#ml fu

“Is there a problem?” I ask the exasperated girl, watching her turn to blondie.

“That’s my seat.” Is this brat serious?

“But Chloé, this has always been my seat.”

“Not anymore! A new class, new year, new seats!” A smaller girl jumps out from behind this Chloé and sneers at Marinette, but it seems more innocent as if she was just copying the other girl.

“Listen, if you want to sit in the second row so much, why not just sit on the other side?” I try to reason, but I instantly knew I was wasting my breath as the blond pushed her face into Marinette’s.

“So why don’t you just go and sit beside that new girl over there?” She points over to a girl sitting on the first row who perked up at the mention. What am I chopped liver?! “Listen. Adrien’s arriving today, and since that’s going to be his seat, this is going to be my seat. Get it?”

“Who’s Adrien?” As soon as the question left both Marinette’s and my own mouths, the self-entitled brat finally acknowledged my existence. She glared but the two of them laughed at the two of us.

“Can you believe they don’t know who Adrien is? What rocks have you been living under?”

“He’s only a famous Model.” The small girl butted in, being pushed aside by Chloé as if trying to take the full spotlight.

“And I am his best friend. He adores me!”

“So?” I couldn’t stop the word leaving me, great…

“What did you say?” She looked offended at my interruption.

“If this guy is your friend and sweetheart, wouldn’t it be better to sit next to him? Also, if this guy is new, he should be here sooner to choose his seat, you don’t get to chose for him. Another thing, what’s stopping you from sitting on the rows behind you or across the way? Just cause the guy’s famous, shouldn’t mean he gets special treatment.” All three girl’s eyes bulge out at me, did I say something wrong?

“You! Do you know who I am?!” She screeches at me.

“No.” My voice was as emotionless as my face. This brat needs to chill.

“Grrr… Oh just get lost loser! Go on, move!” She shoos us away.

I’m about to lose it, then the girl from before marches up to us, glaring through her glasses at the two girls. “Hey! Who elected you Queen of Seats?” I nodded in agreement with the dark-haired girl, but Chloé didn’t look perturbed by the girl’s interruption.

“Oh, look Sabrina! We’ve got a little do-gooder in our class this year. What are you gonna do, super newbie? Shoot beams at me with your glasses?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know. Come on.” She grabs Marinette by the hand as she walks away, but Marinette didn’t expect the sudden pull and tripped, her box of macarons flying into the air once again this morning, I step forward…

“Sorry, sorry, sorry… huh?” Marinette’s voice soft but breaking, looking for the box but confused when she couldn’t see it on the floor.

“Looking for these?” I offer her the box once again with a small smile after catching it. She looked at me in awe. “I caught them, but I think I might have crushed some when I grabbed it, sorry for being heavy-handed, I thought it would be better than the floor.” She opened the box.

“Oh no, thank you. I little cracked but still edible and way better than all over the floor. Do you want to sit with us, Alice?”

“Ah, no I’m good, I think I’ll sit at the back. Good napping spot.” I laugh, she giggled back and nodded following the dark-haired girl to the front. Miss Bustier clapped getting everyone’s attention.

“Has everyone found a seat?” Damn, guess I’ll have to ask her for details about the school after class.

I take my seat at the back, getting my notebook out. Fu’s lucky I always have notebooks at the ready or this would have been super awkward. I glance at the class from my seat, everyone finding a seat while chatting to their friends, yup… apart from that girl who’s sitting with Marinette and this Adrien kid, everyone knows each other, great. Miss Bustier once again gathers everyone’s attention.

“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Miss Bustier. I’ll be your teacher this year. I also want to introduce two other students who have enrolled this year. Alya, Alice? Would you like to introduce yourselves?” She smiles sweetly at the class and I stifled a groan, I really don’t want to. The dark-haired girl from before stands up with a confident stance.

“I’m Alya Césaire, hope we get along from now on!” I sigh, getting up to join her.

“Hello, I’m Alice Wattson. Nice to meet you…” I dwindle off on my introduction, feeling uncomfortable at the stares.

“Okay then everyone! Let’s get started!” Miss Bustier claps again, I feel like that’s gonna get old quick. I sit down, but I notice Chloé at the front stressing over the seat in front of her, looking worried.

By the end of class, I am cursing Fu and Eva to their apparently non-existent graves. I hated high school the first time, but this is worse! I feel my brain cells being attacked by the teacher’s naive positivity. The bell rings and everyone starts packing up. “Those of you who have P.E, Mr D’Argencourt is expecting you at the stadium. The rest of you can head over to the library.” I sigh once again, maybe that will be my thing, sighing and sarcastic comments might make this a bit more bearable. I look in front of me and see an athletic-looking guy with a dumb smirk on his face obviously bothering a large intimidating boy in black, trying to get a reaction out of him, something he had been doing throughout the class.

