A/N: I'M ALIVE! I'M ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE! I MISSED THIS PLACE SO DARN MUCH!
Man, this year has been such a roller coaster! All of the celebrity deaths, the craptastic presidential election, and all the world disasters do a lot to someone's creativity, but none moreso than nearly getting fired by the same guy MULTIPLE TIMES in one month!
Fortunately, that "boss" is no longer a problem, and I got back to school and got all A's!
Granted, I only took 2 classes and it only upgraded my 2.3 GPA to a 2.5, but that's still progress!
Anyway, here's a taste of part of my New Years' resolution! AT LEAST one fanfic will be updated every week from now on, including this one!
Anything else I should mention?
...Oh yeah, I've really gotten into this show. Like as hard as I was into another French cartoon not too long ago...
Anyway, hope you enjoy and please stick by me!
Miraculous Ladybug (C) 2015-2016 TF1, Nickelodeon (reluctantly), Zagtoons
PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE! SEASON 2 IS COMING THANKS TO YOU!
Le Petit Chavalier Noir
Chapter 1: Party Crasher
The golden rays of the early morning sun peeked through the windows of the two-story Parisian street corner building, which was both a gourmet bread and pastry shop, as well as the house of the owner, Thomas Dupain, his wife, Sabine Cheng, and his beloved teenage daughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Their life – while not too excitable, if one does not count the constant unfortunate mishaps that befall on his rather unlucky little girl – was quiet and peaceful. But every now and then, they would look at the news and see the sudden rise of dramatic news stories of super-powered maniacs wreaking havoc in their beloved city. Luckily for them, and the city, they were always stopped by a heroic duo of teenage superheroes known to the world as Ladybug and Cat Noir. Nobody knew who these brave young people were, but the people of Paris were indebted to them for their heroic deeds in defending their city.
To be fair, however, Marinette did know who Ladybug was. After all, she IS Ladybug.
It seemed like such a short time ago that a pair of mystic earrings appeared in her room while she was at her first day at her new art school, and met a creature called a kwami, who was named Tikki, who told Marinette of the evil Hawk Moth, who used magic butterflies called akuma to infect people who felt strong negative emotions after being harmed in some way. Using her earrings, Marinette transformed into a superhero in a ladybug-themed outfit and wielding a magical yo-yo like item that acted like a grappling hook and an effective weapon against the "evilized" people. In addition, it was capable of capturing the akuma from the infected person and purifying it, as well as erasing damage done by the akuma and by Ladybug herself.
She was joined in these adventures by a mysterious black-clad boy with cat ears and green slitted eyes who called himself Cat Noir. Like Ladybug, he also had a kwami giving him superpowers. But while Ladybug's powers were about good luck and creation, his power was to destroy any object that he touched, as well as having a staff that he used to vault around Paris and battle his enemies with. He also had a habit of flirting with her, both in and out of battle, as well as making rather painfully bad puns. Still, with all his quirks (which were quite a bit), he was an irreplaceable ally and friend.
But that wasn't all of what was on Marinette's mind as she sat silently on her bed, staring intently at the box that contained the earrings she had received almost three months ago. Just the other day, she had met a strange old man who revealed himself as the one who had given the earrings – or as he and Tikki called them, "Miraculous" – to her after her act of kindness in pulling him out of the way of a moving car. After revealing that he faked his elderly act as part of a test of character, she gave him a book that she found on one of her adventures, with pictures of historical figures wearing outfits and exhibiting powers similar to her, Cat Noir, and their enigmatic adversary, Hawk Moth.
According to his translation of the ancient text, the Miraculous – ancient jeweled items of great magic power – were created many thousands of years ago, and all were to be used for the good of the human race. The Ladybug Earrings and the Black Cat Ring, however, were the most powerful. There existed a legend in the text which says that whoever possesses both the ring and the earrings at the same time will achieve "absolute power." Not even Master Fu knew what kind of power the book detailed, but they both knew that anything said in absolutes was absolutely bad news, which doubled Marinette's resolve to keep the Miraculous away from Hawk Moth or anyone like him.
Now realizing the gravity of the situation she was in, she stared long and hard at the Chinese ring box for half an hour since coming home from school, still trying to process the shocking reveal.
