Chapter Thirteen - Replaced

Let's jump right in and see how Marinette handles the news of an imposter trying to take her place.

Nathaniel's Point of View

When I walk into my room, for a moment, my heart drops.

There is no sign of Marinette. Or Tikki. Or Ladybug.

"Oh my gosh," I mumble, backpack dropping off my back as I stare in horror, "that was actually Marinette?"

However, as I approach my desk, I notice a note that manages to make me feel a bit better.

Hey Nath,

Went out to get some fresh air & to make sure your parents didn't accidentally find me. Will be back tonight so long as that's okay. Don't worry, I'll stay transformed and won't do anything to risk aggravating my injuries.

- Bug

I breath a sigh of relief, despite only feeling slightly better. This just prolongs how long I'll have to sit with the knowledge that someone is parading around pretending to be Marinette before I can tell her. At least she says she's coming back and not trying to go see her parents or anything. Hopefully it stays that way, because I don't know what she - or anyone else - will do if she shows up only to find another Marinette there in her place.

Gosh, just the thought of how devastating that encounter would be for her makes me sick. At least now I'll have some more time to prepare myself. I want to say this as gently as possible, to try and ensure that she doesn't freak out too much.

However, deep down I know no amount of time will ever be enough to prepare me to tell Marinette about school today.

Ladybug's Point of View

I didn't mean to take a nap on the top of the Eiffel Tower, though it did end up being the most restful bit of sleep I've had in a while. Thankfully, no one spotted me, as I wasn't ready to deal with the fallout that could cause. That doesn't stop me from scolding myself though, partially in preparation for the scolding Tikki will likely give me. I need to be more careful.

Night has fallen, and I cringe, wondering if Nathaniel is worried. He had to have seen my note, so at least he knows I'm coming back. Then again, maybe that will frighten him even more. After all, how is he supposed to know whether or not I'm safe? I don't want him to think I've gotten into trouble; I need to make my way back.

However, after leaping a few rooftops over, I trip and smack my right knee off of a rooftop. Moaning in pain, I roll onto my back and carefully sitting up, sliding over to the edge of the roof and examining it. Tikki is still weaker than she should be, so the suit isn't as protective at the moment; right now, the suit actually has a bit of a hole around my knee, and a small trickle of blood appears. I groan and lean my head against my knee in frustration. I'll have to wait here for a few minutes till I'll be ready to head back; Nathaniel is definitely going to be worried about how long it's taken me to return, especially when I come back with a new injury.

My head aches as I try to remember my encounter with Nathaniel. I don't remember what I spent the majority of my day doing till I transformed. I don't remember anything between crashing on his balcony and turning back into Ladybug while I was in his room, actually. Is there a way for me to talk to Tikki about that? It's concerning. Does it have anything to do with what she did to keep me alive while I was...there?

Despite just lingering on the fringe of my memories of that place, my heart still starts thudding faster, and when I hear someone land behind me, I immediately leap to my feet, spinning around and automatically slipping into a fighting stance. I won't let them take me to that place again. I won't, no matter wha-

My eyes meet Chat's wide ones, and I relax a little, heart still racing as I huff, "You scared me, Chat." Now that the panic has faded a bit, I feel pain shooting up my right leg, and wince before shifting my weight to my left foot.

The blond cringes, and I instantly feel bad for being a bit too harsh with him when I see the guilty look on his face. It's not like he meant to spook me. "Sorry, m'lady," he says, and then pauses. We sit there in the semi-awkward silence for longer than necessary before he finally speaks again, "but that seemed like more than just a scare. You never acted like that before. Is it because of what happened?"

He's way too good at reading me, I think, doing my best to close myself off from him. I don't need him figuring out anything more about what I went through. He already knows too much, and I need to shut this conversation thread down. "It doesn't matter." To emphasize the point, I give him a small, forced smile, opting to change the subject while I still can. "I'm glad to see you again."

"I'm glad to see you too, but I wish you would just tell me what happened." Of course he's not going to let me change the topic so easily. "I don't see why you can't."

