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purrincess-chat · 1 year

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Under the Moth’s Wing CH6: Lady Wifi

April Fools! The joke is I don’t have anymore of this story ready after this chapter, so this is all you guys get for now. Also Ladrien in Adrinette April? ;) Anyway, I’ve been busy, so I haven’t had much time to write or work on this one, but I promise I’ll be getting back to it soon! Until then enjoy this update ;)

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Chapter 6

“Hey, bugheads! Alya here with another update on Paris’s new superheroine! Our girl has done it again, defeating Stormy Weather earlier this afternoon. I wasn’t able to get much footage because I was stuck under ice, but I haven’t given up on our mission to find out who the girl under the mask really is. None of my current theories have much evidence, so one thing is for sure: Ladybug is seriously good at keeping her identity a secret, but that won’t stop me from investigating! I’ll keep you guys updated. Bye for now, bugheads. Don’t forget to stay connected!”

Adrien dimmed the screen on his phone at the dining table, and his father sipped his coffee pensively.

“Alya is really interested in finding out Ladybug’s identity. I think she could lead us to her,” he said.

“Excellent work, Adrien. I think you’re right, this girl could prove valuable to our cause.” His father smirked, the closest expression to a smile his father was capable of in Adrien’s experience. “Keep an eye on her, and let me know if she finds anything.”

“Yes, Father.”

School was like any other day, and Adrien was finally starting to get into the routine. He greeted various classmates as he passed them on the way to the locker room. Marinette was standing by her locker with her back to him, and he ran his fingers down the soft yarn of his new scarf with a smile.

“Hey,” he called as he approached. Nino got onto him about sneaking up on people, so he’d been making more of an effort to announce himself.

Marinette turned to him, with a cheery smile, though her eyes widened like she was still startled to see him. Drat. He’d have to work harder.

“Hi, Adri-you! You-drien! Ad-you. Hey, hi. What’s down? I mean, what’s going up?” She slapped a palm to her forehead with a sigh.

“Uh…” Adrien tilted his head to the side. Maybe shouting wasn’t the best way to announce himself. He’d clearly made her flustered. “I just wanted to come thank you for my new scarf and wish you luck in the tournament.”

“Oh! Yeah, right. The scarf. You’re so welcome. I mean, it wasn’t any trouble at all.” She giggled. “Does this mean you like it?”

“I love it!” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “No one’s ever made me a gift like this before. I’m just really glad we put our differences aside, and I hope we can become good friends from now on.”

“Me too!” Marinette squeaked.

The bell rang, and Adrien gestured for Marinette to walk with him to class. She offered him a stiff smile and fell into step beside him. Silence stretched between them as they crossed the courtyard, but rather than the hostility Adrien had grown accustomed to with Marinette, this felt more… awkward. Like neither of them knew what to say after being enemies for the first three weeks of knowing each other. Adrien tried not to let it get to him as they made it to class. After all, his friendship with Nino had started off slow too. They’d get there eventually.

Mlle. Bustier’s class was interesting, although literature wasn’t his favorite subject. Adrien surprised himself with how much he enjoyed school, even outside of getting to make new friends. All of the material came quickly to him, and he was consistently one of the highest grades in the class after Max — a fact he used as evidence when proving to his father that letting him go to public school was a good idea.

Midway through a lecture about Shakespeare, Adrien’s phone buzzed in his pocket. With a quick glance up at his teacher to ensure he wouldn’t get caught, Adrien spared a glance at the text.

I’ve akumatized a disgruntled office worker uptown. Stay put and keep an eye on the girl with the blog.

Adrien tucked his phone away with a sigh. At least his father sent a warning text this time, but there was no way he could sneak out of school and make it uptown in time to see Ladybug. Oh well. If Alya managed to learn her identity, Adrien could just ask her out in person.

Everyone’s phones buzzed with an akuma alert — a new emergency broadcast the police had come up with after the Stoneheart incident. Mlle. Bustier instructed everyone to remain calm as the threat was nowhere near the school.

