Chapter 9: Prime Queen Part 1
(Italics: Broadcast Feed)
In the three days since Dark Cupid, things were relatively quiet in the City of Love in both akumas and news about the... exchange between Ladybug and Chat Noir. Despite no one being around for the final confrontation, Marinette had assumed at least one person would have seen or taken a picture of her and Chat Noir kissing. So the fact that nothing of the sort seemed to be breaking the internet, had been a little unsettling for Marinette to say the least. Especially when Nadja had come to her and Chat Noir about a request she had.
The day after Dark Cupid was defeated and after Ladybug gave Chat Noir his Gaggletack, Nadja managed to flag the two heroes down while they were doing patrol. At their response in landing in front of her on the studio roof, Nadja wasted no time in asking them to participate in an hour-long interview on Sunday. Both heroes agreed and were quite excited about it... Marinette especially since she saw it as a way to reassure the public that she and Chat Noir would protect them and one day defeat Hawkmoth.
Soon enough, the day had arrived and Marinette's excitement had soared through the roof and she ended up working on Toby's 'Geode Beanie' to burn off her anxious energy. This is how Tikki had found herself watching a commercial for the interview; dubbed Face To Face, on the girl's computer while Marinette worked. But when ComercialNadja had announced there would be 'sizzling hot information' revealed about the city's favorite superheroes, the little Ladybug kwami was left shocked.
"Sizzling hot revelations?" Tikki exclaimed as she filtered around Marinette's computer screen, shocked by the news.
"Can you believe it, Tikki? An entire hour-long special about me and Chat Noir! Pretty exciting, huh?" Marinette said as she worked on Toby's beanie in the corner part of her work area, most of her focus wrapped up in her task while Tikki flew over to her.
"Marinette, you're a superhero, not a star! You have to remain a mystery to protect yourself from Hawkmoth and his supervillains." Tikki reminded her charge, flying around Marinette and drawing the girl's focus onto her as the kwami warned her about the consequences of participating in the interview.
"Don't worry, I only accepted this because I want the people of Paris to know that Chat Noir and I will always do whatever it takes to keep them safe." Marinette assured her kwami as she placed her project off to the side and held out her hands for Tikki to rest on her palm as she calmed her down. Thankfully for the designer, it seemed to have worked when Tikki's worried gaze had lessened.
"Just be careful tonight, okay?" Tikki requested, hoping that Marinette would be wise in the questions she answered.
"I know, Tikki. The only thing I need to worry about is getting Alya to help me babysit Manon tonight while I'm at the show." Marinette admitted as she picked up her phone to check her babysitting schedule, making sure she had their arrival time right. "Nadja should be here soon to drop Manon off." the pigtailed girl observed.
To make a story short, after Nadja confirmed the date for the interview, she asked Marinette to babysit for that night right after the girl got back home from the TV studio. Seeing as she wouldn't be in two places at once, Marinette knew that she would need a little help with this one to keep her identity a secret... so the first idea that came to mind was asking Alya for help.
"MARINETTE!" a voice below her trapdoor called out, alerting Marinette of the arrival of the five-year-old girl she was going to be in charge of.
"Speak of the devil." Marinette muttered to herself before turning off her monitor after hearing Manon's voice, allowing Tikki to hide while she stood up from her swivel chair. Seconds after she did, Marinette's trapdoor opened and revealed Nadja and an excited Manon; who ran up the stairs into the room after her mother opened the door.
"Marinette!" Manon cheered as she ran to her babysitter, leaping onto Marinette to wrap her in a tight hug, nearly knocking the red-tipped-haired girl off of her feet.
"Hello, Manon. Hello, Mrs. Chamack. It's nice to see you again." Marinette greeted the two, managing to catch herself from falling while Nadja entered the room too. "I just saw your ad for your show tonight. It looks great!" the designer complemented the reporter, gently setting Manon back onto the ground.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry to rush off, but I'm running late. Thanks again for watching Manon." Nadja thanked before she handed Manon's backpack over to Marinette. "I've put a bunch of things for her in her bag and she's already had dinner. Oh, I'm so glad you were free tonight." the news anchor praised after taking a quick time check on her phone, hoping to arrive on time for the interview.
"Not a problem! I had no other plans at all." Marinette replied as she walked over to her desk and placed Manon's backpack onto her chair, chuckling nervously at the fib she just told. But as she rubbed the back of her head, Manon grabbed her hand and started to tug on Marinette's arm, hoping to get her to play with her.
