Between Truths and Lies

by ErisLuna35

Shizuke Midorikawa was just an average boy who lives in an apartment above a flower shop with his grandmother. Blair Crawford was a fairly famous girl who models part time with her brother but dreams to be something else. They had nothing in common… Until a monster attacked their school and they received magical jewelry that allows them to transform into superheroes.

24. 5-4 Dark Venus

CHAPTER 24: THIS IS NOT A LOVE SONG

Notes: This chapter contains a heaping lot of Frozen reference. If you like Frozen, then this chapter will be fun for you. If you don't like Frozen, I apologize in advance for the cringe fest I'm about to put you through. Why is this necessary? 'Cause I needed something to frame this chapter and using that movie is as good a way as any. The views and opinions of the characters do not reflect mine when it comes to Frozen. Just so you know, I'm more neutral to it. I liked it well enough but I can recognize so many flaws in the writing that I wouldn't call it perfect by any stretch. There will be several flashbacks scenes in no particular order. It's meant to be more of a stream of thought kind of thing. Now on with the chapter!

0-0-0-0-0

Damien

Natalia has been acting like a lifeless doll ever since she got purified. She's not hurt. Not physically, at least. Miraculous Ladybug took care of that.

What really had her reeling was the way a certain blond haired model dumped her. Crawford boy told me how it went down in between discussing our plans. I didn't believe him at first. Then someone uploaded a video of it on social media and now I wanna break that two-faced scumbag's mug. What an asshole! The things he said were unforgivable!

But I can't leave Natalia alone right now. That's not what a good friend would do.

I guided her into my suite and settled her on her usual side of the couch. She curled into herself as she leaned back, making herself as small as possible. This doesn't look good.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Natalia shook her head.

"Okay…"

I fished out my phone from my pocket and saw the many missed calls and messages, the topmost ones came from the Hales, asking if Natalia's with me. They must've seen the news. The akuma attack went from Lucia Park to the Grand Chariot Hotel. They probably knew Natalia was at the park. With my hotel right next to it, they could've assumed she took shelter here.

Do they know Natalia was the akuma?

That's when my phone rang with an incoming call.

"Velvet's calling. Should I tell her what happened?"

A violent shook of her head told me a resounding 'no'. My phone continued to ring in my hand, demanding an answer.

"How about I just tell her you're here?"

This time, I got a nod.

"Alright."

I accepted the call and told Natalia's family she's with me. She's alright, just a little shaken up. I asked them if it's cool with them if she hangs around here for a bit.

"It's cool. Take care of her for us," Velvet said before she said good bye and hung up.

Scrolling down to check all my notifications, I noted they're all from the Hales. While most were asking about Natalia, there were a few asking if I were alright. And there were even a few from Dylan, who I had moved to a different part of the hotel for his own safety.

But not a single text from either of my parents.

Letting out a sigh is all I could do about it. Just shrug it off and focus on the people who do give a damn, as my latest therapist said. Like Natalia.

Natalia hasn't moved an inch from her corner in the couch.

"Is there anything you need? Blankets? Water?"

I was akumatized before. Got some counselling and joined a support group. Natalia supported me every step of the way, like any good friend would do. I wanted to do the same for her. But she hasn't said a word. Now what? Should I make suggestions? Seeing the remote for my flat screen gave me one idea. She doesn't want to talk anyway.

"How about a movie?"

A shrug is all I got. Well, it's not a no. Turning the flat screen on, I scanned through my collection of movies. There's a section dedicated to Natalia's picks. A lot of romcoms and Disney… I should probably skip those.

But Natalia raised a hand to stop me - the first move she's done on her own since she got here.

My selection stopped at 'Frozen'.

"Are you sure you want to watch this?"

Natalia absolutely loved Frozen at first. Anna was her favorite princess, Elsa was a gorgeous queen, the animation was brilliant… But then the twist with Prince Hans happened and she quit the movie then and there. It ruined the entire movie for her. She felt betrayed 'cause she was rooting for him instead of Kristoff. They wasted a perfectly good prince, she said. Now that her own prince turned out to be an asshole, I'd thought she'd want to avoid this movie.

She nodded vigorously.

"Fine. Your choice," I pressed the play button and started the movie. Five seconds into the intro, I placed the remote directly in front of her and said, "If you want to watch something else, just take the remote."

There was a grunt, like she's getting annoyed with me. That's an improvement. She's making sounds again. It gave me hope she'll start talking again soon.

To think there was a time I wished she'd shut up like this.

0-0-0-0-0

Five years ago…

We were in fifth grade when I first met her. The teacher introduced her to the class. Natalia was the new girl, the only new transferee who got in through the school's rigorous scholarship system. Probably smart. Judging by her clothes, a knitted cardigan that's probably home-made paired with a dress that looks secondhand, she's definitely not rich. Her sandy blonde hair was cut into an uneven chin-length bob. Bright eyes with a nauseatingly sweet smile. How long will that last?

Seeing the empty seat next to me, the teacher assigned her to be my seatmate. The blonde cheerfully waltzed up to her seat and placed her patched up bag over her desk. Then, she turned to me and offered me a hand.

"Hi! I'm Natalia! Wanna be friends?" she chirped.

Friends huh? I had a ton of friends, once upon a time. Except, not really. They were all after what I can offer: power. But when I needed them most, they were nowhere to be found. They're all disappointments.

This girl is no better than them. So I turned her away. She took a few extra seconds before taking the hint and getting into her seat.

When the new kid enters new school, they're like prey animals without a herd - always left behind, making them easy targets to step on. They'd be desperate to get on the good side of the biggest kid in the playground for the slightest chance to be protected, and if they're lucky, play predator.

I've been through this song and dance before and it's the same shit every time. I won't be suckered into that crap again.

0-0-0-0-0

"Do you want to build a snowman?~"

I cringed as I watched the montage of the sisters growing up. At least Natalia seems to be enjoying it. She's not as tightly curled as she was a few minutes ago. Then I heard her snickering to herself.

I rolled my eyes. I can guess what she's probably thinking. Natalia always liked Princess Anna because they've got a lot in common: peppy, trusting, hopeless romantics with a bite to them. Yay for her finding a princess to relate to.

But then she called me her Elsa. Just because I was cold to her at first. She really put a lot of thought into that.

The things I put up with for friends.

0-0-0-0-0

Four months ago…

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Damien Guerrero."

Natalia introduced me to this guy she met at the party I brought her along two weeks ago. It was another one of those rich people gatherings, except it was a costume party - a novel idea based on American Halloween. Not wanting to be bored and alone, I thought I could bring Natalia along. Not like anyone can single her out as below upperclass when everybody's playing up whatever they're wearing.

Natalia dressed as a princess, because of course she would. And there's this guy dressed as a prince who complimented her on her outfit and how well they matched. I was shoved into the third wheel until the prince was whisked away by the call of his mother dearest. But not before he gave her his number. All that happened under five minutes. He must've left a strong impression on Natalia as clearly, she called him back and they've hit it off since.

I shot the boy a smile I pray doesn't come off as tense. "And you're the prince I've heard so much about."

"Please, no need for formalities. Just 'Leo' will do."

Leonardo Arthur Aurelio. The mayor's nephew. Star of the school's fencing team. One of the high school department's top students. All around teen heartthrob. Everyone's heard of him. He's the sort of guy who's a cut above the rest. I can't believe Natalia landed this guy!

"Don't be so nervous. I've only heard good things about you," Aurelio smiled back, much more charmingly than I can ever hope to be. "You must be a really cool guy for Natalia to speak so fondly of you. I'm kinda jealous."

Natalia swooned at the princely blond and clung to his arm tighter. "Don't worry, Damien's like a brother to me. You're pretty cool yourself."

This guy is totally her type and he's got her all wrapped around his little finger. He sounds too good to be true. I would've been wary of him except…

When Natalia excused herself to go to the ladies' room, model boy's eyes lingered on her with that soft smile. I'm pretty sure I've seen that look before, but I'm not sure where. One thing's for sure, it made me confident in my read on him.

This boy's got it bad for her.

0-0-0-0-0

Now we're at the part where Prince Hans introduces himself. Natalia glared at him all the way through, so unlike the first time we watched. She was once so enamoured by his dorky charms. Now that we know better than to trust him, this scene is now tainted with bitterness. It was all a lie.

Except why did he smile at her so tenderly from under the boat? Why keep up the lovesick act when no one is looking? Did he actually loved her?

Why would he hurt her if he loved her?

Guess we'll never know.

0-0-0-0-0

Speaking of harsh truths, this scene where Anna confronts Elsa at the coronation ball never gets easier to watch. It's not easy to have your worldview confronted like that. People hate being wrong. Maybe Natalia was on to something when she called me her 'Elsa'.

