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Marinette looked down and saw a crowd gathering in the park from her balcony. “What is going…oh! Oh, oh, oh! The unveiling’s happening in just a few minutes!” She lurched toward her trap door to get onto her loft and transform in private.
“Time to transform, Tikki.”
“You’re sure excited to get to this ceremony,” Tikki said.
“It’s so cool that an actual sculptor made a statue in our honor! Let’s go, Chat Noir might already be there!”
“Ohhhhh.” Tikki got up in Marinette’s face. “That’s why it’s so important to you.”
“It’s just that I never get to see him unless there’s an akuma attack! The whole fighting evil and secret identities thing doesn’t exactly let us hang out much. Besides, I can’t let the people of Paris down – Alya’s going to be filming the whole thing. Spots on!”
Ladybug twirled in the air and landed gracefully on the covered statue’s pedestal. Cameras flashed, the crowed cheered, and she waved at them, just a little embarrassed at all the attention. She looked around anxiously but Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen.
“H-hi, Ladybug!”
She looked down. “Oh! You’re Theo, right? The artist? I can’t wait to see these sculptures, I’m sure they’re amazing!”
“Thank you Ladybug I’m so happy you came! I just wanted to ask you – ” Theo got cut off by a new wave of cheers.
Chat Noir had arrived, waving cheerfully at the crowd in that cute little kitten crouch he liked to perch in. Ladybug’s heart leapt and she almost lost her balance jumping to her feet. Trying to school herself, she cocked a hip and looked down at her partner. “Hi Kitty. I was afraid you weren’t coming.”
“And miss seeing my beautiful face cast in bronze? No way. I’d never let the people of Paris down like that.” He winked at her.
Ladybug blushed and giggled. She sat down when Mayor Bourgeois stepped up before the crowd, so as to not block the view. “Ladies and gentleman. It is only proper that we pay homage to those who keep us safe from evil. Ladybug and Chat Noir!”
The sheet got pulled off, revealing a truly stunning bronze statue. Ladybug marveled at how her metal counterpart looked like she was actually flying. Even her yoyo practically floated in the air. Also, sculpture-Chat’s face was right in front of her. Like right in front of her face.
“It’s amazing,” she exclaimed.
“Yep. Sure is,” Chat Noir agreed. “Awesome job, man.” He and Theo fist-bumped then he leapt toward the crowd. “I have time for a couple of questions. Hey, I heard you run the best blog in town, want an exclusive?”
Ladybug smiled at him. It was so sweet watching Alya vibrate with excitement while Chat Noir cheerfully answered her questions.
“Ladybug?”
She turned her attention to Theo and kicked herself for getting distracted. Again. She slipped to the ground. “The statue’s absolutely beautiful, Theo. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Well, maybe you could, if I could get an autograph?” He shyly held out a photo of her swinging through the city skyline.
“Of course. Can I borrow a pen?” Ladybug signed the photo and handed it back to him, careful not to crinkle the paper. She thought she should leave – there was no rest for the homework-swamped – but Theo started talking quickly.
“Thank you, I’m so happy you liked the statue. I just wanted to tell you, I admire you so much. You’re so passionate and brave…I feel like we have a lot in common. I put everything I had into your statue.” He stared down at her with huge, smitten eyes and a soft little smile. Oh, no. Oh, this is awkward.
Ladybug folded her hands trying to look calm for the onlookers. “I’m flattered, Theo. Truly. But there can’t be anything between us. I have to keep my secret identity safe, and…” Unbidden, her eyes slid toward Chat Noir, who was still talking to Alya and striking goofy poses in front of the camera while she laughed at him.
“And you’re in love with Chat Noir.” It wasn’t a question.
Ladybug immediately stammered out something intelligible. Theo sighed. She tried to play it off. “I’m ver-very – I’m fond of Chat, he is my partner after all!”
“Even though he’s flirting with other girls.”
She whipped her head around to see what Theo was talking about, but Chat and Alya were still mid-interview even as the rest of the crowd steadily dissipated. The reporter said something with a quirked eyebrow (her classic gotcha face) and he gave her a playful, over-the-top bow. A little defensive fire for her kitty flared up in Ladybug’s stomach. That wasn’t flirting. He just likes to make ridiculous jokes to redirect the press, that’s all!
“Chat Noir is my partner and vitally important to keeping Paris safe. He’s kind and selfless and he deserves the sculpture you made just as much as I do.” She put a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. You’re really sweet and really talented but it’s just not possible. I hope you understand.”
Theo nodded and left without meeting her eyes. She felt guilty for hurting his feelings, but what could she do about it?
“Whoa, he doesn’t look happy.” Ladybug jumped and squealed at Chat’s voice right next to her. “What were you two talking about?”
“I – I think he likes me. You know, likes me likes me. And I had to turn him down. Kitty, I think I hurt him.”
Chat Noir wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him. She gasped, heart pounding against her ribs.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s a celebrity crush, he’ll get over it. I’ve seen it a thousand times. Besides, between you and me, he’s a little too old for you.”
As quickly as her whole body had gone into crisis mode, a wave of comfort washed over Ladybug. Chat was weird that way. He set her on fire then in the same minute set her completely at ease. “Oh yeah? How do you know how old I am?”
