A/N: And so begins the fun... Truth Serum and Switch used to be in the same chapter, but now I am super-duper happy I made them into their own chapters.

Warning: If you prefer fanfics that follow the original story pretty closely, stop reading now. I'll be deviating more into my style of writing, which isn't as light and fluffy as the original Miraculous Ladybug series. There will be other subtle changes, but let's see who catches them before it becomes as obvious as a brick wall in Chat's face.

One more disclaimer: I own nothing of Miraculous Ladybug. The original story belongs to its respectful owners, those sweet angels in the production field. I'm creating this just for fun.

Let the games begin...

Episode Three: Truth Serum

Part One

Tap, tap, tap.

"Come in," Marinette said in a monotone, finishing up the last few history questions.

"Hello there, Princess," Chat Noir crooned as he leaped from her bed into the room, leaning against the wall near the window with the grace of a cat.

Marinette didn't even glance at him. "Hey, Chat. Sorry; I'm busy right now."

He draped his arms over her chair's back, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Question three is wrong," he pointed out casually as Marinette squirmed a little bit at the physical contact. "That pharaoh had been buried in the sarcophagus underneath a pyramid, not the Sphinx."

Marinette instantly changed it. "Thanks, Chat. How did you know that?"

He snorted. "It's not like I haven't taken a history class." His arm casually dangled over her, encompassing her in a hug before she could stop him. He backed up as she turned to glare at him; he wore an innocent expression as he whistled suspiciously.

She shook her head. She didn't have time for this; she needed to finish the homework before tomorrow's classes. "Sorry, Chat, but I need to get all of my homework done before school tomorrow."

He perched on the edge of her bed, any trace of playfulness disappearing from his face. "I could tutor you again," he offered.

Marinette snorted, smirking. "I thought you got in trouble last time for helping me."

He raised his hands in a shrug. "What can I say? If you need my help, I'm all ears, Princess." He winked at her, grinning. "However, I do believe you've forgotten an important little ceremony today."

Marinette slapped her hand against her forehead. "Gyah! I did it again!"

"I'll wait on the roof," he said, slipping out her ceiling door to give her privacy.

Tikki peeked out from her usual hiding place in Marinette's bedroom, zooming over to her. "Chat Noir really seems to like you, Marinette."

Marinette shook her head. "He's just flirting like he usually does. It probably doesn't mean anything."

However, despite this, she mulled over the past couple weeks. Hawk Moth had pretty much disappeared, making no one victims to his akuma since the Materialist two weeks ago. Because of this, she and Chat Noir had had nothing to do other than patrol the streets for regular crimes and enjoy one another's company in their study sessions.

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette called out. Within seconds, she was in her trademark red suit with black spots on it - just like a ladybug. Her yo-yo wrapped around her hips like a satchel.

She climbed onto her roof, seeing Chat Noir leaning against the railing. "Hey, kitty," she called out. She had gotten comfortable with him knowing her real identity, though she still won't let him watch her transform.

He turned around and beamed at her. "Bugaboo," he crooned, his arms wide for a hug. She flicked him on the nose and he recoiled, rubbing it. His ears drooped forward. "What was that for, mi'lady?"

She giggled, scratching underneath his chin, which elicited a deep purr. "Come on, Chat. Time to go to the ceremony."

They took their respective paths next to one another - Chat Noir leaping over the buildings with his baton, Ladybug swinging from the top of the roofs. Within a few minutes, they landed in the park where a sculptor who idolized Ladybug and Chat Noir had made another statue of them to replace the one that had been vandalized last month.

Theo Barbot - who had turned into Copycat a while back - beamed at Ladybug. She waved at him as soon as she landed, quickly scanning the crowd for any familiar faces.

Sure enough, her whole class was there, Alya in the front with her camera on and waiting for any scoops to post on the Ladyblog. Even her teacher, Caline Bustier, was there with a man; they were in the far back, but Marinette could still clearly see that they were arguing about something. Miss Bustier huffed, upset, as the man rubbed his head in frustration.

Mayor André Burgeois began the ceremony in honor of Paris's heroes. At the end, Marinette stepped forward and thanked everyone for coming. She felt slightly nervous talking in front of a crowd like this, but she knew Chat Noir wouldn't do it if she was here. By the end, her nerves were frazzled; thankfully, Chat Noir stepped between her and Alya before her best friend could pepper the heroine with questions.

"Terribly sorry, but we have plans after the ceremony. Reschedule?" He winked at Alya.

Alya glanced between them, her camera still on. "Are you two dating?" she blurted.

Marinette frowned, surprised at Alya's statement and about to refuse when Chat Noir said, "Nope, we're just good partners." He slung his arm over Marinette's shoulders, grinning at Alya.

If she didn't know him as well as she did, she wouldn't have noticed the miniscule difference in his tone or smile. Guarded. Wary. Defensive.

He's hiding something.

