Miraculous Devilman: Chapter 5 Marinette vs Lila-Part 1

Disclaimer: We Do Not Own MLB or Devilman. MLB belongs to Thomas Astruc and Devilman belongs to Go Nagai. Also, this fic contains slight mature themes and mild language.

Dancecat25: For this chapter, flashbacks will be italicized. Enjoy!

A small turtle kwami phased through a wall of a small hidden dojo and flew towards the center of the room.

"Master! I have to speak with you! It's urgent!" the kwami said restlessly.

Master Fu, who was sitting in a cross-legged position, meditating, opened his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, Wayzz. There is much to talk about." he replied calmly.

(Insert Miraculous Ladybug theme music)

"In the daytime, we're Marinette, Adrien, and Akira,

Just normal teenagers with normal lives.

There is something about us no one knows yet,

Because we have a secret,"

"Miraculous and Devilman,

Fight till the end to stop Hawkmoth!

Miraculous and Devilman,

Together as one they'll save us all!

Miraculous Devilman!"

Miraculous Devilman

Chapter 5 - Part 1

Miki and Akira walked down the street, holding hands, heading to school.

Suddenly, a grunt is heard, followed by a moan. A few feet away, an old Chinese man, wearing a red hawaiian shirt and khaki pants was lying on the ground, reaching for his cane and groaning.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay!?" Miki rushed to the elder and helped him up to his feet. Akira ran up as well, getting the cane back into the man's grip to help Miki stand him up.

"Thank you, young lady," the man said kindly. "I am alright, just tripped that's all. My old bones are getting tired of carrying me."

Miki gave a concerned look. "I see."

Akira dusted off the man's shoulder, "You gotta be more careful, old man. You look pretty rusty."

"Akira!" Miki scolded him, to which he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."

While this was happening, the man pulled out a box from his pocket and slipped it into Miki's school bag.

Miki checked her watch. "Oh, we gotta get to school. Have a great day, sir."

She waved goodbye and she and Akira continued down the street.

"You too, young lady." the man said.

When Akira and Miki turned a corner, Wayzz flew out of the man's pocket.

"Is she the one, Master?"

Master Fu smiled. "We shall wait and see Wayzz, shall wait and see."

As the two got closer to the school, Akira grumbled a bit. "It's always one thing after another in this city, I swear."

"We just have to do what we can," Miki offered. "We probably helped someone's day a little bit back there."

Her smile was genuine, and Akira couldn't bring himself to be annoyed anymore.

(Meanwhile, at the Agreste Residence)

Natalie walked into Adrien's room to see he was still asleep in bed, even though

It was past 7:30 am.

"Adrien, get up. It's almost time for your morning tutoring." She said sternly.

Adrien groaned. "Five more minutes." He mumbled, pulling the covers over his head.

With a sigh, Natalie walked over to the bed and pulled away the blanket. Adrien comically wiggled around, feeling cold without the blanket.

"Adrien, up. Now." Natalie repeated.

Adrien sat up and sighed. "Alright, I'm up."

Natalie raised an eyebrow. Adrien had bags under his eyes, and his hair fell in front of his eyes.

"Adrien, have you been up late texting Kagami past your bedtime?" Natalie asked.

Adrien nodded sheepishly. "Please don't tell father."

Natalie couldn't help but smile just a little bit. When Adrien came home yesterday smiling brightly and happy, she knew something was up.

(Flashback)

Adrien stepped into his home, smiling happily and a hand over his heart.

"Adrien." Natalie stood at the bottom of the stairs, clipboard in one hand and the other hand at her hip. "Your fencing lesson must have been enjoyable."

"It was." Adrien replied. He rubbed his arm. "But, there is something else."

"What is it?" Natalie asked.

Adrien exhaled. "I have a girlfriend."

Natalie's eyes widened for a second, before returning to a neutral expression. "Girlfriend? And who may she be?"

Adrien's smile widened. "Kagami."

"I see." Natalie paused for a moment, then added. "If she treats you well , I'm sure your father will approve of it."

"Approve of what?" Gabriel entered the room, a curious expression barely visible on his ever stoic face.

Adrien winced a little, his smile falling to a frown. "Uh, I'm… dating Kagami." He replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Kagami Tsurugi?" Gabriel said.

Adrien nodded.

Gabriel put a finger to his chin. "Tomoe Tsurugi is a respectable woman." After a moment, he sighed and relented. "Very well. As long as this doesn't get in the way of your duties, you have my approval to go out with Kagami."

