Disclaimer: I don't own ML.
Thanks to Rose Tiger, Shiranai Atsune and yellow 14 for your reviews :)
"Hey!" Adrien shoves himself against the door, but fake Marinette must have done something to the doorknob, because the door doesn't budge. "Why did we just stand here like idiots?"
"Because neither of us were expecting him to turn into me?" Marinette's voice says. Adrien groans.
"I sent the recording to Alya, so at least she should realise that something's up," he says. He quickly whips out his phone to shoot her another message that the fake Adrien is now a fake Marinette. "That akuma's not very smart, though. He – she – they didn't even take our phones."
Marinette snorts. The light from Adrien's phone illuminates her face, displaying the anger written across her features, and for a moment, she looks so much like Ladybug with that righteous fury that Adrien's heart skips a beat.
"I think the akuma's Lila," Marinette says. "The way that person acted as you, and what she said she'd do while looking like me…she must have been akumatised!"
"Great." Adrien thumps his head against the door. "So, we've got a furious, shapeshifting Lila on the loose, and the only two people who know for sure are stuck in here. Even if Alya gets my message, there's no telling what'll happen."
Something shifts against him. For a moment, he wonders if it's Marinette (pleasenohe'salovesickteenboypleasedon'tletitbeher), but then the thing starts to zip down his chest under his shirt, and he realises that it's Plagg. Of course! Plagg can get the door open!
"Well, hopefully Ladybug and Chat Noir will be along soon," Adrien says, praying that Marinette doesn't somehow notice Plagg as he escapes the bottom of Adrien's shirt. "Especially if Alya manages to alert them with what I sent her."
"Yeah. Hopefully."
With a click, the closet door suddenly swings outward, bathing Adrien and Marinette in the bright hallway light. Success! Adrien so owes Plagg a kilo of Camembert for this. Even if a traitorous part of his brain wouldn't have minded being locked up with Marinette a little while longer.
"Wow," Marinette says. "She can't even lock us up right. I'm gonna see if I can find Ladybug so she knows what's going on!"
As soon as she's gone, Adrien ducks back into the closet and pulls the door shut. "Great job, Plagg," he says.
"Yeah, yeah," Plagg drawls. "I'll name my price after you take down that wannabe akuma."
"Plagg, claws out!"
Thankfully, Ladybug must have also gotten wind of the akuma, because as Chat Noir barrels around the corner, he nearly collides with a flash of red. As it is, he still trips and faceplants in his attempt to avoid crashing into Ladybug.
"Elegant," Ladybug drawls, helping him to his feet.
"Guess I must have just fallen for you, milady," Chat Noir says. Ladybug rolls her eyes as usual, but her cheeks also turn pink.
"Do you know if the akuma's changed forms yet?" she says. "Marinette ran into me and said it took her form."
"I know as much as you do," Chat Noir says. "And I think the akuma is –"
"Lila Rossi. Marinette told me."
"Is…Marinette safe?"
For some reason, Ladybug's smile is oddly tender. "She is. I told her to hide and not to worry because you and I would make sure that everyone knew it wasn't her or Adrien doing this stuff. Speaking of, is Adrien –?"
"Yeah, he's fine. He's also hiding."
Ladybug unslings her yo-yo from around her waist. "Then let's take down this akuma."
When they burst out into the courtyard, there's no sign of fake Marinette. But considering that there are a few people in tears and Chloé is cradling her arm to her chest, it's clear that the akuma's already wreaked havoc and vanished.
"Ladybug!" Chloé throws herself at Ladybug, who yelps and just fails to move out of the way in time to avoid Chloé's strangling hug. "You're here! That awful Dupain-Cheng just attacked me!"
"I told you, it's not really her!" Alya says. "I've got video proof from Adrien that it's a shapeshifter akuma!"
"It is," Ladybug says. "And we're pretty sure the akuma is Lila. She locked the real Marinette and Adrien in a supply closet so they couldn't out her."
"She could be anyone," Chat Noir says dramatically. Ladybug rolls her eyes.
"Chat, is this really a time for jokes?"
"Sorry, milady. Just thought I'd lighten – look out!"
