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Marinette: The Interrogation Room

Incident Report

Reported by: Sabine Cheng, Thomas Dupain
Date of Report: XX-XX-XXXX (REDACTED)
Incident No.: 66613

Incident Description:
Sabine Cheng and Thomas Dupain's daughter, Marinette Dupain-Cheng (14), was wrongfully expelled from Collège François Dupont. According to school records, Dupain-Cheng was accused of (1) cheating on a geography test, (2) pushing a student, Lila Rossi (14), down the stairs, and (3) stealing a necklace from Rossi.

According to school records, Dupain-Cheng was found guilty by Principal H.P. Damocles and Miss Caline Bustier on the following pieces of evidence: (1) the missing answer key to Bustier's test was found in Dupain-Cheng's backpack, (2) Rossi was found at the bottom of the staircase, informing witnesses from nearby classrooms that she was pushed down the stairs by Dupain-Cheng and (3) Rossi's missing necklace was found in Dupain-Cheng's locker.

The incident nearly resulted in six akumas on site.

The day after Dupain-Cheng's expulsion had been processed, Rossi stepped forward denying the accusations against Dupain-Cheng, leading to a reinstatement to Collège François Dupont.

Upon further investigation, the Ministry of National Education hereby recommends an investigation regarding this incident.

"It'll be fine, Marinette!"

Marinette glanced nervously over her shoulder at her kwami. Tikki zipped around her chosen, cuddling close to the girl's cheek in hopes that her good energy would rub off on the girl. Marinette smiled softly at Tikki before taking a good look at her mirror.

Everything was in place.

She was dressed, her face was washed, her hair was neatly combed into her pigtails, she even had her bags ready.

It should be okay; things were back to normal. Everything should be fine, right?

"I'm not so sure about this," Marinette confided, "An investigation is opened on the school because of me—"

"No," Tikki interrupted, "It's because Lila was dishonest, and Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles didn't properly perform their jobs as your instructor. That isn't your fault."

"But I feel like it's my fault…" Marinette grumbled.

After meeting the doctor in the hall yesterday, Marinette swore to continue her school day without doing so much as looking at Lila. For all she knew, Lila could suddenly develop some condition where Marinette's stare felt like a gorgon's lethal gaze and she'd wind up getting Marinette expelled again.

"I know it doesn't feel good," Tikki comforted, "but that just means you care about Miss Bustier and Mr. Damocles. Marinette, you're a good person, and you have a big heart, but that doesn't mean that what they did was okay."

"I know…" Marinette replied, "I just can't help but hope that this passes by quickly."

"It will!" Tikki promised, "But you gotta just keep your head up, okay?"

Marinette sighed, and nodded. Tikki was normally right about these things. After all, she was a thousands-old all-powerful deity.

Tikki smiled widely at the girl before diving head first into her sling purse.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Alya: (08:11) I'm hereeeeeee.
Marinette: (08:11) Coming!

At least Alya was somewhat on her side now. Though Alya was still in the dark about Lila consciously lying on the Ladyblog, Marinette could tell that this latest game Lila started created the tiniest fissure in Alya's trust in the girl.

Marinette could sense a storm brewing on the horizon between her best friend and Lila, but she also knew that at the moment, she wasn't able to do anything about it.

Marinette threw her backpack over her shoulders and bounded down stairs to meet Alya in the living room.

"Ready to be destroyed by Mendeleiev's test today?" Alya greeted, "I'm praying that she isn't going to make us predict the trajectory of a rocket launch."

"Well now that you've spoken it into existence," Marinette snorted, "I'm sure she's gonna have an entire section dedicated to that. And they'll be word problems, too."

The trip to school wasn't particularly eventful, especially since Marinette lived a stone's throw away.

Their arrival to the classroom, however, made Marinette want to walk all the way back home and cancel today all together.

"Alya, Marinette! Did you see Adrien and Lila's photoshoot?!" Rose asked excitedly. She waved her phone in front of their faces, showing the girls the gallery of photos released by Gabriel. Alya gasped, and grabbed the phone, flipping through the images.

"I didn't even know that Lila was a model!" she exclaimed, "That's crazy!"

Marinette didn't respond.

Gently, she plucked the phone from Alya's hands and peered down at the material. There it was. Her tormentor huddled up and looking cozy beside the love of her life. Headlines in bold, black type brought Marinette's bleary gaze to the top of the page.

We are OBSESSED with Gabriel's new It Girl, Lila Rossi!

Liladrien? Adrila? Either way, we ship it!

Lila Rossi, Gabriel's new It Girl, is BFFs with Ladybug and Jagged Stone!

