Chapter 22
When Ladybug reached the room, her eyes immediately took in the situation.
There was a man, dressed in a purple suit with a silver head mask on, clutching a purple staff. A smirking Volpina was standing beside Chat, who was tied to a chair with rope. Jackady and Mime stood in the background, with the former grinning madly and the latter peering at her with a stony expression.
Chat Noir picked his head up, blond strands were hanging in front of his eyes but she didn't miss the way they lit in fury. "What are you doing here?! Are you crazy?"
Her lips pursed, not at all appreciating his words or his snappy tone. "I'm here to save you, idiot!"
"I don't need saving. You should've stayed home!"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Hawk Moth cut in, chiding gently. "If she stayed home, then we never would have had the pleasure of meeting, since you stole her away last time."
Chat turned his head to him and hissed.
Hawk Moth ignored him and bowed to the lady in red. "I am Hawk Moth, the crime ruler of this city. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Ladybug." His lips curled into a vicious smirk.
Ladybug tried not to let her fear show. "Alright, you got me here. Now, release Chat Noir!"
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Jackady cackled. "You're so naive. But hey, you're a work in progress."
She rose an eyebrow beneath her mask. "A work in progress?" she echoed.
"He's right," Hawk Moth intervened. "I see potential in you, Ladybug. You could rise quickly to power."
Volpina scowled. "What about me? I'm the one that actually got the damn cat."
"You hit me from behind," Chat hissed angrily. "That wasn't a fair move."
"Oh, didn't you know, kitty?" The vixen grinned flirtatiously, leaning down closer to him. "All's fair in love and war."
Chat grimaced and leaned his head away. "Okay, kidnapping is one thing. But letting this bitch flirt with me? That's overkill, don't you think?"
Volpina clenched her teeth and growled before smacking him across the face, his head moving to the side from the impact. Ladybug's sapphire eyes flared when she eyed the red mark left on his skin.
"Do. Not. Touch. Him!" Ladybug screamed, taking a menacing step closer to the fox villain. Volpina narrowed her olive green eyes and matched the step.
"My, my, my, quite a temper, Ladybug." Hawk Moth grinned knowingly. "You can be frightening when you're angry."
That made the spotted girl stop, looking over at him with wary eyes. Volpina stopped advancing as well.
"I have a proposition for you, Miss Ladybug."
Ladybug took a step back. "What kind of proposition?"
"Stop this!" Chat shouted to his former boss. "Leave her alone, she's innocent!"
Hawk Moth merely shrugged his shoulders. "A trait that can be remedied. Now, what was I saying? Oh, yes. Ladybug, how would you like to join me?"
"Never," she spat, blue bell eyes narrowing. "I will never become a criminal."
He continued on as if she didn't just refuse him. "But let me finish! Of course, you'll get a percentage of everything you steal. I'll also release Chat Noir and let you two become partners in crime. Now, isn't that just romantic?"
Chat hissed threateningly.
Ladybug cocked her head to the side, observing the crime lord. "A percentage, you say?"
Chat's eyes widened in fear. "Ladybug? What are you doing?"
She didn't answer him, keeping her eyes trained on Hawk Moth. He smirked at her, grey eyes twinkling in anticipation.
"Yes, of course you'll get a percentage of what you steal. It's only fair. Imagine how much you could buy. Why, you could get anything your little heart desires. And, if you accept my offer, I'll give you a some gifts."
She rose an eyebrow. "Gifts?"
Hawk Moth's smirk never wavered when he snapped his fingers. The Mime walked over, giving a shoe box to his boss. He nodded in thanks and shooed the criminal away.
"Yes, gifts. I think they'll be very useful. Come closer and see."
Swallowing her nerves, she stepped closer to him, all the while avoiding a certain cat's incredulous eyes.
He opened the box to reveal a pair of ladybug printed earrings and...was that a yo-yo?
Ladybug shakily reached in and grabbed the earrings first, gazing at the studs in wonder. Why would he give her jewelry?
