PRINCESS JUSTICE

3. CHAPTER 3

"Oh please, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloe exclaimed. Adrien knew it was probably a hard thing for her to believe. Her least favorite person and the hero she looked up to being the same person would be difficult for anyone to comprehend.

However, Alya didn't seem to be paying attention, too deep in her contemplation. All her memories of Marinette and Ladybug kept replaying in her mind, never pausing. Could it really be true? If so, what detail had she missed? How did Adrien figure it out before her? Then she realized something. It might not be enough to give the blonde boys claim any real merit, but it was something.

"No, I think he might be right about Marinette being Ladybug."

"Oh really, what proof do you have?"

"For starters, Marinette never seems to be around whenever Ladybug is around. Even when the akuma attacks have been at school, she is always gone when Ladybug shows up." Alya stated with confidence.

However, a laugh of disbelief escaped from the blonde girl's throat. "Really, that's the evidence you've come up with to prove that Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. The reason she can never be seen when Ladybug is around is because she is a coward. There are lots of people who run and hide during an akuma attack. Just because she doesn't run towards the danger like you doesn't make her ladybug." Chloe retorted.

The Creole girl wasn't all that surprised by the other girl's stubborn refusal. Her proof was admittedly weak, so her reaction should have been expected. She would have to come up with something more compelling. Suddenly, a switch flipped off in her head.

"Then how do you explain the people she's picked to be miraculous users."

For a single moment, Adrien's breath was stuck in his throat. What did she mean by the other miraculous users? She couldn't be talking about him, right? There was no way she could have figured it out. No, of course not, she had been focused on Marinette and not him.

Even Chloe was shocked by what the other girl had said, but then her face transformed into one of smug understanding. "If you're talking about me, then I think you've forgotten that Ladybug didn't give me the bee miraculous, I found it. Besides, we've met plenty of times before so she could obviously tell that I was worthy, so she let me keep it."

"No, I didn't forget. In fact, I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about myself. How could Ladybug chose me for the fox miraculous if she didn't know me."

A stunned silence filled the room. The blonde boy couldn't believe that she would just reveal her secret identity like that. And for what, to prove that her best friend was indeed one of Paris' heros? Though he wasn't surprised to hear that she was Rena Rouge.

"Even if you were talking about yourself, my point still stands. You and Ladybug have interacted a lot before you were given your miraculous. She sat for an interview with you, so I think she could get a pretty good idea about who you are and if you were worthy or not." Chloe retorted, refusing to back down.

"Then wha-" Alya started, but reconsidered. Was she really about to expose Nino's secret identity? Sure, telling them about her identity was fine since it was hers, but Nino's wasn't for her to tell. And really, why was she trying so hard to prove Chloe wrong. Ok, she knew why, proving the blonde girl wrong was always fun. "Nevermind, you're just blinded by your love for Ladybug to see the truth."

"It's not that I'm not considering, I just need to hear it from Dupain-Cheng to actually believe it." The blonde girl finally admitted, a look of displeasure crossing over her face. "What I can't understand is how you supposedly figured it out, Adrikins."

The blonde boy sucked in a deep breath. Of course they would want to know how he figured it out. He should have left the room when he had the chance, then he could be helping his lady out of her situation. Instead he stay and tell the girls about Marinette. But what would he have done if had left the locker room. Luckily, he didn't have to lie, at least not completely.

"When Mari- When Princess Justice said she had already defeated Ladybug I knew that couldn't be true since she had just been akumatized. But then I remembered that she had taken off her earrings and everything just started to make sense."

The Creole girl responded quickly, "Ok, then what are we going to do with this information? Should we tell Chat Noir?"

"Oh trust me, that cat already knows what happened to his lady." replied a high pitched voice.

Alya and Chloe looked around, confused about where the voice had come from. Adrien, on the other hand, froze in his place. What on Earth was Plagg doing!

As if hearing his thoughts, the cat kwami flew out of his shirt and out into the open space. "Ah, come on you weren't just gonna reveal Ladybug's identity without revealing your own."