Lady Wifi 2
Lady Wifi licked her lips. Ladybug was prettier than she'd expected. And entirely at her mercy. Locked to the wall. What did she look like under that mask... or that suit, for that matter. She bore down on the heroine.
"No cameras this time, Ladybug. Not yet. Just you, and me…"
Ladybug flushed. "A-aren't you going to unmask me?"
Lady Wifi chuckled. "There are far more fun things to do than unmask you, now that I have you, Ladybug…"
She leaned in, tasting the hero's lips in a deep kiss. Ladybug wanted to protest, wanted to scream, but something about it all was so alluring. She melted into the villainess' touch, kissing back.
Alya tried not to look too expectant as her BFF read her work. To some extent, she knew it was a bit awkward to read that kind of thing around people- even people you were super close to. But Marinette was one of the few people she would trust to beta read her entry into the fandom's Pride Month 'LGBugT' fiction project. Marinette's pale skin grew a shade pinker by the sentence while she read until she was completely flushed. By the time she was finished reading the short fan fiction she was floored, and she put the notebook down in her lap with a slow, shaky breath. That. That was her. Her best friend had written a fanfiction about taking advantage of her with the super powers given to her by Hawk Moth. If Marinette had thought the Illustrator's courting her was a weird experience, boy was she wrong.
She turned to Alya and put on her best 24 carat smile, cheeks and neck and shoulders all a lovely, warm shade of pink. "Wow, Alya, that was-" she pauses, looks away from her friend to the floor and then back. "Wow."
"...too much?" She asked, seeing that Marinette looked... more flustered than even a really kinky fic should make someone. "I don't know why I went there, it just... kinda came to me. Most people were using the villains anyway so I thought I'd do it in a way to lean into a powerset."
Marinette purses her lips for a moment, then shakes her head vigorously, hands in tow- "No! No, not at all. In fact, I think it is just the Right amount of much-" she laughs that really awkward laugh Alya is used to hearing only when the subject of discussion is Adrien Agreste, and it's a little very adorable. "It's just- I, um, didn't... expect it to- go... there?"
"I mean... it's fun in small doses. As a fantasy. It'd be fun to write something more conventional but... you know, Ladybug willingly going after a villain's a bit far left field, unless you're gonna go hard star crossed lovers or mind control." She wiggled her fingers as she spoke the last bit with a bit of self aware irony. She tapped her chin. Marinette seemed.. pretty flustered. Almost personally flustered. "You didn't think I had that kinda fantasy in me, or did something strike a nerve, Mar?"
"I mostly meant the steamy part at all-" Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she immediately looked into her lap, and anywhere that wasn't Alya, really, and if possible she flushed even more. Her face was on fire and Marinette had no idea what to do.
"I mean- that's not- i suppose-?" she trails off into an unintelligible mumble.
...ohhh, something was definitely up. Either Mari was terrified her friend was actually capable of the fantasies she was writing, or... Alya briefly wondered . She was the right size. The right hair color, if it didn't change. She tilted her head. She sighted the mask shape with a hand while Marinette was looking away, and... now it was Alya's turn to flush and fluster and "...oh. Ohhhh, Marinette."
Marinette fumbles with her hands again and lightly slaps her cheeks to bring herself some sort of composure. "AHAHAHH. Anyway! You wanted a review!" The pitch of her voice went high, and yes, this was decidedly flustered 'I can not get a single word out around my crush, what is wrong with me' Marinette. "I very think it's- I mean, I think it's vell- uhh-"
Deep breath.
"Good read, yes."
She took a step closer, tentative but trying to keep herself the composed friend for the moment. "Marinette, people... fantasize a lot more than they'd ever do in real life."
She edged to sit by her. She didn't want to let on what she'd noticed if Marinette hadn't noticed she'd noticed yet. Granted, even if she hadn't seen what she was doing, she'd see the shades of blush entering Alya's face.
She managed to get enough composure in her to raise a brow at that. Did her friend know who she was talking to? "Alya, I know a thing or two about wild fantasies."
"I would never treat a person like that for real. Especially someone I care about. I want you to know that much. Heck, probably half the reason I went that way is.. welll." She flushed. "Ladybug was one of the first times I noticed a girl."
Marinette managed to look back in her eyes. "Really?"
