Cheater: Part One

Elizabeth

A week passed since Quake, no more corrupted to speak of. Life was quiet, Elizabeth Agreste left grasping at straws of events as the days distanced themselves.

She was the LadyBlogger of the current generation, yet here she was, having classmates snicker left and right about her reckless stupidity. Detention for all the class missed was only avoided because of Bryden, using his golden boy charms to claim leniency.

The curly haired blonde stood outside of the guidance office, clicking her ball point pen in a rapid pattern.

Not even her older brother could save the underclassman from Miss Lee, though.

When someone became corrupted, it was protocol that they be quarantined for a week. A week of personal therapy while other students could voice concerns without the victim overhearing the negativity. A good way for both the formerly corrupted, and the harassed, to be able to freely express themselves, not holding the toxic energy in.

Or, that was what her father said. Bryden said.

Elizabeth Agreste wasn't saying the idea was bad, but a talk wouldn't mend insecurities. Commitment and determination did. Justin just had to find a new hobby, one to take up his mind, one that was not staring at Mai in Algebra class.

Though Mai didn't speak of the incident, the youngest Agreste felt her best friend was indeed bothered by it.

It couldn't be easy, watching someone come apart at your actions.

And so, it caused an irrational, protective part of her to be more angry at the rejected boy than necessary.

After several minutes of waiting in the hall, Miss Lee's office door swung open; a middle aged lady stood, staring down.

Miss Lee was a complex figure. Not so much her personality, every stingy adult wasn't very original, but more her appearance. A large, muscular build, obvious biceps under her uniform. An uptight, mousy face and military neat, gel backed brown hair, so thin it could be string.

When Elizabeth was younger, a year before high school, she got sick. A common cold, but her parents couldn't leave her home alone. So pressed on time, the two brought her to a conference meeting about Bryden, the golden child. She had asked Miss Lee why she was so weird looking, and her parents were furious.

Yet, the lady just frowned, her signature look, before staring the young teen down.

"Where I come from, we don't live to look cute, but strong."

"Florida?"

Liz would respond, clueless to what she meant before her mother, apologizing profusely, drew her back.

Now that she was older, Elizabeth could see Miss Lee, the paste tinted ghost, had probably not seen a ray of sunshine in years.

"Little Agreste," the woman chided, allowing the smaller female entrance to the sweltering confined space.

Cutting through the unspoken tension, her shoulders shifted anxiously, "If this is about my grades..."

"Little Agreste, I don't expect anything from you when it comes to intelligence."

Okay, ow.

Mentally rubbing the gentle wound of her pride, she'd take the seat that was motioned to, blue orbs settling lazily on the live video stream playing on the computer. A hand rested under cheek as her arm was propped on the desk, holding her head's weight.

It was her, the Great Agreste, dangling off a banister as Quake shook the school in a massive tremor, knocking the fabric loose...

"Okay, but in my defense," holding her free hand up in surrender, "I only fell half of those twenty feet before Lady Bug caught me, so I was only in half danger!"

One trait, unfortunately, shared with Bryden, was their unnaturally loud voice when on the defense.

Miss Lee didn't look convinced, sending a glare through her librarian like glasses before pausing the video in question.

"I won't keep you long, but you need to stop relying on the children in spandex to save you, and start not needing protection."

Liz snorted, rolling her eyes in self depreciation before looking away, shame and embarrassment thundering like a storm.

The saddest truth was?

This oddly deformed librarian counselor, she cared more then Elizabeth's own family.

In the shining light that was her brother's golden persona, it radiated so fiercely that those closest were too blinded to notice his shadow. The little girl who raised her arms, wanting to be loved and noticed too.

"Yes Miss Lee."

Inclining her head, strands of sandy blonde fell loose from their high pony tail, not even bothering to fix the hairdo before exiting in haste.

So much of a hurry, that the younger Agreste didn't notice she was half way down the hall until crashing head first into a stilled figure.

"You know," Mai hummed, grabbing Liz's wrist before she fell back into the school flooring, "If I didn't know better, I'd label Lee as Hawk Moth with how quick you're to make distance from her."

"Hawk Moth is a Hawk Father, not a Hawk Mother."

"Liz."

"Get it? Because you can't spell mother without moth?"

"Not the point here..."

As Mai began to walk off, exasperated, Elizabeth followed suit, beaming at her best friend. On her end, Mai slowed down, enough that the two could keep at a comfortable pace. More time to talk between destinations.

"Miss Lee is just angry about my LadyBlog obsession." A short pause, clutching her ball point pen nervously, "Do you think she's right? I'm being stupid?"

If one needed blind optimism, Travis was the one to go to. Her male best friend was overly kind, enthusiastic. Travis would lie without a shred of guilt to make her feel better about herself, always pumping her up.

