How to Adult

-X-

Author's Note:

Hello, my lovely readers!

Welcome back to my story! We've reached chapter Ten already! I want to thank everybody who is still reading this story for their support! It means a lot to me that this story has so many views, followers, favorites and reviews. I really appreciate all the kindness and good criticism I receive. I have a couple ideas for upcoming chapters, but I am still not sure which route I am going to go with. I guess I'll find out along the way. For now, sit back and enjoy my story! ~

-X-

Warnings: OOC-ness, AU, adult language/swearing

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

-X-

Chapter Ten: Oh my god

-X-

Marinette's P.O.V.

It was Saturday, the day of the fashion show and I was extremely nervous. I had spent all my time finishing my design and last night at 4 AM, I finally was done. I was now functioning on 4 hours of sleep and 3 cups of coffee and was currently at the venue where the fashion show would be held. I was busy styling my model and getting her through hair and make-up. I was so busy with my model and my design being perfect, that I hadn't even given myself the time to admire all the other designs that were about to hit the runway soon. I even didn't give myself the time to realize that Adrien would be walking in this fashion show as well, so when I reached the hair and make-up station with my model, a little gasp escaped my lips when I spotted him in one of the chairs, his eyes closed, as a make-up artist was working on his make-up. By now, I was used to seeing boys being put through hair and make-up, the reason being that when the camera's would flash, their skin wouldn't look pale and instead, would show a healthy glow. Even though seeing Adrien caused me pain, I gave myself no time to deal with him, as I guided my model towards an empty chair and instructed one of the make-up and hair stylists my vision that I had envisioned to go with my design. The moment I was about to turn around, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I recognized Adrien's voice.

''Hey, Marinette.''

I turned around to face him, and gave him an awkward smile. ''H-Hey, Adrien. Finished already?''

''Haha, yeah. The males are usually done a little faster than the females.'' Adrien smiled back at me.

I took a moment to appreciate the suit Adrien was wearing. It looked expensive, as I had already expected and there were some suede details on the blazer's shoulder and the sides of the pants. Adrien's hair was slicked back with gel and he looked a bit funny with the layer of make-up. But I knew he would look great on the runway.

''You look good.'' I complimented him, voicing my thought process.

''Thanks! I am excited to see your design, too. Is that your model?'' Adrien gestured towards the model in the chair next to me, to which I responded with a nod.

''The design on her is beautiful. I can't wait to see it go down the runway.'' Adrien complimented my design.

''Thanks! So… uhm… I'll see you later?'' I awkwardly smiled at him again. Somehow, I still felt a little awkward around Adrien, even though he told me there was nothing to be awkward about. I hadn't seen him or spoken to him since the moment I left his apartment and I somehow felt guilty for what I had done. But I still thought it was for the best.

''Yeah… see you later.'' Adrien smiled, although I felt there was a hint of sadness behind it.

''Good luck on the runway!'' I smiled at him, as I watched him walk off. I then let out a sigh I was holding and focused back on my model. I couldn't afford to lose focus. So with a determined look, I got back to work.

-X-

''Ladies and gentleman, I hereby welcome you to our venue, in honor of Gabriel Agreste's fashion project: Young-Adult Formal wear. A lot of talented designers have contributed to this show and after a few opening words from mister Agreste himself, the show will start. Ladies and gentleman, may I please welcome the mastermind behind the show tonight: Gabriel Agreste!'' The announcer spoke.

I was backstage, my model lined up in the line that was about to hit the catwalk. This time, my model had a spot somewhere in the middle. I had my eyes on the big screen backstage, eager to see what was happening out front. I saw Adrien's father come up the catwalk and the announcer handed him the microphone.

''Good day, everyone. As usual, I like to keep this introduction short. The show will speak for itself. Thanks to the recent take-over of mister Durand's company, we have some new fresh talents on our team, who contributed to the show. I hope you'll enjoy the designs. Thank you for being here.'' Gabriel Agreste spoke, before handing back the microphone.

