"Well that went better than I thought it would." Ella commented; Chloé had left somewhat quietly and Marinette was getting into the Ladybug costume in the trailer.
"Yeah... I've never seen Chloé leave quietly after a disagreement." Adrien frowned, unease settling in his chest.
"Why does that sound really ominous?" Ella groaned, her forehead making contact with her palm. Adrien smiled playfully at her actions, reaching over and gently pulled the mask from her eyes.
"W-what're you doing?" His girlfriend stuttered, her grey eyes finding his green ones.
"Just wanted to see your beautiful face without the mask~" He flirted lightly, twirling the fabric mask around his finger via the eye hole.
Ella blushed as red as Ladybug's costume, her eyes comically wide. That was Cat Noir-level flirting right there... when did Adrien learn that one!?
"You-you've been hanging out with Cat Noir, haven't you. His flirtiness has rubbed off on you." She stated, lowering her reddened face to the ground. Though her words seemed innocent, given Adrien said before he knew Cat Noir, Ella's brain couldn't help but begin to compare the two. Especially with her boyfriend dressed as the feline hero- even without the mask... the two boys could be the same...
At that thought, Ella's gaze shot up, her grey eyes connecting with Adrien's green ones... just like Cat's eyes...
Wait- was Ella really thinking that Adrien... her Adrien- could be Cat Noir!?
"Ella?" Adrien frowned, confused. She didn't seem to have heard his response to the flirting comment, as her eyes stared into his own. Those grey orbs... it was as if they could see everything about him- and it made him suddenly very self-conscious about that costume he was wearing.
Adrien fidgeted with the fabric mask in his hands, the urge to ask that burning question growing in his chest... when Marinette came running from the trailer and to the stage.
"There she is!" Alya's voice came from the crowd and the rest of the girls cheered for the blunette as she joined Adrien and Ella on stage, effectively pulling both teens from their reverie.
"Spot on! And spotlight!" Clara called, signaling the lights, which flicked on and illuminated the stage. She corralled the three teens together into a semi-circle, her arms stretching around their shoulders to pull them close.
"So, you're Ladybug, Raven and Cat Noir, right?"
"No! Uh...uh...yeah!" Adrien and Marinette exclaimed, but covered their tracks quick. Ella remained silent, her grey eyes focused on anything but the scenario around her.
"Now, you two will be dancing side-by-side. Ella, you and I will be on either end so we don't collide. You will be singing what you wrote and then I'll join in on my own note!" Clara explained, gently persuading Ella over to the left of the stage while Adrien and Marinette remained in the middle.
"Wait- so Ella's not really in the video?" Adrien asked, his tone sounded upset as he unconsciously tucked Ella's 'Raven' mask behind back in his belt.
"She will, as a singer beside me! Just as important to the video as you and LB!" Clara reassured, as Ella turned to Adrien.
"Don't worry, Adrien. I'm okay with that." Ella gave him a small smile, but her mind was still dancing around the possibility that the blond could be Cat Noir.
While the two others began to learn the dance moves for the video, Ella took a seat on the stage edge facing the trailers.
"Kiisy... did you see anything- in my fate- about Cat Noir?" She whispered as the kwami climbed from the nest of hair to sit on her shoulder.
"I... I never really looked at that kind of thing, Elly. I just wanted to make sure you met Adrien..."
"So nothing? Nothing about Cat Noir was ever-"
"Hey, hey! Don't think like that! Just because I didn't see it doesn't mean it wasn't meant to happen!"
"Then can we check!? Can we see-"
"Elly, you know that's not what the powers are for!" The kwami whisper-yelled, slamming her little paw down on Ella's shoulder. The teen flinched, the movement shifting Kiismet off her perch. The little bird's expression changed from exasperated to worried in a flash, her holder flinched away from her again as she flitted back into the shelter of Ella's hair.
"Are you alright, Ella?" A familiar voice spoke over the white noise filling Ella's ears, drawing the teen's gaze upwards.
"Y-yes, Na- mom... I'm okay." Ella didn't look up to know Nathalie was standing in front of her, tablet still present.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, sir. Just a little flashback. Sorry." Ella couldn't help the panic in her chest. She had just blatantly lied to Mr. Agreste and her future mother... but she couldn't exactly say she flinched away from her kwami after they fought about seeing whether or not Adrien was really Cat Noir.
"Your first group therapy session has been scheduled for Monday the 24th. Nathalie will pick you up. On the 22nd, before the final adoption meeting, you have another doctors appointment."
"Another one?"
"Dr. Lavigne wants to make sure the medications are working well with your system." Nathalie explained, drawing a slow nod from Ella. The teen still didn't like the idea that she had to take pills to make sure she functioned properly, but the doctor kept explaining that she needed them, despite feeling as if everything was okay.
