Evilstrator

Marinette furiously took notes, trying to make up for missing class the day before. She was all too aware of the teacher's stern gaze watching her. The woman began to stalk up the aisle. Marinette avoided eye contact and lowered her head. When the woman passed her, she turned and let her eyes follow her. The teacher stopped at Nathaniel's desk. He was drawing again, like always. His red hair covered one eye which must be why he never saw the teacher standing before him. "Nathaniel, what are you drawing?" the woman asked sternly. He sharply looked up. Marinette recognised that action. He had been in the zone - deep in thought - daydreaming. "And these artistic endeavours are clearly why you are failing. Go to the principal's and explain why these doodles are more important than your grades," she ordered. That was harsh. Marinette watched the boy slowly make his way to the door. Nathaniel tripped over her bag. She jumped up and helped him to his feet. "Sorry," she said, kicking her back closer to her desk. He blushed. Suddenly, Chloe started laughing. "Ooh! Look, Sabrina! It's him as a superhero! And look who he's saving! It's Marinette!" she announced, holding Nathaniel's sketchbook. "Huh?" she let slip. Her head turned to the blonde girl where her eyes met the drawing of her and Nathaniel in an embrace. "He's so totally crushing on you, Marinette!" Sabrina said. Nathaniel marched past her to Chloe and snatched his sketchbook out of her hands. He glanced up at Marinette then left the class. Marinette sat back in her seat. What was Chloe's problem? So what if Nathaniel was crushing on her? People have crushes all the time. She stopped glaring at the blonde to instead focus on the back of her crush's perfect head. She sighed. A heavy weight fell on her...The gaze of the teacher. Marinette lowered her head and scribbled her notes again.

Adrian kept glancing at Chloe throughout the class. She took one of Nathaniel's drawing but why? Was it because it was of Marinette? It just didn't make sense to him. Why did they hate each other so much? His train of thought was interrupted by the teacher demanding the class's attention. In her hand was a piece of paper. "You have an assignment due tomorrow. In your groups I'm about to assign, I want you to work together and make a presentation on any particle physics topic in your textbooks. First group; Nino, Alya, Adrian," she announced. Adrian turned to Nino and whispered, "You two better keep the lovey stuff to a minimum," he teased. Nino smiled back and teased, "Hey, dude, not my fault you're a third wheel." Both chuckled quietly to themselves. "And last group; Chloe, Sabrina, Marinette." Both Nino and Adrian turned back to Marinette. She let out a defeated sigh. Chloe raised her hand and asked, "Uh, Miss, can't you add her to another group? Sabrina and I work much better on our own." The teacher put her list down and answered, "No. You'll just have to deal with it." Marinette turned to Alya who immediately said, "And deal with that twosome terror? Sorry." Marinette lowered her head into her arms. "That's fair..." she muttered. Alya whispered something to her which caused her to shoot up again with an ecstatic grin. "You're the best!" Adrian shrugged and whispered to Nino, "Why do Chloe and Marinette hate each other?" Nino scoffed like it was obvious then, when he realised Adrian was genuinely asking, he said, "Chloe is just mean, dude. She has been picking on Marinette since grade school." That wasn't the Chloe he knew. She was sweet and wanted to be like her mum and defended him from his father when they were kids. She was always protecting him. "She's not all bad. Chloe was my only friend growing up. She never had it easy," he defended. Nino wasn't having it. "You have it rough and you are cool," he pointed out. Adrian started to pack up his stuff away when the bell rang. "I'll get you in the library. I need to let my father and Nathalie know I have a project," he said.

