I had plenty of ideas for a fic after finishing The Wingman Visits. I see if I can make all the ideas fit into this one, but if not, then I'll write another fic! For this fic I decided to go to a full Marinette x Chat Blanc fic. Wingman Visits was literally my first touch to both ML fics and Chat Blanc, and I enjoyed writing him so much I wanted to write some more.

This fic takes places in an au setting, near future when both of them are young adults. Marinette is a journalist and famous for always capturing news of Ladybug before anyone else. Chat Blanc is the Paris's antagonist, hunting down Ladybug instead of Hawkmoth, and he's determined to capture her. That's all you need to know for now and I drop more info later, if needed.

Again, I have to apologize my oddly functioning brains which make me miss typos and even words at times – this also happens with my native language (my brains fill the missing words in and turn the typos into correct words and grammar). I have chosen not to work with betas due bad prior experiences.
Please enjoy the fic nevertheless and come to read the chapters again later, because I hunt down my mistakes later for multiple times!

Any kind of comments are highly encouraged! Your feedback is the only reason I finished Wingman Visits and started this new fic. Never underestimate the power of feedback! No one writes just for themselves but for the readers to engage with them and to go on this fic journey together.

And yes, you are absolutely allowed to do fanart or write fics based on this if you get an inspiration, as long as you credit me! Please let me know if you do, and especially note me in Tumblr, where I'm as niuniente.

-.-.-.-.—

Marinette's life wasn't anything extraordinary or glamorous, though some people might have believed so. She worked as a freelancer journalist for multiple different magazines around France – bless the age of internet and virtual remote work – but her biggest and most important job connections were in Paris. Thus she had decided to stay in her home city after the junior high, still hoping to make it into a fashion school at some point. Right now her life was filled with the journalist work and helping her parents with the family bakery whenever they needed an extra hand pair.

Of course no one knew that her reason to stay in Paris wasn't only her family connections, a dear home city or good memories keeping her there. Marinette was the destined Parisian heroine Ladybug, famous all around the France. While there were also other miraculous holders, Ladybug had been ranked as the France's official guardian despite her working area being just Paris. Sometimes she encountered nasty people also during her trips and helped people out as Ladybug outside Paris, but it only worked as her advantage; it made harder for people to figure out who Ladybug actually was. People loved her and felt themselves safe for knowing someone like Ladybug was looking over their daily lives.

There was also another miraculous holder keeping his nest in Paris and he was known as Chat Blanc. A man in a completely white leather cat suit and purple eyes, his wide sneer scaring even the bravest ones in Paris.

No one knew how Chat Blanc had gotten his miraculous and what was his aim. He seemed to randomly appear here and there, moving very quickly in the tracks of Ladybug, and despite his boisterous nature and chest buffing which he did often, Marinette found him mostly just annoying - though to be honest Marinette couldn't say was she annoyed with him being so annoying, with her not being able to get rid of him yet or with the fact she either had no idea of what Chat Blanc was after. She had encountered him multiple times as Ladybug, but it was still unknown what he really wanted. Marinette had made a conclusion that either he was after her earrings - which would have been reasonable, she knew just how powerful her miraculous was - or then he simply just enjoyed being the opposing force in Ladybug's life. Every protagonist needed their antagonist. She brushed the thought of Chat Blanc's intentions off and paid little attention to him, hoping only he wouldn't do much bad deeds around Paris. Sometimes he was very active and at times she barely heard anything of him. He was, easily, a mystery.

The thoughts of Ladybug's life whirled in Marinette's mind as she stared blankly at the laptop screen, her newest blog update for La Perle magazine's webpage being yet only half done. It would be so interesting to make blog posts of Ladybug, and sometimes Marinette did slip something which had happened to her as Ladybug into her La Perle updates, but made it so no one recognized the connection. However, her current theme was about happy life style, and while Marinette was able to come up many things which were well in her life and which made her happy, the blog post looked cheesy and had no soul in it. She couldn't help the feeling that something was amiss, though Marinette had no idea what it would have been. Taking a long sip from her already cooled down coffee Marinette pushed the feeling back to the back of her head, thinking it was mostly just lack of inspiration and insight.

