Truth Seeker

Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir are both hit by an akuma with the power to make them tell the truth. How many secrets can be revealed in one afternoon?

Guys! This was the first Miraculous fic I ever tried to write! Obviously, I took a little longer since it's much more akuma fight related than many of my fics, but I finally got back to it and I'm happy to share it with you! Please let me know if you enjoyed it!

Marinette walked into class, disappointed when she saw Adrien's chair empty. It was normal for him to have a photoshoot in the morning, but she enjoyed seeing him too much to not be saddened by his absence.

Unlike Adrien, Alya was already in her seat, an ear bud in one ear. Marinette smiled at her friend as she sat down next to her. Alya returned the gesture.

"What are you listening to?" Marinette asked.

"A new radio show!" Alya gushed. "It's called Truth Seeker hosted by Kristy King. I've never really heard of her, but apparently, she's started this show to tell the real stories behind anything going on in the city, especially akuma attacks. This first segment is supposed to be on Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Really?" Marinette asked, her interest piqued. Another reporter to keep secrets from?

"Listen," Alya suggested, handing over the ear bud she wasn't using.

The last notes of a song or radio jingle played before Kristy King's voice broke out over the airwaves.

"Welcome back fellow truth seekers! I am your host, Kristy King. As many of you have heard, this segment is about Paris' resident superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Where did they come from? And how did they get their powers? Also, are they a thing? And who are they behind the masks? All will be answered after a short message from our sponsors."

Marinette was sweating. "There's no way she could have the answers to all of that," she told Alya.

"We'll have to find out," her friend replied with a shrug.

As the show came back on, Marinette worried her lip. A new reporter could easily mean new information and that meant real answers to things the Parisians were not supposed to know. She soon relaxed however when she realized the radio host had nothing concrete. Marinette had nothing to fear. Kristy spoke theories and where she would be getting her information to share in her next segment. There was nothing that could truly point to Marinette being Ladybug or Chat's identity, or even about the Miraculous box or lore. In fact, Marinette was starting to think Alya only listened because the Ladyblog had been cited as a source.

"Well that was a little underwhelming," Alya commented when it was done, "…but I suppose it's a process. I haven't figured out who they are either."

Marinette smiled awkwardly and made a noise of agreement.

"Figured out who, Alya?"

Marinette squeaked. Adrien had slipped in only a minute ago while they were listening to Kristy's show and otherwise distracted.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir," Alya answered Adrien's question.

He looked surprised. "Oh! Were you guys listening to Truth Seeker too? I saw she was doing a segment on Ladybug and Chat Noir. I heard part of it in the car but nothing big."

"Yeah, more like a 'more to come' announcement," Alya replied, shrugging one shoulder. She nudged Marinette who was frozen with a smile.

"Y-y-yeah," the young designer sputtered. "A lot of hot air if you ask me." She rolled her eyes and gave a nervous giggle.

Adrien smiled at her.

"I wonder how much of a following she'll have," Alya commented. "I have a feeling she'll probably have some unhappy listeners who tuned in for some real information, but even then, she'll have ones who like the theories. I prefer more sources so hopefully the next show will have more reliable information."

Both Marinette and Adrien nodded in agreement, praying that an unhappy listener was not akumatized.

Kristy King stood outside the Louvre on her phone. One hand alternated between twisting the hem of her purple top and pushing her curly black hair out of her face.

"This better be a good lead, Kristy. The station is getting a lot of mixed reviews over your lack of strong evidence on the show this morning. The next segment better blow us out of the water," Kristy's boss said grumpily over the phone.

"It will, I promise. Ladybug and Chat Noir have to change their identities and I think I can access footage of it." The radio host spoke in a positive tone, but a twinge of worry could be seen in her face.

"Alright, get me that footage!" Her boss hung up and Kristy took a deep breath before walking into the Louvre.

"I'm sorry, Miss. That footage is classified and only given to the police in cases of theft or other criminal activity." The chief of security at the Louvre stood tall, blocking Ms. King from getting to the security center where her evidence was held.

"But-"

"I'm sorry. You'll have to leave."