Marinette stood by her locker, listening to Chloe and Sabrina talk about the project. Why did she have to be grouped with them? "I don't have time for some dumb project. Besides, now you have Marinette to help you," she heard Chloe say. No. She was not letting Chloe get away with doing no work. Sabrina said, to Marinette's annoyance, "That's okay! We'll do the work!" No way! She stormed over to them and asked, "Is everything okay?" Chloe slammed her locker door shut and snapped, "It's none of your business." Marinette took in a breath to keep her from shouting. When she was calmer, she pointed out, "Actually, it is my business since I'm part of the group." Sabrina placed her hand on Marinette's shoulder and cheerfully said, "It's okay, Marinette. You and I will do all the research, and the writing for our project, and then, Chloe can present it! That way it's equal!" She clapped her hands at the end of her solution but Marinette was having none of it. How can she think this was okay? "That is not equal!" she protested, pointing her finger accusatory, "Is that how you two have been working?" Chloe pulled her phone out disinterestedly as Sabrina joyfully exclaimed, "Ever since grade school when I started doing her homework!" Chloe glanced up and saw Marinette's disbelief. She grabbed Sabrina's hand, aware she had to get away before Marinette convinced Sabrina this wasn't right. "Come on," she told her friend. She was too late, though. "Sabrina, Chloé's totally taking advantage of you. You don't have to do what she says. That's not how a best friend acts!" Marinette explained. Sabrina freed her hand from Chloe, wanting to defend her friend. Before anyone could say anything, Chloe asserted her relationship with Sabrina, "Not only am I Sabrina's best friend, I'm her only friend. Without me, she has nothing so she better do as I say." Marinette stepped closer to Chloe, challenging her. "Well, I'd rather have no friends than be friends with you," she stated. Chloe stared at her for a moment then she said, " Whatever. I've got more important things to worry about. My hair is a hot mess and Jean Claude promised to work his magic. Later!" She started to walk away but stopped when she noticed Sabrina wasn't following her. "Sabrina?" she asked. The girl looked to Marinette, confirming to Chloe she lost. "Fine. See if I care," Chloe said, storming off. Once Chloe was gone, Sabrina wrapped her arms around Marinette and squealed, "I can't believe you stood up to Chloe like that! It was so amazing." How could she let Chloe treat her like that for so long? Marinette smiled awkwardly and said, "No problem...Uh, what are friends for?" Sabrina released Marinette and excitedly squealed, "You are my friend! I'm really super excited to hang out with you, and have a new best friend who actually helps with the project! We're going to have the absolute best time together! Then, we'll do the presentation, and tell Ms Mendeleiev the truth about Chloe! Sound good?" She was so clingy. Best friends already? She only stood up to Chloe. It was nothing too big. Still, she seemed happy and how could Marinette ruin that? Unsure, she responded, "Sounds...great?" Sabrina threw her hands up joyfully. "Let's hurry to the library, bestie!"

Adrian pulled every book on particle physics he could find. The library was nearly silent with students working on their projects. He returned to his table and placed the books before his friends. "Have you seen this?" Alya asked, thrusting her phone into his face. It was a picture of Majestia with her new sidekick. "I can't believe it! I would love to be a superhero's sidekick!" Alya continued. "Maybe Ladybug and Cat Noir would be looking for a pair of sidekicks," Nino suggested. Adrian laughed. "You two would be too busy making kissy faces at each other," he teased. "Ladybug already has one. Cat," Alya corrected, ignoring Adrian. She continued to scroll through her phone, not noticing Adrian's face drop. He was not a sidekick! Ladybug and Cat Noir were partners. They were equal. "I guess," Nino agreed. That hurt more. "You're wrong. They are equals," Adrian told them. They looked up at him in surprise. He got too upset. Sheepishly, Adrian lowered his head and said, "I forgot one of the books." Before Nino could press him for an explanation, he dashed off. Adrian stood at one of the bookshelves, calming himself down as he assured himself he wasn't a sidekick. "What do you mean, you're not doing my assignment?" Chloe asked loudly. Chloe? Adrian pushed the books apart and watched his friend through them. She and Sabrina never fight. "M-Marinette's right! I'm not your slave!" Sabrina retorted less confidently. With a smirk, Chloe leaned towards her friend and said, "But Marinette didn't buy a super cute beret at Gabriel's. Perhaps I could lend it to you." She pulled from behind her a black hat and waved it in front of Sabrina. She looked tempted but crossed her arms. Chloe was trying to bribe Sabrina into being her friend? Rather than try and change and apologise? What happened to her? When did she become so awful? Berets matching the one Chloe bought fell from the sky on top of the blonde. When she pulled herself out of the pile, a large hairdryer appeared before her and started to chase her as she yelled, "My hair!" Adrian looked around. No one was looking at him. He whispered under his breath, "Claws out," transforming into his hero persona. No matter how awful Chloe was, she didn't deserve this. Cat Noir jumped out and saw Ladybug was already in action, riding the hairdryer.

