Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dear diary,

My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I am currently 13, going on 14. I expected the school year I was entering was the same as previous years. Barely having friends, being the punching bag for Chloe Bourgeois, anyone not giving the time of day to me when I am being said punching bag, except for my best friend, Socqueline Wang, who's like an older sister to me.

She's always been there for me when no one else was. But Socqueline is off to high school now, and I'm only still in my last year of middle school. She told me that I can't let Chloe walk over me all the time, and I should try to stand up for myself. I know she's right, but how can I deal with her when I'm only the daughter of a baker?

But this school year was something I never expected. I made two new best friends. One of them is Alya Cesaire. She reminds me so much of Socqueline; enthusiastic, confident, and outspoken. She stood up for me when Chloe was bullying me on the first day of school. She was the first friend I ever made by myself without needing my parents' or Socqueline's gentle coaxing. Could I've made a new BFF? Of course, I could never forget Socqueline, but she made a point when she told me last year that she could not be around forever. Even so, Alya is amazing, and I am going to make sure that I can be the best friend I can be to her.

My other new friend is named Adrien Agreste. He's the son of one of the most famous fashion designers in not just Paris, but the world, Gabriel Agreste. Since he was a friend of Chloe's, I assumed he would be just like her; Arrogant, bratty, and selfish. But Adrien proved me wrong. He's so sweet and kind. The day we became friends, Adrien offered me his umbrella so I wouldn't get wet walking home from the rain while explaining to me his situation. He explained to me that he never had many friends, either. Adrien wasn't the one who planted the gum on my seat, Chloe was. I guess I jumped to conclusions, there.

I don't know why, but it seemed like a spark happened when Adrien gave me his umbrella. Not only was Adrien the first person ever to apologize to me for something that happened, he never blamed me or anything, even if he was kind of also speaking on Chloe's behalf. He was also the first boy I met that shone so much kindness and honesty. I could just see all those great qualities oozing out of him.

I finally managed to get the umbrella Adrien gave me, but just as I grabbed it from him, I accidentally clicked the button that would shut the umbrella and it closed on me. Adrien laughed, but it wasn't arrogant or teasing or anything like that. For what seemed like the first time in my life, I made someone laugh, but in a good way. Adrien's laughter was so contagious, I had to giggle along with him.

Calming down, Adrien gave me a sweet smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow," He said softly.

My brain went blank at that moment, and I could only stare as he walked down the stairs as I unknowingly dropped my backpack on the ground.

"Y-yeah, se-see you toma, toma, tomorrow," I stammered. Once I regained my composure, I looked at my hand.

"Woah, why did I stammer so much?" I asked myself.

"I think I know why!" A sweet yet teasing voice came out of my purse. My new kwami friend, Tikki, flew out and hugged my cheek excitedly. I smiled as she did so. Tikki might've only be the size of my palm, but her hug and warmth was ginormous.

I looked up just in time to see Adrien entering his fancy car and off to his home. I sighed happily, taking my backpack and walked down the stairs with the umbrella Adrien had given me. It was pretty big, so I didn't have to be worried about being soaked so much.

Once I made it home to the bakery, I couldn't wait to tell my parents how my second day of school had been. My mom said this year would be a great year for me, and I'm starting to see why she said that.

Xoxo,
Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Chapter Text

Before Ladybug and Chat Noir went to meet Master Fu…

“ So, Chat, you said you wanted to meet me?” Ladybug asked the next morning. As soon as she woke up, Marinette found herself being alerted by Tikki that Chat Noir had an urgent message for her. Chat had said that what he was about to tell her would be a little difficult to talk about on the phone, but meeting in person would be a bit easier.

“ Morning, bug,” Chat had said the moment Ladybug landed next to him. “ Sorry if you felt like I woke you up too early, but I wanted to show you something.”

In Chat Noir’s hands, Ladybug saw Adrien's father’s book.

“ Chat? Where did you get that book? ” Ladybug asked. She knew Adrien had been carrying it around with him for a while, but as far as Chat knew, only Marinette knew who this book belonged to, and even then, Chat didn’t know her civilian self that well.

“ I hated to have to take something important away from someone, but my kwami, Plagg, told me that this book has very sacred information,” Chat replied. “ He told me this book can help us evolve our powers better, but it’s best if we take it to the Great Guardian first, to avoid getting the book in the wrong hands.”

“The Great Guardian…” Ladybug murmured. “ Yeah, my kwami mentioned the same thing. She said he was the one who gave us our miraculous in the first place.”

“Plagg gave me directions on where the guardian lives,” Chat added. “ Why don’t you say we check it out together?”

Ladybug agreed, and together, they leaped across rooftops until they landed at what looked like an ordinary Chinese massage shop, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city.  

As soon as they entered the shop, to where a closed door was waiting for them, Ladybug and Chat Noir shared a reassuring glance towards each other before Ladybug lightly knocked on the door, alerting the person inside that they were here.

“ Come in, young ones ,” a gentle, elderly voice came out from behind the door. 

Ladybug carefully opened the door as she and Chat stepped inside. They could see an elderly Chinese man sitting on top of a mat, holding a cup of tea in his hand and his eyes closed. Soon, he opened his eyes to glance up at the two young heroes with warmth in his eyes.

“ Hello, Ladybug, Chat Noir ,” the elderly man greeted.

Chapter Text

Ladybug and Chat Noir cautiously stepped inside the room with the elderly man inside. Despite all the excitement they have experienced recently, they couldn’t help but feel extremely cozy in this one particular room.

“Uh, hello sir,” Chat Noir stepped forward. “We were told it was a little too early for us to come here to see you, but a reliable source told us that what we have here for you is very crucial for us to use!”

“It is not a problem, young Chat Noir,” the elderly man said with a warm smile. “It would be a matter of time before you’d have to come see me eventually.”

“Wait, I think I’ve been here before,” Ladybug mused. “I met you before, sir. You were about to fall when I was getting ready for my first day of school, and you cured Tikki when she was sick!”

“I met you, too!” Chat added. “I helped you with your cane. And m’lady, pardon me, but kwamis can get sick?”
Master Fu chuckled lightly at the two young heroes’ enthusiasm. 

“Kwamis may be immortal, but even they have sickness that we humans can have,” he reasoned wisely. “I found it very interesting when Ladybug came for help when her kwami was sick. She insisted that her kwami was a rare flying cat from the kingdom of Achu.”

“Seriously?” Chat snickered. “No offense, m’lady, but that must’ve been one of the worst lies you could’ve come up with!”

“Give me some credit, Chat!” Ladybug blushed furiously under her mask as she gave her partner’s arm a light smack. “Even if I didn’t know him back then, I couldn’t just tell a random stranger a kwami’s true nature, could I?”

“You were very wise in telling me what your ‘cat’s’ breed was, Ladybug,” Master Fu chuckled. “You never know who could be listening in.”

Ladybug nodded humbly in agreement.

“So, I take it that you’re not exactly a vet, sir?” she asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t call myself a vet,” Master Fu replied as he stood up. Despite being an elderly man, Ladybug and Chat Noir were surprised by how much they towered over him. “When I first encountered you both, it wasn’t a full introduction. But from the moment I saw you, I knew you would be perfect as the ladybug and black cat heroes. You both put others before yourselves, always ready to help despite the circumstances. Ladybug, I’m particularly proud of the person you’ve become. I know life has been challenging for you.”

Ladybug bowed her head slightly, understanding what Master Fu meant. 

“Thank you, sir,” she said softly, touched by the old man’s words. “To be honest, I don’t think I would’ve become Ladybug if it was for Chat Noir. He’s one of the biggest reasons I’m the person I am today.”

 Chat’s eyes lit up at Ladybug complimenting him. 

“Are you saying you wouldn’t be Ladybug without me, Bugaboo?” He teased, nuzzling his hair to her face.

“Down, Chat,” Ladybug giggled. “You know it’s true when I say you’re the best partner in the world.”

Chat smiled at her again, which she returned before they turned serious and faced Master Fu again. 

“So, since we were told to come to this place, may we ask who you are, sir?” Chat asked.

“This is Master Fu, one of the last known members of the Order of the Guardians!” A new voice piped up, giving Ladybug and Chat Noir’s legs a little jolt. They looked behind Master Fu to see a tiny green turtle flying out of a phonograph. He must’ve been another kwami, like Tikki and Plagg. “I’m Wayzz! It’s nice to officially meet you, Ladybug and Chat Noir!”

“Ahaha, it’s nice to meet you too, Wayzz!” Ladybug chuckled, albeit a little nervously as she watched Chat carefully using his gloved finger, mindful of the claw tips to shake flippers with the little green kwami. 

Chat noticed Ladybug’s slight nervousness, and smiled softly at her and offered her his hand. While Ladybug was a little hesitant to hold her partner’s hand, she did still step closer to him and placed a few of her fingers onto his palm, which Chat squeezed reassuringly.  

“As a guardian, it is our responsibility to protect and distribute miraculouses to give to the good people of this world to protect the innocent,” Master Fu explained as he pressed some secret buttons to his phonograph. “When I was even younger than you two, I was taken away from my childhood and trained to be a guardian for many years. Even with all that, I was still very young at the time and I made a mistake so horrible that it’s been haunting me in my dreams, even today.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir shared a concerned look before glancing at their new master.

“May we ask what your mistake was, Master?” Ladybug asked gently.

“You see this box?” Master Fu asked as he held up what looked like an ancient Chinese box to the two heroes. “This is known as the Chinese miracle box. They include the jewels you are currently wearing right now, the ladybug earrings and the black cat ring. But one day, while I was guarding them along with the rest of the miraculous…”

To show his point, Master Fu opened the box to show Ladybug and Chat Noir the jewels he currently had in the box. Not counting the ladybug and black cat miraculous, as they were currently wearing them, Ladybug and Chat Noir saw that two particular jewels that had a butterfly and peacock symbol engraved, were missing. 

“That day while I was protecting the box, a terrible tragedy happened. The guardian’s temple was destroyed! In the midst of trying to escape, I lost the miraculous of the butterfly and the peacock. If you thought that was bad, losing the ancient spellbook was even worse for me,” Master Fu explained as he squeezed his eyes shut, no doubt getting a flash of that horrible day that he had experienced. 

That’s when Chat noticed the symbol on the box. It looked strangely similar to the book he was holding. 

“Hold on, Master,” Chat spoke up, catching the attention of Fu and Ladybug. “I think this book I currently have could at least solve some of your guilt?”

Master Fu looked to Chat’s hands to see he was holding the ancient spellbook.

“The ancient spellbook!” He gasped. “After all these years, I thought I would never see it again.”

“The pictures Ladybug and I saw are pretty interesting, but there are a lot of strange symbols to read,” Chat explained as Master Fu eagerly opened the book.

“Ah, these symbols might be unrecognizable to most eyes, young Chat Noir, but to a guardian like me, I can partially read what is in these very pages,” Master Fu assured with a gleam in his eyes. “Of course, I wasn’t a full on guardian back then, and my readings may be a bit rusty, but I think I can do it.”

-

Meanwhile, as Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Master Fu were figuring out the readings of the ancient spellbook Chat had brought, Gabriel Agreste was angrily fuming as Nathalie showed him what his CCTV camera had captured. His own son was taking his precious book from his safe.

“And where,” Gabriel’s voice was nothing but a mere deadly whisper as he tried to conceal his rage of seeing his son steal his book. “Is my son at the moment?”

“Apparently, according to today’s schedule, fencing, sir,” Natalie replied.

“Perfect,” Gabriel's voice dripped with venom. “Have him come straight home as soon as he finishes. I want him in his room the moment he arrives so I can have a word with him.”

“Yes, sir.”

-

Back at the massage parlor, Master Fu was carefully examining the writings of the spellbook. Ladybug watched as her partner cutely tried to pour Wayzz some tea, only to struggle as the teapot he was holding was like holding a dime, carefully trying to pour some tea into the tiny cup Wayzz had placed in front of him.

“It’s alright, Chat Noir, I can pour the tea myself,” Wayzz assured him, his tiny face pinched. Ladybug could tell Wayzz was trying hard not to laugh at her partner’s struggle of pouring the tiny kwami tea without creating any accidents.

Ladybug couldn’t suppress her giggles of seeing her partner act so endearing before she turned to Master Fu.

“So, have you been able to decipher any codes, Master?” she asked politely.

“Most of them,” Master Fu said with a smile as he took some pictures with his phone. “I’m quite impressed and relieved that you and Chat Noir were able to find the book before me, Ladybug. Since I lost it the same time I lost the peacock and butterfly miraculouses, I always assumed whoever had it would also have those specific miraculouses.”

   “Wait a minute,” Ladybug started as her eyes widened, as did Chat’s, as he finally managed to pour in some tea for Wayzz.. “Are you saying that the owner of this spellbook could also possibly be HAWK MOTH? ”

“I’ve always believed it would be a huge possibility,” Master Fu nodded. “Where did you two find this grimoire, by the way, young heroes?”

“Er…” Ladybug wanted to tell the truth, but the last thing she wanted was to jump into conclusions since she knew the son of the book’s original owner. “You see, we found the book… right next to a bench near the Francois Dupont school!” She exclaimed. “Right, Chat?”

“What? We didn’t find the book near the Dupont school, bug, we found it being carried by-- OOCH!” Chat yelped as Ladybug elbowed him in the ribs. “I mean, yes, you’re right! We found it on the bench near the Francois Dupont school!”

“I see,” Master Fu nodded. “Were you able to see who the owner of the book was?”

 “Sorry, Master, but unfortunately, we didn’t,” Ladybug replied apologetically, shaking her head. When she caught Chat’s confused look, she mouthed a “later,” to him.

“It’s quite a shame,” Master Fu said sadly yet in understanding. “I never want to jump to conclusions, but I was sure if you two were able to find the owner of the book, we might have a big lead onto Hawk Moth’s true identity.”

“Well, the book couldn’t just appear like that without a reason,” Ladybug pointed out as she shared a look with Chat. “We can investigate for you if you want, Master.”

“That could be a good strategy,” Master Fu said in approval as he closed the book. “But I advise you that you should be very careful, Ladybug, Chat Noir. If you two succeed, you could find yourself face-to-face with Hawk Moth.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir had to resist the urge to swallow. Unknownest to each other and Master Fu, they had faced Hawk Moth before. But if they could find clues, defeating him should be a piece of cake.

“We’ll be very careful, master,” Ladybug promised as she got up, with Chat following suit. “We should get going, Chat.” 

“We’ll come back as soon as we have answers,” Chat added, bowing politely to his new master.

“I’m sure you will,” Master Fu bowed back. “Good luck, Ladybug and Chat Noir.

As soon as they left to quickly chat on a rooftop, Chat Noir turned to Ladybug. 

“Bug, I got a feeling you were lying to Master Fu,” Chat said. “Is there a reason why?”

“I know the person who was originally carrying the book, Chat,” Ladybug replied. “But I couldn’t just tell Master Fu that. He’s one of the sweetest people I know! I mean, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body! But then again, what if it’s all just a facade, and he really is a villain! That meant we would have to fight him, and..!”

“Woah, calm down, little bug,” Chat soothed as he placed his hands on his partner’s shoulders. “Regardless of the identity of the book’s owner, I’m sure there’s an explanation. But we can’t jump to conclusions, in case that person is innocent,” he reasoned.

“You’re right, Chat,” Ladybug sighed in relief. “But I think we should put this investigation on hold for now, at least in our hero suits. Our kwamis must be exhausted by now, letting us stay transformed for this long.”

“I’m afraid I have to go for now, but maybe you could try to investigate?” Chat suggested. “We can discuss the possibilities on our next patrol.”

“Good idea, Chat. Try to get some rest, okay?”

“You too, Ladybug.”

-

As soon as Ladybug transformed back into Marinette, she dashed through the streets, her mind racing.

“I feel terrible for lying to Master Fu, but I had to, Tikki!” Marinette said, her voice tinged with anxiety. “There’s no way Adrien can be Hawk Moth, right? I mean, sure, he originally had the book, but his father is the real owner.”

“Well, Adrien is one of your closest friends,” Tikki reasoned. “But I agree, it’s hard to believe Adrien could be Hawk Moth. After all, you were with him when you encountered Hawk Moth in the library.”

“I almost forgot about that,” Marinette said with a shiver. “But you’re right, Tikki. Since Adrien was by my side during that library incident, there’s no way someone as kind as he is could be a supervillain.”

“We still have to get to the bottom of this, Marinette,” Tikki said. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to question him about it.”

“How am I going to do it without giving away my Ladybug identity, though?” Marinette asked.

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out, Marinette,” Tikki said soothingly. “But for now, we better rush back to school. Didn’t you say there was a meeting today?”

“You’re right, Tikki, let’s go!” Marinette said. “Adrien said he also has fencing around this time, so it should be a good opportunity.”

But to Marinette’s surprise, when she entered the school, she saw several fencing students lined up, getting ready for their lesson. Although they all had their masks covering their faces, Marinette could tell that they looked really worried, especially the fencing teacher, M. D'Argencourt, who was anxiously tapping his foot and checking his watch.

“M. D'Argencourt, is something wrong?” Marinette asked as she walked up to the teacher.

“I am not sure, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” M. D’Argencourt replied. “Mr. Agreste is still not here yet.”

Knowing which Agreste he was talking about, Marinette’s eyes widened.

“You’re saying that Adrien isn’t here?” Marinette asked, her voice filled with worry for her friend. “But…he never misses a class!”

“I agree, Miss Dupain-Cheng. While the possible reason is that Adrien is just sick, I am not sure what to do. Mr. Agreste is one of my best fencing students; he can even help me teach the rest of the students by suggesting different fencing techniques.”

Marinette didn’t know why, but after M. D'Argencourt gave his explanation, she got a weird gut feeling in her stomach. Nonetheless, she thanked the fencing master and climbed the stairs to her classroom, hoping at least the meeting could take her mind off things.

Unfortunately, things only got worse as Marinette entered the room. Almost all her classmates, except for Lila (who was currently off to who-knows-where) and Adrien, were inside. Chloe was sobbing hysterically at her desk with Sabrina trying to comfort her in vain.

“We have to cancel the meeting!” Chloe howled through her sobs, her mascara running all over her face. “Nothing in life is useful without Adrikins around!”

Sensing the tension with not just Chloe, but everyone else in the room, Marinette tiptoed over to Alya, who was watching Chloe grimly but also had a worried expression on her face. Alya’s face lit up at the sight of her best friend coming over.

“Hey Alya, what’s going on?” Marinette whispered.

“Hey, girl. I don’t have the whole story either,” Alya whispered back. “But from what Nino told me, Adrien’s grounded for life!”

“WHAT?!” Marinette let out an unexpected shriek. When she caught the attention of the rest of her classmates, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her voice to continue the private conversation with Alya. “Adrien's grounded? For life? What did he do that made his father so angry?”

"Dunno, girl, but apparently, Adrien grabbed a book his dad had under his nose without permission. It's currently lost, so that's why Mr. Agreste decided to ground him until he can find it," Alya replied.

Marinette's stomach sank even more at the mention of the book. It was that specific book she and Chat had given Master Fu earlier today! Since it was originally Gabriel Agreste's book in the first place, Marinette could understand his anger, but really, grounding his son over a lost book—wasn't that a bit extreme?

"That's awful," Marinette said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Adrien's always been so responsible. I can't believe Mr. Agreste would do something so harsh."

"Yeah, it's rough," Alya agreed. "But you know Gabriel Agreste—he's always been strict with Adrien."

Marinette nodded, her mind racing. She had to find a way to talk to Adrien and figure out how to handle this without revealing her secret.

"I hope Adrien's okay," Marinette said, more to herself than to Alya. "I'll try to check on him later."

"Good idea, girl," Alya said with a supportive smile. "Maybe you can cheer him up."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed, though she felt anything but confident. "I hope so. But what about the meeting?”

Alya sighed in defeat. 

“Well, Adrien’s not here, no one can find Lila, and Chloe’s a dark mascara mess without her ‘ Adrikins’ around,” she reasoned, rolling her eyes at the last part. “I know this meeting is important, but I think it’s best if we put it on hold for now. It doesn’t feel right for us to talk about something without Adrien’s input.”

“I guess we can bend the rules a bit,” Marinette agreed. “I better get going, but I’ll see you later, Alya?”

“See you girl,” Alya and Marinette shared a hug. “I have to go babysit my sisters anyway.”

-

After waving goodbye to Alya, Marinette looked around to check if anyone was watching her before going to the girls’ bathroom and locked herself in a stall. 

“I guess we can now say that Adrien isn’t Hawk Moth now, huh, Marinette?” Tikki teased as she was let out of her holder’s purse.

“The more I think about it, the more silly it feels,” Marinette agreed. “I was pretty surprised to see that Adrien had the spellbook before Lila almost stole it away, but he did mention that it was his father’s book, so…”

“Adrien did mention he took the book without his father’s permission, right?” Tikki reasoned. “Wouldn’t anyone be mad if someone took something of someone else’s without permission?”  

“It’s not like Adrien stole some candy out of a store, Tikki,” Marinette replied. “But I get your point. Adrien wouldn’t just grab something without reason. He must’ve had his own points when he grabbed the spellbook.”

“Since the book was originally Gabriel’s, do you think that based on what Master Fu said today, could Gabriel Agreste… actually be Hawk Moth?!” Tikki squeaked in terror.

“Come on, Tikki,” Marinette laughed nervously. “Gabriel Agreste being Hawk Moth? Plee-ez! I mean, sure, the man’s cold to almost everyone he meets, even his own son. But then again, Adrien did tell me, Alya and Nino that ever since his mother disappeared, he doesn’t remember when was the last time Gabriel left the house.”

“That’s a very strong lead,” Tikki chirped. “I guess we can do the investigation part now. But please Marinette, promise you’ll be careful?”

“I will, Tikki,” Marinette promised. “And I’ll make Chat promise too.”

-

Adrien shivered as he sat in his chair, with his father’s back facing towards him. Although he couldn’t see his face, Adrien still knew his father enough to know when he was angry. 

Plagg nestled inside his pocket, nuzzling against his chest to comfort him, a quiet purr emanating from the small kwami. But even with that, Adrien couldn’t be comforted enough. Even if he tried to lie, Adrien knew it was no use. Natalie had the CCTV images on her tablet to prove who was the one who took Gabriel’s book.

“So, Adrien,” Gabriel began, his tone colder than Adrien had ever heard, and that was saying something, as his father was already a cold person enough already.. “Would you mind explaining to me why you took the book?”

Adrien swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his father's gaze even without seeing his eyes.

“I knew you hid a lot of stuff behind Mom’s portrait, and my curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to take a little peek! You never told me about any of the things you had stored in your safe. I didn’t mean to lose your book, Father, I swear! I was going to return it as soon as possible! But I guess it’s lost… now?” Adrien’s voice became smaller and smaller as he gave his father his explanation. 

Gabriel made a small noise of rage, and disappointment spewing from the breath that came out of his nose.

“I suppose I can’t fault you for being curious,” Gabriel finally said. “But the way you took the book out of the house is inexcusable, Adrien. If I let you keep this up, soon enough we’ll end up losing even our entire house! Do you really think trust is easily gained?”

“I’m… sorry, father. I’ll buy you another copy,” Adrien stammered, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. Hopefully Master Fu could lend him another copy if he couldn’t take the book back right away.

“That book isn’t something easily found on the internet or any bookstore, Adrien!” Gabriel boomed, making his son jump in his seat. “It’s the biggest inspiration I can ever get for my designs! And you… you took it!” He hissed.

“I-I didn’t know you used that book to help you with your designs, Father,” Adrien tittered without the nervous giggles. “We live in the same house and yet I don’t know more about you than I think, Father.”

“Until that book is found, which I doubt it will ever be,” Gabriel stewed, without even bothering to hear his son’s explanation. “You won’t be going back to school, Adrien. You’ll return to homeschooling with Natalie.”

Adrien’s head snapped up at the mention of not going to school ever again. He’ll never see Marinette or Nino again! But before he could protest further, his father stomped out of his room, with Natalie at his heels, but not before she gave Adrien the briefest look of pity before exiting the room after Gabriel, closing the door with a soft click.

 As soon as he was sure he was officially alone, Adrien stalked over to his bed and face planted on his pillow, getting it wet but not caring at all. He felt Plagg kneading gently against his hair, and while Adrien appreciated his kwami’s company, it still wasn’t enough.

“Well, it could’ve been worse, kitten,” Plagg tried. “Your father could’ve kicked you out of the house before you can get the book from Master Fu!”

“If anything, Plagg, I’d rather get kicked out of the house,” Adrien mumbled in his pillow. “At least that way, I could hurry to Master Fu’s place real quick and get the book back from him.”

Plagg sighed, but in the end, there was only much even he could do for Adrien as his kwami. Knowing his kitten needed comforting right now, Plagg continued to knead Adrien's hair. 

Gabriel was still stewing as he gazed at what now seemed like a curse as his wife’s painting. Natalie stood besides him, her usual blank face on.

“You don’t have the book anymore, sir,” Natalie reasoned. “Do you know what you’re going to do without it?”

In response, Gabriel grabbed a blank notebook and practically threw it to his assistant. 

“You know where this goes,” he simply told her before smashing all sorts of things in his office, including a picture that his son had drawn of their family when Adrien was younger. 

-

Adrien continued to sulk in his room as he played with his foosball table and listened to some music with Plagg sitting nearby watching him. Plagg felt sad and terrible for Adrien. He felt it was partly his fault his kitten was going to be stuck in his room for a long time now.

“I’m sorry you got grounded, Adrien,” Plagg said softly. “I feel like it’s my fault. I basically told you to take the book.”

Adrien’s lips quickly perked up a bit to give his kwami a reassuring smile.

“I’m sure my father would’ve grounded me either way, bud,” he reasoned. 

“Even with that, it is a good thing your father never found out that I was with you!” Plagg comforted him. “Kwamis can’t be photographed or filmed. I don’t want to imagine your father’s reaction if he found out that you’re Chat Noir!”

“I’d be mega-grounded then,” Adrien chuckled humorlessly. “I just hope Master Fu can get all the information he needs from Father’s spellbook. If I don’t get the book back soon, I’ll never be able to go to school again.”

“You’re such a crazy kid, Adrien,” Plagg teased. “I’ve never met a person who actually wants to go to school. Don’t you kids hate homework, or early alarms?”

“I’ve been waking up early for photoshoots even before I started school, Plagg,” Adrien chuckled, this time out of humor. “I guess when you wake up early your body kinda gets used to it.” 

“Eh. Either way, I think we should celebrate for something,” Plagg said as he flew to Adrien’s cupboard and opened it, revealing to be carrying a huge jar of camembert. 

And not just any camembert! To Adrien’s horror, green fumes were rising up and there were even flies were flying around it!

“Plagg!” Adrien almost screamed in horror. “What the heck is that?!”

“Oh, this?” Plagg casually flipped the jar over to one side like it wasn't 20x larger than him and wasn’t heavy at all.  “This is one of my greatest cheesy masterpieces, my kitten. I like to call it El Plaggo. It’s been maturing for 990 days!”

“How many years is that even…?” Adrien was so flabbergasted at how his kwami acted sometimes and how he could handle such a stinky thing. 

Before Plagg could comment even more about his cheesy (pun intended) cheese knowledge, the two heard loud crashing outside. It sounded like there were objects being smashed to the ground.

Worried, Adrien ran out of his room, with his bodyguard at his heels. 

The sounds turned out to be from Gabriel’s office. Adrien could hear countless things being broken into pieces. Since the door was closed, Adrien couldn’t tell if his father was the one breaking things or if he was hurt.

Adrien was about to burst into the office himself until Natalie appeared from what seemed like nowhere in front of what his father liked to call his “private space.”

“Natalie, is Father okay?” Adrien asked worriedly to his father’s assistant. 

“He is alright, Adrien,” Natalie assured in her usual monotone voice. “He’s just… very busy at the minute.”

I’m not sure if Father throwing a tantrum can be considered being “busy” Adrien thought but before he could say anymore, he found himself being guided back to his room by his bodyguard. 

Adrien sighed as he briefly looked back to where Natalie was standing guard in his father’s office. He knew he had to get the book back as soon as possible. As soon as he was alone in his room, Adrien grabbed a remote that opened one of his windows.

“What are you planning to do, Adrien?” Plagg asked. Based on the way his holder had opened his window, was he planning to escape?

“My father has gone madder than I’d ever seen him, Plagg,” Adrien explained. “I doubt he can calm down until I can get the book back for him.”

“So, you’re basically planning to sneak out?” Plagg’s cat eyes widened. “But you’re grounded right now! I doubt even if you weren’t over a dumb book, your father wouldn’t let you out even for a photoshoot!”

“True, but the thing is, my friend,” Adrien smirked. “ Adrien may be grounded, but guess who’s not?”

Plagg slowly smirked as he knew what his holder meant.

“ Chat Noir!” They exclaimed excitedly in unison. 

As soon as Adrien transformed, he was surprised to see that Ladybug had sent him a message.

“ Chat, I’ve been doing some investigating, and I think I have a lead on who Hawk Moth is,” Ladybug said. “ Get your whiskers over here, pronto!”

“M’lady found a lead on who Hawk Moth really is?” Chat murmured to himself in surprise. “Well, I can’t judge. If anyone can find out something in a snap, then it’s Ladybug! Welp, better go see what she has!”

With that, Chat Noir leapt out of his window to meet with his partner.

Chapter Text

In the dark lair of Hawk Moth, Gabriel could sense a good opportunity. 

“I never thought a day where I would do this to myself,” Hawk Moth hissed, clenching his fist determinedly. “But feeling the wrath of a father being betrayed by his own son. How can I not take such a good opportunity?”

Hawk Moth powered up a butterfly into an akuma, but he knew this time, he wasn’t going to use it to transform someone else into a supervillain. This time, he was going to use the butterfly…

…Against himself.

But he couldn’t do that while he was wearing the butterfly miraculous himself. 

“Dark Wings Fall,” Hawk Moth commanded, and at once, he transformed into…

Gabriel Agreste ( Dun-dun-dun!!)

A.N. - Okay, I’m sure we all knew Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth a long time ago, but I’m just saying this for dramatic effect. Cool? Cool. :)

Nooroo, Gabriel’s kwami, became confused as his master de-transformed and had an akuma still flying around his lair.

“Um, master?” Nooroo asked timidly. “May I ask why the akuma is still here?” Usually, Gabriel would’ve sent an akuma after someone by now, Nooroo knew.

“I apologize for the convenience, Nooroo,” Gabriel said with that smile that sent shivers in the purple kwami’s tiny body. “But I am not using the akuma to akumatize someone else today. Let’s just say that I’m the one being used today. You know, to lead a certain hero or two astray.”

“I’m sorry, master, but I don’t understand?” Nooroo nervously questioned.

Instead of answering, Gabriel merely took off his brooch.

“Nooroo, I renounce you,” Gabriel commanded, giving Nooroo a shock. He could barely get another word in before he was sucked back into the purple brooch. 

“Only temporarily of course,” Gabriel darkly chuckled as he placed his miraculous into a small box. He set the box into a dark space next to an empty notebook that Nathalie had got him for a temporary replacement. 

Without another moment to lose, Gabriel eagerly opened his book to allow the akuma to fly in.

“I am now… The Collector!” Gabriel announced proudly as he spun around in his new villain costume. “My book of inspiration may be taken away from me, but I suppose I can always build a new one, that is as inspiring as my last book! And I perhaps can grab a certain pair of earrings and a ring while I’m at it!” 

Gabriel, now the Collector, cackled in his lair as he thought of getting his revenge.

-

Nathalie had been standing guard in front of Gabriel’s office door for some time now. Her boss had been throwing a fit for a little over 10 minutes, and now all seemed perfectly calm inside.

Nathalie decided now was a perfect time to peek into the office to check on Gabriel.

“Sir?” Nathalie called as she carefully opened the door. She had to resist the urge to cringe at the mess Gabriel had created in his office. It felt like someone (maybe Gabriel, cough cough,) had thrown a tantrum inside.

Before Nathalie could register where else her boss could be, she found herself being knocked onto the floor.

“Ah, Nathalie,” a man who looked like Gabriel but had a more crazy outfit with a crazed look in his eyes stood above her. “Looks like you’ll be the very first of my many inspirations!”

“Mr. Agreste?” Nathalie struggled to stand up. “What did you do, sir? Did you--” Before the personal assistant could finish her sentence, Gabriel as Collector touched her with his notebook, his blank page now appeared with a shocked look on Nathalie’s face on it.

“I’m sorry to do this, my dear assistant, but I am not Gabriel Agreste anymore,” Collector drawled. “I shall be called the Collector from now on.”

Collector then stomped upstairs to where Placide was standing guard next to Adrien’s room, and he swiped him into his book too before the bulky man could register what was going on.

“Adrien.~ My son,~” Collector sing-songed on he knocked on his son’s door. “ I have a special collection to show you. It’s just for you, since you’re my precious son,” he sneered.

There was no answer but piano music playing. Fuming, Collector kicks down Adrien’s door with force and gets even more angry when he realizes his son had duped him by placing a CD player on top of his piano stand to try to trick his father into playing the instrument while he obviously escaped the house, based on the open window Collector saw.

“So, you managed to escape, son?” Collector hissed. “I suppose I’ll have to give you credit. But don’t think you can hide yourself from your father. All parents find out about their children eventually!”

Although no one was around but him, the threat to Adrien was still hanging around in the air. 

-

Ladybug impatiently tapped her foot on the roof of her school. Although her taps were impatient, it was also for worry for her partner. She had recorded a message to Chat a little over 20 minutes ago, and she assumed he would’ve got it by now. 

But now an hour had passed, and Chat still didn’t show up. Ladybug was about to contact him with a call when she heard the familiar clink of the metal from Chat’s staff on the roof.

“Chat, where have you been?” Ladybug demanded with worried heat in her voice. “I was getting worried!”

“Aw, you’re worried about me, m’lady?” Chat teased as he placed his staff around his shoulders. “You really do care, m’lady.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes with slight exasperation at her partner’s antics. 

“Whatever. All that matters is that you’re here now,” she said. “Were you able to get my messages?”

   “I sure did,” Chat nodded. “So, you say you got some investigating done with the book we’ve been talking about for like, over 2 days now. Who do you think the suspect is, m’lady-tective?”

“Well, it took a lot of time to make sure I had the facts right, and with Tikki’s help,” Ladybug replied. “In the end, we suspected that the person behind Hawk Moth’s mask could possibly be… Gabriel Agreste.”

Chat spluttered in disbelief and nearly dropped his staff. Of all people that could be suspected to be Hawk Moth, his father was one of them?!

“You think there’s a high chance that Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth?” Chat Noir almost let out a screech that sounded like a mix between human and cat, and his partner nodded. “What makes you say that? Do you have any proof?’’

“I’m afraid that a lot of parts involve my civilian self, so I can’t tell you the whole thing, Chat,” Ladybug said apologetically. “But what I can tell you is that everyone knows that ever since Gabriel’s wife, Emilie Agreste disappeared, the man barely shows his face out in public anymore. Hawk Moth has never really shown his face before either, has he?”

Chat Noir swallowed, as he remembered the day where Hawk Moth had appeared in the library and nearly kidnapped Marinette. If it wasn’t for her mom teaching her self-defense or his fencing and karate techniques, he was sure that he and Marinette wouldn’t have been able to come out of his clutches alive. 

But at the same time, Chat could take in Ladybug’s reasoning. Despite all that craziness, she was right, Hawk Moth probably didn’t show his face as much as his father did.

 “I guess you have a point there,” Chat finally said. “Do you have another lead on why you think that famous designer could be the villain we’ve been fighting all this time?”

“I’ve been looking up a lot of his fashion logos,” Ladybug replied as she popped a picture up on her yo-yo screen for her partner to see. “Check out the brand. It’s shaped to look like a butterfly, is it?”

“Wow, now that you mention it, I don’t think I ever noticed it too much myself,” Chat murmured sadly, as he got flashes to the hidden butterfly designs he knew he saw dozens of times in his house before. Heck, even Adrien’s own shoes had a butterfly logo on them!

Chat sighed as all the information Ladybug had told him sunk into his brain. Of course, his partner wasn’t trying to jump into conclusions, but the thought of having to fight his own father made Chat’s stomach churn.

Ladybug looked up to see her partner suddenly turning unusually silent.

“Chat? Are you okay?” Ladybug asked, lightly giving his shoulder a comforting touch.

“Yeah,” Chat sighed and gave her a weak smile. “I just don’t want to believe that Hawk Moth could really be Gabriel Agreste, you know? I mean, sure that man is mysterious, even to his own son, but I doubt he could be a villain.”

“I know, Chat. I hate investigating a civilian like this, too,” Ladybug comforted.  “But as heroes, sometimes we just have to.”

Chat nodded. She was right, as usual.

“I suppose we can stop by the Agreste mansion and look for clues,” he suggested. 

“That’s a good start, Chat. Let’s go!” Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo to swing herself away. Chat sighed, looking over his shoulder for the briefest moment, before rushing after her.

Unknown to both heroes, the real Hawk Moth, disguised as the Collector, was hiding behind a statue and grinning at the irony he had thrown his two enemies in.

“Soon, they’ll fall into my trap!” Collector happily taunted. “I already got some inspiration, but they’ll be the best of all!” He grinned as he flipped through the pages of Parisian artifacts and people he already captured in his notebook. 

-

In no time at all, Ladybug and Chat Noir found themselves inside Gabriel’s office. They were both shocked and surprised to see what a mess the room was in, especially Chat, as his father was usually a very organized person.

“Wow,” Ladybug breathed in awe at the state the office was in. “It looks like someone threw a tantrum in here or something!”

Chat continued to look around to see if his father had left any clues, and sure enough, he could see the butterfly logos hanging on the carpet of his father’s office. His heart ached, he could now fully see why Ladybug suspected that Gabriel could really be Hawk Moth. His heart aches even more as Adrien catches a badly-drawn portrait that he drew as a 5-year-old of himself and his parents holding hands. It reminded him of happier times, when Adrien’s mother was still around. 

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug, sensing her partner’s sadness, came up to him and hugged him gently from behind. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Chat sighed in reply. “It’s just… Ladybug, what if Gabriel Agreste really is Hawk Moth? What should we do with him then?”

“Well, if he really is the villain we’ve been fighting all this time, we’ll have to report him to the authorities, Chat,” Ladybug reasoned. “We can’t just ignore the pain Hawk Moth inflected on the city. Think of all the innocent civilians he hurt.”

“I know, it’s just…” Chat sighed as he carefully picked up the portrait his younger self had drawn. “You know Gabriel Agreste has a son, right?”

“Everyone does,” Ladybug nodded. “Why?”

“Well, I guess you could say I’m worried for Adrien,” Chat replied. “I don’t know what his father would want our miraculous for; the man’s rich enough already. If Hawk Moth really is Adrien’s dad, then it means we’re taking the only family he has left. He lost his mother recently. And believe me, I can understand the pain Adrien has been experiencing in his life.”

“Oh, Chat,” Ladybug sympathetically placed her hand on her partner’s shoulder again. “I’m sorry. I remember you telling me once you lost a loved one, too right? I personally can’t relate to your pain, but I surely can’t imagine life without one of my loved ones.”

“Thanks, bug,” Chat’s lips quivered up a little to create a small smile. “But you’re right in a way. We may not like doing investigations like this, but as heroes, we sometimes have to do things we don’t want to, right?”

“That’s the spirit, Chat,” Ladybug squeezed his shoulders comfortingly. “Speaking of which, why don’t you say we go check on Adrien? Even if his father isn’t…well, you know, him , we can at least comfort him and try to help him make amends with his father.”

