Origins Part 1

An alarm disturbed the silence of the pink, messy room. The sun shone through the closed curtains and onto the lump that lay on the bed safely under the covers. "Marinette! You'll be late for your first day!" a voice called from below the room. A single hand crawled out from the covers and turned the alarm off. It had been ringing for fifteen minutes now. She looked at the time and jumped up in fright! She was late! In a panic, Marinette scrambled through the piles of clothes strewn across the floor. Once she found an outfit she liked, she started to get dressed. With her white top around her head, she shouted down, "Just a minute, Mum. Nearly ready!" She shoved on a pair of pink trousers and a grey cardigan then rushed down the stairs, tying her black hair in two bunches as she did. The second she sat down for breakfast, she sighed and said, "The first day...I bet Chloe is in my class. Like always." Her mum was busy behind her but managed to draw enough attention away to say, "Think positive! Who knows? She might be in a different class. Or maybe she is much nicer?" Marinette scoffed. As she poured her cereal, she knocked over everything around her - milk, fruit, her spoon... She sighed again and lowered her head. Why was she so clumsy? Her mum just smiled and went to pick up the stuff on the floor whilst Marinette cleaned the table. "You'll be luckier this year," her mum assured her, giving a kiss to cheer her daughter up. She had to be luckier. She can't take another year with Chloe! Another alarm went off warning Marinette she had to leave. The girl cancelled it and scooped her breakfast into her mouth then ran to the bakery bellow.

In the bakery, Marinette's dad was just finishing up his croissants. The whole floor smelled of fresh food, warmth and love. Marinette had no time to enjoy it, though. She ran past her dad and into the glass door. "Marinette, slow down! You're forgetting something," he warned her. She stopped and looked at him inquisitively, one foot hanging out the door. He carefully handed her a pink box. "Oh! My macaroons. Thanks, dad! The class'll love this. Need to go now. Bye!" Just like that, she was gone.

The street lights were taking ages to turn green and let her cross. The building was right there. Impatiently, she looked around and saw an old man crossing the street to the bakery. Cars still rushed past. No one seemed to care. Marinette tried to ignore him. The lights were going to change soon. Still, her eyes kept drifting to him and eventually, she rushed into the traffic. The lights to let her cross the street to the school changed whilst she dragged the old man off the road. Marinette hunched over and nearly dropped her macaroons. She caught them but most fell out. Great! The old man patted her back. "Thank you," he said. She forced a smile at him. "Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded. Awkwardly, Marinette held out the box to him and he took a macaroon. Suddenly, the school bell rang. Marinette let out a squeal. "I need to go! Er, have a nice day!" she said. The girl ran back to the lights she was standing at and, just before she could cross, the lights changed back. Urgh! The old man raised an eyebrow at her. From his pocket, he took out a little box. Perhaps she was the right pick...

Adrian was running through the park. He couldn't stop, couldn't take a moment to catch his breath, couldn't slow down. He had to keep going. A black car followed him. His green eyes widened as his hope was rapidly fading. The school was in sight. Adrian made it out of the park and across the street. He bumped into the old man who had followed Marinette across the street. Quickly, Adrian jumped up. He nearly made a break for the school. The car was pulling up and a tall woman with short hair climbed out. The old man struggled to pick himself up. He was not as young as he used to be. Adrian sighed and helped him up, allowing the woman to make her way to him and ensuring he couldn't get to the school. "Thank you, you-" the old man started but the woman cut him off, "Come, Adrian, before your father notices you are gone." The boy lowered his head and dragged his trainers on the ground as he was lead to the car. "I just wanted to go to school," he muttered. "I know...I know," the woman said.

Marinette rushed into the class and took the same seat she sat in every year. The teacher stood at the front, waiting for the next bell to tell her to start the lesson. Chloe marched in, her perfect blonde ponytail swishing as she made her way to Marinette, Sabrina following suit. Her manicured hand slammed on the desk in front of the girl. "Oh, look. It's the sushi girl," Chloe said. Marinette looked on the floor and muttered, "Here we go again..." Chloe ignored her and cut straight to business, "That's my seat." Sabrina looked a little confused for a moment but went with it, backing her friend up with a, "Yeah." Marinette meekly looked up at the two and said, "But this has always been my seat." Sabrina mimicked Chloe and slammed her hand on the desk too. "Not anymore. Adrian will be sitting there so Chloe and I have to sit here," she said. Adrian? The only Adrian she could think of was the cute boy that modelled for her favourite fashion designer. "Wow, you are stupid!" Chloe insulted as she read Marinette's questioning face, "Adrian Agreste? The famous model and my best friend! Er, one of, Sabrina." Sabrina nodded enthusiastically and asked, "Shouldn't you know this? You know, considering you are supposed to be a designer?" Chloe laughed as Marinette placed her head on the desk to hide her reddening face. "Hey!" Everyone looked up and saw a chubby girl with her phone in hand staring angrily at them. Chloe spotted the Majestia logo on her phone charm. "Aw, Sabrina, we have a hero wannabe. What do you want, super dork?" she asked. The girl pushed her glasses up and said, "Who elected you queen of seats? Just sit somewhere else and leave her alone." Sabrina took a slight step back in surprise. Chloe didn't move. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and said, "What are you gonna do, super dork? Shoot laser beams through your glasses?" The girl glanced to the teacher who started watching the situation. If she did let Chloe goad her into a fight, she would be suspended and Chloe would get off Scot-free. Not seeing what she could do, the girl grabbed Marinette's wrist and dragged her to the front seat on the other side of the room. The girl was seething. Marinette gave an awkward smile and offered a macaroon with her name. "Thanks. I'm Alya," the girl said, accepting the treat. Marinette looked back at Chloe. Alya, sensing her anguish, said, "Chillax, girl. What can she do?" She sighed and watched Chloe laugh with Sabrina. "I wish I could stand up to her like you can," she said. "You mean how Majestia does it?" Alya corrected. She pulled her phone out and opened a folder filled with pictures of the superhero. "She says all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. I ain't going to do nothing when evil is sitting right there." She pointed to the blonde girl who's eyes were now fixed on the door. "He should have been here by now..." Chloe told Sabrina. The bell rang indicating the teacher could start the lesson. "Easier said than done," Marinette muttered. Alya whispered, so not to let the teacher hear, "You just need more confidence." Marinette smiled and offered another treat. Alya halved it and gave Marinette a piece.