Chat put his other hand on his hip. “Well, I have a feeling you and I are about the same age, Bug, and he’s definitely too old for me.”
She laughed and regretfully slipped out from under his arm. “Thank you, Chat Noir. My friend’s probably looking for me, so I should go.”
He gave her his signature bow. “Until next time.” He took out his staff and pole vaulted over the rooftops, disappearing from sight.
Marinette’s phone rang with a facetime from Alya. She swiped it open. “Hey. I thought you’d be over here showing me all the footage from the unveiling ceremony. Where are you?”
“The Louvre! I’m waiting for new deets on the Chat Noir robbery.”
“Somebody robbed Chat Noir?” Marinette asked.
“No! Chat Noir stole the Mona Lisa in broad daylight!”
“What? No way. Chat Noir would never do something like that!”
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either, I interviewed him just an hour ago! Ladybug’s sure to show up so I’m gonna be here a while, sorry girl.”
“Don’t worry about it. Is there any actual proof of this ‘robbery’?”
“The video’s all over the web. I’m shocked you haven’t seen it yet.”
“I’ll go watch it now. Let me know what you find.”
“See you later!”
The line went dead and Marinette stood up. “This has to be a fake. I don’t buy Chat Noir’s a thief for a second. Time to transform; Tikki, spots on!”
Her suit flashed onto her body and she booked it to the Louvre as fast as she could. She landed next to Mayor Bourgeois; hopefully she could talk some sense into him. “Mr. Mayor, there has to be some mistake. I know Chat Noir, he’s a superhero, not a thief.”
“Kitty’s in the slammer, Ladybug.” The policeman who spoke, a man she recognized as Sabrina’s dad, sauntered up to them with a pleased look on his face.
“But – ”
She got cut off by a large pudgy hand in her face. “Now, now, let the experts handle this. We’ve got the situation under control.”
“Obviously you don’t, because you’ve imprisoned the wrong cat.”
The cop radio bleeped. “Chat Noir’s getting away.”
Good kitty, she thought. Ladybug sprinted inside and down the stairs, finding at least a dozen cops spread across the floor.
The policeman came huffing and puffing behind her. “Great, he’s gone. If he’s so innocent then why is he running away?”
She glared at him. “Wouldn’t you run if you were wrongly imprisoned? I’m telling you, there’s a copycat out there somewhere!”
He wasn’t listening to her anymore but giving instructions into his radio. Fuming, she felt her yoyo go off at her hip. If Chat was calling her, hopefully that meant he’d gotten away. She slinked off somewhere deserted to answer it.
“Kitty, do you know what’s going on?”
“Hey LB! So, I’ve been framed…”
“Is now really the time for art jokes? The police are trying to arrest you!”
“Which is all kinds of messed up. Just because I’m a cat doesn’t mean I’m a cat burglar.”
“I know you’re innocent, Kitty, but we need to find out what’s really going on. I’m thinking someone got akumatized.”
“Yeah, and I think I know who.” Chat held up a partially chewed lollipop stick in front of the camera. “Look familiar?”
“Ew, no, should it?”
“It’s the same – ” Loud sirens drowned him out from his end and he looked upward, panicked. “Cops are on my tail, I’ll get back to you!” The call cut out abruptly.
Ladybug followed the police helicopter and the sounds of sirens as far as she could, but eventually came to a dead end. Five cop cars were jammed at a metro entrance. She looked around on the ground but she couldn’t see him. She hoped he hadn’t detransformed and called him.
Thankfully, Chat answered.
“Ladybug, I’m at Theo Barbeau’s workshop.”
“What? Why?”
“He was chewing on that lollipop stick at found at the Louvre, and it’s the same one Copycat had in the video. What I don’t get is why he got akumatized after the mayor himself unveiled his statue today.”
Ladybug groaned. “I think I have an idea. Send me the address.”
“Gotcha. Meet me here, I’m going in.” Chat hung up.
“Chat, no, wait for me! Ugh.” Ladybug checked the location he sent her and swung in that direction.
After the battle (and Ladybug would admit to no one that watching two Chat Noirs fight each other was a little bit distracting), and as the miraculous ladybugs cleared, Ladybug saw Chat Noir catch Theo in his arms and set him gently to the ground. He handed him back the newspaper photograph and talked quietly with him. He leapt to his feet when Ladybug approached.
“Hawk Moth’s got a sick sense of humor. Poor guy was jealous ‘cause he thought you and I were in love.”
Ladybug laughed nervously. “Wh-w- what? Like us, together? Where did, hehehe, I have no idea where he got that idea!”
Chat gave her a friendly shoulder bump. “Don’t worry, Bug, I straightened it all out with him.” His ring beeped with one flashing paw pad left. “Gotta go, I’m about to transform back.”
Ladybug knelt next to Theo as Chat ran off. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m so sorry, Ladybug.”
“Don’t worry about it. Everyone gets jealous. Just run as fast as you can next time you see a black butterfly, okay?”
He smiled at her. “Promise.”
“Besides, I’m sorry for hurting your feelings.”
“I understand. You can’t help who you love.”