Nathaniel, at first, didn't mind that he and Marc didn't have any classes together when they started dating. They could always see each other during lunch and after school during art club, but it wasn't just that he missed him. It was because he couldn't keep an eye on Marc.
As many people know, Marc loves to wear makeup and he looks amazing in it. Most people don't have a problem with it, even the teachers supported him and would give the noirette compliments. Then there's the gender-neutral clothing he wears, and again, most of the students like what he wears so Marc felt comfortable dressing the way he wants at school. But, there's always just that one small group of people that tries to give him hell.
Austin Armbruster, Austin Boulet, Austin Quinlan, and Austin Tomassian. The Austins. They're like a group of all-male Chloés and are notorious for bullying other students based on looks, social status, and of course, sexuality. Their hobbies include preying on the weak, cyberbullying whoever they please, stealing and putting things back with dents and scratches, and replacing soap with glue. The guys haven't used the locker room showers in a while because of that.
The students, (Even Chloé) have gone to Damocles about them, but unfortunately, there's no evidence and he doesn't wanna pull another "Marinette's expulsion" again. It's their whole thing: Bully someone, there's no evidence leading back to them, and they come out as saints. Plus, they all come from some of the most influential people in Europe who make the mayor look like he's middle class. If Damocles reprimands or even expels them, he thinks their parents will stop funding the school. Nathaniel couldn't tell if he should feel sorry for or embarrassed by this poor excuse for a principal.
Right now, the four of them had a new target to harass and not get in trouble for. Marc. Why are they going after him specifically you may ask? Well, for the first time in a while, Marc wore a dress to school.
It was morning at Francoise Dupont, and it's been a month since Marc and Nathaniel were fused into the Akuma, Reverstrator all because of one Lila "Lie-La" Rossi. Because of her, the two boys thought the other cheated on them, causing their Akumatization into the fusion of their previous Akuma forms, Reverser, and Evillustrator. They eventually made up and found out that Lila made it seem like they were cheating on each other, so they went on a rampage through the city to find and possibly kill her.
When they found her, she was with Alya, her supposed best friend. Well, would a decent human being use their best friend as a human shield against a buzzsaw in front of a bunch of people? That's just one of the ways Lila got exposed. Aurore caught her on film rooting for the Akuma against Ladybug. So, that was the end of Lila, and everything went back to normal. The Art Club and their classmates reconciled, and Lila was brought to justice
And things have been going well for the comic book duo/couple, Marc and Nathaniel. Their Akumaization not only helped to strengthen their relationship, but also inspired a new issue for their comic where Mightillustrator and Inverser were fused together by an Akuma, and their fans fell in love with it. Fans described it as the 'Catradora kiss and Garnet's wedding of Paris.'
Nathaniel was walking down the hall while drawing in his sketchbook even though his friends have repeatedly told him not to because he could trip and get hurt that way but. he won't listen. Not even when Marc tells him to stop doing it. Alix was by his side, keeping him from bumping into and tripping over stuff when suddenly, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and couldn't seem to look away.
Confused, Alix waved her hand in front of her friend's dazed face. "Nath… Nath! Hello?" She snaps her fingers. "Earth to Nathaniel? Am I speaking French? What's up with you?"
"Quit it," Nathaniel said as he moved his friend's hand out of his face since it was ruining his view of his gorgeous boyfriend. "God, I can't remember the last time he wore a dress like that."
Alix leaned a little over the railing to get a better look at the pastel-green dress Marc had paired with a pair of black leggings, a denim crop jacket, and his ankle-length combat boots. The Drama kids will probably go on about how he looks like Christine Canigula. "Yeah, he does look nice… So are you gonna go down there and say something or be weird and just stare at him?"
Nathaniel smiled, "The latter."
Before Alix could come up with another one of her award-winning comebacks, she narrowed her eyes. "I really think you should go down there. The Austins have their eyes set on him." Seeing the panic in her friend's eyes, she points over to one of the benches where the color-coded group seems to be surveying the area, looking for their next victim. And they found him.
"Fuck," Nathaniel muttered as he hurriedly made his way down the stairs, often bumping into a few students, and was soon at his boyfriend's side, panting a little bit. "Hey…" pant. "Rainbow."
Marc looked at the redhead with concern. "Nath, why does it look like you ran a marathon?"
Nathaniel looked past Marc so he could see the four terrors. If they think they're going to mess with his boyfriend, then they have another thing coming. He locked eyes with Marc again and pulled him in for a loving kiss. "I just couldn't wait to see you, Rainbow."
Marc blushed as he messed with the hem of his sleeve. "Or was it because I'm finally wearing dresses to school again?"
"Can't it be both?" Nathaniel asked with a smirk as he got a look at Marc's outfit. Marinette obviously made the jacket because she sewed her signature flowers on the collar in pink thread. That girl truly is amazing. "So, why the sudden outfit change? Not that I'm not thrilled."
Marc tensed a bit at the question. "Well, last time I wore a dress, it didn't turn out well, but everyone's been nice so far about what I wear. So, I didn't think anyone would care-"
"What happened?" Nathaniel interrupted, concerned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We-we weren't dating at the time when I wore dresses regularly, so I didn't think it mattered," Marc explained as he subtly glanced over at the Austins, but Nathaniel noticed. "And, I mean… If we were, I wouldn't wanna bring you into it- I-It's just that I don't want you getting targeted just because of what I wear, and it's kinda-"
Nathaniel cut off his rambling with a kiss on the cheek. "Rainbow, you can always come to me for anything. And don't worry about anyone targeting me. And my self-esteem is bulletproof; I've been going to school with Chloé since we were six." At that, Marc laughed. "We don't have any classes together, so I really want you to tell me if anyone is doing anything to you. Please?"
"I will," Marc smiled.
Happy with his answer, Nathaniel pulled him in for a hug, which Marc happily returned. Still wrapped in his arms, Nathaniel could see the Austins, whispering to each other while often stealing glances at him and Marc. Nathaniel just glared. If they try to do anything to Marc, an Akuma will be the least of their worries.
"Nath, stop glaring at them," Marc gently chastised.
'How does he always know?!'
Nathaniel was once again resisting the urge to fall asleep in Mendelieve's boring science class. The only thing that was able to keep him awake was when he thought about what Marc told him this morning- About how he was scared out of wearing dresses to school before they started dating. Now it looks like that may happen again if the Austins do what he thinks they're going to do. He doesn't know what exactly, but he knows it'll involve hurting Marc in some way.
If they were in the same class, Nathaniel could keep a better eye on Marc and make sure he's safe from people like the Austins. Call him overprotective all you want, but he will gladly deck anyone who even thinks of hurting Marc for a second... Well, he wouldn't actually beat anyone up since his arms are pretty much just nothing but bones. He'd most likely just punch someone in the face and run as fast as he can. It works whenever there's a mind-control Akuma. During the Zombizou incident, he just kept punching students in the face until he made it to a storage closet where he hid with Marc, Aurore, and Mireille the whole time until Ladybug cast her cure. He luckily managed not to be kissed since he was getting so close to the zombies' lips.
