EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VIVICA AGRESTE

Avid readers of 'Mode Mania' the time has come. We finally have an exclusive interview with Paris' sweetheart Vivica Agreste, 23. The model has been silent for the past couple of weeks after the alleged split from husband and A list actor Adrien Agreste, 24. A marriage which we all believed was a fairytale seems to have been nothing more than a nightmare for Vivica; and here at 'Mode Mania' we're lucky enough to have the exclusive interview where Vivica tells all to Mode Mania's undercover reporter, Frankie LeMec.

Frankie: Vivica, thank you for agreeing to come and talk to us. We understand it must be a very hard time for you.

Vivica: My heart has been broken, but I feel Paris needs to know the truth about Adrien and I's relationship. The people of Paris have been such wonderful supporters of our relationship it's only fair we keep you all in the loop with what's happening.

Frankie: That's very considerate of you, Vivica, none of this can be easy.

Vivica: Thank you Frankie, there is no one else I would trust to do this interview.

Frankie: So, let's start at the beginning...when did you and Adrien first meet?

Vivica: Oh, it feels like a lifetime ago now. I was only 18 at the time, Adrien was 19 and just swept me off my feet. The media's correct when they say Adrien is charming and charismatic. I was newly introduced to the world and he took me under his wing, he was the perfect guy everyone said he would be. We hit it off straight away and he started sending me flowers and gifts trying to win my affection.

Frankie: That sounds very sweet.

Vivica: Oh it was, until I found out he was doing it to another girl as well. It seems the kind attitude was just a mask for his true colours.

Frankie: What do you mean?

Vivica: My best friend, Lila Rossi, well she told me Adrien was always involved in a toxic relationship with this girl from collège. Apparently she used him for his name and he used her for sex. Lila tried to warn me about this girl, but I was young and naive and just grateful the gorgeous supermodel, Adrien Agreste, was paying me attention. Lila tried to warn me, but I didn't listen and ended up married to the guy.

Frankie: Who was this other girl?

Vivica: Unfortunately, he has been spotted with her again recently; he chose her over me once again when I started asking about growing our family. It seems I was only good whilst I was giving it away without any chains. Now I want to have his children, because I love him so much, he's ran a mile.

Frankie: Are you saying Adrien's a commitment phobe?

Vivica: Definitely. I know for a fact he's been sleeping with this woman behind my back, I just wonder how many other times there have been over the years.

Frankie: I never took Adrien as that type of guy, this is quite scary how he's perceived himself in public.

Vivica: 100%. Adrien has and will always mean the world to me. He is my one true love, but there's only so much you can take, and unfortunately I can't take any more of his neglect and lies.

Frankie: I'm so sorry to hear that Vivica, it can't have been easy to have the man you love suddenly uproot and go swanning off to Argentina with his stylist. I believe we have a name for her; Marinette Dupain-Cheng, is that correct?

Vivica: Yes, she's the one. The past times we've had sex he called out her name, even when we were trying to make amends with each other.

Frankie: And the article a few weeks back about him out in Paris that night?

Vivica: I believe it was a booty call. She'd faked a fire in her apartment block to get him to come and 'save' her. She has some sort of 'Damsel in Distress' complex where she calls him up whenever she's in trouble —

Frankie: Like the trip into the river Seine?

Vivica: Exactly. I heard from the mother of the child that Marinette had been the one who pushed the child in, which is motifying to hear, especially as an aspiring mother to be. She knew Adrien goes jogging down that route every other morning.

Frankie: So, where do you go from here?

Vivica: It's our close mutual friend's art exhibition tomorrow so I'm hoping I can find him there and maybe see if he's willing to come back. I'm guessing he's got this little scratch out of his system.

Frankie: I'm sure you'll be dressed for the occasion, and Adrien won't know what's hit him.

Vivica: Of course he won't, he never has an idea.

Frankie: Thank you for joining us today for this exclusive interview and don't forget to follow in tomorrow night for live updates of Kagami Tsurugi's new showcase.

Written by Frankie LeMec

•••••

Creation is a powerful thing.

God created the world.

Evolution created the world.

She thought back to what she'd learned at college about Genesis. Stories and beliefs thrown at them from different religions, each having their own variation of what had happened for life to begin. Even those of non religious orientation needed to come up with theories as to how we got here, how we came to be. Something had created the world, something had created us.

Destruction was even more powerful, for destruction was the only thing that could destroy creation, that could rip the world apart by its seams and turn everything into a dark, black void of nothingness.

Gabriel wanted to create. He wanted to create a world where he could love again. Though his means were questionable and without cause and concern of others, his heart was still full of love, love he wanted to share with someone.

