Warning: I have changed a lot about the show in my story: The characters' appearances, the way their powers work, (this includes the Kwamis) and a lot about the villains. Don't like, don't read! No angry or offensive comments, please, but I welcome constructive feedback.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. The day could not have gone any worse. Except for the fact that I was able to make a new friend, the day had been a complete disaster.

I had started out with a bad morning which had set the tone for the rest of the day. I had gotten up late and had to rush through my morning routine resulting in me missing breakfast. What a wonderful way to start the school year.

I had had high hopes for the day. After all, I had always liked school, but as previously stated, the morning had set the tone.

But as I thought about it, it hadn't really been the day that was bad. It was mostly Chloé Bourgeois, who from henceforth shall be known as, "She Who Must Not be Named", who made things bad.

I had walked into class knowing I would have to deal with her, having gone to the same school as her since first grade, but today had been different. The sight of my face must have offended her more than usual because she seemed extra vengeful.

I had sat down in Madame Bustier's French literature class next to a girl with dark brown, softly curled hair that fell half way down her back, that I didn't recognize who introduced herself as Alya Césaire. We had been having a pleasant conversation when She Who Must Not be Named walked in and proceeded to stick gum in my hair then sat down without saying a word. Her behavior towards me had gotten even worse through the remainder of the day.

But to make a long story short, the last stunt she pulled on me involved her breaking into my locker, flipping my backpack inside out, putting all my school belongings back in, and zip-tying it closed to the point where I couldn't even use scissors to cut it off; leaving me to walk home in the rain with a now strapless, inside out, zip-tied closed backpack. Oh, and I still had gum in my hair.

I didn't understand what I had done to Chloé to earn the crap she was giving me. I had always tried to be kind, but she always spat it back in my face with her nasty comments and surly behavior; her crony Sabrina Raincomprix at her side, snickering and glaring daggers at me the whole time.

I decided that it would probably be best for me to just avoid them as often as possible.

My phone dinged, alerting me that someone had texted me. I reached into my pocket and sat up.

Alya: just wanted to make sure i have the right number. is this marinette? this is alya, the girl from your french literature class

I unlocked my phone and sent a quick message back.

Me: this is her. :)

Alya: great! were you able to get the gum out?

I groaned at the reminder. It had taken me four cups of olive oil to get it all out.

Me: yeah, it took forever though

I quickly added,

thanks for helping me get most of it out

Alya: no problem girlfriend ;)

I smiled. At least I had something, or someone, to look forward to the next day.

There was a soft knock on the door followed by my mother's voice. "Marinette?"

"Come in, mom."

The door creaked as my mom climbed up into my loft bedroom. She scaled the ladder that lead to my bed and sat at the foot, smiling. "Who are you talking to?" she asked, trying to look over the top of my phone.

Everyone told me that I was spitting image of her. We both had almond shaped, dark brown eyes, long black hair and a narrow face. But, while she was born and raised in China, I looked more European.

I put my chin in the palm of my hand. "One of my friends. Her name is Alya. I met her just today, actually."

Mom tilted her head. "What is she like?"

I pondered this question. "She's a lot like grand-mère; funny, creative, talented, caring…" I shrugged. "She's really smart. In fact, she was the one who told me olive oil would get the gum out of my hair." I reached up and touched my head, wincing when my fingers made contact with my sore scalp.

Mom chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't have known that. I would have just showered and brushed, showered and brushed over and over."

I shook my head, laughing. "That would have ripped my hair out and I would have been left with a bald spot on the side of my head."

Mom kissed my nose. "You still would have been just as pretty. Now," she placed a finger on my forehead and slowly started pushing me back. "Rest that pretty little head of yours on that pillow. You've got another day of school tomorrow and you need to be alive."

I grinned. "Good night, mom."

"Good night, Marinette." She climbed back down the ladder. The light turned off and was followed by the sound of the loft door opening then closing and my mother's footsteps as she went down to her own room.

I was waiting for a gap in between the everlasting parade of cars on my way to school when I noticed an elderly Chinese man starting to cross the street. I looked to my left and saw cars heading rapidly towards him. I glanced around and, realizing that no one even noticed, I shot forward. I grabbed the man's wrist and pulled him back across the street just as another blockade of cars reached the intersection.

I peered down at the man. He was about three inches shorter than I was and had graying facial hair. He looked back at me with grateful eyes.

"Thank you young lady." He looked back at the street. "Clearly my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I didn't see any cars heading this way."

I smiled nervously. "No problem." My heart was pounding from my near-death experience.

He didn't look quite as fazed as I thought he would after almost getting hit by a car. "What is your name?" he stuck his hand out.

I took it, confused. "M-Marinette."

He shook my hand. "Thank you Marinette. I hope I didn't make you late for whatever you were heading to."

"Oh it's fine. I'm actually quite early." I checked my phone to make sure that was true.

He stared at me for a moment as if he was inspecting me, then he nodded. "Thank you again. I'll have to pay more attention to my surroundings in the future." he chuckled.

Why was he laughing? He almost died; I almost died and yet here he was, not one minute later, laughing about it. Maybe he was in shock.

I started backing up, still smiling. "Don't mention it."

The man looked at his watch. "Well, I'd better be off." He tipped his head politely. "Maybe our paths will cross again. Goodbye, Marinette."

"Bye." I waved slightly as he spun on his heel and turned the corner. I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and headed back towards my school.

