Everyone falls one day, today's your day.

The day started normal. Well, normal enough for someone with a superhero double life. The week was ending, with only the end of the day to bring way to the weekend and well wanted free time.

Class was about to begin, and the students in the most infamous akuma class were chattering miles per second, all about topics separated from the other. Miss Bustier soon walked in, a new student in tow. At seeing the new girl, and eyeing the treats in her hands, the class silenced almost immediately, much to their teacher's pleasure.

Quieting these kids was a very hard thing to do, considering their reputation as the infamous "Akuma Class of Dupont".

Emotions were hard. That's it, that's all. No one to blame people for extreme feelings getting the better of them than Hawkmoth himself for using them for his mysterious gains.

Oh what the teacher would do if she ever got her hands on him for harming her students. Her akuma was love based, after all.

Caline is a teacher, and that means helping her students with their troubles (and maybe direction to a counselor if they need more help) not tell them to be the bigger person when they get rightfully upset.

What a weird sense of irony that washed over her. Huh, strange.

Which reminds her that she should get lessons from Mendeleiev about how to properly apprehend Chloe. It was definitely high time to stop coddling her. Caline should help stop akuma's, not help make one. Taking an akuma for a student though? If she accidentally helped make it or not? Definitely.

And lists. Lists as to know what calms students and deal with their emotions when they don't have anyone nearby. A good idea that she needs to make and bring up to the other staff.

Anyway, back on track, new student has food. Let's start the day off now.

Smiling warmly and wondering what food Lila has brought along, Caline opened her mouth and addressed the class.

"Class, today we have a new student, everyone welcome Lila Rossi, who has transferred from Italy! Now, Lila, why don't you tell them about yourself and the treats you've brought today?" From the cue, Lila had a delayed reaction from the small introduction as her head was held down, but started as soon as she knew everyone was looking at her.

"Hello! My name's Lila Rossi and I transferred her from a terrible school! I know it may seem a little strange to talk about my bad experiences for my first impression, but that's why I brought food! I had help in making them, but I really hope that you do enjoy them." Lila kept talking, a smile on her face.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She seemed as if she were a normal girl with an unfortunate school life wanting to start again.

That was until Miss Bustier told Lila that her seat is next to Nathaniel, and to give everybody a piece on the way. Lila complied, and started with Chloe and Sabrina, the blonde scoffing and turning her head, spouting that she didn't take low level foods, while Sabrina thanked her and took one.

Chloe immediately took it from the redhead and tossed it. Sabrina sat dejected, mourning at the loss of food.

Passing by Nino and Adrien next, the two humbly accepted it, Nino eating it as soon as it was handed to him, and Adrien seeing how extstatic Nino looked, took a bite himself.

That normalness washed away, however, as soon as Lila walked up to Marinette's row. She gave to Mylene and Alix first, but that still did not make the weird off vibe any less strong. And it was strong. Like, worse that what an akuma gave off kinda vibe.

Marinette quickly shook the feeling off however. "She's just new. You haven't met her yet, give her some trust. I doubt she's gonna be another Chloe," she thought. That was, until she felt Tikki shifting restlessly in her purse. In an effort to ask the kwamii why, and to calm her down, Marinette took her purse and set it in her lap.

Lila came to them next, and both accepted. Alya ate hers right away and Marinette put hers aside for later. Right now, Tikki comes first.

"Tikki, what's wrong?" Marinette whispered. Tikki seemed to calm a bit, but she had a look of terror in her eyes. She zipped up to the corner of the purse and looked her holder in the eyes very intensely. Almost, crazed.

"Do not eat it." Startled, Marinette's eyes went wide and closed the bag, wincing after realizing she might have hurt Tikki, and pushed the treat to the side.

"Marinette? Are you okay?" Alya asked her, voice filled with concern. She only noticed Marinette push it away alongside the sickly look on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. Yes, I - I'm fine, just feeling a bit weird. I don't think I'd be able to eat that right now anymore." Side eyeing the pastry and denying Alya to eat it for her, Marinette pushed it into her schoolbag.

"Girl are you sure you're okay? Don't need to go to the nurse or anything? You know you can tell me," Alya continued, lifting her hand to feel Marinette's forehead for possible fever. Marinette relaxed a bit and laughed at her friend.

"I'm fine, Alya. Don't need to worry about me." After another check from Alya, looking satisfied by her best friend's answers, Lila had already passed the rest of the food out and sat down.