Not soon after he spoke his words, he turned on his heels and disappeared backstage, as a loud applause was heard. And then, the music hit and the first model entered the runway. Nerves started swirling in my stomach. I hope people like my dress! I let out another sigh, as I watched the models go down the runway, one by one, before I spotted Adrien on the catwalk, wearing the blazer I had seen him wear earlier. He was walking down with a professional stride, a neutral expression on his face, like a true model. I couldn't help but be a little fascinated by his performance. He really did look good up there. And by the amount of photo's that were taken when he walked down the runway, I could tell the paparazzi and audience felt the same way. It wasn't until long before it was my model's turn. The moment she was next in line, I went to her side and spoke some encouraging words.

''You got this, Michelle. You look absolutely stunning.'' I smiled at my model.

''Thank you, Marinette! See you in a bit!'' My model replied, winking at me, before hitting the runway.

The moment she did, I held my breath and focused my eyes on the big screen backstage. Michelle, had her natural, long-black hair with bangs, straightened and her make-up had an enchanted vibe to it. She wore the white-baby blue formal dress with diamonds as accents. The sweetheart neckline fitted her perfectly and would be this pearl-shade of white suited her skin tone. As the dress went further down, the color slowly turned more baby-blue, just like I had envisioned it and around her waist was the baby blue ribbon I had made, too. She walked down the catwalk in the white-lacy sandal heels I had wanted for her to wear and her face had the same serious expression all the other models had, showing she was a professional. When Michelle made her way down the runway, I checked the facial expressions from the people on the first rows, hoping they'd like my dress. I saw some people whispering, smiling ad pointing and prayed it was a good sign. The moment Michelle came back from the runway, I came to her side with a smile.

''Amazing job, Michelle. It looked wonderful, if I dare say so myself.''

''It is an amazing design, Marinette. I'm glad I got to wear it.'' Michelle smiled back.

Together, we watched the remained of the models, before it was time to line up ourselves, in order of the designers. The models went first and I found myself being in the middle of the designer line, that came right after the model line. I always dreaded this moment a bit. Being on the catwalk myself always made me feel self-conscious and nervous. The moment it was time for me to walk down the runway, I put on my best smile and waved at the audience, feeling blinded by the bright lights of the venue. I heard someone whistling loudly and the audience was clapping, as the designers and me made our rounds. I tried to see if I could spot some familiar faces, but it all went by too fast for me to get a good look. It didn't take long before I was backstage again and I let out a relieved sigh. I didn't trip, so that is always good. As I talked with Michelle, Adrien came up to me.

''Good show!'' He smiled at us, to which me and Michelle nodded.

''Yeah, there were some really stunning designs out there.'' Michelle replied back to the blonde model. She then shot us an apologetic smile. ''If you two can excuse me, I'm gonna get changed. Marinette, I'll hang the dress back where we discussed, okay?''

I nodded at Michelle and waved her goodbye, before turning back to Adrien. Now that I was alone with him, I felt a little more awkward, although I tried not to show it.

''You did a good job out there.'' I smiled at him, trying to keep the conversation going.

''Thanks. Although I've done this so many times. I don't really need to think about what to do anymore. It just comes naturally.'' He tried to deny some of the flattery.

''Nonsense. You looked good out there.'' I smiled, truly meaning it.

''Thanks, Marinette. Your design really looked great out there.''

''Thank you! I hope the critics thought so, too.''

''I know they'll love it.'' Adrien shot me a kind smile. We stared at one another for a while, lost in each other's eyes, before we both seemed to become aware of the situation. With a small cough, Adrien excuses himself in front of me. ''If you don't mind, I'm gonna get changed. Catch you at the after party?''

''Yeah, sure! See you later.'' I smiled back, before departing from him with a wave.

After I made sure my dress was where I wanted it to be, I made my from backstage towards the front of the venue, where the audience was chatting with one another, while sipping champagne. As I walked out towards the front, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. My face instantly lit up and I quickly made my way over towards him.

''Luka! What are you doing here?'' I grinned, feeling surprised.

''Mari, there you are! I remembered you telling me you were doing this show for Gabriel Agreste this weekend, so I figured I'd show my face and give you a little support.'' Luka replied back, wrapping me in a hug.

''That is so kind of you, thanks!'' I smiled back, slowly releasing the hug.

''Did you hear me whistle?'' Luka grinned, to which my eyes widened.

''That was you?'' I laughed, giving him a playful shove.

''Haha, sorry. Forgive me for asking by the way, but which dress was yours. It was hard to say with the line-up.''

