Misdirector

Collège Françoise Dupont: Hallway

"N-No! No! I can't do this! I just can't!"

"You can do this! Don't be nervous."

"But Nath...."

"Marc, you'll do just fine."

Outside of Room 33, stood the "Ladybug and Chat Noir'' comic book duo, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and Marc Anciel. Nathaniel was the artistic illustrator of the duo while Marc Anciel was the talented creative writer. Nathaniel is a fairly short teenage boy with brilliant turquoise eyes and face-length messy brilliant vermilion hair. He has long bangs that are brushed to the left side of his face. Nathaniel wore a red t-shirt with a black magma team logo design on the front. Over his shirt, he wears a dark azureish gray dress jacket with a folded collar, folded sleeves, and side pockets. He also wears purple jeans that are rolled up at the bottom, seeing at light mulberry bottom, and his shoes are gray with white lace and a white section where his toes would be. As for the writer, Marc is a fairly tall and slender teenage boy with a somewhat feminine appearance, with messy Rock-style black hair, cool emerald green colored eyes with visible lashes, thick eyebrows, pink lips, and a slender face with a pointed chin. This boy wore a loud V-neck rainbow tie-dye shirt under a bright red hoodie, moderate azure jeans with the bottoms rolled up and several horizontal rips around his knees, a pair of black boots with faint "Oil Slick" rainbow blotches, a pair of black leather fingerless gloves, a black leather collar around his neck, and a square-nails belt with a square silver buckle. 

At the moment, the artist was trying to coax his anxious writer partner into entering the art room to be part of a news report discussing the film project in which many of the students had volunteered their vacation time to take part. The movie in question was an action superhero movie featuring the superhero of creation and the supervillain of destruction (no, not Ladybug and Chat Noir). The superhero of creation, Kreatika, must defeat her sister Destroika, the supervillain of destruction, and save the people of Paris from the sleeping curse that Destroika had cast on them. Everyone had their own part/role to play in the production of this film, such as Mylène Haprèle playing the role of Destroika and Zoé Lee playing the role of Kreatika, Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Alix Kubdel using their artistic talents to create fantastic movie props and visuals as well as the movie's storyboard, Max Kanté being in charge of editing the film together while also adding in special effects, Ivan Bruel and Kim Lê Chiến working as the muscles that helps get everything on set organized for the next scene, Marinette Dupan-Cheng designing the fabulously stylish costumes for the movie's hero and villain, Rose Lavillant and Juleka Couffaine being the fabulous makeup artists duo, Alya Cesaire capturing every moment of the movie magic on and off the scenes as the film's dedicated camerawoman/behind the scenes director, Nino Lahiffe as the movie's director, and Marc Anciel writing the extraordinary script whose plot was thought up using Marc's three favorite themes; fantasy elements, superhero action, and the power of love and friendship. The movie project was initiated under their art teacher, Jean-Pierre Monlataing, and is being overseen by the successful film director, Thomas Astruc. In addition, the film is also being financially supported by city hall and with some strings being pulled by the famous (yet sleazy) producer Bob Roth, they were able to get the film released in select movie theaters. 

Everyone who took part in the film's production has been working so hard and they're so excited to be making an actual film with real successful and famous directors and producers, who just couldn't stop singing high praises about how good the movie's plot is. Though Marc had to admit that he liked his writing being praised, he couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed since he was still getting used to being around people let alone listening to them talk about what they thought of his writing. Marc had previously been afraid of letting others read his writing out of fear that they will mock and humiliate him for being “so lame”. However, ever since he had started working with his partner and best friend, Nathaniel Kurtzberg, to create Ladybug and Chat Noir comic books, he has gotten better at letting his work be read by others as well as being around a group of people without getting too overwhelmed so quickly (as long as he was close to a friend to help him feel more relaxed). But the issue right now wasn’t being overwhelmed with people praising his writing for the film’s plot; it was talking to the entire viewing audience of Paris about his writing for the film’s plot. 

Today, those who were taking part in the film project were expecting news reporter, Clara Contard, to arrive on the scene as they worked on the movie’s props and script to do a live news report on the production of the student film. While a lot of the students were excited about being on the news, Marc just wanted to run away and hide somewhere. Preferably under the stairs since that location has always served as a “safe haven” for whenever Marc needed to get away or be alone due to feeling anxious or overwhelmed. There was just a red-headed, turquoise eyed obstacle in his way between him and making a break for his “comfort zone”. Right on cue, said obstacle placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Marc, it’s going to be alright,” reassured Nathaniel, “I know you’re anxious about the news reporter coming in later but it’ll be okay. We’ll be busy working on the script together so we can just try to pretend she’s not there if she films us.”

“I-If only it was that simple,” stuttered Marc, “If she was just filming us doing our work I wouldn’t be so nervous. B-But….I’m scared that she’s going to want to talk to me about the film and ask questions since I wrote the script. A-And….I c-can’t answer her on camera when thousands or even millions of Parisians are going to be watching me! Even now I can feel all those eyes just watching me and judging my every action, and I’m not even on camera yet! They’ll just watch and wait for the moment when I do something humiliating on live TV…a-and I will look like a total loser! I’ll be a total laughing stock a-and no one will ever take me seriously as a writer! A-And……a-and……..”

Amidst his increasing panic and worry, Nathaniel took Marc’s hand into his hand and gave it a comforting, gentle squeeze, which gave Marc the universal signal that it was time to stop his anxiety rant. 

“Marc, you’re worrying yourself over nothing,” reassured Nathaniel, “The way you keep panicking over these scenarios, you’re starting to sound like Marinette.”

Marc smirked and chuckled a little at Nathaniel’s comparison to their friend, but then shifted his attention toward the floor.

“At least Marinette can speak her mind,” muttered Marc.

“And so can you,” Nathaniel reassured as he placed his free hand on Marc’s shoulder, “Marc, you know I would never force you to do something that you wouldn’t want to do, especially when that something triggers your anxiety, but we still need you for the film project to be a success. You wrote the script so you’ll be the one we look to when setting up the scenes and portraying the characters just as you had imagined them. If you don’t want to be on camera when the news reporter gets here, that’s okay. We’ll make up an excuse for you to leave the room until they’re done. But if you do decide to stay in the room while they’re filming, then that’ll be cool too and I’ll be right by your side the whole time if you start to feel anxious or panic. After all, you have been talking about trying to overcome your social anxiety lately, so maybe this is just the push you need. Either way, I promise that everything is going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it!”