Except, where fear is what's blinding her from the truth, I used to be blinded by pride.

0-0-0-0-0

Six years ago…

Kuznetsov. To think that just a year ago, I thought she was so cute and dainty with her big blue eyes, rose pink hair, and frilly dresses. Now she's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met. Bitch hits like a gorilla with a temper to match! She's no princess! She's an ogre!

To make her looks better reflect this, I cut off one of her pigtails.

Predictably, she got pissed and it escalated into another one of our countless classroom brawls. She's strong for a midget, I'll give her that. But once Spring was in full bloom and her snow field advantage is gone, she wasn't that hard to pin down. That'll teach her to-

Thwack!

Something hit me at the back of my head. A ratty old sneaker to be precise. There's only one person in this school who would wear such a cheap and dirty thing.

"L-leave my friend alone!"

Standing a few feet away was Midorikawa. Trembling from head to toe, gangly as ever, and missing a shoe. The words he said was meant to be a warning, but it's hard to take seriously with his squeaky voice. He's about as intimidating as a bug. Like all bugs, he belongs beneath my foot.

"You wanna join her?"

The boy flinched back but stayed in place. I was going to hit him, but someone held my fist back. An adult. Uh oh. It was Mr. Ross, the assistant teacher.

"Damien Guerrero, explain yourself!"

He seriously thinks he can tell me what to do? I heard he's aiming to get hired as a full-fledged teacher here; the youngest ever in Xyril Tech. It's quite a feat considering his age and lower-class standing. Would be a shame if someone were to ruin it.

"Let me go or I'll have my father pay the school board to have you fired!"

Fear flashed in Mr. Ross's face but he bit it down for a second and tightened his hold on me. Damn. He's always been tougher to buy than the other teachers. Now he can learn the hard way not to defy a Guerrero.

"Then I'll pay them double to have Uncle Ross un-fired."

Shit! The mayor's son! What's he doing here?!

The boy walked into the classroom with his head held high and helped Kuznetsov up like a gentleman, all while glaring at me. I've never seen the constantly smiling jackass so angry before. His resemblance to the intimidating hardass mayor of Helios has never been stronger.

"Is this how you usually behave outside our families' social gatherings?"

Aurelio-Ashworth was waving around his phone, showing off what he caught. It was an incriminating video starting in the middle of my fight with Kuznetsov and ends with me threatening Mr. Ross. How the hell did he get that?!

"Beating up girls and bribing school boards? And your parents are letting you do this? How deplorable."

Even though I'm bigger and taller than him, Aurelio-Ashworth somehow manages to look down on me. The Guerrero family name doesn't mean much compared to Aurelio-Ashworth. They have more money and power than most of the big names put together. He's the one guy I can't buy off.

"If this is how the Guerreros raised you to be, then I should warn my father not to trust them."

My parents always told me to never mess with an Aurelio. One wrong look and they can ruin us. But one right look and they take us places we can only dream of reaching. Father wanted in on their good graces… But now the mayor's son is out to make sure it never happens.

I'll be in trouble when my father hears about this.

A crowd was forming around us, made up of my friends, underlings and all the other losers whispering among themselves. All of them acting like I'm somehow beneath them now.

Mr. Ross took my hand and gently pulled me out of the room. "Come on Damien. It's off to the Principal's office with you."

The onlookers are now smugly cooing. All eyes were on me except for Aurelio-Ashworth's. He's too busy chatting with Kuznetsov and Midorikawa. Like he didn't just put me down.

He thinks he can brush me off like I'm nothing? Is that it?!

No one's ever seen him fence and from the looks of it, he hardly practices it. He may be smart but he's definitely the runt of the Aurelios. He should be easy to crush! That'll show him who's the real boss!

I slipped out of Mr. Ross's hold and charged at the snooty half-Irish runt. All it takes is one swing of my right hook and he'll be down for the count.

Then that mini ogress got in the way and managed to shove me hard enough to hit the floor. Even with her petite stature, hair cut unevenly, dress rumpled with dust, and bruises over her porcelain skin, Kuznetsov was more than ready for another round.

"There's more where that came from!" Kuznetsov stared at me icily, ready to kick me while I'm down.

But Midorikawa held her back. Barely. He had both hands clinging onto her arm but Kuznetsov is merely slowed down, dragging his feet with her.

"Fuyu! Stop! You're gonna get in trouble!"

Kuznetsov glared at the nerd. "You saw what he did! He was going to attack Kaji behind his back!"

Instead of backing down like the obedient nerd he was, he actually stood his ground and continued to argue with the pint-sized demon. Since when did this nerd grew a spine?

"I saw! Everyone saw! He'll get punished for it like he deserves!" Midorikawa stared down at me with fire in his eyes before shifting his focus back to Kuznetsov. Through gritted teeth, he said, "If you fight him now, you'll only get punished with him!"

Kuznetsov didn't stop struggling. "And who's gonna punish him?! The teachers? The principal? He's just gonna pay them to let him off the hook! He never learns! Nothing will change! Might as well take matters into my own hands!"

"Fuyu, please stop."

Aurelio-Ashworth tugged on her wrist. He can't be much stronger than Midorikawa but he's successfully pulling her away from me.

"He's not worth it."

Not worth it? Me?

Mr. Ross helped me up and dragged me to the principal's office. No amount of threats nor bribery will get him to stop. Mayor Aurelio himself supported Mr. Ross. Aurelio-Ashworth wasn't fucking around when he said he'd drag his father into this. For once, I was in trouble.

I'm a Guerrero! One of the richest families in Helios! I deserve better than this!

I looked back at the three reasons why I'm here. Midorikawa the worthless traitor. Kuznetsov the little monster. Both of them tailing after that insufferable spoiled prince just because his family is richer and more powerful. They had their backs turned on me and walked away.

This is all THEIR fault!

0-0-0-0-0

Things fell apart for me after that. My peers who once cowered away from me now openly mock me. My friends who once followed me now ignore me. My father who was once proud of me now blames me for why our family business is stagnating.

I've turned away everyone who could've helped me. I didn't want to admit it was all my fault. Instead, I blamed everyone else. In my own way, I was running away from the truth. It took me a long time to admit to myself I was wrong, and even longer to openly apologize to even one person I've wronged.

If only I could go back in time and take it all back…

But there's no going back now.

I can only live with my mistakes.

0-0-0-0-0

Five years ago…

After that confrontation with the Helios Prince, I was brought to the school's guidance counsellor, Lorelei Aurelio - the prince's British aunt. She said I needed an outlet for all my pent-up feelings, like anger and such. It should help make it more manageable.

So my parents signed me up for the Art Club against my will.

"Hi Damien! I didn't know you draw too," Hale said as a cheerful greeting.

Apparently, the annoying new girl is artsy too and as the only familiar face in the room, she's latched on to me like a barnacle. She scooted her stool closer to peer over my work.

"That's a nice painting you got there. Such a striking abstract."

I took a deep breath and counted to ten. Counsellor Aurelio told me to do that every time I feel the urge to tell someone off. If I lose my patience now, it'll only lead to more sessions.

With a forced smile, I told her, "It's a flower."

With the way Hale flinched when I faced her, I probably failed to look calm.

"Oh," Hale scooted away, but never dropped her obviously fake smile. "Nice color choices."

Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't go off on Hale. I'll only get in trouble. Doing that will throw all my so-called progress back to zero. I am two week's worth of anger-less days away from being free of counselling. Just a little more and that pesky counsellor lady will be off my back once and for all.

Fake people like them test my nerves to the limit. Which isn't good for my anger management, apparently. The things I put up with for freedom.

"Why do you insist on befriending me?" I just had to ask.

"Because you seem like a nice person…?"

I scoffed. "At least try to sound more honest."

Hale huffed and glared at me, but she looks about as threatening as a hamster. "You're always alone. I figured you could use a friend."

"Tsk. What if I just happen to like being alone?"

"Nobody likes being alone," Hale fiercely said, before adding in a mumble, "Well, except maybe him…"

Who could she be talking about? I don't care.

"Well, if all my so-called friends only like me when I'm at the top, I'd rather be alone."

My words were meant to be a thinly-veiled hint for Hale to leave. Instead, she looked at me with soft glassy eyes- is she crying?! She grabbed both my hands with her eyes fiery with determination and snot dripping out of her nose. Gross.

"I promise I'll be a better friend than those assholes who abandoned you!"

Aw fuck. Now she's even more determined to stick with me! What did I do to deserve this?!

Hale froze up like she saw a ghost and kept her head down. I peeked over my shoulder to see what got her so spooked and saw through the open door a bunch of kids being extra loud and obnoxious. As soon as they noticed I was glaring at them, they kept their voices down and buggered off to loiter elsewhere. Good to see I still have some sway around here.