Adrien's eyes sparkled in delight. "Really!? Oh thank you, thank…" Adrien quickly cleared his throat and finished solemnly. "Thank you, father."

(End of Flashback)

"If you do well with your tutoring, this will stay between us." Natalie said.

"Thank you, Natalie." Adrien answered gratefully. "I promise to do well with my tutor."

"Prove it to your father and Monsieur Asuka." Natalie said. "Now, go change before he arrives."

"Wait, Mr. Ryo is tutoring me!?" Adrien asked a little too eagerly.

With another slipped smile, Natalie nodded. "Oui, now don't waste any more time." With that, Natalie made her way out of the room and closed the door.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Plagg appeared seemingly out of nowhere and exhaled. "Phew, finally. I'd thought she'd never leave."

Adrien grinned. "I have a girlfriend, Plagg. And Mr. Ryo is tutoring me! Today is off to a great start!"

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Don't jinx yourself, kid. And what happened to you and Marinette?"

Adrien shook his head."Don't be silly. She's just a friend."

Plagg groaned and smacked his forehead. "You held hands!"

Adrien smiled. "So did me and Kagami."

"Exactly!" Plagg exclaimed. With a long sigh, he grabbed a piece of Camembert and swallowed it whole, calming down. "Whatever, kid. As long as you're happy." He grabbed another Camembert wedge and kissed it affectionately. "Like me and my Camembert."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "You really are a floating stomach." He grabbed his set of clothes and went into the bathroom to change.

(A few minutes later)

Ryo stood at Adriens door with a grin. That book he had found contained extensive knowledge on these so called "miraculous" and he was quickly deciphering the texts. On a quick skim through, there were many depictions of the various relics that exist, some he recognized, and others he did not. The most he knew was that there at one point existed an order of guardians that used the miraculous, likely to battle the early demons who had escaped the ice age. For now, he needed to wait and gather more information. But before that, there was Adrien to attend to. He swears he could vaguely hear Adrien scolding someone. In a slight muffled voice, he could make out a "Stop leaving Camembert all over the floor." and "You are seriously gonna be the death of me one day."

He puts an ear to the door and reaches out with his mind, trying to detect who else is there.

"You just don't understand the beautiful deliciousness of Camembert." Ryo heard this response from whoever Adrien was talking to. Ryo decides to knock on the door and wait, trying to listen in further for thoughts.

"Just a minute!" Adrien calls out.

There was definitely another being in the room. As the door opened, he gave a quick scan around before giving his attention to Adrien.

"Good morning, Mr. Ryo!" Adrien said cheerfully. "Come on in."

Ryo walked in and gave him a suspicious look. "Were you talking on the phone with someone?"

Adrien's eyes widened for a moment, then brushed it off. "Me? talking to someone? Pfft, no, I was..talking to myself." He smiled sheepishly.

"Sure," Ryo walked past Adrien and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.

He went and leaned against the window, adjusting his coat. "So here's the plan. I'll be teaching you in the mornings what I can, then I'll take you to the school for lunch and the rest of the day."

Adrien's eyes comically bulged out of their sockets. "What!? Really!? How...b..but I'm still school grounded! Father was insistent that I can't..!"

Ryo strikes his brow with a sigh. "Mr. Agreste seems to be…well, not lenient. But I can justify some actions as long as you're under constant watch." He grins ever so slightly, "That's why Lila is going to be tailing you while you're at school."

Adrien frowned at this. He didn't want to be around Lila, especially since she declared them enemies the last time they met. But he was desperate to get back to school and see his friends, so he just nodded and smiled. "Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

"I'll just keep in mind that you owe me one." He grinned before reaching into his coat and pulled out a textbook. "We'll start with history."

(Over at the school)

As Lila was approaching the school, she received a text. With a smirk, she read it and kept on walking. ('Phase one begins') she thought to herself. ('Soon Adrien will be mine, and that lady should give me the edge I need to kill Ladybug and Chat Noir').

It was an odd thing for her to have…not exactly a friend, but an equal. She and Ryo had come to this schedule agreement. Together, they had managed to get Gabriel's approval. Ryo thought a lot like she did. They both had greater ambition than simply gaining power, and they had the brains to actually hatch a good plan unlike any of Hawkmoth's gaudy performances. She could tell he wasn't completely loyal to Gabriel, but then again, neither was she. Whatever happened between them, it was sure to be beneficial.