Hearing Nathaniel’s words of encouragement and comfort made Marc feel a little more at ease. Marc trusts Nathaniel to help him get through his anxiety whether he is plagued by anxious thoughts and feelings or when he is placed in an overwhelming situation. Since the comic duo has spent so much time working and hanging out together, Nathaniel has had plenty of time and experience with recognizing his friend’s anxiety ticks and triggers as well as learning a few techniques and tricks that are the most effective in helping Marc through an anxiety or panic attack. It also helped that Nathaniel had a talent for recognizing other people’s facial expressions and body language as well as what they indicate in a person since as an artist he has had to draw these expressions and movements on the characters that he draws. Nathaniel was right that Marc had become interested in stepping out of his comfort zone some more and trying to break out of the shell known as social anxiety, but that was easier said than done for Marc because so far these were just thoughts and words rather than actions. Still, at least the idea was out there. Finally, Marc had made his decision and turned towards the doorway of Room 33.

“Okay,” said Marc, taking a deep breath in and out to help himself relax, “I’ll go in.”

Nathaniel smiled at his shy friend’s revelation and the two boys walked into the room together to start their work on drawing the movie’s storyboard and proofing the script along with their art teacher, Mr. Monlataing, and student movie director, Nino Lahiffe. While Nathaniel was drawing a scene from the movie’s script for the storyboard, Marc took a moment to look around the room to see who was present. At first, Marc had assumed that he and Nath were the last ones to arrive since Marc needed some convincing before he could enter the classroom, but he can now see that was not entirely the case. Aside from the news reporter and cameraman (whose arrival Marc was still internally dreading), the only other person who was missing from the production group was Marinette Dupan-Cheng, the group’s costume designer. According to her classmates, Marinette had some tendencies to arrive late or for the most part at the very last second in the past year, but lately her tardiness and/or near tardiness has become more frequent in the past few months. Obviously, something must have changed within that time that has made her more busy than usual, with an increased scatterbrain to boot since her memory regarding upcoming events and times appeared to be scattered as well. But even with these changes in her behavior, Marinette still projects the same optimistic energy that many of her classmates have come to love about her. Regardless of whatever she was doing, Marc just knew that at any moment his friend would come stumbling in through the door like she does every day with the costumes ready to be worn by the two girls playing “Kreatika” and “Destroika”. Unfortunately for Marc, that did not happen just yet. At some point, while Marc had been lost in thought, Clara Contard had entered the classroom with her cameraman following behind her and was preparing to begin her news report on the student film project. He became aware of their presence in the classroom when Nathaniel nudged him with his elbow to give him the heads up. 

He suddenly began to feel his body tense up with anxiety, feeling as though every muscle in his body had decided to become stiff and still all at once. The back of his neck also started to heat up as well and the sudden heat flash was spreading rapidly through his body, which also caused Marc to perspire significantly and severely. The fact that Marc was wearing his red hoodie jacket didn’t help either as he felt himself getting warmer and warmer to the point where he would have ripped his hoodie off of himself if he wasn’t so self-conscious about looking like a fool in front of others. There was growing pressure in his chest that felt as though it was going to get tighter and tighter as Marc’s increasingly fast heartbeats pounded against said pressure, making breathing more difficult for him. Every instinct that Marc had was screaming at him to get out! Run away and hide until it is all over and done. He felt himself becoming more and more desensitized from his surroundings and only felt his body petrify even more with each passing second. The room could’ve been pitch black from Marc’s point of view and he couldn’t hear the voices of those in the room very clearly. All he could hear were his thoughts that just got louder and louder as they either screamed at him to run or criticize him for not moving a muscle and letting himself fall victim to his anxiety once again.

Get out! Run away!

Why are you still standing there, idiot?!

MOVE IT!

You’re going to make a fool of yourself again!

You’re so lame! It’s a wonder you have friends!

A loser like you who lets his anxiety control him shouldn’t be seen let alone heard!

Everybody knows how lame you are!

Even Nathaniel thinks you’re pathetic!

Trash writer!

“Marc?” said Nathaniel, who brought Marc out of his anxious thoughts with a soft shake. 

Marc immediately snapped out of his trance and was brought back to the art room. He glanced around at his surroundings for a moment to see that everything was as it should be in the art room before turning his attention toward Nathaniel, whose face showed a look of concern. 

“U-Uh…sorry Nath. I-I kinda spaced for a second,” Marc apologized anxiously with a small, forced smile, “D-Did…you say something?”

Nathaniel had a feeling that Marc’s “spaced” moment had more to it than simply being lost in his thoughts, but not wanting to risk aggravating his friend’s anxiety more than it already had been today, he decided to simply shrug off the matter for now.

“I asked you if you wanted to step outside for a bit while the news crew does their report,” Nathaniel repeated, “I already gave both Mr. Monlataing and Nino the heads up that you have been feeling anxious today and they said they were cool with us stepping out for a bit while Clara and the cameraman do their thing.”

Say yes! Tell him you need to leave!

“U-Uh…n-no. It’s okay, r-really,” stuttered Marc, trying to sound more confident.

What are you doing, idiot?!

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow in confusion at his friend’s response. “Are you sure?” Nathaniel asked, “I mean, I don’t mind if we stay or leave, but you were really stressing out over this news report earlier. I know that stuff like this can overwhelm you and I just want to make sure you’re not pushing yourself too far out of your comfort zone.”

Listen to him! You’re way beyond your comfort zone! Get out now!

“N-No…really. I want to do this, Nath,” said Marc as he twiddled his fingers.

No, you don’t, dammit!

“You were right Nathaniel when you reminded me earlier about how I wanted to try overcoming my social anxiety by stepping out of my comfort zone now and then,” said Marc, “I-I…don’t want my anxiety to stop me from experiencing things in my life. Besides, as you said, she’ll probably just film us and not even try to talk to one of us while we’re working and we can just try to pretend she’s not there.”.

Marc takes a breath of air in and out.

“I can do this, Nath,” said Marc, “O-Or…y’know, I-I can at least give it a try?”

Ugh, you’re so pathetic!