"Thank you," Hale mumbled quietly.

I said nothing in return. I didn't do anything that deserved a thanks anyway.

When I got back home to show my parents my painting assignments, they were always too busy to even look. Counsellor Aurelio liked them, telling me I'm improving every week, but I don't care what she thinks. She's being paid to pretend to care. I can see it in the way she's quick to dismiss me when our session ends. In the end, no one really cares.

0-0-0-0-0

Kristoff's scene is up, and he sure knew how to make an impression. A tall imposing figure with a gruff attitude. Add a generous helping of sarcasm and bitterness and you'll get quite the charmer.

Yet somehow, it's clear from the get go that he's Anna's other love interest.

Which brings to mind Natalia's other love interest.

0-0-0-0-0

Five months ago…

Blake Crawford was a rising teen model alongside his twin sister. Orphaned at age nine, adopted by former starlet Erin Liung, who helped him and his sister start their modelling career at age twelve until they were finally recruited by Aphrodite this year.

I wasn't even aware of his existence until this news report of an akuma attack where that model boy was tied up to this hugeass flag with a tacky heart. The akuma, Un-Secret Admirer declared to the entire city that the model will be her boyfriend. That's cringey as hell. If there's any bright side to this, at least his name will be buzzing for a while.

It's just another akuma attack. Nothing worth paying attention to after the first two dozen times it's happened. Might as well go back to studying before my driver picks me up from the Hales' residence. I was gonna change the channel when Natalia stopped me as she gasped at the boy in the news.

"What? You think he's hot or something?"

While Crawford doesn't quite fit the aesthetic she tends to go for (prince types), objectively, he's still a strikingly handsome boy. That exotic combination of deep red hair and emerald green eyes, perfect tan, a mischievous smirk that's reminiscent of a cunning fox… Natalia could swoon for that. She was unexpectedly antsy as we watched the news detailing the event. Like she actually knew the guy.

"We met at summer class a few years ago. But we lost contact when he and his sister were taken into foster care. It's been years since I've heard from them. I'm surprised they took up modelling."

Natalia pulled out a photo album to show me proof of her relationship with the minor celebrity twins. There's a picture of a younger Natalia, much younger than when we first met. Flanked on either side of her were two kids with matching deep red hair, tanned skin and mischievous emerald eyes. The boy in Natalia's picture looked more like a normal kid who'd play in the mud or climb trees than a future model.

"Blake's a little shy, but he's so nice once you get to know him. He used to help me deal with bullies all the time and encouraged me on my goal to get into Xyril Tech. And he's a good protective brother, even when his sister is being a little gremlin. Such a sweet and kind boy."

I squinted at the news report to get a good look at the guy, before giving up and deciding a quick search of him on the internet would get me a better look. And oh boy, the results…

"According to this article, he's a bad boy womanizer."

"Blake? No way!"

"It says so right here," I showed Natalia the top results of my search. "See? Left a trail of broken hearts and all that jazz."

"That can't be…" Natalia refused to believe this is what's become of her childhood friend she was so fond of.

"It's been years. A lot could've happened between then and now. People can change."

Like I have.

Natalia crossed her arms. "That's too drastic of a change… Sure, superficial things like hair styles and music preferences can change. But people never change who we truly are deep down."

I clammed up after what she said. If she knew what I was like before we met, would she still want to be friends? Not as long as she believes people don't change.

0-0-0-0-0

It was a couple of weeks later when I finally met the guy in person. This is the infamous silver-tongued playboy?

Natalia turned out to be right about him. He's shy and seems nice enough. He's got a bit of a snarky side around his sister, but turns into an awkward mess whenever Natalia's talking to him. Boy's got it bad for her. And his sister is well aware, teasing him mercilessly whenever Natalia isn't around. The Crawford twins didn't seem to change much from the kids in Natalia's photo album.

Apparently, the bad boy womanizer thing was only an act to appeal to the masses and get popular quick. Boy and his sister are dead set on the money. They are willing to fake who they are to get where they need to be for it. And they are damn good at acting.

Too good.

Which makes it hard to trust they are who they claim they are.

0-0-0-0-0

When Dark Venus happened, I saw an unexpected side to Crawford.

"You put an awful lot of stock in Ladybug's capabilities. It's almost like you admire him.~"

For one, I never pegged him as the sort to tease people, let alone famous superheroes. Crawford and Chat Noire have this quick back-and-forth you wouldn't expect from two people who just met a couple of hours ago.

It doesn't feel like they're flirting though. Crawford's too comfortable with ticking her off and driving her towards Ladybug. If his tongue-tied interactions with Natalia is of any indication, this is not Crawford's typical crush behavior. The way he acts around Chat Noire is more like how he acts around his twin. The only difference is, he's the one being a troll for once.

Discussions on our plan of attack continued. It's amazing how many detailed plans they could come up with under time pressure. Crawford's got a sharp and ruthless mind for tactics, on par with Chat Noire. He's thorough with plans, leaving little to chance. At this point, I'm wondering why I'm even here.

Is this who he truly is under all that pretense?

As the plans came and went, Crawford stayed uncharacteristically calm as Chat Noire's composure slowly deteriorated. Eventually, she snapped.

"That bug just had to get himself shot, didn't he?"

"Aww, so you do care about him.~"

"Zip it! That overbearing bug is at Hawkmoth's mercy all because he took a hit for me!" Chat Noire hissed like an angry cat.

Everyone knows about Ladybug's big fat crush on Chat Noire. Seeing her fretting over saving Ladybug makes me think she might like him back.

"I'm sure he only wanted to protect you," I said, with my hands raised in what I hoped was a calming gesture.

"Well, he shouldn't have. That should've been my job. Thanks to that, we now have no way of purifying the akuma or a Lucky Charm to fix everything!"

We stayed quiet as Chat Noire regained her composure. The first one to break the quiet was Crawford.

"... But what if we do?" Crawford said, knuckles on his chin in a thinking pose.

"Please elaborate," Chat Noire said tersely.

"What if we put Ladybug into a spot where he has to summon Miraculous Ladybug and fix everything - including himself?"

"Great idea, but how are we supposed to do that?"

At Chat Noire's glare, Crawford faltered before straightening up. Something tells me she wouldn't like what he has to say.

"Well, you know how Ladybug is. As hotheaded as he is, he doesn't like hurting people-"

Chat Noire held up a hand to halt him.

"Stop right there. Your plan sucks. Next!"

"But you didn't let me explain!"

"Please. I already know your plan. You were going to suggest having someone get injured in our next encounter with Dark Venus. Seeing the injured person, Ladybug would do what he does and call out his miraculous swarm of healing bugs to fix that and inadvertently, himself. A wounded gazelle gambit. Classic, Blake. Except I don't like it. So think of something else!"

"Urgh, you're being so…" Crawford scratched the back of his head furiously. "If you don't like it, fine! But do you have a better plan? No? Well that sucks worse!"

"If this plan fails, the volunteer gazelle - probably you - would be lucky to get away with the bare minimum injuries you think would trigger Ladybug's inner healer. Well tough luck. It'll take more than a few scrapes to get him to use Miraculous Ladybug," Chat Noire crossed her arms as she scowled down at Crawford. "So, nope. Not happening. No deal."

"I thought you'd be smart about this."

"You're the one who's not being smart!"

"We need to do something! Be practical!"

"I am! I'm just not so eager to let a civilian get hurt over this!"

I've never seen Crawford yell at anyone, not even his twin when she's poking fun at him. I never thought I'd say this but Crawford boy can be pretty scary with how far he'd go to make his plan work. From Ladybug's kindness to his own safety, everything is fair game to him. Looking back, the words he used to make me cooperate with them were most likely chosen deliberately. All he had to say was the akuma was Natalia and they need my help to save her, and I'll be at their beck and call regardless of how well that will end for me with my parents. Yes, I'm desperate to keep the few friends I have. Sue me.

While I can appreciate Chat Noire's sentiments, Crawford has a point. We need to come up with something to save Natalia and Ladybug, even if it means we'd get hurt in the process. A better plan would not require getting hurt…

So I gave them my suggestion: steal Ladybug's Lucky Charm and use it against him. It was simple enough on the surface. More importantly, no one needs to take one for the team. Chat Noire approved of my plan.

But Crawford didn't look satisfied.

"Not bad… Except once he uses Lucky Charm, we'd only have five minutes to figure it out before we bust Ladybug's secret identity wide open."

That's when he started mercilessly pointing out all the holes in my plan. He didn't stop there. He went on to roast Chat Noire and how he doubts she could provoke Ladybug when the bug hero sent her running the last time they fought.