“Kim!” The larger boy yelled, glaring at the boy as he stood up clenching his fists, at the dumb-faced boy, Kim.

“Ivan, what is going on?” Miss Bustier glanced at the two concerned.

“It’s Kim! He... I’m so gonna get…” Ivan struggled to articulate his words, trying to hold his anger.

“Ivan, go to the principal’s office.” What?! Ivan looks surprised but doesn’t say anything, he just walks away in angry silence.

I run up to Miss Bustier, confused at her actions. “Miss, why send Ivan, it was obviously not his fault?!”

“Now, now Alice, calm down. Ivan lashed out, it’s only natural for him to be punished, I understand things may be different in England, but don’t worry I know what I’m doing.” What kind of logic is that?!

“But he wouldn’t have lashed out if you told Kim to st- “

“Here’s your class schedule, you’re in study hall next, it's in the library. I hope you enjoy your time here; I’ll see you in our literature class.” She ignored my protest and walked away, I was about to protest but then something felt wrong… not just the injustice that had happened… something sinister, something that made me feel sick to my core.

I walk into the library and see Marinette chatting to Alya, she spots me and calls me over with a wave. I resign myself to hanging out with these girls, at least I found some nice people to make friends with while I’m here. The feeling from before was getting worse but I covered it with a nervous laugh as I walk over. As Marinette introduces me to her new friend a shooting pain shot through me accompanied by a voice. ‘Free him…’ What was that? Marinette and Alya look at me in worry but as they were about to speak, the building shook, knocking almost everyone to the ground. The library security monitor showed areas of the school like it usually would, however, something very odd was in front of the principle’s office… was that a stone giant?! ‘Akuma…’ The voice echoed in my mind; the word was familiar despite never hearing it before. Don’t tell me… is this the work of a Miraculous?! Alya gasps about to bolt to the door “Come on!” She funnels everyone out of the library, till she sees the monitor.

“KIMMMM!” The giant screamed, his voice ringing a bell in my head. Ivan?

“What’s going on? He had Ivan’s voice?” Marinette fretted.

“It’s as if he’s transformed into a real-life supervillain! GPS, check. Battery, check. I am so outta here!” Alya cheered with no fear in her eyes. Don’t tell me she’s gonna do what I think she’s gonna do? No one can be that stupid… right?

“Wait for a second, Alya!”

“Hey! Where are you going?!” Marinette panicked.

“Where there’s a supervillain, there’s always a superhero close behind! No way I’m missing this!” She shouts back, running out the door, leaving both of us behind. Yup this girl has no self-preservation instinct… I notice that Ivan had moved from inside the school and to the streets outside, he picks up a car and throws it towards the camera causing the footage to cut off.

“KIM!” Marinette looks at me and we both wince.

“So, school’s out… would you like to come to my parent’s bakery and wait this out?” She looks at me worried I might chase after Ivan just like Alya; do I look like I’m stupid enough to run to my death? I mean, I am gonna go after Ivan but still, it’s not like I want to, someone has to watch over the Miraculous! Wait… the Miraculous! I need to find Fu!

“Sorry Marinette, I need to find my mum’s friend, you know the man from this morning? Gotta… make sure he’s safe!” I feel bad for lying to her, but it’s not too much of a lie. She nods but still looks worried. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

As I run back to the massage parlour, I notice a tv in a window showing the news. A shot of the police surrounding Ivan ready to shoot him, what the hell? Crap! He’s gonna get hurt!

“Ready? Fire!” They fire but the bullets bounce off him and a green glow surrounds him as he grows bigger and bigger with each shot. I let out a sigh of relief, but then Ivan throws another car at the police a run-a-way tire hitting one of them in the arm. The screen then changes to a man who seemed to be the mayor of Paris.

“I’m asking all Parisians to stay home until this situation is under control.”

“Mr Bourgeois! Mr Bourgeois!” The news crews clamouring for answers. The screen changes once again, showing a professional-looking woman with vibrant, short, fuchsia hair, interviewing the officer who gave the firing order.

“As incredible as it seems, it’s been confirmed that Paris is indeed being attacked by a supervillain. The police have been struggling to keep the situation under control.”

“Be confident, the strong arm of the law will come crashing down on the… I mean, the other arm.” The officer winces when he raises his arm that was hit earlier, changing to his over to the uninjured arm. I need to find Fu before these idiots escalate things even further!

