Okay I think I've got maybe 2-3 chapters of this left before it's done and I really like how much you all have Favored or read it! I will have an announcement when the next chapter of this and my other works are ready so for now enjoy this chapter and this is the calm before the storm. And thanks for mentioning my type-o csad21, I missed it when I looked over my work.
"He did what?" Gabriel asked as Nathalie looked at him from the other side of his desk.
"He threw Lila into the river, walked off and turned his cell off afterwards. I have no idea where he went and already called his friends and Chloe isn't being helpful, she said something about a movie and she'll talk to Adrien latter and her phone was off." Nathalie said as she looked at Gabriel. Gabriel just look back out he tried to understand what he had just heard, Nooroo was hovering above him and looked on and shot Nathalie a wince as he felt the confusion change to rage.
"Find him now! When he gets back here I'm going to…..I can't even! Clearly he's been around the degenerates at that school of his too much, I want you to pull him now, if he's not at a shoot I want him in here!" Gabriel snarled as he pounded the desk. What is wrong with that boy, I've tried to raise him right but he does this, what is the matter with him!? He thought as he looked at Nathalie with an angry look in his eyes and as Nooroo hovered above him."Did Lila say anything about why he did it or did he just snap or lose all sense of pride from being around those children in his class?"
"Lila told him about how you talked to her about getting Marinette Dupain-Cheng away from him, how you rewarded her with the contract." Nathalie said as Gabriel stared at her.
"Didn't you mention that she wasn't to speak about that at all Nathalie?" Gabriel asked as Nathalie nodded and Gabriel face palmed in response and groaned.
"Yes, but I guess she just decided to gloat to get him on board." Nathalie said as Gabriel kneed his noise, understanding finally why Adrien had done what he had.
"I never should have made a plan like this; I should have never started to even talk to her after she broke into the mansion." Gabriel said as Nooroo looked down at him with anger in his eyes. Nooroo had tried to caution him against using Lila, something about her made even him feel dirty just hearing her speak. She helped me set up the attack on Heroe's day and I suppose she had her uses. Still with the lies she's told about Dupain-Cheng, that should have clued me in, I knew Adrien wouldn't like Lila but for her to actually say she did it for me is something I wasn't expecting. Of course when I talk to Adrien I can pass it off as believe her that this Marinette sexually harassed him and was trying to use him. That I acted is because he never told me otherwise, my thoughts that he didn't because he didn't want to be pulled from school, yes fatherly conern might work here. Gabriel thought as he tried to figure out where Adrein could be. Looking up he frowned as he saw Nathalie holding her tablet tight against her body and the look in her eyes told him there was something else. "What else happened Nathalie, what did you leave out?"
Nathalie looked at him and released a breath. "Gabriel, I… he said something before he walked off….. it shocked me enough that I lost him."
"What could he have said that would let him get away?" Gabriel asked with a scowl.
"He said that he was glad she's gone." Nathalie said as she tried to keep calm as Gabriel turned to her with a scowl.
"What are you talking about, glad who's gone?" Gabriel demanded as he looked at her. Nathalie looked away before turning and swallowing.
"Emilie." Nathalie said as he went still and turned to look at her, not sure he had heard her right.
"What did you say?" Gabriel asked, aghast that Adrien had said something like that. "He said what about Emilie?"
"He said that he's glad she's gone, that he has memories of a good person and not someone who could love a monster like you've become." Nathalie said. "Gabriel, I think….. I think he's going to do something."
"Master, perhaps you went too far." Nooroo said soflty as he floated and Gabriel spared him a glance before shaking his head.
"No, the plan was perfect and each step was planned perfectly. As my other persona I talked to Lila and helped her plan every step of it, all in all a mass Akuma attack was supposed to happen. It was perfect; Lila didn't know that there were two ways it to go down, one where Dupain-Cheng was the trigger and the other where she was." Gabriel said as Nathalie looked at him
"Two ways, what are you talking about Gabriel?" Nathalie asked as Nooroo floated there and felt horror as he realized just what Gabriel had planned.
"Both girls of course, each one was a potential trigger for a mass attack. The first was for the feelings of doubt and shock of Miss Dupain-Cheng being suspended; of course I never thought that the principle would have expelled her." Gabriel admitted as he looked at Nathalie and she was shocked to see a hint of guilt in his eyes. "I thought that at least that man would be professional about his job, it seems that I thought more of him and that homeroom teacher then they deserve."
"Then the second was Lila, but how…..wait you WANTED HER TO FAIL?" Nathalie exclaimed as Gabriel grinned back at her.
"Yes, if that idiot in charge had looked at the CCTV camera's that record the school hallways let alone the courtyard, which there are four of them and one of them was right above the principal's office by the way, then Lila's lies would have been exposed at once." Gabriel explained what Lila didn't know about the plan. Nathalie looked at her boss with an impressed look and Nooroo stared aghast at the betrayal Gabriel had planned.
"So if she was found to have been behind it all, then Lila's lies would have all been revealed, and that would have been the second way, brilliant!" Nathalie said with a chuckle. "But what about Miss Dupain-Cheng, how does she factor in?"
"She was to be the ace in the plan; she got away from me enough times that I'm sure I could finally craft a champion of such power she would have finally gotten me my prize." Gabriel said as he looked at her and frowned. "But I have to admit that I never planned for Miss Dunpain-Chang to be a victim to this extent."
"And by what you said about the teachers there, you expected them to actually do their jobs properly?" Nathalie asked with a deadpan look.
"Yes, I have to say that this has destroyed any faith I have in the public school system. I plan to send a special email to the school board with an unaltered copy of the CT footage, say that I'm a hacker who looked into Lila because of something I read online and saw her true colors. She was stupid enough to even get caught on camera taking the answer sheet." Gabriel said and Nathalie laughed a little at her stupidity.
"So then what about this Miss… Dupain-Chang master, what will happen to her?" Nooroo asked as he looked down at Gabriel with a hint of hope in his eyes as he looked at his wielder.
"Dunpain-Chang Nooroo, and I expect that her record will be cleared, an investigation will be launched against that school that might end with it closing or a few people black listed and that this will be a perfect chance to bring Adrien back to homeschool, but I think I'll let him keep his social life as it is, maybe let up his extracurricular activities." Gabriel said as he looked at Nathalie who looked up and started to type away at her tablet. "Perhaps a program with group projects, yes if I share them with some of the parents of Adrien's friends that might earn some forgiveness from him about this, and if I explain that Lila tricked me, he might forgive me."
