opponent I’ve faced in a physical battle? What I mean to ask is if there is a limit to the number of foes that can be created.”

The professor’s self assured and almost smug smirk never waivered. “No limit. This assessment is made for me to evaluate your battle prowess. The magic of recreating past foes is meant to give students a leg up with enemies they are familiar with instead of facing a threat entirely new. After all, you all are still children.”

I almost laughed though I didn't feel a lick of humor. “Right. Okay. Uh… is there… really no way to stop the exam once it’s started?”

His head shook side to side. “I’m afraid not! How am I supposed to teach you all how to defend yourselves if I don’t ingrain into you children what a real fight is like. A real opponent in battle will never give the luxury of a break and a dangerous enemy will not accept surrender. Sometimes the only way to end a fight is death, be it your opponent’s or yours, young Marinette.”

“I know.” I sighed wearily. “I know. If that is the case, sir, then I would like to request that I go last. I need some time to prepare and I know that my exam will… take a little longer than my classmates. I wouldn’t want to delay their assessments.”

His brow twitched and that smile seemed to dim a tad as a more serious expression took over his masculine features. “How much longer?”

I swallowed, thinking of the three years worth of akumas I had to fight. “A lot longer.”

Professor Vargas’ gaze weighed heavy on my face, penetrating and calculative. After a moment of tense silence, his deep baritone filled the air. “What, were you a child soldier or something?”

Thinking about it that way, I guess I had been a child soldier. I was put into a position of guardianship to protect my city from a madman with power he should have never acquired. “Yeah, or something. I need to… prepare a few things before I start the exam.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You can choose to tap out of the assessment. I’ll have to give you a zero, but it’s really only worth a quiz grade. There will be other exams and quizzes to make up for the zero.”

“No no. I’ll do it. I really don’t want to start off my gym class with a zero. Just… give me time to prepare myself.” I started to walk away when I spotted Grim and Ace in another one of their spats with Deuce trying to maintain the peace between them. Grim’s tail was not puffed out or flicking about irritably. In fact, he looked quite comfortable bickering with the redhead. All the other first years were chatting excitedly among themselves about the assessment and surely all other varieties of topics. All of them were still so young, so naive. Looking at my peers made my old soul ache. “And professor, could you do me a favor and dismiss each student once they're done with their assessment? Forcing them to stick around for mine would be…. I just wouldn’t want them to get bored.”

The teacher released a gust of air through his nose. “Usually I keep the firsties behind and tell them their scores before releasing them, but if yours will truly take longer than expected, I suppose I can let them loose for Crowley to deal with.”

We separated and he confronted the class and captured their attention while I snuck away. “Alrighty you scrawny wimps! I want you all to give this assessment your best! Once you’ve finished, I'll give you your grade and you are free to leave. Those who are knocked unconscious will receive a mediocre score at best before being sent to the medical ward. So knowing that, who wants to go first?”

Several hands shot into the air. I had almost made my escape when I felt a tug at the bottom hem of my shorts. I looked back to see Grim. “Where are you going?”

“Just going to get some water. I'll be right back." I watched him shrug and walk off to watch Sebek who had been the first chosen. My smile dimmed into a stem grimace and I raced towards the shack.

Tikki flew close to my face. Her high pitched voice was even higher with concern. "You don't have to do this, Marinette. You're smart and skilled enough to get better grades for the rest of the year! Don't put yourself through this when you have the option to quit."

My teeth ground together at such a suggestion. "I'm no quitter, and I can kiss any kind of respect from my classmates goodbye if I tap out on the first real challenge."

"Marinette…" Tikki whined.

"I'll be fine. I did it all once, so I can do it again. Faster this time since I know exactly what I'm dealing with." There were only four traveling bottles in the cupboards, but I filled them to the brim anyway. I even emptied the last bit of milk from the gallon tub in the fridge and filled that too. Hesitating for only a second, I decided to bring the Miracle Box as well. I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in my room when I would be busy for who knows how long in the Pit.

The Kwamis trailed after me as I rushed to get back, having all been filled in on the situation by Tikki while I had packed.

Wyazz was not comfortable with my choice. "Mistress Guardian! I must implore you to withdraw from such a needless endeavor!"

"There is no real danger here. It's a controlled environment with a professional ready to step in should she need help." Roarr around in the air. "She'll be fine!"

"This could be a good way to evaluate how far she has come since she first became the Ladybug." Longg spoke in a calm and even never.

Kaalki harrumphed with disdain. "Well I think this is reckless endangerment on the school's part. What kind of teacher forces teenagers into fights?"

"Have you thought about which Miraculous you will use, Grand Guardian?" Daizzi chirped from over my shoulder.

I did in fact know the perfect Miraculous to use. "I'll become Lady Noir once again. I already have three years worth of Akumas to face. I want to take them down as quickly as possible. Anything to reduce the amount of time I'm spending in the arena."

The black Cat blew a raspberry. "I hope you have a lot of cheese on you then, pigtails."

A savage grin stretched across my face. "Oh no, I won't be detransforming after each opponent because that leaves me vulnerable until you're recharged. We'll be using the Eternia potion for the infinite use of your destructive power."

The Kwamis went silent.

"Marinette, you don't know what you're asking." Tikki stroked my cheek. "There are consequences to using Eternia, consequences that aren't worth a class grade."

I slowed down only a little. "Maybe not, but it is a perfect time for me to test it out in a safe battle scenario. I need to know if it's a viable option for the future or something to discard as even a consideration. I can't think of a better opportunity."

The Kwamis were silent and apprehensive, but it's not like they couldn't see the truth in my argument. They would watch over the Miracle Box diligently until I finished my assessment, however long that would take. I returned to a half full class with Ace floundering against the corrupted dwarf we had faced together in the mines. His wind wasn't much help against such a large foe. Without the help he had that day, Ace was struck over the head and knocked out. He received a D+ and a trip to the medical ward.

I folded myself beside Grim and shared commentary with him as we watched the others. Epel left himself open to attack. Jack needed to be more aware of his surroundings. Deuce really needed to expand his repertoire. Honestly, why is it that he could only think of cauldrons?

Finally, it was Grim's turn. Deuce decided to stay back and watch to later share the details with Ace who was sleeping off his failed grade.

My dorm mate stepped inside the arena and was faced with three cats. They all looked like younger versions of Grim save for a few particular features that differentiated them from one another. They all had blue flames coming from their ears and tails that flicked excitedly behind their bums. They all launched themselves at Grim with loud yowls. Grim appeared to be off kilter at their attack, but he quickly turned from a determined and confident student to a playful kitten as he wrestled with what I thought to be his siblings. The change in him was drastic and almost unbelievable. For once, Grim was entirely unguarded and free of the superiority he wore like a cloak. It lasted up until he managed to pin all of his siblings down to the floor with a victorious laugh. The golems imitating his siblings melted away and took with them his childlike glee. In its place was loss followed by determination and rage.

His next two fights were short but strained, one against a tar black dog with legit tusks and spikes along its upper spine. The second was a mockery of a phoenix that was all browns and reds and much too large to ever be allowed. Grim was panting but proud as he faced the corrupted dwarf once more. His flames proved a little more useful than air and a summoned lightning strike from his gem won him an A- as his first quiz grade. "Yeah! Take that, Ace!"

I giggled and applauded my friend. “You did wonderfully, Grim. You’ve really come far.”

Paws on his furry hips, Grim stood proud of his accomplishment. “Of course I have and I will only get better!”

A loud grumble emitted from his belly which was echoed by Deuce’s torso. The navy haired boy clutched his midsection. “Ugh, please tell me your fight won’t take too long. I’m starving.”

I hissed through my teeth. “I make no promises. Why don’t you guys go on ahead? I'll see you all when I’ve finished over here.”

Deuce seemed hesitant. “Are you certain? I can hold out a little longer.”

“Nah, my battles might take a while. I don’t want to hold you growing boys back from the meals you so desperately need.” I jokingly kicked out at Deuce who smiled in return.

My dorm mate padded past me towards the door. “Sounds fair. Good luck beating my score, Marinette!”

A humorless chuckle escaped from my throat. Grades were the last thing on my mind. “Stay out of trouble, Grim.”

The boys were gone, off to supper, and I was alone with Professor Vargas. The towering man of muscle lowered his clipboard. “Are you ready? Once you step inside the arena, the only way out is either beating every golem or getting mortally wounded.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I set the Miracle Box on one of the benches against the wall and instructed the Kwamis to keep watch over it until I could resume my duties. I switched out the Ladybug earrings for the Cat Miraculous and watched as the ring morphed into a slim band of silver with a toxic green cat eye topaz held firm by what looked like eighth claws. Plagg glared wearily at the off white potion in the crystal vial I pulled from my purse. The liquid inside was slightly more viscous than water, opalescent clouds that glimmered in a rainbow of colors swirled lazily within the glass. It was actually quite pretty like something I could wear as a pendant. Now there was a thought: a fashion statement and an emergency powerup all in one. “Come on, Plagg. You know this will make it so much easier.”

He huffed irritably but downed a sip anyway. In a flash of greenish white light, Plagg’s black skin had developed pearlescent patches on his limbs, tail, and face. He looked like an adorable little tuxedo cat. I wondered for a moment if that would translate over into the Miraculous suit. I sure hoped so.

Cradling the water bottles in the crook of my arm, not nearly enough for however long I would be in here, I set my other hand on the black orb that hovered over a stone pillar in front of the entrance to the Pit. It was pitch black and yet seemed to glow from within, a shifting mirage of oranges, yellows, and reds. It reminded me of that scrying stone from Lord of the Rings. I called the orb little Sauron in my head. Just then, the light went out and the teacher ushered me forward. Little Sauron had gotten what it needed from my head, which was a tad concerning as I hadn’t felt any kind of mental invasion.

I stepped forward and heard the airless ‘whoosh’ of the shield trapping me inside. There is no going back. I set the water bottles down as a pile of sand began to grow and darken. Bigger and bigger, the beige sand turning to gray rock as Stoneheart took shape before me. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of my first Akuma. The giant imitation roared at its completion and I could feel the glare of those greenish-yellow eyes.

“Plagg! Claws out!”

/\_/\

Grim awoke slowly under the warm comfort of his blanket. The birds chittered in the morning air and his mattress was far too soft to leave for potions class with the dreadful professor Crewel. Tossing his bedding aside, it was only when Grim was opening his bedroom door that he noticed just how quiet it was in the shack. He padded downstairs and saw the living room and kitchenette were empty; no Marinette, no Kwamis, no premade snacks she had arisen early to prepare for themselves or their group of friends.

Her absence made Grim anxious, but he told himself she must have left early. Yes. That had to be it. Marinette has been doing rather well in her classes, especially potions. Perhaps a classmate had gotten her to agree to tutor them. Or maybe she was already in the dining hall for breakfast, after all she did miss dinner last night.

With the assurances playing through his mind, Grim must certainly didn't rush to the dining hall. However, Marinette was nowhere to be seen as he examined the room. He did spot Ace and Deuce, though, sitting at the table their group had essentially claimed. Grim hopped onto the flat surface. "Have you lowly life forms seen Marinette?"

Ace flipped him off while Deuce looked at the doors. "Is she not with you?"

Grim rolled his blue eyes. "If she was, I wouldn't be asking."

Deuce sniffed, "Odd" and returned to his oatmeal.

Auburn hair gleamed in the morning and artificial light as Ace leaned his head back to crack his neck. “Maybe she’s still in her room? She didn’t make it to dinner. I can only imagine how exhausted she must have been if her assessment lasted that long.”

The monstrous feline tapped his foot impatiently and eventually succumbed to his hunger. Even while he crammed delicious food into his mouth, Grim couldn’t not stop the storm of thoughts concerning his Dorm leader. His superior senses hadn’t detected her in the shack. Marinette had a tendency to toss and turn and even talk in her sleep so he certainly would have heard her if that were the case. Perhaps she was in the library studying? He knew how hard she was trying to settle into their world after having been ripped from her own with no way to return. For someone so new to this universe, Grim may be a little impressed with how well she was performing in her classes.

Yeah. She was probably just studying.

Grim led the lethargic duo to potions class only to find Marinette’s seat empty. The trio shared looks of alarm at the vacant desk. Everyone had noticed just how easily Marinette and Crewel had clicked when he stumbled upon her sketchbook. The two have developed a pleasant relationship between them. Not only that, but potions was Marinette’s favorite class. She would never miss it intentionally.

Professor Crewel noticed their entrance and the lack of Grim’s feminine keeper. “Where is Marinette?”

Deuce was staring hard at Marinette’s assigned desk as if it had committed a great atrocity. “Good question.”