I arrived ten minutes early which was a record for me since I'm usually twenty minutes late.

Alya was waiting for me outside making me even more glad that I had shown up early. "Bonjour, Alya!" I waved to her.

She looked up and grinned. "Bonjour, Marinette!" She threw her arms around me when I reached her. "How are you?"

"Sore." I gestured to the side of my head. "But hey! I still have hair there thanks to you."

She laughed. "Glad I could be of service."

We entered our classroom and I headed towards the seat I had sat in the day before, barely missing Chloé's outstretched foot on the way. I set my backpack next to the chair and started to sit down.

Alya looked at her phone. "We have a few minutes before class starts. Want to come with me to the bathroom?"

I stopped and stood back up. "Why not?" I pulled my phone out of my backpack and followed Alya out the door.

Our conversation consisted mostly of our summers and Alya's babysitting horror stories; which I found highly entertaining, considering that my babysitting experiences weren't that bad.

"Other than having to deal with those little monsters every weekend for five hours," Alya said as we left the bathroom. "My summer was marvelous." she made a dramatic gesture with her hands. I laughed at her dopey grin.

"Oh!" I blurted out. "I just remembered! I have something waiting for you in my backpack."

Alya gasped. "Is it chocolate?"

The day before, I had learned of Alya's chocolate obsession and had promised her I would bring her some. I definitely owed her now for helping me get gum out of my hair for forty-five minutes after school. I had to get the rest out at home.

I pushed open the classroom door as we arrived. "Maybe." I turned around and was stunned to see a blonde haired boy I had never in my life seen before fumbling with my once again inside out, zip-tied closed backpack.

I felt heat rush to my face. "What are you doing?"

The boy's head jerked up. "Uh, is this yours? S-sorry, I was just-"

I ripped my bag from his hands and chose to ignore him. He seemed to have done just as good a job as Chloé had done the day before in making sure that I would not be getting into my backpack. I snarled and tried to size him up which was impossible since he was about five inches taller than I was.

"Do you know Chloé? Was she the one that told you to do this?" I demanded.

The boy looked confused. "What? No. I mean, yes I know Chloé but-"

I cut him off. "Well, ha ha ha. Funny joke, you two." I shoved him away from seat. "Get away from me." I grumbled as I sat down.

Chloé snickered. "Next time, try to be sneakier, Adrien."

Alya sat down behind me and I felt my backpack slip from my hands as she took it from me. She examined the zip-tie. "I can get that off."

I gave a half-hearted smile. "Thanks."

"No problem."

As she reached into her shoulder bag, I felt a piece of paper hit my cheek. I turned to see Chloé holding the chocolate I had brought for Alya. She unwrapped it, gave me a fake mournful look, then popped into her mouth.

Alya held my bag out in front of me. "Fixed it."

I took it from her as she dropped a pocket knife back into her bag. I really hoped she wouldn't get in trouble for that.

I got on the ground and dumped the bag's contents onto the floor; I flipped it inside out again then shoved everything back in. I returned to my seat, kicking my backpack under my desk. "So, Alya,"

"Yes?"

"She Who Must Not Be Named ate your chocolate." I looked over my shoulder.

Alya raised an eyebrow, looked at Chloé, back at me, pursed her lips then mimed unwrapping and eating a piece of chocolate. She chewed on the imaginary sweet then moaned with satisfaction. "Oh, that's so good! Thank you so much!"

I laughed and shook my head. "You're welcome."

Madame Bustier walked into the classroom and dropped her purse at the base of her desk. "Bonjour class," she looked at her watch. "I know we're starting a few minutes late but that does not mean I've cancelled the lesson, Nino."

Nino snorted.

Ever since I could remember, Nino had believed that every time the teacher was late that meant that the lesson would not commence and we would all get to go home. I guess when he lost all hope in that around sixth grade, the teachers still decided to tease him about it.

As Madame Bustier continued to talk, I noticed the blonde haired boy, Adrien, staring at me. When I glared, he looked away. "Who is that kid anyway?" I whispered to Alya. "He looks familiar."

"I don't actually know…" she stopped. "Waitwaitwait, yes I do. Just a second..." she pulled out her phone and after a minute, shoved her phone in my face. "Recognize this person?"

I stared at the screen. On it was a tall, slender, clean shaven man with graying hair. He was dressed rather stylish for a somewhat older guy.

Suddenly it dawned on me. "Oh! That's Gabriel Agreste. The clothing designer, right?"

"Well, Adrien is his son."

I slumped down in my chair. "Oh, of course he is." I blew a lock of hair that had escaped my bun out of my face only to have it fall back down. I scowled at it.

Alya folded her arms on her desk. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just seem to have bad experiences with the rich and famous." I glared at Chloé, who had moved her desk closer to Adrien's, put her head on his shoulder and was showing him something on her phone. I shook my head, scowling. "They're made for each other."

"Oh, Marinette." Alya whispered in my ear. "Don't leave all the cute guys to her."

I spun around, my face heating up. "You think I think he's cute? Since when?"

Alya flicked me. "You haven't even given him a chance."

I turned back around and folded my arms defiantly. "I did. He turned his chance inside-out and zip-tied it closed."

Alya snorted then put her head down in the crook of her arm, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

I glanced back. "What's so funny?" I asked a little louder than intended.

"Mademoiselle Dupain." Madame Bustier said, catching my attention. "Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

I looked down at the floor sheepishly. "No, Madame Bustier."