Despite all of her arguments, Kristy could not gain the access she needed. After a few more desperate attempts, she was finally escorted out of the museum.

Upset, Kristy sat on a bench near the pyramid. Without this footage revealing Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities, she had nothing, just theories and snippets that were not worth much. She could be fired over this, ending her career before it even got off the ground. She sighed, looking forlornly at the digital recorder in her hand as if it would give her the answer to her problem. She needed a new theory, a new idea, but all she seemed to be able to do was wallow in self-pity.

A black butterfly flew around the Louvre pyramid, the sun glinting off the metal bars and glass. Before Kristy could react, the akuma had flown into her recording device.

"A discouraged DJ in search of Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities," Hawkmoth addressed his victim. "I could use a reporter like you, Truth Seeker. I give you the power to make others tell the truth. Soon you will find Ladybug and Chat Noir's true identities, and then you will give me their Miraculous!"

"Yes, Hawkmoth," Kristy said mindlessly.

Black and purple magic consumed her. Her purple polo and teal skinny jeans turned into a copy of a Peter Pan costume. A dark purple polo replaced her lighter colored shirt and she now had matching leggings with soft, black, pointed, ankle boots that looked like they were made for a fairy. A mask stretched across her eyes and her hair was long and flowing as she flew into the air.

Using her recorder, Truth Seeker's voice was broadcast to all the speakers and headphones in Paris. "Hello fellow truth seekers! Some of you weren't happy with my show this morning but I'm about to get some pertinent information here at the Louvre. Stay tuned!"

Truth Seeker flew into the building after the security footage.

Heading home for lunch, the speakers in Adrien's car relayed Truth Seeker's message. As the Gorilla pulled up to the curb, Adrien shot out of the car with a quick "Starving!" as he ran up to his room and transformed. Jumping out of his window, he hoped today wasn't one of the days his father randomly decided to have lunch with him.

Above the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Marinette dropped her butter knife in the kitchen, jumping at the sudden noise from the radio and television speakers.

Her parents were downstairs working, but Marinette and her kwami shared a knowing look.

"Looks like we'll have to eat on the run, Tikki. Spots on!"

Throwing a croissant in her mouth, Ladybug ran to her balcony and swung off to face the new akuma.

"Welcome back listeners!" Truth Seeker's voice reverberated around Paris. "As many of you know, a lot of the akuma attacks have been at the Louvre. So here I am with the head of security, Officer Rodey. Keep in mind I will be using a truth ray so he will be answering all my questions honestly. Let's get to it!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on the Louvre plaza at the same time.

"M'Lady," Chat greeted as they both ran into the building.

"Mr. Rodey," Truth Seeker began her forced interview with a quick zap of her recorder. "Do you have footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir here at the Louvre?"

Tied to a chair in the security office, the guard was sweating. He looked uncomfortable as the words burst from his lips.

"Yes," his voice broadcasted. He managed to hold his tongue over any more information, though he knew his efforts may all be in vain.

"And does any of it show our heroes' real identities?"

"Yes."

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other with wide eyes as they ran through the museum's maze of halls. In unison, they pushed themselves to run faster.

"Interesting! Are you saying that you and your entire security staff have been aware of Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities this whole time?" Truth Seeker prodded for more information.

"Yes… but we protect them! Their secret is a responsibility that we take very seriously, and it is not ours to tell!"

"Well, my loyal listeners, you heard it here first. Mr. Rodey and the rest of the security staff at the Louvre know the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir. That doesn't seem very fair does it? So, tell us, who are the heroes behind the masks?"

The whole city waited on bated breath. People all over had stopped what they were doing and listened to the broadcast, equally torn between wanting their heroes to save the day and their own curiosity.

The head of security's resistance could be heard in his pained words. "They're a couple of teenagers-"

"Stop right there!" Ladybug yelled as her and Chat Noir finally arrived where Truth Seeker was doing her interview.

"Oh, the guests of the hour!" Truth Seeker squealed. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are here! They can tell us all about who they are. What do you say? Give the listeners what they want."

"I don't think so," Chat Noir said before trying to leap towards the tied-up victim.

Truth Seeker took them off the air, a crisp buzz signaling the change. "Oh, I wasn't asking."