"Marinette?" Tikki piped up, taking a break from her mid-morning cookie snack and looking at her partner concernedly. "Are you still staring at that box?"
"I just can't help it, Tikki," Marinette shrugged. "I still can't believe what Master Fu told me about the Miraculous. I mean, to think you've been helping people like me do this hero thing thousands of years and no one ever knew who they were?"
"Well, some were discovered," Tikki pointed out, "like Hercules was a Cat Noir and Saint George the Dragon-Killer was a Ladybug."
"Yeah, I got that much," she said, "but why would Hawk Moth suddenly turn evil now after all this time? Not to mention: who's got the Moth Miraculous? How can we find him in his kwami…what was his name again?"
"Nooroo," Tikki replied, "and the poor boy is being forced to do the bidding of Hawk Moth as we speak."
"And that's what I can't take!" Marinette groaned, flopping backwards onto her bed. "This is all just too much for me! I'm just an art student! How am I supposed to practically stop someone from bringing about the end of the world?"
Tikki gazed at the stressed teenager for a while before smiling and chuckling, flying up and over to her head. "Marinette, you have just had the same reaction to everyone else who had been chosen by the Miraculous for the past millennium. You're really no different from al the ancient heroes of the past beyond that fact that you're just starting out. Well, that and you're kinda clumsy, not gonna lie." Marinette felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation. "But everyone makes mistakes, Marinette. What matters is how you use those mistakes to learn and get better! You've already accomplished more in your first few months than most of the Ladybugs ever did in their first year."
Marinette raised her head to look at the kwami in astonishment. "You really mean that, Tikki?"
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," she nodded sincerely. "I'm proud to say that you're one of the best Ladybugs since St. George himself."
"Well, I don't know if I'm that awesome," Marinette blushed, "but thank you for the compliment, Tikki."
Just then, Marinette's cell phone started ringing. Picking herself up off the bed, and picking her phone up, she saw it was her friend Alya Césaire calling her. "Hey, Alya," she answered, "what's up?"
"We're all wondering where you are, girl!" Alya replied on the other end of the line. "Don't tell me you forgot about our new traditional beginning-of-summer-vacation pool party!"
"Wait, when did this happen again?" Marinette asked, stunned. "Sorry, my brain's kinda on the fritz right now."
"I could have sworn Nino told you," she sighed, "but I guess I should have known you better, girl. Remember Lucille from Life Sciences?"
"Oh yeah, the really smart girl with the awesome red hair?" Marinette nodded, remembering the girl, who had joined their class last semester. "She was really sweet helping us ace that last test, too."
"She invited us all over for a pool party at her house today at noon!" Alya replied.
Marinette gasped, remembering the event clearly now. She nervously glanced at her clock and saw the time reading 11:40 AM. "Oh no, I totally forgot!" she gasped. "It's just that whole thing with Lila last week was kinda…"
"Oh yeah, she was a real piece of work," Alya responded, her tone full of hurt. "She honestly had me fooled about the whole connection to Ladybug and stuff. Still a bit sore about that. It's not as bad as what Chloé does on a daily basis, but still not a good move."
"Okay, where is the party again?" Marinette asked, getting her things ready.
"24601 Victor Hugo Avenue!" Alya replied, and Marinette frantically took it all down. "Get here quick, and don't forget the snacks!"
"Don't worry!" she smiled nervously before she hung up. "I'll be there!" As she hung up, she groaned. "Ugh, I'm such a scatterbrained idiot!"
"Don't blame yourself, Marinette," Tikki soothed. "You've had a rough week, more than can be expected of most people."
"Well, I guess it's par for the course on being Ladybug," she shrugged as she opened her purse for Tikki to take shelter in. "Oh well, the party awaits!"
As she ran downstairs to her parent's bakery, her father, Tom, stopped her. "Don't tell me, you forgot about the party." He then smiled and brought out a big box of delicious cookies, éclairs, macaroons, and croissants. "I made sure that I wouldn't forget."
"Be nice, dear," Sabine chided her husband. "It's her first party of the summer!"
"Thanks, Dad," she smiled, kissing her father on the cheek. "You're the best! I'll be back at around 4! Love ya, see ya, bye!"