Nathaniel’s eyes swiftly analyzed Marc’s body language and searched for his typical anxiety ticks that would be a dead giveaway that Marc is biting off more than he can chew in this situation. He still looked a bit anxious and nervous and if things do not go so well afterward, Nathaniel will probably kick himself for not stopping him sooner. But the way that Marc had tried to make his point and his genuine willingness to try not to let his anxious thoughts and feelings disrupt his work alongside Nathaniel were enough to convince him that he should simply support his friend’s choice and get back to working on the movie’s storyboards with him. 

Nathaniel places a hand on Marc’s shoulder. “Okay then, as long as you’re sure that you will be okay,” he said, “I’ll be here to support you if you start to feel nervous or panic.”

Marc gave Nathaniel a smile and a nod in agreement as the two boys went back to working on the script and storyboards while Clara began her news report. At first, Marc did feel his chest well up with pressure as he still feared the possibility that the news reporter would try to talk to him while they were filming, but after a couple of minutes had gone by with just her talking about the student film and those who were involved in the project as well as getting some shots of everyone participating in the film’s production, Marc felt himself feeling more relaxed as he became more certain that his earlier worries were over nothing. It also helped when his friend, Marinette, came stumbling into the classroom just as he imagined she would, which put a smile on his face. Not because of her misfortune, but for just being the typical Marinette Dupain-Cheng that they all (or the majority at least) know and love. 

Everything was going smoothly. Marc wasn’t bothered in the slightest anymore about Clara’s reporting, and it seemed like she was about to wrap up her news report as soon as she was done interviewing Mr. Monlataing.

“This is quite an exciting experience for our students,” said Mr. Monlataing, “everyone who has volunteered to help make this film project a success has been given the opportunity to only learn about the filmmaking process, but also utilize their creative talents and skills to develop and complete our film project as a team. I couldn’t be more proud of all the hard work and dedication that each of these young students has put into making this film.”

“Well said, Mr. Monlataing,” replied Clara, with a nod of approval, “You have truly spoken as the kind of teacher who shows sincere pride in his students’ achievements, and after getting the chance to read a couple of scenes from the script beforehand as well as getting an inside look on the students’ progress today, I must say that this student film truly has the potential for becoming a true work of cinematic art!”

“Well, that’s very kind of you to say, Ms. Contard,” said Mr. Monlataing, “and I believe my students would be just as thrilled to hear such praise towards their talents as well from you and everybody who watches our film when it is released in theaters.”

“And what a screening it will be,” said Clara, “while I must refrain from leaking any spoilers about the film’s plot, I must also confess that I immediately fell in love with how this film was written just by reading through those two scenes! The student who wrote this film’s script is truly a gifted writer who even has me anxiously anticipating the film’s release!”

Marc felt a little twist of nerves in his chest upon overhearing the reporter’s praise of his writing. Yes, he was flattered to get such praise from a news reporter who was telling millions of Parisians about how great his writing was, but at the same time, it also reset his anxious and nervous feelings. He didn’t want her to talk about his writing further, especially while he was in the same room, because he knew that would eventually lead to him being put on the spot in front of the millions of Parisians watching the news at this moment. 

It’s okay. Everything’s fine. She may have mentioned me, but she never said my name or anything else about me! They can’t possibly connect the film’s writing to me if they don’t say my name. Everyone outside this room will just think that some nobody they have never heard of wrote the script.

“And I believe that the very same student who wrote the script for the film project also happens to be the writer of the recently trending comic books that feature Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting alongside other Parisian heroes, including the fictional hero, Mightillustrator, and the once akumatized victim turned superhero, Reverser,” said Clara, “Marc Anciel.”

At the mention of his name, Marc felt something heavy sink into the pit of his stomach. His face and body were already starting to burn again from feelings of oncoming panic and fear. His hands were trembling so badly that the pencil he was writing with fell out of his hand. Now everybody was going to know that he wrote the script for the film! Sure, his name would be put on the cover of one of his and Nathaniel’s comic books as the author, and under those circumstances, he would be okay with it, but this was different. His name was said on live TV and he’ll bet his favorite red hoodie that Clara was the type of reporter who would want to press further for details regarding the inspiration behind the film’s plot writing by asking the one who wrote the film’s script, which would therefore force Marc towards the center of everyone’s attention. Marc clutched his chest, feeling his heartbeat pounding against his chest in anxious anticipation.

Just calm down. Calm down. CALM DOWN ALREADY!Why can’t I just calm freaking down?!So what if she said my name? Even if some people who already know about me make the connection, millions of Parisians don’t even know my face! I just need to stay calm and let her fin-……

“WOOHOO! That’s our bud!” cheered Kim loudly, snapping Marc out of his internal thoughts.

Oh no…oh no no no no no NO! KIM!!!! WHY?!

Marc was now in “full panic mode”, even more so than he was before. He felt as though his whole body was on fire from the heat rising and the perspiration that was running down his face in streams did little to help. Marc’s chest was filled with so much pressure that he could swear that his increasingly rapid heartbeat was going to make his chest burst open. The flight response had never felt too strong to resist within Marc before. He wanted so desperately to rip off his red hoodie and run away, far away from all of this, but the overwhelming fear of making himself look like a fool on live TV kept his feet planted in the ground.

Having heard Kim’s exclamation, Clara decided to shift her attention to the goofball jock for further details. “Oh, are you saying that the writer is a good friend of yours, young man?” She asked.

Kim nodded in affirmation. “Oh yeah, definitely!” he answered, “Marc may not be in our class, but my class and I are still pretty tight with him.”. Without even thinking about the consequences and oblivious to his current state of panic, Kim pointed toward Marc and Nathaniel. “Marc’s a total writing genius, but what else could you expect from the scriptwriter of the Ladybug and Chat Noir comics that he and Nathaniel created? If we could’ve had anyone as a scriptwriter for this movie, I’m stoked that it is Marc!”

The rest of the conversation between Clara and Kim became inaudible to Marc’s ears as the growing panic made his body feel detached from reality.

