Here is the 21st oneshot in my Miraculous Revelations series. This prompt was suggested a few weeks ago by Whovianeverlark17, who has also suggested 'Cold' and 'Injury' in this series. I should note that the core of this oneshot is pretty much the same as the oneshot 'Baker's Mania' in theinkwell33's series 'Behind the Masks' though it does have my own twist to it. I did have to check 'Baker's Mania' for help as this wasn't an easy chapter write and 'Behind the Masks' was the series that inspired me to try my hand a reveal oneshot collection so I hope that this has gone well. On another note, I will be returning to Friday night updates, the original update day of the week, now that I have a more manageable schedule. This will be the date for the next few weeks at least and because I have the rough drafts written for the next two oneshots in this series plus the promised bonus oneshot that will be released in a few weeks. Anyway, enough admin crap, sit back and enjoy my latest oneshot in this series, Paranoia.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to this show.
Paranoia - After Alya publishes a full list of all Parisians who had been akumatized, Marinette realizes that she is the only girl in her class who has not been akumatized. In a state of paranoia and not thinking straight, Marinette ignores Tikki's advice and decides to fake an akuma attack with her as the akumatized villain. The results are not what Marinette had hoped for and could have consequences that not even she would see coming.
Paranoia
"Marinette stop worrying about it." Tikki said trying to calm Marinette who was in the middle of a major worry fit. "No one suspects a thing."
"I know they do though Tikki." Marinette said as she paced her room. "The evidence is clearly there, anyone with half a brain will be able to put two and two together and realize the truth that is starring them in the face."
"Marinette your secret is safe." Tikki said with a frustrated sigh. "No one suspects that you are Ladybug, and no one will make the leaps that you have in your mind. You are just overthinking this. Marinette, you are letting your emotions get the better of you again and allowing them to remove logic from your brain. I admit, Alya's blog post didn't help but just take a breath and think about it logically for a second."
"I have thought about logically and I know that I am right." Marinette wailed as she flopped down on her chaise. "Alya pointed it out, without mentioning me at least, that all the girls in our class have been akumatized. Only my name is missing, and our class is disproportionate to the rest of all of Paris when it comes to getting akumatized. How could people who know my class not figure out that the reason why I haven't been akumatized is because I am Ladybug."
"Well the disproportionate representation of your class is to do with Chloe being in your class and her very long record of creating akumas." Tikki pointed out but common sense had all but left Marinette at this point, though the kwami was still trying in vain to force it back into Marinette. "And as for the list, Alya also listed all the guys in your class that have been akumatized, as well as everyone else in Paris who has been a victim of Hawk Moth. That's all the list is, you need to stop worrying, you're letting your paranoia take over. It's getting the better of you and clouding your judgment, don't let your fears, worries and paranoia make a bad decision for you."
"How can I help it Tikki?" Marinette said with a little too much dramatics to her voice. "It's clear that there is some connection between my class, the akumas and Ladybug. All it takes is someone like Alya with all her investigative skills to put it all together and someone will know my secret."
"But Marinette didn't you read the list." Tikki said with a hint of desperation. "Adrien wasn't on it either, but all the other guys in your class were. By your logic that would make him Cat Noir would it not."
"Adrien is too perfect and too used to disappointment from his father to ever be akumatized." Marinette said as with the usual tone she only reserved for talking about Adrien. "There is no way he could ever get akumatized. Besides, he is so much better and cuter than Cat Noir so there's no chance that they are one and the same."
Marinette wasn't looking but Tikki was staring open mouthed at her in shock. Tikki had come very close to violating the rules of secrecy surrounding the Miraculous Holders in her statement and Marinette had just brushed it aside if it was nothing. Clearly Marinette's worries, her paranoia at being uncovered by her classmates and her love for Adrien had completely blinded her. There was no way to talk the girl out of it. Tikki was going to have to deal with whatever Marinette's eventual plan to sort this out was.
"I have it!" Marinette exclaimed suddenly sitting up and causing Tikki to jump slightly.
"Have what Marinette?" Tikki asked and Marinette did not pick up the concern in her kwami's voice.
