Hello, Ladybug

A few months later, Adrien had turned 16 years old and was anxious to be released into the world.

He had spent those last few months training rigorously with Hawkmoth. His father would spend two hours with Adrien every night, making him go through obstacle courses that pushed him to the limits of his powers.

He also spent time studying Ladybug. He watched her from a distance when she was in the middle of a battle to see how she used her Lucky Charm to take down akumas. Her movements as she fought off akumatized victims became familiar and even predictable to him.

The more he watched her, the more he was intrigued by her. She was a stunning force to be reckoned with, but he was determined to be the one to finally take her down.

After months of training, he was ready to face her.

"Adrien, please don't do this," Plagg pleaded as Adrien opened one of his bedroom windows.

"Just give it up, Plagg," Adrien hissed. "I still haven't changed my mind. I'm not going to let my father down."

The kwami looked at Adrien with a defeated expression. He hated what Hawkmoth was doing to the boy. Adrien had a good heart and had so much potential to help people, but he was enslaved by the desire to earn his father's love and get his mother back.

"Ladybug is the only thing standing in the way of me getting my family back," Adrien growled. "But that's about to change."

He raised his fist in the air. "Plagg, claws out!"


Chat Noir prowled along a rooftop, eyeing the crowded streets below.

It was Bastille Day, the French holiday celebrating the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Street parties, parades, and fireworks lit up the night sky at Place de la Bastille, the Champs Elysées, and Champ de Mars.

A perfect night to introduce himself to Ladybug and the rest of Paris.

He grinned devilishly as his eyes found the largest float at the front of the parade on the street below. Mayor Bourgeois and his daughter, Chloe, sat side by side in throne-like seats at the top of the float. Memories of childhood playdates with Chloe Bourgeois flashed across Adrien's mind and he chuckled.

"Sorry, Chlo," he murmured as he suddenly lept off the roof and landed on the float in front of the mayor and Chloe.

The two stared up at Chat, stunned. Anger then spread across the mayor's face.

"Who are you?" the mayor demanded, jumping up to his feet.

Chat Noir slowly held up a clawed hand to his own face, admiring how sharp his claws were. He heard the mayor suddenly gulp loudly. The corners of Chat's mouth twitched with amusement.

He had originally doubted becoming a villain. He hadn't been able to fathom scaring people and disrupting the peace in the city he loved. But the thrill was so enticing. The looks of horror he received made him feel powerful. Their fear gave him a rush of adrenaline. If he was going to be bad, he was going to be really bad. And he was going to enjoy it.

Chat took a step towards the mayor and leaned forward so that he was just inches away from the man's face.

"Who am I?" Chat purred. "I'm the cat's meow."

Chat let out a dark laugh that made the mayor jump. Chloe got up and ducked behind her father, letting out a scream.

"Cataclysm!" Chat shouted and got down on one knee to slam his hand onto the float.

Then, he pounced onto the street below as the float began to crack. The mayor and the others on the float collapsed onto the street as the float disintegrated beneath their feet into a cloud of dust.

Chat calmly strutted over to a nearby cameraman and looked straight into the lens.

"The name's Chat Noir," he said into the camera. "And I would like to extend a personal invitation to Ladybug. Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

With a wink, Chat Noir disappeared onto the rooftops of Paris.


"Marinette, you look amazing," Nathaniel gasped as he approached Marinette and Alya.

Marinette blushed and looked down at her high heeled shoes. Alya had convinced her to dress up for the parade, pulling a black crop top and soft pink skirt out of Marinette's closet. Now, Marinette fiddled with the fabric of the skirt, flattered.

"Thanks, Nathaniel," she smiled up at him.

The shy artist blushed and pushed his hair away from his face nervously.

"Where's Nino?" Alya asked, interrupting the awkwardness.

"I haven't seen him," Nathaniel answered. "There's way too many people here."

Marinette disliked crowds almost as much as Nathaniel. His comment made her notice just how many people surrounded her on the crowded street. She pulled her purse closer to her body, hoping Tikki wasn't too uncomfortable in there.

"Ugh, there's Chloe," Alya muttered, pointing to the large float that was slowly passing by.

Chloe and her father, Mayor Bourgeois, were seated at the top of the float as if they were royalty. Marinette let out a huff as she watched Chloe blow kisses at everyone in the crowd as if they adored her or whatever.

A collective gasp suddenly rippled throughout the crowd as a dark figure landed on top of the float. Marinette's head snapped up to see what it was. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of a young man in a black suit, his hair thick and blonde, and his eyes a piercing green.

"Who the heck is that?" Alya breathed, excitement dripping from every word. In an instant, she had her phone out to record it all for her Ladyblog.

Marinette tensed as she saw the boy raise a clawed hand. Whoever he was, he didn't look friendly. She started scanning her surroundings, looking for a place where she could duck out of sight and transform.

But she was surrounded by so many people. She silently cursed Alya for insisting they make their way to the front of the crowd. Marinette cringed as she noticed a cameraman next to her. No way could she transform with so many people and cameras around.

Her attention turned back to the float when she heard a voice call out, "Cataclysm!" She watched in horror as the float started to crumble before her eyes.

The boy in black pounced over towards Marinette and she instinctively reached an arm out in front of Alya and Nathaniel, putting herself between them and the threatening villain. But the cat-like boy approached the cameraman next to them.

"The name's Chat Noir and I would like to extend a personal invitation to Ladybug," he said into the camera. Marinette froze. "Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower."

He winked and then jumped over the crowd onto a nearby rooftop, blending into the night sky. Before Alya and Nathaniel could notice, Marinette slipped into the crowd and made her way to a nearby alley.

"Tikki!" she whispered, opening her purse for the kwami to emerge. "We need to transform, I think Hawkmoth released another akuma!"

Tikki flew into Marinette's face. "Marinette, be careful! Something doesn't feel right," the kwami warned.

"All the more reason we have to try and stop him," Marinette replied. "Tikki, spots on!"


Chat Noir stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower, leaning casually against a beam with his arms crossed as he looked out over the city lights.

Despite his calm demeanor, he felt a twinge of nerves. He was finally going to come face to face with the spotted heroine. What would she think of him? He scowled. Who cares what she thinks? He thought.

His cat ears picked up the quiet sound of something whizzing through the air. The sound would've gone undetected by average ears, but Chat's senses were heightened when he transformed.

Just as an object came flying towards the back of his head, Chat reached back and caught it. He heard a quiet gasp and grinned mischievously.

"Hey now, LB," he said in a stern voice. "That's no way to introduce yourself."

Chat looked down at the spotted yo-yo he had caught in his hand and then turned to flash a smile at the stunned Ladybug.

"What's wrong?" he laughed. "Chat got your tongue?"