Rating: T+

Pairing(s): Adrien/Marinette; Nino/Alya; Felix/Chloe.

Genre: Romance; Superhero Action; Drama; Dark Themes.

Notes:

Hello everyone! Zancrowe here!

This here is one of my own "What-If" stories; this one reimagining the origins of the "Mini Menace Ladybug" if she were a part of the upcoming Phase Four of films / series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). First thing, yes, this is an AU that serves as a sort-of darker reimagining of the "Ladybug" story, very much inspired by the MCU and the original anime teaser released for Ladybug. Also, while there will be a few MCU characters sprinkled throughout, this is a Ladybug story through and through, so please keep that in mind.

Disclaimer: Don't own "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir" or "Marvel's The Avengers".

Lightning clawed across the night's sky, threatening to transform a peaceful night in Paris into a much darker and somber one. Paris, a global center for fashion, art, and culture, was, despite the glowing veins that marked the sky, eerily silent for such a robust city. Not everywhere, not really, but for every bright spot marked in the tourist pamphlets were a dozen or so dark alleys hiding the worst of nightmares. Not that this was a fault of Paris, per say, every city in the world houses unimaginable secrets. For every light, there is a corresponding shadow. But very few people ever confronted the shadows directly.

"Hey, come on, tell me the joke. What's so funny?" a small cloud of darkness hovered around a young man standing atop one of the many rooftops of the city, his back pressed against an unused chimney, hidden in the darkness. The floating mass shifted itself, taking a more familiar form, a cross between a fairy and a black cat. He stared at the young man, the one he knew to call "Master".

"…I wasn't laughing," the young man replied, his tone soft, as if not to alert anyone of his current location. The young man, with stern facial features, his pale blond hair usually perfectly combed-back into a sleek pattern now in a more messy and savage look, and light bluish-gray eyes, looked slightly amused at his companion's observation, as he had honestly not noticed himself laughing softly moments before.

"Well, you were, and it's rude not to let me in on the joke. I thought you knew that," the little cat-like fairy accused more than asked, and the young man just scoffed at the accusation.

"Just keep quiet Plagg," he assured, using the tip of his finger to gently tap the little fairy's head. "I need to focus."

"So we're starting now?" Plagg asked, levitating itself to be at eye-level with him. His master nodded, and the duo's focus was shifted towards his right hand, were a black cat-shaped ring rested upon his middle finger. The ring's emerald "eyes" began to glow, signaling the start of their transformation.

"Claws out."

In a flash of bright light and thunderous sound, they both vanished from that rooftop. Moments later, a passerby civilian would contact the police about an alleged sighting of the infamous thief and vigilante "Cat Noir", running across the rooftops of the quiet Paris night.

In the span of a few minutes, Cat Noir reached the rooftop of his current destination: Le 696 Top. It was a well-known local bar with a magnificent view to the city, and a place many of the younger generation went to for drinks, dancing and sex. He knew of this place, he's been here before. He had met a girl here once.

It… didn't work out.

The bar was populated to a degree, not filled to capacity, but nowhere near empty. Enough people to suggest a steady profit for the owner, enough for the repairs he would need after tonight. People were dancing, guys and gals were smoking outside, and everyone there thought that tonight was the night they'd get lucky.

Then a black cat crossed their path.

He announced himself a second after he cut of the music, which was as simple as slicing the wire clean in two with a single one of his clawed digits, causing his entire "audience" to take a few seconds to realize something was off. At least, those who were not drunk out of their ass.

"Now, now, if I may have your attention please," he mockingly announced, lifting himself up and standing up on top the main bar so that it could serve as a stage. "And please, ladies, don't get too excited. I am not tonight's stripper, and yes, I know how absurd that sounds from a guy covered in leather."

"Who's this clown?" he heard one of the patrons ask aloud, as a man next to him seemed to mumble something.

"That suit is tight!" another one said, a young woman who he could tell was pretty drunk at the time. Or high, probably high.

"Holy shit, that's Cat Noir!" a third one shouted, and it caused after mentioned vigilante to smile from ear to ear. It was the first time he had been acknowledged by that name directly by someone else. He didn't choose that name, the media did, and while it was a bit too unoriginal for his liking, it did have a nice, badass ring to it.

"Correct! Someone pay that guy another round, he's earned it," Cat Noir declared, signaling to the young man who had just spoken with a clawed finger, before turning to everyone else whose attention he undoubtedly had. "Now then, if any of you wants me to pay for the next round, mind telling me where a certain friend of mine is? He's become something of a regular here, and his social media page did tattle on him being here tonight," he told the people, who all seemed to be too shocked to properly convey what was happening. Cat Noir had slowly become somewhat known to these parts of Paris, but as a myth or legend, a Robin Hood like figure you could claim to see just as much as someone could mistake a bird or a plane for someone else. "Where are you, Sonny?"

Nobody answered, they didn't have to. The moment he said the name, enough people turned their gazes slightly, from Cat Noir towards a certain seated individual. The man they all looked at, dressed in a fancy suit and in the middle of another drink, seemed to be experiencing a sense of "déjà vu" by the look on his eyes; which sharpened the moment they were met by Cat Noir's own, as he realized that the predator had found his prey.

"Hi Sonny," Cat Noir greeted in a tone that mixed menace with playfulness, showing the man his fang covered smile. He jumped down from the bar and strolled through the guests and towards his table, claws extending, "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Shit! Not this again!" Sonny quickly cursed as he got off from his seat and stumbled backwards, away from the approaching feline figure. "I flew all the way to Paris just to get away from you animal-themed freaks!"

