Strike At Midnight || Luka Couffaine

Chapter 18 ❧ Ladybug's Identity

"You should ask Marinette about that," Juleka says. "I heard she got a front row seat."

"That's only because I was working there and the movie director offered me his seat," Marinette mumbles.

"And a seat beside Adrien eeeh?" Rose nudges Marinette with her elbow. Her face flushes as red as a tomato as she fumbles for words.

"Eww, guys. Let's not talk about that- he's like my brother," I say, pretending not to catch Marinette throw me bewildered look.

"Oh my God!" Rose yells again. "Is that a pinball machine?"

"Rose, calm yourself! You'll slam onto the thing before you could stop. Do you know have valuable that machine is?" I throw my arms put blocking Rose before she could run into me.

"It can't be that bad," Jules says.

"More than all of our lives combined." I claim.

"One at a time guys. I challenge Sel, whoever wins gets her bed."

"Hey!" I glare at Jules. "All right then, I challenge Marinette. Whoever champion gets style the loser's hair."

"Wait, what?" Marinette says. Grabbing onto her dark locks protectively.

•●•●•●•●•

"Throw me the hairbrush," I say. Juleka tossed it over and a catch it easily. "You should let your her down more often, Mari. It's really beautiful."

"You think so?" She asks hopefully.

"Yeah, you might just catch Adrien's eye if you could be more confident in your own skin," I bend down to her ear and whisper. Her head snaps to look at me.

"Aren't you angry?"

I smile. "I had some time to think about it and I've realised a few things. You understand him in a different light than I do and I don't nearly like him the way you do."

A red tint dusts her cheeks. "W-wha uhm than-k, I-I mean o-okay-"

Rose flips the channel once again after the movie credits finishes. She happens to find the current news. "This just in, a new super villain who calls herself Desperada has emerged. We urgently warn that citizens nearby the Pont des Arts to evacuate immediately."

"That's my houseboat," Juleka says in a monotonous-but-still-surprised tone when the the camera pans to a view of the area. Exactly as she said, the Couffaine houseboat, the Liberty, is suspended and floating by the bridge.

The familiar silhouette of Chat Noir swings onto the houseboat. A woman with pale skin, in black clothes and a star-shaped guitar on her, back points her trumpet like a sniper riffle. The trumpet incredulously fires multiple blasts of yellow energy- all aimed at Chat Noir. He dodges them flawlessly but tension remains high as no one knows how long he could survive. I shoot up to my feet just as Marinette does the same.

"I have to go!" She exclaims darting towards the door.

"Where are you going? It's not safe out there." Rose overtakes her strides and blocks her way.

"She's right. What if Desperada gets you?" Juleka chimes in.

"Relax, girls. I think she just needs to go to the bathroom," I say casually. "Mari, the bathroom is that way." I point to a door the the side.

She carefully masks her look of relief. "Thanks, Selene. You're right." I could tell it wasn't true.

She bolts into the bathroom and locks the door behind her. I face the girl with a lopsided grin. "Don't embarrass her, you guys."