Archive of Our Own

Nathaniel's always been... Unnoticeable. Okay, that's a little harsh, because people notice him... When he talks or trips because he's so engrossed in his latest sketch. Inconspicuous is a better way to phrase it. Yeah, he's inconspicuous, and people often forget he's in the same room or standing next to them- And he hates it! How can people not notice his bright hair right next to them?

Once when he was seven and the teacher was doing role-call, he raised his hand for ten seconds and said "Present" five times before she finally noticed him. At least she had the decency to look embarrassed, now people simply laugh it off and say, "You're so quiet." It takes all of Nathaniel's willpower to keep his filter from breaking so he can say, "No, you just suck at paying attention. One day, I'll go missing and you probably won't even notice until I'm on your television screen with the headline: 'Body has Been Found'."

... That might be a little harsh, but it's sure to scare someone straight.

And, sometimes being invisible to people does have its perks. Nathaniel cannot tell you how much blackmail material he has on a quarter of the student body and even some teachers. For example, M. Damico the music teacher is having three different affairs behind his wife's back and is married to one of the women in his numerous relationships. Nathaniel found out about this very interesting fact back at the beginning of the school year. The man- if you could call him that- was so busy with his phone call to one of the women that he didn't notice Nathaniel sitting on the choir bleachers and sketching.

Once he felt he had heard enough, Nathaniel packed up his things and left with that bit of knowledge. And the M. Damico was none the wiser. But, he couldn't help but wonder for the rest of the week how a teacher could pull off so many affairs and two marriages. Does he have kids? If so, how do holidays work? What if the child in the affair has the same birthday as the first child?

Other than the music teacher, there's this one student who could be knocked down a few pegs- Rochelle Weems, a member of the Austins class, what students are calling the "Recess Class" for some weird reason. Rochelle is appropriately named, "The School Snitch." Ze will not hesitate to rat out a fellow student, especially zir classmates to the nearest teacher using a not-so-anonymous note, making zir incredibly unpopular. All just to get in the teachers' good graces. Ze has a habit of spying on other students to pick up any dirt ze can pass along to the teachers, but what ze hadn't thought to account for was someone unintentionally spying on zir.

And by "Unintentionally spying," Nathaniel means he was standing a few feet away from Rochelle while they were walking in the same direction to the Louvre. And like M. Damico, ze got busted thanks to a phone call. Rochelle's noticed that the usual people ze snitches on are becoming wiser and ze’s having some trouble tracking them down. So, to keep on the teachers' good side, ze’s considering leaving anonymous notes with false information about her usual targets. After all, no teacher is going to bother checking to see if Rochelle's claims are credible after zir targets' reputations with teachers have been ruined by zir.

... That makes one think about how fucked up the school is sometimes.

Of course, Nathaniel's not going to keep this bit of information to himself. So, one day at school, he went to find the Recess Class before the late bell could ring and let them know what he heard Rochelle say. The class representative, Gerard Grundler, and the class' version of Max thanked him for the information while the Austins looked at him with a mix of confusion and gratitude. When he left, the room was abuzz with ways to get revenge on Rochelle, and frankly, Nathaniel didn't care what happened. Ze dug zir grave and now ze has to lie in it.

So, in conclusion, being invisible to others has its ups and downs. Sure, Nathaniel may get left out of a conversation once in a while, and yes, it hurts when his friends sometimes leave him behind during Akuma attacks where the class is involved, but they're trying to make an effort now... He thinks. Before all this business with Monarch getting the Miraculous, he's been getting invited to participate in more stuff like the Adrinette schemes. That's fun... Well, it was at first. Nathaniel will admit he was a little excited when Alya came to him and Marc one day and asked if they wanted to hang out, but it turns out, "Hang out" meant, "The girls and I need you to create romantic stories between Marinette and Adrien for another shipping scheme."

Well, call Nathaniel a people pleaser, because he knocked out those illustrations for the storybook in like a week once Marc finished the script, only drinking coffee and energy drinks and getting zero sleep because- as sad as it is- he wants to spend time with his classmates. Despite what some may say, he's not socially avoidant; he does want to hang out with others. They just seem stuck in Marinette's world most of the time, and it's exhausting. And he usually loves romance tropes, but this is too much... But, if that's the price for finally getting to spend time with his friends outside of class gatherings, then he's going to power through it.

Then Monarch appeared, and the plans became more... Convoluted. If Nathaniel has to draw another picture of Adrien with a god-awful mustache, he is going to set something on fire! "But," he tells himself, "The sooner they get together, the sooner you can stop and put your poor sketchbook out of its' misery." 

And now there's another reason he hates the Adrinette plans... He heard things.

"Chloé, Marinette has every right to sit next to Adrien if it makes her happy."

'Oh, well that's nice of Lila. Why was Marinette so against her in the first place?'

"And we have every right to make her life miserable."

'... What?"

"But we have to be hush-hush about it so no one tries to stop us."

'Oh, dear Lord.'

"You're earned your place as my best friend."

'... Okay, something's up. Don't look at them. Don't look at them. Don't look at them- I think I looked at them! What am I even so panicked for? Chloé's Chloé and Lila's... Something.'

"Aah! I can't believe what a klutz I am."

'Thank you, Marinette!'

... Chloé is a mythic-bitch, plain and simple. And it looks like that's all she'll ever be since Ladybug is no longer giving her the Bee Miraculous. She's been on a tirade ever since that day, snapping at anyone who looks at her funny, being more malicious with her insults, and somehow harsher on Sabrina. According to Zoé, she locks Sabrina in her closet and makes her do her homework. How the hell is that brat not in some sort of military school?! And she's been out for Ladybug, too, as if it's Ladybug's fault she can no longer be a hero again. For God's sake, she crashed a fucking train just to look like a superhero! How the hell was she going to do that with a damn trompo?!

Oh, and then there's when she got Akumatized for what Nathaniel counts as the fifth fucking time! And here's the kicker, no pun intended. She wanted to get Akumatized! Marc heard her loud and clear that day- he has amazing hearing by the way- that instead of having her father shut the game down, she's waiting for Shadow Moth to take care of things.

Well, that settles it. Chloé is working with a terrorist. Nathaniel slept well and easily with that information.

And now that Monarch's stolen the Miraculous and is creating megakumas, she's only gotten worse. Chloé made it loud and clear she blames Ladybug for all of this and claims Monarch would have been defeated days ago if she still had her Miraculous... Yeah, right. The moment he offers her some unimaginable power to have everything she desires, she's putty in his hands. And when she's not going on a tirade in class, it's on social media. She's made dozens of posts and stories denouncing Ladybug, pointing out everything she deems as a flaw and ten different ways she's "Ridiculous, Utterly Ridiculous." 

Nathaniel still has no idea why it took him so long to block her. At least it's only a small group who agree with her, mostly middle-aged people and moody teenagers who have nothing to do but hate everything.

Now, if people like that are on Chloé's side, then why is Lila, Ladybug's supposed best friend, hanging out with her all of a sudden? They've been strangely close since Penalteam. Not enough for too many people to notice, just an occasional glance or two, sometimes they speak a few sentences to each other, but now Lila's coming out of nowhere and dragging Chloé away from Adrien.

And just what the hell was she talking to Chloé about? And why does she want to make Marinette miserable? Marinette may have been a little hostile to her during their rare interactions, but Lila's nice, he thinks. She wouldn't try to get revenge on Marinette for what he hopes are misunderstandings... Because if they're not misunderstandings, then that would mean Marinette was right the entire time and Lila is lying, and that hasty expulsion was Lila's way of taking Marinette out before she could expose her as a liar!...

'When was the last time I slept?' he wonders for the fifth time this week and lies back on his bed. Everything's just been so exhausting lately, so this feels nice. Nathaniel kind of liked it better before all of this nonsense with Hawkmoth changing his name twice and there were only Akumas with the occasional Amok. There were no megakumas, there were fewer Adrinette plans, and... He had Alix by his side.

Slowly turning his head slightly to the right, he glances at the small picture frame on his nightstand. In it is a photo of himself and Alix, his arm outstretched as if taking a selfie of themselves grinning while covered in paint. Smiling faintly, he asks the image of Alix, "What would you do?"

Probably look Lila dead in the eye after she heard her say that, fact-check everything she's ever said, and one-by-one, show everyone her findings because telling everyone all at once didn't work out so well for Marinette...

... Actually, that's not a bad idea. Alix wouldn't just stare at Lila and Chloé for about a week as if that would unlock every secret. She'd do something about what she heard! And here Nathaniel is having a mental breakdown and freaking out as if he's the one Lila's after. If things go awry on his end, he just might be in the same boat as Marinette- IF that interaction between Lila and Chloé were just a slip of the tongue, or he misheard Lila.

"And we have every right to make her life miserable."

"But we have to be hush-hush about it so no one tries to stop us."

After muttering to himself a quick prayer, he gets out his laptop and opens up the search engine.

