#fbsc

Ha–eun leaned against the counter, completely bored out of her mind. She stared at the clock and groaned, 21:00. She stared out the window, her reflection displaying her negative expression. “The store hasn’t had customers in hours!” Ha–eun complained.

“Why am I even working right now? Who’s even coming to get coffee at 21:00 anyway? It’s an hour before closing!” Ha–eun moped and moaned: her hatred for her job blatant.

Ha–eun quickly straightened her posture as soon as a customer entered the store. Ha–eun zoned out meanwhile she stared at the person, she snapped out only after she realized the customer was snapping and waving in her face. 

“Hello?” the person crossed their arms, glaring daggers at Ha–eun. The person was clearly in a rush, their face showing a mix of disbelief and slight amusement. The customer spoke up again, their patience wearing thin. “Hello?! I’m waiting. Aren’t you gonna ask me what I want to order?!” the customer snapped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Ha–eun quickly apologized. She shook her head as she tried to snap back to reality. “Hello, I hope you’re having an amazing summer’s night. Welcome to Gong cha! I’m Ha–eun, I’ll be your waitress today. What can I get started for you?” Ha–eun fidgeted with her apron, her nails scratching at the hems.

The person glanced at the menu, their eyes moving from option to option. Finally, they spoke up – their voice oddly soothing, “A Dalgona coffee, please.” 

“Coming right up.” Ha–eun spoke irritably with forced enthusiasm. She flashed the customer the fakest smile that she’d ever given anyone before — after all, she was drained emotionally and physically and couldn’t filter herself in the slightest. The customer waited for their drink grumpily, tapping their foot impatiently.

“What’s the name for the order?” Ha–eun questioned, her eyes not diverting from the coffee cup in her hands. The cup was hot, but Ha–eun barely acknowledged it, too hyperfixated on the task as she made sure the customer was pleased.

“Gong–ju,” the customer replied; their voice was firm but held an underlying hint of worry. Her eyes flickered from her phone in her hand to Ha–eun’s face with a calculating but oddly comforting gaze.

“I like that name,” Ha–eun complimented so gently that it was almost inaudible. She smiled genuinely this time as she wrote the name ‘Gong-ju’ on the cup of coffee. She finally lifted her head. Her gaze shifted to meet Gong–ju’s. Embarrassed, Ha–eun quickly diverted her gaze away whenever they accidentally made eye contact. Despite her attempt at being subtle, she couldn’t help but steal glances at Gong–ju.

“Thank you, Ha–eun,” Gong–ju smiled appreciatively. She reached out to grab her coffee from Ha–eun, her fingers briefly brushing against hers. “Thank you,” Gong–ju hummed in approval.

“Yeah, no problem. Have a great night!” Ha–eun exclaimed, her palms were clammy and her heart hammed against her chest. She quickly waved to Gong–ju,and her eyes followed as she walked out of the store.

Ha–eun stared at the clock distractedly, she waited for the clock to hit 22:00. As soon as the clock struck 22:00, Ha–eun flipped the sign to ‘CLOSED’. She opened and emptied the cash register and grabbed the cleaning supplies from the broom closet. Ha–eun busted the tables, swept the floors, cleaned the counters, washed the dishes, and took out the trash.

After Ha–eun finished, she changed out of uniform into the clothes that she brought with her to change into. She put her uniform in her locker and turned off the lights, and she quietly locked the door behind her. She let out a great sigh of relief, the weight of being depended on by her employer suddenly lifted off of her shoulders.

 On this particular summer night it was peaceful: the crickets chirped and the breeze blew through her hair. She looked up to see the stars that twinkled above her. She opened her phone and quickly called her roommate to let them know she’ll be home soon.

 Ha–eun took a shortcut through a dark alleyway in the city. As she continued down the alleyway, she caught sight of some men who were leaned against the wall with cigarettes that dangled from their lips. The black-clad men saw Ha–eun and just stared at her, then glanced back at each other. The men walked towards her, Ha–eun sped up. One man grabbed her and pushed her to the ground. 

“What the heck?! That hurt,” Ha–eun shouted in fear, she tried to stand up only to be pushed back down by the perpetrators. Ha–eun’s bravery faded as she realized that there’s no way out. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her confidence gone. “Hey! Let me go!” Ha–eun shouted and her voice broke.

”Look at this beauty. What should we do with her?” a man spoke as he appeared from the darkness of the alleyway. The man had a sick, twisted grin plastered on his face: it unsettled her. The man’s grin grew wider as he witnessed a tear roll down Ha–eun’s cheek. “Are you scared?” the man laughed cruelly. He suddenly darted his hand out to condescendingly wipe the tear that streaked her cheek. 

