Song Of Hope: I know I said I was done but I wanted to answer that question from Miraculous Lover. My reasoning for Gabriel dropping his schedule for Adrien that Hawk Moth's entire motive for what he's doing is to bring back his wife no matter the cost. As far as love in concerned it has been CLEARLY shown that it's a priority of his. If that's the case then he would care deeply about his son's love life and finding someone to make him happy. Gabriel is cold and distant to Adrien most of the time when he shouldn't be but he still clearly cares about his son, and when Gabriel's view on love and Adrien's need for advice coincided how could he NOT show up to support his son? Just a little food for thought. Hopefully this chapter will be much shorter than my previous one! R&R!
Adrien was walking up to the school next to Nino, a distraught look on his face as they entered the courtyard.
"I just don't know what to do about Marinette now," he said. "I mean my father gave me some really great advice but when it comes to actually carrying it out?"
"I think he's right for once," said Nino. "Marinette's a pretty cool chick and I think you should at least give her a chance. I don't know the girl you've been so focused on, but you haven't even given any of the girls who like you a second look, and trust me, there's a lot." Nino pat Adrien on the shoulder. "Besides, she deserves a shot to be considered."
"I just don't know her that well," said Adrien. "I mean what I do know about her I like. I mean she's funny and brave and smart and all that, but I don't even know much about her as a person."
"Talking is key," said Nino as they came upon the stairs to the library. "Just be yourself. It's the advice you gave me. Even if I didn't end up going with Marinette and ended up dating Alya, it was still really awesome advice."
"I mean, you liked Marinette," he pointed out, "and then Alya. I don't know if I like Marinette or not."
"Only way to find out is to get to know her better," said Nino. "That's how Alya and I ended up dating. What, do I need to lock you and Marinette in a zoo cage?" He snickered at that, but Adrien's face just went red.
"Not funny Nino," he scolded. Nino just kept snickering as he opened the door to the library.
"Come on it was kinda funny," Nino replied as he sat down with Adrien at a reading table. "How far are you into your book?"
"I didn't get a chance to read after that incident with Chloe yesterday," Adrien pointed out, "so I'm exactly where I was yesterday."
"At least you're not the only one in that position," said Nino. "On the bright side, Chloe and Sabrina won't be here to bug us and we can actually get stuff done."
"Hey guys," said Alya with a smile and a wave, Marinette standing behind her. "Mind if we sit with you guys?"
"No problem," said Nino while Adrien's face went red and he stiffened up. The two girls sat down, with Marinette smiling at Adrien.
"Hey Adrien," she said with a wave. "Get any further on your book? I managed to get a chance to start mine after school."
"After I went and brought it to you," Alya reminded with a playful shove. "I was the real victim there, and yet you went home after school?"
"Well uh, I did find Angelique but her Akumatized self told me to go home or else," she lied, over acting to compensate. "Normally I would put my foot down and say "no, it's time to step up" but she seemed especially angry and negative, like no Akumatized person you've ever witnessed for your Ladyblog!"
"That's true," Alya agreed. "That girl was crazy powerful. But still, you're lucky I went back and got your stuff for you from Mrs. Bustier."
"I did the same for Adrien," said Nino. "Came over to his house last night with his stuff. Poor guy was really drained. Apparently he'd gotten knocked out by Angelique." He elbowed Adrien, who was just frozen in place. "Adrien?"
"What? Uh, yeah?" He stood up. "Excuse me for a minute." He went off to hide behind some shelves, leaving his friends standing there blinking.
"Is something wrong," Marinette wondered. "I don't think I've seen him act like that before."
"Eh, it's private," said Nino. "Let's just leave him alone."
Adrien looked back at the group from behind some shelves before looking in his jacket.
"What do I do Plagg," he asked. "I just feel so awkward around her now! I don't know what to say. What if I give away that I know? I don't want to make her feel awkward or embarrassed."
"Just act normal," said Plagg. "Talk to her like you did before. At least she isn't stammering like crazy and all red faced and running off now. Take advantage of that to get to know the real Marinette."
"I feel like things aren't that simple," Adrien sighed out before looking back at the group. "But one thing's for sure. If I'm gonna get to know Marinette better, I wanna know the one who stood up to Chloe so thoroughly."
"Well that's all part of Marinette," said Plagg as he started to eat a slice of camembert. "Seriously aren't you a model? You know you have TONS of girls who like you but you don't get flustered around them. Why should you let Marinette be any different? Unlike of course you like her." Plagg smirked as he teased Adrien.
"Oh zip it Plagg," said Adrien in embarrassment as he let his jacket close back over Plagg. He looked back at the group before leaning against the shelf, sighing, and then taking in one more deep breath. "Plagg's right. I can do this." Putting on his brave face, he went back to the table, sitting back down. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm excited to do this project." He reached into his bag and pulled out his book. "Although I'll probably be rereading my next two books."
"Me too," said Marinette. "I already have them in mind, but I wanted to try something new too."
"Well then why don't we read our books," he suggested, opening up his. "I didn't get a chance to yesterday."
