Hey everybody! I have recently gotten into reading group chat fanfics and watching funny videos about characters in series having a group chat. I have become especially fond of crossover ones, though I haven't come across many in the series that I like. For all that I have read, however, there aren't many that mix together the chat and real-life interactions. I saw a golden opportunity to branch into a type of fanfic that I have come to love.
This is the driving force behind this story: Miraculous Gamer Guild. I plan on starting out with just a few series, but I am open to ideas on which ones will appear. For those over on Fanfiction, Danny Phantom, Marvel, and DC are currently involved in the story. I plan to limit how deep I go into Marvel, but I will pull from specific series. There are some series I'm considering adding, but I think these will be fine for now.
In any case, this story will go in a canonical direction with some drabbles in the middle, mostly in the form of chat antics (No pun intended). The drabbles will be used to help the group grow together as friends and eventually heroic allies. This will mostly be an every now and then project for when I can't get one of my more serious stories out in time, though I still plan to show it the same amount of love. This is in no way connected to the universe Chan in Bellwood resides in. Just wanted to make that clear before we began.
Speaking of, let's get on with the first chapter! I don't own Miraculous, Danny Phantom, Marvel, or DC. I do own any original characters, concepts, creatures, and places that work their way into the story unless stated otherwise. On with the story!
Paris, France
Paris: the City of Love. Many couples dream of visiting France's capital, hoping to watch the sunset from atop of the Eiffel Tower. Those that lived in the heart of the city could tell you that it was a wonderful place to live. On this fine afternoon most could be found perusing the streets, some planning out trips to the various tourist attractions of the area. For those that were craving some of Paris's best pastries, however, only one recommended place crossed their minds.
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie was a renowned bakery, beloved by all the locals. One couldn't go too far without hearing a recommendation for their scones and croissants. Their macarons were said to be the best in the whole of Paris, and that was saying a lot. The happy couple could pretty much make any baked good under the sun, their beloved daughter sharing this ability herself. If one asked them, they'd say that the aforementioned girl was their greatest creation.
The sun shined through a window atop the Dupain-Cheng bakery/household, illuminating what could only be described as a teenage girl's room. The walls were cream pink in color, the floor contrasting this with overlapping dark oak tiles. A pink chaise lounge with a white frame sat atop a pink and black flower rug, making for the perfect resting place after a long day. A white desk nearby housed various stuffed animals alongside a computer and some sewing supplies, a cork board hanging on the wall next to it. A set of stairs led up to a pink bed that sat above the desk and below the skylight.
A shuffling sound came from below the floor, breaking the silent atmosphere of the room. A trap door made of a similar material as the floor opened upwards, revealing a fair skinned hand. The owner of a hand was a teenage girl that had medium-length black hair with blue reflections pulled back into pigtails and bluebell eyes. The freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose shined in the sunlight. She wore a dark gray blazer with rolled-up sleeves, the inside lined in white with pink polka dots and black trimming. She also wore a white t-shirt with black stitching and a flower design below the collar, pink rolled up jeans, pink ballet flats with dark red soles, a light pink purse that she carried over her shoulder, eyeliner around her eyes and a pair of round black earrings.
She sighed as she fully rose into the room, shutting the trap door behind her. This was Marinette, the aforementioned daughter of the Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng. Normally she would be cheery about coming home from school. She had many friends there that made her day that much more special, even after Paris's heroes have a difficult battle. Her best-friend Alya dreamed of being a reporter, tailing the heroes' every fight when possible; her crush, Adrien Agreste, was a model who was just looking to have friends and survive another hectic day; Nino was a DJ in the making, not to mention the boyfriend of Alya and the best friend of Adrien; and there were so many more that she couldn't even pick one in particular to point out above the rest.
Lately, however, trouble has been threatening to tear her friendships apart. That trouble happened to go by the name of Lila Rossi, the daughter of an Italian Embassy worker and an overall liar. The girl seemed to be an obvious liar due to all the big connections she apparently had. Her classmates were hooked on her every word, save for a select few that included her and Adrien. Marinette herself had connections due to her dream of being a fashion designer, including some that the little liar included in her tall tales.
It should have been easy to reveal the truth to her friends, but Marinette had underestimated the cruelty of Lila Rossi. The girl had gone from just a liar to a bully in the presence of her boldness. She would frame the bakery girl for various crimes, take time out of her day to interrupt conversations between her and her friends, and even trip her up due to her famous clumsiness. She had considered finding a way to overcome the intentional villain's dark misdeeds, but Adrien suggested for her to take the high road. Not wanting to disappoint her crush, the ravenette did her best to move past Lila's bullying.
Today that got even harder than she had ever thought possible. It was a regular school day, including the villain attack and Lila's antics. What made the day different was the fact that Alya seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder, save for the occasional glare. It was normal for her best friend to be upset with her over the usual anti-Rossi attitude, but these new habits worried the ravenette. She finally confronted the young reporter over her mood that day.
That was her big mistake. Alya exploded over how Marinette had supposedly been bullying Lila behind everyone's backs, something that caught the attention of the group. Those who knew the designer in the making knew that this was not her style at all. Even Chloe called out the audacity of the claim, but the reporter to-be was not having it. Things spiraled out of control as the best friends began to argue over the claim, slightly startling the others around them.
Things were finally settled down as Adrien and Mrs. Bustier ended the argument right there and then. Lila had the smuggest look on her face as she yet again faked an injury, watching in triumph as the best friends refused to utter a word to each other. Hawkmoth, the biggest villain of Paris, was surprisingly absent from the perfect Akuma victims at that moment. Either way the day was practically ruined for the everyday Ladybug. Maybe Alya would be more inclined to believe Marinette if she knew just how close to the truth that title was.
Deciding to shake it off, the designer sat at her desk, holding her face in her hands. Lila was becoming much more of a problem than she could have ever anticipated. It was getting to the point that she was actually concerned about her relationships with the class. She sighed as she lowered her hands to the desk, coming face to face with a small figure. The creature had red skin with black dots, blue eyes, two antennae atop its head, and a short tail with three tips aligned vertically.
