Marinette pushed the laminated menus aside, and tilted her head a little further to the left, hoping to find the missing change she'd dropped from the register. She felt the end of her long ponytail swirl onto the floor as she leaned even further over, searching for the small, shiny coin. The bell for the front door chimed, and Marinette stood up from digging under the counter to see a short, round man standing in the doorway of the bakery. Marinette smiled, dusting off her apron, "Welcome to the Boulangerie Patisserie, what can we make for you today? It's quite chilly outside, a hot chocolate, perhaps?"

The man walked quickly up to the counter and rummaged through his pockets, "You serve coffee here, right? I really need something to help me wake up."

Marinette smiled, "Of course, monsieur. What kind of coffee would you like?"

He finally found what he was looking for, which seemed to be his wallet, and looked up at Marinette, "I would love a triple, venti, half sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato if you can."

Marinette's normally chipper and upbeat mood immediately soured, and she felt herself frown. She did everything she could to keep her eye from twitching as she punched in the order into the machine. As she did, she thought to herself about how she could sassily tell this customer that if he wanted a customized specialty drink he should go to the drink cafe down the street. The frilly shop that had been opened by some foreign heiress of some company with a name Marinette hadn't bothered to learn. They had bottles and jars and canisters of flavors and decorations lining the walls of the store. It was a fun enough place, if not overly frivolous. Still, she wasn't one to turn away a customer. Especially one that seemed as frenzied as this one. She sighed to herself, he was probably having a bad morning. She turned the register display around and reported to him, "Your total is shown here on the screen. Cash or card?"

He flipped open his wallet and pulled out a silver card, "Card please. And thank you."

She took the card from him and swiped it through the reader, "You're welcome." She handed the card back, "Your order will be out in just a minute."

She turned to start making the drink only to find that it was already sitting on the counter next to her. She blinked, a little confused. She looked at Adrien, and he smirked at her.

"I've picked up a few things watching you. And I figured you could use a hand." He waved with his left hand.

Marinette snickered, and turned back to the man at the counter, "Nevermind. You order is ready now. Have a good day." She handed him the drink. He took it and quickly sipped it as he turned away. The chime rang again as he exited the cafe and Marinette looked at Adrien again.

"You're pretty fast at that, ya know, for a wanna-be officer with a gunshot wound." She teased.

He put his hand on his hip and looked at her with a strangely familiar, playful grin. Marinette felt her heart flutter a little as he teased back, "Just you wait, someday I might be faster than you, oh great princess of the bakery."

Marinette ignored the funny pull on her heart at the word "princess", and smiled an equally mischievous smile, "Are you saying you'd like to race me?"

88888888

Adrien walked towards the hidden storage room of the bakery and stopped once he was certain that he wouldn't be spotted by Marinette or any of the customers in the bakery. He leaned back against the doorframe and sighed, placing his left hand over his right shoulder. The skin and muscles were tender and sensitive. It almost hurt just to touch the bandages. He could feel the pain and heat radiating from under the tight dressing. It was almost as if he had put a heat pad under the dressings and it was burning against his skin, and through the tightly wrapped bandages. He could only imagine that the skin underneath was as red and inflamed as it felt. He had come out of his room this morning feeling better than usual. It had been a few days since the last akuma incident, giving him ample time to make progress towards his healing. He had almost forgotten that he was also Chat Noir, and needed his arm for fighting the akuma of Paris.

After the last akuma almost a week ago, and the consequent trip to the hospital to repair his stitches, he had promised himself that he would be more cautious, more aware. However, that was much more difficult than he had originally expected it would be. Once he was in the heat of the moment, it took a lot of self-control to keep himself from being reckless. So far, Ladybug hadn't noticed, he thought with a spark of hope. Either that, he deflated a little, or she was just being nice and not saying anything about his obvious drop in helpfulness. Helpful or not, his arm was aching and stiff. He was doing his best not to let Marinette see how much it was hurting. He didn't want her to worry, or to get suspicious. He couldn't risk anyone knowing that he was Chat Noir. He couldn't put Marinette or anyone else in that kind of danger.

At the thought of Marinette, Adrien swooned a little. He loved her more and more every minute they were together. She was soft and genuine, sweet and strong, and it was so enchanting. She was the real reason he was making any progress into healing. Marinette was always kind enough to re-wrap his injured shoulder for him, and she did such a wonderful job. It was unfortunate however, that every so often, she would tie up the bandages and go downstairs, leaving him to rest, and then there would be an akuma attack. This time, when he called for Plagg, Adrien was more reluctant to transform. But, he couldn't leave Ladybug alone to fight, and had accepted whatever pain he would have to go through to protect her and the people of his beloved city. Now that the fighting was over, the akuma defeated and he'd returned safely to the bakery, he was feeling his adrenaline drain away and the pain returning to his shoulder.

He sighed, and leaned away from the doorframe, reaching into the dark of the room to turn the light on. As he was about to flip the switch he rolled his eyes, and walked into the dark. There was no one to fool back here, and no reason to turn on lights he didn't need to. The bright fluorescent lighting would only aggravate his already pounding headache. He felt his eyes widen and with a bit of cat-like eye twitching, he could see just fine. He grabbed the stack of paper bags that Marinette had asked him to get, tucking them under his arm. He walked past the freezer, noting Marinette's talent as he passed the decorated cakes inside the large glass window. He sighed, turned back around. He huffed and pulled out an ice pack, unable to ignore the searing hot pain any longer. He tucked the ice pack into the pocket of his apron, and made his way back out to the bakery. He put the bags away on the shelf and then turned towards Marinette.

He suddenly felt so defeated and frustrated. He was stuck in this sling, and not getting better fast enough, and worrying about Ladybug and Marinette and just wanting to sleep. He leaned his head on Marinette's shoulder.

Marinette felt herself stiffen and her cheeks warm, "Adrien, are you okay?"

