Before arriving at Dupont, Marc went to Vadim Bastille Collège and lived the life of those high school princesses you see in teen movies (Minus all of the drama, backstabbing, and the occasional bursting into song). He was liked by everyone including the teachers, he was president of the writing, fanfiction, and GSA club, had an amazing group of friends, and best of all, an amazing boyfriend.
Lucien Rebois was the most sought after boy at school. Tall, tan, captain of the fútbol team and took every team he was on to victory, super popular, charming, and the nicest guy you'll ever meet. What more could a person want in a boyfriend? Girls would always try to ask him out, but he turned every single one of them down, even the most popular girls at school. Everyone wondered why until the day of the championship game when everything came to light.
Marc and his friends cheered their school's team on as they made the winning goal. While the crowd was still in a frenzy, Lucien grabbed a microphone and quieted everyone down when he said that he had to make an announcement…
"… Gimme an 'M'!" he shouted into the mic, forming an M with his arms. The crowd complied and mirrored him, while Marc and his friends just looked at each other in confusion.
"M!"
"Gimme an 'A'!"
"A!"
"Gimme an 'R'!"
"R!"
Mehdi, a Cuban boy with brown hair dyed pink, and Vice President of the GSA squealed when he realized what Lucien was spelling, "He's gonna say C!" Syd, a a Vietnamese student nodded in agreement.
Marc sputtered, "W-what?! No! He's not!"
"Wait for it, Mar-Mar," Madelyn, a stocky Creole girl with a half-shaved head told him.
"Gimme a 'C'!"
"C!"
She smirked, "I knew it!"
"What does that spell?!" Lucien asked as he pointed to the crowd. From where he stood, Marc blushed when he realized that Lucien had spelled his name.
"Marc!" The students shouted, a few looked at Marc, grinning. He was sure this had to be a prank.
"Come on! Lemme hear you!" he encouraged.
"MARC!" The students shouted again. Even a few teachers joined in. Lucien's eyes never left the green-eyed boy, and neither did the smile on his face as he spoke to him like they were the only people on the field.
"I love you, Marc Anciel. Did I mention that?" Marc smiles when he realized that the most popular boy in school was being sincere, and he truly felt this way about him. On the field, Marc could hear a few of the cheerleaders screaming with envy, knowing Lucien was gay and off the market. They ran away in tears.
Lucien pointed towards the band, "Gimme a beat!"
"Un, deus, trois, quatre!"
Marc couldn't believe this was happening. It was like something out of a fairytale. He looked around to see if this was real, and it was. When Lucien sang a love song about how he would give everything up for just one kiss, when he threw his jersey into the crowd, and Marc caught it, when he crowd-surfed over to him, and when he asked him to the dance… It was all real...
—
They were the cutest couple at school. They went on amazing dates, and went as a couple to every school event. Lucien even tried to switch classes so he could be closer to Marc, which the writer and other students found so sweet. Lucien has to be the best boyfriend ever. Generous, considerate, loyal, protective…
...A little too protective, though. Dating Lucien meant having the fútbol team on your side. When he heard about some homophobic student messing with Marc, Lucien sent the entire team to "Take care of him." No one's seen that student in a while.
Lucien was also kind of clingy. Marc can't remember the last time he's hung out with his friends; he was always going on at least twenty dates with Lucien. Then one day, the students gave Marc a new nickname, 'Lucien's pet', after he was given a red choker necklace with a silver heart dangling on a small chain, and on the heart was 'L.R.' Lucien would also always treat Marc like he was his property, but he did it in a slow, subtle way: Having his hands on Marc at all times, slowly separating him from his friends, then at one point, trying to dictate what he wore.
Madelyn was finally able to get some alone time with Marc and told him all about toxic relationships. And those examples sounded exactly like the situation he was in right now.
With some encouragement from his friends, Marc was finally found the courage to break up with Lucien after eight long months, and everything was back to normal. Marc didn't have someone constantly following him around and keeping him away from his friends or threatening innocent students. Even when Lucien tried to get him back, he stood strong and didn't give in. He almost did when Lucien swore he would be better, but when Marc caught him threatening the exchange student from Hong Kong who he thought had a crush on Marc, he had enough.
After explaining everything to his moms, they decided that it would be best if Marc switched schools to avoid Lucien. He was hesitant at first, knowing that he would have to leave all of his friends behind, but it was worth it to not have to deal with Lucien anymore. So, he said his goodbyes, made the Vice Presidents of the clubs the new presidents, and left, ready to start a new life at a new school.
Lucien wouldn't give up, though. He vowed that he would find Marc, and make him his again by any means necessary.
"Class, we have a new student!" Mme. Bustier announced in her usual cheerful tone. A few of the students rolled their eyes and groaned at the mention of a new student, worried this one may be like Lila. "Don't worry. Damocles ran a background check on this one and he as a clean record. Please meet Lucien Rebois."
Kim and Alix perked up at the mention of the name and nearly fell out of their seats when the athlete walked into the room. The other students, while not huge fans like Kim and Alix, gasped when they saw him.
"Hi, nice to meet you all," he greeted with a polite smile.
"Dude! You're a legend!", Kim shouted abruptly. "My cousin took me to every game you played, you are awesome!"
Lucien tried not to blush at the praise, "Well, I guess I was okay."
"Okay?!" Alix exclaimed. "You gotta join our fútbol team, we suck!"
"Alix!" Bustier reprimanded as Lucien chuckled, "That's quite enough."
"I'll think about it." He looked around for an empty seat. "So, where do I sit?"
Mme. Bustier pointed up the stairs, "Right next to Nathaniel." The redhead waved so Lucien could see him. With a nod, Lucien walked up the stairs, paying no mind to the many admiring looks he was receiving, and sat down next to Nathaniel. The two sent each other polite smiles and focused on Bustier's lecture.