"You're wrong," Chat Noire said, trying to sound firm but even I can hear Crawford's starting to get to her.

Way to go Crawford. Way to be such a huge jerk even a superhero as chill as Chat Noire is getting burned. Thankfully, Chat Noire didn't break down crying. Like a strong professional hero, she pulled herself together and was able to smirk like she had everything figured out.

She had a plan.

Crawford didn't look convinced.

0-0-0-0-0

Chat Noire was out on the roof deck looking out for any signs of Ladybug and Dark Venus. Crawford and I are hanging back by the door, near where I'm supposed to stake out waiting for Ladybug to summon Lucky Charm. Crawford is supposed to take the fire exit and lure Dark Venus away. He volunteered to play bait. He was very insistent he should play this part and Chat Noire didn't argue with him on this one.

"What's up with you?" I had to ask Crawford once we're alone.

Crawford flinched back at my accusing tone. Now you're back to being timid? Seriously? Am I more intimidating than the girl who can topple buildings with a single touch?

"What do you mean?" he said, eyes wide like he's all pure and innocent.

"Cut the act, Crawford. You were being a real jerk to Chat Noire back there."

In an instant, the deer-in-the-headlights look melted off Crawford's face and was replaced with something more guarded.

"So what do you suggest I should've done? Buy into blind optimism and not point out any pitfalls in a half-baked plan? She can't afford to screw this up and she knows it."

Is this how I sounded like to Kuznetsov? Heartless? Demanding? So this is why she was so pissed off at me.

"She's doing her best with her partner out of commission. Cut her some slack!"

"Do you understand the situation we're in?"

"I understand that you want to save Natalia. And it's gonna be harder than normal with Ladybug brainwashed into working with her. But there's no need to take it out on Chat Noire. She's doing the best she could," I said in the calmest yet firmest way I could.

Crawford just laughed, shaking his head like I'm some naive kid who understood nothing. His emerald green eyes were watery while his teeth were gritted like an angry dog.

"Damien, I saw Hawkmoth hurt Natalia through her mental link. It was so bad, she fell from the sky with her wings tearing at the seams. Lucky Ladybug was there to catch her."

My breath caught in my throat and all that escaped was a quiet, "What?"

"In addition to turning people into supervillains, she can magically torture her victims into submission from afar. I've read about something like this in my father's notes but from my observations, Hawkmoth rarely uses this power."

I was barely absorbing this information when Crawford moved on to another dilemma to stress about.

"And Ladybug is under her control. If breaking Natalia's possessed item doesn't bring him back to his senses, there will be no one to purify the akuma! Do you know what happens if an akuma is left unpurified for too long? It multiplies! By tomorrow, we could be dealing with an army of Dark Venus ready to brainwash the entire city."

I could feel the blood drain from my face from imagining it. A swarm of akuma? I thought Hawkmoth can only make one supervillain at a time!

"That's not even the worst case scenario!"

"There's more?!"

Crawford nodded. "If Chat Noire gets caught, Hawkmoth will have both hers and Ladybug's Miraculous. We'll have a magical terrorist with three Miraculous and no guarantee another superhero would come out to stop her!"

Okay. The way Crawford puts it into perspective…

"We're fucked."

"Very. That's why Chat Noire can't afford to fail."

The Iron Shellter clamped shut. The plan was starting. Crawford snuck out to go catch Dark Venus' attention and lure her away, going down through the fire exit. I sat here trying to digest everything Crawford said.

Hawkmoth hurt Natalia? An army of akuma? No more heroes?

When they asked for help and told me Natalia was the latest akuma, I didn't think the situation would be THIS fucked up. That's all the more reason not to chicken out now. I have to be ready to run with the Lucky Charm when Chat Noire needs me to. I have to help.

Crawford knew what he was getting into. I'm reminded of the fact that this guy is the son of one of the greatest detectives across the region, Noir Crawford. Never met the man in person, but a common description I've heard for him was 'thorough'. Now I've seen how his son takes after him. Nothing gets past him.

Except perhaps Natalia, as I'll later come to find out.

0-0-0-0-0

Figuring out the Lucky Charm was easier than I thought. Of course Natalia would believe a True Love's Kiss could break any spell. Based on what I've seen earlier, a kiss from Chat Noire would probably work. The LadyNoire shippers would get a kick if they heard about this.

Dark Venus flew past my window. She wasn't looking my way. All her attention went to Crawford, who was now out of the hotel and running down the street. Dark Venus sent an arrow flying towards Crawford. It hit him straight in the back and the arrow exploded into a cloud of glitter on impact. Other than a momentary stumble, he shrugged it off like it was nothing.

No wonder Chat Noire didn't stop Crawford from volunteering as bait. Dark Venus' powers don't work on him.

"Hold still and let me shoot you!"

More arrows went flying towards Crawford in an angry barrage. The few that manage to hit him had no effect. Seeing Crawford so unfazed from her powers must be getting to Dark Venus as her aim got sloppier. With every arrow she released, her attacks got easier for Crawford to dodge.

"You want me to love you that badly? I feel so special," Crawford sarcastically said as he continued to run in the middle of the street.

Ten wasted arrows later, and Dark Venus screeched.

"WHY DON'T MY ARROWS WORK ON YOU?!"

"Aww, don't be mad. It's not you, it's me.~"

"Maybe it is."

The sheer ice in her voice was enough to make Crawford freeze up. Dark Venus took this chance to shower him with arrows but like all her past attempts, they had no effect other than increasing her frustration.

"Maybe the magazines were right after all. You're just a heartless womanizer who would dump a girl once she bores you. You're no better than Leo!"

Every word was burning with rage, by the time she made her accusation, she hit her boiling point.

"... You know that's not true," Crawford weakly denied, covered in arrows that were slowly fading away. It would've been a gruesome sight had the arrows been purely solid and he wasn't immune.

"Then why were you never there for me when I need you?!"

It's like all the fight in Crawford melted away at the face of Dark Venus' wrath.

"Ever since you moved away, I've tried for years to reconnect with you! But you never reached back! I get you were going through a lot of stuff but if we hadn't met by chance a few months ago, would you even try to call me back after all those years? Would you even remember me if you hadn't literally run into me?!"

Her voice hitched in a way that tells me she's started crying.

"And even then! I thought things would change after we met again! But it didn't! You're still as scarce as ever! You didn't even send me a single greeting over the frickin' holidays!"

Crawford lowered his head. He has no excuse to give.

"Are you just putting up with me? Pretending you like me but in truth you find me annoying? Or am I just there to boost your ego?"

Anger rose once again, covering up the sadness like she never showed it in the first place.

"I thought we were friends!"

She nocked another arrow on her bow, aiming another useless arrow at Crawford. The guy was a smart-mouth all morning. He had an answer whether you asked for it or not. But now he's run out of answers.

"Say something, Blake!"

My attention was stolen from these two when the ceiling got Cataclysmed and two heroes came crashing into the room. They went rolling on the floor until Chat Noire was on top, straddling Ladybug and crashed her lips onto his.

0-0-0-0-0

On the screen, Hans is presenting himself to be the perfect prince. Kind and generous and not afraid to get his hands dirty with helping his people. Too bad it was all just an act. If he never stopped acting, no one would ever know…

But would that be a bad thing? For him to continue pretending to be the perfect prince? He could keep making Anna happy as her prince. No one would have to be hurt this way. Well, except Kristoff, but he won't matter in a timeline where Hans never revealed he's the bad guy…

One guy had malicious intents hidden behind good acts.

The other acts like a jackass but probably meant well.

What difference does it really make anyway if no one can see past one's actions? Intentions mean shit if your actions caused more harm than good anyway.

Crawford is a shining example. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he isn't planning anything nasty like that Aurelio prick. But his actions, or lack thereof, already hurt Natalia. This boy is a complicated mess who hides behind too many masks. The womanizer model, the shy boy, the cheeky brother, the great detective's son…

How is this guy any better than Leo?

My phone's notification went off so I took a break from the movie. It was Aurelio-Ashworth. Of course he has my number. And of course, he's heard of Dark Venus by now. The message was lengthy, taking its sweet time getting to the point. To sum it up, he's asking if Natalia's gonna check out the school's akuma support group and is offering to not show up for Natalia's sake. I asked him why he's avoiding Natalia. It's not like he's the one who wronged her.

'Well, I look like the guy who wronged her :-/'

Oh. Yeah. I can kinda see what he means. Natalia could get uncomfortable… I shook my head. No. This should be her decision. I'll ask her when she's in a better state. That's what I told the Helios Prince.

'Oh. Okay. I understand. I'll be ready to stay out of her sight if she needs me to.'

Then he went on a tangent asking me for details on my side of what went on during the akuma attack. Knowing this guy's a die hard LadyNoire shipper, he'll be in for a ride when I tell him what happened. But that can wait.

