Uncovered Mask

ALL CHARACTERS ARE AGED FROM AT LEAST SEVENTEEN TO EIGHTEEN!

"We passed each other like strangers,

I love you to death, until I'm driven crazy.

I will love you through eternity, I'm not letting you go.

I must find you."

~Chapter One~

"Chat! Watch out!" Ladybug's voice rang out throughout the empty street as a car was flung at Chat Noir by the villain of the week. Luckily, he had heard her desperate cry to help and moved out of the way, doing a back-flip in a showoff way.

He smirked at her, "Thanks, bugaboo." She scoffed, shaking her head and remembering the task at hand. Ladybug, Marinette's alter ego, blocked all of the villain's moves, grunting at the punches that she failed to put off, which only happened to make her more determined to save the akuma's victim.

The villain was only a little girl, similar to that of Manon, but with the power of toys on her side. It was a stranger, no one she knew, but she was called 'The ToyKeeper', and she used anything considered a toy as her minions or tools.

Ladybug screamed as she was thrown into the ground. She saw more toys start to surround her as she barely regained herself and whined, "Really?!"

After receiving a painful punch to the face, and noticing his lady's distress, Chat Noir finally delivered a hard kick to the villain's side. The girl cried out, wanting sympathy, but that part had been over. The team of superheroes only fell for that once, and never again would they.

Chat Noir scoffed, "Nice act, but you're not fooling anyone." The little girl rolled her eyes and proceeded to stand once again. Suddenly, all the toys that had once been surrounding and fighting both Ladybug and the rest of Paris, ran and joined the girl. The girl's suit, which was a stuffed bear, morphed into a giant form of her former suit.

At first, Ladybug and Chat attempted to fight against it, but once realizing it was too big for them, they started to run. Ladybug used her yo-yo to swing on a building, running while looking for a chance to use her lucky charm. Her partner followed suit, and the bear chased. Now on the Eiffel Tower with the giant bear following fast, she exclaimed, "Lucky Charm!" An extra long and large piece of rope fell into her hands.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Ladybug looked to Chat, but he just shrugged.

"I don't know, but you better do it fast! I don't know if I can bear anymore punches." She rolled her eyes as Chat smirked at her, and looked around for something to use with this. Her eyes finally looked at the bear suit and she smirked.

"Chat, use your cataclysm at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower to tip it over!"

"But-"

"Trust me, Chat!" Her eyes looked pleadingly, yet in a commanding way, into his completely green ones. He sighed, yielding to her look.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" He ran down to the bottom quickly as the giant sized villain neared.

"Cataclysm!" His hand ran against the two bottom legs of the tower facing the villain. As the Tower tilted toward the girl, she gasped and the bear held up the Tower with its giant paws. Seizing the opportunity, Ladybug ran and tied the bear's legs together, making the villain slip and lose her balance. The Eiffel Tower fell, in an angle, and onto the villain, pinning her down, and leaving her vulnerable. Ladybug, using her yo-yo, wrapped it around one of the large bear's arms and then tore it off, releasing the dark akuma.

"NO!" The girl shouted in a sob, and Chat Noir went to stand next to his crush.

A small akuma was released from the now torn bear, and Ladybug smiled. "No more evilizing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!"

Her yo-yo snatched the akuma inside, and then released a white butterfly.

"Bye-Bye, little butterfly." It flew off, and the magic spread, fixing the Tower and reverting the villain to its former person.

The little girl held her hurting head, "What happened?"

Ladybug smiled once again, and Chat Noir's fist met hers. "Pound it!"

With the akuma gone, the small child had returned home with her mother. Ladybug's earrings rang, notifying her of her upcoming transformation. And so did Noir's, she waved bye to him, but was surprised when his hand held her back.

"Ladybug... Why can't we-"

"I need to go, Chat." Her voice was stern and cold. Not even glancing at him, she rudely shoved his hand off her shoulder and swing her yo-yo, disappearing into the night. Saddened, he ran off as well, retreating home.

A groan left her lips as Marinette's back collapsed onto the bed. She was exhausted, especially when it was so late. As the adrenaline from the fight was still running through her veins, she couldn't fall asleep. Her mind flashed back to earlier.

