"Caline!" Mr. Damocles hurried into the school. "I'm sending everyone home for today. With an akuma attack from a teacher during school hours, I think that's best."
"Of course. I'm sorry, sir." Ms. Bustier drew away from Marinette. "I'm so sorry, this-"
"It's alright." Mr. Damocles interrupted. Then he sighed tiredly, "There will be an outcry, there always is, but we all have our bad days. I'll stand by you."
Ms. Bustier smiled at him, but Marinette noticed it was trembling on the edges. "Thank you."
Mr. Haprèle touched her shoulder. He smiled when she looked at him, but wordlessly drew his phone out of his pocket. He tapped it twice. "Mylene, are you alright sweetie?"
He listened to her response before telling her, "They're sending everyone home for the day. So, have your friends call their parents and let them know they're okay, loan them your phone if you need too. Then I want you take Sabrina back to our house. I'll be home later, and we'll talk about this then okay?"
"She was with Ivan, and several other kids." He told them, hanging up on his daughter. "Sabrina, obviously, but Nathaniel, Alyla, and Rose as well."
"I just sent the ones outside home. Kim is walking Alix and Max to the museum where her father works, and he'll stay with them until his mother gets home from work. Nino Lahiffe is trying to get ahold of Nathaniel, and he'll check in with us before he leaves. The kids from my class stayed close but hid well. I spoke to all of them, and Jean and Aurora agreed to take charge and see the rest home." Ms. Mendeleiev told them. "All in all, if this had to happen, and I think we all knew it would eventually, this was a good way to have it happen. I'm seeing the uses in your buddy sys-"
"What?" Marinette blurted out.
"Huh? Oh, Marinette. I didn't see you there." Ms. Mendeleiev frowned at her. "To answer what I assume is your question, yes. We figured one of us would get akumitized on school property again eventually. We spend quite a bit of time here, and we aren't made of stone. Maybe remember that next time you're late to my class."
Marinette failed to suppress a giggle at this last bit, but it was clear her teacher had meant it as joke and smiled along with her. "Sorry, Ms. Mendeleiev."
Mr. Damocles frowned at them both. "You better be getting home, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Who is you partner in Ms. Bustier's class?"
"It's me, sir." Adrien trotted down the stairs to them. "Marinette is my partner. I was just looking for her."
"Ah. Good. Would you please take her home, and wait there? I'm going to contact everyone's parents tonight about what happened here and the project."
"Forgive me, sir." Adrien bit lip, and then looked up, "Maybe you should offer to do an assembly. It might help everyone to able to talk it out with each other."
The instructors frowned at him, except Mr. Haprèle.
"I think he's got a point. As a teacher, my knee jerk reaction is to end Caline's project and send all the kids home, but as a parent." Mr. Haprèle shrugged, "I know Sabrina isn't the problem, and she has been eating up everything Mylene has had to show her. I'd hate to dampen what seems to be a blooming friendship between the two."
He looked closely at Ms. Bustier. "What made you decide to pair those two anyway?"
"It's exactly what you said, Fred." She picked up her stencil pad and showed it to him. "Sabrina desperately needs a friend. She's good for Chloe, but when Chloe is in a mood, Sabrina is one of the ones most often hurt. I just wanted her to have another friend she could go to when that happens, and your daughter is the most patient of my students, and the most forgiving. If anyone could help Sabrina, it's her.
"And for Mylene, she is so easily frightened, and Sabrina is not. Or I guess, it's actually that Sabrina charges in despite her fear. And it's not any faith she may have in Cat Noir and Ladybug that makes her do it, it's that she's driven to protect Chloe. I was hoping, maybe she could show Mylene just how she faces her fear so Mylene could feel a little braver."
"It might not seem this way with two akuma attacks in one week, but I really put a lot of thought in this project. For instance, Nino and Nathaniel, I paired them together because Nino could use a little discretion, and Nathaniel needs an exuberant, eager friend to get him out of his protective shell. And I know Nino would excel at that because he was already so good with, well," She looked at Adrien and trailed off. "I just wanted everyone to have partner they could learn something from and teach something to."
"Ms. Mendeleiev, I got Nathaniel on the phone, but we're a little worried about just going home." Nino called, trotting into the building. "He's kinda a latch-key kid, and both of us are a little freaked."