Berets matching the one Chloe bought buried her. When she pulled herself out of the pile, a large hairdryer appeared and started to chase her as she yelled, "My hair!" Marinette ducked under the table and snuck away, leaving Sabrina and Chloe behind. She hid behind some bookcases and looked around. No one insight. Marinette was about to transform when she thought for a moment. Why should she save Chloe? "Please! Please, stop!" Chloe pleaded. Marinette sighed. Because she was a hero and sometimes heroes need to save people they don't like. She whispered, "Spots on," and jumped out as Ladybug. Chloe was cornered with the hairdryer edging closer and closer to her. Thinking quickly, Ladybug jumped on the hairdryer, wrapping her yoyo around it to help tae control of it. Cat Noir grabbed Chloe and moved her to the exit. The hairdryer smacked into bookshelves as it tried to knock Marinette off. "I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation," Cat Noir joked, now standing on a bookcase. Marinette was losing her grip. How did he get here so quickly? Not the time. "Fewer puns, more action," she grunted shortly before being thrown off. Dazed, Ladybug looked up. The hairdryer's shadow loomed over her as it moved closer and closer. Cat Noir jumped from the bookcase and smacked the hairdryer with his staff, smashing it to pieces that faded almost immediately. Ladybug picked herself up, spotting the villain on the second floor of the library. She pointed to him, prompting Cat Noir to quip, "Well he looks pretty sketchy." She didn't get the pun at first but then she saw his styles and drawing pad. Ladybug threw her yoyo at the barrier and pulled herself up, Cat Noir following her. Together, they run towards him, their weapons at the ready by their side. Bang! Ladybug sat up and rubbed her face. "Where did he go?" she asked. Cat Noir slammed his fists against the invisible wall that formed between them and the villain. "I don't know, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point," he joked, his tone more frustrated than playful. Ladybug, in annoyance, threw herself back onto the ground again.

Cat Noir stood across from Chloe in her room, Ladybug sitting next to him with her legs crossed, slightly angled away from Chloe. "Seems this Evillustrator's targeting you specifically. Any idea why?" he asked, watching as her face wrinkled in disgust at the name. He thought it was a good name. Better than simply referring to them as villains. "No. Everyone adores me," she answered, pushing her hair up and admiring herself in her compact mirror. "Yeah, because you're sooo adorable," Ladybug said sarcastically. Cat Noir looked at her in confusion. She was in such a bad mood, today. Chloe didn't seem to care. Sarcastic or not, in her mind Ladybug called her adorable, causing her to jump up and hug the hero. She squealed, "Yeesss! Ladybug just said I'm adorable! I totally need a picture of the two of us together!" Chloe pulled her phone out and snapped a picture of Ladybug, who immediately pushed her away and walked to the other side of the room. "That was unpleasant," she muttered, Chloe happily exclaiming, "Well, I look great, of course, but your smile is all wonky. I'll take another!" Before Ladybug could shut her down, Chloe had taken another selfie. Ladybug pushed her away again and returned to Cat Noir's side. "Sorry, I'm just a little camera shy," she said bitterly. Trying to salvage the situation, Cat Noir leaned towards her and whispered, "Someone has a fan." Ladybug turned to him with a scowl and responded, "Yeah, great." That was it. Here she was with a huge fan, whilst he just found out everyone sees him as a sidekick, and she was being so rude. "So what's the deal? Why are you acting so weird?" he asked her. She didn't answer, instead getting distracted by a piece of paper she found. "Come on, you gotta admit that having this girl worship you is pretty awesome," he tried. Ladybug threw the paper down again and made her way to the balcony, announcing, "I'm over this! Let's go!" He followed and argued, "Are you kidding me? And what if the Evillustrator attacks her again?" She jumped onto the ledge and answered, "Fine. You stay. Later." What? This was not what he expected from her. "What do you mean, later?" he asked, outraged. She pulled her yoyo out and answered, "I mean, you're the one who wants to protect her, but you don't need me. So, later!" She swung away, leaving Cat Noir alone dumbfounded. Under different circumstances, he would be ecstatic that she trusted him enough to handle this on his own. That certainly proves he wasn't a sidekick. He looked back at Chloe who quickly turned her pout into a smile, hiding her disappointment over Ladybug disappearing. He didn't realise how much Chloe admired Ladybug. He wondered if someone admired him just as much.