First... Prince Ali and Lila Rossi

No results

Okay... Jagged Stone's kitten

No results

... Let's try Lila Rossi and Clare Nightingale

No results

Maybe if he looks at some Italian websites, something will come up. Lila must be well-known in her home country... She just has to be. And here's something! "'Severe Bullying at Local Venice School Has Five Students Expelled.'"

"..."

Lila Rossi... New student... Ringleader... Claims of cyber-bullying... Framed for several-

"And that's enough of that!" Nathaniel quickly saves the article and closes the tab... So Lila's not the angel he and his friends thought she was. And she just might be as bad as Chloé... And the only result for her name other than that website is the Ladyblog and Gabriel's website listing her as one of the company's models for the Alliance ring.

After a beat of silence, Nathaniel closes his laptop and... Proceeds to hit his face with his pillow. "How. The. Hell. Could. I. Be. So. Stu. Pid?"

... Actually, no. No, he's not stupid! Nathaniel goes to school with the mayor's and Style Queen's brat of a daughter, a supermodel, the daughter of a hotel's head chef, Jagged Stone's album cover designer, Jagged Stone's freaking daughter, and so many other impressive people! Of course, he doesn't suspect Lila's lying! Hell, he and Marc are creating a comic that's climbing the ranks and has made it into the top twenty already! So he's on the list of reasons why no one suspects Lila is a liar!

So no, he's not going to feel stupid for not believing Marinette. He is going to go downstairs, make some popcorn and watch as many Marvel movies as he can before the day is over because he fucking deserves it! He is the first of those who believe Lila to finally take off the rose-tinted shades and see Lila- if that's ever her name- for what she truly is!

With that, Marinette can promptly fuck off. So can Lila and Chloé! He doesn't know what they're up to, and he doesn't know what they're going to do to Marinette, but what Nathaniel does know is that they won't get far... Maybe. And while he's on the topic, all of his classmates can fuck off, too. They can fuck off for only involving him when Adrinette is involved.

Huffing to himself, Nathaniel grabs his phone and makes his way downstairs and into the kitchen. While he looks through the cabinets for a bag of kernels, he opens up his most recent message with Marc. He could really use someone to talk to right now.

Red Emo Bangs:
Hey, Rainbow 😢

Taste the Rainbow:
Hey, is everything okay?

Red Emo Bangs:
Uh... Not exactly. Kind of feels like I was just
hit in the head with a ton of bricks

Taste the Rainbow:
Aaw. Do you want to talk about it?

Red Emo Bangs:
Okay, but you might want to get
comfortable

Taste the Rainbow:
Well, I'm watching movies with Kiran and
he's looking over my shoulder

Taste the Rainbow:
So try to keep it PG, kay?

Red Emo Bangs:
Oh, I don't want to disturb you guys. I
can wait

Taste the Rainbow:
Hi Nathaniel! It's Kiran! 😁

Red Emo Bangs:
Hi Kiran 😂

Red Emo Bangs:
I won't disturb your time with Marc

Taste the Rainbow:
It's okay

Taste the Rainbow:
You seem upset and I know Marc makes
you feel better

Taste the Rainbow:
You can talk to him

Red Emo Bangs:
Well thank you for giving me your
permission 😌

Taste the Rainbow:
Hey, Marc again. So, what's wrong?

Red Emo Bangs:
Alright... So...

Red Emo Bangs:
I overheard Lila and Chloé talking the
other day during Mme. Bustier's empathetic
listening session, and apparently, they want
to make Marinette miserable, and I'm like,
'Maybe I heard them wrong,' but then I
looked up everything Lila's ever said, and it
turns out, Marinette was right and Lila's a liar,
go figure, hahaha! So now I'm freaking out, but
I'm not blaming myself for not realizing it sooner
because our school has so many famous students,
and I'm just mad at Marinette and everyone else
for no reason, and I miss Alix, and everything's
gone to heck and I want to fricking rip my bangs
off because I know something awful and what if
Lila and Chloé figure it out and try to get me
expelled so I can't blab to anyone? Now that I think
about it, that expulsion was hasty, and that was just
a practice test, not even worth our grade, and the
answer key went missing after the test was done,
and I feel like I need to throw up after drawing Adrien
with a mustache like five times for those dang plans!

Red Emo Bangs:
... Rainbow? Are you still there?

Taste the Rainbow:
Yeah, sorry. That was just a lot to take in

Taste the Rainbow:
Also, I'm glad you said something about the plans

Taste the Rainbow:
Because I hate them

Red Emo Bangs:
Oh, thank God!

Taste the Rainbow:
😅 I may have half-afted some dialogue, because
who's going to read that stuff?

Red Emo Bangs:
Well, Alya scares me, so I'm not cutting corners

Red Emo Bangs:
So, you're badaft

Taste the Rainbow:
Now, back to this thing with Lila and Chloé...

Taste the Rainbow has added you to the chat

Science Kids

Red Emo Bangs:
What's happening?

Makeover Time:
Welcome... To the cult!

Red Emo Bangs:
I don't feel safe

Lil Prick:
To become fully immersed, you must...

Lil Prick:
Run outside and scream that raccoons have
taken your titties

Red Emo Bangs:
WHAT?!

Taste the Rainbow:
Ismael, ixnay. I've got a six-year-old looking
over my shoulder

Cute Yet Badass changed their name to Cute Yet Awesome

Lil Prick:
... As I was saying, welcome to the cult!

Red Emo Bangs:
Okay, so that's Ismael.

Hidden Jewel:
Reshma

Alya-of-the-Class:
Simon here

Buff Pacifist:
Denise

Cute Yet Awesome:
LACEY!

Jeeeean Canigula:
The one and only Jean Duparc!

Class Mom #2:
I'm Mireille

King of New York:
This is Zoé

Class Mom #1:
Aurore

Makeover Time:
And I am known by many names. The being
that haunts you in your sleep, the demon
upon your shoulder, the-

Red Emo Bangs:
Hi, Cosette

Makeover Time:
Dang it! Lemme have fun.

Taste the Rainbow:
So, now that introductions are out of the way,
let's talk about how Nathaniel knows Lila's a
liar now

Buff Pacifist:
About time, red

Red Emo Bangs:
What?

Jeeeean Canigula:
Yay! It's happening!

Cute Yet Awesome:
🥳

Hidden Jewel:
It's nice to have more people on our side

Alya-of-the-Class:
Even if it's just one. Still, I'm stoked

Red Emo Bangs:
What is happening?

Class Mom #1:
Oh, sorry. We all know Lila is lying

Red Emo Bangs:
... Again, WHAT?!

Class Mom #1:
Yeah, we've known for quite a while.

Class Mom #1:
It was the incident in the cafeteria when
Marinette threw that paper ball that tipped
us off. Well, Simon, actually

Alya-of-the-Class:
Not to call Max out, but he was wearing glasses
So if that paper ball could take his eye out, he'd
be protected. I should know. I've worn glasses

Jeeeean Canigula:
Yeah, after that, we've sort of been doing our own
research. After that, we've just been ignoring her

King of New York:
And when I joined the class, they let me know about
Lila so I wouldn't get too wrapped up in her lies

Red Emo Bangs:
Okay... Quick question. Why didn't you guys tell my
class what you found out?

Class Mom #2:
Because that went so well for Marinette

Buff Pacifist:
Daaaang, Mireille!

Cute Yet Awesome:
Are they wrong, tho?

Red Emo Bangs:
Okay, you've got me there.

Class Mom #1:
Well, now I need to know. How did you figure it out?

Red Emo Bangs:
Oh... That's kind of long. Well, not really, but I'll
probably end up blurting more stuff than
necessary

Taste the Rainbow:
Nath. Want me to screenshot what you sent me?

Alya-of-the-Class:
👀

Red Emo Bangs:
Sure

Taste the Rainbow:
Alright

Taste the Rainbow:
[screenshot.pdf]

Lil Prick:
... HOW IS YOUR HAIR NOT WHITE?!

Cute Yet Awesome:
Nath, that is... That's heavy

Buff Pacifist:
Expect hugs tomorrow

Hidden Jewel:
Expect one from me

Jeeeean Canigula:
I gotta ask- Do you feel safe being in the same
class as them?

Red Emo Bangs:
... Not anymore

Alya-of-the-Class:
Hey, with how Chloé's been acting lately, I'd
be afraid, too

Cute Yet Awesome:
Hey, she just terrifies me in general

Cute Yet Awesome:
I've got five-year-olds and grandparents to
look after. I can't afford to get expelled
because I wouldn't bend over backward for
her

Hidden Jewel:
I do not miss being in the same class as her

Cute Yet Awesome:
Same

Alya-of-the-Class:
Yep

Buff Pacifist:
Okay, ranting time is done. Nath, how are you
doing?

