Chaper 21
"WHAT?! Wait, you mean like for real?!" Nino's eyes twinkled with wonder as he stared at Alya, his shock rapidly dissolving to excitement.
"Wha…uhh… but I…" Marinette coughed as her heart burst into an unexpected gallop. How could Alya just blow her secret like that? And WHY hadn't she come to her first? I mean sure she's all about the latest breaking Ladybug news on her blog, but they were best friends! Had she never heard of privacy? What am I gonna do? The blackette took a deep breath to regain her composure, but her rapidly tightening throat producing a sharp squeak with the inhale. She waved her hands in front of her face frantically as a bead of sweat slid down her temple. This is a disaster!
"Don't be ridiculous!" Adrien cut in smoothly, ignoring Marinette's miniature panic attack. "I mean, I appreciate the compliment and all, but even with these new powers I'm not nearly as slick as Chat Noir!" Adrien plastered on a confident grin and chuckled lightly. Acting might not be his strong suit, but he thought the performance was pretty convincing. He glanced over to Marinette, who looked like she was in the process of swallowing her tongue. He could hardly believe it. This whole time… she was right in front of me?
"Not YOU, Blondie… although I did have my suspicions there for a bit," Alya remarked with a wink. "THEM!"
Following Alya's gaze, all eyes turned to the pair of floating creatures, silently hovering amidst the rest of the group. Marinette stopped stammering and blinked. "Huh?"
"Think about it," the astute elf continued. "We were all brought here because we were in the library together, right? We all know each other from school. But then there're these two, 'Tikki and Plagg,' that nobody seems to know." Plagg favored them all with a toothy grin while Tikki blushed demurely, not accustomed to being the center of attention. Alya's voice took on its conspiratorial tone she reserved for only the juiciest gossip. "They say they're in-game characters, but would in-game characters know that they're in-game characters? That's totally breaking the fourth wall."
"Alya, your deduction has merit," Max stated, thoughtful. "Another consideration is why Vault Master would choose to place additions in this campaign meant to aid us. Ethan never included these class-changing fairies in previous editions. Such a boon would seem incongruous with typical akumatized behavior."
Nino nodded. "So if the fairies didn't come from Vault Master… they must have come from outside, like us!"
"Precisely," Max agreed. "However, as Alya observed, the other denizens of this Vault were all in the school building when the akuma struck. Those of us that materialized near each other were all in the same room. Including those we found in the cell block, all of the students from our library study hall have been accounted for. For the two them to have spawned so closely to us without having been in the library with us, one could deduce that Tikki and Plagg came here another way…. Perhaps to help?"
"Uh… yeah!" Adrien agreed after only a moment's hesitation. "And if they forced their way in, that explains why they didn't spawn right, as full heroes. Since Vault Master didn't include roles for them, their powers can only be used to help the players that are already here! They must have bound to the character classes that most closely resembled the heroes in real life. Cats are stealthy, and I'm the only rogue class. Marinette is a defensive character, and Ladybug vowed to protect the citizens of Paris. It totally makes sense!" Adrien nodded encouragingly toward Marinette.
"It does?" She asked meeting his gaze, a puzzled look on her face. After a beat, she repeated with more confidence: "It does!"
"Well?" Alya beckoned the kwamis. "We're right, right? Admit it, we're right!"
Tikki took in a pleading, expectant look from Marinette's before sighing, defeated. After all of her warnings to Marinette about revealing her identity… "That's right," the red kwami lied. "I'm Ladybug."
"And I am the impetuous, stubborn, love-sick Chat Noir!" Plagg declared.
"Love-sick?!" Adrien remarked, offended, before clamping his mouth shut.
"Oh, yes!" Plagg grinned fiendishly, finally getting revenge for the countless hours he had had to endure of the boy's dreamily blathering on about the perfection of 'his lady.' "Just the other day I prattled on for over an hour about an imaginary perfect date with Ladybug, strolling through the park, down to the details of what ice cream flavors we would eat, ending in a soft, sweet kiss under the stars! I must have talked about her lips for—"
"Oh stop Plagg, you're embarrassing…" Tikki paused for a moment, taking in the rare blush burning Adrien's cheeks. "Me. You're embarrassing me saying things like that! You know that we need to keep our relationship strictly professional. I've told you time and again, romantic feelings would just complicate things. We need to put the safety of Paris first!"
Although she thought she had been helping, Tikki's words felt like ice splintering through Adrien's heart. She's right, Ladybug had said that, He thought. She didn't think we could be in a relationship with each other because it would cloud our judgment and put Paris at risk. It was the same reason she insisted they couldn't know each other's' identities. Does that mean… he had no chance with Marinette OR Ladybug? Because both of his crushes were the same person, and that person was his superhero partner?
Marinette stole a glance in Adrien's direction. She had taken all of Chat's flirtatious comments and behaviors to be the typical coquettish nature of the light-hearted feline. Sure, there had been some instances where his feelings for her seemed more sincere, but she had never considered that he might actually be in love with her. He didn't even know her! Well, that's not true, he did know Marinette, and had never expressed romantic interest in her. Ladybug was just a persona, with all of Marinette's strengths but none of her weaknesses. Had Adrien actually fallen in love with Ladybug? What was he thinking, now that he knew she was actually his boring, stuttering classmate Marinette? Would he be able to see Marinette in Ladybug, and vice versa? Or was this a huge disappointment?