This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening! IT CAN'T BE HAPPENING! Why did Kim have to draw attention to me?! Just freaking shut up already, Kim!!! I-I can’t breathe…I feel like I-I’m on fire! Why is it so hot in here?! Why can’t I breathe normally?! M-My chest…i-it feels so heavy…t-to breathe. I-Is this how it feels to die? Oh my god, am I going to die?! M-My…my body’s trying to kill me!!! Oh god, I think I’m gonna throw up! I’m gonna die! I’m going to die! I’m going to die! I’m-…

Suddenly, Marc felt something warm in his hand; something that was powerful enough to break through his oncoming panic attack and bring him back to reality. Marc quickly looked at his hand and saw that it was being held by another hand. Nathaniel’s hand! A hand that Marc knew would always help him feel safe and secure whenever his anxiety went through the roof. Nathaniel’s simple action of holding Marc’s hand was strong enough to overpower any negative thoughts and feelings that plagued Marc. Nathaniel smiled at his friend and shifted his eyes repeatedly to the table, trying to signal Marc to look at something on the table. Picking up on the hint, Marc looked down at the table and saw a note written on some scrap paper that read:

“Sorry, Marc. Kim’s big mouth got them interested. They’ll be coming over here in a moment to talk to you. Don’t worry, you’ll do just fine! I’ll keep holding your hand the entire time. Just keep your mind focused on the sensations while answering their questions. And remember, you’ve got this, partner!”

Nathaniel gave Marc a small nudge with his elbow, gaining his friend’s attention. Marc looked at Nathaniel before he looked ahead to see Clara and her cameraman heading toward them. Marc then immediately turned back to Nathaniel, who gave his partner a reassuring smile and nod that seemed to help relieve the growing tension and anxiety that Marc had been feeling. Though his nerves have not gone away completely, at least Nathaniel was able to keep Marc in a more stable state.

“Excuse me, young man,” said Clara to Marc, causing him to give her his full attention, “A fellow student has just informed me that you are the creative writer who wrote this film’s amazing script. Can you confirm that this statement is indeed true?”.

Marc was very hesitant to speak up. Clara had pointed her microphone towards Marc and he could just feel the eyes of millions of Parisians watching him in anticipation of his answer. Despite having calmed down a bit moments ago, Marc can still feel the pressure that was tightening in his chest from anxiety. If Nath wasn’t standing next to him and holding his hand, Marc definitely would have lost control of his anxiety and had a full-blown panic attack right on live TV. However, Marc reminded himself to just keep himself focused on the feeling and sensation of his hand being held in Nathaniel’s as his partner rubbed circles in the palm of his hand with his thumb to give Marc a feeling that would take his mind off of his anxious thoughts and feelings.

“I can do this!” Marc thought, “Just focus on the sensations in my hand. I got this!”

“Y-Yeah, I wrote the s-script,” Marc stuttered, trying not to look nervous.

“Well, that is just great to hear because I for one just loved reading through your script, and I just have to know what inspired you to create such an amazing film?” asked Clara.

“U-Um……T-Technically….I can’t take all the credit for writing this script,” answered Marc nervously, “A-All of the ideas that were used to create the movie’s script was made as a group. I-I…just wrote the c-character dialogue and scenes.”

“That’s not entirely true, Marc, and you know that,” Nathaniel spoke up, causing Marc and Clara to turn their attention towards the red-headed artist, “You made lots of contributions to creating the film’s plot like coming up with the idea to make the film an action movie featuring superheroes and villains, what the super hero’s and villain's powers should be, making Kreatika and Destroika related to each other as sisters, and you wrote the beautiful ending that I am certain that everyone is going to love! While it is true that we all contributed our ideas when creating the film’s plot, Marc was the one behind the film’s main themes and plot details.”

Clara smiled as Nathaniel pointed out and praised the work that Marc had done to create the script for the film. Marc couldn’t help but shift his gaze to the floor as Nathaniel’s praises of his writing made him feel bashful. He was telling the truth that many of the film’s plot and details were originally Marc’s ideas, though Marc still felt like he shouldn’t receive so much credit for the film’s creation. Yes, it was Marc’s idea to write the film’s plot to be about superheroes, but everyone contributed their thoughts and ideas that helped shape his writing. If anything, writing the script was more of a group effort in his eyes, but it was also true that much of the script’s plot, details, and dialogue came from Marc’s imagination as well. His attention was soon brought back towards Clara as she spoke again.

“Well if that is the case,” said Clara, “Then I suppose my question should be ‘What was your inspiration for creating a film about superheroes and supervillains?’. I’m sure our many viewers would all like to know the origins behind such an amazing film!”

A small wave of nerves and panic swarmed inside Marc’s chest for a moment until Marc made himself focus on the sensations of Nath’s thumb rubbing circles in the palm of his hand. Though still a bit hesitant, Marc began to speak.

“W-Well…honestly,” he spoke nervously, “I-I’ve always been a fan of superhero st-stories. I-I..mean, I like writing other kinds of stories too, b-but…superhero stories are what I like to write about the most. Especially since th-there are many different ways you can write the story by using themes…s-such as horror, fantasy, drama, and um-…romance….f-for example. U-Um….and well, stories tend to….uh I mean…do have multiple themes…a-and t-the great thing about superhero stories is th-that…you can use the p-parts of the themes that you like…a-and in-incorporate them into the superhero comic-…..AH, STORY! I-I…mean story.”

Marc wasn’t sure why he felt the need to correct himself with that last part. He was pretty sure that the viewers knew by now that he writes comic books with Nathaniel since Clara announced earlier that the scriptwriter of the student film project was also the scriptwriter of the recently trending Ladybug and Chat Noir comics. Besides, most superhero stories are written as comic books so it wouldn’t have made a difference to be specific anyway. Marc had a feeling that it must have been his nerves that had caused him to slip up and make that panicked correction of himself. His nerves have also caused him to go a bit off-topic from what truly inspired him to write the film’s plot as it is. It was time for him to get back on track and finish this interview quickly before his nerves bested him again.

“A-Anyway….,” Marc continued, trying to control the shakiness in his voice from being nervous, “I-I…would say that the real inspiration for writing the movie to be about superheroes is from…La-Ladybug…a-and…Ch-Chat Noir.”

Clara’s eyes widened a bit at the mention of Paris’s beloved heroes being the source of this young writer’s inspiration. Though it was not that much of a surprise to the blonde reporter considering that she was already aware of Ladybug and Chat Noir being the inspiration behind the comics made by the boy and his partner, Clara did seem interested in the young writer’s response.

“I see. You are saying that Paris’s beloved superheroes inspired your writing with this film’s script?” She asked, gently pressing Marc for more details.

