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Chapter Text

Adrien stands stiffly as he waits for his father to address him. He was summoned for a reason he isn’t completely sure of. Natalie stands by the door, silent as a sentry with a clipboard in her hand.

“Adrien, why is the Mayor wondering if you’ll be attending public school with Chloe?” Gabriel finally says, hardly looking up from his screen.

Adrien bristles slightly before he replies, “I saw her at a school fair last week. I was just hoping to ask if it would be ok for me to switch schools. They have a fencing program there, and I could take independent Mandarin lessons-” Gabriel’s sharp look silences him.

“Institut Worths is a prestigious school for the elites of society, and you dare to embarrass me by attending a public school?” He makes harsh eye contact. "Chloe attended the last few years as a punishment for bullying at Institut Worths. I’ve already heard a report of you getting kicked out of fencing, basketball, and journalism. I do not care for your mediocre interests, but failing is not something an Agreste does. You’ve disappointed me.” He waves his hand and turns back to his work, ending the conversation.

“Father, please! I never ask you for anything! I go to every stupid photoshoot for your brand, I have perfect grades, and I was president of my class. Chloe’s school may be poor and pathetic, but she likes it, and I can't stand going to Worths for one more year!” Tears stream down his face as he takes a step towards his father, not brave enough to get any closer, but desperate to make his father see him.

“Your tantrum will not convince me. You are dismissed, Adrien.”

Adrien says nothing as he leaves, his sniffles doing nothing to soften his father’s heart. Once he is out of thestudy, he runs up the stairs and into his room, closing the door behind him. A small black creature shoots from his coat’s pocket.

“Well, that was downright pathetic.” The creature comments, grabbing a piece of moldy cheese from the tray by Adrien’s bed and flying to the highest shelf in the room to nibble on it. He watches Adrien carefully, his tail twitching.

Adrien lies on his bed, pulling at the tight gray turtleneck that feels more suffocating than fashionable at the moment. Everything about his wardrobe is suffocating, nothing but the Agreste brand with neutral colors of the seasonal trends.

“I hoped, just once, he would at least pretend to care enough to say yes. I’ve done everything he’s asked, and I’m still not perfect enough for him.” Adrien stifles a sob.

Plagg frowns. "Humans aren’t perfect. Trying to be something impossible is stupid. Just run away and skip school. All you gotta do is work with Ladybug to find the butterfly miraculous and then return me to Master Fu, and then you can do whatever you want.”

“If Adrien wears the Gabriel brand in a public school, it would be good for promotional content. You could expand your consumer audience beyond your current customers. But of course, it is only my opinion, sir. Perhaps you can call it a favor to the mayor, who has felt disgraced by sending his daughter to Françoise Dupont.” Natalie keeps a steady gaze on him.

“If you think that I would send Adrien to that—“ he pauses, and suddenly smiles. “Tell him I’ve conceded. In the fall, he will attend Chloe’s school.”

“What are you plotting, sir?” Natalie tries to keep a neutral tone, but she knows Gabriel too well not to ask.

“Nothing.” He chuckles darkly.

“You will not include Adrien in your plans.” Natalie orders.

“You are in no position to oppose me. Besides, it’s his mother whom I plan to save.”

Natalie knocks on Adrien’s door, waiting a moment before letting herself in. She gave Adrien some time alone, enrolling him begrudgingly now that she knew his father’s plan.

“Adrien?” She calls, but quickly realizes that he’s not in his room. She notices the platter of cheese he likely stole from the kitchen, something not in his strict diet, but Natalie felt bad enough for the boy not to say anything. Another thing that catches her attention is the sound of the TV.

“-Stormy Weather, she calls herself. Ladybug is already on the scene, and, oh, there’s Cat Noir, arriving fashionably late, as usual. Did you catch what he said, Nadja? I think he made a cat pun. He’s really leaning into his cat persona-” Natalie turns off the television.

“Damn him,” she whispers. She quickly scribbles out a note and sets it on Adrien’s bed, and stalks over to her boss’s office.

Ladybug tightens her grip on her yo-yo as she watches Stormy Weather call for a heavy rain cloud. “Stick to the plan,” she says to Cat Noir.

“As meow-velous as your plan sounds… I hate it.” He spins his staff idly, sending it clattering against a chimney just to hear the noise. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t mastered the spin; he messed up on purpose.

“And what is your brilliant alternative?” She asks, calling for a lucky charm and getting an umbrella to shield herself as the rain travels over them.

“We ditch the rules, smash the magic thingamajig, and you get the bug. No complicated you-go-right-I-go-left or whatever your plan was. I already forgot.” He shakes the water from his golden hair, but the steady rain keeps his locks sticking to his face.

“You mean run in blind and hope for the best?” Ladybug is practically seething.

“Yeah. Improvision is the spice of life, Miss Ladybug.” He flashes a grin. Ladybug pinches the bridge of her nose, but doesn't argue further.

She pulls her yo-yo into position. “Fine. But if we lose—“

“It’s going to be great!” He yells as he uses his staff to make him fly off the roof.

Two weeks before, Master Fu had felt the awakening of Nooroo, one of the missing Kwamis he’d been searching Paris for. With the help of the two most powerful Kwamis, he decided to get some help tracking the miraculous.

“Both of you stay quiet.” Fu had lectured softly as he walked through the Tuileries Gardens.

“I’m so hungry, Master. This scavenger hunt for people to help find Nooroo is stupid. Just let me fly around and go through all the houses in Paris, and I’ll find him.” A squeaky voice complained.

“Nooroo has a user. We need to put your miraculous into circulation again.”

“Is that cheese?” The creature flew through the bag and zipped to the model.

“Plagg!” The little red bug raced to follow him. “What are you doing?! We have to find our users as soon as possible. This is a high school fair.”

“Calm down, Tikki. Ugh, this is just foam. Help me find something edible.” He flew under the tables, Tikki hot on his heels as she tried to dissuade him. Master Fu attempted to follow them, but lost them in the crowd.

He went to the end of the row, finding that Tikki was staring at a colorful poster with fascination.

“Where is Plagg?” Fu asked quietly. He too gazed at the poster, which was titled: "The Science of Style: How Color Affects Mood and Perception."

“I lost him. But look at this poster, Master. It’s so orderly and structured, with color and information that shows resourcefulness. I want to meet the person who made this poster.” She turned to Fu.

“We don’t have time.” He scanned the nearby tables and saw the bright green eyes protruding from a giant skyscraper model. “There he is.” Fu made his way to where the cat kwami hid.

“Watch out!” Someone yelled. He looked up to see the tower model falling above him. He quickly put his hands above his head, trying to shield himself from the object, unsure whether this was his Kwami's work.

Suddenly, a girl jumped between him and the falling model, catching it before it hit the ground. She struggled a little to hold it, her arms wobbled slightly, and her breathing was heavy. She pushed the tower to the side as gently as she could, and it fell neatly with a thud.

The girl ran over to the crying child, who must have caused the fall, and spoke to her softly. She pulled a bracelet from her pocket and handed it to the child, and gave a warm smile.

"I made this for my fashion project, but I think you should have it." The child accepted the bracelet happily and ran off to find her mother.

"Are you okay, Master?" Tikki asked. Plagg darted from the fallen tower model to Fu's bag.

"Of course he's fine," Plagg grumbled. But he did have a bit of remorse in his gaze, which was something.

"Master, can we stay for just a minute? I want to see more of that girl who saved your life." Tikki ignored Plagg.

"Fine," Fu relented. He walked over to the table Tikki had been staring at before, the girl with black hair tied in pigtails who saved Fu's life, standing there awkwardly.

"Good morning, young lady," Fu greeted.

"Oh, hello-Good morning!" she stammers. Fu quickly noticed how easy it was for her to talk to the crying child, but being put on the spot made her nervous. "Do you want to hear about how fashion affects your mood?"

"No, I simply came over to thank you for saving me. That was very brave."

"Oh, yeah. You're welcome. I didn't even think about it. That poor little girl was so sorry. She thought she saw a cat. I'm glad you weren't injured, sir." She gave him an awkward smile.

"Master, I want her to be my holder," Tikki whispered as she hid behind his head.

"Do you have any more of those bracelets?" Fu asked.

"Oh, yes! Let me grab my bag!" She went behind her poster.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Fu responded to the kwami quietly.

"Yeah, I bet Marinette hates cats," Plagg agreed.

"Marinette?" Tikki looks at the poster, finding the girl's name as Plagg must have done. "Can I have her, Master? Please?" she begged.

"Here you go." Marinette returned with a charm bracelet, which she handed to Fu. He saw Tikki, with her miraculous in hand, jump into the girl's bag.

"Thank you, young lady. I will be sure to remember this moment often." He took the charm and walked away, hoping that Tikki made the right choice.

He made his way through the crowd, trying to get out of the fair to find a suitable adult to carry the responsibility of the kwami of destruction.

"-which is why I hate green designer shoes-" A girl bumped into Fu roughly, pushing him to the ground. "Ugh, who let old people in here? This place is already filled with degenerates," she scoffed. The boy with her, hidden by sunglasses and a hoodie, despite the summer heat, crouched down by Fu.

"That's not very nice, Chloe." He helped Fu to his feet as Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's not my fault if someone can't walk in a straight line. Come on, Adrien."

The boy ignored her. "Are you alright, sir?"

Fu nodded, studying the boy's posture, his silence. Adrien didn't seem bothered by Chloe's cruelty—but he didn't seem surprised either. He seemed used to people doing everything for him, and yet he instantly crouched onto the ground to help a stranger.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"I would recommend not walking around alone when people like her a running loose." He offered a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, though it was still full of humor. "Here." Adrien pulled a bottle of water from his hoodie pocket. "You look like you could use this."

"Adrien, if you don't hurry up, your bodyguard is going to find you. This is the first time I've seen you in months, and you're wasting it on a clumsy old guy!" she hissed.

"Just give me a minute, Chlo," he said. She grumbled but stayed put, waiting for him. "Do you need help getting out of the fair? The entrance is back that way." Adrien pointed.

"Thank you-" Fu felt a tug from his bag.

"Adrien, there you are. What are you doing?" A sleek woman with glasses, a suit, heels, and a red streak in her dark hair walked up to Adrien.

Fu took the distraction to back away as he lifted his bag. "What is it?" he asked.

"Bye, Master." Plagg held his ring and quickly flew out of the bag, not offering an explanation that he knew Fu would oppose.

"Sorry, Natalie. Chloe said she needed my help with something, then I bumped into this man. I really didn't mean to take so long." He took off his sunglasses and bowed his head.

"The photographer is threatening to quit if he can't get his model back in place. Hurry up, we'll have to get you out of this ridiculous disguise." Her voice faded as they walked away. Chloe huffed angrily and typed on her phone. She seemed to realize Fu was still there and gave him a sideways glance.

"What do you want, old man? An apology?" She turned and walked away angrily.

Fu watched as Adrien accepted the lecture from Natalie quietly, pulling off his grey hoodie to reveal a navy tailored shirt that complemented his casual black jeans.

"You both know what to do now." Fu muttered under his breath.

When night had finally fallen, Fu found himself on the rooftop he knew the kwamis would send their holders to. He stayed hidden to watch the interaction between the heroes before he accepted them as his last hope to find the missing miraculous. Dusuu had led him to Paris when she was activated almost 16 years ago, but it was Nooroo that was active now.

The girl with the pigtails arrived first, her costume making her black hair longer and bluer. Her muscles bulged, and her height was exaggerated by the suit.

"I hope this is the place," she muttered as she paced, spinning her yo-yo nervously. Her eyes scanned Paris for either Fu or the partner her Kwami had mentioned.

Thump. Both Fu and the girl turned to see a tall figure clad in black leather with dramatic green accents--and a random scratch design on one of his baggy pant legs--jump up to the edge of the rooftop with a flourish. His tail whipped behind him, and his ears twitched as if he were a real cat.

"Bonsoir." He gives a comical bow. "You must be the bug I was told about." The cool night breeze ruffles his golden hair, and his cocky smile immediately has the girl wary.

She stared at him agape. "The bug? Excuse you."

"Are you offended?" He hesitated for a moment before smirking, flicking the bell by his open collar. "I guess you're not the guardian. Plagg said the guardian was wise." He circled her, taking her in. His tail flicked with amusement. He could tell she wasn't intimidated by him, but anyone could see that she didn't trust him.

"I guess that assures me you aren't him either, stray." She fired back, crossing her arms.

She sized him up, too, his height, his brawn, his ears that mirrored what he must be thinking. He was only a few inches taller than her, but he would be about a foot taller than her civilian form. He looked decently strong, but her suit had given her more muscle definition, too. His cat ears turned slightly to catch the sound of the breeze shaking the tree where Fu hid.

"I prefer 'Dashing Hero of Paris'." He flexes his muscles. Fu wondered how this boy could be the calm and polite boy of that morning who helped him up.

"There's no way you're dressed in leather in the summer and expect to be called dashing. I bet when we have to do any fighting, you'll be sweating up a storm." She gave him a smart smile, her blue eyes bright with annoyance.

"At least I'm not wearing polka dots. Those have been out of season for like three years." He jumped closer to her, getting into her personal space.

"I'll have you know that last year, Gabriel Agreste's own fashion line had polka dots in several pieces." She retorted, shoving him with her gloved hands that almost matched the elaborate gold, black, and red knee-high boots.

"You're a fan of Agreste? I should've known you had poor taste." He scoffed, shaking his head as he backed away. Fu, by now had enough of their bickering and stepped out of his hiding place.

"That's enough." He stepped into the moonlight, his voice echoing around them.

Both of them jumped, back to back, as they searched the roof for the source of the voice. When the boy met Fu's eyes, he gave a shocked expression of recognition.

"Bug, I think I found the guardian." He gave her a nudge, and she turned to follow his gaze.

"Both of you are cautious. That is good. But you also like to argue and don't seem to work well together. That may be able to be fixed. You may call me Master Fu." He walked towards them, his small frame tiny compared to theirs.

"Why did our kwamis tell us to come here, Master Fu?" the girl asked.

"I wanted to explain why I need both of you, and give you a chance to back out." He gave them a moment to voice their desire to quit, but when both of them stared at him blankly, he continued, "What would you like to be called?"

"I'm M-"

"Not your real name. A superhero name," Fu corrected himself.

"I'm… Cat Noir," the boy said proudly. He even puffed out his chest a little.

"Then I'll be Ladybug."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Ladybug." Cat Noir took her gloved hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles.

"Likewise, Cat Noir." She snatched her hand back.

"First, demonstrate your power," Fu ordered.

"Lucky Charm," Ladybug said, a dotted stopwatch landing in her hands.

"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir yelled dramatically, his hand pulsating with deadly power. Fu handed him a pencil from his pocket to destroy, watching as it turned to ash in Cat Noir's hand.

"Good. The kwamis explained that much. Now, the miraculous you were recruited to find is the butterfly miraculous. The one who possesses it may use it to give people abilities based on their desires.

"Cat Noir, you will destroy the object that holds the akuma, and Ladybug, you will capture it with your yoyo. This is why you must work together." Fu gave them both a look. "Any questions?"

"Tikki mentioned my energy levels being connected to my power usage. She said you would explain it better." Ladybug shuffled her feet slightly, almost shy.

"Each user has enough energy to summon their ability at least once. Powers like the Cataclysm and Akumatization require more energy than the Lucky Charm. How many times you can use your power is based on your age and energy levels when you transform," Fu explained.

"What happens if I use my cataclysm more than once?" Cat Noir asked, spinning his staff absentmindedly.

"It will drain energy you don't have. You may feel dizzy, lightheaded, and even pass out. Sometimes, your kwami will deactivate as well. Do not overexceed your limit."

Fu had eventually let them return home, their resolve strong, and their faith in each other beginning to blossom.

The next day was when the real challenge came. Their first akumatized villain, where they learned their enemy's name, and that Ladybug had a talent for elaborate plans, and Cat Noir had a gift for ignoring them and still winning.

"Hey, Ice Queen, what's with all the terrorizing? Why don't you pick on someone your own temperature?" Cat Noir spins his tail, improvising his lines as well as the plan. With Ladybug's permission, he knew he had to make it spectacular.

"My name is not Ice Queen! It's Stormy Weather!" She screams, her anger amplified by the akuma.

"And I'm Cat Noir. A pleasure." He dodges her windy attack with a grin.

She narrows her eyes. "You think this is a joke? I am Paris's weather girl! Everyone will pay for what they've done to me, starting with you!"

"Me-ouch. You haven't even asked for my tragic backstory." Cat Noir feigns hurt as Ladybug flies past him to kick Stormy.

"Stop making jokes and get her parasol!" she orders angrily.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Cat Noir replies. Ladybug calls her Lucky Charm, a bucket that she puts over Stormy's head. With the few seconds she can't see, he delivers a punch to her stomach, which has her dropping her parasol. She crumples to the floor as Ladybug tosses the object to Cat Noir.

"Cataclysm!" He yells, destroying the object and releasing the akuma.

"You're such a show off." Ladybug catches the butterfly in her yo-yo and lets it free with a, "Bye-bye, little butterfly."

"We really do make the purr-fect team. Second Akuma, and we've only been scolded by Fu once for arguing. Pound it?" He holds out his fist. She gives him an annoyed look but fist bumps him.

"Pound it." She quickly throws her yoyo, slinging away gracefully.

"What happened?" The formerly akumatized girl, Aurore Beauréal, rubs her head.

"Thanks a lot, Ladybug," he mutters, turning to the girl with a large smile. "Do you need help getting home?"

Once everything is settled, he returns home, tired and sulking.

"Where's my camenbert!" Plagg complains.

"Probably in the cupboard, you stinky cat." Adrien notices the note on his bed and is hasty to read it. "He said yes."

A genuine smile forms on his lips. "Plagg, get ready for public school. We’re going to François Dupont in the fall."

Chapter Text

"I signed you up for after-school fencing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, swimming on Fridays, and Mandarin on Mondays and Wednesdays. Photoshoots are still scheduled throughout the week. One of the brands is working with Miss Bourgious, so you'll get to see her after school occasionally, too." She gives Adrien a small smile that he doesn't catch since his eyes are glued to his phone.

"What did I tell you about devices at the table?" she chastises.

"Sorry, I was just texting Chloé, who I will be modeling with occasionally." He gives a tight-lipped smile, indicating that he was, in fact, paying attention.

"Your bodyguard will drive you over. Text either him or me if there are any issues. There's no fencing today, but it will start on Thursday. I will forward you the schedule so you don't forget," she tells him.

"Thanks, Natalie. I'll see you after school." He puts his phone in the pocket of his black jeans, pulling at his gray Gabriel sweater over a white button-up. He never liked his Father's designs, and especially not after his mother died. He slings his bag over his shoulder and runs to the door excitedly.

"Oof!" Marinette's books and papers go flying as she bumps someone in her haste. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaims without even looking at who she ran into. She crouches on the floor to pick up her books.

"Well, if it isn't Baker Girl, Marinette. I thought I told you not to come today. You see, my very best friend, Adrien Agreste, is coming, and I don't want him to have to see someone like you around." Chloé's voice is cruel as she sneers.

Marinette looks up, her hands shaking. Alix, Kim, and Sabrina stand around their Queen, laughing as if she made a good joke. "It's the first day, Cloe. I'll stay out of the way, but don't make me go home." She glances around self-consciously, feeling as if everyone in the courtyard was watching her, laughing behind her back.

"Do you want me to drag her out of the school?" Kim asks, cracking his knuckles.

"Hey, Chloé!" A blond boy waves at her, his designer clothes pressed and perfect.

"Hmm, no. I'm feeling a bit merciful. There's my Adrikins, now. Hurry up and clean your mess."

She waves her hand dismissively and steps around Marinette. "Adrikins!" She calls, embracing her friend. Alix leans down and picks up a few books—her way of telling Marinette that she's not like Chloé, but quickly follows Sabrina to their leader's side.

"Hey, Chlo. I see you still have a habit of bumping into people, even at school," Adrien jokes, glancing at Marinette.

"She was just leaving." Chloé glares at her, making her gather her reading materials haphazardly, and races to class. "Come on, we have homeroom Literature with Mrs. Bustier. I'm sure you'll love her." She grabs Adrien's arm and practically drags him into the classroom.

"Good morning, Chloé," Mrs. Bustier greets warmly, half distracted by her clipboard as she takes attendance.

"This is Adrien Agreste, son of the fashion designer, Gabriel. He's very important and he's my best friend." Before the teacher can respond with more than a smile, she pulls Adrien to the tables. "I saved you a seat, next to me."

"That table already has someone sitting there," Adrien points out. She looks down to see Marinette glancing between the two with worry.

"Chloé, this has always been my seat," Marinette whispers.

"Ugh, why are you talking?" Kim snorts, glancing at Chloé for validation.

"She's such a charity case, it's pathetic." Chloé places a hand on Adrien's chest dramatically. Sabrina leans against the other side of the table. Alix stands by Chloé, her arms crossed.

"Just move, Marinette. Chloé doesn't want your handmade clothes touching her seat any longer." Alix nods for her to go. Marinette gathers her things and stands, brushing past Adrien as she heads to an empty seat in the back.

"Chloé-" Adrien starts quietly, so just she can hear, planning on offering some advice as her friends sit nearby.

"I'm handling it, Adrikins," she whispers back. He doesn't say anything as Marinette sits by a girl with glasses.

Adrien and Chloé take their places, Adrien whispering to Chloé, "Why were you so mean to her. And your friends, too. She's the same girl from the hallway, too, right? Did she do something to you guys?"

"I'm Alya," the girl says, Marinette's relief palpable as she introduces herself too.

"I've already told you about Dupain-Cheng." Chloé gives him a look.

"That's her?! But I thought you said you liked her-" She covers his mouth with both hands. Mrs. Bustier has started introducing herself, making the classroom buzz quiet.

"No one needs to know that, least of all her. I am the most powerful person in this school, and my pathetic crush on the baker girl would only make everyone look down on me." She releases him and pulls out a pencil from her gold bag.

"I doubt that would be the case." He bumps her shoulder with his, giving her a teasing glance that has her rolling her eyes. "At least be nice while I'm around. Maybe if I can tell your dad how much you've changed, he'll let you go back to Worths or somewhere abroad. They don't have many fashion schools in Paris."

After the World Literature class orientation and a History orientation that went smoothly without Marinette or Chloé getting in each other's way, Adrien and Alya head to advanced Physics, while most of the rest of the students find themselves in Life Science with Ms. Mandelaiv.

"Miss, we don't have any whiteboards in the back. Maybe you should get some from the office. I would hate for some people to miss out on your lecture." Chloé croons to Ms. Mandelaiv, a ploy to get her out of the room.

"You're right, Chloé. Thanks for letting me know. You're in charge while I'm gone." She leaves the classroom quickly, though everyone knew she would take this opportunity to grab a coffee from the teacher's lounge.

That was exactly what Chloé wanted. "Welcome back to school, everyone. As you all know, the social event of the semester is Sunday at Le Grand Paris' rooftop pool." Alix and Sabrina stand up to aid Chloé.

"Not everyone's invited," Sabrina chimes in, sticking her nose in the air haughtily.

"Are you going to cash in your favors?" Alix asks Chloé.

"For this party, yes. But I also want to remind everyone that they are responsible for my academic success." She nods to Alix, who searches the room for her first victim.

"Max, do you remember when Chloé convinced Principal Damocles not to suspend you for hacking the school's WiFi? You'll be at the party, won't you? We'll need some extra servers, and you're good at staying out of the way." She stares Max down until he nods silently.

"And you should also do our math homework," Sabrina adds. "Unless you want the principal to hear about how you've been 'borrowing' lab equipment for your latest tin can."

"I-it's an AI-assisted drone, actually—" he stutters.

"Didn't Chloé get you into a meet and greet with Clara Nightingale?" Kim asks Rose, joining in on the fun because he would do anything for Chloé.

"Your hair is always so… neat. I'm sure you would be honored to style my hair for the party, right, Rose?" Chloé asks sweetly. She puts her hands on her cheeks innocently.

"Of course!"

"Mylène, you wouldn't mind bringing me lunch every day? Gluten-free, artisanal, imported—don't mess it up or I'll give you another fear to add to your pin collection," she threatens coldly.

"You're not gluten intolerant, though," Ivan says, since Mylène is shaking too much to defend herself.

"I don't tolerate mediocrity. You'll take money from a baseball cap here. Since he actually has a job. Which reminds me. Didn't everyone appreciate hearing you're tracks on the radio?" She turns to Nino, her smile friendly.

"I'll do the music for your party, dude. Just stop blackmailing me into doing stuff," he mutters.

"Blackmail?!" She puts a hand on her chest. "That hurts. My guest list is smaller than Paris Fashion Week, and the catering is the finest cuisine some of you will ever be in the presence of."