"Okay, now that introductions are over, let's get started on the lessons for today." Miss Bustier clapped her hands. And with that, class has officially started.

-~-~-~

Lunch had come around more slower than normal. Marinette still had Tikki's words repeating in her head, making the girl almost vibrate in her seat from worry multiple times. Now that lunch was here, Marinette could finally introduce herself, and reassure the tiny god in her purse that it was just a bad feeling. Maybe. Marinette knew that bad feelings were normal when meeting strangers, but she doesn't think they felt like whatever Tikki must have been going feral over.

Maybe Tikki felt something and Lila turned out to be another wielder of a stolen miraculous or maybe a new villain that would overthrow Hawkmoth. Marinette placed her hands on the top of her head and set herself in her normal panicking position.

"Oh God! What if Tikki felt that way because Lila's part of some supernatural plan and is bent on being fake nice to lure us into a false sense of security before pulling the rug under us and possibly revealing she was never human in the first place and telling us her goals of overthrowing Hawkmoth and defeating Chat and I and take over Paris! I haven't even been Ladybug that long! I'm too young to be taken down by something not exactly human!" Marinette spiraled, talking out loud and not even realizing someone could hear her.

Luckily, no one did and Marinette continued to make up crazy and absurd reasons as to Lila's goals for the class, the only clue being that two beings having a bad feeling about the Italian.

Yeah, a completely normal new kid.

Marinette had still not managed to snap out of her rambling, but went frozen stiff as she unconsciously made her way to Alya, upon hearing what the blogger was saying.

"So, since you and Ladybug are apparently besties, can you tell the wonder Ladyblog viewers what you know?" Alya had her camera pressed real close in Lila's personal space, but the girl in question didn't seem the slightest bit fazed.

Lila smiled thinly, but it had a sort of warmth to it. Sly, almost. Or maybe coy? Marinette was still too far to tell. Her eyes were also narrowed, but they also showed the opposite feeling as to what the expression should be showing.

"Well, we met when I was having trouble finding the school's location! We talked and hit it off real well. No big deal, but," Lila's eyes shifted, looking uncertain. At Alya's pressing, she seemed to relent and put her hand to the side of her face, like she was gonna whisper something really important that no one else could hear.

"Ladybug declared us best friends on the spot and took me to see all the sights of Paris! We hung out the rest of that day. We still keep in touch, because she gave me her phone number."

Alya's eyes lit up, sparking almost as bright when Nino got her a new camera for her birthday. Marinette was closer now, standing next to Ivan in the group.

He looked at her and his eyes narrowed sharply at her before looking confused and shaking his head. Marinette was also confused by this, but before she could ask if Ivan felt alright, she was pulled back to Lila talking about Ladybug.

Oh yeah, Marinette did not recognize her at all. And claiming a civilian as her best friend while in superhero form? That's so dangerous! Lila could get hurt! Hawkmoth could find out and use her as leverage for her miraculous! Marinette's job is to protect this city, not to abuse her ability and get people in harm's way!

Seething at this point, Marinette stepped closer to tell Lila that isn't true! Ladybug would never put a civilian in potential danger by telling them that they're best friends! It's bad enough Alya runs into the fights to get the best possible angles for the blog! Adding another person to the constantly in danger list, Ladybug is gonna have to start taping them both somewhere safe and where they can't get hurt.

"Ladybug and I? Are like this" Lila crossed her fingers, looking directly into Alya's phone camera.

How dare she use Ladybug's image for her own popularity! Boosting her own image with lies no less! Marinette loathes liars.

And this one was about to be put in her place.

That was, until someone tripped her as she slowly pushed through the crowd of her friends. Stumbling back from the crowd, Marinette caught herself, confusion quickly writing off her anger.

Lila had stopped talking about Ladybug at this point, and Marinette had decided to talk to Tikki about this. She had forgotten to check on her anyway.

After finding a secluded part of the grounds with only a few minutes before classes started again, she pulled her purse and let Tikki out with an "all clear".

"Tikki? What was that about? The food Lila brought?" Marinette held it in her hand, giving the now calm kwamii a better look.

"Marinette! Why do you still have that, what if you eat it! That's no good, you won't be yourself!" Tikki cried, darting to the treat and throwing it away immediately.

"What's wrong with it Tikki, that's why I kept it!" Marinette held her hand out to the kwamii, impling for Tikki to rest in her hand, but it went unnoticed.