"I better get going. I've got a lot riding on this interview. I need all of Paris in front of the screen tonight." Nadja exclaimed in anticipation, quickly turning to the still-tugging Manon. "Sweetie, just for tonight, you're allowed to watch some television with Marinette." the reporter said to her daughter, grabbing Manon's attention from pulling on Marinette's arm long enough to hear what Nadja had to say before her face lit up with excitement.
"Yay! Mommy's gonna be on TV with Ladybug and Chat Noir!!" Manon cheered as she suddenly climbed on top of Marinette's shoulders, surprising Marinette and reminding her of how Maray had reacted to first meeting Chat Noir.
'They would definitely get along if they ever met.' Marinette internally remarked before refocusing on Nadja. "You'll do great, Mrs. Chamack. Besides, you already have two viewers." the pigtailed girl declared with a giggle, Manon holding onto the side of her head with her tiny hands.
"Wish me luck and tell all your friends to tune in." Nadja happily replied, walking over to the trapdoor and going down the stairs as she waved at the two girls.
"I will!" Marinette assured as she waved back to Nadja, watching as the reporter left the room and closed the trap door behind her. Once she was gone, Manon climbed down from Marinette's shoulder and started running around the room, quickly jumping on the chaise whilst Marinette dialed Alya on her phone. "Hey, Alya! Are you still free tonight?" the red-tipped-haired girl asked, hoping to put her only plan into action.
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While Marinette was getting Alya to come over to her house and help look after Manon, Nadja finally arrived at the TVi studio. But as she sat on one of the two couches set up for the interview and the staff were getting ready, Nadja was nervously making sure her questions were ready.
"We're on the air in 10 minutes and still no heroes in sight. Are you sure you have this in control, Nadja?" a voice coming from Nadja's earpiece spoke while the reporter ate one of the chouquettes set out for pre-show refreshments, immediately catching Nadja's already nervous attention.
"Yes, Arlette. I got this, as promised. The biggest audience of the year!" Nadja assured her boss, looking up at the control box above the studio as she responded to Arlette's query.
"Well let's hope so if you want to keep this show prime-time in the future." Arlette remarked, cutting off the exchange.
With the freshly made warning, Nadja sighed to herself after looking around at the empty couch opposite her, hoping that Ladybug and Chat Noir would arrive soon. Her prayers seemed to have been heard when Nadja decided to check something on her tablet and was shocked to find Chat Noir suddenly appearing on the couch. Due to his sudden arrival, Nadja yelped and almost dropped her tablet out of surprise.
"Which way did you come in?" Nadja questioned the feline as he playfully spun his belt-tail around, frozen in place from having to catch her tablet.
"Secret Celebrity Door." Chat Noir simply replied as he grabbed one of the assorted sodas on the refreshment table, gulping down the drink after opening it. "I see Ladybug's running a little behind." the hero in black remarked as he closed his soda bottle after taking a sip, leaving Nadja concerned.
"I thought you'd be arriving together." Nadja said, her tone filled with worry when seeing Ladybug hadn't arrived yet.
"Don't worry, she'll be here." Chat Noir assured as he placed his soda back onto the refreshment table between them, hoping to ease some of Nadja's worries. "In the meantime..." the feline began, followed by him rising from the second couch and leaning over the table between them, getting up close to Nadja.
"Wanna hear a secret?" Chat Noir asked, prompting a slightly uncomfortable Nadja to nod. "I love the bakery these croquettes are from." the hero in black revealed, grabbing one of the pastries from the refreshments and popping it into his mouth before going to sit back on the couch, leaving Nadja amused.
"Is that the sizzling hot information I've been promised?" Arlette spoke through Nadja's earpiece, bringing the new anchor out of her previous amusement and back to the fact that her boss wasn't happy.
"No, of course not." Nadja told Arlette, once again turning to face the control box in hopes of pleasing her boss.
"Well, you know the rules. Primetime, prime info. No info, no more show!" Arlette warned through the earpiece, earning a small glare from Nadja.
"We're on the air in 5 minutes." a cameraman announced, prompting Chat Noir to try calling Ladybug to see her ETA. But she doesn't pick up.
"I'm sorry, she's not picking up." Chat Noir apologized, himself now worried too.
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Unbeknownst to anyone at the TV studio, the spotted heroine hadn't even left her room thanks to Alya arriving to help her out. Grateful for the help, Marinette had quickly set her room up for a viewing party while Alya had taken to playing with Manon on the blanket Marinette had placed on the floor in front of her computer.
