"Even though I am upset to leave Italy, I am sort of glad that we are leaving Italy," Alya said, as we sat down on our seats in the plane.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because I almost forgot about my Ladyblog. I must have missed so much action and chances to interview Ladybug," Alya replied as she strapped in her safety-belt.

"Don't worry. It's only been three days. What's the worst that could happen?" I told her.

"You're probably right," Alya nodded her head. The air hostesses came around to give everyone headphones in a plastic bag.

"I've never actually used these when we were going to Italy," I said with a small smile as my fingers carefully opened the plastic bag.

"What?!" Alya turned to look at me in shock. "You have to try them! The good thing is that everyone has their own screen or TV - whatever. So you just plug the headphones in here...," She looked around for where to plug in the sockets and found a tiny hole.

"Aha!" She put it in. I decided to hang the headphones around my neck. Now I felt like I was Nino.

"Then you just select what you want to do. You could watch a movie or a TV program or just listen to music," Alya explained.

"Oh," I nodded my head. "Thanks, Alya,"

"Anytime, girl," Alya put on her own headphones and began to tap at the screen, doing her own thing.

Let's see. We'll be on the plane for about an hour and a half. So I'll watch a movie that it approximately that long.

I found a good movie - and apparently it's the one which Alya, Adrien, Nino and I were supposed to watch when we went at the cinema.

It wasn't as boring as I thought. Time flew really quickly, because the next thing I knew, the pilot was telling us that we were landing in the next 2 minutes.

I decided to take a really good look outside, to take in the view. I did miss Paris a little bit - I had to admit.

What I expected was people walking up and down, minding their own business, a beautiful blue sky with a few fluffy clouds and a few birds here and there and finally the beautiful architectural structure of the Eiffel Tower.

What I didn't expect to see was people running up and down screaming, a fox superhero that I had come to hate formally known as Volpina and the sky - well, the sky was okay. A little gloomy, though.

"Oh my goodness," I muttered to myself as I glanced at Paris from the small window.

Paris was a wreck. Buildings were destroyed. The streets were now nearly deserted. I leave Paris for three days and this is what happens?

Chat Noir has some serious explaining to do.

Volpina's sly eyes met mine and her eyes widened. It seemed that she figured something out. The plane landed in two minutes and I told Alya that I really needed to use the washroom.

"Why didn't you use the one on the plane?" She asked.

"Because those things are scary when you flush!" I gave her a serious look. "It's like it's going to suck you into some other dimension or something,"

"That's so true!" Alya laughed. "Okay. I'll get your suitcase and wait for you,"

"Thanks!" I gave her a big smile and dashed off to the washroom. I made sure to have my purse with me as I entered a cubicle.

Thank goodness the airport was also almost empty. There was no one in the washrooms.

"Chat Noir has some explaining to do," I told Tikki as she flew out of my bag.

Tikki looked at me, with some guilt written on her small face. "Actually, Marinette -"

"Not now, Tikki. Paris is in danger and the wretched Volpina is back in town," I shuddered in disgust at her name. "Tikki, spots on!"

My hands skimmed through my eyes until I felt my usual red-and-black polka dolted mask. My red ribbons were turned red and black ribbons. I remembered to wear them today. Tikki flew into my earrings, also making them change colour.

I stretched my hands out as far as I could and my red-and-black body suit appeared, replacing my civilian outfit. My yo-yo wrapped itself around my hips.

I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. "I guess superheroes can't go for a little holiday without something going wrong,"

I ran out of the washrooms and out of the airport on to the street. My eyes were looking for the sly fox that I was after. I finally found her, on top of the Eiffel Tower.

I started to sprint towards Volpina. I ran across a wall to get to the top of someone's house. Since now I had a clear vision of her, I began to jump over the roofs until I was close enough to throw my yo-yo at the Eiffel Tower.

I grabbed on it as I swung to get to Volpina. But when I was there, she vapourised.

"Oh come on!" I stomped my foot down angrily. I hated her power - the ability to create illusions. She could create multiple versions of herself and I wasn't able to tell who was the real Collins.

"That's one disappearing act that I never want to see again," A familiar feline voice said, from behind me.

"Always with the puns," I muttered to myself. I turned around to face the black cat. "What happened to Paris?"

"I should be asking you the same question, Bugaboo," Chat Noir raised an eyebrow at me. "I wasn't in Paris for the past few days,"

"Me too," I frowned. How could that be? Neither of us were here to protect Paris for the past few days? The Parisians must hate us for abandoning them!

"Never mind that. We have a problem in our hands," I decided to temporarily forget that fact that Paris had no one to protect them for a short period of time. "Volpina is back,"

"Volpina 2.0. Bigger, badder and better," Chat Noir used his hands to make the comical effect.

"This is serious!" I slapped his shoulder. I had to admit that I did miss Chat Noir irritating me as usual, strangely. "Why would Hawk Moth bring Volpina back?"

"She didn't quite forgive you when you upset her," Chat Noir answered, shrugging.

