I'm walking home from the library - I had a test to study for - when someone grabs me from behind. I immediately react by leaning forward, then throwing my head back, the back of my head colliding with their face. "Gah!" They yelp, their grip on me loosening. I use this opportunity to roundhouse kick them, landing a hit square in their chest. They fall back, clutching their stomach with one hand and their bloodied nose with the other. Now I have a chance to look at them, I can see they're very familiar. They look like...

"Ryuko?!" I ask in surprise. They look up at me with shock in their eyes. She's transformed, but not in her usual outfit. There's a mix of grey and pink on her. I notice the necklace I've never seen her wear before. Another Miraculous, maybe?

I go to take the necklace, but someone picks me up and flings me over their shoulder. I quickly respond by wrapping my legs around their neck and squeezing them together tightly, causing them to let out a strangled gasp. Their grip relents and I sit up so I'm sat on their shoulders piggy-back style, then bring my elbows down on the top of their head as hard as I can, repeating the action several times until they fall.

"Viperion?" I realise as I pin him down. He's different, too. He's wearing read and yellow. I notice the ring on his thumb. Another Miraculous! What's going on here?!

I hear movement behind me when I go to take Viperion's Miraculous. I quickly swipe it off of him and sweep Ryuko off her feet, watching her fall back down to the floor. I quickly swipe her Miraculous as well. They both return to their usual selves. Obviously I checked they were wearing their usual Miraculous before I took these ones, so their identities are still safe.

They both look shocked as they get up, staring at me. I keep an eye on them, moving into a defensive stance. "Are we good now? I really don't want to have to keep hurting you," I snap.

"Stop!"

I look up to see Chat Noir, Ladybug and Rena Rouge leap down between me and the two so-called 'heroes'. I sigh in relief, dropping my stance. "Thank god you guys are here. They just attacked me out of nowhere! They had these!" I show them the two Miraculous I stole off of them.

Ladybug took the Miraculous from me. "Esme, please calm down. We were watching you that whole time. They weren't going to hurt you, I promise. It was a test."

I look up at her in shock. My heart was already pounding from the panic of thinking my only 'friends' of sorts were going to attack me or kidnap me or something. "What?! A test for what?!"

"I'm sorry, Esme. Master Fu, the guardian of the Miraculous, wanted us to test you," Ladybug explained gently. "We're not sure why he wanted us to do it yet. He lent Viperion and Ryuko these Miraculous so you wouldn't recognise them and think we wanted to betray you or something like that. But you saw right through it."

"I've seen right through most of you," I reveal, causing them all to look nervous. "You're lucky I haven't said anything to anyone! I should after that!"

I'm bluffing. I'd never reveal who they are like that. But are they aware I'm bluffing? Judging by the panic on all of their faces, no.

"Esme, please no! Our identities have to remain a secret!" Ladybug said quickly. "Then don't screw me over like that, guys!" I yell. "I'm not mad, okay?! But do you have any idea how scared I was?! I can't fight off a superhero!"

I try to push past them and leave, but Rena Rouge gently takes my hand, stopping me. "Esme, we're sorry," she says gently. Sincerely. "We didn't mean to scare you like that. This was what Master Fu told us to do. It's kinda hard to disobey the guardian."

When I don't respond, Rena Rouge gently hugs me. I tense, surprised, but slowly hug her back, my fears slowly leaving me. If this is the only way I can get close to Alya in any way, when she's hugging me as Rena Rouge to calm me down after she sent two superheroes to fake abduct me, then so be it.

"Come on, let's take her home," I hear Chat Noir say as he ruffles my hair. "I swear to god, Chat, I'll punch your face in," I threaten. His hand quickly retracts. Ladybug laughs.

Rena Rouge carries me back to my house after confirming Viperion and Ryuko were good to go. Nobody felt like walking the normal way and I can't exactly chase them across the rooftops, so this is the next best thing. Not that I mind, of course.

"You were very impressive back there, Esme," Ryuko says to me as everyone runs. She's holding a tissue to her nose to slow the bleeding I caused. Whoops.
"Where did you learn to fight quite like that?"

"I've taken self-defence classes for years," I give them a half-truth. "My mum's never around, so I figured it was better to know how to protect myself. Especially when you guys started showing up."

"Well you were very smart back there," Viperion smiles. "Your instincts are great. I never expected something like that from you."

"Go a couple rounds without the Miraculous and we'll see what you should expect," I smirk. He laughs. "Mm. I think I'll just take your word for it... no hard feelings after all that?"

"We'll see, Viperion. We'll see," I reply simply. There's not. But I like having people with Miraculous scared of me. I think it's hilarious that they'd be intimidated by little me when they could kill me just by shouting a few commands.

Rena Rouge chuckles at my comment. I smile slightly to myself. Definitely no hard feelings with her.