"The perfect way to throw suspicion off me." Marinette said and the relief in her voice was evident. Marinette needed this to set her mind at ease after what she had just read. "I am going to create a fake akuma attack with me as the victim and then I will attack the school where everyone is. That will show them that I am not Ladybug. All I have to do is defeat myself as Ladybug where I can't be seen, and I am golden. This will put me in the clear once and for all."
"Marinette that is positively and by far the worst idea you have ever come up with." Tikki said bluntly as she floated to hover in front of Marinette's face. "And trust me I have known the Black Cat Kwami to come up with some equally dumbass ideas that have always backfired on him. I implore you Marinette, as my friend listen to me and don't do this. It could lead to disaster for you. Asinine plans like this always comeback to bite you in ways you could not have thought about. Do not tempt Fate, Marinette, because she will win."
"It's fine Tikki." Marinette said clearly not listening to her kwami as she jumped up and went over to her sowing machine. "I have the perfect akuma to create and a good reason to be akumatized, so long as I can get Chloe to provoke me tomorrow morning. Then I will run away faking rage and sadness at Chloe and change into the costume I am making. Don't worry, this will go off without a hiccup."
"What about Cat Noir?" Tikki asked trying again to get Marinette to see reason, not that Marinette could see reason at the moment. "What happens when he comes to fight you. Without the suit and the enhanced abilities, I give you when we are bonded you are no match for him. Only another Miraculous Holder or an akuma can go toe to toe with you or Cat Noir. If you see him, you might be forced to fight and that is a fight you will lose, badly. Who knows what injuries you might sustain if you decided to take on a superhero with no powers of your own."
"Again, there is no need to worry about that Tikki." Marinette said as she began to look through her fabric collection for what she had in mind. "Cat Noir doesn't go to school with me, the odds of that are astronomical, and as such he won't get there in time. I'll just say when I defeat myself that Ladybug wanted it over with and left before Cat Noir could arrive. Don't worry your little head Tikki. By this time tomorrow no one will suspect that I am Ladybug, and all will be good."
"I see that there is no way that I am going to talk you out of this is there?" Tikki asked with resignation.
"Nope." Marinette said happily as she found the right dark purple fabric she needed. "Now come help me while I create my akuma."
"Fine." Tikki said with a defeated sigh as she hovered over to Marinette's work area to see what Marinette needed. "But I warned you. This will not go down as well as you think it will. One of the many things I have learned in my long years of life is to never challenge Fate cos she does not like it. There will be consequences Marinette, you had better be prepared for them."
Marinette had just begun measuring out the fabric and wasn't listening to her kwami. She was so happy that she had finally figured out a way to throw off the suspicion she knew that her friends had about her and her secret identity as Ladybug that she wasn't paying attention to anything else. In Marinette's mind this plan was foolproof, there would be no negative consequences for her actions. This was going to work, Marinette knew it.
"Please Marinette, you are a terrible designer." Chloe said with a scoff as Marinette was showing off her designs to Alya before class.
"How would you know Chloe, you have no style." Marinette retorted. She had been expecting this kind of outburst from Chloe, but she had to play along for a little bit to ensure that Chloe did something worthy of akumatizing her. Chloe's history of creating akumas was perfect for giving Marinette a plausible reason to be akumatized and as it was Chloe's fault no one would doubt that Marinette had been akumatized.
"My style is the inspiration for all of Paris." Chloe said as she stuck her usual stuck up pose. "Yours on the other hand is so bad it should be illegal. I might even ask daddy if I can make that happen."
"Just cos you can't see fashion, doesn't mean I am bad." Marinette said with a waving off gesture. "Besides I will get Adrien's opinion, I would consider him a better judge of fashion than you."
"Oh Marinette, just cos you are in love with him doesn't mean he would ever praise your style." Chloe said with a pout at Marinette. "Or even model it for you."
Marinette stared open mouthed at Chloe's statement. It was just the hurtful thing that she had been waiting for and if she hadn't have mentally prepared herself for a full-blown Chloe attack she might have actually been akumatized out of anger at Chloe's words because they had hurt. Chloe knew Marinette's weaknesses and fears and the girl had just exploited them. Marinette might actual attack the spoiled brat if she ran into Chloe alone while being a fake akuma, just to teach the bitch a lesson.
