Partners in Crime (Miraculous Ladybug)

• C h a p t e r F o u r •

Her mood hadn't improved at all by the time she was supposed to set out on her evening patrol with Chat Noir. The sun setting in the sky, she transformed without enthusiasm and took to the roofs.

Would her feline partner even show up? He hadn't during a much more serious situation, so why should she be surprised if he didn't now?

For the first time since she'd met him, in those hours, she longed desperately for Chat Noir's presence simply to enjoy his company. No villains. She wanted someone who wouldn't think she was something awful that she wasn't. Someone who would instantly cheer her up with puns, cat jokes, and a cheerful personality. Someone who always seemed to be smiling and constantly complimented her on everything.

That someone was Chat Noir.

But her first thought was eventually proven correct. He never appeared to join her, and by the time she finally finished her solitary patrol, detransformed, and headed home, she could see Parisians down below definitely questioning.

Chat . . . why aren't you here when I need you most?

🐞 🐾 🐞

Late into the night, long after the beautiful stars had appeared and the moon had risen in the dark blue sky, she was still awake. Her bed for once was not comfortable, so she'd come up to her balcony and relaxed on her sun chair instead. With a small sigh of depression, she gazed distantly into the endless sky.

Once again, her thoughts were drawn to Chat. The last time she'd felt down in the dumps and spent some evening time outside, he'd come and joined her, and they'd bonded over shared heartache. Now, she unexpectedly wanted that to happen all over again. But she knew it wouldn't.

Half-heartedly, she lifted her phone and sent Alya a small text: Are you really that mad at me?

A minute later she got the response.

Don't.

Her hand trembled for a moment, and tears once again filled her eyes. The phone slipped from her hand and crashed on the floor, and she slumped forward, covering her face with her hands. Tikki flew closer to her and hugged her lightly, then, sensing she wanted to be alone, zoomed quietly back down inside the room.

She didn't know how long she sat there, hunched over and sobbing. Since her face was buried in her hands, she didn't notice the little black butterfly flapping towards her, and her kwami wasn't there to warn her this time.

Suddenly, both her earrings grew cold. A pressured sense entered her head, and she gasped in shock. "Good evening, miss," a deep, soothing voice in her mind greeted her. "I am Hawk Moth."

"No!" she yelled, grabbing the sides of her head and staggering to her feet. "Shut up! I won't listen to anything you have to say!"

"Calm down, miss. Everything is okay. You've been betrayed by that wretched liar and lost your friends, it seems. But don't worry; I'm on your side. I won't abandon you."

"I'm not falling for it," she insisted, sinking to her knees and shaking her head violently. "You always do this to all those innocent people. I won't listen! Ever!"

"Who else is there for you?" His words were clever and calming. "Your best friend has turned against you. Everyone has, it seems. Even . . . your most treasured loved one is gone." A hesitation. When the supervillain next spoke, his tone was slightly surprised. "Chat Noir . . . isn't there."

Do Hawk Moth's powers really reach that far?

Even I didn't know Chat was my most treasured loved one . . .

This time she remained silent. Even though she never dreamed this would happen, she could feel her will crumbling to dust.

"I know," she murmured in a dazed defeat. "I'm . . . I'm supposed to give you my earrings and Kitty's ring."

Did I just refer to Chat Noir as "Kitty" to Hawk Moth . . . She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't comprehend the fact she'd just told Hawk Moth that she was Ladybug.

"Exactly," Hawk Moth purred in response after a long, long pause. "See, you are an intelligent young girl. All those so-called friends of yours don't know what they're thinking."

". . . Yeah. You're . . . right."

"So we have a deal, Miss Fortune? Your happiness in exchange for the miraculouses?"

"Miss Fortune," she mused, starting to grin darkly. She stood up and let the blackness of akumatization cover her completely, until it disappeared, leaving her wearing an inverted version of her old superhero suit. The major red part was now black, and the black spots were now a blood-red, a much darker shade than the original color. She smiled deviously, a surge of confidence replacing her former sadness.

"I like it."