Chapter Text
Alya sat at her computer desk, chewing on the end of her pen, blank sheets of paper in front of her as she tried to focus. School was cutting into her time in running the Ladyblog and it was starting to frustrate her. Currently, the Ladyblog hadn’t updated in almost two months and Alya felt guilty for letting it go by the wayside. It was a genuinely enjoyable past time of hers, not to mention the fact that she had garnered a pretty good number of followers since it started. She had informed her followers that she would be going on a brief hiatus until schoolwork slowed down, but Alya didn’t know how long that would be, and there was also the fact that nothing of particular interest was happening concerning Paris’ two superheroes.
The occasional akuma attack was mostly covered by the news, and by the time everything was back to normal, there really wasn’t anything new for Alya to talk about. She was never able to nab an interview with Ladybug or Chat Noir, she couldn’t even snap a picture most times. Whenever she got close, there was always a throng of people vying for their attention. They left so quickly that Alya often went home devoid of any new material for the blog. The only major change had been the fact that she was gifted a miraculous of her own and fought alongside Ladybug and Chat as Rena Rouge.
It was incredibly exciting, taking down akuma’s alongside her two biggest idols. While Alya was still a newbie when it came to the ins and outs of being a proper superhero, she soaked up any opportunity to be as close to them as possible. Secretly, Alya wished to have a conversation with one of them about the job, even if it was only for a few moments, but Ladybug was all business when it came to defeating Hawkmoth. Alya didn’t want to disappoint her and she wanted to prove herself worthy of defending Paris, so Alya never really prodded for any extra details or stories. She also didn’t think Ladybug would appreciate any information she indulged to her getting onto the Ladyblog .
So Alya was stuck. She had spent the better half of an hour trying to come up with something new to post on her blog, but she was coming up dry. The papers in front of her remained frustratingly blank save for a couple of random doodles and it was pretty apparent she wouldn’t be writing an article any time soon. Alya sighed, putting down her pen and pushing away from her desk. She had done all of her homework for the day and scrolling through her phone was getting boring. Alya flopped onto her bed, fishing out her phone from underneath the covers.
When in doubt, text Marinette. It was a sure-fire way of whittling away the hours until dinnertime. As Alya’s phone chirped with replies, she spared a brief glance at her desk and felt that same surge of despondency she had been feeling for the past two months. Alya pushed that feeling down immediately, she was going to get an interview with one of them, no matter how long it took. She just needed another chance.
As fate would have it, her chance came the very next week. Wednesday was beautiful, and Juleka had invited them all over her house after school. A small homework club had formed within the class, and sessions rotated between different houses each week. Wednesday was Juleka’s , and she had been preparing for it for a few days now. It was a pretty fun way to finish essays and math questions, and it also left time for them to come up with new designs for Kitty Section or just hanging out together.
Alya knew how much Juleka was looking forward to having everyone come over. She had come out of her shell a lot over the course of the year, and she was eager to be a good host. It was an important moment for her, and Alya couldn’t wait. Spending time on Juleka’s boat house sounded ten times better than just going straight home and doing homework in her own bedroom, anyway.
Once school let out, Alya was busy texting Rose. Rose had wanted Alya and Marinette to bring some baked goods from the bakery to Juleka’s study session. Marinette’s parents had incredible baking skills, and each new pastry Marinette brought over for the class was an instant hit. Alya had begged Marinette to bake macaroons and bring them along, they were too delicious to pass up. That, coupled with Sabine’s raspberry danishes, made for a dessert that had Alya’s mouth watering just thinking about it.
Since Alya would be stopping by Marinette’s to grab the macaroons and danishes, she told the others to go ahead without her to Juleka’s house. As the group dispersed, Alya adjusted her bookbag on her shoulders and crossed the street. She had tried to spot Marinette on the way out of school, but for some reason she couldn’t find her. Alya sent Marinette a quick text as she walked to the bakery, thinking that perhaps she should stop by a convenience store and pick up some chips along the way...
The bell on the door to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie jingled a merry tune as Alya entered. The smell of bread and flour hit her nose instantly, and Alya smiled. Walking into the bakery always felt like home, in a strange way. It was always warm and the cheery air it exuded made Alya want to stay just a little bit longer than she was supposed to. She couldn’t remember how many times she had missed curfew when it came to spending time in Marinette’s house. Her own home was so hectic and loud that being around the Dupain-Cheng's was refreshing. It was a different kind of busy that Alya relished in.
