Test of a True Hero
The next morning, Marinette awoke with a big smile on her face. She had never felt this good in the morning. She didn't even mind she was going back to school, and this time staying till the final bell rang this time. The events from last night were still fresh in her mind. She could still feel Chat's strong arms around her waist, capturing her when she clumsily slipped. She could still see his gorgeous neon green eyes and his sweet yet charming smile, making her cheeks turn red. The way they opened up to one another and shared their experiences, even without needing to say their actual names. The origami flower rested on her nightstand, exactly where she had left it. She traced her fingers across its paper petals and held it close to her heart.
Tikki hovered over her friend, crossing her little arms. "Still recuperating from last night?" she said with a smirk.
"It was amazing, Tikki. Chat and I really connected."
"I know, I was technically there, remember?"
Marinette sat upright once more, still holding the origami rose. "So much has happened already. First, I become Ladybug, then I fight off a stone monster, and now I have a partner in crime!"
"I'm so happy you're happy, Marinette!" Tikki said, before becoming serious, "But, don't forget what you said to him last night?"
"What?"
"About moving too fast? When you two almost…you know…"
Marinette's face became as red as her Ladybug outfit and buried her face into her pillow. "I can't believe I almost did that!" she cried out, her voice muffled against the pillow.
Tikki only giggled, "It's okay, it's normal for teenage girls to get swept off their feet by a dashing superhero."
"He's not just some superhero, Tikki!" Marinette stated, removing the pillow from her face, "Aside from my family, he's the first person I've meet with who I can really be myself around. He's so honest, and kind and brave. I wish I knew who he really was."
"Well, there isn't really any rule that say you can't." Tikki pointed out, "If you really want to reveal your real names, that's your call. It would probably make it easier, having someone you know to share this secret with even without the mask."
Marinette smiled at the idea. She wondered who Chat Noir really was behind that mask. She wondered if he wished to know who she was too. It would be just like in those action hero shows she used to watch back in New York, where the group of heroes knew each other both while saving the world and in their normal lives. It would be pretty cool to have someone to share this secret with. Of course, there was Tikki, but she was also a secret that needed to be kept. She couldn't tell her parents for obvious reasons, nor Alya. Besides, even though she knew a intimate relationship wasn't a wise choice right now, that didn't mean Marinette couldn't get to know Chat for who he is and not what he is. She got to experience it first hand last night. She could really see them both becoming great friends.
"Do you think I'm getting ahead of myself?" Marinette asked her kwami. "I mean, we've only known each other for a day but…" she groaned and buried her face into her pillow again. "Why did he have to be so wonderful and cute?!"
Tikki giggled and shook her head, "Teenagers…"
Marinette lifted her head to face the kwami. "I'm serious!"
"Look, if you decide to tell him or not, it's your choice. Only when you feel ready. I'm sure he will understand if you explain it to him." Tikki said as she nuzzled against Marinette's cheek, making her giggle.
(~)
HawkMoth could feel his Akuma regaining its strength. The butterfly's dark colored wings straightened, its purple markings shimmering in the light. The villain smiled. "Yes. Now, fly away my little Akuma. Go, and bring Paris to its knees!"
The little butterfly flew out the window, once again going out into the world. It won't be long now before the cat and the bug to show up and save those helpless fools.
The Akuma flew all across the city before landing at the very tip top of the Eiffel Tower. Its wings fluttered rapidly like a hummingbird as more and more Akumas suddenly started appearing all around the top of the tower, hovering around like a swarm of bees, multiplying rapidly. Several groups of dozens upon dozens of Akumas descended upon the unsuspecting city.
(~)
After eating breakfast, Adrien watched in disgust as his kwami happily devoured a slice of camembert cheese in just one gulp. The slice was almost as big as Plagg himself, not to mention his lower torso was just too small for it. The boy wondered how he was able to digest it all.
"Delicious!" the little black cat kwami said, licking his lips before taking another slice of the smelly cheese, which rested on a plate on Adrien's desk.
"Camembert?" Adrien asked, raising an eyebrow while resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his knuckles. "Out of all the things you could have chosen to charge up on, you pick stinky camembert? That's just perfect. Now I'm gonna stink all day because of you."
"Eh, quit complaining!" Plagg said with a scoff, "Worried you won't smell like a spring meadow the next time you see your spotted girlfriend?"
Adrien's cheeks turned red and he jolted up in his seat. "W-What?! What are you talking about? Ladybug and I are partners, that's it."
"Really? Oh, I guess I must have gotten the wrong message when you two were only two seconds away from smooch city!" Plagg said, puckering his own lips and making kissing noises, which only made the boy feel more bashful.
Before Adrien could respond, the news logo appeared on the screen, and the news anchor woman appeared, with a look of terror in her eyes. "This just in, the Golem monster attack has yet to be resolved!"
"What?" Adrien raised the volume, making sure he had heard correctly. This was not possible, he and Ladybug had defeated Stoneheart, how was it possible that he returned?
(~)
Marinette ate her pancakes happily until she heard the distressed voice of the anchor woman on the television.
"A new wave of panic blows over the capital as dozens of people are suddenly changing into stone golems, identical to the ones Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated yesterday!"
Marinette could feel her heart thumping and her hands trembling as she watched the events unfold before her eyes. The scene showed various people, all innocents, suddenly becoming submerged in black bubbling ooze before being completely transformed into stone golems, just like Stoneheart. Not only that, but she also spotted various black butterflies right before they landed on the unsuspecting victims. They looked just like the Akuma from yesterday.
Marinette's parents held one another as they watched the news, her mother couldn't bear to see it so she hid her face into her husband's strong chest. Marinette quickly ran up to her room.
Her confidence and cheery attitude quickly vanished, being replaced with nothing but fear.
(~)
Adrien could not believe what he was seeing. Random people were transforming into perfect Stoneheart replicas, but once they did they froze in place, nearly seconds after their transformation.
"For the moment, these stone golems appear to be inactive-still as statues." the news woman said. "What will become of these statues? Will they awaken one day, or stay still for all eternity. We can only hope our new heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir will answer the call."
Adrien clicked the button on the remote, shutting the screen off and stood from his white sofa, "Plagg, what's happening?! I thought we defeated Stoneheart already. I saw it with my own eyes!"
"You captured the Akuma, right?"
(~)
"Actually, I just squashed it." Marinette confessed. "It gave me the creeps so I just…reacted."
"I had assumed you captured it." Tikki said after hearing Marinette explain what had happened. "I felt it weaken for a bit."
"I don't get it, what's the connection between the Akuma and these other Stonehearts?"
"An Akuma can multiply itself!" Tikki said, her voice growing higher, "That's why we have to capture them! And if Ivan feels any negative emotions again then the Akuma will change him back into Stoneheart, and he'll control every transformed person to form his own army!"
Marinette backed away from the kwami, her knees felt weak and she fell to the floor, her eyes widening in terror. "That means…this is all my fault. All those people…they're like this because of me!"
"No, it's my fault too!" Tikki said, trying to comfort the teenager. "I should have explained it better to you. It's just been so many ages since I've worked with a chosen Ladybug. I'm so sorry."
"No, it's not your fault, Tikki." Marinette said, not even bothering to look up. "I messed up."
"It was only your first time."
"Oh, really? Did any of the other Ladybugs before me allow this to happen?"
"Well…um…" Tikki tapped on her chin, trying to remember if there had been any Ladybug before Marinette who had this problem. Sadly, none came to mind.
"Just as I thought." the girl stood up and walked over to her mirror, gazing at her reflection.
"It was an accident, Marinette. There's still a chance to save everyone." Tikki insisted as she floated above Marinette's shoulder, only for the girl to angrily swat her away.
"You saw the way I was the first time! I couldn't even move! Chat Noir had to take me away from the fight all because I was too much of a coward!"
"Marinette, please. That's just your fear talking. All you have to do is go back and capture Stoneheart's Akuma."
"You saw those Akumas! There could be millions of them all over the city by now, how do you expect me to catch them all?!"
"You will! Besides, you won't be alone. You'll have Chat Noir there to help you."
Marinette thought for a moment. She remembered the events from yesterday, when she froze in place, when Stoneheart was only seconds away from destroying her. She could still hear the loud sound of the gunshot ringing in her ears. If she could hear this in just a memory, she couldn't even bear the thought of what would happen if she went off against an entire army of Stonehearts. Just thinking about facing those rock monsters made her heart pound hard and her hands tremble, and terrifying thoughts just ran through her head.
