Author's note: This story is based on the combined creative genius of May_16_writer and Bluebell_Author_1600! The premise belongs to them :) Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

Max Kanté's fingers flew furiously over the calculator as he peered at the figurines placed atop the large, gridded map that lay spread out on the desk before him. The library made for the perfect meeting spot to strategize their next move, and luckily the group of friends all had study hall at the same time. "If we adopt this strategically advantageous formation, our chances of successfully averting the Beholder's attacks long enough to awaken the princess are approximately 34.8%... at which point our odds of survival should improve significantly thanks to her healing capabilities… theoretically."

Ethan Szerzo grinned, causing a mischievous sparkle to glint across his sea-blue eyes, peering out from under a mess of deep brown hair. "Don't forget, you still have to roll against your charm to break the sleeping curse too!"

Max groaned at this, but a wide smile captured his face. "The complexities of this campaign are truly remarkable Ethan. I must say, your acumen at the role of Vault Master is quite impressive."

Kim stared at the map with a puzzled expression. Picking up a figurine shaped like an ax-wielding barbarian, he placed it a few inches in front of the others, in the middle of the map-depicted room. "I still think I should just run in swinging! Fortis is the toughest, fastest fighter ever, I could totally take down a floating blob, no problem."

Max shook his head. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"

Ethan suppressed a chuckle remembering that the baddie protecting the room, a Beholder, had petrified Kim's character with its stare and eaten him before he could get off a single strike. Of course, Max had used a Mystic Hourglass item to go back in time to before they entered the deadly chamber, bringing Kim's character, Fortis, back to life. Max knew Kim well enough to have stocked up on the items before starting the campaign.

Kim's face turned into a pout. "Yeah but… what are the chances that'll happen again?"

Max opened his mouth to speak, but Kim cut him off. "Nevermind, don't answer that!"

"Well, at least you made it to the third level and found the princess!" Ethan held up the thick notebook titled "The Master Manual: Vault of Dreamless Sleep," printed elegantly in his own careful script. It was adorned with colored tabs sticking out every which way from various pages and bulging with extra papers that had been carefully folded into it. Pointing to one of the tabs with his finger, he indicated their position in his carefully-constructed campaign. "That's about half-way, I would say!"

Glancing over curiously at the intricately detailed, hand-drawn dungeon map and the small figurines, Adrien's interest was piqued. It looked like some sort of elaborate game, but he had never seen anything like it before.

"Hey guys," he greeted the small group hesitantly. Adrien still felt awkward starting conversations with just about anyone besides Nino, especially a group of people. He was woefully unaccustomed to social situations, and couldn't shake the feeling that he was intruding. Still, he plastered on a friendly smile, trying not to appear as stiff as he felt. "Is that… some kind of game?"

"Oh! Hello Adrien!" Max returned the smile, hiding his sense of surprise that the most popular kid in school seemed to be taking an interest in their game. "It is indeed 'some kind of game.' More specifically, it's called Vaults and Villains, a table-top, party-based, adventure role-playing game!"

"Table-top role-playing?" Adrien stared at the game materials with fascination, his nervousness forgotten. He was certainly no stranger to RPGs… living the life of a shut-in, he had acquainted himself well with that particular genre of video games. However, the only games he ever played were single-player. He was a particular fan of the Last Legacy series, having recently finished the newest release "Last Legacy 15." That one had struck a familiar nerve with him, as an inseparable group of friends explore the world while on a mission to save it. He strongly associated with one character: born to be a test subject for experiments conducted by his father, he had escaped his terrible destiny to meet and bond with the others. The striking physical resemblance he bore to the character was actually a little uncanny.** He was so drawn to the idea of escaping his father's demands and living his own life with his own friends, he had finished the entire game in the span of a few days.

Kim nodded. "Max got me into it, it's actually really fun! You create your character and fight alongside the other players to try to explore the whole dungeon. You have to solve puzzles and fight stuff, getting stronger as you go. The coolest part is, you can do whatever you want! If you decide you want your character to attack a dragon with your shoe, you can do it!" He paused. "Although… I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't turn out well."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "But… how? How can the game adapt like that?" Glancing at the mostly-empty map, he added, "And where are all the monsters and stuff?"

"Oh my, how rude of me!" Max stood quickly. "Adrien, have I introduced you to Ethan? He's new here. We met in chess club, and after it came up in conversation that he played Vaults and Villains too, we became fast friends. Ethan, this is Adrien Agreste!"

Ethan stood politely, placing the manual on the desk and offering his hand in greeting. "Hi, Ethan Szerzo, nice to meet you."

Adrien shook his hand. "Hey, I'm Adrien. Great to meet you too!"