''Don't worry about it. It was the pearl-white one which faded to blue, the more it went down.'' I explained with a smile.

''Ah, that one was super pretty! I especially liked the blue ends.'' Luka smiled, then tapping his own hair.

I giggled behind my hand, not having noticed the similarity before. ''Don't get any ideas now. I promise I made the design up on the spot.''

''Aw, so I wasn't your muse?'' Luka pretended to pout, to which I shoved him once more.

''Sorry to disappoint.'' I smiled playfully.

''I saw Adrien walking in the show too.'' Luka brought up, his tone a little more serious. ''Are things okay between you two?''

''We're being friendly to each other, but it's all still a little awkward. But I do hope things get better soon.'' I smiled, my voice having a sad undertone.

''Me too.'' Luka smiled back, placing a hand on my shoulder.

''Luka?'' We then both heard the voice of Adrien. The two of us turned around and spotted the blonde making his way over towards us. He wrapped Luka in a bro hug. ''Long time no see, man! What are you doing here?''

''Hey, man.'' Luka smiled back. ''Just got back from my Asia tour. It was sick! I figured I'd come to say hi to Marinette. We bumped into one another at the supermarket and she told me about the show. Great walk, by the way.''

''Thanks! And so nice to see you. You haven't changed one bit.''

''Wish I could say the same thing about you. Damn, bro, you've been hitting the gym.''

Adrien scratched the back of his head with a grin. ''I guess I've been working out more. But don't worry, I'm still the same.''

''You better be. We should catch up soon, maybe jam a little?''

''Sounds great! Hey, I'm gonna catch up my father, real quick. I'll see you guys later. Oh, if you want my number, Mari has it, so you can ask her. See you later, man!'' Adrien then turned towards me. ''See you later, Marinette. Text me, okay?''

I nodded at him, before he walked away from us. As he disappeared, Luka turned towards me. ''You're not mad at me for being friendly with him, right?''

''No, of course not.'' I smiled back at him. ''You two are friends. I respect that. And me and Adrien are still being friendly. No hard feelings at all.''

''Good.'' Luka smiled at me. ''I just want you to feel comfortable with the situation.''

''Don't worry, I'm good.'' I replied.

We both kept chatting and eventually, we all said our goodbyes, since I was exhausted from the night before. I had barely slept and a nap sounded great. I tried to find Adrien in the crowd, but couldn't find him, so I just said by goodbye to Luka, giving him Adrien's number in the process, before me and him parted ways at my car. As I drove home, I recalled the day. The show had been a success and things between me and Adrien weren't that bad. And I had a really good time with Luka. Overall, I've had a good day so far. It was too bad the lack of sleep was catching up to me, but my body was desperate for a nap. The drive home, I chatted with Tikki about the show, before finally reaching my own apartment. As soon as I got inside, I let myself plop down on my bed.

''Time to catch some z's.'' I yawned tiredly. I had wanted for myself to at least get out of my current clothes and change into something more comfortable, but as soon as my head touched my pillow on my bed, I felt too tired to move and before I knew it, I passed out.

-X-

The sound of screeching tires. A loud crash. A silent sob. And me, as Ladybug, in the midst of all the chaos.

''You are useless!'' A police officer shouted at me.

''Why come if you are no help at all!'' A woman bystander yelled angrily at me.

''You're weak, Ladybug.'' Alya spoke to me, disappointment in her voice.

''No…'' I started to stammer softly. ''I-I…''

The voices kept on going and I covered my ears with my hands, while I crouched down.

''Stop, please, just stop!'' I cried, squeezing my eyes shut.

''Useless!''

''Good for nothing!''

''Coward!''

''Disappointment!''

-X-

With a scream, I jolted up from my bed. It took me quite a while to realize that I had been dreaming and that I was safe in my own apartment. As soon as I was aware of the situation, I started to shiver.

''Marinette, are you okay?'' Tikki asked me with concern, as she came flying towards me.

''Y-Yeah…'' I replied, still in a daze. That dream had felt so real. It was my worst fear as Ladybug. I hugged my knees to my chest as I kept on shivering.

''What did you dream about, Marinette?'' Tikki gave me a worried glance.

''That crash… It was a distorted version of the crash. People were angry at me for being useless. They were shouting at me and ganging up on me. It felt horrible, Tikki.''