She looked at her night stand, where the origami rose still stood. She held it in her hands, thinking about its meaning. That she was so much more than just a plain piece of paper, and she could become something greater. But, what if that was just it?…what if she couldn't be anything more? What if she only became lucky because of Chat Noir's encouragement and loyalty. She knew he would have her back but…would she have his? Would she be brave enough to protect him the way he did for her? She didn't last time, who's to say she would the next?
"Remember what you're fighting for, Marinette." Tikki said, quoting what Bridget had told her long ago.
But it did not reassure her. Marinette had tried to remind herself of that very same thing, and yet she still got scared. She still messed up. Chat Noir was the real hero, not her. What if she messed up again? What if she froze, or worse? What if Chat Noir got hurt protecting her? What if she lost him? She couldn't do that to her new friend, she just couldn't. She had to face facts…
She was no Bridget. She wasn't fearless, she never was, even as a child. There really was no changing her, even as a hero she freaked out, and even around Chat Noir she was still unsure and clumsy. He deserved a better partner, one who would have his back the same way Bridget always had hers without backing down. Tikki deserved a better Ladybug. Paris deserved a better hero.
"I'm sorry, Tikki." Marinette said as she turned around, away from the kwami. "I can't do it."
"Yes you can!"
"No, I can't!" she yelled angrily at the creature, tears already forming in her eyes. "I'm a klutz, I mess things up, I freeze when things get tough, I froze in front of Stoneheart who's to say I won't in front of an army of them! And don't say "Chat Noir will be there", because I already know that! I already know he's perfectly capable of protecting anyone he cares about but I won't! I'll only let him down and I can't do that to him!" the tears finally came out. Marinette clenched her jaw and her fists. "I'll only make things worse for you, for Chat, for everyone. I give up…"
(~)
"So, I can't do anything without Ladybug?" Adrien said to the kwami after having been explained what had happened.
"Only Ladybug can capture the Akumas and fix all the damages caused by the Akumatized victim."
"You sure there isn't anything else I can do?"
"Sorry….no." for the first time since they had met, Plagg sounded…deadly serious. His ears were droopy, his body hovered sadly, he even lost his appetite. This really was serious.
Now, more than ever, Adrien wished he knew who Ladybug was behind the mask. Maybe he could have gotten in touch with her if he had her number, then again she probably had already seen the news and knew what was happening. Still, it sure would be helpful in an emergency.
(~)
"If Chat Noir can't capture the Akumas, then find another Ladybug." Marinette said, wiping away her tears. "Chat deserves a better partner and you deserve a better Ladybug. I'm sorry, Tikki…"
The kwami gasped in horror as Marinette began removing her Miraculous earrings. "No, don't do tha-"
The moment the earrings came off the room fell into silence. Tikki's sentence was left unheard and the little creature disappeared into thin air.
"Tikki?"
No reply. Not even a peep. Nothing but silence. A part of her regretted taking the earrings off, but another part of her was kind of relieved. This way there would be very little chance of her mistakes hurting anyone else. That was, so far, the only upside to her choice, because there were so many other downsides.
She would never see Tikki again, whom she had grown to adore, she would never see Chat Noir again, at least not as Ladybug. She might still see him on the news, and maybe if she were ever in danger, but to talk with him like she did before. To open up her heart, to really connect with someone who understood…she would really miss that. Who knew wearing a mask would bring her so much happiness, even for one night. But, it was time to wake up from this fantasy. No matter what she wore, no matter what powers she was given, one thing would never change…
She was just plain old Marinette. Nothing was going to change that.
With a heavy heart she placed her earrings into the box from which they had appeared to her in and placed them into an empty drawer. She broke down in tears, resting her knees onto the floor.
"I'm so sorry, Tikki…"
(~)
Back in his dark lair, HawkMoth relished in his victory. Granted, he still didn't have the Miraculous yet, but he would soon enough.
"Ivan has a sensitive heart." he said to himself as swarms of white butterflies fluttered all around him. "Sooner or later, his anger and sadness will strike him again. And once it does, him and all his Stonehearts will come to life. You won't stay hidden for long, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Once I have your Miraculous the ultimate power shall be mine, and my ultimate wish…shall be fulfilled!"
(~)
"The stone golems have spread all across Paris, still showing no sign of activity." said the news woman as Marinette finished helping clean up the plates after breakfast. She watched the report on the news and, just as the woman described, the Stonehearts remained frozen in place. Marinette felt the pang of guilt in her chest. This was all because of her. Something inside of her wouldn't rest or let this go, but she also knew she couldn't be Ladybug. She had been so caught up in the romance of being a superhero she forgot about reality.
The Mayor appeared on the television screen, once again holding another press flashed as he addressed the situation with a stern face. "We are doing everything we can to restore these innocent victims back to normal. We will not rest until we have found the cure for whatever it is that has happened to these people. But, we can only hope our new protectors, Ladybug and Chat Noir will resolve this crisis. Until then, we must stay vigilant and we will work tirelessly to help these people in any way we can."
As if Marinette didn't feel awful enough. These poor people were suffering and here she was, just hiding away. Once again, she was having an internal struggle with herself. She knew something had to be done, but just when she was about to reconsider putting the earrings back on the memory of her panic attack replays in her mind. Just standing there looking at the screen was enough to make her freeze. Chat would no doubt do a better job without her, and Tikki should find a better Ladybug. One with more courage and confidence than herself.
She felt her father's strong grip on her shoulder. The man smiled, seeing the fear and worry in her eyes. "Don't worry, Mari. I know things seem scary at the moment, but now we have two superheroes watching over Paris!" he said with such confidence it only made Marinette feel worse. "And the best thing we can do right now is not to be afraid, because we believe in them!"
"But, what if…Ladybug doesn't show up?" Marinette asked hesitantly.
"Then, I'll come and save you." her father teased and took a long loaf of bread, wielding it like a sword, "Super Baker Man, away!"
Marinette laughed at her father's silliness. One of the many things her mother loved about her father was his sense of humor. The same would be said for her grandparents. She wondered if that ran in the woman in her family, to like a man with a sense of humor.
"Thanks, Super Dad." Marinette kissed her father's cheek before heading up to her room to finish packing her backpack. Despite what happened the day before, Marinette knew she had to go back to school. At least facing a bully wouldn't be nearly as petrifying as facing a giant rock monster. At least in front of Chloe the worse she did was remain quiet, she didn't freeze like with Stoneheart. She picked up her backpack and small shoulder bag and prepared to leave once more…only to look over her nightstand to see the origami rose on the table, right above the closed drawer where she had placed the Miraculous earrings.
She was already missing Tikki. She never realized how much she had come to adore the little kwami in such a short time. She missed her playful spirit and adorable little giggle. It had been so long since she had another female friend to talk to about literally anything. She was like…like a sister, in a way.
Maybe she couldn't be Ladybug, but she could at least do Tikki a favor and find a better hero. One worthy to wear the earrings. She took the box from the drawer and placed it in her small bag. She also picked the origami rose and placed it inside an empty jewelry box she had laying around. The box was about the same size as the one containing the miraculous, only it was rounded instead of octagon shaped. The thought of never seeing Chat Noir again was even more painful than she expected. To never fight by his side and to never hear his silly jokes, even if they were bad they still made her laugh. He wasn't afraid to be a dork, that's what she liked about him. As well as his honesty and chivalry. There was no one word for her to best describe him, he was just…Chat Noir.
Sadly, there was only one word to best describe Marinette…a scaredy-cat who needed more saving than the people she was supposed to protect. If only she could be what Chat Noir and Tikki saw…but she just wasn't.
At least she would have the paper rose to always remember that enchanting night on top of the Eiffel Tower, and the small moments she shared with Tikki. She had only known them both for a day, and yet the thought of being apart from them was already difficult.
It was like loosing Bridget all over again.
(~)
Nathalie looked back at the clock to the twentieth time. Adrien was already running late as it was. At this time of the day was when his homeschooling would begin.
"Where is that boy?" she asked herself, "It's not like him to be this late." she headed towards his room, calling out his name. "Adrien?"
No reply. The room was entirely empty, his bed was already made, indicating he was already awake, but she didn't see him anywhere. She knocked on the door of his bathroom, but also no response. She didn't even hear the shower running, nor the sink, nothing.
The boy was nowhere else to be found, and Gabriel was not happy about this. The man stood before his secretary and his son's limo driver, standing at the top of the stairs, towering over the two. Even Gorilla looked intimidated by the man.