"In answer to your question, Adrien, the how is all Ethan!" Max continued. "You see, each game is written and run by a Vault Master. He or she designs all the dungeons, places the traps, monsters, and treasures, and essentially functions as everything besides the players themselves. Your chance of success in each action, say, attacking a monster with your sword, is determined by a dice roll. Essentially high numbers are successful and low numbers miss or backfire. Enemies, controlled by the Vault Master, function similarly."

Kim nodded again. "There are monsters and stuff laid out in the game manuals, but when your Vault Master is crazy good like Ethan you end up coming across all kinds of wild stuff. Like that cursed room we had to walk backward through!"

Ethan laughed at this. "You guys fought through that room 4 times before you realized it was the same room over and over!"

Max and Kim both grinned sheepishly.

"I used to play this game with my older brother and his friends all the time before he left for college," Ethan explained. "Eventually it got repetitious, so I started designing my own content. I had so much fun coming up with new challenges and secrets it sort of became a hobby. That notebook," Ethan gestured to the manual on the table, "contains the entire campaign; every secret, monster, treasure, and trap. It took a few months to work out, but it's absolutely worth it to share the game with friends!"

As the three boys exchanged appreciative grins, Adrien felt a pang of jealousy. This is what normal life was like, the normal life that he wanted: friends, hanging out, having fun, sharing a common interest. "That's awesome, Ethan! It looks like you did a really good job too!" Adrien complimented.

"Thanks, Adrien!" Ethan replied, his smile growing. "You know, this might be a little forward of me, but there's always room for more in a game like this, if you're interested in joining us?" He gestured to an empty seat at the table.

Adrien gave a genuine smile at the offer. "I would really like that! Go easy on me though, OK?"

Marinette sighed as she stared across the room at the table of boys in the far corner. Kim, Max, and Max's friend Ethan were discussing a tabletop game they played together, and judging by the expression on his face, it looked like Adrien was enthralled by it. If only he would show that sort of interest in me…. The blackette mused dreamily. She could ask to play, but Marinette was more of a fighting-game type of gamer. Although, she had really enjoyed Last Legacy 7, and had even replayed it a few times… and not only because of the bright-eyed, blond-haired main character that may or may not have reminded her or a certain someone.

"…and that's when I lit the whole building on fire and flew off into the sunset." Alya concluded her sentence with nonsense, recognizing the absent, glassy stare in her best friend's eyes as she pined for her pretty boy crush. When the doe-eyed girl didn't respond (as Alya knew she wouldn't), Alya poked her in the ribs.

"EEEP!" Marinette yelped in surprise, causing all the heads in the library to turn her way. Attempting to hide behind her tiny handbag as her face flushed with crimson, Marinette finally regarded her friend.

"Girl, are you even listening to me?" Alya asked.

"Of course! I- …I, um… well maybe not the last…" Marinette recognized the victorious grin of her friend and knew she had been caught. "OK no. Sorry!"

Alya just giggled. "It's OK, I know better than anyone about your, ahem, distraction." she glanced pointedly in Adrien's direction.

Marinette sighed again, shaking her head, but a small smile played on her lips. "I know, I'm hopeless!"

The focus of the library shifted again as a loud screech interrupted the hushed whispers of the room.

"ADRIKENS!" Chloe Bourgeois burst into the library, over-priced venti mocha in hand and designer purse in the crook of her elbow, with the red-headed Sabrina trailing close behind. "I just knew Daddy could talk some sense into that principal to put us in the same Study Hall! I mean, who needs Home Ec anyway? That's what they make maids for!" the blonde declared to nobody in particular as she strode over to the boys' table.

Adrien stood, turning to face the obnoxious girl. "Chloe, quiet down!" he whispered loudly, eyes darting to the stern-faced librarian who seemed to be mentally calculating the pros and cons of admonishing the behavior of the mayor's daughter.

Ignoring his words, Chloe threw her arms around Adrien's shoulders, squealing with glee as he begrudgingly tolerated the hug. Noticing the table, Chloe squished her face together. "What is all this junk?" she asked, gesturing.

Max sighed before answering, as if he knew she didn't really care but his pretenseless mind still felt it necessary to answer the question. "It's 'Vaults and Villains,' a table-top, party-based, adventure role-playing game."

Chloe snorted. "A what now? Oh look Sabrina, they drew a crappy picture of a dungeon and put little dolls in it! Congratulations guys, you just found a whole new level of loser!"

Taking her cue, Sabrina laughed from her place at Chloe's side.

Embarrassed, Ethan looked down, a light blush creeping to his face. Kim, too, seemed ashamed, pushing his chair back slightly to distance himself from the table. Noticing this, Adrien glared daggers at the inconsiderate blonde.

Max, however, was not so easily defeated. Pushing his rectangular glasses up his nose and closing his eyes, he stated matter-of-factly, "Not only is the game enjoyable, but it encourages strategy, adaptive reasoning, intuition, and comradery. Such pursuits demand a certain level of intelligence, so we wouldn't expect you to understand the appeal of a tactical dungeon crawler." Max's grin at his insult grew when he opened his eyes to see the confused expression on Chloe's face.

