Class had just let out for the day at Collège Françoise Dupont, and while most of the students were wandering out the doors to the freedom of a sunny afternoon, a few were dramatically posing in the halls, talking to the bathroom mirrors, or running to the auditorium while nervously twisting the life out of paper scripts.
"Do you have your sketchbook?" Alya grilled Marinette at the lockers. Marinette pulled a pink and black dotted book from her locker and held it high.
"Check!" she said with a grin.
"Is your name in the book? In ink?" asked Alya. Marinette opened the cover to the front page and held up the book triumphantly to her friend.
"Check and check!"
"Did you actually finish your costume sketches to show Ms. Joubert?" said Alya. Marinette flipped through the pages.
"Che—ah!" freaked Marinette, dropping the book on the ground. It lay open to a sketch of Adrien in doublet and renaissance beret, complete with a twirling feather. There were red and gold swatches of brocade and silk stapled to the page, and scrolled under the picture was the name "Romeo."
"So you used Adrien as your model; no need to freak out about it," said Alya, picking up the book. "It is his profession, after all."
"But I didn't mean to," said Marinette, slamming the palm of her hand against her forehead once, then twice again.
"This is why you have got to get more sleep," Alya said, shaking her head.
"Easier said than done," muttered Marinette. "I have got to get over him. He is with Kagami, and she is my friend, and she makes him happy, which makes me happy, and he makes her happy, which makes me happy, and I have feelings for Luka, and he likes me, and—"
"Deep, true feelings like yours don't go away overnight," replied Alya, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Cut yourself some slack, girl." Marinette sighed.
"Thanks, Alya—you're right," she said with a smile.
"Well don't just stand there; we have to go or you'll be late!" Alya scolded.
Just as they turned to go, Chloe leaned against the lockers.
"Don't tell me you two are planning on auditioning for the school play," she said, preening her nails.
"And so what if I am?" said Alya, crossing her arms.
"I'm submitting my plans as the costume designer," said Marinette. "So if you're in it, you'll have to wear what I design."
"That is, if anyone even wants to cast you after what you did to Ladybug and the other heroes," said Alya, glancing at her own nails, then back to Chloe. Chloe glared.
"Personal vendetta, hm? At least now Ladybug won't be picking either one of us now that everyone knows you were that tacky fox." Chloe looked at Marinette. "Don't worry; I'd make whatever trash you design look amazing," she said. "And I'll have you know that I'm going to be playing Juliet, and Adrien will be playing Romeo, so you—" she pointed at Alya "—might as well not bother auditioning." Chloe crossed her arms and stared Alya down.
"Clearly you don't know much about Shakespeare," said Alya. "It's not a two-man show."
"Of course not; it's a one woman, one man show, duh," said Chloe, rolling her eyes. "Why else would the title be Romeo and Juliet? There's a guy and a girl and they're in love, just like me and Adrien."
"Chloe, Adrien is with Kagami, and you know it," growled Marinette.
"Eh, those things change all the time," she said, waving them off. "Minor setback. See you in the audience, losers." She walked off towards the auditorium.
"Does nothing phase that girl?" asked Marinette.
"We better get down there before she causes more chaos," said Alya.
"I'll be right behind you," called Marinette as Alya headed out the door. Tikki peaked out of Marinette's purse as Marinette grabbed her book bag from the locker.
"Alya's right; you aren't sleeping very well," said Tikki. "You were muttering again last night."
"Thanks for being concerned, Tikki," replied Marinette, scratching the Kwami's head. "There's not much you can do about bad dreams, though. They'll go away eventually."
"But what are they about?" asked Tikki.
"Uh…" Marinette paused, and Rose and Julika rushed past her.
"We're going to be late!" Rose exclaimed over her shoulder to Marinette.
"Come on, Tikki; we talk about this later," she said, running after them.
The auditorium was buzzing with students drilling lines, tweaking lights, lounging in chairs, and constructing set pieces.
"Hey Nino!" called Marinette up a ladder to the rigging above the stage as they walked down the aisle to the stage. "How are the lights and sound going?"
"Spot on!" he called back as disco lights suddenly started flashing.
"I am not entirely sure those are appropriate effects for the sixteenth century," pointed out Max below.
"It is if it's a musical!" said Nino, pumping his fist to the rhythm.
"Thank you, Mr. Lahiffe, but let's have normal lights for the auditions. Auditionees, line up stage right, please," said Ms. Joubert, her thick brown curls bouncing as she looked up. She sat front-row center, jotting down notes, shouting orders, and chatting with students. Nathanial handed her a proof of the show poster. Next to Ms. Joubert sat Lila, a giant binder on her lap. Marinette's face twisted at the sight of the vixen, but Lila smiled sweetly.
"What are you doing here?" asked Marinette, clutching her notebook as students got in line on stage.
"Lila's volunteered to be our stage manager!" replied Ms. Joubert. "With all of her experience as assistant director for the Globe's production of Hamlet last summer, she's probably more qualified to direct than I am, but she so graciously agreed to use her expertise managing rehearsals and the performance."
