Chapter Text
“Pound it! ”
“Wait, Milady!”
Ladybug turned back to look at her partner. She was tired, sore, and wanted to get back home so she could finish her homework assignment due tomorrow. The akuma hadn’t been difficult - but every akuma fight these days cut into what precious time she had. It was starting to wear on her.
“Yes, Chat?” She asked, hoping none of that weariness showed on her face.
“Can we...meet up later tonight? I want to talk.”
She gritted her teeth, but she was already mentally shuffling around her prior obligations. Superhero work had to come first, and usually, Chat Noir didn’t ask for something like this unless it was important. He knew she was stressed out. And while he was doing his absolute best to support her and not add to the pile that grew on the daily, he couldn’t take away from it either.
“I… Yeah, sure.” Ladybug turned again to face the chimney that she had been about to sling her yo-yo around. “Eight? Nine?”
“Nine is better.”
Good. It meant more time for her homework, and then she could go straight to bed when she got home.
“I’ll see you at nine then.”
And Ladybug went home, wondering what Chat had on his mind.
At eight forty-five, Marinette finished up her last homework assignment. She sighed in relief, satisfied that she had been able to work through everything, despite having rushed the last few problems so she could be done in time to meet with Chat Noir. Yet having everything done now meant that she could focus on the essay due Monday over the weekend.
Her brain started scheduling times for research, outlines, and first drafts. Marinette shook her head and patted her cheeks, pushing all of that away.
“Are you ready, Tikki?”
“Whenever you are, Marinette!”
After she said goodnight to her parents, Marinette climbed up onto her balcony, transformed into Ladybug, and swung out into the night to meet up with Chat.
The first thing he did upon seeing her, was hug her. Ladybug blinked in surprise before she cautiously returned it, patting him on the back. They drew apart, but Chat held her out at arm’s length as he studied her face. Ladybug stared back, amused.
“What’s on your mind, mon chaton?” She asked.
He opened his mouth, closed it, and then hummed as he glanced to the side. She had never seen him so sheepish before. Slowly, Ladybug pulled away and sat down with her legs dangling off the edge of the rooftop, and she patted the concrete next to her in invitation. Chat quietly sat down beside her, but he crossed his legs instead.
“Actually,” he started. “Is there anything on your mind?”
She was startled at first, but she tried not to let it show. “What… What do you mean?”
He inhaled, puffed out his cheeks, and then sighed as he exhaled. A clawed hand rubbed at the back of his neck, uncertainty plain on his face. He struggled with his thoughts, but her patience eventually brought them forward.
“I’ve...been noticing how stressed out you’ve been. You don’t act like yourself anymore, LB, and I’m getting worried. Sometimes you’re distracted during akuma fights, and that’s… Frankly, Milady, that’s dangerous.”
Ashamed, Ladybug looked away. She had been trying to hide her worries from her partner lately, not wanting to show that she was cracking under the pressure, but he knew her better than anyone. Between her Guardian duties with the Miracle Box, all of her school responsibilities, juggling normal teenager emotions, and the akuma attacks…
“Please,” Chat begged. “I want to help you.”
She shook her head. “There’s not much you can do, Chat. I’m sorry. Thank you for offering.”
He flinched. “Are you sure? What if we… I don’t know, traded Miraculous for awhile? It’s a lot more stress to be Ladybug, right?”
And for a moment, she did consider it, but Ladybug shook her head. “I’d still be the Guardian,” she lamented. “I’d still have to show up for akuma attacks to help you. That’s still a lot on my plate, Chat.”
They both fell silent, lost in their thoughts. Ladybug peeked at her partner, and she reached over and poked the deep furrow between his eyes. He blinked, and the crease vanished.
“Don’t think about it too much,” she teased. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
Chat’s face pulled itself into an uneasy smile, but he frowned soon after.
“What if I took the Miracle Box too?” He suddenly asked.