"I don't want to write this kind of a crap, but perhaps a generic post entry will reach and touch wider audience," she muttered to her pet hamster, which had in buried to sleep deep into his beddings and was completely unaware of someone talking to him.

Sighing Marinette returned to her work, the cursor blinking almost mockingly at her. She was about to start the next chapter, when her Ladybug senses tingled. Without any second thought she jumped up from her seat, pulled a jacket over her and ran out from the door with a purse and her trustworthy camera around her neck. During the years working as the heroine she had learned to trust her gut feelings when they arose, and dash out to which ever direction they might be pulling her, at any time of the day. It made her work easier when she was at the scene as fast as possible, sometimes even preventing something bad from happening. It also didn't drain her so much to use her miraculous to clean up the mess afterwards, if the bad guys didn't manage to cause horrible mess. While they were clearly some evil forces at work, something which spawned from a corrupted miraculous energy – or so Marinette assumed – most of the cases were caused just by regular humans; violence, attacks, abuses, robberies, host situations… Anything a human mind could come up with.

She soon reached the destination of her gut feeling, noticing it was this time a good old jewelry store robbery taking in place. She set her camera to a hidden place, covering it up well, and dashed then to a safe place to transform. A tap on the earrings and the magic words, and everything was set for beating up the bad guys. Like always, this didn't take long either – mere humans weren't that much of a challenge to Ladybug – and soon she was showered with hearty and touched streams of thanks from the store owner and people nearby. When she was done with all the positive commotion, Marinette hit herself again for the transformation time and made then her way carefully to her camouflaged camera. While walking back home to finish her blog business for today, Marinette went through the pictures and for her joy she found a few really good pictures.

"These will sell with a good price," she smirked out a murmur, flipping the pictures through. It was rare to get good shots, so today was clearly a very lucky day to her. She made her mind to offer the pics for her most trustworthy newspaper company – the one which also paid her the best – and if they declined for some reason, Marinette had multiple other choices left.

Suddenly the blog writing felt and sounded inspiring again. Perhaps she had needed just a little rush of adrenaline to get her back to the journalist business.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Oh, thanks for the newest pics, Marinette!" Alya's voice was full of joy on the other end of her phone.

"It was nothing, I'm glad to help," Marinette smiled at her coffee cup, lazily whirling her spoon in it. The café was more or less crowded, but it didn't bother Marinette, not today. The photos had sold with a good prize and with her copyrights she had devoted copies of the original ones also for Alya.

"You need to check out how crazy fans are about these new pics! The Ladyblog is getting so many hits right now!" Alya continued, clearly excited.

"I can imagine that, Alya. It's not that difficult," she hummed back at Alya, eyes cast down at her drink, with a tiny smile lingering on her lips.

Alya was quiet for a second on the other end.

"Marinette, you sound a bit tired. Is everything alright?" she broke the silence suddenly.

"Ah, yes, sorry!" Marinette hastily composed herself, shifting in her seat to a straighter posture. "It's nothing, you know me."

The silence on Alya's side continued for a moment, until a thoughtful hum was heard.

"Wait, what day is it?"

"Almost Valentine's Day. Have you gotten something to Nino already?" Marinette questioned, but Alya pushed her question away.

"No, no, we're not talking about that now. Are you alright? I know it's The Agreste Day soon. Are you still upset because of it? Not that it would be a bad thing, I don't mean it like that, but would you want to talk about it? Should I come over?"

The smile on Marinette's face grew wider and softer, her eyes warm.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It gets easier each year. I'm just a bit upset. No need to come over," she closed her eyelids while talking, lifting the coffee mug up to her lips.

"Are you sure? I could give you something else to think."

"Yes, Alya. Thanks, but no thanks. I've got my work and the Ladybug hunt to keep me busy anyway. Plus, Stallone," she waved her hand in the air.

