In case there were any doubts, this story contains all the fluff and crack that has built up from months of working on Guardians.
Finding a secluded place to transform this close to the city hall and an impending press conference was harder than they'd anticipated. Marinette noticed that adults' eyes were drawn to two children running unaccompanied along the sidewalk, if only for a moment, but that moment could potentially make all the difference. Chat found them a narrow little alley just off one of the side streets to duck into and she stood between him and the entrance while he transformed.
"Okay, we should probably get up top before you transform." He slid his arm around her waist and she heard him grab his staff. "Don't want anyone seeing two weird lights and getting suspicious."
She frowned. Hang on. She'd been in this position before, she knew what his suit felt like against her, both in her suit and out of it, and it was not like this. Something had changed. She looked down just as he launched them into the air with his staff and gasped when she saw a bare hand and a…loose black sleeve?
"Here we go!" he announced as they landed and let go of her. She spun around, looked him up and down once, and had to mash her lips together to stop from laughing. He grinned smugly and retracted his baton. "Thank you for riding L'ascenseur de Chat Noir—"
He stopped talking quite abruptly and held up his gloveless hands. Gone was the sleek suit that had always looked suspiciously like leather. Now he wore a black hoodie with a bell for the the zipper, black pants, and his shoes looked more like converse than boots with bright white laces. His tail had lightened a few shades matching the hems on his hoodie but remained about the same length, while his ears and mask remained entirely unchanged.
He looked down at himself, tugged on one of his sleeves just to confirm he wasn't seeing this, and then let out a loud, "Whaaaat?!"
Marinette couldn't help it. She burst out laughing.
"Hey!" Chat Noir complained. "This isn't funny! Look what he did to my suit! Tikki, why did he do that?"
"Because he thought it'd be funny," Tikki giggled, floating out into the open. "Your suits are meant to reflect the era, your culture, and your age. We've never had wielders this young before. I think you look cute."
"Nooo," he complained, "I'm not cute."
"Yes you are," they both replied simultaneously.
"Noo, my lady. You're supposed to say I'm dashing or devilishly handsome. Not cute."
Marinette cracked up and Tikki snickered behind her paws. Chat's lip jutted out in a pout which did nothing to help his case and only made her laugh harder. He protested weakly for a few more moments but finally gave up and instead stared at her with a look of near wonder as she tried to control her laughter.
"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?" she asked between her gasps and giggles.
"No reason!" he said a little too quickly, further betrayed by the tell-tale reddening of his cheeks. "S-shouldn't you be transforming?"
"Oh, yeah." Marinette was about to say the words to prompt her transformation when it occurred to her that if Plagg was able to change Adrien's suit on a whim then Tikki could very well do the same. She looked up at the kwami. "Are you going to change my suit, too?"
Tikki winked.
Marinette eyed her contemplatively for a moment. Tikki was nice and liked her. She wouldn't give her something completely ridiculous. Inhaling through her nose, Marinette cried out, "Transform me!"
Tikki giggled as she went flying into the earrings. Light flared and power danced across her body like a million little ladybug legs. With the transformation came the familiar sensation of security. She felt lighter, stronger, ready to fight and fly. When the light faded, she looked down at herself eagerly.
The first thing she noticed was the skirt, short and loose, it swished around her thighs as she moved. It was attached to a simple dress with short sleeves, the same red and black print as her suit. Her legs were covered by leggings a shade or two darker than the dress and she actually had shoes! Black boots which covered her calves, sloping higher in the front to end in a rounded point just below her knee. Her arms were bare below the sleeves until her wrists, where her hands were protected by a pair of fitted black gloves. She felt at her face to see if her mask had changed shape but it appeared to have stayed the same.
Chat Noir laughed merrily. "Lookin' good, my lady!"
"Oh yeah," Ladybug said. "I like this—don't think I can pull it off as a teenager—but I like it!"
"It's so cute."
"Oh, so you can dish it but you can't take it?"
"You've always been cute, Marinette."
"Look who's talk—" Ladybug's eyes widened and she mashed her lips together. Too late. He'd heard.
A sly grin slid slowly across his face, revealing his slightly pointed canines which made him look more devious than ever before. "What was that?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him and he slinked forward. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
"No."