"Did you see him go out?!" he asked in a demanding tone which echoed inside the mansion. "Should anything happen to my son, I will hold you both responsible! Find him!"
(~)
The blond boy ran as fast as his legs could take him. He had snuck out of his room as Chat Noir and had de-transformed back into Adrien behind a building. Plagg flew out of his jacket pocket, looking at his human with confusion.
"You're one strange boy." The kwami said, "You'd rather go to school instead of staying at home playing video games?"
"You don't understand, Plagg. I'm sick of being cooped up in that house like a prisoner. I want to go to school, make real friends, be a normal kid for once!"
"Said the kid with the magical ring and talking pixie pal." the kwami said, stopping in mid air which in turn caused Adrien to slow down and stop. "Well, can you at least do a kwami a favor and hook me up with some camembert? That last transformation really took a lot out of me."
"Are you for real?" Adrien said. He sighed and reached for his bag and gave the kwami the stinky slice of cheese, crinkling his nose in disgust as he watched the creature gobble it up in seconds. "It's bad enough I have to carry this around for you, now I'm going to end up smelling like smelly cheese."
"Well, eating cheese is what gives me strength, so you better get used to it, pretty boy."
Adrien shook his head and opened his jacket, allowing Plagg to hide inside it as he continued running. Adrien made a turn at a street corner, only to once again end up falling flat on his face, and on top of someone. This time, he laid on her back as the girl groaned in anger.
"Seriously?!"
"Oh, sorry!" Adrien quickly apologized as he stood up and reached out his hand to help a familiar girl with black hair in pigtails. "I didn't mean-Marinette?"
Marinette ignored his attempts at helping her stand up and adjusted her bag. Thankfully, nothing had fallen out. "Funny, I didn't think you'd recognize me without the pizza stain." she said bitterly as she grabbed her backpack and walked ahead.
Adrien quickly caught up to her and the two were now walking side by side on their way to school. "So, you're still upset about yesterday, huh?" he asked, though he immediately realized how stupid he sounded by asking that question.
"What? Me? Upset? No, why would I be upset that your girlfriend totally humiliated me in front of the entire school on my first day?"
Adrien came to a brief halt, feeling an incredible pang of guilt in his chest. After his talk with Ladybug, he knew all too well how much it can hurt a person to be publicly humiliated. Then again, Ladybug was hurt by someone she knew, why would Marinette be….?
"Hey, wait!" Adrien quickly caught up with the girl, who still refused to speak to him, let alone look at him. "Okay, first of all, Chloe is not my girlfriend, she's just an old friend."
"Oh, big surprise there." she said sarcastically, which only made Adrien feel worse.
"Look, I get it. I didn't make the best first impression and I'm sorry. But, I'm not like Chloe. I don't look down on people just because they're different."
"Like I haven't heard that before." Marinette said, walking even faster ahead of Adrien.
"It's the truth!" the boy insisted. He really didn't want people to think he was just another spoiled rich kid. His talk with Ladybug last night made him realize that he couldn't spend the rest of his life being seen as just the perfect rich kid. He wanted to be himself, the same way he was with Ladybug.
Adrien ran faster and stopped right in front of her, blocking Marinette's path. "Please, just give me a chance to explain!"
Marinette stopped in her tracks, facing Adrien, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenching. Her patience was already hanging on a thread with this boy. She already had enough going on she didn't need him pestering her. Still, if she was ever going to get through the day, she might as well humor him. She crossed her arms and sighed bitterly.
"Fine."
"I'm sorry you were humiliated yesterday, I really am. I know to you I'm just another spoiled rich kid and…I don't blame you." Marinette's eyes slightly widened upon hearing this, but she still kept her guard up.
Adrien knew first hand how much being humiliated can hurt, especially when you did nothing to deserve it. He learned that much from Ladybug's story. In fact, Marinette and Ladybug were no different from each other in that regard. They also…had the same bluebell eyes, Adrien noticed.
He shook those thoughts away for the moment and continued, "I don't expect you to trust me, and again, I don't blame you for it, but can we at least put yesterday behind us and start over?" he asked hopefully, taking Marinette by surprise. He extended his hand for her to shake. "We don't have to be friends or anything, but I'm hoping I can prove to you that I'm not like "them". All I want is to start over."
Marinette was hesitant to shake his hand. This wasn't the first time she had trusted someone and her old friend used a very similar method in behaving as if she wasn't like the other rich kids, only to turn out she was. She was just as sly and cunning as a fox. It was hard for Marinette to see rich kids as any different from her old friend. Then, her thoughts drifted to Chat Noir. Him, she trusted. She saw him for the kind-hearted soul he really was. Then she remembered what he said to her.
"If people find out what I am without knowing who I am…the "what" is all they will ever see."
Could it be possible she was judging this guy too quickly? She hadn't had the best experience when it came to rich kids but…his eyes. They were a mesmerizing forest green, and they looked almost familiar…no, it couldn't be. Her missing her dashing cat was making her see things. Still, this boy wouldn't give up. Maybe they didn't have to be friends but…maybe…
She hesitantly reached out her hand and eventually shook his. She didn't say a word as she walked up the stairs towards the school with Adrien close behind. Well, it was a start.
The moment Marinette walked in, Alya rushed over, dragging her away gently by the arm. "Girl, I'm so happy you're here! How you feeling?" she asked with concern.
"I'm fine, Alya. I'm doing better than yesterday, I can tell you that." she briefly glanced back at Adrien, who only waved in return. Marinette only hoped her time with Chat Noir had taught her not to look only at the "what" and more of the "who".
As Adrien walked up the stairs, he heard a familiar voice calling to him, followed by the sound of a car horn honking. "Adrien!" Nathalie cried out as she came out from the limo, "Don't do this, your father will be furious!"
"Tell him you got here too late." Adrien said, his eyes shimmering as he held his hands together, pleadingly. "Please, Nathalie." he said before running inside the building.
Nathalie only sighed and returned to the car, buckling her seatbelt while Gorilla looked at her with concern.
"I'll handle the situation." she said, speaking in a professional and monotone voice and Gorilla pressed his foot on the gas pedal.
(~)
"I was so worried, I tried calling last night but you wouldn't answer." Alya said as she and Marinette walked down the hallway to class.
"Sorry about that, I was…distracted." Marinette said, her cheeks slightly turning pink. "Hey, I saw you on the news yesterday."
"I know! Wasn't it awesome?! Ladybug is beyond incredible, in fact I even got started on a blog. I call it "The Ladyblog", your number one source of all things Ladybug, and Chat Noir of course." Alya handed Marinette her phone, showing off her new blog. This girl really worked fast. There was already a video of the battle she had recorded yesterday of Marinette and Chat Noir battling Stoneheart.
"Wow, Alya, this is…really cool." Marinette said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but in reality she felt disappointed. It was just a cruel reminder of what she wasn't. If Alya found out who Ladybug really was she'd be so disappointed.
"I know, right? Just look at how many views I've made thanks to this video!" Alya said with excitement as she took her phone back, scrolling down the page, admiring her work and reading the comments. "Oh, and there's a side page for Chat Noir, check it out!" Alya clicked on the image of a cat's on the screen and a side page appeared, regarding Chat Noir. While Ladybug's page was colored bright red, Chat Noir's was dark with a logo that read "The dark side of the moon", making him look all the more mysterious.
"I'm telling you, girls are already flipping out about this guy!" Alya said, "Personally, he's not my type, but I won't deny he's got some slick moves, don't you agree?"
"Uh, yeah. He really does." Marinette replied honestly, only to look down in dismay.
"What's wrong?" Alya asked with concern and placed a hand on her new friend's shoulder.
"It's just…why do you trust Ladybug so much, anyway? I mean, you saw all of those other Stonehearts…"
"Yeah, but I'm sure she'll fix it!"
"But wouldn't Chat do a better job on his own? I mean, what if Ladybug's not cut out to be a hero like everyone else thinks?"
"What are you talking about? Oh, wait a second…" Alya walked closer to Marinette, arching an eyebrow in suspicion and adjusting her glasses. "I think I see what's going on here…"
Marinette gasped as Alya stood close. Marinette's eyes darted back and forth, her muscles tensing. What if Alya had figured it out? What if she recognized her face? What would she say? That she quit the job? Would she hate her? Would she tell the whole school? So many thoughts ran through her mind so fast she could barely keep up.