"Have fun!" both her parents smiled and waved as she dashed out the door.
"Ah, to be young and have friends and parties," Sabine smiled wistfully as she watched her daughter dash off.
"Well, we may not be young," Tom smiled devilishly, "but we can still have a party."
"I think I know what you mean," Sabine smiled in acknowledgement. "I'll get the wine."
"And I'll set the music," he added, giving his wife's hand an affectionate kiss before darting off.
[=][=][=]
When Marinette got to the address after about nine minutes of rapid walking to avoid spilling the goods, she found almost her entire science class waiting for her. Alya was standing next to Nino, and Max was on her other side. Also present were Alix Kubdel, Ivan Bruel, his girlfriend Myléne, Juleka, Rose, Aurore, Nathaneel, and Kim. But the person she noticed the most was standing next to Nino: the love of her life, Adrien Agreste.
"Oh, hey Marinette!" Adrien smiled, going up to greet her. "Alya and Nino told us you got some sweets from your folk's bakery for the party."
"Oh yeah, uh," she stuttered, as usual when she tried to talk to him, "they're sweet, you're not. I mean, no, you are sweet. This is awkward. I'm awkward, you're gorgeous. Wait, what? Oh gosh…" She moaned as she began to lose her balance. Adrien looked at her quizzically before he snapped out of it and caught her.
"Hey, how about I help with that box?" Adrien asked, slipping it out from under Marinette's arms. "This is pretty big and awkward."
"Uh, wow, thank you so much!" Marinette smiled nervously before she finally gave way to a puddle of loathing and moaning. "Why can't I talk to him like you two?" she asked Nino and Alya.
"Just stop riling yourself up, Marinette," Nino replied simply. "Sure it seems nervous at first, but once you let part of it out, it just flows out like the Seine."
"Couldn't have said it better myself, babe," Alya grinned as she pulled her best friend up and pulled both Marinette and Nino in a friendly headlock with both arms. "Now quit moping and come on and have some fun!"
Marinette looked at Alya for a while and smiled finally, nodding. "Okay, pool party time!"
The group walked up to the gate and Lucille was there to greet all the guests. She stood about a meter shorter than most of the girls in her class, almost as short as Myléne, but her bright red hair and her clear blue eyes made her really stand out from the crowd. "Hey everyone, thanks for coming out!" she smiled.
"Thank you for making this awesome party!" Nino called out. "You rock and you're a genius!"
"I just wanted to help you guys out, that's all," she smiled, blushing. "Welcome everyone, and… let's party!"
With that, she opened the wooden gate to her backyard, and everyone flew in like pigeons off a power line and onto a park. The pool was just between the size of the school basketball court and half of the football field (or soccer field to Americans). White plastic folding tables were set up everywhere, with red plastic tablecloths over them. Adrien set up the snacks from Marinette on the snack table, and made sure all of the tables were set for all the food, lining the utensils and napkins up and right, looking very neat. He even tied the tablecloths down so they wouldn't fly around in the wind. "There," he clapped. "All set."
"Wow, Adrien," Marinette smiled in admiration. "You sure do know how to set a table."
"That's one good thing from being in a high-class family, I guess," he shrugged. "Gotta change, be right back."
"Okay," she smile, waving him off. Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna see him in a swimsuit! No worse, he's gonna see me in a swimsuit! Oh, the agony! The terror! I'm a wreck!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Alya piped up, slapping her friend on the back playfully. "Don't sweat it, you look great, and Adrien will see it too.
"Yeah, Marinette," Nino added, "just loosen up and have fin, remember?"
Marinette paused for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah, thanks guys." She then went up to Lucille. "Where's your girl's room, Lucille?"
"Down the hall," she replied quickly, "second door to your right. Remember to knock, sometimes my little sister leaves it unlocked when she's in there."
Marinette nodded and headed down the hall, stopping at the door. She knocked twice, but nobody replied. But when she opened the door, she shrieked in surprise to see an all-too familiar blonde-haired blue-eyed girl in a rather revealing two-piece yellow and black striped bikini.
"Chloé!?" she snarled, not expecting her antagonistic classmate. "What are you doing here!?"
