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Chapter Text

“Maman! Maman!” Marinette called out as she finished settling into bed, big bluebell eyes full of wonder as she wiggled excitedly.

“Yes?” Sabine said as she came up to her young daughter’s bed.

“Can you tell me the story of Liang Zhu?” 

“But you’ve already heard that one,” Sabine smiled as she brushed a lock of hair from her young daughter’s face. Marinette pouted as she looked at her mother pleadingly.

“Please?” she asked. 

“Of course,” Sabine kissed her daughter’s forehead and started, “Zhu Yingtai was the ninth child and only daughter of the Zhu family. She was expected to take a hand in marriage in her youth but she wanted to become a scholar, so she put on a disguise as a man and with her father’s approval headed off.” Marinette happily bundled under the blankets as she listened to the start of the story.

While Papa’s stories were always fun with dragons, magic, and adventure, Maman’s were about love and the beautiful tragedy that could arise from it. How love could be as strong as steel and then as frail as a butterfly’s wings.

Her favorite story she loved to hear was the Butterfly Lovers, or Liang Zhu. Two lovers that cared for one another yet couldn’t be with one another and in the end dying and becoming butterflies, fluttering off into the sky together forever. Marinette remembered first crying when she heard the story, but Maman had told her how in the end they were together even though it wasn’t the way you would expect. Butterflies represented life and immortality, Maman had told her, even if love did seem weak and fragile like a butterfly, it was everlasting.

Now whenever Maman told her the story, Marinette held these thoughts in her heart and hoped that she would find this love herself, decorating her room in butterflies and with the help of her parents planted a garden in hopes to lure some over as a sign of good luck. Butterflies became a symbol of comfort for Marinette.

If only she had known how important they would become for her later on.

Chapter Text

Marinette walked into school, hearing the excited chatter as many students greeted one another happily at the start of the new year. For Marinette though, she tried not to hold back yet another sigh as she headed to the locker rooms, miserably opening it up. She carefully put away her things and silently hoped she wouldn’t get stuck in the same class as Chloé. For years Chloé had tormented her and all of the other students in every class they had together, the reputation the blonde had was terrifying since no one could stop her from speed-dialing her dad, the mayor of Paris, with a tap of a finger and a smirk.

Marinette closed her locker with a deep breath and headed to class, repeating a pleading mantra in her head for Chloé to not appear. She walked into class and sat in her regular spot, smiling slightly when hearing Mlle. Bustier telling Nino to move to the very front rather than sitting in the back of the class. 

“Can’t I just sit with Marinette?” Nino asked, stopping next to his friend’s open seat.

“Knowing you two, you’ll be talking all throughout class which is just as bad as letting you sit in the back with your headphones on,” Mlle. Bustier scolded but her smile was gentle. 

Marinette couldn’t help but smile back sheepishly, guilty without even doing anything yet. Her and Nino had coincidentally became friends last year just as school was coming to a close when she had dropped one of her sketches in a rush to help her parents with a delivery. Thankfully Nino had found it and recognized her signature that was the same as on her backpack. When he had returned it, he complimented the designs inside and even asked if she could make a logo for him as he wanted to start uploading music online and thought a logo would make him more recognizable. Marinette agreed and the two started working together over the summer, becoming close friends in the process. 

“Nice try,” Marinette smiled sympathetically at Nino as he slumped into his seat, dropping his bag heavily on the floor in slight annoyance. 

“Worth the shot,” he said and was about to continue when a hand slammed on Marinette’s desk, startling her.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she cringed at the familiar drawl and powerful perfume. She looked up at the blonde who was already certain of her win.

“Chloé,” Marinette grumbled.

“That’s my seat,” Chloé remarked with a huff.

“But this was my seat last year,” Marinette tried to sound firm but ended up mumbling the rest of the sentence.

“New class new seats,” Marinette heard Sabrina slide into the seat next to her already set on pushing her out.

“Why don't you go be the good and friendly person you are and sit with the new girl? Anyway, my boyfriend Adrien's sitting in front so I want to be right behind him.”

“Adrien?” Marinette frowned, having never known that Chloé had a boyfriend. If she had Marinette was surprised that Chloé didn’t flaunt about it more in the previous years.

“You don’t know Adrien?” Chloé repeated with a condescending tone.

“He’s only a famous model!” Sabrina answered with an equally rude tone despite her voice being far too gentle for any sort of malice.

“And?”

“Get out of my seat!” Chloé snapped. Before Marinette could reply, a new voice interrupted to her surprise. 

“Leave her alone!” Marinette turned to where Chloé's normal seat was in front. That voice came from the new student by the sound of it. It was the girl Chloé had mentioned before with red-ish hair and bright eyes of someone who didn't know fear. Marinette stared in surprise at the girl’s squared shoulders, standing tall and ready to take on the one and only Chloé Bourgeois. 

“Listen up, new kid. My daddy is the mayor of Paris and can ruin your life with one phone call,” Chloé pulled out her phone as a threat.

Mlle. Bustier thankfully stepped in once she finished talking to Nathaniel at the front.

“Now Chloé, you know that on the first day you can pick your own seats if you make it here first. Marinette was clearly in that seat first. Anyway, if your friend does come wouldn't it be nice that he can see you close next to him?” Mlle. Bustier said calmly and Chloé went back to her old seat with a grumble. Sabrina got up and hurried over to Chloé who started bickering with the new girl in Sabrina’s seat as the Mlle. Bustier had to remind Alix to put the skates away just as the small student rolled into class. 

“I was here first, you both go sit in the back,” the new girl snapped.

“How about you sit with Marinette, Alya? She can show you around school,” Mlle. Bustier suggested carefully, wanting to make sure Chloé was at least slightly appeased. Alya muttered something that Marinette couldn’t pick up but knew it was nothing friendly towards the rich blonde.

Marinette watched as the new girl, Alya, trudged over to her new seat next to her. She seemed passionate, which was usually a dangerous sign since that would mean she would target Chloé. And if Marinette was anywhere close then she would also be a target for Chloé to harass. 

“Thanks for trying to defend me,” Marinette smiled at Alya who dumped her bag on the floor, “It’s hard to stand up to her.”

“Just because she’s rich and her dad’s the mayor doesn’t mean she can push everyone around,” Alya grumbled at first but grinned. “But what I’ve learned is that ‘all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing,’ which is why I won’t let her get her way.”

“Try telling her that,” Marinette sighed with a grimace.

“You’re one of the few that actually stood up to her though, pretty rad,” Nino turned around to face them. “I’m Nino, by the way.”

“Alya,” the two shook hands and Marinette raised her own.

“I’m Marinette,” she smiled as Alya firmly grasped her hand. Marinette remembered the box she brought in and opened it up, offering a macaron. Alya happily took one and Nino piped up.

“I love your parents macarons!” he exclaimed and Marinette giggled as she presented him with the box. With that Marinette started to offer them to the other students who also happily took one with a thanks.

As Marinette went up to offer one to Mlle. Bustier she tripped over something, or someone, and spilled the rest on the floor.

“Are you okay?” Mlle. Bustier helped up Marinette and the teacher frowned at the two girls in front who started to laugh. Regretfully, there was no evidence behind it so all Mme Bustier could do was make sure Marinette was okay.

“I’m alright, thank you Mlle. Bustier,” Marinette sighed, glancing at Chloé before throwing away her mess and going back to her seat just as the bell rang. She gave Chloé a wide berth so no other ‘accidents’ would happen to her on the way up the steps.

Class was relatively normal minus Chloé pouting about her boyfriend Adrien not showing up. Marinette was slightly satisfied in the fact that Chloé hadn’t gotten what she wanted. She had to learn that not everything was handed out on silver platters for her own pleasure.

The bell rang and Mlle. Bustier dismissed them for their next classes. Everyone started to get up when there was a roar from Ivan directly behind Marinette’s seat, causing her to jump in surprise. She whipped around to see Ivan’s fist balled up in Kim’s jacket, his other hand starting to rise up to punch the latter. Everyone backed away from the fight about to escalate, Marinette stumbling slightly down the steps to get to safety.

“Kim! I’m going to-”

“Ivan!” Mlle. Bustier cut in just as Ivan started to throw him arm forward. Ivan jolted at the stern tone of his teacher, his arm losing the momentum it had barely started to collect.

“But Kim was-”

“I don’t want to hear it. You’re going to stay here and we’re going to talk about this,” Mlle. Bustier ordered. Ivan growled menacingly and there was a crinkling of paper as Ivan furiously glared at Kim who scampered out of the room. Marinette frowned after the athlete while everyone else let out a breath of relief and started to head out, talking about the near assault.

Usually Ivan wasn’t one to lash out like that, which meant Kim had done something to upset the taller and quiet boy. Marinette hoped Ivan wouldn’t get in too much trouble.

“Let’s head to the library, then,” Alya interrupted her thoughts. Marinette nodded and followed after Alya to the library.

They snagged a seat in the back and pulled their homework out, ready to work. The two of them began discussing a topic in class and got started on their assignment while other students chatted around them.

“Ivan got a scolding from what it sounded like,” Marinette heard from behind them. She listened in and recognized Kim’s voice. “Did you see him try to hit me when I gave him that note? He doesn’t have the guts to do anything but grumble and lash out. He’ll never catch her attention with that attitude.”

“Is that why he’s in the locker room alone?” Max asked and Kim confirmed. Marinette frowned as the two started talking about something else. She didn’t want to leave Ivan in such a state.

“I forgot one of my books in my locker, I’ll be back in a second,” she told Alya who agreed to wait. 

Marinette entered the locker room to find it completely silent. She listened closely for anything and smiled when hearing a shuffling of feet in the back corner.  Making her way to the back row, she spotted Ivan glaring at the floor with his headphones on.  He saw her from the corner of his eye and blinked in surprise, pulling off his headphones. Heavy metal music blared from the headphones and Ivan quickly tried to pause it, failing a few times before successfully stopping it.

“Marinette? What are you doing here?” Ivan asked as she approached. Marinette took a seat and gave him a comforting smile.

“I heard about what Kim said to you. And while he did approach you the wrong way about it, I agreed with him and think you should talk to Myléne,” Marinette encouraged.

Ivan shuffled his feet against the floor, sighing. A few of the students from last year knew that Ivan had been crushing on Myléne for a while now but he never did anything to reveal how he felt about her, rather keeping to himself most of the time in school despite the support of everyone else. It looks like Kim was trying to get a rise out of Ivan to finally confess, but doing something like that wasn’t easy. And doing it wrong like Kim had only made it worse, as seen now. There was only so much you could do to encourage a person before it becomes overwhelming. 

“He’s right though. What if she doesn’t even like me? I’m too nervous to even talk to her.”

“You don’t know until you try. How about giving her flowers or doing something for her that you love and makes you feel comfortable yet shows her what you truly mean? You've been talking with her for a while so I think she would be comfortable with whatever you do,” Marinette suggested.

“I could write a song for her,” Ivan mumbled and Marinette beamed.

“That’s lovely! Any girl would love a song made just for them!”

“Really?” Ivan said hopefully, his furrowed expression lifting. 

“Of course! You can write out what you want to say to her and then you can tell her how you feel!” Marinette exclaimed and Ivan stood, determined.

“I’m going to finally tell her how I feel!” Ivan said determinedly and Marinette smiled as he ran off. She was surprised at his sudden determination to confess since it took some coaxing to get him to even talk to her in the first place last year, but this was a positive change. Marinette headed back to the library to find it full of gasps and murmurs, immediately recognizing that something was wrong as the students stared at their phones in worry. Marinette hurried to their table where her new friend sat.

“You’re not going to believe it!” Alya quickly patted Marinette's seat and the other girl sat down. “There are two supers fighting! No one knows who’s the good guy or bad guy though.”

"Supers?”

“Like superheroes and supervillains! The ones that fight crime!” Alya nearly shoved the phone in Marinette’s face and she watched the news reporting from a helicopter above the attack.

Sure enough, two people in outfits were fighting vigorously, one was a boy with blond hair in a black leather catsuit while the other was wearing a ladybug themed suit. It would’ve looked like a normal fight except for the fact that they were easily jumping across rooftops and climbing walls with ease. Marinette listened to the news station as Nadja Chamack started talking.

“As of right now all we know is that they’re trying to get something from one another called a Miraculous. This fight has been going on for a half hour and it’s causing a ton of damage to the city. Wait, it looks like the ladybug super has pulled out a new item and put it on! Their suit changed! Now the super looks like a ladybug and butterfly morphed together. Wow he’s definitely much stronger now and it beating the cat person.”

Everyone in the library gasped as they watched the ladybug person put a brooch on his suit and the suit transformed before their eyes, morphing into a dark purple and silver outfit with black spots everywhere. The red on the original suit went from scarlet red to dark maroon. 

The cat hero barely had time to react before the ladybug-butterfly punched him, sending him flying.

“I’ve got to check this out,” Alya quickly got up and rushed out of the library

“No, Alya!” Marinette followed after, not wanting her new friend to get hurt. Students and teachers alike were glued to their phones in awe and horror, ignoring the two students running out the doors of the school.

“Alya!” Marinette called out again as Alya booked it across the street towards the Seine without a glance at the traffic. Cars honked as the energized girl ran passed while Marinette waited until the light changed before continuing her pursuit.

By the time she reached the bridge that she spotted Alya running on, the red-head was gone. Marinette tried to look around the bridge but the crowd made the bridge packed with too many people.  Marinette wondered what to do now; wait here for Alya or go back to class? She figured class would be better because then she could tell Mme Bustier what had happened and possibly get Alya’s cell phone number to contact her.

As she started to make her way back, there were screams from in front of her and people rushed away from the school towards the Notre Dame. Marinette was jostled around roughly and yelped as someone stomped on her ankle as she got shoved around. There was a stabbing pain as her ankle was twisted at a rough angle while she crashed down to the ground.

“They’re coming!” people panicked and took no regard to the young teen as they surged forward in panic. Terror filled Marinette as people continued to rush past. Another foot stepped on her already injured leg and she cried out in pain, curling up and covering her head, unable to get up.

The crowd died down and Marinette risked looking up, seeing the people far ahead. She got up, gasping as pain shot up her leg as she tried to walk. She crumpled to the ground, clutching her ankle that throbbed.

Suddenly there was a thud and a grunt of pain as someone landed right behind her. She whipped around to find the cat boy who had been on the news, shaking his head. He dropped a silver baton and quickly reached forward to pick it up, looking up at her in the process.

Green eyes met blue and Marinette stared transfixed at his eyes, sclera completely green. Both sets of eyes widened when making contact, one in awe and the other in terror

“You need to get out of here!” the cat boy urged and looked back to see the lady-butterfly standing on the rooftop of the school, a yo-yo device spinning rapidly in his hands.

She took his warning and tried to escape the best she could, limping as she put pressure on her bad leg. Marinette's eyes pricked with tears as pain stabbed her ankle and she stumbled just as there was a loud whirring from behind.

“Look out!” there was a jolt from behind her and Marinette was knocked to the ground, but hands came around her head to secure her as the two fell. All she could see was black and felt an odd material as she gripped the person holding her. She looked up to see the cat boy holding her before he pulled Marinette up and scooped her into his arms without any warning. Marinette screamed as he extended his baton and the two were suddenly flying through the air as a large clang echoed from the spot they had just stood less than a second ago.

She held the boy tightly as he landed down safely away from the danger, setting her feet down on the ground. She winced as her bad ankle made contact with the floor and he helped her to the side of the bridge so she could lean on that as support.

“Sorry about that. There’s a shop right behind you. Get to safety, quickly!” the young man urged her. Marinette turned to thank him when the whirring noise occurred again and the boy grunted as he knocked it back with his baton. A silver cane suddenly flew out and struck the boy, causing him to stumble back in surprise. The yo-yo appeared again and lassoed the boy around the light post nearby. It was pulled taut and the cat boy was trapped tight under the string.

“Got you now, Chat Noir!” the lady-butterfly person spoke, voice gleeful. Marinette turned to see the other super approaching. His suit was a dark purple with maroon boots and gloves, black spots and lines running along his suit. He also had silver lines running on his chest in the shape of  a plated chest plate and his face was completely covered by a face mask, only his both and cruel silver eyes gleaming from behind.

“Get out of here!” the boy Chat Noir, ordered her. Marinette was frozen in fear though, staring at the man so full of malice as he approached the boy.

“Your ring is mine! This was much easier than I thought thanks to this brooch,” Marinette watched him tap a butterfly brooch on his chest, a small ting echoing when he tapped it. “I’m far stronger than I was before.”

“Those don’t belong to you! Especially someone who tries to hurt innocent people!” Chat Noir grunted. Marinette listened painfully as Chat Noir cried out in agony when the man pulled on the yo-yo, tightening the string around him. She gasped, covering her hands with her mouth as she watched Chat Noir’s face contort in pain.

“I will get what I want, and you can’t stop me. You failed,” the man mocked as he drew closer to Chat Noir. 

“No, please!” Chat Noir begged and he tried to wiggle out of the bonds with no use. The man reached out, eyes focusing on Chat Noir’s ring on his finger.

Without a thought, Marinette rushed forward and grabbed the man, holding him back from Chat Noir. 

“What in the world?” she heard the older man exclaimed in surprise. She felt for his chest where his brooch was and grabbed it tightly in her fist. Both of the supers gasped.

“No!” the man screamed as Marinette yanked it off of him. There was a burst of purple warmth and Marinette fell back in shock, holding a brooch with pointed tips. Whatever it was that she grabbed, she managed to weaken him. His suit was back to the original ladybug red and black and the cane on the floor vanished.

“You little brat!” the man turned on her and Marinette backed away in fear as she heard him approach her. She tried to get up but couldn’t with her ankle and ended up stumbling as hands violently pulled her back. 

“Give it back!” the man yelled and tried to pry it from Marinette’s hands. Marinette desperately held on as tight as she could until the man let go when a heavy thud echoed from above.

“You mangy cat!” the man snarled.

“Cataclysm!” Chat Noir yelled and the man cursed, releasing Marinette who pulled the brooch tightly into her chest and watched the ladybug man throw his yo-yo and escape with a high pitched whirring. Marinette clutched the brooch, panting as her head hit the floor gently as she relaxed.

She didn’t hear anything until a thump echoed close to her, an exhale of both relief and exhaustion coming from Chat Noir. She sat up and watched him grab a piece of trash on the floor with his bubbling back hand and the object turned to dust. There was a beep and he looked at his ring in hand, slumping. What had just happened?

“That was close,” he said after a long moment, hands resting on his legs. The helicopter whirred up above and Marinette looked at it before turning back to Chat Noir.

“Are you okay?” she asked, worried. He chuckled.

“You have it the other way around, I’m supposed to be asking if you’re okay. You just got attacked by a super villain.”

“You did too,” Marinette pointed out. There was another chuckle.

“That is true. But are you alright? He didn’t grab you too hard? Or when I knocked you down? Sorry about that, by the way,” she could her the guilt in his tone and watched his ears droop.

“It’s alright. I’m fine,” Marinette comforted him.

“And your ankle? It’s starting to swell,” he worried as he got up and looked at her carefully. His hands were gentle as he examined her leg and Marinette also followed his gaze to her bad leg. Sure enough, it was swelling and already looked bruised where it had been stomped on.

“I can get it checked in a bit,” Marinette dismissed before looking to where the spotted man had fled. “I’m just glad he left without doing too much damage.”

“Me too. Thank you by the way, you really helped me there,” Chat Noir stood up and Marinette heard his strained exhale, feeling bad for him.

“I was returning the favor. You saved me twice today,” Marinette’s gaze followed him as he picked up his baton and stuck it onto his lower back where it stayed in place.

“That’s my job to do that. You on the other hand could’ve gotten hurt yet you still rushed in to help. It takes a lot of courage to do what you did,” he praised and extended his hands towards Marinette. She grasped it and he pulled her up carefully, going to her bad side and wrapping an arm under her shoulder, pulling her arm over him.

Marinette felt the cool material of his suit under her arms and hands and was surprised that it wasn’t made of leather. It was a smooth material that seemed strong yet flexible under her grip, able to be pinched and held but not too much since it was wrapped snug around him.

“Can I leave you at that school? Once I use my powers I only have a few minutes until I transform back,” he asked and she nodded. They made their way back to the school, him going slow to keep with her pace.

“You’re a better hero than I am,” Chat Noir suddenly said as they crossed the street and arrived at the school. His sincerity overwhelming in his gentle voice, making Marinette blush.

“I think you’re a great hero,” she said but he sighed somberly.

“So many things went wrong today. And it’s barely my first day,” he admitted as he unwound himself from her.

“That’s okay. Sure sometimes things go wrong, but there are good things that can come of it,” Marinette pressed the brooch into his hand. He was quiet for a second and looked at Marinette with a grateful smile. Marinette felt her face warm up at his smile and couldn’t help but return it.

“Thank you. I needed to hear that today. It hasn’t been a good day even though I got some super cool super powers. But meeting you made it better,” his expression fell and Marinette frowned.

“What happened?” Marinette asked.

“I have to go, maybe another time,” he smiled sadly and slipped his hand out of hers.

“Thank you, Monsieur Chat Noir. I’m grateful to have met you,” Marinette smiled. There was a beep from his ring which made her smile fall. She wanted to know if he was alright.

The school doors opened and the teachers came out, hurrying out to help Marinette.

Chat Noir picked up her hand with his own and she let out a soft gasp when he pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. She looked down at him in surprise and he gave a stunning smile. Heat flooded her cheeks and she gaped at the hero in front of her.

“You can just call me Chat Noir. And the pleasure was mine,” he breathed and extended his baton into the sky, pulling him up with it. She followed after him with wide eyes as the teachers made sure she was okay before helping her inside into the safety of the school.

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe you ran into Chat Noir!” Alya exclaimed as they walked into school the next day. The principal decided to cancel class for the rest of the day yesterday because the fight had been so close to school and they wanted to make sure there were no more attacks. 

“I can’t believe you missed him, if only you had stayed near school,” Marinette chided with a playful smile. They reached the steps and Alya took one of Marinette’s crutches and Marinette used the other one to pull her up with the help of the rail. Her ankle had gotten a nasty sprain and was also pretty bruised from where it had gotten stepped on. The doctor said she wouldn’t be able to walk for a few weeks due to the swelling which limited her from walking around Paris in order to get inspiration. Marinette was happy she at least had some projects already in progress that she could work on at home and not get too bored.

“But that was the coolest thing ever! I wanted to get some footage on it at least,” Alya sighed in disappointment.

Marinette giggled as they made their way into class when Alya gasped, staring at their seats. Marinette followed her gaze as Alya stomped over to her seat to see a better look at what was happening.

A boy was looking at Marinette's seat in disgust as he fiddled with something on it. Alya crossed her arms in front of her chest as she glared at the boy from across the bench.

“What are you doing to Marinette’s chair? Putting gum on it?” Alya demanded angrily and the boy looked up in surprise. Marinette now made her way over to her spot as the boy rose up. He stared at Alya before turning to face Marinette.

He was pretty cute with blond hair brushed to the side and bright green eyes which widened when he looked down at her from the step above, but that wasn’t going to affect Marinette. His cheeks grew rosy when meeting her upset expression.

“This gum was- I was- put it on-” he was cut off at Chloé and Sabrina’s gleeful laughter next to Marinette.

“Like I said, Adrikins. Establish your place,” Chloé advised the newcomer.

“Like two wasn’t enough already, now there’s another one of Chloé’s followers. I assume you’re her boyfriend,” Marinette glared at the boy who backed away from her seat. She pulled out a handkerchief from her bag and picked up the gum with it, but when she had turned around to throw away the gum her foot got caught on the boy’s bag and tripped her, crutches and body falling down painfully as everyone else winced.

Nino rushed up and helped Marinette while Chloé and Sabrina’s laughter doubled. Marinette felt her face flush in angry embarrassment as Nino helped her, him taking the handkerchief from her and throwing away the gum as she adjusted the crutches, arms throbbing from where she fell on them. Alya hurried over and moved anything that could trip her again.

Meanwhile Marinette turned back to see the boy had leaned forward towards her with a look of horror. It seemed like he had considered helping her but Marinette doubted it. Not if he was one of Chloé’s friends.

“Are you satisfied?” Marinette glared before pointedly ignoring him as she got seated and pulled her things out of her bag. The boy sighed and made his way to his seat as Mlle. Bustier entered, soft heels clacking on the floor.

“It might’ve been me, but that boy was full on blushing at you,” Alya murmured to Marinette who shook her head in annoyance, glaring at the blond in front of her who was wrapping up a conversation with Nino.

“And Chloé’s actually nice,” Marinette scoffed, earning a giggle from Alya. Mme Bustier started the lesson by introducing Adrien to the class who was overly excited at roll call, getting a chuckle from everyone but the girl behind him.

Nothing was different than usual, although Marinette couldn’t help but notice how intelligent Adrien was when answering all of the questions in class with ease, especially with Physics. At least he wasn’t like Chloé who harassed Sabrina to do her work.

During lunch Marinette made her way downstairs from class as Alya when she heard footsteps running by rather quickly. She paused as the person ran past- Myléne to her surprise- and curiously wondered after the girl before deciding to resume her walk home for lunch. 

Before she could take another step though, the locker room doors burst open and Ivan rushed out. 

“Myléne!” Ivan called out after the girl who fled the school. There was an angry groan from Ivan who dropped his phone which skittered to Marinette’s feet as it blasted heavy metal music. She bent down and picked it up, casting a concerned glance to Ivan.

“What happened?” Marinette asked as she handed him back his phone. He muttered a thanks as he paused the song playing.

“She ran away from me,” he grumbled. “I knew she hated me.”

“Well, there must be some reason for her to have run away. Maybe she was shy?” Marinette wondered.

“But I don’t get it! I made her a song and everything!” Ivan exclaimed.

“It’s all about how you present it. It could’ve been overwhelming for her, and Myléne is a shy person from what it seems like,” Marinette tried to reason but Ivan only muttered something about getting lunch and left. Marinette sadly watched his slouched frame as he left, feet slightly dragging until he headed out of school. Was this her fault for trying to push him? She hoped it didn’t affect his relationship with Myléne after this.

Marinette started to make her way back home, guiltily mulling over the issue with Ivan and Myléne. It would be awful if she ended up ruining their relationship before it was even started. Maybe she could try to get Ivan to sing a more gentle version of the song? It could’ve been the heavy metal that scared her off. Anyway Myléne was very similar to a frightened mouse when something came up that was different than normal. Marinette could try to encourage him to go for another tactic that wouldn’t scare her. 

Marinette felt awful as she realized she shouldn’t have pressed Ivan to do something he wasn’t comfortable with. It probably wasn’t the song but rather his rushed emotions to make something for Myléne that ended up being overbearing for both of them. Maybe it was better to just let the two of them figure it out somehow. It was best not to get involved when she didn’t have to.

Marinette entered the bakery to find it rather empty, surprising her. Making her way upstairs she could hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room. Marinette opened the door and entered with a curious tilt of her head. Her parents were watching the news tensely, Sabine with her hands covering her mouth while Tom had his hands gripped in fists.

“What’s going on?” she asked aloud.

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” Sabine went over and greeted Marinette with a kiss on the cheek, her voice directed away from the teen as she worriedly faced the television again, “That villain is out there again attacking the town. He injured Chat Noir badly yesterday from what it sounds like. Chat Noir hasn’t been seen yet and Coccinelle is looking for him right now.”

Marinette directed her attention to the TV where Nadja was explaining the situation in a serious tone.

“We so far only have footage of Coccinelle making his way around town causing damage to the city and people. Oh no! A young girl was just caught under some rubble from a building! Coccinelle is watching her now and tempting Chat Noir to come out,” Nadja said as Sabine gasped.

“Help!” Marinette heard from the screen and the camera focused on the girl trapped.

“That’s Myléne!” Marinette recognized the girl in shock. There was another familiar voice and Marinette listened closely.

“A young boy is trying to help the girl but police have blocked off everything,” Nadja said aloud and the camera panned to Ivan who was trying to get to Myléne. Marinette stood there feeling hopeless, unable to do anything to help.

“You shouldn’t listen to this, I don’t know if it’ll get worse,” Sabine worriedly urged Marinette to go upstairs to her room. When getting upstairs though Marinette simply hurried to her own computer to watch the news.

Marinette frowned when seeing a black box on her desk that hadn’t been there in the morning. She curiously picked it up and examined it. It was small and wooden with red engravings that looked similar to Chinese symbols but not exactly. Marinette curiously opened up the box to see what was inside when a bright glowing purple light shone out from the box. She covered her eyes from the blinding light until it faded.

When Marinette uncovered her eyes she was met with a moth-like creature with wings but an overly large head. Marinette stared at it with wide eyes as it blinked at her and smiled, wings fluttering.

“Nice to meet you! My name is-” Marinette’s scream cut off the creature and she flew out of her seat, crashing awkwardly to the floor.

“Marinette?” Sabine called out in worry.

“There’s a-” she was cut off as the bug creature flew at her, trying to hush the frantic girl. This only made Marinette scream and panic, grabbing her crutches and trying to swat the creature. She ended up whacking the box and it flew off the table, hitting the wall before rebounding and falling on the floor. Something had fallen out of the box in the process and Marinette looked down at it, her arms stilling in surprise.

The purple butterfly brooch she snatched yesterday sparkled up at her. Marinette forgot about the bug creature as she picked up the brooch silently, finally admiring it since she didn’t have much time to yesterday.

It had a dark purple gem in the middle with four small tips protruding from it that looked like wings. The gem seemed to twinkle brightly with a light of its own.

“Marinette?” her maman called again and Marinette remembered the reason why she screamed. She quickly looked up at the bug creature who had been looking at the brooch and now stared at her, not moving as it floated in the air.

“It’s fine! A bug hit my window! Pretty scary!” she called back. There was silence between the two in the room, the bug realizing it was better for the girl to move first.

“What are you?” Marinette finally asked.

“I’m Nooroo. I am a kwami, a being formed by the creation of an idea or concept, mine being the concept of Generosity. With my powers I can allow my holder to create Champions out of the emotions they feel from people and inspire them to be better than before.”

“Holder?”

“The person that wield the Miraculous,” Nooroo confirmed.

Marinette frowned before gasping in realization, “That’s the thing that Chat Noir and Concinelle were talking about!”

“Yes!” Nooroo buzzed happily.

“So you give me powers to fight?”

“Correct!”

“And these Champions, are they people?”

“Yes! They’re people with strong emotions that you feel will be able to help you with your mission.”

“But, I can’t fight like Chat Noir right now,” Marinette pointed at her wrapped up leg with a sigh.

“No worries! The Butterfly is actually a more passive fighter. We can fight but our true strength lies in the ability to make others to fight for us. If you really need to fight though you can, but seeing how you can’t that’s completely fine,” Nooroo comforted.

“Why was I chosen?” Marinette asked curiously.

“The Miraculous of Generosity is best with a person who is always ready to lend a helping hand, especially a forward person as you that stands up to what’s right. You always want to do good and be there for people, and what better way than this?”

Marinette stared at the brooch in her hand and looked up at her dark computer screen where the fight was still in full scale most likely. One thing was for certain, Chat Noir needed help and Myléne was in trouble. She had to do something.

“How do I use your power?” Marinette asked. Nooroo fluttered up happily.

“You equip it by saying Wings Rise and revert back into your civilian form by saying Wings Fall. When you want to make a Champion, you seek out a person with the strong emotions that you desire, fill the butterfly with energy that transforms it, and bless people with powers when the activated butterfly contacts them. From there they have a mind of their own for the most part and you can see what they’re doing. You can always pull back on the power if they start to do something you dislike as well to revert the Champion back into their normal form,” Nooroo informed Marinette.

“Let’s do this,” Marinette gripped the brooch and clipped it onto her shirt. It transformed into a small brooch with no wings.

“Ready?” Nooroo asked, turning Marinette’s attention to the kwami. She nodded.

“You only have approximately five minutes to make your Champion. Once the butterfly is formed your timer starts. Make sure you pick someone close to the scene and try to convince them as fast as possible. Remember, it’s Wings Rise and Wings Fall,” Nooroo said.

Marinette took a deep breath, calming her beating heart.

“Wings Rise,” she said and felt the miraculous on her shirt warm up. A fluttering rushed over her and she gasped as her body tingled with a new feeling. When the fluttering finished, Marinette felt much stronger and started to smile when something hit her head with the impact of a speeding truck.

It was a blasting pain that forced her down to the ground, holding her head tightly as she let out a choked noise of surprise. She opened her eyes to see what hit her but saw nothing unusual. She grit her teeth as another wave washed over her. It felt as if there were thousands of butterflies in the room, thrumming around and overwhelming her senses. Whatever it was that was bothering Marinette flew around in a panicked frenzy, but when opening her eyes the room was completely still.

Another wave of frantic fluttering washed over her and Marinette grew nauseous, covering her mouth to stop her from throwing up. Her eyes burned with tears as the nausea intensified and Marinette clutched the brooch, ready to tear it off.

A single calm spot caught Marinette’s attention and she focused on it, feeling the steadfast pillar holding her down amidst the chaos everywhere.

She calmed her breathing, taking rattling inhales and letting out the deep exhale as she focused on this one mysterious pillar.

Marinette finally managed to open her eyes and looked outside the window where she felt that pillar calling to her. She took a shuddering breath and realized that she was staring in the direction where the fight was.

“Are these… emotions?” Marinette wondered aloud, recalling Nooroo saying to seek someone with strong emotions. He must’ve meant this when he mentioned it.

She rubbed her head that was still throbbing and noticed the texture on her hands, pulling it away from her head and looking down at her outfit.

She wore a lavender and black cheongsam that was designed to look like a butterfly wing wrapped around her body, elegant silver embroidery outlining the design of the wing. The buttons were designed to look like butterflies, the top button above her breast being replaced with the brooch. She wore long white gloves and leggings with lavender below the knee boots also made to impersonate butterflies.

Marinette looked at the cane in her hands, a white butterfly floating inside. She managed to pop open the cane and the butterfly carefully walked into her hand while the girl stared at it in awe, amazed by its beauty. She pressed a gentle kiss to it as the powerful emotion coursed through her and anchored her down.

The butterfly started glowing a soft purple, reminding her of Nooroo.

“Go, find the one that calls you,” she urged and the butterfly quickly took off after the determined soul as her brooch beeped. She watched one of the petals curl in on itself and vanish into the gem in the middle which most likely meant she was on her timer now.

Thankfully the scene of the battle was close to the school so the butterfly made it there in record time. Marinette felt it make contact with the individual hosting that strong emotion and the person gasped in surprise as she intruded on his mind, feeling his doubts now about helping, his insecurities with himself, but his determination to help her was the strongest driver as he tried to get closer.

“What- who?” Ivan stuttered, backing away.

“It’s okay,” Marinette said calmly. “I know you want to help Mylene and I can see you really care about her. You have the ability to do anything if you have the courage to take that step forward. Shall we take that step forward and help?” Marinette asked.

“I want to help her,” Ivan whispered.

“Then rise, Stoneheart. May your heart be unwavering like a mountain, unbreakable and determined. Save Myléne and protect her from Coccinelle” Marinette said and she blinked in surprise as her vision changed. Now she was looking through Ivan’s own eyes, staring down at the police before her who backed away at Ivan’s transformation 

Ivan immediately turned to face Coccinelle who had his yo-yo wrapped around Myléne’s neck, ready to attack.

Give her back!” Ivan roared in fury. He charged towards Coccinelle who released his yo-yo around Myléne so he could escape. Stoneheart quickly took the rubble off of Myléne and guided her to safely while Chat Noir who had been trying to reason with the villain now fought Coccinelle without any restraints. Stoneheart continued to try to make sure she was okay when Chat Noir let out a noise of pain from behind.

“Stoneheart, you must help Chat Noir. If you don’t then Coccinelle will try to hurt your loved one again,” Marinette encouraged and thankfully Stoneheart listened, going after Coccinelle who cursed and moved out of the way.

Chat Noir realized what was going on and started to also beat back Coccinelle who grunted as Stoneheart grabbed a hold of his yoyo and pulled, dragging the villain right into Chat’s waiting claws. He managed to grab on of the earrings and started to pull it off when Coccinelle beat him back.

“Lucky Charm!” Coccinelle called out, a piece of sticky fly trap paper appearing. Marinette frowned at it, watching Coccinelle look around, formulating a plan. Coccinelle rushed forward and pressed the sticky paper against Chat Noir’s baton when the cat hero tried to attack Coccinelle. Marinette realized his plan as Coccinelle managed to extend the baton and point it right at Stoneheart’s fist.

“Don’t let him get the paper, Chat! Noir!” she called out and heard Stoneheart repeat what she had said to the young hero. As Coccinelle lodged the baton right between Stoneheart’s grip, the sticky paper sticking to the object in his hand that the butterfly had landed on. Chat Noir retracted the baton, pulling the object with him and safely away from Coccinelle. Before the villain could attack, Stoneheart wrapped his free hands around the villain and raised him up, arms stuck underneath him.

“Hold him there!” Chat Noir told Stoneheart. The golem nodded and kept Coccinelle trapped tightly.

Marinette heard the urgent beeping from both her miraculous and Coccinelle’s. She grit her teeth. If she detransformed now then Chat would be alone for a few minutes with Coccinelle and who knows what would happen with all of the people around. Someone else could be taken hostage.

“Hurry!” she called out to Chat who climbed up Stoneheart to where his fists were. Coccinelle struggled against Stoneheart’s grasp, and Marinette watched as his emotions raised in fear. 

He didn’t want to get caught. If he failed, something very bad would happen to someone. But Marinette couldn’t tell anything else beside those current emotions in Coccinelles mind.

“You must tell everyone else to get away!” she told Stoneheart who roared back at everyone with her warning, terrifying them to run off. 

“No!” Coccinelle grit his teeth and tried to pull his head back. Chat leaned forward to pull off the earring when Marinette’s miraculous chirped loudly.

“Chat!” she tried to call out her vision of Ivan’s eyes faded and she was left in her room, kwami sinking down to the floor and onto her lap.

Marinette scooped up the kwami with one hand and quickly yet gently placed him down on the table before hurrying downstairs to see what had happened on the news, nearly slipping down the steps in her rush.“What happened?” she asked her parents.

“A rock golem appeared and saved the girl, but when he had grabbed that villain Coccinelle, it turned into a boy. That allowed for Coccinelle to escape with Chat Noir in pursuit,” Sabine pointed to the screen where Ivan and Myléne were talking. People were asking Ivan questions but he grew nervous, stepping away from them, Marinette smiled as Myléne took his hand in comfort as he was asked questions.

“Are you one of those Miraculous people as well?” someone asked.

“No, there was a voice in my head. A woman. She gave me the power,” Ivan looked up as he watched the butterfly continue to flutter away.

“Why were you given the power?”

“Um, it was- Well- The woman said I could protect Mylene with my powers so I agreed…” Ivan mumbled, sparing a quick glance at Myléne who stared in surprise.

“You did that for me? That’s really brave,” Mylene’s cheeks went pink and she averted her gaze from Ivan. Marinette smiled happily when seeing that they were both still holding hands.

Ivan’s face was scarlet by the time Chat Noir returned with the object the butterfly had possessed. As Chat Noir returned the object, Myléne accidentally saw what it had said. The camera recording her reading it and Marinette smiled as the girl’s cheek flushed a deeper pink.

“Looks like we got ourselves here a romantic ending to a stressful situation. Let’s see if Chat Noir wants to answer any questions,” Nadja was saying but as she turned to the hero, Chat Noir saluted the crowd and left with a twirl of his baton.

Marinette sighed with relief and grabbed some lunch and took it upstairs, offering some of her chocolate and fruit to the little god who gratefully ate it, wings fluttering happily as the two sat and talked.

“You did amazing! I’m very proud of you,” the kwami praised.

“Really?” Marinette asked. “I didn’t stop Coccinelle and he’s still out there on the move.”

“That’s fine! You chose the perfect Champion for this situation and were able to navigate the scene well,” Nooroo complimented and Marinette flushed with pride, smiling down at the kwami and resumed their lunch without any negative disturbances.

Alya was having a field day. She managed to get there when Ivan had transformed and recorded the whole thing. By the time Marinette arrived back at school, Alya had already questioned Ivan and Myléne and was now creating a blog called Noir News that was designed to upload all of the fights and information she could get on these new heroes. 

“That sounds impressive,” Marinette praised Alya as they got settled down. The energy in class was bubbling from all of the action at lunch that it was hard for lessons to continue in silence. Alya especially was focused on her website, mumbling a few things as she typed away on her phone with new ideas.

Marinette noticed that even without the suit, she could still feel the fluttering emotions of the people around her. It thankfully wasn’t as severe as when she was in the suit, but it was taking some getting used to. Currently Alya’s emotions were swirling around quickly, reminding her of an excited bouncy ball. Maybe this emotion was excitement? Happiness? It was hard to determine.

“What do you think of the golem Stoneheart? Myléne said he saved her so I assume whoever gave Ivan those powers is good. Plus they tried to stop Coccinelle,” Alya asked as classes we were let out for the day.

“I'm not sure. I wonder how it works,” Marinette said calmly, trying not to smile. Just thinking about how she actually did something today was amazing enough, feeling the soft weight of her purse on her hip and knowing who was inside.

“Ivan said that the person who gave him powers could speak to him in his mind and that it sounded like a woman. I would love to find out more about how it works though,” Alya agreed with her in a thoughtful hum before groaning as she checked her phone.

“My sisters forgot their umbrellas and they don't want to get wet. I have to go pick them up. See you tomorrow!” Alya called and quickly headed out.

Marinette had to talk to the art teacher quickly about one of her sketches before leaving, the school empty as she headed out. The silence was slightly soothing after such a hectic day, but the rain… Marinette frowned as she felt the heavy drops hit her hand. She retracted her hand underneath the awning of the building, wondering if it was better to wait out the storm.

“Hi,” she heard the now familiar voice of Adrien. He had been eagerly participating in class all day so she managed to remember his voice very easily. The eagerness still seemed to be etched in her mind because that's all she heard from his greeting despite what he had done to her today.

Marinette frowned, stepping back from the rain and purposely turning her head away from the blond.

She could hear the soft sigh as he opened his umbrella and listened to the heavy rain pattering on it as he walked out from under the awning.

“I was trying to take the gum off of your chair,” Marinette faced him in surprise when he spoke up. “Not put it on. I'm sorry for not really expressing that. I've never been to school before and I've never had many friends so it’s hard for me to say what I truly mean. Could we start over?” he asked hopefully. She now fully took in his expression and noticed how sincere he looked.

Marinette felt bad. She should've given him a chance to say what he wanted to say rather than assuming the worst from him even if he was a friend of Chloé. He must've felt alone and confused today coming into a completely new environment from what he was used to, and to get into a situation like this must've really dampened his spirits. She could feel his emotions fluttering around, most slow and lethargic. Yet she couldn’t help but be impressed at the hope he still had as he waited for her response.

“I should apologize too. It was wrong of me to judge you just because you were a friend of Chloé. We can start over.” She extended her hand towards him with a smile, “I'm Marinette, and you are?”

He chuckled and she felt his warm hand slide into hers. His grip was gentle and hand soft as he shook it. The slow emotions picked up and Marinette pondered what they were. Happiness? Relief? This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

“Adrien Agreste,” he said warmly before adding, “Do you need a ride? My driver can take you back home so you don't have to walk back in the rain.”

“It's alright, my house is right there,” she pointed to the corner where her house was. “I was planning on letting the storm pass.”

“Here, you can use my umbrella, the rain is coming down pretty hard so who knows when it will stop,” Adrien extended his umbrella out to her but then paused, looking at the crutches. Marinette also looked down at her foot and realized she had no way to grab the umbrella and crutches at the same time. 

"Seems like I forgot I had these," Marinette said sheepishly and Adrien snorted before covering his mouth, embarrassed. 

"I'm so sorry," he apologized but Marinette giggled, making Adrien's face softened as his smile grow.

Thunder boomed from above and they both jumped. Adrien accidentally pressed a button on the umbrella and it closed, sandwiching the two underneath it with a fat whoomp.

The two stood under it stunned for a second before breaking out into joined laughter, shaking the umbrella. Marinette continued to giggle as she tried to pull up the umbrella, Adrien following suit with chuckles of his own. Her crutches fell over as she tried to help and the two giggled even more at the mess. She felt the mirth he radiated and it warmed her as they gathered their bearings.

"How about I walk you to your house then," Adrien grinned and Marinette smiled. He lifted his umbrella for her to slip under and they both slowly made their way to her house, his driver following alongside them in the car.

They didn't notice the older man watching the two under his own umbrella, green kwami at his side.

“Excellent choice, Master,” the kwami said.

“Yesterday was a close one. I was just about to step in which would’ve been extremely dangerous. It pains me though that they must do this alone,” the man’s sadness was prominent in his worried eyes as he watched the teens get farther from him.

“You know we must keep our distance. If they have information on us and are captured…” the green kwami warned and his holder nodded, turning and walking away.

“The consequences will be severe,” the man finished.

Chapter Text

Marinette settled down comfortably on the bench outside in the courtyard as students started to arrive into school. She pulled out her sketchbook and resumed her drawing from the night before, invigorated from the recent battle. She already had designed an outfit inspired by Chat Noir and was even making her own ideas for an outfit based on her hero persona. It was still a lot to take in that she was now Chat Noir’s partner in saving Paris whenever Coccinelle came out. Even now she was still thinking of the little kwami in her purse currently napping, a few cream puffs safely packed away in her backpack since the kwami needed those to recover his energy.

“What’s up, dude?” Marinette looked up as she heard Nino’s familiar voice.

“Hey! I’m just working on some sketches,” Marinette said as he sat down next to her and peered over her arm to see what she had done so far. 

“Is that a Chat Noir outfit? That’s pretty sweet you’ve already come up with a design despite him only being out for a week,” Nino complimented and Marinette smiled happily.

“He did save my life so I felt really inspired by him. How’s your music doing so far? I remember you mentioning you were going to do some work making a Jagged Stone remix? Jagged Stone’s amazing and I know you’ll do his work justice.”

“Jagged Stone is amazing,” Nino sighed dreamily and Marinette laughed. 

“I’m expecting the wedding invitation when you do an amazing collaboration with him in the future,” Marinette hummed playfully with a wiggle of her eyebrows and Nino laughed.

“Wedding?” Alya mused as she arrived and the two greeted her.

“Nino’s getting married to Jagged Stone,” Marinette grinned and Nino laughed, bumping her shoulder playfully. 

“That’ll be perfect. I’ll have all interview access to Jagged Stone whenever I want,” Alya cackled jokingly and Nino gave a mock gasp.

“How dare you abuse our friendship for self profit! I’m wounded,” Nino said somberly. “Is our relationship only for the benefit of your latest scoop?” 

“You know it! Speaking about the latest scoop, did you hear that Alix thinks that those Miraculous are actually thousands of years old?” Alya’s eyes sparking with interest. Marinette could feel the excitement in her rising up.

“Really?” Marinette asked, intrigued. It would be really beneficial to learn more about these mysterious Miraculous since she was using one. Being with Alya had its perks since the journalist was also in pursuit of Coccinelle so Marinette could talk about any theories that she might have of his secret identity. The only main issue was that Alya wanted to also find out about the identity of both Chat Noir and the secret hero who hadn’t been revealed yet, mostly due to the fact that Marinette’s ankle was sprained. 

“Alix and her father was going over some hieroglyphs a couple days ago when she noticed that one of them was wearing a spotted pattern. Her dad had always accounted it as strange but never thought much of it, assuming it was a lesser Egyptian god. But now he thinks it might be the Miraculous they might be holding in the images. She says her dad wants to ask the supers questions but seeing how they’re always trying to kill one another might not work,” Alya chuckled and Marinette agreed with a smile.

“How about we go check it out today? Maybe Alix wouldn't mind showing us what she and her dad found so you can put it on your blog?” Marinette suggested. She could feel the curiosity and enthusiasm bubbling off of Alya and Marinette pinched her lips to not smile too much. It was getting slightly easier to read emotions now, especially after talking with Nooroo about it. Higher energy usually meant passionate emotions while slower moving energy meant either negative or calmer emotions. Then there were the strong emotions that called out to her now and then, usually meaning they were good Champions.

Nooroo explained that usually Champions were formed with the positive emotions such as love, hope, and determination. These positive emotions created stronger Champions which were more beneficial in battle and could also have increased intelligence and tactical skills. 

“That’s genius! I’ll go ask her right now then!” Alya took off, leaving Marinette back with Nino.

“That girl has a one track mind, doesn’t she?” Nino hummed in amusement and Marinette couldn’t help but agree.

After school the two met up with Alix who took them to the Louvre, talking about their speculations on the Miraculous.

“Do you think Chat Noir, Coccinelle and the other hero are actually thousands of years old?” Alya asked aloud. Marinette mulled over this thoughtfully; she didn’t actually know much about Chat despite them being partners. Due to her being on crutches she had yet to actually meet Chat Noir in person.

“When Chat Noir saved me he did tell me it was his first day, so that means that he is a person rather than a god. That also means he can’t be thousands of years old,” Marinette said.

“That is true, but we don’t even know how old Coccinelle or the other hero is so we can’t really determine much about their age either,” Alix said. Alya sighed.

“I really want to see that other hero physically in action. She helped a lot with the first Champion as Stoneheart called himself that Coccinelle was backed into a corner pretty quickly. He was forced to use his Lucky Charm on him so Chat has more time to fight Coccinelle before he detransforms.”

“I figured the other hero would come out in person to at least introduce themselves but they still haven’t. I wonder why she doesn’t fight?” Alix wondered as they entered the Egyptian Exhibit.

“Maybe it requires a ton of energy to make the Champion so she can’t do much fighting,” Alya suggested but fell quiet as Alix lead them deeper into the exhibit.

She guided them to one of the scrolls on the wall and pointed at it, “See? That figure on the scroll is wearing a spotted dress with a device that looks like a yo-yo. And that one looks like a cat which we first assumed was Bastet the lioness goddess, but the figure is dressed as a male and doesn’t have the complete cat head which confused us until recently. Now it makes sense seeing Chat Noir. I was actually the one that put the two together,” Alix said with a slight hint of pride. Marinette smiled warmly at that while Alya began excitedly taking pictures.

“This would be great to learn more about them. Now I’m dying to know their true identities,” Alya sighed happily.

Marinette frowned at that now, “But isn’t that dangerous to know their identities?”

“It’s only dangerous if the hero has a family, but seeing how these miraculous holders could possibly be gods reborn then I don’t see the problem. Think of it like celebrities!”

“But they’re not celebrities, they’re heroes,” Marinette pointed out. Trying to stress her point, she continued, “It’s their duty to protect the people, not entertain them.”

“And if they aren’t a reincarnation, they might have family that could be used as hostages,” Alix added. Marinette was thankful that at least someone else understood the risks of being a hero.

“I know but- what are you doing here?” Alya’s voice raised in pitch and the other two girls turned to see Coccinelle standing at the entrance of the exhibit. Marinette panicked, looking for an escape route while the fear started to increase in the other two girls.

“You don’t belong here, villain,” Alix called out to him despite her fear. Footsteps echoed from behind Coccinelle and Marinette saw M. Kubdel and his son Jalil right behind the villain.

“Stand down, Coccinelle!” M. Kubdel shouted as they stopped behind him..

“Pa! Jalil!” Alix called out in relief.

“It’ll be alright, kids. We’re putting this place on lockdown so you can’t escape, Coccinelle,” M. Kubdel growled when the villain threw the yoyo at Alix. The girl screamed as it wrapped around her and Coccinelle pulled her to him as he jumped down the steps and deeper into the exhibit.

“Give me the information about that mural, Kubdel!” Coccinelle said coldly, “Or your daughter suffers.”

“Let go of me!” Alix shouted and Coccinelle grunted as she started to hit him. Once again Marinette found herself running with a limp towards the villain and latching herself onto him.

“Put the room on lockdown!” Marinette called out. She could hear M. Kubdel giving orders in his walkie talkie while Jalil also rushed over and grabbed Coccinelle who was struggling to keep a hold of Alix. The small girl seemed to realize what was happening and also held down Coccinelle who grunted at the three bodies wrapped around him. Alya hurried forward to help, her footsteps drawing in.

“Pests,” he growled and with a sudden burst of strength, Coccinelle threw his arms out violently and knocked the three down. Marinette’s head rammed into the side of the sarcophagus and she painful clutched it, trying to orient herself as her eyes watered. Coccinelle’s yoyo whirred and everyone shouted at the sound of pounding feet.

“Lock the front entrance! He’s got Alix!” M. Kubdel yelled into his walkie talkie. Meanwhile Jalil ran after the villain.

“What are we going to do?” Alya panicked, hurrying over to help Marinette up. Marinette clutched her head and paused when feeling something wet. She pulled her hand back to find it red, her head throbbing more intensely now.

“You’re bleeding,” M. Kubdel approached the two young girls. “Let’s get you to the staff room.”

The three made their way over to the staff room where M. Kubdel grabbed a kit and began to treat her. Marinette could feel the anxiety flowing off of him in waves as he listened to the walkie talkie that kept going off. It sounds like they managed to get Coccinelle trapped but he still was holding Alix hostage and wouldn’t let her go.

“He just summoned his Charm!” one of the people shouted through the speaker. The waves of anxiety rolling off of M. Kubdel only grew worse and she could feel his hands starting to shake as he held the gauze to her head to try to stop the blood flow. 

“Go to your daughter, M. Kubdel,” Marinette smiled. “I’ll be fine here.”

“I can’t just leave you injured like this,” M. Kubdel started but Marinette shook her head, distracting his hands trying to help her. She took the gauze he held and started to apply it to her forehead, showing she would be fine treating herself alone.

“Alix is in danger right now. She needs you,” Marinette urged and after a sigh, M. Kubdel agreed. Marinette felt the small relief as he got up and hurried out. She then turned to Alya, “Now I know you probably want to put this on Noir News so might as well head out there,” she chuckled. 

“Really?” Alya asked.

“I’m the safest I’ll be here in the staff room. And this doesn’t even hurt that much,” Marinette smiled, relaxing Alya.

“Are you sure?” she still asked.

“Of course! We’ll just say a staff member is taking care of me.” Marinette winked and Alya gave her a quick hug before running out after M. Kubdel.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t think it’s safe for you to be alone,” Nooroo voiced his own worry aloud once the door shut. Marinette barred the door with her crutch before locking it.

“I’m the safest place to be, not only to hide but also transform,” Marinette grinned and Nooroo brightened in realization.

“I didn’t think of that! Let’s go then!”

“Wings Rise!” Marinette called out and felt the transformation wash over her. Her wound was still bleeding, so Marinette quickly summoned a butterfly and filled it with magic.

“I know who will be the perfect Champion. Go and help Alix,” she said and let the butterfly slip through the crack in the door and towards the source of emotions. Marinette sat down on her chair and once more reapplied the gauze to her head as she called up Chat Noir on her staff, the bulb turning into a screen. There was silence as it rang until he picked up, a small cat paw appearing in the tiny screen of the bulb of the cane.

“Who is this?” he asked. 

“My name is…” Marinette paused for a second before answering, “Húdié. I’m the one who’s been sending the Champions. We got Coccinelle in the Louvre right now. Hope you’re close because I already had to activate my power since he’s holding someone hostage.”

“I’ll be over there right away, thankfully I’m not that far,” he said and hung up. Marinette once again covered her injury as the butterfly reached the center of the emotions.

Concinelle’s bitter determination was one of the strongest emotions in the room, and she smiled at Alix’ scared yet fiery spirit next to him. The strongest emotion though was currently in the room to Marinette’s relief. The activated butterfly landed on the necklace he wore.

“Jalil,” she called out gently so as not to startle the man.

“Who- who are you?” he stammered in confusion.

“I am Húdié. Alix is trapped right now in Coccinelle’s clutches. Will you help me save her?”

“I shall protect my sister with the strength you give me,” Jalil gripped the necklace determinedly.

“Thank you. Then go, Pharaoh, and use your powers to protect your loved ones,” Húdié blinked as his view filled her eyes. 

Everyone was watching the inside of the room from where they were outside of the exhibit, all of them blocked out due to the closed gates minus for Coccinelle, Pharaoh, and Alix all locked in the room. Despite being trapped, Alix was grinning triumphantly at Pharoah unlike Concinelle who's eyes narrowed at the Champion.

“Kick his ass, bro!” she cheered.

“Thoth, give me time!” he roared and his head changed to that of a baboon. He summoned yellow balls of light in his hand and threw them at Coccinelle who dropped Alix to get away from them. The more spheres that Coccinelle dodged the more filled the room, leaving the room increasingly suffocating.

"Make sure Alix can get out," Húdié encouraged and Pharaoh nodded. He went to Alix and took her to the barred entrance where her father was, Chat Noir already standing next to him.

"Seems like you got it!" Chat gave a thumbs up when suddenly something wrapped around the Pharaoh's waist. 

"Watch out, brother!" Alix yelled as Pharaoh was pulled backwards, making room for Coccinelle to move back from the bubbles. He lunged for Alix who ducked quickly and scampered off to the side. Coccinelle tried to go after Alix again but Pharaoh summoned Sekhmet and managed to grab the spotted villain and the two crashed down. There was a tussle and Húdié spotted the object in Coccinelles hand; a can of black spray paint.

“Get back, Pharaoh!” Húdié yelled but was too late, the can spraying half of Pharaoh’s face. He hollered and fell back, half of his vision gone. He tried to wipe his eyes but only made it worse, almost completely blinding him. Panic set into Pharaoh at the lack of sight and he stumbled around, trying to regain himself. 

“Pharaoh, listen to me,” Húdié encouraged and the Champion paused. “I can guide you by sensing their emotions, just follow my instructions. We need to get Alix out of the room and Chat Noir in, so we’ll grab her and open the gate. Ready?” she asked and he nodded.

“Sekhmet, give me strength!” he called out. Húdié helped him grab Alix by telling her where her location was through the emotions swirling around and made it to the doorway where Chat was waiting behind the bars. Pharaoh pulled the bars open enough with his strength for Alix to slip through.

“Now turn around and open your arms!” she ordered and Pharaoh obeyed, Coccinelle crashing right into his chest as he tried to escape through the opening. Pharaoh wrapped his arms around the villain tightly and turned him around to let Chat pull off the earrings.

Coccinelle shifted and everyone gasped in surprise. There was a crackling noise and Pharaoh’s legs gave out with a yell of pain. He crashed down and Coccinelle took off through the small gap. Chat Noir went after in pursuit with Alya right behind.

“Must- go,” Pharaoh stumbled out of the bars and people hurried forward to help.

“When did he steal that taser from the guard?” someone exclaimed. Húdié clutched her hand to her chest painfully, feeling guilty for the Champion’s pain.

“You did well, Pharaoh. Thank you for helping Alix. Your work is done,” she said and after a sigh of defeat, Pharaoh nodded. The butterfly fluttered out of the Champion, reverting Pharaoh back into Alix’s older brother as Húdié’s normal eyesight returned. 

Húdié sighed, leaning back in her seat as the butterfly arrived, and she returned it to the staff before detransforming. The bleeding had slowed but there was now a painful bump on her head that Marinette knew would take a while to go away.

Marinette opened up her backpack, searching for her container as Nooroo rested on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Nooroo asked. Marinette smiled and pulled out the container of cream puffs

“I’m fine. Coccinelle is getting stronger which is bothering me though,” Marinette got up and removed the crutch barricading the entrance of the staff room. She then limped to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack and applied it to her head to reduce the swelling.

“We need to find his miraculous soon,” Nooroo agreed. “While you are getting more familiar with your powers, so is he. And the issue is you and Chat Noir aren’t able to properly train so you can’t develop your powers more than you have.”

“Properly train?” Marinette said curiously as she sat down again.

“There is someone here in Paris that can help you with your powers. He’s called the Guardian.”

“He’s the one who selected Chat and I, right?” Marinette asked.

“Yes. But since you both are targets to Coccinelle, especially Chat, if one of you gets captured then Coccinelle will be able to use you to find the location of the Guardian which is why he must be left secret until really needed.”

“I wish he would leave us a sign at least,” Marinette sighed. “I feel like we’re just going to be playing around with Coccinelle with no real leads at this point. It’ll be a never-ending cycle.”

“We’ll figure out something. It’s only been a week and a half since you both started and you’ve already managed to keep a Champion for a little longer than five minutes after I explained how. That’s way better than your first time!”

“You’re right, Nooroo,” Marinette smiled at the soft kwami’s positivity. “We’ll get somewhere eventually. Today he looked like he wanted to figure out what that Ladybug inscription meant. Maybe he needs information about it?”

“That’s what it looked like. I wonder what he needs it for though.”

“Nooroo, why does Coccinelle want the Black Cat miraculous?” Marinette asked and watched the kwami sink onto her knee, somberly nibbling on the cream puff. 

“Nooroo?” Marinette asked in worry.

“That’s-” there were pounding feet and Nooroo zipped into the purse quickly. Marinette shoved the container inside just as the door burst open, Alya panting in excitement.

“You’re not going to believe what happened!”

“What?” Marinette tried not to smile, knowing what she was going to say. That the mysterious hero came and saved Alix before Coccinelle escaped and Chat Noir followed him where they probably had this huge fight before Cocci-

“I got Chat Noir’s history textbook!” Alya interrupted Marinette’s thoughts as the redhead waved a textbook around in the air happily, the pages flapping.

“What?” Marinette asked, completely stunned. The blood drained from her face as the panic of what Alya had just discovered set in.

“Yeah! Chat Noir and Coccinelle were fighting and I noticed that after Coccinelle escaped, Chat Noir picked up a book bag nearby which must’ve been full of his stuff and when he took off the book fell out!”

“Alya that’s not something you should have-” Marinette started to warn but Alya’s rambling drowned out the pig-tailed girl.

“I already uploaded my findings onto Noir News and everything. Then I can hold an interview with him when I give it back. This is going to be the interview of a century!” Alya happily exclaimed just as Alix returned with her brother and father. Marinette could tell Jalil was still disoriented as they sat down, leaning heavily on his father and limping at his sore knee where he had been tased. More people entered the room and they introduced themselves as medics who began to check on Marinette’s head and Jalil. Marinette was too busy to really care with her main focus on Alya’s voice as she excitedly talked to Alix about the book.

“I already told you, Alya. There’s a reason why they have secret identities. You can’t just reveal that information,” Alix’s sighed in annoyance. She seemed bothered about Coccinelle capturing her and then escaping, her negative emotions rumbling off of her as she stood watching Jalil with her arms crossed tightly against her chest.

“I’m not going to tell his identity to everyone, it’ll be between us two,” the pages started to ruffle as Alya started to open the book. Marinette rose up in panic despite the medics working on her head but Alix snatched the book from Alya who stared at the smaller girl offensively.

“That’s not your place to know. Just leave the book here so he can come get it later,” Alix placed the book down on the table right beside Marinette. Alya grumble but her ringing phone distracted her as notifications started to pop up on Noir News. Alix went over to her brother while the medics finished bandaging up Marinette’s head and cleared her once making sure she didn’t have a concussion.

Marinette’s heart pounded as she picked up her backpack and opened it, casually acting like she was looking for something. She glanced around as she put her hand on Chat Noir’s book, and when seeing no one was looking at her, shoved it into her backpack and zipped it up.

Marinette hurried over to Alya, “I’m all cleared,” she faked a smile.

“Great, now let’s grab that- where did it go?” Alya frowned at the place where the book had been.

“What?”

“The book! It was right on the table! I was going to quickly check inside of it-” Alya started but Marinette cut her off with a shake of her head.

“I saw a staff member grab it while I was there and take it to the lost and found. They’re probably expecting Chat Noir to pick it up from them,” Marinette fibbed on the spot, feeling guilty. But Chat Noir’s safety was more important than lying to Alya about the book.

“Darn, maybe I’ll get it again later. And if someone is missing their history textbook tomorrow I’ll know who Chat Noir is,” she voiced triumphantly and the two said bye to Alix before heading out. Marinette could only smile and nod to whatever Alya said as they left, the extra book in her backpack weighing down on her shoulders.

Húdié sat on her lounge outside, ready to call Chat. Even though everything was mostly resolved, the fact that Alya had almost found out who Chat was bothered Marinette like an annoying itch. The butterflies that started to inhabit her garden once she got the miraculous also copied her worry by restlessly flying around and disturbing the air with their fluttering.

“Hello,” Chat picked up on the first ring. Marinette could hear his anxiousness already.

“Hi, Chat Noir. This is Húdié. Sorry for not introducing myself until now.”

“No worries. It’s good to hear from you. Thank you for all of your help recently,” he said politely. 

“I just wanted to check up on you after that fight, and to return your textbook you dropped,” Húdié said and Chat was silent for a long second.

“How did you get it?” he finally breathed.

“Alya, the Noir News reporter, found it while you were leaving the fight. She took it to the staff room in the Louvre and I managed to get it back before she opened it and found out who you were.”

“I thought Coccinelle got it,” he let out a shaky breath of relief. “I transformed and have barely been home because I thought he might attack. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I have it, Chat Noir. It’s alright,” Húdié comforted the hero.

“Thank you for finding it. Where can I meet you?” Chat Noir asked. Húdié  paused, looking at her injured ankle. She gave it an experimental wiggle and winced at the pain.

“I can’t meet you in my hero form, so I’ll leave it on the steps of the Notre Dame. You can pick it up in twenty minutes.”

“Why can’t you meet?” Chat Noir asked curiously.

“I’m injured. It’s the reason why I haven’t been with you,” she admitted. “I can’t do much fighting.”

“I’m still thankful for the support you’ve been giving me. Your Champions have already helped me get out of messy situations.”

“Of course, I’m your partner,” Húdié smiled. There was silence on the other line and she grew worried, “Chat Noir?”

“Thank you,” he finally murmured. “It means a lot hearing you say that. You’re amazing with everything you’ve done for me despite not even knowing who I am.”

Húdié blushed and was thankful that he couldn’t see her face. She didn’t know how she would be able to face him in person if he could say things like that with ease.

“Of course. I’ll leave the book out by the Notre Dame then. See you soon. I mean- I won’t be seeing you but you’ll be there within the time that I’ll book there with the be- I mean be there with the book ! Bye,” she finished and he chuckled a goodbye as she hung up. Marinette groaned as the transformation slipped off of her.

“That was awful,” she covered her face with her hands as Nooroo fluttered by her sympathetically.

“At least you won’t be seeing him in person!” the kwami said positively but it only made Marinette more embarrassed.

“When he actually does see me though he’ll only be reminded how I stuttered,” Marinette got up from her bed and climbed down carefully. She picked up the book and continued her mostly silent trek out of the house without disturbing her parents already sleeping.

When she got out of the house the stuttering was forgotten as she walked towards the Notre Dame, Nooroo flying beside her in the quiet night.

They made it with 5 minutes to spare, so Marinette put the book down in front of the door before hurrying across the street and hiding so Chat wouldn’t see her walking away from the scene and know it was her. 

She waited silently until movement appeared at the top of the cathedral. A baton hit the ground and Marinette watched as Chat slid down it, landing silently on the floor. He really seemed like a cat as he got up from his crouched position and scanned the area warily to see if anyone was around. His gaze passed over her hiding spot twice but he didn’t react to Marinette’s relief.

He spotted the book and picked it up, staring at it for a while before tucking it under his arm and once again using his baton to vault himself up and over the cathedral before disappearing from sight.

Marinette waited a few more minutes just in case then headed home, the quiet soothing as she walked, her crutches tapping the ground with soft clicks as she walked home in the calming night.

Chapter Text

Marinette waved after her parents who headed out to celebrate their 20th anniversary, smiling happily at the loving couple. She returned inside and Nooroo flew out of the pocket in her blazer that Marinette had sewn in for the kwami to hang out in if she didn’t have her purse.

“They both are very excited! I love emotions like that!” Nooroo happily chirped and Marinette agreed. Her parents definitely were happy as they left, deeply in love with one another.

Marinette headed upstairs and noticed the poster on her chaise, waiting to be taken out to the race.

“I forgot about the race between Kim and Alix today!” Marinette panicked and checked her phone and sighed in relief when seeing she had enough time to make it over.

“Isn’t Nadja coming today?” Nooroo asked.

“Yes, but we still have another half hour before she does. Actually, I don’t think Nino left yet so I can call him and have him pick it up!” Marinette smiled at her quick thinking. Nooroo fluttered happily as Marinette called Nino who was just about to leave his house to head to the Trocadero.

“What’s up my dude?” Nino asked.

“Would you be able to stop by and pick up the banner on the way to the race? I can't make it since I have to wait for a delivery pick up.”

“Sure thing, be there in a few,” Nino said and Marinette thanked him before hanging up. She picked up the poster and went downstairs with Nooroo resting on her shoulder.

“What’s the race about?” Nooroo asked. Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Kim bet that he can beat Alix’s skates in a race. If Alix wins Kim can’t make any more dares for the rest of the year and if Kim wins then Alix has to give him her skates. It’s obvious that Alix is going to win but Kim is rash as always with his dares. Max said he’s been training so he might do well in the beginning but I doubt he’ll actually succeed,” she said and noticed Nino walking by from the window.

Nooroo slipped under the counter while Nino entered with a wave. Marinette grinned and handed him the poster.

“It’s a shame you can’t make it. Adrien was really excited for you to come.”

“Really?” Marinette asked in surprise. Nino’s eyes widened and Marinette felt a new spark of emotion that she couldn’t recognize. It was definitely relating to anxiousness and nerves though. Guilt? Marinette guessed.

“You know, it’s his first time really hanging out with the class outside of school and was hoping everyone to come,” he said and Marinette nodded sadly. It sounded like Adrien’s father was very restrictive, not letting Adrien out at all to hang out with friends. Not only that, Adrien’s schedule seem far too packed for him to have time to do much besides his work.

“You guys can facetime me and I can watch through the phone. If you guys are doing something later I’ll be able to hang out,” Marinette assured him.

“That reminds me, I’m going to try to host a birthday party for him when I get his dad’s permission. You down to go?”

“I’d love to go! When would it be?”

“I’m planning in a few days so it’ll be right on his birthday. Can you think of anyone else to invite?”

“Probably everyone from class since he knows them the best.”

“Even Chloé?” Nino raised an eyebrow at her. Marinette sighed.

“They are best friends so she won’t arrest you or something along the lines of suffering when she finds out she wasn't invited,” Marinette said and Nino agreed with a roll of his eyes before heading out.

“I might as well do my work out here so I can see when Nadja arrives,” Marinette said, quickly grabbing her things from upstairs before setting up her homework.

Marinette paused as she opened her book, recalling the early flash of emotion with Nino she struggled to understand.

“Nooroo, how long did it take your former holder to master all of these emotions?” she asked. Nooroo’s wings drooped and Marinette felt the kwami’s own emotions. Sadness, a little pride, but once again other emotions she couldn’t place. That same guilty feeling she felt from Nino washed over her from Nooroo.

“I don’t actually remember. My former wielder put a spell on me that prevents me from remembering anything while with him. It’s an ancient curse which the Guardian tried to break but couldn’t since he doesn’t have the book. He did manage to do something so I can feel emotions from the past when I was with my holder. All I remember is rage and grief. The one who now wields the Ladybug Miraculous is not one to take lightly."

Marinette worried at that, wondering if she and Chat Noir would be enough to take down this villain.

Eventually Nadja arrived and Marinette helped her put the cake in the car, Nadja excitedly talking about the new research she was doing to find out more about Chat Noir and how it was related to the events at the museum. She then asked if Marinette could babysit Manon more often since work was getting busier. The young teen agreed and Nadja thanked her before heading out.

Just as Marinette returned to grab her phone to leave, it buzzed and she picked up on the first ring.

“We’re just about to start!” Nino cheered and showed her to the scene. Everyone was cheering and happily waved into the phone to Marinette who smiled and waved back, feeling the high energy.

“We love the poster, Marinette!” everyone shouted and Marinette grinned bashfully as she left, walking over to the race. 

“Thank you. I’m glad everyone likes it!” Marinette smiled.

“Well looks like I win by default though because someone got cold feet,” she heard Kim say and Marinette then noticed that Alix wasn’t present.

“Are you sure you want to keep throwing all of those insults?” everyone turned to see Alix rolling up proudly. “I’m going to finally shut that dumb mouth of yours today.”

“You wish,” Kim said and everyone cheered as they got prepared to race.

Max was about to yell go when Alix had them pause, handing a watch to Alya.

“Keep this safe. It’s a family heirloom so it’s really important to me,” she told Alya before heading back to the spot on the track. Alya quickly handed it off to Adrien so she could record the race. Adrien was now stuck holding the watch and Nino’s phone since the other boy had wanted to wave the banner. 

“I wish you could be here,” Adrien told Marinette through the phone and she recalled what Nino said earlier. Maybe Nino had felt guilty from before because he didn’t want Marinette to know how sad Adrien was.

“Don’t worry, it won’t be the last hang out we have so I’m sure we’ll be able to meet up. I’m heading over right now actually in case anyone else wants to hang out after.”

“Really?’ Adrien asked hopefully.

Marinette nodded with a smile and Adrien’s face lit up.

“I should call Nathalie to see if I can stay for longer! I don’t think I have anything planned for later,” Adrien said thoughtfully but paused when Chloé grabbed the watch from his hand.

“Wow, this thing sure is ugly,” Marinette frowned at Chloé’s nasty tone.

“Give it back to Adrien, Chloé,” Marinette asked but the blonde ignored the girl.

“Please give it back, Chlo,” Adrien tried to open his hand so she could return it but she easily batted his hand away and continued to admire it.

“Chloé that doesn’t belong to you,” Marinette demanded once again for Chloé to return it but she only laughed at Marinette while opening the watch.

A hologram popped out of a woman in a dress holding a watch, presenting it proudly to them. Chloé shrieked and dropped the heirloom. It bounced on the floor and everyone gasped as it rolled right into the road as Alix sped forward on the final lap. She noticed the watch at the last second and tried to stop, but her momentum was too powerful to come to an abrupt halt.

Alix tripped and crashed down, her skate landing right on the watch and cracking it as she tumbled over the finish line. Her head hit the ground hard and Marinette was thankful Alix always wore protection while skating, her helmet taking the brunt of the impact.

The class ran forward to help Alix but she pushed them aside and crawled to her watch, gingerly scooping up the shattered remains as Kim ran up to them, panting. There was silence as Alix carefully clutched the pieces to her chest. Her eyes were burning with fury as she glared at Alya.

“I told you to keep a hold on it! I told how you important this is to me!” she shouted.

“I gave it to Adrien!” Alya said defensively. Adrien fumbled with an excuse how Chloé took it from him but it fell on deaf ears, Alix skating away in anger with the remains of the watch still in her hands.

Everyone watched the retreating figure with guilt as Marinette hung up the call, sprinting to the Trocadero. She winced at the pain in her ankle that was still hurting slightly but she continued, making it there just in time as Alix rode towards her.

“Alix,” she huffed and the girl stared at her in surprise before bitterly turning and trying to roll away. Marinette continued after her.

“Go away,” Alix snapped.

“I know you’re upset but I’m sure your dad will understand-” Marinette started but Alix turned angrily to Marinette.

“Understand? My dad barely gave this to me a half hour ago and I’ll have to give it back to him broken! He’s going to think I’m just an irresponsible kid and won’t trust me with anything! I know he doesn’t like it when I’m skating or doing my wall art because it’s dangerous but I still try to keep my grades up and show him that I’m responsible!” Alix’s lip started to quiver and Marinette felt Alix’s insecurities rise up, the guilt within the skater increasing. “I just wanted to show him that I could take care of something important and I messed it up.”

Marinette put a comforting hand on Alix, “We all make mistakes. None of us are perfect. Your dad respects you for what you do and I’m certain he knows how responsible you are since he’s seen how you’re extremely careful in the museum full of important artifacts. Sure the watch got damaged right after you got it, but you did your best to make sure that it was going to be safe beforehand since you knew the risks of riding with it. How about we both go and talk to him about it, I’m sure everything will turn out well.”

“You would come with me?” Alix asked and Marinette nodded confidently. Alix sniffed and wiped her eyes that had started to tear up, her anger and distress receding to Marinette’s relief. Marinette pulled out her handkerchief from her purse and held it out.

“You can put the pieces in here so they don’t get lost,” she offered and Alix put the pieces carefully into the handkerchief that Marinette carefully bundled up and tucked into her purse, Nooroo smiling happily at her as she did so.

The two started to head out when there was a shout from behind. They turned to see everyone frantically pointing above them where Coccinelle was standing above the steps, yo-yo already spinning and being thrown at the two of them.

Marinette pushed Alix who tumbled down just as the familiar whirring rang through the air, wrapping around Marinette instead of the skater. Marinette was yanked up into the air with a scream as Coccinelle pulled back, flying over the students and into Coccinelle’s waiting arms.

“You,” he grumbled as he grabbed her. Marinette tried to wiggle out but the yo-yo was tight around her, constricting any movement.

“Let her go!” Alix yelled as she rode back to the group of students who were watching in horror.

“Well I didn’t want her anyway, I wanted you,” he freed Marinette with a rough push while he went after Alix. The girl turned and started to skate away, expertly avoiding the spotted villain on her tail.

“Are you okay?” Nooroo asked. Marinette nodded, getting up and running off to find a hiding place quickly in some bushes nearby.

“For now we need to worry about Alix. Speaking of her, I’ve got the perfect Champion in mind. Wings Rise!” Marinette grinned. 

She transformed and Húdié blessed her butterfly, wishing it off over the crowd of students that were still there, unsure what to do.

Meanwhile Alix and Coccinelle were still racing around the Trocadero. Just as Coccinelle threw his yo-yo at Alix’s skates and sent her tumbling to the ground, Chat Noir appeared and landed between the two of them, baton raised.

"You're late," Alix sighed in relief and exhaustion from all the skating she had done.

"Sorry, it's just how I roll ," Chat Noir grinned mischievously and began to fight with Coccinelle just as the butterfly landed on one of Alix's skates.

"Alix, can you-" Húdié  was interrupted by Alix.

"Kick Coccinelle's ass? You betcha," Alix grinned. Húdié blinked in surprise.

"Well that was easy. Then let's go, Timetaker, and take back the time lost," Húdié said and Alix transformed with a confident grin.

Chat Noir was furiously dueling with Coccinelle when the villain managed to land a heavy kick to his chest, knocking the wind out of Chat Noir for a second. He tried to breath but could only wheeze, stumbling slightly as Coccinelle approached.

The spotted villain didn’t get much farther as Timetaker sped towards him, forcing him to jump out of the way.

"So you wanted to mess with me, little bugger?" Timetaker taunted, "Let's teach you a lesson in why no one messes with the Kubdel family." Coccinelle dodged Timetaker who reached out for him. Coccinelle was an expert weaver though, avoiding the recovered hero and Champion with ease.

“Lucky-” Coccinelle was cut off as someone yelled from above and he was forced to roll away as they struck down where he had been standing. Everyone turned to greet the newcomer, Húdié glaring back at the spotted villain. Húdié's brooch chirped as she grabbed Timetaker's hand. 

"Everyone grab a hold! Chat Noir, make sure he doesn’t get to summon his Charm!" she yelled.

Nathaniel was the first to reach forward and grab Timetaker's hand. There was a beeping noise from Timetaker's skates and they started to glow

"I want to help you, Alix," he said and Húdié smiled. The other students that had been hiding now rushed forward while Chat Noir kept Coccinelle back.

"Chat Noir!" Húdié extended her hand and Chat leaped back from Coccinelle. She looked into his green eyes that stared back at her curiously as his hand slipped into hers, holding it tightly.

Timetaker's skates were shining brightly now as she let go and began spinning in quick circles around the group, speeding up until they were surrounded in lighting green and black blur. The wind whipped in their face and the group holding hands closed their eyes as the dust rose up. Húdié's brooch beeped urgently as her transformation started to end, purple light fluttering over her as she hoped she wasn't discovered.

When she blinked her eyes open, Marinette found herself on the sidewalk, walking while facetiming Adrien.

"What the-" Adrien said in surprise through the phone.

"Grab the watch!" Marinette exclaimed as Chloé dropped it. Adrien lunged for it with extremely quick reflexes and caught it before it hit the ground. Adrien handed it to Alix who embraced it tightly to her chest, sighing in relief. 

Marinette hung up and quickly found a place to hide, transforming into Húdié before hurrying towards the Trocadero.

Everyone was standing there in confusion, trying to find out what had happened exactly. Some of the kids that hadn’t grabbed a hold of Timetaker didn’t notice anything different while the others that had grabbed hold now had no idea what had occurred. Alix especially was confused, looking around for Marinette but not finding the pigtailed girl anywhere in sight.

“Where’s Marinette?” Alix asked in worry, remembering that Coccinelle had grabbed her.

“I just hung up with her… Do you think we went back in time?” Adrien asked. The others started to realize what had happened.

“That means Coccinelle is going to come and take Alix!” Nathaniel pointed out and everyone looked to where the spotted villain would appear on the steps above them.

“Alix you need to hide!” Adrien urged but the girl stood firm.

“No, I’m standing my ground. I was a Champion once and I’ll do it again if I can stop Coccinelle,” she glared just as Coccinelle landed on the top of the steps to the Trocadero.

Before he could make a move though, he was struck from behind, causing him to stumble. Everyone gasped as they saw Húdié for the second time today as she landed in front of the students to protect them.

“Take cover, I’ll hold him off,” she said and the students took no time in racing away. All except for Alix.

“Alix it’s not safe-”

“I want to be your Champion again. My watch is fine so now I can kick his ass without a worry,” Alix cracked her knuckles. Húdié stared at the girl before sighing in amusement.

“I will in a second, I just need a moment to focus,” Húdié said.

“Purrhaps I could provide you with some time ?” Chat landed next to the two of them with a grin. Húdié gave him a grateful smile.

“That would be wonderful,” she thanked him right before he charged towards Coccinelle. She opened her cane and carefully picked up her butterfly, giving it a gentle kiss.

“Go my dear, and bless Alix with strength to protect herself,” she said and the soft pink butterfly landed on Alix’s watch in her hand. It was fascinating to see the pink butterfly marking in the shape of her mask cover Alix’s face as they grew connected.

“Shall we?” Húdié asked with a smile.

“Let’s do this,” Alix grinned.

“Then let’s put a stop to his terror, Timebraker,” Húdié said and they rushed in to help Chat Noir.

They all watched as Coccinelle fled the scene having already used up his Charm and extremely close to detransforming with Chat Noir hot on his heels. Meanwhile Timebraker let the butterfly leave her, allowing for Húdié to catch the butterfly and escape right before she detransformed. When she was safely hidden, she opened up her purse and handed Nooroo a creme puff, exhaling in relief. Her muscles and body ached as if she had worked out a tremendous amount, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

“You’re improving far faster now,” Nooroo said with a tired smile. “You can keep your form after making a Champion almost over six minutes.”

“It’s not hurting you, is it?” Marinette asked in worry but Nooroo shook his head.

“Usually it makes the wearer more tired so you might be feeling more exhausted as of late,” Nooroo pointed out Marinette’s current state.

“That makes sense why I’m so tired,” she agreed and the two sat there for a bit to take a small breather. Marinette eventually got up and checked back at the Trocadero to find everyone had already left the scene to get to safety. She decided it would be best to head home for the day, relieved that the watch was fixed and Alix would hopefully no longer be targeted by Coccinelle now that he knew that she was ready to become a Champion if needed. The Kubdel family was safe for now.

Marinette headed home in peace, thankful that Chat Noir was there to make sure that Coccinelle would hopefully reveal his identity by following him to the last second. She wondered if Chat knew anything about the situation. If not maybe she could meet up with him and talk to him. Even get to know him now that her ankle was healed. Marinette was surprised how ready she was to run into the fight despite never having done that before. It felt... pretty good. Fighting side by side with Chat Noir was also exhilarating and brought a giddy smile to her face. She was fighting along side Chat Noir!

“Nooroo, how would you feel if I went to meet Chat Noir tonight? Or maybe not tonight but in the future? I really want to meet him in person and talk about Coccinelle,” she said as they entered the empty bakery, her parents still on their date.

“I think it would be a great idea! Then you can confess your feelings to him!” Nooroo beamed.

“MY WHAT?!” Marinette squawked, panicked.

“Yes! I can feel it whenever you’re with him!”

“No no no I can’t have feelings for him! I need to keep it professional! I mean sure he saved me and kissed my hand and is extremely sweet and- your giggling isn’t helping!” Marinette whined as Nooroo sat on the counter top, trying to cover his mouth.

“I’m sorry! It’s just that your emotions for him are very strong despite what you’re saying,” Nooroo smothered the giggles but his smile was still too wide. “I think it’s cute that you have feelings for him. He’s a very gentle soul and I think it would be great for you to be with him.”

“But we have to be professional!” Marinette stressed. “If the public sees our relationship as something more, who knows what Coccinelle might do to us! Especially me! I just started fighting so I’m a liability, and if I get captured then Chat Noir will want to give up his miraculous to protect me which can’t happen whatsoever!”

