Work Text:
This akuma was… slightly different. It had only one goal: show Ladybug and Chat Noir ‘all their fans’.
Whatever that meant.
It only went after them. If a stray projectile went towards a civilian, then it would disappear before they were hit.
Inevitably, they were hit, appearing in an empty room that reminded Chat of pixelator. There was a large screen in front of them, a little taller than the teens. A gray rectangle with several search bars took up most of it. Being the nerds they were, they both recognized it.
“Hey, that’s the AO3 work search page!” Chat says first.
“Yeah…” Ladybug approaches cautiously. She puts her hand out, touching the screen and trying to scroll. Sure enough, the page moves, and they both watch as she goes through the page.
The ‘Fandoms’ bar is filled in, and the way it’s grayed out makes them guess they can’t change it.
“‘Miraculous Ladybug’?” Ladybug reads. “I know people write fanfics about us, but isn’t under like ‘Miraculous Heroes’ or something?”
“It’s actually, ‘Heroes of Paris’,” Chat corrects. Ladybug raises an eyebrow, and he blushes a little. “It’s not like I go above the T rating!”
Ladybug’s face goes red. “Oh, Kwami, I hadn’t even thought of that.” She hurriedly selects the ‘General Audiences’ rating. “Let’s think of the children.”
Chat nods, hitting ‘No Archive Warnings Apply’ and ‘Gen’ for her.
“I’m assuming the akuma just wants us to read some fanfics right?”
“Probably.” Chat shrugs. At the ‘Characters’ bar, Chat types in her name quickly using a keyboard that appears on the screen.
He’s focused on the keyboard, and doesn’t notice how Ladybug stares in shock at the suggested names.
“H-How?”
“You good, Bug?” Chat glances back at his partner, whose mouth is hanging open in surprise.
She doesn’t respond. He glances at the screen and sees the results.
“Oh.”
Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug )
Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug )
Ladybug
Master Fu (Miraculous Ladybug )
Wayzz (Miraculous Ladybug )
Nooroo (Miraculous Ladybug )
It went on for a few more lines, but Chat didn’t read all of it. He and Ladybug just stare for a few quiet moments.
“E-Even if they f-figured out… my identity… the Kwamis, and Master Fu….” Ladybug manages, doing her best to stay calm. “Do they know yours?”
“Do you want to know?”
She laughs, a hysterical edge to her voice. “I-I mean, why not?! At this point does secrecy even matter?! This-”
Chat cuts her off, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Maybe you should sit down.”
She nods, sitting on the ground of their empty white whatever-this-is.
Typing in his hero name, Chat sees that, yes, his identity is right there.
Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
“S-so. Adrien, huh?” Ladybug (Marinette) , asks, oddly calm.
“Yep.”
“Maybe we should talk a-about this l-later.”
He nods, and she finally approaches the screen again. She hesitates, then types in the first word she thinks of into a different bar.
Akuma Attack
Akuma Possession
Akuma tized Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Akuma tized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Original Akuma
Akuma tized Main Character(s)
Akuma Battle
“Oh gosh, people want to see us akumatized? That would be a disaster!” Ladybug exclaims.
“Makes for a good story, I guess.” Chat types in a new word.
Plagg Is So Done (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg is a Little Shit (Miraculous Ladybug)
Protective Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Supportive Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Appreciation Week
Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Is a Troll (Miraculous Ladybug)
Parent Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Cheesy Enough For Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Poor Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Swears (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Loves Cheese (Miraculous Ladybug)
Unhelpful Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug)
Plagg Swears (Miraculous Ladybug)
Minor Plagg /Tikki
Plagg Ships It (Miraculous Ladybug)
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Chat grumbles.
Ladybug laughs. “Are two of them really about cheese?”
“I’m surprised it’s only two. I smell like camembert 24/7 for only two tags.”
“I think he sounds like a sweetheart.”
“Of course you do.”
She rolls her eyes, typing in her own Kwami’s name. A lot are similar to Plagg’s, but there are a few notable ones.
Cat Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Human Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Cats Plagg and Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Dog Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
“I’m sorry what?” Ladybug frowns. “Do they not know she’s a ladybug?”
“They’re probably for AUs.”
She frowns, still not convinced. Chat decides to leave her to her gumbling, and types something else. Eventually they’re both distracted by looking through the tags for both of their best friends.
“What’s with them both being matchmakers? I’ve never noticed either of them getting any couple together?” Chat questions.
Ladybug coughs, choking on air. He looks at her in concern and she waves him off, recovering and hurriedly typing in her parent’s names.
“‘Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain Know’? Know what, that I’m Ladybug?”
“I guess so?”
“Well I don’t think that they actually know. I hope.” Ladybug crosses her arms.
Chat looks slightly panicked. “Oh you don’t think
my
Father knows, do you?”
He’s already typing it in.
Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste
He stares blankly, frozen.
“No.”
Looking to comfort him, Ladybug scans the suggestions quickly. “Well, hey, look this one says he isn’t Hawkmoth!”
They both know it’s weak, especially given that just about every tag lists him as the villain they’d been fighting with this whole time.
Chat hasn’t moved, and Ladybug goes to the ‘Character’ bar, looking to get some final clarification.
Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth
“No,” Chat whispers, shaking.
“Oh, Kitty. I’m so sorry.” Ladybug turns to him, worried.
“It’s n-not y-your fault.”
She opens up her arms, and he collapses into the hug.
She’s still holding him when the white fades away, and they’re back in Paris as if no time has passed.
Ladybug gently extracts herself from Chat, whispering for him to just take a moment to rest, and faces the akuma.
“Find anything interesting?” It chirps, looking far too proud of itself.
She doesn’t respond. This is the akuma that forced her partner to find out the worst possible thing in an awful way.
It’s going down.