"Well, last I checked," she replied in her typical snooty manner, "Adrien was coming, so I decided to come too!"
"Last I checked, you weren't invited!" Marinette hissed back. "We didn't invite your nasty attitude, so you better leave before I call someone!"
"Oh, please," the selfish girl scoffed, "I think you'd better leave before I get my daddy to throw you behind bars where you belong, you street rat. Don't you know it's rude to kick someone out of a house that isn't yours?"
"It's more rude to show up uninvited!" Marinette growled, getting angrier every second.
"Hmph, well, enjoy the party, loser," she smiled evilly as she exited the bathroom. "I know I will."
Marinette shut herself in, her eyes narrowed in rage. "That spoiled selfish brat! I wish I could give her a good swift kick in the teeth!"
"Calm down, Marinette!" Tikki said, coming out of Marinette's purse. "You're only making things worse. Just calm down and hopefully nothing will happen."
"Out of the thirty akumatized villains we've fought," Marinette replied, "how many have been caused directly by Chloé Bourgeois?"
Tikki sighed in acknowledgement. "Thirteen."
"Exactly," she nodded. "And I'll be darned if I'm gonna let her make it fourteen any time soon." She swiftly slipped into her red swimsuit, which eerily resembled her Ladybug outfit. "This may be a party, but I've still gotta keep alert for anyone who could be tricked by Hawk Moth."
Little did Marinette know just who was really in for Hawk Moth's latest plan.
[=][=][=]
Alya noticed that Marinette was in a sour mood when she came out of the bathroom, but didn't know why yet. "Hey, what's the matter, girl? You slip up on the way out or something?"
"Worse than that," she growled, pointing to the drink table. "We have unwanted company."
Alya's eyes widened in shock and disgust. Chloé was at the table, harassing Adrien and trying to come onto him. "No way, that witch crashed our party?"
"She hogged up the bathroom and gloated about how 'Adrien is mine' and 'your party is lame' and all that other tripe," Marinette nodded in equal revilement. "She even threatened to call her dad if I did anything, not that I would, even though I'd sure want to…"
"Well, I'm not standing around here and taking this," Alya growled and marched over to where Chloé was. "Hey you!"
"Oh, well if it isn't Little Miss Ladybugger and her pet louse," Chloé sneered haughtily. "Why don't you little creh-tins make like flies and go away?"
Adrien rolled his eyes and tried to stop gagging. He had known Chloé for years, and he knew how selfish she was. But even he had to admit, this was a whole new low, even for her.
"Oh no way, she's here?" Ivan groaned, getting in front of Myléne.
"Who invited her?" Max growled, balling up his fists.
"She probably got Sabrina to steal someone's invite," Alix hissed, "that witch."
"Speaking of her poor little toady, where is she?" Nino asked, looking around.
"Probably out getting her drinks or sunscreen or something," Rose scoffed.
Marinette looked at all her friends reacting in horror and apprehension at Chloé's entrance, but she decided to stand firm. "Okay, first off: it's cretin. If you're gonna be nasty, do so properly. Second, it's 'make like a fly and buzz off.' You sound even dumber than usual when you say it wrong. Finally, you're not invited to this party for two reasons: One, you're a major pain in the butt who takes delight in making our lives miserable. Two, this party is reserved for those who passed Ms. Bustier's Biology class. And since you didn't, you're not welcome here."
"Uh, I can go wherever I want," she scoffed, smiling cockily. "My daddy's the mayor, remember? Thanks to his word being law, mine is too."
The crowd growled at Chloé's arrogance, but none dared to speak up.
"You're wrong, Chloé."
Suddenly, Lucille stepped forward and narrowed her eyes at the manipulative blonde. "Your father doesn't scare me, and neither do you. You're just a spoiled brat who can't see that everyone hates her."
Chloé scoffed in disgust. "That's where you're wrong, shrimp. Everyone loves me! And I only failed that class because Ms. Buttpie is a stupid boring science teacher. But you'd know all about boring science, wouldn't you, you tiny egg-head?"
"Don't go there," Lucille hissed. "Just stop now."
"You're so small that you'd slip through a spider web!" Chloé taunted. "You're probably so tiny because your brain is eating the rest of you up! Smart people are such losers! And such short losers too!"
