"I don't support this." Felix said, frowning. "It isn't safe."

Marinette sighed.

"Nothing about Shadowmoth is safe." She shrugged.

"At least you are protected with Tikki's powers when you face the akumas as Ladybug." Felix argued. "As Marinette you will be defenseless, and won't be able to transform while you are being seen."

"Chat will protect me." Marinette protested. "And I might have an idea about Ladybug's appearance in case I'll be in sight all the time..."

Felix was looking at her silently with a sullen face.

"Felix, listen to me." Marinette made a step towards him. "I have to be the bate, as she targets me specifically." She took his hand in hers. "But you have nothing to worry about. We already did it once, when Nathaniel was akumatized and targeted me. And it all worked out... at the end."

"Did he threaten to destroy you as well?" Felix narrowed his eyes at Marinette, ignoring her attempt to calm him down.

"Not really." She admitted. "He... uh... wanted to take me on a date... So I pretended to go with him, and..."

"I don't think Lila will be satisfied with a date." Felix smirked skeptically. "And to think she's got akumatized over a school project!"

"Not exactly." Marinette clarified. "She already tried to threaten me, when she was forced to work with Chloe. So now that their presentation failed, she blames me, because..."

"Because of me." Felix finished.

Now Marinette looked at him skeptically.

"You can be blamed for many things, Feli." She smirked. "But Lila's akumatization is not on you."

Marinette was calling him with his mother's nickname for him more and more often. She usually did it to tease him. But sometimes it seemed to Felix that it was becoming her natural way of addressing him. So he could no longer distinguish whether there was sarcasm in her words.

Today, despite the expression on her face, it sounded soft and heartfelt.

"I like it when you call me that way." He said, looking into her eyes with a serious expression, and gently squeezed her hand that still held his.

Marinette's lips parted in surprise, sucking in air, as if she had just discovered how close they were standing and that she was still holding his hand.

Felix felt as if for a moment they drowned in a common dense and vibrating field, which he didn't want to leave. His whole body buzzed from her presence and this immersion.

Goosebumps ran down his spine, and butterflies fluttered in his chest, and Felix could swear (!!!) that Marinette felt the same.

The moment was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Chat Noir, who jumped right next to them, forcing both to bounce away from each other in surprise.

"May I help you somehow in this... operation?" Felix suggested, looking at the hero.

"Don't worry." Chat replied, making a step between him and Marinette. "I'll take care of my Princess." He looked at Marinette protectively. "I won't leave her from my sight until Ladybug arrives."

Felix raised his eyebrows on the nickname. But he was more surprised than angry at the impudent cat.

Felix threw a questioning glance at Marinette, who was looking at him very intently, as if she wanted to say something important.

"Everything will be fine." She said instead, and making a step towards Felix, took his hand again.

This time it was barely a second, before Chat Noir practically tore Marinette away, lifting her in his arms.

"We need to go!" He exclaimed, and extended his staff to move them up to the roof.

Only after they were out of sight did Felix realize that Marinette left her earrings in his hand.

Tikki floated in front of him, blinking.

Felix smirked.

"I guess you and I have some job to do." He said.

*

"Maybe we could at least track her down?" Marinette suggested.

She and Chat Noir were hiding behind a chimney, waiting for 'Ladybug's instructions', that Marinette knew wouldn't follow.

It wasn't going according to the plan, as Chat refused to use her as a bate. He was convinced that Ladybug wouldn't approve of it and insisted on hiding Marinette until his partner arrived.

Good that she at least left Tikki with Felix as a plan B. She could only hope he'd figure the best way to use her miraculous...

"Hello!" The voice behind her said.

Both Marinette and Chat jumped in surprise and turned to face the newcomer.

Marinette's mouth fell open as she saw... Mister Bug (?!) standing on the roof in front of them. Well, maybe his costume was slightly different, but the resemblance was so undeniable that...

"Chat?.." Marinette called him, ignoring the fact that Chat Noir was standing right beside her.

"He is definitely not!" Chat Noir said, making a protective step in front of Marinette and preparing his staff for a fight. "This one must be the akuma's minion or a sentimonster." He added.

Mister Bug rolled his eyes, and the expression was so Felix-like, that Marinette lost any doubt that it was him using her miraculous.

But why did he look so much like Chat did while working with Tikki?!

"My name is Red Cardinal." The boy said. "Ladybug couldn't come, so I will replace her this time."

"Right!" Chat Noir replied skeptically and made a thretenning step towards him.