Red Emo Bangs:
Still terrible

Red Emo Bangs:
All I've done for the past week before I figured
everything out was just staring at them, like wait
for them to slip up

Red Emo Bangs:
And I'm scared they may have noticed

Makeover Time:
[hugforyou.gif]

Jeeeean Canigula:
[headpats.gif]

Red Emo Bangs:
And I can't go to anyone, because no one believed
Marinette, so why would they believe me? Heck,
even Alya didn't believe Marinette

Alya-of-the-Class changed their name to Tech-Wiz

Tech-Wiz:
And that's that

Red Emo Bangs:
So, I'm freaking out, and after I looked up Lila to
see if her stories were credible, that just made
things worse for me, and I'm pissed at my
friends for no reason

Lil Prick:
Hey, that's valid

Lil Prick:
No offense, but your friends are kind of... Much

Hidden Jewel:
While they mean well, they can be much at times

Class Mom #1:
Yeah, Marc's told us about the Adrinette schemes,
and you seem about as exhausted as him

Red Emo Bangs:
I really am

Taste the Rainbow:
Do you feel used?

Red Emo Bangs:
Yeah, kinda. They want to hang out with me, but
only to make some ship happen

Taste the Rainbow:
Hold on, Kiran's asking what a ship is

Makeover Time:
I can answer!

Lil Prick:
This'll be good

Makeover Time:
Short for Relationship, a ship is to take an interest in
or hope for a romantic relationship between (fictional
characters or famous people), whether or not the
romance exists

Makeover Time:
For example, I'm shipping Marc and Nathaniel

King of New York:
[standingovation.gif]

Tech-Wiz:
Impressive

Taste the Rainbow:
Congratulations, my brother now ships 2 of his
teachers

Buff Pacifist:
fgtrh

Makeover Time:
You're welcome! Okay, back to Nath... Why not tell
them how you feel?

Red Emo Bangs:
Because feelings

Class Mom #2:
Valid

Tech-Wiz:
Very

Red Emo Bangs:
Also... I'm kind of desperate for human interaction
with my classmates

Class Mom #1:
...

Makeover Time:
...

King of New York:
...

Buff Pacifist:
...

Cute Yet Awesome:
...

Taste the Rainbow:
Nath...

Lil Prick:
... Jesus Christ, dude.

Red Emo Bangs:
Yep.

Tech-Wiz:
I... I don't know how to respond to that

Red Emo Bangs:
Sorry

Tech-Wiz:
No, don't apologize. This is serious, man

Tech-Wiz:
Are you happy in your class? That's what we
should be asking

Red Emo Bangs:
I'm doing okay

Taste The Rainbow:
Would you tell me otherwise?

Red Emo Bangs:
Of course 😘

Taste The Rainbow:
😘

King of New York
Aaaaww!

Buff Pacifist:
That's love right there

Makeover Time:
Well, just let us know, and we'll be over with
blankets, pillows, and a bunch of desserts

Red Emo Bangs:
☺️

Cute Yet Awesome:
Or we cut corners and adopt him

Makeover Time:
YES!

Tech-Wiz:
I second that

Red Emo Bangs:
Or don't?

Class Mom #1:
It's decided, we're adopting you

Red Emo Bangs:
No, because you can't adopt me?

King of New York:
Oh, so you guys can adopt me?

Lil Prick:
Buuuuuurn!

Red Emo Bangs:
Okay, point taken

Hearing the beep of the microwave, Nathaniel took out his popcorn and made his way back to his room, still chatting with his boyfriend's friends. He can see why Marc likes them so much; it's like one big chaotic family. They care about each other, make little playful jabs, and can somehow sense if something is off with someone. It's weird, but talking with them helped him to forget about Lila and Chloé for a while.

Maybe school on Monday won't be so bad.

TrueQueenBee:
We need to talk. Now.

Lila looks at her phone and rolls her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she reminds herself it will all be worth it, and answers.

Foxy:
What's wrong??

TrueQueenBee:
It's that ridiculous artist! I just know he overheard
us!

Lila bites the inside of her cheek in thought. 'Artist... Oh! Nathaniel.' Honestly, she never bothers to learn about her classmate's interests unless they benefit her. And frankly, she doesn't know how Nathaniel could help her in any way. Alya was an amazing follower until she took down her posts without so much as a warning. When she confronted her about it, she simply said, "Some new information came up." And she left it at that.

Oh, but Lila wouldn't snap. She had plenty of more pawns under her thumb. Exhibits A and B. Chloé and Gabriel. Any outsider would wonder why she hadn't used Chloé sooner. Lila likes to be meticulous. She needed to wear her down, wait until she had lost all trust in Ladybug before she could sink her claws into her. Chloé's probably the easiest person to mold. All it takes is a few comments about Marinette's suffering, revenge on Ladybug, and absolute power, and that idiot is putty in her hands.

In some other universe, Lila would feel sorry for her... But in this universe, Lila is laughing her ass off. Now as for Gabriel, he's kind of a wild card. She can barely tell what he's thinking most of the time, but she still manages. She's on everyone's Alliance ring, her face is everywhere, and people clamor to her for selfies. It's not as many as she would like, but as long as she's getting recognized. Although, there's something about Gabriel she still can't quite put her finger on. The most reclusive and cold man in Europe is now taking selfies with Adrien and posting them on Instagram with the hashtag, #Hangingwithmyson...

She will ignore the cringe for now and focus on what Chloé's whining about this time. But Lila will cross that bridge with Gabriel later.

Foxy:
Um... Context?

TrueQueenBee:
That lame yoga session or whatever it was
You were talking too loud, and he heard you!

Lila promptly facepalmed. That's what she's losing her hair dye over? She's worried about the shyest kid in class knowing they're up to something. While Lila would be concerned if it were Kim or Alix, Nathaniel's the least of her worries. With a few plans already forming in her head, she texts Chloé again.

Foxy:
Hardly. Anyway, it's fine. What are you so
afraid of?

Foxy:
*cough* Mayor's Daughter *cough*

TrueQueenBee:
...

Foxy:
Mhmm.

TrueQueenBee:
Don't sass me!

Foxy:
Anyway, how do you even know he knows?

TrueQueenBee:
He's been looking at us every chance he gets
this past week.

Lila's used to eyes on her, so she doesn't notice.

TrueQueenBee:
I just know he's going to wreck everything!

Foxy:
Unless YOU, Mayor's Daughter, give him an ultimatum

Foxy:
I'm on his social media right now; just threaten to
do something about his mom's diner and that Ladybug
comic unless he keeps his mouth shut

TrueQueenBee:
Alright... That could work. He's certainly pathetic enough
to care about those things

Foxy:
Great. Now how about an apology for snapping at me?

TrueQueenBee:
In your dreams, Layla

"Wow, that girl does take after her mother," Lila murmurs to herself. Feeling as if she's lost dozens of brain cells, Lila puts down her phone and makes her way into the kitchen to grab a snack. The things she does to get what she wants.

Nathaniel didn't know how to explain it, but he felt... Lighter coming into school in the morning. He'd been talking with Marc and his friends all through the weekend, and it helped him to nearly forget the interaction between Chloé and Lila because he's never going to forget something like that. Whenever they sensed he was worried about today, the class would assure him everything would be fine, and if Chloé and Lila wanted to get to him, they'd have to go through them.

... Although, he didn't see any of them around yet. And Chloé's limo just pulled up to the front of the school. Nathaniel had never run faster up a flight of stairs in his life. Darting across the courtyard and ignoring the polite smiles of the Recess Class for helping them stop Rochelle, he guns for the locker room and quickly goes to grab his things out of his locker.

Why did he have to put a lock on his door?!

It wasn't just Marinette's expulsion that prompted students to get padlocks for their lockers, it was when Alya broke into Chloé's locker to prove she was Ladybug, Chloé broke into Marinette's locker to deface Mme. Bustier's gift, and when someone broke into Adrien's locker and stole his phone during fencing practice. Yet, the school still has no cameras.

He just needs to get out of here, get to class, avoid Chloé and Lila, and he'll be safe.

Then there was a click.

And before he knew what was happening, Nathaniel was pulled away from his locker and roughly turned around. His bangs flew in front of his other eye so he couldn't see the assailant, but once his back slammed against the door of his locker and his bangs settled, he could see Chloé with an unsettling smile.

"Let me make something clear, Kurtzberg," she all but hissed. "If you get in my way, I will make you miserable."

'You do that just by existing,' he would say on any other day, but not when it feels like his life is being threatened. He boldly manages to ask, "What the hell are you talking about?"

She scoffs with a roll of her eyes. "Don't pretend! I know you heard Layla and me talking during that lame yoga class, and if you even think about telling anyone, you'll be sorry." She smirks. "Not that anyone would believe you, anyway."

... So he wasn't imagining things. Lila and Chloé were plotting something. "And they'd believe you?" 'Why am I saying all of this? It's not going to make things easier for me!' "I think you know pretty much everyone in the school hates your gates. And didn't Adrien renounce your friendship after you got Akumatized for the fourth time?" Chloé blanched for a moment and without missing a beat, her hand found its way to his neck, not cutting off his airways, but just putting the idea in his head that she easily could.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know those losers would never believe a word I'd say. But Layla-"

"Lila."