Nathaile looked at him and bit her lip as she looked away, something was telling her that this wouldn't be as easy as he thought it would, a beeping from her tablet caused her to look down and frown as she saw someone knocking on the mansion's doors, she frowned when she noticed he was wearing a suit. "There's someone here Gabriel, did I forget to pencil in an appointment?"
"No, I can't think of anything that would be handled with a face to face." Gabriel said as he looked at Nathalie who looked back for a few moments before she sighed and looked down at her tablet and typed a few keys
"Who are you and why are you here?" Nathalie said through her tablet and the man looked up at the camera that came out of the gate and frowned.
"I have to speak with Gabriel Agreste in person, I'm sorry but I can't talk anything more and I won't leave." He said and Nathalie looked at Gabriel who shrugged and frowned back at her.
"Please wait there, I will get back to you in five." Nathalie said as she muted her tablet and turned to Gabriel. "Well now what, any idea what this could be?"
"None at all." Gabriel looked at the camera's image and looked at Nathalie. "A reporter after a scoop, a new customer that wanted a personal meeting, remember how that person came to the mansion last year?"
Nathalie looked down at the screen and looked back at Gabriel. "He doesn't seem to be a reporter, I have a…..feeling that this is important."
"Very well." Gabriel said as he got up from his desk and walked towards the door out, Nathalie following behind him and Nooroo hiding in is clothing. "Let him in, we'll see what he has to say."
A few moments later the man walked into the mansion and meet Gabriel and Nathalie in the foyer.
"Gabriel Agreste?" The man said as he went to Nathalie's desk and opened his briefcase.
"I don't know who you all but I assure you I don't want anything that you have. I will give you a few minutes of my time but I want you gone." Gabriel said as the man smiled at him.
"This will only take a moment, Gabriel Agreste you have been served." The man said as he put a stack of papers and dropped them onto the desk. "You are cordially informed that you are now under investigation by the Child Protection Agency of France for violating the Child Labor Laws, and you are being sued by one Adrien Agreste for work without pay. Have a nice day." The man said as he dropped a few forms on the desk before he nodded at them and he turned and walked out the mansion, a spring in his step. As he walked out of the mansion's grounds he hummed as he turned towards his home, a smirk on his face as he remembered the look Gabriel had when he heard why he was there. "I just love to deliver to those people; I just love this part of my job."
Nathalie looked at Gabriel as he stood there and stared down at the papers on his desk and sighed. "I knew he would do something, I just knew it. And I knew that one day you would push him to far!"
Gabriel looked at Nathalie with a scowl on his face. "I don't need that from you now Nathalie."
"Well you're going to get it Gabriel!" Nathalie said as she looked at him with a frown on her face as Nooroo floated back in from where he had hidden. "I'm here to help you but I've said it before that all the modeling work will come back and bite you one day."
"He is my son. I have the right to have him work for me!" Gabriel said as he looked at her and she shook his head. "And I can't think of anything that he had done that violated any of the laws, he's working for the family business!"
"The keyword there is work Gabriel, work! I'm note a law specialist so I don't know ,but maybe if could be how long he does it is and how you pull him from school; people could make a problem about them and there are laws about child labor which Adrien's work qualifies as! And what are we to do, Hawkmoth attacked today and failed, if you make one to find Adrien then people will talk!" Nathalie said as Gabriel looked at her and nodded.
"Contact my lawyer, I want him to investigate who's behind this! And go check out the hotel, he has to be there!" Gabriel said as Nathalie walked away. "Oh, and the video's with Lila actions, use one of the throwaway accounts, the videos are in file EM02 password 3, and send it to Miss Dunpain-Chang."
"What, after all this you want to…." Nathalie said turning her head but trailed of as Gabriel looked at her.
"It's imperative that my crusade doesn't destroy a life, if Emile finds out about this and that I didn't try and fix it…..then I'll be the one needing the wish." Gabriel said as Nathalie chuckled and nodded. "And it might make any meetings with Adrien easier if I'm surprised by anything he says about Lila, I might be able to make him believe I was tricked by her."
"Throwing her under the bus then?" Nathalie asked dryly.
"I always planned to one day." Gabirl said as he looked at his wife's painting. "Nooroo didn't like her, and my feelings about him aside, that's saying something."
"Respectfully Master," Nooroo piped up. "I've felt people who were insane or psychotic that were less slimy then she is."
The caseworker looked at the doors to the apartment portion of the bakery and swallowed. Okay, keep it together Sophia, you've done cases like this before, but it's your first time in the city since Hawkmoth but you can do it. She thought as she slapped her checks and put a smile on and walked towards the door and knocked and a large strong looking man with a mustache opened it, causing her to swallow and look up at him. "Hello, I'm Sophia from the Child Welfare Origination; I'm supposed to be meeting Adrien here?"
"Yes, come in quick." The large man said as he ushered her in. "I'm Tom Dupain-Chang, Adrien is upstairs in the living room up those stairs, my wife Sabine and my Daughter Marinette is there providing support, I 'd love to stay but I need to get back to work, the dinner rush should be soon and I have to make sure everything is working right." Tom said as he head back towards the front of the store as the woman swallowed and walked up the stairs, psyching herself up as she went.
Walking into the kitchen she saw Adrien sitting down at a table with a glass of water in his hands and Marinette looking at him as he talked as Louise and Sabine talked quietly by the window.
"….really, I don't know why I thought he would have taken the time to make it, I was grasping at straws to save our relationship. I must be the most idiotic person on the planet. I should have reported him months ago." Adrien said as Marinette reached over and squeezed his arm.
"You wanted to think there was a way to salvage something from your relationship with him, I mean I get that. I'm just sorry I never told you that I made it." Marinette said as she looked at his eyes and he smiled back and squeezed her hand back as Sabine giggled and Louise grinned before looking up as Sophia walked into the room.
"So you made it, you're the agent the Child welfare Agency sent?" Louise asked as the other three looked up at Sophia who grinned shakily back.
