Hey guys! So, this is going to be a semi long explanation. If you don't want to read it, fine, but it is kind of important. So, the reason I haven't updated in forever is because of this terrible hell hole called Graduation Project (Or Senior Project, same thing). Basically, it's a high school class required to graduate. Having to take this while doing college classes (long story short, I'm in early college. Freshman in college, junior in high school. It's complicated) was really difficult, and I nearly failed the class. Luckily I managed to crawl out of it alive and passing, but it was difficult. Another issue is that we recently lost internet at my house. I have my phone, so I can use data when necessary, but I will also be losing that around the end of the month and I don't know when we'll have internet again. Luckily, school starts back early January, so at most you should only have to wait a few weeks for an update. Still, I felt it best to warn you all. But my work load shouldn't be too bad anymore, so with any luck updates can pick back up. Now... there will be review responses and an important question at the bottom, so read it!

! IMPORTANT STUFF AT THE BOTTOM AN ! REVIEW RESPONSES AND A QUESTION ! PLEASE READ THE BOTTOM AN !

Disclaimer - Miraculous Ladybug does not, unfortunately, belong to me. If it did, season 2 would be out already.

Alright, let's get started! Hope you guys enjoy this long-awaited chapter!

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Adrien had started the day thinking his desk would make a pretty good pillow. The fight last night had completely drained him, and he was hoping for a nice easy day at school. Sure, he had another photo shoot to deal with after school, but he could cross that bridge when he got there. However, when he walked into class he found out that the day was going to be a lot harder.

"-Stop comparing me to Ladybug!" He walked through the door just in time to hear Marinette's frustrated shout, and watch her storm out of the classroom. She brushed past him on the way, not even sparing him a glance. The mess left behind was a stunned Chloe and Sabrina, who looked almost like they'd just stepped in something gross and couldn't get it off their shoes. Alya looked concerned, though Adrien could tell she was also curious as to what had caused Marinette's fuse to blow. Nino looked like a bomb had just gone off in his face.

Adrien himself stood in the doorway for a little while longer before he managed to make it to his seat, long enough that the teacher walked in. Seeing the expressions on her students' faces she paused, frowning.

"Is something wrong class?" They all looked to her, not sure how to explain what had just happened. "And where is Marinette?" She asked, noticing the empty seat. Even Chloe was silent for once, simply shaking her head and making her way to her own seat. Sabrina did the same, and the teacher was left without an answer. Of course she noticed it was strange, but if they weren't going to tell her there wasn't much she could do other than get on with the lesson. Adrien couldn't pay very much attention though, his mind being elsewhere. What had caused Marinette to get so upset? It was obvious that Chloe was the culprit, but that was about it. And her words… Comparing her to Ladybug? Did that happen a lot? He couldn't make heads or tails of it. He wasn't given long to ponder it though, so instead he just tried to focus on the lesson.

Unfortunately, even that didn't last long. About halfway through class the alarm blared through the building, one that could only mean one thing: An Akuma. As the teacher tried to get everyone safely out of the classroom, Adrien managed to slip away so he could transform. Plagg flew out of his bag, sighing.

"Already? But it's so early…" Adrien shook his head.

"We have to go Plagg. Claws out!" Plagg was absorbed into the ring, the leather catsuit appearing on Adrien's body. Without another word Chat Noir ran out of the school, looking for the Akuma and hoping Ladybug would be there soon.

The new villain that greeted him was definitely not what he expect. Upon first glance the girl was very familiar, with dark blue hair that fell loosely just past her shoulders and piercing blue eyes (one covered by her bangs). She wore a large trench coat, one half a dark gray and the other black with white spots. The inside was red, and the cuffs and collar were dark red with pink spots. Her outfit looked like it had been split down the middle, two very different outfits showing. One side was a bodysuit, white with black spots that matched her mask. The other side was a black turtleneck with a purple flower and pink vines, her pants a dark purplish pink color. (AN - it's just the cover picture, that's what she looks like.)

