Marinette, work in progress - Ch4 - BlueCollar
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Marinette took the short path home as she hopped, still transformed, towards her balcony. No sooner than reaching her room, she thrust herself into her bed and her face into her pillow.
“Spots off.”
The suit dissolved and Tikki emerged, hovering about. She was quick to pick up on Marinette’s distress.
“Marinette, is everything okay?”
Marinette turned her head towards Tikki, peeking just a tad out.
"No.” She tersely replied, then turned away again. “I’m not fit to be a superheroine.”
“What? Why would you say that?” Tikki shuddered.
“Why? because I’m not even a real girl and I nearly failed because of that!”
Tikki just stared back, wordlessly.Marinette slowly rose up and sat upright at her bed.
“If being a girl is so much better for me… why wasn’t I just born one? Maybe I should just accept my fate. I can’t win this one.”
Marinette tried to look away as Tikki hovered in front of her, denying her the option to end the conversation just yet.
“Maybe fate has crossed your path with the miraculous because of that? Because your burning desire to be a girl means something?”
Marinette looked back, contemplating Tikki’s words.
“All it means is that I’m a wannabe and that I’ll end up embarrassing everyone who believes in me. Like Alya and Mylene.”
Marinette recalled the conversation back at school lunch. Alya and Mylene sure seemed to think very highly of her.
“They sure don’t seem to think that way, and they should know a thing or two about girl power.”
That much was true, even Marinette had to admit it.
I don’t know Alya and Mylene that much and yet they’ve both already managed to impress me, Alya for standing up to Chloe and Mylene for standing up for what counts in this city. Maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to brush off their instincts, and take their trust as affirmation.
“What is it that makes you think you’re a boy, Marinette?”
Marinette’s mind screeched to a halt.
I might not be a true-born girl… but I’m not a boy either. What the hell am I, again?
“I… I don’t know anymore.” she whispered and Tikki smiled.
Marinette flared up her computer and started looking at some of her designs. She followed by reading some of her hidden computer diary entries.
The more she looked at her designs, the more she read into her diary entries, the muddier the answer in her mind became.
Maybe these tell the story of what I am better than everything else? What is it that makes a design “a girl’s design”? Or a story “a boy’s story”?
Before she noticed it, it was time for dinner, followed by shower and bedtime.
---
It was the last thing Marinette thought would happen to her. Chloe was the first to point at her and explode into mocking laughter, interrupting the morning’s lesson.
“Look at Marin! What’s Gay-boy doing with pink trousers in class?”
Instinctively she tried to cup her breasts, but they weren’t there anymore.
Oh no… the magic… it… dissipated? But… how? Why?
Soon enough, most of the class burst into laughter. She braved a look at herself and her heart sank.
She was back in her boy-suit, the one she thought she had discarded already. The sensation of body hair that she did not miss, back to haunt her.
Everyone laughed at her. Even her teacher! Caline bustier, otherwise a fair and decent teacher, joining up with class, pointing at her.
No. No no no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!
She tried to scream, but only muffled sounds came about. She tried to run away, but she felt like her muscles betrayed her. The sounds of laughter echoed around her, piercing her soul.
“Gay-Boy! Gay-Boy in pink!”
She decided she must gather her energy and leave class, but felt herself jerked upwards instead.
Into a seating position, in her bed, covered in cold sweat and panting heavily.
“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki flew by, worried.
“It was a nightmare.” she blurted out.
A most vivid one, that’s bound to come to life as soon as the magic dissipates.
Marinette woke up early that day, still exhausted from the night. The sight of herself in the mirror did quite a bit to cheer her up.
It’s not a dream after all. Maybe if I hold onto it, it won’t slip from my grip.
She combed and tied her hair neatly, brushed her teeth and went downstairs to have her breakfast.
“At least you won’t be late today, honey.” Her mom smiled at her.
Having a properly-paced, non-rushed breakfast also proved helpful for her mood. She walked towards school, hoping that the new day would bring relief from yesterday’s battle and that awful night.
---
Mylene was one of the first to enter class, picking up the aptitude test results from the teacher’s desk.
While she feared many things, math wasn’t one of them. The good grades were sure to make her parents happy and perhaps more lenient in letting her go out on more activities like she had wanted.
Then again, someone next to her was clearly unhappy about their test results.
Ivan seemed to be very happy to see her come over, but immediately switched his looks back to his test results and gloominess was quick to take hold.
“What’s the matter, Ivan?”
Ivan paused before spitting it out.
“I… barely passed it. I was this close to flunking it. I’m no good at maths.”