"Super Manon to the rescue, woohoo!" Alya exclaimed as she laid on her back, Manon in her grasp as she held the five-year-old above her to micking flying in the air.
"To the Eiffel Tower and beyond!" Manon cheered while Marinette climbed down from her loft bed with pillows in her arms, posing like Superman just as the designer sat next to them.
"Glad you could come, Alya!" Marinette said as Alya gently placed Manon onto the ground between the two best friends, both of them lying on their sides while the pigtailed girl anxiously sat on her knees.
"Of course! Watching your favorite superheroes on TV with my favorite girls is way more fun than doing it at home!" Alya declared before she started tickling Manon, causing her to laugh while Marinette looked at her computer screen as it played another ad for the Face-To-Face segment.
"Mommy, there's mommy!" Manon exclaimed, rising from the floor to point at Nadja when she appeared on the monitor, unaware of Marinette gulping anxiously at the commercial.
"Why can't I get an exclusive interview like that for my Ladyblog?" Alya complained with a sigh as she rearranged herself to watch the screen whilst leaning her head on her arm, seeming to forget that Ladybug had given her a solo interview. But to be fair, she was most likely thinking of an interview with both of them, so Marinette chose to ignore Alya's remark to focus on getting to the interview in the first place.
"Speaking of things to do, I forgot to tell my parents something. They're in the bakery downstairs." Marinette nervously announced, standing up from the ground as she explained herself. "Do you mind keeping an eye on Manon while I'm not here?" the red-tipped-haired girl asked as she walked towards her trapdoor, Alya looking at her in concern.
"How long are you going to take?" Alya questioned, wondering why she would ask that.
"It can sometimes take a while... especially if they don't understand me even when I explain whilst stuttering." Marinette explained as she started climbing down the stairs leading to the kitchen. "I should be back in a little bit." the designer assured, stopping before she could go past her trapdoor's threshold.
"Alright. But don't take too long. The show is about to start." Alya lightly scolded her best friend, amused by the excuse Marinette had given her but accepting it nonetheless.
"You got it!" Marinette replied, quickly leaving the room and heading to the ground floor. Once she was halfway there, Marinette stopped to let Tikki out of her purse. "Alya's such a good friend, I feel so guilty for inviting her over just so I can leave her with Manon." the pigtailed girl admitted while Tikki hovered next to her, feeling bad that she was blindsiding her friend.
"Then again... Alya is Ladybug's biggest fan. She'd be crushed if her favorite superhero didn't turn up for her favorite TV show. So I got to go!" Marinette reasoned with herself out loud, now deciding to go to the interview as she pulled out her disguise rune necklace and summoned her Ladybug disguise.
"Just say the words, Marinette." Tikki said to her holder, awaiting when Marinette would say...
"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette proclaimed, finally transforming into her alter ego before heading outside. Once she was free from the confines of the bakery, Ladybug leapt onto the rooftops and flung her yo-yo into the city, flying away to the TV studio.
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Due to the time that Ladybug left her house, she was set to arrive a minute before the broadcast started. But that didn't stop Nadja from worrying since her show was about to go live soon and one of the stars wasn't there yet
"Going live in one minute..." a cameraman announced, the crew still working around Nadja and Chat Noir to make sure everything was perfect for the show.
"One minute from the greatest fail in TV history." Arlette said from Nadja's earpiece, unamused by Ladybug not arriving yet and leaving the news anchor nervous. Luckily for her, a sudden opening of the studio doors revealed Ladybug to the occupants of the studio, the spotted heroine walking in with a bashful smile.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Nadja. I had to take care of something before arriving." Ladybug apologized as she approached the second couch, sitting beside Chat Noir as she spoke to the relieved Nadja.
"I thought you decided to stand me up, M'lady!" Chat Noir playfully remarked, glad to see she had made it after all.
"And let the audience down? Never!" Ladybug countered, leaning back on the couch with a smirk and slyly placing one of her legs on top of the other.
"Saved by the bug!" Arlette remarked from Nadja's earpiece, pulling the reporter out of her relief. "Now, I'm counting on you to raise those ratings sky-high and make that red turn green." the TV executive reminded the news anchor from the earpiece, triggering Nadja to look at the ratings watch on her wrist, hoping for the ratings to increase when the broadcast started.