"I think you diiiid," he sing-songed. "You think I'm cuuuteee."
"I think you're annoying."
"Cuute and annoying."
"DON'T WE HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE TO CRASH?"
Chat Noir cackled gleefully.
Huffing, Ladybug reached for her yo-yo and noticed that she now had a belt around her waist the same color as her spots. There was a slight resistance as she pulled on her yo-yo but upon inspection could find no adhering surfaces or hooks on the belt or her weapon. Like Chat's baton, suit and weapon simply attached to each other.
She hurled her yo-yo in the direction of Hôtel de Ville and swung off. Chat followed her, still laughing.
Two minutes later they were on the roof of their destination with no one any the wiser. They stashed their weapons and slunk towards the edge of the building, laying down on their stomachs to peer down at the crowd gathered for the press conference. The mayor hadn't emerged yet but it had to be starting any minute now. Ladybug spotted Alya near the front of the crowd in what she thought was a pretty decent spot. She was going to freak when she saw their costume changes.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Chat asked. "What's the story?"
"The truth," Ladybug said. "We were victims of the akuma and it put us at a disadvantage. We did free girl but the butterfly escaped. It will be back, sooner rather than later, and we'll be ready."
"We have no idea why there's not an army of Gaminettes already, we have no idea if there will be, and you can't turn anyone back to their normal age until after we have the akuma."
She sighed. "We sound so incompetent when you put it that way."
Mayor Bourgeois' arrival was heralded by a surge of voices from below and the flashing of cameras. Both heroes watched the older man descend the steps, waving politely at the crowds. Pedestrians were lured in by the sudden commotion and by the time he reached the podium, at least fifteen more people had been drawn into the crowd to hear the mayor speak.
"Parisians et Parisiennes," he greeted. "Thank you for coming. Today I am here to discuss the recent situation that has befallen our city. As you're all aware, yesterday brought yet another attack by the man known as Hawkmoth. After reviewing the known details surrounding the incident, we have determined the victim to be a young child whose abilities involved reverting those she came into contact with into children. At this time, there do not appear to be any detrimental effects to this change. Although reports suggest there are slight behavioral changes, those affected have retained their full mental cognitive abilities. In other words, they may look like children, but mentally they remain whatever age they truly are, and my office and I are advising that they be treated as such."
"Sir!" a man shouted from the crowd. "Where are Ladybug and Chat Noir? What do they have to say?"
Mayor Bourgeois took the interruption in stride. "We have been attempting to get into contact with Ladybug and Chat Noir since yesterday afternoon but, so far, they have not responded. So at this time—"
"That's our cue," Ladybug whispered, pushing herself to her feet.
"Ooh, ooh, wait, my lady!" Chat Noir sprang up, tail flicking excitedly behind him. "Can I do the talking?"
She blinked in surprise. "What?"
"You always get to do the talking," he pointed out petulantly. "I want to this time!"
Ooh, what a time for younger Adrien to take the wheel. Ladybug frowned pointedly. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Is your head in the right place?"
Chat Noir blinked and seemed to realize what had just happened. "It's also my fault. It's better if I speak," he added soberly.
Ladybug considered him. She knew from experience that Chat was more than willing to step back and let her have the spotlight. Now that she knew he was Adrien, she could understand why he didn't mind their fame not being equal. He probably enjoyed having someone else get all the attention for once. Now here he was, asking for permission to bring the eyes of the city on himself instead of her. She might not have trusted Chat Noir to make this speech yesterday but now that she knew Adrien was under the mask….
"Alright," she said. "But if anything goes wrong, I take over. Deal?"
He nodded. "Deal."
Mayor Bourgeois was mid-sentence when Ladybug and Chat Noir suddenly landed on the platform just a few feet away. Their sudden arrival triggered a flurry of movement and camera flashes while the noise level of the crowd swelled. They straightened up, revealing their altered costumes, and Ladybug swore she heard a loud shriek that sounded suspiciously like Alya's.
The mayor regarded them with a bit of suspicion and covered the microphone with his hand. "Ladybug? Chat Noir?"
Ladybug nodded and Chat gave him a two-fingered salute. "That's us," she replied.
