Manυĸą~

Chapter One (Trailer)

It had been a year since Shadow Moth had stolen the Miracle Box and all its miraculous from Ladybug and started calling himself Monarch. For Adrien, he started experiencing a lot more freedom. Ever since he got the courage to speak up to his father, things seemingly started to change. He was able to quit modelling, but his father did create a virtual avatar image of him as well as Lila Rossi for a new product for the Agreste brand: Alliance. The holographic ring that replaces your phone, Alliance can do it all: manage your appointments, navigate as GPS, post to social media for you, and more. All with his and Lila’s faces.

If he was being honest it made him uncomfortable. That sort of publicity is exactly what Adrien was trying to avoid when he quit modelling. But his father reassured him, reminding him of all the time he’ll have now to spend with his friends like he always wanted. His father even had more time to spend with him and Nathalie since Alliance was pushed out.

What the summer would soon reveal was that Adrien would be spending most of his newly acquired free time – both from quitting his father’s brand and summer break from school – as Chat Noir, fighting Monarch’s new miraculous-wielding villains with Ladybug.

Except, they never had the miraculous on them.

It was thanks to Nino they discovered that magic lightning bolts – invisible to the naked human eye – were probably responsible for Monarch’s new ability to transfer the power of the miraculous.

Nino…

It was shortly after Ladybug had become the Guardian – and just shortly before Monarch stole the Miracle Box – that Nino had told Adrien that he was Carapace and Alya was Rena Rouge.

He was happy for his friends, but was jealous Ladybug allowed them to know each other’s secret identities. He thought the rules she’d laid out to him had applied to everyone else with a miraculous, too.

But it was different for the wielders of the miraculous of creation and destruction, she’d explained to him. And he understood. It just wasn’t fair.

Even without a miraculous, Nino proved committed to Ladybug and Chat Noir. He started up the Resistance against Monarch, recruiting all their classmates and successfully captured a mega-akumatization on video, which was how they discovered the magic lightning bolts.

It still didn’t explain how Monarch was doing it, but it was something.

Marinette was actually the one who suggested Alya post their findings on the LadyBlog to ensure Ladybug and Chat Noir saw it. And it was her encouragement that gave him the confidence to speak up to his father.

She’s so amazing, Adrien thought.