“Mlle. Bustier!” Marinette’s hand shot up. “Can I use the restroom?”

“Yes, but hurry back.” Mlle. Bustier gave a permitting nod, and Marinette darted for the door.

Adrien leaned against his fist as Mlle. Bustier resumed her lesson, the rest of which was uneventful. The akuma threat stayed across town, never giving the school a reason to lockdown, and much to Adrien’s dismay, he never saw Ladybug.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, Mlle. Bustier quirked a brow at Marinette’s abandoned backpack.

“Alya, can you make sure Marinette gets her bag back?” she asked.

Alya’s eyes furrowed as she gathered her friend’s belongings and slung the pink bag over her other shoulder.

Adrien tailed her up the hall, keeping enough distance to not seem suspicious. She was watching news footage on her phone as she crossed the courtyard toward the locker room, but she made no moves to sneak out to get in on the action.

The day wore on, but Alya stayed put, shifting from class to class with Marinette’s abandoned bag in tow. Where had she gone anyway? Was her bathroom trip really that much of an emergency? Adrien shrugged it off, seeing as Marinette wasn’t his target, and he really didn’t want to know what she was up to in the bathroom.

After their final class, Adrien followed Alya back to the locker room with a sigh. Nothing exciting happened after all, and he missed seeing Ladybug too! Maybe the whole Ladyblog thing was a bust.

Alya stopped short, ducking behind a row of lockers, so Adrien did the same a few rows down. She peeked around the side to the next row, but Adrien was too far away to see what she was spying on. Or who she was spying on. After a few minutes, she paced swiftly back up the room toward the door, and Adrien fumbled to act natural, though Alya paid him no mind. He waited a few seconds, then followed.

By the time Adrien made it out of the locker room, Alya had already sprinted across the courtyard and up the stairs to the exit. Adrien jogged after her, making it out in time to see her dragging Nino down the steps to the banks of the Seine. His eyes narrowed, but he pursued them quietly.

“You absolutely cannot tell anyone what I’m about to tell you!” Alya was saying when Adrien paused on the stairs above their bench to listen.

“What are you talking about? I have to go pick up my little brother,” Nino said, sounding annoyed.

“My sisters go to the same preschool as your brother, they’ll be fine.” Adrien could picture Alya’s eye roll. “What I’m about to tell you is the biggest scoop.”

Nino sighed. “Fine, but make it quick.”

“I know who Ladybug is!”

What?

“Whoa, no cap?” Nino gasped, a phrase Adrien still couldn’t decipher. “Who is it?”

Alya got quiet for a few moments, and Adrien strained to listen.

“Pfft, yeah right!” Nino’s laughter echoed up the canal. “You really think Chloe Bourgeois has an altruistic bone in her body?”

“Shh!” Alya hissed. “Look, I saw her stuffing Ladybug stuff into her schoolbag in the locker room. What better cover for a superhero than pretending to be a spoiled brat? No one would suspect her!”

“Yeah, because she’s not pretending. Seriously, there’s no way Chloe is Ladybug,” Nino said.

“You don’t know! I’ll prove it!” Alya shot back.

Adrien rolled his eyes and crept back up the stairs. Some journalist she was. First of all, Ladybug was a radiant goddess, and Chloe was… Chloe. Secondly, Ladybug and Chloe were both at the Eiffel Tower when Stoneheart attacked, so there was no physical way it could be her — a fact Adrien remained grateful for. Alya really was a dead end.

Heading back into the school to prepare for his fencing practice, Adrien clicked the phone icon next to his father’s name. He answered on the second ring.

“I take it since you’re calling that you’ve found something?”

A hello would have been nice, but Adrien was used to his father’s curtness.

“Not exactly. Alya thinks Chloe is Ladybug, but that’s not even possible! I’m sorry she wasn’t more useful, Father.” He lowered his gaze, bracing for the scorning.