She turned back to the whiteboard. "Then please keep your voice to yourself."

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. I glanced back at Alya who still seemed to be trying to recover from her laughing fit and rolled my eyes.

I was in biology staring at the clock: 2:40. I sighed. Thirty minutes left of class. This was my second to last class, but I was ready for the day to be over.

"A prokaryote is a unicellular organism that lacks internal membrane-bound structures, including a nucleus as you can see here." Madame Mendeleiev pointed to the anatomy of some pill shaped thing that was being projected onto the whiteboard at the front of the room. "Remember, there is no nucleus in prokaryotes. They are single-celled."

I glanced around to make sure Mendeleiev wasn't watching me then pulled my sketchbook out of my backpack and tuned out my biology teacher out as she continued to drone on about cells and bacteria. I was careful to make sure that she didn't know that I wasn't paying attention.

Madame Mendeleiev was my least favorite teacher for many reasons: First; she was the most boring teacher in the whole school. She spoke with a near monotone voice and had a straight face ninety-nine percent of the time. She didn't only teach biology though, she taught chemistry as well meaning that I was taught by her twice a day.

Second: next to being boring, she was the most unfair teacher in the whole school. She sent at least four students a day to the principal's office almost for no reason. I had been sent seventeen times in eighth grade, once for violence, the rest for daydreaming. Who goes to the principal's office for daydreaming? I understand the violence part, but daydreaming?

Third: She let Chloé get away with everything. If Chloé took something from me, it was my fault for not taking care of my stuff. If Chloé tripped me, it was my fault for not paying attention. It was never the "perfect" mayor's daughter; It was always the lowly baker's daughter.

I felt someone nudge me. I looked up from my drawing and into the face of my lab partner, Alix. Alix was known to wear punk style clothing because it "never goes out of style," according to her anyway.

"I like your drawing." she whispered.

"Oh, thank you." I looked down at my drawing of a cat batting at a ladybug. "I was just sort of messing around."

"Well, I like it." she said, smiling slightly.

My returned smile faltered when an unfamiliar smell invaded my nose. I turned my attention to the door, sniffing the air. Behind me Alix tilted her head, confused.

At that moment, the sprinklers came on, drenching everyone and their belongings. A few girls yelled out in surprise while a handful of boys spouted off colorful language and attempted to block the downpour with their hands.

This was followed by the screeching of the fire alarm.

Madame Mendeleiev started shouting out orders to the class. She opened the door and was greeted with a cloud of smoke.

"Class, get to the nearest fire exit! Move quickly and stay together!"

Students started launching themselves over their desks and towards the door. Within a few minutes, my whole class was filing through the emergency exit.

Then Sabrina yelled, "Chloé's not here! Where is she?!"

This started an uproar of panic among my classmates. We all looked around our group and confirmed that Chloé was indeed not with us.

Without a second thought, I, rather impulsively, spun around and ran back into the school. Mendeleiev shouted something but I ignored her and focused on remembering where Chloé had gone.

I rounded a corner. She had gone to the bathroom, right?

I ran down the hallway calling Chloé's name. She wasn't responding.

Where was she?

My eyes were starting to sting. My throat burned from the lack of clean air. I covered my nose and mouth with my arm in an attempt to filter some of the smoke.

I burst into the girls bathroom. "Chloé?" I coughed violently. "Chloé!"

No answer.

I opened my mouth to call her again but was overcome with brutal coughs that made my head and chest hurt. I doubled over, my arms wrapped tightly around my torso.

Suddenly dizzy, I dropped to my knees. My head spun. My lungs screamed for fresh air. My eyes burned; tears cascaded down my cheeks, blurring my vision even more.

Then someone called my name.

I pushed back the faint feeling that was coming on and stood up. "Hello?" I croaked.

"Marinette?"

I wave of relief crashed over me. "I'm over here!"

A figure appeared in the doorway and rushed towards me.

I blinked, not sure if I was seeing correctly. "A-Adrien?"

He coughed a few times. "Come on. We need to get out of here." He started pulling me toward the bathroom door.

"Wait. What about Chl-" I coughed again. My chest ached.

Adrien pulled me along. "She's fine. She got out." He looked over his shoulder at me. "Are you okay?"

Stars danced across my vision, the faint feeling returning with a vengeance. I fought it off. Do NOT pass out right now. "I'm f-"

The white spots exploded and I felt myself starting to fall.

Adrien gasped. "Marinette!"

My whole world flipped and darkness completely overcame me.

My eyes fluttered open. Sunlight invaded my vision causing me to squint against the bright light. What was I doing outside? Hadn't I been in the school only moments before?

Suddenly I remembered. The fire, the school, Adrien…

Oh no.

I hid my face behind my hands and moaned. I had passed out and had no doubt been carried out helpless by Adrien. My cheeks burned with mortification.

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle Dupain."

I pulled my hands away from my face.

A man I didn't recognize suddenly came into view. "How are you feeling?"

I swallowed, my saliva feeling thick against my tongue. "Fine, I guess." My voice came out in a harsh croak. "Do you have any water?"

"Of course." The paramedic reached to his left, grabbed a blue water bottle, then helped me sit up. I gulped down the water gratefully.

I handed back the water bottle and looked up at the school. "How long have I been out?"

"About ten minutes." The paramedic said, pressing a stethoscope to my back. "Does your breathing feel labored at all?"

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No. My throat burns though."