"Oh," said Marinette before smiling and getting hers out. "Alright then." Alya gave Nino a look that said "what's going on" but Nino just replied with a hand wave that meant "I'll tell you later". Alya huffed but got her book back out and started reading.
"You're not gonna come home and eat lunch with me," asked Marinette with a frown. "But we always go to my place for lunch!"
"Sorry," said Alya with a shrug, "but something came up. Come on, I don't always go to lunch with you. Sometimes I head home and eat there, or I go to the hotel my mom works at and eat there." She put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "I know I normally talk to you first but this time I didn't have any heads up. Sorry Marinette, but I promise I'll eat with you tomorrow."
"Well alright," said Marinette as she started to walk off. "I'll see you when I get back from lunch then."
"See you then," said Alya with a smile as she waved her off. Once Marinette was out of earshot Alya turned around, scanning the crowd for Nino. Once she spotted him walking away from the school she went right up to him.
"Alright spill," she said as she grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "What's going on with Adrien?"
"Okay, you have to promise not to get mad at me, okay," he rubbed the back of his neck, "because I promise I didn't tell him a thing!"
"I promise I won't get mad," she asserted. "Now spill!"
"Adrien found out about Marinette's crush on him," he explained. "I don't know how and he won't tell me how but now he kinda feels awkward around her."
"What?! Seriously." She sighed in annoyance, palm on her forehead. "If Marinette finds out she'll go right back to that shy, stammering mess she was before! That's not good for either of them!"
"This could be a good thing though," said Nino in an attempt to be optimistic. "He's kinda willing to give her a chance. He just wants to get to know her better first. That and he has someone he already likes."
"Seriously?" Alya started going through pages on her phone. "I don't remember anything like that before. Nothing on any of his profiles or him meeting up with anyone."
"Well he says this girl never looks at him twice," Nino explained. "He won't tell me her name but he's sure she's not interested in him. Or at least pretty sure she's not interested in him. I told him to give Marinette a shot since he was so focused on this other girl he never even considered other people."
"This is a sticky situation," said Alya with a sigh. "Where are you going for lunch?"
"My house," he replied. "Wanna come? I don't think you've met my parents yet."
"I would but I normally eat with my mom when I don't eat with Marinette and I already sent her a text telling her I'm coming so I can't cancel," she said. "You can come with if you want though. My mom's a chef so she has totally awesome food. We gotta focus on a game plan for those two when we're done eating though."
"I mean, we can also play some games or something," he suggested as he started walking again. "Our lives don't have to be put on hold to help Marinette and Adrien."
"That's true," she agreed, "but I also really want this situation dealt with. Adrien couldn't ask for a better girlfriend, aside from Ladybug." She paused for a moment. "Do you think-?" She shook her head, smiling. "Nah, Adrien's crush can't be Ladybug. He's almost never around when Ladybug is and he's hardly ever interacted with her. If he's fallen that hard for this girl then it'd have to be someone he knows well enough. Besides, even if it was Ladybug, then he'd have to fight Chat Noir and while Adrien might be a great fencer, he's no match to super powers."
"True," Nino chuckled out. "So, food, game plan, and then something for us, right?"
"Yep."
Marinette sat in her family's dining room, looking down at her pasta and poking it with a fork while her parents looked at her in concern.
"What's wrong Marinette," asked her mother. "You look down."
"It's just," she sighed. "I thought Adrien and I were finally able to talk and have normal conversations, but earlier today it seemed like he wanted to avoid talking. I can't help but wonder if maybe I said something."
"I'm sure you didn't," her father encouraged as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes guys are just weird or they don't wanna talk. Maybe something came up at home that he doesn't want to talk about, or maybe he's distracted by something else. It's most likely not your fault. You're a sweet kindhearted girl Marinette. I'm sure he knows that." She smiled at her father's kind words.
"Thanks Dad." She started eating her food, which made her parents smile.
"Good food as always mom," said Alya as she sat in the hotel restaurant next to Nino, eating a plate with chicken and veggies with her mother smiling down at her.
"Your food's amazing Mrs. Césaire," Nino added. "No wonder you work in such a nice place."
"Thank you," she said as she sat down across from them, eating her own plate. "So you're Nino? I haven't gotten a chance to meet you but it's nice to finally get a chance." She extended a hand to him.
"Thanks Mrs. C," said Nino as he shook her hand. "Now I see where Alya gets her good looks from!"
"Stop," said Alya, playfully shoving him before getting a serious expression on her face. "Seriously, she'll never stop talking about it."
"Oh come on Alya," her mother teased, poking her daughter's cheek. "I'm not that bad."
"Yes you are," Alya insisted. "You really are that bad. You keep going around telling everyone you're 29."
"Well I could be worse," she said. "I could be like your aunt and telling everyone I'm 25. Her aunt is older than me by the way. By 6 years."
"I see," Nino chuckled. "I'm glad I decided to swing by and eat here. No offense to my mom but this is way better than what she makes. Not that I'd ever tell her that."