The classroom filled up and the final bell signifying that class’ were to commence trilled it’s last chime, yet Marinette failed to make an appearance. Professor Crewel started class with a concerned furrow marring his brow. At least he would have if their class wasn’t disrupted by a hair raising, spine chilling, stomach churning shriek that tore the air and shook the ground a little. Grim’s ears twitched, blue flames flickering, as he picked up the panicked chatter from the room and those next door.

“What was that?”

“Where did it come from?”

“Was that an earthquake?”

“Are we under attack?”

In the midst of the chaos, Grim saw a scroll of paper pop into existence in front of Crewel’s face. The fashionable potion master unrolled it and scanned the contents, his countenance growing more harried with each flick of his silvery eyes. The paper caught fire and burned to nothing and Crewel collected himself just enough to address the class. “That’s enough! Sit back down, you wretched pups! The wards around the grounds are some of the strongest in the world. I guarantee you that we are safe. Now, as for today’s assignment, you all are to go to the library and write me a three page essay. Choose any poisonous plant and describe the side effects of ingesting said plant, where it can be found, and the different potions in which it is utilized. I expect it on my desk first thing in our next class. Now off to the library with you pups!”

Everyone did as commanded, but that didn’t stop them from whispering among themselves and shooting wary glances out the window. Grim was one of the last to leave the room with Ace and Deuce just ahead of him. He noted that the professor’s footsteps had gotten slower and slower until they stopped only to pick up pace in a different direction. Grim snuck a glance over his shoulder and saw Crewel disappear behind the corner of a hallway.

Apparently, Deuce and Ace had noticed as well.

“Do you think this has anything to do with Marinette?” Deuce asked quietly.

Ace snorted in response. “I’d bet my wardrobe on it. Marinette is practically Crewel’s favorite. He was worried about something and our girl isn’t in class.”

Epel, the effeminate boy of Pomefiore, came up from behind the Heartslabyul boys. "Does this have anything to do with Marinette's absence?"

Ace gave a somber nod with his eyes fixed in the hallway corner where Crewel had vanished. "It couldn't be anything else."

The hot tempered cat gritted his sharp teeth. "Then what are we standing around here for, let’s go!"

All four males raced after their teacher doing their best to remain undetected. They followed him despite his rushed gait all the way to the arena which confirmed their suspicions concerning Marinette’s whereabouts. Unmistakable sounds of battle emanated from the stone arena, well less of a battle and more of an all out war. There were screams, cries, and taunts spoken in both masculine and feminine voices of all different pitches though it was hard to distinguish them from one another with how they were overlapping in an unnerving cacophony.

Pointed ears swiveled as they detected the sound of approaching interloper. Grim twisted his head to see the white haired wolf boy boy from Savanaclaw. How had he not noticed them following him?

“Hey, I overheard you guys in the hallway. Is Marinette really still trapped in the Pit?” Jack Howl’s demeanor was harshly serious. He was known for being cold and aloof, sure, but his attitude felt different as it came from a place of worry.

Deuce was looking at the walls of the arena with apprehension in his peacock green eyes. “We think so. We left Marinette behind to take her assessment and we haven’t seen her since then. The arena is closed off with clear sounds of a fight occuring behind those doors. The only clear conclusion is that her assessment has not yet ended.”

Jack Howl glared at the ground, his right hand cupping his strong jaw. “Vargas said something about having to face all of your previous opponents. I remember hearing something about how Leona had the longest time on record due to all the fights he got into as a kid. He still passed, but he exhausted himself over half an hour in the Pit and was eventually knocked out. If Marinette’s been in there since yesterday…”

Epel gawked wide eyed at the arena doors in horror. “That’s not possible.”

Ace scoffed in derision at the lot of them. “Obviously, it is or Marinette wouldn’t have been stuck in there all night.”

“Hey Grim,” Deuce flicked his gaze on the cat. “Marinette is your dorm leader. Has she told you anything about her past?”

The feline in question was very uncomfortable, and not just because his henchwoman was locked in battle. Deuce’s innocent question had made Grim aware of just how little he actually knew about the girl. He would sometimes catch her staring off into nowhere with a vacant and sad countenance, but she always avoided his interrogations with offers of food. Grim really needed to stop allowing himself to get distracted so easily, but her baked goods were so delicious. “I know her parents were bakers and she wants to be a fashion designer. She doesn’t talk much about her past.”

“For good reason, it seems.” Epel added pensively.

“Well can’t the teachers…” Jack paused to think. “I don’t know… stop the assessment or something? She’s been in there for too long.”

Ace reminded them all of what professor Vargas had said yesterday. “They can’t. Don’t you remember? Once that shield comes down, you’re locked in until you’ve beaten every golem or get too beaten down to continue.”

"Well, I'm sure they didn't think about what would happen if a student was practically a damn soldier.” Jack spat through clenched teeth. “C’mon. You said it was an artifact keeping her inside. Maybe there’s a book on it in the library and we can figure out how to shut it down.”

Their entire morning was spent in the library, skipping their classes, yet no answer could be found. The boys trekked to the dining hall with aching eyes and sour dispositions. Ace tried to lighten the mood. "We've only been in there for like two hours and there are a lot of books to go through.”

“Marinette has been fighting for her life for almost 24 hours.” Grim snapped waspishly. “We need to do better.”

The dining hall was packed though the atmosphere was heavier. Students spoke in hushed tones and the air stunk of apprehension. Grim and his new henchmen had been locked away in the library pouring over books. From the whispers he was able to overhear, there had been no other loud roars like the one from this morning but there had been the occasional shriek. Grim noticed the infamously reclusive horned prince himself gazing out the window towards the arena with a hardened glare.

Clover practically teleported in front of his dorm mates. “And just where have you two been this morning?”

Ace paled and hid behind his reserved friend who looked very apologetic. “We’ve been in the library doing research, but I swear it was for a good reason! We wouldn’t skip class for nothing.”

Clover cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “Classes have been cancelled today. Wait, does this mean you guys know what’s going on?”

It was then that the dining hall doors flew open to reveal the Headmaster himself flanked by Professor Trein and Crewel who looked as if his collected composure would crumble at any given second. Trein was coolly reserved as usual, but it was hard to determine Crowley’s emotional state with his mask in the way.

The room fell silent as the attention of the student body honed in on the trio of teachers. Crowley dove head first into the situation. “I’m sure you all are aware of the sounds coming from the arena and I’m going to clear up a few rumors that have no doubt already started making their rounds. A student is currently engaged in the battle assessment and is taking a little longer than what we would ever expect. I want to let you all know that they are in no real danger and remind you all that there are protocols in place that will keep her safe. For the time being, I must kindly request that you all avoid the arena and the field around it until such time as the student has completed their assessment.”

He did not mention name, but by now everyone knew who was missing among the masses. It’s not as if there were a multitude of female students among the small school population. Grim hopped upon the table closest to the teachers to be better heard. “Is Marinette okay? How much longer will she be in there?!”

“She’s holding in there, Grim.” Crowley held up a gloved hand. “I get the feeling that young Marinette is a capable fighter in her own right with a rigid set of morals. Professor Vargas and I will be right there and ready to act should she need assistance. Now you all enjoy the rest of your day off because classes resume tomorrow. Grim, as her dorm mate I’m certain Marinette would appreciate it if you were to take notes for her.”

Jack’s ears twitched. “Shouldn’t she be done by tonight?”

Crowley shook his head. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

The triage turned and left the students to their own devices. Silence dominated the room until one brave soul broke it. “Will Marinette be okay?”

Ace clicked his tongue irritably. “She’s been in there for almost a whole day, so she’s gotta have wicked skills. She’ll be fine.”

/\_/\

I woke up slowly in what had to be the medical ward if the sterile smell was anything to go by because it certainly wasn’t the environment that gave it away. The wall paper was a dark maroon with a darker rose pattern in neat and tidy columns with the lower half of the wall being covered in mahogany wood. In my line of vision was a mahogany door tucked into the right corner and a grey dresser with neat labels of medical utensils on which the Miracle Box sat undisturbed. On my right was a wheeled table brimming with vials and bottles containing liquids of various colors while Professor Crewel occupied the lone grey sofa on my left. The bed was also far more comfortable than any hospital cot I’ve laid on, and I’ve visited quite a few thanks to Lie-la and her manipulations. I guess Night Raven really took care of its students.

My teacher breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re finally awake. How are you feeling?”

“Do I have to answer?” The Miraculous truly was… well…. Miraculous in that it protected my body from sustaining any real damage. After all, only another Miraculous weapon could cut through the magical fabric of the suit, but even the magic had its limits. I lost count of how many times I was smacked around in the Pit. There was a large portion of my assessment that I couldn’t even remember. I couldn’t tell when my mind and memory had started to blur and that was a little more than frightening. “How long?”

Crewel inhaled through his nose, his gaze blank and unwavering. “You were in the Pit for a total of three days, two days and sixteen hours if you want to get specific. You were in Pit for another 45 minutes after the shield fell just pacing the perimeter until you calmed down enough to drop your transformation. As soon as Plagg was free and screaming for nourishment, you fell to the ground and passed out. We rushed you here where you’ve been sleeping for two days.”

Three days in the Cat Miraculous. If I weren’t already laying down, I would have fallen on my back. Three days was a long time to be utilizing the Miraculous of Destruction, especially for one who wasn’t naturally inclined towards destruction. It seems that the potion worked though. I came back from what could have been raging madness. I am still here. Still me. Always find the silver linings.

Crewel continued, “Almost every single bone in your body was broken, and three of your organs ruptured. Quite frankly, we were shocked you were still breathing. It seems magic is the only thing holding you together.”

I barked a humorless chuckle. “Yeah, that seems to be my life. The Miraculous won’t let me die of my wounds, so no worries here.”

Crewel’s eyes flashed with what looked like horror and fury, but was soon shielded behind a reserved mask. “I was able to whip up a few potions to fix you up and I expect you to follow the regimen to the very last letter. In addition, Crowley wants you to spend one more day here on bed rest to let your body recuperate. Don’t look at me like that, puppy. Your body needs to mend from the strain it endured. This is not up for debate.”

I pouted at him and the thought of being sequestered in this room for a whole day. My body could function just fine. I know from experience that the Miraculous would hold me together while speeding up the healing process. Sitting on a bed seemed so useless when I could still walk.

His hand reached down and lifted up a purple and gold tote bag brimming with yarn rolls. “I bring entertainment in the form of a ‘get well’ gift that Mr. Shoenheit and all of the Pomefiore dorm have put together, and a binder of all the lectures you missed.”

The sight of the tote bag struck me right in my lonely heart. It fluttered excitedly, my body warming, at the act of what was probably pity. She hadn’t received a ‘get well’ present in so long. Or any present, really. Before Lila, I hardly ever got sick or injured myself badly enough to warrant one and after Lila… well… no one cared enough. Yet these strange boys in this strange world who hardly knew me, if mostly due to the fact that I was persistent in keeping others at arm’s length this time around, cared about my health so much that they put together a care package.

My mood began to darken when reality set it and I realized that the package might just come with strings attached. Crewel’s next phrase snapped me out of my spiral. “It’s also been decided unanimously among the staff that you have more than proven yourself a physically and capable young lady, so you have been given a resounding A+.”

“I passed the assessment?” I should have, and there would have been hell to pay if Vargas had given me anything less.

Crewel’s lips twitched into a smirk. “You are passed for the year and for the entirety of your academic career here at Night Raven. You no longer have to take physical education class although I do suggest maintaining an exercise routine just to keep in shape. The gym and tracks are at your disposal at the request that you at least let Vargas know you’re there.”

I’m sure I made a very good impression of a fish; wide-eyed and my mouth gaping at the shock of it all. “Passed the… but I can’t just skip out on the class! I’ll lose any respect I’ve gained since I got here!” The last thing I wanted was to give my peers a reason to bully and ostracize me. I provided sufficient material on my own without the aid from teachers.

My professor chuckled. “Puppy, those kids have nothing but respect for you. No one will be challenging you to a fight at this school I promise you.”

A distant bang and the sound of my name being shouted by a distinctly familiar voice had the potion master rolling his eyes. “Speaking of kids…”

The door flew open and cracked against the wall, the momentum sending the wood slab flying back into the frame. Grim’s cat reflexes saved him from a nasty bruise and probably broken nose. He was on my bed in the next second and screaming in my face. “Marinette, you’re okay!”

Crewel pushed himself to his feet. “For the time being, Marinette, Grim will be your only visitor seeing as he is your dorm mate and we don’t want you to be overwhelmed while you rest. I’d prepare yourself for your first day back, however. Many of the students expressed a desire to needle you with questions about your assessment.”