But what happened when the love in your heart had gone; shrivelled up to a nothingness without care for anyone but yourself.

She'd figured it out, and by the look in Adrien's eyes he'd figured it out too. They were both pawns; pawns in an intense and well skilled game of chess, but the question was: who was the Queen?

"I don't understand," Alya said, her hand resting on the slight bump protruding from her stomach, Nino looking at her with a heartbreaking smile. Marinette hated having to take their time, but what she was about to say involved them too.

"Come with me." Marinette walked over to Adrien, and took his hand as she led the group up onto the deck. Finding a small rock and leading them to the edge of the boat.

She let go of his hand as she threw the stone into the air, peering over the side as it broke through the water's surface. The small rock caused the desired effect, the ripples ricocheting through the water creating wave after wave after wave, until suddenly the water became still. A slight movement being the only sign left.

"The biggest effect comes from the centre," Adrien said, finding another rock and throwing it into the river, "but then it starts a chain reaction, destroying everything in its path."

Everyone began to find stones and drop them in the water, the ripples moulding onto each other as each fought for dominance against the other.

"But if you drop too many, it destroys the chain," Alya said, turning to look towards her friends.

"Luka, have you got a chalkboard or paper?" Marinette asked her friend, only to be met with a sudude nod and an indication to head back down into the main quarters of the boat.

••••••

Adrien sat, mouth in hand as he leaned over the mound of paper Marinette had attached together on the table.

"Okay, so if we're saying the main impact came from the reveal of Marinette to Adrien, why hadn't anything else happened from it? I mean, if they knew Adrien was Chat Noir, why did they have to keep sending out more 'things'? Wouldn't that have been enough?" Alya asked, looking towards where Marinette was frantically scribbling on the paper. She had started at the centre, drawing a small ring before adding another after another after another until there were multiple rings going around the paper.

"That wasn't why he was told," Félix explained, grabbing the spare pen and coming to work beside Marinette.

Adrien had to use every ounce of strength to keep himself calm and not pull Félix away from his girlfriend, seeing them close made him want to smack his cousin once more in the face.

"They didn't know Adrien was Chat Noir, they went off the idea of the attraction from Adrien to Marinette and vice versa. It was obvious from when you were young you were both into each other. Maybe if I hadn't deleted Marinette's declaration off your phone we wouldn't be in this mess now."

"What!" Adrien announced. What declaration? He knew Félix had deleted something back when they were teens, he just didn't know what and now he was sure if he found out Félix's nose would be a bloody mess once more.

"Don't get your pants in a twist cousin, you've got the girl now haven't you?" He felt a hand on his thigh giving it a little squeeze. He looked up to Marinette, her eyes telling him not to fight back.

"So, why do you think I was told, cousin?" Adrien hissed out, bending forwards to look on the table.

"Because you're a weak link and your father couldn't give a shit about you."

"Kick me whilst I'm down," Adrien muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Or that's at least what they thought," Marinette added, writing something in the central circle.

"You're agreeing with him?" Adrien yelped.

"Let's be honest Adrien, you played the part well," Nino said, coming to sit alongside him.

"Because we're in the midst of war I'm going to let this go, but I'm telling you all now, none of you are forgiven. I expect to be showered in gifts and kisses when this is done." Adrien claimed.

"I can do that." Nino patted him on the back only for Marinette to screw up a piece of paper and throw it at Nino's head.

"He means me, you fucker!" she argued, her attention and glare firmly fixed on Nino.

"Seriously, when did you start swearing so much Marinette?" Luka asked from where he was resting against the sofa.

"You can thank my father for that," Adrien replied.

"Guys, as fascinating as this conversation is, there's a new supervillain out on the streets and I'm kind of intrigued by what Marinette needs to say." Jess stepped forward and crouched down opposite Marinette, her head indicating for her to continue.

"Right so, Adrien learning my identity was the –"

"No," Adrien stated, crouching down on his knees beside the table. "No it's not, it's before that."

"What do you mean?" Jess asked.

He looked to Marinette hoping she could read his thoughts as well as he believed. They needed to go back further, it didn't start with them.

"Lila," Félix whispered.

"Lila," Marinette agreed.

"Where do you come into this then?" Alya asked Félix, the others moved closer knowing they were about to break the mystery.

"I may or may not have given Monarch's identity away."

"And was it my father?" Adrien finally asked, the clarification needed to move forward.

"It was."

"Fuck!" Kim said, announcing everyone's thoughts in one simple word.

