Ladybug had to find Mireille! Surely she couldn't have gone far after the whole reveal debacle and akuma attack!
There was no sign of a spooked teenager in the immediate area, and no sign of her under that parked car. Marinette didn't know Mireille very well. She had seen her around school once in awhile, but wasn't sure at first where to start looking. Then she glanced up at a KIDZ billboard, and then Ladybug shook her head, wondering how she didn't clue in before. Any one of Mireille's followers knew exactly where she was at this time! The news studio!
Ladybug flung her yoyo and propelled herself there as fast as possible. The sooner she got to Mireille the sooner she could find out exactly what she might have let slip to Chat Noir...and maybe find out exactly how much trouble she might be in for.
Mireille had arrived at the studio just in time, and was snuck onto the KIDZ set right before they turned the cameras over to her for the weekly weather report. She was just wrapping up reading off the teleprompter when she caught sight of Marinette Dupain-Cheng looking over the cameraman's shoulder a bit impatiently. Mireille inivertinatly froze momentarily, before the producer hissed "chances of storms ahead!" Quickly Mireille smiled endearingly at the screen, and corrected her mistake. As soon as they were off the air Mireille egarly approached Marinette, with her hands claspt behind her back.
"Did you come all this way just to see me!" she asked in awe.
"Can we talk somewhere...Um...private?" Marinette asked, eyeing the busy crew milling around.
"Of course! Right this way! We'll have my whole dressing room to ourselves," Mireille led the way.
Marinette looked down the hall, and carefully locked the door behind them. Mireille perched on the edge of a stool across from Marinette excitedly. "I can't believe you're here!" she smiled. "And you don't have to worry Ladybug. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone who you really are!"
"That is actually why I'm here," Marinette awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. "I somehow got the feeling that you might have already let something slip to Chat Noir."
"Chat Noir?" Mirelle blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, he seemed to suddenly have figured out who I was too. You really didn't say anything to him? Even by accident?" Marinette asked.
"No, not at all!"Mirelle shook her head earnestly. Then her eyes widened, and her dark eyebrows raised up to her bangs. "Well...at least I didn't say anything about Marinette being Ladybug...but I kindda got the feeling that the akuma guy wasn't the only one who fell for my distraction...you know...pretending to be you so you could have time to transform..." she said weakly, twisting her fingers nervously in front of herself.
Marinette face palmed, and a look of complete exasperation sunk in to her face. "Wait! You mean Chat Noir thought...still thinks...you really are Ladybug? But, wait...didn't you have that bakery bag over your face? How did he...?" she pinched the bridge of her nose feeling an instant headache coming on.
"Uh...well...I sorta tripped, and the disguise...er...bag...it slipped and he sorta, kindda saw me..." Mirelle admitted in a tiny voice, and her eyes welled up with tears at failing her hero at the first chance she had tried to repay her.
"He saw your face...okay...okay...I might still be able to fix this...it's not like there is anything else that made him think you were Ladybug...just a simple misunderstanding...right?!" Marinette paced back and forth, and then glanced hopefully up at Mirelle, who was now biting the edge of her lip.
"Well...I...I...did say "Tiki, Spots On," right before you dropped in, and you were sorta left holding the bag I had been wearing when he looked back," Mirelle sighed unhappily. At the horrified look that sprang onto Marinette's face, Mirelle rushed to explain. "I really thought I was helping! I thought if he thought I was you...or...Ladybug, there could be no way he would figure out Ladybug was actually Marinette! I guess I just panicked. I'm sorry I didn't want to let you down Ladybug!"
Marinette sighed, and patted the distraught girl on the shoulder. "I appreciate how much courage it took for you to race out there and try to distract that villain to help me and Chat Noir. It's just that the whole identity reveal thing between us has always been a bit of a sore spot in our partnership. Now I have to do damage control to make sure Chat Noir doesn't do anything reckless if he thinks you're the real Ladybug. Then there is the issue of your safety, if anyone was to find out you know my secret," Marinette once again paused in concern.
"I know I might not seem like it," Mirelle said quietly, "but I'm stronger than I look."
"Oh it's not that I doubt you. It is just that Hawkmoth tends to manipulate even the most well intentioned of people...or target those you care about," Marinette tried to explain.
Mireille nodded solemnly, "I know you didn't choose me Ladybug, but I promise to help you any way I can!"
"The best thing you could do is just forget you ever saw me," Marinette turned to go. Then she paused at the door and looked back at Mireille. "If you ever need my help you know where to find me okay. I'm sorry to lay all of this on your shoulders."
Marinette left hastily, determined to seek Tiki's council on this. Next she would have to track down Chat Noir before any more identities were compromised.