The next day at school was rough for Marinette. Everyone was talking about Alya's interview with Ladybug. It had blown up on the internet and had even been featured on multiple news stations. The original video on the Ladyblog had almost a million hits. All of Paris was aware that Ladybug had a secret crush. It shocked people since everyone believed that Ladybug and Chat Noir were the perfect superhero couple. It had been assumed that they must have shared feelings for each other. Now, everyone wanted to know who the boy was that won Ladybug's heart. Of course, Ladybug didn't plan on telling them ever.
"Don't people have other things to worry about?" Marinette sighed as class let out. She was chatting with Alya about the interview and it was obvious she was upset. "I mean, seriously. It's not like it's their love life. What if Ladybug wants a little privacy?"
"People are just excited, Mari. Relax," Alya smiled. "This is big news. You can't blame them. Besides, I'm sure Ladybug doesn't mind." Marinette rolled her eyes. "She actually does mind," she thought to herself. If Marinette heard one more person mention Ladybug, she thought she might explode. Even Chloe had been talking about her all day. It was enough to drive Marinette insane.
"For real dude?!" Nino yelled, distracting Marinette from her thoughts. She and Alya looked up at Nino who was talking to Adrien. "Sure," Adrien smiled at his friend. "You've never been to one, right? It'll be fun."
"What's going on?" Alya asked, approaching Nino. "Adrien invited me to watch his photoshoot," Nino explained. He looked eager to go. He always wondered what it was like to be a model. Sometimes he pretended that he was a model too, but that was only in front of the mirror at home and he wasn't very good either.
"Do you want to come too, Alya?" Adrien kindly offered.
The reason he was inviting Nino was because he wanted to have some fun. The photoshoot today was a continuation of the shoot from yesterday. It had been postponed since Adrien had mysteriously left in the middle of it and they hadn't gotten near enough pictures for the advertisements. Adrien knew that he left to go stop an akuma with Ladybug, but he told the director of the shoot that something important came up. Now he had to finish the rest today and wanted to bring some friends along. It would make everything a lot less tense and more enjoyable. It would also help distract him from his recent heartbreak.
"Can I bring a friend?" Alya smirked. Her eyes wandered over to Marinette who was standing by her desk awkwardly. "The more the merrier," Adrien laughed as he watched Marinette blush and begin playing with her hair once she noticed he was looking at her. Adrien found Marinette's weird quirks odd, but adorable. He had never met a girl quite like her before.
She had a kind heart and never hesitated to stand up for her classmates. Adrien considered Marinette the exact opposite of Chloe. But there was something about Marinette that always bothered Adrien. She acted very strange around him. She stammered and fidgeted nervously. Sometimes she would completely run away. More recently though, she began to act more normal around him. They would strike up casual conversation and helped each other out with classwork. He had even been over to her house a few times and was a big fan of her parents' bakery.
Marinette definitely still had her moments though when she would go nuts and act weird again. If he got too close, she would shy away. Whenever they accidentally bumped into each other, she would move her body as far away as possible. Adrien could never figure out why though. Was there something about him that made her uncomfortable?
"Y-you want me to come?" Marinette stuttered as she took a step forward. She tripped over her foot and fell onto the ground. Quickly, she jumped back up and rubbed the back of her head nervously. Alya groaned and Nino laughed in response. "Of course," Adrien replied. "We're friends, aren't we?"
"If I die right now, I think I'd die happy," Marinette thought dreamily. Adrien considered her a friend. All the worries about the Ladybug fiasco evaporated. Alya, noticing that Marinette was busy daydreaming, flicked her friend's forehead. "We should leave then," Alya said as she drug Marinette by her ear over to where the boys were standing. "We don't want to make you late."
The group walked outside the school and saw Adrien's white limousine. Adrien led them to the car and opened the door, gesturing for his friends to enter. Marinette giggled, pretending for a moment that Adrien was a handsome prince opening the door to a magnificent carriage. The thought was amusing and not too far from the truth. Well, the handsome prince part at least.
They each got in with Alya making sure Marinette had to sit next to Adrien. Once everyone was in, Adrien shut the door and told the driver to head to the photoshoot. "I'm bringing some friends along," Adrien explained to the Gorilla. The driver simply nodded and said nothing. He was the silent type.
"What's this shoot for?" Nino asked as the limo drove through the streets of Paris. "Didn't you just have one yesterday? You got another job?"
