Author's note: Originally this chapter wasn't in the plan, but then I had a sudden flash of inspiration on how to work in something I always wanted to do. :)
Lila the wise (jk)
She was in the classroom, tied down to a chair in the front. Marinette stood at the back of the classroom, smirking at her arms crossed. The rest of the class sat in their seats, glaring at her with hatred she had only ever seen directed at Marinette. Lila struggled against her restraints, unable to break free as she started panicking. She opened her mouth, trying to spin the tale against Marinette. That's when she realized that she no longer has a tongue. Lila screamed, not a sound coming from her.
Adrien
He was staring at his computer, his 'chat' with Alix going a lot longer than he expected. It was past twelve, long past the time he was expected to be in bed. Plagg zipped over, concerned for the half-awake boy overworking himself. "Hey kid, maybe you should finish it in the morning. I think Marinette would rather you rest well instead of overworking yourself over this," he gestured to the computer screen.
Adrien glanced at the recently framed photo on his desk, him and Marinette on a street somewhere, both of them smiling as they held hands. Alix had sent it to him when she texted him earlier to ask for his help. He used the printer in Natalie's office, then found a nice frame for it and set it on his desk. "You know how much this would mean for Marinette. After everything she has done, this can be a way to start paying her back."
"You mean besides blowing your credit card limit on her website?" Plagg tilted his head at him, "You really are head over heels for pigtails aren't you?"
"What? No, she's…" Adrien trailed off, as Plagg smirked at him.
"She's what? And if you say just a friend, I will bite you." The kwami glared at him, waiting for Adrien's reply. He never got it. A loud crash came as a purple clothed figure burst through the window. Adrien stared in shock as what appeared to be Hawkmoth approached him, twirling his cane as he laughed sinisterly. But as Hawkmoth strode into the light, halfway across the room to Adrien's desk, he was revealed to be unmasked. Adrien fell back against his desk as he stared into the cold face of Gabriel Agreste.
Alya
She was in her room, watching the views climb on the interview with Lila about MDC. Suddenly, a news article from her subscription popped up on her screen. The title kicked her in the gut: MDC filing lawsuit against Lila Rossi for spreading false information. Reading further into the article, she learned that Lila apparently did not know MDC as she claimed too and MDC was leading a large lawsuit, big names like Jagged Stone, Bob Roth, Thomas Astruc and multiple others. All of them have learned that the Ladyblog has been posting interviews with Lila and discredited both her and the Ladyblog. And by extension of discrediting the Ladyblog, they all also discredited Alya, forever making her an unreliable source.
The class group chat started blowing up just then, everyone freaking out and messaging so fast Alya was barely able to read them.
Rose: Can you believe Lila lied about everything!
Alix: Marinette called it
Nino: Alya, are you ok?
Kim: Seriously? She was the one who said we could believe Lila
Max: A good reporter checks her sources
Chloe: Wow, just wow
Rose: guys, what have we done to Marinette?
Alix: holy crap guys, check this article out!
Alix had a link attached to the message, which was another article. Alya opened it to find out that MDC has revealed themselves as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She screamed, not sure what to think anymore.
Adrien and Plagg
Adrien forced himself to relax as he looked at his father in what he hoped was cosplay. Plagg had zipped into hiding the moment Gabriel crashed into the room, using the photo frame as cover. "Father? What's going on?"
'Gabriel' held out his arms, "Come to me, my son, let us embrace. We are family after all." He left his cane leaning against the couch, slowly approaching Adrien. "I wanted to share this secret with you. I need the help of a loyal son to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous. Then together, we can wield their power and bring back your mother!"
Adrien narrowed his eyes, "What makes you think that's even possible? I moved on and accepted that she left."
Gabriel screamed, his face twisting unnaturally in rage, "You will obey me, child! Accept your fate!" The cane flew back to his hand, the top flipping off releasing the purple butterfly.
Adrien hurled his mug at Gabriel, causing him to falter, "If you were really my father, you would use the door." With that he ran, slamming the door on his father's arm, earning a growl of rage. Plagg phased through the wall and flew after Adrien.
"This whole thing stinks of rotten cheese. Isn't your father out of the city?"
Adrien nodded as they entered the main dining hall, "Yeah, he isn't due back till next week. He wouldn't leave early either." His thoughts ran wild as he pulled out his phone, checking his father's location. Nowhere near Agreste Mansion. "Whoever that wasn't my father and I don't think they know my identity."
The wall behind them shattered, Gabmoth screaming, "Submit child! Become my akuma puppet and fight the heroes."
Adrien found himself backed against a window overlooking the garden with his mother's grave. Glancing back at Gabmoth, Adrien jumped, smashing through the glass. "Plagg claws out!" He landed with ease, glancing back at Gabmoth before pole vaulting away. He had to find Ladybug and sort out this mess.