“Hmm.” His father hummed. “We may still be able to use this to our advantage.”

“Really? How?” Adrien blinked.

“Ladybug is highly esteemed by this girl. She will be disappointed to learn that her idol isn’t who she thought she would be,” his father said. “She will make excellent prey for my akuma. We just need to be patient.”

“I’m glad I could help?” Adrien smiled, still confused, but happy his father wasn’t angry. “I’ve got fencing now, but will I see you at dinner?”

“I have to be prepared in the instance that Chloe proves disappointing. I need to be ready to capitalize on this girl’s negative emotions,” he said.

“Oh.” His shoulders slumped. “That’s okay. Maybe next time.”

His father hung up, and Adrien tucked his phone back into his bag with a sigh. At least something good was going to come from his efforts. Maybe if they brought his mom back, his father would have meals with him again. It was a nice thought anyway.

The next day, Adrien sat back as Alya crept after Chloe into the locker room, dragging a reluctant Nino with her. An akumatized Alya would likely mean a chance to see Ladybug for him, though Adrien did feel a little guilty for setting Alya up. But only a little. He might have made friends with Marinette, but he hadn’t crossed that bridge with Alya yet.

Speaking of, he hadn’t seen Marinette since she left for the bathroom the previous day. Hopefully she was okay. One thing he hadn’t thought about with public school was how often everyone got sick — a fate he’d managed to escape so far. Maybe he’d get her a get well gift when she got back to school. That was acceptable for friends to do, right?

The bell rang, and Adrien headed to class, though Alya was pointedly missing when Mlle. Bustier shut the door. Chloe strutted in with a smirk, so he could only assume that everything was going exactly according to his father’s plan. Nino’s slumped shoulders seemed to confirm the worst as he slipped onto the bench beside Adrien. With a deep breath, Adrien tuned into the lecture, figuring it wouldn’t be long until Alya interrupted.

A few minutes into class, Marinette crept through the door and into her seat quietly. She seemed to be feeling better when she leaned down to tap Nino’s shoulder.

“Where’s Alya?” she whispered.

“She got suspended.”

“What?” Marinette shot up with a gasp.

Mlle. Bustier stopped her lecture and turned to them with a frown. “Marinette, if you’re going to come in late, at least do so quietly.”

“Sorry.” She waited thirty seconds before tapping Nino again. “What happened?”

“She got caught digging through Chloe’s locker because she thinks Chloe might be Ladybug.” Nino rolled his eyes.

“What?” Marinette gasped again.

Mlle. Bustier turned around again with a steely glare. “Marinette, if you interrupt my lecture again, I’m going to send you to the-”

“Hello, people of Paris! Lady Wifi here bringing you the scoop of a lifetime.” The overhead projector sprang to life on its own, and scarlet eyes glared back at them behind a black mask. Lady Wifi spun the chair next to her around to reveal a cowering M. Damocles. “Why don’t you tell us the real story? Is it true you suspended a girl named Alya earlier for no good reason?”

“I did.” He shrank away from her.

“So, you admit that you were biased?”

“I was.” He frowned.

“I thought so.” A purple beam shot out of Lady Wifi’s phone screen, a pause symbol stopping M. Damocles in his tracks. “I’ve got an even bigger scoop for all of you coming very soon. Stay tuned as I unmask Ladybug!”

The broadcast ended, and Adrien’s classmates huddled together in fear. Even Mlle. Bustier seemed shaken.

“Alya…” Marinette glanced at the empty seat beside her, face sinking.

Adrien shifted his weight, his phone weighing heavy in his pocket. He’d known it was coming, but seeing his classmates tremble in fear still made his stomach twist in knots. As much as he enjoyed seeing Ladybug, he really hoped Lady Wifi succeeded in unmasking her, so they could put an end to this nightmare.

