Marinette sat comfortably on the floor of her room, her sketchpad propped up against her knees. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she stared at the blank pages in concentration. Just the other day had announced that the school would be putting on a small fashion show to end the school year. But there were two rules everyone had to follow. Students had to make their own outfits and they had to draw inspiration from Hawkmoth's many akumatized villains.
She tapped the end of her pencil against her cheek, trying to think of a good villain to use as her inspiration. Usually ideas flowed easily for her and she didn't think the design concept would be too difficult considering she fought hand to hand with everyone one of them. But the ideas were blocked, as if a large stone was sitting in the middle of a stream, disrupting its flow.
Marinette sighed, tearing out a piece of paper and crumpling it into a ball. She tossed it across the room, watching it roll a few times. When she looked up from the ball of paper, her blue eyes met piercing green and she could feel her cheeks heating up, despite how cool it was in her room.
"Sorry," Adrien scratched the back of his neck nervously, realizing he had just been caught staring at her. "It's just, kind of cute the way you stick your tongue out when you're concentrating," he admitted, looking anywhere but at her face.
"It is not and besides, I'm just having a hard time coming up with a design for the schools fashion show," she admitted, setting her sketch pad beside her. "I've fought all of Hawkmoth's akumas, seen their designs up close and I can't find inspiration for my own," she groaned in frustration. It seemed like such a simple task, especially for the hero of Paris and yet, it was almost impossible to complete.
"You know, I do help with the akumas, right?" Adrien raised a brow, wondering if she had forgotten they were partners. True, they didn't always see eye to eye when it came to taking down an akuma, but they worked well together and always got the job done.
Marinette stared at him as if he had suddenly hit his head. "You're good at distracting them and at getting caught in their powers," she reminded him. "Need I remind you of a few instances," she crossed her arms, a rather unamused expression crossing her face.
"It's not my fault. Sometimes my cat instincts get in the way," Adrien defended. "And sometimes you let your guard down or you're thinking too much about a lucky charm," he accused.
It was true, sometimes the two heroes got in each others way and were not helpful toward one another. Chat tended to get into trouble with the akumas and provoke them enough that he becomes part of their plots to get their akumas. But Ladybug also had her faults, becoming too distracted or focused that she would forget about other things going on around it. It was easy to get caught up in the hero world, especially when you had your own duty to fulfill while trying to work with someone else's.
"I have to be focused, otherwise I can't use my luck charm to the fullest and I have a lot of things to think about at once," Marinette shot back. "I could probably be a better Chat Noir than you are and do a better job of it," she said confidently, sticking her tongue out in a teasing manner.
"Oh really? I'd like to see you try," he challenged. "And I'm sure I could be a better Ladybug, after all, it's not so hard to swing a yo-yo and use an item handed to you on a silver platter," he scoffed.
Marinette leaned forward, narrowing her gaze at him. "You want to bet?" she grinned, knowing she would win the challenge. "Or are you afraid I'm right," she smirked, figuring he would back out almost instantly.
"I'm not afraid of a challenge," Adrien flashed his signature Chat Noir grin. "You're on."
The two heroes shook hands in agreement, each of them handing over their respected miraculous to their kwami's who then gave them to each other. Chat's ring easily fit on Marinette's finger and she couldn't help but tilt it this way and that to get a good look at it in the light. She looked up at Adrien, a smirk crossing her lips as she realized he couldn't wear her miraculous.
"You know Adrien," she drew out his name, prolonging the pain he would experience. "You have to get your ears pierced," she chuckled, unable to help herself. It wasn't every day that a guy, let alone Adrien Agreste, got their ears pierced for something like a bet. "I mean, unless you don't want to."
"No, I'm getting them pierced. After all, how bad can it be," he said rather confidently. Sure he had never seen anyone get their ears pierced, but he had never heard anyone complain about it either.
Adrien gently touched his ear lobes, wincing in pain. "That wasn't so bad," he said, trying to push away his internal fear. It wasn't a comfortable feeling having a needle stabbed through your skin, but it was bearable for the few seconds while it was happening.
Marinette laughed. "Yes it was, you stared screaming even before they started," she reminded him. She had to practically drag him into the place and he kept asking questions to lengthen the time. Eventually she got him to go for it and before the needle even touched his skin he shrieked.
"At least it's over now," he sighed in relief, glad that it would be his first and last time getting anything pierced. He was about to take a quick nap from the ordeal he had just experienced when he heard Marinette on the phone with Alya. Internally he was groaning as she probably had an akuma update for them, but at the same time he was ready to see just what their little bet had in store for them.
Marinette turned to face Adrien, confidence spreading over her face. "Ready to go partner?" she grinned.
"I was ready even before you were," Adrien smirked. He stood in the center of the room, ready to take on the responsibility of being Ladybug, if just for one day. "Tikki, spots on," he called for the ladybug kwami. She was instantly sucked into the earrings, Ladybug's costume and identity now his own.
