Unmasked

Updates: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Rating Info: High School Drama, Slight Violence (& Blood), Mild Coarse Language

One – Discovery

Nathaniël was sketching in class again. He knew he wasn't supposed to, but he just couldn't help it. Mme. Mendeleiev was just so… uninteresting. Not to mention, he just couldn't comprehend anything that he taught.

Art was – obviously – way more interesting. As long as she didn't notice, which she usually didn't – except for that one embarrassing time – it was fine. After all, if Rose and Juleka could be on their phones in class, he could idly doodle.

Once again, he found himself sketching Ladybug. He wished to see her again, get to know her better… but he also knew that wasn't going to happen. Ladybug was a superhero, a celebrity, and… just amazing. Nathaniël didn't stand a chance, but hey, he could dream, right?

He flipped his sketchbook to a random page, hoping to get inspiration. He wanted to draw a new Ladybug comic, but he didn't know how to start. All of them ended up the same, and he wanted this one to be special: a gift to Ladybug on Heroes Day. The book opened to one of the earliest pages, what he'd drawn a long time ago.

He recognized the drawing, the girl in pigtails that he'd so elaborately sketched, the girl who was sitting a few rows in front of him right now.

His eyes widened when he noticed something in his sketches. He flipped back to a drawing he'd made of Ladybug earlier that day. How could he not have seen it before?

Going back to the drawing of Marinette, Nathaniël started to draw again, this time with a mission. He drew a mask on Marinette, surrounding her eyes and adding spots. He erased the clothes he had drawn on her and instead drew a skin-tight leotard, with the Ladybug design, and added the yo-yo.

The once drawing of Marinette and his recent drawing of Ladybug looked identical.

It was a stunning possibility, that Ladybug attended his school, was in his class, and was childhood friends with him.

It was also way too obvious to be a coincidence. No two people could look so identical. And everything just… fit. He'd felt a sense of betrayal after he'd been de-akumatized, a feeling that Marinette had double-crossed him. He now realized that she had to, because she was Ladybug and would go to any length to help her partner.

Closing his sketchbook, he stared blankly once again at the equations Mme. Mendeleiev was writing on the board, his mind whirling with possibilities.