"Hey, quiet kid." Alix nods to a boy with red hair and a sketchbook. "Chloé's shoes need to shine. You should be able to see your reflection in her heels."

"Perfect. Now that everyone knows their standing-"

"What about Marinette?" Kim asks.

"How silly of you to even think she was invited. I would rather drink tap water than imagine Dupain-Cheng at such an elaborate event." She tosses her hair, just as Ms. Mandelaiv returns with a pile of mini whiteboards. Chloé's clique passes them out, their smiles threatening and cruel.

"Miss, Marinette was being very disruptive while you were gone," Chloé says sweetly.

"Yeah, she wouldn't stop talking," Kim adds, regardless.

The teacher hesitates, knowing something is off, but following her golden student's wish anyway. "To the principal's office. It's the first day of school, and you're already causing trouble." She shakes her head as Marinette silently packs up her things and walks out, quiet tears streaming down her face.

In the hallway, Marinette hugs her knees to her chest and puts her head down. Chloé is off to get her shoes cleaned, so she feels safe enough to cry in the hallway, even for a second.

"Hey, Marinette, right? I don't know if you got Chloé's loud introduction, but I'm Adrien. I just wanted to—" she lifts her head, her tears cutting him off better than words.

He's so fake, she thinks, taking in his worried smile.

"Don't bother. I'm fine." She pushes herself up from the ground and wipes her tears.

"Did something happen?" he wonders. Marinette doesn't take his tone as genuinely curious.

"Leave me alone. Find someone else to be your punching bag this year." She sees Alya in the crowd and rushes over, glad to have made at least one friend who hasn't been silenced or tainted by Chloé's influence.

"Adrikins! I just came back from my shoe shine." She hugs him around the neck, even though his eyes are still on Marinette as she talks to Alya. He finally turns to Chloé and offers a smile.

"Let me see." He looks intently at her sparkling gold heels, not a speck of dirt on them despite already having spent several hours at school. "Looks good. I'm sure if your attitude matched, you'd definitely impress a certain young lady," he teases. She pushes him angrily, almost losing her temper, before looking around to make sure no one heard.

"Not so loud! It's almost lunch, so you have to run home for your Model Diet. I'm having something brought, so don't worry about me, Adrikins. I'll see you in Geometry in the afternoon." She plants a kiss on his cheek, Sabrina and Alix leaving the classroom to join her.

Marinette flops on her bed, a heavy sigh escaping her. Still in her school clothes, she doesn't bother getting up to change.

"Tikki, why are people so mean?" She groans into her pillow. School had gone on as usual, Chloé's biting remarks hidden from Adrien, which only made him look more like an accomplice. Everyone followed her whims, afraid of her father's power and the blackmail she threatened with.

"Are you talking about Chloé or Adrien?" She pulls the hair out of Marinette's face with only a bit of struggle. "Come on, you're not going to be able to breathe if you keep smothering your face in that pillow."

"Both of them are the worst. They pretend to care at first, then when you tell them your insecurities and are vulnerable with them, they spread rumors and make you lose all your friends." She uses her finger to brush through her messy hair, each knot just making her more frustrated.

"Is that what happened with Chloé? You were friends once?" Tikki wonders curiously.

"I doubt she ever considered me a friend, but yeah. Last year, at the beginning, I was the person who was supposed to help her get settled at school. She was a bit pushy, but she was privileged; I didn't hold it against her. But when I told her I liked a boy, she made sure to date him and told me he was a horrible choice." Marinette covers her face in shame as she relives the moment.

"That's pretty mean. But Adrien hasn't done anything like that to you for you to hate him so easily," Tikki reminds her. Plagg may have odd tastes, but he would never choose a bully as his holder. The stupid cat Kwami had been bold enough to wink at her during class when their owners weren't paying attention.

"I'd rather not wait to find out if he's really as bad as Chloé." She sighs. "I think I need some fresh air. Come on, Tikki." She opens the hatch to the roof porch, Tikki following, and she climbs up.

"Spots on," she murmurs, grabbing the yoyo as soon as it materializes on her hip and throwing it to launch herself away. The cool afternoon air clears her head and lifts her mood as she flies between buildings.

She catches sight of someone sitting on a rooftop—the one Master Fu had introduced himself on—his black costume contrasting with the cream limestone.

"Hey, Cat Noir." She lands beside him, taking a deep breath.

"Rough day?" he asks, patting the spot by him for her to sit.

"You have no idea," she laughs, letting her legs fall over the edge, though she wouldn't be shy to admit that it gave her a bit of a scare to look down.

"Yeah, me too." They come to a quiet understanding, though his loud crunching on chips—when did he get a tube of spicy Pringles?—breaks the silence every few seconds. Though they barely know each other, there is a sort of familiarity between them that makes moments like this not feel awkward.

"You're a girl, right?" Cat Noir starts, his mouth full. He gets a quizical look from Ladybug that had him continuing. "So, uh, totally random and hypothetical question: What do you do if your best friend is mean to the girl they like, and now she thinks you're a jerk too?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she chastises. He swallows and sticks out his tongue. "Do you like this girl?" she wonders.

"More than I like you." He grins, but there's little bite to his words.

"Just stop being friends with the bully. He's probably bad news, and it might rub off on you." She stifles a yawn.

"What if he's the only friend I have? I think everyone doesn't like me by association. But I'm a paw-some person to be around. So thier missing out!" He crosses his arms. He glances at Ladybug for her next bit of advice, despite his constant ignoring of her plans and advice. Maybe he'd take it for once.

"It's not enough that you're different from your friend. You have to prove it. Doing nothing is the same as participating." She puts her hand out, and he puts a chip in her palm, a payment for her advice.

"I guess I really gotta claw my way out of this mess, huh?" he jokes. She rolls her eyes, his shameless and absurd humor ruining the serious and vulnerable moment she thought they had before.

"I can't believe I took you seriously. You act like such a child."

"Technically, I am still a kid. But if I get to keep the mask, I'd be the funniest adult, too." He stretches, his tail flicking lazily.

"How much of a kid?" She asks, slightly concerned. Her suit made her feel more like an adult, with the height increase, muscle definition, and quicker reflexes.

"Old enough to stay up past bedtime, young enough to still get grounded. High school. Whatta 'bout you?" He licks his fingers, getting every last crumb of chip seasoning.

"Same." They watch the sunset in silence. When the stars start to show, she gets up. "I should probably get home, I already missed dinner. It was nice talking to you, Cat Noir."

"Likewise, my Ladybug." He gives a bow before she yo-yos away.

With a new plan of what to do, Adrien arrives at school and searches for Marinette. Luckily, Chloé unknowingly gave him an opportunity to fix things today. He just had to take Ladybug's advice and follow his gut.

"Adrien, over here!" Chloe calls. He follows her, only because Marinette seems to be running late. "Sabrina did your orientation homework. She just needs you to print her name. Luckily, it was multiple choice, but she'll need something you wrote to learn your handwriting. She's very good at forgery, so don't worry about getting caught." She hooks her arm into Adrien's.

Sabrina sparkles at the compliment, holding out the paper for Adrien. Alix and Kim are busy bickering a little way away, which only holds Adrien's attention for a second.

"No thanks, Chlo. I can do my own homework. You should, too. Sabrina can't cover for you forever." He shakes his head. The buzz of talking around them is minimal as people avoid the group. A few give him an odd look, likely after hearing his refusal to accept Chloé's help.

Chloé seems surprised by his response, scoffing softly before replying, "It’s not cheating if Sabrina does it — she loves helping me."

"I-I'm sorry," Sabrina whispers, taking the paper back, crumpling it in her hands.

"Can you ask Mrs. Bustier if we need our reading books today? I preordered mine, and they just came," Chloé orders. Sabrina gives a small smile as she races off to complete the task. Then, in a hushed tone, "You don't know how anything works here, Adrien. People don't just cross me without regretting it. You remember Worths, right? I'm ten times more powerful here. Daddy's money, favors, and secrets are my ticket to breezing through high school, and I offered to share it with you because you're my friend."

"And I'm saying I don't need it. I appreciate it, but I prefer doing my own work. And I'd be really proud of you for trying. You may even surprise yourself if you tried." He catches sight of Marinette walking in through the giant double door entrance, hugging the walls as she makes her way to class. "I'll catch up with you in homeroom. I have to do something first."

"Don't take too long. The bell rings in like two minutes. I'll save your seat," Chloé says softly, taking a deep breath as she pulls her mask back on. "We'll talk about this later." She walks over and grabs Kim's ear, pulling him behind her as he complains about her favoring Alix.

The clumsy girl that he gravitates to trips over her own shoes. No one helps her up, though many seem to notice.

"Hey, do you need a hand?' Adrien offers his. She cautiously takes it, instantly letting go when she is standing. She dusts off her pink plaid skirt.

"What did Chloé send you to do?" She doesn't meet his eyes, hugging herself as some kind of shield.

"I came here of my own free will because I have something for you." He reaches into his back.

"Great," she says sarcastically, mapping out her exits should she need to run.

He pulls out a black ringed book with stickers and doodles on the cover. "I think Chloé knocked it off your desk yesterday. You left before I could return it." He hands the book to her, which she greedily accepts, hugging it to her chest."

"My sketchbook." She finally meets his gaze, finding only a kind expression, instead of the one she imagined he would have.

He clears his throat. "I didn't look at anything, but the cover is so inviting that it was hard to resist," he jokes, but when he doesn't even get a smile, he sighs. "I'm not like Chloé. I know she has a reputation for belittling people she feels threatened by; she was the same way was Worths, but it hasn't rubbed off on me."

"She's definitely not threatened by me," she argues.

"I'm pretty sure she is. She doesn't have a lot of talent on her own, but you seem like a highly creative person. She's probably jealous, among other things. But I won't tell her if you won't." He winks, which earns a little laugh.

"I guess you're a little better. But you should probably look for better company if you don't want to be associated with her." She gives him a final smile and hurries to class. The bell rings as he steps inside after her. He finds Nathanial on the floor, rubbing Chloé's shoes with a buffer, hidden from the teacher by the table.

"Chloé, that's not your seat," he says, softly enough that only Marinette and a few people sitting nearby notice and turn their heads.

"Give me a second and I'll move over," she grumbles, shooing Nathaniel away. Adrien helps him up and hands him the notebook he left on the table.

"This table isn't yours. It's Marinette's spot. You can sit on the other side with Sabrina, but it's not right to kick people out of their chairs." He lets her stare at him agape for a moment, his arms crossed because he means business. "And I'm sitting somewhere else, too." He goes to the front row, where only a boy with a baseball cap sits. "Hi, I'm Adrien, mind if I sit here?" he asks.

"Sure, dude. Anyone who can stand up to Chloe like that is welcome at my table." He moves his bag and offers a fistbump.

"Ugh, you're being so childish. Fine, I'll play your game, but don't forget that I never betrayed you at the other school. Even your cousin chose popularity over being your friend, but I stayed by your side." She gets up quickly and joins Sabrina. "This is the thanks I get for my loyalty," She mutters under her breath.

Marinette shyly takes her place behind Adrien.

"Alright, now that everything has been sorted out," Mrs. Bustier starts, a little surprised by the exchange, but choosing not to dwell on it too much, "I'll let you finish up the orientation homework I gave you yesterday. It will be due on Friday—"

"I'm here!" Alya runs in through the door, her jacket hanging over her shoulder and her hair messy.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Cesare. Is there a reason for your tardiness?"

"I stayed up late watching news footage of the akuma a few days ago and slept through my alarm- oh." She notices Marinette sitting in her old seat and shrugs as she sits beside her. "I'm really sorry, it won't happen again, Mrs. Bustier."

Everyone begins working on thier paper, the light buzz of conversation giving the room a calmer atmosphere after the tenseness from a moment before.

"Hey, girl. What did I miss?" Alya whispers to Marinette.

"You're always so needy, Li. Can't you just accept that your boyfriend is going to let you join the drama club this year? You don't need to try out for a main part. You’re too pretty for your own good. Do you really want people staring at you?. You know how jealous I get." The boy grabs his girlfriend's wrist, holding it tight enough to bruise.

"I'm sorry, Augustin. But you know I love acting. And the play they're performing this year is one of my favorites. At least let me try out. I might not even make it-agh!" A cold slap to her face has her clutching her cheek, tears streaming down her face.

"Don't talk back to me, Li. I said I don't want you acting at all. If you disobey me one more time, I'll make sure you don't get enough money for your mom's medication. Is that what you want? You're already such a charity case. I don't know why you can't understand that." He pulls away. She grabs his sleeve, her eyes pleading.

"I'm sorry. Please, you know how much it means to me. You're everything to me. I owe you so much!" She bites the inside of her cheek, repulsed at how low she's sunk to get her mother the expensive medicine she needs.

"Don't touch me. You're a mess. Don't come back after lunch, I don't want to see you until tomorrow. You've pissed me off." He waves his hand, leaving the girl in the giant school parking lot as he gets into his Bugatti and drives off.

A single teardrop falls from her face.

"If I didn't need him, I would make his life a living hell." She shudders as a purple butterfly flies towards her.

Chapter Text

"It feels so nice to wear a baseball cap again." Alix stretches out on the floor of Marinette's room, a PB&J in her hand.

"Why couldn't you before?" Rose asks.

"It was part of Chloé's rules. I had to look presentable if I wanted to be part of her group. I would've ditched ages ago, but there were too many perks and almost everyone knew my heart wasn't in it." She shrugs.

"It didn't seem like a ruse when you were laughing at Marinette or teasing Nathaniel," Alya objects, sitting next to her best friend defensively.

Alix rolls her eyes, but she does look hurt beneath her tough girl exterior.

"I get it, perks and all, but it must’ve been hard pretending to be okay with what she did," Marinette offers.

"Glad someone understands. But I do have to admit, she throws the best parties. And they're crazy too. I guess I stuck with her for the chaos. Watching her put Kim in his place every day was the best." She chuckles softly.

"She's still awful. Remember what she did for Marinette's birthday last year?" Mylène reminds them.

"Do share." Alya says, at the same time Marinette groans: "Please don't."

"Oh, yeah. She threw a party on the same day. She said everyone in the school could come, and those who missed it would be societal shames." Alix practically recites it.

"And when I confronted her, she feigned ignorance and said I should've invited her to my birthday. Because, of course, she would've come," Marinette adds.

"I'm glad someone stood up to her." Mylène shudders. "And to think it was that boy with her. He must be fighting for the place of Queen Bee."

"He's not!" Marinette says a bit too loudly.

"How would you know that?" Rose asks.

"He's not like Chloé. He stood up to her because she was wrong, not to gain anything." Marinette touches her hair nervously, still not used to having everyone's eyes on her for a positive reason.

"Alix, is that true?" Alya wonders.

"Yeah. I think. He definitely seems nicer than Chlo, and made Sabrina cry when he said he didn't want her to do his homework for him."

"And on Wednesday, he gave me back my sketchbook and apologized for not standing up against Chloé before. He even made me laugh at a silly joke." She smiles as she remembers.

"Oh~" Alya teases.

"What? Why are you giving me that look?" Marinette turns to look at everyone else with a similar expression.

"You defend him so passionately." Rose grins.

"Do you think he's cute? I heard he's a model," Alix asks.

"I mean, I guess he is. He has good bone structure-" Alya and Alix burst out laughing, making Marinette blush brightly.

"Someone has a crush~!" Mylène says excitedly.

"What?! No! He's really nice, but I don't even know him!" Marinette defends herself.

"It's okay, Mari. We support your crush. It's better than when you liked Kim. I'm so glad Chloe dropped him after a week." Alix gags. "No offense."

"None taken." Marinette sighs in resignation. What was the harm in pretending to have a crush on the new model boy?

The courtyard smells like determination and sweat as a softball whizzes by Marinette's head, slamming into the wall behind her.

"Does Max have a grudge against you, or something?" Alya wonders, dodging the next ball.

"No, he's just passionate about dodgeball," Marinette says sarcastically, glancing at Chloé, who was unfortunately put on her team, whom no one is daring to hit. Max is still following her rules to bully Marinette, since he hasn't picked up on the fact that Chloé had been dethroned.

Marinette throws a softball a little hard and gasps when it hits Nino in the stomach, making him double over. Monsieur D’Argencourt blows his whistle, and everyone stills. Adrien runs to Nino's side, helping him up.

"I'm good, dude," Nino says loudly, giving Marinette a thumbs-up for good sportsmanship.

D’Argencourt blows his whistle again, and they resume. But it's Adrien who catches Marinette's eye. He has a determined look on his face as he stares at her, the object of his complete focus. She feels her face warm as he holds the softball, getting in position like a pitcher ready to pitch.

He smiles a little when he sees her expression.

"Marinette!" Alya yells in warning, but she doesn't move. Marinette blocks her face just in time before Adrien's throw hits her shoulder.

"That's my guy!" Nino yells.

"Do not scream, Lahiffe," D’Argencourt lectures.

Marinette leaves the court to stand by Nino, watching Adrien's agile movements with a fascinated focus. Did she actually like Adrien? No, that would be crazy. Just because he was nice to her once wouldn't warrant feelings. It was just the girls getting in her head.

"No hard feelings, dude."Nino offers his fist and she bumps it.

"I don't know." She smiles coyly. "Adrien might not survive Alya's wrath." She watches her best friend throw every softball she can at poor Adrien. When she throws two at once, he finally gets hit in the chest with one.

Adrien runs over to Nino, panting. "How much longer is this period?" he grumbles, though a smile is still on his face. He even grins when he catches Marinette staring at him.

"Like ten minutes. You've only been playing for like 20 and you're sweating all over me, bro. It's PE class, not the Olympics." Nino pushes him away with mock disgust.

"Did you see everyone trying to hit me, though? Chloé must be mad." Adrien grabs a towel from the rack behind them, wiping his neck and drying his hair.

"Yeah. She said something during Life Science when Mrs. Mandelaiv went to get a coffee, but I wasn't really paying attention cause I had my headphones on-" Nino starts.

"She said anyone who sides with Adrien over her can expect a punishment worse than death. She says you had a small fight and will resolve it soon," Marinette explains.

"Not being invited to her party isn't that deep," Nino jokes.

"She made it a big thing because Alix wore her baseball cap to school. She's not part of Chloé's group anymore," Marinette finishes.

"She can be so dramatic. I'll talk to her later when she's in a better mood." Adrien sits on a metal chair that has seen better days, his posture still perfect even when he's lounging. "Hey, Nino. Do you have any of those granola bars you had in history? I'm starving."

"Dude, it was just lunch. Did you not eat or something?" Nino wonders as he searches his hoodie pockets. He hands the bar to Adrien, who eats it polished enough that his father wouldn't scold him, but still like the starving child that he is.

"I just had a salad 'cause I'm modeling a perfume commercial next week."

"You've been eating all my granola bars all day. Did you not get breakfast?" Nino crosses his arms.

"Just a protein smoothie today. Tomorrow I'll probably get a smoothie bowl or yogurt with fruits and nuts." He puts the empty wrapper in the trash next to him. "I'd kill for something sweet and fattening right now. Chloe has to do the same thing, but he father's not as strict. And she watches her figure by herself."

"If you want to split lunches with me on Monday, I'll probably make some stew with like beef or something." Nino shrugs.

"Alix is the last player on you're team," Marinette comments.

"Who hit Max?" Nino asks incredulously, just as Ivan's throw hits Alix's leg.

"That's game!" Mr. D’Argentcout blows his whistle. "Go change in the locker rooms before your next class."

"Looks like your team won, Marinette. Good game." Adrien stands and holds out his hand to shake.

"Oh! Yeah. Game good. I mean, I was already out, but Alya games good. I'm going to go change." Marinette practically trips over her own feet as she stumbles back before running into the locker rooms.

"Is she ok?' Adrien wonders as they follow.

"Marinette's always a little weird. You get used to it. But I think she's still scared of you, dude. Maybe that's why." Nino shrugs, again.

"So I need to make sure she realizes I'm not scary. You should help me out, Nino. Can you?" Adrien does his best puppy dog eyes, which gets him an eye roll.

"Why do you care so much? I mean, Marinette is cool and all, but you only seem to care what she thinks of you." Nino gives him a look.

“It’s not like that. I think Chloe was the worst to Marinette. I’ve already stopped her from making Nathaniel shine her shoes and Ivan from doing her Literature quiz, but I don’t know what she did to Marinette to make her so skittish.” Adrien sighs, opening his locker and chugging his lemon water.

“Well, good luck with that, man. Marinette didn’t even come to class most of last year, so I wouldn’t know.”

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. What witnesses describe as a screaming banshee has been tearing through northern Paris. Her voice can shatter windows, topple cars, even–"

"Miss Césaire, put your phone away. It's the last day before the weekend, then you can be on your devices all you want." The math teacher frowns before writing a geometric sequence on the board.

"This is huge. The new Akuma's powers are sound-based. Imagine the headlines!" she whispers to Marinette, tucking her phone into her pocket.

"Miss Martin, can I go to the bathroom, please?" Marinette jumps up as she asks.

"Fine, Marinette. But one of these days I expect you to sit through an entire lesson without a mysterious emergency.” She pinches the bridge of her nose, clearly frustrated that Marinette is continuing her habit of skipping class like last year. She, of course, doesn't know that last year she was threatened and bullied away from classes, barely passing because Alix secretly brought her the homework.

Marinette is already out the door by the time Miss Martin finishes.

Adrien, having heard Alya whispering, raises his hand very casually. "Actually, I need to go too. This lemon water my dietitian is making me drink just goes right through."

"Yes, go. Anyone else, or can I continue?" she mutters. Adrien politely makes his way out of the room before he runs to the locker rooms. Checking that no one is around, he transforms.

He jumps through the open window above the lockers. He leaps over rooftops and soars through the air as he makes his way to the meeting place he has with Ladybug. He finds her already there, typing on her yoyo phone.

"Hello, m'lady." He greets, spinning his staff impressively and then leaning over it.

"I already located the akuma. I was just waiting for you." She backspaces the message she was going to send to him.

"Going to work again?" he groans. "But I just snuck out of class!"

"Skipping class? What a bad example you are, Cat Noir." She shakes her head with a small smile on her face. "Put your communicator on, I have a plan."

"We communicate just fine without an earpiece." He smirks.

"You're unbelievable."

"Unbelievably charming, maybe." He shrugs, popping the communicator out of his staff and putting it in his ear.

"Unbelievably distracting. Come on, I'll explain my plan on the way." She tosses her yoyo and swings away.

"Sure, plans are good. Good to distract you while I improvise," Cat Noir says before following her.

"I heard that," she mutters through the communicator. "Here's my plan. Her power is sound-based, which means we'll have to try to stay out of her range. We'll watch her from afar, deduce where her akuma may be, and then spring into action with my lucky charm to immobilize her and your cataclysm to destroy her object."

"Or I could test to see how far her screams go and antagonize her into revealing her goal. People are always stupider when their angry," Cat Noir shoots back.

"No! Stick to the plan!" Ladybug yells at him as he passes her, his eyes on the tall creature with long, flowy hair and a deep red layered dress with sparkly sequins. As he gets closer, he sees tear stains on her face.

"Hey, big scary monster! Over here!" he calls.

"I'm not a monster!" It cries, its voice feminine and hurt.

"Then what are you?' He challenges, perching himself on a rooftop to look down on her.

"I am Titanix. You will stay out of my way, or you will pay." She growls, her voice shaking the ground slightly.

"You'll find that I am the best at getting in people's way." Cat Noir jumps off the rooftop. Titanix screams, her voice disorienting him and sending him flying a few blocks.

Ladybug sighs, but takes note of the range of their enemy. "Her voice is like a shockwave. That means her akuma must be close to her body, something she's protecting. We'll need cover if we're going to reach her. Lucky Charm," she whispers, gripping the megaphone and duct tape that appear in her hand.

"I can't really hear you, bug. My head is still ringing, and I'm pretty sure I have brain damage." Cat Noir groans.

"You'll be fine," she replies, swinging over to where he is hiding behind a vending machine, rubbing his forehead.

She hands him the megaphone and swings away, dodging Titanix as she tries to knock her to the ground.

"A Megaphone?"

"Just make noise. I need her to forget about me-"

"You're not the boss of me!" He yells into the megaphone, a giant smile on his lips at the thrill of saying such a phrase. He only regrets it a second later when Titanix finds him and screams at him, flattening him against a building.

"Ugh." He stares at the monster, disoriented and seeing double, when Ladybug swing-kicks the back of her head, sending the giant falling to the ground. She pushes herself up slowly, looking around to find her assailant.

"Hey, Titanix! I'm much more entertaining! And my cataclysm could kill you!" His hand glows with deadly particles as his power is summoned. She hesitates before touching her choker, her dark eyes wide.