When the mayor didn't immediately accept her word for it, Chat gave him a flat look and pointed up at the roof. "Do you know anyone else who can make a jump like that?"
Mayor Bourgeois cleared his throat. "Of course. Er…yes, thank you. Thank you for finally coming. I don't suppose you've come with answers?"
"Actually, we have," Ladybug said. "And sorry for not coming sooner. We actually didn't know you'd been trying to get in contact with us. The last 24 hours have been very…strange."
He looked her up and down once. "Quite."
"We're here to address the people."
"Of course." Mayor Bourgeois stood back and motioned for her to proceed. The look of surprise on his face when Chat Noir stepped forward instead was almost comical.
As a teenager, Chat Noir was average in size for a boy his age, and would have been able to stand behind the podium and address the crowd without any difficulty. As a child…not so much. Ladybug could tell he was going to have problems the moment he got close enough for her to notice the size differences between him and the podium. His head was likely visible over the podium if you were far enough back in the crowd but from the sudden looks of disappointment and shifting of the crowd, those up front were unable to see him well. The second and arguably most important problem…
"Parisians—" he started to say but his voice didn't come through the speakers.
Frowning, Chat jumped once, twice, his mouth only just reaching the microphone's height each time. He tried pulling the microphone down towards him and stood on his tip toes to try and get closer.
"I can't reach," he grumbled, looking at Ladybug for help. Mayor Bourgeois frowned and took a step forward to put an end to it.
Thinking fast, Ladybug darted in between them and turned her back to Chat. "Up," she commanded. Chat gawked at her for a moment before her meaning registered and he laughed then climbed on her back. He wrapped his legs around her waist and she tucked her arms around them securely than stood. The crowd roared with laughter.
He weighed to Ladybug what a tray of cookies weighed to Marinette. A few seconds to adjust her balance and then she turned to face the crowd again. The laughter and camera flashes continued and Ladybug just knew this was going to be on the news and all across social media within the hour.
Chat Noir laughed and adjusted the mic again so it was level with his mouth. "Short people unite!" he declared, lifting his fist in the air.
Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You're like 175 centimeters!" she protested and, oops, that was her voice coming out of the speakers.
"Normally," he corrected,"but right now I am among the vertically challenged."
Mayor Bourgeois cleared his throat loudly behind them and both of the heroes sobered.
"Can you be quiet now, please?" Chat Noir asked politely into the microphone. "I have important things to say." The noise from the crowd, which was slowly petering out on its own, finally died away as people regained their composure. He waited a few more seconds to be sure before beginning. "Thank you. So, I think the mayor covered most of it, and as you can see, we both got tagged by the akuma, too. I would like to stress that we're still ourselves in here—" he tapped his head "—and we would appreciate being treated as such.
"Now, as for the current state of things, we apologize. Or, more importantly, I apologize, because it was my fault the akuma got away. I wasn't able to adjust to being like this quickly enough and despite my best efforts, the akuma got away. It has likely returned to Hawkmoth where it will remain until—actually, ugh, forget it, I'm just gonna talk normal."
Ladybug tightened her grip on his legs in warning.
"Basically, the butterfly went home, and it's gonna stay there until that little girl gets upset again, then he'll send it back."
"And he will send it back," she added. "Sooner rather than later."
"Yeah because he can only have one at a time."
"How do you know that?" someone shouted from the crowd. Ladybug frowned slightly. Weren't they supposed to wait until the end for questions?
"Um…I think that counts as superhero business?" He looked down and she nodded. "Yep, superhero business. Trust us, he can only have one. She'll be back. But, uh, everyone who got turned into a kid, I'm sorry but, um, you're kinda stuck like this. We all are."
Members of the cried out in shock, protest, and even anger. Then came the questions. Why? How? What was going on? Why couldn't Ladybug fix this? Had she lost her powers? Was this Chat Noir's fault? (Ladybug scowled when she heard that one.)
"What is the meaning of this?" Mayor Bourgeois hissed in Ladybug's ear and she jumped, jerking around to face him. Chat yelped, grabbing the podium to steady himself.
"Wait," Ladybug instructed, frowning at his critical expression, then turned back to the podium. "Bring the mic down."