Marinette didn't understand how exactly Lila got an in with Gabriel, but Marinette certainly wasn't impressed.

No, she was confused.

Too confused to actually form words and too shocked to settle on an emotion.

It was almost as if someone had dumped ice cold water over her head.

Hadn't Adrien defended her the day before?

Marinette specifically remembered Adrien coming to her aid and comforting her in the classroom before Miss Bustier pulled her and Lila out. Not to mention, he seemed angry with the girl as well, so if that was the case then why was he posing on a spread for a Gabriel campaign with Lila of all people?

Marinette couldn't comprehend what she was feeling.

"Yeah, that's great," Marinette grumbled, handing the phone back to Rose. She trudged back to her desk, slid into her seat, and began unpacking, fighting off the unpleasant emotions that were coursing through her veins at this very second.

Jealousy. Anger. Sadness. Resignation. Loneliness. Helplessness.

They swirled in her head, casting a stormy haze over Marinette's blue bell eyes. Why Lila? Marinette questioned. Why is it that every time I set out to do the right thing, it blows up in my face? Why is it that Lila gets to lie about every single thing and she gets rewarded for it?

And where was Adrien in all this? He was the one who told her that exposing Lila would only hurt her and get her akumatized. Why did he change is tune yesterday?

Why was he posing in a Gabriel campaign with Lila?!

Marinette didn't understand.

Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, her ears were aching—the classroom, with its bright lights and loud noise were overstimulating her senses and Marinette just wanted to leave.

She knew she didn't want to receive another absence, especially since her attendance wasn't the greatest, so Marinette just resorted to arranging her books on her desk until Miss Bustier arrived.

She could feel Tikki patting her hip from the inside of her bag, comforting Marinette.

It'll be okay, Marinette, Marinette imagined Tikki saying.

How she loved her little kwami.

Motion in the row in front of Marinette drew her attention to the front. Adrien smiled widely at the girl—her heart throbbed—before plopping down in his seat.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien greeted, "It's good to see you back."

It took Marinette a few moments to realize that he was waiting for her to reply, his iridescent green eyes patiently searching hers for an answer. Marinette swallowed, pushing away her treacherous thoughts, deciding that she couldn't afford to have a meltdown so early in the morning.

"Y…Yeah," she replied, "It's good to be back."

"Did you manage to get the notes from the classes you missed?" Adrien asked, "If you want, I can e-mail them to you?"

Marinette smiled, though she was certain it was more of an Adrien-induced reflex rather than a genuine reaction at this point in time. "I'd appreciate that."

"I'll send it over right now!" Adrien promised, before spinning around in his seat to tap away on his tablet. A few moments later, Marinette's tablet pinged.

To: Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Cc:
Subject: Notes
From: Adrien Agreste

Marinette, do you think we can talk today at lunch?

Also, if there's anything you don't understand in the notes, feel free to ask me! (:

[ATTACHMENT 1: Notes_XX_XX_XXXX_Bustier]

Marinette's head snapped up from her tablet, her eyes immediately meeting Adrien's hopeful smile. She could feel the bitter resentment from only a few moments before beginning to melt. Slowly, she turned back to her tablet.

To: Adrien Agreste
Cc:
Subject: RE: Notes
From: Marinette Dupain-Cheng

I'd like that, and thanks for the notes. If you want, we can go to my house?

Adrien wasted no time in replying; she could see him practically bouncing in his seat as he typed out his answer.

His eagerness to spend time with Marinette miraculously banished her previous darker thoughts. Marinette figured that it wasn't a surprise since it was Adrien we were talking about. She shook her head, snickering to herself before checking his reply.

To: Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Cc:
Subject: Re: Re: Notes
From: Adrien Agreste

Yes! I was meaning to try something else out from the bakery. What was today's macaron flavor today? I didn't get a good look at the sign when I drove by. Mango? Peach?

"Passionfruit, actually." Marinette answered easily, prompting Adrien to whirl around in his seat.

His eyes sparkled, and Marinette felt her heart stutter as Adrien leaned closer to her face. His cheeks warmed with giddiness.

"Really?!" Adrien said, "That's my favorite!"

"I know it is," Marinette replied. I do, after all, dedicate my Sunday mornings to making one just for this occasion.

Adrien paused and looked at the girl quizzically, asking her a silent question, a gentle smile on his face.

The gears started spinning again in Marinette's head, and she fought the urge to fling herself out of her seat to panic.

Marinette flushed upon realizing her mistake, quickly adding, "Because you're my favorite flavor! I mean, you're everyone's favorite! I mean, it's everyone's favorite flavor! Because it's that good."