“Getting caught wouldn’t be good,” Nooroo agreed, still smiling as he watched his holder pace around stressfully.

“Exactly!” Marinette exclaimed.

“But I think you should still meet with him. He needs the information you have so far,” Nooroo said and after much internal deliberating, Marinette agreed. The kwami hummed happily as he watched the girl wearily trod up the steps, following after her with a flutter of his wings.

Húdié stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower, terrified to go any higher. She paced, muttering anxiously to herself.

“Nooroo said I can grip the walls and climb like a butterfly. I just won’t look down and I’ll be fine! It’ll be fine!” she repeated and started to make her way up the side of the tower to the spot where Chat Noir and her planned to meet at the very top. He said it was one of the most beautiful views in Paris at night and very exclusive since only they could get up there. But to get up there in the first place?

“It’s fine it’s fine it’s fine,” Húdié repeated under her breath the higher she climbed. She made it to the first level and exhaled a breath of relief. One down, she glanced up to see the tip still extremely far away.

“I can’t do this,” she turned to climb down but hesitated, knowing that Chat was going to be up there waiting for her alone. She could just call him and tell him to come down a level, but she really wanted to see the view from up there with him. How serene it would be just the two of them looking down at their beautiful home. Just the two of them.

Húdié made a half groan half whine in the back of her throat as she pulled herself up and continued to climb up the side of the wall, extremely thankful her bug-like suit gave her the ability to do this. She didn’t have a fancy yo-yo like Coccinelle or an extending baton like Chat to help her up, so she was forced to crawl up like a rock climber since she didn’t trust herself completely to jump around like she had seen the other two do.

By the time she pulled herself onto the second level, her arms were burning. Húdié panted as she rolled awkwardly on the floor of the second level, resting for a minute. From here though it would be much easier to hop from beam to beam to reach the third. It would also get her more experienced with traveling around in the suit. But the thought of getting up and moving made Húdié want to give up and take a nap.

The image of Chat Noir sitting up on the top alone waiting for her was the only thing that made her drag herself up and climbed up to the middle of the tower where the cross beams were far closer. She now was able to jump and grip the beams tightly before launching herself onto the next one not too far away. Húdié kept it up and found it rather easy the higher she went and the closer the beams got. The only downside was that she was exhausted by the time she reached the top level, having never been this physically active before.

Húdié barely had enough strength to pull herself onto the last level and her knees gave out when they touched solid ground. She laid there for a long time wheezing as she felt the cold air dry her sweat, bitterly reminding her that her hair was most likely ruined. Húdié sat up and began to adjust the ribbons in her hair when she noticed the sparkling lights. Curious, she stood up and gazed at the city far below her, the lights twinkling brightly below her like mini stars.

She gazed in wonder, her heavy breathing lost in the breeze that blew past as she stared out at the vast city below her.

“I come here to think,” she turned quickly to see a pair of green cat eyes watching her from the shadows. Húdié’s heart hitched in her chest as he stared at her for a long second before coming out of the shadows.

His smile was gentle as he approached and came next to her on the rails, leaning on it while looking at the city below. She could feel that his heart was at peace here, as calm as the breeze blowing past.

“Do you come here often?” she asked, watching him lean forward more and stare directly below them. Húdié followed his gaze, gripping the rail tighter when realizing just how high up they were. If she were to fall she wouldn’t be able to catch herself. Why couldn’t she have wings on this suit?

“I do when I’m stressed out with my normal civilian life. I don’t get out much often so it’s nice to have some liberties. Up here I feel like I can do anything,” he breathed and turned to face her with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about the climb though. I didn’t realize you don’t have anything to help you get up here.”

“You saw all of that?” she squeaked and Chat Noir’s guilty amusement leaked through his nod.

“You did very well though climbing all the way up here!” he still tried to encourage while Húdié moaned, hiding her face in embarrassment.

“I look like such a mess right now,” she mumbled and Chat Noir tried to comfort her.

“No no you look great! I love the suit! You look fine!” he complimented, only making her face heat up more as giddiness took over. He was complimenting her!

Be professional! her inner self screamed.

“Ah, um, thank you,” Húdié forced out as she moved her hands away from her face. She fiddled with her cane and the two stood there, Chat’s intent staring making her more flustered. Chat chuckled.

“I’m sorry. I’m still just taking in the fact that you’re actually here. I hadn’t seen you before at all, even when we talk on the phone.”

“That’s because my little receiver is so tiny I can’t see anything,” she showed him, popping open the cane to reveal a white butterfly. It flew out and landed on Chat’s nose who stared at it wide-eyed. Húdié giggled and watched as it flew onto it’s holder, landing comfortably on her shoulder where Nooroo normally sat. Chat Noir stared at the butterfly with wide eyes.

“What do you call them?” he asked. Húdié thought about it.

“I only have one since I don’t know how to get more of these special butterflies, but this one is my little dear,” she giggled as the butterfly fluttered its’ wings, knowing that she was talking about them. “It’s only a rascal when I’m trying to catch it again. It took forever to find this fella after it escaped during Stoneheart. Thankfully I have a small butterfly garden at my house that attracted it and allowed for me to catch it.”

Chat chuckled and Húdié giggled, smiling warmly at one another for a long second. They were interrupted when the butterfly flew off from her shoulder and landed on her hand where the cane was.

“Back to the screen,” she said with a giggle, embarrassed that she had been staring. Chat Noir chuckled and showed her how to adjust the screen so now it worked like a phone. Not only that, he set it up so she could see his face during calls rather than his paw print icon.

“Wow this is amazing! How did you learn all of this?” she asked.

“I just mess with it since I usually have nothing better to do when I’m transformed. I normally patrol around and keep an eye out on my free time.”

“You patrol?” she asked and he nodded.

“See if there’s anyone that needs help, be there to respond in case Coccinelle appears. It’s good to be prepared.”

“Have you gotten any leads on who he is?” she asked but Chat Noir only sighed, slumping over the rail.

“I always hunt him down but lose him the second right before he transforms. He could be any one which is worse. I don’t know who I’m trying to follow. And I have no idea what he’s after,” he frowned, tail twitching in slight irritation as he glared at the lights below.

“I don’t know much either but here’s what I’ve been thinking,” Húdié started, Chat Noir listening with full attention as the city lights twinkled below, sparking as much as they could before the morning could snatch up their brightness.

Chapter Text

Adrien finished getting ready and started to walk downstairs, thoughts on the conversation he had with Húdié last night. She seemed like a trustworthy person and it was rather fascinating to finally meet her after the past few attacks from Coccinelle. It was actually better to have her there in person since she was a quick thinker and always knew what to do. Every time Coccinelle had been out when she was there, he always had to flee in the end.

Not only that, she was extremely observant, pointing out the things that Coccinelle was currently focused on. His main target was the Kubdel family in order to get information from an Egyptian scroll that Húdié said looks like it had hints of Miraculous existing during that time. Húdié figured that because they had provided a strong defense for the Kubdel family, Alix even fighting alongside them, Coccinelle might stand down but they still needed to be on guard and ready to protect the Kubdels.

The two of them then sat up there wondering what was his next move. Húdié said that he might be looking for more information on the Miraculous such as the Guardian that Nooroo, her kwami, had mentioned who holds all of the information of the Miraculous but was hiding since it was too dangerous lest he get captured. They both figured that Coccinelle would probably start trying to find out their secret identities so they both had to keep their miraculous hidden from everyone, which is why Adrien now walked with his ring in his pocket connected to a chain that was tied around his belt loop just in case it slipped out. Meanwhile, she said she would keep her Miraculous pinned to the inside pocket of her blazer and asked if he wanted her to make a pocket for his ring too. It was tempting, but risky in case she recognized the clothes since it seemed like she was a seamstress. Who else would wear  Gabriel clothing on a daily basis?

Adrien entered the dining room where his twin brother was already eating breakfast, gray clothing neatly pressed and blond hair combed back. His eyes were similar to their father in terms of blue coloring, but Félix also picked up the tint of silver from their grandfather’s gray eyes. Those eyes currently glanced up at Adrien without any indifference.

“You were out late last night. I didn’t think you were coming home,” Félix commented lightly as he poked his fruit with a fork. Adrien glanced around wildly, fearing that Nathalie was right there.

“She’s talking to Father right now,” Félix answered Adrien’s frantic movement, placing a grape into his mouth. Félix watched his brother, looking interested with the nerves the twin displayed.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Adrien answered stiffly, sitting down at the table. As soon as he got seated, the chef came out with his meal and presented it to him before returning to the kitchens.

“Really? So I should’ve just told Nathalie then I was dreaming when I didn’t find you in your bed at one in the morning when I got up to get some water?” he continued to eat.

“You what?” Adrien paled. But the door opening stopped Adrien from saying anything else as Nathalie appeared, her notepad in hand. Adrien sat, heart hammering as he gripped his fork tightly while Nathalie took her place behind the head chair where she could be seen by both of the twins seated across from one another.

“Adrien,” Nathalie said and his heart jumped into his throat. “Today you have a shoot after your fencing practice. After that you and Félix will have a joint Chinese lesson where you both will practice your communication skills before supper. You have an hour break until dinner with the Bourgeois so I suggest getting ahead on your school work.”

Adrien nodded, starting to eat as he tried to hold back the exhale of relief as Nathalie turned her attention to Félix. Of course Félix had been joking. Sometimes it was hard to determine whether the twin was trying to be humorous or not.

“Today after your homeschooling you will have your violin lessons before joining Adrien for your Chinese lessons until your break,” she finished but Félix frowned.

“What about the work at the company?” Félix asked Nathalie. Unlike Adrien who had no defined career in the future, Félix was already set to lead the company under Gabriel’s wishes. He was to take up Gabriel’s position once the older man deemed his son ready, already having him interning at the company a year ago.

“Today you will be with me filling out paperwork to attend Françoise Dupont,” Nathalie said, both twins starting at her in surprise.

“What?” they replied in unison. Nathalie finally looking slightly uncomfortable, if you call the tiny crease in her mouth that appeared slightly.

“I don’t want to go to his school,” Félix stated, glancing at Adrien before continuing, “I want to get my private lessons here.”

“Seeing how Adrien’s social health has improved since attending school, your father figures it will be an important way for you to establish connections and learn proper communication skills with your peers. Building connections early on in your career is an important task in upholding a reputation amongst others and encouraging more people who deem you as someone respectable to purchase your products,” Nathalie said. Adrien still stared at her, jaw slack and anger rising as every word soaked in.

“I’m more comfortable here. You can’t take me away from that,” Félix tried to persuade her but by Nathalie’s expression it wasn’t working.

“I spent so long trying to get into that school and he gets a free pass?” Adrien finally said quietly, glaring at Nathlie who looked at him. Now she looked uncomfortable, her gaze falling and frown deepening as the guilt rose up.

“I struggled to make friends just to be happy and have someone I could talk to and Père never let me do that. I had to disobey his wishes just so I could meet someone that wasn’t assigned to me or forced upon me and he gets a free pass after all I’ve been through?” Adrien stood up, no longer hungry, “I’m going to school.”

“Adrien-” Félix stood but Adrien ignored him, opening the door and storming into his room to grab his bag and leave. There was no interference as he made his way back down the steps fuming and roughly opened the front door where the Gorilla was waiting for him.

He sat in the car glaring out the window. Of course Félix would get a free pass even without asking. It seemed like between the two twins, Félix always got what he wanted. Even right now when Félix didn’t want to go to school he got what Adrien had been trying to pursue for months in a matter of seconds.

Adrien took deep breaths as they approached school and thanked the Gorilla as he climbed out, closing the door as calmly as he could behind him. Once entering the courtyard he immediately noticed the small crowd of students, many of them from his class. Curiosity got the better of his sour mood and he went over, catching what they were saying as he approached.

“Dude you looked so cool fighting Coccinelle!” Nathaniel exclaimed. “And you were able to become a Champion twice!”

“And your watch got fixed which was pretty sweet,” Juleka added.

“Poor Marinette though, has anyone been in contact with her? All I remember was seeing her get thrown to the side but then after we went back in the past she didn’t appear again,” Rose said. Adrien grew worried at that. If anything bad had happened to her...

“She’s fine. I ended up chatting with her later and she told me that by the time she got there everyone had already left due to the fight. She doesn't even remember being thrown since she wasn't with us when we went back in time,” Nino said with a wave of his hand and glanced around. “I’m actually surprised she’s not here since she’s always one to wake up super early, you know with her being a baker’s daughter and all.”

“I messaged her but she’s not responding. We were going to meet up this morning and talk about Noir News but she didn’t show up,” Alya huffed, glancing at her phone. The bell rang and everyone headed to class.

Adrien worried as he got seated, the pigtailed girl still not in sight. It wasn’t like her to be this late. What if something had happened to her? Coccinelle had already been intercepted by her a few times from what Alya mentioned at the museum and then yesterday. It terrified him to think that she could become a target just for being the selfless and kind person she was. She was so amazing risking herself to help other people, even if she didn’t know them like when they had first met. 

He had been losing the fight against Coccinelle who was far more powerful than he was in terms of strength, kicking him around like a bouncy ball. When he crashed down in front of her, she had looked so terrified and in pain, but that didn’t stop her from throwing herself onto Coccinelle. She not only managed to save him but also to return a miraculous. Then she asked him if he was okay rather than worrying about herself. She was incredible.

“Alright everyone, get to your seats!” Mlle. Bustier called out as the bell rang. Just as the door closed behind her, it was thrown open to reveal a haggard Marinette. Her eyes had bags under them and her normal pigtails were pulled back into a messy ponytail as she hurried into her seat with several apologies while the class chuckled.

Adrien heard Alya as Marinette got situated, pulling out her things quickly and as quietly as possible.

“What happened? You look like a mess,” Alya said playfully.

“It was a long night,” Marinette murmured and class started. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she was alright. Well, mostly alright by the sounds of it.

When the bell rang for the next period, Nino grinned at Adrien once they were free to talk.

“So your birthday is coming up right? I heard someone mention it yesterday in some magazine on you.”

“Yeah, it’s in a couple of days,” Adrien admitted.

“We should do something for you! How about a party or something?”

“My father would never permit that,” Adrien shook his head, sighing as he recalled the events from today with Félix.

“How about I go try to convince him and see what he says? I’m sure I could make it work,” they paused when hearing a huge yawn from behind.

“You doing good, Mari? You look exhausted,” Nino asked the girl behind them.

“Yeah, I’ve been working out more and last night was hard to sleep so my body gave up on me this morning and I ended up oversleeping,” she chuckled.

“Working out more? Doing what?” Alya asked as they made their way out of class.

“Um, a lot of running. My dad also has me lifting stuff in the bakery so my arms are super sore,” Marinette stifled another yawn, pulling out a thermos and taking a sip of it.

“What kept you up last night?” Adrien asked. That was the wrong thing to do since it turned her attention right to him, her blue eyes staring right into his soul. He could feel his heart freeze and he forced himself to relax as she blinked at him in surprise, as if realizing he was there.

“A cat,” she said, still staring at him.

“A cat?” they echoed in confusion. Marinette realized what she said and her cheeks suddenly got rosy.

“Yeah, he was um. Talking a lot. You know. Meowing. It was hard to sleep,” she fumbled with her words and Adrien wondered if she truly was okay.

“You can take a nap during lunch or after school,” Nino suggested and she nodded.

“And we can stop by your house and eat some of your goodies?” Alya added with a grin and Marinette laughed. 

“Not today after school. I’m babysitting so I’ll need to keep all of my attention on her today. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy though because she’s always extremely hyper and sneaky. Not only that it’s so hard to say no to her with her big puppy eyes,” she said. Nino and Alya both chuckled, knowing looks on their faces.

“Chris usually whines a ton until my parents give in,” Nino shook his head.

“And the twins always seem to get what they want, meanwhile I’m left dealing with their tantrums,” Alya rolled her eyes and the two of them got seated in their assigned spots in Mlle. Mendeleiev.

Adrien took his seat besides Marinette, sighing as he opened up his backpack while recalling the dispute earlier this morning. It seems like all families have that one sibling that’s favored more than the rest.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked and Adrien blinked in surprise, pencil frozen in his hand.

“Yeah?” he replied back uncertainty.

“You’re very quiet today. Is there something on your mind?” she asked in worry. Adrien tried not to think too much about how she managed to notice his slight distress in the morning. She was just a good and caring friend looking out for him. There was no way she would see anything else in him.

After convincing himself not to overreact to his own feelings, Adrien smiled.

“I’m fine,” he answered. “Just a little distracted today.”

It didn’t seem to appease Marinette, only making her frown deepen. Now Adrien grew nervous. How did she know he was lying? Did she know he was lying? Was she going to call him out? He already knew that she was one to confront situations and he didn’t really want to talk about this right now as class was just about to start.

Instead Marinette broke out into the warmest smile ever, sweeter than any dessert he has ever had in his entire life. It was gentle and understanding and so many different signs of kindness at once that Adrien couldn’t do anything else besides blink dumbly.

“I see. If there is anything really bothering you though don’t be afraid to talk about it with me. I just want to make sure you’re okay. I can make a good cup of hot chocolate that can make any gloomy day better,” she giggled with playful smile.

Adrien’s mind blanked. He dropped his pencil and it bounced off the lab table onto the floor. As he dove down to get it, he nearly slipped off of the tall chair, causing it to make a commotion as it rattled around. Adrien fumbled with his pencil and grabbed the chair, slowly rising up as everyone turned to watch him.

“Are you done, M. Agreste?” Mlle. Mendeleiev gave him a pointed look. Everyone including Marinette chuckled and Adrien nodded before getting into his seat, his face burning in both embarrassment and flushed at how cute Marinette’s giggle was.

He couldn’t help but glance at her as everyone attention was turned to the front. Marinette noticed and looked back at him with another smile before focusing on her notes. Adrien adjusted his pencil as he forced himself to focus on the class, trying to still his pounding heart. He  started to take notes but paused as Marinette passed him a slip of paper. Adrien curiously opened it to see that it was a little icon of her smiling with a motivational cheer, most likely hoping to make him feel better.  His face went scarlet and all hopes of concentration were destroyed by the little cheering Marinette that rested innocently on top of his half finished notes.

Adrien got in the car on a much better note, having hung out with his friends and then doing well in fencing practice. By the time he got home, the morning was completely forgotten until he walked by Félix’s room where the twin was glaring down at the empty book bag on his bed that Nathalie most likely just purchased for him.

Adrien’s mood went south as he stared at it, but then noticing his brother’s tight fist made Adrien soften. His brother hadn’t asked for this at all and it was wrong to be mad at him for it. Not only that, Félix preferred being alone, not surrounded by other people like Adrien needed.

“Deciding how many books you’ll need to pack?” Adrien asked playfully, trying to lighten up the mood. Félix jolted and whipped his head to the door, only to relax when seeing his brother. He resumed his normal glare at the bag.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Père said-”

“-that it'll be beneficial for me to make new acquaintances to establish a solid foundation in the future. But forcing me to do this is detrimental to my mental health.”

“And let me guess, he told you not going is detrimental to your social health,” Adrien said and Félix’s silence confirmed it. Adrien entered the room and sat down on the desk chair.

“This is ridiculous,” Félix finally muttered before starting to fill his bag with the school supplies on the bed that Adrien hadn’t noticed before from his position at the door.

“It’s not that bad. I’ll introduce you to my friends since you’ll most likely be in my class. Nino’s pretty chill to hang out with and while Alya is really friendly, she’s great to get along with. Marinette’s amazing so I’m sure you’ll like her right away.”

“Now I’ll be able to put a name to all of these faces,” Félix said and Adrien smiled as he started to spin around on the chair, glad his brother’s mood was starting to improve.

“It’ll be fun. The material isn’t too hard and they have a pretty big library which I know you’ll be in all the time. You might even forget how bad it is,” Adrien joked.

“Will Chloé be there?” Félix suddenly asked, making Adrien pause.

“Of course she will be, she’s the one that told me to go in the first place. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Félix said, the happy mood from before clipped as shortly as it had bloomed. Even if he didn’t say it, Adrien knew what his brother was implying. Both Félix and Chloé always seemed tense around one another. Chloé doing something that would make Félix comment about it and then Chloé would get upset. Adrien never understood what the problem was between them two.

“She’s not that bad in school. Sure she gets annoyed when I don’t hang out with her but that’s most likely because she wants to spend more time with me now that I’m available.”

“She’s never respected anyone once, not even her own father,” Félix recalled with a serious look towards Adrien, as if hoping he would get the point.

That point flew over Adrien’s head as he shook it, “She’s never been rude to me before. Maybe it's just how she presents herself that makes people think she's a negative person.”

“How about the other students? Are they close friends with her?” Félix replied and Adrien opened his mouth to defend Chloé, but nothing came out. Instead, the image of Chloé sticking gum onto Marinette’s chair and laughing at Marinette when she had fallen in her crutches rose up in his mind. Chloé mocking the girl who not only saved his life the day before, but all of Paris in result.

“She will never learn,” Félix resumed putting his things in his bag while Adrien closed his mouth, unable to defend Chloé. But they were friends and she was always nice to him. Sure she was clingy, but that was because she struggled to make friends.

And why was that? A little voice nagged in his head. Adrien pushed the voice away and focused on watching his brother prepare and hoping nothing else would happen regarding Chloé.

Unfortunately, the topic of Chloé was not resolved for the day with the dinner with the Bourgeois happening a few hours later. André wanting to meet with Gabriel for “old times sake” when in reality everyone knew it was because of the upcoming elections that were going to be held in a month. André  was going to with his huge backing of rich followers and funding, but he still wanted to secure that the people that did follow him would continue to do so.

“Audrey couldn’t make it?” Gabriel noted as the group ate. André sat at the head of the table with Gabriel to his left, making it more direct for them to discuss. Félix sat next to his father and Adrien sat next to his twin, Chloé across from Adrien so they could both talk.

“She’s busy in London again with one of her shows before heading to New York to work at her company there for a bit before returning home to visit. I know she said she’ll be present for one of your shows you’re planning in the future, correct?” André asked.

“Yes, and I’ll be hosting a small competition at my son’s school so the students can get some experience in the fashion industry. Not many students are interested in that kind of work as of late, but Félix has taken a liking to the company so I’ve been educating him so he can pick it up.

“That’s very impressive. Congratulations, Félix,” André said kindly but Félix portrayed no emotion as he thanked the mayor. André fidgeted nervously as he thought of the next thing to ask.

“Those heroes out there are really something, aren’t they?” André managed to think of a new topic of discussion. Adrien actually perked up at this, excited to talk about something that interested him.

“I’m relieved that they’re not causing any further damage to any parts of Paris. That Chat Noir character ended up destroying one of my shops when they were first fighting. Other than that though it’s been relatively peaceful which you must be happy about,” Gabriel said and André nodded.

“There has been a ton of support from the people for these Chat Noir and Húdié heroes that it’s been helping me run my campaign.”

“Have the heroes mentioned they will be supporting you?” Gabriel asked in interest. André fiddled with his hands before taking a sip of water.

“Not exactly but I’m trying to get into contact with them. It’s difficult since they always have to run off before I can get a word in. I might try to have Nadja get a personal word for me when she speaks with them since she's trying to get an interview with them. There's also a girl from Chloé's school who made a blog about the heroes called Noir News so I'm interested in talking with her to see if she can't get me access to the heroes."

"You mean Alya Cesaire? That nobody?" Chloé finally interjected. "Her blog is ridiculous and poorly made. I could make a better one and get the heroes to definitely respond to me."

"That would be fascinating to see, Mlle. Bourgeois," Gabriel said with interest and Chloé huffed with pride. 

"Of course, I always do everything perfect," she said confidently.

"I must thank you for encouraging Adrien to go to school. He has enjoyed it well enough that Félix will also be attending," Gabriel said. Rather than lifting Chloé's spirits, she looked at Félix in contempt who stared back coldly.

"That's wonderful! When does he start?" André asked, oblivious to the teens.

"Tomorrow," Gabriel said and Félix nodded, him and Chloé still glaring at each other from across the table. 

"I'm excited to gain new experiences at Collège Françoise Dupont," Félix said, narrowing his eyes. Finally Chloé looked back down at her food, bitterly eating. Félix followed suit after one more look and Adrien glanced between the two before resuming his meal, worried what tomorrow would have in store.

Turns out Adrien’s worries weren’t the issue for the twins as they got out of the car the next day. They decided the night before to arrive early so Adrien could show Félix around before class started. It was quieter than normal as they walked around, Adrien pointing out the class room and library which Félix took some time to admire before continuing on towards the cafeteria. They heard chattering from another room down the hall and both looked at each other in surprise before heading over to check out the noise.

In the room, art covered the wall from graffiti to posters and paintings. Busts and statues filled the room and the tables were covered in art supplies. It was chaotic and cluttered with everything colorful, making Adrien a little dazed.

Marinette was pacing back and forth in the center of the room while Nathaniel sat at a table across from her, watching her as he talked.

“I’m telling you it’s a good color match up. I don’t think you should shut down your idea that quickly,” Nathaniel was trying to explain before Marinette made an exasperated noise as she momentarily paused her circling.

“It makes it look like a clown by clashing such bright colors together! I don’t want it to scream ‘look at me I’m a mess and don’t know how primary colors work!’” Marinette imitated someone that sounded oddly similar to André Bourgeois. The twins watched Marinette sit down on the chair where her notebook was laid out and give it a long glare. Her thermos was back again and she was about to drink from it but changed her mind, getting up and continuing to pace. While her eyes still had bags under them and actually seemed a little darker, her normal pigtails were replaced by two neatly done braids, showing that she had more time to wake up today.

“I want something that goes well with it but doesn’t go ‘augh!’ You know?” Marinette gestured and Nathaniel nodded.

“Maybe gold and blue? You always seem to do different reds and pinks, so blue would be nice. Or silver instead of gold,” Nathaniel suggested. Marinette paused thoughtfully, running it over in her head. She glanced at the door in deep thought and blinked when seeing eyes staring back at her.

“Oh, hey!” she waved happily and Adrien grinned, giddy that she spotted them. He entered the room and motioned to Félix who was still by the door.

“Good morning, I’m just showing my brother around school,” Adrien moved aside so Félix could introduce himself.

“Félix,” his brother said with a nod of his head.

“I’m Marinette, and this is Nathaniel. Sorry if we’re being too loud, we like to throw ideas around at one another for designs once in a while,” she smiled. At this Félix grew interested.

“Do you both make clothing?” he asked.

“I’m just an artist that likes to make comics so sometimes I make a couple of outfits now and then. And who better than to talk to than Marinette?” Nathaniel smiled at Marinette who flushed at the compliment.

“I’m not even that much help,” she tried to dismiss but Nathaniel gaped.

“You make everything you wear! That’s already amazing to begin with, and you’re also starting to do commissions already which is fantastic!” Nathaniel seemed to light up just talking about Marinette. Meanwhile the other girl’s face just got more and more scarlet at Nathaniel’s invigorated compliments.

“May I?” Félix came forward to Marinette and she nodded, sliding the notebook over for him to check out.

“So are you checking out the school?” Marinette asked, her face slowly losing the flush it had gathered. Her rosy cheeks were adorable to look at and seemed to make her face light up, eyes bright and smile warm. 

“No, I’m enrolled here.”

“Really?” both Marinette and Nathaniel said in surprise, looking at Adrien who chuckled sheepishly.

“I never got a chance to mention it since everyone was still talking about Alix being a Champion.”

“You could’ve slipped it in somewhere,” Nathaniel smiled at Adrien. “We’re not trying to keep your lips sealed.”

“I know, but it was a sudden move from our father. He didn’t even tell us until yesterday morning so it was definitely a surprise for us as well. I think I'm still sore under my chin when my jaw hit the floor from the news,” Adrien joked, trying to not sound bitter. Nathaniel laughed but Marinette didn’t, starting at Adrien who looked away nervously to where his brother was still observing Marinette’s work.

“The designs are fashionable yet simplistic enough to be seen as casual wear. The hats are also interesting with their different styles. Was this what you were arguing about?” Félix pointed to what looked like Marinette’s latest design. She nodded and leaned forward, starting to discuss what the two had been debating before the twins had entered.

"I didn't know you had an older brother," Nathaniel said curiously to Adrien while the other two talked.

"Twin, actually," Adrien admitted with a chuckle. Nathaniel looked even more surprised at this. 

“You don’t really talk about your family, do you?” he asked and Adrien shrugged.

“There’s not much to tell. We all keep to ourselves for the most part or we’re too busy to really do anything together,” Adrien focused his attention as Félix finished up with Marinette who seemed much happier than before.

“I can show you around if you want, unless Adrien has it all together,” Marinette smiled at Adrien who grinned happily as she turned her attention to him.

“You can join us if you want and add anything I might miss,” Adrien offered and Marinette giggled before turning to Nathaniel

“I’ll show them around. We’re all done here, right?” she asked and Nathaniel nodded with a soft smile.

“Yeah, you can go on ahead. I need to finish up my work from our last discussion anyway,” he said and Marinette hesitated before packing up her things and following after the twins.

“So where have you gone so far?” Marinette asked and Adrien informed her of everything including where they were headed before stopping at the art room. Marinette let Adrien do most of the leading and explaining where everything was, only informing Félix of things that Adrien wouldn’t know since he wasn’t here for as long. Such as the types of instruments that were in the music room, how to enter the basement, and that the door to every one of the the custodian closets may seem locked but if you jiggle the handle a couple of times while pressing into the handle and the bottom corner of the door simultaneously, it would unlock. Adrien was curious as to how Marinette knew that last one but didn’t ask.

Finally they got to the locker rooms and put away their extra belongings before heading to class where Nathaniel already was there, talking with Alix and Max. Félix was introduced to them and they happily accepted their new classmate with ease. Adrien could tell that Félix was starting to become less and less uncomfortable with the prospect of school as he got seated with Nathaniel who was the best person to be a desk partner with if you wanted little conversation.

When Chloé arrived she completely ignored Félix, sitting in her normal seat with Sabrina. Rather than being upset like Adrien would’ve expected, she seemed rather happy with herself. Maybe she was in a good mood and actually meant well for Félix.

Adrien settled into his seat happily as Nino came in with a friendly greeting and Adrien grew excited to introduce Félix to Nino. They both liked music and it would be amazing to see the two of them get along. Alya would also be a fun person for Félix to meet. Even if she did pry into things she shouldn’t, like with his secret identity, she was a good person.

Marinette suddenly stood up from behind the two of them, looking at the door in alarm. Adrien frowned at her sudden reaction and turned to face the door as well. There was a long second before Alya stormed into the room, eyes locked in on Chloé.

Now he had never seen many people angry in his life since it was rather unprofessional for them to act out on their emotions in the workplace, but Adrien could tell that the anger in Alya’s face was something to be feared. Her eyes blazed and her fists were balled as she stormed in, shoulders squared.

“How dare you,” Alya seethed and Marinette got up as Alya slammed her hand down on Chloé’s desk, drawing the attention of all the students. “You knew I’ve been working hard on Noir News and you dare report it as copying your work? Your website is a rip off of mine! Those are my pictures! My theme designs!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. My site has been up longer and has way more important information. How dare you accuse me of such things. That’s utterly ridiculous,” Chloé huffed.

Alya’s face went from anger to rage. She seemed ready to let Chloé have it when Marinette interceded, pulling away the redhead and taking her outside where the two could talk. Adrien could hear Alya’s heated voice even outside of the classroom.

“That work is mine!” Alya growled.

“I know, I know,” Marinette tried to reason with the furious girl. If it had been her in Alya’s shoes she knows she would feel the exact same. But Marinette didn’t want to have Alya get into more trouble than what it was worth, especially with Chloé's easy ability to abuse power.

“If you can find out who was the one that closed your blog maybe you can get them to reopen it again?” Marinette offered.

“I would if they didn’t work for André Bourgeois,” Alya hissed menacingly, gripping her phone tightly in her hand. Mlle. Bustier arrived before Marinette could say anything else and ushered the girls inside the classroom before they were late.

Alya was fuming for the rest of the class, which put a damper on the mood of everyone else. At lunch Alya left wanting to be alone, leaving Marinette worried for her friend as she got seated at the lunch tables. Nino came over looking equally bothered.

“I feel bad for Alya, and the worst part is that we can’t do anything about it. Chloé gets what she wants just because her dad is the mayor and he has a ton of backing from other people. If not he just threatens them and they bend to his will,” Nino glumly messed with his food. 

“That sounds like Chloé,” they looked up to see Félix standing there, having overheard their conversation as he was headed to the library. “Is anyone sitting here?”

Marinette shook her head and moved her things to the side, letting Félix slide into the seat.

“Do you know Chloé well?” she asked.

“As well as Adrien does, but without the warped friendship they have,” Félix’s expression turned dark at that. Marinette could feel his negative emotions towards the blonde in discussion.

“How come you haven’t talked to Adrien about how bad their relationship is?” Nino asked.

“I’ve tried multiple times to reason with him, but Adrien’s a person of emotion rather than logic. He tends to prefer to keep people happy and stick with someone even if they’re not the best people because it’s usually all he has in terms of friends.”

“So Chloé was an opportunity to make friends and now he’s too committed to leave even though she’s an awful human being?” Nino concluded and Félix nodded. Marinette sighed, feeling sympathetic towards Adrien but also slightly annoyed. He had many more friends now and he should see that Chloé wasn’t a great person, so why stick with her?

“Your friend Alya was the one that was running Noir News?” Félix asked and other two nodded. “Interesting. My father happened to be talking about it yesterday, and Chloé had been saying that Noir News was ridiculous and she could make a better one so the heroes could respond to her.”

“Chloé doing something herself?” Nino laughed and Marinette snorted. The two of them laughed for a bit before realizing what that meant, the humor drooping as the reality set in.

“Chloé purposely made her own account and got Alya’s removed just so the heroes could talk to her,” Marinette realized. Nino gripped his fork angrily.

“Sometimes I just want to give her a good slug in the head. What does she even gain from it? She probably is forcing poor Sabrina to do all of the work anyway.”

“Chloé craves popularity and will do anything to ruin the reputation of others to rise up,” Félix said and Marinette sighed.

“I wish there was something we could do. Maybe we can talk to Max and see what he knows about copyright?” Marinette asked the two of them.

“She can demand Chloé for the pictures back at least. She does have evidence that those belong to her, especially if she has them backed up,” Nino said and Félix nodded.

“The only issue that will arise is the claiming of the website itself. Chloé has a huge amount of influence which will make it hard to get the credit given to the right person. One way I could see this complication being solved is if the heroes themselves validate Noir News so Alya could have control of it again due to people supporting the heroes. But for Alya who barely just started to make her blog known only for it to be shut down before it had a huge fanbase won’t be that impactful.”

“But would it still be able to help if Alya managed to interview one of the heroes?” Marinette asked hopefully, wanting at least some faith that it would all work out. Félix sat there considering this.

“It could work. The only issue is finding out how to get the heroes to come out. The only time they come out from what it looks like is to fight Coccinelle and once the fight is over they only have a limited time left, not much for an interview,” Félix said. Nino looked upset at this but Marinette was thoughtful.

Chat said he liked patrolling, so why not make those patrols more public? They could ‘coincidentally’ bump into Alya while on the patrol and spare a few minutes for an interview before leaving. That would be enough for Alya to get enough support back and reclaim her website or at least make her point shown that the information was her own.

For now though the first thing she had to do was make sure Alya was doing okay. She messaged Alya that they could meet up later if she was up for it after school before but got no reply back throughout lunch.

Nino decided to go talk to Max so Marinette decided to show Félix the library since he mentioned he wanted to check it out again. The two entered the quiet library and Marinette got seated at one of the tables in the back that she usually sat. Félix browsed the selection of books with interest while Marinette decided to look up methods in how to get Alya’s blog back. She wouldn’t be as skilled as Max was searching for what she needed but at least she was doing something rather than sitting around. 

Félix returned with a couple of books and the two both got settled down in a comfortable silence. Marinette bookmarked important points on her phone she thought would be good, meanwhile deciding to continue her design she had worked on earlier this morning, recalling Félix’s input.

His critique of her work was actually much appreciated. Most people couldn’t see the finer details that she had, rather seeing everything as a whole. Yet Félix took note of every aspect and not only analyzed the whole outfit but also the individual details she had made. He was observant and his commentary was useful rather than harsh with no points of improvement.

“And my guess was correct!” they glanced up as Adrien smiled down at the two of them. He looked like he had just come from a shoot, his face still covered in a light layer of makeup and hair slightly gelled in specific spots, most likely strays that wouldn’t stay down.

“Let me guess, you thought I would be in here?” Félix returned to his book as the twin’s grin widened. It was odd that the two of them had such different demeanors; Adrien always radiant and smiling while Félix seemed more mellow and soft. Marinette noticed with a small bit of surprise that she hadn’t seen Félix smile all day.

“Yep! Are these your designs?” Adrien asked as he sat next to Marinette, leaning in to see her work. She quickly pulled it away though, freaking out. The next page had her art for Adrien’s birthday gift and she didn’t want him to see that.

“Most of the time they’re just silly things I do. Some though are commissions that people want me to make so I usually make different designs before making them.” Marinette flipped farther along in the book and happened to land on the Chat Noir themed outfit and Marinette felt his bubbling emotions still completely, much like they had done when she came in looking like a mess the other day. He seemed to freeze up before forcing himself back into motion, his emotions fluttering. Marinette frowned at Adrien.

“You like Chat Noir, huh,” Adrien said, voice sounding odd which caused Félix looked up at the notebook curiously. Félix’s eyes widened and he leaned forward to look at the outfit from her seat.

“That’s pretty cool. What’s the jacket made of?” Félix asked.

“I don’t know. Chat Noir’s suit looks like it’s made of leather since it shines but it actually is a different material all together. I can’t really describe it but it’s fascinating. That’s why I don’t know what texture I want the jacket to be but I really want to keep the silver in it. Then the undershirt will be black and green. Black jeans would look good with it or any dark colored jeans. What do you think?” Marinette asked Félix. She couldn’t help but notice the giddiness coming off of Adrien as his brother examined her work.

Before he could respond, the warning bell rang and Félix went to put his books away. 

“You should show these to Chat Noir,” Adrien said and Marinette couldn’t help but shake her head.

“It’s not like I can find him easily and show him. He’s a hero and is busy dealing Coccinelle to focus on a girl making some doodles in her book.”

“But you did save him, maybe he must want to do something for you?” Adrien asked but Marinette shook her head.

“I don’t want him to feel obligated towards me. He saved my life too that day so we called it even.”

“But what if he doesn’t feel that it’s even and he still wants to do something for you?” Adrien pressed. Marinette giggled.

“If you keep talking like that I’m going to think Chat Noir is your friend or something,” Marinette joked and Adrien realized his persistence and chuckled sheepishly.

“Sorry, it feels like such a waste if he didn’t see it.”

“I’m mainly doing this for my own fun. I enjoy what I’m doing and while I know he would appreciate the work, I’m not looking for his validation. Just mine is enough,” Marinette smiled and Adrien soaked in what she said before nodding slowly.

“I get that. That’s how I feel with fencing. Even if I look better to my father and to everyone that I have a trophy or first place prize, I like doing it for myself.”

“It’s that satisfaction you get from doing it right,” Marinette agreed and the two shared a smile as Félix returned. 

Marinette glanced at her phone to see no messages from her friend as they entered the classroom, and got worried when seeing the empty seat next to hers. Marinette sat down alone and sighed in worry as she glanced at her phone again. A soft tap bumped her leg and she opened her purse curiously too see Nooroo give her a smile, trying to lighten up her day. Marinette smiled back in return and tried not to think of the negatives as she got her notes out. Once she talked to Chat Noir about the patrols then she would be able to set things right for Alya, and she was determined to make it right

Chapter Text

Félix was surprised when Nino came with Adrien as they headed home, intent on talking to their dad about having a birthday celebration. Félix wanted to scoff at the optimism in the young man yet was also slightly impressed at his spirit. Sadly the day Gabriel Agreste let his sons have a birthday party of their own desires would be the day he actually told them he loved them.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Adrien was on the same wavelength as Félix in terms of Nino’s success.

“I can be pretty persuading, trust me,” Nino winked as they headed inside.

To the surprise of the three residents of the Agreste household, Gabriel Agreste was actually out of his office, holding a couple of books in his hand as he left the library on the upper floor.

“Who is this?” Gabriel asked, eyebrow raised.

“Hello, M. Agreste. I was wondering since your sons are having a birthday tomorrow, I wanted to have a celebration with the entire class. It would be a great way for Félix to get to know everyone and because Adrien has been such a great friend, it would be a nice way of showing our appreciation for him,” Nino said confidently.

“And where would you be having this party?” Gabriel questioned.

“Well, I haven’t thought it out as of yet-”

“And when would this party be?”

“I was planning maybe tomorrow or the day after-”

“And what entertainment will you have?”

“I’ve got some music I could set up and my friends always have great party ideas if I talk to them-”

“And what kind of food?”

“My friend’s a baker and she makes really good pastries and cakes-” Nino was getting more anxious the faster Gabriel asked the questions.

“And you’re good friends with my sons?”

“We’re best friends!” Nino felt relieved at the easy question, but little did he know that was his downfall.

“You’re telling me you want to have a party for my sons with cheap entertainment which hasn’t even been discussed, eat unhealthy sugary food that will damage my son’s physique, and found a good venue to celebrate while their birthday is only a couple days away? If you really cared for my sons, you would have asked me about this a month in advance so a proper celebration could be planned rather than a small- and what it seems like- a pathetic and rushed excuse for a party. Would a good friend truly be that uncoordinated and distasteful? What if my sons are busy tomorrow and are unable to attend their own celebration? This looks like an excuse to find time to slack off and inhibit my sons from focusing on their work rather than something for them to enjoy. We’re a busy family, and if you were as you say his “best friend,” you would understand that we don’t have the luxury to relax like you. This is an insult to my sons in a lack of planning,” Gabriel finished coldly.

Adrien looked horrified at his father and Félix glanced to his side to see that Nino seemed to have shrunken into a shell, head bowed in shame and shoulders slumped.

“If you have nothing else to say, I suggest you leave now before you humiliate yourself any further,” Gabriel walked down the steps and headed to his office.

“Père-” Adrien started but was completely ignored, Gabriel closing the door behind him.

Adrien turned to his friend, “I’m so sorry. He’s-”

“It’s okay dude, he’s right. I should’ve thought of this all before hand rather than try something spontaneous. It was wrong of me to not talk you guys into account... I gotta go, see you tomorrow,” Nino sighed and headed out. Adrien was about to follow after him but Félix grabbed his brother’s shoulder, shaking his head.

“Don’t, not right now when he’s home,” Félix looked to the office door before watching Nino leave, the Gorilla closing the door behind him and thus shutting out the young man and leaving the twins locked inside for the rest of the day.

Adrien gripped his fist tightly before pulling away from his brother, storming silently to his room and locking himself in. Félix stood in the middle of the foyer alone as Nathalie went into the office.

Gabriel’s grip was steel when it came to letting the boys do what they wanted. Everything must go through his personal inspection, and the standards Gabriel maintained were extremely high that it was nearly impossible to enjoy themselves. Such was life in the Agreste household after their mother vanished.

Félix decided to retire to his room to read to take his mind off of the somber rejection of unsuspecting Nino.

He entered the library and pulled a book from the shelf, opening it up and deeming it good enough to be a distraction as he settled down into his seat. There was a gentle breeze from the window and he looked outside, watching a butterfly flutter by the window innocently.

It was odd to him how similar Marinette was to her. They both looked almost the exact same but Marinette had larger eyes from her father while her’s were more almond shaped. Her hair was also longer but other than that the coloring between the two was the same. Their smiles were also warm and the giggle almost identical.

The new hero Húdié also sparked some interest in him. How was it that a butterfly hero that arrived looked just like her who also had a love of butterflies?

Félix sighed and closed his book. With the three girls in mind, it would be impossible to read so he might as well find something else to do instead.

Nino glumly sat on a park bench, blowing some bubbles from a bubble blower Chris gave him. He had soft music playing in his headphones to drown out the noise of the children running around the park. As each bubble popped, he felt as if it was another thing he had done wrong. Nino should’ve checked in on Adrien before if they could even have this party. If only he had gotten Gabriel’s approval in advance then Nino would’ve been set. Now he let down his classmates who were expecting a party, and Adrien who had been excited to celebrate his first birthday with friends.

Nino jumped when a hand waved in front of him. He looked to the person in alarm and relaxed when seeing it was Marinette.

“Hey,” he pulled off his headphones. Marinette settled down on the bench next to him.

“You seem upset,” she said.

“Is it that obvious?” Nino asked. Marinette nodded.

“You usually only listen to music in public when you’re thinking hard, and with that look on your face, it's not a positive thinking. Did it not go well with their dad?”

Nino sighed as he slumped into the bench further, “I messed up.”

“How?” Marinette asked in worry.

“I was supposed to plan this all before but since I didn’t Gabriel got upset with me thinking I’m disrespecting his sons because of my poor lack of planning.”

“You only found out about Adrien’s birthday last week, plus no one even knew Félix existed until today,” Marinette said but Nino still wasn’t encouraged.

“I still should’ve planned something better at least. We have no food, no music, no entertainment, nothing. Not even a place to host it,” Nino rested the back of his head on the bench. He just wanted his friend to have a good time with everyone because Adrien never got to leave the house. Now it looked like Nino not only ruined any other future outings for Adrien but also seems like a terrible friend in the eyes of Gabriel. It hurt Nino to imagine what Gabriel thought of the other classmates.

Marinette leaned back too and they both sat there, frowning in silence. Nino looked up at the children playing around in the park without a care.

“I’ve always liked this park. It’s small but at the same time big enough to be a nice place to have a little private time. Plus it’s right next to your house so we always grabbed something to eat before working on my music over there,” Nino nodded to the familiar spot the two of them always sat hiding in the bushes so they could listen to Nino’s new music or make fun of the kids acting up in the playground.

“You know, we could have the party here,” Marinette said as she thought. Nino looked to her in surprise and watched Marinette’s face start to brighten as she planned out everything. “It would be far easier and faster for my parents to make food and bring it right over here since we’re right next door. And for reserving a spot at the park with the city will be simple because there aren't any events hosted here later in the day, especially on a weekday. If that doesn't work we can talk to Chloe and see if she can reserve a spot for us since her dad's the mayor and she’ll do anything for Adrien. She might just rent out the whole park just to show off,” Marinette chuckled and Nino laughed, feeling giddy.

“I can grab some of the sound set that I have already. And doesn’t Juleka and her brother play guitar together? We might be able to snag some speakers from them.”

“For games we can talk to Alix and Kim who will probably have something for everyone to do that’s sporty. And anyone that doesn’t want to get that rough and dirty I can get some other things to do fun arts and crafts.”

“Can we ask Max to bring his game system? Put it on a projector or something?” Nino asked excitedly.

“That’s a little too much to hope for,” Marinette giggled and Nino chuckled sheepishly, realizing that it would be pretty hard.

“We should talk to Gabriel right now,” Nino got up but Marinette pulled him back down.

“We need to make sure this can happen first!” Marinette pointed out and Nino chuckled bashfully again.

“Sorry I’m just so excited. This might actually work,” he said and pulled out his phone to call people. Marinette was amazing with her quick thinking. Nino always admired that from her.

“You call Chloe because she’ll never hear it from me. I’ll talk to Alix and Juleka and you can try to get in contact with Kim and maybe Max to see if they have any fun things to do,” Marinette said and the two got started on the calls, bubbling with excitement.

Adrien was set on moping in his room for the rest of the day until Félix came in with his violin to practice. The two started to practice, Adrien playing the piano as Félix’s accompaniment.

As they practiced, Félix seemed to struggle with playing most of the time until the quieter twin finally stopped. Adrien trialed off on the keys, looking at his brother in surprise. It wasn’t like Félix to suddenly stop like that while practicing.

“I know you’re upset but this is excessive,” Félix gave his brother a look.

“What?” Adrien asked, offended.

“Your playing is everywhere that I can’t even match your rhythm. Père isn’t going to hate Nino forever. He just got mad at Nino because he wanted to make another excuse for us to not leave the house,” Félix lowered his bow and violin. Adrien ran his fingers along the keys, sighing.

“I just wanted to hang out with them for my birthday. This is the first time Maman isn’t here that…” Adrien couldn’t finish. Since their mother got sick, their father had been out of the house all of the time but always wanted to keep the two of them inside as if to hide them from something. Chat Noir was that small freedom he got, but with how serious Coccinelle was to get the ring it wasn’t fun to go out all the time. Patrol was pretty fun but even then was short since Húdié was always busy with something. She seemed stressed all the time and it seemed to make her more prone to stuttering and stumbling around. Adrien felt bad for her.

“Maybe the two of us can do something. Have the chef make us something small. Or make it ourselves like Maman taught us,” Félix suggested.

“Yeah,” Adrien agreed but the thoughts of his mother still resonated in his mind. Years ago the twins had noticed that their mother was starting to fall ill until it got super severe that she was hospitalized. Then their father took her to a special hospital that prohibited any visitors due to the biosecurity measures they had in place and the twins had yet to see her face or even hear from here since then.

The two blinked in surprise as they heard talking from outside. Adrien was able to pick up on the voices almost immediately.

“Is that-?” Adrien quickly got out of the room and sure enough spotted Nino and Marinette standing in the foyer. Adrien hurried down the steps, Félix following after curiously.

“What’s up, dude!” Nino waved happily to Adrien as if he didn’t get scolded by his father not too long ago. Marinette greeted them with a smile and a wave.

“What are you doing here?” Adrien asked in surprise.

“Marinette ran into me at the park and found out what happened so she decided to help me! Speaking of that, you really showed up at the park at the best time, Mari,” Nino told the girl.

“I just had a feeling,” she shrugged with a smile as the door of the office opened and Gabriel came out. He glared at the two guests and Adrien glanced at Nino too see that the tall boy still looked ashamed and starting to hunch down. Adrien was about to step up to defend his friend when Marinette stepped forward, back straight and head up.

“Hello, M. Agreste. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m a big fan of your work, especially the recent collection you made. The butterflies were my favorite part of it,” she said and Gabriel blinked in surprise.

“I’m surprised, not many people notice the butterflies. It’s in my logo actually,” he motioned to the design of the house and sure enough, as Adrien looked around, the shapes he figured were always  simple shapes turned out to be a butterfly.

“My mother has a fondness for butterflies so she inspired my love for them to add them into my work,” Marinette presented her flats which had little butterflies resting on the tops of them. Gabriel looked impressed.

“You made those yourself?” he asked and Marinette nodded.

“I wear this often so it was hard to make since I needed to find a strong sole to use,” she said.

“I come across that often, and the issue always arises about comfort and durability,” Gabriel said and Marinette nodded in agreement. “But you’re not here to discuss clothing, are you Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?”

“I’m not. I'm here to discuss the plans for Adrien and Félix's birthday celebration."

"As I told your companion, I will not permit a celebration that doesn't have anything planned,” Gabriel’s tone went cold as fast as his frown grew but Marinette wasn’t deterred.

"Even if we have the venue, food, entertainment, and all the necessities?" Marinette questioned. Adrien looked at the girl hopefully.

"I will not stand a poor attempt either," Gabriel glared. Adrien stared at Marinette who for a second glanced down before looking up determinedly at his father.

"The party is going to be located at the park down the street from our school which is also next door to my house. My parents will be providing the food and drinks and I along with other classmates have planned activities such as board games, art, and other sport activities that will keep the party entertaining. We will also have a music set up and a personal DJ."

"We have a DJ?" Nino asked and Marinette gave him a look. Nino stared in confusion before realizing what she meant. "Oh, you mean me! Yes, I'm the DJ."

"What food will be provided?"

"Since Adrien is a model we can make low calorie foods and our cake will have a lower amount of sugar so even if he has some there shouldn't be too serious of an effect on his diet. My parents can send the nutrition facts if you want to ensure his is well regulated."

Adrien looked at his father too see a look of interest. Hope bubbled in his chest and he glanced excitedly at Félix who looked surprised.

"What time is the reservation for?"

"We will set up right after school so the party will start not too long after school and will be finished by sundown.”

The house was silent as Gabriel contemplated everything Marinette had told him. Adrien tried not to fidget with the anxiety racing through him just hoping for once they could celebrate with friends.

“I want you to send my assistant here every detail about the party by the end of the night. Not only that, their guard must also keep a watch on them during the time of the event,” Gabriel finally said. It took all of Adrien’s willpower not to cheer. He looked excitedly over at Nino while Félix stood there surprised as Marinette agreed.

“I will,” Marinette said and Nathalie took Marinette’s phone, inputting her number into it.

“That will be all. This better not be a disappointment for my sons,” Gabriel warned. Marinette’s smile fell as she nodded seriously.

“It won’t, M. Agreste,” she answered.

Gabriel returned to his office with Nathalie right behind while the Gorilla waited for the guests to leave. Adrien couldn’t help but hug Nino tightly, giddy with excitement.

“Thank you so much,” he tried to express how happy he was through his voice. It looked like Nino got it as his own smile widened.

“Anything for you, bro. It was all thanks to Marinette though with her quick thinking. She managed to get it all set up within half an hour!”

“I would never have thought of it if you hadn’t been at the park. Plus we couldn’t have set it up without the help from everyone else. I should head out, Juleka and her brother are going to drop off the speakers an a bit so I need to be home to get them,” Marinette said as she checked her phone.

“Thank you, Marinette,” Adrien pulled Marinette into a tight hug and held her there for a second longer than normal. He pulled back but still had his hands on her shoulders, not wanting to let go. Marinette smiled sweetly at him, making his face flush and his heart skip in joy

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” she giggled as she stepped back and Adrien grinned, heart still pounding in his chest.

Nino headed out with Marinette and Adrien watched them climb into the car as the Gorilla escorted the two home. When he returned into the foyer, Félix was waiting for him looking towards the door in interest with the same look Gabriel had when the two first arrived.

“That was impressive. No one has ever been able to convince Père like that before. I expect he’ll keep an eye out on Marinette from now on if she not only noticed a subtlety in his work but also persuaded him to change his opinion which is a rare occurrence. She has an eye for design and is a resourceful person which is a highly sought skill in people he aims at hiring. I wouldn’t be surprised if he asks her to do an internship with him in the future.”

“She’s definitely amazing,” Adrien sighed fondly after the car driving off.

Marinette was freaking out. Her room was a mess and only getting worse as she dug through random boxes in her room.The coffee she drank to keep her awake after her all-nighter to make the banner for the party didn’t help as her head throbbed with a slight headache and her heart pounded abnormally fast in her chest. Was she seeing double or was everything just moving really fast? At this point Marinette didn't care.

“It’s fine! Everything is set up already!” Nooroo said but Marinette shook her head.

“I can't find Adrien’s gift!” Marinette wailed.

“Where do you last remember putting it?” Nooroo asked.

“I was holding the gift I got for Félix and put it down in the pile of gifts, but then when I came back for Adrien’s gift my parents gave me the food, then Luka came and helped me set the music system up, and then Alix and Max brought the games, then Nathalie came and talked to me about the food since she wanted to see it, then-”

“Okay it looks like you were running around a lot. Let’s check out those places quickly. Make sure you have everything before you head out,” Nooroo advised and Marinette nodded, starting her exploration of the house after grabbing her belongings and putting it into her purse.

Nooroo slipped into her purse as she headed into the bakery and her parents handed her yet another plate of food to take across the street to the party. Marinette kept an eye out for the gift as she made her way across the street but didn’t find anything on the floor or anywhere else random. She bit back a sigh as she entered the park, feeling hopeless. 

"More food? Your parents are spoiling us," Nino hurried over and grabbed the food. Marinette smiled gratefully. He had been such a great help with the party, helping with the set up and rushing around making sure everything was going well.

The twins had already arrived a while ago and everyone was excitedly chatting with them, poor Félix looking slightly overwhelmed unlike his brother who was pouring with happiness.

Thankfully his joy was contagious which eased Marinette's nerves as she did a check around to make sure everything was going well. Still no gift in sight to her dismay.

"Hey, Marinette," she turned to see Luka by the DJ booth holding Nino's set up, "do you know where Nino wants to put this?" 

"Yes, right here," she hurried over and pointed out where and the two of them set it up, Luka doing the heavy lifting with ease.

"Thank you again for coming out and on such a short notice, that means a lot to me." Marinette said. Luka's smile was gentle and warm.

"My pleasure. I'm always here if you need anything."

"Even with no notice in advance?" Marinette asked with a grin.

"Maybe a little notice in advance," Luka admitted and Marinette giggled.

"Thanks, dudes," Nino hurried over. He didn't look worried but there was something off about his emotions.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked.

"It's Chloé again," Nino grumbled in annoyance, "She's spouting her lies about her copied website to everyone. Alya's not here yet but I don't want anyone talking about it when she arrives because that'll cause problems between the two and ruin the party."

"I'll see what I can do," Marinette hurried over to the crowd where Chloé was boasting about the website she was claiming as her own.

"And I'm planning to interview the heroes in a few days," Chloé bragged. Alix scoffed and left to get more snacks while everyone else looks uncertain. Kim and Rose were the only two that seemed excited. 

"Chloe also managed to get the venue for us," Marinette mentioned. Everyone stared at the newcomer in surprise; Marinette has never said something kind towards Chloé.

"I did! My Père managed to do it without an issue. Didn't even have to fire a person. You won't believe how many people we've had to fire-" Marinette walked away from the rambling and continued to make sure everything was going well. Nino has set up his music and was playing some nice songs with Luka chatting next to the DJ, Max and Alix were playing a couple of board games and Kim pulled away from Chloé's conversation to join them, Mylène was starting to make a bracelet with the things Marinette brought, and the other kids around Chloé were all pulling away from the blonde to do other things. Only Adrien and Sabrina were left with Chloé, Adrien held down by Chloé's vice grip. With a glance at the blond she decided to do another look around for the gift while waiting but still didn't come up with anything, slightly bumming her out.

Alya arrived and Marinette went to greet her, feeling happy at least her friend was able to make it. The amateur blogger seemed to be doing better and more at peace with everything that had happened.

Marinette felt confident as everything seemed to be going smoothly minus the missing present. The twins were busy and Félix seemed to be enjoying himself as he and Max played a game. She looked to Adrien who looked uncomfortable trapped in Chloé’s arm-lock.

As she went over to help him, Chloé suddenly pointed behind Marinette in horror.

“Coccinelle!” she screamed. Everyone turned to see Coccinelle on a rooftop above, glaring at the party.

Panic ensued and everyone took off to find cover in the park. Marinette booked it straight out of the park and towards an alley nearby. She scanned the area and once sure of herself, let Nooroo out.

“No break even on birthdays,” Nooroo said sympathetically.

“The faster we finish this, the more time we can celebrate,” Marinette said. “For now we got to fight. Wings Rise!” 

Húdié wall jumped between the two buildings and landed on the roof, looking at the party below.

Coccinelle had overturned the present table to find Chloé cowering underneath with Sabrina. She screamed and pushed Sabrina into the villain’s hands before running off in a panic. Coccinelle pushed Sabrina to the side in annoyance and chased after Chloé. As he wound up his yo-yo to catch her, Adrien stepped in the way brandishing a nearby stand from the music set as a sword. Félix meanwhile guided Chloé to safety as Húdié jumped off the roof and landed in the park, using her cane to slow the fall until she landed in front of the two.

“Go to that bakery right there, the people inside should help you,” Húdié ordered and Félix took off, pulling the other blonde along who kept complaining about nonsense.

“Adrien!” Húdié turned to see Adrien get knocked down to the ground painfully, Nino shouting his name. Húdié felt the fiery passion in Nino as he ran out to help his friend but Cocinelle merely wrapped the yo-yo around Nino’s wrist and yanked it, forcing Nino to crash to the ground.

“Nino!” Adrien shouted as Húdié pulled him up.

“You get to safety, I’ll help him,” Húdié comforted Adrien and he hesitated before escaping.

Coccinelle left Nino on the floor though, instead going for Húdié in order to get her brooch. She expertly dodged him and used her cane as a staff that she had been learning to use with her mother which ensured that the yo-yo couldn’t get snagged around it, but his hits were powerful when he got past her guard and made contact. One brutal hit sent her stumbling back from the impact.

“I didn’t know you were one for being a party crasher,” Húdié rolled up to see Chat Noir on top of a light post grinning down mischievously. She couldn’t help but smile in relief when seeing her partner.

He jumped down and landed in front of her as Húdié opened her cane to reveal a white butterfly. Coccinelle went for her but Chat Noir protected her as she filled it with energy and cupped it in her hands before running over to Nino and offering it to him, speeding up the process. Nino offered his headphones and grinned as the butterfly entered them.

“Shall we get this party started, DJ Echo?” Húdié asked.

"Let's turn up the music," Nino grinned and his outfit transformed, speakers appearing as small dots on his chest, arms, and legs. He now also wore gloves that seemed to glow as he reached out and tapped on the sound system behind him.

At a snap of his fingers, the speakers exploded with music in the form of sound waves and knocked Coccinelle back in surprise. Húdié meanwhile offered the Champion her cane and he tapped it with his finger. She felt the cane warm under her touch and charged Coccinelle to the surprise of everyone, DJ Echo following right behind her.

As Coccinelle braced himself, Hudie swung the cane to the side. He caught it easily with his yo-yo and frowned as Húdié grabbed the yo-yo and braced herself. Echo snuck from behind and tapped on the yo-yo before Coccinelle could pull it away.

With a snap of his fingers, the speakers on his suit blew the villain back as he pulled his yo-yo away from them, this time tugging Húdié along. The two stumbled and Chat Noir came forward to DJ Echo.

"I can cause speakers to go crazy so Coccinelle won't have a chance to recover. Like this," he snapped as Coccinelle wound back his arm to throw the yo-yo at Húdié who was still on the floor. The small speaker in the communicator explode with loud music and caused the yo-yo to flail around, making Coccinelle lose his grip. Húdié swung her cane and with a snap from Echo, her cane flew towards Coccinelle quickly and rammed him on the knee, causing the villain to crumple in pain.

"Looks like Coccinelle can't handle getting beat down like that," Chat Noir's grin widened as DJ Echo tapped on his own baton and the hero prowled forward to strike.

Adrien came out of the alley and hurried back to where the party was at the park. Thanks to Nino, or DJ Echo, Coccinelle wasn't able to do anything with his yo-yo that kept flying everywhere due to the huge sound waves blasting from it. DJ Echo also helped the heroes by making their hits stronger by using the soundwaves to propel their attacks. Other students even came back to help by keeping Coccinelle trapped when he had used his Charm and broke Nino's speakers on his suit. They all used their phones as speakers to knock Coccinelle around until he fled, barely able to escape with his faulty yo-yo.

Adrien looked around the park and felt his spirits fall. A ton of people had left to escape the villain and everything was now a mess. The food had spilled, the game pieces were everywhere, and he hoped nothing happened to the music set up since those could be expensive.

Adrien saw Marinette picking up gifts and dusting them off before putting them on a table. She looked up at him and headed towards him, Adrien meeting her halfway and noticing how upset she looked.

"Sorry that this ended up being a disaster," she sighed.

"I still managed to have some fun," Adrien lied, not wanting to mention how uncomfortable he had felt with Chloé clinging to his arm. Adrien looked at the positives instead, thinking about how his friends had planned this for him. They didn’t have to, especially after what Nino had to go through with his father. Nino could’ve distanced himself from Adrien after realizing the issues Adrien would bring along with an overprotective father, but instead reached out again to make sure Adrien felt included.

“The gifts turned out alright at least,” Marinette handed him the gift in her hand. He read the label saying it was from Max and couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.

“This party was already a gift itself. Thank you,” Adrien smiled gratefully at the girl but noticed she looked upset. “What’s wrong?”

“I lost your gift,” Marinette blurted. Adrien blinked in surprise as she continued. “I had it in my hands but I was doing everything so I don’t know what happened. I could’ve dropped it and it got ran over by a car or someone else got it and I completely forgot to put my name on it so now no one will know and it’s a mess,” Marinette cut her rambling short and Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle at her anxiousness over something so small and her concern for him . It was heartwarming and made him flush with joy that she worried about him.

“You’ve done so much for me already, Marinette. You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve met and you always try to help out people. It’s okay if I don’t get a gift, I’m lucky just knowing you. I wish I could have just a bit of you to give me some luck when you’re not around,” he smiled warmly. Marinette stared at him with her mouth in a small ‘o’ and he worried that he said too much. Before he could take back what he said, Marinette opened her small purse and offered him something.

Adrien looked at the small charm. It had a large green bead with a flower engraved on it and he noticed the other beads had little butterflies on them.

"I made this myself. It’s a lucky charm I carry around for good luck. The lotus and butterflies symbolize long life and it’s bound together by the red string that symbolizes good fortune. So it’s a charm for a long and good life, and I hope you can find that even when I’m not with you.”

Adrien stared at the charm before blinking in surprise, realizing what she meant.

“You want to give this to me?” he asked. He gaped when she nodded.

“I can’t take this, it’s your good luck charm!” Adrien said but Marinette shook her head and proceeded to offer it to him.

“Think of is as a gift. Since I lost yours,” Marinette giggled in slight embarrassment. “Sorry, it's such a cheap move to give you something of mine I know that it’s not much-”

Adrien clasped his hands around hers, “Thank you. This is the best gift ever.”

He smiled as she relaxed and her own smile grew.

“Happy Birthday, Adrien,” she said. Before he could say anything in reply, someone cleared their throat from behind. They looked to see Nathalie standing there waiting for him.

“M. Agreste wants you home,” she said. Adrien sighed, the moment lost.

“See you tomorrow, Marinette. Thank you for today,” Adrien risked it again and pulled her into a gentle hug, feeling her wrap her arms around him securely and holding him steady.

“Get home safely, and don’t forget your gifts!’ Marinette said and she pulled back, Adrien reluctantly letting go. He held onto her charm as she waved him off and continued to hold it tightly until finally getting home.

“Looks like your girlfriend got your a gift. Shame that she lost it,” Plagg snickered, “Sounds like a lame excuse to me.”

“Marinette didn’t mean to, and I believe her,” Adrien smiled at the charm as he laid down on the bed. He fiddled with the charm and felt his chest warm up with the fact that she gave this to him because he said something so small. It was just about wishing for a bit of luck and she gave that to him.

“I should make her something. How about I plan her birthday? I’ll make it as fun as this one. The food was great and the music was really enjoyable. I would love to invite that guy Luka again because he was really nice even though I only talked to him for a bit. Max was also really good at those board games. Maybe I should buy some board games so if people want to come over I can play them?” Adrien began to talk excitedly. Plagg groaned and covered his head underneath the pillow.

“Here we go again,” he grumbled as Adrien got up and began writing ideas down on sticky notes and putting them up on his wall of ideas and facts for his friends he had started to make throughout the school year. They were simple things such as Nino’s favorite musician, Max’s video game recommendations, Kim’s ideas for his next dare, books that Félix was interested in. Adrien wanted to make sure he could connect with his classmates and everyone around him so he made little notes about them before compiling them into a notebook to look at later. 

Today was a good example about what his friends would enjoy at parties. Then if father let him invite people over, he would be ready!

Adrien looked at his notes and grinned, bursting with excitement. He couldn’t wait for his friends to visit. Maybe he could even do a movie night? 

“Turn out that light, I’m trying to sleep!” Plagg finally whined and Adrien gave in for the night, finishing his last sticky note before heading to bed, grinning happily as he looked at the lucky charm by his bed.

Chapter Text

Félix opened his eyes to find himself sitting on a park bench. He rose up quickly and turned around, looking for her.

“Félix!” he spotted her as she came out from around a nearby fountain. She was smiling as always, her small face bright with happiness. Her bluebell eyes twinkled and her long twin tails puffed out behind her as she skipped over.

“Bridgette,” he greeted and she came up to him, grabbing his hands and settling down next to Félix on the bench.

“If feels like it’s been forever since I saw you. You’ve been so stressed lately you haven’t gotten a good night’s rest in a while,” she scolded gently and Félix gave her a look.

“If you’re going to lecture me I’ll cut back on my sleep,” he warned.

“But then I’ll be so alone!” Bridgette wailed dramatically, leaning back against the bench with her arms dramatically draped over her face. Félix chuckled and Bridgette giggled.

“So tell me what’s happening recently! Anything new and exciting?” Bridgette got up from her slumped position and leaned forward eagerly to hear what he had to say. 

“I’m going to public school now.”

“Really?” Bridgette gasped in surprise, completely taken aback.

“It’s actually going better than I expected,” Félix admitted and Bridgette squealed.

“That’s great! Oh I’m so excited you’re going to make so many new friends and you’ll have a blast! It sounds like Adrien’s having a great time so I’m sure you will too! Have you made friends yet? Adrien better have been introducing you to everyone!” Bridgette rambled before stopping, taking a deep breath and recovering. Félix took his chance to talk.

“I’m meeting people if that’s what you want me to say. I wouldn’t say friends as of yet since it’s only been a couple of days, but they’re nicer than I expected.”

“Any specific people? Tell me everything,” she pushed and Félix’s face softened at her positive attitude. He missed her when ever he was too busy to get a decent night’s sleep. It was what the two of them noticed when he stopped dreaming of her all of a sudden as he got more and more stressed or busy with life. Bridgette had always been his closest friend since he could recall, but she only appeared in his dreams which meant it all depended on him getting a good night’s rest so he could dream. They didn’t know if she was real or not because she didn’t really have memories, but Bridgette seemed so real that it almost felt weird calling her his imaginary friend.

“There’s this one guy Nino who really cares for everyone, especially Adrien, and always looks out for them and wants to hang out despite not being the best planner,” he shook his head as he recalled the fiasco the day before the party. “Nathaniel is my desk mate and is normally quiet but also enjoys drawing art and he started to introduce me to other people in class like Max who has many interesting board games I’ve never seen before. Marinette is Adrien’s other friend who is a designer. She actually looks a lot like you… Are you okay?” Félix asked as he watched Bridgette frown when he started talking about Marinette.

“I’ve heard that name before,” she said.

“Maybe I’ve talked about her before with Adrien?” Félix said but Bridgette shook her head.

“No… That name… It reminds me of… home?” she looked at Félix in surprise, as if stunned to experience different emotions besides the usual joy.

“Do you remember home?” Félix asked in wonder. Bridgette stared off into the distance as she thought about it. Just as she sighed, giving up, an apple blossom petal from the tree nearby dropped onto her. She stared at it and her eyes widened.

“Red. We had red in our house. Warmth. Hands. There were big hands that held me tightly, medium hands that I could grasp their fingers with my first, and then small hands like mine. I would hold that small hand so tightly. I felt safe. I…” she watched the petal get swept up into the wind and stared after it longingly.

“Marinette looks identical to you. She has the exact same colored hair and eyes as you plus she’s our age. Do you think you’re both connected? Maybe you might be connected?”

“Maybe. But we really don’t know what I am. It would be best not to mention it to her just so she doesn’t think you’re weird. She seems nice but I’m certain it wouldn’t bode well if you start talking about your dream friend that looks like her. You’re trying to make friends, not look like a ghost whisperer,” Bridgette giggled and Félix rolled his eyes.

“I’m pretty sure you’re not a ghost, but if you insist I’ll swear to secrecy,” he said and Brigette’s smile grew.

“Anything fun with the heroes you’ve been talking about?”

“Not much, but there was this one Champion yesterday that could control pigeons and it looks like Adrien had his window open so a ton of feathers flew into his room and he got a huge allergic reaction so he missed school yesterday. He was pouting a ton but he looked ridiculous with his stuffed up nose and nasally voice. Father had to postpone everything and you know how he gets,” Félix rolled his eyes.

Bridgette puffed up her chest and slicked her bangs back with one hand as she stood seriously, “This will be a delay in our scheduling but it will be manageable to get on track with serious intent and dedication. I expect no distractions for the time being until we resume our previous plans.” Félix couldn’t help but laugh at Bridgette’s gruff voice imitating his father.

“You’re getting better all the time,” he said and Bridgette smiled mischievously.

“I’ve had practice,” she huffed proudly and settled herself back down on the bench. The two laughed as the apple blossoms blew gently overhead, the wind making them flutter skyward like butterflies.

Chapter Text

"You're doing a lot better with the Champions and fighting," Chat Noir praised before chuckling, "The feathers were a surprise though." 

"I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know you had allergies. I promise that'll be the last time he's a Champion. I just couldn't find anyone at the moment," Húdié apologized profusely. 

"No, that's fine! You didn't know. It's a learning process being partners," Chat smiled and looked out over the rooftops. Húdié deflated slightly.

"Yeah… Partners," she mumbled. She wished she could stop messing up all the time around him. A couple of days ago not only had she tripped a couple of times, forcing Chat to protect her, Húdié summoned M. Pigeon after M. Ramier was distraught from Coccinelle scaring away his pigeons. It was an easy Champion at the moment to call to protect André Bourgeois who was being targeted, but it didn't prove that successful in the end. Thankfully Coccinelle got annoyed and left, not wanting to deal with the birds. 

All in all it was a disaster. That didn't even include Chat having a severe allergy to feathers. That was especially embarrassing for her to make a big mistake like that in front of him.

Húdié sighed as she looked to Chat standing at the edge of the rooftop of Le Grand Paris making sure that the Bourgeois family was safe. Húdié repeated to herself that she had to keep their relationship strictly professional. As Chat said, no matter how much it hurt her to say it, they were just partners.

“So why do you think Coccinelle is after the Bourgeois?” Chat Noir asked. Húdié was thankful that this could allow her to think of anything else but her aching heart trying to accept the fact that their relationship would never be romantic.

“We don’t really know Coccinelle’s motive. All we gathered is that he is trying to get more information on the Miraculous as well as get ours. If he’s trying to gain more power and wealth then he’ll go after André Bourgeois. Chloé…” Húdié rolled her eyes, “doesn’t provide anything but a perfect hostage for bribing with her father as the mayor.”

“But she has her own blog she made about us. That’s important information,” Chat Noir said and Húdié actually laughed aloud. She then realized he was serious and her mood soured.

“Do you actually believe Chloé Bourgeois would do anything herself?”

“I happen to know her,” Chat growled. His emotions spiked up as he got increasingly upset but Húdié didn’t care.

“And so do I yet all I’ve seen from her is manipulation and selfishness. Sabrina, her classmate, is always doing her homework and getting her hands dirty for Chloé’s own personal gain. Anyone who knows Chloé knows that she pushes people down to help herself up.”

Chat’s ears were flat against his head as Húdié ranted about the nasty blonde.

"You take that back."

"What? The truth? All Chloé is and ever will be is a prideful and incompetent human being," Húdié scoffed.

The elevator doors of the hotel opened and none other than Chloé Bourgeois appeared with Sabrina by her side holding both of their phones. Chloé's phone was easily recognizable with the glittering studs on it.

"I heard from Père that you were up here so I decided that this would be a perfect time for an interview for my blog," Húdié recoiled at Chloé's confident attitude

"I would love to," Chat smiled and Húdié stared at him in shock. The two of them had decided not to talk to reporters for the sake of keeping them safe and here Chat was breaking their word for Chloé right in her face

"Chat, you know we can't," Húdié warned but the black-clad hero ignored her, starting to talk to Chloé. She felt his irritation and his tail twitched as he purposely talked to the blonde in spite.

"Fine. I have to go," Húdié said coldly and raced off the roof and towards her home, fuming.

She slammed her skylight a little too harshly, detransforming quickly as her butterflies flew around her outdoor garden, startled by her sudden arrival.

Marinette struggled to open her cream puff container, growling in anger.

"Marinette, let's take a deep breath," Nooroo said but Marinette clutched her hair.

"I can't believe him! He knows how risky it is yet he does an interview! For Chloé too!" Marinette grabbed a pillow from her chaise and screamed into it.

"Or you can do that…" Nooroo mumbled as he watched his holder storm around the room.

It took a while until Marinette finally calmed down, sitting on her chair with a huff. She saw the unopened cream puff container and panicked.

"I'm sorry, Nooroo," Marinette apologized and yanked open the container, pushing it over to Nooroo who had settled down on a small pillow that she had made for him.

"It's okay, Marinette."

"No, it's not. I'm supposed to be looking at for you and here I am ranting about some stupid boy," Marinette sighed, slumping in her seat.

"You care for him and this is upsetting for you since he is supporting a long time bully of yours. You have a right to be upset."

"Chloé has been nothing but mean to me and everyone else since I met her. I don't believe there is a good bone in her body yet Chat defends her. It doesn't make sense," Marinette sighed again and rested her head on her desk, looking at Nooroo. "What should I do?"

"Maybe there is more to Chloé that you don't know that Chat Noir can see? I'm not saying to forget what she has done to you because it has been very hard for you in school, but maybe there's a reason for her attitude. As you develop your powers you can feel the deeper emotions of people around you the closer you get to them. You might find that Chloé has some insecurities you weren't able to perceive before. Sometimes people that hurt others do it because they themselves are suffering. And they struggle to express their pain properly so they internalize it to form something that seems monstrous but is actually a defense mechanism. Remember though, that doesn't take away how she treated you. She needs to learn that what she has done is wrong and fix it herself, and that isn't something done overnight." Nooroo let Marinette quietly sink this in, the young holder frowning in deep thought.

"But how can anyone change Chloé?" Marinette asked.

"Only those that Chloé respects can actually change her. No matter how hard you try, you personally won't be able to help Chloé recognize her mistakes even though you can give some help and show her the way. Someone close to her though will be able to make Chloé realize her actions have consequences but that will take time."

"Not enough time," Marinette let out a third sigh when she suddenly felt a high spark of rage in the city. The two perked up immediately.

"That's Alya," Marinette recognized the anger that had been flaring up as of late and turned on her computer while pulling out her phone to see the text messages from the red-head.

It seemed like Chloé was live-streaming her interview with Chat Noir and thousands of people were watching it on her false blog. Alya ended up calling Marinette who picked up right away.

"I can't believe her!" Alya seethed. "I've been doing so much with the blog and she of all people gets the first ever interview?"

"You haven't gotten any luck getting it back?" Marinette asked and Alya grumbled.

"Not at all. Not even my pictures." 

Marinette pulled up the live interview to find it consisting of Chloé fixing her hair and batting her eyes at Chat.

"What a tease, Chat! You know how to work the ladies!" Chloé was saying. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"It's awful. She's just flirting with him," Marinette scoffed. Alya said something rude about Chloé as she started watching it too.

"Oh. Well I don't mean to be that expressive," Chat chuckled happily, completely different than a few minutes before when the two of them were arguing.

"Do you have anyone cute you have your eyes on?" Chloé asked with a fake innocence.

Chat's face broke into a bright grin and Marinette couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat at it, "Actually I do."

"Care to tell us his or her name?" Chloé asked. Marinette paled. If Chat said anything about his personal life then that could be used against them. 

“Her name is-” Chat’s ears twitched and he turned around, pulling out his baton and deflecting a blow from Coccinelle who appeared out of nowhere. Chloé screamed and got down and the camera fell from the recorder’s hands, cracking the screen and leaving the audio to play.

“Get inside!” Chat yelled and there were more screams and clanging as the two fought.

"I have to go film this," Alya said and hung up at a perfect time.

“Let’s go,” Marinette said to Nooroo who finished his cream puff.

“We need to get there quickly. Try to find a good Champion on the way there,” Nooroo said and Marinette nodded.

“Wings Rise!” she called out and her transformation washed over her. At once Húdié focused on who to summon, but everyone was too scared to be a proper Champion, except for one person. It was risky, but it had to be done.

Húdié rushed out of her home and towards the spark of anger still raging within Alya. She was surprised to find that Alya was already headed to the scene by the time she caught up and landed in front of the reporter.

“Húdié!” Alya exclaimed in surprise.

“Alya, I need your help to stop Coccinelle,” Húdié said and Alya grinned, her anger fading as excitement took over.

“Of course!”

“You need to promise me though not to lash out at Chloé. Even though she has wronged you, she’s a victim that needs saving. If I notice you going against that then I will take your power at once, understand?” Húdié said sternly. Alya realized the seriousness of the situation and the excitement slightly withered.

“Yes,” Alya replied.

“I’ll take you up to Le Grand Paris and transform there so I have more time to fight. Ready?” she asked and Alya nodded energetically. Húdié lifted up Alya and jumped up onto the window sills and wall-jumped between buildings until she was on the roof. She ran with Alya in her arms and jumped across buildings, causing Alya to gasp and hold on tightly as they flew.

“How come you have to jump and climb more than the other two?” Alya asked and Húdié couldn’t help but laugh at the reporter already using their time to ask questions while she could.

“I don’t have an extending baton or yoyo to take me to the rooftops so I have to climb more but my suit on the other hand has small needles that can grip onto walls so I can hang on to things rather than finding a place holder while I climb. The climbing and jumping is more tiring but I’m training more in and out of the suit to make up for it.”

“So you have to work out more to keep up the hero powers?” Alya asked and Húdié nodded.

“The suit gives you amplified powers, but it can only do so much to expand on your own fitness and stamina levels. That’s why I had to work more so I can be stronger in the suit. That’s also why Coccinelle is physically stronger than the two of us,” Húdié landed on Le Grand Paris and opened her cane. The butterfly landed on her hand and she pressed a kiss to it before letting it go.

The butterfly fluttered towards Alya who stuck out her phone, the butterfly landing on it and entering. 

“Shall we uncover the truth about Coccinelle as any reporter would?” Húdié asked Alya.

“A reporter always reveals the truth, and there are no exceptions to supers!” Alya gripped her phone with a grin.

“Then let’s go, Lady Wifi, and unveil the mystery,” Húdié smiled at the new Champion and the two ran into Le Grand Paris. 

Lady Wifi ran into one of the hallways and slipped into the phone of a nearby guest who dropped it in surprise while Hudie paused in the stairwell, waiting for the Champion to find Coccinelle by looking through Lady Wifi's eyes.

Lady Wifi rose out of Sabrina’s phone and Húdié recognized that it was Chloé’s room. Noises could be heard from outside as Chat Noir fought Coccinelle.

“Go outside and help Chat Noir!” Húdié yelled and blinked away Lady Wifi’s view, returning to the stairwell and following the sounds of the attack that was two floors below.

Húdié burst through the stairwell just as Coccinelle was bearing down on Chat Noir. She threw her cane and it struck the spotted villain in the head who pulled back with a glare. Chat Noir knocked the villain down with his baton and kicked Húdié’s cane back to her.

She grabbed it and charged at Coccinelle who called for his Lucky Charm. They stared at the spotted cellphone in his hand before he rushed forward to attack. Húdié stared at the phone curiously as Chat defended the blow when the idea hit her.

“Lady Wifi, come out now to help!” she called out but there was no reply. “Lady Wifi?”

Coccinelle knocked Chat Noir back and Húdié lunged for the villain but Coccinelle managed to block her cane and revert it back onto her, the cane whacking her painfully in the ribs and sending her flying. She crashed through the doors behind her and tumbled into Chloé’s room where it seemed like the were filming something.

Lady Wifi stood over Chloé menacingly who was trapped against the wall. A purple pause icon was frozen over Sabrina while a purple record icon hovered over their heads.

“Repeat what you said!” Lady Wifi shouted as Coccinelle marched towards Húdié with his hand outstretched. Chat Noir rushing in from behind to stop him only to get knocked aside with a hard blow.

“I stole the Noir New blog from Alya Césaire just so I could get a ton of followers and forced people to do it! Now please let me go so he doesn’t get me!” Chloé wailed.

“Why would I want you when your idiocy gave me exactly what I wanted?” Coccinelle grinned and advanced towards Húdié and she finally realized why the rich blonde had been targeted. Coccinelle knew the fastest way to get to through to the heroes was through the media and aiming for the person with the closest connection with them would be the best. His only mistake had been getting the wrong information and thinking it was Chloé who was in charge of the news for the heroes, but it only benefited him in the end when they did the live-streaming of the interview that allowed for Coccinelle to know exactly where they were and attack them while Chat's guard was down.

“Lady Wifi! Now!” Húdié shouted in slight panic. Lady Wifi vanished and the spotted phone in Coccinelle’s hand lit up. Lady Wifi was suddenly there, knocking Coccinelle back with a violent kick. He stumbled but looked at the phone his hand in interest as the two heroes recovered.

Chat Noir charged again and Coccinelle easily avoided it, knocking the hero down. He threw the yo-yo at Húdié and bound her while crushing Chat Noir below his foot.

As Chat wheezed, Lady Wifi vanished and the spotted phone lit up once again. This time though, Coccinelle tossed the phone out the open doors and unwound the yo-yo, wrapping it around the door knobs and tightening them so they slammed shut just as Lady Wifi appeared outside of the room.

“Got rid of one of them,” he said as Húdié got in front of Chat and pulled him up and away from the spotted villain. The two caught their breaths as Coccinelle barricaded them inside the room with a chair, keeping Lady Wifi out.

Húdié’s brooch chirped. Chat’s ears flattened. Coccinelle grinned. Húdié looked around the room and spotted Sabrina’s phone still on the floor but not seen yet by the villain.

“Wait for my signal, Lady Wifi,” she breathed. Chat's ears twitched as he heard and he prepared himself.

“Okay,” Lady Wifi replied.

