A Lady’s Scout (and the Salt within her Soul)
A Lady’s Scout (and the Salt within her Soul)
Marinette doesn’t know how the rumors started. Oh scratch that, of course she knows how the rumors started. Hell, she encouraged them herself!
She was pissed, and rightfully so. Her friends had all left her, betraying her, forgetting her, leaving her behind for Lila. A single incident turned into multiples, and Marinette ended that same week in the back once more, now a permanent resident of the back row. All it took was a few crocodile tears from Lila to Miss Bustier, complaining about sight problems. But of course, she just needed to be a little closer to the board. Like Marinette’s spot kind of close. But it’s fine, because Marinette can sit with Nathaniel, and aren’t they such good friends?
Marinette didn’t even try to complain, already knowing that she’d lose. And so she ended the week in the back, silently fuming as Alya didn’t even bat an eye at the change.
And it only continued. Days turned into weeks, and the weeks never ended. Suddenly Marinette was being forgotten, abandoned on an island, watching in vain as her classmates were left in awe of Lila’s latest ‘travels’. Sure, she had Nathaniel, but he was wrapped up in his comic most of the time.
So Marinette became wrapped up in her own little world of designs. Without her friends by her side, Marinette found herself with more free time than she’d had in months! (It looks like Lila can bring some good into her life!)
The first creation was a fox themed shirt, styled after Rena Rouge’s costume. Bold orange merged seamlessly with a creamy white, little embroidery creating a picture in the corner for searching eyes to find. A little fox, prancing among the flowers. A little fox, searching for something.
A little fox, searching for the Miraculous she’d never get again. Because why would she? Why would she, when she was no longer dependable? When she was no longer trustworthy, no longer loyal? When she’d forget Marinette for the next best thing?
So maybe Marinette was a little bitter, but who could blame her? And besides, why would she want to keep a fox that betrays her when she could have a friend who would silently stand by her side, or rather sit there, and come up with his own little illusions each and every day?
Fennec debuted three weeks after Marinette is exiled to the back, on a sunny day that does little to represent Alya’s mood.
Marinette presented the shirt on that following Monday.
“Th- thank you, Marinette,” Alya said, eyes widening as she gazed at the shirt. “But why is it fox themed?”
“Oh, you reminded me of Rena,” Marinette said with a wink, but there was no smile on her face. There wasn’t one on Alya’s, either, but only teary eyes.
Later, Marinette would look down at Alya and be met with skeptical, questioning eyes. But the eyes turned away quickly, downcast.
Marinette watched on from her spot in the back, eyes searching for flaws. She found them in her partners, and she created.
Next came a hoodie. A soft green, with a hexagonal pattern stitched in with darker thread. A hood, large enough for an old friend to hide his head in, even with a hat on.
He was protective, but not of Ladybug. Only Rena Rouge, only ever Rena Rouge. But Rena was gone, and so he would be, too.
Luka swapped teal for green, becoming Protecteur. Her protector. Because he’d never harmed her, he’d never betrayed her. He’d always been there, a silent support, and now he could be the same for Ladybug.
When Marinette gave Nino the hoodie, his eyes locked with hers, an unusual trait.
“Hey, what’s up with the Carapace theme, dudette?”
“He was just like you, wasn’t he?” She asked, and then she was gone, hidden in the back.
It’d be hard to miss how he tensed from so high up. Perhaps it was good, being forced to the back.
A bee themed skirt was made quickly. Light and simple, the white skirt had little yellow bees buzzing along the hem. Cute, yet impractical. Focusing more on looks than on functionality.
Yes, that was the way Marinette worked out her stress from Queen Bee, from the hero who never was, and never would be forevermore.
She presented it before she chose a replacement, and was met with weariness.
“You never give me gifts, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloé pointed out bluntly, eyes challenging. “What’s with the skirt?”
“Oh, I just thought you’d like a little keepsake,” Marinette responded, already turning away.
Three days later, a new bee was chosen. Monarch rose up, a force to be reckoned with.
Kagami was all too happy to take up the mantle, to take out her stress on the poor Akuma victims. She was honored to be chosen, and Marinette was happy.
Her team was chosen, fixed to her liking. She was protected, she was safe, no longer relying on classmates who would only let her down.