"Yes, hello. I'm Sophia, I was sent to do a preliminary interview. I understand who the two woman are but who are you sir?" Sophia asked casuing Louise to smile and hold out his hand for her to shake.
"Sorry, I'm Louise, Louse Artoga, Adrien's attorney. I believe that Tom told you who these ladies are of course." Louise said as he gestured towards Sabine and Marinette who nodded at her as Adrien looked up.
"Yes, I met Tom before he directed me here. Now normally I prefer to have my meetings private affairs with only the person and an adult who's on their side, but in this case." Sophia said as she looked at Sabine and Marinette and Adrien looked up for a few seconds before speaking up.
"I'd like them to stay, at least for moral support." Adrien said as he looked down.
"That's perfectly fine, but if you mind walking me through a normal day, a normal day as your father would have you do." Sophia asked as she sat down at the table and opened her briefcase and brought a few piece of blank paper out a pencil and her phone that she put down after activating a recording app.
"I get up around six in the morning and do stretches and exercises until around six thirty, after that I shower until around seven when I practice the piano until around seven thirty when I have free time until eight when I have breakfast and am driven to school at eight fifteen." Adrien said as Sophia started to take notes.
"What about your father, do you see him in the morning?" Sophia asked and Adrien shook his head as she took notes.
"No, the only person I see is Nathalie most days…oh, she's my dad's assistant and then there's my bodyguard/driver the Gorilla. Oh, the Gorilla's name is Damien." Adrien said as he looked down and missed the look of rage that went through Sophia's eyes as Marinette squeezed her hands as Sabine growled under her breath as Louise watched with a blank face. "Sometimes I get to school for afternoon class if there's a photo shoot in the morning, sometimes I don't even make it to school at all and then if I get back around five I have supper alone again and practice the piano for an hour or my Chinese tutor comes for the same time, if there's a photo shoot in the afternoon I work and grab supper between shots until I'm taken back to the mansion ussualy around nine or ten."
"What about when you do make it to school?" Sophia asked as she wrote down what Adrien said and tried to keep calm. "What are your days like then?"
"I have ordinary classes and at lunch I'm drive home where I eat and stay in my room before I return to school. When classes end I go to fencing practice when it's scheduled, I have Mandarin lessons or piano practice if a photo shoot isn't scheduled and I have an ordinary evening, I have dinner alone and have a few hours of free time in my room before I go to sleep." Adrien explained. Sophia looked at him and tried to keep her cool, the shear amount of time he had working was bothering her, and the way he spoke raised a few flags that only increased her concern.
"How much time do you think you spend with your father, regularly?" Sophia asked and Adrien looked at her and started to think for a few more moments then Sophia was comfortable with.
"Every few days he checks on my progress at the piano and Mandarin, and maybe I'll have dinner with him maybe once a month or so…." Adrien said as he shrugged.
"A day." Sophia interrupted him and he looked at her. "How much time do you spend with him a day, in person?"
"Normally none in his presence, he'll check on me through Nathalie's tablet and I don't know if he watches me on the cameras but I know there aren't any in my room so that's out." Adrien said as he tried to think. "So maybe I see if in person about an hour a month, total? There was the time we watch that movie mom stared in once but that's not normal."
"Thank you, but there's something else." Sophia said as she looked at him and softened her gaze. "I'm sorry to pick at wounds but you said something when I came in, could you explain it please?"
Adrien looked at her before looking around and when Louise nodded he sighed. "Okay, my last birthday I thought dad made me a scarf by hand, but I was told an hour ago that Marinette made and he just, stole it from her and took credit for it."
Sophia looked at him and hung her head. Okay, that plus how little time he spends with him that's emotional abuse. And the way he does his modeling, that violates the Child Labor laws right there and I haven't even gotten to the weekends yet. She thought as s he looked at her notes.
"Okay I think that's everything for now, I would say that you should stay away from your school for the next two days since it's almost the weekend, by then we'll have gone over the case and I think we'll be moving to have your father's people served with a restraining order." Sophia said as she put her papers away. "Miss Marinette I have to ask that you don't tell anyone
"That's going to be easy since I was expelled today." Marinette said and Sophia turned and stared at her in shock.
"I'm sorry that whatever happened caused the hearing to decided that was best, I….." Sophia trailed off as Sabine growled and Marinette gained a bitter look.
"I didn't have a hearing, I was just expelled because Lila said I pushed her down the courtyard stairs to the next floor, I stole the answer key to the test after the test was over and that I stole her grandmother's necklace the day before and kept it in my locker overnight." Marinette said as Sophia looked at her before turning to the others and stared aghast at them.
"That all happened today?! What the hell kind of school is it, the Idiot School for Total Inaptitude?! Don't they have CT camera's there?!" Sophia demanded in shock that gave way to rage. "And you have to have to have a hearing, what did they decided not to do their jobs or something?!"
Adrien stared at Sophia and swallowed as she glared at the room. She's gonna be Akumatized, how can I get her to calm down?! Adrien thought as Sabine had flashbacks to what happened to her husband and Louise looked ill as he realized what was happening before him. but before they could do more than react Marinette did first.
Marinette got up and slapped Sophia's face. Sophia just looked at Marinette shocked, her anger dissipated and tried to speak but Marinette spoke over her. "Look at me, Look at me! Deep breaths, in and out, in and out. We don't want to summon and Akuma don't we?"
Sophia looked at her and did as she was told, slowly getting herself back under control. "Thank you, I….needed that but please don't do that again. But how'd you know how to do that?"
"Max thought that once maybe a shock could stop someone from feeling what call them. Smart guy, great programmer but he didn't catch an obvious lie." Marinette said as she looked at Sophia who raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of lie was it?" Sophia asked as she looked between the two teens, hoping that something was
"A thrown school napkin could have gorged his eye out, and he wears glasses." Adrien said flatly.
"Really?" Sophia asked as she looked around and Marinette nodded. "And this Max, he's…..smart?"
"Nobody seems to be where Lila's concerned. The school believed her enough to have me expelled right away and didn't even let me say anything in my defense." Marinette said as she shook her head.
"And she threatened Marinette when she got 'back' a week after Hero's day." Adrien said as he glared into space.
"Got back from where?" Sophia asked and felt something, a feeling of disappointment that she couldn't explain.
