Something wasn't right with the new couple.
At first, no one noticed anything. As the passing days turned into weeks, their friends couldn't deny that something must have happened to make them seem off. Sure, their personalities would teeter back and forth from irritable to their normal selves, but everyone assumed the couple was still mourning the death of their mutual friend.
It started the second day that everyone came back from spring break.
The abnormally stoic Adrien appeared to be attached to Marinette by the hip as they walked into the school building, holding her hand tightly while she kept a down-casted gaze. He wore a brand-new black jacket Marinette made for him; his normal colored stripes on the front and cute cat ears sewn on the hood, because she knew he was a fan of Cat Noir. The sleeves were quite bulky, more noticeably on his right arm than his left.
Once they entered the courtyard, many students asked why he wore the hood on such a warm day. One even attempted to reach for the hood, until Adrien forcefully grabbed their wrist. As though breaking from a trance, Adrien dropped the grasp before guardedly apologizing. He insisted that he wanted to keep the hood on, because it felt so comforting after what he and Marinette had been through the last few hours.
Although, he didn't specify what occurred at that time.
As for Marinette, she had a more physical change with her appearance. Her pretty dark hair now had a new large pink streak, more noticeably in her bangs than in her two buns, which replaced her usual two low ponytails. Marinette tried her best to ignore the claims that she changed her looks to prove Lila wrong.
The day before, when their classmates were discussing their Miraculous and superhero names while waiting on Mrs. Bustier, they wondered just who were under the mask of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Lila commented that Marinette looked so much like Ladybug, even though Marinette told the story of being Multi-Mouse when aiding in the defeat of Kwamibuster.
As the couple entered the classroom, Chloe ridiculed Marinette for being so spiteful by going to such extreme lengths to prove Lila wrong. Grumpily climbing to her seat, Marinette tiredly laid her head down on her desk, mumbling that she didn't want anyone to think of her as Ladybug—
Because she didn't deserve the honor.
Meanwhile, Adrien managed to convince Alya to swap seats with him for an undetermined time. He sullenly revealed—to the entire class—that his and Marinette's friends died the night before in a tragic accident while they were all hanging out. He and Marinette needed to be close, to help each other with their mourning.
The very next morning, Adrien's own appearance changed into a more edgy version of himself. His luscious blonde locks were swept to the left side while the right now had a faded shave. The thing that really shocked everyone was the hoop piercing on the right side of his lip. No one believed he would do something so drastic.
And yet, all his friends praised him for trying out a new look, especially one that would certainly annoy his father. By changing his appearance, it was like Adrien was protesting the use of his image on the Alliance rings. It was such a clever way for Adrien to rebel against his father.
But Adrien denied the accusations.
Just like Mari—what he suddenly began calling Marinette—he didn't want people to mistake him for Cat Noir. Although Cat Noir was his favorite superhero, Adrien also believed he didn't deserve the honor.
Especially not after he and Mari failed to save their friends.
It was quite strange, for Adrien to call her 'Mari' but refer to her by her full name whenever he spoke about his jacket. Hardly anyone noticed or cared enough to notice. They simply brushed it off, like Adrien was trying to adjust to the new nickname he created for her.
The most noticeable change had to be how much more they hung around Kagami before and after school. Nearly every morning, they could be seen walking with her from different directions that didn't make sense, considering Marinette lived so close to the school. Once school ended, Kagami would wait by the street for them before the trio hurried off in hushed conversations. Anytime there was a group hangout, the couple would whisper to Kagami before participating in the discussion. It almost felt like they were seeking approval before giving a response.
The most observant of the group noted the dynamic of the couple changed. The verbal connection they once possessed transformed into something more physical. Their stuttering, blushing mess of interactions were now silent exchanges of loving gazes. That single look or light brush of physical contact displayed all the emotions previously known through talking. It helped that they were completely inseparable.
Rumors quickly developed about just how close they've become. A certain someone claimed Adrien climbed Marinette's balcony and slipped into her room one night. Pictures appeared online sometime after, displaying the very action speculated before. When confronted, Adrien shrugged nonchalantly, neither agreeing nor denying the allegation. He simply stated that he didn't need to explain his private life to anyone, especially after finally being free from his modeling duties.
The classmates only noticed the 'subtle' changes when they finally realized—
Marinette wasn't a klutz anymore.
Just like her words around Adrien, Marinette no longer tripped over feet with the simplest steps. She could accomplish the most complicated, physically demanding request with no faults. In fact, Marinette could walk on the railings on the upper floor without any trouble, but Adrien held her hand for safety. Only when a student, not in their own class, commented on how impressed they were with Marinette's balance did her friends notice her new coordination skills. After watching for a few moments, they were amazed to see her graceful movements, reminding them of an advanced ballet dancer. It made them wonder . . .
What else has changed that they haven't noticed?