It's surreal talking to the Helios Prince like this. After our last major encounter in 4th grade, I couldn't imagine us ever having a civil conversation. Yet here we are, talking about how my day went and how to best accommodate Natalia if she ever drops in to the school's akuma support group.

Then again, that's just the type of person he is, isn't he? Kind and generous and not afraid to get his hands dirty with helping his people. A true prince.

0-0-0-0-0

Over a week ago…

The first day of Education Week was finally over and I can't wait to get home. I bade Natalia a quick good bye, took Dylan by the hand and went on our way to our family car. At least, that was the plan, but Aurelio-Ashworth called for us.

"Wait up!" he yelled, waving his arms to catch our attention.

When Aurelio-Ashworth finally caught up to us, he hunched down to catch his breath. Up close, it turned out he was soaking wet from head to toe, smelling of smoke, and had some rope dangling off his wrist with the ends of it looking singed. Ladies and gentlemen, this is our very dignified Helios Prince.

"What the he-" I coughed, remembering Dylan is with us. "I mean-What in the world happened to you?"

"Are you okay?" Dylan asked.

"Zephyr... Fire... Emergency sprinklers…" he said while miming each word as best as he could.

"That's a vivid image you're painting there," I said. Realizing how sarcastic that sounded, I added, "I mean, I get it! That kid could be a handful, but please don't hold it against him."

Zephyr Ryder is a kid Natalia - and by proxy, I - occasionally babysit. Poor as molasses and came from a rough neighborhood. He's an exceptionally smart kid, the top of his batch - the only thing saving him from getting expelled. I'm well aware how troublesome he could be but I don't hold it against him. He's harmless for the most part.

Aurelio-Ashworth dismissed my explanation with a simple wave, then looked me dead in the eye, his mouth a thin line. Oh. Here we go again. If Kuznetsov's got a say in this, so would Aurelio-Ashworth. This probably has something to do with Midorikawa.

But what is he going to do about it? Is he here to berate me for everything I've done to Midorikawa and many others? Threaten me so I may never hurt his friends again? Or will he simply state how he doesn't believe I'll ever change?

I carefully stepped forward, my brother staying behind me. Whatever it is he's about to do, my little brother will learn of my past. I couldn't look him in the face as the pedestal he puts me on crumbles...

Aurelio-Ashworth presented me a brochure for a help group. Not just any help group, but one centered around helping akuma victims.

"Seeing as you've recently been akumatized, would you be interested in joining our akuma support group?"

Receiving only blank looks and silence from me prompted Aurelio-Ashworth to explain his group and his offer.

"We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This isn't an official club so meetings aren't that mandatory. So feel free to drop in as often as you need-"

".… You're here to help me?" I finally mustered up the courage to ask.

"I know we don't have the best… err… interactions in the past. But you're still a victim of Hawkmoth's and I formed this group to help people like you. If you need help, don't be afraid to reach out to me or anyone else in the group. So please, think about it."

And he left it at that, leaving me alone with my thoughts and his support group's brochure. My brother pulled the brochure down from my slackened hold. He let out an excited gasp and a broad smile.

"This group seems to be full of nice people like the mayor's son. You should go there, big brother!"

I knelt down so I was at eye level with my naive little brother.

"The mayor's son wasn't being nice. He's just being polite. He made it his advocacy to help all akuma victims. It would look back if he didn't at least try to reach out to me. This is all a formality. I doubt he'd want to help me."

"Why wouldn't he want to help you? He seems nice."

Dylan has no idea what I've done in the past. So does Natalia. Now the truth is rearing it's ugly head, reopening old wounds in the process. I'm going to have to come clean with them both eventually. It's a little easier to start with Dylan. He's my brother. I've known him since the day he was born. He's not the sort to blow up on anyone, not like Natalia. He'll hear me out. With those thoughts, I was able to push the words caught in my throat.

"Because I've hurt his best friend, Midorikawa."

"Mister Shizuke?! That Midorikawa?!"

"Yes. The glasses guy who taught you how to make the bracelet you gave me."

The least I could do now is to not look away as Dylan stared me down looking for any signs I'm lying. I can't chicken out now. I told him about my past. How I was a bad friend to Midorikawa. How I was bad to everyone period.

"... So that's why Mister Shizuke was angry back at the playground."

I winced at the reminder of what got me akumatized.

"You heard that?"

Dylan nodded. "I didn't believe him at first but now that you're telling me…"

"I'm sorry."

"You owe Mister Shizuke an apology. I'm sure he'll forgive you if you say 'sorry'. He's super nice!"

Within a day, Midorikawa's built quite a rapport with my brother. It's clear as day Dylan looks up to Midorikawa, even after he caught him (rightfully) pissed off at me. As they say, birds of a feather flock together.

"I apologized to him just a while ago."

"Did he forgive you? Are you friends again?"

Dylan looked so hopeful, I felt bad for bursting his bubble.

"... No."

"Now that's mean!"

"No, it's his right to stay mad at me."

"But you worked well with him teaching us Math! You can get along again."

"Dylan, if someone told you to forgive and be friends again with 'you know who' from 1st grade, would you do it?"

It was a low blow, but it got the point across. Dylan looked like he'd rather swallow a lemon.

"See? That's how Midorikawa feels."

"But you've changed! You won't ever be a bad friend to him again!"

"And? For all we know, 'you know who' could've changed for the better. Would you trust that person to change?"

With some hesitation, Dylan shook his head and said a quiet "No…"

I was ready to leave it at that. No need to reopen old wounds any further. But Dylan hasn't forgotten what we were originally talking about.

"I still think you should give the support group a chance. Talking to others helped me stop being sad about 1st grade. You might find someone in that group who could understand you and help you better than I could."

I ruffled Dylan's hair to wipe that sulky frown off his face.

"Hey!"

"You've helped me plenty," waving the brochure over my face, I decided, "Tell you what, I'll give this group a shot. No promises I'll stay though."

Dylan's face lit up in approval.

0-0-0-0-0

There I was, standing in front of the akuma support group's assigned room. It took me an embarrassingly long time to muster up the courage to come here - to the point there's been other new victims joining in the group before me - but I'm here now! I wish I've taken Natalia up on her offer to go with me on my first day but she's been looking forward to her date with Leo for days. So I shooed her off insisting I'll be fine and here I am, NOT fine.

Behind this door, there will be people! And we'll be talking about our feelings! I'll have to lay out all the fucked up shit I've done for everyone to judge!

On second thought, this was a bad idea. It's not too late to leave. No one would have to know I was ever here-

"Oi, jackass. Are you going in or not?!" Kuznetsov grumbled from behind me.

Quickly, I stepped aside and made way for her.

Kuznetsov stuck her nose up and waltzed through the door like she belongs there.

The akuma support group also welcomes non-akuma victims to join in, if only to help bolster moral support back when it was new and there weren't that many victims. Now there's a lot of victims to fill in the space but that doesn't stop people like Kuznetsov from continuing to show their support.

With Kuznetsov there, I don't think I could go in anymore. She hates me! And she's right to! I hurt Midorikawa and she was there to pick up the pieces! I can't face her! I-

I received a message from Natalia. A simple good luck. A reassurance. A promise to go to the movies tomorrow if it ended up sucking and I needed brain bleach.

This settles it. I can't back out now. Besides, I promised Dylan I'd give this a shot before quitting. And Natalia's got a point. If it did end up sucking, I don't have to come back. For now I'll just pop in, loiter by my lonesome in a corner for about fifteen minutes, and if none of their inspirational speeches get to me, I can call it a day and go home. Yeah. That's what I should do.

Bolstered with some courage from my new plan of action, I went through the door ready to be scrutinized. I let out a sigh of relief when my entrance didn't attract anyone's attention. Everyone was busy talking in their own circles. It appears that they're being grouped based on progress rather than cliques as there is a visible difference in mood based on each circle.

"Looks like you made it after all," Aurelio-Ashworth said as he approached me. Kuznetsov was by his side as always.

"Yeah, I did," was my awkward reply.

Kuznetsov rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"Hey! What's he doing here?!" said a shrieky voice.

From one of the groups stood a girl with teal hair tied into two messy pigtails. She had thick eye brows and a light smattering of freckles across her nose. Her scrawny finger was pointed accusingly at me.

"This is supposed to be a place of healing! We don't need bullies like him here!"

I don't even remember her name or face, but based on the conviction in her words, I'm sure I've bullied her too. Many others started speaking up and sharing their own miserable encounter with me. Before it could escalate further however, Aurelio-Ashworth quelled them.