Just as Chloé's fingers brush over Ladybug's earrings, Ladybug ducks out of the way and kicks Chloé to the ground. Chloé growls and bolts away into a crowd of people before either Ladybug or Chat Noir can recover their wits and grab her.
"Okay, there really is a shapeshifting akuma," Alix says loudly. "Ladybug's the only person Chloé wouldn't try and backstab."
"Wow, thanks." Chloé pushes her way through the people on the opposite side of the courtyard, wincing every time she jostles her arm. Well, great. How didn't they notice that the fake Chloé wasn't acting like her arm was sore? "Of course that's an akuma. As if Dupain-Cheng would push me like that. And where is Sabrina? She told me that Ladybug was looking for me!"
"Um…thanks for the statement of faith?" Ladybug says. "On Marinette's behalf!"
Chloé shoots her a weird look. "Well, I am trying to be nicer," she says. "And even if I wasn't, it's clear to anyone with a brain cell that that wasn't Dupain-Cheng. Really, if Lila wants to ruin her reputation, she has to try a lot harder."
"How do we take her down, milady?" Chat Noir says. "She could be anyone! And if we lose sight of her for a second, she'll just shapeshift again."
"It's too early to use my Charm. But maybe…" Ladybug turns to the courtyard. "All of you! You have to keep track of each other! Come up with questions that only the real person would know the answer to. Chat and I have to go and get help."
Chat Noir's got a strong hunch that he knows what this help is. And judging by the way Ladybug winks at Alya as she and Chat Noir sprint away, his hunch is likely correct. Sure enough, after a minute or so of hanging out in the empty corridor, an orange figure skids around the corner and screeches to a halt before them.
"I'm here!" Rena Rouge announces. "And ready to take down this akuma! I'll teach her to mess with my friends!"
"How did you get your powers?" Ladybug says shortly. Rena Rouge frowns at her for only a moment before her face clears.
"Kwami called Trixx. From my necklace Miraculous. And I offered to have your babies before you made me jump off the Eiffel Tower."
Ladybug visibly relaxes. "Sorry about that. Just had to make sure."
"Well, what was my first Mirage?" Rena Rouge says.
"Your friends and family saying how proud they were of you," Ladybug says.
"Marinette, Nino, m – Adrien, your parents, and your sisters," Chat Noir adds. Rena Rouge nods.
"I knew it wasn't Marinette even without Adrien sending me those messages," she says. "Marinette's never like that, not even with Chloé. Ugh, of course Lila would get akumatised because someone called her out."
"That's on her," Ladybug says. "Not us. Our job is to take her down. And we'll need Mirage to draw her out."
"Well, I'm the girl for the job." Rena Rouge bounces on the balls of her feet. "Also, I think the akuma's in her earring. I noticed that Adrien was wearing one when I watched the video, and the fake Marinette was wearing it too. I thought it was weird that the fake Marinette didn't have her usual earrings."
"Of course!" Ladybug says. "Good job, Rena Rouge!"
Rena Rouge preens under the praise. "What's the plan, Ladybug?"
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug catches a ladybug-patterned fire extinguisher. "Uh…okay."
"You're gonna put out the fire of my heart?" Chat Noir grins. Just like before, Ladybug's cheeks pinken and she rolls her eyes.
"Hush, kitty. I've got a plan."
If anyone had told Alya that she would be a superhero and get to fight alongside her idols, she would have wondered if they were having a fever dream or playing a cruel prank on her. But no. She gets to be Rena Rouge and sprint down the school halls with Ladybug and Chat Noir, with a flute strapped to her back and her fox-like senses on high alert!
"You think she's out there?" Rena Rouge says when the three of them are huddled behind the door leading to the courtyard. There are still students grouped out there, no doubt trying to keep themselves safe by sticking together, and they'd probably have better luck finding Hawkmoth himself than finding someone with one earring. Especially since that person will also be gunning for their Miraculouses.
"I'd be surprised if she wasn't," Ladybug says. "Where else could she blend in and ambush us?"
