(See the end of the chapter for more notes .)

The akuma reviewed some of the clues last chapter. I've put the rest of them in the endnotes.

The night at the museum is over! What will the aftermath be?

Chapter Text

Marinette ran to the sarcophagus and helped Nino out of it.

“Wha… what happened?”

“Nino! You were akumatized. It’s OK, we’re safe now.”

“I know… did I hurt anyone?”

“No… you’re fine. Everyone’s fine. Come on, let’s go back to the auditorium and round everyone else up.”

One by one, the other students and Mr. Kubdel made their way to the auditorium. Rather than immediately packing their bags, the classmates sat down and exchanged stories.

“Soooo… what’d I miss?” Adrien asked once everyone had arrived on the scene.

In turn, the students and Mr. Kubdel spoke, detailing what happened. As each person said that ‘Adrien’ froze them, the real Adrien’s face fell more and more glum.

Alix was speaking about what happened when she skated away from the rest of the group. “I knew I wasn’t the akuma, and I was willing to trust someone to team up with them. You three weren’t about to trust me, and I don’t think Chloe really trusts anybody except Sabrina and Adrien, so I went to my bud from art class -- Nathaniel.

“I sneaked up behind him when Chloe was talking his head off about Ladybug -- sorry, Chloe, but it’s the truth! -- and we worked out a plan.”

Nathaniel picked the story up. “Alix would masquerade as me as best she could, even borrowing Marc’s hoodie. That would leave me to sneak around the museum and try to find out what was going on.

“Unfortunately, the akuma came out and caught us doing the switch, and froze Alix right after I gave her the hoodie. I took off running and hoped that I would at least be able to hide or alert Alya or Marinette to the danger.”

When the story got to Alya, Marinette interrupted, “So, tell me something. The akuma had convinced me that Nathaniel’s freeze blast backfired on him and got you both. What really happened?

“On my way to see Chloe, I bumped into Nathaniel, who was doing the same thing,” started Alya.

“Alya! Thank goodness you’re alone! You’re in danger! I saw who froze Alix!” “We all know it was YOU!” “No, no… it’s not what you think! It’s Adrien! I gave Alix the hoodie to throw Adrien off the scent, and just after I did that, he froze her and almost got me! Please,” he reached out to her pleadingly, “you have to believe me!” “Wait… throw Adrien off the scent? You’re not trying to get me to believe…” Alya looked away from Nathaniel as Adrien rounded the corner. Adrien raised his arm and pointed it at Alya, a blue light forming at the end of his fingertip. “Look ou--!” Alya shouted at Nathaniel. Nathaniel watched in horror as the freeze blast hit Alya. The akuma turned and fired off another freeze blast, striking Nathaniel. Satisfied, the akuma counted to ten to calm himself down, then turned and went back around the corner.

“I figured with Alya at the head of the investigation, she would start examining victims eventually, and maybe we could meet up,” continued Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel was explaining to me what he saw, and I was skeptical. But then the akuma came around the corner, and… well, you saw what happened. Or at least the aftermath of it.”

Finally, it was Marinette’s turn.

“Af… after it was just the akuma and me left, Ad… um, sorry, the akuma, actually invited me to watch the sunrise with him. Since I thought the akuma was Nathaniel -- sorry again, Nate -- I figured it was safe.”

She smiled at Adrien, whose countenance lifted.

“The akuma then tried to freeze me, and I dodged it and hid in an exhibit. Ladybug must have been swinging by on a patrol and saw us fighting. Maybe the light from my phone made her think it was a burglar or something. Anyway, she broke in through the pyramid, beat the akuma, and got everything set right before I could even come out of my hiding place to say thanks!”

“Wait a minute, Marinette,” Mr. Kubdel said, “If Ladybug broke in, how come there’s no sign of her entering? The security system is still engaged and the glass on the pyramid is shatterproof.”

“Umm… you’ll have to ask her, I guess! Magic?” Marinette giggled. “Maybe her lucky charm was a glass-cutter, and her Miraculous Ladybug fixed the window?”

As the students gathered their stuff, Adrien, Alya, Marinette, and Nino grouped up for a more private conversation.

“Babe, so what happened? Why were you akumatized?” Alya asked, her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m kind of embarrassed, actually,” Nino said sheepishly. “I let myself get frustrated over my headphones breaking. I tried to control myself, but I had saved up for these things for like three months, you know? They’re super-high-quality, and one of the scare tracks I played just knocked out the speaker.

“Next thing I knew, there was a butterfly landing on them, and I decided to roll with it. I wasn’t feeling entirely malicious or wanting revenge, and whatever Hawk Moth wanted me to do, I figured I would be able to not hurt anybody. I’d rather take one for the team myself than risk Hawk Moth getting to someone who could do some serious damage.”

Marinette glanced at Alya and would have sworn on the spot that her friend’s eyes were replaced by stars and hearts because of how she was looking at Nino.

“Anyway, I think it all worked out. Nobody got hurt, and since Ladybug had to break my headphones to free the akuma, Miraculous Ladybug fixed them good as new! Even the part that broke in the first place!” He laughed and tapped his headphones, then stepped away to roll up his sleeping bag, taking Adrien with him.

Nino’s enthusiasm wasn’t infectious: Alix swore under her breath and stalked away.

