Miraculous Weasel

by Tang Ri Shan

Alice Bourgeois, the twin sister of Chloe, grew up in New York City with her mother. But shortly after she is sent to live with her father and sister in Paris, she comes across the Weasel Miraculous, which grants her the power of transformation. She becomes the superheroine Ermine to help Ladybug and Chat Noir protect Paris, but her mission soon becomes much more...'complicated'

9. Chapter 9-Lady Wifi

Miraculous Weasel CH 9

Lady Wifi

A Tang Ri Shan Fanfic

Reminder: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or any characters apart from my OC

As I stepped into the lobby of the Le Grand Paris hotel, I let out a sigh of relief. Today had been a really long day, and I was super tired.

The Agreste brand was preparing to launch a new line of beauty products for teenage girls, and Gabriel Agreste had chosen me, of all people, to be the face of the new line. As honored as I was to accept the position, I did feel somewhat hesitant, especially since I had been chosen over several other girls who I felt were just as qualified as me.

The photo shoot for the product line had been scheduled for today, meaning I'd had to miss school. Luckily, today had only been a half-day, and Nathanial had kindly offered to take notes for me. However, the shoot itself turned out to be a nightmare, mainly due to the photographer's demanding personality, but also because we had been attacked halfway through the shoot by an akumatized villain who had the ability to drain color from everything she touched.

I'd had to transform into Ermine in a dressing room and had almost gotten caught by one of the lighting crew when I had snuck out to fight the villain. Luckily, the guy didn't seem very bright and I'm sure he must have thought he was just seeing things. Then, after Ladybug and I had defeated the villain, I was stunned to see it was one of the girls who had not been chosen to model the line. Apparently, her anger at being rejected had caught Hawkmoth's attention.

I covered my mouth with my hand to mask a yawn as I made my way across the lobby. I closed my eyes as well, and when I opened them again, I saw my father ahead of me, speaking with a postman who had a package under his arm.

As I approached, my father glanced up and spotted me. "Ah Alice, you're finally back from your photo shoot?" He said, turning to face me.

"Yes dad, sorry I'm so late. In addition to a villain attacking the shoot, the photographer was so hard to please. I had to have word about him with Mr. Agreste. He had me pose for the same photo about a hundred times!"

My father chuckled. "Sounds like a wannabe Stanly Kubrik. Did you know that he did over a hundred takes for a single scene of one of his movies?"

This made me grin. I always knew my father was a big fan of movies but having him spout trivia like this only showed what a movie nut he was. Still, I found it kind of adorable that my big politician father would go gaga over something that was not directly connected with politics.

"Something tells me Mr. Kubrik doesn't have much to worry about. I don't think Mr. Agreste will be working with that photographer again, especially considering he practically caused the villain attack." I commented.

My father raised an eyebrow. "He did?"

I quickly told my father about how, after the villain had been defeated, I had learned that she was one of the girls I had been chosen over. When I had spoken to Mr. Agreste about this, he revealed that it was actually the photographer who had made the model selection, and he had insisted that it be me.

My father's eyes narrowed at this. "I see, thank you for telling me this." He said to me before turning to say something to the postman, who was still standing there with the package. I took this as my cue to leave and turned away, but not before the postman shot me a smile of pity.

Nodding back at him, I turned right and made my way towards the three main elevators at the back of the lobby, only to pause when I heard my father call my name. Turning, I saw him approach me with the package the postman had been holding.

"Alice, can you bring this package to your sister's room please?" My father asked, handing me the package.

I raised an eyebrow at his request. My father knew Chloe and I tried to stay away from each other while at home. When her plan to 'watch me closely' failed to gain any ground in keeping me away from Adrien, Chloe had decided to go back to acting like I didn't exist.

I was more than happy to let her do this, but my father had not been as thrilled. Over the past few weeks, he had tried several 'subtle' efforts to get Chloe and me to bond, which usually ended in Chloe yelling at him while I shook my head in disbelief. Our father just didn't seem to get the hint that Chloe and I wanted nothing to do with each other.

Still, I had to pass by Chloe's room to get to mine from the elevator, and I was too tired to argue with him so…I decided to humor him.

"Sure, dad." I said, nodding to him before continuing my trek to the elevator, tucking the package under my arm. As I stepped into the elevator that was open, I let out a sigh. My father may have thought he was being subtle, but Chloe and I could always see right through his plans.

The elevator doors slid closed, and as the elevator started to rise, Minkk, my kwami, came out of hiding. "Voluntarily going to your sister's room? Someone's feeling brave today." She commented with a teasing expression on her face.

"Ha ha." I retorted humorlessly as the elevator came to a stop at the floor where our rooms were. "My dad just won't give up, will he? He is determined to get Chloe and me to act like sisters."

"But you are sisters." Minkk replied, looking a little confused.

"Not by choice." I said as we stepped out of the elevator.

"You can't choose your family, Alice." Minkk said as we made our way down the hall towards my room.

"But I can choose how much time I spend with them." I countered.

Minkk looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "This is true, which is why I think it's good that you're at least willing to talk to your sister." She said as we approached Chloe's door.

"Who said anything about talking to her? I'll just leave the package outside her door and knock." I said giving Minkk a smirk.

Minkk let out a groan, rolling her eyes at my comeback, which made me chuckle.

Thump!

I froze as I heard a loud thump. I looked around but didn't see anything.

Thump!

I heard it again, and it sounded like it was coming from behind me. Slowly, I turned, and found myself facing Chloe's door.

THUMP! I jumped slightly as a third thump, this one louder, came from behind the door.

"What is that?" I wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, why don't you find out?" Minkk asked, and I frowned as I saw a glint in the kwami's eyes.

"Oh no! It's none of my business what Chloe does in her spare time." I said, backing away from the door. "Besides, she's made it very clear that I'm not welcome in her room."

"But what if she's in trouble?" Minkk argued. "You're a superhero, Alice! It your job to help people in trouble!"

I opened my mouth to argue back…only to let my head droop with a small whine when I couldn't find a good counter to Minkk's comment. She did have a good point. Besides, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to what Chloe was up to.

Ignoring Minkk's giggling, I walked up to Chloe's door, tucking the package back under one arm. "Chloe?" I knocked on the door, but to my surprise, it swung open at my touch. I frowned at this. It wasn't like Chloe to leave her door ajar like this. Another loud thump sounded from inside. If my sister was in there, apparently, she hadn't heard me.

I glanced at Minkk, who nodded at me. Taking a deep breath, I quietly opened the door farther and stepped into the alcove of her suite.

Thump!

"OW!" An angry exclamation made me jump slightly, but I quickly recovered. The noise seemed to be coming from the left side of the suite, where Chloe's bed was. Creeping along the wall, I peeked around the corner, and gasped.

Standing near the bed, with her back to me, was a girl with blonde hair wearing a red bodysuit studded with black spots and holding a Yo-yo. What had made me gasp was that the suit and yo-yo both looked exactly like Ladybug's.

"Come on, come on. I can do this." The figure spoke, and I was shocked to hear Chloe's voice.

What on Earth? My eyes widened as I tried to process what I was seeing. Chloe was Ladybug? Chloe? Had I been wrong about Marinette?

No, that couldn't be. I frowned, shaking my head. I've seen Chloe and Ladybug in the same place more than once. This didn't make any sense! Plus, Ladybug's hair was black not blonde!

"Minkk, did you see that?" I whispered as I ducked back around the corner before Chloe could turn around.

"I sure did, but I have a feeling that isn't what it looks like." Minkk said at my ear, and she didn't seem nearly as surprised as I was.

Before I could ask her what she meant, I heard a strange whirring sound and peeked back around the corner to see that Chloe had turned around.

Again, I was stunned by how similar my sister's costume was to the real Ladybug's outfit. She even had a mask the exact same shape and color as Ladybug's. In fact, the only thing off was her hair. The whirring sound I was hearing was coming from Chloe spinning her yo-yo around her body in a manner similar to how I had seen Ladybug do it. I felt a small smile cross my face as I wondered exactly how much footage of Ladybug Chloe had watched if she was feeling confident enough to replicate the heroine's moves.

"Here goes." Chloe said before suddenly tossing the Yo-yo forwards. I tensed as I watched the tool zip forward, then get pulled back, and Chloe began to gracefully twirl the yo-yo around her.

"Wow." I breathed as I watched my sister go. I had to admit, she wasn't bad, but her movements weren't as fluid as Ladybug's and that made me suspect that Minkk was right. Chloe wasn't Ladybug, she was just a surprisingly diehard fan of the heroine.

My suspicions were proven right a few seconds later when, as she was trying to perform some kind of trick, my sister's yo-yo wrapped around her ankle and pulled her legs out from under her. With a yelp, she toppled to the floor with a loud thump.

Seeing this, I felt a laugh bubbling up. So that was where the thumping had been coming from! I clamped by mouth shut to block the laugh out, but a chuckle still leaked out. Next to me, Minkk was tumbling in the air, trying to keep her own laugher in.

I had only made a tiny noise, but apparently it was enough because Chloe, still on the floor, froze, then her eyes snapped up towards me. I pulled back behind the wall, biting my lip.

"Who's there?!" Chloe demanded, and I cringed. Apparently, I hadn't been fast enough. "I know you're there; I heard you! Show yourself right now, or my daddy will have you arrested for trespassing!"

"Minkk, hide." I whispered to my kwami, who nodded before burying herself in my hair. She tapped my head twice to signal she was hidden, and I took a deep breath before stepping out into the open.

"My, what a heroic pose." I said jokingly as I smiled at the sight of my sister wrapped up in the cord of her yo-yo.

Chloe's eyes widened, then narrowed to hostile slits.

"What are you doing in my room?" She demanded as she finally untangled herself and got to her feet.

"Dad asked me to give this to you." I said, holding out the package. "So, what is it? A 'Lucky Charm' to go with your costume?" I chuckled as Chloe stalked over to me.

"None of your business…" Chloe growled as she snatched the package from my hands. "…and you'd better not tell anyone what you just saw, or I'll make your life a living nightmare. You may have Dad's ear, but I have Mom's, and you know Dad will do whatever Mom wants him to."

I felt a twinge of fear at Chloe's words, knowing how much of a pushover our father could be, especially when it came to our mother, but I hid my fears behind a smile as I watched her open the package. She exclaimed in delight and pulled out something black and hairy. I quickly realized that it was a wig styled to match Ladybug's hair.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell anyone." I assured my sister as she scampered to a mirror to try the wig on. "In fact, I…think it's pretty cool you think so fondly of Ladybug. I didn't think you'd ever put anyone that high on a pedestal."

"Well, before Ladybug showed up, you'd be right." Chloe admitted as she examined her reflection. "But she's totally the bravest person in the world. She proved that to me after she saved me from Stoneheart." Chloe suddenly pointed at me. "You know, the villain that grabbed me when he was supposed to grab you!"

My smile faded. "Let's not start that again." I growled, thinking back to when Stoneheart had taken Chloe hostage at school. I still felt a little guilty about it, since I was part of the reason Stoneheart had been akumatized in the first place, but I wasn't about to let Chloe know that.

Then I realized something."Hold on a second, I thought dad said Ermine was the one who saved you from Stoneheart." I said as the memory flashed before my eyes. Stoneheart had literally thrown Chloe off the Eiffel Tower and I had swooped in and caught her just before she'd hit the ground.

Choe blinked, clearly not expecting me to call her out like that, but she quickly recovered. "Well, yes that's true, but since Ladybug is obviously the leader of their group, Ermine saved me on her orders." She said, making one final adjustment before turning to face me. With the wig on, Chloe now looked exactly like Ladybug. Only her voice gave away the fact that I wasn't speaking with the actual heroine.

I rolled my eyes at her words and decided to change the topic. "So…where did you get this costume? It looks so real."

"Oh, I had it custom made." Chloe bragged as she examined herself in the mirror again.

"By whom?" I pressed, leaning forward a little.

"By…why do you wanna know?" Chloe suddenly turned back to me, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I think I might order a costume myself." I said honestly. "Halloween is coming up soon, and I haven't decided what I want to be yet. Since the person you got this from obviously knows what they're doing, I'm just wondering if you could hook me up." My eyes widened as a sudden thought struck me. "I could even order a Chat Noir costume and play along with your performance as Ladybug."

Chloe blinked in surprise. "You would dress up as Chat Noir?" She asked.