"Well you mom didn't go to a gourmet school." Several pots banged together, making Alya's mother sigh. "It's probably Adelaide and Jacqueline. I swear those two can't go twenty minutes without fighting." She stood up. "I'll be back in a moment." She went into the kitchen, looking at two staff members who looked like they were fighting. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Alright, what is going on here?"
"She stole my special knife," complained a blonde-haired, brown-eyed chef, pointing a pair of tongs accusingly. "My grandma got that when I graduated from École de Cuisine Alain Ducasse! It's one of a kind and my grandmother had it made especially for me!"
"I did not," the raven-haired, green-eyed chef replied. "She's talking about my knife!" Marlena looked back and forth at the two chefs before looking down at the offending knife, which was laying on a counter top.
"Is this the offending knife," asked Marlena as she picked it up, It was a knife with a very sharp edge and roses engraved on the blade, as well as a rose painted handle covered in lacquer to protect the designs. She tossed it a bit like she was testing the weight of it before looking at the first chef and handing it to her. "Pretty sure I've seen you using this knife a lot Adelaide." Adelaide smiled triumphantly, glaring at Jacqueline.
"That is not the knife we were arguing about," Jacqueline lied. "She was talking about another knife which is completely and totally mine." She pulled a knife out of her apron.
"I don't want your knife," hissed Adelaide. "Mrs. Césaire, I am so tired of this! You know that I graduated from the better school! She's always stealing my things and when she gets caught pretends I was trying to take her stuff!"
"What are you saying Adelaide," asked Marlena, a frown on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm saying either Jacqueline goes or I do," Adelaide asserted. "I refuse to have someone who keeps hiding behind this ridiculous mask work with me, especially someone so dishonest!"
"You know better than anyone that I don't deal in absolutes," Marlena replied. "I know you're angry right now but Jacqueline's employment isn't my choice, it's Mr. Bourgeois's. What I do have power to do is send you home for the rest of the day. You had better come home with a better attitude tomorrow. Collect your things and go home."
"This is unfair," she grumbled as she grabbed a bag and started putting her things in it. "Jacqueline tries to steal my knife and I get sent home!" She turned and glared at Jacqueline, who smirked at her. Adelaide huffed before exiting.
"She's always so dramatic," said Jacqueline, which earned her a sharp glare from Marlena.
"You're not off the hook," she warned. "I'm reporting this to Mr. Bourgeois. This is the third time I've gotten a report of you trying to claim someone else's stuff as yours. Just because it's always Adelaide doesn't mean she's lying. Now get back to work." She went back out of the kitchen and sat down with Alya and Nino. "Sorry about that. I had to send one of my chefs home because of a dispute."
"Totally fine Mrs. C," said Nino with a casual wave of his hand. "It's no prob. Things happen."
Adelaide walked out of the hotel, her face red with anger as she stormed down the street.
"It's like Mrs. Césaire can't see Jacqueline for what she is," she vented. "She's so two faced!" She pulled her special chef's knife out of her back, slashing it in the air in very sharp motions. "I wish I could make her see just how two faced Jacqueline is!"
"Ah," sighed Hawk Moth as his window opened, "how lovely. As they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and this woman feels very scorned. After working so hard at the restaurant, she gets sent home while the one in the wrong gets to stay. The anger from that is perfect for my Akuma." He held out his hand, letting a butterfly land before filling it up with dark energy. "Fly away my little Akuma and give her the power she wants."
The dark butterfly landed on her knife as the butterfly emblem appeared over Adelaide's now angry face.
"Revealer," said Hawk Moth, "I am Hawk Moth. You know people who hide behind masks and lies in order to get what they want, while you, an honest and good person, gets blamed. I will give you the power to reveal who a person truly is, but in return you must serve me by bringing me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses!"
"At your service Hawk Moth," said Adelaide as she was covered in darkness.
"Alya really did that," said Nino with a laugh while Alya had her head face down, buried in her arms.
"She did," Marlena said with a smile. "She was so cute when it happened but she hates it when I tell that story."
"Something please come along and put me out of my misery," Alya groaned right before the doors of the restaurant burst open. A woman with a black mask, silver hair, snow white skin, and wearing a silver bodysuit that was so shiny that it was almost reflective burst in. She brandished what looked like a long dagger, her eyes filled with fury.
"Jacqueline," she screamed in anger.
"Whoa," said Alya as she pulled out her phone, taking a video. "This is Alya updating the Ladyblog live! I think a new supervillain just showed up who has it for one of the chefs at Le Grand Paris!"
"Kids get out of here," ordered Marlena.
Marinette's phone went off as she was sitting in her room after lunch. She frowned as she pulled it out, recognizing the alert sound.
"What update could Alya possibly have for the Ladyblog at this time of day?" Tikki came out of Marinette's bag and watched with her.
"I am the Revealer," claimed the villain as she brandished her dagger. "With this I will reveal the truth behind the mask a person puts up!"
"Oh no," said Tikki, "Alya's in danger!"
"Looks like we might be late getting back to school," said Marinette. "Tikki, Spots On!"
Adrien was going through some pictures on his phone, a couple of them with him and a blushing Marinette. He'd known plenty of girl to crush on him before, sure, but this just felt different from all of those other girls.
