What if Hawk Moth was more subtle when targeting Marinette with an akuma?
Butterflies Aren't Free
Chapter 1: Hidden Butterfly
"Happy Birthday, Mlle. Bustier!" said all the students in chorus.
Mlle. Bustier wiped away a tear and said, "Oh, you're all so sweet!"
She picked up one of the presents piled on her desk.
Alya said, "Marinette made that one."
Marinette beamed shyly as the present was opened, looking forward to a pleased acceptance from Mlle. Bustier.
Mlle. Bustier gave a tiny gasp and looked a little shocked.
Marinette jumped out of her seat to see what was wrong. A crude stick figure of herself had been scrawled on the hand-made purse with a permanent marker. Her embroidered message ("If we wish to change the world, we must all learn to love each other") was scribbled out.
"What..?" said Marinette. "I know you did this, Chloé Bourgeois!"
Max looked at a calculator app on his phone and said, "A 99.56% certainty."
Alya said, "So uncool, Chloé."
"Seriously lame," said Marinette.
Chloé simply sat there looking pleased with herself.
"Calm down. We don't want to get upset on my birthday, now, do we?" said Mlle. Bustier, taking the present back from Marinette. "Well, I think this present is wonderful."
Mlle. Bustier pulled the tube of lipstick out of the bag, then popped it back in. "It'll be my new cosmetics bag. Then I'll be able to think of both of you every time I use it."
Marinette was furious. "What? You're not gonna let her get away with this?!"
Alya said, "That girl is worse than Hawk Moth!"
"At least half the city has gotten akumatized because of her!" said Alix.
The whole class began chattering loudly. Mlle. Bustier had to clap her hands for attention.
"Students, please, calm down now! The classroom is not a place for insults and defamation! Marinette, would you come with me, please?"
"W-What?" said Marinette? She was getting in trouble for "defamation" of Chloé?
Mlle. Bustier asked Alya to keep order while she was gone. Outside, in the open hallway that ran inside the building above the stairway, she faced Marinette – who was growling with rage.
In Hawk Moth's lair, the covering above his circular window irised open.
"That feeling of injustice..! What could be worse than being punished by someone else's wrongdoings?" Hawk Moth charged a butterfly with akuma energy. "Fly away, my little akuma, and evillize her!"
"Mlle, Bustier, it's so not fair! It was Chloé, pulling another... Chloé! And... I'm the one who's getting in trouble?"
Mlle. Bustier knelt down and put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Of course you're not in trouble, don't worry! As the class representative, I want you to set a good example for your classmates. Don't give in to feelings of anger; try to forgive Chloé instead."
Marinette felt her anger starting to cool. Unseen by the two of them, the purple-black akuma butterfly darted away.
"Ugh... The emotions have weakened!" said Hawk Moth to himself. He didn't want to waste a butterfly. Akuma butterflies were not free - they cost him energy to make. Also, he was determined to corrupt the girl. Her emotional patterns were different than the ones he had sensed in the classroom before. He sensed she had the potential to be a strong villain.
Hawk Moth had copies of the class photos from Adrien's class and he had marked all the ones he had evilized – this one girl was the only one left except for his son. He wanted to catch them all, other than Adrien. Hawk Moth didn't want to akumatize his own son, especially after the Gorizilla event proved he couldn't be Chat Noir.
Hawk Moth sensed another presence near the girl, an adult carefully controlling her emotions but still upset underneath. He didn't want the akuma spotted or intercepted.
"Land close by, akuma. Keep out of sight."
The akuma flew down the stairs a little way and landed on the stair rail. It blended in with the dark metal.
"I don't get it... Chloé is the meanest person I've ever known," said Marinette.
"Come on... There are much worse people in Paris right now than Chloé Bourgeois. I'm sure people like Chloé are capable of great things. The problem is, they only think of themselves – they don't understand the meaning of love, and we can't force them to change. But perhaps we can show them by setting a good example. That's why Marinettes are important in today's world, because they have a lot of love to give. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, Mlle. Bustier."
The akuma continued to perch where it was, unseen by both of them.
"Shall we go back into the classroom now?" asked Mlle. Bustier.
"One more thing," said Marinette. "Please let me take back that purse and make you a new one. It will only take a day or two, now that I have the design."
"You don't need to do that, Marinette."
"Yes, I really do. I put my heart into making a present for you. You know, when you said it would make you think of both of us? That hurt my feelings. You're letting Chloé hijack my gift, make it half hers just by scribbling on it."
"If that's how you feel about it, all right. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You will be setting a good example for Chloé, of creating rather than destroying."
Mlle. Bustier handed Marinette the purse. She turned back to go into the classroom.
Marinette was following, happy to be able to re-make the gift but resentful of all the work she would have to do, when the akuma flew up and entered the purse. The lipstick inside it turned black.
There was a voice in Marinette's mind. "Hello, Mademoiselle. I am Hawk Moth."
"No!" said Marinette. "I won't let you make me do evil."
"Who said anything about evil? There's already so much hate in the world. I want to help you unite everyone together with love! Isn't that your greatest wish? It's the message on your purse. Or would you rather get revenge on the girl who ruined your work? I can help you do that, instead."
The controlling influence was powerful. Marinette was starting to lose her way, to forget she didn't have to choose either one.
"No, everyone tries to get revenge on Chloé. I'd rather make her be nice."
Mlle. Bustier's voice seemed to come from far away. "Marinette! Breathe deeply and focus!"
"Zombizou. I'm giving you the power to spread love and compassion. Thanks to you, the whole world will be one big embrace! In return, bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous."
"You need both of them?"
The earrings she could give him right now, but Hawk Moth didn't know that. The psychic connection to his akuma villains was not the same as full mind reading.
"Yes, I need both. One of them alone is useless to me."
"All right, I'll do it," said Zombizou as the purple cloud overtook her.
Mlle. Bustier ran back into the classroom.
Zombizou's face and hair were pale blue. There was a red mask around her eyes. She wore a black body-suit with patched-on red hearts, which gave the effect of a rough Antibug costume. She took the black lipstick tube out of the bag and put some on her lips.
"Starting with... Chloé Bourgeois!"