“Y-Yes…they are,” replied Marc nervously, “I-In…the movie the main characters, the superhero of creation and the supervillain of destruction, was kinda based on the powers that each hero possesses. Whe-When you think a-about it, having a superhero with the power of creation makes sense, but a superhero with the power of destruction seems like more of an unusual concept and what one might expect from a supervillain. B-But then…I thought that maybe the two heroes’ powers had a sort of yin-yang or double-sided connection with each other. If the power of creation and destruction both exist and the miraculouses that Ladybug and Chat Noir possess are meant to be used for good, then using the power of destruction for the greater good must have been created for a reason, even if we don’t fully understand it. A-And…I used that same concept while writing the script for the main characters. Just like Ladybug and Chat Noir, I saw the two main characters as “two sides of the same coin”, and while the two sisters may differ in their ideals, they are connected to one another. They couldn’t exist without each other to maintain a form of balance in the universe.”

Clara gave the two boys a nod of understanding at Marc’s explanation of the movie’s inspiration. 

“Wow, what a remarkable concept for conveying such a powerful message!” Before turning herself back to face the camera, she stated, “A message that I am certain will capture the hearts of all those who watch the debut of these two-……”

Clara’s voice began to muffle in the background as Marc began to space out. It was done. Marc had spoken on live TV in front of millions of Parisians currently watching the broadcast. Somehow he managed to keep it together. His whole body felt unstable as he tried to speak up and answer Clara’s questions but yet he didn’t fumble and kept his answers on point. So why couldn’t he relax now? Why could he still feel the overwhelming weight of his anxiety tightening onto his chest? Why couldn’t he breathe?! He should be able to breathe yet breathing felt like such a struggle for him at the moment! It wasn’t like he had messed up or said something lame during his interview, right? Oh god! He stuttered! Marc just realized how much he stuttered as he spoke on live TV! He must’ve looked like such a pathetic mess to millions of Parisians! They all must be laughing at him or making snide comments about how pathetic he was! That must be it! That’s why Marc can’t breathe! How could he when all of Paris was currently judging him as the weak and pathetic excuse for a writer that he was?! Marc felt his body beginning to radiate a burning heat once again and sweat pouring down his face in puddles. Then he made another realization; he stuttered like a pathetic wreck in front of his friends! They all must think of him as a total loser right about now! And if they weren’t snidely judging him, they were definitely glaring at him with silent pity, which was even worse! Of course, many of his schoolmates were nice enough to not think of judging Marc mockingly, so they were obviously pitying him as the pathetic person that he was! Then it hit Marc yet again. Nathaniel was standing right next to him the whole time! Nathaniel had to stand by and watch Marc make a complete fool of himself on live TV! Ergo, he also just embarrassed Nathaniel on live TV through association! 

“Oh no! Nathaniel must be beyond mortified!” Thought Marc, “Because I couldn’t just speak normally, I just had to humiliate both me and Nathaniel! He must be so angry with me right now! I’ll bet he hates me so much right now and will want to quit being my comic book partner! Not that I could blame him anyway. Who’d want to be working with someone as useless and pathetic as-…..,”

“Hey, Marc?” 

A sudden elbow nudge at Marc’s ribs snapped him back to reality. Turning to the source, Marc saw that Nathaniel was still standing by his side, though his face showed a bit of concern.

“Are you doing okay, Marc?” Nathaniel asked, “You kinda zoned out for a bit. Also, Clara and her crew have been gone for a few minutes now.”

And with that last sentence, Marc felt an overwhelming sense of relief flood throughout his body. He couldn’t help it when his knees began to buckle down on the art room floor as he started to catch his breath. It was euphoric! Marc could finally breathe again! The weight of the pressure in his chest had been lifted and his body temperature was starting to cool down. This relief was amazing, but it must have happened too fast. Nathaniel took this all as a sign that Marc needed a moment to let this sudden rush of relief settle in. Helping him to his feet, Nathaniel led Marc out of the art room while shouting out to Mr. Monlataing that the duo would be right back. Once the two friends were out in the hallway, Nathaniel had Marc sit down on the top steps of the stairs before he began to rub his partner’s back in a comforting manner. 

Marc wasn’t having a panic attack since his breathing seemed more controlled than it would have been whenever he did have a panic attack. Nathaniel made it a priority to learn the signs of Marc having an anxiety or panic attack ever since the first time Marc had one around Nathaniel. While this wasn’t a panic or anxiety attack, Marc still needed some help calming down from the adrenaline rush of relief he was feeling. As Nathaniel continued to comfortingly rub circles on Marc’s back, the latter seemed to be getting closer to fully composing himself but then he started jerkingly bending himself over and quickly slapping his hand over his mouth. Before Nathaniel could ask him what was wrong, Marc suddenly stood up and bolted towards the nearest trash can. As Marc’s head dove inside the trash can, Nathaniel began to hear gagging and retching noises along with what sounded like vomit hitting the inside of the trash can. Nathaniel couldn’t help but cringe in disgust as he watched his friend vomit in the trash can.

“Could be worse…” Nathaniel thought, “At least he’s not panicking.”

Recovering from his initial disgust, Nathaniel made his way over to Marc’s side and continued rubbing his back as the latter gagged and retched. 

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” said Nathaniel, speaking softly with words of comfort as the bile escaping his friend’s mouth splattered inside the trash can, “just get it all out. I got you.”

Though it felt longer, the gagging, retching, and bile splattering ceased after a couple of minutes. Nathaniel felt his partner’s body become less tense and more relaxed as the latter started to slowly lift his head out of the trash can. Marc slowly pants for breaths while wiping his mouth on his black leather fingerless glove for any residual bile. Slowly but surely, the writer was regaining his composure, having left all the anxieties and stress that had been festering inside of him now festering inside the garbage can. 

“Marc, are you sure you're okay?” Asked a concerned Nathaniel, “Did you get it all out? You shouldn’t stop just because you feel like you have to.”

Marc gives his artistic partner a weak smile and reaches for his raven black hair to fidget with. It always gave Marc a warm feeling whenever Nathaniel showed concern for his well-being. Sure at the same time, he would also feel a pang of guilt for making him worry, but it was still nice knowing that other people cared about his well-being. 

“I-I think I’m done now….” Said Marc sheepishly, “I-It’s all out of me I think.”