I rush through the door finding Fu closing the Miraculous box, Wayzz looking doubtfully at the master. “Do you think they’ll be up to it, Master?” No… Don’t tell me… Anger rising up in me.

“I’ve only got it wrong once. It will never happen again. At least I hope not.”

“You’ve chosen the holders?! Without my input?!” What does he think he’s doing? I need to make sure that the Miraculous don’t fall to the wrong hands as the Moth does; I normally would be mildly annoyed at a decision like this, but I could feel the anger rise up from somewhere inside me.

“I had to choose quickly, you’ve seen the results of the Akuma.” He explains like he did the right thing.

“Who.” I demand.

“You shall see in time; it is important that we kee- “

“Who. You will tell me, for it is my responsibility to protect them.” A voice that was unfamiliar to me left my mouth, I felt like I was on autopilot… could it be that man? Fu gasps and looks at me in shame.

He compared this address to the one his parent’s supplied him and shook his head thinking, she must be staying in a hotel. While it was sweet of her to check in somewhere in the heart of the city for his benefit, she didn’t have to go to such lengths. He had no idea why she would choose to stay in such a dangerous city where she was in constant danger of an ‘akuma attack’, not to mention, where she herself had been akumatized.

Felix knew that part of the reason why his parents didn’t accompany him was a missheld belief that somehow sending their own son into danger would make his grandmother want to come back to London.

In no time at all, he arrived at the address his grandmother had provided him and felt no relief when he saw that she was staying in a massage parlor. Honestly, couldn’t she have gotten a real hotel room? Felix thought as he entered the building.

“Hello,” an elderly man with a slight stoop greeted, “How may I assist you today?”

“I believe my Grandmother, a Marianne Lenoir, has booked a room here – I am her grandson, she should be expecting me,” Felix said.

The old man nodded and motioned for Felix to follow him into another room, “Yes, yes, how lucky – she is having a cup of tea with me in the kitchen.”

“Felix, my dear!” his grandmother exclaimed from her seat and poured a cup of tea, “How was the train? I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to pick you up…these old bones, you know?”

Felix accepted the cup and a side hug from his grandmother, “The train-ride was short with no complications.”

Then in a lower voice he said, “Grandmother, you didn’t have to rent a room in Paris – I would have been perfectly happy to stay at the cottage with you.”

Marianne waved her hand dismissively, “Nonsense, there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Felix was startled to notice that the old man had sat down at the table next to his grandmother and held her hand when she placed it on the table.

“As you can see,” Marianne said warmly, “I’m quite happy here with my Fu.”

Felix sat down, hard. In all his imaginings of how his grandmother was doing – and he had to admit, they were few and far between, he had never imagined that his grandmother wanted to stay in Paris because of love.

Stubbornness, sure.

Pride, he wouldn’t put it past her.

But love? That was new.

Marianne’s warm laughter rang out at Felix’s expression, sounding like it belonged on a warm sandy beach. In short, sounding like nothing like the laughter he was used to hearing from her. Marianne cleared her throat to make proper introductions,

“Felix, dear, this is Wang Fu.” The old man inclined his head at Felix, which Felix returned. “He and I were… partners during the war.”

Felix’s curiosity outweighed his discomfort and he took a fortifying sip of his tea, “What happened?”

“Oh…you know,” Marianne took her own sip, “Life was complicated back then. I felt like I was needed in London and Fu…well, he felt that he had to stay in France. But what’s important is that we’ve found one another again.”

“I see,” Felix said, feeling as though his grandmother was leaving something out.

A knock sounded at the door. Felix motioned to Mr. Fu that he would get the door saying “Please, please – let me. It’s the least I can do.”

He opened the door.

“Master Fu, I’m sorry I’m late I–,” the girl seemed to realize that Felix wasn’t Master Fu and promptly turned around apologizing, “Sorry, wrong door.”

Before she could walk away, Felix grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around, “Wait! You have the right address he’s...”

He trailed off. Felix had underestimated how close that spin would have pulled her to him and when he looked down, he found himself staring into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Blushing furiously, he jumped backward as though scalded and avoiding her eyes, jerked a thumb over his shoulder muttering, “Mr. Fu’s in the kitchen.”

~

Hearing the commotion from the kitchen and glimpsing her grandson’s red face, Marianne smiled into her cup of tea and dreamily muttered to herself, “Ah, Paris – the city of love.”

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@felinettenovember

Hope everyone enjoyed! Sorry again for the lateness - I was busy re-writing Part 7 of my NBEHTM story and I have no concept of what time management looks like.

For a part two of sorts to this prompt, please check out