Nothing You Can Do (Book One)

Serpentine

Edited

Kagami sits in her room on her red silk sheets, hiding from it all. She fills her time by writing little things to the Ladyblog, things people already knew. She didn't like to be Ladybug, or like that people had the idea she was. The girl avoided the news, even turned off her news notifications. The news was about her, the lies Theo had spread. The danger Theo had put her and her family in. Her mother was furious. "Kagami." The girl's mother says through her bedroom door. "Stay inside. Someone went missing, it cannot happen to you." Her mother says it firmly but Kagami knows it is from a good place.

"Yes, mother," Kagami says to the woman through the door. She was debating opening the news. Kagami was interested in this new news flash. She opens the news app, revealing multiple articles about Marinette. The girl's brows furrow. I need to tell them I saw her at the Eiffel Tower! She thinks. After all, Marinette was her only friend other than Adrien. Little did the girl know that Ladybug stood in her room, although she wasn't Ladybug. It was a girl in a snake suit. The blue of her eyes and hair clashing with the blues of the suit, she went by Serpentine. "That won't be necessary," Serpentine says as she pulls the snakehead back, grabbing the phone, turning back time. The snake girl goes back three times, each reminding Kagami that seeing Marinette was a dream. She disappears as she pulls it a third time, leaving Kagami with nothing but a dream of going to the Eiffel Tower to find a crying Marinette.

Serpentine detransforms, releasing Sass from the miraculous. "Why did Master Fu let you do this? You know the miraculous is never supposed to be used for personal gain. There will be a price to pay." The wise snake kwami reminds the girl. Marinette was weak, the moment the transformation left her form she crumbled, her being weak was the price.

"I will return Sass to Master Fu," Tikki suggests, leaving Marinette's purse.

"No, Tikki. We cannot risk you getting caught. Sass, I am going to wear the bracelet... but I am not going to transform, I promise." Marinette says opening her purse for Sass to enter. Her head leaned back onto the wall as tears made their way to the surface. The price was going to hurt.

Adrien sat in class all day hearing nothing but Marinette's name. Lila sat in the back, fake concern on her face. Every second made him angrier. SHE HAS HIM, SHE HAS TO. He tells himself. The class bell rings and he makes his way to the back, a guilty Alya eyeing him. "Where is she?" He growls, reaching her desk.

"Marinette? I don't know." Lila says, raising the pitch of her voice. The boy hissing internal before turning, walking away from the girl before he does something he regrets. When he reaches the bathroom stalls, he transforms, he has to look for Marinette.

Marinette on the other hand was weak, she sat behind a trash can... shielded from everyone. She reminded herself that the price was almost paid as it continued to spread throughout her body. It ached. Tears breach their way past her walls. She left helpless.

"I think it is time I introduce a new heroine for a moment while Kagami rests." I cannot take being weak any longer. The girl adds to the end. "I cannot make any mistakes." Five minutes will be enough to tell Chat that Ladybug is on a secret mission.

"Sass, scales slither!" The girl transforms back into Serpentine. Her hair was pulled into a very loose braid, her eyes brimmed with yellow, the normal bluebell color remains. Accents of yellow and blue scatter their way across the suit.

"Please be careful," Tikki says as Serpentine stands up, glad to not feel like she was dying.

"I will Tikki, you are weak too. You have a cold. I promise it will go see Master Fu later." The girl says motioning for Tikki to hide in the poof of her hair.

"Chat Noir!" Serpentine says when she notices him, she is running towards him.

He looks at her confused, "who are you?"

"My name is Serpentine, you can call me Serp." The heroine says. She was breathing hard, I guess not all things can be solved with magic, she reminds herself.

"Ok... where is Ladybug?" The boy was concerned. Why would Ladybug throw a new hero into the mix right now?

"She is on a mission, I am going to help us find Marinette! Later though."

"Why would Ladybug chose the power of the snake, and why would she not give it back to L-" she stops him from speaking, just as he was about to do himself. Her finger remains on his pursed lips. Eyes making contact. She broke it, removing her hand from his lips.

"Please do not reveal the owner of the snake miraculous, she trusted it to me because she said they were not available. I will be there when you need me." He blinked and she was gone. In reality, she had tripped, falling off the building, but catching herself on a stairwell railing.

The boy stood there astonished at how fast her disappearance was. He shook his head, he needed to find Marinette.