Chapter Text
“We can be heroes. Just for one day.”
That’s what Nora Césaire had said to a crowd of Parisians armed with whatever they had in their homes, leading them to battle. People had been helpful to the Miraculous team in that almost hopeless battle on Heroes’ Day. They had proven to themselves that people didn’t need a boost from magical jewelry to defeat a villain. Or, at least, slow him down and win some time for actual superheroes to catch their breath and come up with a plan. This outburst of civilian solidarity had lifted Parisians’ spirits as much as the first appearance of Ladybug and Chat Noir several months ago and the falseness of their death on Heroes’ Day.
Those little acts of big heroism had been captured by cameras under the control of Prime Queen and by the city’s security system. Later, Nadja Chamack had shown them in her evening show. More videos had been leaked, and they had become viral on social media. People had been talking about it on the streets, cafes, supermarkets — everywhere. Even in the City Hall.
The mayor’s counselor Sebastian Fabron sat in the smoking-room, sipping his morning coffee, glancing from time to time at his coworkers through the clouds of vape smoke, and took mental notes from their conversation.
It looked like only a limited number of people had realized that André Bourgeois had almost left the city after a passionate anti-evil speech and then had been turned into the akuma along with his wife and butler. But the cameras had caught their appearance as re-akumatized villains.
It’s not like the mayor felt ashamed or could be bullied because of that. There was a known rule that the akuma victims weren’t guilty of anything; Hawkmoth was. But it would be nice to make up somehow for Bourgeois’ “red” appearance and ruined Heroes’ Day.
Fabron took the last sips of his coffee, already knowing what he had to tell the mayor during the next meeting.
“Are you serious, Sebastian?” the mayor asked, looking up from the papers on his desk.
Fabron nodded. “As I’ll ever be, André. It’s the main topic of all the conversations that I’ve heard in Paris this week. Appreciation of all those civilians who helped the Miraculous team to pick up the fight can inspire them and give you a lot of bonuses. We just have to handle an issue of the citizens possessed by evil very kindly and carefully.”
Bourgeois scowled, not liking the reminder of his failure. “So, are you saying that we should organize another city-wide event, but in honor of all the citizens who fought against the evil during the previous celebration, ruined by Hawkmoth’s appearance?”
Fabron smiled and handed the mayor a piece of paper with a draft of his speech. “Pretty much. Here is what you should say to Parisians on that matter. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve booked time on TVi for your statement. We should be there in,” he glanced at his wristwatch, “3 hours and 13 minutes.”
The mayor only hummed in agreement, reading the speech draft.
“... showed that we can unite for a good cause and if not defeat the evil completely, then, at least, be of great help to superheroes,” Mayor Bourgeois' voice flowed from the speakers and echoed around the room. Marinette and Tikki watched the urgent announcement live on the monitor in the bedroom.
“Each of us should cultivate their inner hero, let it free, and help to discover heroes in others. So be it. I decided to start over and celebrate another Heroes’ Day. But this edition will be dedicated to those of you who stood up against evil. To those of you who do small and big things in favor of others everyday. Who save lives, who teach the children, who drive buses and trains, who bake fresh bread every morning and clean the streets every night. We decided that we all can be heroes. And we will celebrate it.”
The mayor continued to explain his plans. He and his family were known for making huge and pompous parties. And each big event needed a big PR campaign, symbolics, and ambassadors. That’s why André announced an election where civilians would choose their representative. That person would be the highlight of the celebration along with the superheroes. It was decided that people of Paris would nominate the candidates, and then the winner would be chosen amongst the first dozen of the most voted candidates. The jury consisting of famous citizens such as Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, and Nadja Chamack was tasked to make a final decision two weeks after the start of voting.
“What do you think about it, Marinette?” Tikki asked when the live broadcast ended.
The girl in question scratched her chin thoughtfully. “Honestly, I like the idea. I admire the people who took to the streets on Heroes’ Day to help us, their bravery and determination; without them, we would have definitely lost that battle.” Tikki nodded, watching her chosen intently. Marinette sighed, sadness seeping into her eyes. “I’m just afraid that it could be another opportunity for Hawkmoth to wreak havoc and cause problems. People will be crushed if another celebration is cruelly ruined again.”
