Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

My head fucking hurts.

That’s the first thought that swims in as soon as I open my eyes. Throbbing pain in my temples, I roll over and try to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, I am thwarted by the most evil being of them all- my alarm.

Grumbling, I reach over, and press stop. Sitting up, I blink my bleary eyes to the room around me, taking in the light yellow walls, the white dresser and burrow, along the large closet of fashionable goods, and realize- today is the day.

Today is the day when I, Lila Rossi, would become the antagonist in Miraculous Ladybug.

~~

Let’s go back a bit. My first name was Lisa McGraw, a 14-year-old girl enrolled in the prestigious Somerset Academy, a simple private school for young girls. I was a total nerd, won’t lie about that. I loved superhero comics, anime, and manga, and had a string of friends who came and went in my local D&D group. Needless to say, I had it made.

Shame about the accident though. I was walking out to the parking lot to hitch a ride from Alaina’s sister, who offered to drive us both to the comic shop. They had a special that day on vintage record players. I wanted to buy my mom a gift, she had all these Led Zeppelin vinyls and her old player got smashed in the divorce.

This stupid jock swerved around the bend, didn’t see me, and that was that. Dead before impact with the ground.

Some days I miss it more than others. I miss the stability, I miss chatting with my mom about which Beatle she would liked to have married, missed me and Alaina’s late-night movie nights, missed playing with all my nerd friends.

Those days became less frequent though. I made my peace with my previous life, cried and buried Lisa and her dreams away, and prayed all my friends and my mom found good lives again.

I had become someone new. Lila Rossi, the famed minor antagonist in Miraculous Ladybug, the lying thief who plans to steal Adrien from poor helpless Marinette. She had somehow become a super spy or a secret agent by season 3, and that was when I stopped sort of watching.

Miraculous was fun to hate-watch for Alaina, her guilty little pleasure. Adrien was so naive, so annoyingly passive and helpless, she'd bemoan. He never actually learns to be an active participant in his life because everyone wants him as this picture perfect doll. Marinette was so irritatingly hypocritical, creepy, and possessive yet unable to grow a spine and get things done, She'd grumble. "She wanted to be a designer and had great connections to get it done, but we never actually saw her fully utilize those skills aside from banners or glasses. We only ever saw the derby hat! What a waste of backstory!" was what she said to me the last episode we watched together, where Marinette teamed up with the school bully- "Colette?"- to humiliate a girl.

"Lila, too, was such a waste. No real cohesive backstory, and no good scenes, they made her a villain and then maneuvered her to give shock value. She could have been written so much better!" Well Alaina, you'd get your wish. I will be better. Which included, playing a minor role.

~~

Living as Lila Rossi was strange. I expected people to call me Lisa, and would sometimes ignore their calls for Lila. That was a flaw I finally unburdened myself with in kindergarten.

“Lila!” Mary Kate sang, skipping over to me. She was the richest brat in the tub of toddlers and loved me for my ability to flatter her ego and play the games she wanted.

I smiled back. “Mary, I love your pretty hair ribbons! They look even shinier than your last!”

Preening, Mary tilted her head side to side to show them off. “Daddy got them for me from England, he said they go well with my hair. Too bad you don’t have any of your own.”

Digs like that were common with Mary Joe. Blond hair, blue eyes, spoiled little princess, with her father running a multi-million corporation, she was destined to be a rich spoiled bitch when she grew up. But she was good practice for Chloe, so I kept going back and dealing with her.

Nodding, I simpered back “Yeah, it’s too bad. But they look better on you, I couldn’t pull them off anyway. But Jessica said that her mommy gave her this pretty gold locket, want to see?”

Mary huffed and stood up. "No, I don’t! Who cares about stupid Becky?"

Storming away, her hair ribbons trailed in the air. Becky a few tables away, gave me a tired look, to which I slumped miserably.

Lila Reborn tip one: manipulation comes from a poor, saddened mask. Only allow those around you to see the second, the helpful minx, when you need them to. Never let them see your third.

Nina, Becky’s best friend, sidled close to me. "How can you stand her? She’s so mean!"

I give a wobbly little smile. “Mary’s nice when you get to know her, I promise! She’s not mean on purpose, she’s the best!”

Perhaps I should feel bad about manipulating toddlers to feel bad for me, but I was in a crowd of kids who came from obscenely rich and spoiled lifestyles.

Nina nodded sympathetically and took my hand. Well, just in case, here’s a Belgium chocolate I got from my big brother. He’s working down there to aqueen some holdings”

Acquire, I thought, yet I nodded, acting grateful. “Nina, youre so sweet! Thank you!”

Nina smiled and stepped back with Becky, and I thumbed the chocolate back into my pocket. I had a reputation for being the social pet for girls. With flattery, and compliments, I made sure to enjoy the decadent lifestyle these girls offered me until I moved with Papa.

~~

Mary Sue scowled, tears on her face. “ It’s not fair! Why are you leaving now?”

I smiled, wobbly and wet-eyed. My things had been packed for traveling to the Americas with my father. “I’m sorry Mary, I would have loved to stay, but, I have to go. You get it right?” I allowed a few tears to trail down my face.

Step 2. Learn how to fake cry. Tears for girls are the biggest deciding factor in winning because no one wants to be on the receiving end of a sad girl.

She hiccuped, and I hugged her right. I murmured back, “I’ll miss you.”

Step 3. To sell a performance, you need to inject truth now and then.

We stepped away from each other. I could see that she had already started thinking about what other friends she had on reserve, how her eyes started twitching towards her family’s Corvette, while I was destined for MaMa’s sleek black BMW. I had truly been lost to her after that hug.

We said our goodbyes, and I got in the car with MaMa.

“Ready?” she asked, eager to get on the road to our house in Berlin.

I grinned but was unable to truly remove the last of my tears. “Ready, MaMa.”

Chapter Text

Over the next few years, I learned how to better my acting abilities, as well as understand my living situation. Unlike the previous Lila, I was much better at crafting believable lies, and swaying people to my side.

However, I did appreciate why Lila lied so often. Endless moving, from one area to the next, made it impossible for me to truly get to know anyone longer than 6 months. My father, though kind, was just as distant with my mother. He owned and ran a solar tech farm in Achu, and worked on green energy renewal programs. Our family was constantly separated, which suited me fine. I didn’t want to get too close to these people, and apparently neither did the previous Lila, as anything I did was always brushed off in favor of the next job.

“Patatina! Are you unpacked?” Mama’s voice rang out through our newest house in Paris. I took out my last item, my record player from Maltese, the last fragment of a home I never really knew, and put it on my new dresser.

“Coming!” I yelled back, making my way through the narrow apartment halls.

When I arrived, my mother was beaming brightly, hands clasped together. “I have wonderful news!”

I nodded back politely. My mother worked best with an obedient daughter, so I was polite when we had to interact with one another. Plus, I could get what she was about to announce.

Diane Rossi, overworked, stressed, and tired, was constantly looking for a place where we could actually settle, without worrying about leaving me. To be honest, I probably would have done well without my mother, but she had grown on me these past few years. More scatterbrained and stressed than my first mother, she still loved me all the same, taking me with her to every country we visited.

Her reactions now, plus my more frequent phone calls with my father, pointed to one option- We were going to be staying in Paris, long enough to put in roots.

“I have found a permanent posting here as a diplomat in Paris,” she announced, smiling brightly. “You are currently enrolled in the Troisième grade at Collège Françoise DuPont, which is right next to the Eiffel tower! How exciting is that?!”

“Wow, really? That will be amazing to put on my blog!” I clapped my hands. It was true, I did start a diary blog. Alya will be attending in this group, and I hoped to bond over our shared love of blogging, allowing me to have a hand in Ladybugs publicity. Marinette never took advantage of a free-to-use online show-space, so I would do it for her.

Mom smiled again, pleased as can be, and raised her tablet to me. “I think we should celebrate. Oh, Antonio sent over a list of lunch spots, take a look.”

Taking it, I took a look at the options while Mom went around and laid back on the couch facing the window. “Chez Alain Miam Miam has pretty good reviews, Girafe too, oooh Francette has an amazing view, and- huh…”

Mom looked over questioningly. “Find something you like?”

I smiled and leaned over the couch to Mom's ear. "I found one that looks super good! How do you feel about pastries instead of lunch?"
~~
Mama was actually quite happy to get something light for the day.

"I can't believe I forgot, but there's a diplomatic dinner with the mayor of Paris tonight. I think his name is Andre? Either way, if you can handle dinner on your own, I'll leave you to it."

I smiled as we walked down the streets of Paris. The day was warm and sunny, with the faint gusts blowing through heralding the start of fall.

Mama wore her button down black work suit, with her white button down shirt underneath. I wore my tan skirt, white stockings, and red pullover tucked into my waistband.

"Of course! Don't you remember me taking all those cooking classes?" I laughed. This actually was true. I didn't want to take physical activity courses, so I always found ways around them, by taking home economics and various literature classes.

Mama smiled and ruffled my hair. "Of course! Those long shifts were worth it for all the meals you left for me to eat, mi patatina! Now, where did you say this pastry shop was?"

I took out my phone and checked the map. "I think we are right here. It should be-yes, there it is!"

As we turned around the corner, we arrived at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. It was really pretty, seeing it up close. The white exterior, highlighted by the black and gold sign, made it stand out on the busy street. And by busy, I do mean busy.

You see, the main difference between the bakery in the show and the bakery in real life, was the amount of customers. In the show, it was always a quiet shop, and had one or two customers come in at a time that I can recall. In the real world, it was bustling. There were quite a few people wandering in and out of the bakery, and there seemed to be a short line.

Oh quick, this way, Mama pointed out and grabbed my hand. quickly scurrying to the back of the line, we waited for the line to move forward, which took about 10 minutes.

"Hello, welcome to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie! I'm Sabine, what can I get you?" remarked the woman at the counter. She was short, with neatly done short hair. She wore a white cheongsam, dark pants, and smiled invitingly when we came up to her.

"Hello!" I began, taking the lead. "Can I get an apple Galette? Oh, do you also do coffee here?"

Sabine Cheng, the mother of the protagonist herself, laughed, but shook her head. "Sorry, we don't, but there is a cafe a few blocks from here that does. Just that? Anything else?"

Mama looked up from the display cases and smiled back sheepishly. "Um, scusa, do you have any recommendations? My daughter and I just moved here, and I haven't sampled french dishes in a while."

Mrs. Cheng laughed, "I can tell! I personally recommend the eclairs, they're one of our best sellers! So, where did you move from?"

"Italy, I am relocating for work as a diplomat. My daughter here is attending Françoise DuPont College? That is how you say it, yes?"

"Oh my, how exciting! My Marinette has been enrolled there since école. If you'd like, I'll let her know you'll be attending as well! It's always nice to start school with a friend!"

I nodded back, smiling politely. "That would be very nice ma'am, thank you! I'd love for someone to talk to there."

Not entirely true, but this was important. How we would interact would set the stage for every other encounter over the next few years.

"Wonderful! I'll let her know! oh, I don't believe I got your name?"

"Oh, my name is Lila", I smiled back. "Lila Rossi."

~~
Lunch went very well. Mama loved her eclair, and declared she would be visiting the bakery nearly every week.

I laughed, saying the same. We had found a little spot along the Seine to sit and eat our treats, and were enjoying the bright day.

"Lila, I know moving has been very hard on you, " Mom began, wiping her hands with a napkin. "Moving very often has not given you time to truly connect with other friends as much as you would like to. I also know that things may be hard at this new school, and everything will be different this time."

I looked out at the water. That was true. Things would be different. But perhaps not as Mama thought they would.

"I just want you to know that if you need anything at all, I'll be right there to help this time," she ended, looking at me forlornly.

I nodded back. "Mom, don't worry. This year, I think it will be very fun!"

Pushing back a stray hair, on my face, my mother visibly softened. "I hope so, Patatina. I really do hope so."

~~

Confession time: I forgot who Hawk Moth was.

In my defense, it was a really annoying show. The only reason I knew any of the characters was because me and Alaina would hate-watch it into the late hours of the morning. Even then, It was only episodes Alaina hated. She called it cathartic yelling? I didn't pretend to understand, and I didn't really pay much attention to the whole show. The only parts I knew was that Marinette was Ladybug, Adrien was Chat Noir, and I was one of the minor villains that would appear, irritate the love birds and then be exposed to the biggest bully in the school, Chardonnay.

So I knew a few things! I saw a few episodes in the first season, but I did other things when it was Miraculous night. Like making desserts, or organizing my dice set.

So I only knew a few minor points. That's fine! I just don't need to get akumatized, and everything would be fine! Smooth sailing!

"God, what a mess," I muttered, looking through my wardrobe. Unlike Lila's jumpsuit, I wanted something a bit more comfortable to go about the first day of class. Sweaters? Skirts? Pants? Nothing caught my attention.

"Whyyy, I moaned. "Why didn't I go on a last minute shopping spree in Poti?"

A knock on the door interrupted my musings. Opening it, it was Mama, dressed for the diplomat dinner.

"Hi Patatina, just wanted to give you something," She said, striding to my bed. "I got it as a gift from your father and I, so we thought you would really like it."

Putting down the clothing bags, she stepped back to allow me to see.

