RIIIIIP!
Marc's eyes widened as the Italian tore up his journal, page by page. He knew this girl was a liar, but he didn't think she was just flat-out evil. He just asked her to stop lying about Marinette, and now this was happening!
"You made a mistake choosing to side against me!"
"I-I didn't take sides," Marc managed to say despite still being in shock over his journal being destroyed, "What are you talking about?"
"Marinette, stupid!", she hissed before tearing out another page, "You decided to side with her, you tried to defend her! I'm gonna show you why you made a horrible mistake." Another page, RIP!
Marc was horrified. He never believed Lila's lies and just thought she was just trying to impress her classmates, but he threw that idea out the window when he heard that Marinette was expelled for cheating, pushing Lila down the stairs, and stealing. Her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the sweetest girl in school. After Nathaniel told him that Lila was the one accusing her of doing such things and that Marinette supposedly sent mean texts to Lila over the weekend when her phone was being repaired, Marc knew then and there that Lila Rossi was out to get the pigtailed girl.
Alix told him how she, Rose, Juleka, and Nathaniel tried to get everyone else to see the truth once they found out for themselves, but Lila would always turn on the waterworks and claim they were bullying her, making them look like the bad guys. They eventually stopped trying and decided to let everything crash and burn when Lila finally tells the wrong lie.
Marc wouldn't give up so easily, though. She could lie about celebrities all she wanted, they'd eventually find out and sue for defamation. But it would be a cold day in hell before Marc let her lie about Marinette being a jealous bully…
Why did he have to confront her in an empty hallway with no witnesses?
"Since I'm so nice, I'll give you 'til the end of the day to choose the right side," she said with such malice, "But just a reminder- If you pick wrong, I will make your life hell. It'll be too easy. They say keep an eye on the nice ones.", she smiled evilly, "Just imagine Nathaniel's face when he realizes that his innocent boyfriend is really a cruel, jealous bully."
Hearing Nathaniel's name come out of her evil mouth, Marc glared at the girl with so much hate that she took a step back, "Don't even think about laying a finger on him!" He felt tears about to pour out of his eyes any second, but he would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry.
The Italian smirked, realizing that she found his trigger, "I never said anything about hurting him. A few choice words and I'll make sure he's disgusted at the mention of your name." Tearing three more pages out the journal, Lila threw it to the floor, added insult to injury by stomping on it, then walked away
Once the evil Italian was out of sight, Marc dropped to his knees and cried as he picked up the remains of his journal. In his fifteen years of living, Marc's dealt with many horrible people. Sure, they cheat and make fun of people, but there's a reason behind it- They're just petty, jealous, or insecure. But Lila Rossi is just evil. She gets a thrill out of hurting people; she lies to get whatever she wants. And she wants Marinette to suffer, and for Marc to be alone and hated by Nathaniel.
—
"Such a strong mix of emotions. Protective, devoted to his love, terrified of what may come, yearning for vengeance, a desire for justice. It's almost too easy." A pure white butterfly flew into the outstretched palm of Hawkmoth's hand. Once covered with his hand, the magic of the Miraculous transformed it into an Akuma, and it flew out the window, "Fly away my little Akuma. And evilize him!"
—
Marc was too busy crying and picking up the pieces of his journal to hear the fluttering wings of the Akuma and to notice it landing on his journal where it absorbed into it, turning it black. At that, Marc lifted his head, revealing the red skin around his eyes and the dreaded Akuma symbol over his anger-present, tear-stained face
"What?" He spat
Hawkmoth has never felt emotions this strong. It almost made him revoke the Akuma, worried about the destruction the boy may cause. No, he couldn't let an opportunity like this go to waste. Marinette Dupain-Cheng evaded him many times, she was a ticking time bomb ready to bring about doomsday when Rossi pushed her over the edge. He'd just have to go for the next best thing…
"Dark Quill, I am Hawkmoth. With your powers, you can write your own story, create a new ending. One where the conniving villain parishes. And all when you put pen to paper."
"… Fine. But I get to go after Rossi first." Hawkmoth sputtered a bit. Before he could speak and regain control, Marc continued, "You'll get the Miraculous when I'm done. Got it?"
After a terrifying silence, Hawkmoth answered, "You may retrieve the Miraculous after you get your revenge. Do we have a deal?" He asked, trying not to stammer, not wanting to show any fear
"Yes, Hawkmoth," Marc replied as he was engulfed by a black and purple mist that bubbled up from the journal. When it lifted up, Dark Quill stood in Marc's place. The Akuma's skin is a pale grey, he had no pupils or irises, just his white sclera. His hair became messier, and what appeared to be a hair ribbon was two red quills. A black mask covered his face, and his lips were painted black.
His outfit was a blood-red jumpsuit with a high collar, puff sleeves, and Renaissance pants. Along with the bodysuit was a black vest with blue accents, black fingerless elbow-length gloves, dark blue stud bracelets, and a matching belt, and black knee-high platform boots. In his hand, he held a rolled-up scroll.
With a smirk, Dark Quill plucked one of the quills from his hair, unfurled the scroll, and began writing. "I'm coming for you, Liar Rossi." On the scroll in black ink was, 'Those who saw the truth found their hatred for the Liar and her posse increased tenfold.'
—
Nathaniel has never wanted to punch someone so much in his life. He always thought Lila was annoying, but God! And not only her, but these idiots surrounding him.
There was Alya, who's blog was becoming a tabloid, going on and on about Lila and her "accomplishments".