"About that…" Adrien laughed weakly. "I'm actually finishing yesterday's shoot today since I had to leave in the middle of it before. Something... err… came up. It's some sneaker ad for a company that's partnered with my father's. I don't know too much. I just go where I'm told."
"Wow…" Marinette sighed lovingly as she listened to Adrien. Alya swore she saw hearts in her best friend's eyes. "It's not that impressive," Adrien replied defensively. He stared out the window with a sad expression. There seemed to be something on his mind, but no one knew what. Marinette wanted to ask about it, but was too afraid she'd mess it up. It seemed to very personal as well. Marinette didn't know if it would be okay to pry.
Minutes later, the limo arrived at the shoot which was taking place in a building just outside the Eiffel Tower. The teenagers hopped out and Adrien showed them into the building. On the outside, it didn't look that big, but the inside was humongous. There were people running around everywhere. There were models, designers, business people, and many more. It was organized chaos.
"The shoot's taking place in here," Adrien said as he led everyone through the hallway and opened the door to a large room. The room had giant cameras set up and a white backdrop. There was a rack with multiple different outfits. People were adjusting the lighting and some were typing on computers. The room was filled with chatter. Everyone had a job to do.
"Is this what being a model is like?" Marinette wondered as she stared at the room in awe. There was so much going on at once. It was overwhelming to someone with such a small presence like Marinette. This was her dream though. Someday, she would be standing here watching models wear her designs. It was exciting to think about.
"You guys can wait here," Adrien explained. "I need to go get my make-up done. I should be back in a few minutes. Feel free to look around." Adrien walked off to another room where he was met by a beautiful, young woman. Marinette assumed she was the make-up artist. She looked like she could be a model herself. Was everyone in this place gorgeous? It made Marinette feel self-conscience since she didn't look anything like a model.
"So this is what he does when he isn't at school?" Nino said, admiring the room. Alya nodded and added, "It's crazy, isn't it? It looks like a lot of work. I could never do it."
Marinette agreed. It was incredible that Adrien was able to handle this. Marinette would have cracked under the pressure easily. People were constantly judging you because of your appearance. They weren't afraid to tell you straight to your face that you were awful. That was the life of a model. No wonder Adrien seemed stressed all the time.
The group continued to chat until they were interrupted by a tall, official looking woman with a monotone voice. "Who might you be?" she said disapprovingly. Marinette recognized her from somewhere, but she couldn't remember where. Her hair was black with a bright, red streak. It was pinned back neatly, giving her a professional look.
"We're Adrien's friends," Alya explained. "He invited us to come watch his shoot." The woman took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed. Marinette braced herself to be scolded, but was greeted by a different reaction. The woman smiled and said, "I see. I'm glad he has good friends that support him. I'm Nathalie by the way. I work for Adrien's father." Someone called Nathalie's name and she waved good-bye to the teenagers. "I'm afraid I have something I need to go do. Please enjoy your time here."
Nathalie quickly walked off to go check on other business. "She was nicer than I thought." Nino let out a sigh of relief. "I thought she was going to bust us for sure." Everyone laughed, feeling relieved that they hadn't been kicked out yet. They all stuck out like a sore thumb.
Adrien came back with a change of clothes and makeup on. When he appeared, Marinette resisted the urge to squeal. She thought Adrien couldn't be any more handsome, but she was wrong. The make-up complimented his already perfect face. His clothes suited him and made him look mature, yet charming. Marinette's mouth widened as she admired him. Alya took upon herself to close it.
"Lookin' good, dude!" Nino gave Adrien a high five. Adrien smiled shyly. He was used to getting this kind of praise, but normally it was just fangirls that made a big deal about his appearances. "I'd buy anything if I saw you wearing it dressed like that," Alya laughed. She now understood how girls fell in love with Adrien based on looks alone. Marinette said nothing, but gave Adrien a smile. She wanted to encourage him, but also didn't want to say anything embarrassing. Her heart couldn't seem to calm down. He was just so handsome!
"Adrien, we're starting," a man holding a camera called. He had an oddly styled mustache. Marinette assumed he must be the photographer. They usually were eccentric types. Adrien nodded and ran over onto the white backdrop. "Go through the normal set of poses," the man commanded. "I want to get some test shots." Adrien began to twist his body and make faces for the camera. He was used to this, but to Marinette, it was completely new.
She watched in amazement as Adrien responded to the cameraman's instructions with ease. If Adrien was told to look happy, he put on a happy face. If he was told to act mysterious, he knew how to position himself to give off a mysterious aura. Any command the cameraman gave, Adrien knew how to fulfill it. He really was a professional, the best of the best.
