A/N

Hi Everyone

This is not a new story. This is a resubmitting an improved version of "Maribug Split".

I'm editing the chapters, fixing mistakes, grammar and cutting some unnecessary text.
So the end product should be better than the original.

I have broken it into smaller chapters and moved some scenes around. But the story line stayed the same.

Note:

I wrote this story during Season 2.
But I don't think it contradicts canon up to but not including the finale of Season 3 (Heart Hunter and Miracle Queen).

The story takes place a few years after canon. Things might seem different and perhaps confusing in the beginning.
Please give it a chance, all will be revealed as the story progresses.
Also, they would have all probably have moved to different schools by now, but we will ignore that.

Prologue: A Red Box

Paintinator waved his brush, silver paint shot out covering a lamp post. The silver blended with the black of the pole, forming swirling shades of grey. Instead of the metal pole stood a roll of canvas, painted with swirling shades of gray. Beautiful, if not very practical.

"I will show you beauty!" shouted Paintinator "I will show you exceptional talent."

With a flourish of brush strokes, a two story office building became a massive canvas beautifully depicting a two story office building. Having only two dimensions, the floors of the back rooms disappeared. People fell through the air to land painfully on the road below. Not all got up.

They were luckier than the people seen through the painted windows of the front rooms. Mute screams intricately painted on their frozen faces.

"I'll have you know, I've seen good art. This isn't it. This reminds me of the finger painting we did as kids."

Paintinator spun, spotting Chat Noir leaning leisurely from the top of a nearby building.

"You mock me! You mock my work!" Paintinator sent silver paint at Chat, who knocked it aside with his baton. The paint landed on the ground, leaving a gray, painted sidewalk.

Using his baton, Chat closed the distance between them, then quickly brought the baton around to smash it against the brush. With an upward stroke, Paintinator moved the brush out of the way, the baton swinging harmlessly through thin air

The two sparred with their weapons, neither getting a hit. The fight produced a painted road sign, a painting of a shop's display window and canvas from a stone lion proudly topping a nearby fountain. With a lucky stroke, the brush passed Chats defenses and rushed towards his face.

A Yo-Yo wrapped around the brush, pulling it back. Not enough to yank it out of Paintinator's hand, but enough to save Chat's face. Not letting go of the brush, Paintinator flew to the side, ripping the canvas of a pretty lamp post.

Chat flipped backwards and away, landing smoothly next to Ladybug who was retracting the yo-yo back to her hand.

"Thank you for the save, my Lady, I am happy you joined us."

"I see I got here just in time to save your whiskers."

"My whiskers thank you greatly. They are twitching with excitement at your arrival."

Ladybug's brow dropped as she concentrated on the akuma. "I'd rather you concentrate on the job at hand. We need to get that brush away from him."

Paintinator sent a blast of paint at the pair, sending the two in two separate directions. The tree behind them converted to a work of art.

With her yo-yo, Ladybug threw a bench at the akuma. A blast of paint and the bench floated down as a piece of canvas.

"Chat, distract him." Ladybug commanded.

Chat hopped over to the side, picked up a nearby post box and threw it at him. Paintinator easily brushed it aside, but the distraction allowed Ladybug to close in.

"Wonderful," called Chat, "We're painting by numbers."

Chat glowed watching his Lady swing using a pole not yet a painting, and smash into Paintinator's side as Chat called out "One", wrap him with the yo-yo "two", swing him in the air twice "three and four" and send him flying against the remains of the fountain, "and five."

Ladybug landed back next to Chat.

"Wow, Bugaboo, that was paw-erful. Why do you even keep me around?"

"Not for your puns, that's for sure," Ladybug retorted. "It is useful having you around as a distraction."

"Nice to know you find me distracting."

"Distracting me isn't the useful part, so stop talking so much."

Spurred by Paintinator's rapid recovery, Ladybug stretched her lean arm up above her, sending her yo-yo up in the air calling "Lucky Charm!"

She examined the black spotted red bottle in her hand. "Nail polish remover?"

"I'll let you figure it out while I keep him busy." Chat vaulted over to the other side of the street, searching for an item to launch at Paintinator.