—
While doing classwork, Nathaniel's eyes wandered to the bracelet wrapped around Lucien's wrist. It was red, made of leather, and had a silver heart. It didn't seem weird at first until he saw his seat mate's initials carved on the heart. 'Wonder who gave that to him,' he thought, then went back to his classwork, only to be disrupted by the sound of the bell.
"Okay, everyone, I'll see you all after lunch," Mme. Bustier said as the students walked out of the classroom.
While packing his messenger bag, Nathaniel dropped a draft of the Ladybug comic and went to pick it up, but Lucien beat him to it and looked at it in awe, "Dude, you make the Ladybug comics? I love these!" he grinned.
Nathaniel smiles at the compliment, "Thanks. I-I don't make the whole comic though-"
He was cut off by Alix, running up the stairs and wrapping an arm around him, and saying, "He draws, and his partner writes."
"Alix," he groaned, making the pink-haired girl grin.
"Partner as is significant other?", Lucien asked when he realized what Alix meant. When he saw Nathaniel looking away in embarrassment and with what looked like fear, he eased his worries by saying, "Don't worry, man. I'm like, super gay."
Nathaniel smiled, relief taking over. Alix's smile widened when she heard those words and she immediately wrapped her other arm around Lucien, "I love this boy!"
And the three of them left the classroom.
—
Later at lunch, Lucien has drawn in a crowd as he talked a little about himself. Even Marinette joined in when she realized this new student was nothing like Lila and didn't go on and on bragging about himself, or claiming he did something outlandish that could be proven false with a quick and easy Google search.
"Well, I've been captain of the fútbol team since middle school, and I'll be honest, I was not ready to lead a whole team."
Marinette whispered to Alya, "I like how modest he is." The Creole girl nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, not like she who will not be named," Alya said with a roll of her eyes, then asked, "So Lucien, I hope you don't mind going off-topic, but what do you think of Ladybug and Chat Noir?"
"They're amazing!" He exclaimed. "I mean, I've never seen them in person, only on the Ladyblog live-streams. My school was a little far from the action," he explained while Alya beamed at the mention of her blog. "Now, what's this I've heard about 'Ladybug's best friend?'"
The students groaned. "We don't talk about her," Marinette said bitterly.
"Alright, enough about Rossi," Nino said, then pointed to the bracelet resting on his wrist. "Sweet band, man! Where'd you find that?" The others admired the bracelet and repeated Nino's question.
"Well… It was my ex's."
Nathaniel arched an eyebrow, 'His ex's? Then why does it have his initials?' He wondered to himself then continued to listen.
"Yeah, I gave him this after we dated for three months. I, um… I'm not entirely over him yet," he admitted, making the girls and some boys awe. "Then he switched schools, and I haven't really been the same."
"That's why you were playing sloppy at your games!" Kim exclaimed. "Man, that must've been rough. If Ondine broke up with me, I'd probably be drowning in the pool." Everyone laughed. Nathaniel then looked up and saw Marc walking in the cafeteria with Mireille. He smiled at how content and happy he looked, but then that feeling turned to concern when he saw him running away the minute he walked in.
Nathaniel, wanting to make sure Marc was okay, excused himself, then ran after him.
He heard footsteps, whirled around, and saw Mireille running after him, "Is Marc okay?" she asked, only to have Nathaniel respond with a shrug.
"I don't know. Help me look for him."
"Damn long legs," Mireille cursed under her breath.
—
"Anciel!"
Marc turned away from the bathroom mirror and came face-to-face... Well, more like chest-to-face with Ismael Prisk, the school's foreign exchange student from Pakistan, Marc's classmate, and what some of the anime-fanatic students call a 'tsundere'.
Marc sighed, "Ismael, I'm not in the mood."
"Fight with your boyfriend?" He asked in a snarky tone, making Marc roll his eyes at the boy's usual behavior.
"No! I-I just..."
Ismael continued to pry, "Because you always spend lunch with him, considering the fact that you two have no classes together, so I'm just naturally curious as to why you'd rather hide in the bathroom than use that precious hour to make out with him."
'Yeah right,' Marc thought to himself. "It has nothing to do with Nathaniel."
The short brunette smirked, "Well, then I guess you won't mind if I go fetch him, now would you?" He heads for the door, only to be stopped when Marc grabs his wrist.
"Don't do that!" He begged.
"I won't say anything if you tell me why you're acting like a freak," he retorted while snatching his wrist out of Marc's grasp.
"... Okay..." Seeing Ismael backing towards the door the longer it took for him to answer, he quickly said, "It's Lucien, okay?!"
"The new guy?" Marc nodded. "Tall, brunette, brown eyes, captain of some team?" Marc nodded again, "So what?"
"... He's my ex." Ismael made an 'o' shape with his mouth, "And, I just don't feel like running into him."
"So you're the guy who made him lose those games," Ismael taunted.
"It wasn't my fault!" Marc shouted. Ismael flinched at his outburst. "I had to break up with him! He was just... I couldn't take it! He was sweet at first, but he started treating me like I was his property or something!" He chokes back a sob. "He even had me wear a choker with his initials on it!"
The stoic look on Ismael's face became softer as he listened to Marc talk about his time dating Lucien.
"He even threatened some of my friends, o-or anyone who talked to me because he thought they were flirting with me." A tear streamed down his face as he continued. "One guy even went to the hospital because of me."
Ismael asked, "Did you tell anyone?"
"I tried to go to the principal, but he said without any proof, there wasn't anything that could've be done. And Lucien always thought ahead. He did his threatening in rooms that didn't have cameras, had the fútbol team backing him up if he was ever accused of something, and his aunt is a member of the school board, so he always got away with everything."
Ismael frowned, "Damn, that's... That's just awful."
Marc nodded, "I finally broke up with him, and I switched schools. But now that Lucien's here, I'm worried he'll do something to Nath when he finds out we're dating. So that's why you can't say anything!"
"Dude, Lucien's gonna find out you go here sooner or later," Ismael said with a shake of his head. "You just gotta avoid him, and hope he turns out like Rossi." He smiled at the thought of Lila rotting away in her prison cell.
