A/N: Sorry this took longer than usual. Work has been busy and murdered the muse. Plus side, it's longer than all the previous chapters (in fact, I'm going to be aiming for 4000-5000 words from here on out).
I'd thought I'd wrap up the retelling of Origins this chapter, but alas, there will probably still be a bit in next chapter. Nevertheless, I think you'll find that I have diverged significantly at most parts.
Chapter 5: Confidence
Approximately three minutes before the overheard tail of the conversation...
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"
"Marinette?!"
"Marinette, you're so pretty. Can we please have your autograph?"
Marinette gave a smile, blinking in the face of so many people gathering around. She gave a nod, readily agreeing to the request, ever the proper celebrity model. Even her mother may have been proud of her little act. For that is what it was: an act. Anyone who cared or knew to look might have noticed that her shoulders were held too stiffly for a truly casual posture or that she had started blinking a bit too often or that the manner in which her lip kept catching between her teeth was more nervous than playful.
"All right, enough!" Chloé broke in after the fifth or sixth magazine had been shoved at the brunette. "She's here to attend school – you'll make her late!"
She tugged Marinette closer by the arm a bit protectively, the tone of her voice alone prompting Sabrina to start waving people off. Marinette looked over at the blonde as she steered her forward, eyes questioning.
"You were wearing your public face," Chloé stated dismissively. She elaborated when Marinette continued staring at her instead of where they were going. "That smile? The one you wear for photo-shoots? Well, you plaster it all over your face every time you're uncomfortable. It's so fake. I mean, I suppose it's good enough to fool most people, but I know you better than that. It's not you. It's your mother, maybe, but not you."
"Chlo..." Marinette murmured, a very small but very genuine smile tugging at her lips.
"Stop looking at me that way," Chloé grumbled, reaching with her free hand to turn the brunette's head forward. "Watch where we're going. There are stairs."
Marinette kept her gaze ahead, but a hint of a smile remained on her features. Chloé wasn't always the most empathetic person. In fact, the blonde was extremely selfish more often than not. There were moments, however, when she was reminded why she considered the girl a friend. It wasn't just that Chloé was the only person she really knew.
"I'm so glad you're here, now," Chloé declared as they reached the top of the stairs. "It will be so nice to have someone with some sense around. Our class is simply populated with idiots."
And then there were less magical moments when the blonde reminded her how preposterously arrogant she was.
Marinette gave a delicate snort. "Please. Chloé, you think every one is stupid. With that mindset," the brunette pointed out as they walked into the classroom, "it's only inevitable that you'd have to sit next to 'stupid' people." The faint hint of teasing in her eyes was promptly replaced by surprise as she lifted her gaze to find that at least half the seats in the room were already occupied. Naturally, it seemed like everyone's attention was on her. Super.
There was nothing for it. She'd known the moment she decided that she wanted to attend school that she'd inevitably garner attention, if not for her model status, then for simply being the newcomer. Drawing in a breath, Marinette opened her mouth to issue a greeting to her new classmates.
"Well," a blond boy in the front cut in, "I suppose we'll try not to let our stupidity be too catching. We are pretty dumb, though, so you may just wanna keep your distance."
Wait. What? Marinette found herself stammering in surprise. Why would anyone think that she..? Oh. She felt her heart sink. Of course. They'd only heard the last bit of the conversation. Marinette schooled her expression as best she could. There'd been a time when she might have tried to explain, but she'd learned the hard way how futile that could be. If people wanted to believe ill of her, they'd always find something to validate their opinion.
She must have taken a step backwards, for she nearly collided with an auburn-haired girl that had entered the room behind them. Chloé was practically gloating as she leaned in. "See?" the blonde whispered. Marinette saw, all right, but probably not the way Chloé meant.
It was just her luck that her first interaction with people her own age would be tainted by misunderstanding. The boys in the front certainly seemed unenthused by her arrival, as did some of the other students. Maybe she should have remained at home, after all, if this was the welcome she would find.
The idea that Chloé insisted upon her sitting with her both comforted Marinette and made her more anxious. She was not that well-acquainted with Sabrina, although the red-head seemed nice enough. Or at least, willing to follow Chloé's every mandate. Still, Marinette did not like the idea of displacing Chloé's long-time friend and seatmate. It struck far too close to the privilege and special treatment people often accused her of receiving.
That was when her first day of school decided to veer from awkward to mortifying, because heavens forbid Marinette Dupain-Cheng be able to walk up a few measly steps without falling right on her face. Her face was on fire, the buzz of mortification which filled her head doing nothing to drown up the tittering laughs which followed.