Still Marinette was prepared for this and acted her part. She got up, grabbed her design book, and roughly pushed passed Chloe as she ran out of the classroom, making sure that both Chloe and Alya had seen her angry and hurt face. Just as she left Marinette heard Alya say.
"God damn it, you've done it again Chloe, give it 5 minutes and we will have another akuma to deal with."
Marinette smiled as she changed into her created akuma costume in the girl's bathroom. Her plan had worked perfectly. Now she just had to put it in motion and make sure the whole school knew there was an akuma lose here, that would invoke the akuma evacuation protocol.
"Marinette, I beg you please don't do this." Tikki said as she flew up and into Marinette's face in the bathroom. "This will not end the way you think it will."
"Tikki, now who is sounding paranoid." Marinette said with a smile at her kwami. "Don't fret, nothing bad will happen."
"One last time Marinette, please don't do this." Tikki implored, pleading in her little eyes.
"The plan is in motion; the scene is set." Marinette said with a smile at her kwami as she put on the stylized mask she had created for the costume. "It is time to end any suspicion that anyone has that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. It is time for the attack of Fashionette."
"Where's Marinette?" Adrien asked Alya as he sat down and noticed that his friend wasn't present. "I know she misses class from time to time but it's still unlike her to not be here."
"Ask Chloe." Alya said with anger as she glared at the blond girl who was filing her nails at her desk and ignoring everyone around here and pouting as she worked on her appearance. "She insulted Marinette's designs and fashion style and Marinette ran off. She was upset from the look of it."
"Why?" Adrien asked. "Marinette's designs are amazing, she has some serious talent, even dad has said so though he doesn't remember her name just the pigeon feather hat I modeled a while back. Though in future Marinette should avoid pigeon feathers as I am allergic to them."
"Cos it's Chloe and she hates Marinette." Alya said with venom. "So, the best way to get to Marinette is to insult her style and bring you into it. Mark my words, Marinette will be akumatized soon enough."
"Great, I have to go." Adrien said giving his oldest friend an exasperated look at her latest stunt, sometimes Chloe could be so mean and that almost always lead to an akuma attack. It was as if Hawk Moth watched her just for the ready supply of victims. "If you see Marinette before I do, tell her that I in no way agree with Chloe and love her fashion designs."
"Will do." Alya said with a nod. "Marinette would appreciate that. Wait! Where are you going?"
"Bathroom." Adrien said as he ran out of the classroom and to the locker room and the boys' bathroom.
There was no doubt in Adrien's mind that Marinette was going to be akumatized. She was passionate about fashion and Chloe had attacked it in a really mean way. Adrien had fought enough akumas and seen enough akumatized people that he knew what would set one off, especially when Chloe Bourgeois was involved. He was going to hide out in the bathroom and wait for the akuma attack that he knew was coming. Then Adrien was going to change and deal with Marinette quickly before Ladybug arrived so that it could be a quick and easy akuma take down.
About a minute later the attack happened. There was a crackling sound over the PA system followed by a high-pitched, feminine, laughing sound. Adrien groaned as he got ready for the attack, at least he would beat Ladybug to this akuma.
"Students of Francoise Dupont High School, I am Fashionette." The female voice came that sounded a lot like Marinette with the usual hint of akumatized evil to it. "For too long have my designs been belittled by all, especially Chloe Bourgeois. Now I will get my revenge on all of you by ensuring that I ruin your fashion forever. It is time for your alterations!"
"You heard her Plagg." Adrien said as he opened his jacket and Plagg flew out holding a piece of Camembert, an affronted look on his face at being disturbed while eating.
"Why do these akumas always attack during a snack break." Plagg said with a huff as he wolfed down the piece of cheese whole. "They never have any consideration for us kwamis and our stomachs."
"Well you will just have to wait until we are done for more food." Adrien said as he punch his fist out and spoke his transformation command. "Plagg, claws out!"
