Scene 7 - Luka in the Sewer

Luka stood on the opposite side of a partition from Ladybug so that she could de-transform and feed her kwamii. Luka's internal debate on whether to tell Marinette that he knew her identity was quickly quashed by her harsh reaction to the notion of learning Chat Noir's. Luka knew the longer this went on, the harder it would be to tell her, but there was just never a good time.

Luka fed Sass some pieces of hard-boiled egg so that he could prepare for whatever plan Ladybug had in store.

"I want to know Ladybug," he asked. "How are you going to tell Su-Han the identity of Chat Noir, if you don't know yourself?"

Without the quantum masking, Marinette's voice was unmistakable as it echoed her answer through the damp sewers. How had he never figured her out before?

"Do you know why Chat Noir and I shouldn't know our identities?" She asked rhetorically.

"So Papillombre will leave you alone when you're not a superhero." Luka responded. "As long as he doesn't know who you are, you're of no interest to him"

Luka knew how important the secret identities were. Even though he did not cary his miraculous full time, that had not stopped Papillombre from akumatizing everyone in his family, including himself, since his identity had been revealed in Miracle Queen's attack.

"Exactly," Marinette continued. "But if we need to, a superhero can know the identity of Chat Noir, or mine, but not both."

Luka felt another pang of guilt. He was putting them both in danger by knowing and continuing to use his miraculous.

"So that there would still be one of you to fight," he replied evenly, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice.

"Yes, you understand, said Marinette. "But for Chat Noir and me, it's different. If we knew our identities, and unfortunately got akumatized, we could betray one another"

Or I could betray you both in one fell swoop. He thought darkly.

"And Papillombre would win," he replied aloud.

He should hand Sass back, he should refuse to take a miraculous. As long as he was a superhero Papillombre would target him, and if he let his guard down for even a moment… he would be forced to betray Ladybug and Chat Noir… to betray Marinette.

"Tiki, transforme-moi!" Marinette shouted.

Not today. He decided. Marinette needs me today.

"Sass, transforme-moi!"


Ladybug explained the plan. Viperion will stay hidden in the sewer. Ladybug will meet Chat Noir at the Eiffel tower and ask him to reveal his identity. Viperion will hear the name through the earpiece in their suits, and then rewind time. Ladybug and Chat will forget the conversation, Viperion will not.

"I can ask him directly, if you'd like." Viperion offered. "It would be way less dangerous."

Less dangerous, and less likely you'll fall in love with Chat Noir, he thought. How would Marinette react to finding out her crush Adrien was her superhero partner as well? Would Luka have any chance to win her back after a discovery like that?

"I'm the only one in the world Chat will actually tell," Ladybug responded.

And there it was. Chat trusted Ladybug to the ends of the earth and back. He was loyal and brave and never questioned his dedication to her. He's the kind of guy Marinette deserves, and Luka knew that. He could hear that their melodies were meant to be played as a duet.

He needed to stop thinking like Luka, Marinette's ex-boyfriend, and start acting like Viperon, Ladybug's trusted teammate.

"I understand," Viperon confirmed. "I will give Chat's identity to the Celestial Guardian."

"And he will leave me alone!" Ladybug said with an exasperated sigh.

"Are you sure there will be no problem with me knowing Chat Noir's identity?" Luka asked again. This plan was risky and he knew it. One thing out of line and there would be know going back. Ladybug would know her partner's identity for-real.

"As long as I don't know who he is, everything will be fine," Ladybug assured him.