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, unconvinced by his friend’s claim.

“Are you absolutely sure?” He asked, “Marc, I don’t want you to just say that you’re fine if you don’t feel fine. Nobody’s going to think any less of you if you’re not feeling well.”

To be completely honest, Marc wasn’t even completely sure if he was feeling 100%. All he did know however was that he was feeling much better than he had not too long ago, but he still had to try to give Nathaniel some reassurance otherwise he wouldn’t drop the subject. Without any further hesitation, Marc gave Nathaniel his best reassuring smile that he could give at that moment.

“Thanks, Nath, but you don’t need to worry about me anymore,” said Marc, “I’m feeling much better than I did earlier today.”

“I know you say that now, Marc, but I think we both know that you don’t always mean it and just don’t want others to keep worrying about you,” said Nathaniel, still unconvinced.

“I swear I’m telling the truth this time, Nath!”

“This time? So you admit that you haven’t been completely truthful before?”

“Nath….that’s not what I meant!”

Nathaniel chuckled.

“Relax Marc, I was just teasing a little,” he said before crossing his arms, “but for real, how am I supposed to know that you are being sincere this time?”

Marc let out a small sigh, thinking of what he would say to convince Nathaniel that he was doing okay now. When an idea suddenly came to him, Marc raised his right hand. “I, Marc Anciel, swear on my love for all things manga and comic books that I am fine!” He proclaimed.

Nathaniel couldn’t help but smile at his partner’s act. While he was still suspicious that Marc still wasn’t feeling as 100% as he claimed to be, his partner’s proclamation did help Nathaniel to relax a little bit on the matter, knowing fully well how serious Marc’s affinity for manga and comic books were. Besides, even if this friendly banter between the two was helping Marc to relax a little bit, Nathaniel also wanted to make sure he wasn’t pressing the subject too much since doing so could cause Marc’s anxiety levels to rise again.

“Okay, I guess I’ll believe you for now,” said Nathaniel, “But we should at least get you some water to drink. Not only because you just threw up. It will also help settle your anxiety and stress levels.”

“Where did you hear that from?” Asked Marc.

“From Max and Markov,” said Nathaniel, “The other day, they told me that while hydration is not a ‘cure-all’ for anxiety and stress, it has been proven to help reduce both levels. Water has been shown to have natural calming properties and create feelings of relaxation.”

Marc raised an eyebrow in confusion following Nathaniel’s statement. “Why did Max and Markov tell you about this?” He asked.

Nathaniel gave Marc a look that read “isn’t it obvious?”, before giving him a small smile. “Because I knew that this week was going to be stressful for you, especially today,” he said, “So I asked them both if they knew anything about reducing stress levels and anxiety since they are two of the smartest people that we know.”

Nathaniel’s words put a bright smile on Marc’s face. Nathaniel was such a good friend and partner to him. He always had Marc’s back and has gone out of his way to try to help him manage his anxiety disorder ever since they started working together. Sure their friendship/partnership didn’t start on the right foot due to some miscommunication and conclusion jumping, but since that whole mess got cleared up, the two boys have been a great team and seem to have made each other stronger the closer they got to one another.

“Now about getting you that water…” Nathaniel began.

“Right on ahead of you, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel and Marc turned to see Mr. Monlataing coming towards them with an unopened water bottle in hand.

“I overheard the…uh…incident from the art room and thought that this would help with remedying the situation,” said Mr. Monlataing, handing the water bottle over to Marc.

“T-Thank you, Mr. Monlataing.” Said Marc, as he took the water bottle given to him by the teacher. 

Marc unscrews the cap off the water bottle and takes a few sips of water. Just as Max and Markov had said, the water did surprisingly have a calming effect on Marc as he felt his lingering nerves and tension start to settle. Of course, there was no denying that the feelings were not completely gone, but Marc did feel a bit more relaxed. When it seemed like Marc was done taking sips of water, Mr. Monlataing pulled out a small candy tin from his pocket and opened it up, revealing the contents to be peppermint candy.

“I think you should also try having one of these,” offered Mr. Monlataing, “They will help settle your stomach after….well, you know.”

Marc and Nathaniel both smiled warmly at this gesture. Good old Mr. Monlataing. Always ready to lend his students a helping hand with a tin full of peppermint candy that he is for some reason obsessed with in tow whether it be eating them or offering them to others. No one at Dupont knows why that is. It was a bit strange, but at the same time appropriate considering their art teacher’s calm personality. Marc takes the offered peppermint candy from the tin and starts unwrapping the red-striped confectionery.

“T-Thanks,” said Marc, popping the candy into his mouth.

“No problem, Marc,” replied Mr. Monlataing, “You seemed to be very stressed today. I could tell from the moment you walked into Room 33 that you were very anxious and nervous.”

Marc opened his mouth to question the art teacher, but Mr. Monlataing spoke first.

“After many years of teaching, I have learned to recognize whenever a young student is feeling negative emotions related to stress or feeling nervous,” he said, “I can take a guess that, like many of your fellow students, you were feeling nervous about today’s live news report. Would you perhaps like to talk about it?”

“What do you mean like everyone else?” Asked Marc, confused, “E-Everyone else was doing just fine. Not like me. I-I…I was a stuttering mess. I…c-couldn’t stop shivering in f-fear. My….My body felt so heavy at times as if something was weighing me down; it was a miracle I didn’t fall to the ground and wouldn’t be able to get back up. Ugh….not to mention that I had to correct myself once during the interview! That must’ve been so lame….I messed up so badly….I’m so sorry! I must sound so pathetic….”

Mr. Monlataing put a comforting hand on Marc’s shoulder.

“You are being too hard on yourself, Marc,” he said reassuringly, “And you don’t need to apologize for feeling the way that you do. It’s completely natural for people to feel nervous or anxious in situations such as that. As I have mentioned earlier, many of your fellow students were experiencing nervous and/or anxious feelings as well. Some were more subtle than others, but every little thing told me enough to recognize their feelings. Some students like Juleka, Max, and Ivan, tried to avoid direct eye contact with the camera or Ms. Contard as much as possible to make themselves appear busy with work. Mylène was mumbling something that I would assume to be some sort of safety mantra to help her relax before the news report began. Marinette tripped a few times.”

“But that’s not unusual for Marinette,” said Nathaniel, “She always trips on days that end in Y.”