"Okay, so you knew but didn't tell Adrien? Not even when you found out he was Chat Noir?"

"I didn't see the point! It was over, and even if my fucked up Uncle didn't love Adrien correctly, I do! He's one of my best friends and I would never intentionally hurt him." Félix stood up, moving away to the window.

"So why the hell did you team up with Lila?" Marinette said, standing up and clenching her first by her side.

"Because I lost my virginity to her, okay? I swapped the most valuable piece of information I had so I could shag the devil. Are you happy now? You know my weakness! I have a sex addiction. If it's pretty and has a pulse I try to get with it. Be lucky I know my cousin could kick my ass because right now the way you look plus this attitude... well.."

Adrien didn't want to hear anymore, before he knew what was happening he'd left his seat and now had Félix pinned against the wall, an arm under his throat.

"Don't you dare, talk about her that way!"

He felt hands on his arm, a gentle push as whoever was there tried to get him to loosen his hold. Félix wriggled in Adrien's hold fighting against him and fighting for breath.

"Adrien, let go. This is not you." Luka had his hands braced on Adrien's arm, the touch and hold not threatening but calming.

"Adrien, let go. I want to hurt him too, but it'll be no good for any of us." A black blur appeared by his side, the fiercely loyal green eyes of his kwami looking directly at him. "Just let go."

Adrien removed his hands from Félix giving him a slight push back into the side of the boat before heading back to the sofas, Marinette's arms waiting for him. He slipped into her embrace effortlessly, letting his head fall onto her shoulder and be encompassed by her warmth and security.

"Pull anything like that again and I'll clout you into next week."

All heads turned to see an unusually vocal Juleka being held back by her brother as she homed in on Félix. Adrien's heart swelling from the determination of his friends, for once realising everyone was on his side and because they liked him, not the association with what he had.

"So Lila's the impact," Max said, pulling everyone back to the reason why they were originally there. "She found out Gabriel Agreste was Monarch and bribed him; her silence for the butterfly Miraculous. It still just doesn't seem... enough."

"It's not," Marinette said, wiping her hands down her face.

"How about for now we say it is and move on, maybe we'll find something else out," Nathaniel said, speaking up for the first time since he got there.

"Alix? Can't you shed any light on this?" Myléne asked, only for Alix to shake her head.

"Everything has specific ways it needs to happen. All I can say is I need to be here," the time traveller replied, the unknown still exactly that.

Adrien separated from his girlfriend and knelt down by the table, taking the pen in his hand.

"So Lila finds out, what? At the same time as Gabriel finds out your identity... which is a whole other tin of worms."

"Keep them in the tin for now please, Chaton. We'll come back to that at some other point. It's not important at the moment."

"Okay. So they make the trade but Gabriel still owns this significant piece of information, and he wants to do something with it."

Hands slammed down on the table, Kagami pulling all attention onto her as she glared at the paper in front of her. "He wasn't blackmailed." She grabbed the pen from Adrien and started scribbling something down. "You won't like this, Félix, but you were the one being played."

"They were working together?" Adrien said.

"Bingo!" Kagami pointed the pen at him and continued to scribble down in the centre.

"When did your father start showing signs of dementia, Adrien?" Fei asked, peering over her partner's shoulder.

"Before you answer that Adrien, who the hell are you?" Kim turned to face Fei, the latter raising an eyebrow in contempt.

"I'm going to be a hell of a bigger player in this than you, fishboy. I'm Fei, and I'm holder of the Prodigious." She took the necklace from her top and waved in front of him.

"And that means?" he continued.

"It means she's a hard ass bitch who could kick your ass," Marinette said, eyes focused on what Kagami was writing down.

"Oh, is she the most powerful then?" Kim continued, everyone stopping and staring at him. "What? I need to know who the leader is?"

All eyes flitted between Kim and Marinette, a slight sheen of sweat covering his brow. "I'm going to go and..." He pointed to a seat near the window before moving over and away from the group.

"He started forgetting things around when I turned 20."

"He needed someone to continue on the family business obviously, and as you did that interview slating her, Lila must have found another way to get her paws in. They made Vivica," Kagami said, placing the pen down and sitting up.

"Let's not use the word made," Félix answered, "let's go with created. She's still a real person."

"Fine. They created Vivica," Kagami said.

Adrien seemed to drift in and out of the present as he tried to think back to the time before that day when Gabriel destroyed his world. He just couldn't seem to grasp anything that was different. It wasn't like he was... wait...

He looked to Marinette as she turned her head to face him, still as in sync as they always had been.