"Do your thing, Rena Rouge," Chat Noir winks. Rena Rouge rolls her eyes, then unslings her flute and raises it to her lips, picturing her illusion clearly in her mind.
"Mirage!" she whispers after playing a short tune. In a flash of orange, there are Ladybug and Chat Noir doppelgangers standing before them. The illusions are a little fuzzy around the edges, sure, but so long as no one gets too close, these illusions should be enough to draw Lila out of cover. Chat Noir then uses his staff to slam the door open just as illusion Ladybug and illusion Chat Noir burst out into the courtyard.
"We're back!" Rena Rouge says through illusion Ladybug. Ugh. Hopefully, there comes a point where she can just imagine what she wants her illusions to say, but she can't exactly maintain her focus on the illusions while also making up a script for them mentally. "What's new?"
"What's new?" Ladybug mouths to Rena Rouge, who just shrugs. While everyone's attention is focused on the illusions, the real Chat Noir takes the Lucky Charm, then slips through the door and sidles around the edge of the courtyard to get into position.
"Ladybug!" Chloé dives at illusion Ladybug, who sidesteps just in time. Trust Chloé to nearly accidentally derail their whole plan.
"No one's seen her," Mylène says. "At least, I don't think we have."
"What help did you get?" Kim says.
"That's not important," illusion Ladybug says. "What's important is that we find Lila before she can get our Miraculouses."
"It sucks that we can't tell who she is," illusion Chat Noir sighs. "She could sneak right up on us and we'd have no idea."
"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" Ladybug murmurs teasingly. Rena Rouge sticks her tongue out just as her necklace beeps and loses a tail segment. Shit. Lila had better hurry up and show up or else their plan is a bust.
"Well, I'm sure you'll find her!" Sabrina says, rushing over to the illusions. "You always win!"
"That's because we're the good guys," illusion Chat Noir preens. Rena Rouge and Ladybug fight back their snorts because the real Chat Noir must be rolling his eyes right about now, even though Rena Rouge is pretty sure she has him spot-on.
"You are!" Sabrina says. "You've saved so many of us before. You're our heroes!"
"Sabrina, what are you doing?" Chloé snaps. But Sabrina ignores her and instead tries to grab illusion Chat Noir's ring hand…but he vanishes in a burst of orange light and faint flute music.
"What?" Sabrina gasps as illusion Ladybug also ripples out of existence. "What is this?"
Now it's Chat Noir's time to shine. Except, rather than spraying 'Sabrina' with the fire extinguisher like Ladybug might have done, he simply swings it at her head and downs her with a wet crunch.
"…Good thing my Miraculous Ladybug will fix everything," Ladybug says slowly.
"That was brutal," Rena Rouge winces as she wills the Ladybug illusion to also fade.
"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir leans down and brushes 'Sabrina's' hair aside with his free hand, then taps something on her ear with his sparking hand. Sure enough, a black butterfly flutters free and rises above everyone's heads. Well, that's Ladybug's cue to go and purify it.
"This," Rena Rouge says as Ladybug casts her Miraculous Ladybug to fix everything, "has been the best day ever." She figures that she'll just stay where she is, even though her existence has kind of been outed by her illusions, but Ladybug turns and gestures for her to come on out.
"This is Rena Rouge, our newest superhero," Ladybug says as everyone gasps and starts to whisper at Rena Rouge's appearance. Okay, it probably was a smart move to secure Ladybug's vote of confidence in front of everyone, in case they think she's an akuma or a Hawkmoth ally in the future or something. Especially since her power deals with illusion and deception.
"Sup." Rena Rouge shoots everyone the finger guns. Ladybug rolls her eyes, but Chat Noir grins at her.
"I – what am I doing here?" In Sabrina's place is Lila, who's blinking and staring around at her audience dazedly. The real Sabrina is back by Chloé's side; she'd probably been knocked out and stashed away somewhere or something like that.
"You were akumatised," Chloé says, "Duh."
"Chloé." Ladybug shoots her a disapproving look.
"What?" Chloé says. "Even an idiot would know that."
"I – I was?" Lila covers her face. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't hurt anyone!"