My eyes widened looking at the perfect outfit for tomorrow. "Mom, how did you both get all this?"

"I picked up a few pieces. I meant to give you the outfit for your birthday, but I think you need it more now, of course. Your father found the jacket at a local market in Achu, don't you like it?"

"Mama, I love it!" I whipped around to pull my mother in a crushing hug.

"I'm so glad, I hoped you would-"

A shrill alarm blared, startling us apart.

"Oh, the dinner! Sorry Patatina, I have to go, I hope you have a good night!"

Mom raced out the room, typing on her phone. I kept looking at the outfit, feeling warm.

Standing up with a smile on my face, I made my way over to the balcony. It was small, somewhat cramped. I could fit a chair here, perhaps a little side table too.

Looking at the night sky, I noticed the Eiffel tower to my left, though blocked by the building across from me and a thick oak tree brushing the balcony railing. I was on the 3rd story, below some neighbors who I hadn't seen or met. The people aside, it was quite lonesome here, all by myself. Perhaps I'd get friends who liked me. Perhaps I'd be hated by everyone in class. I hoped I didn't.

I was snapped out of my introspection by a meowing to my right. There along the balcony edge was a black cat, with green eyes.

"Aw, hi kitty!" I couldn't help but coo. I was a cat person, and had enjoyed myself immensely in Crete, where stray cats were rampant. "All by yourself, huh?"

The sweet kitty mewed, and moved closer, rubbing up against my legs. "Oh you're just precious, so sweet!"

I brought my hand close so they could smell it. Sniffing for a moment, it rubbed up against my hand, just begging for pets.

Looking closer, they had some cuts on their ear, and some fur was a bit torn. It didn’t have a collar, yet it seemed domesticated. Perhaps it was a neighbor's cat?

I was immediately lost in soft fluffy fur and big sad eyes. So sad, so sweet, so cute!

"I'm going to call you"- flipping them over, I noted they were a she- "Minette. Minette, do you like your name?"

Minette didn't reply and just let me keep petting her.

"What do cats like again, milk? No, milk isn't good for cats. I have shrimp! Cat's like seafood, shrimp should be fine, right?"

I muttered to myself, moving away from Minette and moving to the kitchen.

When I came back with a plate of shrimp and a tuna can, Minette was still there, mewing insistently.

"Aw, here you go. Come on, you look hungry."

Fortunately, Minette did like the seafood buffet, and ate it all quickly. Standing back up, she hopped up on the balcony railing, and jumped off.

"No!" I moved over quickly. Looking over, I saw that Minette had jumped on the AC box of the 2nd story, and then hopped down to the main floor entry steps.

She made it down all the way safely! I sighed in relief.

This would not be the worst scare a cat had given me, but it was the first. Perhaps it was preparing me in some way for the future.

Chapter Text

It’s showtime, I think, as I prepare my brown leather schoolbag.

My outfit was armor, my mind a weapon. My new red jacket, short in body, with pinned rolled-up sleeves, covered my black lace neckline tank. To finish, I found a white pleated skirt, with black tights and brown booties.

As I checked my reflection in the mirror, my eyes glanced upon the little bowls of water and cooked eggs for Miette, in case they wanted a treat.

I was so ready to do this. Those were the thoughts that permeated my mind as I went out the door, out the apartment, and to the street, where the roads twisted and turned back to the bakery.

It was a clear sunny sky, and slightly warm, coming off the high of summer. It was also a relief to grab something for breakfast.

The door was marked as open, and I opened it, lightly stepping my way in. Ms. Sabine wasn’t at the register, but a large man, with muscles the size of my head.

“Oh, hello! Welcome to Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie! What would you like?” He asked in a jovial tone.

Showtime. I smiled sweetly and began my performance.

“Hi, my name’s Lila, Lila Rossi? I was here yesterday an-”

“Oh, I do know you! My wife told me all about you yesterday to me and my daughter!” Tom interrupted, enthusiastic. It was a bit disorienting, but nothing I couldn’t rebound from.

“Oh, she did? That’s great, I was told that I should come back to get a guide. And of course, I could grab one of your delicious apple tarts, do you have any today?” I peeked at the display. Sweets and bread as far as the eye could see were all laid before me, and I was a bit hungry.

“Of course! We make them fresh every morning! The secret”, He leaned close, whispering, " to let the apples soak in honey overnight!”

I giggled along, enjoying the atmosphere. Then, a girl with black pigtails, pink pants, and a blazer rushed down the steps.

“I’m not late! I’m- huh?”

She fumbled a bit in the steps, flailing like a deer on ice. Her big blue eyes were wide, embarrassed at her audience.

“Um, I didn’t realize we had customers..”

“Oh, Marinette! Come meet Lila!” Tom ushered his daughter past the bakery stands to the front lobby, where I stood smiling.

Marinette blinked rapidly, put off by the abrupt end to her manic frenzy. “Um, I do remember that. Lila was the girl from yesterday?”

I laughed along, appearing charmed by the antics of the family. “That's right! I’m Lila Rossi, I moved here just a few days ago! I came here because Mrs. Cheng told me that she had a guide to Francois Dupont?”

As I spoke, Mrs. Cheng wandered down the steps, curious at the commotion. When her eyes landed on us, her whole face brightened in recognition.

“Oh good morning, Lila! How have you been? I see you met my husband and daughter” she remarked, moving towards the cashier stand.

“Oh, hello Mrs. Cheng! I’m so happy to see you! Um, I came here like you asked yesterday, for a guide to DuPont?”

“Oh yes,” Mrs Cheng agreed, “I have just the guide for you- my daughter, Marinette!”

“HUH?” the pigtailed girl exclaimed. “Wait, I’m already late enough! Why-”

“Now Marinette, it’s bad manners to be rude to a guest. Plus, this year you can start school with a new friend! It would be fun, don’t you think?” Tom interrupted. He seemed to have a bad habit of doing that often.

Marnettes parents were a bit pushy, but it was clear that they had good intentions. It was quite nervous, I mused, that she had such a picture-perfect family, straight out of a storybook. A loving family, a bright future as a superhero, a famous and adoring boyfriend, whether in the mask or out of it, Marinette had it all.

Not my problem, I contemplated to myself, an apple tart in my hands for free (Anything for a new friend of Marinette’s). Marinette could keep her happy life. I was going to get my own.
The first Lila would have had fun ripping Marinette's life apart. She would have made her miserable, all for the chance to win some stupid game. I wouldn’t make such rookie mistakes. Lila’s life would be bright and enjoyable, rich and austere, with camera flashes and adoring fans. She wouldn’t need to go after Adrien or Marinette to get it, or power.

Besides, Gabriel wasn’t the only rich fool to take advantage of to win. I would sidestep the big problems of the stupid superhero in front of me, and head straight to the top as a famous actor.

“Um, thank you for helping me,” I said to Marinette, inserting a little stutter on my thanks. Better to play weak, then come on too strong. “I moved in from Italy a few days ago, so this is a huge help, thanks.”

Marinette’s confusion melted in the face of my insecure demeanor. Easy pickings. “Of course Lila, I’m happy to help someone in need! But we should head out now though, unless you want to be late.”

I widened my eyes for shock value. “Oh, I didn't realize the time! Thank you, Mrs. Cheng! Thank you Mr. Dupain!”

“Wait, before you go!” Mr Dupain announced, bringing out a box that smelled like butter and sugar. “Take this with you! Be sure to share it with your class!”

Marinette took the box gratefully, then moved quickly towards the door. “C’mon Lila, the morning bell starts in fifteen minutes!”

We both took off out the door, waving our goodbyes. Tom and Sabine waved from out the door, smiling.

“Your parents are really sweet,” I remarked, keeping up with Marinette's fast-paced strides.

“They must be, with all the sugar they work with,” Marinette laughed along, the box of goodies clutched tightly in her hands. We turned the corner to the next block and came to a stop at a red light.

Heaving from such a sudden sprint, I paused and took in my surroundings. The lights, the cars, this street in particular, on the first day, this would be…

“So Lila, where did you say you were from?” Marinette's voice interrupted my musing. I turned to look back at her, forgetting what I was thinking about. Her blue eyes were locked onto my hair, my jacket, then my eyes. Curiosity?

I angled my body more to her so she could see my full frame better. (Fun fact: Actors always should have a full body facing the audience, even if their head is looking away. It helps to show body language, and distinguish the roles characters play in major scenes, as taught by the visiting acting coach in London when I lived there).

“Italy,” I said (not announced), “my mama’s working as a diplomat, so I came with her to Paris to get a start on my next level of education.”

Marinette's eyes widened, surprised. “Wow, you came from really far away! It must have been rough leaving.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “ Not at all! I have accompanied my mama abroad since I was 6 since it’s easier. Plus, I get to see all sorts of exciting things!” As I spoke, I turned to look at the traffic lights. The light had stayed red, but there was something on the road.

“Huh? Lila is something- oh, excuse me! Hey!” was all I heard of Marinette as my vision focused. An elderly man with a cane, hobbling along the road. But the light was turning green!

I whipped my head around to search for Marinette. This was the heroine's moment, the beginning of the Miraculous Ladybug! But Marinette was struggling herself, boxed in by more strangers on the street, unable to get a good look at the road and the man in trouble.

Should I grab her and push her into the street? Should I call for help? What did I do, what did I do?

As I silently freaked out, I heard a car coming down the road. Looking to see, I saw a taxi coming down quickly, going straight towards the old man.

I’m not proud of what I did next, for all that things worked out. It was horribly embarrassing, stupidly cliche, and a bigger risk than I would have liked to make in my brand-new clothes. Still, as the car came barreling towards that old man, my feet moved faster than I thought they could.

I took a deep breath as I sprinted. I could hear shouts behind me, but I was focused on opening my arms and tackling that man to the ground, shifting my weight so I would get the brunt of the fall.

“Uggh!” I couldn't help but let out. Falling on the pavement really hurt. My arm in particular felt raw and tingly. Still, we had moved far enough out of the way.

The taxi hadn't even swerved, just kept driving straight through where we would have been. Perhaps a drunk driver, perhaps a serial hit-and-run assailant. Either way, the taxi zoomed down the road and swerved around the corner, escaping being identified or recognized.

“Jeez,” I huffed, both in anger and in pain. The scratches on the back of my hands were bleeding, and I was sure my new tights were ripped. “What kind of fool like that gets a license?”

“Oh my,” a raspy aged voice in my arms remarked. I looked down and moved my arms, giving the man space to breathe. “Thank you, young lady. I daresay I would have been in great trouble if you hadn’t been there to help me.”

I breathed out. “No problem. Still, didn’t you see the light sir? That was dangerous!”

He laughed as I helped him up and out of the road. The crowd around us was pretty big, but they moved out of the way, some taking pictures of me helping. How many of them had videotaped my rescue?

“Lila! Oh no, Lila!’ I heard behind me. Marinette had her box under her arm, waving toward us with a scared look on her face. “Lila, that was so dangerous! What if you had gotten hurt!?”

I raised my hands in defense. “It’s okay, I’m alright! Might need to go to the nurse, but things are okay, right sir?” I looked behind me at the old man, who was looking at both of us with a blank look. Still, his smile returned once we both paid him our full attention.

“I am perfectly alright, thanks to this young lady. Still, what a shame for your hands and clothes,” he remarked.

Looking down, it was true. The cuts on my hand were bleeding sluggishly, and my new tights were scuffed and ripped.

“Well, that's alright. Clothes can be replaced, and cuts will heal,” I said aloud, wiggling my hands to survey the damage. “People aren't so easily restored. So make sure” I put my hands on my hips, leaning over the old man so I looked properly chastising “That next time you look where you watch sir. At least bring a friend with you!”

He nodded, laughing along. “I will be sure to. Thank you, Miss Lila”, he announced, before walking away.

I turned to Marinette, who was watching the man with a confused look in her eye. “Sorry to give you such a scare. The car was coming fast, and he wasn’t going fast enough to-” My apology was interrupted by Marinette putting a finger to my mouth.

“All good. The big thing I was going to warn you about,” She announced, her energy becoming more frazzled by the second, is that wE’RE SO LATE!!”

~~
True to Marinette's words, we were most certainly late. Only by a hair though.

“We’re here! Please don’t start without us!” we announced in tandem, bursting through the classroom door. My hands were still bleeding, and Marinette's goods were held secure in her arms.

The teacher, a ginger woman with a white suit and teal shirt, looked to the door with a gentle smile, no surprise to be seen. Similarly, a large classroom of teenagers looked to the door, then back to their work.

“Welcome back Marinette. And who is this?”

I picked myself up and moved to the desk. “My name is Lila Rossi. I’m a new student at Dupont! Today is my first day here.”

The woman checked her list and smiled. “Well Lila, It is very nice to have you here. You’ll be in my class this year! My name is Madame Bustier, I’ll be your teacher.”

Marinette piped up behind me, moving to place the box on the desk. “Madame Bustier is super nice, you lucked out this year! C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

Marinette led me to the seats, where a great variety of students were milling about.

“This is Nino, he’s a cool dude. This is Juleka, she’s got purple hair, over there is Rose, that’s Kim and Max, Max is in green, that’s Nathaniel, Ivan, Mylene, Alix has the roller skates, and here's my spot this year!” Marinette sat in the middle left row, As I stood looking about and waving my hello’s.

