devotea:

Inspired by @lunian, the Chameleon episode, and all the ml salt post I’ve read.

Long post, also can be read at https://archiveofourown.org/works/16816222

Enjoy (+I’m sorry in advance, bc this is the first fic I’ve posted on AO3 or Tumblr)

This was supposed to be a normal day, Marinette would go to school, maybe late, sit down next to Alya, get through the day, fighting in her head about her recently developing feelings for her pun-loving partner and the ones for the boy sitting in the row before her. Apparently, Marinette’s mind was finding it hard to keep her obsessive crush on the boy after he indirectly rejected her by telling her about Kagami, but she still deeply cared for him no matter how irrational it might be.

‘Was supposed to’ are the key words here. It was hard to wake up, as per usual. Her routine left her with little time to get to school on time. She rushed down the stairs kissed her maman and papa on their cheeks, simultaneously snatching a croissant form the table. She took a bite after walking out the front door and checked the time. Her eyes widened at the digits on the clock. She would have to run or she would definitely be late, with the croissant still in her mouth, she started her jog to the building. She made it to lycee just a minute before class.

Walking into the classroom, she noticed the different seating arrangement. Two empty seats, in the back, one next to Adrien. Her gaze flicked up to look at her best friend sitting next to Nino. “How did you pull this off Alya? You’re the best!” She whisper-yelled to the brunette. The eyes under the glasses looked at her confused. “I can’t believe you got everyone to switch seats so I can sit next to Adrien.” Marinette continued. She quickly got off topic to babble about her future with Adrien. Alya stopped her rambling to burst her bubble. The seat wasn’t for her, it was for Lila and she was supposed to sit at the back.

Marinette couldn’t believe it, the whole class rearranged seats and put her at the back, alone, so far away from her bestie, from all of her friends. She just could not comprehend why they would just outcast her like that just overnight basically. Madame Bustier reintroduced Lila to the class and explained that the Italian girl needed to sit in the front because of a disease that Marinette wasn’t even sure existed. Lila was a liar, so whatever she said, Marinette came to second-guess. She could help to feel bad for the girl though, if that really was the case.

When she greeted her with blowing kissed, Marinette was a bit annoyed to say the least. “You have a hearing issue, Lila?” She questioned, arms crossed. Lila went on explaining her condition and Marinette lost track of the circumstances halfway through her explaining. However, she caught Lila saying that she saved Jagged Stone’s kitten. “Isn’t Jagged Stone’s pet a crocodile?” She smirked at the tanned girl. Then Lila responded with an excuse that was probably more made up than the lies, because this was on the spot.

When Lila leaned closer to Adrien to ask him for help with catching up with schoolwork, Marinette was stunned into silence for a moment. A split second after the brunette finished speaking, she burst out of frustration.“Madame Bustier, why do I have to sit at the back now?” She thought it so unfair to her.

“Do you have a problem with seeing or hearing, Marinette?” She couldn’t argue with that one. If Lila’s hearing was impaired it would be only right to let her sit at the front. Adrien interfered before she could respond coherently. Lila and her stopped him from voluntarily sitting in the back row. At least they agreed on that.

Lila then proceeded to voice her self-pity. She worded it in such a way that even she felt bad for her and wanted to be angry with herself. The whole class gasped and she could see the looks on her faces, at least the ones before her. Mylene, Alya, Nino, even Adrien stared at her with furrowed brows. Madam Bustier settled the case with her having to leave for her new seat. Then she suddenly remembered how manipulative she had been as Volpina. She walked back to the desk at the back. She still couldn’t begin to understand the reasons behind Lila’s actions. How she used the image of Adrien to get Ladybug, Marinette to give up her earrings. She would have done so if it weren’t for Chat Noir.  

Madame Bustier clapped her hands to start the lesson. Marinette sighed, the tension from seconds before leaving her. Her kitty wouldn’t want her to be upset. He would probably try to cheer her up with god-awful puns that she enjoyed. She’d never let him know, because then he would get insufferable with that information, but she still laughed when she remembered one of his lines from the fights, alone in her room. Tikki would then ask her if she was okay, and she would nod with a smile gracing her features.