It hurts to be pushing him out; I want more than anything to be able to tell him, to have my partner be able to help, but I can't put him in danger like that. As it stands, I barely even know what happened to me. Maybe Tikki will have some clue on how to rectify the two halves of my memory; that would really help me figure out what to do now. I'll have to write a note for Marinette-me so I remember to.

"Chat, I want to tell you. I really do. But I can't." I stress the last bit, wondering if it hurts him to hear the words as much as it hurts me to say them. "I can't let anything happen to you, and so my lips are sealed till I figure some stuff out and know you'll be safe." I can't bare putting my silly Kitty into such serious danger without knowing I can keep him safe, and right now, I don't even know if I can keep Nathaniel safe, let alone me.

He sighs, the disappointment written all over his face. "Can you at least give me a hint?"

I shake my head, deciding to try and let him down in a bit more of a lighthearted fashion. "Curiosity killed the cat. I don't want that to become literal, Kitty." I smirk a little as I say the words, and manage to get a chuckle out of Chat, but we both are ignoring the ominous meaning behind those words. Chat could get seriously hurt, could die, if I involve him in this.

That's not happening. Not on my watch.

I try not to think about the fact that I m in just as much danger as he would be, if not more. I can't think about that, not now.

"Fine." He has no idea how relieved I am that he caved in to my pleas for him to stop asking, at least for now. I don't know that I could stand keeping him in the dark if he kept pressing me on the matter. "You remember how I told you Marinette Dupain-Cheng was missing last night?"

Millions of thoughts rush through my mind as I wonder why he'd bring the matter up again. Has he figured out that I am Marinette? Did he deduce that we are more strongly connected than he initially thought? Is he simply concerned about her? He can't just be concerned, the look on his face is more contemplative than that. There has to be a deeper meaning to the question, but what?

All of those emotions and fears cross through my mind in a split second as I give a nod of confirmation, only to freeze when he follows it up with, "Well, she's back now."

"She's back?" My voice cracks at the end of the statement, betraying the distress I feel upon hearing those words.

Chat Noir blinks in bewilderment over my reaction; I can only imagine how confusing it must be. After all, how is he supposed to interpret a response like that? Especially with the little context that he has? He could be thinking any number of things, and the only benefit to that reaction is that, most likely, it will stop him from suspecting me of being the same person as Marinette.

But how can there be another Marinette? That doesn't make any sense! I may not remember what happens while I'm Marinette, but surely I would've mentioned in my note to myself that I had gone out in public. Heck, I would've mentioned going out of Nathaniel's room if I'd gone anywhere else in the house besides the bathroom.

So if that Marinette wasn't me, then...then was it that thing? I desperately try to remember what it was that I was fleeing that night when I first saw Chat again, but I can't remember. All I know is that I was afraid, no, terrified of whatever it was, but for whatever reason, I cannot recall what thing was chasing me. However, there's also the chance that it wasn't what was chasing after me, and if it's not, then I really have no idea what it could be.

I'm drawn back to reality by a frowning Chat, who slowly nos his head. "Yes...?" The concern in his voice almost makes me wince. "Haven't you watched the news, LB?"

What am I supposed to say in response to that? I wonder to myself, panicking. I haven't, or else I would've known this already, but if he asks what I've been doing, I can't tell him that I have been chilling at a civilian's house who figured out my identity and has unintentionally gotten roped into the dilemma I refuse to let you in on as I try to figure out how to reconcile my two identities to share one memory again.

Ultimately I shake my head, having to wonder what Chat makes of my expression as I end up saying, "No, I haven't detransformed yet. I've been doing some work as Ladybug, and I feel horrible for my kwami."

It's not a lie, per say. After all, technically I haven't ever detransformed, at least, not that this side of me remembers. Plus, I do have work I need to do as Ladybug, namely figure out how to solve the predicament I'm in and avoid being recaptured. And of course I feel bad for Tikki, who also suffered while I was captured and, according to Marinette-me's note, feels partially responsible for this memory issue.

"What did she say about her disappearance?" I have to know what crap this impostor is saying to excuse my absence for a whole year, because I'm sure it's not the truth.

