Lady Wifi

Adrian sat in class, tapping his pencil on his desk in boredom. It had been a long day. He turned to Nino, hoping he would have a cure but he was staring at Alya. He followed the gaze and saw her take a photo of Ladybug out of her notebook and cut the face out. Why was she doing that? She was Ladybug's number one fan! She started to hold it up to the girls in the class. That was really smart. Despite being impressed and knowing how much she wanted to find out, he wished she wouldn't succeed. Ladybug wanted to keep it a secret. She lingered over Chloe for an uncomfortably long time then looked to the teacher after Chloe pointed to her. Could Chloe be Ladybug? She doesn't act much like her but...No. Surely not. Chloe can be really nice, though. She and ladybug have been seen together. At the start. When Ladybug seemed like a different, less confident person. "Is Marinette still in the bathroom?" the teacher asked. Alya looked to the desk next to her. "I think so," she answered. The bell rang. Adrian stood up and took his homework from the teacher. It was weird how long she was in the bathroom. He glanced over to Chloe. She always knew how to keep a secret. he still knew nothing of her mother except that she is the editor of a fashion magazine and even then, he found that out from his father. He left the class with Nino but felt his phone buzz. An Akuma alert. Two of them. One alerting him of an Akuma, the other alerting him that Ladybug was already on scene. "Sorry, Nino. I need to go. To the bathroom," he said, letting out a nervous chuckle and adding, "I'll see you tomorrow." He ran to the bathroom and transformed, ready to help his lady.

Marinette returned home, her body aching from exhaustion. She grabbed a cookie from the bakery and as she walked past her mum, she was stopped. "Alya brought your bag home for you," she said, handing it to her tired daughter. Marinette forced a smile but couldn't keep it on for long. Her mum frowned and leaned o the counter. "You seem so forgetful these days. Are you getting enough sleep?" she asked. Marinette nodded and kissed her mum. "I just need an early night...and a break," she said. Marinette climbed the stairs to her room. She could sleep once she had finished her homework. She pulled her books out of her bag and found a note on them. Alya knows! What? Since when? How? Alya knows who Ladybug is? Marinette grabbed her phone urgently and smashed her finger on the screen until it dialled Alya. The signal died. No! Why now? "Mum! There's no signal!" she shouted down, trying to hide her panic. "They are upgrading the cell tower. o signal in the whole neighbourhood. Do you need it for homework?" Marinette looked at the note. Alya was always jumping to conclusions. It might be nothing. If she was certain, she would have come to tell her in person. "No. It's fine," she answered. Looks like she had nothing to distract her from her homework.

The following day, Adrian sat in class with Nino, waiting for class to start. "It is so unfair! She didn't deserve to be expelled for this. All she did was take a picture of Chloe's locker. Detention, sure but expelled? There is no way Chloe is Ladybug!" Nino ranted. Adrian turned to his childhood friend who waved flirtatiously back. she can't be Ladybug...unless the extreme reaction was because Alya found something that proved she was the hero he fell for. The bell rang and the teacher started her lesson. Alya was expelled but why was Marinette not here? As Adrian wondered this, he saw the door creak open and the awkward girl sneak in. She leaned forward and asked, "Where's Alya?" Nino looked up at her with sad eyes. "She's been expelled," he answered quietly. "What!" Marinette yelled. The teacher scolded her but she didn't stop talking. "Why?" Once again, Nino answered her. She let out a loud "What!" and stood up. "Sorry, Miss, but I can't let Mr Damocles expel Alya for this," she respectfully told the teacher. She picked up her bag and marched to the principal's office. Adrian found himself smiling at her determination and sense of justice. It was one of the things he loved about Ladybug and one of the things Chloe doesn't possess. He glanced over to the bully. He still wasn't sure if she was Ladybug. He needed proof one way or the other. His attention was drawn to the front of the class again. The projector was switched on but it was clear the teacher wasn't the one to do so. A video began to play. A video of a vilified girl. Alya.

