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Redemption	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 2815 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
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Marinette arrived at school on Monday morning to find the place eerily quiet. Curious, she entered the courtyard to see the entire student body standing still and staring at a point above her head. Fearing the return of an akuma attack, Marinette jogged over to Alya as she stood by the locker room door.
'Alya, what's going on?'
Alya raised her arm and pointed to the spot everyone was staring at. As Marinette turned to look, Principal Damocles' office door swung open on creaky hinges. Three heavily armed police officers filed out, followed by a large man with a brutish face. Then, Adrien Agreste stepped into view.
Marinette clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp.
In silence, the police officers trooped down the stairs, and out the main doors, the students alternating between watching them leave, and Adrien as he stood on the upper level with his hands in his pockets.
Unease rippled through the crowd. A low murmur began as Principal Damocles directed Adrien into Caline's classroom.
'Why does he have to be in our class?' demanded Alix in a stage whisper.
'Why does he have to be in our school?' Ivan added, folding his arms with a scowl.
Marinette swallowed and stared at her feet, flinching when Alya placed a hand on her shoulder.
'You ok, Girl? You're white as a sheet.'
Her hands clenching around her bag straps, Marinette dragged her gaze up to meet Alya's. 'I'm fine,' she whispered, with a forced smile.
Alya closed her eyes and shook her head. Pulling Marinette into a hug, she muttered, 'you don't have to be scared of him anymore. He's powerless now.'
Marinette nodded against Alya's shoulder, but didn't relax her hold on the straps. Marinette's awareness of her surroundings faded as memories of that night resurfaced; her prolonged battle against Papillon, Chat Noir's screams of defiance, and their eventual unmasking before a crowd of thousands.
She was pulled back into the present by a warm presence at her side, joined by another on her other side. Nino had wrapped his arms around her and Alya on her right, while Rose had taken a place on her left. Marinette sighed, her shoulders releasing some of the tension as she soaked in the warmth and support.
The bell rang and everyone flinched. The students from the other classes wished the ones from Caline's class good luck and scurried away to the safety of their own rooms, leaving the courtyard in silence once more.
Kim gulped and straightened his shoulders. 'Well, let's get this over with.' He looked around when no one made a move to follow. 'Come on, guys, we can't let him know we're scared. Let's show him what we're made of, Françoise Dupont style. Booyah.'
Marinette gave him a trembling smile. 'You're right. Let's go, guys.'
They filed up the stairs, only hesitating briefly when they saw the brutish man standing guard outside the classroom door.
'He must be his keeper,' reasoned Nino, quietly.
Adrien's court-appointed guardian, and watchdog, spared them a cursory glance before facing straight ahead again, hands clasped behind his back. The class moved forward in a tight knot, edging tentatively around him, before entering the room. Inside, most of them gave Adrien a wide berth as they moved quickly into their seats, as he sat in the, previously vacant, seat beside Nino. Marinette slid into her seat from the far end of the bench, hoping to avoid Adrien's notice, Alya shuffling along behind her.
Finally, only Nino remained standing, torn between wanting to run away, and asserting his position in his usual seat. His decision was made for him when Caline walked in, firmly pushing Nino into his seat as she passed.
'Good morning, class,' Caline began. 'As you can see, we'll have a new face joining us from now on. I hope you will all show him the warmth and hospitality our school is so well known for.'
Silence reigned as Caline looked expectantly around the room. She sighed when no one met her eyes. 'Marinette.'
Marinette shot up straight, wide eyed. 'Yes?' she squeaked.
'As you are our class representative, would you be so kind as to show Adrien around during lunch?'
Marinette felt the blood draining from her face and she swayed in her seat.
'Ah, Miss,' Alya began, placing a steadying hand on Marinette's shoulder. 'I don't think - '
'Oh, for Heaven's sake. Really,' Caline interrupted. 'That's enough, all of you. You're being ridiculous. Don't think I didn't notice your behaviour in the courtyard, either. Marinette, you will show Adrien around, explain the ins and outs of school life, and honestly answer any questions he may have. Is that clear?'
Everyone nodded, stunned by the uncharacteristic outburst.
Caline gave a firm nod. 'Good. Now, last week we were discussing the use of metaphor in classic literature.'