"By the way how is he?"

"Same as ever. Sleeps days, rustles around the nights. Still hates cucumbers but could stuff himself with nuts."

"I'm surprised you haven't hoarded a herd of hamsters yet," Marinette could hear a tiny mischievous grin in Alya's voice when she spoke about the hamsters, which were Marinette's love of life. "If you asked me, you'd need a bit manlier companion than a dwarf hamster into your life."

"Alya! I'm seriously not interested in that," she groaned, shaking her head with a frown.

"I know it's a sore subject, but-" Alya began, but Marinette stopped her immediately.

"It's. Not. A. Sore. Subject," she underlined each words carefully, "I'm just not interested in finding anyone or get into a relationship right now. I've got my hands full of work and my own hobbies. And to be honest, I don't know who could even fit into my life," she spoke, giving out an impression she was an independent and busy woman and had thus difficulties finding an independent and equally active man in her life, though in reality Marinette was thinking that there was no way she could ever share her Ladybug life with someone else. What if there was a break up, even a divorce? Would the man reveal who she truly was to everyone, as a revenge or as in hopes to sell her secret identity information for big money for any magazine offering him the biggest amount of money for that tiny piece of information, information, which bugged every single Parisian?

"Well, I think it's good to be picky. Less hassle with everything, you know," Alya hummed approvingly, completely unaware of Marinette's inner turmoil regarding the whole love business.

"Anyway, back to the Valentine's, have you gotten Nino something?" Marinette changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on her own life responsibilities more.

"I'm taking him to movies. I haven't told him anything yet, it's a surprise," Alya explained shortly, and somehow Marinette got a feeling she shouldn't get too nosy with Alya's plans for the Valentine's Day. Thus she accepted her answer with a happy grin.

"That's a good plan. Let's hope Nino hasn't made any surprise plans for that day."

"Oh god, you are right! Fingers crossed then," Alya agreed. Then she continued with the original subject of the phone call, "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the photos. You are absolutely the best!"

"I keep providing you more whenever I can," Marinette promised, finishing the rest of her coffee with one go.

"Seriously, girl, I'd be so much in trouble without you. It's thanks to you this blog has become so popular in the past 1,5 years or so," Alya kept praising Marinette and she couldn't help herself from blushing a bit.

"Well, you are my best friend and anything for my best friend," Marinette smiled bashfully, "But I wouldn't go that far and say it's all just because of me and my photos which have made your blog so loved and followed."

"Nonsense! Things started to sky rocketing as soon as you started to get photos of Ladybug and send them over to me high in quality. Perhaps I do some Ladyblog merchandise from them and arrange Ladylottery with them."

"If you want, you can use my photos for that," Marinette promised.

"Do you think Ladybug would mind, if she knew?" Alya hesitated.

"About the lottery? I don't think so. I'm sure she's aware of the blog anyway," she assured Alya calmly.

"But it's not official merch…" Alya hesitated a bit more, but Marinette stopped it.

"Alya, you know the companies making the merch are the ones getting the profit. Ladybug gets nothing, as no one knows who she is. So I don't think she minds if you do your own merch. Heck, you can go and sell them if you please, if you ask from me."

"But you're not Ladybug, so maybe I just do the lottery and play safe. I don't want to anger her," Alya let out a short laughter.

Marinette rolled her eyes in her head with a grin, but said nothing to Alya's statement.

"You know the best what you want to do," she agreed with her.

"Anyway, speaking of Ladybug, you probably wouldn't happen to have any news of Chat Blanc?"

Alya's question took Marinette by surprise and she blinked for a couple of times before finding her voice.

"Chat Blanc? No, why?"

"I mean he's the antagonist of Ladybug and full of questions. Perhaps you should do some investigative journalism and find out who he really is?"

"Alya! Are you trying to get me killed?" Marinette gasped, hitting behind it the fact she wasn't the slightest interested in getting involved with Chat Blanc even with her private life, "You'd seriously send me to investigate the most well-known lunatic in Paris – no, whole France!"

