In the time between leaving Adrien's house on Christmas and December 26, Marinette divided her panic attacks between the small breaks in holiday traditions.
Adrien was Chat Noir.
Chat Noir was Adrien.
The boy she had crushing on since he gave her his umbrella sophomore year was her pun-loving, flirty partner.
The boy that she had met this year and could easily say was one of her best friends, was also the boy she spent a majority of her diary writing about.
Marinette was only able to calm down once December 26 rolled around and she talked everything over with her mother.
Based on her mother's ancient Chinese wisdom she only needed to do one thing: find out where Adrien stood with everything.
When her mother left, this began a new source of panic in Marinette. What if Adrien didn't like Ladybug/Marinette the way she thought when he flirted with her? What if she was doomed to the forever friend-zone? What if because she knew his identity, he didn't want to be partners?
Marinette managed to hold in this new turmoil until after her friends' Christmas party, where she successful gave Adrien his gift, but forgot the gift for Chat Noir. She promised she would bring it next time they saw each other.
Alya found the whole ordeal rather amusing. During the party, Adrien and Nino had agreed to tell Alya to prevent another identity spill. It wasn't until the day after the party, while Alya and Marinette were spending their gift cards that Alya started to tease.
"So you're telling me, that you said no to going on a date with Adrien," Alya laughed while changing into a new outfit, Marinette in the changing stall beside her.
"One, I didn't know it was Adrien, and two, even if I did know, my priorities were making sure you and Nino were fine."
"Still, if you weren't so in denial about it, that could have been a second date with Adrien."
Alya heard Marinette hit her head against the wall separating them.
"Don't remind me."
Alya came out of the stall in a purple spring time dress, admiring herself in the mirror before Marinette came out, a red spot on her forehead matching the red shirt and white pants she wore.
"Well since you know who he is now, why don't you ask him out?"
"Are you kidding? He'd think I was so shallow to reject him as Chat, only to ask him out now that I know he is Adrien."
"I don't he would think that bad of you. Just maybe give it a couple more weeks then ask him." Alya turned to face Marinette.
"What do you think?"
"Those earrings Nino got you would work great, then maybe add leggings underneath. And me?"
"You could do a lot better than that top, and you know no white after labor day."
"I'd wear the pants once it got closer to summer, but you are right about the top." Both girls retreated into the changing stalls.
"Maman says I just need to talk things over with Adrien, see where he exactly stands."
"Sounds like a plan, when are you going to see him next?" Alya heard Marinette bump against the wall of the changing stall.
"I don't know. As Chat Noir, he came over randomly or when we were on missions. Adrien I only saw at school unless we all planned otherwise."
"So invite him over, I'm sure your parents want to see him again."
"NO!"
"Why?"
"The last thing I want is him to come over, and my parents end up disappointed by whatever outcome."
"I'm sure they will be fine with whatever outcome." Alya hung up the dress, taking it along with two other shirts and a pair of pants out of the changing stall with her.
"I think I'm going to take the two shirts, those pants, and the dress. You find anything you're going to buy Mari?"
When no response came from Marinette, Alya opened the curtain to find her bestie on the floor, only partially changed back into her clothes, holding onto the jacket Adrien got her for Christmas.
Alya kneeled to the floor beside Marinette, whose eyes brimmed with tears.
"What if I don't like the outcome?"
In the time between Marinette leaving his house on Christmas and December 26, Adrien divided his panic attacks between the small breaks while spending Christmas with his father. Fortunate for Adrien, after his disappearance, his father was more attentive during the remainder of the holiday, spending some time to do some of the Christmas traditions their family had done before Adrien's mother left.
Unfortunately for Adrien's nerves, the only person he could really talk to about everything was Plagg. And Plagg was zero help, only content with playing with the fluffy balls at the end on Adrien's Santa hat.
Marinette knew he was Chat Noir.
He flirted with Marinette as Chat Noir.
Marinette knew he was allergic to feathers.
Marinette knew he had cat kung fu skills.
Marinette knew he was responsible for her getting stuck in a video game.
If Marinette didn't hate him after the tournament, what was the probability of her hating him now?
Probably zero, as proven when they got together for the friend Christmas party. Marinette was as kind as always, happily accepting the ladybug earrings he got her, apologizing profusely for forgetting her present for Chat Noir, and only stuttering when Alya brought up something embarrassing. Even when Adrien and Nino revealed to Alya that Adrien was Chat Noir, Marinette just nodded and agreed with their story, even laughing at the hilariousness of Adrien's Christmas escapade.
