The ending of this chapter is, in my opinion, the best thing I've ever written.
Also, if you enjoy this story, check out my latest one shot (will probably become a collection too, tbh) titled "Deception". If you think it sounds like a play on this story's title, you're right! It's basically "Perception" turned on its head!
Disparity
Ladybug rolled her eyes as she rushed through the horrorstricken crowd of civilians. Of all the things she expected to fight, a clothing based akuma was probably on the bottom of the list.
She jumped over a fallen man, who seemed to have tripped due to his new wardrobe. She couldn't judge him too harshly; stiletto heels weren't for the faint of heart.
Adrien was at a photoshoot, but Ladybug estimated that he'd be released soon since the akuma was quickly approaching his location. Until he escaped, she was on her own.
She rounded a corner in time to catch sight of Hawkmoth's latest villain. She was dressed in a sleek outfit that looked like a fashionable blend of activewear and a stereotypical ninja costume.
She pulled two sewing-needle-shaped throwing knives from hidden pockets near her waist. With incredible precision, she hurled them at two retreating civilians.
Ladybug gasped in horror, but relaxed when she realized that they were relatively unharmed.
The woman and man stared down at their respective outfit changes.
"My clothes! They're so…comfortable!" the woman exclaimed, looking quite bewildered.
The man wobbled on unsteady legs as he tugged at his suddenly formfitting shirt.
"Why doesn't anything fit right?" he exclaimed, trying in vain to put his wallet in the fake pocket of his jeans.
"These aren't even real pockets!" another man shrieked from the other side of the street.
The akumatized woman cackled madly as she watched the men do their best to skitter away in heels and ill-fitting pants.
"Feel our pocketless pain!" the akuma shouted, raising another needle shuriken as she aimed at a retreating man's back.
Ladybug swiftly used her yoyo to knock the needle from the woman's hand.
"Your makeover rampage is over," the spotted superheroine commanded.
The akumatized woman turned to Ladybug with a cocky grin, "I make the rules now, and I say we're just getting started!"
Ladybug was forced to jump away when the villain rushed her. The woman moved with grace and practiced form as she fought against Ladybug, ducking and weaving and even redirecting the hero's attacks.
Her eyes widened as she considered the distinctly ninja-like elements of the woman's outfit. It seemed that the dark attire wasn't only for looks, as her fighting style was very advanced compared to the previous akumas.
The woman pulled out a small metal handbag on a long chain and began to swing it about in a similar fashion to Ladybug's yoyo.
The superheroine squeaked as she parried a strike from the purse kusarigama, and tried to follow up with a surprise attack while the akuma reeled her weapon back in. It seemed she was prepared for such a counterattack, though.
She whipped out a needle shuriken and hurled it at Ladybug, missing her by a few centimeters.
"Since I'm late to the party, are you gonna introduce me to your new friend, Ladybug?" a familiar voice drawled from atop a building.
The red suited hero visibly relaxed at the sound of her partner's voice. The akumatized woman simply smiled at him and twirled her purse weapon lazily.
"We're not friends, so I'll introduce myself. I am Lady Disparity, and I'll make sure everyone understands the inconvenience of women's fashion. Uncomfortable clothes and tiny pockets will become a thing of the past," the akuma declared with a defiant jerk of her head.
Ladybug blinked and turned to her partner as he landed beside her.
"Is it bad that I kind of agree with her a little bit?" Ladybug asked, a sheepish smile on her face.
Chat Noir raised an eyebrow and looked around, "Well. It doesn't look like she's really causing that much damage-"
A needle shuriken sailed through the air and struck Chat Noir square in the chest. In a puff of smoke, his outfit was transformed.
He glanced down with a disbelieving frown, "I look exactly the same. Except my shoes are super uncomfortable."
Ladybug snickered, "Your pockets are gone. And your shoes are uncomfortable because they're platform heels."
The cat themed superhero got a closer look at his footwear and groaned, "Not again!"
Lady Disparity cackled as she whirled her purse around, winding up to strike once again. Ladybug glanced over at her partner, who seemed to be rather balanced despite his high-heeled shoes.
Surely, they could pull it off regardless of Chat Noir's footwear.
As usual, Lucky Charm turned the tide of the battle in their favor. Chat Noir, though a bit clumsier due to Lady Disparity's makeover, fought with almost no noticeable difference in effectiveness.
When Ladybug released the butterfly, she turned to her partner with a proud grin.
"Great job, Chat. I don't know if I could fight that well in heels!" she complimented him, sincerity obvious in her expression.
He smirked and invaded her personal space, "Do I get a victory kiss?"