"Tough luck buddy," Cat Noir responded, smirk still ever present. "You came to the wrong city. That little "truth serum" you've been selling has been causing quite a few problems for-"

"Hey!" one of the men seated near Sonny quickly stood up and stopped Cat Noir's approach by holding him by the arm, placing himself extremely close to his face as a few others (about five if he had counted properly) either stood up or seemed to brace themselves for a scene. Cat Noir stopped, glanced at the hand "holding" him in place, then returned his glare to the man's face.

"Buddy," he spoke up, his tone still jovial, "Might be in your best interest to let me go."

"Might be in yours to take a little walk with all of us for a moment," the older man threatened back, his tone serious and strict, who, unlike Cat Noir, seemed to a professional at threatening people.

"How about… no," Cat Noir countered, and gave the area one last look. He could see, not counting the man in front of him who he was going to introduce to the ground shortly and Sonny, there were six other guys on stand-by, not five, with all other eyes on him at the moment. Seven goons in total. From the corner of his eye, he saw one of the girls there, who may or may not be the same one who complimented his attire, was filming him with her phone. 'Oh?' he thought, as a sly smile made his way onto his face, 'You all want a show, huh?'

"I don't care what you-" the man's word were suddenly halted when Cat Noir smashed his palm upwards against his chin, lifting the fully grown adult into the air a good two feet, before he came crashing down onto the cold, wooden floors almost just as fast. It took about three seconds for the others to register that, no, they weren't in control of the situation. And, to their credit, they quickly attacked all at once. Unfortunately for them, the vigilante known as Cat Noir had, for lack of a better term, cat-like reflexes.

'Six left.'

Cat Noir smashed his fist directly on the nose of the nearest incoming assailant, feeling satisfied with the resulting crunching noise that he emitted. The next guy, branding a knife, tried to flank him from the side, but Cat Noir simply jumped, much higher than any of them anticipated, landed feet first in the ceiling, then bounce back against it to land knee first against the side of his jaw. The four others were immediately upon him, with both knives and guns drawn out, which made the job a little harder.

A little more thrilling, too.

'Down to four.'

The sound of the first shot stopped the girl who was recording, and pretty much everyone else staring in awe, from enjoying the sight and instead realizing that they were in danger and needed to get out. A massive surge of panic ensued, as the entire bar's worth of people began to run to the exits, as Cat Noir simply marveled at how bad a shot the man was. He hadn't even needed to dodge that bullet, and at such close range too.

"Please tell me you got that gun a few days ago," he mockingly told the shooter, as he grabbed one of his arms and twisted it with such ferocity that it caused the man to flip over him and land on a nearby table, breaking it in two thanks to the force behind the maneuver.

Another quickly tried his hand at a shot at the vigilante, but Cat Noir moved so fast it seemed like a blur to him. One moment he had the black-clad predator in his sights, the next his gun was broken into pieces by a claw as a leather clad boot smashed itself against his torso, sending him flying backwards over the bar and crashing against the display of alcoholic bottles, spilling what was likely an entire month's worth of inventory.

'What a waste,' Cat Noir thought. 'Anyways, just two.'

One of the two attempted to shoot him, third time being the charm Cat Noir supposed was his reasoning, but in order to avoid any stray bullet hitting anyone else, Cat Noir did a short side flip in the air, landing with his boot against the barrel of the gun, which promptly fired directly into his would-be shooter's right foot, staining the floor with a crimson that would be a tad hard to wash off.

The last guy attempted to back stab him, literally, but Cat Noir quickly turned and met the knife with his claws. They clashed briefly, knife against claws, like a fencing match between a novice and a pro. In no time, the knife was nothing but the handle, and Cat Noir was no worse for wear.

"What the hell is that made off!?" a fearful man asked as his eyes couldn't register what he was witnessing.

"Boyfriend material!" Cat Noir responded, before head-butting the assailant into submission before the man could even muster a retort. He took a few guided steps, grabbed the head of the other guy who had shot himself before he could even try to get some revenge, and smashed his face against a nearby chair, effectively knocking him out.

'…And that's game,' Cat Noir thought to himself proudly, before he realized he was alone at the bar with nothing but seven knocked out, bleeding assholes. "It seems our friend Sonny Burch decided to try and run," Cat Noir spoke softly, as he looked towards the back of the bar, seeing a door at the very end, left wide open. "I suppose several people took that exist route, including our little friend."

"You always like it when they run," he heard Plagg speak out, almost as if it were coming out of Cat Noir's own mouth.

It had taken him some time to get used to this symbiotic relationship they now shared whenever they transformed. Hearing Plagg speak inside his own head was something that made the whole thing feel just as otherworldly as it probably was.

"Don't you Felix?"

-0-

It was to be expected that schools would eventually accommodate everyone who had been vanished those five years ago, somehow, but even knowing that, it didn't make it any easier for her to return back to the very place she almost died in. For any of them, she presumed. Granted, they had "The Avengers" to thank for them still being, well, there, but it was all a pretty hard pill to swallow. A few weeks amongst the living in an ever changed world was not enough time to readjust oneself, she figured. But, it was out of her hands, and maybe going out would do her some good.

So, while dragging her feet even more-so that usual, the still-merely-a-fourteen-year-old-despite-five-years-passing Marinette stepped through the hallways of her school, as classmates both new and old gathered in groups, the topic being the same no matter where you eavesdropped.

"Where you one of them?" one would ask.

"Yeah, my sister was too, but both my older brothers were not," another answered. "Well, way older brothers now."

"My family only lost two people that day," said another. "Immediate family I mean."

"I'm just glad my dog came back too."

"My little sister is now older than me, like, how do I process that?"

'How indeed,' Marinette mused, walking through the groups while keeping a low profile. Everybody was in better spirits than she would have imagined, but it was to be expected. They had been saved after all. It was a time to celebrate, not mourn. They had had five years for that, well, half of them anyways.