He sighed, "I'm just really tired, and my shoulder is on fire. Could I convince you to tie this ice pack on my shoulder if I promise to help you frost cupcakes later?" He stood up and pulled the cold pack from his pocket.

Marinette took the ice pack with a sad smile, "No cupcakes needed."

88888888

"Thank you, sir!" Adrien smiled wide, "We'll see you again tomorrow!"

The door closed and Adrien sat down on the stool behind the counter and leaned on the cool marbled surface. Behind him, Marinette snickered.

"You're very good at that, you know."

He sat up and looked at her, "What?"

"Being a Kiss-up." She winked and disappeared into the back of the bakery as the door chimed again, letting Adrien know his short break was over.

88888888

"Seyong Li, you are hereby banned from this tournament for reckless and dangerous behavior. You are stripped of your title of grand tournament master, and are disqualified from the competition. Security will see you do the door." A man with a long beard in a karate gi held a hand towards the door of the stadium.

"This isn't fair! In my day, a broken arm was something to learn from!" Seyong yelled as the security guards grabbed him by the elbows.

The old man didn't respond. He only watched as Seyong was pulled to the door.

At the doors the guards let go of him, and he turned around, shouting into the stadium, "I'll be back, and I'll show you what it really means to be a champion!"

The guards held up their arms defensively, ready to stop him from coming back in, and Seyong huffed. He turned, and slammed the doors open, walking out into the cold night air. The air from his mouth made white puffs as he grumbled. He walked down the steps of the stadium and frowned. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and sat down on the park bench.

"If only there was a way to show them…" He muttered.

A voice in his mind laughed, A tournament is a terrible thing to lose. What horrible behavior these people have exhibited, kicking you out of your rightful place. My name is La Papillon, and I want to give you a chance to prove yourself. Your wish is my command, and if you bring me the miraculous stones of Ladybug and Chat Noir, you can wish for anything you can imagine.

Seyong smiled, "I want power, strength, and honor."

The voice hummed, So be it, dear Black Belt.

Seyong felt as heat and power rushed over him, and he smiled as he stood up from the park bench. He looked down at his gloves and the pads on his feet, "Now this is more like it."

88888888

Marinette squeezed the frosting piping bag as gently as she could, hoping that this time she would get the shape of the flower petal right. The soft sound of violins played in her ears, calming her and helping her hands to say steady as she touched the tip of the bag to the side of the cake. She squeezed a bit more, encouraging the frosting to form a bubble. She felt herself turning naturally to form the full shape of a flower petal. This was the one, this one was going to be perfect. After hours and hours of practicing, surely she was gonna get it right this time. She stuck out her tongue a little bit.

A loud alarm rang in her ears, and she screeched, squeezing the bag too tight and making the orange frosting explode out of the piping bag and all over the cake. She felt small flecks of the orange confection hit her face. She growled low, and threw the piping bag to the countertop, making more frosting smear across the surface.

"I hate this new city alert system." She was red in the face as she tore off her gloves and protective eyewear. She pulled her hands across her face, wiping the icing off with a frustrated growl. She pulled her headphones from her ears, threw off her apron, and wiped her hands on her jeans. She jerked the headphones out of the phone breaking the jack off the end. She almost screamed, and threw the headphones to the counter and pulled the jack out angrily, throwing it behind her. She sat down on the stool and swiped her finger across the screen, "What is is this time?" She fumed.

A short alert message scrolled across the screen and Marinette felt her phone slip through her hands and clatter to the hard surface of the counter. Her red-hot anger chilled to ice cold fear.

"Tikki," her voice cracked, and her face started to pale, "Spots on."

She didn't even wait for Tikki to catch up before she was out of the bakery. She started running towards the stadium. She felt as the transformation took effect, and her jeans and hoodie were transformed into a skin-tight suit, and her hair was pulled back into two swirling ponytails. She kept running, and felt her heart hammering in her chest as she sprouted wings and launched herself towards the stadium. The alert message had been burned into her eyes, and she was having trouble breathing.

"Disqualified Contestant Akumatized. Please Remain Indoors. Major and Critical Injuries Confirmed. 3 In Critical Condition. 1 Possible Death."

"Please Remain Indoors. Major and Critical Injuries Confirmed. 3 In Critical Condition. 1 Possible Death."

"3 In Critical Condition. 1 Possible Death."

"1 Possible Death."

"1 Possible Death."

She glared at the stadium and pushed herself to fly faster. Faster.

88888888

Adrien had been granted the opportunity to help sort through files and case information through his laptop from the comfort of his home. Antoni had called him and given him access to the case database. There was a loud crack of thunderous noise, and he looked up from his files with a confused quirk of his eyebrow. He looked at the windows, and then jumped up from the couch. He made his way to the window, looking for the source of the noise as his phone alarm sounded. He looked out the window, still looking for the source of the noise. Hoping that it wasn't an alumna attack, his arm was feeling pretty good right now, he looked at the screen of his phone. He set the phone back down and ran to the front door. He pulled it open and leaped down the stairs and out into the cold night.

"Plagg, claws out." he took off at a run as his arm was granted more movement than normal, and made a beeline towards the stadium. Ladybug was ahead of him, that was the sound that he'd heard before, but she wouldn't be able to do this alone. As he ran through the streets, he felt the cold hair in his lungs. It was invigorating. He ran and leaped up onto a ladder, and scurried up the rungs to the rooftops of Paris. He ran faster, seeing Ladybug in front of him. She disappeared into the stadium, and he readied himself to pole vault after her.

88888888

Ladybug landed inside the stadium to find utter chaos around her. People were running and screaming and she could hear the cries of children that had been separated from their parents, and the terrored shouts of parents searching for lost children in the chaos. For the first time in a long time, she felt her blood run cold at the thought that she was out of her league. Who was she to think that she could save people? How was she going to help all of these people? Where would she even start? How was she going to get out of this one? Where was Chat Noir? She thought with a horrible emptiness in her stomach. She needed him.