"Don't worry Marinette!" reassured the being. "You'll push though this and Alya will figure out the truth. You just have to keep being yourself and remind everyone who Marinette Dupain-Cheng is." The ravenette shook her head as she looked away from the supportive creature.
"It's not that simple Tikki," denied Marinette. "The others will go to Lila and ask her if what Alya said was true. With how much she has them tied around her finger they'll be convinced that she's telling the truth. At this rate I don't know if I'd even be able to convince them what's true or not." The fairy creature frowned as she floated to meet the teen's gaze.
"You can't do this to yourself Marinette! In the millions of years I've been alive I've seen people like Lila fall to their own hubris or the determination of one great person. I know you'll pull through this, because you are one of the greatest Ladybugs I have ever had the pleasure of calling my holder." The ravenette couldn't help but smile at the encouraging words from her little friend. Her mind went back to when she first met her smallest partner.
Tikki was a kwami, a powerful entity tied to a special piece of jewelry simply known as a Miraculous. The object coupled with the creature would allow a user, identified as a holder, to transform into a hero or villain depending on their intentions. It was thanks to the ladybug kwami that Marinette could transform into the lucky hero Ladybug. Together with Chat Noir, she worked to battle the villain Hawkmoth and retrieve the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous from his clutches. She produced a cookie from a nearby plate, the little red creature happily accepting it.
"Thanks Tikki. I'm going to be online for a bit, so make sure to keep quiet in case I need to go into voice chat." The kwami hummed off her acceptance as she floated away from her holder. Marinette grabbed a controller from a nearby drawer, plugging it into her computer. She put on a headset before starting up the game, Doomed: The Second Coming.
When Lila really started putting the pressure on, Marinette decided to participate in online gaming when her schedule was free. Her school work, friends, and designer commissions came first after all. She easily ranked among the top players in the EU servers, something that surprised her gamer friend Max. Normally she'd let him know she was hopping on the game and they'd play together, though now she wasn't sure if he'd want to be around her after the events at school. Taking a breath, she decided to log onto the US server instead of her home server.
During school and among friends she was Marinette. When fighting Akumas, victims of Hawkmoth's stolen power, she was Ladybug. Online in video games, however, she went under the title of Mousegirl15. Not waiting for a moment, the young hero burst onto the scene. Little did she know what kind of attention she would garner this day.
Nightwing25 has invited you to their party.
You joined the party.
Nightwing25: How are you this good!? It took me five weeks to even get this far and I'm only level 15!
How did you get to level 20!?
Mousegirl15: I've been playing this one for a few weeks myself. I like to explore a lot and end up finding rare gear and other quests that help with level building.
Nightwing25: Mind showing me? I've been wanting to beat this one friend of mine for weeks and she won't stop gloating. It's gotten really annoying. 😭
Mousegirl15: LOL! I can show you a few things. There's actually a hidden Chaos Blade nearby.
Nightwing25: Lead the way, Mousegirl15.
Mousegirl15: Just call me Mouse.
Nightwing25: Alright. Call me Nightwing then.
One Hour Later
Nightwing25: I didn't even know they made this glitch a feature! (1) I always wanted to walk around as one of these ever since that one fight that ended up with that one limited time boss in level 0! It's too bad he didn't make a comeback in this game.
Mousegirl15: It must have been a US only thing 'cause I've never heard of it. You can only use it in certain sections so be careful when you accept fights. The wiki hasn't found all the dead zones yet.
Nightwing25: Noted.
Thanks again for the help Mouse. I wouldn't mind teaming with you again sometime.
Mousegirl15: I have a few more minutes before I have to sign off. Wanna keep going?
Nightwing25: Unfortunately, something just came up. Gotta go. See ya next time?
Mousegirl15: See ya Nightwing!
Friend Request sent from Nightwing25.
Nightwing25 has logged off.
Marinette smiled as she clicked the accept button on the request sent by Nightwing. It was honestly nice to have someone who was out of the way of the whole Lie-la situation. She might just have to hop on the US servers more often. The American gamer reminded her of her partner in heroism, Chat Noir, without the puns and flirting of course. She heard a knock at her trap door, quickly turning towards it.
"Come in!" invited the girl. The door opened, revealing a Chinese woman who looked similar to her save for her grey eyes and her shorter stature. She wore a white Cheongsam with a red, black and gold plant design, periwinkle pants, a silver band on her ring finger, and black and white dress shoes. This was Sabine Cheng, the mother of Marinette and co-owner of the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. She smiled as she looked to her daughter.
"Dinner is almost ready Marinette," informed the Chinese woman. "Could you please come and help set the table?" The French Chinese designer smiled as she nodded.
"I'll be there soon Mom," agreed Marinette. "Just gotta get to the nearby town." Her mother nodded in response as she climbed down, closing the door behind her. The teen quickly completed her task, shutting off the computer soon after. She left the room behind, a new pep in her step.
It didn't take long for dinner to be finished, especially in the Dupain-Cheng household. It was honestly one of the details that made Marinette's life as Ladybug that much easier. She enjoyed playing video games with Nightwing, but this part of her day was one of the best in her opinion. She quickly climbed up to her balcony closing the window behind her. The girl smiled as she gave her left earing some room to breathe.
"Looks like we're back on the clock Marinette!" cheered Tikki as she floated into view. The designer giggled as she performed some stretches. She hopped a bit before sending a determined look forward.
"Paris won't save itself!" She ran for the edge of the roof, quickly leaping towards the nearby building. She completely missed the ledge, though there wasn't an inkling of concern on her face. "TIKKI: SPOTS ON!" The magical creature turned into energy as she flew into the left earing.
Both sets of jewels turned red with a ladybug spot pattern forming atop them. Marinette had pink energy flow over her as her outfit was slowly replaced. She now wore a skin tight suit with a ladybug spot pattern, a mask with a similar theme, red ribbons that held her pigtails in place, and a ladybug yoyo that tied itself around her waist. This was her mission suit, the one most commonly known for Ladybug. She grabbed the yoyo from around her waist, slinging it around a nearby chimney.
