Marinette took a step back. Tikki flew into her purse.
"S-Spider-Man?" She stuttered. "You- You followed me?"
"N-no. Well, yes- but not really! I mean- I was coming over here to- to get my bag and then I saw you here and well, I hid. And then you transformed and started talking and well- I thought hey that voice sounds familiar and then I saw you and it's you!" The superhero squeaked.
Marinette took a breath to calm herself. She glanced at the backpack. "So then that's yours?" She gestured.
"Yes." He answered, retrieving the bag before Marinette could read the faded name scrawled on the side. He slung it over his shoulders, still hanging upside down.
"Look, I- I'm sorry that I found out your identity Marin- I mean Ladybug. (What can I call you?) If it really means that much to you I can show you who I am?-" He started to pull his mask off but Marinette interrupted him.
"No!" She exclaimed. "I mean, no, don't do that. It- it's not- not- uhm. You know, I'm just going to leave." Marinette took a few steps backwards.
"Tikki, spots on!" She hissed. She leapt onto the building and pulled out her yoyo to swing away.
"Hey!" Spider-man exclaimed. "Where are you going?!"
"Away from here! Away from you!" Marinette cried back.
"It's no use hiding!" Spider-man called after her jokingly. "I know where you live!"
Marinette stopped midswing, almost tumbling to the ground. She swung up onto the roof of a building and allowed Spider-man to catch up.
"How on earth do you know where I live?!" She asked.
Spider-man narrowed his eyes smugly. "Ahh. Well, you see, I'll have to reveal my identity to tell you." He leant forward slightly.
"No!" Marinette hissed.
"I- I'm sorry Mar- Ladybug, I really am." He sounded slightly hurt, his attitude completely changing. (almost like someone else was talking to him.) "I just- I feel like I owe you something, since I know your identity and-"
"Does anyone know your identity?"
"Yeah." Spider-man shuffled his feet. "Three(?) people, I guess."
"And do they owe you anything for knowing?" Marinette pressed.
"N- well, Mr Stark gave me the suit afterwards and Aunt M-"
"Don't tell me who they are!" Marinette exclaimed.
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Uh. Well-" He scratched the back of his neck with his hand.
"Look. It is just better, and safer if I don't know your identity too. I don't know Chat Noir's identity, and he doesn't know mine."
"Chat Noir." Spider-man snorted, jealousy (-or was it pure annoyance?) covering his voice.
Marinette sighed. "Please. Just- just, please just- I'm going home, and you're not going to follow me. And I'm going to sit and think an-" She froze. "Michelle! I- I have to make sure that she's okay!"
Marinette jumped off the building. She glanced around to make sure no one (else) was watching and detransformed. She started to run towards the school.
Spider-Man swung down low next to her. "Need a lift?"
"No." Marinette answered.
Her answer was ignored. An arm slid around her waist and lifted her off the ground.
"Hey!" She hissed.
He laughed quietly in return. "What? I'm gonna go this way too. Might as well give you a lift." Marinette started to grow hot as she was pressed up against the superhero, and it probably wasn't just from the heat he radiated. She was vaguely reminded of when Chat Noir showed her all the things he had prepared for Ladybug, not knowing that he was showing it to Ladybug. And even though Marinette had warned him that she wouldn't be able to come, he had still sat there, waiting for Ladybug.
Dangerous thoughts started to poison the back of her mind as Spider-Man swung through the city. She pushed them back. Chat Noir and Spider-Man may be different, but they definitely have one thing in common. She thought. Neither of them are Adrien.
"Marinette?! Is that you swinging by?" Marinette looked over to see Alya walking towards the school, waving at her.
"I told you to stay back at he house!" Marinette called back.
Alya said something else but Marinette didn't hear her.
"Aren't you going to pick her up too?" Marinette joked.
"Nah. Only the special people." Spider-Man mused.
Marinette almost choked. If she were drinking something she would have spat it out. (like on the cartoons.) Instead, she just rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Put me down over there." Marinette said, pointing to an area close to the school.
"Okay." He responded with a nod. He swung down towards the ground and let her go. The careful grip on her was released and she continued walking to the school, slightly embarrassed.
"Aren't you going in?" She asked Spider-Man as he avoided the entrance.
"I- uh- I think I will just watch from the outside on the roof to make sure she's okay. Uh, I don't know whether she will be angry at me or not. See you later Marinette!" He swung up onto the roof before Marinette could question him.
Before she could even enter the school, however, she heard a voice calling from behind her.
"Marinette! Wait up!" Alya was calling out to her from the other side of the road, breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath. She crossed the road towards Marinette.
"Girl! How did you manage to get a lift from Spider-Man?!"
"Well. I was walking this way toward the school and he swung right next to me asking if I wanted a lift and I said 'no'. But he still grabbed me anyway." Marinette rolled her eyes.
"Did you ask him anything? How was it? Was it cool?" Alya pressed.
"No- well, I asked him if he was going to pick you up too." Marinette said slowly. "Mostly because I was annoyed-"
"And what did he say?"
"He said he was only picking up special people." Marinette snorted.
Alya stifled a laugh and raised her eyebrows.
"Come on." Marinette said. "Let's make sure Michelle is okay."
/*\*/*\
Michelle was sitting at one of the tables reading her book calmly. She looked up as she heard the footsteps of Marinette and Alya and closed her book when she saw them.
"MJ?" Alya asked. "Are you alright?"
"Of course I'm alright." She responded. "So what exactly happened?" Michelle snorted. "That Ladybug person said that Spider-Man would explain but he took off after her." She said. "He didn't tell me a thing."
"You were akumatised by Hawkmoth." Alya said. "He's the super villain in Paris."
"Yeah. I- I know that much." Michelle responded. "But what exactly did he do?"
"He used your negative emotions to turn you into a super villain yourself." Alya explained.
"Oh. Alright. I guess that makes sense? I mean, it doesn't, but that isn't really the strangest thing that's happened on this planet recently, is it?" Michelle smiled, something they hadn't seen her do very much. "I remember that purple butterfly landing on my book, and then a voice and then being here. I'm guessing that butterfly was from Hawkmoth?"
"Yes, it was."
"That makes a bit more sense?" Michelle paused. "So if I was a super villain, what was my power? What did I do? I don't see any damage around here."
"You got extra strength, and some other enhanced abilities." Marinette answered. "But your main power was being able to reveal people's secrets."
"Did I ruin anyone's life because of that? I'm sorry if I did-"
"You did reveal the identity of a superhero, Rena Rogue, but I didn't hear it. I don't think anyone else heard either, but Hawkmoth knows their identity now." Marinette lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie, it was just not exactly the truth. "And you revealed the secrets of some people that go to our school, including Chloe, and Alya."
Michelle winced. "I'm really sorry Alya, I hope you don't-"
"It's fine, Michelle." Alya grinned.
"Michelle!" Everyone turned to see Peter running into the school. His hair was ruffled and messes up and he glanced at Marinette and Alya, his gaze lingering on Marinette briefly before turning to Michelle. "I hope you're okay. Look I- I'm really sorry. -I am! I didn't realise that Chloe would do something like that to make you angry and I-" Peter hesitated, his face flushing slightly. "- I didn't realise that- that you uh, that you felt that way about me and-"
"Peter." Michelle said. "It's fine. It's not your fault. And I do not 'feel' anything. You got that?" She glanced at him and snorted.
Peter smiled.
Hello children!
Sorry for not being able to post, I don't have access to my computer currently and I'm doing this on my phone. I am not sure when the next chapter is coming. Maybe in the next two or three weeks?
Thank you for the support and comments!
:0