Marc shuddered at the memory of how he almost killed Lila. But, putting that thought aside, he realized Ismael was right. Lila slipped up and got arrested, so maybe Lucien will be exposed too and get what he had coming a long time ago. "I guess... Thanks-"
Ismael cut him off and headed for the door, "Don't mention it. To anyone," he added before leaving.
—
Mireille walked out of the library, "Well, he's not in there." She turns to Nathaniel who's walking out of a classroom. "No luck?"
He shook his head, "No. I'm getting worried; why did he just run off like that?"
"Ask him yourself." Mireille narrowed her eyes as Ismael approached her and Nathaniel.
"What are you talking about, Ismael?" She asked curtly. "Where's Marc?"
The brunette ignored her and turned to Nathaniel. "Kurtzberg, I suggest you stay by your boyfriend's side at all times, especially now that Lucien's here," he warned.
"What?"
Ismael held his hands up, sensing the rising hostility in the redhead's voice, "He told me a couple of things about Rebois. Things that might concern you."
"Well what did he say? What did Lucien do?" He asked, wanting to get right to the point, but the other boy merely shook his head.
"Like I said: Ask him yourself," he answered with a pointed look before walking away from the two very confused students.
"I'll talk to him at art club," Nathaniel told Mireille before heading back to the cafeteria.
—
"So, Nath," Lucien said as he sat down in his seat, "I was just wondering, who's your partner with the Ladybug comic?" Nathaniel tenses at the question.
Should he say anything? If what Ismael said was true, then Lucien may hurt Marc. He needed to keep quiet until he has enough information on this guy to know if Marc is safe around him.
"Well, he prefers privacy," he answered. "He doesn't really like all of the attention," it wasn't really a lie. Marc hated being the center of attention, yet he's the writer for the most popular comic in Paris
"Huh," was Lucien's response before he turned his attention to the teacher
'...Okay.'
Throughout the lesson, Nathaniel felt like he was being watched, like someone was plotting to set him on fire. Maybe he was just being paranoid because he was worried about Marc... Yeah, that was it. No one's out to get him, and he did not just see Lucien glaring at him as if he were Hawkmoth himself.
—
Lucien knew what he saw, and he knew what he heard. He knew he saw the silky black hair of his love in the hallway, the bright red hoodie that hid his beautiful frame, and the gentle green eyes that made his heart melt...
He found him. After all this time, he found Marc Anciel. And he had the Ladyblog to thank for that. Even as a monochromatic supervillain who could reverse people, he still looked breath-taking. When he watched the live-stream, he instantly recognized the beautiful Akuma, and insisted on switching so he could find him. And who would've guessed that they'd end up in the same school again? It was fate, they were meant to stay together.
But then he heard Nathaniel Kurtzberg being referred to as Marc's boyfriend... That nobody stole Marc away from him: The school golden boy, the one people would kill to date. Well, he was going to get him back. They had art club together, probably to work on the comic. How did he not recognize Marc as the writer? The word choice, the realistic dialogue... Just another thing Lucien loved about him
When that bell rings at the end of the day, Marc will be his again.
—
"You alright, Nath?" Kim asked Nathaniel as he shut his locker closed and slipped on his swim cap, "You seem a little on edge."
He shrugged, "... It's Lucien."
The Vietnamese boy smiled dreamily at the mention of the name, "Yeah, he's awesome. What about him?"
"Well, I heard some stuff about him," Nathaniel answered as he placed a book in his locker, "And it involved Marc.", Kim raised an eyebrow. "Ismael told me to keep Marc away from him."
"Ismael Prisk?" Nathaniel nodded, "You actually believe him? He's not exactly the nicest guy, Nath. Plus, Lucien's chill, he wouldn't do anything to hurt Marc... Not like Lila."
The artist rolled his eyes at the mention of the Italian, and Kim's face contorted into disgust.
"I can't believe I thought she was telling the truth," Kim said, ashamed, "I get injured all the time, and I come back with bruises and casts. She falls down the stairs and somehow comes back without a singer scratch."
"Well, I'll admit, she was pretty convincing," Nathaniel admitted with a look of embarrassment, "She almost had me convinced, but then she said she was dating the creator of the Ladybug comic."
Kim facepalms, "God, me and the others are so dumb."
Nathaniel chuckled, then shut his locker, "Well, I'm gonna go and see if Marc's alright."
"I bet my lucky speedo that Lucien is a good guy!"
Nathaniel yelled back as he walked out the room, "You can keep those!"
—
Meanwhile, in the art room, Marc was listening to music on his headphones and writing in his journal as he waited for Nathaniel to arrive. He needed to relax after the day he's been having- He's managed to avoid Lucien the whole day, so that's good... Now he just had to keep doing so until graduation.
This was one of the places where he was safe. Lucien was never really into the arts, so there was no way he'd ever actually come in here
"Lucien, hi!" Marc heard Rose greet as the song he was listening to faded out. He dropped his pencil in horror.
'Oh, God.'
"So, an athlete, and an artist?", Alix let out a low whistle, "I'm liking you more and more, man."
'They're all in the same class, of course, they're friends.'
"Well, not really.", he responded with a laugh then looked around the room, "I just came to check the place out. I'm liking the calm vibe here."
Juleka shrugged as she strummed a few chords on her guitar, "It is pretty quiet here sometimes."
'Okay, they're distracting him. Maybe if I sneak out quietly, he won't notice me.' Marc slowly gathered his notebook and pencils in his bag, not wanting to make too much noise
"Marc! Have you met Lucien?!" Rose asked, and at that moment, Marc wanted to die
"..."
When he didn't move, Juleka arched an eyebrow, "Marc, are you okay?"
Before he could respond, Marc felt a strong hand being placed on his shoulder and heard, "Hello, my Emerald." The pet name that made him want to throw up
"Who's Emerald?" Alix asked.
