Adrien surveyed the castle fortress below their viewpoint, Marinette nervously pacing beside him. Ever since they had met up for this mission, Marinette had been non stop jitters, so Adrien had taken over momentarily as command for Marinette to let whatever was bothering her out of her system.
His surveillance was interrupted by his watch beeping.
"Sitch me," he answered the call to reveal Nino.
"Scanning indicates Hawkmoth's atmosphere disruptor is right below you." The display switched to two red markers on a grid, connected by a green dotted line.
Marinette peered over Adrien's shoulder before nodding.
"Let's rock," she ordered as she jumped off followed by Adrien, opening their arms to expand the flaps under their arms connected to the body of their suits.
"You seem tense Bugaboo," teased Adrien, hoping to get her to stop biting her lip in frustration.
"Sorry, it's Nathanael's art show at the Louvre next weekend."
"And that's making you nervous, how? Most of the class was invited."
"I know but his parents are coming."
They both landed on the building, quickly discarding their flying suits.
"So what's the big. You met my father before, whose made many celebrities cry."
Marinette opened one of the vents on the roof and began to slide down.
"This is different. First time I met your father was as Ladybug which is a huge confidence boost. Plus this is meeting the boyfriend's parents for the first time. One word from them could destroy our relationship if they don't like me."
Adrien huffed in mild irritation. Ever since Marinette had started dating Nathanael, anything outside of missions had been about Nathanael. Sure they still hung out, but seeing Marinette and Nathanael acting all couple-ly had struck a peculiar itch that didn't go away until they were apart.
The teen heroes dropped through the grate, landing before Hawkmoth and Volpina.
"Ladybug?!" Hawkmoth exclaimed, before glancing back at Volpina who was sitting at a control panel for the atmosphere disruptor.
"Well?"
"The usual? I attack, she fights," asked Volpina as she stood from her seat.
"Ugh… have we become that predictable?"
"Apparently so," Volpina charged at Marinette, tackling her to the ground.
"You'll do fine Marinette, you're you, what's not to love," answered Adrien as he watched Marinette kick Volpina off her.
"I don't know, maybe the saving the world thing, my clumsiness," Marinette answered as Volpina charged again, grabbing Marinette around the neck with her legs and flipping her onto the ground.
"All admirable qualities that make you, you," responded Adrien as Marinette leapt up and kicked Volpina into Hawkmoth, which sent them both flying into the control panel. The panel began to spark and smoke, eventually erupting into an explosion. Marinette launched her yoyo to the roof, grabbing a hold of Adrien, lifting them up as the lair fell apart around them.
"You sure?" Marinette looked down at Adrien.
"Positive," Adrien responded as he kicked Volpina away when she tried to leap after them.
"And if they do have a problem with you, then maybe they aren't just worth your time," Adrien continued as he and Marinette made themselves comfortable on his sofa. Plagg jumped immediately to lay beside Marinette while Buginette laid in a sunny spot on the carpet.
"Thanks, although I really would like this to work, and for them to like me," Marinette sighed as she snuggled into a corner of the sofa while pulling out her homework. This was Marinette's first actual dating relationship, and she did not want to screw it up with his parents. Her nearly turning into a cat had been awkward enough. She was lucky he was understanding.
"You want to watch something, take your mind off it," Adrien turned on his tv.
"Maybe," Marinette glanced at the TV seeing Adrien had on Agony County.
"You watch Agony County?" Marinette looked over at Adrien.
"Father said my mother use to watch when she was pregnant with me. Help with hormonal emotions he said. How do you know it?"
"I may have caught Mrs. Cesaire watching it, a few times," Marinette scrambled to come up with something convincing rather than after watching an episode with Alya's mother had gotten her hooked on the early 2000s drama.
"Charity, what were you doing with Brad?" A muscular guy with gelled black hair and a leather jacket approached a blond haired girl, Marinette could swore was a younger Anti-bug, who apparently left some coffee shop.