Then Kim, who followed that girl around like a puppy. He obviously had a type- Petty and whiney when they don't get what they want
They were all so stupid!... Well, except for Marinette, Alix, Juleka, Rose, and Adrien. Everyone else? Idiots who'll believe the dribble that falls out of the Italian's mouth. Nathaniel didn't know where these thoughts were suddenly coming from. He always thought his classmates were kind of irritating from time to time, but now he just hated them… And from the dirty looks, Alix and Marinette were giving their desk-mates, they felt the same way.
"Nath, did I ever tell you about my uncle? He's a famous artist in Italy," Lila said, making Nathaniel roll his eyes at her obvious lie, "I could show him some of your work. He has connections with a few museums, and…"
'Make it stop!' He thought, rubbing hid temples to ease his headache, 'The bell will ring soon. The bell will ring soon.'
"And who knows? Maybe he can find you a new writer for your comic!" Now that was the final straw, "No offense, but the writing seems a little subpar. I won a few writing contests, so I-"
"God! Will you shut up?!" Everyone in the class gasped at the usually quiet redhead's outburst, "You are just so annoying! I have had put up sitting next to you and being forced to listen to your shit!"
"Nathaniel!", Bustier scolded, "Don't use language like that."
Alix stood from her seat and slammed her hands down on the desk, "Cram it, Caline!", she yelled, "That bitch just insulted Marc's writing!", she pointed out, casting a glare at Lila. All eyes were now on Lila. She started the waterworks and came up with a lie on the spot.
"I-I didn't mean to insult Marc," she stammered as she wiped her eyes, "I was just trying to help Nath get his art more recognition. B-but he yelled at me!" She wailed, making students come to her aid, glare at Nathaniel and call him a bully. They were too mad to notice her sending a sneer the artist's way.
"Dumbasses," Marinette said with such hate in her voice. Everyone turned to the pigtailed girl with widened eyes. They've never heard her curse before.
"I've put up with a lot of your shit before, guys, but this? Come on. You honestly believe that thing", she pointed a finger at Lila, "has connections? That she can get you whatever you need to succeed in life? She's a damn fraud! Even a certified idiot can tell you that."
The students who believed in Lila were stunned into silence. Why were they being so cruel to Lila and them? Lila didn't lie, and they weren't idiots.
"Yeah, and I can do without her constantly clinging to me, and touching me all the time!" Adrien snapped
"B-but Adrien!" Lila whined, "You said it was okay."
"Why would I say that?" He asked, "I despise you! You're a liar, a thief, and just. A. Bitch." Nino cautiously approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Dude, what's going on with you?" He asked. At that, Adrien merely rolled his eyes and muttered what sounded like a curse word under his breath.
Lila, becoming angry, ran down the stairs and tried to hold onto Adrien and remind him of his father's threat, only for him to push her away and not reluctantly go through with it like he usually would, "Adrien, have they been manipulating you?" She asked with a hand placed on her chest, "Did they threaten you?"
"Shut up, Rossi! We're tired of your pathetic shit!" Rose shouted. And once again, the students and teacher gasped as one of the sweetest girls in class cursed for them all to hear. Everything then turned to chaos. Marinette, Nathaniel, Alix, Rose, and Juleka pointed out everyone's flaws and called out Lila's many lies, (Not that anyone listened) while Adrien just glared at them with so much hate in his green eyes. Their classmates just looked at them, stunned. Not even Lila could do anything to stop them. They were supposed to stay silent and out of her way. When did they all grow spines?
Before they could tear into them some more, the bell rang for lunch, much to everyone's relief. The art kids needed to take a few breaths, and the other students felt like crying or hiding in their rooms. And Lila wanted to set them straight and remind them who they were messing with.
"Finally," Nathaniel said then grabbed his messenger bag, "Let's go before we lose any more brain cells." At that, the art kids and Adrien left the room
—
Mme. Bustier's class walked out of the classroom minutes after comprehending what just happened and assuring Lila that it wasn't her fault. While they were making their way to the cafeteria, all eyes were on them. None were friendly.
"Ugh, it's them."
"Lousy tabloid writer."
"Idiots."
"Is that actually her hair? I thought she had sausages taped to her face."
"What a liar."
"Jagged Stone had a cat? I thought they were supposed to be his fans."
Alya whispered to Lila, "What's going on? Why is everyone saying this stuff?" He asked. Lila put on a meek demeanor and pouted.
"I-I don't know. I bet Marinette and the others are spreading lies about me." She wiped away a fake tear, "Now they're turning the whole school against me!" She whined, making Alya pull her into a hug.
Watching from an empty classroom was Dark Quill. Once again, he plucked a quill and began writing, "Out of nowhere, a pencil case hit Lila on the side of her head."
"I-I just-" She let out a yelp as a red, black, and blue pencil case hit her on the head, "OW!"
Everyone looked for the culprit, but the other students looked just as confused, having no idea where that pencil case came from. Back in the classroom, Dark Quill continued writing, "The Akuma form of Dark Quill would soon reappear when the time was right." A bright light engulfed Dark Quill. When it faded, Marc was in his place. The scroll and quill also changed, becoming a red pencil and a white journal
"What exactly is your plan?", Hawkmoth asked as the Akuma symbol appeared on Marc's face. He smirked and replied, "You'll see." Then he walked out of the classroom
—
"Have you guys seen Marc?", Nathaniel asked as he sat down at a table with the other members of the art club. They all shook their heads, "I haven't heard from him since this morning. I hope he's okay."
