"...Jackpot."

The Chat Noir look-alike's evil grin grew wider as he spoke. It was the only part of his visage that Marinette and Adrien could see - his other features were covered by a black mask (she'd certainly ran into a lot of guys dressed in disguises lately, Marinette mused wryly in the back of her mind). "I found you, little girl."

Marinette's blood ran cold at his chilling words. Then she shook her head to bring herself back to her senses. No, this wasn't the time to be afraid. They had to get out of here, and fast. Her brain whirled as she tried to figure out an escape plan. She couldn't bear to put Adrien, sweet, cheerful Adrien, in harm's way. This was her problem, and she was going to protect him. But how could they get away from the fake Chat Noir? Would he be on the same skill level as her thief?

"...Copycat," Adrien muttered the man's identity, letting out a low growl that was uncharacteristic of the happy-go-lucky model.

"You know his name?" she asked incredulously, casting him a sidelong glance. The last thing she expected was for someone as innocent as Adrien to be familiar with the criminal underworld of Paris.

The model's eyes were trained on Copycat as he explained, "He was all over the news this morning. He's known for copying others in his crimes, especially Chat Noir." Somehow, he sounded bitter when he mentioned that the criminal preferred to copy Chat Noir. She wondered if he was secretly a fan of the notorious thief, but she didn't have time to dwell on the thought.

Her stomach dropped as she continued to listen to his explanation. Why hadn't she heard of him!? Then she remembered - it was because she had refused to turn on her phone that morning. She had missed such important news as a result of her negligence.

But there was no time to worry about that now. She still didn't have a plan, but maybe she could stall for time - until when, she didn't know. Maybe she was hoping that Chat Noir would come to her rescue again, or maybe the police would catch up to him. She had finally come to terms that she couldn't always rely on Chat Noir to rescue her, not after he'd cut ties with her for her sake.

"I knew he wasn't really Chat Noir!" She said loudly in an attempt to distract the criminal. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she added urgently to Adrien, "Adrien, listen. When I give you the signal, run." If she kept him occupied for long enough, Adrien could run and call for help. She turned back to face Copycat, ignoring the model as he furiously shook his head out of the corner of her eye. She didn't have time to argue with him if her mind was set on going through with this plan.

"How can you tell? Do you have any proof, girl? Or are you just bluffing to stall for time?" Copycat asked haughtily.

Damnit. He caught her. But she couldn't give him the satisfaction that he had been right on the mark. Marinette raked her brain for an answer to his question. What did she know about Chat Noir that could act as proof? There had to be something she could use...Her eyes lit up as an idea popped into her head. Aha, that's it!

"He...he has a scar!" she exclaimed triumphantly. Of course, she didn't know that for certain. But the wound he had received that night ten years ago had been particularly nasty. She would be surprised if it didn't leave a scar. She was so focused on the fake Chat Noir that she didn't notice Adrien's hand hover reflexively over his stomach.

Copycat grinned at her. "Oh? That means you know him quite well, doesn't it? Even though he denied that you're his woman."

She couldn't let Chat Noir's efforts of denying his relationship with her go to waste, so she would play along and pretend that she didn't know him, too. "I don't know him," she said, but her heart still felt as though it was breaking when she admitted it out loud. "He was on the news all those years ago, and he had been hurt, then. Anyone can guess that he'd have a scar after getting all those nasty wounds, don't you think?"

"Oh? You're pretty smart, girl. I'm sure Master would be pleased to have you," Copycat mused, licking his lips hungrily.

His threat made Marinette tremble. He looked like Chat Noir, but he was so different, too. Even though Chat Noir was a thief, she trusted him, and knew that he would never hurt her. It was funny how two people that looked the same could act so different. She suddenly found herself missing Chat Noir so much more.

Adrien tensed beside her. "I don't know about you, but I'm not handing her over without a fight," he declared boldly, taking a step forward to stand protectively in front of her. She couldn't help but marvel at how broad and strong his back was in her eyes, his physique reminding her of Chat Noir's when the dangerous thief had protected her. She felt safe standing behind him - not just safe, but she also had the feeling that they could do anything if they worked together to overcome it.

