Ladybug swung over to the houseboat and saw Luka sitting on the deck, looking at something on his phone. She landed in front of him, and he looked up at her and frowned. "Hey, Ladybug," he sighed. "What's up?"
"I need a partner. Ready to help out?" She held a small box out in front of her.
"Oh… um… listen. About that. Um. I don't think I'm going to be able to do that today, sorry."
Ladybug boggled at him. "I need Viperion," she insisted in a low voice, double-checking to see that nobody was watching.
"I'm sorry, Ladybug," he said, not meeting her gaze. "My heart's just not into heroing right now. Maybe next time, okay?"
Master Fu didn't bother telling me what to do if someone refuses being chosen to wield a Miraculous! I should just clap the bangle on his wrist and… Hold it, Ladybug. If something's going on with him, then it's probably best to not force the issue right now. "Maybe next time," she agreed. Without another word, she threw her yo-yo to the sky and swung to a nearby rooftop.
What on earth happened? Something's got him down in the dumps. I'll have to check on him after we deal with Serket… but *who* am I going to get to face her with? Nino and Alya are out of town, Chloe is doing who knows what… and all I have with me is the Snake Miraculous. She drummed her fingertips on her chin, frowning. I know! It's worth a risk… but I bet there's somebody out there who would love to get their hands on Serket. Let me see if they're home.
She unleashed her yo-yo and leaped away.
After a few minutes, Ladybug was perched at Adrien Agreste's bedroom window. Keep it together… you can do this. She steeled herself and knocked.
Adrien's head appeared above the back of the couch, and he almost fell over himself to let Ladybug in. "Ladybug! Is everything OK? I saw that Serket was over at the Trocadero… is she headed this way again?"
"I have a proposition for you," she said, hopping into the room.
"Name it," Adrien replied.
Ladybug took a deep breath and held out her hand. "Adrien Agreste. This is the Miraculous of the Snake, which grants the power of Suggestion. You will use it for the greater good. When you are done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I count on you?"
Adrien regarded the box in Ladybug's outstretched hand. Huh… looks like I'll get my next opportunity against Serket sooner rather than later. I just can't let too much Chat Noir show through, and my Lady should be none the wiser! I hope… He reached out, took the box, and opened it. A bluish-green light swirled around and dissolved, leaving Sass in its wake. Adrien took the bangle and put it on his left wrist. "How do I transform?"
"Don't you want an explanation of what you're getting into?"
"Ladybug, I know what you're capable of and what you're asking me to do. And honestly… I follow your exploits as closely as I can. Between you and me, I'd follow you to the moon without a spacesuit if you asked."
Ladybug's eyes widened and her jaw slackened. She closed her mouth with a snap and shook her head. "Wow. OK. This is the Snake kwami, Sass. To transform, all you have to do is say Sass, Let's Slide!"
Adrien punched the air with his left hand and said, "Sass, Let's Slide!"
A teal light flashed around Adrien as his costume began to take shape. When the light faded, Adrien was wearing a dark teal bodysuit, with light teal patches on his shoulders and knees. Another teal patch that was vaguely shaped like a snake's head was on his torso. His forearms and lower legs were nearly black, and he had teal snakeskin-patterned gloves. His hair was almost entirely covered by a teal snakeskin mask with a black centerpiece. The mask continued and covered his eyes, which had turned yellow and taken on the appearance of snake eyes. At the bottom of the mask were two small snake fangs. Two gold diamonds were on the top of his head, with more on the backs of his hands, his chest, and his knees. He carried a small teal lyre.
Ladybug's jaw dropped again. He looks… good! Who would have thought that yesterday's fashion show would have led to him modeling a superhero outfit for me today? He's got that eye thing going too, like Chat and Luka… I should ask Sass if that's something he does or something that the holders want. "That outfit suits you, Mr. Model… which is a terrible superhero name. What should we call you?"
He burst out laughing. "That was an amazing pun! Your sense of humor is spot on." He grinned, and she pinked in return. "Um… let's see… name… I'm… Aspik. Call me Aspik." He smiled, and his face quickly became puzzled as Ladybug squinted at his mouth. "Are you alright, my… Ladybug?"
She barked a nervous laugh. "Ha! Um, don't mind me… just checking for fangs." Ladybug's face was in full blush. "We should get going… your Miraculous enhances all of your physical abilities. You'll be able to jump with me to a rooftop and then we can run across them to get to the Trocadero quickly. Let's get moving, Aspik! We've got a job to do."