Marinette stepped into her assigned classroom, almost immediately coming face to face with two girls she had not thought about since the entire mess had started: Chloe and Sabrina. Part of her wanted to just walk past the two, too busy talking to each other to even notice anyone else, but another part of her actually felt relieved at seeing them both there, alive. That part won out in the end.

"Chloe, Sabrina," Marinette greeted the two, her tone soft. "I… well, it's good to see you both; I hope everything's, well…" she intended that sentence to continue, but decided to leave the "well" as in wellbeing as opposed to a conjunction. It sounded off, but she digressed.

"…Marinette," Sabrina spoke up, slightly surprised, but a far cry from her usual attitude. She sounded genuinely surprised at the greeting, and even more so, at seeing Marinette there. They had vanished first, so Marinette assumed they didn't even know Marinette had followed shortly thereafter.

"…Hmm," Chloe seemed to want to say something, but for whatever reason she stopped herself. The two girls, enemies since probably grade school, just locked eyes, and Chloe settled on giving Marinette a soft nod. It wasn't much, but it was as much acknowledgement she would get from the girl, which both pleased and irked Marinette in equal measures.

'Guess even dying doesn't make you easier to tolerate, huh?' she jokingly thought, but pressed on and moved away from the girls and towards the classroom. Immediately she was quickly greeted by the others who recognized her. They hugged, kissed each other fondly, and told their respective stories. It was here she learned who had been what, as the members of her current class were mostly made up those who had been brought back, with two notable exceptions.

Her current class, starting with those that were snapped away, was currently made up off:

The queen bee herself and the Mayor's little she-devil Chloe Bourgeois.

The yes-girl to the aforementioned and someone who blurred the lines between nice and mean to an almost bipolar degree Sabrina Raincomprix.

The music aficionado and super fan of all things Avenger-related Nino Lahiffe.

The nicest girl of the whole school, who seemed uncharacteristically pensive during this whole time Mylene Haprele.

The laidback guitarist and would-be object of Marinette's affection were she not currently obsessed over Felix, or so she tells herself, Luka Couffaine.

The shy goth girl who is the younger twin sister of said guitarist Juleka Couffaine.

The happy-go-lucky blonde that seemed to have her heart just as golden as her hair Rose Lavillant.

The aspiring artist and nicest guy around Nathaniel Kurtzberg.

The big, tough teddy bear of a young man who is easily flustered Ivan Bruel.

And, of course, Marinette Dupain-Cheng herself, self-described as optimistic and pessimistic at the same time, oxymoron be damned.

Said little group was now sharing a classroom with two new girls who had once-upon-a-time been five years their juniors, those being:

The new student with a foxlike gleam in her eyes hidden behind the glare of her fashionable glasses Alya Cesaire.

And the Italian transfer student whose looks could give Chloe a run for her money and make Marinette's own insecurities rise even more Lila Rossi.

"It's all so freaky," Nathaniel voiced, as the group all sat together. "But, man, The Avengers sure did come through. Can you imagine how it would have been like if we had not been saved?"

"…I can't even remember anything," Juleka told the redhead, shifting in her seat as she fixed the collar of her jacket. "We were gone so long, yet, it went by faster than a dream."

"That's a good thing," Rose added, offering Juleka a quick smile which caused the goth girl to become flustered and shift her eyes elsewhere. Utterly missing that, Rose cheerfully continued. "Can you imagine feeling any of that? Like, being in limbo for five years?"

"Just glad both Juleka and I got snapped together," the elder twin brother, Luka spoke up, and Marinette had to shake her head, because the boy still sounded dreamy as all heck. One crush was enough, she screamed to herself. "Would be weird to have a twin five years older."

"…Or younger," Juleka added, still blushing, as Luka just patted her a bit on the head.

"…I can't imagine what all of this did to so many families," Mylene said, and Marinette noticed how out of all of them, her tone was the bleakest. She couldn't quite pinpoint how, exactly, but something was off.

"Is everything alright Mylene?" she asked, even if she figured she shouldn't be butting in.

"O-Oh, yeah, I mean, as alright as it can be," Mylene replied, her attempt to sound happy not going unnoticed by the group.

"Don't be such a sourpuss," Chloe butted in, apparently tired of not being a part of the conversation for once, with Sabrina tailing closely behind. Some things never changed, it seemed. "Or you're going to make Ivan here all worried once again."

"Why me?" Ivan quickly protested, his face slightly flustered as he stood up from his seat.

"Why not you?" Chloe countered. "I died hearing you screaming for her after all. Not the best way to go, mind you."

"Lay off Chloe," Marinette responded without even thinking, surprising herself almost as much as it did the rest of the class, but if there was one thing she wasn't going to go back on was those last thought she had had moment before she faded.

If she were ever given a second chance, she would not waste even a single second.

"We've all been through a lot, and I for one, was worried sick when I saw Mylene vanish," Marinette added, firmly. "I was worried when everyone else did, too… even you."

"You are making this way more serious than it needs to be," Chloe retorted, but seemed to be backing off if her lowered tone was any indication.

"I don't know any of you," another voice spoke up, from behind the group on one of the desks near the back of the classroom. "But I have to give the dark haired girl some merit. I was wondering if the school experience was going to change now that half of the world came back, but it seems I was worrying for nothing. Let me guess blondie, you're the resident alpha bitch?"

"Excuse you?" Chloe sounded as offended as one can, and even Marinette stammered back at the response. She, alongside everyone else, those following the prior conversation or otherwise, turned to face the other girl. A dark-skinned young girl, with reddish hair and foxlike features, especially her cocky grin and mischievous eyes hidden away by the glare form her glasses. The new student, Marinette presumed, Alya.

"Just an observation princess," Alya responded calmly.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Chloe countered with a phrase most of them had heard countless of times.

"Chloe, if I heard it right," Alya replied with a cool smirk, as she extended her arm to the blonde. "I'm Alya, pleased to meet you."