Wanting nothing more than to bury her face in her arms, Marinette sat with her shoulders squared and chin up. Her first day of school was bound to be a long one – and it might prove to be her last.
0o0
Classes were blessedly similar to lessons, only with more people and no Nathalie. Marinette plied her attention to taking notes even though most of the information was familiar to her. She noticed the blond boy shooting her the occasional glance over his shoulder, but she dutifully ignored him. What she didn't notice was that the girl seated next to Sabrina had also shot her a few appraising looks.
When lunch arrived, Marinette slowly returned her belongings to her bag, allowing the other students to rush out around her. A blonde tried to stop and talk to her, but she was ushered along by a tall girl with purple highlights in her hair.
"Marinette, hurry up," Chloé told her. "Aren't you hungry? I'm practically famished. You are joining Sabrina and I for lunch, aren't you? If you go home to eat, they probably won't let you leave again."
"Probably not," Marinette agreed with a sigh. "Hey, Chlo, is it okay if I meet you two downstairs? I need to stop in the restroom."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yes. I saw the sign on the way in."
"Very well, then," the blonde agreed. "Sabrina." The other two filed out of the room, Sabrina following Chloé like some bespectacled Irish Setter.
It was only after they had left that Marinette blew out a breath, slumping back in her seat as she brought her hands up to cover her face. Things were not going her way, anywhere. She couldn't even manage as a normal person, no wonder she couldn't cut it as a superhero. She needed to find whoever this "Guardian" was and give him the earrings back, because there was no way she would be a good Ladybug.
"Why didn't you explain earlier?"
Marinette started, hands falling from her face as her posture straightened out of sheer habit. She blinked at the auburn-haired girl standing just inside the door to the classroom. She seemed oddly familiar. "Pardon?"
"This morning, when you came in," the girl clarified, moving forward to lean a hip against the front desk. "Why didn't you explain that you were calling blondie out instead of letting people take what you said all wrong?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Marinette denied primly.
"I was stuck behind you guys. I heard the whole conversation. You weren't saying that you think everybody's stupid, you were mocking Chloé for thinking that way."
The brunette diverted her gaze to her hands, fighting back a frown. "It's not likely to matter that much," she said, tone threaded through with resignation.
"Um, it's likely to matter a lot," the other girl contradicted. "Look, I've only been here a day myself, but it's long enough to learn that Chloé is bad news. The reason everyone is so quick to think you're a snob is because they know you're friends with her. She looks down on everyone. My advice? If you want to get on with people here, you've gotta make other friends, and fast."
"I'm not just going to stop being friends with Chloé because others don't like her," Marinette retorted, glaring a bit. "Maybe Chloé's far from perfect, but she is my friend – my only friend."
"She's also a bully," stated her classmate. "I'm not saying to stop being friends with her. Hell, she seems to be pretty decent to you, but everyone else needs to know you're not like her. At least, I don't think you are. That means making new friends. That's why you came to school, right?"
"I-" The brunette had opened her mouth to protest, but found that the other girl wasn't wrong. She might not like hearing someone say bad things about her only friend, but Marinette was all too aware of Chloé Bourgeois' faults. "I did want more friends," she admitted, instead, an insecure flush staining her cheeks.
Her classmate moved closer, kneeling in the empty seat in front of her and extending a hand. "Alya Césaire. Budding reporter and comic book fan."
That's right. It was only when the girl mentioned it that Marinette put together why she had seemed familiar. Alya had been there the day before, when she was Ladybug, eagerly recording with her phone while she and Chat Noir had faced Stoneheart. The girl hadn't even seemed afraid, even though she herself had been terrified.
"Marinette," she replied after somewhat too long of a pause, she hesitantly accepted the proffered hand. "Awkward klutz, but for some reason people like to take pictures of me."
Alya gave a hearty laugh, slipping out of the seat to stand again. "First things first, you obviously need some more confidence," she declared. "Of course, people want to take pictures of you – you're super pretty! In fact..." The girl raised her phone and snapped a picture before Marinette could lift a hand up to fend her off.
"Hey!" the model protested.
"Now I have your contact image, I just need your number?" For the first time in their exchange, Alya seemed uncertain as she held out her phone, a new contact page awaiting information on the little screen.
Marinette couldn't find it in herself to be annoyed. In general, she wasn't a big fan of people taking pictures of her without warning. She endured far too many cameras in her face to be fond of more.