The room was large and white and too clean. Adrian sat at the long, black dining table, arm propping up his head, mindlessly answering the tall woman's questions. "Who was the first president of the 5th French Republic?" she asked. With a sigh, the boy answered, "Everyone thinks it was de Gaulle, but it was actually René Coty before the first elections." The woman could see he was disinterested but she had a job to do. "Excellent, Adrien," she said. Praise wasn't going to help. The man who could walked in, stealing Adrian's attention away. "Can I have a word with my son, Nathalie?" he asked. The woman nodded and left the two. The man stood over his son, using his height and firm, cold voice to intimidate the poor boy. "I thought I already told you," he said calmly, "You are not going to school." Adrian tried to interject but his father ignored him and continued his lecturing, "It is dangerous out there and you mean too much to me to be at risk. I can't lose you like I lost your mother." The boy struggled to find his voice again but when there was a pause, he felt sure enough that he could talk. "Father, I am always stuck in here. Alone. Why can't I go to school like everyone else? It can't be...that...dangerous..." An icy stare from his father caused him to lose his confidence. "You are not to leave this house. Is that understood?" he asked. Adrian nodded but then ran off to his room in tears.

The room was filled with expensive toys to keep the young model entertained. In the middle was a piano that he sat at. He waited until his bodyguard poked his head in then closed the door and took his position outside. Adrian was prepared for this, though. He placed his phone on the piano and set up a playlist of piano solos. As the music blared he collected all the sheets and clothes he could find and tied them together. He pushed the white couch to the window so he could use it to boost him up. He tied one side of the sheets to the couch leg and threw the rest out the window then used it to climb down. He promised Chloe he would be there today and he intended to keep his promise.

Chloe was staring at the door, hoping Adrian would walk in. It was nearly lunchtime. Her finger tapped anxiously. Alya leaned towards Marinette and whispered, "Hey, there is a street vendor I like at the Eiffel Tower. Wanna go there?" she asked. Marinette nodded. A large boy walked from the back of the class to the front where the bin was. A piece of paper fell out of his pocket. Sabrina picked it up and called out to him, "Ivan, you dropped this." Chloe snatched it out of her hands and burst into laughter. "My God! You wrote this? What a dork!" she yelled. Ivan went red and marched over to her. "Ivan! Chloe! Enough," the teacher warned. Ivan turned to her. "But Miss!" he protested. "Don't talk back to me. Sit down," she scolded. Chloe whispered, "I bet the class would love to hear this." Ivan balled his huge fist up and lifted it to her face. "Ivan! Go to the principle's office," the teacher ordered. He grumbled and snatched the paper from Chloe but did as she said.

The bell rang and kids poured out of the class. Sabrina was comforting Chloe as she complained about Adrian still not being there. Marinette looked sympathetically at her as she and Alya walked past. Once out of ear-shot, Marinette said, "She's really upset that her friend isn't here." Alya just said dismissively, "I don't believe there is a friend. I think she's faking it for attention." Marinette shook her head. "Chloe is mean but I don't think she's faking this," she said. Alya ordered her lunch and the two made their way to the tower. "Who knows? Hey, Majestia is making an announcement? Wanna watch?" she asked. Marinette shook her head. "Not just now," she said. At the top of the tower, she pulled her phone out and started taking pictures. She was feeling inspired and needed to capture it. Alya peered over her shoulder. "What you doing?" she asked. "I had an idea for a jacket but I left my sketchbook in my locker," she answered. Alya scrambled in her bag then pulled out some scrap piece of paper. "Will this do?" she asked. Marinette smiled. "Yes."

