Chapter 22: Decisions and Revelations

Back in her room, Marinette slumped down on her bed, too tired and confused to do much else. The fight against Copycat and everything around it had left her exhausted, body and mind, but she tried to not think about it. It was in the past, they'd won. Chat Noir was safe. That was all that mattered. Everything else, what she'd seen and heard… she'd have to come to terms with it all. Eventually. But for now, she just couldn't think about it. Partially because she'd had been enough already for one day.

And partially, because there was something else occupying her mind.

That part was itching to go to Luka right away and talk to him, so much so that the urge was driving her mad. But what was there to talk about? She couldn't tell him she knew he was Viperion. She couldn't ask him why he hadn't told her about it or assure him she would keep his secret now that she knew. She couldn't tell him that he could trust her. Because Marinette wasn't supposed to know about any of this.

"Oh, Tikki, what am I supposed to do now?" she groaned. Her forehead was resting on her knees and she had her arms wrapped around her legs. She felt so weak and small, so useless. More alone than ever before.

As always, Tikki came over to hug her neck with her short arms. "I'd say you should rest. This was a tough fight."

But Marinette shook her head. "No, that's not the problem. It's… What about Luka? Until now, not telling him I'm Ladybug was a necessity… but also only a minor issue. What would he care about who Ladybug is, right? But now? Now that I know who he is, how can I keep keeping this secret from him? It'll feel like lying, every time I spend time with him as Marinette and also every time he joins us in a fight. I… I'm not sure I can do this."

She sobbed. There was no way out of this. Or rather… there was one way. But Master Fu had always been so adamant about how her identity had to stay a secret at all costs. She didn't understand it, but he must have had an important reason. She couldn't risk breaking this rule.

But maybe… maybe this was a sign. Being with him when she had to lie like this wasn't possible, especially with Luka who valued honesty above everything else. So that meant she and Luka were just not meant to be, right? Maybe it had been a mistake to try her luck with him in the first place. He had Chat, after all, and she couldn't even begrudge Chat certainly having told Luka who he was. Not with how perfect they clearly were for each other.

Snivelling, she lifted her head, aimlessly gazing through teary eyes—until they landed on the photos at her wall. Almost against her will and despite her tears, her lips twitched into a small smile. "Maybe I should see this as a lesson," she mused, her fingertips caressing over the pictures.

Tikki, hovering by her hand now, cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Her smile grew more genuine. "I mean that I certainly learned something over these past weeks. How good it feels to love and be loved. That it's something I definitely want in my life. And being with Luka also taught me some self-confidence, I think. At least I can freely talk to him, right? So…"

Her gaze shifted from Luka to the one standing next to him in her favourite picture.

"So maybe now that I know I can do this, it works in other situations, too. Being with Luka won't work out; not with keeping these secrets and I don't know that there's room for me anyway, what with Chat and all… But maybe things with Adrien can work out now. Maybe this is my sign that I should focus on him after all, that it'll be worth it. I could at least give it a try, don't you think?"

"Oh, Marinette…" Tikki murmured.

She didn't look convinced though, her huge eyes sad. As if she knew something that Marinette didn't. With a weak snort, Marinette turned her head away. Tikki probably knew how pathetic and completely ridiculous any hopes in that direction were.

"I should probably think about this some more when my heart and mind don't feel like mashed potatoes," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "There's been a bit too much emotional stuff going on tonight."

She sat up straighter and took a deep breath, her mind following the air as it filled her lungs and left them again. In and out. Letting all weariness and all sorrows flow out of her and taking in the energy she needed to deal with everything else. Eventually, she would know what to do. This wasn't a problem she had to solve now.

And until then, she had a more practical matter to tend to, anyway.

"I have to take his Miraculous away, don't I?"

Questioningly, Tikki cocked her head. "Whose?"

"Viperion's, I mean. Luka's. Now that both Chat and I know who he is? It's too dangerous, isn't it?"

Humming, Tikki flew closer. "That is up to you," she said. "You are the Guardian, so you decide."

Marinette pressed her lips together. She didn't want to take his Miraculous away. Even with how it messed up her relationship, she was honestly happy that Luka was part of her team, and such an important and trustworthy wart, too. No, taking his Miraculous away for good, that couldn't be the right thing to do. Not when it felt so wrong.

For a long while, her mind was churning through these questions, examining her feeling and throughs, all the things Master Fu had taught her. Until she made a decision.

"No time to rest, after all," she said, standing up. "There's one more thing I've got to do tonight. Tikki, Spots On!"

. o O o .

It was only a few minutes later that she reached the Liberty's mooring place. Since their fight against Copycat, hours had passed by now, so wherever Viperion had brought Chat, he had to be back by now. And really, despite the late hour, there was dim light coming from Luka's cabin.