Another man stepped up, his presence cold and unfriendly. Ha–eun’s eyes flickered to the dagger that dangled from the man’s hand, and her eyes widened. All of a sudden, a random voice broke through the quiet night. “Give her to me,” a voice called from the shadows. Although a voice was heard, nobody was seen — the darkness of night and the shadows obscured the person entirely.

Everyone turned to look towards the direction that the voice had come from. However, one guy shouted, “Come on, dude! What’s your deal?” The leader stepped forward, clearly not too pleased with being interrupted. But as the leader stepped up, the mysterious person appeared from the shadows. Gong-ju?! Ha–eun thought 

Gong-ju walked up to the man, her expression showed clear annoyance with the current situation. “Let her go,” Gong–ju demands, her eyes glared daggers into the men. With the dim incandescence of the streetlights, Ha–eun realized just how dangerous yet protective Gong–ju can really be. She looked up to meet Gong–ju’s gaze: although it was stern, it still held a hint of warmth.

“Why should we? Who are you to tell us what to do, man? Come on, we can handle this!” one of the self-proclaimed ‘gangsters’ shouted. It seemed that the man was defiant and reluctant to give up. He was pretty hostile and definitely not aware.

”I think we could take her,” one of the shorter men within the group suggested, as he grinned wickedly at the worry and fear plastered directly on Ha–eun’s face. Gong–ju rolled up the sleeves of her white button up shirt, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Definitely a good fashion choice. Ha–eun thought as she subtly admired Gong–ju. However, she quickly attempted to shake the thought out of her head. Ha–eun quickly stood up, she pushed the man who was near her away quickly. She quickly ran over to Gong–ju, her legs weak and her knees felt like they were made of rubber.

”Are you going to hurt them?” Ha–eun whispered to Gong–ju, her eyes displayed a hint of fear and excitement. They’ll get what they deserve. Ha–eun thought to herself, clearly proud.

Gong–ju whispered in response, “Do you want me to?” Her eyes showed a hint of worry despite the dangerous situation. Gong–ju turned to look at Ha–eun, her voice firm and gentle, “I won’t do it if you don’t want me to. I promise.”

Ha–eun finally spoke up, her broken voice shattered through the subtle tension between the two. “Honestly,” Ha–eun paused, her eyes fixated on Gong–ju’s, “I could care less.” Ha–eun smirked at Gong–ju, a subtle hint of approval in her gaze despite the dangers.

”You don’t need to tell me twice,” Gong–ju smirked. She took the rubber band off of Ha–eun’s wrist and she put her hair up into a ponytail. Gong–ju smirked at her, “My good luck charm.” Gong–ju lunged at one of the men, effectively disarming him. Ha–eun watched in shock and pride as Gong–ju effortlessly won the fight.

“Gong–ju?” Ha–eun called out shyly. The humid summer’s night had turned chilly. Ha–eun shivered slightly as the cold air blew in her face. “You’re not going to kill them, right?” Ha–eun trembled.

”Obviously not,” Gong–ju growled dismissively as she returned her attention back to the men. The men, bruised and bloody,  apologized and begged for forgiveness. Gong–ju stayed vigilant, her expression stoic and showing no remorse whatsoever.

Ha–eun stood up from her hiding spot and she slowly walked towards Gong–ju. Ha–eun trembled in the dark alleyway, the cold air hitting her face once more. ”Are you almost finished?” she sniffled silently. Her lower lip quivered and tears started to form in her eyes as she witnessed the brutal scene.

Gong–ju stood up from her crouched position over one of the men and she spat on the one directly beneath her with disgust. She had a couple injuries and spots that would definitely bruise by morning, but other than that she seemed fine. Her knuckles, though, were bruised and bleeding and she had blood splattered on her clothes. Although, she seemed completely unbothered as if this were an every day occurrence.

The tall woman walked over to Ha–eun and flashed her a jubilant grin. ”Now I am,” Gong–ju boasted, “enjoy the show?” Ha–eun attempted to be stern, but a small proud smile peeked through, betraying her pride for her. Even though Gong–ju had some dirt and sweat on her face, Ha–eun found it oddly attractive.