Marinette detransformed as she climbed down the stairs from her roof to her bedroom. She threw her bag on the bed and plopped herself onto her chair, spinning to her desk. How could Chloe not realise everyone hates her? She is awful! Even Sabrina knows it! Her best friend! Not to mention she got Alya expelled, ruined Nathaniel's drawing and what is that buzzing? She shoved her chair towards her bed and snatched her phone out of her bag. Just missed the call...calls. There were hundreds of missed calls from Sabrina. The project! Stressed, Marinette dug her fingers into her hair and jumped to her feet. Suddenly, her bedroom wall disappeared, like a drawing being rubbed out. The villain from the library stepped in, dressed in a black and white striped shirt, black trousers and mask. He found her out and was here for her Miraculous! Keep calm. She didn't know that for sure. Marinette grabbed her red paper parasol and held it defensively. "It's you! From the library! What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice unable to shake her previous anger. The boy held his hands up defensively and said gently, " I just wanted to see you." Marinette was sceptical. She narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip around her parasol. "Okay...Why did you attack Chloe then?" He tried to take a step closer but she pointed the parasol as a warning. " 'Cause Chloé is cruel and...and selfish!" he replied. Marinette thought for a moment. She couldn't argue with that. Who was he, though? Knowing Chloe, the list of people who hate her was long - never-ending. "Are you going to hurt me?" she asked. He shook his head furiously, sounding genuine when he answered, "You? You're Marinette! You're beautiful and sweet and... you're perfect. could never hurt you!" Her cheeks began to glow pink. Cautiously, she lowered her parasol and sat on her bed. "Wow...that's, uh... very flattering! Um, thank you?" she said, flustered. So, it was someone who had a crush on her and hated Chloe...As she was piecing it together, the Evilstrator handed her a piece of paper with a drawing on it. "So, I just came by to ask you, it, uh, well, it's my birthday today, and, uh, would you wanna...You wanna maybe go on a date?" he asked. She looked at the drawing, noticing the signature exclamation mark Nathaniel always signed his work with. As much as she hated Chloe, she liked Nathaniel and would never wish any pain on him. If he did hurt Chloe, vilified or not, he would tear himself apart over it. For his sake, Marinette bargained, "I'd love to, but on one condition." He leaned forward in anticipation, excitedly saying, "Yes! Anything for you!" With a completely serious tone, Marinette said, "You can't hurt Chloe anymore." She started to come up with reasons why; she hated violence, it would scare everyone, it might make Ladybug and Cat Noir come after him... To her surprise, though, she didn't need to give him a reason. "For you and only you," he said, sketching on his drawing pad, "Meet you on the left bank, next to Notre-Dame, at sunset!" He waited for her agreement before he flew away. Marinette let out a relieved sigh when he was gone. She walked over to the missing wall and looked out to the city. How was she going to keep her parents' from seeing this? More importantly, how was Ladybug going to stop the Evilstrator if Marinette is on a date with him?

