Marin hummed to himself as he sewed on the last black spot on a bomber jacket, smiling to himself as he stepped back from his work proudly.
"Are you finally going to give it to Adrien?" Tikki asked from her yarn basket.
"No, It's uh- not done yet." Marin said, immediately blushing as he put away his current project.
"But you finished it a while ago, what are you waiting for?" Tikki asked as she watched her partner pack it away into a light blue box.
Marin hesitated for a moment, wondering if he really needed to keep this information from Tikki. Then again it was too embarrassing to actually say aloud. "I...just want to make sure it's perfect." He insisted. "Don't you have some cookies to be eating?" He followed up quickly as he saw his Kwami placing freshly baked sugar cookies into her cookie bag.
Suddenly, Marin's phone alarm rang as he placed the blue box in his trunk along with a few other wrapped gifts. He took his phone out of his pocket as Tikki glanced at him eagerly.
"Are they ready?" She asked expectantly as Marin chucked.
"Yes sugarcube, but they're for the customers." He reminded her as picked up his messenger bag with Tikki peaking out with a pouting face.
"Adrien's not a customer." She pointed out as Marin petted her head.
"Now don't get smart with me, you know you're going to get your own box once I get home today. Now hide." He said as he walked down towards the bakery. His parents were already focused on their work, in their own world as Marin saw a box set aside with his name written on a post-it note on top. He picked it up, choosing to take the front door today as he didn't want to interrupt their work.
As he turned towards the school he spotted Nino talk to Lila.
"Adrien said he'd help me, but I don't want to bother him with it. He's probably forgotten anyway. He might think I've got a crush on him, just like all those other girls who are constantly hanging all over him."
Marin overheard Lila say as he walked over towards them.
"Adrien's a great dude. I'm sure he won't mind. I can put in a good word for you if you want."
"Oh, you'd do that for me? Oh thanks, Nino, you're the best!" Lila said as Nino nodded with a smile, then ran towards Adrien as he spotted him.
Marin thought he overheard Lila chuckle at something as he walked up towards her. "Good Morning Lila." He said as she looked back towards him, a smile drawing on her face as she grasped his arm, making him uneasy at the forwardness, but it was fine... "What were you and Nino talking about?"
"Good Morning Marin." Lila said as the two walked to school together. "We were just talking about you actually."
"Me?" Marin asked in confusion.
"Yes of course, everyone loves them, especially Adrien."
Marin blushed as her compliment, smiling. "Well thanks Lila-"
"He loves them so much he actually takes time to indulge your passion at almost every lunch break, it's hard to see him without you or that girl these days." She said as Marin's smile quickly faded. "It's so hard to him alone to ask him anything these days."
Marin didn't respond for a moment not sure at what she was getting at. "That girl? You mean Kagami?" He asked in surprise, wondering for a moment where Lila saw her, but then remembered that fencing practice was always held on their campus.
"Kagami..."Lila murmured under her breath as she started scowling. "Are she and Adrien close friends?"
Marin's heart fell as he thought about the two of them together. "Yeah, they like each other alot." He explained as he felt Lila grip his arm tighter, her nails digging in much to his discomfort. "Is there something wrong Lila?"
"Huh?" Lila said as her she suddenly dropped her frown to give him a sheepish smile. "It's just that, I'm not doing so well at math, and I wanted to ask Adrien to help me out. But with you already taking up so much of his free time on top of his busy schedule, I'm just sure he'll say no." She explained as she looked up towards him sadly.
"I don't monopolize his time-" Marin tried to saw, about to point out that Adrien was the one who always invited him to hang out, cookies or not.
"Like I said, everyone's talking about how much attention he gives you, it's a little intimidating to ask him straight up when I know he just wants to make everyone happy." She said batting her eyelashes at him.
Marin gripped the white box in his hand, hanging his head. "I'll...just say I'm busy-" He was in the middle of says as Lila suddenly released her grip on him, running the rest of the way towards class as he stood atop the stairs.
"Thank you Marin!" She said with a smile as he was left alone.
At the end of class, Nino waved his hand at him to garner his attention.
"Don't forget about Lila dude." He said as he walked out with Alya.
"I said only if I was free!" Adrien called back as he sighed. He glanced back towards Marin hopefully, hoping that his close friend would be able to get out of this situation.
"Hey Marin, you up a study session?" Adrien asked as he noticed the white box in his hands, his mouth already watering.
"Sorry, but I can't today. I forgot, I um, was going to do...a thing, sorry again." Marin said as Adrien noticed he averted his gaze, his classic tell when lying. But before he could question him further, Marin shoved the cookie box in his hands, then quickly latched onto Juleka as they walked out of the room, the girl looking confused as she was dragged out.
Adrien looked at his friend curiously as he opened the box, seeing red macaroons with black spots and filling. Marin's parents were probably doing a Ladybug themed cookie this week. As he was wondering what flavor it was Lila walked up to him with a smile on her face. "Hey, Lila. Nino told me about your problem. I can still help you with your schoolwork if you want." He said politely.
"Really? You'd do that? You're such a great help! You're saving my life, you know." Lila said happily s they walked out of the classroom together.
"No problem, Lila. Happy to help." Adrien said as Lila then grabbed his hand.