"She said that she was traveling with her mother, and she says she's a diplomat." Marinette said as she looked at Sophia. "Of course the first day that she appeared in Paris she became an Akuma that could do illusions and then the fake Chat Noir and Ladybug, well."
"How do you know that?" Adrien said suddenly as he looked at her and saw her jolt and realize he was there and winced before she sighed.
"I saw her take the book you had in the library that day and followed her, I saw her throw it away after she bought something." Marinette said as she looked down at the table.
"She took father's book? Then you're the one who brought it back to him!" Adrien said as she nodded. "You're the reason I'm back in school! Wait why didn't you give it back to me then?"
"When I got it out of the trash it had opened and the pictures were amazing so I lost you guys. I thought I try and find you and if I couldn't I'd give it back at school, saying you forgot it in the Library but then when I found you again Ladybug confronted her about lying that she was a friend of hers, smart I mean if Hawkmoth heard about it and attacked her family!" Marinette said as Adrien looked at her and his eyes became pin prints as he realized what she was saying as the three adults all paled and Sophia held a hand to her forehead as the chaos that could have happened because of Lila's lie.
"What do you mean, 'back in school'?" Sophia demanded as she suddenly realized what he had just said.
"I found this book in a hidden safe one day while I was looking around my father's office after Hero's Day; I wanted to see if he was free to talk about a school trip next month. He wasn't there but I found this book I took to school, I 'lost it' or Lila took it and father pulled me from school to punish me." Adrien said and Sophia stared.
Sophia looked into space as she tried to understand just what she had heard. Okay, that's a strange punishment and maybe it could be argued a 'legal' one. But it was…..wait when did he say the trip is?! Sophia thoughts died and she looked at Adrien.
"Wait, just wait!" Sophia said as she held up a hand. "This was after Hero's Day, but that was months ago…..you had to talk to your father months before a school trip so you could go?"
"Well he prioritizes the company image over everything else, and he pulled me from school for loosing it." Adrien said as he blushed. "He said it was important, that mom and he had found it years ago, not that he ever told me about it. all my father said when he let me go back to school was a friend had found it and returned it to him, that was you Marinette?"
"Yeah, but that meteor appeared before I could work up my courage to tell you about what Lila did." Marinette explained as she looked away with a blush on her face. "So I figured I'd give it back to you in the morning and when you were pulled from school I went to your house and told your father it dropped out of your bag and I had seen you with it earlier so I figured it was his."
"Wait, wait a second we've gone off tangent here, what was the threat?" Sophia asked as she mentally decided to look into this Lila.
"That she would take away all my friends and ruin my life, and she got me expelled." Marinette said softly as she looked down, trying not to let her face show her emotions about what had happened earlier today.
"She admitted that she did it too, all so my father would give her a modeling contract as a bonus." Adrien said as he looked at Marinette and felt something at the back of his mind, something was bothering his subconscious, he didn't know what but something was there. "I knew she was a liar but I didn't want to expose her, I thought she was just a liar who would get tangled up in her lies or was just lonely from traveling with her mother and wanted people to like her."
"Well if you didn't know about the threat kid, then I doubt anyone could blame you for hoping she was just nervous, I've seen kids do strange things to get people to like them. Still she just gave that one threat once right?" Louise said as everyone looked at Marinette and she looked down as Sabine gasped and Adrien looked horrified as Sophia broke her pencil. "Marinette, what else did she do."
"That day she came back, at the end of the day….. She went up to me at the stairs and said we were at war, that she would ruin me and that Adrien would be….hers." Marinette said as she as looked down, Sabine stared and started to curse in Mandarin and Adrien tried not to show that he knew what she was saying, but he noticed that Marinette's blush deepened and wondered if she knew what her mother was saying.
A beeping from Marinette's phone caused everyone to look at her as she blushed and took her phone out and paled. Marinette stared at the screen and tried to figure out what this meant and who could have sent this. Max, Markov did you two send this…..no that's not their style. Who knew to look and why…Hawkmoth but why would he…..nothing about this makes sense, I have more questions than answers and I don't like this one bit! I need to talk to Master Fu about this. Marinette thought and looked up as she felt someone touch her shoulder and saw her mother look at her with concern on her face.
"What's wrong darling, what's on your phone?" Sabine asked as she took it and looked down before scowling. "What!? 'Lila stealing and framing Marinette?!"
"What'd you say?!" Louise demanded as he rushed towards Sabine and Marinette as Adrien and Sophia shot to their feet. Louise looked around and saw the TV in the room and looked at Sabine. "That's a smart TV, you can cast the video to it right?"
Sabine nodded and they all turned to the TV and Sabine played the video. The first thing was a blank screen that said 'This is from the school CT cameras' and then Miss Buister class leaving the room with a small timestamp in the right corner showing that it happened the day before at the last class of the day and Adrien went still.
"That's when the fire alarm went off." Adrien said as everyone on screen left the class room through the courtyard door and then Lila came in from the other doorway and grabbed a paper from Miss Buister's desk and dash to Marinette's bag and put the paper in it before she ran after the class.
"Well there's the answer about how it got into my backpack." Marinette said dumbly as the video continued and it showed Lila walking down the stairs with Marinette staying by Mr. Damocles door before Lila sat down at the bottom and starting to scream. "And then she led the way to my locker where she opened it and
"Why was it unlocked?" Sophia asked as Sabine went over and squeezed Marinette's hand and she looked at her mother with a smile before replying.
"The lockers don't have locks, something about something that happened a few years back when I asked about it." Adrien said and Sophia only face palmed and Louise looked murderous. A chocking gasp came from Sabine and they turned to the mother and daughter to see Marinette raise a shaking finger and they saw the TV had showed Lila dropping something into Marinette's locker, the image being enhanced to show the fox tailed necklace. "Well, I didn't know there were camera's in the locker room, did you Marinette?"
"No I didn't, and I was class president." Marinette said dumbly as she looked at the screen. "And the time stamp showed it was from before 1st period when she said I had the answer key in my backpack."
"Wait I'm not following this, she said you pushed her down the stairs? And the nurse backed her?" Sophia asked and Sabine scowled as Marinette looked down.
"They never even had the nurse examine Lila." Adrien said dryly causing Sophia to look at her before she face palmed.