"That food will make you not yourself! Your truths will be twisted into lies and your color scheme! Terrible!" Tikki had that look in her eyes again, and lunch was almost over now.

"Tikki, what do you mean by that?" Marinette was downright worried now, and Tikki talking about this made her more and more scared of Lila by the minute. What if Lila not being human was true?

"What I mean, Marinette, is that Lila somehow infused the food with something that changes people, makes them more fake, prone to lying. I haven't seen magic like this in along time, and I thought the family that could make such a thing was long gone. Now I believe that they just went into hiding. I have to tell him about this." Tikki went on. Marinette was still confused. Hidden family line thought to be dead? Food magic? Him? Who's him?

Before Marinette could ask further, the bell had rung and they were out of time. Tikki flew back into Marinette's purse and the end of the day was coming.

"You better answer the rest of my questions, Tikki. This is not over!"

Marinette trudged back into class, gearing up to finish the rest of the school day.

-~-~-~

Walking out of the school building, way after the bell because she had things to do in the art room, Marinette wondered at how a normal day had gotten so strange.

Outside was peaceful, it was normal, and that was comforting. The only thing to make it even more normal is that an akuma attack will happen later today at a real inconvenient time.

But today's strangeness of a cars flying overhead and disappearing as it hit the school and other buildings is apparently not over.

Already tense and thinking of where to transform, Marinette's sense of duty came full force. Running back into the school as a normal civilian, and running out mere seconds later as the red and spotted black clad heroine of Paris, the signature yo - yo snagging itself onto a building launching the teen into the air to land near the direction of the disappearing flying cars, she looked around.

"What?" Ladybug said, blinking. Nothing was happening. No more cars, no rampaging person decked out in some wacky emotion suit, and no noise. Where is the akuma? There is no way those cars were an illusion.

Feet padded behind her and stopped next to her, and Ladybug smiled. Her partner in heroics, Chat Noir, has arrived.

"Meowch, M'Lady, can we ever get a break? Not that I don't mind, spending time with you is everything I want and more." Chat Noir winked.

"Flirt later, Chat Noir. I saw cars flying, but there's nothing here - no yelling, no destroyed buildings, no one seems affected by whatever is happening. Whatever is happening, we have to stay focused." Surveying the scene once more, she nodded and Chat Noir followed her motions.

Then, once again out of nowhere, a bus was flying into view, towards the two. Yo - yo already swinging, arm twitching to hold close Chat Noir, Ladybug waited.

And that waiting went null when someone in orange flew in, and stopped the bus mid air. What, wait?

Is that a flute?

"Who - " Ladybug said out loud, yo - yo stopping its momentum. Looking closer, she could figure out a fox theme.

But the strange thing was that the girl looked like Dora and Swiper had a baby.

Nah, needs a blue mask to fit more of her father's side. The unprompted thoughts that sounded eerily like her partner almost made her laugh out loud, and in the world outside her mind, only a small smile formed.

Being skeptical was the least of her worries.

Chat Noir looked equally stunted as to what just happened.

"What just..." His voice trailed off, head tilting a bit. Then he smiled widely. "A new hero! Let's go introduce ourselves!"

Taking a moment longer, the bad feeling resurfaced. It felt familiar. Where has Ladybug felt this before?

"Yeah, but remember, we don't know where the akuma is, we have to - " and he's gone, and talking to her. Okay then.

"Hello! I'm the ever famous Chat Noir, sure you've heard. Welcome to the team what's your hero name?" He held his hand out, but the girl flew back a bit. She's still flying, right.

She didn't take his hand, but she did answer his question.

"I am Volpina, a pleasure to meet the heroes of Paris. Glad to be part of the duo." Volpina smiled, yet it didn't seem real. That bad vibe Ladybug felt earlier now rang clearly in her mind. It's like Lila's. What is up with today? Wait, we're wasting time. Where's the akuma?

"Sorry to cut introductions short, but where's the akuma? Since you've probably battled it already." Ladybug waved her way into the conversation, hitting the question on her bluntly.

Volpina looked a bit irritated, but answered nonetheless. "I defeated it already, no need to get snappy, Bug." She huffed and waited for Ladybug's response.

"Then where's the akuma? You can't let it roam free, unless you weren't here for the Stoneheart incident, the akuma can multiply and cause more havoc." Ladybug stressed this as calm and as nicely as she could. This probable recklessness could only be caused by someone who is new to Paris and the akuma's.