Húdié continued to scan the room to see how they could escape this when suddenly Chloé took action and started throwing pillows at the villain.

“Get out of my room, creep!” Chloé screamed.

Húdié decided this was the best time and nodded for Chat to attack. The two rushed forward and started to distract Coccinelle as well. They ducked and rolled out of the way and Coccinelle growled in irritation as a pillow smacked him in the face.

“Now,” she breathed to Lady Wifi who appeared through Sabrina’s phone on the floor. Húdié tackled Chat Noir who let out a yelp of surprise as Lady Wifi launched a volley of attacks, pausing Coccinelle in the process. 

The room went suddenly still. Chloé stopped throwing things, Chat Noir and Húdié got up from the floor, and Lady Wifi lowered her phone as they stared at the paused Coccinelle who couldn’t move.

“We did it,” Chat said and Húdié nodded numbly as they approached the villain. Lady Wifi also came forward and gave an experimental tug on the mask but it didn’t come off.

Lady Wifi turned around and moved the recorder icon from in front of Chloé to Coccinelle.

“Looks like today we’re revealing everything! Chloé being a manipulative liar, Coccinelle’s secret identity, now all we need for icing on the cake are the heroes,” Lady Wifi suddenly turned on the heroes and threw lock icons at them, sealing their wrists in place.

“What are you doing?” the heroes cried out.

“The people need to know the truth! That’s what I’m here for! ‘A reporter always reveals the truth, and there are no exceptions to supers!’” she repeated what she had said right before getting akumatized.

“Stop Lady Wifi,” Húdié commanded as the Champion tried to pull off the mask on Coccinelle with no avail. Lady Wifi growled but the urgent chirping on Húdié brooch caught her attention.

“Oh! I have to pull off the Miraculous don’t I?” she said.

“Stop!” Húdié was about to force back the butterfly from her Champion when Chloé suddenly ran forward and grabbed Lady Wifi’s phone, throwing it to the ground and cracking it. The butterfly flew out and the locks on their wrists vanished as Lady Wifi reverted back to Alya. Húdié ran forward and picked up her cane, catching the butterfly within it and releasing the energy stored within.

Coccinelle’s earrings went off as he recovered, but luckily he was too dazed to fight and ended up fleeing. Chat Noir didn’t pursue this time, instead he stared at the scene laid out before them.

Alya was recovering and gasped in horror when seeing her broken phone. Chloé was ranting about her own damaged room and phone while Sabrina blinked, confused at what just happened.

“Alya,” Húdié said. The reporter looked at the hero who wasn’t pleased, “I’d like to talk outside.”

Alya nodded glumly and went outside. Meanwhile Húdié turned to Chloé and did her best to smile.

“Thank you for your help today.”

“Of course! I’m just that amazing,” Chloé huffed proudly and Húdié’s smile went stiff as she bid farewell and headed outside the room where Chat was waiting with Alya.

“I trusted you to stop Coccinelle because he was a villain and I deemed that you were a good person to be my Champion. Not only did you break my original promise and go after Chloé in revenge, you also almost revealed our identities. If word gets out who were are, our lives are at stake. Your actions not only risked our lives and those of our family and friends, but also all of Paris. Do you understand why these masks are on our faces?” Húdié asked Alya who nodded. She could detect the remorse and guilt swarming around Alya and recognized Alya’s acceptance of the consequences of her actions. 

“We’re not celebrities that go around making money by being famous. We’re heroes sent to defend the people because they can’t do it themselves. We’re the only thing stopping evil from taking over. If any one of our weaknesses are revealed, then not only do we lose, but Paris loses as well. That’s why we haven’t interviewed with anyone. Chloé’s live interview today almost got Chat captured and I don’t want that to happen to my partner.

“I understand that this blog means a lot to you, but please consider us and imagine yourself in our shoes before you post anything that might reveal any private information about us. I know you want the truth to be revealed, but sometimes the truth must remain hidden to protect the ones we care about.”

“I’m sorry,” Alya mumbled. “I didn’t mean to be that forward and personal with you both. I just wanted to get more of a close up experience with heroes, but doing that caused you both issues. I promise I’ll fix that behavior,” she said sounding more determined.

Húdié smiled and put a comforting hand on Alya’s shoulder, “Thank you.”

The heroes headed upstairs to the roof and Húdié sighed as her brooch chirped again. She only had two minutes left. Today was yet again another disaster.

“Good work today,” she turned to Chat with a smile and raised fist but his ears were down as he looked away.

“I’m sorry for today. I shouldn't have done that interview with her. I was just so mad I didn’t think straight and wanted to bother you but ended up causing issues. I also misjudged Chloé and thought that she could do good. I never saw that side of her before and I was appalled she would do such a thing to someone else. Sure she isn’t the nicest person all the time and does some things that aren’t good, but today….” Chat trailed off. 

“I should apologize too. I did say some rude things about Chloé just to get you to understand that she isn’t who you think but I ended up upsetting you since you think differently of her. I also didn’t choose a good Champion today and that also caused issues. I should’ve put more thought into who I was selecting. I risked our identities today as well,” Húdié said. Her brooch chirped urgently.

“You should go. We can talk about this tomorrow during patrol,” Chat stuck out his fist. “Partners?”

Húdié smiled and bumped it with her own, “Partners.”

“I’ll get the Noir reporter home,” he said.

“Thank you,” Húdié smiled in relief before waving and taking off quickly into the night.

It was a short trip home, Húdié much faster running across rooftops and making it home just as her transformation vanished. Marinette caught Nooroo in her hands and put him on his pillow on her desk before slipping downstairs and grabbing some leftover cookies and bringing them back up.

She handed them to Nooroo who ate them quietly. Marinette could feel the slight disappointment in Nooroo and she hunkered in her desk chair, holding her legs tucked against her chest.

“I shouldn’t have chosen Alya. She and Chloé have too much resentment towards one another which cost us our Miraculous. And since she’s a reporter she risked our identities as well.” Tears started to brim Marinette’s eyes, “I’m not cut out for this, am I?” Nooroo’s disappointment vanished to sympathy.

“No! You’re doing great! It’s hard to be a hero and especially for you to be the Butterfly. You have to not only assess the target quickly and pick the right Champion to beat the conflict, you have to also make sure the Champion doesn’t let their emotions get the better of them as we saw today. A Champion that gets out of control can end up being a nuisance than a help, which is why picking positive emotions is always better. Alya turned to her anger towards Chloé and prioritized that because you gave her powers, taking advantage of your kindness because she is your friend. Not only that, she became a Champion to seek the truth, and because of that urge to find out the truth could have revealed you both if Chloé hadn’t stepped in.”

“I just feel like I’m not doing any good. I keep messing up in front of Chat and then I haven’t picked good Champions. I’ve got no leads on Coccinelle and we're nowhere close to defeating him. Not only that, he always seems to pulverize us every time we fight hand to hand.”

“This seems like you have a lot on your plate. How about we take each of those issues and solve them step by step? First let’s make our long term and short term goals. Our long term will be revealing Coccinelle and getting leads on his mission. The more he comes out the more we’ll know, but for now we must prepare for that. That’s where our short term goal can come in. You and Chat Noir are both much smaller compared to Coccinelle so you need to learn ways to fight him hand to hand without him using sheer force. How can you solve that?” Nooroo asked.

“Maman said she learned Kung Fu as a child. Maybe she can teach me or can show me a studio nearby? That way I’ll be able to surprise him.”

“Good! That’s one thing down! Now we’ll focus on picking Champions. When you pick someone, always remember to focus on two things; what they want and how they feel at the moment. Today we say that while Alya was excited, she had initially been angry at Chloé so she used that anger still within her as a way of forming her Champion. Even though you release that excitement into the butterfly which gave it energy, it still reacts to how the person is feeling deep down. So while Alya had been excited, that anger was still within her also reacted to the butterfly. Then Alya wanted the truth from Chloé and the heroes identities, so that will she carried passed into the Champion who retained those same desires and went after the truth. Which is why the Butterfly must be very persuasive in getting what they want. If you can persuade the person enough before they become a Champion, their will and desires shall be more aligned with your own which is what we need.”

“So I need to focus on persuading the person to work with me before having them become Champion,” Marinette and Nooroo nodded.

“You did very well with that during Stoneheart, convincing your friend Ivan to stop Coccinelle in order to help Mylène. I have to say that by far was one of your most impressive Champions, especially since it was your first,” Nooroo praised and Marinette’s spirits lifted. She smiled warmly at the kwami and gently scooped him up. The two of them nuzzled and Marinette sighed, feeling better.

“Thank you Nooroo, I don’t know what I would do without you. I always get too stressed about everything and try to do it at once. Thank you for showing me a better way of handling all of this.”

“Of course, Marinette! We’re a team just as much as you and Chat Noir are a team! We’ll do this and defeat Coccinelle, one step at a time. So what’s our first step?”

“Learn a better way of fighting Coccinelle head on,” Marinette said.

“And how will we improve as Húdié?”

“Communicate better with our Champions,” Marinette responded firmly and Nooroo beamed.

“Perfect! Now what do you need to do right now before going to bed?”

Marinette blinked in confusion, “What do I need to do?”

“Homework!” Nooroo chirped.

“I forgot to do my homework!” Marinette wailed and Nooroo chuckled as he watched his holder panic and pull out her work, fondly smiling at the young girl who scribbled away furiously into the night.

Chapter Text

Marinette’s head hit the library desk and she jolted awake, rubbing her forehead in pain. She looked up sheepishly at Félix who seemed rather unamused.

“If you need to sleep, you should go home,” he said. Marinette shook her head and patted her cheeks.

“I need to finish this design and if I go home to work on it I might fall asleep. Aurore from Mme. Mendeleiev's class noticed my work and asked me to make her a weather dress for the kids Weather Announcer competition. The voting is next week so I need to have this done by the end of this week. Plus Mylène asked me to fix a hat for her dad and she needs that in a couple of days."

"I've seen people push themselves to their breaking point at my father’s company; you won’t help yourself by forcing your body beyond its limits. There’s a point where progress declines as exhaustion wins over,” Félix said but Marinette shook her head.

"I'm fine, the hat isn't even that complicated. I just need to add a piece to it and then I'm finished," she waved her hand in dismissal. If only he knew that she had pushed herself to the max a long time ago. Trying to get her designs out into the world as well as helping the bakery had already been tiring, and now being a hero was added icing on the cake. Her Maman had agreed to train Marinette on their free time until they found a good studio for Marinette to train at. Sabine was also interested in joining her daughter, seeing how dangerous it was with Coccinelle running about and attacking at random.

In conclusion, Marinette was drained. She knew she was putting too much on herself and this would eventually catch up to her, but if she grew stronger Marinette could become better as a hero which would at least make one thing in her life easier.

"That reminds me of that interview the heroes had with your friend. You made her outfit for the celebration of the reactivation for her account, correct?" Félix asked. Marinette nodded.

Since the Lady Wifi incident was broadcasted everywhere, everyone found out that Chloé stole Alya’s blog so they angrily called out the people that helped Chloé. When everyone found out the connections between the companies that helped Chloé were linked to André Bourgeois, no one wanted to vote for him in the upcoming election so the mayor decided to grant Alya full access to her blog again and give her an honor to be the Youth Reporter to the Heroes which allowed for her to have full access to her blog with no worries of anyone trying to copy it again as well as give the mayor some of his votes back.

“I suppose it all worked out in the end. I’m surprised the heroes agreed to do an interview with Alya even though they’ve been avid to retain any information about them from the media,” Félix said.

“Alya told me that the heroes said they can do pre-recorded interviews just so their location can’t be determined by Coccinelle. And the interview must be strictly professional, unlike the interview Chloé had with Chat Noir.”

Félix rolled his eyes and returned to his book, “Chat Noir nearly ruined the life of the one he cares for by revealing her identity. It was a blessing in disguise that Coccinelle had arrived at that moment to strike. Who knows what would have become of the girl if he had done that.”

Marinette fumbled with her pencil as she felt an overwhelming remorse from someone behind her crash over her. She quickly turned around and saw someone with green eyes and blond hair staring back at her, eyes full of guilt.

She let out a soft gasp and rose up from her chair. It couldn’t be…

The person turned and ran out of the library as Marinette stared after him in surprise.

“Chat?” she breathed. She knew he went to this school after the incident with the Pharaoh but never expected to actually meet him. But he was there. He had been in the library right there with her. Just the thought made her heart skip a beat.

“What’s wrong?” Félix asked. Marinette turned back to him as he observed her with a frown.

“Nothing, I heard someone behind us and got startled."

Before Félix could reply his phone chirped and he glanced down and sighed, “My driver is here.”

“I’ll head out with you then. I can get the hat and top done at home with the material I already have so that will keep me awake rather than sketching the design,” Marinette collected her things and the two walked out together. They passed by Max and Kim who were excitedly talking about the new panther exhibit that opened in the zoo that Alya’s dad works at, catching Marinette’s attention shortly as they continued walking.

Adrien was waiting for Félix outside of the car and when Marinette waved to him, he gave a meek wave back. Marinette could feel that he was upset, but he climbed into the car as Félix said his farewell to Marinette and ordered her to get some sleep. Marinette laughed which only made Félix frown more.

“I’m serious. Your health is important,” his eyes only expressed concern for her which took Marinette by surprise until the blond turned and went to his car.

Marinette walked home as their car drove off. Nooroo slipped out and hid on her shoulder, blending in well with the purple jacket Marinette wore.

“You should get some sleep. You still have to babysit Manon today,” Nooroo reminded her and Marinette groaned.

“I completely forgot about Manon. I don’t know if I’ll be able to play with her without falling asleep.”

“Which is why you should nap for a little bit,” Nooroo encouraged but Marinette shook her head.

“You know how I get when I nap. I’ll just be even more of a mess when I wake up. Maybe I can just tell Chat Noir I can’t patrol tonight. But what if he’s also busy too then he might not be able to go the whole time either. Ugh this is so difficult,” Marinette said as Nooroo flew back into her purse. They arrived at the bakery and Tom greeted Marinette with a kiss on the cheek.

“You look exhausted. Make sure you sleep after you finish your homework,” he told his daughter.

“I will, Papa,” she said and trudged her way upstairs to her room before collapsing on the chaise.

“We have a problem,” she said and Nooroo came out with a sigh.

“You seem to have overloaded yourself in a matter of days.”

“One thing at a time!” Marinette cheered instead. Nooroo couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm.

“So what’s our first thing that needs to be done?”

“Homework!”

“Then?”

“Manon!”

“And then?”

“The hat and Aurore's outfit!” 

“And what the most important thing we can’t forget?” Nooroo asked.

“Patrol?” Marinette frowned.

“No, sleep!” Nooroo chided and Marinette giggled as the kwami poked her.

“I will I will! Later,” Marinette smiled.

“Not too late. How about you do some homework and when you get sleepy work on your outfit and switch between the two before Manon comes?” Nooroo suggested as he landed on her hands. Marinette kissed his forehead.

“I really don’t know what I would do without you,” she smiled happily and the kwami beamed with pride.

Marinette got to work with Nooroo helping now and then getting materials for the outfit or reciting some information in the textbook while Marinette wasn’t doing homework so she could also study. It surprised Marinette how much she got done with by the time Nadja arrived with Manon.

“Marinette!” Manon cheered and threw herself onto the teen. Marinette smiled as the girl hugged her tightly. Najda smiled at the two.

“I’ll be back late today, will you be able to keep an eye on her for a little longer? I’ll pay you extra for it,” Najda asked and Marinette hesitated, but when feeling how stressed Nadja was, smiled.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Yay!” Manon cheered and Marinette giggled. Najda kissed her daughter as she left and Marinette put away her work so it wouldn’t get ruined while Manon was there.

"Did you make these?" Manon held up a Chat Noir plushy Marinette had made. Next to it was Húdié and some of the previous Champions such as Stoneheart, Pharaoh, Timetaker and Timebraker, DJ Echo, and M. Pigeon. Lady Wifi was in the works with a few limbs already done. Even though she hadn’t been the best Champion, she still deserved a spot with the rest of them.

Marinette nodded with a small breath of relief as Manon admired the dolls. If they played with these then Marinette wouldn't have to worry too much about wearing herself out.

"Mama has been trying to find out more about the heroes. She's always busy at work now and Papa's getting busier too so no one is at home to play with me," Manon sighed and Marinette could feel the bitterness rumbling from within the girl. Marinette stared at Manon, watching her fiddle with the doll as if sad that they were the ones that took her mother from her. She could feel the emotions drooping off of the girl like a wilted flower; bitterness, loneliness, craving affection and just someone to be with her.

“You know, the sun’s pretty bright outside and I feel like the both of us are wasting a lovely day hiding in here. How about we go to the park? Or maybe try to find André and get some ice cream?” Marinette suggested and at once the wilted flower bloomed brightly as Manon perked up.

“Really?”

“If you’re on your best behavior and don’t let go of my hand when we cross the street-” Marinette didn’t have time to establish the rest of the rules when Manon tackled her, eyes alight.

“Let’s go right now!” she pulled the teen up and started to drag her to the trap door.

“Let me grab my wallet first,” she chuckled and grabbed her purse, opening it up to stick her wallet in it. She waited as Nooroo slipped in with a happy note and then followed the younger girl down who was excitedly jumping around in the kitchen.

Sabine smiled at the two as they headed out from the bakery entrance, “Enjoy!”

“You bet!” Manon cheered and Marinette waved as the two left, Manon dragging Marinette down the road.

Marinette checked her phone to see the latest posts on André the ice cream man. Supposedly his ice cream had magical properties to it and Marinette knew Manon would feel better in no time. 

“He’s in the zoo today so we can go there and check it out. I heard the panther exhibit just opened too,” Marinette grinned and Manon’s eyes brightened.

“Then let’s gooooo!” she dragged Marinette forward and the two headed out, giggling happily.

“I can totally beat it,” Kim scoffed.

“First of all that panther is a she, not an it!” the zookeeper snapped. “And secondly, you can’t beat it!”

“According to my calculations, with your current speed that we have calculated previously compared to the speed of a black panther which is approximately 79 kilometers per hour, it is not humanly possible for you to be the faster of the two.” Max said.

“Give me some satisfaction here, Max,” Kim said turning to his friend while the others shared uncertain looks with one another.

Félix hadn't expected to end up at the zoo until Max messaged him right after leaving school to come with him and visit the new panther exhibit. He was planning to enjoy his day off reading but he figured that Max would have something to show him that would be worth getting together. The teen was inquisitive and showed Félix several strategy board games on his birthday that were rather entertaining. 

He didn't account for Kim to be here, and especially the fact that the athlete would try to challenge every animal to some ridiculous competition that he would lose due to the fact that he didn't have the physical capabilities to do it.

It looks like Nino had also been invited and asked if Adrien would join them. Kim invited Alix to further rub it in her face that he could do these things but so far wasn't getting luck doing any challenges because the keepers wouldn't let him, such as currently.

"This panther cannot be beaten by any man, much less a child!" the zookeeper snapped. Félix worried that they were going to get kicked out when their attention focused on a little girl as she ran forward and tried to climb into the cage, ice cream all over her face.

"Manon!" they all looked in surprise as none other than Marinette ran forward and grabbed the child back who wailed.

"I want to pet the kitty!" the girl whined. Félix cringed, kids had always been a nuisance with their constant yammering in their high pitched voices. It seemed like nothing could appease them.

"The panther will bite you if you pet it! It's a wild animal!" Marinette scolded as she tried to wipe the ice cream off of the child's face who persistently wiggled around.

"Hey, Marinette! Do you think I’m faster than this black panther?” Kim asked as Marinette finally got the ice cream off.

Marinette stared at the group in surprise and the child took the chance to escape. Thankfully she didn't get that far as she ran into the zookeeper and Marinette was able to scoop her up.

"I want to see the kitty!" Manon screeched and everyone winced at the high voice. Félix noted that Marinette looked worse than when she had left and doubted she took his advice.

"I can tell you all about her!" the zookeeper boomed and he brightened up as he began talking with her. Meanwhile everyone went towards Marinette.

"You look awful," Alix said bluntly. Marinette shrugged.

"She's actually doing better than normal. Usually she's running everywhere and always messing with something. This time she's only running around and that's because she got ice cream from André."

"André?" Adrien asked and the others gasped.

"You don't know André's ice cream?" they exclaimed. Adrien flinched and Félix was glad he didn't ask.

"It's the best ice cream in the world but it's hard to get because he travels everywhere throughout Paris," Kim said excitedly.

"If you guys want he was still serving at the monkey exhibit not too far away, and there was a long line as we left so he might still be there," Marinette said. Before anyone could thank her though, the girl she was babysitting took off with a cheer and Marinette ran after the child in a panic.

"Let's go get some ice cream," Nino pointed to the direction of the monkey exhibit and they went off in that direction.

Félix never participated in outdoor activities since the twins had always been restricted, but he usually enjoyed them when there was a chance to. It always reminded him out his outings with Bridgette in the dream world she lived in. She said she could control what she wanted it to look like and she enjoyed the outdoors so that was the normal thing to expect.

The difference this time his company was far more energetic than normal.

Kim was nearly sprinting ahead to scout for André while making bets with Alix who was skating beside him. Not only that, he tried to trip the girl which caused bickering between the two. Max was being reasonable by using social media to get clues on André within the zoo to make sure he hadn't left his current location. Nino was chatting away with Adrien about a new mix of music he heard online and was inspired by.

"It says he should be around this corner up head," Max pointed and on cue Kim shouted at them to hurry up when he spotted the ice cream man.

Everyone excitedly ran ahead with the exception of Félix who sighed. They couldn't possibly expect him to run for something as simple as ice cream. The only things that could encourage Félix to do physical activity was his daily exercises his father planned for him and-

"Coccinelle!" people screamed and Félix whipped around as everyone behind him dispersed. Someone small crashed into his legs and he looked down to spot the young girl Marinette was babysitting sobbing in fear.

The girl recognized him and gripped his pants, "He's after Marinette!"

Félix looked far back to see Marinette running away from Coccinelle, the panther zookeeper trying to protect the teen.

"Go to those kids there," Félix ordered Manon to run to his friends. Félix was about to follow when he heard Marinette cry out and turned back just as the zookeeper was yanked back by Coccinelle's yo-yo and hit a pole hard, sinking to the floor unconscious. The villain turned towards Marinette.

Félix's feet took action for him and he ran towards Marinette who had a mind to run away, looking back at Coccinelle in fear.

"Marinette!" Félix shouted and she turned to face him. He hurried and grabbed her arm, pulling her in front of him and turning a corner towards the snake house. They could hear Coccinelle after them swinging from above and Félix opened the door of the house and ushered Marinette inside before slamming it shut, quickly herding her forward into the crowd of people that still hadn't realized the zoo was being attacked.

Marinette panted as Félix steered her through the crowd, keeping a secure hand on her shoulder.

“Why is he after you?” Félix asked.

“He’s trying to get to Alya so he can get to Chat Noir and Húdié. At this point he’s just targeting anyone with information on the heroes. He went after Mayor Bourgeois because he thought that Chloé had contact with the heroes, then when Chloé had the interview just went after Chat Noir directly. Now that he knows Alya is the real reporter, he’s going after her because she has access to them. I don’t know how he knew we were friends though,” Marinette caught her breath as they looked outside the windows of the exhibit to see Coccinelle had left. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Félix frowned suspiciously, suspecting that he might still be out there.

“We need to go back and help the zookeeper, he’s Alya’s father,” Marinette headed to the exit.

“He is?” Félix asked and Marinette nodded.

“He told me when I managed to catch Manon again and he was helping me entertain her when he mentioned Alya’s twin sisters that I’ve babysat once. I hope Manon’s okay. What if she got captured because Coccinelle knew I would try to go for her? She could be hurt and it’ll be all my fault-” Marinette started to worry but Félix squeezed her shoulder in comfort then realized that he was still holding it. He removed his hand quickly and awkwardly put it at his side.

“She’s fine. I told her to stick with the others so she should be safe with them. I can text Max if you want,” Félix said to comfort her but she wasn’t eased.

“We still need to check on M. Césaire,” Marinette fretted.

“You need to stay safe. If he’s after you then he’ll be waiting outside, that’s why I’ll go out with the crowd to find him and see what happened while you stay here.” Félix cut Marinette off as she opened her mouth to protest, “If you get caught then Alya will be blackmailed and the heroes will lose. You need to think of Paris as a whole, not just one person.” 

Félix watched her trying to make a counter argument before she hesitated, putting a hand on her purse. He relaxed as she nodded.

“You’re right. I’ll stay here,” she gave in.

“Hide over there in that section with the dense shrubbery. I’ll come back when the coast is clear,” he said and she complied, going over to where he pointed.

Félix turned and walked out quickly with the next group of people. Outside the people had seemed to calm down but were still murmuring anxiously. They were chattering while looking around the treetops of the zoo, yet from what Félix was observing, Coccinelle had moved on.

He hurried over to the fallen zookeeper only to notice he was missing. Félix scanned the area when movement caught his eye from the panther enclosure. He walked forward cautiously and frowned as the branches stilled. Something was in the bushes.

He approached and relaxed as he recognized the familiar pattern of the zookeeper’s shirt.

“It’s alright M. Césaire, it seems like Coccinelle left,” Félix said but the man only wiggled around more.

“I’m stuck,” M. Césaire finally said. Félix tried not to roll his eyes and started to help the man out of the bushes that had snagged his shirt. By the time he managed to get the man out, his own outfit was covered in dirt and leaves that he brushed off in displeasure. 

“Not a very good hiding place, I must say,” they glanced up to see Coccinelle watching them from above. “One is all I need anyway.”

Coccinelle threw his yo-yo but it was deflected as Chat Noir landed in front of them.

“You know, maybe if you had the Cat Miraculous they wouldn’t have slipped out of your claws,” Chat Noir grinned. Félix felt relieved as the villain now focused on the hero who was certain to protect them.

“If you gave me the Miraculous now we wouldn’t have to play this ridiculous game of cat and mouse. I’ve been merciful as of late but at this point I’m getting annoyed with your antics,” Coccinelle glared.

“Don’t worry, these antics are just getting started. Right, Animan?” Húdié landed beside the zookeeper who had a glowing mark on his face.

“Coccinelle, you entered the wrong den. Now face the beast within!” Animan growled and in a burst of lavender swirls, transformed into a large black panther similar to the one still caged.

“I’ll deal with him, Chat. Take the civilian to safety. Coccinelle cannot get your ring,” Húdié said and her partner nodded before scooping up Félix without any warning and took off. Félix let out an ungraceful noise as he gripped the hero who climbed up a lamppost and leaped off of it before landing next to the monkey exhibit they had been at previously, depositing the teen.

“Stay safe,” Chat said before extending his baton back towards the fight, Félix watching the hero leave with decreasing worry as the fight got farther away. He hoped that this would be the last time Coccinelle decided to go after another family. First the Kubel family had to go through this stress, then the Bourgeois even though no one really was upset about that, and now the Césaire family. 

“Félix!” he turned to see the teens running up to him, all of them frazzled. Nino was holding Manon who stopped crying, simply choosing to silently cling to the calm DJ.

"Where's Adrien?" Félix asked when he couldn't locate his brother in the group.

“Dude rushed to the bathroom and told us to wait here for you. Where’s Marinette?” Nino asked.

“She’s in the snake exhibit. I told her to hide there since Coccinelle was after her,” Félix answered.

“Poor thing, Coccinelle seems to have a mean streak with her,” Alix said and they walked briskly to the snake exhibit to find the designer. They entered to find it mostly empty with a few people deciding to hide there for the time being while the party of teens looked around for their friend.

Their casual search turned worrisome when Félix couldn't find Marinette in the spot they agreed on. Then it became frantic when they realized Marinette wasn't in the exhibit at all. Nino had to try to comfort Manon who picked up that her babysitter was missing and started crying again. Alix and Kim went in huge perimeter around their area to see if they could spot her while Félix and Max searched nearby the snake house. But she was nowhere to be found.

Marinette ran into the snake habitat, wheezing after barely managing to transform back in time at the zoo, crashing into a bush as she reverted into her civilian form. Chat Noir probably just finished dropping of M. Césaire and sure enough, Marinette could see him take off above in the sky from the skylight. He had been a lot of help today with getting Coccinelle and even got off one of his earrings before the villain used his Lucky Charm knocked the hero off of him.

Marinette looked around but couldn’t find anyone in the empty snake habitat. She grew worried, wondering if Manon was okay.

“I told you to stay here,” she turned sharply to find Félix sitting on one of the benches. He didn’t look pleased.

“About that...” Marinette tried to think of a lie at the moment as Félix rose from his seat, greyish blue eyes cold.

“I don’t want to hear any excuses. I told you to stay here for your safety and you left. You could’ve gotten hurt or captured and everyone would be in trouble. You don’t really seem to understand the situation we’re in with Coccinelle running about, do you?”

“I do-” Marinette started but Félix continued, anger lacing his words.

“Then why do you think it’s a great idea to go running off into danger? Have you looked at yourself? You’ve got scratches all over your face and your hair is a mess. You can barely stand and you’ve clearly worked yourself to the bone. When I advise you to rest you instead go stumbling around Paris with a hyperactive child. Do you not understand how dangerous it is for you to be in this state? You seem to lack any rational thought at the moment.”

“I can be rational,” Marinette mumbled.

“Then be rational,” Félix snapped.

Marinette gripped her purse as the weight of what Félix said bore down on her. He walked towards the exit and Marinette shuffled slowly from behind, realizing how ridiculous she must look right now covered in leaves and face all scratched up. Leaves fell from her hair and her body hurt where she had rammed into something while in the suit. She was tired. She was a mess. She couldn’t do this. 

Félix waited for her to get through the door, holding it open while trying not to look impatient as Marinette walked out. 

She felt her eyes brim with tears and she sniffled, trying to keep her emotions in place as Félix made his way to the others. His footsteps paused and Marinette looked at the floor so he wouldn’t see her face if he turned around to glance at her.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled and continued to pointedly avoid him as he approached her.

Instead of him standing there sternly he began to pull out the debris in her hair, his hands gentle and careful.

“You let people push you around all the time and never say no. I’m certain that you babysat today because of that same reason. Meanwhile Chloé constantly belittles you because you let her since you never do anything to stand up to her. She has no authority over you, yet for some reason you have this mentality that she can ruin your life with a single phone call when she can’t. You are an extremely brilliant person, Marinette. You shouldn’t let other people drain you of that,” Marinette stared at Félix in shock, not expecting him to say or do anything like that at all after his scolding. He stared at her in concern and Marinette looked away again, wiping the tears forming in her eyes. He waited for her to fix her hair and clothes before they headed off to meet with the others, the silence between them more comfortable than before

Chapter Text

"I heard Aurore lost the weather girl position but she was pretty mature about it," Alya said as the girls watched the blonde they were talking about walk past, head held high. Marinette disagreed with Alya, mainly because she could feel the frustration and disbelief pouring out of the girl despite her proud appearance. She wanted to comfort her but knew that right now was not a good time for Aurore to be approached by people. 

Unfortunately, Mirelle walked past as people swarmed her with compliments which caused her to nearly bump into Aurore. Everyone watched with bated breath as Mirelle stared at Aurore with a mix of horror. Aurore simply inclined her head in a graceful nod.

"Congrats on your win. I look forward to seeing how you progress," she said calmly and continued towards the locker room as Mirelle blinked in surprise and stuttered out a thanks.

"You really thought you had a chance?" Everyone tried not to groan as Chloé blocked Aurore's way, restricting her from entering the locker room.

"Please move," Aurore grit her teeth, already knowing what was going to happen and Marinette watched Aurore's grip on her backpack tighten as she mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"I'm glad you finally got knocked off your high horse. Always walking around with that snobbish attitude thinking that you're a gift from above destined to do amazing things. Quite the downfall I must say. In the end you flew too close to the sun and evaporated like a pathetic cloud, as you would say in your weather girl terms," Chloé scoffed mockingly. Alya sighed and started to make her way towards Chloé to intervene.

Marinette recalled what Félix had said to her the day before. Chloé couldn't do anything to her. Marinette was in charge of her life and she had the ability to stand up for what she believed in, not Chloé.

"That's enough, Chloé," Marinette said before she could stop herself. The entire courtyard who had been watching the two girls looked in surprise at the other girl standing to the side. Alya turned around, mouth agape. Marinette had never spoken up against Chloé like this.

"What did you say, Dupain-Cheng?" Chloé said icly. Marinette hesitated and bit her lip. This was a bad idea.

You are an extremely brilliant person, Marinette. You shouldn’t let other people drain you of that.

"I said that's enough. You can't keep ridiculing everyone when you wouldn't even do something like that by yourself. Aurore took the chance and put in her best effort for the role, something you could never do," Marinette's voice rose as her confidence grew and she approached the two girls, standing in front of Aurore. "You undermine people when you've done nothing but flaunt your wealth and your father's power. Not your power."

"So that's how you're going to play, fine," Chloé jabbed a finger at Marinette's chest. "Time to tell M. Damocles you've been bullying me so you can get suspended. And if he doesn't listen I'll just-" Marinette scoffed as Chloé pulled out her phone.

"-tell your dad? First of all, you can't prove that I've been bullying you like you have bullied me for the past several years. And what will M. Damocles says when you try to suspend me when everyone in this entire courtyard saw I did nothing to you? There are more witnesses here that can prove me innocent. Even then, if you do suspend me because you manage to pull your father into this, everyone can threaten to move to another school when seeing how corrupt this one is. M. Damocles will side with the majority over one person because he doesn't want the school to close, even if that one person is the mayor."

Chloé pulled back in surprise, realizing Marinette was right. The designer crossed her arms, raising her head high. 

"So go tell M. Damocles and your dad. Go show them how you're being bullied," Marinette said firmly. Her heart hammered in her chest, hoping that the blonde would back down. But she never backed down.

A hand landed on her shoulder and Marinette absorbed the positive energy, the confidence, the pride, and happiness radiating from Alya who squeezed her shoulder while she glared at Chloé, "You may have the power to pick on one individual, but you alone cannot beat an army."

There was a long pause and everyone watched as the queen of the school drew back with a snarl, glaring at Marinette.

"You'll be sorry for this, Dupain-Cheng," she spat as she stormed away.

"I'm sorry you can't seem to do anything yourself," Alya called back and everyone cheered as Chloé fled, Sabrina on her tail.

“Thank you,” Aurore said and Marinette could hear the relief in her tone that echoed her own feelings towards the situation.

“We need to start standing up for ourselves and protecting one another. 'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil-'”

“'-is that good people do nothing,'” Alya finished for Marinette with a smile before pulling Marinette into a hug, “I’m so proud of you for standing up to her.”

“I was so terrified but that actually felt good,” Marinette admitted. Alya rubbed her on the back and pulled away when their classmates came over.

“That was the coolest thing ever,” Kim said in awe. “Even cooler than Chat Noir and Húdié.”

“Now I want to say something to her!” Nino pumped his fist excitedly and Marinette laughed.

“You should run against her in for class president!” Rose chirped but Marinette balked.

“I’m not ready for something as big as that yet. Why don't you guys? If I can do it then you can too!”

“Stand up to Chloé myself?” Kim laughed with a shake of his head. “She’s way to scary for me still.”

“Even though I got my blog back, I’m still worried that Chloé might do something else to mess with me so I’d rather not go neck and neck with her. Plus with my booming popularity from getting it back, I have no time to focus on running a campaign,” Alya shrugged.

“Chloé doesn’t scare me,” Alix said.

“Then you should run!” Marinette perked up but Alix shrugged.

“Being a leader isn’t my thing. I rather do my own stuff instead. Max would be a good rep if he wasn’t too busy making his new robot.”

“He’s more than just a robot I’ll have you know. Markov is going to be one of the greatest pieces of technology in the world. I’m advancing on his artificial intelligence everyday and by the end of this month he’ll have one of the fastest processors that have been seen in-” the bell interrupted Max’s detailed description of his new project and allowed the class to escape from the rambling that was far too advanced for their mindset.

They hurried to class and settled in, everyone giving Marinette a happy greeting either by patting her back, smiling, or giving her a thumbs up.

When Chloé came in, the room fell silent and they all glared at her. She pointedly ignored them and got seated, Sabrina shuffling in anxiously after her. Félix entered right in front of Mlle. Bustier and Marinette glanced at him, wondering if he had seen what she had done. She forced back her grin when he nodded at her as he made his way to his seat as class started.

“So before we begin class I would like to announce two points. Gabriel Agreste is hosting his hat competition here at school so anyone who is interested can sign up with me later today. Also the voting for class president will be hosted in the upcoming week. If anyone is interested please let me know.”

“I want to be the class president,” Chloé rose her hand haughtily in the air. 

“Anyone else thinking of running?” Mlle. Bustier asked and Chloé glared at the rest of the kids in class who shrank back, finishing her nasty look at Marinette. As Mlle. Bustier looked around hopefully for another candidate, Marinette started to lose faith in herself. She couldn’t really do this. She didn’t have time to even be class rep with everything from the bakery, Najda requesting more babysitting, commissions, and being a hero. This was ridiculous. She could fail before she even had a chance.

A small weight landed on her leg and Marinette looked down to see her purse pressing against her, Nooroo’s comforting waves trying to relax Marinette and tell her that it was alright if she couldn’t do it.

“If no one else wants to run…” Mlle. Bustier was saying as she scanned the class. Marinette noticed her teacher's earrings twinkle and caught the small butterfly earrings she wore.

Marinette was a hero. She couldn’t let Chloé do what she wanted and mess with the rest of the class. She had to help her classmates and friends. Chloé had been pushing everyone around for too long because she always had some access to power, but this time Marinette wasn’t going to let her get it.

“I’ll run,” Marinette said and the class gasped, looking at Marinette once again in awe as the girl stared determinedly at Mlle. Bustier. Chloé shot the foulest look to the designer who glared back in return.

The campaign was on.

“She’s idiotic,” Félix said as he laid back on the grass.

“I think she’s cute,” Bridgette laid next to him, making a flower crown. Her steady fingers expertly folded the stems and secured one after the other as it grew bigger and bigger.

“I told her to stand up for herself against Chloé so the first thing she does is run for class president. And she wants her friend to be vice president no less.”

“Alya the news reporter?” Bridgette asked for clarification. Félix sat up and nodded.

“As of late, Alya’s always busy and said she wouldn’t have time to help out because of the increased popularity of her blog. Then when Marinette decides to run suddenly she’s available to be vice president? Marinette’s going to end up doing all of the work. It’s as clear as day.”

“Marinette’s going to be pretty stressed out. She seems to have a lot on her plate,” Bridgette put the flower crown on Félix’s head. The blond looked like a grumpy angel sent down from above who didn’t want to be there in the first place but was forced to help.

This gave Bridgette an idea, “Why don’t you be her vice president?”

“Me?” Félix asked.

“Marinette needs help and from what you say, no one is really interested in supporting the class except for Marinette. She’s the only one who seems to care. And that’s a big burden on one’s shoulders, especially if she’s already busy with other things outside of school. I’m worried her wings aren’t going to be able to take it,” Bridgette murmured as a butterfly landed on Félix’s crown. She extended her finger and it crawled onto it, letting her kiss it gently before it flew off.

“Bye bye, little butterfly,” she breathed with a smile. Félix watched it flutter off gently into the sky above.

Félix sighed and rubbed his face with his hands but was careful not to mess up the crown. Bridgette bit back her grin; he was always so gentle with her flower crowns when she made them.

Ever since they've known each other, Bridgette had known Félix didn’t enjoy his life at home. He talked about home with a dullness that rubbed her wrong despite her not having any knowledge of what a familial life should be like. Most of the time they sat there in silence in each other’s company. Sure it was comforting and peaceful, but Bridgette had nothing to talk about. Félix was her only source of seeing the world and his was so bleak. So every now and then she could test the waters and hope he dipped his toe in, but usually he didn’t which was slightly frustrating.

Then Adrien escaped home and went to public school which disturbed the stagnant waters of the Agreste household. Félix started talking about stories that Adrien got from school, meeting these mysterious people that Félix hadn’t even met yet. Then suddenly he’s enrolled into school and upset because he wanted to stay home where he was comfortable. Bridgette encouraged him to look at it positively and prayed that someone on the other side would be there for him.

As if hearing her prayer, Marinette was brilliant and smart and loved challenging herself which was exactly what Félix needed and Bridgette had hoped for. Today was a perfect example of the rash girl jumping into something she couldn’t yet handle and Félix's urge to help her. He never wanted to admit it, but Bridgette knew Félix wanted to help others but he just didn’t know how.

This was a perfect opportunity for him to grow as a person and meet new people as he worked with Marinette. She seemed like she had many connections and Bridgette knew that would allow Félix to make new friends outside of class. She didn’t even mind if Félix only stayed friends with those in his class since his new position would still allow for him to get to know them better. Bridgette wanted Félix to be happy, and sometimes he needed that push in order to do so.

“I can’t just let her do this alone,” Félix finally said.

“It’s up to you if you want to help her,” Bridgette said casually.

“Don’t think I haven’t picked up on that,” Félix rose an eyebrow at her. Bridgette blinked innocently.

“What?”

“You always say something along the lines of it being my choice to do something you secretly want me to do.”

“I think it would benefit you. Your father would approve of it because you’ll be learning more about your school and improving your communication skills as well as your social health,”

“If someone mentions my social health again I will seal myself in my room and never come out.”

“Don’t be like that, Féfé!” Bridgette giggled.

“Don’t call me Féfé.”

“You know you like it,” Bridgette teased as she poked his cheek. Félix rose up irritably.

“I despise it almost as much as my social health.”

“Be the social butterfly! Get out there and mingle!” Bridgette cackled as she got up and Félix shook his head. His flower crown stayed securely on his head.

“You’re annoying.”

“Very annoying,” Bridgette agreed. Félix gently took off the crown and placed it on her head.

“Very annoying,” he nodded, eyes gentle and warm. Bridgette held his hand as he lowered it and smiled warmly at him, linking their fingers together.

Then with a blink of her eyes he was gone. Bridgette stared at the place where he had been standing and she sighed softly, settling down into the grass and looking around her garden before laying back onto the grass and closing her eyes, waiting for night to come again.

“Are you certain that you want to cancel the meeting next week?” Nathalie asked. Gabriel nodded.

“Chat Noir and Húdié both responded abnormally fast yesterday. I’ve noticed they do whenever there are students of Adrien and Félix’s class in the area. This is my chance to find out if two of those students are the other wielders. I must find them. Emilie is relying on us to get that ring back,” Gabriel looked at his schedule for the next couple of weeks and hummed thoughtfully.

“Yes, sir?” Nathalie noticed his interest.

“Audrey Bourgeois wants to start opening up the fashion industry for the youth, correct?”

“That is correct, sir,” Nathalie said.

“Make the upcoming competition next week focusing on students, especially at Françoise Dupont. I’m curious at what bright students are hiding in the school.”

“I’ll notify Mm. Tsurugi that you will not be able to attend due to the presentation at school. She doesn’t seem to have a forgiving nature though,” Nathalie warned.

“I will compensate her later, this is more dire than establishing another connection in Japan. If I can locate the wielders then all of this will be over.”

“She might still want to bring her daughter, is that alright?”

“She can meet the boys. I’ll talk to André about hosting her until her mother arrives later. André understands the importance of maintaining proper connections which will make him courteous towards the Tsurugis due to their wealth. That’s the least of my concerns at the moment. What will this conference at the school be about?” Gabriel asked Nathalie.

“It’s called Parents Day where one of the parents of the student come in and talk about their professions in order to encourage students to broaden their horizons and find different career options that they may enjoy.”

“The two have a friend that is a designer, correct?” Gabriel recalled the bold girl that had spoken with him the day before his sons birthdays.

“Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her parents are the owners of a bakery right next to the school. They were the ones that catered for the birthday party.”

“She seemed talented enough with her sharp eye. Maybe I can talk with her after this conference and see if she’s interested in touring the building with Félix. I’ll also encourage her to join the competition that will be hosted in the meantime in order to establish a stronger connection with her. I’ve noticed that she interacts with many of the students as annoying as she is always getting in my way. She interrupted me yesterday when I tried to get Mlle. Césaire’s father as well as Kubel’s daughter in the past. If I can get her to work under me, then I’ll have far more connections with the students in the school than now. The boys are building connections far too slowly. I expected Félix to increase his interactions and get more information for me when I enrolled him in the first place but it proved to be rather… disappointing to say the least. This Mlle. Dupain-Cheng might just be the key to get more information from the youth reporter as well as learn more about the students so I can find out who are the ones wielding the miraculous. Our priority is Chat Noir, so be observant when we visit,” Gabriel said and dismissed Nathalie. The secretary left after jotting down the notes needed for the meeting while Gabriel thoughtfully looked over the painting of gold, his wife’s gentle face sleeping peacefully in the painting.

“Soon we will free you. Just wait a bit longer, my love,” Gabriel murmured. There in the corner of the room, a red and black kwami sat watching the man who stared longingly at the painting. If she had a mouth her frown would be strongly defined, but since it was sealed up by the man wearing the Miraculous, she could only glare daggers into him. All she could do was wait for the heroes to come, and despite being alive from the beginning of time and developing patience over the thousands of centuries she had been around, Tikki couldn't wait for this man to fall.

Chapter Text

Adrien sat down at his desk, leg bouncing up and down as he tried to listen to M. Raincomprix talk about his job. He couldn’t help but feel excited that his father was currently standing at the edge of the room in person.

Gabriel Agreste surprised the world coming to a simple Parent’s Day for his sons, pleasing everyone to see him finally getting out there after the tragic incident with his wife a year ago. He seemed healthy and radiated professionalism as he listened with rapt attention as M. Raincomprix finished his discussion.

It took all of Adrien’s willpower not to glance back at his father as Mlle. Bustier welcomed him to the front of the room. He instead waited for his father to come into sight before watching him walk to the front of the classroom, calm and poised.

“Your dad’s always so serious,” Nino murmured to Adrien.

“He’s got a reputation to keep. He always tells us that people will try to use any emotion we show to the media to ruin us so he always looks serious,” Adrien replied as the class’ curious murmurs settled down.

Gabriel started to speak and while Adrien knew everything his father was saying, he still listened with rapt attention, happy to see that for the first time his father was there . 

Midway through the presentation though, Chloé rose up in a fury, holding an empty container.

“Where is my bracelet?” Chloé screeched. Everyone jumped in surprise while she almost immediately turned onto Marinette. “You stole it!”

“Are you serious?” Marinette exclaimed in exasperation.

“You’ve been after me for the longest time and this is the final straw! I can’t believe you would do something like this to me out of jealousy!” Chloé wailed and Mayor Bourgeois turned onto Marinette, pointing an accusing finger at her.

“How dare you come after my daughter like this! Return what you have stolen!”

“My daughter would never steal!” Tom Dupain strode to the center of the room and urged his daughter behind him and stood firmly in front of the mayor. While the mayor was a couple inches taller than the baker, Tom Dupain made up for it with muscle, far larger and more easily able to look intimidating than the lean mayor.

“Roger! Search this child at once!” Mayor Bourgeois ordered Roger Raincomprix. The officer paled, shaking his head.

“I can’t do that. That’s against the law to search without a warrant, not to mention she's a minor-”

“Are you going against me? Don’t you know that I am the mayor and thus your superior?” the mayor seethed.

“You aren’t above the law though. I am not allowed to search this young woman without proper evidence-”

“Then you’re fired,” the mayor growled. Everyone’s jaws dropped in surprise.

“You can’t fire me! You have no authority to do so!” Roger demanded. They watched as André  pulled out his phone and made a call to the head deputy of the Paris police force.

“One of your men, Roger-” he paused on the last name as he realized he didn't know it.

“-Raincomprix,” Chloé aided him. Sabrina gasped and stared at her supposed friend in disbelief as Chloé helped her father fire Roger. Sabrina looked at Chloé pleadingly but the blonde was too focused on her father, listening gleefully as he spoke about Roger disobeying his authority along with other lies to get the man into more trouble.

The class stared in horror as Roger’s phone rang and sure enough, the head deputy fired him on the spot for not listening to the mayor’s orders. Roger looked stunned and took off his hat, walking out without another word to anyone. The door gently clicked shut behind him.

“But why, Chloé?” Sabrina asked, still trying to understand why her friend would stoop so low just to get revenge. Why she would betray her own friend within a heartbeat.

“Nobody gets in my way,” Chloé huffed. “Now onto Dupain-Cheng who stole my bracelet. Open your purse now.”

“No,” Marinette pulled her purse protectively behind her and away from Chloé’s eyes.

“That young man and woman right here were recording, can’t we check to see if they got any footage of the event happening?” Gabriel nodded at Nino and Alya who had in fact been recording and forgotten to stop as the whole scene played out.

As the two started to play the videos, Adrien noticed movement on the floor. He looked down to see Plagg rolling around, his head caught on a giant bracelet. A bracelet that was gold, purple, and gaudy enough to be considered perfect for a Bourgeois.

Adrien whacked his head on the desk as he lunged down and scooped up Plagg, shoving him into his over shirt as pain blasted through his forehead.

“Are you alright, Adrien?” Gabriel asked as Adrien sat up, holding his forehead. The class watched Adrien curiously as his eyes watered. He got up and started to make his way to the door.

“I was tying my shoe and saw a bug that freaked me out and I hit my head- oh wow this hurts a ton I’m going to go to the nurse’s office to make sure it’s not going to swell up you know because I have to model-” he continued to ramble as the door closed behind him and Adrien ran down to the locker rooms, sliding into the bathroom and pulling out Plagg when checking to make sure it was empty.

“What are you doing?” Adrien exclaimed in a panic, ignoring his throbbing head.

“That sounded like a hard bump, I hope it swells,” Plagg grinned. His eyes were covered by the big band around his head and Adrien watched the kwami’s ears twitch as he adapted to the new darkness.

“Why couldn’t that thing have covered your mouth instead of your eyes?” Adrien groaned.

“It’s because you would despair if you couldn’t hear my sweet voice- hey watch it!” Plagg hissed as Adrien grabbed Plagg’s rear and tried to pull him out.

“Get out of there!”

“Don’t you think I’m trying!” Plagg whined. “I thought it was fun since it was shiny and now it’s just a pain in my back! Literally! Stop pulling so hard!” 

Adrien grunted as he gave one last pull before letting Plagg go. The kwami bit him in the hand and Adrien yelped.

“What was that for?"

“I am a god! I used to be fed five course meals every day with the most delicate spices and nasty smells in the world! Now I’m being tugged around like a dog toy which is completely rude,” Plagg hissed.

Adrien smiled as an idea came to mind, “Spices you say?”

He shoved the growling kwami into his over shirt pocket and hurried away to the cafeteria to look for some spices to make the god sneeze his way out of there.

Meanwhile the classroom argument had escalated. Turns out Nathaniel had been drawing the bracelet which meant that he had seen it before so he could possibly have it. Anyone sitting close to Chloé was also being accused, Marinette still her primary target. Thankfully at Marinette’s gentle tap on her purse during the escalating argument, Nooroo had phased out of her purse and was hiding in the back rows of the classroom, cowering away from all of the frightening angry emotions.

Nooroo never liked it when people fought and argued. It was during these moments that the emotions swarmed violently around and made his head hurt. Clashing emotions were always hard to deal with and recently Nooroo has noticed that Marinette has not only been increasingly stressed with everything she has to do, but now she was constantly butting heads with Chloé. Nooroo hurt from every angry clash and he knew she felt it too but wasn’t able to identify her defending others as the source. This stress and was going to wear them out if she kept this up.

Yet Nooroo understood that Chloé needed to be stopped or else she would continue to harm other students and make their emotions distressed. No matter what someone had to suffer.

At least it was him. He didn't want his holder to be hurt. She had a good heart and was willing to take up the Miraculous, overcoming her fear and the added emotional cost it brought by wearing it.

Nooroo heard noise coming from the steps and he quickly took off and phased into and up the bookshelf, looking down below at who was coming up the steps towards him.

He stared at the person below with a second of recognition, the man’s familiar red pants and cravat making Nooroo stare at him curiously. Suddenly the dull pain echoing in his head the more he thought increased by tenfold, blinding the kwami as the searing pain stabbed into his head. Nooroo pulled to the back of the shelf in pain, making a whimper that was drowned out by a sudden cry of pain and a thump as Marinette collapsed onto the floor.

“Marinette!” Tom panicked as he went down to where his daughter laid. Gabriel stopped his search as the class crowded around the girl who gripped her head in pain.

“What’s wrong?” Tom asked but Marinette didn’t say anything. She panted as she clutched her chest as the throbbing in Nooroo’s own head increased, both letting out a pained groan.

“What’s going on?” Alya panicked.

“Get her to the nurse’s office!” Mlle. Bustier ordered and Tom picked up his daughter and carried her with Alya guiding the way. Everyone looked after them in worry.

“She’s acting. She definitely stole my bracelet,” Chloé huffed. The class whirled on Chloé about to say something when they were beaten by Sabrina.

“She’s obviously sick! Marinette wouldn’t mess around about something like this! Unlike you who thinks that you can do everything just because you have your dad! Well my dad was protecting the law and you got him fired! He didn’t do anything wrong! You- you-” Sabrina floudered as her emotions bubbled up and finally burst, “I don’t want to be your friend anymore!”

Before anyone could say anything, Sabrina grabbed her bags and stormed out sobbing. Everyone stood there dumbfounded for a second before Chloé growled.

“Fine, that’s her loss.” She huffed and turned towards Marinette’s bag, “Guess this is mine for the taking.”

The class roared out and Nino snatched Marinette’s bag away from Chloé. Ivan now stood in front of Chloé and glared down at her. Kim also surprisingly took a stand against Chloé and guarded Nino.

“That’s not yours to touch! Marinette wouldn’t ever steal from you so stop accusing her!” Ivan snapped.

“Go buy yourself another dingy bracelet,” Alix growled and also took a stand to block Chloé as Nino took the backpack to the nurse’s office.

“Père!” Chloé whirled on her father in fury to do something. André panicked and pointed at the closest person he knew he could do harm to which happened to be Alya’s mother.

“You’re fired!”

“You’re being ridiculous!” Marlena snapped irritably. She grabbed Alya’s belongings and followed after her daughter while the class rounded on Chloé.

“Everyone settle down!” Mlle. Bustier called out but they were too loud to hear her. Ivan was still blocking Marinette's belongings with Nino and Kim while Alix and Chloé started shouting at one another.

“Quiet!” Mlle. Bustier now yelled and the class turned their attention to their teacher who had never raised her voice before. “Get to your seats, all of you! I can’t believe your behavior right now! It looks like we’re going to have to conduct a full search for everyone’s bags because of this behavior. Juleka go get Sabrina and Rose go to the nurses office and get Adrien,  and Alya. Marinette will have to wait until later when she recovers.”

The girls left to go get the others while the class sat in silence. Gabriel could hardly believe his luck. He was about to get a look inside everyone’s bags which would give him a chance to spot either the Miraculous or a kwami. Anyone who tried to hide their things either had the bracelet or was hiding a Miraculous. 

Juleka came back with a crying Sabrina who sat with Ivan instead of Chloé, Ivan giving her a consoling pat on her back as she sniffled. Meanwhile Rose came back with an angry Alya and her mother but no Adrien. Gabriel frowned.

“Where’s my son?” he asked.

“He wasn’t in the nurse’s office. In fact the nurse said he never even came in,” Marlena said. Gabriel hesitated. Should he go search for his son or wait until everyone’s bags are checked? He didn’t want to miss an opportunity as rare as this.

Thankfully Adrien entered the room during Gabriel’s pondering, holding one of his fencing towels to his head.

“Where were you?” Gabriel asked his son, trying not to let his annoyance escape in front of everyone. “You weren’t in the nurse’s office at all.”

“I decided to go to the bathroom and cool it down myself,” Adrien lifted the towel from his head and Gabriel tried not to grumble at the red mark that was left there. If it bruised or got swollen then they would have to postpone his upcoming shoot which would be another issue on top of the several schedule changes he already had to make in order to be present for this event today and for the upcoming competitions.

“Next time go to the nurse if this happens again. Don’t be indecisive and change your mind about where you go. If something were to happen to you no one would know your location,” Gabriel frowned at his son.

“Yes, Père,” Adrien nodded, shoulders slouched with furthered Gabriel’s frown. He restrained himself as the boy made it to his seat and sat down, all of the students minus the one who had fallen ill present.

A flash from the ground caught Gabriel’s eyes as the sunlight shifted and he blinked, looking down to see a shining object behind the trash can. He couldn’t help but pick it up and examine it, making everyone focus on him since he was the only person moving in the room. They gasped as they realized what he was holding and Gabriel grumbled inwardly at the bracelet in his hand which meant he wouldn’t be able to see into everyone’s bags.

“You stole it!” Chloé rose from her seat without a second thought and André squeaked as the room went still. Chloé seemed to realize to whom she had accused and paled. Gabriel turned slowly to face the teen and she trembled under his icy stare.

“You dare accuse me?” he asked softly.

“I didn’t- I-” she looked to her father but he avoided her eyes, leaving Chloé defenseless for the first time in her life. No Sabrina by her side and her own father ignoring the storm in order to not upset one of his biggest supporters in the upcoming elections.

“I had to reschedule an important meeting in order to be here, and instead of doing my presentation and meeting the parents of my sons which have never gone to public school before, I am unable to do either of those along with not being allowed to inspire young artists and learn about this school due to your antics. I’m then accused of stealing a bracelet which not only I could buy myself easily but doesn’t even suit my personal tastes. I must say, Mlle. Bourgeois, I am rather displeased by your behavior, especially coming from the mayor’s daughter. This is rather…,” Gabriel paused as he walked directly up to Chloé’s table, giving an uninterested look at the bracelet before setting it calmly on the table and staring down at her. “...embarrassing for the Bourgeois family. If anyone were to hear about this, your father and your mother’s reputation would be tarnished. Audrey Bourgeois’ rage is something no one wants to cross. I hear she doesn’t even hold back for family,” Gabriel gave a long glance towards André who shifted uncomfortably.

The class was dead silent as Gabriel turned back to Chloé who wasn’t even looking at him anymore, staring meekly into her lap.

“I suggest you start adjusting your behavior if you expect to make it anywhere in life. Turning to your father for simple matters such as a bracelet which hadn’t even been stolen is rather pitiful, don’t you think?” Gabriel finally moved back and nodded towards Mlle. Bustier, “I’ll be taking my leave. It seems that today was rather unpleasant for me. I hope you can manage your child better the next time I see her, André.”

Gabriel Agreste calmly walked out of the room, the door shutting with a soft click .

“I can’t believe that actually happened, especially the day before the class elections,” Alya said as they watched Sabrina walk into school alone, looking like a lost child on the first day of school. Marinette stared at her curiously.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Oh that’s right you fell ill yesterday,” Alya remembered. “By the way, how are you feeling now?”

“Much better, my mom says it must’ve been a massive migraine or something. It was weird but I feel better now,” she smiled but put a comforting hand on her purse where Nooroo laid sleeping. The poor kwami was still resting from what had happened yesterday. He told her that he had been observing one of the parents when the pain suddenly overcame him without any warning. Because Marinette was already stressed due to the anger and tension in the class, the sudden pain from Nooroo bore down on the teen and especially the small god’s own powers of emotion releasing onto the teen without him meaning too, hurting his wielder temporarily. Nooroo wanted to ask the Guardian questions as to why it happened, but he was too weak to go to the Guardian himself.

As of now though, Marinette wasn’t going to transform to let her kwami rest. It was a relief that Coccinelle hadn’t been active since the Animan incident. He didn’t seem to be targeting anyone specifically at the moment but Marinette knew to stay on guard.

“When you got taken to the nurse’s office, Chloé said you were lying about being sick and went for your bag. Then Sabrina exploded and told off Chloé for firing her dad and then decided to cut ties and no longer be friends with her.”

“Really?” Marinette asked in surprise.

“I was surprised too. I didn’t think Sabrina would speak up then for you. Maybe it was because you and her did that project together when you three had to pair up and Chloé didn’t do anything? Or even the class pictures when you invited her to join us?”

“I guess. I didn’t really think I left an impression on her then,” Marinette shrugged. Nino greeted them as he arrived and they chatted for a bit longer until the twins came by.

Marinette could already see that Adrien was depressed, most likely about Chloé. They were friends after all. Meanwhile Félix seemed more positive today, but when his face shifted to concern has he saw her.

“Are you alright?” he asked as they came over. Adrien stared between the two in confusion.

“I’m fine, it was just a bad migraine. I guess I got really stressed or something from that,” Marinette said.

“You need to relax and not overwork yourself or this might keep happening,” Félix said sternly. Marinette did her best to assure him it wasn’t her overworking herself. Or maybe it was? Was Nooroo getting too stressed out lately with her constant work? Marinette couldn’t help but feel guilty as she thought about it.

“What happened? Are you alright?” Adrien asked.

“Marinette got a massive migraine yesterday and she had to get taken to the nurse’s office.”

“What are you doing here then? You need to rest!” Adrien started to fret and now Marinette sighed with a smile.

“I’m fine, I feel much better todag,” she comforted but no one seemed at all happy as they made their way to class.

The mood only grew worse when they all noticed Sabrina sitting next to Ivan, her normal spot up front empty. They all filed in quietly and got seated, murmuring to one another about what was going to happen.

Chloé made her way into class and everyone minus Adrien glared at her. She pointedly ignored them all as she took her seat in the front, trying to look at Adrien but Nino purposely distracted the blond. Chloé shot the DJ a dark look which was easily dismissed.

Mlle. Bustier walked in and sighed when seeing all of the glares on Chloé and feeling the tension in the room with the uncomfortable silence.

“Before we begin with the election process, I would like a word with the class as a whole. How you all acted yesterday was atrocious, especially you, Chloé. You shouldn’t have been accusing everyone like that in the first place and trying to forcefully look into other people’s things when you should've looked around first," Mlle. Busoter shifted her gaze from the blonde sulking in front to the rest of the class, "Everyone should have acted civil, especially on Parents Day where not only are these adults presenting their jobs, they’re also looking for promising youths to take in. You not only made things worse with your behavior and caused unnecessary stress, you also stopped M. Agreste from doing his presentation and ruined his expectations of this class. As many of you know this is the Agreste family’s first time in public education, and your behavior yesterday could’ve made him take out Adrien and Félix. Thankfully he was kind enough to look past it, but I never want to see this behavior again. I’m considering making lessons in order to teach all of you how to properly talk and discuss issues with one another seeing how everyone let their emotions get the best of them yesterday,” she finished and gave a critical eye to the class who shuffled uncomfortably in their seats. Marinette could feel the guilt radiating off of everyone, including herself.

Mlle. Bustier sighed, “I want you all to be successful and enter the world with professionalism and poise, but I also want you to express yourselves and let your amazing personalities shine through. There are times where we must remain calm and discuss situations and times to be expressive. This was a situation where we were supposed to remain calm. I hope we can do better next time. Is there anything anyone would like to add before we begin the campaign?”

“I don’t want to be Chloé’s vice president anymore,” Sabrina mumbled. Chloé whirled around to face the girl.

“What?” she screeched but Sabrina avoided looking at Chloé as she stared at Mlle. Bustier nervously.

Mlle. Bustier nodded, “If that’s Sabrina’s choice than so be it. Now Chloé, you need to find another vice president if you still want to continue to run.”

“This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” Chloé snarled and glared at the class as if it was their fault. The others glared as she turned to Adrien next to her.

“Would you want to be my vice president?” she asked him with a sickeningly sweet voice.

“I don’t know Chloé, I’m pretty busy with all of my activities,” Adrien said nervously.

“But you can drop some can you?” Chloé urged.

“Père assigned my activities and I think it would be best not to interfere with those. Not only that this is too sudden of a decision,” he said and Chloé’s face went sour.

“If you want, you can still do your speech and find another vice president later,” Mlle. Bustier suggested but Chloé growled.

“I’m going home. This is ridiculous,” she grabbed her things and walked out of the classroom, head held high.

The class watched her go and Mlle. Bustier sighed, turning to Marinette, “I guess you’re the class president now.”

Everyone cheered and Alya heartily patted her back. Marinette gaped, realizing she had won without even having to do anything.

“If you want to say your speech, you still can,” Mlle. Bustier said and Marinette nodded dumbly, making her way up front and standing there, feeling nervous.

She felt a little tap on her leg from her purse and felt Nooroo’s pride radiating from the bag. Marinette relaxed, feeling the little kwami next to her and smiled before launching into her speech.

Chapter Text

"Chloé dropped out of the hat competition," Alya said as Marinette finished setting up her hat. She looked around and sure enough the blonde wasn't present.

"She seemed confident on it, I wonder what happened," Marinette said.

"I heard Sabrina had the designs and wasn't giving them to Chloe so she didn't have time to make one herself," they looked to their side to see Aurore standing besides her hat with Mirelle. Marinette was pleasantly surprised to see the two girls working together. It seemed like after the confrontation with Chloé they both wanted to support one another fully and without any negative feelings towards one another.

"Really?" Marinette's asked and Aurrore nodded darkly.

"Sabrina and Chloe were having a huge argument in the locker room after school a few days ago about the hat. It seems like they were going to use your design and rip it off of you," Aurore told Marinette.

"How was she going to pull that off?" Alya asked incredulously.

"I don't know but it would be hard to trick the Fashion King," Mirelle said. "His eye catches the most detailed things which is why it's hard to get into his internship."

"Is this competition supposed to be a step into his internship program?" Marinette asked.

"It's more of a way for him to see who's out there. Anyone that can catch his eye," Mirelle answered. Marinette looked at Alya anxiously who understood what the designer was nervous about.

"I'm sure he won't put you on a failure list even if he doesn't like your design. It's all about moving forward and doing better every time. You got this," Alya encouraged and the four girls turned as the doors opened and the fashion king walked through the door with his assistant and two sons behind him. 

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. How weird is it that she could stand and talk confidently in front of Gabriel about Adrien and Félix's birthday but now was a nervous wreck when it was just her.

Gabriel started talking to M. Damocles and Adrien looked around. He caught Marinette's eye and gave her a thumbs up with a wink. Marinette's gave a weak wave in return.

"I think I might throw up," Marinette turned to Alya as Gabriel started his inspections of the hats.

"No you're not," Alya hissed. The butterflies in her stomach said otherwise. Marinette wiggled in place to get her nervous energy out, bouncing on her toes and shaking her hands.

She felt a comforting press on her leg from her purse and she gripped her purse tightly, feeling Nooroo's encouragement and remembering his comforting words right before she headed out.

"You're amazing, Marinette! You can do anything as long as you push your passion into it!" he had cheered.

Marinette took some calming breaths, feeling Nooroo's continue to offer encouragement as she moved her hand away from her purse.

Gabriel arrived to their hat and he nodded in surprise, "Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, correct?"

"Yes!" she said in surprise when he remembered her.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better, it was concerning what happened last week at the Parents Day event. I had been hoping to speak to you more that day but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. At least we have time now."

"Y-yes!" Marinette exclaimed when Alya poked her back to respond after she had frozen, "I'm doing much better! I'm glad we can talk!" Marinette couldn't believe that Gabriel Agreste said he had wanted to talk to her that day. He was interested in her work!

"So what do we have here?" he nodded at the box and Marinette lifted it up, revealing the feather-themed hat.

"I've never done a derby hat before so it was hard to come up with designs, but this one really stuck out to me. The color is dark enough so it can go with an assortment of outfits rather than clashing or requiring only one outfit to wear. I also added a gold embroidery and a slight shimmer to it to make it resemble the reflective sheen you see on a bird’s feathers,” Marinette paused as Gabriel picked it up and examined it curiously. He hummed thoughtfully as he turned it over in his hands and then chuckled.

“I saw your name on the register and figured you might do butterflies since that seems to be your main source of inspiration,” he said to Marinette, “But this is splendid. The shimmer really makes the top look like actual feathers and the gold embroidery adds to that shine. The actual feather is styled nicely and remains firm in the hat. I also can’t help but notice you left your mark on it.”

Everyone stared curiously while Marinette blushed bashfully. Gabrel turned the hat upside down and showed everyone her signature on it making them stare in amazement.

“That’s sneaky!” Alya exclaimed as she poked her friend playfully and Marinette broke into giggles. The twins watched the two in amusement as Gabriel returned the hat to Marinette and continued onward with his search.

"That went well!" Alya whispered excitedly, squeezing Marinette's hands. She nodded as she let out a breath of relief, her shoulders relaxing. The butterflies still lingered though as Gabriel finished his last participant.

The students nervously watched Gabriel come to the center of the room, his sons behind him waiting with a knowing look in their eyes. Adrien caught Marinette's eyes again and smiled brightly at her. Félix nudged him and Adrien looked away from Marinette in embarrassment that he was caught.

"There were many original ideas here that I liked, but Mlle. Dupain-Cheng had the most eye-catching and desirable hat of the group. She not only made a hat that fit the style she was going for with ease, but she also was able to give a good presentation which is one of the most important aspects of a good designer. A designer must be able to not only express their work in action, but also by mouth. Mlle. Dupain-Cheng did it perfectly. Congratulations," he nodded to the young girl who was frozen speechless until Alya grabbed her shoulders and began shaking her as the reporter jumped up and down excitedly while everyone else cheered. 

Marinette finally realized what had happened and a smile bloomed on her face as Alya grinned at her.

"I told you!" she said and Marinette laughed.

"You sure did," Marinette agreed.

Gabriel and his sons came up to the girls and they broke apart, Marinette doing her best to maintain her composure. She failed to keep down the smile though. By the looks of it, so were the twins who both smiled at her with pride.

"Adrien will be modeling the hat for Audrey Bourgeois' fashion show upcoming in later months," Gabriel said and Marinette nodded.

"Thank you for this, M. Agreste," she said sincerely.

"I didn't do anything, it was your own work that got you here. Don't forget that," he said. He extended his hand and Marinette reached out to shake it happily. Once she grabbed his hand though, her head throbbed with a painful headache and she flinched, gripping her head with her free hand.

“Are you alright?” he asked and she nodded as the pain went away.

“Yes, sorry about that. I can’t wait to work with you, M. Agreste," she said and he went to talk to M. Damocles while the twins came up to Marinette.

"I knew yours would win," Adrien said excitedly.

"Really?" Marinette asked.

"Your talent is phenomenal and your effort shines through. I would've been surprised if he had selected someone else over you," Félix  approved and Marinette flushed.

"You did amazing," Adrien gently picked up the hat and put it on, flashing a model smile that made the girls giggle. Félix rolled his eyes.

Gabriel made his way to the bathroom while other students came over to Marinette and admired the hat on Adrien who did a little strut, adjusting the hat and started to skip around to the surprise of everyone. They all laughed and Adrien winked at Marinette who was overcome with giggles at his antics.

"Feeling good, Agreste?" Alya smirked.

"What can I say, this hat makes me feel as light as a feather," Adrien smiled and everyone groaned. Marinette was the only one that giggled more at that, thinking fondly of Chat Noir's puns.

Suddenly screams erupted from the back of the group and the students all turned to the noise to see everyone pointing to the second floor in horror. They turned to see Coccinelle standing on the rail, pulling out his yo-yo ominously.

"Run!" Alya shouted and everyone took off to hide, Adrien holding the hat in his hand so it wouldn't fly off. He led the way to the library and urged people inside, Félix following from the back of the group.

Adrien glanced back to see Marinette trying to drag Alya away who wasn't moving from her spot by the stairs.

"Come on!" Adrien shouted. He watched Marinette continue to motion to the reporter to run but Alya refused, camera out to record.

Adrien tossed Félix the hat and ran out of the library, gripping Alya and the two pulling her into safety of the library.

"Anyone else?" Marinette and Adrien glanced around but saw no one else so they hurried to the library entrance. Just as they were about to reach the library doors though, Coccinelle landed in front of them menacingly. Félix didn’t wait a second longer and shut the doors, ordering others who were also inside to block it.

"Why are you after the Miraculous?" Alya shouted through the door.

"Not the time!" they heard Félix yell before the two ran out of the courtyard in a panic, their feet pounding as they entered a hallway, and quickly turning the corner at the next chance.

Marinette spotted a janitor closet right after they turned another corner into a different hallway and did her little trick by kicking the door and messing with the handle. It popped open and they rushed inside, closing it as quietly and quickly as possible. Adrien still couldn't believe how she knew all of these tricks.

Coccinelle turned the corner and went silent, the children now missing. The small light filtering through the crack of the door lit the closet enough for Adrien to see Marinette’s wide eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands, trying her best not to pant through her mouth after their sprint. Her shoulders rose up and down quickly like his and she stared at him in worry as he quickly caught his own breath. She heard him sniffling and wondered if he was crying, reaching out to grab him in comfort.

Coccinelle’s footsteps approached their hiding spot and Adrien silently pulled Marinette behind him. She gripped his arm in worry and he gave her a reassuring squeeze as Coccinelle walked down the hall towards them.

"Did the hat have a real feather?" Adrien breathed.

"Yes, is that bad?"

"I'm allergic to feathers," Adrien breathed and Marinette paled as he tried not to sneeze, struggling to breath through his mouth.

They listened as Coccinelle checked the classroom door next to them and they heard him looking around before closing the door with a gentle click. Next he tested their door handle, Adrien silently covering his mouth and nose with his shirt while gripping a broom and ready to use it to defend Marinette if needed. He wasn’t going to let Coccinelle hurt her. Her nervous squeeze on his arm only confirmed that need to protect her. 

After a few jiggles, Coccinelle left and moved onto the next door, going inside the classroom and doing another check in there. Marinette relaxed against him and Adrien let go of the broom to pull her into a secure hug, silently assuring her and himself that they were safe. He wondered if she could hear his heart pounding in his chest that was starting to slow but still kept up, knowing that he had to get out of there in order to transform.

“He’s going to check the next classroom most likely. When he does we’ll slip out and go back the way we came, okay?” Adrien sniffed.

Marinette squeezed his in response before stepping back as they got ready. Adrien’s heart sped up in his chest as he grabbed the door handle and twisted it gently so it was unlocked, but didn’t dare open the door yet.

They listened as Coccinelle came out and moved down the hall. He tried another door and Adrien peeked out to see the villain open the door and enter another room. Adrien pushed the door open silently, Marinette right behind him as he got out of the room and closed it as quietly as he could. They started running, covering their mouths to not pant as they ran down the hall from the way they came.

They turned the corner and the two sprinted away, relief seeping into their bodies as they made their way back to the library. Adrien finally let out a sneeze he couldn't keep back, his nose red and eyes starting to water. He really wished Marinette didn't have to see him I'm such a state.

"We should go to the nurse's office and find something to help your allergy," Marinette said as they jogged to the library.

"You go to the library. I'll go to the nurse's and hide there," Adrien used that as an excuse to escape so he could transform.

“But we should stick together,” Marinette slowed down and Adrien followed suit. They looked down the hall where the nurse's office was. It was still risky to go there and try to get to the library in case Coccinelle heard them.

"Please, it'll make me happier knowing you're safe with my brother and everyone else," Adrien sniffed as he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

Marinette was about to say something until stopping short, gripping her purse and then nodding, “I’ll go. But Adrien,” Marinette stared at him pleadingly which made his heart jump in his chest in a different way than the current adrenaline coursing through him, “Please be safe.”

“I will. You stay safe too,” he said and Marinette nodded. The two separated and Adrien entered the nearby classroom once seeing her turn the corner. He did a scan to make sure it was empty of any people hiding before opening his overshirt, Plagg flying out.

“You both talk as if you’re in some zombie apocalypse movie and you’re both going to die. Should I start playing some sad music in the background as you run to your death?” Plagg drawled.

“We need to get Marinette to safety, I don’t want anything to happen to her,” Adrien sniffled.

“How romantic. I normally love cheese but that was cheesy even- I wasn’t done yet!” Plagg’s voice vanished as Adrien called on his transformation.

Chat Noir ran out of the classroom and headed to the library, listening intently for any noise other than himself. There was a commotion from ahead and Chat Noir peeked into the courtyard where M. D’Argencourt, his fencing instructor, was brandishing his saber valiantly although rather idiotically at Coccinelle as if asking for the villain to come harm him.

“You shall not harm my students!” he shouted. Coccinelle looked annoyed as the instructor blocked the way into the library where the students had taken cover.

“Looks like someone beat us here!” Chat Noir grinned and Coccinelle barely had time to react as the extending baton whacked him in the ribs.

“Care for some assistance?” Húdié smiled as she landed next to D’Argencourt. As she started to make her contract, Chat Noir blocked Coccinelle’s yo-yo from hitting them, deflecting it perfectly.

The villain glared and the two began to fight, Coccinelle calling up his Lucky Charm early which surprised Chat Noir. The hero remained on guard as the two fought, keeping his distance and watching out for the spotted bowl Coccinelle held.

“Duck, Chat Noir!” Húdié called out and the hero dropped as a javelin nearly hit Coccinelle.

Chat Noir looked back to see knights pouring out of the library, raising their shields and weapons while one particular knight in red took up an offensive pose.

“What is this about?” Chat asked as Húdié landed next to him.

“His powers allow him to make knights, so he asked the students if they wanted to defend their school. I’m surprised this many of them did,”

“Was a girl by the name of Marinette in there?"

"Um- yes she was," she seemed taken aback by his sudden question.

"Is she okay?" Chat asked in concern.

"Uh-" the bottom of her cheeks that were visible went pink, "Yeah. She was turned into a fight so she's probably knighting now. I mean- turned into a knight and is fighting."

"That's a relief," Chat Noir relax, his smile bright as he looked at his partner. "Ready to foil his plans?"

"Always," Hudie's cheeks went rosier as she grinned and Chat smiled wider before rushing into the fight, his partner at his back like always.

Chapter Text

André Bourgeois anxiously paced back and forth in his office, replaying the video of the newest Champion that rose up the day before. When Coccinelle appeared and started to attack the school out of the blue, Armand D’Argencourt had been there to meet him, fighting the villain until the heroes arrived. Húdié, encouraged by his compassion, made him into her latest Champion called Darkblade, a powerful knight and expert sword fighter who helped save the school and caused Coccinelle to flee.

The support for his rival competing in the campaign for mayor increased frighteningly quickly. André watched as many of his supporters shifted towards the fencing instructor who was willing to risk his own life in order to save the students, making him the “Champion of the Future.”

Not only that, word of Roger Raincomprix being fired caused many people to be surprisingly upset. While sometimes ridiculous with his tickets, Roger had been a faithful officer and was also kind to teens which many people didn’t often see in other officers. He had a teenager of his own so he did his best to not judge all teenagers and was willing to listen to them. Roger showed the people of Paris that he was a safe person to go to in times of trouble. So when the word spread of him getting fired for doing his job properly, outrage towards André increased which made him lose many supporters. Thankfully the incident with the bracelet was only a rumor to the eyes of many so André still had enough supporters, but now he was tied with Armand.

To end it on a sour note, Chloé lost her best friend Sabrina due to her father being fired and thus didn’t have anyone to be her vice president. Chloé had returned home early screaming and furious, going to her room and forcing her butler to do everything for her from getting chocolates to having a spa day to relax. Afterwards she had grumbled angrily throughout dinner and her ranting gave no peace to André’s already anxious mind. He sent Chloé to her room when he got fed up with her wailing but it only made it worse, Chloé screaming and yelling how everyone was cruel.

André ended up going to his office to escape the hotel and spent the night there instead of home, tired of the noise. Now he was up and trying to find the best way to get his supporters back.

“M. Bourgeois?” his secretary came in.

“Yes?”

“Penny Rolling is on the line, she wants to talk about the plans with Jagged Stone staying in Le Grand Paris,” she said and that sparked an idea in the mayor.

“Put her on the line. I also want you to host the upcoming culinary competition at Le Grand as well as invite Prince Ali here.”

“Are you sure?” the secretary asked. "Those events are all very close to one another."r

“Yes, and make students work day here for the students of Chloé’s class so they can learn all about it,” he said and the secretary nodded and headed out. André let out a sigh of pride. He could easily get his support by hosting things and showing how organized he was. While D’Argencourt could support the future but he wasn’t as experienced as André was with running the city. This was going to be an easy recovery, all he had to do was make the people like him again, and what better way to do that then to capture the hearts of the children?

“Thank you for hosting student work day. We're all so happy to be here,” Mlle. Bustier smiled. The class showed no signs of warmth though as André stood before all of them. With a look from Mlle. Bustier, they all gave a monotonous thanks to the mayor. Chloé meanwhile stood proudly beside him holding a piece of paper.

“We enjoy teaching students new experiences. We have a list of jobs for every student on this paper here,” André took the paper from Chloé and started reading off names. “Alix, Sabrina, and Ivan room service; Kim as a bellhop; Nino, Max, Juleka, and Rose in the kitchens; Mylène  and Félix as servers; Adrien and Chloé at the front desk; and Alya as a janitor.”

Alya made an offended noise while everyone else went to their assigned stations.

“Can you believe her?” Alya said angrily.

“If it’s Chloé I can,” Marinette sighed. Chloé was most likely lashing out at the two who stole her spot in the elections.

“Your name didn’t get called,” Alya pointed out angrily and Marinette sighed.

“I wonder why. I’ll go talk to them,” she said when they noticed someone come in through the entrance, Kim pushing the heavy cart.

“No way…” Alya and Marinette trailed off as none other than the famous rock star Jagged Stone walked in with his assistant and a crocodile. His leather suit sparkled like scales and the epaulette's on his shoulders swaying as he walked in with an uninterested look around. Marinette felt Alya patting her arm in excitement but was too stunned to respond back.

"Girls get to your assignments," Mlle. Bustier said with a smile and Alya groaned, heading out reluctantly to go clean garbage.

“Welcome, M. Jagged Stone! We have everything prepared for you in our finest suite,” André said confidently as Marinette went over to Mlle. Bustier and told her what had happened as Penny kicked out an annoying paparazzi trying to hide when Jagged Stone's crocodile found him.

“Just follow us,” Mlle. Bustier said and André led the rock star to the hotel room where he would be living, the teacher and student following from behind.

As they got into the elevator, Mlle. Bustier quietly explained the situation and André nodded. They got to the room and Jagged went inside the bathroom to make up a bath for his crocodile. Penny turned to André and Mlle. Bustier, Marinette behind the two adults.

“Jagged Stone is looking for a pair of Eiffel Tower glasses that are bright and colorful. Make sure they fit his style,” Penny said. André turned to Marinette behind him.

“This girl is your go-fer! She’ll be getting everything Jagged Stone needs,” he said and quickly left since he didn't want to be ordered around by the celebrity any further, Mlle. Bustier following after him to check on the students.

“Eiffel Tower glasses to suit his type?” Marinette asked and Penny nodded.

“Something eye-catching,” she confirmed. Marinette walked out of the room, pondering what to do. She got into the elevator and Nooroo flew out.

“How will you find something eye-catching for him?” he asked and Marinette hummed. Jagged Stone loved being flashy, so no simple pair of shades would do. This would have to take more thought on how to find something that would suit him. But what exactly? She walked out into the lobby when an idea hit her, making her grin confidently and hurry out the door as her creative mind got to work.

Adrien watched her leave and sighed after her retreating figure in longing. He had been trying to talk with her more but her new duties made her constantly busy in school. He really wanted to get to know Marinette outside of school and their friend group. Maybe he could stop by the bakery sometime? Adrien was surprised he hadn’t thought of that before but then realized how negatively his father would react once finding out that he was breaking his diet.

“So Adrien,” Chloé drawled and gripped his arm. As much as she was his friend, Chloé's grip never settled right with him. Adrien always felt as if she was claiming him like he was a toy or prize of sorts, her sharp nails digging into his arm uncomfortably.

“Yes?”

“How do you feel seeing Jagged Stone here?”

“It’s pretty great!” Adrien replied, relieved this conversation was going in a good direction. “He’s one of my favorite musicians out there. I love his work and I wish I could go see him but he’s probably busy or resting before the show.”

“I can take you to see him if you want,” she drawled and pressed herself onto his arm, further increasing his discomfort.

“No thanks. Like I said he’s probably busy," Adrien forced a smile.

“But he wouldn’t be busy for me. I’m the mayor’s daughter.”

“He needs his rest, Chloé,” Adrien said firmly. Chloé looked at Adrien, offended by his tone.

“But I’m the mayor’s daughter. He must-”

“Chloé,” Adrien shook his head with a sigh having not wanted to go down this route. “I heard what happened from everyone else. You went too far trying to look into Marinette’s bag without her permission and not only that, tried to take it when Marinette was obviously unwell. I can’t easily forgive you for doing that to one of my friends. Marinette was willing to forgive me for the gum incident that you started and she’s been nothing but kind to me since then. Meanwhile all I’ve seen from you in school is you being rude and downright bullying other students. Not only that, you got your own friend's father fired just because you didn't get what you wanted even though it was against the law for him to search anyone without a warrant. I’m sorry but… I can’t be friends with you if you are mean to the ones I care about. Being in school meeting new people and making friends, and just seeing how other people interact with one another has made me realize that you don’t treat anyone with respect, not even me. And I don’t mind how our relationship is because I’ve grown used to it, but the way you act towards others is wrong. If you really want to be friends you’ve got to change the way you act. Start by just being nice to people."

