Miraculous! Reversing Spots and Claws (Yuuki_Tatsunohi and Ravenbelle)

[Yuuki_Tatsunohi]

Marcq bent down to pick up the fireworks embarrassed at such a little mishap. While she refused his offer, Marcq wasn't sure if she really didn't want anything or was just being nice. Or if she was even enjoying spending her time here. Her time was valuable; as a model and daughter of one of the most prestige designers in Paris, there may have been others things she could be doing now, better things. Things like eating dinner with celebrities, photo shoots, concerts that he could only dream of going to. Of course, that wasn't really the case, he didn't know. Still, she was with them. He wanted her to enjoy being with everyone, being with Nina, Alec, his parents, him; that being here was worthwhile. He stared at the fireworks in his hands and got an idea.

"H-hey so have you ever lit one of these before?" He started assembling one for the two of them. "It's not as dangerous as y-you think as long as you know w-what you're doing."

Pointing the firework skyward, Marcq planted it in the ground and extended the wick. With the lighter in hand, he lit it up.

"Okay. B-back up!" He pulled Adrianna back, leading her a distance away from the firework. He watched the tiny flame consume the wick and a moment later, the firework was in the sky. With an eye that had become sharper from saving Paris occasionally, Marcq watched the rocket disappear into the night sky then a burst in a shower of bright red.

"N-not bad huh?" he grinned, showing her the other fireworks they could launch. He continued rearranging the fireworks and even let Adrianna light a few. Soon they were joined by Marcq's father and took turns lighting them ("Safety first guys," said Tom. "Remember that") until the fireworks on Marcq and Adrianna's side ran out.

A new song started from Nina's track, one that she personally composed herself.

"Out of all of Nina's mixes, this is one of my favorites," said Alec, bouncing his head to the beat.

"It does make you want to dance a little," Marcq agreed, realizing a second too late he said that out loud.

"Just exactly what I was thinking," laughed Alec. "Well, how about it? I'm not much of a dancer so apologies beforehand if my moves are outrageous."

"Uh, n-no thanks." Marcq frantically waved his hands back and forth. "It-it's not my thing."

"Fine, Mr. Two-Left-Feet. You can go sit there in your little corner while we have fun." Waving at some obscure corner in the distance, he winked at his friend, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Certainly, he wasn't going to do anything to Adrianna, but it was fun teasing Marcq. He was just so helpless it was hilarious. He turned to the blonde girl and extended his hand, playfully bowing. "So, may I have this dance?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Once she'd helped return the fireworks to his hands, she could almost see the lightbulb blink above his head before she met her gaze with those big blue eyes and asked,

"H-hey so have you ever lit one of these before?"

Adrianna shook her head and watched curiously as he began to assemble one on the ground between them. As much as her mom loved them, her family had never lit any on their property. They only ever watched the shows on nights like this. He lit the wick and she gasped softly at the sparks, distracted before he moved her back to watch from a safe distance. Again, her mouth fell into a little 'o' when it took off and burst like a big red balloon in the night sky.

"N-not bad huh?" he grinned,

"Wow.." she smiled with starstruck eyes before they started again, setting off a couple more before he let her light one. A mischievous smile graced her lips knowing her father would despise this most of all as her fingers flicked the lighter on the long wick of the firework, and not just for one firework either!
By the time they'd run out, Adrianna was almost giddy with the excitement of one of her first parties with her friends and so the song Nina played was absolutely perfect for moment. Her best friend was so intuitive with music. She'll be a star one day.

Alec also loved the song and came over to the pair bobbing his head to express as much, to which Marcq agreed with the great idea of dancing to it. She was sure Nina would be overjoyed to see her friends dancing to one of her mixes. Unfortunately, Marcq declined the offer, but Adrianna wouldn't even though she wasn't very good at it either. She felt a little better knowing Alec's outrageous moves would overshadow hers so she could make Nina feel good without feeling too embarrassed about it. Missing Alec's wink to his best friend, Adrianna looked up at Nina wearing her cap backwards and jamming out before quickly turning back to Alec's joking bow and placing her hand delicately in his. "Of course, kind sir."she giggled in a snooty tone with a small curtsy.

"Feel free to join us if you change your mind," she smiled and winked playfully at Marcq over her shoulder as she followed his best friend to the 'dance floor'.

 

[Yuuki_Tatsunohi]

Marcq's eyes widened when he heard Adrianna accept Alec's offer. He watched her curtsy once as if she in a royal ball and take his hand, following him to the space in front of Nina's DJ equipment. Marcq didn't respond to her offer to come with, choosing instead to shove his hands in his pockets. If one were to look closely, they would see his lower lip protruding in a pout. He did sometimes fantasize about dancing with the blonde girl, imagining her in a beautiful, flowing white dress, but that's just that: fantasies. He watched the two of them dance.

