Someone was sad that they didn't get an interview opportunity, when in reality a competitor switched their numbers and they got it instead. The person gets akumatized and starts interviewing anyone she senses a story about. She ends up interviewing the Akuma Class, and boy was it messy.
Emma Monet was heartbroken. She auditioned for an internship opportunity with Nadja Chamack so she could work her way to becoming a news anchor, but she didn't get a call that she made the cut. Instead, her competitor Louise Dior got it instead.
Emma wasn't mad per say, she was proud of her but she was disappointed. And Louise wasn't the best sport. She would boast that she was the best one out of everyone and would do anything to stay on top. She's been like this for as long as she could remember.
Said girl was now looking towards her with a grin on her face. Emma quickly put on a smile and congratulated her. "I'm so proud of you! Maybe if I try out next time and get it we can be coworkers." Louise laughed. Emma and others didn't see what was so funny. Louise didn't seem to realize she had an audience.
"We'll see if you even stand a chance next year, Monet." Emma tilted her head in confusion.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Do you really think you have what it takes to become a news anchor? If this didn't spell it out, I will: you aren't good enough to make it. It will be better for you to save the embarrassment and just join a new profession. You can always be my apprentice, though." Louise laughed and Emma felt humiliated.
This was another reason why she didn't like Louise. She would also put anyone down that stood in her way. And humiliate them with no shame whatsoever. Emma quickly walked out of the building, not wanting to draw anymore attention to herself. If she stayed longer, she would have seen others defending Emma against Louise's harassment.
Emma ran into an alleyway as tears streamed down her face. She was hoping that Louise would be different than in lycee, but fate proved her wrong. The brunette was so distraught that she didn't see a purple butterfly coming towards her phone. A voice rang out in her head as her tears stopped.
"News Anchoress, I am Hawkmoth. I am giving you the power to make a story out of anyone you choose! In return, I ask that you bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous. Do we have a deal?" (Lemme know if I got that right I attempted to do all of that off memory💀)
Emma smiled, now possessed. "Yes, Hawkmoth." Where Emma once stood was now News Anchoress, ready to prove herself worthy of a news company.
✨✨✨
Marinette was annoyed. It wasn't even lunch yet and she wanted to go home. Lila had been telling lies all morning, and Mrs. Bustier wasn't doing a thing to stop it. Not to mention most of her friends were gone for the week.
Nathaniel was out of town for a comic convention to try and get more ideas for the comic, Luka and Juleka were away with Jagged at a music festival, Nino was out sick, and Adrien was out for a modeling gig, but Lila had to stay since they didn't need her today. And everyone else she considered a friend wasn't in Bustier's class. The bluenette wondered if she said she wasn't feeling well she would be let go.
The akuma alert rang out in the classroom, causing a frenzy. Before the class could even run out, the akuma was standing in their doorway with a smile on her face.
"This is perfect. This is the perfect energy I need!" News Anchoress teleported them into Nadja Chamack's recording studio, where the camera crew attempted to run away. News Anchoress trapped them inside. "I don't want much, just your time. Please be cooperative."
"What is it that you want us for, exactly?" Alya asked, already recording for the Ladyblog.
"Well, I was berated for not having the potential to be a news anchor, so I'm proving them all wrong. I needed to find a story with the proper emotions to truly make this an interesting scoop. You of all people should know that, Ladyblogger." Alya squeaked in shock. News Anchoress clapped her hands and had Nadja Chamack sit on one couch and Marinette on the other. She put everyone else in the back on other seats as they whispered quietly. As the akuma started telling them what to do, the baker girl sighed. She just wanted to go home.
"Alright, I think we're ready!" She pointed to Nadja. "You're my co-host. Just follow my lead with this story and ask the appropriate questions." Nadja nodded, not wanting to upset the akuma and put everyone at risk. She counted off as they went live around Paris.
"Good afternoon, Paris. This will be a special episode of Face-to-Face, with our co-host..." Nadja looked at the akuma.