"Ladybug! Thank God!" a man in a black gi, with a dark black martial arts belt tied around his waist, approached her, "The Akuma is a man who was kicked out of the competition for cheating and intentionally hurting another competitor. The other contestant is going to be okay, but his arm has been broken and dislocated."

Ladybug felt her face pale, knowing full well the pain of a dislocated shoulder. She folded her arms across her chest, and looked at her feet, "Thanks for letting me know."

He smiled, still panicked, "I hope this information is useful to you. Please, we're trying to get everyone to safety. Please just get him out of the stadium, or at least distract him."

Ladybug was pulled from her musings, and looked at the man, "Explain to me what he's doing to the other competitors. There are rumors that he might have killed someone."

"He is turning anyone he can get to into a competitor, and challenging them. He believes that if he can beat everyone here that his honor will be restored. He was a powerful martial arts user before. A world class champion. Now he is superhuman, and knows that he is strong. People are getting hurt." His voice was shaking.

Ladybug steeled herself, "He's strong, but so am I." She took a deep breath and looked to the older man, "Get everyone that you can to the other end of the stadium, I'll see if I can get him outside. If I can't, please keep everyone else as far from him as possible."

"I understand," the old man looked at her, with sad, worried eyes, "He hasn't killed anyone, but there are many who are severely injured. What should we do with them?"

Ladybug felt her heart flutter. How should she know? Just because she was wearing the super suit didn't mean she knew everything. She shook it off.

"Everything should be fixed after he is defeated. Keep them stable and safe until then." She instructed and smiled at the older man, "Stay calm and don't worry. I'll take care of Black Belt. You take care of the people."

He smiled at her, and nodded.

She turned away from him and ran towards one of the designated competition mats. She smirked to herself, thinking that it was strange to stand on one of these in shoes. Normally she was here in her martial arts gear. Bare feet. Gloves on. Normally she would be here with her hair in a ponytail and ready to show her skills to earn her place in the world of martial arts. Now she was standing here as a hero, hoping to save the people of this competition from this villian, who was apparently just a sore loser. She frowned.

Standing here in a place where she would normally be so comfortable calmed her nerves a little bit. She folded her arms across her chest, and buzzed her wings a little, "Hey! Black Belt! I heard you were looking for a worthy opponent. Why don't you come over here, and we'll see who's better, me or you?"

Black Belt turned with a devilish grin, dropping his current opponent to the ground, "A challenger."

88888888

Chat Noir watched from the sidelines as Ladybug fought with Black Belt. The Akumatized ex-champion had sealed off all of the exits, and Chat Noir was comforting and protecting the people that hadn't been able to make it out of the stadium. Ladybug was quick on her feet, and she was doing her best from what he could tell, but she wasn't quite fast enough. Chat Noir watched in slow motion as she was kicked in the chest and knocked to the ground. Black Belt laughed and turned away from her without a second glance.

His gruff and deep voice echoed through the stadium, "Not even your hero can protect you. I truly am the greatest martial artist the world has to offer." He laughed and made his way towards the outskirts of the stadium, where people were doing their best to hide.

Chat Noir turned to the people and whispered, "Hide yourselves as best you can. I must go check on Ladybug. Be brave. It will all be alright." he dashed towards the competition mat where Ladybug was laying, defeated. He collapsed to his knees and gingerly picked up her head, "My Lady, please open your eyes."

Ladybug stirred and coughed a little, "Chat Noir, has he hurt anyone else?"

Chat Noir's face expanded into a large grin, "No he hasn't, My Lady. You've saved them."

"He's beaten me." She wheezed.

Chat Noir frowned again, "No he hasn't My Lady. No he hasn't."

She cracked one eye open at him, "No, he hasn't, but he thinks he has."

Chat Noir grinned.

She opened her eyes and looked at the exits, "I need you to do me a favor Mon Chaton. I need you to be a distraction. I'm certain that not even your Cataclysm could destroy his barrier, but I think I can get one of the locks open with a lucky trick." she winked at him.

Chat Noir smiled wide, and set her gently back on the mat. He darted after the akuma, "You may have defeated Ladybug, but you haven't won yet."

Ladybug jumped up, and activated her lucky charm as she ran towards the nearest door. A fighting fan appeared in her hands, and she smiled. She ran up to the door, and placed the blades of the fan between the doors and slid the fan down to the lock. She heard a click, and Chat Noir's voice echoed through the stadium.

"She's getting away!"

Ladybug jammed the fan away from the door and the large doors popped open. She silently thanked Tikki for the steel fan, and ran out into the dark Parisian night. She heard large, heavy footsteps behind her. She smiled, and turned, ready to face Black Belt.

88888888

Ladybug grabbed the black martial arts belt, and pulled it apart, ripping the fabric against the grain. It was oddly satisfying to tear apart an item that had caused her and Chat Noir so much trouble. It also felt strangely disrespectful to destroy something that was considered regalia in the world of martial arts. With a sense of triumph mixed with disgust she dropped the belt, and it floated down to the ground. A small black butterfly floated from the broken treasure, forced from its hiding place. The akuma fluttered slowly away, and if she didn't know better, she might have thought it was oddly beautiful. Dark black wings, soft and quiet, laced with vibrant purple swirls. A beautifully sinister creature, to be sure. Despite its haunting beauty, she did know better. And this small demon was not going to cause any more trouble. Not tonight. Not on her watch and not in her city. Ladybug let herself relax a little. The fight was over. The akuma could be purified. She could stop fighting. With a flick of her wrist, she spun her yoyo around and captured the butterfly with a practiced hand. The yoyo snapped back into her grasp. After a few moments, the yoyo popped open and a now white butterfly fluttered away.

