In her room, Marinette was dancing to a new music video released today. The singer, Clara Nightingale, was a young woman with shoulder length, wavy brown hair and brown eyes and she wore clothes similar to Michael Jackson in Captain EO.
"Don't you stop, dancing to the music.
Baby! Yeah, it's like a miracle.
Don't you stop, dancing to the music,
Music, oh, it's getting physical!
Don't you stop, dancing to the music."
Marinette tried to do a handstand like Clara did in the video only to fall flat on her back. She quickly got up and sat in her chair.
The video ended and Alec Cataldi appeared on the screen. "And that was Clara Nightingale's hit single, 'Big Bang' for us!"
Tikki flew up to Marinette and said, "Wow! That girl is incredible!"
Marinette said with excitement, "I love her! She's totally passionate about her art!"
After the music video, Alec did an interview with Clara. "Clara, in just a few short months you've become an international sensation with your ultra-unique singing and style. Apparently, you even sing and dance in your sleep! Do you ever stop?"
"Never, you see, dancing and singing are everything to me. And I'm happy to share the joy of song and dance to the amazing people of France!"
Marinette continued to fawn over the pop star, "See that, Tikki? She's a true artist!"
Alec had more news to deliver, "You've come to Paris to film the video for your next song, which is gonna be titled 'Miraculous'." Marinette almost fell out of her chair when she heard up.
"I really admire and adore Ladybug and Chat Noir. An homage to them I wanted to pay because they inspire me every single day!"
When Clara said that, Marinette shrieked with delight. "She's gonna be doing a song about me! I mean — Ladybug! Oh! I'm so excited I could..." She nearly fell over, but Tikki caught her. "...faint!"
"Auditions will be held at the Grand Palais Hotel, is that right? A little birdie told me that you already found your Chat Noir. Care to share the good news?"
Clara responded to Alec with one more rhyme, "My lips are sealed, but soon he'll be revealed. We must still cast Ladybug and extras, by the way. So come on out and audition today!"
Marinette switched off the TV before she could hear anymore and possibly get a heart attack from excitement. Her phone rang and she answered it. It was a video call from Alya and with all their female friends behind her. "Marinette, did you hear that? All us girls are heading over to audition and you're coming, too! So don't go pulling one of your 'Marinette specials' on us, okay?"
"And miss my chance to meet Clara Nightingale in the flesh? No way! I'll meet you there."
"See ya!"
Marinette hung up and ran for her purse. Tikki flew up to her and asked worriedly, "You're not auditioning for the role of Ladybug, are you?"
She reassured her, "Of course not! We just wanna have some fun as extras in the video, that's all. I'd never do anything that could reveal my secret identity."
The little kwami nodded. "All right then, Marinette. I'm proud of you!" She flew up to the girl's face and kissed her on the nose, making her giggle.
No surprise who the choice for Chat Noir was but Adrien didn't have a choice as his father bluntly explained, "It will be an excellent promotion for the upcoming opening of our stores in Korea and China. You don't have a choice."
When Nathalie handed the boy an exact replica of Chat Noir's costume, he felt his heart race. "But, Father..."
"I've been designing Clara's costumes since she started out. She was very pleased with my humble suggestion of using you. She's only seen you in our advertisements, but she does admire you a lot. I'm hoping you won't let us down."
Dejected, the boy said, "No, father."
At the Grand Palais, Adrien was led to a dressing trailer with the costume. He put the costume on reluctantly but stopped when he reached for the black domino mask. He couldn't go out. He couldn't do it even if it meant facing his father's wrath. Plagg shot out of his pocket and said, "Great choice of fabric! And these seams! Amazing craftsmanship!"
Adrien snapped at the little kwami, "There's no way I can wear this!"
"Yeah, I've always found that little bell so ridiculous! Then again, the costume is what you really wanted deep down, isn't it?"
"No, Plagg. I mean that everyone's gonna realize that I'm the real Chat Noir!"
"No way! People are blind!"
A stagehand outside knocked on the trailer's door. "You ready, Adrien?"