“I don’t know, bug,” Chat said. “Gabriel may not show his face as much anymore, but I doubt we can persuade him to make amends with his son. Based on the way his office looks, it doesn’t seem he’ll calm down soon.”

“I guess, but we should at least try, right? Come on.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir barely exited the office and into the Agrestes’ grand hall when they skidded to a halt, seeing a dark figure waiting for them on top of the stairs.

“Who are you? And where is Gabriel Agreste?” Chat demanded as he and Ladybug reached for their weapons.

“There is no more Gabriel Agreste, I’m afraid, my dear heroes,” The Collector taunted. “I will be called the Collector from here on out!”

With that, Collector threw his notebook towards Ladybug, but the heroine, sensing the danger, dodges it, and the book captures the mansion’s front door instead.

“That door disappeared once his notebook touched it!” Chat realized. “M’lady, the book must be where the akuma is hidden!”

“Good eye, Chat-- Look out!” Ladybug tackled her partner to the ground as the book unexpectedly bounced back towards them.

“You may have dodged me this time, but will you have enough luck for next time?” The Collector sneered as he jumped down from the staircase.   

“Chat, quick, we have to retreat!” Ladybug called, and together, they dashed into the dining room with the Collector following. 

Chat, in a quick haste, decides to throw his staff towards the Collector to try to stop him in his tracks before he could corner them, but Ladybug’s warning for him came too late, and his staff was now a part of Collector’s collection.

“Nice piece you gave me, Chat Noir,” The Collector cooed as he examined the page of Chat’s staff showing up. “The paw prints make a nice touch, don’t you think?”

“Chat, distract him!” Ladybug cried, and immediately, Chat heeded to her order and threw a chair at the Collector.

The chair hit his notebook, but that at least gave the two heroes some time as they re-entered the main hall and ducked behind the fancy staircase.

“Yep, I’d say the akuma is definitely in the notebook, m’lady,” Chat commented once he was sure they were safely hidden. 

“I agree, but you saw what happened with your staff and the chair,” Ladybug said. “One single touch and we’ll disappear to be a part of the Collector’s collectables!”

“What else can we do? We can’t just keep running!” Chat reasoned.

“Don’t worry, because that’s where the Lucky Charm comes in,” Ladybug assured as she whispered the magic words. A flurry of ladybugs appear, and the Lucky Charm for today reveals to be a pedal. 

“A pedal?” Ladybug asked in confusion. “What can we do with this? Attach it to a bicycle?” She cautiously peeked out of the staircase to see if her Lucky Vision could show anything, but it didn’t. 

“You see anything that can help us defeat Collector?” Chat asked as she came back down.

“No. I guess we’ll have to stall him for now,” Ladybug replied. 

“Stall him?!” Chat spluttered. “This guy’s already mad! I’m not sure how much longer we can stall him!”

As he says that, the staircase, the whole long set of it, disappears. 

“You think you can stall me any longer than you have to?” The Collector sneers. “My collection is already growing, thanks to you!” 

They begin to fight again, this time, Ladybug and Chat Noir tried to get ahold of the notebook. But everytime they almost manage to grab it, the Collector barely skimmed them to make them disappear into his pages. Eventually, the Collector had cornered Chat Noir into a column pole.

“No way to run anymore, kitty,” he taunted, aiming the book towards him, and Chat squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact, but he felt nothing. Chat opens his eyes to see that Ladybug has attached her yo-yo to his arm.

The pressure of Ladybug’s yo-yo on his arm forces the Collector to the ground, momentarily losing the grip he had on his book. But before Chat could reach for it, Collector kicks him away and has his book back in his hands again, preparing to touch the cat hero with it again, only to be stopped by Ladybug again, this time her yo-yo wrapped around his leg.

Irritated, Collector touches Ladybug’s yo-yo, and Ladybug gasps at the sight as she stumbles for a brief moment.

“Ladybug! Quick, upstairs!” Chat commanded, and they both jumped up to the second floor together. 

 “Well, now that we see Gabriel Agreste is akumatized, he possibly can’t be Hawk Moth. So it’s a good thing, right m’lady?” Chat asked as he and Ladybug ran and dodged the book Collector threw at them.

“Even with all that, you call the man being akumatized a good thing, Chat?” Ladybug questioned as they ran and jumped to avoid being touched by the Collector’s book.

Eventually, the two heroes couldn’t run anymore and decided to hide in Adrien’s room. They grabbed as much furniture that was in the room as much as they could, barricading the door to prevent the Collector from coming inside.

“I doubt this barricade will keep the Collector away forever, but at least that gives us some time to come up with a plan,” Ladybug huffed as she wiped some sweat off her brow. 

“Since Gabriel Agreste is the one behind the Collector’s mask, I suppose he likes collecting now as much as designing,” Chat added. 

“Wait a minute,” Ladybug frowned. “This room is quiet. Too quiet.”

“Er, it’s a big room m’lady,” Chat reasoned. “I suppose it should be quiet.”

“Yeah, but the quietness is to the next level. I feel something is wrong,” Ladybug said as she looked around the room. “Where is Gabriel Agreste’s son? Do you know, Chat?”

“Sorry, m’lady, hadn’t seen him hide or hair in a while. He could be captured if he’s not around.”

“Gabriel Agreste would even use his own son?!” Ladybug gasped in astonishment. 

“I doubt even he's that cruel, Ladybug.”

A sudden thump occurred, prompting Ladybug and Chat Noir’s eyes to widen as they realized their barrier was about to break.

“You think you can escape from me that easily, heroes?” Ladybug and Chat Noir could hear the sneer in his voice.
“Quick, hide!” Ladybug hissed. She dove behind Adrien’s TV as Chat jumped to hide in the upper level of the room.

“You are quite clever, young heroes,” The Collector taunted as he strolled around Adrien’s room, searching for the duo. Ladybug shivered as she felt The Collector’s shadow briefly past her as she clutched her gloved hand to her beating heart,hoping that it wouldn’t beat to the point he could hear it. “But your cleverness will have to run out soon enough.”

“I’ll give you a deal,” The Collector continued as he walked around the room. “Maybe if you give your miraculous for me to take to Hawk Moth, I won’t put you in my pages.”

Feeling the pressure of the pedal pressed against her hip, Ladybug knew she was going to have to come up with a plan before she turned back into Marinette. Glancing around Adrien’s room, she saw that on the upper level of his room, he had pretty much a million CDs that could fall to the foosball table. Ladybug also saw that Chat’s fake belt tail could work. 

“Chat, I have an idea!” Ladybug called from behind the TV. “But we’ll need Adrien’s CDs as ammo!”

Hearing her voice, the Collector immediately throws his notebook towards the TV, making Ladybug lose a hiding spot. 

“What do you need the CDs for, m’lady?” Chat asked as his partner rejoined him.

“Every designer runs out of sketch paper eventually,” Ladybug explained. “We can use the CDs to help our collector friend here complete his collection.”

“Smart idea, m’lady,” Chat praised as he called out for his Cataclysm. “Luckily, these shelves have more CDs than we can count!”

Ladybug grabbed Chat’s belt, attaching it with the Lucky pedal, then goes down to the foosball table to make a device that could throw things, while Chat threw down some CDs for Ladybug to use. 

It was perfect. The Collector uses his notebook as a shield as his pages capture every last CD, but even with the amount of discs Adrien had in his room, it still wasn’t enough. 

“Ladybug, we’re running out of ammo!” Chat called worriedly as he dropped the last batch of discs.

“He already captured every last CD!” Ladybug called back. “He shouldn’t have any pages left!” 

But it seemed that they spoke too soon. The Collector collected the last disc and Adrien’s foosball table. 

Ladybug gasps as the table disappears, and she topples over, backing away from the Collector as much as she could until he corners her near the ledge that held the stairs that led to the second floor of Adrien’s room. Ladybug braces herself as she tries to shield herself with her arms, although she knew it wouldn’t do much as the Collector uses his book to touch her.

But to Ladybug’s (and the Collector’s) surprise, the book touched the heroine, but she didn’t get absorbed like the rest of the items that the Collector had put into his pages!

That was because the notebook ran out of material for the Collector to use! Taking the opportunity, Ladybug kicked the book away and ripped it, calling a miraculous ladybug first and then capturing the akuma.

As soon as everything was normal, to Ladybug’s surprise, Chat jumped down and rushed to Gabirel Agreste as soon as he was turned back to normal. 

“Are you okay, Faa… sir?” Chat questioned urgently to the dazed designer on the floor. 

Ladybug found it a bit strange for her partner to rush to Gabriel so quickly, but she knew that Chat’s kind heart was prompting him to check on a civilian after they had been corrupted by Hawk Moth’s butterflies.

 “I am fine, Chat Noir,” Gabriel said in a dazy manner as the cat hero helped him up. “I thank you and Ladybug for saving me from Hawk Moth.” Gabriel gasped as he realized Adrien wasn’t in the room.

“Adrien!” Gabriel cried, grabbing Chat’s shoulders. “Ladybug, Chat Noir, do you know where my son is?!”

“I-I don’t know sir,” Chat stammered as he respectfully backed off. “But he must be hiding.”

“Chat Noir is right. Adrien must’ve done the logical thing and hid,” Ladybug added, placing a reassuring hand on her partner’s shoulder. 

“I see, that was smart of him to do,” Gabriel nodded. “I just hope nothing terrible happens to my son. He is the most precious thing to me.”

The beepings of Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses alerted them that they were going to transform soon.

“We must leave now,” Ladybug cautioned, and Chat nodded in agreement. “We’re glad to see you safe, Mr. Agreste. We wish you a good day.”

“Good day, sir,” Chat bowed before he and Ladybug had to bolt.

“Good day, indeed, my young heroes,” Gabriel smirked evilly as he watched the two younglings go.  

-

Later that day, Ladybug and Chat Noir went to meet Master Fu again. Wanting to give their kwamis a break, they de-transformed to allow Tikki and Plagg to play with Wayzz on Master Fu’s phonograph while wearing blindfolds to protect each other’s secret identity. 

Plagg almost laughed as he saw who the girl behind Ladybug’s mask was, prompting Tikki to shush him before dragging him over to Wayzz, who began showing his old friends a few tricks he had while riding the phonograph. 

“I guess we kind of ran into conclusions today,” Marinette told the old guardian. “Doesn’t mean that Gabriel Agreste owned the spellbook, doesn’t mean he’s Hawk Moth. I mean, he was akumatized today!”

“I doubt if even Gabriel Agreste really was Hawk Moth, he would’ve been able to akumatize himself easily,” Adrien added.

“You did well, young heroes,” Master Fu praised. “I suppose you are right. Doesn’t mean that Gabriel Agreste originally owned the book, doesn’t mean he’s necessarily Hawk Moth. Ladybug, why don’t you go home and rest? I’d like a private word with Chat Noir.”

“O-oh, sure, Master,” Marinette accepted. “Tikki!” She chirped, and at her whistle, Tikki beamed and joined her holder, waving goodbye to Plagg and Wayzz.

“Good job today, Chat,” Marinette added as she brushed her fingers against her partner’s hand. 

“You too, bug,” Adrien added as he squeezed her hand back. 

Soon, Ladybug left.

-

“You can take your blindfold off now, Adrien,” Master Fu said as soon as Ladybug left.

Adrien. Not Chat Noir. That meant Master Fu knew he really was, Adrien knew, as he took his blindfold off. 

“I managed to get all the information I need from your father’s spellbook,” Master Fu explained as he handed the book back to Adrien. “I found it very interesting that someone like your father has the book, Adrien.”

“Trust me, I don’t know how he got it, either,” Adrien replied as he gratefully accepted the book back. “He must’ve gotten it from a trip he went with my mother once. My father says this book is his biggest inspiration that helps him with designing.”

“I see,” Master Fu nodded as he stroked his beard. “And where exactly did you find it? In your house?”

Adrien nodded.

“I was getting ready for school the other day when I caught my father putting the book into his safe. After Plagg and I snuck it out, I brought it to school and showed it to my friend Marinette. Unfortunately, it almost got stolen by a new girl in our class, and well… the rest is history,” Adrien explained. 

“This book is also the same one you’ve been grounded over for losing,” Master Fu added. “I understand you do not wish your father was Hawk Moth, Adrien. I’ve lost a few of my own loved ones, and I know you do not wish to lose one of your loved ones more than you already had.”

Adrien nodded solemnly, feeling Plagg zip over to him and nuzzle his cheek in comfort. He thanked him by gently scratching him behind the ears in return.

“Thank you, master,” Adrien said. “I hate that I am disobeying him for sneaking out of the house, but I felt that I shouldn’t rest until the book is returned to my father. Otherwise, I’ll never be in school again, and be with my friends again.”

“I understand,” Master Fu nodded emphatically. “I have all the information I need already, plus this book belongs to your father. I suggest you give him the book back as soon as possible, Adrien. I know how much you long to be with your friends Miss Marinette and Mr. Nino again.”

“Thank you, master,” Adrien bowed. “I will.

-

True to Adrien’s words, Gabriel was a bit angry with his son for sneaking out of the house, but once he saw the spellbook in his hands, he calmed down and placed it back inside the safe.

“I apologize for losing my temper over a silly book, Adrien,” Gabriel said sincerely as he turned to face his son. “This book is special, yes, but in the end, it is still just a book.”

“It’s my fault as well, father,” Adrien replied solemnly. “I shouldn’t have taken something of yours and left the house with it without permission.”

“I just felt I would be a little lost without it,” Gabriel explained. “You see, son, a while before you were born, your mother and I went on a trip. I had this particular book in mind while we were on it, but I thought I would never get it myself. Your mother was the one who got it for me.”

“Was it also one of the last things Mother gave you before she disappeared?” Adrien asked quietly. Mentionings of Emilie Agreste had gone rare between the Agreste men since she disappeared.

“Yes, my son,” Gabriel replied, placing a warm, fatherly hand on Adrien’s shoulder, a gesture Adrien hadn’t felt in a very long time.. “You and this book is all I have left, Adrien,” Gabriel continued as he stroked Adrien’s hair. “I always wanted to keep you safe, as I promised your mother, but you’re also growing up into a mature young man. I can’t keep you in my grasp forever.”

“So…” Adrien perked up, sensing what his father was about to do. “I can go back to school?” 

“You may, son,” Gabriel nodded.

“Oh, thank you, Father!” Adrien threw his arms around his father in gratitude.

Gabriel hugged him back, a rare moment of warmth between them. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, Adrien.”

“I promise, Father,” Adrien said, feeling a renewed sense of hope and determination.

-

The next morning, Nino couldn’t keep down his excitement, his toes almost bouncing out of his shoes as he danced from foot to foot while waiting for a familiar fancy car to show up.

“Nino, calm yourself,” Alya scolded. “You’re gonna topple over if you keep this up.”

“Sorry, Als, but I’m just so excited,” Nino replied. “Gabriel almost grounded Adrien for life, and now all of a sudden, my best bud is ungrounded and he’s coming back to school!”

“I get your excitement,” Alya chuckled. “I wonder what got Agreste Sr. to unground Adrien?”

“Who knows?” Marinette giggled. “Maybe Gabriel had a change of heart.”

The logical reason Marinette had was that her partner must’ve given Adrien his father’s book back. She knew that Chat was just like that.

After what seemed like decades, the fancy black car pulled up in front of the school.

“It’s my best bro!!” Nino exclaimed in excitement as he ran ahead of the girls, Marinette and Alya calmly following behind him.

As soon as Adrien exited the car, Nino practically pounced on him.

“Woah, Nino!” Adrien chuckled.

“Sorry, bro, I’m just so excited to see you!” Nino happily bounced up and down. “I really thought I’d never see you again, given that your dad almost grounded you for life.”

“Well, we talked, and he had a change of heart,” Adrien replied as he hugged Nino back. “In the end, Father just asked me to never do that again.”

“That’s good, bro,” Nino beamed. He then stepped aside to allow his best friend to greet the girls.

“Hey, Alya,” Adrien greeted as they shared a fist bump. “Marinette,” he seconded with that soft look on his face that made the girls melt.

“H-hey, Adrien,” Marinette stuttered. “I’m glad to see you back in school again. It was getting lonely without you.”

“Thanks, Marinette, I really missed you too,” Adrien’s smile became even softer, reaching out to rub her hair affectionately, making the girl blush furiously. 

As per usual Alya fashion, Alya couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her friend. 

“Aww, look at you, Marinette, turning all shades of red! You must’ve missed Adrien a lot!” she teased.

“A-Alya!” Marinette stammered, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Adrien chuckled softly, not removing his hand from her hair. 

“It really means a lot to me that you all missed me,” he smiled to Marinette, then Nino, then Alya, in gratitude that his friends thought of him before he reunited with them.

Marinette’s blush deepened, but she managed to smile up at Adrien. 

“We all did. School wasn’t the same without you.”

Nino grinned and nudged Alya. 

“Looks like we’re gonna have a great day now that our buddy is back,” he said excitedly. 

“Definitely,” Alya agreed, still smirking at Marinette’s flustered state.

Adrien’s car drove away, leaving the group standing together at the school entrance. With a final squeeze of Marinette’s shoulder, Adrien stepped back and motioned towards the school. 

“Shall we head in?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Nino said eagerly, leading the way.

As they walked towards the school, Marinette tried to calm her racing heart. She glanced at Adrien, who was chatting with Nino, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth and happiness. Having Adrien back at school was like a missing piece of her life falling back into place.

Alya leaned in close to Marinette and whispered, “You know, you should really tell him how you feel someday.”

Marinette’s eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently. 

“I-I can’t, Alya! Not yet.” Especially what happened with a certain someone that only Socqueline knew about, Marinette knew.

Alya rolled her eyes but smiled. 

“Well, at least you’ve got him back. That’s a start,” she reasoned.

Marinette nodded, her heart full of hope as they all walked into the school together, ready to face whatever the day had in store for them.

Chapter Text

If you asked Marinette over a year ago, or pretty much any time from the last 4 years, she wouldn’t have believed you if you told her that she would one day have a full group of people in her room.

The never ending streak of having less than 2 people in her room came unexpected for Marinette, as one bright Saturday morning, her best friend Alya seemingly rounded up nearly every girl in their class, minus Chloe and Sabrina inside her bedroom. Although Marinette knew her friend only meant well, she couldn’t help but squirm with anxiety. 

-

The day started with Alya marching around Marinette’s bedroom, acting as if she was a military soldier, arms crossed behind her back. Marinette stood close near where her schedule pull board was, squirming with anxiety as she watched her best friend pace back and forth, trying hard not to make eye contact with any of the girls sitting in her room.

It wasn’t that Marinette didn’t know these girls. She had a few classes with Rose and Juleka, and she often saw Mylène hanging out and chatting with the pair whenever they could, even though Mylène had been in a different class the previous year.

Alix Kubdel sat on the ground, leaning her head against Marinette’s chaise, looking bored. Marinette honestly never got to know Alix well either, but she knew she was a tough tomboy who took no bull from almost anyone. The countless taunts she threw with Kim certainly taught her that.

Marinette didn’t know if it was just her social anxiety catching up to her, but every time she tried to make eye contact, she caught Alix glaring at her, making her freeze in place. Alix was short, but Marinette knew she could easily beat up a person 3 times her size if she had to.

Finally, Alya stopped pacing and stood in front of the girls with a confident look that made Marinette admire her best friend. The confident stance Alya was posing next to her reminded Marinette of another friend of hers who had a similar personality. 

“So, girls,” Alya grinned. “I bet you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you all here.”

“Yeah, I’m wondering,” Alix remarked, her tone laced with impatience. “I could’ve been out roller-skating with the guys right now. Instead, I’m here with a bunch of girls in Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s room,” she added with a hint of disdain. “The girliest room of them all.”

“Yes, my girl’s room is very pink,” Alya admitted with a chuckle. “But that’s beside the point. I didn’t drag you all here just to admire Marinette’s decor. I’ve got a mission for you.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed a deep red, almost matching her Ladybug suit. She glanced at the girls around her, feeling a pang of resentment. She had grown accustomed to being overlooked or judged by others, and hearing Rose and the others giggle at her expense didn’t help.

“Alya, are you really sure about this?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. She struggled to hide the slight bitterness in her tone.

“Absolutely, girl!” Alya whispered back, wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders. “You can’t keep running away from your feelings forever! You’re going to have to tell him eventually!”

Clearing her throat, Alya turned to the group.

“So, FYI,” Alya announced with dramatic flair, “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Marinette has a serious crush on—”

“We all know who Marinette’s crushing on, Alya,” Alix cut in, her voice dripping with indifference. “Agreste Jr., right? Marinette’s always hanging out with him whenever she’s not with you.”

Rose, Juleka, and Mylène giggled at Marinette’s flustered reaction. The laughter felt like a jab, a reminder of how her trust had been broken in the past.

Marinette clenched her fists, fighting to hold back her resentment. She wanted to snap at them, to let them know how hurtful their teasing was, but she forced herself to remain calm. Alya had been the first person to truly befriend her and stand up to Chloe on her behalf, and she didn't want to ruin this moment for her.

“ALYA CESAIRE!” Marinette shouted, her voice a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “I told you that in confidence!”

“Oh, come on, Marinette, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!” Rose chimed in, her voice unexpectedly supportive. “It’s totally normal to have a crush!”

A bitter thought crossed Marinette’s mind. 

That’s funny, Rose. You never came to my defense or encouraged me like that last year, She thought.  

Despite her bubbling resentment, Marinette decided to hold it in for Alya’s sake. She knew her friend was only trying to help her break out of her comfort zone, and Alya had always been there for her. Yet, Marinette couldn't completely erase the sting of the past—especially not the hurtful rumors Chloe had spread.

Back then, it felt like no one even spared her a glance, as if the gossip could somehow make her disappear. The idea of someone like Chloe or her father having the power to kick her out of Paris was absurd and illegal, but that didn’t matter to people like them. They operated above the rules, and it showed.

So, with a deep breath, Marinette forced a smile, determined to not let her old insecurities ruin this moment for Alya.

“So, what cheesy idea do you have for Marinette to ask Adrien out?” Alix added, squeezing onto the chaise with Juleka and Mylene and propping her dirty sneakers up on the couch, making Marinette’s eye twitch. Luckily, her small twitch wasn’t noticed by any of the girls.

“It took a lot of convincing for me to get to Marinette, but she finally cracked and decided we should do something called, ‘Operation Secret Garden,’” Alya replied. “Show them what you got on your board, Marinette!”

Taking a deep breath, Marinette did as she was told. She imagined like she was doing a speech in her classroom. Alya, being the loyal class deputy she was, was there to help her, but Marinette knew as class representative, it was also her duty to call out the big shots.

“According to this schedule I got from Adrien,” Marinette announced as she grabbed her ruler to use as a pointer stick. “He has a small photoshoot at the Trocadero fountains today. Around noon, he will start the shoot, but because everything won’t be fully set up yet, we can use that opportunity to strike.”

“Wait, hold on,” Alix interrupted for what seemed like the 4th time in a row. “Isn’t this a bit creepy? Marinette actually knows Adrien’s schedule? And you said that Agreste himself personally gave you his schedule?!”

This time, Marinette’s eye fully twitched, surprisingly not alerting anyone.

“First of all, Adrien is not the only person I have on my schedule board, Alix,” Marinette replied calmly, trying to keep the tension off of her voice. “I have everybody’s schedules. I’m class representative for our class, after all. It’s kind of my job to know where everybody is. How else can I create class events for us and find a time where everyone’s free so we don’t make someone feel excluded?”

“That makes sense,” Mylene nodded in approval, and the rest of the girls nodded in agreement except for Alix. 

“ANYWAY,” Marinette continued. “Before we were so rudely interrupted, as Alya and I were saying, we created a special little scheme called ‘Operation Secret Garden,’ based on the many different kinds of flowers the Trocadero has to offer us. We obviously can’t use our real names, so Alya and I have come up with different kinds of flowers for code names. Alya will tell you your code names now, and in case anyone forgets their names, she has them written down on small slips of paper for you to use.”

Marinette nodded to Alya, who took out a small bag out of her backpack and handed each girl a small slip of paper to assure the girls what kind of flower code name they would get. Alix was “Violet,” Mylene was “Sunflower,” Rose’s was “Tulip,” and finally, Juleka was “Rose.”

“Um, Marinette, Alya?” Rose piped up with a squeak. “May I ask why my code name will be ‘Tulip’ while Juleka’s is ‘Rose?’ My name is already Rose, so why not make my code name that specific kind of flower?”

“Because your name is already ‘Rose,’ Rose,” Alya replied patiently. “I know it’s confusing, but unfortunately, we don’t have time to research any other suitable flowers to name people after. We’re kind of on a tight schedule.”

“What?” Marinette whipped her head around to glance at Alya wide eyed. “We’re leaving now, Alya? But I thought we’d have more time!”

“Sorry, girl, but when you make plans like these, you have to kind of go out as soon as possible,” Alya explained apologetically. “Everything will be fine!” She assured when she caught Marinette’s worried look. “I admit, we might have a bit of setbacks, but this plan isn’t over complicated! Besides, even if things don’t work out, Adrien will be happy to see us, especially you, Marinette!”

“I suppose…” Marinette finally agreed. As jiejie often said to her, Sometimes you just gotta go for broke.

“That’s the spirit, girl!” Alya grinned and gave Marinette a supportive slap on the back. “Come on. If we hurry, we can catch the bus!”

She grabbed Marinette’s hand before the other girl could protest further.

-

As expected, some parts of the Trocadero were partially blocked from Adrien’s small photoshoot. 

Marinette began feeling her stomach churn, starting to regret this plan more and more. This shoot looked small, but Marinette could feel the importance of it.

The girls weren’t helping either. They were arguing about who was going to do certain jobs. Turns out, Marinette had only planned this Operation Secret Garden with only Alya. The other girls only came in at the last minute.

“ No Rose, we went over this!” came Alya’s exasperated voice. “ Your flower code name is ‘Tulip!’ Juleka is the one named ‘Rose!’”

“Alix, it’s not your job to lure Adrien’s security guard, aka the ‘Nanny’ away from the fake no parking zone, it’s Juleka’s!”

“Juleka, come on! I know you’re nervous to speak, but we made that specific sign! It’s a police officer, I doubt he’d do anything to you!”

The more Marinette observed, the more sick she felt towards her stomach. She didn’t want to do this anymore.

“Marinette, are you okay?” Alya’s concerned voice called for her best friend. Marinette’s face was pale and her hands looked clammy. 

“I don’t think I can do this anymore, Als,” Marinette whispered fearfully. 

“What? But you were so happy and confident when we made the plans yesterday!” Alya said as she placed a reassuring hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “What made you change your mind?”

“It’s just…” Marinette began, hesitating a little as she saw the other girls stopped doing what they were doing and started staring at her. As per usual, Alix was glaring at her again like Marinette had just stuck gum on one of her roller skates or something. 

“Isn’t what we’re doing is a bit too much?” Marinette added. “It’s like we’re stalking Adrien. He’s just trying to do a photoshoot for his father, minding his own business, and yet here we are, a bunch of girls trying to take a glimpse of him! And forcing his bodyguard away? That man has been nothing but kind!”

Although Marinette initially was intimated by Adrien’s bodyguard’s tough structure, she quickly learned he was a big softie and Adrien had said he supposed he was paid to look that way. Every time they met, Marinette would offer some pastries to the Gorilla, which Adrien affectionately called him. The Gorilla would light up at the sight of treats, give Marinette’s head a light, affectionate pat, and stroll away after his young charge and her, happily chewing the pastries while staying a respectful distance between them.

“Geez,” Alix, ever the negator, scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I wonder what got you to change your mind like that, Marinette. I mean, you practically admitted you stalk Adrien,” she added with a sneer.

“I DO NOT STALK ADRIEN!” Marinette snapped, standing up and fighting the tears that threatened to come out of her eyes. “He is one of my best friends! What reason do I have to stalk him?!”

“You’re the one who dragged us into this stupid plan,” Alix snapped back, grabbing the fake no parking zone pole and practically slamming Marinette’s shoulder with it. “I could’ve been having fun skating with Kim and Max right now, yet here we are, spooning around with the quietest, mousier-than-even-Mylène girl around. No wonder you never hung out with anyone but Socqueline last year.”

As soon as Alix finished saying those words, the dam Marinette had been holding back broke. Tears streamed down her face, making even a waterfall jealous.

Even the other girls seemed to realize that Alix’s words were too much, and they gasped at how rude their fellow classmate was being.

“Alix!” Mylène snapped. “That was certainly uncalled for!”

“Yeah, that was really mean to say about someone!” Rose added. “You should apologize to Marinette right now!”

“Why should I?” Alix scoffed. “She’s nothing but a baker girl.”

At those words, the hurt, anger, and betrayal Marinette had stored in her body for years fully exploded.

“Now, see here, Alix!” Alya began angrily, about to tell the shorter girl off on her best friend’s behalf, but she barely got a word in when Marinette spoke up herself.

“I’ve had enough!” Marinette shouted. “I’m sick of your attitude, Alix! If you didn’t want to be involved in the first place, you could’ve just said that, and I’d leave you alone! Instead, you glare at me like I stole your roller skates, put your dirty shoes on my chaise when I generously let you in my room, and give me nothing but rudeness! What have I ever done to you in our lives?!”

A tense, eerie silence occurred between the girls, and Alix seemed to slowly realize how nasty she had been.

“M-Marinette, I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you,” Alix stammered.

“Save it,” Marinette snapped, shakily standing up with tears continuing to flow down her face. “Maybe you’re right. I never had friends except for Socqueline before this year. But now that I think about it, I’d rather have no friends at all. Especially with someone who gives me nothing but attitude the entire time.”

With that, Marinette stomped away from the group, a few tears trailing behind her as she did so. She could hear Alya calling out for her in worry, but the last thing Marinette wanted or needed was more of her best friend’s pity.

Speaking of best friends and pity, Marinette wondered if Alya actually only hung out with her because she pitied her. After all, even with Chloe bullying her on the first day of school, she didn’t actually do anything until much later because she was busy on her phone.

Marinette sighed as she stopped wherever she was in the Trocadero, two tears dripping onto her shirt. She wished Socqueline was here. She wished her jiejie was here to comfort her, hug her, and give her encouraging advice.

Marinette tried to reach for her purse and take out her phone to call Socqueline, but her hand was shaking so much that she could barely hold on to the device. It shook so hard that Marinette almost dropped her phone, but a fair-skinned hand managed to catch it for her just in time.

Due to her crying and the amount of tears she had in her eyes, Marinette couldn’t tell who the person was right away as her vision was blurry. But once looking up, she recognized the beautiful blonde hair even through the blurriness.

“Marinette?” Adrien’s soft, gentle voice called out to her. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

Remembering a scene with another certain blonde-haired boy wiping away her tears with a handkerchief of his own, the kind act just made Marinette cry even harder.

“I-I’m sorry, Adrien,” Marinette whimpered, and the toll she had been experiencing caught up to her, and she collapsed into his arms.

Chapter Text

As soon as Marinette collapsed into his arms, Adrien didn’t hesitate to catch her. He began to worry that whatever exhaustion she had been experiencing caught up to her, but he felt her tears soaking through his shirt and Marinette continued to whimper out sorries as she clenched his shirt so hard, Adrien was worried she was going to accidentally rip the fabric off. 

Oh, well, even if she did, Adrien wouldn’t mind. She was a pretty skilled designer for an aspiring one, and she would be able to stitch it up for him later.

A grunt came from behind them, and although the Gorilla’s tough structure cast a shadow on them, neither teen was intimated at all. He looked happy to see Marinette again, but Adrien could also see the concern in his bodyguard’s eyes due to the girl crying in his arms. 

Marinette seemed to sense the Gorilla’s presence, and she lifted her face from Adrien’s shirt to greet him.

“Oh, hello, Adrien’s bodyguard, sir,” she greeted, trying to keep the wetness out of her voice. “Sorry, but I don’t have any pastries to share with you today.”

The Gorilla grunted again, softly this time, and shook his head, showing that he did not care about the food, but he was worried for the girl.

As if knowing what his bodyguard was trying to say, Marinette answered for him.

“I’m alright, sir,” Marinette promised, although the redness in her eyes said otherwise. “I’ve just been experiencing some… anxieties you could say.”

The Gorilla grunted again with sympathy in it, and he walked over to give Marinette’s head a light pat, just as he always did whenever Marinette gave him pastries and stepped away to give his young master and his mistress some privacy, but still stayed close in case they needed him.

“Oh, Adrien, I’m sorry,” Marinette apologized again when she noticed the mess she made on his shirt. “I ruined your shirt.”

“It’s alright, Marinette, it’s just a shirt,” Adrien gently chuckled.

“Won’t your father get mad at you, though?” Marinette asked, worried that her best male friend (after Chat Noir) would get in trouble. 

“My father gets mad at everything, Marinette, he once threw an adult tantrum because one of his neatly stacked papers was a millimeter off,” Adrien replied, rolling his eyes.  

“If you say so,” Marinette giggled. This whole time, they’ve been in each other’s arms, and they didn’t notice until now. 

When Marinette and Adrien realized that they had been holding onto each other the entire time, they quickly jumped apart and giggled nervously in apology. Marinette tried to hide her blushing face while Adrien sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“So, anyway, Marinette, may I ask what you’re doing here?” Adrien asked, clearing his throat as he cooled himself down. “Not that I’m happy to see you, of course.”

Marinette sighed as her smile faded. 

“If I tell you the truth…” she began, hesitating to meet his eyes. “Will you hate me?” 

“Marinette,” Adrien walked over to her to give her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder. “Nothing you do or say will ever make me hate you. I could never hate you. Unless you did something illegal of course,” he added half-seriously. “Then I’d have to hate you.”

Marinette managed a small smile at his attempt to lighten the mood, but the weight of her anxiety still hung over her.

“Well, I’d probably have to tell you the truth either way, eventually,” she supposed. Plus, although he wasn’t as vocal about it, Marinette knew Adrien hated liars as much as she did. 

Adrien smiled, proud of her honesty. He walked over to one of the Trocadero flower beds and sat on the ledge, making sure he wasn’t touching any of the dirt or the flowers. He then patted the spot next to him to signal Marinette to take the seat next to him.

After a slight moment of hesitation, and a reassuring press against her hip from Tikki in her purse, Marinette took the spot next to Adrien.

“So, what’s been going on, Marinette?” Adrien asked gently.

“Well, it all started when Alya invited nearly all the girls in our class to my room,” Marinette explained. “I suppose Alya was only doing it to get me to come out of my shell a little, and I can understand that. But…”

She began to wring her hands around nervously, starting to hesitate a little. The last thing she wanted was for Adrien to think she was pathetic and never want to hang out with her again.

“But what?” Adrien prompted gently. 

“It started as a simple girls’ hangout to practically stalk you at your photoshoot,” Marinette answered. “I have all your schedules, because it’s kind of my duty as class rep so I can plan class events and stuff, but the girls were pretty much badgering me about having your schedule, Adrien. It then ended up with all the girls dragging me here. I’m sorry, Adrien. You’re already as famous as it is, and here we are, having more girls trying to invade your privacy once again. I understand if you hate me and never want to be around me again.”

Marinette hid her face in her hands, not wanting to see Adrien’s reaction. She knew it was probably going to be a look of disgust, anyway. Marinette wouldn’t blame Adrien if he had that look on his face, she would use the same face as well.

“Marinette,” Adrien’s voice had its usual gentle tone, but it also had a certain edge in it, yet Marinette could sense the edge wasn’t directly aimed at her.

Marinette peeked through her fingers, hesitantly meeting Adrien’s gaze. There was no disgust, it looked like she had feared, but Adrien’s face had concern and anger on it, but she could see it wasn’t aimed at her.

“I’m not angry at you, Marinette,” Adrien promised as he lightly took her hands off her face and placed them in his. Marinette almost stifled a gasp on the way her hands almost completely fit in Adrien’s palms. “If anything, I’m more upset that the girls pressured you into this, when you clearly weren’t comfortable.”

“So… you don’t hate me?” Marinette’s eyes glistened with hope. 

“Hate someone as sweet as the sweetest cake your dad can make in the bakery?” Adrien teased, squeezing her hands. “Never. Like I said before, Marinette, nothing you do or say in my life can make me hate you. I know your school life hasn’t been the best, but the way I see you brave through it, and the shell you have around yourself is slowly breaking around you, I can’t be more proud that I met someone like you.”

“Thank you, Adrien,” Marinette beamed warmly. 

“Anytime, Marinette,” Adrien beamed back just as warmly. “You know, if you’d like, I can give those ‘girlfriends’ of yours a talk.” In an instant, the warm face Adrien had quickly faded into coldness, no doubt inherited by his father.

“No!” Marinette cried, practically jumping into Adrien’s lap and wrapping her arms around him. “You’re very sweet to do that for me, Adrien, but I think this is something that I have to deal with the girls alone.”

“Are you sure, Marinette?” Adrien asked as he gave her a reassuring hug again. “I don't know what those girls said to you, but I do know that it was enough to make you really upset.”

“It’s true, what Alix said did make me really upset,” Marinette agreed. “But as much as I cherish and will always be grateful to have someone like you and Alya to stand up for me, I can't hide behind you forever. As an old friend taught me, there are some battles you have to fight for yourself.”

“Your friend sounds very wise,” Adrien smiled. “Well, could I at least escort you to talk to the girls? I won’t get involved unless you want me to, but at least you’ll have someone in your corner in case things get ugly.”

“I think I can allow that,” Marinette said as she respectfully slid off his lap. Adrien stood up, and offered her his hand, which she gratefully accepted. 

  “Adriano!” Vincent, Adrien’s photographer, shouted for him, running towards them. “There you are, Adriano, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Oh, sorry, Giuseppe, I didn’t mean to worry you,” Adrien apologized modestly. 

“It’s alright, Adriano, and I apologize that I’m cutting you off your time with your…lady friend here,” Vincent continued, seeing Marinette partially hidden behind Adrien and holding his hand. “But we must get these pictures done as soon as possible! Your father says deadlines are coming fast!”

Adrien hesitated, clearly wanting to stay with Marinette, but also felt the need to be a loyal son and go back to his shoot. 

“It’s alright, Adrien,” Marinette assured him. “I’d have to talk with the girls eventually.”

“If you’re sure, Marinette,” Adrien gave her hand a comforting squeeze. Before they separated however, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“I know you’re tougher than you look, Marinette, but in case things get ugly, and when I say ugly, I mean really ugly, I want you to text me right away, okay?” Adrien whispered. “Once you do, I’ll get there as fast as I can.”

“OK, Adrien,” Marinette promised, giving him a hug. “But don’t worry. Even if the girls and I don’t work out, I still have you. They say it’s quality over quantity over all.”

“Very true,” Adrien grinned as he hugged her back. “Go on, then.”

Marinette beamed up at him in gratitude before rushing off to look for the girls. 

Adrien watched Marinette go, watching her as she bounced off like an adorable little rabbit. His smile quickly faded to a worried frown once Marinette was out of sight. Based on what little information Marinette told him about her life before he entered it, it seemed as if Marinette was just as lonely surrounded by other people as Adrien was during his homeschooling sessions. 

Sighing, Adrien turned to follow Vincent back to his shoot.  Hopefully, he was able to pose enough to allow his photographer to take the pictures his father needed, then as soon as he was done, rush to check on Marinette if possible.

-

Marinette couldn’t find the girls no matter where she went. She texted Alya to ask where she and the rest of the girls went, but she got no answer. She even tried to call her friend, but Alya’s phone only went to voicemail, which worried Marinette. Alya almost never missed a phone call. 

“Oh,” Marinette almost dropped her phone again, but this, she managed to catch it and place it back in her purse as she looked down sadly to where Tikki’s sympathetic blue eyes were glancing back at her.