"Bye, bye little butterfly." She waved, satisfied that she and Chat Noir had delayed the twisted plot of La Papillon a little longer. She wondered for a moment, watching it flutter away, what would happen if La Papillon wasn't a villain. She scoffed at herself, and let the thought go in the same moment.

Ladybug turned to Chat Noir, scooping up the large steel tessen and folding it back together. She smiled at him and threw the large bladed fan into the air. With a sense of victory and a little exhaustion she shouted, "Isn't that miraculous?"

A wash of red fell over the small Parisian park. All of the damage and distress caused by Black Belt's tirade was repaired and returned to normal. Injuries were healed, and the sealed doors were opened. The sky cleared to show the stars and the people continued to flow in and out of the stadium with trophies and hopeful eyes. Families and friends were gathered in the stadium for the martial arts tournament. Now they were safe again. She would be headed home. She had earned herself a nap if nothing else. And she was worried about Adrien.

With a brilliant smile she turned to her favorite masked hero, "Well done, Chat Noir." she held out her fist.

With a crooked, mischievous smile Chat Noir's fist collided with hers, "Always a pleasure to aid My Lady in battle." He pretended not to notice the jolt of pain that shot from his wrist to his shoulder at the familiar gesture. Every bit of pain was worth it to be her hero. Even if Marinette would be upset with him later. Thankfully, the injury he'd received in the stadium from holding the door shut had been healed by the miraculous power of Ladybug. However, it was still sore. Very sore.

The people that had been turned into Black Belt's competitors returned to their late night walk through the park, or retreated back into the stadium to continue competing. The de-akumatized man sat in the grass, a little delirious. He was still in a thick cotton uniform, but this time, he was just a man who looked like he belonged in a dojo.

Ladybug laughed lightly, "Head home, Kitty-cat. It's been a long day. I'll help this man back to wherever he's going and head home myself. Thanks for all your help. I really couldn't do this whole 'hero' thing without you."

"Be careful, My Lady, it's starting to sound like you might be developing feelings for me." He put his face close to hers, quirking an eyebrow.

She smiled flirtily back, but didn't move away from him, "We've been through this. You have real romantic feelings for another girl, Chat Noir. Don't do her the disservice of flirting with me." she gave him a warning look, then stepped back with a sigh, "Now get going. You look tired."

Chat laughed, "You're right, I do care for her, but I care for you as well, My Lady. So don't push away my affections so casually." he waved, and took to the rooftops to get home, excited to see Marinette.

Ladybug rolled her eyes with a smile, and turned to the man sitting in the grass, "Sir?" She cooed, "Are you feeling alright? Would you like me to help you get somewhere? Being de-akumatized can be hard on the senses. Please, I'm here to help."

The man groaned, and put his hand on his head, "I feel like I've been in training for a month straight. What happened? I'm so sore and tired." He looked around, and stopped when Ladybug caught his eye, "Who are you?" He looked her up and down.

Ladybug flashed her most sincere smile and put her hands on her hips, "I'm Ladybug, a Hero of Paris. Wielder of the Red Miraculous. I fight the akuma, nasty little creatures." Ladybug frowned, "One of them got ahold of you, I'm afraid. But it's okay, my partner, Chat Noir, and I saved you. You're fine now."

The man looked thoughtful for a moment, the events of the last couple of hours resurfacing in his mind. His humiliating defeat in the championship, a promise of honor, and then a blur of light and he was here in this unfamiliar park, with a teenage girl in spandex telling him that he had been saved. He thought about it. He had heard of Ladybug. She was a famous Parisian Hero. Surely this little girl wasn't that hero.

Then again, she did seem to have saved him from whatever he needed saving from. He looked at the sweatband around his wrist. He had been promised honor. He had been willing to lie, cheat, and steal for it. As he remembered, he became increasingly more frustrated. This Ladybug had taken away his victory. La Papillon had promised that he would be a champion. He furiously glared at Ladybug, "You mean to tell me I was saved by a schoolgirl and her pet cat? How pathetic." He stood, visibly angry, and started to walk away. He briskly brushed off the grass from his uniform as he went.

Every piece of Ladybug told her to let him walk away, and not to engage him because her feelings were a little bruised. How many times had someone not been grateful to be saved? Many. How many more times would she save them? Every time. If she let him walk away now, then he would probably go on his way and get over it on his own time. There was no sensible reason to stop him. She stood her ground, trying to calm her erratic emotions, but her anger bubbled. She chided herself, a little frustrated that she couldn't quite control herself.

Seyong Li, the back of his gi had his name embroidered across his shoulder blades. He must have been a part of a respectable martial arts school to have such a fine uniform. She took a deep breath and tried to just watch him walk away. Her anger flared and heat raced across her shoulders and up her neck. She had never been accused of being a schoolgirl, and she was feeling tender from almost losing to Black Belt. She may have been a school girl once. But no one had ever made that accusation. Especially not since her comeback. She steadied herself and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. Anger lead to a loss of control. He didn't know her life. She let out a long breath. Her anger still bubbled. He'd insulted Chat Noir. Before she could stop herself again, she pointed a finger at him, and scowled, "I'm no schoolgirl, Sir. And Chat Noir isn't my pet, he's a Hero. Arguably a more chivalrous and brave-hearted hero than I deserve to have as a partner." Ladybug fumed.

The man laughed haughtily, and turned around showing her a wicked grin. He looked at her like a school teacher looked at a student failing his class, "I have heard of the terrors of Paris. The evil butterflies that possess the hearts of those who have less than positive feelings. Ladybug catches these 'akuma' as you call them and frees the victims from their influence. That's not very impressive. You're a glorified bug catcher. You aren't a real warrior, or a real hero. What can a girl like you know about any of this?" He gestured to the stadium behind them, where the Championship was still taking place, "Here we fight for honor and blood. What do you fight for?" His judging eyes looked her up and down again.