"Good! Beautiful! Perfect!" The photographer praised Adrien. Adrien had a genuine smile as he looked over at his friends who were cheering him on. For once, he felt like he was enjoying his job. He hadn't felt this good as Adrien in a long time. He thought he should invite people to come to shoots more often. It eased the stress of being a model and made it easier to work. Sometimes smiling for the camera was difficult, but with friends nearby, it was the easiest part of the job. It was coming to him naturally.
After a while, the cameraman announced a break. Adrien would be changing clothes and have his make-up retouched. The rest of the crew would get a snack break. Before he went to change, Adrien walked over to his friends to chat and get a drink of water. "That was amazing!" Marinette exclaimed as Adrien approached them. "You're incredible!"
"Nah, I'm not that good. There are models that are a lot better. I'm still a novice," Adrien humbly replied. "You're really great," Marinette repeated. "Honestly. Don't sell yourself short like that." Adrien always seemed to minimize his accomplishments. It was like he couldn't accept how great of a person he was. He was too busy comparing himself to others to notice his own successes.
Adrien laughed at Marinette's unbounded confidence in him. It was a hearty, cheerful laugh. This was the best Adrien had felt ages, not including the time he spent with Ladybug as Chat Noir. "Thanks, Marinette," Adrien grinned. Marinette swooned a little as she made eye contact with his beautiful, jade eyes. They were filled with joy, something Marinette rarely saw from Adrien. His smile was contagious as Marinette found herself with a wide grin as did Alya and Nino.
"Adrien."
A cold voice entered the room and sent a chill down Marinette's spine. Everything seemed to slow down. Everyone in the room stopped moving and turned. Standing at the door was none other than Mr. Gabriel Agreste. Marinette had never seen him in person. He was tall and intimidating. Nothing about his appearance was out of place. Every hair was slicked back and he stood like a statue with his arms behind him. His black glasses made him look even more menacing. His figure demanded the attention of everyone in the room.
"Father?" Adrien said, very surprised. It was rare for his father to make an appearance especially when Adrien was working. He was usually gone on business and only contacted Adrien to assign him jobs or have brief conversations. What could he be doing here in the middle of the day?
Mr. Agreste took a step forward and looked at Adrien with a vacant stare. Then, he glanced at Marinette and her friends who were standing in the corner. His forehead furrowed and his nose crinkled like he had just eaten food that had gone bad. "Who are they?" Mr. Agreste said in a spiteful tone. His eyes were an icy blue, the opposite of his son's.
Adrien frowned and replied, "They're my friends. I invited them to come."
"How irresponsible of you. First, you abandon your work and now you have the audacity to invite people places where they do not belong. I am gravely disappointed. Your actions are a shame to the Agreste name."
Mr. Agreste showed no remorse. He was angry, but his face remained expressionless. Nathalie watched the scene unfold in terror. She didn't know Mr. Agreste was planning on coming. If she had, she would have warned Adrien ahead of time. The poor boy didn't deserve this criticism. He only wanted to have some fun and she assumed he had a good explanation for ditching the shoot yesterday.
Adrien clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Did he come all the way here to chew me out?" Adrien thought angrily. Adrien hadn't seen his father in two weeks because of work. His father hadn't bothered to contact him in two weeks. There wasn't a single phone call or text message, but he went out of his way to come scold Adrien because of a single mistake. Adrien felt tense and on edge. He was already feeling upset because of Ladybug. He didn't need this on his plate now too.
"Is that all you came here for?" Adrien snapped. Marinette gasped at the anger in his voice. Adrien never got upset. Even against Chloe, Adrien kept his cool. Marinette knew that something must be seriously wrong if Adrien was lashing out. The situation was about to take a turn for the worst.
"I'm so sorry you went out of your way to come here and yell at me!" Adrien continued. "What a waste of your precious time!"
Mr. Agreste frowned and called Nathalie over. "Tell him to calm himself," Mr. Agreste whispered in her ear. Nathalie looked at Adrien and his father in shock. She didn't want to get involved in this argument. She didn't get paid enough for that.
"If you want to say something, tell him yourself!" Marinette stepped forward angrily and approached Mr. Agreste. She had always considered him a role model. She dreamed of being a designer as great as him, but it was clear he was a jerk and a terrible father.
"Adrien is working really hard! How can you criticize him like that?" she shouted with her arms crossed. Her jaw tightened as she continued to yell. "You're his father, aren't you? Maybe you should try acting like one!"