“My lady, are you a baker’s daughter? Because I find you a-dough-rable.”

She smiled at the memory. She had been so terrified that he figured out her secret identity, but the remembered that the akuma was a waiter at a restaurant, who tried to tell a costumer that they in fact didn’t sell doughnuts, but the person just wouldn’t get it. The akuma got its prey after the costumer asked for the manager. After that akuma, Marinette had been fairly convinced that she would avoid being a waitress if she could, later realizing after a few days that she often helps out at the bakery’s counter and never once had an incident like that. Then again, they do sell doughnuts.

Doughnuts weren’t on the menu when her class was dismissed for lunch, despite the fact that Marinette craved one desperately. Instead she had to witness Kim handing Lila her dessert as if she was a princess. She ranted to Alya about the unfairness of it all, and all the lies the Italian made up.  

“I don’t get it, Marinette, you barely know Lila, why the hate?” Her best friend said. While it was true that Marinette didn’t get a chance to interact with Lila the first time she came to school, Ladybug did, and that side of Marinette wouldn’t fall for the LiLIES. She dragged Nino and Alya to a different table than Lila’s. She spilled the tea, she told them she had followed Lila and Adrien, and how she lied to him. Before she could tell them about Ladybug calling her bluff, Nino butted in. “Whoa, you eavesdropped on Lila and Adrien, that’s not cool.” Marinette was getting irrita-

“A good reporter always verifies their sources. Can you prove she doesn’t actually know Ladybug?” Marinette was taken aback, her best friend, or so she thought, didn’t believe her. She couldn’t tell them she saw Ladybug, they wouldn’t believe her word, if their previous attitude was anything to go b, but she had to prove it somehow. So she threw a napkin at Lila after telling her she forgot it. Lila caught it in her hand and then Marinette pointed out that she wouldn’t be able to do that with a sprained wrist. Lila put her best act on and pretended that it hurt, she even tried to give Marinette an out by saying that she only wanted to pass her the napkin. Everyone pitied her.

Marinette stormed out of the cafeteria, she was fuming with injustice. How could everyone just fall for her Italian charm or whatever it was that Lila had? She faintly heard Chloe’s voice after she left, assumed it was another insult and left for the bathroom.

Meanwhile that was happening. Chloe stood up in the cafeteria. “Wow, can you guys get any more stupid?” The Lila circle just stared at her. “What are you talking about Chloe?” Kim replied, confused. Chloe stared at them in disbelief, surely some of them noticed. Hell, Max was dubbed the smartest guy in their class, maybe they should change that.

“The trajectory of that napkin wasn’t even going for Max, besides that ball was made of thin tissue paper, I don’t know how rough the napkins you saw in India were, but that one would barely injure a fly. Even if that wasn’t enough, Max wears glasses, the ball just would have bounced off even if it somehow miraculously hit him.” She chuckled inside at her pun.  

“Shut it Chloe, stop being rude.” Alya cut in. Chloe actually laughed at that one. “You call yourself a reporter? You can’t even tell an insult and constructive criticism apart.” Chloe commented. Alya looked as if she was to say something, but Chloe wasn’t about to let her.  “I shouldn’t be surprised. If you can’t be loyal to one person how can you be loyal to the truth?” She added.

“What do you mean, Chloe?” Nino asked. “What do you know about being loyal with treating Sabrina like that?” Alya shot back. Chloe just rolled her eyes. The incident with the Bee miraculous opened her eyes so much that she couldn’t believe how blind these people were.

“Sabrina knows how our friendship works, you, on the other hand, I’m not even sure if you know how the concept works. Marinette is your friend, you might even call her your best friend, and you still take the new girl’s word over hers? Everyone knows you should give the people you trust the benefit of the doubt.” She took a breath.

“Jagged Stone has never had a cat when staying in Daddy’s hotel, Prince Ali never mentioned Lila once in our conversations during his stay, and I presume he also didn’t talk about her to you, Rose?” She questioned the smaller blonde. Who looked at Lila and shook her head.