She began to swing across the streets, running alongside cars at one point. A few kids cried out in excitement as she swung by the playground. She entered a flip as she approached a nearby building, though it was clear she was not going to make it with a straight shot. She wrapped her yoyo around a water tower, allowing her to safely run across the windows of an office building. The magical weapon undid itself as she jumped towards her destination.
She slammed her fist into the ground as she landed on the roof. She stood up as she surveyed her surroundings, taking in the beauty of the city around her. The sun had set over Paris, creating a beautiful violet color in the clouds. She took in a deep breath as the sound of an extending object caught her attention. Another landing occurred behind her, though she wasn't at all concerned by the new arrival.
"I can already tell that you're in a better mood today my lady," greeted the figure. She turned around to be met by green cat-like eyes hidden behind a black mask and blonde hair with fake ears clipped in it. The boy before her wore a textured black skin-tight catsuit with metal details, a pair of matching gloves that have claws on the fingertips, a black ring on his ring finger, and boots with a hidden wedge, silver toes, and paw-shaped treads. A golden bell hung from a zipper on the front of his costume and a long belt wrapped around his waist, hanging out from the back like a tail. This was Chat Noir, her partner in the battle against Hawkmoth.
He collapsed a silver staff with a green paw decal on the end into a small rod, clipping it to the back of his suit. He stood before the heroine as she turned towards him. "Half of Paris saw you swinging through the city and being freer with your movements. I haven't seen you this excited since they announced that Ladybug festival last month. Any special reason behind it, particularly one you can actually share with me." Ladybug rolled her eyes, smiling at her partner's antics.
It was common knowledge that the duo never shared their identities with anyone, even each other. It made certain individuals who saw them as the perfect couple, like Alya, mad with frustration. Chat did have his own issues with the arrangement but he respected Ladybug enough to go through with her wishes. He gave her false puppy eyes, hoping she would share. The heroine relented as she shook her head.
"A new friend I made online helped me to let off some steam after something that happened at school. My best friend has gotten deeper into the school liar's web." The feline-based hero's smile faltered slightly at this bit of information. It was no secret that he was protective of his partner, and whoever this bully was needed to have a little "Chat" with him once he figured out who his lady was. He snickered at his mental pun as he pounded his fist into his palm.
"If you tell me who this bully is I can teach them a little lesson. I don't need Plagg's help to do it." Marinette crossed her arms as she leaned forward a bit, sending her partner a playful scowl.
"I wouldn't want you to ruin your image in or out of costume by trying to deal with her. She's really good at making up evidence to frame her opponents." Chat smirked victoriously as he leaned towards her with his hands behind his back.
"So it's a she. Good. I wouldn't want to be the guy who ever messes with my lady. Speaking of… has the boy you like noticed you yet? If he's too blind I'm always here to be your knight in shining leather." Ladybug's playful frown turned to a depressed one as she stood up straight.
"No. I haven't been able to work up the courage to talk to him, nor did I have time with what happened recently. I'm just not sure what to do." Her partner gave her an incredulous look, almost as if she said something impossible.
"I can't believe my lady is getting cold feet around a boy when she fights Akumas ten times her size. He must be something special if he makes you this nervous. I'm still pawsitive that I could probably outdo him any day." The bug themed hero chuckled as she watched Chat flex muscles he probably didn't even have. He was a charmer more than anything else, even if he was always sincere.
"I'd rather not watch you two fight over me. It would totally bug me if you opened that can of worms. In any case, let's get this patrol underway. Hawkmoth isn't going to rest on his laurels for long and he's not the only danger we have to worry about these days." With her piece said, the duo took off into the city. Chat Noir used his staff to vault across gaps between buildings that he could not catch, keeping a tight hold on the weapon.
He watched as Ladybug did a flip in the air, a smile plastered on her face. He couldn't help but silently thank this new friend who made his lady's day, because he got to see her smile. It wasn't her usual smile, the one she shows everyone else. This was reserved for when she was truly happy, or excited at the least. Whenever she was smiling, nothing in the world could go wrong.
The Next Day, Doomed
Invited Nightwing25 to Group
Nightwing25 has joined the party.
Mousegirl15: Hey Nightwing! Thought I'd hop on the US servers again.
Nightwing25: Good to see you again Mouse! Ready to take on the horde in the nearby ruined settlement?
Mousegirl15: We could, or we could go back and fight the secret boss of the last area for more experience. It's easy once you learn how it fights and it respawns every other day.
Nightwing25: I think I actually heard about it from Babs, my friend who plays the game. She never told me where it is and I searched top and bottom for it! I so have to beat it now!
Mousegirl15: LOL! Follow me then.
Crashnebula14 requested to join group.
Nightwing25: This guy has been following us for a while now. What do you think Mouse?
Mousegirl15: It couldn't hurt to see what he wants. We can kick him if he's being a jerk.
Nightwing25: I'll get right on it then.
Crashnebula14 has joined the group.
Crashnebula14: You guys were awesome! :O
I played the original Doomed and I know they upgraded that one from back then!
Mousegirl15: Thanks! I haven't been playing for long but videogames are kind of my thing.
Nightwing25: Mouse has been showing me the ins and outs of the game so I can beat my friend who won't stop gloating about beating me. Did you know they made the giant Tikki guardian glitch a feature?
Cool username by the way. It's sad that they never actually got around to making that.
Crashnebula14: Thanks! I'm a big space fan so I thought that show was gonna be awesome.
Mousegirl15: Must have just been a US thing because I live in the EU and I've never heard of it.
Crashnebula14: I just read that last part Nightwing25 ! I can't believe they did that!
Can you show me!? PLEASE!?
Nightwing25: We were thinking about taking on the ruined settlement mission but I'm okay with it if Mouse is good.
Mousegirl15: I'm always happy to help! It'll be a few worlds over, but we should be able to swing back around if we have time.