Marc was trying hard to hold back the laughter. Yes, it was true that their friend Marinette had a substantially long history of clumsiness, but Marc knew it wouldn’t be right to laugh at his friend’s expense, even if it was Marinette herself cracking jokes about her klutzy behavior.

“Be that as it may,” Mr. Monlataing admitted, “Her gestures were also more frantic and awkward than usual, which I wouldn’t doubt indicated that she was just as nervous as the rest of her fellow students.”

That was true. Marinette was acting a bit more socially awkward than normal. Looking back now, Marc realized that maybe there was some truth to Mr. Monlataing’s explanation. At the time, Marc was too focused on either going over the final draft of the script or his anxieties and thoughts to take notice of how the other students were doing during the live news report. It was not like he didn’t think that any of them would not be nervous, but compared to him, the entire group was so much more capable of dealing with their nervous feelings from his perspective. Even their resident ray of positive energy and joy, Rose Lavillant, must have had a hint of anxiety underneath her beaming excitement of being on live TV. Though Kim seemed to have no problem with speaking up during the broadcast, well…this is Kim. The athlete never really seems to have a problem with drawing attention to himself and is always ready to show off. However, supposedly even someone like Kim could also have some hidden nervous feelings about being on live TV, whether or not he showed it on the outside. Maybe that was why Kim called out Marc during the news report. Was it his way of relieving the tension he was feeling by using his excitable energy as a cover-up? Or then again, it could just be that Kim was being Kim and acting on impulse without even thinking first as usual.

Marc felt the familiar warmth of a hand wrapping itself around his, which belonged to none other than his redhead partner who pulled him away from his thoughts and back to reality.

“I was just as nervous about being on live TV, too,” said Nathaniel, “Well, maybe not as nervous as you were, but pretty close to your level.”

Marc’s eyes darted toward the floor. “If that is the case, how do you manage to do so well?” He asked, avoiding his friend’s turquoise eyes, “You’re so much more capable of handling these types of things better than I can.”

That statement was somewhat true with a hint of exaggeration. While it is true that Nathaniel is a well-known introvert who is shy like his partner and prefers being quiet in his class, he has also been developing some more self-esteem and confidence in himself throughout the year. Many of his classmates would say that Nathaniel started becoming more spoken when he joined the art club in Room 33, which was a safe haven for anyone to express themselves through their art without any fear of being judged whether it be painting, songwriting, graffiti, sewing, writing, etc. Though Nathaniel still had a long way to go in building up his self-esteem, Marc knew that any amount of self-esteem that Nathaniel had was way more than what Marc could ever hope to achieve from his perspective. Of the two boys, Nathaniel was the one who was more willing to speak up around people despite Marc being gifted with words. That’s just how their dynamic worked. Marc was gifted at writing dialogue and knew the right words to say in situations, but could never speak up. As for Nathaniel, while he doesn’t have his partner’s talent in choosing the right choice of words, he is the one out of the two introverts that have enough confidence to speak those words.

Nathaniel’s thumb traced circles around the palm on Marc’s hand, creating a comforting motion that made the anxious writer look up from the floor. “I know how it feels when you have trouble speaking up,” he said, “It’s no secret that I can be just as quiet and shy as you, Marc, and yet I find myself being a bit more when I am with my friends.” Nathaniel smiles at Marc. “Or when I’m with the best comic book partner I could ever ask to work with.”

Marc’s face instantly became warm and flushed with a bright red blush that almost made his face match his red hoodie. His reaction did not go unnoticed by Nathaniel, who knew that Marc gets flustered easily when people praise his writing. If he was being honest, Nathaniel thought his flustering was adorable; like watching a sleepy kitten fall asleep kind of adorable.

“N-Nath…..”

“Come on, you know that it’s true.”

Now Marc’s face was putting Nathaniel’s hair to shame with how red it was now. Seriously, Marc can’t just take a compliment toward his writing without his face lighting up red like Rudolph’s nose. Not wanting to risk making Marc turn scarlet, Nathaniel decided to switch topics.

“Anyway Marc, my point is that even though many of us were nervous about being on live TV, all of us were able to find the courage and strength to power through by doing this together,” he said, “And that includes you, too. You showed fantastic effort in speaking up about your script. When Clara was asking her questions, you stayed on point by explaining your inspiration process as well as the message that you wanted the film’s plot to express. You didn’t back down or panic during the interview. You were just awesome!”

Marc smiled at his redheaded partner for the praises that he was receiving, but that smile was quickly washed away by another insecure thought.

“I was only able to do decent enough because I had you by my side, Nath,” Marc said, his eyes shifting to look away and on the floor, “If I had done this alone-….”

Before Marc could finish condescending himself again, he felt Mr. Monlataing’s hand touch his shoulder, bringing the shy writer’s attention to him.

“And that is one of the very lessons that I hope this film project teaches all of our participants,” began the art teacher, “Filmmaking can’t be done entirely alone. To make a film, a team of talented individuals must each bring their set of skills and work together to create the vision that they want to be projected on the big screen. Everything that needs to be done to produce our film will not solely be done by one person alone.”

“We’re all in this together, Marc,” said Nathaniel, “And everything that we do for the film will be done together, every one of us. You’re not going to face challenges alone. Everyone here has got your back, just as you would have ours.”

Marc felt warm again, only this time it wasn’t from being flustered or anxious. It was a warm feeling in his chest that stems from the comforting words of his best friend and art teacher. The warm feeling immediately put a smile on Marc’s face, one that was there to stay. He is then pulled into a hug by Nathaniel, who wraps his arms around the former’s frame in a secure and comforting manner. Though caught off guard at first, Marc immediately melts in his friend’s embrace and returns the hug, his tensions and worries fading away into oblivion. The two boys stayed in each other’s arms for a few beats until Marc decided to unwrap his arms from his friend’s frame, prompting Nathaniel to do the same as he figured that the former was done with the hug and it was time to let go before the situation became awkward. Although, Marc wouldn’t have minded if the hug lasted a bit longer. 

After being released from the hug, Marc faced Nathaniel and Mr. Monlataing with a smile. “I think I’m ready to go back inside now,” he said, with renewed confidence.