"Whatever, on the other hand, is quite convincing. One word from her, and your lame friends will be treating you as the social outcast you were born to be."

Nathaniel narrows her eyes at her. "What the hell are you planning?"

"As if it's any of your business," she retorts. "Just stay out of our way, and I'll consider making things easier for you." And with that remark, her hand was no longer around his throat. Just when Nathaniel thinks she's done, Chloé has to add, "And who knows? Maybe I'll consider letting your pig of a mother keep her cozy little restaurant and keep your little boyfriend from-

Rage shot through him like ice. In no time, Chloé now found herself in Nathaniel's previous position, looking far more scared than he was seconds ago. "Never talk about them," he snarled. "Leave them out of whatever the hell you're planning." This witch can do whatever she and Lila want to him, but the moment they decide to be bold and bring his mother and boyfriend into their twisted game, Nathaniel will make them suffer more greatly than they have made him.

When his fingers started digging into her shoulder, Chloé immediately pushed the redhead away, making him trip backward over the bench and land roughly on the floor. Before he could get up, the sole of Chloé's flat was pressed on his chest, keeping him there.

"Because I'm so nice, I'll forgive you for that," Chloé sneers. "But if you even think about stepping out of line like that again, you can kiss that lousy diner goodbye and to your career before it ever even started." And with a flip of her ponytail, Chloé flounced out of the locker room. The sound of the door slamming shut did nothing to even jolt him up. He was just... Numb.

"... Fuck. My life."

Still on the cold hard floor, it was too late for Nathaniel to run when the black and purple butterfly slipped into the spare drawing pencil in the inner pocket of his jacket. When the glowing indigo butterfly mask appeared over his eyes, Nathaniel didn't even blink when he felt another presence with him.

"Killustrator, I am Monarch. Being forced to keep such a horrendous secret is something no one should bear, especially one so young. One's silver tongue has you fearing for your reputation while the other's influence has you fretting for the safety of your loved ones. Now you may confront those two and force them to reveal the truth. In return, all I ask for is Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!"

Fear coursed through the Goat Kwami the moment she saw the lifeless look in her friend's eyes through Kaalki's portal. She silently pleaded for Nathaniel to not take Monarch's deal, but the moment the villain made the offer, Nathaniel took it. Ziggy felt a tear escape from the corner of her eye when she saw her friend transform into his new villainous form, the maniacal look in his eye was a horrible mockery of the gentle look he gave Ziggy when he asked for her permission to transform.

"Allow me to offer you some assistance. Pollen, Trixx, Ziggy..."

Ziggy's ears flattened against her head. "N-no."

"Your powers are now mine!"

Those were the last words Ziggy heard before she was pulled into the ring. At least now she'll be with Nathaniel again... In a way.

Killustrator's fingers twitched as black paint oozed from the tips of his fingers and encased his hands. Taking a deep breath, he slathered the ink all over his face, and the rest spread all over his body, trapping him in a mass of black paint. The material began contorting to form a more human-like shape and became an assortment of colors until... Nathaniel was standing in Killustrator's place.

He wipes the excess paint off of his face with his hands, goes to grab his belongings out of his locker, and makes his way out of the locker room with only one thing on his mind: Torture Lila and Chloé until they spill their guts, and then torture them some more.

But those thoughts went away the moment he saw his dear Rainbow! Not wanting to waste another second, he rushes over to the noirette and pulls him into his arms for a loving embrace. Marc's endearing laughter along with a chaste kiss on the forehead had a smile creeping on his face.

"You texted him thirty minutes ago," Simon drones as he walks past them with Denise.

Denise smirks. "Don't act like you wouldn't do the same," they tease, causing the redhead's face to turn the same shade as his hair.

"Ignore him," Marc coos and gently cups Nathaniel's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Killustrator lies smoothly. Normally he'd kick himself for lying to Marc like this, but it's for a good cause. "But... Could you walk me to class?" For good measure, he bats his eyelashes, knowing Marc couldn't resist. Marc takes his hand and walks him up the stairs. On their way up the stairs, Killustrator notices Lila out of the corner of his visible eye. She smirks at him, so he gives her one that's a mix of Hannibal Lecter and Pennywise, making him look more sinister than mischievous like her, but it sends the brunette scurrying off.

"Okay, now I need to get to class," Marc tells him, making Killustrator whine and cling to his arm. "Nath..."

"No, stay with me forever. Please?" The noirette's only response is a quick peck on the cheek. "Fine," he pouts and watches Marc leave for a few seconds before begrudgingly going into the classroom where most of the class is already seated. Already, he hears Chloé's haughty laughter as she makes yet another post about Ladybug's uselessness while Sabrina forces herself to smile.

And already sitting at their desk is Lila who's shaken off her previous shock and is now giving him a knowing look once he sits down.

"Nath," she starts sweetly. "I heard you had a little talk with Chloé earlier. I hope it went well."

"..."

Lila huffs a bit. "It's considered rude to not answer someone who's talking..." Lila's words die on her tongue when Killustrator slowly turns his head and tilts it at an angle that shouldn't be humanly possible. She would've fallen off the bench if not for him quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her back up.

"Yes. It was very enlightening," he answers. "I'll be sure to tell Chloé what a nice talk that was." When Lila finally manages to pull her arm out of his grip, he puts his head back in its right position and faces the front of the room just as Mme. Bustier walks in. With Lila quiet for now, he decides how he's going to mess with Chloé for the rest of class with his new powers.

He could make an illusion of a swarm of bees flying in to attack her, but it's no fun if they can't sting her... But then again, everyone's terrified of spiders. He'll make spiders. While Mme. Bustier announces today's weekly compliment exchange in that perky voice of hers, he whispers a quick, "Mirage," and waits for the fireworks.

"Who'd like to come up first and exchange a compliment?"

‘Oh, I refuse to miss this.’

To everyone's surprise, Killustrator raised his hand and announced, "I'd like to go first and compliment Chloé."

Mme. Bustier doesn't notice the look of complete and utter shock on her students' faces and beams. "How generous of you, Nathaniel!"

With some unsureness, the blonde makes her way to the front of the classroom, not quite sure what was going on. Once Killustrator is at the front with her, he starts, "Chloé, I find it so amazing how confident you are with publically denouncing Ladybug so many times when she's done so much good for Paris. Imagine once Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Monarch. God, I wish I had the bravery to accept public humiliation like you no doubt will."

'I see what he's doing,' some think.

Chloé sputters for a moment. Deciding not to pull any punches, she retorts, "Well! I think you're the brave one for not crying your eyes out when your so-called best friend left you alone."

"Did she just go there?" Alya whispers.

Killustrator tilts his neck to the side, an audible pop making itself heard. "Oh, I see. Well, if I'm alone I guess that means you have one more friend than me. Isn't that great?" Chloé starts fuming, but he's not done yet. "But, real talk. I'd like to go out and say how your time as Queen Bee was something to remember. I mean, really. Hijacking a train, accepting two Akumas while you had your Miraculous, and still claiming Monarch would be defeated if you still had your Miraculous. You are just all over the place, aren't you, Queen Bee? Or was it Queen Wasp? You know, I have such a hard time keeping up with names.”

While Chloé stood with her mouth open and closing like a fish, Mme. Bustier piped up, clearly not sensing the tension, “Nathaniel, I’m so proud of you for stepping up without me having to ask.”

The Akuma makes a show of preening. “Of course.” He goes back to his seat while Mme. Bustier calls on the next person. Noticing Ivan’s outstretched fist, he fist bumps him and hears him whisper, “Nice.”

Killustrator had almost forgotten about his Mirage until Chloé’s screaming sounded throughout the classroom when she opened her bag and a small cluster of black widows crawled out and all over her desk and floor. Kim shrieks and hops up on the desk, doing nothing but pointing at each spider and pleading for someone to kill them. Just so he won’t look like the odd one out by not panicking at the side of the venomous arachnids, Killustrator gets on top of his desk and makes his illusions go in all different directions to avoid anything being thrown in a vain attempt to kill them.

Now for the real fun. Another black widow crawls out of Chloé’s bag and proceeds to go up her leg. Now, since it’s only an illusion, she can’t feel it. But Sabrina sees it and kicks Chloé’s leg. He sends the illusion flying just a millisecond before Sabrina’s foot can touch it, and it skids across the floor.

Deciding he's had enough fun, Killustrstor sends his illusions crawling out of the room, allowing his classmates to calm down. And once they were out of sight, he called the illusions off.

”I bet they smelled her perfume,” Myléne says to Ivan. “The label says one of the ingredients is made from spider silk. No wonder they’re chasing after her.” With their unasked question answered, the students all settled down and got off of their desks. Kim, however, was a bit more reluctant to do so, and it took some gentle coaxing from Max to help him down.

After a beat of silence, Mme. Bustier clears her throat. “Who would like to come up for a compliment exchange?”