She pointed the recorder at them, and they dodged as she pressed a button, sending a green beam out. She didn't even seem to care when Chat made it to Mr. Rodey and used his claws to untie him. She had the real thing now; all she had to do was get one good shot. Or two.

"M'Lady, are you okay?" Chat Noir ran to where Ladybug's body lay on the floor beneath the glass pyramid. The light cast beautiful shadows of the beams as it shown through to the floor below.

Ladybug was sitting back up as Chat Noir reached her. "No," she grunted. "If it weren't for my suit, I probably would've broken my wrist." She looked confused by her own words for a second before looking around. "And she got away!"

"You look beautiful in the lighting here," Chat commented, then blinked, starting to blush.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow as he helped her up.

"Truth ray," they said in unison.

"I'm so sorry, Ladybug," Chat Noir started. "I didn't reach you in time and we both ended up being hit, and in this case, the truth can be dangerous."

Ladybug would have rolled her eyes at his joke, but he was right. They both seemed to sense that as they frowned.

"It's fine. We just need to avoid saying anything about our identities, okay?"

"Okay, but if we just told each other we could be stronger together. I want you to know who I am. And I want to know who you are." Ugh, he had meant to only agree, not blurt out his opinions and desires.

"Chat…" she started to softly warn him, but the truth took over. "I want to know too, but I'm afraid of what it could mean to our relationship and if Hawkmoth ever finds out, I don't want him to hurt anyone I love."

"I won't let that happen. I love you." Chat quickly brought a hand to his mouth. His eyes were wide. Truths were coming out without any control.

"I know. I'm sorry, but I love Adrien Agreste." Ladybug winced but looked honestly repentant.

"I'm-!" Chat Noir practically bit his hand. Luckily, Ladybug was too busy blushing and looking anywhere else to notice his almost slip up.

"We need to catch Truth Seeker!" She tried to save the conversation by focusing their attention on the task at hand.

"Yes, let's go! I almost revealed myself already."

Ladybug looked at him startled, but was able to avoid saying anything before swinging towards the exit on her yo-yo.

"So as long as we're being brutally honest…"

Ladybug scoffed at Chat's quip.

Jumping over rooftops, keeping an eye out for Truth Seeker, the two heroes canvased the area near the Louvre.

"You know I'm going to blurt it out anyway. I wouldn't bring it up otherwise," Chat said with a good-natured eye roll.

"I understand. Go on, Chat Noir." Ladybug smiled softly.

They stopped on a rooftop higher than most in the area.

"What did you mean earlier by revealing our identities would change our relationship? What are you afraid of?"

Ladybug bit her lip, looking at him with wide eyes. "Knowing who we are will bring us closer and we're already close friends. It makes the possibility of more than that seem real." Her gaze focused on Paris, not able to keep eye contact with her partner.

"I want more."

Ladybug's heart flipped at his heart-felt words. "I know, but I love Adrien."

Chat bit his hand again. After a moment's struggle, he sighed. "You're making this really difficult for me."

"Why?" Ladybug brought a hand to her mouth, annoyed. "Ignore-"

"Because I'm-" Another struggle. "…And I can't tell you."

She stared at him. "I'm confused, but I think we should move on before either of us spews out any dangerous truths."

"Why do you like Adrien?" Chat Noir blurted out, sounding incredulous.

Ladybug blinked at him, unable to stop herself from answering his question. "Because he's kind when he doesn't have to be. I was nothing but mean to him when we first met, and he still was nice to me."

"So you know him as a civilian then?"

"Yeah. We're in the same class." Ladybug sucked in her lips, her eyes widening.

"We are? I mean, you are?" Chat corrected quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed. Who could she be?

"Yeah." Ladybug sighed. "Chat, we're getting too close to the truth. We need to stop."

The bell from the school rang and both looked in it's direction. Lunch was over. Most akuma's could be defeated before meal time was done or the akuma caused the school to go into lockdown or classes to be cancelled. Neither hero wanted to risk missing classes, but where had Truth Seeker gone?

