''Hero or menace? That is the question the denizens of Paris have in their heads lately, regarding the once beloved Chat Noir after he presumably attacked an innocent girls house, the hero has not given any statement so far on the issue and-'' A reporter was saying on the TV, the saturday morning news segment suddenly interrupting the Dupain-Cheng's breakfast.
''Dad, could you turn that off please?'' Asked the only child of the household after moaning in discomfort.
''Sure, sweety'' Said the baker, but he was slow enough that the family caught a peek at Lila's terrified face cowering from the cat hero's presence after the ´´Akuma´´ attack from the other day. If Marinette didn't know Lila already and all her plotting, she would honestly feel bad for her. The image was striking, fake as it was, the look of a poor girl who lost her home to a rogue supernatural being and then was victimized by another was a sad thing. The designer hated to admit it, but there was no space to wonder why half the city hated the black clad hero now.
She could only be grateful that her parents were 100% on her side. After what Lila tried to pull off years ago by getting her temporarily expelled from school, the couple of bakers had nothing but frowns and disapproving shakes of the head everytime the Italian girl came up in conversation.
''I can't believe people would distrust our heroes, just like that'' Commented Tom while looking at his daughter. He probably wanted her to get worked up and discuss the topic with them, instead of moping and barely eating her food.
Lila did not go back to class that week, so any plans of following her or confrontations were delayed once more, leaving the heroes with the same tasks they already had before and no way of fixing their public image, since there were no more attacks either.
''Yes, there must be some kind of explanation for all of this'' Said her mother, looking at Marinette with the same worried eyes as her father. The girl sighed.
''I'll go to my room, need to study'' She said, kissing both her parents on both cheeks and taking the rest of her breakfast to her room.
Once alone, Marinette left the baked goods on her desk and slumped on her bed, bringing a pillow to her face.
''Cheer up Marinette! You have no school for two weeks, you can work on solving this full time now!'' Said Tikki, floating above the bed. The girl groaned under her pillow.
''That's not a good thing Tikki, our only chance of finding out where Lila has the box was by following her home after classes!'' She said, lifting the pillow just enough time to not sound muffled, then putting it back on her face as she was done speaking.
''Not everything is bad, you have the Gala to work on, too. Which one of your designs are you making for the party?'' The tiny god was trying really hard to lift her spirits, and if she was honest the topic of the Easter fashion gala was really exciting for the girl, but the constant stress on the back of her mind tainted any good feeling. Still, she decided to bite the bullet.
''I don't know Tikki, I have these two but one is too boring and the other one...'' She got up and looked at her wall of drawings. There were two dresses surrounded by all the references for their designs and stickers of stars. One of them was a cute pink dress, but Marinette liked it less and less as time passed. There was honestly not a lot going on for it, and in that gala so many famous designers and fashion icons would be there, she needed to impress.
''Yeah, It's a bit ...revealing'' Said Tikki, but it was obvious by the longing on her voice that the kwami really liked it. She was staring at the second drawing: A long red dress, with black dots that highlighted certains zones of the wearers body, like the shoulders and the hips. There was a long transparent cape on its back that simulated bug wings and she even put some of the designs taken from the grimoire and the miraculous box to decorate. Marinette loved it. But it was Ladybugs dress, not hers.
''Luka said the glamour is strong, but wearing this in public as Marinette would be just tempting fate'' She sighed.
''Why don't you go to the gala as Ladybug, then?'' Asked Tikki, seemingly innocent. But the tiny god knew what kind of ideas that comment would spawn on her chosen's head. Marinette opened her eyes and stood still, thinking hard.
''You know what… It's not as crazy as it sounds'' She said, then shook her head ''But we would have no glamour on without our suits… people would recognize Marinette'' The girl kept pondering on the subject, though. It would be good, she thought, really good if a place with cameras and prestigious people like the Easter fashion gala was attended by the heroes. If they put a good show, it would help fix their images. She started even formulating a speech the heroes could make to the public, asking for Paris's patience and explaining that this enemy was not Hawkmoth but a pretender.
''I'm sure you can figure something out'' Commented Tikki, smiling and sneaking a pastry out of Marinette's breakfast plate.
Her mind started working full speed, trying to figure out how much could they repair their reputations before Lila snapped and just revealed their secrets. But what if they showed everyone how much of a liar she was before she could do anything? Would her credibility suffer enough for her word to not be valid anymore?.
''This could work'' She whispered, hopeful and amazed at how easy it became for her to get ideas when she stopped thinking that they needed to get the stolen miraculous first. She literally needed to think outside the box.