"Ladybug..." The look on Chat's face... Did he really... He couldn't. Could he? But... Adrien...

Tikki noticed the frustration in her friend's face. "What's on your mind, Marinette?"

The seventeen-year old sighed, "It's just... Our identities. Remind me why we can't know each other's identity, Tikki."

"Because you'll be put in danger! It isn't safe for anyone to know who you are," Tikki paused. "Marinette, you wouldn't-"

"Of course not! I wouldn't dream of it." Marinette closed her eyes, her heart ached remembering the sadness in her partner's eyes. "It's just... Why would it matter if we did? If no one knew but us-"

"It could ruin the partnership, Marinette. If it was someone you couldn't stand, even if it was someone you were friends with, it would change your entire world."

The girl sighed and clutched her pillow to her chest. "You're right..."

She knew what Tikki said was right. Logically, she also knew it was the right thing to do. Yet, her heart yearned for something else.

Adrien's yell of frustration echoed against the walls of his room as his hands threw the basketball, and yet again, missed. Plagg looked at him, in both worry and confusion. "Whoa, you okay? Looks like you could use some Camembert..."

The young superhero shook his head, "It's just... I can't stop thinking about-"

"Let me guess. Ladybug?"

"Yeah!" The kwami's sarcastic tone didn't register inside the young man's brain, and he continued to rant to the magical creature. "I mean, she's so courageous and beautiful but... I don't even know who she is. It pains me to know that she'd never trust me enough...let alone even love me."

"Told you to open that closet door when you had the chance. Now you'll regret it for the rest of your sad life."

"Shut up, Plagg. I was following my heart, and respecting my lady's privacy. If she didn't want me to see who she was..." Adrien walked over to his bed, and sat down on the edge of it. His chin rested in his hands, and he sighed to himself.

"I love her, Plagg. I love her so much it hurts..."

"Yeah..." Plagg rolled his eyes, feigning disinterest, but the creature's core ached for his Master's unrequited love.

Morning came fast for the young heroes. Marinette rolled over, falling off her bed. A loud groan filled the room as she slowly sat up, and she sighed. She looked at the time and gasped. "I'm gonna be late for school! Again!"

Moments later, Marinette was rushing out the front door of the bakery with a croissant in mouth and her bag in hand. "I can't be late!"

Meanwhile, in the Agreste mansion, Adrien slumbered on his bed. His snores melded along with Plagg's, both unaware of their late morning. Suddenly, a phone's ringing awoke the young model and he reaches for his phone, answering it whilst barely awake. Nino's voice yelled into his ear and he winced.

"Bro, where are you?! The teacher is gonna be hella mad if you're late again."

Adrien's eyes widened, "Oh! Um, I'm almost there! Just stall for a second!"

He hung up and sprang out of the bed. He got ready as fast as he could. "Plagg, wake up! We gotta go!"

Plagg rolled over, still snoring and not waking up at all. Adrien, finally ready, rolled his eyes grabbing his bag and then shoving his kwami into it. His muffled complaint met deaf ears as Adrien quickly ran out of his house and met Gorilla, his chauffeur and bodyguard, in his car.

"Drive!"

The bell rang, and only moments later did the two adolescents stumble into the classroom while the teacher facing the board. They secretly rushed to their seats, almost in sync. Alya smirked knowingly at her friend and shook her head, "Where have you been?"

"Oh! Well, I was just, you know, helping mom and dad in the bakery and-"

"Asleep?"

"Yeah..." Marinette's head sank in defeat. "I had a long night..."

Nino looked questioningly at Adrien, and the friend in question sheepishly smiled, "Overslept a little, I guess."

Nino snorted, "Yeah, I could tell."

Thirty minutes later into the lesson, the wall was smashed into and a villain jumped inside the classroom. The akumatized citizen seemed to be in some sort of general attire. He threw a grenade at the teacher, and a green smoke surrounded her, transforming her instantly into a blind soldier of his. All the students rushed out, and as Marinette hesitated, she was the last one to be out of the classroom. She quickly made her way to the janitor's closet to turn into Ladybug. Swinging the door open in urgency, she quickly stepped inside and gasped.

"Plagg, claws ou-"

"A-Adrien...?"

*Just the first chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it so far!*