Marinette and Cataclysm
No one exactly knows how it happened. Some think that she was the intended target. Others thought she was just collateral damage. The day itself started normally, with everyone talking to their friends about their weekends, how their parents embarrassed them and what they did. Caline certainly struggled to stay awake. Mendeleiev often looked at her younger, newer colleague with growing concern. Caline had only been in the job for a couple of years and still had much to learn about students.
The young woman was on her fifth cup of coffee when the first Akuma attacked, from what she heard it was another teacher who had been fired after an inappropriate relation with a student came to light. Caline's first instinct was to get her students away from it, only stopping after Alya, Marinette and Adrien had vanished. Alya was the creator of the Ladyblog, while Marinette was the Class Representative and Adrien was a model for his father's brand. They managed to make it to the courtyard, before the Akuma crashed through a wall, flinging Ladybug around like a ragdoll. Chat Noir received the same treatment seconds later.
Nino spotted Alya behind the Akuma, filming the attack. He quickly ran and tackled her so that the Akuma didn't spot her.
There was a yell of 'Cataclysm' and Chat Noir jumped back into action, Ladybug following suit. They clearly expected for the Akuma to go down, they didn't expect the Akuma to grab hold of Chat's wrist and slam his hand into Ladybug's chest. The Heroine lost all momentum and balance, quickly falling to her knees and started to cough up blood. Chat Noir quickly ran and grabbed Ladybug and ran off to a secure location.
The Akuma just ran around Paris yelling his student's name, until Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived again, Ladybug looked as if she had seen better days, with pain scarring her face and exhaustion living in her eyes. Roger remembered with a jolt that under the suits, they were just children.
After the Akuma had been dealt with, the police quickly arrested him, namely due to his inappropriate relationship with a student and how he missed a court summons.
After Ladybug threw the lucky charm, a giant paper clip, the pain that was drawn onto her face vanished and her eyes gained life again. Everything that happened at that point had gone as well as it could have gone for Caline's class. Adrien had been called away for a photoshoot, so Marinette could focus on the board and Lila and Chloe could be quiet. Caline considered confiscating Alya's phone after she spotted it out on her desk.
Everything was quiet, the lesson ended, Caline told Alya to keep her phone away in class. Alya shamfully bowed her head, before Caline laughed. Everyone then went for lunch, Caline joining the teacher in a corner of the courtyard. Everything was calm, nothing unexpected
Then Chat Noir came crashing through the window, another Akuma floated into the room. Caline blanched, recognising her as the Student in the unfortunate relationship. Everyone was in shock, watching on as the Akuma slowly made her way towards Chat, before she grabbed Chat's throat and held him off the ground, her other hand going for his ring.
"Soon, I'll have what I need to make the world see that he and I meant for each-" The Akuma was cut off by a rather thick and heavy looking textbook collided with her head. Chat hit the ground and coughed and hacked as he took deep lungsful of air. Everyone looked toward Kagami, who pointed across the courtyard, at Marinette. The Akuma ignored the book and lifted Chat up again, this time a bottle was thrown at the Akuma, followed by a loud yell of "PUT. HIM. DOWN!"
Marinette held onto, what looked like a rounders bat. The Akuma swung out at her, making the girl duck and slam the bat into the Akuma's knee. Everyone flinched at the sound of a kneecap shattering.
Everyone watched at Chat scolded Marinette for jumping in, Marinette responding that he was at risk and he is her friend. Chat called upon Cataclysm, before charging at the Akuma. Almost as if history was repeated itself, the Akuma grabbed Chat's wrist and slammed the hand with Cataclysm into another object.
That other object being Marinette's head. For a second there was nothing by silence that came from it. Marinette's face screwed up in pain and screamed. Chat kept apologising, watching as Marinette writhe in pain. Kagami and a few other quickly grabbed Marinette and demanded to be taken to the nearest hospital. Chat dealt with the Akuma, keeping the butterfly/moth in a jar until he met up with Ladybug again.
News from the hospital came, Marinette was making a full recovery, she was fortunate that the Cataclysm didn't reach her brain, but it did take out her eye and the ear of the impacted side. Marinette would later developed red scars when she had been hit Cataclysm. For a time, Marinette was home schooled. Michael Dupain arrived shortly after that, Caline knew Michael from her time in University, apparently Michael remembered her, as he was unable to look her in the eye whenever they spoke.
One day Alya asked the unspoken question, "Are you and Marinette related?"
Michael froze, his silver/grey eyes looking at Alya, while he faced Caline's computer.
"Yes, she's my younger sister." Michael replied, his tone clipped, "She's the youngest of four."
"Marinette has siblings?" Mylene blurted out, her hand immediately covering her mouth.
"Yes, Toby, Skye and myself." Michael started glaring at the machine, "Skye is in England and Toby is in the States."