He did the same during Heroes Day and was terrified when he couldn't find Marc anywhere, thinking he might have been turned into Reverser. He was so relieved and nervous to find out that he had joined the other Parisians in fighting off the scarlet Akumas. When it was all over, he tackled Marc into a hug and made a promise to never get separated from him in a situation like that ever again.
Finally, much to his relief, the bell rang, signaling that it was time for the students to head to lunch. Nathaniel gathered his stuff as Mendelieve explained the homework for tonight, but he wasn't really listening. He was thinking about Marc and only picked up the words, assignment... 45... Thursday. So he has to take his science textbook home and do some assignments on page forty-five. After everything was packed, he darted out of the room with Alix right behind him.
"What's the rush, Nath?" Alix asked as she caught up with the redhead. "You know as well as I do that the school lunches aren't that great. I am still traumatized by meatloaf Monday!"
"I just wanna make sure Marc is okay." Off the pinkette's shit-eating grin, he rolled his eyes. "Cut it out."
She gave a shrug of her shoulder and a bewildered look. "What? I'm thinking of something else that has nothing to do with yours' and Marc's relationship. But, ever so curious, I must ask: What's wrong with Marc, and will you be making out with him until he feels better while Marinette and I snicker in the background?"
"Like the gremlin you are?" He added with a smirk.
Alix wrapped an arm around Nathaniel and pulled him in for a side hug. "You know me so well, Nathan. But seriously, what's wrong with Marc? Need me to beat someone up?"
Nathaniel pressed his lips in thought. Alix could easily beat up the Austins since they never really got physical with anyone. All they ever did was spread rumors, steal, cheat, and torture people emotionally until they cried. How the teachers haven't caught them yet, he'll never know. "I'll let you know. And Marc's still just a little nervous about wearing dresses for the first time in a while. Last time he did, before we started dating, something happened, but he wouldn't tell me-"
"Probably the Austins," Alix cut him off with a scowl. "Did they do anything to Marc today?"
"Not yet, but I'm sure they're gonna do something the second my back is turned." He looked over the railing and saw the Austins in their little cluster, making their way out of their classroom and towards what looked like the locker room. "Until they find a new target, or hopefully get expelled, I'm not letting Marc out of my sight."
"I'm rooting for you bud," Alix commended as she patted him on the back. "But you know they won't stop until they've got Marc right where they want him, and I hate reminding you of this, but you and Marc don't have any of the same classes. They could strike the second Marc heads to his locker or the bathroom."
Nathaniel stopped in the middle of the hallway, sighing when he realized that Alix was right. The Austins never just give up on their current victim. They wear them down until it's no fun anymore and then move onto the next person. Or often that same person because they had so much fun tormenting them before. A thought came to him as he remembered back to his conversation this morning. He glanced over at the Austins while he was talking about how he used to wear dresses... Did they hurt him before? That just made him even more pissed!
"... Alix, if you wanna beat those guys up, get in line," Nathaniel muttered. "I get first punch."
Alix chuckled, "Nath, I love you like the slightly cooler brother I never had, but..." She wraps her hand around his bicep and gives it a squeeze. "You're all bones there. Now your legs, on the other hand, those can knock someone out!" Nathaniel's heard Alix say and ask a lot of crazy stuff before. "You ever try to squeeze a melon with those?" But that had to be the weirdest.
"... No?"
"Alright, I know what we're all doing over the weekend," Alix said as she fished her phone out of her pocket and starting texting someone.
Nathaniel arched an eyebrow. "Wh-who are you texting?"
"Mari," she answered. "I heard her parents are making watermelon macarons, so I'm gonna see if she can save one for us to crush with your legs."
Confused, Nathaniel felt his legs and gave them a squeeze. They did feel a lot more muscular than his arms. Probably developed from running away from Akumas every week. "I don't think I'm capable of that, Alix."
The skater rolled her eyes. "We're just gonna see if you can do it! We'll get it on video and show it to the Austins. Let 'em know to back away from Marc or the next melon is gonna be their heads! It's genius!" Her phone buzzed and she checks Marinette's reply. "She said can save us one."
Nathaniel let out a sigh. Marinette was supposed to be one of the normal, grounded members of their mainly chaotic group. "Alright, I guess that's my weekend planned out."
"That's the spirit!" Alix cheered, giving Nathaniel a playful punch in the shoulder. "Now let's get to lunch so you can see your boy and gawk at his legs."
"Alix!" She just cackled as they continued their way to the cafeteria, not knowing what was happening right below them.
Marc had been getting his lunch out of his locker when the air suddenly felt tense and a shiver ran down his spine.
"Well, look boys." Marc mentally groaned at the sound of the haughty voice. "It seems Anciel forget the little lesson we taught him not too long ago." It was Austin A.
"Not today, you guys."
Austin B just smirked in a Chloé-esque fashion. He had her evil look and signature color on. They could probably be secret cousins. "Of course, of course," he said sarcastically. "We can always come back tomorrow and fuck you up twice as hard. Deal."
"It's so cute you think you have a choice," Tomassian scoffed.
Marc sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. Austin Quinlan was standing in front of the door, making sure no one could get in or out, Armbruster and Boulet had him cornered, and Tomassian was holding a pair of scissors in his hand. This isn't terrifying at all.
Austin A chuckled. "Man, I thought we made it clear." He leans in close to Marc's face. The unholy amount of gel in his blonde coiffed hair is making him sick. The same goes for the bright pink shirt he's wearing under his grey blazer. He's getting on Marc for dressing feminine while he and the other Austins are parading around as metrosexuals. "Now, don't get me wrong, even I can appreciate a little foundation now and then, but this?" He grabs the hem of Marc's dress. "This is just sick," he spat before snatching the scissors and cutting off the piece of fabric he's clutching.
Marc didn't even react. They did this all the time back when wearing dresses and skirts was a regular thing for him. He was crushed at first but now is pretty much desensitized at this point, so he just let Austin A do whatever he wanted to the skirt of his dress, leaving him with only the bodice. He was so relieved that he had on leggings. The last thing he needs is for them to see his pink briefs.
"Better," Armbruster sneered as he looked at his work.
Marc tugged down on the hem of his bodice to cover his slightly exposed midriff. He was about to walk away and silently sulk, but he was abruptly pushed back against his locker and Armbruster had both his hands on either side, trapping him. "Now, you can go cry to that shrimp boyfriend of yours' all you want, but then we'll be forced to make Emo Tumblr's life a living hell."
"His name is Nathaniel," he spat.
