Updating early again because of a long work shift tomorrow.

Chapter 39: Before the Storm

Ladybug called a meeting with Chat Noir and Rena Rouge to tell them what she had learned. They were back in the borrowed classroom, the three of them gathered around the teacher's desk - Rena Rouge and Chat Noir were both sitting on the desk, and Ladybug was in the (extremely comfy) chair.

"That narrows it down a lot," Ladybug said. "Rena, I know you're involved with the class, and I don't know if you are Chat, but we're going to have be completely unbiased for this."

"That's going to be hard," Rena Rouge said.

"Yeah," Chat Noir said.

"So this is a list of the all the adults close enough to the students for the attraction to work," Ladybug said, unfolding the list. "Only cross out the ones that had been definitely seen in a place outside of Paris during an akuma attack. Hawkmoth might throw us off his scent by faking a vacation."

"We can cross off Ms Kante," Rena Rouge said. "She's been away training as an astronaut, I have civilian identity-related proof."

Ladybug crossed her off the list.

"Why are we considering woman anyways?" Chat Noir asked.

"Because we don't know how far Hawkmoth will go to hide his identity," Ladybug replied. "Okay, I know for identity-related reasons that-"

In the end, the list consisted of:

Both of Marinette's parents (Ladybug didn't want to think about it, but she was trying to be unbiased)

Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur (Carapace would love that)

Both of Nino's parents (please don't let it be a friend's parent)

Alya's parents (Nora was too young - she would have a timer)

Ivan's dad

Nathaniel's parents

Chloe's dad (yeah right, Mayor Bourgeois was not that competent)

Sabrina's dad (see above) and mom

Jalil (strangely, that was one of Marinette's top choices. His akumatization was the right timing, not to mention weird.)

Kim's mom

Max's dad and granddad

Rose's parents and grandparents and aunt and uncle (all were just as bubbly as Rose though so doubtful)

Juleka's mom (Ladybug really wanted an excuse to punch her dad, but she knew he wasn't close enough to his kids to explain the attraction)

That was a total of what, 25 people? Hopefully, that wouldn't be too much for Lacy to handle.

Lacy was more than a little scared of Ladybug's plan.

It wasn't what she was asked to do, just the idea that Ladybug was staking so much on her. Could Lacy even do that?

"You look scared," Ladybug noted.

"It's a lot of responsibility," Lacy replied. "I don't know if I can do it."

Ladybug placed her hand on Lacy's shoulder. "I believe in you."

Lacy could almost feel her confidence, and part of her thought, maybe she could. Besides, what's the worse that could happen? Ladybug had said - and Orikko confirmed - that Lacy's identity would be safe during the akumatization. Theoretically. And even if it wasn't, it was just her identity. As Kota. It wouldn't even prevent her from never being a superhero again.

"Okay, I'll do it," Lacy agreed.

"Good," Ladybug said. "I think we should tell the rest of the team of the plan - and your identity."

That was even scarier, but Lacy nodded. "Okay."

Ladybug decided to leave Queen Bee out of the plan, mostly because she still didn't trust her secret-keeping abilities.

They met in the classroom, but only after Ladybug had Markov do multiple security sweeps. There was a lot of questions about the sudden need for this meeting, but Ladybug promised an explanation at the meeting.

"Nothing said here leaves this room," Ladybug started. "I have a plan to beat Hawkmoth."

"You know his identity?" Ryuko questioned.

"No," Ladybug said. "I have narrowed the list down to 25 suspects, and I have a plan. You all are aware that there's other magic beyond just the miraculous, right?"

"No," Ryuko said. "I was not."

"Well, there is," Ladybug said. "And some of your teammates have their own little bits of magic." She turned to Kota. "Would you like to explain?"

"Sure." The word came out more as a squeak than a statement, but Kota came up next to Ladybug.

"So, um, I have this ability to read people's facial expressions and vocal expressions," Kota started. "And everyone's is unique to themselves, so if these powers were boosted, I would be able to recognize someone based off of their voice."

"But how would you boost your powers?" Pegasus asked.

"Ladybug thinks, and I agree, that if I was akumatized, the effects of the akuma would amplify my powers."

"While also giving you access to Hawkmoth's voice," Pegasus finished. "A brilliant idea, if you can think clear enough while akumatized."

"I've been akumatized several times," Ryuko said. "It's not easy to think through."

"I know," Kota said. "But I have pretty good control over my emotions. I think I can manage. If not, well, then we'll just come up with another plan."

"For this to work, we need a way for her to communicate Hawkmoth's identity while akumatized," Ladybug said. "The first person she names that's on the list will be him. For this to work, we all need to know her identity so we recognize her when she's akumatized. Ready?"

Kota nodded. "Orikko, sun down."

The detransformation washed over her, leaving Lacy in her place.

"Hi," she said with an awkward wave. "I don't know if I know any of you in real life, but I'm Lacy. Hi."

Everyone was able to keep a poker face, though Ladybug knew that most of them knew Lacy well.