In seconds Adrien had transformed into Cat Noir. It was time to fight another akuma. As soon as he was transformed Adrien's enhanced hearing could hear a loud series of bangs throughout the school that indicated some form of akuma ability being used.
As soon as the bangs went off there were a few screams but for the most part the school had become so used to being the target for akuma attacks that they had developed an evacuation protocol for them. The students were well drilled and knew how to evacuate in a calm, efficient and orderly fashion. It was a quick process due to all the practice the school got these just needed to wait as the students made their way out of the school.
Soon his hearing detected that the school was empty, it was time to find Marinette. Adrien had no doubt that it was his friend who had been akumatized between the story he had heard about her and Chloe's interaction, the purpose of this latest akuma and her name. It didn't take long for Adrien to find Marinette as she was walking down a corridor looking in empty classrooms apparently for Chloe.
Adrien had to admit, it was one of the more impressive akuma outfits he had seen. Marinette was decked out in a form fitting black and purple outfit that hugged her body the way his own costume hugged his and oddly brought up an image of Ladybug for some reason. The design on the chest was a moth's outline, the indicative signature of Hawk Moth. Her lips were black and on her face was a midnight purple mask that appeared to be a spread out set of wings, a similar style of mask that many akumas had had.
On her waist was a low-slung belt that contained a sowing bag and a large pair of scissors that Marinette was brandishing in her right hand, snipping them repetitively with menacing intent. Adrien realized that the goal was to cut up people's clothes to alter their fashions to ruin them as she had promised and that the scissors likely contained the power granted to her by Hawk Moth. Well he wasn't going to let that happen, he was going to hold her until Ladybug arrived and then they could destroy the akuma and end this attack. Adrien theorized that the akuma must either be in the scissors or her bag as both had ties to fashion.
"Chloe, where are you?" Marinette cooed in a falsely sweet voice laced with malice, a standard sound from Chloe caused akumas, while punctuating her words with snips of the scissors. "I am going to correct your fashion, so people know that you have none. Come on out, it's time to make a few alterations."
"Now that's not very nice." Adrien said with a smirk as he nonchalantly leaned against a wall. "There's no need to get your panties in a twist my dear."
"Cat Noir!" Marinette said with shock in her voice as her eyes going wide with fear at his presence, a sight that was not normal for an akumatized person. Usually they just looked hatefully at him when they first met. "You're here already?"
"Where else would I be?" Adrien said with a grin. "I am a fashionable cat so as soon as I heard that there was a threat to my style I came to play with a little yarn. Now why don't you stop looking for Chloe and face me while we wait for my partner, I am sure that you want my miraculous anyway."
"Oh, I will get your ring and the bug's earrings." Marinette said as she narrowed her eyes at him in typical akuma fashion. "I am Fashionette, the greatest of all akumas. First though, Chloe needs a few alterations to her ghastly clothes don't you think?"
"Unfortunately, as much as I would like to see that, I can't let you do that." Adrien said shaking his head slowly and standing up from the wall. "Now I know there is no talking reason to an akuma so let's dance, Fashionette. By the time I am done with you, you will be needing a few patch jobs."
"Never!" Marinette yelled. "Give me your miraculous!"
Adrien just smirk as he and Marinette ran at each other. It was always fun fighting an akuma though Adrien decided that it would be best to keep out of range of those scissors as they likely had unexpected consequences and a few hidden surprises in them given the slight glow on them. It was time to defeat yet another akuma.
Adrien easily dodged Marinette's clumsy stab with the scissors that felt slow for an akuma and using his staff he slapped her in the forearm. The force of the blow was designed to stun her arm and cause Marinette to drop the scissors and for some reason it worked. Usually akumas were tougher and wouldn't drop a weapon that easily. Marinette gasped in pain and threw a punch at Adrien. Adrien easily back flipped out of the way of the weak attempt. Landing with his feet on the wall of the corridor, Adrien used him momentum to push off the wall and tackle Marinette from a downward angle.