As she entered the girls locker room, she noticed Marinette standing at her locker, seemingly staring at the floor. Her head was leaning against the locker, her eyes red and wet, her hair messy and falling in her face. She looked like she had been crying. Lila watched attentively as she sniffed, slowly reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small chain with blue and yellow beads, gazing sadly at it.

With a smirk, Lila walked over to her. "And here I had a plan for today." She began to slowly circle Marinette. "But someone hurt you for me. What happened to you?"

Marinette wiped her eyes and glared at her. "None of your business, Lila. Don't you have something better to do?" She squeezed the chain before putting it back in her pocket.

Lila leaned against a locker, "But I'm just so curious. Maybe I'll use some clues." She looked at Marinette with a hunter's eye. "It probably wasn't Chloe since she's not smart enough to plan like this, and anything she did shouldn't stick to you like this. You don't let most things bother you too much…" Her voice softens a bit as her eyes meet Marinette's. "Is it something about Adrien? Don't tell me he actually got with Chloe or something."

Marinette suddenly punched a fist into the locker Lila was leaning on, her face scrunched up in anger.

"Again, What happened with me and Adrien is none of your business!" she took a breath and added. "But since you're so curious, Adrien has a girlfriend now and she's not me." she crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose. "And you know what? Good for him for finding someone that makes him happy. Now he'll never fall for a lying snake like you." With that, Marinette grabbed her things and made her way past Lila. With a small smirk of her own, she finished with, "Good luck getting him now, Lila. Oh wait, you won't need it, because he's out of your reach." She stuck her head high and walked out of the locker room, feeling slightly better about herself.

As she left, she could hear Lila call, "You underestimate me, Marinette."

Lila takes a moment to ponder this new information, or at least it would be new if she hadn't overheard it from Gabriel. True, this whole ordeal did miff her, but she could use these changes to cement her own authority.

('You truly are a sinister one.') Lila felt in her head. She looked to the school roof as a white bird landed gently on it's rim.

('What can I say? I know what I want. Is your end of this plan ready, Silene?')

The demon bird flew down to her and gave a tweet. ('All is as we have laid out, expect nothing but victory').

Lila stroked the bird as it came to rest on her shoulder for a moment. Then, the bird flew off.

(In the classroom)

Madame Bustier wrote Macbeth Projects Today on the blackboard with chalk, then turned around to face the class. "Bonjour, class. Today you will begin your Macbeth projects and be assigned partners." She pulled out a packet of papers and a copy of Macbeth, turning to the first page in the packet. "But first, some review questions to confirm that you have been paying attention to the reading." She cleared her throat. "What predictions did the witches make about Macbeth, and which of them came true?"

Nino raised his hand, and Madame Bustier called on him. "Nino?"

"That's actually two questions." He pointed out. This got a few snickers from the other boys in the class, like Kim and Max.

Madame Bustier frowned, unamused. "Is that all, or do you know the answers?"

Nino hesitated, "Uh," he put a finger to his chin, trying to remember the play's events. "Macbeth will be Thwane, then king, and Banquo's son a king."

Madame Bustier nodded. "Very good. And which one came true?"

"Um…" He looks over at Akira for help.

Akira gave a shrug, "I mean, technically both of them came true. Macbeth's just didn't last too long."

Madame Bustier nodded. "I'll accept that." She looked back at the review sheet. "What does the blood symbolize?" She looked around the classroom but nobody had their hand up. "Marinette, perhaps you can tell us?"

Marinette, who's been staring up into space, looked over and sighed. "The blood symbolizes the vengeance Macduff had on Macbeth."

Madame Bustier shook her head. "Not quite." She looked around. "Anyone else know the answer?"

Lila raised her hand.

"Lila." Made Bustier called.

Lila cleared her throat. "The blood symbolizes the murder that Macebeth and Lady Macbeth have on their hands that they can't get rid of, which leads Lady Macbeth to commit suicide."

Madame Bustier smiled. "Correct. Good job, Lila."

Marinette scoffed. "She's clearly lying."

Lila looked over at Marinette, and even Akira looked back with an odd face.

"Did I not answer correctly, Marinette?" Her voice in that concerned tone laced with arrogance.

Marinette stood up, crossing her arms and glaring at Lila's direction. "I believe the question was metaphorical, not literal. The blood on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's hands was there physically, but metaphorically Macduff was out for Macbeth's blood for murdering his family."

Lila only smiled. "Well I suppose either interpretation works then, doesn't it?"

Marinette's eyes narrowed.

Madame Bustier cleared her throat. "Settle down, ladies. Marinette, your observation was intriguing, but Lila's answer was correct."

