Chapter 3: A Surprising Night Visit
Adrien's POV
After buying three packs of camembert, I transform into Cat Noir.
Today's my turn for night patrol, but judging by today's events, I don't think any new villain is going to pop up. Even if that did happen, I had the energy to take anyone down.
I leap over the buildings of Paris, and nothing seems fishy.
Today was a weird twist of events.
Last week, Plagg had detected a new miraculous holder, which surprised me. My kwami usually doesn't tell me anything, but this had disturbed him. He said something was strange about it. I asked Plagg if he sensed evil, but he shook his head. But then, he should be able to locate where Hawk Moth was, since I was sure that he was a Miraculous Holder too. Plagg said nothing.
And now he isn't telling me anything again.
Mélodie, the name she gave herself, is now on all the headlines. Alya, who filmed the entire event, has swarms of people on her blog.
She had a neat costume on, but I could tell she was inexperienced. Though, it was still impressive to see her crush those duplicates with that flute.
I've been thinking what her power is. Ladybug's is good luck, while mine's bad luck. It came in handy today. Whatever she did, Mélodie was able to charge my power back to full blast. I nearly changed back in the middle of the fight. Alya was there recording, so my identity would have been out in no time. Maybe her power is taking and giver energy? She's shining gold, and was able to give her friends energy. So I decided on étoile. Star.
Then she flew away, which explained her attempted grand entrance. She was in a hurry to leave, as her power was running off. That confused me. If she was able to give others power, then couldn't she give energy to herself? I guess everyone has their limits. Ladybug can only use Lucky Charm once, as it is with me and Cataclysm.
I guess my flirting didn't help either. Mélodie was turning different shades of red, and Ladybug scolded me. Besides doing it for Mélodie's sake, maybe she was jealous.
So, our new ally can fly. I grumble. Everyone else has the cool powers. I'm just bad luck and destruction.
It's getting chilly now, and I catch the sight of the forest. It's naturally beautiful, with a kaleidoscope of autumn colours from the trees. It was dark, but in these situations night vision comes in handy. I decide to go explore.
That new girl today was pretty flustered today, kind of how Marinette used to be. Now that she's our class president, she radiates a more confident aura. It's nice to see the change, and I'm proud of her. Marinette still acts nervously around me, though. I didn't know why. Nino only laughed when I asked him about it. "So dense," he had snorted.
In the beginning, Florence was shaking. I didn't blame her, it was her first day. When Chloe came to annoy her, she easily brushed off her insults. She was calm.
So why did I feel like protecting her?
That triggered emotion was on the same level as I felt for my Lady when she was in danger. However, I never met Florence before.
Getting ignored upset Chloe, which wasn't surprising. She may be a family friend of mine, but she was an attention hog. That moment of pure ignorance toppled her off her imaginary pedestal.
Chloe's next remark got cut off by Marinette. I have to say, I never wanted to be on the receiving line. Marinette looked ready to kill. I admit I was too, but I kept my temper in check.
Until Chloe insulted her.
Then I couldn't take it anymore.
I told Chloe off, and just in time. Miss Bustier walked back into the classroom, while everyone was still gaping at me in shock. Chloe had huffed back to her spot.
Father isn't going to be happy. For once, I didn't care.
While lost in my thoughts, a note landed on my lap. I opened it, and I smiled.
I turned around to grin at Florence. "No problem," I whisper. She blushed with a cute shade of pink. Her sparkling eyes made me want to smile forever.
Was I crushing on her? I don't know. I still have a crush on Ladybug, but the strong tugging of love is there. It wasn't romantic…but it was still there. Could you crush on two people at once?
That's unusual. There's something in that chestnut tree. Rustling a few leaves, I leap from branch to branch. I don't mind the noise. There's nothing but squirrels here.
As I zero into the location, I see it's a pretty large tree house. I don't think I've ever noticed it before, since I doubt it'd take just a few weeks to make that.
