Call Nino
Marinette removed the wet towel from her head and pulled up the hood of her onesie to keep warm. The four of them still did not get a room as the owner of the small house where they stayed was somewhere outside for the evening. She packed her dirty clothes and put the clean clothes on top. She sat at the table and waited for Adrien to return. She wanted to talk to Tikki as she was concerned and went through the messages she got from her friends but her cousins were there on their phones too and commented on everything they got in their inboxes. There was a warning from Nino and request to call him as soon as they could.
Adrien returned took out his phone again, he had only one single message from Nino, and that was to call him. He pressed the button for the video call without thinking. And then, of course, he placed the camera to show him and Marinette, her cousins were near them all wrapped into blankets and talking.
"Hi Adrien." Nino greeted as soon as he answered the call.
"Hi Nino" Adrien grinned.
"Oh, Nino, Hi" Marinette turned towards the phone and Adrien pulled her closer.
"Hi Nino, Alya's boyfriend." Ling greeted as she waved from the side. Nino raised his eyebrows, looked to the side and touched his red hat.
"Rude." Ye told her. "Hi Nino." The boy waved to the camera.
"Oh, you are all together there?" Nino replied slightly nervous.
"Um, yes, we are in a hotel, we are boarding the train for Beijing tomorrow." Adrien replied. "It is late in the evening, we should be quiet, but, I guess we can talk."
"Okay, dude, I have some news for you, you do not have to talk much, just please do not scream, okay." Nino looked at the screen sheepishly.
Ling instantly took a pillow from a chair and put it in front of her mouth and then mumbled that she was ready. Marinette decided to follow her example while the boys looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"The other night, Alya had a visitor. It was Lila." Nino spoke slowly. Adrien groaned loudly. Marinette groaned into the pillow. Ling and Ye gave them an odd look.
"Who is this Lila?" Ling whispered curiously.
"Later." Both teens brushed her off. She gave them a quirk eyebrow but decided she could wait.
"I see you already expect bad news." Nino continued as he observed his two friends.
"Let's say we both know nothing good came out from that." Adrien replied flatly.
"What did that lying freak do this time." Marinette muttered as she glared to the phone.
"Alya let her use her phone, just for a moment." Marinette tolled her eyes at Nino's words and huffed. "I am not sure what she actually, did. Max said she cloned her accounts. Maybe it was Markov who said that." Nino scratched his head and returned his red cap on top of his hair.
"Told ya" Ye grinned. The other three teens nodded.
"It was her who was writing to me and to Marinette's cousins and I do not know who else." Nino waved his head.
"Good thing we did not send any." Ling whispered.
"The thing is, the other night Alya showed her the pictures of you form China, those pictures she got. She could not wait to spill it to someone, and well once your fight was livestreamed over her blog, she just had to do it and of course Lila was the first to visit her when she was alone and … Anyway, Lila wanted those pictures, the pictures of you, so she cloned the application on her computer, or something, so she could send and receive the same messages Alya did, but she could not reach the old messages and photos so she kept asking for them." Nino took a deep breath. "Max said it is very simple thing to do."
"Okay." Adrien replied as he felt obliged to say something.
"It is not okay. That was not enough for her because she got almost nothing. So she met Alya the next day and stole her phone to send all those photos to herself. Of course, Alya did not believe it was intentional. But Lila sold those photos to the highest bidder and … and she even had an interview as if it was her who had received them in the first place. Then Adrien's legal advisor notified the police but they could not get Lila's computer because her home is considered part of the embassy and she has that diplomatic immunity and stuff."
"Okay, so all the photos that I ever sent you are floating all over internet?" Adrien replied calmly.
"Not all, just those I forwarded to Alya, from Beijing mostly, and those sent by Marinette and her cousins. Alya showed me but I do not remember what was there." Nino shrugged.
"Listen Nino. It was not your fault. I am a teenager. I have a right to go on holidays and have fun with my friends. There was nothing incriminating. Now I understand better the messages that legal advisor sent me." Adrien spoke.
"How is Alya?" Marinette asked quietly. She went through the whole whirlwind of emotions and finally settled on what to actually ask. She was mad at Lila, she was angry that Alya was so naive. She did not care what happened to herself, but Adrien was a celebrity and those photos were actually worth money.