From that moment on, the group of friends kept a closer eye on the couple, noticing a few more overlooked details. First, the couple would take turns sleeping in their first class, covering or waking each other before they got caught. Next, Adrien showed difficulty with moving his right arm, always choosing to use his left, nondominated hand whenever possible. Lastly, the two avoided anything pertaining to Chloe or Lila, ignoring everything having to do with them. Marinette even stopped trying so hard to prove Lila to be a liar.
Playing the role of a detective, Alya decided to investigate any changes in Marinette's home life, considering Adrien's already changed when Gabriel Agreste suddenly decided to become a model father-figure.
With only one interaction, Alya could see the minor differences. All she did was walk inside the bakery to witness the difference. Marinette was seeking her father's permission to visit the Agreste manor instead of working in the bakery. Tom, busy with preparing a large macaroon order, called his wife Sabine for her input. Although the parents didn't notice, Marinette physically flinched when her mother spoke, subtly stepping away from her like she didn't want to get too close.
But that's ridiculous! Why would Marinette be afraid of her mother?
From there, Alya could finally see Ladybug and Cat Noir acting more unlike themselves than originally noticed before.
Sure, it was obvious Ladybug and Cat Noir upgraded their looks to match their secret identities, or so Alya believed, since she didn't know the identity of Cat Noir just yet. With Ladybug, her outfit remained the same while a new pink streak could be seen taking over her bangs. As for Cat Noir, his hair subtly became a lot shaggier while it was clear to see an obvious alteration to his outfit. Although he still wore his leather jumpsuit, his right arm was covered in a thick, black casing, reminding Alya vaguely of a cast for a broken bone.
With the subtle changes in appearance, their fighting style seemed a bit different than before. During the confrontations with the akumatized villains, Cat Noir took the lead while Ladybug stayed in the back, away from the fight. Cat Noir seemed a lot more aggressive while Ladybug appeared to be reluctant to join, only getting involved when necessary or to capture the akumas. Bystanders claimed the superheroes lure the villains away from the Eiffel Tower. Speculations came about that they were trying to protect the new statues dedicated to them, which randomly appeared out of nowhere.
After closer and longer investigation, Alya deduced that the best way to find answers were to gain an ally; one who knew the secret identities of both Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Once he learned of the concerning changes, Luka Couffaine easily agreed to return from his self-expatriate. To prevent Monarch from being alerted, Luka waited until the dead of night to sneak back into Paris, only informing Alya when he entered the city limits. After convening at the designation location, the two discussed every detail of the case as they snuck inside Marinette's home with ease. They somehow managed to creep inside Marinette's bedroom without ever being caught.
Not even twenty minutes later, Ladybug and surprisingly Cat Noir stealthily slipped through the terrace entrance onto the bed. Just as they were about to de-transform, they finally noticed the co-conspirators waiting for them. Pushing Ladybug behind him the best he could in the small space, Cat Noir pulled out his staff with a slight wince, demanding Luka to identify himself and explain why they were there.
Finally seeing the heroes up close for the first time in weeks, Alya facepalmed in realization. "I'm such an idiot!" she scolded herself. "You two are the Ladybug and Cat Noir from the other universe; the one with Betterfly. I should have known!"
"Other universe?" Luka shook his head to rid the idea of how unbelievable that sounded. "I will worry about that later. What we want to know now is where the real Ladybug and Cat Noir are. Did you do something to them?"
"Why the hell should we tell you?" 'Cat' Noir growled, causing Alya and Luka to flinch at his rudeness. They certainly weren't expecting that from him. "We don't know you and we don't know if we can trust this universe's Alya, if she's been fooled by that witch."
"I know the true identities of Ladybug and Cat Noir due to the powers of the snake Miraculous," Luka revealed calmly. "And I can already tell you two are nothing like this universe's Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"Dupain," Ladybug snapped, the first time she's shown her bite. "My last name is Dupain, not Dupain-Cheng."
"Hold on a second!" Alya interrupted, so she could process an earlier revelation. "Cat Noir is Adrien Agreste? So, you, whatever your hero name is, are really Adrien Agreste?"
"Paw Noir," he corrected, barring his teeth threateningly. "And my secret identity doesn't matter right now. I want to know why you two are waiting in Marinette's room like stalkers."
"And we want to know why you two are posing as this universe's Ladybug and Cat Noir," Luka retorted. "Where are they?"
The two superheroes, who had yet to transform back, locked gazes as they debated if the two trespassers could be trusted. After a few moments, the imposter Ladybug sighed, slumping in place as she confessed, "They're dead."
"Not 'dead' dead," Paw Noir interjected before there could be an uproar. Retracting his staff, he clarified, "They're . . . missing in action. Or more like . . . stuck? We know how to free them. We just have to find my Ladybug's lost lucky charm."
"Start from the beginning," Alya demanded forcefully. "Why are you two posing as the real Ladybug and Cat Noir?"
The imposter Ladybug sighed once more, acting as though the whole situation was depressing. "It started in our universe with a manipulator named Cerise," she began. "Or, as she's still known here, the pathological liar, Lila Rossi."