Winds of Change - The Storm (Start)
On a class trip, Marinette finds herself separated from her classmates and injured when a terrible hurricane hits. Swept away by the storm surge, she's saved by an unexpected presence: Argos. They have to seek shelter together until the weather improves. But what happens when Marinette sacrifices herself to save Felix?
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ENDING: Dark, Salt, Hope, and Bittersweet. Read one or read them all. AO3
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Dark | Salt | Hope | Bittersweet
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It was a fine June day in Hong Kong, where the Parisian akuma class had chosen to spend their end of the year trip. Marinette wandered along the store fronts, looking for the perfect souvenirs for her family while her classmates buzzed from one table to the next in the bazaar. They were just out of her reach, flitting about on the bluenette’s peripherals, barely acknowledging her existence within their group. Things had not really improved at school but at least the bullying had stopped after she had reported Kim for pushing her into a locker – which was caught on the newly installed security cameras! Ladybug’s public endorsement of the new camera system throughout Paris was very popular and had come in very handy for her civilian self. It did not stop the lies or isolating behavior, but at least things were tamer. Another change had been Adrien’s sudden interest in the young designer. Things were still new; they had not put any labels on their relationship…was it even a relationship? Whatever. They were focused on getting to know each other and spending time together. There had even been a few times in the last two months where she and the model had almost kissed! Perhaps she should finally ask him what they were…
While perusing some ceramic figurines, Marinette caught a flash of something purple from the corner of her eye and she turned her face toward the rooftops to seek it out. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted toward one particular shadowed overhang across the large square from where she was, sensing something that was not entirely visible to the naked eye but having no proof. Tikki’s pats against her leg from her satchel made her shake her head. Ladybug should not be seen in China so, unless it impacted herself directly, she was not going to panic about it. She smiled politely to the vendor and purchased the small porcelain bird, which would be a gift to her grandfather. He’d appreciate the classic lines and old-fashioned process of how it was made. Turning around, she looked around to find a classmate, only to find that she was left alone again. Marinette sighed and began walking down the direction she had last seen them, hoping to catch up with her group. She knew that this was the likely outcome when Bustier had split them into smaller groups but had hoped no one would leave her behind. Guess that was out the window!
As she walked, she had the feeling of eyes on her back. A quick glance around as she pretended to look for her friends gave her no evidence of whom might be watching. Hearing a soft chime, the bluenette pulled her phone from her jacket pocket to check her weather app. She had downloaded it specifically so she wouldn’t get caught in bad weather while overseas – unfortunately the app was in Mandarin and, although she thought it would be good practice, she was still struggling to remember all the Hanzi symbols. “Hmm, there’s a summer storm coming in. Is that the symbol for rain or wind? It has been rather breezy today…” Distracted by her phone, Marinette did not see the attack coming. One minute she was walking between buildings, the next she was being shoved roughly into an alleyway. The bluenette stumbled and slammed her side into a dumpster with a hiss as the wind was knocked out of her. She could hear her phone clatter across the pavement before making a sickening crunch. Pushing herself back onto her feet, she looked up to find Lila’s cruel smile as her foot stomped down one more time on her now shattered phone.
“What is it this time, Lila?” She asked lowly, cradling her bruised ribcage.
“I warned you, Marinette, to stay away from Adrien,” her eyes took on a wicked gleam.
“Adrien can talk to whomever he wants, he’s not someone you can control or a possession you can own!”
The Italian chuckled darkly, “That’s where you’re wrong. And I’m done giving you warnings.” That’s when Marinette realized Lila was holding a short piece of metal pipe, which she now brandished against her open palm as if testing the weight, her fingers carefully avoiding the slightly jagged end where it had been previously cut. “You know, it’s a real shame about the crime rate in other countries…” Marinette barely had time to duck under the first swing, covering her head with both arms as Lila swung the pipe against her jacket-covered ribs, followed by one to her shin that made a horrible snapping and tearing sound before it collapsed under her. Tears sprung to the bluenette’s eyes; she cried out as she curled into the side of the dumpster for protection. She felt Tikki buzzing angrily in her satchel along with a huge burst of creation magic…uh oh.
