Author's note: Woah, this chapter was a monster to write, but I finally finished up this chapter. A lot of things are about to get heavy , so enjoy guys!
Shout out to reviewers, I appreciate it so much!
Butterflystarcat, love the name btw, especially with adding the cat part. I might change my username also but I'm not sure yet.
giby-chan, yes Marinette and Chat blanc are a cute couple. Even I want the good Marinette to stay with our bady chat, but I might or might not. You have to wait and see lol. Yes baddy Marinette falling for good Adrien, yet she's so in love with luka, which could indeed change. I have an idea where I will go with this, but some of your questions made me go in a direction I didn't think of, so thank you:}
xSapphirexRosesxFanx yes indeed it is a mess, just how will they get out of this one.
Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug
Chapter seven:
(Canon alternative reality)
The bad ass Marinette Dupain-Cheng sat inside the luxurious living room of the Agreste manor. She subtly looked in the corner of the eye, seeing Lila talking to the intimidating Mr. Agreste, yet Marinette felt no fear for the cold man. In fact, he seemed a bit warmer than the other Ageste man, which eased up some of Marinette's anxiety from him. Sure, she never really feared Adrien's father, but he still caught her off with a sinister aura he projected from his entire presence. The Agreste matron in this dimension, she would have rather dealt with him than the other Agreste matron back in her dimension any day.
"Dupain-Cheng, sorry to have kept you waiting. Miss Lila has informed me you wish to speak to me, please come to my office," Gabriel Agreste informed her briskly as usual, no surprise there of course.
Lila gave her the stink eye, which Marinette found amusing by chuckling at her face. Marinette compared Lila as a baby cub trying to scare off a ferocious lion. Marinette walked past Lila and Gabriel's secretary Nathalie who gave her a calculating look. Marinette wondered briefly if those two were having an affair in this dimension too, since she quietly caught Gabriel and Nathalie having sex somewhere in one of those boring social gatherings. She shivered at the mental picture, hoping she never had to witness something like that again, even though she could use it for some kind of blackmail.
Gabriel closed the door behind him, making Marinette feel inclosed in his dark office. At least there's a huge window, so she could see some sunlight glistening in his darkened office. She sat on the chair properly, knowing that he's trying to intimidate her behind his desk, which was so not working.
"There's something amiss about you, Miss Dupain-Cheng, care to elaborate?" He questioned her, even though she wanted to roll her eyes at him.
"With all due respect, sir, you don't know me well enough to make that assumption. I might be Adrien's classmate, but you don't even know your son well enough, unless you have this weird thing by projecting your son as the Disney princess Rapunzel." Marinette snarked back, resulting in Gabriel to bang his hands against the desk.
"You're far out of line, Dupain-Cheng, you do not speak to me like that. If you say something like that to me again, I'll-" He stopped once Marinette cut him off.
"You'll what, you do realize you're about to threaten a minor here right? No, you care more about your polished reputation, so that's out of the bag. I would bet you would love to akumatized me, won't you?" They both froze when she uttered that out.
Marinette wasn't stupid, but it took her a long damn while to figure out Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. In fact, she didn't find out Gabriel was a bad old Hawkmoth, when she started hoping into different dimentions. Furthermore, she felt like an udder moron for not figuring it out sooner, since a lot of the signs pointed at the obvious. A rich man who had a lot of time on his hands, who lost his wife in mysterious ways, and who had felt dangerous if you stayed in his presence for too long.
"What is it you want, Dupain-Cheng," Not even worth trying to hide the fact, since Marinette had him where she wanted him.