Who’s she then? I pointed to the girl in glasses sitting at the front. Her hair was reddish, and she was busy on her phone.

Marinette looked and frowned. “Actually, I do-”

Whatever Marinette was about to say was drowned by the sound of the door slamming open.

“Peasants,” announced the rudest blonde I had ever met, and I’ve met many rude blondes. “What is Mari-trash doing in my seat?”

Marinette's whole being changed. Where she was once open and expressive, now she was quiet and meek. Defense mechanism perhaps, but still somewhat disappointing to see.

Chloe Bourgeoisie, the blond with too much blue eyeshadow and the wrong shade of lip gloss, strutted over, a nerdy ginger girl at her side. Marching over to Marinette's seat, she narrowed her eyes at me, standing in her way.

“Ahem? Move” she ordered, sneering at me.

I simply smiled politely, and asked, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

It was like a bomb went off. Like every fire alarm was set at different times, and resulted in a strangling cacophony of murmurs and staring. Chloe's eyes were laser focused on me, for saying a string of incomprehensible words.

“How dare you!” She shrieked, the ginger at her side glaring at me in solidarity. “I am Chloe Bourgeoisie, daughter of the mayor of Paris! Now move aside, pleb! The baker's daughter is in my seat!”

“It’s not your seat! I’ve sat here all year!” Marinette yelled back, yet still inching out of it.

“Why do you need this seat?” I asked. Marinette grabbed my arm to stop me but it was too late.

Chloe puffed up, a bird with a prized catch. “Obviously, because my sweet Adrikins will be coming as well to attend school with us for the next year, and he will be sitting next to me! Haven’t you heard of Adrien Agreste!?”

I nodded, keeping my features inexpressive aside from my smile. “Sure I have. He’s popular, even in Italy.”

Chloe humphed and turned up her nose. “The point is new girl, Adrien should sit with me, next to my seat! So she” at this, she pointed straight at Marinette, “should move! Now!”

At this, the girl with the phone stood up, glaring at the blond. “Jeez, who elected you Queen of seats, huh?”

Sensing new prey, Chloe’s hair made a valiant attempt to whip my face as she looked behind her. It failed.

Sneering, “Oh Sabrina, look! Another pathetic do-gooder in the class! What’s your power, newbie? Gonna shoot me with your laser eyes?”

The girl I now recognized as Alya was unmoved by the blond menace ahead of her. She even stepped closer, right to the heart of the mess. “Maybe. Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Looking at us, her anger gave way to kindness. “C’mon, you guys can sit with me. We’re over this way.”

Marinette had stars in her eyes. But looking over at the seats, there was only room for two people. So I made a decision.

“I’ll be sitting in the back actually,” I murmured back, low. Alya blinked, surprised. “You sure? I think there’s ro-”

She was cut off by the same realization. There was no room for more than two people. Marinette came to the same conclusion, wincing.

I plastered on my best smile. Follow the script. “Yeah, I think we can see how that would be a problem. There’s still space in the back, so I’ll go there.”

Marinette jerked up. “But you’ll be going right back to Chloe!”

The path to the back went right past Chloe’s desk. It was a risk I had to take.

“Her words aren’t enough to hurt me,” I replied back. “I’ll see you guys at lunch!”

Smiling, I walked back up the stairs to the back. Chloe’s eyes lit up with glee, and she started to whisper to the girl next to her, Sabrina.

I looked straight ahead and hopped over the ankle that tried to trip me up. As I kept going, I heard grumbling behind me.

I made my way to the back, where there were still empty seats. Sitting next to a boy with red hair, I set my things down, and crossed my arms, taking in my whole situation.

I hadn’t allowed myself to think in full about the repercussions of the day, or what they could mean. The old man in the street, the interactions with Marinette, and even this clash with Chloe. How could I benefit from this?

First, the Marinette problem. Our beloved protagonist, helpful and caring to her friends, the holy maiden in a star-crossed romance. Having her as a guide on my first day? Beneficial. Marinette would be the protagonist. Would this include a protagonist halo? I waved that thought away as soon as it reached me. Marinettes life was defined by the problems and situations that she had to either solve or cause, sometimes both. Marinette was good in small doses, but becoming full-time friends like Alya would be detrimental.

Second, the old man. He had looked familiar, but it had been years since I had watched the show, and many details had slipped from my mind. HawkMoth, the guardian, and the extra characters in the later seasons Alaina had raved to me about (I had not actually paid attention in those seasons), many characters had slipped from my mind in terms of importance. Was his death supposed to happen? Was he a major trap I had fallen into?

…Ugh. Uuuuuuuuugggggghhhh.

This was pointless. Reflection only worked if you could get an answer, otherwise it was just anxiety-inducing. At least I had gotten one answer already.

Sighing, I looked ahead to the board, just waiting for the day to end.

~~

Alright, Madame Bustier announced, “Those of you who have P.E., Mr. D'Argencourt is expecting you at the stadium. The rest of you can head over to the cafeteria for your lunch break.”