"She is mad. I think her phone is with the police now. Her computer too. Her parents grounded her and she is not allowed to have anyone to come over." Nino shrugged.
"Alya with no phone? She is more than mad." Marinette replied flatly. Ling nodded full of understanding although she did not quite get the whole conversation. Ye simply stared at the phone, bewildered, he could not understand that something like that had just happened.
Marinette and Adrien exchanged a look that said 'At least she can't be akumatized into Lady WiFi again.' But they kept silent.
"Yeah, dudes, I think she would have been akumatized already if you haven't done what you did." Nino said thoughtfully. "Way to thank you to release all your photos that way."
"So, what is the outcome?" Adrien grinned.
"What do you mean?" Nino replied rather confused.
"What stories they attached to those photos?" Adrien cleared up what he was asking.
"You mean the stories they invented?" Nino asked incredulously. "Are you sure you want to know dude?"
"Well, remember when I escaped to the cinema and Marinette helped me loose a few fans on the way?" Adrien grinned. He looked at the girl who blushed severely.
"A few?" she muttered to herself.
"Dude, that was completely benign, this is just … well there were many stories." Nino replied sheepishly.
"You can make a choice, I want to have some fun, let me know the highlights." Adrien grinned.
The other three teens gave him an odd look. But then the two older of them smiled. Of course, there might be more fun stories to read. Marinette did not expect anything entertaining if it originated form Lila.
"Yes, tell us, are we famous too?" Ling asked as she pushed her face closer to the screen while she talked and then retreated when she was finished.
"Please, tell us if there was some fun stuff about us too." Ye pleaded while he waved his hand.
"Nino, we had some fun and a few laughs reading a piece on TVi News site the other day, that one was written by Nadia Chamack, I can't imagine what others wrote." Marinette added with a smile.
"Just drop the tabloids." Adrien winked.
"I do not read that stuff you know." Nino started to evade the answer as they all saw he checked on Chris who was playing a video game with headphones on.
"I am sure you did." Adrien replied with a smirk.
"Oh, well, I will omit all those who mention you only as the son of Hawk Moth." Nino said gloomily. "The same sites also forget to mention it was you who fought him."
"Nino" Marinette warned him. Her eyes flipped between Adrien and the screen as if she was watching a ping pong game. She was concerned for Adrien's feelings. And she expected that was the last thing the boy needed to hear.
Adrien nudged her closer with his arm. "Don't worry, I can take it." He smiled.
"But you don't have to." Marinette whispered back.
"So protective." He smiled to her.
Nino was thinking where to start and went towards his own computer.
"The police was here this morning. At first, I thought someone broke into my phone and computer and stole those photos." Nino explained as he was opening his browser with memorized tabs.
"Kim and Max dropped by later this morning. I asked Max for help too. But before they arrived it was clear what happened. Kim read all the titles out loud while Markov made a huge analysis of all the material he found on the internet himself… well Max will tell you all about it, perhaps he sent you an email." Nino drawled while he went through the tabs and winced at few titles.
"You are avoiding the subject Nino." Adrien warned.
"Okay, so, just for you to know, you are now a playboy." Nino smirked as he spoke, he knew he dropped a bomb in the first sentence. Adrien blushed. "You enjoyed your holidays on exotic locations in East Asia." Nino stressed the words. "Few of them even mention that you are eighteen."
"Oh I did not know that, that would make a few things in my life a lot simpler." Adrien remarked. Marinette was blushing by his side as she failed to comprehend anything after that playboy word.
"Yeah, dude, tell me about it." Nino sighed.
"Anything about us then?" Ling inquired.
"Ah yes, you are the mystery Chinese friends of Adrien, you are a couple," Ling and Ye looked at each other, Nino continued to talk as he checked a few websites on his computer, probably left after the visit from his classmates. "You are an actress and a singer or an heiress and a … listen carefully 'disowned son of a member of parliament', then one site actually says you are probably students from a university." 'Not yet' both Ling and Ye replied. "They specify you both must be history students." Then Nino switched to another site. "Oh yes, here it is, the facial analysis had recognized both of you as members of some huge pop band that I never heard of." The boy now showed the piece of news. Both Chinese teens were laughing at each article Nino showed them.
