Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to its respective owner.
Who Needs Love?
Episode 01
Origins I: This Means War
Many centuries ago, seven magical stones containing extraordinary powers were created to defeat evil.
These were the Miraculous.
Throughout the years, the Chosen Ones used these stones for the good of humanity, saving all those in need of help. Two of these Miraculous are more powerful than the others—the earrings of the Ladybug, the power of creation, and the ring of the Black Cat, the power of destruction. Like yin and yang, these two work together perfectly, but if they fall into the wrong hands, danger may arise and the fate of the universe may be threatened.
As legend has it, anyone who uses the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous at the same time will gain absolute power. The holder will be able to do whatever they please—revive a lost one, reset time, or even bring end to this world.
Hungry for this power, the Butterfly Miraculous holder turned himself into a villain and re-named himself as Hawkmoth. He enslaved his own kwami, Nooroo, and used its power for evil in order to obtain the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.
The Butterfly Miraculous is the power of control—black butterflies form at his will and he can use these tainted tools to control whoever he desires.
"I sense negative emotions…" Hawkmoth says to himself.
A white butterfly flies into his palm, and a black and violet cloud forms around it. When the cloud disappeared, Hawkmoth opens his palm to reveal a butterfly as black as death—and akuma. He releases it, and the butterfly flies around the city of Paris in search for the poor victim.
Having sensed this negative aura, the turtle kwami, Wayzz, warns Master Fu. Believing him to be too old to go against such strong power, he punches in a code into his gramophone, revealing a box containing the accessories of four Miraculous stones—the Fox necklace, the Bee comb, the Ladybug earrings and the Black Cat ring. He looks down at the empty Peacock and Butterfly boxes with a heavy heart before picking up the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous.
Master Fu heads out of his dojo, a single question lingering in his mind.
Who are the two that can save us all?
"Marinette! Get up; your alarm's been ringing for fifteen minutes already! You're going to be late for your first day of school!"
"Yes, mom."
A girl with black hair in pigtails emerges from her pink covers and reaches a hand out to turn off the alarm on her cellphone. She stretches her arms out and yawns, dreading the start of a new school year already. She climbs out of bed and drags her feet down the stairs, giving her mother a peck on the cheek once she reaches the kitchen floors.
"I bet Chloe's going to be in my class again this year…" Marinette mumbles sadly. She's been bullied and pushed around by the blonde for four consecutive years—she only wishes that this year will be different.
"Four years in a row? Is that possible?" Sabine asks in shock. She almost wants to march all the way to her daughter's school and demand for her to switch into a different class, but she doesn't want to cause any trouble for Marinette, since Chloe might give her a harder time (she is the daughter of Mayor Bourgeois after all).
"Definitely. I've got the best of luck, don't I?" Marinette frowns, pouring milk and cereal into her bowl.
Sabine shakes her head, thinking optimistically for the sake of her daughter. "Don't say that. New school, new year, new beginning—I'm sure this year will be better than the last four. Keep your head up high," she smiles.
Marinette nods her head and returns the smile, putting her cereal box down. However, this action makes the table wobble slightly, causing an orange to roll off the fruit bowl and knock over everything that stood in its way. Marinette hangs her head at her clumsiness, and Sabine only laughs and cleans up the mess her daughter had just made.
"Don't worry about this—go get dressed up. You'll be late for school," Sabine says. Marinette nods at her mother and rushes up the stairs to get changed into her every day clothes.
Noting the time, she hurries down the stairs once she's done, and she's greeted by her father's joyful singing. Tom finishes placing the last macaron in his box before turning around and presenting it to his daughter.
"Ta-da! My famous pistachio macarons!" Tom exclaims, handing them to Marinette. She clutches the box of desserts happily and jumps up and down excitedly.
"Thanks, dad! My classmates will definitely love this!" she exclaims. "You're the best!"
"We're the best," the baker corrects. "Your designs brought in quite the crowd. I have you to thank too."
Marinette throws her arms around her father, accidentally letting go of the macarons in the process. Tom luckily catches it in time with his foot and kicks it in the air, catching it with his arms.
"Be careful with it," he laughs heartily, handing the box back to his daughter.
Nodding, Marinette kisses both of her parents on the cheek before running out the door with the box of macarons and her backpack in hand. She screams, "See you guys later!" before exiting the door and walking out into the streets of Paris.
Marinette runs in the direction of school, stopping just in time before she could be flattened by a speeding car. While waiting for the stoplight to flash the walking sign, her mouth hangs open in horror when she sees an elderly man walking in the middle of the street. A car honks in the distance, trying to catch the attention of the old man so that he could get out of the way before he could get hit.
