Chapter 3

As they walked, Nino suggested, "Dudes. why don't we get the villain to kiss something like a small dog, or a fish?"

"We don't know if the copy power works on anything other than humans," said Alya.

"I would try it, if I was sure that it would work," said Marinette. "But it's too risky. I don't have a Lucky Charm to give me a hint."

"What about the awesome analysis you do to make use of things around you?" asked Alya. "You don't need a Lucky Charm for that, right?"

"No. The Charm gives me an inspiration but I have to come up with a plan myself," said Marinette.

"You should try," said Nino.

Marinette looked in her purse for something to use. "Chocolate chip cookies and special macarons for Tikki... lip balm, my latest embroidery project, a pencil, a notebook..."

"I could use a cookie," said Nino.

"Me too – I love your cookies," said Alya.

Marinette handed them each one.

"I'm starting to get an idea... but it'll be really dangerous," said Marinette. "We'll have to get close and get the element of surprise."

"First let's see if there's any news about where the villain is," said Alya, getting a news feed on her cell phone.

"This is Nadia Chamack, reporting live with breaking news on a villain called the Chameleon. After a long battle near the Arc de Triomphe, Chat Noir was defeated! The Chameleon transformed into him and took his ring. The villain claims to have already defeated Ladybug in the same way.

"Char Noir's civilian identity has a strong resemblance to star fashion model Adrien Agreste. It's hard to be sure without seeing his eyes. He has been put into a deep sleep and nothing will wake him.

"It is a dark day for Paris. We can only hope the Chameleon was lying about Ladybug's defeat."

"Oh no!" said Marinette. "Chat's down too! And Chameleon has a copy of his weapon."

"Hawk Moth has won," said Nino. "It's hopeless."

Marinette said, "Unless... If the Chameleon comes straight from the Arc to Agreste Mansion, to give the Miraculouses to Hawk Moth, he or she will come by the Place des Vosges, There's some shrub cover there. I'll lure the Chameleon to me and then you two can..."

Marinette whispered the rest of her plan.

"Are you insane?" asked Nino.

"It's the only way," said Marinette. "It's only plan I can think of to stop Hawk Moth from getting whatever terrible wish he wants."

Alya said, "I'm in."

"I won't let you do it without me," said Nino.

"We either win or die together as heroes," said Marinette.

Chameleon pole-vaulted through the city in triumph, in the form of Chat Noir. The ring and the earrings were in a pocket of the costume.

As he passed by the park near the school, someone called to Chameleon.

Marinette was standing in front of some thick bushes. "Chat Noir! It's good to see you! The villain tricked me and got my Miraculous but there's still hope while you're on the case."

"You think there's hope?" asked Chameleon. He swung down and landed in front of her.

"Bring the Miraculouses to me at once," came the telepathic orders from Hawk Moth.

"You'll get them soon enough," said Chameleon aloud. "I've won. Let me have my revenge."

"You're not Chat Noir!" said Marinette in pretended surprise.

"You fool, I'm Chameleon!" said the phony Chat, gripping her by the throat. "Now I get to finish off my two biggest enemies at once."

There was a rustling in the bushes as two people emerged. They were completely naked!

"Eew! What are you doing?" asked Chameleon.

Chameleon was so shocked that he didn't react in time. Alya got in a kiss. There was a moment of disorientation as she shifted forms. With no pocket to hold them, the captured Miraculouses fell to the ground.

As Alya went to sleep, Nino grabbed a loop of thread that was around Chameleon's neck.

"You think changing my form and stripping me will make me easy to fight? I'm still super-strong!"

Chameleon let go of Marinette and gave Nino a hard shove. The thread broke and the akuma was released. Lila slumped to the ground as the magical energy left her.

"We did it!" said Nino.

"Pound it!" said Alya, waking up and bumping fists with him. "But we'd better get our clothes back on before someone sees us."

Marinette picked up the earrings and said in a raspy voice, "Tikki, spots on!"

She captured the akuma and purified it. Then Ladybug invoked, "Lucky Charm!" and got a huge umbrella.

She shielded her two friends while they dressed, then threw it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

A flood of magical butterflies spread out and healed all the damage, including the injury to Marinette's throat.

"I wasn't sure that was going to work," said Alya.