"Do you think the akuma might be near the school?" Chat Noir asked tentatively. "The girl who runs the Ladyblog goes there. She was a source in Truth Seeker's radio show before she was akumatized. She could be a target."

Perfect, Ladybug thought. She could go to school and keep an eye on Alya.

"That's a very good point, Chat Noir. We should split up, maybe detransform so we don't cause a riot. Then I won't miss any classes while I protect Alya."

Chat let out a chuckle at Ladybug's annoyed face. For being so against liars, she didn't seem to like that she was blurting out the truth so often.

"That's okay. I was thinking the same thing."

She looked at him surprised as they leapt to the top of Francoise-Dupont College. "You go to school here?"

"Yeah, I-" He put a hand to his mouth to muffle his words. No matter what he said it would give him away. He was in Alya's class; he went to the same class as Ladybug because he was Adrien and her apparent crush and classmate. They had already shared too much information.

Ladybug chuckled. "You're quicker at that than I am. Good luck in your classes. Don't give yourself away and watch for the akuma."

"You too."

As Marinette ran to class in an effort to be on time, she watched the halls for any sign of Truth Seeker. Hopefully, she and Chat Noir weren't wrong in their prediction of the akuma's behavior. She had a feeling in her gut that Chat was right though. Truth Seeker was here, somewhere.

Marinette immediately slapped her hand over her mouth when she got into the classroom. There was Adrien, sitting with a smile on his face, and of course, the first thing she wanted to do was confess all of her feelings.

"Marinette, if you'll take your seat, I'm about to start class," Ms. Bustier addressed her.

"Yes, of course, Ma'am," Marinette mumbled through her hand, careful to not explain why she was late, letting her whole class know she was Ladybug. She would have blamed a bakery mishap or something else, otherwise.

Was she wrong in thinking Adrien was watching her as she moved to her seat? He looked thoughtful, a hand pressed to his lips.

Marinette sighed when she finally sat down. She expected an encouraging word from Alya but received none. She looked to the side to see an empty seat.

"Where's Alya?!" Marinette brought her hands to her mouth as everyone turned to look at her.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng!" Ms. Bustier scolded at her student's outburst.

"Alya's being targeted by an akuma, Ms. Bustier! I have to go!" Marinette said before rushing out of the room.

"Me too!" Adrien said before following her.

Both had managed not to say anything about their superhero identities, but they would definitely have some questions to answer when they returned to class.

Could it be her? Could it really be her? Adrien thought as he ran through the school hallways. Where had Marinette gone?

He made his way to the locker rooms for privacy as he planned to transform. Alya needed to be found if his suspicions were correct. He had assumed/hoped that she and Marinette would be arriving at the same time, but that hadn't happened. Instead, a wide-eyed Marinette, looking like she was trying to keep her secrets from coming out of her mouth entered the classroom. Without Alya. And that's when he realized… he and Marinette were often late at the same time. Marinette was in the same class as him; she knew him as a civilian. She was kind and fierce. Marinette could be Ladybug.

The idea wasn't impossible. In fact, it made the most sense in the world. Adrien and Ladybug were in the same class; they were both barely going to make it to their class because of Truth Seeker. Marinette arrived shortly after he did. Even though Adrien had been distracted with this realization, they both knew Alya was being targeted by the akuma. He had to find his lady and get out of here.

Opening the locker room door, Adrien didn't expect to run directly into who he was looking for.

"Marinette!" he exclaimed in surprise as he caught her by her arms as she stumbled.

She looked up at him with wide and confused eyes. Then her jaw set and she practically leapt away from him.

Adrien raised an eyebrow, his hands still held in the air where he had had a hold of her.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked.

"Yes! I don't know why you're here." Marinette stopped at her words and raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry! Not that I'm not happy to see you, just why?"

"Alya's a target for an akuma. I need to find her." He bit his tongue from saying anything about Marinette possibly being his Lady. He wasn't sure how she would take that. Not now.

Her scared eyes turned soft. "I love you, Adrien," she burst and slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning a bright red.

He looked at her in surprise. It wasn't something he expected from his classmate. Even if she was his lady and hit with a truth beam. His own mouth betrayed him before he could even think of a way to handle this situation. "I'm in love with Ladybug."