Alec wasn't kidding when he said his moves were outrageous. Where on earth did he learn the lawnmower? That sprinkler was terrible. It was so cringey, Marcq couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous those two looked.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who thought they looked dumb. Nina had been watching the two from her place behind her equipment, clutching her sides as she laughed.

"I think you two need some major dance lessons," she laughed. The song ended right there and Nina started searching her computer for a new one. Then a familiar beat started to play.

"Oh! I loved this song as a kid," said Alec, giving a whoop. Marcq had not heard this song in a long time. He chuckled to himself as he started to understand what Nina's joke was.

"Dude, you gotta join us in this one," called Alec.

Marcq shrugged still unsure of joining since he might still look like an idiot.

"I don't know . . ."

"What's there to know? The instructions are practically in the song!"

Alright now, we going to do the basic step; To the left
Take it back now y'all; One hop this time

Alec started dancing, following the moves as they were recited and nudging Adrianna to follow suit. Little ways away, Tom and Sabine watched, laughing along with them. Nina gave a whoop and joined in. Marcq shook his head, astonished at how crazy his friends could be.

"Come on, man, join us," Nina laughed, waving him over.

Marcq blinked. It did look like they were all having a lot of fun. Sure they looked ridiculous doing it, but they didn't seem to care. Plus, standing here on the side felt increasingly awkward and lonely as time went on. Tentatively he took one step forward.

Should I? he asked himself, looking at each friend in turn, landing on Adrianna last. He wasn't really good at dancing; it just wasn't his thing to perform. But if he were to join, would she think of him as a weirdo after this?

 

[Ravenbelle]

Even before she could start to even think of dance moves she'd seen or might try out, Alec distracted her with hilarious ones. Half of what she did in front of her best friend DJ was stand there, doubled over and laughing while Alec made funny faces at her and tried to get Nina to join in and see how long they could keep her giggling going. At some points, Adrianna was sure she would stop and breathe, so she twirled in her dress or swayed while she got her breath back, but then Alec would do something like the disco eyes and get her nearly on the floor laughing again. She didn't know why she was so prone to laughing on this particular night, but she couldn't seem to make it stop.

Eventually, Nina gave into Alec's looks, saying they both needed serious dance lessons before coming down to the beat of a song Adrianna had never heard before. There was a man's voice behind the beat of it though, and after Nina stood beside Alec, it started saying directions that Alec and Nina followed immediately. Adrianna laughed and followed suit, almost tripping when it said to hop and her heel wobbled. She felt like a kid, green eyes shimmering gleefully in the moonlight and looking to Marcq with Nina and Alec convincing him to join in their ridiculous dance song. She'd had no idea how to cha cha real smooth until this night, but everything felt new and exciting regardless. He still seemed hesitant though, so she gave it a shot and smiled wide at him. "Don't worry Marcq, I'm not good at dancing either," she laughed. "But it's really fun once you get started!"

 

[Yuuki_Tatsunohi]

He watched Adrianna dance with their friends, breathless and red in the face. She encouraged him to join in and told him she wasn't very good at dancing as well. True her moves were a little corny but she looked genuinely happy. It was reassuring to know that even if he looks really dumb dancing, Adrianna wouldn't think any less of him as long as they all had fun. His heart swelled as her green eyes sparkled with laughter.

He sighed, shaking his head but smiling as well. Fine. He stepped onto the dance floor, Alec whooped, giving him a space beside Adrianna. Marcq flashed the blonde girl a nervous smile and got into position. Nina restarted the song and everyone followed the steps of the song, Tom and Sabine clapping to the beat while laughing with them.

Eventually, the party came to an end. Nina started packing up her equipment, letting one last song play as a request from Sabine. It was an old son; Marcq recognized it as Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love. A song his parents listened to when they started dancing. He watched Tom and Sabine dance to the song, their expressions filled with the love they have for each other.

A familiar limo pulled up, honking the horn. The window rolled down, showing the burly face of the Agreste driver, the Gorilla.

"G-guess your ride's here." He turned to Adrianna. Marcq recalled at how similar this was to when Adrianna was picked up from the bakery just a few days ago. "I-I know what we have here is not big compared to other local festivals, but I hope you had fun lighting fireworks. It-it was fun hanging out with you again." He looked at the limo, the Gorilla sitting in his seat and watching them. He probably shouldn't keep her any longer than she should be as he didn't want to get her in trouble. Nina bid farewell to her friend. "Well, see you tomorrow."