"Yeah, why not? It looks like fun. Besides, you know how dad has been pushing us to get along more?" When Chloe nodded, I continued. "We may be as different as night and day, but if Dad seems to think we could somehow get along, maybe it's worth a try. If nothing else, it might make home life a little more enjoyable for the both of us."

I half expected Chloe to scoff or say something snooty, but, to my surprise, it actually looked like she was considering my words. "I'll...think about it." She said finally. "But you'd better not tell anyone about this!"

"Relax, I won't." I assured her, then I had another brainstorm. "Hey, why don't you order an Ermine costume as well? That way Sabrina could join us too!"

Chloe gasped, and I was surprised to see an angry look cross her face. "Forget it! I don't want anything to do with that witch of a weasel!" She snapped.

"Witch?" I parroted, blinking in surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?"

But Chloe didn't seem to hear me because she just kept talking. "That girl is so…so…arrogant! Just strutting in and doing whatever she wants without even thinking about other people's feelings! It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

My eyes widened as realization sunk in. "Oh, I get it now! You're angry at Ermine because she kissed Adrien on the cheek at his birthday party right in front of you. Is that it?" I said as a teasing smile appeared on my face.

"Wha-no!" Chloe stammered, suddenly looking down. I started to laugh and she glared at me. "Do you want to be part of this or not?" She demanded.

Seeing an opening, I stopped laughing and faced Chloe with a serious expression. "I do Chloe, I really do, and I know Sabrina would also be ecstatic to join in on this whole costume thing." I said soothingly. "It would mean so much to her to be included. Could you at least consider getting an Ermine costume for her?"

Chloe's angry look was replaced by a thoughtful one, and I could tell my words had gotten to her.

"I told you. I'll think about it." She said before suddenly pointing to the door. "Now get out of my room!" She snapped.

Realizing the moment had ended, I nodded and quickly exited the suite. After I closed the door, I leaned against it and let out a loud sigh.

"Wow, you and Chloe were actually getting along." Minkk commented as she appeared next to me. "I guess miracles can happen."

"Very funny Minkk." I retorted as I made my way to my own room, but I felt myself smile at the thought of dressing up like my crush. I hoped Chloe would allow Sabrina and I to help indulge in her cosplaying. It really did sound like a lot of fun.

I entered my own room, which was also a suite, but nowhere near as big as Chloe's. Booting up my computer, I smiled when I saw that Nathaniel had typed up the notes from class and sent them to me. I quickly sent him a thank-you email before starting on my homework. Thanks to Nathaniel's detailed notes, I was able to quickly finish my assignments, and resolved to do something to thank Nathaniel for being so attentive.

"Maybe you could buy him a nice gift." Minkk suggested as I got ready for bed.

"Hmmm, maybe." I mused as I climbed under the covers. But what could I get Nathaniel without giving him the wrong idea? Sure, I liked him as a friend, but that was it. My heart belonged solely to Chat Noir.

With a yawn, I resolved to think about it more in the morning and closed my eyes.

---

The following morning, as I prepared for school, I continued talking with Minkk about what had happened yesterday.

"It's great that you're making an effort to connect with your sister, Alice." Minkk said as I brushed my hair.

"I only hope it works." I admitted as I pulled it back into a ponytail. Despite my reluctance to admit it, there was a small part of me that wanted to connect to Chloe. Maybe it was because we were related.

"Even if it does, Chloe will remember this. I promise you." Minkk assured me.

I smiled at my Kwami as I finished getting ready. I left my bedroom and met Chloe, Sabrina, and my father for breakfast.

When I greeted them, my father replied with a greeting of his own, Sabrina smiled at me, but Chloe didn't even look up from her phone. I bit back a chuckle as I sat down. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I looked up to see my father lean over towards me and beckon me over. Curious, I leaned towards him. "Alice," he said in a low voice. "I'm going to need you to stay behind when Chloe and Sabrina leave for school today."

I blinked, confused. "Why?" I asked.

"Because it's time for your first report to the committee." He replied, winking at me.

My eyes widened at this. How could I have forgotten about the secret panel of investigators that my father had created to try to uncover Hawkmoth's identity? I knew they'd had a few meetings already, but thanks to school and my modeling schedule, I hadn't been able to attend any yet.

"That's great dad, but…what about school? Will I be gone all day?" I asked under my breath, glancing at Chloe and Sabrina to make sure they couldn't hear us. Chloe was still engrossed with her phone, but Sabrina was looking at us curiously. I caught her gaze and slowly shook my head. She looked startled and quickly leaned over towards Chloe.

"No, just only the first half-hour or so. Then I'll have someone drop you off at school. I've already called ahead to inform your principal, so don't worry." I heard my father reply. I nodded as I saw Sabrina say something to Chloe, who glanced up from her phone just as my father leaned away from me.

I braced myself for my sister's questions, but Chloe didn't say anything. She just glared at me for a few moments before her gaze dropped down back down to her phone. I glanced at Sabrina, who didn't meet my gaze, but I could see an apologetic look on her face. I let out a small sigh. I seriously couldn't understand why Sabrina was so devoted to Chloe. It didn't make sense, especially considering who her father was. You'd think a police officer's daughter would have more of a backbone. Still, it wasn't my business who Sabrina chose to hang out with, and I honestly had more important things to worry about right now.

The rest of breakfast passed in silence. My sister on her phone, Sabrina looking down at her hands, and my father reading the paper. I was too busy feeling different emotions chase themselves inside of me to talk; excitement that I was finally going to help my father, and nervousness about my first meeting with the committee. Knowing my father, it was probably composed of highly influential people. I didn't want to sound tongue-tied in front of them!

I wasn't sure what excuse my father had given Chloe, but she and Sabrina left for school without even waiting for me, though I did catch a look of confusion on Sabrina's face as they left. Since Chloe had taken the limo, my father had called for another car to come pick the two of us up. While waiting for it to arrive, I quickly rushed upstairs and changed my outfit into a white blouse and black pants with matching flats. I kept my jewelry and makeup to a minimum, figuring looking formal would be better than looking flashy.

After I changed, my father and I were driven to city hall, where the meeting would be taking place via screen call. When we got to his office, my father positioned himself behind his desk, and motioned for me to take a seat in a chair directly to his right. I watched anxiously, my hands clasped in my lap, as my father fired up his computer, turned on his webcam, and initiated the call.

In a few seconds, the screen split into four smaller screens and a face appeared in each one. I was surprised to see that one of them was Officer Roger, Sabrina's father, who did not look happy to see me. Sure, I had expected a member of the police, but I hadn't expected him. The other three people were strangers to me. One was a serious-looking man with light brown hair and darker brown eyes wearing a brown coat with a dark red tie. Another was an official-looking woman with short black hair, blue eyes and a dark coat. The last person was a deeply tanned woman with dark brown hair and eyes, wearing glasses and a white lab coat.

"Officer Roger, Agent Deveraux, Miss Argus, Professor Bocquale, thank you for agreeing to meet so early this morning." My father welcomed his four guests.

"Of course, Monsieur Mayor, as they say 'Crime waits for no one'." Agent Deveraux replied, then his gaze flickered over to me. "Am I to assume this is the daughter that you mentioned during our last session?"

My father nodded. "Yes, this is Alice." He said before turning to me. "Agent Deveraux works with the international police, Miss Argus is a top knotch researcher, Professor Bocquale is one of the greatest scientific minds in all of Paris, and, of course, you already know Officer Roger." He explained.

Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I smiled at the four people on the screen. "Hello." I said.

"Mr. Mayor, I really must protest again about getting a child involved in sensitive matters like this." Officer Roger spoke up. "It's bad enough we're getting civilians involved."

"Hey!" Professor Bocquale protested, while Miss Argus narrowed her eyes at the comment."

"What exactly are you implying with that kind of comment, Officer Roger?" She asked, her voice cold as ice as she leaned forward.

"Uh…I mean no disrespect ladies, of course." Officer Roger quickly backpedaled when he saw how angry the women were. "It's just that…in matters concerning the safety of Paris and its citizens…It would be prudent for us to try and minimize the risk to members of our society as…much as possible…for their own safety of course."

I fought the urge to giggle at Officer Roger's awkward attempt to salvage the situation. Miss Argus and Professor Bocquale were still giving him angry looks, but before either of them could say anything, my father cleared his throat.

"Your concern is understandable, Officer Roger, but Alice has a theory about Hawkmoth that I think you should all hear." My father said. Then, to my surprise, he rose up from his chair and motioned for me to take a seat in it.

Realizing this was my moment, I slowly got up, walked over to my father's chair, and sat down. My heart was beating in my ears as I clasped my hands in my lap and gazed at the faces on the screen. Officer Roger looked skeptical, while Miss Argus and Agent Deveraux's expressions were more stoic. Only Professor Bocquale seemed to be genuinely interested in listening, based on the smile she was giving me.

I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, and started talking. "As I've told my father, I've noticed something peculiar about the way Hawkmoth operates. From what information I have been able to gather, it looks like most, if not all, of Hawkmoth's victims have something in common."

"And what is that?" Professor Bocquale asked, while Agent Deveraux raised an eyebrow.

"They have all had something bad happen to them shortly before they became akumatized, which caused them to feel some kind of negative emotion as the akumatization was taking place." I said.

That got everyone's full attention. "Explain please." Said Miss Argus.

"Well, Stoneheart was angry after someone teased him about his crush." I said as I began counting off all the Akumatizations I could recall on my fingers. "Stormy Weather was upset because she lost a TV contest. Bubbler was angry that his plan to throw a party for his friend was ruined by the boy's father. Copycat was sad that Ladybug missed the unveiling of his statues. Timebreaker was devastated when she accidentally broke a family heirloom, Pharoah was upset after his father yelled at him, and Greyscale was angry that she was rejected for a modeling job."

"You seem awfully knowledgeable about Hawkmoth's victims, Mademoiselle Alice." Agent Deveraux said, giving me a suspicious look.

I felt a tiny knot of panic at the detective's words, but I kept my face and posture composed. "I may be a model, Agent Deveraux, but I can do research. Plus, it doesn't hurt that at least three of them have a connection to my school, wouldn't you agree, Officer Roger?"

Officer Roger's eyes widened in surprise at me calling on him, while Miss Argus leaned forward. "Officer Roger, what is she talking about?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. Agent Deveraux did the same, crossing his arms in the process.

"Um…uh…" Officer Roger stammered, looking a little alarmed, and I instnantly felt guilty. I had hoped Officer Roger had realized that some of Hawkmoth's victims were classmates of mine, but apparently, he hadn't yet.

I decided to come to his rescue. "The real identities of Stoneheart, The Bubbler, and Timebreaker are Ivan Bruel, Nino Lahiffe, and Alix Kubdel. All three of them are in the same class as me and Officer Roger's daughter." I explained. "In addition, Pharaoh was really Jalil Kubdel, Alix's older brother.

"Really?" Professor Bocquale asked. "Officer Roger, is this true?"

I could see realization appearing on Officer Roger's face as he nodded. "Yes, it is true, and I have to admit, I had not even noticed that connection." He sheepishly admitted.

I felt the corner of my mouth curve into a triumphant smile. "The only person I'm not sure about is Mr. Pigeon. I couldn't find out anything about him." I confessed. Technically that was half true. I had a pretty good idea what had caused his akumatization, but I didn't have anything concrete to back it up.

"Hmmm." Agent Deveraux glanced away from his camera, and I could hear paper rustling. "From the statement he gave to us, Mr. Ramier, Aka Mr. Pigeon claimed that the last thing he remembered before being akuamtized was getting an earful from a policeman about feeding pigeons in a public park." He said.

I saw a flash of surprise cross Officer Roger's face, followed by a look of embarrassment, and I bit my lip to contain a chuckle that was building up. It seemed pretty clear which policeman the agent was talking about.

"Well, that adds up with my idea." I commented. "Hawkmoth is targeting people who are feeing anger, sadness, or other bad emotions with his powers, and transforming these people into his followers."

"But why?" Officer Roger asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, pretending to look confused. "Maybe he thinks people in that state will be easier to manipulate? I'm not entirely sure." In truth, I did know the answer, but If I told them that Hawkmoth's akumas were drawn to these negative emotions, they would probably ask me how I knew that. I couldn't tell them I had gotten that information from my Kwami.

