Word count: 1760 words

A/N: Hey guys, sorry this one took so long! I like to write the next chapter before I upload one so that I know I'm ahead and have a chapter to fall back on if needed. I just finished writing Chapter 23 (2000 words long, btw) and boy was it fun!

Can you guess what happens 🤭
I'm so excited for you to read this chapter and the next one too!

Enjoy!

Adrien's Point of View

Resting my chin on top of the palm of my hand, my elbow propped up on the science desk.

This classroom set up allowed me to stare at the gorgeous bluenette in front of me as she giggled quietly with Alya, keeping a close eye on Ms Mendeleiev as she strolled around the classroom.

Ladybug and I have fought against a few more akuma's since the day I accidentally found out her identity. I couldn't believe how amazing she was at living this double life. I was certain that she was scratched off of my 'who is Ladybug' list because of how accident-prone and shy she was.

Oh shit. She caught me staring at the back of her head. Her bluebell eyes twinkled as her cheeks became rosy. Quickly looking away, I tried to hide my smile. She sure is special.

"Nathaniel!" I almost jumped out of my seat as Ms Mendeleiev's voice came sharply, "What are you drawing?" Her long nose was scrunched up underneath her thin glasses as her beady eyes looked down onto the red head. Poor guy.

She picked up the page that he was working on, "And these artistic endeavours are clearly why you are failing science." She slammed the piece of paper back on his desk.

Nathaniel flinched, "I'm sorry, Miss."

She didn't hesitate to send him off to Mr Damocles office. As he got up, picking his sketchbook up and holding it close to his chest, his red hair covered his eyes from the rest of the class.

He wasn't watching where he was going, and tripped over Mylene's bag next to her desk, practically throwing his sketchbook into Chloe's lap. Please be nice, Chloe. I hoped, knowing that it was hopeless. She was a nasty human being. Of course she was going to pick on Nathaniel when he was low.

"Ooh! Look, Sabrina!" She exclaimed, showing the sketches in his sketchbook to not just Sabrina, but the whole class. "It's him as a superhero! And look who he's saving. It's Marinette!"

Of course I was going to have to compete for her. She's beautiful. Of course Nathaniel has a crush on her too. She was mine first though!

"Uh-" Marinette made a sound before Chloe cut her off, "He's so totally crushing on you, Marinette!"

Nathaniel snatched his sketchbook out of Chloe's hands before running out of the room, a cynical laugh from the blonde following him.

Third Person Point of View

Hawkmoth felt the negative energy run through him. It vibrated in his bones and made his body warm. "Ahhh..." he sighed, "Artists can be so emotional. I love it."

He summoned a butterfly into his palm before transforming it into a dark entity. "Fly to him, my little akuma." He instructed, "Draw him into our evil web!"

***
Nathaniel ran down the corridors of his school. His haste however, caused him to drop his pencil. Going to pick it up, a dark cloud encased around it and Nathaniel heard a dark voice in his head.

"Aren't you tired of having your creative spirit crushed? Evillustrator, I'm your friend and patron of the arts. I'm here to offer you support. But I don't give this kind of power for free. I have a couple of items that need retrieving." A vision of Ladybug's and Cat Noir's Miraculouses appeared in his head

"Let's design this master plan of yours," Nathaniel smiled as a cloud of darkness consumed him, transforming him into the Evillustrator.

Knowing that there was a study period for the year ten cohort around about now, Evillustrator made his way to the library, seeking the blonde headed cow that ruined his chances with Marinette, embarrassing him like that.

Walking on the top floor of the library and looking down into the space below, the Evillustrator found himself a good vantage point. He could have noticed the blonde from a mile away. Her obnoxious voice created tension within the room as everyone stayed silent, trying to hear what inconvenience she was rambling about now. Something about berets.

The new villain grinned, before articulating the shape of the aforementioned hat and summoning dozens of them to fall on to Chloe's head.

She cried. "Not my hair!"

Hastily drawing a hairdryer, the Evillustrator summoned it to mess her hair up more, hitting her where it hurts the most. Just like she did to him. Oh, it was good to see Chloe suffer the way she makes other people suffer. Even if it wasn't as emotionally degrading as he wanted.

Ladybug's Point of View

Jumping into the ginormous hairdryer that appeared out of thin air, I yelled out to Chloe
"Run and hide!"

As the blonde ran away, another one showed up by my side, "I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation." Cat Noir grinned,

I tried not to smile. He didn't need any more encouragement, "Fewer puns, more action."

