"Absolutely not!" Marinette put her foot down for the last time. She had already told him no numerous times, but he was very persistent to change her mind.
"But Mom," Hugo whined. "You know it's my dream to help you and Dad save the city!"
She let out a tired sigh. "We know that, honey, but you're still too young."
"I'm 14, which is slightly older than you were when you got your Miraculous. Pleeease Mom?" he begged, his vibrant green eyes had gone wide and were glistening with innocence as he pleaded with her. He was giving her the baby doll eyes. He knew how much Marinette hated getting this look. It was risky, but it was his only hope.
"Hugo," Adrien warned, sitting on the couch with Emma. "How many times have we told you not to give your mother that look? Just because we were saving Paris at 14 doesn't mean it's okay for you. I don't think you understand the responsibility that comes with being a superhero."
"But -"
"No 'buts', Hugo," Adrien stood up and crossed his arms. "You've only seen the positive side of the costume, you have no idea what else comes with it. We've had years of experience. Believe us when we say we know what's best for you."
Hugo glared at his father, then at his mother, before grumbling to himself and storming to his room.
After a few moments of silence, Emma decided to break it.
"I knew I should've followed Louis to his 'meet up' at Andre's," she sighed, resting her head in her hands. "Ah well. Let's go draw," she said to Plagg and Tikki, pushing herself off of the couch.
"Andre's ice cream?" Marinette muttered curiously.
"Yeah, Louis's expecting some girl to show up. I'm not sure who she is, though," Emma shrugged and headed for their balcony, where she liked to go whenever she felt in the mood to draw.
Marinette and Adrien exchanged a knowing look and laughed.
"It's not fair," said Hugo the minute he was in his and Louis's bedroom. "I wish they'd stop treating me like a child! They're such hypocrites," he plopped down at his desk and rested his head on the table's surface and continued his grumbling.
A strange black box in his peripheral vision caught his attention.
"...What is this?" he muttered, reaching for it. Underneath the box lied a note.
Take the contents of this box back to when your parents were your age. Live out your dream. - Master
"Uh, okay?" he opened the box, revealing its contents. "A... necklace?" he removed it from the black box and dangled it in front of his face before setting it onto the desk.
He looked back inside the box to see what appeared to be a bracelet with a yellow paw print and four charms attached. The moment his fingers brushed the paw print, a purplish-pink glow filled the room. When it stopped, a Kwami was left floating in front of him.
"Hello Hugo, I'm Cayenne," the mini tiger greeted. "Master informed me that you already know about the Miraculous and Kwami's!"
Hugo stared at the Kwami, his mouth popped open and his eyes had a quality to them that made him look almost crazed.
"This... isn't usually the kind of reaction I get," she eyed him worryingly. "Are you okay?
He blinked. A grin began to spread across his face. "Okay? I'm great! No, even better than that, I'm doing fantastic! Oh this is so cool!" he jumped out of his seat and leaned towards Cayenne eagerly. "My very own Kwami! Tikki and Plagg are cool, but when they're not with my parents, they're with Emma so I've always felt kind of left out."
"Emma?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's my older sister. I also have an older brother named Louis."
Cayenne made a noise in acknowledgement. "Master wanted to give you your Miraculous since he politely disagrees with your parents opinion. He trusts you, Hugo. And well..." Cayenne hovered in front of his face nervously.
"What is it?"
"Time is a tricky thing, Hugo. But it is, in a way, set in stone, what's going to happen. You..." the little Kwami took a deep breath. "Master Fu already knows how things play out with you going back and helping your parents because, well, it happened 25 years ago."
Hugo studied the necklace on the desk as he listened to the Kwami. Then something she said occurred to him. "So you mean... my parents remember me going back in time, but they don't have any idea that it's me?"
"They remember you but uhh, no. They don't figure out your identity."
"Sweeeet. Do you know when I leave?"
Cayenne glanced over at the clock. "Whenever you're ready, I think."
Hugo gave her a confused glance. "What? Shouldn't you know when I'm going to leave?"
"Aw kid, we're in the present right now. I don't know the answer to that. I just have the general idea of what time you arrive back in the past."
Hugo took a few minutes to gather some things in his bag. He was about ready to leave when the picture frame on his desk glinted in the light. He glanced over and saw the photo of himself with his family all around him. After pondering it over a few moments, he silently slipped the frame in his bag.
He grabbed the necklace off the desk, took one last look around, making sure he had brought everything he wanted to, and put it around his neck.
"Should I transform, first?" he asked.
Cayenne shook her head. "Master told me it's imperative you don't."
"Alright then," Hugo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay." He put his hand over the charm of what looked to be an hourglass and shut his eyes in concentration. Just think of the time and place to go back to. Easy enough.
"Take me back!"
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