Chat pushed the mic down obediently and she leaned forward. "Let us finish! This isn't permanent! It's not forever!" The crowd's shouting died away but a loud murmur remained, flowing through the crowd like water, and she figured that was good enough. "I'll be able to change us all back eventually, it's just not safe for me to right now. Nothing's wrong but this is how it has to be for now."
"But—" Chat pulled the mic back up "—for those of you like us, you should make the most of it! You're a kid again! And its summer! Go do all the fun things you haven't been able to do in years! Do things you always wanted to but never could! Go…I don't know…go to work and see what it's like to do your job as a little kid! Unless it's dangerous, then, uh, don't do that. But have fun! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it'll never happen again. Probably. We hope. And, hey, it could be a lot worse."
"ANY QUESTIONS?!" Ladybug asked loudly before he could continue that tangent any further.
Voices overlapped as people shouted out their questions and after deliberating for a moment, Chat pointed to one someone in the crowd. "You with the face. …In the red shirt."
"Why can't you undo the damage done by the akuma?" a man called out.
"Because reasons," Chat deadpanned.
"Chat!" Ladybug protested. Clearly younger Chat Noir had resurfaced and that meant his time was up. She heaved backwards, letting go of his legs, and dumped him onto the stage. He yowled in protest as he went, arms scrabbling at the air to catch himself and finding nothing. He landed on his back with his legs in the air.
…Okay so maybe younger Marinette was out to play, too. They needed to wrap this up before they damaged their reputations permanently.
"Laaddyyyy." She heard him whine petulantly over the audience's laughter.
Ignoring him, Ladybug stepped around the podium so she could be seen, grabbed her yo-yo from her waist, and into the air. "Lucky charm!" Please Tikki. Light flared in the air and she held out her hands to catch the ladybug megaphone when it dropped.
She pressed the power button and raised it to her mouth. "Sorry," she apologized and the chatter died. "What Chat Noir meant to say was that it's not something that we can or should discuss publically. As you can see, my powers are working perfectly fine. But even miracles have their limits and right now I'm respecting one of those limits. That's all I will say on the subject. Next?"
Alya's hand whipped into the air so fast Ladybug was surprised she didn't dislocate it.
"Miss Ladyblogger," she said, pointing. Behind then Chat had picked himself up and was standing dutifully at her shoulder. She could feel him shifting restlessly just behind her.
"What happened to your costumes?!" Alya yelled excitedly with her phone held forward.
"Magic having fun at our expense. I'm sure they'll go back to normal when this is all over, too. And if not, well…" Ladybug looked down at herself and rocked her hips from side to side. "At least this skirt is swishy."
More laughter from the audience. She smiled, only half joking. It was a very nice skirt. Knowing Tikki, it wouldn't hinder her movement either.
The mayor cleared his throat loudly and Ladybug turned to see him standing at the podium once more. "That will be all the questions for today."
"Why?" Chat asked. "We've got time." Ladybug's earring beeped. "…Some time," he amended. The mayor threw him a withering look and Ladybug realized they'd overstayed their welcome.
"That's alright, Chat," Ladybug said into the megaphone. "We've said all we came to say and I'm sure the mayor is fully capable of handling everything else on his own. Thank you for allowing us the stage, monsieur," she added, dipping into a polite curtsey for good measure.
She switched the megaphone off, pulled out her yo-yo, and threw it at the roof of Hôtel de Ville. With a flick of her wrist, she triggered the retracting mechanism and soared into the air. People cheered as she went and those on stage stared after her, Chat Noir included.
When Chat saw she had landed safely, he turned back to the crowd. He noticed several of them watching him with anticipation, waiting for him to depart or speak further. He grinned, grabbing his baton with one fist, and thrusting the other into the air. "VIVE LA FRANCE!" he yelled because he could. Cheers met his words and his grin widened.
Giving the crowd a two-finger salute, he extended his baton and catapulted up to the roof. Ladybug was waiting for him with raised eyebrows and a look that said, 'really?' He laughed jovially. "I've always wanted to say that!"