The class was unnaturally silent all morning. No one asked questions, no one whispered behind their hands, or absorbed anything from the lecture. They waited on tenterhooks, half expecting that at any moment, Adrien would do something terrible.
Eventually, the lunch bell rang. While most of them abandoned their books in their rush to get out the door, Alya turned to Marinette with wide eyes.
'Do you need me to stay?' she asked.
Marinette was just about to accept the offer, when she was struck by a thought. If Adrien recognised her as Ladybug, it would be better if no one were around to witness it.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. 'No, it's ok. I'm sure it'll be fine.'
Alya looked unconvinced.
Marinette gently nudged her elbow. 'Go. I promise I'll be fine.'
With great reluctance, Alya finished packing her things and left. Marinette put away her own belongings with exaggerated slowness, taking the time to gather her nerves. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Marinette stood and descended the stairs to stand in front of Adrien's desk.
Clearing her throat, she asked, 'ready?'
Adrien didn't look up at her. He just pulled his bag strap over his head and slowly got to his feet, waiting to follow her lead, with his head bowed.
Marinette realised he hadn't looked up once during class. He had kept his head down since before the others had come in, and had remained like that.
He's going to give himself a crick in the neck, Marinette thought, absently.
Keeping no less than two feet between them, Marinette gave Adrien a tour of the school, pointing out relevant classrooms, and other points of interest along the way. His guard was a perpetual shadow in their wake, but managed to remain unobtrusive - a remarkable feat for such a large man.
Adrien asked no questions; he didn't speak at all. He just kept his head down, hands in his pockets, and his shoulders hunched, as if he were trying to make himself look smaller. The idea was so absurd, Marinette almost laughed. He was far too tall to ever successfully pull off such a thing.
The tour finished quickly. If Adrien noticed that Marinette had rushed through it, he gave no indication. At the school entrance, his guard placed a large hand on Adrien's shoulder, and steered him from the school and around the corner, where a car waited for him.
Marinette stared after them, pensive. Finally, she went to the bakery and up the stairs to join her family for lunch. Alya and Nino also waited for her there.
Sabine tenderly cupped Marinette's cheeks when she arrived. 'How was it?'
Marinette shrugged. 'Quiet. He didn't say anything.'
'It's outrageous, letting that boy loose among innocent kids,' grumbled Tom with a heavy scowl.
Sabine, Alya, and Nino hummed an agreement.
Tension hung over the table as they ate.
The second half of the day went much like the first. Adrien arrived first, and sat morosely in his seat, while the others darted in to nervously take their seats before class began. No one spoke, except for a few hushed comments in the courtyard, there was no jostling in class, or girls giggling as they passed notes. There was just a heavy, uneasy silence. By day's end, many of them had headaches or queasy bellies.

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern, the routine only broken by a steady stream of scared and irate parents yelling in Principal Damocles' office, and the revelation that Adrien's keeper was simply known as Gorilla, and had been Adrien's bodyguard since before Papillon's downfall.
During those few days, Marinette kept a careful eye on Adrien, with growing concern.
By Friday he still stared resolutely downward, shoulders hunched, and only spoke when his name was called during attendance. At those times, his voice was so faint, Marinette had to strain her ears to hear.
He was vastly different from when he had been Chat Noir. The boy she had called her enemy was obnoxious, loud, and cocksure. The wilted shadow before her now may as well have been a different person.
After school that day, Marinette performed her chores in the bakery in a daze. Despite herself, she worried about Adrien. Now that they were no longer enemies, she could see that Chat Noir had had a sharp sense of humour, and a keen wit. If things had happened differently, they might even have been friends. Tikki had once told her that the Miraculous were instruments for good, and were supposed to work together. Marinette had mourned the loss of a potential partner, but the sentiment was quickly lost the next time Chat Noir tried to scratch her ears off.
She wondered what had happened to Chat Noir's, and Papillon's Miraculouses. Her expression turned sombre when she thought of Tikki.
I wonder what she would tell me to do now. Marinette rolled her eyes with a fond smile. She would tell me to give him a chance. It only takes one act of kindness to turn someone's life around.
Marinette finished placing the macaroons in the display case, and returned the tray to the kitchen. She washed her hands, then kissed her parents on the cheek before going to her room to get started on her homework.
Next week was going to be different.
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Redemption