"That's normal with the amount of smoke you took in." He handed me the water bottle again. "I suggest you drink a lot of water and try to take it easy, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

The paramedic tipped his head politely and headed off to check on some of the other students.

I took a swig of water, the cool liquid soothing my throat. I lowered the bottle and saw Alya running toward me.

"Marinette!" She threw her arms around me and squeezed so hard, I could have sworn I heard ribs crack. "Are you okay?"

I pulled away. "I'm fine."

Alya grasped my shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye. "Do not ever try to be a hero again. What were you thinking?"

A humorless laugh escaped my mouth. "I wasn't." I took another drink.

Alya slugged me playfully in the arm. "Well, you idiot, I'm glad you're okay." She pulled me into another embrace. I heard her sigh. "You should have seen the look on Chloé's face when Adrien came out of the school carrying you bridal style." Alya pulled back. "She looked so jealous. If I hadn't know any better, I would have said she wished she could've been the one in the school."

She laughed, stopping when I didn't join her. "What's wrong?"

I didn't feel like telling her that I was mortified at the fact that I had passed out and had to be carried helpless out of the school by the one of the three people I had been avoiding all day, so I just frowned.

Alya sat back on her heels. "Oh no. Don't tell me you're still mad at him. You don't even know if he was the one that zip-tied your backpack. And besides, he just saved your life."

I started to respond when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and inspected the caller ID. It was my dad. "Sorry," I smiled apologetically. "I need to take this." I answer the call and pressed my phone to my ear.

"Hey dad. What's going on?" I asked as Alya scooted away to give me some privacy. I perked up when my dad's voice came through, panicked and filled with fear, as he relayed to me what had happened.

When the called ended, I crawled over to my backpack, which was propped up against a tree a few feet away, and stood up. Alya wandered back over to me looking worried.

"What's wrong now?"

I fought back tears. "My parent's bakery. It..it's been through a fire. And they can't find my mom anywhere!"

I hurried across the street and came to a screeching halt ten feet away from my parent's bakery. It looked terrible. The cream colored brick was scorched, the glass was warped, and the front door, or what was left of it, hung from its hinges.

I slowly made my way towards the building, speechless. It didn't look at all like the place I had known my whole life. A hand came to my mouth as I continued to survey the destruction.

I turned to the sound of footsteps and saw my dad running towards me. His arms engulfed me as he lifted me off the ground.

"Marinette!" He set me down and held me at arm's length. "I'm so glad you're...why are you covered in soot?"

I looked up at the bakery. "This wasn't the only place that caught fire today." I turned my gaze to the ground. "I thought Chloé was still inside the school so I went back in to find her."

Dad looked stunned. "Your school caught fire too? And you went back in? How did you get out?"

"There was this new kid at school today, Adrien Agreste; he went in after me when he saw that Chloé was outside."

Dad hugged me again. "Marinette that was a very stupid decision. You could have died!"

I laughed humorlessly. "But I didn't." I pulled away. "Have you found mom yet?"

Dad shook his head. "No. They said she ran off after the fire was out. No one has seen her since."

I chewed on my lower lip. Why would she run away?

"Our house wasn't burned at all, but we won't be sleeping there tonight." Dad sighed. "My mom booked us a hotel for the meantime. Why don't you head inside and get your things."

I gulped. "Okay." I stepped towards what was left of the front door and headed towards the back where our apartment was and hurried up to my loft bedroom. I dropped my backpack on the ground and grabbed a duffle bag that was sitting beneath my vanity and started shoving clothes, makeup, and anything else I found necessary, into it.

I grabbed a few pencils and pens off my computer desk, my designing sketchbook, a hair brush and…

Wait.

I turned back to the end of my desk. There sat a wooden hexagonal box that I had never before seen in my life. Sunlight reflected off its polished black surface and gave the appearance that the red carvings on the top were glowing.

I set down my bag and picked it up. It was no bigger than the palm of my hand yet I felt like it was very important. I started to open it.

"Marinette? Are you almost done?"

My hand faltered, my fingertips brushing the smooth edge. "Yes! I'll be right down!" I shoved the box into my bag, yanked my phone charger out of the wall, and ran down stairs.

We finally left the bakery around 3:45 and arrived at the hotel a little after 4:00. It wasn't far from where we lived but I felt miles away.

After a long, hot, shower, I lay on one of the beds inspecting the little box. My dad was out looking for my mom so I was left alone with my thoughts.

Who had given me this box and how did they get into my room? Was it from one of my parents? What was inside?

I couldn't take it anymore.

I opened the box and found, settled on a silk pillow, a pair of silver wrap around earrings. I sat up, confused. They definitely were the most beautiful earrings I had ever seen but I wasn't the type to wear such fancy jewelry. These looked far more expensive than my simple diamond studs.

I reached into the box with the intention to take one, but the moment my finger tip made contact, a bright light exploded from the box. I yelped and jumped back, tumbling off the edge of the bed. I crashed to the ground, my head hitting the wooden bed frame, causing a red flash in the corner of my vision. I sat up slowly, rubbing the back of my head where I knew a sizable bump would soon be forming.

I peeked over the edge of the bed and, lo and behold, a ladybug winged creature was left hovering above the box. She shook her head and blinked, her head turning in my direction. Her thin lips turned up into a sweet smile as her blue eyes settled on me.

I screamed.

The creature held her hands up. "It's okay! Don't be scared!"