"You're scared." Alya concluded, which made Marinette feel slightly at ease. "I totally get it. But don't worry, I saw it with my own eyes, Ladybug is a real hero!" Alya said as she struck a karate pose for emphasis. "And she's going to protect everyone just as she did before. Trust me."
Marinette remained silent after Alya's praise for her alter ego. It was clear that Alya was a lot braver, confident and determined to take action when the chance arrived. She was even willing to go after Stoneheart herself just to see the events up close. She was everything a superhero should be, and everything Marinette wasn't. As the two walked together, Marinette looked down at her shoulder bag, feeling the edges of the octagon box inside.
They made their way across the gym, where they saw some of the students talking with Ivan, regarding his monstrous transformation. "You really don't remember anything?" the goth girl, Juleka, asked the boy. Despite part of her face being covered by her dark hair, dyed purple, she looked at him with concern.
"You should have seen yourself." Kim said, his knuckles in his hips, practically interrogating the poor boy, "You straight up wanted to pulverize me!"
"That's enough, Kim!" a shorter girl with blond hair styled into a pixie cut said, placing a hand on his forearm, asking him to step down. "Can't you see he's been through enough already?"
But, while everyone was talking to him, Ivan himself had his sight set on another student, who stood a few feet away, looking down shyly with her hands together in front of her. She was short and chubby but very adorable with golden brown eyes and blond hair tied back by a pink bandana. Her hair was styled in dreadlocks, several parts were dyed green, blue, and magenta. Her name was Mylene, one of Ivan's classmates, and the girl he was too scared to confess his feelings to. She dared to look up at the group, and once she and Ivan's eyes met she quickly turned away. Ivan couldn't blame her for being scared, he would have been too if he had seen himself.
"I'm sorry." Ivan said to his classmates, "I don't know what came over me. It was like I was being controlled or something."
Marinette and Alya approached the group, both showing visible sympathy for the boy, Marinette especially. She knew exactly why he was so upset and why he became Stoneheart in the first place.
"You know what they say; once a monster, always a monster!" Chloe said as he leaned against the wall, with Sabrina standing beside her like a good lackey. The blond girl was admiring herself in her little compact mirror, which made Marinette want to gag.
Ivan felt his rage ignite and he stormed away from the other students, causing them to step back in fear. They didn't want their fellow classmate to feel as if they didn't trust him, but they wouldn't dare to anger him any further. What if he turned into that monster again?
"Perfect, we all feel so much safer without you!" Chloe cried out, making Marinette clench her fists in anger. She followed Ivan in hopes of helping him keep his emotions in check. She couldn't let him turn back into Stoneheart.
(~)
The window opened, allowing the light to illuminate the room and butterflies fluttered everywhere. HawkMoth could feel the negative energy. It was so delicious.
"Yes. Derogatory remarks always hurt. Get angry, Ivan, your Akuma awaits."
(~)
"How could you say that to Ivan?!" Alya exclaimed angrily at the blond, who smiled smugly. "You're the one with the heart of stone, Chloe!"
"Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who destroyed half of Paris yesterday." Chloe said, still acting like the smug queen she was. "Just because they broadcasted your awful video of these two superheroes doesn't mean you should around getting a big head because of it."
"You filthy little-"
"Oh, no! Watch out, she's getting mad!" Chloe taunted. "Run, she's gonna turn into a horrifying monster!"
"Enough!" Adrien called out, narrowing his eyes at his old friend. "Quit it, Chloe!"
"Adrihoney, I was only joking."
"It's not funny!" he exclaimed, taking Chloe by surprise. Alya arched an eyebrow at the blond. Who knew daddy's little rich boy had a moral compass. He looked around, realizing someone was missing. "Where's Marinette?"
"Why do you ask?" Alya said, looking at him suspiciously.
"Just wanted to know if she was okay."
"She went to check up on Ivan." she said, pointing her thumb to where she had gone.
Jealousy flashed in Chloe's eyes. Why was Adrien paying so much attention to this new girl? What did that girl have have that she didn't? What did Adrien see in her? He was all sweet to her yesterday and now he was wondering where she was. There was no way in heck she was going to let that New York wannabe hussy steal her man.
The shallow blond surprised Adrien by wrapping her arms around his. "Hey, Adrihoney, walk me to class?" She said. Before Adrien could respond, he was being dragged by away by the girl.
(~)
Marinette followed Ivan into the gym's equipment locker room. The boy sat on the floor with headphones on his head. Marinette kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his large arms, smiling sweetly. Ivan removed his headphones to politely greet his unexpected guest.
"Hey. You're the girl from New York, right?" he asked.
"Yeah. I'm Marinette."
"Not to be rude or anything but, did you want something?"
"No, I just wanted to say that…I think you should tell Mylene how you feel."
Ivan's cheeks became red, "W-What are you-?"
"Oh, stop. I've seen the way you look at her. I might be new here but I know a crush when I see one." she said with a wink, which only made Ivan feel even more flustered.
"There's no way she'd like me." he said sadly, hanging his head.
"No, avoid any negative feelings!" Marinette exclaimed, almost as if she were afraid he'd lash out, which made him feel a tad insulted. She quickly recollected herself and smiled, "I mean, you need to stay positive. I'm sure if she got to know you you two would really hit it off. Girls appreciate a guy who's honest, believe me, I know." she said, her free hand reaching to touch the surface of her bag, which still carried the origami flower Chat had given her. "Just go talk to her."
Ivan sighed sadly, "No, I stink with words."
"Well, there are other ways to express your feelings." she said, once again remembering the way Chat expressed himself with his origami rose. "You could write a poem, or make her a drawing, or get her some flowers."
"I could write her a song." Ivan said.
"That's perfect! A love song just for her." Marinette smiled at the idea, her bluebell eyes twinkling, "Come on, go for it it Ivan, and, rem…stay positive. Most important."
"Thanks, Marinette!" Ivan smiled in gratitude and welcomed the girl in a tight hug. As sweet as the gesture was, Marinette could feel her bones crushing.
"You're welcome!" she said, nearly out of breath. Ivan finally released her, patted her on the head in thanks before heading out.
Marinette sighed in relief. At least one crisis was averted.
(~)
HawkMoth stomped his cane to the floor in anger. "What's this? I can't feel his negative energy anymore! It's disappeared!" he let out a loud angry scream. What could have caused his prey to slip right through his grasp. Whoever it was, he couldn't wait for the opportunity to crush them!
(~)
As Adrien walked to class, with Chloe still holding his arm, several students came up to him, asking for his autograph. Adrien, being the polite boy he was, did so without hesitation. Even if he didn't like signing autographs, it did make his fans happy. Once he arrived at the classroom he took his new seat next to a boy wearing a red cap and headphones around his neck. He was of african american descendant and wore glasses just like Alya.
"Uh, Adrihoney, we're supposed to sit together, remember?" Chloe said.
"I know, but I think I'd prefer a seat a bit closer to the blackboard." he said, though really he was lying through his teeth. He only agreed to walk Chloe to class because he had already planned on picking another seat that wasn't next to her. This was his own form of payback. The boy was not without his sneaky side. No wonder he was chosen by the black cat ring.
He placed his bag beside him and extended his hand to greet his classmate. "Hi, I'm Adrien."
The boy only looked at the young model and then back at Chloe. "So, you're one of Chloe's pals, right?" he asked, though his tone indicated he wasn't too excited about the idea of this guy knowing Chloe.
Adrien should have expected this. It was just like with Marinette. The moment everybody knew he was rich and a friend of Chloe they automatically assumed he was just like her. If only he could turn into Chat Noir, then he wouldn't have to be Adrien, even if for a moment.
He then saw Chloe take a gum from her mouth and gave it to Sabrina, who placed the gum on a chair…Marinette's chair.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Adrien exclaimed as he stood from his seat.
"I'm just reminding little miss NYC to show some respect is all. I heard she insulted you after that little pizza incident yesterday. No need to thank me."
"She didn't insult me, and you can't keep doing this!" Adrien said and tried to remove the gum himself.
Chloe only rolled her eyes and walked over to her seat. "You still have so much to learn, Adrihoney. So much."
(~)
Marinette caught up with Alya and the two walked together to their first class. Marinette was still questioning if she should give Alya the Miraculous. She clearly had the confidence and bravery to do so.
"Hey, Alya. Would you…like to be a superhero like the ones in your comics? Fighting monsters and supervillains?"
"Aw, totally! Brawls don't scare me. If I was ever lucky enough to have superpowers I'd use them in a heartbeat! Why?"