"I fight against La Papillon and his insidious manipulation of the people in this city. You couldn't have freed yourself from the Akuma." Ladybug frowned, her words dangerously venomous.

She heard the beeping of her earnings, a warning that her time was short. She didn't have time to argue with this man about his honor. She didn't have time to lecture him about her own history as a martial arts master. The long hours she spent honing her body and training her mind. She didn't have time to sit around and wait for him to realize that she was just trying to help him. She tried to ignore the now boiling anger in her chest, and attempted to get the man back on track, away from insulting her, and away from the feelings that might invite the akuma back, "The tournament isn't over yet, you still have time. I'll put in a good word for you, and you could compete again."

"Tournament? Who cares about a tournament." he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "by 'saving' me from that monster, you took away my last chance for victory. What if I didn't want to be saved? I could have proven my worth."

Ladybug felt a cold jolt of panic shoot through her at his comment. Didn't want to be saved? How could that be possible? While it's true that people sometimes sought out being akumatized, no one ever wanted to stay akumatized after learning the power La Papillon really had over you. Ladybug sighed, pushing her worry aside, "Master Li, I know it's hard, but power given to you by an Akuma can never bring you an honorable victory. If you truly want your honor back, then let's head back inside and you can finish the competition. Everyone makes mistakes."

"No," he growled, "It's clear to me now that the tournament I dreamed of competing in is nothing but a sham. But you, Ladybug," he held out his arms to her, "you could redeem me. If you are truly a hero, let me fight you. Let me defeat you. That's how you can help me."

"No." she frowned, folding her arms across her chest, "I wouldn't want to hurt you."

The man laughed, "What a joke. You wouldn't hurt me."

Ladybug huffed, "I know that it's hard to face your past, and that it might be difficult to admit defeat, but that only means you have room to grow." She tried to be a heroine. She tried to resist the urge to accept his invitation. But she really wanted to. She really wanted to teach him what it meant to have warrior's honor. But, she chided herself, it wasn't honorable if she engaged him first. Her boiling anger settled into a weak simmer and she took a deep breath. She was only tired. She just needed sleep. And maybe a bowl of sugary cereal.

He clicked his tongue, "I meant what I said, Little Lady. I challenge you to a fight. If I beat you, my record will include defeating a superhero, my honor as a martial artist will be restored. I may not win the championship, but I will be world famous."

Ladybug shook her head, "I must decline. I do not fight for reward or recognition. I only fight against the Akuma when I must. Please, let me walk you home at least." She held out her hand.

"Don't be foolish." He scowled, "I will defeat you." He reached for her outstretched hand, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her towards him. She stumbled forward, and he swung a clenched fist at her.

With the reflexes that only came with her miraculous powers, she dodged, and pulled herself from his grasp. She spun around, her twin ponytails moving in the cool breeze. She took a stance, her adrenaline now pumping, "Please stop. Don't do this."

Without a word the man charged at her. She quickly moved out of the way and jumped around him, and tried to run in the opposite direction. If she could get back to the building, she could escape into the crowd. The man turned quickly and chased after her.

Ladybug's mind raced. She'd freed him from the akuma. He should be okay. Why was he so determined to fight her? Surely the blow to his pride could not be so deep that he truly believed that fighting her would prove his worth again. Her eyes opened wide, he hadn't wanted to be saved. Ladybug didn't have time to think much past that. Her thoughts halted as she felt his hands wrap around her shoulders.

She almost moved fast enough, but didn't quite make it. The man grabbed her from behind, and held her around the neck with his elbow, "I will defeat you, and hang your mask and hair ribbons from my wall as trophies."

Ladybug glared, and threw her head backwards, slamming her skull into his face. He let her go, and grabbed at his now broken nose. Blood dripped between his fingers. She grimaced. She hadn't meant to break his nose, only get him to let go. Someday she would know the limits of her own strength.

He glared at her, "Pest."

"Do not attempt to attack me again, Monsieur Li. I will not tolerate this behavior." Ladybug stood defensively, somehow knowing her words wouldn't reach him and that she would have to fight him. She didn't have any way of calling any help without stopping to make a call on her communicator. A pause like that would only encourage Seyong to try to strike her. She would have to defeat him herself. Again. She groaned. She would have to be on the defensive. She would try her hardest not to hurt him.

He moved faster than before, and though she tried to dodge, his large fist made contact with her face, and she toppled backwards, landing on her back. She hit the ground hard, and groaned a little. Her cheek was likely split and her ears were barely ringing. She reached up and touched her cheek lightly with her gloved hands. She pulled her hand back and fresh blood had turned her gloves a darker red. She scowled, and tasted blood in her mouth. She felt a small thrill pass over her as she realized she had given him a warning, which he had ignored, and she would now have to fight him. She frowned deeper, realizing that's probably why he'd engaged her again.

The man watched as she pushed herself off the ground, "How does that feel?" He chuckled, "To be so highly regarded, and then to be knocked down. Now you know how I felt! Can you see how great of a martial artist I am?"

Ladybug glared at him, her anger getting the better of her once again as the man continued to engage her. He was obviously not okay. Usually the people that were behind the akuma attacks were fairly harmless underneath. It figured that black belt was so hard to defeat, if this was the man underneath his powers. Ladybug suddenly felt very lucky that they'd defeated him.

She winced as her muscles protested more fighting, "That punch hurt like a bitch. Is that what you wanted to hear? I told you I didn't want to fight. What kind of low-life creep attacks a girl alone in a park after dark?"

"This is the only way to restore my honor." He growled.

Ladybug snapped. She glared, and balled her fists, "You aren't a warrior. You're a man who can't let go of his pride. You shame the name of martial arts. No wonder you were defeated in the battle for the championship. You no longer care about the art, and only about winning. A man like you isn't even worth my time. You have no honor in my eyes." She felt the blood start to trickle down her cheek. She swiped her wrist across the corner of her mouth, "I will not fight you."

