Before the classes with Pierre de la Coste Marinette was so nervous that nothing could calm her down. Even her memories of the last talk with Adrien – especially its end with the Cheshire Cat mug in the leading role, that had lightened up her day, couldn't help her now.
When de la Coste appeared at the door, Marinette's stomach made a triple flip, and she clenched her fists. Fortunately, her project had been safely put down on the table before, otherwise it would have been ruined right now. She glanced at the design to check if it was okay, and because of that she missed the moment when the most hated teacher turned into an ordinary pig. Before students managed to express their delight, a strange furry creature entered the classroom and yelled:
"What will you say now, you pig?! Maybe that will teach you to respect the others!"
The students applauded, but Marinette felt torn between her duties and satisfaction of seeing her oppressor punished so spectacularly. She was sure the creature was akumatised, yet she had no idea about the reason of akumatisation nor superpowers of the villain. All in all, she had to defeat the opponent as soon as possible. And to do so, she had to escape the classroom quickly and unnoticeably.
"Quiet!" the supervillain silenced the students. "You're not better than him! I'm Fur Fury and I'll teach you to respect our planet and animals!"
The joy was immediately gone. Some girls began screaming in horror, and Marinette felt she was running out of time. She had to leave the room somehow and to help her colleagues to run away from the supervillain. Fortunately, Pierre de la Coste – at the moment in the form of a fat hog – was making a fuss that engaged Fur Fury enough to create an opportunity for superheroine.
Hidden behind desks, Marinette led her colleagues to the exit. She was the last who went through the door, but before she did it, she looked back if everyone had left the classroom. At that moment, she noticed Cat Noir who had just appeared on a window sill. He was checking the room to assess the situation. And finally, their eyes met. His face twitched as if he was horrified with a thought how close to the danger she'd been. Marinette nodded to give him a hint that everything was okay with her. After that she ran away to let him focus on the fight.
She immediately went to the toilet to transform into Ladybug, so she could go to fight by her partner's side. When she jumped in the classroom she saw Cat Noir trying to avoid Fur Fury's shots. The Hog de la Idiot was squeaking and writhing – and definitely not helping in the fight against the supervillain.
"I'll turn you into a mouse, you alley cat!" Fury yelled.
"I admit I'm Cat Noir, but I don't eat mice!" the superhero laughed. "Actually, I barely eat meat. You could say I'm almost a vegetarian."
Ladybug glanced at him amused. A couple days ago he ate a pizza with salami that was totally opposite to a vegetarian meal.
"You can lie all you want!" Fury mocked. "But as soon as I hit you, we'll know the truth! You'll turn into an animal you've just eaten."
"Oh… So you're one of those fanatic vegetarians…" Ladybug commented ironically just to distract the opponent.
"This world is heading for destruction!" the superviallain yelled, unknowingly touching her WWF panda necklace.
"Thank you for helping in its way!" Ladybug answered back, noticing a plausible object hiding the akuma.
"Not true! All I want is to make people aware what they're doing to those animals, to the planet!"
"Lucky charm!" Superheroine stopped chatting and went to the action.
After a second she caught a plate with a steak on it. Fur Fury rushed at her immediately, but Ladybug eluded the attack luckily, shouting to Cat Noir: 'The necklace!'. He destroyed it with his 'cataclysm' and the fight was over. Ladybug purified the akuma. Seconds later both superheroes recognised a famous supermodel, sitting on the floor, confused, not remembering anything that had happened.
"What… What happened?" the woman asked.
"You were akumatised." Ladybug explained, sitting down next to the blonde.
"And what's that pig doing here?"
"You turned one of teachers into a hog. I have no idea what he'd done to you, but knowing him, I'm sure it was something nasty."
"You're right. The last thing I remember was an affront. But it started before, when I was on a meeting with one of the most popular designers. Have you heard about Gabriel Agreste, maybe?"
Cat Noir froze, and Ladybug felt her heart stopped for a moment. Poor Adrien! She couldn't do anything to help him, except answering on behalf of them both:
"We've heard about him…"
"He tried to make me pose in fur coats. In animal's natural furs! Can you imagine?! I made it clear in my contract! Everyone in fashion knows about my priorities! So, I left disgusted. But it wasn't the end. Right after the argument with Agreste, I met this hog. He told me that I'm 'no one', because I come from the country with no achievements in fashion. Idiot! He doesn't know what he's talking about! And I am not 'no one'! I've worked with the best ones in the industry! I know almost all catwalks in the world. I've been on Vogue's covers!"
