Miraculous Ladybug: You Are Stronger When You Are Different

Adrian's brother

"Ch... Chat Noir... I... I need to go..." I stammered, not sure what to believe.
"But, my lady, we've not been out long at all! It's the first time I've seen you without having to like, defeat an akumatised victim. You can't go - what's up, anyway?" He asked, suspiciously.
I didn't say anything, but just flung my yo-yo so that it caught the edge of a building, and I swung from it onto the roof.
Luckily I realised it was my own house, so I climbed down onto my balcony which was just below, and rushed in, thankful that no one noticed.
When I'd transformed back into Marionette, I started to try think things over.
"Tikki! Oh, god! Did you hear what Chat Noir told me?! Wait, how could you, you weren't, well, really there, were you?" I quickly said.
"No, I was there, kinda, Marionette. I mean, I know what happened, basically. Look, how... How could it really be Adrian?" Tikki said.
"I... I.... I don't know... Tikki, what do you think, because, if it was him, then, wouldn't it mean that... Adrian likes Ladybug... He, he likes me!" I suddenly started to get excited - maybe it was a good thing that I knew, after all!
"Mari, it can't be Adrian!" Tikki insisted.
Why was she not accepting it? It was obvious!
"Tikki, I need to talk to Chat, or... Adrian, or whoever!" I said.
"No! Uh, I mean, Mari, how are you going to talk to either one of them? You can't utter a word to Adrian normally - what makes you think it's going to work this time?" Tikki said, slightly crossly. I just ignored her. She wasn't being any help.
I ran down the street, with Tikki flying after me, not saying anything. I couldn't find Adrian or Chat, and was very annoyed about it.
I didn't talk to Tikki at all when I got back home, but just shoved her into my purse, and flung it across to the other side of the room.

Tikki's POV:
Marionette didn't understand - I couldn't tell her!
I mean, I'd always known it was Adrian, but if Mari knew that, she would be all over Chat as well as Adrian, and would be trying to impress him instead of focusing on saving Paris. It's just a distraction, and a risk that I'm not willing to let her take.
What was more important? Saving hundreds of lives, or letting Marionette flirt with her crush?
As a kwami, I need to help Marionette do what's best, even if she can't see it herself.

Back to Marionette's POV:
I wanted to call Alya so badly, and tell her everything, but somehow I just thought it would make it worse. Besides, I couldn't tell her I was LadyBug, because Alya would never treat me the same - I'd be a total celebrity in her eyes, not just a friend any longer.
Plus, she'd make it public, and that was the last thing I wanted; all my friends immediately turning into fans. But, then again, Adrian was Chat, and he would know I was LadyBug, so he'd like me...
I couldn't risk it - not even for Adrian. Or Chat. No matter how much I wanted Adrian to like me, he was nothing compared to Alya, and the others.
At school the next day, in Maths, I sat next to Adrian. It was my first class of the day, and the only class that I sat next to him in, but in a lot of other classes I was right behind him.
I couldn't look at him. Maths was horrible, but being next to Adrian made it all worthwhile!
"Hi, Mari!" He said, waving.
I just smiled at him. Even if I wanted to say anything, I wouldn't be able to.
"Done your Maths homework?" He asked.
Oops.
"Oh no! I totally forgot! Ugh! I was so distracted last night with..." I said, managing to be launched back into the real world, where I could talk properly.
"Oh, never mind. I did mine - such a shame we have a mean old teacher! Honestly, Mrs. Oblong is such an old witch, isn't she?!" He laughed.
At first, I couldn't believe Adrian had said such a thing about one of the teachers: he was never rude like that!
"Adrian! Never mind?! It's a big deal! Oh, I'm gonna get a detention for this..." I muttered.
"No... No you're not." He said. "I did it, so you copy the answers off me."
What a sweet thing! But I didn't feel like I was talking to Adrian anymore. I was talking to Chat. Now I totally saw it - how could I have not noticed before!
The Maths lesson continued, and I only just about managed to not mention Chat when I was talking to Adrian; it was so hard!
But after school, I felt so guilty, because I was kind of keeping a secret from Adrian, and I couldn't do that!