But, when one needed the cold truth, Sinclair. Mai was honest, straight forward, and barely ever swayed by emotion. If you wanted her opinion, friend or foe, be prepared for frost bite.

"..."

Although she only stood at five feet, five inches, Mai was quite the impressionable figure. Short by a few heads compared to Elizabeth, Mai's glare was intimidating enough to cause Liz to shrink back. Her gaze was as cold as ice.

"You are NOT an idiot, Elizabeth Emile Agreste. Not stupid. Not being in seven AP classes, or not getting straight A's, does not make you an idiot. It makes you human, Lizzie. We all have strengths and weaknesses. What you lack in book smarts, you have in street smarts." There was a degree of emotion in her speech, though it was hard to pinpoint which.

"That said," her tone returned to it's normal, emotionless state, "Lee isn't wrong. Lady Bug and Kitten Noir, they are a shield. If you wish to survive a war, you need something else. You need armor, and you need a sword."

0~0~0~0~0

When Mai told Elizabeth she needed a sword, she meant a fucking sword.

That was what led the two to face each other, Mai twirling a wooden sword as Agreste awkwardly held her own.

The two were in a small training room supplied by the school's karate club, the room no larger then a tennis court. It was spacious enough, and not many passed by the east area of the school this time of day.

They had been at training for a good hour, and though Mai's skin held a thin layer of sweat, she was brushing through effortlessly in comparison. Liz's matted blonde curls looked like she'd just been electrocuted, fly aways standing up in every direction. The girl drenched in sweat, shaking. Maybe she was being too hard on her, but an akuma wouldn't take pity.

Despite her outwards appearance as an Ice Queen, dainty and pure; Mai Sinclair was no stranger to battle. Or, in less dramatic terms, fighting. Although no beast, she could hold her own. Fighting wasn't as much strength as it was the cunning insight of your skills, the ability to see a weakness, and gut it.

"Again," she'd command strictly, watching carefully as Elizabeth leaned forward on her left foot.

Liz darted forth, pushing off on her left foot as in a make shift plan, tossed her wooden sword to the side. Her friend was perceptive, but if she could use her analyzing against her...

Catching Mai's thoughts with the clattering cherry-wood, she ducked down with haste, propping all of her weight on her hands before kicking up her feet, attempting to land a hit on her torso.

Mai moved fluidly like a dancer, before her own sword hit Liz's ankle with a sickening crack. Though far from broken, it left her mind reeling in pain as the blonde bounded back.

With a frustrated grunt, she lunged towards Mai once more. As the oriental skinned girl consistently dodged, Liz kept coming. Side kicks, arm swings, she even attempted to climb on her back once. That one ended the worst, Liz getting thrown off and quite literally into the wall.

After several more minutes, Mai lazily swept her long black hair into a new, neater pony tail, eyeing the clock on the far right wall.

"Liz..."

"Yeah," she agreed, grabbing her school bag before fixing her own appearance. Though not nearly as beautiful as her best friend, Elizabeth took a bit of pride in her looks.

Despite being fifteen, a mere sophomore, Elizabeth was a giant. Six two, few men were taller then her; her taking after Daddy Felix. Even her own, older, brother was shorter, causing few to snicker. With horribly frizzy, and disoriented blonde curls, a face splashed with freckles and puberty presents known as zits, along with zero fashion sense? Lizzie was no looker. A lanky frame, uneven smile, a bit too heavy.

She wished she could be as beautifully amazing as the teenager standing near by.

Shaking off the jealousy that was slowly creeping in, Liz caught up to Mai, who was waiting patiently by the exit door.

0~0~0~0~0

The way her face paled, shaking hands clutching to the emptied water bottle like a life line. Shoulders quivered as the restraint expected from the Commissioner's daughter struggled to remain in place. It was like the world around her faded to black, only giving select tunnel vision to the scene before her.

Cheater

The word screamed as it danced along the front of his locker, painted in a bloody red hue that matched the rage in the corners of her vision.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth tightly, almost the point of physical pain.

Three years ago, for reasons she could never fathom, Bryden cut his sister out. Once a family man, he became distant to her. The two, formerly thick as thieves, argued constantly. He heavily was against her endangering herself, while she taunted his sudden break of golden boy as something seemed to weigh on his mind.

Bryden stood by his locker, his face clouded in disbelief as textbooks, notes were burned. Locker vandalized, the inside was also splashed with what she hoped to be paint.

He looked so small, defeated; the buried protective sister in her began to bubble. Kids around them whispered, pointed. A glare was delivered to any wandering word which seemed harsh, but it only caused the accusations to drift further from ear shot.

Trevor stood by Bryden, a dutiful friend as always, patting his shoulder, saying something incomprehensible.

This was the beginning of the pandemic. The calm after the storm had passed, and soon, there would be a hurricane.