Marinette knocked a little too hard on Mr Damocles' door. She needed to calm down if she wanted things to go smoothly. There was no response. She knocked again but was met with silence. There was no way he didn't hear her. She opened the door. He was there, at his desk like always, however, a pink pause sign froze him in place. Marinette walked closer, her anger converting into fear. "Mr Damocles?" she asked. Silence. Then his computer turned on. A video began to play. The girl was in a black suit with a wifi signal in the middle. "I'm Lady Wifi, the revealer of the truth!" she introduced, moving on like a reporter would, "For our first exposé, your principal would like to share a little tidbit with you." The camera zoomed out a little to reveal her in front of Mr Damocles' desk. She walked around and leaned against his shoulder. "So, Mr Damocles, is it true you wrongly suspended a student named Alya today?" she asked, phone in hand. Marinette recognised the Majestia charm that hung from it. Alya! Mr Damocles lowered his head in shame. "Yes..." he confessed. "So, you were biased? Unfair? Totally unjust?" she continued to prod. That wasn't Alya. Alya would never do anything like this! "Yes," Mr Damocles answered. She smiled. "That is all," she said, swiping her phone. He froze thanks to the pink pause sign that was stuck to his chest. "For my next scoop, I'll be taking you to meet the girl who's been hiding behind the Ladybug mask!" Lady Wifi announced. Marinette looked around, paranoid. Nothing. She opened her phone, finally getting the chance and listened to her voicemail. It explained a lot. She thought Chloe was Ladybug. Her heart sank to her stomach. If only she didn't keep this a secret from her. She had to, though. She has to.

Adrian looked at the projector in shock. He needed to protect Ladybug, whether she was Chloe or not. The teacher said, "Everyone, for your own safety, go directly home. I'll email you your work." She looked around her desk until she came across a button. When she pressed it, an alarm sounded. This was new. Adrian ran out of the school like everyone else but he slipped away into an ally. He went deeper and deeper in and hid behind some bins. Urgh. For Ladybug... With his hand covering his nose, he said, "Claws out." Once the transformation was complete, he took out his staff and extended it, using it to climb onto the roof of the nearest building. He ran across the city until he found the perfect vantage point. Chloe had made it home before he got there. Cat Noir crouched on a roof looking at his friend's room. She was dressed as Ladybug, swinging her yoyo and posing like she was fighting a villain. He smiled to himself and let out a sigh of relief. Her hair was blonde and in a ponytail. Not his Ladybug's beautiful, black bunches. "Who's being a sneaky kitty now?" He turned and saw Ladybug mimicking his crouching pose. "Oh, Ladybug!" he said in surprise. She rolled her eyes as she saw Chloe trip over her yoyo. "You didn't really think she was me, did you?" she asked him. He sometimes forgot that Chloe was still a child...That he was still a child. "Of course not," he answered. Ladybug let herself drop onto her butt and sit normally, legs dangling off the building. "How can you sit like that all the time?" she asked. He shrugged. Ladybug turned her attention back to Chloe who wriggled free from the tangled yoyo. "And besides, who would believe that she's the original Ladybug? She's obviously just a die-hard fan. A copycat?" she said. A pun and a slightly mean comment? He was starting to question if she was the real Ladybug too. "Uh...Right," he said, letting it slide for the time being. An unusual, bright light flashed in Chloe's room. Both heroes jumped to their feet. From her phone, Lady Wifi emerged and paused the girl the same way she did Mr Damocles. A camera symbol appeared before them and she announced, "Well, well...Everyone thinks the girl beneath the Ladybug costume is a little angel. Think again, people! The real Ladybug is... Chloe Bourgeois, everyone!" Dramatically, she pulled Chloe's mask off. Cat Noir waited for Ladybug to swing across and open the window so he could jump in. They stood defensively, ready to fight the vilified Alya. "Who are you?" she asked. Cat Noir lowered his guard for a moment to point between Ladybug and him. "Uh..." She had to know, being the biggest Ladybug fan, after Chloe, that is, apparently. "I thought you were Ladybug!" she whined at Chloe. Lady Wifi used her phone to delete the icon around Chloe, causing her to fall. "A reporter always checks her facts. You of all people should know that, Alya," Ladybug said. This did not go down well. "Alya's been disconnected. I'm Lady Wifi. News flash! Ladybug, let's find out who you really are!" She swiped her finger across her phone. Cat Noir jumped out the way. A pink pause icon just missed him. He turned and held his hand out to help Chloe up. "Follow me!" Ladybug called to him. He pulled his hand away upon hearing his partner. He didn't think twice about doing what she said. Leaving his childhood friend, he chased the girl he was crushing on. "Does this mean you have a plan?" he asked, matching her pace. Ladybug looked behind them and loudly said, "No. I just needed away from Chloe." She winked at him then quietly said, "We get her in the basement. No signal, no powers." She figured it out so quickly! It looked like neither of them would need to use their powers at this rate. "Nice one, my lady," he said. She suddenly stopped. Did he say something wrong? "Where is Lady Wifi?" she asked. He turned and saw no one was chasing them but there was a lock icon on the door. Slowly, they both started to climb back up the stairs. "So...What do you do when you're not Ladybug?" he asked. It was an attempt at small talk but he realised that he knew very little about his partner. "Not just now, kitty. A little busy. She must've gone into the hotel!" Ladybug said, breaking into a sprint. Cat Noir caught up to her and said, "You realise we know nearly nothing about each other." She didn't respond. "We might know each other in normal life," he pointed out. "Doubt it...Hey, this one isn't locked," she said, pointing to an unlocked door. Quick to change the subject. "A trap?" he asked her. "Almost certainly. Prepare for an ambush in three...two...one." She pushed the door open and the two jumped through.

