Chapter Seven

Marinette sighed as she walked through the locker room. She couldn't believe that she messed up so bad that Alya learned who she really was. Even though Alya said that she understood, especially after what she went through with her sisters, about her keeping the secret, Marinette couldn't help feeling that she had failed.

Alya watched as Marinette mentally beat herself up. She was worried about her best friend. Whatever happened between Ladybug and Volpina, it affected Marinette deeply. Sighing, Alya moved to talk to Marinette, but Adrien quickly grabbed Alya's arm.

"Don't." he whispered. "We can't let anyone know about our secret lives."

"But Mari-"

"Don't worry she's stronger that she seems." Adrien told her. "Besides I think that I have an idea as to how to cheer her up."

"What's that?"

"Well you know that new duo that hit the charts last month?"

"Oh you mean the Light wolves." Alya said nodding. "I remember Marinette saying that she liked their music."

"Exactly, this way she'll get her mind off of her troubles. At least for a little while." Adrien said as a ruckus started up behind him. He knew that it couldn't possibly have been be cause of him, since he had been going to school there for nearly a year. So the students were used to seeing him there. So what could possibly be the reasoning behind the uproar?

"Uh Adrien?" Alya asked pointing to the girl who was walking their way.

"Oh shit, uh where's Mari?" Adrien asked looking around quickly. He knew how she would react to the girl.

"The classroom, but there's no time. She's here." Alya said as the girl walked up to him.

"Hello Adrien. I'm Miriki and I noticed that your name was on my V.I.P. ticket list and I wanted to deliver these four personally."

"But I only bought two."

"Yeah I know. See you in class." Miriki said as she walked back to the boy she walked into the school with.

"Wait you mean you're going here?"

"Yes we are. Later." Miriki said as Adrien stared at the tickets. There was something in Miriki's voice, but he couldn't place it.

"Adrien we're going to be late and you don't really have an excuse today since you're already here." Alya reminded him as Lila walked by.

"Well, well where's your little friend Alya?" she asked smiling wickedly. "I heard Volpina exposed her little secret in front of a new hero and Chat Noir the other day. Must have been really embarrassing to have her new friend see that Ladybug was nothing but a weakling."

"Lila…" Adrien began his voice dangerously low. "I suggest you shut up about things you know nothing about." he added and the two heroes walked to the classroom, but didn't see Marinette. "Well damn it, she isn't here."

"I wonder if Lila…"

"If you're looking for Marinette, she ran off a couple of minutes ago." Chloe said from behind Adrien and Alya.

"Did you say something to her Chloe?" Adrien asked worried. If Chloe upset Marinette, then it would be even more of a breeding ground for an Akuma, even if she was a superhero.

"I didn't, but Lila did. Something about not being as good or perfect as Ladybug or something like that." Chloe said, her voice laced with concern much to Adrien's surprise. "I told Lila to leave her alone, because no one could be like Ladybug, but Marinette had already took off."

"Why did you stand up for Mari? If you don't mind me asking." Adrien asked shocked. He knew what Chloe was like and that she didn't like Marinette at all.

"Well because I was there the day that Marinette took her Miraculous off and revealed who she was to Volpina. Then I was walking down the street yesterday and I saw all three of you detransform." Chloe confessed. "When I saw that you were Chat Noir, Adrien, and that Marinette was Ladybug, I gave up on you and me. Still I decided not to say anything to anyone."

"How come?" Alya asked

"Because these two have risked their lives every other day." Chloe said quickly. "That's why Alya."

"Well right now I have to find Mari and the teacher isn't here yet." Adrien started, but Chloe stopped him.

"Adrien go, we'll cover you." Chloe told him again shocking both Alya an Adrien. "You need to go."

"Chloe's right and don't worry about Lila. I'll watch her and won't let her follow you."

"Thanks you guys." Adrien said and ran off to the restrooms. "Plagg Claws Out!" he shouted not wasting another minute, then after he transformed he moved to call Marinette, but she didn't answer so he knew she wasn't transformed. Sighing Chat jumped out of the window in the rest room, and began to search for his girlfriend. Starting with their special place, but she wasn't there. After that he went to different areas, but he still couldn't find her. Sighing again Chat went back to the school, just in time for lunch. Untransforming, Adrien sighed and walked up to Alya, who looked at him hopefully, but her shook his head.

"No luck and I couldn't skip the whole day." Adrien whispered

"Maybe I could go and take a look around." Alya suggested.

"No let's just give her some space." Adrien told her. "Trust me I think I know what it is that's really bothering her and after school I think I know where she'll be."

"Where?"

"Sorry Alya, but I can't." Adrien said slightly blushing. "It's sort of a secret between the two of us."

"Oh I get it. It's where the two of you first talked together isn't it?"

"Yeah and it has a special place for us. I checked there earlier, but she wasn't there." Adrien sighed as they sat down.

"I still can't believe that Chloe knows about us and agreed to keep it a secret."

"Well it's a good thing actually." Adrien sighed. "She can help us keep an eye on Lila when she's not Volpina, and also can cover for us if need be."

"But she doesn't have any powers." Alya reminded him. "What if she gets hurt?"

"Don't worry I'll talk to her." Adrien said and Alya hoped he knew what he was talking about.

Meanwhile Ladybug sighed as she sat in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower. She saw Chat Noir earlier and knew that he was looking for her, but she needed time to think alone. After what Lila said to her, Ladybug knew that no matter what, Lila would never leave her alone or let what she said to her go. And she knew that if Lila wanted to, she could expose them all and she couldn't risk that. She didn't want her friends to be at risk.