"I am, ManBug!" he announced, looking into the mirror. The costume was tight while still feeling loose and flexible, something that he always liked about the design. It had the same pattern and color scheme, nothing seeming to have changed costume wise. But unlike when he was Chat Noir, the front of his hair stayed swept back instead of being a mess in his face.
When he turned around, his jaw dropped and his brain melted into nothing. Marinette, or should he say the new Chat Noir, was quite different than his costume. The leather suit clung against her body, defining all her curves and she wore heels instead of flat shoes. Her eyes were vibrant blue, more so than usual and more cat like. Her hair was pulled out of its pigtails and into a ponytail, tied with a blue ribbon.
"I'll be Chat Rose, now are you going to just stare all day, we have an akuma to catch," she reminded him, making her way onto the balcony.
ManBug quickly followed her. "Okay, let's get in there and get that akuma!" he swung his yo-yo and threw it onto a near by building, managing to secure it around a chimney. "Not bad for a-" his words were cut short as he accidentally tugged too hard on the string and it started to retract, flinging it off of the balcony and toward the nearest wall. He threw the yo-yo again, swinging himself away. "Not today wall!" he called back in triumph. In his victory, he had forgotten to watch where he was going and smacked into a wall like a pancake.
Chat Rose could only laugh at poor ManBug. "Not as easy as you thought huh?" she yelled toward him. "Okay, now to get onto the roof," she turned the staff different ways to find a way to get it to extend, but she couldn't see anything. "Maybe if I-" she managed to get it a few feet longer, but it was barely enough to get her to the closest roof top. "Just a little more," she tried to repeat what she had done, but in doing so the staff extended more than what she had anticipated and the weight caused it to tip over.
She grasped the staff for dear life as it vaulted her across the street and into a tree. "Not what I had in mind," she balanced on the branch, steadying herself so she wouldn't fall. The staff retracted to its normal size and she decided to try again. "Okay, nice and easy…" It extended slowly but surely and she was able to get it to reach the ground. She slid down it like a fire pole, glad to be on the ground again.
"Now to go find him," she tucked the staff away, deciding it best to travel by foot. "Just how do I find him," she muttered, running through the streets to see if she could spot him. Her cat ears twitched and she stopped abruptly. The sounds of girlish screams rang in her ears and she knew it was ManBug. Chat Rose quickly made her way toward him and found the hero tangled up in the string of the yo-yo.
"Oh, hi," ManBug smiled sheepishly as he hung from the lamp post. "So…how's it going?" he asked rather casually, trying not to sound desperate for help. He tugged on the string a few times and it finally retracted, dropping him to the ground.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir!" the akuma laughed as it spotted them, aiming its weapon right at the two. "I am Toy Maker and you will soon become part of my collection. Then your miraculous will be mine!"
ManBug quickly got to his feet, running as fast as he could. "So, what's the plan?" he asked frantically, dodging blast after blast of the akuma's weapon.
"Why are you asking me, you have the luck," she reminded him, turning into an alley way so they could escape the Toy Makers sight. Chat Rose looked around for a way out and pointed to the roof above them. She extended her staff, though a little longer than she had wanted, and hopped onto the roof.
ManBug swung his yo-yo and caught it around the chimney of the building, carefully pulling himself up. "Okay, let's go," he clipped it to his waist and ran after the akuma, ready to get some action. He glanced back to make sure his lady was catching up and she was right on his tail, not literally for once.
They ran across the roof tops until there were no more roofs to cross. Chat Rose extended her staff again and swung it like a bat, hoping to knock the akuma out of the sky. But she didn't account for the weight and missed by a foot. Her swing went full around and smacked ManBug, causing him to loose his balance and fall off the roof.
ManBug tried to grip the building with his claws, but he realized too late he didn't have claws. For the second time that day, poor ManBug went splat onto the ground like a bug. He slowly got back onto his feet, feeling as if his life was now going to be reduced to being smacked onto the pavement. He pulled himself back onto the roof, glaring at his girlfriend.
"I'll take care of it, okay?" he gripped the yo-yo, swinging it as fast as he could before throwing it toward the Toy Master. He watched it soar into the air, getting some great distance and almost reaching the villain. But his gaze was torn away from it as Chat Rose called his name, pointing at his hand. Perplexed, he looked down, unsure of what he was suppose to be looking at. Then he panicked.
While he had managed to throw the yo-yo toward the akuma, he actually threw the yo-yo. Having not been used to the thin wire used as a string, it slipped out of his hand and he was too proud of himself to have noticed he accidentally let go of it.
"I'll catch up to the akuma, you get your yo-yo back," Chat Rose said, using the staff to vault across the street and jump onto the akuma. The two struggled back and forth, Chat Rose trying to hold on for dear life and the akuma trying to shake her off. After a tough five minutes, they landed on the Eiffel Tower. The Toy Master pulled out his weapon and fired it at her, but she quickly dodged it and ran toward him, swinging the staff like a mad person in hopes of hitting him.