Alix grinned, "Aw, someone misses his boyfriend!" She teases, making Juleka smack her on the shoulder.
"Nath!", the voice Nathaniel grew to hate called out, making him slam his head down on the table. They looked to see Lila and her posse walking in, only to be met with harsh glares from the other students. Nathaniel grabbed the plastic knife off of his tray and handed it to Alix before asking, "Will you be a good friend and kill me?" But it was too late. Lila made her way over to the table and sat down between them.
Marinette smiled, "Lila, I say this in the nicest possible way. Get the hell out of here before I rip those two sausages off your head." Seeing the Italian's astonished expression, she smirks
Lila ignores her and turns her attention back to Nathaniel, not caring about the annoyed look he was giving her, "I'm sorry about insulting Marc's writing like that, it wasn't my intention."
Rose coughed into her elbow, "Bullshit."
Ignoring her, Lila continued, "But I don't think you should be hanging around him anymore. He may seem nice, but when you're not around, he acts so mean!", she wailed. Nathaniel rolled his eyes, "I saw him copying someone else's story and claiming that it was his. A-and when I tried to talk him out of it, he threatened me." She forced a tear out of the corner of her eye
Juleka chuckled, "Great story, Lila. One of your most pathetic," she spat. The whole table laughed, but Lila was fuming
"I'm serious! Marc did threaten me!" At that, the entire cafeteria laughed, except for the few students in Bustier's class who believed her stories.
Aurore approached her, "Rossi, you're talking about the boy who cried when we had to dissect frogs in biology."
"And when I killed a spider," a brunette boy, Ismael, pointed out, "The boy is a literal saint."
"Aw, Ismael," everyone turned to the source of the touched voice and saw Marc, standing at the doorway, "you do care about me." Ismael crossed his arms over his chest, "Do not. I'm just wondering why lil miss Lie-la is spouting bullshit about you."
Lilla, still trying to look like the victim, held onto Alya's arm. The creole girl shouted, "Leave her alone! She's just trying to warn Nath."
"Uh, last time I checked, only people I like get to call me 'Nath'." Alya was taken aback. Nathaniel got up from his seat, walked over to Marc, and planted a kiss on his cheek, which the disguised Akuma enjoyed, "And you honestly believe that my sweet Rainbow could threaten someone?" Marinette and Rose giggled at the adorable nickname.
Alya looked a little unsure but then she saw Lila crying. Lila sniffed, "S-so you think I'm lying?"
"Yep."
"Pretty much."
"That's what I've been saying."
"It's pretty obvious."
"Yeah."
Kim frowned, "Why are you guys being so mean?"
"And why are you singling us out?", Marinette asked, now fuming, "You don't see how everyone here hates that girl's guts?" She pointed to Lila, who was now scowling, throwing away the whole 'kicked puppy' routine, "And you all know Marc. He would never threaten anyone. He doesn't even talk to Lila."
Noticing their eyes shifting around the room, Marinette rolled her eyes, "You guys honestly think an Akuma is making us act like this? Newsflash! We're tired of you guys!" She jabbed at Kim's chest with her finger, prompting him to back away.
The Akuma Class was horrified. This had to be the work of an Akuma, they just knew it. Their friends didn't feel this way about them, they were just being controlled by an Akuma out to get Lila.
"Dude, there's gotta be an Akuma!"
"We know it!"
"You don't mean what you're saying!
"THERE'S NO AKUMA!"
…
A voice cut through the silence, "No. There is." Everyone, especially Nathaniel, gasped when they saw Marc being engulfed by the same bright light from earlier. They all backed away when the light faded to reveal Dark Quill.
"… Huh. I guess there was an Akuma," Marinette said as she backed out of the cafeteria, everyone too busy staring at the new Akuma to notice as she ran off to transform into Paris' hero.
Lila pointed at the villain, "See?! There is an Akuma after me! He's making everyone say all these horrible things!"
"Marc?", Nathaniel whispered, "Rainbow, w-what happened?" He asked as he slowly approached his Akumatized boyfriend.
"Don't listen to him! He's an Akuma, of course, he's gonna lie!", Lila exclaimed
Dark Quill ignored her, "Well sweetie, if you must know, Lila threatened me, then tore apart my journal," he explained as he cupped Nathaniel's cheek, "… The rest you know."
Nathaniel's concern faded as he slowly turned his head toward the Italian. She backed away when she saw the fiery rage in his turquoise eyes, "You. Did. What?!"
"Lila wouldn't threaten anyone!", Ivan yelled
Mylene added, "She doesn't lie either!"
Dark Quill frowned, "God, you're all twits." Plucking a quill, he began to write on the scroll, "Doing what she should have done months ago, Alya checks her sources."
Alya looked confused, wondering what he meant. Then suddenly, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, "I-I'm not doing this!" She starts typing something in the search bar while Lila desperately tries to snatch the phone out of her hands
"H-he can do whatever he wants with his powers!" She said with desperation in her voice, "He probably got rid of all the websites that mention me!"
The class was sure that what their friend is saying was the truth. This Akuma could probably bend reality and do whatever he desired with his powers. He made every student at school hate them and Alya pull out her phone against her will. But a voice in the back of their heads told them otherwise. They often doubted Lila because of this voice, but she had no reason to lie, so they had no reason to distrust her… Right?
Alya scrolled through her phone, a look of confusion on her face, "There's nothing here..."