Adrien didn't seem to mind her response, instead choosing to place his hand over hers. His long fingers calmed her restless hands, bringing Marinette out of her Adrien-induced panic long enough to catch what he said next.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said quietly, truthfully.

Her face burned.

"M-Me too!" Marinette squeaked.

And just like that, Marinette's mood improved exponentially. Not even Lila, who skipped into the classroom a mere 30 seconds later, could bring Marinette's spirits down.

"Nice photoshoot, Lila!" Mylene complimented from the back of the classroom.

"Oh, you're too kind," Lila giggled, "But I shouldn't take all the credit."

Lila reached over to run her fingers through Adrien's hair, "Adrien was there to help me. We make such a great team, don't we Adrien?"

Adrien had still been speaking to Marinette and hadn't sensed Lila approaching until she was already touching him. Marinette observed her friend's reaction closely, drawing her brows together in concentration.

His hand, still on hers, had frozen, as well as the rest of him. His shoulders were drawn upwards and he sat up straight, his back uncomfortably stiff.

His reaction brought Marinette out of her nervousness immediately, replaced with the need to protect him and tell Lila to get her hands off of him.

Why hadn't she noticed this before?

Frowning, Marinette flipped her hand up from underneath Adrien's, grabbing hold of his fingers and squeezing gently. That seemed to do the trick, as Adrien quickly ducked out from underneath Lila's hand scooting backwards towards Marinette.

Lila didn't seem to appreciate the gesture.

"Something wrong, Adrien?"

"No," he answered, "just startled, is all."

Lila pursed her lips suspiciously but didn't reply to Adrien's comment. Instead, she immediately focused on Adrien and Marinette's joined hands. Her hazel eyes were blazing, and she shot Marinette a look that she could only interpret as threatening.

With Adrien's hand in hers, Marinette felt brave. The Marinette of a few days ago would have called Lila out for being deceitful, being an overall pain, being so grossly unaware of Adrien's personal space—the Marinette of a few days ago would've sought immediate justice, but the Marinette of a few days ago wasn't aware of the lengths Lila Rossi would go to hurt her and the people she cared about.

"Something wrong, Lila?" Marinette challenged.

The class fell silent now, watching the tension between their two classmates unfold. Lila smiled sweetly at Marinette.

"Nothing at all, Marinette," she replied, though her eyes read something completely different. "I'm just so glad you aren't upset with me because my medical condition, but I guess we can call it even, after our conversation in the bathroom a few weeks ago," the class murmured about Lila's emotional outburst the day before, where Marinette was accused of bullying the transfer student.

Marinette could feel Adrien's gaze on the side of her face.

He squeezed her hand, silently conveying his support for her.

The Marinette of a few days ago was still in the back of her head, roaring for Lila to never touch Adrien without his express permission. But the Marinette of today recognized that stopping Lila took more finesse. A lot more finesse.

"Yes, let's," Marinette breathed, "I can't imagine what it's like to just compulsively blurt out whatever comes to mind and to suffer from chronic memory loss because of it. Perhaps you should ask Adrien's father to run a campaign that'll bring awareness to your condition."

Lila didn't reply.

She glared down at Marinette, hoping to convey her warning to the raven-haired girl.

I will destroy you.

"Your photographs turned out beautifully, Lila," Marinette added with a smile. "Perhaps, in the future, you'll be able to model for me?"

"Maybe," Lila hummed, "I should make sure Mr. Agreste will be okay with me modeling clothes made by an amateur. You do understand?"

The class shuffled uncomfortably, and Marinette could already sense Alya making a beeline for her desk, well-aware that Marinette's designs weren't a line to cross. Unlike other times, Marinette didn't take Lila's jab to heart. What would she know about fashion design anyway?

Taking on Lila required resourcefulness and creativity, something that Lila hasn't had to go up against since she walked through Miss Bustier's door.

That is, until Marinette decided that she wasn't going to let Lila carry on the way she was. The uncomfortable look on Adrien's face was enough for Marinette to disregard every single thing he mentioned about exposing the goddamned liar.

Contrary to what Adrien said, Lila was hurting people.

She was hurting Marinette. She was hurting her friends and classmates. She was hurting Alya and her credibility. She was hurting Adrien.

If Lila wanted to play a game, then Marinette was more than willing to play by her own rules.

Marinette grinned, a little too widely at the girl, "Oh, it's no worry at all. Considering the fact that he hand-picked my design as the winner in his latest contest and had Adrien walk with my design, I'm sure it'll be fine."

Going up against Lila meant that you needed to be clever.

Unfortunately for Lila Rossi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng moonlighted as a superhero who was the epitome of resourcefulness, creativity, and, most of all, justice. The very superhero who had beaten Lila as an akuma on two different occasions.