"We were just talking, Danny," responded Charity.
"Well, don't hang around him," Danny ordered before preparing to leave on his motorcycle. Charity stomped over to him.
"If he wants to be with Charity, why doesn't he just say so," complained Marinette, despite knowing perfectly why. Danny getting together with Charity would end the series.
"Maybe he doesn't exactly want to ruin what they already have," offered Adrien, still attentively watching the show.
"But him being an over controlling jerk is just going to mess things up for them and push her more towards Brad."
"Ok," Adrien sat up, "one, he's a misunderstood jerk, not controlling, Charity can still do what she wants with no consequences other than Danny throwing a tantrum in his room. Two, he's warning her about Brad, who is still seeing Bonnie but no one knows, but he can't exactly tell her because he's not the best at communicating and three, how did you know she's going to go after Brad?"
Marinette refocused her attention on homework to avoid answering the last question. Adrien just shook his head and resumed watching.
"He's probably just jealous that Brad asked her out to that new movie when he wanted to," Marinette mumbled, but Adrien still heard.
"Again, how do you know this?"
Adrien slammed his locker shut, bringing into view Marinette and Nathanael talking over by Nathanael's locker. Probably about his art show coming up.
"Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer," Adrien spun around to come face to face with Alya.
"What will last longer," Adrien scrambled to seem relaxed against the locker.
"Marinette and Nathanael."
"You don't like them together?"
Alya shrugged, "You do?"
Adrien looked back over, Marinette getting animated about something in her sketchbook, Nathanael nodded enthusiastically as they left the locker area. Probably talking about an outfit for her to wear at the show.
"They're cute together, both artists, they have a lot in common, and she's happy so that's the main thing," Adrien responded as he turned back towards Alya.
Alya deadpanned, "You are hopeless Agreste."
"How am I hopeless?"
"Your best girl friend is with another dude and all you can say is they look cute together?"
"Yeah?"
Alya banged her head on the locker, Adrien slightly confused. The point of Marinette being with Nathanael was because he made her happy, right?
"Nino, please tell Adrien he's hopeless," Alya whined as Nino approached from behind her.
"You're hopeless," Nino responded while focused on his phone, realizing what he said after.
"Why is Adrien hopeless?"
Alya continued to bang her head against the lockers.
Marinette sat in Adrien's room, detailing out the last of her design for Nathanael's art show. A modest spring dress that would definitely help her win the approval of her boyfriend's parents. Plagg was nestled up against her side.
Adrien, homework long completed, sat watching Agony County with Chinese subtitles on while robotically petting Buginette.
"Danny, why can't you just be happy for me. Brad cares for me!"
"Really, could have fooled me."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Marinette rolled her eyes. This was after Charity got together with Brad, totally pissing off a jealous Danny.
"Am I hopeless?" Came Adrien's voice from the sofa.
"No, who told you that?"
"Alya."
Marinette snorted. How many times had Alya called her hopeless back when she was crushing on Adrien?
"That's just Alya being Alya."
Adrien pouted, but returned his attention to the TV. Their watches started beeping with a call from Nino.
"Go Nino," Marinette answered.
"This weekend is the Super Villain Convention, you guys up for some undercover work?"
"Super Villain Convention," Adrien asked as he got off the sofa.
"Marinette signed me up for the mailing list," Nino smirked as Marinette groaned.
"I was trying to win you a model tank for your birthday. I didn't know it was an actual tank."
"Anyway, you guys ready to go undercover," asked Nino, changing the subject.
"I'm covered," answered Adrien, eyes lighting up in excitement.
Both eyes turned to Marinette who was trying to think. Other than the Team Miraculous Comics she and Adrien read, she couldn't really come up with any less well known villain.
"Don't worry Nino, I'll fix this," Adrien grabbed Marinette, and pulled her off the sofa, disturbing both cats. He ran out of his room and began heading to one of the rooms on the opposite side of the house.
