Adrien POV:

Adrien walked to school the next day feeling a lot better than he probably should be. Haven being broken up with the day before, you would assume that Adrien would be miserable, but his talk with Marinette had made him a lot happier.

He felt as if the impossible weight resting on his chest had been lifted, and he had faith that he would get through this.

There was something about Marinette that never failed to make you smile. Perhaps it was the way she always knew what to say. Maybe the way she didn't judge you. Or how her smile could brighten the gloomiest of your days. Or how she was always there for others no matter what. It was just so... Marinette.

"You've got that dopey grin on your face, you're thinking about that girl you visited last night aren't you?" Plagg said, interrupting Adrien's daydreams.

"Plagg!" Adrien scolded, his cheeks flushing a deep red.

"You loooove her. Oh Marinette let's get married and we'll have three kids and a guinea pig!" Plagg teased him.

Adrien felt his flush deepen, "Shut up Plagg," Adrien said, as he played off his embarrassment, teasingly poking his belly.

"We'd have a hamster, not a guinea pig" he muttered, hoping Plagg didn't hear him.

"What was that I heard?" Plagg continued to tease. "Oh Marinette behold the holy hamster, a symbol of my undying love for you, my princess"

"Hey! Don't insult the nickname! They're great and she loves it!" Adrien sputtered.

"Keep telling yourself that." Plagg said sarcastically.

Adrien quickly dashed inside as he heard the shrill sound of the bell from outside, signaling the start of class.

He signaled Plagg to hide inside, shushing him as he began to whine that he needed camembert, even though he had just consumed a whole wedge ten minutes ago.

When he arrived at the classroom, he noticed the seating plan had shifted once again, with Kagami sitting in the back, and Lila sitting in the spot she had used to occupy.

Adrien felt a pang in his chest knowing that Kagami probably had requested to sit away from him, but maybe she was right and it was for the best.

He wasn't the boyfriend she needed. Once again he wasn't enough. Never was.

He was suspicious as to why Lila had moved to occupy the spot next to him, why couldn't she just stay in her old spot. The last thing he needed was her lies today.

He had given Lila chance after chance to change, and he was starting to lose his patience. He didn't know why she wouldn't stop lying, and he certainly didn't know why she was so hell bent on hurting Marinette.

He couldn't see her hurt.

Marinette was such a good person, why did Lila dislike her so much?

"Adrien, can you please take a seat?" The teacher asked, and Adrien cautiously sat down beside the lying brunette.

Adrien tried to focus on the lesson, trying to ignore the unanswered thoughts swirling around in his mind.

The questions he desperately wished he could answer.

After Mrs. Bustier had chatted lively to them about how wonderful she thought their entries were from last week's assignment, she made an announcement: "Okay students for the rest of class you can use this time to finish up any extra homework you might have, please keep the talking down to a minimum."

Marinette chose this moment to burst into the classroom, apologizing profusely, before sitting down beside Kagami in the back.

Drawing his eyes away from Marinette, he started to work on some unfinished schoolwork, but was interrupted by a small tap on his shoulder.

"What is it Lila?" Adrien said, trying to keep his voice perky, barely hiding the bitter resentment he felt.

"Hi Adrien, I'm glad we're finally seating partners, about time, aren't you?" She asked her voice coated with false enthusiasm, but he didn't miss the dripping venom spilling from her lips.

"I think it's about time you start your math homework" Adrien mumbled in response.

"Oh Adrien, why don't you help me" Lila drawled on, her voice sickeningly sweet as she suddenly latched her hand onto his shoulder.

"Max is better at math than me Lila, why don't you ask him" Adrien replied, shaking her hand off his shoulder, struggling to be polite.

"Oh but you're right here Adrien, and you're so wonderful at math" Lila pressed, choosing to ignore the signs of discomfort Adrien was giving off.

Adrien hesitated, he didn't want to be rude to her, he couldn't stoop to her level.

"Lila, I'm not going to help you with your math, because I know you can do it yourself. If you really need help that bad, go find someone else please." Adrien said firmly.

He looked over to see a flash of fiery in her eyes, though as soon as it appeared it vanished without a trace as she quickly replaced her bitterness with her deceiving facade.

"I don't understand you Adrien. Why won't you help me with my math" Lila said, playing the victim.

"No thank you Lila" Adrien responded.

The class went on, with Lila coming up with new ways to demand Adrien's help, and Adrien firmly refusing.