“Marinette, dinner!” Sabine called from downstairs at that exact moment.
The girl sighed and got up from her chair. “We’ll see how it goes. I’m sure that a lot of people are good enough to represent civilians. The jury will have to make a tough decision.”
When Marinette entered the kitchen, her parents were sitting at the table and discussing something animatedly, scribbling words in their notebooks.
Tom noticed their daughter and gestured for her to join them. When the girl came closer and looked at the pair questioningly, the man asked, “Marinette! Have you heard about voting for Everyday Heroes?”
She frowned. “Yeah… Why?”
“We decided to nominate you!” Sabine exclaimed.
“WHAT?!” Marinette jumped in surprise. “Why m-me?”
Tom bound up from his chair excitedly and started pacing around the kitchen. “Marinette, you’re capable of a lot more than you think you are! You’re a dedicated and proactive class representative, you have excellent grades in all subjects. You’re so nice and friendly to children, so kind and helpful to old people. You’re assisting us so much here in the bakery! Customers love you and often ask us how our lovely daughter is doing.”
The man grew more and more excited. “You’re so talented! Jagged Stone praised your designs and even chose you to make his album cover! Your friends love wearing clothes designed by you. Isn’t it enough?”
Marinette was stunned by passion and confidence in her father’s voice. She stood near the table, gripping the back of a chair and gaping like a fish. Sure, her parents always expressed their love freely and didn’t skimp on praise. But this? This was another level.
“B-but wa-wait!” Marinette managed to squeak after a few moments of awkward silence. “I-I’m sure that there are people who are more heroic than me!” She started to wave her hands frantically, counting. “Firefighters, policemen, doctors who save lives daily, teachers, and construction workers who build the future! And there’s me, just a normal girl with a normal life.” ‘ And a secret superhero identity, but that’s not the point now.’
Sabine got up and stood between her husband and daughter. She placed a comforting hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Sweetie, this event was created to celebrate heroes in us, each and every small action that makes this world better. You do plenty of heroic things every day, so you barely have time to sleep enough and are often late to classes.” The woman smiled, remembering the morning antics of her daughter. “You can be a great example for your peers and a push to the good side that some adults need. I’m sure there’s a lot of worthy candidates out there, but we’re not going to change our decision.”
“Besides, I’ve already made a base for a giant Marinette cake, similar to what I did for previous Heroes’ Day in honor of Ladybug!” Tom grinned proudly and winked at his daughter.
Marinette’s jaw dropped. “PAPA!” she yelled at him. “Are you going to make a giant copy of my head to promote me as a representative of civilian heroes?!”
“YES!” Tom said confidently, puffing his chest out. “And a special Marinette menu with your favorites: matcha macarons, croissants with raspberry filling, and spinach quiches!”
Marinette closed her eyes, imagined a couple of plates with all those goodies, and sighed in defeat. ‘M ore pastries wouldn’t hurt. Customers would appreciate it, for sure. There was no guarantee that they would vote for a normal girl and bring her on the top of the list, right?’ She fidgeted with her hands nervously and looked at her parents with pleading eyes. “O-okay. Just don’t go overboard with it, please.”
“Excellent! Now, let’s eat!” Sabine ushered them to the settled table. “The meal is getting cold.”
The next morning, Marinette was late. Again. As usual. She ran to the school with a raspberry-filled croissant in her mouth (yes, Tom had kept his word and baked her favorite pastries the very next day). The bell already rang, but judging by the intense noise of chatter from the classroom, Miss Bustier wasn’t there yet.
Marinette flew there like a tornado, intending to slide into her seat as fast as possible without tripping, but stopped dead in her tracks. Alya stood beside the flip-chart, surrounded by several other classmates. A paper sheet had the title “MARINETTE IS A HERO” written by black marker. A long list of bullet points written by smaller letters followed it.
Rose spotted her first and rushed to her side. “Marinette! We decided to nominate you as an Everyday Hero!” she squeaked enthusiastically.
‘Parents were first, now classmates?’ Marinette felt nauseous. “Why?” she managed to ask aloud.
