"Where are you girly, I know you're down here." The man sounded too confident for a man about to have his arse handed to him. "There's no way out my lovely, you shouldn't be out in that pretty little dress on your own if you're just going to tease." He laughed quietly creeping closer, scanning the darkness for her.
A buzz sounded from Marinette's purse, the light of her phone shone through the light material. The stalking man snapped his head towards the source of noise and light and darted in its direction. With an annoyed huff Marinette leapt out of her hiding place, shoving him to the floor before he reached her purse. He wailed in shock and pain as he thudded to the concrete. She waited in her typical ladybug fighting stance while he clambered to his feet and turned to look at his attacker, who had grinned back in amusement. Confusion then anger spilled through him, he launched at her with his arms outstretched, gritting his teeth. Marinette filled with excitement gripped one of his arms, ducking beneath it and twisting it round his back, before swiping his feet from under him, so swiftly he had no time to react. He fell on his side with another pained grunt before rolling onto his back panting.
"You're right, there is nowhere to hide." She smirked down at him, her eyes daring him to fight back.
"Screw you bitch." He spat angrily clutching her side already out of breath.
She stepped closer to him to enjoying that he cowered against her approach, she lifted her foot allowing her red stiletto heel to hoover over his crotch threateningly "sorry sir, what did you say?" she asked in a mockingly sweet voice.
"Nothing, nothing sorry" He hastily replied.
"Good I'm glad to hear that sir, if I find out you've followed or touched another girl without her consent I will make you regret it understood?" She asked a little disappointed that her fun had ended too quickly.
He nodded, his eyes glued on her high-heeled foot warily.
Satisfied she had gotten her point across, Marinette turned to retrieve her purse when a loud grunt and sharp pain across the back of her thigh caused her to jump back around. Seeing her attacker with venom in his eyes trying to get back upright, a small pocket knife gripped tightly in his hand with fresh blood smeared along the blade, her blood. Fury raged through her as she grabbed a plank of wood at the side of the dumpster and swiftly swung it to meet his face with a sickening clank. Her chest heaving she watched as he tumbled back down face first unconscious on the damp concrete.
After checking his pulse she skipped over to her purse swinging it back around her shoulder and opening the clasp to check her phone which was handed to her by a mad looking Tikki who folded her arms when Marinette took the phone with a sheepish smile.
"You need to stop this Marinette it's too dangerous, I know you want to keep Paris safe but this getting out of hand." The red kwami sad in a stern voice.
"Tikki I have you remember if things get out of control I can just transform" Marinette reasoned.
"Not in front of them you can't, what if they have you cornered Marinette and you cant hide to transform, you'd either get seriously hurt or reveal your secrete, you can't take that chance." Tikki's eyes betrayed how sad and worried she was despite her angry tone.
Marinette sighed biting her lip mulling over what Tikki had said "You're right I'm sorry, I didn't think about that, but we can talk about this later okay." Marinette patted her kwamis head and smiled lovingly down at little red god who retreated back into her purse.
Marinette unlocked her phone as she walked, kicking the man in the ribs as she passed on her way out of the alley.
One new message Alya
"Hey girl, call me ASAP."
Marinette's eyebrows furrowed together with suspicion she pressed call on Alyas contact and pressed her phone to her ear. Alya answered on the second ring in an excited tone.
"Marinette where are you girl" Alya shouted over loud music in the background
"Just come out of that little pub near the Eiffel tower, why what's up?"
"Oh good you're only round the corner, me and Nino are at that new club, you should get your arse over here."
"Ill probably give it a miss tonight I'm opening the bakery by myself in the morning, my parents aren't back for another month." Marinette hesitated, reaching the corner where the nightclub Alya meant came into view looking rather inviting.
"Oh Mari that's a shame because Adrien's just told Nino he's on his way." Alya teased, giggling when she heard Marinette huff down the phone.
"Fine ill come for a while, I'm outside now so ill see you soon." She hung up the phone and started crossing road towards the night clubs direction, using the front camera of her phone she checked her hair and make up. She put her phone back in her purse, Tikki gave her a crummy smile with a half eaten cookie in her mouth, earning a giggle from the bluenette.
She reached the club thankful she didn't have to queue long to get in, she flashed her ID to the clubs bouncer with a smile and made her way inside. The music pounded around her, she searched for her auburn haired friend through the mass of dancing bodies. Giving up with the search she made a beeline to the bar annoyed at the queue, she gasped in shock as she received a bear hug from Alya.