The score was two to zilch with Ladybug in the lead, and Marinette decided that she'd be damned if she let the likes of Lila Rossi outfox her.

As it turned out, Marinette's confidence could be compared to that of a Star mode power up in Mario Kart.

Halfway through Miss Bustier's lesson on the French Revolution, Marinette was summoned to the headmaster's office. She wasn't surprised to find the doctor sitting in Mr. Damocles' seat, dressed in a similar dark green pantsuit that she had wore yesterday.

Marinette knocked, "You called for me, Doctor?"

"Ah, Miss Dupain-Cheng," she beckoned Marinette into the room, "Please, have a seat."

Mr. Damocles' office, normally a well-lit and warm environment, had been transformed into what Marinette could only assume was an interrogation room. The office blinds were drawn, hidden behind the thick black-out curtains Mr. Damocles normally had pinned back.

The only source of light other than the window in the front door came from the tiny desk lamp at the edge of the desk.

Steeling herself, Marinette walked into the dark room.

The principal's phonograph in the background was playing, for once. Marinette vaguely recognized the song, as it was one her grandfather often played at his home.

The familiarity, however, was not comforting.

A chill ran down Marinette's spine as a gust of cold air blew down from the vents above. The doctor kept Mr. Damocles' office noticeably colder than the rest of the school. The girl couldn't help but find the conditions of the room fitting for the circumstances.

Dr. Ursule Robespierre sat with her hands folded together. Marinette noted that the doctor's black leather gloves had been placed neatly on the edge of the desk, revealing a plain silver wedding band.

The smell of rubbing alcohol—most likely from the bottle of hand sanitizer nearby—filled Marinette's nose, causing her eyes to sting. The headmaster's desk had been recently scrubbed down, the streak marks from the anti-bacterial wipes the doctor used still drying on the surface of the desk.

Careful to not touch the surface, Marinette slid into the chair.

The doctor didn't seem to be the type to exchange pleasantries. Marinette waited for the doctor to speak, wanting nothing more than to finish this meeting with the good doctor.

Mercifully, she spoke after only a few moments.

"Before we begin, I would like to preface our conversation with a few precautions," she began, reaching over for her black gloves. Slowly, she slid them onto her hands, flexing her fingers to ensure they were on snugly.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng," the doctor said, "Do you realize the severity of the allegations that were reported against this school, your administrators and your classmate?"

"I do," Marinette's parents had sat her down yesterday evening, informing her of what she was to expect from the investigation. Somewhere in the back of Marinette's mind, she began to think her parents didn't predict someone like the good doctor showing up at school.

Marinette wasn't sure how to feel about the intimidating woman.

"I also hope you understand that it would be wise to tell me the truth, and that I will expect nothing less than the truth."

She nodded, and it seemed to satisfy the doctor enough.

"I am going to ask you a few questions," she said lowly, "you will tell me exactly what I ask for and only elaborate if I ask you to. Am I clear?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Good."

The doctor stood from her desk, slowly pacing the office. For a few moments, she said nothing, merely exploring the headmaster's office, observing his knickknacks. Marinette was vaguely reminded of a shark circling its prey.

When the doctor drew close to Marinette, the girl fought the urge to turn around, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up.

"Did you cheat on Miss Bustier's exam?" the doctor asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Marinette shivered, but answered quickly, mustering up the courage to speak into the cold office space.

"No."

"Did you push Lila Rossi down the stairs?" she asked again, not acknowledging Marinette's first answer.

"No," Marinette said again, the answer coming out just as easily as the first had.

Marinette understood that didn't have anything to be afraid of, since the doctor was investigating allegations against the school, and not the allegations Lila made against her. She shuddered, looking for a sense of comfort in the void.

Of course, Tikki had felt Marinette's anxiety at once, patting the girl's hip from within her bag. The gestured calmed the girl just in time for the doctor's next question.

"Did you steal Lila Rossi's necklace?"

"No." The answer came out effortlessly.

The questions and answers were rapid-pace, asked and answered in quick succession without any room to think. Marinette wondered if Lila had the audacity to try to lie to this woman. She thanked the universe that interrogations were happening one-on-one because she did not want to be around when Lila tried to talk to the doctor.

"So, tell me Miss Dupain-Cheng," the doctor drawled, her voice echoing from the opposite side of the room, near the bookshelves, "how would you describe your relationship with Miss Rossi? Were you," she paused for a moment, "…friends at one point?"

"Not at all," Marinette answered, "She's a liar—"

"—I'll be the judge of that," the doctor cut in smoothly, "Now, we've already read the incident report on this matter, but I would like for you to walk me through what happened that day."