No excuse to put it off then, she thought to herself, not quite sure whether or not to feel relieved.

Dangling from her Yo-Yo in front of his window, she couldn't see much of what was inside the room, so she knocked, hoping to not wake him up, after all. There was some commotion, startled movements, and… voices? Did that mean he wasn't alone? But—

Her thoughts got interrupted abruptly when Luka appeared at the window. There was surprise on his face, but he quickly opened the window for her. "Ladybug? What… Did something else happen?" he asked, looking tense and biting his lip as he shifted to adjust his standing. He'd only opened the window a little, blocking the view into his room with his body. His… almost naked body!

Swallowing, Ladybug blinked a few times, trying to regain her composure. She'd spent long hours cuddling with Luka, but so far hadn't seen him in a state of undressed anything remotely like this. Blushing fiercely, she realised—the other voice she'd heard must have been Chat Noir. Viperion hadn't brought him to his home, after all, but to a place where he could rest. To his own bed.

"Erm, no," she stammered, unable to look Luka in the eyes. "No, nothing happened."

She also mustn't look behind Luka, either, she reminded herself. Surely Chat would have transformed back, too, and she didn't want to rely on him staying hidden to protect his secret. "I came to… I mean…" She gulped, then finally managed to get sense into her mind again. "Chat! Is he doing okay?"

"Ah, yeah," Luka nodded, his shoulders relaxing. "He's already doing much better. Almost as good as new." He shifted from one foot to the other. "Was that… erm, was that all?"

"Actually, no," Ladybug said, a little sheepishly. "Chat's well-being is important to me, but I knew he'd be in good hands with you. But I came for another reason."

"I see." Luka looked sad now. "You came to get Sass then, I guess?"

His gaze flickered down to his desk where Plagg lay between some left-over crumbs of cheese and next to a bag of sweets. Ladybug couldn't suppress a grin. Apparently, Luka had already found out how much of a sweet tooth Sass was.

"Actually, no," she said, more composed again. "I came to tell you… that I want you to keep him."

Luka grunted in surprise. "Uh, what?"

Smiling, she nodded. "You've proven yourself as a loyal and reliable addition to our team. Chat obviously trust you, and I…" At the last moment, she bit her lip before she said too much. Like how now that she knew who he was, she knew she could trust him, too.

Instead, she continued on a different line. "I couldn't have done today's fight without you. If we hadn't met by chance…" She shook her head. "We get you for every fight as it is, so it makes more sense for you to just keep the Miraculous and join us whenever you can. If you feel up to this responsibility, that is."

This decision had come ridiculously easily to her. If there was one person she knew and trusted enough to permanently give a Miraculous, it was Luka. Unrelated to whether or not she'd be able to keep up their relationship. As Viperion, he was irreplaceable.

"I… I…" Luka stammered, eyes wide. "Yes! Thank you, Ladybug!" With a huge grin, he wrapped his right hand around his wrist, around Sass's armring there. "For your trust and…" Trailing off, he looked down at where Sass was probably asleep after his meal. There was a soft smile on his lips. "I promise I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will," Ladybug replied, even as she couldn't stand looking at him any longer. She'd miss that soft look on his face, if she decided to end their relationship, and just thinking about this option hurt so much. Trying to distract herself so the tears burning behind her eyes wouldn't make it out, she let her gaze wander. Not to the left, to where Chat still had to be listening in, but through the other side of Luka's cabin. His wardrobe, his guitar hanging in its place on the wall, a box full of loose sheets of paper with his notes for random song ideas. And a pile of clothes lying on the floor.

Strange, she thought absentmindedly. When she'd been here earlier that day as Marinette, those clothes hadn't been there. They were dirty, full of dust and grime, and she realised—of course—they were the clothes Luka had worn during Copycat's initial attack. But it wasn't only his clothes lying there; there were others as well. A once-white-now-dirty shirt, a pair of blue denim… and a black shirt with three coloured stripes.

For a painful second, her heart stopped beating.

Then she shook her head. Refusing to follow the road her thoughts were about to tumble down, Ladybug took a deep breath and turned back to Luka. "Anyway," she said with forced cheerfulness. "It's been a long day and I should finally get some rest. Until the next time."

She gave him a hasty wave with her hand, then pulled on her Yo-Yo and jumped away before he could say anything else. On and on, she all but flew through the city, fleeing from her thoughts.

That shirt….

That couldn't be.

It wasn't possible!

But there was no running away from her own mind. Or from her heart, for that matter.

Without really knowing how, she eventually found herself near the Liberty again, hidden from view by leaves and twigs in the middle of a treetop. From there, she had a good view on the ship, saw that the light in Luka's cabin was still burning. They were still there, still awake.