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As the live stream was about to go on the air, over in Arcadia, Jim and Toby had gathered with their Troll friends in Jim's basement, waiting for the broadcast to start. So while Jim got the computer set up, Toby, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal gathered around him too, snacks for both species spread around them to enjoy during the show.
"Man, I can't wait for the live stream! This is going to be so awesome!" Toby exclaimed from his spot sitting on the ground in front of the Trolls, excited to see Ladybug and Chat Noir on live TV. while Draal glared at him in reluctance.
"I still don't understand why you are excited to see a fleshbag viewing program. Even if it is about Ladybug and her partner." Draal admitted, sitting on Aaarrrgghh!!!'s right with a look of contempt despite his slight intrigue.
"I believe Master Jim said that Lady Marinette is hoping to use this 'live stream' as a way to assure that she and Chat Noir will protect everyone." Blinky answered from his spot sitting on Aaarrrgghh!!!'s left, remembering what Jim and Toby had explained earlier that day.
"Yeah, that's right." Jim confirmed, slightly turning his gaze away from his computer to address his friends. "Plus, the live stream is an excuse for Nadja to take a deep dive into more personal details to further appeal to the City of Paris." the Trollhunter added with a shrug of his shoulders, quickly finishing setting up his computer when the Paris News website appeared and clicking on the live stream.
"Secret identity?" Aaarrrgghh!!! asked as he grabbed one of the VHS tapes Toby bought and ate it, bringing up the biggest concern the two boys had in the back of their minds.
"Don't worry, buddy! MariFariy is too smart to let her identity slip. Same with Chat Noir!" Toby assured the large Troll, patting Aaarrrgghh!!! on his arm. "At least that's what Mari said earlier." the rounded boy quickly added, now seeing that they might want to be a little more wary of their trust with Chat Noir since they hadn't met him in person yet.
"In any case... I'm excited to see how this goes." Jim said as he sat next to Toby, pulling the blanket of snacks in front of them just as the live stream started. "Speak of the devil, here it is now!" the blue-eyed boy announced, prompting the group to gather close to get a good view of the screen.
"Oh, this is quite thrilling!" Blinky exclaimed, balling his four fists and pulling them into his chest in his excitement.
"Shush!" Aaarrrgghh!!! gently ordered his old friend, the six-eyed Troll compiling so that they could all start watching as the opening titles appeared.
"Good evening. I'm Nadja Chamack and this is Face To Face!" Nadja greeted the audience at home, waving to them with a warm smile. "For our first edition, I welcome the beloved guardians of Paris - Ladybug and Chat Noir." the seasoned reporter said as the camera switched to show the previously introduced superheroes as they waved to the camera and the audience as well.
"There they are!" Toby cheered as he pointed at the screen, happy to see his and Jim's sister and her crime-fighting partner on screen.
"Huh... I thought the Black Cat would be more impressive." Draal observed, an unamused pout on his stoney features.
"Believe it or not, he's full of surprises from what Tobes and I have seen from previous akuma attack videos. And Mari vouched for him too." Jim told Draal, looking away from the screen to defend the boy who worked with and protected his little sister on the daily. "Don't leave him down for the count just yet." the Trollhunter added before looking back at the screen.
"Thanks so much for accepting this exclusive live interview." Nadja said to the two heroes, the camera switching to show both groups to the audience.
"Thank you, Nadja. We're honored to be here." Ladybug replied, the camera shifting to a close-up of her face while she sat straight and stiff on the couch due to her lingering nerves on the interview.
"And hello to all my fans!" Chat Noir slyly quipped, the camera repeating what it did with Ladybug and focusing on him as he blew a kiss towards the camera with a wink.
"Flirtier than I thought he'd be." Jim remarked, an intrigued look present on his features while Toby was more bemused if anything.
"More like cocky, if you ask me." Toby muttered, finding the little action Chat Noir had done to be a little weird.
"I'm sure thousands have tuned in to watch you tonight." Nadja told Ladybug and Chat Noir, the camera switching back to her as she spoke.
"Don't encourage him, Nadja, or the cat won't stop purring all night." Ladybug light-heartedly advised while the camera switched back to her, sending a pointed glance at her partner.
"Don't listen to her. Bugaboo's just a spot jealous." Chat Noir playfully replied, a smirk on his lips when the camera focused on him again as he nearly pinched his fingers together to add emphasis to his claim.
