Meanwhile, Marinette finally took note that the art room went silent. She lifted her head up and spotted Rose.

"Hey, Rose. Did I miss anything?" She asked, still smiling.

"Umm… Natsuru ran off crying and then people started to go and look after him."

That can't be good. If anything bad were to happen…

Marinette's smile quickly disappeared as she left the art room, only to see Alix running away.

"We have an Akuma situation!" Alix said as she rushed past her.

Ok, this is very bad!

"Please tell me it's not Natsuru!"

"I guess that's Paris's way of greeting him." Alix turned her head as she kept running away, the sound of her footsteps reverberating through the hallways as she ran downstairs.

Marinette was scrambling for a safe spot to transform as she considered the akumatization scenario in her mind.

Last time we had a miraculous holder get akumatized, the Akuma went straight to the miraculous. If it's in his miraculous, and then he transforms… or if he somehow gets Gecko's abilities because he got akumatized...

No, this will be oh so very bad! It would mean the Akuma could look like anything, including being totally invisible!

How can we cataclysm an invisible miraculous, without accidentally touching him? Or pick up a polymorphic Akuma?

This could be an entirely new level of difficulty. Shoot.

Finding a good hiding spot to transform couldn't have come sooner to her.

"Tikki, spots on!"

...

Searching the halls, Ladybug eventually found herself looking at an improbability. At the very least, that's the first thing that came up to her mind when she saw something that she wasn't expecting to see in any way.

Namely, it was Rena Rouge. Which wasn't odd by itself, if it weren't for the fact that the fox miraculous was safely at Master Fu's. And even that would have somehow made sense, if it wasn't for the fact that this Rena was armed with Gecko's hoop.

Is it the Akuma? Is it who I think it is? Is it the miraculous I think it is?

...

Why can't anything involving that Gecko make reasonable sense, for once?

She needed answers, and her yo-yo was about to grab whoever that was and get them, or at least the minimal subset needed to fight the Akuma.

*TWANG* went the sound of Ladybug's yo-yo as it wrapped itself around that Rena Rouge. One Rena Rouge coming right up.

"Who are you?" she asked with a piercing look in her eyes.

"Alya. Natsuru gave me his miraculous." A whisper gave away the answer Ladybug wished the most to hear.

She immediately freed her and gave her friend a warm hug.

"Oh, thank god it's you! Sorry for not being gentle, but this is such a mess."

Rena Rouge nodded.

"I get it… I would have done the same, Ladybug."

"I have so many questions for you right now. How on earth did that happen?"

"Well… it's..."

"You know what, forget it. It's Akuma time now. Did you see him? Do you know where his item is?"

"I saw it enter his makeup kit, transforming him into a Girl and I pretty much escaped afterwards."

"Let's go then! Don't forget though, I'll be calling you for an interview afterwards..."

She couldn't help but laugh at this strange predicament.

...

The noise of panicked shouts from the art room gave away the presence of the Akuma, and they both hurried there. They peeked inside and saw a scene unfold in front of their eyes.

The girl figure burst flying into the art room, buffeting her wings and thrashing around the area. Paper sheets, comic books and pieces of fabric got carried in the wind, Spray cans, pens and paint thrown around the room by sheer force. One of the spray cans burst at Alix's graffiti, a large yellow blot covering the black cat.

The first poor soul to be hit by the girl's magical powers was Sabrina. The bespectacled girl cowered in fear as a black ray with a star pattern to it engulfed her. In a moment, Sabrina emerged, seemingly unharmed.

"Am I… okay?" She asked. But Ladybug quickly realized she wasn't, owing to her shocked look.

"Chloe! Chloe!" The cry came about, followed by sobbing. "I can hear her, but she's gone!"

That much was true, Chloe was nowhere to be found, gone as if the earth swallowed her whole.

Next to be hit was Rose. By now Ladybug had a good suspicion as to what was going to happen. In a moment, Juleka was gone.

"Ladybug, help!" Rose's cry came about.

Rose can't be happy about this. And if I get hit...

Which was exactly the moment she felt the ray of stars hit her and instantly knew what it meant.

No! Adrien!

Okay, This just got personal now.

"L-l… Ladybug?" She suddenly heard his voice in her mind.

A quick look at Rena by her side though made it clear to her that she must not mention him by name, or else she will have a lot of explaining to do.

She quickly grabbed Rena and pulled back.

"W-w… where are you?"

"I'm… I don't know this place. It's a forest of sorts and it's morning here."

"Since it's afternoon here in Paris, you must be thousands of miles away. Don't worry, I'll save you, somehow!"

"Do you know how this happened, My- I mean, Ladybug?"

No, I can't tell him that

"A-a-Akuma! Got… to fight! Talk to you later!"

"Ladybug, who is that you're talking to?" Rena asked her.

"I… uh… I can't say! You know that!" She whispered back.

I just hope Adrien didn't get that… if he figures out I love him… that won't be so good!