"Yup. I cleansed the akuma, I'm not reckless. Is that what you're implying?" The two glared at each other. Chat, on the other hand, completely ignoring the growing animosity, grew excited because Ladybug wasn't the only one with the ability to cleanse akumas!

"Bugaboo, you're not the only one now! Isn't that cool?" Ladybug stood, face morphing into one of shock. There was no way someone else could have the same power.

"Hey," Chat Noir placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her, "Are you okay?" Ladybug shook her head, waving him off. Taking a few steps back to gather herself, the spotted heroine squared her shoulders, and gave a two salute.

"I'm fine, Chat Noir, just surprised. Now since there is no akuma, I better be off. We have patrol tonight, don't forget. Bug out!" Jogging to the edge of the roof, Ladybug swung her yo - yo and went home, more questions than ever burning in her mind.

-~-~-~

Sitting down at her desk, in the middle of her homework, Marinette decided to take a break.

Going over the day's events multiple times is probably a bad idea, but no one can stop an overactive mind.

"Hey, Tikki, I can't be replaced, right? Like, there's only one like, you, right? In terms of creation or uh, cleansing akuma? I, this is my job. It's my duty, I can't just be overshadowed like that, right?" Marinette rambled on. Being Ladybug and protecting the people is her job. Her duty is to protect Paris and stop Hawkmoth, which, strangely, they haven't really dug into.

It's not like she'll get her first clue by finding a book about Tikki that leads her right to more miraculous and Hawkmoth's identity, then get thrown off his trail because he manages to trick them.

Anyway, finding Hawkmoth should really be a more pressing fight.

"Trust me, Marinette, you're right in that this makes no sense. The fox miraculous is illusions, not creation." Tikki explained.

That reassured Marinette a bit. Good to know - wait. "Miraculous? Volpina is a miraculous user? Illusions?" Tikki flew in front of Marinette, ready to tell her more.

"Well, yes, that is true. The fox tail is her necklace, and her weapon of choice is a flute. All I'm going to tell you is to take this slow. Be suspicious, but be accepting. We do not know what's to come of this." Tikki withheld information about the guardian. He needs to explain himself, because this, surely, is a disastrous move.

"Thank you for the information Tikki, it makes me feel a lot better." Marinette scratched to top of Tikki's head, much to the kwamii's delight.

"Marinette! Your homework! You can't go out without finishing it." Marinette gwahed and spun in her chair, getting right back to the forgotten homework. Patrol isn't until way later anyway, but having it done before she left is preferable.

After finishing, Marinette worked on a few sketches and designs, and reminded herself to bring the girls over to properly model them. Marinette alone would not work for these types of clothes.

Marienette was working in peace and music, lost in her designs, didn't notice that time had passed all too quickly. The only indication to show she wasn't going to show up to patrol late was the reminder she set on her phone.

Which went off. It cut off the newest album of Jagged's and filled the room with her gag custom alarm: Alya telling her to get her sleepyhead off the bed and head to school. Sure this wasn't school and Marinette wasn't sleeping, but it was a good sound, and it did help more often than not.

Alya joked about getting the others as a ringtone too, and Marinette was laughing too hard to realize if her friend was actually joking or not.

Marinette dropped her sketchbook and called on Tikki. She sped off into the night, awaiting what was probably the only normal thing to happen today. And to tell Chat Noir her findings. He needs to know this too.

Ladybug arrived at their usual meet up spot to find Chat Noir already there, along with suspicion of the day, Volpina.

Ladybug cursed her luck. Of course she had to blurt out patrol was tonight. Of course Volpina would want to tag along. Now Ladybug has to separate the fox from the two of them so she could safely tell Chat her suspicions.

But how was she to do it? She couldn't leave Volpina alone. If she did, that would be a bad move on her part. She could wreak havoc and it'd be all her fault.

Telling Chat Noir has to come later. After patrol ends, maybe.

"Okay, Volpina, since you're new, Chat and I will show you the ropes. Let's start on the lighter side of town, sounds good?" Ladybug said, clapping her hands together. Volpina nodded and Chat voiced confirmation.

"You got it, Ladybug." Ladybug stopped at that, looking at her partner strangely. Chat never called her Ladybug unless the situation was extremely dire, or if he was upset.

She moved closer to him, letting Volpina lead the way a bit, and asked what's wrong. Chat reassured her that he's fine, just a long day, and Ladybug decided not to push further.