As soon as he was out of the classroom, Nino burst into laughter and slapped Nathaniel on the back. "Dude, you were a badass back there! I did not think you had it in you." The redhead only shrugs and walks further ahead to get to their next class, leaving him with Adrien. "My boy," he fake-sobs and leans against Adrien's shoulder. "I'm so proud of my boy." Adrien furrows his brow and pats his friend's head. "I'm still wondering how Chloé didn't notice those spiders in her purse. Wouldn't they have crawled out sooner?"

The capped boy shrugs. "Hey, I choose not to question it. It's about time Chloé got what was coming to her, you know?"

Sighing to himself, Adrien nods. "I guess you're right." He's given Chloé more than enough chances, and she's thrown them all out the window. The spiders may have been much and a little out of nowhere, but Nathaniel's compliment exchange was something he'll remember forever. However, he does wonder where the redhead's sudden confidence boost came from. Normally, he'd hide behind his sketchbook to prevent being called on, but he was first to volunteer for the exchange and insulted Chloé without so much as stuttering.

Hearing some laughter, Adrien turns and sees Nathaniel talking to Ismael and Lacey. He's smiling brighter than he's seen him ever since Alix left, and it's nice to see. 'Oh, he's been hanging out with Marc's friends,' he realizes and that's enough reasoning for him. Making their way into the science classroom, the two take their seats, giving Adrien a clear view of Marinette from where he sat behind her and Alya. Her pigtails just looked so cute.

Any thoughts about the bluenette were cut short when he heard a scream coming from the back of the classroom. Lila was standing up with black paint covering the seat of her romper. "Who did this?!" She demanded, startling a few with her sudden outburst.

Mme. Mendeleiev and Marinette had a serious sense of Deja Vu right just now. Snapping out of the memories, the science teacher attempts to calm her down. "Well, Miss Rossi, that's completely on you for not looking before you sat down. I bet one of Lacey's pens broke again," she murmurs before asking, "Does anyone have a spare change of clothes for Lila to war?"

"Uh..." Juleka shakily raises her hand. "I have some leggings and a shirt in my locker." Mme. Mendeleiev nods, signaling for the two girls to leave while Lila makes a show of being extremely grateful for Juleka's help on their way out.

"Well, while we wait for Juleka and Lila to get back, I'll start passing these out." Mme. Mendeleive pulls out a small box of beakers and plastic packets from behind her desk and distributes them around the room. Each student gets one beaker and four packets. "Keep in mind, the chemicals in these packets are not lethal, but they will stain your clothes and skin. This shouldn't be a problem for those who took notes."

Kim silently thanked Max for helping him with his notes.

"Once you have your materials, you may begin."

Once he had his materials and was given the go from the science teacher, Killustrator got to work, setting the bunsen burner on his side of the desk to the right setting and slowly pouring the substances into the beaker while it warmed over the burner. While he waits for the desired reaction, Juleka and Lila walk back into the room, the latter trying to keep up her facade while dressed in Juleka's spare gym clothes with the sleeves and pantlegs rolled up a bit. After Mme. Mendeleieve explains to them the assignment, they take their seats.

Before sitting down, Lila puts a few paper towels on her chair. She's not making that mistake again.

While Lila pours in the first two chemicals, Killustrator whispers a quick "Mirage," and "Genesis." A larger packet of the reactive chemical appears in his hand, which he pours into Lila's beaker and then the rest into Chloé's. And the two are none the wiser thanks to his illusion.

Done, he sits back at his desk and calls off the illusion right as the liquid in his beaker changes colors. Mme. Mendeleiev notices this from her desk and looks proud as she writes down his grade on her clipboard.

... Well, that settles it. Someone is out to get her. No, she's not being paranoid because there are not all coincidences. First, Chloé threatens Nathaniel, Nathaniel acts all creepy during class, he finally mans up and insults Chloé, and now she's wearing that goth freak's clothes, patches of her skin are purple, and now this!

Lila snarls when she sees yet another fairy tale book instead of a textbook in her locker.

He would have access to paint, he must have put something in her beaker when she went to change clothes, and he must have gotten the books from the library... But how could he move so quickly- Ah! No matter!

This stops now. Unfortunately, Mendeleiev is keeping her in class for study hall. Fortunately, though, she's a master manipulator. And she knows just who to go to. Putting on her best pitiful expression and pinching her wrists for good measure, she goes to seek out Kim. Honestly, the idiot was just too easy to trick. He's like a male version of Rose, both so stupidly nice and disgustingly noble when it comes to their friends. Just thinking about those two is giving her cavities.

It doesn't take her too long to find Kim sitting on one of the courtyard benches with Max, Denise, and Simon, the four of them going over history notes. Once she feels a tear escape from the corner of her eye, she makes her way over. "Um... Kim, could I talk to you?"

The four of them all look up but with completely different expressions. Kim and Max look concerned while Denise and Simon have looks that remind her of Marinette whenever she so much as speaks. She'll be sure to talk with them later... Or just Simon since Denise could bend her like a twig.

"Sure, what's up, Lila?" The brunette tilts her head to the side, signaling that she'd like to talk with a little more privacy. The two settle for the locker room where Lila immediately choked back a sob, worrying the athlete. "Lila, what happened?"

"It's... It's Nathaniel." This immediately grabs his attention. 'Perfect.' "I wasn't quite sure how to say this or who to even go to, but... When I got to school this morning, I was at my locker... H-he cornered me, and was like a completely different person! He threatened me, saying he'd make my life hell or something like that. And during first period, he grabbed my arm, and-" She sobs and covers her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"... That doesn't sound like him at all."

"Tht-that's what I'm saying!" Lila cries harder. It'll give her a headache later, but she needs to look convincing. "Could... Could you maybe talk to him? D-don't threaten or anything, but I'm sure he'd listen to you. Maybe he's just stressed because of... You know... Alix."

Kim sighs and looks off to the side, missing his friend and dare partner. It would make sense for Nathaniel to act differently in her absence but not like this... Maybe the stress was getting to him and he lashed out on accident. That had to be it. "Don't worry, Lila. I'll talk with him." At just like that, Lila was beaming. And her tears dried up in a flash.

"Thank you, Kim! You're so sweet!"

And now she was skipping out of the classroom. 'Girl emotions are weird,' he thinks to himself.

Killustrator wanted to laugh. This is Lila's idea of revenge. "Lila thinks I did what? Kim, you know me," he says while packing his messenger bag. "I'd never do anything like that."

Kim shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah, I tried to tell Lila that, but she seemed pretty insistent. And yeah, bud, I know you. You wouldn't dream of threatening someone unless they deserved it."

"Exactly," Killustrator nods. "And that thing with her arm? I admit I may have gripped it too hard, but only because she was about to fall off the bench. Honestly, I feel so embarrassed. You know, I think Lila might have misunderstood or misheard me when we spoke this morning. Didn't she mention having PTSD a while back?" Kim nods. "Okay, that must have been it, or maybe her memory was just acting up. Thanks for letting me know, Kim. I'm going to go find her right now and apologize."

Getting a kind smile in return, Killustrator heads out of the classroom, his demeanor changing drastically when he sees Lila going into the locker room. Plan set in mind, he goes after the brunette and finds her at her locker, furiously scrubbing the stains on her face. Any harder, and her skin might come off. And with her vision obscured, she doesn't see him walk in.

Noticing Myléne at her locker, likely to look for her all-natural wipes for Lila to use, Killustrator whispers "Venom," and taps the bohemian's dreadlocks. "Well!" Lila jolts and whips her head around, frowning when she sees him. "Someone's a little tattletale."

"Shouldn't you be knocked out somewhere?"

Ignoring that, Killustrator casually strolls toward her and whistles a quiet tune. Close enough, he whispers, but just loud enough for Lila to hear, "Mirage," and Lila suddenly feels a chill going down her spine when the locker room becomes tinted a shade of orange.

"... You're Akumatized," she concludes and it's clear she's trying to not show fear.

Killustrator rolls his eyes. "Well, what do you expect when some brat threatens you using your mom and boyfriend as leverage? It can make a guy upset, Lila. Do you think I like hurting people? I don't. But for you and Chloé, I'll make a nice little exception."

The brunette weakly scoffs and folds her arms. "You don't scare me."

He raises an eyebrow. "Ah. Well, I can't say I blame you when I look like this. But, how about now?"

Killustrator grips the skin on his face and pulls it back. Just before the dyed paint can obscure his vision, he manages to catch a glimpse of the look of sheer horror on Lila's face. Once the layer of paint was removed like a rubber mask, Lila was staring at his real face, looking quite sick. "Too much?" He pulls the paint back over his face again and readjusts it so it looks normal again. "I pulled the same trick with your textbooks, by the way. So, enjoy reading Peter Pan for a while."

All Lila does is sputter and stammer. Clicking his tongue, he walks over to Myléne still affected by Venom, and starts positioning her so her body is just a few inches from hitting the floor. With that, he calls off the illusion and undoes the effects of Venom on Myléne. She falls the rest of the way and hits the floor. "Lila!" He gasps. "Why would you push Myléne like that?!"

