Ladybug and Cat Noir: Akumatized

Forgiven Not Forgotten

Marinette woke to her mother shouting that she didn't want her to be late. Marinette was late to school anyway, it had taken her far too long to get out of bed and get dressed. Today she didn't bother with fake excuses, she simply nodded and yawned when the teacher reminded her she was late.

Adrien had stood as Marinette shuffled past and greeted her warmly.

"Oh look who the cat dragged in. Did he drag you out of the sewars?" Chloé snickered, Alya's fist clenched. Marinette laid her hand on Alya's fist as she sat down, her little signal to remind Alya that negative feelings were dangerous.

"Chloé please settle down. I'll be right back class, I think I left my computer with Mr. Damocles." Ms. Bustier sighed as she left.

"Oh wait, I remember now. The cat dragged you out of the river, after Adri-kins let you down hard." Chloé stood and placed her arm on Adrien's shoulder, leaning on him, leering at Marinette.

"Just goes to show poor little goody goodies like her will never get anywhere in life. Especially looking like that." She laughed in Marinette's face, the entire class silently squirmed in their seats, each student remembering all the times Marinette had stood up for them and wondering if they had the strength to return the favor. None of them did.

Marinette stood, tears twinkling in her eyes, she grabbed her bag and headed to the door.

"I hope you're planning on jumping back into the river. It would be best for us all, don't you think?" Chloé leaned back against Marinette's desk and smirked. Tears now fell down Marinette's cheeks.

In the distance a butterfly began flying frantically in circles.

Alya jumped up ready to attack but it was Adrien's steady voice that calmed the crowd.

"Marinette wait." Adrien grabbed Marinette's arm from across the table.

"I didn't mean to hurt you like that at all, and you know how bad I feel about it. I've apologized so many times for it." Adrien went around the desk and hugged Marinette close for a few seconds before turning to Chloé.

"And Chloé, you'd better apologize to Marinette right this second or I'll never talk to you again and perhaps I'll tell my close friends Ladybug and Cat Noir what you did. You know, having two superheroes like them hating you is real bad, especially for your father. If people realize what a horrid daughter he has they might not want to re-elect him."

This time Adrien was the one smirking, Nino next to him had been recording the whole thing and had all the proof they needed.

"But, but you can't do that to me!" Chloé crossed her arms and stomped her foot.

"Watch me Chloé!" Adrien threatened crossing his own arms.

"Look Chloé just apoligize to Marinette and stop being such a bully, then we can just forget about it." Nino said calmly. She clenched her teeth and fists, stiffly she walked over to Marinette.

"Sorry." She whispered through her teeth.

"You can do better than that." Adrien demanded, Marinette opened her mouth to protest, to tell Adrien it was fine she didn't need an apology. Adrien clasped a hand over Marinette's mouth, she blushed feeling her lips against his soft hand. It only pissed Chloé off even more.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Cat Noir didn't leave you in the river to freeze to death!" She flipped her hair and stormed out of the class as a few more tears trickled down Marinette's face. Adrien took his hand off Marinette's mouth and wiped away her tears. There was something familiar in the way he looked at her, it gave her the chills.

"What is going on in here? Chloé is throwing a fit in the hallway." Ms. Bustier rubbed her forehead clearly distressed. She gasped and dropped her computer as her eyes became paralyzed in fear.

There was a sudden silence, every head turned to the window as a dark little akuma fluttered through the air. Everyone held their breath as it made it's way to Marinette. The whole school seemed to stand still as it hovered, centimeters in front of Marinette's wide teary eyes.

Marinette jolted back in surprise as Adrien slapped the akuma between two books, killing the problem before it could start. Everyone exhaled once again.

"Good job reacting fast enough Adrien, now can someone please explain to me what is going on!"

The entire class jumped to explain what happened, Marinette sat in her desk holding her head wishing she were in bed or flying through the air above the roofs as Ladybug with her dear partner Cat Noir. Ms. Bustier took Nino to the office where they showed the principal the video and Chloé was suspended for three days and forced to give Marinette a formal apology.

"You're forgiven but this will never be forgotten." Marinette stated bitterly when Chloé apologized.

Marinette went through the rest of the day holding on to the memory of seeing that akuma so close to her. She had seen plenty of akuma's but never before had she seen such a violent terrible little thing, and never before had she been so completely terrified. So she held onto that fear to remind herself that it was dangerous to let your feelings overcome you. She took a deep breath and buried the hurt and the cruel words of Chloé's deep inside herself.

She tried to hold onto the feeling of Adrien hugging her and wiping away her tears.

She rushed home after school ended and avoided talking to her parents about what had happened, though she knew Mr. Damocles had called and told them. She went up into her room and let Tikki out of her purse.

"Finally feeling well enough to become Ladybug?" Tikki smiled wide, Marinette smiled in return.

"Tikki. Spots on!" Marinette said cherrily. It felt so right to be back in disguise.

Ladybug snuck out her window and just began running, she swung from rooftop to rooftop feeling the crisp cool air brush against her cheeks. It didn't take very long to find Cat Noir standing upon a roof survying the city below with a grim look.

"Oh Cat I'm so glad to see you." Ladybug smiled, he wouldn't even turn his head.

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm."

"I'm not being sarcastic. I really-"

"When have you ever been excited to see me, lately you've been avoiding me at all costs."

"I was sick, I couldn't be out even if I wanted too. I'm not mad anymore, about the Alya thing. I understand why you didn't save her right away."

"No Ladybug you don't understand!" Cat turned his head to his Lady now, angry tears running down his face. "You don't understand just how much you mean to me and how much it hurts seeing you put in dangerous situations like that. You don't understand, because you don't feel the same."

Ladybug was speechless, so she stood there in the still cold air just studying Cat Noir's face. He was right, she couldn't understand. Couldn't understand the pain in his face, the look of betrayal in his eyes, and the sudden chill of his presence. He turned his head and wiped his face, he did his best to calm down. He spoke softly this time, almost in a weak voice.

"You're a very close friend of mine Ladybug, even if I don't really know you, I care about you a lot and it's been getting harder to protect you and all of Paris at once."

"Hawkmoth is relentless and getting more and more violent. I'm so scared I'll lose you and won't be able to fix it the way you were able to fix what happened to Alya. I can't-" Ladybug interrupted him with a hug, she wrapped her arms around his trembling body and pulled him close.

Cat thought there was something oddly familiar in her heartbeat, something extremely comforting.