A/N: This is the beginning of a new story arc. Yay! So this chapter is my longest yet. Please forgive me because I'm not very good with anything angst related. Any ideas for another arc would be great. I intend to do at least 20 chapters before I start my sequel (Where I'll introduce a new OC and the Peacock miraculous). Reviews would really be a great motivation right about now. Shoutout to Momijifan Low-Ki who has been the first review I've ever received. ENJOY!
General P.O.V
Ladybug, Cat Noir and Volpina had now been working together for a just over 3 days now. Even though Hawkmoth was still releasing a lot of akumas, it wasn't something that was too much for the famous trio to handle. And of course Alya had recorded everything for her LadyBlog…
Adrien/Cat Noir's P.O.V
Today was Monday, and it had been great until he started to think. And when Adrien started thinking he thought negatively. This time he was thinking about Volpina. Ever since Volpina had made her appearance, she and Ladybug had been doing all the work. Cat Noir just watched the battle. Normally he would be relieved that he didn't have to struggle to defeat an akuma but he felt more and more useless each time.
Just yesterday there had been four akumas and he had been too busy drowning in the Seine to help the others. If couldn't even take care of himself how was he able to protect Paris.
I need to become stronger
He sat at home only thinking about that. Then it clicked. He got all the equipment he needed. Plagg watched him do this.
"Adrien, what are you – wait!"
"Plagg, Claws out!"
If I want become stronger I need to train
A few minutes later:
Okay, Thought Cat Noir, first things first, I need to learn to swim. This is probably a bad idea but I might as well die if I can't even swim.
Cat Noir, putting a weight on his back of about 10 tonnes in a waterproof bag, made his way to the Seine and without thinking jumped in; he nearly froze to death soon as he entered the water.
"Ack!"
Despite the freezing temperature he started to train. Learning how to stay above the water was a hard task (considering Cat Noir has been able to lift buses. But even that was nearly impossible) with a huge weight. Within two hours he was a master at swimming.
"Is it really that easy to swim?"
No, it isn't but as Cat Noir, your ability to learn and adapt is heightened greatly, said Plagg telepathically.
"Hmm, Okay," he replied as he got back onto dry land. He got up and went to train in the central park.
"I'll do press-ups for now," he decided.
About a dozen thousand press ups later, he stopped and collapsed. He crawled himself into an alley to detransform.
"Oh my aching body! I can't move muscle! Adrien don't ever make me do that again!" Plagg whined.
"You'll get what you deserve," said Adrien simply. Then he pointed to the weight.
"What's even in this bag?" Plagg muttered.
He opened the zipper and he saw 10 tonnes worth of cheese.
"Don't worry the bag is waterproof so nothing has happened to your 'precious cheese'"
"Hey Adrien we should do this again tomorrow!" Plagg exclaimed.
"Probably so. I must train everyday if I want to be a help to the others."
"Yes!" Plagg cried with joy. He knew that this training would mean lots of cheese and lots of cheese means heaven.
Marinette/Ladybug's P.O.V
Ladybug had been worried. Cat Noir hadn't been coming to patrols for about a fortnight. Even when fighting akumas it seemed Cat Noir was absent-minded. Then again he recently hadn't been able to help out. He'd been useless when he had fallen into the Seine. She and Volpina had been doing all the work. Did she even need Cat Noir? Volpina was much better at this than him. Cat Noir was becoming a burden. Today was not supposed be her day for patrol. The real reason she was out was to find out what the cat was even up to at all these days.
Some time later, Ladybug approached the Seine. There was a figure in the water – Cat Noir.
What is he even doing in there
She saw a bag that Cat Noir had on his back. It said
10 tonnes
Ladybug nearly shouted, but instead she decided to watch Cat noir.
Cat Noir at first struggled but was soon swimming like a master.
"Wow he learns quickly,"
Chat suddenly stopped. He got out of the Seine and carried the weight over to the central park.
Ladybug watched him do twelve thousand press-ups.
Suspicious. Very suspicious.
As she began to make her leave, she didn't fail to notice a particular blogger recording Cat Noir's actions.
"Alya," she whispered
"Yes, Ladybug," Alya replied without turning round.
"Could you investigate what Cat Noir is doing? Oh, and, whatever you do, don't reveal your presence to him and don't reveal his identity to the whole of Paris."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Alya replied.
Ladybug wasn't so sure how things were going to turn out. Alya may do something very crazy.
The Following Week:
Marinette rushed into class and as usual was late. She took one look at Adrien and – wow! Has he been working out? But for once, she was not the only one staring; everyone had noticed. There were murmurs and even more girls fawning over him than usual. She wasn't an exception.
"Dude, you're ripped!" she heard Nino say. Adrien would only sheepishly smile back.
She quietly made her way to her seat but couldn't take her eyes off Adrien.
She received a note from Alya and it said:
Meet me at the end of school I think I know Cat Noir's identity
Didn't Ladybug tell Alya to not try and find out Cat Noir's identity.
After School:
"Adrien is Cat Noir!"
"Huh, WHAT! Nope. Cat Noir has flirted with me since we've met. He calls me his princess. There no way-"
"But I've got solid proof! Lately Cat Noir has been working out at night. Ladybug herself told me to see what he was up to. Now we have Adrien walk in a week later with at least two times more body mass!"
"Eh, that isn't really solid proof,"
"Think about it! Same blond hair, green eyes, height, build (that has actually changed simultaneously)… it's actually solid proof.
Hmm, she did have a point – she would check it out tonight and bring Volpina with her, just in case. She was going to have to lure the cat out of the bag.