Lucien feigned surprise and answered, "Oh, did Marc not tell you?" He holds up his wrist with the choker acting as a bracelet, "We were boyfriends. I call him Emerald because of his lovely eyes."
Alix, Rose, and Juleka weren't sure how to respond to that. Do they ask follow-up questions, tell him to leave before Nathaniel arrives, or just kick him out right now because he's getting a little too close to Marc?
"Okay, okay!" Alix approaches the two and removes Lucien's hand from Marc's arm, "Reunion's over, you should go try out for a team, Marc has a boyfriend." She points to the door, "You can leave now."
"What's the rush?", Lucien asked as he placed both his hands on Marc's shoulders and gave them a little squeeze, making the writer shudder. "Can't a guy just talk to his ex without someone trying to make him leave?" He gives the sleeve of Marc's jacket a little tug, grinning when it slides off his shoulder a little bit.
"I don't hear you talking to each other," Alix spat.
He huffed, "Fine." He slides on of his hands under Marc's chin and has him turn towards him. "Emerald, I haven't stopped thinking about you ever since we took our break."
Marc mumbled, "We broke up."
"And I want you back." He leaned in close to the petrified boy and made escaping impossible. He had Marc pinned against the table with his arms on either side of him. "Come on, Emerald. Let's finish where we-" He didn't finish as he was pushed away from Marc by none other than Alix
"You have five. Fucking. Seconds," she snarled.
Lucien smirked, "Well, I better make the most of it." He sent Marc a wink, only infuriating Alix even more.
—
As he made his way towards the art room, Nathaniel's phone started buzzing. He checked the texts and it was all caps and angry emojis.
Alix:
GET IN HERE BEFORE I SNAP HIS NECK!
Rose:
HURRY! ALIX IS GONNA RIP HIS HEAD OFF!
Alix:
FHE)3 D#%UWUDK WH3&
Juleka:
Alix used her phone to smack him. Also, I think Marc's having a panic attack!!
At that last text, Nathaniel ran as fast as he could. When he made it to the classroom, his eyes widened at the scene before him. Alix had Lucien in a headlock while Rose tried to pry her off, and Juleka had her arms wrapped around Marc as he sat on the floor.
"What the hell is going on?!" He yelled, grabbing everyone's attention except for Marc's. Juleka helped Marc up and walked him over to his boyfriend. Nathaniel cupped his cheeks in his hands, "It's okay, Rainbow. I'm here." He took one of his shaky hands and kissed it. "It's okay."
"Get your hands off of him!", Lucien snarled, making Marc wrap his arms tight around Nathaniel and hide his face in the crook of his neck.
Alix jabbed his chest with her finger, "He's having a panic attack, you dick!"
Nathaniel was suddenly pulled out of Marc's hold and the writer pulled his hood over his head, shaking and sobbing as the two boys yelled at each other.
"Get out of here!"
"Make me, twerp!"
Marc feels a hand on his shoulder. He holds it, thinking it's Nathaniel, Alix, Juleka, or Rose. When he looks up, he paled when he realized it was Lucien.
"Get away from him!" Rose screamed as Juleka stormed over and yanked the boy away from Marc.
"Emerald, you're going to let them-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" He sobbed
"Get out of here, Rebois," Nathaniel growled.
"Over my dead- OW!"
Alix had twisted his arm behind his back and is walking him towards the door, "And stay out!" She pushed him out, then shut the door. Once Lucien regained his composure, he looked around and saw a couple of students giving confused looks and whispering. He stormed off in a huff.
—
"The owner of heart once so full of life only to have it be torn apart, then shattered, and now seeking to take back what was his." Hawkmoth holds out his hand, and a white butterfly lands in his open palm. He covers the butterfly, and it's engulfed with dark magic, turning the butterfly into an Akuma. It flutters away
"Fly, my little Akuma. And evilize him!"
—
Lucien sat outside on the steps of the school, scrolling through photos on his phone, all are of him and Marc when they were dating- Them holding hands while roller-skating, Marc wearing his letterman jacket at a fútbol game, dancing at the spring formal, kissing in his car at a drive-in... They looked so happy... He shoved his phone back in his pocket and rubbed his thumb over the choker necklace wrapped around his wrist. While doing this, he felt something brush up against his finger, and suddenly, he felt as if someone was in his head.
"Heart Thief, I am Hawkmoth. I too understand the pain of losing someone you love. Now you can take back what's yours. In return, you must give me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous."
Lucien wanted to say no. He's seen what this guy was capable of, but... He'd have Marc all to himself again. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. He had to get him back and away from those friends of his. Especially that red-haired twerp...
"I'm coming for you, Marc," he said as the black mist bubbled up from the choker and surrounded him.
Hawkmoth froze when he heard that name. 'Marc Anciel.' How could such an innocent-sounding name sound so malevolent? He, a mere child managed to silence and overpower him, the most feared villain in all of Paris, and then had the nerve to threaten him... It was quite impressive. Marc was now second on his 'Must Akumatize' list, and at the top was Marinette. Even though Lila had been arrested and was no longer a threat to her emotional stability, the Eurasian girl would still make a powerful Akuma- Not one caused by her friends betrayal, but definitely something that would make the heroes fall to their knees.
—
"It's okay, Rainbow. He's gone," Nathaniel whispered as he had his arms wrapped around Marc's frame, "He won't hurt you, okay?"
"God! I can't believe I actually looked up to that guy!", Alix screeched, "When I see him, I'm just gonna... I'll...", she chucks a spray paint can at the door, M. Haberkorn walks in carrying a few blank canvases just as the can drops to the floor with a 'clank'.
"What's going on here?", he asked with concern when he felt the tension in the room.
Alix sighed, "Sorry, M. Haberkorn. We just... Ugh!" She slumped into her seat.
The art teacher looks and sees Marc in Nathaniel's protective hold, "Is Marc okay?"
Juleka answers, "We had a run-in with the new student."