“Stay calm, everyone.” Mlle. Bustier clapped her hands. “Ladybug will get this all sorted out soon. Go home until the all clear texts are sent.”

Adrien hung back from the crowd, retrieving his phone from his pocket.

School was dismissed. How can I help?

He retrieved his books from his locker while he awaited a reply. Halfway up the courtyard, his phone buzzed.

Lady Wifi will be targeting Chloe Bourgeois. Head to the Grand Paris and make sure she succeeds in unmasking Ladybug.

Adrien smiled, tucking his phone back into his pocket. His father didn’t have to tell him twice. He’d happily throw himself in front of Ladybug any day. If all went well, he’d know her identity, and if they played their cards right, she didn’t have to know he and his father were the ones that took her Miraculous. He could totally still ask her out.

The hotel was suspiciously empty when Adrien arrived. There wasn’t even a receptionist at the front desk, which could only mean the akuma was close if everyone was hiding. Adrien took the stairs, but halfway up to Chloe’s floor, he heard commotion coming from the dining room. Cracking the door, he peeked into the room where Ladybug was tussling with Lady Wifi.

Smartphones were scattered around on every table, and Lady Wifi was using them to bounce around the room. Frustrated, Ladybug smashed each one, forcing Lady Wifi to face her one-on-one.

Adrien slipped through the door, pressing himself against the wall to watch their fight, ready to swoop in to comfort Ladybug the moment she lost, but his cover was blown when Lady Wifi sent her flying across the room. She landed at his feet, the shock in her eyes melting into a glare.

“What are you doing here? It’s dangerous, go home!” she growled.

Adrien helped her to her feet. “I thought I could help. What do you need me to do?”

“I need you to get out of here!” Ladybug spun her yoyo in front of them, deflecting a shot from Lady Wifi. Pushing him behind the bar, she tossed the cash register at Lady Wifi.

“But I’ve helped in the past! We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” Adrien flexed.

“Look, I’m really sorry, but without superpowers, you’re too much of a liability. I’m not looking for a sidekick, so please, get out of he-”

Lady Wifi charged in, catching Ladybug in her brief moment of distraction. The two exchanged kicks and jabs, but Lady Wifi drove Ladybug back, launching her into the kitchen and locking the door. When Lady Wifi disappeared in a flash of light, Adrien raced for the door, but it wasn’t budging. Remembering when he and Chloe would play in the hotel halls as kids, Adrien recalled there was a dumbwaiter they used to ride down to the kitchen to sneak desserts and darted for the stairs. It was a much tighter squeeze than he remembered, but the dumbwaiter held out as he descended into darkness.

“-why won’t it come off?” Lady Wifi growled as Adrien drew closer.

“Uh, because it’s magic,” Ladybug said.

Adrien’s lift buzzed loudly when he landed, drawing attention to him as he toppled out. The alarm was new, and probably a direct result of his childhood escapades.

“Oh, look. Your little boyfriend came to rescue you,” Lady Wifi cooed.

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

Ouch. Technically true, but ouch.

“Ya know, for a girl that loves superheroes, you sure had no qualms joining the enemy to fight against her. I think you’re a fake fan.” Adrien crossed his arms over his chest.

“You- What?” Lady Wifi faltered, clutching her head.

Ladybug used the opportunity to kick the phone from her grasp. It slid across the room, freeing her arms from their locks. Lady Wifi scrambled after her phone with a growl, flicking her scarlet gaze between Adrien and Ladybug.

Adrien braced as she charged for him, attempting to dodge her fist, but her foot collided with his stomach, knocking him winded onto the cold floor of the freezer. He rolled over with a wheeze as the door slammed shut and crawled to his feet.

“Why don’t you prove to all of us that you’re the real deal, Ladybug? Let’s see you save your little boyfriend, hero,” Lady Wifi said.

Adrien tried the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. Cold pricked his skin, trailing goosebumps up his arms. He huddled down into the warmth of Marinette’s scarf, rubbing his arms. He’d never appreciated his new friends more.

