Blamed for Murder | finished

Ch. 4: The Stray Cat

Social media was buzzing like somebody poked into a hornet's nest. I knew the internet was a crazy place and not everybody was my fan and I truly expected discussions to explode, but I never imagined it would be that bad. Ladybug not only got labeled as a murderer but also as a terrorist by a large number of people, a few even proposed to hunt her down. A guy who had spoken up for Ladybug got insulted, one weirdo even wished his family to get killed by Ladybug so that he can feel the same pain as Chloé. I was shocked at how extremely angry and aggressive people got about me or even the few people who supported me. All I wanted was to prove my innocence...until now. People were and probably always will be extremely mean, aggressive and a total dick on the internet. Alya always told me to be chill about it since most of them were just seeking attention and drama to prove themselves, but I didn't know if I could endure all this hate.

Tears ran down my face again. This was just way too much for me to handle. I felt so powerless when I was unable to save Chloé's father. I felt so powerless when Roger didn't believe me. And I felt so powerless in that very moment as there was nothing I could do to change the public mood. Everything reduced me to a weak, crying mess.

Tikki tried to comfort me, offering kind words and telling me to focus on positive thoughts. But this wasn't something my lucky charm could change.

Alya called me an hour after the press conference had ended. She obviously was busy, otherwise, she would have called me the second she left the city hall: "Hey Mari, you wouldn't believe me how crowded city hall was. There were people everywhere, heavily guarded by riot police. Have you seen the evidence video?"

I did not wonder about officers being all around. Good thing I didn't show up as Ladybug. "Yeah, I have seen it. It doesn't look good for Ladybug and seems like Paris really hates her now. I could understand if she didn't want to show up again. Even I am not sure what to think right now." The last part was a blatant lie, but I wanted to know if Alya really believes in Ladybug. And I was looking for a reason not to quit.

My best friend instantly flipped out. "Ladybug is innocent, she would NEVER do something like that. This whole thing reeks and I will find out why. I don't know why you even doubt her. I don't know how, but I will find out the truth!" I clearly heard the fire in her voice. The fight was on and Alya was ready.

It made me happy to know my best friend still believed in me. "I'm glad you are still yourself. Half of the internet is on a rampage against Ladybug. So PLEASE be careful. I don't want something to happen to you."

"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of anyone. That's why you need to be tough as nails if you want to become a journalist", she said with a laugh in her voice.

I knew it was mean, but I just wanted to tease her a little: "Right, I know how dedicated you are. You will probably turn back into Lady Wifi if you have to." I somehow felt sorry, but joking around with Alya really made me feel more comfortable. A feeling I desperately needed, since I wasn't thrilled about the idea of getting akumatized.

Alya needed a second to think about what to reply: "You always wanted to tease me with that incident, didn't you? Anyway, I need to go. My Parents want to go out, so I have babysitting duties. See ya on Monday."

Tikki was hovering close to me the whole day. It she wasn't even trying to conceal her worries: "Marinette, do you really think about giving up on being Ladybug? Who is going to deal with Hawk Moth and his Akumas?"

"I don't know Tikki, I really don't know. Paris needs Ladybug, but at the same time hates her. They think she's a killer", I told my Kwami with a sad tone. I saw the concern in her eyes, while she moved closer to hug me. "I don't think that I can carry on. Please understand."