"Oh…nothing, just random questioning." she said as she reached for her back, opening it and taking the octagon box in her hand. She really didn't want to give Tikki up, but it was for the best. Once she was sure Alya wasn't looking, she placed the box in her bag. The deed was done, now she just had to let Alya do the rest.
Once they entered the classroom, Marinette and Alya gasped when they saw Adrien apparently putting gum on Marinette's seat. A dormant anger ignited within Marinette, and anger she had not felt in a long time. She couldn't believe how stupid she was to think, even for a moment, that this boy was being sincere. At least he didn't take an entire week to really show his true colors.
Marinette stormed on over to Adrien, stomping her foot to get his attention. "Well, I'll give you props for working fast." she said, crossing her eyes and glaring angrily at the boy.
Adrien quickly stopped what he was doing, suddenly feeling very intimidated by this girl's glare. Out of context, this really was an incriminating scene. Chloe and Sabrina were already bursting out in laughter, which only made Marinette's anger rise. If she were a volcano there'd be lava spewing all over the place right now.
"I can't believe I was so stupid!"
"No, it's not what it looks like! I was trying to get the gum off of your seat!" Adrien insisted once he stood up.
"You really think I'm going to fall for this again?" Marinette exclaimed and tried herself to get the gum off, only to gag in disgust when she saw just how wet and sticky it was. She could still hear Chloe and Sabrina laughing.
It was just like when she fell into the potato salad and everyone laughed…even her so called friend. She took out a napkin and just placed it over the gum instead. Her shoulders tensed and she could feel the tears threatening to fall out again. Instead of feeling humiliated, she only felt anger. She looked back up at Adrien and, even though he looked innocent, Marinette was just too angry to even take notice. She stood up and faced the boy with fire in her eyes.
"I was right about you. You really are no different from Chloe."
"That's not true!"
"Save it!" Marinette exclaimed, her voice raising which actually caused the rest of the room to fall into silence. "I am not falling for this again!"
Adrien stood there, nearly paralyzed as Marinette took her seat, crossing her arms on the table, not looking at him. Alya simply wrapped an arm around her in comfort. Adrien sighed in defeat and saw on his seat, next to the boy in the red cap.
Chloe smiled smugly from behind him, "See what I mean? If you don't demand respect, they'll walk all over you."
"Shut up, Chloe!" Adrien exclaimed in anger, making Chloe gasp in shock. Did he just tell her to 'shut up'? Why would he tell her to shut up? They were in this together, they were the alpha teens of the school, why would he silence her?
Chloe refused to be spoken this way so instead she gave him the silent treatment, that would teach him.
Adrien sighed sadly and the boy beside him looked on in sympathy. "Why didn't you tell her it was Chloe who put the gum?" the boy asked.
"Even if I didn't it wouldn't change anything." Adrien replied, sighing sadly. "I don't blame her, though. I know rich kids like me don't exactly have the best reputation."
"Not gonna disagree on that." the boy said and looked over at Marinette, "Probably not all your fault, though. Who knows what happened to make her hate folks like Chloe so much that even a silly gum prank would blow her fuse."
That was when Adrien's eyes widened in realization and the memories came flooding back.
"Rich kids like you who like to toy with other students for your own amusement..."
"You don't know me at all!…"
"Her family was rich…."
"I didn't think she'd give me the time of day…"
"I was so humiliated…"
"Like I haven't heard that before..."
"I am not falling for this again!…"
"again…again…again…"
"Hey, dude!" Adrien snapped himself out of his train of thought once the boy beside him waved a hand over his face. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Sorry."
"So, how do you know Chloe, anyway?"
"Our dads know each other, and I've known her since we were kids. Not everything about her is…likable but, she's the only friend I've got." he said, sounding less than enthusiastic about having someone like Chloe be his only friend. His green eyes widened when he saw the boy extend his hand, smiling.
"I'm Nino. I think it's time you made some new friends, dude."
This was the first time anyone had offered to be Adrien's friend. He couldn't believe this was happening, a real friend! He happily shook Nino's hand, cementing their new friendship.
At least not everything was a complete disaster.
(~)
Mylene ran quickly out of the stalls from the girl's bathroom. "Oh, I'm gonna be so late!" she said. She quickly opened the door and let out a short scream when she saw Ivan standing before her. He was so much taller than she was, which did give him a very intimidating appearance, even though she knew he wouldn't harm a fly.
"Ivan, goodness you scared me. Is everything okay?"
"I wrote you something." he said. He turned on the music on his phone, which was heavy metal rock music. It was so loud Mylene had no choice but to cover her ears, and what was even stranger was that Ivan started yelling words he read from a piece of paper. Even if she couldn't understand what he was screaming, Ivan was trying to sing the song he wrote for her.
"Mylene! Stronger than an oak! Would you be my queen?!"
Mylene quickly ran away from the screaming boy, still covering her ears. She had no idea why Ivan was acting this way, but she didn't like it. Why was he yelling? Did she do something wrong? She didn't know. She hoped she would be able to ask him.
Once she was gone, Ivan angrily crumpled up the paper that had his song written on it. How could he had been so stupid? A guy like him could never have a chance with someone as sweet as Mylene. He angrily slammed his phone to the floor before sitting on the floor in defeat.
(~)
HawkMoth felt the wave of negative energy within Ivan once more, and this time it was even stronger. "There, that's exactly what I'm talking about." he said as white butterflies fluttered around him, their wings shimmering in the light. One particular butterfly, a black one, rested on HawkMoths scepter before fluttering out the window once again.
"You know the way, my little Akuma."
(~)
The Akuma flew towards the school, finding Ivan as quickly as the first time, sinking itself into the paper. The markings of a red butterfly's wings appeared around his eyes and he could hear HawkMoth speaking to him once more.
"Stoneheart, here is your second chance at revenge. And this time, it'll be easier. No one will be able to stop you from winning over the one you love. In return, I ask only one thing from you…bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and all this power shall be yours forever!"
Ivan could feel his heart darkening once more. All of his wicked desires thriving him, pushing him further. Black ooze surrounded his body from head to toe, transforming him once again into Stoneheart.
All around Paris, the other Stonehearts awoke from their slumber. Their eyes glowing bright yellow like the sun, roaring and stomping their feet, causing the ground to quake. Police officers that had been guarding them immediately took action, pulling out their guns and nets, but no matter what they did the creatures seemed impenetrable.
Back in their classroom, Adrien continued looking back and forth from the teacher and Marinette. Thankfully, no one else noticed, not even his new friend Nino. He kept on studying her features, her hair, her nose, even her eyes. Her eyes were the clincher, he knew that much now.
The door of the classroom was suddenly ripped right off its hinges, with pieces of the wall along with it. Nino and the teacher ran out the hole in the wall. Once Nino saw Adrien wasn't moving, he took him by the arm and pulled him out. The boy looked back, seeing Marinette hide behind a desk, along with several other students, while the rest ran out with the teacher.
Stoneheart roared as he entered, frightening the teacher and students. Kim quickly hid underneath his desk, trembling in fear. He knew Stoneheart was after him. "MYLEEEENE!" Stoneheart roared, catching Kim by surprise. He wasn't looking for him, but Mylene instead. Kim might be a jerk sometimes but he was not without a heart. Mylene was an innocent, probably the most innocent student in class next to Rose, everyone knew that. Instead of feeling relief, he felt concern, as did everyone else.
The students all ran from the beast as he approached Mylene. He snatched her up and held her in his stone grip. "No, let me go, Ivan!" she cried out. She knew who this was, and she knew he would never harm anyone.
"I'm not Ivan, anymore!" the creature said, "I'm Stoneheart!"
"Why are you doing this?!"
"So we can be together forever!"
"Daddy! The monster! He's back!" Chloe screamed into her cellphone, desperately calling her father from under her desk. Chloe was a lot of things, but smart…wasn't always one of them. She screamed when Stoneheart tossed her desk aside and also took the blond in his grip, causing her to drop her phone in the process.
With both girls in hand, Stoneheart kicked a gigantic hole in the wall and jumped from the building, once again roaming the streets of Paris, only this time he had his own Stoneheart army at his side. This time, he was unstoppable.
Alya looked over the hole and then back at Marinette, who hid behind one of the desks that remained intact. "Come on! We have to follow them!"
"No, no! You go ahead." Marinette said, hiding behind the desk like a coward. "I'd rather stay here, where it's safe." she muttered the next sentence under her breath, "And where I can't mess up."
"But you're gonna miss Ladybug and Chat Noir in action!" Alya said, taking her phone into her hand.