"Whatever," the queen bee just muttered, surprisingly even she was tired of all the back and forth, her little act not working as good as it used to it seems.

"I guess everyone came back a little different it seems," Nathaniel muttered, his attention shifting from the girls towards Marinette, who noticed his gaze and offered him an automatic smile, which caused the boy to blush and shyly offer one in turn.

"Yeah, but sometimes different is good," Marinette replied, unsure if it was to Nathaniel or to herself, as if to assure herself that yes, things were really going to be okay after all.

It took several minutes, but in due time they were all seated. Miss Bustier came in, and took the time to hug and greet each student she had had with her that fateful day, then proceeding to introduce herself to those that were new to the class. Marinette couldn't help but tear up during this, and when it had been her turn to hug her teacher, she lingered a little longer than she had planned. Miss Bustier held her tighter as she did, only softly voicing a "that's my girl" to her as she did.

Then it was like they went back in time to that day, before everything went to hell. Miss Bustier didn't really give them a class, rather, she let them speak about their experiences. To let it all out. To say without worry of judgment. And they did. They spoke about which ones of their families had stayed behind, and which ones hadn't.

Marinette spoke about how both her mother and she had been amongst the Vanished, and how her dad had kept their bakery running, never losing hope of them coming back. How he, like everyone else, almost lost hope. And how proud she was of him for being so strong. And the class listened, understanding. Even Chloe said nothing, only hearing her out.

Their stories were varied, but they all had one theme in common, loss, and how they dealt with it.

All except for her.

"My father used to be an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. before it disbanded, and he was one of the people who worked with Tony Stark to save everyone," the transfer student Lila Rossi told the class, the proudest smile on her face as the class was awestruck by the revelation. Even Marinette was shocked, having not expected to meet anyone that had a connection to an Avenger, much less that man of all people. "In fact, here in my phone, I have the picture he took with Mr. Stark before they set their plan into motion. You can't even imagine how precious this image is… to me, I mean."

She showed the photo, the man she claimed to be her father next to an unsuited Iron Man, all smiles. The class went wild, getting off their seats and moving towards Lila, drowning her in questions about the details, which she coyly added she wasn't at the liberty to say much. Marinette was among the ones quickly on her feet to see the photo. Like, this girl had personally met the man himself before the fateful mission. That wasn't just precious, that was simply irreplaceable.

"So damn cool!" Nino exclaimed.

"…You're so lucky Lila," Juleka told the girl.

"Your dad was a true hero too," Rose added.

"Yeah, Lila, you should be so proud that…" Marinette began, but then she noticed that there was something off about the photo. She stared, her eyes scanning it, looking at each minor detail until she caught what was amiss. Lila, still bathing in the compliments, failed to notice Marinette's judging look, until the girl herself added: "Why doesn't he have his ring?"

"Pardon?" Lila asked, taken aback, as she turned her attention to Marinette fully.

"His ring, you know, if that was a few weeks ago, shouldn't he…?" Marinette began, but Lila quickly turned the phone away before Marinette could zoom in on the picture.

"He probably didn't want it damaged once he suited-up, obviously," Lila retorted, but kept the phone away, much to the dismay of the rest of the class. A few other students muttered a few things, mostly against Marinette ruining their chance about "insider info" about The Avengers. The azure haired girl pouted and sat back down, certain that Lila was lying to them all and she had been the only one to see through it, but it was not the time nor the place to rebut her.

"Nice eye," Alya told Marinette softly, surprising the girl since she had not noticed Alya sitting next to her. "I smelled something fishy with that story too."

"I-I didn't mean it like that," Marinette replied, which was true. It had been a simple observation after all. It was Lila's reaction that made it all "fishy", as Alya put it.

"Alright, I know we all want to know as much about The Avengers as we can, but for now, let's focus on the people we have here, the unsung heroes who have organized our upcoming Gala Event right here in our very own-" Miss Bustier began, but was interrupted when the classroom door was opened. She had expected that maybe it was their principal Gilbert Damocles, welcome speech in hand, but it turned out to be someone completely different.

Marinette forgot how to breathe upon seeing him again, older than she remembered but damn it if he didn't age well.

Felix Agreste.

"Excuse me Miss Bustier," he spoke as he came into the classroom, as the class began to whisper and mutter, mostly from the girls completely taken in by his aura, if such a thing was possible. "Here are the papers the school wanted from my family. Uncle is… busy. So I decided to bring them in. Miss Sancoeur filled everything out, but feel free to verify."

"Oh, Felix, thank you," Miss Bustier replied, taking the time to walk up to the boy and give him a quick hug. He seemed uncomfortable, but didn't fight against it. Then she grabbed him by the cheeks, and he seemed to be doing an impressive job at hiding a murderous glare. "My, how you've grown."

"Yeah, funny how that all worked out," Felix replied, his tone impressively kept stoic and cool, at least in the eyes of all the girls currently daydreaming about him. Marinette included.

"What's with that dorky ring?" Chloe called out, although surprisingly her tone was less her usual aggressive personality and more of a friendly tease. "Got an engagement ring from a toy store?"

"It's a mood ring genius," he replied, but he did smirk at her comment, before flashing the ring to her, and by extent, the entire class placed firmly in his middle finger, effectively flipping them all off. "See, take a good look at it."

Chloe just stuck her tongue out at him, as Marinette felt a part of her die at seeing their familiarity. Just another thing Chloe had over her.

"Who is he?" Lila quickly asked, scanning the black-clad young man from head to toe, taking her time with the scan. She liked what she was seeing.

"That's Felix Agreste," Sabrina responded, since she was seated between Chloe and Lila herself, and it helped to boost up Chloe's status, which Sabrina felt was threatened by Lila and her connections. "His family and Chloe's are quite close. They are the final word in fashion here in Paris, which is saying a lot."

