[Narrator's POV]

Rose stands in front of the mirrors in the girl's bathroom talking to a new student named Alice.

"How's your second day of school, Alice?" Asks Rose.

"It's great. Too bad I'm not in your class though. You're so nice to me Rose. Plus you've got Adrien Agreste in your class, I'm so jealous!" Alice pins back her fringe with a jewelled hairclip. "I bought this pretty clip yesterday, do you like it? Do you think Adrien will notice?"

One of the toilets behind them flushes and Lila Rossi emerges from the stall. She walks up to the sinks to wash her hands, looking Alice up and down on her way.

"You're gonna need a lot more than that to capture the attention of Adrien Agreste." Lila says with a scoff. "He's got his eyes on that perfect little goody-two-shoe, Ladybug."

Lila leaves the bathroom without another word.

"Don't listen to her, Alice. I think you're clip is beautiful." Rose says kindly.

"Thanks Rose." Alice replies glumly.

The school bell rings and Rose leaves to go to class. Alice scowls at her reflection in the mirror.

"Short brown hair. So boring. Plain, brown eyes. Eugh." She says bitterly. "Lila was right. Adrien won't notice me. I'm nowhere near as pretty as Ladybug."

A little black butterfly flaps through the bathroom window and lands on Alice's hairclip. A deep voice whispers through her mind as the clip absorbs the butterfly's darkness.

"Deceiver. I am Hawk Moth." Speaks the voice. "I grant you the power to manipulate your appearance, but in exchange you must get me Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses."

"Yes, Hawk Moth." Alice agrees.

Her body gets shrouded in black mist as she transforms herself. Alice looks into the mirror to admire her new reflection, and the face of Ladybug stares back at her with an evil grin.

[Adrien's POV]

I jog up the school stairs leading to the main entrance when all of a sudden Ladybug steps out in front of my path.

"Adrien, come with me. I must confess something to you." She says seriously.

Ladybug...confess...to me? This sudden?

Ladybug takes my hand and leads me around the corner. As I trail behind her, I notice she doesn't have her yoyo on her which is strange.

Ladybug turns to face me and I observe another difference- A dark jewelled clip in her hair.

"What's this?" I ask, pointing to the hairclip.

Ladybug smiles, clearly happy that I noticed it. "I bought it yesterday. Do you like it?"

"Yes," I answer. "But what if it breaks during a fight?"

Ladybug clasps her hand over the hairclip protectively. "Ahh, let's hope it doesn't."

I don't think I've ever been around Ladybug this long as Adrien. If she really does know me, then why did she act as if she didn't during all our previous encounters? I understand that she can't give away her secret identity but then why has she suddenly changed her mind? Perhaps it is because she thought I had died and realized how precious our time is.

"I can't keep any more secrets from you Adrien." Ladybug says, looking deep into my eyes.

Something about her gaze is different. Looking into her eyes now, it doesn't feel as sweet and warming as usual.

Black mist swirls around Ladybug, consuming her body.

I-Is this it? Is she going to show me her secret identity? This is a lot different to my transformation, I wonder if every miraculous is different.

A girl with short brown hair steps out from the mist. She doesn't look much like Ladybug but I recognise the same jewelled hairclip pinning her fringe back. The girl does looks vaguely familiar but I don't know her.

"I love you Adrien." She says.

I hesitate. Isn't this what I wanted? But...it doesn't feel right. I must have looked confused because the girl frowns.

"I knew you didn't notice me. My name is Alice, I go to your school..." She says sadly. Alice shakes her head and continues strongly. "—but that doesn't matter now! I-I get it. You only have eyes for Ladybug," Alice transforms back into Ladybug with a puff of black smoke. "But I am Ladybug! So—So I'll stay like this if you want...as long as we can be together."

Ladybug steps towards me.

Ladybug and I...together...This is...what I want...but...

Ladybug leans in closer, her lips slowly approaching mine. My head is swirling with confusion. This is supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, why does it feel so wrong? There is something unsettling about this.

The clouds above us shift and the sunlight flashes across the gems of Ladybug's hairclip. I blink up at the jewelled clip. I assumed Ladybug had put it on separately, but I just witnessed her transform to her normal self and back with the hairclip remaining in the same place. Weird...usually any loose items I have on me disappear when I transform into Cat Noir.

"Hey, Ladybug...Or, uh, Alice." I say.

Ladybug stops leaning in to look up at me. "Yes?"

"Where's your yoyo?" I ask.

"I...left it behind. I didn't want to come wielding a weapon because there should be no need for violence, this is a special occasion about love." Ladybug answers with a smile. She begins drawing closer again. "You do love me, don't you Adrien?"