As I wandered down the stairs, I felt the glare of hateful eyes and the yelling of angry boys behind me. I decided to go faster to lunch.

~~~
The lunch hall was just as loud and expressive as the classroom. Students clustered together with trays of food, huddling up at tables and enjoying the free period.

I wandered into the lunchroom with my pre-packaged ham sandwich and grapes. Looking around, I spotted Alya and Marinette on the table near the left exit.

“Hey guys!” I announced myself as soon as I came in close. “How was class today?”

“Oh hey”, Alya announced right back, matching my energy. “ I don’t think we ever really introduced each other! My name’s Alya Cesaire.”

“I’m Lila Rossi.”

“Um, and I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Marinette chimed in. We settled into the table and got to talking.

“Geez Alya, I can’t believe you stood up to Chloe so easily. No way I could do that! You too Lila! It was like she wasn’t terrifying at all to you guys.”

“Speaking of which, I got something to say, Lila. Listen, I wanted to say sorry. Didn’t mean to strand you back there on the path to Chloe,” Alya apologized, regret in her voice.

“Nah, it’s okay!” I went along. “She didn’t do anything I couldn’t deal with. She’s not the worst mean girl I had to fight!”

Marinette's eyes widened at both of us. “Geez”, She murmured. “I wish I could deal with Chloe like you guys.”

“It’s just acting,” I began. “I don’t know how you do it, Alya, but for me, I’m performing the lead heroine role against the main villainess. In movies and plays the heroine always emerges triumphant against the villain.”

“Huh, I didn’t realize you thought it like that” Alya wondered, hand cradling her chin. Marinette was in the same position, looking confused.

I should probably elaborate more. “Thing is, I want to be an actress. I’ve done some commercial roles as I travel, but it’s always been background or silent roles. You can’t even look me up, that’s how scarce my presence is.”

Alya took out her phone to verify, as I continued. “But I’m going to star in a big blockbuster movie one day. It’s one of my biggest dreams, so I’m always practicing my acting skills and looking for new roles. So, I treat the whole thing like a production! It’s not real, so there’s no need to lose the mask, y’know?”

Marinette looked a bit concerned at this declaration, but Alya perked up. “Is this you? I think this is you.” Holding up her phone, she showed a little girl, aged 9, sitting in a family commercial billboard. The writing was Swedish, and the whole picture looked like a loving, happy family.

I nodded. “Yep, like I said. Pretty small roles. That whole shoot took less than a day to finish.”

Alya seemed impressed. “It’s a little similar for me. My favorite hero is Majestia. She’s a comic book superhero, but she’s amazing! She says all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. So, when someone is so obviously bullying someone else, then we have to be the good people and stand up for the right things.”

Marinette visibly gathered her courage and stood up. “You’re right guys. I can’t let Chloe walk all over me like that.”

“It’s not about her being stronger, I interrupted. “It’s the fact that you have shaky confidence. Chloe may seem bigger and stronger, and she wants servants more than anything. You don’t have enough confidence to tell her off, and she sees you as the bottom of the food chain. Present confidence and your natural charisma will carry you through.”

Marinette blinked. “What natural charisma? Are…you kidding?”

I shook my head. “Marinette, you’ve got a natural kind charisma. It’s apparent even after one day. It’s a skill many actors take forever to learn. It’s just buried under your own fears. Trust me, you’ve got a real talent.”

Marinette's face turned red. “Oh, umm… thanks.”

Alya snickered. “Wow Mari, you’re turning red!”

Marinette responds to this by blushing further. This set us off in a round of laughter, simple and joyous.

Of course, that’s when the stone Akuma attacked.

Chapter Text

In the show, akumas are defined as those who possess the powers of the evilized butterflies of the Butterfly miraculous. They are in pain, hurt, and at their emotional lowest.

In the show, the akuma monsters are varied in form, creative and changing. One is a copycat, another is a mermaid. A giant baby, a distorted reflection, a princess of perfume.

All I could think of when Stoneheart burst into the school was “that is not a human being.”

It was true. The hulking stone golem towering above us, massive fists and cold body, was the furthest from humans you could get. It roared guttural and furious, and I knew that if I stayed here I would die.

I was much more proud of how I acted this time. Instead of playing the hero, I grabbed my bag, screamed, “Run for it!” and bolted out the cafeteria.

Looking back, I should have gone after Marinette or Alya, but at the time, the need to survive was stronger than anything else. Out of the corner of my eye though, I saw a dash of pink and brown head towards the opposite stairwell.

I rushed out the door and down the stairs, the roars and screams behind me, and booked it for the door.

As I was sprinting to exit, a boy opened the door, standing directly in my path.

“Move!” I screamed, a hoard of teenagers behind me fearful for their lives.

Apparently the boy was deaf, because he stood right where he was, dumbfounded at the nightmare before his eyes. I couldn’t believe I had to play hero again. One time too many!

As I ran, I stuck my hand out, grabbing onto his collar. “Are you dumb? Move!” I yelled again, pulling him along. It was a shitshow, but as he stumbled behind me his hand replaced the shirt I had a death grip on.

We made it out of the school, teenagers pooling around us afraid and scared. I ran for two more blocks to be safe, before letting go of the boy, coming to a halt.

My lungs hurt from running so fast, and my feet were dying from the blisters. But I was alive, and that was all that mattered.

Looking up, I managed to wheeze out “You good?” to the poor boy I had grabbed.

He was red haired, obviously surprised, and nearly as winded as I was. “Ugh…need air…”

I nodded, so we waited for a minute to regain composure. Our panting breaths became more even, until it didn’t hurt as much to stand.

“Fuck,” I murmured, looking at the mess, “do you think they’ll still do class?”

The red-haired boy looked at me confused. “There was some giant monster, and all you can think about is class?”

I shrugged, feeling hysteric. “I’m making conversation? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

The boy looked back the way we came. More students were starting to fill the streets, running and screaming. I couldn’t see Marinette or Alya. Perhaps they had been killed by the monster.

Stoneheart. That was the first akuma.

“Fuck,” I said again, my words escaping me. It’s one thing to prepare for dangerous magic, it’s another to see it up close. Any of those fanfictions that spoke of courageous isekai protagonists were fooling themselves if they thought they would stand up against the scary monster. I just wanted to survive.

“I’m going home” the boy announced, nerves written plainly along his face.

I nodded along, then realized. “I don’t know where I live.”

“Oh,”, the boy replied, and nothing more was said for a minute. Then he spoke again. “Um, w-would you like..help?”

I nodded.

He helped.

~~

“My name is Nathaniel,” he said abruptly as we headed back to my place. We apparently lived along the same avenue, but I was closer to the school than he was.

“I’m Lila”, I responded back, my actors mask back in place. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Becoming Lila meant that I would be expected to be fluid in conversation. It was very hard acting as Lila next to Nathaniel.

Awkward pauses, confused looks, and stilted conversations were the best we could do, considering the circumstances.

“You were the new girl, with Marinette. She came around and introduced you to everyone.”

“Yeah, she did. You were drawing in your book in your seat. Feels like ages ago.”

He nodded, and the conversation lulled.

“This is my place,” I announced, Pointing at the door. “Would you like to come in?”

Nathaniel nodded, and we went in.

The apartment was as messy as ever, boxes scattered and things still wrapped, prepped to be moved out or in. I went over to the cabinets and opened them up, grabbing a glass.

“Do you want water?” I asked. He nodded, and I brought out a second glass.

It was quiet as we drank, and I decided to turn on the TV. I didn’t ask Nathaniel.

“- and here we see a massive stone monster rampage through the College Dupont in Paris” Najma announced, “sources report the monster announced himself as “Stoneheart” and demanded for a hostage. Police are currently doing all they can to contain the threat.”

Nathaniel shivered. I bit my lip.

Any moment, Ladybug would swoop in and save the day. Or Chat Noir, or- someone. This was a kids show after all. There had to be a hero. Or else-

“I need to go home,” announced Nathaniel. I jolted up from my thoughts.

“You sure? It’s still going.”

He nodded. “My dad will be worried, and I need to check on my dog. I have to go.”

He gathered his things, and I stood up to show him to the door.

He looked back at me. “Thank you for saving me,” he murmured in a quiet voice, before the red haired boy took off down the road to his house.

I was alone with my thoughts again. The TV was still blaring the announcements of the news, how the police were failing.

I huffed, and went to my room.

My bag had been carelessly thrown on my bed, with my phone in it. I had been in too much shock to check my messages.

Marinette: ARE YOU OK??

Marinette: Me and Al got out ok, lost you tho. Are you still alive!1/?

Alya: HEy, Mari got home safe, going monster huning. This is amazing!

Mom: 3 missed calls

That one got my undivided attention. Scrambling to call back, I released a breath when Mama answered my phone, scared out of her mind.

‘I’m okay! I got out before the monster could hurt me! Are you okay?”

“Lila, I’m on the other side of the city! I was so scared! The news reported the monster at your school and I was so frightened! Are you safe!

“Yes, I’m at home, I'm alright. I think I’ll stay home for the rest of the day.”

“Alright. Alright, I can’t get home, they’ve locked down all the trains and taxis. I’ll try to be there soon, Dear. I love you.”

“Love you too mama.” I ended the call, and fell back on the bed, jostling my bag enough that it slipped to the ground.

Groaning, I went to pick it up to check on my laptop, and there I saw it.

Death. A little black box, shaped like an Octagon. Red markings on the front.

“No” I breathed out, scrambling away. NONONO.

It couldn’t be. It better not be.

Who could have done this? Who could have punished me like this?

Maybe it was the turtle miraculous. Maybe it was the fox miraculous. Yes, that sounded right. This is how it went in those silly stories, the reincarnator comes into secret powers different from the protagonist, and stomps all over the plot. How ridiculous.

I didn’t want to touch it. I didn’t want to look at it.

“What’s wrong with being the villain?” I murmured as if in a trance, my back plastered to my headboard. “I’d make an amazing villain.”

Silence. It was me and the box.

A thought struck me. Maybe it was temporary? The more I pondered it, the more traction it gained. If i did a terrible job, the keeper of the miraculous would likely take it back, wouldn’t he?

It couldn’t be an incredibly important miraculous, I relaxed, relief distorting my perception. Marinette and Adrien would make decent partners, but I would just be a flyaway name, there and gone. If I was incompetent, I could just give up, and it would be fine.

Shaking off my terror, I gingerly crawled to the edge of the bed, my knees laying under me. I reached down, holding onto the edge, trying not to get closer than I could.

I missed it once, twice, before my fingertips were able to pinch the edge closer to get a grip on it.

Gulping down bile, I gently inspected the box. Black Laquer, lightweight. Big enough for a ring. (don’t think about the alternative).

I put the box down on the sheets, and went to the little bathroom on the side. White tiles games threateningly as I bent my head over the toilet, and gasped for air.

I couldn’t do this. I had so many plans. I didn’t care about this shitty city, and even though my classmates were nice, I wouldn't shed tears for their funerals.

I never shed any tears for myself.

My phone buzzed again.

Marinette: Got back home, mom and dad are worried about you tho. Are you safe?

No. I didn’t think I was.

Choking back wails, I turned back to my room. The box was still on my bed.

It was time for a new act. I hadn’t had a performance so unlike me, but perhaps it was time to branch out, test my skills. Breath in deep, push fear and dread to the side.

There is a show to perform.

I opened the box.

—

The light that emerged was pink. A glowing, gleaming pink.

The light faded, and Tikki blinked to awareness. A yellow room, with wood floors, a shuttered balcony, with a white dresser in the corner and a bathroom door open. Tikki took stock of her situation, and turned to face her newest holder.

She was moderately tall, with long brown hair and bangs. She wore a red jacket, a white skirt, with a black top and brown boots.

Her green eyes were wide, stunned at her presence. ‘It’s only natural,’ Tikki mused. This reaction was not uncommon in new holders.

Best to jump into things from the start. “Hello Lila! Don’t be afraid!”

No response. The poor girl was stone still.

“Um, hellooo? Lila? Can you hear me?”

The poor girl started to blink, then rubbed her eyes. She looked back up to where Tikki was floating, and opened her mouth.

“Oh my god. I finally lost my mind.”

Tikki giggled. Her holders were always a bit more wild in their revelations, but she couldn’t say it was a bad thing to have such a collected holder.

“No, you’re perfectly sane. I can explain everything now! I am Tikki, a kwaami of the Ladybug Miraculous! Right now, you need to put me on and transform to stop the stone akuma!”

“Kwaami? Akuma?” Lila stuttered, stepping back nervously. “Look, I think you definitely have the wrong person. I literally just came to Paris a few days ago- Plus! Can’t take on that giant stone monster?”

“Not a monster! An Akuma. The stone golem you see is created because of misusing the butterfly miraculous. As the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, you have the powers to defeat the akuma and save the city!”

“This doesn’t sound real”, Lila muttered, and went to her phone. “My mom wouldn’t do a prank like this, she’s too busy. Maria? Louisa? Greta? Did they pack me a prank gift before I left?”

Tikki sighed, and floated in front of Lila’s face. “This is not a prank. No one except you knows who I am and what I can do, and it must stay that way. You have been chosen to wield these powers. It’s up to you to save the city.”

Lila sighed, and slumped onto her white sheets, taking the next minute to put her head in her hands. This gave Tikki time to evaluate her holder further.

Looks were one thing, but Tikki noticed how polished her skin was, how carefully her nails were trimmed. Lila projected the ideal rich young lady, Tikki mused, but projected was the keyword. Looking around the room, Lila’s room spoke of a different story.

Lack of personal valuables, aside from a vintage record player. Bathroom filled with creams and tinctures for skin and hair. Pictures across her wall, all of them starring her with different girls and boys. Boxes still in the doorway, having yet to be opened, or haphazardly placed. Messy sheets, messy room, messy life.

Lila had mentioned she was brand new to this country after all. New to the country, cut off from her social life, all alone. Even if she could tell anyone, there were few people who would believe her.

It was a pragmatic choice. Physically, emotionally and spiritually, Lila’s body and soul were strong enough to hold any Miraculous for long periods without rapid mental or physical deterioration. Without a strong social life though, Lila had an opening to deny the ladybug miraculous, or hand it off to someone else.

Tikki’s thoughts stopped wandering as Lila stood up. Taking a deep breath, Lila asked, “What do I need to do?”

—

