The reporters in Paris weren't bad. They were the media, which automatically made them scum in most people's eyes, but overall, the French weren't as bad as the ones in, say, America. Still bad, but not as bad.
But not all of them were good.
Far too many people became so consumed with their work they lost all of their morality, assuming they had any in the first place, and reporters were no exception.
There was one in particular, a man by the name of Helios, who believed he was the best reporter that Paris had to offer. Although one might argue he was not so much a reporter but a sleazy paparazzi, slandering the good names of several celebrities. He was a gossip reporter.
The worst kind of reporter.
The worst kind of reporter who happened to follow Paris' superheroes into an alley after an akuma battle.
The worst kind of reporter who happened to follow Paris' superheroes into an alley after an akuma battle and catch the said superheroes release their transformation.
The worst kind of reporter who happened to follow Paris' superheroes into an alley after an akuma battle and catch the said superheroes release their transformation, later blasting their photographs all over the front page of every media outlet the next morning.
The worst kind of reporter who had no idea what he had done to Paris.
.
One of the many things Marinette treasured was her identity.
Who she was, both inside and outside of the mask. Fashion designer, class president, best friend, daughter; hero, guardian, partner.
She protected the mask of Ladybug because she had to; she had to protect her friends and family, had to make sure they were safe of Hawkmoth's wrath. Of course, she couldn't stop them from becoming akumas, but at least she could stop constant harassment from her archnemesis.
For her to peel away the mask and show who she was took more courage than it did to put the earrings on in the first place; it had been almost a sacred thing for her to do, even if it was in front of her partner, the person she trusted the most in the world.
The only comfort had been the relieved and excited look her partner had given her before he dropped his own transformation.
And Marinette promptly dropped to the ground in response.
A few breathless giggles were exchanged before she was pressing her lips against his forehead, words of reassurance echoing between them.
Adrien and Marinette; Chat Noir and Ladybug.
That moment of intimacy and trust had been everything to them; their identities were safe, in the hands of the person they trusted the most. As one, they breathed; they were safe.
And suddenly, not even a week later, they were violated. Used. Abused.
Betrayed.
.
Marinette's hands shook as she clutched the remote in her hand, blue eyes wide in horror as her face was plastered on every news channel on air. She always laughed at the speculations that came out of those gossip shows but now that she was a featured topic...
Somewhere else in the city, Adrien felt like someone had grabbed his throat and squeezed slowly, taking a breath every painstakingly slow second. He was used to having his name known, but this was something completely different.
He ignored Nathalie knocking on his door; she ignored her parents' calls of concern.
They dove for their phone, each of their miraculous suddenly heavier than ever.
.
Before she was Ladybug and he Chat Noir, they were children. Children who were handed responsibilities heavy enough to make grown men weep. They wore it proudly even as the war took its toll on them.
They had been battered; manipulated; brainwashed. They were warriors who faced monsters on a daily basis.
Going to school was perhaps the most terrifying thing they had done in the two years they fought.
Adrien stepped out of his limo, his expression stiff as he ducked his head, avoiding the crowding photographers and gawking of his classmates. At the same time, Marinette squeezed past those shooting questions at her, her head ducked down as she focused on her feet.
They looked up and met each other's eyes; she joined his side and together they walked up the stairs of the building, the heavy doors slamming shut behind them.
The shouts of the crowd outside were silence and finally they breathed, their shoulders relaxing just slightly as they closed their eyes and welcomed the peace that had abandoned them the last few days.
When they opened their eyes once more, they saw the gazes of their classmates; friends.
They saw their best friends first. Nino was staring at them like he didn't know them; in contrast, Alya couldn't look them in the eye. They stood together, making no effort to approach them.
Rose looked deeply shocked, her fingers wrapped around Juleka's arm; the raven-haired girl looked in awe, but perhaps she found the whole thing "wicked".
Ivan and Mylene were whispering to each other, the small girl constantly looking at her classmates with concern written all over her face.
Nathanael, somehow, didn't look surprised; he clutched his sketchbook to his chest and actively avoided their eyes, however.
Alix and Kim seemed to be exchanging something; money maybe? Were they really betting on who Ladybug and Chat Noir were? Or maybe they were just unbothered by the situation? Next to them, Max slid his own hand into the dealing, although he looked irritated.
Chloe looked...unhinged. Perhaps she was in denial. Sabrina was comforting her, but it was clear even she was shaken up by this reveal.