"I was pretty sure it would," said Ladybug. "Since the Chameleon made perfect copies, the akumatized object had to morph into something new for each new victim. It had to transform into something the new person was wearing. By wearing nothing except necklaces made from threads I pulled out of my embroidery, you forced the akuma to go into a copy of that."

"And breaking the thread released the akuma," said Nino.

"Exactly," said Ladybug. "Now, as for Lila..."

"I'm not responsible for whatever I did," said Lila. "You never blame akuma victims, right?"

"I suppose you're right," said Ladybug. "I just saved you from Hawk Moth again. Truce?"

Ladybug held out her hand, and Lila shook it.

"Thanks, Ladybug. I'd be honored to call you my friend," said Lila.

"A word of advice. You don't have to lie and pretend to be something you're not. People will like you just for being yourself."

"You have my word," said Lila insincerely.

"I have to bug out, and take the ring back to Chat," said Ladybug, throwing her yo-yo and swinging away.

"Ladybug may be naive enough to forgive you, but I'm not," said Alya. "You lied on my blog."

"Same with me," said Nino.

"You'll be sorry you got on my bad side," said Lila, stalking away.

After feeding Tikki, Ladybug went looking for Adrien. She found him near the site of the battle, surrounded by reporters. He looked exhausted.

"Adrien Agreste, tell us more about your secret life as Chat Noir," one reporter demanded, thrusting a microphone at Adrien.

"My partner has no comment at this time," said Ladybug, landing beside him. "Shall we go, Chaton?"

"Yes, M'Lady," said Adrien.

When they were safely landed on a roof, Ladybug returned his ring and detransformed herself.

"Thank you," said Adrien. "But I'm not sure I should keep the ring. Everyone knows who I am now."

"Everyone at school knows my identity, too," said Marinette. "Word will get around and I'll have troubles with the press like you."

"My father will be furious," said Adrien.

"About that..." said Marinette. "I don't have absolute proof, but from the direction Chameleon was heading after she got our Miraculouses, I'm pretty sure your father is Hawk Moth."

"What? Really?" said Adrien. "I can't believe it!"

"He threw us off track once, but the evidence is strong. There's that book of Miraculous secrets and spells of his."

"That's what the book was?"

"I couldn't tell you about that before, until the Guardian thought you were ready. Master Fu made copies of the pages and that's how he made our power-up potions. It's way more than a book of inspiration for a fashion designer."

"What should I do? My father's a monster... and he knows I'm Chat Noir now."

"You shouldn't go home. I'll report my suspicions to the police and hopefully they'll stop him."

"Where would I go?"

"Stay with me and my family for a while."

"I'd like that," said Adrien. "I'd like to spend more time with you, Marinette."

"Me too, Adrien," said Marinette with a happy sigh.

Lila faced the class with her mother on one side of her and Principal Damocles on the other.

"Settle down, class," said Ms. Bustier.

Lila's mother stepped forward. "I have an apology to make, and so does my daughter."

The class quieted down and listened.

"After Lila was akumatized, and the huge publicity that followed her near defeat of Ladybug and Chat Noir, I called the school. I asked why it wasn't still shut down if there was still such a danger from akumas. To my great surprise, I learned that it hadn't been shut down at all. Lila shouldn't have been absent for this past month."

"You're saying she didn't go with you on your trip to the Kingdom of Achu?" asked Rose.

"There was no trip. We didn't leave Paris at all."

"Lila, you liar!" shouted Alix.

"What a total fake!" said Kim.

"I knew it all along," said Chloe.

"Lila, I want you to apologize to your classmates," said her mother.

"I'm sincerely sorry," said Lila, trying her best to look repentant. "I just wanted to impress everyone and make some friends."

The room was full of hostile murmurs.

"You've turned everyone against you," said Adrien. "I warned you."

"You see how it is, Ms. Rossi," said Principal Damocles. "I don't know how we can continue to have her at this school. Lila is expelled; I will give you recommendations for other schools."

"I've already picked one," said Lila's mother grimly. "A reform school."

Lila walked out with her mother, scowling to herself.

"If only Hawk Moth were still active and could give me powers again," Lila thought. "I would show them all. But the police searched his mansion and found his secret room full of white butterflies, and a glass-topped coffin with the body of his wife. What a weird creep. Well, starting over at a new school will give me new people to impress..."

THE END