Marinette tried to read Adrien's expression. His cheeks were tinged slightly with pink, which somehow made him even more handsome. But his eyes looked… hollow. There was something far-off about them, like the look he got when he was remembering his mother. He looked vulnerable. Again, Marinette's mind found Chat Noir and Adrien strikingly dissimilar: for all of Chat's spontaneity and forwardness, Adrien was meticulously planned and private. Were the differences between herself and Ladybug so incompatible? The electricity of excitement in Marinette's chest continuously sparked and fizzled out as her mind ran in circles: Adrien loves Ladybug, and you're Ladybug, but Ladybug is not you, so could Adrien love…? The effect was so tumultuous she felt a little nauseated. She had to talk to him… but how could she get him alone?
"Anyway, now that you know our secret," Tikki continued to the group, "you should also know that our powers might not work the same in this world. We really don't know how the transformation affected us."
"Have a little confidence, Tik!" Plagg prodded good-naturedly. "I got Cataclysm to work, and we both know I didn't put forth that much effort!"
"That may be true, but I couldn't help but notice that the transformation did not include Chat Noir's staff. Ladybug's magic yo-yo is the source of her power. If it doesn't appear, her fighting style will be completely altered!" the little bug-god pointed out.
Alya was entirely unfazed by this revelation. "Listen guys," she addressed the kwamis. "I know you guys might not realize this, but not everyone is a natural-born super hero. No offense to Marinette, but finesse and acrobatics and whipping around a magic yo-yo might be a tall order for her anyway. I'm kinda hoping she gets a weapon she can't tangle herself up in!"
Marinette shrugged. Alya wasn't wrong... she had tangled herself up in her yo-yo at first!
"Actually, if memory serves," Max interjected, "it is likely she will not transform with a weapon at all."
Adrien's eyebrows lifted slightly in understanding. "Max is right," the blonde explained. "I had to find all of my weapons. The daggers I use as Chat Noir disappear with the transformation, but I found them on a weapon rack. Just like the rapier."
"Same with my bow," Alya noted.
"And my… what is this thing called again?" asked Nino.
Max shook his head. "Without knowing what Marinette's transformation will be, it's impossible to deduce strategy moving forward. Presented with a challenge, we don't know if Marinette's defensive capabilities would be of greater or less benefit than her new class's abilities." He paused. "Apologies Ladybug… I do not mean to imply that your contribution would not be significant, but you must understand that a group like ours could easily be wiped out if we exchange our tank for, say, another agility-based DPS, which given Ladybug's fighting style is a distinct possibility."
Both Marinette and Tikki nodded in response.
"But there's only ONE biscuit left!" Plagg whined. "If she transforms she'll have to eat, and then it won't matter because we'll be out of precious, delicious food!"
"So… we get more food? Then have Marinette transform ASAP?" offered Nino.
"But where?" Adrien asked. "All this time we've been exploring, we still haven't come across any food."
"I wouldn't say that…" the gnome said cryptically, looking pointedly into the dark, curving stairwell revealed by the ascended stone slab. "I do hope neither of you is vegetarian."
Max led the way up the pitch black stairwell, again holding a glowing ball of flame aloft to light the way. The wooden plank stairs that wound in a steep, tight circle up the cylindrical tower were too narrow to allow them to comfortably walk shoulder to shoulder, forcing the group to walk single file. The outside edge of the stairs fit snugly to the windowless stone wall, which Marinette ran a hand along to keep her bearings, her fingers bumping along the cool, damp edges of timeworn stone. The inside edge of the stairs, which unfortunately lacked a railing of any sort, wound around a seemingly endlessly deep chasm of pure blackness. Marinette could hear an intermittent, distant plink of water droplets striking a puddle echo up from somewhere down below. While she was not typically afraid of heights, she found herself hugging the musty-smelling wall rather closely.
Nino and Adrien followed close behind, the latter longing for the Chat Noir's night vision as he tried to navigate the darkness in the meager light provided by Max's too-distant light source. Alya, gifted with refined senses from her elvish class bonus, pulled up the rear, not having much difficulty despite being almost entirely encased in shadow.
Plagg, effortlessly flying straight up the middle of the chasm next to Adrien, barraged the boy with questions. "What did he mean vegetarian? Do you think he has cheese? But then don't some vegetarians eat cheese? Ovo-vegetarian? No wait that's eggs."
"Plagg please," Adrien tried to keep his voice steady. "I'm trying to concentrate!"
"What's to concentrate? Left foot, right foot. You've never climbed steps before? This is important. Fromage-o… no, Lacto! That's it! So if I only ate cheese I would be a…"
"I think he was implying something… a little meatier?" Alya intervened, grinning in the darkness and earning a soft chuckle from Tikki.
"Like an aged Gouda?!" came the excited reply.