Marinette seemed to act normal, leaving Adrien to wonder if she was having an internal crisis like him.
"And that is why I don't bother trying to understand women," answered Nino.
Adrien had gotten his bro and himself passes to the GWA showdown "Paris Pandemonium" between Pain King's apprentice, Prince of Pain and Steel Toe's successor, also named Steel Toe. A dudes only Christmas present. They currently were sitting in Adrien's room watching old runs of the original fighting duo, as well as Steel Toe Jr. and Prince of Pain's rise to fulfill their mentor's' legacy. The only downside was they had to watch it with Chinese subtitles for Adrien to practice.
"But you're dating Alya."
"Doesn't mean I understand everything she does. I'm not even going to try and wrap my head around why she snuck off during the Jagged Stone concert."
Adrien sighed, head falling into his hands as he read the Chinese subtitles on the screen.
"What do I even do? She seems comfortable around me now."
"Seems, is the key word bro. Probably had a meltdown after the party."
Adrien groaned at the thought.
"The real question you need to ask her and yourself is where do you want to be?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you want to be dating, friends, professional colleagues, or go back to barely talking to each other? And the sooner you both figure it out, the sooner Alya and I know if we can double date or not."
Adrien gave a half hearted smile at Nino's joke. Where did he want to stand with Marinette?
After Marinette's brief crying session, Alya suggested going to the one place that could make Marinette forget her current dilemma: Fabric Store.
So while Alya paid for the few articles of clothing, she ran over with Marinette the pros and cons of every possible relationship with Adrien, the worst case scenario being Adrien hated her and decided to move to Japan because of his affinity for anime, and swearing off human females in place of 3D waifu.
"Pro for being friendzoned, there is a higher chance of moving out of the friendzone into the dating zone. Con, you may be forever lost in the friend zone if you don't make a move. Con for making a move is you could be denied out of the friend zone once he knows your feelings. Pro for remaining in the friend-zone, Friends with Benefits."
"Alya, that's weird," Marinette chided as she searched through fabrics.
"I don't know, Adrien looks like he has a lot of benefits."
Marinette scowled. How dare Alya pervert her partner like that.
"No to friends with benefits."
"Fine, pro for being friends, relationships last longer if you start out as friends."
"True, that's how my parents started." Marinette pulled out a light pink, trying to imagine what she could design with it.
"So overall, friendzone is the best option right now. Albeit not most desired, myself and Nino included as we would love to double date."
Marinette chuckled, tucking the bolt of fabric under her arm as she pulled out her design book.
"We'll just see what Adrien says when I talk to him."
"Which will be…?"
Marinette shrugged, putting away the designs, but keeping the fabric.
"Girl, you can't put this off forever. Your dynamic duo-ness is going to be forever rocked because of this."
"I know," Marinette hit her head against the fabric.
"Are you finding everything you are looking for?" Asked a woman full of smiles.
"I'll be taking two yards of this, but I'm still looking around," Marinette handed the woman the bolt of fabric.
"Alright, just to let you know our store is doing a tie in with the Louvre's Egyptian Exhibit. All members get a special discount for the exhibit and special tour tonight." Alya turned to Marinette, who didn't hesitate to pull out her member card.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Ladybug?! I'm a huge fan. The stuff you do is so amazing. " The woman turned to Marinette in amazement, who slightly blushed, handing back her card.
"Just let me know when you are ready and I'll ring you up." The woman walked away with the pink fabric.
"Girl, are you thinking what I am thinking," asked Alya with a knowing smirk.
"You want to go to the museum with me?"
"No, ask Adrien. If he says yes, you are definitely friendzoned or above."
"Alya you're the best!" Marinette squeezed her bestie in a hug.
"Girl, call him!" Alya urged.
Marinette pulled out her phone and went through until she found Adrien's number. She pressed call and it began to ring.
Adrien had been putting away the GWA fights when Nino stumbled upon it. In all honesty, Adrien should have kept it hidden, even after his friends left the Christmas party, but he couldn't help but add one more picture.
"Dude, I always knew you were a Ladybug fan, but this takes the cake." Adrien turned to where Nino was standing to find next to Nino his Ladybug scrapbook.
"It's not what you think," Adrien quickly pulled the book away.