"Does it look like we give a shit?" Quinlan shot back as he picked some lint off from the black fur lining of his blue jacket.
Armbruster let out a dark chuckle and whispered into Marc's ear. "Pull this shit again, and we'll make things just a little more difficult for you and... Maybe Emo Tumblr while we're at it?" When Marc didn't answer, he just leaned away. "See you tomorrow, Anciel."
With a snap of his fingers, Quinlan opened the door, and the Austins made their way out, leaving Marc alone. He gathered up the cut-up remains of his dress and tossed them in the trash bin before making his way back to his locker and looking through it where he found his emergency tie-dye hoodie. A while back, he was chewing on a pen as he thought about what to write. It eventually gave away and the ink exploded all over his shirt, so now, Marc keeps spare shirts and hoodies in his lockers.
'You shouldn't have worn that stupid dress,' Marc bitterly thought to himself as he slipped off his jacket and put the hoodie on. 'You knew they'd do something, just like last time. God, what's Nath gonna say when he finds out? He's gonna be so upset.' He slid down against the row of lockers and sat on the floor, head tucked into his knees.
Maybe he can just stay in the locker room for the rest of the day or fake being sick so Nathaniel doesn't see him. It's not that Marc doesn't want help from him, it's just that Nathaniel already has to deal with Chloé, he doesn't need the Austins giving him grief too just for dating him. Besides, this isn't the first time he's been harassed for how he dresses, he can handle it. They all eventually get bored and walk away. Before Marc could get out his phone and text one of his moms to pick him up, the door creaked as someone walked in.
"Marc?"
~Just a little earlier~
Nathaniel's eyes darted all around the cafeteria, but he couldn't find Marc anywhere. Not even Aurore, Mireille, or Jean knew where he was. He was becoming worried. With the Austins prowling the hallways for a new victim, he needed to stay close to Marc.
"I'm sure he's fine," Marinette reassured Nathaniel as she ate her lunch. "The Austins usually go after people who don't have as many friends. Marc has two classes backing him up, so-"
"But what about when none of us are around? What if they-"
"Nathaniel," Alya cut him off as she held up a finger. "Chill. Look, I don't know much about the Austins, but if they're anything like Lila." She said the Italian's name with such malice in her voice.
Ever since the incident with Reverstrator, how Lila sacrificed Alya's life to save her own, caused Marc and Nathaniel's Akumatization into Reverstrator, and called the boyfriends horrible slurs, the students' hatred for her increased every time they even thought about her. At least one good thing came out of it. The Art Club and the other students started hanging out again more ever since she first came to Dupont.
"I'm sure they'll be put in their place and then expelled," Alya continued with a proud look. "Or, I don't know... One of them will be killed." The students around the table gave her horrified looks. "What? They're basically the male Heathers; one of them will probably get killed and it'll look like a suicide. I'm just saying."
Kim tapped his chin in thought. "Yeah, that sounds about right. The thing about them being like male Heathers, not the- The killing thing."
"And Alya," Myléne piped up. "You don't know the Austins like we do. They're worse than Chloé and Lila combined!"
Alix nodded, taking a sip of her soda. "Yeah, they've been getting away with shit since we were like twleve, and they come out looking like perfect angels while everyone else suffers. Face it, Alya, they're untouchable."
"All the more reason for me to go look for Marc," Nathaniel said as he stood from his seat, only to be stopped by Nino as he pulled him back down by his arm.
"Dude, I'm sure he'll be fine. There's no need to hover over him so much."
Nathaniel scoffed, "I don't 'hover'. Nino, if Alya were a possible target for the Austins, wouldn't you wanna stay with her at all times?"
Nino thought about it for a few seconds until Alya gently elbowed him in the side. "I choose not to answer." Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "... But yes."
"Guys, let him go," said Juleka, much to Nathaniel's joy. "Besides, we all know he's lost without Marc." And his joy his gone. "I'm serious, he'd be in the hospital if Marc hadn't convinced him to stop drawing while walking down the stairs... I mean, he still does it, but... Yeah."
Ivan sighed, "Nath, you have gotta stop doing that; are you trying to give us all heart attacks?"
"Not deliberately," Nathaniel shrugged. Once again, someone stopped him from leaving.
"Before you go, what's this I hear about you crushing a watermelon with your legs?" Alya wondered. "Cuz I saw what Alix was texting Mari, and I wanna hear a little about this." To show she was intrigued, she rested her chin in her hands and leaned on close.
Before Nathaniel could explain, Alix beat him to it. "This weekend, we're gonna see if Nathaniel can crush a watermelon between his legs!"
"Five euros says he can!" Kim yelled out, earning weird looks. "Do you all not see his legs? Better yet, ten euros."
Rose checks out Nathaniel's legs, making him blush. "Yeah... Ten bucks say he can."
As his classmates were making their bets of whether or not Nathaniel could crush a melon between his legs, he made his way to the exit. And just as Nathaniel opened the door, the Austins sauntered in, looking proud of themselves as always.
"Thanks, Emo Tumblr," Quinlan snarked.
Nathaniel clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, trying very hard to resist the urge to punch their snobby faces. It was starting to work until Boulet opened his mouth and said:
"Oh, where's your boyfriend?" He pretended to look concerned, but it just came off as annoying and made his face punchable. "I hope nothing happens to him."
Nathaniel fought back a growl from the back of his throat. They weren't important right now, he had to go check on Marc, knowing they did something to him...
'Oh shit.'
He darted out of the cafeteria and ran as fast as his legs could take him. If the Austins hurt Marc in any way, then he'd be a perfect victim for Hawkmoth.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit," Nathaniel muttered under his breath as he searched all around the school for Marc, who was no doubt being persuaded being manipulated by Hawkmoth to do his bidding right now. He wasn't in the art room, under the stairs, or the library. Suddenly, he remembered something. Earlier, he and Alix saw the Austins walking towards the locker room, so that's where he ran to.
Nathaniel's heart nearly broke at the sight of Marc tucking his face into his knees. "... Marc?"
He lifted his head up so Nathaniel could see how glassy his eyes were, like he was about to cry. Immediately, Nathaniel rushed over to console his boyfriend and pulled him into a hug while darting his eyes around the room to keep a lookout for Akumas.
"What'd they do to you, Rainbow?" He asked.
"I-it's fine-"
"Marc, please." So wrapped up in wanting to comfort him, Nathaniel almost didn't notice what he was wearing. "... Rainbow, what happened to your dress?"
It took a minute for Marc to answer, or rather, show Nathaniel what happened. He lifted up the hem of his hoodie and showed Nathaniel the remains of his dress.