I was left alone with Grim who proceeded to grill me about my experience in the Pit and how his henchman should take better care of herself and how annoying it was sleeping in the dorm alone. We spent a bit of time talking about classes and all I’ve missed then knitting the hours away when he had to return to class. I admit it was a little nice to relax in silence. My body certainly appreciated the respite even if my tastebuds rebelled at some of the nasty flavours of the medicine Crewel had prescribed. I was not eager about the supposed crowd waiting to swarm me when I returned to the masses, but it was better than being locked away in this room forever.

Chapter Text

Just be one of the commentators, he said. It’ll be easy, he said. Can’t participate in the MagiShift Tournament anyway with only two people in the Ramshackle Dorm. Might as well join Professor Crewel in the observatory booth where we would be filmed analyzing the students as they played and commenting on their actions, or the students themselves in my case as I was still a novice of magic in this realm.

I scowled at my reflection as I fiddled with the handmade headpiece sitting slightly askew in the tight and simple bun on the crown of my head. I could tell because the six gold feathers only just longer than my hand radiating out from the pin secured within my locks was higher on my left side. I couldn’t cry due to the hours I had put into drawing the perfect cat eye and floating eyeliner done up completely in liquid gold eyeliner. My lashes were thick and long and more pronounced thanks to mascara and my cheekbones subtly highlighted. By Kwami, I would not let hours of frustration go to waste over something so easily fixed.

A knock on the door, and by the pounding coming from down low it was not hard to guess that the culprit was Grim. “Marinette, let’s go! We’re going to be late!”

Tikki and the other Kwamis hovered nearby. “You could always ask Ace to fix it.”

I shook my head and collected my hand crafted black and gold ribboned wedges. I thought they were gorgeous on paper and as I was making them. Now that I was minutes away from walking in them on live television, the height seemed far more daunting. What on earth had I been thinking? “I don’t want to bother him before the competition. I’ll just have to adjust it as best as I can.”

Wedges in hand as I was still too afraid to put them on, I opened the door. Grim gawked at my appearance for a moment before beaming in delight. “Wow! That dress looks amazing on you!”

“I hope so.” The cheongsam style was a nod to my half-chinese heritage, but that’s where it ended. Made from the darkest silk with gold accents and piping, the top ended below the shoulders so that a long swath of fabric could encircle my back and cover my breasts while leaving a window open for my cleavage. The cheongsam style continued from under the bust, tightly encasing my waist. Just above where the hip meets the thigh, the fold breaks apart to showcase all of my right leg. Keeping with the theme of seven, a seventh gold feather dangled from a gold chain belt over my exposed thigh. My arms were encased in long sleeves that flared at the forearm and grazed my palm. This was one of the most daring dresses I had worn to date and I was confident in its beauty. Though now that I was about to face the public in it, I was bombarded by my anxious thoughts that made my mood take a nosedive.

The slit was too high. The window is too broad. It was plain black silk, should I have tried a patterned fabric? Should I have gone sleeveless? Kwami, what was I thinking?

I leaned closer to my roommate. “But seriously though, does this look okay? I mean, this will be my debut. First impressions are everything. If a big name hates on my dress, then people will follow their lead and I’ll be laughed into obscurity!”

Grim’s arrogant mask returned and he was the same little brat I had come to know. “You look fine. Everyone’s gonna be focused on the actual competition, not some commentator and what she’s wearing.”

That’s right. I was just going to be commentating on the students participating in the MagiShift games. This wasn’t a fashion show or cooking show taking place in my home. The focus wasn’t on me, but on the boys participating in the competition.

My anxiety shrank considerably to where I was only terrified about making an ass of myself on live television. I shot a grateful smile at my feline friend. “Thank you, Grim. You’re right. I have nothing to worry about. Shall we get going?”

Kaalki opened a portal to the private auditorium where the teams would be gathering now. Before we could step through, I halted Grim’s momentum. “Wait. I wanted to lend you something to help you with your security detail.”

Grim groaned irritably. “Come on! We're going to be late!”

I chuckled and knelt on the ground and pulled off the golden panjas bracelet off my left hand decorated with three turquoise stones. In a flash of light, the bracelet changed back into its original state. “This is the Tiger Miraculous. This will grant you the power to turn completely invisibility not only by sight, but by sound and smell as well. Not even detection spells will be able to recognize your presence when the power has been activated. I am letting you borrow this so that you can sneak around undetected and catch any potential troublemakers completely by surprise. You will give it back to me once the competition is over and you will not abuse it for your own entertainment.”

Grim stared at the gleaming bracelet in total astonishment. “You’re… letting me wear a Miraculous? But you said they were dangerous in the wrong hands!”

I confirmed with a nod. “They are, but I want to give you an edge. It’s a really important day for everyone here and we need to make sure nothing goes wrong. I know you’re upset that you won’t be able to participate, but we just don’t have the numbers. Your time will come, Grim. Until then, you can use this opportunity to master your craft and improve your skill so when you do get the chance to shine you will shine so brightly that no one will be able to deny the amazing wizard I know you will become.”

The flames from within his ears burned brighter as he accepted the bracelet from me with uncharacteristic hesitance. Roaar zipped near his face wearing a beaming grin. “Alright! Another kitty cat! Can’t wait to work with you, Grim.”

“You too.” Still somewhat shocked at the responsibility handed to him, Grim slipped on the Miraculous which changed to look like a fancy knuckle duster. How very like the aggressive little monster for the Miraculous to take the form of a weapon in its camouflaged state.

I suppressed my humor and presented a stern facade. “Remember: the Miraculous is not a toy. You will not use it for personal gain nor will you interfere in the competition for your own glory or amusement. Roaar will tell me if you do and I will make your worst nightmare look like a daydream. Do I make myself clear?”

He nodded silently and hopped through the portal. I reached up and began fiddling with the headpiece again as I followed him. The seven teams were gathered in the expansive entry hall with the Headmaster giving them a rundown of the rules and expectations.

"Marinette, there you are_ well aren’t you a lovely vision." Professor Crewel smirked at me as he strutted up to my side. "Come on then. We needed to be in the video booth an hour ago."

I nibbled my lower lip anxiously. "Sorry. My head piece isn't sitting right. I want to make a good impression."

He crooked a finger playfully and I spun around for him to see the disaster that was my hair. While he tightened and fixed the mess, I got a good look at the eager teams. Ace, who was closest, finally noticed me. His eyes blew wide in surprise and brightened. "Looking good, Marinette!"

His greeting drew the attention of everyone else in the room. There were answering calls of encouragement and praise, and even a wolf whistle. Crewel's final tug on my hair was more forceful than I expected. "Do grow up, you louzy pups. That's no way to behave around a lady."

"Agreed." Crowley sided with his staff. "If I hear any derogatory remarks or sounds towards Marinette, you will all be enjoying the night air as I run you all into the early morning after the competition. Don't test me."

There was a round of affirmations, but a few still shot me flirtatious smirks and wiggling brows. Crewel clicked his tongue. "All done, dear. Now let's be off! We were supposed to be in position ten minutes ago!"

"You're fine, Divus. Justy get out on the field and start the games." I could hear the eye roll in Crowley' voice.

Knowing that we were short on time, I hooked my arm with Crewel's and used him as a crutch so as to not fall flat on my face. "Good luck to all of you! Do your best!"

As we walked out into the grass, the stadium brimming with people roared in excitement. The shock of so many people caused me to stumble. Thankfully, Crewel was able to steady me. "Easy there. Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face."

I swallowed and chuckled nervously. "You won't let me fall, right?"

Crewel's smile was warm and unguarded. "I won't let you fall."

Chapter Text

Potions class was not nearly as difficult as Ace had said. Complained, really. Crewel was a no-nonsense kind of instructor with a unique style that I quite liked. I mean yeah there were quite a few potion mishaps due to his goading, but it kept things exciting. On the last day before the blissful release of the first weekend, he assigned a simple project that had us filling in the blanks of in-class brewing rules and which ingredients were to be handled with the utmost care. We were allowed to talk to each other and, once the project was submitted on his desk, we could do as we pleased until the bell sounded for the next class.

As the Grand Guardian, baker, competent chef, gardener, and Power Up potion brewer, this project was far too easy to finish on my own. I of course helped Grim along, and Ace and Deuce too, and whipped out my sketchbook to tune out Grim and Ace’s bickering. At first my sketches were just random doodles of a fan with apple blossoms and a chinese lucky knot. Then my pencil seemed to move of its own accord as a new design began to take shape.

A thick, furry halter neck that encapsulated the shoulders and a daring plunge of the v-neck. The skirt and bodice were tight, conforming to the 2-D figure with a hip-high slit to allow movement. Next, a sheer overlay was sketched lightly below the bust. It was sleek and chic, boldly mysterious, and missing something. My signature embroidery just wasn’t enough. I tried picturing it with a belt, but it just wouldn’t suit the overall look I was going for at all. Whatever it was, it was driving me crazy trying to figure it out.

“My my, what have we here?” A deep voice purred over my shoulder. I leaned back to see Professor Crewel peering down at my sketch with avid interest. His plump and softer-than-they-had-any-right-to-be lips were stretched into a grin. “That is quite an eye-catching drawing. Fancy yourself a designer?”

Fancy? My bluebell eyes narrowed as I rose to his challenge. My lips mirrored his smirk. “One of the best, I’ll have you know! I did commissions for two world class singers and had a design showcased on a professional catwalk on live tv.”

One of his eye brows rose above startling silver blue orbs in disbelief. “Really now? I find that very hard to believe.”

“Which part; the clients or the catwalk?” I had to admit, even I would have had a hard time believing me had I not lived through it all myself. Whoever heard of a fourteen year old’s designs being walked down a professional catwalk? The urge to prove my worth and flaunt my talent to this, admittedly, fashionable man roared within me. One dress in particular came to mind. It was meant for my coming out as MDC, but that world was lost to me now until Crowley could locate my particular universe. A dress like that was meant for a grand party with cameras and paparazzi and viewers, but I really wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. Besides, it’s not like I couldn’t make another one. “Why don’t you come to the dining hall tonight for dinner and I’ll show you my best piece yet.”

His smile grew wider. “Your best piece. Alright. I’ll see you tonight, little pup.”

Then the bell rang and was out of the door with his fur coat trailing behind his frame dramatically. Most of the other students were following his lead until only Ace, Deuce, and Grim were left alone with me.

Deuce’s gaze flicked between me and the door. “Did I hear you right or did you just give Professor Divus Crewel the opportunity to verbally eviscerate you?”

Ace was leaning over the table to better look at me. “You do know he’s one of the biggest fashion icons in Twisted Wonderland, right? I mean yeah he’s a teacher and alchemy is like his passion, but he is best known for his fashion designs! He only debuts a line once a year, but it is the star attraction of the annual fashion festival. Honestly, he would be the world’s greatest fashion designer if he didn’t love playing with his potion kit so much. Ow!”

Grim snickered as Deuce introduced his fist to the side of Ace’s head. “No henchman…”

“Henchwoman.” Deuce corrected.

“I’m not his hench-anything.” I grumbled to no avail.

Grim continued as if he hadn’t heard either of us. “... of mine will fail at something as trivial as fashion! Besides, she's usually bent over that sketchbook when she’s not cooking or hounding me to clean and study.”

The redheaded boy rolled his eyes. “Drawing a dress isn’t the same as making one, dummy. Even I know that. And Crewel isn’t just a fashion enthusiast, but a famous designer in his own right. He could make Marinette a laughing stock if she fails to impress him like she promised.”

Like an annoying automated message to a subscription you can never get rid of no matter how hard you try, my anxiety roared to the surface and began whispering poison into my mind. What if Crewel hated the dress? What if it wasn’t good enough? What even were the standards for Twisted Wonderland’s high fashion? What made her think that she could face up to this world’s top tier designers without even doing a lick of research about the fashion here? What if he laughed her off the campus and told everyone what a joke she was and wound up destitute and alone to rot away into nothing in a world that wasn’t even hers?

“Marinette!” Tikki’s shout brought me back to the present. Her eyes twinkled and her smile was kind. “Your designs are amazing and I know Crewel will love them.”

I could only hope. Lunch time was spent at the Ramshackle Dorm with the Snake Miraculous testing the dress to make certain it still worked. Thankfully, sitting in a cardboard box kept the dress safe from harm, the flint at the neckline undamaged. If this dress didn’t blow Crewel’s mind, nothing would.

Dinner time came quickly even with the heap of classes now burdening my time. I switched out my uniform for my creation and left for the dining hall. It felt fuller than what I had experienced before. Word must have spread because I could feel eyes upon me as I strutted into the room. And in the center, sitting alone at a table by himself, was Crewel. His eyebrow lifted in criticism. “This is the best you’ve got?”