"See? I told you!", Lila yelled, "He erased every record of my accomplishments, so you all think I'm lying! He's out to get me!"
He chuckled darkly, "Now why would you think that?", then wrote something else on the scroll. Five red darts materialized at his side, and the Akuma class suddenly flew across the room, leaving Lila exposed. Lila paled when she saw that the darts were aimed at her. "Rossi, all you have to do is tell the truth, and- Oh, what the hell? Let's just get this over with!"
Lila tried to run away, but she found her feet glued to the floor. This Akuma thought of everything. The darts hurdled at her and Lila closed her eyes, waiting for the darts to pierce right through her… Only for a red and black spotted yo-yo to wrap around her waist and pull her out of her shoes, leaving the darts to hit a wall. All heads turned to see Ladybug standing at the doorway, looking pissed.
"Great. Once again, saving your sorry self," she spat, much to everyone's shock.
"I could've handled him myself, Ladybug! I didn't need your help!", Lila said in response
"Hey, Rossi!", Aurore yelled, "She saved your ass! Show a little thanks!"
Dark Quill only grinned, "Well, it would seem Paris's hero is aware of Miss Rossi's lies. How convenient. Ladybug, I thought Lila was your dearest friend."
The spotted heroine only gagged, "Please! I would rather be cataclysmed than be friends with her!", she spun her yoyo, using it as a shield to block the darts heading for her while the class stared with their jaws hanging open. 'Lila wasn't friends with Ladybug?', they thought.
Then, as if summoned by the mention of his power, Chat Noir burst through the door. "Alright, let's get this over with." The Akuma class shuddered as the usually friendly superhero sent a glare their way. Alya even put down her phone, "Look, I get why you hate Lila. But we can't let you hurt her."
"Hurry up and take him down, now!", Lila demanded
Dark Quill scowled as he wrote something down on his scroll, "Dark Blade appeared. His sword was ready to cleave the liar in two!" At that, Dark Blade appeared next to him in a flash of red light. Lila's eyes widened when she saw the armored Akuma running towards her with his sword raised. Ladybug readied her yoyo, but soon found herself being used as a human shield when Lila pushed her to the front and held her wrists so she couldn't use her yoyo to defend herself.
"What the hell?!" She screamed. Chat let out a snarl and extended his staff to duel with the knight. He then gasped, "NO!" Everyone in the cafeteria either gasped in horror or averted their eyes.
"Dark Blade immediately froze in place!", Dark Quill narrated in a panicked voice as he quickly wrote on the scroll. The Akuma suddenly stopped on his tracks. Ladybug, still trying to get out of Lila's hold, wondered why he called off the attack until she saw the familiar mess of red hair. Nathaniel stood in between her and the knight. His eyes widened when he saw that the tip of the sword was only an inch away from his face, and he let out a relieved sigh.
Nathaniel backed away and locked eyes with Dark Quill. Fear was present on his grey face and a single tear trailed down his cheek. He almost killed Nathaniel. "Marc… Rainbow, I'm fine. Really, i-it's okay."
Lila released Ladybug and made a run for the exit. But before she could reach the door, she fell. She looked and saw that a pair of metal shackles have formed around her ankles. Another pair, with a chain connected, appeared around her wrists. The Italian let out a yelp as she was pulled by the extra chain towards Dark Quill, who was now livid.
"You. Will. PAY FOR THIS!" He yelled as more tears streamed down his face.
"I'm not the one who summoned the knight and almost put his stupid boyfriend in danger!", she retorted, but then let out a scream as the shackles tightened around her wrists. "Everyone in Paris will know who you truly are!", Dark Quill gave Nathaniel one last sad glance before writing on his scroll. He and Lila disappeared in a flash of white light.
"NO!", Ladybug yelled.
"Alya's gone!", Nino said frantically as he searched for his girlfriend.
Chat scratched his head in confusion, "Did the Akuma take her, too?"
The Akuma class let what Lila had done sink in. They felt horrified, disgusted, and betrayed. Lila. Their supposed friend. The most honest person they know. Used Ladybug as a human shield. If she would do that, then it was clear she lied about her and Ladybug being best friends… And about everything else.
"Marinette was right…", Mylene said what her classmates were thinking, tearfully, "Lila is a liar." She scowled, "That… BITCH!"
The Akuma class, now seeing Lila for who she truly is, became affected by what Dark Quill wrote. The scowls and sneers Alix, Rose, and Juleka have been giving their classmates earlier melted into guilty expressions. Same for the other students. They remembered all of the things they said and could barely look them in the eyes
"Nathaniel, are you alright?", Ladybug asked as she glanced over at the still frozen Dark Blade.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, "Marc wouldn't hurt me."
The spotted hero smiled and let out a breath of relief, "Please don't do that again."
"Save Marc, and you've got yourself a deal."
"Feel free to let Marc take care of Lila," Ivan grunted. Everyone turned to the usually pacifistic boy with astonishment. He shrugged, "You were all thinking it."
"Where could they have gone?", Ladybug asked herself
"Well, Marc did say he would show Paris who Lila really is, and he did take Alya with him," Nino said, "Nadja Chamack has the most popular show in Paris, and the Ladyblog grabs everyone's attention when there's a live stream. They're probably at the TVi Studio."
"He's going to reveal her on live tv and the Ladyblog!", Chat Noir deduced.
Ladybug nodded at the capped boy, "Thanks, Nino. Let's go Chat."
