Murphy's Law- anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

There was a noise like a whip cracking and the yoyo was suddenly launched again, expertly looping around the akuma's legs and yanking it from its feet, dragging it even further away from the teen sprawled in a fetal position.

"Not so fast!" Ladybug exclaimed, holding the yoyo taught as the akuma struggled. Her hard gaze never wavered as she turned to address the boy. "Nino, get out of here!"

He needed no encouragement from her, scrambling to his feet and backing away toward the steps. There was a flurry of movement behind him and Alya was at his side in a moment, phone still recording. He gripped her arm worriedly and adjusted the brim of his cap, but she seemed less than concerned about his well-being as she twisted the phone to follow the action, hurrying across the gym where Ladybug had managed to steer the creature and narrating the entire way.

"This is Alya Cesaire coming to you live from our schoolyard where Ladybug has just shown up to battle Hawkmoth's newest akuma, which appears to be some kind of ancient Japanese shinto warrior! No sign yet of Chat Noir! Stay tuned for the latest updates!"

"Alya!" Nino squawked as they took refuge behind the stairs and he took his dutiful position behind her. "Stop blogging! We need to hide!" Hiding was good. Hiding was the safe thing todo.This was the opposite of hiding! This was insanity!

No, he corrected himself. This was Alya. The blogger would go to any length to get a scoop for her website, even if it put her directly in the path of the akuma. No, forget the 'if'. Alya was always directly in the path of the akuma. In fact, from being nearly sacrificed for a really whacked-out mummy to being akumatized herself, no matter where his girlfriend went, trouble seemed to follow close behind.

But she wasn't the only one, he realized, now thinking of Marinette hiding just in the office behind the battle and Adrien who hadn't even shown up for class and was probably caught up in the mess outside. It seemed as though his friends simply could not stay out of trouble for two seconds, like, seriously, dude, was it too much to ask to have one normal day of school without someone he knew getting villainized or disappearing or running off to do heaven-knows-what?

Nino was truly beginning to question his choice of friends. Oh, why had he involved himself in the first place? Why hadn't he just minded his own business that day when Adrien first came to class? He hadn't needed to intervene. He could have just gone on his with his life of solitude and mixes without anyone's touchy, lovey-dovey, I-Have-No-Friends-I'm-So-Desperate-I'll-Befriend-The-Class-Recluse mush. But he'd felt sorry for Adrien, especially after the way he'd blown him off in the beginning, thinking he was like Chloe. He'd wanted to prove that friends-real friends-weren't like that. And from the bond formed with the model, he'd opened up and started to let people see a side of him he'd always kept hidden. He'd friended Marinette and begun dating Alya, both of whom he would never have associated with had it not been for Adrien. So, in a way, in helping Adrien discover what it meant to have actual friends, Adrien had actually been teaching him.

And now, he knew, no matter how much they absolutely exasperated him, he knew he was better off because of them.

And he couldn't just leave the people who had made such a difference in his life in danger, no matter what the cost.

"Wait..." Alya glanced up, catching his arm. He jumped, realizing he'd begun to stand up. "Nino, what are you doing? Stay down!"

"Marinette is trapped in Mr. Damoclese's office!" Nino hissed back. "I have to help her!"

"Are you crazy? With ninja-lady out there? She'll slice you into pepperoni!" Alya flung out an arm toward the battle to make her point. From where he crouched, Nino could see the progress of the fight was going slowly. Ladybug had managed to corner the akuma and she approached cautiously, swinging her yoyo wildly. Still no sign of Chat Noir...

"You told me to stop her," Nino retorted defensively, having already made up his mind. "Besides," he added, grabbing his hat and shoving his glasses up his nose proudly. "I have taken on an akuma before, ya know!"

"Uh, no! You got pulverized by an akuma!" Alya protested. "That's not the same thing! Nino? Are you listening to m-NINO!"

He didn't hear the end of her exclamation as he was already ducking out from his cover and diving for the office door. At first, the path was entirely clear, with Ladybug fending off the swordswoman and a jolt of victory flooded his veins. Maybe he didn't need his miraculous to be a hero after all! Maybe he could do it all on his own and-

At Alya's scream, however, all attentions were drawn toward him. Instantly, knowing he was spotted, Nino felt his body freeze up and he hit the brakes on his victorious bolt. His arms pinwheeled for a moment before he managed to right himself and his eyes widened as the akuma wheeled on him, Ladybug forgotten in the moment.

Speaking of Ladybug, the spotted hero gasped as she zoned in on him standing there, defenseless, and the creature now barreling toward him, sword raised dangerously above her head. "NINO, MOVE!"