“I’m sure Alya will call you back at the most,” Tikki assured. 

“I know, Tikki, but it’s just…” Marinette sighed. “This whole day, I haven’t been feeling great.” 

“Why’s that, Marinette?” Tikki asked as she floated a little out of her purse, but not enough that other humans would notice her. “You’ve been growing a lot lately, Marinette, and I can’t be more than proud of you! You’re slowly coming out of your shell, you’re interacting with your classmates more, and you’re now a class representative for your class! I bet if you were the Marinette from 4 years ago, she would think you’re a different Marinette from a different world!”

Marinette smiled as she used her finger to affectionately rub the black spot on Tikki’s forehead. 

“Thanks, Tikki, you’re really sweet to say that,” she said quietly. “But to be honest, I’ve only become the person I am today thanks to you, Alya, Adrien, and Chat Noir. I don’t think even my past self would recognize me by then!” 

“Actually, you’re kind of wrong in that part, Marinette,” Tikki said. “Alya, Adrien, Chat Noir and I were just with you for support and encouragement. You were the one who managed to change herself.”

“You… really think so?” Marinette’s own blue eyes lit up at the thought of herself becoming a whole new person. 

“Of course!” Tikki chirped happily. “Why else do you think you were chosen to be Ladybug? Because of your kind heart! From the moment we met Marinette, I could tell how much of a sweet person you are, even before you became Ladybug. Sometimes we all just need a little push to see how capable we are.”

Marinette smiled, wishing she could take Tikki out of her purse and nuzzle her, but since they were in public, she instead gently rubbed her finger against Tikki’s face.

“You’re right, Tikki,” she said quietly. “Let’s go find those girls.”

Tikki beamed with delight and pride before ducking back into the purse. Marinette took a deep breath, feeling a surge of confidence as she began walking with purpose.

However, she barely took a few steps when she heard a woman’s panicked cry.

“Help, help!” The woman cried. “My baby’s stroller is running away, with my baby in it!” 

Marinette’s eyes widened, as she realized the dangers could get in if the baby got hurt. 

A purple stroller flashed by Marinette, and immediately, the girl knew what she had to do. Forgetting about looking for the girls at the moment, Marinette dashed off to chase the stroller. 

The stroller was running on its own faster than expected, but years of jogging sessions with Socqueline and her speed has increased quite a bit since becoming Ladybug. Marinette sprinted to catch the stroller just in time before it could reach the steps leading down to different parts of the Trocadero. 

“I gotcha!” Marinette called out reassuringly to the frightened baby, who was wailing in distress. The baby’s cries quickly turned into giggles and coos of delight as Marinette gently tickled his stomach to calm him down.

“August!” A woman with bright orange hair cried in delight as she finally managed to catch up with them. “Thank goodness you’re safe!” Relieved and grateful tears shone at Marinette. “Oh, thank you, young lady. You saved my son’s life!”

“O-Of course, ma’am, I was just doing something worthy of a hero,” Marinette stated humbly. 

“Nonsense! It’s not everyday that a sweet girl like you spends her days rescuing runaway strollers with babies in it,” the woman laughed. “What’s your name, dear?”

“Ah, my name is, well…” Marinette hesitated. Though this woman was a mother and she had a baby, Marinette always heeded to her parents’ warnings about talking to strangers.

“Marinette! Are you okay?” Marinette recognized the expensive cologne and Adrien’s reassuring hands on her shoulders. “I just finished my shoot and heard a woman crying for help, and then I saw you rushing by. Is everything okay?”

“Adrien!” Marinette cried in relief. “Yeah, I’m okay. I was just helping this mother rescue her baby.”

“Oh, I see,” Adrien chuckled. “That’s just like you, Marinette. Hey there, little guy,” Adrien bent down to give the baby his own tickle in the stomach. 

The baby giggled at Adrien’s warm demeanor as if he just earned himself a good older brother.

“Thank you both for saving my baby,” the lady bowed to the two teens. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you any longer. Have a good rest of the day.”

“Thank you, ma’am. You as well,” Adrien and Marinette chorused together. With one final wave, the woman and her baby left. 

As soon as they were alone, Adrien turned to Marinette.

“So, were you able to find the girls, Marinette?” Adrien asked. 

“Unfortunately, no,” Marinette replied. “I tried to call and text Alya, but she wasn’t answering.”

“Alya not taking a text or call?” Adrien frowned in concern. “That’s unlike her. Do you think something happened?”

“I sure hope not,” Marinette replied. “But you’re right. It’s unlike Alya to not answer her phone.”

“Hey, Marinette?” A voice that sounded so shy yet so unlike the person spoke up from behind the duo. 

The duo turned, surprised to see Alix standing behind them, looking down at the ground with a pink smoothie in her hands. The way she stood made Marinette and Adrien surprised, as though they didn’t know Alix as well as they should, she was not one to be known to be shy.

“Oh, hello, Alix,” Marinette greeted with that polite business tone her parents taught her when dealing with customers. She didn’t sound cold, but her voice was obviously in a controlled, polite tone. “Do you need something?”

“I…just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier,” Alix explained as she shifted from foot to foot. “Alya said you really like this kind of smoothie, so I thought I could get one from you.”

“Oh.” It was true. It was a strawberry smoothie Marinette really liked. “Thank you for the smoothie, Alix. That’s really thoughtful of you.”

Marinette took the drink from the other girl, and although she felt reassured that Adrien was right behind her, she couldn’t help but examine the smoothie, as if it was poisoned or something. 

“I promise the smoothie isn’t poisoned or anything,” Alix said sincerely as she noticed Marinette’s slight hesitation. “Even if it was, I can imagine Adrien getting his dad’s lawyers on me,” she half-joked, mouth quirking up a little to try to lighten the mood.

“Go ahead, Marinette, I’m right here,” Adrien promised, his fingers lightly brushing against the tips of the hair of her pigtails. 

Feeling the same reassuring gesture of a hip press from Tikki in her purse, Marinette nodded and took a small sip of the smoothie Alix had just bought her.

As usual, Marinette enjoyed the taste of this particular smoothie.

“Is it good, Marinette?” Alix asked, almost hesitantly. 

“Very good,” Marinette nodded. “Thank you for the smoothie, Alix. This is my favorite, and I find it very thoughtful of you to buy one for me.”

“It’s no problem,” Alix shrugged modestly. “It’s not like I can never get a smoothie myself. Anyway, do you want me to take you to Alya? She’s really worried about you.”

“That would be nice, thank you, Alix,” Marinette appreciated quietly. She unconsciously reached for Adrien’s hand, which he didn’t hesitate to intertwine their fingers together. 

Together, the 3 of them began to walk to where Alya and the rest of the girls had been waiting for Marinette.

They reached the end of the Trocadero, where Adrien’s bodyguard was looking a bit frustrated. 

“Gorilla?” Adrien asked. “Is something wrong?”

At the mere sight of Adrien, the Gorilla quickly calmed down and grunted, indicating to the boy that he didn't have to worry about it.

Little did each of the three teenagers or Placide himself know, that an akuma barely avoided touching the bodyguard due to feeling his negative emotions.

Unluckily, the butterfly, in its confused fate, squeezed into the bracelet of a frustrated baby who just wanted a lollipop and refused the bottle his mother was trying to give him.

Before anyone could react, the magic akuma gave its victims transformed baby August into a giant baby, much to his worried mother’s shock and fell over once she saw the state of her baby. (Both literally and figuratively.) 

“Hey, look!” Marinette gasped, pointing to the oversized head of the giant baby. 

“W-what the heck is that?” Alix added in shock and confusion. 

“Ah, girls…?” Adrien swallowed hard as he also wide eyed stared at how crazy Hawk Moth could be to make one of his butterflies inflict on an innocent baby. “I think Hawk Moth just… you know, akumatized a giant baby.”

Marinette and Alix shared a look that said Oh sh--.

Chapter Text

“Is it just me, or does Hawk Moth get crazier with his akumatized victims everyday?” Marinette whispered in horror as she and her friend(s?) watched a giant baby stomp around, screaming the word “Lollipop” the entire time. 

“You’re not the only one, Marinette,” Alix stated, her eyes wide in disbelief. “I swear, I knew that man was a creep, but akumatizing a baby is just low!”

The baby’s short attention span came when he noticed Adrien, Marinette, and Alix, with Marinette still holding the smoothie that Alix had got for her. 

“Lollipop!” The giant baby cried in hungry amusement. 

“Oh no,” Adrien whispered, horrified as the baby stomped over to them. “Marinette, Alix! Run!” He cried, shoving them both forward and shielding their bodies with his own. Placide, following his charge’s lead, moved to protect the teens with his own massive form.

Marinette dropped her smoothie as Adrien ushered her and Alix along. While she was a bit sad that she didn’t get to fully enjoy the treat Alix had gotten her for an apology, she knew her life was on the line in the moment. 

Even with all the running they could do, the baby’s towering shadow kept tailing them. The trio and Adrien’s bodyguard ran as fast as they could, until they reached a fountain where Alya and the rest of the girls were waiting. 

“Marinette!” Alya’s face lit up at the sight at her best friend, but her face quickly paled at the sight of a giant baby chasing after her friends. “What on earth is that?!”

“We don’t know, Alya,” Marinette gasped. “Hawk Moth apparently akumatized a giant baby. He may not look like much, but he’s dangerous! We have to get to safety!”

“Lollipop? Lollipop!” The giant baby gargled, his hands reaching for the group.

“Everyone, scatter!” Adrien warned.

The teens immediately split in different directions, trying to confuse the giant baby. Adrien’s bodyguard, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky, being grabbed by the baby and flung to a nearby tree.

Marinette found herself being dragged away to safety with Alix keeping a tight grip on her hand. While she was grateful for the shorter girl wanting to not see her get hurt, Marinette knew if she kept this up, she wouldn’t be able to transform into Ladybug!

“Um, Alix, I know this is serious, but can you please slow down a little?” Marinette begged, hoping her voice didn’t sound too frantic.

“Sorry, Marinette, but I want you to be safe. I just saw that freaking baby just toss Adrien’s bodyguard into a tree like he was nothing!” Alix exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

Yikes. Marinette could understand why Alix didn’t want to let her go. Her heart clenched for Placide, hoping he was okay. 

As the giant baby began to stomp around, Marinette noticed a spot that she knew even giants, baby-sized or otherwise, would have a hard time reaching.

“Alix, look,” Marinette pointed to a narrow alleyway. “You see that alleyway? It looks pretty tight and narrow, but if the baby spots us, he won’t be able to get to us easily.”

“Good call, Marinette, let’s go,” Alix brightened up at the sight of staying out of sight for a while. 

The two girls squeezed into the alleyway just in time as the mega-sized baby stomped over to them. He saw Marinette and Alix squeezing through, and he got excited, reaching for them.

Marinette found herself pushing Alix behind her on instinct, cringing at the thought of being held by a hand as big as this baby’s. The baby struggled to get what seemed like new toys to him, and Alix and Marinette had to keep dodging to avoid being captured.

Finally, the baby gave up and left, allowing Marinette and Alix to breathe a sigh of relief.

“That was too close,” Alix breathed heavily.

“Tell me about it,” Marinette agreed. “Listen, Alix, I need you to listen to me,” she turned, putting her hands on the shorter girl’s shoulders. “I want you to stay here until you see Ladybug’s miraculous cure or wait for me until it’s safe to come out.”

“What about you, Marinette?” Alix asked worriedly.

“I know this is risky, but I’m going to see if I can get help,” Marinette replied. “Even at the worst if that mega baby sees me, at least he’ll grab me instead of you.”

“Marinette, no,” Alix protested, grabbing her hands. “That’s way too risky. I literally saw that… that thing threw Adrien’s bodyguard away like he was nothing. He’d be lucky if he wasn’t seriously hurt.”

“I know, but I just can’t stand by and watch this giant baby Hawk Moth whipped up terrorize the city,” Marinette reasoned. “Please, Alix, just let me leave. I promise nothing will happen, and Ladybug and Chat Noir will save the day like they always do.”

Alix hesitated for a brief moment but finally relented. “OK, but please be careful,” she pleaded.

Marinette nodded and ran out of the alleyway. As soon as she found a safe spot, she let Tikki out, and they both nodded at each other, knowing what they had to do.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette whispered, feeling the rush of energy as she transformed into Ladybug. With her yo-yo, she swung to the connecting parts of the Trocadero leading to the Eiffel Tower just in time to see that Gigantan had captured her partner and was about to suck on him like a cat treat.

“Lolli!” Gigantian giggled excitedly. 

“Excuse me, little guy, but I’m not a lolli,” Chat sassed. “I’m a cat.”

“Well, hey there, Chat,” Ladybug teased from below. “I guess you’re not a natural when it comes to little kids.”

“Are you kidding, m’lady?” Chat teased back. “I may be an only child, but I’m pretty good with kids.” He used his staff to allow himself to escape from Gigantan’s clutches to land next to his partner.

“Who knew Hawk Moth was sicker than sick?” Ladybug complained as Chat joined her on the ground. “If akumatizing middle school students was enough, he decided to stop even low and akumatize a freaking baby?!”

“You’re telling me,” Chat muttered in agreement. He quickly moved them backwards as Gigantian stomped over to them. “Although,” he continued as he kept a protective grip on Ladybug’s arm. “Despite his size, I don’t think he’s causing too much damage.”

“You’re right, Chat, he’s just a baby after all,” Ladybug agreed. “We’ll have to be careful not to hurt him.”

“Look, he’s wearing a bracelet,” Chat added, pointing to the large bracelet sitting on Gigantain’s wrist. “That must be where the akuma is.”

“So all we have to do is grab the bracelet,” Ladybug perked up. “And then you can use your Cataclysm to destroy it. Boom. Easy.”

Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the bracelet, but that proves that her simple plan was easier said than done, as Hawk Moth’s mask appeared on the baby’s face. Before she knew it, Ladybug found herself flung to the top of the main Trocadero roof.

“Woah! I almost mistaked you for a real ladybug, m’lady!” Chat teased as he used his staff again, this time to join her on the roof. “I guess you’re not as much of a babysitter than I thought?”

“Very funny, Chat Noir,” Ladybug laughed sarcastically and crossed her arms. “For your information, all the kids I’ve babysat are normal sized, not someone who could be as heavier than the Eiffel Tower!”

A shadow of a hand briefly passed them, signaling Gigantan was about to grab them. He would’ve grabbed Ladybug if Chat hadn’t pulled her out of the way.

“I guess babysitting this kid won’t be easy, huh bug?” Chat asked as they stepped away from the giant hand as far as they could.

 “No,” Ladybug sighed in agreement. “At least not directly, I don’t think. This poor boy is still just a baby after all.”

“So… what can we do with him then? Just smack him in the head, grab the bracelet, and then we good?” Chat asked, blinking innocently and rubbing the back of his head.

Ladybug took out her yo-yo to bonk her partner on the head.

“Chat!” She scolded. “Akumatized or not, this poor victim is still just a baby! 

“I’m just kidding, m’lady,” Chat laughed, rubbing the spot where Ladybug hit his head with his yo-yo.

“We just need to calm him down,” Ladybug explained. “Once he’s calm enough, taking the bracelet will be a piece of cake. We’ll play with him, sing lullabies, lull him to sleep, you know?” 

“But where can we do that without him toppling over and hurting anyone?” Chat asked.

“Easy! The Eiffel Tower is for all sorts of heights! We can wrap my yo-yo strings around it, so the big baby can have what is like a little play-pen with him,” Ladybug said. 

“That plan sounds a little complicated, m’lady. Are you sure you can’t just use your lucky charm?”

“I would if I could, but sometimes the lucky charm doesn’t work like that. I have to analyze carefully in order to figure out how we can deal with akumas.”

“Eh, either way, we’re saving this guy anywhere,” Chat agreed with a shrug. “Let’s get him to play, shall we?”

“Let’s,” Ladybug agreed as they jumped down and began signaling the big baby to come over to them.

 “Yoo-hoo!” Ladybug and Chat Noir whistled together, waving their arms around. “Big baby! Come here!”

Gigatian cooed happily at the sight of the two heroes beckoning him to come over, no doubt thinking it was a game.

“Hey, m’lady, once we get the big boy tied in his little play-pen, do you want me to sing him a cat-ullby ? You know, to get him to sleep?” Chat asked.

“Um, Chat, we want to soothe the baby, not burst out his eardrums,” Ladybug teased.

“Are you really questioning my singing voice?” Chat teased back. “I can sing you a meow-rende one day for real!”

Ladybug giggled fondly at her partner’s antics. Now that she thought about it, maybe Chat’s singing voice wouldn’t sound so bad. After all, when he got hit by Princess Fragance’s perfume, his bass voice actually didn’t sound half-bad.

Gigtain kept on following them, and the ladybug-and-cat duo were this close to getting him under the Eiffel Tower, but he spotted a bunch of bright-looking lollipops in a truck, and since underneath the costume, this akumatized victim was still a toddler under the suit, his short attention span turned to the lollipops.

“Lollipop!” The baby cooed.

“Oh no, he’s getting distracted!” Ladybug groaned. 

Chat looked around until he spotted a nearby car. 

“Don’t worry, I got it m’lady!” He promised as he dashed off to the car. 

The giant baby eagerly tried to pick up a tiny lollipop, but he ended up accidentally crushing the whole truck instead. Feeling sad and frustrated that he wasn’t going to get his lollipop, Gigantian is about to cry when he hears a car honk.

“Honk, honk, little guy!” Chat called inside the driver’s seat. 

“Kitty!” Gigantian cheered. “Vroom, vroom!”

“Vroom, vroom is right!” Chat chuckled. “I loved playing with cars when I was little, too!” He quickly jumped out of the car once the baby took hold of it.

“Vroom, vroom!” Gigantian cheers once more, not only playing with the car, and taking himself under the structure of the Eiffel Tower.

“Wow!” Ladybug cheered as Chat Noir took his spot next to her. “Not only did you manage to calm him down with that car, he’s leading himself under the tower! Good job, Chat!” Ladybug praised as she gently scratched her partner behind his fake cat ear, and he purred happily and proudly for her. “Let’s go!”

She dashed off, not needing to look back to see that Chat was on her heels. 

-

“Come on! The little-itty bug and the teeny-tiny kitty is right there! What is wrong with you, you big baby?! Both literally and figuratively!” Gabriel as Hawk Moth complained under his lair.  He groaned as he pinched his nose in frustration. “I should’ve akumatized the bodyguard while I still had a chance.”

Upstairs, Nathalie just continued to causally type on the computer as she had to hear her boss complaining about another failure of an akuma just to grab two pairs of magical jewelry from two teenagers. 

She groaned as she heard Gabriel complaining so loud. She wouldn’t be surprised if anyone heard him. Nathalie definitely needed a raise.

(A.N. Poor Nathalie 🤣)

Even by then, Ladybug managed to tie up her yo-yo strings around Gigantian as he continued to play with his car and Chat cataclysmed his bracelet. 

-

Alix breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the magical ladybugs swirl around the Trocadero. Just as she promised Marinette, she had stayed hidden to avoid being caught in the middle of the giant baby.

Alix shuddered at the thought of that poor toddler being akumatized. She personally didn’t remember everything of her own akumatization, and she knew the baby wouldn’t remember anything either way, but Hawk Moth was just sicker than sick! She prayed that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be able to defeat him one day.

Alix cautiously stepped out of the narrow alleyway and peeked out left and right just in case.  

She caught Adrien and Marinette talking in the center. They both looked unharmed, which made Alix feel relieved for them.

She walked up to them just in time to see Marinette waving goodbye to Adrien as he went back inside his car. 

“Hey, Marinette,” Alix used her best inside voice to avoid scaring the other girl.

“Hm? Oh hey, Alix,” Marinette hummed warmly. “You okay after the big baby gazenda?”

“I’m okay. Ladybug and Chat Noir saved the day as usual,” Alix said. “Marinette?”

“Yeah?” 

“I was wondering if you wanted to become friends. Like for real this time,” Alix admitted as she almost shyly looked at her feet. “I personally don’t know if we’ll ever be close like you’re close with Alya or Adrien, but I don’t want us to be hostile towards each other anymore. Now that I think about it, I might even be as bad as Chloe.”

“What? No, Alix,” Marinette placed a comforting hand on the shorter girl’s shoulder. “Anyone is better than Chloe. And sure, you might be a bit… tougher than most other girls I know, but I actually admire that about you. You’re actually really cool, Alix. Even with your watch fiasco back then, I’m actually glad you won the bet against Kim.”

“Really?” Alix perked up.

“Really,” Marinette laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt relaxed without having to worry about being caught in Kim’s ridiculous dares. I know he means well, but sometimes his dares can be…”

“Annoying? Over-the-top? Insane?” Alix offered. 

“All three,” Marinette decided. “Either way, you learned from your mistake, Alix. I’ve been learning a lot on my own as well.”

“Thanks, Marinette,” Alix beamed in pride and happiness that she gained a new friend, for real this time. “Since your previous smoothie got ruined, why don’t you see we go get some new ones? My treat.”

“That would be nice. But I’ll pay this time, since you paid for my smoothie first.”

“Deal.”

As Marinette and Alix happily chatted, Alya beamed in pride as she hid behind a nearby bush. She was so proud of Marinette slowly but surely coming out of her shell.

Chapter Text

Every once in a while, Tom Dupain would come to his daughter’s class to give them a baking lesson. Marinette loved it when her dad would be called into her class for something her father was so passionate about. She was also happy for him that he could teach others something new.

“I love it when your dad comes in and gives us baking lessons, girl,” Alya whispered excitedly as she filmed Tom teaching them how to make macarons. 

“Thanks, Alya,” Marinette giggled quietly. “Dad loves it, too.”

“I’ll let you kids in on a little secret,” Tom explained as he poured some cream into the chocolate mixing bowl he was using. “Whenever I’m making the chocolate filling for the macarons, I like to add cream to allow the ganache to be extra velvety. Then, I let it infuse for one minute so you can really taste the rich chocolatey sweetness!”

“Ooh!” His daughter’s classmates’ eyes sparkled at his explanation. No wonder they called Tom Dupain the best baker in Paris!

Only one person wasn’t that interested in Mr. Dupain’s baking lesson, and of course, that person was Chloe. She yawned in boredom as she watched Dupain-Cheng’s father pour white stuff in an already ugly brown mixture.

She scoffed, interrupting the once peaceful atmosphere. 

“What is all this stuff that Dupain-Cheng’s father is cooking up?” She scowled. “Why can’t he make croissants like a normal person?” 

“Marinette’s dad isn’t making croissants, Chloe!” Rose spoke in that usual annoying chirp of hers. (In Chloe’s head.) “He’s making macarons! Besides, I heard croissants take a while to make.” 

“Pft. Like it’s that hard to roll up a tiny piece of bread. If I want a good croissant, I get my butler to grab one for me,” Chloe bragged.

“Making this is like flicking your wrist,” Tom continued as he began carefully mixing the cream and chocolate mixture. “But you have to be extra careful, because if you do it too hard, you can accidentally splash yourself!”

“Splashing yourself?!” Chloe gasped in horror. “If I got that on my designer Chanel pants…!”

Tom, oblivious to Chloe’s complaints, turned to Marinette with a warm smile. 

“Marinette, darling, could you come up and help me with the ingredients?” He asked his daughter with a warm, fatherly smile.

Marinette hesitated, feeling self-conscious about doing it in front of her classmates. She glanced around, catching Alya’s encouraging nod and Adrien’s comforting smile. They both seemed to support her like they always did, making her feel a bit more confident.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette walked up to her father.

 “Okay, Dad. What do you need me to do?”

Tom handed her a measuring cup and gestured to the ingredients. 

“Could you measure out the sugar for me? It’s important to get the proportions just right.”

Marinette nodded and began measuring, her nerves easing with each task. It wasn’t her first time making macarons with her father. In fact, Marinette loved making macarons with her dad! It was just that Marinette never did some baking in front of a whole audience before!

Marinette delicately measured out the sugar, impressing her classmates. Some even complimented her by saying that if she wasn’t able to become a fashion designer in the future, she would be a great baker instead!

Chloe watched with insane jealousy as she watched Marinette bake with her father. Just as Tom handed his daughter the egg whites to freeze into the school freezer for a while, Chloe sneakily snuck to the side of the room and called someone. 

-

Marinette quietly left the classroom, carefully holding the fluffy egg whites her father gave her. Just as she barely took a step, Tikki excitedly popped out of her purse.

“Ooh! I love it when your father does baking lessons!” She chirped. “May I have a little taste?”

“Sorry, Tikki, but no one gets a taste of egg whites, even kwamis,” Marinette teased as she lightly bopped Tikki with her finger. “But once Dad finishes making the macarons, I’ll save you a bite, how about it?” She compromised.

Tikki giggled in agreement and nuzzled her holder’s cheek in thanks when suddenly, just then, the school’s emergency alarm rang.

“Uh oh,” Marinette whispered. “Hide Tikki.” She lifted her jacket a little which the little red kwami quickly dove into and snuggled into her side comfortably.

Miss Bustier gently ushered her students out, telling them to stay calm.

As everyone whispered to each other about why they suddenly got an alarm, Chloe came out with a very smug look, which made Marinette feel that something was off.

Tom came by to stand next to his daughter, still whipping up some ingredients in a bowl.

“I hope it’s just a drill, sweetie,” Was all he said.

Marinette sighed.

“I’m afraid it doesn’t seem that way, Daddy,” she worried.

Why did Chloe look so smug and proud of herself? Marinette wondered, making her feel like something was more off as Alya beckoned her over.

-

Marinette was right to worry. Standing with Adrien and Alya, partially the whole school was standing in the courtyard, listening to Principal Damocles ramble on and on with a fireman standing next to him. Although the fireman’s face was covered with a mask, Marinette could tell he was just as annoyed as the principal was.

 “So, smart aleck thought it was a good idea to call the fire department when there was no emergency whatsoever!” Damocles complained. 

The students gasped and began whispering to each other. Alya and Adrien exchanged puzzled glances and began to whisper too, with Marinette safely nestled between them, her stomach twisting in knots. She thought something was off when the alarm suddenly rang, but she didn’t expect this. At least, she expected the “smart aleck” Principal Damocles was talking about would pull the fire alarm instead, not call the entire fire department.

Only Chloe didn’t seem concerned, just filing her nails like it was any other boring day in school.

“Hey, Alya?” Marinette whispered to her best friend. “Don’t you think Chloe’s acting a little off about all of this? She doesn’t seem worried like the rest of us.”

Alya took in her friend’s words and squinted at Chloe. Sure enough, the blonde heiress was acting a little off, but it wasn’t like they had any proof that she was the one who called the fire department.

“I agree with you, girl,” Alya whispered back. “Chloe is acting weird as usual, but we can’t accuse her without proof. I know it sucks, but even if we did have proof, she’d still twist it like you were the one who called the fire department.”

Marinette groaned, but in the end, she knew Alya was right.

“Oh, Principal Damocles, sir?” Chloe suddenly chirped, her tone of voice making the hairs of Marinette’s neck stand up. “I think I know the culprit who decided to waste the dear fire department’s time.”

“Is that so, Miss Bourgeois?” Principal Damocles raised a bushy brow. “And who, may I ask, is responsible for this serious offense?”

“Well, I did see her leaving the classroom before the alarm went off,” Chloe hummed. “Isn’t that right, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

Marinette’s face burned with humiliation, anger, and fury as students began whispering about her this time. Sooner than she thought, Marinette would blink, and rumors would spread about her again, and she’d be isolated once again. 

Oh, how Marinette wished for Socqueline was by her side again! Her jiejie would definitely prove her innocence. 

“Do you have anything to say, Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Principal Damocles ate Chloe’s word as usual and turned to glare at her, along with several students.

“I… I…” Marinette’s eyes began to fill with frustrated tears. Of course, everyone found a way to put the blame on her.

“See, she even partially admits she’s the culprit!” Chloe snarked, adding more salt to the wound. “If Dupain-Cheng can’t even talk, it makes more sense that she’s the one!”

“Now hold on, Chloe,” Adrien suddenly piped up, placing a comforting hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “Marinette couldn’t be the one who called the fire department. She’s not like that, and besides, why would she want to interrupt her own father’s baking class?”

“My girl didn’t even have her cellphone out when she left the room to run an errand for her dad,” Alya added, placing a hand on Marinette’s free shoulder. “And another thing,” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Chloe. “Marinette pointed out that since this whole prank thing has been happening, you’ve been unusually smug.”

Adrien caught on to what Alya was saying, and narrowed his eyes at his childhood friend.

“Adding in what Alya said, you were also really quick to point fingers, Chloe,” he said. “Does that mean you know something about the fire department coming?” 

Chloe had to admit, the intense way Adrien was staring at her was like staring at a miniature version of Gabriel Agreste. But then again, who was Adrien the son of?

 Students began muttering in, taking Adrien and Alya’s words seriously. Even Principal Damocles seemed to be considering both sides of the stories for once.

“Mr. Damocles, I really have to go in case there’s an actual emergency,” the fireman who had been standing next to him the whole time said. “My team and I can just track down on who called us earlier.”

Uh oh. That wasn’t good for Chloe.

“Well!” She loudly exclaimed. “You heard the lovely fireman, Mr. Damocles! He needs to go back to his job!”

Principal Damocles sighed in frustration.

“Go ahead, Mr. Fireman, sorry to waste your time,” he said grimly.

The fireman nodded, waved to the students and practically sped off.

Once he watched the fireman go, Principal Damocles turned back to glare at his students.

“Even with all of this happening, I still can’t let it slide,” he said firmly. “Since practically no one fessed up on who called the fire department, the whole school will be punished!” 

“What?!” The majority of the students cried out. “That’s not fair! We didn’t do anything!”

“You’re punishing me as well?!” Chloe snarled as she whipped out her fancy cellphone with a gold case. “I don’t think my father, the mayor, will approve of his daughter being punished by a simple principal when there was no proof she did anything wrong!”

As usual, Damocles the cowardly owl took Chloe’s threats seriously.

“Alright! Everyone is punished except Miss Bourgeois!” He practically squeaked a very unmanly squeak and dashed back to his office.

-

As punishment, all the students had to clean the entire courtyard. Everyone worked diligently yet no one was happy about it. Chloe was always weaseling her way out of hard work.

Of course, everyone was mad at Chloe, but the majority of them were too afraid to confront her directly, so they lashed out their frustrations and anger on the next best person.

Marinette was furiously mopping the floor. It had been obvious from the start that Chloe was the one who called the fire department in a non-emergency, but it wasn’t like she had any proof. All because Chloe didn't like her father’s baking lesson, she had to be petty.

Marinette was about to put her mop back into the water to try to clean off this one particular stain that was stubbornly refusing to be cleaned when a bunch of students came by. They didn’t look too friendly, but Marinette, being the kind person she was, threw the looks of agitation aside, thinking that they were only frustrated with having to clean because of Chloe.

“May I help you guys?” Marinette asked politely.

Her politeness seemed to only fuel their anger further, before one boy stepped forward with a sneer on his face.

“Hey, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” he spoke huskily, backing her into a wall and breathing hotly in her face. “Has anyone told you that your blue eyes are prettier than the world’s bluest ocean?”

Marinette’s breath began to heavy. She felt like she was in that one scene where Hermoine Granger was about to be tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. 

           Unlike Hermoine, Marinette was about to get tortured by a whole bunch of people instead of just one.

-

Adrien was just cleaning the walls with a cloth and glanced to the side at Chloe, who was just casually playing games on her phone. He sighed. Ever since Adrien came to a real school, he was slowly starting to see why so many people disliked her. 

Adrien was just about to walk to Chloe to give her a good talking to, when he heard a loud, terrified scream. His heart sank, as he recognized who the scream belonged to. Without hesitation, Adrien bolted. 

If he had looked back, Adrien would’ve seen that Chloe was smirking and held up a large amount of money that she took out of her pocket…

-

Adrien raced around the corner just in time to see the most heartbreaking sight. Marinette’s face was pale, and the tears on her face streamed down uncontrollably like a waterfall. She was trying to use self-defense moves that her mom had taught her, but it wasn’t enough. 

“Oh, look at you,” a tall boy who Adrien didn’t recognize, but he seemed to be someone from a neighboring class, cooed, as he inappropriately stroked under her chin. “So pretty. And your hair is so soft.”

“Stop, stop,” Marinette whimpered, her voice choked with sobs. “You’re hurting me.” 

 Adrien had had enough. With his fists clenched tightly, he stormed over to the small crowd of students.

"Hey!" he shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. "Let Marinette go! Now!"

The students turned in surprise, their eyes widening at the sight of Adrien Agreste. Only the ringleader remained unfazed, his smirk growing wider as he sneered at Adrien.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Agreste Jr.," he taunted. "Looks like someone's got a soft spot for the baker girl, huh?"

“I’m not telling you again,” Adrien hissed as he faced the boy face-to-face. “Let. Marinette. Go. Now. ”

“And what are you going to do about it? You’re just a pretty boy who--” The boy barely managed to finish his sentence when he suddenly found himself being lifted in the air.

The boy’s eyes widened when he realized how strong Adrien was. Unknown to the boy, Adrien wasn’t half of Paris’s superhero duo for nothing. 

“Listen here, you little shit,” Adrien hissed, emitting gasps from the ringleader’s friend at the foul language the normally gentle, soft-spoken model said. “I don’t normally swear, but what you did was the last straw. If I ever see you touch, or even LOOK at Marinette, ever again…!”
Adrien raised his fist, showing that he meant business.

With a final blow, Adrien dumped the guy hard on the floor on his butt. The guy, now shaking, scrambled away and took his friends with him.

As soon as Adrien was sure the ringleader and his friends were gone, he turned to check on Marinette. The sight that met his eyes broke his heart: Marinette was curled into a tiny ball, her body shaking uncontrollably, her breaths coming in ragged sobs.

Without hesitation, Adrien knelt beside her and gently brushed his hand through her hair. Marinette flinched at first, but as she felt the tender touch, her body relaxed slightly. When she looked up and saw Adrien’s concerned face, relief washed over her.

Wordlessly, Adrien patted his lap, offering a place of comfort. Marinette hesitated for a moment, then crawled into his embrace, finding solace in his presence. The warmth of the embrace slowly relaxed her, but the trauma was still there. 

Adrien felt Marinette’s tears soaking his shirt and instinctively wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her as tightly as he could without hurting her.

“Hey, shh, it’s okay, you’re okay,” he whispered like a mantra into her hair.

The kind act only made Marinette cry harder. This was worse than the time Kim laughed at her while she fell backwards into the pool without caring if she could get seriously injured or worse, but at least she had a savior this time.

As Adrien continued to comfort Marinette, he heard the clicks of footsteps, and his heart dropped when he saw Chloe. Anger like never before filled him, and Adrien was about to tell Chloe off for real, but before he could, a single euro bill fluttered out of Chloe’s pocket.

The amount of money in that single bill was a large amount. An icy feeling came through Adrien, and he realized now why Marinette had just gotten tortured. Chloe had bribed some students to hurt the girl in his lap!

Chloe noticed where Adrien’s eyes landed, and then her own eyes widened. Before she could take the money away, Adrien’s reflexes kicked in, and snatched it away. 

“So,” his voice was a deadly whisper that matched his father’s serious tones that warned people he was going to be furious.

“So, what, Adrikins?” Chloe sassed with a smirk.

“Not only did you call the fire department when there was no emergency, but you paid a bunch of students to emotionally scar Marinette? The whole school is punished for something they didn’t do, and Marinette is probably going to have nightmares for months!” Adrien snapped as he slowly rose up, still holding Marinette in his arms. 

“It was just a boring baking lesson, Adrikins. What got you all worked up?” Chloe complained. 

“You didn’t have to like Mr. Dupain’s baking lesson, Chloe, but that doesn’t excuse what you did! You wasted the firemen’s time when there could've been an actual emergency that they wouldn’t be able to get to on time, and everyone is upset about cleaning the school because of you!” Adrien scowled. “Is this seriously how you treat people?!”

Marinette let out a silent, scared, almost like a mew sound in Adrien’s arms. He instantly softened and whispered, “Sorry, Marinette.”

“It’s nothing different than what they were doing before, Adrikins,” Chloe said. “Everyone enjoyed making dirty cookies, so why would cleaning a dirty floor be different?”   

Adrien only shook his head in disappointment.

“Chloe,” he suddenly spoke quietly. “How long have you and I known each other? How long have we been friends?”

“Since we were adorable little babies, Adrikins!” Chloe cooed, puckering her lips at him. 

Adrien sighed, hating to do this, but knew he had no other choice. As Plagg told him, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do, but you have to.

“Well, I’m sorry, Chloe, but what you did today was the last straw. I can’t be friends with you anymore,” he said seriously. “The way you treat other people, especially Marinette, makes me sick. So until you can learn to be nice, I’m not speaking to you anymore.”

An icy chord struck into Chloe’s heart as Adrien’s words slowly registered into her brain. 

“A-A-Adrien, we can’t…!” she tried.

“Being nice isn’t as hard as you think,” Adrien said coldly. “Now if you excuse me, I’m taking Marinette to the nurse since she isn’t just scarred emotionally because of you, but physically as well.” 

With that, Adrien walked to the nurse’s office, still carrying Marinette safely and gently in his arms. 

And Chloe was left alone, slowly realizing what she had done for once.

Chapter Text

A few hours later, Chloe had returned home from school with a sulky look on her face. The head butler, Armand, who was often called Jean-something by Chloe, noticed her distress and tended to her in her room.

“What’s made Mademoiselle Chloe so upset this afternoon?” Armand asked as he placed a platter of fancy, expensive chocolates for Chloe to snack on. 

Chloe grabbed the chocolates and gobbled them all up in one bite. 

“Adrien did the most horrible thing today, Jean-Michael!” she wailed. “He stopped being my friend!”

“Oh?” Armand raised a brow. Since he also observed Adrien grow up with Chloe, Armand knew it had to be really serious if Adrien told Chloe that they weren’t going to be friends anymore. “May I ask why Monsieur Adrien stopped being your friend, mademoiselle?”

“I don’t know, he just said until I learn to be nice to people, he won’t be my friend anymore!” Chloe complained. “I just made a few teasing little comments, Jean-Luc! What’s so wrong with that?”

“Mademoiselle, my name is actually--” Armand began and stopped. “Never mind.” He gave up telling Chloe that his name was actually Armand a long time ago. “Since you are this upset, why don’t I offer you some comfort?”

“How can you help?” Chloe weeped bitterly. 

“Why, with Mr. Cuddly of course!” Armand beamed as he took out another fancy platter and opened the top to reveal a teddy bear that Chloe had since her childhood. 

“Mr. Cuddly!” Chloe squealed and hugged him tight. This bear had been one of the most treasured gifts Chloe had gotten from her father. He had gifted him to her a while after her mother left their family. She even remembered playing with him with Adrien when they were young.

“Since you look so distressed on losing your friendship with Monsieur Adrien, if you let me, mademoiselle, I can help you fix it,” Armand offered kindly. 

“Really?” Chloe looked up from her teddy bear for a moment and looked at her butler in surprise. “Why would you do that, Jean-Henry?”

“Because that’s what kind people do to be nice, mademoiselle,” Armand explained. “Mr. Cuddly taught you to be kind, did he? After all, he has always helped you out since you were a little girl.”

Chloe took a look at her teddy bear, his crystal eyes gazing back at him. Finally she smiled, thinking of a decision. 

“You’re right, Jean-Quiten,” she said. “If I can show Adrikins that I can be nice, he’ll be begging me to be his friend again!”