"It talks!" I reached up behind me and started throwing the pillows from the other bed at her. She dodged them skillfully and actually passed through one. As a final resort, I grabbed the cup sitting on the nightstand between the two beds and splashed her with the water.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the water consumed her. An ice cube bounced off her head and landed on the bed. After letting the liquid drip off her face for a moment, she opened her eyes again and stared at me.

"I would have appreciated warm water." she said.

"What are you?" I shouted while simultaneously studying the creature. She looked like a tiny person. She wore what looked like a shortened version of a dark red Japanese kimono. Small black spots formed swirly patterns around the hems of the sleeves and bottom of the kimono; black leggings covered her legs.

Her jet black hair fell half way down her back and a pair of antennae poked out of the top of her head. All of this was crammed onto a figure about a foot tall.

The creature clapped her hands together happily as if she had been hoping I would ask. "I'm called a Kwami. My name is Tikki and I am here because Paris needs a hero."

I laughed, a rough sound that bordered on hyperventilating. "What are you talking about? A hero? Like, a superhero?"

"Yes. A superhero to fight a super villain."

I stared at Tikki for a moment before grabbing the other glass of water and splashing it on my face. Tikki looked taken back.

"Why did you do that?"

A fat drop of water slid down my nose. "To see if I was dreaming."

Tikki nodded. "I can assure you that this is not a dream."

I ran my hands down my face. "I can see that! What is happening right now?" I buried my fingers deep into my hair, trying, and failing, to process the situation. Superheroes, super villains…

It was too much.

Then something clicked in my brain.

I pulled my hands out of my hair and dared to look up at Tikki. "Super villain? Does this villain have the power to, I don't know, set things on fire?"

"They do indeed."

I hid my face behind my hands and whimpered. I had the dreadful feeling that I was about to become this "superhero" Tikki was talking about.

"Are you okay?" Tikki asked, placing her hand on the back of mine.

I recoiled. "No! What do you expect me to do? Go out there and politely ask this pyromaniac to stop setting things on fire?"

"No." Tikki flew over to the box and picked up the earrings. "I expect you to go out and fight like a superhero."

I closed my eyes. I had no idea if I wanted to trust her or to trap her once again in her box. I was curious and terrified at the same time. I wanted to believe her. I really did. But fear attacked me, extinguishing every spark of excitement.

Finally I opened my eyes. "Okay. You want me to become a superhero. How?"

Tikki tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Where to start?"

I stared into the full length mirror in the hotel bathroom. The lights reflected off of my new jewelry making them look like stars attached to my ears.

"Let me run through this one more time: I say 'transform me' and the earrings will turn me into a superhero known as 'Ladybug'. I have a magical yo-yo and in order to 'purify' this butterfly you speak of, I have to make my hands glow, correct?"

"Yes."

I nodded. "I bet it's not as complicated as it sounds." I took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this. Transform me."

Instantly, Tikki was absorbed into my earrings in a bright flash, turning them red. I watched in amazement as my outfit changed right before my eyes.

I twisted this way and that, admiring my reflection in the mirror. My torso and thighs were ebony black with scarlet belt and spots. Scarlet also took up my legs up to my knees and forearms and up around my shoulders. Black spots decorated the front of my shins in nice straight lines. A simple red mask with a spot in between and under each of my eyes, covered enough of my face to hopefully hide my identity. My hair had twisted itself up into a high-ponytail and was accompanied by a single red streak. I ran my fingers across the suit. It felt surprisingly soft. As I moved, the fabric flexed with me easily. I pulled at it. I had a feeling that this fabric was strong enough to prevent any cuts and bruises I might earn fighting pyromaniacs. I took a deep breath and hoped my suit was fireproof.

Then a glint down by my hip caught my attention. I grabbed it and brought it up to my face. In my hand was the yo-yo Tikki had told me about. I couldn't identify what it was made out of but it sure didn't look how I expected. In fact, it almost looked like glass. Bright, red glass with five black spots on each side.

"Beautiful." Tikki whispered in Chinese.

I jumped, forgetting about the fact that Tikki could communicate with me through the suit. "You speak Chinese?"

"It's my native language." She said proudly. "Do you speak the language?"

"I do." I smiled. "My dad hates it when my mother and I speak it in front of him. He doesn't understand anything we're saying." I faltered, remembering that my mom was still missing. "Now how do I find this villain?"

"I suggest you check the news." Tikki said.

I took her advice and, unlocking my phone, scrolled through the latest news feeds. There had been two more fires since the one at my school and one in progress as I read.

Suddenly a notification popped up. A live video was streaming near the Louvre. "Looks like our pyromaniac has been spotted." I bit my lower lip. "Tikki, are you sure I can do this by myself?"

"You're not doing this by yourself."

I sighed. "I know. I've got you but…"

"No." Tikki interrupted. "You actually will have someone. The owner of the Cat Miraculous."

I lowered my phone. "You never mentioned this before. I have a partner? I'm not complaining, just curious."

"Yes. The Ladybug and the Black Cat have always fought side by side." Tikki said. "Sorry. Those details slipped my mind." She went silent for a moment before asking, "Are you ready to do this?"

"Honestly, I'm terrified right now but yes. I'm ready." I opened up my phone contacts and typed up a message telling my dad that I was going for a walk and might be back late. I was about to send it but something stopped me. I had never lied to my parents about something this big before. Of course, I had never been involved in something this big but for some reason it didn't feel right to be lying.

