Adrien threw himself across his desk helplessly, groaning as dramatically as possibly. His brain ached as much as it did when he was trying to create the poem. (He still hadn't figured out how to get the courage to ask her if that reply poem was from her or not.)
"I have no idea how to get her back. Both of her pranks against me - would you count the one with the chair as against me?" Adrien grumbled into the desk.
"You were the one that got hit, it was against you," Plagg shrugged.
Adrien raised his head, and leaned back in his chair again, swinging one arm over the back of the chair and leaning into it.
"Yeah, sure, but, like, no, because, um, she wasn't trying to get me, was she, she was getting Nino instead, right?"
Plagg raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you really think that or are you just hoping?"
Adrien frowned. "Why would I hope that?"
"Because you've been in love with Ladybug since you met her and when you found out she was Marinette you spent two weeks analysing every conversation -" Plagg paused to consider if you could count Marinette's spluttering as conversation, but he decided that it was close enough, and continued, "you've ever had to try and figure out if she was in love with you or just star struck by you."
Adrien blushed at the reminder. It felt like such an ego stroke to have that idea that Marinette was so star struck by him that she forgot how to talk when he was around. He didn't really have a tangible excuse for how she acted around him though. Every time he thought of Lila as Volpina, he thought of that moment Ladybug was willing to give up her miraculous for Adrien. If she had taken them out, that high up the Eiffel tower, transforming back into Marinette would have sent her plummeting all the way down and she would not survive. She was willing to give up Ladybug, and Tikki, and her LIFE for Adrien. That meant something. Something beyond her duty as a hero, beyond their friendship, beyond - beyond a little crush on a famous model.
"What if she does love me? What if she loves me and we could finally be together and I mess it up by doing a dumb prank on her?!" Adrien sighed.
"Then she'll stop loving you, things will be weird between Ladybug and Chat Noir and Hawk Moth will use it to his advantage to take over Paris," Plagg shrugged, casually.
"Plagg!" Adrien cried.
Unfazed, Plagg continued, "Although in my experience if someone really loves you they don't stop loving you just because you make a mistake. Especially if you make it up to them. But avoiding them, it makes things worse. Especially if it was an avoidable situation in the first place."
Adrien gave him a puzzled look. "What experience?"
Plagg paused with the cheese halfway to his mouth. He hadn't meant to be picked up or questioned in anyway. Fortunately, Plagg had an airtight way of escaping these situations.
"Oh sure, now you start listening to me. You never have before!"
"What?! I always listen to you!" Adrien cried, indignantly.
"You didn't listen twenty minutes ago when I reminded you about nice pranks!" Plagg pointed out.
"Yes, but like what?"
Adrien sighed heavily and frustrated. That was what he had trying to figure out for the last hour at least.
"Release a kitten in her room with "cataclysm" written on it. You're the punny one, you make a joke," Plagg shrugged.
Adrien groaned and dropped his head back on the desk. Into the hard wood, his voice was muffled.
"I am a joke. Thinking someone like her could like someone like me. Its laughable!"
Plagg groaned. "You gotta stop thinking like that kid! You're a catch!"
Adrien snorted. "A catch?"
"Sure, you're rich and blonde and handsome. I happen to know that Ladybugs like blondes that make bad puns. Just don't tell Tikki I said that," Plagg warned.
Adrien turned his head uncertainly to look up at Plagg. Plagg didn't look at him. He chewed his cheese pointedly, so he wouldn't have to talk. That way he couldn't dig himself further into a hole.
"Nice pranks..." Adrien said slowly.
He dragged himself up into sitting position like a limp marionette, and eyed his computer thoughtfully.
"Why didn't I think of this before? Google was made for this!" Adrien grinned.
Plagg smirked as he watched Adrien's eyes light up mischievously as he dragged the mouse over to search for pranks. He was delighted with the loophole he had found in their game. Plagg was proud of him. Exploiting those loopholes was what Chat Noir was supposed to do. Adrien was just dragging that into his everyday life. Plagg was very proud.
Alya wandered down the road, silently plotting her prank against Nino. It was going to involve his DJ equipment. She didn't know how, or what she was actually doing yet, but she was certain no one else would go for the DJ, so that was her sweet spot. She was supposed to be on patrol as Rena Rouge, but she had been delayed because she had to babysit her younger siblings, and now she was trying to keep an eye out for somewhere to hide.
"You could take all of his records and replace them with blank ones," Trixx suggested.
Alya wrinkled her nose. "Yeah..."
"Or you could put googly eyes on everything he owns so everyone is judging him."
"Maybe..."
"Or you could-"
"I could do what Trixx?"
There was a long pause that made Alya frown. Trixx was chatty, the only time she ever stopped making dumb or sarcastic comments was when she was transformed. Alya glanced up at her.
"Trixx?"
Trixx was staring down a dark alleyway, with a rotten scowl. She looked a little like a snarling dog. Her tail bushed and her hackles raised. Alya's face fell. She tensed, and peered into the alleyway. After a moment or two, she noticed a pair of green glowing eyes watching her from underneath a rock. Glowing eyes? That had to be a prank.
"Who's there?" She called.
There was no reply, which Alya expected. Murders never reply when the victim asks where they are. Another set of glowing eyes appeared across from the others. This time they were pink. Or maybe... red? Alya gasped.
She knew this was a prank.
It had to be.
But if it wasn't...
"What has glowing eyes Trixx?" Alya asked, nervously.