Nathaniel sighed. "Rainbow, I'm so sorry I wasn't there to-"
"Nath, it's not your fault. I-I should've expected this, and- Just please. Don't worry, I don't want you getting hurt too-"
"Marc, I don't care!" Nathaniel exclaimed as he cupped Marc's face in his hands. "I don't fucking care, and I'm letting this happen again. Until this thing with the Austins blows over I really need you to stay close to me when they're around. I- I just... What if they did something worse?"
"Nath-"
"Please don't fight me on this," Nathaniel begged, eyes brimming with tears. "I don't want to see you get hurt."
"But Nath-"
"What is it?"
Marc pointed behind him, prompting Nathaniel to turn his head so he could see the Austins standing right by the door. Nathaniel was so distracted that he didn't even hear them walk in. Feeling nothing but rage, he stood and stormed over to the quartet. "What the fuck is wrong with all of you?!"
Boulet faked a wince and tapped his ear a bit. "Wanna screech that a little louder? I don't think you destroyed our eardrums. We were just coming back here because we forgot our lunches, but then we walk in on... This." He gestures around the room.
"Fuck off!" Nathaniel shoved Boulet back, making him stumble a bit and fall into Tomassian's arms. "Quit being assholes, and leave him alone! Better yet! Leave everyone alone! We're already dealing with Chloé, we don't need any of you ruining our already fucked up lives!"
The Austins didn't say anything, just stared at the slightly shorter boy in astonishment. It was Armbruster who made the first move. "And..." He slams his hand down on Nathaniel's shoulder, making him flinch. "How exactly do you little serfs plan to stop us? Our parents fund the school handsomely so the principal is eating out of our hands, we're at the top of our classes so the teachers, sans a few," he added. "Trust us and believe we can do no wrong. See? Lila was sloppy and delusional. We hold the power and always will. So lemme ask you again, shrimp... How do you plan to stop us?
Nathaniel didn't have an answer and just bit his lip as he struggled to come up with one. Not even Chloé could get her dad to stop these demons. Their parents had political connections all over Europe and probably had dirt on the Bourgeois family.
Armbruster scoffed. "Thought so. Guys?" He shoved Nathaniel over in Quinlan and Boulet's directions. "Get him out of here so we can have a little more fun." He sneered in the direction of Marc, who had backed himself into a corner.
They followed the orders of the male HBIC and pushed Nathaniel out of the locker room, making him lose his balance and fall to the floor. When he got back up, the door closed shut and there was a click.
"Hey!" He hit his fists against the door. "Leave him alone!" He looked through the window and saw the Austins cornering Marc. Quinlan was pulling on his hair while Tomassian and Boulet held his arms to restrain him. Nathaniel saw only red when Armbruster landed a punch to Marc's cheek. "DAMNIT!" He hit and kicked against the door for about a minute until he felt something crack in his right hand. Tears now pouring out, he grasped his hand tightly and rested his forehead against the door. "... Marc. I'm so sorry."
"How noble. A poor boy who just wants to protect his love and keep him safe from all harm that comes his way, only to be overpowered."
Hawkmoth beckoned for the pure white butterfly to land in the palm of his hand. He covered it with his other hand, infusing the poor insect with dark magic, turning it into an Akuma that fluttered out of the window.
"Fly away my beautiful Akuma! Evilize and strengthen that boy!"
The Akuma fluttered all around the city until it arrived at DuPont, the Akuma hotspot. It followed the source of the negative emotions until it found Nathaniel, clutching his slightly broken hand as he stood outside the locker room. The Akuma looked for something to fuse with until it found the perfect thing. Hidden under the rolled-up cuff of Nathaniel's blazer was a colorful beaded bracelet on his right wrist.
It dived down and flew into the bracelet, turning it black. Nathaniel lifted his head up, revealing the glowing purple butterfly symbol over his face.
"Pocketer, I am Hawkmoth. It truly is a shame that you can't always be there to protect your beloved. But with my help, you can. He'll always be by your side, in the palm of your hand, in your sight at all times. All you must do is bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!"
Could Nathaniel really afford to get Akumatized for the third time?... Well, it's either that or continue to let the Austins walk all over everyone. It's time they were taught a lesson. And he loved the idea of always keeping Marc close to him, doting over him. "... I'll keep him safe. He'll stay by my side forever." At that, the black and purple magic bubbled up from his bracelet and engulfed his body.
Marc rested a hand against his throbbing cheek as the Austins laughed at his pain. It wasn't as bad as last time; he was thankful for that. Last time, they would stuff him into lockers for almost an entire day until one of the other students found him, break all of the makeup products he carried on him, and often try to shove him down the stairs, but Marc was always able to keep his balance thanks to his combat boots,
"Come on, Anciel," Quinlan sneered as he pulled out his phone. "I wanna get a new screensaver."
"Let me go!" Marc pleaded as he tried to pull his other arm out of Tomassian's tight grip. "J-just leave me alone!"
Armbruster chuckled and motioned for Quinlan to put his phone away, which the redhead reluctantly did. "Alright, you guys. Same time tomorrow, okay? Austin B, bring some of that makeup remover your sister has."
The creole boy nodded, "Yeah, she won't care. I've never seen her not wear makeup."
As the four boys left Marc to tend to his minor injuries, they head to the door. Armbruster unlocks the door and quickly steps to the side, expecting Nathaniel to come barreling through at the sound of the lock's click, but nothing. "Probably still sobbing his ass out," he murmured. Just before he can open the door, it glowed a bright blue that had the four boys taking a few steps back. The door became short, shorter, and shorter until it was able to fit in the palm of their hands.
"What the fuck?!" Armbruster exclaimed before letting out a yelp as he was shot by a blue beam. He looked up and saw Nathaniel standing right outside the locker room, only now his hair was a few shades darker with his bangs slightly shorter. He wore a dark blue mask and a bodysuit the same color with slightly baggy pants. The shoulders and fingertips were cut out, and it paired with a short cloak that was a lighter shade of blue and connected by a glowing blue gem. Around his waist was a black belt with two small grey pouches at either hip and the black boots he wore almost came up to his knees. His beaded bracelet transformed into two black cuff bracelets with glowing blue lines wrapped around them. The right bracelet was glowing as he held his right hand out and shot a blue beam from it at Armbruster.
Armbruster felt himself getting closer to the floor, and everyone and everything around him seemed to be getting taller. His eyes grew wide as he watched his horrified friends loom over him, and he looked at them with a silent, desperate plea for help, too shaken up to even speak. The only sound he made was a small whimper when he was picked up by Pocketer and held tightly in his hand.
"Who's the shrimp now?" The Akuma taunted before glancing over at Marc and seeing the bruise beginning to form on his cheek. His grip on the blonde became tighter, suffocating him a bit so he let out a tiny cough.
"Le-let him go, man!" Boulet begged as he reached his hand out to try and grab his friend, only for Pocketer to snatch him away. "Hey- L-look, man. We were just messing around, okay? Just... Just put him down... Okay? We'll leave."