"Spots Off," she muttered, holding on to a branch to not lose her balance. Falling off a tree was so not what she needed right now.

"What's up, Marinette?" Tikki asked after accepting the treat Marinette held out to her. "Why aren't you going home? You need sleep just as much as everyone else."

But Marinette barely listened to her. "Do you know why Master Fu said Chat and I couldn't know our identities?" she asked instead, her eyes lingering on the ship.

"Huh?" Tikki made herself comfortable on a thin twig next to her head. "Where's that coming from?"

Marinette looked at her, deep confusion churning inside her. "What would happen? If one of us found out? He was so adamant that we must never know. Why?"

Tikki cocked her head, thoughtfully. "Mmh, I don't know, to be honest. But then, I wasn't with him since you became Ladybug, remember? I wouldn't know his reasons, but I'm sure he had one. You could ask Wayzz whether he knows more, but I can only assume it's to keep you safe. Just like keeping everyone else's secret identity hidden is for their safety as well."

"So, in the past, heroes didn't have to keep their identities a secret? It hasn't always been like this?"

Frowning, Tikki pressed her lips together, and when she spoke again, it was hesitant. "Some did, and some did not. There are always different reasons to hide or reveal an identity, and no two situations are ever truly the same."

Slowly, Marinette nodded. That made sense. "So, you don't know either what would happen if I were to find out Chat's identity?"

Tikki rocked back with a start. "You know who he is?"

Marinette's head moved left and right, not really denying Tikki's question. "I saw his clothes. Just now, in Luka's cabin. And I think—"

"But just based on some clothes, you can't know for sure who he is," Tikki threw in. Was she too quick to divert Marinette's suspicion? Too hasty? "You know how travelling distance is no issue for you heroes, and there are over ten million people living in the greater area of Paris. Do you really think there are no two people wearing the same clothes?" She giggled. But despite her indisputable logic, Marinette wasn't convinced.

Because this was different.

The Agreste Fashion line featured a shirt like this, black with three lines in yellow, green, and blue. Countless people were wearing it, and even the combination of this shirt with a white shirt on top and blue denim was very popular, thanks to a certain famous model. To almost everyone else, these clothes all just looked the same.

But Marinette wasn't everyone. She was an aspiring fashion designer with a trained eye for details, and as the huge fan she was, she'd noticed the difference long ago. That the shirts Adrien wore were not the same. That the colours on his shirts were a different hue, that the lines were a tiny bit thicker than on the buyable ones. The distinctions were minute, dismissible almost. But Marinette saw them anyway.

And the shirt of Luka's floor… it had been… it had…

"What should I do?" she asked, her voice so thin that she felt it had to break any moment. "I… I just don't know!"

Should she leave and forget what she'd seen? Was that even possible? Or should she stay and… and make sure? Confirm her suspicion? Even knowing that Master Fu had thought this secret to be the most important one of them all? That learning the truth could change everything?

Tikki sighed. She flew closer, placing her arm on the back of Marinette's hand. "This is a choice you have to make for yourself," she said quietly. Almost solemnly, even. "Follow your heart to find the right answer. And keep in mind that right doesn't always mean according to the ancient rules. It has to be right for you. Listen to your heart, Marinette. I know it will show you the right way, no matter which it will be."

Swallowing, Marinette nods. This was the way with carrying a responsibility like being the Guardian of the Miraculous. She could make her own decisions—but also was responsible for the consequences.

"Tikki, Spots On."

As Ladybug, she now had to make her choice. She could jump home and maybe convince herself that it had just been a trick of the light. That the differences she'd noticed were just a projection of her own mind.

But in the end, this wasn't even an option. Without moving, she stayed hidden in the treetop, the powers of the Miraculous keeping her warm. She watched as the light in Luka's cabin eventually went out, listened to the water gently swashing along the ship's body, and waited. The city's noises seemed far away as she sat there, hours passing by without her even noticing them. Her eyes never left the Liberty until, in the early morning hours, there were movements on deck.

Two people appeared in the shadows, one with dark hair and one with light hair. Ladybug saw them hug and kiss before they parted, one staying as the other left. She watched the figure walk down the river bank until the shadows below a nearby bridge hid them from view—from everyone but her. For less than a second, green light flashed, then a black shadow jumped away into the night, oblivious to her having seen everything.

With her hands pressed to her trembling lips, Ladybug slumped against the tree trunk, suppressing any noises that might come out. Sobbing, laughter, screaming—she didn't even know what it would be. All she knew was one thing.

Adrien was Chat Noir.

. o O o .

Dun~dun~duuuuuuun...