"Hey, I thought we agreed on no more Bugaboo calling, pussycat." Ladybug remarked with a cheeky side-eye, mischievously ringing Chat Noir's bell when the camera shifted to show the both of them.
"But it's so cute." Chat Noir teased with a chuckle, neither them nor the audience seeing Nadja glancing at her watch to see the ratings for the show slightly increased. But to prevent anyone from noticing her distracted attention, the reporter refocused on the interview and giggled at the heroes' interaction to calm her nervousness.
"It's obvious you two are very close." Nadja observed, glad to have something to go off of before the real interview started.
"She has no idea how right she is." Jim remarked, leaving him and the others to chuckle at the statement.
"Considering they fight akumas almost every day, it makes sense that they have formed such a rapport between them." Blinky pointed out, seeing how the two Miraculous Holders were so close in such a short amount of time.
" 'Rapport'?" Aaarrrgghh!!! repeated, once again unfamiliar with one of Blinky's fancier words.
"It means banter amongst allies. An exchange of barbs and/or quips between them." Blinky quickly explained, turning to face his friend in his explanation.
"Guys, shush! They're about to get started with the good stuff!" Jim exclaimed, causing them all to refocus on the screen just as the interview started to pick up.
"People know you but they don't really know you. We see you saving Paris but we don't know anything else about you." Nadja began, now diving deeper into the reason for the interview in the first place while the camera shifted different angles during her talking.
"We won't be keeping anything from you, Nadja." Chat Noir responded, well used to the art of interviews while the camera shifted to show him and Ladybug.
"Well, we do have to keep a few secrets, including our identities of course." Ladybug added, reminding Chat Noir that they couldn't go overboard. But regardless of their response, Nadja was happy to see her watch display that the ratings of her show are frequently increasing, the answer seeming to please the audiences.
"Absolutely! Now, how about we start with a few questions from your biggest fans?" Nadja questioned while the camera focused on her as she gestured to the big screen behind them, eager to get to the more interesting parts of the hour she had with the two heroes.
"Yup, let's do it." Ladybug agreed when the camera focused back on the heroes, both her and Chat Noir liking the idea.
"This should be intriguing." Draal remarked in growing amusement, placing a hand to his chin out of habit.
"I wonder who they'll get first!" Toby nearly squealed, practically buzzing in his figurative seat while Jim glanced at him in amusement.
"Ten euros says that it's Chloé." Jim declared with a smirk before leaning back onto Aaarrrgghh!!!'s right arm, placing his hands behind his head to cushion it against the stoney limb.
"Twenty says that it's Alya." Toby argued as he grabbed a bag of chips from the snack pile, turning his newly intense gaze onto his best friend.
"I'll take that action." Jim announced, the two of them shaking hands before turning their attention back to the screen.
They were just in time to see Nadja swipe an automatic remote control from her tablet to open up the first community call for the interview, the display showing Chloé in her room.
"Called it!" the blue-eyed boy cheered, fist-pumping the air while Toby's confident face quickly disappeared.
"DAMN IT!! Toby cried as he threw his arms into the air in anguish, only to lower them with a pout before he pulled out his wallet and took twenty euros out to give to Jim. The Trollhunter took it with a satisfied smirk and tucked it into his back pocket before focusing on the live stream again, Toby popping open the chip bag and starting to mopily eat the contents.
"Hello, caller." Nadja greeted Chloé, who waved at the audience from the monitor display."State your name and your question." the seasoned reporter requested the heiress, which only earned Nadja a glare from the girl.
"Seriously Nadja? Surely, no one would be the first caller but me. I'm only the most prestigious fan of Ladybug." Chloé declared, leaving Nadja a little unnerved at the criticism,
"Oh yes, of course. Hello there, Chloé Bourgeois. Daughter of the mayor of Paris..." Nadja replied after the camera switched to her, introducing the blonde brat to the few people in Paris who didn't know of her.
"And don't forget my daddy is the manager of the Grand Paris, the best luxury hotel in the entire city." Chloé bragged with a wink when the camera focused on her again, adding to the list of things she was well-known for.
"Err, thank you for reminding us. What is your question, Chloé?" Nadja asked after the camera focused on her again, eager to get through this part of the interview as quickly as possible.
"Oh, I don't have a question. I just wanted to say hi, since as you all know, we're such very good friends - Ladybug, Chat Noir and I!" Chloé admitted, the camera switched to show an uninterested Ladybug and a waving Chat Noir before he noticed his partner's annoyance, immediately stopping his waving. At the sight of the heroes' reaction, Nadja checked her watch out of reflex and saw the show ratings were slightly decreasing, leaving her worried.