"...Adrien still doesn't know?" Ella asked shyly. She didn't want the blond to think different of her for taking meds.
"Not unless you want my son to know." Mr. Agreste nodded before asking Nathalie to take him back to center stage. Ella lowered her gaze back to the ground, feeling Kiismet climb down from her hair to her lap.
"I'm sorry, Elly..."
"It's alright, Kiisy. I know the rules and was foolish to ask you to break them- especially now that Master Fu knows everything. The last thing I want is to give him more reasons to take you away from me."
"That'll never happen, beany- I promise you."
Ella nodded and placed her finger in Kiismet's waiting grasp. The kwami gripped the appendage tight, nuzzling against it. The girl smiled and giggled lightly, raising her head and looking over her shoulder at the dance rehearsal...
"Not like that. Don't be shy! Like lovers do. Give it a try!" Clara had Marinette and Adrien holding hands, and Ella couldn't help the twinge in her chest. But she bit her lip and gave a small smile when Adrien glanced over at her, his own apologetic frown gracing his lips.
"One final task: put on the mask~" Clara smiled, waving Ella over. The teen stood and joined the trio.
"Uh, I didn't see it. I looked everywhere in the dressing room for it but it was..." Adrien started.
"Uh, well, I...found the costume, but the mask was, um..." Marinette offered.
"...nowhere to be found!" The pair finished together.
Clara began to laugh, prompting Marinette and Adrien to laugh along, albeit awkwardly. Ella couldn't help her own giggled at Adrien's clear discomfort, before she realized the boy still had her own mask. She opened her mouth to ask for it back, when a stage hand shouted from the nearby trailer, "It's okay! I found them!"
Marinette and Adrien gasped, making Ella shake her head. She could understand Marinette not wanting to wear the mask- there was a chance she could be recognized as Ladybug. The stage hand ran up, passing the masks over to Clara who in turn, handed them to Marinette and Adrien.
"Go ahead, put them on, you two. We've got a lot of singing and dancing to do! Oh Ella- where's your mask? You need yours too to complete the task!"
"As far I as I know, Adrien still has it." Ella offered in a small voice, worried about getting in trouble for not keeping the mask on her person. Said blond startled, remembering he took it when he was flirting earlier, and removed it from its spot behind his back.
"Here you go, Elle. Sorry, Clara."
"No worries, it's all good! Now let's put the masks on and begin this video, as we should!"
The three teens nodded, Ella hesitantly accepting a mike from the stage hand and placed her own mask over her eyes, while Adrien and Marinette looked absolutely terrified to put on their masks.
Adrien couldn't remember a time he was more terrified of doing something. Actually, that's not true- going into Ella's hospital room after her surgery was the most terrifying thing he's ever done, but this was a distant second. He was so scared someone was going to recognize that he was Cat Noir- Ella had been staring at him earlier when he accidentally dipped into his hero persona when he flirted, as if she realized something.
The black cloth mask was inches from his face when the doors slammed open once more.
"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." Mayor Bourgeois walked in with a stack of papers a foot high, and Chloé entered behind him looking as smug as the cat that ate the canary. The Mayor approached the stage and dumped the heavy stack of papers into Clara's arms.
"I...I don't understand!" Clara exclaimed, bewildered.
"It means no more dancing, no more singing today," Chloé mocked, grabbing Clara's microphone, and throwing it off the stage, "the nightingale can spread her wings, and fly away! Oh! Did you hear that? I made a rhyme! How talented am I?"
"More like bigoted, Chloé. Do you really need to be such a brat?" Ella berated the blonde girl under her breath, drawing Adrien's attention. He reached over and gave Ella's hand a gentle squeeze, urging her to calm down.
Clara tossed the papers aside, and tearfully runs down from the stage to her fallen microphone, the star cracked from the impact, and picked it up to see the damage.
"No! The video needs to be shot here, in Paris, the capital of love, the city of Ladybug, Raven and Cat Noir! This ruins all of my plans! I'm so sorry, my beloved fans!" Clara ran into a dressing trailer, the door slamming shut behind her.
"Clara!" Ella called, running after her. Adrien watched her girlfriend run after the singer, before turning to Chloé, who stood there smirking.
"Really Chloé? Just cause you didn't get the part of Ladybug? It's Clara's choice who she wants to star and she wanted Marinette." The blond admonished his childhood friend before going off to the trailer he was in before. Nathalie stood at the door, waiting with his father still on the video call.
"Change and return home." His father spoke before the call ended.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Adrien asked Nathalie, who shook her head.
"Unfortunately, the mayor has the authority for such things and despite your father's influence, he doesn't seem too worried about fighting it." The older woman sighed slightly, her gaze traveling from her charge to Ella, still knocking against the door and talking to Clara through the wood.