"We know that…" Ladybug muttered. Cat Noir glanced at her in astonishment. Of course, he knew the supermodel, but how on Earth Ladybug could know her as well?
"I feel so helpless…" the blonde continued. "People are so stupid. They're not aware that they devastate the planet. They use the cheapest fuel to heat their houses and then they breathe the air polluted by themselves. Their children breathe the same air. What will they leave as their legacy?"
"Don't lose your faith in people…" Ladybug smiled. "Never give up. We also save Paris every single time for something bigger. For the better future…"
"Thank you."
"So, what are we going to do with that hog?" Cat Noir cut in.
His partner looked down at her lucky charm in hesitation.
"I almost regret to use the spell fixing all damages…" she sighed. "That idiot will turn back to his mean self. I'm more than sure that he hasn't learnt anything from this lesson…"
Cat Noir took a glance at her, uncertain. Did it mean that Pierre de la Coste's reputation was so well-known?
"We have to go back…" he muttered to Ladybug and then turned to the supermodel: "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm great, thank you. I'm so grateful for giving me back the faith in young people."
"You're welcome!" Ladybug replied and added in whisper: "Oh, and thank you for the therapeutic salt. I know someone whom it helped a lot…"
Then she used her spell 'Miraculous Ladybug!' and observed detransforming the hog into Pierre de la Coste. She sighed regretfully. 'Welcome back, you jerk…'
"You should apologise to this lady!" Cat Noir commanded to the teacher, indicating the supermodel. "Not only to this one…" he added under his breath.
Ladybug looked at her partner gratefully. Soon after, they both jumped out to the nearest rooftop. Both should go back to their work interrupted by the akuma attack, yet neither of them could do it. Cat Noir apparently was plucking up the courage to say something…
"Are you okay, Cat?" Ladybug finally asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Not quite…"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"You're not rushing back?" he glanced at her, surprised.
"I'll manage." She assured him. "I don't have to go too far…" she added quietly, rather to herself.
"Er…"
"What's bothering you?"
"You can retrieve everything that akuma destroys, right? Could… Could you fix something that was ruined by someone who wasn't akumatised?"
She knew perfectly what he was referring to. She felt a heartache. For a moment she was tempted to tell him the whole truth right now, but she gave up quickly. They were standing on the rooftop in the middle of a day, and someone could notice them any minute. The more, she wasn't sure how he would react on the news she had for him…
"What happened, Cat?" she asked softly instead.
"I screwed up…" he confessed and sat down as if he couldn't stand up straight anymore.
"Don't you dramatize too much?" she tried with a joke, but he looked at her with such reproach that she immediately sat down next to him and embraced his shoulders. "I'm sorry…"
"How would you feel if your happiness was at your fingertips, and you ruined everything?"
"I'm sure you can fix it!" Ladybug comforted him, internally kicking herself for not answering for Cat's letter.
"She unbosomed herself to me. She told me everything. Everything, you know? And I left. I left her. Can you imagine?! What did she think about me?!" he asked with pain in his voice, and she felt like start crying. She could tell him now that she hadn't thought anything bad about him. She hadn't answered his message not because of being mad about his leaving, but because of discovering his true identity.
"Why don't you talk to her?" she suggested.
"I let her decide if she wants to see me again…"
"You have to talk to her."
"But she doesn't want to see me…"
"Not at…" she began, but stopped in the middle of 'not at all.' "Oh, Cat…"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't bother you with my love problems…"
"You're not bothering me… It's just…"
"I know. That's weird that I'm talking with you about my girlfriend, right?"
"You already did it once. Remember?"
"That was ages ago. And that was a mistake…"
"Why are you so sure, Cat? Maybe you wouldn't be the same person if you weren't with… her?" she hesitated, because she almost blurted out 'Kagami'.
"I don't know…" Cat Noir shrugged. "I'd be happier without that part of my life."
"You'll never know. My kwami always says that everything happens for something. Maybe even that latest akuma was for a reason?"
"Maybe for my heart attack. You have no idea how I felt when I saw her so close to the supervillain…"
"Her?"
"Ma… My girlfriend."
"Oh…" she sighed and felt hot. Like last night when they were hugging the mug. "Talk to her." She insisted and squeezed his shoulder.
"But…"
"Don't wait for a message. Just go to her. Trust me!"
Saying it she ran away, before she gave up and kissed him right there. She left Cat Noir on the rooftop and his face expressed how confused he was.