It was all he could think about as he got ready for school that morning. He even drew her pigtails with a heart in the condensation of his bathroom mirror from his morning shower.

~~~

Luka x Adrien x Marinette

As Cat Noir, Adrien finds Tikki and figures out that Marinette is Ladybug....

Adrien's POV

"Plagg, claws in."

But she doesn't flinch or seem surprised or anything. Just says, "Adrien, I already know who you are."

I look down, realizing that detransforming was actually pointless, and now has only left me vulnerable, and I have no time to retransform bc Plagg has already flown over to Tikki and they're whispering to eachother.

I assume they wont share anything with me so I sink to the floor, sitting down against the door. But then..

"Adrien, you're not allowed to know Ladybug's identity, you know thats not what she wants."

"Thats what I've been trying to tell him," plagg chimes in.

I dont look up at them, I just sigh. I was so close; I thought I was going to find her finally.

"Its too dangerous you know that," tikki speaks again. I try to protest but she cuts me off. "Don't," she says. "Now i have to find Mari- Ma- M-My miraculous holder now."

And its that. Her hesitation. The name she stutters on that makes me jump to my feet.

"Its Marinette!" I exclaim. "Oh my gosh."

But Tikki doesnt say anything, and she just flies out, through the door, and I make another realization that I forgot kwamis did that. And Plagg is just staring at me.

I figure he's upset with me now, but he says "well, arent we gonna follow her?"

And that lifts my spirits. I nod, with hope in my eyes, then transform and run after Tikki, determined to find confirmation.

~•°•×•°•~

Marinette's POV

By now, my breathing has evened out, but I'm still exhausted from running all over the school. My throat is dry and I really need that water.

I'm about to get up to find some myself when Tikki flies in with a tiny water bottle yelling, "Adrien's coming!"

She tosses me the water bottle and I down it quickly and then get up to follow her into a closet on the other side of the room, but I see Cat Noir standing in the open doorway of the classroom.

"Oh! Cat Noir!" I say automatically.

Why did Tikki say Adrien was coming? Did she mean to say Cat Noir?

If Cat Noir is here then that must mean there's an akumatized victim, which means I need to transform, but Cat Noir is HERE. Why?

"Cat Noir! What are you doing here?" I try to act 'normal' like I normally do when I encounter him as myself.

But today he doesn't look like his usual confident self. He looks hesitant, like he wants to say something and he physically can't. But as soon as I realize this he shrugs off the state he was just in and says, "Marinette, Luka has been akumatized into Punk Rock, and he's hellbent on finding you, do you have any idea why he would be looking for you?"

I nod and reply, "He asked me out, tried to kiss me, and I rejected him."

Cat Noir seems amused by this and asks, "Why would you reject him?" He crosses his arms and gives me a funny look.

"Well, I..." I fold my arms, clutching myself uncomfortably, and mutter out "I have feelings for someone else."

"Ahhh," is all he says and then I imagine his brain go back on task. "Right, well you need to hide somewhere while Ladybug and I save the day as usual," then he looks away for a second and speaks under his breath, "just haven't heard from her at all, m'lady," looks back at me and says, "so please be safe."

Then he rushes out.

I look to Tikki and we both nod in agreement. Time to transform.

~°Π•*×*•Π°~

Adrien's POV

I run out of the room and then stop short by the side of the wall to know, just to know for sure, if she's really who i think she is. So I wait, and I listen.

At first I hear nothing, and I'm about to give up and run off to Luka when I hear, faintly:

"Tikki, spots on!....."

Cat Noir follows Punk Rock through school, who is looking for Marinette...

Adrien's POV

Luka is running through the halls with his guitar  now on his back, the neck looking like a sword. His appearance when he is akumatized is a black, gray and teal flannel, open in v-neck shape half-way down his chest, a leather jacket, leather pants, and a leather mask, along with some sort of leather boots. He seems to be shouting things. I only catch what he says when I get much closer to him, crouched on the school's open roof.

"Ohhh, Marinette," he sings, "come out, come out, wherever you are." He pulls out his guitar and strums it violently, the sound waves visible and when it hits the students, they freeze until Luka says, "Find me Marinette!" and then they follow his command.

So what I've gathered is that his power is making people his slaves, and his guitar is his weapon, and the akuma is in the guitar pick he uses to strum. Only thing is, I don't know where he puts it when he's not holding it. Maybe one of his pockets?

I jump from the roof and use my staff to helicopter down and land right behind him, casually putting my staff over my right shoulder, holding it with one hand.

"Hey, Luka, looking for Marinette? I saw her go that way." And I point behind me with my staff.

He turns around and when he sees me, he strums again, and I jump over him, landing behind him to avoid the sound waves. Then he runs in the direction I led him in.

"Where are you, Ladybug?" I mutter to myself.

~×*•°•*×~

Marinette's POV

I stop when I run out of breath, and I realize I'm in the music room now. Not a good hiding place given that Luka plays guitar. But I'm too exhausted to move.

I sit down on the floor against the wall across from the door and catch my breath. Tikki flies out of my bag.

"Marinette, are you alright?"