While the other two were converting the entire area into a collage, Ladybug's eyebrows knotted in concentration, looking at the items spread around her.

"Got it!" The words left her mouth, leaving a fierce smile on her face.

She picked up the canvas pretending to be a bench and poured the contents of the bottle onto it. Holding it up as a shield, she jumped at Paintinator. The akuma brought his brush up and sent a spray of paint in her direction. The Paint hit the canvas and bounced back, landing on Paintinator, changing to a painting of the screaming akuma. The canvas remained vertical for two seconds before tipping over to the ground.

Ladybug moved in and tore the paintbrush painted on the canvas. A purple butterfly emerged from the tear, flying up before getting captured and purified by Ladybug's yoyo. The empty bottle rose in the air to the call of "Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat punched their fists together. All these years and it was still their signature winning salute.

Ladybug shook her head at the man groaning on the ground. Her disappointment showing on her face.

Chat Noir leaned down to comfort the young man.

"I'm sorry, you took quite a beating. Ladybug miraculously repaired the damage, but your body still remembers it. You'll feel the pain for some time."

"What? Ouch! Where am I? How did I get here? Chat Noir? Oh, no - I've been akumatized!" Pain etched on the man's face. It was not clear if it was from the shadow of physical pain or the realization he was Paris's latest villain-victim.

"What's your name?" Chat asked as Ladybug stood restlessly beside him.

"Faigin."

"Faigin, you'll be fine, I'm sure." Chat's soothing voice calmed Faigin, his breathing slowed and color returned to his face.

"Next time control your negative emotions!" The words burst from Ladybug's mouth with such force that Faigin flinched. Ladybug shut it closed, looking away from Chat Noir's accusing look.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! That was amazing!" The two turned to watch a red-haired young lady running toward them, her phone filming in her outstretched arms. Ladybug walked towards her, meeting her next to a small café.

"Alya, nice to see you are still on the ball. Filming the latest for the Ladyblog?"

"Yes, of course. You guys are the best. Why did the paint bounce back that way?"

"Every artist knows that paint does not stick to the acetate in the nail polish remover," Ladybug replied with a slight flourish.

"Oh. You're an artist." Alya was bouncing with excitement at the new titbit she learned about Ladybug.

"I'm glad you're happy," Ladybug smiled at Alya with a small chuckle. She moved her gaze to the camera on the phone. "Happy is good, everyone. Strive to be happy even when things are not great. Nothing's perfect, we all know that. You might not get to be the painter you want to be, or whatever happened to this poor man. Don't let this bring you down. Hold on to your happy thoughts to get you through the difficulties. Remember, no negative emotions, no Akumas."

Chat walked over and stood next to Ladybug, his hand slipping into her's, looking at her with adoration.

"Listen to her guys," he smiled at Alya's phone, "she knows what she is talking about. We want more love, not anger."

Alya zoomed out to capture Ladybug turn and smile at Chat, holding each other's eyes for a few seconds.

"Can we get a kiss for your fans?" Alya's looked from one to the other, her eagerness overflowing. "Show us the love we should all have."

Ladybug eyes twinkled as she shifted her gaze to Alya and then back to the camera. "For our fans, of course."

She pulled Chat to her, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. Chat brought his own hand to her head as their lips met. The kiss was short but passionate, making both Chat and Alya blush.

Ladybug looked back at Alya with a big smile, then the smile slipped.

"I recognize this café," Ladybug looked around in confusion. "I've been here before."

"You have?" cried Alya with excitement. "It is a great place, I come here often with my friend."

"You do?" Ladybug words were a cross between a question and a statement. She pulled her eyebrows together as if trying to solve a puzzle. "Were you there before the attack? With a friend?"

"Why yes," Alya answered, confused. "How did you know?"

"I'm not sure," Ladybug seemed distracted. She looked at the shop, her own image reflecting on the shop window. She saw herself reflected next to Chat and Alya.

She altered her focus to look into the shop.

On the other side of the window, looking back at her, almost part of her reflection - stood Marinette. In her hands she held a red box with black spots.

"I have to go now," Ladybug said to no one in particular. She pulled out her Yo-Yo, tore her gaze away from the window, and swung away.

A/N Next chapter : "Antibug"