"I just want to be heard!" As if someone spurred her on, she starts running towards Cat Noir, a scream building in her chest. Cat Noir stands there, terrified and sure he may die here. Just before she sends him flying, tape suddenly covers her mouth.

"Cat Noir, have you located her akumatized object?" Ladybug yells into the earpiece as she swings around, distracting Titanix.

"Obviously, but if you tell me what to do again, I'll let you handle it by yourself."

"Ugh, you're such a nuisance. Master Fu said we can't defeat an akuma without both of our powers," Ladybug grumbles.

"Then just trust me for once, instead of ordering me around." He hooks the megaphone to his belt and leaps into action, keeping his sparkling hand from touching anything. He uses his stick to trip Titanix, causing her to fall to the ground. He jumps over her and lets his fingers brush her choker before he lands beside her.

As the butterfly emerges from the destroyed object, Titanix transforms into a girl, no older than the teenage superheroes who defeated her.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, tears falling down her face.

"F-for what?' Cat Noir stutters, confused as to why she would apologize. None of the last few victims apologized until Ladybug explained what they had done. Even then, they didn't remember what had happened.

"Ladybug! Ladybug! Over here!" A group of reporters–having seen that the coast is clear- rush to get the latest intel and shots of the superheroine.

Cat Noir stands between them and the girl, helping her up and shielding her from the reporters until she sits on a bench and they lose interest.

"You didn't need to save me." The girl looks him in the eyes, determination on her face.

"What do you mean? You were akumatized, of course, we had to stop you."

"I didn't even find the person I wanted to hurt. I really wasn't causing too much trouble until the news helicopter showed up," she says softly.

"You remember being akumatized?!" His ears perk up with interest.

"Yes. I don't know why. I thought people usually forget." She gives Cat Noir a curious look.

"Yeah. Well, none of my concern. Ladybug likes being in charge and giving me orders, so I don't need to care." He leans back, his posture horrible.

"You don't mind being in her shadow?" The girl asks innocently.

"Ehh. I don't mind not being annoyed with questions from the reporters. I should probably leave before my energy is completely depleted. It was nice to meet you–" He gets up and turns to her.

"Lila."

"Hopefully, I'll see you again, under less dramatic circumstances." He gives her a bow and turns to Ladybug. "I'm off, bug!"

He pushes himself into the air with his staff as she yells, "Cat Noir!"

"So, what was the biggest challenge with this super villain?"

"Are you and Cat Noir related?"

"Can you elaborate on your magical abilities?"

"Are we safe in Paris?"

Ladybug takes a deep breath. "I'm afraid my energy levels are pretty much gone. Bug out," she says sarcastically, a play on Cat Noir's nickname for her. She throws her yoyo and flies over the crowd that's forming, making her escape as quickly as possible. She glances back to see that the girl has gone, the bench empty. Better that she vanished before the press caught her.

"Spots off!" she says as she lands on her balcony.

"Dark wings: fall."

A tall figure turns off the news report as it finishes the piece on Ladybug, switching to the weather. "How interesting," he mutters.

"Master?" A purple kwami whispers shakily.

"Don't rest too easily, Nooroo. Ladybug has revealed her weakness to me. Both of them are just children. Children break so easily."

Chapter Text

The bell for Spanish on Wednesday morning barely rings before Marinette finds herself staring across the room at Adrien. His laugh carries above the chatter of the other students as he listens to Nino try to speak Spanish. She quickly drops her gaze to her notebook, her cheeks burning.

Yes, Adrien was handsome. That was to be expected from a model. That didn't mean Marinette had a crush on him, right?

"Are you drawing hearts in your notebook?" Alya whispers, leaning over her shoulder.

"I-I am not!" Marinette claps the notebook shut so fast the snap echoes in the room, turning everyone's gaze. She lifts her gaze to see Adrien looking at her, giving her a wave.

Maybe it was him who had the crush. He was always friendly with her after all. Unless that was her projecting her feelings on him?

"Girl, just admit it. You've got it bad." Alya smirks.

"I don't!" She protests. When the teacher passes by, she even tries in Spanish, "no tengo…uh …mal amor… por him?"

"Uh-huh. Sure." Alya turns back to her notes.

"Hey, Adrien. I need to ask you something." Alya catches Adrien after Spanish, right before lunch officially starts.

"What is it?" He wonders.

"I was just wondering, what are your plans later this week?"

"I have a modeling gig tonight and a skating championship next Wednesday that I have to go to. Luckily, my dad said I could bring some friends, I think he's expecting me to make up with Chloé–"

"What type of people are usually the friends you go for?" she asks sneakily.

"I don't know. Probably people who are creative and welcoming," he says, thinking of Nino.

"Like Marinette?" Alya asks.

"Yeah, exactly." Not the person he had in mind, but from seeing the doodles on her notebook, she does meet the criteria he mentioned.

"Great. Well, have a good lunch. Thanks for letting me know!" Alya saunters off, practically giddy inside as she thinks of how happy Marinette will be to know that Adrien clearly has a thing for her.

After a moment, Marinette leaves the classroom, distracted by her doodles–not hearts, but a dress design–that makes her one of the last people out. She sees Adrien and fishes in her backpack, pulling out a small paper bag that reads T&C Bakery.

"Adrien?" She taps his shoulder. He turns, his face lighting up when he sees her. He would never have expected her to come to him, still believing that Marinette was scared of him.

"I brought something from the bakery," she says shyly, looking up and immediately getting flustered as she holds out the bag. "My choquettes by my parents and macarons… me. You don't have to like it–I mean, try it. Sample set!" She thrusts the bag into his hands, mentally face-palming.

He stares at the bag for a second, surprised that she would remember the comment he made on Friday.

"Wow, thanks, Marinette. I've never tried choquettes, but I'll be happy to let you know what I think." He gives her a bright smile before turning to see the clock tell him that he'd better be moving. "I'd better run, I'll see you after lunch!"

"O-ok!" She turns and sighs in relief.

"Wow, only a week in and you're already drooling over my man." Chloé's voice makes her instinctively tense up.

"I wasn't drooling–" Marinette starts, touching her mouth just to make sure, though. Her hands form shaky fists that she holds against her stomach to try to ground her.

"It's a figure of speech, Marinette." She rolls her eyes, but Marinette notices this is one of the first times she uses her name. "Just don't try anything, we all know what happened last time you liked a boy." She passes with a hair flip, turning slightly to say one more thing, "Though I do applaud you for… having better tastes this time. A pity he'll never like you back."

Marinette's face is flushed by the time Chloé is gone.

"Marinette!" Alya calls, and the other girls in their class are already around her.

"Marinette, your face is so red. Is it from talking with Adrien?" Rose asks. She already has a bright and dreamy expression just from the idea.

Marinette twists her hair nervously, an action the other girls take as a yes. Alix gives a smug smile, if only because she has been helpful in this ship being formed. Alya wraps her arms around Marinette in a suffocating hug while Mylène smiles softly.

Rose squeals with excitement, bumping into someone as she spins.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she says earnestly, looking up at the shy girl with dark hair and a streak of purple. She mutters something almost indistinguishable, sounding like an "I'm sorry", as she backs away.

"There you are, Jules." A boy with blue hair, piercings, and black nail polish on his nails wraps an arm around the shy girl. "Making friends?" He jokes.

"…bumped into me," she whispers, pointing slightly at Rose.

"Sorry, she's a little shy. Jules is sorry for bumping into you…"

"Rose. And it really was my fault! I just got super excited because Marinette is falling in love!" She giggles a little, looking at Marinette. Luka glances around at the entire group, his eyes snagging on Marinette fumbling with her shirt.

"You guys are too cute. Come on, Jules." He pulls her away, Juleka glancing back to see Rose for only a second.

"Who are they?" Alya asks, watching them go.

"Luka and Juleka. They're seniors, ugh," Alix mutters, annoyed that they called them "cute". She definitely was the shortest in the group, hardly rivaled by Mylène and Rose, but she was anything but cute.

After a lunch filled with gossip and giggling, Marinette wipes the sweat from her brow as Alya takes the basketball to the basket, scoring a perfect backboard shot.

"Come on, Marinette, we're gonna lose if you keep stopping," Alix calls, intercepting Ivan's bounce pass and racing towards the basket. Max doesn't even try too hard to keep her from throwing, her height a huge disadvantage.

Adrien passes her to catch the rebound. "Yeah, Marinette. You're supposed to guard me." He grins, his tone teasing, and he dribbles towards her. Alya, the captain of her team, was the one who put Marinette on Adrien-guarding-duty. She puts her hands up to block him, but he twists around her and shoots.

"Marinette, stop him!" Nino yells, her benched teammate suffering a twisted ankle from trying to guard Adrien before.

Adrien high-fives Rose, who knows nothing about basketball, but is still happy they're winning.

By the end of the game, Adrien is named MVP, with the most baskets, steals, and, if Alya's teasing was anything to go by, hearts won. He gives the other team handshakes of good sportsmanship, fist-bumping Marinette when she panics at the idea of holding his hand.

"See, Marinette. He's perfect for you!" Alya teases before they head into geometry. And after 50 minutes, they both gather their books for a study hall period, since Philosophy was only on Thursdays and Fridays.

"Hey, Adrien. Do you and Nino want to join us for study hall?" Alya asks sweetly as she catches up to them.

"Sure. Nino wanted to hang out in the art classroom, if that's okay with you guys." He smiles.

"Of course." Alya pulls Marinette to follow the boys to the art classroom, where several students of all grades are painting, drawing, talking, or listening to music. A kid with blue hair plays a guitar, and a hear with a pink streak in her blond hair paints. The atmosphere is relaxed and creative, with the buzz of chatter hardly distracting. They take a seat at an empty table.

"So, Adrien. Tell me more about this championship you have to go to. Marinette was just telling me about her designs for winter attire that I thought would look great on the ice." Marinette tries to protest, but Alya gives her a reassuring wink.

"Oh, that's really cool, Marinette. A girl from my old school, a family friend, I guess, is competing, and my father is having me go to support her. I'm not really a fan of skating, but at least Natalie convinced my dad to let me bring some friends." He gives Marinette a hopeful look, as if waiting for her to say she's like to go.

"You should take Marinette! I'm sure you'd both have tons of fun!" Alya claps her hands once.

"Sorry, but I'm his plus one-" Nino starts before Alya kicks him under the table. Marinette grabs her shoulder and whispers something to her while Adrien makes sure Nino is ok.

"I can't go on a date with Adrien!" she whispers angrily, twisting her pencil between her fingers.

"Why not? It's perfect. All you have to do is make conversation. And even if you mess up or stutter, he seems really understanding." Alya gives her a nudge that almost makes Marinette fall out of her chair.

"I'd only go if you went with Nino. But if you did, he'd talk about his music the whole time and you'd be bored to death." Marinette smiles, thinking she's won.

"Of course I'll go. Then I'll get to see your progress with Adrien." Alya sits up straight. "Do you have enough room for three extra people?"

Adrien brightens. "Of course. The more the merrier."

Over the rest of the week, Marinette considered pretending to be sick. When that didn’t feel dramatic enough, she considered faking her death. And when even that seemed too subtle, she considered just actually dying. Alya, of course, calls her bluff and has her dad pick up Marinette.

"If it isn't Miss Dupain-Cheng. Alya's been talking about you the entire week." The man chuckles. He has a zoo uniform that Marinette notices but whether it's cleaning lion cages or being a tiger tamer, she didn't need to know. Something else seemed to be a pressing matter.

"Whatever about?" She says, glaring at her friend next to her.

"I had to give him context so he'd agree to drive us to the skating rink. A good reporter informs her people."

"A reporter? Please. More like a gossip," Marinette teases.

"Either way, I just got a thousand views on my first reporter video about Ladybug and Cat Noir." She shows her phone to Marinette, some news footage of Cat Noir helping the "Titanix" girl up, shielding her from reporters with an angry frown on his face.

Marinette didn't remember him doing that. She thought he had disappeared after the fight, but in the video, he sits by the girl and talks with her, his gestures dramatic and sarcastic, though no one knows what he's saying. Alya appears in the next frame, commenting on Ladybug's resourcefulness and Cat Noir's compassion.

"Cat Noir is not compassionate," Marinette scoffs. "He probably just wanted to get away from the reporters."

"How would you know? Because of that one news station that caught the two bickering? I've estimated their ages to be just over ours. Maybe seniors. They could even go to our school! How cool would that be?" Alya grins.

"They look more like adults, though. And if you rewatch the footage, it's just Cat Noir telling Ladybug to stop telling him what to do while Ladybug makes good plans." Marinette crosses her arms.

"You might be right. Maybe I'll cover something like that in my next video."

"Alright, girls. We're here." The car stops by the curb, and the two girls jump out swiftly.

"I'll text Nino that we're here," Marinette offers, pulling out her phone.

"No need. I think that's Adrien's limo parking over there. Maybe we can ask for a ride home in that thing, huh?" Alya bumps her shoulder playfully before making her way to the long vehicle. Marinette drags her feet, but eventually catches up to see Nino fist-bumping Adrien before Alya starts dragging him away.

"W-wait! Where are they going?" Marinette asks no one in particular, since their already lost to the crowd.

"Alya said they were going to see if there were snacks inside and get us some good seats. I don't think she realized I had the tickets for all of us." He frowns slightly, scanning the crowd for Alya and Nino as if he could make them appear. "We should probably catch up."

"Y-yeah. Of course," Marinette stutters as Adrien leads them, a bodyguard and a pristine lady with a clipboard, dressed in red, following.

Inside the Ice Skating Rink is a beautiful set of trophies of past events, medals for every level imaginable, pictures of happy skaters, and an enthusiastic lady at the desk.

"The rink is closed for a competition today. You can buy tickets online if you'd like to watch. We have a rare gem performing today. Miss Tsurugi is the pride of Paris," she says cheerfully.

"There you are, dude. She's not letting us through. And she said there's no snacks." Nino complains as he hugs Adrien, fake crying on his shoulder.

"Mr. Lahiffe, please refrain from making physical contact with Adrien," the woman says coldly.

"Come on, Natalie, he's my bro. Let me hug my bro." He huffs with annoyance, but fixes his face when he sees Alya looking at him.

"Sorry, Nino. I'll give you a hug at school tomorrow, but today I'm supposed to be taking candid shots. They said they'd edit you guys out if they accidentally catch you in a shot, so don't worry," Adrien apologizes.

"Let's get inside before the competition begins." Natalie gives a look to the receptionist, which has her straightening and loseing her bright smile. "Agreste box, please."

The lady nods and leads them to a set of stairs that lead to a glass box overlooking the length of the rink. It's separated into a few private rooms, likely for other rich families' viewing pleasure. Alya sits in the second row, pulling Nino next to her. Adrien raises a brow but doesn't say anything as he sits in the front row.

Alya nods her head, encouraging Marinette until the nervous girl sits next to the model.

"S-so. Which skater is you're f-friend?" Marinette asks, trying to make small talk.

"Kagami," Adrien replies flatly. "We went to the same school, but I don't really know if we were ever friends. We fake-dated to appease our parents for a time. She does fencing and martial arts, too." He slumps a little until Natalie clears her throat, making him straighten. A soft camera shutter clicks, but from where, only Natalie knew.

"Oh." Marinette picks at her nails, feeling awkward. A horn blares, and some music plays as the competition starts. The first few skaters are at lower levels, doing simple choreography alone or with a partner.

Marinette mentally judges their outfits to keep herself from being bored to death.

"Hey, Marinette?" Adrien says softly.

"Y-yeah?" She panics.

"Make me laugh."

"What?" She blinks a few times.

"Everyone loves pictures of cute model-boys laughing. Chloé used to be in charge of that, but she's not very funny." He smiles a little, running his hand through his hair carefully, to not ruin the work spent on his styled curls.

"O-oh, uh, knock knock?" Marinette starts, overthinking as she racks her brain for the most absurd joke.

"Who's there?"

"The interrupting cow." He gives her a suspicious look, clearly never having heard this joke before.

"The interrupting-"

"MOO!" Marinette gets in his face with a smile, forgetting her nerves for a second as she delivers the punchline of her joke.

Adrien laughs, covering his mouth politely. No wonder his fans liked his laugh; it was contagious and adorable, with a little snort when he couldn't breathe.

"I-it wasn't that funny." Marinette looks around, smothering her own laugh.

"That's what makes it hilarious. You were so invested in it, but it was only a little funny." He wipes a tear from his eye, smudging a bit of his makeup.

"You got a little-" She points to his eye.

"My eye?" He dabs it gently, looking at his dirty finger when he's finished. "Natalie, I did it again." He says with a guilty smile. His father's assistant crouches by his chair and wipes the part under his eye, fixing his hair and collar while she's there.

"They can always edit the pictures. It's not bad now. Next time I'll bring the team." She smooths her skirt as she stands and returns to her place beside the giant bodyguard.

"Of course." Adrien gives her a fake picture-perfect smile. They return their eyes to the championship, medium-level skaters now showing off complicated moves and beautiful dances on the ice.

Finally, a name is called that catches Marinette's attention: "From the Advanced skaters, we have Miss Kagami Tsurugi and Mr. Augustin Dupont from Institut Worths!" The two skaters glide into the center of the ice. The music starts, and as if being hypnotized, Marinette cannot pull her eyes away from the pair.

Kagami is not what she imagined. Instead of a sleek and thin woman with long blond hair and blue eyes that Marinette assumed would be Adrien's "fake" girlfriend, the girl has a muscular but still feminine build, with cropped dark blue hair. She spins and leaps across the ice, her partner nothing more than a pretty decoration as he suspends her in the air and twirls her.

Suddenly, Kagami hits the floor with a sharp cry. Adrien stands up in shock, glancing at Natalie. Marinette hardly saw what happened, but it looked like her partner misstepped and sent her crashing to the floor.

Adrien runs to the door, Natalie not quick enough to stop him, but she does follow. He races past the people guarding the performer's entrance, his famous face and a quick smile enough to disarm him and let him pass. He finds a few medical professionals around Kagami, her foot elevated.

"Are you okay?" He asks as he approaches her.

"Don't get anywhere near me. The photographers are enjoying this too much, and I won't let you get in on the scandal." She looks over at her partner, who is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking perfectly bored.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave," someone says. "Performers and staff only."

Kagami looks down, trying to hide her tears from the cameras, Adrien knows. He lets himself be led away, glancing back just in time to see a glowing butterfly land on her hairpin and get absorbed.

"Everyone, get away!" He yells. Kagami looks up at him with tearful eyes as she transforms. Everyone backs away, some running, some freezing as they recognize what has happened.

"She's been akumatized!" Someone yells. Adrien runs to her, no longer being led away.

"Kagami!" He yells.

Chapter Text

"Everyone, get away!" He yells. Kagami looks up at him with tearful eyes as she transforms. Everyone backs away, some running, some freezing as they recognize what has happened.

"She's been akumatized!" Someone yells. Adrien runs to her, no longer being led away.

"Kagami!" He yells, tensing when she turns to look at him. Her red leotard is now an icy blue, black, and white, which complements her new snowy hair.

"Leave me alone!" The floor turns to ice, making him slip and fall. Plagg is in his bag in the viewing room, eating the cheese he took before coming.

"Watch out!" A red figure swings in, grabbing Adrien and pulling him to safety. He holds on for dear life, still looking at Kagami as she turns to find someone.

"Ladybug! Her name is Kagami, she's my friend! I can reason with her!" He begs as she sets him down on the other side of the stadium, now empty as people run amok to find cover.

"I'll try to save her as soon as possible. I just need to tell Cat Noir to come here, and I'll go after her right away," she promises. She switches her yoyo to her bug phone, writing out a message for her partner. "I just wish I could contact him more easily. He only gets my messages when he's transformed," she mutters.

Adrien mentally stores this information as he slips away, finding the Agreste viewing room empty.

"Plagg?" He whispers.

"Yeah, I heard the screaming. Let's get this over with so I can finish eating." The cat Kwami waits for the boy to come to him. He transforms quickly and rushes back out to the rink, seeing Ladybug swing by.

"Sorry, I'm late, M'lady. Did I miss the whole show?" He jokes.

"That was fast. Come and help me catch up to her. She went that way!" Ladybug yells.

"Ugh." He complains, but follows her. He tries to use his staff to push himself into the air, but it slips on the ice, sending him crashing to the ground loudly. "Me-ouch." He's flat on the ground, his chin and knees bruised from falling on his stomach. He looks up to see a flash of icy blue and white hair.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug jumps down and slips on the ice, falling on her butt.

"I saw the akumatized girl. She's going to the front doors," He groans.

"She's likely already outside by now." Ladybug pushes herself up, wobbling before she's able to stand. Cat Noir does the same, finding that his feet aren't sliding.

"Hey, my boots have claws! Look, I'm not slipping." He takes a few steps, solid as if walking on normal ground.

"Must be nice." Ladybug takes a step, nearly falling before Cat Noir catches her wrist, pulling her up and towards him. He grabs his stick from the ice before he puts a hand on her back, giving her a hard shove that sends her gliding to the entrance.

"Let's go!" Cat Noir passes her, jumping off the wall because he can. He passes the empty receptionist desk, glancing back to see if Ladybug is coming, and writes Cat Noir in the guestbook.

"Stop fooling around!"

Outside, the ground is ice, a few pedestrians' ankles and cars are frozen, and giant icicles decorate the sidewalks. She checks her bug-phone for the news.

"-Name is Glacia. This once skating star is at the Eiffel Tower, searching for her skating partner. It's easy to see this super villain's motive, but behind her power, what does Monarch want?"

Without saying a word, both of them race to the Eiffel Tower, finding the girl skating under it.

Cat Noir lands gracefully, Ladybug grabbing his arm as she slips beside him.

"If it isn't the cat and bug?" Glacia says, her tone bored. "Monarch said you would come. But I don't care. I just need to find Augustin, and all of this can be over."

"How about finishing early. Doesn't your ankle hurt, Snowy?" Cat Noir taunts, his grin wide.

"I cannot feel pain like this. Do you really want me to be in pain and unable to get my revenge? Augustin dropped me. I will drop him from the top of the tower." She backs into the elevator, the doors closing before Ladybug can catch her balance enough to try to pursue her.

"Do you think he's already up there?" Cat Noir asks.

"That would mean she was waiting for us here. It might be a trap. Stick together." She grabs her yoyo with her free hand, but he pushes her away from him.

"I was born to avoid traps. You'll probably slow me down." He jumps up the leg of the tower, climbing like a cat would. Ladybug makes angry fists before taking a deep breath and sending her yoyo flying. She lands on the first floor to find Cat Noir's hand frozen to a beam and Glacia nowhere in sight.

"Uh, maybe call your lucky charm?" He asks sheepishly.

"Lucky Charm." A blowtorch lands in her hand. She pulls the handle, and a steady stream of fire melts the ice. Cat Noir pulls free, giving her a salute before climbing again.

Ladybug throws her yoyo, and while swinging up, grabs Cat Noir by the waist, carrying him as her yoyo retracts and pulls them higher.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Staying together."

He crosses his arms but doesn't struggle or try to escape. They make it to the top of the tower, where Glacia is standing with a boy hugging the railing.

"Let go, you're embarrassing yourself-" She catches sight of the superheroes, a glare sent their way.

"I bet my tail the akuma's in her hairpin." Cat Noir grins. Ladybug looks at the villain. She has earrings, a necklace, a hairpin… he's just guessing, she thinks.

"Get the boy somewhere safe, I'll subdue Glacia," Ladybug says. Glacia suddenly makes the floor ice, and Ladybug falls as Cat Noir runs to the surprised supervillain, calling for a cataclysm.

"Don't touch it unless you're sure!" Ladybug yells.

"I'm sure!" He jumps up to grab the pin with his safe hand, grabbing Glacia's hand and spinning her to disorient her. Augustin runs to the elevator, pressing the button urgently.

"I wonder what happens if I wear it." Cat Noir places the pin in his hair.

"Hello, Cat Noir," a deep voice greets. It's smooth and silky, an alluring combination that has Cat Noir hesitating to take the hairpin off. The voice screams power. It promises all your deepest, darkest desires fulfilled, and Cat Noir can feel his guard falling for a second. Without thinking, he throws the hairpin, nearly making it fly off the top of the tower, had Ladybug not caught it.

"What's wrong? What happened?!" She asks, holding onto the railing to keep herself upright.

Cat Noir's breathing is heavy, and his pupils are wide. Was he almost akumatized? He feels a spike of panic at the thought, his ears twitching wildly while his tail swipes back and forth against the ice. What would he have done if he hadn't been smart enough to throw the object? Would he have hurt Ladybug? Would he have killed her?

"Cat Noir!"

He comes back to his senses as Glacia reaches Ladybug, who throws the akumatized object into Cat Noir's glowling hand. He catches it without looking, and it breaks, the butterfly flying out.