"I think that the lawsuit against the school for malpractice is open and shut, don't you?" Louise said as Sophia banged her head against the table as she realized just what she had seen and cursed under her breath, knowing that the school system was the thing that would be affected the most before the end, and that she might want to start setting up a the paperwork for homeschooling for a whole school.
Moments later Sophia looked at Louis and Sabine as the three of them stood at the doorway to the alley. "That was a very good meeting in my opinion. I have to be honest….a lot of red flags were raised by the office when his mother disappeared and this just adds to them. I guess that you have the legal paperwork and evidence against his father?"
"Yeah, a lot but I became Adrien's lawyer because of something his mother did so he will know what I'm doing once he's served. Sabine would your family mind putting him up for a few days? I can rush the paperwork that would make you his temporary guardian in a court outside of Paris tomorrow."
"Ahhhh, that scenario then." Sophia said with a wince.
"Yes, I'm sorry but that protocol, his situation is exactly what it was set up for." Louise said as Sabine looked between them and he noticed it and looked a little….embarrassed. "It's a law that was set up after a rich abusive parent bribe the location out of a clerk who fell for their lies and the result was that they attacked the foster home while drunk."
"Oh my." Sabine said as she looked between Sophia and Louise as Sophia blushed.
"Thankfully no one beside the drunk idiot was hurt." Louise said with a smirk and a laugh. "And he was hurt by driving his car into a wall!"
"Oh my. I guess he lost custady after all then?" Sabine asked as Sophia blushed and Louis laughed before he started to look just disappointed.
"Yeah, but that's not the most funny story about my work I have to share. Why the number of idiotic things people will do, I can't even say that I'm surprised by anything anymore." Louis saide with a sigh as he shook his head.
"That's nither here or there. As an agent of the Child Protection Services of France I give my leave to allow Adrien Agrest to stay here overnight legally. We'll look over the case and come to a decision but I will be putting together the paperwork to remove him from his father's guidance tomorrow at the earliest."
As both Louis and Sophia left through the back alley entrance Sabine looked upwards and sighed as she moved towards the apartment's kitchen, hoping that Adrien wasn't allergic to anything that she made that night.
"Come on Adrien, you can sleep in the guest room tonight." Marinette said as she lead him through the house towards the guest room. "It's on the opposite side of my room from my parents so if you want to scream into the pillow don't hold back."
As they entered the room and Marinette turned on the lights Adrien looked around, noticing that the windows were facing the alley and kept a smile off his face. Perfect, I can use that to get out and talk to Ladybug on patrol tonight, if I close the door and lock it then that's easy to keep my secret. He thought as he looked at Marinette with a bitter smile. "Thanks Marinette, I don't deserve a friend like you."
"Is this about the advice Adrien?" Marinette asked as she looked at him as he sat down on the bed. "Adrien you didn't know about it. Listen, my grandmother told me once that you can only give advice on what you know, you didn't and you could only give what you knew at the time."
"I was thought she was just a social climber or trying to get people to like her because she was scared." Adrien admitted as he put his head down. "Chloe was like that, trying to act like the person she wanted to like her."
"Chloe….?" Marinette asked as she looked at him before gasping and covering her mouth. "Her mom right? She was like that all those years so her mother would like her?!"
"Yeah, she's always had this idolized view of her for a while, I think what happened when her mom was Akumatized might have broken that." Adrien said as he looked at her with a bitter smile. "She actually came to talk to me about getting justice for you, trying to figure out how to get your expulsion overturned."
Marinette stared at Adrien with her mouth open in total shock, only managing to mutter half formed words before she was able to speak clearly. "Chloe did, I thought she hated me!"
"No, Chloe's been hard to understand. If she hated you then she'll ignore you, and well I think she liked how you would insult her back." Adrien said as Marinette looked at him and Adrien continued speaking. "Her grandmother on her mom's side was a weird person when she was alive, always talking about getting people back based on her own sense of justice."
"And she copied her sense of humor from her mother right?" Marinette asked dryly and Adrien only laughed lightly. "I have some stuff to finish that I was taking a break from when this all happened, we usually eat in about an hour so I'll see you later."
Adrien nodded and Marinette walked and closed the door, Adrein sighing as she did, noticing the door had a lock and he nodded. "I'm hoping you won't mind if I don't feed you that kind of cheese for a while Plagg."
"Don't be too bad kid, just grab me a slice of this places cheese bread every once in a while, hell a piece of bread would do in a hurry." Plagg said as he floated out of Adrien's jacket. "Don't be overthinking it; I just love cheese like my sugerclub loves sugar."
"I thought so for a while now, I'll make sure that I grab a few piece of emergency cheese the next time I can slip into a continuance store." Adrien said with a smirk as he looked at the window. "Think we'll be able to use that to get out on patrol?"
"I'll check, give me a few minutes to look around, take a nap kid, I'll wake you when I'm back." Plagg said as he shot through the window and Adrien sighed and leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"I can't believe this; Chloe's actually trying to help me?" Marinette said as she closed the door to her room. Tikki floated up and looked at her with a smile.
"She bonded with Pollen, I wouldn't expect something else and her jabs against you were like someone hoping for someone to strike back." Tikki said causing Marinette to look at her.
"So all this time Chloe's been looking for someone to verbally spar with, but what about Ms. Buister's present, no that was more against her then me." Marinette said as she sat down and started to mutter to herself. Tikki grinned and looked at Marinette and before turning sharply and saw Plagg floating by the exit to the terraince and frowned.
"I'm going to check the alley Marinette, I want to make sure we can slip by Adrien the next time we go on patrol." Tikki said and Marinette put her head down.
"Stay out of sight okay? I really need to think about everything Chloe could have done or didn't. Now there's Alix's watch, but she could have just dropped it by accident, and there's the design she stole from me, but how couldn't she have seen the fact that I signed it….." As Marinette went over her interactions with Chloe Tikki giggled and flew out of the room, hugging Plagg as soon as she saw him.
"Hey sugerclub, how should we deal with this?" Plagg asked as Tikki smiled at him.
"I'm just happy he's finally standing up for himself after everything you told me about their relationship. When I saw all that his father had him doing the first time I really hoped he wanted to do a least one of them." Tikki said and Plagg scowled
"No, that kitten's always trying to please him and he never would say anything, not that he would have listened to him." Plagg said with a snort. "If his mom hadn't set up his early modeling work's pay and invested it so he had a modest income from them I don't think he would have been half as confident to have started to do this."