There was a commotion behind the dispersing crowd, distracting her from her thoughts. Marinette focused on it, frowning slightly. Miss Bustier was stalking away from the man she had been talking to, tears in her eyes. He stared after her, looking as if he didn't know what to do.

Marinette and Chat Noir approached him. "What happened?" Marinette asked, concerned for her teacher.

The man looked embarrassed. "Just a misunderstanding," he mumbled, wandering in the opposite direction.

Marinette stared after her teacher, a bad feeling coiling in her stomach and making her nauseous. "Let's go, Chat," she murmured to her partner, taking off after her teacher. He followed right behind her, not saying a word.

Hawk Moth grinned in triumph as he stared out the open window of his clock tower. The butterflies swirled around him in agitation, almost anxious.

He raised his hand, and several butterflies vied to land on his palm as if eager to be picked by him. "My poor lady, having been lied to and deceived your whole life. And now, from the one person you thought you could trust, you find out he has deceived you, too."

One of the butterflies landed on his hand and he covered it with his palm. Darkness gathered, tainting the pure white butterfly and turning its whole body a dark purplish-black with lavender streaks. It pulsated with pent-up dark energy, more powerful than the usual akuma.

"Fly away, my little akuma, and evillize her," Hawk Moth commanded in a whisper, watching the butterfly soar over Paris and out of sight. It trailed an ominous purple stream. "Give her the power to find out the truth."

Adrien watched Ladybug swing from building to building in front of him. When she came to a stop, he peered over her shoulder, noticing their teacher sitting on a bench underneath a tree. His tail flicked lazily as his ears twitched, trying to pick out any sounds. Nothing.

"She seems fine to me," he commented, starting to turn away.

"No!" Ladybug gasped, dropping from the roof. Adrien stared after her, wondering what could have her in such a fit when he saw the small handheld gun rising to Miss Bustier's head.

A black butterfly fluttered around her before sinking into the barrel.

Adrien's eyes widened. He had always known what happened with the akuma, but he had never seen it firsthand. Within seconds, her entire form was encased in purple and she reappeared with a huge gun in her hand. Her black turtleneck was ripped on the sleeves, the design of a red heart ripped in half on the front. Her leather pants had rips in the knees and along the calves; her pumps were spiked and deadly. Her red hair flared out around her face, loose and wild.

She looked at the gun in her hands, grinning in triumph. "This is much better."

Ladybug charged at the akumatized woman, yelling in frustration. Adrien swore to himself underneath his breath, dropping from the five-story building and breaking his fall with his baton.

"Miss Bustier, snap out of it!" Ladybug yelled at her.

She cackled, shooting at the acrobatic girl. "Forget that name. I am Truth Serum! I will make sure everyone will tell their deepest secrets!"

A chill ran down Adrien's spine. For some reason, this akumatized villain felt different than all the others they had faced; she wasn't demanding for their Miraculouses, and her focus seemed to be on…

Nothing.

She was an akumatized villain with no focus.

Adrien grit his teeth, seeing her aim get better with every shot. One of them will hit her, he reasoned. He didn't want to think what would happen if it did hit Ladybug. Darting forward, he knocked Ladybug to the side just as Truth Serum pulled the trigger.

"Ouff!" Adrien fell backwards, taking the full brunt of the painful bullet in his shoulder and collarbone. Something washed through him like a shot of morphine, and he sucked in huge lungfuls of air.

Blinking rapidly, he struggled upright just enough to see Truth Serum laugh and stalk out of the park, completely ignoring Ladybug running to his side. "Enjoy finding out the truth," she tossed over her shoulder.

"Chat! Don't move; you could be seriously hurt!" she cried, falling to her knees next to him. Her eyes watered a little bit, but she was strong; she held them at bay.

"Don't… worry," he gasped, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. "Go after her."

She ignored him, exclaiming, "You're not even bleeding." She sounded confused yet relieved.

Adrien looked up at her, trapped in a swirl of worried and panicked bluebell eyes. "You're so beautiful, mi'lady," he heard himself say. His eyes widened and his hand clapped over his mouth. "I-I mean - "

She blinked and then laughed. "Oh, kitty, you're so cute," she chuckled. "It looks like you're only bruised. Let's go."

"Mi'lady," he breathed, his head spinning. "I… don't think… that's a good idea…"

"Chat? Chat, what's wrong?"

His eyes slid closed as a new feeling rushed through him. The feeling to tell her everything; his love for her, who he is, everything. He barely restrained himself from baring his very soul to her right then and there.

"I… need to leave." Not a lie. He did need to leave, or he would make the biggest mistake of his life.

Marinette watched Chat Noir leap across the buildings as fast as he could. She wondered if she should follow him; he had looked to be in so much pain. However, the other look in his eyes stopped her.

He had looked as though he had been fighting the urge to tell her something.

Had he almost told her who he was? After all, Truth Serum had said, "I will make everyone tell their deepest secrets," and that was one of his.