Gasping, Marinette runs forward and grabs the old man's arm, pulling him out of harm's way. While pulling him to safety, she accidentally trips on the sidewalk, causing her to fall and drop the box of macarons. A few of them roll out, and her face contorts in horror when a pedestrian crushes one with their foot.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry about your macarons," the old man bemoans.
Marinette picks up the box, and sighs in relief seeing as there are still so many macarons inside. She shakes her head and smiles at the elder. "Don't worry, it's my fault. I'm very clumsy, you see, and besides, there are still plenty of macarons left inside," she says, offering him one. The old man gladly takes one of the pistachio pastries and grins at how good it tastes.
"Delicious!" he exclaims.
"We have many other pastries at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery if you're interested," she promotes. "It's right here, actually—"
The sound of her school bell rings in the distance, making Marinette jump. "I'm going to be late! I-I have to go! Have a good day, sir, take care!" she exclaims in a panic. She turns to the man and bows respectfully before dashing off, muttering, "How can I be late for the first day of school?!"
Marinette runs as fast as her legs could carry her, making it to school right before the school workers can shut the entrance doors. She runs into her classroom, panting heavily, the box of macarons still safe.
"Nino," her new teacher calls out. A boy with black hair and glasses pulls his headphones down to listen what she has to say. "Why don't you sit at the front this year?
Groaning, Nino drags his feet down the steps and takes a seat at the front. He plops onto his chair childishly and expresses a look of annoyance and discontent.
Right when Marinette takes her usual seat, Chloe Bourgeois slams her palm on the black-haired girl's desk and says in a snobbish tone, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Here we go again," Marinette mumbles. The whole class has their eyes on the two, and Marinette shrinks under the attention intentionally put on her.
"That's my seat," Chloe finishes, flicking a lock of her blonde hair.
"But Chloe, this has always been my seat," Marinette frowns. "I've been sitting in this spot for the last four years."
"Well, not anymore," a voice behind her says in an equally snobbish voice. Marinette turns around to find Chloe's friend (more like servant) sitting next to her with a smirk on her face. "New school, new year, new seats."
"So, why don't you go sit with that new girl over there?" Chloe suggests, pointing over at an unfamiliar girl with glasses and wavy scarlet hair. The girl turns to Chloe and glares daggers at her.
"But—" Marinette begins.
"Listen," Chloe cuts. "Adrien is coming today, and since he's going to sit right there," She points to the seat in front of Marinette's. "I'm going to sit right here, got it?"
"…Who's Adrien?" Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow. This question makes Chloe and Sabrina burst into laughter.
"Can you believe she doesn't know who Adrien is?" Chloe mocks, making Marinette look down in embarrassment. "He's only a famous model, and my best friend. He adores me, just like everyone."
The people behind her cough loudly upon hearing her last sentence.
"So, move it—" Chloe orders.
"Hey."
Marinette looks up to see the new student standing next to Chloe with her arms crossed and a fierce look in her eyes. "What makes you think you can decide where people sit?" the scarlet-haired girl snaps.
"Aw, how cute—looks like we've got a hero in our class this year," Chloe mocks. "Why don't you mind your own business?"
"It becomes my business when witches like you threaten innocent people," she counters, pushing the blonde aside. Chloe gasps at the attack, making a note to tell her father all about the new student at École Francoise-Dupont.
"Come on," the student says, grabbing Marinette's arm. Her grip is strong and her steps are quick, and Marinette trips down the stairs, dropping the box of macarons in her hands.
When the teacher, Mme Bustier, starts talking, Marinette turns to the girl next to her and says, "Thank you for helping me out back there."
"No problem," she answers. "I just hate people like her. Who do they think they are?"
"You're so brave. I wish I could stand up to Chloe the way you do," Marinette falters, looking down at her box of macarons. There's only one left, and her shoulders slump—she's even clumsier this year.
"You mean, the way Majestia does," the redhead grins, taking out her phone to show her a picture of a superheroine. "She stands up for what's right, and isn't afraid to intervene when the situation calls for it. She defeats evil flawlessly because good always wins." She then points over to Chloe, saying, "That girl is evil, and we're," She gestures to the two of them. "Good. Don't let her push you around all the time."
"Easier said than done," Marinette frowns. "She likes making my life miserable."
"That's because you let her!" the new student exclaims. "Stand up for yourself once in a while. Just have confidence!"
Smiling, Marinette takes the last macaron out of the box and splits it in half. "I hope you like pistachio," she says, handing her a half.