Facial expressions told so much; they just didn't say as much words sometimes.
Lila, however, was quite open about how she felt. She was perched up on her desk at the back of the classroom, her lip curled up in disgust as she caught sight of them.
She scoffed when Marinette looked at her.
"And you had the audacity to call me out for lying?" The Italian girl rolled her eyes, turning her head from the two of them. "A snake miraculous would suit you better."
Marinette could only bite her lip as she took her usual seat. Adrien too remained silent as he slid into the empty chair in front of her.
They had had nightmares about things like this for far too long, but never would they have been prepared for this.
.
At least the akuma attacks ceased.
Three weeks went by and not a single akuma, no matter how much the order of Paris unraveled.
Either Hawkmoth was in shock like the rest of the city or he was too busy laughing at their misfortune to immediately continue with his plans.
Ladybug and Chat Noir hadn't been seen either. Patrols stopped immediately. They still spent the nights together, only it was through their phones in the comfort of their own bedrooms.
"Adrien, what do we do? I...what if he stops asking for our miraculous? Starts going after our friends...my parents, your dad…?" Her voice was cracking, hushed and a little muffled under the covers. "I don't know what to do."
"...I don't either, Marinette." His voice was steady, but only she would be able to tell that he was shaking under the comfort of his own blanket. "I don't know."
.
Their classmates had warmed up to them a bit.
Nino had shown up at his best friend's house with a stack full of movies and snacks that would make Adrien's nutritionist cry.
"If you can sneak out of the house and fight akumas all day under your dad's nose, I can walk through the door and hang out with my best bud."
Alya had ambushed Marinette in her room, hugging the girl before she could even acknowledge the red-haired girl. Sabine and Tom were happy to provide snacks, glad to see their baby girl smiling again, even if it wasn't as bright as before.
The rest of their classmates were slowly getting back into their normal routines, but it was clear they were still in shock. The only one still openly disgusted was Lila. Even Chloe had acknowledged Marinette as Ladybug, though it didn't make her any less cruel.
The worst thing though was the public attention.
Adrien thought he was used to being the center of focus and gossip, but this was something else. He felt everything he did was up to the public to judge, even so much as how he parted his hair. Some people, like his father, were more concerned about how being a superhero would disrupt his work or damage his face or body in any way.
Marinette had only just come out of her shell the last two years because of Ladybug, and because of Ladybug again, she was forced to go back in the safe comfort of her former personality. Her clumsiness in particular was the main subject of the media's topic.
And the gossip.
Oh, and they thought it was bad before!
The things said about them, directly or not, made their blood boil and their skin hot. They didn't know anything about Adrien or Marinette, so how dare they talk like they did?
It was like they suddenly weren't people anymore, and even during the first akuma attack since the reveal, the people were more concerned about getting another scoop and scrutinizing their every move than getting to safety.
It was better before.
Three days after that akuma attack, Marinette and Adrien made a decision.
.
"Remember to read chapters six and seven before Friday," said Madame Bustier. "We will be having a quiz on-"
She was interrupted by a screeching outside followed by several loud crashes. Then suddenly, a car was crashing through the side of the building, luckily avoiding hitting any of them.
People screamed, but their eyes immediately moved to the not-so-infamous duo. Adrien had his arm around Marinette's shoulder protectively, and they peeked their heads up from behind the desk they hid behind.
"Come on; we need to get out of here," said Marinette, getting to her feet. "It's not safe!"
She used her "class president" tone and her classmates immediately rushed to follow her and Adrien out of the room. Kim and Ivan helped Madame Bustier walk out, seeing as their teacher had been knocked down and out from the debris of the wall.
"What are you going?"
The teenagers grimaced as a shrill voice came from behind them. Only, that wasn't right; although they looked and saw only one akuma, when she spoke, it sounded like several people were speaking the same thing. Like when twins spoke together in horror movies, only six times worse.
"Come now, the fun's only just begun," she said, smiling sweetly at them. Although considering she looked like a princess dressed in cobwebs and bad fashion, 'sweetly' wasn't exactly the right word for it. "My name is Ditzy and I just want to show you a good time."
A purple mask appeared in front of her eyes and she immediately looked over at Marinette and Adrien. She laughed and the others winced.
"Come now, you two," crooned Ditzy. "Hand me your miraculous and we can get straight to the fun. I promise."