"Why don't we go to your place to do our homework? It would be so much quieter, would it?" She said abruptly as Adrien was surprised by the sudden contact.
"My father would never agree to that." He informed, for once, glad for his father's strict rules. However, he felt nervous as he saw Lila dawn a Chesire smile on her face.
"I bet you I can change his mind." She said as she dragged him towards the front entrance.
Marin noticed Lila going into Adrien's car as Adrien opened the door for her. His blonde-haired friend noticed him for a moment as Marin was walking towards the park, giving him a smile which Marin didn't return, only walking away as he clawed his chest.
"Why did you agree to what that girl said?" Tikki asked as she popped out of his messenger bag. "You love spending time with Adrien."
" I know, but...Lila's still adjusting to our school, if she's having problems it's the least I can do." He said pragmatically, thinking through his answers as Tikki looked at him in disbelief.
"But she didn't even ask what Adrien wanted, she just pushed you out of the way!"
"Don't be dramatic sugarcube, sometimes people need help and get nervous when asking. She's just probably more comfortable asking me than Adrien, after he's one of the smartest in the class."
"But Max is smart too-" Tikki was about to reason until her partner cut her off.
"That's enough Tikki." Marin said, trying to cap off his growing anxiety for the day. "Lila's a friend and you're being dramatic about this." He said, but then sensed his Kwami's displeasure as she pouted hiding away in his bag as he sighed heavily. He didn't like being annoyed at his Kwami, but he didn't want to think about Lila and Adrien anymore today. Just as he was about to walk into his family's store, he hesitated, thinking about the jacket packed away in the trunk of his room. He wasn't a fan of being at home today either. So instead, he opened the door, spotting his mom behind the cashier.
["Mama, I'm going to my secret garden, I think I'll be home late tonight."] He said as his mother waved towards him with a smile.
["On one condition."] She said with a warm smile, one that was contagious as Marin chuckled, a smile drawing on his face as he walked into the store past the customers. He quickly kissed her cheek. ["I love you, my heart."] She said as Marin groaned as his mother's sappy nature, but couldn't argue against the results as his sour mood quickly disappeared.
"What's the worst grade you've ever gotten?" Lila asked as she sat next to Adrien in the car.
"An A- in math." Adrien explained as Lila nodded. "Listen, Lila, you should forget about this. My father can be harsh with anyone he thinks is an intruder." He said, but Lila only laughed.
"You wanna bet?" She asked as Adrien shrugged his shoulders wondering where she was going with this. "If I can get in, then you have to take a photo with me, if I can't then I go home."
Adrien didn't really want to agree to anything she said, but a chance to spend a quiet evening studying seemed too good to pass up. "Alright." He said as they pulled up towards the front door. Adrien sad that Nathalie was already waiting for him at the entrance of the house. His bodyguard opened the door for the two of them and Lila walked next to him as they approached his father's secretary who had a disapproving expression on her face.
"I'm sorry, Adrien, but you know your father-"
" Excuse me, but is there any way I could ask him directly? Just in case." Lila asked as Adrien stared at her, amazed by her forwardness.
"Mr. Agreste is busy designing and must not be disturbed for any reason," Nathalie told her as she did with most of his friends. But just as he was about to inform Lila that she'd lost, he spotted a mischevious glint in her eye. On that quickly turned into a faux sadness as she made her eyes water.
"Oh, Adrien. I so wanted to help you make up all the schoolwork you missed due to all the modeling you've been doing lately. What will your father think if he finds out about your lower grades, Adrien? Who will he blame?" Lila asked, turning her back towards Nathalie as his classmate placed her hand on his shoulder.
Nathalie was shaken by the new, her disapproval turning to concern as she glanced at him. "Adrien, have your grades gone down?"
But before he could answer, Lila managed to intercede. "He'd never tell you himself up when I saw Adrien crying the other day because he only got an A-, I just felt like I had to offer him my help. I would've taken half an hour." She said easily as Adrien was stunned at how easy she was doing this. "I understand. You're only doing what you think is best. I did what I could, Adrien. Good luck." She finished saying as she started walking down to the stairs.
"If it's only half an hour..."
"If you really insist, I'll do it!" Lila said with a smile as she grabbed Adrien's hand, running into his house with a triumphant smile on her face. "See? You never know until you ask nicely." She said as Adrien pulled back from her.
"You didn't ask nicely. You lied, Lila." Adrien pointed out as Lila shrugged her shoulders.
"You told me yourself that your A- in math is your lowest grade, didn't you?" She remarked as she walked past him once they entered his room, looking around as she spotted the wallpaper on his computer.
"Ah, is this your mom? You look so much like her. I look a lot like my mom too you know. Isn't it just crazy how much you and I have in common?" She asked as Adrien
"Wow, does Marin know you keep a framed photo of him near your desk?" Lila asked as he noticed her looking at the framed photos he kept near his bed. There were quite a few most of them of the class photo's they all took together. But that one, in particular, was the only one he had of his close friend, due to his camera shyness.
"Probably? He has photos of me in his room too." He said absent-mindedly as he took out some reference materials. An amused smile drew on his face as he recalled the expression Marin had when he confronted him about it, causing him to smile in amusement.