Ladybug paused. Her frown soon matched his, and she turned and gazed out over the lights of Paris. The Eiffel Tower was lit up, and there were still enough cars on the road to create ribbons of gold running between the buildings. She leaned back on her hands, not really seeing any of it.
“You can’t take on akumas by yourself.” She muttered.
“I won’t,” he said, his voice confident. “I’ll take the Ladybug from you, and give the Black Cat to someone else for awhile. Someone I can trust. I’ll watch over the Miracle Box and all the miraculous, just like you are.”
Her mouth thinned; she wasn’t on board with the idea.
“Please, Ladybug.” Chat pleaded. “You need a break, a vacation. I’ll even leave a jewel with you and check in with you after every fight! If it turns out we can’t handle it, you can come in anyway.”
For a long time, she rolled his words around in her head. It would be nice to take a break from the superhero double life she was leading, but then she’d just be placing all of the stress on her partner. He wasn’t as experienced as her with the ladybug miraculous, and Paris would wonder where the real Ladybug was, but...it was tempting.
“Can I...think about it?” She asked tentatively.
“That’s all I ask for, Buginette.”
The next day, however, she was eating her words.
The akuma battle started on her lunch break at school. The army it managed to gather thwarted their attempts to confront the akuma directly, and so, Chat and her were unable to purify the victim before the lunch hour ran out. Antsy because she was now missing an important class, Ladybug summoned her Lucky Charm, hoping for a clue-
-only to have to recharge five minutes later when it lead her nowhere.
After several hours of searching and rescuing and confrontation, the superhero duo faced off against the akuma, captured the evil butterfly, and restored Paris back to its functional, normal self. But Ladybug could not get back the time she had lost due to the attack, and she pulled Chat Noir aside.
“Screw it,” Ladybug grumbled. “You’re right. Let’s try your idea.”
Chat’s face split into a wide grin, and he hissed a loud, “Yes!!” as he punched the air. Ladybug rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
Marinette spent a long time afterwards contemplating which miraculous she should keep with her. She immediately decided against the fox, the turtle, and the bee: if Chat Noir needed help, she wanted those heros to be available to him. Her instincts told her to choose the mouse, if only because she was familiar with its power and it would be useful in an emergency, but Chat assumed that Marinette was Multimouse, and he would recognize her if she had to transform.
She ruled out the ox, the tiger, the horse, the ram, and the rooster based off their appearances. It would be too suspicious if she showed up to school wearing a nose ring or glasses all of a sudden. She nearly picked up the rabbit or the snake, but she left both in the box: the temptation to manipulate time while she was supposed to be relaxing would be too great, and Marinette didn’t want to grapple with that.
This left her with the dragon, the monkey, the dog, and the pig. Marinette was tempted to take the dragon, because she was familiar with its powers, but decided to leave it - if Chat needed Ryuko, she wanted him to have that option. And on a similar note, she disregarded the monkey and the dog - the disguised jewels would’ve gone with her clothes, but they would still be highly noticeable.
“Hello Daizzi,” Marinette greeted the small pink kwami after she put on the pearl ankle bracelet. “How’re you doing?”
The pig looked her up and down, unsure. “I’m...well. Are you sure about handing over the Miracle Box to Chat Noir?”
Marinette bit the inside of her cheek. “I… It’s just for a little while. I have to. He’s right; I need a break.”
Daizzi eventually nodded.
She choose to go meet Chat as Ladybug, since she was more familiar with the suit’s abilities and she didn’t want to yet alert Papillon to a ‘new’ hero in Paris. They met up on the same roof as the previous night, and she passed the Miracle Box to Chat Noir. It was tucked safely inside a shipping box, stripped of all its labels, in hopes that no one would question the superheroes running around with a cardboard container.
“I already took out the pig miraculous,” Ladybug explained to him as he peeked inside. “So if you need me, call Daizzi. I’ll come as soon as I can.”