He is right. When I apologised to Lila, she didn't accept my apology. She didn't have a change of heart. That's why Hawk Moth went after her.

"This is bad," I looked around for where she could be. She was standing right in front of a huge house - which I quickly identified as Adrien's.

Oh yeah. I almost forgot. She also had a thing for Adrien. This made me dislike her even more.

"There she is!" Chat Noir pointed towards the mansion. "Right in front of the Agreste's residence,"

I was right about to ask how he knew that. Then I remembered the number of times that we've been to Adrien's house to fight villains.

"Let's nab her," I told him. We looked at each other and we both nodded our heads.

I made my yo-yo wrap itself a chimney and I swung towards it. Then I began to run and jump over roofs again.

Chat Noir was right beside me, sprinting as fast as he could on his hands and legs like a cat would. At some point he used his staff to get him to pole-vault.

We both got to Adrien's house at the same time and we trained our eyes on the sly fox. She gave a loud maniacal laugh before disappearing and re-appearing at Adrien's porch.

Chat Noir and I both climbed over the gate and chased relentlessly for Volpina. The thing that bugged both of us is that she kept disappearing.

At some point, I had to use my lucky charm to try to corner her. I ended up with an old piece of rope. Chat Noir held one end of the rope while I held the other.

We crept up on Volpina and tried to rope her but she disintegrated and her cackle was loud enough for the neighbours to hear.

This was getting frustrating. We were never got to get her at this rate.

It's like when you have a flashlight and a cat. Cats love to try to trap the light in their paws, but the person will always keep the light out of reach. It's like a game to the person. The closer you get to what you're chasing, the further the object moves away from you.

It's really not fair to Chat Noir and I, but apparently, it's amusing to Volpina.

"Why can't she stop running and face us?" Chat Noir asked, exasperated with a frown on his face.

"I don't know. But I wish she would stop running," I said as we both found ourselves in a narrow corridor. "I need a moment to catch my breath,"

I leaned on the wall, trying to take steady breaths when suddenly I was falling backwards. A hand was clasped over my mouth and I was screaming fanatically.

I tried to reach for my yo-yo but I couldn't. And even worse, my earrings were starting to beep.

Chat Noir's eyes widened and he approached me while gripping his staff tightly. My eyes flitted to the person behind him who was going to knock him out unconscious.

My eyes widened in panic and I tried to desperately point behind him. He seemed to get the message in time.

"Cataclysm," He yelled.

His hand touched the wall causing it to collapse while I tried to kick my aggressor. Whoever was holding me was really strong.

However, the wall was stronger. The walls collapsed and must have hit my aggressor because the grip on my wrists were loosened and I began to run.

Chat Noir was behind me and we got out of there just in time.

"Who was that?" I breathed out after we got into what appeared to be a study room.

"Beats me," Chat Noir put his hands on his knees.

My eyes widen when I saw Collins behind him with a wrench in her hand and a wicked grin on her face.

I put two and two together and I shouted. "Behind you! Watch out-"

However, Chat Noir turned around a second too late, and he was knocked out unconscious.

The sight of him lying on the ground motionless was all too much for me to take in, but thankfully I didn't have to, because the next thing that I saw, I was falling beside the cat and seeing stars.

__________________________________________________________

The back of my head was throbbing uncontrollably and I groaned in pain. My eyes slowly opened and I squinted to try to adjust to the dim lighting.

The only lighting that appeared was from some giant glass window which had a huge view of Paris.

Something stirred in my stomach. I don't like this at all. Chat Noir was a few feet across from me, but he was facing me.

I tried to stand up but my hands were restrained by something. Knowing that struggling to break free would be hopeless right now, I sighed.

Chat Noir seemed to wake up after I sighed and he, too, groaned. His eyes met mine the instant that he opened them.

"My lady?" He mumbled, drowsily. He blinked a couple of times before squinting his eyes, too. "Where the heck are we?"

"I don't know-" My earrings began to beep and my breath hitched. "No, no, no, no!"

I felt the Ladybug suit disappear and my Marinette outfit reappear. Tikki flew out of my earrings, holding her head.

"Marinette," Chat Noir looked at me, before shaking his head with a small smile. "I knew it!"

I hung my head down in embarrassment. Clearly, Chat Noir knew me from somewhere. But now I was confused. How did he know that I was Ladybug?

This is not how I wanted us to find out our civilian identities.

A beeping sound made me look up at Chat Noir as he closed his eyes. Slowly, his black cat costume was replaced with an outfit that I have seen a thousand times.

A white over-shirt with an upturned collar and sleeves rolled up above his elbow. Underneath, a black shirt with five horizontal stripes around the chest which are colored, from top to bottom, yellow, olive green, bright green, dark green, and periwinkle. Finally, to end the look, blue jeans and orange sneakers with white laces and a logo of a black butterfly in a circle on the sides.

I blinked a couple of times to make sure that I wasn't seeing things.

"Adrien? You're Chat Noir?" My jaw dropped. I just sat there staring at the blonde.

