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

Don't look at me, I'm just the author 0-0

Marinette woke slowly to the sounds of conversation outside her door. She rolled over, rubbing at her eyes. "Tikki? What time is it?"

Marinette frowned. The bed she was in was not her own. The room was luxurious, with an overflowing wardrobe that seemed familiar. She sat up, and finally remembered where she was. The plan with Hawkmoth had gone wrong. Adrien was Chat Noir. Chat Noir was Adrien. Percy had been captured. Annabeth had gone to rescue him. Were they okay? She had been so tired, and Alya- Oh, shoot. Alya knew Marinette was Ladybug.

Marinette sighed, and looked at the clock by the bed. It had been almost two hours. She knocked on the door and called for Tikki, and a moment later her kwami appeared through the door. The conversation outside had hushed.

"Are you rested enough for me to transform? I'm super sorry for pushing you so hard earlier."

"It's okay," Tikki smiled. "I'm fully recharged. Now please transform before I have to talk to Plagg for any longer," she raised her voice for the last part, and an indignant noise came through the door from Chat Noir's kwami.

"Okay," Marinette giggled. "Tikki, spots on."

Ladybug opened the door. Everybody quickly pretended they hadn't been listening in. 

"Sleep well, milady?" Adrien asked with a crooked Chat grin that looked strange but not unpleasant on his unmasked face. Ladybug fought to keep a blush off her own cheeks.  "Sorry if we woke you."

"It's fine. Thanks for letting me use your bed, Chloé."

"No problem, Ladybug!" the girl beamed. If only she knew who Ladybug really was, she would certainly be reacting very differently.

"Did you know that your kwami is a pro at card games?" Alya asked, sending Ladybug a wink that told her everything she needed to know. Yes, Alya knew who she was. No, she hadn't told anyone, nor was she going to and no, she didn't hold it against her. Ladybug returned a grateful smile. 

"I've never played with her."

"Everything. Every single game we tried. Go Fish, Uno, top trumps, crazy eights, sevens, slam, even exploding kittens, she won them all!" Adrien grinned. Nino was snoring on a couch.

"I take offence to that last game." Plagg grumbled. 

"Oh hush, you've done nothing but complain all night."

"Well, you'll just have to deal with it, because you can't make me-"

"Plagg, claws out."

"Hey! No, that's-" Plagg disappeared into Adrien's ring and Chat Noir grinned at Ladybug. 

"I don't know why I didn't do that hours ago."

Ladybug laughed; she couldn't help herself. There was a slight pang inside of her as the moment stretched on and Chat's grin became strained. She knew keeping her secret was for the best, but she envied the ease with which he transformed in front of them. She'd heard the easy flow of their conversation as she woke. The light-hearted banter now that she'd joined them seemed a little fake - she was an intruder amongst her own friends. Even Chat seemed more relaxed around Alya and Chloé. Could she blame him, after so many harsh rejections and her insistence that their relationship was purely professional? She didn't know how to act around him when they weren't in immediate danger.

Before Ladybug could think of an excuse to go back to the bedroom and talk to Tikki alone simply to escape the sudden awkwardness of the situation, there was a knock at the door. With a glance from Chloé, they all piled into her bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her. Ladybug blushed again as she saw the twisted mess she'd left the covers in when she rolled out of the bed. They stayed quiet and listened intently as Chloé opened the door, feigning sleepiness.

"What is- Oh, it's you. Guys, you can come out."

Ladybug looked around the door first, then relaxed and rushed out to greet Percy and Annabeth. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Yeah... We have news."

Ladybug frowned and listened intently as they described the monster that had chased them out of Gabriel's house.

"It must have been an sentimonster that Mayura created herself, like when she made the fake Ladybug," Ladybug mused. Everyone was looking to her again. She hated to admit it, but beyond the weight of the responsibility, it felt good to be wanted. To be needed. 

"Wait... if what you said about Nathalie knowing father is Hawkmoth is true... Maybe she's Mayura?"

Ladybug opened her mouth to agree, but was interrupted by Chat. "Oh, you probably don't know. Nathalie is my father's assistant. She has a streak of red in her hair, you might have seen her at public events."

"O-oh, I think I know who you mean." Ladybug nodded. Of course she wouldn't know who Nathalie was unless she knew Adrien personally. "Thanks."

Alya gave her a Look.

"So what you're saying is that Hawkmoth's still all-powerful but now he has a nightmarish monster by his side too?" Ladybug ran a hand over her hair. "Okay. Okay, we can deal with that."

"About that..." Percy said. Oh, no.

"Please, no more bad news."

"Nono, we brought you a gift."

"A gift?" Ladybug was surprised. When would they have time to find her a gift amongst all the being captured and running away?

"Yep, here you go." Percy held out his hand, opening it to reveal the miraculous of the butterfly. There were four intakes of breath (Nino was still asleep). Slowly, almost reverently, Ladybug reached out and lifted the miraculous, her fingers brushing Percy's hand. He drew back. "Right, I'm starving, is there any food around here?"

In a daze, Ladybug heard Chloé direct him to a snack bar, and Percy hurried over like he hadn't just handed her the thing that had been such a monumental part of her life for the past year and a half.

"I..." Ladybug turned to Annabeth, shaking her head. "Thank you." she didn't know who Percy and Annabeth were, why they were helping them or how they'd managed to get this, but she was glad.

Annabeth inclined her head. "It's not over yet. He's a desperate man, and he won't stop just because he doesn't have that miraculous. He still has Mayura and the peacock miraculous, and he still knows Chat Noir's identity."

"Oh." Ladybug let the cold rush of reality drag her from the giddy rush of hope. "Of course."

Her emotions must have been plain on her face, because Annabeth took a moment to smile at her. "Hey, it's okay. Athena always has a plan."

Ladybug blinked, about to ask what that meant, but Annabeth was already turning away, laughing as she joined her boyfriend and Chloé at the snack bar. Alya had gone to shake Nino awake and tell him the good news, leaving Chat Noir alone by her side. He slipped his hand into hers.

"Whatever comes next," he murmured. "We face it together, like we always do."

"Together," Ladybug whispered back, and this time she didn't smother the small glow of hope that flickered to life in her heart.