"Uh, thank you, Chloé Bourgeois - next caller..." Nadja said as she grabbed her tablet to move on to the next caller, which left Chloé unpleased by the news.
"Hey, I'm not finished, who gives you the right to-" Chloé shouted in outrage, only to be cut off when Nadja disconnected the call between them and Chloé.
"Nasty girl!" Aaarrrgghh!!! remarked as he took another VHS tape, finding Chloé to be less than pleasant before eating his snack.
"You got that right, big guy!" Jim & Toby replied, patting Aaarrrgghh!!!'s arms in their agreement. But as they did, Alya had appeared on the monitor display after Nadja had connected to the next caller.
"Hi there, Ladybug and Chat Noir." Alya greeted the heroes, immediately sending Ladybug into a panic at the sight in front of her. "I'm Alya and I was wondering if you two could grab me an interview for the Ladyblog. You know, since I have way more viewers than Nadja!" the aspiring reporter requested, causing Nadja to gasp upon hearing the hopefully unintentional slander against her.
"What do you say?" Alya asked, not noticing the tense look dancing in Ladybug's eyes.
"Now that's a brave fleshbag! She's got guts to say that." Draal observed as he took an aluminium can from the snack spread and pooped it into his mouth, impressed with Alya's bold words.
"Yep. That's Marinette's best friend for you!" Jim cheered, amused by the turn of events happening on the screen.
"Err, yeah, sure Alya. We'd love to do that." Ladybug finally replied to Alya, the camera shifting to focus on her and her panicked state.
"That totally rocks. Thank you, thank you!" Alya squealed when the camera switched back to her, only for Manon to appear on the screen too.
"I'm on TV?" Manon asked in a wonder-filled voice, quickly spotting her mother. "Mommy!" the five-year-old greeted Nadja, surprising both her and Ladybug.
"Oh, boy! This is going to be awkward." Toby managed to say while laughing, wiping tears of joy from his eyes and leaving the Trolls confused by his reaction.
"Why's that?" Blinky asked, intrigued by Toby's remark.
"Marinette's supposed to be babysitting that little girl." Toby revealed, Jim unable to stop his giggles while the Trolls present winced at the news.
"Oh dear." Aaarrrgghh!!! muttered.
"Manon? But, where's Marinette?" Nadja questioned her daughter, not seeing Ladybug lean over the side of the couch to hide her panic-filled face.
"She had to go tell her parents something." Manon innocently explained.
"Err, yeah, and sometimes, it can take a while." Alya added as she lightly pushed Manon out of the screen as she explained, all of them unaware of Arlette telling Nadja to get the real scoop from the reporter's earpiece. Hoping to stop a disaster from happening, Nadja disconnected the live call between her, Alya and Manon.
"Phew, that was close. Here's to hoping that things go smoothly from here." Jim sighed in relief before grabbing a bag of gummy worms, opening it while everyone focused on the broadcast again.
"Uh, Ladybug, Chat Noir... it seems that a lot of fans think of you as a couple of superheroes." Nadja spoke after the call was disconnected, drawing the two heroes' attention back onto her. "But also, and I quote unquote, as a couple. Period." the news anchor finished, causing Ladybug to shriek upon hearing that accusation when the camera focused on her and Chat Noir again.
"What?" Ladybug squawked, her eyes wide.
"Can you confirm that you're dating here, tonight?" Nadja asked after the camera shifted back to her. All Jim, Toby and all three Trolls could do was stare at the screen with wide eyes.
"You and your big mouth, Jimbo." Toby muttered as he side-eyed Jim, spotting the gummy worm hanging out of the corner of Jim's mouth before he slurped it up, not taking his eyes off of the screen. But seeing that Jim's attention was taken, Toby merely went back to watching the feed.
"I'm very sorry Nadja, but we're superheroes. We're not here to answer such personal questions." Ladybug replied to Nadja, her voice immediately taking on a defensive tone to it.
"Meow, m'ladybug's grown claws." Chat Noir teased, hoping to lighten the atmosphere a bit."But in all seriousness, we aren't dating." the hero in black confirmed, even though he wished it was the opposite. But he was a gentleman, and it was best to not egg on Nadja to dig into something that wasn't true... yet.
"At least he's being honest about it." Jim remarked as he set his gummy worms to his right and took one of the sodas from the snack spread, starting to drink it and not take his eyes off the screen.