Pocketer thought it over. And with a shrug, "If you say so." Instead of handing Austin A over to one of them, he simply dropped him, but Tomassian acted quick.
The brunette cupped his hands together and placed them under his friend. Feeling the small weight of Armbruster collide into his palms, Tomassian let out a breath of relief. "Dude, are you okay?" Armbruster just grasped one of his fingers with no intention of letting go and nodded. Tomassian looked back up at Pocketer who held out his glowing hand again, and that got the boys to run away, leaving only the Akuma and Marc, who was horrified by what his boyfriend had done. Yes, he hated the Austins with a passion, but there was no reason to actually kill one of them.
The redhead's look of rage morphed into bliss with a little bit of concern as he locked eyes with his boyfriend. Before Marc, still trapped in the corner of the room, could get a word out, Pocketer rushed over to him at an inhuman speed and cupped his face in his hands. "Rainbow, are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Pocketer was panicking as he gently caressed Marc's bruised cheek. "I wasn't there to protect you, but it's okay! Now you'll never leave my side again!"
"Nath, stop it!" Marc pushed his Akumatized boyfriend off of him, not caring about the hurt look on his face. "Wh-what did you just do to Austin?! You cou-could've killed him!"
Pocketer gave Marc a warm smile as he approached him. "I was teaching him a lesson he'll never forget, Rainbow. You know I just can't stand when people treat you like this!" He points to the noirette's bruised cheek before pulling him back into a hug, much to his protests. "But please be honest; are you okay?"
"Nathaniel, I'm fine," Marc insisted as he tried to pull himself out of Pocketer's tight grip.
"It's Pocketer now, Rainbow," he whispered before looking over Marc for any more injuries. "... Y'know. I think I need a better look."
Before Marc could ask what he meant, Pocketer pressed his glowing hand to his chest, and Marc found himself unable to move. He felt Pocketer's hand become larger and wrap all around his torso until his whole body was in his tight but gentle grip. Marc looked down at himself and paled when he saw that he was about only two or three inches tall now. "What... What did you do to me?!"
Pocketer cupped his hand, releasing Marc from his grip, and lifted him up to eye level. "Well, it's easier to check for injuries this way," he tried to reason, brushing a finger over Marc's limbs to check for any bruises or scratches left by the Austins. "Plus, you look so adorable like this," he cooed. "I just couldn't help myself."
"Nath, please change me back!" Marc pleaded. "I-I can't live like... Like this!" He points to himself. "For the rest of my life!"
Stroking Marc's chin with his finger, Pocketer said, "I couldn't unshrink you even if I wanted to, so you need to stay with me. I-I feel like I shouldn't have to explain how easily you can get hurt now!" The thought of Marc getting hurt at this size made his eyes well up with tears. He could get stepped on or worse. "You saw what happened with the Austins. When I take Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous, you'll always stay like this, and I'll always keep you safe, just like I was supposed to."
Marc sighed. He supposed he couldn't blame Nathaniel for being so overprotective after what the Austins did. Ladybug and Chat Noir should be here soon if word gets out about Austin Armbruster's current situation, so he'll let Nathaniel dote on him for as long as he wants until the heroes arrive and dehumanize him. "Okay," Marc relented as he wiped one of Pocketer's tears, or rather soak it up with his hoodie sleeve. "Just don't hurt anyone, please."
"Oh, he won't!" Announced Ladybug, standing by the doorway with a ticked look. Standing behind her at a safe distance were other students, recording the battle. "You wanna explain to me why I saw a three-inch student sobbing his eyes out?"
With a roll of his eyes, Pocketer pulled Marc away from his face and down to one of the pouches on his belt. "Stay in here." He lifted the flap open and gently slipped Marc inside. "Ladybug," Pocketer smirked as he faced the spotted heroine, his right hand glowing. "Maybe you should live up to your name."
Ladybug blocked three of his blasts with her yoyo, but they bounced off, hitting two lockers and one bench, making them shrink to two inches. Ladybug kept her yoyo up. She'd have to get close enough to grab Pocketer's Akuma while dodging his blasts. "Where's Marc?" She eyed the pouches on his belt. Marc must be small enough to fit in one of them.
He scoffed. "Relax. As if I'd put my rainbow in danger. Honestly, I'm a little insulted you'd even think that." He charges up another blast... "Now get lost, you pest!" ... Which Ladybug dodges, and it instead hits Alya's phone, which she's using to record the battle. She stares at her finger-nail-sized phone with her eye twitching.
"... Destroy him," she hissed while Nino dragged his furious girlfriend away before she does Ladybug's job.
Ladybug flipped and jumped over each of Pocketer's attacks, and often hid behind the rows of lockers, only to have the shrink, leaving her with lesser and lesser places to hide. While spinning her yoyo to make it act like a shield, she noticed Pocketer wasn't shooting as quickly as before but was instead checking one of the pockets on his belt for a few seconds. Taking the opportunity, Ladybug ran out of the locker room and yelled, "Everyone! Get out of here!"
The students complied and either ran out of the school or took cover in classrooms.
Pocketer ran out of the locker room with another blast ready. Ladybug managed to duck out of the way, but her hair ribbon was hit and snapped into bits as it shrunk around her pigtail, leaving her with lopsided hair that served as a disadvantage as her hair get getting in her face.
From his hiding place under the stairs, Kim could see Ladybug struggling to dodge Pocketer's blasts with his hair in her way. A few strands flew right into her eye, obscuring her vision and giving the Akuma an opportunity to attack without her dodging. Thinking quickly, Kim removed his wristband, aimed, and threw it between the spotted heroine and the oncoming blast, shrinking the material.
Ladybug noticed him out of the corner of her good eye and gave a nod, which the Vietnamese athlete couldn't help but gush over. His favorite hero, (Before Pegasus) nodded at him! Rousing him from his thoughts was a blast that came very close to hitting him, fortunately, Ladybug managed to put the Akuma's attention back on her.
"Try and dodge this, Pocketer!" She yelled before throwing her yoyo, only for Pocketer to side-step and avoid it.
"Ha!" He laughed. "You'll have to try a lot harder than that, you pest!"
"I wasn't aiming for you," she smirked. Confused, Pocketer looked to where the yoyo was and paled when he saw that it was wrapped around the pack on his belt where Marc was stored. She quickly yanked it off of Pocketer's belt and towards her. She opened the pack, and the students' eyes bulged when they saw Marc's small frame. "Are you okay?" The noirette gave her a wordless nod before going back in the pack.
"NO!" Pocketer yelled in anguish, then fired rapid blasts at Ladybug. He wasn't going to let her get away with taking Marc away from him that easily.
Alix watched from behind a bench with concern. Ladybug could hardly dodge with her hair out of its pigtail, and with Marc now safe in her hands, she couldn't really push the strands back. She's needed to distract Pocketer somehow... This will be risky, but... "SCATTER!"