And the rumors spread. From Alya and Nino, whispering to one another about what the gifts could mean. To an accidental comment near Lila, who used it as fuel to spread her fire. Because if Marinette knew…who’s to say she isn’t acting as some sort of scout?
“Ladybug and I had a falling out,” Lila explained with a flip of her hair. “I didn’t approve of the idea, so she and I had a spat.” She smiled at Alya, all sugar and sweetness. “I’d never replace someone like you…but Marinette would encourage it.”
Alya had glared at Marinette the rest of the week, and the whisperings picked up.
Chloé learned from Lila, and came marching up to Marinette immediately.
“Lila says you’re some kind of hero scout, huh?” Chloé said, shoving her face into Marinette’s. “What, are you some kind of goody two-shoes who talks to Ladybug, crying when someone upsets you?”
Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Me? Why, I do nothing of the sort! I’d never complain to Ladybug like that.” She smiled, fully aware of the searching eyes. Aware of the awe stricken gaze Nathaniel sent her way, of the shock in Nino’s eyes and pure hatred in Alya’s. “I wouldn’t complain, but if she does come by for advice…who am I to lie?”
She saw how Lila glared, teeth grinding. She saw how her classmates reacted, some with excitement, others with worry. Unsure how to feel, unsure how to act.
Fennec, by then permanent much like her Bee and Turtle, questioned her during patrol, right in front of Chat Noir, Protecteur, and Monarch.
“Hey, Ladybug?” Fennec asked, eyes full of nerves.
“Is Marinette some sort of hero scout for you?”
With those words, Ladybug saw how her three teammates paused. Protecteur and Monarch seemed shocked by the words, Chat Noir just leaned in closer, waiting with baited breath for her answer.
“She is,” Ladybug replied easily, knowing the rumors would spread, knowing the rumors would lead to hatred and excitement and an alibi. (Because how could Ladybug’s scout be a hero, especially Ladybug herself? It just wouldn’t be possible!) “I tried giving her the Fox Miraculous back during Sapotis, but she suggested a friend of hers. They were good, so I asked her for a Turtle recommendation. Carapace worked well. She thought Queen Bee could redeem herself, so we gave Chloé a shot.”
“Why did you replace them?” Chat Noir asked. “If Marinette suggested them, why would you change your mind?”
“They stopped being reliable.” Ladybug shrugged, twirling her yoyo. “They left Marinette alone to be isolated. They let their friend be threatened by a liar, and when Marinette finally admitted it to me? I can’t have people who act like that.”
“Did she recommend us?” Protecteur asked, and Ladybug smiled.
“You three were the first people she could think of, and she had shining recommendations for all three.”
She saw the way they reacted. Monarch smiled, Protecteur beamed, Fennec looked ready to have a stroke…and Chat Noir seemed pensive, eyes searching for something.
Marinette went to class the next day, and things had changed. For some reason, Max, Kim, and Alix were being extra nice to her. For some reason, Adrien spoke directly to her, despite having shied away the moment Alya got mad. For some reason, she felt like she was being watched. It was more than usual, more than when Lila first spread the rumor that Marinette was a hero scout.
But it didn’t click on why until Kagami spelled it out during lunch.
“They want to be heroes, too,” Kagami muttered, inching closing to the bluenette. Luka dropped into the spot beside her, and Nathaniel quickly sat across from them, setting his bag in the last remaining spot.
“So they think I can help with that?” Marinette questioned, an eyebrow raising.
“You are a hero scout,” Nathaniel pointed out, cheeks tinted red with embarrassment. “If you deem someone worthy, Ladybug will give them the Miraculous.”
Marinette glanced around, saw the way Kim eyed her, expression eager as he waved excitedly.
Of course. Her one time Roi Singe…and the Pegasus and Bunnix to follow. They knew she had a say, and so they were sucking up to her.
Marinette turned her gaze away, focusing on her true friends. “I only tell Ladybug about the real heroes,” she muttered, missing the way her three friends blushed.
That night, she was itching to create, and so she did. A monkey inspired sweatband, with a tiny, comical version of Xuppu stitched on the inside. It only took a few hours, and Marinette was happy with it.
Kim jogged up to her as she walked into the classroom, still beaming. “Hey, Marinette!” He said happily, as if he hadn’t ignored her, too. “Want to hangout soon? I have a track competition, you should come see it!”