"Oh, it's nothing, Ms. Joubert," said Lila, waving off her comment.
"I'm surprised you don't want to audition," said Marinette, fist on her hip.
"After playing Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway in New York, I didn't want to upstage anyone," said Lila. "After all, everyone deserves a chance in the spotlight."
"That is so gracious of you, Lila," said Ms. Joubert. "Marinette, do you have your costume designs?"
"Yes! Here they are," said Marinette, handing the book to the director. Ms. Joubert flipped through the pages, and Lila looked over her shoulder.
"You know, Ms. Joubert, I think we should try something more daring, to set your show apart," said Lila. Marinette's eyebrow curled up.
"What are you thinking, Lila?" asked Ms. Joubert.
"Everyone's tired of the traditional Romeo and Juliet; what if we update it, set it here in modern Paris?" Lila proposed. "It's the sort of thing all the major theatres are doing these days."
"Yes, yes," mused Ms. Joubert.
"I'm pretty sure someone's already done a 'modern Paris' version of Romeo and Juliet," said Marinette, crossing her arms.
"Oh, yes, they have," said Lila with a slight smirk. "Which is why our Romeo and Juliet would be Cat Noir and Ladybug."
"Eh?" said Marinette.
"Brilliant!" exclaimed Ms. Joubert. "I love it, Lila! This is exactly the kind of fresh insight we needed."
"But the costume designs—" started Marinette.
"And the posters—" added Nathanial.
"Oh, we have enough time to redo those," said Ms. Joubert. "With all of your amazing skills, we can finish them in no time."
"Ms. Joubert, I even brought these to help with the auditions," added Lila, pulling out two masks—one black, and the other red with black spots.
"Oh, Lila, you've thought of everything!" exclaimed Ms. Joubert. "Here, hand these to the first two auditioning as Romeo and Juliet. Students, if you are not auditioning, please take a seat in the audience."
Marinette slipped into the second row, dumbfounded. Nathanial slumped and filtered into the line of auditioners behind Dáyīng.
"Well, at least you aren't auditioning, so no one will guess who you are," Tikki whispered from her bag. "Plus, you know Ladybug's costume really well!" Before Marinette could answer, Adrien slipped into the seat next to her.
"A-Adrien!" she exclaimed.
"Hey Marinette, is it alright if I sit here?" he asked.
"Yeah, of course!" she answered. "What are you doing here? Don't you have fencing practice?"
"Usually, yes, but it was cancelled because so many students wanted to audition. Dáyīng asked me to come by to support him; he says he'd feel more comfortable auditioning with more friends in the crowd," said Adrien, waving to his friend in line. "How did you know about practice?"
"I-I just...do," she replied, fumbling with her fingers. "But don't you want to audition? I'm sure you're an awesome actor."
"I would, but I really don't have the time, with fencing and Chinese and karate and—well, you get the picture," he said. "Why aren't you auditioning?
"I'm doing the costumes—can't really be in two places at once!" she said, scratching her head.
"Thanks for the macaroon the other day," he said. "After you figured out that mint and orange flavored ice cream would be so awesome together, I thought you'd know what Kagami likes, but I never imagined you'd guess my favorite flavor."
"Eh, you know…" she said.
"I guess we've been friends long enough to really know each other," said Adrien leaning forward on the seat in front of him. "That really means a lot to me, since there's not a lot of people I feel like I can be myself around. Although, I don't really know your favorite flavor. What is it?"
"I...really like blueberry," she said, twiddling her thumbs.
"Kinda like your eyes," he said with a grin.
"Heh…" she mumbled.
"Places!" called Ms. Joubert.
Dáyīng and Julika stood up front, and were about to put on their masks when Chloe cut across the stage with her script and grabbed the masks from their hands. She slapped the black-dotted one onto her face.
"Where is Adrien?" she demanded. "I need my Romeo!"
Adrien's face twisted. "Masks?" he whispered to himself, and Chloe's eyes fell on him.
"Come on, Adrikines," she said. "We don't have all day."
"Um, that's alright, Chloe, I don't really—"
"Go for it, Adrien!" said Lila, grinning. "We'd all love to see you audition." A supportive cheer went up from the other auditioners. Adrien slumped down in his seat.
"Hey, if he doesn't want to—" started Marinette, but Lila stood up, grabbed his arm, and dragged him to the stage. Chloe handed him the mask.
"Go on, Adrien," she said. "I know you know the lines."
Adrien stared at the mask, then glanced down at Ms. Joubert, and Marinette. She leaned forward in her seat, her hands squeezed on the chair, clearly concerned for him.
Wincing, he put on the mask, and stiffly faced Ms. Juebert.
"Hm," she said. "You certainly look the part. Scene!"
"Uh, what part?" asked Adrien, nervously itching under the mask.
"Start at act one, scene two," called out Lila.
"Line?" asked Adrien, as Chloe moved so close to his face her bubblegum breath flooded his nose.
"'Lady, by yonder moon I swear…'" started Lila.
"Shut up, Lila; that's his line," snapped Chloe. Everyone in the auditorium stared at her, but she didn't notice.