The next day was even worse, with Ms. Bustier having them do a bonding activity with their seatmates.

The more time he spent with Lila, the more Adrien realized how fake the facade she wore was, the deceiving image of herself which she tricked the world into believing.

She hid behind her lies, using blackmail and manipulating others to get what she wanted.

"So Adrien, how are you dealing with the whole break up?" Lila asked one day. "You know you can talk to me about it if you want" she said innocently.

"I'm doing fine and no I don't want to talk about it with you" Adrien said, putting an emphasis on the "you" part.

"I'm surprised you're not mad at her," the brunette continued, her voice laced with poison on the word her.

"What, with her manipulating Kagami just so she could have you to herself."

"What are you talking about Lila?" Adrien said angrily, failing at suppressing his curiosity.

"Why, Marinette of course. I feel so bad for Kagami, having her friend who she trusted play with her feelings like that" Lila said, faking sympathy.

"You're lying! Marinette would never do something like that" Adrien spoke purposefully.

"You really don't know her at all do you Adrien. I know you always want to see the good in people but why would I make something like this up? I'm just trying to protect you from her" Lila said.

The bell rang shrilly, interrupting their conversation.

"You don't understand what she's capable of, she wants you all to herself so she tricked Kagami into breaking up with you, don't you see." Lila spoke, her voice full of malice.

"I think you're confusing Marinette with yourself Lila. Marinette is the kindest person I know, she would never do something like that. Plus... she's dating someone else" Adrien countered back to her.

He couldn't help the way his voice broke as he spoke those last few words.

"Believe what you want to believe. Soon you'll see her for who she is" Lila said,

With that, Lila grabbed her bag and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0-0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adrien had hoped that Lila would be the most eventful thing of the day, but Hawkmoth had other plans.

He hastily excused himself from class, using the bathroom as an excuse and raced down the hallway. Ducking behind a pillar when there was nobody around and quickly transforming.

As soon as he had transformed into Chat Noir, he extended the end of his baton to lift himself to a high window and sneak out of the building.

Ladybug was already on the scene, where the akumatized teacher was attacking the students. Chat Noir recognized the teacher as Ms. Shong, the teacher for the advanced English class.

Ladybug directed all of the frightened students to safety, as Chat Noir distracted the akuma from two brown-haired girls huddled in the corner, their eyes wide with fear, looking at the monster that had once been their teacher.

With terrifying black beady eyes, two sharp fangs, and a silk cape the color of scarlet. She almost looked like...a vampire?

"Go out the door! Quickly while I have her distracted!" Chat Noir yelled over the teacher's screams of rage, trying desperately to help them escape.

"What happened?" He heard Ladybug asking the two of them, but he didn't listen to their answer, too preoccupied with dodging a flock of white bats.

Chat knocked the bats to the side with the baton, going to attack the Akuma only to realize she had disappeared with a flash of her scarlet red cape.

He bent down to examine the bats, finding that they were little origami bats that had shakespeare quotes written on them.

Ladybug walked up to his side and peered down at one of the white bats with tiny scribbled handwritten prints scattered along the wings.

"Those two girls told me that she got akumatized after the class and wouldn't answer her questions about how both Shakespeare and Twilight were related to the human condition. Seems like Hawkmoth's getting desperate."

"You got that right M'lady, what is she going to do, suck our blood," He teased, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked as a beautiful laugh escaped her lips and she playfully bopped his nose, "Why don't we go put count Dracula back in her coffin where she belongs, kitty."

"I couldn't agree with you more bug a boo," As almost second nature, his hand reached out to grasp his in hers and softly kiss the back of her hand. He thought he saw a thin pink coat of blush taint her cheeks before it quickly vanished.

"Any ideas what her powers are? Other than looking like a vampire attacking us with a weird Shakespeare obsession." He asked his partner.

"Probably something related to vampires, we'll have to figure it out along the way." she replied, running off to look for the teacher.

"I'll bring the Garlic" He replied, dashing alongside her.

They found her quickly, with all her screeching about how she was "Count Shongcula" and was going to make students better.

They watched her lurk in the foyer, pouncing onto unsuspecting students trying to evacuate from the building.

She sank her fangs into one, the student turning into a smaller clone of herself.

"SOON YOU MORTALS WILL ALL BE UNDER MY CONTROL AND MY SHONGCULA ARMY WILL RULE THE LITERATURE WORLD!!!" she bellowed maliciously, her voice echoing through the doomed foyer.