Jumping to the next building, Chat Noir had faltered a bit, and when Ladybug went to catch him, he disappeared right in front of her eyes. Ladybug shrieked and scrambled back. She eyed her hands, scared to think that she could do that to her partner.

Chat Noir just poofed from existence, right in front of her.

"Chat! Chat Noir, where did you go!" Ladybug yelled, frantically looking around for him. It was like he wasn't here in the first place.

Almost as if he was an illusion.

Ladybug's eyes narrowed as her fists clenched. She spun back around, yo - yo in hand, winding up to spin it as a shield.

"Volpina! What did you do to my partner! Where is Chat Noir!" For a beat, no one answered. More seconds ticked by, again, no answer. The night was quiet. No one else was here besides herself.

Where did Volpina go?

"Don't worry, Chat. No matter where you are, I will find you. Count on it." Ladybug told the empty roof. Not letting her guard down, ladybug slowly turned a full three sixty, to still find nothing.

"Where did you go, you thieving fox fraud!" Ladybug taunted, seeing if riling the girl up could make her appear.

"Ouch, insulting someone you don't know?" A sneer in the darkness around her. It worked!

"Some hero of Paris you are. Surrender now, Ladybug, or I'll gladly have fun using force!" Volpina gave Ladybug no time to reply, lunging and tackling her to the ground. Grunting from hitting the ground, Ladybug pushed against the fox, using all she could to get out from under her.

"Where is my partner, Volpina! What do you want from us!" Ladybug was able to slide her legs and kick her away. Scrambling to get up, the teen was able to block the next hit and land her own.

"Partner? What partner. I bet he's off with a fake you I made. He's always been dimmer than the rest." That set Ladybug's blood boiling. She swung the yo - yo to try and immobilized her.

"Chat Noir is not stupid! He already knows that one is a fake! Call him stupid again and you'll regret ever wearing the fox miraculous!" Volpina dodged the yo - yo, instead grabbing it and pulling the hero towards her.

Ladybug flew forward and latched herself onto the villain. "How would you know, Bug? Having too much of blind trust is bad, you know. Shameful, really."

Volpina sneered again, struggling to claw the girl off. Stupid pest.

"I'm going to ask you one last time, Volpina. What," Ladybug was thrown off, yet she caught herself on the way down. She quickly threw her yo - yo at Volpina's feet, and it snagged perfectly.

Volpina fell hard, a loud thud as she made contact on the roof. Man, Ladybug really hopes no one lives in the building right now. Is this even a residence?

"What do you want from us!" Ladybug held a secure grip on the string, rendering Volpina imobile.

"What does anyone who attacks you want? And here I thought you were the brains of the duo." Volpina tried to break the yo - yo string, and when she realized that doesn't actually work, she reached for her flute.

Ladybug tugged at the string again, and the flute fell from reach. "Oh no you don't. Why do you want our miraculous? You have your own. Unless you work for Hawkmoth, then you need to hand over yours." Ladybug tugged her a little closer, thinking of a way to take the necklace off her.

"What? You think I have the fox miraculous?" Volpina laughed hysterically, body shaking and tears almost ran down her face.

Confused, Ladybug's grip loosened ever so slightly.

If she wasn't a miraculous holder, then what was she?

"My family hasn't seen it in decades! Ever since the fall of the temple, we've been cut off. This cheap piece of plastic junk comes from the Agreste's new line. I saw it, it reminded me of what I lost, and I got it. Too bad it's been tainted now." Volpina smiled devilishly. In that moment, she really did look like a fox. Ladybug's grip faltered, and the fox took that chance to get herself untangled.

"I do love the power though. It's really making me feel foxy." Volpina laughed again, and raised her flute. A tune came out, and Ladybug was surrounded by tons and tons of missiles.

"I know those are illusions, Volpina! You don't scare me!" Ladybug's yo - yo swung, taking out all it touched out of existence. The enemy before her only smiled.

Then, to Ladybug's shock, a neon purple butterfly appeared on Volpina's face. It clicked right then and there just who Volpina was.

"You're not a miraculous user, you're an akumatized victim!" But who was her unakumatized form? It has to be someone she doesn't know or someone she just met - Ladybug's eyes widened. Lila Rossi.

Ladybug made a quick mental note to look at Alya's blog post later.

"Lila! So that's why there was no akuma causing immediate damage - it was you!" Lila laughed at the heroine, finally glad the pieces were put together.