"Aah, uh, coming! Just a sec!" Adrien's heart began racing and his mind was going into overdrive as he frantically searched for a hiding spot. "If they see me with this mask on, they're all gonna recognize me for sure! I can't wear it!" Quickly, he hid the mask under a stack of towels. He felt more at ease and said with resolve, "Right. Now I'm gonna try to act as lame as I possibly can. Hopefully they'll have no choice but to replace me."
He exited the trailer and gasped when he saw what was going on. In the central area of the main room, a stage with a backdrop had been set up, and two long lines of auditionees to either side formed in front of it; those for Ladybug on the right, those as extras on the left.
Clara Nightingale stood on the stage with her star-adorned microphone, greeting the auditionees. "Thank you for coming, all of you! This is like a dream come true! Together we'll all dance and sing; it's going to be awesome and amazing!"
High up above the rafters, Big-Head watched the scene with a bag of popcorn. "Well, that's bound to get annoying," he said to no one in particular. The reason he was there in the first place was to cause trouble. Apparently Miss Nightingale "forgot" to include him in the music video. All he had to do was find the right moment to strike.
Down below him, the girls from school squealed with delight. "We're gonna be in Clara Nightingale's music video! This is humongous!" exclaimed Alya.
Marinette agreed with her. "I can't believe this is happening!"
"And now, meet our rising star, Adrien as Chat Noir!"
Adrien walked out toward the stage, waving briefly with a smile. The extras reacted excitedly with Marinette gasping, and Rose and Alya waving with raised arms. Adrien smiled nervously at the line and waved some more. Marinette waved back. Adrien walked up to the front of the stage, where Nathalie was holding a tablet with live footage of Gabriel seen on it, and the stagehand stood nearby.
Gabriel spoke to his son, "The costume fits you like a glove, as I knew it would. But, where is your mask?"
"Uh, I couldn't find it anywhere." Adrien felt extremely nervous lying to his father's face.
The stagehand ran off and he yelled over his shoulder, "I'll take care of it!"
Clara put a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "It's no biggie; it's okay. We don't need the mask for tryouts anyway." She called out to the Ladybug auditionees, "Come on!"
From where he was sitting, Big-Head could see the auditionees do their best to get the part. It was...not a pretty sight, but it was still humorous to him. Some of them botched up the moves, others were just rabid fans who just wanted to meet Adrien. They were immediately kicked out.
Big-Head did everything he could to keep himself from laughing. "Tough competition."
Alya whispered in Marinette's ear, "Didn't I tell you that Adrien looks a little bit like Chat Noir?"
"Unh, whatever! He's a thousand times more amazing that Chat Noir!"
More cringeworthy auditions began including Officer Roger of all people doing a weird dance and a little girl handing Adrien a black kitten.
By the afternoon's end, Clara had run out of Ladybug auditionees. Honestly, she had never been so disappointed in herself and her project. But then she looked over at the extras line and got an idea. She picked up a tray of Chouquettes from a table by the stage, and carried it over to the extras line.
"You must be starving from all this waiting!"
From his hiding spot, Big-Head went, "Huh. She finally stopped rhyming."
Marinette gasped with excitement. "Oh, look! She's coming in our direction!"
While carrying the tray, Clara tripped herself up, tossing the tray in the air, and falling to the floor. Many of the extras gasp, and Marinette got out of the line, and ra over to help Clara back to her feet; but Clara hugged Marinette instead. The pop star's instinct was right.
"There you are! Here's a hug, because you are Ladybug!"
All the extras gasped in shock. Big-Head face palmed. "Oh, great," he said sarcastically. "The rhyming's back."
Marinette chuckled nervously. "What?! I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Clara helped herself up and said to the girl, "You did what Ladybug would have, just the same. Your heart is pure, like hers. What's your name?"
"Uh, Ma— Marinette."
"Marinette! Say it's so! Will you please play Ladybug in my video?"
