Treasure Trove of Miracles Summary: A collection of unrelated Miraculous Ladybug stories centered on Marinette or Adrien. Prolly lots of akumanette ideas. Most are unfinished story ideas. Some may be quick notes for potential AUs. What may be found in this treasure trove? Who knows.
ch. 3 Summary: Her classmates believe she is the enemy. She's not. But maybe she should be.
Warnings: Minor angst
Chapter 3 – The Enemy Part 3
There… was a lot to unpack. Too much, actually. The temptation to get lost in her thoughts and process it all was almost too much. She was lucky her sense of duty kept her present. Tikki floated in the air, scolding the kwami of destruction.
Marinette heaved a sigh, cheeks puffing as she did so. "No time for cheese, Plagg."
The two kwamis quieted. She cast her gaze to the previously ruptured wall and window of the villain's lair. Villain. Was he really a villain? Just what was Hawkmoth's motivation? Why would Adrien's own father terrorize Paris? Gabriel Agreste didn't seem like the kind of man to willingly torment civilians. He was her fashion designer idol: a respectable man with a successful business. What reason could he possibly have to want the miraculous?
Her mouth moved, absently sharing her thoughts aloud. "Do you think he was forced to become Hawkmoth?"
"That could have been a possibility, Ms. Dupain-Cheng." A deeper male voice cut in and the two teens jolted. Tikki rushed out of sight. Plagg didn't bother hiding, having already been seen. They had forgotten the officer's presence. "Unfortunately we have evidence to believe otherwise."
Marinette straightened, accidentally jostling the warm arm from around her shoulders. She shoved away the rush of heated embarrassment. Adrien touched her! Remembering Adrien was also Chat Noir didn't help her focus. How could a mangy cat also be a perfect prince? But no. She was Ladybug! She needed to concentrate. Tikki hovered by her pigtails. Her shoulders rolled back as she gathered herself to her feet.
It was time to be the hero she knew she could be.
"Officer Raincomprix, please explain."
"Right." The policeman straightened at her tone. She had taken the lead and her citizens would follow. "But it may be better to show you. Chat Noir," the man focused on the presence shifting nervously behind her. At the call, Adrien also straightened. "Please brace yourself. What my officers found is… alarming."
Adrien stepped forwards to stand at her side. His expression was narrowed as if he were facing down an akuma after cataclysm failed. As if time was running out and he was ready to follow her unorthodox Lucky Charm to victory. Marinette had to remind herself to breathe. She had never seen Chat Noir's sharper face on Adrien's soft features. Never had the chance. And yet here they were.
Adrien dipped his head. "Lead the way, sir."
Marinette refocused. Officer Roger pivoted on his heel to lead out of the poorly lit lair. Butterflies billowed as the three humans stirred their tranquility with movement. They paused as the white insects fluttered up and up along the tall walls. Many rested on the closed window. Fading sunlight filtered through the window's butterfly motif. The tall walls that lined the massive room blended into one equally tall hallway. The one she had sprinted down while akumatized.
They followed the way back to the foyer but, before returning to the mansion, Officer Raincomprix revealed the presence of a hidden door near the now fixed mosaic of Adrien's mother. Marinette had half a beat to remember she had carelessly shredded that fabric before the door opened and her guilt shifted into something entirely different.
A coffin. But that wasn't right. As she neared, light shifting around her as butterflies flitted across the ceiling lamp, she realized the thing sitting in the middle of the room was more of a capsule. A time capsule. The glass surface reflected the light until she neared enough to see–
"Mom?" Adrien choked.
Marinette's jaw dropped. Emilie Agreste lay in the capsule. Her features were untouched by dust or wrinkles. She hadn't aged since the day of her disappearance years ago. It was as if she was stuck in time. Ageless. Timeless. Marinette's thoughts whirled. Immortality? No. Trapped. But how? And why?
"Mom!" A sob ripped across the room as Adrien jerked in place, visibly holding himself back from hurling himself at the capsule. Instead, he combed frantic fingers through his hair, ruffling the strands into wild disarray. With his hair untamed and green eyes wild and wide, the fact he was Chat Noir nudged itself further into reality. Adrien was composed. Chat Noir was chaotic. Adrien took things seriously. Chat Noir couldn't care less. Adrien was perfect. Chat Noir was not. And yet Adrien was Chat Noir.
Reality crashed around her and she couldn't stop it even if she wanted to. Adrien finally launched at the closed capsule, babbling questions as Marinette silently churned through realizations. A part of her wanted to run to her crush's side and comfort him. But she was stuck in her mind: unraveling a mystery as the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Her ladybug side was at the forefront of her mind. Plagg tried to comfort his chosen but there was too much hurt and too many questions. He needed answers. Marinette's mouth opened.
Tikki spoke before she could. "She's cursed."
Adrien quieted. Officer Raincomprix had long since left to give them privacy. Tikki zipped in front of Adrien's face, and in turn the capsule, to better examine Emilie Agreste's features. Marinette softened as her friend's devastated expression finally registered.
"Adrien." She called softly. He looked at her with swelling eyes. She needed to be Ladybug right now. But she also needed to be a friend. "Hey Adrien. We're a team, right?"
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Y-yeah…"
"We'll figure this out." She knelt beside him, extending her arms in an offering. "We'll get through this. Together."
Adrien didn't hesitate.
Notes: Trying to organize my stash of Miraculous Ladybug fanfic ideas. Stumbled across this old Part 3 to my Akumanette AU called The Enemy.
Apparently I scribbled this in 2020 and never posted it, ahaha. Prolly cause Part 3 is technically incomplete. And prolly incoherent. I didn't bother to edit or fix anything since I'm not planning on actually continuing this storyline. Just posting this as it is on Tumblr, Archive of Our Own, and here so it's somewhat easier to read all the chappies. Ta da!
Thank you to those who read, favorite, and review! I appreciate them all even if I don't respond.