"This girl in red is pretty. Who is she?" Lila then asked again as Adrien noticed she stretched out on his bed.
"That's Kagami. We take fencing classes together." He said, trying to keep his composure and not immediately throw the sheets into the wash.
"She looks so nice. You'll have to introduce me to her sometime. Oh, what a cute bracelet." She said and Adrien froze, grasping the binder in his hand as he saw Lila had picked up his lucky charm that was resting near the photos.
"Lila, didn't you want me to help you with your homework?" Adrien immediately asked as Lila took notice of his tone, a sly smile drawing on her face as she grasped the charm in her hand for a moment, holding it behind her back as she then sat down next to him.
Marin placed a pair of red noise-canceling headphones on, a pair that Nino had gifted him on his birthday. Even though they were extremely useful in crowded areas, they also impaired his senses, as he almost got whacked by a wooden training sword. He fell back on his butt as he immediately pushed off his headphones, looking up at Kagami of all people who had a look of surprise on her face.
"Marin." She said as she helped him to his feet.
"H-hi, Kagami." Marin said as he accepted her help, his voice cracking as he practically whimpered out her name.
"Kagami, who is this boy?" A nearby woman called, the same woman Marin recalled Kagami had escorted to the movie premiere.
"Adrien's school friend, Marin Dupain-Cheung," Kagami said as Marin felt like he was under a microscope, feeling the cold glares from both women, wanting to run away as far as he could. "This is my mother, Tomoe Tsuguri."
"Um, nice to meet you ma'am." He said simply, about to run as fast as he could but was prevented due to social obligation. "Well, I should probably go-"
"Is this the same Dupain-Cheung who Mr. D'Argencourt spoke highly of?" Kagami's mother inquired as Marin saw Kagami looking uncertain.
"Um." Marin mumbled under his breath as he grasped the straps of his messenger bag. "I just tried out, but I didn't get in." He explained quickly, now unable to leave due to the attention he was receiving.
"Then perhaps you could indulge us for a moment." She said, as Marin froze, noticing Kagami's surprise quickly warp into hostility. "My daughter appears to be distracted, perhaps she would have more focus if she had a partner to spar with."
"Oh, I shouldn't-"
"Do you have somewhere to be?" Kagami asked as she gripped the hilt of her weapon.
"Well...no, but-"
"Then it's settled," She said sternly as she walked towards her mother, taking her Shinai as she then handing it towards him. The weapon felt heavy in his hands, far more heavy than a saber or his yo-yo. As he placed his messenger bag on the bench, he noticed that Kagami was accustomed to the weapon in hand, it made sense, she was probably trained almost all traditional arts.
"Begin!"
Marin heard as he wasn't expecting Kagami to dash towards him so quickly. He only had time to hold his weapon to defend as she slashed her Shinai against him.
"You can't win a battle if you don't take any risks!" She said as she then swiftly disarmed him as she pointed the tip of her weapon at his throat. "Hmph, for someone who garnered a compliment from Adrien, you don't seem to be that strong." Kagami remarked as Marin's heart raced.
As he processed what had just happened, he frowned at Kagami, picking up his weapon as Kagami turned her back towards him. He gripped the hilt of the Shinai in his hand, looking back at the cold-hearted girl who was standing before him.
He didn't say anything, only taking a deep breath as he calmed his nerves. Kagami may have had the first move, but now it was his turn.
"Please don't tell me you're still a fan of that... that...insect."
Adrien could see the hostility radiating off of her, but before he could question her on it, there was a knocking at the door.
"Time's up, Adrien. Your father could come out of his office at any minute." Nathalie informed as Adrien felt some relief.
"I guess I won the bet. How 'bout a little souvenir photo?" Lila said, the next thing he knew, his phone was snatched from his hand, and before he knew what was happening, Lila kissed his cheek, taking a photo of the two of them as he reflexively smiled at the lens. " Feel free to ask if you need any more help with your math!" She called out as she placed the phone back into his hand, running out the door as he grimaced at the photo. He quickly deleted it, sighing heavily as he saw that Lila had made a mess of his photos.
He took a small break, placing his Ladybug photo's back in the trophy, and the photos of his friends back in their proper place. However, he flinched as he heard the front door slam close followed by Nathalie being interrupted by his father.
"In my office, NOW!" Adrien overhead as he watched the entire scene unfold from the door of his bedroom.
Marin jumped back as his and Kagami's weapons clashed together. Kagami had the advantage of strength and years of training. But he was used to daunting fights like that.
He pulled back as he allowed Kagami's momentum to cause her to lose balance. But she recoiled by yowling, catching him off guard as she hit his wrist, knocking the weapon out of his hand, about to strick again just as her mother stepped in, grasping her daughter's weapon in hand to stop her.
"Match." Kagami's mother said as Marin fell back, feeling pain in his wrist as he saw rage on Kagami's face suddenly fall as Tomoe spoke up again. "Your performance was disappointing."
"Mother, I-"
"Kagami." Tomoe said sternly with disapproval, shaking her head. "The point of the exercise was to control your strength and temperament. You have failed on both accounts,
"Hm?" Marin turned towards Kagami's mothing who had her hands folded on her lap. He was stunned for a moment, unfamiliar with how to respond as he could feel Kagami's glare on his back.