"Love it," she grins, taking the pastry. "I'm Alya."
"Marinette," she smiles.
They pop the dessert in their mouths, sighing in content at how delicious it tastes. Mme Bustier presents herself as the class's homeroom teacher, and while she's talking, Marinette hears Chloe mutter, "Where is he? He should be here by now."
A boy with blond hair scans his surroundings, and when the coast is clear, he sprints towards the entrance of École Francoise-Dupont. Halfway up the stairs, a silver car screeches to a halt and Adrien winces, knowing all too well that the car was chasing him.
"So close…" he mutters, turning away from the school building.
"Adrien!" the boy turns around at his name and sees his father's assistant, Nathalie, exit the car with a dead serious look on her face. "You know you're not supposed to be here."
"I know, but I want to be here!" Adrien fights back, turning around to head into the building. A cry catches his attention, and he turns his head in the direction it came from. He gasps at the sight of an old man on the ground struggling to reach for his cane.
Adrien runs to the old man's aid and hands him the cane with a warm smile on his face. The man struggles to stand on his feet, and Adrien offers him assistance by helping him up.
"Thank you, young man," he says, to which Adrien responds with a nod.
"Be careful, sir. Take care," the blond says kindly. He turns away and prepares himself to run, grumbling when he sees Nathalie and the driver (whom he calls Gorilla) blocking the entrance.
Head hung low, Adrien slowly makes his way towards them and mumbles, "I just want to go to school like everybody else and make friends and…" He sighs. "Alright, I'll go home. Please don't tell my father about this."
In the car, Nathalie notices Adrien looking out the window with a sad look on his face.
She sighs.
The bell rings, signaling the end of class, and the students all pack up their bags to head to their next class. While Mme Bustier is explaining the schedules, she is interrupted by the booming of a voice and snickering.
"Kim!" a student with a big build thunders. The student throws his arm back, ready to punch the athlete in the face, when he's stopped by the teacher.
"Ivan, what's going on?!" Mme Bustier says in a panic.
"It's Kim!" he accuses, making the athlete's face fall for ratting him out. Ivan prepares his fist to land a punch, gritting his teeth, "I'm going to—"
"Ivan, this is unacceptable behavior on the first day of class! Go to the principal's office!"
Ivan's mouth drops open, and he sends Kim one last glare before storming out the door. He crumples the paper Kim gave him and clutches it in his hand tightly.
"Poor Ivan," Marinette frowns, throwing Kim a stern look, who continues to laugh.
Alya places a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be all right. Come on, let's head to the library."
Marinette nods.
In the library, Alya and Marinette get a head start on their homework, when they're suddenly knocked out of their seats. Students are screaming in horror and they're running around the library knocking books over.
"Come on!" Alya exclaims, helping Marinette up. She takes the black-haired girl's arm and drags her across the library, where many students were watching the news to see what's going on.
Marinette couldn't believe her eyes when she saw what was causing all this trouble. On the television screen is a monster made of stone standing at about ten feet tall destroying cars and city property. The monster lets out a growl, making Marinette's eyes widen at the familiarity of the voice.
"…Ivan?" Marinette gasps. "Alya, that monster has Ivan's voice!"
"Cool!" Alya exclaims, eyes flickering with excitement and awe. "It's like he got transformed into a real-life supervillain!" She takes her phone out and taps it several times. "Battery full, GPS on, video ready! I'm going to go film this, see you, Marinette!" Alya rushes out of the library to record the supervillain raiding the streets.
"Wait, Alya! It's dangerous!" Marinette screams after her.
"Yes, but whenever there's a supervillain, there's a superhero! I can't miss this chance!" she exclaims, pushing the doors open and running off.
"Alya!" Marinette's cries fall on deaf ears, and she could only watch helplessly as Alya disappears in the distance.
"But father—"
"No, Adrien. And that's final."
Adrien shoots a look at Nathalie, whose face remains straight and unreadable as always. He frowns at her betrayal, but continues to fight for his freedom.
"But—why?" Adrien cries, standing up from his seat. "Why can't I just go to school like all the normal kids?"
"Everything you need is right here, where I can keep an eye on you and not have to worry about you," Gabriel Agreste explains. "I refuse to let you outside. The world is a dangerous place, Adrien. You know that."
"I'll be fine!" Adrien says in hopes of convincing him. "I'm always stuck here at home! I want to make friends! I want to learn at a school! I want all of that just like everyone else—"
"You're not everyone else! You're my son!"