Ha–eun finally gave up on her attempt to be stern, and she smiled proudly. ”I didn’t know you could fight like that,” Ha–eun praised in awe, her mouth agape. Gong–ju looked at her, a small chuckle escaping her. “Thank you for saving me,” Ha–eun paused, her expression turning to one of confusion, “but how’d you know that I was here?” Ha–eun’s eyes met Gong–ju’s.

Gong–ju shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “You’ll never know, Ha–eun,” Gong–ju implies mysteriously, using Ha–eun’s real name for the first time. Gong–ju reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Ha–eun’s ear that had fallen into her face. Her touch was gentle despite the previous violence she had previously displayed.

Ha–eun checks her phone—00:00. “It’s getting late,” she frowns, “I should get going, Gong–ju.” Despite her words, she seems reluctant to leave. The wind has now noticeably strengthened, and she’s trembling more violently. 

“Okay,” Gong–ju slipped her bruised and bleeding hands into her pockets, “Have fun.” However, something about her expression makes Ha–eun pause. Her eyes flicker from Gong–ju’s face, to her hands, to her face once again. She starts to walk away, then pauses. Her eyes return back to Gong–ju’s hands then to her phone where the time is displayed.

As she slid her phone in her tote bag, Ha-eun slowly  Gong-ju up and down. Ha-eun stopped at her hands, “Gimme your hands.” 

“Why?” Gong-ju stared down at the girl, her hands rose to her chest protectively. 

“Give. Me. Your. Hands.” Ha-eun grabbed her hands and started to drag the taller woman, “I know I probably shouldn’t bring a random person home, but you helped me. It’s only fair if I help you too.” 

“Are you sure?” Gong-ju questioned, her brows furrowed. Gong-ju never pulled her hand from the smaller woman, instead, she let herself get dragged. She stared at Ha-eun, entranced by the woman. Gong-ju snapped out of her fantasy when she felt Ha-eun stop and pressed a button. 

“So, this is my apartment!” Ha-eun announced as she stepped inside with Gong-ju, “It’s kinda small, but that’s fine.”

Gong-ju glanced around the kitchen, her hands fell to her sides as she looked around the small kitchen. She heard a faint hiss from beside her, forcing her to look down.

“Oh! That’s Kitty!” Ha-eun gasped and cradled her kitten, cooing at the small feline. 

“I don’t think she likes me.” 

“She definitely likes you!” Ha-eun held out Kitty towards Gong-ju. She pet the kitten, getting a hiss and swat from Kitty. Gong-ju hummed. “If you sit down I’ll grab some things to help your cuts n’ stuff.” Ha-eun motioned towards two light pink, fuzzy beanbags in the right corner then left the room. 

Gong-ju sat down on the couch and patiently waited for Ha-eun to return. She glanced around the apartment, her eyes focused on a Hello Kitty plushie that was on a shelf, above a computer that sat on a dark wooden color desk.

“Okay, I'm back,” Ha-eun entered the room. The tall woman watched as the girl sat down next to her and rummaged through the first aid kit. 

Somehow, Adrien Agreste had snuck out of the mansion.

Ok, maybe he was a superhero now, but none of that ever mattered to the eyes-of-a-hawk-Nathalie, who never let him out of her sight.

He kind of felt bad, because his father would probably yell at her and this driver for losing track of Adrien. Oh well, it was her job to keep track of him, and it was his job to act his age, and do what he wanted.

“Adrien! This is so exciting! Your first day of school!” Tikki exclaimed from beside him, taking up a spot near his side as he ran towards the school. He really appreciated Tikki’s company lately, just because she was always so honest and nice with him all the time. In Adrien’s experience, you never really met honest people with good intentions. He could tell that she really did want what was best for him (even though she was a bit hesitant about him running away to begin with), and she was one of the only beings he’d met since his mother’s disappearance that had treated him like a human being.

“Yeah, I'm pretty nervous. You think people will like me?” He answered, giving the kwami a sidelong glance. He continued his light jog towards the school at a steady pace.

“Of course! You're Ladybug, the luckiest guy in the city! Everyone’s going to love you, Adrien.”  

~

The next day, she came to school with the unlucky Miraculous in her satchel. Before she left, she remembered what Plagg said about Ladybug needing Chat Noir to defeat the akuma, so she decided that someone else needed to wield the Miraculous.

Couldn’t be too difficult

Plagg also told her that she was the only one that could wield it, but honestly, if she could wear the miraculous, anyone could. Didn’t seem to matter anymore.