"He is a model, indeed," Lila commented. "Hey handsome! Why don't you take a seat and join us?" she called out to Felix, as Marinette almost snapped her pencil in half. "We're in storytelling time, and you seem like you have quite a few stories to tell."

"Unlikely," Felix responded. "I'm quite the boring person."

"I very much doubt that," Lila shot back.

"You are terribly obvious, you know?" Alya whispered to a shaking Marinette, who eyed Alya tearfully in apparent defeat.

"…I've tried flirting with him for about an entire year," Marinette admitted. "Not once did he ever return a "hello", much less a full sentence. So much for this being my year…"

"…You poor thing," Alya said, as she patted Marinette softly on the back. Even more things, Alya noted, that had not changed from the school experience. Boy troubles were still very much a thing.

Felix didn't remain long, he nodded a few times to what Miss Bustier told him, and in a flash, he was out of the classroom. Marinette knew she had no way of even striking a conversation with the boy, so she did what she always did, just stare at his back as he walked away. But, for the first ever time, her eyes caught a glimpse of something else. Or rather, someone else.

As Felix exited, from the glass window on the door, she could see someone else approach him, having likely been waiting outside for him. Another boy, just as blonde, from what little Marinette could tell. His expressions were softer, and for the briefest of moments, he turned his attention to the classroom, his eyes outright glimmering.

Marinette caught his gaze, and for a second, they saw one another.

-0-

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Alya was slightly taken aback by the genuinely cheerful greeting tossed her way, as Marinette extended her hand towards her. Alya finished taking a sip from one of the water fountains found around the halls during their break period, eyeing her new friend curiously.

"…I feel we didn't introduce each other properly," Marinette explained, smiling with her arm still extended. "You were too busy saving me from Chloe, I guess."

"You handled yourself pretty well, Marinette," Alya replied, taking the girl's hand and returning the smile. "Alya Cesaire, the ever-so cliché new girl in town. Well, one of them anyways."

"The one I'm glad I got to meet," Marinette assured. "Like, if you don't have anything else to do, you can always come back to my place. My folks own a bakery, and trust me, you haven't had sweets until you've had some of my dad's candy apples!"

"That actually sounds sweet, erm, pun intended, so I may take you one that-hold the phone," Alya shifted the conversation suddenly, causing Marinette to stare confusingly. "Six o'clock Mari, the boy you were drooling over."

"The what!? Where!?" Marinette quickly shrieked and landed behind an unimpressed Alya, hiding herself from the "threat". "I am in no way ready to talk to him again!"

"Girl, you didn't say a single thing to him," Alya retorted, moving to the side to face the cowering Marinette. "But, really? After everything that happened, is talking to a boy really that hard for you?"

"…You know, you're right! It shouldn't be! I promised myself I'd be braver!" Marinette declared, turning her full attention towards Felix, who was stepping out of another classroom down the hall, having stopped to presumably "say hi" to the other teachers he had not seen in five years. He was alone, she noticed, no other similar looking boy to be seen. That made it easier she imagined.

Marinette steeled herself, began to march, her face stern and ready to pour her heart out to the boy that had stolen it over a year ago (well, six years ago). She took a deep breath, took a few steps, then turned right back.

"I'll totally talk to him tomorrow, because really, he probably has way more important things to do rather than-" she never got to finish.

She should have seen the shove Alya gave her coming due to the latter's smirk, but she didn't, and before she realized it, she was knocked directly onto Felix, causing the two to topple onto the floor rather violently.

'…Ouch,' Alya mused to herself, as she innocently walked past the two downed teens. 'Usually in movies such a tumble is way more romantic. I nearly almost knocked them both out, oops.'

"Seriously!?" Marinette spoke out, her face beet red and her once perfectly brushed hair now a mess. Something had been caught in it, and she was shocked to see that something was Felix's hand.

"That should be my line," he voiced, not as annoyed as she had expected, more bemused than anything else. "You couldn't be clumsier if you tried."

"I-I, you know, yeah, I mean, no, it wasn't like, erm… Hi!" she greeted with a forced smile, which probably scared Felix more than anything.

"…Hi?" he replied.

"…Heh, heh, heh," she sheepishly laughed, slightly proud of the fact that she actually got that "hi" she had wanted for so long. "Yeah, sorry about that. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, trying to get up but realizing he was pulling onto her hair as he did, causing her to yelp out an "ouch" as he did. "…You've got to be kidding me."

"I-I think it's your mood ring," she told him, feeling herself tangled up in it. "If you remove it for just a moment."

"Really wish I could," he replied without thinking, which caused her to give a confused look, to which he realized his mistake and added: "I've worn it for a while, it doesn't come off easily."

"We could try!"

"We really can't," he replied quickly. "We could, however, cut your hair just a-"

"No!" she screamed so loud it honestly frightened him, and he froze in place. She stared, realized they were drawing in a crowd thanks to the show they were putting on, and her face turned the brightest of reds. "I mean, please no. My hair takes ages to grow."

"…I was joking," he replied, and she couldn't tell whether he was serious or not, but she stupidly laughed anyways.

"Her hair smells nice."

"You really think so?" Marinette quickly beamed, thanking the heavens she had washed her hair the day before. "It's nothing special, really, but still."

"Think what?" Felix asked, confused. Marinette stared, as he stared back. Was she hearing voiced now too? How hard had she hit her head?

"Oh, nothing, just… nothing," she replied, disappointedly.

"…Did she hear me?"

"Of course I did," Marinette answered, then paused as she realized that the voice did not sound like Felix at all. She turned to the side, to see who it was, but was stopped by Felix's hand which was still stuck to her hair. "Ouch! Oh, right."