"What are you two waiting for?" Chloe shrieked. "Transform and save us already!"
Marinette and Adrien exchanged knowing looks.
"We can't do that," said Adrien, glancing at Chloe before he looked up at the akuma.
Ditzy stepped closer to them, getting right in Adrien and Marinette's faces. To their credit, they didn't flinch or look away even when their classmates stepped back.
"Give me your miraculous," she whispered.
"Take them if you can," said Marinette in reply, boldly meeting her gaze. She tilted her head up and Ditzy laughed.
"Giving up already, Ladybug?" The princess of horror reached out to touch Marinette's ears but she stopped short when she noticed there were no earrings there. A quick glance at Adrien's hand told her there was no ring either. "What…?!"
Ditzy yelped as something round and hard hit her head, making her turn around.
"Hey! Who - ?"
She stopped, the bewildered look on her face out of place for an akuma. Although perhaps it was warranted considering there in front of her stood Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Ladybug grimaced as he retracted his yoyo. "Sorry...I'm still trying to figure this out."
Beside him, Chat Noir gave an awkward half smile, glancing at Adrien with cheeks stained pink, and said, "Hey, your aim was spot on though." She giggled when Adrien snorted and Ladybug gave her a deadpan look.
The pun, as bad it was, seemed to shake Ditzy out of her stupor and she looked furiously between the superhero duos, new and old. Muttering to herself, the purple mask appeared over her eyes again and she decided to focus on the new duo.
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but since you seem to be the ones in possession of the miraculous, you're my new target," exclaimed Ditzy, raising her hand. "I'll lock you up in the darkest parts of Paris!"
Ladybug and Chat Noir yelped as they leaped out of the way of the oncoming cobwebs that Ditzy threw at them. Looking panicked, they ran and Ditzy followed, leaving behind some very stunned classmates.
Alya, who had - naturally - been recording the whole time, barely managed to keep her phone focused as she and everyone else looked at their two infamous classmates.
"Marinette...Adrien….wanna explain what just happened?" She asked slowly.
Adrien shrugged. "I don't know what that reporter expected to happen when he revealed our identities, but all this fame and attention...it got too much."
Marinette crossed her arms, looking far more irritated than her partner. "A hero's identity is everything. We gave Paris two years of our time, risked our lives over and over again, and as gratitude, they exploited us and gave away the one thing that was truly ours. We're not just heroes; we're people; we're kids, as everyone keeps pointing out, and they violated us. They can have their heroes; it just won't be us anymore."
With that, she huffed and walked away from her classmates, too frustrated to talk any more. Alya watched her go, concerned.
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't an easy decision, giving our miraculous up to other people. To me, it was always my freedom...and to her, it was her chance to prove herself, so….we lost a lot by giving it up. But neither of can live like this...can live with people always exploiting us and looking at us like we're these perfect beings on pedestals. So...I guess this is a reminder to Paris that this is what happens when you forget there are people behind the mask."
He sighed and looked in the direction Marinette left in.
"I should go and check on her…"
"Hey, Adrien." Kim shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. "I got a question for you. Not so much to do with that hero stuff but…"
"Are you and Marinette a thing now?" Nino finished. At his friend's look, he explained, "Dude, come on. Asking as a friend, not a fan."
He nudged his girlfriend and Alya shook her head as she was jolted back to reality.
"Yeah, as a friend," she assured, even putting her phone back in her pocket. "I gotta know my girl's status."
"And now I'm bored," said Chloe, huffing. "Isn't it obvious that my Adrikins isn't seeing anyone? Why would he when he has me - ?" She stopped when she saw her childhood friend turn a lovely shade of pink.
"Well…" Adrien stammered. "I don't - we don't know. Maybe? Hopefully?" He seemed to darken at his own words. "Gotta go!"
He hurried after his partner.
"Oh, boy. He got it bad," said Alya, laughing. "I guess there's one good thing about all of this…"
"Yeah, but...I wonder what'll happen now?" Rose chewed on the end of her nail. "They'll get some peace...but...I don't think they can just give up being heroes."
"I bet they'll still try and save the day," said Alix, scoffing. "You can't change that about them so easily. They've always tried to help others, even when they weren't in costume."