"Yes..." I reply slowly, my eyes flickering up to the hairclip. "But I love you for you who are, not because you're Ladybug. Please, Alice, I would like to see your true self again."

Ladybug's eyes light up. "Really?"

She twirls around, disappearing into a cloud of black mist once more and reappearing as the brunette girl named Alice. The hairclip is still there...If my hunch is correct and this isn't really Ladybug then that is most likely an akumatized object. But how can she transform into Ladybug, and the spitting image of her too. I need to be sure.

"Do you really think this appearance is beautiful?" Alice asks shyly.

"Of course."

I push Alice's hair behind her ear as I slowly lean in, motioning to kiss her. But really I was just checking her earrings, which she doesn't have. Her ears aren't even pierced. Whoever this girl is, she's just making herself look like Ladybug.

I shift my eyes from her ears to her lips and continue to lean in as if undisturbed. As soon as Alice closes her eyes, I snatch the hairclip and jump back.

"A-Adrien? Give me my clip back!" Alice says urgently.

"Ladybug!" I shout. "Ladybug, we got an akumatized villain over here!"

I know it's probably stupid to hope that in the entire city of Paris the real Ladybug will somehow hear me and come to my rescue but I can't outrun a shapeshifter. I may have taken the object containing Alice's power but she still possess her abilities until the akuma is de-evilized which only Ladybug can do.

"I am Ladybug!" Alice claims desperately.

"No, you're an imposter." I reply. "But you don't have to pose as someone else, you're true self is beautiful too!"

"Don't lie to me! You never even noticed me until I became Ladybug." Alice says angrily. "You're right. I'm nothing but a deceiver."

A swirl of black mist engulfs her body as she begins to grow. Alice roars in fury, her voice gradually getting deeper. From the smog emerges Theo Quieten, or at least an exact replica of him. Either way he is dangerously large and threateningly masculine.

"Ladybug, please help!" I yell fearfully.

"If the fake Ladybug can't have you, then neither can the real one!" Theo rumbles.

"Think again!" Sings a voice.

A flash of red and suddenly I'm zooming away, watching Theo get smaller and smaller in the distance. I look up to see Ladybug clinging onto me tightly as she swings through the city with her yoyo.

"You called." She says with a smile.

"Yes! Yes I did!" I reply happily.

Ladybug lands outside my house and puts me down gently. "Say, how did you know that the deceiver wasn't the real me?"

"Of course I could distinguish a fake from the girl I...that I..." I stumble. "...admire so much." I recover. "I just know you too well."

"That's real genuine of you. I once faced a villain who looked exactly like Cat Noir and I could barely tell them a part." Ladybug says. "Which reminds me, I should probably go find Cat Noir so we can take down this villain."

"Wait!" I take out Alice's jewelled hairclip and present it to Ladybug. "I've already taken the object that the akuma is hiding in."

"Wow, you are good." Ladybug says. "Nice job. Looks like you were my crime-fighting partner today."

I smile nervously. "Oh, how awesome to help out Ladybug. Cat Noir sure is lucky!"

Ladybug takes the hairclip in her hands and stares at it for a second.

"What's the matter? Aren't you gonna destroy it?" I question.

"Oh, yes, of course." Ladybug answers, shaking herself from her thoughts. "I guess I was just thinking that Cat Noir's gonna be depressed when he shows up and the fight's already over. This is the second villain in a row that I've defeated without him."

"That's real sweet of you to consider Cat Noir's feelings. Do you have a soft spot for him perhaps?" I inquire innocently.

Ladybug says Cat Noir can't get anything out of her, but maybe Adrien could do some digging.

Ladybug shakes her head and waves her hand in denial. "No, no, no. I mean, of course I care about his feelings but we're just comrades."

"You know, my friend Alya is the girl who writes the Ladyblog so I saw the video of your battle against the Goddess of Green." I press on. "You looked pretty distraught when Cat Noir got chomped by that Venus flytrap."

"Yeah, well, we've been through a lot together and I did think that he died." Ladybug reasons.

Argh, I give up. Her stubbornness is too tough, it's so...it's so...annoyingly irresistible!

"Ladybug, there you are!"

I turn to see someone jogging towards us. Someone who looks exactly like Cat Noir.

I immediately step in front of Ladybug protectively. "That's not Cat Noir, that's the deceiver!"

"How do you know?" Asks Ladybug.

Because I'm the real Cat Noir! Urgh, quick. Think of something...

"Of course!" I exclaim. "Because he doesn't have his staff! The deceiver can change her appearance but she can't fabricate weapons or mimic powers."