"Do you want to remember all the damage you've caused?" A voice whispers in Kagami's head as her object is broken.

"Yes." She silently replies, knowing that carrying the guilt was a small punishment for letting her emotions control her. The reprimand from her mother would be the only thing that actually scared her. She would be better, never allowing her emotions to control her to the point of being akumatized. Never again.

Ladybug catches the butterfly, freeing the purified creatures before using the blowtorch from her hip to melt a path to Cat Noir, who still seems out of it.

"I heard him," he says. "Monarch."

"This is what you get for doing stupid things like putting on an akumatized object!" Ladybug flicks him in the head, but he doesn't so much as flinch.

"I'll take Miss Tsurugi back to the skating rink. I was watching the show, so my stuff is still there," he says softly.

"Cat Noir, don't brush me off. We're partners. If you want to talk about it, I'll take her back, and you get yourself a snack to recharge, and we'll talk." When he still stares at the ground, not answering, she grabs his face gently. He instantly comes back, his face red when he meets her eyes.

"No, I'm fine. I'll probably visit Master Fu after I get home. I'll tell him what happened." He offers a slim smile and walks over to Kagami, who is watching the interaction with worried interest.

"Do you want to go back to the match?" He asks, a fake cheery grin on his face.

"Eww, don't smile at me. But yeah. I've always wanted to fly through the air." She stands, her skates heavy, but weightless as Cat Noir picks her up.

"You can use that torch to free the cars and civilians we saw by the rink and anywhere near the Eiffel Tower." He says.

"I hit two cars and six people. I might have frozen a dog, too, but don't feel obligated to save the creature." Kagami informs them.

Cat Noir jumps from the tower, flying down with a rush of adrenaline. He lands roughly on his feet, knees bent, and, magically, no bones broken. Of course, he had tested out how far he could fall without getting hurt a few times since he got his suit, and besides a little soreness in his legs, they were practically invincible.

"So you remember?" He asks.

"Monarch gave me the option to remember. I'm guessing the last few people chose to forget." She shrugs.

"Maybe." Just as Cat Noir takes a few steps, the elevator dings. He turns to see Augustin, the boy shaking like a leaf, looking at them.

"I almost forgot about him." Cat Noir says.

"My leg hurts too much to forget. But go over there just to give him a scare." Kagami tells him. Of course, mischief was something Cat Noir could never turn down, since Adrien was practically forbidden from anything that would ruin his image.

He sets Kagami on a bench and runs over to Augustin, circling him with a lashing tail. "Hey, DuPont." He grins.

"C-cat Noir… L-let me go. I'm not a villain. I just made a little mistake. Kagami was the one who nearly killed people!" He stammers, stuck on the ice that Ladybug and the sun haven't melted through. Though it's late in September, with a cool breeze, the sun is still out, and the ice will be gone soon enough.

"You know, Ladybug is the one who follows all the rules and has a strong moral compass. I couldn't care less about ensuring the safety of every Parisian." He stops circling to look down at the boy. With nearly a foot over him, Augustin looks up to meet the cat's gaze.

"Keep that in mind before you hurt someone as amazing as Kagami. But if you see the brat Felix, just know I'll do nothing to stop you from giving bullying your all for him." Cat Noir trots off happily, knowing Felix would knock him down so quickly, but also not caring about giving his cousin extra stress.

No one could tie him to Felix from a comment like that. As far as the press knew, the two were on excellent terms, but many people didn't like the quiet kid who skipped two grades and was invited to the best parties.

"I-I'll never bother her again!" Augustin yells, slipping on the ice roughly. Cat Noir ignores him as he picks Kagami back up, carrying her back like a knight carries a princess.

Would a knight carry a princess? Cat Noir wonders. He steps into the building, where people have started gathering again. He nearly flinches when he sees Natalie, but she only spares him a glance as she glares at the receptionist, who swears she hasn't seen Adrien.

"You can leave me in the locker room. My mother will be here shortly." Kagami points to the large door, and Cat Noir obeys, pushing the door with his back and setting the girl on the seats.

"Are you going to be ok? Not that I care too much, but it's in the job, you know?" He scratches the back of his head, remembering that he isn't Adrien. And as smart as Kagami is, she would never see her former classmate in Cat Noir.

"Of course. I'm fine. The doctor said it was a sprain and I should keep it elevated and iced. My mother will make all the arrangements," she says. He nods and slips out of the room. He finds a safe place to detransform, feeling the exhaustion fall on his shoulders now that Plagg doesn't power him.

"Did you leave some cheese in the bag?" Adrien whispers.

"Yeah, I'm not a glutton."

Adrien slips into the Agreste room, finding it empty. He puts Plagg in the bag and walks out as if nothing happened. Natalie will be worried, but she'll be fine if he takes a few more minutes.

"Kagami?" He opens the door to the lockers, finding Kagami and her mother there, the blind woman turning as she hears Adrien enter.

"Agreste, I thank you for caring about my daughter, but your pretenses are no longer needed." Her voice is cold.

"I'm not pretending. I'm genuinely worried. Kagami took a really bad fall, and I still care, even if we aren't friends anymore." He gives her a kind grin.

"We do not want your pity. My daughter has disgraced my name, and I would prefer if you-"

"Kagami did nothing wrong. If anything, her partner dropped her. Maybe next time, ensure that your daughter has a competent partner." Adrien walks over to Kagami and offers her his hand. "I'll help you walk to your car." He slings her arm over his shoulders and puts his hand on her back, taking half her weight as she hops out of the room by him.

"Thank you." She whispers, her vulnerability calculated.

"Neither of us can stand up to our parents, so maybe we can help each other out now and then." He thanks the person who holds the door for them, and they slowly make their way to the red limo Ms. Tsurugi insists on riding everywhere. It's said to be the peak of car technology in Paris, but few people trust AI cars.

"I suppose your father will like how his son helped his future daughter-in-law walk to her car. But I will kill you if you tell Chloé or Felix that I let you." She gives him a cold glare that makes him shiver.

"I'm sure they saw it on the news. And there are likely people taking pictures right now.

"This is why I told you we have to keep our distance. We're not dating anymore. We made our breakup public. At least pretend that carrying me is a chore." She puts on a mask of indifference as someone's camera clicks loudly.

"Kagami, Kagami, must you wound me with your cruel words. My shoulders ache, and my hand is burning from the heat of your hatred." He chuckles.

"Stop being so comfortable with me. I think I see your group. Natalie and Gorilla are waiting for you with some other kids." She notices one girl looking at them with curiosity. Did this girl like Adrien? Kagami hopes that Adrien has found someone else to distract him from her, even if it is someone from his new school. She was pretty and looked genuine enough not to like Adrien for his fame.

"You're a fool, Adrien. But sometimes, I suppose fools are useful."

Marinette watches as Adrien helps the girl walk to a bright red limo. He seems perfectly at ease with her, laughing a little, though she looks like she wants to strangle him. She even looks over at Marinette and the others, making eye contact with Marinette.

"Wow, competition is fierce," Alya comments, giving Marinette a nudge. "Jealous?"

"Nooo?" Marinette shrugs. Was she jealous? That would be ridiculous. She didn't even actually like Adrien. Right? She looks back at the boy as he waves to the car and walks over to them.

"Sorry, Natalie." He lowers his head apologetically before meeting her gaze.

"I didn't say anything." Which was the closest she would come to saying he did well. She leads the group down the road to where the bodyguard and limo are waiting. Alya grabs Marinette's arm excitedly.

"Do you girls have a ride?" Natalie asks.

"Nope." Alya grins. Nino pulls Adrien aside, his demeanor nervous, which instantly has Adrien cautious.

"I, uh, can I ask you something? Like… of the record? You forget it as soon as I finish." Nino looks around, noticing that Alya has already pulled Marinette inside the car, Natalie distracted as she tells her to stop touching things.

"Sure." Adrien pulls him a little further from the vehicle. "What's up?"

"It's about Alya. I think… I think I like her, dude. Like, really like her. But she's, you know, Alya. She's smart, funny… scary sometimes–" Nino starts.

"Sounds perfect. What's the problem?" Adrien wonders, his tired smile wide as he forces himself to give every ounce of his attention to his friend.

"Well, during the match she said she finds skating boring, and me too, man. I just came to hang out with you, but she insisted I sit with her. I offered to let her hear the tracks I made, cause I panicked. She said yes, dude. The whole time, until Kagmi-"

"Kagami." Adrien corrects gently, gesturing for him to continue.

"Yeah, her. Until she fell, Alya listened to my stuff, and she said she liked it. She even gave me some feedback on the music I was having trouble with. But, like, I don't know if I should tell her I like her. She's too great to date someone like me, but I've already thought of marrying this girl, Adrien!" He grabs Adrien's shoulders and shakes him, further driving his point. "What do I do?" Adrien thinks for a moment.

"Most of my life, I've been told what to say and what not to say. I think the only thing worse than saying the wrong thing… is saying nothing at all. You don't have to tell her anything right now. Sort your feelings first. But do let her know. Even if she's not interested, that doesn't mean she doesn't like you. You're a cool guy, who wouldn't like you?" Adrien gives him a playful shove.

"Man, you're too good. Bet you've had girlfriends lined up since kindergarten," he jokes back.

"Whatever makes you take my advice, dude." Adrien heads back to the limo, almost stumbling on the curb before stepping into the vehicle, where Natalie has settled the girls and is waiting for him. He smiles when he sees Nino sit across from Alya, glancing around nervously while she's focused on Marinette. He lets out a tired sigh, leaning back in his seat. He zones out for a moment, enjoying the quiet car ride, with the gentle buzz of Alya making soft conversation with anyone who will listen.

Marinette is pulling at the hem of her shirt, finding a loose string and pulling at it. She looks up to see Adrien looking at her, which makes her jump. With her attention, he puts a finger to his lips to tell her to keep quiet and nods to his right. Marinette looks to see Nino saying something and Alya laughing.

She looks back at Adrien, who has a satisfied smile on his face. She wondered if Adrien smiled like that at Kagami, too. "Do you think she knows?" He asks.

"She has no clue."

Chapter Text

Ladybug takes a deep breath of fresh Paris air, finally calming herself after several days of paranoia, waiting for the next akuma to attack. Glacia made the news, as well as theories of Adrien getting back with his ex, Miss Tsurugi. That, with homework and fake-crushes, left her stressed.

She could've melted into that blissful quiet, but a rustle catches her attention. She turns just in time to see Cat Noir a second away from scaring her, a plastic bag in his hand.

"Too loud. Even those cushioned paws cover nothing if you don't try." She warily eyes the bag, wondering whether the suspiciously ordinary plastic bag has snacks or trouble.

"Aww, come on. It's your heightened senses. I was very quiet. But it doesn't matter. I'll scare you some other time. Right now, I'm sure your curiosity is killing you." He holds up the bag, waving it in front of her as he sits next to her.

"I think I'll live." She says, turning her eyes back on her beloved city.

"You're no fun. I'll tell you anyway. I was going to get walkie-talkies, but then I thought–if we try to communicate with each other in the middle of class, we'd reveal our identities. So…" He pulls out two new devices, still in their cases.

Ladybug blinks. "You got us phones?"

"Brand new ones," he says proudly. "I went inside the store in costume and they gave me 50% off if I got a plan for them. No need to repay me. And it only made a dent in my allowance."

"What kind of allowance do you have?! Is this the newest model?" Ladybug takes the one he offers her, opening it up to see a rose gold colored device.

"I have no idea how much allowance is normal, but yeah."

"You already put in my information-" Ladybug almost laughs when she sees her "full name" is Lady Bug.

"I put 18 as your age so you have access to everything. And I put each other's numbers in our phones. I was really bored last night, and nobody noticed the light on in my room." He gives her a goofy grin. She looks down at the device, tears almost coming to her eyes. She wants to laugh at his silly smile, but she feels overcome with emotion. She feels… seen.

"This was really sweet, but what prompted something like this?" She wipes her eyes just to make sure. Cat Noir always seemed to add to her stress, and yet in such a simple action, he makes her feel like she wasn't alone.

"You keep nagging me about checking my messages on my cat-phone, so I got us ones that work even when we're not in costume. And I really don't know what to do with my money besides give to charities."

"You're secretly a softie, you know that? You pretend to hate plans and want to do everything your way, but you just want to feel free. You can do that while still following the rules. And having phones will make things more orderly, not less." He does a dramatic gasp of fake surprise before crossing his arms. She sends him a text that makes his phone light up.

>Heyy kitty

"Eww, don't call me that." Cat Noir stands up quickly, putting the trash in the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "And don't text me after 9, I have a strict bedtime to ensure that I still look this gorgeous in the morning." He puts a hand under his chin, batting his lashes like the model he is, though Ladybug of course thought he just looked stupid.

Then he jumps from the roof, landing gracefully and throwing his trash in the nearest dumpster.

"Akumatized?" Fu's voice was concerned. Adrien had snuck out to secretly visit the old guardian, regarding the incident that happened a few days before.

"Not exactly. I heard his voice and felt how easily it would be to accept the power he offered. It was terrifying." Adrien shivered. Fu opened the door to the courtyard behind his house, protected by tall trees and tall fences.

"Sit," Fu ordered, gesturing to the cushion on the floor. Adrien did as he was told, his eyes scanning the scene for any hidden danger.

"What do I do about almost getting akumatized? You're not going to take back my miraculous, are you?!" He touched the ring with his thumb, spinning it slightly.

"No. Both you and Ladybug have proven yourself in your own way. Though I do have a few comments for both of you about trying to unbalance the other. Order without chaos is dictatorship, and chaos without order is anarchy." He pulled out a thin bamboo stick.

"So, I got to follow more rules, and Ladybug needs to follow… less?" Adrien asked with curiosity, twisting Master Fu's words a bit because he was genuinely curious.

Fu ignored him as he grabbed a thin bamboo stick. "You said you were almost akumatized. What is your desire that would warrant such a temptation?" Fu circled him while Adrien thought, trying to put into words what only his heart knew.

"I want to see my mother again. I want my father to love me. I want to know if my friends are actually there because they care about me, or if someone planted them by my side, or if they want to use me. I want Ladybug to stop hating me, I want to be able to be funny and charismatic as Adrien, but I so much as smile and people are already drooling. I want to understand myself, not just the shell my father carved for me." Adrien hugged himself tightly, his expression grim. He looked up to see Fu watching him carefully, Plagg sitting on his shoulder, and watching the boy too. While he felt relieved to get the words off his chest, a sort of anxiousness filled him as he waited for Master Fu's response.

"You think you do not know yourself? Well, Cat Noir is not who you are either. He is a fictional fantasy you have been playing into to feel the thrill of breaking rules and saying no." Fu slapped the stick on the ground. "The rule following boy who loves basketball and peace is the same boy who loves adrenaline and freedom. You can be both extremes, but don't focus all your time on perfecting yourself as Cat Noir. Allow yourself to like being Adrien."

Adrien started to say something before he was cut off. "That is all. You may leave until you need me again." A slight relief was evident in Adrien's gait as he walked out. Fu's words echoed in his mind. Maybe Cat Noir was a mask, much like Adrien felt his personality was. But for now, the mask felt right.

"You must go with him, Plagg," Fu said.

"You agree that I made a good choice. He is much better than–" Plagg started.

"You needn't say his name. I know."

Adrien waited for Plagg to slip into his bag before he made his way to an empty alleyway. He fished out his wallet and left the bag on the ground.

"Claws out." He whispered. Looking both ways, he walked back out as if nothing had happened. He whistles as he walks through town, not a care in the world. Most people were rushing home from work, some gawking at the cat superhero casually strolling through town.

"Would you like to upgrade to our unlimited plan with Orange. We offer a 5G network– Cat Noir?" A monotone voice suddenly perked up when he saw the hero.

"Do you have a superhero discount? I'm trying to get some better communication between me and the bug, but we can really only get the best." He leaned on the staff he pulled from his belt.

"I… I don't know? We offer unlimited calls and data?" The poor man said slowly, unsure of what he was supposed to say. He glanced through the glass for help, but either no one was paying attention, or they were looking at Cat Noir and the hilarious scene of him buying a phone plan.

"How much would it be for two phones. I can pay cash up front. And a plan for… about two years? Yeah. We'll totally have defeated Monarch by then."

"One of the guys inside can get you sorted out."

"Thanks." He shook the man's hand and walked inside, for once, with a plan in his mind.

Adrien ensures Plagg has several rounds of cheese, having bought them on his way back home to make sure Natalie didn't get suspicious of his kitchen visits.

His hair is combed back, and his face plastered with makeup that hides every imperfection, if there were any. He adjusts the dangling earring hanging from his right ear and smooths the wrinkles from the straight pants that really only he could pull off.

"Mister Adrien, if you would come with me, we are just waiting for Miss Chloé to finish with her hair and makeup." Gieseppe shows Adrien to the other room, where several people are brushing powders onto Chloé's face and spraying her hair.

"I thought I said I didn't want to see him until the photoshoot. I'll just need another minute," Chloé orders, her voice sharp.

"Aww, come on, Chlo. I won't be too much of a bother." He spins on the stool by the mirrors.

"You mean like how much you bothered me when I introduced you to my school and made you part of my friend group?" She grumbles.

He grins. "You mean when you dragged me into your orbit because no one else met your ridiculously high standards in friends? Yeah, thanks for that." This earns him a slight lifting of her lips. Just a flicker of a smile.

"You'd be lost without me, Adrikins. No one else would tell you when your tie is crooked." She says, her eyes closed as if the world wasn't interesting enough for her to look at it.

"My tie is never crooked. You're just always tilting your head condescendingly," he corrects her.

"If you want me to apologize to anyone but you, forget it. But I am sorry for showing you my worst side." Her tone softens, her head down in shame, but one of the attendants quickly makes her raise her chin.

"I've seen worse."

"It's time to go, the crew has finished setting up!" Someone calls from outside.

"Thank, Gieseppe!" Adrien replies, standing to offer Chloé his hand. She takes it as if it belongs to her and leads him out. He, of course, doesn't complain; his quiet nature is complementary to her loud and bossy one.

"You look lovely! The theme is old money: the Gabriel brand. Sit on the stool, Mister Adrien, and Miss Chloé, lay your head on his shoulder. Yes, yes! Magnifique!" The camera clicks as it captures them. Gieseppe calls out new poses every few seconds, most of them seemingly romantic and centered around Chloé looking like a diva.

"Remember when you bit that boy’s arm because he tried to steal my crayons?" Adrien whispers, Chloé's head against his as they sit back to back.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. He deserved it. And you would’ve just cried about it.” She flashes a smile for the camera, but elbows Adrien in the side when they can't see.

"Yes, yes, just like that. Magnifique. Tilt your chin like you own the moon!" The cameraman yells enthusiastically.

Adrien chuckles. "Good times."

The dainty finger of a student at Institute Worths skims down the list, searching for the character with her name beside it. Even an understudy would do. She could always make the actress get sick or hurt to ensure she played the part.

- Lila Rossi: Ensemble.

"No!" She clenched her fist and smacked the wall by the paper, feeling the glances of people looking her way at her outburst. Ensemble was for people without talent, without promise. They get shoved into the background like a nobody.

She deserved the main part more than anyone on the list. She had broken up with her boyfriend to try out for that part. A hot tear streams down her face as she stumbles out of the cinema building. She finds a quiet space behind the theater to hide, hugging her knees as she sobs. Her body wracks with angry cries that no one can hear.

None but one.

"Do you accept this power?" A deep voice lulls. Her eyes widen in recognition, and she smiles. She clutches her little coin purse, a prop from the play she had stolen for good luck.

"Of course."

Adrien lies on his bed, enjoying the quiet for once. A buzz comes from under his pillow, having him grab his second phone and check it.

>Ladybug: Supervillain near the Arc de Triomphe. (sent 4:26 pm)

Adrien grins. Half an hour out of school, and already he gets to put his costume on.

"Plagg," he starts.

"Dang it." Plagg is pulled away from his cheese plate as the phrase is finished.

"Claws out."

He leaps from the window and lands on a nearby rooftop, using his staff to help him scale over buildings quickly. He makes it to the giant historical site, the Arc de Triomphe, just in time to see a flying gold coin hit a streetlamp. It wilts like a flower, the light turning on before burning out.

"Cat Noir, watch out!" Ladybug's voice has him jumping instinctively, just not fast enough to miss the small object that hits him in the chest. It falls into his hand, a gold coin that quickly fades to silver as if he absorbed its color.

"What did that do?" He looks up to find Ladybug holding a girl in a bright, dramatic costume–one that looked like it would be for a medieval play.

"Bad luck. I wonder what effect such a curse will have on the great Cat Noir." The villain laughs.

"I may or may not have gotten hit too, but so far, I don't think her bad luck is legal tender." Cat Noir frowns at her joke.

"What's with the new sense of humor?" he asks as he walks over to her and the villain struggling in her hold.

"I thought you would love it. You're always making dumb jokes. I can be hilarious too." She pushes the girl to Cat Noir, and the girl jumps away. She drops a coin on the pavement, which makes it crack.

"I'll leave you to your bickering." She darts into a shadow and vanishes with a salute. Cat Noir lunges to follow, but she's gone.

"Ladybug, help me find her." He orders.

"And risk getting hit by her spare change?" She crosses her arms. "We don't even know what they do."

Cat Noir gives an exasperated sigh. "Focus, Ladybug. Those coins shift traits, and I’m carrying the part of you that strategizes."

"Guess I’ll have to coin a new phrase for her, kitty cat." She snorts, but she puts a hand on her chest, feeling a sudden heavy feeling that the joke seems to cover.

"Stop making jokes at a time like this. Both of us need to work together to defeat her." He takes a deep breath, his anger suddenly flaring.

"Don't tell me what to do. I already have a plan–" She suddenly freezes, like her brain short-circuited. "Why do I hate that word? Plans make me feel… controlled." She shudders.

"Just follow me and try not to get hit again. Another dose of bad luck might kill us. Ugh, being switched really sucks." He uses his staff to leap onto a building, Ladybug in pursuit.

"I see you're back for round two. Just when I thought I was rid of you." The villain says.

"What's your villain name?" Ladybug asks as she dodges coins with ease. It's almost graceful how easily she jumps out of the way. "Every villain before has one."

"Miss Fortune." She crouches before charging at Ladybug, who jumps out of the way as she talks.

"Did you or Monarch come up with that name?" She undercuts, shaking her fist out as the villain falls backwards, rubbing her chin.

"Ladybug, just focus on making a good object. I can handle the fighting!" Cat Noir yells.

"Sorry, I can't hear you over all the bossing around, M'lord!" She catches a coin thrown at her, flicking it back and sweeping her leg under Miss Fortune, sending her tumbling back to the ground after having only a few seconds standing. "Coins really are sooooo original," she taunts, "I guess if you're secretly auditioning to be a slot machine you'd get the part."

"Focus, bug!" Cat Noir pushes her out of the way before Miss Fortune can shower her with coins.

"I was focused. I'm focusing on how lame this villain is. But here: lucky charm." A red umbrella covered in black polka dots lands in her hand, which Cat Noir takes and uses as a sword to keep the villain back.

Ladybug stays on the ground, getting pretty bored already. But she might as well do as many things as she could in costume–

Wait. What were these heavy restrictions she felt? Was this just Cat Noir's personality boring into her, or was some of it her own? Who was Cat Noir to be feeling such things?

She gets up and shakes herself out, watching Cat Noir struggle to keep Miss Fortune in one place.

He holds the umbrella in his hand, trying to figure out what to do with it. Surely it wasn't for the rain on this sunny September day? He opens it when she rushes toward him, smacking her in the face. Her nails scratch through the fabric, but her hand gets stuck as she tries to grab him.

"Use your eyes, kitty. The akumas in her purse," Ladybug calls out lazily, not wanting to sound too interested when Cat Noir was being such a boring stick in the mud.

"Grab it while I'm subduing her!" He tells her.

"Geez, Cat. Stop bugging me. I don't plan on working for minimum wage." She jogs over to them, getting behind Miss Fortune as she pulls herself free, and kicks her in the back, hard enough for her to have to drop her purse to catch her fall before her face hits the shingles.

"Cataclysm." Cat Noir touches the bag and takes a deep breath as he feels more like himself. Miss Fortune's costume fades to the Institute Worths uniform, and Lila looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I hated that." Ladybug shivers, calling back the umbrella and snatching the akuma in her yoyo. She will never admit that having Cat Noir's love of humor and what it signifies weighs on her is what softens her heart with him.

"Lila, what a surprise! What led to your akumatization this time?" Cat Noir gives her a smile as he helps her up.

"It's really silly, but I didn't get the part I wanted in a play. I broke up with my boyfriend to audition, and without him, I don't know if I can afford my mother's medicine," she breaks down, her sobs genuine.