Students watching from the sidelines heard her and ran all around the courtyard, yelling things like, "I've got Marc!", "He's with me!", and "Want him back? Come and get me!" Ladybug took the opportunity to escape to the second level of the school and find a safe place to hide Marc from the Akuma while he blasted at the students, shrinking six in the process. Luckily, they were picked up before getting trampled on.
"BRING HIM BACK!" Pocketer yelled as he ran through the crowd of students, even resorting to running atop of their heads as Reflekta did when she attacked the school. He ran up the stairs to the second floor of the school, desperately looking for Ladybug so he could get Marc back and safe in his hands.
Ladybug took a breath of relief, knowing she was temporarily safe in the janitor's closet. She opened the pouch and carefully poured Marc out into her hand. Gently as she could, worried the boy might be very anxious right now, Ladybug asked, "Are you okay, Marc?"
Marc didn't answer, instead, he just clutched to the spotted heroine's finger so he wouldn't fall and nodded. "Th... Thank you."
Ladybug's heart burst with pity. She just couldn't take Marc with her while she's fighting Pocketer; he could get hurt and she doesn't have a single pocket on her suit. Chat Noir- when he shows up- could hide him in his pockets, but it'd still be too dangerous. Maybe she could have someone look after Marc until she captures the Akuma, but who? Their classmates would be the first people Pocketer looks for when he realizes she doesn't have Marc.
Marc needed to be with someone who wasn't on Pocketer's radar, like someone from Mendelieve's class. But some of them were shrunk by Pocketer and taken to safety by their classmates, so there weren't a lot of options. Ever so slightly, she opened the door to see if Pocketer was around. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a teacher's desk flying out the door and into the courtyard, breaking into bits. Just as she was about to sneak out, the door opened all the way and Ladybug felt something collide with her, prompting her to cup her hands around Marc to keep him from falling.
"Oh, oh my God, Ladybug, I am so sorry." Once Ladybug's vision readjusted, she could clearly see Jean Duparc standing in front of her, embarrassed that he had just bumped into one of the heroes. "I was almost hit by one of the desks, and I-I just needed a place to- Is that Marc?" He points to the tiny noirette his head out from Ladybug's cupped hands. "Nath actually did this you?"
"He doesn't really want to talk right now," Ladybug explained when Marc didn't answer right away. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Jean, do you think you can help me out with something?"
The brunette blushed and immediately jumped at the chance to help Ladybug. "Of course! What do you need me to do?"
"I can't take Marc with me while I'm fighting Pocketer, and I need someone to look after him. Any chance you can keep him safe?"
"Yeah," Jean nodded. "Marc's one of my best friends, and I'm not just gonna leave him alone like... This." With his hands cupped, he levels them with Ladybug's, allowing Marc to carefully move from Ladybug's hands and into Jean's, holding onto his thumb for support.
"Thank you, Jean." With the tiny boy out of her hands, Ladybug started taking her single pigtail out of her ribbon.
"Of course, Ladybug!" He smiled. "But, if you don't mind me asking. Why me?"
"I figured Nathaniel would suspect if I left Marc with one of his classmates," Ladybug answered as she put her hair up in a bun using her ribbon. "No offense, but you don't exactly seem to be on his radar. Normal, and akumatized."
"None taken," Jean said, smiling as he looked down at Marc. "And don't worry, I won't let Nathaniel take him."
"WHERE IS HE?!" Pocketer yelled, making Marc flinch in Jean's hold.
Ladybug lifted Marc's head up with her pinkie and said to him, "I'll get Nathaniel back, okay?" Then she said to Jean, "Get him out of here and hide out at your place until this is over." Off his nod, she darted out of the closet and went to go and find Pocketer. She looked down the hall and saw the Akuma hoisting Adrien up an inch off the ground by the collar of his shirt. "Put him down!"
Pocketer frantically shrunk desks and chairs, trying desperately to find Marc, just knowing Ladybug hid him somewhere because her hero morals forbade her from putting a civilian in harm, so she wouldn't keep Marc on her person while she's fighting. Either she hid him or... Handed him over to someone. The thought just made Pocketer grimace. Someone else was holding his boyfriend when Marc clearly needed him!
He cried, "Marc! Please, answer me!" He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears threatening to escape as he turned a desk over. The Akuma symbol appeared over his face.
"Pocketer, focus on what you were assigned to do! I want my Miraculous!"
"AND I WANT MY BOYFRIEND BACK!" He snarled. "I'll get that stupid jewelry after I find him! Now fuck off!" The Akuma mask faded, and Pocketer went back to looking for Marc. He was nowhere to be found. Stressed, Pocketer gripped at his hair and gritted his teeth. 'What was I thinking? Why didn't I leave with him when I had the chance? He needed me to protect him and I couldn't even do that right!'
"N-Nathaniel?"
Pocketer whipped his head to the door where he was met with Adrien, who was slowly backing away when he got a good look at his Akumatized form. He and Ladybug are close. He's seen the looks they give each other during Akuma attacks, the blushing and dough eyes. He had Marc. He stormed over, grabbed the front of Adrien's shirt, and hoisted him up until his feet were a few inches off the ground. "It's Pocketer! Tell me where you put Marc, now!" His other hand glowed, threatening to blast Adrien if he didn't answer. "Hand him over! WHERE IS HE?!"
"I-I just got here!" Adrien exclaimed. "I don't know what's going on, Nath- er, Pocketer, but believe me. I don't know where Marc is!"
Pocketer narrowed his eyes at the model, looking for any sign that points to him lying. Adrien's father always did make him eat at home since the cafeteria food would ruin his figure, so he couldn't have been there when he got Akumatized and Marc went missing. "... Alright."
"Put him down!"
With an annoyed roll of his eyes, knowing who that was, Pocketer released Adrien's collar. " Stay the hell out of my way, Agreste," he muttered before running in the opposite direction from Ladybug and leaping out through the open roof of the school. As Ladybug ran after him, she stopped by Adrien and asked if he was okay, but the blonde was a little distracted by her new hairstyle. The messy bun- Which he hoped was permanent- just looked so cute!
"Adrien?"
"Huh?" He stammered, snapping out of his stupor. "W-what?"
"Are you okay?" She repeated, concerned.
"Y-yeah," he nodded. "I was just... Surprised is all."
With a sigh of relief, swung after the Akuma. "Stay safe!"
Adrien continued staring after the spotted heroine and her new hairstyle. There was just something about a messy bun that he found adorable. Although it couldn't possibly compare to space buns, now those are adorable. Plagg, who snacking on a piece of cheese, poked his head out from Adrien's shirt and smirked. "Now what was that about?"