"It appears that you have quite the combat experience age."
"Oh uh, that's not exactly true ma'am. I'm sure Kagami has way more experience than me about-"
"Kagami may have years of training, but she does not have the temperament for battles such as these."
"Mother." Kagami suddenly said, speaking up, as she walked over with anger written all over her face while her mother didn't even turn her head towards her.
"You can't hide how you feel from me girl. You hold anger towards his boy, which clouds your judgment."
"I don't!" She insisted as Marin glanced towards her,
"He has the same feelings towards you." She said and immediately Marin wanted to leave as soon as possible. "But has the experience to channel that rage into his skills."
Kagami hung her head, gripping her fist as Marin held up his hands defensively, somehow now pulled into this whole mess. "I'm the one who was accepted into the D'Argencourt's fencing school, not him." She said, using that fact as some sort of justification.
"Are you sure about that?" Tomoe asked as Kagami looked taken aback, she looked like she wanted to say something but grumbled something under her breath as she picked up her water bottle.
"I'm taking a break." She stared, walking away towards a tree as Marin was left with her mother. He handed back her weapon, weighed down with anxiety, but turned towards the older woman with a frown on his face.
"I'm not sure I feel alright being used like this, ma'am." He said, able to put two and two together if Tomoe was acutely aware of how her daughter truly felt, and if she could pick up on his momentary negative emotions.
"My daughter is young and brash. For the amount of skill she has, it's hindered by her personal feelings."
"But I've seen her fence, she's amazing!" Marin insisted.
"She is accomplished but not honed," Tomoe explained simply, but before Marin could argue any further he heard the sound of something crashing. He turned his head to see that Kagami had struck a tree clean through, gripping her weapon in her hand as Marin saw her transform. As she turned her head, the new villain glared directly at him.
"Kagami, she's-" Marin stuttered, now panicking as he glanced at his messenger bag. He couldn't transform here, but he couldn't abandon Kagami's mother, so he was essentially stuck.
The next thing he knew, the villain had disappeared for a moment as her thorned weapon clashed against Tomoe's Shinai. Marin was stunned by the scene unfolding as the older woman stood her ground against her newly Akumatized daughter. He had never seen anyone stand up to an Akumatized villain without a Miraculous, then again, she was a world-class athlete.
"Kagami-" Marin said, but was shut up as the villain roared at him, jumping back.
"It's Oni-chan!" She proclaimed as she saw her mother holding her weapon towards her. For a moment she looked indecisive before jumping away towards the city.
Marin let out an anxious sigh, "You weren't really going to fight her were you?" He asked, but didn't receive an answer as Tomoe sat back down on the bench as her hands were folded on her weapon.
"My daughter has had her difficulties with anger, however, it is out of my hands now."
"So you're just going to sit here?"
"In a manner of speaking. I trust that Ladybug and Chat Noir will be able to return my daughter to me." She said simply. "I suggest you return home now."
"Yes ma'am." Marin said he quickly grabbed his bag, bowing his head towards his elder as he then grabbed Kagami's fallen phone, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed.
As he ran towards the main street, he ducked down into an alley. He rested his back against the wall, grasping Kagami's phone in his hand, luckily it was still unlocked, but that it didn't remove the growing pit in his stomach.
"I'm a thief!" He gasped out as Tikki hovered nearby.
"Not if you don't return it?" Tikki offered as Marin whimpered at his Kwami. His hand still throbbed, but he was still able to unlock Kagami's phone, seeing something that made his heart stop. There on Kagami's phone was a photo of Lila kissing Adrien's cheek in his room.
His brain stopped working for a moment, not sure of how he should react.
"Marin?" Tikki asked, hovering nearby. Her concern was growing for her partner, poking his cheek a few times as Marin took a deep breath, placing Kagami's phone in his bag.
"Kagami was already angry when she got this, meaning that Lila's probably going to be her target." He said coldly.
"What about Adrien?" Tikki asked.
"I don't think Kagami would ever hurt him, she cares about him too much." Marin said, his voice wavering for a moment, but he didn't have the time or the emotional capacity to attempt to confront this new wave of emotion. No matter how he felt, he had to help out.
"Tikki, spots on!"
"Why are you so nice to that girl? She lies with every breath and snoops through your drawers as soon as your back's turned." Plagg asked from his cheese cabinet.
Adrien sighed, trying to just focus on his homework. "You snoop through my drawers too, Plagg."
"Yeah, but we both know I'm only looking for cheese. But she... well, we have no idea what she's looking for." Plagg said as he hovered nearby.
"She's friends with my friends, Plagg. I can't just be rude to her. She's probably not used to having friends, that's all." He tried to reason, after all, he didn't really know Lila that well, maybe what he saw was just a front. After all, it wasn't like he was truthful all the time. But before Plagg could respond, he saw his Kwami quickly hide as he heard something creak behind him, turning to see a newly Akumatized villain standing at his window.
"You and I were made for each other, Adrien." She said. "I will protect you from anyone who tries to harm you, especially from Lila."
Adrien was confused, but even though he wasn't Lila's biggest fan, hurting anyone was wrong. "She's not dangerous. She just craves attention!" He tried to reason but that seemed to only make the villain angrier.