Cat Noir was bored, sitting on one of the large red chairs in Chloe's room. She had been whining about her physics project for ten minutes now, all whilst he drummed his fingers and waited for either Ladybug or the Evilstrator to come. "Ugh, my brain hurts..." Chloe moaned, suddenly looking up at him, "Hey! Cat Noir, are you any good at particle physics?" He smiled politely and answered, "Oh, this cat's got particle physics in the back." He didn't realise why she had asked until it was too late. She forced the paper into his hands and ordered, "Make it sound purr-fect for my presentation. See what I did?" Was she really expecting him to do her homework for her? No wonder she and Sabrina fell out. He wouldn't put up with this from her either. He handed the paper back to her. Before he could refuse verbally, his staff began to ring. Cat Noir moved onto the balcony to avoid Chloe's tantrum. "You can't just fly out of here and then decide to make cat calls, Ladybug!" he scolded his partner with annoyance. Chloe rushed out and excitedly jumped in place, trying to snatch his staff so she could speak to her hero. Cat Noir pushed her away as he listened to Ladybug's apology. "I'm sorry, that wasn't cool. But you can leave Chloe," she told him, "I need you to protect this girl instead." His staff beeped again. Cat Noir opened the new message from Ladybug, finding a picture of Marinette. Why would she need protection? "Her name is Marinette," Ladybug informed him, "The Evillustrator is in love with her, and promised not to harm Chloe as long as Marinette goes on a date with him." That made some sense...Of course, Marinette would make a deal to protect Chloe. He found himself smiling at her selflessness. "You got a plan?" he asked. "While he's distracted, I want you to take him down," she told him. Simple enough. "What about you?" he questioned, wanting to know the plan in full. There was some hesitation in her voice when she answered, "I'm uh... a lead. I'm following a lead. I'll catch up with you later. Can you handle this alone?" His face lit up. "You think I can handle this. You don't think I'm just a sidekick?" he asked. "Of course. We are equals. Why would you think that?" she questioned. He didn't answer. He was too delighted by her validation. "Can I handle this? Ha! Please! It'll be a cinch!" he assured her. He closed his staff and turned to Chloe, who stood tapping her foot. "You're out of danger, uh, so I'll see ya! Later!" he said, jumping away before she could yell at him. He never realised how much of a brat she was.

Marinette took a deep breath before answering the door. Everything will be okay. Cat Noir will be with her the whole time. She just had to be careful not to let slip her identity. She opened the door, expecting her heroing partner but instead seeing Sabrina. Shoot. She forgot the project again. "Oh, Sabrina! Hey," she greeted awkwardly. "I was waiting for you. Did you get my messages?" she asked. Marinette was a little surprised that she didn't seem angry at all. "Yes! Yes, I did! And I was totally gonna call you," she lied. Sabrina smiled and joyfully said, "You were? I knew you would!" then added with a shrug, "Eventually. And so I did your geography homework!" She handed a blue jotter to Marinette who took a step back. "Whoa! You didn't have to do that," she said, a little creeped out. "Well, since you're my new best friend, it's the least I can do," Sabrina said, clearly not understanding why that was wrong. Marinette said gently, "Thanks, but I just can't. Friends don't do each other's homework." Sabrina pouted, pulled the jotter closer to her and whimpered, "So, we are not friends?" Marinette tried to stay strong but crumbled quickly. "We are. We are." This wasn't enough to stop Sabrina's pout. "Oh, okay, but just this once," she relented. Sabrina handed the jotter to Marinette again then asked, "Great! So, you wanna work on the physics project tonight?" Marinette nervously tapped her finger on the door. "Uhhh, I'm so sorry Sabrina, I've got something really important that I have to do," she answered. "Something important? What is it?" she asked somewhat sceptically. Marinette paused. Should she tell her? It might make her worry. She might not believe her. "You know who else uses that excuse all the time, don't you?" Sabrina said pointedly. "Um, no?" Marinette answered, unsure. "Chloe!" Sabrina yelled, pointing her finger at Marinette, "I'm starting to see how similar you two are." Marinette opened her mouth but Sabrina continued, "I bet you'd expect me to do all the work like she did, right?" Marinette took a step back as she nervously said, "No! I don't! Really! It's just that-" Sabrina snatched Marinette's homework out of her hands. "Forget it. I can't believe I did your homework," she spat out, marching away. "Sabrina!" she called out. The girl ignored her. Suddenly, Cat Noir landed in front of her, blocking her from running after Sabrina. "Whoo-hoo! I thought I was going to have to save you from that girl's claws. Get it? Claws? Hey, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Cat Noir." Marinette turned away from him, let out a deep breath and silently promised to help Sabrina tomorrow. She turned back and forced a smile. "Uh, yeah... I know! You kinda save the day all the time," she reminded him, remembering he didn't, or shouldn't, know who she was. "I'm Marinette!" He kissed her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Marinette." Cat Noir turned and flexed as he said flirtatiously, "That birthday boy date of yours is bad news. But don't worry. You'll be safe with me." Marinette jokingly mimicked his talking with her hand until he turned back. To disguise her actions, she hid her hand and said, "That puts my mind at ease." Cat Noir placed his hand on the door and leaned towards her, his face close to hers. "But I am going to need a little help. Care to assist a superhero?" Marinette turned and stifled a laugh. He was assisting Ladybug - her - by doing this. Still, she had to keep him from being suspicious. "What about Ladybug? Aren't you a duo?" she asked. "She's busy with something tonight, so...You get to be my Ladybug," he responded. It was clear they were both having fun with this. Marinette turned around again, exaggerating her fake joy by throwing her hands in the air and said, "Me and Cat Noir? Fighting crime together? Amaaaazing! What do I do?" If he ever found out her identity, this would make for a great laugh. "Just get that drawing pencil away from him, little lady. I'll take care of the rest," he told her, winking and saluting her with two fingers. He jumped away, leaving Marinette giggling to herself. She convinced herself it was because it was funny. She told herself her heart was beating because of the fear of slipping up. She told herself a lot of things but none of them were the truth. She was not ready to admit the truth to herself.

