You're Lost, I'm Found.

Chapter Two: Marinette

Nothing. It felt like nothing was around Adrien. No sense of feeling. Almost as if he was floating in a void. Nothing could be seen or heard. Was he dead? No no, that couldn't be it. Why would he still be able think these things if that was the case. Adrien just assumed he was in some sort of sleeping state, where his body and conscious alike were powerless and almost non-existent. Then, there was a blinding white light there to take him home...

"Ahwah!" Adrien screeched as he opened his eyes to see to the ground fast approaching. He fell about four foot to the concrete with a thud. "Ugghh...Geesh, you think maybe the guy would've been nice enough to release me on the ground?" The blonde whined as he sat up from his fallen position in the alleyway.

"Hmm, I don't know." Plagg hummed as he flew out of Adrien's jacket. "We are talking about an Akuma here."

"Come on Plagg, what was he trying to do? Kill me?"

The black Kwami lowered his gaze. "Actually, he was. He was trying to erase you from existence after you feel into his control. Me being with you was the only thing that stopped him from doing so. I was more powerful than that Akuma. Therefore I was able to hold back the magic that was after your life."

Adrien's eyes widened at the realization. Plagg had saved his life? That Akuma had tried to murder him? Mixed emotions filled up the teenager before something even more prominent came to his mind; How was Plagg not fused with him? How was he not transformed into Chat Noir?!

Looking down upon his right hand, he gasped as he realized his miraculous was no longer on his ring finger. "Oh my- Plagg! Where's my ring?!" Worry covered the boys face as he looked at his Kwami with pleading eyes. "Did Shadow Wielder get it?!"

Plagg was already aware of the situation before Adrien had even awoke. "No. Shadow Wielder did not get your ring. I wouldn't be here with you if that were the case. Right now your ring is somewhere in the streets of Paris, but we must find it quickly! We cannot risk the ring falling into the wrong hands..."

Adrien nodded in agreement before he narrowed his eyes at his Kwami. "What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"That you'd no longer be with me?"

Plagg sighed, looking to the ground. "Look, kid, I'm still with you now because you were my last miraculous holder and you still desire to be Chat Noir. The moment someone else so much touches the ring, I will will no longer be your Kwami. I'll just sorta, disappear if that happens. That's why it is essential YOU find your ring before anyone else! You were my chosen, but that doesn't mean someone else can't use my power!"

Adrien's gazed shifted uneasily back and forth from his Kwami to the ground. The thought of no longer being Chat Noir caused a pain in his heart. His super hero alter ego was his chance to be free from that of his model life. Even more than that though, Adrien couldn't stand the idea of losing Plagg. Even if the black lump of laziness seemed uncaring towards his chosen, Adrien cared very much for his Kwami. His ridiculous taunting could be annoying, and his love for cheese was a rather stinky inconvenience, but nonetheless Plagg was his friend and very much like family to the blonde teen.

"Well, there's no time to waste then." Adrien finally spoke, a firm yet determined look on his face as he pulled Plagg's Camembert from his pocket and offered it to the magical creature of destruction. "Get your energy back up while you hide. I'll make sure to get my ring back before someone else finds it."

. . .

Marinette wept into her knees silently for what felt like forever. She felt chocked. Her heart hurt with every pounding beat it made in her chest. How was she still breathing? Her whole world seemed like a bad fantasy. Hawkmoth, a villain she had yet to meet face to face, had taken her partner away from her. Mari's body felt like stone, unable to move. The events were just too overwhelming for her, she didn't know if she'd ever be the same after this night. "I'm so sorry Chat..." Memories of their past patrols flashed through her mind.

"Seems pretty quiet tonight Bugaboo." Chat Noir smiles are her playfully as they gaze at the Eiffel tower. "Hawkmoth must have went to bed early tonight. How about a rooftop chat under the stars M'lady?"

Chat's bad cat puns played in her ears as if he was right next to her.

"Isn't that fine and whiskers!"

"Is it just me, or is he a little high on catnip?"

"Simply Purrfect, M'lady!"

Mari raised her head slightly, her eyes running like waterfalls. She sniffled and sighed sadly. "I...I should've been a better hero for you..."

Tikki finally opened the purse and floated up to comfort Mari. "It's not your fault Marinette..."

Mari inhaled with a deep, painful suck before her feelings just flooded out of her mouth; "It is my fault Tikki! Chat lost his miraculous because I didn't see Shadow Wielder coming! I didn't push him away in time, and I let Chat fall into the shadows unprotected- in civilian form!"

Tikki watched painfully as Mari buried her head back into her knees. "Did you see who Chat really was?" The red Kwami asked with caution.

"No... He had fallen before I turned around..." A very muffled reply came from Marionette before she lifted her head and looked at her Kwami with red puffy eyes. Tear stains streamed down her flushed cheeks. "Is he really gone Tikki? Am I such a failure that I couldn't save him?"

"It is possible Marinette. Shadow Wielder was one of Hawkmoths strongest villains yet who seemed to have no sense of heart. Akumas thrive in victims that have no compassion. It is very well possible that Chat Noir's life was taken from him tonight. We'll never know for sure though. Even if he did survive, he no longer has his ring."