Just as Lila was about to swing again, a gust of wind strong enough to knock a person off their feet whipped through the alleyway and rain began to fall, growing steadily heavier as the sky darkened. Her attacker let off a shriek as she was drenched before running off to find cover, leaving the bluenette behind to whatever fate would befall her. Marinette sucked in a ragged breath, letting her tears wash away with the rain, as she looked down at her leg. There was a horrible gash just beyond the edge of her pink capris, but nothing appeared to be sticking out of it. Grabbing hold of the bricks in the wall, she dragged herself back onto her feet and attempted to put weight on it – causing her to muffle a whimper, something was definitely fractured but she could hobble at least. Balancing on her good foot, she fished her phone up from the ground and confirmed that the entire screen was shattered beyond use. Marinette opened her bag and met the eyes of a contrite looking kwami as she tucked her phone away.
“Was it you that made this storm kick up suddenly?”
“I’m so sorry, Marinette…I was so angry that she was hurting you and I couldn’t think of anything else to help…”
The girl smiled softly, her hair and clothes beginning to stick to her skin. “Thanks, Tikki. I think you might have overdone it though…” Marinette stumbled towards the mouth of the alley, using the wall to support herself as she moved. Once she was closer to the market square, she looked around to find the place deserted in a hurry, the winds beginning to tear up the fabric sided stalls as growing rivers of water took over the streets. “It looks like you made the summer storm into a full-on cyclone…” the secret heroine murmured in terrified amazement, shutting her satchel. How was she going to get back to the hotel? Could she even find higher ground on her own without a map? Bracing for the pain that she was likely to feel, she pushed off the wall and hobbled towards a street sign on the corner, gripping the pole tightly as she tried to get her bearings. If she could get across the street, there would be a direct route back to the thoroughfare that led to their hotel around the next corner…
‘How deep does flood water have to be to sweep a person off their feet again?’ the girl questioned, not remembering the exact number Aurore had mentioned on her weather podcast. She looked down into the rushing water in front of her, it looked to be about 10-12cm deep already – she could make that, couldn’t she? No real choice now… Biting her lip, Marinette summoned her strength and stepped down off the curb, attempting to hop with little assistance from her injured leg – she made it about halfway when her footing was knocked out from under her, the water cushioning her fall, and she was swept down the street with a scream. The young designer splashed about as she attempted to get into a rescue position, struggling to keep her head above the rushing water as she cried for help. Up ahead she could see the water pounding against the side of a white delivery van before it diverted down the street and her mind raced with panic, not knowing how she could brace to be slammed against that without losing consciousness or breaking more than one bone! Closing her eyes tight and bringing her arms up to protect her face, she prayed for any intervention that might help her, she left off a scream of utter fear…
Only to feel herself pulled from the waters and into the wind driven rain, held by a set of arms cloaked in a familiar fabric. Opening her eyes, Marinette turned to meet the magenta gaze of Argos as he leaped off the van and onto a neighboring roof. “Ar-Argos? What are you doing here?”
“It seems I’m here to fish you out of the flood waters. What the hell were you thinking?” came the angry question from the villain gone anti-hero.
“Look, I was out shopping for souvenirs for my family – I just found one for my grandfather but I haven’t found anything for my Maman… Anyways, then the storm happened very suddenly! I was trying to get back to my hotel! But my leg is injured, and the water was too fast…” she tried to defend herself.
“And how the hell were you injured? One minute you’re in the square and the next you’re missing…” Argos angrily replied. “I followed you and Adrien to China; I knew one of you would likely get into trouble. Adrien luckily has Gorilla but you, oh ho, you are a natural magnet for trouble.”
Marinette looked away; her face scrunched in pain as her voice dropped to a whisper. “…you wouldn’t believe me, if I said how…no one does…”
Argos’ forehead creased in concentration, his gaze taking on an analytical light. “What do you mean?”
“The girl that models with Adrien sometimes…Lila Rossi, she hates me and has lied since day one to get her way. I think she’s spying on your cousin for his father. She wants me to stay away from him so she can seduce him or something…” Marinette took a shuddering breath and let her eyes wander over the rain drenched rooftops, her voice breaking as she admitted the truth. “She attacked me in an alleyway, hit me with a metal pipe and left me for dead when the storm started.”