Marinette was shocked. Her friends told her to go for it. For a moment, she thought about going on stage and dancing with Adrien and she swooned. Then she heard a tiny cough coming from her purse. She glanced down at the little kwami hiding in it and made up her mind. She told Clara, "That's so nice of you, and...I'm one of your hugest fans, but...I came here to be an extra with my friends, and I really wanna stay with them."
Marinette's friends gasped.
Clara smiled and nodded, understanding. "That's a pity, a shame; but I understand it's true. That's a very cool gesture, very Ladybug of you!" She had Marinette sit down in a chair next to a chair. "Just sit over here for make-up, okay? I'll ask your friends to be sent over right away!"
"Oh! Thank you! Thank you!"
As Clara left, Tikki whispered loud enough for Marinette to hear, "Good job, Marinette! You didn't give in to the temptation!"
All of Marinette's friends ran up to her and embraced her. "You're crazy," Mylène said with joy.
Alya said, "You turned down filming with Adrien to be with us?"
"You really are the best," said Rose.
Marinette smiled and hugged her friends back.
Then there was trouble. Trouble in the form of a white stretch limo pulling up in front of the Grand Palais. Chloe Bourgeois, garbed in her homemade Ladybug costume and a Ladybug wig, stepped out and made a snooty walk into the building.
She rudely walked past the extras and said, "Thank you all for coming. You can go home now."
From above, Big-Head tossed more popcorn into his mouth. "Well, this took a turn for the worse." Now he REALLY wanted to usurp the music video if only to make Chloe look bad. But he restrained himself. Not yet.
Alya groaned in annoyance. "Uh, heads up; brat alert in the immediate vicinity."
Marinette wasn't worried though. "Don't worry. Knowing Nightingale, Chloé doesn't stand a chance of being chosen."
"Wow! What's happening to you today? I have to bow before so much wisdom!" Alya bowed to Marinette and everyone laughed with humor.
"That's right. From now on, the name's Master Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"
Chloe walked onto the stage and spoke to Clara, "Your Ladybug has arrived! So when does the shoot begin?"
"Chloé, everyone has to audition," Adrien pointed out. "You know that!"
"Oh yeah, that little formality." Chloe walked to one side of the stage, then launched into a series of expert dance moves, after which the extras in line cheered wildly. She panted, a little exhausted. "It's been a while. Eight years of private classes with Aurélie Dupont from the Paris Op-er-a. I know. I'm breathtaking."
Big-Head hated to admit it, but he was impressed. "I didn't think she could stretch her legs that far."
Clara said to the spoiled brat, "You've definitely got enough talent for me, but you and Chat Noir have to be a good match, you see."
Chloe wrapped an arm around Adrien's waist as she said with a smirk, "No problem! Adrikins and I have known each other since we were little!"
The Mayor, who accompanied his daughter, couldn't be more proud. "The son of the world's greatest fashion designer and the daughter of the Mayor of Paris — that would be just perfect!"
Marinette suddenly felt jealousy and rage in her heart the second she saw Chloe holding Adrien. Alya noticed this. "Is there a problem, Master Dupain-Cheng?"
"Chloé playing Ladybug? No way! Not gonna happen!"
"Oh? That bothers you more than not being with Adrien in the video?"
"Uh, if I were Ladybug, I wouldn't want a brat like Chloé playing me."
Clara walked over to Nathalie, who was still holding the tablet with Gabriel's face. "What do you think, Gabriel," she asked.
"Hmmm. Artistically speaking, the young lady with ponytails would've been ideal; but it's time to start filming. We'll make do with Miss Bourgeois."
Clara understood. They were out of time, Chloe would have to do. "I trust you, Gabriel."
"Whoo-hoo!" Chloe held Adrien tighter. "We're both going to be in a music video, Adrikins! ...Or should I say, Adri-cat! Get it? Adri-cat!"
Adrien awkwardly patted her back. "Adri-cat, yeah..."
Suddenly, Marinette ran onto the stage. "Hey wait!... I've changed my mind! I do wanna be Ladybug!" Tikki gasped.