"I'm sure you could do it," her tone was humorous and Marinette snorted.

"I stick with Ladybug, trust me," she affirmed, feeling that Chat Blanc was such a nut case it wasn't even interesting to get investigate his life. In Marinette's mind that haughty villain didn't need any boost to his name, not even as a single newspaper article or a blog post.

"As you wish, but promise me one thing; if you ever figure out who is the Ladybug, let me know first."

"Of course, there's no question about it," Marinette nodded at Alya, silently arguing in her head that Alya could wait for that day for an eternity if it was up to Marinette. There was no way she was ever going to let anyone know the truth.

After the phone call had ended Marinette made her way out from the café and headed for the nearby pet store to buy new seed sticks to Stallone. The different cans and packages of cat food greeted Marinette the moment she stepped inside the store and for some reason they brought up Chat Blanc into her head.

Was the man they had talked briefly with Alya dangerous? Yes. How much? Marinette had no idea. Chat Blanc seemed to care little of other people or Parisians overall, and if he was causing havoc among them it always apparent to be just a trap to lure Ladybug in, for whatever reason. Marinette frowned her brows deeply when she thought that perhaps Chat Blanc wasn't after her earrings but had an unhealthy obsession for Ladybug, same way as some of her most devoted fans had. It both amused and shivered her to think that perhaps Chat Blanc was just a huge Ladybug fanboy, though the voice in the back of her head reminded Marinette, that if only it was that simple and easy. She passed the cat food aisle quickly and exited the shop even quicker after getting the hamster food she was after with.

Back at home Stallone the dwarf hamster had woke up, keeping himself busy with the toilet paper pieces. Marinette changed a new seed stick for him and proceed to boil an another cup of coffee. Tomorrow was a working day at her parents' bakery with a big wedding anniversary order and while drinking too much coffee had the possible result of insomnia, Marinette took the risk. Today she wanted to have coffee. A lot. When the coffee was done she went through the magazine with the exclusive Ladybug photos she had managed to gotten yesterday. The editor-in-chief had basically screamed at her to sell these new photos to his magazine. It pleased Marinette to have this opportunity to earn more money with her own photos, but she was careful not to shower media constantly with them. It would make everyone too suspicious. However, she offered very often lower quality Lady photos for Alya's blog, photos, which wouldn't interest the media so much but which would make her fans and Alya happy. She gladly did that.

"I could earn so much more money if I took some private photos of Ladybug. Like Ladybug's summer bikini style. Or those lingerie pictures you see taken of almost every famous woman," Marinette amused herself with a chuckle, talking to her hamster, who again paid no attention to her words.

"Maybe I should do a private interview…" Marinette continued despite Stallone's ignoring, pressing her lips thoughtfully against the coffee cup's edge. She had played around with the idea of managing to somehow contact Ladybug and making a private interview of her and selling it with to whichever publisher was ready to pay the highest amount of fresh cash for it. Now the idea was ticking in her head, thanks to Alya bringing up the suggestion of Chat Blanc's interview or at least some snooping around of his businesses and persona.

"You know, doing a private interview is a bit risky. Perhaps I just happen to stumble on Alya someday after a mission and give her a short interview? If I manage to avoid the media that is," her voice was low, thinking. "It's been a long since the last interview for the Ladyblog and we're talking about Alya here. She's both my best friend and the biggest fan of Ladybug ever. I feel a bit bad for cheating her like this, so perhaps the guilt makes me want to provide her as much Ladybug material as possible."

Again, Stallone had nothing to say to Marinette. He had hit himself into his hollow coconut home with the shredded toilet paper pieces.

Marinette kicked back and lifted her feet on the table – a bad habit she had started to do while living alone the past years – and opened TV. Before she even got to relax properly in front of it, her door phone rang. She stood up, looking up the clock which stated it was coming soon 9pm, and wondered if Alya had decided to stop by. She picked the phone and put it over her ear.

"Yes?"