The force of the tackle caused the pair to bounce off the floor and threw a classroom door on the opposite side of the corridor. As soon as they were through it Adrien used the momentum to throw Marinette off him and into the desks on the room, the strength of his augmented suit added to the power. Marinette crashed into the desks and through some of them before slamming into the far wall hard enough to crack it before falling to the ground. She was an akuma, so Adrien was sure that Marinette was ok, he had seen akumas take much worse. That was why he was shocked to hear her groan in pain and grunt out in her normal voice.
"Fuck me that hurt."
Marinette's plan had begun perfectly. She had changed and gone to the principal's office, pleased to see that Damocles was out so she didn't have to fight with the wannabe hero. Marinette had then used the PA system to broadcast her message to the whole school to force the evacuation of it.
After that Marinette had left the office and using her phone she caused several bangs to show she meant business and to ensure that the evacuation was taken seriously. Making sure that the kids could see her as they were leaving the school she stood overlooking the courtyard before she began to scream for Chloe before she made a show of looking for the brat. The looking part was just a ruse so that she could find some conveniently deserted classroom to fake her own defeat at the hands of Ladybug.
The plan had been going as she had anticipated until Cat Noir appeared in the middle of the corridor just as she was about to reach a classroom Marinette expected to be empty and ruined everything. She had not expected him here so soon and it had shocked her. Still she had recovered and engaged him in banter, trying not to groan at his annoying puns. Unfortunately, she knew that with him here he would fight her, so she was going to have to fight. For the first time she actually remembered Tikki's warning and realized that her kwami was right, this was going to shit and fast.
Still there was nothing she could do but engage Cat Noir as that is what akumas were supposed to do whenever one ran into her and/or Cat Noir. That was when the plan had gone from bad to worse. She had fought akumas and knew that they were as enhanced as she and Cat Noir where when in costume and the chances of a regular civilian fighting against a trained hero and winning were nonexistent. Still she had been force to try because of her own decision to fake an akuma attack. Marinette had failed spectacularly.
First, he had disarmed her and caused her entire right arm to go numb from her elbow to her wrist which caused her to drop the scissors. Then he had skillfully dodged her pathetic punch attempt, tackled her into the ground with enough force to bounce painfully off it and through a door and into the classroom she had planned to use to defeat herself. That alone had been painful enough, though fortunately it had been Cat and not her who had hit the door first, but then Cat Noir had used the momentum of the attack to throw her through the desks, in some cases literally, and into the far wall hard enough to crack it and drive the breath from her lungs. Marinette was reasonably sure that nothing was broken but she was going to have several cuts and bruises and possibly a cracked rib or two from this. It would take ages for the injuries to heal and she would have no valid explanation for them.
"Fuck me that hurt." Marinette groaned in her normal voice as soon as she recovered enough breath to speak.
There was no way to deny it anymore, her plan had gone to shit and magnificently backfired in her face, just as Tikki had said it would. At least it couldn't get any worse than this.
Adrien stared shocked at Marinette as she slowly sat up and groaned in pain. The suit she wore was torn in several places, though at least it still kept her modesty, and he could see multiple cuts on her body from the brief fight that were bleeding though none looked too series. That sight alone made no sense.
Akumas were as hardy as he and Ladybug were and were rarely injured, the same for him or Ladybug. Adrien occasionally got a few bruises or cuts, but they usually went when Ladybug set everything right at the end of the battle. The ones that didn't were never that bad, so Adrien could usually ignored them.
However, after fighting around 40 akumas, he had honestly lost count at this point, Adrien knew that their suits were grafted to their skin the same way his and Ladybug's were. Though Adrien suspected that the suits were more a part of the akumas than his and Ladybug's were part of them. That and he had never never seen an akuma bleed, no matter how much damage they took. Therefore, there was only on conclusion to the situation in front of him; Marinette had faked being an akuma.
That revelation led to a whole new question for Adrien: why would Marinette fake an akuma attack? She had faked it convincingly as it wasn't until he had defeated her that Adrien had seen through the deception. She had known what the akumas wanted, what they looked like and how to act like one. Still why would she do that?