"Awesome! This will be the best video yet! Thank you, thank you, Marinette!" Clara turned to a fuming Chloe. "I'm really sorry, what's-your-name, but you can still be an extra in the video, if you're game!"
But Chloe was not having any of it. "What?! You want me to be a mere...extra?!" She stomped out of the Grand Palais with her father following after her. "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"
Big-Head gave the mean girl a wave. "Bye-bye, spoiled brat!"
In the trailer, Marinette put on her Ladybug costume given to her by Clara, but didn't put the mask on. She realized she made a huge mistake and all because she wanted to one up Chloe!
Tikki popped out of her purse and said, "Ooh! Great choice of fabric! And these seams! Amazing craftsmanship! Almost like the real thing, don't you think?"
"Uhh, yeah, it's too well done! Oh wow, Tikki; I really messed up this time! If they see me with this mask on, they're all gonna recognize me for sure! There's no way I can wear it!"
The door to the trailer knocked. "You ready, Marinette?"
"Yes, I'm coming!" Thinking quick, Marinette hid the red and black domino mask under a stack of towels before she left the trailer.
Wait, didn't we see this scene before?
"There she is!" Alya and her friends cheered as Marinette took the stage. They saw how nervous she and Adrien looked, but they brushed it off as a mild case of stage fright.
"Spot on! And spotlight!" At Clara's command, a spotlight shone on Adrien and Marinette. "So, you're Ladybug and Chat Noir, right?" Their response to her was stammering gibberish.
Clara then helped them with the choreography. "One, two, and three." She demonstrated arm moves: left arm out, right arm out, both up, then down. Adrien and Marinette copied her movements, though Marinette lagged behind a little. "Your dance moves need to be synchronized if you can. So you'll need to hold each other by the hand."
"Uh...okay," said Adrien as he and Marinette shook hands and gave each other an awkward, nervous smile. Everyone laughed.
"Not like that. Don't be shy!" Clara put Marinette's right hand in Adrien's and put Adrien's left hand on Marinette's waist. "Like lovers do. Give it a try!" This was getting more and more awkward by the minute.
Alya snapped some pictures with her phone and giggled along with the rest of the girls. "Marinette's jaw will drop when she sees these pics!"
"Oh! I can't believe how much they look like the real Ladybug and Chat Noir," said Rose with delight.
"One final task," rhymed Clara. "Put on the mask!"
Both Marinette and Adrien stammered and gibbered unintelligible excuses, but Clara could make out one phrase, "...nowhere to be found!" Everyone laughed.
Alya disagreed with Rose with a giggle. "They don't look a thing like the real Ladybug and Chat Noir now!"
Suddenly, the stagehand from before returned. "It's okay! I found them!" He handed the masks to Marinette and Adrien who looked like they were about to die of fright.
"Go ahead, put them on, you two," said Clara. "We've got a lot of singing and dancing to do!"
Big-Head raised his right eyebrow. "Guess my hunch is right..."
Slowly, very slowly, Adrien and Marinette raised the masks up to their faces. But before they could put them over their eyes, Mayor Bourgeois entered with a huge stack of paperwork. By his side was a very smug-looking Chloe. He said to a confused Clara as he handed her the papers, "I'm sorry. My administrative staff just realized you never submitted permit A38 as stipulated in the circular B65 that one can only get at counter C, third floor of City Hall, which is, alas, closed for renovations until August, which means you don't have a permit to shoot...anywhere in France, including Paris."
Big-Head groaned. "I knew that spoiled brat would coerce her father to do something like this."
Clara looked from the paperwork to the Mayor. "I don't understand!"
Chloe snatched her microphone and said, "It means no more dancing, no more singing today! The nightingale can spread her wings, and fly away! Oh! Did you hear that? I made a rhyme! How talented am I?"
She tossed the microphone over her shoulder and the plastic star on it broke as landed on the floor. Clara picked it up and began sobbing. "No! The video needs to be shot here, in Paris, the capital of love, the city of Ladybug and Chat Noir! This ruins all of my plans! I'm so sorry, my beloved fans!" She ran into her trailer and continued to sob.