"Yes, Hawk Moth, thank you, for making this dream come true!" Ella heard Clara's voice finally through the thin door, startling the teen back. Ella's head whipped around, looking for her boyfriend and mother, hoping to warn them before it was too late.
"The show is over! You all have to leave now." Chloé cackled at the extras still in line, pointing towards the door. The extras complain but start to leave... when a glowing whip suddenly struck Chloé and her father, giving them pink auras.
"Sing, dance or rhyme, or you'll be frozen in no time!"
"No!" Ella whispered in horror, realizing Adrien (who had changed back into his normal clothes) was standing too close to the villain's reach for her comfort.
"What is she talking about? Dancing and making rhymes? And why not play the trumpet too, while you're at it-" Chloé's rant was cut off as she suddenly turned into a shiny pink statue, causing everyone in the room to gasp. Ella darted away, avoiding catching Nathalie's attention and hid behind the furthest trailer.
"I thought I could talk to her! I tried my best to cheer her up before Hawk Moth sensed it!" The noirette gasped out, her breathing becoming erratic and tears dripped down her cheeks. Kiismet floated in front of her face, patting her cheeks to keep her mind above the panic.
"You did your best, Elly! You can still help Clara by transforming and freeing her from the akuma's control!"
Ella froze at her kwami's words, taking a second to collect herself before wiping away the tears.
"You're right, Kiisy. There's no time to be crying when I can help!" Ella took a deep breath before calling out.
"Kiismet, touch the sky!"
Raven leapt out from her spot, reaching for her hook but her attention was drawn elsewhere as the akumatized Clara aimed her whip... at the defenseless Adrien.
"NO!" Abandoning all reason, Raven flung herself between the whip and the blond, flinching at the sting against her face.
"Raven!"
"Go run! Forget about me! Getting yourself to safety will make me happy!" She quickly rhymed, making sure to shove the teen away. She watched him until he was out of sight before she turned back to the villainess.
"Quick on your feet, Raven, but you know- despite everything you are just too slow!" Frightningale taunted, her whip swinging down once more and colliding with Raven's chest... turning the heroine into a pink statue.
"Time to transform! Tikki, spots on!"
"Plagg, claws out!"
Frightningale stood atop the Grand Palais, whipping people below, all of them turned into pink statues since they ran away rather than try to rhyme or dance.
"Sing, dance or rhyme, or you'll be frozen in no time!" The villain exclaimed again, lifting her arm to whip more civilians... when from behind her, Ladybug used her yo-yo to catch her wrist.
"I thought you were a fan of Cat Noir, Raven and me, Nightingale; so you should know that we fight villains!" Ladybug called out, anger coursing through her towards the villain. Before she had transformed, she saw Frightningale's whip strike Raven, turning the heroine into a statue.
"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!" The villain smirked, using her other hand to tear away Ladybug's yo-yo and free her whip, flinging the pink leather at the heroine. Ladybug jumped out of the way, dodging and attacking.
"You have to come around! Don't let negative emotions take you over!" Ladybug yelled, flinging her yo-yo at Frightningale again, but the villainess caught it, and spun the end of it as she approached the teen.
"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 held. Ladybug dodged it takes their fight off the roof, and down to the ground, where Ladybug regained control of her weapon.
"I can help you if you give me your akuma!"
"I won't let you take my akuma away. I like the new me, and I'm here to stay!"
Frightningale growled and charged towards the heroine, only to be tripped by Cat Noir's staff. The feline hero retracted the staff, spinning it before himself.
"Do you mind if I join the dance?" He smirked, extending the staff to the ground in front of him and rested his chin and hands on it... but his eyes danced with a raging fire- one Ladybug had seen before, when Raven was captured by Prime Queen; Cat Noir had seen Raven get struck too.
Frightningale leapt back up, jumping over Cat Noir onto the roof of the Petit Palais across the way.
"You're like all the others; but you can't silence me! I'm just trying to make the world better, can't you see? Do you really think the two of you can win this battle through and through?"
"Two is always better than one! Cat Noir, I'll take the left."
"I'm on it! She's gonna pay for hurting Raven!"
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
The pink ladybugs flew around, freeing all who had been struck and turned to statues. Cat ran towards Raven as the heroine unfroze, pulling her into his arms while Ladybug captured the akuma.
"What have I told you about sacrificing yourself like that!?" Cat scolded the feathered teen, barely pulling away just enough to press his hand to her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Ad- kitty. My body moved faster than my brain." Cat almost froze at her stumble, but brushed it aside for the moment.
"Just don't do it again... you're gonna give me a heart attack."
"Can't make promises, mon chaton but I'll try not to send you to an early grave."
Cat just shook his head, pulling her over to Ladybug who offered her fist to the feline hero.