"Damn girl did I disturb you on a date." She winked examining Marinette's blood red satin dress, which was low cut, ending mid-thigh and clung tight to her frame. "Although given this little number, id say third date." She grinned wagging her eyebrows at a frowning Marinette.
"No course not Alya." Marinette shook her head." I make so many outfits I have to wear them sometime." She added in a nervous laugh hoping to convince her nosy friend. She couldn't imagine what her best friends reaction would be if she knew what she was up to.
"I'm just teasing girl you look amazing, I bet Adrien breaks his jaw when it hits the floor." She laughed as Marinette rolled her eyes but smiled back at her.
"Thank you Alya, I just hope he doesn't think its trashy, is he here yet?" She bit her lip looking through the crowd of dancing strangers.
"He won't I promise, he will be smitten and I don't think so come on let's sit down we already got drinks." She pulled Marinette by the hand through the crowd over to a table at the back of the club where Nino sat phone in hand.
Nino embraced her in a hug and a loving hair ruffle. He picked up a glass from a tray and handed it to her. "Glad you could make it Mari, Adrien's just said he's outside." He smirked knowingly.
"Thanks Nino" She smiled ignoring his comment and smoothing the now ruffled curls of her long raven blue hair. She accepted the glass from his hand and downed it in two mouth fulls, while Nino watched her in an amused shock and then laughed "Here's another might want to drink this one a bit slower, those heels look dangerous" He laughed and passed another glass and turned back to talk to Alya, who had already sat down checking her phone.
Marinette sipped her drink feeling her hands shake a little; she tried to control her breathing begging her body to behave tonight and not fall or blush or whatever else could make her embarrassed in front of Adrien.
A hand tapped her shoulder she turned to see Nathaniel smiling in awe at her. She tried to hide her disappointment with a warm smile. "Hey Nath I didn't know you were coming, how're you." She smiled politely.
"Yeah, yeah, good, good" He dismissed "You look amazing tonight Marinette." He smiled in a smoldering attempt. "Did you want to dance?" He added with a hopeful grin gesturing to the dance floor.
"Uh not just yet, sorry I only just got here and I want to finish my drink and catch up with Alya and Nino." She hoped her excuse was convincing enough not to offend him
"Okay ill see you around Mari." He looked into her eyes intensely before slowly leaning to kiss her cheek, too close to her lips. Marinette's eyebrow shot up in shock and confusion, she staggered a step backwards.
"Okay, bye then." she mumbled, quickly turned her back to him shaking her head at her normally shy friends sudden boldness. She sat in the empty seat next to Alya, who to Marinette's annoyance, was laughing at her wide-eyed expression.
Nino cough laughed "Well that was an awkward display, I'm gonna get us more drinks and wait for Adrien." He winked again at Marinette as he slid out of his chair pausing to peck his girlfriends cheek on his way to the bar.
When Nino had gone Alya turned to Marinette "Did I just see Nathaniel kiss you." She laughed seeing the shocked look still painted on Marinette's face.
"Yeah I never saw that one coming, he had a crush on me when we were what 14? Whys being like that now and out of nowhere." She shook her head again while her best friend continued giggling at her.
"I don't think that crush ever went away." Alya shrugged.
Marinette had to agree that was probably the case "That's a long time to have a crush on someone and do and say nothing about it for five years." She groaned, then realized the irony of her words as Alya raised her eyebrows choking down a laugh. "Yeah yeah I'm one to talk I know." she huffed blowing her bangs out of her eyes.
With no sign of Nino and Adrien returning yet, Marinette waited in a fidgety anticipation. She downed the last few sips of her second glass her fingers tapping on the table as she watched the crowd. Ayla noticing her friends tension and grabbed the last two glasses from the centre of the table and handed one to Marinette "Hey want to play a drinking game, I know a good one it combines drinking and gossip, hence why I love it." She laughed, when Marinette smiled and nodded she explained the rules "It's called 'never have I ever', you say something you've never done and if the other person has done it they have to drink, okay ill go first. Hmm Never have I ever stole a boys phone, to delete a voicemail I left accidentally confessing my love for them." Alya giggled while Marinette huffed and had to take a drink her eyes narrowing playfully over the rim of the glass.
"Okay I see how it is, never have I ever snuck a boy into my house when I'm supposed to be babysitting." She waited for Ayla to drink with a triumphant smile. Alya grinned relived to see her friends tension eased.
More minutes passed like this the pair giggling, teasing and reminiscing, Marinette's anxiety being absorbed by the alcohol and laughter, she felt as confident as ladybug right now.