"Hmm, that does make sense. People who are feeling emotions like these are more likely to be susceptible to outside influence." Miss Argus agreed.

"Perhaps he can somehow sense when people are feeling these emotions and zeros in on them." Professor Bocquale suggested.

I felt my eyes widen a little as the other members of the committee seemed to accept the professor's idea without question. That had been unexpected, but it did explain how Hawkmoth was able to locate his victims. He must sense where these people are by feeling their emotions and then he sends akumas after them.

"I am more interested in the fact that so many of Hawkmoth's victims seem to have a connection to Francois Dupont school." Agent Deveraux spoke up. "It is possible that Hawkmoth may also have a connection to that school. We should look into setting up covert surveillance on this institute."

I felt a frown cross my face at that. Having a detective watching the school was going to make it harder for me to keep my secret identity as Ermine!

"Or we could just have Alice to do surveillance for us." My father suggested, coming to stand next to me. "She's already proven adept at investigation, and she is friends with many people in the school." I grinned at him, remembering the discussion we'd had after Pharaoh's attack.

There was silence from the computer, and when I looked back at the screen, I saw that the other members of the committee were either looking surprised, or thoughtful.

"Hmmm, I suppose it would be easier for someone who is already established in the school to serve as our eyes and ears, rather than have someone infiltrate the school." Agent Deveraux finally commented.

"Agreed." Miss Argus nodded. "Plus, if Alice is as well connected as her father claims, it'll be easier for her to uncover information."

"And we already know how good she is at investigative work." Professor Bocquale grinned at me.

Officer Roger frowned and held up a hand. "Now hold on a minute. We cannot trust such a dangerous mission to a child! If Hawkmoth were to learn about Alice's involvement in all this, who knows what could happen to her?"

I felt my eyes narrow at Officer Roger's criticism. Sure, I had been expecting it, and he did make a good point about this mission being dangerous, but did he have to say it like that?

"Your concern is touching, Officer Roger, but the way I see it, that danger will only be apparent if Hawkmoth finds out about me, so I'll just have to make certain he never does." I said.

"But if Hawkmoth really does have a connection to Francois Dupont, any investigation you do may tip him off." Officer Roger argued.

"I can be discreet if I need to." I said, then smiled as an idea came to me. "Are you all familiar with the Ladyblog?" I asked.

Agent Deveraux, Miss Argus, Professor Bocquale, and Officer Roger looked confused. But my father's face lit up. "Oh, you mean that website dedicated to Ladybug?" He asked.

I nodded at him before continuing to address the committee. "I'm friends with the creator of that website, who is also an amateur reporter. If she finds out anything about Hawkmoth, I can use that connection to pass it on to you, and I can find information more easily by telling people it's for the Ladyblog when I talk to them. They won't question that."

A thoughtful look crossed the faces of all four adults on the screen.

"She is in an ideal position to assist us, both at her school and with this Ladyblog." Agent Deveraux said finally.

"And if all she's doing is gathering information on attacks that have already taken place, the risk she'll be facing should be minimal." Miss Argus added.

"Plus, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Ermine can protect her if the worst should happen." Professor Bocquale commented.

Oh, you can count on that! I said with a mental chuckle.

Officer Roger frowned, the reluctance on his face clear, but eventually he nodded, signaling he was on board.

"Then it's official. Welcome to the Lepidoptera Council, Alice Bourgeois." Miss Argus said to me.

"Thank you." I smiled back at her, the irony that the council was named after the scientific name of the butterfly was not lost on me. "What exactly would you like me to do?" I asked.

"For now, keep an eye on your classmates, especially those who have already been akumatized, as well as the creator of the Ladyblog. Forward any and all information you uncover directly to us." Agent Deveraux instructed.

I blinked in surprise. "Are you asking me to spy on my friends?"

"Monitor would be a more appropriate word." Professor Bocquale corrected me. "We already know that Stoneheart was akumatized twice, so it may be possible that those who were already akumatized are more vulnerable to future manipulations. Your observations could help confirm or deny this."

I nodded, my mind whirring. I hadn't even thought of that! I made a mental note to speak with Ivan, Nino, and Alix and find out how they were doing. I could also ask Alix about her brother, and I could also reach out to Aurorae, since she was a celebrity like I was. Theo and Mr. Ramier would be a little harder to monitor, but I was certain I could figure something out.

"One more thing, Miss Bourgeois" Miss Argus added, regaining my attention. "Try to also find anyone who may appear to be setting the stage for these akumatizations."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head.

"If Hawkmoth's power is drawn to negative emotions, as you say, then it is possible he may have accomplices that can help create these emotions for him." Agent Deveraux explained. "If this is so, and we identify them, they may lead us to Hawkmoth himself."

I nodded. Ladybug had Chat Noir and me as allies, it made sense that Hawkmoth would have allies of his own.

"I hate to interrupt this, but Alice needs to leave for school now." My father spoke up, glancing at his watch. "She's late enough as it is."

The four people on the screen nodded understandably. "Goodbye Alice, and good luck." Miss Argus said with a smile.

"Thanks. I won't let you down." I vowed as I got stood up.

"I sincerely hope not, Mademoiselle, the future of Paris may rest on whatever information you can uncover about Hawkmoth." Agent Deveraux commented.

Geeez, no pressure! I thought as I nodded at him.

"We have faith in you, Alice!" Professor Bocquae nodded at me.

"Take care, Miss Bourgeois." Officer Roger said before the screens went dark one by one. The video call was over.

I let out a sigh of relief as I felt my father's hand on my shoulder. "Are you sure you're up to this, Alice? There would be no shame if you chose to back out now." He asked, giving me a concerned look.

I smiled up at my father and shook my head. "That's sweet of you to offer me a way-out dad, but I'll be fine." I said to him. "I may not be thrilled about the idea of keeping tabs on my classmates, but if it can help us learn more about how Hawkmoth operates, than it's a chance I'm willing to take."

My father beamed at me. "Alice, if everyone in Paris possessed even an ounce of your courage, Hawkmoth wouldn't dare mess with us." He said, patting me on the shoulder.

I felt myself blush at his praise and threw my arms around him. "Thanks dad."

I felt my father chuckle as I let go of him. "Bruce should be waiting for you in the lobby. He'll take you to school." He said.

"Ok, see you later, dad." I said as I grabbed my bag. Exiting my father's office, I headed down the stairs until I reached the lobby where, sure enough, Bruce, our new driver, was waiting for me. He escorted me to the limo, which was parked on the curb.

I climbed in the back, and Bruce in the front, and he pulled away into the traffic. As we drove, I mentally poured over the mission I had been given. In addition to my modeling, and my duties as Ermine, now I was being tasked with 'monitoring' my classmates. I felt a twinge of guilt inside me. By now I had made friends with most of my classmates, and many of the teachers at school. If any of them found out that I was effectively 'spying' on them, I could probably kiss those friendships goodbye.

Still, if it helped us learn more about Hawkmoth, then maybe it was worth it. Plus, this way I could also monitor the committee's movements and steer them away from finding out anything about Ladybug, Chat Noir, and myself.

I let out a sigh. Since I had moved to Paris, my life had gotten a lot more complicated. Becoming a superhero, getting a crush on another superhero, delaing with my bratty sister, and now this.

"Alice, are you okay?" Minkk's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I glanced down to see my kwami looking up at me with a questionable look.

I took a calming breath and smiled at Minkk. "Yeah, I'm fine, Minkk. I'm just…trying to process everything that's going on since I came to Paris."

"Well don't try too hard." Minkk said with a chuckle. "We wouldn't want you to lose your head."

"Ha ha." I deadpanned as we pulled up to the school. Feeling the limo stop, I motioned for Minkk to hide in my bag as Bruce came around and opened the door for me. I stepped out, thanked him, and quickly hurried up the stairs into the school.

I didn't see anyone in the courtyard, which meant class was in session. I glanced at my watch and saw, by the time, that I was supposed to be in Miss Bustier's room. I dashed up the stairs and along the hall to the classroom door. Pausing to gather my breath, I could hear Miss Bustier addressing the class inside. I waited until she was done talking, and when she did, I reached for the door handle.

Suddenly, I caught movement in the corner of my eye, and paused. Turning to look, I saw someone rushing down the stairs on the other side of the courtyard. It looked like a girl, but the only detail I could make out was that they had brown hair.

Letting it go, I turned back to the door, took a deep breath, and quietly eased open the door, slipping inside the classroom.

Miss Bustier's back was to me, so I quietly made my way up the stairs. Adrien shot me a grin as I made my way past him, which I returned, but no one else looked up. I was surprised to see that the desk behind him was empty. Where were Alya and Marinette? I frowned as my memory flashed back to the brown-haired girl I had seen outside. Could that have been Alya?

I frowned as I made my way to the back of the room, where my desk was. Nathaniel glanced up as I approached, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. I smiled at him, signaling him to stay quiet, as I edged around him and sat down in my chair.

Leaning over towards Nathaniel, I whispered. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really. We were just going over the topic of the lesson." Nathaniel whispered back.

I nodded, then turned to face Miss Bustier, just in time to see Marinette slip into the room and scurry to her seat. I raised an eyebrow, again wondering where the dark-haired girl had been. Thanks to what I had learned after our battle with Pharaoh, I was starting to think that maybe Marinette and Ladybug weren't the same people after all. Plus, there hadn't been a villain attack today, so I could only guess Marinette's reason for being tardy.

As I pondered things, I saw Marinette glance at the empty seat next to her, and I caught a look of confusion on her face. So, Marinette didn't know where Alya was either. That was interesting. Those two had become pretty much inseparable. Marinette then leaned forward and tapped Nino on the shoulder, no doubt to try and get some answers. Figuring I could ask Marinette what she learned later, I started to quietly unpack my things.

"What?!" Marinette's sudden exclamation made me pause. It also grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, including Miss Bustier.

"Marinette, if you're going to come in late, would you please do it discreetly?" Miss Bustier snapped, and I winced at her tone. Miss Bustier was clearly not in a good mood right now.

"Sorry." Marinette said to Miss Bustier, but when the teacher turned her back, Marinette leaned forward again to whisper something to Nino.

I felt my frown retuning as I sat up again. Marinette didn't usually act like that. My eyes flickered back to where Alya usually sat, and I found myself leaning over towards Nathaniel again.

"Nathaniel, where's Alya?" I asked in an undertone.

Nathaniel looked at me, surprised. "I'm surprised you haven't heard. Alya got suspended."

My eyes widened in shock. My jaw dropped open.

"WHAT?!" Marinette suddenly yelled, making me jump.

"That's it!" Miss Bustier glared at the blue-haired girl. "Marinette, go to the principal's office!" She ordered, pointing towards the door.

Looking embarrassed, Marinette complied, picking up her bag and heading out of the room.

As the door closed, Mis Bustier turned back to face us, slowly shaking her head, and her gaze landed on me. She froze, looking surprised, then blinked twice, as if she was seeing things.

"Alice? When did you come in?" She asked, causing everyone to look up at her, then back toward me. I fought down a chuckle as I saw surprised looks from half the class.

"Just a few mintues ago, Miss Bustier. You were writing on the board, and I didn't want to bother you." I replied. "Did Mr. Damocles tell you why I'm late?"

"Yes, he did mention your father needed you for an urgent matter. Thank you for not making a fuss when you came in." Miss Bustier nodded at me.

"You're welcome, Miss Bustier." I smiled back at her.

"Hold on!" Chloe exclaimed from her seat. "Daddy didn't say anything about needing help with anything!"

"That's because he was talking to me, Chloe." I said sweetly. "Besides, you were so engrossed in your phone that I'm not sure you would have heard Dad at all if he'd included you in the conversation."

Chloe's mouth dropped open in astonishment as the rest of the class laughed.

"All right, settle down everyone." Miss Bustier clapped her hands and the laughter subsided.

I turned back to Nathanial. "What was Alya suspended for?" I whispered.

"She got caught breaking into Chloe's locker earlier this morning. Apparently, she thinks Chloe is Ladybug and was looking for proof." Nathaniel explained.

I snorted as I thought back to when I had caught Chloe dressed as Ladybug in her room. Looks like I wasn't the only one to jump to that conclusion.

"But how can that be possible? Chloe and Ladybug have been seen in the same place in the same time." I argued.

Nathaniel looked confused. "They have?"