"Tikki, why can't I tell my parents?"

Tikki sighed. "You can tell them. Just not yet. Neither of your parents are here and could you imagine that text? 'Hey dad, guess what? I'm a superhero now! I'm going to go risk my life for a few hours. See in you a little while! Smiley-face.'"

"Good point." I sent my more believable message and, making sure no one was watching, jumped out the third story window of the hotel.

I surveyed the scene below me. I was standing on a rooftop near the Louvre losing count on how many police and army personnel were surrounding the museum.

I dropped to a crouch. "Are you sure they need me? It looks like they have it under control."

"Marinette," Tikki said. "I don't think you understand the magnitude of the situation. You do remember that you are the only one who can stop this villain because you are the only one who can purify the butterfly, right?"

I was about to respond when a dark figure dropped down next to me. I cried out in surprise as my fist connected with the figure's jaw. They yelped and fell back, sprawling out on the concrete roof.

He sat up, his hand to his face. "Is this how you introduce yourself to people?"

I threw my fist toward his face again, but this time he was prepared. He caught my fist and, within seconds, he had both my hands pinned painfully behind my back.

I thrashed and attempted to free myself from his iron grip, but no such luck.

"Let go of me, you cr-" My cry ended in a surprised muffle as he shoved me to the ground and proceeded to cover my mouth with his hand.

"Way to destroy the element of surprise." He muttered. "You need to calm down."

I writhed under the weight of his arm for a full seven seconds before Tikki whispered, "Marinette, that's your partner."

I lowered the leg that was poised to kick him and froze, finally taking the time to inspect my "attacker". He wore all black, an extra long belt that appeared to represent a tail; cat ears poked out of his blonde hair, and the entire look was topped off by his vivid green cat eyes. He, no doubt, was the owner of the Cat Miraculous.

He held me down for another few seconds and looked me in the eyes before speaking.

"I'm going to let you up now, but you have to promise that you're not going to inflict any more physical harm on me, agreed?"

I nodded, terribly mortified at what I had just done.

"I'm Cat Noir, by the way." He said, pulling his hand away from my mouth and offering it to me to help me up. I took it, still too flustered to look at him or even respond.

Luckily, I was saved from an embarrassing introduction by a small explosion behind us.

I flung my yo-yo and it wrapped around a metal rod about fifteen feet away. I jumped off the roof and swung towards the ground, making a rough landing a little ways away from a smoldering car. Cat Noir landed next to me, coming out of nowhere.

Cops had scattered; some had been knocked across the square while others had drawn their weapons and were looking for the source of the attack. In the center of the chaos, a wide circle of scorched brick. I turned my attention to where the officers had aimed their guns. A woman wearing a black blouse and pants with a red blazer and sandals had appeared from behind a pillar with her hands in the air, though her overly confident walk told me that she wasn't about to surrender that easily.

Cat Noir and I took advantage of the distraction and moved closer, ducking behind the statue in the middle of the square.

"Drop your weapon!" an officer shouted.

The woman looked at her hands. "I've got nothing, boys."

Her voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't tell because of the distance.

"You are under arrest for suspected arson and assaulting police officers!"

The woman placed a hand on her chest and feigned a look of shock. "Arson? Assaulting officers?" She shook her head. "Well, it looks like you've got me. I'm a bad girl." she said sarcastically.

The sound of hundreds of safeties being released filled the air. "You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can and will be used against you!"

The woman laughed. "I'm terrified."

Why did her voice sound so familiar? The sarcastic tone made it difficult to judge. It didn't seem to fit. I squeezed my eyes shut while I tried to match a face to the voice. While I was thinking, officers started shouting and Cat Noir moved beside me. I opened my eyes again. Cat Noir was running towards the woman, fireballs were flying through the air, and cops were running for cover.

Cat Noir dodged an impressive amount of fireballs and blocked an equally impressive amount with a black bo staff I hadn't noticed he owned before and actually ended up knocking the woman to the ground before she hit him in the arm with a blast of fire that sent him sailing through the air. I cringed and cowered behind the statue a bit further.

"Marinette!"

I screamed and jumped back, instantly feeling very stupid. "Tikki! Are you trying to kill me? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Get out there and help him!"

"Right, right. Sorry." I rounded the side of the statue and ran towards the fight.

I hurled my yo-yo towards a column near the woman. It wrapped around several times then contracted, pulling me towards it. I swung in an arc, my feet aimed for her face. She turned towards me. I faltered. Losing my balance, I toppled to the ground and skidded several feet, my cheek scraping against the concrete. Moaning, I rolled onto my back and immediately cringed as a fireball sailed over my head, inches from my face, the heat stinging the open wound on my cheek.

"Are you okay?" Tikki cried. "What happened?"

I forced myself to my knees and looked up to where Cat Noir seemed to be taking most of the fire for the moment. "Tikki," I breathed. "That's my mom."

"She's in trouble! You have to help her!"

I shook my head, tears of pain and fear blurring my vision. "I can't fight my own mother."

"Correction," Tikki said. "That's your mother's body, not her mind. Just get that butterfly and she'll be free."

I staggered to my feet just as Cat Noir went flying over my head. I followed him with my eyes. He stuck the landing then sprang back up, easily covering the twenty foot distance between us. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind the statue we were crouched behind earlier.

"Are-are you okay?" I asked, still frazzled by the fact that my mother was throwing fire at us.

