Marinette awoke with a groan, slowly opening her heavy eyelids. Tikki zipped by her and tickled her in her ear, trying to get her to wake up faster. Her eyes widen as she felt the sensation, bolted straight up in her bed and shook Tikki off her ear.

"Tikki!" she scolded playfully, while both the bluenette and the kwami laughed. "Where's my phone?" She searched for it underneath her covers, while Tikki flew away slowly, probably looking for some sweets, Marinette thought.

She continued searching her sheets, where could it have gone? She did leave it on her bed, right? Sighing, she scrambled out of bed and down her ladder. Looking out the window, she said, "Why is it still dark out? Tikki, did you wake me up in the middle of the night again? There isn't an akuma, is there?"

"No," Tikki panted, flying back into sight with a heavy phone. "It's 5 in the morning." Before Marinette could open her mouth, Tikki dropped the phone into her hands and continued. "I want to take you to see the Master."

The bluenette's jaw dropped, "I thought he told you not to take me back there again, especially since the last time I went was a month ago. And it doesn't matter what the Master says, Chat Noir and I aren't revealing our identities to each other."

Tikki followed her miraculous holder as she plopped herself down on her couch. "I know Marinette, you told me that before, I just don't understand why. You trust Chat Noir, don't you?"

Marinette closed her eyes, massaging her temples slowly. "Of course I do, we save the city together. How could I not?"

"Does he trust you?"

"Totally! I meanーI think he does. I have saved his life more times than he can count."

"Well, you like him, right?"

"He's my partner, Tikki. It isn't necessarily about liking him. However, he is my friend. He means something to me."

"Okay," Tikki sighed, "Then, what's the problem? Is it about safety? I believe that even if Hawk Moth forces you to reveal Chat Noir's identity or vice versa, you both would never. Both of you have established enough trust. So, what's wrong Marinette?"

She sighed, walking over to her desk. "I guess, I just don't want to."

"Nope," Tikki said confidently, as Marinette turned on her desktop. "That's not it."

"Fine," Marinette pulled her pigtails out of their ties and ran her fingers through them. "I'll tell you the truth."

Silence.

"Well?" Tikki asked.

"I don't want to reveal my identity to Chat Noir because I think he'd be disappointed. As Ladybug, I am a confident, independent superhero. But as plain, old Marinette, I'm just a 14-year-old with a crazy crush on a celebrity. Tikki, I think Chat Noir would be disappointed in me, though he says he loves me, I don't stand out in the civilian world." Marinette bowed her head. "I'm no special as Marinette. I'm clumsy and dumb, I can't even talk to Adrien without blushing incoherently. I'm a mess as me, Tikki. I'm not confident. I'm not perfect. I'm not even Ladybug."

The bluenette pressed her hands to her eyes, pretending to be sad, but actually stopping the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Chat Noir would be disappointed that his lady was actually just a clumsy, little teenager with no life, regardless of who he was. She didn't feel like a strong Ladybug. She felt like nothing.

"Hey," Tikki squeaked, pulling away her hands. "Come on, you'll be happier when I take you there. Get your phone, we are leaving soon. Pronto! Get changed, Marinette! I am taking you to the Master!"

"Adrien," Plagg whispered in his ear, holding a block of camembert in his tiny hands. "Adrieeeeen."

The blonde rolled to the left side of the bed, shooing Plagg away. He looked like an art piece, Plagg thought, though camembert was definitely more appetizing.

"What do you want Plagg..?" Adrien moaned, ruffling his hair with both his hands. He moved to get off his bed but Plagg zipped in front of him gobbling a cheese block.

"I'm gonna take you somewhere," he said, munching on his morning snack. "Somewhere 'special'". The kwami emphasized his word with air quotes.

"Well?" Adrien asked, waving him away and walking towards the bathroom. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Ha!" Plagg chuckled, placing his little hands on his hips. "I just woke you up at 5 in the morning and now we're going to see him. I told her I could do it."

Adrien picked up his toothbrush, "What?" He added some mint toothpaste to the bristles and stuck it in his mouth. "Why'd you wake me up, Plagg? It's finally a Saturday which means no photoshoots, no Chinese lessons, no piano lessons, no anything! So, where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

"And who's 'her'?" Adrien asked, swishing his hair back and searching his wardrobe for a decent shirt. "Did you start naming your cheese again?"

"Hey!" Plagg exclaimed, "For your information, every slice and block of cheese has its own name, you just need to listen closely to what it says."

The kwami pressed his head to some cheese and hummed. "Oh, and I talked to Tikki, who is NOT cheese."

"Tikki?"

"Yeah, Ladybug's kwami."

Adrien's toothbrush fell from his mouth. "Lady-Ladybug's kw-kwami ?"

"Yup. She told me she had something ready for you and Maー something ready for you and Ladybug."

"Really?"

"Nah, I was just joking, come on, hurry up, we're gonna be late kid."

Marinette walked out the apartment door with a croissant in hand. She was careful not to go through the bakery, she didn't want to answer any questions on why she was awake this early in the morning.

"I'm not forgetting anything, am I Tikki?"

"Um, how about Ladybug?"

"You want me to transform?!"

"Yes Marinette, the Master wanted to try something new this time."

"Ok, I guess," Marinette sighed, wondering what was in for her this time. "Tikki, spots on!"

"I'm guessing I'm goin' out through the window like a certain cat," Adrien said, smirking at his own words.

"Wait! Let me digest my cheese!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

There was a green and black flash, and there Chat Noir stood, looking broader than ever as he leaped out of the window.

After some time of zipping through Paris, Chat realized he had no clue about where he was going. He landed swiftly on a rooftop near the school and scratched his head unknowingly. Plagg didn't specify the address and he hadn't even bothered to ask.

Sighing, he called Ladybug, hoping that she probably knew where they were going to, since Plagg said he spoke to her kwami.

"Chat? What is it? Is there an akuma?"

"No," Chat said, jumping to the sidewalk in front of his school, "A certain kwami of mine said they were taking me somewhere and I have a feeling you know, m'lady."

"Um," Ladybug stopped in front of the Master's apartment building. "Your kwami told you that?"

"Yeah, now tell me where you are before I pick my claws out, Bugaboo."

"Okay, well," Ladybug thought deeply, wondering why Chat's kwami was planning on taking him to the same place. Ladybug gasped, realization hitting her while Chat Noir on the other end said, "Chat got your tongue, m'lady?"

"Watch your mouth, kitty, where are you?"

"I'm at Boulangerie Patisserie, you know, the bakery across the street from Françoise Dupont High School." Chat jumped to the rooftop of the bakery easily.

Ladybug's stomach churned, she didn't want another strange encounter with her parents again, but she didn't have much of a choice. "Okay, I'll be there soon kitty." And with that, she hung up and threw her yo-yo into the sunrise.