AUTHORS NOTE: With the upcoming French release of Miraculous season two, I am elated to release this fanfiction as a means of venting the fan theories that have been raging about in my head since the Collector trailer was released (back in early August 2017)! I've been writing this one for quite some time, however have only really had the time to revise it since I've been back at college and have been free of exams and coursework. Hopefully you'll be seeing a lot more of this story in your news feed, as between this one and 'A Menace Beneath Lucis'- I've been super motivated to write recently! I implore you to leave me a written review, as your opinions on my work really help me shape my pieces into something that everybody can enjoy. I hope you can follow me until the end!
Thanks for checking out my newest fic: The 'M' Generation
Enjoy~
September 3rd, 2017.
Dear Diary,
I'm afraid- and not afraid because I fear what's just happened, but something that is going to happen. I don't know what that is yet, but it scares me. No- it terrifies me! My gut tells me that this school year will be the year that something goes wrong... The year where I finally reveal my klutzy self to the world! But I can't think like that! I've done so well to hide it so far- I just need to keep it up!
Tomorrow is my first day back at school after the summer break. It was fun, but I wish it had lasted longer! I miss the sound of no school bells and no homework to worry about! Not to mention it was so much easier to be Ladybug when I didn't have a curfew or lesson schedule! Still, I've survived for the past two years, and I'm going to keep on surviving the only way that I know how!
Wish me luck, Diary!
Marinette x
With a sharp exhale, Marinette Dupain-Cheng slammed her book shut and collapsed onto the mattress beneath her. "Whew, today was rough, huh Tikki?"
The kwami, of whom had previously been occupied with a cookie comparable to her own size, gazed across the room in wonder. A small smile confirmed Marinette's comment, before she continued to happily munch away on her snack.
"You're so hungry tonight! Just don't make a mess." The adolescent chuckled and stared down at the book between her hands. Ladybug's private complaints ballot: a diary that she had kept since 2015 and had written in daily without fail. It was her own way of tracking her adventures as a Parisian superhero, not to mention her means of venting emotions that she couldn't seek counsel from her friends for. Ladybug and Chat Noir's true identities had continued to remain a secret since their first transformations; that was the way that Marinette intended to keep it, at least until a situation of life or death presented itself. As far as Marinette could see, it was ultimately for the better.
Tikki paused her fine dining and finished up the bite in her mouth. "You still write in that thing?"
Bemused, Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. She compassionately addressed her kwami. "Of course I do! It's like... self reflection. I can evaluate what I did that day, see where I could have improved and make sure that next time Paris is in danger, I do an even better job!"
It was obvious that Tikki's stomach was the bane of her attention span- and with a satisfactory answer from her target, she continued to appreciate the goodness of home baking.
Bzzzzt
Marinette's hand immediately found her phone, dropping the dairy onto her bed.
Alya Césaire ️ (23:24)
Sorry if I woke you? I know it's late but I need to come see you? I can walk to the bakery? x
Marinette Dupain-Cheng O.O (23:24)
You didn't wake me, what's up? xxxxxx
Marinette Dupain-Cheng O.O (23:25)
Alyaaaaa? Are you okay?
Alya Césaire ️ (23:25)
Yeah, sorry x It's nothing serious, don't worry x
Marinette Dupain-Cheng O.O (23:26)
You worry me when you send texts like that... x
Marinette Dupain-Cheng O.O (23:26)
I can meet for a bit. I'll text Mom and let her now I'm heading out x
Marinette Dupain-Cheng O.O (23:27)
Want me to meet you at that 24 hour coffee place down the road? xxxxx
Alya Césaire ️(23:29)
Sound's good x See you in 5 x
"I hope she's okay?" It wasn't until the pocket-sized kwami had opened her mouth that Marinette had noticed her hovering over her shoulder, reading her messages as they popped up on the screen.
"She'd tell me if something was seriously wrong." The teen petted her friend reassuringly. "Don't you worry, Tikki."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng (23:31)
Hey Mom x I hope you're having a nice evening x Not getting too drunk I hope :P Something came up so I'm heading out to meet Alya for a half hour. I've got my phone on me so you can call if you need me x I wont be too late home, just leave a light on for me x
Marinette Dupain-Cheng (23:31)
Night x
"You think she'll be alright with you sneaking out so late?" Tikki pondered.
Mom (23:31)
You know I don't drink x Be safe x Night x
"No problem."
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"Thanks for coming out so late." Alya's voice was sad, almost regretful, husky and low as she approached her friend from the crossing, dragging her bike with both hands across the uneven cobble. "I'm sorry for bothering you like this." The girl sighed, voice cracking, as if she had been crying only minutes before. The two girls made their way to a surrounding bench as they spoke. Their pace was slow, painfully so, as their gaze never left the other.