Myléne rubs her head and shoots the stunned Italian a hurt expression. "If you didn't want my help, you could have just said so. Thanks, Nath," she says as the redhead helps her up.

"Of course," he tells her kindly and walks her out of the locker room.

"B-but I didn't-!" Lila's words get caught in her throat when Killustrator turns his head 180 degrees and then back without Myléne seeing. Seething, Lila punches her locker door and grabs her phone out of her pocket to quickly call Chloé. By the fourth or fifth ring, she finally answers.

"And just where are you?"

'Don't sass me, you walking one-dimensional bleach blonde Valley-Girl stereotype.' "We have a problem," she says instead. "It's about Nathaniel, and before you laugh it off, he's Akumatized and is concealing his identity using his powers. And from what I've seen, he also has the powers of the Fox and Bee Miraculous."

Knowing that caught Chloé's attention, she smirks when she hears a muffled scream on the other line.

"So those spiders weren't real?! And how dare he use MY Miraculous?!"

'I mean, you did threaten him.' "Don't worry, I think I know his weakness," Lila assures. "He's covering up his real appearance using paint. So, I'm thinking we just pour water on him so the paint will become runny and eventually wash away." When she gets nothing but silence, she sighs and continues. "Once our classmates see that he's Akumatized, he'll be an outcast for targeting me for no reason, and no one will believe a thing he says about our plan."

She can hear the blonde smirking. "Now you're talking. Sabrina! You're going to pour your water on Kurtzberg, got it?" And with that, Chloé hangs up. Lila rolls her eyes and pockets her phone again. Now she's gotta sit through lunch with her.

The moment the call ends, Sabrina slowly starts counting to ten on her way to the cafeteria with Chloé. It's worked before, but now it feels like she's counting down the seconds before she snaps and rips Chloé's ponytail right off her head. She has been fired at, had a box clamped around her hand, turned into a clone, controlled by a bear, and has probably broken a dozen laws all so that girl can pretend like she's everyone's gift from heaven and get everything she wants when her spineless dad isn't around.

And ever since she and Lila became partners, it seems like she's only gotten worse. And honestly, based on what she heard over the phone call, Sabrina kind of hopes that Nathaniel teaches her and Lila a lesson. She doesn't give two shits about messing with Marinette anymore, that was just to keep her only friend around. But now that she has Lila, they can be social outcasts together when Lila gets exposed as a fraud and no doubt drags Chloé down with her while Sabrina's going to try and redeem herself.

Walking into the cafeteria, Sabrina finds herself once again under Chloé's expectant gaze. Huffing, she looks around for Nathaniel and finds him sitting at Marc's usual table with his friends. 'When did he start sitting with them?' Shrugging it off, she casually walks over to their table, pulls her water bottle out of her lunch bag, unscrews the cap, and-

"Oh, my God!"

"What the hell?!"

"What was that for?!"

Chloé gleefully smiles and points. "Look! Look at his face!" Seeing him trying to cover his face, Chloé storms over and pries Nathaniel's hands away from his face, revealing the dripping black paint oozing along his face. Everyone in the cafeteria recoils in horror and disgust at the sight. "See?! He's an Akuma!"

Lila had just walked into the cafeteria and already, she wished she had "accidentally" tripped and spilled her water on the redhead. Though, Chloé probably still would have reacted the same way.

"Nath?" Marc whispers, but not out of fear. He reaches his hand forward and wipes some of the paint away with his thumb, revealing purple skin underneath.

"R-Rainbow, I..." The Akuma glares at Chloé and Lila out of the corner of his eyes. "You just had to open your big mouth." In no time, the rest of his disguise drips away. He pushes his arms out in front of him, and a stream of black paint shoots from his hands and traps Chloé and Lila in its mass. "Well, I've had my fun here, so- "Venom!" he quickly calls out and paralyzes Ivan when he tries to go after him. He looks around the cafeteria to see who else is bold enough, but no one is stepping up, "... I've had my fun, gonna force the truth out of these two, enjoy the rest of your day." With that, he hefts the two girls over his shoulders, kisses Marc on the cheek, and blasts a hole through the window to make his escape.

Kim finally asked, "What the hell just happened?" Mme. Bustier's students murmured in confusion, "Why is Nath after Lila?" "What did Chloé do this time?" "Chloé must have dragged Lila into this!"

"Nath figured out the truth about Lila during your empathetic yoga thing, sorta had a mental breakdown last week due to stress of just about everything, and it seems as though Lila and/or Chloé said or did something to him earlier to ensure he stays quiet about what he heard," Cosette says in a single breath then goes back to looking at her phone. Naturally, the infamous Akuma Class is confused.

"What do you mean?"

"What truth?"

"Again, why is he after Lila?"

"Chloé, I get, but Lila?"

Zoé wipes some stray paint off of her jacket. "I think you'll figure it all out soon enough. Maybe. It depends on how fast Ladybug and Chat Noir are and what methods he uses to get them talking."

Alya arches an eyebrow. "You seem oddly calm after he just kidnapped your half-sister."

"I'd be more concerned if she hadn't broken into my room and sold most of my clothes to the thrift store." Zoé goes back to eating the rest of her lunch, but soon can't help but notice the lack of a bright red hoodie. "Uh... Where did Marc go?"

Killustrator was not careful when jumping from roof to roof, smirking whenever Chloé and Lila screamed due to a harsh landing. "You know, if you just tell our classmates what you're up to, I'll end this a lot sooner. But, Lila, I think you have a lot more to tell them. If that even is your real name, of course. With the number of lies you've been telling, I'm beginning to wonder if you are who you say you are. Hell, I'm starting to wonder if you have on a wig."

He didn't see Lila blanching as he dodged Ladybug's oncoming yoyo.

"Nathaniel! Put Chloé and Lila down!"

"No! I'm gonna make their lives hell, instead!" He shoots paint from his fingers to deflect Ladybug's yoyo and shoots some at her foot so it sticks to a rooftop, allowing him to make his getaway. But once he left, Ladybug tapped her earpiece and said, "Chat, he's coming to you."

"You know, Chloé, I think a quarter of the city is suspicious of you working for Monarch considering the number of times you've been Akumatized. Yeah, there's Ramier, but he hasn't caused most of the school's Akumatizations. It shows that money can make shit disappear. What do you have to say about that?"

All he got in response were muffled screams from both girls.

"Oh, right." With a quick swipe of his hand, the paint covering Chloé's mouth was gone. "You were saying?"

"Well, who cares?! Monarch is the one who sees my brilliant unlike that wannabe hero, Ladybug! And when he finds out what you've done to his greatest ally, you'll be sorry! And when Ladybug finally gets off of her lazy but and fixes you, I will make it so you can never set foot in Paris again!"

"... Are you done? Good." He covers her mouth with paint again and then addresses Lila. "Lila, you've been hanging out with this girl? Aren't you supposed to be Ladybug's best friend?" He wipes the paint off of her mouth.

"I've been trying to help Chloé get better," Chloé looks aghast. "And she's entitled to her own opinions about Ladybug. Also, she's not the only one who's not fond of Ladybug right now, so you can't just single her out-" Her words are cut off by Killustrator spraying paint on her mouth.

Killustrator scoffs. "This isn't about Chloé liking Ladybug or not; this is about Chloé willingly helping a terrorist. You truly believed no one heard you when you got Akumatized into Penalty? Marc was there, he heard you whispering to Sabrina." He smirks when Chloé pales. "Well, looks like I've got your attention. Now don't get too comfortable, because we've got a stop to make."

"That'll have to wait!" Killustrator yelps when Chat Noir's staff comes out of nowhere and trips him. He drops Chloé and Lila and skids across the rooftop he was on.

"You stray bastard!" Killustrator hisses and shoots paint from his fingertips at the hero. Chat Noir continues to duck and dodge each blast, only making the Akuma grow frustrated. "HOLD STILL!" The current of paint cuts off when he's suddenly ensnared by Ladybug's yoyo and yanked back, making him trip and fall to the ground. "FUCK!"

"The mouth on this one," Ladybug quips as she reels him in like a fish. "Once we de-akumatize you, we'll see what got you so upset in the first place." While she already has some idea, she wants to hear it straight from Nathaniel.

Killustrator writhes in his binds. "NO! Everyone needs to know now! Genesis!" Ladybug's grip on her yoyo immediately loosens when she jumps out of the way to avoid getting hit by a bowling ball. Killustrator escapes and grabs his captives with his paint. But right before he leaves, he calls out, "Mirage!" and creates multiple illusions of himself with Chloé and Lila.

Chat Noir sums it up best for both of them. "... Shit."

Nadja Chamack, like many others, is so used to Akuma attacks by now, whether they're in the streets, in their neighborhood, or airborne. But, when a purple-skinned Akuma just barges into the Face-to-Face studio with two captives and a feral look in his eyes, of course, she's a little tense and nervously greets the Akuma- Evillustrator, she believes. "O-oh, this is unexpected. Viewers, it would seem we have three new guests with us."