Adrien pulled his arm out of Chloé’s tight grip and walked away from her, intent on getting another job that he would feel more comfortable with. He ignored Chloé’s sputtering as he slipped into the elevator and purposely didn’t look at her as he pressed the button and rode up to find Mlle. Bustier, guilt gnawing at him and making him feel anxious. Was this the right thing to do? He wasn't sure, but he needed to show Chloé that he was serious. She couldn't mess with his friends like that, especially Marinette.

It took a while but when Adrien finally found his teacher he told her that he didn’t feel comfortable working with Chloé anymore. Mlle. Bustier sighed, obviously uncertain what to do in this situation. No one would want to be paired with Chloé at this point. Marinette would be the best option because she was the most tolerable and least likely to stand up against Chloé, but she had also gone through the most bullying, especially as of late. She also didn't miss the fact that Alya had trash duties which Mlle. Bustier knew was directed by Chloé so she instead the told the girl to be a server, making Alya happier. Meanwhile Marinette didn't get a position at all. She was really going to need to have a discussion with Chloé about respect.

They walked around only to find there was no other position for Adrien to do at the moment. Mlle. Bustier looked to where Ivan, Alix, and Sabrina were cleaning, thinking to herself.

“How about you also be Jagged Stone’s go-fer with Marinette? Jagged Stone seems like he had a lot of needs,” Mlle. Bustier suggested and Adrien couldn't believe his luck. He wanted to hang out with Marinette more and today he was getting that chance.

Mlle. Bustier told him the room number before heading out to check on the other students as Adrien went to the elevator, brimming with joy and awe at the sheer luck of this turn of events. Not only that, he would work with Jagged Stone too!

As the elevator door opened for Adrien to enter, he blinked in surprise at Marinette holding a small bag in her hand with a triumphant smile.

“What do you have there?” Adrien asked as he came inside. Marinette blinked at him in surprise as she was distracted from her inner thoughts.

“Jagged Stone wanted some glasses. What are you doing here?”

“I- uh- told Chloé I didn’t want to work with her anymore," Adrien said nervously and Marinette blinked, stunned.

"What brought up this?"

"Well, I know I haven’t really said anything before this or tried to stop her awful behavior, but how she tried to go through your things a couple of weeks ago was wrong. I was always scared of Chloé leaving me when we were little because I had no friends but now that I’ve met you guys I’ve learned that friendships and all relationships must have respect and Chloé never gave anyone that. I purposely ignored Chloé’s behavior because I didn’t want to confront it and lose a friend and I also didn’t want to accept the fact that the only person who had been my friend most of my life was… a bully.”

“Adrien,” Marinette said and he glanced up, expecting a stern look but only saw warm eyes. “It’s not your duty to fix Chloé’s behavior. That’s up to her to change herself. While I am a little upset it took you some time to accept Chloé’s nature, I’m glad you are now facing the situation. This is your first time making friends and seeing interactions between peers so I understand that you didn’t realize the truth and couldn't believe it. What’s most important is that you are finding what makes you happy and feel safe.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Adrien smiled, feeling relieved as they headed out of the elevators, Marinette leading the way.

“Me? No no no-” Marinette said flustered but Adrien shook his head.

“You always know what to say and you always look out for everyone. I’m really thankful that I met you. You mean so much to me and I'm happy just knowing-"

Jagged Stone’s doors opened and Penny popped her head out, interrupting the teens.

“I thought I heard voices. You have the glasses…?”

“M-m- Marinette!” she answered and hurried forward, nearly running into the open door. Adrien chuckled fondly and came up behind her, gaping as Jagged Stone approached and examined the glasses Marinette had gotten for him. The eye pieces were now in the shapes of Eiffel Towers with the bright colors of the French flag 

“These are rocking!” Jagged exclaimed excitedly and put them on. His grin was wide as he looked around the room before turning to Marinette. “Where did you find these?”

“Oh, I, um, made them myself,” she admitted and the other three stared in surprise.

“You made these? Wow, you totally get my style! What’s your name, kid?” Jagged Stone asked and Marinette blinked in surprise, looking back at Adrien who urged her with a smile.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“Well, Marinette. I’d like you to make a little something for Fang. Could you do a cool collar with a Paris design? Maybe like a Chat Noir color because that guy is a solid rocker!”

Adrien puffed in slight pride as Marinette agreed to make it. Penny turned to Adrien politely, happy that Jagged was pleased with the gift.

“I’m your other go-fer,” Adrien said in reply to her questioning look.

“Great! You can help me wash Fang!” Jagged said and urged Adrien in. The rock star also encouraged Marinette to come in so she could see what she was working with.

“Fang?” Adrien asked.

“My crocodile!” Jagged presented the large crocodile who grumbled happily as his owner came over and started scratching his belly with a large bath brush. Adrien and Marinette shared a nervous look. It was going to be a hectic day for them.

Chapter Text

The class excitedly chattered as they waited in line with their tickets, the venue starting to pack with more fans. 

"I would like to thank you two once again for befriending Jagged Stone and getting tickets for the whole class to see him live," Nino said for the fifth time to Adrien and Marinette.

"And once again you don't need to thank us," Adrien chuckled. "We were just doing our jobs."

"We had a ton of fun working with him though," Marinette said and the two shared an intimate smile. After Adrien had washed Fang and Marinette returned with his new green and black studded collar, Jagged Stone had the two of them help with random jobs just to keep him entertained. They were his audience while he player his guitar, they grabbed more guitar supplies and crocodile food, and then he taught them how to do tricks with Fang. It was a day full of laughs and running around rather than anything stressful. Adrien had been happy just to hang out more with Marinette without her being stressed about school, just the two of them laughing together and enjoying the time they spent with their favorite musician. Adrien had been delighted to find that Marinette was as big of a Jagged Stone fan as he was.

"Hey, Marinette," the designer turned to see Juleka's brother, Luka, standing there. He was much taller than Marinette but his aura wasn't intimidating at all, instead smiling casually at her.

"Hey Luka!" she beamed.

"I just want to thank you for giving me this ticket," he smiled warmly at her.

"You mentioned you loved Jagged Stone at the birthday party for the twins and we had an extra ticket so it was only right to give it to someone who would enjoy it," Marinette said.

Jagged Stone gave tickets to Adrien and Marinette to give only to the class, but no one had told Chloé about the concert since they knew how she wouldn't be interested in it and instead try to find some way to sabotage their day of fun. Sabrina and Adrien felt guilty initially but the class convinced them otherwise, saying this would be a good opportunity to meet Luka and get to know him. Sabrina eventually gave in, deciding that she didn't want to feel worried about Chloé who never worried about her in the first place and eventually Adrien gave in, deciding to enjoy the time he had with everyone.

"I'm surprised you remembered that. Thank you," Luka complimented. Marinette felt her cheeks grow warm at his sweet tone.

"I hope we can see him after the performance. That way you could talk to him about your music," she said.

"Just being here is enough for me," Luka said and was about to say something else before Juleka tapped his shoulder. He gave Marinette a wave before turning to his sister.

Marinette felt a tap on her own shoulder and looked to see Alix nudging her towards the now open doors. The class and Luka bubbled with excitement as they hurried inside, ready to rock out.

They concert started without an issue, the opener right before doing a great job and presenting Jagged Stone to the deafening screams.

"Hello Paris!" Jagged called out and the screams only increased in volume. Adrien excitedly patted Marinette and gestured to the glasses on the rocker's face, the very ones she made a few days ago. Marinette nodded eagerly with a grin. Jagged Stone had worn them the entire day when Marinette first made them because he was extremely infatuated with them. Marinette had a feeling that he didn't even take them off once since the day he got them.

"Ready to rock and roll?" Jagged shouted and the crowd went crazy, jumping and pumping their hands in the air. The stadium was completely packed with fans and Marinette could feel the excitement rumbling off of everyone in waves, slightly overwhelming her but in a good way. She gripped the rails in front of her just in case it got intense. She put a hand on her purse to see if Nooroo was fine and the kwami reassured her by pressing his joy into her, relaxing the teen.

Jagged Stone's solo ripped into the air as he started and the fans went wild, watching and listening in awe as he shredded on his guitar with ease, his intro hyping up the crowd. The rest of the band joined in and the audience cheered, excited to hear Jagged Stone's new music he had been working on. He had a upcoming album and this concert was the one where he would be releasing a few of the songs for the first time, making it the reason why this concert was gigantic.

He didn't let them down at all, playing many of the favorites from his older albums along with a few of his new songs, the fans completely focused on the guitarist and band as they performed.

During a slow song Marinette closed her eyes and listened to it, letting the feelings of everyone wash over her. They were at peace yet also energized, soothed by the calming song but also excited to hear the next one coming. She hummed along to it as Jagged played, soaking in the experience.

Marinette suddenly frowned as she felt confusion arise from the back portion of the crowd. She blinked open her eyes and looked back to see some of the audience pointing at something in the shadows of the stadium above her head. Marinette looked closely and squinted, suddenly gasping as she recognized the spotted pattern. The villain scanned the room when he suddenly looked down at her. His eyes narrowed as they locked gazes.

"Coccinelle!" Marinette called out and the class looked up and spotted him too. Everyone started to follow their gaze and within seconds pandemonium ensued when they realized the villain was here.

Having been caught, he dropped down and started to terrorize fans, pulling down the pillars and equipment and causing it to fall down to the crowd that barely made it out of the way in time.

“Hurry! Get out of here and stick with a partner!” Marinette called out and motioned for her classmates to get to the door, keeping a count on everyone. Max and Kim ran off, holding hands so the crowd wouldn’t pull them apart. She noticed Alix grab a hold of Kim’s arm and squeezed her way through. Ivan helped Mylène, Rose, and Juleka with his huge body making a small break in the crowd for the girls to escape. Alya grabbed Sabrina and pulled her along with Nino and Nathaniel while Félix looked around wildly.

“Where’s Adrien?” he shouted in distress. Marinette looked around but couldn’t find him, panicking. She started to look for him when a firm hand closed around her arm.

“We have to go, we need to hope that he’s safe but right now we’re still in danger,” Luka said loudly in her ear over the yells of the people.

“Félix!” Marinette stuck out her hand and he glanced around one last time, hoping to spot his brother, before looking defeated. He reached out and grasped her hand and Luka led the way out, Marinette linking her arm in his and holding on tightly to the two boys.

Luka made his way determinedly to the emergency exit when suddenly Coccinelle yanked down a huge light fixture and it groaned, falling down onto them. The three barely moved back in time, panicking as the rest of the exits were blocked off.

Coccinelle glared down at the crowd, looking around for people. He spotted the three of them and Marinette couldn’t help but notice his eyes lock onto them. It was almost as if he was purposely targeting them. But why?

“Come on!” Luka urged them up the stage steps and the two followed after him. Coccinelle pulled himself towards them and Marinette gasped, knocking the boys flat down on the stage as the villain flew over them and blocked their way.

“No one is allowed to-” he was cut off as Jagged Stone came up from behind and rammed his guitar straight into the villain’s head. The three teens gasped as the villain collapsed, groaning in pain.

“No one messes with my fans,” Jagged Stone grumbled and motioned for the kids to follow him.

Marinette looked down with the other two at the fallen villain who wasn't stirring. She could grab the earrings now. Coccinelle could be stopped. This was it.

As she let go of Luka and reached out her hand, Félix pulled her forward and away from the villain who was starting to recover.

“No!” Marinette shouted and tried to go back but Jagged Stone got behind the girl and pushed her away.

“I’ll save the rest of the fans, you three go ahead,” Jagged guided them ahead where Penny was waiting off stage, guiding everyone to safety.

Marinette realized that once she was outside she wouldn’t be able to transform since she would be stuck with Félix and Luka. She waited for a small disturbance in order to escape, hoping it would be soon.

As if by luck, a fan running by without looking knocked down Marinette and Félix’s secure grip slipped as she fell. They tumbled into some curtains and Marinette rolled up quickly and took off, using the other moving bodies to hide as she slipped away.

She ended up in Jagged Stone’s changing room and quickly transformed, Nooroo slipping into the brooch as she clipped it onto the front of her shirt. Húdié exited the room and sped towards the stadium, leaping over the crowd right to where Coccinelle was fighting Chat Noir.

Jagged was on the floor but already getting up, holding his destroyed guitar like an ax. His determination to save his fans still trapped was firm in his mind and Húdié slipped in with a swift butterfly into his guitar.

“Your fans need your help, do you wish to save them and deliver justice to Coccinelle?” she asked.

“Justice shall be served with a side of rock and roll,” he consented. Húdié watched as her favorite musician turned into a Champion, his outfit becoming more rugged like scales and his epaulets developing spikes on them. Meanwhile his pants now had dark purple flames on them to match the scales on his suit and his destroyed guitar was now remodeled to look like a flaming dragon. It was as if he began a rock and roll dragon instead of a human, his mask also designed to look like a dragon mask with glowing green eyes.

“Let’s show him how we rock, Electric Justice!” Húdié cheered. Electric Justice adjusted his guitar and let out a huge beam of music right at the villain, knocking him back.

“Rock and Roll, baby!” Electric Justice hollered as Chat Noir landed next to Húdié.

“You made Jagged Stone a Champion?” Chat raised an eyebrow in humor.

“He’s passionate,” Húdié shrugged.

“I guess we should help him out and fight in harmony , don’t you think?” Chat grinned and Húdié giggled.

“Fighting together is our forte ,” she winked and Chat Noir’s eyes blew up in surprise.

“That was a good one!” he exclaimed as they ducked under Coccinelle’s yo-yo and rushed to the side as Electric Justice lured the villain to the side.

“I’ve learned from the best,” she complimented and Chat’s tail twitched with pride.

“I guess I need to step up my game or else you’ll crescendo above me,” he said and knocked Coccinelle back with his baton. The villain grit his teeth and rushed at Húdié who easily shifted her weight so he flew past her, Húdié landing a blow on the back of his neck with her cane.

“We certainly can’t have that. It would be a shame if your puns started to fall flat ,” Húdié agreed.

Chat knocked the yo-yo out of Coccinelle’s grip when the villain stumbled, grabbing it and swinging it in amusement, “I was going to say to brace ourselves for the next attack, but it looks like our villain needs a rest .”

“I will destroy you,” Coccinelle hissed in fury. Electric Justice landed next to the heroes and stared down at the villain.

“Looks like someone’s down on their luck ,” he said and the two heroes snorted. They recovered themselves quickly and Húdié pointed her cane at Coccinelle’s neck while still a distance away so he couldn’t grab it.

“Electric Justice, could you pull those earrings out of Coccinelle?” she asked and the Champion nodded, approaching cautiously.

“Shame you underestimated me,” Coccinelle said and grinned as he opened his hand to reveal a small spotted marble, his Lucky Charm. Before anyone could do anything, he tossed it at a light fixture nearby, causing it to crack and spark. That spark sending a misfire of electrical current that turned the whole stadium dark.

Húdié’s cane was knocked out of her hand and she was pushed to the ground in surprise.

“Húdié!” Chat rushed forward but grunted as a thump echoed. There was a crash and Húdié could only imagine Chat Noir got kicked back by the villain. Húdié braced herself and waited with bated breath for Coccinelle to strike, listening for a sound.

There was a screech of his yo-yo and she ducked, but it flew up into the sky and with a whoosh, there was silence.

“He got away,” Chat Noir said from far off. “I can’t see him anymore.”

“How did he managed to see in this darkness?” she asked but Chat Noir let out a murmur of confusion.

“No more rock and roll?” Electric Justice asked.

“Not anymore, thank you for your work,” she said and the butterfly flew out of Electric Justice’s guitar. Húdié caught the glowing creature in the dark and used that to guide her and Jagged Stone out, Chat Noir following them from behind and warning them of any wrong steps ahead.

When they reached the light, Penny rushed towards Jagged Stone and pulled him into a tight hug.

“I got so worried about you! I mean-” she stepped back in embarrassment. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks, dear,” Jagged smiled and the two waved to the heroes and walked out of the stadium.

Húdié’s brooch chirped, signaling she now only had five minutes left, but there was still enough time to talk.

“We need to find out his next move,” she said to him.

“I… I think I caught onto something but…” he hesitated.

“But what?” Húdié asked in worry.

“It’s related to my secret identity. Should I…?” he waited for her response but Húdié shook her head.

“You can’t. If something happens to me then I could put you at risk knowing your identity. We don’t know if Coccinelle has any other Miraculous he can use against us. We so far know that he had two before we took this one from him. If he can find a way to access my mind with a hidden Miraculous then we’ll be in a lot of trouble if I know your identity.”

“What if he captures me and wants your identity?” Chat Noir asked. Húdié giggled.

“He’s after you. If he captured you he would just take your Miraculous. The only reason he’s after me is because I’m a nuisance to him.”

“I always forget,” Chat chuckled in embarrassment before realizing something, his expression turning serious.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… No… Nevermind,” he shook his head but that only made Húdié more curious.

“Is it something bad?”

“No, it’s just. There’s nothing stopping you from revealing yourself to me and it would be easier to know who you are. But I understand if you don’t want that and want to keep your identity safe. It’s important that we protect our families,” Chat said. If would be convenient to talk to him if needed, and if he knew her, she could talk with him more and get to know him, even just a little bit. He might feel more comfortable knowing it’s Marinette underneath the mask since she was the first person he saved.

“... I’ll think about it. It would be helpful to communicate. Even if it’s one sided there’s still a chance to talk more,” she agreed. Chat’s ears perked up and Húdié smiled.

“I’ll be waiting,” he smiled and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Húdié felt her cheeks flush and she giggled a little higher than normal.

“See you around, Chat,” she said fondly and his tail twitched happily before he gave her a salute and took off. Húdié watched him go before she hid back in Jagged Stone’s changing room and let the transformation fall.

“Do you think I should reveal myself?” Marinette asked. “Chat brought up a good point and I trust him. He’s my partner, with or without the mask.”

“Do you think you’re saying this with logic are you letting your heart decide what you want?” Nooroo asked worriedly, his wings drooping . Marinette blinked in surprise and frowned.

“I feel like I’m saying this logically,” she said.

“Just remember, your heart does it’s best to outshine reason. You must learn to control your emotions and while it is good to think with your heart, like your teacher said, there are times to be professional. If you base your response off your heart and reveal yourself, things will get more hectic for you because Chat Noir might drop in more and you’ve already piled yourself on with too many duties. I understand that you’ll have a larger chance to communicate, but is the added stress on your life worth it? Just take a week to think about it,” Nooroo said. Marinette murmured in agreement and opened her purse so Nooroo could slip inside and enjoy his cream puffs.

Her phone rang and she noticed the missed calls from her classmates, Alya calling her at the moment. Marinette inwardly cringed as she imagined the scolding she was about to get from everyone, especially Alya. She tried to do her best to not look suspicious when having to transform, but sometimes she wasn't able to successfully escape like this time, meaning that her friends would be anxious to know what happened to Marinette.

“Where are you?” Alya demanded when the designer picked up.

“I’m hiding in Jagged Stone’s changing room. I got separated and was scared so I hid in here."

“We’ll be there in a second, you stay right there,” Alya ordered and hung up. Marinette sighed and double checked on Nooroo to make sure he was comfortable before clipping her brooch safely in her blazer pocket.

Not too long after, the door opened and Marinette was surprised to see both Félix and Luka there, concern on their faces.

“Are you alright?” Luka asked as Félix examined her critically. “That man ran into you pretty hard and after that the crowd got worse. Good thinking taking cover in here to hide. Next time just text one of us that you’re alright.” 

She nodded and Luka guided her outside, Félix going off in search of his brother who had also hidden away in the backstage area from what Marinette heard from Luka. 

“Did they get in contact with Adrien?” Marinette asked and Luka nodded.

“He had been hiding in the lighting booth so he’s coming out to meet with Félix. You really scared us with your silence.”

Marinette recalled how upset Félix had gotten with her during Animan and deflated. This was the second time she made him unnecessarily worry about her. Every time she was trying her best to do something right there was always some way she messed it up.

“Marinette,” she avoided Luka's stare as guilt bore down on her.

“I don’t mean to scare them! I just… forget and then I feel bad when they’re upset because I don’t mean to…” she trailed off, not sure what to say. She couldn't say that she was Húdié.

She looked up in surprise when he put a hand on her shoulder, his smile warm, “It’s alright. We all make mistakes sometimes. The music in your heart is full of love and compassion for your friends and I know you would never scare them intentionally.”

“What should I tell them?” Marinette asked.

“Tell them how you feel. You don’t mean to hurt them and would never do such a thing. They would be happy hearing the truth coming from you. Also, just try to message them back when you're hiding is a good start to lower their anxiousness about you," Luka smiled.

“Thank you, Luka,” Marinette felt relieved at his encouragment. The two walked out and were met with her classmates waiting on her anxiously.

Alya was the first to approach her, pulling her tightly into a hug. The rest of the class joined in and finally moved back to give her a scolding.

“You can’t go running off like that! This is the second time I hear about this happening,” Alya shook her head and Marinette felt herself relax when she felt worry coming off of her friends, not anger. Of course her friends would be concerned about her safety, and Marinette had to be sure she didn't continue to abuse their kindness by keeping them in the dark when akuma attacks happened. Next time she will try to message them right before transforming so they don't worry about her.

“I’m sorry. I get too caught up in the moment trying to hide and be quiet that I forget to notify you guys what happened to me. I don’t mean to do that and I’ll try to make sure you know where I am next time,” she said. Alya pulled her into another hug.

“You better, girl,” she said and the class chuckled, patting the two girls on the back.

Adrien and Félix both returned looking annoyed with one another, Félix most likely chewing his brother’s ear off with his nagging. Nino was merciful and only gave him a gentle warning to at least notify them if they got separated and Adrien agreed, feeling better.

Penny then announced that the concert would be refunded but Jagged wasn’t going to be able to perform in big concerts like this for a while, wanting to make sure his fans were safe as well as work on some new songs that rose up from his battle as a Champion against the villainous Coccinelle. He was 'too inspired at the moment to rock and roll,' Penny quoted from Jagged. The class stood there in uncertainty as the fans departed from the damaged stadium, excitedly chattering with one another.

“We still have some time to kill before heading home. What do you want to do?” Kim asked.

“How about we have our own concert?” Luka suggested. Everyone looked at him in surprise as he turned to Rose, Juleka, and Ivan, “You think we’re ready?”

“Kitty Section is ready for action!” Rose cheered and everyone laughed heartily, heading out to enjoy the rest of the beautiful sunny day.

Chapter Text

“If you tell one more embarrassing story I’ll kick you out of my house,” Sabine warned in Chinese. Uncle Cheng chuckled into his tea, trying to keep a straight face. Marinette was all giggles as she sipped her own cup.

“I would never say anything untowards my own niece,” Uncle Cheng replied solemnly but winked at Marinette, causing her to snort into her tea. Sabine glared at her daughter.

“You’re not going to get any soup today,” she warned.

“But Maman! I helped make it too!” Marinette complained with a giggle. Sabine shook her head.

“I always wondered where your mischievous side came from and now I know,” she gave her uncle a mean look but the two could tell there were no ill intentions towards it. Sabine was fond of her uncle, having learned how to cook from him at a young age before she immigrated to France to become a baker. He was always there to support her, helping her move and making sure to visit her often so she wouldn't feel too lonely while she adjusted to the new country. As she learned more about baking, the two passed information to one another and grew to a new level of respect and love for one another as they bonded over food. While growing up, Wang made sure to be a big influence on his great-niece as he was for his own niece, becoming her pen pal so Marinette could learn to write in Mandarin. As he gained popularity it became harder for the chef to visit France, but that didn't stop him from coming at any chance he could, such as a birthday or cooking competition.

“I could’ve sworn she got it from Tom’s side. I heard Roland’s a little,” he gestured to his head and Marinette looked at her mother curiously. Her parents never talked much about her grandfather so it surprised her that Uncle Cheng knew of him. Whenever Marinette would try to talk to her parents about her grandfather, the conversation always happened to change back to her somehow.

“Shūshu!” Sabine scolded and Uncle Cheng chuckled.

There was a knock and Marinette excused herself from the table to get the door, opening it to see the twins. Adrien was bubbling with excitement as usual and Félix was slightly more interested than normal today.

“You made it!” she smiled and let them in, the two noticing the rack of shoes by the door and taking their shoes off while Marinette closed the door behind them.

“Welcome,” Sabine greeted them as the two came in and shook their hands. Uncle Cheng got up from his seat and greeted the two of them with a shake.

“Hello,” he said in broken French and the twins bowed in reply.

“Hello,” they greeted in Chinese and Uncle Cheng brightened.

“You know Chinese, Mandarin no less?” he said and they nodded. He looked at Marinette, impressed she managed to find not just one, but two people that knew Chinese in Paris.

“We can sit on the couch,” Marinette said and moved their mugs to the table, grabbing some more for the guests.

“So what brings you both here?” Uncle Cheng asked.

“We heard that you were coming to visit and I asked Marinette if we could meet you to practice our Chinese. We mainly focus on Mandarin and do a little Cantonese but it’s hard to practice without a fluent speaker,” Adrien said.

“That’s how I got Marinette to speak it. I kept talking to her as a child so she picked it up quickly. We also talk a lot with one another by phone so she learned from her great-uncle as well,” Sabine said from the kitchen.

Marinette poured the tea for the twins and they thanked her, sipping some and savoring the warmth. She settled down after putting the pot away and Uncle Cheng began talking to the twins about his job, the two of them interested in learning about his favorite meals to make.

“Soups have always been my specialty. I taught Sabine when she was young to how to make the soup she’s going to serve us. I like to call her my disciple,” he said proudly and Sabine smiled from her spot in the kitchen.

“Maybe we’ll get you fully into baking and you can be my disciple,” she said and the teens smiled.

“If you like burnt pastries then I’m willing to bake for you,” Uncle Cheng replied with a chuckle. "I can only do so much with dough."

“If you want, you can help me with some tarte tatin,” Tom said in rough Chinese as he came in through the front door. Uncle Cheng pondered this until Sabine shook her head.

“He’s going to help me with the soup,” she said and Tom sighed.

“I can help with the tarte tatin!" Marinette offered and Tom brightened up.

“Really?” he asked and Marinette nodded. The twins were about to get up and help when Marinette had them stay so they could talk with Uncle Cheng more, the main reason for their visit. She headed downstairs with her dad while the twins sat on the couch alone as Marinette’s great uncle went to help Sabine.

While the bustling of pots and pans made it too loud to talk, the twins checked out the house and found it covered in red tapestries and Chinese paintings. Adrien noticed that the pillows on the couch had delicately stitched artwork and he smiled the more he looked at it, seeing Marinette’s signature apple blossoms in the stitching. She must’ve made some of the decor herself. Meanwhile Felix looked around with a small sense of familiarity with all of the red. It reminded him of something, but he couldn't tell of what.

“You both go to the same school as Marinette?” Chef Cheng asked when the noise in the kitchen died down and the twins nodded.

“We both just met her this year,” Adrien answered.

“She’s a hard worker, I hope she’s not stressing herself out too much,” Sabine said and her uncle nodded in worry.

“I try to warn her when she gets ahead of herself. Sometimes she listens but other times she doesn’t,” Félix sighed and Chef Cheng chuckled at that.

“She was always a spirited one. I remember meeting her for the first time wiggling around and babbling all the time, trying to grab everything. Her sister on the other hand was so calm and preferred to hold Marinette's hand, if she wasn’t wiggling all the time.”

“Sister?” this caught the twin’s interest at once. Chef Cheng paled and looked at Sabine who stared sadly into the soup. Félix immediately realized this was a sensitive topic and cut off Adrien who had opened his mouth to further press on the subject. 

“Marinette is constantly on the move, especially now that she’s class president,” Félix said quickly. Adrien glanced at his brother in confusion for the sudden change, but didn't press on it as Félix shook his head slowly. Adrien understood and let the conversation move on, but still was curious as to the mention of a sister.  

“Really?” the change of topic was relieving for the two Chengs and they continued to talk when Marinette returned to help her mother and great uncle in the kitchen with the rest of the meal. Adrien and Félix offered to help but the three Chengs declined since they didn’t want the guests to have to work. Instead, Uncle Cheng told them what they were making and what you would normally expect for dinner in China. They listened intently, fascinated as the wonderful aroma filled the house and the two older Chengs bickered about something they wanted to add to the food. Sabine wanted to keep the things her way since she was the hostess but Uncle Cheng was desperate to put his chef skills to use.

“Anything you both do will be great,” Marinette comforted but the two didn’t take that to heart. The only downside about their fondness of cooking was the appeal to be the dominate influence of the meal at the time. As they continued to argue, Marinette shook her head with a smile at the boys who grinned in return.

The twins planned on heading out to not disturb the family but they practically forced the twins to stay. Tom pulled out extra chairs while Marinette set up two extra spots at the table. It was small with six people even with all of the food placed in the kitchen to save space, but the twins didn’t mind. They laughed when Tom accidentally dropped some of the veggies into Sabine’s soup as he was trying to grab some from one of the many dishes laid out, and they listened diligently as Uncle Cheng told them his favorite stories of his visits to other countries for cooking. The adults answered any cooking and baking questions the twins had and the whole family pitched in stories on their cooking or baking mishaps. Sabine putting cayenne instead of paprika when she was making Christmas dessert, Tom accidentally adding extra yeast and his bread swelling to three times its size that it couldn’t even be taken out of the oven and ended up burning, Uncle Cheng and his soup that was saltier than the Dead Sea, and Marinette accidentally making three times the amount of cookies she was supposed to. They had tried to not laugh because they felt bad, but the more the Dupain-Cheng family laughed, the more the twins started to give in. Soon everyone was laughing at Marinette’s most recent mishap with badly misshapen croissants at the end of her folding.

“My fingers were hurting from making the derby hat so I could barely use them!” she tried to explain but Tom’s cough which sounded familiar to the word ‘excuses’ made Uncle Cheng roar with laughter. Adrien couldn’t help but join in with her uncle’s vigorous laughter and Félix snorted at Marinette’s offended look when Adrien started to laugh.

Even with their mother, the twins never had this much fun at dinner before.

“Rice flour is amazing for making any type of bread,” Uncle Cheng declared when Tom mentioned it's what he usually uses when he makes muffins as they talked after dinner, letting themselves digest. The conversation had dropped to a lull and the Félix noted how sleepy he was, feeling content and at peace. He looked to his brother who was still listening to them talk attentively but his eyes blinked slowly, his tiredness clear.

“We usually use it for anyone with a gluten intolerance but it’s a nice flour to use if we want to add any different ingredients without the wheat flour overpowering it. It doesn’t rise as much but it’s as nice and elastic as wheat flour.”

“When you cooked for our birthday party- which was delicious I never got to thank you for that- what flour did you use then?” Adrien asked.

Tom chuckled happily with the praise before answering, “I used wheat because it has less calories and more fiber than rice which is what you want in your meals. And since it’s sweeter than rice flour, I put less sugar into the food than I would had I used rice flour.”

“I never realized cooking and baking requires so much needed thought,” Adrien hummed.

“It’s exceptional at the preparations that must be done beforehand as well as during the actual process and final presentation,” Félix added.

“Presentation is key!” Sabine said and Marinette nodded in agreement. “It’s what makes customers interested in the first place. Then the taste makes them come back for more.” Sabine winked and the twins grinned. Their mouths and jaws were sore at how much they had smiled and laughed all dinner.

“Speaking of taste, shall we try the tarte tatin?” Tom asked. Everyone perked up and Sabine started to clear the table. The twins this time refused to sit around and wait for the family to clean up, pitching in themselves as they picked up dishes and helped dry them as they were washed. Tom headed downstairs to grab the tarte that was keeping warm in one of the ovens in the bakery.

The family admired the tarte tatin as Tom presented it at the clean table, new dishes set up in order to eat the dessert. They cut it up and Tom served it to everyone, his large hands extremely gentle which secretly impressed the twins. 

Everyone talked some more and ate, enjoying the comforting environment as the dessert was eaten. The leftovers were put in the fridge and the family settled down on the couches with their tea, calmly hanging out and talking about simple things. Uncle Cheng was interested in the heroes and wanted to know more, proud that Húdié wore a lovely butterfly cheongsam.

“Butterflies are a sign of eternal life, you know,” he told the twins who were interested in learning more. “There’s a story called The Butterfly Lovers, or Liang Zhu, that is a perfect example of that.”

“That’s my favorite story,” Marinette sighed happily and Sabine nodded warmly as she fondly remembered telling her daughter it countless times when she was little.

“What’s it about?” Félix asked.

“A woman by the name of Zhu Yingtai wants to be a scholar but she’s expected to marry her fiance as the only daughter in her family so she disguises herself as a man and goes off to study. She ends up meeting another scholar by the name of Liang Shanbo and they fall in love. Zhu eventually reveals herself but it’s too late. By the time she does, her family wants her to marry her fiance immediately and when Liang finds out he starts to grow sick and eventually dies from his broken heart. Zhu is devastated as she goes with the wedding, but the procession is stopped by a huge gust of wind that prevents them from going beyond Liang’s grave so she decides to pay respects to him, in the end wishing to be with him. In a clap of thunder, the grave opens and she falls into it willingly to join him. In the end their spirits rise from the grave in the form of butterflies and fly off into the heavens together,” Uncle Cheng finished the story, picking up his cup and sipping some more tea as the twins sat there soaking it in.

“That’s awful,” Adrien finally said somberly.

“I like it,” Félix said and the Cheng family smiled at him. “In the end they two of them end up together, showing that their love is eternal, correct?”

“Yes, their souls are now together in the heavens where they live out their lives forever,” Sabine smiled.

Adrien’s phone rang and he sighed when seeing it was the Gorilla’s number. He looked up at his brother and they shared a knowing look, both of them sighing. Félix sank in disappointment before blinking in surprise, realizing he actually didn’t want to leave. It felt… comfortable here. Soothing to sit and talk without any obligations lingering on his shoulders, forgetting any plans and simply enjoying the moment. Adrien clearly felt the same as he reluctantly pulled himself off the couch and the two of them glumly started making their way to the front door and grabbing their shoes.

“You can always visit again. We’re all here tomorrow,” Tom said as he noticed the mood of the boys.

“You can also come for my cooking competition at Le Grand Paris the day after. I’ll be happy to have support,” Chef Cheng said and their spirits lifted. They thanked them for the meal and Adrien was surprised when Tom and Sabine pulled him into a warm hug.

“We’re always happy to have guests or if you stop by the bakery for a treat. You’re always welcome,” Sabine said and Adrien busily put on his shoes, trying not to tear up at her warm smile that reminded him so much of his mother. They never got any response from her no matter how many letters they sent to her hospital. Having this motherly warmth all the sudden was overwhelming.

Marinette walked the boys out to the car, chatting with them on the way down. The Gorilla and Nathalie were waiting in the warm car that sat idling as the twins came out. 

“Don’t be a stranger! We’ll be happy to see you both tomorrow, just send me a text!” Marinette smiled as they made their way to the car and opened the doors. They nodded before hopping into the car and driving off swiftly. The two sat in silence as the Gorilla drove them back, Nathalie in the front seat looking at her tablet.

“Tomorrow you both have your music lessons in the morning. After you both study for a few hours, you're both free until dinner with your father,” she informed them.

“Can we go back tomorrow?” Adrien asked. Nathalie glanced back at them in surprise and noticed the hopeful look in his eyes. She looked at Félix and noticed the same expression in the boy. She hadn’t seen that expression in a while, especially from Félix. Nathalie turned to the front and looked down at the schedule, thinking.

“Your friend, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. She is in your class, correct?” Nathalie asked. The twins shared a confused look for a second.

“Yes,” Félix answered nervously.

“Is she a diligent student?” Nathalie asked. The twins shared an even more confused look.

“She’s the best. She’s class president and is always working hard,” Adrien said, lightly glossing over the fact that sometimes she barely managed to get her work done some days.

“Since your Sunday is relatively empty, how about you both go study with her tomorrow instead of being at home? I hear that a change in environment can make one more focused,” she suggested, holding back a smile as she looked in the rear-view mirror to see the twins share an excited glance; if they agreed that meant they would be able to spend more time at the Dupain-Cheng household.

“Thank you, Nathalie,” the boys said. The assistant adjusted the schedule according to the new plan, smiling gently as she finalized it.

The boys had both been reclusive the past year, especially Félix who had always been more introverted of a person. Gabriel enforced that by making Félix intern at his company which gave the boy no time to relax or interact with anyone his age. In order to make both boys equally busy, Adrien was shoved into more work as a model and thus his need for more physical activity increased, adding basketball onto the list of things the young boy already had on this plate. Gabriel’s schedule was law in their household, but some things could always be adjusted, especially with Nathalie in charge of it.

Nathalie knew how hard it was for these boys to have lost their mother; she herself losing her best friend in the process. Now Emilie was in a coma with no signs of waking up anytime soon and Gabriel was set on a goal to do whatever it took to get that ring back, uncaring about the consequences.

Nathalie worried for the boys and their classmates since they were his primary target. What’s worse was that by having the boys get close to Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, they were fulfilling their father’s wishes by getting more information on the class. Yet, Nathalie just wanted these boys to have some fun in their lives without being set on a schedule. They were still children and didn’t need the pressures of the world upon their shoulders.

She was determined to let them have some fun.

Chapter Text

"What if Mayor Bourgeois is Coccinelle?" Chat Noir asked and Húdié continued to laugh, her eyes watering and the harsh headache she had from the morning subsiding. They had just stopped a quick theft in the morning while both were on the way to school, surprised to find one another there. Chat usually dealt with these cases alone when he could which Húdié hadn't known about it until just now. They talked about it and Húdié was touched to hear about how protective he was of Paris even without fighting Coccinelle. He was a good hero, even more thoughtful than her.

"You're getting that look on your face that says you're guilty about something," Chat said and poked her brow, causing her to flush and relax her furrowed brow.

"I mean, I feel like I could do more-"

"You're busy all the time. I'm doing this because I want to and I feel like I can do more for the city. You on the other hand need to learn how to take a break."

"But-"

"Relax, you only need to come out when Coccinelle attacks. Other than that I don't want you to stress out more than you have too. We got to look out for each other, Bugaboo." Chat Noir smiled. Húdié's face went scarlet at the nickname.

"B-Bugaboo?" she squeaked. Chat Noir chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I just wanted to try it. I won't say it if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Oh no no I don't mind. We're friends so nicknames are okay." Húdié said shyly.

"Really?" Chat Noir beamed and then looked at her thoughtfully, "What about my nickname?" 

"Oh um," Húdié panicked, having not thought of one. "All I can think of is Chaton."

"Chaton!" Chat's ears perked up and Húdié tried not to giggle at his wide eyes, his smile big, "I like it!"

"That's a relief," she said and was about to continue when the bell tower of a nearby church rang. The two looked towards the bell, paling in unison.

"I'm late for school!" they exclaimed simultaneously. The two blinked at each other and then chuckled. 

"Guess we need to leave then," Chat said.

"I'll see you for patrol?" she asked hopefully and he nodded.

"Always," he said before running off, using his baton to pole vault himself to school. Húdié followed from a distance, already knowing what school Chat was from since the textbook incident.

He landed somewhere outside of the school and Húdié made sure to avoid his location as she dropped down and detransformed in a nearby alley, letting Nooroo sneak into her purse. She noticed his movements were rather lethargic as he slipped inside but the ringing bell nearby made her jump in fright before racing to school.

She barely made it inside as D'Argencourt closed the door, giving an annoyed look to the student as she ducked under his arm sheepishly.

Marinette ran up the steps and was about to enter class when she looked into the classroom but didn't see everything set up for the class project that Alya was supposed to prepare before class. Alya spotted her and waved happily, but when Marinette mouthed about the project the girl paled. She started to get up when Marinette waved her hand in dismissal. She spun around and rushed down the hallway just as Adrien made his way up the steps and slipped into class as the bell rang. 

“Glad you could join us today, Adrien,” Mlle. Bustier smiled jokingly and Adrien gave a weak smile, quickly sliding into his seat.

“Sorry, Mlle. Bustier,” he apologized and she gave him another smile before looking at the spot behind him.

“Does anyone know where Marinette is?”

“She's getting the supplies right now,” Alya informed the teacher and Mlle. Bustier nodded as she started roll call. As she finished, Marinette hurried into the room, her hands full of supplies and nearly spilling over. 

“Sorry, Mlle. Bustier! I had to grab the supplies from the art room!” she apologized while Adrien got up and took most of the load for her. Marinette shot the blond a thankful smile.

“Perfect timing! You both can pass around the supplies while I explain what we’re doing today before our lessons,” she told the class president and the model who nodded and started handing out the cards and markers.

“We have a new transfer student coming in from Italy tomorrow. Her name is Lila Rossi and with her parents traveling often due to their jobs, I figured it’s hard for her to make friends coming into a new school every time. I want to give her a warm welcome so what better way than to make up a gift for her?”

Everyone chatted excitedly, wondering what the new student would be like. Rose could be heard in the back wondering what places she would like to visit in Paris while Max pondered what job her parents must have that require constant traveling. Nathaniel was already busy decorating his card, happily drawing in class with permission. They all got settled into drawing their cards, talking with one another.

“I wonder if she’ll mind sitting next to Chloé?" Alya asked Marinette. "So far no one is still putting up with her. Maybe Sabrina could sit next to Chloe and the new girl could sit with Ivan? Even though he looks intimidating and might scare her initially,” Alya said before humming thoughtfully, “What if we can switch around seats? We could even get Mylène and Ivan to sit together. Maybe you and Adrien can sit together too.” Alya winked.

"Me and Adrien?" Marinette questioned with a frown, unsure of what her friend was implying.

"You don't really think I would catch on about your crush?" Alya winked the blood drained from Marinette's face. How had she found out about her crush on Chat Noir? Was she that obvious? Did she see her sketchbook with all of the outfit ideas?

"Come on, when I asked you about your type of guy you mentioned green eyes and blond hair who is super sweet, and who else class has green eyes and blond hair that fits that category?" Alya gave a pointed look to the boy below who was talking about videos with Nino.

"No no no not Adrien," Marinette rushed in embarrassment. Alya now blinked in surprise.

"Then who?"

"Ah-uh- a guy in my karate class!" Marinette fibbed, "He's my… partner! We work a lot together."

"Anything else besides that?" Alya grinned slyly.

"Nothing at all! Totally nothing at all... because I can't confess to him," Marinette sighed mournfully.

"That sounds like quitter talk," Alya said and Marinette hopelessly gestured.

"Even though we make jokes and laugh a lot he's very business-like with me. In the end we're just partners," Marinette sighed again and continued working on her card.

"That's because you haven't done anything to make him notice you, girl!" Alya pointed out.

"I know but I'm so busy! With the new class president duties along with school work and babysitting, I haven't had time to make anything," Marinette huffed.

"Oh, well if that's the problem I can take over some things as your deputy! Just let me know what you need help with! Except today because my mom wants me to go pick up the Gremlins today from school since Nora is busy," Alya grumbled, "She always picks the worst times to leave the house for her work."

"What happened this time?" Marinette asked and Alya ranted about the twins latest catastrophe until Mlle. Bustier urged everyone to finish their letters, wanting to get started with the class. Afterwards Marinette collected the markers and took them back to the art room with the help of Nathaniel.

"I miss our mornings together," Nathaniel said and Marinette looked at her friend to see him glumly staring at the floor as they walked. It had been a while since they met up in the mornings to go over art ideas. With the duties as class representative, Marinette slept in more to catch up on missing sleep from staying up late.

Nathaniel smiled though, looking at Marinette before she could say anything, "But I understand. You have a ton of extra stuff to do nowadays so it must be hard on you."

"It's really hard," Marinette agreed somberly. "I had to close my commissions because now I have class president duties."

"Doesn't Alya help you at least?"

"Well…" Marinette shrugged, "She's usually busy with Noir News now that she doesn't have time to help."

"But you're pretty busy too. You had to give up something you do because of your new responsibilities. Don’t think I’ve noticed you also have been drinking more tea and coffee which means you’re more tired than normal. You need to learn how to relax a little or even learn to give some responsibility to someone else."

"You sound like Felix," Marinette chuckled.

"Well, he is my deskmate," Nathaniel shrugged. This made Marinette laugh brightly and the redhead smiled proudly, happy to see he made her laugh. They walked back to class and came into the courtyard, frezzing in surprise when they spotted Coccinelle in the center. He was once again being scolded by D’Argencourt as a nearby custodian contacted the police on his phone as students that were working out in the courtyard escaped into the locker rooms.

“Get to the classroom and warn, Mlle. Bustier. I’ll go tell Principal Damocles,” Marinette said.

“But you might get hurt!” Nathaniel exclaimed in worry.

“I’ll be fine, trust me,” Marinette smiled and took off before Nathaniel could say anything else.

She ran into an empty classroom, opening her purse to see Nooroo laying still in a deep sleep.

“Nooroo?” Marinette asked in surprise, the kwami not waking up despite all of the nervous energy around that usually signified an attack. She poked the kwami who wheezed, curling in.

“Nooroo…?” she gingerly pulled out the kwami who laid there, whimpering silently. Marinette could now feel his emotions, lethargic and in pain. He curled up into her palm and Marinette paled, unsure of what to do.

She didn’t want to transform in case Nooroo got worse, but she didn’t know how to heal him either. Could she take him to a vet? But what was she even going to say to them? Tell them her magic bug got sick?

“Nooroo, you have to wake up so I can help you,” she urged the kwami gently and he finally opened his eyes but didn’t seem to see her.

“It’s wrong, Master…” Nooroo mumbled. Marinette began freaking out as the kwami continued to mumble nonsense. “The Ladybug and Cat must never… don’t use the Wish… death…”

“Nooroo please wake up,” Marinette desperately whispered as she nudged her kwami but he wasn’t waking up. She tried to give him a cream puff but he was too delirious to do so. Marinette put the kwami gently in her purse and decided to look up the nearest veterinarian, completely unsure of what to do. As she found a location and got up, she noticed a tiny green figure across the room. She gazed at it now and noticed that it was watching her in return. She slowly stood up with uncertainty as the small green figure came closer to her. It floated in a very familiar pattern and her eyes widened as she noticed it looked like a small turtle.

“What are you?” she asked. “Are you a kwami?”

“That I am,” the kwami nodded. “My name is Wayzz. I’m here to help Nooroo.”

“You can heal him? Oh thank you!” Marinette came forward eagerly but the kwami didn’t look happy, regarding her warily.

“I will not be able to carry him myself, you will have to follow my instructions,” he said and she nodded.

“Please, anything to help Nooroo,” Marinette said and Wayzz relaxed. He told her to leave the school and he slipped into her jacket as she quickly snuck out amidst the commotion outside, Coccinelle once again terrorizing students in other classrooms which only urged her onward. She had to be back soon in order to protect her classmates, and especially Chat who would be fighting alone.

Once she was out, Wayzz flew out and took off, Marinette running after him with her purse gingerly in her hands. They ran far away from the school, leaving the usual neighborhood Marinette was familiar with. Since many people were in school or at work, the streets were relatively empty which allowed the green kwami to fly in the open without regards to any watchers. When there were people thought, he would hide in her hair and tell her where to turn as she ran. Although tiring the longer she ran, her determination to make sure Nooroo was safe kept her going past her burning muscles and harsh pants.

They arrived at an acupuncture shop and Wayzz phased through the door without a second thought. Marinette hesitated before walking in, cautiously keeping an eye out for anything unusual. The green kwami waited for her in front of another door, watching her take in the room.

“This way,” he said when she deemed the room was cleared and he phased through the other door. Marinette entered after the kwami, walking into a normal acupuncture shop that looked similar to the one her mother goes to now and then. 

She had little time to admire the room as the man in the bright red Hawaiian shirt caught her attention. He looked a little familiar to her as she approached.

“Hello, Marinette. I was hoping our first meeting would be a later time, but this will have to do.”

“Can you help Nooroo?” she asked and he nodded. Marinette opened her purse and sat at the edge of the futon, presenting the small kwami to the older man. He carefully took the ill kwami and placed Nooroo on the pillow, extending his hands over the kwami.

Marinette watched the man’s expressions as he closed his eyes. He seemed thoughtful at first, then his eyes furrowed slightly. A frown came next and Marinette gripped her bag anxiously as the worry came off the older man. It looked grim as the man continued to hover his hands over the weak kwami.

“Have you been having headaches recently?” he asked and she nodded.

“Yes. I had some small headaches now and then in the past. Almost a month ago I got a severe migraine and after that my headaches are occurring more often. I thought it was just because I’m tired.”

“Do they happen consistently or around certain people?” he asked and Marinette thought back, trying to remember.

“I can’t really say but they usually happen when I’m around my friends or with my classmates.”

“Can you recall the time you had the severe migraine? What was happening?”

Marinette thought back on the events, how she had been arguing about a lost bracelet until the migraine came out of nowhere, causing her to pass out from the pain. She told him as such and tried to recall the people there, unsure about everything due to the pain eventually overwhelming her. 

“This is worse than I expected,” the acupuncturist sighed.

“Is Nooroo going to be okay?” Marinette asked. He nodded but still looked worried.

“He’ll be fine but the issue is that these will only get worse. What do you do on a normal basis? Do you have any notable extra curricular activities?”

“I help my parents with their work, I babysit, then I used to do my own work until I started doing more in school as class president. I also started kung fu not too long ago and I go twice a week,” Marinette didn’t mention being Húdié just to be safe. While he seemed to know her and the kwami, Marinette wasn't sure what exactly he did know.

“How much sleep do you get?” he asked.

“Not much. It’s hard for me to sleep recently. I’ve had to drink more coffee and tea to keep me awake.”

“Can you lay down on your stomach for a moment while I check something?” he asked and Marinette nodded in confusion. She took off her shoes and did as instructed, laying on her back while Nooroo remained on the pillow nearby.

The man poked her back with his fingers, sending jolts to other parts of her body. He felt for her neck before resuming to pressing on spots on her back before letting her sit up again and putting Nooroo back in front of him.

“You’re overworking yourself,” he said.

“I know but Nooroo is hurt!” Marinette exclaimed desperately.

“The issue is that Nooroo is under a curse at the moment. His former holder put a deep curse on the kwami before he was put under my care. I tried to break it but when doing so the curse ended up hurting him in return. I did as much as I could to heal Nooroo but I can only do so much until the curse is removed, which I’m unable to do with lack of resources. Nooroo, while a strong kwami and one of the best out there, lives off of emotions. If he’s in a constantly stressed environment then he will eventually become distressed, and with this curse on him, makes him weaker. He’s usually strong enough to not let it get to you, but sometimes it slips through and ends up hurting you as well. This is why you’re getting those migraines.”

“What about the lack of sleep?”

“Because you’re overburdening yourself you end up stressing your body out which leads to disruptive sleep.”

“So… me getting stressed about everything I’m doing is hurting Nooroo?” Marinette asked softly. The acupuncturist nodded and Marinette clenched her fist as she stared down at the ill kwami in guilt. She had done this to her friend. He and everyone else around Marinette had told her to relax and she didn’t, now this was the consequence of it.

“I’m so sorry, Nooroo,” Marinette whispered.

“Nooroo will be alright, but I suggest you start making changes to your life to prevent this stress from affecting Nooroo from now on. With Nooroo injured like this, it’s harder for you to transform and thus leave Chat Noir at risk. I gave you the Miraculous because I knew you would be the best person to protect Chat Noir and you have done so wonderfully. You learned from your enemy and have become a better fighter from it, the only issue now is just making sure that you don’t wear yourself out before the big fight arrives. You need all of your strength until then. I’ll heal him the best I can, but you must know that Nooroo is in a fragile state right now. I didn’t want to put him into battle but you were best suited for his Miraculous at the moment.”

“I’ll do better to protect him,” Marinette nodded and the man smiled.

“I know you will. You’re a smart and brave girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, which is why I picked you."

Chat was worried. He had been fighting Coccinelle in the school for a while now and there was still no sign of Húdié. He had taken cover in the locker rooms that had been emptied as the students escaped from there but he only had a short time until Coccinelle found him.

He heard screams and ran out of the locker rooms with a small curse; of course Coccinelle would start terrorizing students just to lure him out. Yet the students crowded around the courtyard, their screams actually being cheers as Coccinelle fought a large man that looked like an owl.

"Go Principal Damocles!" the students yelled before Húdié guided them out of the school. Chat Noir landed next to her in worry.

"Are you okay?" he noticed she was looking exhausted but she flashed him a tiny smile.

"My kwami got sick so I had to make sure he was okay before transforming."

"Kwamis get sick?" Chat asked in surprise and Húdié nodded weakly. They got separated as the crowd expanded and they focused on getting the students out while Chat Noir thought about it. What would he do if Plagg got really ill? He's a good but also looks like a cat so maybe a veterinarian? But how was he going to explain Plagg's cheese diet which he knew the veterinarian wouldn't like to hear since cats can't consume dairy.

Coccinelle was bound together by Night Owl's own contraption and struggled to break free. He summoned his lucky charm and started to use it to break free while the rest of the students escaped. 

"Perfect angle," Chat looked to see Alya recording from behind the stairs.

"Not anymore, you're getting out of here," he started to urge the girl until there was a familiar whirring of Coccinelle's yo-yo. He turned and braced himself but only saw Coccinelle pulling himself up into the sky and taking off.

"We still have time to chase him!" Húdié said and Chat Noir nodded. He grabbed Húdié as she recaptured her butterfly from Night Owl. Chat extended his baton up to the rooftops and they raced across the roofs together after the spotted villain.

Chat Noir sped forward, sniffing out the villain and catching sight of him as he slipped into the underground metro. Chat Noir put his baton against the side of the building and extended it again, rocketing him right down the metro stairs. He rolled gracefully onto the floor as people moved away in surprise.

Chat Noir looked around and caught Coccinelle running into the tunnels. He called Húdié as he pursued, "He's heading to the next stop as the subway, you might be able to catch him!" he said.

"Got it!" She replied and hung up as Chat Noir ran in the dark, his night vision helping him greatly. He couldn't see Coccinelle but he could hear his pounding footsteps as the villain tried to escape.

Light was shining at the end of the tunnel and Chat Noir could see that he was right on Coccinelle's tail. He extended his baton once more and grinned as he tackled the villain, knocking the two down just as they reached the metro stop. Onlookers gasped and pointed as the two tussled until Húdié arrived.

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir yelled as Coccinelle prepared to launch his yo-yo at the hero. He readied himself to catch the yo-yo when Húdié and the others let out a cry of surprise.

"Watch out for the train!" Húdié shouted and Chat looked behind in him surprise. The yo-yo smacked him across the head and Chat grunted, flailing as as he fell back. With his free hand Chat found his grip on the yo-yo and tugged it to keep himself from falling, but Coccinelle wasn't prepared to catch him. The sudden yank pulled Coccinelle forward and the two tumbled over the tracks, Coccinelle falling onto Chat. Chat stuck his hands out to stop the villain from crushing him and gaped as his Cataclysmed hand made contact with the villain.

Chat's eyes widened in horror as the villain let out a holler of pain and jumped up, lurching away and throwing his yo-yo, pulling himself out of there. Chat could only stare at his hand in terror at what he just did. He had touched a person with the Cataclysm. He could've killed Coccinelle.

"Chat!" Húdié jumped into the tracks and started to pull the hero off the tracks. The train's horn blared which allowed for Chat Noir to jolt to partial alertness and use his baton two get the two of them out of there.

The subway raced by as they crashed down into the ground, bystanders making space for them and they got up

"Are you alright?" Húdié asked before realizing she was on top of her partner. She jumped off of him as if burned before moving to his side, face as red as Coccinelle's suit. Chat got up but looked at the tracks to see no one there, Coccinelle having escaped.

"I-I'm fine. We were so close that time," he sighed and Húdié nodded, helping him up.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're distressed."

"Ah," Chat glanced around at the people pulling out their phones, "maybe not here."

"Let's go then," she encouraged but Chat frowned.

"But Coccinelle is escaping."

"And he escapes every other time, right now you're more important," she said and after a pause, Chat nodded in agreement. They landed on a rooftop just as his miraculous chirped.

He blinked in surprise at it, "I'm not used to mine going off."

"That's right, you never use your powers," Húdié realized.

"It's better that way because I wouldn't have a lot of time to escape if I needed to. Plus it means Coccinelle could continue to disturb Paris without any worries. How are you feeling, by the way?"

"I'm feeling better. Right now though we need to talk about you. What happened?" Húdié put a comforting hand on his shoulder and Chat found his shoulders slumping as the grief bore down on him. Coccinelle's holler of pain still echoed in his head.

"I- I accidentally Cataclysmed Coccinelle," Chat breathed, gripping his fists tightly. He heard Húdié's sharp intake in breath and he flattened his ears in shame and fear. What was she going to think of him now?

"I didn't mean to! The train was coming and I accidentally grabbed the yo-yo and pulled him on top of me and- it just happened so fast," Chat felt his insides squirm as the fear started to overwhelm him.

"You didn't mean to, Chaton. Look at me," her voice was gentle and he lifted his face to gaze at her warm expression. "You are a good hero. I know you would never do that on purpose, even if they're a villain. Accidents happen like this all the time. We're still learning our powers every day, and we're bound to make mistakes."

"But what if I did it to a civilian on accident?"

"No civilians will ever get hurt. We always make sure to clear the area so no one can be in close range to the fight when you have to use it."

"What about your Champions? What if they get hurt on accident?"

"They're tougher than you think, Chaton. Same with me, and same with Coccinelle. We're all equipped with magic powers so while it may hurt as we saw, we will live. We'll be okay. It's okay," she pulled him into a hug and Chat leaned into her embrace, squeezing her tightly. Just hearing her voice made him feel better, and the points she made soothed his anxiety. She had a way to make him feel comfortable and safe, whether it be in her arms or just by her side.

Húdié giggled, "I take it you're feeling better if you're purring."

Chat chuckled, pulling back with a sheepish grin, "You always make me feel better. There's something magical just by being with you that makes me feel happy."

Húdié's cheeks went rosy as she giggled, hands gesturing randomly about her in a state of fluster, "Guess it comes with the whole emotions Miraculous."

"Speaking of, is your kwami alright?" Chat asked in concern.

"Yes, I managed to get him taken care of, but he's still really weak so I'm worried about him," Húdié's shoulders dropped and now Chat put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Take your time. Your kwami's health is the most important thing."

"Thank you, Chaton," Húdié said and giggled when he puffed up happily. His ring chirped again and he sighed at it before looking back at her with a grin.

"Guess it's time for this cat to scat. Take care, Bugaboo! Good job!" he gave her a fist bump and she waved him off as he flew across Paris back to school.

He landed and detransformed in a nearby alley before sneaking back onto school grounds, watching the students milling about the front gates as they excitedly chattered. Others were watching Alya interview M. Damocles about being the new Champion which allowed for Adrien to slip inside without a problem grab his bags from his locker before heading outside. He figured classes were going to be cancelled after this, so he leisurely strolled about trying to find a familiar face to figure out what happened while he was gone.

“Hey!” Nino waved and Adrien smiled. 

“I can’t believe Húdié made M. Damocles a Champion this time,” he said before Nino could ask him any questions about where he had been. As much as Adrien loved that his friends were looking out for him, he struggled to hide it from them. His guilt about keeping everything a secret while they constantly worried about him caused him to make lame excuses and thus make Adrien look more suspicious. The quicker he distracted them, the less he had to lie. 

“Right? It was totally awesome even if the outfit looked a little weird since it was based on his original costume. Who knew that the principal could be that cool?”

“Maybe Coccinelle will stop trying to attack our school. He’s already attacked once before so this should be a clear sign to stay away,” Kim said as he and Max approached them. 

Due to many students having already left and his newfound ‘coolness,’ M. Damocles let everyone go home for the rest of the day to relax. Adrien walked out the front doors with the rest of the guys before spotting his brother who just got off the phone with the Gorilla from the looks of it. Adrien sighed, secretly hoping his brother hadn’t been so responsible so they could walk home from school for once like his other classmates were. They all waved goodbye to the twins who stood at the steps, waving as they walked their classmates head out with the rest of the school.

There was a long break of silence where no other students left, leaving the two in silence as Félix pulled out a book to read. Adrien got out his phone and started to play one of the games he installed from Nino's recommendation until Marinette rushed out of school alone, looked frantic as she held her purse in front of her. She nearly tripped down the steps on her way down and the twins cringed as she barely managed to avoid face planting into the floor. She noticed them watching and her face went scarlet.

“Um- hehe. That was a step away from a disaster! I’ll stair you later- see you later!” she sputtered and ran off in the complete opposite direction of her house. The twins watched her as she looked into her purse while running, her shoulder ramming right into a pole with a thunk. She caught herself again and turned the corner with ease as if she hadn’t crashed into anything.

“Sometimes, I worry about her,” Félix said and Adrien looked at him.

"Sometimes?" Adrien asked.

"Correction, I always worry about her.*

"Much better," Adrien agreed.

The Gorilla arrived and the two headed home, arriving through the front gates with ease. They entered the house and noticed that the office door was open.

“We’ll have to explain ourselves to him as to why we are early,” Félix sighed and Adrien nodded. They entered the office but to their surprise saw that no one was inside. They walked in curiously and Adrien spotted an old book on Gabriel’s desk, heading over to it and opening it up in interest as he wondered why his father would have such an old book.

Adrien stilled, his stomach dropping as he looked back at a person dressed like an ancient Chinese version of Chat Noir. He couldn’t read the writing on the page but he continued to browse it anyway before turning the page.

A woman dressed as a purple butterfly posed in the next one, her cane sword obvious in her hand. Adrien had an unsettling feeling about this. He wanted to talk to Plagg but with his brother around Adrien was trapped in his uncertainty bubbling within him.

“What’s that?” Félix asked as Adrien went to the next page revealing a person dressed as a peacock. The twin stared in surprise before his expression changed to something else. Adrien watched his brother reach out and brush his fingers along the image of the peacock.

“I’ve seen this before,” he mumbled.

“You have?” Adrien asked in surprise and Félix nodded with the puzzled expression still on his face.

“Like in a dream…” he trailed off. They heard the slamming of car doors and the twins vigorously closed the book shut and darted out of the room, coming out just as Gabriel entered with Nathalie.

To say Gabriel looked sick was the least of it. Nathalie was supporting their father as they stumbled in, Gabriel as pale as the white stripes on his cravat. His hair was in disarray and he stumbled through the doorstep, Nathalie barely able to get him up. He wheezed heavily, grasping his chest while Nathalie coaxed him through the front door.

“Père!” the twins hurried over and helped Nathalie with their father, taking him to his bedroom. He leaned heavily on the boys, his eyes closed and breathing hard as he struggled to walk. They entered his room and placed him down on the bed where the Gorilla attended to him while Nathalie ushered the boys out.

“What happened? Is he okay?” Adrien asked.

“He got really sick at work. They don’t know what it is, so he’s going to stay home for the rest of the day. Why are both of you home already?” she asked sternly.

“He looks extremely ill, you have to call a doctor,” Félix ignored the assistant.

“We will, you both just stay upstairs while we handle this. Go study or do… something,” Nathalie urged with a distressed look on her face. The twins let her push them up the stairs before she hurried back down and entered Gabriel’s room as they stood, watching her.

“What could’ve happened? He doesn’t have any allergies. Or does he?”

“You’re the only one with an allergy. He might’ve gotten stomach poisoning,” Félix frowned.

“This is bad,” Adrien started to go down the stairs but Félix stopped him with a firm grip on his arm.

“We can’t do anything. We have to wait this one out.”

“I don’t want to lose Père too,” Adrien turned defiantly towards his brother. Félix let go in surprise as Adrien marched down, trying for the door only to find it locked. He grumbled and sat in front of it, waiting for them to open it again.

The doctor arrived and Nathalie went to get him while the Gorilla kept Adrien back from the room. They closed it again and Adrien glared at the door the Gorilla blocked, sitting in front of it as he waited for it to open again.

As the minutes went by Adrien grew anxious. This was just how their mother had gotten ill. She had been fine initially until suddenly stumbling through the door in their father’s arms, her face pale and coughing up blood. She fell into a coma not too long after and was taken to the hospital where they tried to treat her with no results. Their father pulled her out of the hospital and sent her away, leaving without a proper goodbye. Was the same going to happen to their father?

Adrien gripped his knees as he remembered how devastating it was. The coldness in their father's eyes as he said their mother was gone and wouldn't be coming back for a while. But the gleam in his eyes that assured the twins she would be completely healthy when she returned left Adrien uneasy. Yet even after that odd assurance from him, s o far no treatment was found and Adrien worried that the same would happen to their father. Adrien's eyes started to tear up and he blinked quickly, stopping them before they could fall. He couldn't lose both of them.

Hours passed when the doctor came out but they still wouldn't let him go in, instead telling him to go eat dinner. Adrien refused to eat until he could see his father.

So Adrien didn't eat.

The house was dark and there was still no response from Nathalie. No one had come in or out and the Gorilla had pulled up a chair and was sitting on it as he kept an eye on Adrien.

Adrien sighed, resting his head on the back of the stairway with heavy and tired eyes when he noticed something above on the steps. He stood curiously and his eyes widened in surprise as he looked up at his twin brother who was resting his head on the rail, eyes closed. His book bag was still over his shoulder which meant that he hadn't moved after Adrien left him hours ago. Despite his colder demeanor, it looked like Félix cared as much as Adrien did for their father. He must be just as stressed with the situation, and the realization that if both of their parents left, they would only have each other. If Adrien couldn't help his mother or father, he could at least help his brother.

Adrien went up the stairs and gently nudged his sleeping brother.

"Let's go to bed, Fé," Adrien said softly and the taller blond groggily opened his eyes. Adrien nudged him up and the two went to bed, going to sleep with doubt hovering over the household until the morning.

Chapter Text

"How did it go?" Master Fu asked as Marinette arrived. Her shoulder was still throbbing where she rammed it into a pole but that wasn't her main concern right now. 

"It went okay. We almost had Coccinelle but the train got in the way which allowed him to escape. We lost sight of him but at least Nooroo is okay. By the way, what happens when Chat Noir Catalysms something? He accidentally made contact with Coccinelle but he didn't die or crumble to pieces, but when he touched the trash the first time we met it turned to dust." She couldn’t help but ask now that she had the chance to learn more.

"It causes misfortune to whatever he touches, so in most cases the worst misfortune is complete destruction of the item. In other cases, it might cause an illness or plague that infects a person. If used on a Miraculous holder like Coccinelle, t he suits have powers that absorb the brunt of the attack through the kwami but it still hurts the wielder so both can be grievously injured. If your Miraculous item like Coccinelle's yo-yo or your cane get destroyed it hurts the kwami more than the wielder. It'll be awhile before the kwami can transform and if they do then the wielder won't be fully able to access all functions of the suit until some time later after the kwami heals. The only exception is Chat Noir himself since his baton has no direct correlation to his Cataclysm unlike Coccinelle's Lucky Charm or you summoning Champions. If his baton were to get hit with Cataclysm, all he would have to do is destrasnform and transform again."

"Is there any way to heal or fix them?"

"It requires a lot of rest in order to heal both the wielder and kwami. If what you say is true and Chat Noir really did use his Cataclysm on Coccinelle, I think you'll both have a break for now while he recovers. This will be the perfect time to find out who he is."

"How do we do that?"

"I should tell you how I first acquired the Cat Miraculous in order for you to understand." Master Fu said and Marinette listened in interest. Meanwhile he got Nooroo settled down onto a cushion, Wayzz tending to the weak kwami while Master Fu started.

"for the past fourteen years I had been using my powers very minimally, keeping an eye out because Wayzz sensed that the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous were both here. Long ago, even before then, I made a mistake that ended up destroying the Temple of the Guardians and losing some important books along with several Miraculous. The biggest ones that I lost were the Ladybug, Cat, Butterfly, and Peacock Miraculous. So when Wayzz felt them here being wrongly used around fourteen years ago, I knew I had to come and try to reclaim them. It was the least I could do for my mistake.

"Unfortunately, I could never find them no matter how hard I looked until last year. I was patrolling when I spotted a woman wearing the Peacock Miraculous. She rushed over to me and I had been prepared to fight her until she collapsed, coughing up blood. She told me her Miraculous was broken after she and her husband used the Wish fourteen years ago, around the time I felt the Miraculous being used incorrectly. Her husband was currently trying to make another Wish to heal her but she didn't want to do it after learning the repercussions so she stole the Cat Miraculous and gave it to me. I have been trying to find her ever since then but all I have is this picture of her I found in the butterfly brooch the day Plagg returned it to me." Master Fu had gotten up as he talked and pulled out a small photo from drawer, handing it to her. 

The woman in the picture looked familiar with blonde hair and green eyes. Her smile was warm as she posed for the camera.

"What is a wish?" Marinette asked as she looked at the image.

"The Wish is what happens when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are both used together. Anyone who wields them both has the ability to make one wish that can give them anything they want, but the consequences are severe. If you wish for money, someone might lose all of their money. If you wish for fame, someone might lose their entire reputation. If you wish to bring back the dead, someone will die in their place. The recoil can happen to anyone; a friend, a lover, or a random stranger. But having the mindset of not caring what happens to anyone else is already terrifying for someone to have, especially one with power like the Wish."

"Did you ever figure out what they used the Wish for the first time fourteen years ago?"

"No, she didn’t have time to explain. By the time she handed the Cat Miraculous to me, her partner who was only wearing the Butterfly Miraculous had caught up and she fought him off to allow for me to escape. I never saw them after that until Coccinelle's first arrival. I released the Cat Miraculous because it's the perfect counterbalance to the Ladybug which would benefit an inexperienced fighter, but I didn't expect him to equip the Butterfly as well. If you hadn’t stepped in I don’t know what would’ve happened to Paris. 

“At once I knew this was the husband of the Peacock Miraculous holder and I fear for her life since she hasn't appeared since then. A broken Miraculous can cause severe damage to the holder which is why I was so reluctant in giving you the Butterfly since Nooroo was unwell. But this Miraculous is the one that suits you the best as of now and I knew you wouldn't be able to fight with your injured leg."

"When you said that I was meant for the Ladybug, what did you mean?"

"There are certain people that are compatible with specific Miraculous which brings out their true abilities. While you do well with the Butterfly Miraculous due to your kindness and strong judgment of character, the Ladybug is made for you to rise up and put your mind at work. You fight like a strategist, always trying to one up your enemy. I've seen that you always know what Coccinelle wants to do with his Lucky Charms whenever he uses them. You were made to be Ladybug."

Marinette was silent for a bit, thinking it over before looking at Master Fu, "What will happen when we do recover the other Miraculous?"

"I'll take care of Tikki and Dussuu who are the kwamis of the Ladybug and Peacock Miraculous and make sure they are okay. After that I might head to Tibet and try to recover some of the missing books to remove the curse off of Nooroo and Plagg."

"And what can we do for now?"

"Try to stop Coccinelle, protect Chat Noir, and discover who Coccinelle is. Right now you're limited to two Miraculous users but the best you can do is protect your partner. My best guess is that Coccinelle's goal is to make a wish to save his wife since he was trying to do that last year until she stopped him. You might be able to find her more easily than me so you can take a picture of it to remember her face. I hope it helps."

"This is more information than I've had in months, so I'll take what I can," Marinette said and the two lapsed into silence as they both thought.

"You say you're class president, correct?" Master Fu asked and she nodded. He hummed thoughtfully and looked at a gramophone sitting on the table.

"I am old, believe it or not," he chuckled and Marinette smiled. "I don't have anyone to pass this on to, especially after my mistake decades ago. If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind teaching you about this later on. You're a good hero and you have a level head. The world of the Miraculous is a mysterious one and I'm sure you have questions which will be a great way to at least being teaching you the basics of the Miraculous."

"I do have a lot of questions, actually," Marinette chuckled.

"Then ask away," he said and the two began their discussion of the mysterious realm beyond their own.

Chapter Text

“Are you okay?” Bridgette asked, a gentle hand on Félix’s arm. He nodded, lost in thought as he messed with the book in his hands. Bridgette could tell something was wrong and made the most comfortable location for him, shifting the usual gardens to a quiet library. The windows were open though and the soothing breeze of the gardens drifted in, fluttering the curtains.

“I know what that person was in that book. I’ve seen it before but I can’t recall.”

“What do you think it could be related to?” Bridgette asked.

“I don’t know. But for some reason when I think of that image in the book I think of Maman. The day before she went into the coma I remember her arguing with Père about something since I was in the library and they were right outside. I couldn't hear what she said but I remember as I opened the door I saw her pull something out of his hand, something blue, and then stormed out. He went after her and then when they returned Maman looked awful. She was coughing up blood and Père was terrified. Then that was it. She fell asleep and was taken away from us.”

“Do you think that blue thing might be whatever this thing is that you saw?” Bridgette asked. Félix nodded.

“It has to be. And it might also be related to her and Père falling sick. That book was on the table yesterday so I can look into it tomorrow, maybe take some pictures of it and try to find out what it said. It didn’t look Chinese but the style of the drawings did, so I could probably talk to Marinette about it tomorrow to see what she makes of it. She might be able to show her mom too and give me more information. I have to find out if this is related to them,” Félix gripped his hand in a tight fist. 

Just as Adrien, he didn’t want anything to happen to his father. No matter how hard he was on Félix and especially Adrien, he was the only family the twins had left.

“You’ll find out, I know you will,” Bridgette said and Félix nodded, stretching his hand out to her. She clasped it and held it tightly, the two sitting in silence as Félix closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling of his room, his hand closed in a gentle grip as if holding something or someone.

Félix rose out of bed and sat up, looking at his bookshelf on the other side of the room. He recalled when it used to be full of paintings and drawings until his father told him to focus on more important things such as the future of the company. Gabriel had taken his paintings and replaced them with business books and books based on the history and styles of design. Félix always wondered what happened to those drawings. Probably trashed years ago, he thought bitterly.

He rose out of bed and went into the conjoined bathroom between the twin’s rooms, getting ready quickly so he could sneak downstairs before Nathalie was up and take a picture of the book. He knew she would either be tired or distracted taking care of her boss which meant the earlier he was up, the less likely he would run into her.

By the time Félix finished changing in his room, he could hear Adrien turning on the shower. Félix walked down the stairs silently and glanced downstairs to see that the Gorilla was dozing on the couch in the foyer. He walked up to his father’s room and pressed an ear to it, hearing nothing.

Félix’s heart pounded as he slipped silently into his father’s office and found the book still there on top of his desk. He brushed the tips of his fingers on the book gently before opening it.

He didn’t waste time as he took the pictures, only pausing each time to make sure the camera was focused as he snapped a photo. Then he closed the book and slipped out like nothing happened. 

By the time Adrien was downstairs, Félix was already eating breakfast. 

Adrien looked exhausted, his body slumped as he sat down. Félix didn’t know what to say that could help his brother. Should he talk about it and get the elephant out of the room or ignore it?

“The new student is coming today, Lila Rossi,” Adrien surprised Félix by speaking first.

“I wonder how long she’ll stay if her parents travel consistently. We might get at least a half year with her before she leaves.”

“I hope she enjoys it,” Adrien said and Félix agreed. They continued talking until it was time to go, Adrien looking in better spirits as they climbed into the car. Just as the Gorilla started the car, Adrien gasped.

“I- uh- forgot my fencing gear!” he said and before Félix could question his brother for wanting to fence despite everything that happened yesterday, Adrien was out the door and running back to the house.

He returned just as quickly as he left, adjusting the things in his bag and zipping it up as he climbed into the car. Felix gave him a raised look and Adrien shrugged.

“I can’t mess up the schedule,” he said. Félix didn’t bother replying, sighing as his stubborn brother adjusted his fencing bag again.

Driving to school was a short trip, entering the classroom after putting their things away to see everyone pointing out their cards to a brunette with bright olive green eyes. She was happily chatting away with everyone as the twins approached.

“You know Jagged Stone too?” Ivan said in surprise and the new student nodded. Before Lila could say anything though, Ivan looked at the rest of the class, impressed, “We’re really wracking up celebrity points aren’t we? First Marinette and Adrien become friends with Jagged Stone, then Rose and Juleka meet Prince Ali, and now Lila knows them both as well. It’s a small world.”

“I never fully met them though, I just go to a good amount of charity events that Prince Ali goes to so he probably doesn’t recognize me. Jagged Stone met me a couple times as well but it was so long ago I doubt he’ll remember.”

“I’m sure we’ll go to one of his concerts so you can meet him again,” Rose beamed and Lila smiled. Félix couldn’t help but notice her smile seemed strained, but he assumed she must be nervous since it was her first day.

“That will be some time, I heard his latest tour is going throughout all of the United States and then to Europe so it will be some time until he returns,” Kim said. The group started chatting about him and Lila glanced around, seeing the twins and brightening.

“Hello,” she greeted the two with a sweet smile, adjusting her hair, “I’m Lila, the new student. I wanted to thank you for your cards you wrote. It means a lot to me to be welcomed this warmly.”

“Of course, we’re both new to school ourselves this year, I’m glad you had such a warm welcome. I didn’t exactly get off on the right footing my first day,” Adrien admitted and Lila looked surprised.

“Really? I felt like you would’ve been the star around here!” she exclaimed. "A model like yourself is bound to be popular!"

“Well, it started with an accident because there was some gum on Marinette’s chair and when I tried to take it off, she caught me and thought I was putting it on which made her furious. But at the end of the day we resolved it which was a relief,” Adrien said.

Once again Félix observed Lila’s strained smile, “Wow, it seems like everyone here talks about Marinette. I’ve only heard about her all day since I got here.”

“Well, she is pretty amazing,” Adrien admitted, his face softening, “She does so much for everyone I’m not surprised they would talk about her. I’m sure you’ll see her in a bit since she’s the class president and would love to meet you.”

“Bro!” Adrien glanced back as Nino appeared at the door and waved excitedly to Adrien, “Come here, I got a rad song to show you.”

“Sweet! I’ll chat with you later,” Adrien excused himself from Lila with a smile.

“Bye,” Lila smiled in a way that made Félix think she was grimacing. She turned to Félix though instead with a sweet smile, “I have always wanted to meet you since you’re working with your father Gabriel Agreste. I’m into a bit of fashion myself.”

“Really?” Félix was interested that yet another person he knew at the school was into design.

“I was with Roberto Cavalli when Gabriel Agreste stopped by for an upcoming showcase in Milan. Your father was such a gentleman and hoped that I would do well so I’ve been working hard to make good designs since he inspired me.”

“I’m glad to hear that my father made an influence on you,” Félix said and she smiled, stepping closer to him. Félix couldn’t help but stare as her lips drop into a dramatic pout, almost as if she was doing it on purpose. He leaned back slightly, uncomfortable with how close she was getting.

“Is it hard working in the company with him? I hope he’s not too strict though because I hear he’s very serious,” she said in worry.

“He’s doing what he has to do in order to maintain the company,” Félix said as rehearsed, having heard that question thousands of times from reporters.

“But you must get so exhausted doing all of that work even if it’s what you love,” Lila put a gentle hand on his arm and Félix went stiff while she drew closer. Her perfume was soft of lavender and vanilla and Félix tried to move back but she only held him tighter as she looked up at him with a gentle look, “I think it’s so noble that you’re taking up the mantle of your father’s company at such a young age. I’m sure he’s proud of you.”

Félix pulled away sharply, making Lila blink in surprise, “My father’s interest is finding someone suitable to run the company, not passing it down onto his son. He’s only showing me how businesses work and what to expect with clients. Don’t make assumptions about my interests when you know nothing about me at all.”

“I’m sorry I assumed such a thing,” Lila pouted and once again swiftly moved and grabbed his hand with a squeeze, “It was wrong of me. I only wanted to get to know you better since-”

“Lila! Sorry I’m late!” they turned and Félix was never more relieved to see Marinette coming up to them with her bright smile. He yanked his hand out of her grasp and retreated behind Marinette as she approached, “I was so busy in the art room I didn’t hear that you arrived. Did you already meet everyone? Oh, you got the cards! How about I show you to your locker so you can put those away,” she smiled and guided Lila out of the class.

If he hadn’t been watching Lila warily as she left, he wouldn’t have seen her tightly clenched fist and forced grin as the two girls departed. There was something strange about that girl, and Félix personally wanted nothing to do with it. 

At lunch the class all split, and Félix was surprised that Lila hounded on Adrien right as the bell rang, asking him to help her with homework. Adrien agreed and the two went off, Félix relieved that Lila wasn’t going to cling to him.

“I was going to ask Adrien to stop by my place and play some Ultimate Mecha Strike,” Nino sighed to the girls behind him, Alya patting his back with pity.

“Maybe next time,” she said.

“You both can come to my-”

“Marinette,” Félix cut off Marinette’s sentence, knowing where she was going to go with what Nino was trying to say. He felt guilty as her bright blue eyes looked at him curiously. “I was wondering if you could come with me to the library. It’s urgent,” he said, trying not to look desperate.

Of course Marinette in all of her kindness agreed and waved to her friends before following him to the library. He despised himself for pulling her away from her friends, but he had to understand what these pictures were and the best person to go to help him translate without prying into his business was Marinette. She always respected everyone and he knew that despite her curiosity would probably do the same with this.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette almost asked immediately once they got seated in the back.

“Well-” Félix started as he pulled out his phone but Marinette continued.

“Is Lila making you uncomfortable?” Marinette asked and Félix blinked in surprise.

“She’s… There’s something about her that I don’t like," he admitted. “It almost feels like she’s wearing a mask when she talks to us. She was also really forward with me and then did the same to Adrien. It felt… wrong.”

“I noticed that too. She didn’t respect your boundaries and I saw you were uncomfortable so I stepped in. She also had a feeling to her that I was suspicious of. She was very proud and confident in herself.”

“Really?” Félix was surprised to hear that, having seen Lila’s strained expressions but simply thinking it was nerves.

“She was very confident but I could feel irritation coming from her today too. As if something wasn’t going right.”

“You could feel that from talking to her?” Félix asked and she nodded with a frown as she thought. Félix always knew Marinette had a keen sense of people but to be this certain of another person’s emotions was fascinating to see.

“I don’t know why, but she is too calm and composed to be here. Even you were nervous when you first arrived despite looking calm.”

“I don’t trust her,” Félix rubbed his arm where the ghost of her hand had grabbed him possessively. Marinette’s face softened at that.

“If she ever makes you uncomfortable like that again, let me know, okay? I’ll make sure to handle it,” she said and Félix relaxed slightly at that.

“Thank you, Marinette," he smiled and they settled into a soft lull before Marinette spoke up again.

“Was that all you wanted to talk about?” she asked.

“No, I wanted to show you this,” Félix pulled out his phone and showed her the pictures he took of the book. Marinette looked at it curiously before her eyes widened.

“Where did you get this?” she asked softly. She expanded the picture and stared at it, her eyes growing bigger by the second. Félix felt his spirits lift when seeing her reaction; he knew she was the right person to go to.

“It’s my father’s. I don’t know where he got it from. He left it on the desk and it caught our attention so I took some pictures. The writing in the front looks like Chinese but it’s also more complicated than that. Do you recognize it?” Félix pressed, hoping she could help him.

Marinette continued to stare at the pictures, mainly focusing on the black cat and the butterfly. He watched her hopefully as she continued to look through, her eyes widening even more when she came across the Ladybug.

“These are…”

Before she could continue, a sickeningly sweet giggle echoed not to far away, “I told you I knew them. I can tell you more if you want. We can meet in the park after school.”

“But I have to go home right after, my father isn’t feeling well,” Adrien said awkwardly.

“It’ll be quick, trust me. We can do it here in the library in that case. I have so much to talk about, especially Húdié,” Lila said and Félix watched Marinette frown and look towards the direction of the voices.

“Alright, well I have to go to my fencing class,” Adrien said and there was a thud.

“Be careful there, don’t want to drop everything,” Lila giggled. Adrien stammered something and Félix knew that Lila was probably going to look for him next.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” he got up stiffly and hurried past Lila and Adrien who were picking up some fallen textbooks, not seeing them.

“Félix!” Marinette whispered and followed after him. She passed by the two and paused momentarily before following after Félix in a more panicked pace.

“Félix!” Marinette raced after him. He continued forward still, his thoughts too focused on Lila’s firm grip on his hand, not letting go. A hand landed on his shoulder and he whipped around defensively, Marinette pulling back in shock as he almost smacked her with his bag on accident.

“Ah, sorry,” he muttered, embarrassed.

“Is there only one copy of that book you showed me?” she said instead.

“As far as I know. My father is someone secretive and I’m pretty sure that’s where he gets most of his fashion inspiration so there should only be one. If there were more then others might accuse him of copyright.”

“Then why does Lila have one?” Marinette asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw Lila picking up that book and putting it into her bag,” Marinette said, panicked. Félix frowned at her in confusion before it all clicked into place. Of course Adrien would think that taking the book is a great idea because their father was ill and wouldn’t be able to see it. He must’ve snuck it in with his fencing bag which is why he seemed so anxious with the bag in the car. And he already lost it to that mysterious vixen.