"The Sandboy has returned! Your worst fears are made a reality!" Chat jerked his head, spotting the familiar akuma. And the not so familiar giant teddy bear striding down the streets, following the akuma as it spread the nightmare manifesting dust. Chat looked along the street, noting each building in the path. His eyes widened in horror when he spotted the Dupain-Cheng's bakery, doubling his pace as he bounded over rooftops, desperate to reach his princess in time. He prayed that Sandboy wouldn't hit her first.
Marinette
"The Sandboy just checked in! Now nightmares can begin!"
Her eyes opened at the noise from outside, sensing something was off. Sitting up and turning to face away from her wall, Marinette's eyes immediately found icy blue ones, encased in a white mask. "Hey, purrincess. I am so happy we are together again. Chat Blanc has been so lonely, but now everything will be okay."
As she screamed, her window shattered, Chat Noir crashing in, "Stay away from her mon…" He trailed off as he realized who was threatening Marinette. "How?"
Chat Blanc snared at him, "No! You don't deserve her! You don't love her as Chat Blanc does, I won't let you hurt her! Cataclysm!" A white shot of energy flashed towards Chat Noir, who narrowly dodged it. The energy hit the wall around the broken window, turning it to dust.
Chat Noir shouldered his akuma counterpart aside and scooped up the terrified Marinette. Shielding her, he extended his baton and sent them crashing through the trap door in the roof. Without a moment's hesitation, he vaulted them away as fast he could. Finally, when it seemed that they were far enough away, he stopped on a rooftop with some cover. He gently set Marinette down, "Princess, what, who was that?"
Marinette clung to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's kind of a long story. Maybe you should take care of the akuma first. Then we can talk after."
Chat met her eyes, then nodded, "Okay, stay safe and out of sight. I will come back for you after Ladybug and I take down the akuma." Marinette nodded slowly, still shaking. He hugged her gently, then with a wave he was off to confront the akuma.
Tikki zipped out in front of her chosen, "I knew that Chat Blanc was terrifying for you, but that wasn't really Adrien. It is just a fake! And you took down the real one already on your own, this time Chat Noir is here to help you."
Marinette forced herself to breathe. Slowly she calmed herself down, "Your right Tikki. Spots on!"
Chat Noir
He barely made it halfway back to the akuma when he ran into Chat Blanc. "Where is she?" his white doppelganger hissed, firing a blast of his white cataclysm at his perch. "Where is my Marinette!"
Chat Noir growled, leaping away from the disintegrating building towards Chat Blanc. "Sorry, but I am not letting you anywhere near her!" he swung his baton down, clashing with Chat Blanc's baton. The two began whirling around each other, batons changing lengths as each fought to gain the upper hand. Chat Noir found himself switching from sword to quarterstaff to twin sticks back to the sword again, blocking and counting the crazed Chat Blanc's blows.
Seeing an opening, Chat Blanc kicked him in the stomach, knocking Chat Noir onto the ground a few meters back. "Cataclysm!" Chat Blanc dove forwards with his right hand outstretched. "No one will keep her from me!"
Chat Noir rolled to the side, barely dodging the destructive energy. The roof crumbled to dust, dropping the fighting Chats into the warehouse below. Chat Noir pushed himself back up, looking around with his night vision for his evil self. Chat Blanc's voice came from somewhere in the darkness, "You don't know how to love as I do! You don't know her true worth!" Chat Noir rolled his eyes, he knew for a fact that Marinette's worth is impossible to calculate. She was priceless to him. A flash of red caught his eye, Ladybug swinging overhead. "M'Lady! I missed you so much wait up!" Chat Blanc's strained voice rang out, sending chills down Chat Noir's spine. He burst out of his hiding place, using his baton to launch himself after Chat Blanc.
Ladybug turned her head at the chilling voice that had haunted her dreams for so long. Chat Blanc was running across the roof two buildings behind her. For a moment she turned to flee but made up her mind. This wasn't the real Chat Blanc and she wasn't alone, a fact that was confirmed when Chat Noir overtook Chat Blanc. The two Chats were in a brawl almost instantly, rolling in a heap as Chat Blanc screaming in rage. Chat Blanc managed to get the upper hand, aiming his cataclysm at Chat Noir when she swung feet first into him. She kicked him back, sending him crashing into the wall behind him, his cataclysm shooting off wildly.
Chat Blanc glared at Ladybug, "Why do you keep breaking my heart Marinette?" Chat Noir's eyes widened, at first shocked but then realized it made purrfect sense. As he got up still shocked by the sudden revelation, Ladybug got in front of him spinning her yoyo in a shield. "Do you even love your prince anymore?"
Ladybug stared down Chat Blanc, her voice steel without a hint of fear, "You never existed and as long as I am here, you will never happen. I beat you alone, I won't lose now with my partner at my side." Chat Noir rushed to her side, squaring off against the monster with her. "Give up and I will set you free from your pain."
Chat Blanc stared at her, rage in his icy eyes. He opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off by the sound of a child. "The Sandboy just checked in, no nightmares can begin!" The heroic duo turned, spotting Sandboy and his giant teddy bear. Ladybug spotted the smaller teddy bear on the pillow with Sandboy.