"Lady, by yonder moon I swear," continued Adrien, "that tips with silver all these fruit tree tops—"
"Don't swear by the stupid moon, Romeo," dramatisized Chloe, throwing her arm over her forehead.
"Chloe, those aren't the lines," said Ms. Joubert. "Please stick to the script."
"I improved the lines," said Chloe. "The old lines are gibberish."
"Tch, Chloe, you're out," said Ms. Joubert. "Next Juliet!"
"Ugh! What do you mean I'm out? I am supposed to be the lead role! When my father hears about this—" growled Chloe.
"Chloe, get off my stage, or I will cast you as a tree and fail your extra credit when you don't show up!" snapped Ms. Foubert.
"Better luck next time, Chloe," mocked Lila as the dejected queen left the stage.
"I'm telling my daddy right now!" she fumed as she stomped out of the auditorium. "Come on, Sabrina!"
"But I wanted to—" started Sabrina from the audition line.
"If I can't be in the play, neither can you!" Chloe said. Sabrina groaned, but followed her out.
Ms. Joubert had the students run through the scene with Adrien over and over, till every girl in the casting line had her chance. Adrien slumped, and everyone waiting to audition for other parts had long since lost interest.
"Can't someone else read for Romeo?" asked Adrien.
"Hm, the stage chemistry is all off," muttered Ms. Joubert to herself as another girl left the stage, ignoring Adrien altogether. "Lila, you go read the lines."
"Me?" said Lila, surprised. "I'm flattered, but—" she glanced desperately around the room, "—Marinette hasn't had a chance yet, either."
"Me?" exclaimed Marinette. "But I can't do costumes and be in the play!"
"Just give it a go, Marinette; we can figure out the rest if it works out," Ms. Joubert encouraged.
"Yeah, go for it Marinette!" Alya cheered.
Tikki made all sorts of inaudible protests to Marinette from the purse, but all eyes were on Marinette. As discreetly as possible, she slipped the bands off of her pigtails and let her hair down. She stepped up onto the stage, and Rose, who was the last to audition, sighed as she handed the mask and her script to Marinette.
This is bad, this is bad! she thought as she placed it on her nose and turned to face Adrien. He managed to pull himself up.
"Take it from...Romeo's line, 'O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?'" said Ms. Foubert.
Adrien sighed. "O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" he said, looking more perterbed than interested in being on stage.
"Um…" Marinette looked down at the lines. "What...satisfaction canst thou have tonight?"
"The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine," Adrien continued, his voice dropping slightly. He stood straighter, then stepped in closer. Marinette blushed.
"I...gave thee mine before thou didst request it, a-and yet I would it were to give again," she read. Adrien's green eyes were much closer than she had anticipated.
"Wouldst thou withdraw it? And for what purpose, love?" Adrien asked, his eyes darting across her face. Marinette leaned back slightly.
"B-b-but to be frank, and to give it to thee again," she planted her foot against the stage and breathed deeply. "And yet, I wish but for the thing I have: my bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep," She stood up straight and met Adrien's gaze. "The more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite." Adrien's eyes widened, and a small flush peeked from under his mask.
The auditorium erupted in applause and cheers. Only Lila sat quietly, her eyes narrowed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our leads!" cried Ms. Joubert.
"Wow, Marinette, that was really impressive," said Adrien, taking the mask off. "I didn't know you could act so well." Marinette glanced away. The cheer continued, but Marinette turned to face Ms. Joubert.
"Ms. Joubert," she said, taking the mask off. "Thank you for the opportunity, but I really can't accept. And I don't think it's fair for you to pressure Adrien into acting in the play if he doesn't want to." Adrien stepped up beside her.
"I appreciate the applause, but I also can't accept the part," Adrien said. "Besides, you didn't even give anyone else a shot at Romeo." Ms. Joubert's face fell as they walked off the stage and handed the masks and script to Lila.
"Thanks for sticking up for me, Marinette," said Adrien as he grabbed his bag. "I guess I should have stuck up for myself in the first place."
"No problem, Adrien," said Marinette with a smile and shrug. "You'd do the same for me." He smiled back, waved to his friends, and left. Alya slipped up next to her.
"Man, a month ago and you would have been head over heels for a chance like that," Alya whispered, nudging her.
"Yeah, well, all it did was make me more confused," Marinette muttered. "I think I'm going to head home." She took her bag and slipped it over her shoulder "Good luck with the rest of the audition!" she said as she gave Alya a hug, and Alya headed back to the stage.
In his dark tower, a flurry of illuminated butterflies danced around Hawkmoth—and his lady Mayura.
"A clever plan, Lila, to uncover the identities of Cat Noir and Ladybug. But I sense the fury of a denounced artist, a rejected leader, and this creates even more opportunity." Hawkmoth motioned to Mayura. "Now that the peafowl miraculous is restored, Ladybug and Cat Noir's downfalls are inevitable."
He held out his hand, and a white butterfly landed in his palm. He covered it with the other, and darkness seeped from between his fingers. The dome above opened.