The circular window to Hawk Moth's lair opened and butterflies swarmed around him. "Ah... Tears of disenchantment. Such sweet music to my ears." He grabbed one of the butterflies and turned it from white to purple. "Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize her!"
The Akuma flew to the Grand Palais and entered Clara's trailer where it absorbed itself into her microphone. Her face went blank as Hawk Moth spoke to her in her mind, "Frightningale, I am Hawk Moth. So they tried to silence you? With the power I'm giving you, the world will be nothing but song and dance!" Purple smoke enveloped her.
Chloe clapped her hands and said to the auditionees, "The show is over! You all have to leave now." She laughed in triumph until a pink glowing whip struck her and her father.
The one holding the whip was a woman who looked like a cross between a jester and a disco ball. Her "whip" was actually a corded microphone. Frightningale rhymed, "Sing, dance or rhyme! Or you'll be frozen in no time!"
Chloe scoffed. "What is she talking about? Dancing and making rhymes? And why not play the trumpet too, while you're at it—"
The mayor gasped in horror at his daughter's fate. "Chloe, hon!" He started to turn pink, then he remembered Frightningale's warning and began to rhyme and dance. "Please! Please! I'll keep up this rhyme! Don't make me freeze, not this time!"
"Oh, bravo! And you've got the right tempo!"
Frightningale spun her whip, and started whipping some of the extras below, who turned into shiny pink statues while the rest fled in panic. When she was done, she jumped out a window and onto the roof of the Grand Palais. "Sing, dance or rhyme, or you'll be frozen in no time!" The sound of a gunshot made her duck. She turned to see Big-Head armed with a six shooter.
"You know, if I had gotten that audition like I said," he sneered at her. "None of this would be happening, Miss Nightingale."
"I'm Frightningale from here on out, forever and ever, there's no doubt! And if you stand in my way, there'll be a price to pay!" She cracked the whip, but he managed to dodge it and jump out of the way.
"One more thing," he said as he fired the gun, only to have her deflect the bullets with her whip. "Your rhyming is annoying!" He pulled out a bazooka and fired at her feet, making her fall off the roof and onto the streets. He jumped down and was then met with Ladybug and Chat Noir. "It's about time." His eyes fell on Ladybug's chest.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just making sure you're not Marinette. Her size is smaller than yours." That earned him a slap in the face. "Okay, I deserved that."
Ladybug returned her focus to Frightningale. "You have to come 'round! Don't let negative emotions take you over!" She flung out her yo-yo at Frightningale, but she caught it, and spun the end of it as she approached Ladybug.
"Song and dance will make the world a better place. Don't agree with me? Ha! Then you're a disgrace!"
Frightningale tried to hit Ladybug by twirling the end of the yo-yo she was holding. Ladybug snagged the yo-yo out of Frightningale's hand, causing her to go off balance. Chat Noir tripped her with his staff and she fell onto her back. "Do you mind if I join the dance?" he asked.
Frightningale quickly got back up and jumped back onto the Grand Palais' roof. "You're like all the others; but you can't silence me-" BLAM! "Guagh!" Blood began to come out of her throat as she fell to her knees and gurgled. Big-Head blew his smoking gun and said, "I think I just did."
At that, the Akumatized girl had a horrible realization. She will never sing again with this injury! Her career! Her life! It was all over! She was overcome with despair as black smoke enveloped her.
"Great," said Chat Noir. "We got a Megakuma on our hands now!"
"Still not crazy with the name," said Big-Head.
"You are crazy!" snapped Ladybug.
The second transformation was complete. Frightningale now resembled resembled a harpy with the head of a vulture. In her talons was the microphone whip. She let out a loud shriek and swooped down on the heroes, forcing them to jump out of the way.
Ladybug and Chat Noir ran over to the Grand Palais, scampered up columns to leap above the roof, attacking Frightningale with their weapons. Frightningale maneuvered out of the way, making Ladybug's yo-yo to snag Chat Noir's staff by mistake.
"Hey, look out!"
