#lenoreofraven

He swallowed his anger though, instead focusing on his friend.

“Do you want to go home?”

“I’ve missed too many classes already.”

They fell into silence again. After a moment, Adrien put a hand on Marinette’s back and started rubbing it in small circles.

It had been two horrible weeks. Every day, no matter how careful they were, Marinette somehow ingested gluten and spent the rest of the day in agony, with painful abdominal cramps, headaches, and fatigue. According to Marinette, Lila and Alya had confronted her about refusing to eat some snacks that Lila brought. When Marinette tried to explain her gluten allergy, Lila accused her of making it up and started crying. After that, everything had gone downhill. Even after seeing Marinette in pain for days, the rest of the class refused to believe that her allergy was real.

Adrien was sick of it. Seeing his friend in so much physical and emotional pain made him sick to his stomach. But as always, he shoved his anger and frustration deep down in his heart.

“Did you say disposable fork?” He asked suddenly.

“Yeah,” Marinette croaked out, “For my chicken.”

“Where’d you get the fork from?”

“Cafeteria kitchen. New container.” Marinette was too tired from the pain to talk in full sentences.

Adrien stifled a gasp. Earlier that day, he had seen Lila and Alya charming one of the kitchen staff. And messing with one of the fork containers.

“They wouldn’t,” he breathed.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” He stood up slowly. “You should really go home Marinette. There’s only one more hour left and you look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

Marinette looked up at him, about to protest, but then nodded. Adrien gritted his teeth. If she had agreed that quickly it must be really bad.

After sending Marinette home in his limo, Adrien went on the hunt. His target: Alya, Marinette’s supposed ‘best friend’. He found her in the courtyard, about to head back to class.

“Alya.” His voice was deadly quiet.

She barely spared him a glance. “What’s up, Adrien?”

“Please tell me you haven’t been poisoning Marinette.”

Alya made eye contact nervously, but said nothing.

“Alya.” Adrien desperately tried to remain calm, but his eyesight was blurring with...anger? Tears?

Alya looked vaguely scared for a second, then steeled her gaze. “No. We haven’t. Because Marinette is just trying to get attention.”

Adrien opened his mouth, but was interrupted.

“Don’t deny it!” Alya’s voice was growing stronger, “You and I both know that Marinette is jealous of Lila. She can’t handle the fact that people like Lila better than her. So now she’s made up some allergy and we’re just proving that she’s making it all up!” Her stance held a virtuous anger that made it hard for Adrien to keep pretending that he was keeping it together.

“She’s not making it up,” Adrien was getting louder too. “What you’re doing is really hurting her.”

No remorse showed in Alya’s eyes. “I’ve given her so many chances to apologize to Lila,” she said angrily. “Marinette deserves to have her lies about an allergy exposed. And you’ll see!”

As tears started rolling down Adrien’s cheeks, he couldn’t stop picturing Marinette, curled up by the bathroom, in obvious pain, without her ‘bestie’ by her side. It was this image that finally made him snap.

“LILA IS THE LIAR!” he screamed in Alya’s face, “AND YOU’RE AN IDIOT FOR NOT SEEING THAT!”

Alya had almost fallen down from the shock of seeing Adrien Agreste lose his precious cool. She backed up against the railing, her mouth open.

Adrien wasn’t done. He wasn’t shouting anymore, but he did not lose any intensity or anger. “You have been poisoning Marinette with gluten for two weeks, ignoring her pain and suffering, taking orders from a compulsive liar, and you still dare to pretend that you’re a good person?! Your evilness and stupidity amazes me!”

Turning on his heel, Adrien ran away. He brushed at the hot tears on his face and ignored whatever Alya was trying to say behind him. He didn’t stop running until he was at least a block away from the school.

Adrien bit his fist, choking down tears. He didn’t notice the dark purple butterfly until it was too late.

“Hello…” the voice in his head paused as if in surprise before continuing, “Hello, Vengeance. I am Hawk Moth. I can give you the power to protect your loved ones and stop those who dare to hurt them. In return, I nee-”

Confused civilians ran rampant throughout the street. Every so often a beam of red light would shoot out from a rooftop across the street. When it hit a civilian near Marinette, she paid close attention. What was this akuma’s power?

But nothing happened. After a short scream, the man who had been hit looked around in confusion. He patted himself down, finding nothing wrong.

“Innocent,” proclaimed a booming voice from the rooftop that the beam of light had come out of. “You have done no wrong to Marinette. Go in peace.”

Marinette started at the sound of her name, but continued her surveillance. Once it was apparent that nothing was about to happen to him, the civilian ran away.