Alya nodded. "Yeah. I saw her and it was like a light went off and I realized women can be as… appealing as men."
Marinette was silent for a moment. "Whoa."
Alya flushed a bit.
"I mean. I'm glad you found that out about yourself. I'm sure Ladybug would be flattered," Marinette replied with a little smile.
Alya nodded. "Thanks again for the input, Marinette. You're the only person I'd trust to read something like this before I put it out there."
"That means a lot," Marinette spoke, " you know you're one of my closest confidants too."
"See you after classes?"
"Absolutely."
Of course, Alya had failed to realize this meant she'd be right next to her through the day. She looked at Marinette. She still couldn't believe that- if she was right- the girl next to her, the sweet best friend she knew all her life- was also the heroine she admired. Now she'd had the idea in her head, it was hard not to see it. They even kept their hair the same way. At the same time it kind of- demystified Ladybug. She'd always kind of thought of the girl as unattainable, a mysterious person she'd never have the chance to truly know as a person. And here she was, sitting not a breath away from Alya, struggling through the same trigonometry exercises.
"Do you need help with any of them?" Marinette asked, softly, "It's not for a grade, so-"
"O-oh, no. Just. Thinking." Alya replied with a shy smile. Marinette quirked a brow, but got back to work. It was going to be a long day before she'd be able to talk to Marinette privately.
When Alya had gotten back to work, Marinette looked at her. Her change in demeanor earlier. It'd almost been like Alya picked up on the way in which the story was personal to her. But that was impossible. She had been incredibly careful. She'd never transformed without a full 180 look around or being in a closed room, she always found a reasonable excuse for running away. She let her emotions get a little high this morning but- had it really been that noticeable for her friend to really think shy anxious Marinette and the confident Ladybug were the same person?
"...do, uh, you need help, Marinette?" Alya asked, giving a little smile.
"Huh?" She blinked a moment, before her eyes went wide. "Oh, no! I'm doing fine! Just lost in thought."
Ms Mendelev sent a withering gaze from her desk at the two. "Then be quiet."
It was going to be a hard day figuring out how to approach Alya.
Alya was in a stall in the girls bathroom. Something in her lunch hadn't quite agreed with her, but she was about done when she heard something. She hadn't paid attention too much when she heard other girls come in but she paused when she realized they were having a fight. Sounded like.. Marinette and Lila?
"This time it's too far, Lila. I won't let you embarass Mylene at that society dance! We both know she doesn't make enough to have nice clothes for that!"
Huh. There was a story there. Alya turned on the camera on her phone, listening quietly, as she poked the lens into the gap of the stall door.
"Yes, that's the point. She'll be woefully plain, so I have a 100% chance of all eyes on me, and not my plus one. Including Adrien."
"I'll just have to figure some way to make her see it," Marinette replied.
"No one will believe you. The people around here eat out of my hand, Dupein-Cheng. My word against yours, they'll pick me. Every time," came Lila's haughty reply.
Alya's fists curled up. This- this didn't make sense. Every time? Lila was- that manipulative? That much a liar? She'd used everyone- herself included- to hurt Marinette and she hadn't seen it? That did it.
Alya opened the door, stepping out dramatically. "I'm sure those people will be glad to hear that from my video evidence, Lila."
The girls were- closer than Alya had anticipated. Lila glared. "Evidence? You were recording me? On that phone?"
Alya gave a little satisfied smile.
"Yep. One push of the button and it's online. What are you going to do, Lila?"
Lila swung an arm theatrically at Alya. The impact made Alya lose her grasp on the phone, and all she could do was watch, almost as if it were slow motion as the phone flew through the air, into the wall, shattering.
"Oops. You should be more careful with your things, Alya," Lila sneered.
The girl gave a grin, and left, victorious. Alya sank to her knees, gathering the pieces, seen by eyes even more satisfied than Lila's.
"I… I always have the answer. I'm always there. Why didn't I see it? What she was doing…?" Alya spoke. She looked down at the remnants of her phone. Without her proof, it would just go on. She'd had her chance to make up to her friend for being fooled by Lila by showing everyone- and it was in pieces at her feet.
The betrayal of a friend, shattering the image they put forth to the world. The knowledge you lacked the vision to see it and share it with others. You carry the pain of the righteous, Alya Cesaire. You just need to get… connected.