“Adrien?” Ladybug beat on the door. “I’m going to get you out of there.”

“Yeah, n-no p-problem. I’ll just chill in here.” Literally.

“Lucky Charm!”

Wait, she was really going to waste her lucky charm on him? That had to mean she was into him, right? She was worried about him getting hurt earlier… The thought warmed him up quick.

“You’re all about to get the scoop of a lifetime!” Adrien’s phone sprang to life in his pocket, Lady Wifi’s broadcast taking over every screen in Paris. The image shifted to the scene of Ladybug scrambling around the kitchen with a red and black spotted box. “We all look up to her, but can we really trust her if we don’t know who she is? In just a few short minutes, she’ll transform back, and all of Paris will know what she’s been hiding!”

Pots and pans clanked on the other side of the door as Ladybug shoved things out of the way. She heaved the microwave onto a cart and placed her lucky charm inside. Plugging it into the outlet outside the freezer, she shoved the cart against the door and turned the microwave on.

Of course! The microwaves would jam the signal to the lock on the door. His lady was so smart, but why was she using it to free him when she could use it to escape the kitchen and take down Lady Wifi? Saving him was a waste of time! Not that he should complain. If she lost, it was a win for them, and his heart skipped knowing she desperately wanted to save him. All in all, his plan to ask her out when all was said and done looked really promising.

The microwave blew on the other side of the door, and Adrien pocketed his phone before she ripped open the door and pulled him out. He collapsed into her arms, nuzzling into her warmth. It was dramatic, but after being locked in a freezer for two whole minutes, he deserved to be snuggled by a beautiful superheroine.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug held him close, rubbing his arms.

Adrien would have savored it more, but the scent of burnt plastic and smoke from the busted microwave in the corner was ruining their moment. Her red and black spotted box lay abandoned on the floor, having fallen out of the microwave when it exploded.

“You used your lucky charm to save me. Why?” Adrien frowned.

“Well, I can’t have my favorite little sidekick freezing to death.” She brushed his nose with the tip of her finger and smiled. ]

His cheeks burned hot, pushing out any traces of cold left in his body. That was a statement he’d be dissecting for hours later.

“Thank you. You really are a hero,” Adrien said.

Ladybug stood up, helping him to his feet, and surveyed the room. The doors were still locked by Lady Wifi’s magic, and with the microwave busted, they weren’t getting out that way any time soon. She touched a hand to her earrings when they beeped and pursed her lips.

“After I defeat Lady Wifi, the doors should open.” She retrieved her lucky charm and crawled into the dumbwaiter. “Please, stay out of trouble. I really mean it this time.”

“I’ll do my best,” Adrien said. He pressed the button on the dumbwaiter and sent her up, rubbing his palms on his jeans.

The camera icon in the corner disappeared, and Adrien retrieved his phone from the freezer, a live feed broadcasting their battle on the roof. Lady Wifi was likely planning to stall Ladybug until her timer ran out, so it would behoove him to stay put until she won. As far as his father was concerned, getting her to waste her lucky charm saving him to start her timer was a valiant effort toward their cause, even if it wasn’t his original intention. But Ladybug chose to save him even though it set her back. The least he could do was return the favor. Comatose mother in need of magical earrings or not, Adrien owed her.

Adrien zoomed in on the wifi box on the roof and pursed his lips. Helping Ladybug was risky, especially being openly broadcast to everyone in Paris — including his villainous father who was counting on him to make sure she lost. He’d think of an excuse later. Right now, his future wife needed him.

Adrien crawled back into the dumbwaiter, lifting out the same way he’d come in. The pool deck had been abruptly abandoned when the akuma broke out as all of Paris moved indoors to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Only a crazy person would willingly throw themselves in the middle of a battle between two girls with superpowers, but Adrien had always read that love made people do crazy things. So, as Lady Wifi’s camera followed their action on the other side of the pool, he grabbed an abandoned drink from a table and climbed up to pour it on the wifi box.