"I'm thinking it's a scrapbook full of Ladybug clippings off her site, newspapers, and magazines ever since she started crime fighting."
Adrien turned bright red at Nino's accurate description.
"Its personal," Adrien mumbled.
"Alright," Nino held up his hands in surrender, "Just saying it looks like an obsessive crush."
"It's not. I'm not," Adrien attempted to defend himself but couldn't find the words. He slumped into his desk chair.
"I know what it's like for people to want to date you because you're famous. I don't want to be as shallow as to only date her because she's a hero."
"So that's why you go as Chat Noir, to just be friends?"
"She wouldn't talk to me as Adrien!"
Nino sighed.
"This is why I don't try to understand women."
A knock came at Adrien's door, which shortly opened after to reveal Nathalie.
"Adrien, you have piano lessons in five minutes."
"Thanks, I'll be right there."
Nathalie nodded and left, Adrien standing to say goodbye to Nino.
"Just talk it out with Marinette. The drama is starting to kill me."
"Sure," Adrien chuckled as he put the scrapbook away in a drawer.
Adrien escorted Nino out of his room, missing entirely as his phone began to ring.
"He didn't pick up," Marinette sighed, almost ready to hang up before Alya stopped her.
"Leave a message."
Marinette nodded, mentally preparing herself to answer the voicemail like a normal human being. All at once her confidence drained as she heard Adrien's voice.
"Hey, this is Adrien's voicemail. Leave a message." The phone beeped.
"Uhh, hello. Uh, Adrien's voicemail, uh, this is Marinette, who, uh, has a message for you, of course, cause it's, uh, your phone, so, umm, heh heh heh, call me see you later bye!" Marinette pressed end and shoved her phone into her purse.
"What was that?"
"I panicked," offered Marinette.
Alya rolled her eyes, "At least you remembered to tell him to call you back."
Marinette giggled, heading down another aisle.
"He might be busy with modeling or something. Don't you have his schedule memorized?" Marinette continued down another row, stopping at a light blue/white blend.
"Not for the holidays. If he can't make it maybe we can meet up after."
"I guess that works. You still going to go to the museum?"
"So long as you come with me."
Alya smiled, "Fine, but the moment Adrien says he can go, then I'm out."
"Deal," Marinette pulled out a sky blue bolt of fabric before heading to the counter.
In a few words, Adrien was wiped. After his piano lessons, he had an emergency photoshoot which ran over dinner. Only now Adrien left to his room, after eating a salad. He flopped on the bed to notice his phone was still in the charger. He pulled it out to check and see if there were any messages to find two missed phone calls and a text. All from Marinette.
He hastily opened his phone to listen to the recording.
"Uhh, hello. Uh, Adrien's voicemail, uh, this is Marinette, who, uh, has a message for you, of course, cause it's, uh, your phone, so, umm, heh heh heh, call me see you later bye!"
Adrien blinked at his phone, slightly confused by her apparent panic. Maybe she didn't want to be around him anymore. Maybe their partnership or friendship was over.
The second call left no voice message.
The text message put Adrien's nerves at ease.
"Hey Adrien, I got tickets for the Egyptian Exhibit at Louvre tonight and was wondering if you wanted to come. The tour starts at 8:00. Let me know."
Adrien looked up at the phone to see it the time was 7:55. If he called her back now, maybe she could wait for him. He hurriedly pressed call back.
"Alright Ladies and Gentlemen, if you please silence your phones, we'll begin the tour," said the tour guide whom Marinette recognized to be Alix's brother Jalil.
Marinette sighed, looking at her phone clock as she muted her phone. The time read 7:53. Even if Adrien called now, he wouldn't make it in time. She put her phone away as Alya silence her phone, but began to record.
"Just a reminder the is no flash photography or video recording allowed," Jalil instructed. Alya pouted as she put her phone away.
"Now if you'll just follow me, we'll begin the tour." Jalil proceed to lead them through the exhibit, stopping short as they entered a room to find a security guard tied up.
"Oh, my goodness!"
Marinette immediately went on alert mode.
"Call security and stay together!" Marinette ordered, which Jalil quickly did. Marinette dialed Nino on her watch to reveal Nino sitting at his desk, still working on the jet pack.
"Nino, trouble at the the Louvre. Can you tap the security cam?"