Ivan never made it to the principle's office. He was nearly there but the ringing bell just angered him more. He was missing lunch because of Chloe! A small, black butterfly flew to him. It danced around him before diving into his paper. A neon purple outline of the butterfly surrounded his face. A voice only he could hear greeted him. "Yes, Hawkmoth," Ivan said. His body, bit by bit, transformed into a large, stone monster determined to find Chloe and get his revenge.

Adrian paused at the Eiffel tower. The school was in sight but he had been running so much that he needed to take a breather. He hunched over and took deep breaths. The ground began to shake beneath him. Screams sounded from all around. The boy looked up and saw coming closer and closer was the large stone monster. "Chloe," it slowly yelled. Its eyes scanned the ground in search of her, not caring about the people it nearly stood on. Adrian jumped out of the way. He looked around. The world is dangerous... The monster's foot was about to stomp on a mum and her son. Immediately, Adrian grabbed the two and pulled them out of the monster's path. She looked like his mother...the same, sweet smile. People began to scurry in all directions. His mother would help them.

The crowd on the tower quickly made their way to the elevator. Marinette spotted a boy, just older than her, searching for his lost brother. Her eyes darted between Alya, the boy and the monster. She jumped out of the elevator and let it close behind her. Quickly, she searched for the child, finding him crying near the stairs. She lifted him up and calmed him down, cooing, "There there. I know where your brother is." She located the boy and handed the child to him then pulled him to the stairs. The monster was too close. Its hand slammed into the tower, causing Marinette to lose her balance. She nearly toppled over the edge but the man stopped her. The two ran down.

The old man had been watching the Parisians by the tower all day. His search for the next superheroes was not going well and the city was in dire need of some. He tried once more to transform but the simple act of triggering the transformation hurt his back. In the crowd, he spotted the boy who bumped into him earlier that morning. He was helping people escape and directing them to places of safety. The man smiled. He found his Cat miraculous. He hobbled over to the boy and grabbed his arm. "Come. We must go!" he warned. Adrian looked around. "Go ahead. I will be behind you," he told the man. A wrinkled hand slipped a hexagonal box into the boy's bag before the owner left.

Marinette spotted the old man she helped earlier when she reached the bottom of the stairs. He wouldn't be fast enough to escape the chaos. Seeing the family she helped had a clear path of escape, she ran to help the old man. "This way, sir. My parents' have a bakery nearby we can hide in," she said. The old man smiled. She would make a great Ladybug. He accepted her help, slipping into her bag another hexagonal box.

Adrian escaped the chaos of the tower and returned home. Climbing back in the window was harder than climbing out but he managed. He fell into the room and the contents of his bag scattered across the floor, including the tiny box. Before he could hide his escape and investigate the box, his bodyguard came in. He took one look and grunted. The gorilla-like man marched to the window where he removed the make-shift rope and pushed the couch back. As a final addition, or subtraction, in this case, he turned the music off and gave a non-verbal warning to keep it that way. Adrian didn't care anymore. Once the bodyguard returned to his post, the boy finally picked up the box and opened it. A note that said "claws out" was placed on top of a silver ring. Where did this come from? He brought it to his green eyes and inspected it closer. It was beautiful. He put the ring on and returned to the note. "Claws...out?" he said aloud. Suddenly, the boy began to transform. Black spandex replaced his blue jeans and white baseball shirt. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and cat ears appeared. He had claws and a tail made from a belt that held a staff. Finally, his hands ran along his face instinctively and a black mask formed. What distracted Adrian the most, though, was the little bell that hung around his neck. It was a strange detail.

The bakery was full of people. So was the living space above it. Marinette had located her parents' sat by the TV watching the news. Her arms wrapped around them. "We're so glad you're okay!" her dad cried. "The news said it came from your school. We were so worried. Why didn't you answer your phone?" her mum added. "I was at the tower. I never had the chance!" Marinette answered. Another long hug ensued. "What matters is you're home now," her dad said. Marinette looked around the crowd. It seemed her parents' had the same idea of bringing people off the street. "Don't worry," her mum said, "your room is empty if you want to go clean it." Marinette rolled her eyes but smiled. "Yes, mum." Pushing past the crowds, she made her way to her attack room.

It was still a mess. She hadn't even opened the curtains. First things first, music. She reached into her bag to pull out her phone only to find a little box. She opened it and found a note that read, "Spots on" covering a pair of silver earrings. She had no idea where the box came from but the earrings were pretty. She could paint them pink or blue or red to go with her outfits too or add little stickers to make them prettier. She tried them on and admired herself. What was the note though? She looked at it again. "Mysterious little things. Spots would look good on these but what would I wear them with. Not like I have anything else with spots on th-" Her words were cut off by her pink trousers and white top becoming red spandex with black polka dots. Her hands instinctively ran through her hair and an antenna appeared, wrapping her bunches up instead of her ties. Black and white polka dotted gloves formed on her hands and a matching strip crossed from her shoulder to her hip then circled her waist. A red yoyo with black spots materialised at her hip and, to complete the transformation, her hands ran over her eyes to form a mask that matched her yoyo with half a ladybug's wings adorning each side. "What the..?"