After a failed attempt to destroy the horse sized hairdryer on Cat Noirs part, I threw my yo-yo towards a pillar and created a leverage point for me to pull the hairdryer down towards the ground. Cat Noir's struck the weapon with his baton and it disintegrated in a cloud of blue pixels.

"That guy looks a bit sketchy," Cat Noir mused, directing his attention to the top floor of the library where an akumatised villain clad in white lycra stood still, pen and tablet in hand.

"Is that Nathaniel?" I asked,

Cat groaned.

Cat Noir's Point of View

How come she can recognise that that's Nathaniel under the mask and not me under this one?

I ran towards him, frustration coursing through me. Not seeing the wall of clear glass that he drew, I slammed straight into it.
"Ow," I groaned, "my whiskers." I rubbed my nose gingerly.

"Watch where your going next time, silly cat." She ruffled my blonde locks as she used her to-yo to break the glass wall.

"Where did he go?" She asked.

"I don't know, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point." I chuckled a little, chucking a side wink at my superhero partner.

She rolled her eyes at me, a laughing smile on her face. "We need to go to the source of his anger." She started,

"Chloe." We stated in unison. "She's always involved somehow, isn't she?" Ladybug asked as we made our way out of the library.

***

"It seems this Evillustrator's targeting you specifically, Chloé. Any idea why?" I asked, arms folded in front of my chest, waiting for her usual answer of everyone loving her.

"No." She cried, "Everyone adores me." I tried to hold back the eye roll that so desperately wanted to surface.

Ladybugs Point of View

I scoffed, sarcasm dripped from my voice, "Yeah, because you're sooo adorable."

Chloe squealed, "Ladybug just said I'm adorable! I totally need a picture of the two of us together!" She proceeded to squish her face up next to mine as if we were besties for our entire lives and clicked the capture button on her phone.

I grumbled, as I tried to move away from the bully, "Ugh! That was unpleasant." I muttered under my breath, catching a glimpse of a piece of paper on the ground. It was Nathaniel's drawing. But she drew all over it. Anger bubbles inside me.

How can she be so disrespectful?!

"Well, I look great, of course," she grinned, "but your smile is all wonky. I'll take another!" Before she could take another selfie, I walked towards the balcony door, "That's it. Let's go."

I tried to pull Cat Noir's hand towards the exit. He grabbed my hand tighter pulling me back, "Look Mar-Ladybug," he started, " I know she's a little insensitive and self absorbed but what if the Evillustrator attacks her again?"

She kind of deserves it. "I just can't be here anymore Cat. It's always her that has a hand in the initiating of the akuma. If you knew her in real life, you would know that it's so hard to save her from the villains she creates when she is one of the villains in my everyday life." I stood strong, "She doesn't deserve my help. And she doesn't deserve yours either. If you wanna stay and play babysitter, be my guest." And with that, I left.

I landed on top of the trapdoor in my bedroom before detransforming and throwing my small money purse onto my bed in exasperation. Tikki cried out in pain before scolding me, "Hey!"

"I'm sorry Tikki," I apologised in a soft voice before picking up my kwami and absentmindedly stroking her back. " It's just Chloe. She fires up this little red bug too easily."

"Well simmer down!" Her high pitched voice instructed, "A hot head isn't going to get you anywhere!"

Suddenly there was a knock at my window. The Evillustrator was on my balcony.

Before I could figure out if I should open the window to see what he wants or leave him outside, he erased the structure of my window and jumped inside.

Regaining my cool as I reminded myself that I'm Marinette now I mumbled, "It's you! From the library! What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you." His eyes were full of adoration. Creepy, but okay. "Why did you attack Chloé?"

"Why didn't I attack Chloe? She's cruel and selfish. I can't stand her!"

Can't argue with that.

I tried to play on the shy Marinette persona that I have when I'm not around akumatised villains, "Are you going to hurt me?"

The Evillustrator scoffed, "You? You're Marinette! You're beautiful and sweet and you're perfect. I could never hurt you!"

I was stunned. Sure wasn't expecting that. "Wow...that's, uh... very, umm...flattering! Uh, thank you?"

"It's my birthday today," he started, "and I was just wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?"

"Oh," I stopped. Do I agree? What about Adrien? Oh god.

"Please Marinette," he begged, "I only have eyes for you, please."

"I don't know..." I dragged the last syllable out.

"Here," he quickly drew up an invitation, "just tick the box that says YES if you decide that you want to go." He smiled, "I'll know if you're coming or not, then."

"Uhh, okay."

His smile was huge as he crawled out of the window he destroyed. I'm going to be colder now that there is more airflow.

Now the only question remains.

What do I do?

Don't forget to vote! 🤗🤗