Ladybug gave Aspik the details on his weapon and his special power on the way to the Trocadero. By the time Ladybug and Aspik arrived on the scene, the usual crowd had cleared away and Serket was left to prowl the area, looking for a fight. Good, people are seeing how dangerous she really is, Ladybug thought to herself. She looks like she's waiting for something… or someone. If it's me, she's not going to like what I've come here with! "Let's get the jump on her, Aspik," she whispered. "You land behind her, I'll land in front. Go!"
The two superheroes landed as planned, causing Serket to brandish her was-sceptre in a wide arc. "Ladybug and Chat Noir, I presume?" She smiled wickedly. "Where is the friend you had last time? Did he get scared and run away?"
Ladybug unlatched her yo-yo and began spinning it. Did she not see Adrien? She knows there are two people here… maybe she's just guessing that Kitty's the one behind her. And maybe she's right about Viperion... "I'd hate to disappoint you this early in our meeting, Serket," she responded icily. "But we think the two of us can handle you just fine!"
Aspik plucked a string on his lyre. "And I hate to break it to you, Serket… but Chat Noir's not here either! Instead, you get to deal with me!"
Serket whirled to face Aspik. "And who might you be? You're not the hero from last time… no matter. You will feel Serket's Sting by the time I am through with you!" She took a fighting stance and moved to engage Aspik.
"Not so fast, Serket!" Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around Serket's legs and pulled, causing Serket to trip forward. Serket tucked and rolled, using her momentum to catapult Ladybug through the air!
Aspik sprinted backwards about 50 yards and was able to catch Ladybug before she hit the ground. Aspik hesitated before setting Ladybug down gently, pinking a bit.
"Thanks, Aspik! Now, we've got work to do!" Ladybug rewound her yo-yo and charged toward Serket, who had regained her feet and resumed a fighting stance.
"Let's do this!" Aspik yelled. "Hey Serket! Getting bored? I've got something electric for you!" He leaped between the charging Ladybug and Serket. He swung at Serket wildly with his lyre, drawing her attack and turning her away from Ladybug. Ladybug readied her yo-yo when Serket connected with her sceptre, knocking Aspik down with a single blow!
"NO!" Ladybug cried. I've got to get Adrien out of there… he's no match for Serket! She changed targets with her yo-yo and wrapped Aspik up, sliding him out from underneath another blow from Serket's sceptre. She leaped to the top of a nearby roof, untangled Aspik, and asked, "Are you OK?"
"Ladybug… I'm fine. You wasted an opportunity. While her back was turned, you should have wrapped her up and we could be done. I know what I signed up for when I took the Miraculous. You don't need to protect me - we're a team out there."
"But, Ad-"
"No buts, Ladybug. I may be the new guy on the block, but stopping Serket is more important than Adrien Agreste right now. Let's get back to work."
Ladybug stared at Aspik and blinked. She nodded slowly, then said. "You're right. I'm sorry. We can't fight effectively if we're not focused on the goal. Thanks for reminding me, Ad- Aspik." She took a deep breath. "Ready to go?"
Aspik nodded and hummed in agreement. "Let me distract her again, and then you wrap her up. Hopefully she'll fall for the same trick twice." He leaped back to Serket without checking to see if Ladybug would follow. "Hey, sorry about that one," he yelled, landing on the far side of Serket. "Got our wires crossed… but I think we can complete this now!"
"I hope your legs run faster than your mouth, hero! Scorpion's Sting!" The tip of her was-sceptre began to glow.
"You're the one who will need to run, Serket!" Aspik nodded at Ladybug, who landed behind Serket and immediately wrapped her up with the yo-yo, pinning her arm at her side. She squirmed, trying desperately to free herself without being Stung.
"Want to hear a tune, Serket? I made it up all by myself! Snake Charm!" He strummed his lyre, and a beam of light shot from it and hit Serket square in the chest!
Serket went limp.
"Stand up and remove your Miraculous, Serket," Aspik said. "Ladybug, I think you'll have to release her so she can comply."
Ladybug cautiously released Serket, then began spinning her yo-yo, eyes narrowed, waiting for a trap. Serket dropped the sceptre, stood up, and reached for her wrist. Suddenly from above, a new voice called, "Justice fire!"