"News Anchoress, and today we have a great scoop! We're going to uncover why this particular group have such a negative aura, and it will be nothing but the truth! And just to make sure it's all correct, there will be a lie detector on the screen." The camera pointed up to the screen behind them. "It will be green as long as it's the truth, and red when there's a lie. Our first person is this young lady!" The camera pointed to Marinette, who looked down in nervousness. She needed to leave and transform before the akuma could do anything rash. And she didn't want to deal with all the drama in the class being revealed on live tv like a reality show.
"So, your name is apparently Marinette Dupain-Cheng, your parents own a bakery that everyone loves, and you have many friends. But also several enemies. Care to explain?" News Anchoress sounded so calm and collected, like she was actually going to listen. That's more than the class would do for her.
Mrs. Bustier walked up. "Excuse me, I don't think you should be filming my student without consent-" News Anchoress made a zipped lips motion, and the teacher went silent.
"You will get your turn to talk. That time is not now." She faced the teen as the teacher cowered away. "Go on, please."
Marinette fiddled with her bag strap as her leg bounced a little. Chloe saw this and sat down by the girl, surprising everyone. "Dupain-Cheng here is one of the friendliest people in the class. She likes to make sure everyone is comfortable, can have someone to talk to, and tries to see the best in everyone." Chloe gave her a side smile. "And forgiving when she feels it's necessary." Marinette smiled back.
Nadja was confused, wasn't Chloe usually meaner? "So, what exactly has happened in the class, if you don't mind me asking. Miss Bourgeois has a different...demeanor than we are all used to." Chloe rolled her eyes while Marinette grinned.
"Sometimes it can take awhile for someone to change, but that doesn't mean it's not possible." News Anchoress liked this. Chloe, the town brat, has turned a new leaf because of the saint of the class. But there was still a negative tension in the class.
"Alright, now it's time for the more personal part of the discussion. Why is there so much tension in the class?" The duo cringed, knowing that this was going to be a disaster. Alya decided to answer the question, since she apparently knows everything.
"I can answer that for you, Miss Anchoress." The akuma rolled her eyes that the child could not follow simple instructions. How was she going to become a reporter when she can't even do that? "Marinette has been nothing but a bully since Lila showed up. She attacks her, destroys her belongings, and steals!"
"But don't you do the same thing?" Alya froze. "Not to mention, I doubt you have any proof that this all happened."
Alya stuttered. "Of course it all did! Lila said-"
"One person isn't an accurate source, honey. This is an accurate source." The screen behind them lit up, showing the times where the class harassed Marinette. Marinette made a mental note that the akuma had a memory recall ability. (Ngl I got that idea from a comic I read on Webtoon that I love. Guess the name in the comments.) Chloe was usually in most of the clips, stopping them from doing something drastic. Lila knew this wouldn't end well, so she started the waterworks.
"I-I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."
"Those are some of the most fake tears I've ever seen. Even people lying in court or on tv have better skills than that! You don't even sound believable." Lila's mouth widened in shock while Alya got mad.
"Don't be rude! Lila's been through more than you know!" News Anchoress laughed.
"Like what?" Nadja Chamack asked. She knew Marinette wasn't in the best mood with her class based on their lack of communication. The Dupain-Cheng parents also mentioned every once in a while how Marinette was thinking of switching classes or transferring schools. But the reporter never knew why. This was her chance to find out the truth.
"Lila got tinnitus after saving Jagged Stone's cat! She helped Clara Nightingale with her dance moves! She helped come up with ideas for movies and productions with famous directors! She's done so much for everyone and you are just being a plain rude for no apparent reason." There was silence ringing in the room before News Anchoress burst out into laughter. Nadja was in shock with the rest of the news crew.
Lila scowled. She knew Alya could be a loose canon for her and knew at some point she had to let her go. The liar knew she should have done it a week ago when she went after Marinette again and tried to get her expelled for the second time. She now realizes she missed her chance, because now her lies will be revealed and if she lies about it, the rest of the class can back up Alya on her claims. Lila was done for.
News Anchoress looked Alya directly in her eyes. "For a wannabe reporter, you sure don't do one of the most obvious rules: Check your sources. I bet there won't be any other source besides your blog on any of this liar's claims."
"I bet there will!"