"Fly, my little akuma, and evilize her!"
Mayura plucked a feather from her fan, closed it in her fist, then blew the darkened feather out the window.
"Fly away, my beautiful Amok, and sharpen her dark emotions!" encouraged Mayura.
The akuma and amok were unnoticeable in the dimmed lighting of the auditorium, and Lila saw them too late as they landed side by side on Ms. Joubert's script.
"Directerror, I am Hawkmoth, and I give you the power to cast anyone in any role you choose. In return, all I ask is that you secure Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous!" said Hawkmoth.
"And I am Mayura. To aid you in your play I will give you Stagemaster, a set all yours to command," added the dark lady.
"Let the show begin!" chorkled Ms. Joubert as a cloud of black engulfed her, then spread and consumed the auditorium and the school. When she stood and the cloud fell from her, her skin was unnaturally white, and her lips were stained like blood. An oversized beret sat sharp but askew on top of her red, whipped hair, and she held a black book for her script.
"M-Ms. Joubert?" squeaked Lila.
"It's Directerror to you!" she said, pointing her black-gloved finger at the stage manager. At the tip of her finger formed a bright red light. "I'll cast you as the Nurse!" A red laser shot from her finger, hitting Lila right in the forehead. Lila stumbed back, but as she stood again her pupils dilated, and the red light covered her, then left her wearing a black dress and a veil over her hair.
Around the room as the black fog lifted, the chairs, lights, and stage of the auditorium disappeared, leaving a wide, stone dining hall filled with long tables, and lit by torches and an elaborate fireplace where the stage once stood. There were no rows of stadium chairs to hide behind, and the students looked around in panic for a way out.
"Ah, the perfect set dressing, Stagemaster!" said Directerror. "Now for my leads!" She whipped around and smiled darkly at Marinette, who stood in what was a second ago the aisle. Marinette's eyes were wide in surprise, but she set her brow and clenched her jaw.
"Marinette, run!" cried Tikki from the purse, whose voice was unnoticeable to anyone else in the blooming chaos. The Directerror shot at her, but she managed to dodge once and again as she turned to run to the back exits, which had been replaced with heavy wooden doors. But Marinnete wasn't ready for the appearance of woven runners on the slick stone floor, and after only a few feet she tripped and landed on her face. She flipped over and scooted back, hovering over the edge of the rug.
"Marinette!" cried Alya as she moved towards her friend.
"Don't worry, Marinette; your fans will love you!" chuckled Directerror as she stood over Marinette. "I'll cast you as Juliet!" Marinette covered her face as the red beam fired, but it didn't prevent Directerror's power. Just as the red light covered her, Tikki slipped from the purse and hid under the edge of the rug. When the light faded, Marinette's eyes dilated, and she lay in a red brocade renaissance gown.
"Now, casting call for supporting roles!" laughed Directerror.
"Ya know, if Marinette wasn't Multimouse, I might have believed Marinette was Ladybug," said Adrien to Plagg. "She's pretty convincing."
"Yeah, well, you saw Marinette and Ladybug together, so there's no way they could be the same person," rushed Plagg. "Obviously."
"Obviously," Adrien agreed.
At the sound of yells and screams, Adrien turned around to see Max, Nino, and a number of other students running down the hall towards him, and the walls of the school shifting to stone passages lit with torches. The change rushed passed them, sealing up the exit. Adrien and the other students fell to their knees against a rush as the building grew taller, locking everyone in a Florentine fortress. On the outside wall, slitted windows opened, and the students looked out to see what was once the ground floor was now eight stories high. Surrounding the school as far as they could see was a wide moat.
Adrien threw open the door to one of the classrooms; inside the walls were lined with shelves of lighting equipment.
"Everyone, get in here; barricade the door and don't let anyone in," he ordered.
"What about you?" asked Nino.
"I'm going to see if I can find the principle," said Adrien.
"Got it," Nino replied. "Be careful; the Directerror can make anyone actors in her play, and if she got Marinette, she'll be after you, too."
"Thanks, Nino," said Adrien as he closed the heavy wood door.
With no one in the hall, Plagg flew out from his shirt.
"I've got a bad feeling about all of this," he warned.
"So do I, but we don't have a choice," said Adrien. "Plagg, claws out!"
The kwami spiraled into Adrien's ring, and Adrien transformed into Cat Noir. As soon as his cat suit was on, he darted down to the end of the hall to find it ended in a spiraling staircase.
"This is new," he commented as he ran down the stairs, which seemed to go on forever. When he finally reached the bottom, he opened the wooden door and found himself in a giant closet stocked with boas and dresses and masks and santa suits. Students dressed in doublets and tights or black shirts and pants sorted the costumes. By the dressing room and mirror Principle Damocles stood ordering the students around.
"Hey Principle Damocles! Have something in my size?" asked Cat Noir.
"Out of character! Get him!" Principle Damocles yelled, and the students dropped what they were doing.
"Out of character, out of character," the students started chanting as they lunged at Cat Noir.