“And what will you do to show Adrien that you can be nice, if I may ask, mademoiselle?” Armand asked. 

“I’ll throw a party!” Chloe decided, holding up Mr. Cuddly. “That should be enough that can allow Adrikins and me to be friends again!”

Armand hummed thoughtfully. While perhaps throwing a party wasn’t exactly the act of kindness he had hoped for, it was a start. Armand held onto the hope with the right influences, Chloe could learn to behave with more kindness and less trying to bully her schoolmates to get what she wanted.

-

At the same time, Marinette was working hard in her room with her mannequin as models with Alya close beside her, taking pictures of her best friend’s beautifully made designs and accessories. 

Ever since Adrien had walked her home and she was in the safety of her room, Marinette decided to relax and work on something she loved so she could forget about the traumatizing event she experienced in school today. 

“These hats are so cute, girl!” Alya praised as she took another picture of a dark blue hat sitting on top of Marinette’s mannequin. “These will definitely be great pictures for your future fashion blog.”

“Thanks, Als,” Marinette giggled. “Actually, since the hat is already on the mannequin, I think we can add some accessories,” she suggested as she walked over to her jewelry box.

Marinette took out a beautiful pink necklace with hearts and beads and placed them around the mannequin’s neck, making it look more beautiful than it already was.

Alya let out a low whistle as she proudly snapped another photo.

"Girl, you’re on fire! These designs are going to blow everyone away." She praised.

Marinette smiled, feeling a warm sense of pride as she gazed at her creation. It made her feel even proud of herself the way her best friend complimented her about. 

“Oh! Before I forget, I made a necklace for you, Alya,” Marinette said as she picked another necklace, this time it was orange with the same hearts and beads. 

“Wow! Thanks girl! It’s so cute and pretty!” Alya cooed and immediately put it on. 

“Anything for my best friend,” Marinette giggled lightly. 

Alya was happily posing in the mirror of her new necklace when her phone rang with a new notification. When Alya opened it up, she had a very weird look on her face. 

“Hey, girl, did you get a really weird message from Chloe by any chance?” Alya asked.  

“No, why?” Marinette’s stomach churned at the mention of the blonde bully who had been tormenting her since kindergarten. “What does that selfish brat want now?”

“She’s apparently inviting me to a party she’s hosting at her hotel,” Alya explained, showing her friend the message. 

As expected from Chloe, the invitation she had sent Alya was extremely flashy.

Marinette checked her own cell phone.

“I didn’t get any new notifications so far,” she said. “Even if it is Chloe, I doubt she’d want my number.”

“Hm. Perhaps this invitation isn’t even from Chloe,” Alya tapped her chin in thought. “Knowing her, she probably paid for someone to send this out, like as a prank or something.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Chloe alright,” Marinette said and the two girls giggled together. 

Just then, Marinette’s phone rang, and when she opened it up, she found the same invitation that Alya had just got. 

“No way, this can’t be a coincidence,” Marinette gasped. “Chloe would never invite me to a party.”  

“Hold on,” Alya’s phone rang with a bunch more new notifications. “Some of the other girls in our class got the same invites. The guys, too. Adrien and Nino just got their invites. Maybe it really is Chloe.”

“If it really is Chloe, then what’s she up to this time?” Marinette asked, clutching her phone tightly. “She can’t be throwing up another prank, could she?”

“Well, I doubt even someone like Chloe could throw a prank like this if she really wanted to invite everyone in our class to a party,” Alya pointed out. “If she just invited one or two of us, that might be a bit suspicious, but a whole class? Maybe we should go.”

“What? Why?” Marinette asked, her eyes wide and hesitant. 

“I just got some texts from the girls,” Alya said as she began reading the messages. “Mylene says she thinks Chloe wants to host this party for us because she’s actually really sorry. And besides, you mentioned once before that maybe Chloe had a heart, right girl? It’s just very, very, very deep down?”

Marinette bit her lip, unsure. On one hand, she could see why Alya said that. Marinette was the one who thoughtfully pointed out that perhaps Chloe had a heart. 

But the events of getting tortured from earlier today kept flashing in Marinette’s head. She was lucky that Adrien was able to get to her just in time, but what if Marinette didn’t have a friend like Adrien? Socqueline would’ve rescued her too, but she left Dupont already to attend high school.  What if no one had come to Marinette's rescue at all?

“I understand your words, Alya, but I haven’t told you even half of the horrible things she’s done to me in the past,” Marinette sighed. “You know scars like these can’t heal overnight, at least not easily. She practically paid a bunch of kids to torture me this morning. It was only pure luck that Adrien came to my rescue.” 

Alya’s eyes softened at her best friend’s dilemma. From the drama Marinette had already experienced with Chloe, this one seemed to take the cake.

“I understand it’s scary girl, but I feel that either way, we’d have to attend Chloe’s party. Of course, I’m not saying you absolutely have to go, but even if you don’t, you know Chloe’s going to be making a big deal about it at school the next day,” she reasoned. 

“I know, it’s just…” Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. Although she was grateful for Adrien saving her, she also wished Chat was there. He would’ve easily kicked the other students’ butts and tell them to leave her alone in a non-threatening but still threatening way, just not threatening enough to ruin his reputation as a hero. 

“I’m not saying you have to go, Marinette,” Alya placed her hands on her friend’s shoulders and squeezed them comfortingly. “Do you want to be alone? I understand you like to be alone at times so you can think.”

“Actually, yeah, that would be nice,” Marinette nodded. “Sorry, Alya, we were supposed to have a fun BFF hangout, but look what it turned into.”

“It’s no problem, girl, we all have moments where we want to be alone,” Alya assured as the two girls shared a hug. “You’re lucky you’re an only child. Sometimes even if I lock myself in my bathroom to think, I can still hear my little sisters screaming like crazy.”

Marinette burst out laughing as she and Alya shared one last hug. As soon as she was left alone, Marinette collapsed to sit on her chaise, and seeing that they were alone, Tikki flew by. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki asked gently as she sat on her holder’s knee.

“To be honest? I don’t know, Tikki,” Marinette confessed. “On one hand, Alya is right. If I don’t go to Chloe’s party, she’ll make a big deal out of it. But even if I do go, I’m really scared that something similar to this morning will repeat.”

“I’m sorry you had to experience that, Marinette,” Tikki said sympathetically as she flew up to hug her holder’s cheek. “I wish I could’ve done more for you, but I’m just a kwami. There’s only so much we can do as kwamis.”

“It’s alright, Tikki, you weren’t the one who told Chloe and those kids to bully me,” Marinette gave her kwami a comforting smile as they rubbed cheeks together. 

“Maybe you can call Socqueliene?” Tikki suggested. “Perhaps she could give you good advice.”

“Maybe, but I think it’ll take a little more than jiejie encouraging me,” Marinette said as she stood up, carefully cradling Tikki in her hands. She looked downstairs, where she knew her parents would be. 

I’ll need to talk to Mom, Marinette thought.

-

 “Mom?” 

Sabine was cheerfully humming as she rolled out some dough as her husband worked in the back when she heard her daughter come up to her. She looked worried, and immediately, Sabine’s motherly instincts kicked in.

“Is something wrong, my little blossom?” she asked gently. 

“I just got an invitation to a party from Chloe,” Marinette replied. 

“Chloe?” Sabine’s eyes widened. “Like as in, Chloe Bourgeois, the mayor’s daughter who has been in your class and bullying you for the past 4 or so years?”

“How many other Chloe's do we know, Mom?” Marinette bitterly chuckled. “She’s done a lot of awful things, but today was really awful. Chloe ruined Daddy’s baking lesson, she called the fire department when there was no emergency whatsoever, and the worst thing was that she paid some students to torture me.”

“Oh my!” Sabine gasped, worried for her daughter. “No wonder you looked so shaken when you came home from school with Adrien, darling. I knew about the disruption of your father’s cooking class, but I didn’t expect this!” 

“Tell me about it. And now she’s suddenly invited our whole class to a party she’s hosting at her dad’s hotel. Oh, Momma, I don’t know what to do,” Marinette sniffed, tears coming out of her eyes. “I’m scared that if I go, Chloe will devise another plot that could end up horrific for me, but Alya pointed out that even if I didn’t go, Chloe would still make a big deal out of it either way! I’m so conflicted!” 

Without hesitation, Sabine went to Marinette and wrapped her arms around her daughter, shushing her and humming a Chinese lullaby she knew Marinette liked. 

Marinette slowly relaxed as she heard  the Chinese lullaby her mom was singing to her. It reminded her of the times when she was younger and Sabine would often sing it to her as she sang her to sleep, or whenever Marinette had a nightmare and crawled into her mother’s bed, and she would sing the lullaby to her.

“Thank you, Mom,” Marinette relaxed as she and her mom slightly pulled away.

“You’re welcome, baby,” her mom said. “I’m sorry you have to be trapped in this hard revolution. Since we’re on topic of you trying to decide whether you should go to Chloe’s party. Do you want to go?”

“Well…” Marinette hesitated a little as she thought about it. “On one hand, if I do go, I can have a nice time with Alya and Adrien,” she knew. “But if I don’t…”

“It’s up to you, baby,” Sabine soothed. “If you do decide to go, I can assure you your father and I will support you. And remember, if you do go, you don’t have to stay the entire time. You can stay there for at least an hour or so and then come home.”

Marinette nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with her mother’s support and practical advice. After some more thinking, she finally decided what to do.

-

Marinette took a deep breath as she stepped into the lobby of the Le Grand Paris hotel. To her surprise, not only did Marinette see some of her classmates standing around and talking, she saw some other schoolmates as well. Looks like Chloe invited a bunch of schoolmates, not just people in their own class as well!

Marinette felt nervous and incredibly small. With so many people around, the fancy lobby now seemed tiny in comparison. But then, Marinette remembered her mom’s words: She can stay for a little while, and she could always leave if she felt uncomfortable.

Determined, she began scanning the room for Alya. She hoped to find her friend before Chloe had a chance to single her out. (Again)

As Marinette weaved through the crowd, she unexpectedly bumped into someone. She was about to squeak out an apology, but relaxed when she saw it was only Adrien.

“Oh, hey, Marinette!” Adrien beamed brightly at the sight of her. “So, you’ve decided to come to Chloe’s party as well?”

“Adrien!” Marinette squeaked. Maybe he wasn’t Alya, but he was her best friend after her. 

Adrien only chuckled at her endearing antics. To be honest, he felt the party was going to be much better with Marinette here. Even though Chloe was the one to host this party, at least it would release the emotional turmoil she experienced earlier.

“So, how are you feeling, Marinette?” Adrien asked gently. “I know Chloe is technically the one who’s going to host this party, but I think it can help you erase what you were dealing with this morning.”

“Well, to be honest, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to come,” Marinette replied. “But my mom said if I feel uncomfortable, I can always leave after an hour or two. Plus, besides, my parents often cater to the Le Grand Paris hotel, and turning down an invitation, no matter who it is, seems rude, don’t you think?”

“That’s a good point,” Adrien nodded in agreement. “But your mom is right, Marinette. If you’re uncomfortable at any time, you’re always allowed to leave.”

“Even at the most, I wanted to come see what the party’s like, and I can have a lot of fun with you and Alya,” Marinette admitted shyly. “That was one reason why I wanted to come.”

Adrien’s heart warmed at that. She didn’t directly say it, but Marinette was giving Chloe a second chance, despite all the pain she gave her throughout the years. That’s how kind she was, he knew. Plus, another big reason she came was so she could spend time with him and her other friends. 

“Well, I’m glad you came,” Adrien said as he lightly squeezed her shoulder. “After all, a party is all about having fun. Let’s go see what’s in store for us.”

Adrien held out his hand, and without hesitation, Marinette took it.

Chapter Text

The Le Grand Paris was always known for its grand interior, but tonight, it was exceptionally luxurious. Balloons and streamers hang all over the stairs, making even the lobby seem more grand than it already was.

Chloe stood on top of the stairs as she observed more and more fellow teenagers spilling inside the hotel. Not only did she invite her own classmates, she invited a bunch of other schoolmates as well. She didn’t understand why Jean-Butler had made her invite all these people, Chloe didn’t even know who half these people were despite sort of seeing them in school all the time!

“What a magnificent party you've created, Mademoiselle Chloe!” Armand praised as he took his spot behind her. “This is surely one party I’m sure none of your schoolmates will ever forget!”

“Well, of course. I am the one hosting this little party after all,” Chloe bragged as she flipped her blonde ponytail. She spotted Adrien happily chatting with Marinette and her anger and jealousy boiled once again.

Before Chloe could stomp down to confront them, Armand’s next words froze her in her tracks. 

“Mademoiselle, since you are the one hosting this little party, I suggest you greet your guests,” he said. “With a hug and kiss on the cheek as a thank you for them taking their time to come to the hotel.”

“What?!” Chloe almost screeched. Her screeches were loud enough to shatter glass, but luckily, this time with so many students chatting around, Chloe’s howls were mostly muted tonight. “You want me to get all their dirty peasant clothes all over my sweet designer clothes, Jean-Paul?! I guess I could tolerate that, but kissing them on the cheek?”

“What’s wrong with that, mademoiselle? We are French after all,” The head butler reminded her thoughtfully. 

“Yes, but no one is worth kissing these precious cheeks!” Chloe complained and pointed her fingers at her own cheeks. “Do you know how much I had to spend on expensive moisturizers and skin care?”

“I understand, mademoiselle, but it is only for one night,” Armand reasoned. “Plus, Mr. Cuddly would’ve done so if he was the one holding this celebration. And you are doing all of this because you want to prove to Adrien that you are actually friends with him, non?”

Chloe glanced back to sneak at her Adrikins. He was still happily chatting with the baker girl. At one point, Marinette said something with an uneasy look on her face, but Adrien, Chloe’s prince, not the baker girl’s, reassured her by lightly taking Marinette’s hand in his and stroking it!  

Chloe’s eye twitched, but the softness of her Mr. Cuddly being rubbed in her face soothed her.

“Alright, alright!” She snapped. “I’ll greet these simple-ians like the kind person I am!”

“That’s the spirit, mademoiselle,” Armand chuckled, still holding Mr. Cuddly and squeezing it for her.

Chloe only grumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes at her butler. She wasn’t one to admit it, but sometimes she had to admit, Jean-Claude was quite useful.

-

Marinette and Adrien had finally spotted Alya and Nino and were happily chatting with each other. 

Well, Adrien, Alya, and Nino were the ones mostly talking. Marinette added in her own words here and there, but the majority of the time, she just stayed quiet and close to them. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette could see Chloe looking pained as she reluctantly hugged and kissed their schoolmates on the cheek as thanks for them coming to her party. 

Marinette tried not to dwell on how strange Chloe was acting, choosing to continue to stay with her friends, but soon enough, she had reached their group. 

Adrien stopped talking with Nino when he saw Chloe by their group. Almost immediately, Adrien’s warm expression hardened, and he greeted Chloe with a polite but cold nod. Obviously, the tension from this morning they held between them was still kind of there.

“Hello, Adrien,” Chloe almost sneered but managed to refrain herself at the last minute. “Dupain-Cheng, Cesaire, Lahiffe.”

“Hello, Chloe,” The Core 4 greeted politely in perfect sync, yet none of them had much enthusiasm in their voice. 

“Thank you for inviting us to this party,” Nino, ever the peacemaker, said with gratitude in his voice. “Never would I expect a party at a hotel.”

“I suppose you’re welcome,” Chloe sniffed as she held her nose up in the air. “To be honest, I wasn’t going to invite any of you, but someone told me I had to. Anyway, enjoy your time. I have some other peasants--I mean schoolmates--to greet.”

With that, Chloe left, stunning the Core 4.

“That… actually didn’t sting as much as I thought,” Marinette said quietly, breaking the silence.

“Hm,” Alya hummed in agreement. “Maybe Chloe is trying to change after all. I mean, even a mean girl like her would have to run out of insults eventually, right?”

“Well, I guess she’s trying, somewhat,” Adrien sucked his teeth in frustration. He was slowly unable to read the girl he had known since childhood. “But anyway, we shouldn’t try to dwell on Chloe’s behavior tonight. We’re here to have fun.”

“Adrien’s right,” Nino agreed. “It’s even better that the party’s being hosted in such a cool location. We should have as much fun as possible.”

The rest of the Core 4 agreed just as Chloe loudly announced that the party was starting on a megaphone. 

“ Attention, peasants--I mean schoolmates! ” Chloe’s voice echoed through the megaphone. “ The fabulous party being hosted by me, the great Chloe Bourgeois, is now starting! If everyone could follow me to the kitchen on the 9th floor, we can all party like there’s no tomorrow!”

Chloe’s schoolmates cheered as they followed her up the stairs. It was a bit squished at times, but it was better than 10 people waiting at a time to use the elevator. 

As Marinette walked up the stairs, following her friends and the rest of their schoolmates, she felt a breeze and noticed that someone had seemingly accidentally bumped into her.

When Marinette turned to apologize to the person who bumped into her, she froze. It was the same boy that had tortured her the most this morning!”

Instinctively, Marinette shivered and reached out to grip the fabric of Adrien’s shirt. 

Adrien stopped when he noticed Marinette holding onto his shirt like a lifeline. 

“Marinette? Is something wrong?” he asked in concern. 

“A-Adrien, that boy,” Marinette slightly raised a shaking finger. “He’s the one who tortured me this morning…”

Adrien narrowed his eyes. The boy who was still unnamed to both of them didn’t seem to notice them quite yet, but happily interacting with his friends, or his little goons, a petty part in Adrien’s conscious told him. 

Still, Adrien knew it was better than to cause a scene, as he was raised better that way. Plus, the last thing he wanted was to be caught up in more teenage drama. 

“It’s okay, Marinette, we should just ignore him,” Adrien assured, lightly brushing his hand against the hair of her pigtails. “We came to this party to have fun. I doubt he could do anything with a crowdful of people, anyway.”

Marinette nodded in agreement as her hand slowly fell from her grip on his shirt. They stayed close together as they slowly spilled into the fancy restaurant area of the hotel with the rest of their peers, both of them feeling lighter than they have been in a very long time. 

-

Chloe’s fellow students didn’t seem to be the only ones ready to enjoy the party. Little did anyone know, Gabriel Agreste had transformed into Hawk Moth and stayed in his dark lair, waiting for a good opportunity to akumatize someone.

“Chloe Bourgeois always had a natural talent for getting her peers akumatized,” Hawk Moth mused. “I know it’ll be a matter of time before she makes someone upset, especially at a party. There always has to be at least one person who has to act like a party pooper!”

-

As usual, Nino was instructed to be the DJ. As he skillfully manned the boombox, his friends and classmates cheered for him, with Marinette, Alya, and Adrien cheering the loudest as they happily danced along with whatever music he was playing. 

While Chloe herself was also sort of enjoying the party that she was hosting, she couldn’t help but feel bored rather quickly. She saw that Adrien was looking happier than he ever could be, and that made Chloe feel satisfied enough that she did a good deed for once.

“Look how happy Adrikins is,” Chloe said to Armand as they stood off to the side. “I suppose if he’s happy, then I am, too. Should we just end the celebration right here and kick everyone’s dirty feet out of the hotel, Jean-Marc?”

“Monsieur Adrien isn’t the only one happy, Mademoiselle Chloe,” Armand  reminded her gently. “The rest of your peers seem happy as well. As a proper hostess, I suggest you interact with your guests to see if they are having a good time.”

“What? You want me to interact with these plebeians? I already threw them the biggest party they could ever go to! Why else should I talk to them?” She complained. 

“Because that’s what Mr. Cuddly would do!” Armand explained as he pulled her teddy bear out from behind his back.

“OK, OK, I get it!” Chloe quickly shoved her teddy bear back before any of her peers could see it. She quickly walked around to see which commoner-- ahem --classmate she could talk to first.

Chloe spotted Nathaniel, the shy artist casually leaning against the outside counter for guests to eat their food on, holding a tasty drink. Without warning, Chloe slammed her hands on the counter, making the poor boy scream in shock.

“Having a good time, Kurtzberg?!” She loudly exclaimed, though she probably didn’t need to. The music wasn’t that loud.  

Before Nathaniel could respond, Myelene came to his rescue, spinning around joyfully and holding a cup of the same drink he was drinking. 

“Phew! This is one amazing party, Chloe!” She complimented the blonde heiress kindly. “I’ve been dancing quite a lot, and it’s making me kind of thirsty. Do you have any ice I can use?” She asked.

“How the heck should I know where the flipping ice cubes are?!” Chloe complained rudely. “I’m not in the servant status like you are! And since you feel so hot, why don’t you take off your fake sheep sweater and throw it in the trash, like where you belong? Even the green vomit stains on your sweater would rather be anywhere but on you!”

Mylene gasped in shock and surprise at Chloe’s aggressiveness. While she was upset that Chloe insulted her sweater, she didn’t feel as hurt as she usually did. But Mylene was still emotional enough to become an akuma again.

 The akuma that Hawk Moth sent out barely brushed against Mylene’s feet when Chloe realized what she said as she caught Adrien’s eye, who was staring back at her wide-eyed as he was about to pop a delicious chocolate chip cookie in his mouth, and Jean-Tom holding out her Mr. Cuddly.

When Chloe knew she was going to be in even more trouble with Adrien than she already was, Chloe giggled nervously and almost gently, she patted Mylene cheerfully on the head. 

“Of course I know where the ice cubes are!” Chloe quickly changed into her voice of false sweetness. “Let me get it for you, my dear Mylene Harpele! You must be terribly hot, dancing in that amazing green sweater you’re wearing!”

Chloe then reached under the counter and poured a large amount of ice into Myelen’s cup. The ice cubes were more than enough than she needed, but Mylene supposed that was enough for her to see that Chloe just did a kind act.

“Er, thank you for the ice cubes, Chloe,” Mylene said politely yet awkwardly. 

“You’re very welcome!” Chloe chirped. “Now, why don’t you continue having fun with your little friends while I check on more of the party guests?”

As Chloe sped off, Mylene and Nathaniel shared a confused look towards each other. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as he took a bite of the cookie he was holding. He recognized the work Marinette’s parents had put into these cookies. No doubt had they catered to the Le Grand Paris refreshments. 

Perhaps Chloe is trying to change, a small part of Adrien hoped as he walked off, but not before taking some juice for himself, Marinette, Alya, and Nino to enjoy.

-

“So, how are you feeling girl?” Alya asked Marinette as they stood to the side to have their usual BFF talks. 

“To be honest, I’m still confused on why or how Chloe is doing all of this,” Marinette replied. “But I have to admit, I’m really enjoying this party. If Chloe was nice enough to be a hostess, I’m sure she would be a great one.”

“Hey, girls,” Adrien came by, grinning as he held out three orange juice cups. “I got some juice for us. Nino has his cup near the DJ stand.”

“Wow! Look at you go, sunshine!” Alya grinned as she happily accepted a cup from him. “Thanks for the juice, Adrien!”

“Thank you, Adrien,” Marinette showed him her appreciation in a gentler, sweeter, quieter way as she gratefully accepted the other cup. The three tapped their glasses together in a toast and savored the sweet, orangery flavor of the juice.

“So, how are you ladies enjoying the party?” Adrien asked with that usual sweet smile of his. 

“It’s actually a really good party,” Alya stated. “Marinette even pointed out that Chloe could be a great hostess if she could be just the teeniest bit nicer.”

“Well, I suppose her dad isn’t the owner of this fancy hotel just because he’s the mayor of Paris,” Adrien agreed with a chuckle. 

“Hey, Marinette…?” A shy voice that sounded unlike the person who was speaking called for the pigtailed girl behind them. 

Marinette and her friends turned, and once they saw who had called for the former, her eyes widened and the cup she was holding slipped, shattering the glass and spilling the juice all over the floor. 

It was the boy who had tortured her this morning. His friends were there too, it seemed, staying in the background, and they looked surprisingly shy and guilty as well. The rest of the boy’s friends didn’t actually seem too bad, but it was the boy himself who was the ringleader, and the one who had tortured Marinette the most. 

Chloe came stomping by when she heard the shattering of the glass. 

“What is this?!” She exclaimed. “Not only is my father’s expensive glass ruined, but there is orange juice all over the floor!”

“Chloe, now is not the time!” Alya snapped, her eyes narrowing at the ringleader when she sensed her best friend’s distress.

"You,” Adrien growled with a low hiss in his throat. “What are you doing here?!” He demanded, quickly placing his hands on Marinette’s shoulders and pulling her towards him protectively. 

“I…I noticed Marinette earlier during the party, but I didn’t know how to approach her,” The boy admitted in shame as he looked down at his feet. “I just wanted to apologize for what I’ve done to her this morning,” he explained.

“And how do we know if you’re telling the truth?” Adrien snapped as he pulled Marinette closer, almost hiding her behind him so she didn’t have to see the disgusting person who had tormented her emotionally and physically earlier in the day. “Your little friends are behind you. Is there something going on that I should know, or are you plotting a way to gain our trust so you can emotionally traumatize Marinette further than she already is?!”

“I understand you feel like you can’t trust me right now,” The boy said as he held up his hands defensively, showing he meant no harm. “But I’ll do anything I can do to gain Marinette’s trust.”

“I don’t even know your name,” Marinette whispered as she peeked out from Adrien’s shoulder a bit, but had her face hidden behind her bangs. “How else can I trust you?”

“My name’s Maxime,” The boy fully introduced himself officially to Marinette and his friends. “My friends call me Max. You can call me Max too, if you want, Marinette.”

He slowly raised his hand as if offering Marinette a handshake. Marinette seemed to want to shake his hand as she raised her hand up a little bit, but quickly dropped it at the last second. 

“I appreciate the apology, Maxime,” Marinette finally said quietly. Her voice wasn’t as cold as Adrien’s, but it had a bit of steel showing she wasn’t one who could trust others easily. “But you’re going to have to do a lot more than give me an apology if you want to be friends. You know scars like these can’t just heal overnight.”

Maxime seemed to droop sadly a little, but he seemed to respect Marinette’s decision. 

“I understand,” he nodded. “If I was in your shoes, I’d probably do the same. Again, I’m really sorry, Marinette. I’ll leave you alone from now on. Enjoy the rest of the party.”

 Under his breath, he whispered, “One big reason I’m leaving her alone is so Agreste can stop breathing down my neck,” but Adrien, due to being Chat Noir for some time now, gained a little bit of enhanced hearing and narrowed his eyes at Maxime.

“What did you just say about me?!” He snapped.

“N-nothing!” Maxime stammered with an unmanly squeak.

“Thank you, Maxime,” Marinette nodded as she felt the warmth of Adrien’s shirt sleeve brushing against her face. “I hope you enjoy the rest of the party as well.”

Maxime gave her a short bow before going back to his friends. As soon as he left, a maid came by to clean up the mess Marinette accidentally created on the floor. Marinette tried to offer half of her allowance money to pay for the glass cup, but the kind maid assured her that they always had more than enough extras. She also recognized Marinette as Tom and Sabine’s daughter and was happy to meet her. 

Marinette felt a warm pull of this kind woman, and she thanked her for being so understanding. The maid smiled warmly and told Marinette that she was still very young and to enjoy the rest of the night with her friends. 

After the maid left, Marinette sighed in relief. For the first time in a while, it seemed like a weight lifted off her shoulders.

A sweet, slow-dance tune began to play, and Marinette began to sway along with the music. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and saw Adrien smiling warmly at her and extending his hand to her.

“Would you like to dance, Marinette?” Adrien asked sweetly. 

Marinette’s face turned a bright pink, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Alya’s face all giddy, and gave her best friend two thumbs up to encourage her.

Marinette blushed a bit harder, but nonetheless, placed her hand into Adrien’s warm one. He led her to a nice spot around the other dancers who had paired up. 

Dancing with Adrien felt so right and natural. Quickly, Marinette forgot all about her troubles and began happily dancing along with him. 

“You’re a pretty amazing dancer, Marinette,” Adrien complimented as they spun each other around. 

“You are, too, Adrien,” Marinette complimented back. “I suppose dancing is another thing you were told to do to uphold the Agreste family name?” She teased. 

“Surprisingly enough, I didn’t get a private dancer to teach me any moves,” Adrien admitted with a chuckle. “My mother loved dancing. When I was little, I loved spending time in our garden with her because that’s when she showed me her moves that she learned when she was a child. Every once in a while, when I wasn’t looking, she would be able to get my father to dance as well! When I caught Father dancing for the first time, he looked so embarrassed! I think that was the first and only time I’ve ever seen him look so red-faced.”

“I actually took ballet lessons for a bit when I was eight,” Marinette admitted as well. “I was pretty good, despite feeling like I had two left feet, but it was mostly my parents teaching me, especially my dad. Not many people know this,” she staged a whisper for Adrien. “But Tom Dupain is a dancing sensation! But shh, you didn’t hear it from his daughter!”

“I’ll keep that in my mind, Marinette,” Adrien chuckled. They both trusted each other on their little family secrets, but it wasn’t personal enough for any nosy eavesdroppers to hear, acting like they were about to pry on what Adrien’s credit card number was.

Pretty much everyone was enjoying their slow dances with their respective partners, except one. Chloe was reluctantly dancing with Kim, and when she finally managed to lift her face off his shoulder, she was shocked and surprised to see Adrien and Marinette dancing perfectly in sync with each other. They even looked so relaxed and had loving smiles on their faces!

“Well! I’m so speechless I can’t even talk!” Chloe gasped.

“”Wow, really? Thanks, Chloe!” Kim opened his eyes as he looked down at the girl in his arms adoringly. “You’re not a bad dancer yourself!”

Finally having enough with all this “nice girl” act she had been pressured into the whole evening, Chloe furiously stomped over to where Adrien and Marinette were dancing. 

But before she could confront them, Jean-Jacques popped out in front of them, as if he was blocking Adrien and Marinette from Chloe’s view.

“Mademoiselle Chloe,” Armand began, but Chloe interrupted him before he could finish saying anything else.

“Jean-Yvette! Move now, or I’ll make you!” Chloe exclaimed. 

But instead of obeying her orders like he usually did, Armand just popped Mr. Cuddly out from behind his back, and began playing with it in front of her, speaking in a baby voice.

“Oh, Miss Chloe!” “Mr Cuddly” squeaked. “You’ve been a good girl almost the whole night! Let Monsieur Adrien and his lovely lady friend enjoy their dance!”

As if on cue, the music record scratched, and everyone stopped dancing to see what was going on. 

Chloe tried to hide her teddy bear, but it was too late. Everyone already saw she still had a teddy bear.

“ Whaaat?! Check that out, people! Chloe still has a teddy bear!” One student bellowed loudly like it wasn’t already obvious, and everyone started laughing. 

“Cute teddy, Chloe!” Kim, ever the jock, teased. “Where can I get one?”

At that, everyone laughed harder. Some students were even laughing so hard that they were rolling on the floor.

Even Adrien and Marinette, two kind-hearted heroes, couldn’t help but stifle some chuckles as well.

“That teddy bear’s actually kind of cute,” Marinette whispered to Adrien.

Adrien chuckled along with her.

“It’s been a while since I saw Mr. Cuddly,” he added. “I’ve grown up with Chloe loving that bear, but she never let anyone touch him for a long time.”

“I do feel bad that Chloe’s butler accidentally embarrassed her though…” Marinette admitted as she watched Chloe in pity as her face reddened with humiliation and embarrassment as they watched Chloe drag her butler with her into the kitchen.

“Well, as much as this sounds mean, Chloe deserved a taste of her own medicine,” Adrien reasoned. “But we shouldn’t dwell on that right now. How about we go grab some snacks to enjoy the rest of the party?”

Marinette nodded in agreement, and together, they went to the refreshment tables.

Chapter Text

Chloe had never felt this embarrassed, humiliated, and angry all rolled into one in her life. As soon as she dragged Armand into the kitchen, she began yelling at him without giving the poor butler any chance to speak.

“I’ve had it with you and your goody-two-shoes act!” Chloe screamed at him. “All evening, you’ve just been telling me what to do and how I should act! Are you saying that I’m not allowed to have emotions at all?!”

“Mademoiselle, I can assure you, I wasn’t trying to offend you,” Armand pleaded. “I was just trying to help you--”

“Help? Help?!” Chloe snarled. “Well, you’ve done enough ‘help’ for tonight. Since you obviously can’t serve me the way Daddy is paying you, then you shouldn’t be my butler at all! You’re fired!”

“Technically, your father is the one paying me, not you, Mademoiselle.” Even while being verbally abused by his young mistress, Armand was able to still maintain a little composure.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m the owner of this hotel and I pay you as much as Daddy. You’re fired and that’s final! I’m going to enjoy this little party my way, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!” Chloe exclaimed before furiously stopping out of the kitchen.

 Armand sighed as soon as Chloe left the room, with the kitchen doors continuously swinging for a moment behind her. He felt so helpless and upset. All he wanted to do was help Chloe become friends with Adrien again, and his helpfulness only resulted in finding himself at the end of one of Chloe’s yelling fits– and more pertinently– he was now out of a job. 

Armand’s head sadly dropped down to the floor, still holding the arm of Mr. Cuddly. Now currently despairing over how he was going to explain to his beloved daughter that he was fired by another girl her age?

Such despair emitted a spark in Hawk Moth’s chest, and he knew he finally had the opportunity to akumatize someone. The butterfly combined with the teddy bear Armand was holding, sending a dark pink mask to appear on the face of the current holder of Mr. Cuddly.

“ Despair Bear, ” Hawk Moth’s voice whispered in his mind. “ Your entire career, you’ve done your best to be a positive role model for Chloe, and this is how she repays you? Well, I’m giving you the power to allow you to show her and others that if she really wants a negative influence, she will get one!” 

As soon as Armand was transformed into some kind of tiny puppet controlling a now dark green teddy bear with red eyes, Hawk Moth mentally complimented on how Chloe’s nastiness was good work for him.

-

Finally free from the prying eyes of her nosy, meddling butler, Chloé felt like she could finally relax. With a dramatic sigh of relief, she sauntered back into the party, Sabrina trailing close behind her.

The dance floor was alive with movement, the guests swaying happily to the beats pumping from the DJ booth. But what caught Chloé’s attention—and immediately soured her mood—was Adrien. He wasn’t just having fun; he was dancing with her . Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The two of them were in perfect sync, matching each other’s steps with the ease of a well-rehearsed duet.

“Look at how happy everyone is,” Sabrina said with a cheerful grin, glancing around at the lively crowd. “You really know how to throw an amazing party, Chloé.”

“Obviously,” Chloé said, flipping her hair with exaggerated confidence. “I am Chloé Bourgeois , after all. And since everyone’s enjoying themselves—and Adrien’s clearly in a good mood—this is the perfect time for him to realize how much he misses me. Time to get my Adrikins crawling back where he belongs.”

Sabrina hesitated, her smile faltering. 

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Chloé,” she said cautiously. “Adrien was really upset with you earlier. I’ve never seen him that mad. Honestly, he almost looked like his dad for a second! And… what you did to Marinette really hurt him.”

Chloé rolled her eyes, waving off Sabrina’s words. 

“So what? Adrikins got a little mad because I put Dupain-Cheng in her place. Big deal. Sure, his anger is intimidating—when he’s serious—but let’s not pretend he’s Gabriel Agreste or anything.”

“Well…” Sabrina glanced nervously at Adrien and Marinette on the dance floor. “I guess you could try to talk to him. Just, um… you’re not planning on hurting Marinette again, are you? She’s only dancing with him. Maybe it’s not worth—”

Chloé’s sharp glare stopped her mid-sentence. 

“Since when do you care about Dupain-Cheng, Sabrina?” she snapped.

“I don’t! I don’t!” Sabrina stammered, waving her hands frantically. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” Chloé demanded, crossing her arms.

“It’s just…” Sabrina hesitated, then spoke quickly, “Every time you see Marinette and Adrien together, you go… well, a little crazy. They’re just friends, Chloé. Normal BFF stuff. And, honestly, I don’t think you need to be mean to Marinette just because Adrien likes hanging out with her.”

Chloé laughed; a sharp, mocking sound. 

“Marinette and Adrikins? BFFs? Pl-ease! Like that wannabe fashion disaster could ever be his best friend. I’m the only BFF Adrien needs. And I’ll show them all exactly why you don’t mess with the great and powerful Chloé Bourgeois.”

With that, she stormed off toward Adrien and Marinette, her heels clicking with determination. Sabrina stayed back, watching her go with a hurt expression.

“Adrien isn’t your only best friend, Chloé,” Sabrina murmured softly to herself. “I am too…”

-

At the same time, in the shadows of the social gathering, feeling sympathy for Sabrina, Despair Bear hid behind a column. Armand always felt a fondness towards the ginger-haired girl who was practically dragged to the hotel with Chloe, doing everything she can for the latter.

While no one was looking, Despair Bear pounced on one of Sabrina’s legs, controlling her and making her eyes glow a dark green.

-

Chloe was almost near Adrien and Marinette as they continued having fun together. They didn’t even notice her approaching until Sabrina alerted them to her presence. 

“Chloe,” Sabrina’s voice repeated, though it didn’t sound quite right. She still sounded like Sabrina, but there was something off in her tone. It was almost eerie and robotic. “Would you like me to brush your hair? It always makes you feel better, doesn’t it?”

Chloe blinked in confusion for a moment before her face quickly twisted into anger. Sabrina would usually stay out of her way when she asked her to, but this time was different. She also didn’t understand how Sabrina had also grabbed a brush from nowhere!

“Sabrina! What are you doing here?” Chloe barked, alerting Adrien and Marinette of their presence. “You’re ruining my chance to get Adrien to crawl back to me!”

“Chloe? What are you up to now?” Marinette asked, with hints of confusion and suspicion in her voice. “And why is Sabrina holding a random hairbrush?”

“And why are Sabrina’s eyes so green?” Adrien seconded. “They weren’t the last time I checked.”

“Come on, Chloe, let me brush your hair,” Sabrina offered again, her voice sending chills down three other teenagers’ spines.

“Something’s not right,” Adrien murmured, his eyes narrowing in suspicion and concern for Sabrina. 

Out loud, he warned his schoolmates. 

“Everyone, get back! I don’t think Sabrina is exactly herself right now!” He warned as he grabbed Marinette’s arm protectively and pulled her behind him as Sabrina continued to offer, or rather, almost taunt Chloe with brushing her hair with that creepy smile on her face.

“What’s the matter, Chloe?” Sabrina’s voice almost sounded more chilling than one would expect from the usual peppy girl’s voice. “I thought you loved to get your hair brushed! You’re always complaining about how frizzy it is!”

“Yes, I admit I love getting my hair brushed, but do you have to speak like that? You’re creeping me out!” Chloe complained as she barely dodged a swipe from the brush Sabrina was holding. 

As the students stayed back a safe distance away from an off-looking Sabrina, they all began murmuring to each other, wondering if Sabrina was okay and why she was acting like that. 

That’s when Adrien noticed what looked like a green teddy bear attached itself to Sabrina’s leg. It was incredibly tiny, and it seemed to be the reason why no one noticed it at first since they were mostly focused on Sabrina acting weird.

“Hey, Marinette, look,” Adrien whispered. “There’s a…green teddy attaching itself to Sabrina’s leg?”

“Huh?” Marinette carefully peeked out from his shoulder and also noticed the green bear attached to Sabrina’s leg. “You’re right, it is actually a teddy bear.”

“Are there even teddy bears created to attach to people’s legs?” Adrien wondered out loud.

“I don’t think so, definitely not ones like this,” Marinette responded as a mind-controlled Sabrina kept trying to eerily comb Chloe’s hair, who was barely dodging the attacks. 

  “Sabrina, stop with this nonsense!” Chloe complained. “Someone stop her!”

Kim, ever the loyalist attached to Chloe, stepped forward.

