What if Copycat hadn't tried to get Ladybug to take Chat Noir's ring?

Copycat Cops It

Copycat's trap was ready in his warehouse studio. It had taken magic to make, using his special power to train inanimate objects to "copy" actions. He had run a chain through a metal bracket bolted to the floor and welded cuffs to each end with a metal-sculpturing blowtorch. He had stood where Chat Noir would stand, picking up the chain, locking the cuffs on each end around his wrists as he repeated a trigger phrase, unlocking them with a key, and dropping them to the floor. He had repeated this cycle over and over until the chains rose up and caught his wrists by themselves when he said the trigger phrase.

Copycat had placed the wooden pieces of a box over the chains. It looked like a solid box but the pieces weren't actually fastened together. Copycat put on top of the box a "maneki neko" (a small statue of a white cat with a raised paw, a good luck charm for a business to beckon in customers). He propped up a folded note against the statue.

Copycat was counting on Chat Noir to come in first. It wouldn't work if he and Ladybug arrived together. But he expected Chat Noir to arrive alone. Copycat had made it personal between them by framing Chat Noir for the theft of the Mona Lisa.

Chat Noir came into the studio as Copycat watched from hiding. "Gotcha, Copycat."

Copycat heard Chat Noir's side of the phone conversation with Ladybug.

"I found his den," said Chat Noir.

"My Copycat."

"If you'd been there this morning, you'd know what I was talking about."

"No, this is between me and him. I got myself into this mess, so I'm gonna get myself out."

Copycat's rival ended the call as he picked up the note.

"The cat's in the bag?" Chat Noir read aloud.

That was the trigger phrase. The chains burst out from under the box and caught Chat Noir's wrists, exactly as planned.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir called out.

Copycat was ready for that. He ran up behind Chat and forced his hand onto a square piece of cardboard. It crumbled to dust, wasting Chat's opportunity to free himself and putting him on a five-minute timeout. While Chat was distracted, Copycat took the opportunity to snatch his baton.

Everything was going perfectly. Ladybug was as good as his. Copycat felt like gloating.

"I don't get what Ladybug sees in you, a fool who so easily falls into my trap."

Chat struggled with the chains and reached for his baton.

"Looking for this? Which one should I pick up? My one or my one?"

The phone in the real baton rang and Copycat picked up.

"Ladybug, hurry up. I've caught the impostor at Théo Barbot's workshop," said Copycat.

"I'll be there in thirty seconds," said Ladybug.

"Don't come here, Ladybug! It's a trap!" called Chat Noir, but Copycat had already hung up.

"Too late, Chat. Ladybug's on her way, which was my plan all along."

"She won't be duped. She knows me too well," said Chat.

"I know you well too," said Copycat, looking fondly at his photo of Ladybug (it had turned black on the back because of the possessing akuma). "And from now on, she'll love me, not you!"

"Love me?" Chat Noir said. "...You're right! She loves me! That's why she'll be able to reveal your true identity!

"Copycat, stop this small talk and get me Chat Noir's Miraculous!" Hawk Moth sent telepathically.

Hawk Moth was right: Copycat had gotten carried away with gloating. He needed to see what Chat Noir really looked like so he could copy his full face, his real eye color, and his civilian clothes. If Ladybug and Chat Noir had a "thing" going, then she almost certainly knew his secret identity.

Copycat put his photo away into his left zippered pocket. He extended his staff under Chat Noir's feet to trip him, then slammed into him to knock him to the floor.

Copycat was just about to take the ring when Ladybug swung in.

Hawk Moth maintained telepathic silence. Any further communication would light up the face of his akuma and give him away.

"There you are," said Copycat with a smile.

He felt a pink glow as Ladybug came closer. She was so beautiful!

"Chat Noir! He really looks like you!" said Ladybug.

"That's because I am me!" said Chat Noir, on his back on the floor.

"Where is his akuma?" said Ladybug.

"Inside his ring, of course," said Copycat.

Copycat was about to suggest that Ladybug take the ring. It would be ironic to have her do it, but very foolish. She might get suspicious and run off with the ring. Hawk Moth would be angry and remove his power.