Lucille then pushed Chloé back, her eyes angry ad focused on the evil blonde in front of her. Everyone gasped at this sudden action. No one had ever touched Chloé like that before, and she clearly did not take that well. She shrieked like a baboon and lashed out, hoisting the diminutive prodigy a meter above the ground, and threw her into the pool, much to the shock and horror of everyone present. Lucille floundered around for a few seconds before she popped back out, spitting water out.
"Wow, you're all wet now!" Chloé laughed haughtily. "Maybe you'll be like those stupid formulas and shrink to nothing! Oh wait, you already are nothing! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Lucille's eyes were now red with hurt and anger, as she swam to the edge of the pool and shook herself off before running away. Sadly, Chloé managed to take a photo of her in her misery before she left. "This is gonna be the hottest photo I've done yet!" She then took a cookie and bit into it before she spat it out. "Ew, this is from Marinette's lousy bakery? Her parents are such losers who can't bake at all!"
All of a sudden, a big surprise happened. Everyone glared at Chloé angrily, which was no surprise. The real surprise was one of the biggest angry glares came from the most unlikely source.
"How'd you like that, Adri-"
"You're a monster, Chloé."
Everyone gasped. Never before have they heard Adrien Agreste say anything nasty to Chloé before. He was standing up and had thrown away a punch glass he was drinking from – which he had crumpled up in his suppressed rage – after pouring it in the grass. But what most of the kids saw was his eyes, which were narrowed in a sort of caged-up fury, almost like a feral jungle cat. His emerald eyes had never looked so imposing before.
"Wha?" Chloé gasped, confused.
"You don't think I didn't see you crashing this special party just to insult us?" Adrien continued, his voice getting angrier and angrier. "I could take your nasty attitude on Nino and even Marinette, who I highly respect, though I don't like you insulting her parents or their business. But you do not insult the host of a party you aren't even invited to, much less disrespect her in her own house. But I guess your daddy didn't teach you manners now, did he?"
Chloé, along with everyone else, was far too shocked to even think, much less speak.
"I've taken your nasty attitude for years, Chloé," he went on. "I think it's about time someone told you the cold, hard truth." He took a deep breath and glared daggers into his former childhood friend.
"Chloé Bourgeois, you are nothing but a shallow, haughty, arrogant, spoiled rotten brat. You treat everyone around you like servants or worse, and think you're God's gift to us all when you're the furthest thing from! The reason you don't have any friends is because your narcissistic, egomaniacal, and condescending attitude keep everyone as far away from you as they can get! Or, to put in words your pea-brain can understand: you're a mean little girl and nobody likes you! Not even me!"
He then got real close up in her face to make sure she sunk his next words in.
"I don't like you anymore," he said firmly. "I don't even care about you anymore because you don't care about anyone except for yourself and your shallow fantasy of me and you in a castle professing our would-be love to each other! You really wanna know how I feel about you? Do you honestly think I'd love a nasty witch you? Well, I DON'T! THERE, I SAID IT! I DON'T LOVE YOU, CHLOE BOURGEOIS! I NEVER HAVE AND I NEVER WILL!" He then leaned in super close and gritted his teeth. "And unless you change that sour attitude of yours, it is not going to change." He then calmly got up and pointed to the gate. "Now get out before I call your father. He'll be sure to hear my side of the story, and I can tell you that he won't like it."
For a long time, nobody said anything. Everyone held their breath in to see what happened. Not a single one of them had ever experienced Adrien Agreste explode at anyone before, much less Chloé Bourgeois. Finally, after a tense minute, Chloé's eyes watered up and she ran out of the yard, sobbing hysterically. Adrien sighed deeply and got to his feet, turning to face the astonished class.
"Well, somebody had to say it eventually," Adrien snapped, shrugging.
A long silence followed. Then came a clap from Nino, then Alya, then Kim, Alix, Max, and soon the whole crowd applauded Adrien finally standing up against Chloé. They all came up to pat him on the back, shake his hand, and basically congratulate him on his boldness.
"Boss speech, dude," Nino grinned, playfully punching his friend's shoulder. "Way to stick it to her. I totally got the whole thing, too." He showed off his phone, which played a part of Adrien's speech.