Lila- no, Ladybug stood on the roof of the streets of Paris. Her hair was pulled up in a long ponytail, her side tails done in braids up her head. Her black suit, with a red torso, was peppered with red polka dots, and black heavy boots. A black leather jacket finished the ensemble, giving her a dangerous appeal.

“Not very neighborhood friendly,” the new heroine muttered, “but it’ll do.”

The girl in red spots leapt off the roofs before swinging a spotted yoyo. Catching the wire, she swung across the city streets to the gymnasium, where a fight was starting.

A massive stone monster roared, lifting a goalpost over its head. Throwing it at a cluster of kids, it sent the group scattering to avoid the flying metal.

The red spotted girl whistled. “What a mess.”

“You said it.”

Whirling around, the girl came eye to eye with a boy in a black catsuit. He held a silver stick, had green eyes, and his hair was messy and blonde.

Relaxing, the girl smiled, putting her hands on her hips. “So you must be my new partner?”

Grinning back, the boy mirrored her stance, announcing, “The name is Chat. Chat Noir. And what might this new partner of mine call herself?”

The girl opened her mouth, “Tach-” and then a roar interrupted her name.

“GIVE ME THE LADYBUG AND BLACK CAT MIRACULOUS!!” Roared the Akuma.

Chat Noir grinned, bouncing on his feet. “Well, you heard him, Ladybug. Let’s give that akuma what he wants!”

“Hey-wait! That’s not my- oh, forget it,” grumbled the newfound Ladybug, as she followed the already moving black blurr down before the beast in the gymnasium.

“KIMMM!! So, who's the wuss now?” The monster snarled, starting to move towards a boy in a red sweater jersey.

“ Hey, it's not very nice to pick on people who are smaller than you,” Announced Chat Noir, standing atop the flung goalpost.

“I guess you're talking about yourself,” the monster groaned out, before starting to run towards the cat.

Chat noir jumped, using his new reflexes to go over the monster, then land behind him, before bringing out his staff and banging it… against the arm swung up to defend it’s inhabitant. As the metal clanged against the stone, the monster glowed and grew. 12 centimeters, perhaps 15, taller and bigger than it was before.

Chat’s smiling face quickly fell. “Uh, Partner? Kinda need your help here?!”

Roaring, the monster brought up his other arm, and paused. The arm had been wrapped in black wire, connected to the red-spotted Ladybug.

“My, how shameful! Animal cruelty is against the law, you know!” Announced the girl in red, before pulling back the wire, and the akuma with it. Knocked off balance, the akuma stumbled away from Chat, and tripped in the wreckage of the goal.

Jumping over to Chat Noir, the girl pouted, and announced, “The name is Dame Tache, thank you. Now let’s get down to business.”

Chat grinned, and put up his hand. “I have a perfect way to do it! Cata-”

“Wait! You can only use your power once, then you need to detransform! Didn’t your Kwammi tell you anything?”

Chat blinked, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Um, I was kinda too excited.”

Huffing, Tache went on. “The way to defeat the akuma is to break the akumatized object. It’s likely in his hand, you see? Even when injured it hasn’t opened. So we need to get that object out of there.”

“Great Idea, but how?”

“Leave that to me. Lucky charm!”

Chat Noir would remember the first time Tache used the Lucky charm. It made the air feel like summer, and the grass greener, all bathed quickly in that warm red light.

As it died down, a wetsuit fell into the hands of the heroine. Grinning, she turned to Chat. “Can you get the cataclysm on his stone hand?”

Grinning back, Chat nodded. “Don’t sweat it Miss Spots. It’ll be done in a flash!”

With that, they fled in opposite directions, as Stoneheart stood back up and roared in anger. A purple butterfly mask appeared on his face.

“Your Miraculous’s! Hand them over!” Roared Stoneheart, loping out of the wreckage to the field.

Chat grinned, leaping about, taunts on his lips. What’s the matter, rockhead? Too dumb to see what’s in front of you?”

As Stoneheart and Chat Noir battled, Tache, unnoticed, slipped to the stands, where a brown haired girl was video taping the whole fight on her phone.

“Hey there,” Dame Tache said, causing the girl to whirl her camera to her. “Let’s cut the cameras, shall we? How about you help out a real superhero?’

Back to the fight, Chat Noir had finally gotten Stoneheart right where he wanted. Hopping off his head, Chat slid down the arm to the hulking hump of rck encasing his hand.

“Jeez, did you stick your hand in the concrete? This must be annoying!”

“I’ve got the real annoyance right here,” growled stoneheart, before wildly swinging his arm. Chat flattened himself against the arm, adjusting enough so he didn’t hit the ground as Stoneheart pummeled it.

“Well how about I help fix that? CATACLYSM!” Chat stuck out his arm. Unlike Tache’s warm Lucky Charm. The Cataclysm in Chat's hands was freezing cold, and seemed to suck up all the light in the area.

“Well, here goes nothing! Have a taste of this!” Bringing the cataclysm down on the encased hand, Chat’s palm slapped against the cold stone. Instantaneously, the stone turned brown and dusty, before crumbing off a newly freed hand.

“Yes! Spots I- WHOA!” Chat Noir yelped as Stoneheart flung him away to the metal walls of the field, tightening his grip on the akumatized object.

Chat closed his eyes as the walls of the gymnasium came closer, before opening them as he was caught.

“Gotcha! Great job, not onto the next step!” Dame Tache held him close as they swung up the seats, arriving at the second level of seats.

Chat couldn't look away. “Oh wow, I've got a superhero coming to my rescue! I’m gonna swoon!”

Well save the swooning, kitty cat. We’ve got a short time span left.” They landed down by the functional goalpost, where a girl in glasses was holding a hose and the wetsuit.

“Got it set?” At the girl’s nod, Tache turned back to Chat, a devious gleam in her eye. “Well, let’s see how much you appreciate me after this. Here, take this.”

As the wetsuit was thrust into Chat’s hands, Chat's ears drooped. “Oh no.”

And the yoyo was wrapped around Chat’s feet. “Oh come on!”

“Sorry Kitty. HEY STONEMAN! CATCH THIS!” Tache called out, and flung the black cat hero straight towards him.

Surprised, Stoneheart raised both his hands, dropping a wad of paper onto the ground. Chat twisted in the air, and kicked the wetsuit in his waiting grasp.

“Alya!” Already on it, Alya moved the spray nozzle that was connected in the wetsuit, causing it to swell up. Before Stoneheart could drop it, Chat landed on the other hand, giving Tache enough time to slip under the akuma to grab the object.

“Got It!”

“Yes!”

“NO!”

But before Stoneheart could move, the wetsuit exploded in his grasp, splashing water everywhere.

Unfortunately, it splashed Chat Noir too, causing him to topple off to the ground.

Tache grabbed the akumatized wad of paper, and ripped it up. A black, sparking butterfly began to float up.

“You’re not getting away that easily! Time to De-Evilize!” Tache announced, catching the butterfly in the yoyo.

Standing up straight, Tache pressed a button on her yoyo, opening it and letting the butterfly float away.

“Au Revoir, petit papillon.”

Turning back, she made her way to Stoneheart, who seemed like the air went out of him.

“Chat? You okay?” She called out. The response was a blonde head popping up, with a peace sign.

Giggling, Dame Tache took the drenched wetsuit out of the fallen akuma’s grasp.

Standing up, she announced, “Miraculous Ladybug!”, throwing it into the air. The wetsuit went high, before bursting into warm red ladybugs.

They surrounded the whole gymnasium, fixing the wreckage of the goals, the holes in the ground, before settling on stoneheart, turning him back to a boy in black.

Swarming around the object in Dame Tache’s hands, the glittering ladybugs went up to the sky, before dispersing.

“Hey there”, Tache said to the boy, who was starting to huddle on the ground.

“You haven't even got the guts to tell Mylène you love her, wuss? Yikes, who could have written that?”

Ivan slumped, taking the letter. “It was Kim. He’s always making fun of me.”

Dame Tache frowned, “It’s never shameful to tell someone you like them, you know. Love’s a really wonderful thing when you have it.”

“That’s so amazing!” Ivan’s reply was interrupted by Alya, who had brought out her phone camera again. “ Uncanny, amazing, spectacular! Are you gonna be protecting Paris from now on? How did you get your powers? Did you come from a mythological island to protect the world? Oh, I've got a ton of questions to ask you, uh, miss... uhh…”

“Tache. Dame Tache. And if I have anything to say about it, I’ll be here for a short while to defeat akuma’s.”

“Oh wow, Thank’s Dame Tache! I gotta let everyone know! So, I got a ton of questions-”

“I’m glad I made a good impression, but I gotta go! Secret Identities, you know?” Laughed Tache, before throwing her Yoyo and swinging off.

Alya looked to Chat Noir, who was standing there looking after her. “Well, perhaps the cat of the evening would like to say a few words?”

Puffing out his chest, Chat opened his mouth, then closed it as the ring on his finger began to go off.

“Well, like the lady herself says, secret identities!” He laughed, before bouncing off on his staff.

Alya turned to Ivan. Ivan gulped nervously.

~~

Returning back home, Lila transformed with a puff of air. Tikki floated over to the pillows, and settled comfortably on the bed.

“You did a great job, Lila. Do you have any sweets?” Tikki yawned, eyes dropping.

Lila wandered off to the kitchen, leaving tikki to drift off. She returned in a few minutes, with a special wrapped cookie.

“It was a housewarming gift from the landlady,” Lila muttered, as Tikki ate. “It’s kinda old, hope it’s enough.”

Tikki hummed. “It’s good enough for me. Today went very well. You caught the akuma, and even purified the butterfly. Usually my holders always mess up the first one. Way to go Lila!”

A giggle floated through the air, before the door opened.

Tikki’s eyes flew open, and she finished the cookie in seconds before hiding behind the pillow.

Not a moment too soon, because a woman in a dress suit and hair done up stumbled in.

“Mom! Oh thank goodness, you’re okay!”

The woman slumped against the bed, clutching Lila to her chest. “I’m okay? You’re okay! Oh Lila, I’m so sorry I left you here alone. This is too dangerous, You nearly got hurt by that thing today!”

“Mom, it’s okay. We don’t need to move,” Lila announced. Tikki stiffened. Moving? So soon?

“Lila, are you sure? Take a day or two to think about it. I’ll call the office in Italy- Oh, tomorrow is a closed day. Well, I’ll call them in two days. Just you watch Lila, this is not something I’ll allow my daughter into so easily. I won’t put you in danger, my goodness…”

With those words, Lila led her mother to the main room.

She returned back in two hours, looking tired and irritated.

Sitting back down on the bed, she stretched her hand out to Tikki’s hiding place.

“You heard all that?” Tikki nodded.

“So what are you going to do?” Tikki looked up.

Lila grit her teeth in a facsimile of a grin. “I’m going to make plans.”

Chapter Text

Alya was very passionate about things she loved. This was something she knew and accepted about herself. When she got her first Majestia comic at eight, she was bouncing off the walls from how much she loved it. Today, it was dog eared, slightly ripped, and had a stain or two from a cocoa mug.

When she got her first digital camera, she couldn’t stop taking pictures of the smallest things for the next 3 months. When she discovered her love of writing and blogging, Anasui had to drag her away from her computer to stop her. When Dame Tache asked for her help to take down a monster- an “akuma”- she knew that she’d never be able to let this go.

Alya was buzzing from how much joy was rushing through her body the next day. Fizzling, practically. Meeting Dame Tache, helping her, was a high that Alya thought she’d never be able to replicate.

Her fingers were flying over her laptop keys, setting up a brand new website. Put this here, make this display a bit bigger…

“Alya, hi! You’re okay!” A voice right over her shoulder exclaimed. Alya’s knees went up in a reflexive action, nearly toppling her keyboard over her legs.

Looking up, Alya’s eyes met Marinette's blue ones, worry and relief mixing within.

Alya smiled, excited. “Marinette, do I have a story to tell you! C’mon, take a seat, you’re not gonna want to miss this!” Dragging Marinette down by the arm next to her, Alya moved her laptop screen to Marinette's leg.

“That monster from the other day? It was made by magic. Amazing right? Magic actually exists! But there's more!”

Alya clicked a button on her computer, and a video popped up. Within, the stone monster from yesterday appeared, now on the defense from a blonde boy in black, and a flying red girl.

“Real superheroes! Like actual ones, right here in Paris! Isn’t that amazing!? I got this footage from tailing the akuma- that's what Dame Tache called it.”

“Wait, Dame Tache? Who-”

“I’m so glad you asked!” Alya gushed, cutting Marinette off. Clicking another button, the image of a girl in red and black popped up. She wore a red and black-spotted bodysuit, with high black boots up to the knee. Her brown hair was done up in a long ponytail, with two shorter ponies framing her face, both looking like sausages. Her bangs, while long, were straight, and highlighted her red mask, with green eyes looking out. Her look was completed with a black jacket over her shoulders, highlighting her black gloved palms.

Next to her, a boy with blond messy hair was crouching low, hands to the ground. A gold bell on his neck, and a silver staff in his hands, he looked like a cat ready to pounce, green eyes locked on his prey. But perhaps that was just the cat ears on his head.

“When Stoneheart- that was its name BTW- started to attack the gymnasium- I can’t believe that guy Kim ran all the way there, it totally winded me- these two hopped on the scene and started to attack! Plus, Dame Tache- That’s the red girls name- She did some other special magic, and then all the damage was fixed! She even turned the akuma back into a normal guy!”

“Wait, seriously?” Marinette interrupted, finally snapping out of her surprise. “The monster was a person? Who? How?”

Alya wasn’t able to answer before whispering started, stopping the conversation.

“Did you see?”

“Wow, he came back? After yesterday?”

“Oh jeez, maybe I should take the day off, y’know? I don’t know if he’ll turn back into that thing.”

Marinette's brow furrowed, and Alya’s lips pursed disapprovingly. “Well, I guess you’re about to find out. It wasn’t his fault though,” Alya turned back to Marinette, eyes hard. “He got taken advantage of. It was Kim’s fault.”

Marinette's eyes were wide. “Wait, what did Kim do?”

“Bully poor Ivan it seems,” A voice floated over the two of them, causing them to turn. Lila walked towards them, wearing black shorts, a red off the shoulder sweater, and a black tank underneath. Her boots had been switched out for high top sneakers, and her bag was over one shoulder.

“Oh Lila, how did you know? Wait- you never texted! Did you get back safe! OH I was worried! I thought you died!” Marinette exclaimed, jumping up and wrapping Lila in a hug.

Laughing, Lila hugged back quickly, before gently pushing Marinette back by the shoulders. “Sorry, a lot happened the other day. I wanted to say sorry- I totally panicked and rushed off without you guys. I got home safe, Nathaniel helped me.”

“All good. But, Nathaniel?” Alya murmured. “Um, let me remember- was it that boy with the glasses?”

“No,he’s the boy with red hair and the sketchpad,” Marinette replied absentmindedly. “oh, but I’m glad you’re okay.”

Lila nodded. “Yeah, my mom got home as quick as she could, I had to help her calm down. She’s super frazzled by the whole thing though, she’s actually terrified this could happen again.”

Both girls fell silent at that. They remembered how scared their parents were, and how uncertain everything seemed now.

But they weren’t able to ruminate for long, before another commotion came up in the form of the class bell.

As the girl put their things together for class, neither noticed Lila carefully examining the time.