She laughed and ruffled his hair, "Not in front of the cameras, silly."
The cat themed superhero pouted a bit, but let it drop easily enough when the previously akumatized woman scrambled to her feet.
"W-What happened?" she asked, scrambling to her feet and clutching her newly repaired purse in her hands.
"You were akumatized, but don't worry! Everything's back to the way it was before," Ladybug assured her, placing a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.
The lady frowned at her bag, "I thought if I was going to get akumatized, it would at least be for something…reasonable."
Chat Noir frowned and settled a clawed hand on the woman's shoulder, "People get akumatized for all kinds of reasons. You didn't do anything wrong."
She laughed humorlessly, "I'm a martial arts specialist, so I almost never carry a purse, but my new Gabriel slacks didn't have pockets. The last thing I remember is spilling coffee all over the bag and ruining my phone. It's a ridiculous reason to be akumatized!"
Ladybug shook her head, "No way! You're not alone in feeling like women's clothes aren't practical enough."
Her eyes narrowed calculatingly, and she drummed her fingers against her arm as she thought. Chat Noir's eyes widened as he saw the stubborn set of her jaw.
That look could only mean that someone was going to be in trouble.
"In fact, I'm going to do something about it!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips.
The woman's expression brightened remarkably.
"Really?" she asked, a wide grin stretching across her face.
"Really," Ladybug assured her.
The spotted superheroine turned to her partner with an indomitable fire in her eyes that turned his brain into mush. Ladybug spun around and unhooked her yoyo from her hip.
"Let's go! I've got a mission to accomplish," she called over her shoulder. Ladybug took a graceful leap onto the nearest roof and swung off in the direction of the bakery.
Chat Noir sighed dreamily as he watched her go.
"You two are so cute," the newly cleansed woman cooed.
The blond boy brightened and gave her a quick salute, "Thanks. Hope your day gets better!"
With that, he vaulted onto the roof and took off in the same direction as Ladybug.
… -break- …
Adrien's heart pounded in his chest as he trailed behind Marinette, who was marching up the stark white stairs of Agreste Mansion with a very Ladybug ferocity blazing behind her eyes.
On a normal day, he would probably swoon. But then again, on a normal day, Marinette wasn't on her way to confront his father and criticize his designs.
Natalie spotted the two teenagers moving toward the intimidating doors of Gabriel Agreste's office, and rushed over in an effort to head them off. Adrien knew it was a futile endeavor. When Marinette set her mind to something, she was like a wrecking ball: unstoppable and destructive.
Nathalie hurried behind Marinette, heels clicking against the marble floor as she struggled to keep up, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Agreste is busy designing right now-"
"Perfect," the pigtailed girl interrupted, just before slamming the large, heavy doors open in an impressive feat of strength.
Gabriel flinched at the sudden noise, and turned an absolutely icy glare on the intruders. The temperature of the room dropped a few degrees.
Natalie glowered at Adrien, who gave her a wry smile before rushing into the office after Marinette.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, practically oozing displeasure at having been interrupted in the middle of his creative process.
"I have some complaints," Marinette announced, squaring her shoulders against his frigid scowl. Adrien paled and took a tiny step to the left, as if Marinette could shield him from the brunt of his father's wrath.
"And who are you?" Gabriel drawled, inspecting her over the rim of his glasses. His question and demeanor were intended to make her feel insignificant, but she was largely unaffected.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, winner of your hat competition last year and aspiring designer," she announced bravely.
The man raised an eyebrow and steepled his fingers, "And you barged into my office to demand that I hire you because winning my competition gave you illusions of grandeur. You are sorely mistaken if you believe that this behavior will-"
"Forgive my interruption, but that's not why I'm here. If I wanted a job with your company, I'd apply just like everyone else," Marinette explained in a firm voice.
Gabriel Agreste paused for a few seconds, shifting almost imperceptibly in his seat. "Then what are you doing here, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"
She stepped forward, radiating confidence with every fiber of her being. "Your company is known for producing quality garments. Every fabric used for Gabriel clothing is top of the line, and every piece is meticulously true to size. The problem is, your designs are lacking in something I think is very important."
Gabriel's face twitched infinitesimally, and Adrien's back reflexively went ramrod straight in response.
"And what would that be?" he inquired, voice carefully controlled.
"Practicality," Marinette answered with an assertive bob of her head.
"Are you saying my clothes aren't practical, Miss Dupain-Cheng?" Gabriel queried in a cautionary tone.
"Your women's garments don't have pockets. I'd call that impractical," Marinette replied matter-of-factly.