"Staring at your girlfriend," Plagg teased as he floated over Adrien's should. Adrien just rolled his eyes.
"Are you ever going to stop with that," he asked, to which Plagg just shook his head.
"Not until you admit you like her," he said. "Come on, you've never gotten flustered around another girl like that before. You know tons of the models you work with crush on you, you know Chloe crushes on you, and yet it's Marinette that has you flustered." He snickered. "You act all suave and confident around Ladybug as Chat Noir but she doesn't like you back. Now that you're aware that she likes you, and you kinda like her, things are getting awkward because you don't know how to deal. Not like you've ever had a girlfriend before."
"Shut up." He huffed, leaning back in his chair. "Okay so maybe I've been getting closer to Marinette lately. She does seem pretty cool, but I feel like I know less about her than I know about Ladybug."
"If only you knew," Plagg whispered to himself with a snicker.
"Did you say something?" Plagg shook his head as Adrien pulled out his phone. "Huh, wonder what Alya posted to the blog this time." He tilted his phone and started the video.
"Get away from me," screamed Jacqueline as Revealer chased her around, throwing out her dagger and shooting beams.
"You won't get away from me," Revealer spat as she ran towards Jacqueline.
"It looks like the Revealer is after one of my mom's employees," said Alya as she filmed from behind a potted plant. "I hope Ladybug and Chat Noir see this!"
"Alya, we need to go," came Nino's voice off camera.
"Nino?" Adrien looked at Plagg with worry. "We have to save Nino! He might be in some serious trouble! Plagg, Claws Out!"
Ladybug swung through the streets of Paris, watching as Revealer kept chasing Jacqueline, with Alya and Nino running behind them filming. Marlena was chasing her daughter, a panicked expression on her face.
"Alya we need to get somewhere safe," Nino insisted. "Wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir to show up before chasing the villain!"
"I am not missing a single moment," said Alya with a bright smile on her face.
"GET BACK HERE ALYA," shouted her mother.
"Get back here you little worm," called out Revealer as she sent another beam at Jacqueline.
"What is your problem," Jacqueline shrieked. "I'm nobody!" Ladybug landed right in between Jacqueline and Revealer.
"Ever heard of please," Ladybug asked as she swung her yoyo. Marlena took the stop in the chase as a chance to yank Nino and Alya behind a car to hide.
"Ladybug," growled out Revealer. "Get out of my way! I'll deal with you later. First I wanna deal with the pretty little liar you're protecting." She shot another beam from her dagger.
"Sorry, but she's not on the menu," said Ladybug as she spun her yoyo to intercept the attack. "Run away." Jacqueline nodded and ran off.
"You have no idea what's going on Ladybug," Revealer snarled. "You have no idea how much that woman has stolen from me, and all the lies she says to get out of trouble! She's two faced, and it's time the world saw her real face!"
"Adelaide," asked Marlena softly. "Oh no…"
"Isn't that one of the chefs that works under you," asked Alya as she turned to her mother.
"Yes," she said. "She said either Jacqueline went or she went, and since I don't deal in ultimatums I sent her home for the rest of the day to cool off. I never imagined this happening!"
"It's not your fault," said someone behind them. They all turned around to see Chat Noir's grinning face. "Some people just don't know how to compromise."
"But this feels like my fault," Marlena said, looking down. "Adelaide just wanted to protect her things after Jacqueline tried to claim her knife as hers when Adelaide and I both know it wasn't. I shouldn't have been so harsh just because she presented a situation I didn't like, especially when she wasn't in the wrong. At the very least I should've sent Jacqueline home too but I was too mad at Adelaide."
"Well the past is the past," said Chat. "Now stay back while Ladybug and I handle everything." He extended his staff to launch him to be next to Ladybug. "Looks like we've got quite the situation on our hands."
"I noticed," Ladybug replied.
"Use your powers on them," ordered Hawk Moth. "Reveal to me the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir! Then you may finish your business with Jacqueline!"
"Don't you think it's time you let the cat out of the bag," asked Revealer as she sent two beams towards them. Ladybug used her yoyo as a shield while Chat Noir blocked it with his staff.
"What exactly does she do," asked Chat Noir.
"Your guess is as good as mine," answered Ladybug.
"Hm." Revealer tapped her chin. "I guess I SHOULD let you two see what my powers are just so you know the kind of strength you're up against." She looked around. "Let's see. Who's my perfect little victim?" She turned around and saw Alya, video taping them. "Aha!" She smirked and threw out the hand with the dagger, sending a beam at Alya.
"Alya no," shouted Ladybug, throwing her yoyo. It was too late, and the beam hit Alya, knocking her over.
"ALYA!" Nino went straight over to her, cradling her in his arms while Marlena stood over them, horrified. "Alya, talk to me!"
"I like helping Marinette so much cause it makes me feel better," she groaned. "It makes me feel good to see her happy but it also makes my life feel more interesting and meaningful. It's also why I run the Ladyblog." She held her head, sitting up. "Why am I saying all that?"