The dress itself was pretty. Pure white lace draped over deep maroon, looking like blood splattered over untouched snow. The illusion high neck was held in place by a simple ribbon, the lace visibly thicker at the top of the maroon fabric beneath. The bottom hem brushed my knees flirtatiously. It wasn’t overly flashy at first glance, but still plenty cute.

“This is a transformation dress.” I peered over at Deuce. “Could you record this?”

His magicam was out and recording within five seconds.

Crewel sighed and leaned back, his arms stretched over the table top. “Alright, Marinette. Show me what you’ve got.”

I reached up and pinched the ribbon bow at my neck, pure white like fallen snow. What he didn’t know was that the white fabric was made of very special, very flammable material that thankfully burned quickly.

A quick tug and the sparks caught. Crewel’s eyes were blown wide and the crowd roaring as the white cotton lace burned away leaving my shoulders bare and blackened material. As the fire traveled down to reach the hem, the flammable threads weakened in the heat and released the rest of the shirt to fall to the floor in a cloud of powered ash. The cutesy white day dress had become a dark and sexy evening gown. Charred lace that hadn’t burned away thanks to the differing material made a halter top, the lace that had once covered my back now gone.

Crewel managed to collect himself, his voice smooth and a wide grin across his face. “Colour me impressed. How ever did you manage that?”

I was beaming with pride. “Flint on the neckline and the top layer of lace is made up purely of cotton which is flammable. I’m actually trying to think of a way to make a burning ember effect, but I’m having some trouble with it. Maybe you could help me as an alchemy master.”

The man’s smile was genuine and bright as he patted the spot beside him on the bench. “I’m sure we can come up with something.”

Chapter Text

Anyone who would have been looking in Marinette’s eyes would have seen it; the snap. The last frayed tether on her control breaking and let the seething beast of pure rage loose within her mindscape. Juleka knew that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a kind hearted and generous leader that would one day ascend the social hierarchy leaving all to scramble for a scrap of her favor. More than that, Juleka also knew that what many mistook for weakness was Marinette’s near endless patience and desire to compromise, to keep everyone happy and moving forward. The half-asian woman was like a velvet encased memory foam cushion with an unforgiving spiked steel core.

Sebek, the fool, had found her spiked steel core.

Juleka almost felt sorry for the poor boy. Enough so that she was going to make one last attempt to make him surrender before the honor dual started and he was humiliated in front of the entire school. And anyone who was going to watch the live stream that Cater and probably a few others were going to make of the fight. She didn’t even know how word spread so fast. Marinette had issued the challenge only yesterday after she woke up from being struck by Sebek’s poorly controlled lightning storm. Marinette even gave him a chance to apologize for his lack of control and he spat on it by insulting her. Still, his piss poor attitude wasn’t worth the physical, mental, emotional, and social beatdown he was about to get.

The girl cautiously padded up to the gathering of Diasomnia students where the mint haired boy stood proud. He was flanked by Lilia, a silver haired boy that looked as if he would fall asleep any second, and the horned boy that broke into the Ramshackle Dorm. “Sebek, you need to apologize.”

He responded with a sneer. “I will do no such thing! Away with you, human!”

Juleka stood her ground. “Marinette didn’t choose a champion. She’ll be using the Miraculous. And since this is a battle of honor, physical attacks are allowed.”

“I’m not scared of her or those talking plushies that follow her around.” Sebek snorted in derision and waved her off. He wasn’t listening and Juleka really didn’t want to deal with the fear that the student populace would have for Marinette after watching her toss this idiot around like a frisbee. Fear meant hatred and the school disliked them already.

In a moment of anger fueled courage, Juleka stepped up and got into his face. Her voice was lowered into a hissed whisper. “You have no idea what you’re about to walk into, you insufferable manlet. Marinette was the hero of Paris for three years. Whatever training you’ve had is nothing compared to her experience. She has faced monsters that could curbstomp Crowley. She fought against creatures that would have had you soiling yourself in pure terror, and she beat every last one of them. For your own well being, eat fucking crow and tell her you’re sorry before she kills you.”

Lilia frowned, pink lips pursed. “I know honor duals can end in death, but I highly doubt it will get to that point.”

The hazel eyed woman pulled away. “Oh, he will die in that arena. Either he will die a social death or she is going to cunt punt him out of the mortal coil. You need to surrender. Concede and apologize, or you’re going to dearly wish you did.”

Sebek shoved Juleka away with one hand. If Lilia hadn’t caught her, she would have surely landed on her back. “I’m going to have that insolent dog on her knees crying for mercy before she can even raise her hand to attack. Now begone with you.”

Juleka righted herself and leveled one last glare at the boy. “Your funeral.”

A horn blared in alarm signaling that the honor dual would soon begin. Juleka followed the horned Dormhead of Diasomnia as he and Lilia made their way to Main Box where the teachers and Dormheads could sit and the Headmaster would referee. Grim was already perched on the balcony railing, tail flicking about in excitement. “Funya! I can’t wait to see that green haired grunt get what he deserves!”

Riddle, arms crossed and fingers tapping impatiently against his bicep, huffed in agreement. “Indeed. His behavior is most unbecoming, and during equestrian club practice. He’s lucky I’m not the one down there.”

“He’d be lucky if Vargas were down there, and Vargas was feeling homicidal.” Juleka informed him before tentatively taking a seat.

Crowley cleared his throat before stepping up to a gothic ear trumpet microphone that Juleka thought was wicked cool. “Welcome one and all! Sebek Zigvolt has attacked Marinette Dupain-Cheng on two occasions, both physically and magically. In lieu of criminal charges, Miss Dupain-Cheng has decided to invoke the ancient practice of the Honor Dual in which we will witness! Miss Dupain-Cheng has refused the offer of a champion and will fight Mr. Zigvolt herself.”

The sea of students roared in approval of the upcoming fight. Crowley waited until they quieted to continue. “For those of you who are unaware of the rules of Honor Duals, magic and melee are encouraged. The fight will only end when one opponent surrenders, is rendered incapable of fighting, or dies. The last one standing is the winner. Mr. Zigvolt! Miss Dupain-Cheng! Take your places!”

Both teens were walking with confidence, one of them earned through years of hard won battles. Juleka anticipated that this fight wouldn’t last three minutes.

Thanks to the floating cameras hovering around in the arena, everyone was able to see and hear the exchange between them. Marinette’s glare was colder than the arctic winds as she stared her target down. “Last chance to apologize.”

Sebek sneered. “Eat shit.”

“I knew you’d say that.” Marinette’s lips twisted into a bone chilling grin. She raised her right arm. “Orriko, Sunrise!”

A flash of yellow-orange light consumed Marinette and left behind Flare, the Hen Hero. A reddish brown bolero with a high Chinese collar hugged Marinette's upper torso. Triple layered three-quarter sleeves in bright yellow fluttered over her brown gloved hands. Her bodice was encased in yellow and legs in red-brown. A thick brown and gold belt from which three layers of yellow fabric fell mid thigh. Her yellow knee boots resembled chicken feet in the slightly darker lines running down her shins and the sharpened heels and toes her half mask, yellow with a beak-like point sitting close to her nose, was partially hidden by her reddish black bangs. Her hair was in a high bun with the yellowed tips of her hair curved up in three distinctive points. Strapped to her back was a brown short spear with a gleaming, golden blade.

Before Sebek could even think of a comment, Marinette raised her fist and cried, "Sunshine!" A bright flash of light flooded the arena. It was as if Marinette had called down the sun from the sky. Anyone has been looking turned away to soothe the burn in their eyes. Not a moment later, everyone heard her call for Cater. When the light was gone, Marinette was up on the rails above the pit, close to the teacher's box, and holding Carter's hand. "Sublimation! I choose the ability to copy the Signature Spells of any wizard I touch! Split Card!"

Gasps were heard as more Marinettes appeared. Each one lifted their hands to receive a Kwamis and transformed. When the lights dimmed, all could see the empowered ladies standing proud on the stone rails. The animal themes varied wildly; a ladybug, a black cat, a butterfly, a peacock, a snake, a dragon, a bull, a bee, a horse, a dog, a tiger, a fox, and a turtle. Juleka took note of the snake heroine who had wandered over to crouch beside Grim. She turned the head off the snake on her bracelet. "Checkpoint set!" It was then that Juleka knew that Sebek was in for it.

Juleka only saw the back of the snake heroine, Kobra, and the long braid that fell thick and healthy down her back that twitched every now and then all if it were alive. She spotted Bark Bone, the dog heroine, and Night Mare, the horse heroine, using their powers to take both Sebek's sword and magic pen to leave him defenseless. The heavy hitters like the Ox, Bee, Cat, Tiger, and Ladybug proceeded to toss the boy between each other like a sick game of catch. Juleka felt nauseous when Tigra's punch flung Sebek into Horned Queen's range where she swung her war hammer into Sebek 's back. The poor boy could do nothing as he hung suspended in the air while Storm Rider's axe-kick came down on him like a freight train and sent him right into Honey Bee’s roundhouse.

When the entire arena heard the snap of Sebek's femur bone as it broke under Horned Queen's hammer, Juleka knew that enough was enough. "You've made your point, Marinette. Call the match."

Feather Bright, the Peacock themed woman standing near Kobra, rolled her blue eyes, the azure color all the brighter against the black sclera. "He agreed to this fight, and thus the consequences. He could surrender at any time." Chrysalis, the Butterfly Hero, nodded in agreement.

"This isn't a fight. This is humiliation. And you’re not giving him the chance to tap out. I don't think he’s taken a full breath since the match started.”

Kobra’s slitted turquoise eyes met Juleka’s hazels. Though a teal mask covered the lower half of Marinette's face from the bridge of her nose, Juleka could still tell she was scowling. “This is a lesson. Zigvolt needs to know that he can’t be such a condescending ass. Honestly, he’s lucky I’m the one he insulted. Could you imagine him speaking to Ashengrotto the way he spoke to me? Azul would have started staging assassination attempts on Draconia and lured him into a contract to find the fake assassin and trick the idiot into a life of servitude.”

A bespeckled man in the back with silver hair and stormy eyes grinned with malicious delight. “Well, there’s an idea.”

Juleka leveled a glare at him. “You stay away from Marinette. The world isn’t ready for a partnership between you and Miss President over here.” She turned back to her friend. “Just end it already! I think he’s learned his lesson. I doubt he’ll so much as breathe in anyone’s direction now that you’ve stripped him of his dignity.”

“You know, I actually had him stripped in one of my earlier runs. Little bitch broke down in tears, so I determined that maybe that was going a tad too far. That and the image of him naked is now seared into my brain and I wish I had thought that one through before doing it. I wonder if anyone here could wipe that memory for me.”

“Marinette!” Juleka growled, wincing when Sebek tried to punch Horned Queen only to break his hand on her armor.

Flare, the Rooster Heroine who had been sitting calmly through the battle, huffed an amused sigh. “Alright, alright. I’ve had my fun. I was starting to get bored anyway.”

Honey Bee used venom to freeze Sebek, thereby rendering him incapable of movement. Crowley called the match in Marinette’s favor. She was in the right and Sebek zigvolt owed her an apology and compensation for wrong doing.

“Orriko, Sundown.” Flare’s formed flashed with light and left Marinette with a groggy Rooster Kwami. All of her clones vanished in a puff of smoke and the Kwami’s had to carry their jewelry back to the Guardian. “That was wonderful. Great job out there.”

A red dragon Kwami rolled his little shoulders. “He could have put up more of a fight.”

Sass the Snake Kwami yawned around his hard boiled egg. Juleka knew about the power of the Snake. When her brother had been outed by Miracle Queen, he had divulged his time as a hero. “How many times did you turn back time?”

Marinette stretched her arms out after ensuring all her Kwamis had eaten. “Only 64 turns, and he didn’t win a single one of them. I even let him keep a weapon a time or two. One would think that as a royal guard in training that he’d be more creative in his strategies when deprived of his weapons. He really owes me one for pointing out these major weaknesses. Maybe if he grovels on his knees I’ll train him myself. Maybe. Possibly. Probably not.”

Sebek’s unconscious form was carried out of the pit. Marinette gave one last roll of her neck before tapping Juleka’s shoulder. “I got a design to finish. Catch you at the dorm.”

Heavy silence reigned supreme in the teacher's box until Marinette was out of sight. A floating tablet emitted a man's voice. "Great Seven, that woman is a monster."

Leona snapped his head towards the device. "Don't you talk about my wife like that."