“Alya!” Sabine greeted her, her apron dusted with flour as she balanced a tray of muffins in a pair of oven-mitted hands. “It’s good to see you!”
“Hello, Mrs. Sabine.” Alya said politely. “Can I give you a hand?”
“No, no, that’s alright.” Sabine set the tray down and took off her oven mitts. “It’s been a while since we last saw you. School must be pretty busy this time around, huh?”
“Yeah,” Alya shrugged good naturedly. “Exams are coming up, so I’ve been cramming like crazy.”
“Well, you’re a smart girl, I’m sure you’ll pass with flying colors.”
Alya smiled. If only her mother had that much confidence in her. “Thanks, Mrs. Sabine. Is Marinette here? We were supposed to grab some stuff for the study session today.”
“Marinette told me about that, but she isn’t here. I’m actually not sure where she went.” Sabine took a brief glance at the clock hanging on the nearest wall. “But knowing her, she probably got sidetracked. Here, let me grab the boxes.” She disappeared to the back of the bakery, and Alya leaned against the counter. She checked her phone and found a text from Marinette.
Hey! I stopped at the library to check out a book. I’ll see you soon!
That made sense, Alya reasoned. She had been to the library herself a few times to go over the most important topics for the exams. They swapped notes from time to time, but cracking open a book never hurt either. Just as Alya was about to send a reply, there was a strange rumbling underneath her feet. The pots hanging from the wall jostled and her head shot up from her phone. Glancing out the window, Alya could see a dust cloud rise into the sky. Cars and passerby's had stopped to observe it and Alya felt her eyes widen.
An akuma attack.
“I’ll get the food later, Mrs. Sabine!” Alya called, slipping her phone into her back pocket. “I gotta go!” she raced out the front door before Marinette’s mother could reply, sprinting in the direction of the explosion. From the looks of it, it was pretty far, but Alya was a fast runner. If she could make it there in time, maybe she could help out Ladybug and Chat Noir.
And maybe, just maybe, she could get her interview.
Racing to the akuma attack had taken a long time. There was a major traffic jam and crowds of people that made it difficult to cross streets. Police had already set up perimeters and blocked off the scene. By the time Alya even got close, it looked as if everything was already over. Disappointment surged in her stomach, mingled with exhaustion from her non-stop run, and Alya was left sweaty and breathless as she stood by the police cars. She placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath before she collapsed. She really needed to start working out more, she hadn’t had to run like that in a while...
Alya straightened up, fixing her glasses. Craning her neck, she could see Ladybug and Chat Noir’s distant figures by the museum. They were busy comforting the akumatized victim while the emergency responders looked after him. Alya bit her lip, if she didn’t act now, she’d never get her chance!
“Excuse me.” Alya went up to a portly police man, flashing him her best smile. “Can I get by, please?”
“No civilians past this area.” the police officer answered her gruffly.
“But...I’m a reporter!” Alya said, looking past him to keep an eye on Ladybug and Chat Noir.
The policeman gave her a skeptical glance, narrowing his eyes at her. “ You’re a reporter? You seem a little young.”
“Well, it’s true.” she replied, giving him her most confident stare. Inwardly, she was praying he wouldn’t ask to see some sort of I.D., she’d be so embarrassed if she had to pull out her school identification card in front of him and all these people...
The policeman crossed his arms, his expression now going from patronizing to irritated. “Could I see some I.D. to back that up?”
Damn! Alya’s confident expression was crumbling and she groped desperately for some sort of excuse. “Well...I mean...”
“Step out of the way, ma’am, or go on home. I’m too busy right now to deal with school children.” he turned his back to her, pulling out a walkie-talkie from the depths of his uniform pants pocket. Alya felt her face grow hot and she quickly turned away, slipping through the crowd and pointedly ignoring the snickers from a few people. Once she was fully away from the crowd, Alya quickly sprinted to the other side of the perimeter gate. If asking wasn’t going to do it, then she’d just find her own way through.
Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, after all.