"Marinette," he continued in a lower tone, the urgency in his voice making her breath catch. "You...you're telling me to run, but I can't leave a girl to face a criminal all by herself. Here, take these - " He placed the shopping bags into her arms, not giving her a chance to protest, then nodded towards the alley where the man had appeared from. "Can you do me a favor and hide in the alley for me? And promise me to keep your eyes closed, no matter what."

"W-What are you going to do?" she asked hesitantly. She couldn't believe that Adrien was prepared to fight for her. He was always so kind and gentle to her and his fans, like he was an angel. She didn't think he could bring himself to hurt another living soul. But, seeing determination sparkling in his eyes now...maybe he did have a chance, after all.

"I'm pretty good at fencing, if I do say so myself. I can handle him on my own," the famous model smirked confidently as he dropped into a ready stance, a Cheshire cat grin dancing across his face. He didn't appear to be scared or worried about the impending fight. In fact, he was almost welcoming the challenge in front of him. Marinette's breath caught and her heart pounded painfully as she witnessed Adrien's sudden change in expression. It was an expression she knew too well. After all, there was only one other person who could pull off such a feat and make a sly grin look so sexy...

There was no way that Adrien could be connected to her thief, right?

"Well now, I'll just have to defeat you then take the girl anyway," the criminal decided, not sounding concerned at all that he had to face Adrien.

The model glared furiously at him. "Oh, I don't think so. I'd like to see you try!"

Taking this as her cue, Marinette reluctantly stepped back to give them some space. She longed to stay and watch, and to do anything to help, but she had promised Adrien that she would hide. She ducked into the alley, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn't be able to witness the battle.

She winced at the sound of metal clashing against metal, and felt goosebumps rise on her arms even though she had slipped on her signature gray blazer earlier. Her heart plummeted each time a painful grunt rang through the night.

After a few minutes passed, as she strained her ears to listen to what was happening, the sounds of the battle blended and blurred together. She couldn't ascertain who let out each pained gasp anymore.

What was going on? Was Adrien okay, or was he hurt? She hated not knowing what was happening, and not being able to do anything. She had tried to protect Adrien, but instead, he was the one risking his life for her. This was all her fault. She didn't know what she would do if he got hurt...She only knew that she would never forgive herself. She clenched her hand into a fist, frustration seeping off of her in waves. If only she was stronger, if only she knew how to fight, too...then she wouldn't be so helpless, and she wouldn't have to always rely on others to protect her.

Suddenly, the other man let out a blood-curdling scream, making the hairs on Marinette's arms stand on their ends. Unable to stand it any longer, her bluebell eyes flew open. She could only gap at the scene unfolding in front of her, torn between feelings of astonishment and dismay.

Adrien was hovering dangerously over the fake Chat Noir, the latter having collapsed onto the ground. It appeared that Adrien had just twisted the criminal's right arm, which was now dangling uselessly at an odd angle. Copycat grimaced in pain as he glowered at Adrien, but the model was completely unfazed. He simply stared coolly back at the wounded man, silently daring him to try anything - if he did, he would be as good as dead.

"Didn't your teachers ever warn you not to plagiarize in school? If I were you, I'd think twice before copying Chat Noir," Adrien warned, his eyes narrowing into green, catlike slits. "Chat Noir definitely isn't the type who'd let someone get away with tarnishing his name."

Marinette frowned, her eyes were glued to Adrien as he stood over the criminal. Why was he speaking for Chat Noir? Did they know each other? Now that she thought about it, they did both have the same soft, golden hair and beautiful green eyes. Maybe they were long, lost twins, or something...she scoffed. That might've been the case if this was a fairy tale or a movie. But this was reality. It was just a coincidence that they resembled each other physically, right?

"Damn you. Who the hell are you, boy?" Copycat spat, his breathing coming out in labored gasps.

"You don't need to know. Just stay the hell away from her, got it?" Adrien hissed. Marinette had never heard him sound so furious and threatening, and even she shivered at the terrifying tone of his voice. The fallen man grunted in response, which she took (hopefully) as a yes. Marinette was just glad that she wasn't on the receiving end of Adrien's wrath. If anyone threatened her like that, she'd probably do anything for them.