"Come on," said Nino as he and Mrs. Césaire dragged Alya away.
"We need to get to safety," said Marlena. "We can go back to the restaurant and lock up!"
"That's my power," said Revealer as she turned back towards Ladybug and Chat Noir. "My power reveals who people truly are, at least as far as my beams are concerned. It may not be flashy or dangerous, but who cares? At least people will know who someone really is!" She sent another two beams at them.
"We can't let her power hit us," said Ladybug with wide eyes as she used her yoyo to block them. "What if all of Paris sees who we are? Then we'd have to give up being Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
"Not happening," said Chat as he ran towards her, twirling his staff, Ladybug following with her yoyo. "I think the Akuma is in her dagger! It's probably her chef's knife! I heard Mrs. Césaire talk about it!"
"Good eye," said Ladybug as she swung her yoyo, letting it wrap around the dagger and trying to yank it out of her grasp.
"No one is getting my dagger," Revealer hissed out as she yanked her hand back. "How about we just get a nice reveal of who you really are Ladybug?"
"No," yelled out Chat Noir as he threw his staff. It hit her hand made the shot go completely off course while his staff returned to Chat's hands. The beam bounced around, from a reflective window to a car mirror to a stop sign pole before hitting Chat Noir and knocking him high enough up in the air that he went over a car.
"Chat Noir," shouted Ladybug in concern as she turned towards him.
"Cursed cat," Revealer snarled as she tried to yank her dagger out of Ladybug's yoyo while Ladybug was distracted. "Oh well, at least now I can see your real face!" Ladybug didn't seem to care, running over to Chat Noir while Revealer just climbed on top of the car, looking down at him. When Ladybug got behind the car, she smiled in relief when she saw he hadn't been transformed back, although he was holding his head in pain.
"Ow," he groaned, "I think I just hit my head so hard some of my brains came out of my ears."
"You'd have to have a brain in the first place," she teased as she helped him up. "That was a good save though, thanks. It looks like you're fine though, so I guess that we don't have to worry about her changing us back."
"I guess not," said Chat with a shrug before smirking, putting his staff on his belt.
"Urgh!" Revealer threw her arms out in frustration. "I don't have time for this! I'll deal with you two once I have Jacqueline pay!" With that, she jumped off the top of the car and started to run at superhuman speed.
"I wonder why she didn't run like that when she was first Akumatized," Chat wondered aloud.
"No time for that," said Ladybug as she aimed her yoyo, getting ready to swing away. "We need to catch up with her!"
"You're right," said Chat noir as he placed his staff on the ground, ready to launch himself away with her. "Who knows what she'll do to Jacqueline after she admits she tried to steal the knife? I'm guessing that dagger can do way more than just reveal people's inner selves!"
"Then let's go!" With that, Ladybug and Chat Noir were swinging off.
Revealer growled as she ran through the streets of Paris, looking for Jacqueline. Out of frustration and anger she started blasting everyone around her.
"Now you'll see people's true selves," she shouted as she ran past people. Most of her blasts hit nothing, but some of them did hit people.
"Ow," yelled one girl who was getting a box of chocolates from her girlfriend before slamming the box down. "I don't even like chocolate unless it has cream! I just don't say anything so I don't hurt your feelings but I'm getting seriously tired of these things!"
"I've always hated this jacket," said another guy as he threw a jacket down into a puddle and stepped on it. "I only wear it cause everyone will think I'm a jerk if I don't since my mom hand made it for me!"
"Hey guess what," said a girl to one of her friends, "I actually DO like Adrien Agreste too! I just didn't say anything because of our friendship but that's over! Every person for themself!"
"Look at all this chaos," said Ladybug as she looked down from the top of a building with Chat, watching friends, couples, and families tear each other apart. "This is just cruel!"
"I guess having a filter is a good thing," said Chat.
"Then why aren't you spewing whatever pops up in your head," asked Ladybug, to which he just shrugged.
"When I'm Chat I never have much of a filter anyway. 90% of everything I say is through a filter in my normal life and I just get so sick and tired of it." It was like a sound went off as Chat opened his eyes, a little surprised at what he just said. "Did I really just say that? I was just gonna make a joke about how I was too strong to be overcome by her powers. Why'd I say that instead?"
"I guess Revealer's powers still affected you," Ladybug reasoned. "But did you notice how her aim is really off when she's going fast. That's probably why she was running at normal speed with Jacqueline. She can't see very well when she'd going fast."
"Makes sense," said Chat. "Hopefully we can use that to our advantage. Let's hope these relationships are all still salvageable after all this. I don't think your Miraculous Ladybug is gonna be able to fix everything."
"I know," she said as she threw her yoyo. "I feel so bad for all these people affected by her. They're just saying everything they feel and really hurting other people's feelings."
"I don't think everyone telling the truth is a bad thing," said Chat. "I mean, I hate it when people lie to me and keep things from me. I mean, our partnership is different and sure I would love nothing more than to know who you are under the mask, but that's for our own good. But with stuff like this? All they're doing is trying to avoid hurting people's feelings and in the end it just makes them resentful. That's probably why they're acting so angry when they're telling the truth. Alya wasn't angry when she talked about why she helps her friend, but these people are mad because they've spent all this time being mad that these people didn't understand them. Not the real them. They've spent this time liking a fake version of these people."