Cat Noir shrugged. "I'm fine. I always land on my feet." He winked at me. "Are you okay? Your face looks pretty bad."

My fingers absently brushed my cheek. "Oh gee, thanks." I said in a playful sarcastic tone. "Just what every girl likes to hear; 'Your face looks pretty bad.'"

His laughter was cut short when the statue's head took a vacation across the square. Cat Noir and I covered our heads with our arms as fragments of statue rained down on us.

Then, there she was. My mom stood above us, her hands alight, her eyes shining. "You're hiding?" she said more as a statement than a question. "This fight is turning out to be more disappointing than I was promised."

I didn't know how to react. So I did the first thing that came to my mind. I guess I must have caught her slightly off guard because she didn't react right away when my yo-yo wrapped around her ankle. I stood up and pulled as hard as I could, causing her to fall back then slide off the statue.

She landed on her feet, as expected, but when she spun towards me, something happened. She froze and the strange, red hue her eyes had taken on disappeared, leaving the soft brown eyes of my mother. She stared back at me, confused, almost terrified.

Then the look vanished so quickly, I wasn't sure if I had actually seen it. The fire returned to her eyes and anger filled her face.

She swung towards me again, her fists engulfed in flame. I put up my arms and somehow managed to block each attack until Cat Noir came up behind her and landed a roundhouse kick to the side of her head.

My mother cried out and stumbled away, dropping to her knees. I cringed and looked away.

"That didn't knock her out." Cat Noir said, stunned.

I forced myself to look back to where my mom knelt on the ground, moaning, her hand pressed to her head.

"How is that even possible?" I asked.

Cat Noir blinked. "It's not."

My mom growled. Suddenly her entire body was enveloped in flame. She slowly started to stand.

"Drop to your knees and spin your yo-yo as fast as you can!" Tikki commanded. "Tell Cat Noir to get behind you."

I didn't question her; I just did as I was told. "Cat Noir!"

He looked at me.

I gestured over my shoulder with my head. "Stay there."

He dropped into a crouch behind me as I started to spin my yo-yo. It started spinning faster and faster until there was a perfect, bright red circle in front of us. I had no idea what this was supposed to do, but I had no time to come up with a better plan.

Then the attack came.

My mom was standing and flinging fire relentlessly. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away, preparing myself to be burned into a crisp.

But I didn't happen.

Cat Noir whistled behind me.

I opened my eyes and looked back at my yo-yo. Not only had it blocked the fire, but it had absorbed it to the point where I was now crouched behind a wall of fire.

"Have you ever used a sling?" Tikki asked.

"Yes." I whispered, mesmerized by the light.

"Great." She said. "Same concept. I want you to stand and pretend like that fire is the stone and your yo-yo is the sling. Give her a taste of her own medicine."

I stood up, recalling every memory I had of the times my dad had taught me how to use one. At the time, (and up until now) I had thought it was a waste of my time and useless information.

I moved my yo-yo a little off to the side then, imagining a stone instead of fire, hurled the flame. It left my yo-yo with a boom and struck my mom square in the chest. She sailed backward into a group of curious onlookers who were filming the fight with their phones. They shouted and jumped out of the way as she hit the ground, her own flame extinguishing.

Tying my yo-yo around my waist, I started walking towards my mom. Cat Noir fell into step beside me.

"How did you do that?" he asked, clearly impressed.

I couldn't help but smile just a little. "I didn't know I could."

As we approached, my mom forced herself into a sitting position and started backing away.

"Is this the fight you were promised?" I shouted.

Instead of answering, my mom got to her feet and snarled.

Cat Noir stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"It's none of your business." My mom hissed.

"I'd say it's plenty our business. Who are you? What do you want and where did you get your powers from?" I asked.

"You ask too many questions, girl."

Cat Noir and I didn't have time to react before she sent up a pillar of fire. It came out of nowhere and completely surrounded us, reaching only about six feet high, though."

"Oh no." I untied my yo-yo even though I knew I wasn't getting us out with it. "Should we just run through?"

Cat Noir shook his head. "We don't know how wide she made it. We could be running through a ten foot wall of fire." He looked up and tilted his head and I noticed the dark bruise on his jaw.

I bit my lip. "Hey, I know this is terrible timing,"

He looked over his shoulder at me.

"But I am so sorry about what happened earlier. You know, on the roof. You startled me."

To my surprise, he grinned. "I personally found the situation quite amusing."

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm M...Ladybug, by the way." I barely managed to catch myself before I said my actual name. "Heavens, this is terrible timing."

Cat Noir chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, M'Ladybug. And," He put his arm around my waist. "Luckily for us, this wall of fire is only barely taller than I am. Hang on."

I laughed nervously. "Okay?" I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and looked up. "What are you-"

He jumped and cleared the flame. I clung to him like my life depended on it, which didn't take too much imagination.

He landed on the other side and released me. "Wow." I grinned. "That was...exciting."

My excitement was short lived, though. People were screaming and pointing to the roof of the Louvre. My mom stood above us looking triumphant as she shoved two figures towards the edge of the building. One was a girl who looked about eight, maybe nine, years old. The other was a girl about my age.

My eyes widened. "Alya." I whispered.

"That was a fast escape." My mom called down to us. "But not fast enough."

"She's going to push them off!" I started running towards her, Cat Noir beside me.