"Well, Worths isn't known for having the most compassionate people. I assume you're on scholarship then?" Cat Noir says as she nods. "Then why not switch to public school. I know of some people who did that. The models, Adrien Agreste and Chloé Bourgious, I believe."

"Do you really think that would help?" She asks, composing herself.

"Sure. Sometimes a cat's gotta change their litter. And I'm pretty sure that François Dupont has a drama club if you want to join that." Cat Noir picks her up and jumps down, Ladybug on his heels.

"Why François Dupont?" Ladybug asks suspiciously.

"Come on, two models at a public school? I'd want to go there if I wasn't going somewhere else. You should look into it, too. It's pretty interesting." He shrugs as he sets Lila down.

"Sure. Lila, do you remember being akumatized this time too?" Ladybug asks.

"Yes. Monarch offers you your heart's desire, and you have the option to accept. But I'll look into your school suggestion, Cat Noir. Thanks!" She gives him a flirtatious glance and walks away.

Ladybug crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at Cat Noir. "You don't have to play life coach for her."

He shrugged, his tail flicking. "What can I say? I've got a soft spot for strays."

Ladybug blinks. Was that sincerity in his voice? For a moment, she wants to admit that juggling school, bullies, crushes, friends, and saving Paris felt impossible most days. But pride keeps her mouth shut. She lifts her chin instead. "Don't get used to it. Not everyone can carry the weight I carry."

"True. All those plans and analyses in my head were crazy," he says with a small smile. "But not everyone can laugh through what I carry, either."

Their eyes meet. For once, the usual banter falls quiet. They stand across from each other, understanding in their gaze. For once, the masks don't seem so heavy.

Ladybug clears her throat. "Don't get all sappy on me. I have math homework, and I'm not flunking the quiz from this lesson."

Cat Noir laughs, twirling his staff as he prepares to leap away. "Don't worry, M'lady. If you fail the test, I can tutor you. I'm ahead in Algebra, and Geometry is easy. I'm very good at dividing attention."

"Ugh. You're impossible."

"And for once, it seems like you don't hate it." He grins as he vaults into the sky. She rolls her eyes, but the tiniest smile creeps onto her lips.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Bustier claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Class, we have a new student joining us today. Please, welcome Lila Rossi."

Marinette stiffens. It's been a week since Miss Fortune was defeated, and she had nearly forgotten about Cat Noir recommending the girl to Marinette's school.

A girl with long auburn hair and a practiced smile steps to the front. "Hello, everyone. I'm so excited to be in your class. I come from Italy, so forgive me if I make any mistakes. I've only lived in Paris for about a year, and I'm not very good at French." Her voice is smooth like honey, with a slight accent, one that Marinette doesn't remember hearing before, hanging on several words.

Lila glances around, trying to puzzle out which students are the popular ones, and instantly catching her gaze was Adrien.

The classroom quietly buzzes around her, Marinette catching little comments like, "She's so sweet!" and "She's so pretty."

Marinette hears such a comment from Alya and leans over to mutter, "Her accent is fake."

"Girl, don't start. She's new. Be nice." Alya brushes her off. Marinette looks down at her hands in her lap, already dreading how everyone will react to this girl.

It is all Cat Noir's fault. He doesn't even go here, she thinks bitterly.

Marinette passes a clutter of students in the hall, unsure of what they're crowded around. She has a slight tear in the shirt she's wearing–an exclusive Marinette design she felt brave enough to wear. She planned on sewing it up at home during lunch.

"-but my father died of leukemia, so my stepmother brought me here to Paris, where my biological mother works as an ambassador." Lila's accented voice makes Marinette stop for a moment. She stays in the back of the crowd, but sees the girl sitting on a bench, a sandwich in her hand, and someone handing her a bag of chips.

Chloé effortlessly glides to the front of the crowd. "Are you eating everyone's leftovers?" She says with disgust.

"No, these students have been so kind to share their lunches with me." She replies sweetly.

"Why don't you eat with me? I have a gourmet meal being brought, and I really shouldn't eat all of it, since I have a photoshoot next week." She walks back through the crowd, giving Marinette a satisfied smirk. She knew Marinette was wary of the new girl just by gauging her expression.

"Thank you all so much for the meal, but I really shouldn't refuse. You all understand, right?" Lila gives a meek look to the students.

"Of course. No one but Adrien can stand up to Chloé."

"We won't fault you for just obeying her orders." That was Mylène's voice.

Lila walks out, not sparing a glance for Marinette as she catches up to Chloé.

"You want to learn Italian? Of course, I'd be happy to teach you!" Lila's bright voice carries in the small classroom, which the teacher doesn't reprimand. How was it that the frail girl who was crying and apologizing after getting akumatized is the same girl who sways the class with so much as a sneeze?

"Do you even speak Italian?" Marinette asks. Lila suddenly turns her focus to Marinette, along with everyone at her desk cluster.

"Adesso mi credi? Ci vediamo dopo la lezione." She replies, her pronounciation too perfect for Marinette to push further.

"What did you just say?" Rose asks with bright curiosity.

"Something along the lines of, do you believe me, now, my friend?" Lila replies with a laugh.

"She also said for you to meet her after class," Adrien whispers to Marinette as he passes out graded tests. "100%, good job." He grins.

"You speak Italian?" Marinette's eyes are wide.

"And English, Spanish, and I'm learning Mandarin." Marinette looks back at Lila, who has an eye on her, with a sweet smile despite the intensity of her gaze.

Marinette stands to turn in the paper she's finished, her eye on Lila when she bumps into someone. She drops her page, and as she reaches down to pick it up, she meets the blue eyes of the boy she saw in the hallway a few weeks ago. He picks up her paper for her and hands it to her, their fingers brushing for a moment.

"Hello, Luka. Are these the papers from Monsieur Sanchez?" Mr. Duval asks, taking a stack of papers from the boy.

"Yeah, Calculus was canceled, so he is making me give the revised handbook to all the staff. And some other stuff for your class from the printer." Luka agrees.

"Well, thank you. If you're done with that, I need a little help with explaining Epistemology while I take attendance." He puts the pages on his desk.

"The Theory of Knowledge?" He hesitates, then smiles. "You're lucky I love your class, Monsieur Duval." He shakes his head but takes the marker and writes on the board: Can we know anything with absolute certainty?

Marinette drops her paper on the teacher's desk and rushes back to her seat quietly.

"Think of knowledge like a song. Can you know a melody if you've only heard one note? Or if you've never heard it, but only read the sheet music?"

After class, Luka chats with Mr. Duval while everyone packs up for the day. Marinette says bye to Alya, since Philosophy is their last class, and hugs her bag as she walks up to Luka.

"I'm sorry for running into you earlier. I can be terribly clumsy, but I was surprised and forgot to apologize." She kicks at the floor a little, avoiding his gaze. It's a silly habit from having to deal with Chloé, but despite Adrien being here, the trauma doesn't go away overnight.

"I have to grab my sister from the art room. I'll walk you out. See you tomorrow, Monsieur Duval." Luka tells her, waving as he walks out, and grabs a guitar case leaning against the wall.

"You play?" Marinette asks, mainly to break the tension.

"Yeah. You should come to a practice sometime. I think I have a few of your classmates in the band we have on the boat. Ivan. We're looking for a lead singer if you're interested. And maybe a pianist. We take anyone interested in music." He gives her a guitar pick from his pocket, with some scribbled writing on it.

"Luka Couffaine." She reads softly. Luka opens the door to the art room, noticing a few students are inside.

"Jules, I'm going to go. Are you coming with?" he asks.

"Uhmm. No." She mumbles the words.

"Alright, I'll leave your bike in the front." He closes the door and walks beside Marinette down the stairs. "You know, I don't think I ever got your name."

"Oh, uh, I'm Ma-Marinette." She stammers, hating to be put on the spot.

"It's nice to meet you, Ma-Marinette." He grabs his bike and walks alongside it. "Do you need a ride home?" He asks.

"N-no. I live at the bakery, right there." She points.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Marinette." He waves and hops on his bike, cycling away. She runs home, scared that Lila may still want to talk to her after class, like Adrien said, and having nothing to say to her.

The early Tuesday morning bell rings, signifying five minutes until World Literature. Marinette catches sight of Luka first, making her nerves calm for a moment. Something about him is real and grounding in a way that didn't put any pressure on her. But just as soon as she has that feeling of calm, she hears Lila. "I would love to be your lead singer. I took choir for a few years, so I know the basics of reading notes and harmonizing. Anything I don't know, I'm sure you'd be happy to teach me." She laughs and puts a hand on his arm.

"Of course. I'll give you the address later, and you can come try out." Luka smiles and pulls his guitar case over his back as he walks to Government.

"Oh, Baker Girl, looks like you have a new bully." Chloé puts her arm on Marinette's shoulder, making her shrink back.

"W-what do you mean?" She asks. She knows Chloé is right, but still feels like maybe she's making a big deal out of nothing. Even from Chloé, she wants validation.

"You like Adrien, she made him her tutor for geometry. You like that blue-haired weirdo; she's all over him. Seems like she either hates you or figured out that hating you gets on my good side." Chloé laughs. "Although that's only true for Kim, cause he's harmless. I'm sure Adrien will come to your rescue if he realizes she's a manipulator, but maybe he's under her control too."

She walks away, Sabrina on her heels. Lila notices and walks over to the two, shyly asking for something that Marinette cannot hear.

She walks to class shaken. What if everyone really does choose Lila over her?

She feels the guitar pick in the pocket of her cropped cardigan, something she made herself, with intricate pink blossoms sewn in and white trim.

She keeps herself small throughout the day. Alya is absent for a doctor's appointment, and Lila is keeping Adrien busy at every turn with her simple requests for tutoring in Geometry and French.

"I'm sorry for my bad French, it's not my first language. Thank you so much for your help." Lila smiles, writing out her name at the top of the page.

"You seem really good at it already. I doubt you'll need any help." Adrien glances around the library, finding no one. "In fact, if you're comfortable, you don't have to keep up the pretenses with me. I'm pretty sure your accent isn't that strong, even if you do speak Italian." He sees the look of hurt on her face.

"I'm not calling you a liar, Lila. But I also know you were akumatized twice for your strong emotions, and I'd be happy to be someone you can be honest with." Adrien gives her his notes for geometry, the handwriting crisp and easy to read.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She lets a tear fall, her accent still strong.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I can pretend I don't know. I really do want to be your friend, Lila." He puts a hand on hers.

She takes a deep breath, wiping her eyes gently. "Fine. We'll be best friends. I haven't had one of those since I lived in Italy. That's not a lie, either. My passport still says Perugia." She gives him a grin.

"For now, let's see if you can memorize the Pythagorean theorem." He returns the smile, though he isn't completely fooled by her act.

After the period he used to tutor Lila, he let her run off with his geometry notes.

"You're too nice to people. That girl was not only akumatized twice, but she chose to remember all of it. I don't like her." Plagg complains from Adrien's bag.

"I mean, she seemed to have it pretty rough at Institute Worths, something we both have in common. All the attention she's getting from her story about her father and stepmother seems to be helping her find her standing. As long as she's not hurting anyone, I don't see a need to confront her." He stretches his arms and back a little as he walks down for Spanish.

He notices Marinette hiding in the back of the class for the rest of the day, even saying she felt sick for PE to keep from being on Lila's team. He would've brushed it off if Alya were here to comfort her, but she, for some reason, was absent.

"Hey, Marinette–" He follows her out of the Geometry classroom, only to see Luka give her a piece of paper. She whispers something to him that has him leading her to the bench, where they sit together.

Since when were they friends? Adrien wonders. Nino catches up to him and pulls him away. "You gotta stay here for fencing today, right?" He asks.

"Yeah. But I still have a free period if you want to show me your new tunes." They head to the art room. Adrien glances back to see Luka hugging her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just complain about your new singer." Marinette wipes her eyes. "You're really easy to talk to." She fiddles with the tissue, but for once, it's not because she's nervous.

"I get that a lot. But don't worry. I thought something was off with Lila, too, so I believe you." He gives her another tissue to wipe her tears. He pulls out his guitar and starts tuning it.

"You'd be the first one, then. Even Alya loves her."

"Hmm. I think you feel a little like this." He plays an uneven melody that sounds melancholy and unenthusiastic.

"That's one way to put it. Do you have a class this period?" She sniffles.

"Yeah, I've got calc." He glances at the clock.

"You should go before the bell rings. But thanks for listening. I really appreciate it." She stands.

"We can talk some more tomorrow. After school every Friday, the band plays some improv. You should come sometime." He closes the case but slings the guitar over his shoulder.

"Ok." She takes out the paper where his address is scrawled out.

Wednesday rolls around with Marinette's phone dying, making her miss her alarm. She rushes to get ready, her face without any makeup and her hair just brushed down and set in a little bun at the nape of her neck. She runs into school as the bell rings for the second period. Marinette quickly races to her locker, finding the room empty except for one girl.

"Marinette, right?" Lila asks, her tone sugary.

"Lila." Marinette looks back, calculating how quickly she could run away.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. You don't seem to like me much. You especially hate that Adrien is my best friend, and you don't like that Luka offered me a part in his band. I see the way you look at me, and I don't know why." She closes in on Marinette, cornering her against the lockers. She feels her books slipping from her sweaty palms, but holds fast.

"I know you're a liar. You manipulate people and are making allies out of my friends. Luka is the only one who believes me." Marinette glares at her. She isn't Chloé. She doesn't have blackmail or know how to ostracize Marinette from her class. She's just a new girl that Cat Noir recommended to this school.

"Everything I say is mixed with truth. I do have Italian lineage, and my father is dead. Chloé knows I'm a liar, too, but she says it entertains her and has extended her hand in friendship. I don't want us to be enemies, Marinette, but I'll let you decide whether or not we are." She backs away as the bell rings. Marinette feels her throat tightening. "I'll give you until tomorrow to give me an answer. If you're against me, I'll make your life miserable."

She tosses her hair and walks out of the locker room. Marinette lets out a shaky exhale. Her heart is pounding as she grabs the books she needs for History and walks to the class. She slips beside Alya at the table, letting Nino have his regular spot by Adrien.

"What's up, girl? First, you miss literature, now you're late for history. And you look like a mess. Do you need to borrow some mascara?" She pulls out her bag.

"No. I'm okay. But Lila needs to be stopped." She keeps her voice low.

"What are you on about? This again? I don't know why you hate her. She gave me some of her jewelry, saying they're a gift from her stepfather that she doesn't want. She's teaching Rose and Sabrina Italian. How is this girl so bad in your books?" Alya shows her the pretty bracelet on her wrist.

"I swear she's lying. And I'm going to prove it."

Over the next few classes, she takes notes of everything Lila says. Alya calls her an obsessed stalker, but she doesn't let that deter her. At the end of the day, she brings the notes to her room and lays them out, creating a map.

-Lila told Adrien that she was Italian-French. Her mother is an ambassador. She showed everyone her Italian passport.

-She hasn't joined Drama.

"None of these are big enough to call her out for. She uses real enough things and just coats them in a little lie."

"What about this one?" Tikki points. She has been hovering around Marinette for the past hour, commenting on everything.

-She said she was friends with Ladybug.

Marinette grabs the page and rereads the note. She knew that wasn't true. But proving it would be difficult. It didn't matter. She had to use whatever she could.

"Lila," Marinette calls her name before she walks up the steps. Lila gives her a friendly smile and walks over to her.

"I guess you've thought it over all night. So what's your reply?" She asks sweetly.

"You twist everything. You're a liar, and I have proof." She pulls out her notebook, pages filled with notes of nearly everything Lila said.

"Whoa, Marinette. That's really weird. Do you take notes for all your friends?" She looks uncomfortable.

"We are not friends. You said that you're friends with Ladybug, but I've watched and rewatched news footage, and she looks like she doesn't even like you." Marinette laughs. Maybe getting only 4 hours of sleep was catching up to her.

"Maybe you should calm down. You seem pretty mad. Maybe take some deep breaths. Ladybug gave me tons of advice on how to keep myself from getting akumatized–"

"No, she didn't!" Marinette yells. The people in the courtyard look at them. Lila glances around nervously.

"You're causing a scene–" She starts.

"An akuma!" someone yells. Marinette looks behind Lila, seeing the glowing purple butterfly flapping towards her. Lila watches too, until it nearly gets Marinette, but she grabs it and forces it into her necklace.

Her eyes glow purple. "Run, Marinette!"

Chapter Text

Lila grabs the akuma, bringing it to her necklace before it has a chance to get to Marinette.

Her eyes glow purple. "Run, Marinette!" She screams as a purple film covers her, and she breaks free with the darker look of an akumatized villain.

Marinette is frozen, staring at Lila in shock. Was she wrong about her? What if she wasn't even lying? She feels her heart beating in her ears. Someone grabs her hand and yanks her out of the villain's way, getting her to the safety of the locker rooms.

"Luka?" She gives him a tight hug once they're hidden, her body shaking as he holds her. She feels herself spiraling as she thinks about what she's done.

"Are you ok?" He asks softly.

"No, no, I'm not. I'm sorry, Luka. I always seem to be a mess when you find me." She cries into his chest, holding onto him like an anchor.

"You don't need to be sorry. But we should get out of here. I have to find my sister. Can I leave you alone for a moment?" He asks.

"Yes." She has to stop Lila anyway; it would be best if they split up. "I have to go somewhere, too." She breaks the hug and leaves the locker room carefully, racing past the courtyard and out of the school. She checks her phone for the note Tikki had given her. Master Fu's address.

She runs past people already apprehensive as the news starts mentioning an akuma from the François Dupont school.

She finds the little house and knocks on it frantically.

"Come in." She hurries inside, closing the door behind her.

"Master Fu!" She runs over to him, panting.

"Take a deep breath." He tells her. Tikki flies out of her bag.

"It's horrible, Master! Marinette was just trying to stand up to a girl, but she got a little overheated, and an akuma was drawn to her. But at the last second, this horrible girl grabbed it and akumatized herself!" She explains.

"Do you know what this villain can do?" Fu asks Marinette.

"I-I don't. I was really shaken, I-"

"She hit someone while a boy pulled Marinette away. The person said something really personal. I think she can reveal secrets." Tikki chimes in.

"You will need help then." He puts in a pin to open the record player that reveals the miracle box, opening the 12 slots, though 5 are empty.

"Why are so many missing?" She asks as she picks up the one that feels right.

"Two are missing somewhere in Paris. Two are for the superheroes, and the time miraculous is being held somewhere by a girl. I do not know her name, only that someone gives her the miraculous after I am no longer guardian." He nods to the bracelet Marinette selected. "That is a wise choice. I hope you find someone you can trust." He closes the box and puts it away. She slips into the courtyard, transforming quickly and yo-yoing away.

She finds herself at the top of the school, noticing nothing that could hint at where the villain is.

"What'chu got in your hand, M'lady?" Cat Noir lands beside her. He spins his stick a few times before putting it on the back of his belt.

"Another miraculous. We'll need help with this villain," she says solemnly. He takes notice of her body language and tone.

"Cool. If you have someone in mind, I could use my 6th sense to track down the villain while you get them." He offers, gently, not wanting to put too much pressure on her.

"That would be really helpful. Thanks, kitty." She turns and ruffles his hair affectionately.

"I love it when you call me that," he grins. He takes out his staff again before jumping away. She leaps down, too, but to find a holder for the miraculous.

She opens the art room to find Luka hugging his sister, and a few other students around them.

"The coast is clear. I recommend going home or finding somewhere better to hide," she says. While everyone is running out, she grabs Luka's hand, putting the miraculous inside. She closes the door and holds up his hand.

"I sense a great trustworthiness in you. Can I trust you with the miraculous of the snake?" she asks. She sees a calm certainty in his eyes.

"Of course." He puts the bracelet on, and a snake appears.

"Hello, Luka. I am Sass, the Kwami of Chance. Your transformation words are: Sass, let's slither." It says.

Luka repeats the phrase, a suit appearing on him.

"Let's go. Cat Noir is looking for her." She pulls the earpiece from her yoyo, tapping it. "Cat Noir?" She points to the bottom of Luka's harp, where he finds the same gadget and puts it on.

"I'm watching her like a cat watches a mouse. Did you get our new teammate?" Cat asks.

"Yes, I'm here with…" She looks at Luka expectantly.

"Viperion," he says.

"Cool. I hope he's not another contender for your heart, M'lady. This cat gets jealous," he teases. Ladybug rolls her eyes, not taking him seriously, but Viperion takes his comment as a warning.

"I've got your location, we should be there in a minute." She scrolls on her bug-phone screen.

"I know where that is," Viperion tells her.

"Let's go, I'll explain your power on the way."

"Stop running around, you pesky cat!" The villain shoots a beam at him again, but he dodges with ease.

"We're here, Cat Noir!" Ladybug lands beside a tall hero with gleaming blue and turquoise scales.

"Her power is revealing secrets. I already found out that the guy from the bread shop cheated on his wife, and some lady wears fake jewelry and flaunts it." He grins like a child.

"That's only a little helpful. Viperion, keep out of her firing range. If either of us gets hit, you're our last hope." Ladybug orders.

Cat Noir leaps away from another attack. Ladybug jumps into the fight, avoiding the beams coming from the villain's necklace.

"Who is that new hero? You should all be afraid of me. After all, I am your Darkest Secret." She laughs.

"So, what's the plan, bug?" Cat wonders.

"I'm still thinking. My energy levels feel really low, so I don't think I can make more than one lucky charm." A stopwatch lands in her hand, distracting her.

"Ladybug, watch out!" Cat Noir grabs Darkest Secret before she can shoot a blast, but they fall, and his head smashes against a building. He sits up, his vision blurry. His head feels sticky and warm, and he touches it to see there's a trickle of blood. Odd, since Master Fu said he was nearly invincible in the suit. He supposes that there were still limitations.

Ladybug lands beside him.

"Viperion!" She yells, just as Darkest Secret closes in on them.

"Second chance," Luka whispers.

"If either of us gets hit, you're our last hope."

"Ladybug, don't call your lucky charm mid-battle. And Cat Noir, be careful of that building!" Luka orders as he gets out of range.

The two superheroes exchange a glance and nod. "Lucky Charm." A stopwatch appears again, but only Viperion knows the repetition. He decides to get into the fight, the two others clearly needing his help.

"Do you know who it is that got akumatized this time?" Cat Noir asks.

"Lila." Both Ladybug and Luka say at the same time.

"O-k." Cat Noir mutters suspiciously. "I thought the new school idea would've worked." He pouts.

"Stop acting like a child. She's way stronger this time." Ladybug grabs the villain's hands, holding her back to keep from doing any short-range fighting. Viperion reaches for her necklace when the gem glows and shoots at him.

"Viperion!"

He stumbles back, holding his throat tightly. "My sister is a Lesbian!" He finally yells, unable to hold it in. Both of the other look at him with surprise, Ladybug a little more so.

He doesn't feel powerfully drained at all, yet.

"Ugh, second chance.''

"If either of us gets hit, you're our last hope."

Viperion stumbles as he resets, but then races past them, sweeping his leg under Darkest Secret. She falls with a thump, the air knocked from her lungs.

"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir runs over and is seconds away from touching her necklace when a beam hits him.

"No!" Viperion yells. Cat Noir coughs, clearly fighting the words coming up his throat. Tears stream down his cheeks, and he looks at Viperion for help.

"I killed my mother!" He starts shaking, as if the memory is returning.

Viperion looks to Ladybug, who has a hand over her mouth, a look of wariness, slightly unsure. Her trust in him is visibly torn with that knowledge. Even Viperion is slightly taken aback. He sees the stopwatch in her hand again.

"Second chance."

He could tell that he could only handle maybe one or two more jumps back, his energy fading.

"If either of us gets hit, you're our last hope."

"Ladybug, what do we do if we can't get near her necklace without getting hit?" He asks, panting. His words slur slightly, visibly drained.

She thinks for a moment, Cat Noir distracting the villain alone.

"Grab it from the back?" she says.

"Ladybug, watch out!" Just like the first time, Cat Noir pushes the villain and slams into the building. Darkest Secret recovers quickly and runs to Viperion and Ladybug.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug yells, really hoping for a shield. But a stopwatch appears in her hand. The beam hits her.

"I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I am Ladybug," she says, without fighting it. She looks at Viperion through worried eyes. "Go back, please."

"Second Chance."

"If either of us gets hit, you're our last hope."

"Floor her and cataclysm her necklace from the back!" Viperion yells, falling to the floor. He can tell that he may be completely out of energy, the jumps back in time taking a toll on his body. His hands tremble as he grasps the pavement. He sees Ladybug call a lucky charm: a flashlight.

That's a good sign, Viperion thinks. He lets himself lie down for a moment, catching his breath.

Ladybug flashes the light in the villain's face, making her unable to aim her beam. Cat Noir sweeps her feet, making her fall face-first. She catches herself before her nose smashes on the pavement, but Ladybug grabs the back of her necklace, uncliping it, and throws it to Cat Noir.