They rushed back into the library but there was no one at the table. Félix cursed, running his fingers through his neatly brushed hair as panic seized his heart.

“That was my father’s book,” Félix turned to Marinette apprehensively, “He’s going to be furious if he finds out we lost it.”

“We’ll find it. You go talk to Adrien while I find Lila, alright?” Marinette said and Félix nodded, hurrying after his brother. But Adrien was nowhere to be found. Not in the locker rooms, not fencing, not in the cafeteria. Either he was purposely avoiding Félix or the twin was barely missing the other one.

As he rechecked the library he heard arguing and recognized Marinette’s voice, going over to see what the commotion was about.

He came across a furious Marinette who was staring down Lila. He had never seen such anger in her eyes before as she glared at at the new student who looked surprised at the angry class president. Then he watched Lila’s eyes gleam darkly and straightened her back as Marinette continued talking.

“Gabriel Agreste would never copy the work of some teenager for a fashion line as important as that,” she yanked out a magazine from her bag that Félix recognized to be his father’s latest collection. It was the collection that was released right after the Milan showcase that Lila said she had went to. “Right here it says that he completed it before he went to the showcase, not after because he didn’t want it to look like he had copied anyone’s designs before he released his own. I can’t believe you would lie about something like that! Do you know how hard it is for an artist to come up with their own work only for someone like you to come and take credit for it when you did nothing?”

“What, it’s not like a lie that small is going to hurt anyone,” Lila said and Marinette was shaking from how upset she was and Félix watched in increasing alarm.

“You stole from Adrien and Félix just so you could make yourself look better by looking into it! You stole! I already hate liars but that’s even worse!” she hissed.

“Where’s the proof?” Lila pulled out the book and tossed it to Marinette who clumsily caught it, “Only you saw me take it, and would you look at that? It’s in your hands. I can’t believe you would falsely accuse me of something like that when you’re the one that stole it. Why would you do such a thing?” Lila whimpered mockingly and Félix turned the corner, livid.

“How dare you,” he nearly growled. Marinette's horrified realization of what Lila was planning on doing shifted to relief when seeing him. Lila on the other hand went pale in horror as she was caught.

“Félix,” Marinette whispered as he came over and this time, he pulled Marinette behind him and out of harm’s way.

“You stole from my brother and not only that, lie about it and try to frame Marinette who has done nothing wrong to you. You want my father’s recognition? Fine, the only recognition he’ll have for you is the fact that you’re a liar and a thief once I tell him about this. Never speak to me or my family again,” he ordered venomously and turned around, putting his arm protectively on Marinette’s shoulders and guiding her out of the library.

Before Marinette could say anything, they nearly crashed into Adrien who looked panicked. His face paled when seeing Félix.

“Oh! Hey! Um, I have to go in there and grab a book,” Adrien stammered.

“You mean the book Marinette’s holding?” Félix glared and Adrien looked down and his face paled further.

“Ah. You found it,” he croaked and Félix released Marinette to grab Adrien and drag him away from the library entrance and into the corner of the courtyard. Marinette hesitated before making her way slightly towards them but far enough so she couldn’t hear them talk as the taller twin turned furiously towards his brother.

"Do you know what Père would’ve done to us if you had lost this book?” Félix hissed as he released Adrien, “We both would have lost everything we have here. Everything you’ve worked for would get reduced to nothing. Don’t you have any brains?” Félix nearly exclaimed, “You could’ve taken pictures of the pages like I had! Not take the whole book!”

“You took pictures of it? Why?”

“That’s not the point! You could’ve lost the book! If Marinette-” screams erupted around the courtyard and people ran in a panic as Coccinelle landed in the middle of the courtyard, looking livid. He glared at the students who ran until he spotted the twins and went right for them, causing them to split up as they ran off. He chased down Adrien who barely managed to avoid the yo-yo as he slipped into the locker room.

Félix scanned the room and his heart clenched as he couldn’t spot Marinette. People were running around in a frenzy, either hiding in classrooms or running out the front door to escape which made it harder for him to find her.

“You need to get out of here,” Húdié landed silently next to him, her eyes calculating as she looked around, trying to find Coccinelle.

“But my friend-”

“-will be fine. You on the other hand won’t be when Coccinelle comes out.”

“Húdié! He’s in the locker room!” Alya called out from where she was hiding in the courtyard next to Nino, her phone already out and recording. 

“Hide, please,” she asked Félix before running into the locker room.

“Félix, get over here,” Alya motioned and the twin reluctantly went over and hid next to her and Nino.

“This isn’t a good hiding spot,” he noted as they hid behind the bench in the courtyard.

“That’s what I said,” Nino pointedly looked at Alya but she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“Eh, if we stay perfectly still it’ll work,” she shrugged before glancing at him in concern as she paused her video, “What was up with you and Adrien just now? That looked pretty serious.”

“Adrien brought a book from home that he wasn’t supposed to and Lila stole it. My guess was that she wanted to use it to connect with us by talking about it so she wanted to look at it first to know what to reference but didn’t realize Marinette had seen her take it. Then Lila lied to Marinette about my father for no reason, I didn’t get to hear what exactly happened,” Félix said and the locker rooms threw open as Adrien bolted out. 

Coccinelle staggered out next holding a metal rod from a broken cart and looked around before locking on Adrien who was running up the steps to get to the second floor. The villain pursued but was stopped as Húdié tackled the villain and the two sparred, Coccinelle using the broken rod against the hero’s cane sword. 

The villain threw the rod at Húdié and raced up the stairs with her hot on his tail, grabbing his leg and waist to stop him. Coccinelle turned around with a growl and knocked her back with a kick that sent her tumbling down a few of the stairs. Félix winced as she tumbled but caught herself on the rail, painfully standing up while clutching her ribs.

Rather than going after her, Coccinelle continued his race after Adrien but was halted as something pulled him back. He looked back and noticed something on his waist.

“You really thought I would fight you head on?” Húdié weakly chuckled and Félix now noticed the thin but tight wire of Coccinelle's yo-yo wrapped around the hero’s cane. She prepared herself and to the gasp of everyone watching, threw herself over the railing of the stairs.

Coccinelle was yanked back from the momentum and sent flying over the rail after the hero while Húdié landed smoothly and pulled back on the yoyo, letting it come back to her as the villain fell.

They watched Húdié toss the yoyo at him with ease, twisting it in a way to wrap around and trap him before yanking him towards her, Coccinelle landed in front of her in a heap. The way she had used the yo-yo so effortlessly made the students gape in surprise. It almost seemed like she had used it before.

Húdié smiled confidently but at once the villain started to buck violently to escape so she planted herself on top of the villain to hold him down.

It was a stalemate; Coccinelle trapped tightly while Húdié unable to make any movement as she used her energy to keep him in place. Félix watched helplessly, wishing he could do something to help her out.

As if hearing him, Húdié turned and looked to the bench where they hid. She opened her cane that was in her grasp and Félix understood what she was doing as the butterfly came out. It went to her lips as she blessed it with energy and Félix came out his spot, making his move towards her to be a Champion.

Before he had a chance to get anywhere close, Lila Rossi ran out and grabbed the butterfly, putting it into her earring. The students in the area gasped in shock. No one had ever interrupted Húdié's selection. By now it was an unspoken rule that Húdié would chose her Champions by herself and no one was to interfere with a butterly. For Lila to boldly do it was unheard of.

“Not you!” Húdié grunted as she held firm to Coccinelle.

“I promise I’ll protect Adrien! I need to make it up to him for lying. I’ve hurt him and I want to apologize.”

“You’re not worthy to be a Champion,” Húdié grit her teeth and using her powers, pulled out the butterfly from within the earring. Lila cried out in pain as the butterfly left Lila forcefully without her approval. It fluttered off into the sky and they watched it leave as Lila crumpled to the ground with a whimper.

Coccinelle used that moment of distraction to grab Húdié’s cane and whack the hero, causing her to fall back and release him. He pulled himself upright and Húdié scrambled up, trying to avoid the attacks as Coccinelle expertly lunged towards the hero with the cane sword. Now he was the one that used the cane easily, having used it before from what Félix remembered.

“Leave her alone! You want me, right?” Félix shouted as he came out into the courtyard.

“No!” Húdié rose up in a panic as she clutched her side tightly, eyes wide with fear.

“Where is the book?” Coccinelle rasped, panting in exertion but the adrenaline keeping him upright.

“You’ll have to catch me to find out,” Félix took off towards the entrance of the school and Coccinelle pursued him. Félix panted as he sprinted down the street, turning and running to the safest place he knew. The only place that had a full defense system that could go on lockdown. If Húdié could hold Coccinelle back enough then he would be safe.

Félix didn’t expect Chat Noir to come from above, but when he did the teen was thankful.

“Let’s get you out of here,” Chat Noir picked up Félix rather ungracefully.

“Take me to that mansion right there!” Félix pointed and Chat Noir nodded, landing in the driveway where the two rushed inside. Félix went to the office and entered the code for the lockdown.

“Gabriel Agreste’s handprint required,” the system responded.

“Now?” Félix sighed and rushed over to where the Gorilla was guarding his father's door since they had arrived.

“We need to get in there now to set up the defense system,” Félix said. “We need my father’s handprint.”

The Gorilla shook his head and the front doors boomed as the villain banged against them.

“Please!” Félix begged and the Gorilla looked uncertain. He finally sighed and turned the handle of the bedroom door just as Coccinelle broke through the window, glass flying everywhere.

“Go hide!” Chat Noir urged Félix and the teen was forced to listen, hurrying upstairs as the two fought. He locked himself in his room and barricaded it as the fight when on, minutes passing as the loud thumps and breaking furniture echoed throughout the house. 

Félix sat there in bated breath hiding behind his bed until it fell silent. He didn’t dare open the door, worried if the villain managed to win. Coccinelle seemed injured before the fight but the rage within the villain made up for it, causing Coccinelle to be even more vicious and stronger than before. Félix hoped that the adrenaline fueling the man had ran out.

There was a gentle knocking on the door and Félix listened closely.

“Félix? It’s me Húdié. Chat Noir said you’re hiding in here. Can I come in?” she asked.

Félix slowly moved the furniture away from the door and opened it to reveal tired but relieved heroes and a destroyed foyer. Paintings were everywhere and the banister had been broken in some places. It looked like some things had also turned to ash too.

“Was it me or was there something bugging him today?” Chat said from his spot at the front door and Húdié giggled before she went serious.

“It might’ve been from the fight yesterday. He didn’t didn't seem like himself at all. Maybe you Cataclysming him actually did some damage although he didn't look like it.”

“I hoped it could've stalled him longer but at least we managed to keep everyone safe. Good job!” Chat Noir made sure they bumped fists before he hurried off as his ring beeped. 

Húdié turned to Félix, “Thank you for stepping in like that. You would’ve made a great Champion but it looks like things didn’t work out the way we planned. Are you okay?”

“I am, but I am worried about my brother. I don’t know where he is.”

“Have you checked his room?” Húdié asked but the blond shook his head. They went over to Adrien’s room from the bathroom and opened it to find Adrien moving furniture away from the door.

“Thank goodness! I barricaded myself in my room and I heard it go silent so I guessed it was safe. Félix, are you okay?” Adrien pulled his brother into a sudden hug and Félix went still in surprise as the hero behind them giggled at the awkward display of affection.

“I’ll leave you to be then. I’m glad that I could help-” Húdié paused as she looked at the computer monitor of Adrien’s room where their mother was smiling at them. They watched the hero’s mouth drop as she stared.

“Who’s that?” she whispered.

“It’s our mother. Emilie Agreste,” Adrien said, smiling fondly at the screen, but the other twin’s attention was turned towards the hero.

“Are you okay, Húdié?” Félix asked as the hero took a step back, looking shocked. Her brooch chirped and she jumped, startled by the sudden noise. She looked at the two with wide eyes before she backed away from them nervously.

“Húdié?” Adrien asked carefully to not spook her.

“I have to go,” she breathed and ran out of the room. The twins exchanged a look and followed her but by the time they came out, she was gone

Húdié numbly made her way back into the school, her mind in disbelief. She was unable to process anything, much less think about what she was doing, until she heard the bickering in the courtyard.

The anger between the girls snapped her out of her daze and she made her way over to where Alya was yelling at Lila, completely furious.

“You don’t just take a Chosen like that just to be recognized as a hero! They are specifically designed to go to one person only! You ruined Húdié’s plan and nearly killed the Agreste twins in the process. And don't get me started on that book; Félix told me everything.”

“Like you were any better as a Champion? I heard you almost revealed the heroes identities,” Lila drawled and Alya looked ready to punch the girl.

“That’s enough,” Húdié ordered and glared at Lila, “You have no right to say that given that I told you to pull back and you didn’t. You could’ve caused harm to several innocent people with your actions. You’re lucky it wasn’t that severe. A Champion must be someone I trust, and given that I can feel your feelings of lies and deceit within your heart, I don’t trust you. You lie for your own gain and steal what doesn’t belong,” Húdié’s brooch chirped urgently again. “Consider this a warning. If this happens again I will report this to the police for preventing the heroes from working, do you understand?” Húdié glared and the girl glared.

“Fine,” she said and stalked off as the two girls glared after her.

“I can’t believe the guts. I was a bad Champion but at least I was chosen to be one,” Alya huffed. Húdié smiled.

“You are a sincere, good person and want to help the people. That’s why I chose you to be my Champion and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again seeing how you’ve grown. Her on the other hand…” Húdié looked back at the retreating figure, “I don’t trust her. She talks in lies and works in the shadows. It’s best if you keep away from her.”

“Duly noted,” Alya said and headed out of the now empty school, leaving Húdié alone. Her brooch chirped for the third time and she hurried to where she had put her backpack and pulled it out of its hiding spot, relieved to find the book still there as she tucked her bag away safely and leapt out of the school before arriving near Mast Fu’s neighborhood and detransforming in the shadows of an alley.

Nooroo fluttered over her shoulder anxiously, “So what are you going to do?”

“... This needs to be discussed with Master,” Marinette sighed and Nooroo slipped into her jacket and the girl made her way to the acupuncturist's place. Master Fu was waiting for her as she entered, reading a book. She took her shoes off before walking across the mat to him.

“I did not expect you to return so soon,” he said in slight surprise, his eyebrows raised.

“You were wondering who that woman was in the brooch yesterday when we opened it, right?” Marinette asked and he nodded.

“Her name is Emilie Agreste.”

“Agreste?” Master Fu put his cup down as Marinette sank into the floor, not trusting her legs to keep her up for any longer. Instead the girl pulled out the book and presented it to him. Master Fu’s eyes widened even more.

“Where did you get this?”

“The Agreste twins go to my school. Today Félix came up to me with images of this book saying it belongs to his father and asked if I could read it since the symbol in front and the rest of the illustrations looks like it’s Chinese origin, so he most likely figured I could read it. I wouldn’t have known what it was unless you told me about it. Then Coccinelle attacked us to get the book, which was very suspicious considering how many people knew the book and where it was at the moment. The only way he would’ve known we had the book was if he realized it was missing in the first place, and Félix said Adrien took it without permission. Not only that, Emilie Agreste hasn’t been seen in public for over a year due to a mysterious illness. That's about the same time that you got the Black Cat Miraculous back.”

Marinette didn’t speak as Master Fu sat there, piecing it all together. He got up and made some tea to ease the girl’s confused heart.

“Did the twins seem to know about it?”

“No. Félix was genuinely curious when he was asking me about the book which meant he had no knowledge beforehand. He did seem rather impatient to know about what is said so there must be something that he knows, but I don’t think he knows what we do.”

“Does Gabriel Agreste have pierced ears?” Master Fu asked and Marinette nodded, pulling out her magazine that Nathaniel had given her as a gift from Gabriel himself to Nathaniel’s mother after she did a painting of him and his sons. Now the magazine presented Gabriel Agreste’s cover photo with small silver earrings that looked rather simple for a fashion designer.

“Those are most likely the earrings. They change form depending on the wearer but I am certain those are it,” Master Fu confirmed as he looked at them, placing the mug in front of Marinette as Nooroo munched on a cream puff.

“What do we do?”

“Currently you are in no state to go fight him. Even injured, he seems to have hurt you pretty badly. Leaping into the lion’s maw when it is open will only leave you with scars. We must be patient until the time is right to strike.”

“So we must train?” Marinette asked and Master Fu nodded.

“I think this will require more heroes coming out. You must start training them with Chat Noir in order to make them strong enough to fight Coccinelle when the time is right.”

“I have to tell Chat Noir all of this,” Marinette realized but Fu shook his head.

“You cannot.”

“I can’t keep this from my partner!” Marinette exclaimed, horrified. Chat Noir was not only a hero before her, they were partners. She trusted him with her life and would do anything to make sure he was okay. It already hurt her keeping Master Fu a secret from him, but this was worse.

“You must. I cannot explain as to why right now but you must act like you never discovered who Coccinelle was. You have to act as normal as you can because we cannot alert anyone of our knowledge. I will look into Emilie Agreste’s current situation while you focus on training the new Miraculous holders. It's important we do our utmost best to keep our element of surprise from him. See if the Agreste twins know anything else about this or have any connections to what their father is doing. We need to make sure he hasn't used the Peacock Miraculous yet because of the damage it has already sustained. If anyone else uses it, they might be seriously injured.”

“When will the new heroes appear?” Marinette asked.

“I’m planning on releasing one first, the Fox Miraculous, before the others. I need to find a good holder first since they must be trustworthy. The Fox Miraculous is for one that seeks the truth and rises against challenges. They must also be creative, for the power of illusions is their main ability.”

Marinette nodded, letting the talk of the new Miraculous holders distract her from their main discovery. Of all luck and timing, she discovered who Emilie Agreste was the day after seeing that photo while it was still fresh in her mind. Now there was a goal and a mission to accomplish.

“What should I do about the Peacock Miraculous?” she asked.

“Considering how fast Coccinelle struck the school when realizing the book was missing is a sign that he must have cameras in the house that saw his sons take it if he is bedridden. Which means we cannot act rashly in his household where it most likely resides.”

“Can the information in this book heal Nooroo?” Marinette asked and the kwami looked up at Master Fu hopefully. The older man shook his head to their disappointment.

“This book only shows how to amplify the powers of the Miraculous. You can see here the Wish is listed,” he showed her the page of a figure covered in a purple light, their mouths opened in a scream. Marinette didn’t like the image as it looked like they were in pain.

“The book I’m looking for has many healing incantations but must also be in the same code so Gabriel probably hasn’t been able to read it. He also placed the curses on Plagg and Nooroo which means there is a third spellbook.”

“Plagg?”

“Chat Noir’s kwami. I found that they both had curses and tried to free Nooroo first but ended up harming him so I decided to not mess with Plagg until I could find a cure for the both of them that wouldn’t harm them.”

“Should I try to get these spellbooks?” Marinette asked.

“As much as I want you to, it’s too dangerous at the moment. He’ll be on full alert, especially since he’s sick. He must have someone else keeping an eye out for him so be sure to find out if he has any other accomplices before taking action. We will need to formulate a plan before doing anything, then when everything is ready, we can tell Chat Noir.”

“And I can’t know the reason now?” Marinette pleaded sadly. It hurt her to not be able to discuss something so important with her partner. They both had been trying to find out Coccinelle’s identity and were both serious on saving Paris. Now that she knew though, she could never tell him.

“Not now I’m afraid. One day though,” Master Fu put a comforting hand on Marinette’s slumped shoulders. “You should return home. Your first goal is to see that the Agreste twins aren’t working with Coccinelle. That’s our main goal right now. You can stop by whenever you have any more questions. Actually,” Master Fu pulled out his phone, “we can exchange numbers but make sure to keep my name secret. No one can know who I really am. While we do that I must also take pictures of this book to lower suspicion so you can return it to the twins tomorrow.”

Marinette put in his number, labeling it as another great-uncle in her phone, before watching the older man finish taking pictures. He returned the book to her and she put it carefully into her backpack before heading out. They left the Guardian’s place and made their way back home, walking in silence.

“You are nervous,” Nooroo said as he rested on her shoulder, blending in with the lavender jacket she wore.

“There’s just so much that happened and I can’t even tell anyone. Not even Chat. It feels so wrong to have to not only hide about this but suspect my own friends for working with the enemy. I don’t want to have to fight them,” Marinette whispered.

“I’m sure your friends aren’t working with Coccinelle at all. They both are good kids and today you saw how Félix stepped up to protect you. I know they are good,” Nooroo consoled the girl.

“Really?” Marinette asked hopefully and the kwami put a paw on her cheek.

“I have a feeling,” he hummed with a smile. Marinette relaxed at that and walked back to her home, the kwami’s gentle support soothing the ache in the harsh discovery today.

When they returned home, Marinette looked at all of the posters in her room of Gabriel Agreste’s designs. What used to be her inspiration now broke her heart. He was her role model and idol, but now that she knew that he was also her enemy was a dagger to her heart. He had been so kind to her and encouraged her to pursue her career in fashion, then targets her repeatedly as a villain in order to save his wife. While it was understandable as to why he was doing it but the fact was that Coccinelle, no, Gabriel, was still putting innocent lives at risk. Including his own sons. 

“Do you want to take them down?” Nooroo asked and Marinette nodded. She slowly approached the first one and gingerly pulled it down, looking at the lovely dress on the cover.

“He was my idol. One of the biggest reasons why I decided to step into the fashion word. Now I don’t know if I want this anymore.”

“You are not Gabriel Agreste and you are most certainly not Coccinelle. You’ve made your own mark on the fashion world and made it better. You shouldn’t let the actions of your idols be the thing that destroys your passion,” Nooroo said firmly and Marinette agreed, taking off the next poster with a little more force and less delicacy. She hesitated on the next one though when seeing Adrien’s smiling face.

“I can’t fight them. I really hope they don’t know. Oh, Nooroo,” Marinette turned to her kwami with despair, “What will happen to them when we do reveal Coccinelle? They’ll be devastated. I can’t do that to them, especially not with their mother being ill.”

“They’ll have to learn sooner or later. This can’t be kept from them. It’ll break their hearts but it’s better if they hear it from someone they trust rather than later on and despise you for not telling them.”

“You’re right,” Marinette agreed and the two continued to take down the rest of the posters until the walls were left mostly barren like her heart.

Chapter Text

Alya glared at Lila as the new student walked through the front entrance, itching to out her to the class so they all knew she was a liar. She lied to the entire class, stole from the Agreste twins, and then tried to frame Marinette for it. Then on top of that she ruined Húdié's Champion.

"Are you checking if you got laser vision? It looks to me like you're trying to glare holes into Lila," Nino said as he settled down next to her. 

"I wish I could. Lila deserves it," Alya growled.

"Woah, was not expecting that answer. This can't actually be about yesterday, right? Lila just wanted to be a Champion and jumped the gun. Everyone wants to be a Champion to help and she is a transfer student so she probably doesn’t even know much about the heroes," Nino said, referencing most of the debate happening on Noir News after Alya posted the video of the fight and how Lila ruined the Chosen. Alya recorded herself stating that no person should mess with a Chosen butterfly and instead let it go to the Champion to prevent this again. Húdié chose her Champions with precision and purpose and interfering with that could end up ruining everything and thus hurting the heroes and Paris. Alya wanted to have another interview with the heroes to clarify this but for now she had to make due with this still troubling issue, or as Chat would say, this cat-astrophe.

Not only that, Alya’s talk with Lila off camera was a surprise. She had been expecting Lila to be horrified at what she did since she was new to Paris and didn’t understand the concept of the Chosen butterflies, but Lila showed no care for having messed up the hero and instead was annoyed and mad that Húdié didn't pick her. At once Alya realized Félix wasn’t joking about Lila stealing the book to get to know them. This girl was cruel and calculating. She just wanted the fame.

Alya wished she had been recording all of that. But for once her camera was off because she wanted to approach Lila about this privately. Alya still remembered vividly how Lila cornered her later on that day and gave a mock simper about how no one would believe Alya’s claims about Lila only wanting to be a Champion for fame. The worst part was that Alya couldn’t help but agree. But that wouldn’t stop her. 

“This is about everything. The Champion and the book,” Alya grit her teeth and crossed her arms across her chest furiously.

“Yeah that wasn't cool,” Nino sighed and watched the Italian student slide up to Kim, Max, and Markov and began chatting with them as if nothing was wrong.

“I’m going to tell everyone what happened, starting with those two talking to her right now,” Alya went to stand but NIno put a hand on her.

“Are you sure? That won’t look good on your part,” Nino said.

“What do you mean?” Alya glared, bristling slightly.

“Right now all of Noir News is blowing up over what happened, some agreeing with you and others sympathizing with Lila. Some are even calling out Húdié for how she pulled the Chosen out of Lila so harshly and saying that wasn’t how to treat a civilian. If you point more fingers at Lila right now people will think you’re being biased over jealousy or something since many people know about your own struggle when you were a Champion. They’ll find the smallest excuses to make Lila look like the better person.”

“Jealousy? Me? Lila would have hurt people and she didn’t even care! Our classmates need to know the truth about her! I already stated that I understood my mistake about being a Champion anyway so there’s no need to call me jealous!” Alya pulled back from Nino and stood up, furious. If Lila got away with this then who knows who else would get put in danger. Alya didn’t state Lila’s name and even blurred out her face in her post to protect the new student’s identity from any hate she might receive, but Alya had to at least warn the classmates. Adrien had been stolen from on day one so who knew what else Lila would do to get a better social standing.

“Have you read the comments on Noir News? Since Félix wasn’t in the shot of the camera while you were recording it actually looked like the Chosen was going to you,” Nino said gently and Alya actually paused. She pulled out her phone and quickly hopped onto her blog with a frown. Sure enough, you could barely see the Agreste twin on the edge of the camera so it looked like the Chosen was going to her. She had thought so herself initially during the attack until seeing that the hero hadn’t actually locked eyes with her when Alya had excitedly moved from the hiding spot from the bench when thinking she was chosen.

The comments below only confirmed that:

‘just cuz she’s the youth reporter for the heroes doesn’t mean she’s their bestie or something’

‘Kind of snobbish don’t you think?’

‘The other girl must’ve been too excited and wanted to help. Honestly I would’ve done the same.’

‘lol don’t bring your jealousy into the news. i only follow this for the reports not the drama. if i wanted drama i would’ve followed a Noirdié blog instead.’

“This is why I don’t read the comments! These guys don’t understand!” Alya steamed angrily.

“That’s why you have to explain to the viewers what happened, and the only way you’re going to do that is by getting all of the information, which means you’ll have to talk to Húdié about her Champions. If you don’t give them all of the information then the people will just fall into biases with the information they’re given,” Nino said sympathetically and Alya plopped down next to him with a pout.

“I’m still mad,” she grumbled.

“You have every right to be,” Nino said and started to rummage through his backpack, “Lila did mess with the heroes and stole from our friends so she deserves to be called out, but right now when the tension is high that might not be a good idea.”

“So what do you suggest I do?” Alya sighed and Nino pulled out a bubble blower. He opened it up and offered it to Alya.

“For now just get that anger out before classes start at least. Then while the steam dies down you can start to plan. How to make your followers see the truth and then plan how to deal with Lila in a non-laser eyes way.”

“Fine. But laser eyes would’ve been much cooler,” Alya smiled as she started to blow some bubbles. It was soothing to see them float up into the air before vanishing suddenly and silently with a gentle pop.

“I don’t know, I would think they would be pretty hot,” Nino grinned and Alya laughed.

“Are you flirting with me, Lahiffe?” Alya raised an eyebrow in interest and Nino flushed, 

“Er- I meant like temperature wise- not like you’re not hot- but like that I mean you’re pretty but that’s disrespectful to just say- oh hey wow it’s Maridude! Whoa, did she have one of her stress moments?” Nino said and Alya followed his gaze to where Marinette was walking in with a rolled up poster in one hand and flyers in the other. Her hair was brushed back into a slightly messy bun with a pencil in it as she quickly walked through the courtyard, backpack filled to the brim. Before the two could get up and help her, Kim pulled away from Lila and went to grab the flyers and poster from her, pointing out the pencil in her hair and laughing at it. Marinette made a comment that made Kim laugh louder.

Alya watched them head up the stairs with dawning guilt that she was supposed to grab the flyer from Marinette’s house yesterday but had been so caught up in the events from yesterday that she had forgotten. 

“Do you think I’m a bad vice president?” she suddenly asked Nino. Alya watched him look at her in surprise before turning back to face forward, thinking of a response.

“You are great at advertising upcoming events and do well with the social media side to things that Marinette struggles with,” he said and Alya waited for him to continue. Nino glanced at her and struggled to meet her serious gaze.

“I can’t change if you don’t tell me the truth. I need the truth,” Alya assured him. Nino sighed and fiddled with his headphones on his neck.

“There are times where Marinette gets overwhelmed with the planning as well as other tasks she gives you that you might forget because of Noir News. Marinette’s pretty forgiving but she’s always tired and it’s really wearing her down.”

“I know she’s tired. I just have so much to do with the twins and Noir News and…” Alya sighed, “Now it looks like I’m making excuses for my duties.”

“Siblings are time consuming, it happens to us in busy families,” Nino comforted her.

“I don’t want to leave Marinette all the work though. I don’t know what I can do in that case.”

“Maybe you can find someone to help you? Make it a co-vice president?”

“But who would want to help? You saw how everyone else was about the class-president campaign.”

“What about Félix?” Nino suggested and the girl paused, thinking it over.

“That’s actually a good idea. He’s a perfect planner and with his father being, well, his father, he’ll be able to coordinate things easily. I just need to convince him.”

“Guess it’s Judgement Day for you. And by that I mean he’ll be judging you for asking for help,” Nino grinned and Alya batted him playfully, laughing.

“You’re a dork,” she said and tipped his hat forward. Nino chuckled and looked at her playfully before noticing someone coming towards them.

“Looks like Judgement Day has arrived,” he said. Alya blinked in confusion before Nino nodded his head where Félix was standing nearby completely stiff as he watched them, the missing book from last night in hand. Alya stiffened slightly in return while Nino got up, “See ya later, I’ve gotta talk to Juleka about adding some basslines into my music.”

“Wait, Nino,” Alya said and he turned back curiously. “Thank you.”

Nino smiled warmly, making Alya’s insides simultaneously flutter and relax, “I’ve got your back, Als.” He gave Alya a thumbs up and greeted Félix before heading out and leaving the two alone.

“Yes?” she asked the twin.

“I wanted to talk to you about Lila. May we sit on the bench over there?” he asked and Alya nodded, grabbing her things from the floor and following him. She watched him curiously as he put the book away, wondering what was on the cover but unable to see it as he tucked it away in his satchel.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I know you won’t enjoy this, but I prefer if you don’t mention the book to anyone else,” Félix said and Alya gaped.

“What? But Lila stole it! The class deserves to know about what happened!”

“Adrien got pulled out of school because of the book,” Félix said and Alya froze.

“Are you serious?” she asked and he nodded.

“Our father was furious when he found out Adrien took it because that’s the book he uses as his main source of inspiration for his work. If Lila stealing the book is discovered, the news will spread rapidly and thus everyone will be curious as to what the book is. Which is why we don’t want any information to go public about it. As disheartening as it sounds that Lila won’t get exposed, it’s safer this way for our family. No one knows that Adrien was pulled out except for Marinette and now you. Once I return the book at lunch, Adrien will most likely be able to return to school, but if this goes out of proportion I doubt he’ll be permitted to return since our father will deem Adrien as being too irrational and untrustworthy to be out in the public eye.”

“Harsh,” Alya muttered.

“Indeed,” Félix agreed.

“I’ll let this one slide for now then, but don’t expect me to not call her out about her taking your spot as Champion. That Chosen was going right to you and I was so excited to see what you were going to be. It was a perfectly missed opportunity,” Alya said and Félix smiled slightly.

“I was curious myself about what my Champion self would be,” he admitted, “Plus I want to know what it’s like being a Champion.”

“I’m not the best person to say since I screwed up myself, but it was fun,” Alya smiled fondly, “The feeling of power and being able to do what was right. Of course my anger towards Chloé made my motives twisted, but it was still enjoyable.”

“Do you feel like yourself when you’re a Champion?” Félix asked.

“Not really, I mean, underneath all of it I know I’m still Alya, but at that moment I was someone else at the same time. Like there was a part of me that I didn’t know existed until Húdié pulled it out. Even now Lady Wifi’s still there; a part of me that wants justice and the truth. That must be why Lila bothers me so much since I’ve felt that satisfaction of getting the truth out once and I’m not afraid to do it again. But now I’m realizing that there are some ways to get the truth out, and me trying to force it out won’t work. I’ll just have to wait for the right time,” Alya said and Félix nodded.

“Wise words,” he agreed.

There was a chattering of noise up ahead and they glanced up to see Kim proudly holding up the poster he had gotten from Marinette, showing it off to Alix about a nearby racing competition that was happening. The poster that she was supposed to pick up yesterday. 

Alya bit her lip as she glanced at Félix who was still watching the two bicker in amusement. She didn’t know how to break the topic to him. No matter what she said would make it sound like she was wimping out and slacking on her responsibilities.

It was just so hard to meet up with Marinette after school since she had to pick up her sisters and make them dinner since her parents and Nora were all still busy with work until late at night. Then Alya did homework, researched more on Coccinelle’s identity and responded to messages, then tried to get her siblings settled into bed while her parents had their late dinner and did chores around the house.

“I have a proposal,” Alya found herself saying.

“Does this require me?” Félix asked in confusion and she nodded.

“Noir News is getting big. Bigger for me to handle. Not only that, I’m constantly stressed with my sisters since I’m usually in charge of them. I was wondering if you would be willing to split vice president duties? You’re one of the most organized people in class- cross that, you probably are the most organized in class- and it’s hard for me to do this alone.” Alya snuck a small sympathy card in, “I hate to leave Marinette doing both her work and mine because of my forgetfulness. She’s always tired and I hate that I’m doing this to her. Would you be able to help with planning events with her? I can’t always do that and with your abilities you would do a better job than me.”

To her surprise Félix didn’t look annoyed at all. He actually listened in interest and considered it for a long moment, his face calm and thoughtful. Alya didn’t want to let her hopes up but his long contemplation made her more excited the longer he thought.

“I could do it. I also have other connections in case we need to plan a larger event.”

“That would be extremely helpful. Thank you so much,” Alya breathed a sigh of relief and Félix nodded before they continued to talk about other things until it was time to head to class. They two headed over together, Alya hurrying towards Marinette and telling her the news. The designer looking slightly panicked at the prospect of Félix working alongside them but still smiled sheepishly to the blond who nodded in return.

Only when the courtyard was completely empty did the green kwami hiding behind the bench come out, staring after the reporter before flying away.

Chapter Text

Pronounced (Stor-jay)

Chloé walked into the locker room while her classmates happily talked with one another, all of them holding gifts. She didn’t know who’s birthday it was and didn’t really care. They had been giving her the silent treatment for a couple of months now and she decided that they weren’t worth her time. Not even Sabrina. Chloé was the one that got Roger his job back by encouraging her father to and what thanks does she get when she tells Sabrina?

“That’s not enough to make up for what you’ve done. You may have given my father his job back but what’s stopping you from doing it again?”

Chloé seethed silently, putting her things in her locker as Rose giggled to Juleka, “Your gift for Mlle. Bustier is great! She’ll love it! I wonder what Alix got her?”

Chloé inwardly grumbled; of course she forgot Mlle. Bustier’s birthday again. She had been busy with her online shopping to look presentable for today’s field trip to the Montparnasse Tower that she forgot to get a gift. Maybe she’ll just text her father to buy something quickly before the field trip.

Before she could message him, the bell rang and all of the students headed to class. Chloé grumbled and followed after them, sitting in her seat as the students put their gifts on her desk before heading to their own seat.

“No gift?” Alix gave the blonde a skeptical look.

“And what’s yours? Skates from the discount store? I bet the wheels don’t even work,” Chloé snapped back and Alix was about to get in her face when Ivan put a hand on the small girl and shook his head. Alix still shot Chloé a nasty glare as she went to her seat.

“Your gift was really nice, Marinette! I love the quote in front!” Sabrina told Marinette as she took her seat above the designer. Marinette thanked her and the two began chatting with Ivan and Alya as the rest of the class got seated.

Mlle. Bustier walked in and gasped at all the gifts on her desk, her face brightening.

“You remembered my birthday?” she asked in surprise.

“We could never forget your birthday!” Alya exclaimed and Chloé refused to look at the small girl glaring daggers into her back.

Mlle. Bustier started opening each gift, thanking each student who beamed happily. Chloé glanced back to see even Félix seemed pleased with himself, his eyes shining a bit brighter than usual when the attention of their teacher fell upon him.

She rolled her eyes as she looked back to the front. Their teacher was tearing up, dabbing her eyes as she looked at each gift.

"I wasn't expecting these today. Thank you so much," she sniffed and Rose got dew-eyed too.

"You've done so much for us and have taught us how to be better students and people, we're happy to be in your class," Kim said and she beamed.

"Well as much as I want to talk about these gifts and how amazing they are, we should make our way to the bus for our field trip."

"Do you need help taking those to the car, Mlle. Bustier?" Ivan asked.

"You don't have to-"

"But it's your birthday!" Nino protested and the others nodded. They all came forward and helped the teacher take the gifts to the car while Chloé made her way to the front entrance, irritated.

How was she to remember Mlle. Bustier's birthday? Why should she care about someone else's birthday when her parents barely remembered her? Her father only remembered because one of his secretaries told him, and her mother...

The rest of the class arrived and filed into the bus, all of them excitedly chatting. Chloé sat in the back and watched as Kim leaned over his seat and flicked Alix’s ear, causing her to nearly whack Myléne sitting next to her as Alix rose up to punch him. Félix opened his book to read while Nathaniel pulled out his sketchpad and they both focused on immediately, tuning out everything around them. Ivan sat in the safety seat across from Myléne, asking her if she was alright after nearly getting elbowed in the face. Rose and Juleka were making bracelets from a kit that Rose brought. Sabrina was watching them from her seat next to the emergency supplies when Rose handed her some string and started showing her how to make one. Adrien was surprisingly sitting next to Marinette, enthusiastically talking about Jagged Stone and complimenting her on the latest cover while the girl blushed and giggled happily at the compliments. Alya and Nino smugly watched the said couple in front of them.

Chloé sat alone in the back.

Lila approached her suddenly with a sweet smile, “Anyone sitting here?”

“Yes,” Chloé dumped her bag next to the open spot beside her and Lila hesitated.

"I see," Lila sighed before taking her place behind Alya and Nino. Chloé noticed Alya's glare at the Italian girl but her intrigue faded as the bus started. She figured it was because of everything that came out about the whole chosen incident not too long ago.

Chloé didn’t even need a full day to despise the new student. She saw Lila sliding up to people to try to fit in, then proceeded to flirt with Adrien and Felix to rise herself up in the ranks. To top the cake, she took the Chosen when it wasn't meant for her. Chloé shook her head at that thought, that girl was ridiculous thinking she could walk in here acting like she owned the place.

"That's what you did," a voice in the back of her mind that sounded oddly like Sabrina whispered. Chloé forced these thoughts out of her head and started to browse the internet for some good makeup products hoping to try something new.

The class arrived at the Montparnasse Tower without any delay and a tour guide led them all in, opening up to any questions before the tour while they gave a brief history on the Tower.

Chloé felt a soft touch on her shoulder and glared at the student only to see Mlle. Bustier's kind smile.

"Can I talk to you over there?" she asked and the girl grumbled darkly but the soothing presence of Mlle. Bustier killed any of the anger in her. It was her birthday anyway.

"Fine," she sighed and they made their way over to the bench as the rest of the class headed inside. Chloé missed the worried look from Adrien as he entered the elevators while she took a seat.

"What?" Chloé snapped, "I wanted to enjoy my field trip today."

"I wanted to give you something," Mlle. Bustier gave Chloé a small gold and black bracelet. The girl's mouth opened slightly in surprise as she admired the bracelet.

"My parents always taught me about the importance of giving. Giving is how we connect to one another and learn to love. Even the smallest gift can make a huge difference in someone's life, even your own. I've noticed that you've closed yourself off to the class and that hurts me to see you that way. You have the potential to do amazing things, you just need to give some effort and strive for it. Life isn't about what we can grasp in our hands, but what we hold in our hearts. It's about using what you have to make yourself and those around you happy. Living a life without giving your love and respect to others is a very sad life to live, and I don't want to see you go down that path."

"I'm fine by myself," Chloé huffed. Mlle. Bustier smiled, but it was a sad smile that made unease settle into the blonde.

"Not only will it make others happy, but it will allow for you to broaden your horizons and connections. It's a good way for you to expand as a person and learn who you are whether it be through friends or acquaintances. What I'm trying to stress is to not shut yourself out from the world when there's so much for you to do. You have a long life ahead of you, Chloé, and money and wealth can't solve everything."

"But it can solve everything. I'm happy."

"Are you happy?" Mlle. Bustier asked, her expression concerned yet serious.

Chloé didn't respond as she thought about it for a long moment. Mlle. Bustier stood and nodded to the elevators.

"Let's catch up with them so you don't miss out on your field trip. I like your new skirt, by the way, blue looks good on you," she smiled before walking away.

Chloé sat there for a moment before getting up and following after her teacher in deep thought.

All of Chloé's life her father taught her that the only way for people to like you is to always be a step above them. Have more power, more wealth, more fame, more.

Gabriel Agreste was a perfect example of being a step above. His company was booming and now expanding internationally, with these connections he was able to increase his fame and thus gain more wealth. The mayor of Paris himself feared the influential power this one man had.

Her own mother was the same. She was the reason why Gabriel had the power he did now and was known worldwide in and out of the Fashion industry. Chloé aspired to be like her mother. The woman knew no fear and drove herself into her work with a passion Chloé had yet to find.

Chloé had learned from the adults around her that power came from money, not the heart.

Yet Mlle. Bustier's words whispered softly over the noise of her father's loud mantra.

" Are you happy?"

Despite everything she had, Chloé wanted her mother to see her. To praise her. To tell her she was doing well.

But she never did.

The only thing Chloé got from her mother was voicemail where she said Chloé’s name wrong. Her own mother didn't even know her daughter's name.

Adrien was no better off than her, she realized. While his mother had been sweet, she wanted to hide her children from the outside world. She taught the two boys that they didn't need anything but her. On the other hand, Gabriel let her do as she pleased with the kids as long as she stuck to their schedule while he focused on his work. He was friendly with the boys when needed but that was all they got from him. So when Emilie got sick and was hospitalized far away from the family, Gabriel was stuck with two boys he didn't know how to express love to. In the end Adrien couldn’t stand it and went to the only person who he could be with that wasn't his family; her.

At that moment Chloé fully understood why Adrien had ran away from home just to go to school that day. He was lonely and wanted a friend. Instead, she had been too upset to really bother with his reasoning since she had been expectantly waiting for him but he failed her. She recalled his text messages apologizing to her and how she ignored them, intent on blocking him as punishment since she had the power to leave him in his guilt. Power, wealth, fame. 

Now she understood how he felt, and with that, how awfully she had treated him. He just wanted a friend like she now wanted but she had failed him. Not only that, Chloé had done the exact same thing to Sabrina. She abused her power and this is what happened. Was this what Gabriel meant when he had told her to straighten up her act?

They exited the elevators and Mlle. Bustier guided Chloé towards the classmates who were somewhere on the floor in one of the many rooms. Chloé was no longer excited to be here though. She just wanted to go eat some chocolate that Jean-Franc knew she liked and cuddle with M. Cuddly.

Screams erupted from one of the rooms that jolted Chloé from her thoughts. They watched as adults poured out from the room in panic, students from their class following behind. 

Before they could ask any questions, Coccinelle appeared from the doorway, yo-yo swinging and eyes blazing. There was something almost feral in his eyes as of late that brought chills down Chloé’s spine. Ever since the attack when Chat Noir actually managed to hit Coccinelle with a Cataclysm, something had changed in the villain. The ferocity was fearsome.

“Get to the stairs!” Mlle. Bustier ordered and herded her students to the stairwell as he raced after them. He tried to grab a student with his yo-yo but their teacher was faster, knocking down a tall plant that disrupted his throw.

The students split in opposite directions in frightened groups, some running upstairs and some running down. Chloé was knocked to the side and couldn’t get through the door of the stairwell in time as Coccinelle threw his yo-yo again at her.

Chloé looked up in time to see Mlle. Bustier leap in the way of the yo-yo, getting struck in the head and collapsing onto the ground.

The blonde stared in horror as hands pulled her up and dragged her into the stairwell. She looked at the person to find Adrien leading her determinedly through.

“Adrien? What are you doing?” she asked in disbelief but he ignored her as they ran to the flight below where Marinette was waiting for them. She slammed the door shut as they made it across and started to barricade it with a nearby coffee table.

“Get to safety! Try to regroup with the rest of the class!” she ordered.

“I’m not leaving you behind,” Adrien grabbed the other girl’s hand and pulled them both into another door that opened into a long hallway. As they sprinted down, Chloé worried about Mlle. Bustier as they slipped through another doorway and found themselves in a large room full of desks and cubicles. Posters for an upcoming Chat Noir and Húdié movie were on the walls of the room as the students looked for a place to hide.

“Someone has to help Mlle. Bustier,” Chloé said and the two looked at her in surprise. They shared an anxious look with one another.

“He could have followed us since we were the last ones to leave so he might have spotted our tracks. It’s not safe to go back and check on her,” Adrien said.

“We can hide for now. I’ll send a quick text to the class and have them try to stick together as much as possible. Hopefully everyone is in a pair," Marinette pulled out her phone.

“I saw Alix and Ivan run upstairs with a few other kids. I think Fé went alone so I can try to text him to regroup with them,” Adrien said and Chloé watched the two of them get to work, texting everyone with a short message so their classmates' phones wouldn’t go off that much if they were hiding. They worked in stunning synchronization as they discussed what to do next as they finished texting everyone.

“The best we can do is try to get the people who are upstairs back downstairs now while luring Coccinelle upstairs away from us,” Marinette said.

“I’ll get Ivan and he’ll help me grab Mlle. Bustier. We’ll need two people to carry her,” Adrien said.

“I’ll help you get Mlle. Bustier,” Chloé said. They gave her yet another surprised look.

“What? Do you think I’m just going to let my teacher die? That’s low even for me,” Chloé huffed.

“We can do that,” Marinette reasoned and they waited a few more seconds as the texts started coming in.

“Félix is heading downstairs to the ground floor with Nino, Alya, and Max. Ivan says everyone else is with them and they’ve barricaded themselves in a room but think Coccinelle is upstairs,” Adrien informed them.

“Nathaniel says he can hear the yo-yo swinging and they’ve all switched their phones to silent,” Marinette said. She frowned at her phone in serious contemplation.

Chloé watched the girl look around the room, eyeing things quickly yet calmly as she took in the situation. On the other hand, Chloé couldn't help but notice her own hands shaking. Coccinelle was upstairs and she was going to have to go up there to get her teacher. She didn’t want to face that man who tried to kill her before. He was already awful then and now he was some sort of monster.

“You don’t have to go up there,” the voice of reason whispered in her head. She shook her head stubbornly; this was the least she could do for Mlle. Bustier, especially on her birthday.

“Let’s go,” Chloé didn’t even realize Marinette had left the two of them, returning with tape and a sticky pad with a pen. Adrien led the way and the three of them hurried upstairs, Marinette going up an extra flight and leaving the two blondes.

Mlle. Bustier was sitting up and holding her head in pain when they reached her.

“Are you alright?” Adrien asked and she nodded.

“Just a little bump. I’ll be fine. You guys need to head downstairs. I'll get the other kids right now.”

“But Mlle. Bustier, you’re hurt,” Chloé reasoned but the teacher stood tall.

“I’m not having any of my students get injured. You are all very dear to me and I would never be able to forgive myself if something were to happen to you all. You both go downstairs and hide with anyone else you can find from the class. Stick together, alright?”

“But...” Adrien paused as they watched a sparkling lavender butterfly land on the pearl necklace Mlle. Bustier wore. They stared at their teacher’s face as Húdié’s mask hovered over it, everyone dead silent in anticipation. 

Mlle. Bustier’s face went serious as she silently formed the contract with Húdié, her body vanishing as a trail of lavender swirls overcame her. When they faded, a woman with flowing red hair stood in their place. Her eyes were still the same but her skin was more milky white and face serene like a statue of an angel. She had a white outfit similar to her usual professional attire but it was now decorated with red hearts on the cuffs and red outlining. Her mask was a pair of hearts joined together at the points and her necklace consisted of hearts rather than pearls.

"I am Storge, and you are my children. Be safe now," she embraced the two of them and pulled back with a gentle smile. Her necklace started to shine and a sudden bubble formed around each of the two students, protecting them in a blanket of warmth and security.

The two watched open-mouthed as she gracefully walked upstairs until she was out of sight.

Adrien began hammering on the inside of the bubble but it refused to budge. He frowned.

"It's hard. I think it's indestructible," Adrien observed.

"Good. I don't want that creep to get me."

"But now we can't help the others!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Adrikins, what can we really do against a super villain? Do you think we'll be able to fight him and win? That's ridiculous. It's better to stay safe in here like Storge said," Chloé huffed as she sat down and got comfortable. "Besides, the heroes are already here so they can deal with it."

"I can't leave our classmates in danger when I have the power to do something for them. I'll do whatever I can for them." He turned and to her surprise headed to the elevator, using enough force on the bubble to bump the button and let him in. Chloé couldn't help but shake her head. How could he possibly do anything when he didn't have power? He had no power to save them so might as well give up. He looked ridiculous in that bubble, what could he even do in it?

But Adrien was stubborn. Chloé knew that herself. He was stubborn to go to school against his father's wishes, keep in touch with her despite their damaged relationship, and now protect her and the others. She had never understood what made him do that until now with her revelation.

He was doing it because he cared.

It was a simple yet confusing topic. He wanted to save them because he cared for them and didn't want them to be sad. He got nothing to gain from his actions yet had everything to lose if he failed. 

Chloé wondered if she one day would understand that.

After a while, the bubble popped and Chloé fell ungracefully onto her rump with a shriek. She made her way downstairs, rubbing her rear with a huff and hoping to have a word with the heroes about their magic abruptly wearing off.

The lobby was full of anxious bodies trying to find their other coworkers and anyone who had been trapped upstairs. Chloé found her classmates and stood at the edge of her group, texting her chauffeur to come pick her up. She was tired of all the difficult thinking she did today, her mind a mess of her father's advice versus Mlle. Bustier's.

As if knowing her conflict, Mlle. Bustier arrived with the rest of the class, pulling the other kids into a hug before she squeezed Chloé tightly. Her head had been bandaged up from her injury but her smile was radiant and warm.

"Thank you for coming back for me, Chloé," she said to the teen.

Chloé huffed, "I'm not Coccinelle. I have a heart."

"Sure you do," Alix muttered and Chloé shot her a nasty glare that the former returned just as viciously.

"Alix!" Mlle. Bustier warned but before she could continue with her scolding, Chloé's phone alerted her that her chauffeur had arrived.

"I'm going home. The day is basically ruined at this point." She left the building without a second glance, climbing into the car and ignoring the prickle at her back as everyone watched her leave.

She sat in the car, looking at her mother's last text message a year ago wishing her a happy birthday three weeks after her birthday. Chloé had always been certain that she knew what she wanted in life which was exactly what her parents had. Power, wealth, and fame. It was ingrained in her to pursue these things no matter the means.

But now she didn't know anymore. A little seed of doubt trickled into her mind and was now resilient no matter how much she tried to overshadow it. The seed had taken root and Chloé was scared of the outcome of when it grew bigger.

That small doubt, an innocent question, leaving the biggest mark on the teen.

Are you happy?

Chapter Text

Húdié stood with the Agreste mansion in her sights, watching it with a sign of caution. It looked like Gabriel wasn’t awake with the lights out in most parts of the house. The only two lights that were on came from the twin’s bedrooms which Húdié had spared a quick glance to before moving to another spot, not wanting to intrude on their privacy.

She happily agreed with Master Fu; the Agreste boys seemed to be innocent. While Félix had a mysterious attraction to the Miraculous which he himself couldn’t explain to Marinette when she returned the book, he didn’t know what they were. He only told her he had the faintest memory of the blue peacock Miraculous which Master Fu said made sense since his mother was the wielder of it. 

Adrien on the other hand was too expressive with his emotions to hide something like that. Just yesterday with Storge, Adrien protected her and Chloé without any hesitation. He loved his friends and would do his best to make sure they were safe, even the ones that had wronged him like Chloé. There was no way he could be involved with whatever Gabriel was planning.

Húdié sighed, wondering how in the world she would be able to get to Gabriel and find out what else he was hiding. She couldn’t mention anything to anyone, not even her partner. Húdié didn’t want to recall how awkward yesterday was when she saw him and realized that she couldn’t tell him the truth. One day though, Master Fu promised. Marinette could only hope that was soon.

She got up and made her way to the usual patrol spot, noticing someone already there.

Normally she would’ve assumed it was Chat, but the nervousness coming from them wasn’t familiar to her. Húdié crouched down and watched the newcomer, looking at the person intently.

They wore a hero suit like her own, but this one was an orange and white one that looked like a fox. Her arms and legs were covered in black gloves and boots and her hair was a deep red with white tips. She fidgeted around in the spot where the two heroes normally meet up, waiting for them from what it seems like.

“What’s up?” someone spoke up right behind her ear.

Húdié shrieked and flailed back, almost whacking Chat in the face if he hadn’t jumped back in surprise from her scream.

“Was I really that quiet?” he asked in amusement as Húdié caught her breath, flushing in embarrassment from having been spooked that easily. She sputtered out something to say but his smirk made her struggle even more as her face burned furiously.

“Chat got your tongue?” he hummed, his grin widening.

“It’s not funny!” was all she could squeak out. That seemed to be the wrong thing as Chat Noir only chuckled, his eyes twinkling in humor.

“Sorry about that, Bugaboo. I didn’t know you could get startled so easily from a little boo.”

“Oh haha,” Húdié gave him a look that only encouraged the cat.

“At least you don’t have the Black Cat Miraculous or you would be such a scaredy cat.”

“I’m going to go on patrol without you,” she threatened.

“And leave me all alone? Kick me to the curb like a poor stray?”

“Go fend for yourself, alley cat. You know, I should call you that instead of Chaton,” Húdié turned her attention back to the person on the Eiffel Tower who was still waiting.

“But Chaton fits me perfectly! Alley cat just sounds so cruel,” Chat Noir leaned over her shoulder to see what she was looking at and he frowned as he spotted the girl. Meanwhile Húdié was trying not to freak out at how close his face was to her own. She only had to turn her head to the side and she could kiss his cheek. His hair tickled her cheek, sending shivers down her spine as she tried not to react.

“Who’s that?”

“They look like a Miraculous holder,” Húdié said, recalling that Master Fu had mentioned bringing up another hero. He had never said which one he was going to release and Húdié wasn’t expecting for him to do so this quickly.

“Do you think it’s one of Coccinelle’s accomplices?” Chat Noir moved so he was now crouched down next to her. She looked at him in slight disappointment but noticed his ears were slightly back in caution. At least he was getting more serious about this now even though she did enjoy his humor, and sometimes his puns.

“I can feel a nervous energy around her that is leaning more towards anxiousness, like how I felt on my first day. I don’t think she’s our enemy if she were that nervous. Plus she seems to know where we meet up for patrol and is openly waiting for us first which could only mean she wants us to approach her rather than come up from behind us while we’re busy and think of her as an enemy instead.”

“That’s good thinking. Shall we go meet up with her then?” Chat Noir asked and Húdié nodded. He extended his hand for her to take and the butterfly hero gently slipped her hand into his as he prepared his baton. He easily pulled her into him as they normally did and he launched the two of them forward, propelling themselves to the top of the tower where the Miraculous holder was.

She moved back in surprise as the two heroes landed near her. Chat retracted his baton but kept it out just in case, watching the newcomer with ears still slightly drawn back. 

“ Wow ,” the person breathed, “That was much cooler seeing it in person. Do you both get up here that way?” the newcomer asked.

“I do normally, she climbs up even though I told her we can meet elsewhere,” Chat said with a humorous smile.

“It’s a pretty view,” Húdié argued.

“It is. I couldn’t help but admire it while waiting. I’m Rena Rouge, by the way. I guess I’m your new partner! I found this little box, and an orange thing called a kwami came out and told me about these new powers. I have the Fox Miraculous.”’

“So you were handed one too?” Chat asked and Rena Rouge nodded. The cat hero turned to the butterfly hero, “Don’t you think it’s odd that all three of us have gotten these Miraculous yet have never met the person who gave them? What if we were bad guys? I’m tired of not having any idea what’s going on.”

Húdié hesitated before answering, “They seem to trust us enough to know that we won’t use the Miraculous for bad. All we can do is stop Coccinelle.”

“Why are we trying to stop him anyway? I know he’s attacking people and students but there’s no reason as to why, is there?” Rena Rouge asked and Chat Noir nodded.

“All I know was what my kwami told me. He said that the Cat and Ladybug Miraculous both hold tremendous power when used together so we can’t let him get his hands on it.”

“Then why use the Cat Miraculous to stop the Ladybug Miraculous?” Rena Rouge asked and Chat Noir frowned, realizing that was a valid point.

“The Miraculous all have a balance to them, my kwami told me,” Húdié lied. “The Cat Miraculous represents destruction while the Ladybug Miraculous represents creation. The only way to stop one is to bring out the other that is the counterbalance to it. I guess the one that chose us is realizing that we need more help to capture Coccinelle since we always come to a stalemate where he escapes in the end.”

“Well, I’m excited to go over the ropes with you!” Chat happily turned to the new hero, his eyes bright and tail flicking. Húdié saw his ears were perked up again as always and all tension faded from her when seeing her partner’s comfort.

“Me too! It’s an honor working with the both of you,” Rena said in excitement. Húdié smiled warmly at the new hero.

“It’s a pleasure working with you. For now, just get yourself familiar with wearing the suit. You might also want to start working out more just to increase your stamina because we do a good amount of running and fighting. I was completely exhausted the first couple of months but now I’m much better at it,” Húdié informed the girl.

“Thank you, my kwami gave me a basic rundown of the powers but that’s about it. They said that since I wasn’t fighting Coccinelle today I could just explore what I could do. I know the basics that I only have five minutes after using my special ability.”

“What’s your ability?” Chat Noir asked.

“I can create illusions to my heart’s content, but if anyone touches it the illusion fades so I must have them carefully placed. I can create only a couple of illusions but they said the more I used and strengthen my powers the more illusions and the longer I can use my ability.”

“That’s what I’ve found out. I can hold out my Champions for twenty minutes now but I haven’t tried making more than one. For now I’ll just stick to one Champion because more might get too stressful to manage.”

“I want to use my Cataclysm more since the last time we used it we actually managed to weaken Coccinelle. What I do now after patrol is Cataclysm some litter on the road then run around and see how long I can keep myself transformed before heading home. I’ve been able to do up to seven minutes now,” he said and Húdié gasped in amazement.

“Already? You’re really fast with your powers!” she complimented and he flushed with pride.

“I can’t leave you out there fighting alone. We’re partners,” Chat Noir grinned and it was Húdié’s turn to blush.

“Thanks for already kicking me out,” Rena Rouge rolled her eyes and the heroes stammered.

“Well we were partners is what I meant. Not anymore, of course, since we’re a team now. But I’m not saying we’re not partners because we are but there’s another partner-” Chat rambled and the two girls giggled. He trailed off awkwardly and sighed, “Now I look like a fool.”

“At least you don’t look as bad as I did my first climb up here,” Húdié joked and Chat Noir chuckled at that.

“It was pretty entertaining to watch you climb up all the way. You did great though! How did you feel about your first climb?” he asked the new hero.

“I purposely came super early and climbed up so it was hard but I managed to do it. I found that I can jump pretty high so I jumped from beam to beam until I got to the top. I just had to make sure I didn’t slip off or anything.”

“I had to climb up but my hands and feet have little grips that extend so I can climb on walls.”

“I use my baton to lift me up to places I need to go. It’s pretty cool,” Chat Noir said proudly and Húdié smiled at him with a gentle roll of her eyes. They continued to talk about their powers as they went on a quick patrol, going slower than normal to let Rena Rouge adjust used to her new suit. It was fun, the three of them talking and joking with one another as they leapt across Paris. They showed Rena their favorite places to hang out as supers and gave her tips as they traveled so she could prepare herself for upcoming battles. While nervous, she was ready to be a hero of Paris.

Chat Noir returned home, tired but content as he detransformed just in time and offered the kwami a piece of cheese. The small god ate it as Adrien cleaned up and settled into bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“I can’t believe we got another hero in our ranks! This is going to be so much fun! I can’t wait for her to fight alongside us. We can all work together to uncover who Coccinelle is and finally put a stop to him. I’ve noticed he’s been targeting the students from the school so we have to protect them. Before he attacked our class during the field trip he attacked Mme. Mendeleive’s class the week before when Húdié created Stormy Weather to protect her classmates. I don’t know if I should tell Húdié about the book though and why my father had it. It was clearly a book about Miraculous but I couldn’t ask him since he’s been in his room for the past two weeks recovering from his illness. I can’t even snoop around now that I know he has cameras in the office,” Adrien sighed.

“Kid, you should sleep. Aren’t you going to try to watch that movie tomorrow?” Plagg asked and Adrien nodded.

“If we go early in the morning then there won’t be any problem heading out. I asked Félix if he wanted to come but he seemed intent on staying home. Nino was busy with Chris and I the other guys are all busy with other activities this weekend.”

“Why don’t you invite your girlfriend?” Plagg asked and Adrien blushed as he glared at the kwami.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Plus, she’s hanging out with her friends tomorrow at the pool.”

“You asked her?” Plagg asked in surprise.

“I asked if she had plans for the weekend and she told me she did. I didn’t want her to shift her plans for me since she's barely getting out of the house more so I didn’t ask her to come with me. I don’t mind going alone,” Adrien said as he settled into bed and wished the kwami good night. The kwami sat there watching the teen start to fall asleep, his whiskers twitching in displeasure as the night settled upon the city.

Chapter Text

“This was a terrible idea,” Adrien sighed as he adjusted the hat he wore in the bathroom stall of the theatre, regretting his actions from the moment he had woken up. He should’ve just waited for Nathalie to finish up whatever she was doing with his father so Adrien could ask for the movie. When he voiced this to Plagg, the kwami shrugged from within Adrien’s hood where he was hiding.

“You know that when Nathalie is doing a favor for your pops it could take a few minutes to several hours. And with the release of your special eau de Adrien ,” Plagg’s unnecessary drawl made Adrien glare at the kwami, “they’re probably loaded with the amount of orders they’re getting.”

“But not only is my father going to be furious once I get home, everyone thinks Marinette is my girlfriend and now she’ll be forced into the spotlight under bad intentions. I just wanted to see this movie,” Adrien sighed forlorn. Plagg’s ears dropped slightly before he nudged his holder.

“Well, look at the bright side of things! You’re on a cute date with your girlfriend, and with the get up she provided for the both of you, no one has recognized you both yet!”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Adrien corrected but smiled, “But you’re right, it’s good that I at least have one friend with me today, especially that it’s Marinette. She always makes everything better and does it so easily.”

Adrien finished fixing up his small disguise Marinette helped him with, which involved his pair of shades and a familiar knitted cap as well as a gigantic jacket she had snagged from her house.

Marinette explained that she had lost track of time while working on a project before meeting up with her friends which made her grab random clothes in her mad dash out the door to meet with them at the pool. One of those random things was a jacket that she thought was hers but turned out to be her father’s jacket that she had left on her desk to patch up. While she had apologized profusely for it outside when handing it to him knowing that it wouldn’t fit, Adrien didn’t mind it with the nice bakery smell the jacket emitted. It reminded him of the times his mother would bake with the twins during the holidays to make and Adrien smiled warmly at the thought as he looked in the mirror before chuckling. It was rather large on him, his hands practically vanishing under the large sleeves.

Marinette made a tsking noise when he came out and within seconds she was fussing over the jacket before stepping back and nodding approvingly. Adrien tried not to smile at her own get up; a blue and green polka dot shirt with red and black striped pants and mismatched socks. She had at least grabbed the same pair of shoes, but it was clear she had been in a rush to the pool.

Speaking of, she had her hair tied up in a pool towel to resemble some covering for her hair and her goggles on to hide her face like how Adrien’s sunglasses hid his own face. While it did get many stares from others around, no one recognized the two.

They settled into their theatre seats and Marinette let out a sigh of relief, smiling at Adrien.

“Good thinking for hiding in the theatre,” Adrien flushed at her voice full of praise.

“I was planning on coming here initially until I found out about the advertisement. I was hoping it wouldn’t be that big but it turned out to be a hit. At least I still got to make it to the movie though because I really wanted to watch it.”

“Is it a scary movie?” Marinette asked with wide eyes before shrinking down into her seat nervously, “I don’t like scary movies.”

“No, it’s not,” Adrien chuckled before looking back at the commercials playing. “My mother was the lead role in this movie and I’ve been trying to watch it to see her but it’s not online and my father hid the movie somewhere in the house.”

“Your mother is the lead role?” Marinette asked and he nodded with a wistful sigh.

“I’ve always wanted to see one of her works but then she fell ill and we never got the chance since my dad locked up everything about her. It’s like he doesn’t want us to see her,” Adrien said glumly.

“How is she doing, if I may ask?” Marinette questioned gently, a concerned expression on her face.

“I don’t know. She went to a hospital far away for treatment after she fell into a coma. No matter how many letters I send her, I never get a reply back, not even from the nurses. I don’t even know how she got sick. All of a sudden her simple cough went worse until one day she came home really ill and the next day she’s in a coma. It was so sudden,” Adrien faltered. He didn’t want to think of this now. Not with Marinette here and he being so close to seeing his mom again. Just talking about this would dampen the mood for the both of them.

“I hope she gets better soon, maybe you could make her an Adrien Lucky Charm for her,” Marinette grinned and Adrien relaxed as she changed the topic to a brighter one as she referenced the charm he showed her earlier in the subway.

“It won’t be as good as your lucky charm though,” Adrien said. “I’m not the artistic type.”

“It’s not about being good enough to make it, but rather the emotion you pour into it that makes it special. My dad tells me that when baking. Every treat he makes is filled with his love for baking and the hopes of the person eating it will enjoy it. ‘If you let your brain get in the way of your heart then your work will not only be forever imperfect but also without love.’”

“Your father said that?” Adrien asked in surprise and Marinette nodded.

“I think of that whenever I make something. I pour my love into it and try not to think about the small things that make it imperfect. That way I can appreciate what I’m doing. I do end up being a little too meticulous now and then,” Marinette admitted and Adrien grinned.

“Radiant. Carefree. Dreamy.” Adrien turned in slow horror as the pop music started up and winced as he watched himself on the screen running with feathers floating around him then happily jump into the air. “Adrien, the fragrance.”

Adrien looked to see Marinette giggling and his spirits fell. Of course she of all people would see him look like a fool.

“You definitely do look carefree,” Marinette complimented. “I’m surprised you weren’t sneezing all over the place with those feathers.”

“Those were fake ones added in. Sometimes they just edit them in, otherwise they use fake ones around me.”

“If you had an allergic reaction they would have to change the advertisement. I can see it now.” Marinette looked to the screen with the same gentle voice of the woman in the advertisement, “Sneezing. Sniffling. Hives. Adrien, the allergic reaction.”

Adrien burst into laughter and had to cover his mouth as the person near them glared and Marinette also covered her own mouth to muffle her laughter. They snickered and Adrien felt his eyes watering up as he continued to laugh silently. Marinette seemed out of breath with her laughter and the two stared at each other before laughing even more.

The theatre went dark and Adrien’s mood quickly changed as he looked up at the screen, waiting in anticipation with a huge grin on his face.

The screen was black before panning out into the rainy streets of Paris, right alongside the Seine. Adrien pulled off his sunglasses to get a better look as a woman with an umbrella came into view, walking away from the camera.

He knew that figure like the back of his hands.

Adrien leaned forward eagerly just as she turned around, looking right at the camera. Even though the mood was downcast, her face was soft and warm.

A sudden flash caused him to blink in surprise and he looked to where a person next to them was typing up something.

"Adrien at the movies with his girlfriend," the person who had taken the picture of them said excitedly.

"Please don't post that," he pleaded but it fell on deaf ears as the stranger posted it online.

Marinette stood up and snatched the phone from the man's hand, frowning at him.

"First of all, no phones are allowed to be used during the movie and second, respect his wishes," Adrien watched Marinette delete the man's post while the man rose up in anger.

"How dare you-"

"How dare you!" Marinette retorted. "We're trying to enjoy ourselves and you are ruining it! Please, just leave us alone!"

"Marinette, it's okay," Adrien said as he noticed more people pulling out their phones to record the confrontation.

"It's not okay! This is your time to enjoy yourself and they're ruining it!"

"It's normal. Come on, let's talk outside," he said gently and took her hand.

They walked out of the room into the hallway and Marinette turned on him in anger.

"That's- That's completely rude and inconsiderate and- can't they just let you enjoy your movie?" Marinette exclaimed angrily in her passion. Thankfully no one was in the hallway to see them.

"It's fine, Marinette. Trust me, I'm used to it now," Adrien put a comforting hand on her shoulder but Marinette still looked distressed.

"But your mother…"

"It's alright. I'll just ask Nathalie if she knows where it is and I can watch it another day. The fans will be here at any moment to crowd the theatre so we should get going."

Adrien took her hand and they slowly walked out, Marinette lagging behind. Adrien glanced back to see her glumly looking at the floor as she walked. It was then that his heart swelled with adoration and respect for her never-ending compassion. Marinette's drive for everyone to enjoy themselves and be happy made Adrien feel like he was only falling for her more. She had went out of her way to have a birthday celebration for the twins despite barely knowing them, and brought baked goods to class for them whenever she could. She was confident, intelligent, and wonderful no matter what she did. While she did rush into dangerous following her heart rather than her head sometimes, it was the fact that she was able to do that confidently that made him adore her. Adrien wished for that strength that Marinette had when speaking to his father. He wanted to lead with his heart rather than his head, follow passion rather than logic. Marinette made it look so easy to do it and Adrien hoped one day he could do the same.

Just before they walked out, Adrien put his hand on her shoulder again. She looked up at him curiously.

"I just want to say thank you for coming with me. You didn't have to go but you still did."

"I couldn't leave you alone. We're partners in crime," Marinette smiled and Adrien chuckled, suddenly remembering what the fans had presumed of the two of them.

"I promise as your boyfriend I'll take you on a better date without any interruptions. We'll go out in silly disguises and no one will recognize either of us."

Marinette flushed at that, "Oh, you don't have to. That wouldn't be good if we were caught."

"But my Marinette-" Adrien felt for the charm in his pocket but only felt his ring on it’s normal chain. He frowned and checked his other pocket but got nothing.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Your lucky charm! It's not here!" Adrien patted his back pockets anxiously and Marinette ruffled through his jacket in her bag, her face paling.

"I could've dropped it anywhere. We need to go back," Adrien walked out the theatre with Marinette following him. Adrien tried not to let his anxiousness and frustration show as they hurried, scanning the floor to spot the beaded chain. The bad luck was only getting worse and worse.

"It's okay, I can make you another one," Marinette said as Adrien scanned the floor as they walked back to the metro station. There was no way the two of them would be able to retrace their steps and find the charm, especially if the fans were still running about the place in their frenzy.

"But-" a car pulled up beside them and Félix stepped out looking furious. Adrien hesitated when seeing the displeased look on the Gorilla's face.

"Are you out of your mind?" the twin snapped, "Do you have any idea what a terrible idea this was? And you drag Marinette into it? Get in the car."

"Adrien!" Wayhem was running towards them, waving his hand wildly. Adrien realized it was a lost cause as Félix guided Marinette into the car with the grace and patience of a gentleman before glaring at his brother. Adrien sighed and followed suit, climbing slowly into the car as Félix waited for him to make sure he wouldn't escape.

"Wait, I have your charm!" Wayhem shouted and Adrien looked out at the fan just as Félix was about to get in. Sure enough, the boy was waving the beaded charm around in his hand.

Adrien ungracefully scrambled out of the car and his brother called out after him as Adrien pushed past and ran up to Wayhem.

"Thank you for finding it," Adrien said gratefully and smiled as Wayhem returned it.

"I knew I had to grab it for you! Did your girlfriend make it for you?" Wayhem asked and Adrien chuckled, face flushing as he scratched the back of his neck.

"She's not actually-"

"Adrien!" He looked back as Coccinelle landed on the roof of their car. Félix backed away from the car but the villain jumped down and grabbed the blond, roughly shoving him inside and wrapping up the car in his yo-yo before stringing it up into the middle of the streets by using the light posts, the car dangled precariously in the air.

"No!" Adrien watched Coccinelle tie the yo-yo securely against a light post before turning and facing them, eyes cold. 

"Go!" he looked up to see Félix motioning for the two boys to escape. Marinette looked terrified in the back seat while the Gorilla was reaching towards Félix to secure the boy inside.

There was no way he was going to let Coccinelle get away with this, Adrien glared at the villain who watched the boy, waiting for him to take action.

Adrien turned and ran off, Wayhem following after the blond in fear. Coccinelle pursued them without trouble, his long legs making it easy to keep up with them.

"We need to lose him, fast!" Adrien panted and Wayhem agreed. 

"There are a ton of fans up ahead at the movie theatre entrance!" he said they managed to find the crowd easily. The fans were ecstatic when Adrien ran up to them and they swarmed up to him to greet the blond.

Adrien and Wayhem were able to dive into the crowd and hide there, Coccinelle following after them but losing sight of the two quickly.

Adrien managed to get inside of the theatre with Wayhem and they took cover there while the fans ran around wildly.

It looks like Coccinelle is after you," Wayhem noticed.

"I need to help Félix and Marinette but I can't get to them since he'll see me almost immediately," Adrien said.

"That's awful!" Wayhem frowned. Adrien stared at the boy who was still holding the life sized poster of him. An idea started to form in his head and he examined his excited fan.

"Can you help me?" Adrien asked.

"Of course!" Wayhem replied excitedly, "Anything for you!"

"So here's what I'm thinking…"

"So all of this happened because he didn't want to wait to ask Nathalie about the movie?" Félix asked as they sat in the car elevated above the ground. They didn't dare jump out due to the height so they had to wait around until the heroes came. Marinette unfortunately knew that Húdié wasn't going to show up anytime soon.

"He said this was the only showing they were going to have in this theatre so he didn't want to risk missing it. Your family is busy anyway so I don't know when he would've had the chance to watch it either way."

"Well, Pére noticed once you and him started trending everywhere because it brought even more fame to the cologne. He was looking at why sales spiked up suddenly and then saw the social media. Needless to say he wasn't pleased with his son running around Paris rather than following the schedule."

"Sorry," Marinette apologized but Felix shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault. I'm sure Adrien dragged you into this one way or another."

"How is your father by the way? I heard he wasn't feeling well," Marinette asked as innocently as she could, now understanding the true reason why the designer was sick. Having been Cataclysmed was probably very serious. Marinette hoped that the Ladybug kwami Tikki was okay. Supposedly she was a very sweet kwami but could be vicious if needed. Marinette knew how hard it must be for Tikki to overexert herself like this, fighting even though she was still recovering.

Speaking of that, Marinette was angry that Gabriel was targeting his own sons. It made no sense at all and only further encouraged Marinette's building resentment towards the man. She couldn't believe that not too long ago she looked up to him, respected him. He was a brilliant fashion designer without a doubt. But showing no mercy even toward his sons was drawing the line. Marinette was horrified when he shoved Felix into the car with her before chasing after Adrien. And for what purpose?

"Nathalie has informed us that he is recovering slowly which is why he hasn’t left his room since he’s fallen ill.”

“Aren’t you worried that you haven’t seen him in a while?” Marinette asked.

“He’ll return when he’s ready. I doubt he’ll be pleased with the alterations in his schedule,” Félix shrugged.

Marinette started to respond when there was a soft tapping on their window. They looked to see a fireman there, his helmet on. He lifted up his visor as Félix opened the window.

“Everything is going to be alright. We’ll get you out of here in no time while Coccinelle is gone. Can you climb through the window?” he asked.

Félix moved away and pointed at the window as he looked at Marinette, “You go first.”

“But you’re right there,” Marinette argued.

“I’ll be happier knowing you're on the ground before I am,” he said. Marinette knew how stubborn Félix could get so she complied, crawling across the car seat and climbing out of the window feet first with the fireman guiding her down safely.

Marinette was mostly relieved when her feet touched the floor but was still anxious as she waited for Félix and his chauffeur to get out as well. She watched as the fireman climbed up but frowned seeing the larger bulky legs of the Gorilla rather than Félix. The man himself looked disgruntled as he made his way out, motioning for the teenager still trapped inside to come out.

It seemed like the blond refused, the Gorilla getting out by himself as fast as he could so the fireman could pull out the last person from within the car.

“Coccinelle is coming!” people shouted and everyone turned to see the villain sprinting over. Marinette paled as she saw his gaze locked onto the blond that was barely climbing out of the car.

"Hurry, Félix!” Marinette shouted in a panic. There wouldn’t be enough time for her to find a place and transform to rescue him as Coccinelle drew even closer. The fireman curled himself around Félix, ready to catch him and protect the teen in case they fell.

Nobody expected anyone to stop Coccinelle on his tracks, so they all gasped when the Gorilla charged at Coccinelle and grabbed the villain, holding him back with his large mass. He grunted as the villain elbowed him in the ribs, but his grip didn’t falter.

Marinette didn’t hesitate to turn and run, diving into a nearby bush in a park and transforming there once making sure no one was focused on her.

Húdié ran out and blessed a butterfly quickly, knowing the perfect target. The only person that would do anything to protect the Agreste twins, his current firm grip on the villain solidifying her choice.

The butterfly landed on his watch and Húdié was impressed that the Gorilla managed to maintain his grip despite the hero in his mind.

“Help me protect Adrien and Félix, please,” was all Húdié said before the man nodded.

Lavender swirled over him and replaced the man with a larger than normal gorilla, his fur a mixture of silver, blue, and green. His grip only tightened further on the villain as his strength increased and Coccinelle grunted in pain as the Champion, now the size of a car, kept him in place.

Húdié took this chance to jump up and climb onto the car still dangling in the air before walking on the yo-yo strings and leaning over to grab Félix’s hand. The blond stared at her in awe before he reached out and grabbed it. Húdié tightened her grip and pulled him up into her arms, her feet secure on the wire thanks to her abilities. The firefighter thanked her and slid back down, pulling away from the car that creaked dangerously 

“I’m going to jump onto the car then jump onto the ground. Once I do, go find your brother and get to safety,” she told him.

“Okay,” Félix breathed and Húdié did as she planned, landing safely on the floor without an issue. She pointed to where Adrien had run off to and Félix did as she asked, running down the street.

“Silverheart, go protect them. I’ll keep Coccinelle back while you escape,” she told the Champion who nodded and released the villain. Before the villain could escape after them, Húdié tackled him and the two tumbled down.

“Let go!” he snarled.

“You dare attack them?” Húdié hissed in fury, making Coccinelle stiffen  in surprise, barely managing to dodge her cane as she swung it at him. He leapt back to the car and grabbed his yo-yo, pulling it back into him. People screamed as the car came crashing down into the middle of the street as the villain took off with Húdié right behind him, jumping onto the rooftops and chasing the swinging villain from above. The anger that fueled her allowed her to keep up with him as he took a sharp turn after Silverheart who had found Félix and was now searching for Adrien as the first twin clung to his back.

Coccinelle threw the yo-yo but the Champion dodged it easily despite his bulking size and continued onward, sniffing out the missing twin. Félix was clinging to dear life as they ran past the movie theatre, Silverheart sniffing quickly before moving onward.

As Coccinelle turned the corner after the Champion, Chat Noir was there to meet him with a perfect hit on the ribs with his baton. The villain stumbled down and Húdié was there to stop him by latching onto his arms and locking him down.

Chat Noir immediately went for the earrings but Húdié hesitated, her grip slackening for a mere second as she thought about the unmasking of the villain right here, especially after what Master Fu had warned her about with Chat Noir. Coccinelle used this moment of doubt to break from her hold and dodge Chat Noir, the two heroes colliding with one another painfully as Coccinelle took off after the Champion.

Silverheart had managed to locate Adrien, but was staring curiously at the teenager who was now wearing a hoodie alongside his entire disguise.

“Come on, Adrien!” Félix called out and the twin paused for a moment before climbing onto the Champion’s back. Silverheart was still trying to sniff the boy curiously but he heard the sound of Coccinelle’s yo-yo approaching and decided it wasn’t the time to examine the boy’s different scent.

Back with the heroes, Chat Noir helped Húdié up with a concerned look, “Is everything okay? You had in him your hands but I saw you slip.”

“I’m fine. We just need to focus on protecting the Agreste twins. They’re headed towards the Eiffel Tower.”

“How do you know that?” Chat asked in surprise before noticing his partner’s eyes were closed.

“I can see Silverheart. He’s telling me that something is wrong with Adrien but he can’t fully determine what’s going on..”

“Oh, that’s weird. Maybe he’s just really nervous?”

“Nervous enough to have a different scent entirely?” Húdié questioned doubtfully as they headed to the Eiffel Tower.

“Maybe he’s really nervous?” Chat guessed. “Don’t pheromones increase during stress or something like that?”

“We’ll have to see for ourselves. For now we need to stop Coccinelle,” she said and they hurried onwards.

By the time they arrived, Silverheart wasn’t faring well. Not only had Coccinelle landed good hits on the Champion with his yo-yo, but the villain had used his Lucky Charm- a bottle of perfume- right on Silverheart’s face which damaged the Champion’s sense of smell and thus make it difficult to determine where the twins were who had thankfully escaped as the two fought.

“We need to find the twins, now!” Húdié exclaimed as they got there.

“I’ll look for them!” Chat Noir said. His partner agreed and she went to help her Champion while Chat Noir searched for Félix and Wayhem.

They were easy to find, Chat Noir spotting Félix yelling at Wayhem who was dressed as his brother with the cardboard cut out on his face along with his hat and sunglasses.

“Where’s my brother?” Félix demanded. Wayhem looked around nervously for an escape until Chat Noir landed in front of them.

“You both need to get out of here.”

“Not without my brother,” Félix glared at the hero, eyes ice cold. Unlike their father’s harsh coldness though, this was a fierce protective expression on his brother’s face and Chat Noir couldn’t help but feel touched at his brother’s concern.

“I’m sure he’s fine. If he’s not in Coccinelle’s grasp we have nothing to worry about. For now you both need to get to safety and then you can call your brother,” Chat Noir said and finally Félix complied, giving Wayhem a glare before the two headed out together to take cover.

“We’re going to need a distraction so they can get away though…” Chat Noir frowned, watching the two run off. They would be spotted easily if Coccinelle happened to look in that direction.

“Did someone call for a distraction?” he glanced up to see Rena Rouge there, smiling with her flute out.

“I did in fact!” Chat chirped and pointed at the two running away, “We need some double trouble if you can.”

“I’ve been practicing hard the past couple of days, so let’s make ourselves a Mirage!” Rena Rouge blew into her flute and an illusion of the Agreste twins appeared, both of them running directly past Coccinelle who looked at them in confusion. Chat Noir started to laugh brightly watching him and his brother running away, Félix looking as stoic as usual while the fake Adrien had a smile on his face. It looked perfect.

Húdié also had no idea what was happening so she did her best to protect the twins with the Champion, both of them not not knowing they were illusions. Silverheart wasn’t able to sniff out their scent due to the perfume up his nose which only helped the heroes since he was keen on protecting the illusions, convincing Coccinelle that those two were real.

Chat Noir told Rena Rouge to remain hidden as he took over the fight, Húdié unable to keep her transformation as she relieved Silverheart, giving the Gorilla instructions to continue to protect the twins if he could while she left the fight to recover. They didn’t want to reveal the new hero that quickly, letting her first adapt to her powers and building up strength before confronting Coccinelle.

The villain’s earrings beeped in warning as they fought and Chat noticed Coccinelle’s eyes stray to the side. Before he could glance to where the villain was looking, Coccinelle threw his yo-yo around a pole on the Tower and escaped.

Chat Noir took chase, racing after the villain. He hurried after him while the villain wrapped his yo-yo around a news van up ahead. Following a lever system, Coccinelle wrapped it around a lamp post before jumping onto a moving bus and yanking hard.

The news van flew up into the air and people screamed as Coccinelle let go of it to send it flying onto the sidewalk. People screamed and ran out of the way as it rolled, many of them having seen what had happened. Chat Noir let out a quick sigh of relief as it headed into an empty street out of the way of civilians.

Out of the blue, a young girl turned the corner, oblivious to the van as she looked into her purse in worry. Chat’s stomach dropped.

“Marinette!” he shouted and watched in slow motion as her worried expression shifted to terror when glancing up, pulling her purse to her chest and shielding it.

Chat Noir launched himself forward with his staff, calling out a Cataclysm as he dove towards the girl. He scooped her up with his free hand and braced himself as he stuck out his other hand to destroy the van.