Adrien must've felt her gaze on him, for he turned and faced her with a small smile. To Marinette, his smile seemed sort of out of place, especially after he had just beaten and threatened a dangerous criminal. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Marinette. But it's over now. Let's go."

"Y-You - are you bleeding?" she gasped when her eyes fell on the blood plastered to his face.

Adrien shrugged, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his right hand. He didn't seem bothered by it, as if blood was something he saw on a daily basis. "Oh, this? It's nothing. This isn't mine," he said. "Come on. Let's get out of here before any more bad guys show up."

She nodded numbly. She let him pluck the shopping bags swiftly out of her arms, then hurried after him as he began walking like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, as though he hadn't just beaten a criminal in a fight. She didn't dare glance at Copycat as they passed him.

They trekked in silence on their way back to the bakery. Marinette was thankful for the silence, for she was too lost in her own thoughts to be having any kind of conversation with the boy beside her. Her brain was spinning with so many questions. Adrien...who was he, really? He had defeated Copycat like it was nothing. He wasn't just a model, was he? There must be something more to him. Because his actions that night reminded her so, so much of Chat Noir.

"I'm sorry if I scared you back there," Adrien apologized suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I had to end things quickly. I didn't want you to see that...but it looks like you saw anyway." He let out a humorless laugh.

Marinette shook her head fervently. "I wasn't scared! You protected me from him. So...thank you, Adrien," she murmured softly, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't care how dangerous you are in a fight. You'll always be my friend." She knew that was the truth. Even though they had only met recently, there was an odd familiarity about the supermodel, like she knew him from somewhere before. She could wholeheartedly say that they were friends, that she wasn't scared of being close to him. Not one bit.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked hopefully. He didn't have many friends growing up, so hearing her say that she thought of him as a friend meant the world to him, even if he didn't he deserved her friendship.

She nodded, giving him her brightest smile. "See, I'm not scared. Really. Besides, I'm kind of used to it now," she added dryly. It was true - she had been attacked quite a few times since her first encounter with Chat Noir. She hesitated, then voiced her next question timidly. "Hey, do you think...do you think you could teach me? How to fight, I mean?"

"You - you want to learn how to fight? Why?" Adrien asked, his emerald green eyes filled with surprise at her unexpected request.

"I...I hate standing back and not doing anything for you or for Cha - no, never mind - " she had almost said for you or for Chat Noir, but caught herself just in time. "I want to help you when you're fighting, too." She had used her wits to aid Chat Noir when he'd first rescued her from those awful criminals - she wanted to keep doing that, and even more. She wasn't just a helpless little girl anymore. She couldn't just keep running. She had to become stronger, too, if she wanted to be on the same level as Chat Noir. She couldn't always rely on the thief to protect her. He was avoiding her to keep her safe, but if she became stronger, she could show him that she could handle things on her own.

Hope bubbled in Marinette's chest as she looked at Adrien imploringly, her eyes filled with determination and resolve. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. When he still didn't answer right away, she added half-jokingly, "If you don't agree, I can always look for someone else to teach me."

Adrien scowled, feeling a stab of jealousy as he imagined another man teaching her. He buried his face in his hand so she couldn't see his expression of defeat. "I can never say no to you," he whispered. "If you say it that way...Very well. But keep in mind that I'll be pretty busy and won't have as much time to work with you as I'd like. I can teach you some basics of self defense, but it'll be up to you to keep practicing. Got it?"

She beamed at him, feeling happy for the first time in a long while. She couldn't believe he would actually agree to her request. "Got it! Oh, thank you, Adrien! Merci!" Without thinking, she flung her arms around him in a hug. She pulled back almost immediately, her cheeks burning and her arms tingling from when they brushed against his. She could still feel his lingering warmth on her skin, and she hugged herself to keep the warmth wrapped around her for just a little longer. "S-Sorry," she mumbled, falling into an awkward silence.

She liked Chat Noir...but why was she feeling this giddy around Adrien? Was it because his demeanor reminded her of the thief?

She never imagined herself as a girl who would fall for two guys, but here she was, torn between her feelings for both Adrien and Chat Noir. What was she going to do? What could she do? The more reasonable choice would be to pick Adrien, but she couldn't just dismiss her bond with Chat Noir.