"I have to read this one." Ling exclaimed.
"Send us the links, dude, please." Ye begged.
"What about Marinette?" Ling asked excitedly.
"No" Marinette whispered. She did not want them to know, she did not want to deal with that now, or perhaps never. If Lila was the source of information, she was as eager as always to fight her lies, but this was new, she had not read them yet and she worried more about what that liar told about Adrien than what lies she spread about herself.
"They went wild about Marinette. Fortunately Nadia gave a testimony of knowing you and only basic information and a few details that are already publicly known, like Jagged Stone album and appearance in the Clara Nightingale video. She also mentioned that hat." Nino spoke from his head, but it was obvious he wanted to avoid telling something else.
"Okay, but tell us what have they invented about her?" Ling insisted.
"You do not want to know. Marinette, I know your parents have asked for a lawyer to handle this and there were several who offered their services for free." Nino was serious.
"Wasn't there any fun fact that they invented about her?" Ling pushed further while both Marinette and Ye nudged her to stop.
"I already mentioned the fun part, but nobody had to lie about that." Nino replied flatly.
"Nino, tell me the worst." Marinette looked at the screen determined as ever. She was tired, she was exhausted by the whole ordeal, but she was to find the strength to face that liar.
"Um, she said Adrien was her boyfriend and you followed after him and his father and must have seduced him and … well she said she never saw Adrien smile like that that you must have drugged him some way." Nino rolled his eyes. "Well she said it differently, she was so smooth."
"Yes she was." Ling said with downcast eyes.
"We just might have read about it." Ye added.
"I was thinking of the funny stuff." Ling scolded.
"You know, she might be right." Adrien smirked as he looked at Marinette. Her eyes went wide and her mouth was wide open. "I rarely smiled like on those photos. But now I do it more often. I must be under her influence." Adrien winked at the screen and Nino stared back with a goofy grin because his friend was happy. Marinette was completely red and hid her face in her hands. Her cousins were snickering behind them.
"Yeah, dude, I noticed too." Nino teased from the screen. Poor girl was peeking at the blond boy beside her through her fingers. She still had to come to terms with her feelings for him, and his for her. Her dreams have come true but she still did not know what to do about that.
"What? She is not an heiress, a mysterious Asian princess from a remote island kingdom or something?" Ling was the one who decided to fix the mood because she felt she also broke it by her insistence. She noticed her young cousin was rather confused about how to act about what Adrien just said and decided to change the subject.
"Yes, a princess, why is she not a princess?" Adrien grinned to the phone and then observed Marinette carefully. She hitched a breath as that was a nickname Chat Noir used for her. The boy sported his signature superhero lopsided grin. The girl put down her hands and smiled as she looked at him and Ling who was slightly bewildered, but mostly happy.
"I don't know dude." Nino shrugged.
"I am an heiress to a bakery." Marinette exclaimed proudly.
And that statement set another fit of jiggles to everybody.
"We bow to you, oh mighty queen of croissants and pain au chocolate." Ye mock bowed to the girl and she giggled. They all continued to laugh at his antics.
"Just one more thing. Chloe recognized Marinette the moment those photos were out and, dude, she is not happy about it." Nino warned after they returned to more serious tone.
"She will have to accept it." Adrien replied calmly. At least he did not have to worry that she was to be akumatized over anything he did, nobody was to be akumatized because he did or did not do something. It was such a relief.
"The police officially confirmed your identities for the public. So you are all considered heroes." Nino added as they were still in serious tones.
"Of course we are heroes." Adrien confirmed as he playfully inhaled his chest and pretended to be extremely proud of it. (He indeed was but he could not say why in all the necessary details).
"But the media will forget about us before we return, for sure." Marinette noted, she did not regret the fact, it sounded as if she was hoping for that.
"Um, I would not count on that." Nino mumbled back. "Chloe's dad already announced plans."
"I hope Theo does not make another statue." Adrien teased and he nudged Marinette. She groaned back and rolled her eyes. The boy smirked at her, at least for their possible future statue he was hoping to claim the girl as his for real, not just to provoke the sculptor.
"I hope so too." The girl confirmed. She remembered how she was late for the unveiling and how Theo got akumatized. Well, Marinette was known to be late for everything. Perhaps this time … no, stop thinking about that, no statue was to be built this time.