"She doesn't deserve your attention. What she deserves is punishment!" She proclaimed as she then jumped out towards the streets. Adrien ran towards the window, watching as the new villain was now hunting down on of his classmates.
"Wow. With all these girlfriends chasing you, I guess it was only a matter of time before they ended up fighting each other." Plagg commented as Adrien glared at his Kwami.
"I don't have any girlfriend!" He insisted as Plagg nodded.
"Right because you're going to marry the Baker boy and get the bakery right?" He asked eagerly as Adrien rested his head on his hands.
"Plagg, claws out!" He could only say as his face burned red.
Ladybug raced across the rooftops, spotting Lila at the mercy of Oni-chan in the park, her weapon pointed towards the girl. He threw his yo-yo towards Oni-chan's sword, trying to pry it away from her, but Oni-chan instead grabbed the cord, pulling the hero down towards her.
"How kind of you to join us Ladybug!" She said as she pinned Ladybug to the ground, holding her sword to his neck, keeping him in place as she had easy access to his Miraculous. Or so she may have believed.
As she reached for his Miraculous, he grasped his yo-yo, about to activate his charm but was interrupted by a staff tapping Oni-chan's shoulder. The villain turned her head angrily as she saw Chat Noir sitting on a nearby fencepost.
"Excuse me, hasn't anyone taught you to respect other's personal space?" Chat Noir asked cheekily with a smile on his face. Oni-chan jumped back as she evaded Chat Noir swinging his staff at her.
"Lila, stay back, she's dangerous." Ladybug said as he grasped Lila's arm, but she pulled back, glaring up at him.
"I was perfectly capable of defending myself!" She insisted, but as soon as she said that, a red horn grew out of her forehead, shocking the two as Lila screamed. "What is this disgusting thing?!"
"My cue to get you out of here." Ladybug said as he grasped her wrist. "Chat Noir!" He called out as he spotted Chat Noir brawling with Oni-chan, using his staff as a makeshift sword.
"Leave her to me!" Chat Noir called back as Ladybug carried Lila to safety, using his yo-yo to scale the rooftops. Oni-chan's eyes darted towards the escaping hero, about to chase after them, until Chat Noir blocked her way, knocking her back against the gate.
"Get out of my way!" She demanded as Chat Noir hummed to himself for a moment.
"Mmmmm, nope." He said decidedly. "See, my amazing partner's counting on me, and I really don't want to let him down. That's our thing see." He said with a happy smile, resting his staff on his shoulders.
Ladybug landed on the street, placing Lila down but just as soon was pushed away as she looked at him with a disgusted expression. He was unnerved by this, used to being ignored completely rather than having disgust geared towards him. However, this wasn't the time to be insecure, not like he could ever afford to when he was Ladybug.
"Hide somewhere for now, at least until Chat Noir and I deal with Oni-chan-"
"I don't need you, or Chat Noir to handle something that...that freak!" Lila snapped, placing distance between her and the superhero, the horn on her head grew larger. The hero stared at her for a moment, picking up that the curse placed on her was reacting to her lies. Ladybug sighed, not wanting to leave his partner alone for too long but stopped as he heard a strange sound.
"Is your horn glowing?" Ladybug asked as Lila's red horn started emitting what sounded like a signal. He took out his yo-yo as it notified him to a message. Opening it up, he tilted his head in confusion, looking down at the strange symbol that appeared on his yo-yo. What kind of message-" Ladybug asked aloud but was enveloped in light for a moment.
"Adrien, Adrien, Adrien. All the girls are fighting over him. No one's fighting over me. I'm so much more sophisticated, funnier, and definitely better dressed than him." Chat said in a teasing tone, seeing his works infuriate the villain before him.
"How dare you compare yourself to Adrien, you mangy cat! Adrien is perfection personified! He's the only one who's worthy of me! And the only one I will ever love!" She yelled at him, swinging her sword with great strength and speed, knocking away Chat Noir's staff.
"Excuse me?" Chat Noir asked, flabbergasted as Oni-chan followed up her attack by knocking him back onto a tree. As Chat Noir lifted his head towards her he saw the horn on her head start to glow, emitting what sounded like a signal; which probably meant bad news. Chat Noir gripped his fallen staff, launching himself at full power towards her, about to swing away as she suddenly was replaced by an all too familiar face.
"-is this?" Ladybug finished asking, just in time to receive one of Chat Noir's fully powered attacks. Next thing he knew, Chat Noir had stuck his partner into a tree. Having successfully knocked his partner out, Chat Noir kneeled at Ladybug's side, uncertain of what to do.
"Ohhh crap."
On the Parisian streets, Oni-Chan chased after Lila, blocking her way as she had tried to escape.
"Do you get it now? I'll hunt you down wherever you go. Just give up on Adrien, and I'll stop tracking your every move." Oni-chan said as she held her weapon towards Lila's neck, enjoying the fear-laden on the girl's face as she fell to her knees.
"Alright. I'll give up... on Adrien." She said, but her true intentions were revealed as the horn of Lia's head grew longer.
Oni-Chan scoffed, "You're an awesome actress, but you're lying. Your horn betrays you, see? It will only disappear once you've sincerely given up on Adrien." She explained as Lila looked at her fearfully, standing back up.