"Too late now Bug, I've been called back, ta ta, until next time." Lila flew up and away, not caring about the shouts of Ladybug under her.

Ladybug swung her yo - yo one last time, but Volpina knew it was coming and swung it away. By the time she tried again, Lila was gone.

Ladybug was now alone again. The new information weighed heavily on her mind. Tikki has a lot of explaining to do, again. And maybe show her who exactly, gave her the miraculous.

Chat Noir had left her mind completely after what Lila told her, and it wasn't until Ladybug realized she was alone again that she stumbled and panicked.

"Dial him. Come on come on, pick up, Chaton. I need to know if you're safe." Nothing.

Call him again. No answer. Panic slowly rose to new heights. One more time, please. Ladybug trembled where she stood, not wanting her partner to be hurt. Or worse.

A click, and her heart soared. He answered!

He sounded groggy, like he'd been sleeping.

"M'Ladybug? What's going on?" Chat listened hollowly to Ladybug asking him where he was, too tired to recognize her tone. After telling her he was at the Eiffel Tower, she told him she'll be there soon and the call ended.

As he waited for her, he realized he was still drowsy, and he tried to fight it, to wait for Ladybug, but he soon fell under again. His lady will wake him up when she gets here. He knows she will. She is gentle with him, after all.

Minutes after Chat Noir fell asleep again, Ladybug landed on the tower, scanning for him. Once she did, she ran over to him, only to stop herself from hugging him when she saw he was asleep.

"Oh, Chat," She murmured. "I have to tell you something, wake up." She put her hand in his hair, softly rubbing it, trying to rouse him. He only curled closer, rubbing what he can against her hand.

Like a cat. "Darn it, Chat Noir, no time for being a silly kitty, I have important information to share with you." She poked his nose next, which, this time, seemed to stir him.

He hummed before responding. "Is that an angel? Have I died and was gifted the most beautiful angel there is?" Ladybug snorted at his remark. Always a flirt.

"No Chaton, not an angel, a ladybug." Ladybug waited for him to fully wake up to resume what she came to see him for.

To reassure her that he's here, in flesh and blood, and to relay him information as to what she just found out.

"Chat Noir, Volpina isn't who she says she is, or what she didn't deny." Chat Noir perked up at that, face becoming a mixture of curiosity and seriousness.

"Volpina is an akuma, and her real name is Lila Rossi. I don't know the timeframe where or how she got akumatized, but it had to be earlier than when we met her today. In the morning maybe, because she offered food and my kwamii went crazy. If she offers you food, do not eat it."

Ladybug looked as Chat's face slowly showed fear. He was quiet, and his words quieter.

"That has already happened, My Lady. What happens now?" His shoulders stiff, head down, ears and tail curled, swishing a bit harshly, Chat gave off a feeling of pure terror.

He didn't know what was so bad about the food, but being told it was laced with something a kwamii didn't like made it all the worse. Plagg was asleep at that point, so neither of them knew.

"Oh, Minou, everything will be alright, trust me." Ladybug softly told him. The miraculous had to protect against things like this, right? Or at least slow it down to the point it wears off?

"But what about the others? What happens now?" The question hung in the air, slowly becoming suffocating.

"I think it's tied to her akuma, though I don't know how. As for the others, I still have no idea. Maybe once we get to Volpina, we'll find out more. If only there was someone who could help us with this." Ladybug told him.

"Yeah. Right now it's just you and me. Though I can't say I'm too mad at that aspect, days like this really remind how alone we are in being heroes." Chat Noir didn't look at her as he said this, and instead looked at the lights below them.

The city they were chosen to protect. Kids, no doubt about it, they were practically children, and they were passed on godly creatures to protect the people.

Chat still doesn't know how to place this feeling. He loves being free, able to escape his civilian life, he can finally choose with his heart instead of his mind.

Yet.

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug's question drew him out of his thoughts. He looked over at her, and saw the look on her face, and his heart squeezed. He's only seen that face once before. When they first became heroes - Stoneheart, the first day of school.

Wow, how they've both changed.

"Yes, My Lady?"

Ladybug looked at him, then away. She looked back, and stared at him. Her breath caught. She shouldn't be feeling this way just by looking at him, but right now, he looked gorgeous.

It was well past sunset, and the lights of the city glowing a tinted orange, perfectly complementing his hair, his eyes a light emerald, and the way he focused just on her.

"I... Uh yeah. I - do you think..." Breathe, Ladybug. She took a small moment to resist touching his hair he may be themed after a cat but he isn't one... Don't. Pet.