It was an easy enough directive.

Marinette swallowed, "Well, after lunch Miss Bustier told the class that she had received a tip that I had cheated on the exam and asked me to bring my backpack up to the front. When I opened it, the answer key was sitting there, though I have no idea how it got there in the first place. Most of my classmates tried defending me, including Lila, but I—" Marinette cringed, "—openly accused Lila of sneaking the key into my bag. Ms. Bustier told me not to blame people without proof, but I was so sure it was Lila. Anyway, she sent us off to Mr. Damocles' office shortly after."

The doctor's face expressed nothing. She merely nodded for Marinette to continue her story.

"Lila and I," Marinette shared, "don't get along, and when we were walking towards the principal's office, she told me she'd like to see how she'd get out of this one. I didn't understand what she meant until she walked down the stairs, laid down, and began screaming."

Her eyes stung at the memory, but she continued, "Naturally, everybody, including Mr. Damocles, came to see what was going on, and she told him that I pushed her down the stairs. That's when my parents were called in, and Lila told them about how I had bullied her, but it couldn't have been further from the truth—"

"Miss Dupain-Cheng," the doctor interrupted again, "I will be the judge of that, now please continue your story."

"Right," Marinette said, "Well, that's when she told everyone that I had stolen her necklace, and when I asked for proof, she led us to my locker."

"Where the pendant was?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"And how were you reinstated?" the doctor inquired.

Marinette shrugged, "Lila admitted to the principal that she had a medical condition that caused her to say all these crazy stories, and that I wasn't guilty of any of the things I had been accused of. It was enough for Mr. Damocles to admit me back to school, although you already know my parents were not happy about it."

"Indeed," she agreed. The doctor crossed back towards the desk, where she sat down.

"You mentioned that you and Miss Rossi didn't get along well," she commented, her dark gaze meeting Marinette's blazing blue stare, "I take it the feeling is mutual on her end?"

Marinette could almost imagine how Lila would respond to this question, though Marinette also knew that she didn't have anything to lose by answering this truthfully. She had a feeling the doctor already knew the answers before she said them.

She slumped in her seat, "Yes, but I doubt she'd openly admit it. She's only ever…forthcoming with her feelings when we're by ourselves. She doesn't like me because I'm one of the only people in class who doesn't buy her elaborate stories."

"Do you know of anyone else who doesn't?"

"Adrien Agreste," she answered, "He's the only other person who knew about Lila, though there was no way Lila was going to have him expelled."

The doctor paused briefly before taking out her tablet and tapping away at the touch screen. Marinette wondered if she was going to bring Adrien in for questioning next.

Marinette wasn't entirely sure if feeling relieved was a normal feeling after an interrogation, but she felt easier now that she was able to tell her side. Granted, Dr. Robespierre was not someone to vent to about how she felt, it still felt nice to tell exactly what happened.

The doctor stood from the desk, "You may return to class," she said. "If I have any more questions, I'll call you back down."

Marinette didn't have to be told twice. She leaped up from her seat, "Yes. Thank you, doctor."

As therapeutic as this turned out to be, Marinette didn't want to spend another second in Dr. Robespierre's interrogation room.

She wondered how Lila would fare with her own interview.

By the time Marinette had returned, Miss Bustier had just dismissed class for lunch. Her heart soared at the sight of Adrien waiting by her desk.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien greeted, "You ready?"

"Yep," she chirped, grabbing her bags, "Let's go!"

The rest of their class had assembled in the school's main courtyard, along with all the other classes. Marinette suspected they were all headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Alya spotted the two and jogged over, pulling Nino along with her.

"You guys eating here today?" she asked, "I think Lila was talking about telling us about her latest visit with Clara Nightingale. Can you believe how frequently she travels over the weekend?"

"Some people have all the luck," Nino huffed. "But no seriously, how does she even keep up with homework?"

Marinette shrugged.

"We're headed over to Marinette's for lunch," Adrien explained, "There was something I needed to show her, and I didn't have time to before."

Marinette could just hear her best friend's thoughts as a sly grin curled onto her face, "Oh, well don't let us stop you two!" she said, shooting Marinette a look that the girl interpreted as Details. Give me all of them.

She was all too quick to excuse herself and Nino

"Later, dudes!" Nino called over his shoulder as Alya towed him away.

Adrien, thankfully, didn't notice the exchange between the two best friends, instead choosing to offer Marinette his arm.

"Shall we, my lady?" it was almost uncanny how much he reminded Marinette of a certain silly feline. The gesture brought a smile to Marinette's face and she shyly took Adrien's arm.

"We shall."