Despite everything that happened in the past day, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to more mundane things. Would she have Chloe Bourgeois in her class for the third year in a row?  With her bad luck, she wouldn't even be surprised. She continued to draw nearer and nearer to her homeroom, and she grew more anxious. She didn’t quite understand why she was nervous, school would probably be just the same as the year before that, and the year before that. Something was different she felt, but she chalked it up to her horrible day yesterday. Marinette reached the door, and took her first step. Her blue eyes flitted across the room, searching. Seeking, she forgot what she was looking for. Even in this typical classroom, she felt abnormal, and out-of-place. She didn’t belong all of sudden. That first step through that door reminded her that she was bestowed a power that she wasn’t strong enough for. It felt as though the entire classes eyes were on her, knowing what she was afraid of, all her darkest secrets. She shifted as if to avoid, and and in her action, her eyes caught Alya’s. She remembered Alya at the stadium during Ladybug and Chat Noir’s appearance, putting herself in danger despite the odds stacked against her. Alya loved superheros; she was kind, forgiving, and dauntless. She would be a great Chat Noir. With that thought, the weight on her shoulders was forgotten, as she stepped with purpose towards her best friend. Of course, that’s what she wanted to do, but the universe seemed to constantly remind her that what she wanted was not what she got. She tripped, and the world spun; Marinette hit the ground hard, for the second time that week.

Blue eyes blinked. She didn’t remember the floor being this warm. Upon further inspection, she saw green eyes and blonde hair beneath her, and she was was frozen as a sense of deja vu overtook her.

“I know I’m new, but I didn’t expect for you to fall for me so quickly.”

Under normal circumstances, she would of been a blushing mess. Don’t get her wrong, but this boy was definatly 1000% her type. But all she could see when she looked down was Ladybug. Her pun loving partner was also kind, and fearless- just like she wanted to be. He was also cocky, just like the green eyes that stared back up at her. She needed to stop staring into his eyes that drew her closer, and she involuntarily rolled her eyes as she stood up.

“Please, I’ve heard better.” She smirked, pushing herself up off the ground and leaving the new kid to openly stare at her. Distancing herself, Marinette took her seat next to Alya. The girl looked at her, completely bewildered by the strange performance on the classroom floor. She deserved a long explanation: “It’s been a long morning.”

“I’ll bet. That new guy you just shot down is Adrien Agreste, the model.”

Marinette stared at Alya. “Are you serious?”

Unbeknownst to Marinette, Alya only stared back, probably wondering what had her in such a mood. In fact, Marinette was so out of it, she didn’t even notice Chloe Bourgeois in the seat across from her.

Figures.

“Oh Adrikins! I’m so glad you’re here at school! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, at now fate has let us see each other every single day!” The girl said, obnoxiously loud. Marinette sat there, quiet as she watched the new kid and Chloe interact. He was obviously uncomfortable about the close contact with the girl on his arm, and his efforts seemed impossible to get her off. Marinette laughed internally; finally, someone with worse luck than her. You’d absolutely have to be the unluckiest person in all of Paris to have Chloe Bourgeois permanently glued to your side.

With a loud rap on the table, the teacher called order to the class, and everyone took their seats. Marinette noticed with a bit of sadness that Adrien, the new kid, took a seat at the back. She thought back to the box stowed away in her bag, and the power of misfortune it carried within. Adrien Agreste was by far one of the luckiest people she knew, and boy, did she know him. He was the son of one of the most renowned fashion designers, Gabriel Agreste, the inspiration for most of her own works of fashion. Though she never paid much attention to the son of her idol, she knew the boy had it all- looks, money, prestige, and of course, friends. But what Marinette saw today was not at all what she thought it would be. Adrien Agreste didn’t seem to have any friends at all despite his popularity. Chloe Bourgeois counts as a negative friend.

Maybe there was someone more misfortune than Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

~

In the middle of roll call, an entire wall of the classroom was removed.

Immediately, Adrien knew that Stoneheart was back, just as Tikki explained to him. It was his fault, he wasn’t listening and forgot the very crucial detail of making sure the damn monster didn’t come back again.

In the mass panic of his new class, Adrien stealthily slid out of the room to the bathroom where he could transform. He opened his bag, and looked down at the kwami. “Tikki-”

“Wait, Adrien!” The kwami emerged, waving her small legs frantically.

“Someone dropped this into your bag right when the classroom exploded!”

The small ladybug held up the box of the miraculous, the one he received only a day ago.

“What on earth? How did someone get a hold of this...? He stated, inspecting the box. He opened it, and looking further. There was a note inside, along with a ring.