"You're American," Ryuko noted.

"Yeah," Lacy replied.

"A lot of people thought you were from Greece," Pegasus said. "Because of your name."

"My family's Greek," Lacy explained.

She shifted her weight nervously between her feet.

"So, we all know the plan?" Ladybug asked.

"How is Lacy going to be akumatized?" Pegasus asked. "She hasn't shown any inclination to being akumatized yet."

"My dad's a therapist," Lacy said. "I can handle my emotions, but I might be able to just, not do that. For a few days."

"Without hurting your mental health," Ladybug stressed.

"Yes," Lacy agreed. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I hope this works," Ryuko said. "Hawkmoth needs to be taken down."

"It will," Ladybug said. "And if it doesn't, we just come up with another plan. We will win this."

Ladybug switched the miraculouses around. With her planning to be akumatized, Lacy couldn't keep hers. Instead, Ladybug let Rena Rouge, Carapace, Ryuko, Pegasus, and Viperion keep theirs.

Rena Rouge and Pegasus were tasked with training Lacy to recognize the 25 suspects. It wasn't fun - both of them had relatives on the list, though neither could say so.

(Lacy had figured that out anyways).

A week later, and still nothing had happened.

Marinette found herself constantly checking up on Lacy, making sure she wasn't self-sabotaging herself, especially during class. But Lacy seemed fine - even arriving in class earlier than Marinette.

"Do you think she's going to sprout another head or something?"

Marinette turned her attention from Lacy to the person in front of her - Chloe.

"Um?"

"You keep watching Lacy," Chloe said. "But nothing about her has changed. It's freaking us out on the other side of the classroom."

"Oh, sorry," Marinette replied.

"You know what? Nevermind. I had something more important to say."

"Okay."

But Chloe didn't say anything else. She just stood there, looking like she was trying to hold a frog in her mouth.

"I'm sorry!" She eventually blurted. "I'm sorry. I know I've been unfair and mean to you, so I'm sorry."

"Oh."

Marinette had no clue what to say. Chloe had been trying so hard to do better recently - but could she just forgive her?

"You don't have to forgive me," Chloe said. "Or like me, or even be nice to me. I'm not expecting your forgiveness. Not after everything."

"Thank you," Marinette replied. "I know you're trying to do better, but it may take some time to reach that part." She hesitated. "But, I have to ask - why me?"

"Because," Chloe answered. "You were happy. You weren't rich - not back then - or that pretty. I thought that those were the key to being happy, but you. You just were. So, I made you miserable. Because I was, for a lot of that time."

"Oh," Marinette replied.

"So. Sorry. I hope I didn't - I hope I never - just, sorry. You deserved better than putting up with me."

It was, in the end, Alix's doing.

Her dad had bluntly told her not to do a skating trick. She wasn't prepared, wasn't skilled enough, and normally Alix would listen - especially when Ondine, Lacy, and Kim all told her the same thing. Especially when Kim was advocating restraint.

But the trick had been cool, and Alix had been bored. And then she had been in the hospital.

Lacy and Nathaniel were almost instantly there, though they couldn't visit her until she was discharged.

The end injury was a nasty broken ankle and a light concussion. It could have been much, much worse.

Lacy didn't lecture her. That wasn't what she needed.

Instead, she and Nathaniel pitched in to bring snacks and movies when they visited.

"You two are great," Alix said. It was her first day back from the hospital, and they were sitting in her room binge-watching action movies.

"We love you," Lacy replied.

"You worried us," Nathaniel added.

"I know," Alix said. "It was a stupid thing to do. I don't know what I was thinking."

Lacy sympathetically rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay. You learned your lesson, and you're fine now. You'll be back to skating in no time!"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."

Alix's dad stood in the doorway, startling Lacy off the bed. She fell right on top of her bag, which hurt.

"Right now? We're in the middle of a movie," Alix replied.

"I think your friends need to hear this," he explained. "So they know what you're not allowed to do."

Lacy frowned. "You're not keeping her from skating, are you?"

He didn't deny it.

Alix gasped. "You are! You can't do that!"

"I can," Her dad snapped. "You could have seriously hurt yourself! I thought you were responsible enough to handle yourself, but clearly you're not. So, until I can trust you, no. More. Skating."

"But dad!"

"That's final!"

"You can't do that!" Nathaniel argued.

"I can and I will."

"Dad! Seriously?"

"It's final."

Her dad turned and left, leaving the three in shocked silence.

"He - he can't do that!" Alix said. "It was one mistake. He - he can't just do that."

Lacy clenched her fists. Alix loved skating.

It was bad enough seeing her friend in physical pain, but now her dad had just added to it-

"Alix!"

Alix and Lacy both turned at Nathaniel's call to see an akuma come through the window.

Lacy reacted without thinking, and her bag went sailing. It's contents spilled out, and her sunglasses case smacked right into the akuma.

Only two more weeks of updates left! Hard to believe