Defeated, Marinette sat back down, still glaring daggers at Lila, who simply smirked back.

Madame Bustier clapped her hands and looked back at the review sheet. "Now, who can tell me what mistake Macbeth made when murdering Duncan?"

(Later during lunchtime)

Like the day before, Akira and Kim took up the middle courtyard, with Max watching them play this time. How they ate so fast, no one quite knew. Whatever the case, all seemed lively and well.

Lila was nowhere to be seen however.

Miki couldn't find her, so she joined Alya and Marinette on a bench. The three began to chat, with Miki taking some time to spruce up Marinette's hair.

"So, things have been quite hectic lately, am I right?" Alya said. "First those unnatural beings show up, Chat Noir nearly got destroyed out of existence, a guard was killed at the Louvre," she looks over at Miki. "You got akumatized, and Ladybug was nearly eliminated." She casually pulled out her phone and scrolled to her Ladyblog. "My blog is blowing up! If this continues, I might actually have a future as a journalist!"

Marinette, who's had enough, turns to Alya and says, "Why is that every time we talk, you have to bring up all the chaos that's happening!? Can't we get a moment of peace without being reminded about the constant danger we are in!?"

Alya frowned. "Well, I would normally bring up Adrien, but...you know…"

Marinette glared at her. "Thanks, that makes me feel so much better." She muttered sarcastically.

Miki finishes tying the ribbons around Marinette's pigtails. "There you go. Good as new." She gives her a soft rub on the shoulder. "Thank you for telling us about the fencing class, Marinette. It's been a lot of fun so far."

Marinette nodded. "No problem. It's good to know that you're enjoying yourself here despite all the chaos."

Miki chuckles in a bashful way and scratches her head, "Well, I do have to admit I feel a bit embarrassed having become one of those akuma things. Here I was trying to be good, but I made so much trouble."

"Don't worry, everyone knows how you feel." Alya said. "Everyone in our class has been akumatized at least once." She leaned in closer and put a hand near her mouth. "And I think you can guess who's been akumatized more than once."

That got a small snicker from Marinette. "Tell me about it. Good riddance Chloe hasn't been coming lately. I've had it with her nonsense."

"We all have."

The girls turned simultaneously to see Nino heading towards them.

"Sup, dudettes."

"Hey, babe." Alya said, smiling at her boyfriend. "Weren't you working on that new song with Ivan?"

"I was." Nino started. "Speaking of music, I have a gift for you."

"A present? for me?" Alya smiled in curiosity. "And what would that be?"

Nino grinned. "So, remember how you wished you could get Jagged Stone's new album?"

"The one that sold out in a few days?" Marinette pointed out.

Nino nodded. "Well, I talked to Rose, who talked to Juleka, who talked to Luka, and…" he reached into his bag and pulled out a CD. The cover depicted Jagged Stone holding an electric guitar with a tie-dye splatter design in the background.

"No way!" Alya grabbed the CD and stared at it with wide eyes. "I can't believe you got your hands on one! This is awesome!" She stood up and gave Nino a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You're awesome!"

Nino smiled happily. "Thanks. I knew you would like it."

"Who's Jagged Stone?" Miki asked.

Alya turned to Miki and gasped. "Only the most popular rock star in the city! His music rocks!" she put a hand around Marinette's shoulder and added, "And Marinette designs his album covers."

Marinette shrugged modestly. "It was one time."

Miki's eyes widened in surprise. "You designed a rock star's album covers? That's so cool!"

"Say, doesn't your band have rehearsal this weekend?" Alya asked.

Marinette nodded. "It's actually Rose's band, but yeah, Kitty Section has rehearsal coming up."

"You're in a band?" Miki asked.

Marinette nodded. "Rose, Juleka, Luka, Ivan, and I started up Kitty Section a few months ago."

"Speaking of that." Nino started. "The song Ivan was working on is actually for your band, Marinette. He wanted to surprise you and the others with it during your rehearsal."

Marinette smiled. "Sounds great." She turned to Miki. "If you want, you can come to our rehearsal. It would be great to have a practice audience."

Miki thought about it for a minute. "Can Akira come too?"

Marinette hesitated, not wanting to turn down her new friend's boyfriend, but also being cautious since she now knows his secret. He wouldn't try anything at rehearsal, would he? Maybe she should tell Miki the truth. After all, Devilman has made life difficult for her and Chat Noir, so it was only fair that she gave him a hard time back…

No. What was she thinking? She didn't want to betray his trust, even though she still didn't really trust him. He'll tell her when he's ready.