Crashnebula14: You guys really are the best! :'O
One Hour Later
Crashnebula14: Take that Dashmaster100! That's for shoving me in my locker!
Mousegirl15: Uh oh!
Sounds like we have a bully situation on our hands.
You wanna talk about it Crash?
Crashnebula14: It's just a stupid jock who likes to shove me into my locker when he gets the chance. I'm used to the popular kids looking down on me.
Nightwing25: Sounds like you could use a few martial arts lessons.
I could do video calls if you need it.
Crashnebula14: Can we please not talk about this right now?
I just met you guys and it's not a comfortable subject.
Mousegirl15: No worries Crash! I understand!
Nightwing25: I guess… Just remember we're here if you need to talk man.
Crashnebula14: Thanks guys! You can count on me too!
Mousegirl15: You up for taking on the ruined village Crash? You have to have the quest by now.
Crashnebula14: Sorry guys! Emergency family meeting! Gonna have to log off!
Nightwing25: Alright! Good luck buddy!
Crashnebula14 has logged off.
Mousegirl15: I've gotta go too. I completely forgot that I have some work to do on a project.
Nightwing25: Looks like we all have something going on. Later Mouse!
Mousegirl15: See you Nightwing!
Nightwing25 has logged off.
Mousegirl15 has logged off.
A Few Weeks Later
Marinette sighed as she sat through another day at lunch. Over the past few days things with Lila had gone from bad to worse. Alya still refused to spend time with her after the Ladyblogger accused her of bullying the actual bully. If they did have to talk the girl that usually would come up with elaborate plans to get her and Adrien together would only give simple answers or a quick opinion. Even then she would have some spiteful comment waiting for the right moment.
If it weren't for their friendship Marinette would've said forget it and left the redhead alone entirely. She couldn't let Alya fall like this, especially when she's being led on by someone like Lie-la. The bakers' daughter wished she could be more like Chat, or maybe Nightwing even. It was crazy how brave and courageous the guys were, and Chat was always good with comforting the Akuma victims when she had to handle the press. If she were anything like them maybe this wouldn't be happening.
Her mind wandered back to her gaming escapades, specifically with her American friends. Ever since she met Nightwing on Doomed and added Crash to their friend group, they had grown much closer as friends. Several missions in game, as well as a few fights with some salty players, allowed the trio to get a feel for who they truly were. Marinette saw Nightwing as the caring older brother figure of a friend group, the one that would lay down the law yet ready to jump into the ring when possible. Crash was closest in personality to Chat, though he became more mature in serious situations. It was honestly a breath of fresh air during Lila's tirades.
"Dupain-Cheng!" cried an annoyingly familiar voice. Marinette rolled her eyes as she took another bite of her lunch. Speak of the devil. She looked to her left to see two brunettes of different complexions approach her. The first wore black horn-rimmed glasses, with a white spot on each side; a white tank top underneath a short-sleeved plaid shirt with white, orange, and purple stripes; light blue jeans; white sneakers with black tops; and a light, red-colored lipstick.
This was Alya, and she did not appear too pleased as she stood before her best friend. The girl behind her, however, seemed to be doing her best to hide a devious smirk. She wore red-orange wristbands on her right arm, a red-orange jacket over a dark gray romper that has tiny white spots, light gray tights, and brown high heel boots. Marinette fought the urge to send a slight glare at this second girl, for she was Lila Rossi. Deciding to ignore the instigator of this situation, the ravenette looked to the Ladyblogger.
"Hey Alya," greeted Marinette. "I was actually going to get your input for the twins' Halloween costumes since you never texted me anything. I was tempted to just make them Ladybug and Rena Rouge costumes." The Ladyblogger didn't hesitate as she hardened her glare.
"Don't change the subject Mari! I know all about how you forced Lila to take the blame for your answer theft a while ago and turned Adrien against her! I can't believe I actually defended you!" The classmates around them turned their full attention to the argument, the aforementioned model boy spewing his drink in response. A few of them quickly stood up, a challenging look in their eyes.
"What the heck are you blaming her for now Césaire!?" roared a pink haired girl with blue eyes. She sported a black cap with a black old English S logo that is outlined in white on the front. She also wore a black long-sleeved, slate gray shirt underneath a dark brown tank top, a lime green scale patterned fabric snake on each sleeve starting from her shoulders and coiling around her arms until their heads stop at her wrists. The outfit was completed by her black jean shorts with pink stitching and black lace at the cuffs, a pair of black 1/2 hose length socks with two pink horizontal stripes, and black high-top shoes with pink lace, black and lime green checkered sides with a wavy orange line over it, and white soles. This was Alix Kubdel, one of Mari's closest friends and an adrenaline junkie. The confused blogger turned to the group, happily obliging the request.
"Lila told me that Adrien threatened to get her in trouble with his father if she didn't cover for Marinette! She had to come up with the story about having a lying disease just to pacify little miss 'everyday Ladybug.' As if you actually deserve that title!" Marinette frowned, readying to defend herself from the liar. She didn't get the chance as one of her classmates adjusted his glasses.
"The likelihood of anyone in this class doing something like that is only 12.1333333333301 percent possible," summarized the boy. He was a dark-skinned boy with curly brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a light green polo shirt, tan and brown checkered jeans, suspenders with a light tan line between two dark tan lines and silver buckles that held up said jeans, light grayish blue sneakers, and a blue watch on his right wrist. He was Max Kanté, the class genius and Marinette's gamer buddy. "The possibility of those people being Marinette and Adrien is 1 times 10 to the -44th% chance. In other words, I have infinitely many doubts about Lila's claim." Adrien stood beside the calculative kid, an uncharacteristic glare on his face.
"You can't actually be taking this seriously Alya," denied the blonde. His hair was well kept, none of it reaching his green eyes. He wore a white button-down shirt with an upturned collar and sleeves rolled up above his elbow, which he keeps unbuttoned, with a black shirt with five horizontal stripes around the chest which are colored, from top to bottom, yellow, olive green, bright green, dark green, and periwinkle. He also wore blue jeans, orange sneakers with white laces and a logo of a black butterfly in a circle on the sides, and a silver ring on his ring finger. "She was trying to get Marinette expelled! Even you knew back then that something was wrong!" Lila put on a look of feigned concern as she held a hand out to the model.