"Whoops! Sorry, M'Lady!"
On the heroes' second attempt, Frightningale's dodge caused Ladybug's yo-yo to entangle Chat Noir himself, and land him on the edge of the roof's dome. Ladybug quickly reeled him back down to her, but in their momentary discombobulation, Frightningale struck the two heroes with her whip, giving both of them pink auras. Big-Head face palmed. "Oh, great. Now you gotta do the annoying rhyming and dancing."
Chat Noir was about to go after Frightningale but Ladybug stopped him. Wait! Stay right here and dance or else you'll be frozen..." Her arm started to turn into solid pink stone. "...uh, without a chance!" Her arm turned back to normal and she and Chat Noir started dancing in place.
"Yeah, you're right. We have to rhyme. Not so easy, um...all the time?"
Hawk Moth rhymed to Frightningale, "Nice work. Ladybug and Chat Noir cannot fight back! They're too busy singing and dancing while we're on the attack. Now hurry, sweet Nightingale, it's both of their Miraculous that I lack. But first you must curse Big-Head, for almost rendering your dream dead!"
Ladybug attacked with the yo-yo, but the bird woman dodged it. She began to dance again. "Stay in charge, Chat Noir; don't blow a fuse! Don't forget your dancing fight moves!"
"Dancing fight moves...? Like my Capoeira grooves!"
Big-Head let out a groan. "Can we PLEASE stop this rhyming nightmare?"
"Hey, this singing ain't my line, it's tough to make a rhyme," said Chat Noir. "If I get stuck, I'm...I'm out of luck...uh..."
"I'm running out of time."
"Thanks."
Frightningale let out another shriek and slashed at the heroes with her talons, but they ducked and danced out of the way and Ladybug rhymed, "Our last weapon can do her harm. It is my...Lucky Charm!" She twirled her yo-yo in the air and the magic created... "What is this thrown our way? Handcuffs, I would say."
Big-Head thought it over. "Maybe you're supposed to dance with those?"
"That is it, that is the plan! You've got a good idea for once, you crazy man!"
Frightningale let out a shriek and swooped down on Big-Head, who dodged. "Fine. If it's a dance off you want..." He spun around and stopped, his outfit turned into a flamenco dancer's outfit and hat. Then he took out a pair of maracas and shook them as he began to dance and sing.
"They call me Cuban Pete!
I'm the king of the Rumba beat!
When I play the maracas I go
Chic-chic-ky-boom!
Chic-chic-ky-boom!"
Frightningale flew at him and tried to slash him with her talons, but Big-Head popped her with the maracas and proceeded to cuff Ladybug and Chat Noir to each other before making them dance with him.
"Yes sir, I'm Cuban Pete!
I'm the craze of my native street!
When I start to dance everything goes
Chic-chic-ky-boom!
Chic-chic-ky-boom!"
Suddenly, Chat Noir began to sing and dance a tango with Ladybug.
"The señoritas they sing!
And they swing with 'terampero'!
It's very nice! So full of spice!
And when they dance in they bring
A happy ring that 'era keros'
Are singing a song!
All the day long!"
Big-Head grabbed Frightningale by the hand and forced her to dance the tarantella, much to her confusion.
"So if you like the beat,
Take a lesson from Cuban Pete
And I'll teach you to
Chic-chic-ky-boom!
Chic-chic-ky-boom!
Chic-chic-ky-boom!"
Suddenly, Ladybug found herself singing, but she couldn't control herself.
"He's a really modest guy
Although he's the hottest guy
In Havana, in Havana!"
Big-Head nodded and the two dancing "couples" moved a little closer to each other.
"Si, señorita I know
That you would like a Chic-ky-boom-chick
It's very nice - so full of spice
I'll place my hand on your hip
And if you will just give me your hand
Then we shall try
Just you and I
Iy-yi-yi!
Shake your booty, daddy, wow!"
Suddenly, the green-headed loon tripped up Frightningale, snapped the handcuffs off and latched them onto her wings. "See ya!" With that, he snapped the microphone in half, releasing the Akuma.