"To make a wish and make it come true, is that what you want Hawkmoth…"
(Back to the alternative reality)
Marinette started getting ready for bed, hoping to put her racing thoughts to bed also. After Adrien dropped her off, she tried so hard to keep in her blush. For some reason, she started to realize she might be in an alternative reality from her own, yet she has realized how everyone is so different. Sure, there are many similarities to the people she has met so far, but the way Nathaniel acted towards her made her backtrack. In fact, even Adrien was so different than her blonde headed friend back in her own universe.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason she felt like she didn't have to act differently with this Adrien, and he even seemed to humor her when she became a stuttering mess. More than ever, her heart felt even more confused when she thought of Chat Blanc, and didn't really miss Luka like she was supposed to do. Sure, she missed Luka like crazy because he was her friend, but she wasn't missing him like a lover should. Maybe this was a clear sign she didn't really like Luka, sure she liked him, but not like where your stomach does twists and turns in a good way. Furthermore, when she saw Luka with Kagami in this universe, she almost felt like a relief for Luka because someone else could care for him deeply when she couldn't.
"Are you alright, Mari?" Kiki questioned her, making Mariette snap out of her thoughts.
Marinette smiled at the concerned kwami, "I'm fine Kiki, just got a lot of things on my mind, but not like a good night sleep won't help," Just as Marinette was about to turn off the light, her phone buzzed on her night stand.
When she unlocked the message, her entire body froze for what she saw from the text.
Come to Eiffel Tower if you don't want your pictures leaked
~Evillustrator
No sooner did she finish the text, a bunch of pictures that could put Rose from the movie Titanic to shame of the graceful nudity. Marinette blushed madly, knowing it's kind of her, but she wasn't the one who modeled in these sketches. She furrowed her eyebrows when there were different sketches of Marinette laughing and smiling at nothing in particular.
"Wow, I figured the other Marinette smiled, but it's hard to believe it," Marinette said loudly, thinking deeply. She could figure the anxiety of her nude picture being leaked to God knows who, but her smiling and laughing she didn't see as a big deal.
"Yeah, Marinette wouldn't want anyone to see her carefree, since she's so guarded. In fact, Mari wouldn't care if people saw the nude sketches, but the other ones of her smiling she would have flipped out on!" Kiki piqued in on, making Marinette more confused than ever. Marinette even felt bad how the other Marinette kept herself so closed off, and didn't want anyone to see her being happy.
"Did her and Nathaniel have a thing together?" Marinette asked, since she had a feeling there was more to the story here.
"Yes, but it's pretty complicated. I am surprised Nathaniel is threatening with the sketches, since it's actually not like him to really do this. He can be a jerk, but he actually really cares about my Marinette. I'm not all into the other Marinette's business, but I guess he probably had enough of her toying with his emotions." Kiki finished thoughtfully while looking over at Marinette.
"It's still a shady thing for him to post these pictures, but I think he was all talk and not going to do it anyway. However, he is being akumatized now, his emotions are all over the place!" Marinette yelled with frustration, not really knowing how to feel about all this.
Marinette knew the other Marinette wasn't a saint, but she was still human and people make mistakes. Whatever was going on between the other Marinette and Nathaniel, she had a lot of acting to do since she has never been in a relationship before of her own.
"Mari, if everything starts going downhill, it might be wise to transform into akuma ladybug," Kiki informed her, which Marinette nodded at.
Marinette hasn't changed into the other ladybug yet, since Kiki was worried that the negative emotions could affect her civilian self. However, if Marinette couldn't talk sense into Nathaniel, then the other ladybug shall make an appearance.
XOX
Marinette felt stupid for coming to the Eiffle Tower alone, but she didn't really know what else to do. She had some plan of things to go south, yet she didn't really know where she stood in this dimension. She found out from Kiki, since the other Marinette doesn't really de-evilized anymore, but only sometimes when she felt it was necessary. Hawk Moth tends to take away their power once he's done with them, and kind of cleans up the mess of Paris with akuma magic, but Kiki warns how it can make the entire Parisians be affected by its negative effects.
Marinette briefly considered if Chat Blanc would be here, and is actually taking delight in this disaster she was about to walk into. Marinette shook her head from her perturbed thoughts, taking the comfort with Kiki being in her purse for moral support. Marinette had to understand by having fun with Chat Blanc, she had to remember to still be careful around him.
