Destruction

Nathaniel

Previously on Destruction . . .

The diary date is unknown. But the locals assume this was around the time Twyla Davis took her own life. The handwriting is small and neat.

I'm not even sure how, to begin with, this. How it feels to not be listened to because the whole world assumes all of us males would do something as horrible as rape. Our world is fucked up. A female could ruin anyone's whole life by claiming some random guy raped them. But if a guy comes forward to talk about it, we get slammed for it. Our justice system is fucked. The only kind of justice I get is nothing. Females get a slap on the wrist when domestic abuse is involved. I've never dated that girl who raped me. She brought up her diplomatic immunity. If I say anything, she could get me sent away. I don't want that. I have to accept this fate. I have to accept this is what justice is to us, males. I just don't know how much longer I can take.

"So, Nathaniel, you know your classmate Marinette tried to kill herself. How does that make you feel?"

"Horrible," he replied honestly. "She's one of the best students around. Always helping others and when that doesn't work, she's being Paris' everyday Ladybug by breaking misunderstandings and being the kindest kind of girl she could ever be."

"Sounds like you harbor some feelings for her," Crow commented.

The red-head looked away shyly. "I really don't. I have my eyes on someone else right now. Someone that Marinette introduced to me. Though, at first, it was a huge misunderstanding. Then, I understood after she explained. Marinette isn't a bad person. She's only human with flaws that make her different from everyone I've ever met."

"Your honesty is appreciated. I guess I should tell you why we're really here. We're here for your classmate Lila Rossi."

His eyes widened. "The moment she stepped into this school, I knew she wasn't a good person. Marinette called her lies out a few times, but no one in the class believed her. I would have stood up for her if Lila didn't give me this death glare. She's scary. I do have to ask something. Does she really have diplomatic immunity?"

"Yes," Blackmire replied. She didn't know what had led her to admit it, but this boy... the way he spoke, she knew he was telling the truth. "That's what has been protecting her from the law." she crossed her arms over her chest. "I call it utter bullshit."

Nathaniel smiled at Blackmire's cursing. "You guys are here to take her down? And then what? She has diplomatic immunity. You guys can't charge her."

"You're right about one thing. We can't charge her, but we can have the whole world see how much of a bad person she is." she was going to add that her daughter fell victim to Lila's lies, but chose against it. Investigator Blackmire felt her duties to the continent of Europe were all in vain. Could her boss really charge this Lila? She was able to escape the eyes of laws for a very long time.

Perhaps the country of Italy would deem her unfit and take away her diplomatic immunity. If only, right?

The redhead seemed to frown at hearing he was right about no one being able to charge Lila, but that changed when he heard about Blackmire's plan. "However you guys do it, I'm in."

"It's private matters how we're taking care of it. You can always stand as bait, but I don't want to put you in that kind of danger."

He seemed to understand what Blackmire was getting at. He nodded his head at her.

"My sincerest apologies for changing the subject, but has Lila ever touched you in an inappropriate manner?" Smith asked with caution.

"No," Nathanial replied. Then he asked, "Why? Has she been doing that with other people?"

Smith didn't want to disclose that, but the way his face kinda looked, Nathanial could tell that Lila had done so.

Nathanial seemed to go pale as if he had just seen a ghost. "I need to go." he got up from his seat and rushed out the door.

Blackmire's partner had stopped her from going after him. "Don't go after him, Fae. We need to move on with the next student."

She looked hesitant. Fae Blackmire was genuinely worried for this student, but there was nothing they could do. He wasn't their prime suspect in their case. Neither was he a prime witness as far as they knew.

"This must be a tough case for you, isn't it?"

Smith snorted. "Not as tough as you. Your daughter was involved. I barely got into this case because I want to bring awareness to male sexual harassment."

Blackmire knew there was more to it than that, but she didn't say anything further. Instead, she placed a comforting hand on her partner's shoulder. "I'll go and get the next student. You stay here and gather yourself."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure." Blackmire scanned the list of students from the classroom.

The student after Nathanial was a student named Nino Lahiffe.

She got up from her seat and headed for the homeroom.

~҉҉~҉҉~҉҉{҉҉{ Character Perspective Change ҉҉}}҉҉~҉҉~҉҉~҉҉

"Marc?!" Nathanial had cupped his hands together so his voice would sound louder. "Marc?!" He called out again. This redhead knew Marc, the person he had his eyes on didn't have class at the moment. He was on his supposed study period, but why study when he could write?

Maybe he was in the library?

He managed to slip into the library without being noticed by the adults. It didn't really matter anyway. The adults around here were pretty oblivious and didn't really enforce rules unless reported to that idiot of a principle, Mr. Damocles. That man expelled Marinette without opening a case.

Marc and himself had spoken about the events that had happened that day. Both calling it bullshit and nearly akumatizing Marinette and her mother. Both were present.

After hearing from Blackmire and Smith about Lila's inappropriate touching, his heart sank like a stone. Marc was a special human being to him. He was the missing piece he never knew he needed. A person he cherished a lot and would do anything to protect him even if it meant he'd lose himself.

"Nath?" The red-head whirled around to find Marc with a soft smile gracing his lips. "What are doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Yes," he admitted, "But I need to make sure you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"There are important people here who are interviewing students who know Marinette and Lila."

Marc seemed to freeze at the mention of Lila's name.

"And I was wondering if you were touched by that girl."

"Ca-can we talk about this later?"

"She did, didn't she?"

"Nathaniel, please... Not here. Not now."

Anger began building up. It wasn't towards Marc. It was towards that girl who was destroying everyone's lives. She was destroying the lives of people he cared about. People who saw right through her were getting hurt.

A black butterfly with glowing white dots along the wings came fluttering into the area where Marc and Nathanial are.

"Watch out!"

Struck with the overwhelming feeling of anger, he couldn't listen. The butterfly flies into a string friendship bracelet made by Marc. A purple-like outline of a butterfly and peacock appeared on his face. A run of someone else's dialogue went through his mind. He listened carefully and accepted his task. A dark mist consumed his body.

Out of fear, Marc ran off. He knew he could have tried and prevented this, but he was afraid of what that lying fox would do if he spoke up about what she had put him through. The thought of her doing those activities again made her shake. Those memories, he really wanted to forget.

As for Nathaniel, he was no more. To listen to reason was past him. His one goal? To take out Lila without those investigators. And when Ladybug and Chat Noir show their faces and save Lila, he planned to destroy anyone who stood in his way to end Lila.