“Girl!” Alya came closer, hands on her hips, determination mixed with bewilderment in her expression. “Why are you even asking? Sure, you’re often late, and your head is in the clouds more than it should be.” She glanced pointedly at Adrien who just entered the classroom. “But you’re a great example to us. I can’t understand sometimes how you can juggle all your responsibilities and commissions, duties in the bakery, designs, homework, babysitting, hanging out with us,” she pretended to eye her friend suspiciously. “Are you a robot? Or maybe an actual superhero?”
Marinette sputtered and instantly turned red. “Wh-who? M-me? Are you kidding? I’m madly clumsy!” she babbled. No one noticed Adrien’s head jerking up.
“Whatever!” Alya waved her hand dismissively. “We’ve compiled the evidence already.”
“What evidence?” Marinette gasped in horror.
“That you are the best candidate for a civilian hero role in the upcoming celebration!” Mylène said, looking at her friend with admiration. Everyone in the room nodded eagerly, except Chloé and Sabrina; those two pretended to be busy studying the fashion magazine.
Marinette sighed in relief. Then an idea struck her. “Alya!” she exclaimed too loudly, hoping to catch more attention and convince classmates to take her side. “I’ll nominate you! You’ve created the Ladyblog — the biggest source of news about superheroes and akumas! You’re so brave and selfless, even reckless sometimes when you chase those akumas. But I’m sure that Parisians really appreciate your input and can choose you as a representative!”
Alya started to blush. Marinette smirked. ‘ Time to lay a final blow .’ “Won’t it be exciting to stand proud, side by side with Ladybug and Chat Noir as their biggest fan and their most dedicated follower?”
Alya looked torn for several seconds. Different emotions flickered through her face, but then determination settled in again. “Thank you for such kind words, Marinette,” the young reporter said, adjusting her glasses and overlooking the crowd.”I’d be honored if you’ll nominate me and Parisians will support your choice. Though I don’t know about people over here, but you,” Alya pointed her finger at Marinette, “can’t change my decision. You’re my hero, and I’m voting for you!”
Marinette crossed her arms. “Fine. I won’t stop you, but I still think that you’d better choose someone else. There are a lot of worthy people in our class. For example,” she began to look around, picking up candidates from the crowd of classmates, “Max! Yes, Max! You’ve developed a robot with an unique type of artificial intelligence and even emotions! Or Rose who helps Prince Ali come up with ideas of charity events and campaigns! Or Mylene and Ivan who are a part of the eco-movement and constantly make our city cleaner and safer. Or-”
“Marinette!” Adrien interrupted her, coming from behind and standing beside Alya. “You’re a real everyday hero for us, and it’s the least that we could do to repay for your kindness.”
Marinette would have become a puddle of goo after that statement coming from her crush, but Miss Bustier came into the classroom at that moment.
“Class, sit down, please,” she said. Then her gaze fell onto the flip-chart and began to run over the lines. Her face brightened, she turned to her students.
“Well, I see that you’ve made your decision even without my reminder. Please, make sure to submit your votes on time. Marinette,” the teacher focused on her star pupil. “I’ve already voted for you at the teacher’s conference. Everyone else chose you as well, so Mr. Damocles will send a letter to the City Hall about it as soon as the student council choses their nominee.”
Marinette groaned. Alya patted her friend’s arm gently. “I’m sure that your fellows from there will choose you as well. Who else, if not they, have seen you in action and know about your hard work and dedication to the school and students’ wellbeing?”
Marinette just groaned again, banging her head against the table a couple of times. She felt Tikki pressing into her thigh in a reassuring manner through the material of her purse.
Needless to say, other representatives had told Marinette unanimously that she had been their choice. She had been devastated, but they had refused to listen to her pleading with them to change their mind.
Very agitated, Marinette went back to the bakery and nearly had a heart attack when she spotted a cake in the shape of her head that stood in the window. Its eyes, made from blueberry and chocolate macarons, looked at pedestrians. The smile seemed cryptic; that expression would fit more for posters with Ladybug in action.
Marinette flew into the bakery in rage; the door closed behind her with a loud bang. “Papa, Maman!”
A couple of customers turned their heads to her. “What happened, sweetie?” Sabine asked from behind the counter, concerned.