Alya didn't even see the flit in the air of the akuma coming for her. She didn't hear Marinette warning her as the akuma sank into the remains of her phone, its dark power pulling them together.
Lady Wifi, I give you the voice and the power to expose the girl who so cruelly fooled you. All I ask in return is-
"Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous," Alya completed the sentence, "I remember the terms of the deal. Let me backup my phone first, so I don't lose that evidence."
Hah. Very well, Lady Wifi. But then your end of the deal.
She rose, tapping a few buttons to sync her phone to her cloud backups. No matter how this ended, she would have her evidence.
"Alya!" Marinette called, "You- you don't have to do this for me. We can find another way. It isn't your fault!"
Lady Wifi turned to her. "My best friend has been quietly taking abuse for I don't know how long, and I didn't see it, I couldn't help. Now I have the chance to take down the girl doing it. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't, Marinette?"
Marinette didn't have a response as she watched Lady Wifi leave. Torn, she bit her lip. Her best friend was hurting, because she thought she failed her, but when she tried to say something wouldn't listen. And now that friend was going to deliver what she'd silently wanted since this mess began. A way out from Lila's uncanny ability to avoid consequences.
"Why do I feel like whatever I do, is the wrong choice here?" Marinette asked herself. Tikki poked out of her purse now that Marinette was alone. "I fight my best friend so she doesn't make herself look like the bad guy in the process of exposing Lila, or I help Lila get out of facing any consequences for her actions, again."
"Lady Wifi is trying to do the right thing, in her own way. But that's not different than a lot of akumatized villains- and it's not like he'll let her before he has what he needs, Marinette," Tikki consoled.
She nodded. "Tikki, spots on."
Ladybug took to the rooftops, hot on the trail. She couldn't count on anything happening to let Chat Noir know there was an akumatized villain before Lady Wifi was ready- Alya was smart and her emotions targeted, she wasn't going to look for trouble. She opened her compact caller, "Chat Noir? I'm tailing Lady Wifi. She's not making any big trouble yet, but I could use the backup."
"On it. Some cats run to the sound of the can opener, but all I need is your voice, milady."
She chuckled as she hung up. Reliable Chat Noir. She didn't know where Lila was going. But there was one other way to find out. She took her own phone out, checking her Instagram. As expected, Lila was on, taking the kind of photos only used to brag.
"Aha. Lila's down in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district. Probably picking something flashy for the evening."
She arrived ahead of Lady Wifi- keeping watch from above.
"What's the story, milady?" came a voice from behind.
"I saw her near the school. Marinette told me Lila was planning to publicly embarrass a friend of hers. Lila admitted it to Marinette when confronted, because she knew it'd be just her word against Marinette's, but Alya caught it on video. Lila broke her phone on purpose to make sure it was just their word against hers, and that pushed Alya over the edge."
Chat Noir frowned. "Lila's a liar for attention, sure, but just humiliating someone for kicks doesn't really sound like her…"
"You mean you trust her more than Alya? Or Marinette?" she replied, seeming to take this with a bit more personal offense than Ladybug perhaps should. Chat took notice, raising a brow and backing a step, casually resting his pole behind his head.
"I mean- I don't know why you think I have some reason to trust one of these girls over the other. Who do you think I am, bugaboo?"
"Gah!" Ladybug winced, trying to find some way to cover herself. "We… both know Lila lies! That makes her less trustworthy by default, right?" She rattled off quickly.
Stupid! She chastised herself.
"Riiight. So Lady Wifi's coming for Lila?" Chat asked.
"Exactly. We just have to wait for her to show up. Her akumatized object is her phone, as usual."
"So, grab and smash?" he replied.
"Yep."
"And speaking of, here she is, right on time," Ladybug replied, pointing down the street.
Sure enough, Lady Wifi must have seen the same instagram post, and here she was, walking down the street, phone in hand.
"Alright. Sounds like cake, milady." He leapt down from the rooftop, into the path of Lady Wifi, without prompting.
Ladybug wasn't too surprised, shaking her head.
"Always leaping ahead, aren't you?"she muttered, letting Chat Noir distract Lady Wifi.
Lady Wifi smirked, "Ah, there's one of you. I've got a few new apps since last time. Let's see. Oh, stickers look fun!" She grinned, holding her phone up to catch Chat in her camera view.