Urgh, why did her love life have to be so complicated? She was tempted to pull out her hair in frustration, but even then, she couldn't come up with an answer. "Oh, why did I have to go and fall for two guys?" she complained to herself.

"Hmm, what was that?" Adrien asked, tipping his head to one side innocently. Damn. His hearing was too good.

The budding designer's cheeks flushed. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

She breathed out in relief as they approached the bakery's familiar front door.

"I'll send you a message when I'll have time to meet. I'm rather busy this upcoming next week, so it probably won't be until next weekend. You have my contact info from the project, right?" She nodded in confirmation, and he let out a grunt of satisfaction as he helped drop her bags off just inside the bakery.

"Hey, Adrien? D-Do you want to come in? I...I haven't thanked you for, you know..." Marinette invited hesitantly. She still didn't know how to repay him for saving her that night, but maybe she could bake something for him. It was the least she could do after he'd fought Copycat for her.

He paused by the door. "As tempting as that sounds, my father is probably going crazy over me missing all my photo shoots today. So it's probably best for me to get going."

"Oh," she mumbled, her eyes dropping to the floor in disappointment.

He hesitated for a moment, then leaned in towards her and gently patted her head - whether to reassure herself or him, she didn't know. Her cheeks blazed at the tenderness of his touch.

"Don't feel sad, alright? I'll see you again soon, you know. I'll just take a raincheck for next time," he winked at her, making her cheeks redden even more. "Until then," he bid her farewell, then turned to leave. She stood by the door in a daze, gazing after him until he became just a small dot in the distance. And then he was gone.

She closed the door softly with a sigh and stepped into the safety of her bakery. After carrying the bags upstairs into her room, she quickly set up everything they had bought for Plagg. Feeling satisfied with the cute but practical setup, she scooped the black kitten up into her arms. It looked like the kitten was adjusting to her room well.

"What do you think, Plagg? It's been one crazy night, hasn't it?" she asked, her voice laced with exhaustion as she plopped down onto her bed. Her soft mattress had never felt so inviting.

The kitten mewled in response, and she giggled, burying her face into his fur. That was the last thought on her mind as her eyes drooped, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep, having no clue of the dangers taking place in the outside world all around her...

A mysterious man, wearing an expensive, silver dress suit, stood over Copycat's unconscious form. The limp body of the defeated criminal was sprawled on the ground after he had blacked out from the exuberating pain in his arm - the golden-haired boy had broken a bone, and it had hurt like hell.

Copycat was blissfully unaware that his boss was standing over him.

"Tsk tsk. You couldn't capture even one girl for me. How worthless," the man scoffed, his eyes full of distaste. "But...perhaps I can find one more use for you." As he spoke, he produced knife from the breast pocket of his white, button-up shirt. The silver blade glistened under the moonlight as he raised it high above his head, and then plunged it straight into Copycat's body. The wounded man shuddered violently before he laid completely still. He didn't even know what had hit him.

Now that the man's work had been completed, he bent down and, using the blood seeping out from the other criminal's wound, began to draw something on the ground.

Once he finished his job, he stood back and looked at his most brilliant plan yet with a smile filled with mirth. "How will you like my present to you, eh, Chat Noir?"

Cackling evilly, he melted into the darkness, leaving no evidence of his meddling behind except for the criminal's body and a single, bloody paw print.

A/N: Hope everyone is staying safe! I appreciate all of you so much for your love and support, and thank you so much for all your reviews! I've loved reading every one!

Hope everyone likes this chapter even though it was a lot darker! (I love detective stories, so I had to throw some murder mystery into the mix) I think this is one of my favorite chapters so far, hehe. A reviewer guessed that Felix is Copycat, which is such a good idea! I didn't think of that (since he ended up dying, and I didn't want to make any of the main characters bad guys D:), but maybe Felix and Luka will make an appearance later in the story. Hope you'll look forward to it! xD

Leave a review and let me know what you think? :)

Next chapter preview - Chat Noir becomes the prime suspect of a crime he didn't commit. He goes to one person he knows who trusts him unconditionally...

(I can be evil and say that he goes to Master Fu, but there's someone else he trusts too! ;) Who could that be? ohoho)