Chat looked up. “What about…?” He gestured towards her earrings with his free hand. She sighed, nodded, and reluctantly walked away. Once she was hidden from Chat’s sight behind a section of the roof, Ladybug called off her transformation - and Marinette called for Daizzi’s.
A mostly pink and gray, pig-themed superheroine approached Chat Noir, her dark hair spun into one, spiral ponytail that tickled her neck. A large, elegant olifant was slung across her back. She handed the ladybug earrings to Chat, but her motions were unenthusiastic and her face was grave.
“Her…” Marinette felt her throat close on her, but she swallowed past the lump and tried again. “Her name is Tikki. She likes cookies.”
Chat gave her a soft smile, and he reached over and laid his free hand on her shoulder. “I’ll make sure to take good care of her, Milady.”
The following day at school was both weird and taxing. It was strange to be without Tikki and her earrings (although she had made sure to put in similar studs before she left, so no one would notice them missing), but Daizzi was a small comfort and Marinette appreciated his presence. After the stress started to wear off, and she no longer felt naked without the ladybug miraculous, Marinette found herself feeling almost...free.
She wouldn’t have to answer to Papillon’s whims if he came along and interrupted her exam with an akuma. She wouldn’t have to drop everything, from class to friends to family, just to engage a supervillain intent on stealing her earrings. She wouldn’t have to run, duck, and cover and find an isolated place to transform.
The feeling was liberating.
It all came to a shocking end when Mister Bug showed up on her balcony later that night. The sound of tapping on her balcony door sent her heart straight to her toes. Daizzi darted out of sight, and Marinette took a deep breath through her nose and sighed.
That stupid cat!
Of course, she smiled as politely as she could at him once she opened the door and stuck her head through the opening. Marinette tilted her head in confusion, staring at the hero that was leaning against her railing. She tried to look unsure of herself before she said, “...Chat?” in as questioning a tone as she could manage.
He grinned. “Yes, but not really.” He offered her a hand and his grin split his face even wider. “I’m Mister Bug.”
“Huh.” She said as she took his hand. He pulled her up through the door and onto her balcony. Marinette tripped over the leg of the table, but Mister Bug caught her and put her back on her feet. Her face felt warm, but she ignored it. “That’s quite an outfit.”
“I love it!” He exclaimed, lifting his arms as he looked at himself. “I don’t look quite as good as Milady, of course, but it’s awesome!”
She couldn’t help but giggle at his excitement, but the dread swirling in her chest wasn’t going away. So she took another deep breath and asked, “So what brings you here, Mister Bug?”
Immediately, his whole demeanor changed. His arms dropped back to his sides, and he regarded Marinette with a critical eye. “I’m taking over the ladybug miraculous temporarily so Milady can have a much needed break. She’s been really struggling lately, and…I was worried about her.” He glanced away, and Marinette would’ve been more touched by his downcast expression if she wasn’t so scared of what he was going to say next.
“That’s very...kind of you.”
“She deserves only the best. But in the meantime, I need a partner to help handle the akuma attacks. A ladybug is nothing without their black cat!”
Her heart skipped several beats at the adorable, excited expression on his face. A part of her couldn’t say no to him - she cared deeply for her partner, and she was always willing to help him, especially when he visited her as Marientte. But the other part was struggling, knowing that if she picked up the black cat ring, she’d be Lady Noire, and the jig would be up.
“I, uhm…” Marinette nibbled her bottom lip. “I wish you luck in finding someone to...to help you…” She trailed off, clearly uncertain, and she refused to look at him.
“Marinette,” Mister Bug cleared his throat. She glanced up. “I can think of no one better, no one I would trust more besides Milady herself, to have at my side. You’ve shown kindness and generosity to all you know, and you’ve proven your cleverness as Multimouse in the past. You-”
“Chat, I can’t-” Marinette tried to interrupt him. She wasn’t sure what expression her face was showing, but it was probably desperation. “I can’t accept this-!”
He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed both her hands, and she squeaked in surprise.