"Adrien, I thought you were both working on homework," Gabriel Agreste appeared out of his of his office, Nathalie on his heels.
"We have a mission this weekend and Marinette needs a super villain costume."
Gabriel nodded.
"Nathalie, reschedule my appointments for this afternoon," Gabriel Agreste hustled over to Marinette's side, assisting Adrien in leading her to another room.
"But sir, you have an appointment with Adelisa for a movie premier in 43 minutes," insisted Nathalie as she followed them.
The Agreste men opened the door to a room Marinette was sure only existed in her dreams, filled with Classic Gabriel designs.
"Reschedule, or better yet cancel. That woman has about as much taste in fashion as Adrien's cats," ordered Mr. Agreste, pulling Marinette and Adrien along into the racks of clothes.
Marinette had gone to a convention before with Nino before Alya and Adrien joined their school. Lots of people were dressed as their favorite heroes or TV show characters. Some had even dressed as Ladybug, which led to Nino coercing Marinette to take a picture with every Ladybug they could find in attendance.
At a super villain convention, costumes were mandatory as crowds of villains entered the center, Marinette recognizing a few while trying to keep Adrien from fan-boying too hard.
"There's Zorbox the Conqueror, and Sheela of the leopard people," Adrien whispered excitedly, dress in a white leather cat suit with white cat ears, white tail belt, and yellow cat-eyed contacts.
"Going as your own arch-rival does not make you a villain," Marinette complained as they stood off to the side of the center, Adrien busily watching the villains.
"Technically Kitty Paws is my arch-rival because we both have the cat kung fu thing, and two, Chat Blanc is a fan-made villain from Mini Menace Ladybug comic."
"Fan-made comic? Of Ladybug?"
"Definitely one of the better reads for your fan comics."
"And this," Marinette gestured to herself, dressed in a My Fair Lady looking ensemble featuring red, maroon, and dark grey color palette.
"Miss Fortune, Ladybug's evil version."
"Same comic?"
"Same comic. You get turned evil by Hawkmoth, and still kick his butt."
Marinette rolled her eyes, pulling Chat Blanc after her as they entered the convention center. Villains filled the center, different companies selling the latest gadgets.
"We need to bring Alya and Nino next year," murmured Adrien as they started heading down one aisle.
"Maybe. For now, be careful and lie low," warned Marinette, turning to see Adrien at a booth, picking up a gadget.
"Molecular eraser… yeah right," he pulled the trigger, a beam shooting out and hitting a villain's ice cream. He quickly put down the gadget and zoomed back to Marinette's side.
"Way to lie low," chided Marinette, leading him away from the villain. She pulled him into another aisle.
"Hey, isn't that Hawkmoth," asked Adrien. Marinette turned to see Hawkmoth at a booth putting on a strange looking helmet.
"What's that on his head," she asked, looking at the booth for a clue. The helmet turned on, two bulbs atop the helmet glowing red and blue.
"Oh, feet itching, good sign," Hawkmoth informed Volpina and the salesman.
"Since when are itchy feet good?" Adrien looked over to Marinette who just shrugged.
"I am feeling super-evil. How do I look?" He turned to look at Volpina, who stood as bored as ever.
"Super-evil Hawkmoth? Let's go," Marinette dashed over to Hawkmoth.
"I've got your back Miss Fortune," called Adrien, following after her. Marinette was about to jump Hawkmoth when she felt a pull on the back end of her dress, falling on her butt. She glared up to see Volpina.
"Ladybug?"
"No, she's Miss Fortune," Adrien corrected as he helped her up.
"Why are you dressed in that costume. That look is so outdated."
"You look in the mirror lately?"
"Let's go sister," Volpina's hand glow orange as she attempted to strike down Marinette, only to successfully tear the lower half of the skirt, revealing the black leggings underneath to allow more movement.
"Sorry Mr. Agreste," Marinette murmured as Volpina came after her again. From what she could see, Adrien attempted to go after Hawkmoth, only to be stopped by the salesperson.