"Sorry, folks, but this kitty has stage fright!" called Cat Noir as he used his pole to leap over the crowd and dart out the door on the other end. Once he was out of the room, he slammed the door shut, grabbed a torch, blew it out, and stuck it through the latch before running down the corridor.
Ahead, the hall split off in three directions with little to indicate which corridor led where. Cat Noir shrugged and took off left down the hall. After running for a few minutes, it seemed the hall was leading nowhere at all, so he turned and headed back the way he came, only to come to a new fork and no sign of the costume closet.
"I'm starting to feel less like a cat more like a mouse in a maze," he muttered, and he pulled out his staff to give Ladybug a call.
"This is Ladybug; leave a message!" the phone chirped back to him.
"Just calling to see if you made it, but it sounds like you're still on your way," he said, then clicked to end the call. "Guess this cat is a one man act!"
After another ten minutes of running up and down halls and into various rooms, Cat Noir had lost his patience. He slammed his fist into a thick wooden door, and pulled it back, shaking it.
"Are you lost, little kitty cat?" asked a voice from behind him, and Cat Noir turned. Standing against the wall was the stranger who Cat Noir had seen on the rooftops when he and Ladybug fought Frizbane. He wore a fitted, sleeveless grey tang suit that fell to his knees over a grey and black bodysuit. The hood over his grey-masked face had two pointed ears, and one sported a silver ear cuff. On his finger he twirled a large, flat, black and chrome ring that appeared to have a series of small buttons.
"Just getting his bearings," answered Cat Noir, crouching slightly. "And what about you, doggie?"
"Wolves don't get lost," said the stranger, clipping the ring to his waist and standing up straight. "Relax; I won't bite this time."
"So I take it you're a friend?" asked Cat Noir.
"No," the stranger answered, "but neither am I an enemy. And at the moment, our needs aline, so for today you can call me an ally." Cat Noir stood up, but he didn't entirely relax.
"How do I know you aren't working for Hawkmoth?" asked Cat Noir.
"You don't, but if it makes you feel any better, I want his miraculous as much as I want yours," said the stranger. Cat Noir growled. "Today I need your and Ladybug's help, so I won't make a move. You won't be able to find the villain by running around aimlessly; the school building has been turned into a Sentimonster, and it is constantly shifting."
"And what do you propose we do then?" asked Cat Noir, waving his hand. The wolf tapped his nose.
"Follow the trail, of course," he answered.
"Why didn't I think of that?" Cat Noir pouted. "Even once we find Directerror, there's only so much we can do without Ladybug. Unless you can also purify akumas?"
"No," the wolf shook his head. "That really is only Ladybug's power. Are you sure she's not here?"
"She's not answering her Bugphone, and she hasn't called me back, so that's a no," Cat Noir answered.
"We've chatted long enough," the wolf said. "I'm picking up the akuma's scent this way." He started down the hall to their right.
"By the way, what does your collar say your name is?" asked Cat Noir.
"You can call me Seulang," he answered as they took off.
With their duel noses hard at work, Seulang and Cat Noir were able to navigate up three more floors. They had just darted past a door on the second to the top floor when Cat Noir slid to a stop.
"Wait," he said, heading back to the door.
"Why are we stopping?" demanded Seulang .
Cat Noir gingerly opened the door to find a sword blade in his face. His hands hot up.
"Just me!" he said. On the other end of the blade was Alya, sporting a helmet and a shield in her other hand. With her were a few other students, including Nathanial, Ivan, and Rose, all of them sporting staves, spears, and brooms. Inside the room were barrels and boxes and shelves full of props.
"Cat Noir!" Alya exclaimed. "Where's Ladybug?"
"She hasn't arrived yet," he said, "Though I'm sure she's on her way."
"And who is that?" she said pointing the sword at Seulang .
"He's with me for now," the cat explained.
"Directerror has taken everyone up to the roof for the final scene," cut in Nathaniel.
"And she's cast Marinette as Juliet!" added Rose.
"The final scene of what?" asked Seulang .
"Romeo and Juliet, obviously," said Alya. "She's been hunting for Adrien Agreste to cast as Romeo. Have you guys seen him?"
"Yes, and don't worry—she won't find him," said Cat Noir, touching his chin in thought. "But if they're going to rehearse the final scene, then Marinette is in danger, as well as whoever Directerror casts as Romeo."
"Then we need to go, now," said Seulang, tapping his foot.
"I'm going with you," insisted Alya. "Marinette's my best friend, and I can't let anything happen to her."
Cat Noir shook his head. "I need you here, Rena Rouge, in case something happens to us before Ladybug shows up. She would need your help if we can't help her." Alya looked away.
"I'm not sure she'd ask me again," she said.
"She's asked for your help loads of times—even without a miraculous," Cat Noir pointed out. "Besides, even I'm a little scared of you when you have a sword." At that, Alya grinned.
"Then what are you waiting for? Go save Juliet!" she said.
"What is taking those heros so long?" said Hawkmoth clenching his fist.
"There is no reason to hurry," soothed Mayura. "They will come, and as soon as they land in my Stagemaster, they will be trapped in its labyrinth."
