Demigods: In Paris (a Miraculous Ladybug and Percy Jackson crossover)

Cheese and Uno

Chloé kept blinking and breathing heavily on their trek up to her suite, and Alya was working hard to contain her laughter. Of course, she was Rena Rouge at the moment, Nino as Carapace by her side. Tonight - or this morning, now - was really not the time for secret identities.

"Chloé-" Carapace began, but Chloé held up a hand. 

"Shut up, I'm trying to think."

"You get that you can't tell anyone, right?"

"Yes, I'm not a complete idiot." she sighed. "We're here, come on in. So do you know who Ladybug is too?"

Rena shook her head. "No."

"So why didn't I get my miraculous if both of you losers had to be called in?" the mayor's daughter complained.

"Well...."

"Hawkmoth's gone crazy, he's trying to kill us and he already knows your identity so he could use your family and friends against you like he did with Adrien."

"Oh. Is Adri-kins okay?"

"Yeah, we are his friends and Ladybug has gone to make sure Marinette is safe."

"What about me?"

"Uhhh... We guess he doesn't want to hurt you because you get so many people akumatised for him?"

"Humph. What about his father?"

Rena Rouge and Carapace exchanged a look, and Carapace shrugged. In for a penny, in for a pound.

"His father is Hawkmoth."

Chloé's jaw dropped, and she stopped responding.

"I think we broke her," Carapace whispered to Rena.

After a minute, Chloé's head snapped up. "You can detransform if you want now that no-one can see you and the blinds are closed. I want to see your kwamis, anyway."

"Uh, sure... Wayzz, shell off."

"Trixx, let's rest."

Chloé peered at them, trying to tickle Wayzz. "They're so cute!"

Just then, there was a knock at the suite door. "Hide!" Chloé hissed, and Alya and Nino dove behind the bed, their kwamis disappearing too.

Alya listened to the girl's footsteps then the sound of the door opening. There was a huge intake of breath, then- "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Ladybug is at my door!!!!!!!!!!"

Alya sat up, Nino following suit. Chat Noir and an uncomfortable-looking Ladybug were stood in the entrance.

"Uh, Chloé? Can we come in?"

"Oh right, of course!" She ushered Paris's superheroes through, and Adrien detransformed as the door closed. Chloé looked at Ladybug expectantly, but she stayed in her costume. She looked dead on her feet, head hanging and eyes damp with suppressed exhaustion. It was a look Alya knew well.

"When was the last time you slept?" She demanded. Ladybug gave a half-smile, like the situation was familiar to her, too, and shrugged. 

"Last night for a few hours?"

Alya turned to Chloé. "Do you have a separate bedroom?" They'd all managed to catch a few minutes of sleep in Percy and Annabeth's room - apart from Ladybug. If she didn't sleep now, she was going to drop mid-battle.

"Yes, just through there," she pointed. 

"Ladybug, go. lie. down."

"I can't...." Ladybug murmured, eyelids drooping. "Annabeth is using my lucky charm."

"You can sleep until your transformation runs out, then your kwami can get something to eat - and guard the door if you're really so worried we'll spy on you." Alya added a little defensively at Ladybug's worried glance.

"Sorry Alya... But you do run a blog dedicated to revealing my secret identity." Ladybug yawned.

"Yeah, yeah." Alya pushed her best friend- no, Ladybug! She pushed Ladybug into the bedroom and into the bed, pulling the covers over her body and dropping her voice to a whisper. "If I really wanted to expose you, I'd ask you a ton of questions right now whilst you're too sleepy to filter, Marinette."

"Yea... Wait, WHAT!" Ladybug sat bolt upright, and whilst Alya felt bad for manipulating her like that, she couldn't resist. She wasn't going to tell anyone. "I'm not- what do you mean- who-"

"What does your kwami eat?" Alya asked casually, like she hadn't just solved the biggest mystery in Paris.

"Anything sweet," Ladybug mumbled dejectedly. "Mostly cookies or macarons."

"Okay. Sleep well." Alya pulled the door closed with a satisfied sigh as she turned to face the room.

"I can't believe I'm going to meet Ladybug's kwami!" Chloé was squealing. Alya looked at her feet. Chat and Ladybug had both described their kwamis as being their closest friends in several interviews. Alya hoped that Ladybug's kwami wouldn't be too defensive of that position, or they might have a problem.

All of them were too nervous or excited to sleep - Annabeth was out there alone and Percy was still missing - so they set up a round of Go Fish. They were halfway through when there was a pink flash of light from beneath the bedroom door. Everybody looked at each other.

"Does anyone here know Ladybug's identity?" Adrien asked. There was a long silence, then Plagg sighed, putting down his cards. 

"I do."

"What?! Plagg, you little sneak! You know I love her, and you keep telling me you don't!" Alya held back a squeal. Her best friend's crush had just professed his undying love for her!

"Well, I lied. Let me guess, you want me to go through and explain the plan to sugarcube?"

"Ladybug's kwami is called sugarcube?" Chloé asked in horror.

"No, my name is Tikki," a high pitched voice said and a red kwami appeared through the bedroom door, scowling at Plagg. 

"Aw, you love me really sucarcube," Plagg floated towards her, and she smacked him away. 

"If only I could say the same for you, rather than you choosing cheese  over me you stinky sock!"

The two kwamis floated in the air for a second, scowling at each other, then burst into laughter, flying into each other's arms. The room sat in stunned silence before joining nervously in. Adrien buried his head in his hands with a moan at his kwami's antics.

"Oh yeah! Tikki, have you met my new pet? He feeds me cheese," Plagg drooled, leading her over to the circle.

"Plagggggg," Tikki groaned, but floated closer. "Are you playing Go Fish?"

"No! You are not allowed to play!"

"Plagg, let Tikki join in, come on."

"No! Every time we play she wins, and I regret inventing this stupid game in the first place," Plagg grumbled.

"I-... How about Uno, then?"