"What statue?" Ye asked as he noticed the exchange had a deeper meaning and then he heard all about the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Save the akumatization.
Marinette suddenly paled. It was easy to be a hero hidden underneath the Ladybug mask, but now she was known as a hero by herself because she fought Hawk Moth as a civilian. And that was entirely different. She looked at Adrien with admiration.
"How have you ever survived being famous as … " then she trailed off because she could not finish the question as both you and Chat Noir.
"Well you know, I sometimes need a helmet and a sweet girl with a towel and googles." Adrien teased back because he understood what she really wanted to ask but could not really reply to her question.
"Look, Nino, there is Alya on TV!" Chris shouted from the living room and Nino ran over there.
Nadia Chamack was talking to Alya with both her parents and Nora standing behind her with the same determined expression as when she did not let Alya go to see the fireworks. Nino turned up the volume on TV.
"I just want my friends and their families to know that I am really sorry, I got these photos of them because they are my friends. The photos were stolen from me. I have not sold them to the media." Alya cleared her throat. Her father tapped her on her shoulder. Nora crossed her arms and looked to the screen as she tried to look even more intimidating than usual. Nino slightly winced at the sight and both Adrien and Marinette assumed he was reliving some scenes from when they fought Anansi. Marinette secretly wished Nora was locked up with Lila alone in a room for ten minutes.
"This is a police investigation now, we are not allowed to give any further comment." Alya's father spoke to the TV journalist while her mother looked into the camera slightly frightened. Her parents were not used to the media attention.
Nadia thanked them all for giving a statement and turned back to the camera. "The police had identified a culprit who is a minor and cleared other friends and family of our civilian heroes." She was talking again about what happened and Nino reduced the volume as he wanted to spare his friends as much as possible.
"Alya looks mad." Marinette said matter of factly. She felt guilty because her friend was cheated by the liar. Perhaps she could have done something to warn her, maybe if she said this or done that or just did a few things differently, then maybe … well, Tikki would tell her not to thing about what could have been done but about what to do next.
"It is not your fault." Adrien whispered to her ear. But Nino caught it.
"How could that possibly be her fault. She did try to warn us all." Nino smiled. Her stories did not affect him so much. He spent half the time with his headphones on when she was talking. Yes, he bought all her promises, but he also wanted to succeed on his own, not because someone pushed him all the way.
Marinette smirked but said nothing. Adrien sighed. He was not about to scold his friend. Besides, he knew Lila was lying and never warned his friends about her lies as he assumed the liar would only hurt herself in the end.
"Please tell Alya we are not mad at her for loosing her phone." Marinette said quietly. The other three nodded to confirm that statement. She was not angry about the phone, what troubled her was the lack of trust.
"I also knew she was a liar, Nino. But I said nothing." Adrien looked to the floor. "You see, the first time she was akumatized, she went after me, she pretended she would throw me off the Eiffel Tower. The other time she turned into a copy of me and hurt you." Adrien felt shivers go down his spine at the memory. "I could have lost my friends because of her actions." Adrien looked at Marinette on the side. She looked at him with her mouth opened. "As an akuma, she went after people I love or me and I did not want her akumatized again. So I asked Marinette not to expose her."
Nino frowned.
Marinette remembered how Chameleon also took the shape of Chat Noir so she assumed his shape twice. But the boy could not have said that. He smiled at her gently.
"When I learned how her lies have hurt my friends I did something about it." Adrien spoke quietly as he looked at the girl. "I am sorry I did not expose her, but I did not know how."
"You should have told me dude." Nino muttered.
"Would you believe my words? Nobody believed Marinette." Adrien retorted. "And Lila went after her just because she tried. Do you know how much damage she could have done to me? She had some kind of deal with my father … " And then he trailed off as a spark of recognition passed through his eyes. "Of course." He whispered.
Marinette looked at the boy with questions in her eyes. She let her thoughts follow what he had just said. Lila had a deal with his father? His father was Hawk Moth. Of course, that meant that … Lila had a deal with Hawk Moth. That was how she was allowed close to the boy by his father.
They had to cut the call as it was time to arrange some sleeping space for the four of them.