"Directerror, send your cast to find those miraculous!" Hawkmoth ordered.
The sun set low over the battlement of the school. Set center-stage was Marinette lying on a stone funeral altar, and to either side stood Lila as a nurse, and Marc in a monk's habit. Directerror sat in a chair facing them, surrounded by students in simple black clothes, holding props and manning floor lights.
"But I still don't have Adrien Agreste! I need my Romeo!" Directerror complained as she stomped. She turned to the students around her. "You stage hands are utterly useless."
"Your crew can search for him while they search for Ladybug and Cat Noir!" said Hawkmoth. "Stop wasting time!"
"You heard the man; go see if Ladybug and Cat Noir are here, and bring me their miraculous!" ordered Directerror. The students put down their tasks and headed towards the stairs. Marinette sat up and started for her earrings, but Directerror stopped her.
"Not you," she said, motioning to Marinette, Lila, and Marc. "I can't have my actors running off in the middle of a scene." Marinette stopped and sat still.
Tikki watched from behind the altar, and was so absorbed she didn't see Cat Noir and Seulang sneak up behind her. She almost yelped, but Cat Noir held up a finger to his lips and winked.
"Where is Ladybug?" he asked.
"She's—a—stuck. In a competition. With her parents. She can't get out or transform, so she sent me to let you know," she said, darting around nervously.
"A competition? With her parents?" Seulang asked.
"Topiaries!" exclaimed Tikki, catching sight of two decorative trees on either side of the altar. "They're in a topiary competition!"
"Tikki, we need her. We can't purify the akuma without her!" said Cat Noir.
"I know, but you will have to do your best without her," Tikki said firmly. "She cannot help you this time."
"Can you use your power without her, the way Plagg can?" asked Cat Noir.
"No," cut in Seulang. "Kwamis are never to use their powers on their own; it's too much for them to control."
"He's right," said Tikki. "I run the risk of restoring everything back to what it was before. Like, waaay before."
"Like before this was a school?" asked Cat Noir.
"Like before Paris was a city," said Tikki.
"Oh," said Cat Noir, slumping.
"Tikki," said Seulang, "go back to Ladybug and do what you can to get her here. It will take us a few minutes to defeat Directerror anyway, so this should buy her a moment or two, at least." Tikki nodded, then flew off the roof and out of their view. Seulang unclipped his ring from his hip. "Cat Noir, you take the left, and I'll take the right."
"Why can't we use my plan?" he demanded.
"This is why I hate teamwork," growled Seulang. "What is your plan?"
"Directerror is already after me for my miraculous. As far as we know, neither she nor Hawkmoth know you even exist, so if I show up as a distraction, they absolutely won't be expecting you. What is your power, anyway?"
"Nothing that will help you here and now," Seulang answered.
"My guess is her akuma is in her script, and while I can't be sure, there's a chance the amok is also," continued Cat Noir. "You think you can destroy it?" Seulang flashed his own claws.
"I think I can manage," he said.
"Great. It's time for my dramatic entrance," whispered Cat Noir, and he stood up. "Don't tell me you started the show without me!"
"Finally," said Hawkmoth, grinning.
Directerror's face twisted with glee. "You know, we could always run this scene with the understudy," she said, pointing her finger at Cat Noir. "I'll cast you as Romeo!" She fired her laser at Cat Noir, who let a little smirk slip across his lips. He turned and narrowly dodged the light, but made a horrified expression and fell behind the altar. He winked at Seulang, made a terrible groaning noise, then stood up to attention.
"Eh? Where's your costume?" asked Directerror, cocking her eyebrow.
"The miraculous magic interferes," Cat Noir answered in his best zombie voice.
"Well, it will have to do," she said.
"Quick! Take his miraculous now!" ordered Hawkmoth.
"Yes, yes, as soon as the scene is over," said Directerror. "Take it from scene three. Set hand, his potion." A student walked up to Cat Noir and handed him a vial of something green and foaming.
"This...is a convincing prop," said Cat Noir as blandly as he could muster.
"Nothing is as convincing as the real thing," said Directerror with a sinister grin. Behind her, he could see Seulang sneaking through the shadows.
"Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide," recited the cat, but Directerror cut him off.
"No no no, with feeling!" she insisted.
"Thou desperate pilot," continued Cat Noir, throwing his arm over his forehead, "now at once run on the dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark!" He popped off the cork on the vial with his claw. "Here's to my love!" he said, and angled himself so she could not see him discreetly dump the poison in the tree. Immediately the tree began to wither, but no one seemed to notice.
"Yes!" exclaimed Hawkmoth and Directerror as one.
"O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick," cried Cat Noir, dramatically throwing himself over Marinette. His face hovered over her unresponsive form. "Thus with a kiss I die." His lips brushed hers, and for a breath, nothing happened. Marinette's eyes fluttered open, and all she could see were giant, green cat eyes framed in black and flirtatious grin.
"C-Cat Noir?" she squealed, rolled over, and promptly spit three times and wiped her lips and tongue.
