Ladybug & Cat Noir Identity Reveal

11 - Adrien / Chat Noir

Adrien was fuming. How could Mr Damocles punish Marinette when she'd just been trying to defend herself? He'd walked with her back to Alya, and the two had hugged and gone off somewhere to chill out. But Adrien was not done. 

He found Jules in the boys bathroom, washing his hands. Adrien closed the door behind him, and took in the room. No one in the stalls, and Jules with no other exit. Perfect.

"Hey Jules, nasty bruise you got there." Adrien leaned against the door.

Jules looked up, first with surprise, and then a pained expression, "Yeah, she got me good."

"Mmm." They faced off a moment longer, before Adrien walked over. Over the years he'd perfected Chat Noir's stalk and glare, and as he got closer, he could see it worked even without the suit. Jules to his credit, stepped back.

"What... What are you doing?" Jules retreated another step.

Adrien stopped a foot away from Jules, their faces close, "I just wanted to talk. You see, Marinette is a really good friend of mine. She's got a lot going on right now, and I think it would be better for all of us if you left her alone."

Jules' shocked face turned angry, "I think it's none of your business what goes on between us, pretty boy."

Adrien grinned, before grabbing Jules' collar in a lightning-fast strike, "Hmm. Perhaps I should rephrase. It would be highly beneficial to your health and well-being if you left her alone. Maybe you don't bite, but I do." 

Adrien dropped Jules' collar and walked away, leaving the other boy to think over the new proposition. 

Plagg popped his head out, "Wow, I've never seen you like that before. Angry Adrien is not to be messed with."

"Yeah well, Marinette has enough on her plate. I'm still worried about Luka being Viperion, it's dangerous stuff, and she shouldn't have to worry about him too."

"Marinette is stronger than you think, have you even asked her how she feels?" Plagg asked.

"No...but I should. Thanks for the advice Plagg," Adrien petted his Kwami.

"Yeah, yeah. Do you have any more cheese, I'm starving after all of that good advice."

Adrien laughed as he passed Plagg a wedge of camembert, his little friend munching away happily. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Hawkmoth struck again.

Jules' red and purple beetle suit looked utterly garish as he strode through the school calling for Marinette. Adrien's eyes bugged, had he done this?

Jules raised his staff and it went blindingly bright. Adrien ducked inside one of the empty class rooms, hurrying to transform before that staff did...whatever it was supposed to do. 

Chat Noir peeked around the corner, to find everyone who had been standing in the courtyard...gone. The staff made them disappear then, likely holding them inside it. He hoped Alya and Nino hadn't been caught, when he saw them on the roof, preparing to jump down into the mix.

"Marinette! Where are you? It's me Lovebug! After I take Chat Noir and Ladybug's miraculous, we'll get to be together forever. Don't worry, I'll get rid of that pesky Adrien too."

Chat Noir winced, he'd messed up this time. 

"I don't think so Lovebug!" Rena Rouge called.

"Yeah, you've gotta go through us first!" Carapace shouted as they landed in front of him.

Lovebug? Hawkmoth's creativity was really taking a dive. 

"And let me miss out on all the fun?" Chat Noir taunted as he sauntered out. He scanned the school for Marinette, but couldn't see her anywhere. He hoped she wasn't in that staff, but I was too hard to see the scared faces of his victims on it from here. 

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Viperion asked as he landed to Chat Noir's left. The four heroes had Jules circled, but he didn't hesitate, raising his staff into the air. 

"Cover!" Chat Noir yelled, tackling Viperion into one of the classrooms. 

"Thanks man," Viperion said, "What do we know about this guy?"

"Jules, he's a kid from school. He wants Marinette, so we have to get her as far away from here as possible."

"Marinette?" Luka's eyes went wide, his voice filling with worry, "Where is she?"

"Not sure. I'll keep this guy busy while you find her and get her away from here. Hopefully Ladybug turns up soon."

Luka nodded, "I'm on it. Should I use this yet?" He held up his miraculous, which would allow him to go back in time if needed.

Chat Noir looked back at the courtyard, where Jules was going through classrooms, looking for Marinette. "Yeah, it can't hurt. Now go. Before he finds her!"

"Second chance!" Viperion nodded to Chat Noir before racing out the door, checking the different rooms as quickly and quietly as he could. 

Chat Noir tried to think of a plan as Lovebug continued his spree. The staff was dangerous, and they had to get it away from him. It took a few seconds to charge up before it vanished people, so they had time to hide. Rena Rouge could create an illusion of Marinette, which would draw out Lovebug, then, Carapace could keep Lovebug distracted while Chat Noir used his cataclysm to destroy the staff. He wasn't sure the akuma was there, but he had to get rid of it to at least stand a fighting chance. 

He spotted an orange fox tail, and followed it to find where Rena Rouge and Carapace were hiding out.

"Nice of you to drop in, we were just trying to think of a plan," Carapace whispered. 

Chat Noir spotted Viperion darting in and out of classrooms, and his fears grew as he wondered where Marinette could possibly be. Chat Noir explained his plan to his teammates, and they nodded their agreement. They were about to begin the illusion, when a shriek rang out and Lovebug cheered, reappearing with Marinette held in one of his legs. She struggled against him, but it was no use. 

"Now to deal with the other pests. Ladybug! Chat Noir, where are you?" Lovebug called.

"Marinette!" Viperion yelled from the second floor, launching himself at Jules. Jules turned to him just in time to catch Viperion's foot in his face. In the moment of panic, Jules dropped Marinette, and she hit the ground hard. She managed to get up, but she seemed dazed, and couldn't decide which way to go. 

Without thinking Chat Noir leapt off the balcony and rolled as he hit the ground. He raced towards her, grabbing her around the waist and propelling them up onto the roof using his staff.

"Rena Rouge!" He called, hoping she would know what to do. He heard her flute tune, and saw another three set's of Chat Noir's and Marinette's running around the roof. Using the confusion, he leapt off the roof, landing outside the school.

"Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked her quickly.

Marinette blinked up at him, "Yeah, just dazed. But I'll be fine. Go get him kitty." She nodded back to the school. Chat Noir didn't want to leave her, but he knew the illusions would only hold Lovebug for so long.

With a final worried look, Chat Noir re-entered the fray.

*****************

Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please give it a vote if you did, it really helps the story reach even more readers. :D