"I- I'm sorry," a weak voice of a young girl greeted Marinette, "My name is Loretta… I got lost and… I lost my phone, too… Could I call my mother…? I'm sorry, this is… this is emergency… Please…"

Marinette assumed she was a teenager from her vice. Marinette remembered her own teenage years and she replied to her without any hesitation.

"Don't worry! I'll call your parents. What's their number? You can remember it, right?"

"Ye—yes, but… could I come inside…? I'm alone, my friends went home already and-"

"Say no more, I open the door for you. This is the highest floor, apartment 35. Don't worry, you'll get back home soon. I open the door now," Marinette said firmly, pressing the front door's lock open, keeping the phone line open. When she heard the front door closing down in the distance, she put the phone back and stood waiting for the doorbell to ring. She was very worried of the girl, hoping nothing bad had happened while she got lost, or that she wasn't robbed and thus without her phone. As the doorbell finally rang, after a wait which felt too long for Marinette's comfort, she basically swung the door open.

"Good, you found the right door, I'm Ma-"

Her voice got cut like with a sharp knife.

Before her stood Chat Blanc. There was no trace of a young girl anywhere.

"Good evening," Chat Blanc purred, tipping his index and middle finger as a sort salute for Marinette from his forehead.

Marinette couldn't believe her eyes. Angrily she fumed at Chat.

"Where's the girl?"

"Ah, no worries of her. I just borrowed her voice and let her go then. Just a lovely little actress. She will win an Oscar someday," his sneer spread from ear to ear, eyes narrowing.

Marinette wasn't happy with his answer. She huffed at him between her teeth and pushed the door to close it. Chat's feet blocked the door quickly and he took a hold of the door's edge.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty. The famous Chat Blanc has come to pay you a visit. Aren't you flattered?" he hissed softly, eyes keenly over Marinette. His claws let out a scratching sound on the wooden surface.

"I have no room for uninvited guests. Please, leave," Marinette spoke sternly, refusing to break the intense eye contact with Chat. His purple eyes narrowed, the white mask cocking upwards with his curious expression.

"Sassy, aren't we? I have something which interests you with 100% of certainty. Let's talk inside and not bother the neighbors at this hour."

"Thank you but no thank you. I highly doubt it," Marinette kept her posture, trying to push the door close again. Chat refused to budge either, not allowing Marinette to go.

"I have asked nicely and I ask it for one more time; let's talk inside. If you refuse, I will seek that little helper of mine into my claws and send her in a nice parcel to her parents. Half of the body for the mother and half for the father. How does this sound to you?"

Marinette froze, suddenly realizing that she was indeed talking with Chat Blanc here. As much as she found him only annoying as Ladybug, she couldn't take any risk that the lunatic wouldn't indeed do something horrible to someone to get his way through. Whether he was bluffing or not, Marinette didn't want to try her luck too much, not in an expense of an innocent civilian. She sighed, her shoulders slumping down and she pulled the door open slowly, moving away from the doorframe.

"Come on in," her voice was beaten and Chat grinned, marching in his hands behind his back like he had owned the place.

"Don't worry, I'll be a nice quest and I leave as soon as we have come into an agreement. And, to be extra nice, I just stand here in the hallway," he turned on his heels towards Marinette, eyes following the closing door.

Marinette noticed she had put herself into a bad place – between the door and Chat Blanc. Hastily she pushed past him, relieved that he hadn't figured out why she needed to move around.

"How about some coffee, now that you are here?" she offered, hiding her reason to go past him into that question.

"No thanks, I'm a busy man," he spoke, his sneer now gone. Marinette stopped, looking over her shoulder Chat.

"It was difficult to find you, Marinette Cheng. I have been looking for you quite a long time," Chat began and Marinette did her best to keep her cool and not look or sound too surprised.

"Oh? Why such an honor?" she questioned, turning towards him and crossed her arms over her chest.

Chat's grin spread over his pale lips, eyes narrowing.

"So very sassy," he chuckled, shifting his weight to another leg, "As I said, I'm a busy man, so I cut the chase. Tell me everything you know about Ladybug."

