A/N: Thank you so much for the support of my story. I want to add that I really enjoy reading your guys' comments and reviews and that they mean a lot to me, and really help me with writing. I sometimes need that motivation to write and I encourage you guys to comment and review my chapters (as long as it isn't hateful - there is a fine line between constructive criticism and hate) Enjoy the story :3


M'lady, he called me m'lady. "Tikki... do you think he knows?"

"No, Marinette, he doesn't know. You just remind him of Ladybug, for obvious reasons," the red creature consoled Marinette, "don't worry about it, I am sure it was just a slip of the tongue."

"I hope so..." Marinette could barely sleep the whole night. Her breakup with Luka was still fresh and now Chat Noir has to be calling her Ladybug's pet names. She got up from her bed and put on her usual outfit.

Today was going to be slow for Marinette. Her summer was usually jam-packed with activities, but the plans that the group made were shattered because they revolved around Adrien or Luka, who were both unavailable. Alya and Nino were supposed to go on a double date with Luka and Marinette today, but because of the recent events, Luka and Marinette were replaced by Juleka and Rose. Marinette only had to finish a personal project and then her schedule was clear.

Marinette went straight to work crafting a new shirt design that she had been playing around with. It wasn't an elaborate design, but it was pretty and she found that it was a good distraction. Marinette's distraction didn't work for long, however, because 3 hours passed and the shirt was done, leaving her with a large chunk of the day open. She stared at the hatch to her balcony and secretly wished for an akuma. What is Shadowmoth up to? As if answering her question, a large crash sent a rush of adrenaline through her. Marinette transformed and exited through her balcony to find that cars were being thrown, but the person was impossible to locate. Are they invisible?

Ladybug arrived at the scene to find that Chat Noir was nowhere to be found. The villain was still impossible to locate. It has to be invisibility, why else couldn't I see the villain. Car after car was thrown, and Ladybug was confused. What is the motive? They are invisible yet aren't attacking me... "Lucky... charm?" Ladybug had a magnifying glass fall into her palm. Oh, the power isn't invisibility, it is... shrinking? Maybe? Ladybug looked through the magnifying glass, trying to follow where the villain was, and evidently found a tiny man to be responsible for the cars flipping. Did Shadowmoth really give me... Ladybug picked up the villain, this to fight? This villain was ridiculous. What is he doing? Ladybug took off the villain's costume, which seemed to resemble a magician's, and crushed it between her fingers, releasing an akuma. The man grew in size, and stood before her was a businessman. He was wearing very formal business attire and adorned a briefcase. Ladybug captured the akuma and released it. "Well, good day to you then sir?"

"What happened?" The man asked.

"To be honest, I have no idea. You were flipping cars and were really tiny. You didn't really fight me back," Ladybug shrugged, "Shadowmoth must be really bored or something because you were the easiest villain to defeat."

"I- I don't know what happened. I wasn't even mad about anything." This statement caught Ladybug by surprise. He can do that?

"Tell me whatever you can remember, please."

"I was walking to my car, and then I dropped my briefcase... I said 'shoot,' picked it back up, and then I blacked out," the man laughed, "it was the most minor inconvenience, and I wouldn't call myself mad." What? "Well, thank you for saving me, Ladybug," the man pulled Ladybug into an embrace, which caught her by surprise, but she didn't mind. It was nice for her to be admired for once. The man had his arms wrapped around her neck instead of around her chest, which she found odd, but dealt with. All of a sudden, he snapped his arms forward, and in the process, he pulled and yanked her earrings off.

"M'lady! Watch out," she heard a familiar voice, Chat Noir, and felt his body push her under a nearby car. He was facing her but had his eyes closed. Wow, I would expect him to use this opportunity to find out my identity, but I guess not. Chat Noir rolled back out from under the car, and Marinette had to just sit and watch as Chat Noir fought the man. The man was strong, he had to have inhuman strength. He is a sentimonster. Marinette slapped her face. Of course, he wasn't the main attraction, how could I have fallen for it. Chat kept dodging the man's punches but was clearly struggling. If I can get out of this then maybe I can go home and get another miraculous... Marinette slowly moved out from under the car, trying to ensure that no one was looking, and when the coast was clear she bolted back home. Her final task was somehow getting into the house without her parents noticing because in their mind she is in her room sewing. She looked into the bakery windows, found the shop was empty and bolted for the stairwell, and once she reached her living room door she listened, in hopes that her parents were in their bedroom or out of the house. She heard silence, and slowly opened the door, and found no one. Marinette bolted to the ladder to her room and entered an empty bedroom. Okay, we are fine now... I hope Chat Noir will be able to hold him off until I can get back. Marinette opened the miracle box and looked at it, now what miraculous will be the most helpful... She picked up the snake miraculous, Luka..., Marinette pushed back the feelings that were surfacing, and put on the snake miraculous. "Sass, Scales Slither!"


Chat Noir was barely able to keep the man entertained. Is he Shadowmoth? Is he an accomplice? Also, WHY IS HE SO STRONG? Chat Noir kept trying to keep the villain distracted so that they couldn't put on the earrings, or run off to Shadowmoth with them, and it was a difficult task. I hope Ladybug will be able to help me. Chat Noir looked under the car and wished he could find out who she was, but knew deep down that he could never forgive himself if he betrayed her trust, and instead trusted that she would find a way to fix everything. "Hi Chaton, need help?" Chat Noir looked over and saw who he presumed to be Ladybug with the snake miraculous. Chat Noir nodded as he continued to dance around the villain, with a new companion by his side. "Call me... Saverius," she said, holding a lasso-type object.