The hands holding her tightened and she could swear that, although it could not be heard over the present storm, a snarl reverberated against her side. She dared not look up to see what might be held in his eyes. “…I see. Does my cousin know?”
Marinette nodded weakly, shivering lightly as winds quickly chilled her wet clothes. “He knows she’s lying, but not about the abuse. Not sure if he knows if she is spying for his father. This is the first time in a while that anyone has become physical with me…” She looked out from the rooftop, realizing she must have been washed off course by several blocks, she couldn’t recognize a thing. Argos stumbled slightly as the winds beat down on them once more, making the raindrops feel like needles stabbing into their exposed skin.
“We’ll need to discuss this more later. For now, we need to find shelter.” The purple suited teen hopped from roof to roof, attempting to open the access hatches they came across – only to find them battened down tight. Letting the winds at their back to carry them further inland, Argos eventually brought them down to a small shack against a larger building on a slight hillside. It looked rickety and seemed to shake as the howling winds ripped through the streets but the wood around the latch was rotten enough to mean it was not as secured as the other buildings around them. With a slight splintering, Argos kicked in the shed’s door and settled her down on her good foot nearest the entryway before he dropped his transformation. Duusu was nowhere in sight, likely hidden away in a pocket just as quickly as he appeared from the brooch. Marinette watched as the proud, conniving Felix stalked through the room looking through the meager items stored here.
After all that had happened – on both sides of the mask – she couldn’t readily trust him. Adrien had been adamant that his cousin was turning over a new leaf, but she was unsure. Ladybug had little to no interaction with Felix beyond their first few…mishaps. Marinette had certainly met him once or twice while spending time with Adrien – like the ill-fated night of the Diamond Dance. Argos was an entirely different story, having become both a nuisance and an occasional protector. He wasn’t working with Monarch; however, he knew the villain’s identity and was unwilling to share it with the heroes. He was looking to obtain their Miraculous to make his own Wish – which had led to several confrontations on the battlefield. Felix himself was still a bit of an obnoxious jerk but, as Argos, he seemed to have appointed himself as Marinette’s bodyguard whenever his cousin was not present. Sometimes it was helpful, like the time she was being chased by a pack of wild pigs – gods, that akuma was ridiculous – and the peacock holder had pulled her onto nearby building with a scoff before dashing away. More often than not, it was just annoying. Whenever he showed up, he acted as if he was personally put-out by having to do so. It irked her to no end, yet Argos did just save her from the flood waters…
She took a moment to inconspicuously tap twice on the side of her satchel and nearly sobbed when she felt Tikki’s two taps in reply. ‘Thank goodness, at least she wasn’t hurt or lost in that current…’ Looking around the small space herself, she noted it housed mostly garbage – complete with a disassembled motorbike missing several key pieces, some rusted lumps that used to be hand tools, and a pile of loose recycling. The shed itself was perhaps three by three and a half meters in size, the wood panels that made up the walls and roof weathered by years of storms. The bluenette shivered as the wind blasted through the open doorway, causing the door to bang against the wall and empty aluminum cans to clatter about. Another rogue gust was so strong that Marinette stumbled sideways; she released a startled cry as she attempted to steady her footing with her injured leg. Felix turned at the noise and looked concerned for a moment before scowling down at her injury.
“There’s nothing here to bind your leg with, we may need to improvise until the storm dies down. No use trying to stand on it,” came the blond’s gruff reply.
Marinette scoffed softly, “Really? And here I thought we were about to perform a waltz in the Ritz ballroom. My injuries are not that severe. We’re more likely to develop hypothermia or die when this rickety old shack comes down on top of us.” The building let out an ominous creak as if in agreement with her statement.
Felix’s eyes narrowed and crossed the limited floor space, gesturing towards the doorway. “Would you rather be outside in that?”
“No, but we certainly could have found better shelter! Something off the ground and made of brick!”
“Well, excuse me, princess, if it isn’t to your liking!” The blond threw up his hands in defeat and turned to stalk away towards the opposite corner.