"Uh, Mari, you there?" Alya asked, playfully poking Marinette's cheek.

"Oh." Marinette blinked, snapping out of her train of thought. "Sorry, I got lost in thought." She nodded at Miki. "Of course Akira can come. The more, the merrier."

"Dudes, what's with the crowd forming over there?" Nino pointed in the distance.

As the crowd slowly parted ways, the group's eyes widened.

There, walking through the crowd, was Adrien, smiling brightly at everyone, a handbag on his shoulder...and Lila walking behind him.

Marinette noticed Lila and frowned. ("You underestimate me, Marinette.") Lila's voice echoed in the back of Marinette's mind. Marinette's hands tightened into fists. She should have known. Lila does whatever it takes to get what she wants, no matter how it hurts others. Especially her, her enemy.

"Hey guys. I'm back." Adrien said with a wave as he approached the four of them.

"Adrien!" Nino wrapped Adrien into a bear hug. "Good to have you back, my dude."

Adrien hugged him back. "Thanks, Nino. It's good to be back."

As the two pulled away, Adrien turned to the girls. "Hey Alya. Miki." He smiled awkwardly. "Marinette."

"Adrien." Marinette said plainly, crossing her arms.

Lila gave an excited smile, "Yep, it's all thanks to Mr. Asuka and I. We managed to reach...a little arrangement." Her hands gesture in a sly sort of way.

"That's great!" Alya exclaimed, oblivious to the sly gesture. She turned to Adrien. "Boy do I have the scoop to catch you up on. Did you know Akira slapped Chloe in class? And she's been absent the past few days? It was awesome!"

Woah, slow down, Alya." Nino said, patting her on the shoulder. "He just got here." He grinned at Adrien. "But yeah, that happened. Pretty cool, right?"

Adrien's eyes widened. "Akira slapped Chloe?" His smile turned into a frown. "Oh."

Lila's face twisted in curiosity. "So that's why she's absent? Damn." Her eyes narrow a bit as she mentally signals a que.

Then, out of nowhere, a squawk and splat are heard. A white bird flies over the group and shits on Marinette's shoulder. Everyone jumps back in shock and turns to the sky as the bird gives another chirp and flies off.

Alya couldn't help it. She laughed. She put her hand over her mouth, but it was no use. Her laugh grew louder as she pointed at bird poop on Marinette's shoulder.

Nino began chuckling along with her, covering his mouth as well as he snickered at the situation.

"Oh my gosh!" Miki reared back for a moment before scrambling into her bag. She finds a handkerchief and starts trying to wipe off Marinette's shoulder, her eyes wincing.

Lila puts on a concerned face, "eesh" before taking a quick glance at Adrien.

Adrien looked away, feeling embarrassed for Marinette and not knowing what to do in the current situation.

Marinette herself was in complete shock. As if her day was already bad enough, now her friends were laughing at her and Adrien just stood there and watched this humiliation. Then, when no one else was looking, she met eyes with Lila. From behind Adrien, she put a finger to her eye and opened it wide, sticking her tongue out at her in that sadistic way. With her left hand, Lila curled her fingers around Adrien's shoulder, who was looking the other way.

Marinette, her face red from humiliation and looking like she was about to cry, ran off across the school courtyard, not looking back as other students watched her run with curious looks on their faces. She ran into the girl's bathroom, ducked into a stall, leaned against the wall and buried her face in her knees, the tears rushing out and streaming down her face.

Ticki flew out of Marinette's purse, a concerned expression growing on her face.

"Marinette, I'm so-"

"Stop!" Marinette abruptly yelled, startling Ticki. "Just stop! I don't need your pity!" Her hands tightened into fists as she kept lashing out. "Why!? Why do I have the worst luck? I'm Ladybug, the power of good luck and creation, but I keep having terrible things happen to me! The recent akuma fights, Adrien getting a girlfriend, Lila returning and stealing Adrien away! Adrien just stood there, Ticki! He didn't try to defend me or anything! If it were Ladybug in that situation, he would have defended her ten-fold! Did our time at the museum mean nothing!? I can't take this anymore! I-I…" Marinette put her head in her hands and sobbed.

Ticki floated there helplessly, trying to think of anything comforting to say to her master. "Marinette, please-"

"Shut up!" Marinette yelled, her face now red with anger. "Just leave me alone!"

With a head droop, Ticki floated over to the next stall, giving her owner some space.

(In Hawkmoth's basement)

The basement window opens, light pouring into the dark room. White moths flew around, adding to the limited light in the room.

