The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste

by Rose Thorne

Disclaimer: Don't own Miraculous Ladybug or make any money writing fanfiction.

Chapter Three

In comparison to Jagged, who was coming up with more and more ridiculous ideas—getting a pet crocodile, for instance, which made it seem he wanted Adrien to be a mini-him—Marinette was positively sedate when Adrien came back into the lounge. She was seated primly with a notebook she'd found somewhere.

She looked up at him, quirking a smile. "We need to be serious about this if we're going to win."

Jagged let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ugh, being serious is so not rock n' roll."

Adrien blinked. "Win?"

"Beat your dad at his own game. Manipulating public perception." Marinette gestured to the notebook, which had a list. "We have fifteen hours before the announcement hits the news, about, if it's meant to be released at nine tomorrow morning. That gives us some time. Not much, but some."

He sat down, browsing the list.

Non-Lila fake relationship (call Nadja Chamack)

Not skunk hair – black w/ green tips?

Expose Lila – make her inconvenient (no more photoshoots)

Jagged read out loud over his shoulder, adding commentary like, "Wait, you know Nadja Chamack, too?" and "Yeah, I guess that'd look better" and "I'm in!" The last one regarding Lila.

"I texted Penny to come back so we can make the plans more cohesive before moving to clothes," Marinette said as he handed back the notebook.

"Should I tell the hotel to hold off on the hair, too?" Jagged asked. At Marinette's nod, he moved across the room to the phone.

Adrien was stunned that she had, in the course of one conversation he'd had in the bathroom with Plagg, come up with something that would look less haphazard.

"But who would I have a fake relationship with?"

The idea made him uneasy. It felt a lot like what his dad was doing."

She bit her lip. "Um, not me. But someone who knows Lila is toxic and is willing to help us. The only reason for it is to make it look like your dad is trying to break you and this person up, or is embarrassed or something."

Adrien winced. "I mean, I don't want to use someone like that. It'd be easiest to choose a guy, since Father wouldn't dare upset the LGBTQ+ community with him being in the fashion industry, but it'd be a little disrespectful to the community, wouldn't it?"

Marinette was quiet for a bit. "I… I don't know. I'm, um… I identify as bi, but… Maybe if you basically said it was a relationship to explore your sexuality? Like with someone who's also a friend?"

"But… I don't think I know anyone who'd be willing to do that."

Realistically, everyone in their class was under Lila's thumb. Another celebrity would make it weird. Other models might be concerned about a future modeling for Gabriel.

Jagged butted in. "Weren't you jamming with Anarka's boy that one time?"

Adrien blinked. "Luka?"

"He might be willing to help—and you could promote Kitty Section, too. Make that part of your outfit." For some reason, Marinette's cheeks had turned pink. "Um, is it okay if I text him and get him to come?"

Honestly, Adrien had been a bit jealous of Luka when he'd wielded the Snake so well after Adrien's failure—but Plagg had pointed out that it just meant he was a better Black Cat. And he was fond of the older boy, who had welcomed him into the band even though his father wouldn't let him play often.

"I think… yeah. Let's talk to him. Hopefully he's not fooled by Lila's act."

"He's not," Marinette said darkly. "I, uh, told him after she got me expelled and almost Akumatized."

"No!" Jagged jumped up. "I can't believe she hurt you so bad! Oh, she's got to go down!"

Penny just so happened to walk in at that moment. "Who?"

"That Lila girl almost got our talented, wonderful Marinette Akumatized, Penny! We can't have that." Jagged sprawled against his part of the circular sofa dramatically. "She's, like, my muse!"

Marinette turned beet red. "I-I'll just text Luka and ask him to come here."

She pulled her phone way closer to her face than was necessary. Adrien thought it was cute that she got flustered whenever someone reminded her of her accomplishments—she was so modest, unlike Lila.

Penny, for her part, rolled her eyes at the dramatics, but smiled. "Adrien, can you run through a list of her lies? I might be able to get more people on board, since she seems to like to steal fame."

Adrien nodded, listing staying with Prince Ali of Achu, being best friends with Ladybug, Jagged Stone's kitten and song for her, and knowing Steven Besielberg and other Hollywood directors.

"She even told our friend Nino she would introduce him to Steven Besielberg, and he wants to be a filmmaker," he finished. "And those are just the ones I've heard—she probably has more."

Jagged broke in. "I wrote one for Ladybug after she saved me, and Mariette inspired a song, but I'd never write her a song, even as a take-down. She doesn't deserve it."

Penny was writing on her pad. "I can get in touch with Steven Besielberg, at least. That should be interesting."

"Luka's on his way," Marinette broke in. "And, uh, I just realized my idea for your hair would match his… So maybe that was a sign?"

Adrien smiled. "At least that I should also spend time playing with Kitty Section again."

Penny cleared her throat. "Adrien, do you have control of your official social media?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Kind of? My father has the password for both my email and my social media accounts."

She nodded, and gestured to a laptop on a nearby desk. "Change them while we wait for M. Couffaine. I'll help you make sure he can't regain control."

By the time they finished, Luka had arrived. Adrien and Marinette worked to explain the situation to him; the blond could tell by the look on his face, as though he'd just smelled something nasty, that Luka knew of and wasn't fond of Lila.

He hadn't even gotten to asking him, when the older boy abruptly nodded. "A fake relationship. Something your father can't protest without looking bad. I'll do it, so long as we take down Lila, too."

Adrien grinned. "Already in the works."

Marinette, though, looked worried. "Has she done something?"

Luka scowled. "She's been trying to make things weird between Juleka and Rose lately. It's bad enough she hurt Marinette, but she's not hurting my sister."

Adrien traded serious glances with Marinette. This was bigger, more important, than just avoiding a fake relationship with Lila now. If the liar had proved anything with her plot to get Marinette expelled, it was that she didn't care who she hurt, what relationships she destroyed.

It was time to take her down.

Okay, so this fic has morphed. Dunno if it counts as crack anymore, but yeah…

Someone in the comments called the Luka idea—good job on foreseeing that!

Also, I should be grading, but this fic is like a siren song.