"Adrien rolled his eyes. "Can't a guy just think a girl's hair looks nice?" When Plagg didn't answer and just gave him that smug, knowing look Adrien didn't feel like looking at anymore, he tucked Plagg back into his shirt, ran downstairs, and into the boy's bathroom to transform in private. "Plagg, Claws Out!" Now as Chat Noir, he ran out of the bathroom, jumped out of the locker room window, and vaulted after Ladybug and the Akuma.
"TELL ME WHERE YOU HID HIM!" Pocketer yelled as he leaped from building to building in pursuit of Ladybug. "I NEED TO KEEP HIM SAFE!"
"He is safe!" Ladybug yelled back as she threw her YoYo at his head, only for Pocketer to duck and continue the chase. "Nathaniel, Marc is capable of taking care of himself! You don't-"
"No! You don't understand! He needs me!" Before Ladybug could land on the next building, he shrunk it, making her land on the ground instead and run through the streets. "You don't know what happened to him!" Pocketer leaped down from the roof. "I wasn't there for him! Now tell me where he is!"
The next blasts that were meant for Ladybug hit a few cars with people still in them. Seeing the commotion, civilians ran, not wanting to risk being shrunk by the Akuma. When he saw Ladybug picking up shrunken civilians and bringing them to safety by setting them on benches or in the care of others, Pocketer got an idea. His eyes darted around until he found the perfect candidate. Austin Quinlan.
Seeing the Akuma's menacing turquoise eyes have laid on him, Austin Quinlan was about to run away and go find his friends but found himself unable to move as a beam shot at him from Pocketer's hand and shrunk him down to two inches. The Austin in blue's eyes bulged out of his skull as he took in his huge surroundings. He could hardly even move and just stood there, shaking like a leaf, and allowed Pocketer to pick him up.
"Hey, pest!" Pocketer called out, grabbing Ladybug's attention as she was bringing the shrunken civilians to safety. "Tell me where Marc is, or Quinlan becomes a stain on the ground!" He holds Quinlan high up in the air by the back of his jacket, making the tiny redhead scream and try to hold onto one of Pocketer's fingers so he won't fall.
"Pocketer, just set him down," Ladybug said in a placating tone.
He scowls. "Still not talking? Fine." He releases his grip on Quinlan's jacket and he falls to the hard pavement. His whole life begins to flash before his eyes until his body makes contact with cool metal. Before he can register what's going on, he feels himself moving at an alarming speed, like he's on a bullet train.
"Are you okay, little guy?"
Quinlan looked up and saw Chat Noir looking down at him with concern. When he nodded, the leather-clad hero scooped him up off of his staff, careful not to scratch him with his claws, and ran over to a bench where he set him down. "You'll be safe here- Ah!"
"Chat!" Ladybug cried as she saw her partner shrinking before her eyes.
While most people would freeze out of shock while they're being shrunk by Pocketer's beam, Chat snapped out of it and ran from the beam, so he ended up being two feet tall and looked about the size of a common house cat. He ran towards Ladybug but was caught by Pocketer and held up by his arm.
"Let him go!" Ladybug yelled.
The Akuma symbol appeared over Pocketer's face. "Excellent, Pocketer! Take his ring, and then use Chat Noir as a bargaining chip for Ladybug's earrings!"
"Hand over your Miraculous, tell me where Marc is, and I won't crush his head," he threatened, the other hand coming close to the blonde hero's head.
Before he could do anything to harm Chat Noir, he yanked Pocketer's hand towards his face with all the strength he could muster in his little body and bit one of his exposed fingers. Leave it to Hawkmoth to give Akuma's poor designs that aren't great for battle. Pocketer dropped Chat Noir out of pain, allowing him to run away as he gripped his finger. "Bastard!"
Ladybug looks down at her partner with concern. "Chat, are you okay?" But that concern fades when he shoots her his classic smirk instead of the look of fear the victims have once they're shrunk.
"Don't I just make the cutest singapurr-a?" He joked.
"I'm not worried anymore," Ladybug muttered before side-stepping away from another beam. She looked for any weak spots on Pocketer to use to her advantage and defeat him. So far, all she could see was that he could only shoot beams from his right hand. That bracelet must be where the Akuma is. (Clever Hawkmoth, trying to trick them) Maybe she can restrain his hand, or distract him somehow...
Ladybug quickly whipped out her yoyo and spun it when Pocketer started shooting at her and Chat Noir again. As he was shooting, he ran off in the opposite direction, probably to go look for Marc. "Let's go, Chat!" Without thinking, she picked up her shrunken partner, much to his shock, and swung after Pocketer, eventually losing him since he had a headstart.
Jean swore he heard footsteps as he walked through his neighborhood. Normally, it wouldn't take him this long to get to his house from the school, but he kept having to hide from Pocketer and avoid accidentally stepping on anyone shrunken by him. Hearing the footsteps again, Jean darted into an alley... Which now seems like a terrible idea since bad stuff always happens in an alley.
"Are you okay?" Asked Marc as he pokes his head out from Jean's pocket.
"I thought I heard someone," Jean whispered. He peered out from the alley and looked around. No one was around. Feeling some relief, the brunette walks out of the alley and continues making his way home. Just a few more blocks...
"Hey!"
Jean felt himself freeze in place. He slowly turned his head around and let out a shuddered breath when he saw Pocketer, looking pissed. He covered the pocket where Marc was hidden with his hand and started backing away. "N-Nath. Hey. I-I was just- just getting home."
Pocketer didn't say anything, instead, he just stared Jean down. "Earlier at school, out of the corner of my eye, I saw you running into the janitor's closet. And I remember while I was interrogating Adrien," he said through clenched teeth. "Ladybug running out of that same closet!"
Jean flinched back at his outburst. "I-I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb! Now tell me where Marc is," he demanded while eyeing Jean's pockets. He already had a pretty good idea where Jean put Marc, but just wanted to see how far he's willing to go to keep them separated. "Come on! Answer me!" He charges another blast as a threat.
"Nath," Jean said as he held up his hands in a defensive way, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. "I really don't have Marc." He prayed that his eyes weren't shifting right now, because whenever he lies, Jean's eyes will sometimes shift to the right or the left. He tries to think of a way out of this so he can get Marc to safety, but he can't really think straight right now to come up with a plan. So wrapped up in his thoughts, Jean barely has any time to register Pocketer running towards him and grabbing the front of his shirt.
"Hand him over," he whispered threateningly. When Jean doesn't answer, he clenches his fist. Marc sees this from his hiding place and doesn't want to risk Jean's safety for his own, yelling, "Nath!"
'My sweet Rainbow. Always putting others before him.' The Akuma's eyes trailed down to his shrunken boyfriend who was moving Jean's hand out of the way so they had a clear view of each other. "Rainbow, come here," Pocketer said in a comforting tone as he brought one hand down, waiting for Marc to climb on. Once the green-eyed boy reluctantly made his way onto his hand, Pocketer immediately started hugging him and whispering sweet nothings. "Rainbow, please don't ever scare me like that again," he cried. "I thought I lost you.
