Paris tries to reconstruct what happened during the time gap of the Miracle Queen attack. Adrien and Marinette have some questions, too. Spoilers for the last two episodes of season three. One-shot.

Wasp Nest

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. This is Nadja Chamack, reporting on a severe akuma attack that paralyzed the entire city for about half an hour today. Eyewitness reports describe swarms of magical wasps stinging people. This attack is believed to be the work of Queen Wasp. Unlike last time, the wasps spread out over the city instead of forming themselves into the shapes of objects. Also, people reported that the victim's eyes turned yellow and they appeared hypnotized rather than paralyzed."

"Fortunately for the city, Ladybug and Chat Noir were ready and able to save the day. We have been unable to reach them for clarification of what happened."

"Last time, Queen Wasp was the akumatized Queen Bee, aka Chloé Bourgeois. We attempted to reach her but she is not taking our calls. Her parents, André and Audrey Bourgeois, were just akumatized into a two-faced, people-eating balloon at their twentieth anniversary party, right in front of their daughter. No sooner had Heart Hunter been freed by Ladybug, Chat Noir, and a new dragon hero, when Hawk Moth apparently turned to their daughter in her traumatized state for his next victim."

"Security footage shows a few of the sting victims walking around in a hypnotic trance. Since the people involved are minors, the police have asked us to blur their images in the pictures we are about to show you."

"Marinette, I was wondering..." Adrien asked after class, hesitating.

"Yes?" asked Marinette. (She had been nursing her heartbreak since the day at the wax museum, and she had trained herself to talk to Adrien normally now that he had shown he really loved Kagami.)

"Were you stung yesterday? When Queen Wasp attacked?"

"Yes, I was," said Marinette. "I think almost everyone in the city was, unless they were in a completely sealed room. I was outside."

"Hmm," said Adrien, giving her a puzzled look. "Do you remember waking up in a different place than where you got stung?"

What could Adrien be thinking? Why would he expect her to have moved? Most people who were stung didn't unless... unless they had once used a Miraculous! Had Chat Noir been blabbing about her being Multimouse? How many people had heard besides Adrien?

Now that she was the Guardian, Marinette had to protect her secret identity more than ever. She came up with a cover story on the spot.

Marinette said, "I don't remember much. I saw wasps attacking people and I ran. I tried to dash across a busy street and I felt a sting on my back. I would have made it through the traffic, but..."

"Oh, Marinette!" said Adrien.

"When I came back to myself I was standing on the sidewalk. I think I must have gotten run over. The driver was probably stung, too. It's good that the Miraculous Ladybug cure fixes everything. Even..."

Adrien shuddered. "That's so awful! Hawk Moth and Mayura are monsters!"

"They don't care about collateral damage, that's for sure. Were you stung, too?" asked Marinette.

"Yes, I was," said Adrien. "Nothing like that happened to me."

"Hmm," thought Marinette to herself. "The same thing he may have been thinking about me could apply to him, too. He was Aspik and he could have been summoned by Miracle Queen for that. Maybe he was let off the hook because he gave up being the Snake Miraculous holder? That must be it. She did one call per Miraculous, and Luka is the current holder."

Or could Adrien be...? That Snake Noir costume looked very much like Aspik with black cat ears. Adrien's questions seemed to reveal he knew too much about what happened yesterday.

Later, Marinette talked to Tikki about it in her room.

"Now that I'm the Guardian, I don't have to enforce the rule against myself that I have to quit being Ladybug if I find out who Chat Noir is, right?"

"Right. As Guardian you have the right to know. I can even tell you if you want. But you still need to keep your identity from him. Too much is at stake if you are ever captured."

"Tell me if I'm right. Chat Noir is... Adrien Agreste?"

"Yes."

"Aaaagh!"