"Dear sweet Adrien," began the liar. "You didn't realize how manipulative the liar could be. Now watch as Marinette gets what she deserved." Adrien moved to intervene in the moment, only for Lila's smile to turn dark. "We wouldn't want daddy dearest to get the idea that this school is making you a violent delinquent." The boy's eyes widened as he came to a full stop, the whispered threat striking a nerve.
"You really thought you could get away with it, didn't you?" questioned Alya. She returned her attention to Marinette; the frown still present on her face. "I trusted you with a lot, even gifts for the twins. Now that I know the how the real you operates, I can't even look at you the same way! You've become so obsessed over Adrien that you would try and take him from Lila!" The designer's eyes widened as she looked her best friend in the eye.
"Alya!" cried the bluenette. The blonde model's eyes grew to match those of saucers as he looked to the everyday Ladybug. "I can't believe you would call me out like that! Also, Adrien is not an object! Lila never had him and neither do I! You know he's going out with Kagami right now!" Lila growled at that notion, the reminder stinging her pride. That was one individual even she wouldn't mess with, given her past experience with the akumatized Kagami.
"Oh, so what!? You recently became all buddy-buddy with Kagami! I bet you've got some strategy all planned out for when Lila's out of the picture!" Mrs. Bustier walked up to the group, waving her hands pleadingly.
"Let's not jump to any conclusions Alya," dissuaded the woman. "Lila could be mistaken or this is all a misunderstanding. Believing rumors won't…" Marinette stood up from her seat, not taking the easy out provided by her teacher.
"I'm sick of your attitude lately!" roared the usually friendly girl. "You act like Lila is some saint who couldn't do wrong, yet the evidence of her lies is clear as day! As if a liar and a bully like her could ever be friends with Ladybug!" The bluenette expected a lot of things to happen after those words left her mouth. She expected Alya to rebuke her words, realize her mistake and apologize, or storm off without another word.
The next few seconds found her on the ground, not knowing how she got there. She looked around, noting the looks of horror and disbelief on the faces of all in attendance. Even the usually stoic Ms. Mendeleiev was rendered a gaping mess at the scene before her. That's when the pain finally registered for the young girl. She brought her hand up to her cheek, only to recoil at the added pain. She looked up to see Alya standing over her, the placement of her hand telling her all she needed to know. Alya, the girl who was her BFF ever since the first day she became Ladybug, had smacked her across the face. The Ladyblogger placed her hands on her hips as she looked down at her victim.
"Don't you DARE say those things about Lila!" roared Alya. "You can't fool me anymore Marinette Dupain-Cheng! After everything you've done to Lila, I don't want to see you near her again!" The weight of her situation finally caught up to her as Lila released an evil smile, doing her best to hide behind Adrien. Marinette looked at her now former best friend, unable to stop the emotion welling up inside her.
For the first time since she was little, Marinette did the one thing that no one in her class had ever seen her do. Tears ran down the girl's cheeks as she wept over her shattering world. Alya growled as she walked towards the downed class president. "Don't think faking tears is gonna stop me from giving you a piece of my mind!" Adrien jerked out of Lila's grasp, the girl gasping at the boldness of the object of her obsession. The boy quickly stood in the path of the Ladyblogger, the hard scowl from earlier returning.
"THAT'S ENOUGH ALYA!" roared the model. "Marinette sacrificed her own mental health to try and overcome Lila's lies without causing a problem, and this is how you treat her!? You've become so obsessed with Lila that you can't even see what you just did!" Alya made no sign of backing down as she stood before the blonde.
"Don't tell me that's what she told you to get you on her side. Did you really let her manipulate you like that?" Marinette tuned out the conversation as she continued to break down over the event. She still couldn't comprehend the cause for her pain, feelings that were buried long ago pushing their way to the surface. Her former best friend didn't seem to like something Adrien said as she pushed her way past him.
She didn't get much farther as a few of their classmates began to get in her path. Marinette felt herself being lifted up from both sides as Mrs. Bustier got in the middle of the mess. Both sides, if there ever were any, backed down as the teacher held a face that was uncharacteristic of her usual nature. The teacher pointed to Lila, saying something that caused Alya to jerk back in surprise. The subject of attack didn't have much time to regain her sense as the teacher gestured away from the building, the duo holding her up quickly escorting her out of the building.
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie
Tom Dupain smiled as he put the finishing touches on the newest baked goodies for the shop. He was a large, burly man with short brown hair with sideburns running down his cheeks, a small mustache, and green eyes. He wore a white hairnet over his hair, a white shirt with two buttons at the front of the neckline, a pair of white pants, a blue apron, and dark brown dress shoes. The family man smirked as he placed the last fruit atop the pastry at the end of the tray. He quickly put this one to the side, intending it for his daughter upon her return from school.
He sighed as walked over to a nearby drawer. He pulled out a picture of him and his wife holding a young Marinette in their arms. Part of him felt a familiar pull in his heart as the memories that lead up to that fateful day flooded his mind. The bell at the front door rang just as the man quickly placed the image back in its hidden spot. He dusted off his hands as he turned towards the new arrivals.
"Bonjour!" greeted the French man. "Welcome to Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie! How may I…" His friendly demeanor changed to one of frightened shock as he watched two girls carry his daughter into the building. The tears still pouring down her face told him how serious the situation was.
She mumbled in a language he could not understand, but one he knew well enough. "Ma petite souris!" (2) He quickly scooped his daughter out of her classmates' grasp, holding her bridal style. Sabine walked into the room, a worried look on her face. The scene before her caused the Chinese woman to bring her hands to her mouth.
"Tati," whimpered Marinette. (3) Sabine ran to her husband's side, gently rubbing her daughter's face. She looked to the duo, recognizing them as Rose and Juleka from her daughter's class.