"Let's see..."
She swiped from her phone, sending a purple bandage emoji flying toward Chat. He dodged, and it impacted a citizen behind him- who grabbed their leg, falling in pain.
"That's new," Chat commented, distracted enough by the reaction not to notice the cry emoji headed for him. Ladybug swung down, pushing him out of the way- but getting hit herself. Her eyes welled, as she staggered, the weight on her shoulders seeming so unbearable.
"Why does it have to be so hard?" Ladybug cried, streams of tears from both eyes.
"Milady?!" Chat turned toward her.
"I- I keep doing the right things but being Ladybug just keeps hurting me!" She insisted, somewhat oblivious as she cried. "I can't let anyone see it, because no one knows I'm Ladybug, and I can't let the bad guys know it hurts, but it does!"
He knelt behind her, helping her up- but still keeping her facing Lady Wifi so he wouldn't be hit.
The scuffle had been quiet so far, so he could manage to get cover.
"I understand, milady," he spoke assuringly as he dragged her to cover, "I have a hard life I can't talk about either. But right now I need you to pull together. We can talk about that all together, later, okay?"
She nodded, trying to hold it in. She stood, "we- we need something. And fast. Lucky… charm!" She managed, tossing her yo-yo high before finally breaking down sobbing again, falling to her knees after tossing the yoyo skyward. He pulled her clear of where the very large item was falling. A large cage with unusually close bars- almost a box, that made a metallic sound as it landed.
"A… cage?" He spoke confusedly. He turned to Ladybug, and then back.
"A Faraday cage!" he realized, softly. "Faraday cages disrupt electromagnetic signals… like a Wifi signal!"
He turned toward his lady. "Ladybug, get in!"
"Why bother, kitty? It's hopeless," she sulked.
Chat sighed, pushing her inside the box and slamming the door.
"Is the Kitty confused?" Lady Wifi taunted, "You trapped the wrong girl!" His turn to dodge a few emoji and a stop symbol.
Ladybug rose, rubbing her head. All at once it cleared up, the world didn't seem oppressively depressing to her anymore- well, no more oppressive than it had before. From the inside, she looked out. "I know what to do! Open the cage."
Chat nodded, and Ladybug leapt through the door towards Lady Wifi.
"What? How did you do that?" Lady Wifi raged.
"Mmm. Let's just say my carrier has…spotty reception."
"Out of my way, Ladybug! I don't need to expose you this time. I just need your miraculous so I can expose the truth about Lila."
"You know I can't let you do that, Alya! Hawkmoth doesn't care about that! Once he gets the miraculous and the world is rewritten, who knows if what you expose even matters?"
Ladybug traded blows with Lady Wifi until-
Ba-ding!
Lady Wifi looked down to her phone.
lilarossil is sharing her Story on Instagram!
The post preview showed a view from behind Ladybug- and sure enough, Lila was there, in living color on the other side of the street- broadcasting the fight live.
Ladybug tried to keep her back with her Yo-yo, but Lady Wifi took a running jump.
"Lila! The lady of the hour." She sent a Pause toward the girl. "The reason I am the villain I am today. You tell your loving fans how you got me akumatized right now? Or should I?"
"Monologuing. Perfect."
Ladybug's yo-yo was quickly around Lady Wifi, yanking her toward the open Faraday cage.
Lady Wifi staggered, trying to right herself, but tripped backward over Chat's pole, falling into the cage.
"Thanks for the distraction, Lila!" Chat called.
Lila looked surprised but shrugged, "Just doing what I do, Chat Noir."
Ladybug approached the cage, giving a bit of a rueful look at her best friend.
"So. Lady Wifi. Your powers won't work in there. And we have you. There's no shame in knowing when you're beat, you know."
Lady Wifi looked at her, then across to Lila.
"But she—"
"Isn't worth it," Ladybug finished, "And going after her doesn't fix why you're so angry. You're not mad at her. Not entirely. You're mad at yourself because you think you failed a friend. So be better. Be a better watcher, a better listener. Be better for her. And.. ask her what she thinks. Marinette was really scared when you ran off, you know?"
"You- you-!" She tried to make a counter argument, but she sighed. "You make a good point, Ladybug."