"So that's her power, turning others into vampires" Ladybug mumbled, formulating a plan.

"And worshipping Shakespeare" Chat Noir added, "I think she might have a little bit of an obsession," concern, with a trace of amusement laced in his voice as Shongcula bowed down to a Shakespeare poster in the hallway.

"I bet the Akuma's in the cape," Ladybug said.

"Funny, I was thinking it might be in that fancy headdress." Chat Noir replied, eyeing the Victorian style hat that extended into a black lace veil.

"I think you might be right," the spotted girl replied. "Come on kitty let's take her down" she said before lunging towards Count Shongcula.

"I'd slay vampires with you anyday M'lady," he said amusingly, following her lead.

They attacked her together, Chat Noir fighting with his baton and Ladybug with her yo-yo.

"YOU CAN NOT CONQUER THE ULTIMATE POWER OF ME, COUNT SHONGULA AND MY LOVER SHAKESPEARE!" the Akuma roared, biting into another student and changing them into a vampire.

"Hate to break it to you there bloodsucker, but Shakespeare's been buried six feet under for a while"

'YOU STUPID CAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF OUR LOVE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, LITERATURE" she screamed, sending another flock of bats at them.

The two super heros dodged the bats easily, but Count Shongcula had used the distraction to create another vampire.

The battle continued like this, the two partners trying to attack Count Shongcula but having to dodge her pesky bats instead, and Count Shongcula's vampire army growing steadily.

Then her army attacked them, forcing them back to back to each other, they were cornered, as Count Shongcula cackled wickedly in the background.

"FEAR THE POWER AND TRUTH OF THE HUMAN CONDITION" she screamed.

"Is it just me or is she making less sense by the minute?" Chat asked Ladybug incredulously.

"We've got to lead her away from people, that way her vampires stop growing" his partner huffed. "Lucky Charm!"

A red mop fell into her hands, and Ladybug looked around thinking of what to do with the object. "Are we going to use this mop as a microphone and win her over by reading out Shakespeare quotes," Ladybug laughed, at her absurd idea.

"Oh my fair lady, did my heart love till now?" Chat Noir teasingly quoted Shakespeare, as he dramatically grasped at his chest,"

She shook her head in mock disapproval, playfully shoving his shoulder, "that was cheesy kitty, even for you."

"Did it work bug a boo?"

The corners of lips lifted into a soft small smile, before she shook her head focusing back on the mop in her hands.

"I've got no idea what to do with this!" Ladybug said, tucking the mop at her side like a sword while continuing to fight the vampires swarming around them.

"Let's ditch these guys first, then we can figure it out," Chat Noir said, grabbing Ladybug's waist and extending them both in the air with his baton.

He vaulted them over the mindless vampires who were now attacking themselves without realizing it, and the two heroes landed safely away from the mob.

He looked around, barely noticing that Ladybug's cheeks were a little more pink than usual.

It seemed that all students had evacuated or been turned into vampires, and Count Shongcula had lurked away, in search of prey.

They ran down a hallway, and spotted her creeping into a classroom.

Upon realising it was empty, she turned away, only to find Ladybug and Chat Noir pushing her into the classroom, and Ladybug wedged the door shut using her Lucky Charm.

"Chat Noir, the blinds!" Ladybug said and he leapt into action, calling for his super-power before swiping his hand across the blinds.

The blinds disintegrated, sunlight pouring through the window and flooding the room.

Count Shongcula cried out as the sunlight hit her, trying to hide away from the golden light.

"NOOOO CLOSE THE BLINDS! AHHH DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND! NOOOO YOU CAN NOT DEFEAT ME YOU GOATISH COMMON-KISSING BUGBEARS!!!"

In an instant only a black headdress was left pooling on the classroom floor, Count Shongcula had been defeated with the vanishing darkness as bright light shone through the glass window.

"Vampires don't like sun, clever" Chat Noir said as Ladybug ripped the veil open and cleansed the Akuma, before healing everything back to normal.

Ladybug's earrings beeped and she raised a small hand to her ear.

"Guess I better go, bye kitty!" She said, leaving him to explain what had occurred to a very confused English teacher.

"Ahh parting is such sweet sorrow," Chat Noir sighed as he watched his lady disappear into the cloudless, hopeful afternoon sky