Marinette, Tom, and Sabine watch the news with horrified eyes as Nadja Chamack announces people turning into replicas of today's akuma all over Paris. Marinette excuses herself and runs up to her room.

Tikki zips out from her hiding spot in Marinette's jacket. "Did you purify the butterfly?"

"Did you tell me to?" Marinette retorts. "All you told me was that the earrings were a magical piece of jewelry called a miraculous, I had a phrase that I needed to say in order to transform, my power was Lucky Charm, which would help me in battle, and that I had a partner. So, what did you leave out?"

"It's obvious that you have to catch the butterfly in your yoyo and purify it!" Tikki exclaims. "You should know that you need to throw your Lucky Charm in the air after the battle and call Miraculous Ladybug to fix everything!"

"It wasn't obvious, and I didn't know, because nobody bothered to inform me." Marinette sighs. "I did warn you, Tikki, that I could never be a hero." She moves to take the earrings out. She just isn't the right person to wear them.

The kwami flies forward. "No, Marinette, don't! This can easily be fixed, we just have to wait for Ivan to be akumatized again!"

Marinette glares at the kwami. "Why would I ever wish for someone to be akumatized because they experienced a negative emotion again? It should not happen in the first place, let alone another time. I am sorry, Tikki, but you will have to find someone else to be Ladybug." She removes the earrings, and Tikki disappears.

Marinette tucks the earrings back into the box they came in and slumps onto her bed. She recalls her promises to her family to stay out of trouble, to be safe, to be careful, and her promise to herself to give up being a vigilante, because she could never be a hero, not after the lives she has taken.

"You did the right thing." She says out loud. It sounds less like a statement and more like a question.

.o0o.

The next day, Marinette walks into the classroom and sits down in the same seat she was in yesterday, ignoring the crowd of students around Ivan. She does, however, frown when Chloé says "Once a monster, only a monster." and sends Ivan stumbling out of the classroom.

Alya sits down next to her and starts talking about the blog she created to follow Ladybug and Chat Noir. Marinette reaches into her bag, fingers finding the hard wood of the jewelry box. Ladybug would not be making another appearance. All she needed to do now was slip the box into the belongings of a worthy candidate.

She scans the classroom. Alya was impulsive and constantly threw herself into danger (the blog served as a testament to that.) Juleka and Myléne were too timid, Rose would feel bad about possibly hurting the akuma. Sabrina was certainly loyal enough, but she needed someone to tell her what to do. Chloé- just- no.

Marinette cycles through all the males in the classroom too, until her eyes fall on a blonde boy whom Chloé is hanging off of. She peers closer, eyebrows furrowing.

Adrien Agreste, son of reclusive fashion designer Gabriel Agreste. Interesting. His body language is... weird. He is giving off the sense that he is constantly lying. It's almost as if his entire person is fake.

Alya catches Marinette staring and gives her a 'knowing' smile. "Got a crush on the new model boy, eh?"

Marinette frowns. "Why would I feel any romantic attraction towards Adrien Agreste?"

"Is he good looking?" Alya asks.

"Well, yes,but-" Marinette is interrupted by the blogger.

"Then you have a crush!" She crows gleefully.

Marinette is certain that is not how crushes work. "Just because I can agree that somebody is objectively attractive does not mean that I automatically desire them as a romantic partner."

Alya doesn't even seem to hear her. "This is so awesome! You guys would look so cute together! As your best friend, I am obliged to commence Operation Adrienette!"

Best friend? Marinette thinks. My best friend lives in Metropolis. The other one... is six feet underground. She stubbornly stuffs that last thought to the corner of her mind. Marinette already has a best friend, and it is not this girl. She fires a text to Jon under the table, though he won't wake up for another couple hours.

This girl just named herself my best friend and declared that I had a crush on a model boy, despite my protests. I am pretty sure that this is not how one makes friends.

She doesn't really get to dwell on that, though, because Mme. Bustier starts roll call, and yesterday's akuma smashes through the door when the teacher calls Ivan's name, grabbing Myléne and Chloé before crashing through the window and onto the street below.

Marinette curses in Arabic as she grabs her backpack and runs. She hasn't found a suitable hero yet! And, judging from the inexperienced way Chat Noir held his staff yesterday, he will not be able to hold his own against the akuma for long.

Speaking of which, said cat boy leaps towards the akuma and whacks it with his staff, prompting it to grow larger. Seriously, did he not learn at all?

Marinette sighs, and puts the earrings back in. It looks like she will have to be Ladybug again. Tikki pops back into existence. "Marinette! I knew you would change your mind!"