Volpina fired a plasma ball at her, Marinette jumping onto a laser canon. Volpina threw another plasma ball, Marinette leapt out of the way as the machine exploded, sending Adrien crashing into Hawkmoth. The helmet cracked and fell off Hawkmoth as he came to, a strange blue glow going into him while a red energy was sent into Adrien.
"Maybe next time you'll think twice before destroying someone's atmosphere disruptor," scolded Hawkmoth as he stood was already on standby with a floating car from a nearby booth.
"Come Volpina," Hawkmoth jumped in the came with her, the vehicle taking off through the roof of the convention center.
Marinette was by Adrien's side in a flash.
"Adrien, you ok?" Marinette helped Adrien sit up as he came to.
"What just happened?"
Marinette looked over to the helmet, Adrien following her gaze, "I sure hope you got to him in time?"
"How much more evil could Hawkmoth get?"
"It should be easy turning Hawkmoth back to normal as long as this thing kept his good side," offered Nino while finishing his lunch, Marinette inspecting the helmet while Nathanael sat beside her, occasionally moving her sandwich to Marinette's mouth to remind her to eat.
"Hawkmoth has one of those," asked Alya, already done with her lunch.
"Not anymore. This device was designed to suck up both his good and bad energies, and only put back the evil part," Explained Nino as he pushed away his tray to make room for his laptop.
"Who comes up with this stuff," asked Marinette?
"I'll start crunching the data, and let you know what I find," Nino opened his laptop. Marinette looked up to find Adrien missing from their group.
"Alya, have you seen Adrien?"
Alya shook her head, Marinette turning to Nathanael who shrugged.
"I haven't seen him all morning."
"Probably was at a photoshoot," suggested Nino.
"Hey peach," Marinette turned to see Adrien slide right between her and Nathanael. At least she assumed it was Adrien. His hair was Chat's messy style, his normal Gabriel's clothing forsaken for a leather jacket and ripped jeans. He adjusted the lollipop stick in his mouth, biting down on the candy with a crunch.
"Adrien?"
"Yes doll," He leaned over on the table, purposefully obstructing Nathanael from her view.
"Adrien, can you move please," asked Nathanael.
Adrien turned slightly, eyeing Nathanael. He pulled the remaining lollipop stick out and placed it in Nathanael's hand.
"Can you trash this? Thanks," then turned back around to Marinette, gazing at her as if she were his next piece of candy.
Nathanael grumbled something unintelligible, getting up to throw away the stick and wash his hands.
"What was that for," scolded Marinette.
"He was in the way," Adrien leaned into her space, Marinette turning redder the closer he got. "Wanna come over to my place later," he murmured seductively, Marinette certain he didn't mean it as a study session.
"I-uh," Marinette stammered..
'Mr. Agreste," Adrien rolled his eyes as he faced Principal Damocles.
"Your teachers reported you absent for all your morning classes, and the school was not informed of any prior engagements for you miss school for the day."
"So?"
"Missing three or more classes is one week detention," informed the principal.
"Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to skip that too," Adrien turned back to Marinette.
"For that attitude that'll be two weeks detention," Mr. Damocles yanked Adrien up by the arm, "And a call to your father."
"Ha, good luck with that," Adrien smirked as Principal Damocles led him away.
Adrien turned back to Marinette and winked, "See ya later peach."
Marinette only allowed herself to relax when Adrien was out of site, collapsing onto the bench.
"You ok there Marinette?" Asked Alya, leaning over the table.
"What in heaven's name, was that," whispered Marinette, still too shocked to speak.
"Our boy finally realizing the great girl in front of him and trying to win her back," responded Alya as she made her way over to Marinette, lifting the stunned bluenette's head so it rested on Alya's lap.