"Pound it!" Two of the three fist-bumped before Ladybug faced Raven.
"Do that again and you'll have more than Cat Noir to deal with."
"I hear you loud and clear, bugaboo-"
"I'm serious, Raven! What if we needed you!? I know you think you're just the background protection- the one who has our backs no matter what, but we need you at our side even more! You need to stop sacrificing yourself and start-"
"Ladybug? Raven! Cat Noir! What are you doing here?" Ladybug's scolding was cut off by Clara's approach, saving the noirette from further yelling.
"You were akumatized by Hawk Moth; but everything's back to normal again." Cat answered, pulling Raven against his side as the girl shook slightly from Ladybug's harsh reality.
"I was saved by the three of you? How amazing! Too good to be true!"
"It was just Ladybug and-" Raven started, but Cat slapped his hand over her mouth. She shot him a look, but he returned it with one of his own.
"I have an idea how you can finish your video without anyone getting in your way!" Ladybug smiled, ignoring Raven's attempts, walking up to Clara, and whispering in her ear.
"I'm serious, Raven. Ladybug was right- you're not just background protection. We need you in the fight and we can't do that if you keep sacrificing yourself like that." Cat repeated the words from earlier as him and Raven stood atop the Eiffel Tower top deck. Raven was sitting on the railing again, with Cat's arms wrapped around her waist as the moon shined bright down on them.
"I know, and I'm sorry. How many times do I have to say it?"
"Until you actually get it through your head and change." Cat sighed, nuzzling his face into Raven's neck. The heroine sighed before a hand reached up and ran its way through Cat's hair.
"...I'm not as needed as you and Ladybug, to protect Paris. But I'll try and be there for you two as much as I can." She spoke after a minute, her words disturbing Cat, but she continued.
"My whole life- I've been told I'm nothing. Now being a part of this team, I feel important- being at your backs and being able to protect the ones I care about. It'll be hard for me to change, but I'll do my best to fight side-by-side with you and Ladybug."
"...and that's all we can ask of you, mon merle."
After school the next day, the class gathered in the library to watch the finished "Miraculous" video. After everything was resolved yesterday, Clara decided (with Ladybug's suggestion) to have everyone wear one of the three masks and film themselves dancing to the song. The singer spend the student's school day editing the video together and had sent it to Ella for display. Said girl had the video set up, but decided not to join the crowd, sitting at a table a bit away to work on the new music assignment. Adrien stood at her side, watching the video while she worked- the two were partners for the assignment after all. After yesterday, he had barely left her side- a residual affect from being Cat Noir and the conversation.
"It's so much better like this!"
"At least now everybody gets to be in it!"
"Besides, even though Marinette and Adrien kinda look like Ladybug and Cat Noir, they really weren't believable."
"I couldn't agree more! And I wouldn't have had any fun playing Ladybug. It was so much better being with you guys!"
"Yeah, I prefer this version, too. I couldn't have pulled off playing Cat Noir." Adrien grinned, leaning against the table beside Ella's bag.
"I know. Worlds apart!" Marinette waved her hand dismissively.
"What?" Adrien cocked his head at Marinette's words.
"What I meant was that you'd be more lame as Cat Noir than in real life. No! N-Not that you're lame in real life, right? It's just, compared to Cat Noir, you're just, I mean...you don't look a thing like him, that's what I mean." Marinette scrambled, making Adrien chuckle.
"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!"
"Yeah." The pair laughed awkwardly, as the class began filing out of the library. Alya dragged Marinette from the room, leaving Adrien and Ella alone.
"You ready to work on the music assignment?" The noirette asked, glancing up between her lashes, making the blond blush 'Ladybug' red.
"Y-yeah." Adrien took his seat, looked around the room before pulling Ella's hand into his. The girl startled slightly, her grey eyes scanning the room before meeting his. Adrien smiled that smile he reserved just for her, inwardly rejoicing at the blush he drew from her, leaning forward and planting a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"If anyone looked like a superhero yesterday, you did." He whispered, resting his forehead against Ella's and closing his eyes. The girl didn't answer, and the pair stayed like that for a minute or so. Even though he didn't want to, Adrien pulled back and pulled the assignment sheet towards himself with his free hand.
" 'Write a song opposite the prompt' and we got 'sad song'."
"Y-yeah..." Adrien looked up at her hesitance, cocking his head.
"What is it?"
"W-well, I... I had few ideas already, if you wanna read them." Adrien smiled again at her, nodding and taking the sheet Ella handed to him. For the next hour, the pair sat in comfortable silence occasionally broken by ideas for lyrics. And it was an hour Adrien wouldn't trade for the world, as his eyes watched Ella more than ever... seeing Raven's old wings stretching out behind her in his minds eye.