Heaving an obviously forced sigh, she took the cellphone before it could be withdrawn. "Fine," she said lightly, "but only so long as you don't post it anywhere strange." That being another reason she was none too fond of pictures.
"I won't," Alya promised with a grin as she accepted her phone back. "I'll text you so you have my number?"
Nodding, Marinette rose from her seat, setting her bag atop the desk so she could fish out her phone. It chimed just as she found it and she gave a small grin at the string of silly smile emojis Alya had sent to her. Chewing her lip a bit indecisively, she finally held out her phone to the girl. "Would you like to put in your information?" she asked.
"Yes!" Alya took her phone and entered her contact details with swift fingers. When she handed it back, Marinette laughed to find her new friend had put herself in as 'Awesomest Reporter Ever'.
"What if I forget that's you?" she questioned, a note of teasing in her tone.
"As if! Besides, that's what contact images are for," the other girl responded. Alya proceeded to do a silly pose and held it until Marinette finally lifted her phone and snapped a picture.
"I should go," the brunette said, tucking her phone away. "I promised Chloé I'd join her and Sabrina for lunch. Thank you. For wanting to talk to me. I..." But how did she explain why so simple a thing meant so much? How she had long resigned herself to people being quick to believe the worst of her rather than trying to see the best? Such an explanation would only seem like a bid so sympathy, and Marinette felt pathetic enough without making herself more pitiable. "Just, thank you."
Alya gave a grin and fell in step beside her. "Mine is an ongoing quest for truth and justice!" she declared. "And no one deserves to be stuck in a box unfairly."
It was with a lighter heart than before that Marinette left the classroom and headed down the stairs, Alya at her side. She couldn't say that she had ever met a person like Alya. The girl seemed so outspoken and genuine, and Marinette found herself a bit envious of the confidence the girl seemed to exude. It struck her that someone like Alya would have been a better choice for a hero than a person like herself.
"There's Chloé," Marinette said, gesturing to where she could see the blonde and Sabrina among a group of other students.
Alya was obviously fighting back a grimace. "Just remember you need other friends, too," she said.
"I thought I had another friend, now," the brunette replied, earning a grin. She started towards the group, gripping the strap of her bag more tightly as she drew nearer.
"I'm sorry," a broad-shouldered boy was saying. Marinette recognized him as the boy the akuma had possessed the day before. The one she thought was probably kind. "It wasn't me!"
"You know what they say," Chloé's responded condescendingly. "'Once a monster, always a monster!'"
The boy was obviously hurt by this, and he stalked away, hands clenched into fists at his side. Marinette and Alya stepped aside to let him pass.
"Good! We'll feel safer with you gone!" Chloé called out.
Marinette could hear Alya fuming at her side, but she didn't pay much attention to it just then. Instead, she whirled about, her pretty features drawn into an unusual scowl. "Chloé!" she admonished sharply.
Surprise flickered across the blonde's face, unaccustomed to the brunette taking such a tone with her. "What?" she defended herself. "I was just saying what we all were thinking!"
Eyes were on her, boring into her, the attention trying to dig under her skin the way it always did. Only this time, Marinette didn't have the time to let it get to her, to allow it to cow her into somebody more soft-spoken and compliant. There was something far more important that making sure Chloé or anyone else found her likable. Tikki had warned her that negative emotions could cause the boy to become possessed again. Chloé had just put him and the entire city at risk.
"Well, if that's how you think, then you certainly don't speak for me!" Marinette declared. Spinning about on her heel, she took after the boy, following him to where he'd retreated to the locker room. The blonde had called out to her, but she paid her no mind.
Marinette let the door to the room close quietly behind her, suddenly apprehensive in the large, quiet room. She wasn't sure what she was going to do next. Following the boy had been on complete impulse. Now that she had, the girl felt at a loss. Nevertheless, she moved along the rows of lockers until she found him, sitting on the floor with headphones over his ears and his phone in one hand.
"Um, hello?" she said.
He didn't hear her and his eyes were closed, so Marinette moved timidly forward, crouching down beside him and placing a hesitant hand on his arm. His eyes snapped opened and he looked at her, reaching up slowly to remove his headphones. She withdrew her hand.
"It's Ivan, right?" Marinette queried quietly. "Are you okay?"
Ivan gazed at her uncertainly, clearly judging her sincerity. He must have found something reassuring in her expression, for he eventually answered. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone," he said softly. "I don't even like violence. But... Kim, he was teasing me and then that happened. I couldn't stop it."