"Ok, I will apologize if even one of her lies are true, which they aren't. If it's all a lie, you have to delete your blog and start from scratch. You won't have much credibility either way." Alya, not liking to be made a fool, accepted the challenge.
"Alright, and I can already prove she's lying. You said earlier that she saved Jagged Stone's cat. He's highly allergic, and it's a well known fact if you know anything about him. And how do you get tinnitus from saving a cat?"
"She saved the cat from being ran over on a runway." Nadja Chamack raised an eyebrow.
"Who would be irresponsible enough to let a cat and a teenager go unnoticed on a runway?" Lila pursed her lips as Alya was about to come to her defense again. Lila was finished and she knew it.
"It's also a well-known fact that Clara Nightingale has her own choreography; she even addressed it on a news interview once!" News Anchoress continued to rip into the lies and tear them all apart. By the time she was finished, there was nothing Alya could say without it being immediately disproven.
The class sat there, mouths wide open in shock and betrayal, while Chloe and Marinette just looked unamused. News Anchoress smiled at the two of them.
"At least some people in this class have a brain cell. Not even the teacher." Mrs. Bustier reddened at the comment. The teacher looked at Marinette, mentally asking her for help. But all she got back was a glare.
"Don't look at her expecting to help you." Chloe huffed. Suddenly, News Anchoress growled. Marinette looked and saw Hawkmoth's mask hovering above her face.
"My work isn't finished yet!" She snarled. The mask faded away and she started to squirm in discomfort. The akuma was removed from her phone as she changed back into Emma. Nadja was confused, remembering her from earlier. Marinette quicky found a jar and took the akuma away, excusing it as searching for Ladybug and giving it to her. She quickly ran off, leaving the awkward silence.
"Mrs. Monet, what happened? We called you earlier that you got the internship." Nadja said. Emily looked up confused.
"I didn't get a call? Another contestant did. Louise Dior, the blonde girl." The news crew the realized what happened. Louise switched the numbers so she would get the spot.
Nadja smiled at her sweetly. "We'll get this sorted out dear, don't worry." Nadja took Emma to get something to drink. That's when it was remembered that the news crew was still live. They quickly ended it and went off to lunch. The class then started yelling at Lila.
"Well it's not my fault you guys believed me so willingly!" Mrs. Bustier called Lila's mother, who sadly saw what went down at the news station and was already on her way. Mrs. Bustier ended the call and she sighed.
She had a bad feeling about the rest of the week.
✨✨✨
Emma's situation was quicky fixed. They called Louise and told her she was fired, and that she was banned from participating in any other news internship opportunities in Paris for the foreseeable future. Emma couldn't help but smirk; it took several years but her bully finally got what she deserved.
Marinette received justice for all she went through. Damocles and Bustier were let go after an investigation after how they handle situations with the students, Lila and Alya were sent to court for their serious involvement with bullying and harassment, and the rest of the class got stuck with detentions and community service. And on top of that, the Dupain-Chengs placed lawsuits on everyone involved.
Lila had her diplomatic immunity revoked and was placed into prison, and was even tried as an adult since there was evidence she helped Hawkmoth. She would be over the age of 50 before she even had the chance to step outside the walls of her cell. But she wasn't alone, Alya was right next to her. They would fight every week at lunch and Alya would blame her for being there.
Bustier and Damocles were having difficulty finding work after the school fiasco. Their names, faces, and past were all revealed on a news story talking about bullying. The best they could find were janitorial jobs at museums. Mrs. Mendeliev however, was sitting as the new principal of Francis Dupont.
The rest of the students all apologized to Marinette. Though it took her awhile to even think about forgiving them, they started to become more civil towards each other. Chloe secretly thought they sucked up to her just because they have a lawsuit over their heads. Their friends then came back, wondering what happened while they were gone.
In the end, everything was how it should have been. Justice was served, karma was received, and there was now a moment of peace.
Until Hawkmoth's identity got revealed. But that's a story for another time.
I left this open for like 3 days before I came back and I forgot my plan for the end T-T
If someone guesses the comic correctly...you get a shoutout I guess😅
I'll post a better story later today I promise!
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