Marinette noticed Alya's bag was still on her desk and tried giving it to her friend. "You and Ladybug, you'll make it out better without me."
"If that's what you want." Alya said before running out of the classroom, leaving her bag behind.
"Wait! You forgot your bag!" Marinette cried out and ran after her. Alya was the only one who could be Ladybug. Marinette was already cowering in fear once more. She couldn't risk endangering the city because of her cowardliness.
(~)
Adrien ran to the locker room and Plagg flew out. "Come on, we have to get Marinette!" Adrien said to his kwami.
"What?! Are you crazy? You saw that thing, it's only a matter of time before his army catches up with him!"
"But-"
"If you're right and she really is who you think she is, then she'll meet us there! She'll show up."
"I hope you're right. Plagg, Claws out!"
(~)
"I don't think you know who I am!" Chloe said to the stone monster, "My father is the mayor of Paris! You know what that means, don't you? He's gonna make the police take you down. The army. In short, the entire cavalry!"
"Let's not forget the superheroes!" a voice said from behind Stoneheart. Chat Noir came down from the rooftop and slammed his staff onto the creature's head, landing on the ground on his feet like the cat that he was. However, he quickly realized his stupidity once he saw Stoneheart increase in size. He had forgotten that little detail.
"Oops."
Chloe groaned in frustration, "More like the super incompetent!"
Stoneheart let out a mighty roar and the ground started to shake again, but Stoneheart himself remained perfectly still. Chat Noir saw the army of Stonehearts running towards their leader, bashing anything that was in their way. Before long, Chat Noir found himself cornered, a million stone golems against one little black cat. He did not like those odds.
"GET HIM!"
Upon their leader's command, the Stonehearts attacked, surrounding Chat Noir and tried to grab him. The slick hero managed to avoid each of their incoming attacks. He knew that if he tried to hit one of them they'd only get bigger and stronger. Stoneheart himself walked away from the scene, still carrying Chloe and Mylene with him.
"Where are you taking us?" Mylene asked the creature.
"I have a message to give to the city." Stoneheart replied. "Then, you and I will be together forever!"
"Then, can you drop me here?" Chloe asked in a bored tone, "If it's just her you want then why take me?"
"Don't worry, little monster. I have plans for you as well." Stoneheart said with a growl, making Chloe quiver in his fist.
(~)
Without Ladybug, Chat Noir was stuck fighting the Stonehearts all on his own. Every time he tried to come up with a plan another Stoneheart came at him trying to smash him to bits. He leaped and landed on a lamppost, panting and catching his breath. He couldn't keep up this game of cat and mouse any longer, he had to come up with something, but what? His power could only destroy, and if he used his power at the wrong time he would time out. If Ladybug were here, she'd use her lucky charm to create something and think of a fast solution. She was such a quick thinker, while Chat couldn't even figure out what else to do now. Now that he really thought about it, Ladybug was one who really saved him the last time. He might have helped her in her time of fear, but she came through in the end. All Chat did was be a bodyguard, he couldn't fight these things on his own, the answer was pretty obvious.
For the first time, he felt…helpless.
Alya ran out into the scene, seeing Chat trying to fight the Stonehearts, or more like trying to avoid being squashed. She hid behind a trashcan and pulled out her phone and started recording the whole thing. "Where are you, Ladybug?" she asked as she continued recording.
Marinette finally reached the fight scene and saw her friend. She quickly rushed to her side, grabbing her arm. "Alya! We need to get out of here! It's not safe!" she spotted one of the Stonehearts lifting an empty car and throwing it at Chat Noir. He managed to avoid it, but now the car was aiming directly at Marinette and Alya.
"Look out!" Marinette cried out and pushed her friend right out of the way, only to trip in the process.
"Marinette!" Alya cried out. Time seemed to be moving in slow motion as the car aimed directly at her. Her eyes widened in fear as the car came in closer. She closed her eyes and shielded herself, embracing for the impact…which never came.
She hesitantly opened her eyes and saw Chat Noir, holding the car in place with his staff. With all of his might, he pushed the vehicle away, saving her. He spun his staff around and took a stance, protecting the innocent girl.
"Find a place to hide, I'll cover you!" he said, turning his head towards the person he had just saved…only to gaze into the same bluebell eyes he had already come to recognize.
Marinette looked at her rescuer in both surprise and awe. She had not expected to see her dashing hero again so soon, and now as her normal self instead of Ladybug. Even now, he still managed to make her heart flutter.
Chat Noir too was at a loss for words. She was right there, before him, but why wasn't she…?
The two awoke from their trance when Stonehearts began to roar. Instinctively, Chat Noir grabbed Marinette by the waist and hoisted the two of them up with his staff, landing them safely on the rooftop. Alya watched in awe at the cat superhero saving her friend, which was a tad peculiar. Still, she took her phone and ran from the scene, knowing that Marinette was with Chat Noir she would be alright, all they needed now was Ladybug.
Once they were safe from danger, Chat Noir gently placed Marinette down. She had her arms wrapped around his neck the entire time, and she still did. The two gazed into each other's eyes, still in surprise, and Marinette quickly steped away, blushing.
"Um, thank you for saving me." she said, stepping a few steps away, only to notice her hero taking in multiple deep breaths. "Are you okay?"
"No…I'm not." he confessed, his cat ears slightly dropping, "I don't know how much longer I can fight those blockheads by myself."
"But, you're Chat Noir. I've seen you in action, you're amazing!"
"Actually, that's not entirely true." he said, making Marinette even more confused. "The truth is, Ladybug is the real hero. Not me."
"What are you talking about?"
"She was the one who really knew how to stop Stoneheart the first time, I just followed her lead. She can capture the Akuma and turn that poor boy back to normal and create anything out of thin air, I can't! All I can do is wave a stick around, do a few circus tricks and break things in an instant. I can't even hit those guys or else they'll get bigger!" he hung his head in shame, his shoulders dropped as did his ears. "I can't do this without her."
Marinette could not believe what she was hearing. All this time, she thought she wouldn't be able to function without Chat Noir's emotional support but, as it turns out…he needed her just as much too. This couldn't be possible? She thought she would be doing Chat a favor by stepping aside, but here he was, saying he couldn't do this without her.
"Ladybug's the real hero." he said, "I'm not. I can't even fight these guys."
"That's not true!" Marinette exclaimed firmly, taking the young hero by surprise. "You're every bit of a hero as she is! So you destroy things and know how to work a staff, that's not what makes you so amazing. You're willing to risk your own life for others, even if there's a chance you'll lose. Sure, you might be outnumbered and even outmatched but you still stuck around to fight!…while I hid." she confessed. She hung her head as tears fell from her eyes. "You're the true hero, Chat Noir. You're the brave one, you're the selfless one. Ladybug would just be holding you back."
The young girl covered her face with her hands and sobbed. She looked so weak in front of the hero, if this wouldn't convince him he was better off without her, she didn't know what else. To her surprise, Chat Noir placed his hands on her shoulders. He lifted her chin up to face him and wiped away a few of her tears with his thumb.
"You could never hold me back." he said, making Marinette gasp, "I didn't exactly know what I was fighting for when I first put on the ring…but now I do. The question is, do you know?"
"H-How did…" before Marinette could finish her question, they heard the sound of more smashing coming from the distance. Chat looked back at Marinette. "Go." she said before giving him a kind smile, "You won't be alone this time, I promise." she said…only to be surprised when Chat Noir kissed her hand again.
"Neither will you." he said and leaped off to help whoever else was in trouble.
Marinette realized how foolish she had been. All this time, she thought she wasn't being a good enough Ladybug, but maybe that's because she thought she had to do this by herself. Which she didn't. She had never had someone she could trust to have her back in so long maybe she had started to think she couldn't have one. She didn't want Chat to be forced to be her partner, but as it turns out, he was more than happy to choose to be her partner. It didn't matter if they were predestined or not, if she had a choice she would pick him. He was her emotional support even i she didn't think she needed it, and he needed her just as much. Alone, they couldn't do anything, but together they could do anything. He believed in her, and she believed in him, now she had to believe in herself.
With determination in her eyes she took the octagon box out of Alya's bag and quickly put on the earrings. In a flash of red light, the red and black spotted kwami appeared before her human.
"Tikki, I need Ladybug!"
"I knew you'd come around!" the kwami said happily. She missed Marinette so much.
"I'm still not a hundred percent sure if I'm cut out for it, but Chat Noir needs me and so does the city. I'm not going to just whimper in a corner anymore! Tikki, Spots On!"