Bright orange flames shot from the sky and surrounded Serket. Ladybug and Aspik shielded their faces and took a step back. They saw a figure swoop down from the sky, snatch Serket, and take off in the blink of an eye!
By the time they recovered, the ring of flames died down slightly. Neither Serket nor her savior were anywhere to be seen. "Can you reach Serket's sceptre?" Aspik asked. His Miraculous gave a loud chirp.
"I don't want to risk that magical fire. There's no telling what it can do to us. We need to get you out of here, Aspik," Ladybug said tersely.
"I couldn't agree more," he replied.
They looked at each other, leaped to the nearest rooftop, and started running to the Agreste mansion. "I'll have to discuss this with Kit… uh, Chat Noir," Ladybug said, over her shoulder.
"Speaking of Chat, where is he, anyway?"
"Oh… well, there's no harm in telling you the truth. Serket Stung Chat, and his kwami was injured. While his kwami recuperates, Chat's out of action."
"Nothing serious, I hope?"
"It's too early to tell for sure right now, but I think he'll be fine. Thankfully," Ladybug added. She was ahead of Aspik and didn't turn around, so she missed the smile that crossed his face.
Ladybug and Aspik landed on the windowsill of Adrien's bedroom. "Ladybugs first," Aspik said, grinning.
Ladybug blushed and hopped into the bedroom, Aspik following behind her.
"What's the de-transformation phrase, Ladybug? As much as I've enjoyed this, I think it's time I shed this superhero persona."
Ladybug rolled her eyes and groaned. "It's Let's Hide," she said. "Chat must have had the time of his life when he checked in on you the other day - I bet you did nothing but sit here and say puns all the time. The ones you dropped during battle were pretty bad… almost as bad as his." She did her best to look stern, but a smile twitched at the corner of her lips.
"Bad in the best way, you mean. As for me and Chat… he drops in every now and again. We mostly play video games. He's pretty decent at Ultimate Mecha Strike III."
"Really… and here I was thinking that he was all talk." Ladybug paused, weighing what to say next. "Can I ask you something?" she asked shyly.
"Sure, Ladybug. Anything," he said, all playfulness gone from his demeanor. "Let me de-transform, first. Let's Hide!" There was a bluish-green flash of light, and Aspik's costume disappeared. "What do you want to know?" Adrien asked.
She traced a pattern on the floor with her foot. I know this breaks pretty much every rule that I've ever had since I've become Ladybug… but since I'm also the Guardian now, I really *should* ask. I don't want to pry into Chat's personal life, but… I need to be able to be there for him in any way I can.
"Ladybug?" Adrien prompted.
Ladybug looked up. The tenderness in her voice clashed with the look of uncertainty on her face. If I ask this… I don't think Adrien will be interested in Ladybug anymore. I don't want to give him the wrong impression - on either side of the mask! But, I don't want to hurt him, either. "You're the only person I know besides me who interacts with Chat on a regular basis. I don't know who he is under the mask - all I know is what he lets me see. So, I'd like to know… what's he like around you?"
Adrien briefly looked stunned, then thoughtful. "Wow! That's… a good question, actually. Sure, he says puns sometimes, but I don't think he's as much like a cartoon character that he makes himself out to be when he's in superhero mode. You know what I'm saying? Like, he acts a certain way with you because he has an idea of what superheroes are supposed to be like. He also thinks that over-the-top chivalry will win your heart."
Ladybug opened her mouth to say something, but Adrien cut her off. "Don't shoot the messenger here, please! I'm just telling you what he's told me. Anyway… he's actually very thoughtful. He's concerned about my home life, about how much support I get from my friends, things like that. He's not above beating me in video games or giving me a hard time when I deserve it, but he cares. Does that answer your question?"
Ladybug nodded. "That helps a lot. I know he cares about people, and he especially cares about me. I'm glad to see that extends beyond his duties as a superhero."
He took a deep breath. "He doesn't just care about you, Ladybug… he adores you. I wouldn't say he worships the ground you walk on, but it's pretty close. Whatever he's said to you… he's sincere about it. You're more than his partner; you're nearly his entire reason for existence. Without Ladybug… there is no Chat Noir. He's seen what you can do… but he also sees who you are. And to Chat, you're more than a superhero. You care. You drop everything at a moment's notice to save Paris or check in on a friend. You don't just make things the way they were… you make them better. Even from the first battle - would Ivan and Mylène have gotten together if you didn't help them out after you freed the akuma? You don't just make Chat's world a better place, you make the world a better… oh my gosh, are you crying? I'm so sorry! Here, let me get you a tissue." He ran off to the bathroom and returned with a box of tissues, handing it to Ladybug.