"What happened?" asked the concerned mother. The dark-haired girl, Juleka, stepped forward hesitantly. She gathered her courage as she held her hands to her chest.
"We were having lunch in the cafeteria when Alya began to claim Marinette was bullying our classmate, Lila Rossi," began the usually quiet girl. The parents frowned at the mention of that last name, knowing full well what their daughter endured when it came to that vile girl. Even they were fooled on that day the Italian framed Marinette for stealing the answers to an important test. "A few of our more vocal classmates tried to make Alya see reason, but she was convinced that Mari even dragged Adrien and his girlfriend Kagami into all of it. When Marinette stood up for herself, Alya smacked her across the face."
Sabine gasped as she leaned away from the duo, her husband growling as he shook his head. They knew the reporter to be excessive in her actions, but to go this far? They noticed the looks of regret on the contrasting girls' faces, a reaction to their own response no doubt. "Mrs. Bustier took control of the situation as everyone got rowdy. She asked us to bring Marinette home. We should've acted sooner but… we never imagined that Alya would ever…" Tom let loose a small smile as he nodded to the young girls.
"You did the best you could in a situation you weren't prepared for," denied the burly man. "Thank you for bringing her home. We need to make sure she's okay, so we'll be closing early. If you need anything before you go let us know beforehand." The parents left Marinette's classmates behind as they brought their child upstairs.
By the time they settled Marinette down on her lounge and Tom walked back downstairs the girls had left. It was understandable due to the stress brought about by the situation, though the man wished he could've shown his appreciation for what they did in bringing his daughter back. It only took a few calls and a flip of the sign to let everyone know that they were not open, no exceptions. The parents sat down on the living room sofa, giving their daughter the space she needed. One thing reverberated throughout their minds as they looked towards each other. Enough was enough.
One Week Later
It didn't take long for the school board to get wind of the situation down at Dupont. In spite of Damocles' best efforts to keep things calm, the school had to close down for a few days. An investigation was launched the day following the shutdown. A fine was placed on the principal for letting Lila get out of hand and attempts were being made to contact the girl's mother. While efforts were underway to get to the bottom of the incident, one girl in particular was not making such progress.
Marinette laid face down on her lounger as she tried to regain some semblance of control of her emotions. The events of that fateful day caught up with her mind, making the task harder as the minutes passed. Tikki rubbed the back of her holder's head as she tried to do everything she could to help. The Kwami knew something was bound to happen in her holder's life that brought her to a point like this, though she wished it didn't come now of all ages. The hero of Paris slowly turned her head to face the little celestial.
"Where did it all go wrong Tikki?" questioned Marinette. "Where did I lose Alya to Lila? Why did this have to happen?" Tikki sighed as she shook her head.
"Life isn't going to wait till you're older to throw things like this at you," began the Kwami. "All the luck in the world wouldn't change what happened today. Everyone, even the past Ladybugs, go through some form of tragedy in their lives." The bluenette returned her head to its former position as she tried to hide he face.
"I should've known Lila was getting into Alya's head too much. I should've called her out that day Adrien convinced me to take the high road. Maybe then I could've stopped this." Tikki shook her head as she looked to her holder.
"Or you could have sped up the process. It's clear that Alya was more interested in her career than listening to reason." Marinette abruptly rose to sit up, her Kwami having to fly into the air in order to escape being flung.
"I should've never let that vrăjitoare get away with any of this!" (4) Tikki was taken aback by the declaration, surprised by the use of a Romanian word. Ignoring the look of surprise from her Kwami, the bluenette walked over to her computer. She quickly pulled up Doomed as she pulled her headset on. She didn't hesitate as she jumped straight into the game.
She tore through every enemy she came across, not stopping for an inch. She growled as she saw another player trying to get her attention. It got to the point where he was making emotes to try and flag her down. Unleashing her rage, she smote the player where they stood. She looked to the game chat, only to pale in horror.
Nightwing25 Slain
Marinette felt her world crash once more, the hero completely ignoring the loot she just earned. "NO-NO-NO-NO!" Tikki flew up to the screen, worried over her holder's predicament. The human desperately fled to the settlement with the items, hoping to find her fallen friend. He re-spawned just as she finished loading. The bluenette quickly got to work to try and fix the situation.
Nightwing25 invited to Chat.
The young girl held her hands in front of her face, silently praying the other player would respond. His avatar remained in place; no actions being taken. Marinette felt like breaking down for the second time today, her heart weighing heavily over her actions. Suddenly, Nightwing's character moved forward a bit. He came to a stop as he stood next to her avatar.
Nightwing25 has joined the chat.
The Parisian hero quickly went to typing, not letting this second chance go to waste. The American player was typing on the other end as well. Mari was thankful that she finished first, hitting the enter key hard.
Mousegirl15: OMG NIGHTWING I'M SO SORRY!
Nightwing25: What the heck Mouse!?
I was trying to get a hold of you for six minutes and you kill me!
Marinette bit her lip as she resumed her mad tapping. Even without voicing his anger, Nightwing made it clear that he was not happy. He had every right to be, especially after her brash attack. She clicked enter again, immediately pulling her hands back.
Mousegirl15: I'm so sorry!
These past few days have been a nightmare and I shouldn't have hopped on.
The girl made no more explanations as she squeezed the arms of her chair. Her breath hitched as she watched the typing icon appear beside Nightwing's gamertag. Would she have another Lila situation on her hands? Was he writing a long complaint? Her answer came as the icon disappeared.
Nightwing25: You wanna talk about it?
Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, though the break from anxiety was short lived. She internally debated the offer. On one hand the US servers were a break from school drama, Lila and her new attack dog being unaware of it. On the other… She shook her head as she typed a short response.
Mousegirl15: Not here. I don't feel like making a huge scene.
Silence permeated the room as the avatars stood still. Nightwing made no move to respond as the chat removed the "New" banner from her comment. Before her worries could grow again, a notification popped up in the top left of Mari's screen. A DM from a Chatty user bearing Nightwing's username appeared. The simple smile emoji encouraged her to switch to the aforementioned app.