Nino might not have noticed the tick of pain in Ms. Bustier's throat when he said that, but Marinette did. She reached out touched Ms. Bustier hand. Startled, her teacher looked at her. Marinette smiled reassuringly, and then she turned to Nino. "I know Alya's parents won't be home yet either, so why don't you ask Nathaniel to have her and Rose walk him to my place. The six of us can hang out there until everyone's off work. I know Mom and Dad won't mind as soon as I tell them what's going on."
"Oh cool, thanks Marinette!" He smiled in relief and nodded to the teachers before moving away to call Nathaniel again.
Marinette turned one last time to Mr. Damocles. "I know as a student, even as a class rep, my word doesn't mean much here, but I think Adrien is right, sir. Right now, all of the students I've spoken to still believe that the class project is a good idea. Please give them a chance to defend it."
"I will think on it. Now, for the last time, the two of you had better get home and take Mr. Lahiffe with you." He huffed.
Marinette nodded, and then taking the hand that Adrien offered, they scurried from the building, Adrien summoning Nino to come with them. They stopped in the bakery to explain to her parents what happened, and true to form her parents welcomed the extra guests.
"The only thing, Marinette, is that I need to run the store, so your father can finish that big order we had come in. We don't have time to make lunch for you all." Her mother reminded her.
Her papa smiled. "But if you kids will come down here to the work station when you're hungry, you can teach your friends how to make their own mini quiches, and I can supervise a little. If they all work together, I'm sure it won't take too long. Just make sure you wait until about thirteen, okay? I want time this morning to spread out as I need to."
"Okay, Papa," She hugged him tightly. "Thank you."
"Make sure no one has any homework left over from yesterday before you get up to any mischief," Her mom started. Marinette turned to see she addressed not only her, but Adrien and Nino too, "And I rather you kids stay indoors. I know the danger is past, but it would make me feel better. Okay?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Don't worry Ms. Cheng, I'll look after everyone." Adrien promised.
Her mother smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you Adrien. I know you will."
While Marinette hugged her mother, her father gathered a handful of cookies, two or three per an expected child, and handed them on a plate to Adrien. "Let us know when Alya and the others arrive if they don't come through the bakery. Okay?"
"Yes, sir." He nodded.
Marinette led the way upstairs to her room, then she took one of her own cookies and excused herself, disappearing back downstairs to the bathroom. "Tikki?"
She opened her bag, and the Kwami smiled out at her. Tikki grinned even more broadly at the cookie in her hand. Marinette passed it over and waited for her to finish eating. "It sounds like my friends will be over for most of today. Do you want to hang out up near my bed? You'd have to stay low, but at least you'd be free to move around some."
"Actually, Marinette." Tikki looked at her seriously, "I think I'd like to hang out down here. There's more space, and if you'd give me a warning before anyone came downstairs, I think it would be okay."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. Just come get me if anything goes wrong. Okay?"
"Okay." Marinette took off the small bag she usually carried Tikki in and hung it on a hook meant for bathrobes. "I'll come get you when everyone goes home."
Marinette washed her hands in the sink and slid open the bathroom door quietly. Then she pulled loose her twin tails and ran water over a hair brush. She emerged from the bathroom brushing her hair.
The gesture paid off. Adrien had come downstairs to rifle through his bags, muttering to himself. He snapped up at her approach, turning almost guiltily on his heel.
She stopped, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted a moment to sort of, unwind, before everyone got here."
"I get it. I feel much the same. In fact, I usually take a shower, if I can. It's just really relaxing." He nodded quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. Then he knelt back down toward his bag.
"Oh! Did you need one now?" Marinette blushed hard. It was unreal. Tikki had just gotten done asking to stay down here, and Adrien might need to use the room she was currently hiding in. He would be completely naked with her in there. Marinette turned redder. "Because I need to go back in there! To uh, put my brush away!"
"Uh," Adrien's eyes dropped to his bag, and then came back to her. "No, I'm good."
That's when she noticed the containers of cheese and the small black cat doll in his bag.
"Oh!" She suddenly understood. Adrien must have come down here for comfort food and was embarrassed to have her see his little stuffed toy. "I'm sorry, Adrien! I wasn't trying to pry. I won't tell anyone about the, uh, cheese. I get that it's probably a comfort stuffy- food! I mean. I understand why you might want to keep it with you when you stay over at other places, or-"
"He is!" Adrien replied immediately, "He's uh, well, I got him just before I started school, and after what happened with mom, he's been a comfort. He sort of encourages me to be myself, but I'd hate for anyone to find out about him."
