Chasing Ladybug 📸 (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

13 • Now | Seeing Double

NOW

Copycat drops down and ducks on a rooftop across from Marinette's place. He raises his head, peeking his head out, and watches the hero and the baker's daughter on her balcony, flirting, laughing, hugging, kissing, every disgusting thing a happy could do together.

The cat grabs her hand and raises it, kissing her knuckles, and she rolls her eyes and playfully smacks him away.

It's hard to just sit here and watch them... watch Cat Noir be so close to her... when I can't even intervene to help her. Marinette can do so much better than that dumb alley cat.

Cat Noir pulls Marinette closer and gently cradles her face, kissing her deep and slow. He whispers something in her ears and steps back, bowing. He departs and dives headfirst off the railing, sneaking on back home.

"Good, he's finally gone," Copycat whispers to himself, checking the time on his own replica of the cat's staff. "I'll wait a few minutes and then... showtime."

Marinette steps down on her bed and locks the skylight above her. She beams with a smile from ear to ear. "Oh, I love him so much," She sings to herself as she climbs down the ladder from her loft.

"Something's up with Adrien," Tikki comments, but her holder is on a love high and doesn't hear her. "Marinette?"

"Tikki, today was amazing!" The pig-tailed girl says as she sits at her desk, reaching for her diary. She opens to a new page and starts scribbling the events of her day. "Spending all day with Adrien... first this morning with ice cream and then tonight with pizza and video games in his bedroom. This day couldn't be more perfect!"

The red bug flies over and sits on her holder's pen. "Marinette, did you hear what I said?"

"No. What?"

"I said I think something's up with Adrien," Tikki repeats. "Did you notice anything off about him today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier when Adrien stopped by randomly, and you guys went to get ice cream with Alya and Nino, he seemed... different."

Marinette sets her pen down and looks up at her kwami. "Different how?"

"First of all, Plagg didn't talk to me at all this morning!" The kwami shouts, crossing her arms, offended. "Whenever you and Adrien hang out in public, Plagg usually hides with me in your purse, but this time he... didn't."

"I'm sure Plagg was just taking a nap in Adrien's jacket. It wouldn't be the first time. You know how he is, Tikki. He's either sleeping, eating, or causing mischief."

Tikki frowns. "Still, I think something's wrong."

"What could be wrong though, Tikki?"

"I don't know..."

A knock echoes from the skylight.

Marinette jumps up with a smile. "Heh, Adrien jokes about how much I can't resist him, but he's just equally as obsessed with me."

"I thought Adrien had a photoshoot in the morning," Tikki reminds her. "That's why he couldn't stay out late tonight."

She climbs the ladder back up to her loft and unlocks the skylight. She accepts the fake cat's extended hand and lets him pull her up to her balcony. "Did you forget something or did you just miss me?" She teases.

Copycat grins. "Of course I missed you." Wow, she can't tell the difference.

"You left just a few minutes ago," Marinette says with an eye roll. "Besides, we're going to see each other tomorrow, remember?"

"I always miss you."

She grins, reaching out to scratch the hair at the base of his neck. "Will another kiss hold you off until then, Kitty?"

"Maybe," Copycat whispers, grabbing her hand. "I guess we'll have to see."

Marinette stands on her toes and wraps her arms around his neck, filling the empty space between them as she kisses him. Her entire body freezes as their lips touch and she goes numb. She flattens her feet and looks up his green eyes. Something isn't right here.

She slowly lowers her arms to her side and takes a tiny step back. A tight knot forms in her stomach. Every nerve and cell are screaming at her to run and hide. This isn't my boyfriend... this isn't Cat Noir.

"Cat got your tongue?" Copycat asks with a lopsided grin.

"I..." She struggles to breathe, her words getting lost in her closed-up throat. "You're... you're not..."

"A good kisser?"

Marinette takes another step back until she the railing digs into her side. "You're not Cat Noir." She grabs a potted plant and throws it at his face, racing to get back inside her bedroom.

Copycat grabs her arm tugs her back, using his other hand to cover her mouth. He pulls her in close and whispers hot against ear, "We can do this the easy way or hard. I don't want to hurt you, but if you're going to scream, then I will."

Fresh tears fall from Marinette's wide eyes, down over his hand on her face. I know this isn't Cat Noir. He would never act like this. Something must have happened in the last five minutes. Did Shadowmoth akumatize someone and Cat Noir's under some sort of spell or mind control? A sentimonster, maybe?

His fingers dig hard into her cheek, pinching the skin, and she cries out into his hand. Her body shakes against his and she squeezes her eyes tight. This is just a nightmare. I'm having a bad dream. I'm going to wake up and it'll be a new day and I'll be going to the movies with my sweet boyfriend.  

When Marinette opens her eyes again, she realizes it is a nightmare, but one that she's awake for.

"What's it going to be, Marinette?"

This creep knows who I am?

Copycat's grip on her arm tightens. "If I remove my hand, are you going to scream?"

She shakes her head fast.

"If I let you go, are you going to run?"

She shakes her head again.

"Good girl." He slowly removes his hand from her face and lets go of her arm. "See what happens when you behave?"

Marinette turns and meets his eye as she faces him. Is it safe to transform and save myself? Do I risk revealing my identity to this creep or worse, Shadowmoth? She takes in a deep breath. Now or never.

In a swift move, she brings her knee up fast into his crotch and pushes him back against the railing. She's halfway down to her bed when Copycat grabs a fistful of her hair and drags her back out on the balcony.

"No! Let me go!"

Copycat backhands her and she falls against the railing, bumping her head on the metal. She falls face first on the ground, knocked out unconscious. He shakes his head as he kneels down beside her. "I told you not to do that."