"I got it!" ManBug swung himself onto the Eiffel Tower, pride gleaming in his eyes. He glanced at his lady, panic hitting his core as he saw the staff coming right at him again. He dodged just as she was about to hit him, sighing in relief when he missed her swing. Her front swing. When she swung backwards, she smacked across the face and he fell off of the Eiffel Tower.
ManBug tried to swing the yo-yo onto a beam, but he couldn't figure out how to with the air pushing it back toward him. He glancing at the ground, really not wanting to kiss the pavement for a third time that day. He swung the yo-yo as hard as he could, wrapping it around one of the beams. Sighing in relief, he pulled himself up and started climbing back to the top.
Chat Rose managed to get the akuma, causing him to stumble backwards. He got to his feet again, pulling out a toy block from his coat pocket.
"Really? A block?" Chat Rose sighed, wondering if the akumas would get any smarter yet. The akuma threw the toy block at her, hitting it with one of his weapons and in seconds it grew to larger than life size.
Chat Rose tried to look for a way around the block, but she couldn't see any other way to get by. "Guess I get to try this out," she stepped back a few paces to give herself room. "Cataclysm!" She held the ball of energy in her hand and rushed toward the block, punching it with all her might. The block disintegrated into dust and she could see the akuma running away. Just as she was about to run after him, she saw Adrien climbing over the railing.
"Where have you been?!" she screamed, wondering where he was during the fight she had to handle by herself.
ManBug glared at her, dusting himself off. "Well, I would have been here had you not knocked me to the ground again!" he argued. From the corner of his eye he saw the Toy Maker getting away and swung the yo-yo. "I go this!" he put an arm infront of her before she could make another move and tried to again wrap up the akuma.
The Toy Maker pulled out a small shield and made it grow to a more useable size. He deflected the yo-yo, causing it to ricochet back toward the two heroes and smacked Chat Rose in the forehead. She stumbled and fell back, groaning at the feeling of hard metal against her back.
"Now who's missing out," ManBug taunted with a satisfied smirk.
Chat Rose glared at him. "Just use the lucky charm," she stood, brushing herself off. "And hurry," she said, watching the Toy Master started to get away again.
"Okay," ManBug focused, ready to use his special power. "Luck Charm!" he could see the object forming and managed to catch it in his hands. "A jack in the box?" he looked at it curiously. "How do I use it?" he looked around for any kinds of hints, but he just couldn't figure out how to make it work.
Chat Rose hopped from one foot to the other, watching the Toy Master get away from them. "Come on, hurry up," she pressed, not wanting to loose sigh of their akuma. "We can't stay here for too long," she said, continuing to rush him.
ManBug thought, looking around frantically for a way to use it, but nothing was coming to him. "This is a lot harder than it looks, okay!" he admitted, hanging his head in defeat. "Honestly, I don't know how you do this. It's so hard!" he handed her the toy, running a hand through his hair in frustration. As much as he hated to admit loosing, he couldn't keep trying to be someone he wasn't. "I can't be a better Ladybug than you, I'm sorry I doubted your abilities. And we're not going to catch the akuma quickly like this either," he said.
Chat Rose set the toy down, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're right, we can't beat the akuma like this. I'm sorry I said I could be a better Chat Noir too, you're good at your job and you do it well. I mean, it's really hard to control this," she held out the staff, chuckling to herself. "If we're going to do this thing, we need to stop arguing about who's better and work as one unit."
The two shook hands, agreeing that they needed to stop arguing about petty things and really work together. They acknowledged that they were partners and each of them was capable of being themselves, their normal hero selves. They dropped their transformations, switching back their miraculous, to their kwami's delight and transformed into their proper hero selves.
"Feels good to be back," Chat Noir grinned, kissing his staff in joy. "Though, I will miss seeing you in that costume," he wiggled his eyebrows, showing off his signature grin.
"Nope, not again," she chuckled, knowing how much he missed it already. "You ready to get that akuma?" Ladybug smiled, picking up the toy that the lucky charm had gifted her.
Chat nodded, ready to put an end to the Toy Maker. "Ready when you are my lady," he smirked, twirling his staff with ease.
"Let's go then," Ladybug held the toy firmly under her arm as they went after the villain, jumping and swinging and vaulting across the streets of Paris. It was good to be themselves again, to know how their powers and weapons worked as if they had been doing it a thousand times. And even though it was only a few hours that they had switched kwami's for their little bet, it taught them a lesson and they were even more grateful for each other and their abilities.
Thank you guys for being so patient this last few chapters! You guys are awesome!
Theivi - Thank You! I try my best to write them well so that you can enjoy the story to the fullest!
icy-rain499 - Awesome guess!
Angelwings2002 - Very close! I originally was going to have them switch bodies, but I have other akuma filled chapters in the works, so I wanted to save my akuma attack ideas! I'm glad you could enjoy some comedy as well, I try and add some humor to each chapter!