Chloe kept filing her nails as she overheard their conversation.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it, there would still be plenty of higher education options available for people like you.” she commented.
Ivan looked at her, dumbfounded, while Mylene eyed Chloe suspiciously.
What’s she planning? Is it a rare moment of kindness, or a ploy to make things worse?
“ Ecole-de-imbecile , of course. You’ll eke out a meager living hauling boxes for people like me who will run daddy’s hotel.”
And to think I believed it could be the first for even a split of a second.
Ivan grit his teeth and looked like he was about to respond, then looked at his test results again.
“... Up until you become totally useless, at which point you’ll probably find yourself homeless in the streets, your wife dumping you, if you ever had one in the first place. Guess that’s too bad.”
“Chloe, you’re the meanest! Ivan is-” Mylene tried to protest but Chloe was quick to shut her down.
“-a loser, and the world doesn’t need losers in it. Sorry, that’s just how it is.”
Ivan clenched his fist and ran off to the locker room. Mylene looked at Chloe accusingly for a brief moment, only to refocus her attention on following up on Ivan.
---
Light intruded upon Hawk Moth’s domain as his senses picked up on a victim of choice.
“Fear of the future. Fear of who you may become. Uncertainty. Go forth, my precious akuma, let his self-doubt seal the fate for Ladybug and Chat Noir!”
---
Marinette was walking through the corridor, looking at her aptitude test report card, when Ivan nearly bumped into her. She dodged it at the last moment and was quite surprised when Ivan said nothing.
He is usually very nice and polite, despite his brutish looks. That’s not like him not to apologize.
Something must have happened. This doesn’t look good.
Before she had much time to dwell on it, Mylene came about, looking around.
“Marinette, have you seen Ivan?”
“Yeah, he went that way.” She said as she pointed out the direction. “Has anything happened?”
“I’m tempted to just say ‘Chloe happened’”, Mylene replied, “but she’s outdone even herself.
She told Ivan his test results set him for a life of failure.”
“How mean!”
Mylene nodded.
“He deserves so much better than that.”
With that, she rushed forwards to search for Ivan, leaving Marinette behind with more than one thing to think about.
Does this one test really set up our fate for the future?
Of course not! I mean, I’m sure Ivan can change it!
Are we the masters of our own fate, or has it been written for us?
Then again…
She looked at her hands and imaginary boy hands were superimposed on them.
Is my fate in my own hands?
---
The butterfly easily homed on the sobbing student in the locker room, landing on a decorative pin he was wearing.
“ BlueCollar , I am Hawk Moth. Your fate has been rewritten, your destiny now changed. You shall lead a revolution.”
---
Marinette was just leaving class as a confrontation outside on the street drew her attention. It was Chloe and her dad, the mayor, arguing with a figure that seemed like a large and sturdy construction worker.
“Shouldn’t you be doing your job?” Chloe yelled at the figure. “Daddy, tell him!”
“How insolent. I don’t report to you. I’m BlueCollar and I report to Hawk Moth.”
Chloe and the mayor shuddered at these words and tried to back away slowly, but BlueCollar wouldn’t stop.
“Maybe you two will finally do something useful for the people of Paris!” BlueCollar went on and a blue streak of energy engulfed the two of them.
Chloe found herself donning a sanitation worker’s uniform and holding a broom. In a moment, magical compulsion forced her to start cleaning the street, much to BlueCollar’s satisfaction.
Marinette was quick to hide in a nearby alley.
“We’re needed. Time to transform! Tikki, spots on!”
Marinette emerged from the alley, with Chat Noir arriving at the scene at the exact same time.
“Please, Ladybug, Chat Noir, save us from this fate!” Chloe managed to say before BlueCollar’s magical compulsion forced her to tend to her work again.
Marinette barely managed to stifle her giggle.
Isn’t that some poetic justice out there. A taste of your own medicine, Chloe. Maybe a few hours of work would do you good.
Marinette and Chat Noir both hopped on to a higher ground to make plans. Then again, one of them had plans the other probably did not think of.
“So. BlueCollar’s power is making people work for him. We must avoid his strike at all costs.” Marinette remarked.
“We have more than enough work without his powers employing us. But would you like to go for coffee once our work is done?”
Marinette froze in place as she tried to digest his words.
“Huh? Are you… asking me out?”
He flashed a grin.
“Well, all work and no play is a major hassle. I’m a playful cat, try me”
He can’t be serious. My god, what’s wrong with him?
“A playful cat.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And your game is... prowling about, hunting down a superheroine for a superhero.”
“Yep.”
“Swooping someone, from partner to lover. Oh, such brag rights! A game with a prize!”
“I don’t see why not. If you’re into it...” he smiled.