It looks cozy. I wonder who built it. Maybe it was a group of friends that were creating a club. It was pretty late now, and there's no lights turned on. Guessing that no one was there, I hop onto the ledge, and duck my head inside.
I forgot curiosity kills the cat. Especially ones with bad luck for a power.
A hand grabs at my collar, and a scent of roses hits the air. My eyes sting badly, and I fall on the floor, covering them.
Florence's POV:
As soon as I heard the movements nearby, I grabbed for the nearest thing. My body mist.
When I gaze upon my intruder, I make up my mind.
I don't regret it.
The feline hero himself is mewling and rolling on the floor, covering his eyes.
No matter the circumstances, I promised I wouldn't regret attacking whoever the snoop was. It's my house, my property, and someone's intruding. I thought about transforming, but I decide not to. I can handle this without my powers. Besides, Chicca is exhausted and asleep.
He was Cat Noir, Ladybug's partner, fellow superhero, Adrien Agreste, and…well you get the idea.
After rubbing his eyes, he props himself up. At first, he sends me a glare, but pauses as soon as he recognizes me. Of course he does. But I don't tell him that. I think I made enough time modifications today.
"What are you doing here?" he decides on asking. I cross my arms, still clutching my bottle. "I should be asking you that," I say.
He frowns. "What's a girl doing by herself alone at night in a tree house in the middle of a forest?"
"What's a super hero doing here by himself at night invading privacy in someone's place?" I counter back.
Cat Noir stares at me, confused. "This is where you live?" he asks. Oops. Before I can lie, he looks at me with concern. "Did you run away from home or something, Flore-uh miss? Your parents must be worried sick."
I cast my eyes, and plop down onto the mat. I hug myself, realizing I'm shivering. It's way colder in the past. But that's not why I don't feel the warmth.
"They're gone." I whisper, not daring to see his reaction.
The hero detects that he's come across a touchy subject, so he stays quiet.
"Oh," he says after a few moments of silence. "Um, why did you pick here as a place to…live?"
I smile shyly. "It's in the heart of the forest, where nature is. The breeze is refreshing, and the songs of the birds keep me company. This place…makes me feel free."
He stares at me in awe, and I see a blush creeping on his cheeks. I furrow my brow. Not again. However, instead of a flirty remark, he nods. "I understand."
I yawn. "Shouldn't you be heading off to bed now? Even heroes need to sleep."
Smirking, he stands up. "Of course, but I can stay up all night if you need me to." I scowl, and grab my perfume. "Would you like another sample?" I hiss.
"I'll pass, Dent-de-lion." I get distracted. Another nickname? Seeing my confusion, he happily explains. "Your hair is bright as a dandelion, but you're just as dangerous. You are everywhere, always gaining energy in the springtime."
"How are dandelions dangerous?" I stupidly ask.
"I'm allergic."
"Oh," I muster. Then I mutter. "You're also allergic to pigeon feathers." Luckily, he doesn't hear me.
"Well, I'll be going now, Dent-de-lion," he announces. "I'll drop by every now and then to make sure you're safe. There are bad guys in Paris, as I've think you've seen today."
"More than I want to," I think to myself.
"I won't tell anyone else that you're live here, but I suggest you find an extra place, just in case." I flash of concern ripples through, but he cockily winks back. I roll my eyes.
"Goodbye, my Dent-de-lion," he says. Then he's gone.
"I need to make a door."
I sigh, and rest again onto my mat, and hug the blanket close to me. Chicca was hidden underneath, so Cat Noir didn't see her.
I eat another energy bar. I've been eating these for the past week and ten flavours or not, I've getting tired of them. I make a mental list to go shopping for food.
Throwing the wrapper in the trash, I pop a dental gum into my mouth and chew. It's the equivalent of tooth brushing here. I spit it out when I'm done.
"Mom told me, but I didn't think he was that much of a flirt," I mutter. As the owl hoots, I fall asleep with an embarrassed, lingering blush.