Cat Noir sat on the rooftops watching Marinette. She looked nervous, unsure, looking around for him as she approached a boat sitting on the canal. The Evilstrator jumped down to greet her. Cat Noir, hidden in the shadows far above them, waited for the right opportunity to swoop in. The Evilstrator made a small moon atop the mini Eifel tower on the boat then took Marinette's hand. It was a bit much. The lanterns and a nice night view would do, but a boat, a moon...He's trying too hard. Marinette seems to like it, though. He darted across the rooftops until he was close enough to jump onto the boat. Cat Noir watched carefully, preparing to make the jump. Marinette suddenly turned to the Evilstrator as he grasped his hand like it was in pain. There was a purple outline around his eyes. Hawkmoth. "Okay, I will, I will!" the boy exclaimed. The Evilstrator jumped down, allowing Cat noir to jump onto the boat behind them. Blue music notes floated past him. Far too much. He listened closely, waiting for the signal. "You're so talented! I just don't understand why you wanna use your power to hurt people," Marinette said. Cat Noir immediately thought of his father, so cold and distant and enamoured with his own work...it hurt him. "Not all people. Just Chloe. And I'm never doing that again. After all, you were true to your promise, so I'll be true to mine," the villain said. This made Cat Noir hesitate. He wasn't all evil. He didn't go on a rampage and destroy the city. The one person he did hurt he promised to leave. He could even make a good addition to the team and help them find Hawkmoth. "I...actually draw a little too, I'm not as good as you are, of course," Marinette complimented. If Cat Noir were to back out now, who knows what would happen? He already saw that Hawkmoth could hurt his victims if they didn't agree with him. "I'm sure you're a wonderful artist," the Evilstrator assured her. Cat Noir took a deep breath and peaked out. "Well, can I draw you something special for your birthday?" she asked. He nodded and handed his stylus to her. Cat Noir jumped up onto the roof of the boat. He crept closer as Marinette pulled the stylus out of his hand. "Marinette, give me my pencil back. I need to draw something, now!" he warned her. Cat Noir froze. He was spotted. "No, I'm keeping it!" she declared, jumping up. Cat Noir lunched forward as Marinette ran across the boat. He pulled out his staff and stood behind the villain, using the weapon to pin the Evilstrator to the bench. "You're working with him?" the Evilstrator asked, heart-breaking pain turning into rage, "I'm so stupid... I actually thought you liked me! But you're really just like Chloe. Teasing me, mocking me, leading me on!" Cat Noir shook his head. He didn't give her much choice. The deal should've tipped him off. Marinette took this to heart, though. "Seriously? Why is everybody comparing me to Chloe tonight?" she muttered to herself. Whilst they were distracted, the Evilstrator flipped Cat Noir over him and used his staff to hit his stylus out of Marinette's hand. He leapt up and caught it, landing gracefully on the moon he made. Cat Noir jumped back to his feet and threw himself at the villain. He was too late, though. The Evilstrator had scribbled a box on his drawing pad and it manifested, falling on top of Cat Noir and Marinette. Cat Noir groaned. So much for proving himself? This was going poorly. Marinette stood dazed as he tried to kick the wooden panels beneath them. It would be easier if he had his staff. "I'm taking back my promise! Chloe's gonna get a little lesson she'll never forget!" the villain declared. Cat Noir let out a gasp and lifted his head. He quickly returned to trying to break free, desperately clawing at the wood. The boat slowly began to sink, likely the Evilstrator's doing. Marinette placed her bag as close to the box as possible then suggested, "Kitty, lift me up and I can push the box up a little. If you kick my bag under it, we can tip the box up together." She sounded like Ladybug only more softly spoken. He blushed. Not the time to be thinking about Ladybug! "Great thinking," he said, crouching down so she could climb onto his back. Once the bag was lodged between the box and the boat, he let Marinette down and wormed his hands under the trap. Marinette went to help but he