The departure of Ladybug and Chat Noir pretty much spelled the end of the press conference. Though Mayor Bourgeois tried to redirect the crowd's attention to himself since he apparently had a few more points to make, most people had gotten what they'd come for (and then some!) and were no longer interested. A few more diligent reporters remained but many, like Alya, were content to disperse. Being smaller than most of those around her had its advantages and she was able to slip out of the crowd without causing much of a fuss. The moment she broke free from the throng of people she paused to upload a copy of her video to her cloud storage.
She'd edit the footage when she got home, which would need to be soon if she wanted to be punctual. Hopefully she could convince Marinette and Adrien to come home with her or go to Marinette's house.
Oh, right. Marinette and Adrien. She needed to get back them. Madame Cheng and Nathalie would not be pleased if they found out she'd taken her eyes off of them, even for something like this. She wouldn't blame them, either, she really shouldn't have left the kids. She wouldn't have left her sister their age over here by herself, that was for sure. Luckily for her, Marinette and Adrien were responsible and were going to be exactly…where…she'd…
Alya looked up and down along the length of the fountain but she couldn't see them. Frowning, she hurried over to the fountain and looked up and down again for good measure. No Adrien, no Marinette. A child's rambunctious laugh came from the other side and she rushed around, expecting to see her friends sitting on the edge or something. Except, it wasn't them. The laughter belonged to a boy with dark skin who was at least eleven years old. Neither of her friends were anywhere to be seen.
Worry flooded through her system…followed by a wave of fear. "Marinette?" Alya called out. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she called again. "Marinette? Adrien?" She turned around slowly, calling their names every few seconds. She went to the other end of the fountain and tried again.
Then she tried calling their phones. The first time they both went straight to voicemail. She sent them both texts. Called again. Circled the fountain and shouted their names. Across the plaza, the press and crowds were dispersing. She couldn't see any children. None of the shops in the immediate vicinity struck her as anything that would appeal to children their age, either. No toys, music, books, food, or any manner of shiny objects.
Five minutes later and there was still no sign of or response from them and Alya was starting to panic. Maybe they'd both gone home? But if she called to check then she'd have to admit that she'd taken her eyes off them and then what?
How could Marinette do this to her? Answer: she wouldn't. She wouldn't just ditch her like this, not now. Something had to have happened. What was she going to do?
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
She frantically scrolled through her contacts and selected the only person who could help her now. He answered on the fourth ring with a casual, "Yo!" Like there was nothing wrong at all.
"Nino! You gotta help me! I lost the kids!"
"Kids? What kids?" he asked, flabbergasted.
Too panicked to think of a coherent answer, Alya blurted out, "OUR KIDS!"
There was a pause followed by a panicked yelp and a loud thud. "WE HAVE KIDS?! HOW DO WE HAVE KIDS? WE ONLY KISSED THAT ONE TIME."
"No, no, no! Our kids! Marinette and Adrien! I lost them!"
"Okay okay okay, Alya, dude, my girl, okay, I literally have no idea what's happening in this conversation. Or life in general at this second. Back up, slow down, explain. What. Kids?"
"Adrien and Marinette got turned into kids by the akuma. Didn't he tell you?"
"…Uh, no. He kind of forgot to mention that."
"Long story short, they're kids and I'm babysitting but I left them alone at the fountain near Hôtel de Ville to go record the press conference and I came back and they're gone! I was supposed to be watching them! If I call either of their homes, then they'll just panic. You have to help me!"
Nino cussed under his breath and she heard movement on the other end of the line. "Are you still in the courtyard?"
"Yes."
"I'll be there in ten. Stay calm, keep looking. I'll try to call Adrien."
"I already called them both five times."
"I'll be right there, babe."
Meanwhile, Adrien and Marinette were walking out of an ice cream store. They'd realized they would need an explanation for not being the fountain when Alya came looking and Marinette's quick thinking had prompted them to stop in the little confectionary shop before heading back. Each of them had a cone in their hands—chocolate for Adrien, strawberry for Marinette—and butter pecan for Alya as a peace offering. She knew Alya would probably be worried but, hopefully, they would make it back before she had time to panic.
It was not to be.
When they arrived back at the fountain, they almost immediately spotted Alya standing on the high ground at the opposite end, scanning the crowds intently with her hand over her eyes. It was a little funny until they saw her face.
