Hey, I'm back with another chapter. This one is less humourous, but hopefully still enjoyable.

Summer evenings were always the best. The light breeze and the residual warmth from the sun made it pleasant to sit in, and the fading light, ribboning across the sky in brilliant streaks of colour, was always beautiful.

It was times like these when Adrien was most at peace.

He sat with Ladybug, swinging their legs over the side of a building as they watched the sunset together. He glanced to his side and watched her as she smiled softly. His hand reached out to lie on hers, just the softest touch, and she turned to him questioningly.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Come on, I know you better than that."

He smiled. "I was just thinking how nice this is. Just you and me and the sunset. It's peaceful. It's nice."

"It is." She agreed. "it's been so chaotic lately and it's nice to have a moment to ourselves."

"Yeah. I needed this. And it's always better with you."

She giggled. "Oh shut up, kitty."

"It's true!"

"You sap. I like being with you too."

"Hey Marinette?"

She startled at the use of her real name. "Yeah? You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I was just wondering what we're going to do."

"Huh?"

His fingers tapped on the rooftop as his legs dangled. "Well, it's all very well and good spying and being Pavo, and I'm not going to lie, letting out my dramatic side is fun, but this has to end at some point."

"I know, kitty. We'll find a way to get evidence, and we'll find a way to make sure your mum is ok. Like I said before, the guardians might be able to help. I'm going to contact master Su Han and see what he says. I'm also working on translating the grimoire, but Tikki doesn't know the language and now that master Fu isn't here, it's difficult."

"I know. Thank you anyway."

"We'll get her back and we'll catch your father. I promise."

"I know. Maybe I could help with the grimoire?" he suggested. "I know Mandarin and some Cantonese, and the miraculous are originally Chinese, right? Maybe the language has Chinese roots or etymology. Plus, the symbols might be similar. I could help?"

"That might be worth a try. Want to come round at some point later this week?"

"I'll see. Father is keeping an eye on me at the moment, so I'll have to be careful. But yeah, I'd love to come round."

"Great! I would ask my mum, but I can't exactly tell her what it is, and she'd ask questions, so thanks, kitty! I've got to go now – my dad wants to play a video game before he turns in for the night and I said I'd join him, so see you tomorrow."

"See you." Adrien waved. "Good luck beating your dad."

The next day dawned with birds chirping. This would be a good thing if these particular birds weren't pigeons. As it was, Mr Ramier had been akumatised yet again, and the pigeons were making their way through Paris, destroying anything and everything in their path.

"Really father?" Adrien groaned from his place on the top of the arc de triomphe. "Again?"

"Shut up and transform." His father snapped. "I'm going back to the mansion. Go straight back to school when this is over."

"Yes father."

Hawkmoth frowned at the pigeon droppings on his coat, then turned and leapt off the arc, using his cane to propel himself across the rooftops, similar to what Adrien did as Chat.

"Why are we on this large building?" Duusu asked. "It seems a bit stupid."

"It's what father told me to do." Adrien said. "Can I transform now?"

"I suppose."

"Great. Duusu, spread my feathers!"

His transformation washed over him, drowning him in icy blues and purples. His coat fluttered out behind and the fan appeared in his waiting hand.

Duusu's transformation felt very different to Plagg's. Plagg had always been a rush of energy, quick and exhilarating. It was like jumping into an ice cold bath, or being struck with electricity. The peacock was calmer somehow, more like a warm bath. It was relaxing, but almost too much so. Adrien always felt like if he stayed transformed for too long, he would have trouble detransforming again. The power of the peacock was alluring and addictive. He wondered if Nathalie felt the same way. He wondered if that was why his mother kept using it after she got sick.

He quickly shook that train of thought away. There was no use thinking about that. he had work to do.

Pavo opened his fan as he always did and created a large pigeon with the beadiest eyes he had ever seen.

"Go!" he cried, "Wreak your havoc on the world and then come back to your master!"

The giant pigeon eyed him warily.

"Go on." He urged it. "Wreak havoc. Do evil. Do bad stuff. Just go away!"

It continued to watch him.

"Go, you stupid bird! Get out of here!"