"Chat," said Ladybug, a little worried, "are you alright?"
"Not at all," he said with a laugh. "But we don't have time to sort through my personal problems. We need to stop Revealer before she finds Jacqueline." He extended his staff, bounding off.
"I never knew you felt like that," she said softly before shaking her head. "Chat's right. We don't have time to think about that."
Jacqueline was up against a beam on the Eiffel Tower. She had ran there in hopes of hiding among all the tourists, but once Revealer was one the scene she found that everyone else had run off, leaving her with just the Revealer.
"Why are you going after her now,"asked Hawk Moth. "You had Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
"I'll get them after this," she promised. "Right now Jacqueline is right in my grasp!"
"Don't forget that I can take your power back," Hawk Moth reminded her. "Make sure to get this taken care of quickly and then get Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, or I'll take it all away." The emblem disappeared off of her face and she went back to glaring at Jacqueline.
"Time to fess up," said Revealer as she touched the dagger against Jacqueline's chest. "Show the world how two faced you are!" Light came from the tip of the dagger, spreading across Jacqueline, who looked at the spreading in horror.
"What are you doing to me," she quivered.
"Showing the world who you really are." Revealer pulled the knife away as Jacqueline was engulfed in light to show a woman who looked like she was mad from slime. "A slimy pathetic woman who wants what others have."
"It's true," sobbed the now slime Jacqueline. "Your family cared so much and got you all this personalized kitchenware while my family didn't care that I graduated from a gourmet school! No, all they cared about was that I didn't go into nursing school! Why do you get all the support and love and I don't?!"
"That doesn't give you a right to steal," Revealer screamed.
"Change her back," ordered Chat Noir as he landed, looking at the sobbing slime creature that kept lamenting about her appearance. "How did you even do that?"
"Oh this?" She smirked a she tossed her dagger up, balancing it on the tip of her finger. "I said when I use my beams I make people reveal who they really are. This just makes their true selves look a little more physical. Hm," She smirked and thrust the dagger forward, poking him in the chest with it. "Let's see if this reveals who you really are!" Chat made a noise and leaped back as the light washed over him, but as it disappeared, Chat Noir was still there. He grinned at her, spinning his staff around.
"Guess that's useless on me," he said as he walked towards her. "When I'm Chat Noir, I'm my truest self." Revealer growled, but noticed Ladybug swinging towards them.
"Well then," she started, "let's just see if that's the case for both you and your partner." She threw the knife right at the incoming Ladybug, who wasn't able to block it from such a close distance while swinging in. Chat Noir shouted as he reached to catch the dagger, but it just barely slipped past his fingers before hitting Ladybug in the chest and returning to Revealer's grasp like a boomerang. As Ladybug was covered in light, the surprise of the event caught her so off guard that her yoyo slipped and she started falling.
"LADYBUG NO," screamed out Chat as he ran to the side of the tower, reaching to grab her hand. Thankfully, while she was still covered in light she managed to snatch onto the ledge and swing to the lower level. Chat sighed in relief before turning to Revealer. "You could've seriously hurt her!" Revealer just shrugged, smirking at him.
"All the easier to take her Miraculous," she replied. That made Chat growl in anger, holding up his hand.
"Cataclysm!" Grabbing the dark energy, he jumped up and started to touch various beams of the tower, letting them fall around Revealer and leaving her trapped. "I'll be back to deal with you and your Akuma after I make sure Ladybug is safe."
Ladybug walked on the observation deck, looking down at herself.
"Well, Chat didn't change," she assured herself, "so I probably won't." As the light peel off of her hands and feet, she saw that underneath wasn't her Ladybug suit, but her normal hands and shoes. "No oh!" She looked around, deciding to hide between a trashcan and one of the wider support beams as the light kept peeling away. Once it was gone, she looked completely like Marinette, even though she still had her side pouch, earrings, and yoyo. "No no no no this can't be happening!" In moments Chat Noir was there, looking around for her.
"Ladybug," he called out, looking around. "Where are you Ladybug?!"
"Don't look for me," Marinette ordered, curling up on herself and hugging her knees. "Don't look for me please."
"Why wouldn't I," he asked, trying to follow the voice to the support beam she was hiding behind.
"Because I'm not Ladybug right now," she said, tears threatening to spill over. "I'm who I am out of my costume, and my Kwami isn't with me so I think I'm still transformed somehow? But I'm not in costume I'm in my regular clothes and I don't have my mask and I just don't know how to deal with this!"
"Ladybug," he said softly, staying behind the support beam so he wasn't looking at her, "you're still just as much Ladybug now as you are with the mask."