I nod, unable to reply because I'm too preoccupied focusing on my breathing.

"Wow, he really went a little crazy back there. He asked you out, and even tried to kiss you!"

"I know," I choke out. I rest my head agaijst the wall and close my eyes, still breathing heavily.

I feel Tikki land on my shoulder. "I think you need some water," she says softly. "I'll go get some for you!" And she flies off faster than I realize that she can't be seen at school.

I open my eyes and reach out for her. "Tikki, wait! You can't-" But she's already gone. And due to my exhaustation, I only lean back and close my eyes again, trying to rest.

~•°•°×°•°•~

Adrien's POV

Still no sign of Ladybug, so I follow Luka down the hall to the art rooms. Truth is, i had no idea where Marinette was, but I hoped she wasn't this way.

I heard a loud guitar strum and screaming come from the oil painting class and knew that that's where Luka was.

"Hey, Luka, why dont you turn it down so we can chit chat?" I say, putting my staff in front of me, using it to lean on casually.

He turns around with an evil look in his eyes. "I'm not Luka," he says readying his guitar, "I'm Punk Rock!" And then he strums at me.

I jump to the side, hiding behind a desk to dodge the sound waves. And then I see a small ladybug pattern flying through the hall, and I chase after it.

"Hey, come back here you coward!" Luka yells behind me, but his voice is drowned out by my heavy footsteps and shouting after the ladybug kwami.

"Hey!" I yell in between breaths. "Are you Tikki?"

At the sound of her name, she stops and looks at me and I hear her say my real name under her breath.

I run closer to her and try to grab her, but she slips from my fingers and flies into the classroom beside us. I run in after her and close the door behind me so she cant escape.

"You ARE Tikki" I say in amazement.

She nods, and her eyes are wide in fear. I notice now she's holding a mini water bottle, probably to bring back to Ladybug in her civilian form. And I realize that I could figure out who Ladybug is if I have her kwami. And Tikki already figured that out the moment I caught her, which is why she's looking at me in fear.

Adrien struggles with theories over Ladybug's identity. Luka gets akumatized....

Marinette's POV

Adrien catches me first in the morning, holding my history book. "Hey, Marinette, I found your--"

"There it is!" I blurt out. Surprisised by my loudness, I quickly retreat back into myself and stammer, "thanks, A-Adrien for...for finding it." I smile and my eyes dart everywhere but at him.

He hands it to me awkwardly, smiles, waves, and walks into class.

Feeling like an idiot after that interaction, I hide behind the book, clutching it to my chest, and walk into class behind Adrien. With my eyes closed, I run right into Luka, dropping my textbook and letting out a shriek.

Luka chuckles, picks it up and hands it to me, then puts his hand on my shoulder. "You're a silly girl, Marinette." Then he walks to his seat in the back.

I stand there staring at him, blinking obnoxiously, saying nothing when Alya comes up behind me, throws her arm over my shoulders and giggles out, "Girl, cmon." She takes us to our seats and the only way I get through the class is by hiding my face and avoiding eye contact.

~•°•×*ו°•~

Adrien's POV

After class I go to the bathroom and open my jacket for Plagg to fly out. He crosses his arms and stares at me. "Whats the problem, now?"

I shake my head in confusion. "I have to know who Ladybug is, now more than ever. and I have an idea of who it could be now."

"Really, who, Marinette?"

I put my hand to my chin. "Well after yesterday, I have my suspiciouns on Marinette, but she acts nothing like Ladybug. And I have no idea who else could be her." I sigh and put my head in my hands. And then I remember how we evaded Dark Owl. I jerk my head up, widen my eyes, and exclaim "Plagg! You have to tell me who she is!"

"Woah, woah." He puts his hands up to communicate that I was going to far, but I wasn't going to back down. "I can't do that. Tikki says it has to be a secret."

At this, my curiosity spikes. "Who's Tikki?"

"I've already said too much, Adrien!" He pouts and turns around. "Besides, you know Ladybug doesn't want you to know who she is."

I drop my head. "I know but..." I sigh. "You're right. Let's go."

~°•×*ו°~

Marinette's POV

Before the day ends, Luka finds me in the halls. He has a goofy grin on his face, promising to poke me where I'm vulnerable. He waves at me as he approaches.

"Hi, Luka," I say, pulling hair a piece of my hair back behind my ear, clutching to my textbook still, leaning against my locker.

He corners me there, putting one hand against the lockers, preventing my escape, and he looks down as if to muster up some courage before he says, "Marinette I want you to be my girlfriend." And before I can respond he's already leaning in.

I duck and slip ubder his arm to be out of his trap. "I'm... I'm sorry, Luka," I say, backing away from him now, "I have... I have f-feelings for someone else." And then I'm running, and I think I drop something.

~Π•°•°•Π~

Adrien's POV

I'm in the locker room when I hear him come in. It's Luka, he's angry, muttering horrible things about Marinette. I hide in my locker so he doesn't see me, and I look through the ridges to see what he does.

But then I see it: an akuma, flying behind Luka, heading straight for him, for what's in his hand. It's a guitar pick, I think, and I only recognize it bc i've seen Marinette with it before.

It hits and it turns purple. I can't believe i'm witnessing an akuma attack with my own eyes.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," is all he says before he disappears. And I know what to do after that.