There was no ambush. Ladybug looked around the room. There was no Lady Wifi. It was just an empty dining room. Every table had a white cloth covering it and ornate, cushioned chairs surrounding it. On each table was a phone. She stepped forward. "So much for an ambush..." Cat Noir said. He stayed near the door in case she snuck up behind them. One of the phones began to glow pink. Lady Wifi appeared and immediately attacked them, swiping her phone and throwing pause icons everywhere. They tried to fight back but every time they were about to hit her, she teleported away. "Take out the phones," Ladybug ordered. She started to toss her yoyo onto the tables, smashing the phones. When Lady Wifi realised what was happening, she stopped teleporting and jumped off the table. Ladybug chased her as she ran into the kitchen. Behind her, the door closed. Ladybug dodged a pink icon that flew towards her. She smirked. "Missed," she said. The door rattled as Cat Noir pushed and pulled it desperately. Ladybug turned. Lady Wifi didn't miss. It was a lock icon she threw at the door. Ladybug dodged another attack. She needed to take out that phone! She spun around the kitchen and picked up a pot and pan, using them to defend herself. She wasn't fast enough, though. Her hand was hit with the lock icon. Ladybug was pinned to the wall. She used her pan to hit the lock but she couldn't break it. Her other hand got hit. Lady Wifi started to laugh. "Time to see who you really are," she said. The girl walked over to the hero and threw a camera icon behind them. "Who is Ladybug? Is she really the superhero she will have us believe? How can we trust the girl when we have no idea who she really is? We have the right to know!" Her hand edged closer and closer as Ladybug tried to move away. She didn't go for the earrings like she expected. Her hand gripped her mask and pulled. It didn't budge an inch. "Why doesn't it come off?" she whined. Ladybug never wondered that herself. She thought for a moment before suggesting, "Magic?" A purple butterfly appeared around Lady Wifi's eyes. "Yes, Hawkmoth." She reached for her earring. Her transformation started to corrupt and fade away as she pulled the earring out. She was done for!

Cat Noir had tried to follow ladybug into the kitchen but the doors wouldn't open. He found a service lift to the kitchen and climbed inside. When he reached the kitchen, Ladybug was pinned to the wall and Lady Wifi held an earring in her hands. Ladybug's transformation was fading away. He didn't waste a second, leaping out the lift and smacking straight into her. The earring dropped onto the ground. Both Cat Noir and Lady Wifi jumped to their feet but Cat Noir had his next few moves planned out and was quick to act. He pushed Lady Wifi to the other side of the room and grabbed Ladybug's earring. "Oh, how romantic. Tomcat's come to save his love bug," she jeered. He ignored her and put the jewellery back in Ladybug's ear. Not the issue at hand. He smiled and whispered lovingly, "Secret's safe, my lady." The transformation stabilised but before he could attempt to free her, she used her leg to push him to the side. A new lock icon appeared on her stomach. He jumped back up and started to use his staff to attack Lady Wifi. "Cat, get to the roof!" Ladybug told him. The roof? Why would he go up there? He wouldn't stand a chance. The signal would be better up there. Oh! The cell tower! "Right you are!" he yelled, jumping into the service lift. He just managed to press the button and escape before Lady Wifi hit him with a pause icon. He made it to the stairs and with as much speed as he could muster, Cat Noir ran up them, occasionally stumbling over himself. He needed to hurry. For Ladybug.