Mari's eyes widened, "Oh no! Chat's ring! I-I almost forgot about it! We have to find it before someone else does! If someone evil got their hands on a miraculous with a power like Cataclysm, Paris would be in for a world of hurt!" She stood up quickly, tears still wet on her cheeks. "I know Chat wouldn't want his miraculous in the wrong hands either. I just hope we can find it before anyone else does..."

"Mhm! Be sure to use you flashlight on your phone! It'll be hard to see in the dark!" Tikki said as she zipped back into Mari's purse with a click.

"Thanks Tikki." Marinette took her Kwami's advice, turning on her phones flashlight. "I hope I can remember which direction it flew in..." As she began her search, Marinette could already tell, it was going to be a very long night.

. . .

"Ughhhh... Are those birds?" Plagg groaned from Adrien's pocket. It had been several hours now, the sky turning somewhat gray as the sun started to make its way to the horizon. "I hate birds..."

"Shh, Plagg! What if someone hears you?" Adrien scolded his Kwami as he anxiously looked for his miraculous on the ground. He couldn't count how many streets he had searched.

"What are you talking about? Everyone is still asleep! Or did you forget you've been up wandering Paris all night?" Plagg retorted, flying out from his hiding place and floating in front of Adrien. "Look kid, your identity is what comes first right now. Don't you need to be home so your dad doesn't sent a search party after you?"

"I'll just tell his I had been overshadowed by Shadow Wielder. That is a valid excuse."

"Not when you don't come home till six hours after his defeat!" Plagg practically hissed. "I'm sure whoever Ladybug is was looking for the ring too. She'll bring it to the Guardian who will give it back to you! Now lets go home before you lose more than just your ring!"

Adrien didn't understand why his Kwami insisted they go home rather than continue to search for the ring before the people of Paris awoke. Was Plagg worried his father would put him on some kind of special lock down? Actually...

Gabrile was never aware Adrien was out of the house... he wasn't supposed to be! He only got out by jumping out of his window as Chat Noir! That means it looks, to his father, like Adrien snuck out last night and then an Akuma attacked. Now that he was without the ring, Adrien realized he couldn't even sneak back inside his room. He'd have to call in at the gates if he wanted back inside. Oh god...

Suddenly Plagg's urgency to get back home made more sense.

"Ahh. I guess... you're right. Ladybug will look for it! I'm sure she won't let me down!" Adrien laughed nervously at that. He had been searching all night with no luck. Maybe Ladybug had all the luck in the world? One could only hope...

"Hey, wait. Who's that?" Plagg pointed in the direction of what looked to be a girl collapsed on the side of the street. Her clothes dirty and wet looking.

Adrien immediately dropped his plans to go home. "Plagg, hide."

After his Kwami was well hid, Adrien rushed over to the collapsed teen. He assumed it was one of Shadow Wielders victims who just hadn't woken up yet. Being overshadowed seemed to mess with the minds of a lot of people and left them mentally exhausted.

However, something seemed familiar about this girl as he got closer to her. Sunlight finally peaked up above the buildings and reflected off of her blue-black hair. He could see her dirtied pink pants and white top, and her floral purse laying off to the side. His heart skipped a beat as he realized who this girl actually was: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The shy, adorable girl that sat behind him everyday in class. One of the first friends he had made in school. The klutzy girl who couldn't seem to form full sentences most of the time unless she was standing up to Chloe. The kindest and smartest girl Adrien had ever met outside of the mask. Yet here she was, laying unconscious in the road before him, completely helpless.

"Hey, Marinette..." He crouched down, shaking her shoulder lightly in attempt to wake her.

She did not stir.

"Mari!" Adrien shook a little harder this time, but only got a soft whine out of her.

Sighing, Adrien figured she was out cold due to mental exhaustion, something that he was not unfamiliar with in the slightest. He couldn't count the number of times he had come home after a fight with an Akuma and just passed out.

Adrien knew he couldn't leave her in the streets, and he didn't have his phone on him to call for help either. "Well Agreste. You're the only way she's gonna get home."

Adrien scooped her up off the ground in a bridal style. She was a little heavier than he had expected, but nothing he couldn't handle. It was times like this the Adrien was glad he had built up endurance from being Chat Noir for it was at least six blocks to the bakery where Marinette lived.

Marinette hummed a bit in her unconscious state and snuggled up to Adrien's chest as he carried her.

The blonde blushed, looking down on Mari's face as he carried her. Her soft cheeks were red and...were those tear stains? Adrien was suddenly very worried about his friend. He now began to wonder if maybe something more didn't happen to Marinette.

He wouldn't know until she woke up though, and right now, he needed to get her home and in the bed. He wasn't leaving until he knew Mari was okay. Adrien didn't care what his father would say or do at this point. As long as he made sure his friend was okay, he would gladly face any wrath his father might later throw at him.

"Don't worry Marinette, I'll make sure you're alright. I'll always be here when you need me." Adrien smiled softly at her, sunlight beaming down on them now as morning finally began.

To Be Continued...