She quickly opened up her communicator and called Chat Noir, only to get a "not available" red sign.

"Where is that mangy cat! He's in for so much trouble if he doesn't show up!"

...

Ladybug observed the monochromatic girl fly away from the school towards the Eiffel tower and both Rena and her quickly caught chase. They arrived just in time to see the monochromatic girl hovering in front of a makeshift police barricade, the sound of police sirens and red-and-blue lights illuminating the street.

"Enough, Akuma! Stop pestering the citizens of Paris!" Roger Raincomprix hailed at the figure to stop.

In a moment, Ladybug witnessed a red ribbon shooting from the figure's arm, engulfing him almost fully and chaining him to the barricade. Another one turned his car over upside down and another grabbed the second car and flung it a few dozens of meters away.

"Yeah, no cops are ever going to stop her…" Ladybug quipped at the sight of Miss Aligner making short work of the barricade. She dodged another car thrown at them, only to get slammed at a fire hydrant, water spraying around the area, mixing with oil and gasoline spilled from the overturned police car. Another car missed them, hitting a street lamp. Rena blocked the falling pole from hitting them.

Looks like that Akuma has got more tricks up her sleeve, or wherever those ribbons are coming from! But then again, we're two superheroines as well…

and missing a third!

"Natsuru, stop! You don't have to do this!" Ladybug called.

The girl froze and stared at her with fire in her eyes.

"I'm Miss Aligner! Don't you ever utter that name in my presence again, or it will be the last anyone ever hears of you."

Her anger was quickly complemented by a ribbon shot, which Ladybug tried to counter with her yo-yo, but her string got wrapped around by the ribbon and she was yanked aside with considerable strength. Rena quickly moved to block further attacks, her hoop doing somewhat better and harder to yank out as it wrapped more ribbon in it. Sparks came out as the ribbons clashed against the hoop, the sound of metal hitting another as the two got tangled. Miss Aligner detached her ribbons, and within a few seconds they withered to dust.

Rena extended her hoop and started spinning it in a wobbling motion, protecting both and avoiding the low blind spots. Indeed, Miss Aligner tried to send her ribbons beneath the hoop's height, only to be stymied by the wobbling movement. A shot of her black ray was blocked by the very same move.

Ladybug watched the maneuver with amazement.

This is my move. The one I taught Gecko.

How is that even possible?

"I can't call out lucky charm under a spinning hoop… I need to retreat temporarily to a safe place and see what comes out."

Rena slanted her hoop forwards, now spinning it in keeping that forward slant, allowing her to retreat backward and out of sight for Miss Aligner.

"Where is that cat! Why does he keep disappearing at crucial moments?" she ranted then sighed.

Guess it's me and Rena on this one.

"What am I going to do now?" She talked as if to herself, forgetting there was someone else that could hear her, catching her off guard.

"Ladybug… let me help you. I can be your mission control!" Adrien's warm voice echoed to her.

"O-okay."

"Please, tell me what you saw."

"The Akuma is in her makeup kit, but she's not using that one at all. It's just hanging by her side. She was shooting red ribbons at me."

"Okay, noted. Did you call your lucky charm yet?"

"I was just about to… Lucky charm!" Ladybug called it, and in a moment she was presented with a red and black taser gun.

"A taser gun? Am I supposed to tase her?"

"Maybe she's weak to electricity?" Adrien offered.

Ladybug dodged under the cover of Rena's hoop and managed to get a clear shot at Miss Aligner. Electricity did flow through her ribbons, but she simply scoffed at it, much to Ladybug's chagrin. She quickly took back to cover.

"Nope, quite immune to it actually." She updated Adrien.

"Can you hit her makeup box with your yo-yo or the taser? Maybe if you tase the box itself?" Adrien suggested.

After the third try to hit the makeup box, she had to admit this wasn't possible. Miss Alignert knew her weak point very well and wouldn't let it get hit, blocking the taser every time, even with Rena doing her best to distract her.

"Maybe, but she keeps it well guarded. I don't think I can push through."

"If you could get her wrapped in something conductive…" he ventured.

"Yes! That's it! You're a genius!" she called and immediately blushed at the compliment she just gave out. She had to keep focus somehow.

"Rena, come over here, there's something I need you to do."

...

Rena Rouge blocked the ribbon shot with her hoop, wrapping a considerable amount of it in the process. She then ran towards Miss Aligner and slid to the ground, then expanded her hoop. Miss aligner evaded the move by a high jump, flapping her wings to stay in the air.

"Really, you didn't think that was going to work, did you? I can extend the ribbon to infinity, you can't pull me to the ground."

"I guessed this much." Rena replied, smirking. "That's not what we had planned anyway."

As per Ladybug's plan, Rena kept spinning the hoop faster and faster, more of the ribbon wrapping itself around Miss Aligner and the makeup kit. Rena stopped spinning the hoop and stamped on the ribbon firmly, pressing it to the ground.