She finally had a plan! or at least the skeleton of one. They just needed to charm everyone on the gala and use the events live cameras to their benefit, and Lila could no longer threaten them with what she knew if her reputation was ruined at the same time. Taking the box would be the next step, but she would cross that bridge when she reached it, she decided.
Marinette smiled. She was finally seeing the end of this tunnel. And it was glorious, she thought, smiling as she examined her design.
''That girl is crazy'' Said Alya after ending her call with a really excited Marinette. She looked skeptic to the untrained eye, but Nino could tell his girlfriend was actually complimenting the designer with her comment. They had a very rushed group call, where Marinette didn't go into too many details but revealed she had an idea of how to deal with Lila. They all decided to meet tomorrow to discuss the details.
''I say she's a genius'' Said Nino, knowing perfectly well that Alya thought the same and that this was not really a discussion.
''Our problem with Lila's schemes was that if we moved one step against her, she had our secrets to corner us back, and she's been slowly ruining Chat Noir and Ladybug's image, too'' The reporter was thinking out loud now, Nino deciding to just nod along. ''But if we use all our cards at the same time, Lila's credibility is done for, she would only have the box… And if our theory is correct and she can only use one miraculous, she's just basically a new Hawkmoth, one whose name we already know'' She finished, gesturing with her hands and pacing around the room.
''We just have to go all out at once, got it'' Synthesized Nino.
''Tell the truth!'' Exclaimed Trixx, excited.
''Yes but it's not as simple as that, it needs to look organic to the public. We also need to avoid helping people connect our civilian relationships with Lila and the heroes'' Said Alya.
But they already knew, thanks to Luka, that most people wouldn't be able to connect the dots unless they detransformed in front of them or something similarly powerful. It was all fitting together for this plan.
''We could ´´accidentally´´ leak our document on Lila just before the party'' Suggested Nino.
''We could, but I don't think most people would read it before the event, it's too slow and too unimportant of a topic for most people'' Said Alya. She sat down again, done with her pacing, and crossed her legs. ''That document can still be useful, though. We know most of the people she has lied about. Many of them will be in the gala, too! Like prince Ali!'' She exclaimed, starting to sound just as excited as Marinette was on the call.
''How would Ladybug and Chat Noir go to the gala as themselves, though. I mean Adrien's father can invite them, sure, but how would they protect their identities?'' Asked Nino ''And what would be the excuse for his own son to not be there?''
''He could be ´´sick´´, that's the easiest thing to solve here, babe'' Alya giggled, thinking of the stoic fashion icon Gabriel Agreste, telling the press that his son has diarrhea or something and can't assist the biggest fashion event of the year. She shared that with her boyfriend, and they both started listing stuff it would be funny for the man to excuse his son with, each getting more and more ridiculous. They entertained the idea for a bit, while knowing perfectly well that Alya had the power to make illusions, too.
''And you forgot one thing about this event, Nino'' Said Alya, back to the topic after wiping her laughing tears away from her eyes.
''What?'' The boy could not be asked to know every single detail of this party, firstly because he usually was not invited, and secondly, because he paid zero attention to that kind of stuff, model best friend or not. It if was for him, he would go wearing any suit and his red hat, and just eat all the food and be done with it. The music probably sucked, too.
''It's a masquerade''
Viperion couldn't help but laugh. He just couldn't hold it anymore, knowing already what Chloe wanted to propose. The girl in front of him was struggling to bring the topic up, blushing like the school girl she was and pretending she didn't really care about what she wanted to tell him, while hiding the invitation on her back. She was acting like one of those anime characters, those that were never honest with their feelings.
''What's so funny?!'' She said when she noticed his amusement. He went to visit her that saturday to tell her that the others kind of already knew that she was onto them. But before he could, she interrupted him saying she had something to tell him. Hence, the present moment.
''How do you want me to dress up? Also, you don't even know my name, Chloe. You sure want a stranger in your rich people party?'' He smirked, enjoying all the emotions showing up on the blondes face as he said that. The surprise was ruined, but it was oh so worth it. He never imagined someone with the reputation of Chloe Bourgeois, the second terror of Paris after Hawkmoth, could have such a cute face when her mind stopped working.
''How- Who- … That cat!'' She kicked one foot on the ground and started pacing as she rambled about how their friendship was over, but not really because he owed her for protecting his ass. Viperion smiled, just waiting for her to finish her venting.
