The Other Side of the Mirror -- genderbend

6: Identities

The first thing Marin did was call Volpine, Carapace, and King Bee.

"Ladybeetle! Did you find Noire? Did you purify the akuma?" Volpine asked immediately.

"Yes. I have her. I'm going to talk to her. I want you all to detransform and go home. Meet me at the Eiffel Tower at midnight. We've got to chat."

He shut the yo-yo and turned back to Chat Noire, who was still unconscious. Sighing, he walked over to her and scooped her up. He threw his yo-yo at a nearby building and carried his partner through the city. By the time he reached Agreste Mansion, the sun had begun to set and Chat Noire had finally blinked open her eyes. Marin swooped into Adrienne's room through the open window and gently set her on the couch. He turned to close the window. When he returned to the couch, Chat Noire was sitting up, rubbing her forehead.

"Ladybeetle," she said faintly. "Where are we?"

Marin took a seat on the couch beside her. "In your bedroom. Are you okay? What do you remember?"

"Claws off," she muttered. She detransformed. A small black kwami flew out of her ring.

"Hey, kid, where's my Camembert--" The kwami spotted Marin. "Ladybeetle? What happened?"

"You're Adrienne's kwami?" Marin asked it.

"The name's Plagg. Kid, why did you reveal your identity?"

"I was akumatized, Plagg," Adrienne said. "I became--like--a white version of Chat Noire, Chat Blanc."

"Wait," Plagg said. "A miraculous holder, akumatized?"

"How do you remember being akumatized?" Marin asked her.

"I--I don't know," she said truthfully.

"Do you remember why you were akumatized?"

"Well--I climb out the window every day to walk to school. Only my mother's assistant, Nathalie, knew. Apparently she told my mother. Mother got really mad at me and forbade me from leaving the house ever again, and said that if I did, I would be locked in my room around the clock. I came back upstairs and I saw the akuma fly in. I guess Hawkmoth didn't realize I'm Chat Noire, but if she didn't then, she does now. I transformed into Chat Blanc...somehow I knew I was akumatized, and remembered who I was. I was able to resist Hawkmoth for a while. I don't know how. Maybe it was because of my powers, Plagg in my ring and all that. Anyway, I tried to attack the mansion, but Hawkmoth sent pain up my arm, from my ring."

Adrienne paused. Marin put a hand on her shoulder. Glancing at him, she continued.

"I met a civilian right after that. He asked me why my suit was white. Hawkmoth wanted me to tell him I was an akuma who would take over Paris for me, but I resisted, went to the Eiffel Tower instead. Hawkmoth tried to control me, but then you showed up and I realized what I had to do. I knew where the akuma was. We always have to break the object where the akuma is, so I broke the ring. When I returned to my normal form, I felt really weak for a moment. Then I revealed my identity to you and passed out."

Adrienne stuck her face in her hands. Marin pulled her into a hug.

"It's over now, Adrienne," he said. "But I need to ask you: Is it okay if I tell the others who you are?"

She nodded. "They need to know," she said, voice muffled.

"All right. Get some rest."

He picked her up and placed her on her bed. She had already fallen asleep. Marin brushed a few strands of blond hair off her forehead. Then, before he could change his mind, he lightly kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Adrienne," he whispered before going through the window and out into the night.

*****Nina*****

Nina scaled the Eiffel Tower in almost no time. She almost slipped once, at the top, but a black-gloved hand caught her.

"Careful, Carapace," Volpine said.

"Thanks," Nina said gratefully as he pulled her up.

"No prob. What's this about, do you think?"

"No idea," King Bee said, pulling himself up beside them. "But it had better be good, because I'm losing valuable sleep here."

"It is."

The trio looked up to see Ladybeetle perched above them. He jumped down and walked over to stand in front of them.

"Chat Noire was akumatized in her normal form. Meaning that when I captured the akuma, she reverted to her civilian self. She also remembered who she was when she was akumatized. After the akuma was gone, she knew she had been akumatized. She remembered everything."

"Who is she?" Nina asked.

"I will tell you." He took a deep breath. "I think it's time we know each other's identities."

"I--what?" King Bee said, taken aback.

"But that's what Hawkmoth wants!" Volpine exclaimed. "If she captures any one of us, she could interrogate us and discover the names of the others!"

"We'll just have to avoid getting caught, then," Ladybeetle said firmly.

They looked at him in silence.

"Well, then," Nina said with finality. "I'll begin, shall I? Detransform me!"

Wayzz flew out of her bracelet.

"Nina Lahiffe, at your service," she said. "This is Wayzz."

"Now that's ironic," Volpine said. "Detransform me!"

A tiny fox emerged from his necklace. With the suit off, Nina's partner turned out to be Alyo.

"Alyo Cesaire, and this is Trixx," he said.

"Detransform me!" King Bee and Ladybeetle said at the same time.

Kwamis resembling a bee and a ladybug appeared from the hair comb and earrings respectively. King Bee was revealed to be Corey Bourgeois, and Ladybeetle to be Marin Dupain-Cheng.

"This is Pollen," Corey said.

"Tikki," Marin said. "It appears we all know each other."

"So who's Noire?" Nina asked.

"Noire..."

They saw the ghost of a smile on Marin's face.

"Chat Noire is Adrienne Agreste."

**********

To make up for the crappy parts in earlier chapters, I tried to make this one a little bit better. Once again, it turned out longer than expected. Oh well.

I won't be able to update again for a while, so sorry about that. Consider this an apology in advance.

-Cassie ✪