"It must have been scary," the girl offered kindly. "What was Kim teasing you about?" She already knew, of course. She had seen the note the previous day during her brief time as Ladybug. As far as Ivan knew, though, this was their first time talking, so she had to pretend otherwise.
"Well... I... I like this girl, Mylène. She's the one with the pretty, colorful hair," Ivan told her. Marinette nodded; she knew who he was talking about, now. "She's very nice, but I... I don't have the confidence to confess to her. Kim says this makes me a coward. But I'm not! He's the coward!"
Marinette felt a thrill of concern as Ivan's temper appeared to flair. Her response was a bit rushed, but earnest. "I don't think that makes you a coward at all! A lot of people are nervous about confessing to their crushes, right? But... but maybe you should tell her how you feel? She might like you back. You never know until you try."
He was looking at her again and Marinette felt uncertainty creep upon her as she failed to determine what he was thinking. "I'm no good with words," he said finally, heaving a disheartened sigh.
"That's okay!" Marinette encouraged brightly. "You could pick her flowers, or-or write her a note. You just have to stay positive."
"I could write her a song?" Ivan offered.
"That would be perfect! A love song for her. I bet she'll love it!"
Ivan studied her intently for a moment. "You're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be," he told her softly.
Marinette gave a somewhat pained smile. "Seems like a lot of people feel that way," she said.
"I'm glad. Everyone thought you might be like Chloé, or Sabrina. I like you better like this."
"Oh. Well, um... thanks?"
The boy gave her a small grin and levered himself to his feet. Marinette watched as he hurried away, ostensibly to go write a song for Mylène. Standing herself, the girl let out a sigh. It made her glad that people seemed to like her once she'd spoken to them one on one, yet unhappy that Chloé seemed to be so universally disliked. She knew the blonde had her faults, but was she really so awful to her classmates?
As she left the locker room a moment later, the looks shot her way gave Marinette the rather uncomfortable suspicion that Chloé was exactly that awful to her classmates.
0o0
Marinette didn't join Chloé and Sabrina for lunch, after all. The blonde and redhead had apparently left after Marinette's calling out of the former, leaving her to fend for herself. Fortunately, Alya had been quick to give her company, making what might have been a lonely break pass pleasantly. The more Marinette became acquainted with the auburn-haired girl, the more fond she became of her.
Soon, the bell warning that classes were about to start again rang out, and students started rushing back to their respective classes. Alya was talking excitedly about her encounter with Ladybug and Chat Noir as they mounted the stairs.
"But what about all these stone people?" Marinette questioned with a pensive frown. "Don't you think that if Ladybug hadn't messed up, none of this would be happening still?"
"Not at all! She'll definitely fix it," Alya stated confidently. "She and Chat Noir are new, aren't they? You can't expect even superheroes to get everything right the first time. I mean, just look at the faux pas you've made just being new at school."
"Gee, thanks," the brunette muttered.
"All I mean is, it takes a bit for people to get used to new things, right? And sometimes, you get things wrong, but learn from them, and then you do things right the next time," the other girl said reasonably. They walked into the classroom and Alya reached out to put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You should come sit with me."
Marinette glanced over at the empty table Alya had been sharing with Sabrina. Her lips pressed into an indecisive line as her gaze ticked to the vacant seats behind the two boys. The blond was giving her that look a lot of the others had after she admonished Chloé, while his friend kept his attention on his phone, listening to something with his headphones. She turned back to Alya with an apologetic grimace.
"Chloé would be disappointed," she said quietly.
Alya looked unhappy about this, but gave a relenting sigh. "Just think about it, okay?" she asked. Marinette nodded and the two girls parted to go to their seats. This time, the brunette managed to avoid falling on her face.
About a minute later, Chloé and Sabrina entered, the blonde's gaze immediately darting over to Marinette. Marinette saw the spark of relief that filled those pale blue eyes. She offered up a small smile as the blonde settled into her seat. Chloé sat rather stiffly for a moment, then forced out a breath.
"I'm sorry we left you behind," she murmured quietly without looking over.
"It's okay, Chlo," Marinette replied softly so that only the blonde would hear. "You really shouldn't be so mean to people, though... It makes you hard to like."
Chloé opened her mouth to retort, a flush of color rising to her cheeks as she turned to the brunette. Her self-righteousness was quelled by the gentle admonishment in her friend's gaze. Blowing out another huff, she turned back to the front, slouching forward to rest her chin in both hands.