~~

The classroom of Madame Bustier was more tense than usual. It was hard to hide the wandering eyes towards the goth boy sitting in the back, and Chloe’s mean snickers as she presided over her underhandedly won seat.

As the morning class ended, Marinette was treated to the sight of Alya’s phone, pulled up on a red and black spotted page.

“What do you think?” Alya beamed proudly. “I worked on it all night. I’m calling it the Ladyblog, bringing you all the latest news about the coolest superhero, Dame Tache! Oh, and there’s this little cat icon you can tap for the Chat Noir hero too, isn’t it neat?”

“Wow,” Marinette’s eyes scanned the page. “You put in so much work. But why do you trust Dame Tache so much? The akuma might come back again- ah…”

Flinching, she looked back discreetly at the boy slumping in his seat. Now it seemed, with the end of the class, students were coming closer, more assured that Ivan wasn’t going to become a monster.

“You saw the video right? Dame Tache said she’d be there if it happened again. Plus, she has actual magic too. So in my book, she’s the best!” Alya replied, confident in her passion.

Lila glided down the steps, over to where the students were now gathering around Ivan. The poor boy looked uncomfortable, cringing away from the other students.

Alix, smacking gum, asked “So you really don't remember anything?”

Ivan shook his head, then Juleka piped up.”You were totally going ballistic. It was so cool!”

Kim jumped in before Ivan could answer, “You were seriously out to crush me, dude!”

Ivan shrunk further in his seat. “I'm sorry… I wasn't myself…”

A scoff broke through from the blonde girl, standing up in her seat. “Once a monster, always a monster. I don’t even know why they let you back in here after what you did. I certainly don’t want you here.”

Lila’s voice sailed through the air. “That’s really unfair Chloe. Ivan already said he didn’t remember anything.”

“Ha!” Chloe scoffed again, stepping out into the aisle. “Obviously the gutter trash would group together. Don’t worry though, I’ve made sure you’ll get exactly what you’ll deserve.”

As if on cue, a voice came over the loudspeaker. “Ivan Bruel, please come to the principal's office please. Ivan Bruel.”

Ivan stood up, his face scrunched up in anger. “I’m not dangerous! Chloe, what did you do?”

“Me? Shouldn’t we focus on you, you freak? Let’s see what the principal has to say about that, okay?” Chloe cooed hatefully, before cackling.

“What the hell Chloe? It wasn’t his fault! How could you do that to Ivan,” Alya stood up, justice incarnate in her anger. Ivan slumped, tired, and made his way out the door as the two girls began to argue. No one noticed Lila slipping away out the back.

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Ugh, so I'm the one who broke Sabrina's dad's arm, am I? Just because your footage of those lame superheroes was shown on TV, doesn't mean you have to get so high and mighty.”

Sabrina nodded. Alya’s eyes narrowed. “The arm I’m sure was miraculously healed yesterday? Because Dame Tache fixed all the damage done by Stoneheart, so that argument holds no water and you know it.”

Chloe and Sabrina both stiffened, Sabrina’s eyes darting to the floor in panic.

“Well-Well so what! It’s absolutely ridiculous anyway, to place an obvious danger in class with me and my Adrikins!”

“The Adrien who never came yesterday? Oh, I'm sure he’s just so thankful!” Alya’s tone was drier than sand. Marinette's eyes were darting between the two girls, tension in her frame.

“Look out, she's angry now! She's going to split her underwear and turn into a huge muscled monster, just like her monster friend!” Chloe cut off any other argument Alya could make, laughing a fake laugh and turning away back to her seat.

~~

“Ivan?”

Ivan turned around, miserable. The principal visit was tedious, the adults saying how they understood he didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but was he sure? Did he feel any sort of strange, crazy impulse? (Was he really safe to let back? Should they just expel him?)

There was … Leah? The new girl whose name he couldn’t remember. Her brown hair and bright eyes looked right at him, worry painted on her face. Her hands were picking at her bandages.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you, but I was worried with what happened yesterday-”

At this, Ivan turned away, not wanting to listen. He already had enough of that, thanks.

“I’m sorry!”

At this, he paused. That voice was loud enough to poke the attention of the nearby class, and he didn’t want anyone else coming to listen.

Turning around, he prepared for the worst.

“I don’t mean to make you suspicious. With everything going around, I know it’s taking a toll. But I don’t think you’re a monster, not at all.”

Ivan looked away, but murmured out a “thank you.”

“Also, I wanted to return something to you,” Lila said, and held out a wrinkled piece of paper. A familiar piece of paper.

Ivan grabbed it out of her hands. The day was going from bad to worse.

“Sorry, It fluttered out of your bag as you left, so I got a whole eyeful. I wanted to give it to you before Chloe could take it.”

Ivan couldn’t look her in the eye. This was just the worst.

“But it was really sweet! It was so thoughtful! Who’s it for?”

Ivan couldn’t do this. He started to walk away again, but Lila’s voice caught up.

“Got it, it’s a secret. But, I think this might be your last chance, y’know? If you don’t scream it aloud now, I don’t think you’ll look back without regret.”

Ivan…paused. “Scream it aloud”, huh?

He sped up, leaving Lila to look at his back with a blank expression.

~~

Marinette would say she was having a strange few days. First, she escorted the new girl to school, who did the insane thing of picking a fight with Chloe, then a stone monster- an akuma, she needs to remember the name- came in and almost destroyed the school.

Now, she has two new friends, Alya and Lila. Alya was incredibly strong, picking a fight with Chloe of all people, and even coming out on top? Unheard of. But she was so passionate about everything as well. Excited about her moms new job, excited about the emergence of new monsters, even excited about the real life superheroes.

Lila, on the other hand, was intense. Not the fervent life Alya brought in with her words and her actions, Lila was laser focused on her goals. Previous acting and performance jobs, constant travel, and the way she spoke of her dream to be an actress? Even Marinette was caught up in her certainty of her goals.

Lila too stood up to Chloe, but there was something about the way she did it Marinette couldn’t put her finger on. Like she was leading a dance with a clumsy partner, Lila made sure to keep an upper hand. And there was the accident that morning too, when Lila ran to save that poor old man. Getting her hands torn, yet smiling and laughing it off. When the Akuma came, she even saved Nathaniel from the hoard of running students.

Marinette couldn’t honestly say what she felt for Lila. Admiration, for sure, but there was just something about her that set off bells in her head, for no reason other than the fact she spoke in a strange manner.

Humming, Marinette kept thinking it over, Alya chattering about her theories on Dame Tache down the hall. There was just something strange about Lila. But what could it be?

And as they reached the classroom, with a blonde boy placing gum on her seat, all thoughts of Lila’s unnerving strangeness vanished to complete irritation.
~~
Lila walked down a corridor to the classroom, hands clasped on her book bag. Tikki popped her head out of the pocket of the bag, asking “Lila, what are you doing? Doesn’t Ivan need your help?”

Lila shook her head, and reached for her pocket, pulling out her phone. Pressing a few buttons, she placed it to her ear.

"Hi, how have you been? Oh, good, you know how it is. Well, I think he’ll be okay. We’re not close friends, so it should be fine for him to take the lead on this.”

Tikki’s eyes brightened in recognition, and she slipped out of the bag and up Lila’s jacket, nuzzling in the back of the collar where it was hidden by her hair.

“Even so, what about your mother? You might have to leave the country soon!”

“Huh? Don’t think like that. It will all work out. I have a good plan in place.”

Tikki huffed, but nestled closer to Lila’s neck so she could be easily hidden.

Lila giggled, phone still by her ear. “Look, you’re just worrying too much. Trust me, we won’t have to leave just yet.”

Tikki didn’t respond, and Lila tapped the screen of her phone, ending the false call.

The girl's shoes made a gentle thump on the wood lined flooring, with the early morning sun casting beams on the floor. Gentle humming could be heard, a pleased as punch sound.

But that changed with the roar of an akuma, crying out “Here!”

Tikki perked in alarm, and Lila narrowed her eyes. “Huh, guess I was wrong. Tikki, Spots On!”

~~

Diane Rossi was stressed. Not only was the move more exhausting than she hoped, her new secretary David was much more trouble than he was worth. Always popping in every few minutes, asking about her move and if she was excited to live there. What saved him from being fired was his offerings of cookies whenever he came in.

Diane walked to the school, papers in hand. The school policy was that papers had to be filled in to take a student out of school for indefinite periods, and that was just what Diane was going to do.

Making her way past the Eiffel tower, she stopped to look at it, overcome with regret. She and Lila had always moved from one place to another, and thanks to that, Lila never made lasting friends. She had filled Lila’s time with acting jobs and model shoots, but never gave her time to create roots to settle down in. It killed her to know that this time would be no different. But Diane was a good mother, despite all that she had failed before. She would not put her daughter in danger.

Breaking away from her thoughts, she looked forward and choked as a massive stone monster blocked her way, two blonde girls in its hands, one yelling nonsense like “Do you know who my daddy is? I’ll sue you!” and the other trembled in its grasp. The monster looked at her, then up at the tower, and began to climb it one handed.

Diane stumbled back on wobbly legs, and fell back, but a pair of hands saved her. “Gotcha! Miss, you need to step back. We can handle this.”

Looking behind her, Diane saw a woman in a red and black outfit, with a spotted mask on her face. Smiling gently, she set her down, and pulled out a yo yo. She winked, “Just watch, we’ll handle this!” And with that, she swung towards the tower.

Diane could do nothing except look at the girl meeting with a cluster of police at the entrance. Her gaze could not be moved from that bright girl.

~~

Chat Noir stood nervously, internally bemoaning his day. First he made a bad impression on his new class thanks to Chloe, now he messed up and wasn’t able to stop the akuma. Chat hopped down with the police,

The armed group was led by Officer Raincomprix, who looked determined and Mayor Andre Bourgeois, holding a megaphone.“I demand my daughter's safe return!”

Chloe screamed “Daddy!”, while Stoneheart snorted and replied “You know what? You're welcome to her!”

With that, he threw her like a softball, from 35 stories down. Chat sprinted fast, not wanting his friend to die, but paused as a blur of red came and swooped Chloe from her death.

Holding up Chloe and putting away her yo yo, Dame Tache looked Chat in the eye and smiled. “Glad I got here in time!”

Chloe scrambled off to hug her father, but Chat had eyes for the girl in red. “Glad you made it,” he replied, peppier now that he had his partner.

“Coast is clear! All unites, fire!” At that announcement, Dame Taches softness disappeared as she marched up to the officers.

“Do not shoot! You’ll be putting yourselves in danger if you do! Hitting him only makes the akuma stronger!”

Officer Raincomplex snorted. “I have a new plan, unlike you! Move aside and let the pros do their thing. You've already failed once!”

“You, a pro? Me and Chat are the ones who’ve dealt with this, and we’ve put back this city already! If you leave it to us, there won’t be any damage to fix, and nothing to worry about!” Dame Tache retorted back.

Chat gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath,” he murmured, “because without us, they won't make it, and we'll prove that to 'em. Trust me on this, okay? Let’s keep our eyes on the goal.”

Tache breathed out, then looked at Chat with fondness. “What would I do without you?” She said, and Chat had to rip his eyes away from her smile. He hadn’t felt that much warmth since-

Stoneheart roared out, and with it came a swarm of butterflies, taking the form of a man’s head. It floated above, and surveyed the group standing beneath, like a king surveying peasants. After a beat, it opened its mouth, and a voice rang out, clear and crisp.

“People of Paris, listen carefully. I am Hawk Moth.”

“Good to have a name to a face,” Dame Tache hummed, and Chat nodded, neither taking their eyes off the swarm. The police behind them were awestruck, putting down their weapons at the unbelievable sight.

“Ladybug, Cat Noir, give me the ladybug earrings and the cat ring now. You've done enough damage to these innocent people!” The swarm rang out, and Chat felt a hand grasp his, leading him into the fight.

“Don’t play victim here Hawk Moth. You’re the one causing damage. Taking advantage of people's anger and misery, aren’t you the one who’s a villain? Hawk Moth, no matter how long it takes, we will find you, and YOU will hand us YOUR Miraculous!”

Chat grinned, taking his hand away from Tache, and pulled out his staff. “Need a lift?” He asked, putting his staff on the ground.

“Such a gentleman”, she teased, before hopping on top of the staff end. With all his magical strength, Chat swung the staff up, the ladybug heroine using its force as a lift to soar high in the air, before taking out her yo yo and swinging it at the cloud of butterflies. A line of pure white kept cutting through all the akuma’s, before the only akuma left was the one in Stoneheart.

Hopping on the higher floor, Dame Tache spread her arms and announced, “Let me make this promise to you. No matter who wants to harm you, Dame Tache and Cat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe!”

With that, Dame Tache aimed her yo yo at Stoneheart, Causing thousands of purified butterflies to hit him straight on. As they went past him, Stoneheart looked smaller than before, and slumped, weaker.

Chat’s eyes sparkled, words leaving him as if he couldn’t contain his heart, “Whoever she is beneath that mask, I love that girl.”

Mylene cried out now, Stonehearts grip on her tighter than ever.

Chat hopped up a few flights, and met Dame Tache as she went down.

“That was a one time attack,” she started off with. “I can’t do that again, and the effects only last a short while.”

Chat nodded, “So we need a plan, fast. Got any ideas?”

“Just one,” She said grimly. “Lucky Charm!”

A cluster of ladybugs came together around the yo yo, flung high in the air, and soon a parachute fell into Tache’s waiting hands.

“A parachute? What, do we just jump off and run?” Chat snarked, but Tache was brightening up.

“I got it! Chat, you didn’t see it before, but those two are lovebirds! We need to get them closer so they can be separated!”

Chat blinked, puzzled, but Tache grinned, overcome with confidence. “Trust me!”

Chat nodded before he could think. “Always, Milady.”

~~

Mylène’s eyes welled up with tears, and she squeezed them shut to stop them.

All this was just too much. First Ivan, with his loud music, now this, it was all just too much!

Stoneheart was climbing up the Eiffel Tower now, and Mylène was getting dizzy. There were helicopters reporting and yelling.

The hand around her was growing tight, and Mylène just wanted to go home and hide. Perhaps forever.

“You'll never take Mylène from me!” Roared out that monstrous voice, and Mylène shriveled further, unable to stop trying to hide.

Wires from above wrapped around Mylene and the stone being. Looking up, was the girl in red, smiling.

The wires grew tighter, and brought her and Ivan closer together. The pressure closed in, and mushed her face against his cheek.