She was throwing something on a string, and when it wrapped around people a dark purple aura flared up around them. It was like the people had become entirely different people. Chloe was digging her ladybug costume out of her bag, about to run around with Sabrina as Chat Noir in broad daylight.

"Alright, so I can't let her touch me with that string," Chat muttered. "Ladybug, I hope you get here soon." He didn't see the similarities yet, he didn't realize that his lady wasn't his friend this battle; but his enemy. He was more concerned with trying to get civilians out of harm's way and figuring out where the akuma was. Other then her weapon, the girl didn't seem to be holding anything of importance, so maybe that was it? As he considered it though, he shook his head. That didn't feel right. He didn't get to think on the further though, as the weapon was thrown towards him.

He dodged, but as he passed he realized that it wasn't any ordinary weapon, but a yo-yo. A white yo-yo with black spots. His eyes widened and he froze, watching as she pulled the yo-yo back and turned to him. She walked closer, smirking.

"Chat Noir, surprise surprise. Where's Ladybug?" She asked. But it wasn't really a question, her tone of voice didn't fit. No, she knew what she was asking. And she was asking it for a reason. Because she knew something that Chat didn't. The girl chuckled, his shocked expression amusing her. "I am Lady Masquerade," she began. "And as fun as it would be to play with you, Kitty, you aren't the hero I'm looking for." She smirked again, turning and stalking down the street towards the dressed up Chloe and Sabrina, who were running around pretending to capture an akuma. It was as if they didn't even realize where they were or what they were doing.

Lady Masquerade walked over to them, wrapping her yo-yo around Chloe and pulling her to her. The purple aura didn't flare up- Chloe had already been affected. Chat snapped himself out of his stupor, starting towards them while pulling his pole off of his back. Immediately Masquerade whirled around, glaring daggers at him.

"You will not interfere! This girl has patronized me for the last time, and I will have my revenge." An evil grin spread across her face as Chloe cowered. "And then I'll come for you, kitty cat." Before Chat good do anything else she vanished in a puff of purple smoke, taking Chloe with her. Chat was left staring at the spot she disappeared, alone. Ladybug hadn't come. She hadn't showed up to help him save the day. Ladybug was gone.

It had been three days since Lady Masquerade had first appeared. Three days since Ladybug had failed to save the day with her leather-clad partner. Three days since Chat Noir had fallen to his knees in front of the last place Masquerade was seen, stunned into total silence and only moving when the beep from his ring warned him of how little time he had.

It had been three days since Marinette had disappeared.

In the chaotic aftermath of the attack, it had gone unnoticed. People were more concerned with trying to figure out what had happened, and why the hidden sides of themselves had been projected outward to the city. It was temporary, that much was known. As soon as Masquerade was gone the effects of her yo-yo wore off, and people returned to normal. The purple auras faded, and they quickly retreated to their homes. It was around then that Marinette was discovered to be missing.

At first it was assumed she had been taken with Chloe. A case of wrong place, wrong time. When Chloe was rescued, they'd see Marinette again as well. But then Chloe came back, and Marinette didn't. Chloe wouldn't talk much either, when she came back. It was halfway through the second day when she did, and Masquerade hadn't been with her. Chloe had just appeared in a poof of purple smoke, silently curled into a ball. She didn't appear physically injured, but who knew what had happened to her psychologically. She hadn't spoken a word since she'd been found, only shaking her head or nodding occasionally when asked a question. When asked if Marinette had been with her, she hesitated for a long moment before shaking her head no.

The working theory was that Marinette was Masquerade. Most people thought it made sense; Marinette had been fighting with Chloe before Masquerade had appeared and for sure Chloe had caused too many akumas in Paris. Several students even commented on the similarity of her appearance. Well, half of it, at least. The Ladybug-esque design of the other half of her costume was explained away by the nature of her argument with Chloe. They had been fighting about Marinette being compared to Ladybug, so of course she'd be a mix as a villain.

Adrien had other ideas.