Without a word, Evillustrator drops Lila and Chloé onto the couch next to the show's startled guest and removes the ink from their mouths. "Now start talking! You two aren't leaving until everyone watching hears it straight from your mouths exactly what you're planning to do to Marinette," he points to Lila, "What you did before you came to Paris," then points to Chloé, "And what you threatened to do to me if I didn't keep my mouth shut!"

"I have no idea what this psycho is talking about!" Chloé screams and turns to one of the cameras. "Daddy, if you're watching this, call the police and have him arrested!"

"And unless your daddy wants to see you without a head, I suggest keeping quiet unless you're going to tell the truth! GENESIS!" In his hand appears a machete to go with his manic grin. Chloé wisely shuts her mouth while Lila sinks further into her chair. "Oh, neither of you is talking? Well, that's fine." He stabs the ground with the machete and stalks toward Lila. "Well, Lila, I'm sure your mother must be watching. I wonder how she'll react when I talk about your constant charity work which causes you to miss several school days, the absurd number of ailments you have that make it necessary for you to have all sorts of special treatment, how you saved Jagged Stone's cat from an airport tarmac right when the plane was about to take off, how you were in Achu for several months, and how you fell down the stairs without even needing to go to the hospital."

In no time, the screen behind Nadja lights up when numerous people start calling, and out of all four of them, two have the last name, Rossi while one has the last name, Verdi and the other has the last. name, Contard. Curious about this, Killustrator tells Nadja, "Answer all of them." Four images appear on the screen, one of a light tan woman with a pixie cut and a tan complexion, a paler woman with light brown hair, another woman with fair skin and black hair, and a man with tan skin and reddish brown hair. "Could I get everyone's names?"

"Gretta Rossi, I'm Lila's mother," the woman with the pixie cut answers, resulting in an uproar from two of the other adults.

"My name is Ilene Rossi, I'm also Lila's mother," says the woman with light brown hair.

"No, I am Lila's mother," signs the woman with black hair. Seeing that she's deaf, one of the people on effects put up subtitles for each of the outraged parents.

"Who is Lila?!" The man shouts. "I'd recognize my own daughter! Cerise, what is going on? And why are you wearing a wig?"

Killustrator and Chloé both tilt their heads in confusion. Wanting to see if this is true, Killustrator grabs the end of Lila's ponytail and pulls. As the man said, it's a wig. Instead, Lila's hair is a much darker shade of brown and styled into a pixie cut similar to Rose's. "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

Ilene gasps. "What did you do to your hair?!"

"You told me you had an out-of-town photoshoot!"

"I'm pretty sure my daughter isn't supposed to be out of town!"

"What's this about a kitten?"

"And running truant, Cerise?"

"You aren't working with any charities!"

"Yes, she is!"

For once, Lila stammers for a response. This wasn't supposed to happen! How is she going to make up for this mess?! "M-mom-" The two brunette women immediately look at her. "Are you going to believe an Akuma?! H-he's tricking you! He has the Fox Miraculous and can create illusions!"

"Yeah, I can create illusions, not rewrite reality," Evillustrator scoffs. "Now, I think all four of your parents want to hear about everything because frankly, I'm also very confused here, Lila. Or is it Cerise?"

"There is nothing to be confused about," the man asserts. "My name is Ignazio Verdi, Cerise is my daughter, and I adopted her a year ago."

The noirette woman blinks in shock. "I'm Eliza Contard, I adopted Lila seven months ago. She was the oldest one in the orphanage, and I felt so terrible that no one would take her in."

Ilene and Gretta look outraged. Ilene seethes before screaming, "I gave birth to her! I held her in my arms and raised her! I still helped even after the separation! Never in my life would I put my daughter up for adoption!"

"Neither would I," Gretta adds, much calmer than Ilene. "Lila, you better explain what is going on at this moment," she demands, her voice holding no room for argument. Lila looks at all four images, Ilene and Gretta's expectant looks, Eliza's betrayed expression, and Ignazio's disappointment. She stammers for a while, trying to come up with a lie that will solve everything. But the Akuma doesn't have powers that can help her in this situation, no one will buy that she's having a heart attack, and those idiot heroes are nowhere to be found!

Killustrator breaks the silence by snickering. "Well, I think your parents should resolve this with your principal. Oh, and M. Verdi, I mean the principal of Francoise DuPont, not wherever Cerise is going. Though, I'd check with that principal as well. Who knows what other secrets Cerise is hiding from you?" Before the parents could react, one look from the Akuma has Nadja quickly hanging up on them. "Now that Lila/Cerise is out of the way, let's discuss you, Chloé. I hear that's your favorite topic!"

"I don't have anything to say to you," she hisses. "I haven't done anything wrong!"

Killustrator raises an eyebrow. "Really? So, you didn't crash a train, willingly accept an Akuma from Monarch to turn into Penalty, which counts as terrorism, and constantly threaten the school with the threat of getting your father involved? Need I remind you that if he were to get involved in such petty teenager drama and shut down the school or fire a teacher on your whim, that would be seen as an abuse of power?"

No matter what he said, Chloé didn't look the least bit afraid or even ashamed. "Wow. Do you think your coward of a dad is going to get you out of this? Isn't he the same man who tried to conduct an illegal search on minors all for a tacky bracelet?" Now this catches Chloé's attention.

"That bracelet costs more than your house!"

"So, €3,430,000? We can also add psychological abuse to your long list." He taps his chin and looks up in thought. "Let's see... You've got almost all of my classmates Akumatized just by being you, you threatened to get your sister moved back to New York unless we worked on your crack version of the class film, and laughed at the pain and suffering you cause us as if it were some sick joke. Am I missing something?"

A rapid number of notification alerts can be heard coming from Nadja's phone. While the cameras are on the Akuma, she checks her phone, and her eyes widen at the number of notifications she getting for updates on #cancel and #monarch... She only follows the former tag to make sure she doesn't say anything wrong on the air. Students are coming out and confessing what Chloé's done to them, and some are about Lila/Cerise, explaining the many wild claims she's told them before they transferred schools- Oh, and now Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale are responding. And this is a surprise, Chloé's supposed best friend is confirming she was hoping for Monarch to akumatize her... Then there's just a bunch of Italian. Translating the Tweet, Nadja's eyes widened in horror when she read what the user had typed.

If you were to ask Nadja, she'd say her finger slipped. This made her accidentally tap something on her phone to project its screen on the massive one behind her for the audience to see. 'Whoops.'

"Oh!" Killustrator giggles. "How could I forget? This morning, you cornered me in the bathroom, had your hand around my neck as if threatening to choke me, threatened to close my mother's diner, and I believe you implied you would take down the comic that my boyfriend and I put our blood, sweat, and tears into if I didn't keep quiet about what you were planning to do to Marinette! So yeah! Naturally, I got Akumatized! Because who wouldn't when Chloé acts like herself?!" In response to his anger, paint shoots from his hands and blasts two cameramen, pushing them against the walls of the studio.

"Still think your daddy's influence will save you?" Chloé braces herself to be hit with more paint, but it doesn't come when the doors burst open. Ladybug and Chat Noir stand on the other side with their weapons brandished.

"You got your revenge, Killustrator, now take what is mine!"

Killustrator rolls his eyes with a huff. "Fine. Venom!" Ignoring Chloé's cries of protest for "stealing her power," he charges at the heroes with his powered hand outstretched. Chat Noir veers out of the way in time and smacks him out of the studio with his staff right before Ladybug shuts the door behind them. Now without a crowded room of vulnerable civilians, they won't have to go easy on him.

Ladybug spins her yoyo to deflect any blast of paint while Chat Noir tries to get close to him. He manages, but now he has to avoid getting hit with Venom. Just when he thinks he has Killustrator right where he wants him when Ladybug finally restrains his arm from shooting the paint, the Akuma is quicker and stuns the staff with Venom, freezing it in place and making Chat Noir unable to use it.

With Chat Noir momentarily shocked, he uses the distraction to pin him to the wall with a blast of paint, followed shortly by Ladybug. While unwrapping the yoyo string around his arm, he doesn't hear the elevator doors opening or even the footsteps getting closer to him until he's grabbed by the back of his shirt and dragged into the elevator with a yelp.

"What the fuck are you-!" The insult dies on his tongue when he catches sight of the familiar red hoodie. "Rainbow?" The noirette doesn't respond and proceeds to hit about ten buttons on the elevator's panel, meaning they'll be in there for a while. "Why would you do that?" He tries not to raise his voice.

"... You know I can't let you take Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous, Nathaniel." Ignoring the look of irritation for not using his Akuma name, Marc moves closer toward him. "Love, you got your revenge on Chloé and Lila. Simon's been spamming me different Tweets, links to the show, and... Well, pretty much everyone in Paris knows Lila, or... Cerise isn't who she says she is. It's been spreading like crazy. And the mayor's under fire for enabling Chloé so much. Is... Isn't that enough?"