"My beautiful muse, you made it!" Marinette jumped slightly when she saw Evillustrator make an appearance from the shadows. The Evillustrator's skin is light purple, and his hair is brushed back while colored orange with purple tips. On his head he has a dark purple beret, and on his face, he has a dark purple butterfly-shaped mask. Marinette almost wanted to kick herself for finding herself relieved by the familiarness of this akuma portrayal.
"Well, here I am!" Marinette announced, taking a leaf from the other Marinette's book by cutting out the bullshit.
"Don't be so guarded, you have so much expression in those sketches that showed the real you," Evillustrator smirked while lazily strolling towards her.
"What is it that you want from me?" Marinette asked, not liking how he kept looking at her.
"I want to draw you while you're smiling, and admit to everyone you went out with me," Marinette noticed there was Nathaniel there, hidden deep under the mask.
Marinette looked back at him in confusion, thinking that didn't sound too bad. In fact, he's being more rational than the other Akumas, who just tend to fight with their anger.
"Umm, okay then. Maybe you can go back to being yourself, I'll let you draw me while smiling, and we can call it the end of the night." Marinette answered him, hoping that would ease him.
Suddenly, he started laughing darkly, making Marinette shiver in apprehension. "Really, how do I know you're not lying to me again. You said you cared about me, but then ignored me right afterwards. You know how I felt about you, and you threw right back at my face." Marinette gulped when his eyes became darker. She had a feeling Hawk Moth was wounding him up, so there was no chance to bring some sense into him.
"Listen Nathaniel, I made a mistake, and I am sorry. I've been in the same boat as you, someone I really liked didn't like me back, so I projected it onto you. I know it was a bitchy thing for me to do, but it's a cruel thing for you to threaten me with those private pictures." Marinette said sincerely, even though she never hurt this Nathaniel, but she almost felt responsible with the other Marinette somehow.
"My oh my, the princess is apologizing. I think she's deeply sorry, Evillustrator, so I think you let her suffer enough," Chat Blanc piqued while dangling on top, looking down at Marinette and Evillustrator with a devious smirk.
Marinette felt her heart race, she wasn't sure if it was in fear or relief. She wasn't sure what side Chat Blanc was in this situation, so she kept her guard up and watched him wearily.
"No she hasn't suffered enough, I felt so used when she string me along, so I am now going to make her feel used!" Marinette felt her phone chimed, she took her phone out, and her heart froze when she got a notification her photos will be leaked to the world wide soon.
Marinette glared at Evillustrator, knowing she might have to transform into the baddie ladybug. Marinette started to hear everyone coming out and onto the streets of Paris. Evillustrator had his magic art table out, so she tried to get off his line of vision, and then suddenly a pair of arms grabbed onto her. She tried to fight them off first, then she relaxed that it was Chat carrying her somewhere safe.
"Damn princess, who knew you were such a killer heartbreaker," Chat said jokingly, which she scoffed at with a laugh.
"Believe me, I'm totally not. What am I going to do, Chat, those pictures he's going to leak are.." Marinette already had to go through the embarrassment with Adrien knowing, and now Chat Blanc would now find out too.
Chat Blanc raised his eyebrows at her, which she totally avoided his curious eyes. "I take it these pictures he drew of ya aren't like what you would find from a yearbook." Chat stated while she nodded sadly.
"You're in some deep shit, princess, but I'm going help you get out of this catty situation." He informed her before putting her back safely on her balcony.
"You will!" She yelled in astonishment, looking at him with hearts in her eyes without realizing.
Chat looked at anywhere but her blue eyes that he found himself drowning in.
"Yeah, like you said, you want us to be friends. This is what friends do, help each other out. Although, I want a strawberry shortcake that you would bake, the next time we hang out." Chat grinned at her, hoping that she would bake for him, since he has come to love her baked goods.
"I can arrange that, and I'll always love to bake you something Chat." Marinette replied with a smile, and Chat tried not to preen too hard at her words.
"Just stay at your tower, princess. I'm sure I can figure this out," With that, he kissed her on the cheek, and flew into the night.
Marinette held in her blush, trying to tame her heartbeat. She looked at Kiki, then at Chat's flying frame, and then to herself. He might see her as his princess, but she was no damsel in distress.