"Cataclysm!" The object becomes dust, and Lila turns back to normal. "It's becoming a little redundant how often we run into each other, Lila." Cat Noir jokes.

"Cat, can you take her back to school? I have to make sure Viperion's ok and return the miraculous." She helps Viperion stand up, taking most of his weight easily. He groans, his head lolling.

"Why can't I take Viperion? You're just ordering me around again." Cat Noir crosses his arms. But Ladybug's glare has him picking up Lila. "I'll be off then."

"Are you ok, Viperion?" Ladybug asks, helping him to a bench shielded by a tall tree.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad we won after trying so hard."

"What happened the other times?" She sits next to him, ignoring the beeping on her miraculous. She was low on energy, too, but she was too curious not to ask.

"Cat Noir almost died twice, and I got hit once. Every time we nearly lost, your lucky charm was a stopwatch." The costume fades off him like dust, and Sass lands in his hand.

"I am ssstarving," he hisses.

"Do you need me to take you back to the school, or are you alright walking? It's not too far." Ladybug hears the second beep, telling her she only has a few minutes left.

"I'm fine. I just need to sit for a minute."

"Thank you for all your help." Ladybug takes the miraculous from him and swings away.

"Oh my God." Luka covers his face with his hands.

Everyone hovers around Lila, asking if she's ok, calling her brave. The story has circulated throughout the school by now, even Adrien having heard of it. He sits next to Nino in the art room, trying to draw the new superhero, Viperion, but to no avail. Art hasn't been his thing since his mother died, another cruel reminder.

"I mean, Marinette is like the nicest girl. I can't picture her yelling at Lila, dude." Nino eats a granola bar with annoyance.

"I can. Lila has been getting everyone's attention, and I've overheard Alya telling Marinette that her suspicions about Lila being a liar were nothing. I'm sure Alya meant well, but Marinette is right. Speaking of which, did you talk to Alya yet? What'd she say? Are you dating?" Adrien leans in, very interested in how high school romance works. He knows of fake dating and dating for connections, but he hasn't seen much of dating because you actually like a person.

"No. I tried to man, but I panicked and complimented her glasses. She does have nice glasses. They're better than mine–" Nino touches his lenses.

Adrien shakes his head with a laugh, "Your poor kids."

"It's not uncommon to wear glasses. Marinette wears contacts."

"So everyone in our friend group is blind but me?" He snickers again.

"I mean, you're pretty blind about–" Nino puts a hand over his mouth.

"About what?"

"Well, Alya's trying to get you and Marinette together. Most of the girls support it cause your other love interest is Chloé." He shrugs. No need to keep the secret from his dude.

"I thought Marinette liked Luka." Last he saw was them embracing, and he heard that Luka pulled her away from Lila when she got akumatized. "And Chloé is my 'love interest'?" Adrien laughs hard enough for his stomach to hurt. "I'm still mad that she ate my crayons back when we were homeschooled together. She doesn't even like me like that. She likes people with black hair and blue eyes."

"That sounds a lot like–" Nino starts.

"I wasn't naming anyone in particular. That's just her type. But let's not focus on that–" The bell rings, signaling that Adrien's fencing is about to start.

"You know, dude, I have a really good idea," Nino starts, glancing at the fencing instructor.

Lila pushes the button on the ringer to the Agreste Mansion.

"Who is this?" A cold, feminine voice answers.

"Just Monarch's latest victim. I was wondering if I could get a sticker. Is Mr. Agreste home?" Lila asks sweetly.

"Just a moment," Natalie calls Gabriel quickly, wondering how Lila Rossi could know about him. Maybe she was just guessing.

"What is it?" His deep voice is wary as he answers the call.

"Lila is at the door asking for you, sir."

"Send her in." The line cuts as he hangs up. Natalie unlocks the gate, and Lila is soon at the front door. Natalie meets her and leads her to the office.

"Miss Rossi. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he asks, his voice tight. No one should know his identity.

"A man of your brilliance, sir, shouldn't have to waste time on trivial obstacles like Ladybug and Cat Noir. Teenagers like that confide in me, sir. Teachers trust me. Even the heroes lower their guard when they think they're around a harmless girl." She gives a respectful bow of her head, staying in her place while she advises him.

He watches her, assessing her every word, the confident smirk on her face.

"Strange. You speak as if you know something you shouldn't." He takes a few steps closer, waving his hand for Natalie to leave.

"You did give me the power to uncover secrets, sir. I only used it on you to get closer. I want power, and you have it." She looks at him with determination.

"Secrets can be uncovered by many means, Miss Rossi. Tell me, how do you propose to use such knowledge without drawing attention to yourself?" He turns to look at the painting of his wife. She stands beside him.

"I used that knowledge to find you, sir. And I want to help you defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir." She takes a deep breath.

"I suppose we could come to an arrangement. But I must warn you, Miss Rossi, that this path is not for the faint of heart." He folds his hands behind his back, and she does the same.

"You've seen my heart and my mind. Now use them." He studies her carefully. Either she is foolishly overconfident or dangerously clever. He would find out soon enough.

"Natalie will get some paperwork for you. To ensure you're not a liability." He almost smiles.

"Of course, sir." She gives a respectful nod and walks out. Natalie is waiting for her and leads her to the office.

"This document ensures your silence. But know this: should you break it, the consequences will not be confined to paper. You understand?" Natalie hands her a pen.

Lila hesitates, looking at the several pages laid out before her. "I do."

"We will send you a copy after you sign everything. We'll need your full name, personal information, address, and phone number." Lila starts writing.

"Do I use my birth last name or the one I use from my stepmother's side?"

"Whichever you sign with, know that names can be changed. Allegiances cannot."

"-which is crazy. I'm sorry, Nino, but I think for your own safety, you shouldn't try fencing again," Adrien laughs.

"Trust me, dude, I will never do that again." Nino slings his arm over Adrien's shoulder. "Gorilla" follows them in, but stays by the door.

"Welcome home, Adrien." Natalie walks out of the office, Lila next to her.

"Lila, what are you doing here?" he asks, his guard up.

"Mr. Agreste is looking for exotic models for his next line. I applied, of course. It looks like we'll be working together in the future." She laughs, batting her lashes at him.

Adrien glances at Natalie for confirmation. She nods. Adrien needn't know about his father's hand in the terrorism of Paris.

"Hopefully, Mr. Agreste will reach out soon so we can hang out." She skips away, her auburn ponytail bouncing.

"Tough, man," Nino says. Adrien pushes him teasingly, and they walk upstairs.

"If I can handle Chloé, I'll be fine. This is why you should take my advice about Alya. Girls are just obsessed with me." He laughs.

Marinette stays by the stairs as people surround Lila, who is describing her akuma experience.

"Ladybug is like my best friend. She even offered to share her identity, but I would never want to put her in danger." The admiration in the crowd is palpable. Even Alya is asking for an interview for her blog.

Marinette grips the railing so hard that her knuckles turn white. Adrien walks down from their last class, passing her and taking note of her expression. She looks like she's panicking: frozen and breathing heavy.

"It's Lila, isn't it?" He asks, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"They believe everything she says. And she's slandering Ladybug," she whispers, her voice shaky.

"I know. But exposing her won't make things better. If you push her, she'll just twist it back on you. That's how people like her work." He sees her hand relax a little on the railing, which has him hiding his happy smile. This was a serious conversation.

Her throat tightens. "So I just have to stand by and let her lie to my friends?"

"Nino and I know she's a faker. And you have Luka too. Isn't that enough? Alya will come around if she really is your friend." He gives her a reassuring squeeze and walks down. Lila instantly stands up and tries to grab his arm.

"I'm sorry, Lila, I don't think we're going to work out. You hurt Marinette, and I can't be friends with someone who does stuff like that." He glances at Alya, too, who looks away.

"I didn't do anything. She almost got akumatized. I saved her," Lila replies confidently.

"Well, you have plenty of people who are your friends. You don't need me, too." He brushes her off and walks to the door, his limo waiting to pick him up for lunch. Marinette watches, her chest lighter and heavier all at once. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn't feel nervous or jumpy in answering him, but hearing him defend her like that has her worried about how Lila will respond.

She feels herself accept the "crush" she thought was just a bunch of girls telling her how to feel. Adrien believes her. But the others still believed Lila, and somehow that almost hurt more.

Chapter Text

The school buzzes with nervous energy. Girls brush their hair and borrow accessories, waiting for their name to be called.

"Wow, everyone looks so good!" Lila says to the group of girls around her. Alya is again at Marinette's side, but she keeps her eyes on Lila. While she doesn't believe there is anything wrong with the friendly girl with a dreamy life, she could tell she was hurting Marinette in doing so.

"Girl, you've tried six different hairstyles in half an hour. Just keep the pigtails, they look cute." Alya holds the brush as Marinette tries to braid her shoulder-length hair.

She gives up on the braid with a huff, grabbing the hair ties from Alya and making tight little pigtails.

"You'll thank me when you see the photos." Alya gives her a reassuring grin.

"Uhm, I'm sorry if this is rude, but haven't the seniors already finished taking their pictures?" Rose's sweet voice asks the shy girl standing alone, forgotten by her classmates. Lila notices her too, especially how she blushes when she sees that it was Rose who addressed her.

"Oh, um, I don't know," she mumbles.

"Rose, I think Chloé's done. You should get in line. I know Mylène gets nervous when she's alone. I'll deal with this." Lila croons sweetly, putting her hands around Juleka's shoulders. Rose gives her a thumbs up, and the group parts to get to the line that's forming behind Marinette.

"You don't have to help me. I'll wait until everyone's done." Juleka mumbles, almost indistinguishable.

"Of course I'll help! Does this happen often?" She leads Juleka to the empty bench, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back.

"Yeah. They only call one twin for everything." Lila considers her words for a moment, recalling all the information she's learned in the week she has been at school.

"Always Luka, never you." She fills in the blanks. Juleka nods. "You have a really bad jinx. It affects everything, even your performance at school." Lila says dramatically. She had seen the reports for the class when a poor teacher had asked her to print something because he didn't understand technology.

"Oh." A tear falls down Juleka's face.

"Aww, don't cry. I had really bad jinx in my last school, but everything is better here. You should get away from Luka, who is the cause of your problems." Lila lays her head on Juleka's shoulder as she cries.

"Would that help?" She finally whispers.

"Of course! No one seems to want you here anyway."

Juleka says nothing as she stands and runs to the locker bathrooms.

"Wow, you're evil." Chloé laughs.

"Sabrina, why don't you block the door of the stall she hides in?" Lila orders.

"But that's so mean–" Sabrina argues.

"When have you ever cared about that? Do what she told you to do!" Chloé yells. Sabrina nods and runs to the bathrooms, already feeling guilty. But if Chloé wanted her to do something, she would.

She sees Juleka's black sneakers and grabs a chair from the wall, pushing it up against the handle. She only glances back once before running back to Chloé.

"It's done. Where do you want to go now that our photos are done?" she asks meekly.

"Lila has to wait, so we'll just go to a coffee shop. Meet us there when you're done!" Chloé calls as they leave.

"Of course," Lila replies.

Juleka takes a deep breath, calming herself. She just needed to find her brother and…

What if Lila was right? She was failing in school, mainly because of presentations and participation, but her brother was always too busy to help her. Almost everyone in her class only pitied her; some didn't even know her. And now she found the girl with a pink dress and blond hair… cute.

Jinxed indeed.

She tries to open the door, but the handle hardly budges. She grows panicked as she pulls and pushes, trapped physically and emotionally.

A beautiful butterfly flies over the stall door, catching her eye.

"Is that… an akuma?" She had never seen one before. It lands on her bracelet, getting absorbed.

"Tilt your head to the left, Alya," Adrien tells her, standing by the camera.

"I am so glad I have you as my assistant, Adrien." Gieseppe fixes the lens. "You are much better at directing models than I am," he says, his Italian accent thick.

"I guess," Adrien mutters, stifling a yawn. He was already bored.

"Good! Very nice! Who is next?" Gieseppe asks, waving Alya away.

Adrien looks at the roster. "Dupain-Cheng, oh, that's Marinette." He perks up a little. He hadn't talked to Marinette much since last Friday. He thought maybe she would want her space. And he was busy trying to think up funny things to text to Ladybug, if only to get her to reply.

Marinette walks to the chair, sits on it, and smooths out her pink skirt nervously. She takes a deep breath and looks up to see Adrien smiling at her beside the camera.

"Eyes over here, missy." The photographer calls, snapping a series of test photos.

"Akuma!" Someone screams. Marinette jumps up, her head looking out the window to find the source. Adrien is already gone, his talent for sneaking away second nature. Marinette hardly has time to notice before the door is broken.

A girl dressed in bright pink walks into the classroom being used for photos. Her hair is tied up into two pink horns, and pearls line her eyes. Her heels are incredibly high–it's a miracle she can walk in them.

"Hello." She greets with a smirk.

Principal Damocles takes a step back. "What? Who are you?"

"Nobody ever notices me, but those days are over. Because from now on, no one will be unique, you will all be me: Reflecta. No one will forget me now." She holds her hand out, a shimmering ray shooting to change the principal and photographer. Marinette hides under the tables until everyone has run out in fear, Reflecta on their heels.

"Spots on," she whispers. She slips out the window, using her entrance from the outside as a way to protect her identity.

Cat Noir jumps out of an empty classroom, finding chaos as Reflectas run around, and people, both untransformed and hit, scatter from the girl with laser beams. He scans the crowd to find her, the only one not running scared.

He pulls out his phone from his pocket, quickly sending a text to Ladybug.

"Everyone, get out of the school!" he yells as he jumps down from the second floor, landing like a cat on all fours.

Everyone starts running, except one. She turns to him, her arm raised to blast him.

"Hold still, cat."

"Sorry, pink isn't really my color." He quips as he avoids the shimmery beam.

"I think it would look purr-fect on you." Ladybug jumps down from the roof. Cat Noir beams at her before he's forced to leap out of the way.

"Guess it's copycat day, M'lady. A shame I only do originals." He grabs her wrist and pulls her to him to avoid getting hit.

"I thought all those jokes and cat pictures would get this silly battle banter out of your system." She sighs, spinning her yoyo to create a shield for both of them.

"You saw them! That makes me so happy." He grins.

"I had to turn notifications off because I couldn't sleep. I hate that you're a night owl," she groans.

"You mean a night cat?" he jokes. "Watch out!" At the last second, he pushes Ladybug, getting hit by the beam to protect her.

"Cat Noir!" She jumps back, staring at her partner, now wearing six-inch platform heels, a ruffled collar, and a poofy pink skirt. A replica of Reflecta, the only difference is his wobbling ankles and her smirk.

"We need to get out of here and regroup." She grabs him around the waist, throwing her yoyo. "Watch your nails." She pulls them both away.

"Your jokes are so lame." Cat Noir grumbles as they land on a rooftop.

"You haven't just lost your body, Cat Noir. I think you lost your sense of humor, too." She pulls out her phone to the news report covering the topic. Reflectas running around Paris, impossible to know who the real one is.

"So, what's the plan, M'lady?" He asks.

"I don't know. Without your cataclysm, we have no way of breaking the object. We're stuck." She puts her hands on her head, grabbing her hair in frustration. She suddenly turns to him. "Since when do you want to hear me have a plan?"

"Since Glacia, I think." He shrugs, hearing that the plan and doing the plan were different, but he didn't want to argue.

"We fought two akumatized villains since then. You yelled at me about plans for Miss Fortune. For Darkest Secret, we just did what Viperion told us to do," she argues.

"I was in denial. And to be fair, I was the planner for Miss Fortune." He shoots back with a smile.

"Either way, we're stuck without your power. We'll have to go to Master Fu. He'll tell us what to do, right?" She says, her voice agitated and panicky.

"Call your lucky charm. In the back of your mind, you always know what to do, M'lady." Cat Noir advises.

"Sure. Lucky Charm." A compact mirror falls into her hand, red with black polka dots, almost mocking her.

"Perfect, now I can fix my makeup," he teases. "We can work without my power, right?" He tries a cartwheel before landing in a heap of pink frills.

"No, we can't. Our best bet is getting her akumatized object off her." Ladybug forces the panic down and steadies her voice. With a deep breath, she grabs him and swings away, as he holds onto her tightly, unsure how durable this new costume is if he were to fall.

"Uh, M'lady. I'm all for following whatever plan you have, but, uh, I need to know what it is." He found that having some say in the plan gave him almost as much joy as ignoring the plan. He was never able to have an opinion as Adrien.

"How good are you on camera?" Ladybug asks mischievously.

"I was born to be on camera," he says proudly.

"You're an actor?" she wonders dryly.

"Something like that." He glances at an ad for an Adrien the Fragrance perfume as they fly by it, rolling his eyes at the irony.

"We might need those skills to distract her. Think you can handle that?" Ladybug drops down on top of the TV station.

"You already know the answer to that, bugaboo." He strikes a dramatic pose that looks much too feminine in his current attire.

"Then I'll see you in the recording room." She throws her yoyo and swings down, slipping in through a window.

"I have to take the elevator?! Ladybug!" he complains. Muttering, he dials up his guess of what floor she climbed into.

He confidently struts out of the elevator and through the hallway to the recording studio.

"This is Nadja Chamack, don't be besmused, it's just the news." He opens the door and freezes when he sees at least 10 people turn to him in fear.

"How did she get here so quickly?!" Nadja asks, staring at the transformed Cat Noir.

"Don't worry, I'm not Reflecta. Ladybug will be here in a second, but I need to borrow your camera." He flashes his best Adrien Agreste grin, but no one seems convinced. "Uh, I'm Cat Noir? Duh." He strikes his transformation pose.

"Y-you heard him. Start back up the camera." Nadja gestures to the cameraman, who swings the recording device over to capture Cat Noir.

Ladybug hadn't completely explained this part of the plan, and without his staff and earpiece, he had no way of asking her about it now.

Distraction. He could do that. He waits until the red light starts blinking. "Good Morning, Paris. I'm Cat Noir, your powerful and devastatingly handsome news anchor. The weather is mainly clear, with a slight chance of Ladybug landing to defeat Reflecta at the TV station." He sees the room watching him in transfixed wonder. He needed to keep going.

"On another note, Ladybug is the most photogenic hero in Paris. If anything, this new supervillain should make everyone look like our heroine." He makes the off signal to the cameraman–the subtle slash by his neck–and sits down next to Nadja, taking a candy from the interview table.

"You guys should probably get out of here before the akuma shows up." He talks with his mouth full.

"Too late. Where is your partner, kitty cat?" Reflecta bursts into the studio, her anger seething. The director has already led people to the exit, and the room is nearly clear by the time Reflecta starts shooting.

"Only Ladybug gets to call me that!" He stands up and walks towards her; her beam is no longer a threat.

"Looks like she didn't even care to show. I wonder if she really cares about you enough to give up her miraculous. I know no one cares that much about me." Her voice is raw with emotion.

"I trust her."

Something is thrown at Reflecta, landing in her hands. She flips over the object, staring in the tiny mirror at her own reflection.

She touches her face. "I'm still hideous, even with all this makeup." She whispers, the opening just long enough for Ladybug to swing down and pull off the bracelet. Cat Noir feels the return to his regular self and calls up his power.

"Cataclysm." Ladybug throws the bracelet into his hand, and it turns to dust.

"I can't believe Juleka blew up like that. And she hasn't come to school since," Lila says.

"I'm sure it wasn't her fault. Chloé must've said something to her." Rose hugs her stuffed unicorn. Philosophy was cancelled, so the students stayed in the art room, still concerned by "Cat Noir"'s news appearance, which was replayed several times, but glad when Nadja returned with an exclusive showing of the superheroes helping Juleka up, Cat Noir shielding her from the camera while Ladybug answered some questions.

"Are you drawing the latest super villain?" Lila asks the boy sitting across from her, the shy kid with red hair that covered half of his face.

"O-oh, no. I'm drawing what I think Marinette would've looked like akumatized. It's just an idea." He covers the papers. Lila moves to sit closer.

"That's such an interesting idea. Let me see." She pulls the paper out of his hands. "Truth-Finder. That's nearly as good a name as the one Monarch gave me." She giggled.

"Oh, you think so?" He looks at his hands nervously.

"Do you have a crush on Marinette?" She asks.

"N-no, the scene just inspired me–"

"Every artist needs a muse. She's kind and approachable. Perfect for someone like you. You would be so perfect together. You just need to show her this art and she'll be impressed. Trust me." She gets up and steps out of the room, her phone buzzing quietly in her pocket.

She answers, "Hello, sir." She waits a beat as he lectures her. "Don't worry, I already have something in the works." Her eyes follow Marinette as she walks out of Geometry. She hangs up and makes her way down the stairs.

"Marinette! I was just looking for you." Lila smiles when she sees the girl jump. Someone had hurt her badly, making it too easy for Lila to feel in control.

"What do you want, Lila?" She says, her voice more confident than her body language.

"I just made a new friend. Nathaniel, I believe. We have philosophy and literature with him. I saw him drawing an akumatized villain that he said was you. He really hates you, you know." She circles Marinette.

"I don't care. Not everyone believes your lies, and that's enough for me." Marinette lifts her chin and looks her in the eyes.

"I'm sure Alya didn't make the list. I told you that I would make you suffer. Just because you've brainwashed a couple of boys into defending you doesn't mean you're safe." She flips her hair over her shoulder. "Homework for Philosophy is in the art room."

Marinette doesn't say anything, wary of Lila's "kindness". But she makes her way up anyway because she knows Chloé would never step foot in the paint-covered studio with all the artistic license of a hippie camper.

She finds the papers at a table with only one person sitting at it: Nathaniel. She sighs but makes her way over, surprised when Nathaniel's gaze isn't hostile, but nervous.

"H-hi, Marinette." He stammers.

"Hi." Her tone is clipped.

"I have something I made of you." He pulls out the drawing, something he considers one of his best works, even Lila, the most popular girl in the school, complimented his work and told her Marinette would like him if she could only see his talent.

Marinette looks at the drawing, her name written under the villain's name. She had pigtails and elements from Darkest Secret's costume. But it was no doubt her.

"Right, the villain version of me." She gives a weak smile. His heart sinks. She pushes the paper back to him and collects her things.

"I…I just thought you'd see me." His voice is a whisper. Lila told him Marinette would like him if he just showed her how talented he is.

"Marinette, that wasn't very nice," Rose says.

"What? But he-" She turns just in time to see the look on his face before the butterfly is absorbed into his pen. "Everyone, get out of here!!"

Chapter Text

Adrien slips into the courtyard, replying to Chloé's request to grab her the Philosophy homework from the art room.

"Get out of here!" A yell breaks loose as the door opens. Adrien hears the edges of their warning as they run past him. Akuma. He slips into the locker rooms and transforms before racing to the art room in time to see Marinette cower, her hands shielding her head as a boy–clearly akumatized–steps towards her.

"I don't want to hurt you, Marinette. I-"

"Get away from her!" Cat Noir throws his staff, hitting the akumatized villain in the head, a cheap distraction, as he scoops up Marinette. The staff returns to his hand like a magnet, and he uses it to bring them to the roofs, leaping a few blocks away until they are safely far away.

He sets down Marinette, who looks down sadly.

"What happened?" He asks, leaning down to try to meet her gaze. The height difference was much more exaggerated now that he was in costume.

"He… tried to show me a drawing," she murmurs. "But I snapped at him. Lila was messing with my head, and everyone blames me. Nathaniel isn't dangerous, but I don't know what his motives are. The akuma is in his pen." She explains.

"Wow, you're thorough. Ladybug would love you. Speaking of which…" He pulls out his phone. He calls, and after the voicemail beep, he says, "Hey, buggaboo. I'm with a girl called Marinette by the hotel. There's a new villain, but I don't want to leave her alone, so call me back." He ends the call and gives her a grin. "She'll reply soon, so just hang tight until then."

"How are you so sure? You don't even know her identity." Marinette argues, knowing he will be disappointed if he insists on staying with her.

"My Lady never lets me down." He sits on the edge of the building, checking his phone. Marinette turns and pulls out her second device, glad she put it on silent.

>Please reply, bug. You're making me look bad in front of Marinette!

She receives the text, almost making her laugh as she types out a reply.

>I'm busy. The villain's power is drawing things into existence. He is dangerous. Leave Marinette somewhere safe, and I'll be there in a little while.

>Actually, I think the akumatized villain will listen to her. He said he doesn't want to hurt her, so I think we should get her to help us. Leave everything to me, bug :)

Marinette scans the message, about to write a reply, when she hears Cat Noir stand. She tucks the phone in her pocket and turns to face him.

"Good news, you get to be my Ladybug for a bit!"

"What?" Marinette croaks.

