Spots Off 🐞 (A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

32- Spots On

Marinette's POV

This is bad. Paris needs Ladybug. Mooncaster's more powerful than the petty villains Cat Noir's defeated in the past. Multimouse won't do him any good right now. I need to be Ladybug. It's the only way Paris can be saved. If only I knew where Master Fu's secret location is. Outside the school, I look for a place to hide as Mooncaster's turning people to stone. She's searching for Lila. I duck down behind the staircase, eyes widening as I spot Cat Noir running in the opposite direction. When did he get here? I stand up and watch him, soon realizing he's heading to Master Fu. Without a second thought, I start chasing him, keeping a safe distance so he doesn't see me. Hopefully Master Fu doesn't give him the ladybug miraculous. I know once I see him, I'll be able to convince him to let me become Ladybug again.

If I'm lucky.

I stay hidden as Cat Noir stops outside the city pool entrance. That's where Master Fu's been hiding? He runs inside and I wait impatiently for him to come back out. Once he does, I duck down as he uses his staff to jump to the roof and he runs back towards the city. He's still Cat Noir, so Master Fu must still have the ladybug miraculous.

I take off running, slipping through the door and up the staircase. I just have to find Master Fu first. There's a door at the end of the hallway. I push it open, expecting an empty room, but I find Master Fu closing the miracle box.

"Marinette?!" He asks with wide eyes. "What are you doing here? It's not safe for you to be here!"

It's been so long since I've seen him, I don't know if Master Fu is real. Tears fill my eyes and I close the door behind me. "Master Fu, please. I need the ladybug miraculous."

Master Fu shakes his head. "No! I don't know how you found me, but it's too dangerous to let you wield the ladybug miraculous. Hawkmoth hasn't been defeated yet."

"There is a far much dangerous villain out there, Master Fu! Cat Noir won't be able to defeat her alone. Paris needs Ladybug."

"Cat Noir's not alone. He has an ally."

"You gave him the mouse miraculous, right?" I ask, glancing down at the empty drawer. He did. "Cat Noir's on his way right now looking for me, for Marinette. I'm Multimouse again."

Master Fu's eyes widen. "What? All this time he's been giving you the mouse miraculous? Does he know? Does he know you're Ladybug?"

"No! I didn't tell Cat Noir. I swear, Master Fu. The truth is... we've been dating in secret. He gave me the mouse miraculous as a surprise."

"Oh no..." He rubs his temple. "First Ladybug and Adrien. Now Marinette and Cat Noir. You're giving me a headache!"

"Please, Master Fu." I step forward and grab his hand. "You know I wouldn't be begging if it weren't an emergency. I promise I will give the earrings back. As soon as Mooncaster is defeated, I will come and bring you the ladybug miraculous back. Ladybug will do far more than Multimouse can. Paris needs me and I made an oath to always protect this city."

Master Fu sighs. "Cat Noir cannot see you, Marinette. When you left, the poor cat lost his mind. During almost all our visits he would cry about how much he missed and needed you. He stopped believing in himself! We've made so much progress and if he finds out you're back for even a day, he'll spiral again."

"Cat Noir won't even know I'm here," I beg, trying to convince him. "He won't see me. I'll make sure of it."

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Marinette." Master Fu turns around and grabs the earrings, dropping them in my hand. It feels weird holding them. "But you're right. You have a city to protect. Just please remember to stay out of sight. It's been months since Ladybug's disappearance and we can't have people thinking she's making a return."

"You can count on me, Master Fu." I put the earrings in and wait in giddy for Tikki to appear. She appears in my hands and I quickly pull her in a hug. "Oh, Tikki! I've missed you so much! You don't know how hard it's been without you."

Her little warm hands wrap around my face. "I've missed you more, Marinette. Every day I've waited to see you again."

I lean back and smile at her. "Well, Tikki. We've got a city to save. Tikki, spots on!" That familiar rush of adrenaline comes back as I'm covered in red-and-black polka dotted leather. I look down at myself, grinning, and jump up and down. I never thought this was possible, being Ladybug again. "I've missed this."

"Go, Marinette!" Master Fu pushes me out the door. "Stop Mooncaster and save Paris. And remember-"

"Don't let Cat Noir see you," I finish, sighing. "I know, I know." I wave before tying my yoyo to a pipe near the ceiling, escaping through a window. I keep to the shadows and alleys as I navigate my way through the dark city. Water's grown at least a four feet on the ground, slowly rising more and more. As long as that moon is up, water will continue to flood Paris until it's buried underwater. I've seen that once and I don't want to live it again.

"Where are you, Lila Rossi?" Mooncaster screams, turning innocent citizens into silver statues. She walks on the water with ease, perfectly poised with the waves thrashing around her. "I'll find you!" She shoots a silver beam at the movie theater, trapping the employees inside.

They'll drown!

Using my yoyo as a mask, I swim under the water through the dark, peeking out to keep watch for Mooncaster. I find a sewer opening under the theater and swim through, climbing up through the projection room. I sneak out in the hallway, quietly looking for any workers trapped. A girl is stuck underneath a fallen beam and I crawl over, lifting it off of her. I take my mask off to tell her, "Go towards the emergency exit, behind the screen! Get to high ground as soon as you can!" I duck in time before she can see me and successfully save the others. The water's risen higher now; it's blocking the front entrance. I'll have to go out through the sewer again.

Outside again, I stay perched on a roof, contemplating my next move. Mooncaster's destroying the city left and right. I don't have time to save anyone. I need to stop her now. "Lucky charm!" I toss my yo-yo in the air, surprised to have a sword fall back in my hand. "What? It gives me a weapon now?" I can't fight face-to-face with her. I look around, trying to spot the solution, but nothing's working. Down below I spot Cat Noir, now transformed into Aqua Noir. I jump back as he looks up. I hope he didn't see me. "Think, Ladybug! What do I do?"

Aqua Noir's facing Mooncaster at the Eiffel tower, the water covering half of the monument. This city's drowning, fast. "Revenge isn't your only option, Mooncaster!" He starts shouting at Chloe. I know he's doing his best to try and get her to break free from Hawkmoth.

Mooncaster now stands on a crater, eyes glowing bright as she stares down Aqua Noir. "You dare challenge me, Catfish?"

"Hey, I make the nicknames around here!" He defends and I roll my eyes. Same old kitty... "Cataclysm!" He jumps out of the water and presses a palm to the crater, causing her to fall in the water.

Now's my chance to do something. I look up at the moon. It glows red and black. That's it! I need to get rid of this water and destroying the moon will do that. Stepping back, I give myself a running start, jumping and leaping towards the sky, sword raised high. It pokes through the moon, cracking it, and soon it crumbles to the ground with a loud thud. Water starts rushing out of the city, taking cars, debris, and people with it.

I use my yo-yo to tie Mooncaster to a lamppost and I swim up behind her, snatching the moon-clip from her hair. I break it in half and purify the akuma before sneaking off away from the public. Mooncaster's defeated.

"Pound it, Cat Noir." I give myself a fist bump. I have to bring the ladybug miraculous now. I jump down from a building and land in an empty alley.

My earrings beep, alerting me five minutes until my transformation. This day feels like a fever dream. I stare at the yo-yo in my hands. I'll be Ladybug again; I know it. It just won't be again anytime soon. I have to accept that. I quickly wipe a tear away, readying my yo-yo to take me away.

As I lift my arm to swing, a soft voice suddenly stops me.

"Milady?"