Another heavy gust smashed something heavy into the side and roof of the shed, adding a sickening SNAP! to the creaks and moans. Marinette watched in horror as, within an instant, part of the roof started to give way above Felix’s head. Time seemed to slow and her hero instincts pushed her into motion. Ignoring the searing pain in her leg and ribs, the young designer launched herself towards the blond while screaming his name. He began to turn at the sound just in time for her two palms to roughly press against his chest. Their eyes met for a single, fear filled, heart stopping second as he was pushed away from the falling debris…
‘Thank goodness,’ she thought.
Then everything went black.
~~~
If you had asked Felix yesterday if he knew true fear, he would have sneered. His youth had been filled with abuse and pain at the hands of his father, who made sure the young Fathom knew the true meaning of fear.
But he would have been wrong.
For nothing had ever made him feel such pure, unadulterated terror as hearing Marinette scream his name with a tone filled with desperate dread in that shed. Her small, calloused hands shoving him from danger mere seconds from impact. Her bluebell eyes wide with fear and relief. Watching with growing horror as a large piece of debris crashed into the back of her girl’s skull with a gut-wrenching crack! Her eyes rolling back in her head as her limp body fell; being covered by debris and drenched with the unforgiving rain that came between the jagged timbers of the roof.
Felix’s back slammed into the wall, knocking the air from his lungs. “Mari-nette…” he wheezed, gasping for breath before his vocal cords finally let out a broken cry, “MARINETTE!”
Panic rising like bile in his throat, he rushed over and pushed the rubble away, digging the girl he promised his cousin to protect free. Carefully he pulled her away from the remaining pile and looked her over, finding a large and bloodied gash on the back of her skull. Felix could not stop his eyes from following the trail of bright red spots back towards the heap of timbers and roof tiles, from seeking the blood covered support beam that was meant for him. Swallowing thickly, he pulled his eyes away and back towards the bluenette. She was unresponsive, pale, and barely breathing but alive!
‘Not for long, if you don’t do something, idiot!’ he chastised himself mentally. The blond’s eyes flickered over the room again, now desperate for anything he could use to staunch the bleeding as he began to rip his shirt sleeve and press it firmly against Marinette’s head wound. Felix watched as the fabric turned red but the flow down her neck eventually slowed. ‘There has to be something else…’ His eyes fell upon her purse and he reached for it with his free hand. Opening it, he began to pull trinkets free as he desperately searched for anything – a scarf, a sanitary pad, gauze – that he could use for first aid…only to find the one thing he never expected.
A red kwami with black spots. Like a ladybug. Just as Duusu had described.
The little red goddess rose from her hiding place and solemnly took sentry over the unconscious girl, floating at his eye level. He froze as he stared at the creature, his mind whirling as it connected the logical dots and stripped back the Miraculous magic that – until this point – concealed her identity.
Marinette had a kwami.
Not just any kwami, the Ladybug kwami of Creation.
Marinette was Ladybug.
Wait… Ladybug was the Miraculous Guardian.
Oh gods, that meant Marinette was the Guardian.
Her multitude of identities collided in his mind, every memory coalescing into a single portrait of the bluenette before him. The pieces fell into place too easily, it made too much sense. Of course, she was Ladybug! He knew of no one more selfless or heroic – nor frustrating – than Marinette. But she had saved him – saved the person she knew had betrayed her and treated her so poorly, who had attacked her and made battles difficult... Knowing he could find out her identity and run back to Monarch. Or take her Miraculous for his own designs, for his own Wish. Hell, he could take the Miraculous right now!
Felix felt Tikki’s patient stare as he fingered the plain black earrings still secured to Marinette’s earlobes. It would be so easy; he could easily see his goal within reach. Ladybug was his enemy, but Marinette was… She was Adrien’s current fascination – possibly girlfriend – wasn’t she? He plucked a large splinter from her hair, careful not to agitate the bloody spot on the crown of her head. “Why did you save me? I don’t deserve to be saved…for what I’ve done…for the pain I’ve caused…” Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he traced her delicate features with his fingertips. “I’m a horrible person, Marinette. I’m broken inside, I don’t deserve your kindness.”
“My Bug would sacrifice herself to save anyone in trouble, it’s why she kept the Ladybug mantle even when she doubted herself…” Tikki calmly supplied.
“What do you mean ‘doubted herself’?” Felix demanded of the red kwami. That description did not fit either of the girl’s identities in his mind as he knew her.
Clumsy, flaky, nervous as a civilian.