''Marinette, you know you are not useless! What you do for Paris is a noble deed and the people know that. Sometimes, there will be situation where your skills won't be of use, but that doesn't define who you are. Don't lose faith in yourself, Marinette. You are such a good person. Keep your head up, okay?'' Tikki tried to motivate me. She always knew what to say and it brought a smile on my lips.

''Thanks, Tikki. I know you'll always have my back.'' I snuggled Tikki against my cheek.

I then got out of bed and checked my phone. I had been napping for two hours and it was now 5 PM. I decided that I had enough of all the worries that I had piled up inside, and I sent Alya a text, asking if she could come over, to which I got a quick reply that she'd be here in 20 minutes. I waited patiently for her to arrive, trying to wake myself up in the meantime with a cup of coffee. As soon as I heard her knock on my door, I swung the door open for her and she came inside.

''It's time for some real girl talk, sister. I know you've been struggling with a lot, lately and it's time for you to spill all the beans to me. I'm sick of watching you from afar, seeing how you are slowly eating yourself up. I'm your best friend, Marinette. I want to be there for you. But if you keep shutting me out, there is little I can do.''

''Hello to you too.'' I rolled my eyes, before smiling. ''I see you are wasting no time putting your issues out there.''

Alya placed her bag on my couch and plopped down. ''And why should I? There's no need to beat around the bush. You and I both know there's a lot going on in your life right now and I feel like the burden might be a little too much to bear for your, alone. So it's time I got a little aggressive.'' She patted the spot next to me. ''Sit.''

I sighed, but couldn't help but smile. I knew Alya wanted what was best for me and I knew she was right. It was time I shared everything with her. So I did. I shared everything, from my situation with Adrien, Luka coming back in my life, me missing Chat Noir and me feeling like a failure as Ladybug. The entire time, she kept listening, adding her own commentary every now and then, but she mostly just let me speak and, as I got all the issues off of my chest, I started to feel how much I actually needed this. It felt good to just speak it all and share it with someone. As soon as I was finished, I saw Alya took a while to process all the information I had given her and line it all up in her head.

''You know what I think? I think you are overthinking a lot of things. You are such a happy person, Marinette, and I know you always want to be there for other people. But I think you forgot yourself somewhere on that road. It is okay to admit that something, things just suck and there is nothing you can do about it. The crash wasn't your fault and there was nothing you could've done in that situation and deep down, you know that. You just don't want to admit it to yourself, because you feel like you always could've done more, because you always want to do more. You push yourself to be better, every day, so you can spread more positivity and security. So when something renders you helpless, your brain short-circuits. It's just hard for you to accept a situation where you can't save things, or people for that matter. It's something you're gonna have to work on, since stuff like this will happen way more often in our lives. It's okay to admit defeat, sometimes. We can't win them all. And the whole Adrien/Chat Noir thing? I think for this issue to get solved best, is to just find out who Chat Noir really is. I think finding out the answer to the question you've had for all these years will give you some closure. You're way too absorbed into the 'what if's' and the speculations. You need definite answers. So go get them. Seek out Chat Noir. Talk to him. But do it in a good way. Don't seek out danger, just to find him. The moment has to be right.''. Alya then sits back a little. ''I feel a little guilty. I somehow feel like I've been pushing a little too hard towards Adrien. Mainly, because I thought that was what you wanted. At first, I thought you were just lacking some confidence, so that's why I was a little pushy. I thought I was doing it for your own good. I'm sorry I didn't realize you were struggling so much with the situation. I just want to see you happy, Marinette. You're my best friend and you deserve someone who can see how special you are.''

I leaned over towards Alya and wrapped her in a tight hug. ''Thanks, Alya. I don't blame you for anything. I'm glad I shared everything with you. You're my best friend and your advice is something I'll definitely take to heart.''

''You know you can always talk to me, right? You should've told me sooner.''

''I know and I am sorry. From now on, I'll keep you more up to date on my turmoil, alright?'' I winked at Alya and my best friend grinned back, wrapping me in another hug.

''Things will be fine, Marinette. Just don't rush it, okay? Take your time.''

I nodded, letting out a sigh. ''Thanks, Alya. I needed this.''

''I know. Who doesn't need me?''