Suddenly it all clicked in Adrien's mind. There was only one reason why Marinette, the only girl in his class who had not been akumatized, would fake it, she was hiding something that had to do with the akumas. Alya had recently published a comprehensive list of akumatized villains as a way to normalize the experiences that akumas went through as puppets of Hawk Moth.
Marinette, as Alya's best friend, had almost certainly seen that list and probably panicked when she realized that she wasn't on it and almost everyone else they knew had been. The only reason for someone to panic was that they had something to hide and thought that that secret was being threatened. When it came to akumas there was only one secret that Marinette might have that Adrien thought would have been serious enough for her to go to the lengths of faking an akuma attack. Marinette was Ladybug!
That was the only logical explanation Adrien could come up with as he looked guiltily at his injured friend, injuries he had caused. She must have gotten paranoid from the list and decided that faking an akuma attack would throw any suspicion off her, but the thing is, no one had suspected her. Adrien had always thought that Marinette had never been akumatized because she was such an optimistic person and had been calmed down the only time an akuma had been sent her way which should have been enough to dissuade any suspicions people had as she had almost been akumatized. Ironically her actions in trying to throw off suspicion had led Adrien to concluding that she was Ladybug. Of course, that meant that Marinette was the girl he loved, and Adrien was going to do everything he could right now to help her right now.
Marinette still seemed dazed, Adrien was amazed she wasn't more injured, but he guessed her clumsiness had given her some natural resilience after so many falls or maybe their miraculouses offered them some protection, he didn't know. Adrien needed to talk to her but first he needed to make sure that they were alone.
Picking up the warped door, Adrien was pleased to see that instead of breaking it they had simply blown it off its hinges. Adrien placed it back into the door frame and then piled a few desks up behind it to give them some privacy. Once that was done he turned back to Marinette who was looking a little better as she stared at him, pain and shame in her dazed eyes.
"Why Marinette?" Adrien asked kindly. "Why did you fake the akuma attack?"
"Why Marinette?" Cat Noir asked her kindly. "Why did you fake the akuma attack?"
"I, I felt like people would suspect something that isn't true." Marinette groaned out, she had definitely bruised her rips as it hurt a little to talk or breath. She reached up and painfully pulled the mask she had used, which had shifted in the fight and now covered part of her right eye, off. "I thought people would wrongly assume that I was Ladybug cos I wasn't listen by Alya and I didn't want that attention. So, so I faked the attack and was going to ask Ladybug for help when she arrived to defeat me."
"Marinette, don't bullshit me." Cat Noir said bluntly but not unkindly causing Marinette to wince and not just in pain. "I know the truth. Thanks to your little stunt I know that you are Ladybug."
"I'm not her." Marinette said quickly, too quickly and she had known it.
"M'lady, I know the truth." Cat Noir said gently. "I know that Ladybug would already be here if she wasn't you. The only reason you would have gone to this extent, including the dumb decision you made in trying to fight me, would be because you were afraid that your secret was going to come out. However, no one suspected you and if I recall correctly you were almost akumatized yourself a while back but were saved by Ms. Bustier."
"You can't prove that I am Ladybug." Marinette replied knowing that she was right.
Cat Noir's evidence was at best circumstantial though he had just made a good point, she had almost been akumatized. She should have thought of that before but her paranoia at being found out had gotten the better of her. Perhaps because of that no one had suspected her to begin with and she had been a fool to think otherwise.
"You're right I can't." Cat Noir said with a nod as he took began to walk towards her and drawing her fuzzy attention back to him. "But I know I am right and I can show you who I am as a sign of trust between us. That way you will also know the truth."
"No don't…" Marinette began but it was too late.
"Plagg, claws in."
Adrien knew that Marinette was lying to him. She tried to talk her way out of it, but Adrien wasn't buying it. That was why he had decided to transform back to his civilian form. That way he could show her that he trusted her with his secret and hopefully she would admit her own secret as well. It was a risk but it was one he was happy to take to prove his theory.
"Plagg, claws in." Adrien said as he walked towards Marinette.