While Chloe went on debunking all of Lila’s claim there was a big problem in the girls’ bathroom. Marinette wanted to scream her lungs out and Tikki tried to calm her as an akuma drew nearer to her. “Marinette, Hawkmoth can only akumatize the people if they think there is no other way!” She called out to her. “You always come up with solutions to a problem.” She pressed on. “You’re right Tikki. I’m confident, I’m strong I’m Marinette.” She exclaimed. She walked out of the stall. Just as Lila came in.

The confrontation started out with faked sincerity and concern on Lila’s part, but ended with the Italian showing her true colors and threatening Marinette. She seethed with anger at the brunette, everyone seemed against her already. She already almost succeeded with her plan of ruining Mari’s life and who knows who else’s. There was no way she could call her out on her lies alone, and she was alone in this.

Tikki screaming brought her back to reality and she pointed to Marinette’s left where an akuma was dangerously close to her. She covered her ears with her hands so the earrings wouldn’t get possessed. The akuma settled for the bracelet on her wrist. The rest had been a blur.

The lie-exposing session ended when Lila ran out of the room. Everyone assumed it was because of all the insults Chloe was throwing her way, but the blonde knew better. She knew it was because the Italian saw the rest of the class catching on and she needed time to think of how to get out of that situation. She smirked and turned to leave the cafeteria and go look for Adrien. As she walked out, she saw Lila walk out of the girl’s bathroom with a self-satisfied smirk stretched across her face.

Shoot, Marinette. She should have known that the vixen would not leave her alone. Of course, Chloe didn’t care much about Marinette, but she didn’t want another akuma attack or she would be late for her hair appointment today. As she was about to reach for the door to the bathroom, it burst open and out emerged a girl.

Her skin was pearlescent white, her jet-black hair in a bun atop her hair, adorned with what looked like beads on a string. She was dressed in black leggings that stretched over her knees, and on top of them a slightly victorianesque short pink dress with. The top had short puffy sleeves, intricate detailing and had a necktie similar to one of a judge. Her shoes were plain and her arms were completely black, with a pink ribbon wrapped around the length on her hands until they flared out and moved against the laws of gravity, presumably being controlled by the akumatized girl.

Everyone ran in the other direction, but Adrien just stared. This girl was his friend. She was the first one he had made at the school, he earned her friendship, and now, she was standing on the other side of the schoolyard with a feigned ignorant expression.

“Why are you screaming? There’s no need for it.” She said in the same sweet voice she always had. She was still there, it was still Marinette, and Adrien needed to find a place to transform. He ran into one of the now vacant classrooms and quickly called for his transformation.

When he emerged, he was met with the sight of Marinette talking to tied up Lila, while the tanned girl was hoisted up into the air by the akuma’s ribbons. “Let go of her, Marinette!” Chat Noir yelled. She turned her head around and looked at him through her visor. “Look at what the cat dragged in.” She smiled sinisterly and turned her whole body towards him. He tried not to focus on the fact that a pun was her first reaction. She walked slowly in his direction, Lila floating behind her, carried along with the ribbons. “Let her go.” Chat repeated when Marinette was in hearing distance. “Not until everyone hears the truth, Kitty.” She replied in her sweet voice as she came closer to him. “Marinette, please, it’s not you. You can still go back.” He tried to convince her to relinquish her powers, he’d seen Ladybug do it to other akuma victims. Speaking of, where was his partner? His thoughts were cut off by Marinette’s voice.

“I’m not Marinette. I’m La Justice, and I will make sure that every action has its consequence.” She was now two steps away from Chat. He could sense her determination and if that was anything to go by, she wouldn’t be backing down from the fight. The look in her eyes spoke volumes, she maintained eye contact her gaze unyielding as he tried to look his way through to her real self. In the end he gave up on trying to get her back onto the good side. He still kept their eye contact as he reached for his baton at his back. As he was about to bring it out to fight, he felt himself being hoisted up into the air by his ankle and being thrown at the nearest wall. It hurt.

While he was still trying to recover from the impact, Alya ran in front of him to protect him. “We’re so sorry, Marinette. But, please, stop it, it’s not worth it!” The horror and panic visible on her face as she talked to her now akumatized best friend. The pink eyes of La Justice widened a bit before gleaming with amusement, her brows listed upwards, a look of pity on her face. “Oh, Alya, justice is worth everything.”