"Just relax a bit, I'll fix this… and don't say anything," Felix told her, or at least she thinks it was directed at her. He motioned his hand for a bit, surprisingly far gentler than she had anticipated, almost as if he were caressing her hair, which made her almost faint on the spot. Within moments, his hand came loose, and she still had a full head of hair. "There we go."

"Oh, wow! Thanks so much, for a moment there I thought we were going to be stuck together for a whi-hey!" she called out, as the elder boy had already gotten up and walked away. He was awfully fast, she noticed, as she had to practically sprint after him. "Hey, since we just bumped into each other like this, don't you think we could, you know, plan something, like, I know, the upcoming Gala, I really wouldn't mind going with you, if you want!"

"No thanks," he called out, trying his best to get away from the chasing girl, who was way more persistent that he gave her credit for. He had already made his way out of the school and through the yard, and there she was, steps behind him.

"Maybe I came on a little too forwardly," she tried again. "I'll just give you my number, just in case you change your mind, and maybe, we can-"

"Good grief," Felix muttered under his breath, before placing his open palm against a nearby tree. He focused, and the ring emitted the softest of glows. Within moments, a strange energy surged throughout, and one of the apples fell from the tree and directly on top of Marinette's head, stammering the girl and stopping her on her tracks.

"Ouch, seriously Newton?" she muttered, rubbing her head. She turned back to Felix, but to her surprise, he was gone. She felt a numbness in her chest the moment she realized she had been left alone, but it was subsided by the cheer thrill of actually being able to exchange quite the few words with the boy. 'I did it! I really did it! I asked him out! And got rejected completely! I really shouldn't be happy about that last part, but just you wait! I know your family is going to be a part of that Gala, so I'll win your heart for sure once we get there!"

-0-

The Masked Art Gala was a masquerade event primarily hosted by Gabriel Agreste and his brand, the simply titled "Gabriel" designs; with an open invitation to all Parisians students to partake in the festivities and pay tribute to the heroes who had saved them all, with artistic designs for Paris' own greats. The sitting mayor, Andre Bourgeois was stated to make an appearance, which meant his bratty daughter Chloe was going to soak up all the attention, as usual. Security was tight, as counter measure for all the increase in crime since the Vanished had returned, with Lieutenant Lumiere and his squad, which included Sabrina's father Roger, in charge of keeping vigilance over everyone.

Even more impressive, the famous pop star Clara Nightingale was slated to have a showing that very night, her first appearance in public in five years, for obvious reasons.

The main stars, however, was the ever elusive Agreste family. Everyone wanted a glimpse onto that family, especially since the event itself was pouted as a fashion competition of sorts, with each student wearing an Avengers-inspired dress or attire of their choosing which would then get voted in as the most popular of the night by the guests. The winner would get a one-on-one meet-and-greet with Gabriel Agreste himself.

Marinette ended up going for a simple design, as she knew she couldn't force her parents to buy her nothing extravagant. A red and black dress her mother used to own, still in opt conditions, which had far more sentimental value to her than any expensive dress ever could. And, if anyone asked, she was basing it on as a tribute to Natasha Romanoff, basing it on her black suit and her red hair.

A black butterfly mask completed her design, matching her red lipstick just as well as the black and red of her dress matched. She had tried an actual spider-like mask, a proper Black Widow representation, but with that Spider-man's recent… situation, such a look could prove to be controversial.

Her "date" looked gorgeous, Marinette had to admit, with a red, white and blue designed tuxedo mirroring the color palette of the First Avenger. Alya had never looked better, Marinette thought, even if she only knew the girl for a few days now.

"You look dashing Alya," Marinette told her, which caused Alya to give a soft bow, as the two girls walked in through the crowds filled with costumed students already partying to the upbeat music. Again, it was a time of celebration, Marinette noted, so she had not follow suit. "Although, you should have worn the mask. Everyone is wearing one."

"Do you have any idea how annoying it is to wear a mask with glasses on girl?" Alya retorted, to which Marinette only laughed.

"You told me you have contacts, didn't you?"

"This does not warrant their use," Alya responded.

"And now, everyone, let's get ready to get this party into overdrive!" Nino called out from behind the DJ's equipment, microphone on hand. Great minds think alike, Alya noted, as the boy had also come dressed as Captain America, plastic shield and all. "Let's put some real music in here! And let's hear it for the DJ! Who, may I add, I am not! Like, I just saw this empty and wanted to try it out! Collège Françoise Depont strong! Always!"

"Hey, lay off my equipment!" called out the actual DJ, which caused Nino to burst into laughter and run away from the stand, as the DJ stepped back into the spotlight before adding under his breath: "Damn it, everybody is always trying to mimic that cartoon."

"That one I like," Alya spoke up, which caused Marinette to turn to her with a knowing smirk.

"We do have quite the cast of characters on our school year, don't we?" Marinette noted, before seeing a friendly, well, unfriendly face in the crowd. "Speaking of which."

Chloe and Sabrina and a handful of others made their way through the crowds, and most student had no choice but to move aside. Despite all the attention she was getting, having turned down at least three boys even, Chloe seemed utterly pissed. "Where is he!?" she called out, and Sabrina stumbled to try and keep up with her pace. "His dad said he would be here tonight, we need to have that first dance!"

"We'll find him, don't worry," Sabrina assured. "It's just everyone is dressed up, so it's hard to find anyone really."

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" the princess complained, and the flock of followers quickly moved to try and calm her down and assist her in any way possible, to the utterly amused look from Marinette and Alya.

"Who is she looking for I wonder?" Alya spoke up, cocking her head to the side. "Must be important for the little princess to be anywhere that's not in front of a camera."

"I'm more surprised she talks louder than the music, impressed even," Marinette added. "She's probably looking for Felix, because, truth be told, so am I."

"Color me surprised!" Alya exclaimed.

"Don't tease me!" Marinette shot back. "I have a plan, and it's going to work!"