I let out a laugh and give her a playful push. ''Yeah, yeah. You're amazing.''

We both laughed, before Alya checked her watch. ''Shit, I'm gonna be late for dinner.'' She then looked over to me and smiled. ''Hey, you wanna come eat dinner at our place? It feels like forever since we last done that.''

I contemplated for a moment, before nodding. ''Yeah, sure.''

''Then let's go!'' Alya spoke excitedly. She grabbed my hand and together, we stepped into her car, before driving off.

-X-

Me, Alya and Nino were sitting at the dinner table at their place, eating pasta, talking about my fashion show and new games that have come out lately. We all had some casual small talk and I felt at ease, until police sirens interrupted our chat. The streets were flashing with blue and red colors every now and then and we all shot one another a look.

''What's going on?'' I asked them, to which Alya grabbed her phone and went to check the latest news sites.

Her face soon went pale and her eyes tried to find mine. ''Seems like close by, someone is holding a group of innocent bystanders hostage. Person robbed a bank and was close to getting caught, to which he locked himself and a group of estimated 8 innocent people into an office building, to keep police on edge. He is armed with a fire weapon.''

My breath got stuck in my throat. ''Oh my god… We need to help.''

''Are you crazy, Marinette? What can 3 young adults do against a man with a gun?'' Nino tried to reason with me. He was right and I realized he didn't know about my Ladybug side.

I shot Alya a look, almost pleadingly with my eyes, to see if she caught the hint for what I was about to do now. ''I don't feel really well. I think I need to lie down.''

Alya, luckily being the smart BFF she is, quickly caught on. ''Are you okay, Marinette? You can lay upstairs for a while, if you want?''

I gave her a thankful nod, pretending to feel dizzy. ''Yeah, that would be great.''

Alya guided me upstairs to her and Nino's bedroom and once we got in, she locked the door behind her. ''So, what are you planning to do? Are you gonna go there? It might be dangerous, Mari. He has a weapon!''

''But I can't just sit here and do nothing! There are innocent people involved and I don't want more people to get hurt, because of me doing nothing.'' I replied to her, a certain determination in my voice.

''But I don't want you to go in there, alone! We don't know when Chat Noir is gonna show up, let alone if he is going to show up at all!'' Alya spoke to me, a stern undertone in her voice.

''Then, come with me. We have to go to Master Fu, quick!'' I suggested to her and before she had a say in this, I told her to play along and dragged her downstairs again.

''Sorry Nino, I really don't feel good. I think I'd rather just go home. Alya is going to drive me, okay?'' I spoke to Nino, shooting him an apologetic glance.

''Don't worry about it.'' Nino smiled. ''Just feel better soon, okay?''

I nodded at him, before me and Alya left the house and got into her car. Once we drove off, I gave her the instructions towards Master Fu's place and we sped off.

-X-

''Master Fu, I need your help.'' I barged into his working space.

Master Fu had just answered the door and I stormed in, Alya following closely behind me.

''Marinette. And I see you brought a friend. What is the matter?'' Master Fu asked me.

I quickly explained the situation to him.

''I see.'' The wise master spoke softly. He stroked his chin. ''What you ask of me, might be dangerous.''

''I need someone by my side there. I have no idea if Chat Noir will show up and Alya can handle it. She has worked with Trixx before. There are lots of people in danger, Master Fu. I refuse to sit by and do nothing again. I want to help.'' I spoke determined towards the master.

''…Very well, then.'' Master Fu finally nodded. He then walked over towards the gramophone and proceeded to open it, until he finally handed over the fox miraculous towards Alya. ''I expect you to take great care of it. Not everybody was born to be a superhero. But I sense a great energy inside of you. Please take good care of Trixx. I think having someone to guard over might be better for him than to be locked up in a box for eternity.''

Alya's eyes sparkled and it almost looked like she was about to tear up. ''So… Trixx can stay with me? I get to keep him by my side, like Marinette and Tikki?''

Master Fu nodded and Alya smiled the biggest smile I've seen on her in a while. ''Thank you, thank you so much! I promise I won't disappoint you, Master Fu!'' She then proceeded to hang the necklace around her neck and as soon as she finished putting it on, Trixx appeared.

