Chapter Text
“I was about half-way through my usual rout when I noticed someone climbing through a window, and I thought 'well, that looks suspicious!' So I hopped down...”
It was a quiet night, and Chat was enjoying the chance to spend time with his partner, telling her about a home robbery he'd foiled on his last solo patrol. It was always nice to catch up like this, to just sit and talk without having to worry about rushing off to fight, or transform back into themselves. Truly, nights like this were something to be treasured, even if Ladybug did seem a little distracted at the moment. But she was here, and that made it the highlight of his week.
“...So then I told the lady she should really keep everything locked, because these unsavoury types will seize any window of opportunity!” Chat grinned over at his Lady, waiting for her to roll her eyes and groan like she usually did.
Nothing. Not even a twitch.
“My Lady?” He tentatively reached out and touched her shoulder. She jumped.
“Oh! Yes, good job Kitty, well done.” She tried to smile, but it was half-hearted at best, and slipped off her face again after a few seconds.
Chat frowned. “Is something wrong, my Lady?”
“No. Yes. It's just...” she sighed. “Something happened. Nothing serious! But kind of serious? That's the wrong word... It's just a thing, and it's been going on for weeks, and I maybe should have told you but I was hoping I could deal with it – and I have no idea how I would have told you anyway because it ties into my identity and-”
“My Lady, calm down!” Chat grabbed her shoulders. “What are you talking about? What should you have told me?”
“We can't call on Rena Rouge any more.”
Chat straightened in alarm. “She quit?”
“No, she didn't. I...can't work with her any more. Something happened, and I just... I can't trust her. Maybe not Carapace either, I'm not sure yet.”
“Oh.” Chat hesitated. “Is... is it something you want to talk about?”
“No. Well, yes, but... it's tied in with my identity. I can't go into details without basically revealing my name.” Ladybug sighed. “I don't know what to do Chat. I've been racking my brain all day, trying to think of someone else who we can trust with the Fox Miraculous and... and I just can't...”
“It's OK LB,” Chat smiled in what he hoped would be a reassuring way. “We'll figure it out. Maybe it would help if we narrowed down what sort of qualities we're looking for in a new team-mate? Obviously it'll have to be someone who can deal with pressure...and since the Fox's power is illusions maybe some one creative would be good?”
“...That's actually a good point. Probably should have taken that into account when I picked Rena in the first place.” She pursed her lips in thought. “Someone with good organisational skills maybe? So helping us doesn't cause too many problems for them at school and stuff.”
“They'll need to be in fairly decent shape, so they can keep up with us. But not like muscled, 'cause the Fox isn't meant to be a heavy hitter in a fight. I mean, I know Rena liked to be in the thick of things, but an illusionist doesn't exactly scream 'brawler' to me, you know?”
“Someone who isn't like, a huge fan of ours. I mean, no offence to Rena, but she was a bit of a fangirl. We should maybe avoid that this time, find someone who isn't too star-struck to take it seriously.”
“And we should definitely find someone we can both get along with. No point bringing another Chloe into the team.”
“So to sum up, we need to find someone who is creative, level headed, and organised, who is also in good shape physically and isn't going to start gushing the moment they see us coming.” Ladybug sighed dejectedly. “Do you know anyone like that Chat? Because I don't think I do.”
“Yes.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah!” Chat bounced excitedly. “I have this friend, she'd be perfect! She's always drawing and making stuff, and she loves helping other people! She'd have no problem keeping her head in a fight either, I've seen her sometimes on the fringe of attacks helping to herd people out of the danger zone. And I know she's in good shape because she's always running everywhere! Admittedly that's because she's usually running late, but that just means if she does help us no-one will be surprised if she doesn't show up on time where they expect her to be.”
“Maybe... but we wanted someone organised, remember? Always running late doesn't sound very organised, and we don't want to cause problems for our new team-mate.”
“No no, it's fine! She just tends to over-sleep a lot, I've never heard anything about her struggling to get school stuff done. I think she stays up pretty late most nights, making stuff, like I said. I swear, every other day she shows up with some new accessory she's made for herself or a friend. She's awesome.”
Ladybug considered, staring into the distance. “And you're sure she wouldn't get star-struck? I know the whole 'super-hero' thing can be a bit...”
“Pfft, no,” Chat interrupted with a chuckle. “I've run into her a few times as Chat, and she just treats me like any other guy. Well, I mean she was a little star-struck the first time, but she got over it quickly. I think you'd really like her LB!”
“She sounds perfect, Chat,” She smiled. “Do you think you could approach her about it soon? I'd rather have the new Fox lined up before we need them, you know?”
“Sure! It's a bit late to go tonight, but I can go tomorrow and let you know this weekend.”
“Thanks Kitty,” Ladybug sighed, leaning into his shoulder, “I'm glad I can always count on you.”
Chat wrapped his arm around her with a contented hum. “Any time, Bugaboo.” Ladybug and Marinette were going to get along like a house on fire, he just knew it.