Author's Note: I'm back with my new chapter! As of yesterday 2/6/19 at around 10 pm, I have finished outlining and writing all my chapters. I plan to post new chapters every three days or so, so stay tuned! Please review, and I hope you enjoy this next installment!
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or elements relating to Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Miraculous: Borderline
Chapter 2: The Enemy Within
Marinette didn't know what was wrong with her. She'd been flustered and nervous and awkward—
Oh wait. There was nothing wrong with her.
That's how she always was when talking to Adrien.
Her brain would freeze, and she'd lose herself in those leaf-green eyes of his, feeling like she could tell him anything and he'd accept her the way she was...if only she could actually tell him anything.
Then Chloe Bourgeois had to come and ruin everything!
Marinette stormed into the locker room, feeling the door slam shut behind her with a satisfying bam. She slowly leaned back against the door, feeling her strength seep out through her legs, leaving her weak-kneed and exhausted.
Oh, who am I kidding, Marinette thought sadly. I'll always be that clumsy girl he never notices.
She couldn't change who she was. She'd never have the courage to tell him how she felt. So she'd never have a chance with Adrien.
And he probably wouldn't even want to be with a girl like her.
Marinette held back a sob and heard a squeak from her purse in reply.
Tikki…
She couldn't deal with Tikki's positive comments right now.
"Wait here, Tikki," Marinette said softly, gently setting her purse down on the bench.
Tikki started trying to fly out of the bag, and Marinette quickly stepped away, behind a line of lockers. If Tikki didn't see her when she came out, then Tikki would return to the purse in fear of being spotted, and Marinette would be left alone.
Marinette stepped towards the locker room door but hesitated, her face scrunched in pain as emotions warred across her face. Even in the torn state she was in, Marinette knew she could be making a huge mistake. She should never leave Tikki alone, for both of their sakes and for the safety of the whole city of Paris.
Marinette closed her eyes.
How can you be so selfish?
Marinette started to take a step back towards the bench when the locker room door swung open, nearly smacking her in the face. Marinette flattened herself behind the door and saw Adrien scan the room with a look of concern.
"Marinette?" he called, and stepped into the room.
The door started swinging shut, and before Marinette could change her mind, she grasped the door and slipped through out into the hallway.
Charged with fear and adrenaline, Marinette sprinted down the hallway and burst into the bathroom.
"Oh no, I left Tikki in there!" Marinette suddenly remembered.
Marinette gripped the edge of the bathroom counter so hard that her knuckles turned white. "Arrrgh, how could I have been so stupid?"
As Marinette struggled to contain her panic, she felt her anger slowly draining out of her body and be replaced by defeat.
Marinette stared at her reflection, wondering what others saw when they looked at her. At the same time, she knew she was being pathetic. After all, Marinette knew that other people's opinions didn't really matter in the big picture, and that was something Tikki would definitely say if she were here.
But opinions did matter if that person was Adrien.
"What's the point?" Marinette whispered, and she bowed her head, unwilling to look herself in the eye.
Hawk Moth felt the powerful surge of hopelessness lace the air in front of him like a trail leading him directly to his next victim.
"Ah, such powerful despair in one so young," Hawk Moth sneered, beckoning one of his moths to land on his palm. "The perfect prey for my akuma."
Hawk Moth watched as his dark power enveloped the white moth and turned it into a shimmering purple color, radiating with potential.
"This one is going to be special, I'm sure," Hawk Moth murmured.
He could feel it by instinct. Her emotions were strong, and her mind was sharp. He had tried to recruit her before but had failed. And now the time has come. She was going to be the perfect one, if not the one, to bring down Ladybug and Cat Noir.
"Fly away, my little akuma," Hawk Moth commanded, as the akuma flew off. "Evilize this angry teenager, and let me gain my wish once and for all."
Okay. Calm down, Marinette, it's going to be okay.
Marinette paced in the bathroom nervously, afraid to go back into the locker room to retrieve her purse and Tikki because she would then have to face Adrien. And she wasn't ready.
Her breaths were coming in too fast, and she felt light-headed. Adrien would just rebuff her again. Like he did every time.
Marinette was sure he only thought of her as a friend, and in any other circumstance, Marinette would've been delighted. But today had been the day that Marinette had promised to herself that she would overcome her inherent fear and tell him.
But not like this. Not as a panicking wreck who couldn't do anything right.
Think positive, Marinette thought desperately.
Marinette raised a hand to her earrings and felt her fingertips touch the cool glass of the miraculous earrings. Her earrings were a constant reminder of her responsibility. A constant reminder that she couldn't fail, because people depended on her.
Tikki would know what to say. What a fool I was to leave her there alone. I need her as much as she needs me.
Marinette looked up, feeling her eyes burn with the tears she was holding back. She stared at her reflection—at the faint freckles across her nose, at the blue strands of hair that hung above her eyes...and suddenly caught sight of something that flitted across the stalls behind her.
"What?" Marinette gasped, and she whirled around.
Right in front of her, hovering above her nose with its darkly-speckled wings and sinister flapping, was an akuma.
Marinette screamed.
End of Chapter 2: The Enemy Within
Author's Note: Sorry that these chapters are short and haven't climaxed it up yet. Trust me, I'm an action girl, and I want to skip to the action(s) as much as you guys. But these stories take a lot of time, so I can only do it a little at a time. Please review, and thanks for reading this story!
P.S. Just to put this out there before someone says something out of misplaced anger, I began reading some other stories starting 2/6/19 and I realized how similar some of them sounded to mine, and vice versa. Please know that I did not copy anybody else's ideas while outlining and writing these chapters at 11 pm at night. I don't believe in plagiarism, and I will not do that to any author. Do note that we're all Miraculous fans and a lot of us will have the same speculations/theories. Personally, I've had these theories since Season 1 of Miraculous two years ago, and I'm excited to share them with you guys. Again, thanks for reading!