Chat Noir

The note didn't say anything else, leaving only questions, with no answers. Did Chat Noir know who Ladybug really was? That wasn’t even the most confusing question, why would Chat Noir give Ladybug her Miraculous? According to Tikki, Ladybug and Chat Noir could only defeat the akuma together. He looked to his small kwami, and she wore a similar expression of worry.

“This can’t be good.”

~

It seemed that giving away the Miraculous was already doing wonders for her luck, because Marinette made it out of the classroom unscaved(which in of itself was truely miraculous). She wasn’t quite sure where to take cover, and with Alya running around like a hooligan in the dangerous streets of Paris, she decided to try to get as far away from Stoneheart as possible, and headed out of the school and away from her Bakery.

What she quickly forgot was that there was, in fact, more than one Stoneheart now (no thanks to her). Multiple Stonehearts were patrolling the streets, searching for something, and instead spotted her. She quickly turned heel into a nearby shop, as the minions took on a frightening speed in her direction.

Taking cover behind a wall, she fought hard to quiet her heavy breathing as the Stonehearts poked their heads into the small shop, searching. All was quiet, and the silence that embraced the room was deafening. She heard retreating thunderous footsteps, and she waited a moment before taking a heavy gasp of air. Just as she thought she was in the clear, a stone hand punched through the wall next to her and caught her around her midsection.

“MYLEEENEEE”

She was forced out into the open as the minion Stonehearts hand felt as if it were crushing her. The air she had just breathed in startlingly left her like a deflating balloon, and she was left tired and disoriented.

God dammit.

If she was Chat Noir right now, this probably wouldn’t hurt as bad, or feel as scary. But she locked Plagg back in the box he came in, and now she was all of the above.

Marinette Dupain Cheng had no one to blame but herself, as the stone monster flung her down the Parisian street way.

She closed her eyes, and let her body fall limp. Now, it was probably up to Chat Noir to save her.

Before she felt the burning of terminal velocity pavement, she felt two strong arms wrap around her. If it was Ladybug, she was going to fucking kill…

It was Ladybug.

Because of physics, they were both now traveling at terminal velocity, but now they were headed straight towards a large factory window. Glass shattered, as Ladybug took the brunt of the impact and they tumbled to the concrete floor.

She glared at her captor. If she had hit the pavement, at least she wouldn’t have been the damsel in distress.

Ladybug slowly rose, and she noticed several things from her position on the floor that she had no desire to get up from. His face was bleeding (Glass is sharp. Was she bleeding too?) and his arm hung limply at his side in pain. The last thing Marinette noticed was the five Stonehearts forcing their way into the factory, and the last last thing she noticed was the green backpack with a small box inside it.

Did Ladybug take Adrien’s backpack? How did Ladybug know she gave away her Miraculous?

Questions became irrelevant, as two Stonehearts seemed to travel at inhuman speeds towards the duo. Ladybug took up a defensive stance, or, well, as defensive as one could be with a broken arm.

“Marinette! Get out of here!”

Ladybug screamed, facing the danger head on.

It didn’t even matter that Ladybug had a broken arm, or that he was bleeding red so dark it matched his red suit. Ladybug had a broken arm, blood in his eyes, and no partner, and he was still fighting, still trying to protect Paris.

Was that a hero was? Someone who fought, no matter the odds, no matter the stakes? With all hopes of Paris upon his shoulders, he did not fall. Ladybug was not afraid.

“WHERE IS MYLENE?? WE KNOW YOU HAVE HER SOMEWHERE….. LADYBUG!”

“She clearly ran away when she saw your ugly mug, brick head. Why don’t you go pick on someone your own size, like the Eiffel Tower?”

The first Stoneheart swung at Ladybug, and he easily dodged. The second fainted, but the third came from behind, landing a solid hit before Ladybug could block with his yo-yo. Ladybug crumpled like paper meters away from her; his arm broken, his body tired. His yo-yo skidded off to god knows where, and he made eye contact with the startled eyes.

Marinette was wrong, Ladybug wasn’t fearless. In his deep green eyes, she saw what he was afraid of, she saw his pain. Maybe they were the same, maybe they were different. His eyes screamed at her to run as his mouth moved wordlessly, and that's when she felt something in her heart break.

She still didn’t know what it meant to be a real hero of Paris, and she was afraid of how it would change her life. But in that sharp moment, a lifetime; when a Stoneheart was closing in and Ladybug just kept looking at her, like he could see past her skin and view what lay underneath; she knew she could no longer sit by and wait for someone else.

In one fluid, effortless motion she reached for the bag and threw open the all too familiar box.