“You’re amazing and resourceful. You’re fantastic and brilliant. I know you’re nervous, but I’ll be right by your side the whole way! I’ll have your back! Just like you once had ours. Please, Marinette, let me return the favour.”
Her knees were shaking, and her heart was melting. His eyes held something familiar, like she had seen them before (she had of course, she reminded herself). He was looking at her with such fondness and care, that Marinette felt her resolve wavering. She bit her lip, and Mister Bug’s grip on her hands tightened.
“Please,” he begged. “I trust you, princess.”
The nickname undid her. Not trusting herself to speak, Marinette slowly nodded. The smile that lit up Mister Bug’s face could’ve put the morning sun to shame, and he proudly presented to her a small miraculous box. Marinette swallowed thickly, took it, and slowly opened it.
A shimmer of green light came from the box. Inside, the black cat miraculous sat on a red cushion, and soon, Plagg floated between them. He yawned, stretched, and then he glanced from Mister Bug to Marinette. Realization dawned slowly over his face.
The kwami burst out laughing.
Both of them were not pleased.
“Plagg, claws out!”
After Plagg had stopped laughing at the irony of the situation, Mister Bug had given her a run down of her new abilities, the transformation phase, and a list of Plagg’s favourite foods (which all included cheese). He told Plagg to behave, wished her a good night, and she waved as he swung out across the rooftops.
Now, Marinette stood in her bedroom as Lady Noire in front of her floor length mirror. Her outfit was the exact same as it was during the fight with Poupeflekta. She spent some time examining everything from the floppy ears to her long, cat-tail braid. Her eyes looked just like Chat’s, and the extra-long nails on her hands felt weird. She detransformed once she was done looking.
“Plagg, I can’t go out like that! Chat’s gonna recognize me instantly!”
But the black kwami was unhelpful as he snickered. “Sorry, Marinette, but A-” Reluctantly, he burped, green gas curling from his mouth. “- Chat, thought you would be the best person for the job. I couldn’t talk him out of it. And I tried, Ladybug, I really did.”
She sighed; she believed him. Plagg wouldn’t want her to reveal her identity, not like this. “That’s fine, I guess… But now we have to change the suit.”
Plagg hummed. “We can’t change the suit,” he stated simply. “Not possible.”
“....Plagg, if I go out looking like Lady Noire, Chat will figure it out!”
Plagg just shrugged.
“The suit doesn’t change unless you change. It represents what and who you are, deep down inside.”
Marinette pondered with her hand on her chin for a long moment. “So I have to change?” She asked for clarification. “On like, a deep emotional level? Or something?”
“Yep.”
“Great.”
The next day, day one, Marinette mediated with her maman. She centered her emotions, tried to clear her head, and attempted to leave her worries behind her. She went through her day with poise and grace, and she made sure to smile at all of her classmates - including Chloé and Lila. With a smile on her face, Marinette completed as many good deeds as she possibly could, from helping Rose with her notes to taking Alya’s tray to the turn-in at lunch. While it wasn’t a huge deviation from her normal-self, it still felt relaxing, like she was turning over a new leaf. Yet when her transformation into Lady Noire was still the same once evening hit, Marinette relented that she needed to do something a little more…drastic.
On day two, Marintte tried the exact opposite. She picked out the edgiest, borderline-cringe outfit that she owned, and when she stomped her way to school, she tried to scowl at most of her classmates - especially Chloé and Lila. Alya had a good laugh at her, particularly when Marinette tried to play up the bad girl vibe. She was determined to channel as much ‘black cat’ energy as she could, but even purposefully dropping her napkin on the lunchroom floor left her riddled with guilt. Alya was howling as Marinette bent over, picked up the litter, and made sure to throw it away in the rubbish bin right before they returned to class. Of course, the Lady Noire outfit hadn’t changed, and Plagg was laughing at her foolish attempts.