She reached out a hand to pull him to his feet. Then Marinette knelt by his bag, and pulled the zipper closed over the little stuffed animal and the cheese. She stood and smiled at him. "Your secret is safe with me."
She heard a strange sound that she would have mistaken for laughter if Adrien hadn't hit his chest hard and coughed. His bag brushed her leg as if he'd bumped it with the violent motion. Then he swallowed, "Thanks Marinette, I appreciate it."
A knock came from the dining room door. She smiled at Adrien one last time before she let in her other friends. She put away her brush and retied up her hair. When she joined everyone upstairs, Nino was finishing a question, looking intently at Alya, "hurt you, right?"
"Nah, in fact, it would have been sweet if the idea of joining a hive mind weren't so creepy." She rubbed his thigh in a comforting way.
"Creepy?"
"Just the hive mind part. I mean, you wanted me to get you, Nino, and that is sweet." She grimaced a little, but continued, "You couldn't even decide if you wanted me or Cat Noir to join the mind more. Someone else had to take over so they could use you to focus on him."
"But I didn't get him either?"
"Not at all!" Rose chirped happily, "Cat Noir brought Alya to where we were hiding, and she and Nathaniel gave Ladybug and Cat Noir vital information!"
Adrien looked at Nathaniel, "What did you tell them?"
"Not much." Nathaniel shrugged.
"He showed them his drawing of Ladybug that he'd used to hold off Mr. D'Argencourt. With it they were able to figure out that eyes were the weak point of the Liaison's hive mind." Alya told him. "Actually Nathaniel, do you mind if I see it again. It was really good."
Nathaniel frowned at her, but quietly pulled out his sketch book and handed it to her. Alya examined the face closely. Marinette looked over her shoulder. The sketch was good, but thankfully had enough subtle differences to keep it from looking like her. Alya nodded, "I see what you mean. I can see this as Ladybug, but it didn't look quite right while she was standing next to it. I wonder if that means the Miraculous have some kinda glamour that can cloud minds."
Alya started to hand the book back by its spiral spine. Several loose sketches fell out of it. Nathaniel blanched and grabbed out at them. He made a sound of protest when the others tried to help him. "No! Please! They're personal."
Adrien who had scooped up one of the pages looked up at him in awe. "Nathaniel, if you want these back without talking about them, that's fine, but this is amazing. I'd love to hear about your ideas for it."
"He wants to make a comic strip, but he's not really writer so he's just made the covers so far. You should see ours, dude. It's so swank." Nino told him proudly.
Nathaniel's jaw dropped, and he turned wide disbelieving eyes on Nino. "You said you wouldn't!"
"He's already seen it, dude, and they are amazing. I told you that!" Nino said, shaking his head, "I'm not trying to embarrass you, but I think you should tell everybody. I think they'll be super excited about it."
Marinette looked at the sketch in Adrien's hand. It was Rose and Juleka standing back to back. Rose's hair was plumed up into the style of Princess Fragrance, but she wore a mask that looked like fairie wings, and her costume was almost ballerina inspired. Juleka's hair brushed past her face at the bottom of her jaw, giving her even more of an air of mystery than her simple veil could provide. Her outfit was a dark color, but had a looser, wispier look than Rose's. Across the bottom of the image, in heroic styled typography, read the words 'Fairie Bright and Nightshade take on the Duskers!'
"You turned Rose and Juleka into super heroes?" Marinette asked.
"What?" Rose squeaked.
Nathaniel looked terrified, but Nino put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude."
Rose came around Adrien to look at the image. Then she flung herself at Nathaniel. "I love it, Nath! We look so cute!"
Nathaniel returned her hug awkwardly, his expression softening to mere apprehension. "Nino's telling the truth. I actually drew everyone as superheroes. Well, not me or Chloe or Sabrina, but everyone else in class."
"That's so cool, Nathaniel!" Alya told him. "We'd all love to see them."
He shuffled around his sketches and showed them off one by one. Mylene and Ivan had been drawn as a duo named the Moon and the Mountain. He'd done three images of them together. The first had Mylene shinning behind Ivan like a guiding light, putting the focus on him. In the second one, she was in the center, dancing in his hands as if she were Tinkerbell to his Peter Pan. The third had her lying injured on the ground with an enraged Ivan getting to his feet behind her. Nathaniel shrugged at these and showed them a solo picture of each of them, "She's actually normal size, but I kinda had this idea that she keeps him powered up. Like, she's the healer that lets him juggernaut through anything."