It cooed angrily at him, then promptly knocked him over as it opened its giant wings and flew away, hopefully towards the akuma.

Once again, Ladybug defeated Mr pigeon and Pavo's akuma quickly, and soon Paris was back to its relatively pigeon free state. Sighing, Pavo jumped down to the ground and ducked behind a tree to detransform.

"Duusu, rest my feathers." He said, yawning as he did so. Duusu flopped into his hands and he dug into his pocket for their almonds.

"Hey, you can rest when we get home, ok?"

"Thank you, Adrien. I'm not used to being out as much as this."

"It's fine." He said. "Just…"

"Excuse me," said a voice from behind him. "What the actual fuck?"

"Ahh!" he whirled round to come face to face with a phone camera. Behind said camera was Alya Cesaire.

"Adrien what the fuck?"

"Alya!" he yelped. "I can explain! How much exactly did you see?"

"Enough." She growled. "So you of all people have been gallivanting around as a supervillain? What the hell?"

"It's really not what it looks like."

"it isn't?" she raised her eyebrows. "I saw you do your whole dramatic villain thing, then jump off the arc de triomphe and detransform. Not really any other conclusions I could come to."

"I'm not evil!" he protested.

"Oh sure." she drawled. "You just terrorise Paris. No biggie."

"You didn't film that, did you?"

"What do you think, you genius. I have to go."

A streak of fear struck through Adrien's heart. "Alya, wait! You can't post that! Alya!" he cried, but she was already long gone.

"Marinette!" Alya yelled, banging open the door to the bakery. "Girl, you have to see this!"

"Hello Alya." Sabine Cheng said. "She's upstairs. Anything I can help with?"

"Hi, Mrs Cheng." Alya panted. "thanks. Um, I need sugar. Can I have one of those pan au chocolates?"

"Of course." Sabine smiled. "You know they're always on the house for you."

"Thanks!" she shouted as she thundered up the stairs.

Marinette was in her room feeding Tikki when Alya stormed in.

"Alya!" she looked up as she arrived. "You ok?"

"I need to talk to you." She wheezed. "It's Adrien."

"Adrien?"

"Yeah. God, Marinette. I don't know how to tell you this, but he's a supervillain. He's the new peacock holder. I saw him detransform."

To Marinette's credit, she didn't immediately freak out. Alya was sure that she'd start crying in that overly dramatic way of hers, but she kept a remarkably calm face.

"You what?"

"He's evil, Marinette! Evil!"

"Hold on, Alya." Her friend said. "He's not evil. Are you sure you saw Adrien?"

Alya fumed. "Of course I'm fucking sure. I think I'd recognise my friend. Why aren't you more bothered about this?"

"I think we should talk." Marinette gestured for her to come and sit beside her on her bed. Alya moved over reluctantly.

"I should probably start by saying sorry. Sorry I've been keeping you in the dark these last few weeks, and sorry you had to find out like this."

"Find out what." Alya frowned. "Girl, you're scaring me."

"I knew, Alya." She said. "I knew Adrien was Pavo. I suggested it."

Alya felt like her world was collapsing in on her. "What?" she whispered, voice small and confused.

"Adrien is Chat Noir." Marinette told her, dropping another bombshell. "that's why Chat hasn't been at the fights recently. He's been Pavo."

"Mari, what the hell? How did you even…"

"Long story short, his dad is Hawkmoth, and he gave him the peacock. I suggested he spy on him, and so we decided he would do this."

"Oh my god." Alya couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. This was… god. It was too much.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just, how is Adrien dealing with all this? And god, I was horrible to him earlier. And he's been… all this time? When did you find out? And Gabriel is really…"

"Yeah." Her friend nodded sadly. "It's a lot. Take some time to process it, then if you want, we can start getting Rena Rouge involved."

"I'll think about it. Thanks. For being honest with me."

"I shouldn't have lied in the first place. I'm glad you're ok with all this."

Alya laughed, although there was no humour in it. "I'm freaking out right now, but I think I will be ok."

"We have to be, don't we." Marinette shrugged. "It's all we can do."

I tried to put in less dialogue again, and once again it did not work. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!