Chapter 4

-Adrien-

He was definitely NOT jealous. At least that's what he kept telling himself. But seeing Marinette smile as Luka played his guitar made him somewhat pleased in a mixed-up-confusing way. He wanted her to be happy, but he wasn't sure he liked that she was running to guitar boy. He watched them a minute longer, and eventually he saw Marinette stand up and excuse herself. He watched as a sad smile crossed Luka's face as Marinette left the room. He watched as she got off the boat, waving to Luka and headed off down the street. Maybe she was okay. Maybe talking to Luka helped her feel better. Chat tried to explain to himself what was going on that he nearly missed the tell-tale mayhem of an akuma attack behind him. He saw a woman running across the bridge screaming and stood up, whirling around to see a woman in a gray and white suit with a black mail-carriers back striding through the streets.

Chat extended his baton and vaulted to the top of the nearest building, looking down at the woman. He needed to gather information first so when his lady got here they'd be able to take the villain down quickly. He peered over the edge as she strode through. She held a stick like a ruler in one hand, and she waved it at anything that seemed to displease her. She passed by most of the people, but stopped when she reached an old woman sitting on a bench. "You poor woman," she crooned, "So difficult to age where you do not feel as you used to." She waved the stick at the woman and the old lady's wrinkled skin tightened and her white hair colored till she was a beautiful dark haired baby again. "Ohkay," Chat said, "That's not what I expected." The woman turned to the other side of the street where a group of giggling girls in loads of makeup and designer clothes were walking down the streets, oblivious to their danger. The akuma laughed and she reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of gray papers. "This will fix it," She giggled to herself before letting them float in the air. She whistled and pointed her stick at them. The gray papers whizzed across the street, enlarging in the blink of an eye and wrapping themselves around the girls until they were covered in gray suits like the akuma. Even their skin had morphed to papery shades of dark gray. They stared at their new appearances in horror before bursting into tears.

"HAHAHA!" the akumatized laughed, "This is my duty, to bring equality to all of Paris. No one is average when everybody is!" One of the girls seemed a little more fierce than the others, "That doesn't mean you have to punish us!" The akumatized did not seem to care, she only raised an eyebrow as she answered, "This is my way, I am the Equilizer!" She cackled before placing another hand in her black bag and drawing out another piece of gray paper. She whistled to it again and spread out like a platform in front of her and she stepped onto it as it began to fold itself. The Equilizer placed her hand in her bag again and let loose an array of gray papers that began folding themselves in a wheel above her head. She let out another mad cackle and thrust out more papers that spread themselves around her on the streets, hitting people that seemed above others, or bringing some mad form of 'justice' to more 'average' people.

"What's the deal with this one?" A voice said over Chat's shoulder. He turned and saw his lady. He felt his heart beat a little bit faster at the sight of her in her classic stunning appearance. But her expectant stare brought him back to reality. "She calls herself the Equilizer. She's turning people gray like her that seem above others and I just saw her turn an old woman into a baby, so let's wrap this up pretty quickly before I get too freaked out." Ladybug nodded and peered over the edge at the woman again. She had built herself a floating tower out of her nasty gray papers. She was sitting atop of the tower with her arms outstretched as she looked over Paris. As the two superheros watched her, Hawkmoth's symbol appeared over her eyes as he probably demanded their Miraculouses. "Do not worry Hawkmoth," She assured him, "The two fancypants heros will be here any second to challenge my justice."

-Ladybug

"What's your plan, m'lady?" Chat asked her. Ladybug smiled, "Let's take it straight from here." She flung out her yo-yo right at Equilizer and snagged her arm with the stick in it. She turned and glared at Ladybug and flicked the stick in her hand, sending a ball of gray energy at her. Ladybug dodged and the ball hit a smokestack behind her, splattering like a puff of gray paint. "It's the silly bug!" She snarled and untangled her arm from Ladybug's weapon and her floating tower rose in the air till she was eye to eye with the superheros. She flung out a handful of gray papers and both heros spun their weapons into shields and dodged in opposite directions. Ladybug surveyed the akuma. She floated pretty solidly on her tower, but her main weapon seemed to be her bag. Maybe that was also where the akuma was. She dodged another paper attack, and heard Chat call to her. "Ladybug! What's next?" "Cover me!" She called. He leapt in front of her with his staff and spun it as Ladybug flung her yo-yo in the air and called "Lucky Charm!"

Duct tape. A pretty useful item actually. Ladybug barely had to look around to see exactly what she needed to do. "Chat!" She called to him, and gestured to the other side of the tower. He leapt over Equilizer in her tower and she turned to face him with a snarl. She flung more of her gray paper at him and he dodged and called for his cataclysm. Ladybug jumped forward as Equilizer was distracted and bent over with the duct tape, taping Equilizer's feet to her tower. "Agh!" Equilizer yelled and flung another piece of paper at Ladybug, but she backflipped off the tower as quickly as she had come. Chat leapt forward as Equilizer was distracted in her predicament and placed his hand on her bag and it disintegrated at his touch. Equilizer fell to her knees and the akuma flapped out. Ladybug swung out her yo-yo and captured the akuma, freeing the pure white butterfly. She flung the duct tape into the air calling, "Miraculous Ladybug!" and the magical ladybugs flew out across Paris, fixing those the Equilizer had attacked. A woman with mousy brown hair wearing plain clothes was sitting on the ground where Equilizer had been. Ladybug turned to Chat, "Pound it!" they fist bumped.

Ladybug stepped forward to comfort the woman. She was looking up at the hero with big frightened eyes, "I'm so sorry Ladybug. I was getting mocked so much for being plain that I just let Hawkmoth take control of me!" She cried. Ladybug smiled gently, "It's okay, don't ever let anyone tell you that you're not special. Even superheroes have to deal with that," she winked before helping her to her feet. She turned around, hearing her earrings beep a 3 minute warning. Ladybug turned to leave, but Chat was still standing in front of her. He only had two minutes left. "Chat, what are you still doing here? You're going to change back!" Chat seemed unfazed. He stepped closer, and Ladybug could see pain in his eyes. "Ladybug?" He whispered, and she felt her heart drop as she feared his question. "Is there even a chance?" he asked. His eyes pleaded for the honest answer that even Ladybug didn't even know. She loved Adrien, but Chat had always been there for her, even when she'd lost everything to Lila. She wanted to answer him. She wanted to tell him, but both of their miraculouses beeped. She slowly stepped back, speaking one word, "Yes."

Author's Note: Thanks for all the views! I hope you're liking the story! Let me know what I can do better!