"Oh, that so cool!" Rose said, taking the picture of Mylene. "What's my power? And Juleka's!? Are we friends as Nightshade and Fairie Bright? We're friends, right? And I'm Fairie Bright, right? Are you going to make us into a full comic someday? Do we sometimes work with Mylene and Ivan or they are enemies? You know we'd totally crush them if they were!"
"They're actually friendly, right Nathaniel?" Nino interjected.
Nathaniel nodded, "Yeah, you're all in the same world together, but you handle different issues. I haven't figure out how yet, but you're basically different hero groups that only work together on occasion."
"That is so cool!" Rose repeated.
Adrien looked at him, "You said you did the rest of us too?"
"Yeah, I haven't decided their powers yet, but here's the Royal Sect." Nathaniel handed him an image of Alix, Max and Kim. "Um, she's the Pharaoh, a little because of her family, but mostly because Pharaohs could be women with no title difference, and I think she'd get more of a kick out being called that then something like, queen. Also, it puts her on the same level as Kim who is the Emperor and Max who I'm thinking about calling him the Sultan. Originally I wanted Max's character to be the Mansa, and he'd probably know that word, but I was worried a lot of other people wouldn't."
Alix stood in the center in front of the two boys. She was the perfect picture of sass as she held each of them back with the flat of her palms, an expression of confidence making her glow. Kim was grinningly arrogantly, one hand wrapped around her wrist, and the other curled around her fingers, leaning forward, ready to engage. Max also held Alix's arm close, but he was flatting her hand to his belly like he might actually pull her away with him to keep her safe. His expression was cheerful, but more reserved and wary than his companions.
"I think it's your work, Nathaniel." Marinette smiled up at him, "If you think Max should be called the Mansa, and you want to call him that, you should."
"Yeah, and Max would probably appreciate people learning new things on his behalf." Alya nodded.
Nathaniel smiled shyly at them, and handed Alya the next sketch, "The Winged Ones."
Alya was the front and center of this one. She leaned forward, her weight on her right leg while the left curled behind her like a dancer. Her body was twisted at an angle that only female superheroes in comics ever achieve, allowing the viewer to see her hands pressed together at the small of her back, a flame dancing between them. Nino stood behind her, his arms raised to the sky, showing off the massive scythes that were attached to them. In the background, almost as afterthoughts, were Adrien and Marinette, framing Nino. Although, Adrien had wings relaxed along his back, Marinette saw no hint of her own powers.
As if reading her thoughts, Nathaniel said, "I haven't figured out what you do either yet, Marinette. I was thinking some kind of support power, because while I know you'll always stand up for your friends, I can't see you as the type to charge straight into battle."
Marinette, thinking of her alter ego, giggled at that.
Nathaniel read this as encouragement, and continued eagerly, "Originally, I was going to just make you and Alya a team together and call you Lotus and Tiger Lily. You can kinda see it in the character designs, the way Alya still has some stripes, and your costume has that flower bit. I liked them too much to get rid of them.
"I also had Nino and Adrien as the Firefly and the Dragonfly, but I felt bad for separating Alya and Nino, so I tried those two together, but that left you and Adrien by yourselves. Eventually, I just combined all four of you. Adrien kept the Dragonfly and his original outfit, but Alya became the Firefly and got a mix of her and Nino's old outfits. Nino became the Mantis because Alya has the more fiery personality."
"So, who am I?"
"The Damselfly. I know it links you and Adrien a little much, but I couldn't call Alya that, and I figure these characters are based on you guys. They don't have to be you entirely." Nathaniel explained quickly. "I mean, I could always make you two siblings or-"
"But they'd look so cute together in their costumes!" Rose interjected. "You have to make them a couple."
"No, I'm telling you, dude, give them sort of a will-they-won't-they thing. Readers will eat it up." Nino told him.
"I actually agree with Nino." Alya nodded. "I'm not usually for romantic subplots, but I can almost see it, especially in this picture with how you separated them with Nino, but then made them look at each other."
"But," Nathaniel gestured at Adrien and Marinette.
"I don't mind being paired up with Marinette." Adrien shrugged. "I mean, you said the characters are just based on us, and she's a good friend. If you want us together for your story, then you have my permission to put us together. Marinette?"
"Ye-yeah! That'd be great, I mean fine!" Marinette felt her cheeks go scarlet, "I mean it's fine with me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, absolutely!"