With the signal around the hotel jammed, Lady Wifi’s powers evaporated, and Ladybug kicked the phone from her hands, smashing it with her yoyo to reveal a black butterfly.

Adrien climbed down as she captured the akuma, slipping into the stairwell while her back was turned. He retreated down to the restaurant, blowing a sigh through his lips. Hopefully his father didn’t see him actively betraying their mission by helping Ladybug. Something told him his father wouldn’t understand Adrien’s life-for-a-life philosophy.

Ladybug’s magical ladybugs swarmed the dining room, fixing all of the damage. They even swirled around Adrien, removing the ache from his ribs where Lady Wifi kicked him — a strange sensation Adrien couldn’t even begin to describe. The lady of the hour emerged from the stairwell, stopping short when she saw him. Relief flooded her expression, bringing back the warmth to Adrien’s cheeks. Why did she have to be so gorgeous and concerned for him?

“I see you figured everything out in the end,” Adrien said.

Ladybug approached him, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know it was you that fried the wifi signal. I couldn’t have defeated her without your help.”

“Well, to be fair, it was my fault you used up your lucky charm.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And I was really touched when you chose to save me instead of chasing after Lady Wifi.”

“I wouldn’t have to save you so much if you weren’t always throwing yourself into dangerous situations, ya know.” Ladybug chided. Her earrings beeped again, and she glanced around frantically. “I’m about to change back.”

“Here.” Adrien pulled open the janitorial closet.

She rushed in without a second thought, trusting him so easily. Pink light flashed through the cracks, and Adrien’s hand hesitated on the handle. He could open the door and figure out her identity. He could bring it home to his father like a trophy. They’d be one step closer to waking his mother up. But as his fingers slipped from the handle, legs carrying him down the stairs and out to the sidewalk, he couldn’t bring himself to regret the decision.

Ladybug trusted him, and even though he’d have to betray her eventually, he wanted to enjoy the double agent gig for a little while longer. Why did she have to look so beautiful in the dim restaurant lighting? His enemy being the most gorgeous woman in the world was the real crime. The way her mask furrowed over her blue eyes when she was worried about him was to die for. And something told him death wasn’t off the table as he headed home to his father.

Dinner was ready when he arrived home, and to his surprise, his father was already seated in the dining room. He instinctively straightened, taking his normal seat at the opposite end of the table. Was his father dining with him because he did something right or because he knew Adrien helped Ladybug escape again? The silence was deafening.

“So…” Adrien cleared his throat. “We were really close this time.”

“Yes.” His father nodded. “Great work. Baiting out her lucky charm was an excellent idea. I’m proud of the lengths you went to on this mission.”

“Oh.” Adrien perked up. “Yeah, totally. That was my plan all along.”

“I know I was hard on you, but getting your mother back is important to me. I want our family to be whole again. I’m sure you understand,” his father said.

Adrien straightened. “I do, Father. I’ll keep working hard to help you in any way that I can.”

“Thank you, Adrien. I can’t do this without you.”

Adrien bit back a smile, taking a sip of his tea as their staff brought out the first course. Everything worked out in the end. His father didn’t know he helped Ladybug win or that he gave up a chance to learn her identity. Ladybug thought of him as a trusted ally, which meant he would definitely be seeing her more in the future. If Adrien played his cards right, he could get everything he wanted. His mom, the girl of his dreams, his father’s regard…

Adrien’s heart skipped. For the first time since they started, Adrien felt like everything was going to be okay. His skin still crawled at the thought of hurting people, but if they got their wish, they’d set everything right in the end. Until then, he’d keep working hard to help his father. After all, it was the first time he’d ever told Adrien he was proud of him.

#miraculous ladybug #ladrien #ladybug #adrien agreste #my writing #under the moth's wing #enemies au #not so enemies au

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