"He's here for the same reason most of you are: he is a victim of Hawkmoth's and he's looking for help. It would be against what this support group stands for to turn him away. Like it or not, he's one of us! Now you can all stay in your respective circles and ignore him or leave."

And that's the end of that. It's amazing how well one boy can command such a large group of people. I can see why people have taken to calling him the 'Helios Prince'. More recently, some people have started calling him the 'Akuma Prince'. Depending on who's calling him that, it could either be an affectionate nickname or a derogatory slur.

When everything settled down and I was sorted into a group, I gave my thanks to Aurelio-Ashworth, not just for defending me but for everything he's done for other akuma victims. He shrugged it off.

"I'm not doing this to get praise or recognition. I'm only doing this because it's all I could really do to make up for…"

His words trailed off as his gaze focused elsewhere. I followed his eyes and saw Kuznetsov talking two of the support group members. I recognize them. The drowsy lavender haired boy was Slumber from last year, and the busty curly haired blonde girl was Ego Split, who happened over the weekend. The two akuma who came dangerously close to letting Hawkmoth win, and Kuznetsov is talking to them like none of that happened. It's like they're just three schoolmates talking about whatever under the sun.

To think this kind of easy interaction between former akuma victims and non victims used to be so rare in the early weeks of Hawkmoth's arrival. Even now, there are people who'd gawk at a former akuma victim out of fear. But Kuznetsov was never one of them. From day one, she was never afraid to approach a former akuma victim, not even… Oh.

I looked back at Aurelio-Ashworth. He has that soft smile on his face I've definitely seen before.

Except on this prince, it looked more hopeless.

0-0-0-0-0

So far, I've only been through two meetings with that support group. Both cases, I've gone without Natalia. Considering how my past played a huge part in getting me akumatized, it's a topic that got brought up a lot. I couldn't bring her with me. I wasn't ready to tell her about how my past really went.

Instead, I apologized to whoever I wronged within the group, starting with that teal pigtail girl who first spoke up. Their reactions ranged from anger to acceptance. It was quite a process. Can't say if I've improved much on my own issues or not, but it's honestly encouraging to see I'm not the only one struggling.

Seeing the prince of Helios himself is struggling like the rest of us, I feel less like a failure for my hang ups. I'm starting to see what he's on to when he formed this support group. And I've come to understand what Kuznetsov saw in him. It was never about the money or status. Those won't be enough to buy loyalty like Kuznetsov's or Midorikawa's towards Aurelio-Ashworth.

0-0-0-0-0

"{Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loves you.}"

There goes that dreaded line that ruined the whole movie for Natalia. Last time we watched it, this is the point where she rage quit the movie and never touched it again for years. This time however, the girl watched on, curled in on herself at the other end of the couch. She had her eyes glued on the screen like a valiant knight braving a dragon.

I would've offered to switch off the movie but Natalia's got the remote in an iron grip and would bat my hands away whenever I try to reach for it. From this point on, we're watching the parts of the movie we didn't bother watching before. The rest of it is an interesting twist to the old fairy tale formula. Familial love can be just as strong as romantic love. What a nice message.

"It's official: Frozen is overrated."

I nearly jumped out of my seat at the sound of Natalia's voice. She hasn't talked to me all day and that's the first thing that comes out of her mouth?

"As if years of abandonment could be resolved with an open door policy! Screw that! If my mother pops up out of the blue with a convenient excuse as to why she left, I'd slam the door on her face! It's too little too late!"

That came out of left field. But then I remember the video where Leo dumped her and he did bring up her mother. That's a sore spot that never quite healed with Natalia. He should know that, yet he still…

"And the romance! Holy shit! So she can't marry a man she just met but in the end she's dating another guy she barely knows? Has she learned nothing? They've had less 'getting to know you' moments than the first bastard she met! How the fuck is that any better?! Sure, Kristoff isn't a bad guy under all that gruffness but Hans didn't seem like a bad guy at first either! What a fine lesson to teach to girls like me! Be paranoid of all men because you never know if your prince charming isn't secretly a prince psycho!"

Natalia was shaking in anger with a look on her face that wouldn't look out of place on her akuma form. Then all the fight in her melted away into tears. Awkwardly, I rubbed circles on her back while keeping a respectable distance from her. I kept at it until her crying quieted down to sniffles.

"If only telling apart the Kristoffs from the Hanses were easy in real life…"

I grumbled my agreement, letting her talk it out of her system. It's a relief to hear her talk again. At least now I know she's starting to get better.

"Too bad I can't simply read a guy's mind to know if he's hiding anything from me, huh?"

A hum of agreement.

"You wouldn't hide anything from me, would you?"

A stab of guilt pierced through me, but the words got stuck in my throat. That was enough of an answer for Natalia.

"So Fiona was right. You wouldn't tell me anything if I asked," Natalia said with tinge of bitterness.

"It's got nothing to do with you!" I said in my defense, which quickly withered away at Natalia's hurt look. I raised my hands in a way that I hoped came off as appeasing and rephrased my defense. "It's not that I wanted to hide anything from you. It's personal and…"

This is going to sound pathetic… But it's better than losing the one friend I have.

"You might hate me for it…"

Natalia wiped at her face with her sleeve, taking a few tense seconds to contemplate before telling me, "If you're not ready to tell me, then it could wait."

Just like that, it felt like I could breathe again. Though she made no promises she won't hate me, I'll take her patience. It's more than I deserve.

"Thank you."

We left it at that and watched another movie, Frozen II. After slogging through Frozen, might as well see the rest of it. We could spend the rest of the night roasting it to death like we usually do. I wish things can always be like this.

First song up, 'Some Things Never Change' hit too close to home for comfort. While a cheerful song, I can't help the sense of foreboding seeing all the stuff that don't really last within the number. Change is inevitable is the vibe I'm getting here. What is it with Frozen and personally assaulting me?!

Twenty minutes in, Natalia said something that almost made me choke on my popcorn.

"Wouldn't it be easier if I could fall for you instead?"

Natalia giggled at my sputtering reaction. After finally clearing my throat, I told her, "No offense Natalia, but I can't see you like that! You're too much like my little brother to me!"

Too much like Midorikawa as well.

"I know, and I'm not saying that I like you like that. It's just that you're already a good friend to me. I know I can trust you. I wish there's someone like that I could fall for, you know?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm glad to have you as my friend."

0-0-0-0-0

Four years ago…

It was a familiar scene. A bunch of rich kids berating one of the few lower-class kids who got lucky enough to get into this school. Except I'm not laughing among the other rich kids and the butt of their jokes ain't Midorikawa. This time, it was Hale.

They were saying the typical taunts: she was motherless, unlovable, too poor to have nice clothes, her hair was ugly, all she's good for were her grades and not much else. They'd laugh not because they find it funny, but because of that pitiful look in the poor loser's face made them feel superior. Like somehow, this makes them better than the person they're bullying.

But they're not. Their parents wouldn't love them more. The teachers wouldn't give them a higher grade without a threat or a bribe. The Aurelios will always be richer and more powerful than them. Their friends are only around because they see them as the top dog of the school. They're not really doing anything for themselves.

But what about Hale? She got into the school on her own merit. She apparently knits her own sweaters and cardigans 'cause she couldn't afford to buy one. She finished a painting assignment in one day when it took me over a week. She's smart and talented and resourceful. Everything I'm not.

Everything Midorikawa is. English isn't even his first language yet he picked it up and became fluent in a month or two. He's got a knack for directions, quickly finding shortcuts around school and knows the place better than most teachers. He stuck around longer than anyone else, I thought he'd never leave… I thought he'd always stick around… I thought I finally had a friend…

Until Kuznetsov stepped up because what I was doing was wrong.

What they are doing to Hale is wrong.

Next thing I knew, I was charging at them. I could hardly remember what I said. I just wanted them to stop. But with their numbers, my size wasn't enough to intimidate them. I don't scare them, not like this. This is karma for every horrible thing I've ever done to them out of pride. They ganged up on me, it was a loosing fight… But then someone came to stop them.

Hale stood between me and the other kids and pointed at their leader.

"Hey dickwad!" Hale mocked the new ringleader of the bullies. "You think you're so tough? I bet you hit like a pansy!"

Girl. What the hell?! Are you crazy?! You'd be better off begging for mercy! Not provoking them!

"Oh yeah?! I'll show you!" said the lead jerk.

The results were predictable. Hale took it in the face and she fell to the ground right next to me. The boy stood over her with a triumphant smirk. From where I lay, I'm the only one who could see that gremlin grin on Hale's face.

"That'll teach you-"

"And who needs to be taught?"

A teacher was fortunately passing by. Most of the other kids got caught and got into trouble.