My eyes widened as I realized my mistake. "I mean…I've heard they have. Remember when Ivan turned into Stoneheart? He grabbed Mylene and Chloe, and Ladybug was seen battling him while he was still holding onto the two of them." I quickly added.

"Oh." Nathaniel blinked, then looked towards the front of the room as Miss Bustier started speaking.

Just then, the screen behind Mr. Bustier suddenly came on, revealing Mr. Damocles sitting at his desk. But he seemed to be frozen in place, looking rather startled. There was a pink pause icon hovering over his chest.

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow. What was going on?

Just then, a girl in a black domino mask appeared on the screen next to the frozen principal. She wore a black bodysuit with white accents and what appeared to be a white wi-fi symbol splashed across the chest.

I frowned thoughtfully. The girl's copper-colored hair looked very familiar.

"What's up, peeps? I'm Lady Wifi, the revealer of the truth." The girl spoke, and my eyes widened as I realized the girl sounded like Alya! "For our first expose, your principal would like to share a little tidbit with you." The girl took out what looked like a phone and tapped it. The stop icon over the principal vanished and he suddenly slumped down in his seat.

"This can't be good." I muttered under my breath as Lady Wifi made her way over to the principal. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't acting like a superhero.

"So, Mr. Damocles, is it true that you wrongly suspended a student named Alya today?" Lady Wifi asked, leaning in close to the principal.

The screen zoomed in to show Mr. Damocles' face, which was now sporting a nervous expression. "Uh…yes, it is." He said slowly.

"So, would you say you were biased? Unfair? Totally unjust?!" Lady Wifi demanded, and my eyes narrowed. I'd say that pretty much confirmed it. Lady Wifi was undoubtably an akumaitzed Alya.

"Yes, I was." Mr. Damocles admitted, hanging his head, and my heart went out to him. I had a strong feeling that Chloe was somehow involved in Mr. Damocles' decision to suspend Alya.

"As I suspected! Now for my next scoop, I'll be taking you to meet the girl who's been hiding behind the Ladybug mask!" Lady Wifi bragged before tagging Mr. Damocles with what looked like another pause icon, causing him to freeze in place once again. "Stay connected!" She said before the screen turned off.

For a few moments, there was nothing but stunned silence in the classroom. Miss Bustier was the first to react. "Everyone, for your own safety, go directly home right now!" As the class scrambled to comply, she shouted to be heard over the noise. "And don't forget to read chapters four and five!"

I barely heard Miss Bustier as I stuffed my binder into my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I carefully opened the zip in the pocket of my shoulder strap wide enough to see Minkk. When she silently nodded at me, I closed the pocket back up and hurried out of the classroom.

While everyone else headed out of the building, I headed to the basement. Very few people went down there, so it had become a safe place where I could transform.

"It looks like Alya Cesare may have dug a little too deep." I commented when we reached the bottom of the basement stairs.

"And if she thinks that Chloe is Ladybug, then your sister's in trouble!" Minkk added as she flew up out of my bag.

"Urgh!" I groaned. "Yet another villain made possible by the attitude of Chloe Bourgeois!" I said sarcastically, causing Minkk to chuckle.

"Humor aside, she is your sister!" She said

"I know, I know. I've gotta help her." I said before looking around to see if we were really alone.

"MINKK, SHOWTIME!" I yelled.

Minkk flew into my belt buckle, and white light spread out from my belt. Using my hands, I guided the light up my body to my shoulders and along my arms, then down to my feet, replacing my clothing with a furry white bodysuit with black accents. I bent over gracefully, allowing a long furry tail to sprout from just above my butt. Finally, I brought my hands up over the back of my head, which changed my hair to white, and for black-tipped ears to sprout up, before bringing my hands down in front of my face, causing my eyes to turn electric blue and for a white mask with black markings to form from my forehead to my nose. My transformation completed, I performed a series of gymnastics moves to get warmed up, then struck a pose as my transformation ended.

Creeping out of the basement, I glanced around to find the courtyard empty. Using my whip, I pulled myself up to the roof of the school, then began jumping and swinging across the rooftops towards the Grand Paris hotel.

After a few minutes of travelling, the hotel appeared ahead of me. As I approached, I suddenly spotted two familiar figures on a nearby rooftop: Ladybug and Chat Noir. Both of them were gazing at the hotel, talking to each other in low voices.

I smiled, then altered my course to land on the rooftop behind them. "You know, spying like that is technically against the law." I said teasingly as I approached, causing my two partners to look up.

"Oops, busted." Ladybug jokingly covered a hand with her mouth and widened her eyes, before winking at Chat Noir, who rolled his eyes, and I felt a small wave of envy rise in my gut, but I quickly shoved it down. I did not need the green-eyed monster showing up right now.

"So, what are you both doing here?" I asked innocently. Of course, I already knew why they were here, but pretending not to know would make it easier to keep my own identity a secret.

"You heard about Paris's newest villain?" Chat Noir asked.

"If you're referring to Lady Wifi, yes." I nodded. "But why would she be here?" I motioned to the hotel.

To my surprise, both Ladybug and Chat Noir stiffened a little before glancing at each other, and I felt my eyes narrow. Did these two know something I didn't?

"Um…we think we know who Lady Wifi is, and if we're right, she may be going after Chloe Bourgeois." Ladybug said finally.

I tilted my head, not really buying her answer. But I also didn't want to press too much, in case this conversation got turned back on me, so I decided to let it go. "Makes sense…" I said, moving forward to stand beside them. "I have been hearing rumors of a possible connection between you and Chloe Bourgeois." I added, mixing a little truth with my deception.

Ladybug immediately started giggling, making me look at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"There is a connection between Chloe and me, but it's not what you think." Ladybug's eyes danced with humor as she pointed towards Chloe's window. "See for yourself."

Could Ladybug be referring to Chloe's cosplaying? I wondered as I pulled out my whip and activated a recently discovered function, extending the tool about a foot and pointing it in the same direction Chat Noir's staff was pointing. Closing one eye, I flipped open the very end and looked though my whip like a telescope.

Though my whip, I saw that, sure enough, Chloe was once again dressed like Ladybug, complete with her wig, and practicing with her prop yo-yo.

I felt a smile cross my face, at the sight, but tried to hide it. "Good grief, another copycat?" I muttered, just lough enough for my partners to hear.

"Yep, talk about a diehard fan." Chat Noir commented, and I chuckled, which turned into a full-on laugh as I watched as one of my sister's moves cause her yo-yo to wrap around her body, immobilizing her like a straitjacket.

"Oh my gosh! Seriously?" I chortled as I watched my sister fall to the floor. Even from this distance, I could see Chloe's eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.

"I know, right?!" Ladybug added with a giggle. "As if anyone would think she was me!"

"Go ahead, rub it in!" I heard Chat Noir mumble and chuckled as I realized that he had probably made that very assumption. Poor Kitty!

"Hey, at least you two have copycats!" I commented, glancing at the two of them. "Where's my lookalike?"

This got another giggle from Ladybug and a smile from Chat Noir as they looked back at me. "Given our history with lookalikes, are you really sure you want one?" Ladybug asked, and I giggled as I realized what she meant. Ladybug's lookalike was a brat, and Chat Noir's lookalike was a villain.

"Ugh, on second thought maybe you're right. Lookalikes are lame!" I quickly said. Chat Noir let out a chuckle at this, and I quickly turned away to hide my reddening cheeks.

Just then, a flash of pink from across the street caught my eye and I quickly looked back towards Chloe's room through my 'telescope' attachment again. I saw Chloe try to run away from something, only to suddenly freeze in place. Then, a familiar figure stepped into my line of sight.

"We've got Wifi!" Ladybug stated, and quickly took off, with Chat Noir and I right behind her.

As we raced across the street towards the hotel, a beam of light suddenly shot into the sky, projecting an image of Lady Wifi over the city.

"Everyone thinks the girl beneath the Ladybug costume is a little angel." The image zoomed out to see Lady Wifi standing next to a petrified Chloe. "Think again, people."

"Time to interrupt this broadcast." I muttered as I used my whip to swing up to the balcony of Chloe's suite alongside my partners. The three of us kicked the door open seconds after Lady Wifi had pulled off Chloe's Ladybug mask and wig, causing her to look up.

"What the…?" Lady Wifi's eyes widened when she saw us. She looked at Chloe, then back at us. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The three of us exchanged surprised looks before looking at the villain in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" I said flatly, crossing my arms while Ladybug raised an eyebrow and Chat Noir began flexing.

"But…I thought you were Ladybug!" Lady Wifi glanced at the unmasked Chloe.

"Looks like you were misinformed, in a really big way!" I said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, next time, double check your facts!" Chat Noir added before the two of us high-fived.

"Grrr! You're gonna regret trolling me!" Lady Wifi growled, swiping something on her phone. The camera icon and the icon holding Chloe in place disappeared, causing my sister to trip and fall.

"Alya, why are you doing this?" Ladybug demanded.

"Alya's been disconnected. I'm Lady Wifi!" The akumatized Alya declared. "News flash! Ladybug, let's find out who you really are!" She began swiping on her phone, sending pink pause icons flying our way.

"Follow me!" Ladybug called as she rushed out of the room. Chat Noir and I glanced at each other as we dodged the pink icons, then raced after her. Chat Noir jumped over the villain, while I took advantage of the distraction to slide between Lady Wifi's legs, tripping her up as I went. I smirked as I heard the villain fall and joined my partners in the hallway.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, as we ran towards the elevators.

"She gets her powers from her phone, so we'll lead her to the basement, where there's no service!" Ladybug explained as she reached the stairwell door and darted through it.

"Ah, no service, no power! Nice one M'lady!" Chat Noir cheered as we raced down the stairs.

I was less enthusiastic. "Yeah, as long as she doesn't realize what we're up to!" I warned.

We continued downwards, dodging the occasional icon Lady Wifi shot at us whenever she saw us. While they were mostly pause icons, one of them was an angry-face emoji that I only just managed to dodge, and it punched a large hole in the wall right next to me. I gave a nervous gulp and raced to catch up with my partners.

After a few moments, we came to the bottom of the stairs. There was nowhere to go from here except back up the way we came.

"I've got you now!" Lady Wifi cackled behind us. We turned to see her standing at the top of the stairs, smirking at us.

"Yeah? Come down here and say that to my face!" I challenged, shooting her a glare. Lady Wifi frowned and started towards us.

"Get ready." Ladybug ordered, and the three of us assumed fighting stances.

"So, just out of curiosity, what do you do when you're not Ladybug?" My eyes widened at Chat Noir's words, and I whirled to look at him in disbelief. Was this really the best time to ask about something like that?

Ladybug also looked shocked, but quickly recovered. "Can't you see we're a little busy right now, Kitty?" She scolded.

I opened my mouth to add something when my eyes caught movement from above. I glanced up to see that Lady Wifi was no longer at the top of the stairs. "Uh oh, she's gone back into the hotel!" I alerted my teammates.

Ladybug frowned, then ran forwards. "Come on!" She ordered before dashing back up the stairs. I shot Chat Noir a dark look as we followed her, but he didn't seem to notice.

By the time Chat Noir and I had gotten to the top of the stairs, we saw Ladybug step back from the door, her hands on her hips. Glancing at the door, I noticed a pink lock icon hovering in front of it.

"She's locked the door!" I realized.

"I noticed. Come on!" Ladybug started running up the stairs again, with Chat Noir and I on her heels.

"Hey, you realize the three of us might actually know each other in normal life!" Chat Noir commented as we raced up the stairs, passing door after door stamped with a lock icon.

"Doubtful!" Ladybug replied, but she seemed more focused on the doors. "Argh! They're all locked!" She groaned as we passed door after door sporting a lock icon.

"Honestly, Kitty! Do you have to do this now?!" I snapped, reaching out to bop him on the head as we ran.

"Ow! What? I'm just making an observation!" Chat Noir objected, rubbing his head.

"Make it later, we need to focus here!" I snapped as we reached the top of the stairway.

"She left this one open!" Ladybug said. Looking, I saw she was right. The door on this landing did not have a lock icon.

"That probably means an ambush." I warned

Ladybug nodded grimly. "On three. One, two, three!"

Ladybug burst through the door with us right behind her. We found ourselves in the hotel dining area, but there was no sign of Lady Wifi.

"Well…so much for the ambush." Said Chat Noir.

"Stay sharp, she's in here somewhere." I said, scanning the area.

