Removing the Mask (Book Two)

Chapter 8

(3rd Person POV)
Ladybug and Chat Noir charge into the fight, dodging attacks from the sentimonster and akuma victim. The sentimonster was a giant clown who laughed almost every second, which eventually got annoying for the duo. The akuma victim was in a gray dress shirt and had a navy blue tie around his neck. He wore a black top hat and was holding a cane. Luckily, he was incapable of performing long-ranged attacks.

"I am The Punisher," the akuma announced, "And unless you give me your miraculouses, I shall punish you!"

"Be careful," Ladybug warns, "He doesn't sound very friendly"

The Punisher tapped something with his cane, turning it into a projectile to launch at the duo. Ladybug steps in front of Chat Noir, using her spinning yo-yo as a shield.

The projectile landed on the ground in front of her, making her stop spinning her yo-yo as she looked down, confused. It was just a stick of butter.

"What's wrong? You don't enjoy watching the butterfly?" Punisher asks.

The sentimonster explodes into laughter near them.

Ladybug and Chat Noir look at their opponents, dumbfounded.

"By the way, Chat Noir," Punisher begins, "I'd say your outfit looks purrfect on you"

Another round of laughter came from the sentimonster.

"Excuse me?" Chat Noir steps up next to Ladybug, "I'm the one who's supposed to be making puns here"

"Well," Punisher taps another object with his cane, turning it into a piece of paper with "your puns" written on it.

He rips the paper in half, "Your puns are tearible, unlike mine"

After every pun The Punisher made, the sentimonster would erupt into laughter.

Chat Noir steps closer until he's standing right in front of The Punisher, "Are you challenging me to a pun war?"

The Punisher smirked, "Are you feline up to it?"

Chat Noir smirked back, "Chat-llenge accepted, Punisher"

Ladybug stood there with her jaw dropped open as she listened to Chat Noir and Punisher exchange puns, hearing laughter from the sentimonster once in a while. She couldn't help but facepalm and groan.

After a while, Chat Noir turned to her, "M'lady, help meowt, who has better puns: me or him?"

Ladybug's eyebrow began to twitch with annoyance, "Do I really have to answer? Because you both make very bad puns"

"Is that a vote for me, m'lady?"

Ladybug sighs and throws her yo-yo at The Punisher, grabbing his cane.

"Hey!" Punisher shouts, "I cane not believe you just did that!"

"Sorry, Punisher, but I don't have time to play around," Ladybug says, "Looks like you're the one getting punished here"

She broke the cane in half, releasing both an akuma and an amok. She purified both of them, watching the white feather and butterfly fly away. She summoned her Lucky Charm and threw it in the air to undo the (little) damage.

Chat Noir walked back to his partner.

"Pound it"

"Man, that was an easy battle," Ladybug says, smiling and shaking her head.

Chat Noir smirked and stepped closer to her. Their faces were almost touching.

"My puns were better, right?"

Ladybug's face turned red as her suit due to how close her crush was to her.

"S-sure..." She said awkwardly.

"Did I give you a rush of... Adrienaline?"

She turned her eyes away from him, still not backing up.

"S-shut up..."

Chat Noir laughed and stepped back.

"It's hard to believe that you and Adrien are the same person," Ladybug says.

"Well, believe it, m'lady," her partner says, "You might want to get going... Unless you want me to see your identity"

"Before I go," her voice grew serious, "I want you to know that you don't have to hide your emotions around me. I know that you're struggling, Adrien. I can see it in your eyes"

Chat Noir's mouth opened slightly. He didn't know what to say.

"The only hint I'll give you about my identity is that you know me in person"

Ladybug's earrings started beeping and she turned around, "I'll see you tonight, Chat Noir"

And with that, she ran behind the school and detransformed.

(AN: I honestly don't know what I was thinking when writing this chapter...)