The moment the fox kwami spotted Alya, his eyes widened. ''Alya! Long time no see!'' The fox flew over towards Alya, to which she cuddled him against her cheek.

''Guess what, Trixx. You and me are gonna stay together for a while.'' My best friend spoke, happiness in her voice.

Trixx his eyes lit up and he smiled too. ''Yay! Let us rip apart those Akuma's!''

''The Akuma's are no longer here, Trixx.'' Alya spoke, a more serious expression on her face, to which Trixx looked surprised.

''Wait, what?'' His eyes then took in Alya. ''Now that you mention it, you look a lot older, Alya! How many years has it been since we last saw each other?''

''No time for small talk, guys!'' I interrupted them. ''We have a pressing matter to attend to.''

Me and Alya turned towards Master Fu. ''Thank you so much for the help. We'll be on our way now.'' I spoke to him.

Master Fu nodded and waved us farewell. ''Be careful!''

-X-

It wasn't long until me and Alya reached the place where the thief and the people taken hostage were staying. We parked the car on a safe spot, where we were sure we were out of sight. We had filled in Trixx on the way, the fox kwami now up to date on everything, including the situation at hand.

''I think it's time to transform.'' I spoke to Alya, to which my best friend nodded.

''Time to get this show on the road.'' She smiled. ''Trixx, let's pounce!''

''Tikki, spots on!''

Both of our transformations began simultaneously and it wasn't long until we were Ladybug and Rena Rouge. I took a small peak at Alya in her transformation and realized that nothing had changed about her appearance, except for her own body being taller and more curvy. It was strange to see my best friend in her superhero form again, but I was happy to have her by my side, nonetheless.

''Man, I missed this!'' Alya smiled.

''No time to waste, let's go!'' I reminded her.

She nodded and we both began our rescue mission. We snuck to the backside of the building and were looking for an opening.

''Over there, the top window!'' Alya pointed out to me in a hushed tone.

I nodded and I launched my yoyo towards a beam nearby, while Alya simply jumped up and landed on the rooftop. I opened the window and we both swung inside, catching our fall on our palms.

''Where are the hostages?'' Alya whispered to me.

''I don't know. Let's keep our ears open for sounds.'' I replied.

We left the room we were currently in and proceeded down the hallway on the second floor of the building. We sneaked down the staircase towards the first floor, and it was then that we heard muffled murmurs. I looked at Alya and she gave me a worried glance, indicating that she heard the same thing. With a hand gesture, I indicated we move forward and we proceeded towards the end of the hallway. Two double doors indicated we reached the main office of the building.

''I think the people are behind that door.'' I whispered as softly as I could to Alya.

''How do you want to enter? I bet the door is locked, and if we tear it down, the robber will immediately know someone's there and we could be endangering the lives of the hostages.''

''I could use my lucky charm, but there is no way I am able to tell what will come out of it. I don't want to risk it… Not to mention I will only have five minutes left as Ladybug if I use it. I'm not sure we can clear the room in that time span.'' I responded, biting my lip.

''Then we are going to have to find a different solution.'' Alya whispered determined.

We both proceeded back towards the room where we came from, climbing out the window and slowly crawling onto the roof.

''Okay, let's try to reach the window where the hostages are being held.'' Alya suggested, to which I nodded.

''Lead the way.''

We both crawled over the rooftop as silently as we could, before we reached the window. I tried to lower myself as best as I could, using my yoyo, hanging beside the window to not reveal myself. I took a sneak peak in and worry filled my eyes. Inside the office, 8 people were sitting on the ground, some of them having their head between their legs, their hands in their hair. One person, cladded in black with a balaclava on, was standing at a desk, frantically searching the drawers of the office, shooting a glance towards the door every now and then, as if he was scared someone was about to burst through them. In his left hand, he was clutching a gun, which he kept pointing in the direction of the 8 people on the ground. Among them were two young children, a pregnant woman and an elderly man. My heart broke and anger quickly filled my body. I was determined to get those people out as fast as possible. I climbed back onto the roof and reported to Alya what I saw.

''We have to do something.'' She spoke determined, balling her fists.

It was at that moment that a black cladded figure landed beside us on the rooftop. ''Sorry I'm late. What's the status?'' A familiar voice spoke to us, to which my eyes widened and my cheeks reddened.

''Chat Noir! It's about time.'' Alya rolled her eyes.

