Marinette rushed home, her heart was still pounding from the encounter with the hooded men.

Gently pushing open the door of her bakery she walked inside.

"Is the cake delivered honey?" Questioned Sabine.

"Yes Mama," answered Marinette, glancing up at the clock. 10 minutes to patrol, she thought to herself.

"I'll be upstairs with homework, I want to concentrate so don't bother checking in on me." Marinette told her mum.

"Ok honey, don't stay up too late…" replied Sabine, turning back to the sink.

Marinette shivered at how easy it was to lie to her parents.

Shaking off the thought Marinette climbed into her room and in a few seconds was soaring up over the roofs of Paris.

Patrol went without a hitch though Chat seemed a little distracted.

Probably a civilian issue, thought ladybug swing back towards the bakery.

Marinette de-transformed as she went through the window, careful to catch Tiki as she flew out of her earrings.

"Marinette I'm sooo proud of you!" exclaimed Tiki, between mouthfuls of cookie.

"Why" asked Marinette, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

"You took on the men without your suit! You proved that you are confident and amazing Ladybug outside the mask as well" said Tiki

"Do you really think that?" asked Marinette in surprise.

"Of course! Its time you stopped doubting yourself Marinette, you are amazing!"

"Thank you Tiki, maybe you are right. In fact I have decided that tomorrow I am going to confess to Adrian!" announced Marinette.

Tiki smiled and flew to Marinette's cheek. Giving her a big hug.

"I am so proud of you Marinette!"

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The next day Marinette woke up early with a big smile.

"Today is the day!" she grinned to Tiki.

Nothing could get her down, Marinette walked to school with a spring in her step. And greeted a shell shocked Alya with a big smile.

"Girl, you are at school early and you just greeted ADRAIN without stuttering" exclaimed Alya

"Who are you and what have you done with Marinette?" she added jokingly.

"Well I have decided to confess to Adrian today" Marinette admitted shyly to Alya.

Everyone in the school yard turned to look at them when Alya let out a shriek of surprise.

"I am going to do it before class…" whispered Marinette "so I don't chicken out."

"You go girl!" encouraged Alya, grinning widely at Marinette.

The two girls hi-fived and bussled into class.

Marinette's heart raced when she noticed Adrian was sitting ALONE in the class room.

"Now is your chance girl!" encouraged Alya.

Marinette took a deep breath and walked into the classroom.

"hi Adrian," she said quietly.

"oh hi Marinette, how are you" asked Adrian.

"I'm ok, also I kind of have been crushing on you since the beginning of the year, and yeah, I hope you don't think I'm creepy or anything, maybe you think we could get a drink during lunch, its ok if you say no so." Marinette said all this in a rush her face going multiple shades of red.

"Well Marinette I'm flattered but I like someone else," admitted Adrian his mind filled with Ladybugs deep bluebell eyes.

"Oh tt-that's fine." Stuttered Marinette her face burning she turned to her seat so Adrian couldn't see her eyes welling with tears.

It was this moment that Chloe walked in, trailing Sabrina behind her.

"Oh look Sabrina, Maritrash got rejected by adrikins, and doesn't she know that he is mine?" sneered Chloe, flipping her pony tail obnoxiously.

Both Alya and Adrian opened their mouths to protest when the teacher walked in.

"Right class settle down," she called turning towards the board.

Marinette was sitting dejectedly in her seat, tears rolling down her cheeks.

'Adrian likes someone else" she thought

"He will never like boring old me,"

"Chloe deserves to be taught a lesson!"

No one noticed the dark purple butterfly flutter through the room and land on Marinette's earing.

"Yes, Chloe does deserve to be taught a lesson," purred a voice in her head

"I can give you the power to do that, you just have to do me a favor in return," Hawkmoths voice was sweet and the offer was tempting but Deep down Marinette knew she couldn't do that, even to Chloe.

"No deal Hawkmoth!" Marinette said clenching her fists.

"I can sort my problems out my own way so get out of my head" she ordered.

"I don't think you have a choice!" laughed Hawkmoth as black started bubbling up from the bottom of Marinette's dress.

´I said no deal!" yelled Marinette and clenching her fists she pushed with her mind at the darkness. Hawkmoth grunted and the black moved further up Marinette's torso.

The whole class was watching Marinette in a shocked silence. The shyest one in their class was standing up to Hawkmoth!.

"Marinette" whispered Tiki, "you need to transform to defeat this Akuma"

"No. not in front of them!" hissed Marinette through gritted teeth.

"You don't have a choice, Marinette, please," begged Tiki.

"No," said Marinette

"I am stronger than this, I do have a choice." Marinette was yelling this now, convincing herself that she was stronger.

"Hawkmoth will never make me hurt my friends!" she yelled

"I feel sorry for you Hawkmoth, you will never win." Marinette was talking to Hawkmoth now.

"Paris is stronger and I am stronger!"

The black liquid flew off her dress and disappeared into the air with a blast. The butterfly flapped out of her earring now a pearly white colour.

"Goodbye little butterfly," laughed Marinette softly.

In his lair Hawkmoth lay sprawled on his back, with the same thought whirling continuously through his head.

"Never again!"

I was then that Hawkmoth decided that Marinette was not to be messed with.

Marinette opened her eyes and noticed her classmates.

They were in various stages of shock

Alya had her phone held up but she wasn't looking at the screen. Her mouth was wide and she looked frozen.

The rest of the class had similar expressions to Alya.

Adrian was looking at Marinette like he had never seen her before.

Chloe had smudged her lipstick and Sabrina was just sitting in the same place, looking at Marinette.

I was deathly silent for a few moments until Alya started clapping.

The others joined in and soon everyone was applauding and cheering their brave classmate.

Marinette chose that moment to faint.

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Marinette woke up in her bed,

"Were am I Tiki?" she groaned

And then

"What Happened?"

"You collapsed from exhaustion after fighting off the Akuma," explained Tiki

"No one in history has ever managed to fight off one of Hawkmoth's butterflies. You are the strongest Ladybug I have ever worked with." Smiled tiki, looking like the proudest Kwami ever.

Marinette smiled, then it hit her.

"Oh Tiki how am I ever going to look at Adrian again?" she groaned in despair.