"What?" Riddle coughed on a sip of tea. "You're not married to Marinette!"

"Not yet I'm not." Leona jumped from his seat and made to leave.

Many were stunned by Leona's statement, but Riddle was too angry to be silenced. "You barely even know her!"

Leona turned around when he was partially out of the door. "I watched her lay waste to a Diasomnia student close to Draconia with some powerful fuckin' magic, and she looked good doing it. That's all I need to know."

With that, Leona left to do who knows what. Riddle's face started reddening in his anger. "He's out of his mind."

Azul nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. He's insane if he thinks he can get to her first."

Juleka and Grim watched as the room was emptied. She crossed her arms and blew her bangs away from her eye only for it to fall back into place. "Boys are so stupid."

Chapter Text

My heart thudded quietly in my chest. There was no tell-tale squeezing or constricting, no sign of the anger, pain and betrayal I used to feel at the mere thought of my life in Paris. Staring dead at the liar that ruined so many of my relationships didn't hurt one bit. In fact, I felt nothing but disdain for the fork-tongued parasite and smug pride that I had risen above her petty lies that had clearly caught up with her. Dark bags hung heavily under her blazing eyes and her orange jumpsuit showed just how far Lila had fallen. Her hair was shorter now, much shorter, in a close cropped pixie cut that looked oily and in desperate need of a wash.

Grim, Floyd, and Jade held their limbs to the sky. "Surprise! Happy birthday!"

I giggled at their display. "Boys, what is this?"

Azul, seated like a king at my right, twirled his pen nonchalantly. "Well I recall you once saying how you wished Liar-la could see how far you've come, so Crowley helped us to fulfill your wish. Happy birthday."

Lila, glaring as if she wasn't handcuffed and reeking of day old sweat. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Whoring it up I see."

I laughed, "Don't even joke! My fiance here can get very possessive."

Malleus leaned close to me yet spoke loud enough for Lila to hear. "This is the liar? From your tales I thought she'd be at least somewhat visually appealing."

Lila's green eyes glowed with rage. "It's not like I have access to basic skin care!"

I chuckled some more. "I noticed. Fallen from grace, have you? By the looks of you, I'd say you landed in spiked concrete. What's the matter, Liar-la? Did the judge and jury have the audacity to not fall at your feet and worship you?"

"Just you wait, Mari-bitch!" Lila growled, "I'm going to fucking ruin you!"

The men around me joined in my laughter. "How cute. You actually think that you are a legitimate threat to me and mine."

Lila's smile was crazed, making her appear the demented inmate. "I destroyed you once! I can do it again!"

The laughter restarted, louder this time, at the Italianette's empty threats. I was clutching my belly and leaning against Malleus just to keep from falling to the floor. She stood there, seething yet unable to move out from under the grasp of the Leech twins. As things quieted down, I gained a whole new level of appreciation for my boys. Not only had they listened to me and accepted me, kindled within me a sense of pride and dignity Bustier and my former class had been determined to crush, but they had provided me this closure. I was going to face Lila one last time and show her what I was made of and knock her into the dirt the way she should have been on day one.

Head propped on my fist, I gazed down at the liar with muted amusement. “That’s a bit of an overstatement don’t you think? To destroy someone means to take everything from them; their relationships, their reputation, their career, their hope. You may have dealt me a few hard blows, but I was never without love and support.”

Lila cackled in disbelief. “I turned everyone against you! They all hated you! Your own parents hated you!”

“At Dupont maybe, but my social circle extended well beyond our class. By no means did you leave me friendless. I still have friends and family who love me. As for my parents, honestly, I think I was unwanted anyway. Their shop was their baby. I remember spending a lot of time with my Nona growing up as my parents worked in the bakery. They gave me more attention when I started showing an interest in their profession, but the bakery always came first to them. It doesn’t surprise me how easily they believed your asinine rumors.”

Of course, Lila being Lila sensed that residual hurt of being unwanted by the people that gave me life and latched onto it. “That just goes to show just how fucking pathetic you are! Your own parents preferred a liar over their own kid.”

“I didn’t choose my parents, Lila.” I paused. “Actually, that’s a lie. You see that man over there, the one by the gift table, the one in the fur coat with more fashion sense in a single hair follicle than you have in your entire body. Yeah that one. He’s my dad now. He adopted me. I started apprenticing under him I think my second month into school and he offered adoption like four months later. Best thing about my dad is that he actually trusts me. You could spit all kinds of lies about me to his face and he won’t spare them a single thought. Not that anyone here would.”

My friends, my boys, all kept their silence. I appreciated that they were leaving me to handle the instigator of my pain. This confrontation, this closure, was just what I needed. I could tell Lila was absolutely furious that I hadn’t fallen into the pit of despair and I could feel the last of my mental and emotional wounds healing.

I could see the brunette was slipping. Her eyes were flashing and her teeth were bared, but there was a slump to her shoulders that was all too familiar. Still, Liar-la was never one to give up. She was the kind to wriggle and writhe until she found a foothold, refusing to go down easy. She was the kind you had to crush completely. “You think I couldn’t? I got everyone else to believe me!”

With a roll of my eyes, I gave my boyfriend’s hand a squeeze and rose from my seat. “That’s funny, because I recall several complaints you made about Mendeleiev not taking you seriously and the numerous detentions she gave you for your lack of proper proof. It’s not that you’re a good liar, Lie-la, you were just lucky. You were lucky enough that our principal was more afraid of angering influential parents than he did about treating students equally. You were very lucky that our teacher was painfully stupid and naive. You were incredibly lucky that our classmates were either too trusting and gullible or too shy for confrontation. You were obscenely lucky that there was a magical, emotional terrorist turning people into monsters everyday that made everyone afraid of pursuing justice lest the person who deserved punishment was akumatized and became a living nightmare. Make no mistake, you are a terrible liar. Your lies are way too grand to be believable to anyone with two brain cells to rub together. And your little crocodile tears, you know those tantrums you’d throw when you couldn’t think of lie to cover a giant hole of another lie, yeah those were way too dramatic. I think Vil would refer to those as something called overacting. Case in point; you over reach and over dramatize. There are children, like small six year olds, that are better liars than you.”

“I got you expelled!” Lila cried indignantly.

I picked up my goblet for a sip of punch to wet my throat. “Again, you were insanely lucky that the principal was more interested in keeping the students of influential parents happy rather than maintaining a healthy learning environment. Any teacher worth their degree would have investigated your claims or dismissed them as I had a clean reputation before you. For example: not long after news of my apprenticeship with Crewel spread, I was pulled into Professor Trein’s office. He warned me that someone had copied a paper of mine and tried to accuse me of plagiarism. Instead of taking that boy at his word, Trein punished him for plagiarism and lying to a teacher because the paper was consistent with the other assignments I turned in before and, therefore, it was obviously my work. That same guy that copied my paper then went on to attempt framing me for assault by having one of his buddies rough him up a little and then went crying to the Headmaster. Instead of pulling a Damocles, Crowley investigated the accusation by questioning me, my accuser, and our witnesses. You wanna know what happened? That kid was expelled and his friend put on probation. If you tried even one of your sob stories on Crowley, you would have been laughed out of his office. You are not a good liar, Rossi. If you want to see a good liar, there he is over there. Green hair, glasses, cocky smirk. Yeah, more than a few people have fallen for his bullshit before. Why don’t you tell her your trick, Trey.”

The man licked frosting off his lips. He flashed his lazy smile, but his yellow eyes burned with hatred. “I don’t spew outright nonsense.”

Cater chipped in, “Especially not on a social media platform.”

I gestured to the magicam star. “Oh, especially not on social media. Which, Lila, you so gleefully did by having Alya post all your tall tales on her tabloid. How did that work out for her, by the way? Last I heard, she was awaiting trial for numerous counts of libel, slander, defamation, breaking and entering, destruction of private property, theft, copyright infringement, and several counts of assault.”

Lila sneered, trying to look down her nose at me. With me standing on a raised dais, she just looked like she was preparing to sneeze. “You seem to know an awful lot about Alya’s troubles. Planning on swooping in to save the day?”

My chest trembled with my chuckles. “Who do you think compiled the evidence?”

She drew back, genuinely startled, and then her countenance shifted to her standard smugness. “I never thought I’d see the day Miss Goody-Goody gave up on her precious little friends.”

I shrugged off her sneer. “If I recall correctly, they gave up on me first. And they are sorely regretting that decision, aren’t they Liar-la? They’ve done nasty, terrible things and they deserve to be punished for their actions. I’m not going to extend my aide to those who have forsaken it because they realized too late that they trusted the wrong person.”

The brunette cackled. “Well well, look at you. A do-gooder no longer.”

“Oh no, everyone here unanimously agrees that I am… what did you say… a goody-goody. I’ve just learned to set healthy boundaries,” I set my cup down. “and it’s those boundaries that got me where I am today.”

I started towards her slowly. “You know what’s funny to me, Liar-la? What makes me giggle? It was blatantly clear to me what kind of person you are from the moment I first heard your voice. You… are a deceitful wannabe; lying about all manner of events and behaviors for attention and name-dropping people you’ve only heard about.. You, Liar-la, slither your way among the affluent and strike viciously at those who know of your deceptions without realizing that you only set yourself up for failure. You dream of money, power, and status. You want money to buy whatever you want, you want power to do whatever you want, and you want status to get away with it. You so desperately desire to be the It Girl: the one every girl wants to be and all the boys want to be with. That is your fantasy.

“And guess what, bitch?” I used both thumbs to point to myself a mere meter away from her now. “I’m living it. Yup. Your fantasy is my reality. I wake up everyday to thousands of notifications from adoring fans and I have to go through dozens upon dozens of emails for sponsorship offers and all kinds of invitations. I am on the cover of two magazines, about to be three of them… a week from now, Trey?”

“Two weeks.” He corrected me before biting into a tart he made.

I winked at him in thanks and turned back to Lila who was practically frothing at the mouth. “Two weeks from now, Trey and I will be paid to sit down, answer questions, and be photographed for a baking magazine because our baking channel on Magicam was voted best baking show of the year. I was recently crowned trailblazer-under-twenty of the year for my Ember fabric and fashion designs. I’ll be on another magazine cover in two months after the Roseland Fashion Show, the biggest of the year, when mine and my dad’s designs will be the main event on the catwalk. I signed a contract to personally design Vil’s clothes for all the movies and shows he stars in and I get to attend his red carpet events. As for my boyfriend/future husband -- the good looking one with the horns -- he’s a prince. A crown prince to be exact. The heir to the throne of Briar Valley. We’re not even married yet and the citizens there are already addressing me as their Queen, but that probably has something to do with our Fairy heritage in that we mate for life. I have become a household name within a year of arriving here in Twisted Wonderland, just as my brand is a household name back in my home world. I am living the life you desperately want, and you wanna know the absolute best part?”

Lila was practically glowing with rage. Bright red face and all, I swear I could see steam pouring out of her ears. She didn’t respond to my question, not that I expected an answer. Her anger and despair was satisfying enough.

“The absolute best part of it all…” I paused, “was that I didn’t ask for it. I’ve never cared for fame or fortune or sitting at the top of the social hierarchy. It never mattered to me. All I ever wanted was to make a living off my designs and have a solid group of friends I could turn to for anything. I am living the life you are willing to kill for completely by happenstance."

With that, Lila's control finally broke. She lunged for me, or tried to at least. The Leech twins had her down on her knees the second she moved. She was screeching so hard I was surprised blood wasn't spewing from her throat. Her green eyes, blackened in her rage, bulged in their sockets as she thrashed against her captors. After a minute of writhing and screaming, the full weight of her situation seemed to settle on her. There was still plenty of fire in her, I could see it burning behind her pupils, but her misery prevailed if only for a moment. Her voice was hoarse when she collected herself enough to communicate, still yelling despite the pain of her throat. “Why?! Why the fuck is life so easy for you?! Why is life so un-fucking-fair?!”

“Easy?” I asked lightly. “By no means was any of this easy. My days are packed from sunup to sundown. If I’m not behind a camera or crafting one of my designs, I’m planning and organizing my schedule. I don’t mind it because I thrive under pressure. I like being busy. You, however, I know for a fact wouldn’t last a day in my life. I’ve seen you, heard you come up with all kinds of excuses to get out of doing work simply because you don’t want to do it. You are lazy by nature, pushing the hard work off onto someone else. Instead of dedicating the time, energy, and effort that goes into this lifestyle, you prefer lying about it in an attempt to get the same admiration and attention. Besides, with your propensity to lie about anything and everything, your reputation would be completely obliterated when people caught on to your dishonesty as I’m sure you’ve already discovered first hand.”