Rose adds, "Yeah, and he was making Marc really uncomfortable! He kept touching him and calling him Em-" Seeing Nathaniel shake his head, she rephrased, "A name that he didn't like. And he was, I guess flirting with Marc even when we said he and Nathaniel were dating!"
M. Haberkorn frowned. How dare another student come into his classroom and harass one of his children students? "Well, I'll be having a talk with M. Damocles about this first thing tomorrow," he said sternly, "That boy will not set another foot in this room, or hurt you again, Marc."
Marc lifted his head and sent the kind man a faint smile.
Then suddenly, destroying the calm atmosphere were screams coming from the students who stayed after school. Juleka ran out into the hall and saw the Akuma. He wore a black mask with a small red heart above his right eye, a suit where the top half was is tailcoat that was red at the top and black at the bottom, and the ends of the tailcoat formed a broken heart. He wore black pants, black fingerless gloves that revealed his red nails, and came up to his biceps, red platform boots with metal heart buckles that came up to his knees, and in his hand was a black choker necklace with a red, metal heart. She gasped when she realized the Akuma was Lucien, then went back in the room, shut the door, and told the others, "Lucien's an Akuma!"
Alix clenched her fists, "Oh, hell no!"
M. Haberkorn shushed her, "We can't let him know we're still in here."
Everyone froze when they heard the Akuma's footsteps were getting louder as he approached the room. Nathaniel kept Marc in a protective hold as the taller boy silently cried... The footsteps soon faded away, and they all let out relieved sighs, but this moment was short-lived when the door suddenly blew off its hinges, revealing Heart Thief.
He looked around the room until his eyes land on Marc and smirks, "Oh, Emerald," he drawled out, "Did you miss me?"
Alix got into a fighting stance, Nathaniel moved Marc behind him, Rose and Juleka backed away but still stood close by Marc. M. Haberkorn scowled when he realized this was the student that harassed Marc.
Sternly he said, "You're not welcome here. Leave." But the villain just laughed.
"Not until I take back what's mine." He held up the collar, making Marc back away at the sight of it. "Emerald, come here."
Alix tightened her fists, "If you think he's gonna listen to you, you must be-!" She silenced herself when she saw a red dagger in the shape of a heart appear in the palm of his hand.
"Emerald, you know how much I hate waiting," he chastised, then summoned four more daggers he sent towards Alix, Rose, Juleka, Nathaniel, and M. Haberkorn. Everyone ducked out of the way and the daggers hit a sculpture, forming cracks along the surface before it crumbled into bits. Marc looked up and didn't have time to react before Heart Thief threw the choker at him, and it wrapped itself around his neck. Marc tried to rip it off but then suddenly came to a halt and his arms dropped to his sides. When he and the Akuma locked eyes, Marc no longer saw Heart Thief, he saw Lucien- His devoted, caring boyfriend. Nathaniel got up and his eyes widened in shock when he saw that Marc's irises were now a bright red.
Nathaniel held his hand, "Rainbow?" He got no response.
Heart Thief sent the boy a taunting smirk. His look softened as he looked to Marc, "Emerald, come here," he commanded sweetly as his eyes glowed the same shade of red as Marc's irises.
Marc stood, and with no hesitation, ran over to Heart Thief. Rose reached for his hand but he pulled it away and went to nuzzle up against the Akuma's chest
Nathaniel looked heartbroken, and even more when Marc and Heart Thief passionately kissed each other, "Oh, I knew you'd come to your senses, Emerald." He gently scooped him off his feet and sent Nathaniel another smirk when Marc wrapped his arms around his neck. "Perhaps I should be calling you Ruby now." Before he could head out, M. Haberkorn stood at the doorway
"Unhand him this instant!" he shouted in a tone none of the art students have ever heard him use. Heart Thief just scoffed, settled Marc in his left arm, then he used his free hand to grab the man by his shirt and fling him across the room, causing him to crash into some paint cans that splattered him with a mess of colors. Rose and Juleka went to help him up while Alix and Nathaniel ran after Heart Thief, who fled during the commotion.
While running, Heart Thief summoned six heart-shaped daggers and threw them at Nathaniel and Alix. They weren't hit, but dodging the daggers slowed them down and allowed Heart Thief to get away.
He made his way outside, scaring off a few civilians, but he didn't care. He finally had Marc back, and once he brought the Miraculous to Hawkmoth, they'll never be separated ever again
"I told you," he whispered. "I'd get you back, my Ruby. Nothing will keep us apart." He kisses Marc's pink lips again, but was cut short when he heard, "PUT HIM DOWN!"
Standing at the top of the steps was Nathaniel, seething with rage and with visible tears streaming down his face. Heart Thief rolled his eyes and leaped away.
"NO!"
—
"Excellent, Heart Thief. It shouldn't be too long before Ladybug and Chat Noir arrive. Once you take their Miraculous, he shall be yours forever."
Heart Thief smiled as he looked down at Marc; his hair blowing in his beautiful face as he ran, "That's all I want."
—
Meanwhile, in his room, Adrien was just sitting at his desk, watching footage of the Ladyblog on his three computer monitors, when he suddenly heard screams from outside. He rushed over to his window and looked to see Heart Thief leaping from roof to roof with Marc in his arms
"Is that Marc?" he asks himself before turning to Plagg who was sitting on the couch and munching on some Camembert, "Plagg, we gotta go!"
The Kwami of destruction groaned, "But I just got comfy!"
"Now! Plagg, Claws out!"
—
Marinette was just sitting on her balcony, flipping through a fashion magazine while Tikki sat on her shoulder eating a macaron. Before the goddess of creation could take another bite, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye
"Marinette, look!"
Marinette looked to where the Kwami was pointing and saw the Akuma running on the roof of a building. She took a closer look and shock crossed her face when she saw Marc cradled in his arms, "Marc?!"
"He must've been kidnapped," Tikki deduced.
"Well, we're gonna get him back! Tikki, Spots On!"