No way was that a real kiss, but the astonishment on Stonehearts face was enough of a reaction. It even let the hands grasping her fall lose, enough for her and a dark object to fall out.

A blur of black, and she was caught by a blonde boy, wearing cat ears of all things.

“Milady, all yours!” he yelled, then smiled down at her kindly.

Ivan soon came down too, but that girl swung down, grabbing him close, swinging her yo yo up to catch what seemed to be a floating black dot.

Mylène couldn’t tell, she was crying too hard.

Chat Noir landed down safely, while Dame Tache floated down with Ivan, a parachute letting them land.

“You all right?” The girl in red asked, and Mylène nodded, wiping away her fearful tears. Chat set her down, and she wobbled, then stood upright.

Ivan groaned, standing to his feet. Chat went to check in on him.

Dame Tache opened the yo yo she had at her waist, and a purple butterfly wobbled out, flying away. “Au Revoir, petit papillon.”

Dame Tache then grabbed the parachute, and flinging it into the air, cried out, “Miraculous Ladybug!”

And there was light. Pink, shimmering ladybugs swarming in warm glowing waves, rushing over damaged buildings and tossed cars like nothing bad had happened.

The ladybugs swarmed around the four, clearing up the damage like nothing happened. Hundreds of cheering Parisians had come out, taking pictures and shouting in wonder.

Chat gaped, open-mouthed. “Whoa. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?”

Dame Tache raised her arms, letting her fingers brush past the stream of glowing pink bugs as they raced by her. “Yeah. It's just miraculous!”

Mylène couldn’t put it better. But then Dame Tache looked to her, handing her a crumpled letter.

“I think you two have some things to talk about, yeah?”

~~

Marinette's mind was spinning. No actually, it was her, as Alya had grasped her in a spinning hug, shrieking incomprehensibly.

“girlgirlgirlGIRL!” she squealed, suddenly letting out a shriek of giddy joy. “I got video footage! They were right there, I got it all on camera, this is amazing!”

A quiet laugh sounded behind them, and Lila poked her head out. “Wow Alya, you have amazing luck! I can’t believe you got footage twice of her!”

Alya raised her camera. “Of course! You’re looking at the proud owner of the Ladyblog! Documenting all sights of Paris’s new cool heroes.”

Marinette's eyes widened. “Whoa, but isn’t that dangerous? Couldn’t you get really hurt?”

Alya waved her off, “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself. Trust me, one day you’ll be seeing a firsthand interview with the Dame herself, and maybe even a picture of her unmasked.”

Lila shared an amused glance with Marinette, and all of them walked inside of the classroom.

Walking in, Marinette looked to Chloe's seat, and something like determination filled her eyes.

“You ready?” Lila murmured. “If you do this, there’s no turning back.”

Marinette hesitated, but then nodded. “We live in a world where magic exists and superheroes save the day now. I’m not going to let Chloe bother me anymore.”

Lila nodded, and took her seat in the back.

Marinette went up and took Chloe’s seat, nervous. Soon, the blonde and Sabrina came in, loudly discussing plans. When her eyes caught Marinette, they narrowed, before getting up in her space.

“You're in the wrong seat. Go on, get lost!”

Marinette inhaled, trying her best not to shake. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good people do nothing!"

Chloe blinked, nonplussed. Sabrina stood beside her, eyes going back and forth like ping pong balls.

"Excuse me?” Chloe’s voice came out deathly.

Marinette nearly folded from how angry she sounded, but rallied herself. “It means that I'm not putting up with your crud anymore, Chloé, and neither is anyone else around here, so take your attitude and go on, get lost!”

Chloe didn’t do anything but stare at Marinette. Not in a shocked, how-dare-you type of way.

No, this was the stare of a lioness finding an enemy on her borders. This was assessing a threat.

Ignoring the cheers that rang out in the classroom, how Alya whooped and slipped into the spot next to her, Chloe simply narrowed her eyes, but turned to the previous seat she had forced Marinette in.

Marinette took a shaky breath, but nudged back at Alya. “Not too bad, huh?”

“Girl, that was beautiful.” Alya giggled, high on how the day had gone.

Marinette looked forward to- ugh, Chloe’s friend. He looked behind him and smiled at her, but she turned away, huffing. She wouldn’t be fooled by a pretty face.

~~

Lila wandered down the hall, humming from a plan well done. Marinette had absolutely demolished Chloe’s standing, and now the blonde would be scrambling to regain her queen standing in the class.

Dame Tache had completely absorbed her mothers attention, judging from the harried phone call. Mother wouldn’t be able to pick her up, instead she would have to walk home.

Looking out the window of the second floor, she sat there and waited. Five minutes passed, and Marinette walked out of the door, Adrien following close behind.

Tikki popped out of Lila’s bag, curious. “Isn’t that Marinette? Shouldn’t she be going home by now?”

“It’s the rain,” Lila murmured, eyes on the pair. “He’s going to give her his umbrella now.”

Tikki looked back at the two. Sure enough, Marinette reached for the umbrella Adrien held out to her, before it closed on her.

“Oh gee. Marinette sure is clumsy, huh?” Tikki laughed, nestling back in the bag. Lila hummed, and stood up.

She turned the corner, and there was that boy from the other day. He stiffened up, a faint redness coating his face. "Oh-uh-um, hi?" he stammered out.

Lila smiled back, polite. "Hi."

Nathanial rubbed the back of his head, "I-uh, I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. It was really nice of you to house me when- uh, everything, was happening. Oh, uh, and for saving me."

Lila nodded. "No need to thank me. I'm just glad you're okay."

Nathanial blinked, and nodded. Having said his piece, he turned on his heel, and immediatly speedwalked away.

Lila sighted, and adjusted her bag.

“Time to go home, Tikki.”

~

Lila arrived home a bit wet, but otherwise unscathed. “I’m home!” she called out, hearing the clicking of heels over by the office.

Diane stumbled out, shirt a bit wrinkled and obviously exhausted. “Patatina, welcome home,” she murmured, before catching Lila in a tight embrace.

Lila returned the embrace, asking, “Mom? Is everything okay?”

Diane didn’t respond for a minute, but eventually murmured, “Let’s sit.”

Lila and Diane sat on the red couch. Diane pursed her lips and began.

“We are not moving. I don’t like it, but the orders of the embassy are clear to keep track of magical instances in Paris, and to relay them back.”

Lila nodded, and Diane continued. “You will be staying at the school. I can’t send you back home, as your father currently does not have a house and is constantly traveling. We don’t have anywhere safe to send you.”

Lila piped up at this point. “I’d really like to stay mom,” she began, nerves apparent and playing with her bandages. “I know it’s a bit riskier, but I’ve made so many friends here, and I’m tired of moving everywhere. Please don’t send me back.”

Diane looked at Lila sadly, but nodded. “Alright. Alright, you’ll stay. But now more than ever, call me about anything, alright? I couldn’t live with myself if you became that akuma thing.”

Lila nodded, excitement all over her face. She lept and hugged her mother, squealing, “Oh mama, thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

Diane laughed, hugging her daughter back. “Alright. Now, tell me all about how your day went. How is your school?”

~~

Lila opened her bedroom door, flopping face down on the bed, before turning to lay on her side. Tikki zoomed around the room, excited. “Oh, isn’t it great Lila! Your mom’s decided to stay! This is great!”

Lila smiled. “Yeah. It is!”

Tikki plopped down on the pillow next to Lila, suddenly looking very stern. “But we can’t be too happy yet. Hawkmoth is still out there. Paris needs you, Dame Tache! I know we can count on you going forward.”

Lila’s smile never wavered. “Trust me. I’m going to do my best to help!”

Lila then leaned up so she was sitting on the bed. “Oh, I left a little plate of cookies in the desk, as well as a little bread. Have at it!”

Tikki squealed and dove away, allowing Lila to slip into the bathroom.

Closing and locking the door, Lila stood in front of the faucet mirror, taking critical eye to her features. Her hair had gotten an inch longer since taking up the ladybug miraculous, Lila observed, and immediately wanted to puke.

How kind, how saintly, how miraculous that Paris’s spotted savior was once again there to save the day, standing with her partner against the terrible butterfly monster.

Lila focused on her breaths before continuing her line of thought. She was Ladybug. Not princess perfect Marinette. This was doable.

Marinette was in love with Adrien. That had not changed. Adrien was in love with a girl in a mask. No change. Lila was that girl in the mask. Massive change.

The love square only ever caused problems to Marinette and Adrien- well, that was somewhat untrue. But there was a rule of the world Ailana made sure to drill in her head.

For every akuma, Marinette needed to learn a lesson. Whether that lesson was good or bad, it never mattered. Alaina moaned about it often enough, that Marinette was punished for breathing wrong, but sometimes rewarded for going above and beyond as a creepy loser.

Lila put her hand to her mouth, mind running through plans. There was no way to get rid of the miraculous without causing backlash. Putting this plan in motion to entice her mother to stay with reports of magic to report back to Italy kept her in a prime location to grow. The ladybug miraculous could be abused gently, just once or twice. Curating Marinette as a friend, putting her on the right path as a designer would surely pay dividends in the future. But channeling Chat’s crush to Marinette would take some work, and quite a few akumas.

Time to get scheming.

Chapter Text

Lila walked down the street from her shopping spree in Le Marais, brimming with delight from all the cute clothes she found. She had decided to go for a white undershirt, with bell bottom black jeans, black boots, and a red jacket over her for the wind. Walking over to the Place des Vosges park, she hummed, checking her phone for the results of the new TVI weather girl.

Mirielle vs Aurore was a big deal for the whole week. Having such young weathergirls was a big deal within the school. Alya was excited, but Marinette was more ambivalent, sneaking glances at the blonde haired oy now sitting in front of her.

Lila was much more interested in the results. “Remember! There’s only one hour left to get your vote in for the new TVI Weather Girl! Vote now online!” her phone chimed with Alec’s voice,

Tikki popped out of her hobo bag, curious about the results. “Wow, Aurore and Mirielle as the new weather girls? It must be really exciting to see your classmates on TV everyday!”

Lila nodded, tapping the link to the voting website. “Mirielle’s a definite win. She’s got the girl next door look people like for this role, while Aurore tries too hard and alienates her fans. Casual viewers would probably enjoy the nicer subtype.”

Tikki blinked, surprised. “Wow Lila, you really know your stuff.”

“Well, that comes with living with a diplomat. Mama can be silly sometimes, but she has an eye for trends that comes in handy with dealmaking.”

Lila walked into the park, scanning around and spotting a bench to rest at. Sitting down, she set down her bags, and clicked on Mirielle’s vote tag.

Tikki nestled down in the bag, as a figure approached her from behind. Lila was absorbed in reading the voting results, and didn’t see two hands come to cover her eyes.

“Guess who!” a voice called behind Lila, and lila only took a second before bursting into a smile.

“Oh Alya,” she giggled, turning around. “You totally scared me!”

“Oh hi Lila!” Marinette came running by, a little girl holding her hand. “Great to see you, have to talk later, bye!”

Handing the girl off to Alya, Marinette went sprinting away.

Lila blinked, surprised. “Um, Alya?” She looked over to her friend.

Alya nodded, looking back, holding onto the girl. “Oh, Marinette had to do something real quick. So, I’m babysitting the little adventurer here.”

“This something wouldn’t happen to be blonde with green eyes, would he?” Lila teased. Alya shrugged, unrepentant.

The little girl looked at Lila and smiled a gap toothed smile. “Hi! I’m Manon! Do you like Mirielle?”

Lila smiled back, eyes squinting. “Hi Mamon! I’m Lila. I just voted for Mirielle online!”

Manon squealed, high pitched and excited, and scrambled up the bench. Lila hurried to move her bags so Manon could see the page. “Yeah! She’s so nice! I wanna see the results!”

Lila hummed, flicking to the livestream. “Oh, I think it’s starting!”

~~
Alec Capalldi raised his hands with showmans grace “This is the moment we've been waiting for! The viewers at home have made their decision, and the new KIDZ+ weather girl is…”

A drumroll proceeded to patter out while spotlights swarmed the stage.

“Mirielle!”

The dark haired girl gasped, ecstatic and blushing.

Alec leaned on the blistering Aurore, whose face was turning pink. “Man, she crushed you, eh? Better luck next time!”

Aurore swung out her arms, dislodging the man. Stomping off quickly, she was followed by Alec’s remark. “What's the big deal? You only lost by half a million votes!”

~~
“Yay, she won, she won!” Manon happily yelled, and Lila stood up. Alya laughed, straightening her back.

“Alright you little monster, want to go to the merry-go-round?”

“YEAH!” Manon shrieked, and off they went, Alya waving goodbye to Lila, off to find Marinette. Lila waved back, a giggle on her face.

Tikki popped out of her bag, “Wow, good for Mirielle! But too bad for Aurore.”

“That’s the nature of the business. If they don’t like you, you’re out.”

Lila stood up, ready to head home, when a loud voice stopped her.

“You! You are perfect!” A man announced, stepping in front of her. He was dark skinned, with purple pants and suspenders, holding a camera. “Please, we need another model for the shoot! The one we had wasn’t able to come!”

“Do you have a contract I can sign?” Lila asked, irritation bubbling. “I’m registered with the Daydream Orrus agency in Milan. My contract lets me freelance with different vendors on my own, but not for free.”

“Of course! The Gabriel brand sources from many different modeling agencies. We'll hook you with our paperwork team.”

“Can I at least put my bags down?” She asked, and the shopping bags were removed from her hands, two women ushering her to a changing stall. Lila had a clothing bag thrust into her hands, with the stall curtains zipping behind her.

Looking down at the bag in her hands, Lila huffed, and began to put on her modeling outfit.
~~
Adrien sighed, looking off into the distance. He had been waiting for Maria since the start of the shoot 2 hours ago, but she had called sick at the last minute, claiming she had eaten something wrong. At least that’s what he gathered from Vincent's outraged squawking.

He was dressed in black slacks, with black loafers. A black button up, with a white silk shirt. Gabriel Specialized in monochromatic designs, and this was a perfume ad doubling as a clothing ad.

Pulling his knee up to his chest, he started doing his new favorite activity- daydreaming of his lady. Her long hair, her bright eyes, her strong-willed personality, even her playful banter, it all made him sigh dreamily.

“Hey, are you my partner?”

“Ah, how silly. I’m even hearing her voice…” Adrien sighed.

“Oh Adrien! We have a new partner for you!” That voice was definitely not his partner.

Sharply sitting straight, Adrien's eyes focused on a girl with long brown hair in a high pony, with two side ponies framing her face. Her outfit was the Gabriel designed partner to his own for the shoot, a white short skirt, black halter neck top with a black bow on her back, and short white kitten heels.

In short, she was beautiful. But Adrien had met many beautiful women in his line of work. What stood out was the air of irritation he couldn’t help but pick up from her. Her eyes had no smile in them, and her mouth was in a close lipped smile, showing no teeth. Everything about her was fake.