"How bad is it, really?" Tikki asked as she floated and looked at him.
"I….. I don't know. Gabriel is short with everyone, not just Adrien. Maybe he's like Tom's dad was, but he's as proud and over protective as Jonah's was." Plagg said as Tikki frowned. "And then there this, do you think we should push for a reveal? I mean tomorrow's patrol alone…."
"It might be time; they trust each other and Marinette could talk to him about the butterfly." Tikki said before going silent as Plagg looked at her.
"What butterfly?" Plagg asked flatly and Tikki looked back and sighed.
"When Lila threatened her, an Akuma was summoned… I helped talk her to get it away but then Lila was turned." Tikki said and Plagg looked at her and hung his head.
"And the kitten thinks that Lila was turned because of him calling her out, another reason he said if they knew the truth it doesn't matter if she lies." Plagg said as he looked down at the alley between the buildings. "What's over there anyway?"
"I think it was originally an apartment before the owner died and it was taken by the city, I think they were talking about making it a low budget housing but the school raised a stink and it went to court and died there according to Marinette." Tikki said as she shrugged. "And then Hawkmoth appeared and well….."
"Might have to teach the kids a few tricks sugerclub, they might be ready for them." Plagg said as he looked around and scowled at the school. "I wonder how Lila tricked Gabriel into giving her that contract; it had to have been on her end you know?"
"He wouldn't have reached out to her?" Tikki asked and Plagg floated there for a few moments before he shook his head.
"He only remembers Kagami's name because he wants a contract with her mother's company, I don't know how he would have even talked to her." Plagg said flatly. "Let's have the kids transform and call each other, that way they can talk and hopefully postpone the patrol until the day after, we just have to hope that after what happened today Hawkmoth and Mayura will stay down for a day."
"Yeah…." Tikki said as she frowned. "Hey Plagg, when you were in your Miraculous, did you feel something from Duusu?"
"You mean did Mayura feel wrong to me, yeah." Plagg said with a frown. "I'm thinking there's a lot about why he's doing this that we don't know yet."
Tikki floated there and let what Plagg said stew and she tried to think of anything, something was telling her she had all the pieces but she couldn't set them together right. "I'll tell Marinette to do that and we'll let call each other and hope for the best, for today our choosen are more important."
Plagg nodded before he shot back towards Adrien, promising himself he'd let the kid sleep for a bit more and Tikki floated back down towards Marinette and hoped for the best, that this situation might be weathered by all involved.
Alya looked around the room, trying not to look at the empty seat where Marinette…..normally sat and tried to keep it off her mind. Nothing about yesterday makes sense, I mean I know Marinette and she wouldn't cheat or push anyone down the stairs! I mean I can't even understand how that happened, or how Hawkmoth did what he did again. Ayla thought as she looked into space, trying to figure out what had happened yesterday that she never noticed Nino come and put his hand on her shoulder.
"You okay babe?" Nino asked as he reached her and looked around the room. That's strange, Adrien is usually here before me most days, it's not like him to be late…is there an emergency photo shoot or something his dad pulled him for, he usually texts me to ask to for a copy of my notes? Nino thought as he sat down behind Alya.
"No, nothing about yesterday makes sense; I mean I can't even think of an explanation that explains everything." Alya said as she hung her head.
"How about half of it, we can work from the rest Alya." Nino said as Alya hung lower and he grew worried. "Babe, what is it?"
"Marinette thinks Lila did it on purpose to get her expelled, but I can't figure out why. Marinette said that Lila did it and that she's a liar, I thought it was jealousy that they don't like each other but I don't know anymore." Alya whispered softly as she looked down at her desk. "I mean I get that if you think that Lila was behind it, most of it all lines up but I can't think of a motive or how to prove it, everything I have is telling me that I'm missing something that I can't see it, some piece of this puzzle that explains the missing portion."
"We'll figure out what we can do babe, we just need some time." Nino said as he looked down and frowned, his own mind going place he didn't like. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Alix and Max until Alix slammed her hand down on Alya's desk causing them both to look at her.
"How are we going to help Marinette Alya?!" Alix demanded as she looked at Alya. "You're the reporter, you have to know something we can use to get her back and find out the truth, cause there is no way what happened yesterday was real!"
"I don't know I mean the evidence is shaky at best, I mean with the fact someone pulled the fire alarm the other day I guess that was could be how the answer sheet could have gotten in her backpack, but to prove that's what happened is imposible." Alya said as she looked down." But then their's Lila necklace, she said she saw Marinette take it but I never even heard about it before and how would Marinette have even known about? But to prove it is imposable."
"The necklace being in the locker wasn't enough proof." Max's voice startled them and they turned to look at him. "I had Markov do a simulation and it is 100% possible to drop it through the locker's grill and a chain long enough would let someone put it through the grill and end up where it did, and then there's the fact that none of the lockers even have locks."
"I've always felt something scary about that, that's why I just use it to hold projects and my coat in the winter; I think Marinette does it too." Rose chimed in and they looked to see her and Juleka nod.
"There is no way in hell that Marinette hurt someone on purpose even if they did deserve it, and to cheat on a test that didn't matter, no way." Juleka said as she looked down, a hard look in her visible eye.
"At least once the investigation is done then maybe we can learn what happened right?" Kim spoke up from behind them, causing them all to turn and look at him.
"What investigation?" Alix asked as she turned and looked at Kim who shrugged before answering.
"The investigation that they have to do, that's required for an expulsion to be legal?" Kim asked as he looked down at them in confusion. "I mean you can't be expelled like that, you've got the right to defend yourself before a panel of judges."
Alix looked up at him and frowned as Nino got out his phone and started to type away.
"Why do you know that muscles?" Alix asked as Kim looked away and blushed.
"One of my dares before I started to come here, I had to look over the school's expulsion rules and then argue against a student being expelled. Not a real student of course, and the darer was my civics teacher and wanted to get my grade up." Kim said as he grinned. "It worked, I got a B on that extra-credit work and he dare me to do better, if I got in the top ten students that year he would help me set up a sports festival over the summer, I was in the top five that year but I discovered competitive swimming and well."