"But how could I possibly give Adrien up? I love him so much! It's too hard for me, honestly! You can't ask me to do that." Lila insisted, her horn revealing the truth in her words. "But I have to, I guess the only thing that would persuade me to give him up if you got rid of Ladybug for me." She said
A smile drew on Oni-Chan's lips, finally seeing the girl's true colors. True that she loathed this person, but so long as Lila kept her word and stayed away from Adrien, it didn't matter what became of her. "If that's the only thing that will make you give him up, I'll do it."
Ladybug groaned, feeling nauseous as his head felt fuzzy. He still felt the wounds he received from Kagami from earlier, now paired with the blunt for he had received by surprise. Now he was looking up at his partner who sighed in relief as he hugged him tightly for a moment. Clearly not understanding that Ladybug was still winded from the attack...
"Did you wack me with your stick?" Ladybug asked with a furrowed brow, trying to process what just happened.
"Um, well..." Chat Noir chuckled nervously as he pulled back. "Can't say I never hit on you?" He tried to joke, but it was only received by a deadpanned face. "Right, too soon." Chat Noir nodded as he helped Ladybug to his feet.
"Oni-chan can probably use that horn on Lila to track her down. And considering that you trying to attack her earlier, I hope, it seems like she switches places with the people who open that text message from her." Ladybug said talking out his yo-yo. "Come on, we have t-" He was about to saw, but was cut off as he felt a rush of vertigo, making his head spin.
"Woah there!" Chat Noir said as he studied his partner, cradling him on his arms. "I've always wanted to sweep you off your feet, but not like this." He said as he placed Ladybug against the tree again, feeling a rush of guilt despite playing off a cheerful tone. "You hold back for a little while, I'll handle the Queen of Thorns and save the damsel in distress." He said with a wink.
As much as Ladybug wanted to argue, he could hardly think straight, just hoping that he wouldn't end up throwing up. He felt some comfort with Chat Noir's presence, especially after the day he'd had so far, but in this condition, he would be more of a hindrance than anything.
"Alright, just be careful." Ladybug said, holding his head in his hand, feeling Chat Noir squeeze his shoulder before Ladybug heard him walk off. Ladybug took a deep breath as he gripped his yo-yo in his head, for a moment closing his eyes as he felt restless.
"Help, Cat Noir!" Chat Noir overheard, looking down below, he saw Lila kneeling on the ground, clutching her ankle. "It hurts so much! I think I might've broken something!" She exclaimed as her eyes welled up with tears.
"Don't worry, I'll find you some help." Chat Noir said as he picked her up. He looked around for a moment, seeing if there were any police officers but then saw a fire truck driving by. As he ran towards it he looked down towards Lila.
"What happened to the villain? Wasn't she after you?"
"Yeah, but I managed to run away after Ladybug disappeared from sight. I was so scared," She said wrapping her around his neck, "Please don't leave me alone." She begged, looking genuinely sad as Chat Noir couldn't turn his back towards a terrified citizen.
Ladybug evaded another one of Oni-Chan's attacks, sad for all the trees that she had cut through while she smiled sadistically at him.
"Abandoned by your precious kitty huh?" The villain remarked, marking him as a target as Ladybug gripped his yo-yo, knowing that he'd need some extra help with his partner absent like this.
"Lucky Charm!" He said, throwing up his yo-yo, in his hands fell a ladybug printed bottle with a white tag. "Hm, Tylenol." Ladybug read a lot, popping a pill in his mouth as he evaded more of Oni-chan's attacks. It wouldn't kick in for a while, so as of now, he was vulnerable so long as his body was still sluggish. Turning his back to her now would prove to be fatal, she was stronger, faster, and had the motivation to take him out at any time. Ladybug pulled out his yo-yo as he never once took his eyes off of Oni-chan, about to call Chat Noir for help. However, Oni-chan picked up on his plan, not giving him a chance to even dial.
"Looks like your luck's run out." Oni-chan said with a smile as she almost hit him again. Ladybug kept his gaze on her, wondering why she wasn't going after Lila. Perhaps she decided to go after him, after his Miraculous? But why had she changed her mind so easily? One thing was for certain, he was in no shape to take her head-on, then again even if he was in peak shape he would still be no match for her.
But then he recalled what he had picked up earlier, realizing what he had to do. There was no way he could take on Oni-chan on his own, and he had no idea when his partner would return. But what he did know was who Oni-chan was, what she was feeling, and who may have been the cause of that anger.
His plan was risky, but maybe a little risk was good.
Lila held onto Chat Noir's hand as the fireman checked her leg. "Well, this is what happens when you don't wear knee pads."
"Is it bad?" Chat Noir asked as he could see Lila wincing in pain, but the fireman stood up, seemingly unconcerned.
"Oh, course not. You should be more worried about her horn instead because her leg looks fine." He said as Chat Noir stared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"Her ankle is fine, nothing broken or sprained. She just had an overreaction to a bad fall, but other than that horn on her head, she's fine." He said as he walked back towards his truck. Chat Noir immediately whipped his hand away from Lila, growing annoyed at the girl.
"See, isn't that great, you're fine, I have to go now-" He said, but stopped as Lila had grabbed his belt tail.