If Copycat controlled the ring he would buy time to copy the secret identity, while claiming the akuma had copied him.

"I'll show you," said Copycat. He pulled the ring off and pretended to be trying to break it.

"It's almost as unbreakable as mine," Copycat said.

Chat Noir detransformed; Adrien was lying there in chains.

"Adrien Agreste? You're Copycat?" asked Ladybug.

So, she didn't know Chat Noir's real identity! Interesting... it gave Copycat more of a chance.

"The kid had a crush on you, Ladybug. He wanted to take my place."

"No, I'm the real Chat Noir," said Adrien. "Théo Barbot is the Copycat. He had a crush and wanted to take my place."

Ladybug looked from one to the other with her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"If you don't believe I'm the real Chat Noir, ask him about our love for each other," said Adrien.

"Umm..." said Ladybug.

"Have I ever lied to you, Bugaboo?" said Adrien.

"I hope you didn't tell him about us," said Ladybug to Copycat.

She moved in closer and touched his nose.

"What?" asked Copycat.

"That we're... you know, we made a secret promise?"

"Uh, yes! Of course!"

"We never made a promise," said Ladybug. "Copycat!"

Ladybug gave him a hard kick that sent him across the room. Copycat jumped to his feet.

"I love you, Ladybug! I'm way better than this mangy alley cat!"

"Sorry, but liars are losers. Chat Noir may annoy me to pieces, but he's never lied to me."

"Thanks for the compliment... I think," said Adrien.

Hawk Moth knew there was no reason to maintain silence any more. He sent, "Do it now, take her Miraculous, too!"

"If I can't have you, then nobody will!" said Copycat in a rage. "Cataclysm!"

Ladybug said, "Let's wrap this up. Lucky Charm! A copy of my student ID card? What am I supposed to do with this?"

Copycat charged at Ladybug, his right hand full of destructive energy. Ladybug pulled Adrien up and put his chain in the way of the attack. The whole chain rusted and disintegrated.

"Run, Adrien. I'll deal with him!" said Ladybug.

It was too late. Before she could stop him, Copycat had grabbed Adrien around the throat.

"Give me your Miraculous or I'll snap his neck!" said Copycat.

Ladybug stared. There was no help for it. She reached for her earrings.

"No, don't do it, Ladybug!" said Adrien. "I'm not worth it. I was the one who provoked him. I lied that we were in a relationship."

"Sorry, I have to save you."

"Ladybug, once I have your Miraculouses, you're coming with me while I give them to Hawk Moth. He'll be happy to let me run off with you wherever I want to go."

"Forget it. I'll never love you, Copycat," said Ladybug.

"You may come to, in time," said Copycat. "Until then, I'll settle for your body."

Ladybug looked at him in horror. "You're not yourself. It's the akuma making you act this way."

"Take off the earrings or he dies. I'm getting impatient."

Ladybug removed them. She detransformed.

"But... you're so young," said Copycat. "I thought you would be at least eighteen."

Marinette showed him her student ID, covering her name with her thumb. "I'm not even fourteen yet. For you I'm jailbait."

Hawk Moth sent, "You have the Miraculouses now. Bring them to me or lose your power."

"The power is worthless to me now," said Copycat. He pulled the photo from his pocket and ripped it in half. The purple-black butterfly flew out and he collapsed to the floor, turning back to Théo in clouds of purple magic. He sat there stunned.

Marinette put her earrings back on. Tikki flew out, looking very tired.

"I can't re-transform you until I have more energy," said Tikki. "You just did a Lucky Charm."

"I left my purse at home this time," said Marinette. "What can I feed you?"

Adrien said, "Théo eats lollypops all the time. There should be a stash of them around here."

Marinette opened drawers until she found a lollypop. She held Tikki and fed it to her while Adrien kept an eye on the butterfly. It flew around the big warehouse, but it couldn't find a way to escape and reproduce before Marinette was able to turn back to Ladybug. She captured and purified it.

"Bye-bye, little butterfly! Miraculous Ladybug!"

She threw the ID into the air and out came the usual swarm of magical ladybugs. There wasn't much for them to do this time except to restore the Mona Lisa to the Louvre.