Then Ladybug tossed the cuffs into the air and said, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" It exploded into a wave of red and black spots that undid all the battle damage and restored everyone who had been petrified. Now all that was left was the Akuma. "No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!" She captured and purified it before releasing it. "Gotcha! Bye bye, little butterfly."
Frightningale turned back into Clara Nightningale, who looked around, confused. "Ladybug? Chat Noir! Big-Head! What are you doing here?"
"You were Akumatized by Hawk Moth," explained Chat Noir. "But everything's back to normal again."
"I was saved by the two of you? How amazing! Too good to be true!"
"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" asked Big-Head, offended.
Clara frowned at him. "You said my rhymes were annoying anyway, that's why I sent you away."
"That's why you booted him out of the music video," Ladybug asked Clara, who nodded. "Well, speaking of which, I have an idea how you can finish your video without anyone getting in your way!" She whispered her plan to her, and she nodded.
Soon, the Miraculous music video was released. Everyone gathered at the Collège Françoise Dupont library to watch it. Instead of Ladybug and Chat Noir being in it, it had everyone in school, all of them wearing Ladybug and Chat Noir domino masks.
"Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous! The luckiest!
The power of love always so strong!
Miraculous!"
Rose was happy to be in it. "It's so much better like this!"
"At least now everybody gets to be in it," Mylene said.
"Everyone except Chloe," Rudi pointed out. "She really doesn't like sharing the spotlight with anyone."
"That's a fact," said Alya. "Besides, even though Marinette and Adrien kinda look like Ladybug and Chat Noir, they really weren't believable."
"Well, who knows," said Rudi. "They probably were Ladybug and Chat Noir all along and were stalling for time because they didn't want anyone to know." Marinette and Adrien internally screamed in horror. "But that's not really possible." They let out a sigh of relief.
"I couldn't agree more," said Marinette. "And I wouldn't have had any fun playing Ladybug. It was so much better being with you guys!" Everyone pulled her into a group hug.
"Yeah, I prefer this version, too," said Adrien. "I couldn't have pulled off playing Chat Noir."
"I know," Marinette said to herself. "Worlds apart."
"What?"
"What I meant was that you'd be more lame as Chat Noir than in real life. No! N-Not that you're lame in real life, right? It's just, compared to Chat Noir, you're just, I mean...you don't look a thing like him, that's what I mean."
Adrien chuckled. "And you don't look a thing like Ladybug either."
"Huh?"
"Uh, yeah, I mean, I'm sure she's not as funny as you are!"
Marinette smiled. "Yeah."
"Hey, look," Nino pointed to the TV. Suddenly, the video cut short and began to show clips of Big-Head fighting off the Akumatized bad guys with Ladybug and Chat Noir.
"I gotcha with my winning smile,
I'm a living lesson in flair and style!
You just can't help but stare at my savoir-faire.
I'm nouveau, Deco, Roman-Greco, Rococo, Barroco, be-bop, hip-hop, flip-flop!
SOMEBODY STOP ME!
Pretty viridian faces like mine,
Don't come a dime a dozen - I stand out of the crowd!
Babe, when they made me, yeah, they broke the mold!
Wholesome and kind, staid and refined, totally out of my mind!
Arch-villains and ne'er-do-wells had better learn to decorate prison cells!
Green goes with anything if they ask, see?
Well there's one last thing I gotta sing about!
Open up wide and really shout!
OHHHH..LOOK OUT!
THIS IS 'THE MASK'!
SSSSMOKIN'!"
The video ended with a close up of Big-Head's grinning face.
Everyone was disappointed.
Rose let out a huff. "That green jerk! He hijacked the video!"
"And I thought Chloe was such a spotlight stealer," Alya groaned.
"You know, the difference between Chloe and Big-Head," said Rudi. "It's that Chloe can't get whatever she wants without having her father to back her up. Big-Head does it because he can."
"Still, I really hate it that he can get away with it," Nino said. "If only we could catch him!"
Rudi made a smirk. "We'll see about that," he said silently.