On top of her embarrassment, it was now Marinette's turn to look surprised. "I'm Ladybug!"

The heroes stared at each other, hands over their mouths in an effort to stop their secrets.

Marinette was mortified. All her closest and well-kept secrets were out in a matter of seconds to the boy she loved. What would he do? What did she do? Tears started to leak from her eyes.

Still in shock, Adrien spoke, "Are you really her?"

"I was hit by Truth Seeker; I can't lie," she responded softly, looking at the floor.

"Me too."

Marinette's head shot up, confusion on her face as she looked into his eyes.

Adrien clenched his jaw. He wasn't sure what was holding him back, but he couldn't tell her. His tongue wanted to form the words 'I'm Chat Noir' and yet he held it with all the strength he had.

"You need to find Alya," he said instead.

Marinette's face set and she nodded. "Thank you," she responded with sincerity as she ran off toward the bathrooms.

"Always, My Lady," Adrien whispered to himself once she had gone.

On the roof of the college, Ladybug and Cat Noir met again.

"Alya's not in class," Ladybug said immediately, getting down to business.

"I know. Should we check her usual hangouts first in case she just lost track of time?" he suggested, avoiding any discussion on how he would know about Alya without being in her class.

"Good idea, Chat Noir. Even if she's not there, someone might have seen something. She usually follows us for the Ladyblog so I think we should check the Louvre first, then her home since that's probably where she was having lunch. We'll go from there if we still don't have any information."

"Sounds like a plan, my Lady."

There was nothing at the Louvre to point to Alya's whereabouts. It didn't seem she had even shown up. At her home, Nora informed the heroes that her sister had gone running off as soon as Truth Seeker's message had been broadcast. Ladybug and Chat Noir could only assume Alya had been stopped somewhere between the two places.

They made their way along the most likely path their friend would have ventured, looking for any kind of clue on their way back to the museum. On the plaza, Ladybug and Chat Noir looked more disheartened than usual, growing more and more worried for their friend. Where was Alya? And where was the akuma? What was Hawkmoth up to?

"Fellow truth seekers!" burst from the event speakers scattered throughout the square. "I'm sure by now you were all wondering if I had been defeated. Obviously not," she giggled. "But! I am where the first akuma was ever defeated. Alya Césaire, owner of the Ladyblog was the first on the scene and has so graciously offered to give her own story of what she saw that day. As you all know, Miss Césaire has had more run ins with these heroes than most civilians and I'm starting to wonder if there's reasoning behind that."

Ladybug and Chat Noir grimaced at the akuma's dramatics before turning to one another.

Truth Seeker continued on, starting to ask Alya questions after supposedly blasting her with a truth ray. Ladybug only hoped her best friend would be able to keep her own secret identity.

"Where the first akuma was ever defeated…" Ladybug thought aloud.

"The Eiffel Tower?" Chat Noir supplied. "That's where we first defeated Hawkmoth."

"No… Truth Seeker has Alya remember. She wasn't there. She told me she missed the entire thing because she wasn't able to bike fast enough. No, the first time we saved Alya was at the stadium." She spun her yo-yo before swinging away.

Chat followed immediately. "Aw, smart, my Lady. I remember thinking how amazing you were even then."

Ladybug squeaked. "Really? I mean…!"

Chat Noir chuckled. "I'd already started falling. I remembered how brave you were at the Eiffel Tower because that's when I decided I didn't care who you were behind the mask, I loved you." His face started to turn red.

Ladybug couldn't hold back a smile. "Thank you, Chat Noir. I was only brave because of you. You're very encouraging. If Adrien hadn't come into my life after that… I… probably would have fallen for you." She frowned as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"My Lady-" he started softly.

"I'm sorry that I don't feel the same way," she continued as they landed on a rooftop across from the stadium. "Part of me really wants to and maybe it does, because it would be so much easier to love you than him, but I can't just change my feelings," she finished. Her eyes were wide, her face red and she was hyper focused on something on the ground to their right.

"My Lady, I-" Chat bit his tongue, fighting his own body was getting tiring. Especially now that he knew her secret. He knew her identity. Then his strong hold on his tongue slipped. "I'm Adrien Agreste!"