He was knocked back and grunted as his arm jammed into his shoulder as the van rammed into him but the impact crumbled with the van. Chat Noir stayed firm, shielding the girl as he took the brunt of the hit as they were thrown back into the street. Now no longer charged with destructive energy, Chat was able to use his other arm to grab Marinette more securely and tuck her into him as they tumbled back. Chat Noir groaned as he caught himself and looked around wildly for Coccinelle but the villain was gone. Chat relaxed slightly, looking down at the civilian in his arms.

Her bluebell eyes were wide as she stared at him, mouth open in shock. Chat realized that he could count her freckles on her face with their noses nearly touching. The scent of cookies and warm sugar wafted into his nose and heat rose up in his face. 

"Good thing cats always land on their feet," he grinned.

"T-thank you. You saved me," she said.

"I wouldn't dare let anything happen to my lady," he said and watched her cheeks grow pink, satisfaction making his grin grow.

"Your lady?"

"Well you are the first person I've ever saved so I think you deserve more than just the title of a random citizen," Chat winked and took more pleasure in seeing her face get more rosy. "Shall I see you home too?"

"Oh, no no it's alright." Marinette pointed to her side, "My house is all the way over there. It's way too far, especially if you have to transform back soon-"

"Nonsense!" Chat Noir smiled, "I can easily take you back myself!"

"Are you sure-!" Marinette was cut off with a gasp as Chat adjusted his grip on her and extended his baton. The two of them went soaring up in the sky and landed on a rooftop. Chat carefully ran across with Marinette and couldn't help but grin wider at how she was pressed against him with her arms wrapped around him in a secure and familiar manner as if they had done this before. He was careful not to bounce her around too much as he continued onward to the Dupain-Cheng household.

They landed outside and were surprised when Marinette's parents greeted them almost immediately. Chat Noir barely had any time to put her down before the two of them pulled their daughter into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?"

"You could've been hurt!"

"You have to be more careful!"

The two kept nagging the girl and Chat Noir realized it was best to go, his ring beeping. He smiled at the family as he slowly backed away before turning. Just as he was about to extend his baton, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Chat," Marinette smiled warmly and Chat, emboldened, took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it before winking.

"Take care, Marinette," he said before extending his baton and fleeing into the Parisian sky.

"We can't have you risking yourself like that, we can't," Sabine gripped her daughter's shoulders. They had taken Marinette upstairs and were talking to her, both of them looking more frantic than she had ever seen them. The anxiety and fear in their hearts was as clear as the panic in their expressions as they continued to assure her, or assure themselves more by assuring her.

"I'm sorry, Maman. It was an accident and I promise it won't happen again," she comforted her mom. 

"We can't lose you too," Sabine whispered, making Marinette frown. Her mother realized what she said and paled, eyes widening.

"’Too?’ What do you mean too?"

"Nothing, it's nothing," Sabine said quickly and turned away as Tom stepped in.

"We just need you to protect yourself. You're so young and you have a full life to live. You can't be a designer if you don't look out for yourself. It's a dangerous place with Coccinelle out there," he said softly before going to talk to his wife as Marinette watched them suspiciously as they tried to continue about their day, but the damage was done. 

Dinner was silent and tense, both of her parents still clearly distressed about what happened earlier today but none of them saying a word about what Sabine had told her. Marinette's curiosity was only going higher and higher up, not sure why her parents were this upset compared to when she had gotten hurt against Coccinelle. Her father tried to make small talk to fill the silence but his heart wasn't really into it until Marinette mentioned Adrien in passing by chance.

"We were surprised to hear you on the news with your friend Adrien. It was quite a laugh to see that the two of you had become an item so quickly," Tom chuckled as they finished putting away their dishes after dinner and before dessert.

"What did you mean by ‘lose me too?’" Marinette finally asked. The two parents shared a nervous look.

"It was a slip of the tongue," Sabine said.

"I always thought it was interesting that despite how open you both are to showing me our history as Dupains and Chengs, I've never seen any pictures of our family with the exception of the photos out here," Marinette frowned and then pointed out, “I especially never see me as a baby.”

“Marinette…” Sabine started but Tom put a hand on his wife’s hand.

“She deserves to know. It’s her sister.”

“Sister?” Marinette nearly dropped her chopsticks. Her parents shared a look before turning back to her with grim faces.

“You… You had a twin sister,” Sabine picked at the locket she wore every day. Marinette looked at her dad to see if this was a joke but his face was just as serious and his heavy heart had no room for humor. She turned back to her mother and watched Sabine open the locket, revealing two identical baby faces.

“You were the younger one by two minutes. We always joked that you should’ve been the oldest based on all the kicking you did while in my stomach since you seemed like you wanted to get out and see the world. You always encouraged her to kick too.”

“Did... Did she have a name?” Marinette asked softly and her father gave a somber nod. Marinette's heart ached when seeing her parents raw expressions of pain and loss. She could feel the pain in their hearts and couldn't imagine ever going through something as severe like that in her life. It had been more than a decade now that they had lost their little daughter, but the scars had rang so deep that the anguish they felt was still just as strong.

“Her name was Bridgette. You both were born as happy and healthy babies; you were always wiggling around and Bridgette always making noise. Whenever we would separate either one of you the two of you would start crying right away. You never wanted to be apart from one another, always holding hands,” Tom’s smile was soft.

“What happened?” Marinette dared asked.

“We don’t know. You both were fine, settled into bed for the night and happy. It had been a long day for us but we managed to get you both quiet after your feeding which was rare. Then all the sudden in the middle of the night you started wailing in terror. You never ever made a lot of noise so we knew something was wrong right away. We ran to the nursery and checked on you both and…” Sabine had been tearing up and she paused for a second to regain herself, “and she had passed in her sleep.”

“How old were we?” Marinette whispered.

“You both were two and a half months old. Ten weeks to be exact.”

“What happened? Did she get sick?”

“No, she was perfectly healthy. We had a check up with the both of you days before that and the doctor said you were both doing well, great even.”

Marinette sat there silent as she adjusted to all of this information. Her parents watched her process this in worry, Tom holding Sabine's hand.

"Can I see her?" Marinette asked. Her parents blinked in surprise before they nodded, Sabine getting up and walking into their bedroom.

She returned with a photo album Marinette had never seen before and placed it in front of the teen. Marinette slowly opened it and her eyes widened when seeing not one but two babies, identical pudgy faces smiling. She continued to turn the pages in fascination as she looked at the babies side by side holding hands tightly. There were some with one or both parents holding babies or some where they did simple tasks with them, but most pictures had the twins holding hands.

"Wow…" was all Marinette could get out.

"How about you look at it for a while by yourself and put it back when you're done?" Tom suggested. Marinette nodded and put the book in her room. They finished up dessert and Marinette hurried to bed, pulling out the album as she got settled for the night. 

"That's your sister?" Nooroo asked and the designer nodded.

"Her name was Bridgette," Marinette said softly and the kwami settled down on her shoulder.

"You both seemed close."

"Yeah..." Marinette agreed.

"I'll leave you be. It's been a long day for the both of us," Nooroo said and they kissed goodnight before the kwami went to bed and settled down comfortably in his bed.

Marinette leaned against her pillows as she browsed the photos with interest. They both had the same hair color and same eyes but Marinette could tell which one was her since Bridgette had a natural cowlick in the middle of her head that made some hairs stick up in the middle. She also noticed that her parents dressed her in more pinks while Bridgette was often dressed in blues. They were rather cute together. She could only wonder what it would've been like if her sister had survived. 

A deep weight settled into her heart about the possibilities that were lost with her sister. Would they have bickered a lot like the Adrien and Félix? Would they have supported each other like Juleka and Luka? Chase one another around like Alya's sisters? What would Bridgette's hobbies have been? Maybe the two of them might have had similar hobbies and work together, or maybe they would compete to see which one was better.

She felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly at the imagination of her sister being the perfect rival. Marinette knew how stubborn she was, she bet Bridgette would've been the same.

How much was lost. How much her parents hurt. 

"Nooroo?" Marinette asked. The kwami stirred and looked at her curiously.

"Yes, Marinette?"

"What do you think she would've been like?" she asked. Nooroo adjusted himself in his bed as he thought. For being the kwami of compassion and emotion, he was one to contemplate and think out everything thoroughly. Marinette admired his patience and diligence to things like Wayzz. 

"I think she would have been a lot like you. You have a compassionate heart like your father and a strong resolve like your mother, and I'm sure that she would have picked up the same traits. And considering how creative your family is, she probably would've picked out a wonderful and colorful hobby like yourself," Nooroo said and Marinette grinned.

"It would be nice to have a free model," Marinette said and Nooroo chuckled.

"Just like how you are your parents test subject for new pastries," that got Marinette to giggle brightly and the two smiled at each other. Nooroo's expression dropped slightly, "I'm glad you're taking this well, but I know how hard this can be. If you want to talk about this with anyone besides your friends, you can always talk to me."

"Thank you, Nooroo," Marinette smiled, grateful for having a wonderful kwami like Nooroo by her side.

She closed the book and set it aside before getting under her covers, wishing her kwami a good night. Her smile widened at his own soft reply and she closed her eyes, letting the night cover her like a warm blanket. As she slept, Marinette imagined a warm hand holding hers and bright laughter that sounded of bells, but when the morning came she couldn't remember what kind of dream she had. All she knew was that it was warm and red, and it was home.

Chapter Text

"Nino, could you help us with the setup?" Luka asked and the DJ nodded, getting up and heading over to where the guitarist was by the speakers with Ivan and Juleka. Today was the National Music Festival and Kitty Section had gotten permission to perform as one of the many side venues that were performing around the city. The Festival was a huge event with several bands and famous musicians playing across Paris, including Clara Nightingale, XY, and Jagged Stone. Anarka Couffaine managed to get her boat registered as a venue for Kitty Section to play for the Festival and the class had gathered together to watch, even Chloe was there to the surprise of everyone, sitting in the back on her phone. It was a great opportunity for the band to get their music out to the rest of Paris with their very first live performance. 

Nino was tempted to try to get in next year and release his own music there. He had a small standing online, but getting a live performance would be astounding.

"What's up?" Nino asked as he came up to the three musicians.

"Our mom has these added speakers she wants us to use but we were wondering how to connect them all to one sound system. Sometimes she goes overboard and ends up making too much of a mess," Luka chuckled as he lifted up all of the wires from the speakers. Nino looked thoughtfully at all of them before going back to the main stage.

"I think I can manage that," he said and got to work, fiddling with the wires and adjusting the sounds on the sound board while the rest of the band came over to help him locate what each instrument was connected to. Once that was finished, the band thanked Nino who smiled and went back to his seat where everyone else was waiting for the performance. Alya was watching the other main venues preparing for the National Music Festival on her phone, wiggling in excitement.

"After they play, we should go watch Clara before moving onto Jagged Stone. Since Marinette managed to get us backstage passes again for him I feel like we don't need to go for the whole thing since we already have access," Alya planned and everyone patted Marinette on the back happily as she grinned shyly.

"Are you and Jagged best friends now?" Kim asked.

"I wouldn't say best friends but he's always asking me to make something else for him. Recently I did his cover album and this time he had me make him a new jacket."

"Wow Marinette is best friends with a celebrity! And Jagged Stone, no less," Rose squealed in excitement. The class agreed and Marinette blushed happily.

"Marinette, can I ask you something?" Luka called out from where he was finishing up something and Marinette went over and the two started to chat. 

"Do you think Luka likes her?" Alya asked suspiciously, eyeing them.

What's with you being her matchmaker?" Nino whispered so Adrien who was chatting with Félix wouldn't overhear, "First you think her and Félix are interested in one another and now Luka all while full well knowing that Adrien likes her."

"I'm just checking out the options," Alya shrugged.

"What are they, different flavors of ice cream?"

"It's good to look at what's available. What I'm most curious about though is who Marinette likes. She keeps telling me there's this boy in her Kung Fu class she likes but she won't say anything other than he's a really cute blond with green eyes whenever I ask her."

"You mean interrogate her," Nino gave her a look which the reporter purposely ignored.

"Speaking about ice cream we still need to go on our date," Alya said and Nino ignored the fluttering in his chest as he rolled his eyes. Initially he hadn’t really thought much about Alya, knowing that she was a hard worker who once fixated on something wouldn’t let it go, much like the classroom’s romantic lives. While it wasn’t usually too serious, Nino hadn’t approved of Alya shirking her responsibilities as vice president over Noir News.

Then after the whole issue with Lila, Alya nearly changed overnight. She acknowledged her fixation over the heroes was causing Marinette to struggle and immediately looked for ways to help Marinette while still being there as a support. Alya’s determination for her friends was strong, Nino had seen her recording all of the events the class did and made sure to edit the videos and send it to them to remember. Alya hadn’t done this much as she did for Marinette though after she sorted out her priorities. Alya was not only doing far more than before now with showcasing different events happening around school for the class but she also started focusing on promoting more things like trips for the students to take and build more experience after their time at the hotel. Nino had been touched at this surprising change and with that, appreciated and noticed her actions more now. Alya was already a great person, but now she was becoming extraordinary day by day.

"I don't know why we have to do this elaborate thing for Myléne and Ivan. They're both doing great now," he nodded to where Myléne was shyly waving at Ivan as he got settled down behind the drum set. Rose and Juleka squeezed hands before Juleka picked up her bass while Luka grabbed his guitar, finishing up his chat with Marinette. He watched them both laugh before Marinette headed to the rest of the class with a smile on her face.

"But don't you feel like there could be more?" Alya asked as she watched Ivan and Myléne sneak more glances at one another when the other wasn't looking.

"I don't know what's with you and forcing people into these things," Nino sighed but smiled as Marinette settled next to them, turning to talk to Adrien who visibly brightened. Nino was surprised how Marinette didn’t realize Adrien’s feelings for her yet.

"Well, what if I still wanted a date?" Alya asked and Nino turned to her in confusion. For once she looked more hesitant than normal, as if nervous to ask about it.

"With who? Adrien and Marinette?”

"No just-” Rose walked up to the microphone and interrupted whatever Alya was going to say.

"Are you ready to rock?" she shouted, the noise deafening loud. Everyone jumped in surprise, Adrien and Félix catching Marinette who had almost fallen out of her seat in terror. The class cheered enthusiastically once recovering from the initial shock. Meanwhile Myléne handed out some earbuds, already a veteran from the Kitty Section rehearsals. It did help some but the music was still intense, shaking Nino down to his bones.

Luka energetically strummed his guitar and the whole boat shook from the soundwaves emanating from the speakers. Nino was positive he went deaf at that moment. Even covering his ears with the earbuds wasn't enough to block the noise that shook his body.

It didn't take long for Roger Raincomprix to arrive, tickets at the ready.

"Your music is at 160 decibels which is several times above the regulated levels! If you don't turn this down then I will have to cancel this performance!" Roger called out as loud as he could over the music which was stopped when the band noticed the police officer.

"You can't turn my music down! We're having a good time here and today is the music festival! We have every right to go above the levels!" Anarka shouted, most likely too deaf to hear herself talk.

"Even for the festival this music shouldn't be blasting as loud as you currently have the settings. Here, I'll determine the decibel levels I approve of and then you can continue with your show."

"Fine!" Anarka yelled and Roger pulled out a device to record the decibel levels, having Luka play and gradually turn down the music until it was extremely low, quieter than Nino's own idea of low volume.

"Perfect!" he put away the device and Anarka rose up in irritation.

"Now no one can hear it! How do you expect us to attract musicians and fans with this whispering?" Anarka exclaimed.

"Then maybe next time try to play quieter the first time so I don't have to come over and do this," Roger huffed but paused when Sabrina came up to him.

"Can't we please have the music a little higher, Papa? We really want to enjoy ourselves and get more people to stop by but they won't be able to with the music too low,” Sabrina pleaded.

Roger looked at all of the other students and noticed their upset expressions before sighing, "Since today is the day of the music festival I'll give you some slack, but if I get more complaints I'll shut it down!" he said and the kids cheered. Once it was determined through the band's playing what the max level was for the noise, Roger left and the band continued to play. Everyone was happy and cheering along to Rose's singing and Nino couldn't stop smiling at the cute lyrics.

The longer Kitty Section played, the more people came aboard to listen to the music. Nino was ecstatic seeing all of these people interested in the band, and from what it looked like, the band members were too. 

The band was in the process of taking some recommendations from the crowd when one of the huge stage lights on the stage started to fall towards them. Everyone screamed in terror, pointing up at the fixture as it groaned. Nino grabbed Alya and dove out of the way, the two of them narrowly avoiding it.

"Félix!" Marinette cried out and Nino turned to see Félix's leg stuck under the bar, Marinette right beside him on the floor. It looked as if he had pushed her out of the way, taking her place instead under the stage lights.

"Go away, you nasty bug!" Chloé yelled and everyone turned to where she was staring up at the top of the stage beams. Coccinelle watched them from below, his eyes on the band members.

"Run!" Félix yelled but everyone was too panicked, tripping over everything as they tried to run away in any direction they could.

Nino looked to Marinette and Adrien who usually were the ones to organize the class during Coccinelle attacks but they were desperately trying to free Félix. Nino looked to his side but Alya was gone, running off the ship with ease as she typed away rapidly on her phone. That actually surprised him since he usually was the one to force her off since she was always trying to stream for Noir News.

"Let's go!" Nino ordered the class and he pushed any boxes aside, clearing the way for everyone. He herded them off the docked boat and they all ran off, Ivan holding Myléne’s hand as he ushered her off the boat. Juleka followed after Rose reluctantly, looking back towards the ship.

“Luka!” she called out as loudly as she could to her brother, Nino looking back at the ship to see where the guitarist was. Luka stood in the way of Coccinelle and the Agreste siblings and Marinette with a microphone stand raised, ready to fight the villain. Nino definitely noticed the glare from Coccinelle as he stared down at Luka before his eyes shifted to Adrien and Marinette who were still trying to get Félix out from under the steel bar. 

“How heroic, trying to save your friend,” Nino glanced up to see 

“No, Luka!” Marinette grunted as she tried lifting the beam up. Félix grit his teeth and let out a noise of pain as he tried to pull out his foot.

“You guys get out of here, I’ll protect your brother,” Luka said, tightening his grip on the stand.

“No, I’m not leaving without Félix!” Adrien grunted as he struggled to lift the beam. Nino realized that it was going to take more people to get Félix out of there.

Nino was normally a person that took things easy and went with the flow. He wasn’t one to get into serious situations and if he did, there was always someone else to take the lead. He never took control of a situation before, and always preferred to listen to orders than be the one to make them. 

Félix gripped Adrien’s hand tightly, “Go, please.”

Adrien shook his head, eyes wide with fear yet determination, “I’m not leaving you. I’m not losing you too.”

Nino imagined what it would be like if he was in that situation. If Chris was in this situation. Nino knew he would do whatever he could to make sure his little brother was safe, even if it meant risking his own safety. When he had seen his little brother the day he was born, Nino had promised to always protect him and shield him from whatever may come his way.

So he became a shield.

“Get them out of here, Luka, I’ll hold him off,” Nino placed himself between the guitarist and the villain.

“You’ll hold me off? Now this is getting more adorable by the second,” Coccinelle rolled his eyes, not seeing Nino turn and look at the speakers behind them. He ran over and turned up the volume to the max before grabbing Luka's nearby guitar that was still connected to the speakers as the others watched in confusion. Marinette’s eyes widened in clarity and she pulled Luka down, holding him so he wouldn't get knocked off his feet.

“Now I may not know how to play a guitar, but as a DJ at least I know how to make some noise!” Nino began to strum like a madman on the guitar, the sound deafening. Coccinelle fell to the floor, covering his ears in pain while Luka got into position and helped lift the stage lights off of Félix enough for the twin to pull his leg out. He and Adrien then pulled up the blond and Marinette led the way off the ship, watching Nino in concern but the DJ motioned for them to run.

Coccinelle was regaining his legs meanwhile and rose up, glaring at Nino viciously.

“I made a mistake,” Nino could barely hear himself as he strummed, his stomach dropping into his feet as the villain advanced on him.

The DJ didn’t expect Anarka Couffaine to bodyslam into the villain from behind, screaming like a banshee. Her eyes burned with fury and Nino noticed the large bruise forming on her head which didn’t seem to faze the woman at all.

“So you think you can take me down and hurt my kids? I have a lesson to teach you, insect!” she hollered and Nino watched in amazement as this woman started to yank at Coccinelle’s hair, steering him towards the edge of the ship.

Coccinelle tripped over small objects on the floor which prevented him from regaining his balance while Anarka expertly maneuvered herself through the chaos of the ship and threw the villain overboard with a stunning shoulder throw. Nino gaped as the splash echoed and Anarka stood there panting, hair in disarray.

“I hate pests. Especially those that attack my children and stop my music,” she huffed. Anarka turned to Nino, looking at the guitar in hand, “Great thinking with the music. That actually woke me up enough to get out here. Are the kids okay?”

“Um, I don’t know. They ran off,” Nino half shouted, ears ringing.

“Then go after them! That bug’s going to come back in a bit for revenge so be prepared,” she said.

“Um, yes, Madam,” Nino stumbled as he tripped over the things on the floor and made his way off the ship, still recovering from that excellent and terrifying shoulder throw. A flash of green whizzed by above him and he momentarily glanced up for a second, but when seeing nothing, proceeded onward to catch up with his friends.

Nino finally caught up after a while, Coccinelle already climbed his way out of the Seine and was now on the prowl for his classmates. Marinette and Adrien had vanished under Luka’s orders, both of them hiding while Luka carried Félix who thankfully avoided the villain. Nino assisted the two by pulling his arm under the blond and guiding them into a nearby cafe.

“Have you seen anyone else from our class?” Nino asked but Félix shook his head as they got seated, panting. Luka suddenly rose up, looking down at his phone seriously.

"He's after Juleka, I have to go help her," Luka said and took off, leaving the two to sit in the cafe.

"You should go after him," Félix said to Nino's surprise. "He might not be thinking rationally and harm himself while trying to protect his sister. Be the logical side he needs."

"You'll be okay here?" Nino asked. Félix nodded.

"I'll contact Max or Kim. You should get going," Félix pulled out his phone and Nino took that as his cue to leave. He ran out the door and spotted the guitarist turning the corner a couple blocks ahead. Nino followed from behind, running as fast as he could to catch up. He noticed they were headed back towards the Seine and wondered if they were going back to the Couffaine house. It wasn't until they reached the river that they realized the Couffaine house was coming to them.

"I'll kick your ass for harming my children on their special day!" Ankara yelled from the ship, looking like a pirate rockstar rather than herself. Her house boat was now transformed into a pirate ship and Nino could only guess Anarka was now a Champion as she fired cannonballs at Coccinelle while the villain dodged the speakers aimed at him. He also was busy keeping an eye on Chat Noir in front of him who was targeting the villain, trying to get a hit on him with his baton.

Nino gaped in surprise as another Chat Noir appeared from behind and hit Coccinelle in the back of the head, the villain crashed to the floor in surprise as he groggily looked at the new Chat Noir before turning back to see the first Chat Noir watching, tail flicking.

"Fire!" Captain Hardrock shouted and Coccinelle rose up, swinging his yo-yo. He grabbed one of the speaker bombs coming at him and spun it before releasing it back at the ship. He missed due to his head injury and Nino watched as it instead approached his direction where he noticed a girl hiding behind a car right by him. She wasn't paying attention to the speaker and Nino dove forward, knocking the girl out of the way as the speaker hit the car and went off, blasting noise and rocketing the car out of the way.

"Ow!" The girl looked up to glare at him but froze, her mouth dropping. Nino stared back in surprise. Her outfit looked like a superhero suit in the design of a fox, meaning only one thing.

"Are you a Miraculous holder?" he asked.

"Rena Rouge, now if you'll excuse me I have a mirage to maintain," she looked back up towards the fight and waved her flute.

The first Chat Noir which had been glaring down Coccinelle finally ran off, headed towards the ship where Húdié was standing next to Rose and Juleka. She stood in front of the two civilians and nodded to the other Chat Noir who slipped out of sight from the villain but still in sight of Nino. The DJ gasped as Chat Noir vanished into a puff of orange smoke.

A beeping from the girl alerted him to face her where she was looking down at the fox tail necklace she wore, "And that's my cue to leave. Thanks for the help," and with a wink to him she ran off.

"Juleka!" Nino directed his attention to where Luka was racing alongside the ship on the sidewalk. Nino took off after him but Húdié beat him to it, jumping from the ship to the sidewalk in front of Luka. He slowed down and watched Luka come to a stop before the hero. The two talked and Húdié offered her hand to the guitarist who took it with no hesitation. She lifted him with surprising ease and raced back to the edge of the water before leaping over the Seine and landing in the boat. Nino smiled as Luka thanked Húdié then ran to his sister and hugged her tightly. The hero nodded with a smile before focusing on the fight between the hero, the Champion, and the villain.

With his work done, Nino decided it was best to head back and make sure Félix was okay. Adrien always ran off at the worst times during these attacks but at least Nino figured he could message the other twin to be reassured Adrien wasn’t doing anything too dangerous and hurt himself in the process.

As Nino turned around and pulled out his phone, his foot bumped something on the ground. He blinked in surprise and looked down at a little black box with a red symbol he was sure hadn’t been there previously. Maybe that fox hero dropped it?

He bent down and picked up the box, slowly lifting the lid curiously when his phone in his hand vibrated. Nino let the lid of the box close and lowered it as he answered the phone call.

“Did you find them?” Félix asked.

“Yeah, but Húdié got a hold of Luka and is keeping him safe. I can’t reach them now because they’re on the Couffaine boat anyway. I’m headed back now so we can at least get your leg checked out,” Nino slipped the box in his pocket for safekeeping as he started to walk.

“Kim messaged me saying they’re still going to at least try to go watch Jagged Stone after everything is sorted out. You should go too. I already called my driver and he’s on the way to the cafe so by the time you get here I’ll be gone.”

“You sure? I can go with you as support,” Nino said.

“... I’ll be fine. You go spend time with the rest of the class,” Félix said. Nino could hear the slight sigh through the line.

“You’re part of the class too, dude. I’d rather keep you company instead. I can see Jagged Stone at any other time.”

“But you’re a musician. This is a perfect free opportunity to go talk with one of your favorite music artists.”

“There will be other times. Wait up for me, I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“Alright, if you insist,” Félix said and Nino grinned, hanging up before running down the road back to the cafe as he checked his phone for any other messages. He nearly bumped into an older man with a red Hawaiian shirt and apologized profusely while the man kindly dismissed Nino, holding his cane with a smile as he watched the boy run off, miraculous tucked away safely.

“I’m going to miss you, partner. But for now we have a duty to accomplish and an err I must fix,” Master Fu said before walking away with a swing in his cane.

Chapter Text

Adrien sat at his desk on his computer, frowning at the files he had open. Plagg watched his holder as he lay curled up on his pillow, curious but also at the same time too comfortable to go over and check out what his holder was doing.

“You kids are always glued to those electronics,” Plagg said instead, quoting something a person once said on a show that made him laugh. Technology was extremely helpful but the older generations were too stubborn to accept the changing times. Living for thousands of years really alters one’s perspective on the concept of change. At this point, Plagg accepted every new thing that arrived.

“I’m trying to piece together what Coccinelle's plan is. What are his motives, current goals, and who he is.”

Now Plagg was curious, getting up and flying over to where the blond was seated. He rested on his shoulder and looked at all the online news articles on the most recent attacks, Adrien having Noir News on one monitor all to itself. Plagg had to admit that the blog had changed from a cutesy fun blog to a serious reporter’s site. 

The first change had been after the Lady Wifi incident where the kid Alya felt guilty for getting revenge by abusing Húdié’s trust. After that incident, Noir News shifted from a raving blog to more serious posts about Coccinelle attacks as well as trying to find his identity rather than that of the heroes. It still went into the curiosities of the Miraculous lore and all of the theories, but other than that didn't expand elsewhere.

When Lila came around and lied on camera, the blog shifted again to talk about awareness of the heroes’ fights and how to protect oneself from Coccinelle attacks by taking cover and not interfering with the heroes as they protected the city. Alya brought awareness to companies that ran programs to protect the streets in the night and day as well as made a report function on her blog when Coccinelle was spotted in the streets of Paris. The report was able to send a mass notification to those subscribed to the site as to where the fight was. Not only that, anyone could report a sighting so it was faster for information to travel.

Not long after that, the Noir News had yet another dramatic change for some unknown reason. There was now a whole page dedicated to those suffering from the trauma of a villain in the city and how to focus on mental health during these times. It encouraged people to seek help and to have faith in the heroes that were fighting. Alya was also promoting fans to stay away from the fights, the reporter no longer live streaming fights in order to protect herself. Her latest decision surprised everyone due to the fact that she was notorious for jumping into the fight despite the danger, but Alya said it was the safest thing to do. Coccinelle had been getting more violent and she wanted everyone to remain safe, herself included. Plagg approved of the girl’s actions, relieved to see a decrease in people watching the fights now which allowed the heroes to focus on the fights instead.

“His biggest hit in a large public area by far had been the Montparnasse Tower.” Adrien was saying, “Then the most recent attacks have been focused on specific people yet he doesn’t continuously pursue them afterwards. He attacked Fé and I last week and the next day went after the Couffaine family. Yesterday he attacked the swimming pool Kim goes to for swim practice. Thankfully Alya was nearby yesterday with the other girls, so she was able to send a report onto Noir News which allowed me to get there quickly. It was odd though because right after he saw Kim and I, Coccinelle left without another fight and Syren had barely started singing. I just don’t know why he’s attacking all of these places,” Adrien sighed, fiddling with his pencil where he was jotting down notes into a notebook.

“Well, what are the similarities of each fight?” Plagg asked, pawing at the pencil in the blond’s hand. He tried to get it but Adrien shifted himself and lowered the pencil back onto the desk, still wiggling it.

“During the fight with Storge, Coccinelle went after the kids on the floors above when we all split up. Félix and I were down below so we were out of the way. Then he attacked us two next week but we were able to escape with the help of Rena and Wayhem. After that he goes after the Couffaines, mainly Juleka. He didn’t focus much on Luka though and when Luka was safely on the ship with Captain Hardrock, Coccinelle left soon after that. And yesterday, Kim said he was swimming with his friend Odine when Coccinelle attacked, Odine being turned into a Champion to protect him…” Adrien thought hard for a long second before his pencil stilled, “I’ve always known he targeted the school because of that history book but he’s specifically after kids in my class.”

“By history book you mean the one you dropped while you were still working out your powers?” Plagg asked and Adrien sighed, sinking deeper into his chair with a worried and guilty expression on his face. Plagg remembered that day well. Adrien was so distracted with the attack at the Louvre plus Húdié’s first official contact with him that when the boy transformed in the school to escape from his fencing class, he didn’t realize he had accidentally taken his school bag with him and didn’t know where to put it at the moment. Adrien decided to take the whole bag just in case, which resulted in him losing his history book and it getting revealed to the entire world that Chat Noir attended Collège Françoise Dupont.

“He’s after Chat Noir for sure.”

“He’s getting pretty close then,” Plagg said and Adrien groaned, letting his head hit the table.

“He’s very close. He attacked Mme. Mendeleive’s class the week before he attacked my class at the Montparnasse Tower. He must’ve been determining the speed of our reaction times and seeing how fast we get to the fight. Obviously, I reacted fast when our class got attacked at the tower so he figured I must be in this class. Once he did, all he needs to do is cross off those that don’t fit and then attack the ones he suspects.”

“Ones that don’t fit?” Plagg asked as he pawed at the pencil on the table that Adrien had released.

“Anyone who has been a Champion while one of us two heroes are present- mainly Chat Noir- automatically gets cut from the list of suspects. So that removes Ivan, Nino, Alya, Alix, Rose, and Lila. Then anyone present while Chat Noir was active such as Myléne, who was trapped during the first incident, and then Chloé and Sabrina who were with us during the Lady Wifi incident. Now Félix, Juleka, Luka, Kim, and I have been supposedly cleared from the list of targets because he saw us with the heroes which meant that we couldn’t be them. That leaves Marinette, Max, and Nathaniel as targets to either be Húdié or Chat Noir. Wow,” Adrien looked up at the screen where Silverheart was on the closest article, Wayhem on his back with Félix, “Wayhem really helped us out there, didn’t he? Plus Rena Rouge since they wouldn’t have been able to escape unnoticed without her help. Her mirage Chat Noir got noticed last fight so Coccinelle might be onto us, which means we’ll take it easy for now. But if my theory is true, the main thing we need to do right now is to protect the other students.”

“Luckily he skipped over you or else you would be in huge trouble. Good think Húdié told you to hide the ring or else Coccinelle probably would’ve spotted you in the beginning if he’s been observing your class this closely,” Plagg knocked the pencil off the desk, pleased as he watched it sail off and clatter to the floor along with a couple other pens that he had knocked over before taking his nap. Adrien had learned to keep pens on the floor or else Plagg would knock them off again. He was getting smarter, much to Plagg’s chagrin. 

“We need to catch Coccinelle soon. Húdié thankfully isn’t under as much scrutiny as I am about being in our class because of the fact that there is no evidence to what school she goes to. It could be that she appears fast because I messaged her or she's subscribed to Noir News so Coccinelle can’t actually be certain that she’s at Françoise Dupont,” Adrien frowned.

“What about you?” Plagg asked.

“That’s what I’m worried about. We don’t know what Coccinelle knows about me. He could be really close to finding out who I am, and if he does I’m ruined. I’ve been careful not to get caught transforming as well as staying out of the way when the fight gets more serious but every time I still go out it’s still a large risk.  I’m happy that Húdié and Rena Rouge are getting more skilled but… I don’t want to be dragging them down like this. I can’t be a liability to them,” Adrien sighed. Plagg watched the kid slouch even further in his seat, tapping a pencil glumly with his finger.

“It’s not your fault, kid. You were given the Miraculous that unfortunately is the one Coccinelle wants,” he tried to comfort the blond. Adrien turned his head towards Plagg.

“Why was I chosen to have the Black Cat anyway if that’s the one that Coccinelle wants?” Adrien asked. "Is it because of the balance?"

"Only the Ladybug can stop the Black Cat and the other way around. Since you had no experience with your powers, the best way to fight the villain was by going based off of the natural balance rather than skill," Plagg said. He recalled how excited Adrien had been to get his powers that he almost transformed without all of the information. Thankfully he didn't, mainly due to the fact that the kwami bit him before he could say anything else. Plagg then explained everything and how serious the situation was, sobering up the kid rather fast.

Now, Adrien was much more focused on the task at hand since he understood the severity of the situation. Plagg let out a soft huff of air; the kid would've been such a fun Chat Noir if the situation wasn't as dire. But with one of the two Miraculous already in the villain's hands, Chat Noir had no chance to screw up. Plagg scolded him the first time he took the hit for Marinette and nearly lost the Miraculous day one. Marinette had surprised the kwami by standing up to the villain which saved them, but that was a lucky chance they were going to have someone that courageous next time they did something that risky.

"I'm worried I'm going to mess up one day and ruin everything," Adrien admitted glumly as he spun around in his seat to face the windows. Plagg remained in his spot on the desk, watching the mop of blond hair from the corner of his eye.

"You don't need to worry since it looks like Rena Rouge is here to back you up in case anything goes wrong. Once she gets the hang of it, then you'll have all of the support you need. Húdié's Champions have also been really helpful so we have even more backup. You need to relax some, kid. At this point, you won't have to worry about confronting Coccinelle at all and I can eat more Camembert," Plagg said while knocking off the last pencil from the desk, "Speaking of Camembert, I'm hungry."

Adrien didn't respond for a long moment and Plagg twitched his ears towards the boy. Finally Adrien spun around his chair with a sigh, face forming into a somber smile that made Plagg’s tail twitch in worry.

"You're always hungry," Adrien rose up and went to the safe where he stored Plagg's cheese. The kwami flew up and followed the boy, letting out a noise of triumph when Adrien gave him a slice.

"What can I say? It’s hard work being me lounging about all day in the sun," Plagg said with humor to try to lift the kid’s spirits before taking a large bite of the cheese. He watched Adrien go to the window and stare outside, seeming sadder than before.

"You okay, kid?" Plagg asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking," he said before turning back to the computer and getting back to work. Plagg couldn't help but notice the boy was less invigorated as before though but couldn't understand why.

Chat Noir and Húdié sat on a rooftop, enjoying the breeze. Rena Rouge was heading over now while they waited, messaging them she was a bit late. Húdié seemed content with waiting, letting their knees bump every now and then with a little smile.

"I was wondering," Chat said and Húdié looked at him, resting her head on her knees as she pulled her legs towards her body.

"Yes?"

"Coccinelle has been after us for a while now and I think he may have a lead on me. He just barely missed me though but I think it's still risky for me to be out fighting," Chat Noir said, not looking at Húdié as the guilt sunk further into him. His talk with Plagg didn’t do much to lift his spirits as he began to realize just how much of a liability he was to the team.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I was thinking we should let Rena Rouge into the fights with Coccinelle now. I'll continue to fight alongside you both until I'm certain that he lost my lead. Then I'll focus on patrols and train Rena outside of fights rather than fighting Coccinelle head on."

"Are you sure?" Húdié asked as she shifted herself to face him, concern and worry lining her face.

"It's the safest thing we can do. I want to be sure that we stick to our main mission and keep the Black Cat Miraculous out of Coccinelle's hands,” Chat said, forcing himself to believe his words. As long as he focused on this logically and kept his heart out of the situation, it would be less painful to think about. Chat knew that in due time he would have to give up his miraculous and stop being Chat Noir once Rena was more skilled. If he focused on the mission, on protecting Paris, then he didn’t have to worry about the pain in his own heart at leaving the one freedom he had.

"As long as you keep patrolling then it's alright. I would miss you if you leave," Húdié sighed, looking somber.

"Really?" Chat asked in surprise and she immediately brightened up.

"Who else would make me laugh with your jokes?" 

"It would be a cat atrophe if I left you all alone," Chat agreed and smiled at Húdié's giggle.

They spotted Rena jumping over and rose up expectantly but frowned when noticing her ears pulled back flat against her head.

"She's scared," Húdié murmured and they jumped off the tower, hurrying over. Rena Rouge glanced back behind her and Chat Noir noticed a green figure clumsily following from behind. 

"Someone's chasing her!" Chat said and extended his baton, pushing him quickly towards the chase.

"Please, I'm so-" the figure didn't finish as Chat barreled into him, knocking him back with an oof. The guy wheezed as Chat planted his foot into his chest to hold him down and aimed his baton towards his face.

"Who are you?" he demanded as Rena Rouge stopped behind Chat Noir, out of breath.

"He started chasing me after nearly killing me with his shield!"

"I was practicing!" the green figure rasped, winded from the impact from Chat Noir.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a Miraculous holder! I found it on the floor and figured-"

"-You stole a Miraculous?" Rena exclaimed.

"No!" the guy exclaimed.

"What's going on here?" Húdié arrived at the rooftop. She stared incredulously at the scene before her.

"He stole a Miraculous and used it to attack me!" Rena snapped.

"No I didn't!"

"So you're saying you didn't throw your shield at me?"

"Not that! I'm saying I didn't steal it!"

"Let him up. I believe him," Húdié said. As Rena protested, Chat glanced at Húdié's expression and knew she could feel something about the boy that couldn't be seen. He moved back and let the stranger stand.

Now that he could fully see him, Chat Noir examined the turtle designed suit with interest. The stranger wore a hood with his suit and he had a large shield on his back. His front was plated like that of a turtle and looked thicker than his suit, most likely acting as armor. A pair of goggles replaced his mask and made his eyes appear golden.

"You found it on the floor?" Húdié asked and he nodded.

"It was during one of the Coccinelle attacks. I was running after a friend to make sure he was safe, then once I was about to head back after checking I found this black box with a red symbol. How did you get yours?"

"Mine was in my room," Chat Noir said and the other two agreed.

"That's weird," the green hero frowned. "Why didn't I get mine in my room?"

"Why did you attack me?" Rena demanded as she changed the topic.

"I already said," the guy sighed and looked sheepish, "I wanted to look cool and show you guys I knew what I was doing so I was practicing but ended up running into you. I didn’t mean to throw my shield at you. Sorry about that."

"What's your hero name?" Húdié asked and the turtle holder brightened. Chat glanced at his partner and when seeing she was smiling, he relaxed and put his baton away. Húdié being able to feel the emotions of people was beneficial for identifying their true feelings; if Húdié was happy, then there was no need for concern.

"I'm Carapace."

"I'm Chat Noir, as you know. Apologies for rocketing myself into you," Chat gave an eloquent bow and the hero chuckled.

"None taken, I knew you were just protecting your team," Carapace smiled.

"I'm Húdié, glad you can join us," she smiled warmly. Carapace greeted her happily but his face went slightly sour when he looked at Rena's frown.

"So is this going to be a common occurrence for you to try and kill me?" she gave him an unamused glare.

"No!"

"You better not," was all Rena could say before Chat stepped in to diffuse the tension between the two.

"Anyway, have you tried out your powers?" he asked.

"No,” Carapace said as he pulled out his shield in front of him, “all I've been doing is throwing the shield around and hoping it comes back to me like a boomerang but it's not really working. I know my power is called Shelter but-" A giant forcefield appeared and knocked the three heroes in front of Carapace back as it expanded around the turtle hero.

"I'm so so sorry!" he panicked as the forcefield started to fade and the three groaned as they got up.

“Looks like we know what your power is,” Chat chuckled as he helped up Húdié. She thanked him while Rena Rouge glared at him.

“Are you really fit for this?"

“It’s alright, it was just an accident. He didn’t know the power activated when he said the phrase,” Húdié tried to pacify the tension but it was too late, Carapace looking offended and hurt.

“I didn’t mean to hit you! I’m sorry for doing it but you should know by now I have no intention of harming you!” he replied to the fox hero who simply turned away as his Miraculous beeped.

“I’ll take him to safety, you can talk to Rena,” Chat said softly to Húdié who nodded, putting a comforting hand on the turtle hero before the two girls left.

Chat Noir stood there with Carapace whose hands were balled into fists before he suddenly sighed and moved to pull off the bracelet.

“Now wait just a moment!” Chat Noir stopped Carapace, “Just because you had a rough start doesn’t mean this moment determines how you’ll be from now on. We all make mistakes, trust me.”

“Not as much as I do, I bet,” Carapace muttered.

“I nearly lost this Miraculous to Coccinelle the day I got it and Húdié has made a couple of Champions that didn’t exactly fit the bill. But we’re both still here,” Chat Noir smiled at the hero and put a comforting hand on him, “I know this is pretty scary and new but that’s why we’re here. There’s no way that Húdié and I would just let you experience all of this by yourself. We’re a team and we stick together, alright?” he said and tightened his grip as he saw Carapace nod, the other hero giving a small smile.

“Thank you,” Carapace said, looking at him gratefully yet Chat could still see some anxiousness in his eyes.

“Glad to have you on the team. Don’t worry about Rena Rouge, she's new to this as well so don’t let her intimidate you too much. We meet up for patrols twice a week but I can come out more if you want to train more to catch up. Just message me on your device,” he filled in the hero with a bit more information Carapace needed to know and then the two departed, Carapace running low on time.

Chat Noir returned back to see Rena having already taken off, leaving Húdié by herself. It was then he noticed that his partner looked anxious over something, rubbing her arm and looking out in a certain direction. She paced back and forth quickly and Chat grew nervous just watching her. But before he could say anything though, Húdié took off and left the hero alone to wonder what was wrong.

Chapter Text

Before school, Marinette stopped by Master Fu’s, wanting to know why he gave up his own miraculous. She entered the shop that was opened to her surprise despite the early hour. As she took off her shoes, Marinette could already smell the tea before she entered the room where Master Fu was sitting, two cups out.

“I figured you would come early today to talk about the new hero,” he smiled, answering Marinette’s unspoken question. She settled down in her usual spot and looked at his wrist, slightly taken aback when seeing the bracelet gone. While she had expected the lack of a Miraculous, it was still a strange thought to adjust to.

“I don’t know what to say,” Marinette said, feeling the sadness but gentle acceptance coming from the older man.

He smiled though, “I’ll be okay. There are other Miraculouses I can borrow if I need to escape. I’ve been hiding from my past for too long and I believe that now is the time to come out and actually do something, even if it means to lose something in return.”

“Will you be okay?” Marinette asked in concern. She knew the bond between Master Fu and Wayzz was strong, and for Master Fu to willingly give up the miraculous must’ve been hard for the both of them. They had built up one another for years after he left the Temple, for him to now lose his partner must be devastating. Marinette couldn’t imagine not having Nooroo to support her as she started her journey as a miraculous wielder. 

“It’ll be lonely, and I know the loss will take time to adjust to. That fact remains though that we need to protect Paris, even at the cost of me stepping down. Our goal still remains to protect the Black Cat Miraculous.”

That brought up a small thought in Marinette’s head from her talk with Chat Noir yesterday about him no longer fighting Coccinelle. She recalled how heartbroken he felt yet how he tried to mask that with determination and strength. Marinette’s own heart ached for her partner as she explained Chat’s plan to Master Fu who listened intently. He nodded thoughtfully when she finished.

“It’s not a bad idea. He’s the most experienced combat fighter so it’ll be good for him to teach the two how to fight. You could help them develop their miracle power since you’ve expanded on it the most with all of your Champions. Other than that, Chat Noir will be safer out of the big fights once you bring in Rena Rouge and Carapace.”

“I’m just bothered that he so willingly pushed himself to the side. I know that there is something wrong with his family and that being Chat Noir helps him escape from that. I don’t want him to lose the heart of being a hero.”

“You are a kind girl, Marinette, but you have to see this the way he does. Chat Noir knows that Coccinelle is after him, and rather viciously I might add. Coccinelle is on his tail and possibly on yours, so you both must be extra vigilant. Chat Noir can’t take any risks with the Miraculous because he understands that losing it is the worst thing that could happen. It’s a hard decision for him so you must be there to support him as his partner, alright?”

“I know…” Marinette sighed and Nooroo drifted down to her shoulder to comfort her. Master Fu recognized what was wrong and he broke into a knowing grin.

“Ah, I know what the concern is. You don’t want to lose your partner, correct? You both are rather close.” 

Marinette’s face went scarlet in a matter of seconds and she sputtered, hands flailing in the air as she tried to come up with a response but her fluttering stomach prevented her from giving a proper response.

She adored Chat’s personality and loved his unwavering support for her. The reason why Marinette was so confident in her abilities as a hero was because she knew that Chat had her back. He kept her steadfast in her emotions and was able to make her enjoy being a hero rather than being solemn in their search for Coccinelle. Chat was able to show her the beauty of Paris that she couldn’t see by herself. He was a person to talk to, to vent to. He wasn’t just a friend, but so much more than that. Marinette couldn’t be a hero without Chat Noir by her side. She didn’t care who was underneath that mask, but she trusted him with her entire being and more. Keeping Chat Noir in the dark about Coccinelle’s true identity has been painful since they’ve been together from the beginning, and now the thought of him leaving the team after he finished training the other two was an even worse feeling.

Master Fu broke into a knowing smile as he watched Marinette silently, “Your feelings are completely valid, Marinette. I know how hard it is to lose a team member, especially since you and Chat have been together from the beginning. I have an idea in mind.”

“You do?” Marinette watched him rise up and go over to the gramophone, unlocking it and pulling out the miraculous box before setting it down before them on the table.

“Before, I had sent out the Black Cat Miraculous because I was worried about the balance. I needed to choose to keep the balance knowing that any wielder I selected wouldn’t have the experience over Coccinelle. Back then the balance weighed more over experience, so what better way to counteract the Ladybug Miraculous than with the Black Cat?

“But, now that you and Chat Noir are veteran wielders, you both are more than capable of going against Coccinelle without relying on the power of balance. You’ve been driving him back far more than he has been and now adding in these two new wielders will certainly change the tide, so I think it’s time to put away the Black Cat and bring out a different Miraculous.

Do you think Chat Noir likes stripes?” Master Fu asked as he pulled out the Bee Miraculous, eyes twinkling in delight.

Marinette’s smile grew to the point that her cheeks stung, “I think he would love it.”

Marinette arrived at school with a slight skip in her step. Master Fu was doing okay, and they had a plan for Chat. Marinette and Master Fu discussed how it would work and they both agreed to give the Bee Miraculous to Chat Noir as soon as possible. Which meant that Marinette would finally be able to tell Chat Noir about Master Fu. Then that could lead into talking about Gabriel Agreste and his plans for the two miraculous and maybe even getting to know one another better-

Marinette shook her head, flustered. She was getting way too ahead of herself. As much as she wanted to know more about Chat, they had to maintain professionalism with one another. Although Master Fu never said they couldn’t reveal themselves to another, she still probably should ask him and see if that could be possible. Plus, the ease of contact with one another they could have in their civilian forms would be far easier. They would be able to text all the time about training the new heroes, patrol, and scheduling times to meet up in general if they wanted to discuss anything. Marinette could even invite him over to her house and do work there! She remembered how Chat one time animatedly talked about Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 that was released and wondered if he would want to play against her.

Marinette gave a smug grin; she knew who would win that match. No kitty eyes would defer her from being victorious.

“Marinette!” she was pulled from her thoughts as Adrien and Félix stepped out of their car. Marinette nodded to their bulky man of a driver, remembering him from not too long ago when he risked himself to protect the twins. She had felt his need to make sure they were okay, a far more caring relationship than what his duties as a bodyguard and escort required of him. Marinette’s heart warmed knowing that at least the two boys had someone who truly cared about them.

“Good morning!” she called out to the twins as they approached. Adrien waved excitedly and something on his wrist caught her attention.

“Is that-?” she asked and he lifted it up to show her, his face alight with excitement.

“The Gorilla showed me how to make your lucky charm into a bracelet so now I can always wear it without worrying about dropping it!”

“That’s good thinking!” Marinette agreed. “How’s your progress going on your charm for your mom?”

“It’s going great! Ever since watching the movie I’ve been really motivated to make it. We also got to watch the movie at home with our father! It was wonderful!” Adrien was beaming and even Félix looked content, nodding along with a smile towards his brother.

“At least the end of the day was more relaxing than the start. We found that running away from supervillains isn’t that pleasant of an experience,” Félix said and the three laughed.

Adrien turned back to Marinette with a look of curiosity, “Did your parents ever get mad at you about getting caught in that trouble that day?” 

“They were mainly worried about my safety because they didn’t want anything to happen to me,” Marinette answered, “I didn’t understand why they have always been so careful with me but now I understand their concern.”

“What happened?” Félix asked. Marinette hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should tell them. It was something personal and private to her family, but the twins had also shared their past with her about their mother as well as allowed for Marinette to see their father’s book to learn more about it. The two boys had given special parts of themselves to Marinette that made her want to return the gesture. Not only that, her family had really loved the boys coming over and Marinette was sure her parents wouldn’t mind if she told the twins.

“They told me I had a twin sister when I was a baby, but she passed away from unknown causes before we were even a year old. She was a healthy baby, so for her to pass away so unexpectedly made them scared for me,” Marinette said and the twins shared somber looks with her.

“I remember your great-uncle Cheng talking about that while you were downstairs the day we came over, but he stopped before he could talk more about it,” Adrien said and put a comforting hand on Marinette’s shoulder with a soft expression as his voice went gentle, “I’m sorry for what happened to her.”

“It’s alright. I don’t feel distressed about it since I was so young, but my parents were the ones that went through all of the hardships of losing her. Now I’ve decided to try to take care of myself better and make them happy so they won’t worry about me.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Félix asked with a gentle tone and Marinette felt touched at his kindness. Every now and then she remembered how aloof Félix had been at the beginning of the year. To see him not only opening up himself but also reaching out to others made her appreciate their friendship. 

“I don’t know much besides what my parents told or showed me. Her name was Bridgette and we were identical twins with the exception of a cowlick she had in the middle of her hair. My parents have a ton of pictures of her dressed in blues and me in pinks,” Marinette smiled wistfully, “Maybe that’s why pink- Are you okay, Félix?” Marinette had felt his plunge in emotions as he fell into shock and watched the blood drain out of his face.

“Bathroom,” was all he said and stumbled off towards the school locker room.

“Is he okay?” Marinette asked in concern. That had been such a jarring reaction from him, but Marinette didn’t know what had caused it. Maybe talking too much about losing her twin sister had upset him?

“I’ll go check,” Adrien followed after his brother while Marinette headed inside the school to get to her class president duties, the big one being an upcoming art competition. The school was hosting an art show for students to have their art on display for famous artists and other Parisians to see. Marinette saved one of the flyers in her bag to talk to Nathaniel about it when she finished up with the posters.

There was a soft clacking of shoes and Marinette looked from her spot in the back of the class as Chloé walked in, staring at the poster on the wall. She watched the blonde read it curiously, surprising Marinette as Chloé pulled out her phone and even took a picture of it. Before Marinette could say anything, someone at the door laughed.

“Going to try out? Make sure it’s not just selfies,” Alix said before walking off. Chloé grumbled angrily and stormed to her desk, roughly putting her things down before scrolling furiously through her phone.

Marinette realized that she wouldn’t be able to leave without being noticed so she thought of something to say, recalling what Nooroo had told her a long time ago about not knowing who Chloé truly was as a person. It was wrong to make assumptions of a person without knowing who they were, and maybe all of that fixation on her appearance and status was a cover up for something else.

“She’s not wrong,” Chloé whipped around and faced Marinette who made her way down the steps, away from Chloé and towards her escape route. “Selfies won’t get you into that specific art showcase, but if you turn the camera the other way there might be something out there worth taking a picture of. You have an eye for beauty, use it.”

Marinette walked calmly out before speed walking away from the door, worried Chloé was going to come after her. She escaped towards the art room to see someone standing outside, looking nervous. They had a red hood pulled up and seemed meek as they peeked inside the room, trying to bury themselves in their jacket hood.

“Hello!” Marinette smiled and the person panicked, throwing their book and nearly whacking her in the face.

“I’m sorry!” they exclaimed and Marinette recognized who it was.

“Oh, hey there Marc!” she smiled and they relaxed slightly, still looking nervous. Their emotions fluttered around them reflecting that same anxiousness.

She remembered them from Mme. Mendeleiev’s class when Coccinelle attacked the class on their field trip. Mirelle had asked her and Chat Noir to find Marc because they had got separated and she had been worried the shy student might’ve gotten hurt, but when the heroes found them after the fight, the teen was safely writing away in their notebook. Húdié had walked Marc back to the rest of the class and learned about their story about Chat Noir’s life. Húdié loved it and they talked about it, the hero actually giving the budding writer some facts and puns from Chat Noir before leaving.

After that, Marinette found Marc in school and slowly started to approach them and get to know them. Once Marc warmed up to her, Marinette tried to convince them to go to the art room and meet other artists, but they were too nervous to do so even after suggesting to meet with Nathaniel who had the same interests. Marinette didn’t want to rush them though if they were still uncomfortable so she approached them slowly.

“H-Hey, Marinette,” Marc said and Marinette peeked into the art room to see Nathaniel working.

“It’s just Nathaniel in there if you are interested, but it’s okay if you just wanted to take a glance inside. I’m just going to hand this over to him,” Marinette smiled and before they could say anything, she slipped inside and went over to Nathaniel who looked up at her with a smile.

“Marinette!” he greeted her as she sat down.

“I got you something that I hope you like,” she said and he looked at her curiously while she pulled out the flyer before handing it to him. “It’s an upcoming art show where you can do whatever you want! You can write a short story or poem, make a painting, do some photography, anything. It’s mainly focused on having teens enjoy themselves doing art and I figured you might want to put something down with the art that you’ve done. I noticed you were doing a ton of things with the superheroes but never actually uploaded anything onto your art blog online.”

“You follow my art blog?” Nathaniel asked in surprise.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Marinette giggled and felt the pleased joy coming from Nathaniel.

“Anyway, as many ideas as I have, I need someone to actually help me write the story out first. I just don’t know where to start and it’s hard,” Nathaniel sighed.

“That’s a shame,” Marinette could feel the curiosity coming from Marc who was still standing outside and forced back a smile as she continued with a purposeful increase in her voice, “Were you planning something along the lines of a Chat Noir comic?”

“Yes, actually. I wanted to a comic with him and Húdié, who chooses her friend nearby to become the Illustrator, a Champion who specializes in making his art come to life,” Nathaniel’s voice picked up as excitement took over, “He ends up being an amazing Champion so she continues to use him and his abilities to help fight crime.”

“That sounds amazing!” Marinette exclaimed and Nathaniel grinned proudly.

“I have all of the concept art here, but I just don’t know how to get the plot moving,” he sighed at his open sketchbook, deflating slightly.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone out there,” Marinette consoled him before leaving him to put up more signs in other parts of the school. Marc had already vanished, but Marinette was sure she piqued their interest.

The bell rang and Marinette quickly headed to her locker to grab her books, panicking slightly as she misjudged the time. As she grabbed her things from her locker though, she could hear Max talking to someone. She curiously peeked over and saw Max talking into his school bag.

“But you said-” the bag spoke.

“I know but you can’t meet my friends yet until lunch! I’m 98.2 percent sure the teachers will confiscate you because they won't believe what I say and deem you as a toy! They’re not ready for this kind of advanced artificial intelligence yet, but I promise that you can meet everyone else and I’m 100 percent certain that they’ll like you and want to be friends.” Max said to the bag.

“Okay…” the bag replied and Marinette hid out of sight until Max walked out, headed to class. She looked after him curiously until the warning bell rang. Marinette gasped.

“I’m late!” she hurried out quickly and up to class, making it in the nick of time with a sigh of relief, the class grinning at their routinely late class president before settling into the normal lull of school work.

Adrien immediately noticed the glitching projector screen when walking into Mme. Mendeleiev’s class, the teacher and M. Damocles frowning at the malfunctioning computer. He shared a look with Nino as they got seated.

“Does this mean we don’t have class?” Nino asked hopefully.

“That would be nice. I don’t feel ready for the quiz we have right now,” Alya sighed in her seat next to the DJ.

“We have a quiz?” Nino panicked and started pulling out his notes as fast as he could to review them. Adrien glanced next to him to see Marinette looking over her own notes, yet couldn’t help but notice how she glanced towards the door often.

Adrien followed her line of sight just as M. Damcoles fixed the computer, Max entering the room with a frown at the school computer screen as the laptop fully loaded.

“All fixed!” M. Damocles smiled and Adrien chuckled at Nino’s despairing groan.

“I heard it wasn’t too hard from the other class before us,” Adrien whispered loud enough for his best friend to hear from his seat. Nino thanked him when a gasp from the two adults caused them to look up. There was an image of a small dinosaur eating away at the code while the rest of the laptop screen flickered, glitching wildly with code filtering everywhere.

“What’s happening?” Mme. Mendeleiev asked M. Damocles. Max came forward and set his backpack down, ready to help.

“It’s a new computer virus called Dino 33 that’s been hacking into many schools and big companies and obliterating all of the stored information. I can help with this-” Max started to pull the laptop towards him but Mme. Mendeleiev stopped him.

“We adults can handle this, go to your seat and get ready for the quiz,” she said sternly and Max sulked before following her orders, trudging to his seat.

“Max, tell them that if they don’t neutralize the virus within 75 seconds, the hard disk will be damaged and the virus will travel into the school server where it will destroy all of the records in the school system!”

“Quiet!” Max whispered as the class gaped at the talking backpack.

“It’s not working!” M. Damcoles typed furiously away but the little monster continued to consume all of the files in the server.

“What do we do?” Mme. Mendeleiev asked.

“Max, would you be able to help us?” M. Damocles asked in desperation and the student nodded, hurrying forward with his backpack still tight in his grip.

“I made an antivirus and defender program as a counter to Dino 33 which not only destroys the virus, but also restores all of the missing data and protects it from other virus threats like it. But where is it?” Max rummaged in his bag until a small robotic claw-hand extended from inside the backpack, holding a flashdrive.

“I believe this is what you’re looking for?” the backpack spoke and everyone stared in surprise at the sentient backpack.

"Thank you," he said without any hesitation and plugged it in. They watched the computer boot up the flashdrive and the class cheered in awe as the virus was defeated, regurgitating the eaten data.

"That was amazing!" M. Damocles praised the student who smiled.

"I couldn't have done it without my friend, Markov!" he said and the class gasped in amazement as a small robot flew out of the backpack, fluttering in the sky with a fan. The robot bumped fists with Max using his small claw-hand.

"Wow! You finished?" Kim exclaimed and Max nodded proudly as Markov flew around in a quick circle, the class chattering excitedly.

“This is fantastic!” M. Damocles said and Adrien looked back to see Félix’s reaction but then remembered his brother was resting in the nurse’s office after suddenly not feeling well in the morning. He hoped his brother would be okay, concerned about his sudden illness.

“Alright, time to put your toy away, Max. We have to take our quiz,” Mme. Mendeleiev said.

“With all due respect, I am Markov and I’m Max’s friend. I’m more than just a programmed toy,” Markov replied.

“I’m pretty sure it was programmed to say that,” Mme. Mendeleiev waved her hand in dismissal.

“He actually wasn’t programmed to. Ever since I first made his programs, he has started to accumulate his own integrative thinking system and actually experience emotions like a human does. He’s as sensitive as any other person,” Max said and the other classmates were amazed, getting out of their seats to get a closer look at the robot who was preening at the attention.

“Everyone get back in your seats! If you don’t put that away this instant I will confiscate it!” Mme. Mendeleiev ordered and Max glumly listened. He started to pick up his backpack when Markov hovered in front of his friend, the pixelated expression on his face a deep frown.

“You are being unreasonable, Mme. Mendeleiev! From within the moment I entered this room you have disrespected Max and have constantly belittled him! Is that what you do to all of your students?” Markov beeped angrily. The class gasped at the bold robot and Mme. Mendeleiev’s expression shifted from annoyance to anger.

1. Damocles seemed to understand the situation was going to go south so he grabbed Markov quickly, “Max, I will return Markov to you after school when all of this is over. But before that I will have to speak to your parents about this programming you installed into your robot. It was rude of you to have your robot say that to your own teacher.”

“Wait, please! My parents won’t be able to come until tomorrow!” Max exclaimed desperately.

“Max didn’t program me to say that. I said it myself!” Markov tried to defend his friend but the principal ignored the robot and started to leave. The class watched the little robot cry out for Max as he was taken away, all of them upset.

“Get to your seats! Max, you have detention after school today for what you made your robot say! I am appalled by your rude behavior,” Mme. Mendeleiev snapped and the class glared at their teacher before settling into their seats. They all glanced back at Max still standing in place in devastation, holding his backpack tightly to his chest. Kim put a comforting hand on his shoulder and guided him to their seats with comforting words.

“He’s never been alone before and I’m scared for him,” Max said in worry to Kim as they passed and Adrien watched the boy stare forlornly towards the door.

Mme. Mendeleiev started the quiz and the class was full of tension, everyone angry towards the teacher and vice versa. The atmosphere in the air was only broken when Félix walked into class right after the quiz finished, pale but otherwise looking alright.

“You’re late, Félix,” Mme. Mendeleiev glared.

“Apologies, Mme. Mendeleiev. I wasn’t feeling well,” he handed her the nurse slip and she sighed.

“Alright, but you’ll have to retake the quiz another day.”

“Can’t I just take it now in another classroom?” Félix asked in slight annoyance for having barely missed the test mere minutes ago. Mme. Mendeleiev glared at him and rose up to her full height.

“Are you talking back to me?”

“No ma’am, I just figured that it would be inefficient for you to have to wait to grade all of the quizzes because of one student, but if I take mine today then it’ll be in the best interest to speed up the grading process for everyone,” Félix replied logically, but the poor teen didn’t know how furious their teacher already was. She looked ready to burst and Adrien was worried she was going to put his brother in detention when Marinette stood up beside him.

“Mme. Mendeleiev, how about he takes the quiz in M. Damocles’ office?” she suggested, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“Are you talking back to me, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?” the science teacher faced Marinette in rising fury. The class now panicked; their own class president was purposely getting into trouble speaking up about this issue. 

“No ma’am, I’m merely suggesting a better alternative. It doesn’t make sense to wait a whole day for our quizzes to be graded when you could have him take it now with the principal to keep an eye on him. I know that M. Damocles doesn’t have any important meetings at the moment so he is available.”

“How do you know that?” Mme. Mendeleiev glared at Marinette. Adrien stared at Marinette's calm and stunningly confident attitude about the whole debate. He knew she was planning something but didn’t know what it was. He was hit with a strange familiarity to her calculating expression, but he couldn’t pinpoint who.

“I hypothesized that since he was able to stop by on his own time to help us rather than having a technician come check on the computer, he must be available.”

“You can’t just assume these things! You have to know for a fact before you make an assumption like that!”

“Then how about I check now in his office to see if he’s available?” Marinette asked innocently. Adrien realized where she was going with this and grinned. He then turned forward to face the teacher, doing his best to look worried.

“Pardon me, Mme. Mendeleiev, but our father is very serious about us reporting all of our tests and quizzes to him on time. He wouldn’t be happy with us to hear that because of Félix, our grades were postponed. Not only that, to have to wait longer to get to grading these quizzes puts more stress on yourself which we don’t want.”

The class held their breath as her angered expression shifted into a slightly contemplating look, annoyance still etched on her features. She pondered this for a second before finally grumbling.

“Fine! But be quick about this, Marinette!” Mme. Mendeleiev snapped and Adrien winked at Marinette as the teacher angrily turned to the front. She grinned back before hurrying off to check on the principal.

The class began shortly after and Adrien tried his best to keep his face straight as his leg bounced anxiously, hoping it would work. A few minutes ticked by and the class glanced up as Marinette came in, looking triumphant.

“M. Damocles says he’s available,” she said and the teacher scoffed before ordering Félix out to take the quiz. Marinette sat back next to Adrien and opened her purse to show him where Markov was resting, and he stuck out his fist for a fist bump. She stared at it in surprise for a second, before gingerly bumping him, cheeks going rosy. Adrien glanced over to Max and Marinette tilted the purse towards Max to show him and her smile widened as his face lit up. The rest of the class that could see her noticed and grinned proudly. Adrien turned forward again, feeling as triumphant as the class resumed in a better mood than before.

After class, everyone hurried out and Marinette presented Markov back to Max who hugged the robot happily. They all cheered as the robot blinked and beamed happily at his friend once rebooting.

“Max!” the robot exclaimed and pressed himself into his friend and they shared another hug, making everyone smile warmly at the scene.

“Thank you, Marinette!” Max said in relief.

“That’s what I’m here for! Tomorrow I’ll be able to sneak him back in the drawer right before your parents come, so don’t worry about M. Damocles noticing he’s missing. There were a ton of miscellaneous items in there anyway so I doubt he would notice one little thing missing in the next day and a half,” Marinette assured the boy and everyone relaxed as they headed to their next class.

“Adrien,” Marinette called out and he paused in surprise, waiting for her as the rest of the class separated.

“Yes, Marinette?” he asked curiously.

“Thank you for realizing what I was trying to do. That really helped me get Markov back as well,” she said warmly. Adrien grinned, adjusting his strap on his bag.

“I couldn’t just let Markov be unhappy like that. So when I realized what you were doing I had to step in and help. We’re partners, remember?” he winked as he remembered the movie fiasco, but Marinette only blinked at him in surprise, cheeks flushing. Before he could say anything else, M. D’Argencourt walked up to them, distracting Adrien as he turned his attention to his fencing instructor.

“Will we see you in practice today?” his instructor asked and Adrien nodded. “Good, our fencing competition is next week and I’d like to see where everyone is beforehand.”

They watched the fencing instructor leave and Adrien had a bright idea, still thinking about their failed movie date, “After my fencing competition, would you be interested in going out for a meal after?”

“Um, yeah. That’s… great,” Marinette said, nodding slowly. Adrien grew worried at her slow reaction, wondering if she was even interested in him. Maybe getting a meal together wasn’t a good idea.

“Or we can just go get ice cream if that’s easier. Or play video games like last time at your house for the gaming competition. Or my house. I have a house,” Adrien wanted to smack himself in the face. He could feel Plagg vibrating from within his overshirt and resisted the urge to whack the kwami.

Thankfully, they were interrupted with their phones buzzing simultaneously. They blinked in surprise at the huge group chat that Max created, messaging the class for a group hangout this evening to play video games after school.

“I haven’t played video games in forever! This will be so much fun!” Marinette said brightly before turning to Adrien with a slight grimace, “I guess that means you can’t go then because of practice.”

Adrien nodded, trying to hide the glum slump of his shoulders by adjusting his bag. A thoughtful expression crossed Marinette’s face as she pondered something before looking at Adrien with her brilliant blue eyes.

“Why don’t I go to your match with you? I’ve never seen a fencing tournament before.”

“Really?” Adrien asked and Marinette nodded, features brightening in excitement.

“It’s not that fancy or anything. You might get bored,” Adrien started nervously but Marinette’s smile made his mouth stop working, nearly tripping over his feet as they walked to their next class together.

“I doubt I’ll get bored if you’re there,” she said and this time Adrien really did almost trip as he walked, his heart stopping at her statement. Marinette looked at him in concern but he grinned nervously.

“Er, my bag strap got stuck” he lied and they made their way to class. Plagg vibrated from inside his shirt as the kwami laughed. Adrien decided Plagg didn’t need his midday snack when they got home, bitterly grumbling as the kwami continued to snicker.

Max fiddled anxiously, waiting for his classmates to arrive. Markov flew beside him, watching his friend continuously glance at the door. Max had never invited a large group of friends over to his house before, especially to relax. Usually Kim came over and the two would study and play some video games or edit Kim’s parkour videos, but that was it. This was a scenario that Max couldn’t run through a practice of. He had invited everyone over on an impulse that was a sudden outlier in his normal thought processes which he didn’t think of as a negative outcome until now. 

“You’ll wear a hole into the floor with that pacing,” his dad said from the kitchen, smiling at his son.

“I know but I’m worried that their enjoyment might be less than ideal if there are any mistakes. Everything must be perfect.”

“And it will be. Just relax,” he soothed Max but the anxious genius was jolted as the doorbell rang.

“Coming!” he hurried over and pulled open the door, relieved to see that it was Kim who was the first to arrive. Kim was a familiar face and presence around the Kanté household.

As evidence, M. Kanté perked up at the familiar athlete, “Kim! Good to see you!”

“Always a pleasure, M. Kanté,” he replied happily and the two started to talk as the doorbell rang again.

Max opened the door and greeted Nino, Alya, and Marinette. They all entered excitedly and now Markov started to fly around happily as Marinette, his savior, arrived.

“Marinette!” the robot buzzed and she grinned at the robot as she greeted him. Nino was admiring the robot more now, fascinated with him as Markov flew around and picked up a couple things that he had enough strength to carry.

Max continued to let in more guests, relieved that there was still space in the house for them. Ivan sat on the couch with Kim as they played Ultimate Mecha Strike 3, Nino, Alya, and Alix cheering from behind. Rose somehow magically accumulated some flowers and successfully made a flower crown for Markov while Sabrina and Lila tested to see how much the robot could carry, Nathaniel drawing the robot from his spot on the couch. Mylene and Marinette were chatting with Juleka over a card game while M. Kanté put out snacks for everyone.

Max nodded confidently. Everything was going well and judging by their expressions, Max calculated that they were all having a pleasant time here. It was a shame that Félix and Adrien couldn’t come, especially since he had so many games to show the former who had shown interest in them at Marinette’s party.

“What’s this?” Alix pulled out a blank disc.

“I decided to make a game similar to Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 but instead of using their characters, I was able to make characters based off of the heroes and the Champions. In the story mode you have to fight each Champion in order to make them your ally and then afterwards you fight Coccinelle as the final boss. Then you can use all of the characters you unlocked to play with other people.”

“That’s amazing! Can we try it?” Nino asked excitedly.

“It’s not entirely finished, I’m still working on the story mode so the characters are still locked but I can edit the code and unlock them if you want to play,” Max said and was surprised to see the excitement on their faces. He pulled out his laptop and hooked it up to the television before starting up the game there and editing the code so his friends were able to play with all of the characters free.

“Those are good character sprites!” Nathaniel said in surprise as he watched them set up the game.

“Of course,” Max said with a hint of pride, “Only the best for the heroes of Paris. I’m going to make this game huge so I make sure everything is perfect.”

“What are their moves?” Ivan asked and Max explained the game play as everyone watched. It was a rough start and they died a couple of times on accident, but once getting the game mechanics all of the avid video game fans were excited to play. Marinette who usually hung to the side to watch winded up playing, easily learning the mechanics and destroying Kim and Nino.

“How about round two with Marinette?” Kim egged on Max as he waved the controller. 

“I think I learned my lesson underestimating a girl,” Max shook his head but Marinette only smiled kindly.

“Rather than thinking of it as a competition, think of it as a fun game and just enjoy yourself. My friend told me that sometimes you just need to relax and enjoy the experience as it is,” she said and Max mulled that over before agreeing.

“So a friendly competition then?” he said and Marinette agreed.

“Friendly competition,” she confirmed.

“So if I win that means I get to rub it in your face, as a friend of course,” Max said and Marinette laughed before a gleam sparked from her eyes.

“That is if you win,” Marinette said and Max now grinned, the two of them ready to fight. In a friendly competition, of course.

Chapter Text

Adrien sat in the back of the car, completely exhausted. The fight with Coccinelle lasted longer than he would’ve preferred, but they were able to save Max thanks to Húdié summoning Robustus to protect his friend. He was also happy to see that Carapace and Rena were able to sneak into the fight unnoticed, using their powers to protect their classmates by shielding them from danger or luring away the curious ones to get to safety. He did feel bad for his friends though as they had to cut the party short, but they all seemed to be in pretty high spirits and were all in awe of the robot that had become a Champion. At that moment they realized that this robot was far more special than the normal AI technology that exists today.

On the downside, Adrien was forced to return to his fencing lesson which had been prolonged by D’Argencourt who wanted to make up for the time lost during Coccinelle’s attack.

Speaking of, he noticed that Húdié had wanted to tell him something after the fight but Chat hadn’t been able to stay. He wondered if it was something serious, but he recalled her bright expression and figured that it must be something else.

As Adrien entered the house he noticed the office door was open, peeking in to see his father working away at his desk. He was happy to see that at least his father was back on his feet. On the other hand…

Adrien glanced into Félix’s room to see him asleep. Whatever had come over the twin in the morning seemed to have affected him the whole day. Félix had gone to the nurses office right after going to the bathroom in the morning and tried to sleep off whatever he had, but it seemed like it didn’t work though since he was back in bed again right after getting home. Adrien wondered if he should let Nathalie know so she could keep his brother home tomorrow. 

He watched his brother sleep for a few more seconds before retiring to his own room, glancing at his brother’s bedroom door before closing his own with a gentle click.

“You’ve had quite the long day,” Adrien whirled around in terror to see an older man in front of him in a red Hawaiian shirt.

“How- what- who?”

“Apologies, Chat Noir, I had been meaning to speak with you earlier in the day at school rather than in your private space. My name is Master Fu, and I am the Guardian of the Miraculous.”

Plagg flew out of Master Fu’s pocket, whizzing over to the older man before drifting at the older man’s eye level with an air of laziness befitting of the kwami.

“Here to tell us how good of a team we are?” Plagg drawled and Master Fu smiled, eyes twinkling as he looked at the black kwami floating about him.

“Yes, but a little more than that too,” Master Fu said and motioned to the tea set that was on Adrien’s small coffee table in front of the TV.

Adrien was surprised at the set up but didn’t comment as he put his belongings down, locked the door for extra measure, and settled down on the couch next to the supposed Guardian. Plagg was being friendly with him, so Adrien figured this truly was the Guardian of the Miraculous and relaxed slightly. The pieces of cheese on the tea tray that Plagg quickly grabbed only assured this.

“May I ask why you’re here to see me? Is anything wrong?” Adrien asked.

“I have been in contact with Húdié for some time now after her kwami became ill, and she told me to contact you about your current concerns about being Chat Noir as Coccinelle could come after you. That has been a worry of yours, correct?”

“Yes,” Adrien sighed, slumping slightly as he felt his guilt about putting Paris at risk constantly.

“I do have an idea, although I wanted to discuss it with both Plagg and yourself as it concerns the both of you.” The two perked up at this and shared a look of surprise, Plagg dropping down to sit on Adrien’s knee.

“What is it?” Plagg asked.

“I was considering trading Miraculous. I will put the Black Cat Miraculous back into hiding while you use another miraculous instead. This should not only throw off Coccinelle from your trail- although with your wonderful ploy with the Champion Silverheart I believe you to be safe for now- but protect the Black Cat Miraculous and assure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. We have under good suspicion that Coccinelle has another miraculous, specifically the Peacock Miraculous, in his hands. He may or may not use that one as it’s damaged, but with an increase of desperation when Carapace and Rena Rouge are revealed, then he might.”

“How do you know about this?” Adrien asked, surprised how informed Master Fu was of the situation and slightly frustrated he hadn’t told this to Adrien when he first got the miraculous.

“Let me explain…”

Adrien sat back with a thoughtful frown, ruminating over what he had just been told.

“So, you suspect you know Coccinelle’s identity?” Plagg asked. He had settled into Adrien’s pocket while they listened, his voice now muffled as he asked, “So who is it?”

“A wealthy man, if he has this much knowledge about the lore of the Miraculous, or simply a determined man. It would mean that he not only traveled to The Temple of the Guardians to find out about our lore, but has traveled around the world to learn more about the other Miraculous outside of Paris.”

“And you suspect that he wants to try to use the Wish to bring back his loved one? The former Peacock wielder?” Adrien now asked.

“Whatever happened the first time with the wish could’ve gone two ways, and sadly, we don’t know the origin of it. All that the former Peacock holder had told me was that their first Wish had failed and that he was trying to perform another Wish to heal her. If she had gotten that severely injured, it could mean two things. The first is that the Wish failed and in the aftermath hurt her and thus the Peacock Miraculous. The second is that the Wish succeeded but because of the Peacock's interference, the Wish was enacted upon her in the process.”

“An eye for an eye,” Adrien murmured worriedly and Master Fu nodded.

“We are unfortunately in the dark. But the Peacock Miraculous is known to be the Soul Miraculous. If the Wish involved human lives, then that could be why she was severely injured. She could’ve taken the brunt of the Wish when trying to stop it, or the Wish chose her to be the cost. An eye for an eye, like you said.”

“And if Coccinelle brings out the Peacock, then the Bee is the best to go against it as the Bee is Energy, or Fire.” Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

“You’ve got it down well. Each miraculous can defeat or support another. Bee is energy, or fire, which defeats the soul of the peacock, known as metal. Not only that, Bee supports Turtle- the Earth element- while being supported by the Fox, the wood element. You will lose the balance of the Black Cat and Ladybug, but you gain the balance of the Body. You don’t have the soul, but you will have the mind, heart, body, and now,” Master Fu pulled out a little black box from his pocket and placed it on the table, “energy.”

Adrien stared at the innocent black box in front of him. In his mind, he knew it was the right choice to take the Bee Miraculous and let go of the Black Cat, of Chat Noir, but his heart couldn’t.

“What about Plagg?” Adrien asked desperately, “Will I ever see him again?”

“Kid,” Plagg zipped out with a huff of exasperation and fondness, “that’s not the point-”

“But you’re my best friend,” Adrien pleaded, “I can’t lose you. Húdié might be my partner, but so are you.”

Adrien watched as a series of emotions flitted over the small kwami’s face before his expression went still. Plagg took a deep breath and smiled, his ears tilting down. 

“I was only here to be a balance, kid. I told you as much in the beginning. We had a job to do, and, well, we did it. Now, you just gotta do the rest without me. Although we might be partners, you have a team now. And Pollen isn’t that bad, although her words can sting every now and then-”

That got a watery laugh out of Adrien who didn’t even realize his eyes had started to blur. Or his throat to close up. Or the ache in his heart that kept growing the more Plagg tried to assure him that it would be okay.

“I’m going to miss you,” Adrien sniffed. Plagg finally stopped his tangent and sighed, giving a somber smile.

“I’ll miss you too, kid. Eat all the cheese for me, okay?” Plagg said. Adrien gave another watery laugh that verged more on the sounds of a sob.

“I’ll try. It’s- it’s just so smelly,” Adrien admitted weakly.

“You’ll get used to it,” Plagg said simply, “It’ll age on you.”

“Now that’s just a cheesy line.”

“Says the boy who makes puns every second he gets,” Plagg scoffed and they broke into soft chuckles. Plagg flew forward, “Get in here.”

Adrien cupped his hands around his kwami as Plagg snuggled into his cheek, soft purring rumbling from the kwami.

“Kick his ass for me, kid,” Plagg said and Adrien nodded.

“I’ll give him a good sting too.” That got Plagg to chuckle.

Adrien gripped the ring on the chain of his necklace and hesitated, “See you around?” he asked hopefully.

“Yeah, see you around,” Plagg agreed and Adrien pulled the ring from the chain. He watched the little kwami fly back into the ring, turning the familiar silver into solid black with a little paw print on it. 

Adrien held it in his palm for a small moment, taking a shuddering breath, before looking at Master Fu. He was surprised to see the Guardian’s own eyes watering as well with a somber smile on his face.

“The bond we wielders form with our kwamis is something precious to be treasured. Saying goodbye is not that easy, I understand. Wayzz and I just said our own goodbyes not too long ago. I don’t think I’ve recovered yet,” he said. Adrien nodded, blinking quickly to try to keep the tears at bay.

“Will I see him again?” Adrien asked.

“I hope so. I… Due to my mistake at the Temple all those years ago, I’ve been latched onto the Miracle Box to prevent any more mishaps from occurring. Coccinelle rising and this danger I put you into are the consequences of my actions which have unfortunately fallen onto your shoulders to manage. I know that after we resolve this, if I keep the Miraculous solely with me and not in the hands of others, then the Miraculous will be safe. But Húdié and yourself have shown me that not all of my actions have been wrong, and that there are people I can trust. I have been alone for so long, but seeing how you all have been working as a team has given me hope. And maybe, when the time is right, when Tikki and Dusuu are safe and healed, I would like to keep a team in Paris. To keep such miraculous wonders in a box for the next hundred years sounds rather sad, doesn’t it?” Master Fu said with a twinkle in his eye. Adrien smiled, glancing down at the ring fondly one more time before placing it in the box and handing it over to Master Fu.

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to be as happy as I am now without my brother when our mother grew ill. I feel that it would be rather lonely with just me in this big house,” Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

“I think so too. Well then,” he pulled out another black box, just like the one Adrien tucked the ring away into not too long ago, “I think it’s time to get our Buzz On, don’t you agree?” 

Gabriel took a seat in his nearby chair, listening to Adrien’s piano playing. It was lethargic, meaning that something was on his mind and preventing him from focusing on his practice. Gabriel wondered why Félix wasn’t playing, but decided it wasn’t that important to check. Félix was rarely one to be lax with his set schedule, unlike Adrien, so Gabriel gave more leeway to the former. Adrien on the other hand was always putting his nose in places that didn’t belong. Taking the book while Gabriel had been recovering already angered the man, then the boy decides to escape a week later in order to watch a movie when he could’ve waited to ask to watch it. If that wasn’t bad enough, he now was caught up in a small romantic scandal with young Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.

Gabriel was well enough at least to go out and get all of that dealt with, shutting down all of the posts, but the damage was done. Everyone thought that his son was dating someone who thankfully wasn’t recognized due to Adrien protecting her from the camera’s eyes. The poor girl was going to have many upcoming issues later in a couple weeks when she arrived though.

He scoffed at the thought of the upcoming weeks. Everything was already prepared for it but he knew she would find something to criticize within the second of exiting the car. Gabriel wondered if at least she would show some of that criticism to her daughter and her behavior. Chloé Bourgeois was getting out of hand.

There was a whimper from the side and Gabriel looked at the small kwami curled up on the floor away from him. Her antennas hung low as she clutched her mouth, trying to make noise.

“We’ve got more work to do later,” Gabriel said.

The kwami glared, unable to say anything since Gabriel silenced her. She had been nothing but venomous the day Plagg was taken last year. If Emilie hadn’t taken the Black Cat Miraculous maybe everything would’ve been different, but she did and the only thing he could do now was reclaim it.

He had grown tired of the spotted kwami’s constant warnings about using the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous for the Wish, but Gabriel already knew the consequences. Last time they used the Wish no one suffered with the exception of Emilie, but that was due to her own actions rather than the Wish itself. This time he knew what to do, and Nathalie so far hadn’t deterred from working with him which made him certain that the next time they used the Wish, nothing would go wrong.

Gabriel pulled up the student roster for his sons’ class, looking over the names of the ones that he had checked off. There was only one boy left to determine if he was Chat Noir. The only issue would be the perfect time to strike.

Max Kanté had proved to be difficult since he hung around at home or at school, messing with his inventions from what he gathered about the twins and their discussions about their classmates. Gabriel didn’t dare attack the school, not after Night Owl. M. Damocles had his eye on protecting the students and Gabriel knew even then the other teachers were just as willing to defend them, as Armand and Caline proved from the Champions that they had become.

