PRINCESS JUSTICE

1. CHAPTER 1

"Verity Queen, Princess Justice. I am Scarlet Moth. Since the innocent isn't to be believed in anymore, I'm giving you both the power to expose the truth. As for you my desperate loyal ones, disappointed by she who you once admired so much, I'm glad to have you back. In return, you will bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous."

"They shall know the truth." Marinette said, her voice tinted with a rage that had never been heard from. Her hands reached for her ears, taking off the earring she always wore and clenching them in her left fist. Then, darkness wrapped all around her body, soaking her in an evil she had never known. When she emerged her clothes had changed to a simple purple dress with a white sash around her shoulders. A purple stripe of cloth covered her eyes and she gripped at the sword in her right hand. No longer was she Marinette. She was now Princess Justice. When she spoke again there was no anger in her tone, only coldness.

"Ladybug is no more. Scour Paris for Chat Noir. He is the only one that remains."

"What!" gasped Chloe, Adrien, and Alya, the only ones to have resisted the akumatization. None of them could process what they had just witnessed, let alone what Princess Justice had just said. Alya's body shook with frustration, wanting nothing more than to help her best friend but knowing she could do nothing against six akumas. Chloe slide to the ground, chomping down on her thumb nail, all to keep herself from exploding and becoming the first victim to Princess Justice. Adrien just stared at the back of Marinette's head, trying to figure out what she meant by Ladybug being gone. She had just been akumatized, he had seen it with his own eyes, there was no way she could have already defeated Ladybug. Unless...

Adrien's glaze drew down to her left hand, curled into a fist. The hand that was holding her earrings. The earrings that she never took off. The earrings that her kwami needed to transform her into Ladybug. Marinette Dupen-Chang was Ladybug

His eyes grew wide, his stomach twisted into deep knots, and he heard nothing but white noise. He felt sick, as if he could faint. How could he not have known that Marinette, the girl who sat behind him and one of his closest friends, was actually Ladybug, the girl of his dreams and his partner? They had the same eyes, the same voice, even the same hairstyle! Could he really have been so blinded by Ladybug's light that he failed to see the shadow of Marinette that rescinded within her? Was he really so infatuated with Ladybug that he didn't notice the similar feels he had for Marinette? Was it somehow his fault that both Ladybug and Marinette were now lost to the void that Princess Justice had sprung from?

The other akumas ran from the room, their mission having been assigned. However, Princess Justice didn't move a muscle as the telepathic butterfly mask formed around her eyes. And though Adrien couldn't know what Hawkmoth was saying, he could almost hear the demonic laughter from the madman. Hawkmoth had won and he knew it. For without Ladybug, no one could fully stop him. The thought made Adrien anger.

Suddenly, Princess Justice turned and walked to the corner of the locker where Lila was standing. Adrien, Alya, and Chloe, all enveloped in their own anger and anguish, had nearly forgotten that Lila was in the room, but Princess Justice hadn't. She lifted up her sword and pointed it at Lila, the tip nearly cutting the italian girls nose. Princess Justice, with her dead voice, said "You shall tell the truth."

"What, like your sword is suppose to scare me into submission. You look as if you could barely hold it up." Lila replied in her arrogant and callous voice, not caring if others saw her real nature.

For a moment, the room was still with dread as they all awaited for Princess Justice's next move. Then, slowly, her hand advanced to the purple cloth covering her eyes and slide it to her forehead. And while only Lila could look into her eyes, the others knew that by the way Lila's body tensed that nothing good came from it. "Now, the truth." Princess Justice repeated.

Lila's mouth kept opening and closing, as if she were struggling with what to do. But soon she gave in. "I did it, alright! I took the test answers and shoved them into your backpack! I pretended to fall down the stairs so it looked like you pushed me! And I planted my grandma's necklace into your locker! I did! I did all of it just so you would get in trouble and get expelled!"

Lila's hands flew to cover her mouth, preventing her from exposing all the other lies that she had ever told. As Princess Justice slide the cloth back over her eyes, the corners of her lips slightly quirked upwards in satifasication. It had been the first sign of emotion she showed since her akumatization. It wasn't long until her face turned stone again. Then she turned to walk out of the locker room, probably to give Hawkmoth the Ladybug miraculous.

Adrien couldn't let Marinette walk out the door or else he would lose her. He also couldn't transform and let his identity be known to both the girls and the Hawkmoth. So, in a moment of bravery or sheer stupidity, he honestly didn't know, he leapt forward. He grabbed her left hand, hoping to pry it open and grab Ladybug's earring. Unfortunately, she spun around quickly and lift heer sword to his throat. It wasn't close enough to cut him but it was a warning that she would if he continued. Rather than give in, he tightened his grip on her wrist and leaning close to her.

"You have to fight it Marinette. You're still in there, I know it. Right now, we need you back. We need Ladybug back. So please don't give in." Adrien whispered so only Marinette could hear him. He didn't want to expose Marinette's secret, not unless he needed to.

"There is no more Marinette or Ladybug. There is only Princess Justice." She whispered in reply. Then she shoved Adrien, causing him to lose his grip. His back collided with the wall of lockers so hard that he fell to the floor in pain. When he looked up Princess Justice had already walked out the doorway, taking Ladybug's miraculous with her.