Adrien’s lips curled up into a picture perfect model smile. If she would play fake, so would he. “Great To meet you, Lila! Thanks for doing this at the last minute!”

Lila laughed, and to anyone else it would have sounded charmed. Adrien was raised by the premiere actress Emilie de Vanily and renowned fashion designer Gabriel Agreste. It sounded dead.

“Of course, a Gabriel shoot would be amazing for my career! I’m just glad I caught the eye of your photographer there,” Lila giggled, winking at Vincent who laughed in good fun.

“Well, you are in good hands with Adrien! Trust me, this shoot will make you look better than mama’s fresh made spaghetti and meatballs! We have an hour left on the shoot, let's make the most of it! Adrien, one leg up, Lila, sit here- wait, no, more left…”

For the next 30 minutes, the two students practiced their positions on the fountain, posing this way and that in the Gabriel clothing provided. Adrien did his best not to touch her.

“We’ll take a 15! Get some water, everyone!” Vincent announced.

Lila and Adrien slumped, each handed a paper cup. There was silence for a bit, and then Adrien spoke.

“So how long have you been doing this?”

Lila turned to him, a practiced smile on her face. “This, you mean modeling? Well, ever since I was…five? Five sounds about right.”

“Wow, for so long? Your parents must really be proud.”

“Actually, Dad doesn’t like it. ‘It’s way too dangerous for a young girl! Who knows what kinds of sketchy people it’ll attract?’” Lila mocked, in the low bass of her father. Adrian couldn’t help but laugh. Lila laughed quiet, less of an action of enjoyment and more performative. It would be weird to point out how practiced she was, right? Normal people probably didn’t act like this.

“But my mom’s super supportive. She wants me to explore myself and my world, and it’s also a good starter job,” Lila finished, before pivoting to, “what about you? I know how popular you are, but how long have you been popular?”

Adrien blinked, thrown off. “Well, I really blew up around last year, but I’ve been doing this since…forever. Wow.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing, just, didn’t realize how long I’ve been doing this.”

“Is that a good thing?” Lila asked. Adrien couldn't really respond, simply shrugging.

“Well, maybe you’ll find something new to do at school. You’re in Ms. Bustier’s class, aren’t you? We’re classmates.”

Adrien's eyes widened. “Oh! Wow, uh, I didn't realize. I’m sor-”

“Oh gosh, don’t apologize! We were never introduced!” Lila giggled. High and annoying, like it was designed to be grating. “Besides, we have class tomorrow to-”

BOOM! A massive icicle crashed into the grassy yard, shaking the earth. Adrien and Lila both fell over, knocked off balance by the quaking earth.

“Hahaha! That’s what you get!” a high voice mocked. Above them, a girl in purple with an umbrella and pigtails swung around in the air. “Those who voted for Mirielle should be punished! So I'll punish everyone!”

Ah, Adrien thought, I’ll have to save that conversation for another day.

~~

“We’re live on the scene! This is Nadja Chamack, reporting in! It seems that the new monster has taken the form of a school girl, age unverifiable! We’re providing aerial vision- There they are! Dame Tache and Chat Noir, spotted!”

~~

“So, what can we expect, M’lady?!” Chat asked, twirling his bow to block icicles. Tache hunched behind him, using her yoyo to launch cars to knock her out of the air.

“Her akuma is in her umbrella, I'm sure of it," she replied, pulling in her yoyo. “We need to get her close range! Chat, we need to get her talking! Can you manage that?”

Chat grinned. “M’lady, that’s my specialty. One akuma for easy pickings, coming up!”

Both broke away from their spot, dashing to different directions. Chat hopped up to a rooftop, Tache ducking out of sight.

“So fair maiden, what’s with the icy treatment? It’s a pur-fect summer day!” Chat punned, moving out of the way of a gust of wind.

“A perfect day for who? Everyone else? What about me?!” She yelled, swinging her parasol. A flash of ice shot by Chat.

“Today was supposed to be my special day! Mirielle didn’t even have any acting experience! What was it all for!!?”

To the left, Chat swung his baton, smacking a block of ice away from a cowing construction worker.

“But Hawk Moth helped me! He gave me all this power to be the best weather girl! Me, not Mirielle!”

So it was Aurore. Chat grimaced, moving further along the rooftops, keeping her attention on him.

“Well, then everyone should know it, right?” a voice chirped out. A red blur twisted around the girl, binding her arms together.

“Hup-” and with great strength, Dame Tache swung the bound akuma to crash into the rooftop.

But the akuma was quick, blasting a gust of wind at the heroine. Tache was forced to let the akuma go, dodging the block of ice crashing down.

“Tache!” cried Chat Noir.

“We got her!” Tache called back. “Get her to the broadcast tower, hurry!”

“But-”

“We’ve got her pinned! Chat, I need you!”

And what could Chat Noir say to that?

~~

Stormy Weather flung herself through the air, dodging batons and string alike to get to the broadcast station. She had overheard that stupid bug yell something about the broadcast station, and what an idea!

Showing the whole world that she was the better weather girl? Too good to pass up!

The miraculous, whispered the voice in her head. Get the miraculous first!

She ignored it, heading right to the roof of the station. The bug and cat could come later, but her spot of fame wouldn’t last forever.

She landed atop the broadcasting tower roof, twirling her parasol about to generate snow flurries. The cameramen were yelling something, running away in fear. It felt good to be powerful.

The light on the camera was blinking, and Stormy Weather grinned wide for her audience. “Hello, viewers! Here's the latest forecast for the first day of summer. Looks like Mother Nature had a change of plans. Summer vacation is officially over!”

With a flick of her wrist, her umbrella shot skywards, summoning storms of thunderous clouds. They funnelled around the building, obscuring a red and black pair from launching themselves into the building through a window.

“Come and get me, Bug Girl and Catboy! I’ll give you a weather forecast you’ll never forget!”
~~
“Oof!”

Chat whirled around as Tache tripped over a set of wires. They were in the dark studio, attempting to sneak their way up to the roof.

“Need a hand, bugaboo?” He teased, bending down and grabbing Tache’s hand.

“Please,” she grumbled. It was very cute. “Ugh, why couldn’t I get night vision too?”

“Too? How’d you know I have night vision?” Chat blinked. They had only ever run through their base powers. How did she know about his extra power?

“You have night vision?” She looked up, with outrage on her face.”Oh come on! I can’t even get flight or wings, and that’s so a ladybug power! No fair!”

Oh. Chat snickered, leading his lady up the stairs. He was overthinking it. Up 3 flights of stairs, Chat spotted the red door to the roof.

“Here!” he called out, “the door is up here! Get ready.” His hand was squeezed in response.

With that, the pair kicked open the door to the roof, and were immediately chilled from the icy cold storm Stormy Weather had summoned around the rooftop.

“Glad you could make it, superlosers! You’re here for a special live broadcast! Today’s weather is an ice storm!” she announced, waving her parasol.

Large ice lances formed in the air, aiming at the superheroes. The next few seconds were frantic dodging, avoiding the hail of ice bullets that Stormy Weather flung with deadly aim.

Chat hopped on top of the cooling vents, sharply dodging a particularly sharp ice dagger. He could see a red blur over the stair roof, twirling a yoyo as a shield. But chat couldn’t pull his baton out, he needed his hands free to move and leap.

“Tache, Lucky charm! I’ll distract her!” he yelled, and leaped. He soared high above the purple akuma, landing behind her. Finally, enough room to get his-and it was smacked out of his hand. Alright. Plan B.

Hissing, Chat Noir struck out with his claws, forcing Stormy Weather on the back. He heard Tache call for her Lucky Charm behind him as he managed to get a grip on the parasol.

“Cata-OW!” chat stumbled back, a bruise forming where Stormy Weather had landed a good punch right to his eye. “Watch the face! It’s insured!”

“Ha! Bill it to my manager!” She sneered, flying farther back, summoning more icicles.

Chat and Tache fell back, side by side. “Got the Charm?” He asked, teeth beginning to chatter from the temperature drop. Tache held up a towel in response.

“Well, they do say a towel is the most massively useful item to bring with you,” he quipped.

Tache giggled. “Book quotes aside, I have a plan. The billboard”, she pointed, and there was a billboard with his own stupid face on it, ugh, “we need a big bang. Can you help?”

“M’lady, that’s my job,” Chat grinned, and the two were off. Chat dove under flying ice daggers, jerking his head sharply when a dagger nearly got his human ears. He saw a red blurr on the opposite side ducking and jumping to a vent, but the iron pole was coming up, and his hand was stretching out and the words “cataclysm!” came out in a breath-

And crackling, acidic energy rotted the iron pole, making it crack and bend and fall on the rooftop. Both girls, he could now tell, were locked in hand to hand, tugging at the umbrella, when they looked up.

Tache took advantage of the akuma’s fear to bust out the towel, tying it around her opponent’s hands and dragging her to a small strip of roof that wouldn’t be destroyed. However, this caused the akuma to drop her umbrella. Tache ran, dragging the akuma behind her (apparently the loss of the umbrella meant the loss of her powers). But Chat couldn’t follow them, with the sign crashing down and kicking up dust and dirt.

“M’lady!” Chat cried out, but quicker than a flash, a red hand waved, signaling the two were safe. As the dust settled, Chat could see Tache sitting on Stormy Weather’s back, her jerking and kicking. Tache was keeping a tight grip on the girl.

“Mind taking her off my hands?” Tache grinned up at him. Chat couldn’t help smiling back.

“It would be my honor, Spots.”

The two switched places seamlessly, and just in time, as a crackling black butterfly rose out of the wreckage.

“No more evildoing for you, petite papillon. Time to de-evilize!” And with that, the Akuma was caught, and released, white and unakumatized.

“Au Revoir, petit Papillon. Miraculous Ladybug!” and with that, the magic filled the air, fixing the billboard, the damaged buildings, and the overturned cars in the road.

The akuma beneath Chat slumped, and pink butterflies overtook it, before releasing a blonde girl with pigtails. Chat immediately got off, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Miss, are you alright?”

“Ugh, I-I’m fine. I was in an elevator? How did i get here?” the girl looked up, scared and confused.

Tache came over, and put her hands on her shoulder. “You were taken advantage of by Hawkmoth. He used your emotions against you and turned you into an akuma.”

“No,” the blonde breathed out. “Oh no, this is bad! I’m a weather girl, This looks so bad for me-!”

“Breathe! It’s okay, no one was hurt, you were controlled against your will! Don’t worry, all the damage was fixed!” Tache interrupted, trying to stop a panic attack. Aurore’s breath was still hiccuping, but she seemed to be getting control of her breath with that last bit of information.

“Anyone can be taken advantage of by Hawkmoth. It isn’t a slight against you to have been taken advantage of. You should go home and rest,” Chat spoke, removing his hands from the girl's shoulders.

Aurore nodded, murmuring a quiet, shell-shocked “thank you,” before running to the stairs. As she left, both heroes let out big sighs.

“Oof, that was a rough one. How’s your face?” Tache asked, moving to see.

“All cured, thanks to Paris’s most beautiful bug,” Chat purred, cupping his face in his hands.

Tache rolled her eyes, but a smile still made its way on her face. “Tease,” she quipped back, but Chat fluttered his eyes, making her burst into giggles.

The joy was stopped by the beeping of their miraculous. Both looked to each other, before smiling and bumping fists. “Pound it!”
~~
Adrien landed behind the camera crates, making a show of stumbling out from them. Vincent spotted him right away.

“Adrien! Come over! We have a photoshoot to continue! Now where is Ms. Rossi?”

“Here!” a tanned hand shot up behind bushes, Lila stumbling out. No stains on the fabric, just twigs and leaves near artfully tangled in her hair. The two makeup assistants, Christie and Jasper, bothe descended upon her like birds of prey, tugging her behind the changing screen.

Adrien wasn’t exempt, with Vincent reorganizing his clothing and ruffling his hair to artful messiness rather than real messiness.

“Putain de merde, that weather witch completely ate up the sunlight! Ugh, we only have enough time to take a few more photos, we’ll have to reschedule with your father for another time slot. Adrien, put on the second outfit, We’ll get Lila in the red…”

Say what you will about Vincent, he was a professional photographer. In the span of 5 minutes, he set up a new set, got the two models in new ensembles, and posing on a bench.

Lila didn’t say anything, swatting away Christie's long black nails. “It’s fine, let’s just keep going” she stated. There was no giggle in her voice. Adrien preferred it that way, having her be less fake.

“I’m here for the shoot!” a voice called out. Oh, and that was Marinette, wasn’t it? From the other day? She had been upset, but had forgiven him pretty easily when he gave her his umbrella. She seemed nice.

Sure enough, she approached with a friend and a kid in tow. The other girl- Allie? They hadn’t been introduced- waved at Lila, who waved back.

“What’s going on?” He whispered to Lila. She shrugged, but her gaze moved from the girls to Jasper, who was looking panicked and had started whispering something to Vincent.

Vincent rolled his eyes, waving her away. “Yes yes, sorry to say we have a professional model filing in-wait. Who is this?”

His remark was aimed at the little girl in pigtails, who looked up with her big eyes.

“I’m Manon!” she announced. Vincent nodded, “well Manon, how would you like to take part in a photoshoot today? Like a real model?”

“Can I? Can I? Marinette, pleeeeeease??” The girl immediately lit up, pulling on her babysitter's arm hard.

Marinette was doing a very poor job of hiding her disappointment and irritation. “Wait, Manon, surely i’d be a better-”

“Nonsense! Having a younger child around accentuates the looks for the photoshoot! A family picture would look absolutely marvelous!”

Whoa, wait- Adrien and Lila? A family? The burn in Adriens cheeks turned his attention away from Lila fully, focusing on the mess happening before his eyes. “Vincent, I don’t think Lila would be comfortable with-”

“It’s fine,” Lila spoke up, raising her hand as she sat, legs crossed on the fountain. “It doesn’t bother me to add another model. Adrien, what do you think?”

She spoke as though there was nothing important about the situation. Adrien envied her coolheaded poise for a second (she acted just like father), before turning back to all the curious eyes.

He shrugged. “Well, if the lady wants…” he trailed off, feeling like a pinned insect underneath the spotlight. He couldn’t bite his lip, that would just be a week of lip treatments, and he couldn’t scratch his arms or the assistants would smother it in lotion. Ugh, the time couldn’t go faster?

“We only have a few minutes left right? We’ll have to be quick, can you do that Manon?” Lila was talking to the little girl, who nodded her head rapidly. Lila grinned back at her, before picking her up and putting her on the fountain ledge, holding her hand. “Adrien, can you help me?” She asked, looking to him.

“Yes, I see the vision! Adrien, take the girls other hand!” Vincent called out, camera aimed on hte girls. Adrien took Manon’s other hand, sitting down on the ledge.

For the next few minutes, Adrien, Lila and Manon took pictures around the fountain, while the other two sat in the back, one sulking, the other recording.

Lila smiled the whole time, a picture perfect model smile. Adrien couldn’t help but wonder, what would a real smile look like on her?