"Hey, Adrien."
"Hm?" Adrien responded absentmindedly.
Nino spoke as the two walked side by side. "Alya and I are having a disagreement. And I was wondering if you could help me out with it."
That got Adrien's attention. Nino and Alya didn't usually have disagreements. She was so stubborn and bold that his best friend usually just let her rant until she ran out of energy.
"Sure, I mean what's the problem?" He asked concerned.
"It's just a simple question." Nino shrugged. "I mean the answers obvious, but Alya won't admit she's wrong."
Adrien was suddenly very suspicious. Chances were it was something silly.
"Okay, here we go." Nino steeled himself. "Who would win in a fight; Ladybug or Chat Noir?"
The blond stared at his friend. Was that seriously some kind of debate?
Despite his surprise, Adrien knew he had a duty to answer.
"In a fair fight?"
"Of cour-"
"Ladybug."
A stunned silence followed.
"Wha- but dude," Nino gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "Chat Noir's way stronger than she is!"
"And Ladybugs smarter." Adrien put in matter-of-factly. "Besides, she's the one who always saves the day in the end. Plus hasn't Chat Noir fought Ladybug before and always been beaten?"
"Well yeah, but those were never conclusive!"
Nino sounded so defensive of the male superhero that Adrien couldn't help but smile. It was nice to know that at least one person thought so highly of him, but really when it came down to brass facts Ladybug had always won in the few instances they'd been forced to fight one another.
On the corner ahead of the two friends stood Alya and Marinette. Alya noticed them first, and from the grin on her face and the frown on Nino's Adrien could tell that his best friend was about to get an earful.
"Ugh, that boy can just be so frustrating sometimes," Alya grunted as she and Marinette waited on the street corner across from Marinette's family bakery.
Marinette looked at her with a concerned look in her eyes. "Are you and Nino having problems?"
"I'll say we're having problems! Nino's being stubborn and won't admit that I'm right about Ladybug."
Somehow I doubt Nino's the stubborn one. Marinette thought.
She blinked at Alya and asked, somewhat amused, "What about Ladybug? You don't have another crazy theory about who she is, do you?"
"No new leads on that yet." her best friend sighed. "Nah girl, it's something different. Someone made a post on my blog about it last night and the whole comment section went crazy! It's just a simple question about Ladybug and Chat Noir, but people seem to agree pretty consistently on it. I mean there are some detractors."
At this point, Alya glanced down the street meaningfully at an approaching Nino.
But Marinette was too distracted by the subject to pay him any mind. A question about her and Chat Noir?
For a moment Marinette feared it might have to do with their relationship. One or two people had given hints about what they thought, but Mari had always taken it for granted that such people were in the minority. Couldn't a boy and a girl run around and fight evil without people thinking they were dating?
Honestly, it was all Chat Noir's fault. Him and all his stupid flirts and puns. She'd have to make sure she had a talk with him later.
"Hey, Nino! Lemme guess, Adrien chose the right answer?"
Nino shot a playful glare at the incredibly handsome sunbeam that stood by his side. "Yeah yeah, the traitor is on your side."
"Oh come on Nino don't be like that."
"O-On your side?" Marinette asked nervously. The last thing she wanted was for Adrien to go thinking she and Chat Noir were dating. "Alya, what are you guys talking about?"
"Hey!" Nino hopefully gestured towards Marinette. "What does Marinette think about it?"
"Think about what?" She repeated.
"Oh c'mon Nino!" Alya rolled her eyes. "Can't you admit that you're wrong? Besides, Marinette's my best friend. Obviously, she knows who'd win in a fight."
A fight? Marinette blinked in confusion.
So it wasn't about the rumors of her and Chat Noir's relationship?
"Well have you asked her yet?" Nino pushed.
"Asked me what?" the raven haired girl was started to get irritated. "Will someone please tell me what this is all about?"
"It's like this," Alya explained. "People wanna know who'd win in a fight. Ladybug or Chat Noir."
Marinette stared at her.
"But," she began. "They're partners. Why would they fight each other?"
"Oh, it's just one of those silly questions people come up with." Adrien shrugged.
Marinette tried to seem as casual as possible as Adrien spoke to her.
The blond boy continued on. "Y'know kind of like how people argue whether batman or superman would win in a fight. It's not about their relationship but more about their ability."
"Someone's been reading a lot of internet forums." Nino teased, then focusing his attention back on Marinette he went on. "Alya say's Ladybug would win in a fight, but I think it'd be Chat Noir."
"Which is totally wrong FYI." Alya put in. "But c'mon Marinette. Humor him and tell us. Who'd win in a fight? Ladybug or Chat Noir?"
Marinette hesitated. It was such a silly question. She and Chat were a team, an unstoppable team. There was no reason she would ever willingly fight Chat Noir and no reason Chat would ever willingly fight her. The few times the two had come to blows it was only because her poor partner was being controlled by some akuma.