"So go on," Alya shooed her away, even gesturing with her hands. "Bye-bye little butterfly, spread your wings and go find him."

"Wish me luck!" Marinette said as she gave Alya a thumbs up and moved through the crowds, trying to beat Chloe in finding Felix, or so she presumed. Sabrina turned out to be correct after all, Marinette noted, as it was incredibly hard to find specific people in a costumed event. She searched, trying to scan for his trademark blond hair, but every single blond she came across was either dressed up as one of the two Captains and none of them were Felix.

She did have time to see several of the tribute paintings spread throughout, which she found stunningly beautiful, even if some where somewhat heartbreaking. She had heard the stories, as most had, and most were still mourning. She shook her head, she needed to focus. So she moved, and moved, and moved.

Until she found him. It took her over twenty minutes, but she found him.

He was dressed all in black, looking less than a superhero costume and more like a formal attire, then again, he could brush it off as his tribute to the man under the Iron Man armor and no one would bat an eye. What she was not expecting, however, was finding that he wasn't alone. Instead, he was with a young woman. And not any woman, the one and only Clara Nightingale, who looked absolutely stunning in her fancy dress that was probably worth more than Tom and Sabine's Boulangerie Patisserie in its entirety.

Marinette peaked at the two, from the corner of the opposite hallway, finding the two of them hidden away from the crowds. She shouldn't be doing this, she told herself, but she needed to know why they were there together. Alone. They couldn't, you know, could they?

"So it was you that time," Clara told him, her voice just as amazing as Marinette knew it from her songs. Felix merely nodded.

"Yeah," he replied softly, as if afraid someone would hear them. Or, as if he knew someone already was. "I came to collect on that reward."

"I… Oh, I see," Clare stammered, which surprised Marinette.

'Even France's greatest pop star turns to jelly in front of this boy, huh?' Marinette thought, feeling slightly better about her own poor showings. But, that aside, what were they talking about?

"May I?" he asked her, and his voice was utterly intoxicating, Marinette noted. And given Clara's own wide-eye stare, she wasn't the only one affected. Marinette had never heard him like this.

"I know I promised, but, it's like, I'm not entirely used to-" she began, but her cut her off.

"I'll show you," he told her. Then he kissed her.

Marinette's eyes must have been as wide as Clara's.

Felix pressed his body against hers, his lips claiming hers as his own, one arm against her waist, while another brushed against her hair just as he had done to Marinette days before. It was such an adult kiss, a far cry from anything Marinette could even attempt to do, much less on her first attempt. And…

…It hurt. It shouldn't hurt. She knew for a fact he didn't like her. That he never had. He found her annoying at most. And he was now older, five years older. It had no way of working out, so why? Why did it hurt? Why had she placed all the feelings she had once had onto him again? Why had she held onto that crush as a way to hold onto any semblance of normality that she, and the rest of the world, had lost to the Mad Titan?

And why was she crying?

They broke the kiss, Clara couldn't speak properly, while Felix quickly moved his hands together. He pulled on the ring, and it didn't budge.

"Okay, that happened," Clara finally spoke up, trying to catch her breath. "I hope you know you were only entitled to one, so don't go-"

"God damn it," Felix cursed under his breath, which confused the singer.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shot back quickly. "I'm needed elsewhere, see ya."

"What? Wait, I didn't mean it literally like-" and as she tried to explain herself, he was gone. She just stared, wide-eyed, still unable to process what had happened.

Marinette had not seen that part, it had hurt too much, so she had moved. She had made a beeline towards the outside, any place away from that sight. She moved, fighting back the tears, the heartbreak, that she felt stupid for even feeling. 'It's just a crush. Just a stupid crush, you stupid little girl,' she scolded herself. 'Forget the gifts you made for him. The times of yesteryear when you were in the same class… that was a lifetime ago, and it's not coming ba-'

And then her thought were interrupting when she tripped, crashing into another person, with no Alya to blame this time.

"I-I'm so sorry," she tried to apologize, but her voice betrayed her emotions and made it clear she was on the verge of tears. She wanted to keep on walking, but turning to the other person she had walked into, she noticed it was an old man that was struggling to get up. Immediately she pushed her tears back and quickly went to his aide. "I'm so terribly sorry," she repeated, her tone far more earnest and full of worry. "Are you alright, can you stand?"

"Ah, such a kind young lady," the old man said, taking the hand that was offered to him. "Quite strong too, I did not even see what hit me until I was on the floor."

"Sorry," she repeated again, helping him up. "I wasn't looking where I was going. But, are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine," he told her, and his voice sounded as sincere as Marinette had ever heard. "I'm still strong enough to handle a little fall. But, are you? Those eyes are much too young to house such sadness."

"Oh…" She had not noticed her tears were still evident. "It's… it's nothing really. Just misunderstanding."

"They most usually are," he replied. "But from misunderstandings, sometimes, we end up understanding our true selves better."

"…I, you think?" she earnestly asked, and he simply nodded as he patted the young girl softly on the head, which earned him a smile.

"I'm old enough to know these things," he answered. "So, go on, there is much to rejoice these days, don't dwell on the pain. Enjoy the night."

"Yeah, I'll, well, do that," she responded, not really sure of how to. He seemed like a very kind old man, she noted, so she should at least try and follow his advice. So she offered him one last smile, and went on her way.

The Chinese Master, Fu Wang watched her go, his expression unreadable.

Marinette ended up finding herself outside after all, on one of the balconies of the complex the city was using for the event. The sight was simply breathtaking, she noted. She had a clear view to one of France's most famous bridges, the Pont des Arts, a fitting name for a bridge so close to their event. They had picked this place for a reason after all. Even more so, from there, despite the distance, she could still hear the music, the laughter, the sheer joy of being alive from everybody within those walls.

She needed to follow suit.