The cell tower was stood on the roof above the door. Cat Noir hopped onto it, not bothering to check the area. "Cataclysm!" he yelled. As he was about to hit the cell tower, it began to glow. He stepped away, waiting to see what would happen. Lady Wifi. He should have known. She teleported to the top of the cell tower and looked down at him. "Nice idea, kitty cat, but I'm not gonna let you cut me off so easily!" she warned, throwing a pause symbol at him. He jumped out the way, careful not to let his Cataclysm touch anything. He threw his staff at her. She ducked out of the way. As it made its way back to him, it split in two. Lady Wifi threw a couple of pause icons at it. She was too distracted to realise Cat Noir was running straight for the tower until it was too late. He hit it. The tower crumbled and tipped over. "No! Lost signal!" she yelled. He jumped down to her, yelling, "Give me that phone!" She easily grabbed and flipped him as he came battering towards her. She pinned him down. He tried and tried but couldn't break free from her surprisingly strong grip. Her hand crawled towards his ring. It was over. He was done for.

Ladybug burst through the door when the lock broke. She didn't have time to run up the stairs. She threw her yoyo in the air and pulled on it. The string retracted, pulling her to the top floor. She needed to help Cat Noir. She was the only one who could capture the Akuma. When she reached the roof, she saw her partner pinned down. Normally, she would overthink how to save him and come up with a convoluted plan involving her lucky charm but there was no time. When there was no time to think, she usually froze up. This time, however, she just acted. She threw her yoyo around Lady Wifi's phone and pulled it to her. "Sorry. Your phone seems to have a bug," Cat Noir joked. His green eyes lit up. Deep down, she liked how happy he was to see her. Ladybug dropped the phone and stepped on it. A little butterfly flew out and, as always, she purified it then reset the city. The tower was fixed, Alya's phone was fixed. Lady Wifi was no more. Alya let Cat Noir go and looked at the two with excitement. "Ladybug! Wow! And Cat Noir! Can I get a quick interview? Just let me grab my phone!" she squealed. Ladybug handed it to her with a warning. "Alya, I don't mind you making the Ladyblog and filming us and all that...but there is a reason our identities are a secret. Please, please stop trying to figure it out. For your safety and ours." Alya looked at her phone in shame. it hurt Ladybug to see her like this. She was always so excited when it came to heroes - when it came to her. Ladybug sighed. "I love the Ladyblog. It has really helped us. I'm just scared if you find out too much...it might help Hawkmoth," she explained. Alya nodded. "Okay. I'll ease off," she agreed. "Thank you."

Now that Ladybug sorted that little problem, she looked around for Cat Noir. He was gone. No. He was leaving. She threw her yoyo to the nearest roof and caught up with him. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop and turn. "Why you going so soon, kitty?" she asked. His green eyes revealed his surprise but she wasn't sure what his red cheeks meant. Or she didn't want it to be what she thought it was. His ring beeped loudly. She would need to let him go soon. "I see. Well, do you have a minute?" she asked. The surprise became confusion. "Y-yeah! I mean...What's up?" he asked. "We were busy earlier and...I don't want to reveal our identities but, you're right. We don't know each other at all. You just kinda...trust me and I trust you. I think it is about time I gave you a reason to. You want to know something about me, kitty? Ask away. Three questions each," she said. She knew it was risky but she wanted to get to know him too. After all, he has saved her life and sacrificed himself yet she didn't even know anything he liked to do when he wasn't Cat Noir. He smiled. "Really?" he asked. She let his hand go. "Really." The sun was setting around them, bathing the two heroes in golden light under a pink sky. "What do you do when your not Ladybug?" he asked. he thought for a moment. She had to be careful not to reveal too much. "I design. Hats, dresses, tops, trousers. If you can wear it, I can make it," she answered, "Same to you." There was a moment of silence as he considered the question. "I play the piano," he said. She glanced at his ring. Three minutes left still. It beeped. Two. "You need to play for me sometime," she said. He smiled flirtatiously. "Only if you make me a bracelet. Give me some of your patented luck," he flirted. The two looked at the ring then at each other. "Continue this later, bugaboo?" he asked. "Only if you never call me that again." He bowed to her then giggled at his awkwardness. She waved then threw her yoyo, swinging back home. Her secret is safe. For now.