"The earrings are an accessory, a symbol of all the elite criminals. Like Chat's ring, Jackady's cards, Mime's clear weapons," he listed casually. "You'll need something too."
Ladybug's eyes flickered between the crime lord and the pretty earrings.
"Go on, put them on," he prompted in a light, teasing tone. "I'm sure they'll look wonderful on you."
Numbly, she lifted her hands to each earlobe, taking care to carefully slide each earring in and attach the push back in afterwards.
Hawk Moth circled around her like...well, a hawk. "Very, very nice," he observed. "And now, onto the second gift."
He took out the red and black spotted yo-yo. "This isn't an ordinary yo-yo, my dear. The string can stretch for meters, and is almost unbreakable. With this you'll be able to swing across the city with ease instead of walking like I'm sure you did to get here. If the police show up to a crime, you can swing away in the blink of an eye."
He handed it to her, and Ladybug took it. She held small thing in her palm. It looked like any other yo-yo, and felt like one too.
"Also, it will come in handy for combat, like Chat Noir's staff. It helps him get to places, and it also useful for fighting," Hawk Moth informed.
Speaking of Chat's staff, in the corner of her eye there it was, lying innocently on a table.
"Join me and this can be yours," Hawk Moth spoke smoothly. "I'll release Chat Noir, you get the yo-yo and earrings, and a percentage of whatever you steal. Fair enough trade, don't you think?" He extended his hand for her to shake.
"Ladybug," she heard Chat whisper in disbelief. Her eyes shifted to his hunched form, green eyes sorrowful.
Ladybug cleared her throat and shook the man's hand. "You have yourself a deal...boss." She smirked evilly.
He grinned. "I knew you wouldn't be able to turn it down, Miss Ladybug. Volpina, let the cat out of the bag."
Volpina grumbled but did as she was told. Chat Noir stood when the ropes dropped, glaring daggers at everyone in the room save Ladybug.
In the blink of an eye, Ladybug twirled her yo-yo and used it to to take hold of Chat's baton on the table. Everyone gazed at her in confusion until she called for Chat, throwing his signature weapon in the air.
Chat Noir's mouth twisted up in a smug grin as he leaped through the air and effortlessly caught it, performing a backflip and landing next to his partner. He twirled the staff in his fingertips while Ladybug spun the yo-yo at her side, wearing a similar grin to his own.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Hawk Moth bellowed angrily. Mime, Jackady, and Volpina narrowed their eyes and shifted into fighting stances.
"Did you really think I'd become a criminal?" Ladybug scoffed. "For a crime lord, you're not that smart."
Hawk Moth's teeth clenched in anger. "You'll regret betraying me."
The three criminals took a step forward.
Chat Noir gazed at the spotted heroine with a smirk. "Ready when you are, L.B."
She didn't have time to bask in the feeling of Chat turning his back on his criminal brethren. She didn't have the time to wonder if he really picked the life of a hero. No, all she could focus on right now, was defeating these people and escaping alive.
"Ready."
Chat's grin never wavered. "I love a good cat fight."
He charged at Jackady and Mime, letting Ladybug battle Volpina. When Ladybug swung her yo-yo at her, Volpina whipped out her flute and blocked the attack. Thinking quickly, she wrapped her new weapon's string around one of Volpina's ankles and yanked, causing the vixen villain to drop to the ground.
Ladybug jumped on top of her, straddling her to she wouldn't escape. She was able to nail a few punches before Volpina grabbed her fist, trying to inch it away from her face. The women's teeth gritted, both using all their strength; Ladybug to deliver another hit and Volpina to knock her off.
Seeing as how they were at a standstill, Ladybug leapt off her, grabbing the string of her yo-yo and twirling it by her side threateningly.
"You won't win, Volpina," she spoke. "Give up."
"Like I'm going to be beaten by a newbie," Volpina scoffed. She dove, Ladybug's eyes widened but she didn't have time to move out of the way. The vixen had her pinned to the ground, teeth revealed in a savage snarl.
"You little bitch," she seethed. "I don't know how you brainwashed Chat Noir into betraying us, but I'm sure your death will make him snap out of it."
Ladybug grunted, trying to remove her wrists from her attacker's hold.
Volpina took hold of her wrists in one hand, using her now free one to take out her flute that was strapped to her back. She split it in two, revealing a sharp dagger on the end.
Ladybug could feel sweat perspiring down her forehead in panic. She wiggled harder as the blade came closer.
"How fortunate that your suit is red," Volpina grinned. "This way, the blood will just blend in. Very fitting choice of fashion, Marinette."
Ladybug gasped. The brown hair, olive green eyes, the fact that she just came from Italy, and a particular incident in class after her fake excuse to the nurse.
"Lila?!"
"That's right, Lady Luck." The blade hovered dangerously close to her jawline. "Although you might not be so lucky now. I've waiting to decorate my knife with your blood."
Ladybug closed her eyes, waiting for the slice of pain, but it never came. Instead, the pressure from her wrists was gone and Volpina's weight was off her body. She opened her eyes just in time to see the fox sprawled out on the ground to the side, and see Chat Noir's staff retract.
Ladybug stood with a grin. "Thanks for the assist."
"Anytime, My Lady." He winked and gave a two-finger salute before turning back to the Mime who was just rising from the floor. Jackady, she noticed, was unconscious with three claw marks running down his face.
Ladybug returned her attention to her opponent, spinning her yo-yo at her side. "Let's finish this."
Volpina growled. "Gladly."
Yo-yo flew and met flute. This continued back and forth for awhile, with the girls slowly circling each other like lions.
Finally, Ladybug was able to wrap her weapon around the flute. She quickly pulled back before Volpina could untie it, the flute flew out of the surprised vixen's face and clattered uselessly to the floor behind the red heroine.
Not wasting another minute, Ladybug threw the yo-yo and let the string wrap around Volpina's ankle again. However, she bent down and grabbed the string, tugging violently, causing Ladybug to fall to the floor and skid closer to her.
Volpina dived and struck a punch to Ladybug's face, the action causing her to blink and look around dazedly.
"One punch is all it takes to defeat you?" Volpina taunted. "Pathetic."
Ladybug blinked again, shaking her head to clear it. When the next fist flew, Ladybug caught it in her hand. She used the other to deliver a punch to Volpina's face.
This continued, eventually the women rolled around on the floor, each trying to end up on top of the other to easily beat their opponent. At last, Ladybug pushed the Volpina off her, clutching her stomach and panting heavily. At least the criminal before her didn't look much better, what with a split lip and a bruising cheek.
Grunting, Ladybug lifted her leg and let it fly to Volpina's stomach. She cried out in pain and sunk to the floor. While her head was down, Ladybug brought out her yo-yo and swung it against her head.
She was out cold before she hit the ground.
Ladybug breathed a sigh of relief. Turning around, she saw the Mime laying down next to Jackady, knocked out. Bleeding claw marks criss-crossed on his painted face, she could see small rivulets of blood on his neck, indicating Chat had grabbed him there.
As for Chat himself, he was leaning on his staff, breathing harshly but a small smile danced on his lips. His mask had a small tear in it, below his left eye, his lower lip was bleeding and a bruise was on his cheek. But other than that, he looked relatively fine.
"Good job, My Lady," Chat praised.
Ladybug smiled. "Good job, Chaton."
He walked over to her and lifted a fist. "Pound it?"
She grinned and connected her fist with his. "Pound it."
Suddenly she gasped, looking wildly around the room. "Where's Hawk Moth?!"
Chat's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced around. "Coward ran away while we were distracted."
"We have to go get him!" Ladybug made to run away, but Chat grabbed her wrist to stop her.
"Neither of us are exactly fit to fight any more people today. We can find him another day."
"But-"
"Another day," he repeated sternly.
The blackette pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Fine."
Chat chuckled. "I had no idea you loved to fight so much. It's most unbecoming of a Lady."
When she turned to glare at him, prepared to tell him just where he could shove that opinion, she caught his teasing grin and mischievous eyes.
So she settled with a teasing grin of her own and playfully punched his arm. Afterwards, the two glanced down at the three unconscious criminals.
"Well, I think Christmas came early for the police this year," Chat drawled. He walked over to the knocked over chair that he previously occupied and grabbed the discarded rope from the floor. Catching on to his meaning, Ladybug picked up Volpina's feet and dragged her to the other two criminals.
She smirked and walked over to a desk, grabbing a marker and paper.
...
A pounding of the door grabbed the attention of the cop on guard at the desk. It was past midnight, what could they possibly want? He yawned and took a sip of his coffee before sliding back his chair and trudging to the door. This had better not be a prank by some stupid teenagers.
His mouth dropped at the sight of the three bound criminals. Their heads were down and their bodies limp, indicating they weren't conscious. His eyes squinted as he noticed a piece of paper in between the coils of the rope. Curious, he grabbed it and opened it.
Courtesy of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Merry (early) Christmas!
Below it was a ladybug symbol accompanied by a paw print.
...
Breaking News!
"Last night, Paris police were baffled when the city's two popular criminals, The Mime and Jackady, were wrapped up on their doorstep accompanied by Italy's famous thief, Volpina...who in actuality is the famous actress, Lila Cagna! The benefactors of this generous gift? Ladybug and Chat Noir! Who is this Ladybug? And has Chat Noir turned over a new leaf? Stay tuned-"
Marinette smiled as she clicked off the news video and turned away from her computer. Adrien was lounging on her chaise, who heard it all and offered her a lazy grin.
"So, is it true?" Marinette asked coyly, rising from her chair and walking to the chaise. She laid down next to him, the blond moved so she would have room and turned on his side, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. He picked up her hand and gave it a loving kiss.
"Is what true, my love?"
She bit her lip, holding back the grin that threatened to split her face at the nickname. Adrien smirked knowingly, gazing at the blush on her cheeks.
"Did Chat Noir really turn over a new leaf?"
He chuckled. "It would seem so, you know how the news knows all and is never wrong."
A frown tugged at the edges of the blackette's lips. Did he really want to be a hero, or was last night a one-time thing and tonight he'd be back on the streets, robbing various stores?
"Adrien?"
Emerald eyes opened, noticing the designer's gloomy expression. "Hey," he soothed. "It really is true. I-I'm going to be a hero."
Her sapphire eyes brightened at the declaration. "Really?"
A corner of his mouth tilted up. "Yeah. I don't need to steal, but I still want my freedom. Being a hero would let me have that freedom, and the best part is that I wouldn't have to worry about the police on my tail."
Marinette smiled and buried her nose into his shirt, inhaling the light and pleasing scent. "Thank you."
She felt his lips on her hair. "Anything for you, my Princess."
Without removing her head from his shoulder, she turned so she was looking up at her ceiling. She idly picked up his hand in the air, lacing her fingers with his.
"And now we can publicly date..." he murmured. She didn't miss the smile in his voice.
She nodded. "Since Alya believes that Ladybug and Chat Noir are now a thing, but good thing you, Adrien Agreste, saved me from heartbreak by asking me out." She giggled.
"Good thing. I could tell you were about to lose your mind with grief, so I took pity on you and asked you to the movies this weekend."
The blackette sat up and turned, seeing her companion's smirk. "Is that all I am to you? A pity date?" She asked, making her voice sound sad and even letting out a sob for affect. "How dare you!"
Adrien laughed and gathered her in his arms. "Oh no, my Princess! You are so much more to me than that. You are my moon, my sun, and my stars. You are the horizon to my sky, the butter to my croissant, the marshmallow to my hot chocolate, the milk to my cookie, the ink to my pen, the charger to my phone-"
Marinette laughed especially hard at that last one. She pulled back to see her boyfriend's impish expression.
