All day the students were excited about the dance. It was all they could talk about. It was a costume/masquerade ball. So everyone would be in disguise.

"Can you believe it's tonight?" Alya said.

"I know I'm so nervous." Marinette said.

"Don't tell me you're going!" Chloe said. "A pathetic girl like you shouldn't go to something like this!"

"Back off!" Alya said.

"Or what?"

Adrien walked in.

"What is your problem with me Chloe?" Marinette said.

"You need to know your place!" She said. "A stupid lower class girl like you doesn't belong in high society and certainly not around someone like Adrien!"

"Chloe! That's enough!" Adrien said. "Chloe can I talk to you for a minute?"

They left the classroom and went into the hallway.

"What did Marinette ever do to you?"

"She's coming between us Adrikins."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't think I don't about you two hanging out. You can't seriously be falling for that? She's not even your type."

"And you are?"

"Of course I am."

"Chloe get this through your head! You were never my girlfriend, not now! Not ever!"

"You!...how dare you! You can't!"

"Can't what? Hang out with a girl I actually like?" He went back to class leaving Chloe to panic.

"Dude." Nino said. "You're free."

Adrien laughed.

The dance was held at a plaza not too far from the school. Everyone was in costume, some were recognizable others not so much. No one would've known it was Nino had he not been the DJ. He wore a blue shirt, a red jacket with blue gloves and boots. Alya wore her purple dress with the lilac sash an matching mask. Outside Adrien waited for Adrien to finish the costume.

"All done." Plagg said. He handed Adrien a black ring.

"A ring?"

"Trust me okay."

Adrien slipped the ring on his finger. In flash of green his clothes were transformed into a white shirt, a fancy black jacket, and matching matching black pants, gloves, boots. With black cat ears and tail.

"Whoa!" He said looking at himself in the window glass. "I don't know, Plagg. Won't this give away my identity?"

"Relax! No one's gonna recognize you and even if someone does it's a costume party. As long as you don't use your powers they'll think it's just a costume."

"Okay." He said walking in.

Marinette arrived at school wearing a satin pink dress and a ribbon in her hair. She was just about to walk in when she was stopped by Chloe.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Chloe said.

"Please Chloe, not tonight."

"That's actually a pretty dress."

"Really? Thank you."

"It would be shame if something were to ruin it." She tore the part of the sleeve while Sabrina tore part of the skirt.

"No. Stop!" She pleaded. But it was too late. The lovely dress she had worked on for weeks was ruined. Chloe and Sabrina walked away laughing while Marinette burst into tears.

"Please don't cry, Marinette." Tikki said.

""It's ruined! How could she do this to me?"

"Don't worry Marinette, I was afraid something like this would happen so I made these." She handed her a pair of earrings.

"Thank you Tikki." Marinette said. "They're beautiful. I hope they pay more attention to this than my dress."

"Oh just wait til you put them on."

Marinette put the earrings on in a flash of pink her dress was transformed. In the party, Adrien walked around looking at everyone in their costumes. He couldn't recognize anyone except Nino. He was looking for Marinette but he couldn't figure out which one was her. The all eyes looked up to see a girl enter the room. Her dark-blue hair hung down and wavy with a ribbon in it. She wore a lovely red gown with black spots, short red gloves, and a red, black spotted mask that covered her blue bell eyes.

"Ladybug?" Someone gasped. "Is that her?"

"Why is she here?"

"That's not her! It's just a costume."

"She's beautiful."

Adrien swallowed hard when he saw her. He quickly approached her.

"Milady?" Adrien said.

"Chat Noir? Is that you?"

"That depends is it you under that mask bugaboo?"

"Yep it's you alright." She giggled.

Nino put on a slow dance song. Everyone began dancing with a partner.

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

"What?"

"May I have this dance?"

"Ye...yes."

He bowed, she curtsed, her hand was in his. She put her free hand on his shoulder, he put his arm around her waist, and they began to dance. The two of them danced as if they were the only people in the room. He lifted her up and spun her around, lower her down into a dip. Marinette then realized Adrien danced with her the same way. She was just about to question him when she got swept up in his arms. When their dance ended Marinette went to get a drink. Adrien followed her.

"So I guess this means you're a student at the school here." Marinette said.

"You got me. But I guess this means you go there to." He said. "So you're not that old."

"Yes I go to the school around here."

"Now that the cat's out of the bag, maybe we should consider revealing our identities."

"I don't know. What if you don't like who's under the mask?"

"Mask or no mask you're still the same person." Adrien took her hand. "Ladybug there's something I need to tell you. There are two girls in my life who I care more about than anything. You and a girl I know in my civilian life."

"Who...is she?"

"Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"And you know her in your civilian life?"

"Yeah and my hero life."

Marinette thought for a moment. He knew her in his civilian life. Who was he? She couldn't just take his mak off in front of all these people. There was only one other way she could tell for sure.

"Kiss me." She said. He looked at her shocked.

"Kiss you?"

"I need to know something."

The two leaned in. Adrien's ears perked up, he heard something coming. Her lips were just about to touch his when he threw his arms around her and jumped to the floor as a car came crashing through the window. He covered her head and body shielding her from the falling broken glass. He helped her up on to her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes I'm fine."

A bunch of black moths flew into the building. Everyone ran in fear from the swarms of insects. Adrien and Marinette ran to change into their superhero alter egos. Adrien took off the ring and put on his old one.

"Plagg claws out!" He transformed and ran back into a dance room.

"Tikki spots- Tikki? Tikki? Where are you?"

Marinette took off her earrings and went to look for her kwami.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! Where are you?" Hawkmoth demanded as he rode in on his moths.

"Right here!" Chat Noir said. "So you finally decided to show yourself instead of hiding like coward!"

"Give me your miraculous!"

"Never!"

"Attack! My moths!" They flew all around Adrien as he tried to shoo them away. They also attacked the other students, he had to think fast. Then he remembered something he had learned in class about moths. He ran into a broom closet, found a spotlight, took it outside, and turned on. The moths followed the light.

"You stupid insects!" Hawkmoth stood on top of a balcony and was holding something behind his back.

"Alright Hawkmoth." Cat Noir said. "Prepare for the fight of your life."

"I don't think so. I still have a trick up my sleeve." He pulled his hand from his back and in his grip was Marinette. "Stay where you are! Or the girl dies!"

"No! Don't!"

"Let me go!" Marinette said. "Let go of me! Before I break your teeth!"

"Now, now, That's not lady like." Hawkmoth said.

"Don't hurt her!" Chat Noir said.

"Meet me at the Effiel Tower in one hour. I have plans for you!"

"Alright! Now just let her go and I'll be on my way."

"No she's coming with me as insurance!"

The moths returned to their master. Chat Noir jumped and ran to them as fast as he could. He tried to grab Marinette but in a flash they were gone.

"No!"