Mademoiselle Bustier soon brought the class to order, checking that all her students were back in their seats. "Has anyone seen Ivan?" the professor asked. Marinette turned her head to where Ivan had been sitting earlier, a thrill of alarm rising within her at his absence.
The door smashed open, then, causing several people to cry out. There stood Ivan – no, Stoneheart, just as real and intimidating as he'd been the previous day. Only, it was somebody else's name he was roaring out this time.
"Mylèèène!"
Marinette felt her eyes widen, even as she scrambled back with many of the others. Why was he after her? Wasn't he in love with Mylène?
It turned out that that was precisely why Stoneheart was after the girl. So that they could be together, which might have been romantic were it not so terrifying. Stoneheart snatched up the object of Ivan's affection and grabbed one other person before smashing out through the classroom wall.
The akuma took Chloé.
That loud buzzing sound was filling Marinette's ears again, the sound of panic gripping at her. It had taken Chloé. Yes, the girl was selfish and she could be downright cruel, but Marinette knew she could also put someone else before herself, that she would risk getting in trouble to aid a friend. Chloé Bourgeois was a wretched, self-absorbed brat, but until that very day she had been Marinette's only friend, and a loyal one at that.
"Come on, let's follow them!"
Marinette blinked, turning her head to find Alya motioning to her. "What?! No, that... that's insane!"
"You'll miss Ladybug going into action!" Alya exclaimed. Little did she know the way her words pierced straight to Marinette's heart. Because she was wrong. There was no Ladybug, now. The Ladybug who'd been chosen was ill-suited to the task.
"Why do you trust Ladybug so much?" Marinette demanded, a note of desperation entering her tone. "Maybe she's not cut out to be a superhero!"
"That's where you're wrong," the other girl asserted. "I know you're scared, but believe me. I saw Ladybug with my own eyes! That girl is a real superhero! You'll see. I'm going to prove it to the world with my blog. Come with me and you'll see, too!"
A real superhero. Real. A real one...
"Marinette?"
The brunette shook her head, even as her stomach started to knot and her heart began fluttering. "I'm staying here," she said. "You stay, too! It isn't safe."
"Suit yourself," Alya replied, darting towards the door.
"Alya, wait!" Marinette shouted, running after her.
This was bad. This was really bad. The akuma was back, which meant it would be able to control all the people who'd been turned. It had taken Chloé, and while Marinette was also worried for Mylène, she feared what it would do the one who'd taunted the boy. Now, Alya was going after it.
By the time Marinette had reached the sidewalk, her new friend was already out of sight. The brunette tripped, though whether this was due to her inherent clumsiness or the anxiety gripping her like a vice, it was hard to tell. Her palms instantly stung, the knees of her jeans tearing from the friction of her fall. As her bag fell from her shoulder, it fell open, several of the contents spilling out.
Including a small hexagon-shaped box.
A new sort of desperation welled within her as she snatched it up, scrambling to her feet and turning quickly in search of somewhere sheltered. Running for the first bit of cover she could find, Marinette ducked out of sight of the street, opening the jewel box and hastily putting on the earrings. In a flash of red light, Tikki reappeared.
"I need Ladybug!" Marinette exclaimed.
"I knew you'd change your mind," the kwami declared.
"I'm still not convinced I'm right for the job, but my friends are in danger. I have to do something!"
Tikki gave a knowing smile. "You know what to do."
For a second, Marinette faltered. She did know, but knowing and doing were different things. What if she made another mistake and things got worse again? But what if she did nothing, and somebody got hurt? Marinette's expression steeled in determination, chin lifting and shoulders squaring.
"Tikki, transform me!" she commanded.
0o0
"My Lady, you've turned my world upside-down," Chat Noir quipped as he dangled from the end of her yo-yo, causing a flush to rise to the girl's face.
"You're a real jokester, aren't you?" Ladybug replied. Her gaze flitted to the Stonehearts merging on their position. "Shall we take the high road?" she suggested, taking to a nearby roof without awaiting a proper response.
"Shouldn't we take care of them?" Chat questioned as they peered down at them.
She shook her head, pigtails swaying. "No," she declared. "They aren't the ones in control." Peering down at her yo-yo, where she'd brought up a screen with the feed of the local news station, she then turned towards where the Eiffel Tower could be seen rising over the rooftops. Ladybug raised a hand to point. "He's there."
"Shall we go join the party?" the boy suggested, causing his partner to wrinkle her nose at him. "Ah, you're right. We probably should have RSVPed. After you, My Lady."
