Marinette dusted the flour off her as she put the last batch of cookies in the oven.
"There, all done" she said.
"Marinette, can you deliver this cake for me please?"
"Yes Papa" she replied. Marinette checked the clock, two more hours to patrol, she could make it back by then.
She picked up her small bag, which contained Tiki and left the bakery with the cake in her hands.
The street was dark and Marinette warily passed the shaded alley-ways. She slipped a hand into her purse and gently stroked Tiki to calm her nerves. The cold Parisian air made her shiver slightly. "I wish I brought a jumper" she admitted to Tiki. "We're almost there" replied Tiki gently.
Suddenly Marinette heard footsteps behind her. Sparing a glance behind her saw a hooded man walking a little way off. She quickened her pace and to her horror so did the hooded figure. Marinette sped up to a jog, carefully keeping the cake level. The hooded figure continued to keep up. Marinette began to run. Almost there, she kept thinking.
The hooded man was gaining on her and soon she realized she would have to confront him. Tiki buzzed frantically in her purse. "I can't transform now" whispered Marinette as she turned to face the man. He slowed down and stood menacingly in front of her. "Calm down girlie" he sneered "just hand me the purse and I won't hurt you at all." Four other large men walked out of the darkness and flanked the hooded man, each one bearing menacing sneers. Marinette backed down into an alley, her heart pounding. The five men stalked closer. Chuckling as they eyed her.
Marinette's head was whirling. The men were double her size. It didn't take long for marinette to decide what she should do and gently setting the cake down at the foot of the wall she crouched into her fighting stance. Ignoring the frantic buzzes that were coming from her purse.
The men laughed and closed in.
Adrian's POV
Adrian was having a bad day, he had 2 long photoshoots and was exhausted by the time he got into his bedroom. To top it all Plagg was being miserable. "Cheese, cheese, just give me cheese, oh I am so exhausted I could just faint." Moaned his Kwami. Rolling his eyes at his Kwami's antics Adrian handed Plagg a roll of camembert and looked away to avoid the sight of Plagg stuffing himself.
Adrian patiently waited until his Kwami was done before saying "claws out" and after a flash of light Chat Noir was standing in his place. Smirking Chat launched himself out of his window, whooping as he summersaulted through the air. He felt so free like this, he could do whatever he wanted. His only sadness was that his lady wasn't with him, but she would join him later for patrol.
As Chat leaped over the rooftops he caught a sight of five figures in an alley. Curious he stopped on the roof over-looking the alley. With a shock he recognized his classmate, Marinette. She looked tiny compared the men. A flash of fury went through Chat. How dare they pick on poor, sweet, cute, defenseless Marinette! Chat was about to leap in and save Marinette when she crouched down into a strangely familiar fighting stance.
Marinette's POV
Marinette crouched down, sizing up the men. Her heart missed a beat when she caught the glimpse of a knife on one of the men. "You are ladybug, you take on much scarier Akumas every day, you can do this." She hissed to herself.
"Come on girlie, unless you want a few less teeth" leered the tallest men. As he went to grab her arm.
With a small jerk Marinette kneed the man in the stomach, sending him sprawling backwards. The other men advanced forward, snarling. Marinette elbowed the closest in the face and jumping upwards she kicked another. Hearing a grunt she whipped around and crouched using the charging man's weight to throw him over her. The last man raised his arm and hurled a knife at her. Instinctively Marinette reached to her hip for her Yoyo. Marinette cursed as she realized she wasn't in costume. She flinched her head to avoid the knife but it sliced a small part of her cheek and blood dripped onto her shirt. Marinette cursed again and rolling away from another knife she charged at the last man dodging at the last second to nail him with a perfect trip.
Chats POV
Chat had frozen in shock watching as his smallest classmate took on five men more than double her size. What shocked him most was how familiar her fighting style seemed, he almost mistook her for ladybug when she reached for her missing yoyo. He jumped into action however when he heard the zip of a knife and watched in horror as it narrowly missed Marinette's face. The sight of her blood infuriated him. Using his baton Chat jumped down only to see Marinette successfully take down the last man. Marinette absentmindedly wiped the blood off her cheek and picked up the cake. Gently navigating around each unconscious man with a "sorry," she walked off leaving chat to just stare at her in amazement.