"I didn't even know you had it in ya," Alya smiled, her hands on her hips and copying the video. "That was priceless, and it's going on the school paper, front page."
"I knew she was a total witch," Adiren admitted, "but I almost lost it when she insulted Marinette's family's pâtisserie. That was a low blow, even for her."
"I wonder if Ladybug or Cat Noir had anything to do with it," Max smiled. "Ever since they showed up, you and all of us are so much bolder now. People like Chloé don't even scare us anymore."
"I guess it's the dormant superhero in all of us," Adrien shrugged. "Speaking of which, where's Lucille?"
"I'll go find her," Marinette spoke up, copying Nino's video. "She should see this."
Adrien nodded, and Marinette rushed off. She didn't go too far before she heard sobbing in the bathroom. She softly knocked three times. "Lucille? Are you in there? Adrien chased off Chloé, so you can come out now."
"Go away, please," Lucille wailed from the other side. "I didn't ask to have diabetes, that's why I'm so short. I wish I wasn't such a shrimp."
Marinette sighed. "You need to stop listening to that witch. What she says doesn't matter. You're special, Lucille, we never would have passed that test without your study sessions!"
"Oh, like I made a big difference," she whined, taking a robotic wasp from a shelf in her bathroom. "All I am is a worthless little bug. Nobody even really likes me for who I am."
"Tell that to this video," Marinette said as she showed a piece of the video of Adrien tearing into Chloé.
"Please just go away," Lucille cried, not even looking at the video. "I need to be alone."
Marinette sighed sadly and nodded, getting up.
"That's a new low, even for Chloé," Tikki piped up softly.
"Tell me about it," Marinette sighed. "I just hope it doesn't attract you-know-who."
[][][]
Meanwhile, in another part of Paris, a flower-themed window opened up and deep laughter could be heard from inside the building. Butterflies, brimming bright with magic, flew around the tall, lanky, and shadowy figure of the enemy of Ladybug and Cat Noir: Hawk Moth.
"Such a pity," he sighed, almost empathetically. "A treasured friend trapped in a body two sizes too small and humiliated by that wicked girl Chloé, who has helped me so many times before. It's almost like she's doing my work for me." A butterfly then landed on his outstretched palm. "The feeling of being like an insect is so common in adolescence, and such easy prey for my akuma!" Closing his other hand over the butterfly, he infused it with energy from his Miraculous, turning it into an akuma, an avatar of his evil power.
"Fly away, my little akuma," he said, releasing the creature through the window, "and evilize that young girl! Make that girl's little dream become a very big reality!"
Hawk Moth's evil laugher echoed everywhere as the akuma set its sights on his newest victim.
[][][]
It didn't take long for the akuma to reach its destination: Lucille's bathroom. It fazed through the glass window as if it didn't exist and flew around the bathroom. Lucille was still holding onto the model of the wasp, but her eyes were closed in grief, which left her unable to watch as the akuma possessed her wasp, causing her to bolt up as if she was electrified and her eyes to glow pink as a butterfly pattern glowed around her face.
"Waspinator, I am Hawk Moth," the voice of Hawk Moth rang through Lucille's mind. "I can make sure that no one will ever call you small ever again, and all I ask is a small favor of my own. Take Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous and give them to me, and you may have the biggest and most beautiful body a girl could want!"
Lucille grinned evilly. "I'll show them who the real bugs are, Hawk Moth!"
Lucille – or rather, Waspinator – laughed evilly as the akuma's power transformed her into a creature of Hawk Moth's evil power, ready to carry out her plans of revenge and power.
A/N: Sorry for the cliffy, but I need time to think about her design, I wanna make it so that it's gonna be killer! Please be patient and I will deliver!
And if it wasn't already clear, I HATE Chloé. Like a lot. Like I can't believe what's going to happen to her soon in canon. Thought I should explain Adrien's little tantrum, plus he'd have a lot with his taking of the book and now it's missing atop his ever demanding schedule. And he also has a level of tolerance for Chloé's shit like the rest of us.
Anyway, please look out for the next chapter coming sometime next week!
-JeremyX signing off!