On day three, Marinette woke up early in a panic. An akuma attack was imminent, and she hadn’t come up with a solution to hide her identity from Chat Noir. She would have to resort to drastic measures. She would have to do something she had never done before! She needed to summon all of her courage, all of her hopes and dreams, and finally, no excuses, confess to Adrien! Surely that would cause a drastic change in her inner self? For better or for worse.
So she picked up one of the many birthday presents she had stowed away for the love of her life, wrapped it up in blue paper, and spent a majority of her morning before school writing a lovely card for it with a sweet poem. She attached to the top a single, wrapped macaron - passionfruit, his favourite flavour - and took a step back to admire her handiwork.
...Only to find out, after Adrien had found his gift in his locker and was admiring it in class and showing it off to Nino, that she had, once again, forgotten to sign the card. Alya rubbed her back in soothing circles as Marinette cursed her bad luck. Oh well, at least he was excited and seemed to be enjoying it.
There were still no changes by that evening.
Day four was the inevitable akuma attack.
Thankfully, she didn’t have to skip class to chase it down. The akuma and Mister Bug had engaged in combat at the Champ de Mars after school hours.
“You could just transform, y’know!” Plagg grumbled from her purse as she peddled her bike over to the landmark. She was using the Eiffel Tower to guide her way, but she shook her head as she peddled a little faster.
“Shush, Plagg!” She scowled him. “I don’t need Chat spotting me too early!”
She didn’t bother to lock up her bike once she reached the stairs. She propped it hastily against the wall before ducking. She peered around the bricks to watch Mister Bug fight the akuma.
He didn’t seem to be as agile as he usually was, but perhaps that was due to the miraculous and not his actual physique. He also hadn’t summoned his lucky charm yet, thank goodness. Marinette watched him deflect and dodge the akuma’s attacks, but he was clearly distracted. He kept looking around, and she realized he was looking for her. He was nervous that his black cat wouldn’t show.
Marinette sighed.
“Well, here goes nothing. Plagg, claws out!”
The rush of transformation was familiar to her, but a part of her body still sang as adrenaline sped through her veins. The pounding of her feet as she took a running start, the wind in her hair as she launched herself over the wall and landed in a crouch at the bottom of the stairs, and the straining of her muscles as she pushed herself back up to charge at the akuma all gave her a sort of pleasure that she had oddly missed.
“Hiii-yah!”
She jumped as she approached Mister Bug’s back, and her pawed-shoes hit their target in the center of the akuma’s chest, knocking them backwards. As her feet came back to the ground again, Lady Noire pulled out her baton and spun it to its longer length, standing in front of her partner to protect him.
“Milady!” He exclaimed, surprised. His green eyes were wide in the red mask. “But where’s-?!”
“Not now, Bug!” She snapped. “We have an akuma to fight!”
Lady Noire was thankful that Mister Bug’s sense of duty prevailed over his confusion. As easy as milk blends into tea, they fell into the groove of taking down the akuma, capturing and purifying the butterfly, and making sure the victim was alright.
“Milady,” Mister Bug asked her once they were alone on a rooftop, away from prying eyes. “I’m sorry to ask, but...is Marinette alright?”
Her teeth bit into her bottom lip, and she nodded. She had no idea what was going through Chat’s mind at the moment; she could only guess.
“Then why do you have…?”
“It’s- It’s a long story.” Lady Noire explained, unhelpful.
“Will you give the ring back to her? I trust her.”
The fear and concern in his voice was enough to curl her toes. She reached out gently and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I will. I’m sorry, Chat. Marinette’s just a little nervous, but I promise I’ll give the ring back to her.”
He smiled broadly. “Thank you, Milady. I’m glad you were able to help her. I’ll visit her tonight, give her a pep talk!”
They parted ways after that, and Marinette mulled over what she was going to say to Mister Bug later that evening.
She decided to wait for him on the balcony, doodling away in her sketchbook, while Plagg ate his way through a flaky piece of cheese bread. Marinette was just starting to think he wouldn’t show up when she heard the familiar zip of the yo-yo wire. Mister Bug landed with his feet on the chimney wall, and he hung there for a moment before slowly lowering himself to the floor.
