Unmasker Unleashed
is a What If? scenario Fanfiction of the Miraculous Ladybug episode Elation by Lucinov where Monarch is able to akumatize Marinette forcing Cat Noir into a confrontation with her. Cat Noir trying everything to get through to Marinette while avoiding actually fighting her. While Unmasker wants to free them from their burdens, seeing unmasking him would mean that they won’t have to hide anything from one another anymore.
- Marinette used the momentum of a full turn to launch Chat Noir away from herself, just as a dark aura erupted from the rose to consume her. “Kitty… I’m sorry,” she whispered.
She spun once more, twirling to shake off the dark aura that covered her, revealing a fierce red dress in the shape of an upside-down rose. She wore formal green ankle boots with red accents, as well as an elegant glove of similar coloration which reached past her elbow on her right arm. A trio of rose vines—reminding Chat Noir of the girl’s father as Weredad—coiled around her left forearm.
Her hair was now black as night without its blue-ish reflection, though it was still tied back into a pair of pigtails; they were longer with uneven and wild edges, which he unconsciously compared to anime hairstyles. A loose strand above her forehead had been looped into the vague shape of a heart. She had also gained a domino mask the same color as her dress, which did funny things to the boy’s heart when taken in tandem with her now ribbon-like hair ties.
Her eyes flew open and locked onto his own. There was no anger, sadness, or any other form of pain. Just a gentle gaze which burned with the intensity of a blue giant star.— AO3 Summary for Unmasker Unleashed
This Fanfiction contains examples of:
- Adaptational Deviation: The story has Monarch succeed in Akumatizing Marinette in Elation.
- Affectionate Nickname: Marinette/Unmasker continuously calls Cat Noir, Kitty. While Cat Noir calls her Princess.
- Apologetic Attacker
- After giving Unmasker a light kick to the stomach to break free from her hold, Cat Noir asks her to forgive him.
- Unmasker, likewise, apologizes for hurting him enough to draw blood.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: This is the point of divergence of the story, when Cat Noir tries to kiss Marinette to keep her from being Akumatized. She turns her head so he ends up kissing her cheek instead. This results in Cat failing to keep her from becoming Unmasker.
- Baddie Flattery: Unmasker just wants to see Cat Noir’s pretty face.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: The whole tension of the fight between Unmasker and Cat Noir is built on the Two-Person Love Triangle. It shows in Unmasker’s flirty behavior and the banter between the two of them.
- Berserk Button: Cat Noir brings up Marinette’s past relationship with Luka and her feelings for Adrien which upsets Unmasker.
- Big Damn Heroes: Luka’s arrival distracts Unmasker enough that Cat Noir is able to escape from her clutches.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Downplayed. While she has been akumatized, Cat Noir notes that Unmasker’s behavior was how Marinette used to act until recently and that she is maintaining a great amount of herself, compared to other akumatized victims.
- Call-Back:
- Seeing the rose vines on Unmasker’s arms reminds Cat Noir when her father was akumatized in Weredad.
- Cat Noir remembers how Ladybug had trusted Marinette with multiple miraculouses.
- As part of the Internal Reveal Luka tells Adrien that he found out that he is Cat Noir because of Wishmaker.
- Collateral Damage: Averted. Unlike most akumatized villains, Unmasker actively avoids getting any civilians involved. When it’s implied that Monarch tells her to attack people to lure out Ladybug and Cat Noir, she outright refuses. The worst she does of her own freewill is break some guy’s cellphone for butting into a private affair.
- Combat Tentacles: Unmasker uses roses vines to attack Cat Noir.
- Cooldown Hug: When Marinette starts to really show through Unmasker and is struggling with Monarch giving her orders, Cat Noir pulls her into a hug and starts to talk her down until she breaks free from Monarch’s control.
- Didn't See That Coming: Implied when the butterfly mask disappears from Unmasker’s face when Cat Noir brings up Marinette having been in love with Adrien. Monarch wasn’t likely expecting to have akumatized someone who had been in love with his son.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Downplayed. Cat Noir is thrown off at first with the way Unmasker looks and talks to him. He quickly gets it together once he realizes the danger he is in.
- Dramatic Irony: Cat Noir being unable to bring himself to fight an akumatized Marinette. He thinks he just has to hold out until Ladybug arrives, believing that she will be able to get through to Marinette. Obviously, that isn’t going to happen because Marinette is Ladybug.
- Failed a Spot Check: There are various hints that Marinette is actually Ladybug, but Cat Noir never connects the dots. The red domino mask and ribbons in her pigtails when she becomes Unmasker, which has an effect on him. How natural Unmasker is able to swing around with her vines. Being able to anticipate his moves. Her flirtatious and playful behavior, and use of calling him Kitty. Luka’s vagueness on Ladybug needing to stay hidden. Unmasker/Marinette’s several near Freudian Slips. To be fair Cat Noir is very focused on trying to get through to Marinette and Ladybug did a good job in fooling him back in Kwamibuster by making him see Ladybug and Marinette as separate people.
- Freudian Slip:
- Unmasker nearly says she is looking out for Scarabella before she catches herself and says Ladybug instead while talking to Monarch.