"Kiki, spots on!" Marinette yelled before being transformed into baddi ladybug.
XOX
Marinette found Chat Blanc and Evillustrator battling each other. She heard some of the citizens' conversations in heavy confusion, saying how they're so confused by how Chat is working against an akuma. Marinette froze when Chat was thrown heavily into the Seine river by Evillustrator. Without thinking, she dived in after him, and pulled him out of the water. She was breathing heavily, praying that he was okay. Finally, his eyes opened, and he immediately latched onto her ears where her miraculous settled. He looked at her with such intensity, she almost avoided her eyes, but she held her ground by staring back at him.
"You saved me," Chat croaked out in astonishment.
Ladybug smiled sadly at him, "I don't hate you that much to see yourself drown in a river. I'm tired of this fighting, aren't you, Chat Blanc?" She dared to ask while he still stared at her dumbly.
"Good work, Chat, you captured Ladybug. Get her miraculous, now!" Evillustrator exclaimed giddily, even though he and Chat were fighting against one another earlier.
Chat removed himself from her person, then started to walk away from this fight. "This isn't really my fight, have fun with the aspiring Leonardo Da Vinci, Ladybug!" Chat saluted them with a wave, not knowing how he might have made a slight change in this time dimension.
Ladybug smiled at his retreating form and now faced Evillustrator. "Well, like Chat said, it's you and me now, and you ain't getting my miraculous!" Marinette and Evillustrator started to fight, but she found out his akuma was like his tablet from last time, so she was available to de-evilize him qucikly.
Nathaniel now faced ladybug in heavy confusion, but then looked afraid to be in the presence of the baddi ladybug. He waited for her to taunt or do some villainous things to him, but she simply walked past him, but she left him with some farewell words.
"I know you hold something vulnerable in your hand, isn't it enough they gave it to you willingly, and you're willing to be a callous person and break the trust." In the end, Nathaniel never shared those pictures, which he wasn't going to in the first place. He was content to have these sketches with his eyes only, since he was probably the only person who got to see the real Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
XOX
A loud slap echoed inside the Agreste mansion, with only the white walls and paintings that dotted on the walls as witnesses, which showed Gabriel Agrste slapping Adrien hard across the face.
"You insolent boy, don't you know we could have finally woken up your mother. But no, you're a coward who left the fight, and let that stupid ladybug win!" Gabriel yelled, never in his life so ashamed at Adrien before.
Adrien looked everywhere from his father, trying to not let his eyes gaze upon a familiar family portrait. Adrien knew he blew it, but he just felt like his father had gone a bit mad at this point. He finally had a true friend, besides Nino, who gave a shit about him. Sure, their friendship is still new, but it still wasn't right what Nathaniel was going to do Marinette.
"You didn't seem to care that your only dear son almost drowned. If it hadn't been for ladybug, I could have been dead!" Adrien yelled back, thinking back to almost drowning. He was surprised Ladybug saved him, since she held nothing but hostility towards him. However, she still saved his life without question, and he completely owed her.
"You would have been fine, even if ladybug didn't save you. She doesn't care about you, I don't know what she was thinking while saving you." Gabriel muttered, which made Adrien's heart go colder.
"So you don't think I'm worth saving, is that it!" Adrien exclaimed with wrechness, trying to hold back the tears from his eyes. He knew ever since his father found out a way to wake up his mother, Adrien wasn't really his first priority anymore. Although, it hurt more to hear how insignificant Adrien was to his father.
Gabriel eyes widened at this, "Of course you are, but you weren't in any real danger. I will-" Adrien cut his father off, with a deadly glare that reminded Gabriel of his mother's eyes.
"Where are you going" Gabriel yelled out when Adrien transformed into Chat Blanc.
Chat Blanc gave his father a cold smirk, "A place where I feel appreciated and not in your way!"
With that, he flew into the night, knowing his father would probably give him space. He usually always went and crashed at Nino's house, but not tonight. More than anything, he wanted to stay with Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Thoughts and thanks for reading:}