effortlessly threw the box behind them. By now, water was starting to seep onto the deck. Wasting no time, Marinette handed him his staff. He wrapped an arm around Marinette's waist and extended his staff. As they were shot into the air, Marinette clung to him. She didn't seem scared. Not in the slightest. She was warm and light, like a blanket, somehow comforting him without a single word. It was like a hug he didn't know he needed. The first one since his mother died. The two landed safely on the bridge. He lingered a moment as Marinette steadied herself before he said confidently, "Gotta go. A superhero's work is never done. Damsels in distress, ladies in waiting... I've got a lot more saving to do," finishing flirtily, "You can thank me later." He winked then ran away. He needed to save Chloe.

Marinette's heart wouldn't quieten down. She was blushing. The whole romantic atmosphere she got caught up in brought it on. If it was with Adrian, Marinette was sure she would have had a great time. "Me? Thank you? I won't see you again..." she thought aloud. "No, you won't!" Marinette turned around sharply. The Evilstrator. He said he was going after Chloe, though. He had them trapped. Why was he still here? He chuckled. "The hero always escapes, Marinette," the Evilstrator said, scribbling on his pad. Crud. Marinette was frozen in place. Move. Move. It was like she had been glued to the ground. She looked down at her feet and saw that was the case. "Once I deal with you, I will take revenge on Chloe and steal the Miraculous," he declared, almost promising. A purple outline formed around his eyes again. "For Hawkmoth? Why does he want them?" she asked. As the Evilstrator received his answer, Marinette pried her feet free, her shoes being left stuck in the glue. "I don't want to be the reason innocent people get hurt," he informed the mysterious man. Marinette cautiously took a step towards the boy. "Nathaniel, we- erm, Cat Noir and Ladybug can help you. It's not too late," she assured him, "Just give me the stylus and we can get it to them." He scribbled on his pad, causing the ground between Marinette and him to disappear. Marinette glanced behind her. Anticipating her next move, the Evilstrator erased the ground behind her too, taking pleasure in her panic as she backed away from the gaps. There was no way out. She had no plan. Was this it? No. Switch tactic. What would Cat Noir do? She narrowed her eyes, trying to match her determination with her fear. He would jump. She ran toward the Evilstrator and leapt over the gap separating them. Marinette nearly missed. She hung from the edge of the bridge at his feet. He stared down at her as she tried to pull herself up. "I thought you were smarter than that," he insulted. The Evilstrator walked closer, letting his foot press lightly, threateningly on her hand. Catching him off guard, Marinette grabbed his foot and tugged on it, causing him to fall backwards and drop his stylus. She dragged herself to her feet and snatched the stylus up. Marinette ran as fast as she could but the Evilstrator managed to catch up and tackled her. In the struggle, Marinette ended up pinned. "I win," he smugly declared. Marinette closed her eyes. Please, Cat. She hoped, prayed, begged he would appear. There was only one last thing she could do to keep the stylus from him. Marinette wriggled and kicked and fought until her hand was free enough that she could throw the stylus far from them. The Evilstrator pulled himself off her to chase it down but stood in defeat just two steps away from her. She pulled herself to her feet too, in time to witness Cat Noir snap the stylus in two. The Evilstrator returned to being Nathaniel as the black butterfly fluttered out of the stylus. Marinette knelt down to the boy. "Was I...Marinette, I'm so sorry!" he blurted out. Marinette's voice was gentle and apologetic as she said, "I'm sorry too. I was only going on that date to lead you into a trap." He looked away from her sadly but said, "I understand." Marinette smiled at Cat Noir and gave him a thumbs up. "I'm sure Ladybug will clean this up. In the meantime, it's late. Need me to walk you home, little lady?" he asked Marinette. She shook her head. She needed to clean this up. "I'll be fine. I think Nathaniel needs a walk home," she suggested. Marinette left the two.

