Ladybug and Cat Noir: Akumatized

Sweet Sixteen

Soft white snow sprinkled the ground and quietly bombarded Marinette's window as she rolled over in bed. She coughed violently before answering her phone.

"Hey girl! Happy Birthday!" Alya yelled a little too loud and a little too enthusiastic, but Marinette smiled anyway. "Whoa, you're looking even worse."

"I'm very sick." Marinette's voice was hoarse and quiet.

"On your birthday, and your sweet sixteen, you are so unlucky." Alya shook her head sympathetically. "I take it you won't be in school for a while then, what a shame I have a great gift for you. I'll bring it by after school, but I have to go now, see ya." Marinette whispered goodbye and ended the call, after she set her phone down Tikki came out from her hiding place.

"Poor Marinette, you need to rest for the next few days okay? No more being Ladybug until you're all better, I'm sure Cat Noir can take care of things for a few days." Tikki was Marinette's Kwami, the ancient being who granted Marinette powers through her Miraculous item which was earrings. She flew to the blinds pulled them closed then went up to Marinette, kissed her cheek and laid next to her as she fell back asleep.

"Hey, Nino." Alya waved to her boyfriend, ignoring Adrien as she went to her seat, he waved back.

"Where's Marinette, late again? She's always late on Mondays." Nino asked with a laugh.

"Actually Marinette got sick, and on her sweet sixteenth birthday too. That girl is so unlucky."

"Poor her, I hope she gets better soon." Nino whispered as class started for the day. Adrien silently scolded himself for what he had done.

The Saturday before Marinette's birthday she and Alya were standing on a bridge in a park where they were waiting in eager anxiousness for Adrien to come. Alya had texted him and told him Marinette had something important to ask him. Marinette, of course was freaking out, Alya stayed cool and calm.

When Adrien approached them, both girls could tell something was wrong; his hair was messy, his eyes dark and his lips in a tight frown.

"Adrien. Hi, party birthday, my, uh." Marinette shoved a hand-drawn party invitation at him.

"I don't have time for your stuttering nonsense, get to the point." Adrien said bitterly, tears immediately filled Marinette's eyes and Alya began to scream.

"Excuse me! You do not go speaking to my girl like that you-"

"Whatever. I'll talk to you when you know what you're trying to say." Adrien rolled his eyes shoving past Marinette and Alya, Marinette lost balance and fell over the railing into the small mostly frozen river. A slate of ice cracked loudly into smaller pieces after Marinette hit it. She screamed the whole fall down. Adrien could still hear the fear in her voice when he closed his eyes. While Alya was bent over the railing in shock Adrien hid, turned into Cat Noir, and dived right into the river.

Once he found Marinette in the surging current he used his pole to pull them both out, once on dry land he held her tight. After reassuring Alya that she was alright he rushed Marinette to the hospital and called her parents as fast as he could.

He wanted to stay with her and apologize over and over but he himself was turning blue from the cold, one of the nurses tried to force him to take off his suit and let them make sure he wasn't suffering frostbite. He felt he deserved the icy pain though so he took his time getting home, letting his body go numb. Sitting in class he could hardly keep himself together feeling the hating stare of Alya burning through his chest, and the icy chill of guilt that swelled throughout his body.

At home Marinette sneezed as her mom came into her room, after blowing her nose she threw her blankets off and ran into her mother's arms.

"Oh sweetie, I know how upset you are but you need to stay in bed." Her mother walked her back to her bed and kissed her forehead. "You know Marinette, I bet this boy didn't mean to push you into the river, and I don't think he was trying to be mean, he was probably having a hard day." She tried to comfort her, but tears still ran down Marinette's red cheeks.