A/N: Hey there readers! This is ErisLuna35, previously known as LunaLunaLuna from Archive of Our Own, cross-posting this story of mine here. I'll be updating this every few days til it catches up to Archive of Our Own. Gotta admit, typing up stories here is a bit easier than in Ao3. The only downside is the inability to add pictures but, oh well. Anyway, I've written this story because I wanted to write a different ML story. I love the universe and the characters, but I have no confidence in writing them accurately so instead, I'm writing a story where someone else handles this kind of set up. I've read stories with a similar premise, whether it's set in the past or in the future, and as fun as they were, I was hoping for something a little more divergent from canon. So this is what this fic is about, a very different cast of people handling the world of Miraculous Ladybug.
So readers, I hope you enjoy! Please read and review! Thank You!
CHAPTER 1: A NORMAL BOY WITH A SECRET
The sunset's orange hues gently lit the barely occupied classroom. The teacher was standing to the side, quietly watching over the students. The sound of pencils furiously scribbling on paper were the only sounds in the stuffy room.
Among the students was me- the dark haired, bespectacled boy sitting right next to the door- eyes locked on my test paper, writing a hundred words a minute.
I really really really need to go. But I can't just leave! I already missed this exam the first time; I can't afford to miss this now. I'm lucky I haven't been kicked out of my scholarship! I'm not about to push it!
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket for what felt like the millionth time in the past three minutes.
Ladyblog: Akuma Alert! There's an akuma currently attacking at -
Hawkmoth! This is not an appropriate time to be causing trouble! Doesn't that evil woman have anything better to do at this hour?!
… Oh no, I actually wrote that on my essay. I made a move to erase it, but the eraser slipped out of my hands and bounced on the floor. I jumped out of my seat, the suddenness of my action made my chair fall back loudly clattering to the ground. I scrambled to get everything back in order. When I finally settled, I glanced around the room.
Everyone's eyes were on me. I shrunk back into my seat as I tried my best to ignore them. The orange haired teacher walked over to me carefully, like he's approaching a cornered animal.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Oh uh, nothing, Mr. Ross…" I muttered sheepishly.
The teacher accepted my answer and went back to his spot.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Focus. I've studied this all night. I know all the answers. I can do this!
I looked back at where I left off on my essay and started writing furiously. I have to get out of here fast. Time is of the essence.
The people of Helios are counting on me.
Writing down the last words, I did a mental happy dance.
"DONE!" I yelled, jumping out of my seat.
Everyone's eyes were on me once again, but I no longer care. I walked over to the teacher and passed him my paper.
"Already?" the teacher asked in disbelief. "You're not gonna double-check this?"
"No, Mr. Ross," I said, shifting from one foot to another, ready to run out the door at a moment's notice. I looked at the clock above the teacher's head. This makeup test was supposed to take an hour to finish. I finished it in 17 minutes. I can only pray I didn't mess up any of my answers. "I'm in a hurry. It's an emergency!"
The teacher looked over the paper, checking for any blanks. Finding none, he tucked the paper into his folder. "Alright. You're dismissed."
"Thank you, sir!"
I grabbed my things and bolted out of the room.
My name is Shizuke Midorikawa. Age 15, born on May 4th. Just a normal boy with a normal life.
Dodging every student that gets in my way, I quickly made my way to the men's room.
But there's something about me that nobody knows yet. Because I have a secret…
As soon as we were alone, a tiny ladybug sprite flew out of my pocket as I checked on what the Ladyblog has to say about the latest akuma attack. The akuma hasn't moved from the park.
"Shizuke, let's go!" Tikki urged.
"Right. No time to waste," I held out my sleeves, my cuff links, my Miraculous, surging with power ready to be called out. "Tikki! Spots On!"
Tikki flew into my cuffs and awakened the power within them. In a flash of pink light, the power flowed all over me, covering me like a second skin. In place of my usual long sleeved black button up, red tie, and white sweater vest was a skin tight red suit with big black polka dots. My dark hair became a bluer shade than normal, and my glasses hiding my brown eyes were replaced by a red, polka dotted domino mask. I have a belt that held my weapon, a yoyo. My cuff links, the source of my power, were now on a pair of black gloves.
"Time to save the day," I said to get myself pumped up and jumped out of the nearest window.
I am one of the heroes of Helios City.
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I swung across the Helios City. The cool bite of the early January wind, old stone and brick structures blending with modern stream lined buildings, people cheering as they saw one of their heroes swinging by, roofs and sidewalks sprinkled with the last specks of snow from winter, greenery slowly reclaiming their rightful place, the complex labyrinth of red stone bridges, glowing lights of the street lamps surrounding the city founder Luke's Statue at City Square, the castle of Ashworth standing proud in the distance as the heart of the city…
This is my home.
Seeing the humongous century-old tree of Lucia Park, I knew I was close to where the akuma was causing trouble. There's a flash of light somewhere near the park's gate. I stopped on a nearby building, scanning the area before jumping in.
Right in the middle of danger, I spotted a tall gangly brunet in a bright orange checkered shirt dodging the akuma's beam attacks while gleefully streaming everything to the Ladyblog.
"Weep ladies of Helios! Blake Crawford will soon belong to me! For I, Poppyrazzi, will create a world for the two of us with my trusty camera!" she loudly declared, pausing in her rapid fire shots.
"Um, you just said that exact same rant like, a few minutes ago. Is there anything else you'd like to tell my viewers?" mocked the boy in orange checkers in a tone that reminds me of a dumb blonde valley girl.
The akuma screeched in anger and returned to shooting at the Ladyblogger.
"Stop getting in my way you FREAK!"
