Marinette sighs as she collapses into her desk chair. Her mouth still tastes so sweet from the ice cream she and Adrien had shared, and from the many kisses they exchanged afterwards.

"I love Adrien so much it hurts!" Marinette says with a big smile. "I'm so happy that I can't even think about anything else right now. Hopefully Adrien feels the same, I really wanted to cheer him up."

"But Marinette, there is a new villain on the rise and your secret identity has been exposed." Tiki replies.

"It'll all turn out okay, Tiki. I know it will." Marinette continues, looking up at her photo wall of Adrien. "I just want to relax in my dreams for a little while—"

Marinette's bedroom hatchet flies open, the small door banging against the floor. Alya jumps inside and throws down a large bag.

"Marinette we're having a sleepover!" She declares, her eyes wild.

Alya kicks the trapdoor closed again, grabs the two armrests of Marinette's desk chair and leans over her. Marinette stares at her fearfully.

"A-Alya, please don't be mad—"

"HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME—I can't believe this! THIS IS AMAZING! I'm actually having a sleepover with Ladybug!" Alya squeals excitedly. "The entire time—OH MY GOSH! And Adrien, I knew it! LADYNOIR LIVES!"

Marinette isn't quite sure how to handle this situation. Alya ends up getting so excited that she swirls Marinette's desk chair round, causing it to go flying across the room.

"WAH!" Marinette hollers as her chair topples over.

"Oops sorry!' Alya grabs Marinette's hand, yanks her up off the ground and pulls her into a hug. "I just can't believe this! And you chose me to be your teammate—I'm so honoured! You're the bestest friend ever—Ah! MY BEST FRIEND IS LADYBU—"

Marinette clamps a hand over Alya's mouth. "Alya!"

Alya giggles. "Sorry I'm just so...AH!"

"C-Couldn't we talk about this tomorrow?" Marinette asks nervously.

"No way, we have too much to talk about!" Alya pulls Marinette by the hand and sits down on her sofa chair. "Start from the very beginning, I want to know everything."

And so, Marinette told Alya everything from the very beginning. She told her about the history of the guardians and everything that Master Fu had told her, she told Alya about all of her adventures with Cat Noir and how she and Adrien had come together. She couldn't tell Alya absolutely everything though...She had told Alya the same lie that Adrien had come up with to cover up their fight against Hawkmoth. She said that Adrien took her to the old observatory, which collapsed in on them and put her into a coma, then Adrien figured out her identity himself because Ladybug never showed up for patrol whilst she was in hospital. Normally she would feel terrible for lying but she has committed to protecting Adrien and the only family he has left.

"You seriously almost gave me your earrings? Woah!" Alya says, intensely focused. "Can you imagine how different things would be if I was Ladybug?"

"Yeah I know right," Marinette replies. "I couldn't imagine life without being Ladybug, but it's funny to think that I trusted you the most with the responsibility of a superhero from the very beginning."

"You really are the greatest friend I could ever wish for, Marinette." Alya says with a smile.

"You're the one who gave me the confidence I needed to be Ladybug." Marinette replies.

Alya suddenly throws her hands up dramatically. "But I still can't believe you gave a miraculous to Chloe! Why not Nino? He's our best friend; Chloe's not trustworthy at all! You guys completely betrayed Nino, we all could have been on a super cool team together."

"We're still on a super cool team together. In fact, I think that's why you're being difficult because you don't want to admit that you actually let Chloe into our little circle. Just fuss up Alya, you love Queen Bee and you're super besties with Chloe Bourgeois now." Marinette says smugly.

"Hmph." Alya crosses her arms and frowns stubbornly. "I didn't even know who Queen Bee was."

"All the more proving my point that you were just too proud to forgive Chloe but when you actually let down your guard and got to know Queen Bee, you really liked her." Marinette persists. "Chloe has been trying really hard to change. She actually cares and worries about other people now, she spends her time helping others, she's making new friends. Adrien recognised her potential and gave her the push she needed to prove it to the world."

Alya sighs in defeat. "Yeah, okay I guess...whatever." She grumbles.

"Besides, can you imagine Nino dressed up as Queen Bee." Marinette jokes.

Alya finally cracks a smile to laugh along with Marinette.

"Chloe still doesn't know that you're Rena Rouge though," Marinette continues. "Were you considering telling her?"

"After I found out most of my team is in my class, my first instinct was to just let go. I mean, your secret identity can't be that much of a threat when you already know everyone so well...but then I remembered that none of us have any idea who Carapace is so I thought I should continue to be responsible with my secret." Alya says. "It feels wrong to distrust Carapace, but I can't help still feeling worried that he now knows your identities. I want to know who it is that has discovered my friends' greatest weaknesses. I can't help but feel protective over you guys."

"He was chosen by the guardian so I know he is trustworthy but I do agree that an accident is an accident, we can't go revealing any more identities. The less people that know, the better." Marinette replies.

Alya lowers her eyes. "Yeah that reminds me...something's really bugging me."

"What's that?" Marinette asks.