"We're here to assure all Parisians that they're safe and that it's only a matter of time before we defeat Hawkmoth. And that's all there is." Ladybug declared as the camera focused on her, hoping to end any accusations of the idea immediately.
"Fine. But how do you explain these photographs then?" Nadja asked before she used her tablet to send a photo onto the big screen, quickly displaying a photo of Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing in the Dark Cupid attack.
At the sight of the photo, Jim immediately did a spit-take, Toby's jaw dropped like an anvil and the Trolls; save for Draal, stared at the screen in shock before Jim paused the feed.
"WHAT THE HELL!!" Jim shrieked with wide eyes, whipping his mouth of the spit-out soda.
"Whaaaaat!" Toby rasped out, not believing what he was seeing.
"Oh my goodness!" Blinky gasped, his top two hands rising to cover his mouth in shock.
"Romance in the air!" Aaarrrgghh!!! mumbled, a small smile appearing on his face.
"What are they doing?" Draal wondered as he glared at the screen with confusion since he was unfamiliar with human courting habits, finally pulling Jim out of his shock.
"I'll explain it later, Draal." Jim assured his friend, his hand rising to his right temple to soothe his now pounding head. "Oh my god! I can't believe Mari never told us about this!" the Trollhunter exclaimed, now a little giddy since the picture just gave him even more reason to support Chat Noir in wooing his sister.
"She probably didn't because she knew you wouldn't let it go." Toby brought up, which Jim was about to protest but quickly saw his best friend's point.
"Eh, you got me there." Jim relented, waiting for when they all were comfortable again before starting up the feed again, just in time to see Chat Noir's shock-filled face.
"WHAT!? When did that happen!?" Chat Noir exclaimed, not remembering the kiss at all while Ladybug gasped in shock.
"I was saving you, not kissing you!" Ladybug explained in infuriation, hoping to salvage the situation as much as possible. But amidst their bickering, Nadja noticed that her rating watch standard had improved, prompting her to display more images of Ladybug and Chat Noir on the monitor display. The superheroes gasped out of shock upon looking at the images.
"Now I see why you prefer Chat Noir over this Adrien fellow. Him and your sister are quite the pair." Blinky admitted, causing Jim to look over at his mentor with hopeful eyes.
"Does this mean you and Aaarrrgghh!! on my side in this debate, now?" Jim asked, hoping that it would be the case.
"No." Blinky & Aaarrrgghh!!! replied, much to Jim's dismay.
"Oh come on!" Jim whined, only to turn his gaze onto Draal. "What about you, Draal?" the blue-eyed boy inquired, his hopes of having someone on his side riding with the crystal-backed Troll.
"Don't bring me into this. I have no interest in playing matchmaker for your sister." Draal said, dashing a now moppy Jim's hopes into the gutter.
"I just can't win." Jim groaned as he went back to watching the feed, now shoving gummy worms into his mouth to ease his disappointment.
"It's so obvious that you're both in love." Nadja announced as the camera focused on her, only to earn Ladybug getting out of her seat in rising anger.
"Oooh, wrong choice of words, Nadja." Jim and Toby remarked with a wince.
"These are just a bunch of photos taken out of context! We're only doing our job. We save the city every day, we're not a couple." Ladybug argued, having enough of Nadja's pestering of them dating.
"But hopefully, one day..." Chat Noir trailed off with a smile, his hopes of having a romantic relationship with Ladybug refueled thanks to the reveal of the kiss they had shared,
"Chat...not now!" Ladybug nearly growled, turning her anger-filled glare onto him thanks to his added insinuation.
"Not the time!" Aaarrrgghh!!! muttered, Blinky grabbing one of the aluminum cans and eating it with a nod in agreement.
"Why won't you tell the truth?" Nadja interrogated, rising out of her seat too.
"But it is the truth, Nadja." Ladybug declared, now on her last nerves with the seasoned reporter to get her point across.
"C'mon, the audience awaits your answer." Nadja pressed after glancing to her top right, clearly trying to get enough ratings to save her proverbial skin.
"Okay, she's getting on my nerves, now." Jim admitted with a near growl, glaring at the screen and Nadja with how pushy she was being. Yes, he wanted the claim of Ladybug and Chat Noir dating to be true, but not like this.
"Not just with you. Mount St. Marinette is going to blow!" Toby exclaimed, pointing at the screen just as a look of pure anger washed over Ladybug's face.