"The summer internship," they both said at the same time. The summer before they both turned 21, Marinette had been offered a summer internship at 'Gabriel' where she worked alongside Adrien. They thought they'd been lucky, that maybe Gabriel actually cared enough to have Adrien spend the summer with someone he actually liked, the first pebble dropping and starting the ripple.

They wrote it down in the centre and began to build out the story.

Gabriel makes a deal with Lila - they create Vivica.

Figure out Marinette is Ladybug - tell Adrien.

Every action causing a reaction, the story starting to build up and deepen as finally they began to unravel it.

"What happened after you found out, Agreste?" Kim asked, returning to the group and seating himself on the arm of a chair.

"He played dumb, we decided—" Tikki flew out to sit alongside Plagg on the top of the sofa, the latter glaring at her with a piercing gaze. "I decided it would be the safest option for now; to protect Marinette's identity and her Miraculous."

"If they expected Adrien then Chat being blasé about the situation would have killed that chain. Which must mean they started another?" Max suggested, folding his arms and looking towards Adrien.

"Let's look at the Vivica catalyst," Marinette said, pulling out a second piece of paper.

"Vivica split me and you up, hoping to destroy you and keep me away?" Adrien said, rubbing his chin as he continued to think.

"It didn't only do that though dude, it split me and Alya up. As soon as I had slight negative doubts Frankie appeared and... yeah." Nino sighed, resting his forearms on his thighs and lowering his head down.

"Frankie just appeared? When did she start to come on television?" Alya asked; Adrien suddenly felt proud of the bravery of his friend. Alya may be going through her own shit, but she was here, in the moment and trying to help them figure this out.

"The same week as Vivica was in the press with Lila," Rose announced looking at the group, eyebrows raising in question of her knowledge. "It was the same week Juleka was featured with Prince Ali at the Met Gala."

"And the same week Dominic came to our store and we introduced him to Marinette." Marc sighed.

"So Vivica, Frankie and Dominic all happened to appear at the same time a year before this all seems to begin and what? A couple of months after Marinette's internship?" Luka asked, sitting beside Jess.

"That's because they were all created at the same time," Félix whispered, grabbing the pen to add the notes onto the paper.

"Fuck!" Marinette stood up, walking away from the table, arms wrapped around her body. Holding herself tightly as she attempted to calm her shivers. "Vivica was created to try and unveil Adrien as Chat Noir, Dominic was created to make Chat Noir angry and Frankie was created to rip apart our friendship and our strength."

"Divide et impera" Félix uttered, his eyes surveying the scene.

"But we're stronger than that." Nino stood and made his way over to Marinette, hugging onto her. "Chat Noir is stronger than all of us put together."

They all turned to look at Adrien, noticing the tears welling in his eyes as they slipped free and down his face; Alya springing from her seat to go and hug him.

"It's my fault," he whispered, "all of this. It's my fault!"

"No," Alya said, cradling his head against her. "It's not."

"I agree with the fox, you can't blame yourself," Félix said, looking over towards his cousin. All eyes glaring into him. "I told you. I might not like all of you a lot but I love my cousin."

Suddenly everything had become a lot bigger than just the two of them.

•••••

Marinette relaxed into Nino's hold for the first time since he'd split with Alya, understanding he was just another pawn in the game.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Nino.

"I'm sorry too," he answered, giving her a quick squeeze before Alya came to swap positions with Marinette. The two took each other in a tight embrace, Marinette heading back over to Adrien and sitting beside him. She took his hand in hers and she stroked over his ring, before looking back up at their best friends still holding on in a tight embrace.

"So, are we saying what I think we're saying? Vivica, Dominic and Frankie are all sentibeings created to bring Chat Noir out of hiding." Kagami asked, her eyes fanning between her friends and the sheet of paper.

"I believe so," Jess responded, "but if only one holder can make one senti, how have we got three?"

All eyes turned to Félix, the guy looking anything but guilty. "Why the hell are you looking at me? I don't know. All I know is it wasn't me!"

"How can we trust you?" Kagami questioned. "I can't exactly say you've given any of us reason to trust what you're saying. If it wasn't for Adrien's belief in you, you'd be out on your ass right now."

"Amen," Kim responded.

"Huh, guys, we have a new problem." Juleka turned her phone around to face the group, Vivica's interview on display complete with pictures of the model and Adrien, and also Adrien with Marinette.

"Oh, fuck," Marinette said, reaching out for the phone and taking it from her friends hands, positioning it between herself and Adrien to read. "They've fucking named me and everything! What a bitch."

"You're missing something Marinette, read the by line."