"You get to work with the amazing Cat Noir. Come on." He offers her his hand, which she only takes because she knows Cat Noir is trustworthy.

"What an honor," she replies sarcastically. He lifts her into his arms and leaps into the air. She hangs on for dear life as they go back to the school.

Lila is the only one in the courtyard, sitting at a bench nonchalantly as she reads a book.

Cat Noir sets Marinette down. "You, this is all your fault. You made me doubt Nathaniel, the boy who has been in my class for the past 4 years, since middle school! I should've known this was some–" Cat Noir grabs her around the waist before she has a chance to attack Lila.

"Whoa, Marinette, calm down!" He tries to disuade her, a bit surprised at her strength as she tries to break free of his grasp. He adjusts his grip, wondering how he could possibly have underestimated her.

"Me, I didn't do anything. I simply encouraged him to show you that awful drawing and told you he didn't have good intentions." Lila smirks before glancing at Cat Noir. "Just like sweet Nathaniel, I am a victim of Marinette. Did you know that she caused my last akumatization and was one of the first people to disappear during Reflekta?"

"What?! You purposely messed with me and grabbed the akuma that was after me!" She slumps back in Cat Noir's arms. If only she could get away and transform. Ladybug was so much stronger than Marinette, both physically and mentally.

"Marinette, this doesn't sound like you." Cat Noir whispers.

"And how would you know? You don't even know me." Marinette feels too drained to really think about how casual he has spoken to her, since he always did that with Ladybug.

"I know that Lila getting akumatized wasn't your fault. And I know that you're much smarter than you're letting on. Don't let Lila take that away from you. I need your help until Ladybug can come." He lets her go once he's finished murmuring the encouragement in her ear.

"Right." Marinette takes a deep breath. "Where did Evilustrator go?" Marinette asks, her tone even and collected. Lila seems confused for a second, but composes herself.

"To the Seine. He wanted to surprise you with his talent, even after your cruel betrayal. I'm sure Ladybug is already there." She turns and, grabbing her bag, makes her way into a classroom.

"Let's go." Marinette puts her hands out as if to be picked up, and Cat Noir leans down to let her grab around his neck. When they're in the air, she keeps from looking down; her costume gave her the confidence to leap over buildings, but she was just Marinette today.

"So, when we get there, what's the plan?" She asks, her eyes squeezed tight as she holds onto Cat so tightly she's almost scared he can't breathe.

"Usually, Ladybug is in charge of plans, but I guess today is my turn. I'll stay in the background, you see if you can distract him long enough to get his akumatized object. Let's hope Ladybug joins us soon to purify the akuma." He sets her down on the bridge and leaps away.

She looks on both sides of the bridge, seeing nothing on the open water save for a boat bobbing a little way away. She glances up to see Cat Noir on a lamppost. He points down, below her, before jumping down into the bushes.

Marinette leans over the bridge, seeing a drawn utopia beneath her. She races to the side that has tourist trails and jumps over the edge, grabbing the rail to land on the path underneath. She hopes Cat Noir hadn't seen that.

"Nathaniel?" She calls. The sound of her voice makes the drawings stir, their faint glow magical in the receding sunlight.

"Marinette, you came. Lila promised she would tell you to come here." Evilustrator steps out of the two-dimensional greenery. He draws stairs that lead to where she is standing.

"I wanted to apologize. I thought you were trying to insult me with your drawing, and I didn't give you the proper credit. It was lovely, even if it depicted me as a villain." She walks down hesitantly.

"I never think of you that way. In fact, you inspire me. Your outfits are always so amazing, and your expressions are easy to draw, no matter how animated." He laughs. "That is all I wanted to say. Lila thinks I have a crush on you, but I actually just look up to you, a fellow artist."

"Really?" Marinette puts a hand over her mouth, completely taken aback.

"Yes, but I need you to leave now, Marinette. I need to fight Ladybug and Cat Noir. That is the rule of having this power. Monarch said if I defeat them, I can keep this power to create forever." The stairs become an escalator, pulling her back to the path.

"I heard that Ladybug was too busy to show. And Cat Noir is hardly a problem with your powerful gift." She walks down against the mechanics until she is standing in front of him. "I want to draw you something before I go. A Marinette original." She holds out her hand and he places the pen in it.

She grabs his tablet as she sketches a person with red hair that covers half his face, in paint-splattered overalls, on top of a red shirt. The colors appeared for her naturally, the power of her mind appearing on the tablet. She ignored the ringing in her ears and the ominous hum of a voice trying to reach her. She was using an akumatized object, but wouldn't let Monarch get to her.

"Who is that?" Evilustrator asks.

"It's you, not as a villain. And I'm sorry." She backs up the steps quickly as he looks at the drawing. When she spots Cat Noir, she throws the pen at him. "Cat!"

"Marinette?" Evilustrator looks at her, betrayal in his expression as the akumatized form fades along with his creations. The leaves and trees wither into nothingness, the beauty of the art seeming like only a mirage as it is erased. Cat Noir swings by and grabs him, setting him next to Marinette.

"I'm off to the rendezvous point where I told Ladybug to meet me. I'll leave you two to figure it out." He gives a bow and disappears into the night.

"Do you remember being akumatized?" she asks.

"No, I just remember showing you the drawing and–" He cuts himself off, looking away.

"I didn't mean to react that way. I thought you were being rude, mentioning me almost getting akumatized, and I didn't pay attention to the effort and creativity you put into that drawing. I hope you can forgive me," Marinette says.

"I do." Nathaniel quickly embraces Marinette, the action both awkward and sweet.

"I have somewhere to be, but your house isn't too far from here, right?" Marinette tries to remember.

"Yeah, I live just across the Seine." He gives her a grateful smile before sunning up the steps. She finds a place to hide and transforms, swinging toward the rendezvous point to see her partner sitting with the pen beside him.

"Little kitty on the roof, all alone without his-" He must have heard her land because he turns excitedly. "My Lady!" He stands to hug her tightly.

"Sorry, I couldn't make it, Cat Noir." She wheezes as he lets her go.

"That's ok. Marinette really pulled through. But she's not you, so don't abandon me again." He crosses his arms and pouts.

Ladybug can't help but laugh, though she feels drained. "Just release the akuma."

He grins as he calls up his power, turning the pen into dust. The butterfly flies from the rubble, and she catches it, freeing the white butterfly.

"I'll see you for patrol on Wednesday." She turns to go, their obligations met, and a nap on her mind.

"Wait." He catches her wrist. "Can we get some ice cream or something? I haven't seen you all day, and I…" He loses his train of thought, suddenly a bit shy.

"I suppose I do owe you." She grabs his hand and pulls him to the edge of the building, where they jump.

Adrien slouches on his couch, playing a video game casually on his 72-inch flatscreen TV. Plagg tried playing, but even the powerful Kwami of destruction couldn't understand the fundamentals of the game.

"Why are you sulking? You went on an ice cream date with Ladybug on Friday, hung out with Nino yesterday, and you don't have any modeling events today." Plagg gets in his face, blocking his view, but Adrien doesn't mind.

"I'm just worried about Marinette. Did you notice how angry she got at Lila? And how quickly she trusted Cat Noir… She's never been like that around me before." Adrien squeezes the power button on the controller, shutting it off before tossing it to the other side of the couch.

Plagg takes the initiative to press the off button on the TV as he waits for Adrien to get angry and start throwing things, or at least start yelling.

But he doesn't. He puts his head in his hands.

"Well, when my cheese doesn't age the way I want, I give it a new environment. Probably don't put Marinette in the cupboards, but maybe invite her over, or try to approach her more often. Clearly, she feels like she has no one to talk to." Plagg doesn't add that if Marinette comes over, she'll likely bring Tikki, and he can try to share his mildly aged cheese that he's sure would fix her decade-long hatred for his favorite snack.

"But Nino said she likes me. Wouldn't it be cruel to lead her on while my heart belongs to Ladybug?" He asks earnestly.

"You're making it too complicated. You're not leading her on by being a good friend." Plagg shrugs and flies off, leaving Adrien with his thoughts.

"I need to make sure Marinette knows I like Ladybug, and then I can be the best friend she has ever had." With a new resolve, Adrien hops onto his computer and collects pictures and articles of the female superhero. He even does a little shopping, but who could blame him when the Ladybug onesie was on sale?

Plagg rolls his eyes and curls into a tiny ball at the top shelf, a bed of moldy cheese comforting him.

"Adrien, your father wants to talk to you–" Natalie opens the door to see Adrien hanging up a poster with the two superheroes (a fan drawing that was too beautiful not to print out).

"Natalie, can you tell me if it's crooked?"

"Now, Adrien." She tries to ignore the other merch and 3d printed models of Ladybug on his desk.

Adrien steps down from the chair and follows Natalie gracefully, his posture perfect and his expression neutral.

She holds the door open for him, where he finds his father on his tablet, his expression grim. The air is colder, Gabriel's environment severe compared to Adrien's, but that's not the only reason for the goosebumps on Adrien's arms.

"I need you to make a list of all the materials from the school that are yours. Give it to Natalie when you're done." He orders. Adrien freezes as he realizes what his father is saying.

"You're pulling me out of school?!" He already feels hot tears welling in his eyes, though he tries to will them away. "Why?" he asks desperately.

"I thought it would be obvious. Too many of your classmates have been akumatized-"

"You hired Lila Rossi as a model for your brand! She's been akumatized more than anyone I know. And she was actually dangerous every time!" Adrien clenches his hands into fists, the tears falling freely now, which he considers a blessing, since he can no longer see his father's face.

"I see promise in the girl that I don't see in any of the other people you surround yourself with. This is not up for discussion. These people have made you more argumentative, loud, and undignified. You are an Agreste. I let you have your way, and I've seen that it won't work."

Adrien shakes his head, backing up. "No. I just started to make friends. Chloé's been better, Marinette needs me. I have to help Nino…" he mumbles. Natalie puts a hand on his shoulder and opens the door for him. He can't meet anyone's eyes as he runs out of the room.

"I hope you're happy with yourself, sir." She frowns.

"He will be more powerful than Lila ever could be. Even you know that. He's perfect." Gabriel presses the buttons on his wife's painting and smiles at Natalie as he is brought down.

Adrien runs past the front door, putting in the passcode to open the gates manually, racing out the second he fits.

But where could he go? He can't tell Nino, not while he's emotional like this. Chloé would get her father involved, which could make things worse. He slows down to a walk, the slight splatters of a gentle rain ignored.

"Adrien, you gotta calm down." Plagg flies by his head.

"I'm fine," Adrien says coldly. Plagg ducks into the jacket.

"ADRIEN!" Someone yells in warning.

"Marinette?" Adrien turns, recognizing the voice. A yoyo flies by his head, catching a butterfly, but scaring Adrien enough for him to fall back. Ladybug releases the purified Akuma before turning her attention to Adrien.

"Are you okay?" She offers him her hand. He takes it gingerly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She pulls him up with ease. "T-thank you, Ladybug," he says softly. He notices that the clouds that drizzled over him have moved on.

"You've been crying. I just finished clearing my head, so I'd be happy to offer you my ear." She smiles gently.

"My father is pulling me out of school because of all the recent akumas there," he says quickly, getting the heaviest bit off his chest first.

"From Françoise Dupont?" She tries to hide her horror. Ladybug shouldn't be completely and utterly shocked. Only Marinette would feel that way. She takes Adrien's hand in hers and leads him to a bench. "He would be losing his contract with the shoe company he's promoting through you," she says, only because he says nothing.

"I don't have control over anything in my life. I didn't even know about that promotion. I'm just told what to wear every day, who to talk to, and how many times I need to smile. If he takes me out of school, I'll be completely alone. Nino, my best friend, still hasn't confessed to his crush, Marinette's been spiraling, and Chloé's been hanging out with Lila. They need me." He puts his hands over his face.

Ladybug can't help but smile. He noticed her. He wanted to be there for her.

"You care so much about these people. Do you doubt that they feel the same way? At worst, you are taken out of school, but your friends will still work to see you. And at best, your father will take back what he said. In fact, give me your phone." She holds her palm out.

Adrien pulls the device out of his pocket and hands it to her, unlocked. She types out her number in his contacts, taking a quick, silly picture for the profile. "If you think you have no friends, you can call me one." She hands it back. He stares at the contact, a smile widening on his face as he hiccups.

"Thank you, Ladybug." He turns and hugs her tightly. She returns the gesture. His anger and fear seem to melt off him as he hears Ladybug's steady heartbeat calm him. He pulls back slowly. Golden hour puts a heavenly glow on the trees as birds sing in the last of the light.

"I should probably get back home, or my father's secretary will send a search party."

"I'll take you. " She offers, spinning her yoyo. He takes her outstretched hand and grabs around her neck as she pulls them into the air.

He lets out a tiny shriek that has her laughing as she holds him tighter. He hadn't realized how terrifying it was to not have a costume. He feels bad now that he grabbed Marinette and flew away with her, though she didn't seem half as scared as he felt.

She lands on the edge of his open window, his way of leaving as Cat Noir, but he hopes she just thinks it is to air out the room. With the lights off and the sun fading, everything feels more intimate and personal than necessary.

"Thank you again. I would've been akumatized if you hadn't been there, Ladybug." Adrien runs his hand through his hair shyly.

"That's what I'm here for." She hesitates before throwing her yoyo, stiffening as she feels another presence. She pulls Adrien into a hug as she scans the darkness. "Don't forget to call me if you ever need anything." She pulls back with a bright smile and finally swings out of the room.

"I didn't know you were friends with a superhero." A dark, chilly voice has Adrien spinning on his heel and taking a step back.

"F-father?" Adrien clutches his phone. Gabriel stands up from the chair at Adrien's desk.

"I came to apologize. I was hard on you earlier." He pauses for just a moment before saying, "If you had told me that you had befriended Ladybug to the point of having her number, I would've changed my mind."

"W-why would that change anything?" Adrien asks before it hits him.

"If you can convince her to be more than your friend… someone who would save you before anyone else, I would happily send you wherever in Paris you wished to go. You clearly already have a thing for her," he gestures to the figurines on the table.

"But that would be wrong." He argues. His father didn't know he was Cat Noir, the main love interest for Ladybug, the side of him he really wanted her to love and accept.

"She is a hero, but you are the most sought-after model in Paris. I will let you do your best, but if another akuma attacks and Ladybug is not yet yours, Natalie will take over your teaching." Gabriel walks out of the room with grace, the door shutting lightly behind him.

"Was it just me, or has this been the most helpful interaction between you and your father?" Plagg flies out of his jacket and to his favorite spot on the highest shelf.

"He wants me to use Ladybug for my own protection. But I could never ask for that, since I'm Cat Noir. And my feelings for her are genuine, but if she had to protect me all the time, I would feel guilty." He lies on his bed, exhaustion hitting him like a train. He would never willingly put chains on someone and call it love. He knew that feeling too well already.

"I still think it's a great deal. Plus, you would get to go to school again, one of the only things you like, as Adrien. That would make it easier to be Cat Noir, too. If you're monitored constantly, you may have to give up being a superhero up and I… uh… Ladybug needs you." Plagg flies down to sit next to him.

"You're right. I have to try." Adrien unlocks his phone and sends a quick text.

>My dad was surprised that we were friends. He said that since we're friends, I should be safe enough to go to school. But I'm on probation...

Chapter Text

"Lila, we'll need something big this time. Will you be able to handle it?" A deep voice asks with fake benevolence. This is a warning. Her last two villains were weak, easily overcome. Hawkmoth wanted to force the heroes to find help elsewhere or to fail alone.

"I will take care of it. I'm sure you'll feel when I'm ready, sir." She hangs up.

"I'm so glad your old man let you come, but why did he change his mind?" Nino asks Adrien a bit too loudly. "It's 'cause of Ladybug, huh?"

Marinette tunes out Alya's explanation of the picture of Adrien and Ladybug hugging in the rainy park to hear Adrien's reply. Surely he wouldn't add to the theory that he's dating Ladybug, as much as she liked the idea. The press was quick to publish the story, of course.

"She was… just checking on me. Ladybug's always been there for Paris, and it was just a coincidence that I was emotional when she found me." Adrien shrugs it off casually.

"I still think I would die if Ladybug talked to me. She's literally like the biggest celebrity in Paris, dude." Nino laughs.

"You do realize I'm a big celebrity too, right? And what about Cat Noir?" Adrien crosses his arms.

"Also super scary, but I feel like, as a dude, we'd understand each other. And he has a sense of humor, so he's not a serious dude like Ladybug," Nino replies.

"Yeah, I guess I'll take it." Adrien shrugs.

>Going to school is really stressful with the knowledge that an akuma could make me lose it. [Sent 4:06 pm.]

"Whatcha reading, bug?" Cat Noir lands beside Ladybug, his arms over his staff as he leans down to put his head on her shoulder.

"Nothing I'd share with you." She turns off her phone, but not before Cat Noir sees: Adrien <3 Agreste, at the top of the screen.

"You're texting a boy. A guy you have a crush on, perhaps?" He pries as she pushes him away.

"No, just a friend." She grumbles as she sends a bit that he'll have to reply to when he gets back home.

"Are you sure? Your face is a little red–" He pushes, hoping he could get a confession out of her that would make his part in romancing her that much easier.

"Cut it out, Cat. He's going through a rough time, and I'm a superhero. It would be unprofessional and cruel to admit to anything beyond friendship for him."

He stays quiet for a moment, deciding between respecting the boundary she set or prying for the answer he wanted. "I'm glad you were free this afternoon. School has been so lame." He changes the subject as he takes out his phone and scrolls through the top news story, his enhanced eyes scanning for the word "akuma" or "attack".

"It was a very practical request to go on a patrol, so it took me by surprise." She lets out a breath.

"Yeah, working with that girl from Dupont really helped me see that I can be just as good at planning as you." She rolls her eyes and steps off the building, starting their afternoon patrol.

"Ladybug, you may want to see this." Cat Noir stops by a tackboard outside the police station. The city's silence wasn't worrisome before, but his cat eyes catch something that makes the quiet nerve-racking.

"Have there always been that many missing people?" Ladybug notices the new posters of at least 10 Missing Persons. Ladybug takes a quick picture of them before swinging away. Their patrol is almost over, and she wants to get home to work on the skirt she is making for Alya.

"M'lady, look over there!" Cat Noir points at the Square Berlin across from Le Grand Palais, where Ladybug landed. She turns her gaze to the garden, at first seeing nothing but the trees and bushes and…

"Are those… bodies?" She runs over to a young girl lying in the grass, unresponsive. But her chest rises and falls, as do the other two scattered around the fountain.

"If an akumatized villain passed through here, the news reporters never saw them. In fact, Nadja has hardly brought up the subject beyond ten missing people's reports." Cat Noir glares at his phone.

"We have to find out who did this. We should split up, keep your comms on, and report to each other if we find anything," Ladybug says.

"You're in charge," Cat agrees as he puts on the earpiece. He catapults himself in the air while Ladybug stays, her heart telling her to stay by the little girl, but her mind telling her to work to save her.

"All alone already? You almost make this too easy." A distorted voice echoes around her that instantly has her on edge, spinning her yoyo protectively.

"Who's there?"

"Bang." Something hits Ladybug in the back, and she loses consciousness.

"M'lady, are you ok? Did you find something?" Cat Noir asks.

"Cat Noir, is that you?" Ladybug sounds frantic.

"Yeah, what's going on?" He starts to backtrack, using a different route, and his ears perked to pick up any changes on the way.

"I'm Ladybug's Kwami, Tikki. I think we switched bodies. I can't see the villain anywhere." Tikki tries throwing the yoyo, but she's never had a mortal body to function, and her limbs feel too long. She runs down an alley, trying to get out of the open.

Someone suddenly lands in front of her, making her jump. "You said your name is Tikki?" Cat Noir's voice is threatening. He looks at her coldly, hardly believing her story, but knowing that whoever he is looking at, despite the red and black polka dots and bluebell eyes, this is not his lady.

"Yes. Cat Noir, you have to believe me. Ladybug is still here, but in the form of the earrings. We have to defeat the akuma quickly, and everything should go back the way it was before." Her eyes are genuinely pleading, so Cat Noir lets his guard down.

And a small voice in the back of his head says that "Sugarcube" isn't a threat.

"Fine, let's do this together, Kwami." He notices the yoyo doesn't seem to work for her, so he grabs her and flings them both into the sky, where Tikki closes her eyes for a second, glad to feel the sensation of levitation in this new body.

"We'll need to first see if we can find the akumatized villain. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman who spoke; their voice was distorted, and they only said a few lines before Ladybug was hit." Tikki explains.

"I guess I know where Ladybug gets her bossiness from," Cat comments softly. He scans the streets for such a person until his eyes catch on a girl standing in the middle of an intersection, several pedestrians sleeping on the street, and the cars are empty. "I found her."

They land a few strides away, facing the villain.

"What is your name, supervillain?" Cat Noir jokes as he draws his staff, spinning it as the girl walks closer.

"Mind Games." The voice is hauntingly off, her eyes cold. He almost recognizes her, but her purple skin and witch-like attire make the person she resembles evade his memory.

"Well, I'm not in the mood to play games today. So let's find your object." He notices she has gloves, a pointed hat, jewelry, and punk-style boots. Ladybug would've been better at guessing which one of those things could be the akumatized object.

"Cat Noir, keep out of her range, I don't remember what she shot Ladybug with!" Tikki warns him.

"Who is your new partner? I hit that roach already, and yet she stands behind you, as if I never did," Mind Games says warily.

"Maybe you missed," Cat Noir laughs, running at her as he calls on his power and touches the largest gem on her neck. It turns to dust, but nothing happens until the villain makes a finger gun and points it at him.

"Bang."

"Cat Noir!" Tikki yells. He falls to the ground but catches himself, looking up with an angry scowl. Mind Games quickly runs away, unsure why her power isn't working.

"Don't worry, Sugarcube. I'm fine!" Cat Noir replies. No, it's not him. The posture is different, as if unfamiliar in his body, his grin too sharp, and a chaotic mischief that is almost dangerous.

"What are we going to do?" Tikki panics.

"We detransform and let them talk to each other, obviously. Though I do like the feeling of such a breakable vessel." Plagg's eyes are wild.

"Fine, you go that way and I'll go this way. Tell your user to meet mine on the top of the building," Tikki orders.

"Whatever you say, Sugarcube." He gives a charismatic bow.

"Whatever, Stinky Sock." But she can't completely hide her smile as they split. It must be the mortal feelings getting to her.

"Claws in," Plagg says, catching the kawmi that appears in front of him.

"What happened?" The Kwami Adrien asks.

"You got us hit, idiot. But luckily, Sugarcube has a plan. Meet Ladybug at the top of the building." He gives Adrien a bit of cheese from his pocket, who begrudgingly eats it before flying up to the roof.

"My Lady?" He sees a little red form eating a macaroon on the bench.

"Cat Noir, this is awful." She turns to him, her large eyes watery.

"We'll fix this. We always do." He lands beside her.

"We don't even know what her powers are. She's put some people to sleep, but is she responsible for the missing people? Why didn't we sleep? Why are we Kwami's? Why can I feel the weight of the universe on my shoulders when my mind doesn't understand it?" She holds her head, shaking.

"That's it. The villain is called 'Mind Games'. Her power doesn't actually have to do with sleeping. She has control over minds. That's why our minds swapped with our Kwamis." Adrien says.

"That makes a lot of sense. I forgot you could be helpful underneath all your cat puns." She smiles, but the expression feels foreign. Tikki smiled at her all the time, and yet it felt forced to express what she felt naturally in her mind.

"So what do we do about our Kwamis? I still have to go to school tomorrow, and it's getting late," he wonders.

"Let them go in our stead, and we can watch the villain and plan. Once we're ready, they can transform, and we can use the knowledge we gained while they were busy to defeat her." Marinette says, her little red antennae twitching.

"You think they'd be able to pull it off?" Adrien wonders.

"Well, we have all night to inform them on how to act." She finishes her dessert in one bite and flies up and over the ledge. He waits a beat before doing the same on his side.

Plagg looks through the notecards Adrien forced him to write, practicing the boy's handwriting, but also making sure he had all the tools to navigate class smoothly.

-Wednesday: Be nice to everyone, but don't be too nice to Lila or Chloé.

"Piece of cake." Plagg shoves the notecards back into Adrien's bag and steps out of the limo. Nino is already waiting, a paper bag in his hand.

"'Sup, dude. As always, I got your snack." Nino hands him the bag, which Plagg quickly opens to find a few finger sandwiches with cheese and vegetables with a creamy spread. Plagg's mouth waters as he grabs one and eats it while Nino slings an arm over his shoulder, and they walk inside.

"Wow, these are the best. What cheese is this?" Plagg asks as he licks his fingers.

