"How to Catch A Chat"
A wife dead, and a father devastated, isolating himself from his only child. Escape is found in the form of a black cat suit but with that comes its own troubles. Who is Paris's newest cat burglar and can an unlikely friendship bring an end to the rash of robberies spreading across downtown?
Or
Everyone knew of the terrible accident that killed the wife of famous fashion designer Gabriel Agreste; much less well known was the mysterious disappearance and supposed death of one Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Even less publicized was how her husband was inconsolable after her death, finding comfort only with a bottle. After losing the bakery his daughter, Marionette Dupain-Cheng, takes their care into her own-albeit-questionably moral hands.
Chapter 1
Adrien glanced up at the sky as he walked home for his latest photoshoot. The grey clouds that had been hanging over the city the whole day seemed to suddenly darken. He broke into a jog as the skies opened up. He was still quite a few blocks from home and his father was going to worry if he was late. Even since the death of his mother, it seemed that his father struggled with letting him out of his sight. Then again he would be even more upset if his top model got sick the day before the kickoff of the new Agreste fall line.
The crack of lightning that lit the sky quickly made the decision for him. His father wouldn't be mad at him for being a little late, especially when the alternative was being struck with lightning. Luckily the photoshoot had taken place at one of the local wharves. Or more specifically the wharf that Agreste Design and Manufacturing Inc. happened to own several warehouses on. Punching the code into the electronic lock, Adrien waited for the click to signify that the door had unlocked.
And waited. And waited. And waited.
Pushing down the growing panic, Adrien tried the code again. Nothing. Why wasn't it working?! It's not like they ever change the code or—oh. Adrien felt like an idiot. Last week a high ranking designer had left the company and as a safety precaution…all the codes were changed. Looks like he was going to be late and struck by lightning.
Just as he mentally prepared himself for the dash back home the unmistakable click of the door opening sounded behind him. Turning he saw the door had indeed opened but not on its own. A slight figure stood in the door clad in black jeans and an oversized black sweatshirt with cat ears on the hood, which was pulled up hiding the person's face. A back pack was slung over their shoulder and bulged suspiciously with what was most likely stolen goods.
My father's goods. Adrian realized suddenly and took a step towards the intruder. He wasn't quite sure what he was planning. Grab him and call the police? Just take the bag and run? In all his lessons with Nathalie, she never covered how to apprehend a thief.
His movement broke the tension between the two and immediately the thief spun on his heel and darted back into the warehouse. Against his better judgment, Adrien followed a second later. The thief was running flat out, leaping over tables, and sliding under racks of material in a manner than Adrien simply could keep up with. He did have one advantage though: he'd spent his whole childhood playing in this building while his parents worked and he knew exactly where the only other door was
Skidding around a corner, the intruder paused for a moment to catch their breath, all the while listening for footsteps. Nothing. Perfect, or it would be if she could just find that door?! She'd cased the whole building, so she knew it was around here somewhere. Moving more cautiously now, she meticulously made her way through the remaining portion of the building, until finally finding the exit.
And the blond nuisance is nowhere in sight she thought happily. She made it two steps towards the door, when the blond nuisance came barreling out where he'd been lurking hidden among a display of ribbons and tackled her.
They both fell to the ground with a grunt. The thrill of excitement Adrien had felt where he successfully tackled the guy vanished as he realized two things. 1) He had no idea how to fight and 2) The thief did.
For someone so little he was surprisingly strong, Adrien barely had time to think as he was thrown off and slid across the concrete floor. Before he could even get up something heavy and coarse smashed into his face. He batted frantically at it, but before he could get a grip it was gone, leaving him dazed and slightly confused. Lying flat on his back with a bloody nose while the thief backed away (and had the audacity to wave goodbye!) was not what Adrian had expected when he decided to play the hero and yet there was nothing else he could do as the thief quickly climbed up the storage shelves and vanished from sight.
"Ow!" he yelped, gingerly touching his nose. Noses weren't supposed to hurt like that; oh his father was going to kill him.
Crawling to his feet, Adrian immediately stumbled over something soft. A blot of green fabric. And a black one over there! And some gray! They must have dropped out of the thief's bag, he realized.
He puffed out his chest a little; he may not have caught the thief but he saved his father's materials. And who knows? Whoever went through all this trouble just for cloth probably wouldn't be very happy about leaving it behind.
"You'll be back" He said quietly to himself, glancing back at were the intruder had gone, "And when you do, I'll be ready" he promised, but the only answer he received was distant creaking, which quickly faded.
The thief cautiously stood up from her crouched position on top of the shelving units in the warehouse. Stretching, she could just reach the edge of the window pane above her and pushed it to the side, with a little too much force. Wincing at the loud creak that reverberated around the building as the ancient window opened, she grabbed the lip of the window and pulled herself out into the roof. The rain had lessened slightly, but the metal roof was still dangerously slick.
Exactly why she'd planned to exit through the door instead of the roof, she thought ruefully. Readjusting the bag on her back, a flash of horror ripped through her body.
It was empty
"What? How?" She gasped, "Why that little…" The blond nuisance must have opened it somehow when she hit him over the head with it. All that risk, all that planning, for nothing. Flicking off the now soaking wet hood, sad blue eyes stared down into the building for one last moment before turning away.
There was nothing to do about it now. She shook the water from her face, new determination lighting her eyes. She was getting those materials, and next time no one was stopping her