''And I don't need to know who you are, you can go as a hero. I'm sure that's the best suit you have, and it's a masquerade anyways!'' She practically barked. The hero could tell she was not really that mad, but at the same time, that this was hard for her. To open up enough to let someone new in. Adrien did mention she doesn't have that many friends. He still wanted to tease her a bit more before getting honest, though.
''What if I'm a super unfashionable person outside of the mask? And I decided I want to go on my pajamas to the gala?'' He asked, smirking. He was pretty sure, that, deep down, Chloe was not that shallow. But if he was being honest with himself, it worried him a bit that he really might not be exactly what the girl considered ´´acceptable´´ as a civilian. The single fact that he was feeling a bit insecure was something he decide to archive for later analysis, not wanting to have two people with confused feelings in the same room right now.
''Have you seen Sabrina, the person I spend most of my time with? I don't care if you dress like a hobo. Besides, you'd look good in pajamas too'' As soon as she said that last comment, her face turned red and she covered her mouth with both hands. She looked like someone who just called the teacher ´´mom´´ in class.
Viperion let out a good laugh this time, and he was so distracted by his own amusement he almost missed the tiny smirk that crossed the girls face as she watched him. Was she happy that she made him laugh? Or was she smiling because she was having a nervous breakdown? He had no idea what she was thinking, and that was so alien for the snake hero.
She produced a fake annoyed expression and then handed him the invitation when he composed himself. He smiled with as much respect as he could, then took the piece of paper. She took that well, because she did a little self sufficient nod and looked ready to change topics. Not so fast, he thought.
''I'm curious, Chloe. Who do you think I am?'' He asked again after a silent moment. She took the question seriously enough, because she frowned then took her time to answer.
''You say I know you outside of that suit?'' She guessed. He nodded.
''We've crossed paths, and I told you my name a couple times. But knowing you, you probably still don't remember it'' He gave her enough information to answer her question, but he wanted her to think about this for a while, to test the power of the glamour. With what he just told her, he was sure there weren't that many blue-haired dudes with earrings that had a connection both to her and to Adrien in her circle. Not to mention that, if she really knew Marinette was Ladybug, she had another clue right there. This was the prefect chance to see just how powerful the glamour was.
''Why don't you just tell me?'' She pouted. That was kind of cute, thought the hero, but he would not fall for it.
''It's an experiment, I'll tell you if you can't guess anyways, but I'm testing the power of the glamour that protects our identities when we are transformed'' There was no problem in telling her that, he figured.
''Well I give up. Like you said, I probably didn't even catch your name'' She stated, was that disappointment in her voice?
''What is my hair color?'' He asked, and she frowned. He could tell she was losing some patience already. Too bad, he really needed to confirm something.
''It's obviously blue, what kind of question is that?'' She answered, crossing her arms.
''How many people with blue hair do you know?'' He questioned her then, and she opened her eyes wide, becoming suddenly still.
''What?'' He asked after a while of her not responding. She was just standing there thinking with that surprised look on her face.
''I know… I know I KNOW someone with blue hair, but I can't picture who right now'' She whispered, and her eyes squinted as if she was trying to look through fog while staring at him.
''You have really bad memory, then'' He teased.
''No! It's like.. I know someone, and I know that I know someone with blue hair, I just can't recall anything about that person right now, heck I can't even remember if it was male or female! And if it wasn't for you asking me all these questions, I wouldn't even think of that person even if I tried to learn who you are, this is so annoying!'' Well, that was interesting.
So the glamour didn't make her forget people or make her see changed features, but it made it impossible for her to make a connection. Unless she was thinking about the civilian first, as the grimoire said, she wouldn't be able to think about Luka clearly until Viperion was gone, and by then her brain would never connect the dots anyways.
''Sass, scales rest'' The hero said, and a bright turquoise light enveloped Viperion. When the light disappeared, Luka was standing in Chloe's room instead. The girl gaped.
''You're Juleka's brother!'' She pointed while examining him.
''Can I still go to the gala in pajamas?'' He asked, smiling as Chloe circled him like a lioness about to eat her prey. He was not going to show it, but he was kind of nervous. Luka had to admit by now that he liked Chloe, something he never thought he would. He didn't admire her like he did with Marinette, but she was extremely fun to talk to. She was also very pretty, specially when she had her guard down. So her judgement was a bit more important to him than he would have liked it to be. Everyone knew how cruel Chloe Bourgeois could be.
Those were the thoughts that distracted the guitarist from noticing that Chloe was rummaging on one of her huge wardrobes now.
''What is she doing, massster?'' Whispered his kwami to his ear, sounding worried. Luka shrugged.