All this time, the cat who had flirted with me 24/7, given me pet names, saved me countless times, always had my back was the same boy who I sit behind in class.

Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir.

I remember Alya suggesting that before and I had dismissed it like it was the silliest thing ever said. My cheeks heated up in both embarrassment and shame.

He is Chat Noir.

He kissed me hand yesterday - only Chat Noir would do such a gesture. He is always cocky and calling me pet names - only Chat Noir would act that way.

Not to mention that I had suspected Adrien to be Chat Noir yesterday, but I dismissed it!

God! I am such an...idiot!

"How did you know that it was me?" I asked, after a couple of minutes. This is too much to take in in one day.

"I'll explain that," A black kwami flew up beside me. He turned to Tikki. "You didn't tell her, Tikki?"

"I tried. The first time I wasn't sure. Then I tried to tell her yesterday but you and Adrien came along. Then I tried again in the washrooms today but she shut me down," Tikki explained.

My cheeks heated even more. Tikki tried to tell me. I shut her down. If only I had listened to her for a second, I would have not have gone through this shock.

"I'll introduce myself. My name is Plagg," The black kwami said. "I am Chat Noir's kwami. Anyways, Tikki and I bumped into each other a little while ago when you and Adrien sat next to each other in a class. Your bags collided and Tikki flew into Adrien's bag, waking me up from my nap,"

I do recall the memory.

"The second time was on the plane when you two sat next to each other. Both of you were dead asleep and Tikki was staring out of the window so I came to join her," Plagg continued.

"Finally, we met again last night. Adrien and I were sort of eavesdropping on your conversation, so we decided to drop in," Plagg turned to Adrien who was sporting a smirk. "I wanted to reveal myself to you right then and there, but Tikki flew into a bush and Adrien over here, had something else in mind,"

I turned to look at Adrien who was looking at his kwami with a glare.

"So all of you knew this before I did," A frown formed on my face. I turned to Adrien. "Then when did you find out?"

"I found out yesterday morning when Plagg casually brought it up. That's why I kissed your hand. To try to drop a hint to you but clearly, you are too oblivious to things," Adrien rolled his eyes, raising an eyebrow afterwards. "I knew that Plagg wasn't pulling my leg because you pushed me away immediately, just like Ladybug would,"

"I am not oblivious to things," I defended myself. "I actually suspected you after you kissed my hand but I dismissed it because I thought that I left you here in Paris,"

Now everything adds up. Neither of us were in Paris because we were both in Italy. The green eyes and blonde hair both belonged to Adrien. That cocky and arrogant attitude also is Adrien's.

I feel as if I had just finished a jigsaw puzzle, but something was missing.

"We have one more person to unmask," I looked at the giant window. "Hawk Moth is,"

"Let's take one step at a time, my lady," Adrien purred out in his usual Chat Noir voice. Purr - get it? Chat Noir is basically the pun master. You can actually also make any pun about him.

Back to the point!

I couldn't help but feel a little weird - for lack of a better word - when Adrien said that. But you can't blame me. I just learnt that he was Chat Noir a few minutes ago.

The shock and surprise is still fresh. It's slowly sinking in, though.

"We need to bust out of here first. But how?" Adrien frowned.

The four of us gasped when we heard footsteps. Immediately, Plagg flew into Adrien's shirt and Tikki flew into my purse.

My eyes met with Adrien's and we both silently made a plan.

"Finally. I can seize Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses," A deep voice declared.

My body stiffened.

Could this be the villain we are after?

The person who has been churning innocent emotions into something more dastardly?

The person who Chat Noir and I have never seen face to face, but we know that the villain is there.

We know that he is there because of how his akuma-tised villains are always after our Miraculouses.

Why else would he be after us?

In other words, is this Hawk Moth?

I craned my neck to try and see where the voice as coming from - its source. However, I was unfortunate because I couldn't see anyone apart from Adrien.

"Volpina! I thought that I sent you to get Ladybug and Chat Noir!" The same voice growled.

"I did!" Lila's high pitched voice came through.

"These are just two teenagers," The unknown voice snarled. Then he lowered his voice that I nearly missed what he was about to say. "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself,"

"What do we do with them?" Lila asked the voice.

"They are useless to me. Dispose of them," The voice dismissed and I found myself gulping.

Suddenly, there was a sound that was made before the sound of a door sliding open. Footsteps came in my direction and the next thing I knew, I was seeing brown - only brown.

My body was tossed around like a sack of potatoes for about 10 minutes or so. I started to see other colours than brown and my eyes were able to spot the fox, jumping over roofs before she disappeared.

I was able to see the kiss that she blew to Adrien, which made me mutter profanities under my breath. She is still crushing on Adrien.

And what was worse was Adrien gave her a friendly wink before waving back at her.

I gritted my teeth and got on my feet, counting from one to ten. This was the technique that I used whenever I was really ticked off.

For Adrien not to see me, though, I began to pace up and down the narrow, grey and empty pavement.

"Let's follow her," Adrien said, already starting to run in her direction. However, I grabbed his forearm before he could even start moving.