Chasing Ladybug 📸 (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

14 • Then | Starbolt

THEN

"You know the drill; we're evacuating the school! Make sure to get to safety!"

Adrien jumped up from his desk and instinctively went to grab Marinette and bring her to safety when his eyes widened. An idea struck him. Now's the perfect opportunity for Multimouse's first battle! Well, with me at least.

Marinette met his eye. She wanted to make sure Adrien was safe before she transformed into Ladybug. Before she could even say anything, the model ran out of the classroom. That was weird.

"I'll distract everyone," Alya whispered to her best friend, giving her the look. "Go and save Paris, bug."

"Thanks, Al." The pig-tailed girl smiled as she side-stepped out of the room and down the hall. She found the art room empty and peeked inside first before locking herself in. "I wonder why Adrien ran out like that..." She wondered to herself out loud. "Oh well, Tikki, spo-ahhhhhh!"

Cat Noir dove in through the open window and somersaulted towards her.

"H-Hey, hi, hey... what are you doing here, Cat Noir?" Marinette spat out, thankful she didn't transform and reveal her identity to her partner. How did he find me so fast? "Shouldn't you be out with Ladybug... fighting the akuma?"

"We can meet up with Ladybug later."

"We?" She repeated, confused. "What do you mean—"

Cat Noir grabbed her hand with wide, excited eyes. "This is it! This is your chance. We've been training every day, working on your powers, and now someone's been akumatized!" He paused. "I didn't mean to sound so happy about that."

"Wait, you want me—Multimouse?!" Marinette shouted with wide eyes. No, I can't. I can't! Ladybug needs to purify the akuma. "Cat, I don't think I'm ready."

"Of course you are." He cradled her face gently and all her worries seemed to melt away. "I know it. You faced Kwamibuster before. You can handle anything, little mouse." He leaned down and kissed her nose. "Now let's go kick some ass."

She smiled at his sweet words and ignored the two kwamis headbutting her side from her purse. "O-Okay," She whispered, unsure of where this battle was going to turn to. "Mullo... get squeaky!"

Multimouse took Marinette's place.

"Come on. I saw Starbolt going towards the mayor's hotel," Cat Noir explained as they jumped out of the window and to a roof. "Mayor Bourgeois must have pissed off this new villain somehow."

Shadowmoth's newest villain—Starbolt, an astronomy professor—was akumatized after his plans for a new planetarium was cruelly rejected by Mayor Bourgeois. Now? He wanted revenge.

Marinette had a plan. Of course she had a plan; she always did. She just wasn't sure if she could execute it properly, especially without raising suspicion from Cat Noir. Every few minutes, she planned to switch back and forth between Multimouse and Ladybug, with enough time for her boyfriend to see her in action and for her to be able to purify the akuma and repair any damages. Marinette had enough food on her, for once, to be able to keep the kwamis charged; she just didn't know what she'd say if her partner started questioning her absences.

Cat Noir and Multimouse landed on the roof of the hotel, thankfully free and empty of guests. He expected his other partner here, who was usually on time, but there was no bug in sight.

"Huh, that's weird," The cat noted as he opened his staff. "Ladybug's not here."

"Maybe she's inside?" Multimouse offered with a nervous smile. "You know what? Why don't I go check?"