Adrien, flirting with her, and not in his light hearted chivalrous manner. But like a model who knew he could get any girl he wanted and still chose her. Marinette wasn't sure how she should feel. Excited he was flirting with her? Upset it took her getting a boyfriend for him to reciprocate her hidden romantic feelings? Worried Nathanael would break up with her over this?
"I don't think that was Adrien," responded Nino, both girls turning to look at him.
"One, since becoming Chat Noir Adrien has grown more confident in himself, but he still remains respectful of people. That was over confident and zero respect. Two, his relationship with his father is fine, so no need have a rebellion at this point.
"Something flipped his personality, and I would be surprised if it had something to with that helmet." All three looked over at the helmet.
"I'll keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything too crazy until we can figure this thing out," assured Nino.
Marinette sat up, grabbing the rest of her lunch, "I'm going to go apologize to Nathanael."
Marinette exited the cafeteria, almost running into Nathanael as he was about to enter.
"Nathanael!" "Marinette!"
"I was just about to look-""I forgot my-"
"You first." "You first."
They paused waiting for the other to go first.
"Sorry about Adrien, I don't know why he's being like this. Well I might know, he may have been affected by that attitude helmet, but it could be because he's been watching Agony County which is a 2000s drama show and the main guy has a bad boy complex so maybe its a phase," Marinette rambled, Nathanael just smiling, pulling her into a hug to shut her up.
"It's fine. You're Ladybug. You'll fix him back to normal in no time," he reassured. Marinette released a breath she didn't know she was holding and returned the hug.
Adrien exited the Principal's office, slouching as he headed towards the locker hall. He stopped as he noticed Marinette and Nathanael in a warm embrace, that irritation settling in the pit of his stomach as he watched. They eventually stepped apart and entered the cafeteria, Marinette all smiles. He growled as they disappeared from sight.
Nathanael didn't deserve Marinette. Marinette was Adrien's partner, no one else's. He would prove to Marinette who the better man for her was. He would make sure of it.
Marinette rocked on her feet as she stood near Nathanael's pictures. The Louvre had done a special gallery event for young artists to submit their art. With some encouragement, Nathanael submitted a few pieces, now on display at the exhibit.
"Hold still Marinette, I've seen a rocking horse more fidgety than you," teased Alya, who was waiting with Marinette. Nino was elsewhere in the exhibit, on Adrien duty.
"Sorry, just nervous."
"Nervous about you messing up meeting the parents or Adrien messing up meeting the parents?"
"Both?"
"Marinette." Marinette turned to see Nathanael in a button down shirt and slacks accompanied by whom she supposed to be his parents.
"Dad, Mom, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her friend Alya. These are my parents Jacob and Roz Kurtzberg."
The girls shook the adults hands. They seemed nice.
"I'm glad we finally get to meet you Marinette. Nathanael just goes on about you," Mrs. Kurtzberg commented, sending the teens into a blush.
Before Marinette could respond. The alarms sounded over head, security guards rushing through the museum.
"Marinette!" the five turned to see Nino running towards them out of breath.
"It's Adrien," he gasped.
"Sorry to cut this short, it was nice meeting you," Marinette ran off in the direction the guards were running to.
"Who's Adrien," Mr. Kurtzberg looked to the three teens.
Marinette really should have worn pants or even leggings under her dress. Of course Adrien would decide to pull a bad boy stunt on day that's important to her. She stopped in front of the hall with the Mona Lisa, several guards blocking Adrien's escape.
Or whom she assumed to be Adrien.
Dress up in his Chat Blanc suit with a new lollipop, he held the Mona Lisa hostage besides a motorcycle. Marinette wormed her way to the front of the security team.
"Adrien," Marinette growled.
"Ladybug," Chat Blanc snarled.
"Since when do you use my hero name?"
"Since I realized my full potential."
"Yeah, about that," Marinette started.
"All talk bug, you don't think I already knew what happened? And it's made me all the better for it." Chat Blanc pressed a button on the keys of the motorcycle, the vehicle turning into a plasma catapult.