"This new villain has the power to control minds and she's specifically targeting me because I have a connection to the heroes through my Ladyblog. Plus, all of my followers are talking about adding the new heroes to my unmasking investigation, and they're begging me to investigate into the disappearance of Hawkmoth. I don't want people to start distrusting you like I did." Alya says, lowering her eyes. "I can't keep the Ladyblog up forever like this...It feels as though both of my lives are a lie."

Marinette rests a hand on Alya's shoulder. "I think I know a way to help both of us."

.

Adrien taps his pen against his paper as he reads over his textbook. His computer chimes and the screen flicks on, a specific setting for Ladyblog notificatins.

"Saved by the bell." Adrien murmurs, dropping his pen to check his computer.

Alya has posted a new interview on her website. It makes sense that she would bug Marinette for some publicity after finding out her best friend is Ladybug. Adrien clicks on the link and a video featuring Ladybug pops up.

"Hawkmoth has been inactive for months now and the citizens of Paris are beginning to feel unsettled by the abnormal peacefulness. There are some crazy theories circling the internet and here to clear them all up is Ladybug herself." Alya's voice says from behind the camera. "Tune in to find out the truth once and for all."

Adrien's heart pounds as he waits for Ladybug to speak. Is she really going to spill it all? After taking a deep breath, Ladybug begins.

"For years now capturing Hawkmoth has been the purpose of my and Cat Noir's existence, but I regret to tell you that the chance has been robbed from us. The reason no one is getting akumatized is not because Cat Noir and I have successfully taken down Hawkmoth, it is because he surrendered his miraculous and disappeared. But I promise you that this was not some conspiracy, we didn't let him go. I want nothing more than for Hawkmoth to pay for what he did to Paris, to all of you people who have supported me and adored me, and whom I swore to protect, but we still don't even know who he is and probably never will. As well as this, Hawkmoth has a serious leverage that I can't risk messing with." Ladybug says.

"What do you mean by that?" Asks Alya. "How could Hawkmoth surrender his miraculous and blackmail you, I'm presuming, without you knowing his identity?"

"I don't know how, but Hawkmoth had figured out my secret identity and delivered his miraculous to my very own home. First let me help you understand what a threat this is, not just to me but the people around me. Everyone I know and love could be endangered, targeted by the countless villains and criminals that I have to imprison in order to protect them and everyone else in Paris." Ladybug answers. "Hawkmoth may have surrendered but it is clear that he was trying to send me a message. He was telling me not to go looking for him because he knows who I am, where I live and exactly how to hurt me."

"I had no idea Ladybug, I'm so sorry." Alya says. "It's awful, really."

Ladybug smiles gently. "I appreciate your understanding but don't feel so sorrowful Alya. Look on the bright side, even though Hawkmoth holds my greatest weakness he still chose to surrender. He knows he can't beat us. In the end, Paris is safe and that's all that matters."

"You're right Ladybug, especially since we have three new heroes joining you and Cat Noir." Alya says.

"That's right!" Ladybug replies passionately. "I know you've all been worried and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The reason it took so long for me to clarify the story on Hawkmoth is because the moment I received his miraculous, I knew that I would have to make sure no villain like him ever surfaced again. That's why Cat Noir and I went travelling in search for the greatest heroes to join our team. Even if I'm taken down, I know I can count on them to protect Paris."

"Amazing! I can't wait to interview them all." Alya says. "But, to finish off this interview I'd actually like to apologise to you, Ladybug, and to make an announcement. Just because you're famous does not mean you don't deserve privacy. Even after you take off the mask, you have people to protect. And so, I'm sorry for invading that privacy and threatening your life with my investigations. I hereby promise that I will never try to unmask any of my heroes ever again and I implore everyone else to pledge the same because if you really trust them then it doesn't matter who they are. I trust you completely Ladybug."

Ladybug holds a hand over her heart. "Thankyou, Alya. And thankyou Paris, it's been an honour to serve you."

Adrien stares silently at his screen even after the video ends.

"You're friends are quite the actors." Plagg comments.

"It's a smart strategy." Adrien says. "Saying that Ladybug and Cat Noir have been travelling takes attention from Marinette and I who never left Paris, plus our teammates who will now be thought to come from all over the country. Not that it matters because hopefully no one will be investigating into our identities, or even Hawkmoth's for that matter. Hawkmoth's disappearance is explained but Ladybug and I are completely cut off from it. Alya won't be stressed about leading a double-life on her blog and by stopping her investigations she is no longer useful to Le Paon...The whole story fits."

"And yet you look strained," Plagg replies. "I bet Mr Righteous is having trouble lying to the whole of Paris."

Adrien frowns but he can't argue back because Plagg is right, he can't help but feel guilty.

"Sometimes withholding the truth is the best option." Plagg says. "It's not like it's hurting anybody."

Adrien sighs and picks up his pen again. "I hope not."

.

.

The next day, on Sunday, Ladybug and Cat Noir held a team meeting to talk about all the information they had gathered on Le Paon. After which, they all headed to the city jail for Carapace to heal the captured criminals. It took a long time seeming as he had to run into a concealed room, recharge, transform, heal the next person and then repeat.

"Where am I?"

"What happened?"

"Who are you people?"