Knowing won't make me feel any better, but at this rate, any information potentially related to my disappearance is a vital clue.

Chat doesn't sound nearly as confident as before when he answers, obviously thrown off by how I responded to the information. "She said that she had run away, and she isn't answering any questions currently besides that. The news reporters have said that her parents aren't letting her." I don't realize my nose has wrinkled in my disgust for the cover story till he asks, "Why are you acting like this is such a shock?"

I carefully school my features to the best of my abilities and shift under my Kitty's scrutiny, not even bothering to hide how I'm trying to avoid looking him in the eye. "I don't know anything." I internally cringe, realizing that such a comment will just make Chat even more skeptical. "It just seems suspicious. I wouldn't trust it."

That's enough to try and clue him in to be questioning what this impostor says without exposing myself, right?

"Is that your way of giving me a clue that your disappearances were related?" Chat learns forward, eagerly awaiting my answer.

"No, Kitty, it's not." I don't need him looking into any connections I might have to Marinette, not now, but I can't just leave him in the dark, can I? I purse my lips, trying to figure out if there's anything I can give him to work with, before finally deciding on, "I'm just saying you should keep an eye on that."

Chat is obviously disappointed by that response, and I really can't blame him. He's my partner, and we're supposed to be honest with each other as much as possible, but right now, I can't do that. I have to protect him, like he's always protected me. He leans back, carefully looking me over, and I have to avoid biting my lip. Does he see right through me? Does he know, or even suspect, what I'm hiding?

I can't risk him. I can't. I won't.

They can do whatever they want to me, but they can't have Chat.

After a few more moments of silence, Chat sighs and announces, "Well, as much as I enjoy your company, Bugaboo, if you aren't going to give me any information, I'm going to go talk to Marinette and see if I can learn anything."

I do my best to disguise my inner turmoil at the thought. Is it alright to send Chat gallivanting off to speak with someone who may have had a bigger role in my disappearance than I know? She has to be associated with it in some way; having Chat speak with her could be even more dangerous than having me filter information to him. After all, whose to say speaking with the impostor won't put him in harm's way? She's a total loose cannon.

But at the same time, it's not like I can go talk to her about it. There are so many ways in which that could go badly. And if Chat does get any useful information out of her, he can tell me. Heck, I could ask him how it goes even if he doesn't instinctively tell me, as I'll probably be able to decipher anything suspicious she says much faster than he will, since I have all the facts.

This could be my best option.

"Be my guest." I finally reply, standing up.

Chat follows suit, and as he does, I can't help but notice the slightest movement in the shadows. What was that? I do my best to keep myself from panicking, hoping that Chat hasn't noticed it. Is that what was chasing me?

If it is, then I really need to get out of here and away from Chat. If it's something to be concerned about, it should follow me, not him. After all, aren't I the one it wants?

"Let me know what you find," I add as more of an afterthought than anything else, desperate to get out of here to keep Chat safe.

"I will."

I waste no time grabbing my yo-yo and setting off, not allowing myself to look back to see what Chat does. I can't risk it. I spend at least five minutes traipsing over Paris, but when I finally stop to breathe, I see no sign of my shadow. I don't know whether it followed Chat, got lost following me, or didn't even bother to do either. Whatever the case, it's gone.

I don't know if that's good or bad, but it means I'm probably safe to return back to Nathaniel's house, since now my home is definitely off limits.

"Nathaniel!" I whisper, eyes widening.

Is he worried? Oh gosh, I can only imagine that he's panicking. After all, I was in danger, and now I've up and disappeared. Even with the note, how is he supposed to know whether or not I'm okay? I meant to be back way sooner!

I need to let him know that I'm okay and, hopefully, find out what he knows about this new Marinette's appearance.

There we have it. Ladybug now knows that there's an impostor posing as her civilian self, and as anyone might expect, she isn't happy. So how will that conversation go with her and Nathaniel? How about with her Marinette side? Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. c:

Sorry for not updating sooner! Life has been hectic, but I promise I haven't forgotten my stories on here. c; I might be slow to update, but I will do it!

For now, however, I'm signing off. ^-^ See you next time!

~ Dagger