"So you either come with me, and everyone will be spared, or I get to test my latest invention."
"How about no," Marinette charged for Chat, who pressed another button on the keys, aiming plasma bolts in her trajectory.
"Lock her down!" One of the guards ordered, a cage closing in on the two while the remaining paintings in the room were covered by emergency bullet proof glass. Not a moment too soon, part of the roof crumbled, Volpina and Hawkmoth arriving by flying car.
"Come on Agreste, you are coming with us," ordered Volpina.
"If you wouldn't mind so terribly," added Hawkmoth.
"No one commands me," Chat Blanc retorted, changing the aim of the plasma catapult to fire at them.
"Oo, he's a bad man," whined Hawkmoth.
"Yeah, seriously," Volpina smirked.
"Adrien, you need to stop. Evil, being bad isn't your thing, it's Hawkmoth's thing," explained Marinette as she attempted to engage in hand to hand combat with him, only to quickly be tossed to the side.
"Urgg, but I'm so much better at it. Did Hawkmoth ever build a plasma blaster this dangerous? Steal the Mona Lisa?"
"I did not," mourned Hawkmoth.
"He didn't. Who knew the buffoon was a natural? Later Dr. Do-Nothing," Volpina tossed Hawkmoth out of the car, crashing into Marinette.
"Get away lady. I'm a one woman cat," ordered Chat Blanc as Volpina's vehicle approached. She knocked the vehicle into him, picking up Chat Blanc and the Mona Lisa before flying out of the Louvre.
"This is not good," groaned Marinette.
"Tilt a little more to the left," order Chat Blanc, pointing with his lollipop, as two grunts adjusted the Mona Lisa he was hanging in the laboratory. Between that and checking his appearance in a mirror, Volpina was looking vehemently annoyed.
"Can you stop it already, you look fine," scolded the fox themed villain.
"Do your eyes criticize?" asked Chat, barely glancing her direction as he continued to adjust his hair.
"Yea, I'm looking for results here, so far you've been redecorating and admiring your face with nothing to show for it."
"I'm just warming up. Check it," Chat snapped his finger and a hologram of the world appeared in the room before them. "The annihilator has been set to go off in five minutes. When it does quakes are going to shake the world to pieces," Chat smirked before turning back to the painting.
"A little more to the right."
"Ok, this helps us how? We'll be shaken apart too," criticized Volpina.
"It'll never get that far. The world will surrender to me first. Not us, ME! You're just a hired help. That is perfect," he wandered over to the painting to admire. Not as beautiful as Marinette but it would do. Hearing Volpina warm up her plasma glow, Chat pressed a button on his belt, a shield activating around him as she fired at him. He turn her, enjoying the horror on her face.
"Cool, huh? I found it in Hawkmoth's stuff. Bet he didn't even know how to use it." He pushed a button on his belt and a door in the floor behind Volpina opened, revealing a pool full of sharks. "Sidekicks need to know their place, right," Chat smiled what he was certain could be Alya's devilish grin.
"Uh, yea, umm, you got it…. I'll just go check the security monitors."Volpina wandered back over to the monitors, leaving Chat once again with the painting.
"I'm ready for you Ladybug."
Marinette scaled down the rope on the cliff opposite of the fortress where Chat Blanc and Volpina were currently plotting.
"Any idea how to fix this Nino," Marinette asked as Nino sat with his laptop outside the Louvre. Alya and Nathanael were still trying to explain to the Kurtzbergs about Adrien and Marinette.
"If we repair the attitudinator and get Adrien and Hawkmoth to use it, that should reverse the process."
"Hopefully." Marinette landed on a flat edge of the cliff, Hawkmoth falling down the rope after her. He offered a smile, Plagg poking his head outside of Marinette's pocket.
"Kitty!" Hawkmoth exclaimed, wagging his finger in front of the cat for pets.
"Why'd you bring the kitty, it's not safe here for the little guy" asked Hawkmoth.