Clutching his fists, Adrien runs out of the room and up the stairs to his room. He slams his door shut and plops onto his bed sadly. His sad thoughts are interrupted by the sound of crashes coming from outside, and Adrien rushes to his window to see what's happening. He lets out a gasp when he sees a monster with a body made of stone throwing cars around and destroying anything that stood in his path.
"What's that?!" he cries.
Adrien runs to his couch and turns on the television.
"—we advise everyone to stay inside their homes until the threat leaves," Mayor Bourgeois says calmly.
"As crazy as it seems, Paris is indeed being attacked by a supervillain of sorts. The police are struggling to keep the situation under control," the news reporter announces.
Eyes wide in shock, Adrien looks down and reaches for the remote to turn the television off, when something catches his eye.
"What's this?"
Adrien picks up the unfamiliar item and inspects it thoroughly. It appears to be a little box with an intricate ruby red design on its cover. He curiously opens it up and winces at the bright green light that shone upon opening it. Adrien gasps in surprise when a little black cat appears before him. The creature is floating in mid-air, and it yawns as if it had just woken up from a nap.
"Are you some kind of genie?" Adrien exclaims, grinning. He brings up a finger to poke it, but the kitty dodges his finger.
"Genie? Pfft," it harrumphs. "Three measly wishes are nothing compared to what I have in store for you, kid. The name's Plagg, nice to meet you—ooh! That looks delicious…" Plagg flies over to one of the little soccer player figures on Adrien's foosball table and munches on it.
"No! That's not food!" Adrien cries, running forward to catch it. Plagg flies off before the blond could reach him, and he floats on top of a joystick of one of Adrien's arcade machines.
"How about this?" Plaggs asks, taking a bite. "Nope, guess not. Oh, what about that?"
"No, wait! Come back!" Adrien cries, trying to catch the gluttonous black cat. "What are you?!"
"—a kwami."
"G-GO AWAY! BUG—MOUSE—BUG-MOUSE!" Marinette screeches. Upon opening the little box she found on her desk, a little red creature with an over-sized head and a black dot on its forehead appeared.
"No! I'm a kwami! A Ladybug kwami!" the little ladybug exclaims. Still frightened, Marinette takes whatever she can get her hands on and throws it at the thing. "Marinette, please stop! I know it may seem a bit crazy, but—"
Marinette manages to trap the so-called kwami in a glass, to which it responds to this by saying, "Okay, if that makes you feel safer!"
"Who are you—no, what are you? And how do you know my name?" Marinette asks.
"My name's Tikki, and I'm a kwami!" it exclaims happily.
"I got it the first two times, just—what's a kwami?" Marinette asks, moving across the floor to get closer to her floor door.
"A sprite! I guide you and help you transform into Ladybug. You have the power of good luck and creation," it explains. "You are the Chosen One!"
"—Chosen One?"
"Yeah, that's right," Plagg says, looking around the room. "So, do you have anything for me to eat? I'm starving."
"Just… what are you?" Adrien asks. He's tired and panting heavily after chasing the little black cat around his room. He finally managed to catch him by jumping from his rock climbing wall.
"In short? I'm a kwami—some kind of sprite-thing that grants powers. You're Black Cat—Chat Noir, if you prefer—and your power is bad luck and destruction. Got it? Good. Now, got any food?"
"My father must be pranking me… right?" Adrien asks uncertainly, when it suddenly hits him. It couldn't be—Gabriel Agreste doesn't even have a sense of humor.
"Your father must never know about me, or anyone else for that matter," Plagg says. "Keep your mouth zipped at all times, got it, kid?"
"No, no, no!"
"MOM! DAD! HELP!"
"Marinette, no!" Seeing as there's no other way to stop her, Tikki phases through the glass cup and flies in front of Marinette's face. "I'm your friend! You must trust me! You can stop Stoneheart!"
"Me, stop Ivan?!" Marinette exclaims. "There's no way I can do that! I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of thing. Oh, I know! My friend Alya's really into this superhero kind of thing, go to her!" She smiles, and tries shooing the little ladybug away, but it doesn't leave.
"I can't! You are the Chosen One!" Tikki exclaims, handing her two ladybug-printed earrings. "Wear these. They help you transform."
Marinette hesitantly puts the earrings on, listening to every word of Tikki's explanations. The black-haired girl looks into the mirror nervously, awaiting to see her transformed self when Tikki allows her to.
"Alright, so I have to capture this amuka—"
"Akuma," Tikki corrects. "That's right! You use your compact to capture and purify it once you break the item the akuma flew into. Throw your Lucky Charm in the air, and the victim will go back to normal as well as everything that got destroyed during the attack."