Chloe found whatever she was looking for, because she nodded happily then took a giant plastic bag out of her closet, then handed it to him.
''What is this?'' He asked, examining the bag.
''A suit, duh!'' She said, but her tiny smile contrasted the nastiness of her tone.
Luka did not like others choosing what he should or shouldn't wear. He liked his style and he was not ready to change it anytime soon, but this was a formal party, and he didn't really have the appropriate clothes. So he took the bag. He still had no idea what she was thinking, though.
''Why do you have men's clothes in your closet?'' He asked. She rolled her eyes as if the answer should be obvious.
''That one is for when my Adrikins gets a bit taller, I predict it would take at least another year for him to be able to wear it'' She said. He was pretty sure Adrien had his own expensive suits, but he would stop questioning her for now. As much fun as he was having right now, he came for business too, after all.
''Thanks… I'll return it after the party'' He smiled at her, then called back for his transformation, bag on his hands disappearing with it. Chloe was now looking at him in awe.
''It's so weird, I can see it clearly now, the similarities, I mean. That glamour surely is powerful. Why doesn't it work for me?'' She asked, which prompted a brief explanation of how the magic hid their identities.
''But why did it stop working for Adrikins and Dupain-Cheng?'' She wondered. So she did know who Ladybug was, he concluded.
''What were you thinking about when you realized it?'' He asked.
''Well Adrikins came one day sporting those cat fangs and black nails. It was kind of obvious, and I wasn't even that surprised, I always knew he was a dork, deep inside'' Viperion snorted at that. Yeah, Chat Noir was kind of silly sometimes. Not much lately, though, he thought sadly.
''But for Ladybug… I always admired her, she… She represents everything I want to be'' The amount of honesty in that statement surprised the hero, but he said nothing and let her continue. ''And then I saw her defending Chat Noir in class… and somehow it all clicked. I never really wanted to admit this, and I'll kill you personally if you say any of this to her, by the way, but that baker girl can be really cool sometimes. My brain just put that together with the fact that I already knew who Chat Noir was, and it clicked'' She finished saying, not a single ounce of malice in her voice as she spoke.
Viperion realized that the moment Chloe admitted to herself the qualities that Marinette shared with the heroine was the moment she entered the ´´Know a person´´ category, at least for the glamour, so she needed very little evidence to connect the dots. The power was consistent, at least. That was the most important thing to confirm before they could move on with their plans, he thought.
''Say something'' She demanded, returning him to the real world again.
''You have been very helpful today, Chloe'' He smiled at her. ''The others already suspect you are onto them, so I guess there is no point in keeping you on the sidelines anymore'' The way her eyes lightened up at hearing that made the boy feel Akumas in his stomach.
''Queen Bee is back!''
Lila was feeling like death. She was curled up on her bed, no energy to get up today. Just as she had everyday after she started practicing with her miraculous. Her mind was not better, that voice she heard sometimes making itself more present every moment.
''What is wrong with me'' She cried in self pity. She could no longer say she was surprised when she heard the mysterious voice answer her question.
''You are cursed, child'' Said whatever ghost was haunting her. Lila was done being scared of it.
''What do you mean? Who even are you?!'' She demanded, anger fueling her energy again.
''You've been making too many of those'' The voice had no body, but it was obvious what she was referring to. A sentimonster that looked like a shadow of Chat Noir was sitting on her bedroom floor. She had been trying to create a replica of the hero, just like she did with no problems with Ladybug, but for some reason she couldn't. It always came out looking like that monster that attacked her in her old house.
She didn't respond to the voice, lost in her thoughts. If only she could recreate a credible looking Chat Noir, she would finally cement the citizens doubt on the heroes and turn Paris against him. Her revenge would only be complete when Adrien Agreste's life was ruined.
''You fear him, child. Sentimonsters are your creations, but they depend on emotions, and you are terribly afraid of the cat'' The voice sounded like she was mocking Lila, but what she said made sense. Still, she wasn't sure listening to her was wise. Was she going crazy?
''Who are you?'' She asked again, not so angry anymore. She coughed.
''I'm the reason you are cursed, too. We share our crimes'' She said, then a soft laugh filled the room.
Lila was sure by now that the kwami could not hear this voice, only her, because the stupid bird was sleeping soundly even though the voice was not terribly quiet. She should have woken up by now.
''How can I fix this?'' Whispered Lila, feeling pathetic. She had become desperate enough to start asking ghosts for help. Great.
''You just need a wish'' Again, even without a physical form or a face, Lila could tell the voice was smiling.