''Rena Rouge! What a pleasure to see you again.'' Chat Noir grinned, trying to lift her hand to press a kiss on the top of her hand, but Alya pulled her hand back and gave him a small shove.

''Nuh-uh, kitty.''

''Guys, focus, please! We need to find a way to save those hostages.'' I spoke, even though I had troubles focusing myself, now that my old partner was crouching beside me on the rooftop.

''Right. So, let's think of a plan. The robber has a gun, right? We can't be reckless or we might risk people's lives.'' Chat Noir spoke.

''So, we have to make sure we get a hold of his gun, or trick him somehow…'' I thought out loud.

Alya's eyes suddenly lit up. ''A trick! My specialty! What if we create a distraction, using an illusion? Hear me out. If this plan works, I'm sure Ladybug's lucky charm will add to my plan. What if we had an object that temporarily blinded or clouded the room, making it harder to see for the robber where everything is. We get in, I project an illusion of us on the other side of the room, close enough for the robber to still be able to see, making him turn his back on us. Chat Noir then jumps him, using his cataclysm to destroy the gun. Two of us then keep the robber down, while the third one helps the hostages out of the building, alerting the police outside.''

''Rena, that sounds great!'' I compliment my best friend.

''Let's get this show on the road. Lady's first.'' Chat Noir bowed towards me.

I nodded and threw my Yo-Yo into the air. ''Lucky Charm!'' Out of the sky dropped a smoke bomb, right into my hands. I gave my friends a worried glance. ''Won't a smoke bomb harm the hostages. There's an elderly person there. Won't he have troubles breathing?''

''It's our only shot. We better get him out of there fast, then.'' Rena spoke determined.

The three of us gave each other a nod, before we descended down towards the window where, in a quick motion, I shattered the glass and threw the smoke bomb inside. With a loud pop, the smoke unfolded into the room and me, Alya and Chat Noir quickly swung ourselves into the room, careful not to cut ourselves on the broken glass. Alya immediately took out her flute and fluted a melody, casting her projection on the other side of the room. Luckily for us, the robber, overtaken by surprise and anger, quickly fell for it and dashed towards the other side of the room with a loud battle cry.

''Cataclysm!'' Chat Noir shouted, before he leaped up into the air and landed upon the back of the robber, grabbing the gun with his Cataclysm hand, making it disappear.

''No… No!'' The robber started to shout.

Once me and Alya got the sign that the gun was gone, we immediately opened the door towards the office and ushered the people out, the elderly man, children and pregnant woman first.

''Stay here with Chat Noir! I'll inform the police!'' Alya shouted towards me.

''Please hurry!'' I shouted back at her, before I joined Chat Noir, who was desperately trying to keep the robber pinned towards the ground.

We might be superheroes, but we were still up against a full-grown man and the two of us had a hard time keeping him down.

''Can you get your Yo-Yo around him, Ladybug?'' Chat Noir shouted at me, his voice sounding strained due to his effort of keeping the man down.

''I… can't! Whaaaa!'' I got shoved hard and my back connected with the desk in the room, a sharp pain shooting up from my back.

''Ladybug!'' I heard Chat Noir call out to me. ''You son of a bitch!''

I saw Chat Noir hovering over him, desperately trying to keep him down. I tried to make my way over towards him, biting my lip to try to ignore the pain.

''You fucking bastard. I was so close. So close! But you had to ruin EVERYTHING! If I am going to spend the rest of my life in prison, then I might as well go all out.''

My eyes widened and before I realized it, the man dove forward and grabbed Chat Noir by the neck.

''NO!'' I shouted, desperately trying to get the man to let go of Chat Noir. ''LET HIM GO!''

Chat Noir was wheezing, his hands desperately clawing at the man's own hands around his neck. His hand then went back and I saw him fish out a small pocket knife from one of his pockets.

''Chat Noir, he has a knife!'' I shouted. My mind started to panic. I had to do something, but I had no idea what I could do. My eyes scanned the area as quickly as they could, before my eyes landed on one of the metal suitcases the man had snuck into the office. With one swift movement, I had picked up one of the suitcases and slammed it against the back of the man's head, making him go limp with a 'ughh'. My legs trembled, as I dropped the suitcase beside me, slowly sinking to my knees.