"Lucky Charm?"
Tikki nods. "Throw your yoyo in the air when you're in a tight situation, and it'll help you defeat the akumatized victim!"
"This seems like a lot to remember…" Marinette says. "I don't think I'm cut out for this, Tikki."
"You are! Just have confidence!" Tikki smiles. "Trust yourself, Marinette. Say, transform me, and it'll do just that."
"Transform me?"
The second these words escaped her mouth, Marinette's earrings glow pink, and a gust of wind envelops her entire body.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Marinette cries when Tikki swirls into her earring. She looks into the mirror and sees a ladybug-printed mask digitalized over her face, and a matching skin-tight costume replaces her every day clothes. A yoyo with the same pattern is slung across her chest, mimicking a round, cross-shoulder purse. When her transformation completes itself, she screeches, "What is this?!"
"All you have to do is capture the akuma with your staff, and poof, magic sparkles fill the air and everyone all right again," Plagg says nonchalantly. His hunger is top priority right now (funny how it's above saving the fate of the universe).
"…How do I catch a butterfly with a staff?" Adrien raises an eyebrow. "Do I hit it?"
"Kid, there's a difference between killing it and purifying it," Plagg says. "When the akuma's released, the end of your staff glows green. Make sure to touch the akuma with it—it'll turn white, and that's it. Just set it free, and there you go, you saved the day."
"I see, and what was that thing about Cataclysm?" he asks.
"Touch whatever you want, and it'll destroy it in an instant. You can only use it once and after using it, you only have five minutes until you transform back into your normal self," Plagg re-explains, yawning. "Are we done now? Can I have something to eat?"
"There's just one last thing," Adrien says, examining his ring. "How can I be the Chosen One? I'm stuck in here! I can't even leave home!"
"Well, you're going to have to break a few rules. You're a superhero now," Plagg says. "You're the one who can save us all." He pauses. "Well, not exactly…"
"What do you mean by not exactly?" Adrien asks, approaching the kwami.
"When there's a Plagg, there's a Tikki, and when there's a Chat Noir, there's a Ladybug," the black cat says. Noting his holder's confused face, Plagg explains, "Or in other words, you have a partner—a Ladybug. While you hold the power of destruction, she holds the power of creation."
"Where is she?" Adrien asks eagerly. Maybe she could be his first friend.
Plagg shrugs, making Adrien's face fall. "No idea. But she'll drop in sooner or later," Plagg says, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, Paris needs saving, so let's get going. Say transform me, and let's head on out!"
Adrien nods with a grin and he punches the air, exclaiming. "Alright! Plagg, transform me!"
If he weren't swirling into his ring, Plagg would've definitely laughed at how natural Adrien was at transforming. Adrien acts as though he's been doing this for ages—eyes closed, he throws his hand up in the air, and the ring changes color from shining silver to coal black. He swipes his face with two fingers, making a black cat mask digitalize over his face, and his sclera turns green to resemble the eyes of a cat. He runs his hands through his blond hair, and two black cat ears form at the top of his head. A skin-tight leather suit replaces his normal clothes, and a long black belt sticks out from behind him to resemble a cat's tail. He scratches the air with the claws that form at his fingers, and strikes a pose at the end of his transformation as if he were modelling for a superhero ad.
Adrien looks down at his gloved hands, grinning, "Cool."
"Not cool!"
Marinette looks down at her superhero costume uncertainly. "How do I take this off? Is there a zipper anywhere?" she asks aloud, searching for one. "Tikki? Tikki, I want my normal clothes back, please! Help me get out of this thing!"
She's interrupted by the news reporter on her computer screen saying, "Stoneheart appears to be heading down south, and the monster seems to be unstoppable. It continues to grow with each obstacle it faces."
The reporter's voice slowly fade into the background, and all Marinette can focus on is the familiar figure following the monster.
"A-Alya?!" she exclaims, eyes widening when she sees the scarlet-haired girl following Stoneheart on a bike. "It is Alya! I-I have to do something!"
Marinette rushes up to her roof balcony, ignoring her mother's calls for her.
"Okay, so I have special powers… and this yoyo?" Marinette asks herself as inspects her so-called weapon. She flings it, and a small gasp escapes from her mouth when it latches onto something too far for her to see. "Am I supposed to…?"
Ladybug hesitantly pulls on the string and she lets out a scream of horror when she flies off her balcony. Her scream catches the attention of a few passersby, but she can't bring herself to care at this moment. Her only concern is finding a soft landing.