- Marinette herself nearly slips up when she tells Cat Noir that how Monarch couldn’t give her any miraculous powers. Lamenting it could have given her a clue to how he does it, but quickly says how it could have given them a clue.
- Fighting from the Inside: There are plenty of signs that Marinette still maintains quite a bit of herself while akumatized. She acts playfully towards Cat Noir, tries to keep the fighting away from civilians, doesn’t want to hurt Luka, mouths off to Monarch and is apologetic to Cat for hurting him. Marinette in the end breaks herself free from Monarch’s control over her.
- Fighting Your Friend: Zig-Zagged, Cat Noir refuses to fight Unmasker because he can’t bring himself to hurt Marinette. While Unmasker is willing to go after him but doesn’t want to hurt him.
- Genki Girl: Unmasker is rather energetic, playful, pouts when Cat Noir won’t make things easy for her. Cat can’t help but see that this was how Marinette use to act until recently. Being freed of her burdens is allowing her true self to come to the surface.
- The Ghost: Scarabella is never seen but her actions are. In order to keep up the appearance that she is Ladybug she can’t let anyone see her. Otherwise, there are going to be questions that could lead to both Monarch and Adrien figuring out that Marinette is Ladybug.
- Gotta Get Your Head Together: Unmasker screams and clutches her head when Monarch seemingly orders her to attack Luka, refusing to do so until she is forced to.
- Green Thumb: Unmasker’s primary abilities are centered around rose vines that she can burrow into the ground to attack or use as a whip.
- Heroic Fatigue: Unmasker tries to use this as an argument for her and Cat Noir to be free of their responsibilities so they can be carefree. Later while she is being given a Cooldown Hug by Cat she laments on how she feels like she has no control over her life because of her responsibilities.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: While he avoids actually fighting her, Cat Noir continuously tries to get through to Marinette. He eventually leads her to the spot that he took her to in Glaciator, a night that was special for both of them. This helps in getting Marinette to break herself free from Monarch’s hold on her.
- Internal Reveal: Luka tells Cat Noir that he knows that he is Adrien.
- It's All My Fault:
- Cat Noir is kicking himself for breaking Marinette’s heart causing her to be akumatized.
- Marinette corrects him saying it’s her fault for letting her emotions get the better of her,
- Love Hurts: This is why Marinette is able to be akumatized. As Elation showed in her breakdown, she feels like she isn’t being allowed to fall in love with whoever she wants as everyone else keeps telling her who she should be in love with.
- Metaphorically True: Luka telling Adrien that Ladybug has to stay hidden. Being that Marinette is Ladybug and is currently Unmasker, she can’t be revealed in order to keep her identity a secret from Adrien and Monarch.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Cat Noir blames himself for hurting Marinette, leading to her being akumatized.
- Newhart Phonecall: As seen from Cat Noir point of view, he is only hearing Unmasker’s side of the conversations she has with Monarch.
- Non-Answer: When all is said and done, Adrien asks Luka if he knows Ladybug’s identity as well. Luka just tells him “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
- Point of Divergence: The divergence from Elation happens because Marinette turned her head before Cat Noir could kiss her on the lips and instead does so on her cheek, resulting in him failing to keep her from being akumatized.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: After seeing Marinette’s old behavior come out as Unmasker, Cat Noir suspects that all the pressure in her projects has dampened Marinette. He’s right that Marinette is under pressure but it’s from being Ladybug.
- Secret-Keeper: Luka becomes one for Adrien when he reveals that he knows that Adrien is Cat Noir.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Cat Noir and Unmasker lay some puns on one another.
- Something about a Rose: With a rose being her akumatized item, Unmasker’s outfit is very rosed themed. The dress is described as an upside-down rose She also has green boots and a green glove on her right hand with a few rose vines going up her arm.
- So Much for Stealth: Cat Noir tries to sneak up on Unmasker while she is arguing with Monarch but she hears him and destroys the chimney he is hiding behind.
- So Proud of You: Cat Noir gets a sense of pride when he listens to Unmasker mouthing off to Monarch.
- Spanner in the Works: If not for Luka’s timely arrival Unmasker would have succeeded in getting Cat Noir’s mask off.
- Stronger Than They Look: Marinette, as herself and just before she is fully akumatized, is able to toss Cat Noir much to his surprise.
- That Man Is Dead: Unmasker points out that Cat Noir should know how things go, that she is no longer Marinette when he calls her by her name. Cat Noir refuses to call her anything but Marinette.
- The Unmasking: Like her name suggest, Unmasker’s real power is to remove masks. She comes close to doing this to Cat Noir, twice. She can even cut through the magical protection of Cat Noir's suit causing him to bleed.
- The Un-Reveal: While Tiki had been with her, It is never shown just how Alya got a hold of the Ladybug Miraculous.
- We Need a Distraction: While remaining unseen Scarabella throws benches and a dumpster at Unmasker, allowing Cat Noir and Luka to escape and hide until Adrien can recharge Plagg.
- What If?: The story shows what could have happened had Monarch succeeded in akumatizing Marinette in Elation. Forcing Cat Noir into a confrontation where he has to try and get through to her.
- Workaholic: Cat Noir suspects that this is the reason why Marinette hasn’t been acting like a usual self as of late.