The brunette glared up at me, defeated but not broken by any means. Deep seated hatred, pure and utter loathing, radiated off of her form like mist over a lake. The murderous intent would have been off putting had I been alone with her. I could take her, of course I could, but I didn’t want to sully my hands with her. This white lotus had lost all her power. She was beaten and the fight was over.

“I should have killed you myself.” She croaked flatly, quietly, honestly.

Her threatening tone rang empty in my ears, as empty as all of her promises to my former classmates. She had no power over me and she couldn’t take me if I had both hands tied behind my back. “Goodbye, Liar-la. I hope you enjoy the life you deserve.”

Chapter Text

Never let it be said that boys don't gossip. In truth, men talked just as much as women. And like females, males could be particularly nasty when it came to rivals it's any kind. Night Raven College was full of arrogant, ambitious boys that all strived to stand out as exceptional youths. Such a feat was hard enough with wizards like Malleus Draconia, Leona Kingscholar, and Vil Schoneit enrolled at the school. Still, those were all boys and remarked as acceptable competitors.

As for Marinette, well… reactions were mixed. Some of the male students liked having such a pretty girl on campus. Not only was she a sight to behold, those who had the chance to spend time with her discovered she was incredibly friendly and wise. The few who called her friend found out she was a woman of many talents and delighted in her company. But just as there were many that liked having her at school, there were the students that didn't like her. With her intelligence launching her into the top scorers in class, her integrity making her a favorite of the teachers, and her ability to tame the red tyrant that was the Heartsalbyul Dorm Warden and the lazy lion that is the leader of Savanaclaw, there were boys that were jealous and bitter. One boy in particular succumbed to these negative emotions and started to spread rumors about her. Anything to ruin her reputation and bring her down.

The girl in question heard about this rumor during lunch. She was enjoying her homemade pasta when Jack sat down beside her. "Someone's been spreading a nasty story about you."

"That potion mishap was not my fault." I rolled my blue eyes and forked more pasta.

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion. "What…? No no. Some asshole had been running around telling people you've been sleeping with the teachers for better grades."

I stiffened in my seat.

Ace was much more vocal. "They what?!"

"Not only that, but apparently Marinette fucked Crowley to get enrolled as a student." Jack confirmed with a fierce scowl. "No one in Savanaclaw believes a word of it, but that doesn't mean other people won't."

Deuce sneered at the crowded lunchroom. "Point 'em out! I'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"

I set down my fork. "I'll handle this. Jack, you know who started the rumor?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. I only overheard Leona ripping two kids to shreds for talking about a lady like that on my way here. It seems pretty recent."

"I see." I sipped my lemon water. "One more question; what's the age of consent here?"

Riddle, red in the face and practically fuming with rage, answered. "Seventeen."

With a derisive sniff, I turned to Grim. "I need you to go get the teachers and bring them here. Tell them what Jack told me. I think Crewel said something about a meeting during lunch today, so try the teacher's lounge first. Try to be quick, okay?"

"I'll find them. No one can hide from my nose." Grim nodded with a fierce look on his furry face and dashed off, still cramming a croissant ham sandwich in his mouth.

Standing on my feet, I faced the expanse of the school cafeteria with determined fury. I felt like I was back at Dupont again with Liar-la spreading lies about me. Thanks to Adrien and my love blind stupidity, I had sat back and did nothing about the lies and rumors and falsehoods that Lila whispered into the ears of anyone who would spare her a second to listen. I had done nothing to stop them, nothing to correct them, and I suffered for it terribly. Well not this time. This was a new start, a new world. Second chances like this don’t just happen to everyone and I was not going to let some jealous prick ruin it all with such a stupid lie. This time, I would stand up for myself the way I should have years ago.

“Boys of Night Raven, can I have your attention please?!” The room went quiet and I had their attention. “Merveilleux. In case you all don’t know me, I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I am 16 years old and aspire to be a fashion designer. My hobbies include baking, drawing, and martial arts. Nice to meet you. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the point. I heard that someone has been spreading a rumor about me, one that is incredibly offensive, vile, and poorly thought out. According to this little rumor, I have earned my enrollment and academic standing through less than noble means. To the person who started this asinine story; I’m not going to ask why you started it or where the fuck you get off thinking that you can talk about anybody like that, but I do ask that you step up and claim ownership of your lie. Come on, now. Come forward.”

The room was silent with everyone looking at each other in confusion and anticipation.

I waited a moment, and then hummed. “How interesting. You were so brave to spin such wild stories about me and the staff, yet you lack the courage to say it to my face when I present you the opportunity. Very interesting indeed.”

Hands on my hips and fingers tapping against the fabric of my uniform, I examined the crowd. “Alright then, how about this. Do you all remember the pregame show before the Magift Tournament? You know, where I single handedly took on an army of about 150 enemies, all with various magical abilities ranging from mildly irritating to downright dangerous? Yes? Good. Just making sure. To be perfectly honest with you all; that was not the hardest battle I’ve ever had. Not by far. In comparison, that battle to me was a standard workout for Vargas. Enough to work up a sweat, but not overly challenging, you know? I can and have gone much harder.”

Boys shared looks of awe and terror. I knew my skill sets. I saw the video of that pregame display. To me, that battle was a bad day, but it was an astounding feat of strength to them. “Now I’m going to countdown from ten. If the person who started this rumor doesn’t come forward before I reach zero, I’m going to hunt him down. And let me warn you that if you make me waste my time hunting you down, I’m going to make what I did to the Scarlet Swarm look like post coital cuddles. Did you hear what I said? I’m going to make my fight against a literal army look like snuggling after sex if I’m forced to find your ass on my own. You think I’m lying? You think this is a bluff? Keep your mouth shut, and we’ll find out together.”

I held up my left wrist in which sat a simple wrist watch secured by a silver chain. “Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”

“IT WAS ME!!!”

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips and I raised my head to pin the culprit with my gaze. “Ah. There you are. It seems your self preservation has not abandoned you entirely. From your uniform, I do believe you are from Octavinelle.”

Dorm Warden Azul Ashengrotto rose from his seat. “He is, I’m afraid. I’ll handle this.”

“Now now. I am the target of your student’s crude stories. Seeing as he’s the one who dragged me into this, it’s only fair I see it through.” I glared at the offender while wearing a fierce grin. “So you’re the storyteller, huh? How fortunate for you that I love a good story. Why don’t you come here and share it with us?”

The boy, a pale blond barely taller than me, grew pale under my glower. But for all the attention on him, there was the underlying bitterness tainting his visage. I could tell from the way he looked at me from beneath his lashes. He did not like me, not at all, but I didn’t care one bit. When he made no move to obey my command, Azul took to my side. “You heard her, Delrey.”

Reluctantly and with all the enthusiasm of a man marching to the gallows, Delrey trudged up to Azul and I with his head down. He didn’t look up, not even when I addressed him with all the mockery he deserved. “So are you gonna tell me this story you’ve made about me? Everyone is dying to hear it.”

Silence.

I bent at the waist, trying to catch his gaze. “Hello? Anyone there? Alright, how about I repeat back what I heard and you can just nod your head to confirm if what I heard was right.” I turned to the crowd of interested onlookers, pacing a slow circle around the boy. “In case you haven’t heard, I have apparently had sex with Headmaster Crowley in exchange for my enrollment here at Night Raven. Furthermore, if this boy is to be believed, I have also achieved my above average academic standing by fucking the teachers as well. In short, the staff at Night Raven have traded sexual favors with me in exchange for a distinguished academic career. Did I get that right, Delrey?”

He mumbled an affirmative and then shouted it at my prodding. He still couldn’t look me in the eyes.

I smiled deviously. “Wonderful. I’m going to go over a few things first, just a few questions I have, and then I’m gonna point out how you royally fucked yourself over. First off; is it standard etiquette to talk about other people’s sex lives? Is that a thing here? Would it be socially, morally acceptable for me to walk up to Vil and ask him who last sucked him off? No? Then where the fuck do you get off thinking you can talk about my sex life? How in the fuck is it any of your business whether or not I even have a sex life? Are you interested in fulfilling that role? If so, hard no buddy. I wouldn’t touch you if our lives depended on it. Kill off all the men, women, and even some animals, and I still wouldn’t fuck you.”

There was a wave of mocking laughter from the horde. Delrey’s shoulders were hunched under their condemnation.

“Second; I don’t cheat, asshole. Not in any way, shape, or form. I don’t like cheating. Not only does it make me feel yucky in my tummy tums, but it’s also a matter of pride. When I beat someone, I want them to know I beat them because I’m better than them. Because I studied longer, practiced harder, I’m just naturally talented, or a combination of all three. Cheating implies that you don’t have faith in your own skills and abilities, and it can have devastating consequences if you’re caught. What consequences, you ask? I mean consequences like getting a zero on the project you cheated on, a zero in the class, suspension, expulsion, a permanent mark on your record, and a reputation of academic dishonesty. And let me tell you, employers don’t like that shit. Good luck finding a job with that in your file.

“And finally,” I raised my arm, “raise your hand if you have figured out his fuck up. Who here knows just how badly he fucked himself? Bent over a desk, spiked dildo in ass sans lube kind of fucked himself over.” About half the room raised their hands, some looking amused while others watched on in second hand fear. “Lilia, you know. Vil knows. Azul knows. Floyd and Jade both know. Awesome. For those of you who are not in the know, Azul, as this is your charge, why don’t you tell him.”

“Gladly.” His smirk was that of vicious glee. “Morgan Delrey, you accused the Headmaster and teachers here of rape.”

Delrey jerked his head up and I finally got to see his face in full. He was pale with dark circles under his purple eyes. Baby fat still clung to his face and frame, making him look chunky. “What?! No I didn’t! I’d never…!”

“I’m underage, you imbecile.” I snapped, interrupting him. “I’m sixteen and the age of consent here is seventeen. By law, I am still considered a child and incapable of consenting to sex. The teachers would get into a whole lotta trouble if they agreed to such an arrangement. Depending on where they come from, the punishments could vary from hefty fines to imprisonment.”

Jack shouted a correction from the wall. “The penalty of rape is death if they’re citizens of Sunset Savanna!”

“Or death.” I added with a shrug. “That’s if it could be proven, which it won’t because it didn’t happen as they’re not that stupid and I’m not that desperate. Truly I am flattered that you think me so skilled as to be capable of seducing men like Crowley and Crewel, but you greatly overestimate my seduction stats. But I digress, your pathetic attempt to paint me in a bad light has cast the staff in an even worse one that could end their careers if heard by the wrong people. Do you have any idea the kind of damage a lie like that can do? Even when proven innocent, a title like ‘rapist’ doesn’t just go away. That kind of stain would linger on their reputation for the rest of their lives, especially if accused of raping a child. Honestly, I can’t wait for the teachers to get here so you can report their supposed crimes yourself. I’m kinda wondering which one is going to kill you. My money’s on Crewel because he puts up with absolutely no shit from anyone, but Trien has two daughters and I feel like that would make him take such an accusation very personally. Then there’s Crowley and he seems like he could just make you disappear if he wanted.”

On cue, Grim returned with the teachers in tow who all looked, in a word, hostile. Crewel was tapping away on his phone, only sparing Delrey a seething glare before focusing on his phone once again. Headmage Crowley towered over Delrey like a living nightmare dressed in black, his coat billowing out with power that made hair rise and skin itch. Crowley was not smiling and the yellow orbs of his eyes glowed brighter than I had ever seen. His ire wasn’t even focused on me and I felt ready to run from the frightening energy radiating off of him like heat from a fire. I could hardly believe that this corporal shadow was the same man that whined about not having the time to hunt for the saboteurs of his own school’s Magift Tournament. Even his voice sounded deeper, cold and heavy with unspoken promises of retribution. “Is this the culprit?”

Has it always been so dark in the cafeteria? My stomach contracted and I almost threw up. I saw Delrey gulp and shrink into himself from the corner of my eye. “If you’re talking about the idiot that accused you all of trading my enrollment and academic standing for sex, then yes.”

Grim pressed himself against my calf, partially hiding himself from the wall of pure wrath looming over Delrey. I almost felt sorry for the boy. Almost.

Crowley pointed at the door. “My office. Now.”

The boy walked slowly only to squeak and sped up at a deep growl Vargas’ throat. The Headmaster followed behind like a shadow of death. With his absence, the air did grow lighter, but everyone was still tense at the memory of an enraged Crowley. The other teachers lingered. Crewel gave me a pat on the head. “I’m sorry that you heard of such a vile rumor before we did, puppy. Rest assured that Mr. Delrey will be expelled and slapped with four separate lawsuits from me and the rest of the staff.”

I exhaled through my nose. “It’s not your fault.”