At her command, Tikki was immediately absorbed into Marinette's earrings, turning them red with five black spots. Unlike before, Marinette smiled confidently as her entire wardrobe changed into Ladybug. No longer did she feel afraid, because she knew she wouldn't be alone. She never was alone, it was time she stopped thinking she was.
Using her yo-yo she leaped across the rooftops, spotting Chat Noir fighting against the Stonehearts. One of which managed to knock him down on his back. A familiar yo-yo appeared and wrapped itself around his leg. The cat boy was pulled aside by Ladybug, who stood on a lamppost, saving him from being squashed again.
"Sorry for the delay." she said, "You know a girl takes her time to get dressed."
Chat Noir chuckled at her humor, "Seems I'm not the only one with a sense of humor." he said with a wink, making Ladybug giggle as well.
The Stonehearts roared once more and Ladybug hoisted? Chat Noir up to the nearest rooftop, with herself close behind. She untangled his leg and the two leaped over the rooftops together.
"I was afraid we'd never get to do this again!" he said as they jumped from one roof to the next. "But, what about the Stonehearts?"
"If we're going to stop them we have to focus on their leader. The first Stoneheart!"
"I think I know where he went! Follow me!" Chair Noir leaped ahead with Ladybug close behind. They flipped into the air simultaneously and landed on the ground, where they saw the lead Stoneheart…
Standing on the first platform of Eiffel Tower!
The police surrounded the perimeter while the other Stonehearts came at them, mindlessly following their leader, who roared his commands. Helicopters flew overhead, surrounding the beast, but they have yet to launch an attack. Among the numerous police cars stood the mayor, speaking into a megaphone at the creature.
"Monster! I demand you release my daughter this instant or face the consequences!"
"Daddy!" Chloe cried out, her loud shrieking nearly made Stoneheart go deaf. This girl was a nuisance already, why put up with her anymore?
"You know what? With pleasure!" Stoneheart launched the blond girl with all of his might, causing her to scream in terror as she hurtled to the ground. Her father screamed in terror and ran as fast as he could to save her, but no doubt he would come too late.
As she fell, Chloe pressed her hands together, praying for mercy. "Please, if I get out of this alive, I'll change! I'll be nice to everyone, I swea-" before she could finish, Chloe suddenly found herself being rescued by none other than Ladybug, who came to a screeching halt and catching Chloe before she hit the ground. The blond blinked in surprise. She was alive. "I didn't swear." she said in relief.
"What?" Ladybug asked, arching an eyebrow. She placed Chloe back safety on the ground just as her father arrived. The mayor hugged his daughter tightly.
"Oh, my little princess! You're safe!"
Chat landed beside Ladybug, smiling proudly. One of the police officers standing on top of the police car, giving the command to the swat team. "We can give the assault!" he cried out. Now that the mayor's daughter was safe they could destroy the beast without hesitation.
"No, wait!" Ladybug called out, holding her hands up in protest. "Don't attack him! You'll only make things worse!"
"Step aside, young lady!"
"Please, you don't understand. We can help him!"
"The last time you helped anyone more monsters showed up!" the officer cried out, pointing an accusing finger at her and Chat Noir. "We don't need you super freaks around with your freaky monster following you everywhere! You and cat boy already failed!"
Ladybug stepped back at the man's words, only to have Chat Noir place a hand on her shoulder. "He's not wrong." she said. "If I had captured Stoneheart's Akuma this would all be over!" she covered her face once more in shame, "This is exactly what I meant before. Even when I try I keep messing up!"
Chat Noir placed his hand on her shoulder, "You're think you're the only one who messes up? I was the one who used my Cataclysm attack without thinking it through, and I couldn't handle those Stonehearts by myself. We're both new to all of this, but the only time when we do fail is when we stop trying."
Ladybug groaned in frustration, "See, this is exactly what I mean! You always know just what to say!"
"And you know just what to do in a tight situation, I don't!"
"I'm not always as brave you think!"
"Oh, really? Look behind you!" Chat turned his head towards Chloe and her father, still wrapped in a loving father/daughter embrace, "If it wasn't for you that girl wouldn't even be here anymore." he placed both hands on her shoulder, looking straight into her eyes, speaking with such courage and kindness. "They won't be able to defeat Stoneheart without us, and I can't do this alone….I refuse to do this alone. I trust you to have my back, do you trust me to have yours?"
Ladybug was right, Chat did always know what to say…maybe that was what made them such a good team to begin with. He was her inspiration and she was his, even if she was scared at times, and even when Chat didn't always know what to do in a tight spot like she did. They really were the perfect partners, balancing each other out both in power, motivation and overall dynamic.
Just like Yin and Yang.-
Ladybug only clenched her fists, not in anger but in determination. Her blue eyes sparkled with determination and she smiled. That was the only reply Chat Noir needed.
Stoneheart started roaring once again, only this time he sounded almost as if he were choking on something. He let out a powerful roar, stronger than all the previous ones, and a swarm of black butterflies flew out from his mouth, taking on the form of a man's head. Stoneheart felt ill and collapsed to the ground as the swarm of Akumas hovered over the city, frightening the citizens. The Akumas formed a mouth and eyes and the head began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Paris, listen carefully. I am HawkMoth!"
"HawkMoth?!" Ladybug and Chat Noir repeated, both arching an eyebrow. What kind of name was that? Was he half Moth and half Hawk? And the Akumas were butterflies, not moths, what sense did that make?
"I have a message for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Give me your Miraculous, the ladybug's earrings and the black cat's ring. If you do, everything will return to normal. I believe the good people of this city have suffered enough thanks to you."
"Nice try, HawkMoth." Ladybug said as she walked closer to the giant floating head of Akumas. For the first time, she showed no signs of fear or insecurity. This creature did not scare her. Not anymore.
"I've seen this trick before. You play the innocent card to try and win everyone's trust, when really you're just twisting the truth to get what you want. An effective effort, I'll admit, but not this time. We all know who the real super villain is. I know for a fact that you're the one who transformed all these innocent people into monsters!"
While the rest of the people watched in awe, Chat Noir smiled proudly at his lady standing up to this creature. He'd do it too, but this was really her moment. She needed to believe she could be as brave as he knew she was.
"I'm not afraid of you!" Ladybug exclaimed powerfully, "I don't care how long it takes, Chat Noir and I will find you. And once we do, you'll be the one who will be giving us your Miraculous!"
Swinging her yo-yo, Ladybug ran towards the Eiffel Tower, leaping up high into the air, coming face to face with her yo-yo, tossing it directly at the Akumas. The yo-yo opened up, releasing a sparkling pink aura which caught each Akuma within it. One by one, she snatched the insects into her yo-yo so fast the people could barely keep up with her. Once she caught the last butterfly she landed on the platform, catching her breath before turning to the people.
"Starting today, I am making a promise to you all! No matter what new dangers arise in this city, Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in their power to serve and protect you, until HawkMoth is defeated for good!"
Ladybug slid her finger over the top of her yo-yo, which caused it to slide open and tossed it into the air, releasing a gorgeous swarm of shimmering white butterflies that flew all around the city in a stunning pattern. A few even flew around Chat Noir, one even landing on his nose before flying away. It was a sight unlike anything anyone had ever seen, even the people watching the news from their homes could see it. Alya stood before a store of television sets and saw the whole thing. She cheered victoriously for Ladybug. She knew she could do it.
Chloe jumped on her father's back, the two cheering for their newest heroine, while Chat Noir stared in awe.
"Wow. I knew she had it in her but…wow!"
But, not everyone was happy for the new heroes, for HawkMoth clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails nearly tore his gloves. "That's the problem with superheroes! They're so…heroic! It makes me sick!"
His plan wasn't over yet, there was still Stoneheart. He immediately got connected with his minion, via telepathy and spoke to him. "Stoneheart, they're going to try and tear your loved one away from you! Stop them by taking their Miraculous! After that, they won't be able to stop you!"
"Yes, HawkMoth!" Stoneheart said as he stood back up, with Mylene still in his grasp.
"Help! Help me!" Mylene cried out. The two heroes heard her and jumped right in front of Stoneheart.
"You will never take Mylene from me!" he roared before jumping one, causing the ground to shake and Ladybug and Chat Noir to lose their balance. Stoneheart began climbing up the tower, with his stonehearts close behind and Mylene still screaming for help.