As she sighed, the costume of Lady Wifi dispersed, the black bubbling from around the phone, leaving the broken device in Alya's hands. Ladybug smiled, opening the door to catch the fleeing akuma.
"No more evil doing for you, little akuma!"
Palming the yoyo to release it, "Bye bye little butterfly!"
She tossed it up to the sky. "Miraculous Ladybug!"
The (admittedly minimal) damages caused by the conflict were miraculously repaired, as always, and at this point, the spots on her miraculous were blinking. "I have to be going. But I think you do too, right, Alya?"
Alya nodded with a little flush. "Yeah, I guess I do, Ladybug."
She hurried off, Ladybug hurrying the opposite direction.
Chat Noir looked between Ladybug and Alya.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" He spoke to himself.
"You may have cut off Lady Wifi's signal this time, Ladybug but next time, I'll make sure she has an unlimited data plan!"
Marinette waited at home- school was over so no need to return there first. She sat back in her chair.
"So the truth is half out. Lady Wifi got on Lila's stream and outed that Lila's why she akumatized…"
She considered what to do with this, but was interrupted by a knock on the floor.
"Come in," She called down.
Somewhat expectedly, it was Alya.
Before saying anything, Alya walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry I gave you that scare earlier."
Marinette smiled, "It's fine. Lila drives me up the wall too."
"I'm going to do better for you, Marinette. I promise. And I'm gonna start by being upfront."
"Upfront?"
"I figured it out."
"W-what!?" Marinette's breath got a little faster.
"Instead of going after revenge, I should have let you be the one who decided I was forgiven."
"Oh- oh, right. Of course. That's right, and you are, and I don't think you really even did anything wrong, Alya, you're-"
"And also," Alya interrupted, "you're Ladybug."
Marinette nearly fainted, falling forward, and Alya rushed to catch her. "Marinette, are you okay?"
"I.. uhh… did.. did you just… say I'm Ladybug?" Marinette managed after a moment.
"Yeah. I did."
"But- but you were akumatized. That means Hawkmoth know—"
"No, I didn't say a thing," Alya soothed, helping Marinette to her chair.
"How long have you known?" Marinette asked.
"This morning. Your reactions to what I wrote, uh. Really kinda told me all I needed to be told." Alya flushed.
"O-oh." She paused, her cheeks pink. "Do you- really think of me that way?"
"Yeah. I've definitely thought of Ladybug that way and now I know you're her it.. it makes you a lot more amazing, Marinette."
Marinette smiled a bit. "I wish I felt amazing more often."
"I bet. Lady Wifi heard everything you said when you were crying, Marinette. How much of it was true?" she asked.
Marinette looked up at her. "It does hurt a lot," she admitted, "Having this secret and keeping it. The way what I do makes me look like such a flake sometimes. Not having anyone who can really understand what I'm going through. I might not have been in control of myself but it wasn't a lie. It can be really hard being Ladybug, Alya."
Alya nodded, sympathetically, "Well. We've been best friends for a long time, Marinette. I'm here to help so you don't have to shoulder it alone anymore."
She hugged her, leaning in and tentatively kissed Marinette on the cheek, before building the courage to steal a kiss, a real one on the lips. In an instant, everything Marinette knew about her future, her three kids, her hamster of indeterminate name… became a question.
"I… It's selfish for me to want this. I know you like Adrien, but-" Alya began with trepidation.
"No. Don't compare yourself that way, Alya," Marinette replied, "Adrien is… dreamy, and sweet, and–" She recognized herself beginning one of her spirals and stopped herself, shaking her head when she realized Alya was looking down.
"But you're- my best friend, and I can't imagine a life without you and… knowing you feel this way is something I'm gonna have to think on, Alya. Because… I didn't think I liked you that way but… I like this. And I liked that."
Her cheeks burned red.
Alya nodded, "Take the time you need. It's not like we're on a time crunch."
As if on cue, Marinette's phone began buzzing.
She looked down. About ten variations of 'is it true?' And some dreaded words-
lilarossil tagged you on Instagram.
She opened the notification. It was a photo of Lila with an arm in a sling.
"In response to my rude interruption by a CERTAIN villain," Marinette read, " was akumatized because I walked in on her and marinettedesigned having illicit relations in the bathroom?!"
Marinette's face was red again.
Alya was shocked. "I should have outed her. But we'll figure this out, Marinette. Together."