"Well, I think this is for the best." Lila crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Look at her; running from her problems. She should have taken advantage of the attention; if she really wanted to, she would have -"
"Considering you know them the least, I don't think you should speak," interrupted Chloe, surprising the others. She scoffed when she saw their looks. "Don't get me wrong. I still think Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a clumsy wannabe, too much of a ditz to be Ladybug, and there's no way my darling Adrikins would be as someone as lame as Chat Noir but…."
She clicked her tongue.
"Marinette always needed a push to get her out of her shell and Adrien has always wanted freedom from being trapped. Being those heroes, no matter how unsuited they were, gave them what they needed. They're not me or you, Lila. They're soft and caring towards others, and that's why they were picked to be heroes, not you or me. The fact is, you didn't deserve to be Volpina and I didn't deserve to be Antibug. I failed because she was better at being Ladybug and you failed because you weren't good enough as Volpina."
Chloe crossed her arms, turning her head.
"And if anyone even dares to mention this to her, I'll have my daddy sue you," she said, walking towards the door. "Sabrina, come on. I need to go on a serious shopping trip."
Sabrina gave a little wave towards the others before she happily followed her BFF out of the wrecked classroom. Stunned and humiliated, Lila stormed out in the opposite direction.
"I never thought I'd see the day Chloe Bourgeois defend Marinette," said Max. "The probability of that happening in our lifetimes is extremely low."
"Not impossible though," pointed out Mylene. "But...you know, I want to support Marinette and Adrien. They did a lot for us and the city...not just as Ladybug and Chat Noir. As long as they're happy, I don't mind…."
"We can still be friends with them…" Nathanael said quietly. "That doesn't have to change."
"They'll need friends anyways…" Ivan frowned. "People have been crowding around them for weeks….it's not fun, having people look at you like a stranger. Or a monster."
All of them grimaced. Although they had all been akumas at some point, Ivan, being the first, was the only one that had been gawked at and treated oddly.
"Well...on a lighter note," began Juleka, smirking a bit, "Adrien or Marinette better make a move fast before one of their new crushees get to them first. Half the school already had celebrity crushes on Adrien and everyone's liked Marinette at some point, and now that their secret's out…"
"...ah." Alya suddenly laughed. "I'll lock them in a panther cage if they don't get their act together soon. Consider it a little payback...even if it did bring me and Nino together."
"Well...speaking of that," said Nino. "Shouldn't we get Madame Bustier to the nurse? And maybe get away from the akuma-sized hole in the wall?"
The teenagers exchanged looks.
"Oh. Right."
.
"Welcome back to Paris Insider! I'm Eve Fera -"
"-and I'm Adam Vance-"
"-and for those just joining us, this is Helios Dante, the man who successfully unmasked our beloved Ladybug and Chat Noir," finished Eve, the camera panning towards the reporter in question. "Hey there, Mister Dante. How does it feel to have the biggest scoop of the year?"
"Please, call me Helios." The man flipped his long red hair over his shoulder and laughed a bit, looking arrogant enough to make Narcissus look modest. "Of course, it's not a surprise that I, Helios, would uncover the biggest mystery of our city. The only surprising thing is how long it took me. They were clever, but not more than me."
"So you consider this an accomplishment?" Adam asked, leaning forward. "Despite the backlash from our heroes themselves?"
"They're just being shy, that's all," said Helios, scoffing. "Or at least pretending to be. Of course they are glad to be in the spotlight! If they weren't, they wouldn't be heroes in the first place. But enough about them. While this may be seen as an accomplishment, it's just another part of my job. No, the accomplishment I am truly proud of is the publishing of my autobiography, which I have a copy right here-"
"So what do you have to say about their decision to retire?" Eve interrupted, cocking an eyebrow at him. "According to the Ladyblog, a blog run by Marinette Dupain-Cheng's best friend and classmate, her and Adrien Agreste have decided to give up their miraculous in favor of living a peaceful life away from the fame and attention your article brought. What about that? Are you satisfied with," she looked down at her notes, "exploiting and betraying the trust of not only the city's heroes, but two children who only had the purest intentions for our city?"
Adam turned his head to hide his smile; his fiancee was not someone to mess with when displeased. And as a big fan of not only Ladybug but Adrien Agreste, she was quite displeased and looking forward to humiliating Helios, who looked as if he had swallowed a lemon.