So she took out her yo-yo, from well within her dress. The yo-yo that had turned to ash alongside her, and had returned just as she had. The one true companion she had ever had, a Christmas gift for her from her late grandmother Gina Dupain when she was about five. She… had never gotten to say goodbye, as her granny had passed in-between those awful five years. It still hurt so much, to have so much robbed, yet be utterly unable to do a thing about it. Had the Avengers not come true, would she still be just… gone?

She shook her head, focusing instead on the object in her hands. She could still feel the love radiate from it, and it helped. It always helped to calm her down, even now. So she twirled it about, and just like riding a bike, she could spin it like it was no one's business. Her mother always said she could be professional if she wanted, which Marinette never really gave it much consideration. Maybe she should?

Then someone wondered into the balcony.

She was mid-spin, turning her entire body as she took the yo-yo around the world, and caught a glimpse of the blond boy dressed all in black that stared right back at her, his eyes captivated by her move. In a single instance, their eyes locked, the moment her dress and hair twirled in perfect harmony of her yo-yo.

He looked awestruck.

She was too. Then she felt the yo-yo smack her upside the head.

"Ah, ouch," she muttered, rubbing her head before she swiftly untangled her toy and wiped it back onto her hands. She then turned to the mysterious boy, wondering how she was going to explain what a grown ass girl was doing playing with a yo-yo outside during this party. She had to look like such a massive dork.

"Sorry for the interruption there, but like, wow," was the boy's response. The boy, she noticed, was a very peculiar blond, not unlike a certain other individual. "And here I thought all the art was inside the building."

"W-What?" she almost choked on her own saliva, having not expected such an icebreaker. Had he honestly said what she had thought he said?

"Oh, sorry, my bad. That came off way too forwards, it had honestly sounded better in my head," he said with such a chill tone that she wasn't sure if he was sincere or mocking, but his eyes showed no sign of malice. "Let me try that again. That was a neat trick, and you looked very nice doing it… Well, you look nice regardless, but, you know what I mean."

"I'm flattered, really, I… erm, thanks," the masked Marinette said, hoping her butterfly mask covered her growing blush. "I was just, well, trying to relax a bit."

"And I interrupted that, my bad," he replied, and even in jest, his voice was like an angel's.

'Down girl, settle down,' Marinette told herself. 'One heartbreak is enough tonight. No more crushes for now, okay?'

"…Still, I'm glad I did, loved the show," he continued, and she was squirming in place so much she was sure he was going to notice. Why was she so bad at talking with cute boys? "I'm Adrien Agreste, by the way. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm M-" she froze mid introduction, his name registering in her mind. 'Agreste! You've got to be kidding me, he's Felix's family? That explains the looks! Wait! He was the boy I saw! But, come on, really?! Is this a curse? I can't do this, not now, not another one of these boys!' she screamed to herself, before realizing she was spacing out, given how he was looking at her funnily. "Oh, excuse me, lost my voice for a second there," she lied. "I'm…" she stammered, looking around, until she saw the Pont des Arts again, and it clicked. "…Bridge…ette; Bridgette!"

"Bridgette, huh?" Adrien asked, a bemused look on his face. "You always forget your own name Bridgette?"

"Are you always this pushy with girls, or am I the exception?" she teased back, with a part of her screaming "what did you even say?" at her because she knew she sucked at this whole flirting thing. Adrien, for his part, didn't seem bothered by it. In fact, quite the opposite, he seemed pleased. He offered her a smile which melted her heart, and extended his hand to her.

"You know, I don't have a date for this event," he proposed, and she felt faint. "Mind going back in there with me?"

She didn't even fully process his invitation when they were very quickly interrupted.

"Adrien."

The chill she felt when hearing that stern voice call out to the boy she had just met made her freeze, and somehow, she knew that Adrien had felt it too. Adrien turned towards the doorway, and Marinette followed his gaze, as they both were greeted by the sight of the imposing man before them. She knew him, or, knew of him. The man responsible for the event; the biggest role model she could ever ask for.

Gabriel Agreste, dressed ever-so properly, his eyes fixated on his son. Was that… disapproval in his eyes?

"Dad…" Adrien seemed to notice it to, if his body language was any indication. "I… was just about to come back inside. I know we're starting soon."

"We are starting now," Gabriel corrected, his tone still dry, which made Marinette flinch. Why was it that there was not a single person named "Agreste" that didn't unnerve her? For differing reasons granted, but still.

"Yeah, I'll be right there, sorry," Adrien replied, solemnly. He took a step forwards, before he paused and turned back to Marinette, who had no idea if she was even allowed to breathe at this point. "Oh, and dad? This… this is Bridgette."

"Hmm…" Gabriel somewhat replied, but the elder man still offered her a nod of acknowledgment, which was a lot more than she had expected. The masked girl offered him a smile and a curtsy, which seemed to please him well enough. "Come Adrien, we mustn't be late."

"Yes sir," the boy replied, before he turned on last time to Marinette. "I-I hope we can pick up where we left off inside, after my father speaks to the crowd I mean."

"S-Sure, of course," Marinette replied. She hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding against her chest, because she could barely hear anything but. "I'll be there!"

Adrien nodded and offered her the most charming smile she had ever seen, and within moments, both father and son were gone, back inside for their presentation. Marinette remained, her mind up in the clouds, her broken heart now slowly picking itself back up.

'Oh my God!' she mentally squealed. 'He's so dreamy! I could never have-'

Then she heard something she wasn't very familiar with. Her body froze, her eyes wide. Her mind was processing, as she couldn't quite believe what she had heard. She tried to tell herself she had most likely misheard, but then, she heard it again. Louder. Closer. And then she heard screams, first from afar, and then, within moments, so close it was like it was her screaming. It was here she could no longer deny the truth.

Those were gunshots she was hearing, and people, her friends included, were in immediate danger.

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