"Muenster, I think. I got a few more in my lunch if you want some later." Nino laughs, oblivious. "Anyway, I have some news. Alya invited me to her house yesterday, and we played Mega Strike with her older sister…"

Plagg stops paying attention when he sees Tikki, perfectly replicating Marinette to the point that he almost doubts she's changed, too.

"… so I think I'm going to confess to her with her favorite flowers and some chocolate. I wouldn't have even been able to talk to her without your help, dude." Nino finishes with a friendly punch in the shoulder.

Flowers and chocolate? That's what humans think is romantic?

"Yeah, my advice is pretty good… dude? Imma go talk to Sug–Marinette. I'll be in class in a little while." He gives a normal human grin before walking over to "Marinette" and Alya.

"-but I don't really think they are a couple. Ladybug has Cat Noir, even if they aren't exclusive yet-" Tikki explains to Alya.

"Hey, Marinette!" Plagg slings an arm around her shoulder.

"Hi, Adrien," she replies in a flat tone.

"I need your help with the homework." He grins a little too widely.

"You, Adrien Agreste, supermodel and person with the highest grades in class, need my help?" Tikki raises an eyebrow, silently telling him to stay in character.

"I'll see you in class, girl." Alya winks as she leaves them.

"What is this about?" Tikki whispers angrily. "You could at least have some modicum of sense when it comes to acting like your user."

"I have lots of modi-crumbs. They were delicious. But Tikki, we're human for the first time in our lives. History won't even care if Adrien and Marinette were a little weird for a day. Just imagine what we could do." He brushes his fingers through her hair.

"Marinette and Adrien will care. And if this reveals their identity, then history will too." She pushes him away and walks to class. Plagg rolls his eyes, but follows with his hands in his pockets.

The city was too quiet. Only two more sleeping people were found. The villain either worked very slowly or was baiting them.

"How do you think the kwami's are doing? They must be alone and worried about us." Marinette flies out of the building, she had phazed through to check the security footage.

"Plagg's probably going to get himself caught." Adrien's tone is wary.

"Tikki knows almost everything about me. But she can be a little pushy and a perfectionist. But I trust her."

"What about me, M'lady. Do you trust me?" He flies in front of her.

"Inexplicably. I would summon forth a planet for you," she says, her tone so even it almost makes him shiver.

"Wow. That was really deep. And yet I'm not swooning like I thought I would." Adrien frowns.

"Kwami's aren't capable of romantic emotions. In fact, most of their kindness and 'caring' is a learned skill they developed from working with mortal vessels for so long." Marinette stops by a tree, surveying the area before continuing the search.

"That's sad. But I guess romantic feelings would likely complicate their balance." Adrien shrugs before he notices something. "Ladybug, over there."

She turns to see their missing villain. Hiding from sight, she eavesdrops as the girl talks.

"I hit them, Monarch. But I don't have any of their consciousness, nor did they seem more than a little disoriented," she says as she kicks a stone.

"That's not helpful. We're still stuck in these bodies, and the kwamis stuck in ours, probably causing chaos we'll have to clean up later." Adrien bares his teeth in irritation.

"Well, there has to be a miraculous that could help us with drawing out her object."

"So let's go to Master Fu." Adrien grabs her hand, desperate to have this ordeal over with and his regular body back.

"And tell him how easily we failed? I would rather learn more about the villain first. Besides, as long as we have an eye on her, we can gauge how much damage she has been causing."

"As glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air." Plagg recites loudly. Mrs. Bustier puts a hand over her heart, amazed by the beauty of "Adrien's" performance.

Tikki rolls her eyes but reads from the script with no emotion. "O Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo?"

"Girl, put some emotion into it." Alya urges.

"I think Alya should play Juliet, Mrs. Bustier," Tikki says sweetly. "I can be Lady Capulet." She goes back to her seat and trades scripts with Alya.

"Aww, don't be a quitter, Marinette," Plagg teases.

"Finish the scene, Adrien." She shoots back.

"Why couldn't you try back there with the play?" Plagg catches her after History class, pulling her into the boiler room for a second of privacy.

"I'm still worried about our users. Did Adrien seem really down when he came home last night?" she asks.

"He was kinda mad. But he didn't really want to talk about it, and I didn't really care. He didn't even come to that horrible supper I had with his father. There was no cheese, just some salad-"

"You can be such an idiot, Plagg. Marinette feels really bad about this whole situation, and Adrien isn't doing his best either, and all you can think about is food! A hundred years and you still haven't changed. That's how I lost… forget it. These human bodies are making us emotional." She crosses her arms and leans against the wall.

"Yeah, but they also let us feel more." He traces his finger along her cheek, bringing it down her neck.

"Plagg, remember that these bodies aren't ours. We shouldn't take advantage." She grabs his hand and holds it to keep him from roaming.

"Yes, but they love each other. We would just be moving them along. And they don't really have to know." He brings his lips just a breath away from hers, still wanting her permission even if they both knew they were past the point of pretending. He knew she could feel it too, these emotions and feelings of wanting that were so different from the way a kwami felt.

He had always thought he loved Tikki, and to some extent, that was true. He cared for his fellow Kwami, his other half. But the mortal version of love was much more fleeting, more demanding, more dramatic. And Plagg wanted to feel it to its fullest measure.

"We'd have to tell them." She hesitates, but she is clearly interested, too. "Neither of them can know that it's because the other was switched as well. If anything, you used Marinette's feelings, and I seduced you." She wraps her arms around his neck, closing the distance between their lips.

Some instinct led them as Plagg pinned her against the wall, holding her head, and she pulled him close. She brings her hand down to cup his face, tracing her fingers down his throat.

Usually, he pretends to be detached and lazy, but it shocks him how powerful the feeling of her lips on his makes him feel. She pulls away to catch her breath before bringing their mouths together again passionately, desperately, like mortals must do.

"We're going to be late for science." Plagg murmurs, though not to remind her, but to keep himself from going too far. She may be his Tikki, but it was Marinette who would know if he left any mark on her. For a moment, he nearly forgets that these aren't his hands, his lips, his feelings.

"Then we'd better hurry." But neither of them moves until the next bell rings.

Chapter Text

Plagg covers his face, scared that the blush hasn't left it. Why was he being an idiot? Kissing Tikki was the dumbest thing he could've done while in a human body. And yet it felt so right, so inevitable. And the way she encouraged it…

He lifts his head with dignity, hoping Nino or anyone else didn't notice his brief loss of composure.

"Como se dice: mouth?" Mr. Sanchez circles his desk. Plagg gives Tikki a smirk from across the room. She frowns, but he can see the pink in her cheeks as she raises her hand.

"Boca." She keeps eye contact.

"Muy bien, Señorita Marinette. Bueno, I suppose I can let you out a few minutes early for lunch." Everyone quickly grabs their bags and races out the door. Plagg gets out and leans against the wall, waiting for Tikki.

"So, dude, are you doing okay? There's a rumor that there's another akuma that Ladybug and Cat Noir haven't caught yet," Nino asks.

Plagg freezes for a second before he forces a laugh, "Oh, I think that's just a rumor. The news has only said that there are more missing people and a sleeping epidemic. And those things don't even have to be related!"

"We'll if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, dude." Nino gives him a pat on the shoulder before going to the cafeteria for lunch.

"Yeah, I think I'll go home for lunch," Tikki tells Alya.

"But Lila and Chloé aren't even gonna be there! Lila's been sick–"

"How would you know that?" Plagg leans over Tikki's shoulder, his tone cold as he stares at Alya.

"W-well, she texted me. She told me to grab her homework and tell the teachers that she has a cold." Alya looks between them, worry and suspicion mixed on her face.

"Why does she have your number?" Plagg pushes. He knows Adrien would feel the same way and is happy to defend Tikki's user.

"Why are both of you always around each other? It was yesterday, too. You've been different… Wait… you're not–are you two dating? Talk about keeping secrets, you are, aren't you?" Alya takes a step back.

"Of course we're not. But Marinette is my friend, and you don't seem to be acting like one. Come on, Marinette. Let's go eat at my mansion together." Plagg holds out a hand, but Tikki slaps it.

"Friends don't eat alone together. And I have something to check on at home. You should check on it, too." Tikki lectures before walking away.

Plagg turns to Alya. "See? If we were dating, she would've been dying to eat salads with me."

Marinette flies back and forth, nervous as she waits for Tikki to come back from lunch.

"Marinette?" The soft voice asks as she climbs up the steps.

"Tikki! Did anyone catch on? What homework did you have? How's Alya? Did you see Luka?" Marinette asks quickly.

"Calm down. Alya is the only one who suspected anything, and it was because Adrien was defending you, and she thought we were dating. I didn't see Luka." Tikki explains.

"Why was Adrien defending me?" Marinette asks.

"W-well. Alya has Lila's number, and Lila texted her that she was sick."

"That's it? Adrien can be so dramatic. Alya already apologized for being friends with Lila, and as long as I'm still number one, I don't need to be jealous," Marinette says proudly.

"I think that's the kwami in you speaking. You were really mad at her before. But just tell me how your patrol with Cat Noir went." Tikki sits down in a chair, stretching her long, human legs.

"We found her, but we don't have a definitive way to defeat her. I'm going to talk to Master Fu while you are at school, and I'll probably meet you there with the plan," she assures her.

"Alright." Tikki's hands fidget a bit, not something uncommon for Marinette, but odd to think about an immortal being acting nervous.

"Don't worry, we'll soon figure out how to fix this, Tikki." Marinette lands in her hands, staring up at her.

"I'm going to find some sustenance. I'll bring you a cookie before you meet Cat Noir again." Tikki says, slightly glad that Marinette misunderstood, but apprehensive about how she will react to the Kwami's slight loss of composure a few hours ago.

"Alright." Marinette watches her leave with suspicion.

"Master Fu?" Marinette calls before phasing through the door, Adrien hot on her heels.

"I'm in the kitchen!" An old voice replies, and the two Kwamis share a look before following the voice.

"It smells great in here, Master." Adrien flies over to him, perching on his shoulder, his mouth watering as he looks at the soup on the stove.

"You are not my Kwamis," Fu says, pouring out a dish for himself and two small servings for them.

"No, we're not. It's Ladybug and Cat Noir. We've swapped bodies with the Kwami's and sent them to school in our stead, and we've been following the akumatized villain, and even with the best Lucky Charm-" A red spoon with black spots drops into Fu's hand. "Sorry."

Fu thinks for a moment, sitting down and watching Adrien drink the soup straight from the small bowl.

"You want to bring another miraculous out." He knows.

"Yes." Marinette sounds guilty.

"Do you have one in mind?" he asks. Marinette hesitates, not knowing all of them.

"The fox miraculous would probably be the best," Adrien offers as he finishes the soup. Marinette doesn't respond, her planning failing her as she tries to remember what the fox miraculous does. She feels a connection to it, the fox named Trixx, but she never learned the power when she was human.

"Illusions? I suppose. I'm just worried about letting so many leave the box. Once Monarch knows— never mind." He gets up, food forgotten as he goes to the living space and pulls out the record player.

"Monarch would try to steal the miraculous to defeat us. But Master, you never told us what Monarch's after." Marinette watches as he puts in the pin.

"He wants your miraculous. I will not share the reason, but your miraculous must never be in the hands of the same person." The miracle box opens, revealing 10 slots, but only 5 miraculous.

Adrien picks up the necklace with the fox pendant. He looks between Fu and Marinette. "I think Ladybug should give it to someone. Last time, Viperon helped us win in minutes. I trust her to make another good decision."

"You do not trust yourself in your new body." Fu notices. "And you're too worried about Plagg to think clearly. Rest assured, they have lived a hundred more lives than you and I. They are not foolish."

"Plagg, you are such an idiot!" Tikki screams.

"What, I just proved the Philosophy teacher wrong. Where's the harm in that?" Plagg leans back against the bench.

"The harm is that you were kicked out of class for misinterpreting Aristotle!" Tikki huffs.

"Well, I actually met the guy, so who's really misinformed?" Plagg grabs a spare basketball and dribbles, glad for Adrien's muscle memory because it makes him look awesome.

"Class ends soon. I should return from my 'bathroom break'." Tikii uses her fingers to make air quotes, something impossible with Kwami limbs.

"Sure. I'll just stay here and shoot some hoops while the courts are empty. Tell Nino to grab Adrien's horrible bag." He shoots and easily makes a backboard shot.

"Of course." Tikki slips back into the classroom gracefully, sitting with Nino by the door. She had been avoiding Alya since Plagg caused a scene, mainly because she was scared that Alya, the reporter and analyst, would discover the secret she was hiding. Of course, Alya thought she had finally lost Marinette and was sitting alone in her regular seat, scribbling things in her notebook and not paying attention in class.

"That's all for now. Nino, please give Adrien the homework." Mr. Duval says. He removes his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose as he dismisses the class.

Tikki collects her things, hesitating to look at Alya. She feels bad about having ruined Marinette's friendship, but she couldn't have the girl discover things without Marinette's permission. Alya looks up at her, their eyes locking.

Neither of them moves as everyone exits the class. Mr. Duval collects the papers that were turned in and leaves to make copies.

Alone, Alya clutches her backpack and walks over to Marinette.

"Alya, I'm-" Tikki starts, but hesitates when she sees a flash of red fly into the classroom and hide under a table.

"No, I'm sorry, really. I know the girls, and I kinda pressured you into having a crush on Adrien. I saw you weren't really into him, but I thought it would be fine. You have to admit it would be the most romantic thing that he chose you over his lifelong friend Chloé." She sighs. "And I shouldn't have assumed that you and he were together, in front of him. I should've asked you privately. I'm sorry I took Lila's side. I blocked her number. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I will delete the Catbug blog if I must. Just tell me what I need to do." She grabs Tikki's hand in earnest.

"Alya, I don't know. Don't delete the blog, everyone loves it. But just give me a minute. I'll call you tonight." She gives her hands a squeeze and a halfhearted smile that has Alya grinning as she leaves.

"Marinette, I saw you." Tikki looks under the desk to find the little Kwami with the fox pendant in her grasp.

"How did you get her to apologize for all of that?" Marinette asks. If she had been human, such an apology would've brought her to tears.

"I didn't really do anything. But why do you have the fox miraculous?" She takes it and lets Marinette hide in her purse as she walks out of the room.

"I need a user to project some illusions to disconfigure Mind Games. And I think I have someone in mind."

"Who? I would advise against Adrien—" Tikki starts.

"Not him. Alya. She said she wants a way to prove herself; this would be the perfect way to do so. And she's my best friend. Wouldn't it be great if we were superheroes together?" Marinette says.

"But she's a reporter. She wouldn't be able to keep this a secret." Tikki tries to argue.

"If Ladybug told her to, and if it would make Marinette happy, I think she would."

Tikki finds a secluded spot by the school. "Spots on." She feels more like herself, with the power of a kwami on her skin in the form of a mask. She holds the fox pendant tight as she swings up and over the school. Alya is outside, walking home. Tikki swings by and lands in an alley.

"Alya Cesaire," she greets. The girl jumps, but when she sees who addresses her, her mouth drops and her eyes sparkle. Maybe Marinette was right.

"Ladybug?"

"You have been chosen to have the responsibility of a miraculous. You must swear to be honest in your intentions with your team, as well as promise to return this pendant when we have completed our mission. You will have to keep this a secret from your blog and from your friends." Tikki holds out the necklace. "Can I trust you with this responsibility?"

"Of course!" Alya grabs the necklace, but hesitates before putting it on. "Wait, can I tell Marinette? She's my best friend and we tell each other everything. I can't possibly keep any secrets from her," she says earnestly. Tikki feels a slight pang of guilt that she's sure is from Marinette. Marinette has many secrets that Alya doesn't know about.

"Ask me again once the villain has been defeated," Tikki replies expertly. Let this not be her problem.

A fox Kwami appears as Alya puts on the necklace. "Hey, I'm Trixx. I am the power of illusion. Your activation words are: Trixx, let's pounce!" he exclaims.

"Trixx, let's pounce." Alya undergoes a flashy transition as her costume is made on her body for the first time.

"Let's meet with Cat Noir." Tikki grabs her hand and carries her to the roof before they leap across buildings together. Plagg is already at Ladybug and Cat Noir's regular spot, having met with Adrien a few minutes before.

"I suppose another superhero was mentioned," Plagg takes her hand in his with a bow, "but I never thought I would have the pleasure of such a gorgeous vixen in my presence. You can call me Cat Noir, but for your name, you can call me Pla—"

"Cat Noir!" Tikki scolds.

"—Pawsitively handsome. That's all I was going to say, bug. Don't get your antenae twisted." He rolls his eyes.

The new hero hesitates, unsure if she should interrupt. "Ladybug, are you and Cat Noir fighting? Is this because of Adrien? He told his friends that it was purely platonic, but—" Alya starts.

"Eww." Plagg sticks out his tongue.

"Everything you learn here cannot become public knowledge. Unless you want to cover your own superhero persona. Have you come up with a name yet?" Tikki redirects the conversation.

"Rena Rouge." She strikes a ferocious pose.

"Well, Rena, let's go kick some akuma butt." Plagg jumps off the roof.

"Yeah." Tikki agrees halfheartedly as she follows.

"Mind Games was last seen at the Tulleries Gardens. Rena will need to confuse her with illusions." Plagg explains, repeating what Adrien shared with him.

"You and I will be on offense, using the illusions to get close enough to her to discover what item holds the akuma," Tikki finishes.

As they land, Plagg pulls Tikki close. "Just between you and me, that's Alya, right?" he asks.

"Yeah."

"Don't we hate her?" he wonders.

"She apologized, and Marinette caught all of it. But at least she didn't try to give the miraculous to Adrien." Tikki gives him a teasing push before they're moving again.

"Is that her?" Alya points as they hide behind the side of a building. The girl spins like a ballet dancer before tripping over her own feet, her palms catching her as she falls against the pavement.

"Create the illusion." Tiki orders, and she swings away. Plagg gives Rena a salute before doing the same.

"Mirage!" She calls.

"It's been three days, Monarch. It's alright to admit defeat. We'll try again next time-" Mind Games starts, twirling around the streets carelessly before a sharp pain has her stumbling.

"There will be no next time. If you fail here, you are clearly not as capable as you led me to believe." The dark voice snakes through her head.

"Sir, please. This was an experiment. We've learned that you can de-transform, and I'll stay akumatized. We learned that Ladybug and Cat Noir have extra protection against Akuma's power. I have been most useful," she argues.

"Fine, I will call back the Akuma-"

A person runs toward the downed villain, anger in their eyes, who has Mind Games jumping up and avoiding the punch.

"Who are you?" She wonders as she avoids the attacks.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Cat Noir's voice is heard from the brunette boy's mouth.

"Cat Noir?" Lila takes a step back, her grin wide. Maybe her power had worked after all.

"Oh no, you caught me." He gives a charismatic smile as he backs away, his hands up. "What are you going to do about it?" A crowd has started forming around the villain, and the boy, whom she just "revealed" is Cat Noir.

He backs away and disappears into the throng, and Mind Games runs to follow him. The crowd parts, but the boy is gone.

"Where did he go?!"

"You know, I thought I'd be the one she was really after." A girl fist bumps… Alya?

"Yeah, Ladybug is by far a bigger catch than Cat," Alya replies with a laugh. The first girl has blue hair like the superhero, the same long pigtails with red ribbons, and her voice.

"Ladybug?!" Mind Games stares, completely frozen in shock. There is no way her power was strong enough to make the heroes attack her in their civilian forms. Their identities…

"Get them," Monarch whispers, making her jolt before running at the girl. Mind Games reaches to grab her neck, but she disappears into smoke under her touch.

"What was that?!" She turns as the crowd fades as well.

"Another miraculous has been brought out. Be alert." The warning is sharp.

A boot meets her head, revealing the hero clad in black with bright green accents. He grabs her hat before they both disappear.

"Cataclysm." The words echo around her, but she knows he won't find the Akuma in her hat.

"Ugh." She looks up to see Ladybug land in front of her, grabbing her necklace. She jumps away when she has the object. Dropping it behind a building.

Cat Noir would need to recharge. She could find his real identity. She pushes herself up, her palms bloody and a bruise on her temple.

"Not so fast." Ladybug jumps between her and the alley, but when she runs toward Mind Games, she trips, her yo-yo sent flying until it lands right in front of the villain.

Mind Games reaches down to grab the item before her hands are suddenly stuck to her sides. She looks down to see the strings of Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped like wire around her torso.

"Where is the Akuma, Mind Games?" Tikki whispers into her ear. There are hardly any loose items on her left, just a tiny ring she has hidden in her fist, and a bracelet that Tikki pries off her wrist.

"Where are your partners?" Mind Games returns. She jerks her head back, smashing it into Tikki's nose, and using the distraction to run.

She runs down the steps to the train station, searching the minds she's stolen to find something useful to help her escape.

The conductor, Claudie Kanté's memory will suffice. She jumps into the driver's coach of the train, hitting all the right buttons and pulling the right levers. The train bursts to life, and she jumps out just in time. She hides behind a column as who she assumes is Ladybug and Cat Noir bolt down the stairwell to the metro.

"She's on the train," Plagg says with annoyance.

"We'll meet her at the next station." Tikki orders before touching her earpiece. "How are your energy levels, Rena?" She waits a moment for a reply, throwing her yoyo. "Feed Trixx, and meet us at the—" She flies out, Plagg on her heels.

"Release me, Monarch," Lila demands, before a sudden feeling of freedom overcomes her. She blinks, and something is gone.

"What happened? Mr. Agreste?" She looks around, trying to understand. She must have been akumatized, but why can't she remember?

"Ladybug, I gave Trixx some grapes, and I'm at the station. Where are you?" Rena Rouge's voice is heard in the earpieces.

Ladybug clutches her head, the ringing in her ears dimming as she looks up.

"Tikki?" Cat Noir crouches in front of her carefully.

"No, not Tikki." She smiles a little.

"Ladybug!" He pulls her into a suffocating hug as he lifts her off her feet, spinning her around and laughing. She's too happy to be back in her own skin to get mad at him or push him away.

"Hello?" A voice on the comms startles them both.

"Who's that?" Cat Noir wonders, only getting the faintest bit of memory.

"The illusion superhero. Let's meet her." Ladybug touches the earpiece. "Girl, we're by Jaurés metro station. I'll take your miraculous after we update you on the situation."

"Alright." Is the reply.

Ladybug looks at Cat Noir. "Did the Kwamis defeat Mind Games?" She can't recall.

"Isn't that the purified akuma?" Cat Noir points to the white butterfly that passes them. The fox hero lands by them with a graceful thud.

"Hey, guys. Did you get her?" Rena asks.

"Uhh, yeah." Cat Noir shrugs, earning a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, let's go somewhere hidden so I can take your miraculous." Ladybug picks her up and they fly into the sky until she lands in a quiet alley.

"Trixx, let's rest." The Kwami lands in Alya's hands. She gives Ladybug the necklace.

"Thank you, Alya. I knew I could trust you." She puts the miraculous in her yoyo.

"Ladybug, you told me to ask you later. Can I tell everything to Marinette? She's my best friend, and I've already been a pretty bad one. If I have to keep this a secret, I can't do it again." She looks confident in her proclamation.

"Marinette is the only person you can tell," Ladybug says, a small smile on her lips at Alya's confession.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She blurts, hugging the heroine before sprinting off, phone already in her hand to call Marinette.

The first bell rings, and Adrien stares at the door, his fingers drumming nervously. Plagg had shared the fact that he had kissed Marinette in the boiler room. A simple act, he said, was his way of being human. He waits a minute, then two, afraid and anticipating the moment Marinette bursts into the class, as she often does.

"Hey, Adrien." Lila stands in front of his desk, her voice honeyed. "Did you get the schedule for our photoshoots during the break?" she wonders sweetly.

"No, I don't usually keep my own calendar; Natalie just reminds me." He only turns away for a second to give Lila a bland look when the door swings open, and Marinette stands there, her hair in a cute ponytail that only makes her short overalls over a pink shirt more adorable.

When Adrien looks at her, the eye contact is sudden, and she jumps back.

"Hey, Marinette." He tries to smile, but he's much too nervous. Lila lets out a huff of frustration as Adrien pointedly ignores her and walks over to Marinette. "About yesterday—" he starts.

"Nothing happened yesterday. I don't know what you're talking about." She says quickly, but the blush on her cheeks and the fidgeting of her hands tell a different story.

"I'm really sorry for taking advantage of your feelings—" he tries again.

"What feelings? I don't have any feelings for you. Not that I hate you. But like no romantic feelings. Yesterday was a spur-of-the-moment decision." She fumbles.

Adrien thinks for a moment. Maybe he was misinformed. "A spur-of-the-moment? That works for me. Just friends, then?" He holds out his hand.

"Yes, friends." Marinette lets out a breath of relief as she shakes his hand.