"You'll always be m'lady," Chat teased. The villain looked displeased by Chat's new friend and fought even harder than before. Saverius set her bracelet and prepared for a battle. The villain immediately jumped back and put on the earrings. Chat went running towards the villain but was stopped by his partner, "No, we've done this before. Go to the left and follow my lead."

"Okay, m'lady," Chat Noir obeyed and went to the villains left. The villain was about to jump away, but then Saverius lassoed the villain and tightened. Oh, I see, it is like how a snake kills its prey. The villain screeched, unable to move.

"Chat Noir, cataclysm!"

"Cataclysm what?" What am I supposed to get, he is just holding the miraculous in his hands...

"Cataclysm HIM, he is a sentimonster!"

A sentimonster, that makes a lot of sense, but... "Not to question you m'lady, but last time I did that it didn't go so well."

"Just do it, we've had this conversation ten times already."

"I don't find that comforting, but whatever you say... Cataclysm?" Chat Noir placed his hand on the monster, and that caused a screech. Saverius pulled tighter, watching intently. We must be close to where we messed up last time... He watched as his lady leaped and landed directly on the villain and pinned him down, leaving his hands as an easy target for Chat. He attempted to pry the monster's hands open but failed until he remembered his staff, which worked like a charm, and the earrings fell out of the monster's hands. Chat Noir held the earrings and handed them to Saverius, who gladly put them on.

"Tikki, Sass, unify!" Chat Noir watched as his lady returned to a similar state. "Sass, scales rest." Standing before him was the lady he knew. "Thank you Chat, that was really close..."

"Too close for comfort," Chat looked at the man, who vanished immediately. Chat looked out at the horizon which was damaged by all the cars.

"Well, Paris is going to be a mess... I wasn't able to conjure up a lucky charm to fix this..." She looked at the damaged streets and couldn't begin to imagine how long it was going to take to fix everything. Her old lucky charm was sadly nowhere to be found, most likely having disappeared when her earrings were removed. "Pound... it?"

"Pound it..." Chat smiled, I missed her.


Ladybug returned to her room and detransformed, a sigh of relief escaping her. "That was close, way too close."

"Yes, Marinette. Hawkmoth almost had your miraculous," Tikki scolded, "no more allowing people to get close to you. That means no more pictures, hugs, or handshakes. We can't trust anyone anymore now that Shadowmoth has proven that he is going to try everything he possibly can if it means that he will get his hands on your miraculous.

"I can't imagine losing you Tikki, you feel like my only friend in the world at times..." Marinette felt a pang in her chest. "I've already lost Luka, and most likely Adrien." Tikki looked at her with a sad face.

"Remember the advice Chat Noir gave you, he said that you should try talking to Adrien. Maybe isn't as mad as you think..."

"You're right, Tikki," Marinette said, pulling out her phone, clicking on Adrien's contact. "Should I call or text?" Tikki looked at her with eyes that read, what do you think? "Yeah, calling seems more appropriate," Marinette pressed on Adrien's contact and pressed her phone to her ear. The phone rang multiple times until it went to voicemail. I wonder if his dad grounded him from his phone too... I hope not. "Uh, hi. This is Marinette. I know you're grounded, and I bet it is because of the whole Luka situation, and I want to say I am sorry for that. I understand if you are mad at me... I want to let you know that I am sorry, I never meant to cause a scene at the dance, and that I don't blame you. I want to stay friends... uh. Bye," Marinette hung up.


Adrien had just gotten out of the shower when he saw that he had a voicemail. He opened his phone and saw that it was from Marinette. He felt a flutter in his chest and pressed play. Adrien was glad that he got confirmation from Marinette that she wanted to stay in contact. Of course, he already knew she didn't blame him from his encounter with her as Chat Noir but was glad that she felt that he needed to know relatively quickly. Should I call her back? This is only a few minutes old...

Plagg flew over and pressed the 'call back' button with a smirk on his face. "Plagg!" Adrien heard the phone ring twice, and then hear a familiar voice answer 'hello.'

"H-hi, M-Marinette! It is Adri-Adrien. You obviously know that you called me," Adrien felt weird, he couldn't get his words out, "I am not mad at you at all."

"Oh, that is fantastic!" Marinette's voice was filled with enthusiasm, "how is your grounding going? I was worried that he took away your phone too for a second."

"I have decided to not obey my father," Adrien said with a sense of determination, "so I say, let's do something, tonight..."

"That is a great idea... but Alya and Nino are on a double date with Juleka and Rose..."

"It can just... b-be the," Adrien's voice got quiet, and his face reddened, "two of us. Together. Alone. N-not in a creepy way, b-but..."

"Yeah, sure, that works for me," Marinette's voice was filled with deviance, "I get to be bad boy Adrien's accomplice with sneaking out and defying his father..."

"Well, whenever you're free, I can just meet you behind my mansion. I can find a way to get out on my own."

"Okay, bad boy, it is a date."