As Chat, he had seen Masquerade up close. He had seen her fight, heard her speak. He'd heard her talk to him in a way only one person had done, and that was Ladybug. And that yo-yo, while a different color, was a dead ringer. But it couldn't be Ladybug, could it? He was torn. His classmates were right, it made sense for Marinette to have become Masquerade. But Ladybug was also noticeably absent, and Masquerade resembled both girls quite a bit. Adrien couldn't understand it, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to. If it turned out that was his beloved lady, what was he going to do? She was the one who purified the akumas, he couldn't. Worse, if she was Marinette instead, what had kept Ladybug from entering the battle? Had she been captured by Hawkmoth? No, he was sure he would have known if something like that had happened. But the chance that something bad was the cause of her disappearance was high, and he didn't like it.

He didn't want to think about it though. Either Marinette or Ladybug was Masquerade, and the other was missing. Unless… No. Adrien shook his head. It couldn't be. He knew there was a chance he and Ladybug knew each other, but she had always been so adamant that he never find out. He hadn't really thought about it since the Lady WiFi incident. Of course he had been tempted… but it wasn't right. She didn't want to be found out.

So he shook himself from his thoughts, trying to pay attention. Classes had resumed, so he was currently sitting in the classroom beside Nino, fighting the instinct to turn around and check the empty seat beside Alya. Marinette's seat.

Adrien wasn't the only one not paying attention. Alya was staring sadly down at her notebook, spaced out and mind obviously more focused on her missing best friend than the current lecture. The seat near Sabrina was also empty, Chloe was still at home recovering. She hadn't yet been declared fit to come back to school, and probably wouldn't be for a while. Sabrina was finally starting to act like her own person, speaking up in class and actually leaving people alone. It would probably go back to normal by the time Chloe was back though.

The whole mood throughout the classroom was somber. Two classmates were gone, Ladybug was nowhere to be found, and the villain hadn't been defeated. Masquerade could strike again at any time, and everyone knew it. They were scared, who would be next? What exactly did she want? She had only taken one person last time, and then disappeared.

No one knew what was going to happen next. For now it was all they could do to just carry on with normal life and wait.

They didn't have to wait long, however, because an alarm suddenly screamed through the school. Everyone was out of their seats in an instant, for once following protocol and lining up at the door to be evacuated. Adrien was caught up in the crowd, unable to get through and find a place to transform. Nino and Alya were looking straight at him as he tried to move, and grabbed his arms.

"We already lost Marinette, we're not losing you too. We're going to find a safe place to wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir," said Alya. Internally, Adrien groaned. How was he supposed to try to bring Marinette back to them and even find Ladybug (if she wasn't Masquerade or Marinette- which Adrien was still in complete denial about) if he couldn't get out of their sight? He had to get back out there and stop Masquerade. If Ladybug was still missing, he was the only one who could do anything. For now though, all he could do was follow as the class was rushed out of the building, being loaded on buses as fast as possible to get home. Masquerade wasn't near the school yet, but several kids were watching the live news feed on their phones.

Looking over Nino's shoulder, Adrien watched as Masquerade appeared in a burst of purple smoke, turning to a nearby building with a poster of Ladybug and Chat Noir. She flung her yo-yo towards it, and as a purple glow appeared around it it smashed into the wall, destroying it. She pulled the yo-yo back and continued on her way, leaving the scene in a way Adrien knew all too well. He had seen it a million times after patrol ended and he lingered, debating once more to follow her and find out the truth before reluctantly turning to go home himself. A shred of hope still lingered, that it was a trick, it was just the suit, and he waited for his partner to appear. But she didn't, and Masquerade continued her rampage.

His gaze was torn from the video as Alya let go of him, looking around. They were still near the back, not quite ready to be loaded onto the buses yet, and currently unnoticed by the frantic teachers.

"She's not that far away, actually… I could probably get a couple of shots for the Ladyblog of Ladybug and Chat entering the fight!" Nino gave her a look, and she was quick to cut off any argument. "Come on Nino! It's the perfect opportunity!"