My god. He really knows no limit.
Marinette poked him in his chest.
“Do I look like I’m some prize to be won, partner?”
His smile faded in an instant.
“We save Paris together. Save your romantic aspirations for someone else.”
She then pointed his head towards BlueCollar as he went towards the city hall. “Does this look like a game to you? No? Then this should be your focus.”
Both Marinette and Chat Noir darted down to confront BlueCollar, avoiding his zaps successfully but making little headway.
Chat Noir managed to strike him with his baton, only to feel the recoil as he proved far too sturdy to be impacted. Marinette fared pretty much the same, as he simply flung her away with her own yo-yo.
Making things worse, they were quickly approached by a league of BlueCollar’s supporting workers, armed with whatever they were using for their jobs.
“Looks like we need some pest control.” One of them remarked as he eyed Marinette.
“And a feral cat problem to handle.” another added, looking at Chat Noir.
“Hate to disappoint. I’m fully domesticated. Cataclysm!” Chat Noir called it as he touched the ground, creating a chasm and allowing both Marinette and him to escape to safety.
“Well, we don’t have much time, do we?” Chat remarked and Marinette nodded in agreement.
“It’s time for my thing, then. Lucky charm!” she called it, cupping her hands to grab a falling...
״Miner’s helmet? What am I going to do with that?״
She briefly flicked its headlight on, then flicked it off.
“Okay, Chat, here’s the plan…”
---
BlueCollar kept roaming the streets, until something caught his eye. It was an open manhole in the middle of the road, with an electricity cable running into it.
Clearly, someone was doing maintenance work in a negligent and extremely unsafe manner. No markings whatsoever, no signs to ward off pedestrians and no one to call should help be required.
As BlueCollar approached the manhole, Chat Noir jumped downwards from a nearby building and landed forcefully on his back. BlueCollar fell forwards and upside down, finding himself jammed into the hole, unable to move.
The hole was dark as night, although in a moment he was blinded by what seemed to be a flashlight. A short while afterwards, he managed to see it for what it was - Ladybug wearing a miner’s helmet.
“This site does employ some workplace safety” she commented as she walked slowly towards him. He could only watch as she removed his collar and broke it in two, releasing the akuma.
“No more evildoing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!” she called it, as she whipped her yo-yo and whisked it away.
“Miraculous… Ladybug!”
As she flung the helmet upwards, it burst into a stream of Ladybugs, releasing all those bound to work by BlueCollar’s powers, including Chloe and her father.
---
“Pound it!” Ladybug offered her hand for a fistbump, and Adrien’s was quick to respond in like.
“You’re not mad at me, are you?” he offered cautiously.
“It was a close call” she replied, her face showing little emotion, but she quickly softened. “But you do make a great partner. Respect my limits and it will stay that way.”
She followed by a short-lived smile, then hopped away and disappeared.
Adrien’s eyes followed her wake until she was gone from his sight. He breathed in relief, then sighed.
“I guess it’s just partners then. Even if I…”
Even if I want it to be more than that.
I’ve met the girl of my dreams… and I nearly ruined everything.
Is there any way I can get her to see me as more than that? Or are we fated to remain no more than partners?
---
A now de-akumatized Ivan made his way back to class, where Mylene was quick to warmly greet him.
“I’m sorry, Ivan. It’s just one test! And if you want, I’d love to help you with maths.”
“You would? That’s… that’s so wonderful!” Ivan beamed at her words, his joy clear to everyone around. Yet Mylene had more to say.
“But for your own good, you really shouldn’t let Chloe get to you! You’re the kindest person I know and that’s worth so much more.”
“I usually don’t… it’s just that… well…”
Ivan was blushing furiously now as he picked his words.
“I had plans to confess to a girl today and then Chloe just sapped all my confidence.”
“Oh? Who would that be? I-If you don’t mind me asking...”
There was a short pause before Ivan managed to say it.
“It’s you.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” She replied, a wide grin to her face. A moment later, she hugged him tight and his blush deepened by two shades.
“Aww, these two are meant to be together!” Rose said as she dug herself into Juleka’s arm.
---
Marinette smiled as Ivan and Mylene hugged each other, some of their elation sweeping her as well.
Maybe some of our fate lies in the hands of others who love us, that’s not so bad too now is it?
What does fate have in for me?
I seriously hope it’s more of an ‘Adrien’ direction than a ‘Chat Noir’ one!
Chat’s a good partner… and that’s where the line gets drawn.
But Adrien… He’s something special. I got to see a glimpse of a soul so pure.
It’s time for me to take fate into my own hands, and I will.
A girl’s fate.