Killustrator looks at him incredulously. Of course, it's not enough! "No! Hell, I'm just getting started! You have no idea what I was going to do to those two before Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up! You thought I was just going to stop at humiliating them live on air?! You didn't hear the exact words Chloé said to me! And I know Lila put her up to it! I just know it! Because Chloé doesn't know enough shit about my life, while Lila seems to know everyone's ticks! How else could she have gotten the class to turn on Marinette, and... And-!"

"Nath," Marc says softly. "Is this still about Chloé and Lila?"

"It's more than that..." After a beat of silence, Killustrator collapses into Marc's arms. "I'm just so. Fucking. Tired. Of everything. First, the Adrinette plans, this Monarch bullshit, th-then Alix left, and now this crap with Chloé and Lila. I snapped. I-I just needed some control back in my life, Rainbow!" He sighs and wipes a stray tear out of the corner of his eye.

The noirette holds the other boy tight in his arms and kisses the top of his head. "Nath, I'm so sorry... I had no idea you were feeling this way."

"Not your fault," he murmurs. "Everyone's already dealing with so much; I don't want to pile on. B-besides, who was really going to care anyways?" He sniffs a bit. "Nothing but dramatics from me, right?"

"Love..."

"Oh, my friend is trapped in the future and Chloé just threatened the two most important people in my life?" He gave a mirthless laugh and pulled away from Marc to rest his forehead against one of the elevator's walls. "Besides the first thing, that's a typical day for Marinette- All of our classmates, really. I-it's fine now! I mean, Chloé will probably get a lenient sentence, but if we've learned anything from Lila, it's that she's a serial liar, and I doubt her mom- whoever she is- is even a diplomat, so her punishment will be taken more seriously!" Suddenly, he feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist for a gentle yet vice-like hug.

"Nath... Tell me where your Akuma is."

Any response Killustrator could give is cut off by Monarch's voice in his head. "Do not listen to him, Killustrator! You remember what happened last time I akumatized you! Disobey me, and the pain will become much more immense!"

Killustrator feels a sharp pain in his left arm, but hardly winces and lets out a sharp exhale. "You can't hurt me." The symbol around his eyes cracks, cutting off his communication with Monarch. The black smoke engulfs Killustrator and leaves Nathaniel in his place. The Akuma flutters out from the inside of his jacket. Before it could phase through the wall and infect another person, the elevator's ceiling panel turns to dust, and a familiar yoyo zips through and captures the Akuma before going back through the ceiling. 

Once the elevator door opens, Marc and Nathaniel step out and are met with Ladybug and Chat Noir crawling out of a wall through a vent. Ladybug releases a newly purified butterfly before tossing a red and black-spotted screwdriver into the air, yelling a quick, "Miraculous Ladybug!" The magic swarm does its job and spreads throughout the city fixing any and all damage.

While Ladybug creates a new magical charm, Chat Noir checks on Nathaniel and can't help but notice that he looks more worn out than usual. While he and Ladybug were in the elevator shaft, his enhanced hearing picked up bits and pieces of the conversation - more of a rant in his opinion- between Marc and Killustrator. It made him want to help the redhead in some way, but he doubts being around the person who's one of the causes of his stress will help... Maybe it's about time he opens up to Marinette. And not just to help Nathaniel, but also because he really wants to ask Marinette out. But this time, without an audience or any interruptions from Chloé.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Nathaniel squeezes the charm Ladybug gave him in his hand and takes a quick breath before nodding. "Yeah. I'll be fine." He shoves the charm in his pocket and takes Marc's hand, allowing the noirette to walk him up the stairs and into the school. With a quick look around the courtyard, he sees students either politely looking away or pretending to be on their phones while occasionally stealing glances at him.

"... Maybe I should've stayed home again."

"Nath, you're not missing school three days in a row," Marc gently chastises. "Besides, you need to confront your friends and tell them how you feel about being part of the Adrinette plans. Remember what Denise told you."

The redhead groans as he repeats the mantra for the fiftieth time, "I'm a human being with so much more to offer, and it's bullshit how you only wanted to hang out with me to be a part of your shipping schemes. I remember, Rainbow."Marc beams and kisses the side of his head, making the redhead smile just a bit. It quickly disappears when they approach the classroom. "Tayerer got, helf mir," he murmurs and slowly reaches for the doorknob.

Nathaniel simply turning the doorknob was so agonizingly slow that Marc eventually opened the door himself and gently pushed his boyfriend into the classroom and to the front before making his way back out. But, he didn't leave without sending the startled students a quick glare, a silent threat for all of them to listen to what his boyfriend had to say.

When the door shuts behind the noirette, most of the tension leaves.

"... I... I didn't have a problem with the Adrinette plans at first," he starts, eyeing Alya and Marinette specifically. "Hell, I thought it was going to be fun, but, that is not all I'm here for! Okay?! S-sorry," he quickly apologizes when a few people flinch. "But it's true! The one time you guys ask Marc and me to hang out with you all, and it's to make comics about a dozen different scenarios for Marinette and Adrien getting together! I'm tired of it, and I will NOT be reduced to a storyboard artist for your love lives on your whim!" He points an accusing finger at Alya. "Sorry! But it had to be said!"

"..."

"... Should I come back later?" Everyone's heads whip toward Adrien standing at the doorway with two cups of coffee. He gives Nathaniel a shy wave. "Hey, Nathaniel."

"Hey."

Nino clears his throat. "Well, first, Nathaniel, you don't have to worry about that anymore, 'cause... My bro finally asked Mari out." After an awkward few seconds of silence, he coughs into his fist. "Right, and uh... After we finally got over that whole Lila, Cerise, or whatever business, we, um..."

"Marc's friends told us what we've been doing to you," Myléne murmurs, afraid to look away from the floor. "And they were right. It was wrong of us to take advantage of you like that. I'm sorry."

Alya slowly raises her hand. "Same here. Nathaniel, I-I'm sorry for dragging you into our plans. You never really even got a say-"

"No, I didn't," Nathaniel interrupts. "You just looked at Marc and me and said, 'We need you,' and that was it. I've gone through half of my new sketchbook because of those God-awful plans the squad has been having us come up with."

Marinette looks down. "I'm especially sorry, Nathaniel. I never really stopped to think about how others felt before..." Her voice trails off when Adrien takes her hand. This stuns Nathaniel for a moment, but he stays firm and waits for Marinette to continue. "Marc and his friends actually gave me a talk while you were gone, saying I should be more mindful, and... They're right. A-again, I'm sorry."

An uncomfortable silence settles over the classroom for what feels like hours until Nathaniel finally speaks again. "... We're hanging out for real this time. No shipping schemes, no cringe comics to keep me up at night, and for fuck's sake, Marinette, no pretending to be more of a klutz than you already are." This gets a few laughs from his friends.

The bluenette bashfully rubs the back of her head before accepting the second cup of coffee in Adrien's hand. "I deserved that."

"But, I just have one quick question," Nathaniel adds while darting his eyes around the room. "Where are Chloé and Lila?"

"Oh, they're long gone. Arrested," Kim answers nonchalantly. "After the Miracle Cure, Chloé and Lila went back to the hotel, and police were waiting for them. Turns out that Lila is her legal name. Oh, and she's been arrested for truancy, fraud..." He counts on his fingers. "I think forging documents, too, which is how she got adopted twice. Oh, and the police are looking into that terrorism thing since she's associated with Chloé. Then there's Chloé's crimes- Not as long as Lila's list, but still long. Turns out, threatening to get the mayor to fire someone is seen as an abuse of power!" He laughs a bit. "Who would've guessed?"

Juleka rolls her eyes. "A lot of people. Long story short, the mayor can't get Chloé out of this mess. And if he does, he'll be in contempt and possibly impeached for aiding her."

Nathaniel can't believe what he's hearing. Chloé's finally gone! Lila, he couldn't care less about it, but Chloé is gone! At first, he wonders why he didn't hear about this online, but then remembers he was so busy texting Marc and his friends that he never bothered checking the news for what happened after he was de-akumatized. "Well... Now that that's out of the way." He points to Adrien. "Congrats on finally asking Marinette out."

The new couple blushes at the congratulatory remarks and smiles. "I just decided enough was enough," Adrien admits, although it's only the half-truth. "I like Marinette, she likes me, and... Well, here we are." A quick peck on the cheek from the bluenette has his face becoming tinted a bright red as their friends fawn over the new couple... All except a few people.

"Really? Some lame apologies and no more Adrinette schemes? That's it?" Ismael gestures to the scene behind the window with an irritated expression. "Where's the raw angst I was craving? He didn't get to torment his classmates as an Akuma, so why didn't Nath put those guys in their place?! You all saw the text he sent Marc! It was very detailed!"

Marc shrugs. "Hey, let's just be glad they opened up a dialogue. Besides, everyone goes at their own pace. The important thing is that they try to not treat Nath as some outsider."

"But didn't you tell me to pull some strings to get Nath put in our class if this happens again?" Asks Zoé. Marc shushes her so the other class doesn't hear.

"Ssh. Zoé, not so loud, okay? They don't know what we're planning."