My mom cackled. "Such heroes!" She shoved Alya and the younger girl and took off in the opposite direction. I had two choices: stop my mother or save the girls. No contest.

I threw my yo-yo towards a secure place and swung into the air. I pulled on the string, causing an abrupt change in my direction and intercepted Alya's fall a few feet above the ground. Cat Noir snatched the younger girl from the air and landed next to me.

Alya clung to me, her breaths short and fast. The younger girl hugged Cat Noir and wailed for her mother.

I looked up towards the roof where my mother had been standing. She was long gone by now. I gulped and turned towards Cat Noir. He returned my look.

"I think we made the right choice." He said.

"I know." I whispered.

I ended up getting back to the hotel around nine thirty that night. I was hot, tired, hungry, miserable, and ready for the day to be over.

I stopped outside the hotel door and leaned against the wall. Tikki jumped off my shoulder and flew in front of me.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that I have no way to hide you. I don't have a bag or anything."

Tikki smiled. "Leave that to me." Then she disappeared.

I stood up right. "How did you do that?"

"One of my many abilities, Marinette." She said, somewhere in front of me.

"That's convenient." I said as I felt Tikki settle back on my shoulder. I turned back towards the hotel room and turned the doorknob.

My dad was watching the news when I opened the door.

He looked up at me. "Welcome back, Marinette. How was your...walk?" His eyes flickered to the side, most likely taking in the sizable scratch on my cheek. He jumped to his feet. "What happened to your face? Are you okay?"

"I-"

On the TV screen behind my dad, I watched as I slid across the concrete and came to what I remember as a very painful stop, several feet away from my mom.

"-fell. I think it's getting infected. It really hurts. And I need to take a bath. I'm filthy." I sighed and dropped onto the foot of one of the beds. I felt Tikki nearly fall off my shoulder. "I'm ready for this day to be over."

My dad knelt down in front of me and grabbed my hands. "I know, me too. It's been a rough day. For both of us. Once we get that cut cleaned up, you can sleep until one in the afternoon if you'd like."

I smiled slightly. "Sounds like a plan." I looked around. "So, no luck finding maman then?"

My dad shook his head sadly. "I thought I saw her at one point, but I was wrong." He stood up. "I think there's some peroxide in the bathroom. I'll go see if I can find it."

Once my dad was gone, Tikki reappeared and dropped down onto my lap. "Nice quick thinking. Do you think he bought it?"

I bit my finger nail. "Let's hope so." I said, keeping my voice low.

Tikki yawned. "I hate to say it, but you're a good liar." She looked around the room. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep. Which bed is yours?"

I pointed to the bed near the large picture window. "That one. I guess you can sleep in one of my shirts."

Tikki smiled. "That's perfect." She flew towards my open duffle bag, selected one of my blue pajama T-shirts, flew under my bed, then popped back out. "Oh, and you don't happened to have any cookies or pastries by any chance?"

I shrugged. "I can see."

"Thanks." She disappeared back under the bed as my dad called me.

I wandered into the bathroom where he stood with a bottle of peroxide and a few cotton balls. I sat down on a stool he had put next to the sink.

"I think it will be easier in here." he said, opening the bottle. "Go ahead and lean your head over the sink so that any spills go down the drain."

I did as I was told, tilting my head and tucking a few strands of loose hair behind my ear so my dad could work with my horrid scratch. He placed a cotton ball over the opening of the bottle and tipped it upside down. Then he lightly started patting my face. I winced, trying not to move. After a second or two, I heard him stifle a gasp and pull away.

I shot upright. "What? What is it?" I looked in the mirror at my cheek, afraid of what I might find. It didn't look any worse than I thought it would. "What's wrong?"

My dad shook his head, looking slightly pale. "N-nothing. Here, lean your head to the side. I'm almost done."

My brow creased with worry, I leaned my head back over the sink to let him finish his work.

After he was finished patching up my face, I took a long, hot shower. Then, once in my pajamas, I settled down on my bed and spent five minutes twisting my waist length hair into a braid.

"Marinette!" Tikki whispered.

I looked over the side of the bed.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but did you get me a cookie or something? I'm starving."

I perked up. "Oh! Of course! I'm hungry too. Just a minute."

I walked into the living room where my dad was reading a newspaper.

"Hey, dad."

He lowered the paper enough so that I could only see his eyes.

"Um, do we have any cookies or pastries...or something?"

He stared at me with an extremely weird look for a second before pointing to a small table that held a package of brightly colored macarons.

"Oh, thanks." I sauntered over to the table, selected a few then headed back towards my bed. I stopped a few feet away and turned around. "Dad, are you okay?"

He lowered the newspaper the whole way this time. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You're acting kind of...strange."

He blinked. "Oh. I'm not trying to."

I nodded, not fully convinced. "Okay. Well, good night."

He smiled. "Good night. I love you."

"I love you too." I finished the trip back to my bed and sat down. Tikki flew up and landed in front of me, her face full of anticipation. I broke a blue macaron into fourths and handed her a piece. She took a big bite, well, big, relative to her size, and sighed happily.

"This is really good."

I smiled proudly. "My parents made them."

"This is talent right here." Tikki said, taking another bite.

I flopped back on the bed. "Glad you think so." I sighed, suddenly feeling wistful. "I miss my mom."

She was silent for a while before I heard the buzzing of her wings as she flew above my face. "We'll get her back. I know we will." She said, looking into my eyes. "I believe in you."

I smiled.