“I can’t,” Marinette replied dismissively, “but here’s a good luck gift.” She pressed the sweatband into his palm, and watched him stumble as he realized what it meant.
“Oh…okay,” he said with a frown, deflated and hurt. He moped over to his seat, allowing Max to console him.
By lunchtime, Max seemed nervous, glancing at Marinette with panicked eyes. He seemed to be calculating, consulting Markov. Whatever he realized, it was enough to set him on edge.
Two days later, he was sure of his results. Marinette came up to him, and she smiled coldly.
“I made you these,” she said, and set a pair of sunglasses in his hands. “I thought you’d like them.” She turned, ignoring the way his eyes dropped, and then paused. “And don’t worry, they’ll protect your eyes from dangerous napkins.”
Later that day, Marinette would sit at home and laugh at her comment, then continue on to start one of her final gifts.
Her class was chaotic. Half of them followed her around like she was Lila, trying to do favors for her, trying to get into her good graces, trying to be someone special in her eyes. Many of them stayed far away, however, hiding from her sight, unsure if they should hate her or hate themselves, unsure what went wrong, unsure of what to do.
And then she had her actual friends. Nathaniel, Luka, Kagami…
And, according to the school, Ladybug.
Alix became pushier. The young girl practically bounced like a rabbit as she’d follow Marinette around, trying to prove herself. She thought she was in the clear, that the future was set in stone. She owned the watch, after all, so it was rightfully hers, right?
Marinette presented her with a hat, light blue with a little white pom pom on top, and Alix froze.
Later that day, Ladybug made a trip to Alix’s house, and she left a perfect replica of the watch behind. Perfect, of course, except for the lack of a certain bunny-themed Kwami.
Alix didn’t show up for school the next day, and Marinette didn’t bat an eye.
Just like that, her team was complete, and justice had been served.
But Marinette wasn’t done.
No, because there was one last thing to do. One little thing.
Marinette donned the Mouse, one last time. She split herself up, until a dozen little Multimice were running through the school. She snuck into each class, gathering information. Looking for future options.
And playing her final card in the game she’d been playing for months.
Her class was silent as Miss Bustier took attendance, eyes on their teacher as Multimouse slipped underneath the door.
“Marinette?” Miss Bustier asked, eyes curious, and Multimouse raised her hand, as if on autopilot.
“Here!” Her little voice squeaked out, and then she gasped, covering her mouth.
But it was too late, she’d been ‘found’. Miss Bustier stared, wide-eyed, crouching down to see her student on the floor.
“M- Marinette?” Miss Bustier asked, and Multimouse shook her head.
“No, no, of course not!” But it was too late, wasn’t it? Marinette was never a good liar, was she?
“You’re Multimouse?!” Alya shouted the question, hands slamming onto her desk. Lila, beside her, stared, but the stare quickly turned into a dangerous glare.
“I, uh,” Multimouse sighed, curling in on herself. “Fuck.” She turned to face Miss Bustier. “I…I guess I’ll explain, but just wait a second. I’d rather do this at full height.”
“Okay?” Miss Bustier nodded, still baffled. “What do you need?”
“Oh, just my other me’s. They should be here right about now.” As if on cue (oh they were definitely on cue), the other Multimice came darting under the door, making their way to Multimouse. They went up to her, quickly combining into one normal-sized Multimouse.
“Woah,” Nathaniel whispered, eyes shining with excitement. The rest of the class seemed to feel the same, any negative feelings forgotten (well, except for one certain girl) in the moment.
“Why were there so many?” Rose asked, eyes searching for any others that may have stayed small. “What were they- you- doing?”
Multimouse laughed. “Wasn’t it obvious? I’ve heard the rumors, guys, I know what you think.”
She watched how they paused, how their mouths dropped and their eyes widened.
“You were looking for new heroes?” Adrien asked, speaking up for once in his life, and Multimouse shrugged.
“Ladybug wanted new blood. Sent me out to search. She’s done it a few times, dropping the Miraculous off so I could get stuff done.” She looked to Miss Bustier with the sweetest, most innocent smile she could ever give, and said, “I hope you understand why I’m late so often. I couldn’t exactly tell you the truth, it’s supposed to be a secret after all.”