Rena Rouge's necklace beeps in sync with Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring. "Gotta go!" Rena Rouge says quickly and races away. She just manages to burst into the girls' bathroom before her transformation washes away in orange light and Trixx flies out of the necklace.
"Not bad for your first mission," Trixx says as Alya fishes around in her bag for her little pouch of blueberries. His eyes light up when she hands him a few before stashing the rest away.
"Really?" Alya says. "I mean, I would've preferred that my illusions weren't found out, because now Hawkmoth will know about me…"
Trixx shrugs. "Can't be helped. You just have to roll with the punches. Adaptability is the hallmark of a great Fox, little kit."
"Stop calling me that," Alya huffs. Trixx just smirks with gleaming violet eyes. "How can you even know what happened? Can you, like, see what's going on or something?"
"We can see through your eyes when you're transformed," Trixx says. "So, we know as much as you do."
"Like a melding of person and kwami?" Alya says. Trixx nods. "So cool! Oh, crap, gotta get back!"
Trixx darts into Alya's bag as she sprints out of the bathroom and back to the courtyard to catch the tail end of Lila's akumatisation. It's just a pity that she can't find a way to record herself for the Ladyblog, although to be fair, she can claim that the Ladyblog is centred on the main duo. But it still sucks. Especially if someone else gets the idea to create a blog for Rena Rouge.
"I'm so, so sorry, Adrien!" Lila's saying when Alya edges into the courtyard and tries to blend into the crowd as though she's always been there. She pauses by Marinette's side, who's standing next to Adrien with Nino as Lila spins her spiel. Okay, so maybe that's a little harsh of Alya, but Lila still won't actually look at any of them. She hasn't done so since being de-akumatised.
"You couldn't help what you did when you were akumatised," Adrien says.
"Not just that," Lila says. "How I reacted when you turned me down. You were totally within your rights to do that. I guess…well, I just had a really vivid flashback of another boy in Italy, and for a moment, I saw you as him. Then I was scared to admit my mistake because, you know, people would think I'm a liar, and then Marinette and Alya started to scold me and I felt like I was in too deep…"
Oh, she's good. The tale she's spinning has visibly captivated the entire courtyard, minus Alya Marinette, Adrien, Nino, Chloé, and Sabrina, and there are even a few glares being shot Alya and Marinette's way. Even if there had been a boy in Italy, it's just…so obvious that Lila's laying everything on thick.
To be fair, you did believe her until Marinette called out her lies to you, says a nasty little voice in her head. Alya pointedly ignores it.
"Really, it's okay," Adrien says. "I'm sorry that you were hurt, Lila. But my heart belongs to someone else. It wouldn't be fair of me to string you along and let you think you had a chance."
All around the courtyard, people furiously start to whisper, no doubt trying to convince themselves and others that Adrien's talking about them. Alya thankfully manages to resist the very strong urge to roll her eyes.
"I understand completely," Lila says, finally looking up. There's no trace of tears or other form of distress but, to be very fair to her, some people just aren't outwardly expressive. But Alya still doesn't trust her. "And thank you for being honest, Adrien. You're a decent guy. Whoever's captured your heart is a very lucky person. Friends?" She holds out her hand.
"Friends." Adrien shakes her hand. As if by divine intervention, the bell for the end of lunch rings at that moment, breaking up the courtyard crowd as everyone starts to head to class. Lila smiles sweetly at Adrien, then at his friends, before turning and walking off.
"I don't trust her," Marinette says immediately. "Did you hear how she said that? She totally threw me and Alya under the bus."
"Thank god you noticed that too," Alya says.
"You really wanna be friends with her, dude?" Nino says.
"I know there's something shifty about her," Adrien says. "All this…the way she just smiled at us…it feels like she was sending me a message. Like she's showing me that she can mess with me and my friends just like that. What?" he says when Alya, Marinette, and Nino stare at him. "You don't survive as Gabriel Agreste's son without picking up a nose for social politics. But it's not like I could just outright reject her after that public apology."
"True, true," Alya says. "You would've been skinned alive. Well, pretty boy, good thing you got us to steer you right."
"Thank god," Adrien says dryly.