Once the teachers had their backs to us, Hale got up and blew a raspberry their way. One quick look from the teacher and Hale is back to playing the sweet injured victim nursing her bruised face. But as soon as the teacher turned away again, Hale flipped the bullies off. I'm getting a whiplash just watching this two-faced weirdo.

But her actions did help me out. Her dumb taunts got all the bullies' attention centered on her that none of them spotted the teacher coming by.

We were taken into the school clinic. I got covered in little patches of bandages to cover all my freshly disinfected scrapes while Hale was nursing a pack of ice on her bruising face. It's time I did something I've never done before.

"Thanks," I said.

"For what?" Hale looked up to me looking dumbfounded.

"... For standing up for me," like no one ever did for me before. "Even if it ended with you getting punched in the face."

Hale nervously laughed. "If I told you it was part of my plan, would you believe me?"

"If it was part of your plan, then you need to work on your planning skills," I poked her on her swollen cheek, causing her to flinch. "You could've been seriously hurt."

"It all worked out in the end," Hale insisted sheepishly, then muttered to herself about how someone else makes this plan look cool.

I shook my head at this crazy girl.

"Why would you do that?" I pointed at her bruise. "You got hurt because of me. So why…?"

"They were hurting you, saying mean things about you. You stepped in when they were doing the same to me. Why wouldn't I return the favor?"

"Didn't you hear a word they said about me?"

I had it coming, they said. It's what I deserve, they said. Payback, they said. What goes around comes around.

"Psh, they said a lot of mean things about me too. They're just being jerks. Don't let them get to you."

… So she doesn't believe any of it? She honestly believes I'm a decent person?

Then the school nurse came to tell me my family car arrived.

"It's getting late, and my driver's waiting for me. I better go."

I got off the clinic cot and made my way to the door when Hale called out to me.

"Thanks for saving me back there, Damien!"

"I didn't do much! You ended up getting punched to save us both!"

Hale giggled. "Isn't that what friends do?"

That made me pause. Friends, huh?

"I'll see you in class!"

Since when were we friends?

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Before I knew it, the annoying blonde nerd in my class became my best friend. She's been with me through thick and thin. Always there to hear me out when I needed someone to listen. Waiting patiently if I'm not ready to talk. Trusting me to be honest with her…

Natalia may have a mean temper, but she's a kind and caring girl at her core. She's sweet to those she likes, and spiteful to those she hates. By dumb luck, this person is happy to have me as a friend.

After all the people I've hurt and driven away, Natalia's like a clean slate. My last chance to be a true friend to anyone. One of the few people who doesn't think I'm a total asshole - that I'm worth caring about.

Someday. Someday, I'll tell her everything. The good, the bad, the ugly. Now is not the right time. She's had enough for today. I'm not ready to ruin her image of me just yet.

For a little longer, I wanted to stay in her good books.

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BONUS SCENE: A VALENTINE DEAL

Fiona

It was the morning after Valentines.

Shizuke was sitting quietly by my side, with dark circles around his eyes. Yesterday was probably a loaded day at the flower shop so I left him alone with a chocolate muffin to snack on. He looked like he needed it more than I do.

Kaji had his face planted on the desk, sulking about missing the LadyNoire kiss while nursing his jet lag. He should've taken the day off, but he's a stubborn dolt. He wants to meet up with Damien as soon as possible and ask about Natalia, who was yesterday's akuma.

Who knew the boyfriend she kept fawning over was friggin' Leo of all people? I can't believe Blake lost to that jerk… until Leo tossed Natalia aside like a used tissue. He cheated on her and humiliated her in public. Leo's an ass, what else is new?

While I still don't like Natalia, I felt sorry for her. Getting akumatized is bad enough, but I saw what happened on the news: Dark Venus flying over the Grand Chariot Hotel, aiming a menacing black arrow at Blake. She had that subtle spark of purple energy coating her from head to toe. The pained expression on her face tells me Hawkmoth did something more to her than the usual victims. It feels like I've seen it before…

There was an avalanche of chocolates on my desk. The perpetrator was, surprise surprise, Blake Crawford. He was standing over my side with an empty sack, which he tossed aside and clapped his hands off imaginary dust. There was something off about him today.

"Isn't it a little late for Valentine's Day?" I asked with my arms crossed and a brow raised.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Blake glanced at the classroom full of gossiping classmates before he added, "Alone."

I narrowed my eyes at him. What could he be thinking? I won't get any clues if I stayed here so I went with him. Rumors flew down the hall, most of it boils down to Blake asking me out.

Is that what's going on? Has he moved on from Natalia and decided to have me as a rebound? I glared at the back of his head. While I respect his resolve to not hesitate the next time he fancies a girl, I don't appreciate being his next target. I thought he understood my feelings towards… well… you get the idea.

Blake led me to a relatively quiet place behind the cafeteria building. We stood on opposite sides of the area, staring each other down like it's a duel. I kept my silence, daring him to speak first. He tried to start, but he kept sputtering like an idiot and restarting his sentence. My patience couldn't handle this so I decided to take the lead.

"Why did you bring me here?"

A simple enough question. If he wanted to confess his love in private, he should know better than to make a spectacle of himself by dumping a sack of chocolates on my desk. Blake's face went red and he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"I'm… Uh… I'm not comfortable talking about this around Keagan and I'm not sure if Shizuke would approve of this," Blake gestured vaguely between us.

Oh fuck. He's really going down that route, is he?

"After hours of consideration, I decided you're the only one who needs to hear this. At least for now. Secrets tend to unravel eventually. If this blows up, it could become a huge scandal. But I suppose it'll be alright if it's you."

He crossed the gap between us and held my hands together.

"I brought you here to ask you…"

This is it. He's about to ruin everything.

"... To break Leo's face like he broke Natalia's heart."

"... Say what?"

Blake's expression darkened, like he craved violence. He dropped my hands as he went on a raging tirade that felt so uncharacteristic coming from him.

"I'd do it myself but Aphrodite's got my hands tied. I'd rather not get fired over this. But you… You already got away with kicking him in the nuts last week. I'm sure you'll be fine."

This is not what I was expecting.

"I'm not asking this of you for free. I know you don't like Natalia…"

"With good reason," I mumbled.

Blake shot me a flat look. "The sack of chocolates I gave you back at your desk is my down payment. I'm prepared to pay for all your snacks this month," he held out his hand for me to shake. "Can you please do it?"

Who would've thought Blake could be so… Vindictive? Is that the right word? I definitely didn't think he'd be the sneaky sort who'd plot out his revenge. To be fair, if anyone could bring out the spiteful side out of anyone, it would've been Leo. He's an asshole. I may not care about Natalia but she didn't deserve to be treated the way Leo treated her.

I crossed my arms.

"As tempting as it is, I can't do this. Sorry."

"Why not?! You had no problem inflicting bodily harm on him before!"

So this is Blake when he finally snaps.

Blake raved on about the injustice of it all. Why won't I punch Leo in the face? Surely he deserved it. He caused Natalia to get akumatized. She got hurt because of him. She doesn't deserve to get hurt. He wants him to hurt. It's not fair.

"Punching Leo in the face won't change anything. Natalia will still be hurting over this. Leo will forever remain a jerk. And you will never think it's enough even if you punch him yourself," I said firmly, before softening. "Believe me. I've been there."

"If punching Leo in the face won't help, what else can I do…?" There's that ever familiar look of helplessness on his face. Definitely been there.

"Just be there for Natalia."

The answer came naturally for me. From the looks of it, I think my answer struck a chord with Blake.

"It all goes back to her, doesn't it? Help her keep Leo's crap off her mind. Keep supporting her. She won't turn you away over this. I'm sure she'll appreciate you being there for her."

Epiphany eventually lit up Blake's face and muttered his agreement. Oh how I wished that was the end of it. Then that enlightened look got replaced by that smug smirk his twin sister likes to wear.

"You speak from experience with Keagan."

"Yes."

My lack of denial made him choke on his spit. Serves him right.

"Let's leave it at that," I said firmly, leaving no room for arguments.

Our trip back to the classroom was a lot quieter. There were less students loitering about as class was about to start. We're gonna be late, but I don't care. I've got my trusty headphones to block out all the nagging we're sure to get from Shizu once we get there.

I'm surprised Kaji didn't follow after us. Rather, he remained sulking in his desk. I was kinda hoping he'd get a little bit jealous but I suppose he has no reason to be. He doesn't feel that way about me, doesn't he?

The chocolates were neatly stored away into the sack Blake came with, thanks to Shizu. I offered to return the chocolates, but Blake waved them off and said I could keep them.

"Nah, you're doing me a favor taking them off my hands. I can't eat all the Valentine's chocolate I receive. After all, I am a model."

Upon closer look at the cards on the chocolates, it turns out they were Valentine's presents sent to Blake by fans. Not a single one was opened. Wow. With the way he dumped all his fans' chocolate on me like it meant nothing to him, it's clear to me his heartbreaker rep isn't completely baseless.