"Follow me." Ladybug led the way into the room, away from the fire door. The three of us walked between the tables, our heads on a swivel.

"What's up with all these phones?" Ladybug said suddenly, motioning to two tables, each of which had a phone laying on them.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked around again. Every single table had a phone on it. "I've got a bad feeling about this." I muttered under my breath.

No sooner had I finished speaking when the phone on the table in front of us began to glow with a pink light. Wifinder suddenly jumped out of the glowing phone and began swiping icons at us.

"Yikes!" I yelped, darting behind a table as one of the icons barely missed me.

"How now brown cow!" Chat Noir taunted as he darted every which way to avoid the icons. "I thought it was you she was after, Ladybug!" He added as he dove behind a table.

"Guess if a journalist is desperate enough, she'll grab any lead she can, even if it's utterly ridiculous!" I taunted, raising my head high enough to smirk at Lady Wifi, mimicking my sister's tone on the last two words to irritate the villain into making a mistake.

The look Lady Wifi gave me was nothing short of livid. "Breaking news, Ermine! You have officially bombed!" She yelled, before swiping towards me. My eyes widened as a literal bomb emoji flew right at me, and I threw myself sideways, darting from one table to another.

BANG! A loud explosion rocked the dining room. Dust, wood, and marble flew everywhere. The force of the blast knocked over the table I was hiding behind, forcing me to jump backwards to avoid it falling on me. But as I moved backwards, I tripped over something and fell flat on my back. As I made to get up, I saw that I was now directly in Lady Wifi's sights.

The villain smirked, as she aimed at me, only for Ladybug's yo-yo to come flying out of nowhere and wrap around Lady Wifi's body, immobilizing her. Grinning, I used the interruption to get to my feet, but before I could do anything else, there was a pink flash of light and Lady Wifi vanished. As Ladybug's yo-yo fell to the tabletop, there was a flash behind me and I whirled around to see Lady Wifi standing on another table, grinning at us.

Growling, I lashed out with my whip, but the second before it made contact, there was another pink flash and Lady Wifi was gone again. "Ha!" I turned to see her standing on a table near Chat Noir. "You can't get me!" She taunted before disappearing from that table and reappearing on another table. It was like she was teleporting!

No, wait! I realized as I watched her move again. She had jumped into the phone on one table, and out of the phone on another table. So that's what the phones were for!

Ladybug must have realized this too because she smiled. "Oh yes I can!" She said as she started walking forward, smashing the phones on the tables near her with her yo-yo.

Realizing what she was doing, Lady Wifi's cocky expression faded into a growl, and she dashed away from us into the kitchen.

"You're not getting away!" Ladybug yelled as she charged after the villain.

"Ladybug, wait for us!" I called as Chat Noir and I raced after Ladybug. The heroine burst through the kitchen doors, which swung shut behind her. But when Chat Noir tried to do the same, the doors refused to open.

"Hey! What gives?" He exclaimed.

I rammed my shoulder against the doors, but it was like trying to push a solid wall. My eyes widened as a horrible thought struck me. "Lady Wifi must have locked the door from the other side. We're cut off from Ladybug!" I said.

"No, no, no…Hold on in there, Ladybug!" Chat Noir pounded on the locked door. When they still refused to open, he groaned began to pace anxiously. "There's gotta be another way to get in there!"

My eyes widened as I thought of something. "There is! The service elevator, come on!" I pulled Chat Noir out of the room, feeling my face begin to heat up as I only just now realized what I was about to attempt. Hoping Chat Noir didn't notice, I led us to the floor below the kitchen, where we found the door to the service elevator. I pressed a white button on a small panel next to the door, and we heard a faint whirring from behind the door. Eventually, the whirring stopped, and I pulled open the door to reveal a small space just big enough for the two of us. I climbed in with Chat Noir right behind me. He shut the door and we immediately felt ourselves rise up towards the kitchen.

"Well, this is… a little awkward." Chat Noir muttered as he shifted around in the tight space. As he did, he accidentally kicked me in the leg, and I let out a grunt of pain. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Chat Noir immediately apologized and shifted again. On impulse, I leaned forward to give him more space, and felt my face collide with his shoulder.

"Mmm hmm." I mumbled, not wanting to open my mouth right now for fear of something embarrassing spilling out. As it was, we were squeezed so tightly together inside the service elevator that we were practically pressed against each other! This was the second time that Chat Noir and I had been enclosed in a tight space together, but unlike last time, we weren't in an Egyptian sarcophagus, I was Ermine this time instead of Alice Bourgeois, and this time it was intentional.

My heart was thumping so hard in my chest I was certain Chat Noir had noticed, but he didn't mention say anything. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, and a certain aroma flooded my nose. It smelled like pine trees, ocean breeze, and a strong cheese, just like what I had smelled when we had fought against Copycat. I closed my eyes and felt a smile cross my face as a sense of intoxicating bliss came over me. Without thinking, I felt myself adjust my position until I was next to him, and I just curled my body into his.

"Uh…wh-what are you doing?" I heard Chat Noir stammer, but I was honestly too happy to care. I'd never felt like this before, and I never wanted this feeling to end.

"Just…getting a little more comfortable." I said, my voice a soft purr. "It's really cramped in here, isn't it?"

There was a moment of silence, then, suddenly I felt Chat Noir's arms reach up, and wrap themselves around me! Oh my gosh, is he cuddling with me?! My emotions went into overdrive. I felt my face heat up and I let out a surprised squeak.

"Scared? It's okay." Chat Noir's next words cut through the blissful haze, replacing it with confusion.

"Huh?" I asked, turning to look at him in the darkness of the service elevator.

"It's okay to be scared. I'm kinda claustrophobic too, so I'm trying not to freak out about being in such an enclosed space." Chat Noir continued. "But if I can bear it, so can you."

Chat Noir is…claustrophobic? I could feel that information worm its way into my head, dispelling the peaceful feeling that being to him was having on me. Back rushed where we were, why we were there, and what I was doing!

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that!" I whispered, feeling my face heat up again, but for a completely different reason. It had been my idea to climb into the surface elevator. Chat Noir was being forced to live through his fear because of me!

"It's okay. But I am wondering, how did you know about the service elevator anyway? Do you live here or something?" Chat Noir asked, and I felt my eyes widen in alarm. I had to divert away from this topic, fast!

"Um…no, but I have visited this place a number of times." I quickly lied. "Since the mayor's family live here, I figured it was only a matter of time before one of them was targeted by a villain, so knowing the lay of the land might be helpful. Looks like I was right, huh?"

Inside, I was kicking myself. Was that really the best lie I could come up with?

"Hmm." Chat Noir mumbled, but he didn't say anything else. Since I couldn't see his face, I wasn't sure if he believed me or not, and I was left to stew in my own mixed emotions of shame that I had almost lost control of myself like that, guilt that I had dragged Chat Noir into a place that was triggering his claustrophobia, and the lingering joy that I was still in the service elevator with my secret crush.

Just then, we felt the service elevator come to a stop. My muscles tightened, and I felt Chat Noir tense next to me. I shook my head to clear it. I needed to focus on the fight. The elevator beeped and the door opened. The two of us jumped out to see that Lady Wifi had Ladybug pinned to the wall by a pair of lock icons over her hands. Both girls looked up as we entered.

"You're out of minutes, Lady Wifi!" Chat Noir growled.

"Oh, how romantic. Tomcat's come to save his love bug!" Lady Wifi gushed.

"I am not his love bug!" Ladybug objected.

"We'll come back to that later." Chat Noir said, shooting Ladybug a wink, and I felt a familiar pang of envy shoot through me, along with a sense of relief. If Chat Noir was still this flirty towards Ladybug, then clearly my little display in the service elevator hadn't affected him too much.

I pushed my feelings down again and took a step forward. "It's time to shut you down, Lady Wifi!" I challenged.

"That's disinformation, Ermine! I can't be shut down!" Lady Wifi exclaimed as she started shooting icons at the two of us. I expertly dodged them all, which caused Lady Wifi to focus her attention on Chat Noir. The hero fought well too, dodging Lady Wifi's attacks, or knocking them away with his staff. But then Lady Wifi sent an icon that looked like a lightning bolt at Chat Noir. It struck his staff and he yelped in pain a small shock went through him, causing him to drop his weapon.

My eyes widened as everything suddenly shifted into slow motion. I saw Chat Noir bend down to pick up his staff, oblivious to the fact that Lady Wifi had just launched a pause icon at him. But I saw it clear as day, and my vision seemed to narrow until it was just Chat Noir and the incoming icon.

Before I had fully realized what was happening, I felt myself moving again. I slammed into Chat Noir, knocking him off his feet and causing the icon to miss him by mere inches. The force of my tackle knocked the both of us through a door and into another room. I slammed into something so cold it made me gasp. Pulling myself away, and looking around, I saw that I was now lying on the floor of the kitchen freezer. Hearing a small bang behind me, I turned to see that the freezer door had swung shut.

I saw Chat Noir hit the far wall, but he didn't look hurt, to I rushed over to open the freezer door. But the door refused to open! "Oh great! Lady Wifi must have locked it from the outside! We're trapped!" I exclaimed in annoyance as I pushed with all my strength against the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"My ring!" I heard Chat Noir exclaim in a panic.

"What did you…?" I started to turn around.

"NO! DON'T LOOK!" Chat Noir yelled and I froze. "I've lost my ring! Without it, I'm…!"

"…back in civilian form!" My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying, and I instantly squeezed my eyes shut. I also clapped my hands over my face. After what had happened in the service elevator, I wanted to be sure I had full control over myself.

"Oooh, it's so chilly in here." Another voice spoke up, a definite shiver in its words. It was probably Chat noir's kwami. If he had been separated from his miraculous, his kwami would have probably been forced out into the open.

"Where is it?" I heard Chat Noir demand, but his voice sounded different, and eerily familiar. "I could use a little help!"

"What can I do to help?" I asked.

"No, not you, I'm t-talking to my kwami." Chat Noir called over to me, and I could hear a shiver in his voice too. "Just keep your eyes closed and keep looking away!"

Sighing, I turned to face the wall, and placed my head against the shelves, feeling the cold of the metal seep into my skin. Despite this, I didn't feel the cold at all. My fur-lined suit did a great job at keeping the cold out.

I heard rustling as Chat Noir searched for his missing ring, but it sounded like he wasn't having much luck.

"Are you okay?" I asked after a while.

"S-so c-c-c-old!" I heard a shivering voice respond, and it took all I had not to turn around. It sounded like Chat Noir was freezing his tail off. Too bad he wasn't furry, like me. If only I could…

Wait! I froze as an idea popped into my head. It was crazy, and normally I wouldn't even think of doing it, especially considering what had already happened in the service elevator, but Chat Noir needed help now.

"I have an idea." I said.

"W-what is it?" Why does that voice sound so familiar? I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay focused.

"Remember when we faced Stormy Weather, and I jokingly said I would let you wrap me around your neck?" Looking at the floor, keeping my eyes closed, I turned around lowered my hands from my face.

"Well, now I'm giving you permission to do just that." I said as I opened my arms.

"W-what are y-you…?" Chat Noir started to stammer, but I cut him off. I had to say it before I lost my nerve.

"The fur on my suit is helping me keep warm, so I'll share my body heat with you until you can find your Miraculous." I explained. "Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes closed at all times, you have my word."

"C-can't you j-j-just transform?" Chat Noir asked through chattering teeth.

"I thought of that already, but my animal transformations are random." I replied. "If I turn into an animal that doesn't do well in the cold, then we'll both be in trouble."

Chat Noir remained silent at this, and I let out an annoyed sigh. "Look, I know how weird this sounds, but I think you might have an easier time looking for your ring if you were warmer." I explained, blindly taking a few steps forward, my arms spread out in front of me. "I'm trying to help you out here."

"O-okay." I felt Chat Noir take each of my hands. Suddenly, I heard him gasp and felt him yank me forwards until I was pressed against him.

"W-what are you…? "I yelped as I felt something nuzzle against my neck.

"Y-you're so warm!" He gasped. I could feel his whole-body trembling.

"Ohhh, yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" I felt something else curl up at the base of my neck, where the fur on my suit was slightly thicker.

"Uh…thanks." I let out a nervous giggle as I felt my cheeks heat up and hoped that Chat Noir couldn't see me blushing. "I'll…take that as a compli-wait." I paused as I felt a low vibration coming from Chat Noir. "Are you…purring?" I asked, feeling a chuckle escape my lips.