"Marinette…" Adrien put his hand on Marinette's shoulder to calm her down. He didn't need her to fight his battles. "It's fine," he told her. But he obviously was not okay. Marinette could tell from his broken expression and the sadness in his eyes.
"Adrien?" Marinette said, biting her lip. How could she make him feel better? Had she made things worse?
Adrien said nothing and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut. He completely abandoned the shoot and his friends. Mr. Agreste whispered something into Nathalie's ear again. She opened the door and Mr. Agreste walked out. She followed at his heels. Was Mr. Agreste going after his son or did he have other more "important" matters to attend to?
"We should go," Alya said loudly. She grabbed Marinette's hand and pulled her away. Nino thanked the photoshoot crew for letting them watch and then ran out with the girls.
"How could he treat his own son that way?" Marinette cried once they exited the building. Nino shrugged. "I've dealt with Adrien's old man before. He's a party pooper, that's for sure. I've never seen a more boring and uptight dude," he explained. Marinette was furious. No wonder Adrien looked so sad all the time. He had to live with a monster like that.
Marinette had always assumed parents loved their children. Her parents went out of the way to wish her good morning or bake her a sweet treat for dessert. They loved her just as much as she loved them. It was normal to exchange hugs and good wishes. Wasn't that what family was all about? Wasn't every family like that?
Marinette realized she was sorely mistaken. Not everyone was as fortunate as her. Some people had only one parent, some none. They didn't receive their parents' love. Instead, they heard harsh words and heavy criticism. There were no hugs or kisses. No baked goods waiting as a surprise on the kitchen table. No silly family movie nights. There was absolutely nothing and that was the type of life Adrien had been living.
"We need to do something to make him feel better!" Marinette decided. They couldn't leave Adrien alone. It was times like these when he really needed friends. He had no one else to count on.
"Why don't you bake him some cookies?" Alya suggested. "No one could feel sad when eating your mom's cookies. They're the best in all of Paris!" Marinette happily agreed. She would bring cookies to Adrien before class tomorrow. She doubted that would be enough to make him feel better though. Some wounds were just too deep to fill with just chocolate chip cookies.
The trio parted ways, promising to see each other in the morning. Nino said he would text Adrien and make sure he was feeling okay. He would text Alya and Marinette afterwards with a status update.
Meanwhile, Adrien raced home, frustrated and exhausted. He felt bad for leaving his friends, but he had to get away from his father. This was too much. The past few days had been too much. Why did the world hate him? He had already been rejected by the love of his life. He didn't need to be rejected by his father too.
"What should I do, Plagg?" Adrien moaned as he entered the door to his mansion. It was empty, thank goodness. A little, black kwami flew out of Adrien's bag and said nothing. Normally, Plagg was very silly, but now he felt bad for Adrien. He had never seen Adrien this upset before, but had no comforting words to offer. Perhaps it was better to let Adrien vent.
Adrien entered his bedroom and sat on his bed. Plagg sat quietly beside him. Adrien took a deep breath and tried to think calmly, but it was no use. His thoughts were racing and he was extremely upset. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream. What he really wanted was to talk to Ladybug, the only person that would listen to his problems. She would be able to offer good her beautiful face would make him feel infinitely better.
The door opened downstairs and Adrien heard footsteps answer the house. His father must be home. Mr. Agreste wouldn't be checking on his son though. He would probably head up to his own room where he seemed to spend most of his time whenever he actually was home. Adrien hardly noticed his father was home when he was. That man spent more time in his room than a normal teenage boy. Sometimes Adrien wondered what he was doing in there.
"I need to get out of here!" Adrien said, standing up. His sudden movement almost knocked Plagg off the bed. "Claws out!" Plagg moaned as he was sucked into Adrien's ring. There was a green flash and Chat Noir was standing in Adrien's place. "It's a little early for a patrol…" Chat Noir mused as he looked out the window. Chat Noir didn't mind though. Just being outside and running around would help cool his nerves.
Chat Noir opened the window and flung himself onto the roof. The sun was just beginning to set and Paris was looking beautiful filled with delicate hues of pink and orange. Chat Noir ran across the rooftops, brooding to himself. "I'm so sick and tired of him," he thought angrily. "He doesn't even know that I had to ditch the shoot yesterday because I was busy saving all of freaking Paris. Not that he would even care. He didn't even bother to ask how I was doing. Maybe he would have noticed that I was already under a bunch of stress considering I've had my heart broken and have a bajillion jobs all the same god damn time! First Ladybug, now him! Why the hell does nothing go in my favor?"
