Author's Notes:

Don't be bemused, it's just the...title change!

You may have faved/followed this story as "Ladybug Bites". I derped and forgot I had originally planned to name this story "Kitty Litter". So I changed it.

This chapter is inspired by a currently active story I'm reading elsewhere on the site. I'll leave it to you to guess which one. Enjoy!

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG: "KITTY LITTER"

by Mythril Moth

Obviously Oblivious

Chat Noir landed on the roof of a building three blocks from his school, finding Ladybug crouched behind an air conditioning unit, a tense and solemn expression on her face. For once, he had no flirtatious greeting or pun to offer; his own mind was a whirl of confusion, unease, and grim, resigned determination.

He had terrible news to impart on his Lady. The identity of their hated foe, the nemesis who had plagued them time and again with dangerous villain attacks. The evil mastermind behind Paris' dark nightmare, hell bent on seizing their Miraculous for some nefarious end.

Taking a deep breath, he approached Ladybug, who seemed equally grim. "Chat Noir," she said softly. "I've figured out who Hawk Moth is."

Of course she's figured it out too, he thought. She's always one step ahead of me. "Yeah," he said roughly. "I, uhh...I figured it out too."

"So you already know," Ladybug said. She frowned. "I'm sorry, Chat Noir. I know how hard this is going to be. I mean, of all the people in Paris it could be, this is the last person I was expecting."

"Yeah. Me...me too." Chat Noir bowed his head, claws curling into fists at his sides.

"This battle's going to be hard," Ladybug said. "Not just because it's Hawk Moth, but because...because it's going to be hard, emotionally. I mean...you know?"

"Yeah." Chat Noir's eyes filled with resolution. "I won't let you down, Ladybug. You know that. Even though Hawk Moth is...someone I thought was a friend."

Ladybug sighed. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to work this out and...and maybe there's hope. I mean, I don't want this to be the end. It'll hurt so many people."

"Yeah." Chat Noir's voice was rough. "I don't see this ending happily, but..."

"Neither do I," Ladybug said. She bit her lip. "I want to think there's a good reason behind all this and it all just went horribly awry, but there's so much to answer for." A tear beaded on her long lashes, and she wiped it away. "I guess...I just don't want to hurt someone so nice..."

"Yeah..." Chat Noir grimaced. "But it's gotta stop, right?"

"Yeah, it does," Ladybug agreed. Her usual iron determination filled her eyes, tinged with regret and bitter resolve. "Right. So we're going after Hawk Moth, better known as Adrien Agreste, and we need a plan—"

Chat Noir blinked. "Wait. What?!"

Ladybug blinked back at him. "What do you mean what?"

Chat Noir took a step back. "You think I—you think Adrien Agreste is Hawk Moth?!"

"Well, yeah," Ladybug said. "I mean, it took a while to figure it out, but—"

"No, no, no," Chat Noir said, his tail lashing. "You've got it all wrong, Ladybug! I know for a fact Adrien Agreste is not Hawk Moth! What even made you think—"

"Well it all fits!" Ladybug said. "The unexplained disappearances during Akuma attacks, and then there's his home life, with the cold emotionless distant father and his mother disappearing. That's why he wants our Miraculous, he wants to use the wish to bring his mother back and fix his family!" She threw up her hands. "Everything about him screams brooding lonely supervillain!"

Chat Noir felt like doubling over laughing. He also felt tremendously insulted. He settled for sputtering indignantly. "But...no!" he said, shaking his head. "No, you've got it all wrong! Believe me!"

"Yeah?" Ladybug challenged. "You said it yourself, you figured out who Hawk Moth is too! That means we both came to the same conclusion, right?"

Chat Noir sighed. "Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Hawk Moth," he said patiently.

Ladybug blinked. "Buh?"

"She's the only one in her class who hasn't been Akumatized besides Adrien, she always seems to disappear during Akuma attacks, most of the Akuma victims target Chloé Bourgeois, who really seems to hate Marinette..." Chat Noir began pacing. "I'm sorry, but everything points to Marinette being Hawk Moth!"

Ladybug's jaw dropped. "The he—" She shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh really?" Chat Noir retorted. "But Adrien being Hawk Moth, that makes sense?"

"Yes!" Ladybug said. "I don't want to believe it, but everything points to Adrien being Hawk Moth, and how can you even think a girl like Marinette would ever be such an evil villain?"

Chat Noir stared at Ladybug, his tail hanging limp, his ears flat. "I...just..." He shook his head. "What actual proof do you have?"

"The constant disappearing during Akuma attacks! He's never been Akumatized, out of an entire class that's all been Akumatized! I mean, what else could it be?"

Chat Noir facepalmed. "Screw this. Claws in." Green light traced up his body, erasing Chat Noir and leaving Adrien Agreste in his place. He fixed Ladybug with a flat stare. "Satisfied?" he asked. "Does this explain away the disappearances and not being Akumatized, or do you wanna check me for butterflies?"

Ladybug's eyes widened in shock. She took a step back, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh," she uttered tonelessly. "Oh," she repeated. Her cheeks flushed pink. "Umm. Oh. Okay. Yeah, that...that explains a lot..." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, a nervous grin crossing her face. "Heheheh...sorry?"

Adrien sighed and shook his head. "Seriously, you thought I was Hawk Moth."

"Well, yeah!" Ladybug said. "I mean, you gotta admit, all the stuff that would add up to you being...oh god, you're Chat Noir..." She shook her head. "Anyway, the same things that add up to Chat Noir could also add up to Hawk Moth!" She put her hands on her hips. "And what the heck makes you so sure Marinette could be Hawk Moth?"

Adrien grimaced. "Because I'm pretty sure she knows I'm Chat Noir," he said. "I heard her ranting from around the corner the other day. She was talking about taking my ring..." His hand went protectively to his Miraculous.

Ladybug blinked. Her face paled. "Oh...oh no..."

"Exactly. So we need to get over to the bakery and find out how much she knows and what she even wants with our Miraculous and—"

Ladybug held up a hand to stall him. "No," she said. "Just...just no." She sighed. "Spots off."

Adrien gaped at Marinette as Tikki tumbled out onto the roof, clutching her belly and laughing her head off. Nearby, Plagg was watching the whole thing with an amused smirk. "Um," Adrien said, blinking. "Uh...wow," he offered after a pause. He ducked his head, his cheeks flushing. "Well...this is awkward."

"You don't say," Marinette said, refusing to meet his gaze. "You thought I was Hawk Moth."

"Well you thought I was Hawk Moth!"

"You're both idiots," Plagg said cheekily. "You know that, right?"

Adrien scratched his cheek. "Okay, so...I guess now we're back to having no idea who Hawk Moth is?"

"Looks that way," Marinette said, fighting down a blush.

After a long, awkward silence, Adrien said, "So when you were talking about taking my ring—"

"We're not talking about that," Marinette said flatly. "Ever." This just sent Tikki into a fresh laughing fit.

The look in her eyes told Adrien pressing the issue would not end well, so he sat down, frowning. "Maybe...maybe Mayor Bourgeois is Hawk Moth?"

Marinette tilted her head. "Hmm...I'd never thought of that..."

Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Zagtoon, Method Animation, Toei Animation, and Thomas ASTRUC. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged.