"Where are you?" Ladybug asked, and nodded as Adrien conveyed his location. "I'll be there as soon as I can!" Ladybug spoke into the receiver, but her mind was already racing ahead of her. It couldn't be a coincidence could it? Some doublegangers who looked like her and Adrien walking around Paris...and if it was the mosquito kwami's doing? Did that mean that he knew about their true identities? No...he couldn't know...if he did wouldn't he have targeted...Ladybug's mouth went dry. Both Her family and friends, and Adrien's too were all in danger! She had to get back! But what could she do about Merlin and the Prodigious?
She raced back toward Fei and Merlin. "There is an emergency I need to take care of back in Paris!" she announced.
"Anything I can help you with?" Fei asked, tapping the Prodigious around her neck.
"I'm not totally sure what I'm dealing with yet," Ladybug responded honestly. "Right now I think you need to contact Lady Justice. She might be the only one who will know what to do with (she nodded her head toward Merlin)."
"Hey! I'm right here!" Merlin protested, crossing his arms.
"Yes, and I can't leave you wondering around a time period you know nothing about, doing who knows what, trying to strike off on your own to stir up powers we don't know enough about!" Ladybug said exasperatedly.
"Based on our limited interaction, I can see how you would feel at odds with me," Merlin allowed.
"I do appreciate how you helped us back there, finding where Falfalla was going with the Prodigious," Ladybug acknowledged. "If it wasn't for you, Ikari Gozen would have come before Pele alone...and her decision may have been swayed another way. Now, with everything going all we have to figure how how we can work together if we truly want to beat Falfalla and the mosquito kwami."
Merlin nodded, "You are the new generation of Guardians of the World. Rather than trying to revise the past, we need to build a new future together."
"Sounds like a promising plan to me," Fei put her hands are her hips. "I'm ready to get back home!"
Ladybug channeled Kalakki's power and spun a portal, stepping through to China, in front of Fei's school. "You'll tell Lady Justice what has happened?" Ladybug asked Fei with concern.
"Don't worry Ladybug! I've got this!" Fei waved. "We both need to check up on our home! Let me know if you need help back in Paris!"
"I'll call you later tonight! Be careful...and Fei..." Ladybug leaned in next to her ear. "...Keep an eye on Merlin."
Fei nodded, and Ladybug recharged Kalakki for another trip. As soon as the horse kwami stomped her forelegs, Ladybug merged her power and created a portal to return to Paris.
After Adrien's unusually panicked voice on the phone, she wasn't sure what she was expecting as she returned to Paris. She certainly wasn't expecting to come face to face with the image of Adrien's face pressed up another young woman on the TV screen. Ladybug blinked quickly at the way his arm wrapped around the stranger. She glared daggers at the busty blonde that giggled as the reporter tried to catch their attention. Ladybug ducked behind a park benched and called off her transformation, and two very hungry kwamis popped up beside her. Passing Tikki and Kalalki their favorite treats, Marinette looked back up at the screen. "It isn't him, it isn't him," she repeated to herself, trying to steady her breathing.
A crowd was forming around some other screens, and she caught a glimpse at a couple of teenage girls looking at their phones. "Isn't that Adrien Agreste the model? He's so hot! That lucky girl. I guess he's off the market now," the girl with red curls said to her friend with a whine.
"I always thought Adrien Agreste was such a sweet innocent guy, but I guess I was wrong," the teen looking over her shoulder at the video feed commented.
"What do you mean?" the redhead asked in a chirpy voice.
"He must have been hiding what a real player he is this whole time," her friend informed her, holding up images on her own phone. "Look at this! Just today he was photographed in some pretty scandalous situations with at least three different women!"
"No way! Let me see!" her friend squealed at such juicy gossip, and grabbed for the phone. "Ohh, no way! Wow, I can't believe it. I thought he was dating someone already. Wasn't she in Lila's class? Mary-something?"
Marinette's breath caught in her throat, and she clapped her hand over her own mouth.
"Naw, I doubt he's the type to settle down with just one girl..." the girl shook her head, but then paused. "What if she didn't know that they weren't in an exclusive relationship! Man, that would be rough to find out like this!"
"Sounds like some soap opera," the girl giggled tossing her red curls, and heading down the street. "I wouldn't want to be in her shoes, no matter how hot or rich he is!" The two disappeared around the corner, and Marinette lost sight of them.
Marinette jumped up and raced in the other direction. She had to find Adrien! It was like some soap opera...but some twisted one, that had her watching someone else play her role! What kind of nightmare was this, where some doppelganger was playing out her worst nightmare!
"That isn't him...but who is it then?" Marinette mumbled as she ran. "Some copy of the mosquito kwami?" she looked down at her purse to where Tikki held on to her purse strap.
"The mosquito kwami might have been able to make a copy of one of you," Tikki said puzzled. "But why would the kwami of chaos disguise himself as Adrien? What would he gain from that...unless..."
"Unless he knows," Marinette's voice rose in panic.
Rounding the corner, Marinette ran straight into a hoard of people. They were looking this way and that, and held up posters with Adrien's face plastered all over them. One of them even had a ironed on photo of Adrien's fragrance ad on the front of his t-shirt. "Hey, isn't that one of the girls from the videos with Adrien?" one of the Adrien fans asked the odd assortment of people. Suddenly each of their eyes turned on Marinette, and Marinette's eyes popped open in alarm. With fast reflexes she sprinted off even faster way from the fans, who quickly pursued her.
She had just dodged into a dark alley, when a strong arm suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder, and pulled her through a open doorway.
Instinctively she latched onto this "attacker," and flipped him over her shoulder, leaving his sprawled out, moaning softly on the ground.
"Marinette, it's me," Adrien's voice groaned, as Marinette's eyes slowly adjusted to the dim room she had been pulled into. In alarm, she realized that she had just flung Adrien Agreste to the ground!
"Adrien?! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you. You scared me half to death! What were you doing jumping out at me like that?" Marinette chattered, groping in the dark for his hand, to try to help him up.
"Sorry, I was just trying to save you from those crazed fans of mine," he responded, bringing her hand up to his lips with a kiss.
"We've been able to avoid overly enthusiastic fans of yours before. That wasn't what I was worried about," Marinette put her hand on his shoulder. "I was just trying to find you, so make sure you were okay!"
"You really are my hero, coming to my rescue," Adrien pressed in closely to her. "You really are 'miraculous' aren't you my little lady?!"
Marinette's skin pricked at the feel of his breath, and the sunlight falling through the door shone on his face enough that she could see that his eyes looked dull...almost grey.
He reached to fold a loose strand of hair on her face behind her ear, and he flashed her a model smile.
"You're not Adrien," Marinette stepped back from him, finding herself with her back against a cement wall.
"Marinette, of course I am," he soothed, blocking the doorway. "You're just on edge right now, but don't worry about all the things the news is saying. I would never tell you a lie would I?! You do trust your own boyfriend don't you?!"
"Where is Adrien?" she demanded, clenching her fists.
"I told you, I'm right in front of you," he smiled again at her as he stepped forward, and ran his hand through his blonde hair. "To think you're doubting our love! Maybe I need to refresh your memory." He wound his thumb around her wrist, and ducked his head so that he was eye to eye with her. "Don't be like that Marinette. You should feel like the luckiest girl in Paris to have the chance to be with me!"
"You've got it wrong," a menacing voice growled behind the dim version of 'Adrien'. "The true Adrien Agreste knows that he is the lucky one to have a chance to be with her!"
Suddenly, the pale version of Adrien was lifted up from behind with dark claws, and flung to the side. Chat Noir had come!
"Chat!" Marinette gasped in relief, and ran into his arms.
Chat Noir held her a moment, and even through his costume she could feel him shaking. She wasn't sure if he was shaking out of fear for her, or pure rage against the imposter who had just tried to make a move on her. Maybe it was a little bit of both. "You're okay?" he asked quietly, but his voice broke.
"I'm fine now," she assured him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.
Marinette turned back to the man laying on the ground, who was now chuckling manically to himself, while wiping his nose from where he had hit the ground.
"Who are you? Why are you pretending to be Adrien? How did you get someone to look like me in those online videos that went viral?" she demanded.
"So many questions," the imitation smirked through his 'Adrien' mask. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Aww, well. I thought you might come to me willingly since I'm the sweet, ultra perfect, Adrien Agreste. Who could resist?!" he grinned at them, but the duo before him frowned back at him. "Everything eventually falls to chaos. If I can't entice you like this, maybe I need to switch things up a bit."
As the false Adrien, pushed up against the floor, and stood to his feet, his features twisted and warped. Out of the shadow he rose, but as he turned back to them it was no longer Adrien's face that he had stolen, but Marinette's. "You two are just full of surprises!" the shape-shifter grinned.
"Look who's talking!" Marinette shot back. "Whatever your plan is, whatever you are plotting to do acting like us, Ladybug and Chat Noir will stop you!"
"I'm sure they'll try," the creature who now looked like Marinette smirked. Then in the blink of an eye the look-a-like seemed to vanish. Marinette and Chat Noir were so startled that she stumbled backward, and looked around themselves. How could this being have suddenly disappeared?!
Then Marinette felt a vibrating hum beside her ear, and she flicked her hand to bat it away. It was the unmistakable drone of a mosquito...only it seemed to whisper, "I'mmm commming for youuuu."
Chat Noir wrapped his arms protectively around Marinette. "Show yourself you coward! You want me? You want my miraculous? Come and get me! Let's fight right now!" His challenge went unanswered.
Chat Noir and Marinette looked around for the source of the voice, but it had quickly moved on. They were left alone for now. They both knew now that the mosquito kwami had finally shown himself. What they were not sure of is why now?
Whatever his plan was...he was long gone, and they would have to face him another day.
"Why didn't he try to take your miraculous right now? What do you think he really knows about us?" Marinette asked stepping back into the open air of the alley.
"It felt like he was teasing us...or testing us," Chat Noir replied in frustration. "I can't believe he got so close to you!"
"Don't worry Kitty," Marinette smiled, moving her hand to his cheek. "I'm fine!"
"This time, but what happens the next time he pretends to be someone you trust? What if I can't protect you?" Chat Noir's green eyes searched her's.
"Don't worry, we're going to figure this out," Marinette smiled, wrapping her other arm around his neck, and pressing herself up against his chest. "Plus, I'm not always some damsel in distress. I can handle myself pretty well!"
"I know you can...but I'm just worried that..." Chat Noir answered, but was cut off by her pressing her lips against his.
When she pulled back, she smiled at him. "Thank you for rescuing me today, but really we've got this. There is nothing we can't do together, remember!"
Chat Noir nodded back at her, and moved in closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, and lifting her feet off the ground. Their mouths joined in sync, and he tilted her head back, moving his tongue over her lips. She sighed as he kissed her passionately. Marrinette and Chat Noir were both lost in this moment together until a sharp gasp behind their backs made them both freeze.
"Marinette! What are you doing with...Chat Noir!" a voice demanded in shock. "Whoah! You two must be akumatized because I know my girl would never cheat on Adrien! ...and Chat Noir! How could you do this to Ladybug when you just finally got together!"
They both turned their heads to see none other than a very ticked off looking Alya, and a wide-eyed Nino staring back at them from the street-side of the alley.
"Will you just unhinge yourselves already!" Alya demanded, with her hand waving furiously in front of herself. "Tell me this is not some sort of revenge because you saw all those media reports with Adrien and those other girls!"
"Alya, it's...well...it's not what it looks like!" Marinette sputtered.
"You still have your hands all over each other! Just step back and both of you think about what you're doing and who you could be hurting and what you could be throwing away!" Alya threw up her hands.
Both Marinette and Chat Noir looked back at each other in panic, and back at Alya.
"Listen Alya, don't jump to conclusions," Chat Noir tried to step forward and explain a way out of this, but Alya stomped forward and pointed her finger into his chest angerly.
"After all your declarations of love to Ladybug! After the grand gestures and getting her to finally fall for you! Do you realize that Marinette already has a boyfriend?! Huh! And guess what! It is thee Adrien Agreste. They are crazy about each other, and you shouldn't go screwing up someone else's relationship! Sure it may look like he was off cheating with all this paparazzi stuff going around today, but none of that fooled me. There is something fishy going on! Maybe it is an akuma making everyone go crazy, or randomly making out with whoever they come across...but you should know better!" Alya ended her tirade with a final jab at Chat Noir's chest.
"Alya! You could tell that that guy wasn't the real Adrien Agreste?!" Chat Noir said with his face lighting up.
"Of course that was not the real Adrien!" Alya crossed her arms, confused as to why this was the part of the reprimand Chat Noir had decided to focus on. "Adrien would never do something like that to Marinette!"
"Thank you!" Chat Noir grabbed Alya in a enthusiastic hug. "You knew!"
"Whoa, whoah, there lover-boy, don't get all friendly with me! I've got a boyfriend too you know!" Alya peeled herself out of Chat Noir's hug.
"If you know Adrien would never cheat on me, then you know I'd never cheat on him!" Marrinette stepped forward. "...and Chat Noir would never hurt Ladybug like that! We are...I mean we were...it was..." she tried to piece together some form of answer.
Alya looked back and forth between Chat Noir and Marinette skeptically. Neither of you are acting akumatized, and yet I know what I saw...and you two...looked..." Alya pointed to both of them. "I just can't believe that you would..."
"Alya," Nino put a steady hand on Alya's shoulder. "It's okay, they're together."
Marinette, Chat Noir, and Alya could not have looked more stunned, and all three stared back at Nino wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open.
"They! As in Chat Noir and Marinette!" Alya squeaked in shock.
Nino glanced over at Chat Noir and Marinette, and adjusted his cap. "I think it is time she knew, don't you?"
"How did you know?" Chat Noir and Marinette gasped in unison.
Nino gave them a quiet smile, and shrugged, "I've known for a while."
ooooooooooooooooo
I've been gone so long, but don't worry! I have a plan to take this story right to the end! Life had been overwhelming, but I hope that over the summer I can send out new chapters for you very loyal readers who have patiently waited so long for the continuation of this story:) Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and kind in their reviews and comments. Of course I'm no professional writer or anything, so this whole story has been a learning process. I'm still working on getting better. I've loved exploring these characters and these countries with you all!
When I started this fan-fic season 3 had not started yet, so this AU veers off from the series there. In my story Alya had no idea that Marinette was Ladybug yet. To find out how Nino figured things out, stay tuned to my next chapter. Our heroes are also about to go on another trip! There are more exciting destinations ahead! Hope you like or follow if you're interested:)
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