—
Back at school, Nathaniel was panicking. He just lost Marc to... To... To that sleaze! What's even worse is that he could make Marc do whatever he wants. He didn't even want to imagine that.
"Nath, it's gonna be okay," Alix tried to reassure him.
"No it's not!" He yelled. "You saw what he was doing to Marc! He'll- Oh God! What if he-!"
"Hey," Alix grabs his shoulders. "He's not gonna do anything to Marc, okay? Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of this like they always do. A-and maybe they'll call on you again since this is a personal thing."
Nathaniel didn't care about being Royt Hon again. He just wanted Marc back, "You think so?" Alix nodded and pointed up towards the red-clad hero swinging across the city.
"Once this is over, I'm giving Lucien a piece of my mind," she snarled
—
Couples ran out of the way or stood frozen in shock as Heart Thief and Marc walked across Pont Des Arts.
"Oh, Ruby. I'm so glad to have you back," Heart Thief said as he combed his fingers through Marc's hair.
The writer held onto the Akuma's free arm and sighed contently, "I missed you, Lucien."
"And you don't love anyone else, only me?" Heart Thief asked, eyes glowing again as he softly caressed Marc cheek, causing his pink lips to curl into a smile.
"No, I only love you." Even if it was fake, Heart Thief didn't seem to care; he was just thrilled to have Marc back in his arms and listening to his every word. There was just one thing that could make this even better.
"Ruby, I never really liked how that hoodie hid your gorgeous figure," Heart Thief said, biting his bottom lip as he messed with the jaw string of Marc's hoodie. "Remove it for me?"
Marc's eyes flickered from crimson to green, and for a second, he saw Heart Thief and not Lucien, but the Akuma didn't seem to notice and just waited for Marc to do as he said. "L-love to." Raising his hand to his shoulder, he began to slide the jacket off when a voice called out,
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived on the scene. Civilians fled, knowing how destructive these Akuma battles could get. Heart Thief stood in front of Marc and sent a glare the heroes' way as he summoned two daggers, "You will not take my love away from me!"
Ladybug ignored him but kept her yoyo ready in case she would have to deflect those daggers. She furrowed her brow when she saw Marc, clinging onto the Akuma's arm. That's when she noticed his eyes were no longer green, and realized he must be being controlled by the Akuma.
"Marc, whatever spell he has on you, you need to break free from it!"
He tilted his head, "Spell?"
"Yeah, your eyes are supposed to be green! And you love Nathaniel, not him!" Chat pointed an accusing finger at the Akuma
Suddenly, Marc felt a tinge of pain in his head and held it tightly, causing Heart Thief to look at him with concern, "My Ruby, are you alright?"
His eyes flickered again, but this time Heart Thief noticed, and so did the heroes, "I-I'm fine. Can we go? Please?"
Heart Thief let out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to Ladybug and Chat, summoning ten more daggers, each one sharpened to a fine point and ready to pierce through the heroes, "If you know what's best for you, you'll leave me and my Ruby alone," he threatened, then sent the daggers at the heroes before gathering Marc in his arms and running off.
Ladybug spun her yoyo, Chat spun his staff, and the two deflected each dagger. They either flew off and fell into the water, or were embedded in the floor or nearby benches. Once there were no more daggers coming for them, Ladybug and Chat swung and vaulted after Heart Thief.
—
Heart Thief knew his control over Marc was weakening when he saw his eyes turning green again. He had to remove any memories of Nathaniel, seeing as the mere mention of his name would break his control over Marc
After looking around to make sure the heroes were nowhere in sight, Heart Thief stopped on the nearest rooftop and set Marc gently onto the roof, "Lucien, why did you stop?" He asked as Heart Thief took his hand in his.
"Marc," he started, "my Ruby." His eyes started glowing again, "What do you remember about Nathaniel Kurtzberg?"
Marc's eyes began flickering again, rapidly, before settling on red, "We go to school together," he answered. Heart Thief's eyes became brighter, "He... He likes to draw. I think."
He smirked, "What else?"
"... He has brown hair?"
"Anything else you remember about Nathaniel?" His bright red eyes became a menacing blood red.
"..." Marc's face contorted in confusion as he tried to remember who this boy was. The name sounded so familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why "I... I don't know who that is."
'He doesn't remember him. Perfect!' "Are you sure?" He asked, needing confirmation
"No." He tilted his head slightly, "Am I supposed to?"
Heart Thief kissed his forehead before answering, "No, my Ruby. He's not important. Never has been, never will be." His muscular arms wrapped around Marc's frame and he pulls him in for a hug, which the entranced boy gladly returned.
"Found you!"
Having no time to react, Ladybug's yoyo smacked Heart Thief in the face, making him stumble and fall on his back. Marc went to help him up but found himself being restrained by Chat Noir.
"Let me go!" He cried, writhing in the leather-clad hero's hold. "Lucien!"
The Akuma who was tied up by Ladybug's yoyo. Heart Thief swept her leg, sending Ladybug down, and freed himself from the magic weapon. Chat Noir ran after him, staff ready, but Heart Thief grabbed the staff and used it to fling him into Ladybug just as she was getting up.
Once the heroes were down, Marc ran into Heart Thief's waiting arms. He picked Marc up bridal style and leaped away just as Ladybug and Chat Noir got back up and situated themselves.
"And I thought cats were territorial," Chat huffed as he picked up his staff, "Did you see anything on Romeno, that might have been the akumatized object?"
Ladybug shook her head, "Nothing. But we have to keep looking." Then she yelled out,
"LUCKY CHARM!" The object that fell into her hands was...
"Marc and Nathaniel's comic?"
Chat examined the cover, "Issue twelve. The one where Might Illustrator saves Inverser from Scarlet Moth's control." Ladybug raised an eyebrow, to which Chat responded with a shrug, "What? I like their work."
Ladybug flipped through the pages until she stopped on a specific one. Might Illustrator held Inverser in a loving embrace as the two kissed, and Inverser's red and black suit faded back to white and black. Ladybug got an idea, "Chat, go after Heart Thief. I'll be right back."