And they were off. The tension in the cafeteria was thick as the Akuma class felt like idiots for believing Lila, and the others felt remorse for how they acted
Meanwhile, Ladybug and Chat Noir were swinging and vaulting over the rooftops in the direction of the studio when their yoyo and staff suddenly beeped. They stopped on a roof and used the phone setting on their weapons; a live stream of the Ladyblog was playing.
"Hello, viewers," Alya greeted, but not in her usual 'live on the scene reporter' tone. Her voice had a hint of ire, but she tried to mask it with a strained smile, "Alya here, and once again, I've been kidnapped by an Akuma. But don't worry, I'm not going to be sacrificed like last time," she joked, then panned the phone around to show Lila, tied up on the couch next to a terrified Nadja. "The Akuma is having me do a live stream so everyone will see Lila for who she really is!", she snapped, "This girl used Ladybug as a damn shield!"
"Alya, you can throttle Miss Rossi later," the young reporter panned her phone over to Dark Quill, "Right now, let's introduce our guests." Using a quill plucked from his hair, he wrote on the scroll, "Bursting through the doors were Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, and Prince Ali."
The cameras turned to the doors as Jagged, Clara, and the Prince made their way into the room. The celebrities and royal looked very confused, "Now how did we get here?", Jagged asked
"What are we doing in this place?", Clara asked before pointing to Lila, "And why does that girl look red in the face?"
Ali spoke, "Um, I was at a very important meeting. I shouldn't be here right now."
"Oh, this will only take a moment.", Dark Quill said, and they backed away at the sight of the Akuma, "Have a seat."
They nodded, not wanting to anger the Akuma, and made their way over to the couch. They cast a confused glance over to the tied-up girl, "Who's she?", Jagged asked, and Lila internally screamed
"Oh, Jagged, you don't remember Lila? The girl you wrote a song about?"
Jagged sputtered, "Wrote a song?! About a teenage girl?!", he stood up and faced the cameras, "That is just sick! I am in my bloody late thirties!", he exclaimed
"Why, the girl tied up next to you, of course.", Dark Quill, gestured to Lila with a taunting smile. Jagged gave the girl an incredulous look, "You were so grateful that she saved your poor kitten from being run over by an airplane, gaining a hearing loss in the process."
"That is false!" The Rockstar shouted, "I never owned a kitten in my life! I'm highly allergy to animal fur!", he points to Lila, "Whatever this girl is saying about me is nothing but lies!"
Clara gasped, "How could she say such falsehoods? They'll only do worse than good," she rhymed
"So true Mme. Nightingale," Dark Quill nodded, "So I'm sure you abhor the lies she's been telling about you, hm?", off Clara's stunned reactions, he continues, "According to Lila, she taught you some of your best dance movies, but you didn't give her credit.", he sent a sneer at the liar, she returned the look.
"SHE WHAT?!", Clara yelled in anger, much to everyone's shock. "All of my dance moves come from only me! Not from this… This LYING HUSSY!" Everyone in the studio went silent as soon as they heard the pop-star curse. Jagged stifled a laugh, Prince Ali covered his mouth in shock, Nadja hid her face with the papers in her hands, and Lila just glared at everyone in the room, "I apologize for such a harsh word, but it seemed appropriate for this wretched girl! I take my dancing seriously, and I hope miss Rossi gets punished harshly…"
The prince lets out a cough after a few seconds of silence, "H-has she said anything about…", the Akuma quickly turned to him, making the prince sink into his seat, "…me?"
Dark Quill smiled, "Yes, your majesty. Whenever Lila wasn't in school, she was spending time at the palace with you, helping your with your environmental charities, crying whenever you and some other prince would fight over here." He lets out a dark chuckle then grabs Lila's face, "But what's there to fight over?"
Lila thrashes in her chains, "I was just jealous of my friends, okay?! I just wanted them to like me!", she wailed, ignoring the heat radiating off of the music artists and Prince
"Are you kidding me?", Jagged asked as he rubbed his temples, "She's kidding right?"
Alya groaned, "God, I feel stupid."
Dark Quill summoned his scroll, and pulled out another quill, "Time for you to finally tell the truth, Lie-la." On the scroll, he began writing, "Lila Rossi finally revealed every lie she's to-", before he could write the last two letters, Ladybug and Chat Noir burst into the room, "Oh, great."
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!", Lila screeched
Ladybug ignored her and approached the Akuma, "Dark Quill, you got your revenge. Just surrender now."
Dark Quill scoffed, "Oh, I haven't even started!" He grabs Lila and hoists her up by the front of her romper, "I want this she-demon to reveal everything! Then I'll make sure Paris never has to deal with her ever again!" He let go of the scroll, and it floated in front of him. He wiped his hand over the sentence he was writing before the heroes barged in, making the ink disappear. Dark Quill then wrote, "The Akuma, the Liar, and the amateur reporter teleported out of the studio."
A white light engulfed him, Lila, and Alya. Chat tried to grab Dark Quill, but he vanished out of the room, and Chat ended up on the floor, "M'lady, maybe it's time to break out the Lucky Charm?"
"I think so too," she agreed, then yelled out, "LUCKY CHARM!"
A red feather floated down gently into her hands, "A feather?"
Chat shook his head, "I don't think he's ticklish."
"That's a rooster feather," Jagged said as he walked over to Ladybug. The spotted heroine handed him the Lucky Charm object, "Yeah, my old man bred a few when I was young. I'd recognize one of these anywhere."