After a beat, Chloe waved her hand in the air dismissively. "More like a tacti-total waste of time. Seriously, get a life!" Making a show of pinching her nose in disgust, Chloe unceremoniously dumped the entire contents of her steaming venti mocha double shot extra whip concoction on the table, the dark, sticky drink quickly engulfing the map and splashing over Ethan's Master Manual.

All four guys jumped up with a gasp as the entire library gaped. Ethan snatched his treasured notebook from the sticky brown puddle, but not before its pages had begun to drink up the liquid. He could tell by the dark tint dotting the edges of the pages that the inked writing inside had already begun to run.

Marinette was on her feet in an instant, grabbing the handful of napkins she had wrapped Tikki's cookies in from her purse. From the way all 4 boys were staring at the notebook in Ethan's hands, she knew this particular item was important. She quickly dabbed the book, squeezing the pages gently and willing the napkins to work magic.

"MISS BOURGEOIS!" The librarian was storming over to the table now, Mayor's wrath be damned. "You will clean this mess up at once, apologize to these boys, and proceed immediately to the principal's office!"

"Ugh! Clean, me? You must be joking!" Chloe replied indignantly.

Retrieving cleaning supplies from the cabinet, the librarian shoved them toward the blonde girl. "Don't worry, I'll call your father myself and tell him what happened!" Leaving the supplies with the dumbstruck girl, the librarian returned to her desk and picked up the phone.

As Chloe stood unmoving, Marinette plucked the roll of paper towels from her hand, ripped off a large length, and returned the roll to her. Returning to the table, she turned her attention to the map, absorbing what she could of the mess with the hope that the map could be salvaged. She jumped as she felt a hand brush hers. Glancing to her side, she saw Adrien blink at her, blushing slightly as he reached for some of the paper towels to help.

"Heh, uhh… thank you, Marinette, for helping." He said with a soft smile before setting to work on the map.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as an absent grin stretched across her face. She had intended to say 'You're welcome,' or maybe 'No problem!' but having forgotten how, she simply continued pressing paper towels into the sticky mess.

Taking in the wide-eyed look of horror on his friend's face, Max cleared his throat. "You know, Ethan, I believe that we could recreate the map with a high degree of accuracy. The grid pattern allowed for rather simple memorization of the patterns and locations. I would be happy to help."

Adrien chimed in. "I'd like to help too! I can at least help with the coloring and stuff, and you can teach me how to play while we work!"

Unfortunately the boys' reassurances did little to calm Ethan who, with tremulous hands, had begun to page through his soggy notebook. The pages stuck together and were tinted a sickly brown with blotches of blue, black, and red where the pen marks had run. His colorful tabs indicating important events, characters, and items had begun to curl. Tears welling in his pain-stricken eyes, Ethan clutched the book to his chest and ran from the room.

Adrien's eyes glanced at this ring just as Marinette's flitted to her purse where Tikki still hid, each of them fearing what such negative emotions might bring.

Slamming the bathroom door shut behind him, Ethan grabbed towel after towel from the dispenser, delicately placing a towel between each of the pages of his treasured notebook containing several months of work. When his shaking fingers accidentally tore one of the soggy pages, he let out a wail as if he had torn a part of himself. Not only was his work lost, but through the game, he had finally made friends for the first time since moving to France. Without his brother around, he had been horribly lonely. Now, without the game, he would be alone again. Just a lonely loser… and it was all her fault. Chloe… Rage began to overtake his sorrow as a pink, glowing outline of a moth appeared before his face.

"Vault Master," a disembodied voice called in a slow, purposeful tone. "My name is Hawkmoth. I have come to offer you a new game. I will grant you your Vault to command, complete with all your villains and challenges, but I ask for something in return."

Ethan raised his head, listening. "What is it, Hawkmoth? What can a Vault Master offer?"

"I believe that my nemeses, Ladybug and Chat Noir, are likely students in that school. I will give you the entire school as your domain, if you agree to retrieve their miraculouses for me when they show up to fight you. Unless you don't think your dungeon is up to the challenge?" the silver-masked villain goaded.

Ethan grinned fiendishly. "Even seasoned players can't get past my third level, and there are no items this time around. They won't even pose a challenge. Let's play, Hawkmoth."

The panicked screams of students echoed through the hallway as a purple-black energy began to engulf the school. Neither having time to react, Adrien caught Marinette's startled eyes as the roiling cloud flooded into the library. Without thinking, he reflexively drew her into his chest in a protective hug, moments before the dark energy engulfed them both.

A/N: **Last Legacy is meant to mirror Final Fantasy; Adrien is relating to Prompto from Final Fantasy XV. Points if you caught it ;)