"Tapping," Nino set down the jet pack and quickly began tying into the computer. Marinette heard a door shutting, turning to find a door close by. She dashed over to the door and up the steps to the roof to find no one on top, and no one leaving the museum via other roof access.
Just then, a bright glow came from behind an air vent, nearly blinding Marinette. She crept forward to discover who or what was glowing, only for the thing to jump up and race across the roof. Marinette gave chase until it made a jump too far for her to reach without her yoyo.
"Nino, call Chat. The thing is heading towards him."
"Thing?"
"I don't know how to describe it other than it glows," Marinette fumed as she headed back towards the stairs.
"Why don't you call him?"
"Because I need to get more information from security rather than discussing relationship issues right now."
"I never said anything about relationship issues." Marinette turned bright pink, which lucky for her was hidden by the dark stairway.
"Sorry Nino, Alya's been talking to me all day about it."
"Alright, I'll call Chat. But straighten out your relationship issues after."
"Thanks." Marinette headed back inside the museum hall as the police began to arrive.
After two attempted calls and a text message with no answer from Marinette, Adrien flopped his phone onto his bed. He sat up to see Plagg sleeping inside a turned over waste basket.
"I'll be in the shower Plagg if anyone needs me," Adrien headed towards the bathroom. His phone began to ring again as he turned on the shower, missing Nino's call, and the bright yellow glow that passed by his window.
"Hey honey, how was the museum," asked Sabine as Marinette came through their door almost breaking curfew when not on a mission.
"Exhausting, somebody robbed the museum and got away. I asked Nino to call Chat to pursue but I haven't heard from either of them. Plus the museum and police wouldn't give me information regarding the thief," Marinette continued through their home, heading up to her room.
"I'm sorry to hear sweetie. Better luck tomorrow."
"Thanks maman. Goodnight." Marinette shut the door to her room, falling onto the chaise in exhaustion.
She heard her watch ring.
"What's the sitch Nino?"
"Ok, first thing first. Chat wasn't able to catch the glowing thing. Said he was taking a shower when I called."
"Alright, better luck tomorrow then. What else?"
"The only thing stolen from the museum was a small talisman. It was a gift to one of the ancient pharaohs from a high priest of Sekhmet, the lion-headed Egyptian deity of power, war, and healing."
"A talisman?"
"Legend has its enchanted."
"Oh, come on? Who would believe that?"
"Maybe that glowing guy on the roof."
"Good point. What's it supposed to do?"
"Superhuman strength."
"Uh, great. Well, at least it's not immortality - I guess. Thanks, Nino." Nino hung up, leaving Marinette alone to her thoughts. She pulled out her phone to find three missed calls from Adrien and two text message. With no voicemails left, she checked the messages.
"Hey, I'm finally free, had a busy day earlier. Let me know if you are still up to going.
"Sorry about earlier, went to take a shower. Hopefully we'll figure this out tomorrow."
Marinette smiled, glad to see Adrien was still positive about the whole ordeal. She quickly sent a reply back while stifling a big yawn. Marinette put her phone in the charger and headed to her bathroom to shower.
Adrien lay awake in bed, holding Plagg in a near death like grip. Marinette didn't hate him, at least as of a couple hours ago because she told Nino to call him to help. Their partnership wasn't over. Maybe.
Now he had messed up by missing a call from Nino to help and may have potentially screwed everything up.
Adrien's phone beeped. He quickly let go of Plagg who scrambled to the farther reaches of the bed, while Adrien opened his phone to see a text from Marinette. He checked the time to make sure he was seeing right and that Marinette had texted him at 12:07 in the morning.
"It's fine Chaton. Let me know when you can meet up tomorrow to help me crack this case."
Adrien put down his phone and buried his face in pillow, filled with happiness.
Marinette still didn't hate him and she still wanted to be partners.
Marinette stood behind the bakery counter, reading on her phone details about the Louvre Thief. So far the morning had been quiet, with the exception of people coming into place New Year's orders. Information on the theft was even more quiet, although Nino was looking into it before he and Adrien went to the wrestling tournament tonight.
The door bell chimed as someone entered, Marinette putting her phone away.
"Welcome to Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie, how can I help you?" Marinette's eyes turned up to meet Chat, or Adrien with his Chat Noir mask on.
"You know you don't have to wear the mask all the time," Marinette chuckled.
"I snuck out after cram session with Nathalie. I've got an hour at most until I am discovered missing for lunch. Then I'm booked the rest of the day."