"What?" cried Directerror.
"Oh, come on; it wasn't that bad," he said with a saucy grin as he pulled out and twirled his staff. "Go find Alya downstairs. We'll handle this curtain call."
As Marinette rolled off the stone altar, Seulang leapt from the shadows after the script, but Directerror twisted out of the way just in time.
"Who is that?" demanded Hawkmoth.
"Another miraculous?" said Mayura.
"Never mind," said Hawkmoth. "Get Cat Noir!"
Tikki followed Marinette down the flight of stairs behind the altar.
"Marinette, I was so worried," she said.
"Thank you, Tikki, but we don't have time," answered Marinette. "Spots on!" Tikki flew into Marinette's earrings, and with a spin Ladybug was ready to save the day. She darted up a dark rampart and swung down so that it appeared she had just arrived.
"Miss me, kitty? Who's your new friend?" Ladybug asked as she landed.
"Always, Miss Bug," said Cat Noir as he fended off a host of students. "And don't worry, I didn't replace you; this guy's just a stray."
"You're one to talk, mangy cat," shot back Seulang as he hit a button on his disk and the ring expanded. He threw it, and it knocked back a hoard of students climbing up the stairs.
"This rehearsal isn't done!" roared Directerror as she fired off her laser finger over and over. Ladybug dodged a blast, but two students and a teacher grabbed her and held her down. One reached for her earrings, but Seulang's ring hit the student's hand back, and Ladybug threw her legs over her head, flipping herself free.
"Lucky charm!" she yelled, throwing her yo-yo into the air. Down fell a large ball of spotted yarn.
"Is that for me?" asked Cat Noir, deflecting a laser with his staff. "I don't think we have time to play, Bugs."
"If we're going to stop her, we need to stop the students first," she said. She glanced around, noted Seulang's ring, Cat Noir, and the altar.
"Doggie, catch!" Ladybug yelled, tossing the yarm to Seulang. He managed to jump and catch it just before it went over the edge of the battlement, and he staggered slightly as he landed.
"I'm a wolf, not a dog!" he barked back at her. "Call me Seulang. And what is this for?"
"Loop the end around your ring!" she yelled as she positioned herself with her back towards the altar. "Cat Noir, over here!"
"Easier said than done," Seulang muttered as he waved his ring one handed at the oncoming actors and crew.
Cat Noir leapt over students to Ladybug's side. Noting the altar behind and the students surrounding them, he said, "It looks like we're between a rock and a hard place, m'lady."
"Perfect! We have them trapped!" yelled Directerror. "Get their miraculous!" The cast and crew flooded around Ladybug and Cat Noir, abandoning Seulang and forcing the heros onto the altar.
"Seulang, now!" yelled Ladybug as she deflected shots from the villain and Cat Noir kept the enslaved students from climbing up. Seulang looped the yarn through his ring and threw it around the mob and the altar, once, twice, a dozen times. Once the cast and crew were firmly tied together, he walked over and tied the ends of the yarn in a neat bow, and Ladybug and Cat Noir jumped over the mob and down.
"No!" roared Directerror and Hawkmoth. She fired her lasors rapidly, but Ladybug and Seulang easily deflected the shots as Cat Noir ducked low and charged her.
"Cataclysm!" he yelled, sliding in and grabbing her script. The black book crumbed under his hand, and the feather and akuma flew out. All around, the corruption resided from the castle, the cast and crew, and Directerror, leaving behind a bewildered crowd tied up in the courtyard of the restored school. Cat Noir and Seulang freed the the students and helped Ms. Joubert to her feet.
"No more evildoing for you, little akuma," said Ladybug, throwing her yo-yo at the butterfly before it could escape. "Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug caught the bug and the feather at once in a flash of light. "Gotchya! Bye bye, little butterfly!"
Seulang handed her the yarn and clipped his ring to his hip.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" she cried, throwing the yarn into the sky. Away flew the cloud of ladybugs, replacing the costumes with regular clothes, and restoring order to the school.
Cat Noir walked up to Ladybug and Seulang and put his fist out. Ladybug gestured to Seulang to join, but he just cocked his eyebrow at her. Cat Noir shook his head, but Ladybug grabbed the wolf's fist. "Pound it," she and Cat Noir said.
"How did you know kissing her would work?" asked Seulang, crossing his arms.
"Just something Ladybug did once for me while I was under a villain's spell," Cat Noir answered.
"And I thought you said you had a girlfriend," said Ladybug, giving him a stink eye.
"A cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do to save Paris," said Cat Noir, shrugging. "By the way, how was your topiary competition?"
"My wha—oh, uh, great," she said, scratching her head.
Just then, Alya and Nino and other students came running out.
"What just happened?" asked Ms. Joubert.
"Long story," said Ladybug, "but my guess is you might need to do callbacks."
"Hey, where did that new superhero go?" asked Alya, brandishing her phone. "I wanted to get a picture for my Ladyblog." Seulang was nowhere to be found.
"I'm not sure about him being a superhero, but I bet we'll be seeing him soon," said Cat Noir. Both his ring and Ladybug's earrings beeped.
