Miraculous the tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir; Princess Justice

Chapter 3

Marinette couldn't deny that she was in awe of Lila and her skill at lying. The Principal had called Miss Bustier and together Marinette, the two teachers, Lila and Marinette's parents began walking to the student's locker room.

Marinette had had time to reflect and knew Lila had counted on her to emotionally blame Lila. Every one of her words had lead her here. In rashly accusing Lila she had sprung the trap. She should have let the others defend her. It was just like the incident with Chloe's bracelet, only the consequences were so much worse.

Marinette had walked straight into Lila's spider's web, and much like a fly, the more she struggled to get out, the more she became entangled.

It was with a look of despair that she opened the door to the locker room, Lila still playing the victim at her side.

Marinette dimly noticed that her entire class was there. It didn't even occur to Marinette that this was going to cause an even bigger spectacle. She was so lost in hopelessness that she didn't care. She'd lost and she knew it. Lila had played her for a fool. Something Marinette vowed wouldn't happen again.

Marinette's classmates parted like the red sea for the large group, all watching with concerned curiosity.

Marinette stood next to her locker, sure of what was about to happen, dimly aware of Alya beside her, noticing Luka across the room next to his locker, Juleka at his side whispering in his ear. Luka looked furiously at Lila.

"Open your locker please." the principal ordered loudly. Marinette did not resist. Why prolong this? It was going to be bad either way. A loud gasp came from everyone but Marinette and Lila, as a white box fell out of Marinette's locker as she opened it and a fox pendant fell to the floor when the box landed on its side.

"My grandma's pendant!" Lila exclaimed with fake joy. Marinette saw the shock on all her friends faces, and her parents.

She saw Luka begin to walk over to obviously defend her. She shook her head and Luka stopped. Marinette knew Luka's words wouldn't help, they would only get him in trouble too. Marinette didn't want that.

Only Alya, Luka, Juleka and Adrien seemed to show that they believed that Marinette had been framed. All the other faces she looked at showed shock, betrayal or a mix of the two. This stung Marinette so much that she was sparked to try and reason with everyone one last time.

"She's making up this whole thing." Marinette said futilely. "It wasn't me. I didn't do anything, I swear."

Marinette watched as her mother turned and began to cry into her father's chest. Then her eyes saw Adrien, and there was her spark of hope. Adrien had seen the false pendant before, when Ladybug had outed Lila as a liar in front of him, when this whole mess began almost one year ago. It was her hail Mary. Her only hope.

"You know Lila's lying, don't you Adrien?" Marinette begged for his help, not stuttering at all as the situation had buried everything else, as Marinette clung desperately to her one last ray of hope. 

Adrien nodded at her with determination, as he saw no other way out either.

"Mr Damocles," Adrien began, "I don't think..."But Adrien was cut off by Mr Damocles raising his hand to silence him.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Mr Damocles declared dealing the final, life shattering blow, "you are expelled from this school."

Meanwhile, over on the other side of the Sien river, opposite the Grande Paris Hotel, in the large dome atop the Agreste Mansion, stood a man in the centre of the room inside, wearing a purple suit, his head encased in a silver mask, wearing a broach that looked like a butterfly. He was also holding a cane. He was waiting. The dark room was undecorated and was beautifully lit by the glow of thousands of white butterflies.

Then he felt it. A great wave of despair, betrayal, hopelessness and injustice, like he had never felt before. It was so strong he could almost taste it. Hawk Moth raised his head as a circular shutter opened slowly, with a mechanical whirring sound, to reveal a large window from which sun light flooded the domed room, causing the butterflies to scatter. The window had a small whole in its centre.

Hawk Moth stood, smiling as if Christmas had come early, as he was bathed in the sun light. Not even heroes' day, when he had caused so much fear, compared to the emotional wave he felt now. Someone had some long pent up and unresolved emotion, which overpowered all the emotions around them, that was ready to be used for his cause. All he needed to do was make contact and he would know who it was who would become his masterpiece.

"Lila Rossi," Hawk Moth cooed with respect and gratitude, "was right. This was worth the wait. The downfall of Marinette brings about the despair of everyone who trusted her." Hawk Moth reached out his left hand for one of the butterflies to land on.

"I can feel the huge waves of negative emotions," Hawk Moth continued covering the butterfly with his other hand and infusing it with dark power, "as they come crashing down. Are you ready Natalie?"

"More than ever." Natalie informed her boss with conviction, as Hawk Moth turned her back into the villain called Catalyst. She then placed a hand on her master's cane, "I now once again turn you into Scarlet Moth, and return the power to akumatize as many people as you desire."

Catalyst watched with pride and admiration as Scarlet Moth sent out is red Akumas to his son's school, sure his plan wouldn't fail. However, neither had planned on her collapsing to the floor coughing with the injuries that the Peacock miraculous was causing to her soul. This made her master power down, taking away the power he had gifted to her, to come to her aid.

"You shouldn't have stopped." Natalie said as her boss Gabriel Agreste carried her down back into the monochrome mansion. 

"I told you that I don't want to put your life in danger." Gabriel said, placing his assistant onto a modern, comfortable chair. "I shouldn't have given you back Catalyst's powers, and I can't let you keep using the Peacock Miraculous. You are too important to myself and my son." Gabriel took the Peacock Miraculous off of Natalie and collapsed in a similar chair not too far from Natalie.

"But surely everything is lost?" Natalie stated, it coming out sounding like a question.

"No." Hawk Moth said, "I know now that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the key to my victory. She is ruled by emotion, and is quickly overpowered by them. For the most part she is a positive girl, but after what Lila has done to her today, Marinette just needs one good push. In fact, I am sure it is her that I almost gave the powers of Chameleon to, the emotional signature is an exact match, I just need to find out how she overcame those emotions and catch her off guard one day soon. Marinette will be one of us I am sure of it. I just need one chance and I am sure Lila will be more than happy to provide it."