From the platform, Chat Noir gasped when he saw the stone men climbing up the tower. "They're coming!" he said to his partner, "We already know we can't hit them!"
"I know. But, we know where his Akuma is."
"Right, in his closed fist. The one holding Mylene. So, how are we gonna separate them?" he asked.
"It won't be easy seeing as Stoneheart's in love with her." Ladybug said. Then, the memory from her and Chat's night at the Eiffel tower replayed in her mind. The moment when they both reach for the railing at the same time and jerked back from embarrassment. She had an idea.
"Of course! We don't have to separate them! On the contrary, we have to bring them closer together!
"How much closer than they already are?"
"Lets just say, our little outing last night gave me an idea. Follow my lead!" she said before leaping up to climb the tower.
"I'm still not following, but I trust you." he said before following her example and climbed up the tower, just like they did last night.
Ladybug lifted herself up to the very tip of the Eiffel Tower, where she saw Stoneheart only a few feet below, he was already halfway to the top, with Mylene still screaming in terror.
"Help! I'm scared of heights!"
"Don't worry, everything will be alright!" Ladybug called out from above, "I hope." she said to herself. This was a long shot, but it was their best bet right now.
Stoneheart let out another roar, causing the helicopters to back away from the sound. Chat Noir covered his ears, though it didn't help he now had an extra pair of ears and he couldn't cover his cat ones. Sadly.
The stone men finally reached the top and Chat Noir pulled out his staff to fight them off as best he could. "Ready when you are, My Lady!" he called out to his partner, who smiled at his pet name for her. She could really get used to hearing that.
She pulled out her yo-yo and called out, "Lucky Charm!" just like before, a ray of sparkly red hearts swarmed above her, manifesting into a solid object which landed on her hand. The object was round and red with black spots.
"A parachute?" she groaned in frustration, "Why is this magic stuff so confusing?" she asked, only to hear her partner screaming as he was hurled into the air by the stone men. He managed to flip on one of the railings, and black flipped back in place.
"Any creative ideas yet?" he asked.
"Well, let's see!" Ladybug adjusted the parachute and put her plan into motion. She unleashed her yo-yo and wrapped it around Stoneheart's fist, the one where he still held Mylene, and his head. She held the end of the yo-yo and the object itself like the reigns of a horse and turned to her partner.
"Chat Noir, get ready!" she said and pulled on the string, which in turn caused Stoneheart's fist to come closer to his face, causing Mylene's lips to collide against his gigantic stone mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise as did Stoneheart's, feeling flustered.
Just as Ladybug had anticipated, the shock caused Stoneheart to quickly react in shock, releasing Mylene from his fist as well as the purple piece of paper he was holding. Mylene managed to grab hold of one of Stoneheart's large fingers while the object containing the Akuma fell.
Seeing his chance, Chat Noir leaped down, using his staff to push him farther towards the purple object. Using his staff like a baseball bat, he hit the object, sending it flying towards Ladybug. Chat Noir stuck the tip of his staff to the side of the tower, saving him from falling further down. Ladybug caught the purple object with her yo-yo and broke it, releasing the Akuma. This time, she wouldn't make the same mistake.
"You've done enough harm, little Akuma!" she opened up her yo-yo, which emitted pink sparkles, and hurtled it towards the black insect, trapping it inside. Once done, she opened her yo-yo once again, releasing a tiny white butterfly into the sky. But once the Akuma was purified, Ivan reverted back to normal. His stone form disappearing in a batch of black smoke and now he and Mylene were falling to their deaths.
The two heroes acted fast, simultaneously reaching out to save the two civilians. Ladybug hurled her yo-yo and wrapped it around Mylene, pulling her back and pulling on her parachute, while Chat Noir bounced off of his staff while crying out, "Cataclysm!" using his power, he jumped up and touched the side of the Eiffel Tower, peeling off a beam and sliding on it, he grabbed Ivan by the shirt while dangling.
Ladybug sighed in relief as she and Mylene descended softly. "It's okay, you're safe now." as they descended, Chat Noir smiled proudly. Using his strength, he hoisted Ivan onto his back and climbed down, but not before getting his staff back, which he then used as an elevator to lower them both down. Ivan was still shaken from the experience so Chat Noir wrapped his arm around his shoulder to help the poor boy.
Ladybug and Mylene landed safely down, only for the parachute to suddenly start glowing a bright pinkish red. Ladybug felt it burn a bit and instinctively tossed it into the air, where it glowed brighter, releasing a faint pink ring across the sky and dispersed into bright little ladybugsthat sparkled and swarm all around the city. They traveled far and wide, swarming around all of the damages caused by Stoneheart. All of the stone men reverted back to normal, with no memory of what happened.
The two heroes and civilians watched in wonder as the ladybugs flew all around in a dazzling display unlike anything they had ever seen.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Chat Noir asked as he marveled at the lovely ladybugs flying all around.
"Yeah!" Ladybug said with an excited giggle, "It's marvelous! It's incredible! It's…Miraculous!"
(~)
HawkMoth angrily stomped his foot, causing all the butterflies around him to flutter upwards in fear. All of his plans had been foiled by a couple of wide-eyed teenagers with magical jewels. But, he refused to give up so easily. He did not come this far just to hand in the towel.
"This is only the beginning, Ladybug and Chat Noir. You may have won the battle, but I will win the war! One day, I will have your Miraculous, and the ultimate power will be mine. And my greatest wish will finally come true!"
That was not only a warning…that was a promise.
(~)
Once all had cleared up, the sparkling ladybugs disappearing, leaving behind only faint pink sparkles falling gently like snow, Ladybug knew there was some unfinished business to attend to.
"I believe Ivan has something he wants to say to you, Mylene." she said, placing a hand on Ivan's shoulder. The boy immediately became flustered and tongue tied. Ladybug pulled out the piece of paper Ivan had crumbled up before, which was what the Akuma had possessed in order to turn him. "Maybe you should read the lyrics of his song." she said and gave the shorter girl the lyric sheet before walking away, leaving the two alone.
A smile grew on Mylene's face as she read, her cheeks turning bright pink. "Awww, Ivan. This is so sweet, I had no idea you could be so poetic."
Ivan blushed at the compliment, "You really like it?"
"I love it! I guess it was a bit hard for me to understand when you were yelling, er, I mean, singing."
"I'm sorry I scared you."
"It's okay, I know how much you like heavy metal music."
"I'll sing more calmly next time. Promise." Ivan said, making Mylene blush even harder. To think, he went through all this trouble just to tell her how he felt. She didn't think Ivan liked her, but he did. She was so happy she just went in and hugged him, making the boy's face became as red as a tomato.
The two heroes watched the scene, and Ladybug sighed. "Awww!"
"You were right. They really are good together." Chat said, smiling at Ladybug. Now it was her turn to blush. "Seriously, how do you come up with such clever as a whip ideas?"
"I guess I get it from my sister. She always knew just what to do in any situation."
"I bet if she saw you now, she'd be really proud of you." he said…only to be taken off guard when Ladybug surprised him with a hug.
"Thank you for not giving up on me." she said into his ear, which send shivers down his spine. Chat wrapped his arms around her waist, taking in the sweet aroma of her hair. Once they parted, Ladybug rested her hands against his shoulders while his arms were still wrapped around her waist. Even if Ladybug did come up with the idea, she never would have had the courage to do so if not for Chat's support, and Chat might be strong but he wouldn't have come up with a brilliant idea all on his own. He wasn't always used to doing so many things on his own, but he was eager to start learning how. And with someone as smart as Ladybug, he knew he would get there, and Ladybug knew she could face any danger because she wouldn't be doing it alone. It didn't matter if it was destiny or not, if they could restart all over again, they'd choose each other to be their respected partners in crime. More than just partners, they were friends…and maybe…-
As the two gazed into each others eyes once more, all of Marinette's doubts and fears went away as their lips moved in closer and closer, their eyes closing…
The sound of beeping from Chat's ring and Lady's earrings snapped them awake. Chat looked at his ring and Ladybug stepped away, pressing her fingers against her earrings.
Both teens sighed in frustration. "Seriously?!"
"I guess we should go, then." Ladybug said sadly.
"Yeah. I guess." Chat Noir hesitantly agreed before a smile appeared on his face. He took her hand and, once again, kissed it. "I'll catch you next time, My Lady." he said with a wink.
"That you will." Ladybug said, removing her hand from his and ruffling his blond hair before throwing her yo-yo into the air and hoisting herself away from the scene and she and Chat Noir went their separate ways.
For now.
(~)