"You could have called."
"And miss seeing your beautiful face," Chat wiggled his eyebrows.
Marinette, rolled her eyes, a reflex from how many times she heard his flirtatious comments.
"Do you actually mean that?"
"Would I ever lie to you Bugaboo."
Again with the nicknames. Friends had nicknames for each other, as did couples, but which one was it.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it to the museum last night. I got done with a shoot late."
"It's fine, I had Alya go with me."
"Good, at least you had a friend to go with you."
Friend. If she and Adrien were to go together, would he have seen it as just a friend hang out?
"Wish I could have been there, to help you catch that glowing thing. Nino said in his message it was heading towards my area, but I didn't see anything."
Now he was talking about being her partner.
"Maybe we should go over to the Louvre to check it out, see if the police missed anything."
Definitely partners.
"Only to check out?"
"Yeah, I know you may have been there late, but after a good night's sleep, maybe some new ideas about the case will appear."
"So you don't really care about the exhibit, or who you are seeing it with?"
"I would be seeing it with you, right?" Adrien's face looked slightly confused at Marinette's line of questioning.
"I can't, I have to man the counter. But let me know if you hear or see anything," Marinette pulled out her phone, back to looking through reports.
"Are you feeling alright Marinette," asked Adrien, eyes concerned.
"I'm fine, just frustrated there's not much about the theft on the news."
Adrien nodded.
"Ok, let me know if you hear anything." Adrien left the bakery, heading towards the Louvre.
"Who was that?" Asked Tom, popping out of the back kitchen.
"Adrien stopped by to see if I had any news on the investigation."
"He didn't want to stay?"
"He wanted to check out the Louvre, see if the police missed anything."
"You could have gone with him."
"It's fine, I can research from my phone." Tom looked over at Sabine who made her way over to Marinette, giving her a hug. Marinette collapsed into her mother's arms and cried, leaving a very confused father.
As Adrien expected, the security at the museum weren't willing to let Chat Noir in, even after meeting them a couple of times, unless he had Ladybug with him. Adrien began the trek back to his house, pondering over what happened at the bakery.
Marinette seemed cordial at first, then as conversation continued, she seemed cryptic. Even though a part of him he should call Alya to get a girl's input, he also partially scared that Marinette may have talked to Alya about their problems.
Heck, he was talking to Nino about it, so for sure Marinette was talking to Alya.
Adrien called Nino.
"Hey Nino."
"What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've been trying to reach Marinette for the past half hour and she won't answer. Hence, what did you do?"
"I went over to talk the case with Marinette, then went to the Louvre."
"With or without Marinette."
"Without, she said she would do research at the bakery."
Adrien heard Nino sigh.
"Did you talk to her about your relationship issues yet?"
"They aren't issues, just a need to communicate."
"Then let me guess, she started out normal Marinette and by the end she was short and cryptic."
"I thought you said you don't try to understand women."
"Fighting with Alya during Horrificator taught me enough to know. Just answer my question."
"Yeah…"
"That there is your problem. Define relationship first otherwise she will try to woman-translate everything you say. And that is a dark road my friend."
"Fine. What were you calling her about anyway?"
"Did a little more digging, remember Lady Katapas?"
"You mean the psychotic Kitty Paws that gave me cat kung fu powers."
"Right… turns out her bail has been paid and has been free for a month. Last known location was Egypt."
"You think she's behind the theft?"
"Lion head goddesses count as cats right?"
"True, but where will she strike next is the question?"
Marinette sat at her desk attempting to design something to take her mind off things. The one thing that kept reminding her about Adrien was Chat's present sitting on the corner of her desk.
"Are you sure you aren't blowing this out of proportion," asked Alya over skype, stuck to watching her younger siblings for the night.
"Maybe I am, but you should have heard him. He just wants us to stick to being partners. Friends."
"Which we agreed wasn't a bad thing."
"I know, just still hurts to admit it," Marinette slumped on her desk.
"Look, just go talk to him tomorrow and clarify everything, but keep with the open mind he just wants to be friends."
"Do you think he has a friend complex?"
"A friend complex?"
"You know, where your desire for just having friends overrules judgement for a potential romantic relationship."
"Maybe, they would explain fangirl and Chloe rejection."
Just then, Marinette got a notification for her computer for an email.
"Hang on just a sec," Marinette opened the email to find a few documents from Nino.