Trein stroked his cat’s fur in slow, calming motions. “Maybe so, but it never should have been on your radar. We will do our best to keep the students in line.”

“Should you ever hear a rumor like that again, let us know.” Vargas flashed a smile and turned his back to the room and left with his peers.

It was silent in the cafeteria until Grim broke it with the obvious. “Crowley is scary.”

Chapter Text

"I don't see the point of this, Marinette." Tikki huffed in my ear. "These boys don't need you teaching them how to better hurt each other."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I disagree. Twisted Wonderland is filled with magic, and thus all kinds of dangers. Some of which are most likely on par with the more destructive Akumas. There is no such thing as useless information, and I'd rest easier knowing they'll be capable of protecting themselves should they wind up in a spot of trouble."

Plagg swallowed the last of his cheese. "Besides, most of these kids are trying to mimic her moves. Wouldn't it be better to ensure they don't kill themselves?"

Grim, the little glutton, downed the last of his sixth snack of the day. “I’m only coming along because I need to keep my henchwoman from overworking herself.”

My heart gave a little thump. “Aw, that’s…”

“She can’t make me food if she’s too tired from throwing those idiots around.”

“Of course.” I swear he had a black hole in place of a stomach.

I approached the gym with a racing heart. Doubts began flooding my mind and I wondered if I was setting myself up for failure. I had never outright taught physical combat as the Miraculous endowed centuries worth of muscle memory unto the Holders. I had never seen a real fight before I became Ladybug and yet I was battling enemies twice my size like a seasoned veteran once I just… let my body move. The training I received after I embraced my role of superhero was just insurance that I could handle whatever Hawkmoth threw at me. Sure, I tutored a few students and did a few demonstrations for sewing, baking, and cooking, but I haven't ever really been put in the position of a teacher. I never thought I was capable or knowledgeable enough. Yet here I was, standing outside the Night Raven College gym preparing to teach a few boys how not to get their butts handed to them.

My sweaty palms didn't stop me from opening the door and stepping into the gym and the role of a teacher. It took me a moment to process a crowd larger than I could have ever anticipated. A day after Ace and Deuce begged me to teach them how to fight, Ace had mentioned that Cater had overheard the two talking about their Saturday plans and asked to join us. Deuce had apologized when he confessed that Jack would be coming too. I approved of both, the more the merrier, but this…

Ace and Deuce crept up to me looking most apologetic. Deuce was the one who had the courage to break the silence. “I’m so sorry about this, Marinette. I think some guys overheard what we were planning today and it just got around.”

“I’ll say.” I scanned the room, surprised that so many people were able to fit inside. It felt like the whole school was in here. Even the teachers were present, grouped together on the second floor overlooking the court. Their presence here was baffling until I realized I had essentially offered physical combat training to a horde of angsty, hormonal boys. Of course they would want to supervise. Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t been scolded just for making the offer.

“If you’re uncomfortable…” Ace started.

Cutting him off with a wave of my hand, I buried my emotions and made for the middle of the court. “I’m not one to go back on my word.”

The hum of chatter dimmed to silence as I claimed my spot at the center of the room. My red and black workout attire clung to me like a second skin and was my only armor against the expectant stares of my schoolmates. That shouldn’t be surprising considering just how much attention I’ve been getting recently thanks to my little opening act for the NRC Magift competition. I’ll bet that they’re all curious as cats in a room full of closed boxes.

I dropped my bag to the floor and stared back at the crowd. Most of them were fidgeting, fighting not to ask me about my history. No one wanted to be the one to break the wall of silence. I figured it was best to allow them some answers. “I will allow ten questions. If I pass on one, drop it and ask another. If any of you push, I will walk out.”

Hands flew up in the air, some steady and some waving wildly. One set in particular was jumping up and down with their owner. I recognized him as one of the Leech twins we had briefly identified as one of the potential targets of sabotage. I wracked my brain for his name. “Floyd, right?”

The man grinned. “What’s the strongest opponent you’ve ever faced?”

“In what way? Physically? Magically? Intellectually?”

“All of them.”

I had to think about that. “Physically wise, I’d have to say maybe Gigantitan? I mean it was basically a gigantic baby that knocked over several buildings and crushed cars completely by accident, but I guess that still counts. The strongest magic I’ve faced, well, that’s harder to answer. There were some abilities that could be considered weak that were used so effectively that they became a real pain in the ass. Trey’s, for example, sounds almost useless the way he describes it but could easily be used to kill a person and frame someone else for the murder. As for the others…. Even that’s a tough one. It’s hard to measure magical abilities against each other because though they are different, they can be equally damaging. I guess, if I had to choose one, I’d say Hawkmoth. He was the one who created the Akumas I fought against and, even though his abilities were not suited for melee fighting, he inflicted emotional torment on an entire city for three years and was a real bitch to find. The smartest enemy I’ve faced… I think it would have to be maybe Dark Owl? He effectively had me and Chat Noir trapped and it was only by chance that we were able to escape. Next question. Yes, Ace?"

My friend slowly lowered his hand as he spoke, almost apologetic for his inquiry. “What exactly happened in Paris that would force you to fight those things?”

Air whooshed out of my nose as I thought over how much information to divulge. The Miraculous could become objects of envy very quickly if I wasn’t careful. “I’m sure you all have seen the Kwamis around me, some far more than others. They are, to put it in the simplest of terms, the embodiment of a concept. Tikki, my Kwami, is the embodiment of Creation and Fortune. Plagg, her counterpart, the embodiment of Destruction and Misfortune. So on, so forth. The Butterfly Miraculous, though it sounds harmless, grants the power of transmutation: to become something greater. Like a caterpillar’s evolution into a butterfly, the Miraculous gives its Holder the ability to give power to the powerless and amplify one’s existing skills. As an ally, this power is extremely helpful. As an enemy, it is incredibly annoying. Why? Because the Holder can hide away in his lair and send out his little butterflies to turn the emotionally vulnerable into malicious monsters. Hawkmoth, aka Gabriel Agreste, got his hands on the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous and used the power to terrorize my city. He targeted those whose emotions made their minds weak and vulnerable, from girls having a bad hair day to a mother's loss of her baby. No one was safe from Hawkmoth's influence."

"He preyed on a mother's grief?" Deuce asked aloud and was promptly smacked upside the head by Riddle.

I cocked my head to the side wondering if I should answer that question or not, and I decided yes. "Mama Mortem was one of the worst battles I ever fought. It didn't have the highest body count, but it was by far the bloodiest. She was a woman who had a late term miscarriage after a rambunctious child accidently knocked her down a flight of stairs. In her misery, Hawkmoth akumatized her into Mama Mortem. That particular Akuma held the belief that her pain was too great for one person alone and wanted every parent in Paris to share her grief. I was stuck in class on the other side of the city at the time of her akumatization and had to wait forty five minutes until we were released from school, forty five minutes in which Mama Mortem was allowed to run rampant among grade schools and daycares leaving tiny bodies in her wake."

"Great Seven, no." The soft and agonized whisper came from the aged history teacher whose eyes were hidden behind his hand, rubbing his forehead as if soothing a raging headache. His horror was shared equally among the students though a few looked beyond enraged. Those like Deuce and Jack probably would have gutted Gabriel had he been in the room.

I sought to clear her name, even though they would never encounter the woman from my home world. "When I purified her, she was horrified by what she had done. The poor woman had to move out of Paris to get away from his influence lest she be turned into a monster again. But that's what Hawkmoth did to people. He targeted them at their lowest and made them into something inhuman. The day I finally captured him was celebrated with screaming, raging, crying, and much joy. It's actually a holiday in Paris now. Jour de la sortie, otherwise known as the day when everyone just walks outside and screams to release pent up emotions."

A tall, blond boy in purple robes and a feather hat shot to his feet with his hand high in the air. "What was Gabriel Agreste's punishment?"

There was a wave of agreement, boys wanting to hear how the man suffered. One voice was heard as the noise died down saying 'I hope he died choking on donkey dick'. I smirked a little as I remembered the look on his face when Gabriel was pronounced guilty in a court of law. It had been a lengthy trial and closely followed by the media. "Considering he had used magic to terrorize my city, I asked the government to let me handle his sentence to which they so happily acquiesced. Now, Gabriel had an assistant in his secretary Natalie, aka Mayura. The Peacock Miraculous was damaged and had killed his wife and then took the life of his secretary after she used it to help him in his endeavors. A Miraculous works by merging with your qi, your life force and a broken Miraculous will drain you of your life force in an attempt to fix itself, even if you take it off. Use a broken Miraculous only once and it's too late, the bond is already established. Natalie slipped into a coma and passed away in her sleep, sick and bedridden in a prison cell for the last several weeks of her life. As for Gabriel," I reached out my dominant hand and called upon a small chain of Creation and Emotion laced with Evolution and Transmutation. When the small, multi-colored and effervescent chain appeared, I gave it a gentle tug. Suddenly, the sound of a tortured scream filled the air though distant as if filtered through layers of glass. The boys looked around frantically in search of the source, but there was none to be found… at least not on this plane of existence. “I felt that he deserved far worse than what any human prison could give him. He had tormented my city and deserved to feel everything he had inflicted upon its citizens. So I crafted him a little pocket between dimensions in which he will endure everything he inflicted upon my people. All the deaths, the dismemberments, the drownings, the burnings, the torture, the rapes, all the emotional turmoil… everything he inflicted upon every. Last. Citizen. All two million one eighty thousand of them, give or take. Three times over for every year he tormented the city. And after he has endured all the pain he caused every Parisian three times over, I might be merciful enough to let him die. Or let the cycle repeat until Nooroo stops finding his pain amusing, and in this I believe Nooroo is easily entertained.”

Silence reigned as the audience digested my answer and, thankfully, everyone seemed pleased with the outcome of Gabriel’s sentence. “I’m surprised you all are cool with that. I got a lot of pushback when I brought this up at his trial.”

“I’m petty!” I didn’t know who had shouted such a statement, but no one disagreed.

Cater added, “Come on now. It’s not like we’re those Royal Sword pansies.”

At the mere mention of the rival school had many boys groaning in unison. Night Raven boys might be ambitious and independent, but at least they were unified in their disdain for a common enemy. “You most certainly are not, Cater. Next question. Jack Howl.”

The wolf beastman stood up. "If my math is right, it sounds like you were 13 at the oldest when this war started and you implied that you were at the front lines from the beginning. Why would you take in that kind of burden?"

My right fingers tapped against my thigh. "To be honest, I didn't want to at first. That morning, I had watched as a classmate and old friend turned into this giant rock monster full of rage and violence. Upon arriving home, I found the Ladybug Miraculous in my room and was told that I was chosen to be the new Ladybug and hero of Paris. Despite my protests, Tikki talked me into donning the Miraculous and I tried to be the heroine she wanted. I failed spectacularly and didn't purify the Akuma, the butterfly that Hawkmoth used to possess people, which apparently multiplies if not purified and led to dozens upon dozens of those rock monsters terrorizing the city. I tried to pass off the Miraculous to someone I thought was better suited to be a hero, but circumstances led to me taking up the mantle again. After a while, I realized there was no one else I could trust with that kind of power or responsibility. Next question… uh, you. Pomefiore student with the light purple hair."

A boy who could successfully pass as a female without much effort shot to his feet. "What was the worst fight of your life?”

I licked my teeth as my eyes roved over the ceiling. “In what way? Are you asking about a battle that was physically brutal or a particularly traumatic one? Because if we’re talking about trauma, I learned the hard way that there is variety and can be contracted through numerous events. I need you to be a little more specific.”

“Uh… traumatizing?” He finally stuttered out. "Like… one that still gives you nightmares."

"Epel!" A pretty blond rebuked in offense.

I held up a hand to stop him in his tracks. "There's nothing wrong with morbid curiosity."

The effeminate boy flushed under the attention he was given, but no one else voiced complaint. Most were leaning in their seats eager to hear the gritty details.

My fingers tapped against my hips and I skimmed through memories of my most prolific battles. "Again, trauma comes in all types of forms and every Akuma I have faced is the cause of someone's nightmares. There is a girl who has developed an intense fear of birds, particularly pigeons, because of an Akuma. That said, there are a few that stand out to me. For one, I can't swim anymore. Swimming is a hobby I used to enjoy until the Akuma, Syren, ruined it for me. Syren was akumatized over her heartbreak and flooded all of Paris with her tears. Of the 2 million plus people that called Paris home, only 1,400 that I know of made it to the rooftops. Everyone else drowned. I swam past thousands upon thousands of dead bodies, and that was just her first appearance. Her second akumatization occurred under the reign of Shadowmoth, the Unification of the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. Not only did it turn a teenage girl into a monster, but it also gave her a companion with the front half of a shark and the back half of a squid that we Parisians called the Sharktopus because that sounded a little more intimidating than Sh-quid. Her Sharktopus happily ripped apart and ate anyone it could catch with its tentacles. So not only did hundreds of thousands of people drown, but survivors could be plucked off the rooftops and devoured. Now when I stick my head under water, I'll start getting flashbacks and see corpses in the corners of my eyes. Anyone who grabs me I will assume is a giant tentacled shark monster and act accordingly."