Marinette was sure she paled down at least three shades by his question, which stroke her like a lightning bolt. Had he figured out her secret? If he had done that, what should she do? Her home was a way too small for a full fight with someone as tall and strong as Chat Blanc and she needed time to transform, too. She was the most vulnerable during the transformation. Quickly Marinette covered her surprise with an amused snicker, shaking her head.

"What makes you think I'd know anything about Ladybug? If someone of us here knows about her it has to be you," Marinette spoke firmly, keeping her voice amused. Chat himself didn't find his request nor Marinette's question humorous, not the slightest.

"I'm serious. I demand it. Tell me everything you know," his voice was stern and serious.

"I ask you again; what makes you think I'd know anything about her? I know as much as every other Parisian."

Chat's eyes narrowed even more and he took a step closer, eyes fixated on Marinette's face.

"Marinette Cheng, a freelance journalist and a photographer, and very, very, oh, so very well-known of her ability to find Ladybug and get shots of her almost every time she appears somewhere," Chat listed with an icy voice, looking down Marinette. "On top of that she's second in charge of the world most famous Ladybug fan source, Ladyblog, together with Alya Césaire. Most of the photos appearing in the Ladyblog have a name of Marinette Cheng in their credits."

Marinette's eyed widened and her hands dropped down to her sides. She couldn't speak.

"Isn't it amazing how you always manage to be there where the Ladybug is? Always at the same place at the same time. You must know something of her, something no one else does," Chat continued, closing the gap between them, pushing himself as close to Marinette as possible, his purple eyes never leaving her face.

"I'm just a journalist and a photographer. Like I said, I know as much as anyone else," Marinette felt how her voice was becoming a tottering stutter. She had to compose herself quickly and come up with something to distract Chat Blanc with.

"It doesn't explain why it's always you," he underlined the last word, pointing at Marinette with his long finger. "What's your secret, princess?" Chat grinned like Cheshire Cat.

Marinette was screaming internally, her brains hastily trying to come up with something to say. This was the closest anyone had gotten with the connection she shared with Ladybug, and Chat Blanc was the least of the persons she wanted to find the truth out. She breathed in slowly, letting her fingers, which had curled into fists, relax.

"I'm just that good with my job," she replied casually. "A good journalist and a photographer is always a step ahead of others, sniffing out the best scoops. Just like a good villain is a step ahead of the hero."

Chat's eyes flashed at her last remark, his lips pressing together.

"So, you are aware of how this villain business works. Lovely. I let that implying of my skills slip this time, but next time I recommend you to be careful with how you talk about villains," Chat noted. Marinette understood he had taken her comment as an insult of him leaving empty handed with every encounter with Ladybug. Not wanting to make things worse than they already was, she hastily put her hands up and waved them in the air.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" she corrected herself hastily, "What I meant was that you are clearly planning to be a step ahead of Ladybug – no, a leap ahead."

Chat's facial expression relaxed and then he let out a hearty laugh, fangs flashing with his shoulders popping up and down.

"Glad we understand each other so well. It was a right thing to seek you into my hands," he purred pleased after his laughter had died down. "Anyway, I'm still waiting for the answer," he took a hold of his tail, whirling it casually in his hold.

Marinette could tell her time was running short. Chat Blanc was clearly not swallowing the explanation that she knew nothing, at least not this easily, or that her luck with Ladybug was only due her amazing skills in her profession.

"And I have given the answer to you, multiple times. Whatever you might have in your mind, I can't help you with that. I'm sorry if my work has left you with an opposite impression," Marinette decided to continue the path of an assertive denial with Chat Blanc. "Maybe you should tell me something of Ladybug which I don't know. The fans in Ladyblog would love you for that."

"I don't need the sympathy and fake love of Ladybug's fans," Chat's voice was suddenly a venomous spat as he dropped his tail from his hand, his head pressing lower towards Marinette. "Save that for yourself."