But it might seem suspicious if Marinette didn't give a clear answer. And there was a clear answer to give, she was sure of it.
"In a…" she began carefully. "In a FAIR fight?"
Alya and Nino both nodded.
"With no evil hate arrows, voodoo dolls, or mind altering perfumes?"
Again they both nodded.
"Well," Marinette shrugged. "It's obvious who'd win."
"Ha I knew you'd come around to my side girl-" Alya began, but Marinette quickly cut her off.
"Chat Noir," Marinette said firmly.
Nino grinned joyously at Marinette while Alya and Adrien just stared at her.
"What?" Alya asked sincerely surprised. "But Ladybugs already beat him like, a gazillion times! Plus she's like, way smarter than he is!"
"Well maybe," Marinette wasn't about to imply that her partner was stupid when he wasn't. "But Chat's… well, Chat's braver."
It may have just been her imagination but Marinette could have sworn she saw Adrien blush.
"B-besides," she carried on gaining confidence as she went. "Ladybug only ever fought Chat Noir when he was under the control of a villain right?"
"Well, yes." Alya conceded. "But she still beat him!"
"I'm sorry Alya but she didn't," Marinette spoke like someone informing a class of the proper course of events in a history lecture. "I mean you filmed a lot of those confrontations yourself, right? Ladybug never really beat him for good. She snapped him out of it, flung him away, or otherwise immobilized him temporarily sure, but she never beat him."
The three were now staring at her, and Marinette quickly became aware that she had been running her mouth off. Alya in particularly was looking at her through narrowed eyes. It was the same look she gave when she had observed something interesting.
Oh no, Oh no, Oh no. Had she accidentally said something incriminating?
"Marinette… I can't believe I didn't see it before." Alya began.
"L-Listen Alya," Marinette stammered. "I-I would've told you before, but it was something secret so I… I mean I had to…"
Her best friend cut her off, "Marinette you're…"
The girl stiffened, ready for the accusation to slip from her best friends lips.
"You're…. You're a Chat Noir fan aren't you?!"
Immediately Marinette crumpled against the nearby lamp post.
"Hahah! I knew it!" Nino cheered. "Marinette's always had great taste!"
As Nino celebrated his victory, Alya tried to calm him down by reminding him that at least half of Paris STILL thought that Ladybug would win.
Whilst their best friends carried on their own conversation, Adrien came over to stand next to Marinette.
"Did you mean it?" he asked in a tone Marinette could not quite define.
"Mean what?" she looked up into his green eyes.
"What you said about Chat Noir. About him being brave."
"W-well…"
It occurred to Marinette that Adrien had thought that Ladybug would have been the winner of the hypothetical bout. If she just changed her answer and agreed with him now, then she might gain some ground with her crush.
All she would have to say is something to the effect of, Well no, you're right! Ladybug would win every time! And then she and Adrien might talk, go out and get a snack together, maybe even go to the park… And before they both knew it they'd be together!
All Marinette had to do was take back was she had said about Chat Noir. It would be easy enough. It wasn't like he would ever hear about the debate, and it was even more likely that he wouldn't care.
But just as the thought of changing her mind came into her head she remembered all the times Chat Noir had placed himself in danger for her. He was always either distracting the villain, taking hits for Ladybug or otherwise doing all of the grunt work. She had almost lost Chat Noir more times than she cared to admit.
And at those times, she'd been a lot more scared than she cared to admit.
So somehow, it didn't seem right to say anything other than the truth.
"Well," Marinette sighed as her potential date with Adrien slipped through her fingers. "Yes. He is very brave. A lot braver than me. I couldn't do what he does."
"I see," Adrien muttered quietly.
Marinette stared down at the concrete. Even if she had lost her chance at gaining ground with Adrien, she wouldn't change her opinion. If it came to a real fair fight with no tricks; she sincerely believed that Chat Noir would win. He would persevere a lot longer than she would and as far as sheer power went he far outclassed Ladybug.
"I meant what I said too." Adrien's voice drifted to her ears. "I think that between the two of them Ladybug's the smartest."
A small silence passed between them.
"But," Marinette looked up as Adrien carried on. "I think Chat Noir would be happy to hear that someone as nice as you thinks he's brave."
As she stared at him he stammered on, "A-at least that's what I think."
Marinette couldn't help it. She giggled and replied, "And I think Ladybug would be very flattered to know someone like you thinks she's so smart."
Both of them awkwardly avoided one another's gaze. Both caught up in their own little worlds.
Adrien thinks Ladybug is smart huh? Marinette thought happily. That's nice to know.
Marinette think Chat Noir is brave? Adrien could feel a bit of a confidence boost coming on. Guess I must be doing something right.
Both of them were taken out of their own little worlds as Alya and Nino's discussion moved on to a new topic.
"Okay but we can both agree that LB and CN are like, totes a thing right?"
"Well obviously!" Alya rolled her eyes. "All of Paris knows that!"