The communication program opened, instantly taking her to the new message link. Marinette nervously looked over the UI, hoping to re-familiarize herself with it. She wasn't used to using the service outside of school projects with the few classmates that didn't have phones of their own. Her exploration was cut off as a new message appeared.
Nightwing: There.
No witnesses, no big scene.
Just you and me.
Marinette sighed as she rested in her seat. It would appear there was no getting out of this, lest she lose one of the only friends she felt she had left. She leaned forward as she typed into the chat bar.
Mousegirl15: Remember how Crash was having trouble with a bully at school?
Nightwing: Yeah.
He still hasn't gotten back with me on if he wanted those lessons or not.
Mousegirl15: I don't know how bad his bully is, but I had the worst experience of my life.
Nightwing: Are you okay?
Mousegirl15: …No.
Mustering up all the courage she could, Marinette typed out what happened in detail. Every three words had her hesitating, the emotions from earlier pushing their way back up. She almost deleted the message a few times, only to stop and retype every last detail. Tikki hugged her holder's neck, hoping to provide the emotional support words could not achieve. The hero hesitated one last time, carefully looking over every sentence.
Taking a deep breathe, she hit the enter key. There it was, out for only her and Nightwing to see. The Parisian was tempted to delete the message, resisting as much as possible. Did she write in a way that seemed like a huge excuse or was she just being paranoid? Her answer would soon rise as her online partner began typing.
Nightwing: Oh geez! That wasn't at all what I was expecting.
Marinette regained her breath for what had to be the third time today. America was looking like a nicer place to be right now. Shoving that possibility aside, the bluenette quickly wrote her reply.
Mousegirl15: I honestly thought you wouldn't believe me. I didn't really know who to turn to since I can't remember much after the slap. That little vrăjitoare could have gotten to the rest of them at this point.
Nightwing: Romanian term for a witch or hag. Guess this must be some piece of work for you to insult them like that.
Mousegirl15: More like a description. She actually enjoys watching people get between her and the boy she likes suffer. She specifically chose me to bully because I didn't put up with her lies.
Nightwing: Have you brought it up with your parents any?
Mousegirl15: I can't really do that. They have to run the bakery and I can't take that away from them.
I can't say for sure if things could ever be the same between me and my best friend.
Marinette sighed as she mentally corrected herself on that remark. She clearly remembered the redhead denouncing their friendship in front of the whole school. She quickly edited the message so that it displayed friend when it pertained to Alya. Nightwing's reply came in like the crack of a whip, surprising the girl.
Nightwing: Excuse for me a second.
The girl awaited some form of response, the weight of the situation starting to lift. She was honestly surprised that an Akuma hadn't tried to grab her the moment Alya began her tirade. Maybe Hawkmoth was taking the day off for once? Still, Nightwing's sudden leave did give her some concerns. What could be taking him so long?
Her answer came when the American sent her an invitation to join a server. It was simply titled "Raiders." It wasn't a very creative name, but it was still interesting to suddenly be asked to join a server. She accepted the link, being sent straight into the server. She soon learned just how new this group was.
So far it was only her and Nightwing, along with a couple of bots. What caught her attention the most was the few channels that were there. The "Doomed Chat" was obvious in nature, especially since it was their most played game. The one that confused her was one named "Support Group." A notification alerted her to a message from the main page.
Crashnebula has joined the Raid.
The bluenette became slightly panicked as she saw the new addition to the group. She was already stepping out of her comfort zone by opening up to a person she had only met weeks ago. Now he was adding the newest friend she had acquired. She tried to calm herself down as typing began in the Support Group. She clicked on the chat room before the newest message could be posted.
Nightwing: Thank you all for joining the server. This is a place where we can support each other in our toughest times, whether the problem is in game or irl.
Crashnebula: Is this about Dashmaster again? I told you guys I'm not ready to talk about it yet.
Nightwing: We'll get to that another day. The whole reason this section became a thing is because Mouse reached out to me after her own encounter today.
Crash began to type soon after the message was shared. Tikki grabbed a cookie as she returned to her holder's shoulder. She frowned as she felt the tremble in Mari's shoulder. A noise cut off the tension, signaling the other American's reply.
Crashnebula: Who do we have to hunt down?
Someone as nice as Mouse shouldn't have a bully after her.
Marinette quickly got to typing in the chat, unsure whether Crash was serious or not. It was impossible to tell what someone's intentions were over a screen, and she wasn't keen on having one of her gamer friends akumatized anytime soon. Her face turned from worry to seriousness as she continued to create her message. She was prepared to go ladybug mode if she had to. The girl couldn't press the enter button any faster.
Mousegirl15: You guys are NOT going after that vrăjitoare!
She's already messed up too much!
Crashnebula: Geesh! One of the few Romanian words I know and it's an insult.
What did this girl do?
Nightwing: Posted it.
A screenshot of her story appeared on the chat, ready for all to see. Of course it was just her and the guys, but Mari still wasn't comfortable with this addition. A whistle sound emitted from the notification system, signifying the use of the corresponding emoji.
Crashnebula: Suddenly Dash doesn't seem so bad.
The A-listers would either throw this girl under the bus to protect themselves or invite her to hang out with them. I'm sorry you have to deal with that.
Mousegirl15: It's okay. At least no one has become an Akuma yet.
Nightwing: …sounds like that Alya girl is already getting there.
Mousegirl15: Did she turn into one or something?
Nightwing: What?
I'm not following.
Marinette furrowed her brow as she read over Nightwing's response. Did they not know about the Akuma's? Everyone in Paris… Her eyes widened as she quickly wrote her answer.
Mousegirl15: It's a Paris Supervillain thing.
Crashnebula: Paris has those? I figured all of that only happened in America.
Mousegirl15: To make a long story short, these villains known as Hawkmoth and Mayura are after magical jewels known as Miraculous in order to make some unknown wish. They both use their powers to corrupt the people based on their emotions. Paris's heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, have to use the two particular Miraculous the villains need in order to defeat the civilians and purify the objects used to convert them into the villain of the day.