Oh no. Nino willed his body to respond, to move, to do anything to dodge the blade, but it seemed his lightning-quick reflexes had gone with the superpowers. His feet, firmly planted on the earth, he covered his face with his arms and cringed away, waiting for the impact-

"CATACLYSM!"

A new, yet very familiar voice flooded the gym and a whoosh of air rushed past him, along with a burst of heat from what Nino knew was Chat Noir's power. There was a hiss of fury, the sound of metal shattering, and a laugh of relief.

It was a moment before Nino realized the latter had come from him.

Carefully, he opened his eyes, finding Chat Noir quite literally shielding him with his body, clawed hands outstretched and the last of the hero's powers slipping away. The first of his warning beeps had begun, flashing dangerously on his ring, but he paid no attention to it, his eyes focused on the black butterfly that wriggled free of the blade and flapped toward the skylight.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Ladybug called, swinging her yo-yo like a lasso, snatching up the butterfly and cleansing it.

Seeing that his partner had taken care of the danger, Chat Noir now turned on Nino who stiffened, spotting genuine concern in the hero's eyes. Like, a level of concern that was not typical for some random citizen that just so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Oh darn. Oh darn, he knows, Nino's mind screamed as he struggled to remain emotionless. He knows I'm Carapace, doesn't he? How? Did Ladybug tell him? No, she wouldn't have. She was adamant that no one could know. If Chat doesn't even know who she is...but then why does it seem like he recognizes me?

"Hey, Nino," Chat spoke, all anger evaporating from his voice as he reached forward to grasp the DJ's shoulders firmly. "Hey, man, you okay?"

It took him a second to wrench himself from his own circling mind of panic and Oh-my-word-he-knows-who-I-am-and-Ladybug-is-going-to-kill-me-and-then-Adrien-will-kill-me-and-Alya-will-help-and-Mari-will-dispose-of-my-body-behind-the-bakery-and-I'll-be-absolutely-totally-dead before he could begin to process what he was hearing.

"Wha-? Oh, oh, yeah, I-I'm fine, dude." Nino chuckled nervously, trying to shake off the hero's death-grip, feeling the blood flow to his arms constrict. "But what did you dudes do to irritate Hawkman this time?" he added, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to the young woman Ladybug and Alya was helping to her feet.

Chat let out a long breath of relief and slowly backed off as Ladybug allowed an overly enthusiastic Alya to help the woman from the room so she could focus her piercing ocean-blue gaze on the two males.

"Chat? You all right?"

"I'm purrfect, My Lady," Chat responded, dropping into his cheeky bow as Ladybug rolled her eyes and shoved him roughly out of the way to look Nino right in the eyes.

Fear again.

What was it with these two?

Of course, she knew his secret. She knew what he was hiding. But that didn't make him feel any better about the death glare burning into him. "Nino?"

"I...ah...I'm f-fine, Du-ahhh, Ladybug." He dropped his gaze shamefully. But that position of defeat did not last long as he remembered the whole reason for his daring escapade in the first place. "Mari!" he blurted, catching the heroes off guard as he swung around to face the office. "I gotta check and make sure she's all right!"

He started forward, but Ladybug stopped him. "Your friend is fine," she assured him. "I already got her to safety. Are you sure you're all right?" That wasn't really the question she was asking him and he knew it. Though a noble action, he didn't leave the hero work to the more trained when they were more than capable of handling the situation themselves. And he'd almost died twice because of it.

"I'm fine!" he insisted. "Honestly!"

"My Lady," Chat interrupted, drawing his partner's gaze toward him just as another resounding beep could be heard from his ring. "If that's all the evil Hawkmoth is going to throw at us today, I think I should take my leave now. You see, I was in the middle of a very pleasant cat nap and I'd kinda like to get back to it."

"All right," Ladybug said with a nod. "Go ahead. I'll fix up around here and make sure everyone is accounted for."

"Sounds like a plan," Chat responded, extending his staff and vaulting onto the roof. "Later, gators!"

"And as for you," Ladybug went on sternly as Nino attempted to use the distraction to slink away quietly. "I appreciate your eagerness to help your friend. It's...admirable, but-"

"I know," Nino sighed, pulling off his hat to run a hand through his hair. "I should have left it to the professionals. It's just...Marinette was in danger, Ladydude! And I couldn't just...leave her there! If the swordswoman had seen her go into Mr. Damocles's office...I..." He trailed off there, his voice fading hopelessly as he tried not to picture what might have happened had Ladybug not shown up when she did.

"Nino." Now Ladybug's hands were on his shoulders, albeit a lot more gently than Chat's. "I gave you the miraculous of protection for a reason. Because I trust you. But today you didn't have Wayzz. You had no powers and you could have been seriously injured. Are you getting what I am trying to tell you?"