As Ladybug examined the feather, she realized what she was meant to do with it, "I got it! Thanks, Jagged!", the rockstar beamed at the praise from the hero. Ladybug turned to Chat, "Go look for Dark Quill, call me when you find him."
"I can have the news choppers look around if that'll help," Nadja suggested
"It will!" And the two heroes ran out of the station.
—
Ladybug ran into an alley, "Spots off."
After the detransformation, Tikki floated in front of her, "What are you planning, Marinette?"
"When I was battling Kwamibuster, I remember seeing a rooster Kwami."
Tikki perked up, "Orikki?!", Marinette nodded, "Who do you have in mind for the job?"
"The one person who can help Marc now."
—
The drawers of the Miracle Box opened before her as Master Fu gave her the warning about the Miraculous getting into the wrong hand and choosing only people she could trust.
Marinette reached down to pick up the thumb ring. "I know just the person."
—
In the Louvre, Alix was furiously skating around the gallery while Nathaniel, Juleka, and Rose watch, "GOD! She was exposed on live tv, and still tries to make herself look like the victim!", she exclaimed, "Whatever Marc's gonna do to her, she deserves it!"
Juleka furrowed her brow, "I hope it isn't too bad."
Alix stopped skating, "Huh?"
"Well, Marc said he would make sure Paris never had to deal with her ever again," she reminded the pink-haired girl. Rose's eyes widened, "… He wouldn't."
"No." Rose covered her mouth
Nathaniel shook his head, "N-no. Marc wouldn't do that!", he said in denial, "He wouldn't!"
"I don't know Nath. He did summon Dark Blade to slice her open." Alix reminded him, horrified.
"Nathaniel!" The four of them turned to see Ladybug running into the room, "I need you!"
Nathaniel choked on his own spit, "E-excuse me?!"
"I need you to tell me. How much do you want Marc back?"
"I-I'd do anything! He's still in there, I just…", he wipes a tear forming at the corner of his eye. Ladybug rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "Well, you can help him."
The four of them watched as Ladybug held a hexagonal box in front of the redhead.
"Nathaniel Kurtzberg, here is the Miraculous of the Rooster, which grants the power of Distraction. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me."
Nathaniel was speechless and just stared at the box resting in Ladybug's hands. When ten seconds passed by and Nathaniel didn't say or do anything, Ladybug waved her hand in front of his face, "Nathaniel?
Alix snapped her fingers in front of his face, "Nath? Bud?... I don't think- Oh! He's falling!" Juleka and Rose catch him before he can fall to the floor, and help him back up.
Helping Ladybug save Marc was one thing but being a superhero?! Nathaniel couldn't believe it. He wanted to scream and jump on his bed… But what if he failed? He'd disappoint Ladybug and… Marc.
"Nath, you gotta do it," Alix told him as he was brought back into reality, "Marc needs you."
"I…"
Juleka gave him a reassuring smile, "You got this."
"Do it, Nath!", Rose screamed as she shook him by his shoulders.
"Alright, I'll do it."
Ladybug placed the box in his hands. Nathaniel opened it, revealing a bronze thumb ring inside. It was two loops connected by a single chain and adorned with a feather decoration. There was a bright flash of light that spiraled around Nathaniel, and the art kids shielded their eyes for a moment before looking at the little Rooster-like creature floating in front of them.
"Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Orikko! You must be glad to meet me, I'll bet!" Nathaniel and Juleka just stared with their jaws hung open, Alix has already seen a Kwami, so she wasn't too impressed, and Rose was trying not to squeal at how adorable the Kwami was, "Ooh! I love your hair!" They gathered Nathaniel's bangs in their hands and moved them to the side, "I am going to have so much fun styling it!"
"W-what are you, exactly?", Nathaniel asked
"Why, I'm a Kwami! I give you powers, enhanced abilities. Just put the ring on your thumb and say the words: Orikki, sunrise!"
Nathaniel nodded and slipped it on his thumb, "Orikko! Sunrise!"
The Kwami flew into the Miraculous, turning it gold and adding a red enamel feather that connected the two rings. A yellow beak appeared over Nathaniel's face and extended into a red mask. His hair swept back into a faux hawk, and the tips were colored a red much darker than his hair. His outfit was similar to Rena Rouge's, only the boots were yellow, the bodysuit was a burnt orange color, the underbelly was yellow, he had elbow-length dark red gloves, and the ends of the tail looked like feathers. In his hand, formed a red bow.
Royt Hon was ready!
—
Meanwhile, Chat Noir was at the top of the Eiffel Tower, sword fighting with Riposte as news helicopters hovered around them and recorded the fight along with Lila, who was tied up with rope and dangling over the railing of the fence. Dark Quill was plucking at the rope and cackling as Lila screamed whenever she felt a vibration, thinking she was going to fall.
"I'll give you one last chance, Rossi!" The scroll appeared next to him in a puff of smoke and unfurled, "Just tell Paris the truth, and make things easier for yourself!"
"I'M NOT LYING! LADYBUG WILL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!", she screeched
Dark Quill sighed, "You just have to make things complicated." He plucked one of the red quills, and began writing, "Once the last lie has been told, Lila Rossi shall meet her demise!"
"Dark Quill, what are you doing? Don't kill her! That is an order!"
"You want me to write a death scene for you?..." He was met with silence, "Then zip it! Now tell all of Paris you're lies, Rossi!"
"I… I hate Ladybug!", Lila yelled, clearly against her own will, "I want her dead!"