Hawkmoth stood tall, grinning menacingly as negative emotions flew through him.

"Ah, frustration. Embarrassment. Jealousy. Anger. Sadness. So many negative emotions combined together to make the perfect recipe for my akumas."

He cupped a moth in his hand and transferred dark energy into it.

"Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize this damsel in despair."

The akuma flew out the window and high above the city.

(Back in the girl's bathroom)

Marinette cradled her head in her knees, sniffing as her tears started to dry up.

Ticki flew over to her side, holding a small tissue box. "Tissue?"

Marinette took a couple tissues and blew her nose, making a loud trumpet sound in the process.

A knock is heard on the other side of the stall door. Ticki dove into Mari's purse.

"Occupied." Marinette called out.

"Marinette? It's Miki," said the voice on the other side. She could tell from the shoes that it was indeed her new friend. "I was worried about you, so I'm here...and Akira's standing outside the restroom door. Do you need...is there anything I can do to help? I can keep you company."

Marinette contemplated the offer for a moment. Miki seemed like a sweet girl, and didn't laugh at her like Alya and Nino did.

But what would she know? She hasn't known Marinette that long, and she wouldn't understand her struggles as Ladybug, as if she could tell her.

The agreeing side won, and in a small voice, she replied. "Yes, please...some company sounds nice."

With that, Miki sat down on the bathroom floor, her back facing the stall door. "I'm sure I haven't seen everything, but I think it has to do with Lila, right? I know she goes into...well, tall tales to say it nicely."

Marinette sighed. "Oui. Ever since Lila joined our class, she has everyone captivated with her elaborate lies." her fingers tightened around her elbows as she continued. "She once told us she was a superhero called Volpina who owned a miraculous like Ladybug. Everyone believed her, but I didn't…" Mari paused. She needed to explain this next part carefully without exposing her identity.

"I may have...kind of followed her and Adrien to the park that day out of jealousy, and she was telling Adrien how her and Ladybug were best friends. Then Ladybug showed up and exposed her lies, surprising Adrien and confirming my suspicion." Marinette bit her lip, wondering if she should go any further. "...Adrien and I were hanging out one day shortly afterwards, and he told me that he can see past her lies. Lila then accused me of trying to turn Adrien against her and declared us enemies." Her fist tightened again as she concluded with, "And now she's probably trying to make Adrien her boyfriend as revenge."

Marinette exhaled as she finished her story. "You probably think I'm making this all up , don't you?"

Miki shifted a bit, "That is a lot to take in, but it makes sense. I believe you."

The faintest smile appeared on Marinette's face. "Thank you, Miki."

Suddenly, the akuma phased through the bathroom ceiling and flew into Marinette's stall.

"Aah! An akuma!" Marinette backed away against the stall wall as the akuma flew up and into her earrings. The Hawkmoth symbol appeared over Marinette's face.

"Karmari, I am Hawkmoth. Aren't you sick and tired of how your friends are treating you? I'm giving you the power to give them a taste of their own medicine. Allow karma to stab them in the back. All I ask for in return is Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses." Hawkmoth said in a cool, persuading tone.

Marinette groaned as she held her head, trying to resist the temptation. "You can't take me that easily, Hawkmoth. My friends care about me more than you think. Argh!" The Hawkmoth lens glitches as Marinette shakes her head, trying to think happy thoughts.

"They laughed at you, left you when you needed them most. They deserve to feel how you felt." Hawkmoth insisted.

"Nobody deserves to be mistreated." Marinette pushed on, breathing heavily. "Especially from an evil manipulator like you! I don't care what you say, I will never let you take advantage of me! My answer is no!"

With that, the akuma extracts itself from Marinette's earrings and flies off. Mari sighed in relief and leaned back against the stall wall, putting a hand on her forehead.

"Marinette!" Miki slid under the bathroom stall door. "Are you okay!?" she pulled Mari into a hug.

"I'm… fine." Marinette hugged her back, a small smile visible on her face. "I'm okay."

(In Hawkmoth's Basement)

Hawkmoth growled, a frown on his face. "I underestimated Marinette. She is not easily swayed." He then grinned. "No matter. Lila will do the job just fine."

(On the school roof)

While all this was happening, Lila and Silene, disguised as a woman in her feathery dress, hatched their plan just a bit early. Silene closes her eyes, ejecting the akuma Hawkmoth gave her. It looked a bit different, looking white but stained with gold.

"You...purified it?" Lila looked uneasy.