"About Volpina. There was something else she told me. It just didn't bug me until a few moments ago, but I think it's some new information." Lila knows more about the origin of the miraculous than the duo did, and anything she says may help in the future.

"Lila, she knows about the miraculous. She mentioned something about a temple going down and her being a descendant of a line who did wield miraculous. Hawkmoth knows about it too, and there's no doubt he's going to use her." The new information seemed to make Chat deflate a little.

"So he has more of an advantage over us. How clawable." Chat laughed softly at his own joke, but it was more empty than normal.

"I know it seems bad, but we'll win. Chat Noir, we haven't been taken down yet, so let's keep fighting, and do our own research." Ladybug said, fist in front of her, waiting for Chat.

He smiled in return, and fist bumped her. "It's you and I against the world, Ladybug."

They looked at each other, fondness, happiness, and hope in their eyes. Silence entered the air again, and it was a comfortable one.

Sadly, it was time to go. The pair bid goodbye after a little while longer at the Eiffel Tower, both of them ready to take on the next day.

Their goal unsaid but set in stone, the heroes rise.

-~-~-~

The next day, the weekend came, and so did Marinette's makeshift plan beginning to form. Talking to Tikki came first, then helping her parents in the bakery. The leftover freetime she'd get would be spent making a base for her plan, whatever it would form to be.

"Tikki, you awake? I need to tell you what happened last night." Marinette proceeded to climb from her bed onto her floor and sit at her desk.

"I'm right here, Marinette!" Tikki called out, and settled down on the desk.

So Marinette proceeded to properly freak out while explaining patrol last night. And swiftly avoiding the stare at Chat part. Marinette was drowsy when she thought that. Nothing more would come from it.

"Wait wait, Marinette! Lila claimed to know of the temple? That's not a good thing, because Hawkmoth will get information from her, and maybe any spellbooks that she owns! The master has to know immediately!" Tikki rushed from her spot, and Marinette exclaimed in surprise, calling out to Tikki, who was close to phasing through the wall.

"Master? Spellbooks? Tikki what are you going about? What's going on?" There's more real magic than kwamii's? Tikki has a master? Is that where she was before she came to be with Marinette?

"Marinette, all of it is so much to explain, but I don't think you can see him right now. We will have to see him later, and trust me, you will know what you need to." Tikki said, flying around Marinette and not stopping.

"Get ready, Marinette, today we have things to do!" Tikki then pushed Marinette to get up, and Marinette laughed the whole way.

After helping her parents for the rest of the morning, Marinette grabbed her sketchbook and headed to the park. The park was a place where she usually sketched for fun rather than her more favorite areas for a serious design.

Getting lost in the sketchbook, Marinette didn't notice when more people came into the park. The voices were far away and muffled at first, but as they edged closer to the bench Marinette was drawing at, they became more clearer and recognizable.

"Oh shut up! You can't do anything but get on my nerves and be overtly aggressive!" Alya's voice rang out, and Marinette looked up, stunned.

"Well maybe I can stop if you quit being so loud all the time! The only reason we're even here is because Lila called us out here, so grin and bear it, crazy!" Nino's voice replied, and that was so out of character for the two Marinette swiveled to see where they were.

Alya and Nino were dating, they loved each other! What happened to them? Marinette scanned the park for her friends, spotting them alone and by the water fountain.

Were they wearing akuma purple? What is going on? Wait, Nino mentioned Lila, where was she? This might be her chance to get close to Lila.

Alya and Nino continued to squabble, and say some really mean things to each other. Marinette couldn't stand what has become of them. Could the food Lila gave them really have done this much damage? The two are complete opposites now.

Marinette involuntary shivered, thinking if Tikki hadn't stopped her, she would be exhibiting the same things before inevitably being pulled from it by Tikki.

"Guys! I'm here now! Haven't been doing anything bad while I was gone, have you?" Lila called the pair from their side of the park. Nino and Alya stopped yelling to cheerfully call back, before glancing and scowling at each other.

Marinette watched the three interact, horrified. What came next equally shocked her.

"Guys, I was able to get Mr. Agreste to call Adrien off for today, so the four of us can do whatever we want!" Lila smiled as she told them this, the two dumbfounded as to how Lila was able to do this.

"What?" Marinette whispered, also confused. Gabriel Agreste was infamous in the class for never letting Adrien have a full day without doing something for the brand. Lila being able to get away with this was, well, very suspicious. Was she able to feed Mr. Agreste her evil food too?