The heroes stared at each other with wide eyes.

Ladybug's mouth opened and closed silently before almost hysterically crying, "No, you're not. You- you!"

Chat Noir rolled his eyes. "You think I'm lying?"

"Of course not." Ladybug scoffed. "There's just… no way, but also… I don't know what to think right now."

"Yeah, well I've been trying to hide it from you all day. You know you talk about me a lot? Not that I'm complaining. I actually love it… but… I'm sorry I ruined our secret identities. Well, my secret identity. You haven't revealed yourself. Well not on purpose. You probably haven't even been tempted 'cause you're good like that. Focused… Please stop my rambling. It's embarrassing and the whole truth thing is making it worse…"

Ladybug giggled. He looked up to see her face was red, but she was smiling at him with the softest eyes, the eyes he adored.

"You're really cute," she said before looking surprised at her words and turning brighter.

Chat Noir smiled. "You think I'm cute?" he teased.

"You think I'm lying?" she repeated his words from earlier.

"I think you have beautiful eyes and one day I'd really like to kiss you." Chat Noir swallowed. The full truth was awkward, but with Truth Seeker's powers still controlling them it was all coming out.

"I'd really like you to." Ladybug made an almost choking sound as she slapped her hands to her mouth.

Chat smirked.

"Hmm, but maybe I shouldn't kiss a girl I don't know…"

She glared, holding her hands where they were. What were they doing? There was an akuma to fight.

"Come on, Bugaboo. We're partners. It can't be a one-sided reveal. I love whoever's behind that mask."

Adrien had managed to not reveal he already knew who Ladybug was, but he hadn't been able to really think over his own feelings about it. It just was as it was. But now that the truth had come out of his mouth, he knew it was true. He loved Marinette.

"But you don't!"

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Adrien," she clarified, "…continually insists that we are just friends. I know you like me, but I can barely talk around you so I don't even know how I was ever going to get your attention like that. Actually… it makes me equally embarrassed and happy that Chat Noir is Adrien." Ladybug was thoughtful.

"Are you going to tell me who you are?" Chat Noir asked, excitement leaking into his voice.

Ladybug bit her lip. "Marinette," she whispered.

Chat couldn't help but mess with his lady a little. "Can you repeat that?" he asked cupping a hand to his ear.

Ladybug looked him dead in the eye and her chest heaved as she took a deep breath. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

He almost squealed. Why was he so happy? There was still an akuma to defeat. "I know!" he said happily.

Ladybug's deadpan expression had him dialing back his desire to wrap her in his arms and kiss her. "Are- are you serious?" she breathed.

Chat's eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah! I suspected when you ran into class late right after me. And then ran out looking for Alya. And then you kind of told me in the locker room, if you remember…"

"I remember!" Ladybug interrupted. "I just…"

"Can't believe it's you." They spoke at the same time. Ladybug was apprehensive, but Chat Noir held a soft smile. He'd had a little longer to process all of this. He hoped his lady would be as happy as he was soon.

"I mean… we see each other every day…" Ladybug said in thought.

"Yup!"

"I have a huge crush on you and you're in love with Ladybug… and our kwamis knew! Oh gosh, we're stupid!"

Ladybug's face fell into her hands before looking back at him. Both had red cheeks.

"As much as I love this topic of conversation…" Chat Noir sidelined, "…I think we need to focus on the truth…" He nodded towards the stadium.

The heroes couldn't see much from their perch on the rooftop across the street, at least not on the field.

Ladybug shook her head as if to get rid of all the drama that had just unfolded between them.

"Yes, okay, yes. Truth Seeker, then our relationship."

"Our relationship?" he clarified cheerfully.

"Chat…" she warned.

"Don't worry, My Lady. I'm just excited to actually show you how much I love you in our civilian lives." They turned red as Chat slapped a hand to his mouth. He moved into a fighting stance. "Let's defeat this akuma so I can stop blurting stuff like that out."

"I don't know; I kind of like it." Ladybug groaned. "Okay, I agree, let's go!"

Simultaneously, they jumped into the stadium.