"You will regret those words, Little Lady." He glared.

Ladybug felt her blood run cold. She'd fallen for his trap. This is what he'd wanted all along. He'd goaded her. Insulted her. She thought she'd been in control. He wasn't like other akuma victims. She was in trouble.

88888888

Chat Noir had only made it a few blocks, when a horrible feeling settled in his stomach. Like a feeling of discomfort, like he couldn't get comfortable in his skin. At first he thought it might be over-exertion of his injured body, which was extremely likely. He was going too far with his injury. Plagg gave him the strength to move his arm during fights, but the rebound was bad. He would be tired, and it would throb for days afterwards. Marinette would probably scold him for it. She would probably deny him any kind of attention. He frowned. However, this feeling was a little different than just the light-headed ending of his night as a masked hero. He stopped and sat in the darkness of a rooftop.

With a small tinge of horror he realized he hadn't seen Ladybug yet. She usually followed him within a few moments. Sometimes so fast that he was worried she might catch up to him. Something was definitely wrong. Without a second thought, he turned back and started to make his way back to the park where he'd left Ladybug to take the de-akumatized man back to his tournament.

No one was around when he landed silently on the park bench. His green eyes looked around the park quickly, scanning for any sign of his spotted partner. He saw a flash of red, and zeroed in on the sight before him. His heart fell through his stomach to the soles of his shoes. The scene before him was almost more than he could bear. The man that had been "Black Belt" no more than five minutes ago was attacking Ladybug, but to his relief she was fighting back. He took her by surprise, and grabbed her by the wrists. He was going to strike her.

Chat Noir felt his panic and protective instincts race from his toes up through his body until his ears were ringing at the thought of anyone hurting his Ladybug. His body moved on its own to save her, but then saw the look in her eyes. Far from needing his help, she was standing with fire in her eyes. She was furious. He hung back, remembering his own injuries, and watched with sharp eyes. He would run to save her if he needed to.

88888888

Ladybug's earrings told her that Tikki was getting tired, and couldn't hold up the transformation much longer. Ladybug nodded to herself, determined to see this through, as Ladybug or as Marinette. She silently apologized to Tikki, frowned, and kicked the man in the chest, making him stumble backwards.

"Oh? Feisty, are we?" The man taunted her, "With kicks like that it's a surprise that you are considered a hero."

Ladybug felt her blood boil, and put up her fists, "I already told you, I will not fight you." she glared.

Seyong Li flashed a smile, and moved towards her, "Then defeating you should be easy."

"But be warned," she steeled herself, "I will not sit and let you strike me. You will wear yourself out before you defeat me."

88888888

Chat Noir watched from his hidden place on the bench as Ladybug took a beating. His heart was pounding harder and harder, she was getting hurt. She was tougher than he thought. Her arms would be bruised, and so would her legs. Her lip was split, and she was breathing heavy. Her cheek was split open, too. With his heightened sense of hearing, he could hear the familiar beep of Ladybug's earrings, telling him that she was almost done being Ladybug. She didn't seem to care anymore. She was blocking but she wasn't striking him. At least not unless it was to protect herself.

She was a flurry of fists and skilled, swift blocks and jabs. She was different now from when she normally fought the akuma. When she saved Paris, she was sweet and sassy. She was a good fighter, but was mostly on the defensive as far as hurting the people terrorized by the akuma. Chat Noir had always found that endearing; the fact that she could hurt them, but chose not to. She chose to save them.

This Ladybug was dangerous. She was a weapon of fury and focused energy, her attacks were precise and streamlined. There was purpose and power in every move she made. Chat Noir noted that she must do some kind of martial arts outside of just being a hero. She continued to block blows from the man. And like the movies he watched, she expertly used his movements to her advantage. It was oddly attractive. But, she must have hit him somewhere along the way, because he had a black eye and a bruised jaw. While he was afraid for her, he was also extremely proud of her.

In a string of motions too fast for Chat Noir to follow, the former martial arts master had his beloved Ladybug by the arms. She wasn't going to be able to get out of this one. He stood quickly, ready to jump to her aid.

88888888

Seyong held her wrists, "Your time as a hero is almost up, Ladybug. Admit defeat."

"Never." She glared, and in a flash of pinkish-red light, the transformation wore off. An exhausted Tikki flew from the Miraculous stones in her ears, and hid herself in the pocket of Marinette's flouncy skirt. Marinette continued to glare at the man. Tikki would be okay if she could just rest. She looked back at the man, her eyebrows almost touching.

A little confused, the man looked her over again, "What is this?"

"Behind every hero is a person, Sir. You have had the unfortunate privilege to see the lady behind Ladybug." she huffed, "Now, let me go." She didn't squirm, only demanded to be set free. She would not waste energy.

He growled, "You're a little girl! You can't be older than eighteen. Judging by your clothes you're another bubblehead obsessed with worldly things. And you preach to me about honor and fighting." He grabbed her arms tighter, "A child like you could never dream of defeating me. My victory is certain."

Marinette grinned, "Wrong choice. I am no longer a hero of Paris. Just a girl in park. And you picked the wrong girl to fight with." She stepped on his foot with the thick heel of her designer wedges, and he let her go with a howl. She stood in her pretty yellow sweater, short skirt and dainty heels ready to strike him. She spun around and knocked him back with a kick to his jaw.

He turned towards her, and spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

She took a stance, held out her hand, ready for him to engage her again. She would show him the meaning of defeat. It was now her honor on the line as well. And now that she wasn't a hero, she was free to truly engage with him.

He moved quickly, and he and Marinette again danced around each other, striking and blocking blows in every direction and changing tactics from one second to the next. Except now, he was making a lot less headway with Marinette buzzing around him like a bee. She was fast and fearless and precise. She was going to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone else.

