Partners in Crime (Miraculous Ladybug)

• C h a p t e r S i x •

The former Ladybug, but enjoying her new self as Miss Fortune, sat comfortably atop the Eiffel Tower, waiting expectantly for Chat Noir to show up. Sure, he'd been missing for a week now. But he would come out into the open for sure this time. He had to. He couldn't hide forever, and the pressure from the public to save them would be too much.

She turned out to be correct. A small black shape far below came into view, repeatedly propelling himself off the ground with his silver baton and heading straight for her. With deadly calm and patience, she stood waiting for him to come and meet her.

When he finally did, he came to her from behind and immediately put his weapon away.

Bad move, Kitty.

"M'lady!" he gasped, raising his hands defensively. "What happened to you?!"

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, stepping sharply toward him and making him take several steps backwards. He was making it obvious he didn't want to fight her. "My name is Miss Fortune, Kitty."

"O-okay . . ." He took another nervous step backward. "But what on earth happened? I-I'm sorry I wasn't around to help, I had a situation. I'm here to talk with now, if you want . . ."

"Okay," she sneered. "I'll roll with you. Let's talk. Why don't you join me, Chat?"

"I—" Chat Noir shook his head. "I can't like this, M'la—Miss Fortune. You're akumatized . . . We're not on the same side anymore."

"Why not?" she questioned innocently. "You say you love me. If you truly did, you would be by my side, no matter what."

"I can't side with you if you're sided with Hawk Moth," the black feline superhero countered. "I will always be by your side to fight for good, not evil."

"Evil?" Miss Fortune peered in slight surprise at him. "Ooh, thanks for the reminder, Kitty." She smiled deviously. "Remember that one thing our old enemy told us, when we were cornering him on Heroes' Day? He was right, we are making a serious mistake. His wish will be beneficial to many."

"He told you what it was?!" Chat Noir's face contorted with shock.

"Of course he did," she purred. "I'm his favorite helper yet. And guess what else he told me, Chat?"

Her former partner hesitated, his green cat eyes wary. "What?"

"This proves he's a true friend. He told me his identity. It explains everything." The villainess flashed him a sly look. "Don't you wanna know who he is?"

He'd frozen again, but she could see he was thinking. He wasn't going to get a chance like this again.

"Yes . . ." he ventured at last, tensed with expectation.

"He's Gabriel Agreste," she went on, and Chat Noir stiffened in horror. She could've sworn she saw tears slowly fill his eyes as she continued in a silky smooth voice, "Do you know what my power is, Chat?"

"No," he mumbled, but in response to her first words rather than her second. "You're lying. No, no. We already proved that wrong. No." He kept shaking his head as he muttered to himself, obviously in denial, and his eyes definitely glistening.

"I can change anyone's normal luck," she told him softly, her eyes narrowed. "I changed Hawk Moth's. And I can change yours too, Chat Noir."

"No!" he shouted, clutching his temples. "N-No! I'll never let you!" Without another word he backed off and leapt away.

Miss Fortune calmly watched him leave, while Hawk Moth's voice sounded in her head: "He'll be back. Don't worry."