Silene gave a chuckle, "No, I just drained it. Now I have some level of control over it. This is our only one, so don't lose it."

Lila smiled as the warped akuma landed on her back and crawled its way onto her neck. Then, in a flash, it transforms into a choker with a yellow gem in the center.

"That akuma will stay bonded to your body like the suits of the heroes for as long as you desire. Henceforth, you shall be Artiface, able to fashion and control constructs. Golems, copies, whatever your resources allow." Silene licks her claws. "However, you will have to retain this base form."

Lila admired the smoothness of the gem and bowed to her newest patron. "Works for me. Now then, let's see what I can do." Her eyes light up as a fox's in the night.

(In Hawkmoth's Basement)

As Hawkmoth was in the process of guiding his failed akuma, his eyes were relaxed. For being an evil villain, this process of flying a butterfly over long distances was...calming in a way. It was peaceful. He was just a little bug flying in the sky.

All of a sudden, he sees a white bird dive at him and snap him up. The sudden shock jars him back in his chamber. "What the?" He then hears the voice of Silene in his head.

("Hehe. Sorry, but I need this.")

Fuming, the suited man raises his voice. "What is the meaning of this?! What about the one I gave you?"

In a slightly mocking voice he hears, ("Well, since your plan to possess the baker's daughter has clearly failed, your servant and I hatched our own plan a bit early")

Hawkmoth frowned at this. He didn't like that his new allies were making new plans without consulting him. But if they result in success, then he should keep an open mind.

"Very well. As long as the miraculous are mine, proceed with this modified plan."

(Back at the school)

Miki stepped back with a sigh of relief as Marinette took a deep breath, seemingly calm now.

"Well, maybe we can still salvage today," Miki turned to the mirror. Her eyes widen as she sees an inky blackness envelope Marinette.

"Gah!" Marinette disappears as the hawkmoth symbol flashes and hides her from view. Unknown to Miki, a set of claws sprouts from the wall behind Marinette and binds her. Out of the inky void in front of her emerges a mass of stone and metal. Glowing blue eyes flash as a head forms on the mass. A large humanoid figure now stands before Miki, blocking the real Marinette from view. Another binding releases from the wall and covers Mari's mouth, leaving her to hear the creature speak.

"Behold, the power of Hawkmoth, the power of Karmari!" Now in full view, the golem stands proud. Forged of metal with red tones, decorated with blue tiles and a crest on its head bearing a flower like those seen on Marinette's shirt.

Miki stammers as the creature approaches, "M.m…Marinette?"

The real Mari tries to yell under the bindings, but is drowned out by laughs of the imposter.

"Indeed, and now the world shall know my vengeance for its cruelty!"

Miki stumbles as the golem swings at her, barely avoiding a punch. The bathroom door busts open as Akira jumps in. "What the hell is going on…. Oh shit." He grabs Miki without a moment's pause and runs out of the room with her.

The creature turns it's metal hands into spikes and fires them at Akira. "You! Fudo! Perish!"

Akira yelps as he dodges a spike. One is about to hit Miki, putting him into full instinct. He lifts Miki and pulls her into his arms always from the spikes, dashing off as fast as he can.

"I'm pretty sure that's Marinette!" Miki blurts out in the rush.

Akira groans to himself. "Geez, I really wish I hadn't pissed her off yesterday, or that other time." Somehow the Devilman knew this was his actions biting him in the ass.

Akira makes it out of the locker room and into the courtyard. The other students turn their heads as Akira and Miki yell, "Run! It's Marinette!" In unison. Karmari busts out from the wall behind them, and the students begin scattering in a panic.

"Alya Cesaire!" Karmari heads towards her, who whimpered slightly as she and Nino hugged each other. The golems' spikes returned to it, and now it's arms were forming into drills. Karmari loomed over them, "Did you really think you could treat me like shit and get away with it? You are a terrible friend!"

Alya bit her lip, feeling like karma is hitting her in the face. "Mari,.. I'm sorry."

Karmari scoffed. "Sorry? That's the best you can do!? You don't even feel bad for how you treated me!" She raised her drills, glaring at her. "You don't care how I felt when you left me to watch Adrien and Kagami flirt with each other outside the bakery! You were insensitive to the poor guard that died at the Louvre while we were there! Admit it, Alya! You only care about yourself!"

Alya heard a soft hum as the drills began to spin. Karmari charged up her drills,

ready to shoot her ex-best friend.

"Get out of the way, idiots!" Akira yelled, a bench board in his grip.