"Just do me a favor, if I'm going to be with Marinette, keep us together." Adrien shook his head, "I don't care how long it takes us to get there, but once you have us, don't keep breaking us up over stupid reasons. I hate that cliché."
"Okay." Nathaniel agreed, "I can do that."
"Now, you need some way to connect them all together." Alya told him, "You said the different groups sometimes work together, but they also handle their own things too. How?"
"Maybe because of Nathaniel," Marinette offered, "Maybe you know everyone's specialties, and sort of direct the others where to go."
Nathaniel shook his head, "Last time I drew myself as a hero, I ended up a villain."
"Nathaniel, we've all been villains." Marinette touched his hand gently, "I don't think that should exclude you from being a hero again."
He looked at her for a long moment, and then finally back down at his paper, "Maybe it would be okay, if I were just a watcher of some sort. If I just helped the heroes somehow."
"Like a director." Alya suggested, "You wouldn't be super hands on, instead you'd be like Gaia in Captain Planet, or Alpha in Power Rangers. You'd watch for problems and send out the best people for the job. You could also offer additional information as needed."
"Yeah, you could be Gifter!" Rose clapped her hands enthusiastically, "You could gift powers and send us out to solve problems."
Nathaniel shook his head, "I think you all need your own powers because you have them."
"You could be J.A.M, Just-A-Man," Adrien told him, "That would keep the theme of not being one of the hands-on heroes while still sounding a little mysterious. You're just a man who gets things done."
"Or you could be Amp, for like, you know, amping us and making us work together." Nino suggested, mock punching the air in front of him.
"What about Genesis," Alya proposed. "Because you're what starts us out each time?"
"Or the Conductor." Marinette offered. "Because the separate groups depend on you to lead them, so they can work together."
"You're also the one with the most information, and have the easiest time getting more, like the Conductor of a train." Adrien agreed.
Nathaniel held up a hand as he considered everyone's suggestions. "I think I like the Conductor and J.A.M the best, but I need some more with them, if that's okay."
"Of course, dude. It's your thing." Nino replied.
"In the meantime, I think I figured out Marinette's powers for you." Alya told him. "I think given what she just did, she should have the power of suggestion. Like she can inspire her friends, or cause doubt in the enemy."
"She could also calm civilians and get them to leave an area safely." Adrien agreed. "It's a great support power."
Nathaniel looked at her through his hair. "Marinette, what do you think?"
"I like it." She smiled back.
"You know Nathaniel, if you need a writer for these, I wouldn't mind helping." Alya told him.
"Um," He heistated, frowning at her.
"I wouldn't take over. It's still your project, but I'm happy to help you bounce ideas around. Maybe help you set up a website, if you wanted to publish them online."
"I could use a little help with that." He admitted. "But I don't really have anything beyond these drawings right now."
"Okay, well, how be we spend the day working together?" Marinette asked. "You be the conductor and let us know how we can help."
"I think I'd like that." He answered, chuckling a little at her joke. "Maybe you could help me with sketching? Not the actual strip. I still want to do that, but maybe other poses and some cover art?"
"Sure!"
"Rose and I can work on civilian identities if you get us started." Adrien offered.
"And I'll put together a playlist of theme songs for you!" Nino grinned. Everyone spent a long moment starring at him before he shrugged. "Hey! Music helps. And music that fits a character will let ya'll get more in character for your writing and drawing and stuff."
Nathaniel started laughing first, and everyone slowly joined him. Then they got to work sharing information and ideas as they had them. When Nathaniel's parents finally came for him and Nino that evening, his sketch book was full of concept art, he had refence photos of their friends provided by Alya, and his website had been started with a 'coming soon' tagline.
Marinette particularly loved the work they'd done on her own character, whom Rose had named Emilie. Although she was only going to be a side character in the comics, Adrien had given her the perfect backstory as a friendly girl who worked in her family's restaurant, offering advice to the lost souls who wandered in looking for solace and coffee. And Alya, had made the suggestion that her most frequent visitor be the alter ego of the Dragonfly, the school prince Tristan, who came by the restaurant on lonely nights looking for her wisdom, and unbeknownst to her, her company.
She was also glad to see that, the hic-up involving her character's name notwithstanding, Adrien seemed mostly at ease with her again. So much so that he hugged her good night the way a brother might when they parted for bed. She sighed in relief when her head hit her pillow. Maybe Tikki was right. Maybe his friendship, that is, his willingness to love her in comics and more of those brotherly hugs, could be enough.