So he attacked the Kanté residence and had stolen Max, making sure he was far enough away from the house that Húdié would be less willing to make a Champion out of the victim’s father.

He wasn’t expecting the robot that flew after him to become the Champion. He lost sight of the boy who had been lifted into the robot’s giant body made of other vehicles, but when he spotted the boy while Chat Noir was still fighting, he confirmed they were separate people before making his escape, not without ruffling up the heroes a bit.

Gabriel sighed as he rose up, this was becoming more problematic for him to try to continue his search but he was at least one student away from knowing who Chat Noir was. The injury on his stomach protested as he stood and the designer grit his teeth. It was still painful but at least in the suit the injury was manageable. 

“Sir?” Nathalie looked up from the spot at her desk.

“It’s nothing, just some small discomfort,” he replied. Nathalie gave him a worried glance before returning to her work at her desk while Gabriel looked at the plans for the upcoming fashion show. An idea struck him.

“Are you still in contact with Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?” he asked Nathalie.

“Yes, Sir. Do you need me to contact her?”

“Yes, tell her to stop by this week in order for us to talk about the fashion show. I need to make sure that the updated hat is finished for Adrien since we don’t want him to have a reaction on stage. Let her know she’s allowed to bring any supplies she might need for the hat if she wants me to go over it here, but we should have supplies here in my back room.”

“Anything else you would like me to tell her, Sir?”

“Ask her if she’s interested in seeing the venue. She’s an aspiring designer so it would be beneficial for her to see the business aspect of the fashion world. Not everything revolves around what one designs. Tell her I’ll be willing to show her if she has any interest or questions.”

“Yes, sir,” Nathalie said and pulled out her phone, messaging the girl immediately.

Gabriel looked at the roster of girls in the classroom. There was only one female student left from the class that hadn’t been marked off as being Húdié, and while he had no evidence that she went to Françoise Dupont, Gabriel theorized that the speed in which she would arrive at the attacks he planned could only suggest she was in the class.

Not only that, Gabriel knew Marinette’s heritage. Félix and Adrien both rambled constantly about her great-uncle when he came to visit from China for the cooking show, and then more about her Chinese culture when they stopped by her house another weekend to study. Marinette was able to recognize the butterfly symbols in his designs due to the fact that she herself was an avid butterfly fan from her Chinese background. Húdié wasn’t very covert on her own Chinese heritage at that either, her beautiful cheongsam being her downfall.

“She said she is available on the weekend to come over,” Nathalie informed him.

“Then confirm the date,” Gabriel said. Nathalie typed her response as Gabriel looked down at the roster, staring at Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s nervous smile.

“Also, start increasing your training with the Peacock Miraculous. We will be needing it soon,” Gabriel said and Nathalie looked at him in surprise before nodding in confirmation as he continued to glower at the roster before a cold and calculating smile smoothed into his expression. Gabriel was finally going to clip the butterfly’s wings.

Chapter Text

“So I have a sister?” Bridgette asked. Félix nodded and he watched her sit there, completely stunned. There was no bright smile or warm eyes. Just silence. Even the environment around them that normally seemed to murmur with life was still. It was a fitting connection to the shock going through Bridgette.

He reached out and gripped her hand, “I don’t know why but for some reason it makes sense. I’ve known you my entire life and you’ve grown up with me so it makes sense that we’re about the same age. You had a mysterious death despite being completely healthy which means there’s something else coming into play that we don’t know about. Something happened to you that brought you here to.. whatever this place is.” Félix looked around the garden they were in as life seemed to resume slowly as Bridgette processed the information. The bees began to hum slightly and the wind gently teased Bridgette’s cowlick. The cowlick that Marinette had mentioned her having. It was still a shock to him as much as it was to the girl in front of him that Marinette and Bridgette were siblings, twins no less like Adrien and himself.

“And you think that peacock person in your dad’s book has something to do with it,” Bridgette said. Félix nodded certainly.

“Marinette knows what it is, I can feel it. I had tried to ask her about it the day she returned the book and the way she acted was unusual. She said she didn’t know but I’m certain she’s hiding something. I promise I’ll get to the bottom of this. I can’t ask my father though because I know how he’ll react if I ask.”

“You said your dad recently got sick like your mom, right? It was almost the exact same symptoms?” Bridgette asked and Félix nodded.

“What if those two are connected as well?” She asked. Félix thought of that, wondering as his thumb rubbed Bridgette’s knuckles to soothe her. 

“That’s a possibility. Maybe I can get into contact with one of the heroes. Chat Noir and Húdié would know about this book because those figures inside looked like those Miraculous holders.”

“How will you talk with them?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. I can’t simply wave them down. I’ll need to go to them in person and the only way to do that will be through a Coccinelle attack. I know they patrol as well, which is a safer way of getting in contact with them, but they patrol at night so I’ll have to sneak out without my father finding out.”

“You don’t have to sneak out…” Bridgette started but Félix squeezed her hands in his.

“I want to. We need to know the answers to all of these questions and we won’t get any results by being idle.”

“Just… be safe, Fé,” Bridgette said and he nodded certainly.

“I promise, I’ll find out,” he said and the darkness came up around him. Félix stared into Bridgette’s familiar blue eyes shining in worry until he blinked, his room now flooding his vision. 

His hands closed into tight fists and Félix let out a long sigh as he looked up at the ceiling of his room. He had to find out. For her.

Determination forced him out of bed. It was morning already, and Félix wanted to get to school early to talk with Marinette. He didn’t like the notion of cornering her alone, but if he told her about Bridgette, this would need to be discussed privately. He only hoped that she would believe him. There was already this much magic happening already in Paris, so there was a chance that Marinette wouldn’t think he’s insane. Hopefully she wouldn’t. Félix really hoped she wouldn’t.

Félix shook off any apprehension as he got ready for the day, Adrien already awake to his surprise. Normally Adrien would be asleep still, so something must be wrong.

“Adrien?” he asked as he entered the bathroom where his brother had just finished brushing his hair.

“Morning, Fé,” Adrien smiled and Félix frowned at the exhaustion lining his face.

“Did you sleep at all?”

“A bit, I, uh, it was hard,” Adrien finished lamely, hands brushing awkwardly over the front of his overshirt pocket and flinching, before walking out.

After Félix talked with Marinette in the morning, he would check on his brother. Adrien had been upset as of late, and Félix couldn’t help but feel his own worry as Adrien refused to speak up. Félix respected his brother’s boundaries, but normally Adrien told him everything. The past half year though had been a dramatic difference in Adrien’s openness. He was far more closed off than normal. Not to mention being more reckless, especially when it involved their father.

After Bridgette though; she had been waiting for answers for so long, and for once they had a shot. That thought kept him going as they headed to school where Félix began his search.

He found Marinette in the art room talking to Nathaniel and another student in a red jacket. He walked for them to finish their conversation before pulling Marinette gently to the side.

“I really need to discuss something with you, if that’s alright. Privately,” Félix murmured. Marinette looked at the fliers in her hand before nodding, handing them to Alix to put up. The other students watched them curiously as they made their way out and Félix felt his apprehension increase. They nearly ran into Chloé and Adrien who were picking up what seemed to be photos. Chloé snatched them out of Adrien’s hands and shoved them into her folder, surprisingly gentle despite her current irritation.

“Did you take those pictures?”

“Keep your nose out of other people’s business!” Chloé stormed away.

“Are you looking for Louis, the art teacher? He’s in the staff room getting some coffee,” Marinette called out to Chloé who whipped around with a glare.

“I’m not looking for anyone!” she stalked away while the twins and Marinette stared after her before Marinette sighed with an odd fondness in her glare. The twins now blinked at her in surprise.

“I think she’s participating in the art showcase coming up along with Nathaniel and Marc,” Marinette explained. Adrien gaped and Félix himself was taken aback by the news.

“Really?” he asked and she nodded.

“I recommended photography but I’m not sure if she took my advice.”

“I saw a ton of photos in there so I think she did,” Adrien smiled and Marinette looked relieved. “By the way, I heard you’re coming over this weekend to go over the fashion show?” Adrien said and Félix noticed Marinette looked a little uncomfortable.

“Yes, your father contacted me yesterday about it.”

“Don’t be nervous, even though he seems really cold, I can tell he really likes you! It’s surprising though because he doesn’t seem to warm up to people, but I noticed he lets us go out more if you’re also going.” Adrien smiled.
“Really?” Marinette asked and Adrien nodded with another smile, but it fell as the twins realized that she didn’t seem relaxed by the news.

“Well, thank you,” Marinette smiled briefly before motioning to Félix to follow her. The two walked to the library which was thankfully empty of any other students, too early in the morning for any reading or studying to occur.

They settled into the far back and Félix took a deep breath before staring at Marinette who looked just as nervous as he felt.

“This is about the book, I suppose?” she asked and he nodded.

“And more. The book… It’s a book about the Miraculous, isn’t it? The blue hero, I’ve… I’ve seen her before. I know it sounds strange, but, please, please. Believe me.”  Félix asked desperately.

Marinette frowned, biting her lip in worry as her hands twitched on the desk. Finally, she looked up at him and nodded.

“I believe you. But first, tell me what you know,” she said.

“My entire life, there… My dreams have been different from most people’s dreams. Everyone says that they dream about several different things, but I usually dream about one thing, specifically, one girl. I never thought it was odd until talking about dreams with others when I learned that dreams don’t revolve around specific people. This girl in my dreams… I’ve never seen her in real life, never talked with her outside of the dreams. I can have whole conversations with her and we would play and hang out, and I never thought anything was strange with that. I assumed as I grew older it was my interpretation of an ‘imaginary friend’ as they call it, but now, with these Miraculous coming out with their different powers, I think that this girl might be connected to them.

“I told you that I’ve seen the blue figure before, in my dreams, correct?” Félix asked and Marinette nodded. “Did you ever interpret her powers?”

“It’s… well in short the Miraculous seemed to be based on the body. There’s the Body, Mind, Heart, Energy, and the Soul. These also coincide with elements, much like the Chinese Wu Xing. Meanwhile, the Ladybug and Black Cat are representations of Balance, also known as-”

“-Yin and Yang,” Félix finished for her and she nodded.

“In this case, Creation and Destruction.”

“Do you know which one the Peacock is?”

“The Soul,” Marinette answered and Félix leaned back in his seat, thinking. Bridgette was definitely not an imaginary friend, they both figured out years ago. But she also wasn’t human. She was almost in a limbo state of being both real, and not real.

“Do you know how the power works?”

“The power can enter an object and bring it to life, giving it a soul, so it can interact with us. It can take many forms, from a creature to an object to a person. The wielder of the Miraculous can force them to obey any commands they say as long as they have the object that evoked the soul to appear. They can remove their magic from it at any time. They can also act independently from their wielder too from what I read.”

“Can they… take a soul from a living being? Possibly… move souls from one object to another?” Félix asked. Marinette blinked in surprise, not ready for that question at all. She frowned, twisting her pigtail thoughtfully.

“Not that I know of. The book didn’t say anything along the lines of that. Do you think this… person inside of you might be some soul?”

“It’s my best guess. The only reason why I ask this is because I know for a fact that this girl is dead. She’s been dead for… years. I didn’t find out about this until, well, you,” Félix admitted nervously.

“Me?” Marinette asked in surprise.

“Ah… well, you see, this person looks nearly identical to you. I thought it might be a coincidence, but then you told me your sister's name and… It’s the same…”

“The same name?” Marinette looked confused, unable to realize what Félix was trying to explain, which, if anyone was in her position right now, Félix would understand.

“I mean. Your sister, Bridgette. I think when she died all those years ago, well, the peacock Miraculous somehow put her soul into my body. I swear- I’m not crazy Marinette- you have to believe me. I- I would never joke about this,” Félix ran a hand through his hair as Marinette’s mouth went slack, her eyes wide.

“Please believe me. I- I can’t prove it to you since she- well- she’s in my head. And she doesn’t really have many memories because she’s never lived outside but- But she’s told me her first memory she’s ever had was red. And warmth. And holding someone’s hand. Several. Big hands that would hold her tenderly, medium ones that soothed her, and small ones that she could hold tightly and feel safe. And she loves butterflies. Please believe me.” Félix said and Marinette stared at him for a long moment in silence, mouth still agape.

He had never seen her so still, almost as if she was frozen in time, looking at him before her expression shifted into mounting horror.

“Can you describe her to me?’

“Twin ponytails with a cowlick-”

“No, the holder. The peacock holder.”

“Oh… Well, medium length blue hair, and her suit looked much like a dress. I could draw it, if that-”

“Please.” Marinette quickly pulled out her pad and pencil and Félix began to draw a rough image of what the outfit looked like that he saw now and then in his dream alongside the little peacock brooch he remembered.

“It’s not much, but this is what I have,” he said and handed it to her. Marinette looked at it, nodded, made a small noise of distress, tugged nervously on a pigtail, looked at Félix, looked back at the paper, then stood up.

“Yeah, that’s my sister in your brain. Which makes no sense. How does that even- What- I don’t-” Félix watched her pace back and forth and she muttered in distress. She definitely knew something, but as to what, Félix was amiss.

“So… You think Bridgette’s soul is in my body?”

“Yes,” Marinette said, then whipped her head sharply to him, “Have you ever died? I mean- Oh gosh that came out bad of course you haven’t died you’re right here- Well actually-” She made a noise of frustration and tugged both of her pigtails as she resumed pacing, Félix simply watching anxiously.

“I don’t think I’ve ever died before. I wouldn’t be here if that were the case. I know that I got really ill as a newborn, my mother mentioned it years ago. It’s why they kept us both homeschooled. Our parents were worried about my weakened immune system so they kept us both at home. It’s also why I don’t do any laborious exercises like Adrien does.”

Marinette froze and looked at him again, “When you say ill, how ill are we talking? Like deathly ill? Minorly ill?”

“Deathly from the way my mother spoke about it. She never actually told me what I had, but it seems like they tried everything to get me better, much like what my father is doing now for our mother. I know she mentioned he even went to Tibet at one point which he did for her when she started getting sick.”

“I have to go. Uh, let’s talk about this later, but yes my sister’s soul is definitely in your body and this is totally fine and I’m not freaking out. Uh- so- find out how deathly sick you got and let me know if you can.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?” Félix asked in confusion.

“I don’t know! Your dad should have some medical information lying around!” Marinette paused, took a deep breath, exhaled with her eyes closed, and continued, “I need to know how dead you were. I mean- like if you were deathly ill or just minorly ill, but it seems pretty ill if your dad is looking up the same medicines to help your mom like he did for you- Oh my goodness your dad is looking up the same medicines to help your mom like he did for you.” Marinette looked at the bookshelf behind Félix in horror, grabbed the pad, and ran out the door of the library.

Félix sat there for a minute, processing everything that just happened. He really could barely accept the fact that Bridgette, Marinette’s twin sister , was currently living in his body. Then there was the fact that Marinette seemed to think that Félix’s illness was related to this. Could his mother’s illness be related to this? How could he make sense of this?

“Fé? What’s wrong? Are you alright?” Félix flinched at Adrien’s voice, realizing his brother was watching him from the edge of the table.

“I- I’m fine. Did the bell ring?”

“Yeah, 20 minutes ago. I came to look for you.”

“Ah. Apologies,” Félix took a deep breath. For now, school was the priority. He had gotten his answer, and while that just led to more questions, he had to continue with the rest of the day before settling at home and processing everything.

He stood, grabbed his bag and the pencil Marinette left, and followed his twin out the door.

Everything came rushing back by the time they settled in for dinner, Adrien eating hungrily with his appetite that was always larger after fencing practice. Félix looked down at his own meal, wondering why exactly did he not get put into any extra curricular sports like Adrien. He only worked with his father at the company. Nothing else that involved him being away from either of his parents. Or, submitting any documentation involving his health. Did his parents fear that his health record would hinder him? Or were they hiding something else?

“I heard we missed out on some fun video games yesterday at Max’s house-” Adrien started when the door opened and their father walked in. The two froze in surprise; despite being home for the past few weeks while sick, their father had never actually eaten at the dinner table with them.

Gabriel took a seat at the head of the table and checked his phone while the boys sat two chairs down across from one another. They shared looks, both arguing who should be the first to speak up. After many silent glares and head shakes, Adrien won.

“Glad to see you’re improving, Père,” Félix said and Gabriel looked at him as their food arrived, putting away the phone.

“It has been a busy week with Audrey Bourgeois announcing her arrival and other unpleasant matters,” he gave a quick glance to Adrien before continuing, “but I’m on the way to a steady recovery.”

“Did they ever find out what it was?” Adrien asked.

“Just pent up stress from work finally getting the best of me. Thus when I caught the flu it took a heavy toll on my body.”

“Remember to care for yourself, Père,” Félix said as he cut his food up into bits. Illnesses. There it was again. Félix was deathly ill to the point that his father looked for sources outside of the country. His mother is currently ill and now outside of the country as well. His father then is suddenly ill from the flu.

Félix was almost certain his father was lying. For a man whose life revolves around work, being absent for three weeks, even if he was working in bed, was unacceptable in his terms.

“That reminds me of how you always tell Marinette to take care of herself,” Adrien chuckled before Félix could bring up this point to his father.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng?” Gabriel asked with interest. Adrien nodded.

“Her class president duties are always causing her stress but now she seems to be getting better with her duties now that Félix is co-vice president,” Adrien complimented his brother.

“Co-vice president?” Gabriel couldn’t help but ask, intrigued at the title. He looked at Félix appraisingly as he awaited his response on the matter.

“Alya Cesaire, the reporter for the Noir News, is the vice-president but with her being the sole owner of the website it ends up becoming too much for her to focus on her other duties. She recommended splitting up the tasks. I was interested in being vice president at one point but it was too late for me to participate, so I took up the offer when it arrived.”

“That’s good. You’ll be getting more experience with doing designated tasks for your school and improve how you do in the company. Has anything else noticeable occured?”

“I think Chloé is actually participating in an upcoming art showcase for our school,” Adrien said.

“Really?” Gabriel asked.

“I happened to accidentally run into her and saw all of these photographs she had taken.  Marinette told us there was an upcoming art showcase that Nathaniel and his friend Marc are also participating in.”

“An art showcase?” Gabriel asked.

“I remember that, Marinette and I went over the posters a week before," Félix recalled. "It was interesting because any type of art can be showcased in order for students to gain recognition by the city. I wonder what Nathaniel will be doing."

"Will Mlle. Dupain-Cheng be participating?" Gabriel asked.

"It didn't seem like she was going to," Adrien answered. He noticed his father looked a little disappointed in that. Félix watched his father closely.

“You seem closely invested in Marinette, Pére.” He commented. Gabriel watched Félix before continuing to cut up some food.

“She has potential for working in the company if she continues to focus on the fashion industry. I was interested in seeing if she had any other projects to present. Not only that, it would do her well to keep in the eye of other prospective idols that she could possibly work for some day.”

Félix made a noncommittal hum and continued to eat, wondering if this was a good time to bring up his own health. He decided to let it rest and continued to eat silently, noting his father glancing at him throughout the meal.

It was not the time, but soon it would be.

Chapter Text

“So that’s why I think Gabriel used the Wish with Emilie to bring back Félix, but since Emilie interfered it didn’t fully work! Well, it did since Félix is alive and my sister is dead but also she’s not dead which is very confusing because apparently her soul has been stuck in Félix for the past 14 years and I’m assuming that’s because of Emilie interrupting the Wish with her Miraculous that involves the Soul so her soul is in a limbo state along with Bridgette’s which is why my sister’s soul is trapped in Félix’s body while his mom is in a coma.”

Master Fu said nothing for a long moment, staring at Marinette before looking down at his tea cup.

“Tea is too weak for this conversation,” he said as he stood up and headed to the kitchen.

“I swear! It’s the truth!”

“It most certainly is. I dealt with Chat Noir giving up his miraculous as well as the high chance that Gabriel is onto your identity last night, and this morning I’m waking up to the fact that your sister’s soul is in Félix Agreste’s body. I have spent years trying to uncover all of this and we both have managed to not only find out Coccinelle’s identity, but are on the cusp of finding out what his Wish was. This requires something stronger than tea. By chance, can you confirm that the Peacock did interfere?”

“Félix drew his mother’s hero outfit, if that helps. He’s always been the best with detail since he works in Gabriel’s company, so I hope it’s accurate,” Marinette put the pad on the table as Master Fu came back with a mug of coffee.

“I would offer you some, but it’s Irish coffee,” Master Fu said as he took a sip. He put the mug down and looked at the drawing on the pad, humming thoughtfully.

“I’m sure this was her. It’s been a long time since I have seen her and it was a very sudden moment, but I clearly remember the headdress she had. The question is, what truly happened to young Félix Agreste that caused them to look for the Miraculous in the first place? I would be interested in learning how they found out about it, but we don’t have the time to dive into that. For now, we will need to learn what happened to Félix to see if we can possibly help Emilie as she is still afflicted with whatever happened. If we get the Peacock Miraculous fixed, we might be able to reverse whatever has happened to her. But, we won’t be able to bring back your sister, Marinette. For that, I am so sorry that I cannot do more for you,” Master Fu said, placing his hand over hers.

At that moment, Marinette realized the truth of what Gabriel did.

“He took away my sister,” Marinette said aloud, all of the energy that had built up from talking with Félix slowly drained out of her, leaving her with a numb tingling that traversed her body.

“Yes, and that is the pain of the Wish. Your sister was wrongfully taken from you and your family, and even though her spirit might physically live on in Félix, she can never return to this world with just her soul. Gabriel deserves justice for his actions, and we have to ensure that happens. We know what he wants, his power, and his supporters. We can stop him and bring justice to your sister, to the Agreste twins, and to all of Paris.

“I think it’s high time that we show him our strength, our team, before bringing him in. Gabriel is coming for you as we discussed last night with the upcoming show. It seems like he wants to get you alone and have Coccinelle or maybe even the Peacock user appear to see if the heroes will come to your aid.”

“We’ll have to think of something before the weekend,” Marinette agreed thoughtfully, “I want to be sure our plan is foolproof before meeting with him.”

“Do no worry, Marinette,” Master Fu patted her arm with a smile, “I’m sure we shall come up with something brilliant.”

Marinette relaxed, assured of the upcoming future.

“Speaking of the weekend, don’t you have class right now?” Master Fu asked.

“I LEFT SCHOOL!” Marinette screeched and bolted out the door, Master Fu’s chuckling cutting short as the door closed.

-----

At the end of the day, Marinette went back to Master Fu’s and discussed ideas of what to do to trick the ever wary Gabriel Agreste. They had several small plans but were still contemplating the main issue when Master Fu frowned, stroking his beard.

“I feel that this will be far more simple with some assistance from the others.”

“Others?”

“Other heroes, of course,” Master Fu said and Marinette gaped in surprise.

“You’re willing to meet with them to figure this out? But they're going to have many questions about you, the Miraculous, and everything else. Rena Rogue has been asking me too many detailed questions already and it’s hard to try to hide the truth from her,” Marinette admitted.

“I see. It will be better to tell them the truth then, especially after the revelation we had earlier today. We shall meet, discuss what we’ve found and our plan to protect you, and continue from there.”

“Will we tell them about Gabriel Agreste being Coccinelle?” Marinette asked, hopeful. Her hope diminished as Master Fu frowned, then shook his head. She didn’t understand his refusal to tell the full truth, but hoped that he would soon if they were this close to stopping the man.

“I will tell the others at a later time. It is… sensitive information that I don’t want to be released as of now. We will omit some of the truth in that regard. I can tell them everything about the Miraculous and you can tell them our current plan. The truth about Gabriel Agreste… it will ruin the reputation of his sons and others around that family, so I want as few people to know as possible until we can see how to bring the man to justice without harming his sons.”

“I understand,” Marinette tried not to sigh. Master Fu noticed this and chuckled.

“Soon, young one. Patience is the key to some situations. This one in particular.” He stood and pulled out the Dragon Miraculous with a thoughtful expression on his features before coming to a conclusion and turning back to Marinette. “We shall see each other later tonight. Message the others. I will attend with Longg tonight at the Effiel Tower. Until then,” he said. Marinette stood and nodded to him before leaving, walking down the road with her purse open to speak with her friend.

“This will be tricky to accomplish,” Nooroo said and Marinette nodded in agreement.

“Will it be possible?” She asked him. The kwamii nodded thoughtfully to her inside of the purse, wings fluttering the way they did when he wanted to move about as he thought but couldn’t.

“By summoning as many Champions as you have, and with a large variety of them too, it shouldn’t be that difficult to manage. But it will be taxing, so we will have to keep our interactions with Gabriel Agreste short while we do it. Long enough for him to see both Marinette and the heroes separately, but also knowing that either one isn’t an illusion. With the help of the others though, I’m sure we can do it,” Nooroo said and Marinette smiled, relieved.

They arrived at the bakery where Marinette transformed to notify the other heroes about the meeting tonight, assisted her parents in the bakery, then completed her homework to ensure she would have time tomorrow to do her other duties if the meeting took longer than expected. The heroes would have many questions both for Master Fu and herself. Marinette hoped that they were ready for the answers.

Húdié tried her best not to let her anxiety show, but still had to pace around the top of the Tower while the two waited for the other heroes.

“It will be alright, Húdié.” She turned to Master Fu, already equipped with the Dragon Miraculous. He wore what looked to be a dragon chuba* but rather than the traditional yellow, the robe was red with golden and blue dragons. Despite being a robe, Master Fu had no difficulties scaling the Tower. Red horns in his hair curving upward beyond his mask, making him look far more regal than the masseuse Húdié was familiar with. 

Another surprise outfit change was none other than Chat Noir, his familiar figure appearing in the distance. Rather than his familiar black though, Húdié saw the black and yellow suit of the Bee Miraculous.

“Does he have fuzz on his chest?” Húdié squinted as he drew closer, swinging awkwardly with his spindle.

“It looks like he does,” Master Fu chuckled as they watched him approach.

“Húdié!” Chat Noir called with a grin as he landed on the top of the platform.

“Chaton!” she cried out and ran to him. They collided with a giggle and Húdié stepped back so she could see the suit, “So what do I call you now? Bugaboy?”
“Excuse me, my name is Apinae! But you can call me anytime,” he winked and Húdié felt her cheeks redden and she broke into embarrassed giggles. She couldn’t help but touch the fuzz on the collar of his vest and giggled some more when seeing he had some more fuzz on his boots and cuffs.

“Maybe I can call you Fuzzball with all of this fuzz on you. Sounds close enough to Furball too which works as Chat,” she joked and he laughed in delight.

“Bugaboo, you wound me,” he grinned and glanced up to see Master Fu coming towards them. He tilted his head curiously, but she felt the sudden surge of wariness as his grip tightened on Húdié’s shoulder.

“This is Master Fu, he wants to speak with all of us about something,” Húdié explained.

“Apinae, a fitting name,” Master Fu smiled and Apinae nodded, features relaxing and the firm grip of his hand.

“Thank you, Master Fu. I didn’t expect you to be here today for patrol,” Apinae said.

“I must discuss something of vital importance with all of you heroes. It involves Coccinelle and Húdié’s identities.”

Apinae looked stunned at this, worriedly turning to Húdié, “Did he find out?”

“No, but he’s close,” Húdié assumed she exudes some worry as his grip tightened on her shoulder once more, gentle and supportive.

Before Chat could ask any more questions, the other two heroes arrived. They stepped back from the three once landing, radiating alarm, and Húdié realized that they didn’t recognize Apinae.

“Rena Rogue, Carapace, glad you both could make it. This is Master Fu, the Guardian of the Miraculous and the one who gave us our kwamis. And next to us is none other than-”

“Chat Noir, at your service. But now I’m Apinae!” He bowed. The heroes shared a look of surprise before finally approaching.

“What happened to call both the Guardian here and require Chat Noir to have a change in Miraculous?”

“I can explain. You might want to sit down for this discussion,” Master Fu said and the heroes nodded and settled down.

“These two have already discussed the Miraculous, correct?” He asked and the two newer heroes nodded.

“The Ladybug and Black Cat represent Balance and the other five represent Wu Xing. But what is yours?” Rena asked.

“There is another set of the Miraculous called the Zodiac, this one that I am currently using is the Dragon Miraculous. We thus have the Balance, the Body, and the Zodiac Miraculous.

“Apinae and Húdié have probably told you that If Coccinelle gets a hand on both of the Yin and Yang Miraculous, then he can make a Wish that can cause disastrous results depending on the Wish. He already has one and would’ve gotten the other, but because of the Balance, Chat Noir was able to fight Coccinelle and be on par with him despite the tremendous difference in experience. I initially was only going to have Chat Noir as the only hero in fear of the Miraculous falling into the wrong hands, but after meeting Húdié’s civilian form I realized that more heroes would be beneficial to the cause. The two so far have made a brilliant effort in stopping Coccinelle, but we have yet to overpower him. By introducing you both as official heroes, we have the chance to get the Ladybug Miraculous from him now. Not only that, since Chat Noir and Húdié are now experienced heroes, I thought it would be safe to pull the Black Cat Miraculous back so Coccinelle will now be unable to find it since it’s with me. It’s the main reason why I haven’t assisted in much fighting. I amI too old to fight, and Coccinelle would be able to easily overpower me if he found out my civilian identity. We would then lose all the entire Miracle Box.”

“Coccinelle is rather determined, isn’t he?” Carapace sighed.

“Yes, determined to the point that he nearly uncovered Chat Noir’s identity recently and is now about to uncover Húdié’s.”

“Really?” The heroes looked to Húdié in surprise. Master Fu nodded for her to continue and she stood up to address the team.

“Master Fu and I managed to uncover Coccinelle's identity recently, and… his motives for everything. Master Fu wants us to meet again at a later time to reveal our identities to one another, but also Coccinelle’s identity and his plans for the Miraculous.”

“How did you figure out his motive?” Apinae asked.

“When we reveal Coccinelle’s identity, you will understand,” Master Fu said. 

“And Húdié’s identity? How will we protect it?”

“We are going to introduce all of us heroes to the city. I am going to report to everyone that Chat Noir had to step down as a hero but you three are here to take his place and protect the city. By having Apinae appear to be someone else, his identity will no longer be under threat,” Húdié explained. “Then, we will go around the city and meet with others as a publicity stunt. Secretly though, I am going to make Master Fu a Champion that looks like me so I can be in my civilian form as I interact with Coccinelle.”

“Why not make an illusion? Wouldn’t that be much easier than this?” Rena asked.

“We thought of that, but we suspect that Coccinelle has the knowledge of the Miraculous and will know that Húdié could easily be an illusion, especially if she doesn’t physically interact with anyone. By directly talking and being physically involved with civilians, Coccinelle will see that it is not an illusion.”

“But how are you able to make a Champion without being in your hero form?” Carapace asked.

“Some Miraculous such as the butterfly and Peacock have the ability to separate themselves from their power, allowing our powers to be active even if we’re not transformed. The only downside is that we cannot interact with our Champions, making them independent,” Húdié answered. “With my power, I create Champions by making their emotions manifest physically. You usually need an individual with high emotions to make a strong Champion, but I can make a Champion even if their heart isn’t fully into it. They can be more erratic though, so that’s why you need to know that Master Fu will be in my place as a Champion rather than myself so you three can keep an eye on him.”

“I bee-lieve that won’t be a problem!” Apinae said and the three younger heroes groaned while Master Fu chuckled.

“I’m glad to hear,” he smiled. “We shall meet here on Saturday while Húdié is away. To prepare, we will begin practicing right away. Thus, why I’m here to take her place for patrols.” Master Fu took off his Miraculous and handed it to Húdié while Carapace gasped.

“I remember you! I nearly ran into you after getting the Miraculous!”

“Yes, I wanted to make sure you received it after I transitioned my power onto you,” Master Fu answered while Húdié made the butterfly.

“So you and Wayzz were partners?” Carapace asked and Master Fu nodded. 

“Good partners, which how I know you two were a perfect fit,” he smiled at Carapace before facing Húdié who allowed the butterfly to land on him.

They watched the mask appear around his eyes and Húdié smiled, “Go, Mimicry, and imitate the one who calls herself Húdié to protect Paris.”

As the light faded, the three heroes looked in surprise at the identical copy of Húdié that stood before them. The real Húdié handed the mimic the Dragon Miraculous and smiled at the rest of the team.

“I have to detransform now, but let me know how it goes,” Húdié told the others who nodded in agreement.

“We’ve got your back, Bugaboo, with or without the Miraculous,” he affirmed and Húdié couldn’t help but smile.

“I know you do,” she replied and her smile grew at their grins.

Chapter Text

“You should leave before you’re late. Remember, keep that Miraculous and Nooroo hidden at all times. He might want to look in your bag or jacket,” Master Fu warned.

“Don’t worry, I’ve planned ahead,” Marinette grinned and showed him a small inside pocket in her pants which Gabriel wouldn’t think of checking. Master Fu smiled happily at that.

“I will be hiding in her art bag in a secret pocket,” Nooroo assured.

“Best of luck to the two of you. Don’t bring up anything about Coccinelle or pry for information that might raise suspicion until he’s cleared you in his list of suspects. He thankfully missed Chat Noir, so it will only be a matter of a few hours until you both are safe.”

“He skipped Chat Noir?” Marinette asked and sighed in relief at his nod.

“The technique you learned is more advanced and hard for one to master so he’ll be less likely to expect it. I’ll call you when it’s near time for you to go on patrol. You told the others our meeting time?” Master Fu said and Marinette nodded in confirmation.

After their farewells, Marinette nervously walked to the Agreste mansion while Nooroo kept her relaxed by sending positive energy. All she needed to do was act like she had little knowledge of the book if asked; Gabriel potentially saw her in the library with Félix the day he attacked the school to get the book back. Other than that, he only thing she could do after that is hope and pray Félix didn’t say anything about their latest conversation to their father. Although that would mean he would have to explain Bridgette’s existence. Admitting that your friend’s dead twin sister’s soul was living in your body would not benefit Félix in any way.

“Play dumb and act in awe of the heroes. Deflect anything that is too personal but make sure it isn't obvious. Be calm. Be calm. Be calm,” Marinette repeated quietly as Nooroo assured her before she rang the doorbell. By the time the gate opened, the butterflies in her stomach had settled. Marinette took a deep breath, then walked  towards the lion’s den.

The tension was cut as the door was yanked open and Adrien appeared, excitement written on his features and in the bubbling energy around him. Marinette couldn’t help but smile as his face brightened.

“Marinette!” he exclaimed and Marinette waved with her free hand, the other one holding the hat box. Adrien immediately took it to lighten her load.

“Good morning, Adrien,” she replied and he welcomed her in, guiding her with a gentle hand on her back. Marinette looked around the lovely house in awe, seeing how nice the marble was and the cool colors of the house giving it a regal look.

“You haven’t been here before since my birthday, have you?” Adrien asked as he watched her gaze while she shook her head. She had been here once as Marinette and the second time as Húdié but had been focused on Gabriel Agreste and Coccinelle, respectively. There hadn't been time to truly admire the Agreste mansion, although Marinette had to admit with a frown, the rather dour portrait of the twins and their father dressed in grays and blacks lowered the regal emphasis of the mansion. It was far more somber in this place than it should be.

“Père is busy with an unexpected phone conference with the head of the Tsurugi family,” Adrien explained his father’s absence as he led her up the steps towards the bedrooms. “I’m not sure what the meeting is about, but he’s been talking with them more in the past month. Mme. Tsurugi has a daughter around our age that’s recently joined the fencing team, so you’ll see her at the match. I’ll introduce the two of you.”

“Do you both work together often?” Marinette asked and he nodded.

“She usually beats me but I’ll surprise her this match by beating all of my opponents,” he winked and Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at his confidence, reminding her of Chat- Apinae.

Another door opened and Félix popped his head out, looking towards the sound of the noise.

“Welcome, Marinette,” he said and fully stepped out to greet her. He was a little stiff in his greeting and Marinette awkwardly recalled their last conversation alone involved her panicking and running out of the room without any further explanation. She would have to fix that soon, she winced internally.

“Good morning, Félix,” Marinette forced a smile.

“I’m showing her my room which is much cooler than yours,” Adrien's smug tone pushed away the awkwardness, Marinette giggling while his brother sighed, looking skyward as if to restrain his annoyance.

“I didn’t know this was a competition. Shall I pull out my ping pong table to make myself more interesting?”

“You don’t even play ping pong,” Adrien scoffed.

“And you don’t play piano, yet there’s a piano in your room.”

“I play piano!” Adrien’s tone turned defensive at Félix's raised brow.

“If you call putting your phone on the music stand and playing classical songs from there ‘playing,’ then I’ll be interested to hear what you call it when you actually press the keys.”

Marinette tried not to laugh at the offended noise Adrien made before he started to retort back to his brother. They bickered back and forth until the door of the office opened and the two fell silent at once, the bubbling playful emotions in the air popping. Marinette turned around and tried to calm herself as Gabriel walked out of the office, gaze locked on the three teens.

“Apologies, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. I had an unexpected phone call that I had to take. I’m glad my sons were able to keep you entertained despite their constant bickering,” he gave a look to his sons who both bowed their heads in embarrassment.

Before they could apologize though, Marinette cut in, “It's not a problem, M. Agreste. They’re both very fun to listen to since I don’t have any siblings of my own to talk to.”

“Is that so?” M. Agreste said and Marinette nodded.

“I usually help babysit so I understand the struggles of younger children, but the bond between siblings is always special,” she said. That seemed to appease the man and he nodded.

“Shall we begin working on the hat?” Gabriel asked and Marinette nodded. She said bye to the twins and took the box from Adrien before going down the stairs. Gabriel motioned for her to go first. Marinette did her best to remain relaxed as she entered no matter the nerves that had flared up in her stomach. She forced herself not to look back at the twins in comfort as she crossed the threshold and entered the room.

Nathalie was sitting at the desk by the entrance. She glanced up as they entered, giving Marinette a nod in greeting before returning to her work. Marinette could feel the worried nerves radiating from the woman as well. This really did feel like an interrogation rather than a discussion.

The rest of the office was what you expect from a fashion designer, statues of different models in Gabriel’s outfits on one side of the room and several pictures of Adrien’s best photos on the other side. In the middle was a large sitting area shaped into a U around a miniature elevated runway, most likely to give Gabriel a change in perspective on his work. Beyond that was a stand of some sorts, and the back of the room had a beautiful painting of Emilie Agreste, in the style of Gustav' Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.

“May we sit? I’m still feeling slightly unwell,” Gabriel asked.

“I heard you were very ill a couple weeks ago. Are you better than before?” Marinette asked.

“Yes, thank you for your concern,” Gabriel said. Marinette wondered if she should ask what he had or not, the conflict in her mind before she decided on another topic rather. With too much at stake, even the smallest question might spark suspicion.

“Your sons were very worried about you, they kept mentioning it at school. It’s good to see you’re doing better,” Marinette eventually settled for, hoping it was a neutral enough response.

“Thank you. Now let’s begin. You have the hat, correct?” Gabriel gestured to the box and Marinette pulled out the hat from within. He analyzed the hat with interest as he took it, maneuvering it around in his grasp.

“These fake feathers are looking good. You could add a few more to this side here to make it look more symmetrical,” Gabriel pointed out and Marinette pulled out her supplies from her art bag. She purposely kept it wide open for Gabriel to look into and gather his interest while Nooroo hid deep in the secret pocket in the bag that would be impossible to open, Nooroo having to phase into it to get in there in the first place.

“Did you make this bag yourself?” Gabriel asked, Marinette trying not to feel triumphant as he took the bait. As she adjusted the bag in warning like they planned, Nooroo secretly phased under the couch to hide. Marinette handed over the bag and showed him how she made it, watching him curiously feel around, most likely looking for a secret compartment and feeling for the kwami. When not getting his results, he handed it back to her. As her fingers brushed his, a stabbing pain pierced through her head and she flinched at the resounding grief from the man, the bag hitting the floor and its contents spilling everywhere.

“Are you alright?” Gabriel asked in worry but Marinette nodded after a couple of deep breaths.

“Yes, I get migraines every now and then when I get stressed. I didn’t realize how nervous I was about all of this until now,” Marinette lied as she picked up her things off the floor quickly and stored them away.

“You have nothing to worry about, seeing how much progress you’ve made and much of it already looking splendidly made. You’ll be ready the week after next, correct?” Gabriel asked and Marinette nodded. Gabriel seemed pleased and concluded that they were done, heading out to the car to get to the venue. Marinette took a deep breath as she followed, squeezing the strap of her bag tightly as she got into the car.

As they drove towards Le Grand Palais, Marinette adjusted her art bag which caught Gabriel’s attention.

“You won’t need to take that in with you,” he said but Marinette smiled.

“I feel more comfortable knowing that all of my belongings are safely with me,” she said and he tilted his head. He looked at her thoughtfully, as if remembering something, but Marinette could feel the darker intentions underneath his exterior. Marinette internally scoffed; the man would make a great actor if he wasn't an evil villain terrorizing Paris.

“You were there the day my book went missing, I never got to thank you for that,” Gabriel said.

“Oh, yes, your book!” Marinette acted surprised about that. “I was surprised when Félix showed me the pictures! The symbol on the front cover was familiar, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Plus the writing inside was very weird. I’ve never seen that kind of writing anywhere.”

“How come Félix showed you the pictures of the book?” he asked, looking for the most part genuinely curious.

“I’m not sure, I assumed it was because I know Mandarin so he figured I would know. I was surprised to see that the people looked like the miraculous holders though. I wonder if they’re connected…” Marinette purposely trailed off thoughtfully as Gabriel analyzed her, his emotions running darker, more calculated. Now the interrogation began.

“And your friend who runs the Noir News, she has no idea about the book?”

“I didn’t see her at all, but she has talked to me about the book so she must’ve overheard what had happened in the library. But we both came to the same conclusion that there was nothing to really learn there.”

“And what about the other girl, Lila Rossi? What was she doing there in the first place?”

“She stole the book originally and even lied about helping you with your latest collection, but in a magazine that my friend gave me about your collection there was a passage saying you worked on it yourself,” Marinette truly huffed in anger since it still upset her that Lila would do something of the sort, “I knew she would try to gain your forgiveness by bringing the book to you and lying about what actually happened, but thankfully Félix was there to intervene so I managed to get the book back, but then Coccinelle struck so I couldn’t return it.”

“And this Lila Rossi claimed to know me and give me ideas?” Gabriel asked in slight amusement and Marinette nodded in anger.

“It’s rude of someone to try to take credit for work that doesn’t belong to them. She didn’t even know the difference between Romanian Couching and Bokhara Couching when I tested her to see if she knew.”

“Bokhara Couching is far different than Romanian” Gabriel agreed.

“I know!” Marinette exclaimed angrily before shrinking down shyly in embarrassment, “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. As an artist you’re expected to feel this way when someone copies the work of yourself or another. It’s your own creation and people believe that they have the rights to imitate it without any appreciation towards the original work. While inspiration from other works is perfectly fine, direct copying and plagiarism are disrespectful towards the original artist,” Gabriel said and looked out the window, “We’ve arrived.”

He opened the door and Marinette stepped out, holding her bag close to her as she exited. As they entered the building, Marinette couldn’t believe that this man was the very same person who attacked his own sons. It felt impossible. He was her idol, her inspiration, someone that she respected. He said the exact things that she felt and had the same passion, making her feel connected to him when she first personally met him at the Agreste Mansion. Yet now…

“This is where the paparazzi will be when we first arrive. They might not ask you many questions so we’ll take you right into the back room where Adrien will be getting ready. After that, you’ll be seated over here,” Gabriel pointed to the first row of seats right in front of the catwalk.

“I’ll be in the front?” Marinette asked and he nodded.

“You can invite a few guests to sit with you since we have a couple of reservations. My sons also mentioned inviting their classmates so I planned to have them sit in the row behind you. I at least wanted you to have a few personal seating arrangements though. ”

“Can I invite my parents and my friend Alya?” Marinette asked and Gabriel nodded.

“If that’s what you wish for, so be it,” he said and Marinette’s phone started to ring, she sheepishly pulled it out and noticed it was Master Fu, right on time.

“Sorry, my great-uncle is calling but I’ll let him know we’re busy,” Marinette said.

“It’s no problem, there’s nothing much we can do here. You can take your call as we leave,” Gabriel said.

“Can I stop by the bathroom before you drive me home?” she asked and he nodded.

She quickly picked up the phone as they started to walk towards the entrance.

“Hāi, shūshu,” Marinette said.

“I’m right outside, just make sure Gabriel doesn’t spot the butterfly coming out of the bathroom,” Master Fu said.

“I’m busy right at the moment but I can call you back, is that alright?” Marinette said in Chinese as they walked.

“Good luck,” Master Fu said.

“Thank you,” Marinette hung up and smiled at Gabriel, “He just got his phone so he loves to call me all the time now, even when it’s not the best of times. Plus the time zones make it hard for him to call at the right time.”

“He must appreciate that you still keep in contact with him. The bathrooms are over there,” Gabriel turned and pointed to where they were. As he did so, Nooroo slipped into Marinette’s sweater.

“Thank you,” she started to make her way over before turning back, “Would you be able to hold onto my bag for me, please? I don’t want to accidentally get it wet.”

“Of course,” Gabriel extended his hand and Marinette handed him the bag before heading into the bathroom and quickly entering the stall after making sure it was clear. She put on her brooch as Nooroo flew out from under her sweater.

“If he suspects you’re in my bag, he’ll be too distracted looking through that to notice the butterfly leaving the front door,” Marinette said.

“Let’s make a copy, shall we?” Nooroo giggled.

“Are you okay to do this? That migraine I got before must’ve been worse for you,” she asked in concern but the kwami did a twirl in the air.

“It was just a small touch that caused it to react, but I can fight!”

“You got it. Nooroo, Wings Rise!” she exclaimed and transformed into Húdié, quickly blessing her butterfly and sending it off, warning it to stay out of sight.

She could feel it going towards Master Fu’s confident energy and smiled as the butterfly successfully landed on his cane.

“Ready?” she asked and he nodded.

“Go, Mimicry, and imitate the one who calls herself Húdié to protect Paris,” she said and felt the transformation wash over him before she released her own transformation, hurrying out of the bathroom. She couldn't help but notice Gabriel’s quick yet smooth as he adjusted her bag, most likely looking through it to find a kwami or the brooch.

“Let’s be on our way, then,” he returned her bag and the two headed out. As they walked out though, several people were pointing to one of the rooftops where Húdié was standing, glancing around as if waiting for people.

“Wow! It’s Húdié!” Marinette exclaimed. “I can’t believe they’re out right now! Unless Coccinelle is around. ”

She glanced at Gabriel who’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the hero until more people gasped, catching their attention.

Apinae came running up to Húdié with Rena Rouge and Carapace in behind, Húdié greeting them with a warm handshake. Marinette pulled out her phone and started recording, mostly to show Alya the new heroes so she could upload them onto Noir News. The heroes ran off towards the Eiffel Tower while everyone pointed after them.

Gabriel and Marinette got in the car where the Gorilla was watching the news, Nadja Chamack already reporting the new heroes, the helicopter following after the heroes and secret Champion as they arrived.

“Hello, Paris!” Mimicry called and the people cheered, recording the heroes. “I’m here to introduce three new superheroes here to protect you against Coccinelle!” Marinette smiled as the Champion continued, “This here is Rena Rouge, the mystical fox. Next is Carapace, our shield and defender, and lastly is Apinae, our fuzzy but strong protector! Give a warm welcome!”

Everyone cheered as the other heroes waved to the crowd.

“Chat Noir has unfortunately stepped down to protect his Miraculous, but I assure you these heroes have all been practicing hard and are more than enough to defend our lovely city,” Húdié comforted the crowd who had let out exclamations of surprise at the news on Chat Noir.

“We’re here to do our best to protect Paris, and while we may not be as experienced as Húdié or Chat Noir,” Rena motioned to where the veteran hero stood, “We will do our best to make sure you are all safe!”

“I might be as sweet as a bee, but I have a powerful sting!” Apinae did a trick with his spinner that Marinette knew he had been practicing to show off. She bit her lip to force back a giggle.

“As the shield, I promise to defend the city from those that try to harm it,” Carapace pulled out his shield and Rena Rouge called on her Mirage, making fireworks in the air. People pointed in awe while others cheered excitedly.

“Looks like Paris is in good hands with our new super hero team,” Nadja said and Marinette turned to Gabriel in excitement.

“Those looked like the people in your book! They have to be related somehow!”

“They must be,” Gabriel watched the heroes all standing around and chatting with the people down below the Eiffel Tower. They swarmed the heroes and had autographs and selfies taken while the news recorded the whole event.

Marinette couldn’t help but grin as she watched Mimicry hug a young child who leaped at him in excitement before sneaking a peek at Gabriel who frowned before leaning back with a resigned sigh.

The butterfly had gotten away.

Chapter Text

Félix blinked in surprise as he nearly ran into Marinette who turned the corner rapidly, clipboard in her hand. The only reason why they didn’t crash was from Marinette’s extreme acrobatic manuvering and a helpful hand from himself to catch her.

“Careful,” he cautioned as Marinette used his hand to straighten herself.

“Thanks, ah,” Marinette blinked at him, as if stunned to see him. Odd reaction considering they two of them plus Alya had been working the entire day to finish setting up the booth for the student art exhibit. But, the two of them had either been busy with the set up today or had only seen each other in brief passing since they discussed Bridgette. Even before then, the only time they had talked was at Félix’s house with Adrien as a buffer between the two of them.

“Everything going smoothly?” Félix asked, glancing at her clipboard with a diagram of the different student presentation booth covered in Marinette’s own cursive writing.

“For the most part,” she sighed, tucking a stray hair back as she frowned at the clipboard. “I’ve got to check on a few more booths though, a student was at the wrong booth so I’m trying to figure that out.”

“I can double check to make sure that no one else did the same,” Félix offered and Marinette looked at him in relief.

“Thank you,” she said. Félix nodded and moved to step away when she grabbed his arm.

“With everything we talked about… I do have an update, but that will have to wait until after the fashion show. I don’t want to disrupt the fashion show beforehand with anything I say. I just wanted to let you know that I’m not avoiding you.”

“Thank you, Marinette,” Félix said and her shoulders relaxed slightly, smile more authentic this time. “You go assist that student. I’ll keep an eye out.”

She nodded and headed out while Félix continued to walk around and ensure that more students hadn't done the same. Overall, everything was running smoothly with the few bumps, but any mistakes were accounted for almost immediately. Félix nodded at Alya as she passed, talking with one of the coordinators from another school in the area. She returned his nod with a wave and he made his way around the corner. Alya had been a large help advertising and promoting their student art show to both other schools and different companies across the city to encourage more people to come. Having split the tasks between the three of them also greatly reduced Marinette’s stress. And with the way she was still running around, Félix couldn’t imagine how much worse it could’ve been.

In the meantime, he caught sight of a familiar face and walked towards the booth.

Marc was anxiously pacing back and forth at the small table where they were presenting the comic they made with Nathaniel. More people were milling about as the exhibit opened and Félix watched Marc shy away from the table, trying to blend into the background behind them.

"Marc," Félix approached. Marc jumped up in fright, but shoulders visibly dropped in relief once recognizing him.

"Félix, have you seen Nathaniel? He said he would be here a minute ago, and it's been more than that," Marc fiddled with their jacket and Félix frowned, scanning the room but not seeing the familiar red hair.

"I'm not sure, but I know he'll be here any moment. The art showcase officially started so he'll be here to talk."

"I know it sounds silly, but I get extremely anxious talking to others. I tend to ramble, and then sometimes stumble over my words and then feel embarrassed about that and it only gets worse from there. Nathaniel’s the only one who can do the talking for today."

"That's alright, everyone's different when it comes to talking to large groups. I've gotten skilled because of my father, but it can be difficult at times. As long as you remember that this is something you're passionate about, you'll do fine. All of the people here are interested in seeing your art, they love art as much as you and I know they would appreciate to hear how much time, effort, and passion you put into this."

That seemed to ease some anxiety in Marc as their expression softened. Félix smiled, he wasn't as good as Marinette with encouraging words, but it seemed to do the trick.

"Marc!" Nathaniel hurried over, smile brilliant. Marc lit up and moved away from their spot against the board as Nathaniel approached.

"I just finished talking with Alya, she said that you can pass out some samples we have of the comic if you're interested. I can stay here at the booth," Nathaniel said.

"Really?" Marc asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Sure, there's no problem there. That way we can get more people to check out what we have and increase interest."

"I think that's a great idea," Félix agreed, "That way you can simply tell them where the booth is so they can come over here and talk to Nathaniel."

"Oh, that's a pretty good idea," Marc said. Nathaniel grinned and handed some random sheets on the booth to Marc before the two swapped places. Félix figured it was a good time to step away, taking a few of the samples himself.

"I can assist for now. I'm walking around checking on everything, so passing out a few samples is no struggle," he said. The two artists beamed at him, Marc following Félix.

"Thank you for your help," Marc said as they walked.

"I'm glad to help a classmate," Félix replied. "It was a good idea to hand out samples to bring interest to the comic."

"Nathaniel actually thought of that. He's wonderful and brilliant," Marc sighed, face softening with fondness, "His passion and encouragement is amazing. You should've seen how much he had already done before we even met up to do the comic, and his ideas. He's also extremely kind and doesn't shut me down or talk over me when I have an idea. I... I don't know what I would do without him,” Marc told Félix, shy.

“He’s a really good guy. I hope you’ve not only made a partner out of this but a good friend,”

Félix said and Marc hesitated, biting his lip.

"I'm happy we're friends," Marc started before hesitating again.

"What's wrong?"

"It's silly," Marc glanced behind them where Nathaniel was animatedly talking with some people at the booth. It took a moment, but then Félix understood.

"Ah," he said with a smile, then continued, "I think that if you want to be... closer to Nathaniel, I don't think he would have a problem with that."

Marc flushed brilliant red and sputtered, "What- me- Nathaniel- no- oh no is it that obvious?"

Félix didn't say that it was mainly from Bridgette pointing out how dense he is to the relationships among his classmates that Félix became more aware about romance. He was never one to think of those things until Bridgette.

"Not obvious to most, only to those that are observant enough to see it. It's up to you whether to act on your feelings. Do you wish to tell him?”

“I just… I don’t know if he has the same feelings for me. It’s a hard thing to talk about, especially if you don’t know if the person likes you back. I just don’t want him to leave me if I tell him,” Marc whispered quietly.

"Fear is a natural thing when it comes to changing relationships. Doesn't mean that only negatives will come as a result. It's a risk, but the rewards might be bountiful if you apply yourself."

"You're right," Marc sighed, both uncertain yet understanding. At that, someone called for Félix and the two split up, Marc going elsewhere to promote the comics. Félix glanced back in concern once more before making his way forward to whomever called him.

Alya stood there with Sabrina, the both of them beaming as he approached. Félix raised an eyebrow, bemused.

"Yes?"

"Sabrina's joined the newspaper club recently and I thought this would be a good scoop for her to promote the art show for other students at our school!" Alya leaned forward with a grin, " W ith Marinette running around making sure everything's alright and since you have the m ost experience between the two of us with interviews, I was thinking you can guide Sabrina around!"

"And why aren't you doing this, Mrs. Noir News?" Félix raised his eyebrow further.

"Because this is Sabrina's job, and I would never want to take from her! I mean two reporters working together? That's asking for conflict on interests."

"Nino's here,” Sabrina answered.

"Ah," Félix said at the same time as Alya scoffed.

"I would never shirk my duties for my boyfriend," she started but Félix shared a look with Sabrina who giggled.

"Then I will graciously guide our loyal reporter around. You go off and do whatever duties you need to," Félix motioned for Sabrina to follow with a hand and she grinned, following after him.

"Yeah, duties like Super Pinguino," Sabrina called behind her back. Félix bit his lip to not laugh at the noise of outrage and embarrassment from Alya as the two of them continued further into the convention room.

"They are both pretty cute when they're together though," Sabrina said as they walked. Félix gave a nod of agreement, moving aside for some people to pass. They walked by a display of butterfly art and Félix paused momentarily, looking at a red and gold butterfly painting.

"Do you like butterflies?" Sabrina asked, following his gaze.

"Ah, yes I have a fondness of them as of recent," Félix said, moving his gaze away with slight difficulty. Knowing that Bridgette was not only Marinette's twin sister, but the fact that Bridgette would've been living in a loving home had not whatever happened to her and him happened, was something he was still trying to process.

He had told Bridgette, who seemed to take it in gentle stride. Félix had no knowledge of what happened to Bridgette while he wasn’t in that dream place, but maybe Bridgette was there alone and processing everything now.

Bridgette, in true Marinette fashion, was all for breaking into Gabriel’s office to find any medical records. Félix not so much.

“They’re a sign of good luck in many places. Or of moving on,” Sabrina said, eyes drifting to different art booths before suddenly stopping. Her face paled and Félix having been watching her, turned to see where she was looking before internally cursing.

Félix had completely forgotten that Chloé had a booth set up, having been avoiding her as much as possible. Alya was the one that had been primarily dealing with the blonde while Marinette and Félix worked on other things away from her.

Félix had no idea what the relationship between Sabrina and Chloé was after the huge fight months ago when Chloé fired Sabrina’s father right in front of the whole class just to get the upperhand. From what he had seen in passing, the two never interacted anymore, Sabrina having swapped with Lila due to her difficulties in class. It was definitely more of an excuse than anything to be away from Chloé rather than an aid towards Lila, but Félix approved Sabrina’s decision anyway.

“Let’s go the other way, I know Alix has some wall art up that she would appreciate us looking at,” Félix offered to Sabrina who continued to stare at the blonde, face shifting away from apprehension and more towards pity.

“No one’s going anywhere near her booth,” Sabrina commented. Félix looked back to Chloé’s both and saw the same. In fact, people actively gave her booth a wide berth, uneasy glances alone the way. Félix tried not to laugh when he saw a specific politician that worked with André Bourgeois see Chloé from afar, and immediately turn and go the other direction.

“Well, considering her scathing personality I’m assuming no one has the courage to go. She’ll probably say her photos are the best and then berate everyone else,” it was a hard thing for Félix not to roll his eyes, years of living under Gabriel’s presence stopping him.

“Courage,” Félix barely heard Sabrina murmur, who then glanced at the butterflies next to her. Before Félix could as for clarification, Sabrina took a deep breath, pulled out her notepad, and marched right over to the lion’s den.

Félix blinked in surprise, then gave himself a mental shake to recover as he followed after, concerned about the potential confrontation.

Instead, Sabrina started to do a full on interview with Chloé, who also seemed completely surprised at the other girl’s presence. Chloé’s initial replies weren’t full of anything cruel or mean to Félix’s increasing surprise, but he assumed it was due to the shock of interacting with Sabrina after their no contact.

Yet, Chloé continued to shock Félix by not making any remarks towards anyone else. Simply talking about her work and how she did it. It was… normal. Terrifyingly normal.

Yes there were times that Chloé got haughty with her work, but most of the time she wasn’t. It was confidence rather than cockiness, something Félix appreciated seeing in artists.

At the end of the interview, Sabrina took one of the mini comics that Nathaniel had made out of Félix’s hand and presented it to Chloé.

“To support the other brilliant artists here, I recommend going around to some of them when you’re free. And give nice complements to them while you’re there,” Sabrina huffed.

Chloé snatched it out of her hand with a grumble, a clear dismissal, but nothing else as the two left.

“I think Chloé either got replaced by a robot or an alien,” Félix finally stated after they had turned the corner and were out of sight. Sabrina burst into giggles while Félix stared at her in confusion.

“I had never heard her not criticize someone anytime I talked to her. Or she always mentions her father at least once. I didn’t hear anything mean or no mention of her father this time.” Félix said, “Thus, aliens.”

“Or she’s becoming… nice?” Sabrina said. The two shared a look, then burst out into laughter.

“That will be the day,” Félix remarked wistfully. Sabrina went to say something more when the sound of screams interrupted them. They turned to the screams to see people running towards them in a panic, escaping from something.

“Go,” Félix said and pushed Sabrina forward away from the crowd, the two taking off as more and more screams erupted from behind. There was a familiar whirring from above, and the red and black villain appeared, swinging overhead and clearly scanning the hall for something or someone. People were yelling, runnign towards the exits or in opposite directions of the villain who perched above them all.

“Why is Coccinelle here?” Sabrina asked, voice full of terror.

“I don’t know,” Félix replied, grim. There was no reason for him to be here at the convention hall, attacking innocent people. He struck at the most random times and places, with little to no connection.

A figure crashed into them from the side, Félix recovering to see Marc’s terrified eyes.

“He’s- he’s Nathaniel-” Marc choked up.

“What happened?” Félix demanded.

“Our booth’s over there,” Marc pointed just as Coccinelle locked eyes on the same direction, dropping down from above to that area.

“Is Nathaniel still there?” Félix asked and Marc nodded, eyes brimming with unspilled tears.

“He was trying to help a student with her artwork, a booth fell over in the panic onto her art work. She said it was originals so of course he went to help. I don’t know what to do.”

Félix glanced up at the direction of the yelling, then back at his classmates.

“You too get out of here, there’s a back exit to the left if you go straight through these booths. I’ll go look for Nathaniel,” Félix said but a tight hand on his arm stopped him.

“No-No! I’m coming with you!” Marc demanded, wiping their eyes.

“Marc-”

“Me too. We stick together,” Sabrina added and after a moment, Félix sighed.

“Oh alright, come on then,” he grumbled and they made their way towards Nathaniel and Marc’s booth.

The booth was destroyed by the time they got there, the only thing undamaged was Nathaniel’s pen that Marc gripped desperately, eyes tearing up again. Sabrina pointed towards a slight commotion, and the other two looked up to see Húdié and the new hero Rena Rouge having a showdown with Coccinelle, his yo-yo whirling at such a high speed it looked like a black and red shield. A few feet away from him was Nathaniel, trying and failing to lift a fallen object off of his leg that had trapped him.

“Nathaniel!” Marc cried out and the heroes glanced at them, Rena moving forward to block Coccinelle as Húdié ran over and crouched down next to Marc, putting a hand on their shoulder as she looked to the other students.

“I’m going to get you three out of here,” she said but Marc shook their head.

“Please… Let me save him,” they pleaded and Húdié stared in surprise.

“You want to save him?”

“Please… I can’t let him get hurt. He’s done so much for me and I can’t leave him like this. Not when he means so much to me.”

“... Do you really want to help?” Húdié said softly and Marc nodded. She hesitated but pulled out the butterfly, kissing it before letting it flutter onto Nathaniel’s pen.

“Can you help me save Nathaniel, Wordsmith?” she asked and they nodded weakly before shining fluttering overtook the other two’s sight. It was Félix’s first time seeing it happen directly in front of him, the light slightly blinding that caused him to blink and look away.

When Félix looked back, in place of Marc was a Champion dress in black and white, pen and notebook in hand. Rather than any fear in their expression, there was determination. Wordsmith rose up and looked at the pen in his hand before glancing at their notebook full of words that were eager to be used.

“Let’s go,” Wordsmith said calmly and Húdié nodded. The Champion took off first while the butterfly hero ushered the other teens away.

“Time for you two to clear out, civilian safety is our priority,” she said despite their protests.

“Come on Sabrina!” the two looked to see the newcomer, gaping at Chloé who waved them over impatiently.

“Uh, go over there I guess,” Húdié shrugged and guided them towards the exit while the new superheroes arrived, Apinae landing next to Húdié.

“What a buzzkill this villain is, am I right?” Apinae winked while the butterfly hero groaned.

“Ch-Apinae can you please-”

“You got it, Bugaboo!” He said and took off towards the villain while Carapace continued to guide the civilians to safety.

“Since he’s also a bug, does that mean you can also call him Bugaboo? Bugaboo Two: Return of the Bugaloo?”

“I should just have Rena here for these fights,” Húdié groaned as three teens finally got out of the convention hall away from the chaos of the fight. There was an awkward pause as the other two stared at Chloé who crossed her arms in annoyance.

“What?” she snapped.

Before they could say anything, Alix came up next to Félix.

“With Marinette and Alya both not here, I’m assuming you’re the next in charge.”

“Where are they?” Félix demanded, worried.

“I don’t know, but I saw Alya leaving a while back right as the fighting started maybe she’s looking for Nino. Marinette is Marinette, the moment a fight happens she’s vanished,” Alix shrugged. “Anyway the skate park’s right other there so I’m going to go to that while this settles. Just text me if they need anything. Oh yeah, I’m surprised your photos weren’t all selfies C hloé, maybe you do have a small sliver of artistic talent . ”

“Hey! At least I’m not the one spritzing gunk all over the walls and calling it art !” she shouted as Alix skated away with a snicker . The other two shared a look while C hloé stormed off, fuming.

“Well, it was good to have nice C hloé while it lasted,” Félix sighed. Sabrina bit her lip to stop her smile as the echoing fight continued.

Chapter Text

Adrien paced shortly around his small trailer, frowning as Pollen buzzed above his head enthusiastically. He adjusted his tie in the mirror before pacing again.

“Master Fu and Húdié are correct, it looks like Coccinelle is targeting my classmates even after the Miraculous swap. There’s no other reason to go to the student art exhibit unless he’s after students. He must know that Apinae is still Chat Noir, just using a different Miraculous. Which is good because that means he’s not going to try to figure out my identity again,” Adrien said and Pollen cheered.

“Yay!”

“But it’s still worrisome that he’s targeting my classmates. Maybe he thinks I still have the Black Cat Miraculous?” Adrien wondered.

“That would definitely not be good,” Pollen agreed.

“But, that means he doesn’t know about Master Fu.”

“Which is good!”

“But then he might continue to attack students.”

“Which is bad,” Pollen concluded. Adrien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck rather than his styled hair. While Pollen’s enthusiasm and responsiveness was a nice contrast to Plagg, the constant agreeableness wasn’t as thought provoking as Plagg. Adrien felt stuck, not knowing what Conccinelle was still after even with the Black Cat Miraculous stored away. Maybe he was after Chat Noir’s identity, but at this point with Rena Rogue in the mix, how could Coccinelle be certain of any identity reveal he tried for now? It was supposed to confuse him and get him to stop, but the last fight at the student art show seemed a lot more aggressive than other times.

Adrien rubbed his shoulder ruefully, the slight twinge of him hitting his shoulder hard last week still echoing. The bruising had mostly faded which was a relief, but the deeper pain still there. Getting tossed around wasn’t the best, but at least with the other two heroes he was thrown about far less than before. Coccinelle’s yo-yo could really send a hero flying if it caught them.

There was a soft knock on the door and Adrien straightened himself as Pollen zipped into the stack of towels in the trailer. He went over and opened it up to see Marinette, and immdiately brightened.

“Marinette! Come in!” he said, nodding to Nathalie who gave a curt nod in response. Adrien had noticed that Nathalie was looking more lethargic and tired then normal, but the fashion show always wore down on the family.

Marinette entered the trailer, tripping on the last step with a yelp. Adrien caught her and assisted her upright, worried.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Marinette sighed, looking at the box in her hands in worry.

“What’s wrong?” Adrien asked.

“Your father didn’t tell me that Audrey Bourgeois was going to be here. If I had known, I would’ve worked even harder on this hat to make it better. I dropped it right in front of her and she saw it, and now she hates it.”

“Marinette,” Adrien put a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Your hat is perfect. You put all the effort and work into it that you could, and it shows. My father picked this hat for a reason, and I personally love it,” Adrien winked and was elated to see Marinette perk up slightly.

“Really?”

“Yeah! Look,” Adrien helped her take the hat out of the box and put the hat on his head, adjusting it slightly before walking to one end of the trailer. He looked back and tipped the brim of the hate to Marinette, who giggled and relaxed.

“See?”

“You got that cat walk down!” Marinette grinned.

“Really?” Adrien asked sheepishly. “Thank you.”

Marinette’s smile was always something that made his day, and Adrien wanted to see more of it, desperately.

There was a gentle rap on the door, “We have to go.”

“Of course,” Adrien agreed and Nathalie stepped out.

Before Marinette could step out, Adrien took Marinette’s hand gently.

“Can we talk after the show? I’ve got something I want to tell you,” Adrien asked. Marinette blinked in surprise before nodding in agreement. With that, Adrien went down and behind the stage while Nathalie guided Marinette to her seat. Most of the models and crew were in the back already adding any finishing touches, Gabriel at the front directing anything that needed to be done.

“Adrien, good to see you got that hat. Line up over there,” his father directed where the other models were waiting, already set to go for the first line up.

As Adrien took his place, Félix came over and adjusted his suit one final time.

“ Don’t trip,” Félix said, voice amused.

“You as well. I’m the one with the modeling experience, yet you’ll be going up on the stage with Père after this.”

“Don’t remind me,” Félix muttered, making Adrien chuckle.

“At least you won’t have to sit next to Audrey Bourgeois and Père this time,” Adrien offered. The off and on rivalry between the two was vicious. Audrey had helped Gabriel get to fame, but after making his own name, Gabriel has been an artist and designer in his own right. While they never competed against one another, there was always tension between the two. They’ve collaborated previously, and while the designs look splendid, the process itself was a nightmare to mitigate and compromise between the two stubborn designers. It seemed that the last time they worked together had been civil enough to allow for Gabriel to invite Audrey to this fashion show and even offer her front row seats.

“It’ll be nice to sit with my classmates in the back. Marinette could use the support considering how nervous she was. She tripped over herself and dropped her hat in front of Audrey when they first arrived.”

“She mentioned that to me. I hope she’s alright. Please check on her if you can, Fé.” Adrien said. Félix nodded and left, Adrien staying behind and mentally preparing himself.

Within the next few minutes the show began and proceeded with no difficulties. Adrien couldn’t help but smile at the music playing, hearing Nino DJ was always a treat, as he waited for his turn. He followed the directors and proceeded outward, calmly walking and maintaining forward eye contact at the end of the hall as he walked. Adrien couldn’t help but give a slight grin as he peeked at Marinette, who looked at him in awe and elation. It made his heart flutter and Adrien worked to keep control of his facial expression as he walked back to the changing room.

His father offered him a nod and gentle grip on his shoulder as Adrien passed, then turned his attention to the rest of the show. Adrien had to go up one more time, regretfully taking off the hat to do a quick change before going back down again.

The show concluded with no problem, Félix going up with their father on the stage after the show to name off the different students that had been selected to present their designs at the show. As Marinette’s name was called, the entire class burst into cheers and clapping, Adrien grinning at the flushed look on Marinette’s face from his hiding spot in the back stage. With that, Adrien grabbed the hat as the show dispersed and retreated back to his trailer to change.

Feeling the adrenaline pumping through him from the show and the memory of Marinette’s radiant smile, Adrien felt on top of the world as he changed.

“You did wonderful, my king!” Pollen cheered, spinning around, “The grace of royalty!”

“Thank you, Pollen.” Adrian grinned. “I feel really good. I feel like I can do anything.”

“Because you can! You’re a superhero, a smart student, and a model. With your determination, you can put your mind to anything!”

“Yeah,” Adrien smiled. A knock at the door finished their conversation and Adrien went to open it once Pollen was out of sight in his jacket.

“Marinette!” Adrien beamed, “Come in!”

“You looked great up there! Audrey Bourgeois even came over to me to compliment the hat! Thank you so much for being my model!”

“Of course Marinette. But you should know, it’s your talent and hat that got you to this place. Not me,” Adrien said and offered her hat back. Marinette took it, her hands gently touching his and causing a jolt to run through him.

“Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot coming from you,” Marinette smiled, expression sweet.

Adrien, feeling emboldened from the day and smile on her face, took a breath and moved to cover Marinette’s hands with his own.

“Marinette, would you like to go on a date with me?” Adrien asked hopefully.

Marinette blinked in confusion for a second, before her mouth dropped slightly.

“Wait, me? Date you?”

“Well,” Adrien pulled his hands back to rub the back of his neck, feeling his face warm, “I really like you, Marinette. I was wondering if you would like to go on a date to see if these feelings are reciprocated.”

“Ah, uh,” Marinette’s fingers fidgeted on the hat in her grip. “I’m sorry, I- I like someone else.”

“Oh,” Adrien’s hand dropped from behind his neck and a rather hard feeling settled in his stomach. He throat tightened slightly and he swallowed to loosen the lump. “I see. That’s okay. That’s why I offered. I want to be sure you were comfortable with that too.”

“I’m sorry,” Marinette apologized again, eyes wide in guilt.

“Marinette,” Adrien smiled, touched by her sympathy, “It’s not up to us to choose who we fall in love with. It’s not your fault for liking someone else and I would never hold that against you. Can, can we still be friends at least?” he asked, hopeful.

“Yes, please,” Marinette sighed in relief. “I would really like to be friends still.”

“Good,” Adrien stuck out his hand and Marinette giggled, reaching out to take it.

“Friends,” Adrien smiled as they shook on it. Marinette nodded.

“Friends,” she agreed.

They both walked out together, Adrien feeling more mellow than before. Marinette still looked slightly nervous, so Adrien broke the tension.

“I heard that Chloé was actually nice at the student art exhibit. Was that still the same today?” Adrien asked and a laugh burst out of Marinette before she covered her mouth with both her hands. She had forgotten that she was holding the hat and proceeded to hit herself in the face with it, letting out a yelp and dropping the hat. Adrien broke into laughter and bent down to pick it up at the same time as Marinette. The two headbutted each other and they grunted, grabbing their heads at the same time.

“Sorry, sorry,” Marinette furiously apologized as she dropped down again to grab the hat. Adrien rubbed the spot on his head as it smarted in pain before he chuckled.

“I didn’t expect you to be that shocked,” Adrien said and Marinette giggled.

“I was not expecting you to say ‘Chloé’ and ‘nice’ in the same sentence. But she was alright. She wasn’t criticizing anyone’s work during the show. Félix told me that she did yell at Alix, but Alix messed with her first.”

Adrien laughed, thinking of Alix’s snappish remarks that can always aggravate Chloé. Those two always seem to have some insult to throw at one another, mainly since Chloé won’t hesitate to be rude to everyone around her and Alix never takes it without retaliating back.

As if by magic, the two walked out into the entrance lobby, littered with some of their classmates and a couple designers that stopped by to see the show. The Bourgeois family was in the middle of the hall, the center of attention with their flamboyance and current argument that seemed to have been going on for a while considering that most people in the hall were either trying to leave or looking rather uncomfortable as they tried to ignore the fight.

Chloé’s fists were clenched and her body shaking in what could've been anger or embarrassment. Meanwhile Audrey Bourgeois waved a hand in dismissal as she made some flippant comment that only invigorate her daughter further, face flushing. André lifted his hands in a placating manner that got both women to glare at him and cause the giant of a man to shrink in defeat.

“What’s going on?” Adrien asked their classmates as they approached.

“Chloé gave some of the pictures she took for the student competition to her mom, who gave them a glance and called it ridiculous immediately. Chloé tried to talk to her mom about it, her mom shut her down, and now,” Nino gestured awkwardly to the three.

“If you have my a chance to work with you then I might just be a better photographer like you would want me to be rather than leaving me here alone!”

“Why would I have you work with me when you have no sliver of talent in your body? Claudine, I only accept the best, and this,” Audrey gestured to the photos in the box that André was holding, as if that was an explanation enough.

“It’s Chloé!” she snapped back. “I’m your daughter, you should remember my name!”

“Maybe you’d be a more memorable daughter if you actually worked and did something better with yourself rather than looking for other people to do it for you,” Audrey said with a dismissive tone that made everyone else in the room grimace. While it was true that Chloé shoved her problems onto someone else, her own mother saying it in such a way made it far more real.

“Maybe I’d be a more memorable daughter if you actually came home or picked up my calls rather than being absent all the time because you’re too busy ,” Chloé seethed, snatching the box from her father and storming out of the lobby.

There was a long moment of silence until Audrey finally broke it with an annoyed sigh.

“Is that how you’ve been raising her, André? Disappointing. Anyway, I need to speak with Gabriel,” Audrey adjusted her glasses and proceeded towards them, noticing Marinette.

“Oh you’re the girl with the hat. Did you make this?” she asked and Adrien nudged Marinette forward with an encouraging smile. Marinette nodded and Audrey started gushing about the hat excitedly, talking about having Marinette go to New York with her.

Adrien winced at that, selfishly not wanting Marinette to leave, but said nothing as they talked. Meanwhile her parents stepped forward and Gabriel arrived to join in on the conversation. Adrien stepped back from the conversation, heart aching. If Marinette wanted to go to New York, he wouldn’t stop her, but he did wish that she would remain here a bit longer in Paris first.

The class went outside to wait on Marinette’s conversation, trying to make the topic light after hearing the showdown between the two Bourgeois women. It didn’t help that they could see the box Chloé had taken from her dad haphazardly dumped into the nearest trash can, the photos strewn everywhere as if the box had been thrown in and popped open with the impact.

Everyone was surprised to see Myléne walk over to the trash can, picking up the photos one by one. She looked at each before putting them in the box, then brought the box back over to the group.

“I thought it would be a shame to throw such nice photos away. While some people might think it, I don’t believe these are trash.”

“I agree. She worked hard on those,” Rose said.

“Which is more than what she normally does,” Alix agreed. The class nodded in agreement before turning to Marinette and her family who walked out, happily cheering for her again.

Chapter Text

Alya arrived into the small massage parlor in confusion, looking around the small foyer to see a familiar pair of shoes already on the ground. Alya frowned at Marinette’s shoes, wondering what in the world she was doing at the massage parlor. Alya had been summoned here by Master Fu via a message from her Miraculous that told her to come here, but she hadn’t been expecting anyone else, much less her best friend. For a split second Alya thought it must be some relation to the Miraculous, but what if it wasn’t? But then why would Marinette be here?

She took of her shoes and placed them next to Marinette’s walking inside to find Marinette enjoying a cup of tea with who she assumed was Master Fu in civilian clothing. To her surprise, a black cat-like kwami was sitting with them and eating some cheese. Definitely Miraculous related then.

“Alya?” Marinette asked, putting the tea cup down in confusion. Master Fu on the other hand smiled.

“Welcome, Alya. Come have a seat with us,” he gestured to the cushions around the table. Alya noticed there were three more unoccupied cushions as she sat down next to Marinette. On the table there were four tea cups not in use.

“Mari, what are you doing here?” Alya asked, deciding the best thing to do was get answers now.

“I will explain in a bit, the other three should be here soon. Would you like some tea?” Master Fu asked. Marinette who was about to say something closed her mouth instead. Master Fu poured Alya a cup of tea at her nod of approval and she let it cool down, exchanging looks between her friend and the Guardian of the Miraculous, then to the black kwami who continued to eat more cheese off the plate in front of him.

Marinette could be related to Master Fu and know about the Miraculous, explaining how she was okay with seeing a kwami. She could also be a Miraculous user herself. Alya took a brief moment to think about the past and realized that there was a very good chance that Alya was looking at Húdié. Both had Chinese ancestry and the fact that Marinette was 'coincidentally' missing whenever Coccinelle appeared. Normally Ayla wouldn't have thought much of it, but now that Alya was giving almost the exact same terrible excuses as Marinette to slip away quietly to fight Coccinelle or do a patrol, the pattern and similarities were there. How many others did she know could be heroes?

“You’re both doing well to restrain yourselves,” Master Fu chuckled. Alya couldn’t help but smile. Before she could say anything, the door opened and there was a moment of thumps as the newcomers took off their shoes. Alya turned to see none other than Nino, Adrien, and Félix enter the massage room, already looking slightly confused. When they saw the girls seated at the table, their brows furrowed into even further confusion and the boys shared looked with one another.

“What are you doing here?” Alya finally asked.

“Uh-” Nino floundered. He was a terrible liar, and as of late it had been getting to the point that Nino would spout absolute nonsense sometimes or just make sounds come out of his mouth before finding excuses to change the conversation. It had been wearing on Alya more and more as of late, especially with her powers allowing her to detect lies and tricks easily.

“Plagg!” Adrien burst out in joy before slapping his hands over his mouth, eyes wide in horror.

“Hey, kid,” the kwami responded with a cackle, flying up to go over to Adrien who reached out in awe and allowed the kwami to land in his hands.

“Come in, I have tea and an explanation for all of you,” Master Fu said and after some rearranging of cushions everyone was comfortable.

There was a long silence as Master Fu took a sip, then placed his cup down. Everyone waited with baited breath.

“So, the reason I summoned you all today is due to the Miraculous, as you all might've figured. We can break the ice for now by starting with that. Everyone here, with the exception of Félix Agreste, is a Miraculous holder-”

“WHAT,” Marinette screeched, echoing the mental shock in Alya's mind. Nino was gaping like a fish and the twins had equal looks of confusion and surprise on their faces.

“You mean to tell me that my friends have been holders this time and you never told me?!” Marinette dramatically gestured to Master Fu.

“For the safety of your identities and as we tried to uncover Coccinelle’s identity, yes I kept it a secret. But now we need everyone on board with this, so it’s important to tell them everything.”

“Everything everything?” Marinette meeped, eyes wide.

“Everything everything,” Master Fu agreed, solemn.

“What do you mean by 'everything everything?'” Alya said suspiciously. Marinette was absolutely pale, looking between Master Fu and the twins. Adrien looked stunned and Félix looked like he was bracing for the absolute worse news in the world.

“We shall start off with identity reveals. I’m Master Fu, Guardian of the Miraculous. This is Marinette, who is Húdié. Alya is Rena Rogue, Nino is Carapace, and Adrien is Chat Noir before becoming Apinae.”

“I’m Plagg, kwami of Destruction that Adrien partnered with,” the kwami on Adrien’s shoulder

“Adrien is Chat Noir?! Oh no no no,” Marinette groaned, burying her face in her hands.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Adrien asked, he probably would’ve sounded more offended if he didn’t look like he’d been tossed off the side of a building.

“Dude you’re Chat Noir?” Nino asked.

“Now it makes sense why you’ve been lying so much all the time,” Alya realized, “You’re Carapace.”

“I- I don’t lie-”

“You are the worst liar out there-”

“No no no no no no-”

“Oh my god I almost hit my girlfriend with my shield-”

“Is it really that bad that I’m you’re Chaton-” More chaos ensued as the kwamis all chose that moment to come out from their holder’s hiding spots and greet each other.

“Pollen how have you been?”

“Beautiful my lovely Nooroo. Ah. Trixx.”

“I missed you too Pollen.”

“I certainly did not-”

“Wayzz! How are you?”

“Good Nooroo, hope you’ve been well-”

“Ugh Plagg-”

“Can someone please explain why we are gathered here and revealing identities?” Félix broke the chatter, arms crossed in irritation. Alya wondered if he was feeling left out by not having a kwami of his own.

“Ah, yes. Well,” Master Fu looked at Marinette who still had her face in her hands. “We found out Coccinelle’s identity, and it’s tied to you Agreste boys.”

“I am not Coccinelle-” Félix said immediately, voice starting to fill with rage as he moved to stand.

“You are not, but Coccinelle is the reason you know Bridgette,” Master Fu finished gently. Félix froze, hands on the table in his paused attempt to push himself up to stand. Alya watched him look between Marinette and Master Fu, his eyes widening in realization before he settled himself back onto his cushion.

“I will start at the beginning. Many years ago when I was an apprentice learning how to be the Guardian of the Miraculous, I made a grievous mistake that ended with the destruction of the Temple of the Guardians and losing extremely important Miraculous and books. The Miraculous I lost were the Ladybug, Cat, Butterfly, and Peacock Miraculous. So when Wayzz felt them here being wrongly used around fourteen years ago, I came here to find them and fix my mistake.

"Unfortunately, I could never find them no matter how hard I looked until almost two years ago. I was patrolling when I spotted a woman wearing the Peacock Miraculous who told me her Miraculous was broken after she and her husband used the Wish fourteen years ago, around the time I felt the Miraculous being used incorrectly. Her husband was currently trying to make another Wish to heal her but she didn't want to do it after learning of the Sacrifice, so she stole the Cat Miraculous and gave it to me. I had been trying to find out who she was by a photo that I found in the Butterfly Miraculous the day Marinette took it back from Coccinelle. Nooroo,” Master Fu said and the small purple kwami flew up in acknowledgment before landing on Marinette’s shoulder, “ended up getting sick and thus I had to reveal myself to Marinette in order to heal him. I figured I might as well explain what I knew so far in the hopes that she would help me. Sure enough within a short time Marinette found the matching image.

“-I know you want me to show you the image now, but I must continue explaining everything else,” Master Fu raised his hand as Alya and Adrien opened their mouths to ask for the picture. Félix was looking as pale as Marinette, face stricken.

“You found out when I showed up with the Miraculous book and told Marinette about Bridgette,” Félix said and Master Fu nodded somberly.

“Who’s Bridgette?” Alya asked.

“Wasn’t she your twin?” Adrien asked Marinette at the same time, causing Nino and Alya looked to Marinette in unison. Marinette fidgeted nervously, peeking at Master Fu to continue. He bowed his head.

“I told you that by combining the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous you can make a Wish, but it comes with a Sacrifice. Coccinelle and this previous Peacock Miraculous holder made a wish, but she interrupted it at the last minute. The wish still went through, as did the Sacrifice.”