"Don't apologize, Alya! If I really had a problem with this I wouldn't have come out to see you!" Marinette beamed comfortingly. "What did you want to see me about?"
The tanned female spoke abruptly. "It's about Etta."
"Your sister?"
"Yeah..." Alya stared down at the floor, resting her bike against the bench's arm and clenching her fists across her lap. "She... got in an accident, earlier on this afternoon."
Alya's confession drew a silent gasp from her best friend's lips. How could this have happened? The Césaire twins were both just turning seven- what danger were they even susceptible to? "That's terrible! Alya- I'm so sorry!" She paused. "Where was she? What happened?" Accident was a pretty broad term...
Still, Alya continued to avert from the barrage of questions. "It'll feel good to get this off my chest, since I can't talk to my parents about this."
"Wait, you haven't told your parents!?"
"Well-"
"Alya!"
The latter hesitated. This was hard enough without being made the enemy, however she understood why Marinette would be concerned. "I haven't said anything because I feel like it's my fault..." She swallowed, unable to continue holding eye contact with her friend. "I wasn't holding her hand properly crossing the road. Ladybug was on the other side of the street and I was looking for my phone- the car came so quickly through the red light and-"
"Wait, when was this?" Marinette's eye twitched nervously. This was... Ladybug's fault? Her fault?
Alya paused, looking up and into the comfort of bluebell orbs once again. "Well I got her to the hospital at four. I think it took me fifteen minutes to run there. So earliest, three-forty?"
Of course! Ladybug's daily patrol: between the hours of two and five, Marinette made the effort to exclude herself from her social life and devote herself to the well-being of Paris; almost like a one-woman neighborhood watch. Anything with the label for 'wasting police time' was something that the superhero had considered her own duty to bring to justice- circumstances such as heartbreak and adultery, lost pet retrieval and grieving. This had been her clockwork routine for about a year now. It was something that Marinette believed gave her a purpose, whilst Hawkmoth took mini Hiatus' from time to time and most importantly, it wasn't anything that she had foreseen to have had such dramatic consequences; especially not when it came to her best friend.
"Although- I can't blame it on Ladybug. I should have been paying more attention." Alya watched as her friend's countenance dropped. "Maybe I'm just a bad babysitter..."
"No, that's not true, Alya!" Desperately, Marinette gripped onto the tanned girl's shoulder with a comforting force. Her addiction was getting out of hand. Of course, Alya's priories lay in all of the wrong places- but she was hardly to blame for this. The speeder should have been persecuted! The civilian hero gave her best attempt to fake a believable smile. If only ladybug could have stuck around for just a few seconds longer... "This- it isn't your fault!"
Alya returned Marinette's forced expression. "I suppose you're right..." She paused, face contouring into shock. "But I still don't know how I'm going to tell mom! I know the light was red and all but-"
"Woahhh-" Marinette coed. "Listen, I'll go with you back to your place, maybe then your parents will-." She paused in thought, suddenly open to her own crazy imagination. "Or, why not call out to Ladybug? Ask her if she can help vouch for you?" It would be risky- but would hopefully help to reassure the both of them that they were, in fact, not to blame.
"I suppose... that would work. But are you sure that I wouldn't just be bothering her with something like this?" Alya continued to panic. "This has nothing to do with her, after all! She probably doesn't even realize that this happened, and she's probably in bed, if she even sleeps at all... Or busy!"
Marinette gazed down at her watch. It was 11:57- almost midnight. Not only should Ladybug be sleeping, but she also had school in a little over eight hours- a very important day of school at that. It was standard for twelfth graders to undertake a start of semester paper for every subject they studied. This would be interesting on minimal hours of sleep...
"Besides... I wouldn't even know where to find her..."
Marinette paused before speaking. She needed to be very careful; the slightest hint that she knew anything about the superhero's unmasked identity would spark an inextinguishable fire within her best friend- and right now, that attitude wouldn't get them anywhere. "Isn't she subscribed to your Ladyblog?"
"I think so?" Alya questioned.
"And doesn't she get notified whenever you post something new? I know I get emails every time you broadcast anything."
"She should do- but I haven't posted anything today-"
"Then post something now!" Marinette exclaimed. The wind was picking up fast- it would be wise to get inside before it started to rain. "Post a distress call- but disguise it as an opportunity that will benefit her somehow?"
"An opportunity?" The dismay that was present in Alya's voice from before had been completely masked with wonder. "Like what?"
'I don't know, write her a freakin' epistle or something', she thought to herself. Marinette was getting frustrated. "What about a project for school tomorrow? Record a video, saying that you want to present a video of her offering a good luck speech to the class of 2018- to help motivate them through their final year of school life! It's discrete and no one will wonder! Plus- I'm sure she'll forgive you for the little white lie!" She paused. "Who knows, maybe afterwards she'll put the video in there for free!"