Alya had been tied to a chair in the middle of the field. Truth Seeker stood next to her, interrogating her while keeping an eye out for Ladybug and Chat Noir. So far, she hadn't gotten much more than what was on the Ladyblog. Luckily nothing about other miraculous holders had been brought up. From a distance, Ladybug could see Alya struggling though, hear it in the speakers that broadcast her voice. Alya was trying very hard to keep her truths to a minimum so she didn't blurt out something too telling. The heroes could relate.

Ladybug eyed the recorder, signaling to Chat that it held the akuma.

As they dropped onto the field, ready for battle, Truth Seeker smirked.

Alya looked relieved. "I'm so glad you guys are finally here!" she exclaimed, looking slightly abashed.

"We'll always be here," Ladybug stated firmly, her words echoing from the speakers as the akuma's recorder picked up their conversation. "For you and all of Paris."

Outside the stadium, the sound of cheers could just barely be heard. Truth Seeker snarled.

"If you would just tell us who you are, you wouldn't have this problem."

"Hmm, I don't think we're the cause of people being akumatized here," Chat replied with a finger to his chin as if in thought.

"You and Hawkmoth only want to know who we are so you can get our miraculous!" Ladybug accused. The heroes readied their fighting stances. "So why don't you just come and get them!"

Truth Seeker ran toward them and the battle began.

Dashing past, Chat Noir slid his claws along the rope on Alya's chair, releasing her. The young reporter ran to the exit as if to leave only to hide around the wall and pull out her phone. If anyone was getting a truthful report today, it was her.

Back in the battle, Ladybug and Chat Noir dodged the akuma's rays. Chat, being hit once, found that being hit a second time caused you to stop until you said something true. The experience was not worth repeating if Truth Seeker was close enough to grab his miraculous.

The effects were temporary but hadn't stopped him from suddenly saying, "I think my dad might be Hawkmoth."

Ladybug had luckily been distracting the akuma before she could ask for his identity, so Truth Seeker didn't hear that bit of information. She had also turned off her broadcast. However, his lady was close enough to hear his comment.

In a brief moment, she looked at him with wide eyes and with exasperation in her voice asked, "Can we talk about that one later?"

The agreement went without saying as he rejoined the foray.

Finally, Ladybug called on her Lucky Charm.

"A mirror?" she asked as the rectangle fell into her hands.

Before she could figure out what to do with it, she caught Truth Seeker coming towards her, her recorder held up. The beam that came out of it shot towards the hero and on instinct, Ladybug moved the mirror. The beam immediately bounced into the sky, hitting a pigeon who looked rather disgruntled about it as he flew away.

"Of course!" Ladybug exclaimed, realizing just what she could do to turn this fight in their favor. "Chat Noir!" She tossed the mirror in his direction and he caught it with ease, starting to use it as a shield against Truth Seeker's attacks.

Ladybug crept closer, waiting for the right moment… There! The akuma's truth ray had hit the mirror and reflected perfectly onto herself. She paused in shock under her own beam's power and Ladybug quickly wrapped her yo-yo around her, leaving her hands and arms immovable.

Chat Noir and Ladybug stood close, Chat still holding the mirror in defense as they grew closer. Truth Seeker grunted as she struggled against the ropes around her.

"I think it's time you tell us the truth, Truth Seeker," Ladybug said. "Do you know who or where Hawkmoth is?"

"No," she growled between her teeth, glaring at the two.

The heroes were slightly disappointed. There was always a chance the akumatized actually knew something, but they didn't always have the chance to ask. It didn't seem to work in their favor this time.

Ladybug snatched the recorder and threw it to the ground, splitting it in two. A purple butterfly tried to escape but Ladybug got to it first.

Throwing the mirror in the air after the de-evilization, she shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The ladybugs swirled around them and Chat was quick to cheer. "Pound it!"

Ladybug smiled softly.

"Quick lie to me!"

She chuckled at his antics. "I hate chocolate chip cookies," she shrugged.

They beamed at each other over their success.