“Why did you make a copy of my head and put it on public display?” Marinette demanded; tears of frustration welled in her eyes. “Am I a joke to you? Or a big advertisement asset?”
“Marinette, dear, we didn’t intend to offend you,” Tom came from the back area and put his hands on his daughter’s shoulders. “That was for promotional purposes, but yours, not the bakery. We believe that you can really win in the Everyday Hero election, so we’re trying to engage as many potential supporters as possible.”
“Dear, you’re incredible, kind, and helpful,” one of the customers said, trying to catch Marinette’s gaze. When the upset girl focused on her, the old lady smiled brightly. “Don’t underestimate yourself. We know that you’re a talented girl that will someday grow up into a smart and resourceful adult that could surpass the most famous and capable people. The world is becoming better with the help of people like you!”
“Yeah, madame Josephine is totally right about you,” another regular customer and their neighbor, Victor, joined the conversation. “Of course, there are a lot of heroes among us who are good enough to represent civilians in the upcoming celebration. But you are good as well, little bun. Don’t doubt yourself.” He patted Marinette’s head affectionately. She gave him a small smile. “Your parents and some of us, customers and friends, really believe in you and support your candidacy! See, Tom and Sabine have already got a couple of hundreds of signatures under their letter about your nomination. I believe that it will be twice more till the end of the day when I will collect it to submit in the city hall.”
“WHAT?” Marinette shrieked, her eyes bulging out in disbelief. ‘ This seemingly harmless idea is starting to spiral out of control! Di-sas-ter!” Her parents just nodded, sporting similar proud grins on their faces. “Okay,” the girl managed to say. “Okay. Thank you, madame Josephine, monsieur Victor. Maman, Papa, thank you. I need to go to my room to think about it.”
“Sure, sweetie, go ahead, I've placed a plate with your favorite treats there, so you can enjoy them as much as our customers today,” Sabine winked at her distressed daughter. A few customers cheered at that.
“They’re great, thank you!” Marinette said too loud. “Unlike that creepy cake,” she muttered under her breath, climbing up the stairs.
She entered her room, threw her backpack under the desk, and plopped down on the chair. Tikki flew out of her purse to the plate and took one macaron to munch happily. Marinette repeated her action, chewing and swallowing absentmindedly.
“Tikki, why are they all so convinced that I’m the greatest among civilian heroes? I’m just a normal girl!” Marinette flailed her hands, nearly knocking the plate over the table.
The kwami crossed her arms, eyeing her chosen skeptically. “Marinette. You’re a literal superhero! Amazing, brave, and fierce Ladybug. Thirty-nine hours without transforming, and you’ve already forgotten?”
“That’s the thing!” Marinette wailed. “They don’t know that! What heroic things have they seen in Marinette? I’m clumsy! I’m constantly late! I’m a walking disaster who can’t tell the boy about her feelings without mixing up her words. Scratch that; about anything in the world, even a simple “Hello, how are you?” How could I be considered a hero?!”
Tikki sighed. She was sad that her wielder had low self-esteem, but still tried to approach Marinette gently and make her see herself in a different light.
“Marinette. You do realize that you make Ladybug so awesome, not the costume provided by me? I mean, the super-strength comes in handy, yes.” The kwami hovered in front of Marinette’s face. “But it’s you who stands up to villains regularly. It’s you who comes up with complex plans and ideas for my creations. It’s you who comforts victims and tells them earnestly that they aren’t guilty.” Her voice became stern. “So why can’t you believe that all those people would cherish you even without the mask and magical abilities? Why can’t I persuade you that everyday actions are even more heroic because you do them easily even without my powers?”
Marinette gaped at her companion wordlessly. The kwami was always encouraging and supportive, but such a fiercely and passionately articulated opinion was something new and... even more spirit-lifting and convincing.
Tikki’s expression softened back to her usual attitude. “I love you, Marinette. You’re an amazing person, and even your flaws can’t outweigh all your positive qualities. But you need to believe more in yourself. You’ll be only stronger, inside and especially outside of the costume.”
The girl’s eyes were full of tears. “Thank you, Tikki,” she whispered. And then the trademark “this is a disaster” expression started to creep onto her face again. Tikki braced herself; the battle with her insecurities wasn’t over.