"I am not changing my stance, Tikki." Marinette says. "I still believe I am not a hero, but I must act like one for now. People are in danger. Spots on."

Ladybug drops into the fight as a couple of stone giants surround Chat Noir.

"Nice of you to drop in." Chat remarks.

"I was a little held up. How did you arrive so fast?" Ladybug asks as she ducks and rolls to avoid a fist.

"I was in the area." Mistake Number One: revealing information that could lead to his identity. Using it, Ladybug deduces that Chat Noir is most likely a student at her school. Hmm.

"We must follow the original to purify the akuma. It was headed to the Eiffel Tower." Chat Noir nods, and they use their weapons to swing away from the giants.

They arrive in time to see the akuma throw Chloé off the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug throws her yoyo, wrapping it around a steel beam, and uses its momentum to launch herself towards the blonde, catch her, and lower her safely to the ground.

A hero would save her, just like you did. Part of her whispers. Ladybug shoves it down. It would be inconvenient to let the mayor's daughter die, even if she does make everyone around her miserable. Ladybug walks over to Chat Noir, who is arguing with Officer Raincomprix.

"Well last time you tried to handle it, you failed!" The man says angrily. "So stay out of the way and let the professionals do their thing."

Professionals, huh? Ladybug internally scoffs. She's been fighting since the day she learned to walk.

The officer is correct though. She could never be a hero, not with her history. But now that she has been forced to take on the role, handed the responsibility of the lives of a city, she will do her best to play the part, at least until she finds someone better.

On the Eiffel Tower, the akuma coughs and spits out a swarm of purple butterflies, which form a man's face.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir." The... thing says. It introduces itself as Hawkmoth (the imbecile evidently hadn't noticed that his akumas were butterflies.) and proceeds to try and pin the blame for the akuma's damage on them. Ladybug doesn't pay attention to the specifics, because she is busy taking mental notes.

Male, most likely middle-aged Caucasian by the sound of it, grammar and speech patterns indicate well-educated, upper-class. French has the normal Parisian accent, so most likely based within this city unless the miraculous has an extended range? Ask Tikki.

Ladybug claps sarcastically, striding forward. "Let's not reverse the roles, Hawkmoth. You are the emotional terrorist in this situation. You are taking advantage of people's negative emotions and turning them into your puppets. We are here to stop you. To the citizens of Paris- my partner and I promise that as long as this man who thinks it is fashionable to wear a condom on his head remains at large, Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here to protect you."

She had to lace the insult in there. It was too ugly, she couldn't help herself. Ladybug unhooks her yoyo and leaps into the air, catching all the butterflies making up Hawkmoth's face and releasing them in a large white cloud. The people at the base of the Tower marvel at the sight.

Chat Noir climbs up to stand next to her, which prompts the akuma, who declares his name to be Stoneheart, to go even higher.

"How are we going to do this?" Chat Noir asks, and Ladybug frowns. Why would Ivan want Myléne? Think! Her brain rifles through yesterday's memories, and she gasps.

"Ivan is attracted to Myléne. We do not separate the two, instead, we bring them together. Lucky Charm."

A parachute falls into her hands, and Ladybug smiles. "Okay. Here's the plan."

.o0o.

It works beautifully. Once both Ivan and Myléne are safe on the ground, Ladybug throws the parachute into the air and casts Miraculous Ladybug, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders as everything damaged from both of Stoneheart's rampages get returned to its previous state.

She sees the paper ball that was Ivan's akumatized object and unfolds it, smiling at the contents. Ivan must have tried to confess, but it somehow went wrong. The song lyrics were very well-written, however.

Ladybug hands Myléne the paper. "You should read the lyrics. They are truly wonderful." She returns to stand next to her partner, who is wearing an... odd sort of grin, as Ivan is hugged by Myléne.

"They are very well-suited for each other." Ladybug remarks. Chat Noir grabs her hand, making her skin crawl and instincts scream 'DANGER!' She quickly rips it out of his grip and moves farther away. He may be her partner, but he is still unfamiliar and she doesn't trust him.

"Just like us, wouldn't you agree, m'lady?" Ladybug frowns, about to respond, but then her earrings beep, and she gladly takes the cue to swing away and detransform.

"You did amazing, Marinette!" Tikki cheers. Marinette cracks a smile as she hands the kwami a macaron.

"Thank you, Tikki, but my work is far from over. I need to start a case file on Hawkmoth, but first, I must meet with the Justice League Europe, and the American branch as well if possible."