"What do they do?" Nino asked, Caline internally sighed, throwing her lesson plan metaphorically out the window.
"Skye is a lawyer and Toby is an…" Michael paused, his face scrunching up in a scowl, "entertainer."
"Ooh," gasped Rose, "Does he know TDC?"
"Something like that." Muttered Michael, internally grumbling about the computer that somehow had a ton of viruses on it.
"I know TDC," Bragged Lila, "I'm best friends with his sister, he even let me design a poster for him."
Everyone went from asking Michael questions, to asking Lila questions, not noticing Michael look at Caline and mouth if this was a frequent occurrence. Caline nodded.
"When's Marinette coming back?" Adrien asked, making the room go sombre.
"When she can cope with being outside her comfort zone." Said Michael, looking at the boy, "Coming back here, for her, would be like visiting a place you almost died. Which, from what I heard, is actually what happened."
Adrien looked down, making Michael wonder what Adrien was so guilty about. Adrien couldn't keep eye contact with Michael after that, not when he just heard about Marinette's family and the fact he almost killed her.
For the past few weeks, since Marinette had been discharged from the hospital, Chat had been trying to contact Ladybug.
No response. Chat didn't know where the Guardian was, so couldn't ask him and Plagg was being unusually quiet.
For Adrien the rest of the day passed slowly, and that wasn't counting his photoshoots, where Vincent gave up after Adrien failed to pull off a thoughtful pose for the seventh time in a row. Adrien did not look forward to that conversation with his father in the slightest.
Without a single word to anyone, Adrien went straight to his room, started playing piano music on his phone, transformed into Chat Noir and left through his window. Chat was halfway to the Bakery, when someone hit him from the side.
Chat hit a rooftop with a hard thud, he started to get to his feet, when a broadsword imbedded itself into the spot where his hand used to be. Chat looked at the source of the sword, which flew into the hand of a man with a grey trench coat with a hood and what looked like a metal mask over the lower half of his face. The man's eyes were a golden yellow colour that seemed to pierce Chat's soul.
"If you are one of the Heroes of Paris, I believe everyone should be worried." Said the man, his voice in a light growl, "Chat Noir, I presume?"
Chat nodded, making the man hold out his hand, "Timber Wolf, head of the War Circle."
Chat nervously shook Timber Wolf's hand. Timber Wolf looked towards the Bakery.
"I've noticed that you have gone there every night, but you have yet to make yourself known." Said Timber Wolf, "I suppose you have a reason."
Chat immediately looked down, unable to look at Timber Wolf.
"I-I almost killed her." Said Chat, his voice cracking at the end.
"I believe that it would be best for you both, if you made yourself known to them." Said Timber Wolf, "The girl needs you more than you know."
Chat took in a shuddery breath, "I-I don't suppose you know where Ladybug is?"
"Ladybug is currently out of commission until the Earrings are repaired, The Great Guardian is already repairing them." Said Timber Wolf, "He has the best healer I know working with him."
Timber Wolf went to leap across to another roof, but stopped, "However, when we get to the Bakery, you will receive a shock, and Ladybug will too."
"What do you mean?" Chat asked, his head tilting to the side slightly.
"You and your lady will know who each other are, Adrien." Said Timber Wolf, before he jumped across to the roof opposite.
Chat stood there with his mouth open, before following.
The two quickly arrived at the Bakery, dropping into a side alley. Chat heard a mutter of "Wynnter, Fangs Covered." And a light blue light shone through the alley and in Timber Wolf's place, stood Michael Dupain-Cheng.
Michael opened the door and let Chat into the Bakery, before leading the cat upstairs and into the living room.
"I managed to wrangle him into coming inside." Michael said, as he stood aside to reveal Chat.
Chat could only stare at Marinette, her left eye, once a warm blue colour, was now grey and sightless, her left ear looked as if it was burnt in a horrific fire. Chat could see the lines stretching across Marinette's face and travelling down her neck and disappearing under her clothes.
"C-chaton?" Marinette whispered, making Chat move forward.
Once Chat was close enough, Marinette grabbed hold of him and held onto him as tightly as possible. Within seconds both Marinette and Chat were crying. Later that evening another Miraculous user arrived with the earrings.
Everyone was saddened to find out that since the wounds were old, the Miraculous cure didn't affect them very much, only restoring Marinette's hearing in her left ear. Other than that, nothing changed.
A week later, Marinette decided to return to school. Two weeks later, Lila made the biggest mistake in history. Alya overheard Lila insulting Marinette and how Adrien would never look at her because she was damage.
Lila never saw Alya's books coming. After that, Marinette started to grow her hair out, using a long fringe to hide the worst of the scars.
It turned out that Timber Wolf was there to stay, which, for Chat Noir and Ladybug, was a welcome relief.