"That's..." Alya smiled, for real this time. "-good! That's good!" Reaching forward, the tanned female pulled her friend into a warm embrace, only now experiencing the chill that was the start of a storm. "But I should probably record it someplace warmer. I doubt she could fly properly in the rain, even if she is a superhero."
Marinette chuckled. "You're right." The weather was getting worse... Gazing down at her watch once again, the navy haired girl gasped. "Perhaps I should give you some time alone. I need my beauty sleep before the exams tomorrow." She smiled, nervously. "Plus, you probably don't want me in the background of your video, right?"
"Hey- at least wait with me until Ladybug shows?"
Crap.
Marinette panicked. "Seriously, Alya- I don't mind coming out here to see you and all but... my eyes are-" Drama and naturalism classes never were her forte. "-so heavy!" The adolescent's theatrics, with hands scraping down her cheeks and an exaggerated yawn, seemed entirely necessary- however only helped highlight how fake the performance truly was.
Alya chuckled. "Well, if you insist-" Reluctantly, the tanned female accepted that Marinette's stubbornness wouldn't be phased. To be perfectly honest, she'd been more of a morale booster and support than Alya could possibly have ever imagined- and for that, she was eternally grateful. "-I suppose I don't mind going for that coffee on my own and making a video there."
"Shoot! I'm so sorry, Alya!" Marinette recollected her plans via text and cursed her poor memory. "We'll stop by there after school tomor- I mean later on today and I'll get you something! I'm just so-"
"Tired?" Alya interrupted. "I know." A small hint of a chuckle lingered in the Césaire's voice.
"You're smiling."
"Huh?"
"You're not as upset anymore." Marinette rose to a stand, stretching her back and legs to prepare for her walk 'home'. "I'm glad I was able to help, even if I couldn't actually do anything!"
Alya paused. Marinette sure resembled Ladybug just then... No- It was probably nothing. Confidence like that was awfully out of character for her friend; anybody would wonder. After all, the superhero was seen on the roof during Alex and Kim's first race back in tenth grade, while Marinette was busy holding the promotional banner. There was no way that she could have been in two places at once. Either way, that burst of confidence was much appreciated at a time like this.
"I'm just happy to see you happy!"
"Thanks, Marinette."
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"Tikki, SPOTS ON!" Luckily, Marinette had been able to find herself a secluded parking lot in which she could discretely transform without bothering the neighbors. She sighed, desperately refreshing her phone and awaiting her call to duty. 'Alya sure was taking her sweet time' she thought- and as if on cue, the superhero's notification dash flashed across her screen, accompanied by an alarming buzz. However, the alert was not from the Ladyblog.
Chloé Bourgeois and Nino Lahiffe just retweeted TVi's photo
Chloé Bourgeois and Nadja Chamack just retweeted TVi's video
You have 53 notifications
Nadja Chamack is live! Watch it now before it's over!
TVi is live! Watch it now before it's over!
Breaking News! Horror reveal at... continue reading
"Seriously?" Ladybug shut off her phone with a disgruntled growl. "I haven't got time for this!"
The storm picked up. Outside of the partially sheltered space in which she waited, Ladybug could hear how incessant gouts of water pummeled the pavement in some elemental smack down with only one inevitable victor. The sky was inky and vengeful, tainted with swollen clouds which blocked what would have been a rather pleasant half moon. Off in the distance, she witnessed a flash of lightning strike an unsuspecting Linden tree, carving it's image into the bark and scarring it's growth evermore. Ladybug winced at the sight. Unlike herself, everyone should be tucked away in bed and away from this devestation; it wouldn't be long before Tom or Sabine would contact her to head home immediately. She needed this notification from Alya and fast.
Her phone buzzed again.
Collège Françoise Dupont and Chloé Bourgeois just retweeted TVi's photo
Collège Françoise Dupont and Chloé Bourgeois just retweeted TVi's video
Collège Françoise Dupont is live! Watch it now before it's over!
Sabrina Raincomprix just retweeted Nadja Chamack's video
Nope.
You have 74 notifications
Lê Chiến Kim commented on your post.
Lê Chiến Kim commented on your post.
Sabrina Raincomprix commented on your post.
What was with all of these notifications tonight?! She'd check them when she went home.
Breaking News! Tonight, a seemingly ordinary... continue reading
! An incredible opportunity for college students! Ladybug wanted!
Gotcha.
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Despite all of Marinette's prior efforts of reassurance, Alya's recollection of the event to Ladybug made the whole event seem more like a sit-com than a reality occurrence.
"Listen, just calm down." The superhero's eye twitched. Emotions were difficult for her to process and grief was quite possibly her worst enemy. "The good news is that Etta is alive and breathing! This is in no way a 'worst case scenario'... scenario." She paused. "Still, I do think that it's best to tell your parents the truth, Alya. Did you leave your sister at the hospital on her own?"