“Tikki!” Marinette said horrified. ‘What if they really choose me? My identity will be compromised! They will recognize me!” She visibly tensed. “Hawkmoth will come at night, take you and Miraculous away from me, and…” she gasped, clutching her chest, “might even try to kill me! This is a disaster!”
Tikki just smiled, used to similar outbursts. “Marinette, you underestimate the power of the magical glamour! Remember that time when you wore Ladybug costume for Clara Nightingale video? No one recognized you!”
Marinette exhaled harshly, relieved. “I will take your word for it, Tikki!”
“You can trust me, Marinette, I’ve dealt with that for millennia!” Tikki chirped enthusiastically. “Now let’s enjoy all these delicious pastries!”
Sebastian Fabron strutted down the corridors of the City Hall. He held the folder with the results of the Everyday Hero election under his arm. There were printed lists with the names of a dozen of the most voted people of Paris. The man was exuberant about the announcement of the contest winners and looked forward to hearing the thoughts of a jury about people in the list. He knew some of them in person, but several names surprised him.
The counselor knocked twice on the door of the conference hall where the important meeting was supposed to take place and entered. There, besides the Bourgeois couple, sat the members of the jury who would choose the embodiment of Parisians' bravery very soon. TV presenter Nadja Chamack was furiously tapping something on her phone. Rockstar Jagged Stone was writing something in his little shabby pocket notebook, humming a melody quietly; Sebastian recognized it as one of David Bowie's hits; something about heroes. Pop singer Clara Nightingale and her assistant were looking through the costumes sketches, discussing it in furious whispers. A few other celebrities were also more or less occupied or engaged in conversations. Clearly, everyone was waiting for him and the papers to start.
The counselor cleared his throat to get their attention. The room went silent; everyone waited for him to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “I’m giving you the results of the popular will. Here are the dozen civilian heroes who are cherished the most by Parisians,” he rounded the tables, passing paper sheets to each celebrity. Then Fabron took the last paper and started reading the names aloud. “Mathis Perrot, the professor of Sorbonne; Armand Besson, the surgeon; Marie Guillet, the head of the biggest volunteer organisation in Paris; Suzanne Poirier, the head of a nursing home; Olivier Payet, the firefighter…” He listed a few more names that almost didn’t cause any reaction from people in the room, and made a short pause before the last name.
“...and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a student from Collège Françoise Dupont.” This name got everyone’s attention; several cheers and excited gasps were heard across the room.
“That’s the real rock-n-roll!” Jagged Stone, who got his list first and already saw the winner, exclaimed, bouncing on his chair. “I know Marinette in person; she’s designed some things for me. She’s very talented, albeit very young, but that was never a flaw! Kids could do more rock-n-roll than plain old boring clerks!” He shot a pointed look at the mayor and Sebastian. The latter chose to ignore that; the former hadn’t even noticed.
“I agree with you, Jagged!” Clara fidgeted on her chair excitedly. “She is brilliant as a planner and even better as a designer! She saved my music video with teamwork. She is more than one of a kind. Her fashion is on par with the best artwork; just look at the designs that came from her mind!” The singer held up her hand with one of the sketches that she had previously discussed with her assistant. Audrey Bourgeois immediately snatched that piece of paper to look closer.
“Ah yes, I remember that girl and her style vividly. She’s impressed even Gabriel, that stick in the mud who never knew how to smile. And she refused to go to New York with me!” The Style Queen rolled her eyes dramatically. “She said she has a lot of things to do here. And people that she loves. Utterly ridiculous selflessness!” Audrey glanced at the number of votes next to the name and hummed appreciatively. “I’d say that it will be hard for Marinette to reach the top of the fashion industry with that lack of fangs, but it looks like people love her. She can try to convert it into success.”
Officer Raincomprix nodded in agreement from the corner. “I know her too. She stands for justice when she can. She helps us with small issues regularly, and reports violations of the law when she can do nothing. Actually,” he rubbed his chin, “Marinette even helped superheroes to defeat some akumas. Brave! And truly selfless. What every hero should be like.”