"Now, Ladybug!" the call came. Ladybug shot the taser at a large chunk of ribbon. As the electric shock met the makeup kit, its contents started to disintegrate, together with the box framing itself. Miss Aligner tried to keep it from falling apart, all in vain. In a moment, she turned back into Natsuru, falling from air only to be safely caught by Rena. A black and purple butterfly emerged, trying to make its escape.

No, you're not getting away, not today.

"Time to de-evilize!"

Ladybug whipped her yo-yo, capturing the akuma.

"Bye-bye little butterfly!"

She quickly followed through by tossing the taser gun into the air.

Turns out superheroines can play cops too, She laughed at the thought.

"Miraculous… Ladybug!"

She watched the stream of ladybugs clearing away ribbon remnants, returning the police cars to their place and making people appear again.

"Good work, Ladybug!" The familiar voice was close again.

How come I am still hearing Adrien's voice?

A pat on her back made that point a clear one. She turned around, blushing, only to see another blushing figure in front of her.

"Thanks for saving me."

"Um… uhh... Hi." She waved, and then realized this had better be talked through in private, before unintended secrets get divulged.

"Give me a moment with Rena Rouge, please?"

Adrien nodded.

"Go tend to him, Alya." Ladybug whispered at Rena, low enough for Adrien not hear her. "He gave you his miraculous, after all. He knows, there's not much to hide by now. "

They both watched Rena carrying Natsuru away.

"Thanks for being my mission control. We make quite... a team?" Ladybug said and both turned away their looks from each other, embarrassed over that statement, Adrien gently scratching his head.

"I'm… I'd…"

"No! Adrien. I need to protect you, not endanger you. I don't want you to play superhero. Riposte was more than enough..."

Another beep reminded Ladybug that her time was quickly running out.

"I… gotta go! goodbye, Adrien! See you!"

Ladybug quickly jumped into a side alley and de-transformed.

Rena Rouge took Natsuru to a secluded point at a nearby park. She tried to find a good spot in-between the trees as she de-transformed and slipped his miraculous back into his pocket.

"I'm so, so sorry," Alya said with tears in her eyes. "I… didn't mean to..."

"N-No, please. I shouldn't have burst at you like that… I'm to blame for not keeping my emotions in check."

That caught Alya by surprise.

"Are you serious? For a moment there, it looked like you almost managed to shake him off! It's the first time I've ever seen that happen!"

"Yeah, well… I guess no amount of training can prepare you for this…"

His calm reassured her and she wiped away her remaining tears.

"Wait, you trained for this?"

He nodded.

"The potential for damage when a miraculous holder gets akumatized is… well, we've all seen that, right?" he replied.

"True enough."

Yeah, I'm still not really happy about Queen Bee getting that miraculous...

"Alya. I'm just… happy enough as is to have Likk back with me, thanks to you."

"Wait, if you know what happened with Queen Bee… Why'd you risk your miraculous like that? You didn't know, did you?"

Natsuru seemed phased by that question for a moment, though his smile quickly returned.

"No, I didn't, but don't let that worry you. Besides, turns out I couldn't have made a better choice, now could I?"

"I guess you did… but… oh well."

Natsuru turned to leave, but Alya stopped him.

"Wait, I do have to ask though, superheroine?"

His smile now widened into a full-fledged grin.

"You know I'm not supposed to talk about that. Goodbye, Alya. And thanks again."

Alya looked at Natsuru as he walked away.

I will get down to the bottom of it. Not today, but there's no way I won't be getting down to the root of that. I have my limits of excitement too, but tomorrow is fair game.

Back at home, Marinette had a lot on her mind. She sat on her bed bunk and had a heart to heart conversation with her Kwami, having described all the aspects of the fight to her.

"Tikki… This was… I don't know what to say!"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"On one hand, I got to work so closely with Adrien! It's like…"

Marinette had a dreamy face to her as she described it, making her thoughts unmistakably clear on the subject.

"He's so wonderful! And so smart! I wish I could do this every day!"

Tikki giggled, drawing a "What?" in response.

"I am sure you would have liked that, Marinette."

"Yeah, no way that's going to happen, right? And I can't risk anything happening to him!"

Tikki smiled and nodded as Marinette went on.

"Don't get me wrong, Chat is reliable, dependable… and kinda sweet at times… though speaking of, where on earth was he, today?"

Tikki turned a bit more serious. "Maybe the same thing that sent Adrien away got him too?"

"That makes sense, I'm sure there would be plenty of girls in love with him… which brings me to my big problem!"

Marinette was now visibly distressed over the implications this reminded her.

"If Adrien realizes just why this happened or what it means… my god, Tikki, what am I going to do?"

She threw her hands up in the air.

"He must never know! Why does my life have to be so complicated?

"Maybe it's because you're a superheroine, Marinette?"

Marinette giggled at her Kwami's words.

"Right as always, Tikki. I can do this!"

Tikki nuzzled her holder, who was now visibly smiling and relaxed, as she lay down in her bed.

"Good night, Tikki!"

"Good night, Marinette!"