Miraculous & the Ink Machine

It was a regular day for Marinette and the gang at school and all of them were heading to the cafeteria to eat lunch together. "Man, I thought that test would never end!" Marinette complained. Alya then laughed at what Marinette said, "Ha-ha, History isn't your favorite subject is it." Marinette grunted at Alya a little bit, but everyone started to comfort her and said that she was only teasing.

Once everyone got their lunches and started to head for a table Marinette noticed Nathaniel looking more spaced out than usual. So, she decided to see what was up with him. "Hey you guys go on ahead there's something I need to check on." Everyone said okay and went off to find a table, then Marinette went to talk with Nathanial.

"Hey Nathaniel", he heard someone say his name, then he turned around to see who it was. To his surprise it was Marinette, "M-Marinette…um what do you want." Nathaniel stuttered cutely.

"Well you looked like you were deep in thought about something are you okay." Marinette asked him. "Well um… its ugh." Nathaniel was having a hard time explaining himself. "If its personal I understand and- ", Nathaniel then cut her off. "No-no its not that, well you see yesterday my dad got a letter from an old colleague he used to work for who he hasn't heard from in over 30 years!"

Marinette was surprised to hear this, someone trying to reach out to somebody who hasn't herd from them for that long is baffling!

"Really that a very long time for him to reach out to your father, by the way what did your father do, I know he's an animator for that big movie company now but what did he do back then?" Marinette asked Nathaniel.

"Oh... ugh he was an animator who worked for this small cartoon company that made the Bendy the dancing demon cartoons."

"Who's Bendy?"

"Ahh!?" Nathaniel and Marinette were both startled and nearly jumped out of their seats. When they turn around they were surprised to see Alya, Nino, and Adrian right behind them listening to their conversation.

"A-Alya were you and everyone eaves dropping on us this whole time!" Marinette yelled a at her friends in confusion. "Well not all of it." Alya stated.

Nino: "We just saw you talking with Nathaniel and we wanted to see what's up."

"Well you could have just asked us instead of sneaking behind us and surprising us out of nowhere!" Marinette said angerly.

"Sorry girl we'll try better next time, now let's get down to business who or what is Bendy!?" Alya asked as she and the others sat down at the table sitting next to Marinette & Nathaniel. Nathaniel started to explain it to them. "W-well Bendy was a popular cartoon character back in the day." "Never herd of him", Nino said. "Not surprised about that, the cartoon franchise wasn't that big and didn't last very long." Everyone had puzzled looks on their faces and wondered why?

Adrian: "Why didn't it last long you said it was popular?" He asked Nathaniel.

Then every saw how hesitant Nathaniel was at trying to answer Adrian's question. "Something wrong Nathaniel?" Marinette asked. "I-its nothing its just well… the cartoon company didn't do well financially after awhile the cartoons didn't get done on time either and soon people started to leave including my dad. Then the company just shut down."

"So where is it exactly?" Nino asked.

"Its just an abandon building on the outskirts of Paris now, and its HAUNTED!"

Everyone looked around too see who said that. To their dismay it was Chloe.

"Ugh what do you want Chloe." Marinette said in annoyance. "Well I was just coming over to ask if my Adri-kens would join me for lunch, but I see him talking to you losers." Chloe said in a sassy voice.

Alya: "Well obviously he's eating lunch with his real friends Chloe." "What do you mean by haunted?" Nathaniel asked Chloe. "That old dirty abandon cartoon building you guys were talking about yea that place is crazy haunted."

"How do you Know about that place and how do you know for a fact that its haunted?" Alya asked Chloe. "Well I am the mayor's daughter after all I know everything about all the buildings in and around the city."

Nino: "We get that but how do you know that its haunted?"

Chloe then told her story. "Well I've heard stories about the guy who owned the place, before he shut it down he went insane and talked crazy non-stop and no one has seen him since. People still say he roams that studio till this day, I even heard one guy went inside the building to check it out and was never seen again!"

"Ohh come one Chloe that's probably made up." Marinette accused her.

"No one asked you Marinette, you probably couldn't handle being in that place." Chloe stated.

"Like hell she can." Alya butted in. "Yea… wait what?" Marinette realized what she just said.

"Really I bet she won't last a whole night at that dirty studio." Chloe argued. "Oh, we'll see about that." Alya argued back at Chloe. "Alya what are you doing?" Marinette began to worry at this point. "In fact, Nathaniel and his dad just happens to be going there this weekend so we can catch a ride with them and go to the studio!" Alya stated.

Chloe then smirked and thought of a great idea. "Well let's make a wager out of this, if you can last one night at that place with proof I will do whatever you say for a whole week, but if you fail I want to hear Marinette say I'm better and prettier than her in front of the whole school." "Well um… Chloe I"-, Marinette was then cut off by Alya. "She agrees." "WHAAAT?!" Marinette shouted, "Good then it's settled, hope you're prepared to lose!" Chloe said snickering at them. "We won't lose", Alya said in determination!

Once that was said Chloe left, meanwhile Marinette was trying to process what just happened.

"Alya why did you agree to something like that without my consent!" She said angerly. "Maybe I went a little to far." Alya said apologetically, then she said. "But Chloe just got under my skin and well… I guess I couldn't help but tell her off."

Marinette sighed and said, "It's okay Alya but you should've let Nathaniel have a say in the conversation too, I mean he's the one really going there with his dad and we haven't asked if it was okay for me to come along!" Then they both turned around faced Nathaniel.

"Um Nathaniel I know it's too late to ask but I literally have no choice at this point, so can I come with you on your trip please." Marinette said begging him.

Nathaniel's thoughts: "I don't know if my dad will agree to this but this could be my one chance to get close with her!"

"W-well". Nathaniel started to stutter again, "I'd have to ask my dad but I guess you can come along!" Then with excitement Marinette hugged Nathaniel. "Thankyou so much Nathaniel I promise I owe you one!" After that the gang finished their lunches and left to talk more about the situation of the bet.

Back to Nathaniel who was still worried about asking his dad. "Hopefully my dad says yes that I can bring her along, I mean It won't be that much trouble it'll just be the three of us", and with that said Nathaniel got up and went to class.