Ladybug bit back a laugh and vaulted off towards the tower, using her yo-yo more confidently than before. It wasn't that she was any less uncertain or scared than she had been. Perhaps, it was simply that she was more determined now. More than ever, she couldn't fail.
"I demand you give my daughter back!" they could hear the Mayor shouting through a megaphone as they drew closer.
"It would be my pleasure," Stoneheart roared. Winding back the fist in which it held Chloé, the akuma hurled the girl into the air.
Panic. Horror. And perhaps, most surprising of all to herself, immediate action, for not a second had passed before Ladybug had sprung forward to intercept the girl's unplanned flight, catching her in her arms and carrying her safely to the ground.
Chloé stared at her savior with wide blue eyes. "I didn't swear!" she blurted.
Ladybug frowned at her incredulously. "What?" She put the blonde down, watching as she ran to her father. Her heart rate eased only slightly.
"Prepare the assault!" the police captain commanded, drawing her attention.
"You can't!" Ladybug shouted. "You'll only make things worse!"
"You've already failed," the man countered, "we don't need a pair of amateurs mucking things up. Let the professionals do their job."
The girl felt stung, taking a half-step back. She turned as she felt Chat Noir's hand on her shoulder. "He's right," she told him. "I'm not suited for this. If I'd caught the akuma the last time..."
"Nonsense! You just saved that girl," Chat Noir reminded her, motioning to where Chloé stood safely at her father's side. "No one is perfect at their job when they start out. They need us, even if they don't know it, yet. If they didn't, neither of us would have been chosen in the first place. We just need to show them." His tone was passionate and earnest, vibrant green eyes meeting hers with conviction.
"But, what if-" Ladybug began.
He silenced her with but a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder. "We can do this," he said. "Trust me."
"I trust you," she replied softly.
No sooner had the words left her mouth, than that trust was to be tested. For it was then that Stoneheart began to cough and hack until a cloud of akuma emerged from his stony lungs to form a large face which hung in the air and began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Paris, I am Hawk Moth," it declared. "Ladybug and Chat Noir, if you wish everything to return to normal, you will hand over your miraculous, the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring. Otherwise, the people around you will continue to suffer."
Chat Noir's hands had balled into fists at the ultimatum, his teeth baring in distaste and tail lashing as though of its own accord. It was not he that responded, however. Once again, Ladybug surprised herself. A lifetime of uncertainty and trying to avoid the ire of others', and here she was, taunting a supervillain of all things. She couldn't have said where it had come from; it had simple risen up from her center with a life of its own.
Ladybug gave several loud, sarcastic claps as she sauntered forward, chin held high and shoulders back. "Nice try, Hawk Moth," she called back. "But let's not forget where the blame lies, here. It is you who has done this. It is you who is hiding behind an innocent boy, manipulating his hurt and his fear and his uncertainty for your own evil purposes.
"You can throw whatever you want at us, but mark my words, you will not be able to hide forever. Chat Noir and I will find you. And when the time comes, it will be you who surrenders your miraculous to us!" Ladybug boldly declared. "In the meantime, all of Paris can rest assured that we will be protecting them from likes of you or anyone else who will bring them harm!"
A hand reached for the yo-yo at her hip as the girl charged forward, her heart hammering as a lump tried to settle within her throat, but she swallowed it back, running too quickly for the buzzing in her ears to deafen her. Winding her arm back, Ladybug leaped into the air and flung her weapon forward.
"I'm freeing you of evil!" she cried. Again and again, the yo-yo flew forward, the cloud forming Hawk Moth's image faltering as the akuma were captured within it. Paris itself seemed to draw in a breath as the face vanished, leaving the spotted young superhero standing in its place. Reaching down, she opened the compact, releasing a plume of pure white butterflies into the air.
"This is a promise!" Ladybug vowed. "No matter who may try to hurt you, Chat Noir and I will do everything in our power to defend you!"
A cheer rose from the crowd beyond the barricade and from every person watching the broadcast from the safety of their homes, but Ladybug had neither the time nor desire to bask in their awe. Stoneheart and the others transformed by the akuma were climbing the tower, poor Mylène still held in the villain's grasp.
"Chat Noir!" Ladybug shouted to her partner. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but a small, confident smile pulled at her lips, nevertheless. "Let's end this!"
Chat Noir grinned, vaulting up to join her. "With pleasure, My Lady," the cat declared with a bow.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks again for your patience! Let me know what you think. Hugs, Melly