"Mr. Agreste thought it might help Adrien calm down," answered Marinette, giving Plagg over to Hawkmoth before turning back to the Nino on her watch.
"It also means Hawkmoth will be evil again," added Nino
"That's the bad news," Marinette sighed as Nino logged off, she turned back to Hawkmoth, who had already become quick friends with the cat.
"Uh, Hawkmoth, we're going to need you to turn bad again," Marinette explained.
But, I don't want to be bad." Hawkmoth held the kitten close.
"It's better if you're bad."
"Better?"
"Better than Adrien being bad."
Plagg meowed as if in agreement.
"So, I'm better at being bad then your buddy," Hawkmoth asked the cat.
"No, but that's good," comforted Marinette, putting a reassuring hand on the grown man's shoulder.
"So, bad's better if I'm bad?"
"Good, you got it." Marinette offered a sympathetic smile.
Chat Blanc smirked as he eyes the new scanning system in place, a red dot glowing as it approached their base. He walked over to Volpina who was sitting at the monitors, filing her nails through her gloves.
"Woohoo, we've got an intruder. Ladybug," Chat yelled in her ear before walking away.
"She's not on the monitors. How do you know?"
"I've been doing a little scannage for the communicator's frequency," Chat smirked as he returned to his project, leaving a grumbling. Ladybug was coming and he had to be ready for her arrival.
Marinette and Hawkmoth stood on top of the fortress. She took off her watch as she called back Nino.
"Nino is going to talk you through how to fix the attitudinator." Marinette handed the helmet over to Hawkmoth, who bounced in his seat.
"Oh, goodie, I like fixing things."
Nino's face appeared as Hawkmoth put on the watch.
"I never thought I'd say this Hawkmoth. I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry, I won't let you down. Bad is good in my case."
Marinette offered a sympathetic smile as she took back Plagg.
"Can I keep the kitty. Just for a little longer," Hawkmoth gave her the baby doll eyes, which was a disturbing image but relatively affective.
"Fine," Marinette put down the cat and headed down the air shaft. She kicked open the grate only to land directly in front of Chat Blanc.
"Ladybug," he smirked.
"Adrien Benjamin Agreste," Ladybug responded.
"Ah, so father told you my middle name so you could make sure to scold me for him."
"Would you believe me if I already knew your middle name before this?"
"Maybe, but why take the chance," Chat pressed a button, and claws emerged from the ground, grabbing her ankles and wrists.
Hawkmoth sat working on the helmet while Plagg napped nearby, Nino checking over his work from the watch.
"Ok, it should work now," announced Nino, Hawkmoth setting down the screwdriver and the helmet, the circuit connecting the two bulbs on the attitudinator gave a quick yellow flash, confirmation it was working again.
"We did it," Hawkmoth pulled Plagg into a hug, the cat kick against the affection.
"Good job guys. Now you've just got to get it on Adrien, turn him good and you'll be evil again." Nino logged off as Hawkmoth picked up the helmet in one hand, holding Plagg with the other.
"Come on Plagg, let's go save your buddy!"
Chat Blanc disappeared to who knows where, leaving Marinette to watch as a countdown timer began from 1:00, quickly jumping to 0:59. She grabbed a laser from her pocket, cutting through the shackles on her wrists then her feet.
"Oh, look, the bug came out to play," teased Volpina from where she stood overhead. Volpina jumped down, Marinette turning to face her. Volpina attempted a swing at her, Marinette kicking Volpina out of the way before running to a control panel to pull down the lever, the timer stopping at 0:02.
"Not bad, but let's be honest. You could have gotten out of it faster," Chat chided from where he lay like a cat on top of a covered machine.
"Game over Adrien," growled Marinette as she readied into a fighting stance.
"Over," Chat jumped down, landing hunched down on his feet, "I'm just getting warmed up."
Chat pulled the sheet off the machine, and pressed a button, causing the roof to open up and the head of the annihilator to spin.