"Oh, that makes sense." Alix said as she looked at him and frowned. "Wait a second, it that in your file…..wait. Is that why Madame Mendeleiev always challenges you when she hands out the study guides?"
"What can I say, she knows my old teacher." Kim said as Nino looked up with a smile from his phone.
"And he's right dudes, its solid law, she gets a hearing." Nino said with a smirk on his face.
"Once they check out the camera's I'm sure Marinette will be back!" Rose said with a grin. "Lila has to have been wrong; Marinette wouldn't push anyone down the stairs. She probably slipped and Marinette tried to grab her!"
"If she fell." Alix said with a scowl as she crossed her arms.
Alya looked at her and felt hers heart beat faster as she paled. "What do you mean?"
"I've taken injuries before with my stunts and stuff, if she had fallen she shouldn't have been able to move that well." Alix said and looked conflicted. "And the last time somebody fell down them two years ago they had to take them to the hospital, they were knocked out unconscious!"
"Why would Lila have been lying about being hurt, I mean why?" Rose asked as she and Juleka joined the others. Alya looked around the room and noticed that Ivan and Mylene were in the back talking quietly with each other, but from the frown Ivan had she could guess what they were talking about.
"I don't know, but we can agree that Mari wouldn't do anything like that right, I mean we know her!" Alya said with a scowl as the others nodded and looked at each other. "I mean sure she didn't like Lila, but I always it was because she thought Lila was after Adrien."
"And we know that Marinette wouldn't do that, but how did the answer sheet get in her bag and the necklace into her locker?" Juleka asked and the others looked around, none of them making the logical leap that would explain everything.
Above them Chloe scoffed and looked down at them. This is why I wear a 'mask' all the time, it doesn't pay to show who you are all the time. I'm sorry that you're learning it from interacting with Lila Mari, you were the only person who actually was fun to bitch at, besides Adrien and Sabrina, I think you're the only person in this class I like. She thought before she leaned closer to Sabrina. "How's your dad feel about what you talked to him about."
"He was out all night, didn't get to talk to him yet." Sabrina whispered back to her. "I'll talk to him at dinner about it; think we should tell the others?"
"I don't know, I mean she's got most of them wrapped around her finger, if something doesn't change we might have to." Chloe said quietly as she looked around the room, her eyes lingering on Alya and she frowned. Still it looks like she might be breaking it, if so after a little humble pie I think their releationship will survive this. Still I wonder if I can get in on the bet about when those two get together. Chloe thought as she looked around the classroom.
"Still, I was surprised with how many students actually do homeschool since Hawkmoth came out, aren't you?" Sabrina whispered and thought of how many different homeschool options there were in Paris alone.
"Trust me I know parents who are…..overprotective and that's pretty normal, but I'm more surprised with how many students are here after all." Chloe said as she remembered the total list of students that actually attended the school was a lot smaller then she originally thought.
"This place always seemed small to me, I don't know why but it always did." Sabrina said as she shrugged her shoulders. "And knowing our classmates, I was always surprised how many of us have the same general interests and goals, you know?"
Chloe nodded was going to say something when she went still and Sabrina turned and saw Lila coming into the room talking with Nathaniel as she walked in. There's the bitch in question, I hope Adrien stays away, the research we did last night showed us a lot of options to choose from, a good program with group projects is just what we need. Chloe thought as she looked down at Lila and it took everything she had learned as a Mayor's daughter to keep the disgust she had for her off her face.
Alix looked over Lila and frowned. If she really fell then she's recovered faster than anyone could… I so don't like this, any of it. And if muscles if right and this place did something illegal yesterday then I might have to rethink my scholastic future here. Alix thought as she looked at Lila as she moved towards the gathering around Ayla's desk.
"Hey Lila, you know your walking a lot for someone who fell down the stairs." Alix said before Lila could say anything. The others looked at her and she smiled the same way she had before she told one of her stories Alix realized with a jolt as Lila started to speak.
"I've always had a high pain threshold really; I remember once when I broke my leg in a football game and still help make the winning goal!" Lila said as the others only looked at her in disbelief.
"American or European football?" Juleka asked and Lila looked at her inconfusion.
"What's the difference?" Lila asked and Rose only face palmed and Juleka looked at her with a hard eye.
"European Football is called soccer in America." Juleka said as the others looked from her to Lila and noticed Lila kept smiling the way she had when she began her story. Before anyone could say anything Miss Bustier came into the room.
"Students I'm sorry but could you all please take your seats, we have a lot to do today." Miss Bustier said as the students all sat down at their seats before she continued. "First thing first I'm sorry to say that we have to pick a new president, anyone who wants the job please tell me when class ends. So I thought we would start today with….."
"Why do we need to pick a new class president, that's Marinette's job!" Ivan inturpted as he stared down at their teacher as the others with the exception of Lila nodded.
"You were all there when she was expelled Ivan, how we feel about it is immaterial we have to move on. There are things that the class president has to do that allows our school to function as it does and every class needs one." Miss Bustier said as she looked at Ivan before Kim spoke up.
"Yeah but he couldn't have expelled her like that, it wasn't right or lawful." Kim said stubbornly as he crossed his arms and looked at Miss Bustier and who opened her mouth before Lila cut in.
"Kim how could you! After Marinette assaulted me how could you want her back?!" Lila cried as she covered her face and started to sniffle as she covered her eyes with her hands. Juleka frowned as she looked at this and looked down as Rose grabbed her arm, seeing a fierce look in her eyes.
Alix frowned as she looked at Lila and didn't see any tears going down her face and wondered if this was all Lila was, a fraud who knew how to manipulate people. If she took us for a ride then I'll beat her myself, no I'll testify against her! Alix thought as Kim looked at Lila with a frown on his face.
"That doesn't matter Lila." Kim said sternly. "Its Marinette right to tell her side of the story, something that no one gave her a chance to yesterday."
Miss Bustier could only look on as the class descended into chaos as they realized that yes, no one had listened or even let Marinette talk about what had happened. Kim kept his eyes on Lila and what he didn't see told him more then what he did.