"Fuckin' shit." was muttered somewhere within the crowd.

Another stated, “Sharks are bad enough.”

I continued, feeling distant from my own memories. “The other akuma that sticks out is Cupid In Reverse. For those who don’t know, cupids are creatures of fantasy that fly and carry a bow and arrows. Whoever is struck by their arrows falls in love with the first person they see. They were mostly used in reference to that sudden feeling you get when looking at someone and realizing that you are in love with them. Well, Kim had been akumatized after getting brutally rejected by a girl and became Dark Cupid. Now that situation could have been worse I guess. As Dark Cupid, all he did was turn love into hatred which led to some minor property damage and some fights, but all was sorted out after I purified him. Cupid In Reverse was… different. Kim was going to confess to another girl, this one a lot better suited to him and the feelings were most definitely mutual. Unfortunately, he overheard a conversation between her and one of her friends about a classmate of theirs who she absolutely despised and Kim assumed she was talking about him. Heartbroken and desperately wanting her to love him back, he was the perfect target for Shadowmoth. Not only could he fire his own arrows, but Shadowmoth gave him a cupid minion that could turn other statues into cupids and they would also fly around Paris firing their arrows. And instead of turning love into hate, Cupid In Reverse turned hatred into obsession. I’m not going to traumatize any of you with those particular details, those are my burdens to bear, so we’re just going to acknowledge that sexual assault was a common theme that day and drop the subject. Next question…. Riddle.”

Riddle Rosehearts, a bastion of order and regulation, he who never left his room with so much as a hair out place, looked sad. “Do you regret taking on such a responsibility? Would you go back and prevent yourself from taking the Miraculous if you could?”

“What do you mean ‘if’? I did try.” Riddle, and several others, drew back in shock. “The Rabbit Miraculous allows the Holder to go back and forth through time. There was a point after Mama Mortem that I just hit an all time low. I was depressed, most of my friends had turned their backs on me, my parents took a liar’s word over mine, my teachers were absolute morons that punished me over shit I didn’t do. I wasn’t even allowed to be depressed because if I was akumatized, the universe was screwed because I was the only one that could purify akumas. So, in this forced apathetic headspace, I donned the Rabbit Miraculous to see if it was possible to hand off the Ladybug Miraculous to someone better suited. You want to know what I found out? There was no one better suited for my Miraculous. Literally no one. I even tried changing Plagg’s Holder, and every attempt ended in disaster. Some outright announced themselves as the Ladybug, others would quit, and the rest flat out failed. Spectacularly. I was literally the only person who could wield the Ladybug Miraculous effectively. That little desperate excursion of mine taught me that everything happens for a reason, that the trials we face shape us into who we are. I don't know where I would be right now had I not accepted the Ladybug Miraculous, but I probably wouldn't be here. I don't think I would have survived. Do I regret being Ladybug? Honestly, there are some days that I wish that my biggest worry was homework and public humiliation, but no. I don't regret it. Better me than some other teenage girl. Next question. Yes, Azul?"

The Dorm Warden of Octavinelle rose from the bench. "Can you explain the abilities of all the Miraculous? I'm curious."

His eyes gleamed with more than just curiosity behind his sleek frames, but I would entertain him. "Pick one and I'll share some tidbits with you."

Above me, the Kwamis stilled and allowed Azul to examine them. Sky blue eyes roamed among them until he finally settled on Daizzi. "The Pig. I can somewhat understand the Mouse because of their history of spreading disease," Mullo muttered a quiet 'that's fair' as Azul continued, "but pigs are slow and gluttonous. They are not exactly the most intimidating of creatures."

"Oh, that is the worst one to underestimate. You have obviously never encountered an angry boar." I giggled knowingly as Daizzi huffed in offense and flew to sit in my proffered hand for a cuddle. "Fun fact: pigs are opportunistic omnivores and will devour a human corpse, bones and all. Look it up if you don't believe me."

Almost everyone pulled out their phones to fact check and were surprised to learn that I was right. Learn something new everyday.

"Well shit."

"I thought they were herbivores."

"I don't feel bad about eating pork anymore."

The Boar Kwami abandoned my hand to join his companions. "Pigs are associated with gluttony, and that implies that there is more than enough for them to consume. Pigs and Boars alike are symbols of wealth, abundance, and festivity. True Boars are naturally jovial and generous, though who wouldn't be when they have everything they need and then some."

"Are we talking about the Kwami or Kalim?" Was muttered somewhere in the crowd. There were a few chuckles in reply, though one boy in particular laughed the loudest. He had silvery white hair that looked all the brighter in contrast to his tanned skin decorated in henna tattoos. I rolled my eyes and continued.

"Daizzi, the Boar, is the Kwami of Jubilation and bound to the Miraculous of the Entrepreneur as I so fondly call it. When worn by a True Boar, Daizzi can grant a… secondary ability that I'm sure most of you would not appreciate given that most of you like to keep your cards close to your chest as the saying goes. You see, Boars are often the heart of the party. They are happy and joyful and they want to share their happiness with others. And being the embodiment of joy and Jubilation, a True Boar can hone the ability of Heart Eye." The boys snickered at the title. I couldn't blame them. It sounded ridiculous, but the power itself was distinctly not. "You laugh now, but that particular ability allows the Boar to see your heart's desires. Every dream that brings you joy, everything you want in life, in your career, in a partner, everything you want in your sex life, the Boar see it all."

The laughter died slowly, trailing off into silence as they came to realize the very real threat that Heart Eye could be. Azul’s pretty face twisted into a scowl. “Oh no. I don’t like that. Not one bit.”

Another giggle escaped my lips. “Yep. A True Boar can read you like a book, and that’s not even Daizzi’s Principal. The main power of the Boar is called Daze. When someone is subjected to Daze, they are trapped within a daydream in which all their heart’s desires are made real. And while trapped in their happy little fantasy, they are completely oblivious to what is going on around them. People who have been subjected to the Daze have burned to death, drowned, been eaten alive, impaled, you name it, all while wearing a smile on their face. But hey, at least they died happy. So Azul… is the Boar intimidating now?”

“Yes it is, thank you for sharing.” He sat back down, his movements stiff yet graceful.

“You’re welcome. Next.” My eyes landed on Lilia Vanrouge as if drawn by a siren song. His smile was soft and his red eyes guarded. “Lilia.”

He lowered his gloved hand. “You said ‘True Boar’ as if there are people who were born to wear a specific Miraculous. Does that mean a Miraculous can only be properly used by a ‘True’ holder?”

“Yes and no? Anyone can don and use a Miraculous, but True Holders…. How can I explain it?” I struggled to construct a simple method of conveying my knowledge in a way they could understand. Suddenly a memory of Luka came to mind. “There was a friend of mine who had a gift for reading people. It’s like he could hear souls. Heart Songs is what he called them and it gave him insight to the people around him. He told me about how some Heart Songs harmonized on the same frequency to make fast friends and how others clashed so horribly that it could make the most docile of people meaner than a hangry dragon.

“Alignments are a bit more complicated, but it comes from the same vein. I guess you could say that the Miraculous have different frequencies and there are some people whose Heart Songs will harmonize with the tune. It’s not uncommon to align with more than one, but a True Holder is someone who harmonizes with a Miraculous perfectly such as myself with the Ladybug. While someone could use a Miraculous that doesn’t suit them at all, they won’t be able to use it as effectively as someone who harmonizes with that particular Miraculous. For example, I gave Adrien Agreste the Snake Miraculous and he just could not get the hang of it no matter how many attempts he made to master it. It wasn’t his fault, he just didn’t suit the Miraculous. Now that’s not to say he couldn’t grow into that alignment. By facing new problems and situations, we gain experience that changes us. Sometimes the change is minute, and then there are the experiences that can change you into something entirely new or bring aspects of yourself that were dormant rushing to the surface. Believe it or not, I used to be quite the doormat. A girl in my class, wealthy with powerful parents, loved to bully me. The bullying was so bad that none of the other kids in our class would even look at me lest they get caught in the crossfire. I was once aligned firmly with the Mouse until a new girl encouraged me to stand up for myself…. and finding the Ladybug Miraculous in my room and accepting the role as the hero of Paris. Being forced into those positions of defiance and leadership changed me so drastically that my alignments shifted. Does any of that make sense?”

Several nods and Lilia’s own approval assure me that my rambling wasn’t completely nonsensical. I pointed at Kalim who looked ready to explode with excitement. “Could you identify a True Holder at any given time?”

I arched an eyebrow at his question, yet still I entertained him. “Are you asking me to point out potential Holders in the room? To affirm your own Alignment?”

His skin flushed and gave away his bashfulness. “I’m just a little curious.”

“I'll just say that should the need of the Miraculous ever arise, I know that I can count on you.” He was a True Boar this boy, with alignments to the Dog and Peacock as well. His Butterfly alignment was oddly weak considering he was the Dorm Warden of Scarbia which is based on the Sand Sorcerer’s mindfulness. “Alright, that’s ten questions.”

A boy with a Scarbia armband jumped to his feet. “No it’s not! That was only nine!”

“If I recall correctly, Deuce asked me if Gabriel had preyed on a mother’s grief. That makes ten questions.”

Deuce made to defend himself. “Wait a minute! I was only asking for clarification just like Riddle and lord lilac over there.”

“Watch it, pal!” Epel snapped back with fervor looking ready to challenge Deuce to a fist fight here and now.

“Be nice.” Although I spoke softly, the reprimand in my tone could be felt thanks to the exertion of Creation. The men paled and slouched under the pressure that disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Thinking it over, I decided that it was just one more question. “Okay. Since it was Deuce’s question, I’ll give him a re-do.”

The blue haired boy, with cyan eyes so very much like Luka’s, fidgeted nervously at being the center of attention. He seemed to really mull over in inquiries before choosing one. Deuce looked almost apologetic as he asked, “What makes you hate lies so much? When you chased down Ruggie and cornered him outside, you reduced a tree to splinters when he admitted to lying to your face. What happened to make you despise liars with such a passion?”

That question made me wince. I was ashamed of my reaction that day and the way I lost control. Not only had Ruggie barely missed getting his face blown out the back of his head, but I had nearly killed him over a slight resemblance to Lila. The boy’s smug facade dropped real quick when he registarred the danger I posed and thankfully ran off before I could do much more. He deserved an apology. “In my home world, there was a girl that made it her life’s ambition to ruin me. She spread rumors about me, framed me for theft and academic dishonesty, lied and claimed that I physically assaulted her outside of school, anything that could get me in trouble. She took joy in destroying my reputation and relationships. My history with that sadistic, petty, psychopathic, narcissistic, pathological liar of a twat is the reason behind my deep seated hatred of liars. If any one of you lies to my face to make yourself look better or to slander someone else, you will be permanently placed on my shit list.”

“And you didn’t knock her ass out?” Ace quivered at my raised eyebrow and rephrased his question into a probing statement. “It just… seems like after your confrontation with Delrey that you wouldn’t allow that kind of behavior.”

“I don’t. I hate lies, but I’ve learned that there are exceptions to every rule. As the hero of Paris, I had to lie everyday to keep my friends and family from discovering my identity as Ladybug. I hated doing it and I, quite frankly, suck at it. But I made a promise to someone I thought I could trust that I would leave her alone. He was of the belief that everyone would catch onto her lies eventually; that she would realize she didn’t need to lie to make friends and would just… stop. I knew that was a load of horse shit. People like her don’t stop until they are stopped. Had it been anyone else, I would have told them to shove it and used every resource in my arsenal to send Liar-la back to the cesspit from which she spawned. But it was Adrien Agreste, so of course I made that thrice damned promise and I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“Who the fuck is Adrien Agreste?” Came a voice from the crowd.

I interlaced my fingers and cracked my knuckles. “If someone can pin me down for five seconds, I’ll tell you all about that sentient sock puppet. You got your ten questions and I do believe you all came here for combat training.”

Floyd cackled the loudest, clapping his hands with delight. “Oh, I do love a challenge!”

My smile was bright and my muscles loose. It was kind of nice getting some of those memories off my chest. “Alright then. Let’s begin, shall we?”