One was regarding Lady Katapas bail being paid. Another was her recent stay in Egypt. The third was a copy of a script, probably for granting the talisman wearer powers as per legend.
"Interesting," Marinette mumbled.
"What?"
"Nino sent me some files. Looks like Kitty Paws it out of prison and may be the mysterious glowing thing."
"But why? She already has cat kung fu."
Marinette went back to the email to look at what Nino wrote.
"Hope you are doing ok. Just email or text me if you have any theories. Adrien and I will be at the Paris Pandemonium tonight.
P.S. fix your relationship issues."
"Alya?"
"Hmm?"
"Two things, one is my relationship definition with Adrien an issue?"
"For other people involved, yes."
"Thanks for sugar coating it."
"No problem. What's number two?"
"Do you find it weird that the Egyptian Exhibit has been open for a while, but now, while the Paris Pandemonium is going on, a talisman is stolen."
"It's a long shot but still fishy."
Marinette frowned, typing something into computer. She pulled up the GWA website and list of sponsors.
"I knew it!"
"What?"
Marinette sent the link to Alya.
"The Katapas family is listed as a sponsor, namely one Lady Blanche Katapas."
"You think she would sabotage the match?"
"What better way to show off her new cat powers?"
"I don't get why you felt the need to sneak your cat into the Paris Pandemonium," argued Nino as they made their way to their seats up front.
"Plagg likes the sport," answered Adrien, patting where Plagg poke his head out of his jacket. The boys set down their jackets before getting comfortable in their seats.
"Hey! Nice seats," a blond haired boy approached them.
"Yeah, definitely," answered Nino.
"But not as nice as mine: backstage, baby!" And with that, the confident kids headed towards the backstage area.
"What was that?" asked Nino, receiving no response from Adrien who was trying to get Plag situated.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Paris, we welcome you to Paris Pandemonium!" The crowd went wild, Nino standing up to cheer.
"Are you ready for head-bumping, chest-stomping, neck-breaking, ground-shaking confrontation?" The crowd continued to get more wild, Adrien continuing to cheer from his seat while Nino continued standing.
"In one corner we a man who's made a name for himself, the son of a legend, Steel TOE!" Out of one of the entrances, Steel Toe Jr. come into the ring, his mentor entering a private viewing box near the announcer's station.
"In in the other corner we have a champion still making a name, but prepared to take the title, Prince of Pain!" The Prince of Pain came out of another entrance, his mentor entering a box on the opposite side of the announcer.
"Who's ready to rumble?"
The crowds cheered while Steel Toe and Prince of Pain yelled at each other, their mentors taking a seat near the corners of the ring.
"Bro, can you believe it, we are five feet away from the original Steel Toe," Nino whispered to Adrien as he sat down.
"I know," Adrien whispered back. Just as the two wrestlers were about to start the match, a yell came from another entrance, the blond boy from before flying across the stage before hitting Steel Toe Jr. in the chest.
"What the?" Both boys turned to see out of the entrance where the kid came stood a lion headed goddess, roaring as she entered the ring.
"Kitty Paws," Adrien scowled. In a flash he handed Plagg over to Nino, put on his mask, and jumped on to the stage.
"Kid get out of here," Adrien shooed the younger boy out of the ring.
"Who are you?" asked Steel Toe
"Chat Noir," Kitty Paws scowled, preparing to fight.
"Don't wear it out," he turned to look back at the two wrestlers, "That there is Kitty Paws, psychotic cat lady."
"Psychotic, hardly," Kitty Paws picked up Steel Toe.
"Crazy, never," she picked up Prince of Pain.
"Just driven."
"That can be classified as insane if taken to the extremes," taunted Chat.
"I'm not insane you mangy cat," with a bright glow from her eyes, she blasted Chat into a corner, the crowd roaring wild with the thrill of the new wrestler.
"Need a hand," Chat turned around to find Marinette dressed in her Ladybug attire.
"Marinette?" Chat went in for a hug, but Marinette stopped him short.
"First we take care of Kitty Paws, then we talk."
"Right.
"Let's take her down."
"I'd tag-team with you any day, LB," Chat helped Marinette up into the ring.
This will be easy," Marinette smirked.
Kitty Paws spun Steel Toe and Prince of Pain around as if they were puppets, throwing them to the ropes, so that they crashed in the middle of the ring.
The crowd went crazy, Nino the only one aware of the danger going on.