Marinette looked over the article again:

Written by Frankie LeMec

"I thought she worked on television!" Marinette said, voice quieter and panicked.

"She does, but it seems she writes too. Undercover reporter," Adrien responded. "They've been there controlling everything... literally everything!"

Nino appeared back by the others, one arm still tightly wound around Alya. "I don't want to sound completely stupid, but I'm lost and my heads hurting, and I need to speak to M'Lady—"

"Excuse me! That's mine," Adrien stated.

"Don't care!" Nino retorted. "Can someone please sum this up and then tell us what the fuck we're going to do about it?"

"We know they're after the power of destruction, which is why they're targeting men," Jess explained, Aeon continuing the next part.

"Which is why they've got the siren feather. They know Chat Noir is male, and as Adrien has managed to deflect every single advance they've made they can only search generically."

"We know Lila, Vivica, Frankie and Dominic are on the same team; But it's unknown if they have the Peacock Miraculous or Butterfly," Luka said, adding the next section onto the document. "We also know there's something deceitful about when Gabriel's dementia hit. It's too coincidental with the timing. Also, we have no clarification as to whether Nathalie is involved."

"Ok, so lots of bad guys are going after my best bud, and a siren is trying to capture him, by using a magical feather, all so they can get the power of destruction, too..." Nino looked around the group hoping someone could complete the sentence, only to be met with a whole load of confused faces and shoulder shrugs.

Silence encompassed the room as they all looked from one to the other, the biggest question remaining to be answered. Why?

"Oh my God..." Adrien's voice sailed through the room, hitting everyone's eyes and causing curiosity, each turning to face their second in command. "Lila wants to destroy Gabriel. We're just involved because she wants the ring."

"But the man has dementia, he's not exactly a threat," Alya said, her eyebrows frowning as Adrien shook his head.

"I'm starting to think there's more happening here than we already know. We've got three sentibeings, who knows if there's a fourth?"

"Which would explain whilst suddenly he made a Miraculous recovery and left the hospital. I haven't been to see him since I came back," he explained, looking over to Marinette for the okay to continue. "But he knows I'm back with Marinette, I may have gloated a little."

"Hold up, hold up! How does Marinette trapping you come into play? There must have been a catalyst?"

"Trapping? What is Marinette, a honey or something?" Luka laughed through his nose, standing and heading to the kitchen.

All eyes were on her as she slowly nodded, the ruckus in the room increasing the volume more than Chat Noir's demasking. Questions of why and since when, threw around the room as again they came to terms with some unexpected news.

"Yes, I'm a honey, no I'm not a stripper, prostitute, escort, or any of the above. I got paid a lot of money to trap men." Marinette said, her eyes rolling as she crossed her arms, every bit Ladybug rather than Marinette.

"The phone call!" Alya suddenly stated. "The phone call from Honeypot you were told it was a wrong number, what if it wasn't? What if that was just another piece in their puzzle?"

"You think Peyton is working for them?" She hadn't dismissed this idea from earlier, the thought Peyton was involved, and maybe now guilty because of it didn't seem so far fetched.

"It wouldn't surprise me, nothing does anymore!" Alya exclaimed, standing and heading to Luka in the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water from the blue haired musician.

"This has been going on longer than a game of fucking monopoly!" Marinette stated, her hands coming up to her face, as Adrien pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Not too much longer to go, M'Lady," he said, matter of factly. "We're in the end game now."

"We're not the fucking Avengers, Kitty."

"Nope," he said, kissing her on the head once more, "we're better."

•••••

"Yeah," Kim stood up and punched the air.

"Okay, so I have a plan, and although it might not be as complex as M'Lady usually comes up with, I think it'll work." Adrien announced, looking between all his friends. "But I don't think this is going to be as simple as what we've faced before, so I need to let you know you can step away from this if you want to. We only know for sure where the siren feather is, so this could carry on for quite a while: Alya, you're pregnant and the last thing I'd want is for you to harm yourself or your child in any way."

Alya smiled sadly, resting a head on Nino's shoulder. "You always need a guy in the chair right?"

Adrien smiled back, holding out a fist for Alya to pound.

"Ivan, Myléne?" Adrien questioned, both looking at each other in silent conversation.

"We want to make Dylan proud of his parents. We're in."

'In' and 'yes' circulated around the room as Adrien looked at his friends and teammates. Félix coming alongside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, cuz."

"Just remember Félix, one foot out of place and you're frazzled."

"Of course," he laughed.

"Ok then, Hot Stuff," Marinette announced, "what's this big plan of yours?"

"It's quite simple really. It's called 'The Honey Trap'."