Alya took a few glances around the street to make sure no one was paying attention to her. She secured her bookbag more tightly on her shoulders before bracing herself. She took a small running start and in one fluid movement, jumped onto the perimeter gate and kicked off, landing on her feet. It took barely a minute, but Alya’s heart was jumping as if she had expertly pulled off a break-in. This was the most she had ever done to get a simple interview, and Alya couldn’t bear it if she had gone to all this trouble only to end up empty-handed. Not wasting a second, Alya ran towards the museum.
Already, she could see that Ladybug had left, and something akin to panic spiked within her. She was so close! The akumatized vicitim was being led away by the emergency responders, leaving only a few police officers. a news anchor and camera man behind.
“Wait!” Alya called, not caring about being seen anymore. Chat Noir’s ears flicked to the sound of her voice and he turned around just as she came up to him. Alya heaved a sigh of relief, legs burning as she stopped. She took several deep breaths, hoping that she didn’t appear too sweaty and gave him an exhausted smile. “H...Hey..!”
“Hey,” Chat Noir said, amused. “You’re Alya, right?”
“Yes.” Alya nodded, wiping at her forehead. It felt so strange, talking to him like this when she fought side by side with him on occasion. “If you have time, would you be interested in--”
“Hold it!” a new voice emerged and Alya gulped. A police woman was giving her a stern look. “Civilians can’t be here, how did you get past the perimeter?”
Oh goodness. Alya had convinced herself that she didn’t care about being caught, and she didn’t really, but the thought of getting escorted off the property by the authorities made her a little afraid. If they went so far as to drive her back home, Alya was certain she’d grounded until she graduated. It also wouldn’t look too good if she got in trouble with the police and ended up at the police station. Before she could even think of an excuse, Chat Noir had held up a hand.
“Please, don’t worry about her. She's fine.” he said. The policewoman glanced between him and Alya.
“Even so, there are strict rules about people entering a crime scene. It’s against the law for...”
“You’ll have to pardon her.” Chat Noir purred, voice sweet and silky. “We’ve met before, she’s a reporter and I’m afraid she just got a little overzealous this time. Right, Alya?”
He gave her a look and Alya nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I’ll be sure to walk her home, ma’am.”
The policewoman gave Alya another stern look before eventually nodding, looking none too happy as she walked off.
“Thanks,” Alya breathed. “I was hoping, if it’s not too much trouble, could I get an interview with you?”
Chat Noir’s ears flicked (Alya found that oddly cute), and he glanced about him. “Uh, well, Ladybug already left, so...”
“That’s okay!” Alya pressed on eagerly. “I can always interview her later.”
At this, Chat Noir appeared flummoxed, as if the thought of being interviewed without Ladybug didn’t even occur to him. That wasn’t totally surprising. Whenever they did get interviewed by a major news station, they were always together. “You really want an interview with just me?” he asked, and Alya smiled.
“Yes! I’d love it!” Alya took her phone out of her pocket. “What time and day works best for you?”
“Oh, uh...well...how about next week? Friday afternoon...at five?” Chat Noir said, and Alya quickly tapped the date into her phone.
“That sounds great.” she agreed, her smile fit to bursting. She could barely contain her excitement. An interview! Finally! “Would you be okay with having the interview at my house? Or would you prefer somewhere more private?”
“Your house sounds fine.” Chat Noir placed an arm around her shoulders and steered her away. “I’m always down for some quality time with a pretty lady. Just promise me you won’t break any laws the next time you want an interview.”
Alya gave an embarrassed laugh, biting her lip. “Deal.”
Instead of taking her home, Alya gets Chat Noir to take her back to the bakery. By the time they get there, Alya sees Marinette by the door holding a plastic bag—no doubt the sweets that Mrs. Sabine was getting before Alya ran off. They’re a block away before Chat Noir’s ring gives several impatient beeps.
“Looks like our time together is up.” Chat Noir says apologetically.
“This is far enough, Chat. Thank you.”
He winks and extends his baton, leaping away and out of view. Alya watches him vault over rooftops and grow smaller in the distance before she runs across the street to meet Marinette.
“Hey, Alya! I’m sorry for hold up.” Alya reaches over to take Marinette’s book bag off her shoulders and carries it for her.
“Don’t worry about that.” said Alya eagerly. “Let’s get going, I have so much to tell you!”