“I adore Marinette!” Nadja Chamack smiled brightly. “She can handle my daughter and gets along with other kids very well. She was very empathetic, her kind words have helped many people to calm down in difficult situations.” Nadja sighed dreamily. “And her family’s place is so warm and welcoming…”
Mayor Bourgeois met the gaze of his counselor while several more celebrities expressed their opinions. Fabron nodded approvingly. The mayor rubbed the bridge of his nose, adjusted his tie, and cleared his throat.
“Well, dear members of the jury. I see that you agree wholeheartedly with Parisians’ choice. Sebastian, please, schedule a press conference to announce the results for tomorrow and let Ladybug and Chat Noir know about the time and place.”
The conference hall erupted with cheers and applause.
The next morning, the ballroom of the Grand Paris Hotel was filled with journalists, bloggers, and photographers. The TV crew had set up a live broadcast and had begun a 5-minute countdown. Ladybug looked around, wringing her fingers nervously. She felt that something big was coming. That morning Nadja had stopped by the bakery for her usual order before working shifts. The woman had not so subtly winked at Marinette and told Tom and Sabine that they would be definitely satisfied by the choice of Parisians and the jury.
Ladybug felt a comforting touch of Chat Noir’s hand on her forearm. She relaxed a little bit. Her partner’s presence always calmed her down, even when sometimes he was almost unbearable with his puns or flirtatious advances.
“What’s the matter, M’Lady?” he said quietly in her ear. “Are you afraid that Paris will recognize your beauty and bravery and will choose you again as their beloved and cherished hero, only without the mask?”
She let out a strained laugh. ‘ If only you knew…’
Thankfully, Fabron unknowingly came to the rescue, carrying a fancy envelope with the name of the Everyday Hero. Chat Noir took it gently in his hands and rushed Ladybug to climb onto the small scene where the mayor already held his speech.
“... and now the superhero duo will announce to you the name of the person that you, the Parisians, have chosen as your representative in the upcoming celebration in honour of civilian heroes!”
Chat Noir made a show of opening the envelope with his claws and handed it to his partner to read aloud. She pulled out a small piece of paper, and after one glance at three words and a number of votes on it, her heartbeat stuttered and her hands began to shake. Panic clawed at her chest and throat; it suddenly became hard to breath. Several scenarios with the worst consequences swept through her mind at the speed of light. ‘ Why? How was this even possible?’
The hushed whisper from her partner reached her ears. “Bugaboo, say something!”
Right. The people of Paris deserved to know who would become the living symbol of civilian heroism in one month. The people of Paris were waiting for the name, holding their breath in excited anticipation.
“Citizens of Paris and an unbiased jury chose as a representative of civilian heroes…” she inhaled deeply to hold a dramatic pause and calm herself down at least a little bit. ‘Oh my God, how am I going to pull it off? What do I do?’ her inner alarmist lamented. ‘ Say it already ,’ answered another steady and confident voice in her head, sounding suspiciously like Tikki.
“... Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” she nearly shouted, and the second part of her last name was drowned by the applause.
From her right, she heard a soft gasp of delight and turned to see a content smile on Chat Noir’s face. “She got it! Marinette is so amazing, M’Lady!” he said sincerely. “Almost as amazing as you! She truly deserves that title, and even more!” Ladybug looked at him, dumbfounded. ‘How can he even know that? He met me only three times during akuma attacks and a few more just in passing. Was that enough for him to form such a high opinion?’
Ladybug narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't have time to say anything because the mayor suddenly appeared in front of them. “So, heroes of Paris, I need to ask you now: who will represent your team and help us to organize and hold the Everyday Heroes’ Appreciation Day?”
“CHAT!” Ladybug squawked immediately. “I-I will be busy! In a month, yeah! All month! Can’t take more responsibilities! Chat Noir, help! Gotta go, bug out!”
She practically ran away from the scene to the closest window and threw herself from it. Chat looked after her in surprise, then shrugged, and turned back to the confused mayor.
“It will be an honor and a pleasure to work with Miss Dupain-Cheng and the rest of the team that will organize the celebration! I’ll make sure the civilian heroes get all the appreciation that they deserve. Can we discuss the details and deadlines now?” The mayor nodded and motioned to the superhero to follow him to his office.