Marinette just gaped at Cat Noir as he spoke his transformation phrase. Then her jaw dropped as the transformation fell and standing there was Adrien Agreste, along with a small black kwami that was looking very bored at the scene in front of it. The love of her life, Adrien, was Cat Noir. Not only did it mean that she had actually talked normally to him, but she knew that Cat Noir liked Ladybug so that hopefully meant that Adrien would like her as well. She realized that there was no point in hiding her secret anymore. Her foolproof plan had backfired in the worst way imaginable, Adrien had learned her secret, how many others would figure it out if they learned she had faked the attack as it would be obvious that she was hiding something.
"A-Adrien, y-you are C-Cat Noir?" Marinette asked as Adrien approached and took a seat against the wall next to her.
"I am." Adrien said as he put an arm around her to comfort her. It was something that Marinette had been wanting for a long time and she leaned against him, burying her head into his chest, both of them ignoring the blood and tears she was now getting on his jacket. "And you are Ladybug."
"I am." Marinette admitted as the silent tears began to flow. Adrien hadn't asked her a question, but she still had to confess and confirm his suspicions.
"I'm sorry for what happened." Adrien said with remorse in his voice. "Your costume was so convincing that I thought you were really an akuma. It is amazing work, no matter what Chloe says, you have some serious talent in fashion design."
"Thank you." Marinette said with a smile as a tear traced down her cheek, the tears had slowed fortunately. "And don't blame yourself for what happened Adrien. It wasn't your fault it was mine, the pain I am in was caused by my own foolishness. When I saw that list that Alya had published I got paranoid and feared the worst, I even forgot that I had almost been akumatized myself. I thought that by faking it I could throw off suspicion and be ok but as you saw, that failed miserably. I should have listened to Tikki."
"Damn right you should have Marinette." Tikki said as her kwami flew up and confronted her, her tiny arms folded across her chest and a scowl directed at Marinette on her little face. Tikki had been in her sowing bag during the attack but must have phased out and hidden when Cat Noir and she began to fight. "I told you so did I not. I told you something bad would happen and that your stupid plan would backfire, but did you listen? No, you didn't. You let your paranoia get the better of you and did something unbelievably stupid. Now look at yourself; you are hurt after being forced to fight Cat Noir without any powers of your own and Adrien learned your secret while having to reveal his own to you just to get you to admit it. This could not have gone worse. Only Plagg could have been this stupid but he has an excuse because he is naturally destructive due to him being the Kwami of Destruction so it is expected from him."
"Hey! I resent that sugar cubes." Plagg, Adrien's kwami Marinette realized, said with an indignant huff. "Not all of my plans have been this stupid or worse, only about 53% of them)
"Not now stinky socks, I am chastising my human's stupidity, not yours." Tikki said turning and glaring at the other kwami. "You and I both know that the amount of stupid, destructive and downright asinine shit that you have done in your 5,000 years of existence could fill a whole book. This is not about you for once however, which while surprising is at least good as usually when you are involved anything less than an entire building being destroyed is considered a success."
"Er, Tikki, right?" Adrien asked causing the kwami to turn to him and soften her expression. "I know Marinette wasn't thinking straight with this plan as no one suspected her but surely there is still a way to salvage this so that only I know the truth. I am more than willing to help her out with this ruse as we do need to protect her identity. I do think that there might be a way to help this and heal my lady."
"There might be." Tikki said as Marinette's heart soared at Adrien's words. She knew that he liked her and that she could finally admit her feeling for him but now was not the right time as they had to clean up the colossal mess she had created for them. "If Marinette was to transform, use Lucky Charm and then Miraculous Ladybug right after it should clear this up as the destruction was caused by a Miraculous Holder, heal her though she will still be very sore and may even have a few faint scars from the deeper cuts to remind her of her stupidity, and add an air of authenticity to this event as people will see the creation bugs doing their usual job. The only problem is her clothes are in the locker room."
"I might be able to help with that." Adrien said seeming to catch onto the plan Tikki was coming up with. Marinette was lost but that might be due to a possible head injury from the fight.