Blake slumped back into his seat next to a napping Jake, looking dejected.

There was only one girl for you, wasn't there?

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Notes:

Hi! It's been… (checks calendar) holy crap. Half a year has passed! Work's got me super busy all year and I didn't have time to write much. But I did want to at least finish off this arch so I powered through even if it took me almost half a year to finish. I was so looking forward for the next episode as it'll lead to yet another major shift in the love square… But I'm afraid I have to go on hiatus. At least until I find more time to actually write. For those who've kudos'd, follow, faved or even just read this far, thank you! I hoped you enjoyed the ride so far.

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BONUS SCENE: CAMEMBERT FRIENDSHIP

Natalia

"Are you sure you can handle going to school? You know akuma victims are allowed to take a few days off scott-free," Damien said for the nth friggin' time as we walked to class together.

I grumbled a half-assed "I'll be fine," and walked faster.

I appreciate the concern but I'm already at stage four of the five stages of grief: depression. It's not the kind of depression that makes you wanna lock yourself in your room all day as you binge on dramas and ice cream. No. It's the kind of depression where you're just numb to everything and nothing matters. I don't know if I can call this an improvement over all the ugly crying yesterday but I've ran out of tears and shits to give. What else am I supposed to do about it?

Before we can get to class, I caught a flash of red rushing from the side then emerald green eyes were staring down at me with concern. There it is, the first feeling of the day: disappointment.

Blair combed a hand through her long crimson hair. Must be nice to be as beautiful as her- always the one breaking hearts instead of the other way around. Pretty privilege totally exists and this lucky vixen is walking proof of that.

"Hey, Talia. How're you doing?"

"Fine as can be," I flatly said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I should get to class. Those math problems won't solve themselves."

Ah, Mathematics. You've always made sense to me. Your stable formulas and sure solutions never left me questioning shit. You wouldn't stab me in the back out of nowhere for no goddamn reason like some assholes I can name. I am looking forward to spending time with you.

"Natalia, we don't have math today," Damien said.

"… She's really out of it, isn't she?" Blair stage-whispered to Damien as if I'm not here.

I ignored them and trudged my way to class. If it's not math, then maybe it's science today. Science also made sense. It's my best subject. Or maybe it's literature. If there's one thing Shakespeare got right, it's romance is full of shit and there is no such thing as a happy ending. That man was full of wisdom all along and I'm sorry I ever doubted his genius.

A hand pulled me back to gently face Blair.

"Damien said you guys have self-study period right now."

"Why do you care?"

I didn't mean for it to come off as harsh as it did, but I don't feel like apologizing right now.

Blair frowned, like what I said actually hurt her, but just as quickly bounced back with her usual smirk – the sort of smirk that promises trouble.

"Would you like to get back at Leo?"

For the first time since I woke up, I had something to look forward to.

The three of us snuck into the Senior High School Department's locker room and somehow Blair managed to break Leo's lock. Damien was intrigued.

"Hey, that was a Kante Biometric Lock! How did you-"

"Not important,~" Blair said with a secretive grin.

"What's next? Are we gonna steal something of his?" Damien asked.

"What's the matter? Are you chickening out?~"

"If we get caught, we could get arrested!" Damien turned to me and started pulling me away. "C'mon, Natalia! Let's get out of here."

Blair rolled her eyes as she blocked our way. "Yeesh. Chill out. I wouldn't purposely get you into that kind of trouble."

Before Damien could further protest, I held up a hand to stop him. I think I could trust her on that. Blair may be a troublesome girl, but she's not that kind of delinquent. Blair took that as her cue to continue.

"We'll only get detention at worst if we ever get caught," from her bag, she unwrapped this big, bowling ball sized bundle. A wave of milky stink spread out as the foil is folded back to reveal a monstrosity.

"What the fuck is that?!" Damien said, eyeing the creepy thing Blair brought with her: a disgusting melty pale goop that vaguely resembles a human head.

"It's Camembert. You know, I heard expensive cheese like this are all the rage among the European upper class. Especially the French. Don't you think it would make such a nice Valentine's gift for Leo?~"

This is petty. Immature. Juvenile. We could get into serious trouble for this…

"… Well, he is part French from his mother's side."

Against my better judgement, I found myself going along with Blair's antics.

Damien looked at me worriedly.

Blair shot me an elated smile.

"Glad you're still on board! Now for the finishing touches."

She placed the cheese bust into Leo's locker, balancing it precariously close to the edge and placed a big red bow on it. Then she pulled out a Valentine's Day card and a pen. Instead of writing on it herself to leave behind a sassy insult, she offered the items to me. Her grin mellowed to a thin line, her brows all scrunched up.

"You got something you wanna say to this jerk?"

I took up the pen and card. There is so much I wanted to say to Leo:

How could you do this?

What the fuck is wrong with you?

I wish we never met.

I hate you.

I loved you.

Why can't you love me too?

I wrote them all down.

I crossed them all out.

He doesn't care about me. Nothing I say to him will matter anyway. He doesn't deserve any more from me.

I stabbed the card into the cheese's hard rind, a bit of disgusting goop spilled out of the crack it made.

The bells rang, signaling the end of first period. Leo has free period now, which he'd typically spend practicing at the fencing team's studio. He's sure to drop by the lockers to pick up his equipment. My chest tightened at how naturally that knowledge came to me. Students came flooding out into the halls – I slammed the locker shut and we went into hiding. What's the point of pranking Leo if we're not there to see it?

We lingered by the fire exit. It was cramped but we still got a good angle to see how Leo would react to our little Valentine's present for him.

Leo came into the locker room, looking too handsome to be real with his wavy blond hair, his picturesque smile, the regal way he carries himself… He's so beautiful! Like a prince out of a fairy tale… I slammed a fist into my chest to stop my stupid heart.

Concerned looks were echoed between Damien and Blair but I determinedly ignored them. I need to see this asshole get his just deserts.

Leo was alarmed when he noticed his high-tech lock was broken. He hastily opened his locker, only for a bowling ball sized goop of horror to fall on him. It smeared all over his probably-overpriced shirt before inelegantly falling into a splat on his designer leather shoes. He let out a girlishly high-pitched scream full of profanities as the students around him laughed at his misfortune.

Having seen enough, we fled the scene of the crime, cackling like a bunch of evil cartoon witches. Well, it was mostly Blair and I doing the cackling. Damien, who was being a wet blanket for the most part, did a low chuckle. He had to admit, Leo totally deserved to get cheesed for yesterday. The three of us left the Senior High School Department. Once we were a good distance away, Blair spoke up.

"… Are you feeling better now?"

She sounded unsure. Almost nervous even. Then, it clicked.

"Did you do all that to cheer me up?"

Blair scratched the back of her head, a nervous habit I associate more with Blake than with her. It was endearing they share this quirk.

"Not to brag, but I've never had my heart broken before. It feels pretentious to say I understood and try to reassure you over something I don't know anything about… So, I figured petty revenge might be a better way for me to help you. Did it work?"

Justice was served! My spite was sated and I'm looking forward to hearing rumors making fun of Leo for smelling like rotten cheese – he won't be scoring a date with anyone for a while. Serves him right!

But after the high, I still felt like shit. Not as shitty as earlier this morning, but still shit. I appreciate that she tried though. I tried to smile for her, but I don't think I convinced her.

"It didn't. Heh. Blake was always better at cheering you up than I was."

"Then why isn't he here?" Damien sharply asked.

"Oh, he woke up and chose violence this morning. He's planning to bribe Fiona with chocolates to punch Leo in the face."

"What?!" Damien shrieked.

Laughter bubbled its way out of me.

"Seriously? I can't believe that guy!" I managed to say in between laughs.

The crazy shit he pulls. It's like we're back to being children when he'd protect me from bullies. People always thought Blair was the only troublemaker between the twins, but the reality is Blake is just better at not getting caught. That sneaky bastard is at it again.

"Tsk," Blair clicked her tongue with a fond grin. "Even though he's not here, he's still got it."

"That's a nice sentiment and all, but wouldn't it be better if he just came here and directly supported Natalia? That way, she would've known he was on her side firsthand," Damien asked with eyes squinted like he's powering through a migraine.

"Yep," Blair said with a pop. She looked at me with a sad smile. "But my brother's too chicken to just straight up tell you he cares."

She crossed her arms behind her head and walked ahead of us. We're back at the Junior High School Department. This is where we part ways.

Damien stuck by my side, asking me if I'm okay enough to go to the akuma support group and maybe tell Keagan my side of the story.

I told him, "I'll be fine."

This time, it sounded just a smidge more truthful.

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