"N-no, it must…be my kwami!" Chat Noir's stammered reply was not convincing.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Chat Noir's kwami retorted. "I'm not the one snuggling into…"

"Okay, sorry I asked!" I cut in, feeling my face heat up even more. "Can we just find your Miraculous before this gets any more awkward?"

"Okay. Just hold still." I felt Chat Noir shift in my arms. It felt like he was turning around, then he pulled me forward so that I was leaning against his back. "Can you grab my wrists?" He asked.

"Um…Sure." I leaned forward, blindly feeling with my hands as far as I could go. I felt my fingers brush against his wrists, but when I tried to grab them, my hands slid down Chat Noir's arms a little. Apparently, he had a longer reach than either of us thought. I tried again, and as I did, my left hand brushed something else, a bracelet of some kind. I paused, running my fingers over the bracelet surface, it felt really familiar.

But I didn't have time to worry about that now. I lunged forward, feeling Chat Noir move forward a step, until I was finally able to grab his wrists. I felt my arms straining with effort, and I was pretty much pressing myself into Chat Noir's back at this point, my chin resting on his shoulder. I bit my lip as I imagined what this might look like to someone walking in. I would be draped on top of Chat Noir like a living cape, my arms on top of his, like furry sleeves.

I jumped a little as someone started pounding on the door. "Hang on you two, I'll get you out of there!" Ladybug's voice came from outside, causing me to frown in confusion. I thought Ladybug had been pinned against the wall. How was she able to start pounding on the freezer door? Did Lady Wifi release her?

"Take your time!" I heard Chat Noir call back.

"Yeah, it's not like we're gooOOOOOOing anywhere!" My sarcastic comment turned into a yelp of surprise as I felt Chat Noir suddenly bend down at the waist. Since I was still holding onto his wrists, I was now bent over his back with my feet in the air and his rear end digging into my pelvic area. My face, which had been red before, now flushed crimson at the awkwardness of my position. "What…are...you…doing?" I whimpered.

"Trying to find my ring, what does it look like?" Chat Noir retorted, and I could feel my knuckles dragging across the floor of the freezer. I winced as one of them bumped into something and a flash of pain shot across my hand.

"I wouldn't know, you asked me to keep my eyes closed, remember?" I snapped through gritted teeth. "Could you please hurry up? You're putting me in a very uncomfortable position right now!"

"Wha-OH! I'm so sorry!" Chat Noir immediately sank to his knees, and I felt my feet touch the freezer floor. Immediately, I started to feel better, but my face still felt flushed.

"If this is about what happened in the service elevator, I already said I was sorry." I mumbled as Chat Noir kept crawling across the floor.

"Heh, serves you right for offering to be a fur coat." The voice of Chat Noir's kwami chuckled in my ear and I let out an irritated growl. Chat Noir and I would be having a serious talk about this when the mission was over.

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug's voice could be heard from outside the freezer. Realization suddenly struck me so hard my eyes almost opened.

"Chat Noir, hurry. Ladybug just called on her Lucky Charm. You need to find your ring before she gets the door open!" I warned him.

"I know! I know! Wait…" Chat Noir suddenly threw himself forward, pulling me along with him. I yelped in surprise as I landed on Chat Noir's back, and my face flushed crimson again as I realized I was now literally draped over him.

"This is so not…" I started to mutter under my breath.

"Gotcha!" Chat Noir's cry of triumph cut me off and I felt him straighten up.

"Did you find it?" I asked, praying with all my being that he had.

"Yes, I found my ring." Chat Noir confirmed and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Okay, I'm letting go now. Let me know when I can look again." I said as I released his arms and took a few steps back, my eyes still closed.

"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" I heard Chat Noir call out and a flash of green light shone from under my eyelids. So that was his transformation command, interesting.

"Ok-kay, y-you can look now." Chat Noir said and I opened my eyes. Blinking a few times to get used to the dim light, I saw Chat Noir shivering by the freezer door.

"Oh kitty!" Seeing him like this, all the anger and awkwardness of the last few minutes left me. I rushed over and threw my arms around my shivering partner. "Are you okay?" I asked, leaning against the door and squeezing him as tight as I could.

"You are so warm." Chat Noir commented, and I felt myself chuckle. Then I froze as I felt it again, a low rumble coming from Chat Noir. My smile turned into a smirk. "Okay, that was definitely a purr!" I said to Chat Noir, who gave me a sheepish grin.

Suddenly, I heard a loud fizzzz come from the other side of the freezer door. Seconds later, it was yanked open. Since we were still leaning against it, both Chat Noir and I tumbled out onto the kitchen floor.

"Are you both okay?" I glanced up to see a concerned Ladybug looking down at us, though her eyebrow rose as she took in the sight of the two of us in each other's arms. "Uh…what are you two doing?" She asked, and I could hear a twinge of humor in her voice.

I felt my cheeks turn red as I, reluctantly, pried myself from Chat Noir's arms. "You know a better way to stay warm in a freezer?" I asked, giving her a dark look as I got to my feet.

"No, not really." Ladybug shook her head, but the corner of her mouth still curled up, and I fought the urge to grimace. Just then, Ladybug's earrings beeped.

"You used your Lucky Charm to get us out. That means you've only got a few minutes before you change back!" Chat Noir observed as he got to his feet.

As he spoke, I scanned the kitchen, looking for Lady Wifi. I didn't see her, but my eyes narrowed as I spotted a camera icon hovering hear the ceiling. "And I think that's what our enemy wants." I commented, pointing to icon. "We've gotta get out of here!"

The three of us dashed towards the kitchen doors but froze when we saw they were still sealed by a lock icon.

"Quick, zap open the kitchen door!" Chat Noir suggested.

"We can't, microwave's busted." Ladybug argued, motioning to the smoking apparatus.

"Then we need another plan." I growled.

"Ermine, try using your power. Maybe one of your animal forms can get us out of this jam." Ladybug suggested.

I nodded. It was worth a try. Taking a few steps back from the others, I held out my arms and closed my eyes. "ANIMORPHIX!" I cried, triggering my superpower.

Immediately, a bright white light shone from my belt buckle. It washed over me, until I was completely engulfed. I felt my body start to shrink, my fingers and toes retracting into my hands and feet, I felt an itching sensation on my face as I hair pulled back up into my scalp, and my butt started to expand. After a few moments, the white light faded, and I looked around. At first, I was confused. Was I still in the kitchen? Everything looked so big.

"Ermine?" I looked up at Ladybug's voice and jumped when I saw her and Chat Noir towering over me.

"Woah, you guys look huge!" I yelped. "What did I turn into?"

Ladybug picked up a metal pot from a drying rack and held it out in front of me. In the kitchen lights, the skinny surface of the pot acted like a mirror, and I could just make out a large white spider looking back at me. "A spider?!" I yelped, looking down to see my long spindly legs. "How is this gonna help?"

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and accessed the screen. "Looks like you're an orb-weaver spider." She said after a few minutes, flipping the yo-yo over to show me a picture. Sure enough, the spider in the picture did look like me, except it was yellow and black instead of white.

"A pot and a spider, all we need now is Little Miss Muffet!" Chat Noir joked.

"Well, I guess you must be the tuffet, right Kitty? You know, that thing that Little Miss Muffet sits on!" I joked back, making Ladybug giggle, and Chat Noir scowl. "Okay, so jokes aside, what do we do now?" I asked, turning to look at Ladybug.

Ladybug frowned and looked around the room. After a few seconds, she nodded and beckoned the two of us closer. "I have an idea." She said, holding out the pot she had been using as a mirror. "Chat Noir, you need to put this pot over the camera icon. Ermine, use your spider webbing to hold the pot in place."

"Gotcha, can you give me a lift, kitty?" I asked.

"You got it." Chat Noir said, lowering his hand. As he stood up, his hand twitched and I flinched. Even though I knew full well that Chat Noir would never hurt me, a part of my brain was overcome with uneasiness at seeing the giant hero looming over me. It was like the spider instincts of my new body were fighting with my human ones.

"What's wrong?" Chat Noir asked, pausing. He must have seen my movement.

"N-nothing." I said, and forced myself to move, scuttling onto Chat Noir's hand. He carefully lifted me up to eye-level.

"Huh, you know, as spiders go, you actually look kinda cute." Chat Noir commented, and I felt my cheeks heat up. Chat Noir thought I looked cute as a spider? That was...kinda sweet of him!

Chat Noir jumped up to where the camera icon was. He grinned at it cheekily before covering it with the pot. "You're up, Ermine." He said.

"Right!" I jumped from Chat Noir's hand to the ceiling above the pot. Concentrating, I attached a line of sticky silk to the ceiling, before lowering down to where Chat Noir was holding the pot and attached the other end of the line to it. I scurried up and down the line a few times, strengthening it with more silk, before I was satisfied. "Okay!" I said, jumping from the pot back to Chat Noir's hand.

Chat Noir let go and jumped back to the floor. The pot stayed where it was, covering the camera icon, held in place by my webbing.

"Nice work you two!" Ladybug commented. "Now, even if I'm forced to change back, there's no way Lady Wifi will be able to see me."

"But what if she moves the icon?" I asked as a sudden thought struck me. "I'm pretty sure the pot won't move with it."

"Ermine's right." Chat Noir said before gently placing me into Ladybug's hand. "You two stay here, I'll go up to the roof and jam the hotel's wifi antenna."

"Good idea, kitty!" I commented as Chat Noir dashed over to the service elevator and opened it.

"Wish me luck." He said as he climbed inside.

"Good luck!" we called as the door closed.

I shifted around until I was looking up at Ladybug. "So…what do we do now?" I asked.

Before Ladybug could answer, there was a large BANG, causing the both of us to jump. We turned to see that the service elevator shaft had caved in.

"Oh no!" I exclaimed. Ladybug rushed me over to the shaft opening, but we could see right away that it was completely blocked. There was no way either of us would be able to get through, even with me being as small as I currently was.

"Looks like it's up to Chat Noir now." Ladybug admitted as we turned back towards the door. As we did, Ladybug's earrings flashed, reminding us that she was on a time limit. "I hope he hurries." She added, nervousness creeping into her voice.

"At least we were able to cover the lens icon," I tried to assure her. "If you have to transform back, at least no one will be able to see you, and I'll just look away, I promise."

Ladybug gave me a grateful smile, but she still seemed uneasy, so I tried a different tactic. "C'mon Ladybug, this is Chat Noir we're talking about. He wouldn't dare let anything bad happen to his 'lovebug'." I giggled at the look that Ladybug shot me, despite the twisting feeling that word made my insides feel.

"Not you too." Ladybug groaned as she shook her head.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, turning to look up at Ladybug. "I thought you'd be pleased that Chat Noir admires you so much. I know I certainly would be." I winced slightly as that last phrase blurted itself out unexpectedly, but Ladybug didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, I know, and I am flattered, but it can be so…annoying sometimes. Especially when he shows that admiration in the middle of a fight." Ladybug countered, looking at me with an annoyed expression. "You remember that conversation we had in the stairwell. Was that really the best time for him to bring that up?"

I had to admit, Ladybug made a very good point. Chat Noir wasn't exactly subtle with his flirting, nor did he seem to have a concept of when was the best time for it. "I…guess he's just…that kind of person. They say admiration can make a person do crazy things sometimes." I said after a few minutes.

Ladybug sighed, then a funny look crossed her face and her gaze drifted down to me.

"What? What is it?" I asked, taking a step back.

"Speaking of crazy things, I've noticed you and Chat Noir have started patrolling together in the late evenings." She said.

"Yeah…so?" I said, though I took a step back. I did not like the sudden change in direction this conversation was taking.

A smirk crossed Ladybug's face. "And I could have sworn that, during one of these patrols, I saw you pretend to stumble and 'fell' right into Chat Noir's arms." She said, and I winced.

"Um…well…" I started to say, but just then, I saw the lock icon on the door disappear. "Look, Chat Noir did it!" I said, pointing towards the door.

"Great! Now we'd better get up to the roof!" Ladybug said as she charged through the doors. I hung on tightly as she ran through the dining area, back into the fire stairwell, and charged up the stairs to the roof.

"Gimmie that phone!" Just after we burst out onto the roof, we heard Chat Noir's voice coming from the other side of the pool area.