"The annihilator was to keep you busy while I worked on my real evil plan. My mega-weather-generator."
"Your what arator," Volpina came up beside Marinette, "I mean, is it too much to ask to be kept in the loop?"
Chat pushed a button and the machine rose out of the roof, the top continuing its spin as storm clouds circled around.
"All will fear me and tremble beneath my storms, unless…" He looked back to the two ladies.
"Unless," both girls asked. Chat approached them, taking Marinette's hand in his own.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng agrees to go on a date with me," responded Chat with a gleam in his eye, lightening cracking overhead.
"What?!" Marinette screamed.
"Finally," groaned Volpina.
Marinette's response was put off with the arrival of Hawkmoth approaching Chat from behind.
"You've been a bad boy," he slammed the attitudinator on Adrien's head, the device turning on at contact. Hawkmoth held on for dear life as the helmet shook both of them, until it exploded, blue and red energies returning to their original owners.
"Woah, what happened," Adrien looked down to see he was in the Chat Blanc costume, quickly pulling off the mask. Plagg scampered from where he was hiding and jumped into Adrien's arms.
"Plagg!" Adrien looked up to Marinette, giving her a smile that sent Marinette blushing. Marinette instead walked over to the machine and turned it off.
"You were having a bad day," she offered with a small smile. The machine lowered down back into the lair.
"You ditched me for that," scolded Hawkmoth, as nasty as normal.
"Did you see his mega-weather-generator," argued Volpina.
Hawkmoth's face lit up in realization, "AHAH, Ladybug, for now it is I, Hawkmoth, who controls the mega-weather-generator."
"I think we all know what comes next," Marinette smirked, looking down at Adrien who returned the grin.
"You seriously are not going to tell him," asked Alya as they left the museum. Nathanael's parents had been appeased by Nathanael's and Alya's explanation, and after Marinette had returned, they had stayed only an hour more before heading home as the museum began closing.
Nino had taken Adrien home for
"He was changed by the helmet. It doesn't mean he really feels for me that way. Besides, why make things awkward between us. I'm with Nathanael now, no sense in surfacing feelings that may or may not be true," explained Marinette.
"You know what I think?"
Marinette turned to her friend.
"You just don't want to hurt Nathanael's feelings by saying you would go out with Adrien if he did really have feelings for you."
Marinette pouted, crossing her arms in frustration.
"Adrien doesn't feel for me like that. And if he did, it shouldn't take him turning bad to tell me."
Alya made a noncommittal hum, a sparkle of knowledge in her eye.
Chat Blanc stood towering over a helpless Marinette, taking her face in his hands as she sat chained to the floor.
"All will fear me and tremble beneath my storms, unless…" he snarled, Marinette whimpering.
"Unless?"
"You, Marinette Dupain-Cheng agree to go out on a date with me."
Adrien jumped up from his sleeping position, scaring away Plagg and Buginette. He was back in his room, the Chat Blanc costume packed up far in a box on the other side of the house for safety. He rummaged his fingers through his hair, trying to sort his memories. He pulled his phone out of the charger and called Nino.
"Bro...it's like three am," moaned Nino.
"Really quick, did I ask Marinette out while I was evil?"
"I don't know, Marinette didn't tell me other than Hawkmoth put the helmet on you and she stopped both the annihilator and the mega-weather-generator."
"Oh," Adrien sunk back into his bed, a little relieved.
"Although you were flirting with Marinette last week during lunch. Nothing crazy although you did ask Marinette over to your house. Made Nathanael pretty made by the looks of it."
Adrien groaned flopping face first into his pillow as he felt his face warm. How would he be able to face Marinette next week?
Sorry for taking so long to post this. Jealousy is not my forte and work has been crazy.
Wonderful art by ColorTheWorld
post/170330008368/so-ive-been-reading-this-fic-called-call-me-beep
Part of the Forum AU Challenge for "On the Streets of Paris"