"Prepare to be body-slammered Kitty Paws," announced Marinette, Chat Noir standing beside her.
"That's "body-slammed". Better let me do it," Chat charged at Kitty Paws, Kitty meeting him head on, but her strength was too much for Chat. She easily tossed him to the edge of the ring.
"Chat!" Marinette raced to her partner's side.
"You go," offered Chat, slightly tangled in the ropes.
"Why don't you try without the talisman?" commanded Marinette, Kitty Paws only laughing in return.
"Who wanna go try and make me?" Before Marinette had the chance to attack, a bright yellow glow emanated from her fist, surrounding Marinette.
"I am all powerful!" With a clench of Kitty's paw, Marinette fell to the ground.
"Ouch! No, duh!"
"LB!" Chat was by Marinette's side in a minute.
"You distract her, I'll go for the talisman." Their team quickly split.
"Distraction, solid," Chat charged for Kitty Paws, more prepared for her death like grip. Where Chat had been training in swift precision since the last time they fought, Kitty Paw was still getting use to her transformed state, making her reactions a bit slower.
Meanwhile, Marinette used the ropes to bounce onto Kitty Paw's back. She attempted to grab the talisman but was swung off by a mere whip of the neck and into Chat.
"From now on, the world will bow down to me!" The crowd continued cheering in ignorance, enjoying the show.
"As long as she has this talisman on, she can't be stopped."
"Tell me about it. What now?"
Kitty Paws jumped into the crowd, starting to attack the attendees.
"I'll try again from another angle. Try getting those guys to help you," Marinette hurried off, "Nino get out of here," she chided in passing. Nino instead raced up to Chat who approached the fallen wrestlers.
"We gotta keep Kitty Paws busy!"
"No way, man. This girl's scary," responded Prince of Pain.
"There's no way. I don't wanna best this girl. Her eyes are glowing!" echoed Steel Toe Jr.
"Gentlemen, I know girls can be frightening. Frankly their logic is very scary. But you're not just entertainers, you're not just gifted athletes, you're heroes! Your mankind's heroes," answered Chat. Nino gave him a thumbs up. Both of the wrestlers smiled at each other then charged for Kitty Paws. Chat came right up behind them tackling Kitty Paws in the face.
Kitty Paws swung her opponents off of her, barely having time to duck as Marinette swung down. She shot laser eyes it the rope attaching her to the overhang. Marinette did a double flip and landed onto the rope, bouncing to the other side of the ring.
"Nino, give me Plagg," Chat rushed to his friend's side, taking the cat from his friend.
"Prove if you hate this lady more than me," Chat chucked Plagg at Kitty Paws, its claws extending to catch the talisman and break its chain.
"Gotcha Plagg," Marinette caught the kitten, landing beside Chat.
"NOOOOoooooo!" Kitty Paws screamed as she shrunk back down to her normal self, well as normal as she could be for a fanged and clawed lady.
"You!" She charged towards Marinette who still held onto Plagg. With a solid roundhouse, Chat knocked her out before she could reach them.
"You know, with that talisman, I say that was hardly Phar-oah a match," Chat responded smugly as the crowds continued cheering.
Marinette and Adrien sat on the steps inside their school, the janitor shoveling the snow that had fallen into the courtyard. It was the only place deemed safe enough to meet where neither would be spotted in case of Adrien's fangirls and where either could retreat safely.
"So, where exactly do we start?" Asked Adrien, scratching his neck nervously.
"Maybe with late Christmas presents," Marinette pulled out a present.
Chat's eyes went wide as he tore it open, revealing a black hand-knitted sweater. He opened the sweater to reveal electric lime green finely knitted wording.
"If lost return to Ladybug," Adrien looked over at Marinette who wore a black knit sweater with red lettering reading, "I'm Ladybug."
"So now if anyone ever has any questions, they know you are my partner," answered Marinette.
Adrien smiled snuggling the sweater close.
"Thanks bugaboo. You're the bestest friend a person can ask for. Next to Nino. Nino still takes top spot," answered Adrien as he removed his jacket to put on the seater.
"So you just want to be friends then?" asked Marinette.
"Yeah, best friends and partners," Adrien finished putting on the sweater then held his hand out for a fist bump.
"Best friends," Marinette responded with a fist bump.
What's this, two chapters in two days? I really wanted to get this one out. Sorry, not sorry for the angst in this chapter.
But they are settled as friends. For now.