"Not quite…" the archer said, slowing to a stop as the rest of the group in front of her paused.
"Hey Max, what's going on up there?!" Adrien called, his head angled almost straight up as Max had rounded the chamber again and was essentially directly above him.
"SSHHH!" the sorcerer hissed, sending the glowing orb slightly farther up to reveal a large mass sticking out from the wall, obstructing their path.
"What is that?!" Alya asked. It looked like a a big pile of sticks and dirt and mud. How did all that junk even get up here?
"Oh no…" Marinette shuddered in recognition.
"It's a rat's nest," Max stated, then fell silent. As they concentrated, the group could hear faint sounds of scratching and hissing coming from above. "And it's occupied."
"Oh heck no!" Alya whispered with surprising intensity, drawing the attention of both Adrien and Nino. "Not rats, nope! Especially big dungeon rats, running around my feet while I'm trapped on this tiny staircase. Burn it with fire, Max!" Nino vigorously nodded in agreement, repulsed by the image Alya had conjured of giant rats tangling themselves around his feet.
"He can't, the stairs are made of wood. They'll burn!" Marinette pointed out.
"Then we go back?" the elven archer asked hopefully.
"If it matters," Max said, retrieving the fireball to illuminate the group again, "there are rats' nests all over this dungeon. Marinette and I have already destroyed one. I find it highly likely that we will encounter similar nests regardless of the path we take."
"Ugh, fine…" Alya groaned, making a show of retrieving an arrow from her quiver.
"Ok, but… how exactly are we supposed to fight here?" Adrien asked. He had his rapier at the ready but could not fall into a proper stance in the narrow, tightly-curving space. Furthermore, if he swung the weapon, he would probably hit Nino who stood only a few feet in front of him.
Max, although he led the group, wouldn't dare light the mess of twigs on fire, knowing it would quickly ignite the wooden steps that it sat upon. Thus, although he was loathe to admit it, his offensive capabilities were essentially nil. Marinette had to take a cautious step away from the wall to summon her shield, but felt similarly helpless. The group exchanged looks in the darkness.
"I could jump across a few times to get above the nest and fire downward?" Alya offered. "The shots would be pretty easy, I think, and the distance across the middle isn't that far. When I hit the nest they'll probably all run but maybe I could pick them off?"
"If you guys get behind me, I could try to fend off any that get this far," Adrien said.
"There are probably dozens in a nest that large," noted Max, absently twirling his moustache. "And rats on higher levels often carry plague. Even one bite to improperly armored flesh could be disastrous."
"Then I'll go up front," Marinette stated. "I'm the one with the armor." She tapped her heavy iron greaves to make her point.
"No way," argued Adrien. "Rats can climb. They can swarm up walls, up people. Not all of you is covered, it's not worth the risk. I nee- We need you, Marinette."
She blinked. Had she imagined it, or had he started to say…
"What about a Lullaby!" Nino exclaimed a little too loudly, causing the others to wince and glance expectantly in the direction of the nest.
"You're… going to sing to the rats?" Alya asked hesitantly. "But didn't Max say your songs can only help our group, not curse enemies?"
"A good night's rest is helpful!" Nino countered. "It's about perspective, right? Maybe I'm going to side with the poor rat parents, trying desperately to doze comfortably in their tiny house with dozens of babies running about refusing to nap?" Nino could think of a few times he was hanging at Alya's that he would have definitely benefited from getting her younger siblings to sleep a little early.
Max considered the suggestion. In the past, he had certainly utilized non-traditional means of escaping tough spots. He recalled instances where Kim had bribed a troll to let them pass a bridge despite not being able to solve his riddle, and another where Max had charmed a fire-breathing drake into allowing them to live when they accidentally disturbed her nest by pretending to be a lost baby drake. His fire capabilities and horn-like hair had served him well that day! Until she tried to feed me. He shuddered at the recollection.
Alya actually smiled at Nino's retort. "As someone who's repeatedly struggled to get munchkins to quiet down… I can definitely see how a Lullaby could be for the greater good." They shared a knowing look that went unnoticed by the others. "What if we go all out? Max, make sure we can see what we're doing. I'll shoot from above. Marinette and Adrien stick together and try to fend off anything that runs your way, and Nino… try to keep the rat family asleep!"
Carefully stepping around Nino to stand next to Marinette, Adrien then flattened himself against the wall to allow Max to pass farther away from the threat above. The repositioning was extremely awkward. "Why do I feel like we're about to attack a dragon with a shoe?" the blonde asked.
"Because," Max replied, "when you don't have a better plan, you have to use what you've got."
A/N: Hey guys! I'm not dead, just slow! I never thought to mention until the question was asked: the events of this story take place between seasons 1 and 2, so all the developments of season 2 have not yet occurred! I started writing before the second season dropped so including the new info doesn't make sense in some spots. Anyways, glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and Kim's bravery as much as I did, I love the feedback, it encourages me to sit my butt down and write :) Lot's of talk in this chapter as our heroes try to sort stuff out, but we've got another battle ahead of us, so get ready!