"Didn't you just say we were going to find somewhere safe to wait for them?" Asked Adrien, while secretly relying on her stubborn attitude to take all three of them out there. While he didn't want Nino and Alya getting hurt, he could slip away much easier if they were focused on something else. Alya shrugged, already trying to sneak away without the teachers noticing.

"We can safely wait a few streets over," she said. "Now come on!" Both Nino and Adrien shared a look before following after, Adrien with a hand firmly securing his bag. They managed to get away without the teachers noticing, and as soon as they were free Alya was completely focused on her mission. Nino's focus had shifted from keeping Adrien in place to making sure Alya didn't get herself killed, leaving Adrien free to run off. He slipped into an alleyway, opening up his bag to let the little black kwami out.

"Took you longer enough," Plagg commented. Adrien shook his head.

"Sorry Plagg, got held up. We don't have time for that though, claws out!" Plagg was sucked into the ring, and Adrien was transformed into Chat Noir. As his transformation ended he jumped up, climbing out of the alley and racing across the rooftops to where Masquerade had last been spotted. He passed more crumbled walls and destroyed buildings as he did, what was left from Masquerade's rampage. His view of the destruction was interrupted, however, by a black and white blur zooming by his face. He jerked back, just in time for Masquerade to come by, following her yo-yo. There eyes met as she passed, the wind from her quick movement blowing Chat's hair backwards. Her eyes were a familiar blue, though they were sharper than what he was used to seeing. And the sunlight sparked on the one accessory not quite in sync with her black and white spotted ensemble. Red and black earrings.

At this point, Chat knew. He could deny it with every fiber of his being, but in the back of his mind he knew. He knew where both missing girls were, and why his spotted partner wasn't coming to his aid. Still, he had no choice but to ready himself as she pulled her weapon back, turning to face him.

"Chat Noir," she said, standing with one hand on her hip. "We meet again. What seems to be the trouble this time?" Chat narrowed his eyes, fists clenching. How could this be her? Either of them?

"You, Masquerade. You can just run around destroying buildings, and this time I'm going to stop you." She held a hand to her chest, walking closer.

"Aw, Kitty, are you upset you didn't catch me last time? Don't worry, I'll be gone soon. I just have to get the last of all this foolish admiration." She stopped about three feet away, watching Chat closely. Instead of pouncing, he shook his head. He had to know.

"Why are you doing this? What's the point in tearing down these posters? All of these people will still cheer for Ladybug, they always have. This won't change anything." A smile crosses her face, and Chat found himself wishing he hadn't spoken.

"But the disappearance of their heroine will. You will fail, just like before, and I'll walk away. The people will look at their ruined city and blame you, because you could never do what Ladybug does. You're just a sidekick, a distraction for the bad guys while she does the real work." He shook his head, but she wasn't done. "And why should they admire someone they don't know, anyway? They don't know her, they don't know the truth. If everyone knew the truth about everyone, the world would be a very different place." She scoffed, playing with her yo-yo idly. "But instead we live in a world where people lie, and cheat, and fake their identities all the time. You wouldn't know the real Ladybug if she hit you in the face, yet you worship her on a pedestal of gold whenever she appears to save the day. Her sacrifice is lost to the vanity of the super hero image. You think you know her because she's your partner, but do you really? What's her favorite color, her dreams, her aspirations... her fears? Just like the rest of these fools you've fallen under the spell of that black and red suit, and you will never understand the truth." Words failed him. Chat stared at the girl, this villainous version of his lady, his friend, his partner. The girl and the fighter, one and the same.

She's right. No one knew who Ladybug was. Sure the Ladyblog dedicates itself to finding the truth, and there was that weird mix up with Chloe that one time, but she obviously wasn't the real Ladybug. The real Ladybug could be anyone, and he would never know. He's never had the chance to talk to her about all of that. Her favorite color? Red or black are the only colors he's seen her in, of course, except for her midnight hair and beautiful blue eyes. Dreams and aspirations? Fears? Chat sighed, she was absolutely right. He barely knew her. Except...