“Alright, Sabrina, I don’t know what’s going on, but you need to stop torturing Chloe, this isn’t funny anymore,” he said sternly as he stepped protectively in front of Chloe and cracked his knuckles.

 “Kim, wait! I don’t think you necessarily need to fight Sabrina! She’s just being mind-controlled!” Adrien warned. 

Kim turned to Adrien with a confused yet thoughtful look on his face.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked.

Before Adrien could respond, Despair Bear seemed to be tired of hypnotizing Sabrina and jumped to Kim’s leg instead.

“Uh oh,” Marinette whispered from behind Adrien.

Uh oh was right. Kim’s eyes turned an eerie green the moment the green teddy jumped on him.

“Hey, Chloe,” his mind-controlled voice was just as creepy as Sabrina’s. “Want to dance?”

“Not you too, Kim!” Chloe wailed as she tried to run away from him.

“Come on, Chloe, let me serve you like the little queen you are,” Kim drawled out. “You are the prettiest girl around after all.”

Chloe only screamed and ran away to create as much distance away from her and Kim. Despair Bear took advantage of making Kim his puppet by having him chase Chloe all the way until she stumbled into the ball pit in an embarrassing way. 

Chloe’s peers watched as they saw Chloe’s legs stick out like that. They didn’t know if they wanted to laugh at her misfortune despite the pain she had given them all these years or pity her, because as nasty as she was, no one deserved to crash into a ball pit.

Adrien knew he should do something. Making an excuse for Marinette, who also said she had to use the bathroom all of a sudden, Adrien sneaked off to transform into Chat Noir. 

“Another akuma caused by Chloe,” Plagg grumbled in annoyance as Adrien let him out of the inside his shirt pocket. “Is there one day where that girl isn’t ticking people off?” 

“I know what you mean buddy. I’m still steamed at Chloe on what she did to Marinette this morning,” Adrien agreed. “But still, someone is akumatized, and as a hero, I can’t just leave them like that.”

-

“Well, this is certainly a party I’ll remember for centuries to come!” Tikki piped to Marinette as the latter let her out of her purse. 

“I’m guessing the green teddy Adrien saw was that Chloe’s butler got akumatized,” Marinette added. “Come on, Tikki. We got to help him before he controls more people. Spots On!”

-

Now transformed, Ladybug and Chat Noir burst into the restaurant just in time to see Despair Bear controlling Kim by making him twirl Chloe around the room, grabbing her by the strands of her hair.

“Let me go, you big ninny!” Chloe complained. “Don’t you know how long it takes for me to style up this perfect beauty?”

“What do you mean, Chloekins?” Despair Bear, if he had real working eyes, would’ve blinked them innocently. “You were always someone who could show what the life of the party you are!”

  “Yes, but not like this!” Chloe complained as she started to get dizzy.

As much as she deserved the torture, Ladybug still used her yo-yo to wrap the strings around Chloe’s leg to send her safely back in the ballpit again. 

Chloe wasn’t harmed, thankfully, and while she was happy to see her heroine, she did not appreciate her being late to rescue her.

“Well, it’s about time you showed up, Ladybug!” Chloe spat, both literally and figuratively as she spat out a ball pit out of her mouth.

“A little ‘thank you’ would also be nice,” Ladybug grumbled under her breath as Chat slid next to her.

“Sup, m’lady? Looks like we're crashing a party this time?” Chat quipped as he quickly used his staff to trip Kim once he saw that he began to chase Chloe again. 

“Yep. Looks like we got a mind-controlling akuma again,” Ladybug said as she sucked in her teeth. 

“From a teddy bear, no less,” Chat added. 

Ladybug tried to use her yo-yo to trap the green teddy--also known as Despair Bear--but it proved that despite being tiny, it was still capable of a fight.

Students began screaming in fear, knowing that what Ladybug and Chat Noir are facing is no ordinary teddy bear.

It charges at one person, whose friend screams at him to look out. 

“Everyone, get back!” Ladybug ordered. “This teddy bear might be small, but he’s dangerous!”

Most people manage to get out of the way, but poor Max Kante wasn’t so lucky. Despair Bear latched onto him before he could register anything else.

With surprising strength, Max hoisted up a chair and threw it at the heroes. 

Chat struck the table aimed at Ladybug and the magic and strength of his staff made the legs of the chair crack and fell harmlessly to the ground. 

“Thanks, kitty!” Ladybug cheered before Despair Bear detaches himself from Max’s leg to Alya’s, forcing her to attack the heroine. Ladybug easily manages to free herself from the reporter’s grasp just as the bear lets go of Alya’s leg and the girl questions Ladybug what just happened.

Ivan was forced to throw an entire coffee table at Chat Noir, who stopped him just in time before Despair Bear bounced off at him.
Ivan looks up in confusion just in time to see himself holding the table.

“Huh? Chat Noir?” Ivan said in concern. “Why am I holding a coffee table?”

Before the cat hero could explain, he found the green teddy bear aiming for Ladybug.

“Ladybug, no!” 

Chat swiped Despair Bear into his hands, and while it was a noble sacrifice, it allowed Despair Bear to latch onto him and make him controlled to attack his own partner.

“Chat, nooo!” Ladybug cried in worry. She hated it when her partner did this; letting himself getting hit by akumatized villains, because as Chat often said:

“ Only you can capture the akuma, m’lady, and restore Paris.”

Chat’s words, not Ladybug’s.

Ladybug knew things were getting worse when Despair Bear forced Chat to use his Cataclysm at the wrong moment. 

“I better use my Lucky Charm now, before Chat accidentally does more damage than the mini walking bear in Five Nights at Freddy’s, ” Ladybug muttered, and shuddered inwardly. As a civilian, she hated horror, yet ironically, she knew about Freddy the bear like everyone else. 

Ladybug summoned her Lucky Charm, and everyone around her held their breath, wondering what her power would give her.

To everyone (even Ladybug’s) utter disbelief, it was a fork.

“A fork?!” Chloe scoffed. “Like what could you do that for, Ladybug? Feed your cat fish?”

Ladybug gave Chloe a small glare, which either she didn’t notice or pretended not to know what look she had given her.

Ladybug used her Lucky vision and found an idea.

Without a word, she whistled for Chat Noir as if calling a real kitty and zipped upstairs up to the hotel’s balcony. 

Whirling up a red umbrella, it whirled around to whack Chat on the head, allowing him to be freed from Despair Bear’s control.

Chat’s eyes turned into their normal comforting green before he glanced around in confusion just in time to see Ladybug stabbing the glowing green teddy bear.

With a fork.

“Er, m’lady?” Chat asked politely. 

Ladybug smirked and tossed him a tiny, green version of Armand.

“Ah,” Chat grinned, understanding now how Chloe’s teddy bear had managed to control itself as Ladybug worked her magic.

-

The rest of the party was…interesting to say the least. Chloé, to everyone’s surprise, had “re-hired” Armand, admitting, albeit reluctantly, that she might have been too harsh earlier. For once, she acknowledged her own faults, though no one was sure if it was a true change or just an attempt to save face.

They ended the party with a little baking competition. Not everyone was able to attend, but they could support their friends. 

Alya and Adrien watched as Marinette expertly made special macaroons. Cutely added with white polka dots, just like how she used the style to create some of her favorite creations. 

“You two get first taste, of course,” Marinette beamed as she handed two macaroons for them to taste.

“Special Marinette macaroons!” Alya squealed as she gave her best friend a grateful hug and eagerly popped it into her mouth. 

Adrien gave Marinette an encouraging wink and calmly popped his treat into his mouth.

“Wow, Marinette, your baking is just as impressive as your dancing,” Adrien praised.

Marinette giggled shyly, her cheeks flushing at Adrien's sweet compliment. 

"Thank you, Adrien," she said, her voice soft and appreciative.

But before the moment could last, the door to the kitchen burst open with a dramatic flair. Chloé stormed in, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. 

"Dupain-Cheng!" she demanded, her tone sharp. "Come on, stop hiding in here and get out there. The party’s not going to entertain itself."

Marinette blinked, startled by Chloé's sudden entrance, but before she could respond, Chloé’s gaze shifted to the macaroons on the counter. Her scowl softened just slightly as she eyed the treats. 

"Huh. I’ll admit, those don’t look too bad," she admitted as she narrowed her eyes. “I guess you being a baker’s daughter has its perks.”

Marinette, ever the polite host, smiled warmly and offered, “Would you like one, Chloé?” She held out a macaron, her expression sincere.

Chloé paused for a moment, clearly surprised by the gesture, but after a beat, she shrugged. 

"Fine, I’ll try one," she muttered, still maintaining her usual air of indifference as she took the offered macaron.

She quickly scrambled away before any of them could catch her eating the cookie and Adrien, barely, just barely saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his old friend.

Marinette blinked, her eyes wide with curiosity. 

“Did… did Chloé just smile?” she asked, half in disbelief.

Adrien chuckled softly, his smile playful yet thoughtful. 

“I can’t really tell with her anymore,” he admitted with a shrug. “But... maybe, just maybe, I can forgive her this one time.” He gave Marinette a gentle nudge, his tone light but warm. “She’s not all bad, after all.”

“Hey, Adrien…” Marinette suddenly said, her voice quiet but thoughtful. “I remember once a classmate told me last year that the reason Chloé acts the way she does is because her mother abandoned her when she was little. Of course, I feel sorry for her, but… there are people who’ve had it worse than her.”

Adrien nodded solemnly, his expression softening as he thought back to the past.

"That she did, Marinette,” he agreed, his voice heavy with understanding. “I think we were around four or five when it happened. That’s when her dad gave her Mr. Cuddly. I remember the day she told me about it. She was so hurt, but it was the only comfort she had at the time.”

Marinette looked down for a moment, processing Adrien’s words. After a pause, she spoke again, her tone hopeful yet cautious.

“I’ve been holding my breath around Chloé for so long, but maybe we can encourage her to be a little less... nasty?” She looked up at him, eyes searching his face. “You know her better than anyone else, Adrien. Maybe you can talk to her.”

Adrien hesitated, then sighed deeply. 

“I’ve tried before, but she’s so stubborn. Still, you’re right… maybe there’s a chance. If anyone can get through to her, it might be me. I’ll try to find a way.”

Marinette gave him a small, encouraging smile. “I believe in you.”

Chapter Text

These days, Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t just help Paris by protecting them from evil magical butterflies that transformed ordinary citizens into villains. 

They helped out in many other ways as well.

This time, a public bus had gone out of control and there was no way the bus driver could seemingly try to stop it.

Ladybug used her yo-yo strings to try to stop the bus from running as much as she could, while Chat Noir threw out his staff to prevent the bus from going any further.

Ladybug pulled and pulled, and finally, the bus stopped on its own!

Parisians cheered for the heroes as they saw how well they saved a bus from running dangerously through town.

The passengers of the bus heavily gasped as they tumbled out, but they gazed at the heroes with gratitude in their eyes.

“Thank you, Ladybug. Thank you Chat Noir,” civilians shook each of their hands before leaving.  

Ladybug and Chat Noir beamed at each other as they did a “Pound it!” Maybe it wasn’t an akuma, but they were proud that they still did something hero worthy.

“So, Ladybug…” Chat spun his staff, albeit a little nervously, which was unlike him. “I know we technically know each other, as partners and saving Paris all the time, but don’t you think we don’t really ‘know’ know each other? Patrols don’t count.”

Ladybug just finished waving goodbye to a grateful citizen before turning to consider her partner’s words.

“I guess that’s true…” She agreed. “What’s bringing this on, Chat?”

  “Well… I just thought we should take a break being superheroes for once and have a nice dinner, you know? So we can get to know each other?” Chat suggested.

Ladybug’s heart skipped a beat. Chat Noir was a bit of a goofball, sure, but he was also sweet and kind… 

Wait. 

Was Chat asking her on a date?! Ladybug panicked. 

Flashes of water, spiders and heinous laughter came flashing into Ladybug’s mind, and Ladybug quickly shook those negative thoughts away before she could get into a panic attack and worry Chat. 

Ladybug’s face flushed slightly under her mask. Was Chat asking her out to dinner as a friend-date, or was it something more?  

“O-oh, t-th-that’s very sweet of you to o-offer for, C-Chat,” Ladybug tried her best not to stammer, hoping even if she did it wouldn’t be as noticeable. “But you see, I have plans to hang out with a few friends this afternoon. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sneak away to come meet you on one of our favorite rooftops.”

“Oh,” Chat’s cat ears drooped in slight disappointment yet understanding. “So no dinner?”

“I-I’m sure it won’t take the entire evening,” Ladybug promised. “How about this? If my outing ends early, I’ll see if I’ll be able to come by.”

“Really? That’d be great, m’lady!” Chat perked up. “I’ll be waiting.”

Ladybug nodded rapidly as she hurriedly swung away on her yo-yo, missing Chat’s fond smile at her before turning to leave himself to prepare for the date.

-

Ladybug zoomed back into her room and de-transformed onto her bed. Once she landed, she buried her face into Cheesecake, her favorite stuffed cat plushie that her grandmother had gifted to her one year on her birthday and screamed into it. Thank goodness her parents didn’t hear it, despite being a room below her and fixing dinner.

“What’s wrong, Marinette?” Tikki asked in concern.

Without warning, Marinette shot up, swiping Tikki out of the air and holding her in her hands. She brought the tiny kwami close to her face, her blue eyes wide with panic.

“Tikki! I think Chat just asked me out on a date!” She whisper-screamed.

"Yes, I heard," Tikki chuckled in amusement, not at all intimidated that her holder was holding her in her hands almost like a squeeze despite being minus Marinette's size by a hundred. "I may not be able to communicate with you when I'm in your earrings, but that doesn't mean I'm aware of what's happening."  

“Don’t get me wrong, Chat Noir may be a goofball, but he’s also one of the sweetest guys I met! B-but still…’’

“But still what, Marinette?” Tikki repeated gently.

“I’m in love with…Adrien. Even if I could like Chat more than a friend and partner, it’d be too dangerous. He’s one of the only ones I can be myself with without feeling judged. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to him,” Marinette explained. 

“I understand it’s a hard dilemma, Marinette,” Tikki cooed sympathetically as she affectionately rubbed herself against the human girl’s face. “But you should be honest with Chat. He’s an understanding person; he won’t get mad or upset if you tell him the truth.” 

“Marinette! Dinner!” Sabine called.

“Coming, Momma!” Marinette called back. She glanced back at Tikki with a worried look.

“Go have dinner with your parents,” Tikki urged. “It’ll be okay.”

Marinette nodded as she went downstairs to join her parents for dinner.

-

Marinette found herself enjoying dinner with her parents, and soon, she had forgotten her earlier worries. 

“Dinner was delicious, honey!” Sabine praised Tom as he began clearing the table. “If you weren’t Paris’s best baker, I’d think you were the city’s best chef instead!”

“Thanks, dear!” Tom laughed humbly. “Don’t get me wrong—I love to cook. While baking is technically similar, I’d say I’m more of an expert at balancing the sweetest things in life.”

“Speaking of sweet,” Sabine’s eyes sparkled with warmth as she caught Marinette smiling at their loving banter. “Your father made something special for dessert, Marinette. It’s especially for you.”

“Ta-da!” 

Tom proudly revealed a beautifully crafted cake, setting it down on the table with a flourish.

“Oh, wow, Daddy! It’s my favorite cake!” Marinette’s blue eyes sparkled with delight. “And it looks as beautiful as ever!”

“I’m glad you like it, sweetie. I know there isn’t any special occasion, but I thought it’d be nice to make my special little girl’s favorite dessert!” Tom beamed, his cheeks rosy with pride.

“I really appreciate the thought, Daddy,” Marinette explained politely, “But I’m going to have to reject the cake tonight. I’m meeting Alya and some classmates at a special ice cream cart. Nino mentioned it’s run by someone named André…?”

“Oh! André the Ice Cream Maker!” Tom’s face lit up with recognition. “Your mother and I know all about his sweetheart ice cream!”

“It was that special treat that your father used to propose to me!” Sabine chimed in, her eyes glimmering with love.

“I know, Momma,” Marinette giggled playfully. “You’ve told me this story a thousand times. Papa hid the ring in the vanilla ice cream André served you, right?”

“Right! Your mother almost accidentally swallowed the ring whole!” Tom chuckled in agreement. 

“Even with that little hiccup, it’s still one of my favorite memories,” Sabine added. “You know, darling, they say anyone who shares André’s ice cream—”

“—will stay in love forever,” Marinette finished with a soft laugh. “That’s such a sweet story, but I don’t think it’s a hundred percent guaranteed. You and Daddy were just lucky.”

“You never know, baby. Love has a way of surprising you when you least expect it,” Sabine said, her tone warm and wise. “And we’re proud of you, Marinette. You’re spending more time with your classmates than just Alya and Adrien.”

“It’s not always easy, but I’m trying,” Marinette admitted, her smile tinged with a hint of bittersweetness. Standing, she kissed both parents on the cheek. “Well, I’d better get going. Love you both!”

“Good luck, my darling! Try not to stay out too late!” Sabine called after her.

As soon as the door shut behind their daughter, Sabine turned to Tom, her smile fading into a look of mild concern.

“Do you think Marinette will be okay, Tom? She has Alya, but she didn’t mention Adrien at all,” she said, a hint of worry in her voice.

“From what Marinette told us, Adrien’s father is very strict. He is Gabriel Agreste, after all,” Tom replied as he hugged his wife comfortingly. “But our little girl is slowly but surely coming out of her shell, and that’s all we can ask for.”

Sabine hugged back, taking in her husband’s words. 

-

Adrien had also looked forward to maybe getting ice cream with his friends, even if he wasn’t dating anyone in their group. It might be a little awkward third-wheeling them, but still, Adrien knew his friends would make sure to give him attention too.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like Adrien’s father was going out anytime soon as a civilian. His father’s door to his office was firmly shut. Adrien could tell the way the door was shut was code for his father silently saying:

  No, Adrien you cannot go out with your friends this evening. Eating ice cream from an outside vendor? Do you know how much health violations occur in something like that! You’ll get food poisoning even before you touch the cart! Gabriel would ramble on and on about it.

Adrien sighed as he typed a message to Nino to warn him that he would not be able to make it. Nino, being the best bro he was, immediately understood, which made Adrien feel warm and guilty at the same time. Nino always understood Adrien’s dilemmas with his father, but Adrien feared that one day Nino would lose his patience and get akumatized again.

“Adrien, your father will unfortunately be eating in his office-- oh you already finished your dinner?” Nathalie stated as she walked into the dining room. 

Adrien shrugged nonchalantly.

“I kind of already suspected Father wouldn’t come, so what’s the point in waiting for the food to get cold?” he replied. His tone was angrily quiet, but it wasn’t directly aimed at Nathalie specifically. “Send him a message, please, Nathalie. If my father isn’t going to bother to eat with me in the dining room, then don’t make me come down here at all if he isn’t going to eat with me.”

“I’ll… pass your message to him, Adrien,” Nathalie promised. “You should practice your piano before you go to bed, but be sure to have some fun too. Maybe play a video game?”

“Video games are cool, but it would be better if Father allowed at least one friend of mine to come over to play with me,” Adrien muttered, almost stomping to his room, missing Nathalie’s sigh of sympathy.

As soon as he was alone in his room, Plagg zipped out of his holder’s pocket and dashed into the cupboard to eat some cheese.

“We could always play video games together,” he gargled between bites.

“Thanks, Plagg, but remember the last time we tried? You couldn’t even press the button and you almost destroyed the controller in frustration!” Adrien chuckled, remembering the scene very well.

“Ah, that was then, now is now!” Plagg retorted. “Besides, I feel better playing video games than  going out to eat ice cream that could give you a big brain freeze if you’re not careful. Just you, me, and cheese!” He ended with another big gulp of a chunk of cheese.

“But Ladybug and I promised to meet for dinner, remember?” Adrien reminded his kwami.

“Ladybug said she might not be able to make it, remember?” Plagg countered.

“‘Might’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘no’, Plagg,” Adrien said. “Just think,” he sighed dreamily, making Plagg gag in exasperation. “Ladybug and I could get to know each other a bit better outside of akuma battles and patrols.”

“Okay, okay, if you really want to me her like this, I suppose I can’t stop you,” Plagg sighed. “But before we go, can I at least get another chunk of cheese?”

“You literally just ate two chunks. I think you’ll be fine,” Adrien teased as he called out Claws Out!

Plagg screamed out “ At least let me grab a few slices in case there’s an akuma and we need to refueeelll!”

Adrien chuckled as he felt the familiar wash of his suit wash over him. Oh Plagg…

-

The sun set over the Trocadero, washing Marinette with some late last minute afternoon warmth as she met Alya, Nino, and Mylene and Ivan. 

She felt at ease with Alya there, but she also wished Adrien was here. Not only would she feel more comfortable, but maybe, just maybe, she could try to confess her feelings?

“Hey, girl!” Alya literally almost glomped on her best friend, making Marinette have to bend her knees a little to avoid falling over to catch her friend into a hug. “Glad you could make it!”

“I’m glad to see you too, Alya,” Marinette softly chuckled. “You too, Nino.”

“Nice to see you, Mari-dudette,” Nino tipped his hat.

“Hey, Marinette,” Ivan and Mylene came along, their arms wrapped around each other. 

“Hey guys,” Marinette responded politely. “So, I hear we’re going to Andre’s ice cream today?”

“Yep. We just have to find him,” Nino replied. 

“Find him? As in ‘we have to walk around Paris to find him?’” Marinette asked. “I thought he would’ve had a shop or something like that?”

“Well, not exactly,” Alya explained. “You see, Andre has a special cart on wheels. Because of that, he has to move places every so often. Usually he goes to places in the city that attract most people wanting ice cream, especially tourists.”

“Oh,” was all Marinette could say. Her parents must’ve had to wander around the city as well back then before her dad could hide the wedding ring in the ice cream for her mom. 

“I remember the first time Mylene and I heard about Andre’s ice cream,” Ivan chuckled fondly, as if he was reminiscing the memory. “We also thought that he owned a shop but all the ice cream places we went to didn’t have any employee named Andre. It took us 3 hours running around the city just to look for him!”

“It was pretty tiring, but in the end, it was all worth it,” Mylene added on, placing a hand on Ivan’s chest to make him smile. “When they say how magical Andre’s ice cream is, they weren’t lying. It was the most delicious ice cream we ever tasted! The best part was that it was vegan too!”

The couple giggled together, making Alya and Nino giggle along with them. Marinette stood politely to the side, choosing to smile softly instead. She was happy for her friends and classmates, but at the same time, even though she knew they wouldn’t leave her out as an awkward 3rd wheel, especially Alya, Marinette still couldn’t help but feel awkward. 

If only Adrien was here… then they could’ve felt awkward together. But as usual, his father probably made him stay stuck in the house.

Marinette was broken out of her thoughts when she felt a light hand on her shoulder.

“You okay, girl?” Alya, ever the best friend asked. 

“Yeah. I just can’t help but keep on being happy for you and Nino, Ivan and Mylene. You managed to find each other so quickly,” Marinette replied. 

“Thanks, but I also wanted to make sure you’re okay,” Alya said as she wrapped a comforting arm around her. “I noticed you also look a little sad, because Adrien isn’t here…”

Marinette shrugged.

“Doesn’t mean he’s here doesn’t mean I can’t have fun with you guys either way,” she promised. “His dad is… well, his dad. Anyway, do you have any idea how we’re going to find Andre?”

“Thanks to Max, we do!” Nino piped in, waving his cell phone excitedly. “He made a special app that allows us to track down where Andre is. Quite handy since he could always move from one place to the next.”

A ding notification came from Nino’s phone, and he tapped it.

“It looks like he’s selling ice cream at the Pont de Arts right now. If we hurry, we can get some ice cream!” he explained excitedly. “Let’s go!”

He grabbed Alya and she laughed as she allowed her boyfriend to drag her along. Mylene did the same thing with Ivan and Marinette had to run to catch up with them.

-

Meanwhile, Chat Noir was humming a happy tune as he finished the last touch of a candle sitting carefully on a railing for his and Ladybug’s dinner date. 

It might’ve been a bit much, with all the rose petals and stuff, but Chat was satisfied with his work and was sure Ladybug would love it. He sat down on the blanket he laid out. Usually around this time, Chat knew most people were having dinner. He assumed that Ladybug was having dinner with her family and decided to wait. He knew things could take time sometimes.

-

At the same time, Marinette, Alya, Nino, Mylene and Ivan had arrived at the Pont de Arts where they met a man with a rather big build handing ice creams happily to many people passing by. Most of them were couples, Marinette noticed, as Andre had scooped up some ice cream on one cone enough for the two of them.

“This is Andre?” Marinette asked Alya. 

“The magical ice cream maker!” Alya seconded in. “Rumor has it, he can take one look at you and read your heart! How he does it, no one knows. But no one questions it either. They say sometimes even if you feel like you don’t have a soulmate, the ice cream Andre will serve you will show you flavors you would never expect.”

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite customers!” Andre’s eyes lit up at the group of teens coming over. 

“Bonjour, Andre, how are you?” Mylene asked kindly. 

“Doing mighty well, thank you, sweet Mylene,” Andre answered back. “And how are you doing with Ivan? He’s treating you well, I presume?” 

“Treats me better than anything else,” Mylene replied with a happy smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. Anyway, I have your usual ready; chocolate, praline, and white nougat. The connection that you two have will last a lifetime for sure!” 

Mylene and Ivan thanked him, paying him a few tips.

Alya and Nino were up next. They introduced themselves, and while it was the first time they came personally to have some of Andre’s ice cream, he knew the right flavors to them, with a hint of passion fruit.

Passion fruit, Marinette heard as she sat on a bench next to the ice cream cart. Adrien’s favorite flavor, especially in the macrons she and her parents make.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki asked as she poked her head out of her hiding spot in Marinette’s jacket to check on her holder. “You’re a little quieter than usual.”

“I’m okay. It’s just… is it right for me to come here?” Marinette asked, in a hushed whisper so no one else would notice her talking to her kwami. 

“Of course it is! Why wouldn’t it be?” Tikki asked. “I know you’re a little upset that Adrien is not coming, but I’m sure Andre would be more than willing to give you an ice cream! You don’t necessarily need to have a romantic partner to have one!”

When she caught the slightly hurt look on Marinette’s face, Tikki’s antennas drooped in shame.

“I’m sorry, Marinette, I didn’t mean it like that,” she said apologetically.

“It’s okay, Tikki, I know what you mean,” Marinette lifted up her finger to allow her to squeeze. “I’m already here, and besides, Mom always says it’s polite to have something especially when you’re out with friends and the owner is expecting all of you to get something, right?”

“That’s the spirit!” Tikki chirped in pride for her holder as Marinette stood up to walk towards the cart. 

Andre saw a young pretty teenage girl with pigtails coming up to his cart and his eyes shone brighter than ever. She was a special one, he could tell.

“Hello, Mr. Andre.” She was polite, too.

“Greetings, young lady,” Andre greeted back. “There’s no need for formalities, you can just call me Andre.”

“Okay, Mr.-- I mean Andre. Sorry, force of habit,” Marinette cleared her throat. “My name is Marinette, and I heard from my friends that your ice cream is the best in Paris.”

“Not as good as praise coming from the daughter of the best bakers in Paris!” Andre beamed as he scooped up two ice cream flavors for her. 

Marinette blinked in shock. She was aware of her family’s bakery’s popularity but it wasn’t like most people actively asked her for her autograph. She wasn’t Adrien’s family’s level of fame; no one really asked for her autograph. (Ladybug didn’t count)

“You know who I am?” She asked.

“I’m aware of your parents,” Andre smiled as he handed her an ice cream that was a combination of peach and mint. “You look just like your mother. I’m not sure if she ever told you, but when your father proposed to her, she almost accidentally swallowed the ring he hid in their ice cream!”

“Yes… I heard,” Marinette began to feel a little uncomfortable. 

“Anyway, I hope your ice cream will allow you to be with the one you love someday, pretty Marinette! Peaches like his lips and mint green for his eyes!” 

Andre practically shoved the ice cream into Marinette’s hands without giving her the chance to protest. 

“Cool looking ice cream, Marinette,” Ivan stated gently as he came up to her. “I wonder who it resembles.”

“Yeah…me too,” she answered without looking at him. She couldn’t understand why but Marinette began tearing up. She didn’t even realize she was crying when two big fat tears leaked out of her eyes and dripped onto her shirt. 

“Marinette? Are you okay?” Alya asked worriedly.

“Yeah… I’m just suddenly not feeling really good for some reason,” Marinette explained as she lightly placed her ice cream on Andre’s cart. “I’m sorry, Mr. Andre, but I’m afraid I’m not able to stomach things right now. Maybe you can give someone else this ice cream.”

“P-pardon?” Andre stammered. “Are you sure you don’t want it, miss? My ice cream never fails even as a pick me up.”

“Hey,” a boy wearing a striped shirt accidentally bumped into Marinette and apologized. The five colorful stripes on that familiar black T-shirt looked familiar, and Marinette’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a tiny bit of hope that it was Adrien.

It was not Adrien. Merely a boy their age who must’ve been a fan of him to almost dress like him. The boy was talking excitedly to his friend.

Not wanting to ruin her friends’ evening, Marinette gave them a sad smile and left, but not before bowing to a disappointed Andre as thanks for giving her an ice cream before leaving.

“Is Mharinette okay?” Nino asked Alya as he held their ice cream.

“Yeah. Marinette just needs some time for herself. She just doesn’t want to make it awkward for us while we’re supposed to be enjoying something fun,” Alya replied. “Come on.”

Alya walked off, Nino, Mylene, and Ivan following after her. They didn’t notice the black and purple butterfly flying towards Andre’s ice cream scoop, as he had been holding it in disappointment… 

Chapter Text

Chat Noir had waited for Ladybug for what seemed like hours. The sky had turned dark with stars twinkling visibly even for a city which was known as the City of Lights. He picked up a soft liten candle and sighed softly. 

Chat slowly realized that it must’ve really been literal hours since he waited for his partner to show up. At first, he assumed that Ladybug just had a late dinner with her family. No matter, it happens. Another hour passes? No problem, she probably had something come up in her civilian life!

But even then, it shouldn’t take this long…should it?

Soon, he realized. Ladybug would not be coming. Adrien gripped the railing of the balcony he was standing on and sniffed. He felt bad for making Plagg stay stuck in his ring for so long, but at the same time, he didn’t want to go home just yet.

Just then, soft, fairy lights caught Chat’s attention. 

The little dinner spot he had created was a mere block away from a certain bluenette’s balcony. Chat’s eyes lit up; Marinette would always be good company.

-

Marinette knew she shouldn’t feel so upset with Adrien; as for one part, he didn’t know about her feelings. The second part, he couldn’t disobey his father. If her own parents said she couldn’t go out, she wouldn’t go out without their permission either, unless she absolutely had to, like if an akuma attacked.

Tikki tried to cheer her up, and while Marinette appreciated her words about that there would be plenty of other opportunities, it didn’t feel the same this time.

Sighing, Marinette decided she needed some fresh air. She climbed onto her balcony to look at the beautiful twinkling stars, vaguely aware of Tikki watching over her before going back inside to allow her to have some alone time.

Marinette was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice a certain black cat hero dropping onto one of the chimneys on her roof. 

“Hello, princess,” he called softly.

Marinette jumped in surprise, placing a hand on her beating heart before quickly realizing it was just her partner. 

“Oh, Chat Noir?” Marinette sighed in relief. 

Chat smiled softly at her before jumping down onto the balcony railings next to her.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he apologized. 

“It’s okay, I just wasn't expecting you to come here,” Marinette admitted as she brushed a lock of stray hair behind her ear. “Is there a reason why you’re here? My parents and I aren’t in danger of an akuma, are we?”

“No,” Chat softly chuckled. “I know technically as a superhero, I shouldn’t really be using my powers like this, but at the same time… I just didn’t want to stay cooped up in the house. Gets all stuffy, you know?”

Marinette nodded in understanding. 

“You and Ladybug are still human under the mask, Chat, I’m sure no one will care if you sit on their rooftop or something. As long as you don’t break anything,” she added with a tease.

Chat laughed with her. His laughs were usually light hearted and rich, but this time it was softer than usual. 

“You’re a very funny girl, Marinette,” he said as he sat on the railing, closer to her.  

They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, watching the moon, which was unusually large tonight, and the stars until Marinette broke it. 

“So, Chat Noir? May I ask what you’re doing around this time?” Marinette asked. 

“Oh. I was waiting for Ladybug,” he replied. “You see, it’s true we do see each other all the time, but only as superheroes, and when we’re fighting Hawk Moth’s akumas. So I took today as a good opportunity to finally get to know Ladybug better and have dinner with her, even if we still have to be in our suits to do it.”

Marinette’s eyes widened a fraction for a brief moment. In all the midst of her own heartbreak, she had forgotten that she promised Chat she would meet him for a special dinner he was hosting!

“O-oh, I see,” Marinette hoped her partner didn’t realize her slight stutter. “That was very nice of you, Chat.”

“Thanks. I laid out a picnic blanket that my mom owned and put out candles and rose petals and everything. I waited for what seemed like hours for Ladybug to arrive, but in the end… she never ended up coming.”

His words made Marinette feel even more guilty. She was slowly starting to realize…

Chat Noir must’ve had feelings for her alter-ego.

“Chat, are you saying you made a special dinner for Ladybug because you…” she began.

“Love her?” He finished. “Yes. Yes I do, Marinette.”

“O-oh wow.” Marinette had always suspected Chat had a bit of a crush on her superhero self. But after everything that happened with Kim…

“But…Chat’s feelings are real,” Marinette whispered to herself. 

She knew as goofy as he was, Chat Noir would never hurt her, or anyone, even he was forced to, pun intended. But was it right? Even if she could like Chat back as more than a partner and friend, it still wasn’t possible for superheroes. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to Chat. 

Not wanting her partner to feel more hurt than she already was, Marinette decided to cheer him up.

“Chat… if it makes you feel better, you aren’t the only one who got their heart broken tonight,” Marinette said softly. 

Chat turned to glance at her with a sympathetic look.

“Did you get your heart broken too?” He asked, and she nodded. “Oh, princess. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, Chat. He couldn’t come to the date. Sometimes things like this just happen,” Marinette smiled sadly. 

Chat’s eyes lit up for what seemed like the first time this evening, and jumped off the railing to land in front of Marinette.

“If it cheers you up, I want to show you something,” he says as he holds out his gloved hand to her, mindful of the claw tips as usual. “Do you trust me, princess?”

The phrase do you trust me had been a recurring theme between Ladybug and Chat Noir, but hearing it in her civilian self, it made Marinette’s trust for her partner grow even stronger.

“I’d trust you with my life even if you weren’t one of the heroes of Paris, Chat,” Marinette declared as she placed her palm into his. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” he chuckled gently. “Now, close your eyes and hang on tight, okay?”

Marinette nodded and did as she was told, wrapping her arms tightly but carefully around Chat’s neck.

It was only a brief leap from the cat hero, and Marinette felt herself being gently set down on what seemed like the ground, but she had a feeling it wasn’t at the same time.

“Okay, princess, you can open your eyes now,” Chat instructed. 

Marinette opened her eyes to see the most beautiful sight. It was a random balcony a mere block away from her house that she knew no one had used for some time. Chat had decorated it with beautiful soft lit candles, a picnic blanket with a basket and all, and beautiful deep red rose petals lined up everywhere.

“Wow, Chat,” Marinette breathed, awed at the sight her partner created. “There’s just no words I can say right now. It’s just… wow.”

Chat smiled softly as he watched her observe the romantic picnic created. Even if she was at a loss of words, he could tell how much she loved his work. 

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” he said as he leaned against the railing next to her. “If only Ladybug was here to see this…” he sighed glumly, making Marinette worried for him.

“Are you okay?” She asked in that gentle tone Adrien loved so much.

“Yeah. I just really don’t want to be mad at Ladybug. She already warned me she might not be able to make it. But I kind of really hoped she would come. She always keeps her promises, that’s all,” he replied.

“I’m sorry, Chat Noir. If I were you, I’d be upset too, but--” Marinette began when she saw a version of what looked like a bomb made out of ice cream flying towards them. Her eyes widened and she pointed to Chat to warn him. “Look out!”

Immediately, Chat jumps in front of her, spinning his staff into a shield, the ice cream bomb splattering away harmlessly. He then scoops Marinette up in his arms and hides them behind a building.

A giant ice cream man who looked like the monstrous version of Frosty the Snowman stormed into view. He even had a frown made of cherry droppings or something, Marinette nor Chat Noir could tell.

“What on Earth is that?!” Chat exclaimed. “He looks like the giant version of Frosty the Snowman, except he isn’t smiling!”

“Akuma?!” Marinette gasped, sliding closer to Chat than she already was even though she was already safe in his lap with Chat tenderly cradling her in reassurance.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” The hairs of the girl’s neck stood up and Chat’s cat ears straightened up in concern and determination. “Where are you hiding, my dear? I just want to help you get a taste of your sweetheart ice cream!”

“Apparently, this guy knows you, princess?” Chat whispered. 

“I’m not sure who he is, though, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Marinette whispered back. “He must’ve recognized me as the daughter of the best bakers in Paris.”  

At this point, the giant ice cream man sees them. Chat tenses, his arm tightening around Marinette while slowly sliding his free arm around his back to reach for his staff. 

But to their surprise, the giant ice cream man doesn’t attack. This time. 

“Hm. He’s not exactly your soulmate, but perhaps you have a type, Marinette. Boys with blonde hair and green eyes?” 

“What?!” Marinette squeaked.

“What?!” Chat Noir seconded. 

Instead of giving them a further explanation, the giant ice man began to sing. 

“ My name’s Glaciator, the mean ice-cream man. Escape my fury if you can! I melt your hearts, but I was wrong, now I'll freeze your bodies so long!” 

He raised his hands, which were made out of giant balls of ice cream now, and sprouted millions of ice cream flavors into the air. They all made sickening splat, splat, splat noises as they hit the ground.

Knowing it would be dangerous if Marinette especially got hit, Chat Noir began carrying her back to her house.

“Chat! I think I recognize the ice cream man now! He’s Andre Glacier!” Marinette warned.

“The ice cream guy that sells ice cream in random places in Paris?” Chat seconded as he leapt. “I heard about him too. What’s got him so upset with you?”

“My friends and I managed to catch his ice cream stand earlier today,” Marinette explained. “He tried to offer me ice cream, but I couldn’t accept it, as I wasn’t feeling well at that point.” Not a complete lie.

“That’s kind of stupid,” Chat frowned as he finally landed back on her balcony. He couldn’t take the short way this time due to ice cream flying around everywhere. “I understand he has a reputation of ‘melting people’s hearts to their soulmates’ but he can’t force you to eat ice cream if you don’t want to.”

“It is still kind of my fault though,” Marinette admitted as they hid behind the chimney on her balcony. “It wasn’t like he was shoving it into my throat on purpose.”

“Well, either way, Andre’s akumatized right now, but maybe I could reason with him,” Chat suggested as they finally got to Marinette’s hatch and carefully helped her back in. “You stay inside and warn your parents, princess. I’ll lead him away from you and any other citizens in his path.”

“Thanks, Chat. You take care. And thanks for cheering me up tonight.”

“You too, princess. Stay safe.”

With that, Chat leapt off to the battle.

“Wow.” Tikki popped up from her hiding spot as she reunited with her holder. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chat Noir showing his sensitive side this directly before,” she commented.

  “Do you think Chat will be mad at me when I show up as Ladybug?” Marinette worriedly asked. Like Tikki, she had never seen her partner show his sensitive side before, at least physically.