"Well - that is," stammered the reporter. "This is just a ploy to milk some sympathy -"
"Really now?" Eve was ruthless. "It's a ploy for two teenagers to want to have some privacy and not have the entire city criticizing their every move? It's just an act, you say, for them to want to live in peace after you destroyed the safe barrier they had created between their private and superhero lives? You say it is perfectly unacceptable for Miss Dupain-Cheng and Mister Agreste to be hurt and betrayed by your article, and act accordingly because of it?"
Helios sank into the armchair he was sitting in, his face burning.
"They should have been more-"
"More what, Mister Dante? Careful? As your article details, they were in a hidden alley far from the akuma battle and near their own comfort zone, seeing as Miss Dupain-Cheng's family's bakery was right down the street. How could they have been more careful? How were they supposed to know a sleazy, low-life reporter would stalk them and get right in their faces about their identities, hm? I suppose at least now the new Ladybug and Chat Noir will be aware of which scum to avoid on the streets."
"Now hold on-"
Adam cleared his throat, deciding it was time for him to step in.
"Well, no matter the reason why Miss Dupain-Cheng and Mister Agreste retired, they will be missed; they have done amazing work these past two years," he said. "However, I'm sure their successors will prove to be just as, well, miraculous in time."
Adam glanced at Helios.
"It would also be good to remember that while it is always going to be interesting and fun to speculate who they are, the masks exist for a reason. And as we can see, there may be repercussions to finding out too much information and exploiting it. As reporters, we are here to discover the truth, not exploit children, Mister Dante."
His smile seemed a bit dark as he looked at the reporter, who squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.
"But in other news!" Adam brightened and clapped his hands. "Jagged Stone will be coming back to Paris for not only his third tour but also to work on his new album. Eve, if I recall, Miss Dupain-Cheng actually designed the cover for his last album, didn't she?"
"She did, Adam!" Eve laughed. "I suppose she was always destined for great things! I'm sure we'll continue hearing great things from her and Mister Agreste in the future!" She gasped and tapped her lip with her finger. "Speaking of great things, I have some news of my own."
Adam gave her a curious look. "Oh? Well, please share!"
Eve smiled and looked towards the audience. "As you all know, Adam and I are set to be engaged in the spring. I've already ordered my wedding dress, and it is beautiful, if I may say so myself. But I'm afraid I'll have to get it altered…."
Her fiance glanced between her and the audience.
"Why's that, Eve?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed. "You said it was a perfect fit."
"Well, it was...but I'll have gained quite some weight by the spring," said Eve, her smile growing a bit. She reached out to take her fiance's hands. "Adam...I'm pregnant."
The audience gasped before getting deathly silent as Adam stared at his fiance in surprise. Then he was pressing his lips against hers, both of them giggling and laughing as the audience cheered.
Nobody noticed when Helios slunk off the stage.
.
"Adrien, are you crying?"
Marinette, who had been lounging comfortably against Adrien's back, turned her head to look up at him when she heard him sniffling. The blond kept his eyes on the television.
"It's just so sweet," he muttered. "They're going to be a family."
Marinette blinked before she smiled and turned forward again, shaking her head.
"You're a sap. You're going to have a family one day too, you know," she said. "And I'm sure you'll look as happy as Adam does now. Your child will probably be ridiculously photogenic too, blonde hair and-"
"Your blue eyes, hopefully," said Adrien, not really thinking. Almost instantly, he grimaced.
Marinette tensed up "...what?" She twisted in his lap to look at him better. "Adrien...do you want a family with...me? Is that - what…?"
Adrien gave her a weak smile. "Who else, my Lady? I mean...not right now...we're not even dating...but I mean...I've always loved you, as Ladybug, and you, Marinette, made me fall in love with you all over again and this is so bad because I had this whole speech written out and I know it's rushed after we just gave up our miraculous and I don't want to lose you too but I really do love you and wow, am I still talking?"
His face red, he averted his gaze but Marinette cupped his face and made him look back at her.
"Adrien, I love you, you silly kitty," she murmured, smiling. She brushed her lips against his and her smile grew when she felt him breathe in sharply. "A family sounds nice. But let's work on us first, okay?"
Adrien met her eyes and his smile was so bright she didn't want to see any other expression on his face.
"Whatever the princess wants," he said. "Marinette...can I kiss you?"
"'Please."
.
Being unmasked wasn't the worst thing to happen to them. They wish they hadn't had to say goodbye to their kwamis, their miraculous, and their days of leaping over roofs, but they knew would be okay.
They had each other, after all. And as long as they had that, everything would be fine.
Fin.