February 23, 2015​

Early the next day during breakfast, many citizens of Paris received a notification on their phone from their local news app. The notification was titled "Ladybug and Cat Noir: Saviors of Paris or secret harbingers of destruction? By Raoul Skeeter."

When selected, the notification would bring readers to a post with a picture of Coccinellidae and Cat Noir falling off the Eiffel Tower from the night before. The post then read:

The ever popular heroes of Paris might not be as heroic as we all think. Publically, they have saved the city countless times, but what's the real reason why Paris needs saving? When did people start turning into monsters and why is it that Ladybug and Cat Noir always appear in the nick of time to stop them?

Are Ladybug and Cat Noir even human?

In a recent blog post by Alecto Cesaire, the man behind the Ladyblog, he theorizes that the superhero duo are connected to the attacks as a result of an infection called "Akuma." Cesaire states that Ladybug and Cat Noir are not of this world, bringing the disease to Paris and infecting innocent civilians. The duo then go around to fight the infected humans, returning them to normal. It is all theory and based purely on speculation and guesses that comes from the wild mind of a fifteen year-old teenage boy.

Or are they?

It is true that they have saved people, their most notable battles being Stoneheart, Stormy Weather, Mr. Pidgeon, Sir Wifi and most recently, Firebomb. The question hangs in the air: were these people really saved?

Evidence shows us that Ladybug is the only one who can return them to normal, but why? And for what purpose? Can the reverse can be true as well? Is that why Cat Noir is around? Certainly with the evidence shown that it's only the superhero duo (if 'superhero' would be the appropriate term for them now) who can stop them, then we have to conclude that they are also have something to do with the cause.

There is no official word from them as to what causes the Akuma infection. The supers are not an easy pair to catch. Interviews are scarce, as if they want to avoid telling the people of Paris who they really are. Cat Noir seems to be a little more open to sharing, while her partner might have bigger secrets to keep. There are many questions surrounding Ladybug and Cat Noir and very few answers. Paris is relying on a masked duo who hides behind a façade of heroism and fancy tricks to protect their real purpose.

The people of Paris, the people of France, deserve better.


​

At the school Alec had a look so dark it was like a stormy cloud hung around him. Nobody dared to approach him except for Nina, who nervously tried to get him to talk. But the bespectacled boy was just so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't hear anything. He scowled at his tablet, the screen showing a blank blog post for the school blog. He was supposed to make update the blog with a post about the Chinese New Year with the photos he took last night, but the recent article that appeared in his news feed this morning consumed all his thoughts to the point where the words wouldn't flow.

To think that sniveling, low-life, lying journalist would write that.

In hindsight, he probably should not have posted that theory, even with all the disclaimers, warnings and reminders that it was a theory and none of it should be taken seriously. He never meant for it to grow this big, it wasn't even meant to be taken seriously. And yet, here it was, a trending topic with his name attached all because of that bug.

Nina sighed, giving up on trying to talk to her friend. Marcq wasn't around but maybe he could get through to him. She could sympathize with how he was feeling though. Nina sifted through her tracks list to make him a mix that would either lift his mood, take his mind off the situation, or help him through the writer's block. She hoped this would come to pass and the superheroes of Paris won't take it against him. They were just doing the right thing. She rested her chin on her palm. Where is Adrianna? What does she think of all this?

 

[Ravenbelle]

She knew once a genuine smile started creeping up on his cheeks, he was in. "Woo! Here we go!" Nina restarted the song and Adrianna giggled again. The enthusiasm was infectious and she gave a bright smile to Marcq as he stepped in beside her. They all looked ridiculous and silly but it was so worth it and even Marcq's parents were in high spirits, clapping along before things started winding down. It was the best fun she'd had as just Adrianna in what seemed like forever. So it came to a bittersweet ending while Nina played one last song at the Dupain-Cheng's request.
Adrianna helped a little with cleaning up, but her eyes kept going back to Tom and Sabine dancing like the world had fallen away and it was just them left. She couldn't let her eyes linger for too long; it seemed like such a perfect, untouchable and private moment..beautiful. She'd heard the song before, but she couldn't remember when or where. But it was so sweet.

Beep Beep

But it had to end, as good things always do. And not long after the song had faded, she had to leave.

"G-guess your ride's here."