“Alix, what’s the matter, honey?” Mr. Kubdel asked.

“I’VE GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH LADYBUG!” Alix replied.

“Wait, why are you mad at Ladybug?” inquired Nathaniel. “She did save us, after all.”

“I know. But apparently when she goes back and fixes all the damage that an akuma attack does, it doesn’t cover damage to your phone!”

“Alix… didn’t you tell us you dropped your phone in the toilet?”

“...”

“You know, Marinette, there’s something I’ve gotta ask,” Alya said, sliding over next to her.

Here it comes, Marinette thought to herself. Please, please, please, let me off easy… even though I know there’s no chance of that happening.

Alya leaned in closer and whispered, “Do you know Cat Noir?” Her eyebrows raised as she watched Marinette figure out what to say.

One deep breath later, Marinette responded, “I do. There was the Evillustrator akuma, and Cat Noir came out and protected me. That was the first time we met,” when I wasn’t in costume, she mentally added. “Then, there was the night we all went to Andre’s and Adrien didn’t show up. Cat Noir showed up on my balcony for a little chat, since he had gotten his heart broken that night too.” By me. “Since then, he drops by occasionally and we hang out, play games, talk about our love lives… just be friends. I feel like I’m the only person who can be his friend as a superhero, and I’m honored that he lets me.”

Just then, Adrien walked up. “And I’m sure that he feels the same way about you. I know I’m honored that you’re my friend.” He smiled and gave a familiar wink.

Marinette had to stop and wait for her brain to finish rebooting.

Marinette was surprised to not hear any noise in the bakery kitchen or smell any fresh-baked goods when she got home. Usually, at least her dad was up and had already fired up the ovens for the early-morning customers.

Exhausted after a long, exciting evening, she only wanted two things: a shower, and a long talk with Tikki. She kicked off her shoes and stretched, only to be met by a sheepish-looking Tom Dupain coming down the ladder to her loft.

“...Dad?” she asked, slowly. “What were you doing up there?”

“Oh, hi, honey. Um, your mother and I had dinner last night on the balcony and, er, fell asleep under the stars.”

“Oh, Dad, that’s great! I’m so glad you took some time for yourselves. You’re always so busy.” She paused. “Where’s Mom?”

Tom glanced back up the ladder, where Sabine, wearing only a robe, was climbing through the hatch from the balcony.

Marinette’s eyes widened.

“We’ll get you a new chair for your balcony,” Tom mumbled.

“I’m going to go take that shower now and try to scrub that thought from my brain,” Marinette said, heading to the bathroom.

A frustrated roar, deep in a Paris mansion.

“This is the last time I go to bed and leave the akuma to its own devices! I figured this one was smart enough, this one was clever enough for me to get some much-needed rest, and I check in just in time for Ladybug to have shown up!

“And the akuma was disguised as my son! Nathalie, take a memo: remind me to tell the akumas going forward to not impersonate Adrien. That was so dumb! He wasn’t even there! I listened at his door and he was clearly asleep. That reminds me, Nathalie, take another memo: schedule an appointment for Adrien with a sleep specialist. Some of those snores sounded like he has a serious problem.”

“Once again, I send out an akuma! Once again, I am thwarted! I need a better plan next time… one where I won’t be stopped by Ladybug and Cat Noir! I would have achieved my wish already if it weren’t for those MEDDLING KIDS!”

After she showered and dressed, Marinette flopped down on her bed. “Tikki, can I ask you something?” she said, eyes closed.

“Anything, Marinette!” her kwami answered around a mouthful of cookie.

“Why did I get THAT as my lucky charm? I can’t figure out if I was supposed to do anything with it other than cast Miraculous Ladybug.”

“Marinette, the Lucky Charm magic gives you what you need to solve the problem you’re currently facing. Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes you really have to use your creativity. I think in this case it’s both.” Tikki swallowed her cookie. “You said yourself you only needed it for Miraculous Ladybug, so what problem was at the top of your mind after beating the akuma?”

Marinette thought hard. She imagined the Lucky Charm she had received: a bracelet, made from red string, with eight red-and-black spotted beads strung on it. Her eyes snapped open.

“Tikki, that’s exactly like the bracelet I gave to Adrien! What are you trying to tell me?”

“When was the last time you saw that bracelet, Marinette?”

“It was the akumatized object when Adrien’s bodyguard became Gorizilla,” Marinette remembered, frowning.

“Right! Remember how you felt when you discovered that was the object? Something personal of yours, something special. That was probably the most offended I’ve felt you be when you destroyed it to free the akuma. You obviously care a lot about the bracelet…”

“...AND about who I gave it to. You know what, Tikki? I was actually able to use complete sentences and talk about my feelings in front of Adrien tonight. I mean, it wasn’t the real Adrien, but maybe tonight was practice?”

“You were about to kiss him, Marinette!” Tikki pointed out.

“Well, he did compare me to Ladybug! That’s pretty special. If he ever did compare me to Ladybug in real life, I think that’s exactly how I would react!”

Marinette and Tikki dissolved into giggles and shared a hug.

“Tikki, there’s only one more thing scarier than an akuma impersonating Adrien.”

“What’s that?”

“The akuma actually being Adrien. I’m not sure I could handle that.”

“I can think of something else, Marinette.”

“What’s that?”

“What if the akuma had impersonated you?”

~fin~