"That's enough everyone! Clearly you all feel strongly about this so I will compromise, the post will be opened until enough of you decide we need a new one, is that all right? Now lets begin class." Miss Bustier said as she turned around. Alya sent a text to Nino and Rose and when her phone buzzed she smiled as she looked down at it and grinned. Hang on Mari we'll going to clear your name, I promise. But I think I might have to apologize about not believing you about Lila, I might have been wrong about her. She thought as she half listened to Miss. Bustier's leason, not noticing Lila watching her from the corner of her eyes and frowning that Adrien wasn't here.
Lila looked around the room and scowled. They all should have forgotten about Mari-Trash by now, and why'd that Alix bring up my 'fall'. Maybe I should find her alone and tell her the truth, I'm sure she'd be smarter then Mari-trash was. Lila thought and looked up as the lunch bell rang. Before she could do more then stand up and looked at Alix Rose was there looking at her.
"Lila, I was wondering if I could talk to you about a charity a friend of mine was thinking about starting a charity and I figured with your expertise you'd be the perfect person to talk to about how to structure it the right way!" Rose said as Lila turned her head and saw Alix as she left the room and bit down a curse before turning back to Rose and smiled.
"Of course I'd be happy to help you Rose! Why I remember when I was named the treasure for the save the spotted birds once when Mama was stationed in Mexico…" As Lila walked away Kim looked at her before going to Alya.
"Your idea?" Kim asked and Alya nodded as she got up.
"Yeah, Rose will give you some time to go and talk to Mr. Damacolis, me I'm going to talk to Marinette and hope she forgives me for being taken in by Lila." Alya said as Kim winced.
"Sure she's lying now?" Kim said as Alya looked down and nodded after a moment.
"I went over everything that she said and most of them were she said he said things, but the napkin is pretty damming." Alya said and he remembered what Lila had said how it had almost taken Max's eye out and winced as Nino came up to them. "Want to come with Nino?"
"Yeah, I'll buy something from them and see if Adrien is at an emergency photoshoot or something, he usually text's me if he won't be here so he can copy my notes." Nino said as he joined Ayla.
"Good luck." Kim said as Alya nodded back at him. He turned and walked towards the courtyard entrance to the classroom and stopped when he saw Ivan waiting for him.
"Going to talk to Damacolis about how Marinette is due a hearing by a third party?" Ivan asked and Kim nodded.
"Yeah, how to do you know about that big guy?" Kim asked and Ivan shrugged and looked away.
"I've always been tall for my age, but once or twice people tried to get me expelled for what I might do, a hearing was always held and it was shot down." Ivan said as Km looked at him before wincing himself.
"Oh…." Kim said and looked down and started to feel terable. "Dude, I'm sorry I gave you a hard time before Stoneheart man, I really am."
Ivan put a hand on Kim's hand and looked down at him and smiled. "A lot of people did over the years; you at least apologized about it afterwards and you mean it."
Kim looked at Ivan and nodded as the two were silent as they walked towards Mr. Damacolis office and both of them hoped he would believe them. But as they reached the office they stopped when they heard Mr. Damacolis's voice from within.
"This is my school and what I say goes!" Mr. Damacolis voice thundered from the office's closed door and Ivan and Kim looked at each other.
"Wonder who he talking to?" Ivan asked before a voice, Aurora's voice came back.
"Sir, that doesn't matter, they are rules about this! You aren't allowed to do that without a hearing!" Aurora's voice shot back and Ivan and Kim looked at each other.
"Hey isn't Aurora the class president for Ms. Mendeleiev class?" Ivan asked and Kim nodded and winced as he heard someone slam a fist onto a desk.
"OUT NOW! Any more an I'll suspend you for talking against the authority of the principle!" Mr. Damacolis thundered before he opened the door and saw Kim and Ivan standing there.
"And what do you two want?" he growled as he saw Kim and Ivan as they stood there and watched as Aurora and Mirelle came out of the office and Aurora had a scowl on her face as Mirelle only looked ahead blank faced.
"We…." Kim began and only looked at the angry look on Damacolis's face and the scowl on Aurora's and tried to think of anything to say when Ivan spoke up.
"We were passing by on the way to the upstairs boys room sir, a dare that Kim could spend a day only using that one." Ivan cut in and Kim nodded after a minute.
"Well lunch is almost over, so good day!" Mr. Damacolis said before he closed the door to his office and Aurora looked back and was about to explode when Mirelle put a hand on her arm and shook her head. Ivan put a hand on her other shoulder and gestured towards the side passage and he and Kim walked away with the girls following them.
"Was that about Marinette?" Kim asked once they had moved far enough so the principle couldn't hear them and the two girls nodded their heads.
"I heard what happened over the school chat and well I couldn't believe it, when I heard from Myele what happened I told Aurora and she was so mad." Mirelle said as Aurora nodded as she scowled.
"The legality about it, right?" Ivan asked and Aurora nodded, looking so mad Kim looked around for a butterfly.
"We did a group project about the expulsion process a few months ago for Civics, comparing it to the adult court system and I knew as soon as I heard about it that nothing was done correctly, I mean it was a travesty!" Aurora said with a scowl as spat as she looked back at the office. Stupid owl! He's on a power trip and doesn't think anything through and if he thinks he'll get away with that. She thought as Mirelle nodded.
"Yeah, if Ms. Mendeleiev hadn't taken our class to that field trip I'm sure she would have brought up a lot of things to stop that before it went that far!" Mirelle said.
"She feels that bad and out of sorts about it?" Kim asked shocked at the fact the strictest teacher in school was reacting this way.
"Yeah, when Ms. Mendeleiev heard what happened this morning she put a video on and it took us a few minutes to stop and ask her what was wrong. She couldn't believe that Miss Bustier just sat back and did nothing!" Mirelle said as she looked towards Miss Bustier's classroom.
"I've worked with Marinette on the school council, she wouldn't do that! And we've been talking about getting locks for weaks before this happened." Aurora piped up and Kim and Ivan looked at each other with a smile on their faces.
Ivan looked at Kim and they smirked at each other. So we have other allies and maybe a teacher too, this is perfect I can't wait to talk to the others about it.
"Come on girls, let's go and talk with a few friends of ours, I think we're all on the same side here." Kim said as he grinned at the girls and as they walked away, Aurora pulled her phone out and turned off the recording app and grinned darkly as she moved. Everything you just said is going to come home to roost and its hunting season, target owl. She thought as she followed Kim and Ivan.