"As much as I'd be glad to continue this lovely conversation," The beetle-boy said. "But there is an akuma that threatens this lady's life." He nodded at Marinette. "So, we'd better develop a plan for..."

"I'm not buying this." Chat interrupted. "There is no way. She would tell me."

Red Cardinal sighed.

"Ok. Let's do it your way." He said, looking annoyed. "Ladybug sent you a voicemail at 2pm today, telling, I quote "Chat, our friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng is being targeted by her classmate, who got akumatized and threatens to destroy her. I can't come yet for personal reasons, please protect Marinette. She will wait for you behind the school."

Chat Noir made a step back, surprised.

"Let's assume that this is true and circumstances really forced Ladybug to pinch her miraculous to you." He said, narrowing his eyes. "How do you explain that you look almost exactly like me when I was using it?"

"Maybe he looks like Mister Bug because he saw a photo of him on a Ladyblog and subconsciously copied your image?" Marinette suggested.

This argument seemed to have more or less convinced Chat Noir, as he finally removed his staff and made a step back, letting Marinette step from behind his back and a space for Red Cardinal to join the circle and make a plan.

*

"So, Princess, huh?" Felix smirked.

They were standing in the safety of Marinette's room after the fight was over, so that Felix could return the earrings to the original owner.

The operation 'Catch Lila' went rather smoothly after Red Cardinal and Marinette convinced Chat to use Marinette as a bate and follow Ladybug's original plan.

It was even easier as there were three of them, and Felix had to admit, against his will, that it was the optimal way of doing it, even though he was opposed to the idea of putting Marinette in danger like that.

"It's... just a nickname..." Marinette said, avoiding his gaze.

"So you are his lady AND his princess?" Felix insisted, enjoying her embarrassment.

"I'm not his!" Marinette glanced at him angrily. "Or anyone's for that matter!

"Does your prince know about it?" Felix continued smirking, not falling for her outburst. "'Cause It sure didn't look like it today."

"I don't even know why he was so..." Marinette sat down on a lounge with a defeated look. "He usually only acts jealous with Ladybug."

"Does he now?" Felix asked skeptically.

When Marinette suggested that his subconscious recreated Mr. Bug's appearance, Felix didn't say anything, as this argument helped convince Chat Noir. But for him personally, the question of resemblance between him and the hero remained open, as he had never seen photographs of said Mr. Bug.

Besides, Chat's jealous behavior towards Marinette seemed painfully familiar...

"I don't even know what came over him." Marinette replied, oblivious to his sarcasm. "Chat had to save me as Marinette several times, but he never acted like a jealous peacock like he did today..." She sighed. "When I'm Ladybug though it can reach different proportions. Once our architect even got akumatized because of it. But as Marinette — this was the first time."

"Not really." Felix argued lazily, sitting next to her.

"What do you mean?" Marinette looked at him puzzled.

"I said it wasn't the first time he was behaving jealous of you as Marinette." He explained patiently. "You just didn't see it the last time it happened."

Marinette's eyes widened.y

"Are you saying what I think you're saying, Felix?" She asked slowly.

"Yes." Felix looked at her attentively. "As a civilian he was acting pretty jealous of you, Marinette." He smirked. "I think the presence of a rival sharpens the sense of possession even for such a clueless guy like him."

"Did you..." Marinette blinked. "I don't believe it!" Then the horror flashed through her face. "If you figured out Chat's identity, first of all — don't tell me! And second — HOW?!!"

"It's kind of obvious if you use your brain." Felix rolled his eyes tiredly.

"When?" Marinette asked.

"Today." He admitted.

"Not obvious to me..."

"I don't think you should be judged for that." Felix shrugged. "I have the advantage of a fresh perspective, and... I have some additional information, I guess."

Marinette just shook her head in disbelief, staring at him.

"You scare me." She said quietly.

"This is really funny if you think of it actually." Felix said thoughtfully. "Cruel, but funny. Especially if I'm not mistaken about Shadowmoth's identity, which I'm not."

Marinette swallowed.

"So, you are telling me, Chat and Shadowmoth are connected?"

"I'm sure of it." Felix nodded. "But they don't know about it."

Marinette was looking at him silently for some time.

"I can't believe it." She said finally. "But what if you are mistaken? If you tell me your suspicions and you are wrong, I will know Chat's identity, and then it would be too big risk." She reasoned. "The two of us shouldn't know each other's identity. To protect the privacy between two strongest miraculous."

Felix was looking at her thoughtfully.

"It makes sense." He agreed. "But you are forgetting one little detail."

"Which is?" Marinette raised her eyebrows.

"What if I'm right?"