“He may be a little upset with you, but if you tell him the truth, he’ll understand,” Tikki promised. “But for now, you need to transform so you can help him defeat Glaciator.”

-

True to his word, Chat Noir had led Glaciator a very safe distance away from Marinette’s house. 

“Ah, Chat Noir!” Glaciator called down to the cat hero. “Where have you hidden pretty Marinette?”

“Somewhere very safe,” Chat replied. “She told me what happened. She’s sorry that she couldn’t take any of your ice cream. And I’m sorry you feel upset, but you can’t force someone to eat something if they don’t want to.”

“But my ice cream is superior! Who wouldn’t want it?” Glacitor complained, firing ice creams at him.

“So you’re saying if people had a dairy allergy or lactose intolerant, you’d shove it down their throats too?!” Chat retorted. 

“That’s not what I meant!” Glacitor shouted, more upset than he already was. He grabbed a car (Chat couldn’t understand how he was able to do it with his balled ice cream hands) and threw it at him.

Thank god the superhero suits were nearly indestructible and protected Adrien from getting seriously injured, killed, or worse. But still, the car hit him with a loud whack and he screamed, flying across the street before his body bounced lightly on some familiar black strings that binded to look like a safety net.

“Hey, Chat. That’s a lot of ice cream. You didn’t get cold, did you?” Ladybug smiled brightly at him.

While he was grateful that his partner saved him, Chat couldn’t help but feel a little bitter towards her.

“Oh hey, Ladybug,” he almost sneered. “Did you have a nice time with your friends tonight?”

Ladybug almost dropped her yo-yo in shock. She had never heard her partner sound so cold before.

Before she could say anything, Glacitor declared he would make the duo into a combo of superhero flavor and began blasting ice creams everywhere.

The heroes dodged, but some nearby civilians weren’t so lucky, and they froze into colorful icy statues.

But as Glacitor stomped over to a couple huddling together, he seemed to hesitate on freezing them.

Ladybug and Chat Noir watched safely from a rooftop. 

“That’s weird, it seems that while Glacitor is freezing most people, he doesn’t have the heart to freeze couples. People in love,” Ladybug mused.

“What a shocker,” Chat scoffed with disdain in his voice.

Ladybug looked at her partner with shock. It wasn’t like she ever saw him upset before, but this took the cake. He wasn’t even looking at her, just leaning against the chimney they were hiding behind, one leg propped up.

“Chat, are you sure you’re okay tonight?” She asked.

“I don’t know, Ladybug, you tell me,” Chat quipped. 

Despite the stomping of Glacitor and citizens screaming in fear, Ladybug knew she had to get to Chat or else they wouldn’t be able to deal with the akumatized villain.

“Chat Noir. Are you mad at me because I didn’t show up at the dinner date?” She asked quietly.

“What do you think? I can’t blame you on who knows what is going on with your civilian life, but you did promise to come,” Chat replied. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come or honor our promise, Chat, but you do remember I also said there was a chance I couldn’t come, right?” Ladybug reminded him.

Chat sighed as he got out his staff to face Glacitor.

“Whatever, Ladybug,” he stated coldly as he jumped down and sliced Glaictor in half. It works, but only for a moment because the next thing he knew, he was faced with more ice cream blasts. Ladybug jumped in front of him, spinning her yo-yo into a shield so the splats could harmlessly fall to the ground.

“Chat Noir, I really am sorry for not showing up,” Ladybug pleaded.

Chat sighed again.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be mad at you for such a stupid thing,” he said, his eyes softening as they hid behind a car together. “I just wanted to get to know you better. You know, when we’re not having to fight evil butterflies that turn innocent citizens into supervillains.”

“I understand how you feel, Chat, but--” Ladybug began before Glacitor began monguling. 

“Ladybug, Chat Noir! Show yourselves like the cowards you are!”

“We can’t just keep on attacking directly,” Chat stated seriously as he cautiously peeked behind the car. “That just motivates him to shoot his ice cream blasts at us.”

“But look!” Ladybug pointed out. “Some people haven’t been frozen yet. They weren’t frozen because… they’re in a romantic relationship!”

“OK, so?” 

“So think about it! Glacitor was akumatized because he felt like he couldn’t melt enough people’s heart right?” 

“Right…”

“But even when he’s in this state, he still has a soft spot for couples. Maybe if we pretend to be one, he won’t attack and that gives us enough time to break whatever object he has on him!” Ladybug explained. 

“The object he has is an ice cream scooper,” Chat corrected. “Ladybug, are you suggesting you and I pretend to be a couple? I know you wouldn’t play with anyone’s feelings on purpose, but right now, it seems you are,” he stated, crossing his arms.

“I…” Ladybug startled before they heard a bang near their hiding spot. 

“If you don’t show up soon, I’ll make sure even the couples are ice cream flavors!” Glacitor threatened. 

“You know what? As much as this hurts, we’ll have to go with your plan,” Chat stated as he got up. “I don’t want to see any more innocents being frozen.”

“OK.” Ladybug whispered. 

Chat popped out from the car first, his face stony at first. Ladybug popped up second. 

The ice cream villain was about to fire them, but then his heart melted when he saw Chat gesturing to Ladybug to take his arm, and allowed her to lean her head on his shoulder. He visibly began softening when he saw his partner relaxing being so close to him.

“Wow, I really want to freeze them, but at the same time, I can’t!” Glaciator squealed. “They’re so sweet!”

Just a few steps closer…

“Now!” A signal from Ladybug. 

To their surprise, even when akumatized, Andre Glacier was inside his akumatized villain’s costume, almost as if it was a costume. Chat used his stick to hit the ice cream scooper and it broke by the force, releasing the akuma, allowing Ladybug to purify it.

As soon as the damage was over, Chat told Ladybug to wait for him while he talked to Andre.

“I’m sorry for getting akumatized and causing you and Ladybug so much trouble, Chat Noir,” Andre stated. “I know I shouldn’t be upset with young Marinette not wanting my ice cream, it wasn’t like she was being rude about it.”

“I don’t blame you for getting akumatized, Andre,” Chat stated as he placed a reassuring hand on the older man’s shoulder. “But I can’t blame Miss Marinette either. I understand you have a reputation for selling ice cream to couples, but you have to know you can’t force someone into a relationship, nor get them to eat your ice cream if they don’t want to.”

“You are right, Chat Noir. I promise to make sure my ice cream will be enjoyed by everyone in Paris, no matter who they are, and if they cannot accept it, I will do the mature thing and understand.” 

Chat nodded in satisfaction before bowing to Andre and using his staff to propel himself to the rooftop where Ladybug was waiting. 

As promised, she stayed where she was, hands clasped together politely in front of her as she waited for him.

“Hey, Chat,” she whispered shyly.

“Hey, bug,” he went back to giving her cute little nicknames. “Are you ready to see the most amazing set up of all time?”

“Lead the way, kitty.”

-

Although she had already seen the beautiful decorated balcony as Marinette, she felt as if she was seeing it in a completely different light now that she was Ladybug. 

Chat watched her observe everything while smelling a sweet smelling red rose and glanced at her softly.

“Wow, Chat. This is so beautiful. I love it,” Ladybug praised. 

“I’m glad you like it. Are you glad you finally came?” Chat answered.

Ladybug smiled briefly before turning sad.

“Listen, Chat. I’m really sorry about tonight. And you were right when I suggested pretending to be a couple. I know what it’s like to get your feelings played with,” she explained. 

“You’ve gotten your feelings played with before?” Chat asked sadly as he turned to her with a sympathetic look. 

Ladybug nodded. 

“You see, I’m not the same girl when I’m not Ladybug. I only became confident this year thanks to you, my kwami Tikki, and two new best friends I made at school. Before them, I was a mess. My bully went to levels not even movies could expect. Sometimes she made me late to school because I literally had to ask her permission to go inside the building.” Ladybug explained as she turned to him.

“I know I shouldn’t say this, because it may give too much of my civilian identity away, but I trust you, Chat. I had a crush on a boy last year, and it didn’t go so well.”

“Was he the one who played with your feelings?” Chat asked.

“Yeah. I still get nightmares sometimes,” Ladybug replied with a shudder. “I don’t want to get into full detail, but let’s just say if it wasn’t for a really nice passerby, my life would’ve been on the line. It was mostly my fault. My friend warned me to be careful about him, but I was too stubborn and I paid the price.”

Ladybug let out a breath, as if she wanted to get it all of her chest. 

“I already said too much,” Ladybug stated. “I’m sorry for not showing up earlier, Chat.”

“No, if you didn’t want to, you didn’t have to come. I shouldn’t have forced you,” Chat gently scolded. 

“Deep down, I suppose I really wanted to come. But Chat Noir, you have to know this. No matter what, you’re one of my very best friends. I don’t want to lose you. We’re superheroes, kitty. We can’t know anything about each other on our civilian lives. If something happened to you like if Hawk Moth captured you or something, I’d never forgive myself.”

For a few moments, both Ladybug and Chat Noir could look at each other sadly. 

Until finally, Chat gave his little bug the softest smile and put the red rose in her hands.

“I get it, Ladybug. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you either,” Chat said quietly as he bent down a little to kiss her on the cheek, making her cheeks under the mask flush. “Your friendship and partnership means everything to me too. You keep the rose okay? It matches your costume.”

Ladybug could only stammer. When she finally felt she could get a word out, Chat was already bounding away.

As she watched her partner go, Ladybug looked at the rose and sighed.

“Oh, Chat, if only you knew who I really was,” she whispered to no one but herself. 

Chapter Text

“I kind of still don’t get it, Marinette,” Tikki was saying to her holder. It was a beautiful Saturday morning yet instead of helping her parents in the bakery, or hanging out with Alya or Adrien, they were back in school. More specifically, the locker room, where Marinette was putting on a white fencing outfit. “Why are we at school on a Saturday?”

“Well, Tikki, today’s the day for M. D'Argencourt’s fencing academy try-outs!” Marinette explained. “I thought it would be good practice for fighting as Ladybug, especially when akumas are getting a little more tougher these days, and to defend myself as a civilian in case of an emergency and I can’t transform into Ladybug right away. Mom taught me a little self-defense, but that’s obviously not enough as you know.”

Marinette still didn’t like to talk about the time Chloe paid a bunch of students to torture her, so she and her friends dubbed it to “The Incident.”

“That is a very wise idea,” Tikki hummed in approval. “It’d make you stronger in and out of the suit too.”

“Thanks, Tikki. I better get going now; try-outs are about to start. Will you be okay staying in the locker room?” Marinette asked. 

“I’ll be fine!” Tikki chirped. “You go and have fun, Marinette. But remember to relax, too. I had a holder who used to do fencing as well, and they taught me the best way to do so is to relax.”

 
Marinette briefly pressed foreheads with Tikki before promising she would try to do so.

-

Try-outs were now starting! Marinette stood in line with a bunch of newcomers while facing some fencing students who were already in the academy. These students would be helping the rookies on how they should fence and give them a few tips. 

Marinette was a little nervous to see who she would be paired up with. Everyone on the fencing team had to have their faces covered by their masks half the time so she couldn’t tell who they were. To add on, the masked person you currently faced would be your partner.    

“Excuse me, miss, but would you like the honors of being my fencing partner for today?” The person in front of Marinette spoke a bit muffled, but she could hear him clearly. 

“T-that’d be nice,” Marinette nodded timidly. Although she couldn’t see him, she could tell he smiled and led her to a nearby mat.

“So,” The masked person started as they stood on the mat. “May I ask why you’ve decided to attend M. D’Argencourt’s fencing academy?”

“Well, Paris is getting tougher akumas lately,” Marinette explained as she readied her own foil. “I know we have to let Ladybug and Chat Noir deal with them, but just in case they can’t come in time, I would like to learn some tricks to defend myself. My mom taught me a few self-defense moves, but I know that wouldn’t be enough.” Especially with the incident, she thought silently.

“That’s impressive, and I can see why,” The fencing masked person replied. “You’re smart to come here.”

“Thanks,” Marinette’s cheeks pinked from the praise. “I know there’s a chance I might not get in the academy, but at least I can learn a few tricks to defend myself.”

“Well, I’m sure if you knew a person or two in the academy, they could help you out,” the person behind the mask comforted. “Do you know anyone in the fencing team?”

“I recognize a few people from school, but besides that, not really,” Marinette replied. “The only person I know well is my friend, Adrien. He’s been in the fencing academy for some time.”

“What a coincidence,” the person behind the mask lifted his mask up, revealing it to be…

Adrien himself ( :D!! )

“A-Adrien!” Marinette’s cheeks flushed harder. 

Adrien chuckled gently at her adorable reaction.

“I’m glad you took your Saturday off from school to come back just to attend M. D’Argencourt’s fencing academy, Marinette,” he stated sincerely. “And even better, you’ve become my partner-in-training.” He used his gloved finger to gently boop her nose.

Marinette giggled at the sweet gesture, feeling more relaxed. Even if she didn’t get into the academy, she knew at least Adrien would give her good training points.  

-

Marinette turned out to be a quick learner. Although Adrien had to guide her through a few steps of pretez and allez , she managed to catch on quickly. Soon, she was matching almost all of Adrien’s moves.

“Wow, Marinette, you’re a fast learner,” Adrien praised as he raised his mask to talk more clearly to her. 

“Thank you, Adrien, but honestly, I feel like I wasn’t doing much,” Marinette replied as she raised her own mask. “I was just kind of copying what you did.”

“Well, even the best fencers match their partner’s steps,” Adrien said. “You just need a little more practice, that’s all.”  

Marinette smiled, thankful for him being so patient with her until a loud commotion interrupted not just their, but the rest of the other students’ practices.

“Hey!” 

Whoever it was, they had a very loud voice. Not only that, but their outfit was completely different from the rest of the fencers. 

The person was wearing a mask covering their face just like how the other fencers would use, and she was wearing a red fencing outfit. The only parts of her outfit that weren’t red were her knee length socks, the laces on her red shoes, and some white parts sticking out from her pants legs with more red appropriately covering them. 

“Are they one of the members of your fencing team, Adrien?” Marinette whispered. She couldn’t tell if the voice was male or female yet, especially with the mask covering their face.

“No, I’ve never seen them before, Marinette,” Adrien whispered back. “They don’t even have the usual colors the academy’s students wear.”

M. D’Argencourt came up to address the situation. 

“May I ask who you are and what brings you here? Your fencing outfit is unique, but it’s not the usual colors we have our students wear,” he said.

“My name is currently none of your concern,” the masked fencer said. “All I was told by my mother is that you’re the instructor of this fencing academy in Paris, and this is the best class I can get into. So, I’m wondering if you have any worthy opponents for me to fence against?”

“It is true, I am the best,” M. D’Argencourt stroked his chin as he observed his fencing students. “The best fencing student I have is none other than Adrien Agreste. He will be a worthy challenger to your preferences. Adrien?”

“Yes, sir,” Adrien readied his fencing sabre. To Marinette, he whispered, “Watch and learn.”

-

Whoever the newcomer was, they weren’t just good , they were breathtakingly marvelous. Even those who had almost as much experience in fencing as Adrien did couldn’t help but feel their jaws drop in awe at how in sync the two fencers were. 

At one point, Adrien and the newcomer had slipped off the mat, metal clashing against metal as they continued to parry.

“Er, is this legal, M. D'Argencourt?” Marinette asked the fencing instructor. She didn’t know much about fencing still, but from what Adrien had told her in the past, getting off the mat to fence wasn’t recommended.

“Well… normally, I’d have to say something, but even if I could, it seems like young Adrien and the newcomer have it covered,” he admitted. 

  By now, Adrien and the other fencer were parrying up the stairs. How they were still able to move, Marinette couldn’t tell. But she knew one of them had to touch the other for a point at some point so she ran to follow them.

They landed in the library, still parrying at this point. Marinette was starting to get worried for Adrien and the other fencer if this kept up, one of their arms were going to fall off from the pressure. 

Finally, it seemed that they finally managed to land a hit. 

Only, the tips of their sabres touched each other…

At the same time.

“Woah,” Adrien breathed out. 

“One of us touched the other, but who did it first?” The second fencer added. She spotted Marinette and pointed at her with such fierceness that Marinette could feel it even under the mask. “You there! Girl!”

“Y-y-y-yes?!” Marinette squeaked out. Maybe coming up here wasn’t such a good idea.

“You saw everything, did you? Surely you saw who touched who first!” 

 “O-oh, I-I don’t know,” Marinette answered honestly. “It kind of looked like you two touched each other at the same time.”

The newcomer apparently didn’t seem to like that answer. She stomped over to Marinette, poking her chest with their sabre, forcing Marinette to raise her hands up in surrender, dropping her face mask in the process. 

  “I’m afraid I can’t accept that answer,” they said roughly. “In the fencing world, there can only be one winner, and one loser. One of us had to touch the other first. So who? Was. It?” They ended with a growl. 

  Before the situation could escalate further, Adrien stepped in, taking off his own mask. 

“H-hey now, let’s just calm down and take a deep breath,” he insisted, stepping between Marinette and the new fencer. “I trust Marinette’s judgement. She’s honest when it comes to things like this. If she says we both got the point, then we both did.” 

    For a long, tense moment, the new fencer could only stare at Adrien and Marinette. Even without seeing their face, Marinette could see how intense they were, and shuffled a little closer behind Adrien’s back. 

“You seriously trust this girl to fairly judge a fencing match? She seems to me like the rookiest rookie anyone could try to be in such an exquisite fencing academy such as this,” they said. 

 It wasn’t a direct insult, yet Marinette could still feel the tiny jab of hurt in her heart.  

 “Hey now,” Adrien’s voice still had its usual soft spoken tone but with a bit of hardness added in. “I’m not saying this just because Marinette and I know each other personally. I’m saying this because I truly know her. Marinette may be a beginner in all of this, but she’s fair when it comes to matches like this. If anything, she would feel bad if one of us didn’t get the point.” 

“Hm,” both Marinette and Adrien could sense the person behind the mask squint their eyes. “So, you say your name is Marinette, right girl?” 

“Yes, why…?” Marinette couldn’t understand why, but she suddenly got a bad feeling about all of this. She could tell Adrien was beginning to feel something was about to go on too, based on the way he reached back to place his gloved fingers on her arm protectively. 

 “Your friend Adrien says you have the positive qualities of being honest and fair. And I’m starting to see that too. So why don’t we have a match? Girl to girl?” 

 Whaaaaaat ?! Marinette and Adrien exchanged concerned glances. Not only did this new fencer reveal their gender to them, but she only wanted to face Marinette in an exquisite fencing match, girl to girl? 

"Y-you can’t do that!” Adrien spluttered as he pushed Marinette behind him. “Your fencing skills are at a way higher level than hers. It wouldn’t be fair!” 

“Adrien’s right. I barely managed to match the steps he taught me while we were training,” Marinette added. “If we fenced against each other now, I’d get outclassed immediately!” 

  “That’s kind of the point,” They could practically see the sneer on the girl’s face although her mask covered it. “In fencing, there’s no such thing as a draw. Either someone loses, or someone wins. That’s how it works in the fencing world.”

  “I’ve never heard of a fencing rule that said that,” Adrien muttered under his breath. “This is ridiculous,” he added out loud. “All of this for a simple fencing point? Marinette says we both got the point, so we both got it. Can’t we just leave it here and call it a day?”

Instead of leaving Adrien’s point at that, the new fencer used her sabre to whack a nearby bookshelf. Several tiny pieces of wood splinters flew off of the shelf.

Marinette felt a cold shiver run down her spine. It was clear this girl wasn’t just strong in fencing, she was strong physically in general too. 

“You don’t understand,” the girl’s voice was much colder than before. “In my family, there’s no such thing as losers. There’s no such thing as draws. One of us touched the other first. So who was it, Marinette?!”

“I…” Marinette looked up at Adrien, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t be crying over something so simple, but this new girl was already making things more complicated than it already was, and Marinette could feel the pressure building.  

  “OK, that’s enough!” Adrien’s voice was sharper than Marinette ever heard from him before. “I understand you have a reputation in your family, but that does not mean you have to use it to intimate others. Even if she is only a beginner, Marinette is still using the good qualities of a true fencer by being honest, fair and peaceful. If she said we both got the point, then we did. No need for pressure. M. D’Argencourt says he wishes for discipline in his fencing academy, yes, but also he requires fairness and peace. Fencing is used to learn special techniques peacefully, not to bully others.”

Marinette wrapped her hands around Adrien’s arm, hoping his wise words got to the girl. 

Another tense silence. 

“What is going on here?” M. D’Argencourt finally came up, along with some other fencing students. 

“Oh nothing much, sir,” Adrien responded. “Just a little mishap about our small fencing match and this…newcomer.”

“What seems to be the problem?” M. D’Argencourt demanded. 

“We touched each other with our sabres at the same time, but this girl couldn’t accept it. She started talking about her family honor and how they can’t even accept draws. I understand her need for her family expectations, but she was using it to intimate Marinette, and I wasn’t having it,” Adrien explained. 

“What, girl?” M. D’Argencourt questioned, and sure enough, the mysterious fencer had enough of hiding and took her fencing mask off, shaking her head to get any hair out of her face.

Both Adrien and Marinette couldn’t help suck in a breath. Despite her intimidating posture, they couldn’t deny she was very beautiful. She had dark hair that looked similar to Marinette’s, only cut in a short bob, and dark brown eyes. Her facial features were Asian, probably of Japanese descent. 

Adrien sucked in another breath and felt his mouth going dry and his heart going unbelievably fast. Somehow, she looked familiar, but he couldn’t remember if he read an article that had a picture similar to her appearance or something. 

“I apologize for any trouble I caused,” the girl said, her voice more clear. (And sounded a little robotic, but neither Marinette or Adrien were one to comment on that.) “It’s clear who’s the true winner, and that is Adrien Agreste. I’m sorry for hurting your friend.” She gazed at Marinette like a hawk, only this time, her eyes seemed to briefly soften. 

She then left, dropping her saber on accident. 

“W-wait!” Marinette called, picking up the metalled object. “You forgot your sword!”

Despite what she had just done to her, Marinette was still willing to go up to her and give her back her stuff. Adrien’s admiration grew for her and he quickly followed Marinette outside.

The duo ran out to the front steps of the school’s building, but they were too late. The girl had already gone into a fancy red car and it drove off before they could blink.

Just as the red car drove off, Adrien’s sleek black car pulled up. Determined, Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand, much to her surprise, and she made sure she still had the fencing sword in her grip as Adrien guided her inside his car.

“Gorilla, follow that red car!” He ordered and his bodyguard grunted and did as he was told. 

“Adrien, what are we doing?” Marinette asked him curiously. 

“Despite everything, I don’t think that girl is a bad person,” he replied. “She has a family reputation, and I can understand that. You also seem to really want to give her back her sabre.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Marinette laughed breathlessly. 

As they drove, Adrien also took the opportunity to take out his cellphone and search for clues. He found a symbol which looked like the Chinese word for “woman” but knew it was also used for the Japanese word as well. 

Come to think of it, he had noticed the girl wearing a ring with the same symbol on it, just no one pointed it out. 

“Marinette, I found information on the girl!” Adrien said as he pulled out an article on the Tsurgi family crest’s logo. “She’s Kagami Tsurugi, the daughter of the famous Japanese fencer, Tomoe Tsurugi! I thought she looked familiar, and I recognized her mother’s name. She’s a business partner of my father.”

“Wow, it says here she received a lot of awards back in Japan,” Marinette added as she leaned closer to read. “And she’s our age!”

“She and her mother also recently moved to Paris,” Adrien continued. “I guess once Mrs. Tsurugi heard about M. D’Argencourt’s fencing academy, she signed her daughter up immediately.”

“Well, even in gym class, I can always hear M. D’Argencourt’s talk about how his fencing academy is the best in Paris,” Marinette pointed out. 

Adrien smiled at her, about to say something else, but before he could, a loud thud echoed on the top of his car, shaking it a little.

“Did you feel that?” He asked Marinette.

Before Marinette could even nod, they heard a loud shing!  

Adrien’s car literally tore in half, sending Adrien’s bodyguard to one end, and the two teenagers in the backseat to another. They quickly unbuckled their seatbelts and dove out, rolling across the pebbled streets. 

Luckily, nearby cars managed to stop in time before they could hit them. 

Adrien crawled over to Marinette to check her for injuries. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” He asked softly. 

“I’m okay, just a little shocked at what just happened,” Marinette replied. “Are you okay?”

Adrien nodded. Just then, he heard a grating scraping sound. When he turned his head to check the source of the sound, a thin, yet very sharp silver tip pointed inches away from his throat. 

“I know I said our little match was a tie, but how about this time, we have a special match, right here and now?” A girl dressed in intimidating silver proclaimed in front of him, standing in front of his cut car. She literally had a sword as one hand, and Adrien saw that it was merged.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me,” Adrien cursed under his breath. He reached behind him to grab the fencing sabre Marinette had kept safe, slipping the handle into his hand tightly. “Marinette, get behind me.”

Marinette obeyed, trying to peek past his shoulder.

“Adrien, what’s going on?” She whispered, her fingers lightly going on his shoulder for silent support. 

“One word.” he grimaced in reply. “Trouble.”

Chapter Text

The akumatized girl jumped down from Adrien’s sliced car, picking up a small pebble from the ground. She used it to shine the sword merged with her hand. 

The metallic sound sounded horrible. It was like hearing nails on a chalkboard, only twice as worse. Adrien cringed at the sound, and he felt Marinette wince too, pressing closer to his back and clutching onto the back of his fencing uniform for dear life. His brain was screaming at him to get Marinette to safety and find a way to transform but his legs felt like lead, choosing now to stay rooted to the ground. 

“Well, Agreste?” The akumatized girl, Kagami, demanded. “I’m not waiting all day. Are we going to fight, or not?”

“ Fight ?” Adrien echoed, goosebumps rising on his arms. He gently tapped Marinette’s foot with his own, signaling to her to stay where she was. Behind him. Safe. “I thought you wanted a reclusive fencing re-match.”

“Oh, I do,” Akumatized Kagami purred. “But, a nice butterfly man generously gave me new upgrades , and I thought…why not use them for good use? Even allowed me to have a new name. My name is Riposte now.”

This is obviously Hawk Moth’s doing , Adrien thought bitterly.   

“Kagami, listen to me,” Adrien pleaded, stepping back as Riposte matched his steps, aiming her sword tip under his chin. “This isn’t the way. We can’t fence like this; it wouldn’t be fair to either of us.” 

He used his free arm to press against Marinette. The protective arm gesture of his didn’t go unnoticed by Riposte. 

“Ah. The sweet little baker girl, is it?” She taunted. “I don’t know your exact relationship, but you seem very fond of her, Adrien. How about a new proposal? If you win our newest match, you both can go free. If you lose, however, Marinette will have to belong to me.”

“What?!” Adrien exclaimed, his green eyes wide with shock.

“What?!” Marinette seconded with a squeak of horror, clutching Adrien’s fencing outfit tighter. 

“You didn’t exactly say no, but you didn’t say yes either,” Riposte cruelly smirked, getting her merged sword ready. “That tells me you’re ready for the match.”

“Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t even get a say in this--!” Adrien began before a strong whoosh blew through the air. A single strand of Adrien’s hair fell off, and he felt as if someone poured a giant bucket of ice water on him.

If that sword even so simply grazes me or Marinette, it’s over for us! Adrien thought in horror. If he transformed, it would be safer and he would be able to protect Marinette and himself better, but how would he be able to do it? 

He didn’t want to have to ditch Marinette to face Riposte alone for even a second; who knew what Riposte could do to her?

But there wasn’t much that plain-clothed Adrien Agreste could do to protect himself and the girl he cared about. He still had Kagami’s old fencing sabre, but that wouldn’t be enough over her new merged sword-hand. 

Riposte landed another clean slice, and Adrien felt Marinette’s soft but strong hands grip his arm as she pulled them to hide behind a nearby car.  

They crouched down together, hairs brushing against each other as they panted for breath. 

“I know we can’t entirely blame Kagami since she’s akumatized, but her new powers are making her crazy!” Marinette panted against Adrien’s shoulder.

“Tell me about it,” Adrien agreed. “This isn’t even a fencing match anymore; it’s a deadly war battle, but with swords!”

Another sickening slice, and Marinette barely managed to dodge Riposte’s sword when it sliced a few strands of her hair. She ended up jumping into Adrien’s lap with a shaky gasp, trembling in fear at how sharp even the tip could be. 

She couldn’t stop shaking, even with Adrien’s arm wrapped around her. 

“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” Adrien whispered, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. 

He didn’t need to guess what just cut Marinette’s hair. She managed to avoid it, albeit barely. What if Riposte’s blade got to her skin? He didn’t even want to think about that.

A loud bang echoed from above them. Adrien looked up…

…To see a flash of silver shining brightly in the noon sun. Her silver shoes with sharp heels at the end hit the pavement, creating two small cracks. 

Riposte was standing in front of them, cornering them. They had nowhere else to go. 

“Are you ready for round two, Adrien Agreste?” She purred in taunt. 

Adrien gritted his teeth in frustration. He slowly reached for the fencing saber that was on the ground next to him, holding a tight grip on the red handle and used his free arm to tighten his grip around Marinette. 

“Stay down, Mari,” he whispered to her, not taking his eyes off of Riposte.

He felt her nod as she slipped underneath him. Despite her fear, she still reached behind herself to hold onto his fencing uniform to support him. 

When Riposte lunged, Adrien was ready. 

Metal clashed against metal as Adrien and Riposte aimed their weapons at each other. Both of their arms trembled but neither of them was giving up.

Perhaps it was adrenaline rushing through him, or some of Adrien’s superhero strength bled a little into his civilian self, because he was holding his ground as well as not even Adrien himself could expect. Riposte’s eyes widened briefly, she clearly underestimated how strong Adrien Agreste truly was.

Adrien took the split second distraction to flip Riposte to crash into a nearby car, leaving her momentarily stunned.

She wasn’t going to stay knocked out forever. Quickly, Adrien rose to his feet, pulling Marinette with him. 

“Come on, Marinette, we have to go,” he whispered. She nodded, and they quickly took off, Adrien pulling Marinette in front of him so his back was to Riposte in case she got back up quicker than expected. 

As expected, the moment they began to run, Riposte got up and they could hear the cracks of the pavement of her heel-tipped shoes as she followed them.

Adrien felt like he could cry. Escaping this girl was next to impossible. He pulled Marinette to hide behind a large pillar, which ironically, had a poster of his face in it. 

It suddenly got quiet. Too quiet. Now, Adrien didn’t watch many horror movies, but it was obvious when it got too quiet it meant that real trouble was coming. 

He heard that irritating scraping noise again, and knew Riposte was getting closer. He quickly nudged Marinette, signaling her to maneuver around the pillar. She did so, not letting go of his hand. Adrien made sure to keep his own grip just as tight, afraid that something would rip her away from him if he did.

Come on, Adrien thought desperately, as he and Marinette held onto each other’s hands like a death grip, slowly edging backwards. Almost there…

A random empty soda can, probably rolled out of an alleyway, rolled over without either Adrien or Marinette noticing, and it crushed loudly under Marinette’s foot. 

Horror encased their faces when they realized what just happened.

“Oh, hello there,” Riposte purred. “I was wondering where Agreste Jr. and his sweet little baker girl went.”

“Marinette, when I say run, you run and try to find help,” Adrien whispered.

“But, Adrien, what about you?” Marinette whispered, wrapping her hands around his arm. 

“She can’t target us both if she’s distracted by one of us,” Adrien reasoned. “Besides, you saw what her blade can do. If she simply even grazed us, it’s over.”

Marinette hated to leave Adrien, but he was right. Plus, she had already spent too long not transforming into Ladybug. If she transformed, then she would be able to protect herself and Adrien much better.

“OK, you distract her, but please be careful,” she pleaded, squeezing his shoulder.

“I will,” Adrien promised, squeezing her hand back. “Now go.”

Marinette ran, catching Riposte’s attention as expected. But before she could chase the other girl, Adrien found yet another small pebble and threw it at her. 

“You’ll have to go through me, first,” he said seriously. 

-

Marinette panted as she ran to hide behind a building. She didn’t even bring her purse today when she went to try-outs, and Tikki was told to stay in her locker in the locker room. How was she going to get to Tikki now?

Marinette began to lose all hope until she spotted a red blur flying towards her. It almost crashed and Marinette quickly outstretched her hands to catch the innocent creature. 

The red blur died down to reveal… 

“Tikki!” Marinette cried in happiness and relief as she gently scooped her kwami up to her cheek for a hug. 

“Marinette!” Tikki cheered back as she hugged back. “Are you okay? I sensed something was wrong and kept on following you and Adrien all this time. I felt so helpless, not being able to do anything to protect you both!”

“It’s not your fault, Tikki. You staying hidden was the safest way you could protect us. We better transform, quick. Adrien is facing Riposte alone and who knows what she’ll do to him if he’s left alone with her for another second.”

“Just say the words, Marinette!”

“Tikki, Spots on!”

-

Adrien panted as he hid behind another car, still holding Kagami’s old sabre tightly. He hoped Marinette was able to find help. He would’ve also transformed himself already but with Riposte so fast and tracking his every move, he didn’t know how he could do so. 

Adrien was on his own now. Well, not completely. As usual, Plagg never left his side, physically and emotionally. He hovered protectively next to Adrien’s cheek, flicking his furry black cat ear on him to comfort his kitten. 

“Adrien, shouldn’t we be transformed by now?” Plagg asked worriedly. As much as he hated transforming, he hated seeing his holder in danger even more.

“I know, Plagg, but I can’t. Every time it feels like we’ve finally managed to evade Riposte, she pops back up seconds later! Transforming now is out of the question…” 

A loud shing! Interrupted their conversation, and the car Adrien was hiding behind was quickly snapped in half. Adrien barely had time to grab Plagg to hide in his hair and felt a chill of cold sweat coming down his neck when Riposte aimed her blade against his throat.

Unlike the first time, the blade was a mere two inches away from his throat. Adrien swallowed hard and felt Plagg clenching his hair tight, scared for him. 

“You sure have a lot of stamina, Adrien,” Riposte purred as she used her non merged hand to stroke his chin. Adrien had to resist the urge to gasp or scramble away, but he could only squeeze his eyes shut in fear. “But, even the best fencers lose their endurance at some point.”

“Please… you don’t want to do this,” Adrien pleaded weakly. “Don’t listen to Hawk Moth; he’s using you!”

  “You’re wasting your breath,” Riposte said softly, though there was a slight hesitation in her voice. “But I have to admit… you do make this fun, Adrien.”

“What…?” Adrien was confused and worried at what that meant. 

Without another word, Riposte raised her sword.

Adrien braced himself, throwing his own arm over his head to shield himself, sticking a little bit of his finger into his hair so Plagg could grab onto it, fearing for the worst. 

Just then, a familiar sound of a yo-yo filled Adrien’s ears, and he opened his eyes just in time to see Ladybug’s yo-yo wrapped around Riposte’s blade, forcing her arm away from him.

“Leave that boy alone! Can’t you see you’re scaring him?!” Ladybug shouted as she tried to tug Riposte further back away from Adrien. 

She barely managed to do so when Riposte smirked, and used her blade to shrug the black strings off. 

“Oh my god!” Ladybug gasped in shock and surprise. “The blade part of her is more merged with her hand than I thought!”

Adrien had already suspected that, but hearing it from Ladybug, sent goosebumps all over his body. 

“I was going to have a special little fencing match with Agreste here,” Riposte said. “But it looks like I can have some fun with one of Paris’s greatest heroes.”

Even with Adrien and plain-clothed Marinette, she didn’t seem to use too many of her sword’s advantages to attack. Now that she was facing Ladybug, she was using the blade part of her hand to her full potential. She rapidly attacked Ladybug so much that she barely managed to use her yo-yo to spin into a shield to defend herself.

“Ladybug, as powerful as your yo-yo is, it won’t be enough to stop Riposte!” Adrien warned. “In this case, offense is the best defense! Fight with her like it’s a real fencing match!” He threw the sabre to the heroine, who caught it easily. 

“Thank you, Adrien Agreste, but you better get away from here now while you still can!” Ladybug exclaimed back. “You’ve already risked too much protecting me from her…” she whispered under her breath. 

Even with Ladybug’s own agility and speed, it wasn’t enough for her to stop Riposte, and she was knocked on her back.

“No!” Adrien shouted. He knew this was stupid and reckless, and Plagg (and Ladybug) was SO going to scold him later, but he couldn’t help it. He leapt towards Ladybug and rolled her out of the way, with him landing on top of her. 

In the midst of doing so, Adrien must’ve rolled his ankle, or Riposte must have managed to skim him, because his ankle started to feel a lot of pain. 

“Ow!” He cried, trying to withstand the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug asked gently, placing a comforting hand on his back. “What you did was extremely noble, but really reckless. You’re lucky that your ankle didn’t get broken or anything.”

“I must’ve sprained it, then,” Adrien winced in agreement. 

“If I could, I’d take you to a doctor right away, but there’s no time for that,” Ladybug added. “You’ve already been too involved with this Riposte girl or whatever she calls herself. We need to get you away from her as far as possible.”

“As much as my ankle is screaming at me right now, you’re right,” Adrien agreed. As usual he mentally added. 

Ladybug pulled him close, and they quickly flew to a nearby rooftop where she gently placed him behind a chimney stack where he could rest. 

“What is up with that girl?” She asked Adrien, confusion and concern filling her voice. “I don’t know much about fencing, but from what I saw, it looked like she wanted to kill you rather than play by the rules!”

“She’s really Kagami Tsurugi, the daughter of the famous Japanese fencer Tomoe Tsurugi,” Adrien explained. “It's a long story, but what I can say is it started with a simple fencing point distribution, Hawk Moth akumatizing her, and now this. Her new powers have gotten to her head thanks to him. She’s not even treating fencing like real fencing anymore; she’s treating it like a dangerous game. I barely managed to help my friend Marinette get to safety.”

“She does seem like the type to not give up, even when akumatized,” Ladybug nodded in understanding. “I want to help both you and Kagami, but with the condition she’s in right now, I won’t be able to protect you and find a way to save her without getting sliced myself,” she explained, giving Adrien’s arm a small squeeze and opened her yo-yo to call Chat Noir.

Adrien fidgeted nervously; little did she know, her partner was right next to her.

“Chat, where are you?” Ladybug asked no one in particular, worry evident in her voice.

“Maybe he’s… busy?” Adrien suggested, scratching his cheek with his gloved finger.

Ladybug raised a confused brow at him, but before she could question him further, a sickening crack broke the chimney they were hiding behind.

“I’ve had enough!” Riposte sounded more aggressive than ever. Adrien shivered at her tone and Ladybug quickly placed a protective arm in front of him, shielding him with her body. “First it was Agreste and his little baker friend hiding, and now this! We are setting up new rules! I am the best fencer, and neither of you are calling it quits! If you’re not willing to fight, then maybe you should give me your miraculous instead, Ladybug!”

“No one’s saying you’re a bad fencer, Kagami, but this is getting ridiculous!” Adrien exclaimed, his fingers nervously brushing against Ladybug’s back as he stayed behind her. “My friend Marinette made an honest point about our match. We both got the point! Shouldn’t you be happy that you also at least got a point?”

“He’s right! A tie is a tie! You should be happy for both Adrien, and yourself!” Ladybug backed him up. “You got a point too, so that should be enough for you!”

“No!” Riposte snarled. “You don’t understand! In my family, everyone has to be the best! In the Tsurugi family, there is no such thing as a tie when it comes to fencing. Either someone wins or someone loses. My mother is counting on me to uphold our family legacy, and I will not disappoint her by tying with someone. Even if that person is the son of my mother’s business partner, Gabriel Agreste!”