Now more confident that his friend is feeling a lot better, Nathaniel smiles back at the writer and gives him a nod of approval. The two boys and the art teacher started walking back into the art room and the trio split itself in half upon entry. As Mr. Monlataing left the boys to check on the other students’ progress, Marc took a look around the room. Most of everyone seemed to be engrossed in their work to notice the duo’s absence, which was just fine with Marc and Nathaniel, especially for the former. The last thing Marc wanted to do was draw too much attention to himself and make the others worry about him over nothing. He was just nervous and needed a moment; it was not like when he was having one of his panic attacks, right? The comic duo immediately headed back to their table to continue drawing up the movie’s storyboard and finishing the proofing of the film’s script. 

Already waiting at their table for the two to arrive was their friend and the film’s director, Nino Lahiffe. The boy was reading through his copy of the film’s script when the comic duo had returned. Looking up, Nino smiled at the two boys with relief.

“Hey, dudes,” he greeted Nathaniel and Marc. Nino then took a quick look over Marc. He had become worried about the writer when Nathaniel led him out into the hallway after the reporter left. It was no secret to the students of Ms. Bustier’s class that Marc had anxiety disorder and coupled with his painfully shy personality, he can become easily overwhelmed in certain social or stressful situations. “You doing okay, Marc?”

Marc tried to put in his best convincing smile, hoping that would put his friend’s worries at ease. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, as he and Nathaniel sat down at the table with the film’s director, “I just needed a moment. I-I have been a little nervous about today, but I’m all good now.”

“Oh yeah, I totally get it, dude,” said Nino, “I was feeling a bit nervous, too. Are you sure you’re doing okay though? I know that kind of stuff can be overwhelming and you shouldn’t have to feel like you have to push yourself to do something that makes you too overwhelmed.”

Marc shakes his head. “N-No…no. I swear I’m doing better now,” he said, frantically trying to reassure his friend, “I mean yes today I am a bit out of my comfort zone, but it’s really nothing to worry about. S-Sometimes taking a step out of your comfort zone isn’t such a bad thing, right?”

Nino raised an eyebrow, still mulling over whether Marc’s claims that he was okay were sincere. After a few beats, Nino decided to just shrug off the subject. As concerned as Nino was for his friend, he knew better than to press any further on the matter. He knew that today was going to be a stressful day for Marc and the last thing that he needed was to be overwhelmed by others pressing him about his well-being.

“Well, yeah. I guess so, dude,” he said finally, “As long as you’re doing better now, I do have a few things I want to discuss about the script….”

“Hey, Marc!”

Marc yelped and jumped in alarm before turning around to see who had called his name. It was Kim. “Whoa! Sorry, Marc. I didn’t mean to scare you or anything,” he said.

The tall athlete was standing behind Marc and….rubbing the back of his head? At first, Marc thought that he was acting nervous, but then he noticed that Kim was wincing in pain. Did he hit his head on something?

“I-It’s fine, Kim,” said Marc, fidgeting with his fingers, “Did you need help with something or anything?”

Kim gave Marc a sheepish smile as he continued to rub the back of his head. “Actually, I wanted to say sorry about putting you on the spot earlier,” he said, “y’know, during the news report and I called out your name without even thinking about how you would feel about that? That was really stupid and uncool of me to do.”

Now that was a big surprise to Marc. It’s not that Kim wasn’t capable of admitting when he was in the wrong and trying to make things right, but usually, it took some time for Kim to realize this and apologize. As much as everyone in Ms. Bustier’s class loved Kim, there was no denying that sometimes Kim could be a little oblivious when it comes to how his actions might affect another person’s feelings. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Kim! It’s okay, I swear!” said Marc, albeit a bit too frantically. 

Kim shook his head. “But it wasn’t okay,” he said, “I’ve known you long enough to know better that you don’t like having attention drawn to yourself and I completely ignored that fact because I was being impulsive like always! I’m sorry, Marc. I didn’t mean to stress you out.”

Marc felt a tug at his heart. This was the kind of thing Marc had wanted to avoid when he came back into the art room. He didn’t want people to be making a fuss or blaming themselves for Marc feeling uncomfortable with the whole news report situation. It just felt wrong to cause people that much trouble over himself. Still, Marc felt that he needed to at least attempt to remedy the situation by offering some words of reassurance that everything was fine.

“S-Seriously Kim, it’s really nothing to worry about,” said Marc, trying his best to reassure the athlete, “You just got a bit excited. I understand that. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I’m not upset with you. No need to worry.”

Kim grew a huge grin on his face. “Thanks, Marc! You’re so awesome!” He said, “And I’m glad you’re doing okay.” Kim suddenly winced again and started moving his hand to the back of his head to rub it again.

“Kim, are you okay? You seem like you’re in pain,” asked Marc.

Kim gives Marc a weak smile. “Oh yeah, I’ll be fine,” said the athlete, “Let’s just say that I got some sense slapped back into me along with a hard lecture from our favorite skater girl after you and Nathaniel went out in the hall together.”

“Okay, now that explains it,” thought Marc

Kim then walks away from the group, continuing to rub his head while muttering “Damn, she really slapped it hard!”. As soon as Kim was out of his line of sight, Marc spotted Alix with her head turned to watch their conversation. He immediately gives Alix a disapproving look or the “disappointed mom” look as some may call it. Alix just smirks and goes back to her work spray painting the film’s props. Marc sighs, knowing that he will have to talk with her later about slapping people, even if that person might have deserved it a little bit, and goes back to discussing the script with Nino.

Soon enough, all three boys became engrossed in their work that all of the anxiety and tension regarding this morning’s news report just faded away. Everything from then on was going off without a hitch. The costumes and props were coming along nicely, the script and storyboard were perfected, the best soundtracks and effects were picked out for each scene, and those who were in charge of managing the equipment were becoming pros at operating every single one. And if that weren’t good enough, the rehearsals were going just as smoothly. Both actresses were playing their parts beautifully as the entire crew watched them act out their roles for the film. Zoé and Myléne were both perfect for the roles of Kreatika and Destroika, as both girls knew how to truly bring out their characters' personalities and emotions as if they were actually the real superhero and supervillain themselves. For the first time, Marc felt more at true peace than he has felt all day. Nothing could have possibly ruined this for him or anyone else.

“You may hate me, but I love you,” said Zoé to Myléne as both girls acted out the final scene together, “And I always will—…”

“How dare you all!”

And as the door slammed open, a blonde piece of fresh hell had arrived.