"Hold on tight." Ladybug said to me before she leapt over the pool and across the rest of the roof to the area near the wifi antenna, where we saw Chat Noir and Lady Wifi grappling with each other. Chat Noir was fighting hard, but Lady Wifi was keeping her phone well out of his reach.

Ladybug raised her hand to throw her yo-yo, but then her miraculous beeped, alerting both combatants to our presence.

"M'lady!" Chat noir said happily while Lady Wifi growled and jumped over Chat Noir, spinning so she landed facing all three of us in a fighting stance.

"So much for the element of surprise." I muttered under my breath. Just then, I felt Ladybug set me down.

"Just stay here, Ermine. You won't be able to do anything right now as a spider." Ladybug said before she charged forward to help Chat Noir.

Though I knew Ladybug was just looking out for me, I still felt myself bristle at her words. Just because I was a spider didn't mean I couldn't be helpful! Hadn't Ladybug ever read Charlotte's Web?

As I watched the combatants, Lady Wifi's hand suddenly seemed to light up, the same hand she was holding her phone with. It didn't last very long, but it was enough to get my attention and I suddenly got an idea. It would be risky, but I knew Ladybug didn't have much time left before she transformed back, so if I could help end this fight quicker, why not go for it?

Making up my mind, I cautiously crept forward, keeping an eye on each of the three combatants as they fought. Fortunately, with eight spider eyes, that was an easy thing to do.

I moved as close as I dared, and waited until Lady Wifi's back was to me. Then I scurried forward, keeping a close eye on her feet. As Lady Wifi stepped back to avoid one of Ladybugs attacks, I jumped, landing on the villain's ankle, and held on for dear life as Lady Wifi suddenly flipped over to dodge an attack from Chat Noir, but my spider grip did not fail me, and I was able to stay on.

Slowly and carefully, I began to climb up the villain's body. Despite all the jumping around that Lady Wifi was doing, I eventually made it to the top of her leg. As I started to climb up her back, a sudden shift by Lady Wifi to avoid a strike from Chat Noir's stick almost caused me to lose my grip, but I kept climibing. As I neared the villain's shoulders, I saw Ladybug's fist come flying out of nowhere and scuttled sideways just in time to avoid getting squashed between Ladybug's hand and Lady Wifi's back. Still, I climbed on.

Eventually, despite her arm swinging all over the place, I was able to crawl up Lady Wifi's arm and make it to her hand, the same hand holding her phone. I hope Alya's not allergic to spider bites, I thought, before gripping Lady Wifi's hand tightly with all eight of my legs and biting down with my spider fangs…hard.

"YEOW!" Lady Wifi cried out in pain, and I felt her grip relax as her hand opened on reflex, just as I hoped it would. The phone fell from between the villain's fingers and Ladybug seized the opportunity, lassoing the device with her yo-yo before swinging it around and smashing it against the floor.

The Akuma flew out from the wreckage of the phone while I felt Lady Wifi's hand whip around until I saw her looking down at me with wide eyes. "Did…did you just bite me?" She asked in disbelief.

I released my fangs and looked up at her. "Sorry, had to." I said, trying to look as apologetic as possible.

Lady Wifi didn't respond, she just slumped down till she was on her knees. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ladybug capturing the akuma, so I jumped off Lady Wifi's hand and lowered myself down to the floor on a line of silk.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUGS!" As I landed on the floor, I saw Ladybug throw the microwave box up into the sky to summon the swarm of magical ladybugs, while Chat Noir ran up to me.

"Ermine! Are you okay?" He asked, and the concerned look on his face made my heart skip a beat as he lowered his hand. "I saw Ladybug almost hit you!"

"I'm fine, Kitty. But thanks for asking." I said, crawling onto his hand. He straightened up with me on his palm.

Just then, Ladybug came up to us, and I braced myself when I saw the angry expression on her face. "Ermine, what were you thinking? I could have seriously hurt you! This is why I told you to stay back!" She scolded me.

"I was well aware of that fact, Ladybug." I replied, trying to keep my voice even. "But to my eyes, it didn't look like you were going to be able to defeat Lady Wifi before your time ran out, even with Chat Noir's help." As if agreeing with me, Ladybug's miraculous beeped again, and she looked a little embarrassed.

"Yeah bugaboo, it was really brave of Ermine to jump in like that. Can't you cut her a little slack?" Chat Noir asked, placing a hand on Ladybug's shoulder.

I blinked in surprise, but my heart fluttered at the thought that Chat Noir was taking my side over Ladybug's, the girl he crushed on. That made me feel evne more proud of what I had done.

Ladybug looked surprised too, for a moment. Her gaze fitted from Chat Noir to me, then a smile crossed her face. "Maybe you're…"

Just then, my spider body lit up, a sign that I was going to become human again. Seeing this, Chat Noir quickly lowered me down to the ground and I crawled off his hand just as a blinding white light filled my eyes. I closed all eight of my spider eyes as I felt my body start to shift again. A few seconds later, the light dimmed from behind my eyes, and when I opened them, I looked down to see I was human again.

"Whew!" I let out a sigh of relief before turning back to my partners. "You were saying, Ladybug?" I asked.

Ladybug let out a chuckle. "I was saying, maybe you were right. Chat Noir and I were having a lot of trouble finding an opening. Even without her internet powers, Lady Wifi was tough. I'm glad you didn't listen to me."

I smirked at her. "You may be our leader, but you're not always right." I commented, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Pound it!" We cheered, doing our signature three-way fist bump.

"Ladybug? Wow! And Chat Noir and Ermine!" Ayla exclaimed when she saw us, jumping to her feet. "Can I get a quick interview? I just gotta grab my phone." As Alya turned to grab her recently-repaired phone, Ladybug's Miraculous beeped again.

"Um…we'd better get out of here." I commented as Alya suddenly shouted in annoyance. For a moment, I wondered what she was annoyed about, but Ladybug's safety took priority right now.

"Yeah, I've probably only got a minute." Ladybug agreed as the three of us darted through the fire escape door.

We raced all the way down to the bottom floor and I eased open the door to the lobby to see if anyone was there.

"Clear!" I said and we raced out into the main foyer. In the middle of the lobby, I stopped and turned to my teammates. "I guess we'd better part ways here." I suggested.

Ladybug nodded. "See you both next time. Bug out!" Hearing this, I turned to make my way towards the elevators, figuring I could ride one back up to the roof and transform back there.

"Wait!" I paused at Chat Noir's outburst and turned to see that he had grabbed Ladybug's wrist. "Stay, please!" He said, just as his own miraculous started to beep. "I won't tell anyone who you are, Cat's honor!"

My jaw dropped as my heart sank. Was Chat Noir really trying to get Ladybug to reveal her secret identity? Why couldn't Chat Noir ask me that? Of course, I'd say no as well, but it would have been nice for him to show me that kind of affection as well, especially considering I'd had no problem showing it to him in the service elevator and how close we had come to learning each other's identities when we were stuck in the freezer.

Which reminded me…

I set my face into a firm look as I marched over a grabbed Chat Noirs wrist. "We need to talk Kitty, right now!" I said, yanking Chat Noir's arm away from Ladybug.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Chat Noir yelped, and I felt him fight against me. But I kept my grip iron hard as I pulled him away from the closet door. Only when we were in the middle of the hallway did I turn to face him, letting go of his arm and framing him with a serious look.

"Before we both transform back, we need to talk about what happened between the two of us tonight." I said.

"Wh-what are you…?" Chat Nir stammered, then he moved to look over his shoulder.

I felt a stab of annoyance at that. "Kitty!" I snapped, making him jump. "Focus!"

"What? What's the problem?" Chat Noir argued, holding his hands up defensively.

"The problem is that I'm concerned about what happened in the service elevator and in the freezer." I said slowly, like I was talking to a child.

Chat Nir blinked, looking confused. "What do you…oh!" Realization suddenly dawned on his face, and I felt my pulse quicken a bit. "You mean…"

I nodded. "Yeah, that." I paused, trying to determine how to best phrase my request. "Look, I just don't want…what happened to…affect our performance as a team." I said, but moment I did, my mind did a double take. Where had that come from? That wasn't what I had been planning to say!

I expected Chat Noir to scoff or make some kind of joke, but to my surprise, he just nodded, not a trace of humor anywhere on his face. "How would it?" He asked. "You acted that way in the service elevator because you were scared, and in the freezer, it was because we were sharing body heat, remember?"

"I think you and I both know there was a bit more happening than that, Kitty." I said, my tone still serious. Chat Noir started to say something, but I cut him off by raising a hand and placing it on his shoulder. "That's why I need you to promise you won't tell anyone what happened in the service elevator or in the freezer, not even Ladybug."

"Well…yeah, sure I can keep it a secret, but why wouldn't you want Ladybug to know? There's no shame in admitting these things." Chat Noir asked.

"Yeah, I know but…I'm just worried how Ladybug's gonna take it. If she gets the wrong idea, it could lead to friction in the team, and that's not something we need." I said, and I gave him a pleading look. "Please, Kitty." I urged.

Chat Noir held my gaze for a moment, then he smiled and raised his hand to cover my hand that was resting on my shoulder. "Okay, I promise. But I think you're worrying too much. Even if Ladybug does find out, she'll completely understand." He said. As Chat Noir spoke, however, my eye caught movement from behind him. The door of the closet Ladybug had ducked into had slowly eased open an inch, and my breath caught in my throat. Could Ladybug hear us?

"I…hope you're right." I said, feeling my pulse quicken. I sighed. Was it just me or did Chat Noir's body suddenly seem to be warmer? My hand felt like a thin piece of chocolate sandwiched between two warm crackers. It was time to end this conversation before I melted and did, or said, something embarrassing.

"All right, time for you to go." I said as I, reluctantly, pulled my hand out from between his hand and shoulder and pointed towards the doors with my other hand.

"What?" Chat Noir blinked, and then his Miraculous beeped, followed by mine.

"You heard me, we're both about to transform back, and there's no way I'm transforming in front of you, so go!" I said, motioning towards the door again.

"Why am I the one who has to go?" Chat Noir complained.

"Because Ladybug has probably transformed back by now, I have no interest in learning her identity, and I don't trust you not to play peeping tomcat after I'm gone, so you're leaving first! Go on, MOVE IT!" I jabbed my finger at the door, giving him the most intimidating look that I could muster.

Chat Noir's head jerked back as my voice rose to the point where I was almost screaming at him, his eyes wide with surprise, and his face sported an expression I couldn't quite make out, either confusion or fear, or maybe a little of both. He jumped as his Miraculous beeped again. I heard mine beep too and felt a small wave of panic wash over me, but I refused to move. I was not going to let Chat Noir see who Ladybug was!

Chat Noir looked at me, then turned to glance at the closet door, which was now closed. When he turned back again, the surprise in his eyes was replaced by something else, but before I could figure it out, Chat Noir turned and dashed towards the hotel's main doors.

I as I watched him go, I let out a breath I did not realize I had been holding and felt my shoulders sag with relief. It was short-lived though, as I heard my Miraculous beep again. Glancing once more at the closed closet door, I turned and dashed back out through the door the three of us had come out through into the mercifully empty stairwell. I leaned against the wall, catching my breath as I transformed back into Alice.

It was only after I had transformed back, that the full weight of what had just happened struck me, and I sank to my knees.

"What on Earth is wrong with me?" I said, my eyes wide. "That was not at all what I was planning to say to him!" I felt my hands grab the sides of my head and I slumped back against the wall. "If Ladybug did hear our conversation, then she might…assume…argh!" I groaned as the back of my head gently tapped against the wall. "This is turning into such a mess!"

"What's done is done, Alice." I opened my eyes to see Minkk in front of me. "But I think Chat Noir may be right, you're worrying too much."

"How can you say that, Minkk? You heard what I said to him, and what about the way I acted? One minute I'm snuggling up with him, the next I'm yelling at him!" I exclaimed, though I was careful to keep my voice down. "He's gonna think I'm crazy!"

Minkk giggled, causing me to glare at her. "Don't be so sure, Alice." Minkk said after she had stopped giggling. "Chat Noir already accepted your actions in the service elevator and freezer, he said so himself, and you were protecting Ladybug's identity when you yelled at him. You were speaking to him as a hero, not as a girl. You were honest about your feelings, and you showed incredible loyalty, both to Ladybug and to the laws governing Miraculous holders. I'm sure that Chat Noir will understand why you did what you did."