Marinette inspected his hatred filled eyes, completely taken back by his snarling reply. Again she lifted her palms up as a sign of a peace offering.

"My bad. Sorry," she said, not really knowing where that was coming from or what she was apologizing for, except annoying Chat Blanc and risking her safety. Chat's steely gaze softened quickly, his eyes looking out of his usual character for a second, until he straightened his back with a snort.

"Whatever," he scoffed, turning his head away from Marinette. "I'm a kind man, a lot kinder than you think, so I make a deal with you: I give you time to figure out more information of Ladybug and you let me know anything you come up with. Mark my words; I won't let you slip away. My sixth sense says there's something fishy here, and I'm going to find it out," his head turned back to Marinette, purple cat eyes drilling into her core with a cold stare. "I will be walking in your shadows like a pale ghost, somewhere near and somewhere far. You will never know where I'm lurking."

"What if I refuse?" Marinette stroke back with a glare, following Chat's grin, which appeared to the corner of his mouth.

"I wouldn't recommend that," his fangs popped visible from his mouth with the grin.

"Killing the messenger is a bad choice," she pointed out. His reply was a tilt of his head, the grin remaining on his pale face.

"Oh, but there are other things to do than kill. Other targets than the messenger. Like messenger's best friend. Or a family member. I'm very good at convincing people to work with me, if they start to get doubts or feel hesitant. No one has ever broken a deal with me after my persuasion," Chat's voice sent a chill down to Marinette's spine. She didn't want to think her other options with Chat Blanc more. It was the best to play with him as he hoped to be played with.

"Your plans of following me won't do any good, I promise that," Marinette said quickly, hoping she could negotiate with him about his request. "Most likely you will just scare Ladybug away when she senses you around. I will lose my job and won't get any photos nor new info."

"I highly doubt that," Chat replied between his grinning lips, but then his face turned into a serious expression, "but that's a reasonable worry. Wouldn't do any good for any of us if our beloved Ladybug flew away in a distress when we just want to get to know her better, right?"

She didn't like the choice of his words or how the sneer returned to his lips, but Marinette nodded nevertheless.

"Absolutely. She would most likely avoid any confrontation with you because of me as a civilian. I'd be in a danger if you and her clashed."

"That's definitely what she would do. Oh, I love how we think the same way," he sighed almost dramatically, "However I will keep my eyes on you. That's for sure."

"What do you want from Ladybug, exactly?" Marinette had to ask that. Perhaps it gave her some idea for a plan how to get rid of Chat Blanc and keep her heroine identity as a secret.

"That's, my lady, a secret," Chat Blanc lifted a finger up to his lips. "If we become good partners in crime, then I might spill my beans to you. But for now my lips are sealed."

'Naturally', Marinette thought silently, but said nothing. Chat waved his hand in the air, turning his wide back to Marinette.

"I'm glad we found a common ground with this matter. I will visit you again someday, and I highly recommend you letting me in. We cats can be very nasty when we're locked and pushed away," Chat spoke, his voice as a tender purr which was filled with icy tones.

Marinette wasn't happy with this deal, a deal which had happened without her consent or her being able to do anything to stop it from happening. She thought it would be possible to get rid of the deal and Chat Blanc later, but right now she would play along and play dumb. If it continued long enough, especially without Marinette meeting with Ladybug, Chat would see that she really knew nothing and leave her be.

"I'll be waiting for you, then," she replied back, earning a chuckle from Chat.

"I promise I won't keep you waiting too long. Don't you keep me waiting, either," he said, disappearing from Marinette's apartment as quickly as he had appeared in there in the first place.

Marinette stared at the closed door in a disbelief, the reality of the situation really sinking in now that she was left alone and she could breathe normally.

There was no way she was going to tell anyone about this. Absolute not. Not even Alya should know about this. It was too risky and Marinette didn't want to put anyone else in the danger's way. She was enough. She was Ladybug. She was Marinette. She could figure things out and heave Chat Blanc away from her hide quickly, with no problems.

She needed a plan.