Does that mean the families and other friends of her classmates ate Lila's trick too? The thought put fear in the heroine's heart.

"Sadly, Adrien is meeting us at the theater. So let's go, you two, and don't yell my ear off with your fighting, you're a couple for goodness sake!" Lila snapped, and the two looked at her, and nodded.

They promptly walked off, and Marinette wanted to hit something in anger. How dare Lila do that! She was the one who did this to them in the first place.

"If only." She seethed. And there went Marinette's chances, because she doesn't have money to follow them into the theater.

The miraculous protected her and Chat. If only her class had them too, then they won't be so affected by this.

Marinette directed her focus on her sketchbook again, and lost herself in it, drawing a certain cat over and over again. Her anger was fading, and she hummed happily.

That was, until she was interrupted the second time that day, by the nuisances of her life before Lila.

Chole huffed before addressing the girl. "Dupain - Cheng! Took me forever to find you, be grateful my legs hurt from walking so much."

Marinette didn't want to hear it. So she ignored Chloe in hopes to continue what she was doing.

"Don't ignore me Dupain - Cheng! You'll regret it!" Chloe stomped her foot, and Marinette rolled her eyes. Where has she heard that one before?

"Sabrina! The box, now!" Sabrina came up in front of Marinette, sitting next to her while Chloe stood behind the bench.

Marinette eyes the box, confused as to why Chloe would gift her anything other than harsh words.

"A gift? What do you want, Chloe?" Marinette looked at her, searching her face for answers.

"Open it and find out for yourself. It wasn't by me, it just," narrowing her eyes, Chloe looked away from Marinette, "landed in my possession."

Glaring now, Marinette took the box from Sabrina with a small thank you and knew that Chloe took it from someone.

"Then where did you get it, Chloe? Who was it from?" She held the small box in both her hands, a yellow honeycomb patterned box with black outlining the pattern, and it had a plaid blue and purple ribbon holding the box closed.

"From your friends of course," Chloe snorted at saying friends, Sabrina laughing along.

"We saw - well, I saw, your friends walking around some jewelry stores a couple weeks ago. And when we constantly stalked them to see what they would get you, and instead of buying something from a store, they got this necklace from an old man in a hawaiin shirt - we took it right from them! Then this happened, so I don't think they'd notice we took it anyway." Sabrina explained, much to Marinette's shock.

Her friends? Buy her jewellery? For what? Who exactly was in on this? Looking down and untying the ribbon, ignoring the annoyance at the two stealing a gift meant for her, and opened the box.

"Why are you giving this to me? Don't you hate me?" Marinette was still so, so, so very confused. She closed the box again before looking, wanting an answer.

"We have a common enemy, Dupain - Cheng. Rossi has caused havoc over the literal two days she's been here. Or have you not noticed the state the class is in? Even a few extras from outside of school and in other homerooms,"

"So you're regifting me a stolen gift meant for me? As a truce?" Marinette did not want Chloe's help, but if she and Sabrina are the only two not under Lila's influence, Marinette would be forced to make do.

"You are correct. So truce or not? I don't have all day." Chloe crossed her arms, examining her nails.

"I, yeah, sure, Chloe. We have a truce." Marinette couldn't register the voice as hers when she said it. Her, working side by side with Chloe? This has to be some type of fever dream.

What does Chloe get out of this anyway?

Before Marinette could ask, Chloe told Sabrina they were leaving, ignoring the shouts Marinette gave as they left to come back and answer her questions!

Left alone for the second time today, Marinette held the necklace box in her hands. Opening it again, fully and setting the lid on top of her closed sketchbook, Marinette peered at the gift.

Marinette gasped in delight. It looked so pretty! (a little weirdly designed, but still pretty) And it was Ladybug and Chat Noir themed!

It was a silver oval piece, with the front side having a green paw print with a black outline for Chat and five black spots, two on each side of the paw print and one on the paw print to resemble Ladybug. Red and green jewels were scattered about it. On the back were just the words of the famous catchphrase "pound it" engraved on the back.

Marinette looked for a note, some explanation as to why, but found none. Chloe must've taken it and thrown it away. Or they were gonna tell her in person what it meant.

Marinette put it on, picked up the box and sketchbook, and headed home, wanting to tell Tikki about what just happened.

A starting friendship for one, and maybe getting to see the master faster than later.