She took it gratefully, dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose. "It's OK. I'm… OK. He told you all of that?"
Adrien nodded shyly, looking at her with a mixture of hope and fear. There it is… I saw my opening and I took my shot. We'll see where it lands. I hope I didn't upset her - and I hope that when I get Plagg back, our partnership isn't wrecked. "Yeah," he whispered.
Ladybug suddenly rushed forward and enveloped Adrien in a hug. "Thank you for telling me," she said softly. "And thank you for coming out with me today. Even with everything you've been through recently - you really stepped up. It means a lot." She stepped back. "I should go. But… if I need Aspik again?"
"Just say the word, Ladybug." He handed her the Snake Miraculous, which she put inside her yo-yo. Sass flew in as well, and Ladybug closed her yo-yo back up.
Ladybug nodded. "Bug out!" She slung her yo-yo out the window and leaped into the Paris afternoon.
Ladybug made it to the top of the nearest rooftop before she had to stop. Chat… feels that way… about me?! Oh, man… I need to talk to Tikki, stat. She lowered herself down to the street, then ducked into an alley to de-transform. One pink flash of light and red blur later, Marinette was holding her purse up to her face, talking to the kwami inside of it while she speed-walked to her house.
"Tikki! Holy cow, did you hear that? What Adrien said that Chat said to him about me? And how Chat feels about me? Tikki, I think I'm going to die! I had no idea that he felt that way about me."
"You should open that envelope you have," came a different voice from her purse.
"Sass! I swear, if you weren't effective against Serket, I would just shut you in the Miracle Box for all the good you are doing me right now! I'll get to you later!"
Tikki giggled. "Marinette, Adrien was just saying what was in his heart… Chat's heart, that is."
"I know that, Tikki, but I had no idea that he felt that way about me! I know that when he wants to he can be so sweet, and he picks me up when I feel like I can't go on, and he's always there when I need him… it's just that he is very clearly in love with me, and I don't understand why it is so hard for me to love him back - oh!" She started as she crashed into somebody and fell down. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, and I wasn't paying attention, don't mind me…" She looked at the person she crashed into. "Luka!"
"Hey, Marinette… are you alright?"
Marinette could only sit there with her eyes wide and her mouth in an O.
Luka helped Marinette off of the ground. "Sorry for startling you… we're having a band rehearsal, and Ivan, Rose, and Juleka were wondering if you were able to squeeze in a fitting for their outfits yet. I volunteered to swing by to ask you in person, but you weren't picking up your phone, and… it looks like you weren't home, either."
"My phone? Oh… I had to run out and I think I left it on my desk. I'm so sorry! I usually don't forget stuff like that, but it's been a whirlwind of a day for me."
"Wait a minute… if your phone is on your desk, then… who were you talking to just now?"
Marinette's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. This is a disaster! Think, Marinette! There's got to be something you can say to reassure him… um… something you did today that's not Ladybug-related. Her brow furrowed and her eyes darted from side to side in an attempt to recall something that she could tell him. "Well… let's see… um… I had to help a friend with a cat… his cat… his cat was sick, and he needed help with that!"
Luka looked Marinette in the eyes and squinted. Frowning, he said, "I understand, Marinette. There's something you'd rather not tell me, and whatever that is, that's your business. I just…" he sighed. "I just care about you a lot, Marinette. I wish you would let me be your everything. Someone you can talk to about anything. Someone who you share your entire life with. I wanted to hear the song of your heart - but right now…" He sighed again. "Look. I heard what you were saying just now. I don't know why you find it so hard to love me back. Have I done something wrong? Talk to me," he pleaded.
"Luka, that's not what I was talking about! I wasn't talking about y-" she cut herself off and clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing her mistake.
Luka's expression became inscrutable. "Oh. Well, that's something else entirely then, isn't it? Tell you what. I'm going to head on over to the houseboat, and if you want to bring the clothes over so everyone else can make sure they fit, that's cool. And if you don't want to, that's cool, too." He walked over to his moped, got on, and started it.
"Luka - wait! It's not what you think!"
He drove away.