"Wait, what if that girl comes back, I'll be at her mercy, you have to protect me!" She said, but then her horn started to glow, growing larger as Chat Noir put two and two together. He thought it was strange that there was no sign of his partner, especially since that it was made clear earlier that Oni-chan was after Lila. But he forgot, at the end of the day, all every Akumatized villain ever wanted was a Miraculous, and his partner was nowhere in sight.
Immediately, he dialed his partner up but received no response. He then turned his attention back towards Lila, then he saw a familiar rush of Ladybugs as Lila's horn was gone, meaning only one thing. "You just wanted me to leave Ladybug alone with the villain? Do you hate Ladybug that much!?"
Lila looked up at him innocently. "Me? Of course not. Why would you say that? Is it because he's been left alone to fight Oni-Chan all by himself?" She asked as Chat Noir gritted his teeth together. He left his partner alone and vulnerable because of his own mistake. Just because Ladybug had used his Miraculous Ladybug didn't always mean that he had caught the Akuma, for now, he had to focus on finding him.
"What you just did is really terrible. You should be ashamed of yourself!" Chat Noir said as he used his staff to jump onto the rooftops, not waiting for a response from Lila as he chased after his Ladybug.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug said, throwing up the charm in the air. It wasn't like it would've helped him out during this fight, and if Chat Noir was near Lila, maybe he'd take the hint and come running back. But for right now, all he had to rely on was himself. "You know, I don't know why we're even fighting, after all, you were after that girl Lila earlier," Ladybug observed. as he folded his hands behind his back politely. " She must be really smart if she has you going after me instead of her." He said in a condescending tone.
"Adrien is mine, no one is ever going to get in between our love! If I destroy you then he'll be mine forever!" Oni-chan informed as he tried to attack him again, gripping the hilt of her weapon, but the hero was too swift always interpreting that she'd attack him, so he ensured that there was never any way to close the gap between them.
"Really?" Ladybug asked in disbelief, as he then jumped on top of the fence railing. "Seems to me like you're a little insecure about this whole thing." He said as he saw Oni-chan getting angrier. "Oh wait, does Adrien even like you?" He gasped, with a surprised expression on his face.
Oni-chan's eyes widened as she processed what he just said. She didn't respond, instead "Of course Adrien likes me! That girl said that she'd give him up if I defeated you!"
"Oh you mean this girl?" Ladybug said, holding up Kagami's phone with the photo of Lila kissing Adrien on it, honestly, even holding it made him feel dirty. However, it probably did far worse to Oni-chan who was enveloped in a rage. "Seems to me like you let yourself be manipulated. Sure, she may have promised to give Adrien up if you defeated me, but it wouldn't matter if Adrien already was in love with her." He said, breaking the straw in the camels back. Seeing Oni-chan burst into a pure rage as she had no comeback. After all, he knew all too well what it was like to be in love with in some who only had eyes for someone else.
Oni-Chan went berserk, destroying everything in her path as she seemingly didn't care about the Miraculous anymore, all she wanted was to make him stop talking. He stood before the fence, as she was about to impale him, but before she could so that, he used his yo-yo to trap her weapon against the bar then swiftly, the kicked down, ignoring the pain of the thorns as he at least managed to crack it a little. It was enough that the Akuma fluttered out.
"No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."
Ladybug took a deep breath as he saw Kagami had turned back to normal, on the ground before her was a pressed rose, probably something that was very important to her. He picked it up carefully, holding it towards her along with her phone. She gasped for a moment before accepting her rose and phone back, holding them both close to her chest.
"If you don't mind me asking," Ladybug asked already knowing the answer. "Was this about a boy?"
Kagami looked away for a moment, looking ashamed. "Yes, but...no as well. I allowed my temper to get the better of me. I was mean to one of Adrien's best friends, and thought..."
"You thought?" Ladybug prompted with a gentle tone.
"I thought he was in love with some other girl, after all, he sent me that photo." Kagami said holding up the photo that made Ladybug's blood boil, but he would never let it show.
"Kagami, I know for certain is that Adrien would never fall for someone who'd do something so mean."
"How can you be so sure?" Kagami asked as Ladybug pulled her to her feet, grasping her hands.
"I am Ladybug after all." The hero said with a playful smile as Kagami seemed to grow starry-eyed for a moment.
"My Lady!" The two overhead as they saw Chat Noir landing nearby, looking frazzled as he was out of breath. "W-what's happening here?" He asked trying to play it cool, but failing miserably.
Just then, Ladybug's Miraculous beeped.
"I have to go, but don't worry, Chat Noir will take care of you." Ladybug said reassuringly as he took a few steps back. He was about to throw his yo-yo up, he winced in pain, grasping his wrist. He could feel his body start to ache, the pain no longer being dulled. How unfortunate for him that he was attacked by everyone besides Oni-chan today.
"Wait- Ladybug!" Chat Noir called out as he walked over to his partner. "Are you ok-"
"You can save it for next time!" Ladybug said abruptly, but as picked up his yo-yo, throwing it up with his other hand, quickly running away as Chat Noir had a guilty expression on his face.