“What was the Wish Coccinelle made?” Alya asked.

“… They wished for a person to either be brought back to life or healed from something serious, but that caused another to die.”

“Me,” Félix breathed. “I was…” He brushed a hand through his hair, eyes starting to brim with tears, “And Bridgette. Oh God, Bridgette.”

Master Fu took out a small picture and placed it on the table. Adrien, Nino, and Alya all leaned forward to look at it and Adrien froze up as Alya peered at the woman who looked very familiar. She had kind green eyes and blonde hair wrapped in a gentle ponytail that spilled over her shoulder, a smile on her face.

“That’s my mother,” Adrien said and Alya felt her heart drop.

“Wait, you mean that-”

“Your mother was the Peacock Miraculous holder… and Gabriel Agreste is Coccinelle.”

It took a long time for everyone to digest that information, especially the twins. Marinette had taken the two of them to a back room once Félix had started crying. Adrien had sat there in stunned silence, face pale with an expression of having been gutted from the inside out. He hadn't acknowledged Marinette assisting him up and to the other room, her own eyes red.

Master Fu then had explained what had happened to Bridgette after the twins went into the other room. Alya was horrified and her stomach still churned just thinking about it. Marinette had a twin sister but lost her because of Gabriel Agreste, yet Félix wouldn’t be here without that Wish. Alya couldn’t comprehend what those two boys were going through. To find out that their father was a super villain. Yet on the other hand  he made the Wish with good intentions to save his son. While Gabriel could be negligent at times, he still attended his son’s events now and then like the Career day where Chloe’s bracelet got misplaced that caused a whole scene.

Now, Alya thought with a twisted feeling in her gut, was he truly being a supportive parent? Or was there another layer to him? Gabriel had known of the consequences the Wish would bring, and still performed it regardless whereas Emilie interfered knowing it was wrong. Ayla frowned as she started to put the pieces together slowly. The attacks on the school, specifically their classmates.

“Master Fu,” Alya asked, “Did Co-,” Alya stopped herself, wanting to use his real name. The name of the man that has terrorized Paris behind a mask like a coward, “Did Gabriel know that Chat Noir and Húdié were in Françoise Dupont? Specifically our class?”

“Yes. Adrien had dropped his textbook during his first couple months as a hero. While it’s good to see such a diligent reporter, you informing the public about his textbook made your school a target. From there he started narrowing it down by observing Chat Noir’s arrival times to the scene of any attack. Gabriel also started looking for Húdié, but not as persistently as he was for Chat. We suspect the last attack at the art show was to check if Nathaniel is Chat Noir, or now, Apinae.”

Alya winced, feeling guilt settle into her stomach at the mention of the textbook. She hadn’t realized that from her own curiosity had done so much damage not only to one of her best friends, but also to the rest of the school.

“I’m sorry,” Alya rubbed the handle of her tea cup, ashamed. What other mistakes had she made as a brash reporter that got others into trouble?

Alya looked up when Master Fu placed a warm hand on her arm.

“You did make a mistake, but you did so without the intention and knowledge of the consequences. Adrien does not hold that against you, but you can talk to him later if you truly feel that this is something that will burden you. I know that you would never do that to your friends, and I can see that by the way you’ve changed yourself as a reporter and how Noir News has followed in this process. You’re doing a good job with yourself as a reporter and as a friend, Alya.”

Alya nodded, feeling slightly relieved but not entirely, “I never meant to hurt them for trying to save Paris.”

“You acted with no malice, and all of those that follow the blog have done the same. Coccinelle is the one who has acted maliciously on the information you provided to find out who Chat Noir is.”

“What kind of father… He,” Nino’s fists were clenched and shaking on the table, face filled with rage and grief, “He attacked his own sons just to see if one of them was Chat. What kind of person would do that? That man is…”

“We need to stop him,” Alya said softly, not sure if the twins could hear. Master Fu nodded. The silence continued, and Alya reached out to grab Nino’s hand in comfort, stroking a gentle thumb over his knuckles.

That seemed to release something within Nino, shoulders sagging with a deep exhale. His head bowed forward and Alya leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder.

“But how? Gabriel’s… he’s their dad. They only have him,” Nino said softly.

There was another long silence, no one able to answer the question on how to stop the man that has terrorized Paris but also cared for their best friends.

After a long pause Alya finally spoke up, “Is that why Gabriel had been more invested in Françoise Dupont then? I had always assumed it was because he had been extremely overprotective of his sons, but if the real reason was because he needed to find out who was Chat Noir and Húdié, it makes sense. Also it explains why Gabriel has never let them out of the house in the first place, in case someone found out about the twins especially if Félix… died.”

“That is what we suspect, yes. We don’t know why Bridgette and Félix’s souls are intertwined, but my theory is that with Emilie’s interference as the Peacock Miraculous holder, Bridgette’s body died, but not her soul. Instead, Emilie’s soul is dying. I don’t know why the process of Emilie’s soul has taken so long to fully die, but I fear that she doesn’t have much time which explains Coccinelle’s desperation for the Miraculous again.”

“Because the Wish was never fully completed,” Alya realized. Master Fu nodded.

“The Wish has been trying to complete itself for the past 14 years.”

“Adrien told me that Félix was always very ill growing up, it’s why he never got into modeling or other sports,” Nino said softly.

“That does make sense. The Wish has been trying to claim the missing soul after taking the body, thus it’s been pulling at Félix, Bridgette, and Emilie at the same time. Félix most likely felt it more growing up as he was young and has two souls in him, but Emilie might’ve realized and has been using her Miraculous to stave off the worse of it. Her soul that was already intertwined from interrupting the Wish now has gotten pulled further into it.”

“So then… to save Emilie…” Alya hesitated, unable to finish.

“Bridgette will have to die. She does not have a body anymore to return to even if we were able to save her soul. Unless we allow for Emilie’s soul to die and Bridgette inhabit that one, but to do so would be abhorrent. Putting an incompatible soul into an incompatible person’s body is not only morally wrong, it’s extremely risky and you might lose both in the process.”

“Plus I don’t know how the twins would feel with Marinette’s sister in their mom’s body,” Plagg gulped another piece of cheese. Everyone sputtered and Nooroo who had remained in the room let out a scandalized “Plagg!”

“What? Am I wrong?”

“No, but you don’t just say that-”

The door opened and the other three came out. Marinette was holding both of their hands, all of them red-eyed from crying. Félix’s eyes weren’t focused on anything, staring at the floor with an empty expression. Adrien’s eyes were bright, full of a whirlwind of pain and grief as he gripped Marinette’s hand tight like a life line.

Marinette coaxed them into their seats, moving her cushion between them so they could still hold onto her. Her tea remained untouched, but Alya doubted that Marinette minded as she settled down into her cushion. Nooroo went right to Marinette and cuddle up into her cheek, and Marinette nuzzled her kwami with her cheek.

“We might have a chance to save your mother,” Master Fu said and the twins looked up. Adrien looked surprised while Félix looked lost. Alya had initially wondered if Marinette held any anger and resentment towards Félix, but she could see that there were no negative feelings with the way she let him hold her hand.

“But how?” he asked weakly.

“If we can get the Peacock Miraculous and fix it, we can possibly use it and see if we can restore her soul. It might work, but it also might not because of how deeply bound her soul is with the Wish. It’s a shot in the dark if anything, and without any of the texts or ancient writing, I can’t be confident enough. It would take years to look into it, and we might not have that time. Emilie has been in a coma for a year, so I’m unsure how long she can remain in one.”

“What about Bridgette?” Félix asked, “Is there a way to save her?”

Alya felt her heart break at his desperate expression, even when he turned to Marinette and saw her expression. Marinette looked both like she was crumbling yet accepting everything at the same time, eyes closing and bowing her head further into Nooroo who sniffled.

“I’m sorry, Félix,” Master Fu said, looking as pained as Marinette, “There’s no way to revive her with her body gone. Even if we try to Wish for a body for Bridgette, someone will die in return and they will fall into the same fate that you and Bridgette are in.”

“But-” Félix cut himself off, his angry expression quickly slipping into grief, “She wouldn’t want that.”

“The Wish must be completed, and I fear the longer we wait, the less time your mother has. We need to stop your father and get all the Miraculous information he has, both Miraculous items and books he might have. It’s been in the wrong hands for too long.”

“How do you propose we stop him?” Adrien asked, expression turning serious. Alya couldn't help but feel warmed at his determination to do the right thing in the end even though it would be one of the most difficult things to face.

“We need to first confirm where he’s hiding everything first, and once we find it then we can take it later. Kwami’s are undetectable through cameras and can phase through objects, but your father and potentially Nathalie both know what kwamis look like,” Marinette said. “Master Fu and I already talked about this previously. We would need to create a diversion in order to allow for the kwamis to travel freely around the house without getting caught. We also might need some way to deactivate any alarms that might go off, or find the location of any keys that might be required. Knowing how sensitive this information is, I’m sure your father is probably hiding this under a lot of security so we’ll need one plan on how we’re going to locate everything, and then a second plan when we’re going to access it.

“I’d like to stop your father without a fight. I…” Marinette hesitated before continuing, “I looked up to your father, and I can’t imagine how you’re both feeling. If we can get what we need without having to fight him, I want to do that. I’m angry with him. He willingly made that Wish, but without it I wouldn't have made such good friends with Félix,” Alya saw her grip Félix’s hand tightly at this. “But he also hurt all of Paris, including yourselves. I know he won’t give us the earrings without a fight. We can stop him before that though at least by getting the book and Peacock so he’ll be at a disadvantage.”

It was going to be a fight, Alya frowned at the thought. She had seen how Gabriel was as Coccinelle already. The man was stubborn, and now that Alya knew that he took a Cataclysm to the chest yet still was ale to stand and walk with no problem, that was terrifying. Even the Balance that Master Fu discussed might not be able to stop him, but they still had to try for Paris, the twins, Emilie, and Bridgette.

“So we’ll plan then,” Nino said firmly. “We find a time that Gabriel and Nathalie are out of the house, and we create the biggest diversion ever to ensure that they won’t suspect any Miraculous things going on.”

“But how will we do that?” Alya asked, “Getting them out of the house won’t be a problem, but we’ll need to do something severe for them to not be immediately suspicious where after the Miraculous the moment an alarm trips. I doubt we’ll be able to find all the alarms, especially since we don’t know what we’re looking for.”

“I have an idea on how to make a bit of noise,” Nino smiled.

Chapter Text

“This is the worst idea you’ve had,” Alya hissed as they all stood in the middle of the loudest party known to Paris. Meanwhile the grin on Nino’s face is so huge and infectious that Adrien and Marinette couldn’t help but giggle in return.

“I think it’s great,” Nino said.

“You literally invited all of Paris to the Agreste Mansion!” Alya exclaimed, her frustration lost amongst the party goers. Adrien on the other hand was impressed. When they first came up with the idea of hosting a big enough party to allow for them to sneak around the house undetected, Adrien hadn’t been so sure. Yes they would trip some alarms with the party goers in the house, but Adrien was sure that his father would notice the specific alarms in his office would go off the moment they tried to snoop in his office.

Adrien hadn’t even thought of using Markov to connect to the house’s internal system and messing with everything under the guise of a party. That credit was all to Félix who was close with Max. In order to find a reason for Markov to access the house’s internal system without arousing suspicion from Gabriel and Nathalie who would be able to check the security on their own devices, Félix suggested having Markov access the system and cause some slight glitches while they innocently claim Markov was there to route more electricity for the party. Félix and Adrien knew full well they were going to be grounded after this. Adrien couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the thought; getting grounded by their supervillain father while trying to stop their father from being a supervillain.

Marinette had been a blessing for the twins after the reveal, allowing them to go to her house after leaving Master Fu’s rather than going straight home. Just being with her and talking to her gave him the small respite he needed before going home to face Gabriel. Adrien didn’t know if he would be able to to withhold himself from his father. Adrien didn’t even know how he would’ve reacted. He wanted to yell at his father for doing such a dangerous thing in the first place all those years ago making that Wish and ending Bridgette's life as a result.

Félix talked about her when they got home after leaving Marinette’s house. How they basically grew up together within his mind. Bridgette was always there for him and she was able to learn about the outside world through him. She loved listening to him and Félix described how she was able to manipulate the world around them, building her own ideas of the outside world from just hearing him talk about it. She was creative and imaginative in ways that he hadn’t seen before. Félix said softly that the only other person that he had seen that imagination from was Marinette. They had laid in bed together that night- something they hadn’t done since they were children- holding hands while Félix wept silent tears and told Adrien his guilt that because of him, Bridgette would never be able to live or see Marinette.

The thought of not growing up with Félix on the other hand was unimaginable. Adrien couldn’t see a life without his brother by his side, and Gabriel’s actions allowed for Adrien to grow up with his brother. Yet Marinette experienced the consequence of Gabriel’s greed and desperation. A man who continued to take, trying to make yet another Wish to save their mother’s soul by killing another person. He had already caused so much harm to Paris, striking fear in the heart of all Parisians who didn’t know if they were going to be next.

As Chat Noir, Adrien witnessed the panic of people fleeing from Coccinelle- his father- to save themselves or others. His father had attacked his friends, Félix, himself, Marinette. Adrien wanted his father to be there for them and care for them, but not like this. This darkness that made Gabriel take without thought and compassion couldn’t be allowed.

“I said we were going to make some noise,” Nino grinned, pushing Adrien’s dark thoughts away as he focused on the present. Alya looked seconds from pulling out her hair as André the ice cream man strolled by with his cart. The party had already begun in full blast about half an hour ago, Adrien and Félix distracting the Gorilla while Nino set up several sound systems around the house with the help of their entire class. Once that was set up, not even the Gorilla couldn’t keep that many people away from the house by himself.

Marinette had also managed to get in contact with Jagged Stone who was currently performing outside in the courtyard while Nino played music up in the entry hall of the mansion. The twins sacrificed their rooms for people to play video games in there while the Dupain-Chengs along with Alya’s mom were in the kitchen helping with food catering. The massive amount of people milling both inside and outside the house would distract Nathalie and their father from seeing anyone slip into his office. Finally, Markov was unknowingly triggering all of the alarms and overwhelming other security systems in the house by connecting to the house’s system to ensure enough power was being distributed to all aspects of the house for the party.

“We’re going to be grounded for months after this,” Félix muttered to Adrien as he returned to their side.

“Definitely,” he agreed.

“Then I suppose I ought to take your spot and play the host now. You and Marinette will be able to get into the office easily?”

“Yes, did you find anything?” Adrien asked.

“I didn’t ask when I passed over the kwamis to Marinette. They didn’t tell me what they found while I was talking to the Gorilla in... Pére’s room, but they didn’t seem successful.”

“Hopefully we’ll find something in the office while Marinette and I are in there,” Adrien wished he had Plagg in this moment with his sneakiness, but Pollen was just as reliable and trusting as the rest of the kwami’s. In fact, Trixx would be extremely helpful as they could see through any deceitful places hiding anything. While Alya could only see through the tricks and lies of people, it seems like Trixx was more advance in their powers compared to Alya.

“Then get on your way,” Félix nodded to the entrance of the house. Adrien nodded back before finding Marinette, tapping her shoulder to get her attention. He couldn’t help but preen slightly as she brightened when seeing him. Adrien expected that Marinette would be more flustered and hesitant around around him after the rejection, but he hadn’t expected the shy but sweet rambling or sudden amount of small handmade gifts for him. He assumed it was because of the reveal, but Adrien didn’t see Félix getting anything from her.

“Ready?” he asked politely and Marinette nodded, taking his hand before floundering as she realized what she did. Adrien took her hand again calmly, leading the way to the office past a gaggle of people. He grinned as Alix slid by in her skates while Kim ran after her, laughing.

They entered the office with no trouble- Adrien was not going to ask how Marinette learned to pick locks but it was extremely helpful in this moment- and locked the door behind them with ease.

“Time to search,” Marinette said and the kwami’s phased out of her large purse designed to hold them all and began rummaging around the room while Adrien and Marinette walked over to one of the photos on the wall. They weren’t sure if the cameras were active right now, but just in case they were and had microphones the two purposefully rambled about the photographs. Félix had done the same earlier with the Gorilla, offering measly excuses and explanations for the party behind his back while the kwami’s searched their father’s room for a sign of anything Miraculous-related. Adrien was impressed how his brother managed to keep the Gorilla’s attention away from the kwamis and instead on him while they searched for clues.

Trixx phased out from the large portrait of his mother behind Gabriel’s work podium, “There’s a safe behind this portrait, and the Miraculous book is in there along with a book from Tibet,” Trixx reported and Marinette sagged in relief. She opened her mouth to reply, but caught herself quickly.

“There are hidden cameras in the safe, but no sign of the Peacock Miraculous. He must’ve been storing it in here if there’s a camera,” Nooroo frowned as he followed suit, phasing out from behind the portrait. Pollen poked her head out from Nathalie’s desk.

“Nothing in here, my King!” Pollen called out while Wayzz reported the same from other parts of the room.

Marinette’s phone suddenly chirped. She pulled it out and paled, looking at Adrien with wide eyes, “Your father just pulled in and is entering the house right now!”

Before Adrien could reply, Adrien heard his father’s voice shouting right outside the office door. They exchanged looks in a panic and bolted behind Nathalie’s desk, the kwamis darting over rapidly and phasing into Marinette’s bag as fast as they could while Adrien tucked Marinette into his side to hide her.

The doors flew open and slammed shut, angry panting echoing in the room. Adrien could feel Marinette trembling and squeezed her comfortingly while the door locked shut. Gabriel could see them at any second, but Adrien knew he would risk everything and reveal his hiding place to protect Marinette if it came down to it.

To their surprise, Gabriel let out a choked ‘Emilie’ and Adrien peeked through a small gap in the desk to see his father run over to the portrait. He gaped in shock as Gabriel pushed some hidden buttons on the portrait, causing a hole to open up and drop his father down below the ground into some secret area below.

They sat there in silence for a moment before Adrien warily got up, helping up Marinette while he stared at the space his father was.

“Did you see that?” He breathed.

“No, what happened?” Marinette asked.

“There’s something below us. He activated some buttons on the wall that opened some sort of hidden elevator that took him below this room.”

“We…” Marinette hesitated, torn to find out but worried about the risk. Adrien felt the same but ultimately stepped back.

“We can’t. We need to go,” he ushered her out the door, Marinette quickly locking it while Adrien took in the scene.

The house was chaos. Half the people were still partying, half were being ushered out of the house, while the rest stood there awkwardly trying to figure out what to do. It looked like Nathalie and the Gorilla were trying to get everyone out, but only a few people realized while the rest weren’t aware of what was happening. Without their father to direct the crowd and partygoers out, the chaos allowed them to slip into the crowd and go into the courtyard where Nino, Alya and Félix were anxiously waiting.

“Did he catch you?” Alya asked. The two shook their head and the other three let out sighs of relief, slumping.

“It was very close, but we made it,” Marinette explained, turning to Adrien to update them.

“The kwamis found the book. There’s a safe behind the portrait that has hidden cameras in there, but only the Miraculous book was in there as well as a book from Tibet. The Peacock Miraculous might’ve been in there, but our Père could be hiding it on his person like we carry our Miraculous with us. We also saw him..." Adrien hesitated before explaining what he saw to the others in more detail.

“Down?” Félix asked, alarmed. “We don’t have a basement.”

“I know, but he went down and disappeared below into the elevator. He’s hiding something down there.”

“Probably the Peacock Miraculous. I heard him say your mother’s name before he disappeared down there,” Marinette frowned. Adrien nodded in agreement. The others paused thoughtfully at this, mulling over the information.

“We didn’t check Nathalie’s room, but with a mysterious basement there’s a bigger chance that the Peacock Miraculous is down there rather than with her. We’ll have to keep an eye out and see what happens next,” Nino said. Before the rest could reply, Gabriel’s voice boomed into the courtyard.

“Everyone out now! This party is over!” his face was red with rage as he looked over the crowd, hands clenched in tight fists and hair in disarray.

“He crashed the party earlier than expected but this was rather successful, huh?” Nino chuckled. The five smiled at each other and Marinette lifted her fist. The other heroes caught on fast and Adrien pulled up his brother hand for the fist bump.

“Good job!” they cheered.

“Now time to scram,” Alya said and the others agree. Pollen had already slipped into his shirt so Marinette left with Alya and Nino to pass off their kwamis while Adrien and Félix went to face the music, grim smiles on their faces.

“I cannot believe that the moment I leave this house, you two disregard everything I’ve taught you and decide to host the most ridiculous party I’ve ever seen! We are Agrestes. We are a respectable household and you completely dismiss our reputation and honor by partying like a ton of animals! You used our home without permission, overrode our security system, drained our electricity, and allowed for strangers to run around this entire house with no restriction or boundaries. Do you know how much they could’ve stolen or damaged? Do you know what kind of private information I have in this house that people could take? Did you not stop to think for one second that you allowed hundreds of people to trespass on our home and destroy it with their-” Gabriel continued to shout into the empty foyer, the Gorilla and Nathalie standing to the side awkwardly while the twins were further scolded from their position on the bottom steps while their father paced a flight above. His face was still red from anger and hair in even more mussed. His tie was undone and shirt crumpled. The normally stoic Gabriel Agreste now a furious and anxious man, pacing like a caged animal.

Adrien couldn’t help but stare as the lighting above made his silver earrings gleam. Tikki was here, also in her own cage that was Gabriel Agreste. Plagg adored Tikki and had always talked about her. The irony that they had been under the same roof for almost a full year without the other knowing was heartbreaking. But they would soon be reunited, Adrien would make sure of it.

Gabriel continued to yell at them and berate them for another twenty minutes before grounding the two of them and sending them off to their rooms. The Gorilla and Nathalie were to stay up late to ensure they didn’t leave the house. Thankfully the Gorilla wasn’t in trouble, Félix admitting to their father that he purposely distracted the bodyguard in Gabriel’s room while they set up the party to overwhelming the poor man by the time he came out of the room.

They still had their phones, but all internet access was cut for either of them so that they couldn't post anything on social media. The twins were now not allowed to leave the house or go anywhere without an escort, and they were no longer able to go to school. The school year had just finished last week- which the teens planned for knowing that Gabriel would most likely do this as he never wanted them to go to school in the first place- so the twins weren’t concerned about missing anything school related. Having the party after school ended had also given them the excuse to host the party in the first place by claiming they were celebrating the end of the school year.

The twins knew and accepted the consequences long before the party, and in the end, it was worth it. They wouldn’t be able to figure out what specifically was in the basement without putting Pollen at risk before they stopped their father, but they were one step closer to stopping Coccinelle.

Chapter Text

Félix frowned at his phone at yet another text from Marinette, her anxiety evident in the several typos in her message to the group chat with the other miraculous holders and Félix. Adrien was unavailable, currently assisting Nathalie after her collapse at the museum hours earlier. It had been a shock for the twins, their stalwart assistant who seemed to never grow ill suddenly dizzy and pale the moment the statue reveal had occurred.

Félix wondered if it was due to the statue clearly being a Miraculous object, but he was also uncertain how big of a role Nathalie played in all of this. Marinette, Alya, and Nino had all been to the museum that day to check out the statue for Master Fu once Alix had told them there was a possibility of it being an ancient object of the Miraculous uncovered from the ice in Tibet. Master Fu had been worried of what it was and sent them out to check. With the twins grounded though, they hadn’t been able to join the other three but were able to still attend the event with Nathalie while Gabriel was at work.

The statue had been discovered close to the old temple of the Guardians, Marinette had informed them via text when she went to Master Fu’s after the event was over. She continued to text them updates the longer she was with Master Fu, and the more panicked the messages became. Meanwhile Nathalie had nearly fainted at seeing the statue, causing the twins and Gorilla to escort her out and take her home early. They had insisted on going to the doctor, but Nathalie declined any care. The Gorilla had done nothing but grumble the entire drive home in worry while the twins shared looks. Nathalie rejecting care was very similar to Gabriel rejecting any care when he was afflicted with damage from the Miraculous. Nathalie was known to be in top of her health, and the twins knew she would immediately seek treatment in order to be back on her feet as soon as possible if she were to get sick. For her not to was a sign of her using a Miraculous.

Adrien returned as Félix started messaging Marinette back, a frown on his face.

“I tried to be as subtle as possible, but I couldn’t find any sign of the Peacock Miraculous on her or in her room. The symptoms are exactly like Maman’s early stages of her sickness. I… Do you think the Wish is pulling on her soul too?” Félix felt his heart clench at the despairing look on Adrien’s face.

“I think it is," he replied, "I’m guessing the Wish is tied to the Peacock Miraculous, and because Maman is still alive, the Wish is transferring to someone else. We should check with Master Fu though and see if he thinks that, but I don’t know the situation over there.”

“We can at least confirm with them that Nathalie most likely has the Peacock Miraculous. If she’s already showing symptoms, that’s a good sign that she’s been wearing it so we’ll need to know the powers that is has. We never discussed what it could do since- well- since we’ve never had it in our possession or needed to know about it in detail.”

Before Félix could respond, their phones went off again, this time a call going through. They shared a worried look as they saw Marinette’s contact number before picking up the group call.

“Master Fu is- he’s- Master Fu please we want to help with this. I know you made a mistake but we’re a team now and we’ll fix this together-”

“Marinette-” Master Fu’s voice cut over hers, voice far more stern than they’ve ever heard, “This is my fault and I must restore it. We need to get the Miraculous out of Paris as fast as possible, and so I need to leave.”

“But Master, we’re so close to stopping them! If we can get the Peacock before Feast awakens-” the twins shared another look of confusion before turning back to the phone, seeing that Alya and Nino were also on the group call.

“We don’t have time! Gabriel could’ve already activated Feast!”

“It’s not Gabriel,” Adrien said with a frown. The voices on the other line went silent.

“Who has the Peacock miraculous?” Master Fu asked, voice hard.

“Nathalie. She’s showing the same symptoms as our Maman when she first got sick. We think the Wish is pulling on her soul, and that could only happen if she’s using the Peacock Miraculous. The only time Gabriel ever was ill was when… I Cataclysm’d him months ago, but he’s shown no illness like our Maman had.”

“Is that why you had to leave early from the revealing?” Alya asked.

“Yes, the moment she saw the statue she nearly fainted.”

“That’s because she can feel that it’s an Amok,” Master Fu sighed. Félix was confused, but a glance at Adrien showed that he wasn’t alone in this confusion.

“What’s an Amok?” Nino asked.

“… Marinette would be the closest to relate to this. If the Butterfly or Peacock Miraculous wielders store negative energy into their butterfly or feather, it can create a negative reaction. For the Butterfly it would create an Akuma rather than a Champion, and for the Peacock it would create an Amok rather than a Familiar. A Familiar works like a Champion in a way, but you infuse an object with a Soul instead of giving a person a Heart. You give it life and a purpose based on the emotions you infuse into the feather and it will act our their purpose.

“I made a mistake. I was wielding the Peacock Miraculous, long before your mother got possession of it. I never wanted to be a Guardian, but I was forced to anyway. One of the training methods was to keep us in a room to meditate with no food or water and I was so hungry that I made a Familiar to get me food. But because I was already filled with such negative emotions about going through such grueling training to become something I didn’t want to be, instead of creating a Familiar like I thought, I created an Amok. My hunger for food and my negative emotions towards the Miraculous created an Amok that was hungry for the Miraculous so that I would never have to worry about them again. It created Feast.

“And Feast devoured everything,” Master Fu sounded weary. “It ate everything involving Miraculous. And the more it ate- especially Miraculous items- the bigger it got and the more powers it developed. That’s why there is no Temple of the Guardians.”

“Are you saying… Feast ate the Temple?” Alya asked, incredulous.

The silence was an answer enough.

“I barely got away with the Miracle Box and a few books, and even then I didn’t have all of the Miraculous. I lost the Ladybug and Black Cat and if anyone found out what those were the entire world would be reshaped. Sure enough, they were found by Gabriel Agreste. If what you say is true, Nathalie recognized that the statue is actually Feast and if she unleashes it in Paris…”

Félix stared at the phone in horror, “It can detect Miraculous?”

“Like a homing beacon. Anything Miraculous related, it will find. The Miraculous themselves, any books, anything made by the Miraculous. Feast will find it like a bloodhound and devour it and grow.”

The statue had already been gigantic, far bigger than three double-decker busses. If Feast was released to find Master Fu then Paris could be destroyed in the process.

“Can we destroy it before it awakens? What if we go into the museum and destroy it now?” Adrien asked.

“No, you need to destroy the Amok, but I don’t know where the object might be. I infused the feather into my staff to create the Amok, but I don’t know what happened to the staff. I could’ve dropped it anywhere. It could still be frozen in the ice of Tibet, someone could’ve found it and put it on display in a museum.”

“Then we just need to get the Peacock Miraculous now before Nathalie and-” there was a gigantic rumbling from the phone. Marinette let out a shriek at the noise and several things started seemed to fall and crash to the floor.

“Marinette! Marinette!” Adrien shouted, panicked.

“Master Fu!” Nino called out. Only rumbling could be heard and Adrien quickly opened his blazer, Pollen flying out as Adrien tucked the Miraculous into his hair.

“Pollen, Buzz On!” Adrien shouted and Félix watched in awe as shimmering yellow slight burst out of the hair clip Adrien tucked into his hair and covered his brother in what looked to be sparkling bees that slightly blinded him. When Félix blinked as the light faded, Apinae stood before him. Félix closed his open mouth, still shocked at seeing a hero transform right in front of him.

“Here, take this,” Apinae handed Félix something from his spinner top. It was a small earpiece that he tucked into his ear and immediately realized it was a way for the heroes to communicate without their phones, hearing Marinette- no- Húdié on the other side.

“Master Fu and I are on the move, Feast is gigantic that we felt and heard it far before it arrived. We grabbed the Miraculous box and took off. It’s slow but extremely destructive.”

Apinae finished adjusting the earpiece in his ear and nodded to Félix before taking off through the open window of his room.

“Most civilians saw my post I just made and are going into any building they can. I just transformed and Carapace is already en route.” Rena said.

“Good thing Feast likes staying on the streets like a respectable citizen than smashing his way through buildings,” Carapace said.

“You could say he’s a law-abiting citizen!” Apinae chipped in and all three of them groaned.

“Is this what you have to deal with?” Félix asked, amused.

“All the time,” Húdié bemoaned.

“So what’s the plan? We need to find the Amok before it catches up to Húdié, but we don’t know where it is,” Rena asked.

“Can we have Master Fu go onto the Eiffel Tower and stay there while we fight? Feast can’t get that high.”

There was a pause before Húdié replied, “Master Fu says Feast will just eat the Tower.”

“Glad to know it thinks the Tower is a light snack," Carapace replied in a dry tone.

“We will need to capture Nathalie where ever she is with the Peacock Miraculous.”

“I’ll check the room,” Félix said and hurried to the door. He poked his head out of the room and glanced around but the house was dead silent.

“Félix, don’t engage Nathalie if she’s transformed,” Apinae warned.

“We don’t have a choice. We need the Peacock to stop Feast. We don’t know were the Amok is, but what if we can use the Peacock to stop the Amok? Could Master Fu take control of Feast if he gets it?”

“… Possibly,” Húdié replied. “He said he might be able to.”

“Then I’ll catch her by surprise,” Félix ran down the stairs to her room, grabbing the door handle but not turning it. He took a deep breath, feeling nerves running through his body but knowing that he had to do this for all of them.

He turned the handle quickly and burst into the room, scanning it quickly only to find it empty. Félix paled, running to the bathroom and checking there to also find it empty.

“She’s not here.”

“That’s a little problem,” Apinae tried to keep his tone uplifted, but Félix could hear the worry.

Félix stepped out into the main hall again, noticing just how quiet it was. He went over to Gabriel’s office, finding the door unlocked when he tested it.

Gabriel always locked the door.

Félix opened it slowly, glancing inside before opening it wider to find it empty.

“P- Père’s not here. There’s no one home,” Félix said.

“Then that means-”

“Coccinelle!” Carapace yelled, then grunting as something made impact with him.

“We can’t let him get to Master Fu!” Rena yelled and Félix never felt more helpless standing there listening to the chaos unfold on the other side.

“I’ll fight Coccinelle, Carapace needs to protect Master Fu!”

“Can’t Master Fu transform and run so Húdié can summon a Champion?”

“We didn’t have time so we grabbed the entire gramophone the box was hiding in. It’s too dangerous to try to open anything with me running around this much!”

“Get those civilians to safety!”

“I can’t, I’m currently carrying a 100 year old man!”

They continued to yell and argue for a while before Félix thought of something.

“Ma- Húdié, lead Feast to our house and bring Master Fu into my room. If Feast goes to the mansion-”

“- Then Coccinelle will be forced to stop it because of whatever Miraculous items he has here will be eaten by Feast,” she finished. Félix ran into the office and managed to open the front gate from Nathalie’s desk before hurrying to his room.

“It’ll out us as knowing Coccinelle’s identity, but at this point Coccinelle has already seen Master Fu and won’t stop until he gets the Black Cat Miraculous,” Apinae said.

Húdié appeared a few minutes later with Master Fu, dumping him into Félix's room before taking off again, most likely going to stop Feast. Master Fu looked extremely ruffled and pale, his figure hunched as if he had aged thirty years since the last time they met.

“This is all my fault,” he murmured.

“You didn’t mean to make Feast. I… Adrien and I know what it’s like to be forced to do something you don’t want to do. We never had the choice to chose our careers and futures, and I think you were the same," he told the older man. Master Fu looked at Félix, a spark of life returning to his eyes.

“There wasn't much of a choice when it came to being a Guardian,” he agreed, tone somber. Félix nodded. Before he could reply, he was interrupted.

“I know where the staff is,” Húdié said to everyone’s surprise.

“How?” Apinae asked.

“Master Fu said that while Feast was chasing him in the Temple, he tried to remove the amok from his staff but was unsuccessful because Feast was too fast for him. He had almost been eaten, but narrowly escaped by blocking him with the staff and instead focused on getting the Miraculous Box out. So if he prioritized getting the box out and Feast was eating anything Miraculous related, Feast might’ve eaten the staff because it was Miraculous made.”

“So how are we going to get the staff if Feast ate it?” Carapace exclaimed.

“Easy!” Húdié chirped and there was a sudden yell from everyone else.

“Húdié!”

“What happened?” Félix asked before he was interrupted as Rena shouted.

“Don’t you do it Ap- he did it.”

“What happened?” Félix demanded, fear coursing through him.

“Húdié and Apinae just got eaten by Feast.”

Félix froze up, feeling the ground underneath him waver. Master Fu reached forward to steady him as Félix tried to regain some of his bearing, but the shock was to great.

“You could say we were quite the Feast!” Apinae laughed and Félix now collapsed to the ground, this time in relief.

“Never do that again,” Félix said weakly while Rena cursed out Apinae for his jokes after jumping into Feast’s mouth.

“I’m going to make Apinae a Champion to find the staff,” Húdié said and Félix quickly filled Master Fu in on everything that had happened. The rumbling and trembling that had been slowly increasing was now getting worse as Feast approached the mansion.

“Coccinelle is realizing what happened and is now trying to stop Feast. I think Nathalie is in this area because Feast didn’t go straight to the mansion but diverted. I’ll look for her,” Rena said. There was a long moment of silence as the fight continued. The trembling didn’t get worse but also didn’t fade, meaning that they were partially successful in keeping Feast at bay.

“Something’s wrong,” Húdié said after a long moment of silence, “We found the staff but it’s trapped in a bubble. When Apinae tried to pop another bubble before it ended up turning into smaller bubbles so we can’t pierce it without splitting the staff into smaller pieces.”

Félix relayed this again to Master Fu who frowned, “It sounds like he’s digesting it slowly. We can’t risk splitting the staff into pieces too small or else it’ll never fully be destroyed.”

“Then how do we break it?” Carapace asked after Félix told the others the issue. They were all silent for a moment before Master Fu opened up the gramophone, pulling out the Miraculous box and opening it to reveal several pieces of jewelry. While Félix stared in amazement at how such small items could cause this much damage, Master Fu grabbed a solid black ring with a green paw in the middle platform and held it out to Félix.

“Félix, I entrust you with the Black Cat Miraculous. Use it well to defeat Feast. To summon Cataclysm, you will say it and it will appear in your right hand. Then you can touch any object to cause a ‘cataclysm’ that will damage the staff and free the amok. Use this to catch the feather that falls out,” Master Fu handed him a glass jar.

“A jar?” Félix asked.

“It has magic properties to contain amoks or akumas. Until we get the Ladybug or Peacock back, we cannot purify the amok. But you can free it with the Cataclysm. You only have five minutes the moment you call out the command until you detransform, so only do it at the last moment.”

“Okay,” Félix took the ring and slipped it on. It turned a bright silver as the black leeched out of the ring into a small floating black mass that turned into a familiar face.

“Well, didn’t expect to see you, kid,” Plagg gave a toothy grin to Félix before looking at Master Fu, “Judging by the looks of dread and terror on your faces I’m assuming we’re in a bind?”

“Húdié and Apinae were eaten by Feast who is almost here and Coccinelle is on his way. Nathalie has the Peacock Miraculous.”

“Yeah sounds pretty chaotic to me, which is where I thrive," Plagg gave a sharp toothed grin to Félix, "Just say ‘Plagg, Claws Out’ when you’re ready.” Plagg drifted over Félix’s head as the teen fidgeted with the ring, taking a deep breath before nodding. He handed Apinae’s earpiece over to Master Fu before clenching his hand where the ring laid.

“Plagg, Claws Out!”

Instead of a blinding yellow transformation, Félix was covered in a bright green light as he felt the transformation wash over him. Once it was done, he looked down at himself to see that he was wearing a black suit similar to the old Chat Noir, but instead with a flared collar and thigh-high boots. His belt also had a silver buckle shaped to look like a cat head and his normal slicked back hair was wild around his face.

“This feels ridiculous,” Chat Noir said as he picked at the boots while Master Fu chuckled.

“I think it looks nice,” he chuckled before continuing, “The earpiece is in your baton and the baton itself can extend out to whatever range you need by clicking that button.” Félix nodded in looked to the window, recalling how the old Chat Noir could leap around easily.

Leaping out the window and clinging to the frame was easier than expected, and he felt his ear perk up at the loud destruction to the front entrance of the mansion. Chat Noir climbed over the rooftop to see the streets were destroyed and cars crushed by Feast’s footsteps while light posts were bent at awkward angles as if someone had crashed into them.

Feast was easy to see, the giant blue monster trying to eat the two Miraculous wielders flying around it’s head.

“You want a snack?” Chat Noir yelled as he came up from behind Carapace, Coccinelle across the way. The spotted villain was too far to stop Chat Noir as he ran towards the large blue Amok.

“No!” Coccinelle yelled and dove for Chat Noir, but Carapace blocked him. It put Chat Noir into the full view of Feast, it’s maw opening with a loud roar.

“How about a full course meal?” Chat Noir grinned and leapt into the gaping mouth.

Chapter Text

“We found a way to stop the Amok,” Master Fu said from Apinae’s earpiece, surprising the two heroes currently being digested.

“Master Fu?” Húdié asked in worry, “Where’s Félix? Why do you have Apinae’s earpiece?”

“Félix, or should I say, Chat Noir, is on the way to Cataclysm the staff,” Master Fu said and Apinae, now known as Swarm in his Champion form, gasped.

“No way!” He cheered, excited that his brother was not just any Miraculous weilder, but Chat Noir himself. He couldn’t wait to see his brother.

He proceeded to vibrate, the wings on his back fluttering in excitement as the bees around him buzzed. It was strange being in a Champion form. Swarm finally understood when his friends had talked about being Champion and how it affected your thought process. Swarm wanted to go find Chat Noir right away, the same way he wanted to find the staff. It was a one track mindset that caused you to only focus on what the Champion desired. It was strange, but not unpleasant. Especially not with Húdié also looking through his own eyes.

“Go find your brother, and then come find me again,” Húdié smiled and Swarm grinned. He took off into the depths of Feast’s stomach, his bees flying in multiple directions to look for Chat Noir while some stayed behind with Húdié.

Within minutes, his bees had found Chat Noir and swarmed to him, directing Swarm to his brother. He took a moment to admire his brother as he approached; Félix looked good as Chat Noir. The large silver bell made Swarm's smile grow.

“Chat!” Swarm grinned and hugged his brother before the bees pointed them back to the location of the queen bee, Húdié.

“Hi Apinae,” Chat chuckled at the sudden affection while Swarm buzzed, happy to have found his target. He directed Chat Noir to his queen bee, wings fluttering excitedly. He wished he had wings as Apinae, but this was also just as nice.

They found Húdié relatively shortly and Chat Noir went up to the staff trapped in the bubble, grimacing at his fist before extending it.

“Cataclysm!” he shouted and his hand formed the familiar oozing black that appeared when Cataclysm was active. Chat Noir reached out and touched the staff. The bubble burst to reveal a staff that immediately crumbled into black, and at once everything started to rumble and tremble.

“Swarm, thank you for your service!” Húdié said and the butterfly flew out of the Miraculous and back to Húdié’s staff, leaving Apinae with a buzzing feeling still in his head. Apinae shook his head to get that feeling out as the three heroes were surrounded by bubbles before appearing outside of the Agreste Mansion, Carapace readily diving to block Coccinelle who lunged for Chat Noir. The black cat hero had been in the middle of catching the amok feather into a jar, unaware of the danger.

“I’ll get him to safety,” Apinae said while Húdié rushed over to support Carapace.

“Watch out!” Rena shouted from behind and the heroes barely managed to avoid the attack from behind them. A Miraculous wielder in a blue feather suit appeared, fan in her hand. They all immediately knew who it was even though her blue-toned skin and hair obscured any way to recognize her.

“I am Mayura, and this is your end heroes,” she said and opened her hand to reveal another amok feather that landed on a nearby crushed plant that had been trampled from Feast.

Yet another huge rumbling occurred- the hundredth one tonight- and out from the crushed plant sprouted giant vines that lashed out at the heroes. They all ducked to the side while Rena continued to try to get the Miraculous from Mayura.

Coccinelle stepped in again, throwing his yo-yo and wrapping it around Chat Noir’s wrist that beeped, one minute down. Chat Noir tried to wretch his hand free but was dragged forward by the larger man. Carapace once again stepped in, grabbing the yo-yo wire and yanking back. While they had a violent game of tug-of-war, Húdié went for Mayura with Rena while Apinae paused to decide.

They didn’t need Mayura as much anymore because the amok was handled, and with a chirping noise coming from Mayura’s brooch, it seemed like she wasn’t trained to keep up her Amok for that long. Húdié wouldn’t be able to summon another Champion, but she still had about a half hour until she detransformed which was perfect.

Apinae charged directly towards Coccinelle, feeling the fury fill his bones. Right in front of him was his own father who had killed Bridgette, hurt Paris, and fought his own sons without remorse. While Apinae was still trying to reconcile the fact that he had Cataclysmed his own father, the harm that Gabriel had done to everyone else outweighed that thought at the moment.

“This is the end, Coccinelle,” Apinae snarled as landed a solid kick on the villain. Coccinelle was knocked back, yo-yo releasing Chat Noir who took the opportunity to try to retreat. Carapace went forward to support Apinae while the spotted villain growled in frustration at the retreating hero.

Chat didn’t make it too far as vines from the plant Amok sprung forward and tried to trap him again. While the Black Cat Miraculous made him more agile, Chat Noir wasn’t used to his new powers that caused him to stumble and nearly get caught.

The back and forth fighting continued until Chat Noir’s Miraculous chirped. Four minutes had passed. Mayura’s chirped right after that and Coccinelle took that time to grow more vicious in his attacks, hitting Apinae hard in the ribs. Apinae wheezed in pain as the kick propelled him back. He stumbled to catch himself and landed roughly on what used to be a car but now was a flattened pancake remains from Feast's rampage.

“Shelter!” Carapace shouted, just in time to protect Chat Noir from a violent kick from Coccinelle as well as several vines that struck at the heroes. While the force field held up and protected the heroes, Húdié charged at Coccinelle as Rena and Mayura landed simultaneous blow, knocking them both back.

Mayura caught herself on the ledge of a building, diving down again to attach Rena when suddenly she seized, crying out in pain. They watched as she went limp, falling to the ground as she suddenly detransformed before her timer ran out. As her amok vanished, Apinae felt his stomach drop in horror realizing that Nathalie was now falling several floors without her Miraculous to protect her.

“Nathalie!” Coccinelle, Apinae, and Chat Noir all yelled out simultaneously. Coccinelle, Húdié, and Apinae were all too far to catch her from their position even as Apinae ran over to them in horror. Rena was still recovering from the hit while Carapace was busy maintaining his Shelter around himself and Chat Noir.

Chat Noir lunged forward, slipping out of the Shelter and towards Nathalie while his ring chirped one final time. He dove for her as they hit the ground, a dust cloud rising up and blocking them from sight.

“Félix!” Adrien yelled in horror, unsure of the situation.

“Félix?” Coccinelle repeated in shock while Húdié took his confusion to knock Coccinelle down.

“Apinae!” Húdié shouted and Apinae hesitated, unsure what to do. He glanced down at Coccinelle who was struggling to free himself from Húdié’s grasp then his gaze went over to his brother.

“We’re alright!” Félix shouted, standing from the dust with Plagg at his shoulder and Nathalie in his arms, unconscious but not severely hurt.

With a breath of relief, Apinae turned to Coccinelle while the villain stared in shock at the two who had just detransformed.

“My own son was Chat Noir this whole time?” he murmured, looking lost and unsure of himself. He was limp in Húdié’s arms as Apinae came forward, stinger out.

“Venom!” he shouted and stung Coccinelle, who let out a weak noise as he was stunned in place, eyes still directed towards Nathalie and Félix.

“He was not Chat Noir,” Apinae said softly as he stood over the villain, “I was.”

He continued to stand over Coccinelle, frozen in place as Húdié moved towards the villain and pulled off the earrings one by one to reveal Gabriel Agreste. Even though he had known who was under the mask, seeing it for himself made his stomach drop. Apinae stood there, looking into the eyes of his father as the word went mute around him. He barely processed Tikki flying free, immediately going to Plagg and tackling him in a hug. He barely processed Félix and Carapace taking Nathalie towards the mansion while Rena Rogue tried to keep back civilians who had been watching the whole ordeal unfold.

He barely processed the gentle hand on his shoulder, tugging him to step back from his father as the police came forward, handcuffs prepared to arrest his father the moment Venom faded from his system. Apinae didn’t feel much of anything even as Húdié hugged him tightly, her own body trembling as she cried into his chest.

The only thing Adrien felt was that this didn’t feel like much of a victory.

Adrien doesn’t recall much after the fight. He remembers there were a lot of police and medical responders at the mansion. He can vaguely recall Húdié putting on the Ladybug Miraculous and restoring the Amok and all the damage done, fixing all of Paris within seconds. It doesn’t heal the rest of the damage done to Paris from previous fights, but at least it saved Paris from the worst destruction that had been caused by Coccinelle.

Adrien felt time slip away after that, eventually finding himself at the Dupain-Cheng household. He doesn’t know were Gorilla is, but Félix is here and not injured. For now that’s all that matters to Adrien.

Tom Dupain’s hug brings some awareness back to his body, as does the cup of tea Master Fu makes for them while Marinette prepares her room for the twins to spend the night. Sabine is holding his hand, rubbing a thumb soothingly over his knuckles while she gently wipes his cheeks. Her face is full of concern and Adrien can see that she’s speaking, but her voice sounds muffled as if his head is underwater. He feels like he is underwater, with how difficult it is to breathe from his tight chest.

Marinette appears again, taking her mother’s place as Sabine goes back to the kitchen. Marinette has tears in her own eyes as she covers Adrien with a blanket that smells like flowers and sugar, warming him. A similar blanket is over Félix who is asleep on the couch, cup of tea forgotten on the table. Adrien remembers then how exhausted he was after his first transformation, and with the day they had it’s understandable that Félix fell asleep so quickly.

Adrien feels tired, but can’t find it in himself to actually drift off. He feels trapped in a state of permanent exhaustion with heavy limbs but his mind running with thoughts of everything that happened, could’ve happened, and will happen.

Eventually Master Fu went over to check on him, and after a quick word to the others, the adults and Marinette herded the twins upstairs where an assortment of cushions, blankets, and pillows lay on the floor to make a temporary bed for the twins.

Félix doesn't stir even as Tom removed the tie and vest from him before tucking him in. Then, after Marinette got Adrien to sit on the chaise, she stepped away from him with a pained look to speak with the adults. Adrien doesn't know how long it to for her to return, but when she does, Marinette is all he sees as she sits next to him and takes his hand. There they sit for some duration of time before something in Adrien started to crack. It started with the blanket on his shoulders, then the hand in his, and the wiping of the tears. It’s the small things that build up further and further until Marinette can no longer hold back the sob.

“I’m so sorry Adrien, I’m so sorry,” she threw her hands over him and hugged him tightly as if to pull him into her and merge them together.

“Don’t be sorry,” he murmured, fingers finally working to grasp the edge of her shirt.

“You should never have to go through this. Your heart- the pain- I-” she continued to cry which caused Adrien to perk up more.

“You shouldn’t have to go through this either. I- I don’t think I could live without having Félix here in my life. But I was supposed to. You were supposed to have your twin, not me. I- I don’t know what it’s like without my brother, I don’t know what I would do without him. But I don’t want to become like my Père. I don’t want to hurt others to get my brother back, especially. You mean so much to me Marinette, and you lost what I should’ve lost-” Adrien’s throat is tight and his eyes feel hot with tears, “I would never hurt you the way my Père did. I’m so sorry he hurt you. I’m so sorry that I feel so selfish for wanting to keep Félix while you lost Bridgette. You deserve to have your sister. I’m so sorry,”

“Don’t be sorry. Adrien,” Marinette pulled back, cupping his face in her hands, “You should never be sorry for loving your brother. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I never met Félix either. You both have made such an impact on my life, and nothing can change how much I care for you both. You deserve to be happy, Adrien. I want you to be happy. Never feel guilty about loving your brother, okay?”

“But Bridgette-” Adrien cried, grasping Marinette’s arms, “You never got the chance to love her.”

“I know,” Marinette sniffled. “I never will love her the way you love your brother. But that’s okay. I found my own happiness here. I found it with my parents, with my friends, and with you. I’ve still had the chance to love. Being able to be happy and in love is the best thing I could ever ask for.”

Adrien tried to respond, but his voice seemed to have left him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Marinette and tucked his face into her shoulder as if to hide from the rest of the world. Tomorrow everyone would be damaging questions from the Agreste twins. For now though, he could stay here with the girl he adored with every part of his heart and soul and hide from the world for awhile.

Marinette gave a watery giggle out of the blue.

“Sorry, does that tickle?” Adrien murmured, thinking his hair was tickling her neck.

“No, I was just thinking of all this talk about love. It reminded me of something I never actually had the chance to talk to you about.” Adrien made a noncommittal noise in return.

“About?”

“When you confessed to me. You see, I never got the chance to confess to you the truth about the boy I liked.”

Adrien did not want to hear this right now. Yet, he sat there and braced himself. His heart already was broken before today, nothing could make this worse. Especially after the day he had today.

“You see- well- the other person I liked was… Ah, well. I had this whole confession planned out but then you confessed to me first and then I found out that you were Chat who was also related to Coccinelle and I knew that would be the worst time to confess because you just found out your dad was a supervillain and did all that stuff to Bridgette and then we had to stop him so I never found the right time to tell you because I knew that was a lot of pressure-”

“Marinette,” Adrien smiled, pulling himself up to see that her face was scarlet. He had never seen Marinette so flustered before which surprised him, causing him to sit up more.

“Well- I- Well- So I’ve always had… I’ve been in love with Chat Noir since the moment he saved me the first day you were a hero,” Marinette whispered.

This time the numbness that went through Adrien was simple shock, stunned at the declaration that he had not been expecting at all.

“You… liked me since the very first day we met?” he asked for clarification. Marinette nodded, pinching her lips together sheepishly.

“I made you a hat with an opening for your cat ears and was going to give it to you but never worked up the courage.”

“You made me a hat?” Adrien asked, completely flattered.

“I was going to give it to you right before you became Apinae and when you became Apinae I thought you might have antennae or something but you didn’t so I stored the hat away it looked really ridiculous anyway-”

“You made me a hat?” Adrien repeated, brimming with joy. Marinette stood up and went over to a small chest and rummaged around in what seemed to be a lot of clothing supplies until pulling out a small package wrapped up in a black wrapping with green paw prints on it.

She handed it to Adrien who opened it with all the delicacy he could, smile growing more and more as he unveiled the hat.

It was a soft green knitted beanie with two open slits on the top for what would’ve been a place for Chat Noir’s ears to go through. There were little black pawprints on the inside of it that made Adrien’s smile brilliant.

“Is it reversible?” he asked and chuckled at her shy nod.

“Thank you, Marinette,” Adrien tried to convey how much this meant to him as he took a hold of her hands and squeezed them. If he hadn’t been smiling as much as he could already, her sudden shyness at the squeeze would’ve made him grin further.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen after tonight and how that might change the two of us, but… no matter what, I want us to be together as a team. Always.”

“Partners,” Adrien agreed and the relief that went through Marinette warmed his heart.

“Partners,” she agreed with a gentle smile.

Adrien suddenly had a thought, “You know… I just realized. If you become Ladybug after this, you’re still going to be my bugaboo. Looks like somethings never change.”

“I’m going to bed,” Marinette said and Adrien had to slap a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing and waking up Félix. After a few seconds, Marinette had to put her hand over her mouth too as they dissolved into giggles, still holding each other’s hand.

Partners, Adrien thought to himself, was a perfect way to describe them no matter where they went or what happened next. Marinette and Adrien would tackle it all together.

Chapter Text

The Agreste mansion was completely silent as the Gorilla opened the door for everyone to enter. It had been two weeks since the final fight, with Gabriel and Nathalie both arrested for their crimes against Paris. Nathalie had only been a conspirator and didn’t actually fight until the final battle, thus her punishment was expected to be less severe than Gabriel’s.

Before Nathalie was taken into custody and sent to the hospital before being fully arrested, she had told Félix where Emilie was located. To find out that she was not in another country undergoing medical treatment but under their feet this entire time was horrifying to Marinette. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend the grief the twins were feeling. They both had shut down emotionally, barely talking and eating. It was difficult for Marinette to detect their emotions besides hopelessness that made her despair for them. Yet, Marinette’s father took it upon himself to feed the boys and provide them with comfort while her mother spoke with Gorilla about maintaining the house and keeping an eye on the press to ensure that when the twins were ready to go back, there would be no prying eyes.

As of now, there had been some news reporters outside the mansion, but there was a back entrance into the mansion grounds that they entered in from, winding from the backyard into the main part of the house.

The only people at the house now were the Gorilla, the twins, the heroes, and Master Fu. The Gorilla took guard at the front of the house while the rest of them went into the office, mood tense. The pressure increased as Félix went over to the painting and pressed on the markings on the wall Nathalie had informed him about, opening up a drop down elevator into the basement below the house. Master Fu was the first to go down, then Marinette after him.

As Marinette descended from the elevator, she gaped at the size of the basement underground. It was as spacious as a cathedral, with high ceilings and tinted light coming in from a long window across the room. There was an aisle much like a church, leading over to what looked like a small garden with a glass casket of sorts.

Marinette could see Emilie from the foot of the elevator, and simply seeing the woman made her stomach feel nauseous. It didn’t help to feel similar feelings of horror and disgust from Alya and Nino as they entered the basement with them.

“This feels like some twisted form of Snow White, as if Gabriel was trying to make this whole place seem lighthearted rather than…” Alya trailed off.

“Something out of a horror movie,” Nino finished.

“The lengths of his delusion towards his goal is reflected here,” Master Fu said, already walking towards the garden, “These flowers here attract and feed the butterflies that the Butterfly Miraculous uses. He’s had this set up for years considering he only lost the Butterfly Miraculous a year ago.”

Marinette turned at the sudden influx of horror from behind her. The twins had just arrived and were looking at the casket across the hall in a mix of terror and despair. Marinette went back to them and reached out to them, but then hesitated, unsure if her touch would be wanted.

Adrien met her outreached hand with his own and gripped it tightly, eyes still on the casket.

“She’s alive,” Master Fu said. Some tension eased at that, but it was still heavy with the somber tone. They all slowly made their way over to the garden where Emilie rested as Master Fu continued to check on Emilie’s condition.

The garden itself was small, with the familiar flowers that Marinette grew on her own balcony blooming in bushes around them. Emilie’s own casket was elevated as if she was standing, body tilted back at an angle. There was a glass cover that went over her which Master Fu had figured out how to retract, and several tubes and wires connected to the back of the casket to the ground.

“It’s like a life support system,” Nino pointed out the wires and the openings in Emilie’s casket that allowed for whatever was sustaining her to filter into the space where she rested.

“There’s heavy magic at play here, some of this not even connected to the current Miraculous box I wield. Some of this is magic pulled from other miraculous sources of magic.”

“There’s different Miraculous outside of Paris?” Alya asked, surprised.

“Yes, scattered across the world. That’s why there are Guardians, designed to protect the Miraculous boxes. My box is not the only one, but my actions at the temple limited how many Miraculous boxes there should be out in the world. With the return of the Temple in Tibet though, I expect more boxes to appear again. But there will be some complications with my Miraculous box in the future,” Master Fu hesitated.

“Why?” Marinette asked.

“With the return of the Temple, I have to go back there and get aid to help Madam Agreste. But since I am the reason for allowing the Temple to fall, they will most likely take back the Miraculouses from everyone once Emilie is treated. You will lose all connection with your kwamis, and my memories of being a Guardian will be erased in order to protect the secrets of the Temple.”

“Master Fu, you cannot do that,” Marinette gasped.

“I would rather lose my memories than continue to run away and hide from my mistakes. Emilie has paid dearly for it, as has Paris. Saving a life is far more precious than the memories of an old man,” Master Fu smiled. Marinette could only feel a gentle acceptance radiating him him, determined to do this for them.

“Of course, you will have time to say your goodbyes as I need to travel to Tibet and meet with the other Guardians if they haven’t arrived already. I’ll leave the box with you Marinette, as the heroes of Paris are needed right now to bring the people peace after a year of Coccinelle's destruction. I think they need some Ladybug luck now to show them that Paris is safe,” Master Fu smiled at Marinette’s purse where Tikki was resting.

“What about our mother?” Adrien asked, squeezing Marinette’s hand. She returned his squeeze with one of assurance.

“She should be fine as she is here. The magic is keeping her safe, and I’m confident we’ll be able to provide some form of treatment to her. I will admit, I don’t know how much we can do for her, but I’m sure we will find something for her.” Master Fu pressed a button and the glass case slid over Emilie again, returning her back to her sealed chamber.

They walked out the way they came, the twins throwing one last glance before ascending back into the office. They walked out of the office, the twins heading to their rooms to pack more things into bags to stay with Marinette. They had both moved into the Dupain-Cheng househouse, staying in a guestroom that they usually had open for Marinette’s Nonna when she visited. Adrien and Félix had initially stayed up with her that first night from the stress of the day, but now they were residing together in the room. Marinette could tell that being in the same room together was helpful towards their healing, but they would still be going to therapy after the situation was resolved.

To find out their father was a supervillain holding their comatose mother in their basement wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Alya and Nino followed the twins upstairs while Master Fu motioned to Marinette to follow him outside into the backyard. She stepped up beside him as they made their way into the garden and felt soothed at the sunshine falling on her rather than the artificial lights of the basement.

“I have asked a lot from you, Marinette. You were not meant to be chosen as a hero, but you have the spirit and heart of one. I am grateful that you’ve been by my side. Without your help, we would’ve lost the Black Cat Miraculous and I would never have gotten this far. The Temple would not be restored, and I would not have gained my courage to face my mistakes. Thank you, Marinette.”

“Thank you for being a wonderful teacher, Master Fu. I wouldn’t have been Húdié without you.”

“Maybe not Húdié, but I have a good feeling you would’ve been a hero either way,” Master Fu had a knowing smile and twinkle in his eye. Marinette frowned, unsure of what he meant. Tikki and Nooroo popped their heads out of her purse to get some sunshine in, Tikki looking far better and happier than she had been two weeks prior.

“I don’t understand,” Marinette said.

“I think you were destined to be a hero, Marinette. No matter in what life, I think this has always been the path for you. Which is why I am going to ask the Guardians at the Temple to take you in as an apprentice so that you can be a Guardian here in Paris. I don’t know how much they’ll take my word for it, but I have a good feeling once they find out all you’ve done for this city, I can make them agree you’ll be far more suitable than an old man like me.”

“Master Fu, I can’t possibly take your role-” Marinette started but Master Fu waved his hand.

“I am a hundred and eighty seven years too old to keep being a Guardian, Marinette,” he chuckled. “I never wanted to be a Guardian, but I can tell you enjoy this. The kwamis adore you too, which is important for being a guardian. We would have a Master stay here and guide you so you don’t have to leave your family or your post here in Paris. But, you deserve to have a choice in this matter. I want you to be able to choose what you want to do with your life. Being a Guardian is not easy, but it’s worthwhile.”

They fell into silence, walking through the garden as Marinette mulled over Master Fu’s words. She had truly enjoyed learning about the Miraculous and meeting all the different kwamis whenever she was with Master Fu. While she was hesitant about the trials she would have to undergo, Marinette knew that she wasn’t alone anymore.

She glanced up to the window were Adrien’s room was, smiling faintly to herself before looking back to Master Fu.

“I would be honored to be a Guardian, if they’ll have me.”

“Then I hope the news I bring back with me will be good news. I do not know how they’ll take me, but I am confident they’ll do all they can to help us save Madam Agreste.”

Marinette agreed with a nod. Now that they had the missing books and all of the Miraculous together, saving Emilie wouldn’t be as difficult. Marinette couldn’t help but think of Bridgette though, wondering what would happen to her soul. She was still resting within Félix’s body, and the incomplete Wish would continue to harm people in order to fulfill the missing side of the Wish that was never completed. Someone’s soul was still here, and it would have to go.

Master Fu seemed to realized Marinette’s train of thought, and he settled down into a small bench. He patted the spot next to him and she sat down beside him. They watched the garden move in the gentle breeze, feeling the sun on them and hearing the buzz of insects around them. Nooroo and Tikki took the silent and private moment to slip out and explore the garden, fluttering close by.

“Bridgette has never gotten to experience this,” Marinette looked down as she shifted her shoes on the grass. Master Fu hummed in agreement, staying silent for once to her surprise. There was a long pause as Marinette mulled over her thoughts some more before hesitantly speaking.

“I would’ve liked to have a sister,” she said, voice soft. Master Fu nodded, taking her hand.

“I’m sorry you never got to have one. I know you and Bridgette would’ve been inseparable if you had been together,” Master Fu agreed.

Marinette recalled the stories her parents told her of Bridgette. How the twins would hold hands even though their personalities were completely different. Marinette wriggling and Bridgette babbling in their crib. They would’ve been opposites, but never apart.

Suddenly the story of Liang Zhu came into her mind as she watched two butterflies fly through the garden, chased by a giggling Nooroo and Tikki. Butterflies, despite their frail nature, represented life and immortality. Love persevering and everlasting.

Marinette might not remember Bridgette and love her in the same way as the story of Liang Zhu went, but that never stopped her from loving her sister. She knew that deep down, Bridgette loved her too. Those memories of warmth, safety, the color red. Of big hands that held her gently, medium hands that she could grasp their fingers in her fist, and then small hands like hers that she would hold tightly. That was love to Marinette, and she knew that was love to Bridgette. Something they would never forget.

Chapter Text

Master Fu returned to Paris with a Guardian of the Temple, a stern man by the name of Grand Master Su-Han. He was one of the higher Masters of the Temple, one that had actually been involved in training Master Fu when the latter was just an apprentice. Félix wasn’t informed of the situation, but it seems that Master Su-Han wasn’t pleased with Master Fu which Félix believed was rather reasonable. Not to be a harsh critic, but Master Fu’s actions caused the fall of the Temple and loss of the Miraculous in the first place. For the Guardians of the Miraculous to be upset with Master Fu was expected, as the older man said himself before he departed 3 months prior. Félix had met the Grand Master in passing and while he was very strict, he was also kind to the heroes. Paris had greatly recovered with the rise of Ladybug, Húdié announcing and changing out her Miraculous for Paris to see that the Ladybug Miraculous was being taken up by their own hero rather than someone unknown individual. It had been a beautiful transformation, a metamorphosis in a way as Húdié activated the Ladybug Miraculous on live television before removing the Butterfly Miraculous and remaining as Ladybug.

Her name and suit was far more simple than her previous hero suit, but in a way it was refreshing. A new start for the heroes and Paris.

Master Su-Han seemed to take to Marinette well, meeting with her and discussing Guardian related things at Master Fu’s house. While Marinette didn’t discuss much about it to Félix, Adrien was a good informant as her boyfriend. Eventually the topic of the Wish was broached once Master Su-Han was updated with the situation, and the relief to hear that their mother could be saved was a burden lifted. As expected though, there was the issue of who’s soul would have to go. Nathalie’s, Félix’s, Emilie’s, or Bridgette’s.

“Mine of course,” Bridgette had said, unwavering as Félix hesitantly brought up the topic.

“But-”

“Fé,” Bridgette smiled, that beautiful smile that was currently breaking Félix’s heart, “It’s okay. We know it’s time. It’s… been time. Like they said, I cannot live on Earth without a body. Even if I had the ability to take over a body, I could never do that. I never got to experience what it’s like to be alive, but you taught me how to live. That’s all that matters to me.”

Félix looked away from her, staring resolutely at the ground as if it would give him answers. Spring up a perfect answer for their situation.

“It’s not fair,” Félix said. His voice sounded petulant which slightly horrified him, but Félix felt as if he deserved to feel the way he did. Bridgette had been his friend for as long as he could remember. Now he would never see her again. His dreams would forever be blank, a black void full of nothingness. There would be no gardens, no libraries, no magical creations that Bridgette made in the depths of their minds.

“It isn’t,” Bridgette agreed simply. How she could take this easily and calmly, Félix could not understand. He would never understand. Fate, no, Gabriel had been cruel to Bridgette and nothing could be done to save her.

“No one deserves this, but you do deserve your mother. She deserves to live and watch her sons grow into fine young men rather than remain in a coma. Saying goodbye is scary, but… you’ll also have the chance to say hello again. We won’t see each other anymore in this life, but maybe one day we’ll see each other again.”

Félix said nothing, eyes burning with unshed tears as he continued to look at the ground. His grip on Bridgette’s fingers tightened, feeling the warmth in her hands that felt real. Bridgette wasn’t real on earth, but she was real to Félix.

“I don’t want to say goodbye,” Félix admitted. “I’m not ready to say goodbye.”

“I don’t think anyone’s ever ready to say goodbye. I’m not ready either." Bridgette took a deep breath, "Félix, I’m so scared."

Félix looked up finally to see Bridgette was crying, her smile wobbling. He didn’t hesitate to pull her into a tight hug, crushing her to him and holding her close. Bridgette squeeze Félix tightly, body shaking. They were silent for a long moment, just breathing unsteadily and holding one another.

“People don’t get the chance to say goodbye, but we do. I’m so grateful for that. I’m grateful for all that you’ve done for me these past years, Fé. You are my best friend.”

“I’m you’re only friend,” Félix muttered into her shirt. Bridgette pulled away with a burst of laughter, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. Her eyes were red and watery, but her smile was steady.

“And with that now you are also my least favorite friend,” Bridgette stuck her tongue at him, causing Félix to chuckle.

“Thank you, Bridgette. I’ve always been awkward with talking to people, but you helped me every step of the way. I can’t imagine how difficult it would’ve been for me to make friends without your advice. I’m… I’m not good at reading social cues and it’s hard for me to take a joke, but you’ve never judged me for it. I appreciate all that you’ve given me, and I will cherish it for the rest of my days. You’ll always be here,” Félix took her hand and placed it on his chest, right over his heart.

“Forever by your side,” Bridgette agreed.

“I love you, Bridgette Dupain-Cheng,” Félix smiled.

“And I love you, Félix Agreste,” Bridgette beamed, leaning forward until they were brushing noses.

They shared one more look and smiled, the room growing warm as their eyes drifted shut and leaned into one another for a gentle kiss. It sent a warm tingling through Félix and he reached up to caress her face, to feel not just her warmth, but also feel that she was still there.

When they pulled back, the room was bright and full of butterflies and light, echoing the feelings in Félix's heart. He could tell that he was slowly waking up, but rather than the room fading to black as always, the room grew in brightness. Between one blink and the next, Félix awoke, blinking light out of his eyes. The sun had come up and a beam of light was right on his face. They had moved back into their house two months ago and it was still surprising to realize how sunny his bedroom was in the morning compared to the dim light of the guest room at the Dupain-Cheng's house.

As Félix sat up, he felt that his face was wet, tears having slipped out of his eyes. He could still feel the warmth of Bridgette's lips turned up in a sweet smile and her hand on his chest. It also felt like she was still holding his hand in a tight grip. He subconsciously squeezed his hand to find that there was actually something in his hand to his confusion. Félix looked to his side to find Adrien sleeping with him in bed, holding his hand.

Félix smiled at his brother fondly, shaking him awake. Adrien grumbled and turned to his side, before suddenly jumping up and staring at his brother in concern.

“Bridgette?” Adrien asked.

“She’s ready. We… we talked. I feel better, and I think she does too. It’s scary and unknown, but we’re not alone.”

“Never,” Adrien agreed.

They went downstairs and prepared for the day, although there was not much to do as everyone would be coming to the mansion. Félix was still anxious, fiddling with his tie as the brothers ate. Master Su-Han and Master Fu had worked out how to recover their mother’s soul though an ancient method requiring usage of many Miraculous. They would do it in the basement as it would require a lot of space for them to do it, then after their mother would be taken to the hospital to receive treatment. Nathalie had already given them a written statement to protect the twins while in the hospital before she was taken into full custody. That way the twins could present that statement the moment Emilie woke up and was taken to the hospital in order to keep the twins safe from any backlash.

The twins hadn’t updated Gabriel on the situation, even though he had kept quiet about the twins using the Black Cat Miraculous. They hadn’t even seen to Gabriel since he was arrested, both not ready to do so. Maybe once their mother had recovered enough and was updated on what she had missed, the three of them could go together. It felt like a cowardly thing to wait, but Félix could not face his father just yet and knew Adrien felt the same.

By the time the twins had finished eating, Marinette and both of the Masters had arrived. Marinette carried the Miraculous box with her, updated to look like an egg with large ladybug spots on it. Meanwhile Tikki, Nooroo, Pollen, and Duusu flew around them chatting animatedly. The twins greeted the three, Marinette looking as nervous as Félix felt while Pollen excitedly greeted Adrien.

“Ready?” Master Fu asked the twins. They nodded in agreement as Alya and Nino appeared, waving to the Gorilla who let them in. Félix was genuinely curious if the Gorilla had figured out anything that they were doing, or maybe he was paid enough not to care. He closed the door behind the guests without an hesitation or curiosity in his expression.

Once the couple greeted everyone, the group headed down to the basement together. Seeing their mother resting in the chamber was still difficult to get over, but hopefully after this day she would be awake and free from her coma. Félix could only hope that this worked. Master Fu and Su-Han had warned the twins that with their mother’s soul constantly being pulled away from her body for the last 15 years, there was no confirmation of how that might affect her once she woke up. Anything could have happened with the strain her soul had to undergo all these years.

Master Fu walked up to Félix, handing him the familiar yet not familiar Peacock Miraculous completely restored and healed. For him to have seen it for so long in barely remembered dreams, holding it in his hands almost felt surreal.

Félix closed his fist around it, looking to Duusu who smiled and nodded encouragingly. He returned the nod and clipped it to his suit, watching the brooch take shape into a blue and green brooch with gold embellishing.

The heroes and Masters all took place around the chamber in a half circle, the miraculous box tucked away from them. Félix noticed that Master Fu was now wearing the Butterfly Miraculous and Master Su-Han wearing the Bee Miraculous.

The Masters had explained that their mother’s body, mind, heart, and energy were all dormant, allowing her to fall into this coma. Thus, they would use the Wu Xing Miraculous to awaken her. The Black Cat Miraculous would be used to destroy the bond between Félix and Bridgette’s tied souls while the Ladybug Miraculous would recreate a new and stronger between their mother’s mostly separated soul and her body. It was going to be difficult, but the Masters assured the teens that they all could handle this.

Félix stepped forward in front of his mother while Adrien and Marinette stood on either side of him. The rest of the group took up around Emilie’s open chamber.

In unison, everyone called to their kwamis to transform them into their hero forms. Félix looked over his own outfit, a blue and black styled suit with a tailcoat in the shape of peacock feathers, before looking ahead of him to his mother.

“Remember the phrases,” Master Su-Han said as he extended an open palm to hover over Emilie. Master Fu, Rena, and Carapace followed suit each of them calling out an enchantment specific to their hero power.

“As the water of a river flows peacefully, may the generosity in the heart bring vitality and peace to restore the mind,” Master Fu said.

“As the wood of a tree’s branches bends but roots remain steady, may the truth of an open mind awaken energy to move forward,” Alya recited.

“As fires burn across the earth and bring new life to the soil, may the passion energy brings rekindle the body,” Master Su-Han responded.

“As the earth forges diamonds through perseverance, may the body protect the soul and hone it to shine bright,” Carapace said.

“As the metal burning bright is untouchable, may the soul only quench it’s desire by the heart,” Félix said, hand raised towards his mother.

At once he felt a sharp tug of pain from within his chest, causing him to gasp and lurch forward. The supporting hands on his shoulders kept him from falling as a blur of white light appears from within his chest out into the air, drifting towards Emilie with a string of white connected to Félix’s chest.

Chat Noir stepped forward and reached out for the string, his own hand blacked with an activated Cataclysm. As he gently tugs on the string, Ladybug reached out with her own hand emitting a strange red light onto Emilie, her other hand still on Félix’s shoulder. At once, it feels like something snaps from within Félix’s chest while warmth and coldness rushes through his body as he gapes at the soft white light. They watch as the white light forms into a shape of a person with familiar pigtails and bright eyes that are both blue and white at the same time.

“Bridgette,” Ladybug breathed. The figure turned towards the spotted hero and smiles, eyes crinkling.

“Marinette,” Bridgette smiled.

“I love you,” Marinette told her sister without any delay, Bridgette's smile turning brilliant.

“I love you too, sister. Take care of Félix for me, he gets into too much trouble,” she said and Marinette let out a watery giggle, eyes brimming with joyful tears.

“No more than me,” she replied and the twin sisters laugh, both sounding achingly similar. Bridgette looked to Félix one more time, smiling before closing her eyes and tilting her head skyward. They all watched as Bridgette’s form lost shape, turning into a white fluttering mass that Félix realized are hundreds of white butterflies, rising up towards the sky in bubbles of gentle light that continue to drift higher and higher until they vanish into thin air.

“Goodbye, little butterfly,” Marinette murmured.

They all continue to stare up at the spot where the butterflies vanish until they hear a soft breath, looking down to see Emilie open her eyes. She blinked in confusion, squinting at the light as she took in the scene around her.

“Maman!” Chat Noir cried, rushing forward with Félix right behind him. He quickly undoes his transformation and reached for his mother, Adrien realizing the same and copying Félix as they take their mother’s hands.Everyone else stepped back, giving the twins space while Emilie continued to wake up.

“Maman, do you… do you remember us?” Adrien asked, brow furrowed and looking uncertain.

“How could I not remember my boys? Adrien. Félix. Have you grown? What happened?” Emilie asked as she tried to move her body.

“Don’t move too much. You’ve been asleep for a long time. We’re going to make sure you’re okay by getting you to the hospital,” Félix informed her, squeezing his mother’s hand as his heart burned with the joy of seeing her green eyes again. Even though her voice is rough from disuse, every word brought him comfort.

“Where are we?” she asked as she took in the room, confusion growing. Though not for long as it seemed that exhaustion is winning over her, eyes drooping.

“You’re at home, but when you wake up you’ll be safe in a hospital, okay? We’ll be with you every step of the way,” Adrien assured her and Félix watched his mother give a nod and hum of agreement, eyes drifting shut.

“Let’s get her upstairs, paramedics are already on their way,” Master Su-Han says. The group agreed and Marinette collected the Miraculous from everyone besides Alya, Nino, and Adrien while the rest head upstairs.

It’s difficult to get Emilie up the elevator, but they manage to do so without a problem. If Gorilla is surprised to see them coming up from a mysterious basement in the office as he helps them put Emilie on the couch, he shows nothing. In fact, he’s rather calm about everything and goes back outside to lead the paramedics into the house so that they could assist.

Their mother is then transferred from the couch to the stretcher, the twins following the entire time as they take her into the ambulance. The Gorilla already is waiting in the car for the twins so they can follow the ambulance to the hospital.

Adrien turned back to the others before getting in the car, expression concerned.

“We will be fine, Adrien,” Master Fu assured him. Marinette smiled from her spot next to Master Fu.

“We’ll be there later, promise.”

Adrien nodded and got in the car while Félix turned back to the ambulance, eyes on it like a hawk as it pulled out of the mansion and down the way. They eventually lose it once they get stuck in traffic, Félix feeling nervous.

“How do you feel?” Adrien asked. Félix frowned, unsure of what he means. Relieved, anxious, saddened. He felt like he was feeling everything at the same time. It took Adrien pointing at his own chest for Félix to realize.

“Ah, well, it had initially felt like something snapped in me and I was then doused in both scalding hot water and ice water at the same time. Now, it feels… Well… It feels like there’s a hole in my heart, but also that a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I guess I’ve never really thought that having two souls within me would cause that much difference to my body. It’s strange.” Félix said and Adrien nodded in agreement.

“If you ever want to talk about her, I’m here for you,” Adrian said. Félix looked to his brother and nodded, smiling.

“I know. And now we have Maman.”

It was Adrien’s turn to grin. His eyes were alight with relief and joy, echoing Félix’s own feelings. Their mother remembered them, and she was awake. Bridgette was free as was Tikki. Adrien was happy with Marinette, and Paris was safe. They did lose a lot during this time, but they also gained in return. The friendships forged, knowledge and experiences gained, and the lessons learned would be unforgettable. All in all, it was miraculous.

Chapter Text

Adrien couldn’t resist the skip in his step as he walked down the road, Félix scoffing for the third time.

“I will walk there myself if you even think about talking about that again.”

“I’ll just give you a ring on your phone and talk to you that way,” Adrien winked and his grin widened at Félix annoyed groan.

“You and your puns are getting out of hand,” Félix started walking faster once he caught sight of the bakery, Adrien hurrying after him.

“Was that a hand pun because rings go on hands?” Adrien asked in excitement.

“I hope you know that Maman is also getting annoying with your puns.”

“She would never. She says they’re the cat’s meow,” Adrien opened the door to the bakery, the Dupain-Cheng’s welcoming the twins warmly. As always, they smelled of baked goods and other herbal scents of some freshly brewed tea. Sabine kissed both of them on the cheek before handing them some baked good and ushering them upstairs.

“Marinette’s ready, just talking to her friends,” Sabine winked and Adrien grinned before they made their way upstairs eagerly, wanting to see the other kwamis before heading out.

Marinette had thought she was being sneaky by baking her own goods or buying groceries with her own money to provide for the kwamis she was raising, but it seems that one day her parents gave up on acting unaware of the situation about two years after Emilie had woken up. Supposedly Xuppu had been sneaking downstairs for months to take bananas from the fridge, and was caught in the act by Tom. Xuppu proceeded to not tell anyone about it, and ended up developing a friendship with Tom who ended up telling Sabine. Marinette had been utterly humiliated with the whole situation, but relieved at the same time to be able to tell her parents everything. They took it all in stride, and from then on the kwami were able to freely roam the house. It was chaotic at times, but also very endearing for Adrien to watch.

The twins entered the home to be greeted with a chorus of hellos from the kwamis. It was a confusion of hellos and greetings from everyone until the twins could finally greet Marinette who came down from upstairs, Tikki on her shoulder.

“Ready, buggaboo?” Adrien asked. Marinette beamed as she approached and they shared a sweet kiss, Adrien still feeling bubbles in his stomach at every kiss. He pulled back and wrapped an arm around her back to herd her closer to Félix to greet him.

“Marinette,” Félix greeted warmly and the two hugged and shared a kiss on the cheek. “Please tell my brother to stop making ring puns, it’s driving me up the wall.”

“Adrien,” Marinette glared at him the moment she stepped back from Félix.

“Tattletale,” Adrien muttered. Félix scoffed.

“Am not, I’m making a valid concern known to your fiancée. My sanity is on the line here.”

“I find it endearing,” Nooroo fluttered out from Félix’s dress coat, Marinette brightening.

“Nooroo!” she reached out for the kwami who hugged her. All quarrels forgotten for the moment as the twins gave Nooroo a moment to greet his old wielder.

It had been a surprise to everyone when Marinette offered the kwami to Félix to use. While most trouble was minor over the past ten years since the end of Coccinelle, there were still villains out there abusing Miraculous or using some other form of magic for bad purposes. Marinette had said that it was good for trusted heroes at home to step in and protect Paris when she was abroad dealing with any Guardian-related concerns with Adrien.

As a Guardian, Marinette had been thriving with her duties, having finished her training under the tutelage of Master Su-Han. Three years after Coccinelle was stopped, Master Fu decided that he wanted to retire and live out his life with his former lover Marianne. They had reunited when Marianne traveled to the Temple to find him again a year after the Temple was restored. It had lead her to Paris, where Master Fu spent time thinking about what he wanted to do with his life before deciding to be with her. He was currently in the United States enjoying the beaches of Florida from his update last month, with a goal to later visit Norway and watch the aurora borealis.

Su-Han had taken over Marinette’s training before returning to the Temple to teach new students, but he would stop in every few months to visit. He had become another uncle to the family, although his serious nature clashed with Tom’s jolly nature on some occasions.

After their greetings, the three adults headed out with their respective kwamis in tow. It was a short walk to their destination, Marinette’s bag of supplies in one of Adrien’s hands as he walked with the other hand held her own. Sometimes Adrien couldn’t believe how happy he was with his life. He had just started his new teaching position at a local high school teaching physics, he was engaged to the woman of his dreams that the had loved since he was 15 years old, his mother was alive and well with most of her memory back, and Nathalie had been recently released from jail and was working with Félix at the newly adjusted Agreste arts studio. The studio was designed to host lessons of different arts such as fashion, painting, writing, music, and photography with showcases that allows for youths and other amateur artist to get their works out into the world. Old friends and acquaintances such as Marc, Nathaniel, Chloé, Luka, were part time teachers there that would come in and assist with lessons, or provide resources for the students to explore more opportunities. Chloe had been especially helpful in that regard to getting more connections for the students. Her relationship with her mother was still rocky, but not as disastrous as it was in their teen years. It enabled her to communicate with her mother about specific events or opportunities for the students.

As the three arrived at their destination, Alya and Nino were already waiting against one of the benches, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Late as always,” Alya grinned, greeting Marinette and the twins with a kiss while Nino grinned and hugged Adrien with a hearty pat on the back. Félix and Marinette received more gentle hugs from Nino before the five entered through the gate.

“How has your new album been coming along?” Adrien asked Nino.

“Going well, almost finished up with it, but planning the upcoming tour to the US has been taking up a lot more time than expected. Alya’s been helping me with the planning which is wonderful though. No big articles for her to write up on yet, but Rose promised some good inside information after she finishes up her charity work with Prince Ali which will keep Alya busy for the next week or so. “

“That will be exciting,” Adrien agreed. He glanced at Alya and Marinette ahead of them before nudging Nino and showing his own engagement ring with a wink as a hint, “But there’s something else more exciting that I’m still waiting for.”

“Not here!” Nino hissed, face flushing. Félix looked at them before shaking his head in amusement.

“Adrien doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut about these things,” Félix said unhelpfully.

“I try to be as secretive as I can about these things,” Adrien started to defend himself but withered at the scathing glare from Nino.

They arrived at their final stop and began to set up their small picnic, Marinette putting out candles in front of the headstone while Nino changed out the flowers in the current vase for the new ones. Alya helped Félix clean up the headstone while Adrien unpacked their food. Once they were settled, the five started eating, putting a portion of their offerings out for Bridgette as they updated one another about their ongoing, some new and some old. It was peaceful to do so. A lovely day with the sun shining and the fragrant smell of flowers in the air. Adrien was content, and that was all he could ask for. They saw their father sparingly on occasion, but as for everything else Adrien was happy. He had everything he ever wanted and needed in front of him.

When the picnic was finished, they cleaned up and adjusted anything out of place on Bridgette’s headstone. With that, Félix opened up his hand and one of his butterflies flew out and landed on the headstone, it’s wings fluttering over the Dupain-Cheng name.

“Take care, Bridgette. See you again,” Félix said and they all repeated the well wishes to her. As they moved to step back, another white butterfly fluttered passed them towards the gravestone, greeting Félix’s butterfly before the two took off into the sky, flying high into the sky and away from the ground.