He nodded, "On it, m'lady!" He he vaulted away.
—
Back at Dupont, Alix was comforting Nathaniel, who was crying into her shoulder, "Okay, so it's been almost two hours, but Ladybug and Chat Noir will get Marc back!" She reassured, "It almost took them an entire day to defeat some Akumas," she reminded him, but Nathaniel couldn't listen, not when Marc was in the arms of some creep.
He just wanted him back...
"Nathaniel!" Ladybug called out as she landed, startling the two, "I need your help!" She looked down at the comic with her Lucky Vision, then at Nathaniel. Both were ladybug-patterned.
Alix gave Nathaniel's arm a nudge, "Is Royt gonna make a comeback?"
"Not exactly." She holds out her hand to the redhead, "Right now, Marc needs you. Will you come with me?"
With a look of determination, Nathaniel took the superheroine's hand. "Let's get Marc back."
"And when you see Lucien," Alix holds up her fist and smirks. "give him one of these for me, 'kay, bud?"
Nathaniel gave his friend a nod as Ladybug wrapped her arm around him, "Oh, I'll be giving him much worse." Then Ladybug swung away with Nathaniel in her arms.
—
After five minutes of running, Heart Thief landed right outside of the Le Grand Blanche Hotel. By the door was a sign that read, 'Jemart and Mell Wedding in Banquet Hall' His lips curled into a grin, "Ruby. How would you like us to always be together?" All he got in response was a kiss on the cheek.
"Heart Thief, what is the meaning of this? I want my Miraculous!"
"And you'll get them. Right after I make Marc mine forever." At that, he carried Marc into the hotel.
It took almost ten minutes, but Heart Thief finally found the banquet hall and set Marc down on the floor before using his enhanced strength to punch the door down, much to the alarm of everyone in attendance at the wedding. The groom was just about to put the ring on the bride's finger.
Heart Thief smirked, "Sorry to interrupt such a lovely ceremony, but this will only take a moment."
"Marc?" Standing from her seat was Madelyn, dressed in a black vest with a red bow tie, a white dress shirt, black pants, and black heels, "What's going on? Why are you with an Akuma?"
Marc gave his old friend a confused look, "I'm not with an Akuma, I'm with Lucien."
The girl narrowed her eyes at the Akuma and instantly recognized him. "Rebois," she snarled
"Jemart. I thought the name sounded familiar."
The muscular girl rolled up her sleeves and stormed over to the Akuma, "After all this time, even as an Akuma, you're still a creep!" He look softened when she turned to Marc, "Mar-Mar, whatever lies this boy has been telling you, don't believe him."
He gave her an incredulous look, "He said he loves me."
"Marc," she grabs his shoulders, "you broke up with him for a reason! He's possessive, he threatened your friends, he made you wear a damn collar!" She points to the black choker around his neck, "And he still is. Mar-Mar, you're one of my best friends. Please. Believe me when I'm telling you that Lucien- Heart Thief- Whatever! He's using you..."
It's a stare down between the two. Marc's crimson red eyes started flickering again and were becoming a forest green color until Heart Thief squeezed his hand, and his eyes went back to red. "Maddy, please move."
A tear forms out of the corner of Madelyn's eye. "Marc-"
In one swift motion, Madelyn was pinned to the wall by Heart Thief's daggers, each one just an inch away from piercing her body. Marc looked back at her with concern until Heart Thief linked their arms and walked him down the aisle, prompting the bride and groom to move out of the way. The priest would have run too, but Heart Thief's glare kept him in place.
"O-okay then," the priest stammered, "So, do you, Heart Thief, t-take Marc to b-be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," he answered quickly.
"Of course," he said before turning to Marc, "And do y-you, Marc, take Heart Thief to-to be your la-lawfully wedded husband?"
"I-"
Before he could say 'do', someone yelled out, "I OBJECT!"
Everyone looked to see Paris' heroes and Nathaniel standing at the doorway. Ladybug's earrings had all five dots, having refueled Tikki before they arrived, and she was giving Chat Noir a bored look, "Was that necessary?"
He shrugged, "I've always wanted to do that."
Nathaniel's eyes didn't leave Marc for a second. He always fantasized about seeing Marc at an altar, but not like this.
"Crashing my wedding?!" How tacky are you?!" Heart Thief shouted, pulling Marc closer to him.
Nathaniel snarled. "I'm tacky?! You brainwashed my boyfriend!"
"He's marrying me willingly! Right, Ruby?" Marc nodded.
Ladybug threw her yoyo at Heart Thief. It wrapped around his ankles and she flung him across the room, making him crash into a wall. Nathaniel made his way over to Marc but he ran over to the wounded Akuma, and Nathaniel couldn't hold back his tears anymore.
Ladybug then called for her, "LUCKY CHARM!"
And in her hands was... "A magnet?"
While she looked for a way to use the lucky charm, Chat Noir quickly dragged Marc over to Nathaniel while Heart Thief was down, "Nathaniel, get him somewhere safe." With a nod, Nathaniel pulled Marc out of the banquet hall, and the battle began.
—
"Where are you taking me?!" Marc asked as Nathaniel continued to pull him through the building with some struggle since Marc kept trying to pull his hand out of his grasp.
"I'm getting you away from him, Marc!" He answered, then the two made their way into a stairwell.
"What?! How do you even know my name; who are you?!"
After hearing those last three words, Nathaniel's heart shattered. He stopped on his tracks and looked Marc right in his eyes, "You... You don't know who I am?"
Marc shook his head, "No. Look, I-I need to go back, or Lucien's gonna-"
"Forget about Lucien!" He shouted, "He's hurt you in the past, and is still doing it! Marc... He doesn't love you."
"H-he said he-"
Nathaniel was now crying at this point, "He doesn't mean it... I know you don't remember me, o-or everything we've been through together, and you probably won't believe me when I tell you this, but I love you! I can't lose you, you're... You're the best thing that's ever happened to me..." Seeing no change on Marc's confused face, he slid down the wall, tucked his head into his knees and silently cried, "I love you, Rainbow."