Théo was now recovered. "Ugh... What am I doing here? Ladybug?"

(Adrien had moved out of the building so Théo wouldn't see him when he recovered.)

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it this morning, Théo," said Ladybug. "Here is your photograph. I need that ring you're holding in your left hand."

Théo gave back Chat's ring. "Can you autograph my photo for me?"

"Of course I can! You've got some real artistry here. You've really captured my essence."

"Thank you, Ladybug. And don't worry. I know about you and Chat Noir. It's okay."

Ladybug went out to Adrien.

"I can't believe it's been you, all this time," said Ladybug. "The guy sitting in front of me every day at school is my partner in crime-fighting."

"And you've been Ladybug all this time, Marinette."

"I wish I had known before. Now things are a mess. Hawk Moth knows our secret identities."

"Both of our identities?"

"He knows your name and my face, at least."

"How does that change anything?"

"He can attack you at home, threaten your family and friends. When he looks up where you go to school he'll go through the school pictures and find me. Then my family and friends will be targeted, too."

"I don't have much family, just my father. That reminds me, my driver is waiting in front of the school for me to get my phone from the gym locker room. I accidentally left it there."

"Actually, you didn't. I have it at home."

"What? How did you get it?"

"It's a long story. I tried to call you and I left an embarrassing message by mistake. I borrowed your phone out of your locker to try to erase it."

"You took my phone? How did you get it out of the locker? Wasn't it locked?"

"Tikki helped. She can fly through things."

"Well, I want my phone back. I'm not happy with you."

"I'm really sorry. I'll carry you to my place so you can get it back. Unless you want to transform again."

"I used up my emergency stash of Camembert after I escaped from the police at the Louvre. Then I tried to get out of the chains and Copycat tricked me into touching a piece of cardboard. Plagg needs more cheese."

"I live over a bakery. There's always cheese for quiches and things."

They entered Marinette's room through the skylight. Ladybug transformed back to Marinette. Adrien's phone was there on her work table, with a pair of oven mitts next to it.

"There was one password to unlock the phone and another to get into your voicemail," said Marinette. "I was working on the second one when I had to go into action for the Louvre robbery."

"I have extra security in case I lose the phone and fans get into it. You know if you enter the wrong codes too many times that the phone locks up and it has to be factory-reset? My contacts are backed up in the cloud, but I would lose all my apps and downloaded music," said Adrien.

"I was being careful," said Marinette. "I was looking at the wear patterns on your screen to find the spots you touched most often."

Adrien snorted at that. He opened the voicemail, and before Marinette could stop him he played her message.

"Uhh, hello. Uh, Adrien's voicemail, uh, this is Marinette, who, uh, has a message for you, of course, cause it's, uh, your phone, so, umm... heh heh. Call me. See you later. Bye!... What? What did you expect me to say? 'Hey, hot stuff, this is Marinette, I'd ask you on a date to a movie, but I've got such a crazy crush on you that the only way I can talk to you without foaming at the mouth is over this stupid phone.' Pretty ridiculous, right?"

"I'm about to die of embarrassment," said Marinette, blushing furiously. "Pardon me while I go get your kwami some cheese."

When she returned with a wheel of Camembert, Marinette could barely look Adrien in the eyes.

"Does this change things... a little? Knowing who I am and that I've had a crush on you for ages?" asked Marinette. "I know you had a crush on me as Ladybug, real enough to get jealous of Théo and lie to him. Can we... maybe... t-turn this into something for you and me?"

"I've been in love with a hero on a pedestal," said Adrien. "Not with a girl who would invade my locker, steal my phone, and try to crack my passwords. I'm not sure I can even be your friend anymore. Like you said, liars are losers. I don't really know the real you."

"P-please Adrien, I'm sorry!" Marinette said tearfully. "We have to stick together, at least as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Hawk Moth will be after us both."

"I can take care of myself," said Adrien. "I'm going back to the car where the Gorilla is waiting. Plagg, claws out."

He took off out the skylight. Marinette was left alone. She threw herself onto her chaise lounge and began to sob.