It was all the same. Ladybug, Cat Noir, Queen Bee and Rena Rouge basically cleaned up after Carapace, rushing in to calm down the panicked people. Unfortunately, none of them can be excused from jail. There is no proof of Le Paon's existence and even if they were being mind controlled, they are still all wanted criminals.

"Man I'm tired!" Carapace says as he and his teammates leave the jail. "Heroing is hard."

"I don't feel like much of a hero...I feel completely useless." Ladybug says glumly. "I promised Austin Bradley I would do what I could to get them out of there."

"They may not have committed those crimes against Alya and the school but they're not innocent, LB." Cat Noir replies. "In fact, I guess Le Paon kind of helped the police round up all those uncaptured criminals."

"Maybe that's why they chose to use bad people as pawns." Queen Bee says. "Maybe they don't want to get innocents involved."

"Is that why they took Alya's classmates hostage?" Rena Rouge asks sarcastically.

"But none of them were hurt, and they didn't want to go after Alya's family remember?" Queen Bee continues. "Just sayin', people are complex. It isn't as black and white as good and bad."

Rena Rouge looks at Queen Bee for a moment. Chloe, of anyone, would know about complex characters.

"A villain is a villain." Rena Rouge concludes stubbornly. "Stop trying to empathise with a terrorist."

Cat Noir lowers his eyes, thinking of his father. Hawkmoth was certainly a complex villain. One with a real life and deep emotions. He had his own story, his own motive.

"Anyway, how cool is my secret power?" Carapce says with a grin. "I can't believe Wayzz never told me."

"I can't believe you two never told us about Hawkmoth!" Queen Bee says, pointing a finger at Ladybug and Cat Noir. "I mean, Carapace and Rena Rouge I get but me too? I'm your super bug bestie!"

Cat Noir flinches. He would really rather not talk about Hawkmoth, especially if he has to keep up with their new lie.

"Bee, you follow the Ladyblog?" Rena Rouge questions, finding it surprising that Chloe would support one of Alya's endeavours.

"Of course I do, I was Ladybug's number one fan way before I was her superior teammate." Queen Bee answers proudly.

Rena Rouge frowns. No one is superior to her idol and her best friend. Queen Bee's ego seems a lot more noticeable since her identity reveal...

"I'm sorry I kept you all in the dark but secret identities are serious business." Ladybug says.

Carapace looks at Ladybug and Cat Noir guiltily. Marinette and Adrien are his best friends, he wants to trust them with his identity, but...seeing Ladybug's interview last night was a serious reality check for him. Until this new villain is taken down, he can't risk the safety of his loved ones. Alya is already being targeted for suspected connections to the heroes, imagine if the world knew she was dating one of them.

"Still, I'm kind curious who Rena and Shelly are. I bet they're only hiding their identities because they're secretly married in real life!" Queen Bee teases.

Carapace plonks a fist down onto Queen Bee's head.

"Ouchie." Queen Bee whines as she rubs the place he had knocked her. "Only joking, geez."

Cat Noir sighs. "I really thought Pollen would be a better impulse control for you."

Queen Bee scrunches up her face and pokes her tongue out at Cat Noir. He flicks the tip of her tongue causing her to recoil and clamp a hand over her mouth, her eyes watering. Ladybug can't help but giggle. Adrien and Chloe always seem to act like children around each other, she enjoys seeing this unknown side of them both.

"Well, I think we should all call it a day." Ladybug says, waving her teammates goodbye.

Cat Noir salutes them all before following after Ladybug.

"Sooo," Queen Bee says, rocking on her heels. "Are you guys in high school too?"

Carapace and Rena Rouge both raise their brows sternly.

Queen Bee holds up her hands defensively. "Just curious!"

Rena Rouge shakes her head. "Chloe Bourgeois, a superhero. I still can't believe it..."

Queen Bee lowers her head sadly. "Does that change the way you view me?"

Rena Rouge looks Queen Bee up and down before heaving a sigh. "Of course not, Bee. I know who you are."

Queen Bee looks up brightly.

Rena Rouge smiles. "It's not as black and white as Queen Bee and Chloe, right? You're one in the same, flaws and perfections combined."

"Rena, you really are a sentimental softy even if you act tough." Queen Bee says happily.

"I think it's you two who are secretly married..." Carapace mumbles.

The two girls simultaneously turn to punch Carapace on both of his shoulders.

"Ow!"

.

Meanwhile...

.

"Hey, bugaboo..." Cat Noir speaks up timorously.

"Yes kitten?" Ladybug responds.

"Thankyou for taking initiative of the whole Hawkmoth situation." Cat Noir says, staring at his feet as he walks. "But...are you sure you're okay with lying to everyone? Even Alya?"

"It's not just helping out your family, Adrien. It's helping out me, Alya and all of our teammates." Ladybug replies. "Sometimes things are just better off being different, even if your burdened with knowing the truth that they're not."

"...I can't help but think about my mom." Cat Noir says quietly. "She withheld the ugly truth from Paris to keep the peace as well. I guess being a hero just isn't always as glamorous as I thought."

Ladybug smiles. "Yeah, well, it isn't as simple as just black and white."