Light green eyes snapped to meet familiar blues as the limo's window rolled down, even thought it couldn't be there for anyone else.
"Yep.." she mumbled, sad to be leaving now that the party had seemed to go by so fast. He must have taken her expression the wrong way though, hoping she'd enjoyed the celebration. Adrianna's eyebrows furrowed, "I had a great time, Marcq! Wouldn't rather be anywhere else. Really. Thank you so much," she smiled sincerely and hugged Nina goodbye before waving to them all as she walked out of the park. "See you guys tomorrow!"

​

Just as Adrianna was finishing her usual breakfast by herself at the long table in the dining room, she heard her phone go off in her bag, next to an irritable Plagg. "Ugh! It's too early for this! Can't a cat get any beauty sleep around here?" he grumbled, to which Adrianna rolled her eyes and pulled her phone out from beside him and headed out to the car waiting to take her to school. She was surprised to see the title of the post and started reading swiftly in the backseat, growing increasingly irate by the second. She could actually feel her face heating up with rage when she saw the 'By' line, furious with the author and everything he stood for. First he goes after her family, her mother, and now her friend Alec and the other half of her life! She didn't even say goodbye to the Gorilla before stomping into school, red in the face and visibly seething.

 

[Yuuki_Tatsunohi]

The moment Adrianna entered the classroom, Nina jumped out of her seat and practically flew to her friend. She felt bad for leaving Alec so suddenly, but she was more than relieved to find a reason to get away from the dark atmosphere. Alec didn't seem to notice either.

"Adrianna!" she cried. She noticed her friend's equally dark expression. "You saw didn't you? Everyone's been talking about that article nonstop. As you can guess, Alec's not taking it well either." Nina glanced at said boy. Rose passed by, a bright smile on her face. She looked at Alec, squeaking once before running to take her seat next to Juleka who in turned glared at him. Nina pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look at him." She waved her hands at Alec. "Dude looks like he's going to explode any minute."

​

Marcq heard the familiar ping! on his phone as he was discarding his plate in the sink; a notification, mostly a news-related one since that was the ringtone he assigned for anything related to the news. Tikki was floating next to him, finishing the last crumb of her breakfast cookie.

"What's the latest headline today, Mr. Ladybug?" she teased as Marcq picked up his phone.

He rolled his eyes at the little red kwami. "What will it take to get them to go with Coccinellidae?" he muttered more to himself. Marcq opened the notification, his brows furrowing as he read the article. He had a feeling this article would not be a good one given the title and the author. Adrianna mentioned he had written very nasty articles about her family before, marking Skeeter as someone who should be avoided and ignored in his eyes. His eyes widened when he saw his best friend's name in the article. It was one thing to attack his alter ego, but it was another, entirely different line to cross when an innocent was involved, especially if that innocent was his friend.

"Oh no," said Tikki.

"Oh no is right." He opened his blazer to let Tikki settle herself in the pocket he sewed just of her. "Come on, let's go to school."

Marcq practically sprinted all the way to the school grounds, beating the first bell and making his way to his homeroom. Just as he expected, Alec was at his seat, expression dark as he continued to stare at his tablet.

He noticed Nina and Adrianna talking among themselves. Nina looked bewildered, gesturing at the brooding boy. He glanced at his friend one last time before approaching the girls, worry etching his features.

"Hey," he greeted. "Guess you saw the article as well?"

 

[Ravenbelle]

Adrianna almost ran into her best friend when she got to homeroom, having had her head plotting the different ways she could get back at Skeeter while Nina jumped up to meet her at the door. Her face gave her away easily because Nina had already guessed what she'd read this morning. Adri's face had always been an open book, but today even more so. Clearly she wasn't the only one though. Alec was radiating waves of hatred that were palpable throughout the whole room.

"Dude looks like he's going to explode any minute."

"I don't blame him. Skeeter's worth less than garbage and bringing Alec's blog into it was a dumb move," Adrianna grumbled, thinking that if he exploded, she'd probably blow up with him. Her anger was deeper though. This was personal and she could feel herself getting furious, but quietly, like a slow simmer in her bloodstream waiting for the perfect time to erupt on a volcanic scale.

"No kidding." Nina agreed as the girls moved to their seats behind the boiling blogger. "I'm sure he's drafting a counter-article as we speak. I hope Marcq can get him to snap out of it before he misses the whole lecture just to ask for my notes," Nina said, purposefully loud enough for Alec to hear. That's when Marcq arrived, glancing at his best friend before stepping one level up to greet them. Adrianna just nodded, pulling out her tablet when she spotted Ms. Bustier coming down the hallway to start class in a moment.
Nina didn't notice. "Who hasn't? Slander against the heroes of Paris hardly ever goes under the radar considering their press coverage is always positive."