"Yeah, I got it," Nino seethed, hunching his shoulders against his headphones irritably.

"Don't pout, little turtle," Ladybug chuckled, her eyes dancing at his slight blush. "You'll get another chance to be a hero. But until then..."

"No more heroics," Nino finished, nodding slowly. "I promise. Just as long as Mari is safe-"

"I assure you she is."

"Are we cool then, dudette?"

"We're cool...dude." She gave him a small smile, already spinning her yoyo around, planning her exit. "I should go," she went on. "Alya will be back soon and us standing here talking might make her suspicious."

Nino nodded dumbly, watching as she lassoed a nearby pole and began to swing herself toward the ceiling.

"Oh, wait! Ladybug! Where's...where's Mari?"

The superheroine paused upon reaching the roof. "I left her in the chemistry lab," she said. "I told her to hide until the battle was over."

And then she was gone.

Right, Nino thought, readjusting his hat and turning toward the stairs once again. Just outside, he could hear Alya consoling the girl, probably talking about her own akumazation. Nino shivered at the memory and made his decision. Alya's got this handled. I'd better check on Marinette.

After glancing at his phone and confirming that Adrien had not sent him any texts about being in mortal peril, Nino hastily bolted up the stairs and rounded the bend toward the science lab, passing several rooms with the curious eyes of the other students watching him, most likely wondering why he wasn't hiding like the rest of them.

Because he needed to be sure Marinette was all right.

He rounded the final bend, hastily passing through the locker rooms and into the back half of the school where he easily detected the lab as the furthest door from the hall. Cautiously, he approached, knocking softly on the wood. "Marinette?" he said. "It's Nino. It's okay to come out now, dude. Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated the akuma."

There was no answer from the bluenette.

Frowning, Nino knocked harder. "Marinette? You in here?"

Nothing.

Growing concerned, Nino tried the knob. It was unlocked. "All right. Mari? Heads up, I'm coming in."

With that warning, he twisted the knob and pulled open the door, blinking as the darkness of the lab washed over him. He narrowed his eyes, searching for a huddled figure underneath one of the desks or behind the lab equipment. He felt his heart rate spike slightly when he realized no one was there.

"Marinette? Dudette? Where are you?"

Carefully, he made his way further into the room, shutting the door behind him and working his way up the elevated platform to the furthest desks, checking each one for any sign of his friend. The room seemed untouched. Almost as though no one had ever been there to begin with.

But Ladybug said she was here. And Ladybug wouldn't lie, would she?

He glanced once more to his phone and brought up Marinette's contact number. Hey, Mari, where are you? The akuma is gone but you're not here and I'm gonna admit, I'm freakin' out a little. Text me back, please!

He stuffed his device back into his pocket and sighed, turning once more to the front with the intention of leaving. Perhaps Marinette had just found another room to hide in instead? Or maybe Ladybug had gotten her rooms mixed up, since she wasn't a student at the school?

But just as he reached the front of the classroom, he heard the familiar ringtone from the girl's phone. He paused to listen, trying to locate its source.

Why did it sound like it was outside the window?

"Mari?" he stated dumbly, twisting back to face the wall with a frown. "What's going o-"

And then, out of nowhere, the window shattered and a familiar figure in red swung in.

Nino yelped, diving back behind one of the tables and covering his face in shock. "Ladybug!" he exclaimed, his voice muffled by his hands. "What-"

She didn't answer him. She didn't even seem to realize he was there at first as she limped over to the professor's desk and leaned against it with a grunt. And then, she said the words Nino had never expected to hear with his own ears.

"Tikki, spots off."

There was a flash of light and a gasp and suddenly, a second, higher voice was heard.

"Good job, Marinette!" spoke the Kwami. "You successfully stopped the akuma and saved the school!"

"Thanks, Tikki," came an extremely familiar, albeit exhausted, voice. "Though I still wish Nino hadn't tried to get involved. He should have stayed in hiding with Alya."

"He's young," Tikki explained. "He just discovered the world of superheroes yesterday and was just trying to help you...the real you. Maybe you were a little hard on him."

What? Nino felt his world beginning to crumble around him, his brain short-circuiting after the kwami's first sentence. Did she just say WHAT I THINK SHE DID? He gasped and immediately slapped his hands over his mouth.

But it was too late. The damage was done. Both girl and kwami spun toward him, identical looks of terror etched across their features. Nino instantly wished he were anywhere else as he recognized the hero's sharp blue gaze. Only, she wasn't the superheroine now. And that scared him to death. He tried to cower behind the table, but it did little to hide him as Ladybug came closer.

And then he did the most abominable thing he could have done in that moment. Something he knew he was going to be regret for the rest of his life, no matter how short it ended up being.

He looked up.

"Marinette?"

"Nino?"