Sighing again Ladybug left the tower and went to a roof top. Their rooftop. The one where they finally talked and told one another how they felt. Once she landed she detransfomed and sighed.

"I can't do this anymore, Tikki." Marinette sighed as she moved to the shadows. "Lila was right. I'm not hero."

"No she wasn't." said a voice from beside her in the shadows.

"Chat, how long have you been here?"

"Since school ended." Chat said pushing himself off the wall. "Chloe told us what happened with Lila."

"Can you blame her?" Marinette asked wrapping her arms around herself. "I mean I am completely the worst-"

"Marinette listen to me, you are a great Ladybug." Chat told her. "Trust me Mari."

"But-"

"No buts, I've fought with you long enough to know how you are. That and I've been with you long enough to know that you are the best choice in being a hero. You're kind and caring and as for Lila being akumatized, you're not the only one to blame. If I have realized how you felt from the beginning, then maybe Lila wouldn't have tried to make advances on me or may she would have and we would have stilled had to face Volpina. We don't know for sure, and could often blame different things. It's not just you that has doubts Marinette so don't let Lila get to you." Chat begged. "You know as well as I do that even superheroes aren't immune to being turned evil."

"You're right Chat." Marinette said smiling. Her cat always was there for her no matter what, and he was right. If anyone knew that they weren't immune it was him, as he had fought with her as on evil Chat, known as Chat Blanc, just before the fight with Volpina. It was because of that fight that she told him how she really felt as Ladybug, but that she loved someone else as well as him. Thankfully he understood and didn't push it. However when Volpina used her feelings for Adrien against her, he knew it was time that he told her the truth as well. "You always do know what will cheer me up…Adrien." she added and the two laughed.

"Let's get down from here now. Alya was also worried about you." Chat said and he picked up Marinette up as she finally let go of her fear of disappointing everyone. Although they had Alya, Marinette began to think about getting someone else to help. She just had to run it by her teammates.

"Hey Adrien?" she whispered since they were getting close to other people now.

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking about having someone else join us, if that was okay."

"Who do you have in mind, M'lady?" Chat asked and Marinette smiled.

"Not yet silly Kitty. I was just wondering if you would be okay with it."

"Of course Bugaboo." Chat said as they landed at her bakery. "Make sure you call your friends and let them know you're alright."

"Thanks Chat." Marinette said making sure the people around them heard her so that they wouldn't think something else and she walked into her home, just to get tackled.

"Thank god you're alright girl."

"I'm fine Alya, but let's go up to my room and talk." Marinette said, then she remembered her parents and them not knowing she ditched school and Alya could tell.

"Don't worry about your parents. I told them that you weren't feeling well and had gone to the infirmary. Chloe also used her influence to make sure the teachers don't say a word." Alya told her as they walked to Marinette's room. "Lila is probably the only problem that we may still have."

"I'm not worried about Lila right now." Marinette said once they got to her room, not at all surprised about Chloe. She had a feeling something was different about the girl for a while.

"Really? What changed?" Alya asked surprised. "From the way Chloe was talking you were really upset."

"Well I went to think and was about to go to Master Fu and give him my Miraculous back, but Adrien talked to me and gave me the confidence I needed."

"Really you were going to quit?"

"Yes until Chat gave me the advice that I seriously needed." Marinette told Alya.

"Marinette, Adrien is here to see you!" called her mother and Alya smiled and pointed.

'Do I need to leave?' she mouthed.

"No you don't, I need to talk to you both." Marinette whispered, then walked over to her door. "Let him in mom." she called and waited for her cat to come up. When Adrien walked up to the room Marinette sighed and looked pointedly at her parents until they left the three alone.

"So what's the deal Marinette? What did you want to talk to us both about?"

"Well what would you guys say about a new hero joining us?" Marinette asked as Alya stared.

"So quickly after I joined you guys?" she asked

"No not right now Alya." Adrien said knowing what his Lady was thinking. "But I agree that we could use the extra help. We just need to think about who it could be."

"Well who do you guys have in mind?" Alya asked, but Marinette shook her head.

"No one at the moment. I just wanted to run it by you guys." Marinette told them, but Adrien wasn't convinced. He had a feeling as to who Marinette was thinking of but didn't want to say it in front of Alya. He knew well what she would think. "I also need to talk to Master Fu about it and see if he agrees. Even with Rena Rouge helping us the villains are getting worse and then there is Volpina to think about. After all she and Hawk Moth could cause some serious damage together, and since according to the spell book the Butterfly Miraculous gives the power of control then we know she's going to work for him anyway."

"That doesn't answer the question though, who could possibly be a new hero? We don't know anyone else except for Nino that would make a good one and I honestly don't think that would be a good idea at this point." Adrien said although he knew his best friend would indeed make a good hero and possibly who else was on Marinette's mind, bit he let it go until he was alone with her again. Then he would bring it up. "Anyway Mari, I have something for you. "It's the main reason I came here."

"What's that?" she asked and he smiled.

"Check these out." he said holding out two tickets and Marinette took one and read the name on the ticket.

"Oh my god V.I.P.s to the Light Wolves concert?!"

"I take it you like it?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh and Alya here you take these." Adrien said holding out the other two that he got from Miriki. "This way all three of us can be there together if an akuma was to attack or if Volpina decided to crash the party." he added and Marinette was glad he thought of that. She just hoped that Lila would leave them alone long enough to enjoy the concert, but she had a horrible feeling that something bad was about to happen.