Nightwing: I'm sorry WHAT!?
Crashnebula: Not that I distrust you Mouse, but wouldn't everyone have heard about all this by now?
The Justice League or some other group would be all over a situation like that.
Mousegirl15: Lol! They'd have to get past the censorship of outside media.
The French government isn't very fond that it can do nothing to stop the Akuma attacks without making a bigger mess. Any search of the word "Akuma" or "Hawkmoth" would only show what you expect to an outsider. A good VPN would help you with that though.
Nightwing: Good thing I have one of the best VPNs on the market.
I have to say, these heroes know how to do their jobs. I have a few pointers for their fighting style, but that's neither here nor there.
Crashnebula: I'm glad you can see that. My allowance can't afford me a VPN. Mind screen sharing?
Nightwing: I'm kinda in a position where I can't talk right now.
I'm sending this recording instead.
Marinette sat back as she decided to watch the video of the search. It honestly hurt her pride when Nightwing criticized her fighting style, though she did recall him stating that he was a martial artist. For all she knew he could've been talking himself up. Maybe not Lila levels, but… She patted her cheeks a few times, scaring Tikki into flying off her shoulder.
'I can't go comparing them to Lila!' mentally screamed the girl. 'They are nothing like her. So what if Nightwing's stories aren't that believable? At least he's not claiming to be Batman's sidekick or something.' A notification cut her off from her self-scolding, prompting her to return her gaze to the screen.
Crashnebula: Dang! And here I thought crazy super villains were just an American thing.
You guys are lucky that Ladybug can fix everything after the fact.
Nightwing: Has no one seriously gotten ahold of the Justice League yet?
Mousegirl15: Kinda hard to do that when the person on the line tells you to stop prank calling them.
Talk about going from being a Green Lantern fan to joking about how he must love St Patrick's day.
Unless you can get in touch with someone who knows about the Miraculous, or maybe even Batman, to look into it I don't think anyone will be coming.
Either way I don't think it'd be a good idea. I'm sure no one wants to see an akumatized Superman.
Crashnebula: An evil Superman does sound scary. That guy is not known for controlling his emotions.
Nightwing: To be honest I'm more worried about anyone from Gotham being Akumatized.
The Joker is already enough of a hazard as it is.
Mousegirl15: Exactly.
I think Paris is in good hands right now, especially after what happened recently.
Nightwing: Getting back on subject, I like to think of us as a group of friends rather than a bunch of gamers. Friends look out for one another, and we need to support each other IRL, even if it's over a chat like this. If anyone needs to talk, come here and we'll try to help as much as possible.
Crashnebula: Did you have that in reserve or are you just that good at speeches?
In any case, count me in.
We're here Mouse if you want to talk. All you have to do is ping us.
Marinette held her hands to her face once more, though this time it was not to hold back sadness. It had been a while since anyone had made her feel so loved, save for her parents of course. Something sparked in her as she looked over the usernames of her American friends, noticing a familiar trend. She smirked as she began to type once more.
Mousegirl15: You guys don't know how much this means to me. I was so hurt and angry that I couldn't see straight.
"Thank you" can't even begin to describe how grateful I am.
That being said, I think this server could use a better name.
Nightwing: What do you mean by that? I thought I did a pretty good job.
Mousegirl15: It's okay, but I noticed a trend in our names. With your permission I'd like to give this name a try.
Crashnebula: Mouse has my vote.
Raiders is kinda generic TBH dude.
Nightwing: Never have I been so insulted by something I kinda agree with.
In all seriousness give it a shot Mouse.
Mousegirl15 has been upgraded to moderator status.
Mousegirl15 changed server name to Miraculous Gamer Guild.
Crashnebula: Miraculous Gamer Guild?
You mean like those magic jewels?
Mousegirl15: All of our usernames sound heroic in a way, even if mine is a little cringy in that light. I figured a name that reflects that fact would make more sense.
If you don't like it we can come up with something else.
Nightwing: I actually like it. Feels like it's more personal to us.
Crashnebula: Yeah! It's pretty Miraculous.
Mousegirl15: OMG! We even have a Chat Noir and his cheesy puns!
It's perfect!
Crashnebula: IT'S A GREAT PUN! You just can't see it yet.
Nightwing: Dude, I've heard better jokes from a drunk Joker. That's saying a lot.
Marinette laughed as she looked over the new course of the conversation. Tikki smiled at this, floating next to her holder's head. It felt good to see a Ladybug get back on her feet. She hid as she saw the trap door opening slightly. She peeked out to see Marinette's parents spying on their daughter.
To say they shared the Kwami's opinion of the situation would be an understatement. They had heard a bit of the conversation downstairs, starting with the loud exclamation from earlier. They had come up expecting to talk Marinette out of a dark mindset. The parents were happily surprised to find their daughter in a better mood than they had ever seen her in. Whoever she was on with must have done something incredible after what happened today.
Deciding not to ruin the moment, Tom and Sabine quietly closed the hatch behind them. Tikki sighed in relief as she floated back out from hiding. She returned her attention back to her holder, taking note of how eagerly she typed at the keyboard. The tiny creature smiled as she landed beside the cookie platter. A refill would soon be needed, but that could wait till after a few sessions with the Miraculous Guild.
That's chapter 1 down and out! I know I could've spread this out over a couple of chapters, but I wanted to establish how the group came to be right here and now. It would've been boring for me as the writer to span this out over multiple parts and chats. I'll try my best to make sure that normal chapters won't be this long, especially the ones only involving the chat. That being said, I can't make any promises.
Anywho, what did you think of the chapter? Did you like the build up to the team forming? Do you have any suggestions for series and team members to add? Let me know in a review down below and I'll try to respond as soon as possible. This is Inkaliber, signing off.
1. Reference to the episode where Technus was trapped in the original Doomed.
2. "My little mouse!"
3. "Daddy…"
4. Vrăjitoare translates into witch as stated by Dick.