Alya gasped, nearly dripping her phone, and judging by Dark Quill's widened eyes, he was not expecting that. The citizens watching from below frowned and started yelling. Ladybug was their hero, so anyone who hated her was public enemy #3, before Hawkmoth and Mayura.
"Why do you hate her?", he asked
"That bitch ruined my chances with Adrien! He should be MINE! All I did was lie about being some damn fox hero! Who gives a shit?! Every time I get myself Akumatized, I try everything to get rid of that stupid bug!"
…
Alya and Chat were speechless. Dark Quill was horrified, as were the citizens below
"You… Get yourself Akumatized on purpose?"
"Yeah! That's how much I hate those heroes! Every time there's an Akuma attack, I just laugh whenever Ladybug is crushed, thrown into a wall, or worse!"
"And the celebrities you've met? The places you've visited?", Dark Quill asked, getting over his shock
"They were telling the truth back at the studio!", she admitted, "I don't know any of them! Jagged Stone never even owned a cat!"
Before Dark Quill could ask another question, Alya called out, "What about Marinette?! Was everything she said about you true?"
"Duh! All that self-righteous pain in the ass had to do was fall in line like the rest of you idiots! But instead, she decided to go to war with me! So I tried to ruin her life! I framed her for everything! She didn't push me down the stairs, I put my necklace in her locker, and I put the answer sheet in her backpack! And everyone was too stupid to check the security cameras!"
Back at Dupont, the students and teachers were watching the live stream with looks of rage and disgust. M. Damocles even ordered the custodian to check the security footage. from when those incidents took place
"And why do you hate her?"
"Because she stole Adrien from me! His dad even gave me a modeling contract so I would keep them apart because I told him she was a bad influence!"
Chat Noir lost focus when he heard that, and Riposte used that moment to attack and overpower him. He was now pinned to the floor with Riposte's sword just inches away from his face.
"Anything else you'd like to admit?", he sneered
"I tore up Marc Anciel's stupid journal and threatened to make everyone hate him!" She glared at the Akuma with all of the hate in the world, but he smirked.
"Well, if that's all, you should be plummeting in three… two… one." The rope snapped, and Lila was falling
"NO!", Chat yelled
Alya covered her mouth in horror, "Oh my God!"
It seems as though luck was not on Lila's side. The trampoline the firefighters used to catch people jumping out of burning buildings had a massive hole, so nothing was keeping her from becoming a stain on the ground. She was halfway from her doom when suddenly, a red and orange blur swooped in, and she found herself on the second floor of the tower. She looked up and scowled when she was met with a new hero.
"Who are you?", she spat, only to receive a hate-filled glare from the rooster-themed hero.
"Just stay here, and don't do anything stupid… Liar." And he leaped away.
—
"Is that all you've got, Ladybug?!", Dark Quill shouted as he swiftly dodged her yo-yo. Behind him, Chat Noir was still pinned to the floor by Riposte, his staff was out of his reach, "Just hand over your Miraculous!" An arrow suddenly shot past his head, "What the…"
The arrow hit Riposte, and she disappeared into pieces of shredded paper. Chat Noir was back on his feet and ready to join the fight. Royt Hon leaped onto the railing, holding the bow in his left hand, and a glowing arrow in his right. Alya held up her phone to film the new hero.
"Good to see you again, m'lady. I wasn't eggspecting a new hero," he joked. Ladybug let out a groan, and Royt Hon chuckled a little
"The name's Royt Hon," he said before turning to Dark Quill with a soft look. "Marc, this cant be what you want. I know you're not a violent person," he said calmly. Dark Quill was stunned for a moment before he scowled and his grip tightened on his quill as he wrote again.
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LIKE!", he screamed, then multiple heat-seeking missiles appeared at his side. He pointed to the heroes, and the missiles went after their targets. While they were preoccupied, Dark Quill jumped down to the level of the Eiffel Tower where Lila is, ready to get rid of the liar once again.
Ladybug used her yoyo to grab one missile and fling it into two, making them blow up. Chat smacked one into another, the same result. Royt Hon got his bow ready and pulled back the string. Five glowing arrows appeared, and when he released, they shot right through the remaining missiles and they blew up
"Nice shooting, Royt!", Chat complimented as he patted him on the back, much to the Rooster hero's gratitude.
"We better go. He's probably after Lila," Ladybug rolled her eyes at the mention of the liar's name, then she turned to Alya, "You should go home."
The journalist nodded, "I will. And I'll be making a new post on a certain someone," she said with hatred in her voice before walking towards the elevator.
—
"Lie-la!...", he called out, "I'm not gonna drop you this time!... Maybe."
The liar, still tied up, hid behind once of the beams and tried to keep her breathing quiet as this psychotic Akuma searched for her. How could Hawkmoth do this?! He should've akumatized her! Not some pathetic loser out to kill her!
"Found you."
Lila paled as the Akuma threw her to the cold hard floor. She looked up and saw Dark Quill approaching her with a look that said, 'I'm going to kill you.' And as she prepared for her demise, she heard…
"SUNRISE!"
Lila and Dark Quill shielded their eyes as a being made of light approached them. Dark Quill tried to open his eyes and write something that would get rid of this blinding white light, but he couldn't concentrate and shielded his eyes again.
"CATACLYSM!"
Dark Quill felt the scroll disintegrate in his hands, and heard the flap of a butterfly's wings, followed by, "No more evil-doing for you little Akuma! Time to de-evilize! Gotcha! Bye-bye, little butterfly."
