Day 3: Truth or Dare

Whoever said Truth or Dare was a harmless, fun game was a liar.

The truth can hurt, and dares can be embarrassing. Which was exactly what happened to one particular girl during a sleepover.

On every turn, no matter which she picked, her friends made her admit and/or do the most humiliating things. What hurt more was that the questions and dares they were giving to each other weren't that bad at all. For some reason, they had all just decided to pick on her.

Finally, after several turns, each more humiliating then the last, she was asked again. But this time, she refused to answer. Her friends called her a coward and told her she had to. She began to cry and ran into the bathroom.

That was when Shadowmoth sent her a little gift. The power to use the game to finally have some fun but mostly to take revenge.

After humiliating everyone present at the sleepover, the akuma; Truth or Dare, journeyed out of the residence and started recruiting more people of Paris to play her game. She needed to lure Ladybug and Chat Noir out to get their miraculouses after all.

Arriving on scene, the two heroes first observed how this akuma's powers worked so they could know the best way to fight her. And maybe figure out where the possessed object was.

Apparently, she picked her victim by looking them in the eyes, then all she had to say was "Truth or Dare?" Then their whole bodies glowed a grayish light. Once they answered, she asked them a question or told them to do something, and then they did it. More matter how much they didn't want to, her powers didn't give them a choice.

If they picked truth, they couldn't lie. If they picked dare, it was like their bodies moved on their own, like puppets, until the dare was complete.

One good thing was that the affects only lasted as long as the turn. As soon as the victim answered the question or completed the dare, they were free. However, if they refused to pick either truth or dare when she asked, they turned into a silver statue.

It almost reminded them of Frightengale's power.

If she needed to look her victims in the eye to ask them truth or dare, them her glasses would be the source of her power. And possibly where the akuma was.

Sadly, like several villains before this one, it was hard to fight a person without directly looking at them. As Chat Noir learned once again while trying to get her attention off his lady so she could summon her lucky charm.

"Okay, Chat Noir. Truth or Dare?"

The feline hero stood there, glowing with that pale gray light as the akuma stepped back and looked at him with devilish glee.

Chat's eyes darted around in a panic. Which should he choose?

Obviously, he couldn't pick dare. He was positive she'd either make him give her his miraculous or make him take Ladybug's from her. He wouldn't be able to control himself.

But if he picked truth, he wouldn't be able to lie. He was afraid she'd ask him what his real name was. Everyone in Paris knew his name. His secret identify would be totally exposed.

But if he didn't pick anything in the next ten seconds, by refusing to play, he'll be turned into a statue. And if he was a statue, he couldn't help Ladybug.

He didn't want to leave her on her own for this fight and he also didn't want to have to fight her.

That left him with only one other option.

Reluctantly, Chat replied, "truth."

The akuma groaned. Clearly, she had been hoping for him to pick dare so she could dare him to fight Ladybug and take her miraculous for her.

He had picked truth. Which meant that he couldn't lie to her. What sort of useful information could she get out of him?

A weakness, maybe? Everyone in Paris knew he was in love with Ladybug, but there had to be someone else he loved that she could use against him. A civilian. Someone without superpowers.

A few yards away, Ladybug took her lucky charm object in her hand; a jump rope, and started running toward her partner.

"Who do you love the most right now besides Ladybug?" she asked.

Chat knew the answer in his mind before the magic compelled him to speak.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Ladybug frozen in her tracks, just a few feet behind the akuma. She heard the question, she heard the answer, and Chat was glowing so she knew he couldn't lie.

Chat loved her? Her without the mask. Marinette?

Upon answering, the glow surrounding Chat's body went away. His turn in the game was complete, so the magic let him go.

But the damage was already done.

Truth or Dare now knew Chat Noir's other weakness.

"Well, then…why don't I go and see if Marinette wants to play too," Truth or Dare grinned.

Chat's face paled. What had he done? He just painted a huge target on Marinette's back.

Ladybug whipped the jump rope around Truth or Dare several times, tying her arms down to her sides with the spotted heroine holding the ends behind her.

She couldn't ask and make her play if she couldn't look at her.

"I don't think so!" Ladybug said triumphantly before reaching around to pull the glasses off the akuma's face. When they hit the ground, Chat stepped on them, and a black butterfly flew out.

After purifying the akuma and consoling the poor girl who needed to get new friends, the two heroes stepped aside to talk.

"Thanks for that, LB," Chat said to his lady, grimly looking down at his feet with his arms crossed. "If you hadn't caught her when you did, she would of gone after Marinette."

Ladybug looked at her partner. "You really love her?" she asked him.

"I love you too, don't mistake that," Chat assured her, looking up at her. Ladybug smiled but rolled her eyes. "It's just…Marinette and I have so much fun together, and she's so sweet and amazing," he practically gushed before his expression turned sour. "Agh! I'm such an idiot! I should have just let myself become a statue!" he growled in frustration, holding his head.

If he hadn't picked truth or dare, sure he'd have turned into a statue, but Ladybug had the akuma right where she wanted her. He would have been back to normal in like ten seconds. And he wouldn't have revealed something so personal to an akuma—and by extension, Shadowmoth—that put someone he cared about in serious danger.

"Hey," Ladybug said, gently placing a hand on Chat's shoulder, making him look at her again. "It's okay. Marinette will be fine, I promise."

Ladybug opened her arms, offering him a hug. Chat sprang into her embrace. He was worried about Marinette but hearing the reassurance from his lady that she'd be protected helped calm him a bit.

They say the truth can hurt. And even if an akuma made him say in out loud, Marinette was still glad to know.

Because the truth was; she still loved Adrien, but she also sort of loved Chat Noir too.

See u tomorrow =^.^=