Ladybug’s jaw dropped. Behind her, despite being taller, Adrien ducked down to grip onto her suit tighter and hid his face slightly in her hair. Even if her family wasn’t as rich as Adrien’s, and now seemingly Kagami’s, she understood the need for family expectations. She hated the feeling of disappointing her own parents, too, but the way Kagami was describing her family’s expectations seemed… a bit much.     

"I… I get that you want to make your family proud, Kagami," Ladybug said gently, her voice soft but firm. "But this isn’t the way to do it. You don’t have to prove anything by hurting people. A tie doesn’t mean you’ve lost; it means you both gave your best."

Adrien’s grip on Ladybug’s suit tightened even more, and he lifted his head slightly, his face hidden from view. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, his heart torn between his own family’s expectations and the realization that he had no part in this twisted game of pride Kagami was playing. It was all about something bigger than any of them — a legacy he hadn’t chosen to inherit.

The silence between them felt thick, heavy. Ladybug turned to face him, her eyes softening as she silently conveyed the support he desperately needed in this moment. 

Kagami seemed to finally soften at Ladybug’s words, but then a purple butterfly mask flickered on her face.

Ladybug stiffened, she recognized that mask all too well. While Riposte was distracted talking to Hawk Moth, she grabbed Adrien and began swinging him away again.

“Ladybug?” Adrien questioned in concern.

“You saw that butterfly mask Kagami just had on her face, right?” Ladybug asked. “Every time Chat Noir or I seem to finally be able to reason with an akumatized victim, Hawk Moth chooses that vulnerable moment to manipulate them. That makes the victim tougher to fight.”

“I see,” Adrien nodded in understanding as he held onto her tightly, despite knowing she wouldn’t let him fall, especially with his injured ankle. He saw the same thing many times as Chat Noir, but never had he heard such information on how Hawk Moth’s powers worked. 

“With all the chaos Kagami caused with her blade, I doubt whatever Hawk Moth is saying to her is good. Especially with your ankle hurt, I need to get you somewhere safe before Riposte really does something worse to you,” Ladybug continued.

-

As they yo-yoed across the city, Ladybug mentally debated where she could hide Adrien. The school? No, too obvious. The source on how she got akumatized in the first place was there. She could take him home… but Riposte could easily guess where the Agreste mansion is, and Riposte could not only attack Adrien, but his father, too.

Finally, they found themselves standing on top of the Louvre Pyramid. 

Of course! Ladybug thought. As much as the Louvre was a famous museum, it was also a palace a long time ago, and it had a million rooms to hide anyone or anything. 

Ladybug jumped down, alerting passing civilians, and made sure to set Adrien gently down with her, mindful of his sprained ankle. 

Litenanuat Raincomprix came up to them.

“Ladybug, is something wrong?” he asked.

“An akumatized villain is along the way, sir,” Ladybug explained firmly. “Right now, I’m taking this young man to hide in one of the exhibits, and I suggest that you take the rest of the citizens somewhere safe while Chat Noir and I take care of everything.”

“You got it, Ladybug,” Lieutenant Raincomprix nodded and blew his whistle. “Come on, everyone, stay calm.”

With all the rest of the citizens out of the way, Adrien and Ladybug were easily able to find a place for the former to hide.

They ended up walking into the Egyptian exhibit, and spotted an empty coffin.

“Adrien, would you mind hiding in the sarcophagus over there?” Ladybug asked. 

“I don’t know, Ladybug, it looks big on the outside but the inside looks small,” Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not really good with small spaces.”

“I understand if it makes you uncomfortable, but I don’t have any more places I can think of to hide you,” Ladybug replied apoplectically. “Riposte could still find you even if you hid behind a statue, and I want you to rest your sprained ankle.”

“Well, I suppose this one time won’t hurt,” Adrien commented. “Besides, I think you’re right. Not even an akumatized villain would think of opening an ancient casket, right?”

“I promise you won’t be in there forever,” Ladybug vowed as she helped him. “I’ll come back and get you when Chat and I purify Kagami’s akuma.” 

She kissed the tip of her own gloved finger then tapped it to Adrien’s cheek, making his face turn beet red. Then she carefully closed the casket over him.

As soon as her footsteps faded, Plagg flew out of hiding from Adrien’s hair.

“Man, that was intense,” Plagg breathed a sigh of relief. “How’s your ankle, kitten?”

“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore,” Adrien replied. “But even when I transform, I have to be careful not to strain myself. Will you be able to ease the pain for me?”

  “Mostly, but because I’m the kwami of destruction, there’s only so much I can do,” Plagg explained. “You’d still feel less pain, but you have to be careful not to use that leg too much. Ladybug could get suspicious if she finds out that Chat Noir has a hurt ankle too.”

“Thanks, Plagg. I’ll be careful. We left Ladybug on her own for far too long. Claws Out!”

Chat Noir opened the coffin as carefully as he could and stretched, even if he was only in the sarcophagus for a few minutes.

“Ah, my ankle already feels better, thanks Plagg--” Chat began before he winced as he accidentally pulled a little too much weight on it. “Yikes. You weren’t kidding about the pain. It’s way more manageable than it was when I was a civilian, but that’s not enough.” 

He felt a familiar comfort of Plagg’s warmth washing through his suit. Even though Plagg couldn’t communicate with Adrien while he was transformed, he could tell the wave of warmth was his kwami silently apologizing to him. 

Still, Chat hopped to where he last saw Ladybug. Hopefully, despite it being a non miraculous injury, his partner’s miraculous ladybugs could cure his sprain.

-

Ladybug’s timing to hide Adrien couldn’t be more perfect. Riposte used her super speed to land into the Louvre Painting Gallery, just as Ladybug stepped out.

“Ladybug!!” Riposte hissed. “Where did you hide that pretty boy Adrien Agreste?!”

“I’ll never tell you where he is!” Ladybug snapped back. “You wanted to kill him over a simple mismatch on a fencing match! I understand you need to live up to your family expectations, but you have no right to lash it out on other people who may not understand it as much as you!”

The two girls fight. Perhaps it was adrenaline, or the fencing steps Adrien taught her got through Ladybug, as she managed to hold her own against Riposte for some time until she threw Ladybug against a painting and she fell onto her back again on the ground.

Before she could go in for a slice, Chat Noir rushed in front of Ladybug just in time to block Riposte’s blade.

“Kitty!” Ladybug cheered at the sight of her partner.

“Hey, m’lady? How come you didn’t tell me there was a fencing match in the Louvre?” Chat teased as he helped her up.

“If I had known about this invite, I would’ve invited you myself,” Ladybug teased back. “Unless… you were stuck at the cat groomer’s again?”

“Well, in a match like this, us cats need to preen to show off our stuff, don’t we?” Chat reasoned. 

It turns out that Chat is quite good at fencing himself, Ladybug thought as they made Riposte cornered to a wall and they pointed the saber and Chat’s staff towards her.

“Checkmate, Riposte,” she said, her tone light but confident as she and Chat pointed their respective weapons at her.

“Ha! This is nothing like checkers, Ladybug, this is fencing!” Ripsote sneered as she hit Chat Noir, forcing him backwards and making him put weight on his injured ankle. He winced and tried to breathe evenly to avoid worrying Ladybug.

She noticed anyway. 

“Are you okay, Chat?” She asked gently.

He nodded, but with Ladybug’s distraction of her caring for him allowed Riposte to strike Ladybug across the room, and slam an emergency gate to separate the two partners.

“Ladybug, hold on!” Chat called as the two girls began to fight again. He called for his Cataclysm and rusted the iron bars. 

He ran into the exhibit where Ladybug hid his civilian self and saw Riposte jumping in, and based on the cruel smirk on her face, sensed where Adrien was hiding. 

The sharp blade easily shattered the coffin into smithereens. Ladybug screamed in fear and shock. 

“M’lady?! Why did you scream?” Chat asked in concern.

“Chat, Riposte has been targeting a boy named Adrien Agreste for ages!” Ladybug exclaimed, her hands trembling. “I finally got to hide him in that sarcophagus, since I thought that not even Riposte would think to look in there, but it looks like she did anyway! A-A-Adrien’s blood could be--!”

“Woah, woah, woah, calm down, little bug,” Chat took her fingers into his and squeezed. “I promise Adrien is okay. If he was still in that sarcophagus, we would’ve seen more than… ancient pieces,” he added with a swallow. “From what I heard, that guy is smart. He probably realized Riposte would come for him sooner or later and took the opportunity to hide somewhere safer.”

Ladybug took a few, deep calming breaths to keep Chat’s words in her head. He was right. Adrien was smart; he probably realized Riposte would’ve come for him eventually, so he decided to hide somewhere else. 

“But his ankle got hurt when he saved me from a blow,” Ladybug continued. 

“Then we find Riposte’s akuma as quickly as possible and even if it isn’t a miraculous-related injury, your miraculous Ladybugs can cure his ankle,” Chat promised.  

“OK,” Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s do this!”

Riposte, who had been watching the scene with blinking shocked eyes, screamed. 

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! AGRESTE SLIPPED AWAY AGAIN?! HOW DOES HE DO IT?!”

“Oh boy, she’s really mad now,” Chat whispered, swallowing. It was a good thing he got out of the coffin while he did.

“We better solve this quick,” Ladybug added and her Lucky Charm this time resembled a radiator.

“A radiator?” Ladybug commented. “We’ve never gotten a lucky charm like that before.”

“Well, Riposte’s sword is merged with her hand right, from what we can see?” Chat quipped. 

“That’s not a bad idea, Chat!” Ladybug praised. She then saw Riposte coming in for a swipe. “Kitty, behind me!” 

Chat didn’t argue. He ducked behind her just as Riposte brought her sword down in a powerful, slicing arc. Ladybug held the radiator up like a shield—and to both their surprise, the sword struck it with a metallic clang but didn’t slice through.

“Chat, I have an idea how to break her merged sword. Hand me your belt so I can use the radiator easier.” Ladybug instructed. 

Chat Noir did as he was told, and together, he and Ladybug used the radiator to pull hard once Riposte got her sword through. 

This time stuck.

A tug, a pull, and a CRACK!

Riposte’s sword was no more, and the blade dropped to the hard floor with a clatter, with a purple butterfly flying out.

-

When Kagami came to, she found herself on the ground of the Egyptian exhibit at the Louvre. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was riding in her mother’s car, going home to tell her the sad, disappointing news that she did make it into the D’Argencourt Fencing Academy. 

When she looked up, she saw a girl dressed as a ladybug kneeling in front of her, smiling sympathetically, and a boy dressed as a black cat, who had cat ears on his head and everything standing close behind her.

“Are you okay, miss?” the ladybug girl asked gently, holding out a gloved hand with black polka dots.

“Y-yes,” Kagami gingerly took it as the girl helped her up. “May I ask who you are and what happened?”

“Oh, silly us. We forgot to introduce ourselves,” Ladybug let out a soft laugh. “My name is Ladybug. And this is my partner, Chat Noir.”

“Yo,” the cat-boy greeted casually. 

“A ladybug heroine named ‘Ladybug.’ And a black cat whose name translates to ‘black cat’ in English? How original.” 

Now, honesty was a noble trait, but Ladybug couldn’t help but feel a small sting. Still, she couldn’t let her personal feelings get in the way. Being called “original” was still a good thing in many ways.

“You were akumatized, Miss Kagami,” Ladybug continued. “How are you feeling?”

“I was… akumatized?” Kagami blinked and Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded. “I’m not a hundred percent sure what that means, but rest assured, I am fine. Physically and mentally.”

“OK…” Chat Noir piped up. “Well, as long as you’re okay, Miss Kagami. That puts me and Ladybug more at ease.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Kagami gave a polite traditional Japanese bow. “I must be going now. My mother will scold me if I’m late for dinner.”

She got up and walked away. The old fencing sabre Adrien and Marinette had used earlier to try to defend themselves from Kagami’s akumatized form magically reappeared thanks to the miraculous ladybugs.

-

Now that the fight was over, Ladybug wanted to rush to check on Adrien. Without her noticing, Chat Noir darted behind a nearby statue and transformed back into Adrien.

“Adrien? Adrien!” Ladybug was worriedly calling.

With his now healed ankle, Adrien called out to her.

“Ladybug, I’m here!”

Ladybug whipped around to see the boy still standing, all in one piece. His ankle seemed perfectly fine now, too, given that he wasn’t putting weight on it.

“Adrien, thank goodness you’re okay! I was so scared for you when Riposte sliced that coffin apart like it was nothing!” She placed her hands on her chest for emphasis. 

“Yeah, sorry for worrying you,” Adrien sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “But I figured that Riposte would realize where I was eventually, since she’s so smart, so I decided to hide behind another corner.”

“You were very smart to do so,” Ladybug said. “I’m sorry if I pushed you out of your comfort zone when you said you don’t like small spaces. I didn’t want you to get hurt since your ankle was also injured.”

“No worries, it hid me long enough,” Adrien replied. “Oh, by the way, Riposte was a fencing akuma. How were you and Chat Noir able to beat her?” he asked casually. 

“Well, Chat’s surprisingly a good fencer himself,” Ladybug praised. “I wouldn’t have defeated Riposte on my own if it wasn’t for him.”

“He sounds like a great partner,” Adrien couldn’t help but smile wider the more she praised his alter ego.

“The best,” Ladybug smiled back. Just then, her earrings beeped, signaling she didn’t have much time before she transformed back into her civilian self. “Oh, I better get going. Thank you for your help, Adrien. If you’re looking for Kagami, Chat and I saw her walking to her car. Bug out!”

Instead of flying out on her yo-yo like she usually did, she ran. Adrien smiled at her thoughtfulness; Ladybug must’ve not wanted to damage the ancient art of the museum held. He blew her a kiss without her noticing at all.

-

Marinette dives behind a pillar just in time as she transforms back into herself.

“That was one of the toughest akumas I ever experienced!” She breathed and tossed Tikki a cookie.

“Scary too,” the little red kwami added. “I don’t think I ever faced someone like that since the burning of Joan of Arc!”

Poor Tikki’s face looked pained so Marinette decided to ask about it another day. She peeked behind the pillar to see Kagami walking to her car.

“Tikki, do you think it would be weird if I suddenly appeared in front of Kagami, and Adrien? Sure, Adrien told Marinette to find help, but I don’t think he’d find it not weird that she suddenly appeared after Ladybug disappeared. Marinette doesn’t know that Ladybug brought Adrien to the Louvre.”

“Well, maybe, but I think there’s a good cover story for that!” Tikki assured. “You could just say that Marinette was about to go home when she saw Ladybug zipping by and flagged her down since Marinette was worried about Adrien. Surprisingly, she still had enough time to zip you to the Louvre. Even if they find it a bit weird, I’m sure Adrien and Kagami would appreciate you coming to check on them.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Marinette nodded and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Come on Tikki.” She opened the clasp of her purse and the red being obediently flew into the pouch. 

-

Adrien was walking towards Kagami, holding her forgotten saber in hand when he heard someone call his name.

“Adrien!”

Adrien looked back to see a sweet petite girl running towards him. They hugged for a brief but warm moment before pulling apart.

“Marinette!” Adrien’s eyes lit up and gently checked her for injuries. “You’re okay! What are you doing at the Louvre? How did you know I was here?”

“Well, I ran into Ladybug on my way home,” Marinette explained easily, surprising even herself. “I managed to flag her down and told her what happened earlier and I was really worried for you. Ladybug was about to transform back into her civilian self but she was kind enough to fly me back to the Louvre. Surprisingly, she still had some time before transforming back.”

“That was kind of her, and you, to come check on me,” Adrien said, feeling touched. “Do you want to come check on Kagami with me, too?”

“Yeah, I’m the one who wanted to return her fencing sabre in the first place, remember?” she said. They shared a laugh and Adrien handed her the sabre, letting their fingers brush for a second longer than necessary before walking to Kagami. 

-

Kagami just reached her mother’s car when she heard someone call her name.

Walking up to her, still in his fencing uniform, was Adrien Agreste. Behind him, the baker girl stood close to him. She seemed as sweet as the sugary smell she had on her working in the shop.

“Hello, Miss Kagami, it’s nice to officially meet you,” Adrien said as he bowed politely in the Japanese way. “As you probably know, my name is Adrien Agreste. My father is a business partner of your mother.”

“I know,” Kagami bowed back. “My mother always says that Gabriel Agreste is one of her best business partners.” She tilted her head to glance at Marinette peeking past Adrien’s shoulder. “And your friend?”

“Oh, this is one of my best friends, Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Adrien stated as he glanced back at Marinette with the most fond smile Kagami had ever seen. “You also met her back at the fencing academy try-outs. She wanted to give you something.”

With a gentle nudge, Adrien pushed Marinette forward, and the girl shyly presented Kagami a familiar fencing saber.

“I believe this is yours,” Marinette said quietly but kindly. 

“Oh. I did not realize I had dropped my saber. Thank you, Marinette.” Kagami said as she gratefully took it. “I commend your kindness, even if I was mean to you.”

“O-oh, y-you weren’t mean at all,” Marinette stammered, cheeks flushing slightly. “You just have the strength of a female warrior... like a battle commander.”

Kagami studied Marinette for a moment, her eyes softening with curiosity. There was something genuine and gentle about the way Marinette spoke—kind, yet shy, with a quiet strength beneath it.

Adrien, standing beside them, spoke softly, almost as if sharing a secret meant only for Kagami. 

“Marinette’s had a tough few years... a lot she’s had to handle on her own. But despite everything, she’s incredibly sweet and honest. You don’t meet many people like her,” he explained.

Marinette looked down, a faint blush coloring her cheeks at Adrien’s words. She wasn’t used to compliments, especially ones so sincere and unspoken.

“I heard that, Adrien,” she whispered, lightly smacking him on the arm, earning a laugh from him.

Kagami smiled slightly, respect growing in her eyes. 

“You seem like a hidden female warrior of heart as well, Marinette,” she said. “You just need more confidence, that’s all.”

Marinette looked up at Kagami, her eyes shining with sincerity.

“You should enter M. D’Argencourt’s fencing academy,” she said softly but firmly. “You have the skill, the heart, and the dedication. I know you want to uphold your family’s tradition for your mother, and you deserve that chance.”

Kagami blinked in shock, but also gratitude. No one ever gave up a spot for her before.

“Are you sure, Marinette?” she asked sincerely. “Didn’t you also go to M. D’Agerncourt’s fencing academy try-outs as well?”

“Yeah, but with my skills, I doubt M. D’Argencourt will accept that,” Marinette admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “Besides, even if I’m not in the academy, I still learned a lot of things today.”

“That is very noble of you, Marinette. I will forever appreciate your kindness,” Kagami bowed to her this time, and Marinette, knowing that even in her mother’s Chinese culture, bowed as well, especially to nobles.

Adrien watched the two girls interact, beaming. 

Hopefully, the 3 of them could become good friends.

Chapter Text

To celebrate Paris’s annual music festival that comes around once every year, Marinette, Alya, Nino, and some of their classmates decided to meet up at Juleka’s houseboat (She lived in a houseboat!!) to celebrate. 

According to Juleka, she felt the music festival was especially special, since her older brother was a skilled guitarist. With the expectation of Rose, no one else had met Juleka’s brother and were excited to meet him.

Of course, Marinette was excited; she looked forward to the music shows every year; sometimes she’d even go see them in person with her parents and Socqueline and her family, but this year was different. Juleka offered pretty much the entire class ( with the expectation of Chloe and Sabrina, but even if they were invited, neither of them would come, since Chloe wouldn’t be “caught in a sink boat in the smelly Seine water” as she would put it ) to come to her houseboat to celebrate the festival.

Marinette was grateful for Juleka’s invitation, but she was also extremely nervous. She wasn’t someone who got seasick easily, ( Juleka asked in concern if she would get seasick when the latter noticed the other girl’s expression ) but the thought of standing in a houseboat. In the water, hence the name house boat. Where she wouldn’t be able to get off easily unnoticed and surrounded by a bunch of her classmates who never paid attention to her before. 

The classmates that only knew Marinette as Chloe Bourgeois’ favorite victim slowly started to look past ever since Alya and Adrien joined the school.

Alya had noticed Marinette’s nervousness but assured her there was nothing to worry about. 

“ Come on, girl! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Sure, the music is around every year, but Juleka worked so hard to make it extra special this year!” Alya had said.

Marinette knew her BFF wasn’t wrong. Juleka, despite being as shy as her, did indeed work hard to make the music festival extra special this year, so Marinette couldn’t say no to that.

On the day of the start of the festival, Marinette was in for a surprise. Juleka’s houseboat looked amazing… but to put it nicely, it was a bit… 

Messy. 

But then again, the classmates who were already helping out were taking things out of boxes, so no one could blame the mess.

To be polite, Marinette decided to help out too by cleaning up. With surprise grace that put her Ladybug abilities to shame, Marinette ducked over wires and stepped carefully around anything that looked fragile. 

She politely excused herself to Mylene who stepped to the side in return and helped Rose look for her microphone.

“Thanks for helping me look for my microphone, Marinette!” Rose chirped as she gratefully took the mic from the other girl. “We’re really excited to start our first concert tonight!”

“Wow, you’re going to be one of the bands hosting the festival?” Marinette asked in awe and admiration. 

“Not exactly,” Rose giggled in reply. “To be honest, Ivan, Juleka, Luka--Jules’s brother,--and I decided to start a band together. We’ve been talking about it for some time now but we never got to really play until today. We can’t play for the real festival since we’re not old enough yet, but Juleka’s mom had the nice idea for us to host our own little concert here on the houseboat.”

“That’s amazing,” Marinette said. “You may not be a real professional band yet, but I can tell whatever you play will be great.”

“Thank you, Marinette!” Rose gave her a thankful hug and then bounced off to help Ivan with his drum set.

Marinette chuckled quietly; she had to admit, she admired Rose’s enthusiasm. She was about to clean up another box when an older woman stopped her, and quickly realized it was Juleka’s mother.

“Woah, sailor! I appreciate you helping to clean my boat, but there’s no need for that!” She spoke like a pirate but was friendly at the same time. “Especially with a day like today.”

“Ah, are you sure you don’t want your boat clean, ma’am?” Marinette asked. “I just don’t want anyone to lose something in a pile or have anyone trip over anything.”

“I get ya, but in my house, messy is better in this case,” Ankara explained. “My name’s Ankara Couffaine, but you can call me Captain. As you can probably already tell, I’m Juleka’s mom.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Couffaine. My name’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” 

“Nice to meet ya, young Marinette. And please, there’s no need to call me something so formal. We’re not in school after all.”

Marinette had to giggle a little. She never expected an older person to act and sound so lively before, but in a good way. Ankara also seemed to be someone who could relax others as she seemed relaxed herself.

-

Meanwhile, while everyone else was having a fun time preparing, Adrien was not having a good time. (Poor Adrien 😭) He was playing the piano for his father (and Nathalie who was loyally following his father’s lead as usual) in his room. Despite all the sweat he had on his fingers, Adrien played most of his music perfectly and elegantly. 

Until he hit that one single wrong note.

The moment he hit that one key, Gabriel cleared his throat to alert his son to stop playing and face him.

“You’ve improved quite a lot, Adrien,” Gabriel seemed to praise, but Adrien knew better. “But it’s still not enough. Are you sure you’ve been practicing?”

“Of course, Father. I’ve been practicing the same exercises over and over again for the whole week just in case,” Adrien replied. “I’ve also been thinking… while this piece of music is great, shouldn’t it be better with someone else? They say people playing together makes better music.”

“That is ridiculous nonsense those silly teachers are filling in your head in school, son,” Gabriel scoffed. “We are Agrestes, and Agrestes are meant to be soloists. I’ll let you take a break, but in the afternoon, I will come back to hear you play again, so I suggest you practice some more while you still can.”

“But father, you promised I could attend my friend’s concert this afternoon,” Adrien protested. 

“Not after that musical performance you gave me,” Gabriel argued back. “Besides, the music festival comes every year. I’ll allow you to go with your friends next year. You don’t need to give me a musical piece for myself and everything.”

“But father, this year was going to be extremely special!” Adrien exclaimed. “My friends Juleka, Rose, and Ivan are starting their own band. They deserve someone to help them celebrate their first original.”

“All your other friends will be there, won’t they?” Gabriel raised a brow. “If I say no, then I mean, no, Adrien. Rest your fingers for a while.”

Without another word, Gabriel left the room, Nathalie at his heels.

Adrien groaned. He caught Plagg’s sympathetic look and sighed, reaching into his pocket to take out his phone to call Nino.

Nino was hanging up some banners when he got a call. Seeing that it was Adrien, he immediately picked up.

“Hey, dude,” Nino greeted enthusiastically. He saw Marinette and Alya come up so they could listen in as well. “You coming? We’re just about done setting everything up. What’s that? Man, that’s harsh.”

Marinette and Alya couldn’t hear Adrien, but the look on Nino’s face told them that Adrien’s father had locked him in the house again. 

“Nah, it’s okay, dude. It’s not your fault. If my parents said I couldn’t go either, I wouldn’t know what to do too. It’s okay. I’m sure next year’s festival will be just as big and you’ll be able to come. Of course. I’ll say hi to the girls for you. See ya.”

Nino climbed down the ladder to explain the situation to Alya and Marinette.

“Adrien isn’t coming, girls,” he said sadly and apologetically, especially for Marinette. “He was playing piano for his pops but his dad got mad at Adrien for playing a single wrong note and now he’s stuck in his room again.”

“Poor Sunshine,” Alya sighed sympathetically. “Well, there’s always next year.” 

“I feel so bad for Adrien,” Marinette added. “Lately, it’s like every time we try to plan to hang out, his father makes him flake at the last minute.”

“I know, Mari-dudette, but don’t worry. Adrien assured me that he could just watch the shows on his computer tonight,” Nino said as he placed a brotherly hand on Marinette’s shoulder. 

“We’re ready to start playing, Captain Ankara!” Rose suddenly chirped from the stairway, with Juleka right behind her. “Oh! Luka seems to be missing,” she noticed as she looked around.

“He must be practicing in his cabin,” Ankara pointed out. She turned to Marinette. “Marinette, was it, dear?”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Marinette stood up straight and almost saluted. “I-I mean… Captain!”

“Since you’re not cleaning anymore, would you mind going to look for Luka and tell him that we’re waiting for him to start rehearsal?” Ankara asked. 

“Of course, captain. Where is he? And is Luka your son?”

“Yes, and Juleka’s brother,” Ankara replied with a smile. “His cabin is just under deck, it won’t be hard to miss. You’ll find him there.”

Marinette nodded and went down the deck like Ankara instructed. 

-

Although Marinette never met Luka yet, his room wasn’t hard to find, just as his mom had said. 

Marinette turned the corner, yelped, and jumped back, almost crashing head first into the wall behind her. 

Sitting on a bed was a boy that looked a bit older than her, perhaps two at the most. He had blue hair, black nails painted on, a cool white Jagged Stone T-shirt covered by a blue hoodie, ripped black pants and flashy, yet dark shoes with some lightly colored decorations. 

Next to the boy was a black and white colored electric guitar. 

When the boy looked up at Marinette with a warm, gentle smile, Marinette felt her heart beating uncontrollably fast. She couldn’t just fall for some cute guy she barely met a mere three seconds ago!

First it was Adrien, then Chat, who made her cheeks pink. Now this Luka guy was almost making her pinker than her purse too?!

“Hihihihi!” Marinette started stuttering, probably even worse than she stuttered with Adrien when they first met. “Y-y-y-you m-must be L-Luka! M-my name’s Ma-ma, uh Ma-Ma-Ma-Marinette! Your mom sent me down to alert you that the groove… I mean group! The group is ready to start rehearsals!”

“Hello, Ma-ma-ma- Marinette. Thank you for alerting me that the groove is waiting for me,” he said and chuckled.

Luka’s chuckles weren’t harsh, but Marinette still felt a little hurt. 

Luka noticed her hurt face and immediately softened. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” he quickly apologized. “Sometimes I speak better with music than actual words.”

He took his electric guitar up and began to play a chord. 

Marinette couldn’t help but be amazed. For an electric guitar, she had never heard someone being able to play with it to a tune that was peaceful… and melodic. 

Luka noticed her increasing interest, and smiled even softer, patting the spot on his bed next to him so Marinette could sit. She did so, and Luka began playing some more notes. The way he played was so beautiful that Marinette couldn’t help but put a hand to her heart and swayed along with the music. 

“That’s strange. I’ve never heard a song like yours before. But it’s a good type of strange. You have a very beautiful song, Marinette,” Luka praised.

“Thank you, Luka,” Marinette smiled shyly. “You played your guitar really beautifully too. I never heard someone play like that with an electric guitar before. May I ask how you were able to play like that?”

“I’ve been playing the electric guitar since I was old enough to pick even a regular guitar by myself,” Luka explained. “There’s many ways to play instruments. Especially ones that you would hear stereotypes on. I also found that whenever I can’t say any words to someone, the music overcomes that. Music is more simple than words.” 

He picked up a black guitar pick and made a show of making the last note a funny sound, which made Marinette laugh, and then she noticed some beautiful guitar picks hanging on the wall next to Luka’s bed. 

Luka joined her when he saw her especially eyeing the pick with Jagged Stone’s face on it.

“This is such a pretty guitar pick with Jagged Stone on it,” Marinette praised. “Do you like his music, Luka?”

“Like his music? Marinette, I just don’t like Jagged’s music. I love it,” Luka exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye. “He’s my favorite musical artist.”

“Mine too!” Marinette beamed as she turned to face him and almost dropped the pick in surprise when she saw how close they were.

Luka chuckled softly and caught the pick for her and gently placed it back into her hand.

“You can keep this pick if you like. It suits you, and I have plenty. I’ve been wanting to get rid of some of them but it makes me feel guilty every time I think of doing so,” he offered.

“Really? Thank you so much!” Marinette clasped the special guitar pick to her heart and then placed it into her purse for safekeeping and to allow Tikki to see it too.

“Well, we’ve been down here long enough,” Luka adjusted his electric guitar to rest on his back. “I better go up to greet the groove before my mom comes to check on us,” he suggested. 

“Wait, did I actually say the word ‘ groove ? ” Marinette asked and groaned at her mistake. “I’m such a disaster.”

“A very cute disaster,” Luka praised, making the girl’s cheeks pink. “It was very nice meeting you, Marinette. Feel free to come up to the deck when you’re ready.”

With that, Luka gave Marinette one last sweet smile before going up the deck.

Marinette stared after him as he left, feeling her cheeks heat in a way she never felt before. 

Tikki peeked out of her holder’s purse holding the guitar pick Luka just gifted her and saw the dazed but equally sweet expression Marinette had on her face. 

“Marinette.~~” Tikki wiggled her tiny kwami brows, as if she had visible lashes. 

Marinette snapped out of it and playfully closed the clasp of her purse to “trap” Tikki.

“Oh, shush, Tikki.” Marinette snipped with no real heat in her voice.

Tikki giggled inside the purse and hugged the Jagged Stone guitar pick close. Her holder was way too adorable for her own good sometimes.

Chapter Text

When Marinette got back up on the houseboat’s deck, everything was about ready. The little band consisting of Ivan, Rose, Juleka, and Luka were just finishing up their instruments and playing some last minute practice tunes while Alya and the rest of the classmates were setting up cargo boxes to pose as seats.

As usual, Marinette sat next to Alya and they waited for the band to get ready. 

Luka was playing a sweet tune that made Marinette sway along. He caught her eye and gave her such a sweet smile that Marinette couldn’t help but smile back just as sweet. 

Alya noticed her friend’s dreamy look and she glanced to see who she was smiling at. 

“Girl~~” Alya cooed affectionately.

“Hm? What is it, Alya?” Marinette asked, snapping out of it. 

“I thought it was bad enough that you sometimes make goo-goo eyes at Adrien without him noticing. But the way you’re making the eyes hard on Juleka's older brother?!” Alya wiggled her eyebrows playfully. 

“Whaaat? Come on, Alya, no way! It’s not like that. Besides, Luka and I barely met five minutes ago. Even if he is older, cooler, and… plays the guitar really well…” Marinette jotted down. 

Alya only laughed at her bff’s adorable antics when Mylene came by to give them earplugs.

“What's the earplugs for, Mylene?” She asked.

“Captain Ankara has a music stereo that can make really loud noises. It’s best if you put these earplugs on if you don’t want to lose your hearing,” Mylene explained. 

Marinette and Alya each took a pair of earplugs just in time when Ankara signaled her son that he could start off.

Luka shredded a single note on his guitar, and the sound was so alarmingly loud and emitted a supersonic that sent cars on the nearby street off their wheels.

Cars honked. Cats screamed. On the boat, Alya, Marinette, Nino, and Mylene hung onto their seats to avoid being blown away themselves.

Marinette, Alya and Nino had shocked looks on their faces while Mylene smiled calmly, like she had seen this before.

Thank goodness for the earplugs. And thank goodness they hadn’t been blown away.

“Wow,” was all Nino could breathe out after a moment of recognition. “What a stereo.”

Marinette and Alya could only nod in agreement.

At that moment, a bunch of police helicopters and a single police car arrived at the speed of light. 

Out of the police car popped out Lieutenant Roger with his trusty megaphone in hand. 

“Mrs. Couffaine, I know you’re someone who likes their sounds loud, but this? This is way too much!” He complained. “Your little music stereo made more decibels than the loudest noise a jet engine could make!”

“It’s Paris’s annual music festival today, officer!” Ankara complained back. “My children and their crew are allowed to play whatever they want!”

“That may be true, but what you just did wasn’t music! Look at how much damage you made on your fellow Parisians’ cars. If this keeps up, I’ll have no choice but to ban your little concert,” Roger warned.

“Lieutenant Roger isn’t wrong, Mom,” Luka piped up. “We did do a lot of damage to people's cars…”

“Alright, son, but only because you said so,” Ankara sighed in defeat. 

“Good.” Officer Roger nodded his head. “Consider this your only warning, Ankara. You’re not wrong that your children and their friends can play whatever they want, and I can’t arrest them either way since they’re all minors, but know there are boundaries when it comes to noise.”

With that, Lieutenant Roger went back to his car, and as he drove off, the police helicopters followed.

Everybody watched silently as all the police force left and then…

“Wow. That was intense. You guys okay?” Someone asked next to Marinette.

Marinette jumped and nearly fell off the boat if it weren’t for strong arms pulling her back onto the deck. 

“Er, sorry Marinette, didn’t mean to scare you.”

Marinette looked up to see Adrien standing on the deck. 

“A-Adrien!” Marinette gasped, instinctively reaching out to hold his hands, missing that he was doing the same. “Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you said your dad wouldn’t let you come!” 

“I thought so too, but he changed his mind all of a sudden,” Adrien explained. 

“Well, I don’t know what made your pops change his mind, but I’m so glad you’re here, dude!” Nino jumped to hug his best friend, who hugged back warmly. “Just in time, too. The band was just about to play!”

“Band?” Adrien looked to see Juleka on bass guitar, an older boy with an electric one, Ivan on drums, and Rose on vocals. They all happily waved to Adrien, who waved back. 

“Yeah, Rose and some others decided to open up a band,” Nino explained. “They’ve been talking about it for a while, and now they’re finally able to group! They’re still trying to think of a name though…”

“We were thinking of calling the band ‘Kitty Section.’” Rose added. “Because it’s cute, and we all like cute. And maybe, just maybe, it’s a tribute to Chat Noir. He is one of the best heroes of Paris, after all.”

“Rose, Chat Noir is the only other hero in Paris other than Ladybug,” Luka gently reminded her. 

“I know, but that still makes him the best, along with Ladybug!”

Everyone chuckled at Rose’s endearing antics before Luka went up to Adrien.

    As the excitement over Rose’s band name settled into cheerful chatter, Luka stepped down from the little stage area and approached Adrien with a calm, friendly smile.

“Hey,” he said, holding out a hand. “You must be Adrien. I’m Luka—Juleka’s older brother.”

Adrien took his hand with a surprised but genuine smile. “Nice to meet you, Luka.” 

“Likewise.” Luka’s eyes scanned the blonde thoughtfully. “You’ve got musician energy, I can feel it.”

Adrien blinked. 

“I… do?” He asked. “I mean, I do play piano thanks to my mom, but other than that, I’m not sure if I have any talent in other instruments…”

“That’s not a problem; everyone has different talents,” Luka assured. “Besides, I think I have just the perfect instrument for you, Adrien. Come with me.” 

-

Luka led Adrien and the others to the back of the houseboat. He took out a black case and gestured for Adrien to open it. 

He did so, and it seemed like a golden glow emerged from the case. 

“It’s an original ZX20.4!” Adrien exclaimed in excitement as he gently ran his fingers on the keyboard. 

“Glad you like it. Neither Jules nor I ever managed to play it. Even our mom.” Luka shared a look with his mother and they both chuckled. “Why don’t you give it a try, Adrien?” 

Everyone gave Adrien space to try the keyboard out. The first key he played emitted a gentle chime—almost like the keyboard itself was waking up in recognition.

Adrien pressed another key.

A crystal-clear note rang out, smooth and haunting. The sound was more than just musical—it was alive . His fingers moved to the next few keys, and suddenly his muscle memory kicked in, the years of lessons flooding back. He played a soft, experimental melody, hesitating at first, then gradually gaining confidence.

Everyone stood in stunned silence.

“Whoa,” Juleka whispered.

“That was amazing,” Alya, who had been recording on her cellphone, cheered. “You go, sunshine!” 

Adrien lightly laughed. 

“Thanks Alya.” 

“I had a feeling you could do it,” Luka grinned and Adrien blushed humbly with some shyness seeping in.

Rose, bubbling with excitement, clapped her hands. 

“That’s it! Adrien, you have to join our band now!” She exclaimed.

“Wait, what?!” Adrien blinked.

“Yeah!” Nino grinned. “Besides, every band needs an instrument with keys anyway. That was amazing, man!”

Adrien looked around at their excited faces, then down at his hands on the glowing keyboard.

“I guess… I’m in?”

The group erupted into cheers.

And just like that, Adrien Agreste found himself as the newest, and perhaps most unexpected, member of Kitty Section , even if he couldn’t join all the time. 

Marinette smiled, happy for Adrien, and happy that she was beginning to feel more at ease with her classmates, and that she had made yet another new friend on her own. 

Luka and her locked eyes once more and Marinette blushed and averted her gaze.

“Girl, you got baaad ,” Alya teased with a sing-song lilt. “Two cute boys on a boat.~~”

“AAAAALLLYYAA!” Marinette cried, her voice hitting a pitch only dolphins could appreciate. Her outburst caught everyone’s attention. Red-faced, she giggled nervously and gave the group a sheepish wave. Luka and Adrien were the only ones smiling at her with soft, fond expressions.

Mortified, Marinette grabbed Alya’s wrist and dragged her off toward a quieter corner of the boat to avoid digging herself into a deeper hole.

Back by the instruments, Luka chuckled quietly. 

“That Marinette girl is so funny,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “Is she always like this?”

Adrien forced a small laugh, but there was a subtle shift in his posture. Something about the way Luka spoke—gentle, amused, and a little too charmed—sparked a flicker of unease in his chest. Not jealousy exactly… but something close. Like a low hum of protectiveness rising under his skin.

It was like Luka liked liked Marinette or something. 

“Uh, yeah, Marinette’s great,” Adrien described quickly, his tone a bit sharper than usual. He forced a small smile but kept his eyes on Luka. “Now, the band—what’s the plan?”

-

They finally started to play for real when someone unexpected came onto the boat. 

As Adrien began tuning the keyboard, he heard a loud “ ADRIIKKINS!” that sent the hairs of his neck standing up and before he could register it, a bright yellow blur appeared out of nowhere and tackled him so hard he almost fell off the boat.