"You're right," he starts, looking at the ground for a moment. "But it was her choice." The words threw Lady Masquerade for a loop, and she stopped before taking off. "I had the chance to find out who she was, I've had plenty of chances. I've suggested that we may even know each other. But she was the one who didn't want to reveal anything. She didn't want me to know. So how can you blame me, or any of these people, when she made the decision not to tell? At the very least, her partner could have benefited. And I have tried. But I respect her. So if you want to blame anyone, it's her." He had to fight not to say 'you', and the possibility still lingers, but his words still hit their mark. Masquerade stared at him, eyes wide. Chat Noir shook his head, fighting stance at the ready once more. "Let's finish this, My Lady," were his words as he launched himself towards her.

Masquerade shook herself out of her trance in time to see Chat jump, and moved back just barely enough. He grazed her, nothing more. Her yo-yo was out in an instant, trying to latch itself onto Chat and stop him with no luck. Ducking under her attack Chat launched a kick, trying to knock the yo-yo from her grasp. He didn't want to hurt her, but had to get rid of that weapon before he could get anywhere near close enough to grab her earrings. He was almost certain that's where the akuma was, he just had to get them.

Their battle continued, eventually leading them into an alley apart from the citizens so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. Both had landed pretty good hits, and knew the battle had to come to a close soon. One little slip up on Masquerade's end determined the winner, as Chat saw his opening.

Masquerade had thrown her yo-yo, missing Chat in order to wrap around a pipe trailing up the side of the building. Her plan had been to pull the pipe down, hitting Chat in the process, and making her escape. However, the pipe was much more sturdy than she had anticipated, and her moment's hesitation left her wide open to Chat's attack. He kicked her in the side, throwing her to the ground and forcing her to let go of the yo-yo. When she fell Chat was quick to pounce, pulling the earrings off before she could think of a counterattack. He held them in his hand, ready to crush them to release the butterfly, when a gasp rose from the fallen girl.

"Don't!" He turned, shocked, at the voice. It wasn't Masquerade's voice, laced with something evil when she taunted him, but Marinette's fear-filled cry. The mask had disappeared, and her clothes were back to normal, leaving a bruised and teary-eyed Marinette where Lady Masquerade once stood. A glance behind him would have revealed that the black and white yo-yo was gone as well. In his surprise he dropped the earrings, a crack sounding as they hit the ground. The black butterfly that slipped through the crack in the earrings went unnoticed by both, as they stared at each other.

After a moment Chat tried to speak, stuttering as he forced the words out, but he didn't get the chance. His butchered attempt at a sentence jolted Marinette from her shock, and as tears started to fall she snatched the earrings and bolted from the alley.

"Marinette, wait!" Chat yelled as he ran after her, knowing he had to catch her before something worse happened.

Alright, question first. You all waited forever for this and I apologize, so here's my question: Do you want longer chapters and longer waits between updates, or shorter chapters and shorter waits? Chances are, long chapters will be LONG, so you'll get monthly updates. But for shorter chapters I can most likely do weekly updates. It's up to you guys, so pick wisely. You can tell me in a review, or PM me. It's up to you guys.

Also, I've only had one person vote on my poll. I'd like some more feedback, so please head to my profile and vote to your heart's content!

Alright, reviews.

QueenDisney201 - You're so sweet! Thanks :) Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

AnamariaJovel - MWAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm evil, aren't I? Well here you go. Can you guess what's going to happen next?

Lmb111514 - Thanks! Here's an update, hope it didn't take too long.

Ashlielle - XD Yeah, I figured it was a common theme. I didn't want to do the whole 'rejected by Adrien' one though, because I think that one's even more common. I'm so glad you like it though! *noms cookie* Why thank you. This cookie shall fuel the next chapter.

Okay, that's enough XD I'm out guys, hope you liked it.

Peace out!

~ Attic