"You don't know me," she shouted back, gripping her hair. "You don't know me when I'm out of the mask! I know Tikki says I'm just as good as Ladybug and as I am when I'm myself, but I never feel like that! Ladybug is just a persona I put up to make myself feel brave. When I'm not Ladybug, I'm just… I'm just this clumsy, regular girl with a normal life who doesn't do remarkable things. I can't even remember to turn in my math homework, or get to school on time! I'm constantly breaking things or ruining them and who knows what other things I've messed up? Up until recently I couldn't even talk to this guy I really liked without stammering and running off! Without the mask, I'm nowhere near as good as I am as Ladybug…" She sobbed into her knees. "I don't want anyone to see me because then I'll ruin the image of Ladybug. I'll ruin everything if people know it's me under the mask. That's who people like and admire. I have friends as me but people won't look at Ladybug the same ever again if they know it's me, and not someone else more confident and strong. That's… that's the real reason I don't want you to see who I am. It's not because I want to keep things professional, it's because I don't want your trust in me to be lost when you see who I really am…"
"Can I say I kind of understand," he asked, sitting down on the other side of the beam. "Recently I found out this girl I was friends with had this huge crush on me. She's sweet and funny and kind, and I thought that we were just good friends. In fact, we were getting closer and closer and it felt really nice to get to know her. When I found out she liked me like that it really threw me for a loop, although in hindsight it was obvious. At first I didn't think I liked her back, but I kinda got nervous around her. I've had plenty of girls crush on me, and yet it was this girl that had me flustered. It took me a while, but when I said what I did earlier, about people liking the mask and not the person underneath, and I realized that even though I love someone else, maybe I do kind of like her like that, but I don't know if she likes me. Not really anyway. She doesn't know that when I'm really free to be myself as Chat Noir, and it makes me wonder, does she like me, or just the nice quiet guy I pretend to be for the sake of my father? And even further, it makes me think about the friends I've made. Who do they like? The real me or the guy I pretend to be so I can keep the little amount of freedom I do have? The situations are identical, but I feel like they're similar. You don't want people to know you're Ladybug because it'll ruin her image, and I don't know if I want people to know who I am because maybe then, they won't like me." He sighed, looking down. "They'll like who I pretend to be and then stop being my friend."
"I never thought we related so much." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "But you know, I bet you just need to let her see the real Chat Noir. Acting different as Chat Noir and as your regular self doesn't mean she doesn't know the real you. It just means she only knows a small part of you. I bet learning more about you would really knock her off her feet."
"Then why can't you do that Ladybug," he asked, turning his head towards her even though he couldn't see her.
"It's complicated," she sighed out. "Who I am without the mask is nowhere near as good as Ladybug is, no matter what Tikki, or anyone else tells me. Sure, they're both me but at the same time, I can never be as confident or as strong as Ladybug. Not unless I'm actually being her."
"I think you can," said Chat. "You just need to remember, your superpowers aren't what makes Ladybug. You're what makes you Ladybug. Kwami or no kwami, no one else can be like Ladybug the way you can be. You're incredible that way."
"You really think so?"
"I know so," he grinned. "But if you don't want people to see you as your regular self then I respect that." He looked up as he heard metal bending. "I think our villain is about to escape. Do you think you can use your powers?"
"I think so," said Marinette as she looked at her yoyo. "But you're going to have to try and use my Lucky Charm, not me. Bring it back when you break the dagger. Think you can do that Chat?"
"I think I can manage," he said. "You go Ladybug." She smiled and stood up, tossing her yoyo up into the air.
"Lucky Charm!" She frowned when a slinky landed in her hands. "Why would I need a slinky?" She reached an arm around, holding it out for him.
"Who knows," said Chat with a shrug as he grabbed it. Even though she wasn't actively trying, she found her eyes landing on the stairs down from the upper deck.
"I think you need to stretch it across the stairs," she replied. "Don't ask me why, I don't know either, but do it!"
"At your service Milady," he said with a wink before going over to the stairs and hooking one end of the slinky to the railing, stretching the other side across and hooking it. Once that was done he moved away from the front of the steps, moving just far back enough that he could watch Revealer come down without her seeing him. She sped right down the stairs in a blur, but since she couldn't see the slinky she tripped right over it, landing on her face and letting go of her dagger as it skid a few feet away. Before she could summon it back to her hand, Chat Noir slammed his foot down on the blade, watching the butterfly fly out of it. Thankfully, when Revealer had tripped she took the slinky with her, so all Chat had to do was pick up the slinky and toss it over to where he thought Ladybug was. Marinette smiled and grabbed it, tossing it up into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" As the ladybug swarmed, they surrounded her, turning her back into Ladybug, making Jacqueline look normal again, and making everyone else feel horrified at everything they'd said.
"You ready Bugaboo," asked Chat as he turned towards the beam. Ladybug smiled and came out of it.
"You bet," she said as she split her yoyo open. "No more evildoing for you little Akuma!" She threw the yoyo to catch the Akuma. "Time to de-evilize!" Once the yoyo closed over the butterfly she brought it back to her and let it go, watching the now white butterfly leave. "Bye-bye little butterfly." She smiled and turned to her partner, holding up a fist.
"Pound it," they said together as they bumped their fists.