Marc just stood, not wondering what to do right now. He wanted to go back to Lucien, but this boy was claiming that he was a part of his life right now and is clearly upset... Lucien wouldn't mind if he stayed back to comfort... Nick? Noah?... Nathan... What did Chat Noir call him earlier?... Nathaniel! That was his name. It sounded so nice.
Marc's eyes flickered again and became a red-orange color. "... A comic." Nathaniel looked up in confusions, tears still streaming down his face, "We... We worked on a comic together."
Nathaniel wiped some of his tears away, "Y-yeah. Yeah!" He got on his feet, and held Marc's hands, "Do you remember anything else?"
"... W-we became friends after Reverser?"
Nathaniel grinned when he realized Marc's memories of him were slowly returning, and his eyes were going back to their normal color with each memory, "Yes! That's right! What else?"
"Uh... I had to sleep over your house after Alix made us watch a scary movie." His eyes faded to yellow-orange.
Nathaniel blushed at the memory. Marc's parents were out of town that week and he did not wanna sleep alone, so he offered to let him sleep over his house. In his room... In his bed.
"We went to Comic Con together as Ruby and Sapphire," he chuckled. "We sold a few of our comics, and... And... You told me you loved me."
"I do. And I always will... Marc... My Rainbow. If you take off that choker, I can guarantee that you'll know who actually loves you, and you'll know who you love." Nathaniel wrapped his arms around Marc's waist and pulled him in for a hug. Marc couldn't help but hug him back. Nathaniel's hugs felt so different from Lucien's. They were warmer, and less tight and possessive. "If that person is still Lucien, just know that I'll never stop loving you..."
Marc slowly unwrapped his arms from around Nathaniel, reached for his choker and undid the clasp. Once the offending material was no longer around his neck, Marc threw it to the floor, causing it to break.
"Rainbow?" Nathaniel whispered. He looked and saw Marc's beautiful green eyes once again, brimming with tears.
"I missed you."
"... I missed you too!"
The two kissed, hands clasped together and fitting perfectly, and bodies pressed against each other. This tender moment was cut short when they heard a flapping sound and looked to see an Akuma fluttering beside them. Nathaniel glared at the thing that almost took away his boyfriend, and snatched it in his hands
"Nath!" Marc exclaimed worriedly. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, "Yeah. I'm way too happy to become Akumatized." Marc smiled and kissed his cheek.
—
The two made their way back into the banquet hall and took in the scene before them. The wedding guests took cover on the other side of the room, and Heart Thief was dangling over a hole in the floor that was no doubt Cataclysmed. Ladybug's yoyo, which had been thrown over a chandelier, was tied around the Lucky Charm magnet that was stuck to the metal heart-shaped buckles on his boots. Ladybug and Chat Noir kept looking to see where the Akumatized object was until Nathaniel cleared his throat and the heroes turned their attention to him and Marc.
Ladybug smiled, "Marc! You're back!"
"That's great, but we still can't find the Akuma," Chat Noir said as he continued looking.
"Oh, it was in Marc's choker necklace." Nathaniel said, chuckling when Ladybug and Chat Noir facepalmed.
Ladybug retracted her yoyo and Heart Thief fell back into the hole before crawling back out. With a nod from the spotted heroine, Nathaniel opened his hands and released the Akuma, only for it to be caught by Ladybug's yoyo
"No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha!"
The newly purified butterfly fluttered out of the yoyo, "Bye-bye, little butterfly," Ladybug told it, then pulled the magnet off of Heart Thief's boot and tossed it into the air, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
The magnet burst into thousands of ladybugs that flew around Paris. They fixed the banquet hall, the art room, and got rid of the daggers throws by Heart Thief. Black and purple mist engulfed Heart Thief then lifted to reveal Lucien.
He gets up and furrows his brow, "What am I doing here?" Hearing someone clear their throat, he turned around and saw Marc and Nathaniel glaring at him with such malice, but Marc's glare was more intense.
Marc stormed over to him and rolled up one of his sleeves, "Em-Emerald, I-" He was cut off by a powerful left hook right to his face that sent him to the floor, much to the shock of Nathaniel, Ladybug, and Chat Noir.
"You had that coming a long time ago, Rebois!"
"WOOO!" Madelyn cheered as she made her way over to Marc and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "My boy can still throw a mean hook!"
Marc laughed and hugged her, "Hey, Maddy."
"Hey my little gay of sunshine!" She left a kiss on his forehead before she noticed Nathaniel and smiled, "So I'm guessing he's your new boyfriend?" Marc pulled away from the hug and made his way over to Nathaniel. The two held hands, confirming Madelyn's suspicion. "Well, I already like him a lot better than Rebois." She gave the de-akumatized boy's leg a kick.
Ladybug and Chat Noir fist-bumped, "Pound it!"
—
"Ladybug and Chat Noir, like Heart Thief, I don't care how long it takes until I finally have what's mine! And as for Marc Anciel... I'll still be keeping a close eye on you..."
—
It was a new day at school, no one's seen Lucien for a week. His Akumatization and history at Vadim spread like a wildfire, now everyone knew exactly the kind of person he was. Kim, Alix, and the whole school fútbol team took down their (not literal) shrine to him. Rumors were spreading too. 'Lucien got expelled', 'Lucien went back to Vadim', 'Lucien fled to Bombay', 'Lucien melted his head', 'Lucien's totally dead'. Okay, so that last three were a little outlandish, but at least everything was back to normal.
As Marc and Nathaniel were walking home after art club, Marc got a text on his phone, "It's from Maddy." He smiled as he read the message, "The GSA social is coming up. She, Mehdi and Syd wanna know if we're free to go on Saturday."
Nathaniel smiled and kissed his cheek, "Tell them we'll be there, and I can't wait to meet everyone."