“Marinette,” he said, his voice strained. “Are you...okay?”
Her face split into a sad smile. “Yeah, Chat. I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t-”
“No, don’t apologise.” He came over and sat beside her, hooking the yo-yo back on his waist. He glanced at Plagg before looking back at her. “I pressured you into this and...that wasn’t right of me. And Milady, she…” He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. “She’s stubborn. I’m not surprised she took the ring from you.”
Marinette allowed herself to relax, but she still closed her sketchbook. “I let you down, though. Both of you. I make for a pretty poor hero, huh?”
His green eyes went wide. “No! Never!” He reached for her, hesitated, then put his hands back in his lap. “You’re a great hero! You just…”
She tilted her head as Mister Bug fumbled.
“You just have to believe in yourself,” he said. “I know I believe in you, and I believe in your courage and your strength, but I know it doesn’t mean much if you don’t believe in that too.”
Chat spoke with such sincerity that Marinette was at a loss for words. When she realized her mouth was hanging open, she closed it. She blinked away the dryness in her eyes from staring. Was she blushing? The evening air suddenly felt very warm, but it could’ve just been her cheeks turning red.
Plagg was watching them both with amusement.
“I think you broke her, A- Chat Noir.” Plagg commented. Marinette’s blush deepened, but she was astonished to see that Mister Bug was blushing too.
He awkwardly coughed into his hand. “Is uh, Marinette treating you well, Plagg?” He asked instead, diverting the conversation.
Plagg smirked. “I get to eat all the cheese bread I want. Their baguettes are delicious, and she lets me smother them in brie. It’s great!!” He popped another chunk into his mouth, chewing happily.
“No camembert?” Mister Bug asked, both amused and miffed. Marinette tried to contain her giggles.
“It’s good to take a break every now and again. I’ll just love it all the more when I’m back with you!”
“Of course you will…” He grumbled, crossing his arms and looking so put out that Marinette had to cover her mouth as she laughed. He looked back at her and smiled.
“You’re very lucky, Marinette.” Mister Bug said. “He likes his stinky cheese.”
“He’s very cute,” she said as she leaned over and scratched under Plagg’s chin. The kwami wiggled at the praise. “I’ve enjoyed hanging out with him.”
“I’m glad.”
They hung out in comfortable silence for awhile, but Marinette sighed and decided to address the main reason he had come over.
“I’ll...give it another go. The next akuma fight. I purromise.”
Hearing Mister Bug laugh at her little joke was worth it.
“I’m sure you’ll be amazing, Princess!”
After he left, she looked back at Plagg, and she sighed as he broke into cackling laughter.
Due to her amazing luck, there was another akuma attack the next morning. Marinette pulled herself (and Plagg) out of bed, onto her balcony, and transformed. She awkwardly navigated the baton across the rooftops, but as the cool morning air brushed against her face, she started to wake up and her movements became more natural. It made her really miss her yo-yo, even more so when she got the urge to run on all four limbs like an actual cat.
It worked only because she refused to put much thought into it.
When she dropped next to Mister Bug at the scene of the attack, he did not look pleased to see her. All throughout the fight, he gritted his teeth, and while they moved in unison and worked as flawlessly as always, he refused to bump fists with her as usual.
“Milady, you’re supposed to be resting!” He insisted. “Honestly, you’re starting to stress me out too!”
She flinched and had the dignity to look sheepish. She toed the ground with a paw-shaped boot.
“I’m sorry, I just…” Lady Noire trailed off, fidgeting her braid.
“Please…” Mister Bug whined. “Marinette and I can handle this. You just have to give us a chance! Give her a chance!”
She shuffled her feet, nibbling the inside of her lip. It was getting harder and harder to push back against him, and she couldn’t just tell him the real reason Marinette wasn’t able to make it to these fights.
“Alright,” she pretended to relent. “I won’t do it again.”