Alya and Nino jumped in surprise as he ran between them and jumped at the golem, whacking it across its face. The drill misfires and barely grazes past Alya's head, embedding it into the ground. Karmari steps back as Akira rubs his nose with a finger,

"Hey ugly. Why don't you tangle with someone your own size?" He cracks his knuckles, trying his best to annoy the figure. "Get out of here, you two. Leave Marinette here to me."

Karmari began to growl in anger. Alya and Nino nodded and ran off in the opposite direction.

The two squared up, and Akira kept at the Golem. Karmari was quick, however, and grabbed him by the leg.

"Oh, for fu…" was all he got out before Karmari yeeted him over the school roof and into the sky.

(Back in the bathroom)

Ticki chewed through the last bit of Marinette's bindings, spitting out the rope as she released her hands.

"There. Looks like Hawkmoth akumatized someone else who is pretending to be you." Ticki said.

Marinette nodded. "Looks like it. I gotta find her and stop that imposter! Ticki, Spots On!"

A pink aura surrounded Marinette as Ticki got sucked into Marinette's earrings. A red suit and mask with black polka dots appeared on her, red ribbons wrapped around her pigtails, and a yoyo with the same color scheme appeared around her waist. Marinette, now Ladybug, spun around, lifting her leg up high, and struck a pose, the ladybug symbol appearing behind her as her transformation was now complete.

(Meanwhile)

Miki ducked into an empty classroom, putting her hands on her knees as she paused to catch her breath.

"Akira was right. The chaos never ends in this city." She dumped her things out of her bag, looking for her cell phone. As she did, she noticed a small black and red box tumble out of her bag.

"Huh? What's this?" Miki picked up the box and opened it.

Bright pink blur of sparkles glowed from the box. Miki shielded her eyes from the blinding light. The pink blur flew around Miki a few times before the sparkles cleared, revealing a tiny mouse-like creature floating in front of her.

"Hello Miki, my name is Milo, and I'm your kwami." the kwami squeaked.

"What the?!" Miki stumbled back before looking closer nervously, "Wait, are you some kind of demon?"

Milo shook his head. "No, I am a kwami. I am a miraculous spirit who can grant superpowers." He gestured to a pedant inside the miraculous box. "You have been chosen as the next wielder of the mouse miraculous. From this day forward, I am now in your service."

Miki stood still, pondering this new information. This was it, her chance to protect her friends. Her chance to protect the city. With a fire in her eyes, she carefully puts the pendant around her neck and puts a fist to her heart. "Thank you for this calling. I will give my all for this world. What must I do?"

Milo smiled. "You must learn how to use the power of the mouse miraculous, so here is a brief tutorial. The mouse miraculous main power is to clone itself. When you say the words, "mice-multiply" you can make up to a dozen clones of yourself. To undo all your clones, you say "mice, divide." Your strength and jumping ability will be enhanced once you transform. After you use your multiply power, you will have five minutes before you de-transform." Milo exhaled as he finished his explanation. "Is that clear?"

Miki nodded.

Milo stretched out it's tiny arms. "Good. Now to transform, say "Milo, get squeaky".

Miki pulls a cocky grin and raises her fist. "Milo, get squeaky!"

A dazzle of light surrounds Miki as Milo is sucked into the pendant. A flash of magic dazzles her the chest is covered by a white armor plate. Energy courses through Miki as her limbs are enveloped in magic and form into a silver and pink fencing suit. She raised her head as a helmet formed behind her, closing over her face. A rapier materializes in front of her, which she grabs with a gloved hand and holsters into a scabbard that forms on her side. With the extension of her arms outwards, her transformation is complete.

"Henshin!" Miki calls out as the light fades away. She runs outside and towards the battle ahead.

Author's Notes:

Dancecat25: Bonjour, beautiful readers. Quite the drama going on, am I right? I admit, I enjoy writing an annoyed Marinette, as well as her resisting Hawkmoth. And yes, Karmari is a combination of Karma + Marinette, I felt really clever coming up with it lol. As you can see, Aladar Caval is taking the sinister route on Lila's character. She certainly is giving Hawkmoth a run for his money.

Aladar Caval: Yes indeed, I'm enjoying the integration of Devilman and Miraculous forces and mechanics. Get ready for some more glorious battle, and some more Akira x Miki vanilla, cause I think DM fans need more of that. And yes, I think Lila is better than our stupid mask man.

Dancecat25: We look forward to the big fight and more drama in part 2. Until Then, Bug Out!

Aladar Caval: "Til' all are one!"