Another beam of red light shot down from the rooftop. This time, when it hit a figure in the distance, they immediately fell down, clutching their left arm and screaming in pain. Marinette squinted, trying to recognize the civilian hit. She moved closer and the form of her classmate Ivan Bruel became clear. Although Ivan looked to be in great pain, Marinette hesitated to go to him before she was able to find out the akuma’s powers.

“Guilty!” the voice called out. “You are responsible for breaking Marinette’s arm 2 years ago.”

“It was an accident,” Ivan yelled through his tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt her!”

“Irrelevant!” the voice said angrily, “You need to be punished. You need to feel the suffering you inflicted on Marinette. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!”

With a wince, Marinette remembered that day, two years ago. It had definitely been an accident. Ivan had bumped her at the top of the stairs at the school entrance and she had fallen down them, breaking her left arm in the process. He had felt terrible and had brought her chocolate every day for weeks while she healed. He did not deserve to have his arm broken in return.

A red and black figure jumped from the opposite rooftop, moving too fast for Marinette to consider following. Her stomach still hurt and there was Ivan to attend to.

She let herself down onto the street and approached Ivan. He was crying in pain and Marinette’s heart went out to him. The Miraculous Cure would eventually fix his wounds, but in the meantime there was nothing Ladybug could do. She went to him anyway.

Brushing the hair out of his eyes softly, Marinette said, “It’s going to be okay.” He looked up at her. She continued, “I’m going to go defeat the akuma now. You’ll be okay soon.” She gave him her best smile.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

Marinette frowned. She wanted to comfort Ivan more, but there was an akuma to deal with. Ignoring her protesting headache, Marinette swung down the street in pursuit of the red and black figure.

…

As soon as the TV announced another akuma attack, Alya had grabbed her phone and rushed outside, hoping to catch the upcoming fight as it happened. She ran in the direction of the last reported akuma activity, which was only three blocks away. As she ran, she opened her phone and began recording herself, uploading it live.

“Hello, Paris!” she grinned at her phone. “Alya here, coming to you live on the way to a current akuma attack. No sign of Ladybug or Chat Noir yet, but stay tuned! This reporter will be on the scene in mo--Aaagh!”

Alya tripped, phone flying out of her hands, as a boy in black and red ran into her. She fell onto the ground, scraping her palms and knees on the asphalt. She looked up, seeing a blurry figure. Her glasses must have fallen off when she was hit.

“Alya Cėsaire,” the black and red smudge said.

Her heart was beating wildly. Alya scrambled for her glasses, but found her phone instead. “Yes?” she answered bravely, holding up the phone, which was still streaming, “You’re on air. Do you mind getting interviewed for the Ladyblog?”

The akuma laughed coldly, “Fine. I’ll take this time to tell all of your followers about your heinous actions.”

“Excuse me?” Alya asked, barely keeping her voice from trembling. Her left hand finally found her glasses on the ground beside her. The glasses shook as she put them on her face.

Before her stood Hawkmoth’s newest akumatized victim. His skin was ashen gray, but everything else was either red or black. Sharp spikes stood on his shoulders and a stylized red eye was printed the front of his black shirt.

Even though his hair was coal black and almost everything about his appearance was different, Alya immediately recognized him.

“Adrien,” she breathed.

The akuma ignored her, instead continuing his rant to the camera. “This girl has been poisoning her best friend for two weeks. She has deliberately tainted food and utensils with gluten, which her friend is allergic to. Because of your leader’s deliberate actions, Marinette has been in pain for weeks.” His red eyes flickered to hers and she winced at his disdainful glance.

“That’s….” her hands and feet stung from the road rash, but she continued, “that’s not true.”

“It is!” Vengeance’s voice seemed to be magnified in his rage. He raised an arm, which had a blaster attached to the wrist. “And now you will be punished for your evil actions.”

Alya closed her eyes tight.

TWANG!

Her eyes flew open to see Vengeance knocked to the ground and Ladybug standing beside her, a grim look on her face.

“Get up,” Ladybug said to her. “Go, now!”

Alya scrambled to her feet, checked to make sure her phone was still streaming, then ran away from the action. Not too far away though. She turned back to watch.

Vengeance did not stay on the ground for long. Soon, he and Ladybug were locked in battle. Skillfully, Ladybug dodged or blocked every beam of light that Vengeance shot at her. Unfortunately Vengeance was light on his feet too and was able to stay away from Ladybug’s yoyo and grasping hands.

Alya gleefully recorded all of it, hiding behind a park bench.

“Ladybug saved me once again!” she whispered to her phone. “No sign of Chat yet, and Ladybug hasn’t used her Lucky Charm. For those just joining us--”