"Says the one dressed like a supervillain from the eighties! Your magenta hair does not work with all the teal in your evil costume!"
I groaned at the Ladyblogger's antics. He's going to get himself killed one of these days if he keeps this up. He seems to be the only one left in the park.
Keeping track of the akuma's beams, I carefully timed my swing and grabbed him. As soon as I landed on a branch, my enhanced reflexes picked up an in-coming beam and made me jump to the next branch while carrying him over my shoulder. I moved from branch to branch, careful not to lead the akuma to the park's exit to contain the attack, going higher and higher.
I eventually reached a safe enough place to perch. While the akuma knows we're here, there are enough branches down below to protect us from her beams. As a bonus, it's high enough that the Ladyblogger couldn't just get down and get too close to film the akuma again.
Speaking of, he hasn't stopped his livestream.
The Ladyblogger's brown hair is in its usual disarray, his light brown skin lightly flushed from dodging the akuma, his clothes had spots of grass stains and dust… Most importantly, there's not a single injury in sight.
He beams a toothpaste commercial-worthy smile as he switches his phone's focus to me.
"Ladybug!" his reddish brown eyes are practically sparkling in excitement. "You're finally here!"
"And you're putting yourself in danger. AGAIN," as if to punctuate my point, a beam shot by right next to us. The branch she shot disappeared and a photo floated down like a leaf.
Down below, the akuma has gone quiet for a few seconds. Hawkmoth.
"You!" the akuma pointed at me. "Hand over your Miraculous!"
"NEVER!" I shouted back. I would never let my cufflinks, my Miraculous, fall into the wrong hands!
The akuma roared in frustration and continued to shoot at us with the accuracy of a temperamental toddler.
I steered my attention back to the Ladyblogger.
"Keagan Gerald Aurelio-Ashworth! How many times do I have to tell you NOT to directly engage akumas?!"
Keagan, or 'Kaji' as I call him when I'm a civilian, had the decency to look sheepish as he bowed his head down, his untameable brown hair flopping down with his mood.
"Sorry, I was just trying to help since Chat Noire's already captured and..."
"What?!" I grabbed Kaji by the shoulders and shook him for answers, "What happened to her?!"
"The akuma, Poppyrazzi, has the power to trap things into pictures with her camera's beams. Chat Noire took a shot for Blake, the target, and well…"
"She ended up like me over here," said a familiar female voice that can only belong to Fiona 'Fuyu' Kuznetsov.
"Sorry Fuyu," Kaji sheepishly apologized as he pulled out a picture from his breast pocket, offering it to me.
I snatched the picture and took a closer look. There stood a petite pale skinned androgynous girl tapping her foot impatiently with her hands on her waist and her big sharp icy blue eyes glaring up at me. She has short light pink hair growing out of its former pixie cut under her red baseball cap. And the shine of her silver headphones and four ear piercings stood out in stark contrast to her black and blue punk outfit.
Other than the fact that she's trapped in a picture, I'm relieved to see she's more or less okay. It seems Fuyu has once again thrown herself between Kaji and an akuma. No wonder Kaji's freely jumping around the battlefield with zero supervision.
"Hey, Ladybug. Could you please make sure this idiot stays out of trouble for me? Thanks," Fuyu snarked from inside the picture.
The akuma has stopped shooting at us and started shouting profanities at us. If she wasn't an akuma and completely unaccountable for her actions, I would've given her a one way ticket to detention.
"Where's Chat Noire?" I asked, focusing back into the original topic.
"Her picture's safe with Blake. I already told him to run," Kaji said.
"Something you should also be doing," Fuyu grumbled from the picture, her cold glare aimed at Kaji.
"Hey, Blake wouldn't even have the chance to run if I hadn't distracted the akuma. Besides, her beams aren't that dangerous, as you can surely attest," Kaji sneered at the picture still in my hand.
"Stupid! I only got hit trying to save your sorry butt! You just had to taunt the raging akuma, did you?"
"You know, you don't have to follow me around akumas…"
"Great," I exasperatedly said as I handed over Fuyu's picture back to Kaji and let them continue their worry-fuelled bickering.
I ignored my two best friend's usual bickering and focused on looking for Blake.
Looking back down, I saw the akuma has given up on us and went back to scouring the park, looking for Blake. From here, I could see the red haired teen model. He's hiding close to the exit, but he's not making a move to leave. At least he's not dancing around the akuma's photo beams like some people.
"By the way, the akuma's in her 'Blake Crawford Fan Club' membership card pinned on her chest. Chat Noire managed to put a dent on the camera and no akuma flew out. It's the only other thing on her that stands out," Kaji said, breaking off his argument with the pictured pinkette.
"Thank you," I mean it. While seeing my friend so close to akuma makes me feel like I'm losing a few years of my life every single time, I can't deny that he's actually helpful. It's nice to know he has my back on both sides of the mask. I just wish he could find a way to help without charging right into the akuma's line of fire.
Speaking of the akuma, she still hasn't found Blake, but she's cleared off more things in the park. Blake is running out of places to hide, and she's getting closer to where he's hiding. Why isn't he running?! The exit is practically right next to him!
I spin my yoyo, preparing to ambush the unwitting akuma. Before I jump down on the akuma, I spared one last warning glare towards Kaji. "Before I forget…"
"Kaji, no," Fuyu pre-emptively warned from Kaji's pocket.
Kaji's smile broadened. "Do you need my help?"
"Stay here. Don't you dare try to get down without help," I firmly said before swinging down on the akuma.
"HEY POPPYRAZZI! STOP TRAPPING PEOPLE INTO PICTURES!"
And so the fight begins.
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