Chat Noir was seething now. His rage hadn't calmed down. His face was flushed as he thought about his problems. Now, he was upset about Ladybug and his father. He stopped running and sat down on a roof. "God damn it!" he screamed loudly. A flock of birds sitting nearby flew away in terror.
Chat Noir slammed his fist onto the roof and cursed. Nothing was making him feel better. A purple butterfly flew towards him, quietly. Chat Noir was too angry to notice it land on him. All of sudden, there was a loud, clear voice resonating in his head.
"Chat Noir," it said. It was a deep, intimidating voice, but familiar at the same time. "I didn't expect we'd meet like this, but you need my help. I can help avenge you," the voice coaxed. His words were smooth and carefully chosen. He was trying to strike a deal.
"Hawk Moth…" Chat Noir gasped. How was this happening to him? Was he so upset that he was being preyed upon by an akuma?
"I don't need help from the likes of you," the hero growled. "Get out of my head."
"Ah, but you do need my help. I can offer you great power. I know it hurts to feel unloved and betrayed. You've been rejected by Ladybug and your father it seems, but we can solve both those problems together. Just let me help you. Please. This can be beneficial to the both of us."
Chat Noir felt his grip on his own sanity slipping away. Hawk Moth's offer was tempting. With the power of another miraculous, Ladybug surely couldn't reject him and he would be able to teach his father a lesson. He could change his life around completely. He could have everything he had always dreamed of. His life could become perfect.
"No!" Chat Noir's conscience screamed. "He's the bad guy! You're supposed to defeat him, not join him!" But the efforts of this voice were being lost. Chat Noir's mind began to contradict itself. Didn't he deserve to be happy? Didn't he deserve his father's praise? Didn't he deserve Ladybug's love? Didn't he deserve it all?
He worked hard all his life to be "perfect". He didn't complain during class. He never objected when his father assigned him jobs. He got perfect grades. He studied fencing, piano, and even freaking Chinese. When Ladybug needed him, he was there. He was a great friend to her, always offering his services. If someone requested something, he would do it without a second thought. He did all these things because other people wanted him to. He worked hard for the sake of others, so why hadn't it paid off? Why wasn't he happy?
Chat Noir felt himself being pushed to the edge. Was getting revenge on his father really worth joining forces with Hawk Moth? Was winning Ladybug's heart worth the sacrifice?
"I see you're hesitating," Hawk Moth scowled. He was so close to capturing Chat Noir. There was no way he could lose this opportunity. With Chat Noir on his side, Hawk Moth would finally be a step closer to achieving his goals. Ladybug would become a small obstacle and finally, he would be a step closer to ending this whole charade and returning to the normal life he longed for.
"Don't resist," Hawk Moth whispered. "Accept your new powers. You'll be irresistible. How could Ladybug not love you? Women love men dressed in white." That was the tipping point. Love makes people do crazy things.
An evil grin emerged on Chat Noir's face as a purple mist enveloped him. If he could have everything he wanted, it was no big deal to strike a bargain with Hawk Moth. If he could live in a world where everything was perfect, there was no price too high to pay.
The purple fog disappeared leaving behind Chat Noir, but he was different. Instead of his normal black suit, it was white like snow. His eyes glowed with an evil aura. His expression was ruthless. He opened his mouth to reveal sharp fangs.
"This is amazing," Chat Noir purred as he examined himself. He could feel new power coursing through his veins. He felt unstoppable. He felt like he could take on the world and win. His trusty baton had turned a golden color. He stroked it greedily. The metal was cold like his heart.
"Are you ready, Chat Noir?" Hawk Moth asked. Chat Noir shook his head. "The name isn't Chat Noir," the cat grinned. "It's Chat Blanc." Hawk Moth smiled from inside his secret base. Everything was going according to plan. "We have a deal then," Hawk Moth replied. "Steal Ladybug's miraculous and I'll make all your dreams come true…"
"Chill out," Chat Blanc snarled. "I'll get to it when I want. Right now, I have other business to take care of." Chat Blanc zoned out Hawk Moth's voice and leapt into the sky. He felt reenergized like he was a new human being. He had no weakness. He was unbeatable. Not even Ladybug would be able to take him down. That was because his source of power didn't lie outside him, completely vulnerable. His akuma was well-hidden in a place where no one would find it. Before he transformed into Chat Blanc, he almost hadn't noticed where the akuma absorbed into him. It was the part of him that had been destroyed. It was the part of him he wanted to forget. The akuma had landed on his heart.