88888888

Chat Noir's heart was hammering out of his chest. His Lady, the kick-ass hero of his daydreams had turned into the dainty and sweet love of his life. The girl he pinned after in school, the unreachable beauty that he'd let go of, was the girl that he'd let her go for. Under the spots and the sass was Marinette. The beautiful, quirky Marinette that had stolen his heart with croissants and cookies was the hero of Paris. He could feel his neck and ears burning. It was a good thing he was sitting down, or his racing heart would have knocked him to the ground. It was like he had been struck by lightning. He could hear the thundering of his heart in his ears. Every part of him was alive and buzzing and warm. He couldn't stop his face from getting hotter and hotter. The familiar feeling of affection and adoration that he felt with Marinette churned inside him, and lodged itself in his stomach. He was in so much trouble. He was so in love with her. Really, truly, madly in love with this woman.

Everything made sense. He had been so drawn to them both, and now he knew why. Ladybug and Marinette were the same person. He felt his ears burn like fire as he realized he'd kissed Ladybug more than once. And not just a peck either.

His legs felt like jelly, and his heart hammered away at his ribcage. He could feel the heat of his embarrassment creeping under his suit, and he didn't know if he could handle it. He leaned back on the bench, and closed his eyes. He tried to let the chilly air cool his nerves. His Princess might need him. He sat up again, and looked to where Marinette was fighting. He watched the battle half-heartedly as his mind whirled.

Marinette had taken him into her home, he was living with Ladybug. Ladybug worked in a bakery, bringing smiles to Paris one sweet confection at a time while Marinette kept the akumas from taking over Paris.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the man grabbed her by the hair, and snarled something at her. His mind raced through all of the ways he could help.

With a sense of urgency, he called the precinct and reported a fight in the park. Marinette would have a chance to explain herself. Only he and Seyong Li would know that she was also the spotted hero of Paris.

He snapped back to attention as the man fell to the ground, and Marinette stood over him with angry eyes.

88888888

"If you tell anyone about my real identity, I will hunt you down and make your life hell, no questions asked. You attacked me in this park after dark. A poor defenseless girl. How uncivilized." She glared, letting the threatening tone of her voice through her clenched teeth. His eyes widened as he realized she was blackmailing him.

He looked away from her, "You are a skilled fighter. I admit defeat. Your secret is safe with me." he coughed.

"I could have you charged for assault and battery. Remember that. Go home Seyong Li, before I change my mind." Marinette hummed, her voice low.

In the distance, the lights and sirens started, and Marinette looked to the flashing lights and back to Seyong. He was badly beaten, but so was she.

"I will not press charges. You will not tell secrets that aren't yours to tell." She stepped away from him.

The cars arrived at the park quickly, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Officers that Marinette was sure were Adrien's friends from the precinct swarmed to her and to Seyoung. She recognized Antoni, but not the other officer.

"Marinette!" Antoni breathed, "Are you alright?"

She turned to see a female officer with dark skin pick Seyong up off the grass and load him up into a squad car. She turned back to Antoni.

"Y-yes." She held up her hands, "I feel better than I'm sure I look. There was an akuma attack and I found myself in the park, and this creep attacked me. I defended myself, but not without getting a little beaten up."

The officer smiled, "Tough, and pretty. No wonder Pretty Boy likes you. Though with eyes like that and skills to boot, you must be a heartbreaker." He laughed, "But you'd probably be prettier if we clean you up a bit. I have a first aid kit in my cruiser." He offered her his elbow.

She smiled, ignoring his comment about 'Pretty Boy', making her cheek hurt, and took him by the elbow. He walked her to the car, and she stood next to him while he rifled through his trunk. He appeared with a toolbox. He set it down and pulled a bag of small sutures from the top shelf.

"So," he smirked at her, "How does a pretty girl like you get caught up in a fight like that?"

"I'm the daughter of a baker, Antoni. I'm not that dangerous." She winced as he padded her cheek with a cotton swab covered in antibacterial solution. He stuck the small strips across her split cheek and the gash on her forehead.

"I'd think he'd say you're a little dangerous." Antoni nodded to the car Seyong was in. He put the bag of sutures back in the box and raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you really okay?"

Marinette sighed, "A little ruffled, but I'm okay. And before you ask, I don't want to press charges. I just want to go home."

He smiled, "Would you like a ride? I'm not sure Adrien or Cherlie would be okay with me leaving you here."

Marinette shook her head, making herself a little dizzy, "No, but thank you. I already have someone coming to get me." She lied.

"Only if you're sure." He looked at her seriously.

She laughed, "I promise. I appreciate the offer, but I'll be okay. Really."

"Alright," he looked her up and down, "but you call us right back out here if you need us. And if I get in trouble for this you're making me fresh bread for a month, Bakery Girl."

"Will do." She saluted him weakly.

Antoni tipped his hat to her, and got into the car. They turned off the sirens and turned down the street that would take them back to the precinct.

Marinette sat down on the curb and collapsed in the cold, dead grass. She could feel how badly her body would ache, and how beat up she really was. It had been a long time since she'd fought like that. And she'd never had to fight to stay safe like that either. It had always been for training. For exercise. Never a fight for her life.

She laid back in the grass, letting out a heavy sigh, and breathing deeply. She closed her eyes, and tried to think of a good reason not to just lay there in the grass until someone found her dead, frozen body. Her adrenaline was still racing.

"Princess?" Chat Noir's voice tickled her ears, and she bolted upright. She spun around and looked right at him with horrified eyes. She stood quickly and held out her hands. She ignored the pounding of her head and the wave of dizziness that washed over her from sitting up so quickly.

"Chat Noir, what are you doing here?" She panicked, "Did Ladybug send you? I'm fine I promise. Just a little banged up."