"I can use Cataclysm to open a hole in the wall that you and Marinette can slip through and head to the locker room." Adrien continued snapping Marinette back to the conversation. "I will be right behind you but give you two time to get there before me. Then once you are secure in the bathroom get Marinette's clothes and execute your plan. After that I will say that Ladybug and I defeated Fashionette in the bathroom to anyone who has comeback at the sight of those restoring ladybugs Marinette's Lucky Charm creates when she finishes using it that it create. However, I will tell them that bugaboo here was sick and fled right away as she needs to get better. I will only staying long enough to help with the ruse as my miraculous will time out shortly after I use Cataclysm. After I leave, Marinette can come out and confirm everything. The school should still be in lock down and as such it will be easy to get there."
"Yes, that might actually work." Tikki said with a nod. "Though I think Marinette should change here first as I can heal some of her self inflicted injuries when we transform, though not all of them."
"Can I make a suggestion?" Marinette asked.
"No." Tikki said sternly. "You have screwed this up enough. Now you will listen while Adrien and I sort this out. Plagg, you too keep your mouth shut, your suggestions in the past have led to more disasters than successes. Right now we need finesse and misdirection, not a sinkhole in the middle of the school or whatever destructive idea you have in mind."
"Noted." Plagg said and Marinette knew that no one was going to mess with a pissed of Tikki seeing as her kwami rarely got annoyed at anything, though Marinette admitted that she had gone too far this time and deserved the scolding her kwami had given her.
"Good, now let's change." Adrien said. "Plagg, claws out!"
"Tikki, spots on." Marinette said, and she felt the rush of the transformation into Ladybug.
The power of the suit made her feel a little better but not by much so either Tikki was unable to heal her more or was deliberately not to teach Marinette a lesson. Marinette had a gut feeling that it was the latter and if so it was a good lesson as it taught Marinette to always listen to Tikki's advice in future.
"Cataclysm." Adrien yelled as soon as they were standing and then placed his glowing right hand against the far wall causing a large portion of it to disintegrate. Then he rose his voice so that if there were anyone hiding to watch the fight they would hear his next words. "Come on m'lady, Fashionette has run into the locker room, we have her cornered now."
"Lead the way, kitty." Marinette said as they ran through the hole, Marinette ignoring the pain the movement caused her.
Despite the pain, Marinette smiled as they ran. Perhaps they would pull this off after all and the only problems would be that Adrien knew who she was and vice versa and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, despite her plan's incredible stupidity, it seemed to have worked out fine in the end and no one else was suspicious of her secret identity. It could even lead to a relationship with Adrien which was one of the things she wanted most in life. Overall, despite the failures, it looked like nothing had gone terribly wrong.
The circular window of the observatory at the Agreste Mansion opened and a kaleidoscope of white butterflies took to the air as Hawk Moth looked out of his window, a smile gracing his face. He had sensed the negative emotions of Marinette Dupain-Cheng earlier and would have sent an akuma at her, but the emotions faded too soon for him to even imbue his power into one of his butterflies. However, he had heard of the subsequent akuma attack at the school that appeared to have Marinette as the akumatized villain, a villain Hawk Moth knew that he had not created.
"Well, it looks like Ladybug and Cat Noir have saved the day from an akuma once again." Hawk Moth said to the air around him as his grin widened. "And yet it was all a ruse, there was no akuma today at my son's school. Though it appears that I will have to keep a much closer eye on you Marinette Dupain-Cheng … or should I call you by your other name, Ladybug."
I couldn't resist an ominous ending like this for y'all to ponder. This also marks the first time Hawk Moth has ever appeared in this series, though as I seldom create akumas I have had no need to show Hawk Moth until now (to date only one has been created as I needed Lethe for 'Memory' but another is coming in the 25th oneshot). Next week's oneshot will almost certainly be the shortest ever, and I do not expect the next 3 to combine to reach more than 15k words, which seeing as 15k is a liberal estimate for the length of the 25th oneshot means that there a few nice and short oneshots before the next epic is released. There's not much more to mention here other than keep giving me great suggestions (12 prompts in the queue at the moment) and I will keep trying to write great and unique oneshots for y'all. As always keep the suggestions coming and keep letting me know what you think of my work in your reviews. Until next week.
Stringdog