Mr. Agreste furrowed his brow, "Women's clothing must be streamlined in order to properly accentuate the feminine physique. If you truly are an aspiring designer, that's something you should know already. Bulky folds of fabric take away from the flow of the garment. Besides, women carry handbags. There is no need for pockets."
Marinette shook her head, "Carrying a purse should be an aesthetic choice, not a necessity. The concern of adding bulk to a piece is no excuse! There are plenty of ways to integrate pockets into a design while maintaining the structure of the garment."
The man tilted his head to the side as he regarded the dark-haired girl before him. There was a distinctly calculating look in his eye, and Marinette held her ground under his intimidating stare.
"What methods would you suggest, then?" he asked, folding his hands atop his desk.
The girl's confrontational visage melted away into a warm smile as she unzipped her pocketbook and pulled out a small sketchpad. The change in her demeanor was so pronounced that Nathalie's jaw dropped in surprise.
Marinette practically bounced over to the desk, flipped the book open to the first page, and laid it down on the desk before Mr. Agreste.
"I hope you don't mind, but I drew a few things from your Fall collection to demonstrate how I'd go about altering them to add pockets. This first dress would maintain its structural integrity if the pockets sewn into the seam right there," Marinette explained, pointing to the sketch on the paper to emphasize her words as she spoke.
Gabriel remained silent as he flipped through the sketchbook, taking time to study every sketch before moving on to the next.
"I'll take your suggestions into consideration," he allowed, closing the book and meeting her eyes.
"I sure hope so. It would be so nice to purchase a Gabriel dress that I wouldn't have to alter," Marinette remarked, throwing the famous fashion designer a pointed grin.
The faintest of smiles pulled at the corners of Gabriel's lips, and he glanced back down at the sketchbook.
"Before you leave, I'll have Nathalie make copies of your sketches for my reference," he replied. Something warm danced behind his eyes, threatening to thaw the ice that resided there. Adrien blinked, almost convinced that it was a trick of the light.
Marinette gave a cheerful shake of her head, "No need! Consider it a gift."
Gabriel nodded thoughtfully, "Thank you, Miss Dupain-Cheng."
The dark haired girl turned on her heel, gave Adrien a saucy wink, and sauntered out of the room like she hadn't practically kicked down the door to get in.
Nathalie eyed her distrustfully as she left, and only returned her attention to her boss when the girl exited the front door.
Gabriel cleared his throat, and every eye in the room settled on him.
"Adrien."
The blond boy fought off a flinch at hearing his name.
"Yes, Father?" he replied easily enough.
"The world could use more people like Miss Dupain-Cheng. She is a driven and self-sufficient young lady. From the looks of this sketchbook, she has a bright future ahead of her in the fashion industry," Mr. Agreste mused, flipping through Marinette's sketchbook once again.
Adrien tried to maintain a poker face, but he could feel the lovesick smile fighting its way to the surface.
"She's amazing," he agreed, grateful that his father was still looking at the sketches instead of at him.
"Tenacious, too. …She reminded me a bit of your mother," Mr. Agreste admitted, finally meeting Adrien's eyes.
The blond boy grinned, "Yeah. Mom was pretty stubborn too."
Silence fell over the room, and Adrien knew that the moment was too perfect to pass up.
"Speaking of Marinette, she's actually my girlfriend," Adrien blurted, wincing at his botched delivery.
Gabriel's head shot up, "Excuse me?"
Adrien flushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Marinette. We're in a pretty serious relationship?"
The man frowned, though not in a displeased way.
"Son, I approve of your interest in such a dedicated and self-reliant woman…but she's much too old for you."
Adrien blinked in confusion, "How old do you think Marinette is?"
Gabriel straightened his tie and sat back in his chair with the confidence of a king, "She's obviously sixteen."
The blond boy narrowed his eyes at the man, "How old do you think I am?"
The fashion designer frowned at his son, "I am getting the impression that I was mistaken in assuming that you were twelve."
Nathalie brought the palm of her hand to her forehead with a resounding smack, which thankfully concealed the loud snort that emanated from Adrien's shirt pocket.
The blond boy's eye twitched just once. "I'm going to my room," he deadpanned.
After Adrien was gone, Nathalie shot her boss a scathing look.
"He's sixteen, sir! We talked about this!" she chided, practically shaking with frustration. A muffled bout of deep laughter emanated from the hallway, signifying that the Gorilla had overheard everything.
Gabriel's stony expression finally cracked, giving way to subdued snickering. He dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief, and sighed in the midst of his chuckles.
"That never gets old, Nathalie. Did you see the look on his face?" Gabriel chortled, patting himself on the back for a job well done.
The severe woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her forefingers.
The Agreste family's sense of humor was going to be the death of her.