Her eyes widen when she flies over the building her yoyo latched onto and she does the only thing she can—she screams louder. Ladybug catches sight of a boy dressed in black with cat ears and a tail balancing on a silver pole, and she slams right into him as she clearly wasn't able to change her trajectory. The two let out a cry of surprise when Ladybug's yoyo wraps around the two of them, and they're knocked right off the pole. Luckily, the yoyo snaps in place, and they dangle upside-down, just meters above the hard cement.
"Well, Plagg wasn't wrong when he said you'd drop in soon," he deadpans.
"Oh, my gosh! I-I'm so sorry!" Ladybug apologizes, face flushing.
"First impressions are really important, I hope you know that," the boy smirks. "And to be completely honest, you're not exactly leaving me with a very good one."
Ladybug scowls. She doesn't know if it's the smirk or the tone of his voice or even the words that come out of his mouth, but she already thinks of him as one huge jerk.
"You're not leaving me with a very good one either, just so you know," Ladybug shoots back. Chloe already steps all over her; no way is she going to let this rude cat-boy do it too.
They untangle each other, and the boy gracefully lands on all fours just like a cat. Ladybug isn't so lucky, despite her power being good luck, and she lands on her behind with a small cry of pain.
"Don't tell me you're the partner my kwami told me about," the boy grimaces. He skillfully catches the silver staff in his hand, which shrinks down to the size of his arm.
Ladybug stands up and composes herself before glaring up at the boy. "What's that supposed to mean?" she grits her teeth.
He puts his hands up in defense and smirks, "Nothing, My Lady." Ladybug utterly hates the way he said her name—it sounds like he's mocking her, and he has that annoying smirk on his face that she just wants to rip off.
"Ladybug," she says forcibly. "Do not call me that again." She pulls on the string of her yoyo, and grins victoriously when it hits the boy on the top of his head.
"You did that on purpose!" he cries childishly, rubbing the top of his head in order to soothe the pain.
"Obviously," Ladybug rolls her eyes. She mumbles, "Jerk."
"Jerk? Yeah, no. The name's Chat Noir, Princess," he says, bowing down to her mockingly.
"Don't call me Princess either," Ladybug glares. "And really? Chat Noir? Black Cat? A-plus for creativity."
"Says the one called Ladybug."
"Touché."
Their bickering is interrupted by a loud crash, and they turn around just in time to see a crumbling building in the distance.
"Well, it's time to save the day like the hero I am," Chat Noir says with a wink and a two-finger salute. He runs forward and his staff extends, carrying him all the way up to the roof of a nearby building.
"You mean, like the heroes we are," Ladybug corrects, saying this loud enough for him to hear.
Chat Noir looks down at her from his place on the roof and snorts. "Listen, Princess—you're still trying to get used to this kind of thing, and that's only going to slow me down. Let the real hero save the day." He jumps out of sight, and Ladybug is left standing with her mouth agape.
"Hey, you jerk! Get back here!" she yells before following him with a fling of her yoyo.
Several students are stretching in École Francoise-Dupont's school arena, getting ready for the day's sports activities and exercises. The ground beneath them suddenly rumbles and a thundering growl resounds all over the area, making the students turn to where the sound came from. They look up to see the monster of Paris standing on the fence of the arena, and they each let out a scream of horror.
"KIM!" Stoneheart snarls, stomping its foot. This frightens every student and they rush off to find a place to hide, but Kim stands frozen in place, eyes widening at the familiar voice. "Who's the wuss now?!"
"I-Ivan?!" Kim gasps.
The monster jumps off the fence and lands right in front of him, and growls, "It's Stoneheart!"
Horrified, Kim attempts to run off and Stoneheart chases after him. Kim is lucky that the creature's heavy stone body is slowing it down, but the jock trips over his own feet and Stoneheart catches up almost instantly. Before it can even land a finger on Kim, a silver staff plants itself in between the two, and a boy with a black cat suit lands next to the athlete. Kim takes this as the opportunity to run, and Stoneheart roars at Chat Noir for meddling.
"If you want to fight, fight me instead," Chat Noir grins, shrinking his staff and making a fighting stance. He's starting to get used to this superhero business.
"You will pay!" Stoneheart screams, throwing its arm back and balling its fist.
"Alright, let's rock and roll!" Chat Noir says, stifling his laughter at his own pun. He dodges every single one of Stoneheart's attacks with ease, and strikes it with his staff once he's found an opening. However, this attack only makes Stoneheart grow bigger, and Chat Noir's eyes widen at the outcome.
Ladybug watches the entire scene from the fence of the arena, covering her face in shame. "Chat Noir's right, he could save the day on his own," she cowers. "I can't do it."
