Miraculous Kat

Part Six: Kats Have Claws

It was after two in the morning when Marinette tiredly clambered down into her room and collapsed on her bed, exhausted. Kat sat up in a flash when she heard Marinette. Then she calmed down, relieved that it wasn't a burglar or something worse.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, Marinette?" Kat whispered.

"Really late?"

"It's..." Kat checked her phone "...2:34. As in 2:34 A.M."

"I lost track of time," Marinette said, yawning.

"Mhm. You went up to the roof, and just stayed outside until two in the morning."

"Yeah, more or less."

"Marinette, I know you're Ladybug. Don't try to hide it."

Marinette's eyes shot open.

"I'm-I'm not Ladybug. I just...fell asleep...yeah, I fell asleep."

"I saw you," Kat half lied. She hadn't seen her transform in person yet, but she'd seen it plenty of times on TV.

"Oh, no," Marinette groaned.

"Oh, yes. Look, I promise I won't tell anybody, okay?"

"This can't be happening." Marinette started to hyperventilate.

"Marinette, I'm not gonna tell anyone!"

"This is bad, this is bad, this is bad."

"Marinette, are you listening to me?"

"You cannot tell anyone!"

"If you'd been listening to me," Kat said calmly, "you would have already heard me say that I won't tell anyone."

Marinette sighed, whether out of exhaustion or relief, Kat couldn't tell. Marinette collapsed onto her bed. Kat decided to leave her alone and go back to sleep herself.

——The Next Monday——

After an entire weekend of Marinette being worried and jumpy, Kat was glad to be back at school, even though she was late. She smiled at Adrien as she made her way to the back by Nathaniel. Marinette was yawning as she sat down.

"Why are you late today?" Alya asked Marinette.

"I slept in," she whispered back tiredly.

Meanwhile in the front row, Nino was interrogating Adrien.

"Dude, what's with you and Kat? Why are you so close all of the sudden?"

"Why are you asking me?" Adrien laughed, rolling his eyes.

"You're smiling at each other all the time, you hug, you're practically dating."

Adrien made a face. "We're not dating. I don't even like her like that. And, if you must know, she's now my pretend sister. Her words were, and I quote, 'you should have someone to dote on you.' And you know what? I think I like having a sister."

Nino laughed.

"She's your...pretend sister? Haha!"

Kat happened to have great hearing and heard what Nino had said.

"You got a problem with that, Nino?" She called to the front menacingly. Nino heard the edge in her voice and instantly stopped.

"No, ma'am," he replied. In the front of the room, Miss Bustier face-palmed and wondered if her class would ever be normal. She decided that it wouldn't, and then she decided to get on with the school day.

"Everyone please find a partner." Mostly, people paired up with who they were sitting by. This meant that Kat and Nathaniel decided to pair up together. Neither complained.

The only difference in the usual groups were Marinette and Adrien's. Nino and Alya had both decided to set their friends up together, and as a consequence, Marinette and Adrien were put together. Chloe fumed and tried forcing her way into the group.

"Move it, Trash-girl, Adrien's my partner."

"Uh, Chloe—" Chloé cut Adrien off.

"This'll be fun, won't it Adrikins?"

Adrien looked uncomfortable, and so, naturally, Kat stepped in.

"Chloe," she smiled (fake) sweetly, "could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Ugh, n—" she was going to say "no way" but Kat pulled her back near Sabrina.

"Listen up, you little pig," Kat whispered savagely, the fake smile still contorting her features. If she was anyone else, it would have looked like a grimace. "I can see how uncomfortable you make Adrien, and how overbearing you are. If you ever make him feel uncomfortable or smothered again, I will personally make your life a living nightmare."

Chloe's eyes were as round as dinner plates and she shivered involuntarily. Whoever Kat was, she was scary. Kat smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Never cross a Hufflepuff, Chloe, it won't end well."

"What was that about, I wonder," Alya muttered to Nino.

"Do you all have your partners?" Miss Bustier asked. Everyone nodded. "All right, then. I will now pair up your pairs myself."

Fifteen pairs of eyes widened in alarm. Everyone (except Kim) hoped and prayed that Chloe and Sabrina wouldn't be paired with them. Miss Bustier began directing the groups.

"Alya and Nino, you'll be with...Alix and Mylène. Ivan, since there are an odd number of people, why don't you go with them, too? Chloe, Sabrina, you'll go with..." The students held their breath. "...Rose and Juleka."

Rose and Juleka groaned and moved to sit by them. Chloe was still too shocked by what Kat said to do anything but stare straight ahead, wide-eyed.

"Marinette, Adrien, you'll be with Kat and Nathaniel. Max, Kim, you'll just be a pair." Once everyone was situated, Miss Bustier continued. "You're assignment is to find a need around school and make it better."

"That sounds like something for my butler to do," Chloe whined, partly recovered from her shock. Miss Bustier sighed.

"It doesn't have to be cleaning, Miss Bourgeois." She turned and addressed everyone. "This project can be anything as long as it benefits someone or something. Find a need, and fix it."

Kat smirked a little. She knew exactly what they should do. Miss Bustier set them to it and meandered around the room.

"So, what do we want to do?" Adrien asked.

"We-we could sew sweaters for students who need them," Marinette suggested.

"We could hold an art expo to raise money," Nathaniel said, clutching his sketchbook to his chest. Kat liked those ideas, but she liked hers even more.

"Guys, what about a chat-line for people who are, like, sad?"

"What?" Three voices asked. Kat elaborated.

"When you're sad, sometimes it helps to talk to someone. Akumatized victims are usually just sad or mad or whatever. I also looked it up, and most of the victims were high school students. I figure that if we can set it up, maybe we can prevent villains."

"That's...actually a great idea," Nathaniel said. He smiled. "I love it."

"Thanks," Kat blushed.

"I like it, too," Adrien said. Marinette agreed, though a little apprehensively.

"Well, let's get started, then," Kat grinned.