Keep the Mask, It Goes With Your Costume

~Chapter Twenty-One: The True Hero~

Cat Noir was nervous as he stood outside the hotel, he didn't even know if Chloe would be pleased to see him. She would probably still be mad at Cat Noir for betraying Ladybug like that, wouldn't she? Either way, she might be the only one in Paris that still believes in Ladybug as the hero, and he had to talk to someone, so there was no other choice. He didn't want to be a distraction or let anyone else know he was there, so instead of going into the full hotel lobby like a normal person, he decided to make his way all the way up to the top floor, where he knew his friend lived. He stretched his baton all the way up and landed on her balcony. And just as he had suspected, Chloe was through the glass window inside her room, but he hadn't expected someone else to be there with her.

Cat Noir couldn't figure out why Alya was in the room, and frankly he was quite surprised, he always thought they didn't really like each other. He remembered how Alya helped him record that video against Ladybug and how she probably didn't trust Ladybug anymore, lest want to help him get her back. So the cat hero decided he would leave and come back some time when Chloe was alone, but before he could leave, both girls spotted him outside on the balcony.

"Hey....Cat Noir!!!" Alya said as she pointed out toward Cat Noir and squinted to see if it was really him. Chloe quickly looked over to where Alya pointed and saw him too, she immediately got out of her seat to unlock and open the glass sliding door for him.

"Cat Noir!!" she said as she opened the door, and motioned for him to come into her room. "We were actually just talking about you!" she continued as the three of them all sat down again. This made Cat Noir nervous, were they mad at him?

"oh...uh, really? Well um, what were you saying?" He bit his lip hoping it wasn't anything bad. The two girls looked at one another and made a face then each nodded as if they were planning something, of course this only made Cat Noir fear what their next words might be even more.

Alya cleared her throat and decided to not exactly answer the question straight up, "do you remember that video we made about ladybug?" These words made Cat Noir tense up, he remembered how he locked Alya out of all her Ladyblog accounts and she was probably still mad at him. He didn't hesitate to start apologizing,

"Alya I am so sorry about that but now I realize we were really wrong and we need to trust and believe Ladybug cause she's actually the hero and that's actually why I came cause she defeated Hawkmoth but now no one would believe her and she's gonna quit being ladybug and she can't cause I will miss her too much and I still love her and I need to make it right and I'll give you back your Ladyblog but please help me first." He said to them super quickly in practically only one breath, but he was so relieved to finally get it out and tell someone. He really didn't know how either of the girls would react so he held his breath for a moment waiting for them to say something. There came a sort of shock to him when he saw both of their smiles grow so wide at his mini-speech.

Chloe spoke first, "Cat Noir we were just saying that! I actually invited Alya over so she could help me find you and the three of us could make it right. We were super nervous you were still mad at Ladybug though and wouldn't wanna help so this is a big relief that we are all on the same side, right Alya?"

Alya wasn't even listening to anything but her own thoughts, but then looked up and wide eyed at Cat Noir as she realized his words. "LADYBUG DEFEATED HAWKMOTH!? BY HERSELF!?" she blurt out.

"Well.....I sorta...kinda....let Hawkmoth kidnap her.....But then it ended up being good cause she managed to escape and with Hawkmoth's miraculous." Alya gave him a questioning look at these words.

"You....'let' her get kidnapped?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

Cat Noir coughed into his fist, "okay okay I maybe....gave her away to Hawkmoth" he paused for a moment. "I realized after it was too late that I made a mistake. But she broke free and took back his miraculous. I saw her out this morning and got excited but when I messaged her she still seemed angry, and told me she was done being Ladybug since the city doesn't care for her anymore anyway.....and that last part is kinda my fault....cause of our video...."