Trixx dove into Alya's jacket. She didn't know anything that would have glowing eyes, unless it was created by an akuma. If this was by an akuma, they couldn't risk Hawk Moth seeing them together. If he knew Alya was Rena Rouge, he'd have someone follow her and she would definitely lead him to the others. Then he could steal the earrings and ring without Ladybug or Chat Noir expecting it. Trixx had to stay out of sight.
"What had eyes that glow like that?" Alya repeated.
"I don't know, but you've got to find out," Trixx whispered.
Alya caught her breath anxiously. This had to be a prank. And then another set of eyes. Burning orange. All of them glowed evilly at her. And they moved...
Alya glanced around urgently. "I have to find a way to change, but where?!"
There was nothing around to use as shelter. She was exposed. Like a nerve.
"I don't have time to change. I'll have to face this alone," Alya muttered.
"Good luck," Trixx whispered, "I'm here if you need me."
Alya felt deep in her chest that she would definitely need Trixx. One of her against- oh now there were SIX! Six creatures glowering at her in the shadows. Right now she had no protection. No indestructible suit. No powers of any kind. If she was going to end up fighting these things, she was going to have to find somewhere to hide.
Alya swallowed back the icy nerve in her chest. She was never afraid unless she was alone. Now here she was, no suit, no back up, and she was terrified. But a little voice in the back of her head calmed her. Or tried to at least. It was her, talking to Marinette, forever ago now.
"I know you're nervous but this is important. Take a deep breath, push everything right down, and walk like Ladybug."
It had a different ring to it now. Now that she knew that Marinette was Ladybug. Even so, she straightened her back, held her head high, and took her first step across the road.
The eyes shone on, judgementally, without blinking. They moved and blinked and glared in the darkness, hidden like demons ready to pounce. Alya felt her heart vibrating with nerve - or maybe it was Trixx shivering - but she held firm and refused to look afraid.
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not afraid of you," Alya fought hard to keep the quiver out of her voice, "So come out of the shadows, and let me see you."
No reply came from the shadows. The eyes blinked, and glared at her, silently. Alya kept her stride steady, even when her head screamed to run. It was strange to her that she could run in after Ladybug and Chat Noir without a second thought, but a dark alleyway, and a dozen glowing eyes? they sent shakes and shivers through her very bones.
"I'm serious! Show yourself! What kind of akumatized villain hides in the shadows like a coward?!"
Anger tinged the edges of her voice. Alya didn't have the patience to be afraid right now. she still had to plan Nino's prank, and tomorrow was April 1st! He'd DEFINITELY win if she didn't think of something great, like, RIGHT NOW! An akuma attack was the last thing she needed.
"it's not like you're going to win," she continued, her stride growing as the irritation of silence quashed her nerves, "we've got five heroes to fight you. You're done for!"
Still no reply came from the shadows, but safely hidden away Trixx was cheering her on in whispers.
"you tell em girl! You don't need a alter ego to be awesome!"
Alya peered into the shadows. She couldn't see anything that looked remotely person shaped. What kind of akuma didn't affect a person? there had to be someone in there. She just couldn't see them right now.
"Where are you?!" she called.
There was no reply. The silence was really beginning to annoy Alya now. she stepped into the shadows, to try and find whoever this was with her hands. That's when she heard a clattering deep at the back of the alley. She gasped. A dark shape dashed away, and out of view. Alya gritted her teeth.
"HEY! YOU DON'T GET TO CREEP ON ME AND RUN! COME BACK!"
Alya set herself to start the chase, when a mechanical whirling of gears ran a chill down her spine. She leapt back into the light before it was too light. Her heart beat so fast she couldn't feel it. her legs were weak, and her mind screamed to run. The grinding of gears grew louder as the blinking eyes converged. They pooled together, like an army, and set their evil glowing glare on Alya. She stepped back, urgently, with a gasp. She didn't want to show any fear but that was impossible.
Her choices were stand and fight as Alya, which ran the risk of fatal injury as well as exposing Trixx, or run. But of this was a prank and she ran, she would never hear the end of it...
"Alright... hold tight Trixx."
"What are you going to do?"
"Something insane!"
"Alya no!"
Alya bowed her head like a bull and charged head long into the shadows, ready to fight whatever creature she found herself running into. It was an act of insane bravery that could have ended horribly…
But she didn't expect to trip and end up in a heap on the ground, surrounded by glowing eyes and cold machinery. Alya frowned. None of these robots were trying to attack her in any way.
"Isn't there a torch on your phone?" Trixx whispered.
"You couldn't have thought of that five minutes ago?!" Alya tutted.
"Well I've got it now don't I?!"
Alya groaned and rolled her eyes. She pulled her phone from her pocket, and flicked on the torch. All of the glowing lights dimmed. She found herself surrounded by tiny metal boxes with coloured light bulbs behind the cut-out shapes of eyes, like carved pumpkin lanterns. She picked one up. Underneath were little wheels. They were remote controlled. Alya groaned louder.
"I knew it was a prank."
"But who did it?"
Trixx peered out of her pocket as Alya turned the robot over and over in her hand. There were no clues as to who had set this up. No logo or note or message gave a sign as to who was to blame.
"It had to be Nino, right? Everyone else has got you already," Trixx said.
"Yeah. It had to be Nino..."
Trixx looked up at Alya's uncertain frown. She glanced around again, to try and see where that hidden figure had run off to.
"What?"
"Nino wouldn't hide. He'd come out here and brag that he got me..."
"Who else could it be?"
"Mari maybe?"
"But she's already done her prank."
"Yeah... we'll figure it out tomorrow. Tonight we have to finish patrol."
Trixx knew she was right, but she didn't want to leave. She wanted to figure out who did this, and how to get revenge. It HAD to be Nino. It had to be.
And they had to get him back.