I let out a sigh and looked away. As much as I hated to admit it, Minkk had a point. When I had been speaking to Chat Noir back then, maybe it had been Ermine talking, rather than Alice. I already suspected that my Miraculous brought out a whole new side of me when I transformed. Maybe…maybe the crush I had on Chat Noir was something that Alice had, but Ermine didn't. Maybe that would explain why I felt so conflicted when it came to Chat Noir.

After mulling over this for another few moments, I decided to head back to my room. I peeked out of the stairwell to see the lobby empty, so we crossed to the elevator and rode it silently up to the top floor. Minkk dove into my hair as we reached the top floor, missing the yawn I gave as I stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hall to my room.

"Oh, there you are." Hearing a voice behind me, I turned to see Chloe approaching. I fought the urge to groan. I was not in the mood for Chloe's bantering.

I opened my mouth to tell Chloe to leave me alone, but she spoke first. "I need your measurements."

I blinked, my mouth still open, at the sudden shift in the direction. "Uh…what?"

Chloe gave an annoyed snort. "Your measurements. I need them so I can order your costume in the right size." She repeated.

"Costume…?" For a moment I was confused. Then I suddenly remembered our discussion from last night, and I gasped. "Oh, you mean you're gonna let me play heroes with you?"

Chloe snorted and rolled her eyes, but I saw a smile flicker across her face. "Yeah, I decided it's more fun to play heroes as a group, but…" Chloe suddenly stuck a finger in my face. "Don't go getting any smart ideas. You wanna play my game, you play by my rules!"

"Which are…what?" I asked.

"Mainly, I'm in charge. I'm the leader, so you'll obey my orders without question." Chloe said, jabbing her thumb towards herself.

"Okay, so, who am I going to be playing?" I asked.

Chloe snorted. "You'll be Chat Noir, obviously. As much as I don't like you, you're a Bourgeois, and I won't let any of my family be associated with that witch of a weasel, so you're going to be Chat Noir. Sabrina can be Ermine."

I nodded, trying to hide my smile. Despite everything that had just happened, things were starting to look up. Even hearing Chloe refer to my alter ego as a witch didn't put me down. "Great, thanks Chloe. Oh, how are you feeling by the way?"

"Huh? "Chloe looked at me.

"I…saw Lady Wifi attack you when I was online earlier tonight. That must have been scary." I said, trying to appear concerned.

"How did you...?" Chloe started to ask.

"Somehow Lady Wifi took control of my computer screen. I watched her unmask you, then the real Ladybug came to save you, along with Chat Noir and Ermine." I quickly explained, then glanced down at the floor as another thought came to me. "It's a shame about your secret, though. I'm pretty sure everyone knows about your cosplaying now." I said in a more reserved tone.

"Ah, it was gonna come out sooner or later." Chloe said, waving her hand dismissively. "Who knows, I may just start a trend." She said with a smile.

I shrugged my shoulders. "You just might." I admitted, which made her smile widen.

"Well, why don't you come with me, and we'll get your measurements." Chloe said as we started walking towards her room. "I'll need to take some photos of you as well. The costume maker uses them to design certain aspects of the costumes he makes, so we can just use my phone for that."

Chloe continued to talk as we made our way into her bedroom, but I was only half listening. The word 'phone' had made something click in my head.

My memory flashed back to the Lepidoptera Council meeting I'd attended that morning, and to the way Agent Deveraux had addressed me after I had pitched my 'idea' to the council on how Hawkmoth's akumas worked. Thinking back, I now realized maybe I had said a little too much, and while my explanation on where my information had come from seemed to satisfy the Council for now, I felt like I had to do something to throw the Council off any lingering suspicions they may have about me, if for no other reason than to avoid them putting my school under covert surveillance.

Maybe I could do this by giving them something else to look over, like Alya's phone. The akuma had hidden inside of it to infect Alya. If I could get hold of it and present it to the Council as 'evidence', that might cause them to focus on that, rather than investigate me, by suggesting that maybe Hawkmoth's influence might have left something in the software or the phone itself.

I felt myself smile as I posed in front of Chloe's bed while she began snapping pictures of me on her phone. Yes, this was a good plan. No one would expect a superhero to give evidence to the very people trying to find her, so it would be a good smokescreen for me. Sure, akumas were magical creatures, and Ladybug's magical ladybugs fixed everything that was broken, so there probably wouldn't be any kind of trace of Hawkmoth's influence for the Council to find, but they didn't need to know that. Now I just had to convince Alya to give up her phone. Luckily, I had an idea on how to persuade her.

After finishing my little 'photo shoot' for Chloe and helping her take my body measurements, I retreated to my own room, where I pulled out my phone and made a call to the front desk to get Alya's home number. Alya's mother worked at the Grand Paris, and my father had made a list of all the staff with their contact information in case of an emergency, but only staff had access to it, so I needed to get the front desk clerk to give me the number. Sure, I could have called Alya directly on her phone, but I was worried that if I did, I might say something incriminating that the Council may find later when they examined the phone. Calling her home number was safer.

Fortunately, the clerk working that night was someone I knew well, and it didn't take much for me to convince him to give me the number. I thanked him and dialed the number he gave me. After a few rings, Alya's mother answered.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Miss Cesare, this is Alice Bourgeois." I said, trying to sound as formal as possible.

"Alice?" Alya's mother sounded surprised. "Why are you calling here?"

"I need to talk to Alya about something, can you put her on, please? It's important." I said, choosing my words carefully.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Then Alya's mother said, "Wait a moment" and I heard her put the phone down. I let out a sigh of relief, so far so good. But now the hard part was coming up.

I heard footsteps and the rustling of the phone as it was being picked up. "You know Alice, I do have my own phone." I chuckled at the humor in Alya's voice.

"Hello to you too, Alya." I replied, and I heard her chuckle as well. "I know you have your own phone. That's…actually part of the reason I'm calling your home phone instead."

Alya paused. "What do you mean?" She asked, and I could tell the humor was gone from her voice.

Here we go. I took a deep breath. "Alya, I'm actually calling you on my father's behalf. He's aware that you had been akumatized earlier tonight."

I heard a faint intake of breath over the phone and could almost see the worried expression appearing on Alya's face. "Listen, if he's angry about what I tried to do to Chloe, I…"

"Alya, he's not angry!" I said, cutting Alya off. "In fact, he would like to know if you would be willing to assist him in helping to uncover Hawkmoth's identity."

I heard Alya gasp, though I couldn't tell if it was in relief or surprise. "Are you kidding? After what Hawkmoth made me do, of course, I'd be interested! What does your father need me to do?" She said, and I smiled at her tone. The fact that she was so willing to help out was a good sign.

"Well, this is gonna sound kind of strange, but my father is requesting that you turn over your phone." I said

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Turn over my phone? Why would I do that?" Alya finally asked, a clear tone of surprise in her voice.

"Well, my father thinks that whatever power Hawkmoth used to turn you into Lady Wifi may have let a trace on your phone, since you were using it to channel your powers." I explained, hoping that my reasoning sounded just as logical on the phone as it did in my head. "He would like to have an investigative team examine your phone to see if there is anything on it that could give them a clue about Hawkmoth."

"But…aren't Hawkmoth's powers supposed to be magical? What kind of trace could they leave on my phone?" Alya asked skeptically.

"I'm not entirely sure, but if there is one, it could give us more information about how to find Hawkmoth." I said.

"How…long would the investigation of my phone take?" Alya's next question was one I had been waiting for.

"I'm…not entirely sure. It may be a while. Which is why my father has agreed that, in exchange for submitting your current phone, the mayor's office will fund the purchase of a replacement phone, of the same model, or a better one." I bit my lip, technically that last part wasn't true, but I was more than willing to pay for it out of my own pocket. It was a small price to pay to get into good graces of the Council.

"Hmmm…." Alya sounded thoughtful. "I have had my eye on the new Model 16 that just came out." She said after a minute.

I smiled, recalling how I had seen the ad for that particular model just the other day. "You mean the one with the really clear camera and audio quality?" I asked teasingly. "It would be ideal for collecting videos and pics for the Ladyblog."

I heard Alya chuckle over the phone. "You know me too well, Alice." She admitted.

"So…would you be willing to help my father out?" I asked hopefully. If this didn't work, I'd have to think up another plan.

Alya was silent and I bit my lip. I could feel beads of sweat beginning to build on my forehead and wiped them off with my free hand.

"You drive a hard bargain but…okay, I'll do it." Alya finally said.

"That's great!" I said, feeling very relieved. "And I just so happen to know where you can get a Model 16 phone as early as tomorrow. Why don't the two of us meet up tomorrow morning, and I can take you there after collecting your current phone?"

"Sounds good. What time?" Alya asked.

"Oh…how does 10 AM sound?" I offered. Since we didn't have school tomorrow, that would give me time to ensure I could get access to a Model 16 phone before meeting with Alya.

"Sounds good." Alya confirmed.

"Great, oh and in the meantime, please try not to use your phone until then. It'll probably be easier for the investigative team if they don't have to dig through every text, email and call you've sent after you were de-akumatized." I said to her. Again, this wasn't really necesarry, but I wanted Alya to think I was taking this seriously.

"Oh, so that's why you're calling me on my home phone." Alya guessed.

I let out an affirmative sound. "You got me, Alya. "So, see you at 10?"

"See you at 10." Alya said before hanging up.

I put my phone down and looked at Minkk, who had been watching.

"Nice work." Minkk said.

"Thanks, that was actually easier than I thought." I admitted. "I was expecting Alya to put up more of a fight about handing over her phone."

"Well, you did offer to buy her a better one in exchange, and you were honest with her…mostly." Minkk said, causing the two of us to laugh.

As I prepared for bed, I couldn't help feeling somewhat vindicated. I'd justified my awkward moments with Chat Noir, negotiated a potential bonding experience with my sister, and was on the verge of securing a position as the eyes and ears in my school for the Lepidoptera Council, as well as deflecting their suspicions away from myself.

"Things have a way of working themselves out, if you just let them." I smiled as a quote from one of my New York City friends rang through my head. Maybe Chat Noir and Minkk were right, maybe I was worrying about things too much.

---

And Cut!

I had been hoping to get this chapter out before Halloween, but sadly, it was not to be. I'm just glad I was able to get it out before Thanksgiving!

As always, a big thanks to Draconos 13 for beta reading this chapter, and an extra big shout out to Dyna-Man 21 for providing inspiration for some of the scenes in this chapter. If you have anything you would like to see Alice do, dear readers, then please let me know in the reviews and I'll see if it can be added in.

Some key facts I wanted to point out in this chapter:

- Ermine's animal form is inspired by the fact that we never see what is holding the pot over the camera icon in the show after Chat Noir puts it there, and then that same icon appears to be uncovered in a later scene. I wanted to change that. Plus, Alya appears to have a loose connection with spiders, with her sister becoming a spider villain, and I think there was a spider in their house in Sentibubbler. Correct me if I'm wrong.

- This episode serves as an introduction for the committee that the mayor mentioned he is putting together last chapter. Alice will be serving as their eyes and ears in Francois Dupont, but whether or not that will be the extent of her interaction with them is something I will reveal another time.

- Alice and Chloe are starting to bond as sisters. Whether or not this will continue in later chapters is something I'm still considering.

- Despite Chat Noir assuring Ermine otherwise, it is possible there may be some friction in the team in later chapters, especially if Ladybug managed to hear Chat Noir and Ermine's conversation after she transforms back, and interprets it the way I'm hinting at. Won't say any more here, but be on the lookout to see how this little plot twist pans out.

Review Responses:

- LaViolaViolaRose: Glad to hear you're loving this story! As you can see, I did use an original villain idea in this chapter, but if you have any more villain ideas, feel free to let me know! I'd LOVE to hear them!

- Dyna-Man 21: Sorry I couldn't get this chapter out sooner! Thanks again for the ideas and inspiration, they were jsut what I needed to get this chapter published. Let me know if you have any more ideas, and I'm glad you're enjoying this story!

Well, that's it for now. As I've mentioned before, I'm uploading chapters in an order that spans the course of a school year, so right now the characters would be in mid-autumn. This means that, for the first season at least, the episode may be portrayed out of showing order, but I'll try to get to all of them. The next chapter is probably going to be The Mime.

Until Next Time!