“Adrien!” He heard someone gasp and before he could fully fall into the water, he felt small, soft but firm hands grab onto his legs and pulled him up. 

Adrien panted heavily and looked up just in time to see Marinette, so cute and smol (:3) hoist him up with surprising strength. Adrien was amazed at how someone so petite and sweet could do this. But then again, Marinette was learning self-defense with her mom, and a few times when he, Alya, and Nino went to pick up Marinette from the bakery so they could hang out, they could see her carrying giant bags of flour like it was nothing. 

She didn’t brag about her own strength, which made her even more amazing. 

“Oh my god, Marinette! That was amazing!” Adrien could hear someone say, but he couldn’t tell who it was. 

“You saved Adrien’s life!” 

“Adrien, bro? Are you okay?” Adrien recognized Nino’s voice.

“Everyone, everyone!” Juleka’s mother’s voice rang out. “Give the poor lass room to breathe! He’s in a little bit of a shock!”

Adrien snapped out of his shock when he saw Marinette’s hand respecting his space by keeping it tight to her side. A few times, her fingers would twitch as if she wanted to feel if he was okay but kept her hand respectfully on herself. 

She was just like that. So Adrien made the move first and took her hand, squeezing it softly. 

“Thank you, Marinette,” he said quietly, the gratitude clear in his eyes.

“You’re welcome, Adrien,” Marinette said just as quietly, squeezing his hand back. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Thanks to you, I am,” Adrien let out a crooked smile. “I mean, I know how to swim, but still, I don’t think swimming in the Seine would be a good idea.”

“Yeah, it probably wouldn’t,” Marinette agreed and the two shared a little laugh. 

Chloe, full of jealousy, rudely pushed Marinette away, making her crash into some boxes. 

“Ow…” she groaned in pain and annoyance. “Why me?”

Alya gasped in shock, Nino looked angry, Luka didn’t look too happy himself but he was hiding his anger really well, but Adrien? 

Oh, he was ticked .

Adrien went to Marinette and helped her up. 

“Are you okay, Marinette?” He asked gently. 

“Yeah… thank you, Adrien,” she said. 

Adrien smiled softly at her before turning to Chloe.

“Chloe, what are you doing here?” He demanded quietly. 

“Why else am I here, Adrikins? To celebrate the concert hosting today, of course!” Chloe purred, batting her eyelashes at him. The boys gagged behind her back while the girls wrinkled their noses in disgust. 

“OK…you’re here to celebrate Paris’s music festival…” Adrien nodded slowly. “But it specifically has to be on Juleka’s houseboat?”

“Yeah, the place said you wouldn’t be going since a houseboat is too trashy for someone like you?” Nino added, placing a supportive elbow on Adrien’s shoulder. “When Juleka invited everyone, you said you weren’t going to even think of going because you weren’t going to get smelly Seine water on your designer clothing. You just came because you noticed Adrien on the boat.”

Chloe’s eye twitched at Nino’s accusations, but her silence told everyone that he was right. Chloe only came on the houseboat because Adrien was there.

Juleka went to her brother and they began whispering, while secretly casting glances at Chloe. 

The atmosphere was starting to get tense with Chloe on board. Granted, they knew Adrien was there to make sure things didn’t get worse. But the way she just invited herself without permission when originally everyone knew Chloe wasn’t going to come in the first place.

“What do you think, girl?” Alya whispered to Marinette.

“Well, besides Chloe almost knocking Adrien overboard, it was still technically an accident,” Marinette murmured back. “But it’s really up to Juleka and her family. It’s their property we’re standing on.”

Luka and Juleka had stopped whispering as the former stepped up to Chloe with a frown. 

“So… you’re Chloe Bourgeois, are you not?” He asked politely but with an edge in his voice.

“Yes!” Chloe shrieked in a way that made everyone cringe. “And who are you, Mr. Cutie?” She puckered her lips at Luka despite her nose wrinkling at the sight of his outfit.  

Adrien felt sick on Luka’s behalf and he could tell Marinette, Alya and Nino felt the same way as they all shuffled to hide behind him. 

“I’m Luka. Juleka’s older brother. I’ve heard quite a deal of you,” Luka replied. They’re all quite nasty, those unspoken words filled the air. “Along with our mom, we agree to let you stay here, since if it really seems you do want to celebrate Paris’s music festival with us… as long as you don’t do anything funny.”

“Of course, Luka-cutie, anything for you,” Chloe cooed, batting her eyelashes. Without a word of complaint, she went to sit on a makeshift seat. 

That made everyone very suspicious, especially Adrien, who knew Chloe better than anyone else. Chloe never took anything seriously before throwing a tantrum. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Luka?” Marinette softly asked. “Chloe… can do really mean stuff that can leave you physically and mentally hurt a lot.”

“Yeah, she almost stole my girl’s secret diary once,” Alya added. “If Marinette hadn’t made clever use of a box that can trap hands, she would’ve spilled all of her secrets.”

“Don’t worry, I doubt she can do much on a houseboat,” Luka assured them with a warm smile. “Besides, even if she did get something of ours, there’s nothing blackmail worthy she can do with it.”

Adrien wasn’t so sure. He glanced back at Chloe again, still smiling to herself like she knew something they didn’t.

  That was exactly what worried him. He knew that look on Chloe’s face. 

She was plotting something. And based on the way Marinette especially looked worried, that made Adrien’s senses heighten even farther.

Chapter Text

“Is something wrong, bro?” Nino whispered to Adrien when he caught his best friend’s anxious, tense look.

“I don’t know, Nino. Chloe has this look on her face. As someone who grew up with her, I can read her better than anyone else can. She’s plotting something,” Adrien whispered back. “I can’t even remember her as my childhood friend anymore.”

“I feel you, bro. If I had a childhood friend like that, I wouldn’t know what to call them now, either.” Nino comforted. “But like Luka said, this is a houseboat. I doubt there’s anything here for Chloe to grab. Just try to focus on playing with the rest of the band for now.”

Adrien agreed. For the next few moments, the boat was calm. The gentle lapping of the Seine against the hull mingled with the soft tuning of instruments and quiet chatter. The tension seemed to dissolve, replaced by the easy rhythm of friends coming together to play.

But as everyone knows—peace rarely lasts forever.

After a half hour of playing, Luka set his guitar down. 

“OK, everyone! You were all really good players. Let’s take a little break,” he announced. 

The audience clapped for the musicians as they played a last note on their instruments and settled down. 

As everyone else politely clapped, Chloe snuck to the side and texted someone, and it wasn’t even Sabrina this time. 

She couldn’t believe it. Even when she didn’t have a spine back then, Dupain-Cheng always managed to weasel her way out of Chloe’s bullying schemes. 

“Watch her,” Chloe hissed into her phone. “She can’t get away with hanging out with my Adrikins all the time.”

-

Luka had gotten some juice for everyone from the cooler, and everyone was enjoying it. They were talking in little groups, when suddenly, a pair of men (perhaps teenagers around Luka’s age) walked by the houseboat.

They wore neutral expressions and dressed like they could’ve just wandered in from the street—hoodies, caps, dark sunglasses. Nothing too alarming… at first.

Adrien was the first to notice them. 

“Hey, Luka? Do you remember inviting more people to the boat?” he asked. 

“No, but people do walk by from time to time,” Luka answered. “I can say I’ve never seen people like them before, though.”

“Oh. Cool.”

What no one expected was for those two to pounce. 

Everyone dropped their juice, and boxes were scattered to the side, some of them falling into the water. 

They aimed for the sweetest one of the pack: Marinette.

Her heart briefly stopped in fear, until she remembered the self-defense and atheism she had done all these years. Not many people knew it, but as clumsy as she was, Marinette was also secretly very athletic. 

Jogging with Socqueline and attending gymnastics lessons with her older sister figure, and practicing meditation and self-defense mixed with material arts with her mother. 

And most of all, running around rooftops with Chat Noir, especially on patrols where they would play tag and Chat would playfully tackle her whenever he was the tagger and Marinette would giggle at him acting like a real cat before Chat would respectfully get off of her and ask if she would like to be “it” for the next round. 

 Now, breathing hard and with eyes sharp, Marinette faced her attackers—almost forgetting the stunned audience watching her. All was quiet as the attackers scrambled off the houseboat, until Adrien stepped forward, breaking the silence.

“Marinette,” he hushed, coming up to her. 

“Adrien.”

“You okay?” He whispered, arms hovering protectively, but never crowding her, respecting her space as usual.

“Yeah, thanks.” Marinette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I hope I didn’t hurt them too much, though…”

“It’s okay. You were just protecting yourself. You should be proud,” Adrien assured. 

An ungodly shriek tore through the air.

Marinette jumped, her heart skipping a beat—she had almost forgotten Chloe was even there.

And when she turned to look, a chill ran down her spine.

Out of all the years Chloe had spent tormenting her with that smug, nasty little smirk, nothing compared to the sight before her now.

Because this time… Chloe wasn’t smiling.

And somehow, that made her look more dangerous than ever.

Chloe stomped over to Marinette, her icy blue eyes gleaming with fire not even Adrien had ever seen before. 

“I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, DUPAIN-CHENG! I WORKED SO HARD TO GET WHAT I WANTED THIS YEAR, AND YOU ALWAYS RUIN IT!” She screamed. “ADRIEN! CLASS REPRESENTATIVE! FRIENDS! WHAT DID YOU DO TO SUDDENLY GROW A SPINE THIS YEAR!”

“Chloe--” Adrien began seriously, feeling Marinette shaking into his shoulder. 

“DON’T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME, ADRIEN!”  Chloe screamed and without warning, she tackled Marinette.

The two girls tussled, and although Marinette was pinned, she was holding her own, but Adrien knew Marinette wouldn’t be able to hold on forever. 

Alya let out a horrified shriek. 

“Someone call the police!” She cried.

 Adrien was just as horrified. He wanted to pull Marinette out as soon as possible, but in the midst of the girls’ tussle, Chloe whipped a plastic knife out of her pocket. 

It wasn’t an actual knife, but still! They say plastic cuts are just as bad! Thinking fast, Adrien quickly pulled Marinette out of Chloe’s grasp and scooped her up in his arms, risking his own skin. Marinette was so small that her feet were off the ground the minute Adrien scooped her up. 

“Chloe, what are you doing?!” Adrien exclaimed, horror and anger filling his voice.

“What am I doing?” Chloe strained her neck to glare at the two, a loud snap sounding. Even if she was going unhinged, Adrien hoped --prayed-- that Chloe didn’t break her neck. “WHAT AM I DOING?! WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M DOING?!”

Chloe’s eyes went wild, and she stalked back and forth, ranting like a gale.

“You think you’re so perfect , Dupain-Cheng—always playing the goody-two-shoes!” she spat. “No matter how many schemes I set up, no matter how much I humiliate you, you always wriggle free. Why? Because you’ve always got at least one person in your corner even if it doesn’t look like it!”

Chloe briefly posed, mock-thinking as she tapped a manicured nail under her chin. 

“Who was that one freak who was the only one crazy enough to hang out with you last year, Marinette?” She sneered. “The same pathetic pigtails you wear right now, the one you called jia jia or whatever?”

Marinette’s blood ran cold, and she began shaking, still swept up in Adrien’s arms with her feet barely touching the ground. 

“I wonder what would happen if her little family’s Chinese art shop suddenly caught fire, or--” Chloe began before Marinette let out a horrified scream.

“ LEAVE MY JIEJIE ALONE!!”

The force of Marinette’s scream startled everyone. No one has ever heard such a pained scream from the shy, sweet girl’s mouth.

“You know what, Chloe?” Marinette panted as she jumped out of Adrien’s arms. “You’re always saying you hate me. You know what? I HATE YOU !”

Gasps rang out around them.

“You’re always picking and blaming me for things I never do,” Marinette continued. “I guess now that I think about it, I could tolerate you bullying just me, but threatening my best friend? My older sister figure?! The one person who was always there for me when no one else was?! I DARE YOU! You do not get to threaten the people I love! I can’t believe you would stoop so low to destroy something Socqueline and her family had worked on for so long! What if she or one of her parents are working in the shop and you set it on fire? Not even the mayor’s daughter can get away with bombing and attempted murder, you know!”

Marinette ended her little speech, her chest heaving rapidly up and down. Whether she was a little hoarse from shouting so much more than she ever had in her entire life or she was seconds away from a panic attack, not even Marinette herself could tell. 

It was probably both.

And although she was still facing Chloe on the boat, something in Marinette’s gut was telling her something was very, very, very, very wrong. 

Jiejie . Ay-yi. Xiue-xiue.

Without another word, she practically flew off the Couffaine houseboat. 

“Marinette, wait!” She could hear Adrien calling for her, frantic.“Oh geez! Alya, Nino!” 

But Marinette didn’t look back.

She couldn’t.

Because she knew if she did… she might not be able to stop the tears.

-

Marinette ran. Her lungs were slightly burning, but ever since becoming Ladybug, her endurance mixed with her atheism, was allowing her to tolerate the burning in her chest way more in the past if she was just a plain civilian. 

Parisians watched in concern as Marinette weaved frantically through the streets, some recognizing her as the baker’s daughter, running like her life depended on it, only stopping once to avoid getting hit by a car. 

She ran all the way to where the escalators would take her to Les Olympadies, to the Asian district where Socqueline lived. 

She was panting now. She knew it would be too much if she took the stairs so she waited for a bit before deciding to take the escalator. 

“Marinette!” 

Marinette turned to see that Adrien, Alya and Nino had followed her this whole time. All three were out of breath, with Alya slumped against Nino who in turn was slumped against Adrien, who, though panting, didn’t seem as exhausted as the other two.

“Marinette, Jesus. I knew you were fast, but I never knew you could run so fast,” Adrien panted with a tired grin. 

 “I often jogged with jiejie in the past,” Marinette mumbled. “It helped with my running skills.”

“Is the escalator where your uh, sister lives, little dudette?” Nino asked. 

“Yes. The escalator will lead us to her residence,” Marinette replied. “You’re all here, so I guess you can come with me.”

The four of them shuffled onto the escalator.

“Girl, what made you run all the way here?” Alya asked in concern.

“I honestly don’t know myself,” Marinette answered seriously. “Let’s just say I just have a bad feeling…”

-

Meanwhile, as Marinette and her friends were rushing to Socqueline, the girl in question was humming a happy tune, carrying a few small boxes she was about to place in her family’s shop for sale.

Just as she was getting close to the shop, she heard a familiar, sweet voice calling out to her. 

“ Jiejie! ” 

Socqueline turned to see Marinette literally bouncing towards her, along with three friends her age, one of them being Adrien Agreste. Of course, on their phone chats, Marinette had already mentioned how she and Adrien were close and that Socqueline herself had met him in person once or twice, but she still couldn’t stop her heart from beating. 

Socqueline set down the boxes carefully to allow Marinette to jump into her arms. 

“ Meimei, it’s so good to see you again!” The two twin-tailed girls hugged each other tightly. “I wasn’t expecting you--” the younger girl sniffed, making Socqueline alarmed and worried. “Marinette, what’s wrong?!” 

Socqueline cupped her little sister-figure’s face in a sisterly gesture.

“N-n-nothing’s wrong, jiejie ,” Marinette assured, wiping away her tears. “I just had a really bad feeling and I had to see you, that’s all.”

Adrien, Alya and Nino stood a respectful distance away as they allowed Marinette to have a moment with Socqueline. Two girls who treated each other less than friends, but more like sisters. 

After all, in Chinese tradition, close friends can consider each other honorary siblings. And that was exactly what Marinette and Socqueline did to honor the Chinese side of their families.

  It was a relief of peace and relief for all of them until suddenly--

“Hey,” Nino wrinkled his nose. “Do you guys smell that?”

“Yeah,” Adrien agreed, wrinkling his own nose. “It smells like… smoke?!”

Socqueline pulled away from Marinette when she smelled it too. Her face paled.

“Oh no no no no!” She ran towards the source. “My parents’ art shop!”

“ Jiejie, wait!” 

-

There was smoke flying up from the destruction of Socqueline’s family’s art shop, but there was no fire. The firefighters were confused. 

Socqueline slumped against Marinette in relief. 

“At least my parents weren’t inside at the time,” she sighed in relief. 

“It doesn’t seem like anything in the shop is too damaged either,” Marinette added, holding onto her sister’s arms. 

“But how come there was still smoke going around?” Nino wondered out loud. 

The rest of the group wondered the same thing. Just then, a black sphere-like object with red lining rolled over to their feet. 

“Hey, cool, looks like one of those magic 8 balls!” Nino piped up in excitement, beginning to bend down to pick up. 

Adrien suddenly felt alarm bells ringing in his head, his Chat Noir senses tingling in. 

“Wait, Nino, I don’t think you should touch that ball,” he warned his best friend. 

“How come, bro?” 

But in the midst of Nino looking at Adrien, he distractedly simply brushed his fingers against the ball, yet it exploded out with chains and not only wrapped around Nino tightly, but Alya too.

“Gah!” Both Alya and Nino cried, stumbling to the ground. Even while chained up, Nino still managed to use his arms to protect Alya so he’d hit the ground first. 

“Alya! Nino!” Adrien began to step forward to help his friends, but someone suddenly jumped in front of him. Adrien jumped back, seeing from the corner of his eye, Socqueline had grabbed Marinette’s shoulders and pulled her back protectively. He stepped in front of both girls, protecting them with his arms. 

“Arragh! Permission to speak, crew member Adrien Agreste! For it is, I, your loyal captain, Captain Hardrock!” A woman dressed up like a pirate (and talked like an actual one,) announced with a pirate-y squawk. 

“Er…” Adrien glanced back to check on the girls behind him. Marinette gave him an encouraging nod, though her eyes warned him to speak carefully. “You  may speak, Captain?”

 “That’s more like it. I apologize for chaining up your friends like this, but I had to come back to you somehow when the four of you ran off my ship,” The captain akuma said. 

Ran off my ship? Adrien repeated in his head. Then, a pang hit him. Juleka’s mom had been akumatized! After all, she was the only person he now knew that owned a boat!

“O-oh. We didn’t mean to. Marinette needed to go check on a family friend, and--” Adrien began when Captain Hardrock whipped out a glowed red sword. 

Yikes! Adrien straightened up and felt Marinette’s jacket sleeve brushing against his fingers as he pushed her and Socqueline further behind him. 

“Mom!” Someone shouted from a distance. 

Everyone turned to see Luka Couffaine running up. Had he run from the Seine himself? He barely looked out of breath himself! 

“Mom, please!” Luka panted, stepping in front of Adrien, who in turn was still protecting the girls. “Leave them alone! I know what Chloe did was horrible, but they had nothing to do with this! They’re just kids! I’m sure Marinette didn’t mean to run off your boat; like Adrien said, she just wanted to check on a family friend.”

“Oh, my sweet loving son,” Captain Hardrock purred. “Luka, I’m not going to hurt your friends. I just want them to be part of my crew.”

“They can be,” Luka agreed. “But not when you’re like this.”

 Captain Hardrock (Anarka) seemed to take in her son’s words when all of a sudden, Hawk Moth’s butterfly mask appeared in front of her face. Everyone tensed. 

It was Adrien who tensed the most of all when he swore he felt Captain Hardrock’s eyes locked onto his own longer than he was comfortable with. He felt Marinette’s terrified breaths against his shoulder. Although she couldn’t fully understand what was going on, there was no doubt she was scared for him as soon as she felt him tensing.

After a long, agonizing, maybe 30 seconds, the butterfly mask disappeared.   

Without a word, Captain Hardrock's face hardened, but she didn’t attack. Not really. 

She instead wrapped them all in chains. Luka and Marinette were wrapped in chains together, as was Adrien and Socqueline. Alya and Nino had long been wrapped up themselves. 

Then she whipped them high into the air.

“ MOOOMMM! What are you doing?!” Luka exclaimed. 

“ 妹妹!我怕高!” The usually brave Socqueline squeezed her eyes shut, calling for her sister-figure. 

“姐姐！It’ll be okay!” Marinette promised, although she was unconvinced herself. She was more used to jumping from heights as Ladybug all the time, but she couldn’t deny the fear she had pumping in her own heart. Mostly because it was an akuma who was dragging her and her friends up in the air against their will.

  If Luka’s mom drops us, I’ll have no choice but to transform into Ladybug to save myself and my friends, Marinette thought to herself, looking worriedly to see everyone had their eyes squeezed shut in fear. Their lives were more important than protecting secret identities. 

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, they all landed on the Couffaine houseboat. 

Only it didn’t look like the Couffaine houseboat anymore. It looked more like the Jolly Roger , the infamous pirate boat owned by Peter Pan’s arch-nemesis, Captain Hook. Whatever object Mrs. Couffaine had when she was akumatized, it must’ve caused the magic to spread alongside the boat, too.  

 As soon as Anaraka landed herself, she released all the chains trapping the teenagers. 

“We’re…free?” Luka questioned out loud. 

“Don’t get too cocky, son. I’m only letting you free because you’re my son, and your friends…well,” Captain Hardrock sounded nothing like the caring mother she once was. “I won’t do anything to them.”

The threatening unspoken word of yet hung in the air. 

“Well then!” Captain Hardrock’s tone twisted into something almost gleeful. “I need to steer my ship. Any volunteers?”

No one moved.

Nino kept his arms wrapped tightly around Alya, shielding her with his own body. She clung to him just as fiercely, both still shaken from the earlier blast.

Socqueline had her arms protectively curled around Marinette, holding her close like a big sister shielding her younger sibling from the world. Marinette’s hands fisted into Socqueline’s sweater, eyes still wide from the fear and confusion of what had just happened.

Adrien stood nearby, his hands twitching uselessly at his sides. He wished— God , he wished—he was the one holding Marinette like that. The way Nino held Alya. The way Socqueline wrapped her arms around her like nothing in the world would be allowed to hurt her.

Wait, what?
 

The thought hit him like a slap.
 

He quickly looked away, heat rising to his ears.

Captain Hardrock, oblivious—or perhaps perfectly aware—of the tangled web of emotions in front of her, let out a booming laugh.

“No volunteers? What a shy little crew I’ve got!”

Captain Hardrock stomped forward, her gaze sharp and commanding as she surveyed them all.

Then, her eyes locked onto one person—Adrien.

Before Captain Hardrock could say a word, Luka quickly grabbed Adrien’s arm. Though they’d only known each other for less than a day, Luka already felt a fierce protectiveness toward Adrien, like the little brother he never had.

“Hey,” Luka said quietly but firmly, “Don’t let her scare you. We’ve got this.”

Adrien looked at Luka, grateful for the unexpected reassurance amid the storm. Luka knew his own mother. There was a slight reassurance that Anarka wouldn’t hurt any of them, even as an akuma, unless they really provoked her or something. 

Captain Hardrock’s piercing gaze stayed fixed on Adrien as the eerie silhouette of Hawk Moth’s butterfly mask suddenly flickered into view once again. The air thickened with tension, everyone instinctively stiffening.

Adrien’s heart pounded—he could feel the weight of those eyes on him, as if Hawk Moth himself was judging every breath.

But then, with a sudden, furious snap, Captain Hardrock broke the silence.

“Why do you care so much, Hawk Moth?” she spat, voice dripping with venom. Without hesitation, she swung her glowing red sword in a wide arc.

The blade whooshed through the air—missing everyone by inches—and slammed into the wooden deck near the compass steering wheel, splintering the wood with a loud crack.

The message was clear: she was dangerous, unpredictable—and ready for a fight.

“I’m taking you too,” Captain Hardrock pointed sharply at Marinette. 

Before Marinette could even get a word of protest out, she found her arm roughly grabbed. 

“Marinette!” Socqueline and Alya (Alya!) squeaked in horror.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m taking my son and pretty boy too,” Captain smirked. “Come along boys.”

The trio shared a look and huddled close as they reluctantly followed Luka’s akumatized mother. 

“Hey, Luka?” Adrien whispered. “What caused your mom to be akumatized in the first place, anyway?”

“Well, it was just after you and Marinette left the ship…” Luka started.

As soon as Marinette ran off with Adrien, Alya and Nino following her, Luka had stepped up, glaring angrily at Chloe.

“What did you do that for?” Luka demanded.

“Moi? I didn’t do anything,” Chloe batted her eyes innocently. 

“Don’t lie,” Luka hissed. “Doesn’t mean we never met personally doesn’t mean I know you, Chloe Bourgeois. My little sister had more than enough horror stories she always tells me about you. The most of them is you always taking it out on Marinette the most. What has she ever done to you in your lives?”

“And since when did you decide to go buddy-buddy with Dupain-Cheng?” Chloe suddenly snarled, her fake sweetness vanishing. “You’ve barely known her for less than a day!”

Luka stood up, using the height difference to his advantage.

“I may have known Marinette for less than a day, true,” he admitted. “But I also could tell the bitter feelings she had in her heart finally exploded. For years, Marinette had been tolerating your bullying as best as she could, but what you did today… was the last snap of the string for her.”

Juleka popped up from behind her brother when she caught Chloe’s shocked look on how Luka managed to find out she had been picking on Marinette for all their years in school.

“My big brother has this neat ability to read people’s feelings,” she praised, patting Luka on the back. “Helps with playing guitar all the time and learning music is more about learning about music.”

“Thanks, little sis,” Luka chuckled gently.

“...And I suppose you can get the rest. I’m really glad you got off the ship while you still could, though,” Luka added on. “It was a really tense scene.”

Chloe had started screaming and  insulting the Couffaine siblings. Ankara’s motherly instincts for her children flared up and she picked up her son’s guitar to blast Chloe to the other side of the ship with the loudspeakers. 

Unfortunately, this alerted Lieutenant Roger and his police force again. 

Lieutenant Roger told Captain Couffaine what he had warned earlier: The music was way too loud to be considered appropriate. Chloe added loudly that their speakers attacked her, and being that she was the mayor’s daughter, everyone bent to her will.

Agent Roger then began to proceed giving Anarka a bunch of fine tickets. This only irritated the captain boat owner further and she began ripping the paper off, which only made Roger angrier and gave her more tickets. 

“After that, Mom went into the dock to calm down. Before I could go check on her, the boat transformed into…well, this.” Luka gestured to the new boat that looked like the Jolly Roger.

“Yikes,” Marinette whispered in sympathy. Adrien sighed in agreement, feeling sorry for Luka’s family and beginning to feel upset with Chloe. She did a lot of awful things, but this took the cake. She shouldn’t have even come to the Couffaine houseboat in the first place. Yes, she was invited (though she initially rejected the invitation), but if she was going to come, common courtesy, let the people hosting know in advance before coming at the last minute.

That’s when a loud clang rang from inside the steering wheel room. 

“Luka! What are you and those scallywags doing?!” Ankara-- no, Captain Hardrock demanded. Her voice no longer sounded motherly for her son, nor friendly for Adrien and Marinette.

“Er… sorry, Mom!” Luka blurted out, trying to keep his voice steady for the younger ones but still trembled slightly. “I was just getting to know Marinette and Adrien better.”

The door to the wheelhouse opened, and the darkness made Captain Hardrock’s black eye makeup look even scarier. 

“There will be plenty of time for that later,” she snapped. “Right now, I need all of you!” she whipped out a chain and grabbed all three of their wrists and forcefully yanked them inside.

Chapter Text

Marinette found herself squished between Adrien and Luka in the cramped room. The steering wheel had a compass attached to it, and even with Captain Hardrock steering expertly, it still spun like crazy. 

Maybe that’s where the akuma is, Marinette thought, but she held it in for herself. The last thing she wanted was to provoke her new friend’s akumatized mother even more and put Adrien, Luka, and herself in even more danger than they all already were.

Speaking of which, now that she thought about it, Captain Hardrock didn’t look so scary when she first appeared in front of them, but according to Luka, his mother could be pretty stubborn at times, and unfortunately, that could get her in trouble at times.

He wasn’t wrong. But now Anarka didn’t seem to just be stubborn. She was akumatized, and akumatization made people unpredictable. Marinette learned that as a civilian, she had to be extremely careful if she got caught in one of the akuma attacks and she couldn’t transform into Ladybug right away. Chat Noir would always show up at the right time to allow her to slip away and transform herself, but so far, there was no sign of him. 

I hope Chat’s okay, Marinette thought as she began feeling more anxious. But I hope he gets here soon. I don’t know how long we can hold on being so close to an akuma any longer. 

Marinette glanced up to check on Adrien and Luka. Both boys were wearing calm, neutral expressions on their faces; hands crossed behind their backs respectfully like military soldiers. They were hiding their own fears pretty well but their faces kept twitching. There was no doubt that one of them was going to lose it if this kept up.   

After a long, tense silence, Captain Hardrock addressed her son, but not in the way he loved. 

She whipped around to glare at the three of them. 

“Son,” she began, but it wasn’t the normal affection she held for Luka. Adrien felt a cold shiver down his spine. Even his own father saying that word would sound warmer. Marinette, though trying to look brave, twitched too, her pinkie finger unconsciously touching his.

“Yes, Mom--I mean, Captain Hardrock?” Luka asked, correcting himself when the pirate villain gave him a look that she currently didn’t want to be called Mom.  

“That little excuse of a lieutenant officer banned me from the music festival,” she hissed, pacing back and forth fiercely, her boots thundering loudly against the floorboards. “Well, if they ban me, I’ll ban them!”

She whipped around to grin at them. Her grin was so unsettling that it sent the neck of all three teens’ hairs on the back of their necks standing up, and unconsciously, Adrien and Luka shifted to shield Marinette, the current only female of their little trio. 

“We…”she continued as she signaled the magic steering boat wheel to the edge of where most of the music festival was hosting their plays. “Are going to bomb that silly little music festival!”

“Y-you can’t do that!” Marinette gasped out, and the boys looked at her in concern but let her speak, trusting her completely. “Captain, I understand you’re upset and hurt, but you can’t lash it out on other people! They weren’t even aware of your situation and you could hurt millions of innocent people!”

Captain Hardrock seemed to consider Marinette’s reasoning, but the butterfly mask suddenly flickered briefly against her face, and she suddenly grabbed her sword, swung it around in a red light, and it seemed that the sword didn’t just seem to swing at her opponents.

“Oh, sweet little landlubber,” she hissed. “You think you can reason with a pirate?”

In a flash of red, summoned up a figure Marinette would’ve never expected to see in real life. 

She’d seen him from movie screens, pictures from Peter Pan fairy tales her parents had read to her when she was little before bed, and even some…less than child friendly stories about him - though as she got older her parents always assured her it was just a story for adults to scare naughty children - but she would never have expected to see him in real life. 

Captain Hook.

“Marinette!” Adrien whisper-shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her back protectively. Luka, already feeling a brotherly fondness for both of them despite knowing each other for less than 24 hours, grabbed both of them and wrapped his arms around them.

Captain Hook was way taller than Marinette ever expected. She had already suspected so even through a TV screen from a movie she watched with her parents when she was younger that starred the villainous pirate. Even as a 6-year-old at the time, while knowing it was just a movie and Captain Hook was really an actor, Marinette couldn’t but help still curl into her father’s side, her petite frame being able to hide in his massive arm completely, and her father promised her it was just a movie and assured her even if Hook was ever a real person, he’d be there to protect her and her mother.

But that was years ago, and now standing on a ship that had not one, but two pirates that could slice you in half alive if you said even the tiniest thing that could offend them, Marinette realized with a cold jolt she didn’t have the comfort and protection of her father right next to her.

Where did I even reach for him? Marinette thought frighteningly. Her breath hitched when she realized…

She barely reached Hook’s waist. 

Unable to try to stay strong for herself and the boys still holding her protectively anymore, Marinette buried her face into the soft fabric of Luka’s hoodie. 

“Marinette, are you okay?!” Luka asked, tightening his arm around her comfortingly; immediately. Clearly he had experience due to being an older brother, and he had probably done the same for Juleka whenever she got scared when she was younger, too.

Adrien hovered nearby in support, debating on if he should comfort her too, or just let Luka do it, as he was already doing a good job. But just then he heard Plagg hissing in warning in his pocket, and Adrien’s own hand unconsciously dropped onto Marinette’s shoulder, the soft strands of her pigtails brushing against his fingers every time she moved the slightest bit. 

Hook was coming.   

“Well, well, well,” Captain Hook drawled. “What do we have here?” 

His shadow didn’t cover Adrien or Luka too much as they were both tall for their ages, but sweet petite Marinette tucked in their arms wasn’t so lucky. Even without looking up, Marinette could feel the darkness along with Luka’s arm tensing around her shoulders and Adrien’s thumb stroking the hairs of her pigtails. 

“You!” Captain Hook pointed his hook hand towards Adrien. The boy flinched but his eyes didn’t flicker, stood up straight and let out his best glare he had as Chat Noir that his lady joked that every time he did that, it was the most serious she’d ever seen him but they both knew it would be handy dealing with their more difficult akuma victims.

“Gololden hair, skin like sunlight. You could pass for one of those storybook princes, boy. You’re even wearing a ring. Funny little thing, aren’t you?” Hook began using his non-hook hand to grab Adrien’s hand and possibly snatch his ring away.

Adrien’s heart pounded in fear. There was no way he could let someone as villainous as Hook to even simply touch his miraculous like that. 

Thinking fast, Adrien jerked his hand back, curling it protectively into a fist before tucking it beneath his shirt. He felt Plagg nuzzle against his chest through the fabric, reassuring but tense.

“Don’t! That’s my mom’s!” He blurted out. If he was alone, he would’ve winced at the lie, but saying anything was better than revealing the powers of a simple, ordinary looking ring. 

“That’s my mom’s!” Hook mocked Adrien. “You’re such a mama’s boy, aren’t you? Well guess what, little laddie. I threw my mother into the ocean. She hit a rock and then she sunk. Into the water.”

 Adrien felt Luka’s fingers stiffen on his shoulder and Marinette let out a terrified gasp into his other shoulder. Adrien himself gaped at the villainous pirate in horror and disgust. Even if he was a villain, who would dare talk about their own mother like that?!

“I’m just joking!” Hook started laughing like crazy, slapping his legs and wobbling around the cabin. Adrien, Luka and Marinette quickly backed away from him as much as they could. “Children these days! So serious! It’s actually admirable, really!”

He’s more insane than the movies made him, Marinette thought frantically. Clutching Luka’s sleeve, she darted her eyes around the cabin, but there wasn't really anything they could use to defend themselves. The boat was still moving, which made them even more trapped, as there was nothing but water around them.

Wait, the water from the seine might help them! Sure, the water was slightly smelly, and they’d all have to take a million showers later, but if this kept up, they’d be in Captain Hook’s clutches forever!

Quickly, Marinette tugged on both Adrien and Luka’s sleeves. They looked down at her instantly, eyes softening. 

“Can you boys swim?” She asked in a whisper only for them. 

The two boys exchanged a confused look but nodded anyway.

“Yeah. As an owner of a houseboat, Mom had Jules and I learn some lessons just in case,” Luka replied. “We had a few incidents where it was just a drizzle of rain and even that was enough to tip the boat over.”

“My father made me do swimming lessons too. He said it’s to promote our swimsuit lines better but I know it’s just an excuse for him to force me onto more lessons,” Adrien added, wrinkling his nose. “Why?”

“I know it’s smelly and risky,” Marinette took a breath. “But we can’t stay here. We need to jump off the boat, swim to the nearest shore, and get help.”

Luka blinked, not sure whether to praise Marinette or call her crazy. Adrien had the same look on his face, but at the same time, he had this look of admiration that reminded Marinette of her partner’s whenever she explained a complicated plan with her lucky charm to him.

“Marinette, are you sure? Because Seine water isn’t the best thing to swim in,” Luka stated.

“I know it’s going to feel disgusting, but Marinette’s right, Luka,” Adrien replied, placing his hands supportively on her shoulders. “Not only is your mom akumatized, but she also summoned another pirate that could slice us alive with just a swing of his hook. I don’t think even Ladybug and Chat Noir can reason with a man like him.”

Luka pursed his lips, clearly looking like he wanted to argue, but it was two against one. In the end, he realized the younger teens were right. Plus, he wanted to get help too, to save his mother and prevent his little sister from being hurt. 

“Alright, we’ll jump. But we can’t do it right away,” he finally agreed. “From what I can remember, Hook can swim too.” 

“What are you laddies talking about?” 

The whole time they’ve been planning, they didn’t even hear Hook approaching them. The three teens all gasped, and Adrien didn’t even register himself tightening his arms around Marinette, pulling her closer.

“N-nothing,” Luka stated casually. 

“It’s just…” Adrien added, making his voice trail off like he didn’t know how else to continue his next words.

“Just what, boy? Speak up!” Hook suddenly snapped, his patience quickly running out. His furiousness even rolled off the cabin walls. 

Woah. He was getting aggressive fast. Marinette and her friends knew they had to get out of here fast. 

“Marin-- Ah, the girl,” Luka started, almost accidentally saying Marinette’s real name. “Can get quite seasick sometimes.”

“Seasick?” Hook raised a brow, as if he didn’t believe them. 

“Yes, very seasick. I know it doesn’t look like it right now, but it can also happen at random times,” Luka explained. 

That was her cue. Marinette slumped in Adrien’s arms, groaning. 

“Adrien, I’m suddenly starting not to feel so well,” she complained. Truthfully, she wasn’t, but not to the point of getting seasick. 

“You must be getting seasick,” Adrien gave her a reassuring squeeze, making sure not to squeeze too hard for extra emphasis. “Why don’t we take you up deck? You might feel better if you do so.”

“That would be nice…thanks…” Marinette lolled her head against his arm. 

 “Come on, little one,” Luka placed a gentle hand on her back, rubbing circles, pretending he didn’t know Marinette better than as his sister’s classmate. “We don’t want anything coming out of you on this fine captain’s floor, don’t we?”

“Nooo…’’ Marinette groaned, forcing her voice to wobble as best as she could.

Captain Hook’s nose wrinkled. 

“Well, these floors are the cleanest I’ve ever seen and I certainly don’t want a mutiny throwing herself up all over it. Go up deck, quickly.” 

“Yes, captain.” Adrien and Luka chorused, sharing a look, trying not to grin. They helped Marinette upstairs, with her still acting seasick in front of the pirate until they were fully up deck. 

Up deck, they could see their friends still tied up in chains. Luka rushed to hug Juleka. Adrien rushed to hug Nino, while Marinette ran to hug Alya and Socqueline. 

“Girl/mei mei, you’re okay!” Alya and Socqueline chorused to Marinette. Even tied up in chains, they managed to free their arms to hug the smaller girl.

“That I am girls, but try not to get too loud. I’m supposed to be pretending I’m seasick right now,” Marinette pressed a finger to her lips. “And Adrien, Luka and I will get you out of those chains, I promise. But we’ll need to get off deck to be able to do so.”

“But how, girl?” Alya asked. “Unless you want to take a dip in the Seine, there’s not really much you can do.”

“Actually…” Marinette began, wringling her fingers nervously together. 

Socqueline immediately caught on and narrowed her eyes at the younger pigtailed girl. 

“Mei mei, I know that look of yours. You’re about to do something stupid, aren’t you?” She questioned like a true older sister scolding her younger sibling. 

“I know it’s not ideal, jiejie, but we don’t have a choice…” Marinette argued weakly until they heard rapid footsteps. 

“Marinette, Adrien! My mom’s coming!” Luka warned. 

“Sorry, girls, but I promise I’ll be fine!” Marinette assured Alya and Socqueline. 

Before either of them could protest, Marinette was already rushing into position with the boys. 

She, Luka, and Adrien rushed to the edge of the ship, climbed on, squeezing each other’s hands for a brief moment, then dived into the water.