"Uh oh," Adrien muttered and licked his ice cream. "She looks upset. …How much does she like butter pecan?"
Alya's eyes locked onto them and her whole body tensed.
"Not enough," Marinette replied as their chaperone jumped down and made a beeline towards them. "No improve this time. Stick to the plan."
"Sure thing, princess."
Alya descended on them with a fury she usually reserved for Chloe Bourgeois the rudest of tourists. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" she shrieked. "I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!"
Hunching his shoulders, Adrien slowly shuffled behind Marinette.
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY HERE! WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD—I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD TAKEN YOU BOTH!"
"We got bored," Adrien said petulantly, "and we wanted ice cream."
"I got you butter pecan," Marinette added, holding the cone up and smiling hopefully. Alya's eyes flicked between the cone and Marinette's face with disbelief. After a few seconds, her smile began to fade and Adrien inched further behind the safety of her body.
"You can't just wander off like that!" Alya snapped through her teeth. "You were supposed to wait here for me. I would've taken you if you'd just waited and asked!"
"Alya," Marinette said slowly, "we're sixteen."
Alya's mouth opened in surprise, like she'd forgotten. Perhaps she had, on some level. She looked between them both for a moment before she finally, finally relaxed. Her shoulders slumped in relief. "I hate you both," she groaned and took the ice cream cone from Marinette.
Adrien peeked around her head. Seeing the danger had passed, he stepped out of his hiding place and Marinette frowned at him, unimpressed. He grinned sheepishly. So much for her protective partner.
"Alya!"
Marinette and Adrien looked up to see Nino jogging towards them from the direction of his house. From the look of him, Marinette guessed that he'd run the whole way. She glanced at Alya in surprise and her friend gave her a pointed look before turning to greet Nino.
His eyes fell on the two kids standing behind her and his stride slowed to a walk. He stopped a short distance away from them and stared. Marinette took a bite out of her ice cream to hide her amused smile and Adrien grinned unabashedly at his friend.
"Freaky," Nino declared after another moment of staring. He shook his head once then crossed the remaining distance between them. "Y'know, when I said I'd help you look I wasn't expecting it to be this easy."
Alya huffed. "They just showed up. Apparently they decided to ditch Ladybug and Chat Noir's speech and go get ice cream." She shot them an icy look over her shoulder.
"Sorry, Nino, if we'd known you were coming, I'd have bought one for you, too." Adrien apologized.
"Dude, forget the ice cream. I'm more upset at the fact I had to find out about this from Alya."
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't find out until this morning," Alya told him. "Through a selfie."
"I was hoping we'd be fixed before it mattered," Marinette explained.
"I honestly forgot," Adrien admitted. "My father was...not happy about this."
"Yeah, by the way, how exactly did this—" he gestured up and down at their bodies "—even happen? The akuma was over in the Sixteenth."
Alya smiled slyly and turned around, putting her free hand on her hip. "Yeah, tell us: what were you doing over in the Sixteenth together?"
Marinette frowned at her best friend. She knew darn well why they'd been over in that part of the city (or at least the cover story they'd come up with). Why was she acting like she didn't know anything?
"Together?" Nino repeated, looking at Marinette and Adrien for confirmation. Marinette sighed and took another bite of ice cream.
"Yes," Adrien declared without a hint of embarrassment and looped his arm through Marinette's. "Together."
"Dude."
Dude.
:D Feel free to come talk to me on my tumblr, wintermoth. I will be using the tag "Pint Sized ML" for everything related to this fic and you can, too. Be sure to put it in the first five tags, though, or I won't see it.
TRANSLATIONS
"L'ascenseur de Chat Noir" - The Chat Noir Elevator
"Parisians et Parisiennes" - basically, "Ladies and Gentlemen" but referring specifically to Parisian citizens. In the French dub, Papillon starts his evil speech in origins by addressing the city's residents like this. 'Et' means 'and', pronounced like "A" in English.
"VIVE LA FRANCE!" - "LONG LIVE FRANCE!" This is probably the most iconic French phrase I know. Basically, Chat Noir is being a little shit here and giving into same kind of temptation that we all resist every time we want to pull the fire alarm or make stupid faces at a news camera.
175 centimeters = About 5'7 or 5'8.