She gasps when Stoneheart throws a soccer net at Chat Noir, sighing in relief when the hero dodges it. However, Ladybug lets out another frightful gasp when the net bounces over to a familiar classmate with scarlet hair—Alya. The girl has been filming the fight on her phone at the entrance of the field, and Ladybug's eyes widen at the oncoming danger.
Seeing this, Chat Noir throws his staff in her direction, which extends, and makes the soccer net bounce right off of it. The boy grins victoriously, but it's replaced by a look of fear when he's grabbed by Stoneheart.
Gasping, Ladybug jumps off the fence and flings her yoyo at the monster, landing gracefully on the grassy field.
"That cat is one pain in the butt, but no way am I leaving him in your clutches!" Ladybug glares. She pulls on the string of her yoyo, making the stone creature fall over and release Chat Noir. The cat-superhero lands right next to Ladybug, who offers her hand for him to take.
"I'm good," he says, brushing her hand away. Ladybug scowls at his rudeness, but quickly dismisses it because the bigger problem stands in front of them. "Any attack against him makes him grow."
"If you watched the news, you'd know that before striking it with your staff," she attacks.
Chat Noir scowls. "Hey—unlike you, I was busy emptying the streets," he counters. "Slammed into anyone lately?"
Ladybug opens her mouth to shoot him a retort, but she's interrupted by a loud growl. The two heroes turn to Stoneheart and make a fighting stance.
"I know! I'll use Cataclysm to destroy him—" Chat Noir begins.
"No!" Ladybug cuts. "You'll kill Iva—I-I mean, the victim!"
Chat Noir crosses his arms. "Then, what do you suggest?"
Ladybug makes a thinking stance, and then her face lights up seconds later. She takes her yoyo and throws it up in the air, shouting, "LUCKY CHARM!"
Her yoyo shines and little ladybugs swirl together to create her weapon. A ladybug-printed suit falls into her hands, making her and Chat Noir raise an eyebrow.
"…What is this?" Ladybug asks, inspecting it.
"Are you supposed to wear that?" Chat Noir asks. "I guess you would distract Stoneheart by wearing it."
She narrows her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
Ladybug squints her eyes at the akumatized victim, her eyes widening in realization. "Wait… Stoneheart never opened up his left hand. The object must be in there!"
"Then, what do you suggest we do?" Chat Noir asks.
Ladybug looks around the arena for a clue, letting out a gasp of surprise when several objects blinked with a ladybug pattern. She memorizes the objects, and an idea pops into her mind.
"I got it!" she exclaims. Ladybug attaches her Lucky Charm to the mouth of a hose, the whips out her yoyo and wraps it around Chat Noir.
"What are you doing?!" he screeches.
"Trust me!" Ladybug grins. Without hesitation, she launches Chat Noir in the air, and Stoneheart catches him flawlessly.
"Is this revenge for making fun of you?!" Chat Noir screams.
"Yes and no," Ladybug smirks. She jumps up in the air with her Lucky Charm, screaming, "Catch me if you can, Stoneheart!"
With both hands full, Stoneheart knows it has to sacrifice one. He glances over at Chat Noir, then at its tightened fist, and opts to open the latter. The object in its hand—a crumpled piece of paper—falls to the ground, and it catches Ladybug in its hand, scream erupting in victory.
"Good going, My Lady," Chat Noir says sarcastically.
"Watch and see, Kitty," Ladybug grins. "Alya!" she calls, making the girl look up. "The tap!"
Alya springs right into action and dashes over to the tap. She turns the handle around, and water rushes through the hose, making Ladybug's Lucky Charm (the ladybug-printed suit) fill up with water. This causes Stoneheart's fist to pop open, and Ladybug grins at her escape. She runs over to the violet-tinted paper, picks it up, and finally rips it in half.
Ivan transforms into his old self once again, and he shakes his head in confusion, wondering just how he got there. Chat Noir lands right next to her, and Ladybug grins and puts her fist up for him to bump.
"Just to let you know, I would've been fine all on my own," Chat Noir says, making Ladybug fume and lower her fist. Her smile turns into a scowl, and clenches both of her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white.
"Just to let you know, you would've been crushed by now if I didn't make it here in time!" Ladybug screams. "Is this your way of saying thanks to me saving you?!"
Chat Noir gives her a blank look. "Who said I was going to thank you?"
Ladybug and Chat Noir continue to bicker, and they both fail to notice the black butterfly fly past them. A beep rings in Ladybug's ear, and she suddenly remembers Tikki 's instructions about only having five minutes before she transforms back.