"Oh, boy." All of them breathed out, now worried about what would happen next.
"This interview is so over." Ladybug announced, her patience finally ran out before she grabbed Chat Noir's arm, forcing him to leave along with her.
"Uh, sorry. When duty calls we gotta get going!" Chat Noir supplied Nadja as he was dragged off the studio stage, hoping to soften their sudden departure but also understanding why Ladybug was so anxious to leave.
"Hey... Wait you two, the show is not over yet! Your fans will be disappointed if they don't get an answer." Nadja protested, trying whatever method she could to get them to stay while the camera shifted to show Ladybug opening the studio door to leave.
"If they are true fans, they'll understand." Ladybug responded in a tired tone, looking back at Nadja before letting Chat Noir go.
"The Lady's Right!" Chat Noir agreed, and the pair then submissively exited the studio before the feed cut to black. After the show stopped being broadcast, advertisements started showing up, perplexing the whole group occupying Jim's basement.
"Well, that could have gone better." Blinky noted, nervously rubbing the back of his head while everyone else just nodded in agreement, having nothing else to say.
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Back in the TV studio, things could have been going better for Nadja, who was frozen in place due to her shock and disbelief at how badly the interview went. She could practically feel Arlette's disapproving stare bearing down on her.
"Well, say 'bye-bye', Nadja. This is officially your first and last primetime show." Arlette announced from the control box, walking off before the technicians turned off the studio lights and leaving Nadja to sob in disappointment in the darkness.
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Below the city, the window within Hawkmoth's lair opened up, disturbing the resting butterflies to flutter around the space as their master stood in the center. When hearing about the interview on Paris's superheroes and his greatest enemies, Gabriel had been keen on watching in the hopes of finding some sort of weakness against them. But he was happy to have been given another opportunity to akumatize someone else, regardless.
"A journalist ridiculed by Ladybug and Chat Noir. Now that's the perfect prey." Hawkmoth exclaimed before he turned one of the many fluttering butterflies into an akuma. "Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize her!" the resident supervillain commanded the akuma, the corrupted insect followed the order and left through the lair window, flying through the Paris night sky.
It didn't take long for the akuma to reach the TV studio, seeing as it was near Le Grand Paris Hotel. But once it arrived, it slipped into the building through the ventilation shafts and exited them once it was in the studio the sobbing Nadja was in. Upon seeing its target, the akuma wasted little time in flying towards her and landing on Nadja's watch, absorbing into it and forming the psychic link between her and Hawkmoth.
"Prime Queen, I am Hawkmoth. I see Ladybug and Chat Noir have denied you the answers you deserve." Hawkmoth greeted the news anchor, the glowing pink butterfly symbol appearing on Nadja's face. "Steal me their Miraculous and will get your scoop." the purple psycho offered, immediately catching Nadja's warped interest
"The highest ratings will be mine." Nadja proclaimed with a twisted smile, transforming into her new akumatized form.
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Meanwhile, on the roof of the TV Studio, Ladybug and Chat Noir vaulted through the air until they reached the studio roof, perching themselves on the edge when arriving at the top of the building.
"Are you okay, M'Lady?" Chat Noir asked Ladybug, wondering why she was acting so tense... even though he had witnessed the reason why.
"No! Nadja was willing to do anything to ensure her show would be a success and I'm not about to answer any more of her prime questions." Ladybug ranted, fed up with the questions Nadja was asking and not liking that they were making it seem that she and Chat Noir were dating.
"That's the price of success my lady, the price of stardom." Chat Noir replied, having already been conditioned to this treatment due to his civilian profession. But it didn't seem to put Ladybug at ease... if anything, it only made her angrier.
"We're superheroes, not stars we should be doing our job not looking like fools on TV!!" Ladybug shouted as she paced the space in front of Chat Noir in infuriation, only to glance at him with worry. "How you are so nonchalant about this is a little concerning to me, to be honest." the spotted heroine remarked in a concerned tone before she stepped to the edge of the roof and threw her yo-yo out into the city, quickly swinging away and leaving Chat Noir behind.
"Wait, I wasn't planning on getting home so early!" Chat Noir called out to Ladybug, now following after her with help from his staff. "Why don't we get some ice cream? I know the purrfect place!" the feline asked in the hopes of spending some time with Ladybug now that he found out about the kiss between them, his dreams of them being together closer than ever. But as they left the studio, they were unaware of the creation of their newest foe.
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