Ladybug emerged from an ally and jumped onto the rooftops. The butterfly was yet to be purified. Since Nathaniel was still experiencing negative emotions - namely guilt - it was likely to come after him again. She found it quickly and with one swift move, captured it and freed the pure, white bug. Like always, she threw her yoyo in the air and reset the damage. She sighed. It was the first time that night she could relax and breathe. The city was beautiful at night. Lights shone like the stars hidden behind the clouds. The air was still. The world was quiet. "I thought I saw you. Mind if I join?" Cat Noir interrupted. She nodded. He walked over to her and crouched beside her, looking out on the city with her. "How did your lead go?" he asked. She forgot about that excuse. "Dead end," she lied. There was a pause. "You did good today," Ladybug told her partner, "It couldn't have been easy dealing with him yourself and protecting Marinette." Cat Noir shrugged. "It wasn't but it worked out in the end. Marinette made a good partner - I would have failed without her - but I needed my Ladybug. Can we make a deal? Any leads we follow together," he requested. Ladybug held out her fist. "Deal," she agreed, sealing it with a fist bump.

Adrian stood behind Marinette's locker, listening to her and Sabrina talk as he waited for an opportunity to speak to Marineyte himself. "I heard what happened. Why didn't you just tell me about the Evilstrator?" Sabrina asked. Marinette answered, "I thought you would worry or think I was making it up. I can help you today, though, I promise. I even set alarms to remind me and started making notes last night." Adrian peeked out to see if there was an opportunity to insert himself into the conversation. Sabrina waved her promise away, saying, "No worries. Chloe and I are working on it together." That sounded more like his Chloe, though from the argument in the library, he was sure it meant Sabrina was doing the work. She was even wearing the beret Chloe bought. "You mean, you're doing the project?" Marinette asked sceptically. Sabrina glanced over at Chloe who was waiting for her by the door. "If Chloe asks, that's what I told you," she whispered. Adrian was unsure what that meant but he had a sneaking suspicion Chloe was trying to do better by Sabrina without letting anyone know. "Nice new beret, by the way," Marinette complimented, likely assuming Chloe bought her off. Classic Chloe. Sabrina happily squealed, "I know, right! Chloe gave it to me. She really is my BFF!" She turned back to the blonde who pointed to her wrist. "We- I gotta go work on the project," Sabrina said, rushing away. Finally! Adrian could talk to Marinette. She slammed her locker shut and jumped in fright upon seeing him leaning awkwardly against the locker beside her. "Uh, hey. Sorry. I heard about your adventures with Cat Noir yesterday. Were you scared?" he asked. He wanted to know her thoughts. Her fangirling when they first met seemed fake - like she was playing off of his act as a flirty heart-throb. It was fun. She didn't act like the other fans. It was like he was just another person she knew. It was refreshing. "Me, scared? Pfft, it was a dream. I mean, you're a dream. I mean, in your dreams! Huh? Oh, this is a nightmare..." she rambled. He chuckled at her. "Okay... So, what do you think about Cat Noir? Was he awesome?" Adrian prodded. He wasn't too sure how to take the ramblings. Marinette always tripped over things, her words included. "I mean, sure! Yeah, but not as awesome as you, of course. Because who could be? You're the most awesome of awesome," she rambled some more. He flashed her a smile, cheeks glowing slightly. He was sure she was just trying to be nice by complimenting him alongside Cat Noir. "So, that's a yes?" he asked as the bell rang. His face changed from confusion to pride as he processed what she said, her slight nod confirming his conclusion. He patted her shoulder in thanks and walked away. He wasn't too sure why he wanted to know her opinion on his hero self, specifically. Perhaps it was because it was his first solo mission. Perhaps some other reason. What he was sure of was Marinette always made him happier. The smile on his face and spring in his step was proof of that.