Ninety: The Interview

Chat and Ladybug move to the next phase of the plan and participate in a livestream for the Ladyblog.

Much as the faux interview we had conducted with Alya months earlier, we arrived at Trocadero Gardens to find a cozy setup ready and waiting for us. Two foldout chairs stood opposite one already occupied by the journalist, and small LED spots were arranged around the tableau casting away any shadows on those beneath them. In a nod to how her notoriety as an interviewer had grown, gone was the small stand that had held her phone and its built-in camera; instead, two professional digital cameras were arranged such that one would be from her perspective, and one would be from ours. A small control panel was just off camera beside her left hand, allowing her to swap views during the live stream. The fact that Alya was doing everything solo spoke to how good she had gotten with the technology over her years of covering not just the Heroes of Paris.

Stepping out of the darkness beside Ladybug, I waved at our friend. "Hey."

"Everything's ready," she smiled.

"Everything but us," Ladybug groaned. "This is going to be hard for me."

"I know," I said softly as I took her gloved hand into my paw. "We'll get through it together."

Ladybug leaned her head against my shoulder for a moment before we took our spots. After doing a quick sound check, Alya did a countdown and then looked into the camera behind us. "Hello, Paris! This is Alya Cesaire with an exclusive interview for the Ladyblog!" Nodding toward us, she continued. "Joining me tonight are the Heroes of Paris, Ladybug and Chat Noir."

I winked at the camera, and Ladybug smiled the smile that always made me go soft inside.

"Chat, I'd like to start with you. I understand from my sources that you recently ended your relationship with your longtime girlfriend…?"

"I did," I nodded slowly. "Not by choice."

"Why do you say that?"

I looked to my partner. "As Ladybug will tell you, this is a rather dangerous responsibility we have taken on." I looked at the camera. "Our duty is to protect Paris, including those we love with all of our heart," I said, allowing my ears to wilt slightly. "And I do love someone, but that has put her into grave danger."

"But you can protect her, right?" Alya asked. "You are a superhero after all."

"I can, and I have," I replied.

"Then why did you end your relationship? It seems like she would be safer with you by her side than not."

I smiled slightly at the expected question. "I will still be there for her – and for Paris," I said, glancing to Ladybug. "For her sake, though, it's better that we stay apart." I looked back to Alya. "I take my job seriously, and willingly took on the role of protecting this city. That pretty much means there's no space for me to have, well," I sighed as I let my masked eyes tear up a little, "any kind of a personal life at the moment."

"It looks like it was a hard decision," Alya observed softly.

"Yes, it was," I said, my voice catching. "For both of us."

"The two of you have given up quite a lot, haven't you?" she asked.

Ladybug nodded. "Like Chat said, it's part of the deal we willingly accepted. Until Hawkmoth has been removed as a threat to the city, we really don't have much of a choice." She turned to me and put her arm beneath mine. "We've been together a long time now, the two of us, and I'm not sure I could have made it this far without the support of my partner."

"I can say the same," I smiled slightly, then turned back to Alya. "There will be a time for us, someday."

Alya was sniffling. "Thank you for keeping Paris safe," she said softly.

"It's our—"

Almost in unison, my baton, Ladybug's yo-yo and Alya's phone sang out the tri-tone akuma alert. Without missing a beat, Alya killed the video feed and turned to us. "Figures."

"No kidding," I groaned as I snapped open my baton and saw the flashing location of the latest endeavor. My masked eyes went wide. "Milady," I said as I turned it toward her. "He's… he knows where we live…"

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. "There are other buildings in that area," she said, but I could hear she wasn't convinced. "He might not be focusing on Marinette."

"No, but we can't afford to take that chance," I said as I stood. "We need to go," I said to Alya.

"I'm coming with," she said; before I could protest, the flash of her transformation blinded us briefly before revealing Rena Rouge. "Want me to call in Carapace?" she asked as the three of us leapt for the first rooftop. "He can get the kids to my sister."

"Let's see what we're dealing with first," Ladybug replied. She looked to me, and I knew what she was thinking.

The Miracle Box.

"It's fine," I said reassuringly as I vaulted across an alley. "He'd have to first know you were the Guardian," I reminded her. "Then he'd have to tear apart the place to find it."

She pressed her lips together, and in truth, despite the new hiding place we had created, I was never comfortable leaving the Box for more than a few hours. Without saying a word, she stepped up the pace; I followed suit.

I didn't like coincidences, and this didn't feel like one.