"My time's running up," Ladybug says, touching an earring. She looks up at Chat Noir and glares, "Good thing—I can get away from you!"
"Oh, no need, I'll leave first," Chat Noir says, extending his silver staff to hop on top of the arena's fence. He looks down at her, and before hopping off the fence, he screams, "I don't care what my kwami says, no way am I working with you!"
"That jerk!" Marinette screams in frustration when he's no longer in sight. "No way am I partnering up with him!
"Ugh…"
Ladybug's eyes widen when she hears the groan from behind her, and she runs over to the de-akumatized Ivan, not forgetting to pick up the crumpled piece of paper on the ground. She flattens the paper and reads aloud, "Just tell Mylene you like her already, wuss."
"Kim wrote it…" Ivan mutters. "He's always making fun of me because of that."
"There's nothing wrong with liking someone," Ladybug smiles.
"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!"
Ladybug and Ivan raise an eyebrow and turn their heads to find Alya close by with her phones still recording.
"Hey, who was that black cat? Was he your partner? And who are you two? Where did you come from? Will you two protect Paris from now on? Oh, I have so many questions to ask you!" Alya exclaims with the biggest and most excited grin on her face.
Another beep rings in Ladybug's ears, and she immediately gets up on her feet. She flings her yoyo in the air, but right before she could pull on it, Alya asks, "Wait! What can we call you?"
"Ladybug."
Ladybug flashes her one last grin before swinging over the arena.
"Can you believe what a jerk that guy is?!" Marinette complains to Tikki, who's eating chocolate chip cookies to regain her energy. "And I thought my partner was going to be a kind, civilized person! Instead I got this—"
Marinette is interrupted by the reporter on her computer screen saying, "Just when we thought everything was all right again, many people are mysteriously turning into stone beings as well."
"Wh-what…?" Marinette's eyes widen. "But it can't be—"
"—we defeated the akuma!" Adrien says, covering his nose when he starts smelling the Camembert cheese is currently eating. "Plagg, do you mind? Honestly… out of all the foods in the world, you like Camembert, meaning that I'm going to smell like stinky, old cheese—"
"Don't judge my preferences," Plagg huffs, watching the television screen. He notes the black butterflies touching the citizens and turning them into Stoneheart's. "You didn't capture the akuma, did you?"
"Wait—Ladybug didn't catch it?!"
"Who was the one who broke the item?" Tikki asks, and Marinette deflates at the question.
"I-I did…" she answers quietly. "But what does capturing the akuma have anything to do with the other Stoneheart's?"
"An akuma can multiply!" Tikki says in a panic. "If Ivan's emotions become negative again, then the akuma will turn him back into Stoneheart, he'll control the stone beings and bring them to life to serve as his army!"
"Oh, Tikki, I'm sorry! I completely forgot about the most important detail!" Marinette cries, covering her face with her hands. She then lowers them and a glare replaces her worried face. "It's all Chat Noir's fault! If he hadn't insulted me, then…!"
"Guess she didn't catch it," Plagg says, eating a slice of Camembert cheese in one bite.
"Now what?" Adrien groans.
"One of you has to purify it," Plagg says.
Adrien nods.
"I'll be the one to purify it."
"One of you has to purify it," Tikki says.
Marinette clutches her fists.
"I can't let him win."
"This means war."
end card
A/N: Love/hate relationships are my lifeblood.
Loosely inspired by dramaticdragon's Rival AU on tumblr. I changed up a few things though, and the main one being that not only do Chat Noir and Ladybug not get along with each other, but Adrien and Marinette don't either. So, any pairing with them; LadyNoir, Adrinette, MariChat and Ladrien has that love/hate relationship. I was originally going to keep Adrien and Marinette's relationship the same as the one in the show, but I find this a lot more entertaining because jealousy (and it would be pretty boring because then you guys would be reading the exact same Adrinette scenes from the show).
If you were wondering, basically, I'll be writing the entirety of Season 01 of Miraculous Ladybug, but if Adrien and Marinette had a love/hate relationship. I'm mostly doing this to practice my writing and relationship development, but I'm also doing this because it's fun LOL. There are a few episodes I really don't feel like writing because of the lack of LadyNoir/Adrinette (Darkblade, Rogercop mehhh), but I'll hopefully think of something to add to those episodes once I get there.
I'm sorry for the last few dialogues by the way, I was trying to make it dramatic but failed horribly OTL. (And I know there's no end card in this episode, but I just like ending the chapters with end card).
Thank you for reading!
Next Episode: Origins II