Suddenly a groan sounded nearby. They looked over and saw Kristy King. She looked up at them and her eyes widened. "Oh no, I didn't… Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," Ladybug assured. She thought of all the truths that had come out that afternoon. "It might be for the best." As she put a hand on the radio DJ's shoulder, she glanced sideways at Chat Noir. He was looking back at her, the smile he always looked at her with on his face. They had a lot to talk about…

At the top of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug and Chat Noir met again. After taking care of the victim, Kristy King, and recharging, the two had a lot to discuss. Honestly, Adrien had contemplated leaving Plagg to eat his stinky cheese at home and go to Marinette's, but he knew his father would never let him just leave randomly. There was also the fact that somewhere in the back of his brain, Adrien now knew that he must believe Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth, or else he wouldn't have said what he had at the stadium. Sure, his father had been akumatized and therefore taken off the list of suspects, but Adrien had noticed his allusive behavior. His father not wanting to be disturbed often fell just before or during an akuma attack. It was a point the heroes needed to discuss and why with another defeat, Adrien wasn't too keen to ask if he could leave the house. Back as Chat Noir, however, he escaped and leapt to the highest deck of the Eiffel Tower.

The deck was empty as no one could access the elevator at this time of night, but there was his lady. She sat cross-legged, leaning against the wall of the indoor portion on this floor. The slight breeze rustled her hair, her eyes closed, and he felt like he was in a cliché moment. But it was her moment and he embraced the calm before they got to the heavier subjects of the day.

"Hey, Chat Noir," Ladybug greeted, not moving, so he chose to sit next to her, matching her posture.

"My lady."

"You know my name," she frowned, "why didn't you use it?"

"Why didn't you?"

There was a quiet that hung over them as they answered themselves silently.

"It's still hard to believe," Ladybug finally answered aloud.

"Yeah, I know. But… I still really like you… Marinette. I think I might have liked you before… I knew you were you. I just kept my eyes on Ladybug…"

"You like me…? Even though I'm Marinette?" The shyness was almost odd for her as Ladybug, but Chat Noir could see past it now, see the girl who always blushed and stammered around him.

He smiled. "Because you're Marinette."

Her eyes were wide, but an equally wide smile graced her lips.

He met it before looking at the floor awkwardly. "Do you… like me? Even though I'm Chat Noir?"

Ladybug continued to smile. "Because you're Chat Noir."

Bright smiles adorned their faces. Subconsciously, both had leaned toward one another in their conversation.

Chat Noir's smile faded. "What about my dad? If you were right the first time…?"

Now Ladybug frowned. She huffed and rolled her eyes. "We can deal with it, later."

Chat Noir looked at her surprised.

"You really put a damper on the mood," Ladybug pouted.

"The mood?"

"Really? Now, you don't think it's a good time to put on the moves and try to kiss me?"

An excited gasp escaped Chat's mouth. "Really, My Lady? I…"

Ladybug rolled her eyes but smiled. "Oh, just come here," she said before pulling him by the shoulder towards her. Their lips met immediately, and thoughts of Hawkmoth fled.

Who cared who Hawkmoth was? They would defeat him. It sounded cliché, but there was something to the power of love. Actually, if it wasn't for the villain and his akuma, their identities and feelings may have never even been revealed. So maybe Truth Seeker hadn't known who or where their nemesis was, but she did get them one step closer.

So I realize there are some small discrepancies, however for the sake of the storyline, I kept them. It's not like the actual show is super consistent all the time anyway, right? (Bad excuse, oh well.) Anyway, please forgive my errors and if you're wondering what exactly happened to Truth Seeker all that time and how she got to Alya…

After Truth Seeker blasted the heroes with her truth ray, she was about to force them to answer her questions when Alya came running down the stairs under the pyramid. Ladybug and Chat Noir were still kind of unconscious so they didn't know. She basically distracted the akuma and they had a short face-off where Alya convinced Truth Seeker she needed her knowledge, knowledge of the Miraculous that Ladybug supposedly didn't know. Cue Alya taking the akuma to the Egyptian exhibit, etc. and keeping Truth Seeker busy for her heroes until the akuma had had enough and tied her up.

Man, I need to write more of Alya being cool like that. And Nino. Anyway! I hope you enjoyed this story and if you have kind words, you may leave them in a review. Thank you!