Behind them, Chat Blanc called for his cataclysm and blasted away at them. He missed, hitting the teddy bear. Sandboy cried as the stuffed animal turned to dust, the amok floating off as the giant teddy bear disappeared. Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped back as the akuma flew past them at Chat Blanc, screaming "How dare you!" Chat Blanc jumped off to dodge, calling another cataclysm.
Ladybug quickly caught the amok before it escaped, purifying and releasing it. She glanced at Chat Noir, who was still surprised at her identity reveal. "We can talk after, kitty. First, we have to stop the akuma and end this nightmare. He nodded, understanding that the city came first. "Okay, let's go!"
Up ahead, Sandboy dodged cataclysm blasts, trying to get close enough to hit Chat Blanc with his sand. The white-clad akuma was difficult to hit, dodging in the blink of an eye and sending a cataclysm back at him. The two were so focused on fighting each other that neither noticed the heroes until Ladybug's yoyo wrapped around Sandboy and yanked him off his pillow. Chat Noir lunge forward past her, right arm outstretched. "Cataclysm!" He hit the pillow, releasing the akuma. Ladybug lowered the boy to the ground carefully, then whirled her yoyo around to catch the akuma.
Chat Blanc screamed, attempting to jump at Ladybug as she captured the akuma, only to be cut off by Chat Noir. "Hurry M'Lady!" Ladybug quickly released the akuma and tossed her yoyo in the air. The miraculous cure buzzed about the city, taking away Chat Blanc, other nightmares and fixing the damages around the city.
Alya
She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall as she watched more messages come in, each telling her that she was a fool and a failure. Suddenly the familiar miraculous cure ran through her room, the messages and news articles gone. Alya sighed in relief, it was all because of an akuma.
Then she groaned, she missed an akuma attack and another chance for an interview with Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Lila
One moment she was tied down, tongueless as the class yelled at her with rage. The next, she was back in her bed at home. She breathed slowly, forcing herself to calm down. It was all just an illusion. The class was under her control, Marinette was an outcast. She pulled up her sheets to go back to sleep, unaware that this nightmare could become very real.
The end of the love square
After Chat recharged and they dropped the boy off with the police (rip the child who is one of my favorite akumas but was never named), they headed back to the bakery. Spotting Marinette's parents on her balcony, they stopped for a moment to allow Marinette to drop her transformation. Chat carried her the rest of the way, gently setting her down on the balcony to her grateful parents. Tom and Sabine wrapped her up in a hug, relieved to have their child safe. To Chat's surprise, he was also squeezed into a hug with a promise of free treats from the bakery. After the parents finally finished thanking him, they took Marinette downstairs leaving Chat alone on the roof by himself.
Marinette was Ladybug? That made sense to him. But where did Chat Blanc come from? He never recalled being an akuma, but his evil version seemed to Marinette's fear. And Chat Blanc knew Marinette's identity, did that mean she was scared he might end up being hurt if he learned her identity. Before his mind could goes any wilder, Marinette opened the trapdoor inviting him back inside.
He climbed down into her room, meeting her eyes nervously. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Marinette offered him a shy smile, "I guess the cat is out of the bag, Adrien." At first, he laughed, then his eyes widened as he slowly realized she called him by his civilian identity. Marinette giggled at his shocked expression, "Sorry kitty, Plagg let it slip last week. I was planning on telling you tomorrow, but then that akuma happened." She bit her lip, looking at her hands.
"Claws in," he called softly, glaring at Plagg who shrugged back at him. Adrien then turned his attention back to Marinette. His limited amount of brain cells had a revelation, "So that's why you were dressed up in all that Chat Noir designs."
Marinette smiled at him, "I generally prefer Chat Noir themed clothes." As he wiggled his eyebrows at her, she smirked and added, "Because then I don't have to risk being recognized as Ladybug."
She giggled as he groaned, his hand over his heart in mock pain, "You wound me Purrincess."
"Oh, come on. You probably have something Ladybug themed. What do you have?" she insisted.
Adrien looked away, rubbing the back of his neck while Plagg cackled. "He has just about every piece of Ladybug merch in existence! Seriously, he has a second walk-in closet just for it all." Marinette giggled as Adrien's cheeks heated up.
"I have a very extensive photo collection of a certain model so I guess we are even." She debated for a moment, then admitted, "I also designed an extensive array of clothing with his alter ego in mind, so I tend to think of him a lot." Adrien blushed as he looked back at her, his green eyes found her blue ones again, a question in them that she knew, the same one she had. "So now what?"
He didn't hesitate, "I want to take you on a date." Seeing her face light up at him, Adrien kept going, "I mean we can go somewhere nice together." He seemed to get nervous, "I mean if you want too?"
Marinette jumped at him, hugging him tightly, "Of course you silly cat, I love you. Both sides of you." Her eyes widened, a blush creeping over her face as she realized what she said. Adrien's face lit up
"I love you too princess." She barely had time to process what he said as he pressed his lips against hers, everything else fading out of existence as he held her tight.
"I need cheese!" Adrien groaned, glaring the offending kwami while Marinette shook with laughter.