Sighing, Marinette turned away, deciding to leave him alone to recover. She leapt through the buildings, trying to find Truth Serum. However, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find the akumatized woman.

Adrien stood shirtless in front of his bathroom mirror. He rubbed his chest where a purple flower of bruised color was prominent against his pale model features. He turned to Plagg, hissing, "It's not wearing off!"

"You're just going to have to deal with it," Plagg responded, shrugging. "You've already avoided patrol last night, but you can't avoid school without there being questions."

"I know," he groaned, slipping on a black shirt that covered his entire collarbone. Sure, the ceremony had been on a Sunday, so he had managed to get out of seeing anyone after he had been shot. However, now it was time for school.

The drive over was a blur as his mind raced through ideas and concerns. How would he be able to keep himself from blabbing his secrets to anyone who asked? As soon as he was out of the car, he hissed to Plagg, "If I start saying something about my identity, gag me, Plagg."

He sniggered. "I don't think it will be the issue."

As soon as Adrien's eyes fell on Marinette in the classroom, he suddenly believed the little kwami's statement. It took all of his willpower not to fall onto one knee and profess his undying love to her then and there.

The lunch bell couldn't ring any sooner. As soon as he stood up, though, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Concerned bluebell eyes filled his vision, and he found himself saying, "Marinette, I - " Plagg pinched him. "W-would like it if you would sit with me at lunch."

He winced. It was true; he would like it. However, he hadn't expected that sudden overwhelming urge to confess to her, so he hadn't been prepared for the next honest thing to pop out of his mouth.

Marinette blushed slightly, but she nodded. "Okay," she breathed.

They walked together out of the room. Both Alya and Nino were quietly cheering while Chloe fumed loudly. Adrien found his hand floating towards hers and quickly jammed them into his pockets to keep himself from 'accidentally' holding her hand. Apparently, it isn't limited just to words, he thought grimly. I'm going to have to be careful.

They got their respective lunches and sat down together. Adrien's lips parted as he watched her tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, preparing to take a bite of her sandwich.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Screams erupted from the other room. Adrien leapt to his feet, his sandwich dropping unceremoniously onto the ground. Marinette froze in mid-bite, shocked at the noise, as well.

"Run," he whispered, but at her frozen form, he yelled, "Run, Marinette!" He grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet.

Truth Serum sauntered through the door, grinning widely. "Ohhh, the two lovebirds. Let's see how you really feel about one another."

She aimed for Marinette's chest. Bang.

Adrien grunted as that slicing pain pierced into his back as he once again took a shot for Marinette. She gasped, her eyes wide as he slid to his knees in front of her, his body wracked with shivers as the chemical seeped into his blood, making his head spin even more than it had been that morning. However, he already noticed that this one wasn't nearly as strong as the one from yesterday.

"Adrien," she cried, tugging on his arm. "Adrien, get up!"

"Marinette," he rasped, smiling at her. The pain from his back tainted his voice. "I can't - I can't watch you get hurt. Please, run."

"Not without you!" She pulled him to his feet, dragging him with her. They headed towards the now abandoned classrooms.

He tried his best to follow her, but his knees were trembling. He leaned on Marinette - but after a while, he wasn't doing it for the support. Taking a deep breath, he took in her caramel vanilla scent, smelling a hint of pomegranates behind it. He moaned, unable to help himself.

Marinette froze, misunderstanding the noise. "D-did I hurt you?"

"No," he breathed, unable to help himself. He leaned close to her neck, taking another deep breath. "You smell good… can I kiss you?"

Her breathing caught in her throat. "Adrien, now isn't - "

"I haven't been able to stop thinking of you for weeks," tumbled out of his lips with no regard to the situation. He leaned closer, vaguely registering that she was against a classroom wall. How had they gotten in here? Was this where she had led them to hide? "Please, it's killing me. What do you think of me? Do you like me as much as I like you?"

"Adrien, you're not thinking straight - " she rushed out, but her face was bright red. He ran his hand down her cheek. "Please, Adrien. Stop."

He dipped his head closer, his lips brushing against her cheek. "Do you… not like me?" A new pain pierced his consciousness from underneath his shirt, stopping his next words: Do you not like Chat Noir?

It felt as though cold water had been splashed onto him; he nearly swatted at the little kwami underneath his shirt in irritation but then realized what he had been about to say - and do.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered, yanking his hand away and backing up. His hips struck the table behind him, and he glanced around, looking for an exit. "I-I should go."

"Wait, Adrien!"

He ignored her, trying hard not to think of how she hadn't answered him.

A/N: I am prepping my novel for publication at the end of October as well as preparing for NaNoWriMo in November, so the rate of these getting published will most likely slow down. However, I will still try to post at least one chapter a week. If I lag behind, please PM me with an angry message to hurry up and post; I'm sure the PM will wake me out of my stupor and spur whatever writer's block into moving out of the way.