"Break a leg!" Ladybug called as she and Cat Noir swung to the roof.
"Thanks for holding down the fort till I could get there," said Ladybug. "See ya later!"
"Are you alright, Bug-a-boo?" said Cat Noir before Ladybug could swing off the roof.
"What, now we're back to that?" she said with a smirk. "I thought you had a girlfriend. If you keep flirting with other women, she'll get jealous."
"Slip of the tongue," he replied. He glanced away and back. "But you seem exhausted lately." He walked over and placed his hand on her yo-yo shoulder, and turned her to face him. Ladybug looked away.
"I just haven't been getting much sleep lately," she said. "That's all."
Cat Noir's eyes narrowed and he leaned in. Ladybug wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Sure, that's all it is," he said. "You know, I could always send Plagg to annoy it out of you. Or Tikki."
"I highly doubt Plagg would follow any of your orders," she shot back, but her eyes didn't match the smile on her lips. Cat Noir took her other shoulder, and she still could not look at him.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked, more confused than ever. "M'lady, I—" She winced.
"Fine. I got a mission from Bunnyx, in the future," Ladybug sighed. "I...made a mistake in the past, and you found out my true identity. I don't know all the details, but it triggered a series of events, and somehow...in the future, you were akumatized, and became Cat Blanc."
"Well that's news," he said, crossing his arms. "I'm sorry you had to handle it on your own, but you've faced me down more than once. And this had something to do with your lack of sleep?"
"You destroyed the world, Cat Noir." Though her voice had been hard, it was cracking now, and she looked up at him, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "I keep dreaming that I'm there, on that building, and I can't find the akuma. I can't bring you back, and...I lose you."
Cat Noir's mouth sat askew, but he closed it and pulled her close. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "But you fixed it, didn't you, m'lady? It's alright, because you fixed it. I'm still here, and I always will be." She pulled away.
"Cat Noir, this is why we can't possibly know each other's identities," she pointed out. "It is too dangerous, and not just for you or me or for our friends and family, but for the whole universe!"
"The...universe?" said Cat Noir, his voice unsure, his hands dropping to his side.
"You destroyed the whole world, including the future me and Hawkmoth, and then you almost destroyed the universe!" she insisted.
"I...I did that?"
"Well, uh, no; I stopped you," said Ladybug, turning back to him.
"No, I mean, I destroyed you?"
Ladybug hesitated. "Yes." This time it was Cat Noir who could not meet Ladybug's gaze. "But, it's like you said; I stopped you," she said.
Cat Noir stepped back. "I'm sorry, Ladybug. I'm so sorry."
"But—but you haven't actually done anything, so there's nothing to be sorry for!" she said, forcing a smile. Cat Noir moved to go. "Wait! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. You're right; it's in the past. I fixed the problem, and everything's OK." Her miraculous beeped on the last spot.
Cat Noir glanced back at her, a sad smile at the corner of his lip. "Guess it's a good thing I got over you, then. Thank you, Ladybug. You always know how to save the day." With that, he vaulted from the roof and disappeared into the night, and Ladybug transformed into Marinette.
Hawkmoth roared. "Why do they never seize the opportunity to take their miraculouses when it is right in front of them?" he raged.
"Their priorities are rarely your priorities," Mayura pointed out.
"If this next endeavor does not work, I will have to do this myself."
"Or I could do it for you," pointed out Mayura.
"We will see," said Hawkmoth as his dome closed.
The only thing on anyone's mind at school the next day was the disastrous auditions. Ms. Joubert scheduled callbacks for that evening, and promised to keep them short and sweet. She also announced that they would be performing a traditional rendition of Romeo and Juliet, because while a modern version with Ladybug and Cat Noir as the led roles would be a theatrical revolution, the school's liability insurance was already maxed out after so many akumaizations, and they couldn't afford to have students swinging from the rafters in harnesses.
Marinette closed her locker door just as Adrien did, and they looked up at each other.
"I'm glad Cat Noir was able to save you yesterday," he said.
"Yeah, me too," she chuckled awkwardly. "Glad I didn't end up stabbing myself. And I'm glad she didn't find you!"
"Heh, so am I," he replied, grinning and looking away. He paused. "Hey, Marinette, what do you do if…if you've hurt a friend, but you didn't know you did, or how you did it, and there's no way you can fix it?"
"Oh Adrien, you're so dice—I mean nice—I doubt you could hurt anyone's feelings," she said. When his expression didn't change, she continued. "But I guess you would just have to apologize and keep moving forward. If they're a true friend, they'll forgive you in time."
"What if you can't forgive yourself?" he asked.
"I think...we have to accept we all make mistakes, and that we can change and be someone else going forward. We aren't bound to repeat the past." Adrien's face lifted.
"Thanks, Marinette," he placed his hand on her shoulder as he left. "You're the best."
As the door closed behind him, Tikki peaked out of Marinette's purse.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'll be fine, Tikki," she said with a gentle smile. "I'm glad I'll always have him as a friend."