The Rose

2 - Faint

Marinette was exhausted. This week was just a nightmare. At first that ice-cream disaster, then this carousel of emotions around Cat Noir, and finally Hawkmoth sent a villain to Paris again. To take over their miraculouses and gain absolute power, as always. No breathing spaces!

"Hello, Bugaboo!" Cat Noir greeted her outstretched on the fence.

"Oh, hi, Cat..." Ladybug stammered.

Wait! What was happening to her? Usually, she threw a text about his sitting on the fence while the work awaited, because a villain was destroying half of the city. Well... Usually, before she was confused by Cat Noir.

"You're so..." he muttered and jumped next to her looking at her with concern.

"Everything's fine!" She interrupted. "Let's go, Cat. We have work to do!"

And without waiting for him, she went to fight. Cat Noir quickly shook off his amazement. Confused Ladybug was something new. And a bit familiar... But he didn't know why. Anyway, it wasn't a good moment for meditation. Hawkmoth became more and more powerful and defeating next villains costed more and more efforts.

Although Ladybug seemed somehow different than usual, she kept her mind focused and again managed to save Paris. But this time just after sending the akuma back she fell on the street and closed her eyes. What was happening?

Cat Noir was by her side in a second.

"My Lady!" he called her, but there was no response.

Some people surrounded them. They were interested in the superhero's swoon. Someone started calling to TV station with news that Ladybug had been probably defeated this time. Cat Noir didn't have much time. He had to take her away from there. At that moment their miraculouses started beeping. He had less time than he thought.

He crushed the panic attack. He grabbed Ladybug quickly in his arms and moved away from the place where the sensation was caused.

"Where should I take you? Where should I take you?" he whispered, jumping from one rooftop to another.

"Home..." she whispered and again lost her consciousness.

He hugged her closer and laughed nervously.

"As if I knew where you live..."

He couldn't take her to his house, because he would make a double sensation. He couldn't take her to her home because he didn't know her identity, even more the address... Miraculouses beeped alarmingly. One minute... It would be better not to detransform between roofs, because that would be rather the sad end.

There was only one person he could trust. Marinette. She would definitely keep a secret about Ladybug's identity. Probably she would even close her eyes, just to not see who Ladybug really was. He smiled with relief and ran in the defined direction. A few seconds later he was already on Marinette's balcony. But the trapdoor was closed, and there was no light in her room. What now?

He put Ladybug carefully on the floor and realised that she began to detransform. He turned away quickly, but he knew that he would be next very soon. What should he do? Marinette wasn't at home and he couldn't leave an unknown girl on her balcony without a word of explanation!

"Cat Noir!" a red pellet, Ladybug's kwami, flew to him. "How did you know?"

"I have to go, and I don't know, where she..." he began, but stopped suddenly: "How did I know what?"

"Who Ladybug is." Tikki refined and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't know who Ladybug is." He answered. "I haven't looked there, I swear."

His ring beeped for the last time and he knew there were only seconds before detransformation.

"Why did you bring her here?"

"To Marinette." He answered honestly. "That's the only one person I can trust enough to..."

He stopped, because his time run out.

"Finally! I'm so glad that everything is clear now!" Plagg yawned.

"No, Plagg!" Tikki exclaimed, because she realised that Cat Noir didn't know Ladybug's identity.

"But... But we brought Ladybug to..." Plagg began, but Tikki interrupted:

"To Marinette!"

"To Marinette... Of course..." Plagg repeated in a bored tone and rolled his eyes.

"Take your camembert!" Adrien threw a piece of cheese to his kwami. "We have to go. Will she... Will she be fine?" he asked quietly, pointing at Ladybug without looking.

"I'll take care of her. Don't worry, Adrien."

"You know, who I am?"

"Of course, I do!" Tikki laughed. "We, kwamis, know a lot of things."

"So... Why... Why Ladybug... Why did she faint?"

"There's a lot going on in her life lately." Tikki answered. "I think she's just tired. She needs to rest a bit. I'll talk to her."

"Please, do it!" he said so warmly, that his eyes lit up.

"Don't worry!" Tikki repeated. "I'll take care of her. I promise."

"OK then. We have to go now. Plagg, claws out!"

And they were gone.