“Of course,” Miss Bustier said, and Multimouse smiled wider.
(So maybe it’s a partial lie, but Marinette was sick of getting detention for saving the goddamn city every day.)
“How long has this been going on?” Alya asked, hands shaking as she held onto her desk, as she struggled to not grab her phone.
Multimouse made a show of pausing, of tapping her finger to her chin before smiling. “I’ve been sneaking around since Carapace’s debut. After that, Ladybug wanted me to search more often. It helped her get a grasp of what goes on in the world. She can’t have eyes everywhere, but I can.” She giggled, then frowned. “It’s been tough, having to hide this for so long. I had to hide from Chat Noir, too, in the beginning, in case he got possessed. If he only focused on Ladybug, he couldn’t go after me during my secret missions. I nearly lost the ability to use the Miraculous when I revealed my identity to him…oh no.”
“What?” Adrien asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I suppose Ladybug won’t use me any longer.” Multimouse hugged herself, looking out the window. “She can’t, not anymore.”
“Why not?” Nathaniel asked, looking hurt.
“You all know my identity. I can’t be a hero, it isn’t safe. Especially when Ladybug’s stalker- shit.”
Like a conductor of an orchestra, Multimouse played them once more. She struggled to hold back her smirk as the class went berserk once more.
“She has a stalker?” Adrien asked, slamming his hands on the desk. “Who is it?”
Multimouse shrunk back. “It- it’s not my place to say. Ladybug said to be nice, that she can fight her own battles.”
“Is someone hurting her?” Nino asked, and Multimouse just took another step back. “Who?”
“I really shouldn’t-” but the class is wild now, and they want the truth. So Multimouse sighed and pulled on her jump rope, opening up a hidden phone. “Alright, I’ll call her.” She hit a few buttons, then nodded. “She’ll be here soon. I should go…Ladybug will want the Miraculous back.” One last sad look to her class, and then she leaped out of the window, sneaking up to the roof.
One quick change later, Ladybug hopped into the classroom, eyes narrowed.
This time, Alya pulled out the phone, finally unable to control her desire for footage. “Ladybug! Ma-”
“Multimouse,” Ladybug cut off quickly.
“Multimouse told us that you have a stalker?” Alya asked. “Who is it?”
Ladybug raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you know? You put her on your blog every single week, after all.”
Alya froze, and so did Lila.
“I- I’m not-” Lila tried to start, but Ladybug was ready.
“Lila Rossi has been claiming many things since she got to Paris. I’ve heard claims of her being Volpina, a superhero. I’ve heard her claim that she was a better hero than me, and that she and I are best friends. She’s been Akumatized multiple times, and I’m not quite so sure whether or not it’s just to get close to me. She has tormented my scout, ostracizing her and claiming that I would support her, that I would listen to her. Lila Rossi has created an illusion in her mind that I owe her my friendship, and that my scout has done her wrong, and I would never trust someone like her.” She glared at the girl, at the camera. “There is one good thing Lila Rossi has done. She has been a wonderful test for my previous temporaries in order to see where their loyalties are. Other than that, she has been stalking me, creating up stories, and ruining lives.” She glared at Alya. “Now, if that’s all you want, I must go find my scout. She seemed rather upset, and I’d rather not fight my favorite civilian.”
Then she left the room, and she didn’t come back for the rest of the day. Instead she stayed home, claiming she felt sick, and let herself relax.
She created her final design.
When Marinette came into class the next day, she wore a beautiful pink dress, embroidered with little gray mice. The message was clear, and Nathaniel seemed disappointed. Adrien did, too, but Marinette wasn’t sure why.
She was greeted with apologies, with promises to be better. With questions, wondering how she’d managed to be Multimouse for so long without raising suspicion. With admiration, as their friends realized who the true friend of Ladybug was.
And Marinette just turned away, turned to her true chosen heroes.
Later that day, rumors of a heroine in a dragon’s red were heard, and if Ladybug was suspiciously absent…
Well, the other heroes enjoyed patrolling with their scout, and the world was right for one more day.
—–
And with that, I have finally written this fic! Thank you to @liamnl for letting me use this idea, it was really fun! (To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to end it, so I figured Marinette could get her last revenge and call out Lila once and for all.) I hope you all enjoyed it! <3