Chat Noir looked her over. She looked worse, now that he was standing so close to her. Her clothes were beyond saving. Her sweater was covered in blood, and her skirt was torn. Her knuckles were bloody from fighting with her bare hands, and so were her elbows. Her favorite pair of chestnut brown tights were shredded around her knees, that were also bloody. Her striking blue eyes were even more striking next to her bleeding cheek and split lip. He had watched Antoni clean her up, but a fresh trickle of blood was starting to make its way through her eyebrow and down the side of her face. There were scratches and cuts all over her arms, and she was covered in bruises. Her hair was tousled and messy, falling out in chunks from the ponytail it had been in. His heart skipped; Marinette was pretty bad-ass.

"Marinette, I saw the whole thing. I didn't want to make it worse. I made sure that no one else found out about your scandalous double-life." he winked, and then flashed her a real smile for the first time in forever, "Your secret is safe with me, My Lady."

Marinette couldn't keep the horror off her face. After all of her hard work to not get discovered. She had outsmarted the police, the press, and even her best friend, Alya. And here she was, hoping that the arrogant Seyong Li was the only person that had seen her, and now here was her partner, Chat Noir telling her that he would protect her and her secret.

"I can't do this." she turned immediately, and started walking home.

"Marinette, wait." Chat Noir chased after her.

"No, Kitty-Cat, you go home. I'm going home. I'll see you later." She held up her hand to stop him. He looked at her with sad eyes.

She turned away and walked towards her home above the bakery. The bakery.

With a panicked thought, Chat Noir took to the rooftops, he had to move quick or Marinette would beat him home, and she wouldn't be the only one giving up their secret identity tonight.

Marinette pulled her hair from the ponytail holder. Most of her hair had fallen out of it anyway. The walk home was long, and Tikki would be asleep for the next few hours. Marinette felt bad, she'd really pushed Tikki this time. But she also hadn't had a choice. She would have to make the kwami a special batch of sweets to thank her for her hard work. Maybe warm up a blanket for her to sleep in while she recovered.

Her heart hammered. Chat Noir knew who she really was. He now knew that Ladybug and Marinette are the same person. She walked blindly through the streets as her mind whirled around the thought that her two lives were now irrevocably crossed. There was no way to tell Chat Noir that she wasn't also Ladybug. He knew. He'd seen her drop the transformation. She felt her cheeks flush. He'd also seen her beat the daylights out of a fully grown man. She groaned, how charming.

She walked in the front door of her parent's home, after hiking up the stairs, to see Adrien sitting up on the couch. At the sound of the door, he turned around.

"Marinette!" He smiled at her. With a horrified look he jumped up and ran to her, using his good arm, he pushed the hair from her face, "What happened? I thought you were going out to run a quick errand. Are you okay?"

She leaned away from his hand, "I'm okay. There was an akuma. I got caught up in the fighting. I'm a little banged up, but I'm alright."

He smiled down at her, "I'll get you some pain killers. Why don't you go change into something more comfortable, and not so," he made a face, looking at her from this angle had been a bad idea.

She looked up at him, "Destroyed?"

He smiled shyly, looking immediately away from her, "Yeah."

She laughed distractedly, "Thank you, Adrien." She back smiled at him and turned to walk up the stairs to her room. Adrien turned away, feeling terrified of what had just happened.

His face and earns ignited and he felt his heart leap from his chest. He would have to be so careful about what he said and did. Though he was proud of himself for acting surprised to see her so beaten. She didn't know that he was Chat Noir, she only knew that Chat Noir knew who Ladybug was. He blushed and fussed about it while he walked to the closet and dug through the pain killers, and he pulled one from the basket. He closed the door quietly and walked back to the small kitchen. He set the bottle on the counter. He thought about what she had said, and if he hadn't felt the healing effects of her Lucky Charm, he wouldn't have questioned it. But if she'd been a regular citizen, then she would have been healed by the Lucky Charm, and wouldn't have returned home so badly beaten. How many times had he not noticed her small lies? He looked towards the stairs, and frowned. How many times had she been excluded from the effects of the Lucky Charm?

He heard her coming down the stairs as he put a glass under the running water. He stiffened, and turned the water off. He turned around. His heart wasn't going to be able to handle this.

Marinette had come down the stairs in a pair of pink sweatpants and fuzzy socks. She was wearing what Adrien could only guess was two hoodies, one on top of the other with her hands shoved in her pockets. Most of her skin on her face was already bruising. Her hair was back up in a tousled ponytail, and he tried not to stare. She brushed past him and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. She wrapped it in a towel and set it on her eye.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" He asked, handing her the painkillers and glass of water.

She took them from him, her fingers ghosting against his for a moment. She popped the capsules in her mouth and downed the water quickly. She tipped over the back of the couch, and laid on the large piece of furniture with her feet in the air.

"I'll live." She groaned.

Adrien turned and leaned on the counter, his heart racing.

Realizing that he was so in love with her was a bad thing. He hadn't known that once he admitted that he'd fallen for her that he would think that everything she did was attractive. He looked at Marinette's feet hanging over the edge of the couch. He hadn't thought that it would make it hard to even look at her without wanting to touch her hair, to kiss her skin, to hold her close. He hadn't really been thinking at all. And he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

They had become close friends, and were standing precariously close to the edge of the cliff of becoming something more. They were living in the same house, and she was Ladybug. His sweet, loving Marinette was sassy, classy, clever Ladybug. And underneath Ladybug's charm, was Marinette. His dark haired Princess that always smelled like fresh bread and sugar. The sweet girl that had willingly become his nurse, and cared so tenderly for him.

He sighed and put his hand over his eyes. How was he going to manage this? How was he going to live with her? Talk to her? How was he supposed to keep his hands to himself now that he knew he didn't have to give up either of his favorite girls, because they were the same girl? Marinette was Ladybug, and he was in so much trouble.