Dark Quill uncovered his eyes and was relieved to find the bright light has finally dimmed. He saw Royt Hon, giving him a look of concern, and Chat Noir handing Ladybug a pair of ladybug-print sunglasses. She tossed them into the air and shouted,
"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
The sunglasses exploded into millions of ladybugs that flew all around Paris, fixing the damage caused by the Akuma. Jagged and Clara returned to their hotel rooms, Ali was back at Achu, much to the relief of the castle staff. Dark Blade, still frozen in the cafeteria disappeared, and Lila was no longer tied up.
Dark Quill was engulfed in purple energy that vanished to reveal Marc, who blinked in confusion. "W-where am I? What happened?", he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Royt Hon giving him a sympathetic look, "What did I do?", he asked fearfully
—
Hawkmoth sighed, "Maybe it was for the best. His emotions were too strong, I couldn't even control his actions… Another time, perhaps. Now that Miss Rossi is out of the picture."
—
"YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, YOU WORTHLESS NOBODY!", Lila screeched. Royt Hon glared and wrapped his arms around Marc, making him blush. Before Lila could say more, Ladybug approached her, looking furious and her fists shaking, ready to punch her. Chat Noir even extended his staff and bared his claws. She backed away
"Like you would hurt me!", she taunted
"Oh, I think she has every right.", she turned her head and saw Alya, holding up her phone, still recording, "You just exposed yourself live in front of Paris. Admitting your hatred for the city's beloved hero, framing Marinette, and working with a known terrorist!"
"I-I…", she pointed to Marc, "He made me say those things! They were all lies! He's jealous me, just like Marinette!", she claimed, crocodile tears already forming
"Why would I be jealous of a lying bitch?!", he yelled
Lila let out a gasp and cried harder, "See? He hates me!"
"Oh, I could think of much worse.", Chat muttered before turning to Royt Hon, "Royt, get Marc out of here. We'll deal with Rossi.
"I'll get your Miraculous later," Ladybug added as she cracked her knuckles, and Chat cracked his neck. Royt sent the liar a smirk before gathering Marc in his arms bridal style and carrying him away. Alya stormed over to Lila, her fists ready.
"I posted lies because of you! I called my best friend jealous!", she shouted as Lila backed into a corner to get away from the angry reporter, and the even angrier heroes.
—
Royt landed outside the school and set Marc down, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Thanks." He smiled before worry took over, "Where's Nathaniel? Is he alright?!"
"Uh… Yeah!", he answered, "I saw him and three girls by the Louvre, actually."
Marc sighed with relief, "Oh, thank God. I gotta apologize. I almost hurt him, he must hate me-!", Royt reacted and took his hand in his.
"He knows you didn't mean to. You weren't in control, he understands that. You just didn't want Lila to hurt you or Nathaniel…"
Marc smiles, "Thank you…"
Royt blushes, "No problem…" He started leaning in, but suddenly felt Marc's hand on his chest, stopping him. He gives the boy a confused look.
"I-I have a boyfriend," Marc said, looking away in embarrassment.
The Rooster hero remembered that he wasn't Nathaniel right now and internally face palmed, "Heh. Sorry! Sorry about that…" They suddenly heard a beeping sound. Royt looked and saw that the feather on his ring was flashing. 'Thank you," he thought. "I should go. I'll see you around." He jumped up to the roof of the school and went from rooftop to rooftop as Marc stared after him.
"Yeah…"
—
"You should have seen them!", Orikko gushed as Ladybug giggled at the sight of Nathaniel's red face, "It was so cute! I haven't seen sparks fly like that since Captain Phoenix met Lady Lacro Iris on one of her expeditions!"
"Okay, okay, back in the box." The Kwami groaned, gave Nathaniel one last hug, then returned back to the ring. "Thanks, Nathaniel."
"It was an honor working with you and Chat Noir!", he admitted, his voice laced with joy before turning bitter, "So, what happened to Lila?"
"Let's just say that Karma finally caught up with her." She pulled out her yoyo and prepared to swing away, "And since the other heroes have been compromised, I'll be sure to find you when the situation calls for Royt Hon." Before Nathaniel could say anything, she swung away. He looked around to make sure he was alone, and squealed.
—
"NATH!", Alix yelled as she ran out of the Louvre and tackled him to the ground, "YOU WERE AWESOME!"
"We saw it all on the Ladyblog!", Rose squealed
"You were a total badass," Juleka complimented
Alix got off of him and help him back in his feet, "So, how's Marc?"
Before Nathaniel could answer, a voice called out, "Nath!" The redhead whirled around and saw Marc, a look of relief on his face. The two ran towards each other and met with a loving embrace, "I'm so sorry!"
Nathaniel chuckled and ran his fingers through Marc's hair, "It's okay, Rainbow. It's okay… Lila's gone." Seeing Marc's smile, he kissed his soft pink lips as Rose and Juleka awed while Alix nodded with approval.
"I don't care what happens to her, but… What happened to Lila?", Alix asked
—
Ladybug and Chat Noir sat in the park, eating macarons and watching Lila being pushed into a police car as she kicked and scream while a woman, who had a similar appearance to her cried and cursed in Italian. Onlookers took pictures of the exposed liar, no doubt they were going to spread her name and turn her into a pariah
"I have been waiting for this for a long time.", Ladybug said as she bit into a macaron. Chat responded with a nod, and the two fist bumped "Pound it."