"But most importantly," he said smoothly, leaning closer to her face. His eyes shifted from her lips to her eyes. "You are the Ladybug to my Chat Noir."
Marinette closed her eyes when he connected their lips in a soft, loving kiss.
Maybe Paris's (ex) top criminal wasn't such a bad guy, after all.
The End
...
Bonus Scene:
"Ready for patrol, Princess?"
Marinette slipped on her mask. "Almost. Just give me a second." She walked to her vanity, smirking when she held the small, golden object.
Chat Noir walked down her stairs, meeting up with her. "Clock's a ticking, My Lady." He grinned. "If I was still a criminal, I could've robbed a store by now."
She rolled her eyes but walked up to him, meeting his bright emerald orbs and mischievous grin. She gave him a chaste peck on the lips.
When she pulled away he made a humming noise from the back of his throat, grinning and waggling his eyebrows. "I didn't know you were in that mood, My Lady. We can skip patrol and stay here for the night, I won't have any issues with it."
Ladybug huffed with an annoyed groan, but she smiled anyway. "Don't get your hopes up, Chaton. We're still going, but before I give you a gift."
He rose an eyebrow in question, but both of them lifted when she revealed the small object in her palm.
"A bell?"
"Yep," she affirmed with a grin. "Since you're a tamed cat now, I figured it was time to put a bell on you."
He laughed and shook his head. "Are you serious?"
"Come on," she goaded. "It'll complete the look! Please?"
He rolled his eyes. "Anything for you, My Lady."
She squealed and unlocked the clasp to attach the bell to his zipper. When she was done she hit it with a finger to make it let out a soft jingle. "Perfect!"
Chat walked over to her vanity mirror. He tilted his head as he observed the new addition to his outfit. At last, a small smile lifted his lips.
"Huh. You're right, it does complete the look." He gave it an experimental tap, letting the bell chime again. "I like it."
"So do I," she agreed, coming behind him and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Do you want your ring back? I mean, you've always had it before."
He shook his head with a fond smile. "Nah. You can keep it, My Lady. I'm still yours." He bent down to envelop his lips over hers.
When he pulled away, he gazed down at her with an alluring smirk. "I'm still up for skipping patrol, you know..."
Ladybug laughed and swatted him on the arm. "Nice try, kitty. Now let's go."
A/N: I'm sorry to end it here without giving you guys a warning. I knew it was either going to end this chapter or the next, and a million different ideas and possible endings were running through my mind. I hope you liked this ending :)
Also, to clarify, Lila was considered to be crazy when she was arrested. After all, why would a famous actress who had everything resort to a life of crime? Her screaming all the way back to Italy didn't help her case. She may have yelled about Ladybug's true identity, but who would believe an insane actress?
Readers: But ghostgirl! What about Adrien? How did he become a criminal, how did he meet Hawk Moth, how did-"
Me: Guys, guys! *takes a breath* Don't worry, you'll get the answers soon ;)
And now, progress update:
Coming Soon
One Way Or Another: On The Prowl but in Adrien's pov. Keep a look out for it ;)
Purrsuasion: Chat Noir discovers his Lady's identity. He's ready to woo her, but unfurtunately for him, there's a problem. Marinette just happens to be dating Nathanael... Coming very soon!
Zorro/Robin Hood AU: Still working out the details, not sure when it'll be uploaded.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon AU: A fairytail that has sprinkles of Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche. Not sure when it'll be uploaded.
Works Already Uploaded
Parisian Nights: This will get finished! In fact, we're nearing the end
Tales of Honeybee and Red Fox: This won't be continued. It was mostly just practice on writing OC's for me. Plus I hate writing the Miraculous without knowing their powers. I'm sorry to those who were reading it :( I might delete it soon.
And now I'd like to take this time to thank all of you who have supported this fic. Every fav, follow, and review encouraged me to write more. Honestly, without you, this story wouldn't have went past chapter 1. Thank you so much for everything readers :')
P.S. Anyone else lowkey want their partner to say that they are the Ladybug to their Chat Noir or vice versa? ;)