“Thank you, Milady.”
It was a few more days before the next akuma attack, thankfully. Marinette took the time to destress and not think about what she was going to say to Mister Bug the next time she saw him, but when she laid in bed at night, all sorts of plausible scenarios ran through her head. She ran some of them by Plagg, but unlike Tikki, he had no advice to give.
“Sorry, Pigtails.” He mumbled sleepily from his spot on her pillow. “Unless you change somehow, he’s gonna figure it out eventually. He’s not as dumb as he looks. Oblivious sometimes, yeah, but A-” He unwillingly burped and grumbled. “Chat has put the pieces together before.”
Marinette frowned. “Has he?”
“I talked him out of it, but I’m not as good as covering up the truth as Tikki. Get some rest. You’re gonna need it.”
So, reluctantly, she showed up to the next fight as Lady Noire again.
This time, Mister Bug took one look at her and scowled. He quickly backed away from the akuma, grabbed her arm, and pulled her away from the fight. They retreated into an empty alleyway, made sure no one was looking, before he covered his eyes with a red and black glove and determinedly held out his other hand. Lady Noire stared at him, shocked, but she soon couldn’t contain her amusement.
“Give me the ring, Milady.” Mister Bug demanded, his eyes closed behind his hand. “I’ll take it to Marinette and bring her to the fight.”
“You’re not going to peek, are you, mon chaton?” She teased him, and he flushed under his mask. It had been awhile since he had heard that nickname, she supposed.
“I’d never dream of it, Milady.” He said honestly.
Knowing that the jig was up, Marinette mumbled, “Claws out,” and placed the ring in Mister Bug’s outstretched hand. “She’s...around here somewhere,” Marinette told him as she passed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Good luck, chaton.”
“Thank you.” He said softly. Once she left the alleyway, Marinette quickly darted down the street and tried to find another place to hide, hoping that the akuma wouldn’t come for her while she was vulnerable and without a miraculous; she had taken to leaving Daizzi at home whenever she wore Plagg outside.
After she had traversed a few streets over, Marinette stopped running and wandered down another alleyway, keeping an eye out for Mister Bug as she did so. However, she still squeaked and jumped about a foot in the air when he landed behind her, his face grave.
“Please, Marinette…” He mewled, and her heart ached with a combination of grief and anxiety as she stared at the ring in his outstretched hand. “I promise you’ll be safe. Plagg will protect you. And I’ll be right by your side. It takes the ladybug and the black cat to win a fight.”
Marinette started to reach for the ring, but she hesitated. She looked upward into Mister Bug’s face, wondering why those green eyes seemed oh-so familiar, and she frowned.
“I’m not leaving until you either transform or tell me no,” he insisted, his face dropping into a glare. It was still kind, and it was sweet of him to offer her a way out of this, but Marinette knew that there was no time: with an akuma rampaging just a few blocks away, Chat wouldn’t have time to find another partner. Especially one that he could trust with such an important miraculous.
She bit so hard into her lip that she thought she could taste blood. Slowly, Marinette took one last, deep breath - and released it as a sigh.
Screw it.
“Plagg,” she stated, in a voice much more confident than she felt. She picked up the ring and slid it over her finger, clenching her fist as Plagg materialized in the air beside her.
“You sure about this?” Plagg asked, but she only gave him a look of firm determination. He shrugged, but the look on his face was smug.
“Just say the words.”
“Claws out!”
She swore that Mister Bug’s eyes would pop out of his skull and roll down the street as Marinette transformed into Lady Noire, her long braid sweeping the pavement as she rested one hand on her hip. His expression was a mix of jubilation, shock, and existential dread.
No helping it now, she guessed. The cat was out of the bag.
“C’mon, mon chaton.” She cooed, stepping out of the alley way to look for the akuma. “We’ll talk about this later.”
He swallowed thickly before following after her, wondering if he’d still be alive the next morning. If she didn’t kill him for his mistake, surely he’d die of his own mortification!