Righteous, confident, commanding as the Parisian heroine.
And, if his cousin was right about her design prowess, the embodiment of creation in both.
“She was so young when she was given my Miraculous, just thirteen. There was no training, she and Chat were simply thrown into the fight without warning, and our prior guardian was far too old... She made a mistake during Stoneheart and tried to give up the earrings,” Tikki paused as she looked at her injured chosen as she recalled that day. “But her friend, Alya, was in danger of being crushed. Marinette took immediate action and never stopped. Even when her friends abandoned her, even when she was bullied or belittled or betrayed,” the tiny god glared at the blond and he flinched.
“She never gave up saving people. Even those that didn’t ‘deserve saving’ – because everyone deserves to be saved,” the red kwami stated with finality.
Felix felt a new wellspring of guilt at his actions, but the little goddess was not done. “Hawkmoth even tried to akumatize her…” A stabbing pain, like an icy knife, went up his spine at the thought. Marinette, even without being Ladybug, would be a terrifying akuma! “She fought him off by sheer strength of will. But my little Bug has been so alone. Shouldering the world by herself. Losing allies and the Miraculous…because of you, Felix.”
The blond could no longer look into the eyes of the red kwami, too pained by his guilt and overwhelming sadness. He turned his gaze down to the face of the unconscious girl in his lap. ‘What have I done? If I had known she was you… would I have done the things I did? Would I have made my deal with Hawkmoth or stood beside you?’ Felix blinked back a few tears and gently shifted Marinette in his arms, making sure to keep the pressure applied to her head wound. ‘I can’t take back what I did but…’
“Young Master, what will you do now?” Duusu asked from his vest pocket.
“Duusu, transform me,” simply ordered the blond with a determined look in his eye. With a bright flash of light, he was transformed into Argos. He surveyed the room with a calculating eye. “Tikki, would you bring me that empty can over there?” The little goddess stared, seeming to assess his motives. Seeing her hesitancy, he softly added, “Please.”
Tikki nodded in acknowledgement before complying. The peacock user pulled a feather from his fan and infused it into the can, building a mini shelter amok that would comfortably fit the two teens in a more fortified corner of the building they were in. Argos gently lifted the immobile girl bridal style, carefully cradling her injured head against his neck, before settling them both onto the floor of his amok structure. With a gesture, the door closed behind them to keep out the wind and rain. He wrapped his cape around them both, knowing his transformation would only hold out for so long but hoping the added material might help keep Marinette a little warmer.
Eventually he heard the beeping of his Miraculous and glanced at the lapel pin on his chest. One of the five red gems darkened. Four minutes left, he needed to figure out a plan. Argos knew from experience that his amok would remain so long as he did not break it or release the feather. Not that he had anything on him to recharge… ‘May as well not exhaust Duusu,’ he thought with a frown.
With a deep breath, he released his transformation and watched as the two kwami settled onto the bluenette’s chest to monitor her shallow breaths. He gently brushed his fingers over her brow and cheek. “Marinette. Please wake up. We have so many things left to fight about, you still need to find a perfect gift for your mother, and I…I have so many things to say to you. So many things to apologize for.” Tears came to his eyes once more as he looked upon her still form that laid limply against him, pulling her a little tighter into his arms as his whole body shook from suppressed sobs. “I’ve been such a fool! Please, I’ll do anything if you just wake up!”
The two kwami watched Felix brokenly cry in silence, Tikki knowing her powers would help the girl recover but unsure how long that might take. Humans being unconscious with a concussion was not a good sign and, if the injuries Marinette sustained were worse than they appeared, her powers could not reverse the damage like with an akuma. Duusu watched her holder, knowing this was the moment that would decide his future fate. Would he turn over a new leaf and finally help reunite the Miraculous? Or would this twist him into a worse tyrant than Monarch?
Felix removed his vest and what remained of his dress shirt. He draped the vest wider over his back, then wrapped the shirt around Marinette’s torso before huddling over her body to share what warmth he could. Outside the storm raged, drowning out the intermittent sounds of the boy's quiet sniffles and whispered words of encouragement to the injured girl.
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How does it end? YOU CHOOSE. YOU DECIDE. READ ONE, READ THEM ALL.
Dark | Salt | Hope | Bittersweet