The fake Cat Noir scowls. "I lost my staff while I was fighting the deceiver! I'm your partner Ladybug, you have to trust me."

Ladybug steps around me and surveys the imposter.

Come on Ladybug, you know me better than that. Surely after all this time you can distinguish a fake from the real me...after all we've been through. If Ladybug had any regard for me, she would be able to tell that something is not right. His presence, his smell, his body language, even just the feeling she gets when she looks into his eyes. All of these things seemed wrong to me when I encountered the fake Ladybug because I have spent so long admiring all the little things about her. My only hope is that it was the same for her. Even if she denies it, even if she doesn't realise it herself, I'll know she feels the same way if she can look at this perfect copy and tell that it isn't me.

Ladybug shifts forward and my heart sinks. But then...

Smash!

Ladybug pegs the hairclip at the ground and stomps on it. "Nice try deceiver!"

The akuma materializes from the broken hairclip.

"Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug shouts as she slings her yoyo at the akuma.

"No!" The fake Cat Noir screams and falls to the ground.

"Bye bye butterfly."

Once Ladybug de-evilizes the akuma, the collapsed Cat Noir transforms back into plain old Alice. Ladybug approaches her and holds out a hand to help her up, which Alice accepts.

"Wow, you're really cute you know. I'm jealous." Ladybug says.

"You're jealous of me?" Alice replies in astonishment.

"Sure, but there will always be people you envy and things you wish you had. I still love myself the way I am." Ladybug looks down at the broken hairclip. "I'm sorry, I didn't use a Lucky Charm so I don't know how to fix this for you."

Alice smiles. "It's okay. I don't need to accessorise myself to get the attention of some boy. I like the way I look naturally."

Alice waves goodbye before running off back to school.

"You should be proud of yourself." I speak up.

Ladybug turns around to face me. "Why is that?"

I put my hands in my pockets and reply coolly, "Because you said you couldn't tell Copy Cat a part from the real Cat Noir at all and yet you recognised that the deceiver was a fake with just one look. You might claim that you have no deeper feelings for Cat Noir, but clearly your connection with him has grown stronger."

Ladybug looks surprised by my words.

"I suppose that's true. But anyway, I have to go and you should be getting back to school as well." She says before quickly swinging away.

I chuckle to myself, knowing that I had her cornered and she would rather run then admit defeat.

"You seem satisfied with yourself." Plagg says, poking out from inside my jacket.

"Well, I recognised the fake Ladybug, stole her akumatized object and then totally swept away the real Ladybug with my cool intelligence and wise words." I reply complacently. "Finally Adrien has made a good impression on Ladybug—Senpai has noticed me!"

"Weeb." Plagg retorts in disgust. "So Adrien did well, but Cat Noir totally sucked. This is the second time in a row that Ladybug has taken down a villain without your help. I thought you were trying to get her to fall for you, you gotta step up your game."

"Shut up!" I snap. "You're just bitter because I saved the day without your magical aid."

"Okay, if you don't need my magic then maybe I'll just time out randomly during your next mission and laugh as your disguise slowly crumbles in front of Ladybug." Plagg says rather evilly.

I gasp. "You wouldn't dare."

"You're right. Kwami's are sworn to protect the identity of the miraculous wielders." Plagg says glumly. "Stupid magic and it's stupid rules."

I sigh and place a hand over my heart. "My heart is still pounding at a million beats per minute. For a second there I really thought Ladybug was going to confess to me and reveal her secret identity. My mind was racing. I kept thinking, have I seen her before? Is she someone I know? Who could she be? Who could she be?! But surely if she was someone close to me I would have recognised her."

"Not necessarily." Plagg says. "Your disguises are made of magic specifically made to hide your identity. You can't be recognised outside of costume because your mind won't simply put the two faces together. The illusion is only shattered when you witness a transformation."

"So basically I'll never find out her secret identity unless she gives it up." I conclude drearily. "Well, if I've learnt anything from todays events, it's that I was getting ahead of myself to assume Ladybug knows who I am just because she got sad when she thought I blew up. I mean, she thought I blew up! Who wouldn't be sad? I'm a famous model, there are plenty of girls out there who claim I 'mean the world to them' when I don't even know who they are. I had never met Alice before and she said she loved me. So even if Ladybug does have a little crush on Adrien, it's a stretch to say that I know her. I thought I was so close too—looks like I'm back to square one again."

"Doesn't that frustrate you?" Asks Plagg.

I smile. "Nah, I know Ladybug will fall for me one day. We are destined to meet. It's only a matter of time..."