who are we (if not who they've made us to be)?

One

So weird to switch from AO3 to Wattpad and try to tag. What is this garbage lol

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They weren't expecting it. To be fair, they didn't expect most akuma attacks, but at least an alert went out most of the time or you could catch a glimpse of the chaos and run. This akuma wasn't like that. He came in just as the class sat down for the first bell, inconspicuous and quiet. Marinette noticed him first. A bag hanging off his shoulder and clothed in a black hoodie with the hood up, she mistook him for a lost younger student.

"Excuse me? My name's Marinette. Do you need some help?" She asked, smiling kindly as she approached him. She froze as he glanced up at her, a bruise in the shape of a handprint blossoming across his cheek.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? What happened?" Rushing forward, Marinette opened her bag quickly and grabbed one of the spare bandages she always kept in case of any accidents. With how wobbly her feet were sometimes, it became habit to pack bandaids and bruise cream. The boy stared at her and it was only as she reached to tilt his head that she finally noticed the way his eyes shone gold. Her fingers jolted to a stop just before touching him, his hand latching onto her wrist like a snake.

"You're so nice," he muttered, eyeing her sadly. She squeaked as he squeezed her wrist to the point it was painful. Anyone who wasn't already watching turned at the noise, finding their class president at the hands of a boy they'd never seen before.

"Hey! Let Marinette go. Can't you see that's hurting her?" Kim yelled, frowning at the boy. Marinette shot Kim a quick glance, shaking her head.

"Kim. He's an akuma," Marinette explained calmly. Almost immediately, everyone burst into noise. Mylene and Rose started crying, Juleka and Ivan desperately trying to comfort them. Alya whipped out her phone and Nino made an aborted grab for Marinette. Adrien gaped at akuma before settling on an uneasy expression and Chloe shrieked.

"What the hell!? You only just mention this now!? Why are you talking to an akuma in the first place!?" Chloe screamed, using Sabrina as a meatshield. Sabrina shook in her shoes. Kim looked about ready to throw hands and Max was trying to convince him not to. Meanwhile, Nathaniel ducked behind his desk and Alix cursed.

The akuma stared at Chloe with a neutral expression that somehow still managed to convey his dislike of her. She wilted behind Sabrina. Turning back to Marinette, the akuma tilted his head.

"Marinette?" He whispered softly. She frowned, nodding slowly.

"Yes?"

He pointed to himself. "Douloureux."

Marinette's heart broke. This boy was tiny, small and fragile. He seemed so young. How could Hawkmoth prey on the distress of a child?

"I see. What happened, Douloureux? Why are you upset?" She asked, slowly raising her free hand and pushing down his hood. He didn't stop her, even as his eyes followed every movement. With the hood no longer blocking out his features as much, she was witness to the full extent of his bruising. It spanned from his jaw to just below his eye. She noted that the handprint was larger than even her hands. An adult had done this to him. He leaned into her hand as it settled in his hair. She wanted to cry.

"Mama. Papa. Screaming," he confided in her, "loud and painful. I... got in the way."

Reaching out with her captured hand, she gently pressed her fingers to the bruise. He didn't let go of her wrist, but his grip was a little looser. "Did one of them hit you?"

He nodded, looking at the ground. He didn't say who and she didn't press. Hurting and young he may be, but he was still an akuma. She wasn't sure how he would react to anything. Some akuma could be quite volatile.