''Oh my god…'' I kept on stammering. ''Oh my god.''

Chat Noir slowly pushed the man off of him, violently coughing, trying to get some air back into his lungs. ''Thank you, my lady.'' He then started coughing again and I quickly went over towards his side.

''Shhh.. spare your voice.''

Alya then came back into the room, still in her Rena Rouge outfit, but I saw her necklace blinking, to which I realized the three of us were about to transform back. Police were swarming in behind her, quickly walking over towards the unconscious robber.

''Thank you, heroes. We appreciate your help. A potential disaster has been avoided, thanks to you three. If possible, we'd like to write down your testimonies.'' One of the policemen spoke.

''We'd love to co-operate, but we're about to transform back.'' I quickly explained towards the officer.

''I see. This is unusual protocol but due to the circumstances, you're free to go.'' The officer then decided.

The three of us nodded and quickly made our way out of the building, climbing back onto the rooftop.

''I guess this is where we part ways.'' Rena spoke, flashing a smile to me and Chat Noir. ''I'm glad our plan worked.''

''Me too. I can't believe the time of fighting Akuma's is really over… This is so intense, just because it all is so real.'' I sighed.

''It is in these times that Paris still needs its superheroes.'' Chat Noir grinned determined. I then noticed the beads of sweat on his forehead and I saw his smile was a little strained.

''Chat… Are you okay?'' I asked, to which I finally glanced down and saw him clutch his side.

Due to the fabric of his suit being black, I hadn't noticed the bloodstain before but I saw the wet spot on his suit glimmer underneath the light of the street lanterns. Chat Noir then collapsed onto the rooftop and me and Alya rushed towards his side.

''Oh my gosh, he is hurt!'' I shouted in a panic.

''Ladybug, calm down! We have to get him to the hospital.'' Alya tried to speak rationally.

''But our transformations are happening any moment now! The world cannot know who we are! I can't do that to Chat Noir.'' I bit my lip.

''Then… bring him to Nino. He knows what to do.'' Alya spoke to me, determination in her eyes. ''He can be trusted. We don't have a choice!''

I took a second to contemplate the situation, but then nodded. We both held on to Chat Noir as we made our way towards Alya's car, making sure we weren't spotted by anyone. We laid him down on the backseat, as we both got seated in the front. Alya then started the car and sped down the road. It was me who transformed first, going back towards my human form, Tikki plopping in my lap tiredly.

''Is Chat Noir okay?'' She asked worried, her voice sounding soft due to the toll the transformation had taken on her.

''I don't know.'' I replied, biting my lip.

We drove around the corner and due to Alya really hitting the gas, we almost made it back to Alya and Nino's place, as Alya transformed back to her human form, too. We stopped in front of their house and as we opened the backdoor, Nino came out of the house, a worried glance on his face.

''I heard screeching tired. I thought you were bringing Marinette home, Alya?'' Nino asked, confusion on his face. He then noticed the limp body on the back of the car. ''Is that… Chat Noir?''

It was exactly at that moment that Chat Noir's transformation ended and a green light spread over his body. The moment the light faded, a familiar blonde laid unconscious on the backseat of the car. Alya's voice came out with a tremble, as shock spread over her face.

''That… is Adrien Agreste.''

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End of Chapter Ten

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Author Note:

Hello, my patient readers!

Yes, hi! I am still alive. I am so extremely sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I got totally side tracked with so many things in daily lives that I sometimes forgot I still had a story that I needed to finish. My apologies! Exciting news: In a month, I will be leaving towards the Canary Islands for a couple of months to start my summer job as an animator at a hotel. Downside: I am super busy with all the preparations for the trip and when I am there, I won't have a lot of time to write the story, so I am trying to wrap up the story before I leave. I am sorry for the rush of the story, but I didn't expect life to turn out like this! ~ Anyway, I will probably upload bunch of one-shots, which I can write more easily in my free time, once I finish this story. Please bear with me. I hope I can keep counting on your support! Your reads and kind reviews mean a lot to me and I hope you'll enjoy the story. With that said, I think the next chapter will be the final chapter of the story. Let's go out with a big finale, where romance and drama will be the center! I hope to see you there! Thank you for all the support! ~ Lots of love! ~

ShySnowWolf

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