Alya shook her head frantically. "Oh no! The nurse told me that I could leave once they got a-hold of my father. Apparently he left work right away." She furrowed her brow, as her glasses fogged to the mercy of the surrounding steam. Shifting in her seat, she embraced the open fire in the lounge and took another swig of her caramel latte. "I'm just scared of what they're going to say to me when I tell them that this was all my fault!"
"It wasn't your fault, stop being so hard on yourself!" Ladybug scolded. It was tough to have to repeat herself, while still remembering who said what- and what knowledge was transferable in conversation. In fact, it was boring: revisiting the same subject area and pretending to be oblivious. She furrowed her brow in concentration. The superhero had learnt so much in such a short amount of time that it was difficult to keep up without corpsing.
Regardless, a mere half an hour was the difference between procrastinating to the accompanying aroma of dark-roasted coffee beans- and standing outside of the Césaire residence.
"Alya!"
"Mama!" Alya hesitated as her mother materialized from behind the redwood door, the shock of a looming anticipation paralyzing the teen. "Mama-"
"And Ladybug?"
"Mama please!" Alya snapped. The accompanying silence was dense, heavy and foreboding, as she swallowed down a parched esophagus. All consolation was rendered useless; all of her anxieties had come to light. She shook, doubtful. From across the drive, Ladybug watched empathetically. She slowly approached- and cautious of her boundaries, placed a suited hand on Alya's shoulder for moral support. Her friend raised her previously lowered head, ready to continue.
In an instant of clarity, Ladybug's rear pocket vibrated. The superhero discretely reached for her cell to silence it, while hoping that she wouldn't be a distraction.
Voicemail - 1 new voicemail
She had two phones, one for both in and out of the costume.
SuperpuissantsMédias™ posted a video in Paris SuperpuissantsMédias™
And both continued to vibrate.
TVi is live! Watch it now before it's over!
Over and over again...
Breaking News! Shock reveal at... continue reading
Wait-
Breaking News! Tonight, a seemingly ordinary... continue reading
Breaking News! What could have been... continue reading
'These notifications were on my phone as well...' The navy haired female stared in distress, realizing that there was a time and a place for social media interaction. Ladybug raised her head, tucking her phone back away with a heavy heart and nagging curiosity.
"I'm... so sorry..." Alya lowered her head in mercy, deadlocked by the gaze of her austere matriarch. She braced, unknowing of what would happen to her- and waiting for input from her companion.
"Listen, Mrs Césaire-"
"Alya!"
"Etta!?"
Emerging from beneath her mothers arm as it rested on the door frame, the twin in question leaped into her sibling's embrace, incautious of a crutch and over sized cast that slammed into her during the process. Alya's jaw fell slack, body un-moving, and color draining from her face, as she stared, wide eyed at the little girl at her knees.
"You came back so late!"
"Etta- why- how're you home?!"
"I broke my leg- but some nice doctor guy put this sock on me and now it feels all better!"
"But-"
"They gave me lots of pills and medicine and stuff- so that might be why it doesn't hurt any more..."
"But you-"
"You scared me, Sis..." Etta gazed upward, limping back, so that she could stare into the glazed, brown orbs of her elder sibling. "I thought you got hurt bad today. And when you didn't come home..."
Ladybug swallowed and grinned awkwardly. Of course she was happy for Alya- but didn't feel comfortable with involving herself in a domestic that didn't appear as though it would end in disaster. She'd had her fill for the night. Instead, the superhero slipped behind the side of the building, leaned against the gutter and retrieved her phone. These breaking news articles had her distracted, as well as their correspondence between her paladin and civilian life.
Without hesitation, she loaded the latest news story on her feed.
Breaking News! Picture perfect - Agreste Arrest!
Celebrity model accused of being the mastermind behind Parisian terrorism, an inquest reveals.
Adrien Agreste, 18, was a man wanted by police in suspicion of possessing the secret identity known as 'Hawkmoth' and was detained by local authorities late last night. Agreste is well known to the public eye as one of Paris' youngest super models and son of the highly esteemed Gabriel Agreste.
Police issued a warrant for Mr Agreste on Thursday.
He and his father were interrogated at their home residence at around 6pm. Police reports stated that Mr Agreste junior was unable to make a reliable claim against this accusation.
He was later expelled from his place of schooling, Collège Françoise Dupont, for the safety and security of it's fellow students.
Police ask all victims and witnesses of the terrorist advances known as 'akuma attacks'- to come forward with their experiences of Mr Agreste's influence. Compensation could be the way forward, courts say.
Noise blurred and the surrounding environment became distant and faded- and like a tree in an abandoned forest, Ladybug hit the floor.
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Chapter One / END