"I wasn't even close this time," growled out Hawk Moth. "Revealer, you failed me miserably, but I will take your Miraculouses, and one way or another I will find out who you are so I can take them!" The window started to close, leaving Hawk Moth to be in total darkness.
Revealer started to get up, but as she did her darkness melted away, turning her back into a very confused Adelaide.
"What happened," she wondered, looking around before grabbing her knife. "My knife! What's it doing out of my bag? Why am I on the Eiffel Tower?!"
"It's a long story," said Chat as his ring beeped to have one pad left.
"Which neither of us have time to explain," said Ladybug with a smile. "You're about to transform back."
"Would that be so bad," he asked with honest curiosity. "After all we said are we really going to keep hiding who we are?"
"I still feel like I have to work on myself," she said. "Tell you what. If you can get that girl to see the real you and she still likes you, then maybe. But for now, I think we're not ready to see who the other is under the mask." With that, she threw her yoyo and swung away, leaving him to sigh.
"Now I've got a whole new problem," he said. "Who do I like more? Marinette or Ladybug?"
Marinette managed to get in class well before the bell went off, sitting in the science lab next to Alya.
"Girl, the craziest thing happened during our lunch break today," said Alya as Marinette sat next to her. "I'm glad I chose to go eat with my mom."
"Why," asked Marinette, feigning confusion. "Something cool happen?"
"One of Alya's mom's chefs got Akumatized," said Nino as he turned around. "It was so weird! She started chasing around one of the other chefs, but when the two got back it seemed like they'd made up."
"That's really interesting," said Marinette. "And I'm guessing Ladybug came around and saved you."
"That she did," said Alya, "but not before I was forced to say literally everything that popped into my head. It was so weird."
"She started talking about how she used to collect hair she found on the ground she was convinced was from a unicorn as a kid," said Nino with a chuckle, making Alya blush and shove him.
"Don't say that out loud," she hissed. "I was 5! I didn't know hair dye existed yet!"
"Seriously Alya," Marinette laughed out. "That's kind of cute." She looked at the other side of the table, which was where Adrien normally sat. "Hey, where's Adrien?"
"Don't know," Nino replied. "Guess he went somewhere fancy for lunch break."
Adrien was sitting in the limo, tapping his leg impatiently.
"Can't believe I'm gonna be late to class again," he groaned. "I tried to go as fast as I could but I had to stop for that cheese. Stupid camambert." The Gorilla pulled up to the school and Adrien got out, watching as he drove away before walking up to the building.
"Are you really gonna try and go after Marinette," asked Plagg as he poked out from Adrien's jacket.
"I don't know yet," he said honestly. "I still really like Ladybug, but Marinette's also cool too. I want to see if she still likes me when I act more like, well, me. Maybe then, when she sees who I really am, and if she still likes me, then I might ask her out."
"I think you should just do it anyway," said Plagg.
"No," Adrien declared. "I'm not asking her out until I know that she really likes me for me, not just for Adrien Agreste." With that, he walked into his class and settled next to Nino.
"Glad you could make it," said Nino. "We wanted to talk about the villain attack Alya and I went through at Le Grand Paris."
"It was pretty cool seeing Ladybug in action," said Alya.
"It's always cool to see Ladybug in action," said Adrien with a smile as he sat down. "She's pretty awesome."
"Well she is a superhero," said Marinette. "She's confident and amazing."
"I bet she isn't always," Adrien replied with a grin. "She's a person under that mask, not just a super hero. She probably has doubts and confidence issues like everyone. No one is free from them completely."
"Not even the great Adrien Agreste," teased Nino.
"Not even me," he admitted. "Just because I model for my dad and get good grades doesn't mean I should have doubts."
"But you're so good at everything you try," said Marinette. "I honestly haven't seen you fail at anything."
"Then you should see me in the kitchen," he snickered. "One time I tried to make some cookies for my mom's birthday and I set the oven on fire."
"Seriously?!" Marinette had to keep herself from laughing. "What did you do to make it set on fire?"
"Apparently making it twice as hot doesn't actually bake them twice as fast," he explained, laughing. "It just makes fires."
"Hey," said Alya, "you should ask Marinette to teach you. She's great at baking!"
"Alya," Marinette whispered, her face both embarrassed and shocked. "You can't just invite me over to someone else's house for me!"
"Eh, I don't mind, but first I'd have to get permission to be allowed in the kitchen again," said Adrien. "If I can though I'd love some cooking lessons, but be warned. My personal chef tried and almost quit his job because I was so bad."
"Well that just means he's not suited for teaching," said Alya. "Marinette's the best."
"Then I look forward to it," said Adrien as the bell rang and the teacher came in. Marinette's face was pure bliss and excitement when she realized what had just happened.
"He just invited me over to his house!" If it wouldn't have gotten her yelled at, she would've leaped up into the air. Alya just smiled and shook her head.
"You never change when it comes to his."
Song Of Hope: Well this is a little more than half as long as the previous chapter, over half by about a thousand words but eh. So I'm realizing that the title doesn't really fit how this is going but I'll probably end here unless I'm asked to update again.