Ladybug and Chat Noir watch this from a roof. "We gotta get Marc away from Nathaniel," whispered Ladybug. "We can't just leave him with an Akuma."
"Well at least he's not hurting him," Chat Noir responded. "Look." He points to Pocketer, now nuzzling Marc up against his cheek. "But, I see your point. We need to distract Pocketer somehow." Suddenly, he got an idea. "M'lady, you ever a movie called Coraline?"
"Jean, you realize I can't let this go," Pocketer said in an eerily calm tone as he placed Marc in the second pouch on his belt. Jean tried to run away, but Pocketer kept a tight grip on the front of his shirt, and now on his wrist with his free hand. "You kept my Rainbow away from me." His right hand starts glowing, making beads of sweat roll down Jean's face. "... I tore the damn school apart looking for him! When I'm through with you, you're gonna-"
"NOW!"
The two boys turned their heads and saw Chat Noir flying towards them as if he had been thrown. He lands on Pocketer's face and obscures his vision by furiously messing his hair so it covers his eyes.
"GET OFF!" Pocketer yelled as he tries pulling the shrunken hero off of him. "You mangy cat!"
With the Akuma distracted, Ladybug jumps down from the roof and gestures for Jean to run away so she and Chat can take care of things. Once he's gone, she calls for, "LUCKY CHARM!" And in her hands is, "A jar of quick-drying glue?" And apparently, it's leaking a little bit, because it's sticking to Ladybug's hands. She looks around for any way to use it, trying to drown out the screams from Pocketer as Chat Noir is now scratching at his face.
Put the jar in Pocketer's hand
Have Chat Noir cataclysm the jar so the glue spills on his hand
Connect both of his hands so he can't use his powers
Break the bracelet
Ladybug executed the plan and charged towards Pocketer, dodging his blind attacks and successfully shoving the sticky jar of glue in his hands. As he struggles to remove it and resorts to leaving it in his other hand so he can try to blast Ladybug, she yells for Chat Noir. "Chat! Cataclysm the jar!"
With a nod, he yelled, "CATACLYSM!" and tapped the jar, making it shatter into bits on the ground while the glue took over Pocketer's hand. Quickly, Ladybug grabbed his other hand and pressed it against the one covered in glue, preventing Pocketer from using his powers, unless he wants to end up two inches himself. With him restrained and struggling to pry his hands apart, Ladybug punched the bracelet, releasing the Akuma.
"No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!" She catches the Akuma in her yoyo. "Gotcha!" And she releases a pure white butterfly from her weapon, watching as it flutters up into the sky. "Goodbye, little butterfly." Then she gathers the remains of the jar and tosses them into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
The shards burst into thousands of Ladybug that flew across the city, restoring the classrooms destroyed by Pocketer, reverting students, civilians, and structures back to their normal sizes, and putting them all back where they were originally. Finally, dark magic washed over Pocketer and left Nathaniel next to Marc, who had reverted back to his size.
Ladybug fist-bumped her normal-sized partner. "Pound it!" They look to see the boyfriends hugging and comforting each other. Ladybug approaches them and asks, "What happened, Nathaniel?"
"... These guys at school have been harassing Marc, the-they cut up his dress, punched him, pulled his hair." Seeing Marc close to tears, he holds his hand. "And not just him, they've been hurting students since we were twelve, but when I saw what they were doing to Marc, I-I just snapped."
"Has your principal done anything about this?" asked Ladybug.
Nathaniel scoffed. "He's not gonna listen. The Austins are just as influential as Chloe, and have never been caught or reprimanded."
"... I mean... Your principal can't ignore an angry mob of students, right?" Chat Noir suggested. "Just saying. Maybe you should gather up all of the students the Austins have tormented, go to the principal, and make him listen and expel them or say you're gonna go to the school board and have them take care of everything."
Ladybug, Marc, and Nathaniel stared at the blonde hero, stunned.
"Well, I am much more than a cute face," he smirked."
The next day at school, the students followed Chat Noir's plan and stormed into Damocles' office, angry and not taking no for an answer. They all showed nothing but rage as they listed every single thing the Austins have done while expressing that they don't care how influential their parents are or how much money they give to the school, they want the four of them gone.
"They pushed me down the stairs!"
"Austin Quinlan cut my hair!"
"Armbruster lifted up my skirt!"
"They triggered my allergies with peanuts!"
"They broke my phone."
"They cornered me in the locker room and cut up my dress!"
"Students! Students!" Damocles yelled, silencing them. "Thank you. Now, I understand your qualms-"
"'Qualms?!'" Marinette repeated. "We hate them! They are worse than Chloe and Lila combined!"
Mylene raised her hand, "That's what I said!"
"We want them expelled," Marinette continued. "They have been making our lives a living hell ever since they got here, and you just sit like the spineless man you are, look the other way, and don't do shit!" Even she was shocked by her outburst and use of profanity in front of an authority figure, but Marinette didn't regret it one bit.
"Young lady, you do not-!"
"Oh, I think she's in her rights to critique you, Damocles," Kim grimaced, his usually playful demeanor gone. "You are a sorry excuse for a principal, and we're not gonna sit here and take it anymore! Now, Lila? Some of us get it. She's a damn con artist and had people wrapped around her finger will bullshit stories, including you." The grey-haired man looked down, ashamed. "But look. When a mob of students comes barging into your office, saying that four boys are harassing them, you do something about those boys! Look into everything, check footage if we even have it!"
"I don't even think we do have cameras here," Aurore whispered to Alya.
"Well, that's a massive red flag there," Juleka muttered.
"You know, I think we should just forget this." M. Damocles sighed, thankful that Nathaniel was being so levelheaded. "And just have our parents call the school board. Obviously, this guy isn't gonna do anything."
Before the students could whip out their phones, M. Damocles stammered for an excuse. "N-n-now, there's no need to call your parents. I'll..." He sighed, knowing he'd be losing a lot of money. "I will look into the Austins, gather information from their previous schools, and everything will be settled."
The students did call their parents. And Damocles kept his word by calling the Austins' previous schools. What he learned shook him to his core. He allowed four demons to run rampant in his school and harm his students. As much as it pained him to do so, he dialed their parents and explained everything. It was like the Lila situation all over again, yelling, threats of sending them to military school, disinheriting millions of dollars. Even though he eventually did the right thing, the school board found out thanks to some very angry parents, and he was immediately fired. The school board also looked into Mme. Bustier and her quite toxic teaching methods, and now she was under investigation. She took any punishments she may receive with grace and dignity, knowing this was karma for how she let Lila get away with her lies.