"Hey, Adrien? Could you help me with my homework after school?" Lila asked sweetly. "After getting attacked by that freak, I seemed to have forgotten everything that you taught me yesterday."
Lila didn't need a horn to show when she was lying. "Sorry, I've got fencing. Besides, I think you're already light years ahead of me when it comes to calculus." He said sternly, looking back towards Marin who hadn't approached him all day.
"Oh please Adrien, I have memory loss issues after all the traveling I've done. I need alot of help to try and catch up with you guys." Lila said, about to grasp his arm, but he took a step back from her.
"Lila, Nathalie and my bodyguard got reprimanded last time because of you." He said sternly.
"I'm sorry, Adrien. Please, I didn't mean to." She said, sounding a genuine this time, but with Lila, he couldn't be sure.
"Lila, you can count on me if you need help. But not if you hurt the people I care about." Adrien said sternly as he walked to the back of the classroom, only having a few moments before he had to run to practice, but he needed to get something off his chest.
"Hey." Adrien greeted as Marin didn't look at him immediately, looking exhausted. His eyes then drifted towards his friend's wrist, seeing it wrapped in cloth. "What happened to your wrist?" He asked now concerned.
"It's...nothing, just had an accident," Marin said.
"Are you mad at me or something? You haven't talk to me all day." Adrien asked, getting straight to the point.
Marin took a deep breath as he turned towards him, "I saw that photo, the one that Lila took in your room." Marin said bluntly as Adrien felt a chill go up his spine. He felt bad, for some reason, though he wasn't sure why.
"That...was Lila messing around." Adrien sighed scratching the back of his head as he felt an unlying embarrassment that now two of his friends had saw that damn photo. "I just lost a bet is all, it was just a joke."
"Sorry I sent her your way, I can see you don't-" Marin was about to apologize but was cut off by Adrien suddenly slamming his hand on the desk.
"Hey, this isn't on you. Lila's just looking for a little attention, other than this, she's practically harmless."
"Adrien," Marin said seriously, "this isn't okay."
"Well thank, but I can take care of myself, you don't have to worry about me." Adrien said, coming off rather curt, but before he could properly explain, Marin walked past him.
"Right, I guess I'll see you later then." He said as Adrien was frozen in place, deciding tha he didn't want to make the situation worse by chasing after someone who needed the space.
"Lila, what's going on?" Marin asked as he had cornered her near the edge of the courtyard. Everyone had already gone home, so it was just them. "I tell you about Kagami and next thing I know she's akumatized because of a photo you sent to her?"
"It was just a harmless little prank, Adrien doesn't mind." Lila explained as-a-matter-of-fact like.
"Lila, Adrien already has someone he likes. Messing with them like this-" He was cut off as Lila pushed him on the bench, trapping him between her arms as she looked down at him with a smile on her face.
"Oh please, cut the nice boy act, I've already seen enough." She said as Marin froze in place. "You've got everyone fooled don't you? Thinking that you're all sweet and kind and honest? But really, you're just like me, always telling people what you think they want to hear. It's no wonder everyone likes you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on Mari," Lila sighed with a happy smile on her face. "The sad frail-kid who too pitiful to be offensive to anyone? It's probably why Adrien keeps you around. With you next to him, it just makes him look better; after all, anyone would feel sorry for someone as pathetic as you. Even I fell for it for a little while."
"Adrien's my friend Lila, he's not like that," Marin said, but every time Lila spoke, it felt like someone was punching his heart.
But Lila scoffed at the notion. "Come on, you love the attention. After all the awards and recognition and it's not enough for you. Now you have to get Adrien's attention all for yourself? It's more than a little selfish if you ask me. If you didn't have the talent no one would even give you the time of day. Gangly, Timid, too eager all the time; it's repulsing. If you actually cared about anyone, you'd get as far away from them as possible."
"Say whatever you want to about me, but it doesn't change what you did." Marin said, his voice wavering along with his resolve but tensed when he saw that Lila's smile hadn't wavered.
"Now you're blaming me for something that was out of my control? I didn't know what would happen to Kagami, honest, and here you are making me out to be some kinda villain." She said, solidifying her own innocence on the matter. "If if wasn't for you, I wouldn't even have gone over there. So think about that if you ever decide to gossip about what happened." She warned, but then pulled back as her phone rang. "I suppose that's my cue to leave, I hope you'll think about what I said today Mari, after all, I do think we could be really good friends. Ciao." She said with a carefree expression.
"Hello?" She asked as he walked away, leaving Marin on the bench, feeling winded even though he hadn't moved at all.
He sat there alone on the bench, feeling a chill that spread throughout his body on this rather warm day. He only moved when he looked down to see Tikki sitting on his hand, looking up at him in concern. Normally, he'd try and reassure his Kwami that he was okay, but right now, he didn't feel like smiling.
Notes:
-why is this so long? It shouldn't have been this long XD
-This was a very hard chapter to write, what with all the extra content.
-Fun fact, the weapon that Kagami practices with is specifically called a Shinai, not a Bokken, more commonly used for Kendo training while a Bokken is more katana based.
-Marin's gonna be beat up more though this season, almost like his bad luck is getting worse...
-The next episode is fluff, a nice step away from all the angst I'm setting up for.
- Please comment or review, it really help me out, thanks for the support. :D