Chapter 11: Just Another School Day

Early in the Louvre, the finishing touches were being given to the Egyptian exhibit, before the big opening. Though they still had two more days until it was opened to the public, everyone who was working on it, wanted to make sure that nothing would go wrong. And the only way to do so, was to get things ready before the big opening. That way, if there was any kind of problem, it could be solved before the visitors entered.

Every piece that had arrived was already in place. There were still a couple of last pieces that were to arrive that day, but the main attractions had already arrived, which allowed everyone to breathe a little easier. There was a certain electricity in the air, if one could use that expression, to describe the feeling of euphoria and anticipation that everyone carried inside of them. That was to be the most important exhibit of the season, and the pressure was big, to have things perfect.

Pressure; a funny word. A funny word which was among the most important words in the dictionary of Mr. Kubdel. Determined to making sure that exhibit was a success, during the previous week, Alix's dad had spent more time at the Louvre, than at home. And the same thing could be said for Jalil, Alix's older brother. Like his father, Jalil wanted that exhibit to be a success. Not only because it was a big deal for both his father, and the museum, but also because, once it was over, he could go back to focus on his studies. But until that moment, he had to give 100 percent to that exhibit, which was what he was doing right then, as he and his father crossed the Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities aisle in the Denon Pavilion, on their way to the Egyptian wing, on the ground floor of the Sully Pavilion.

"Has she arrived yet?" -Mr. Kubdel asked his son, while picking up the pace and fixing his tie, which he had noticed was slightly loose.

"Oh, yes… according to what I was told, she's by the sarcophagus." -Jalil answered, as he tried to keep up with his father. –"Probably making sure everything in in place."

"Let us hope so. It was because of her that we were able to receive this exhibit here in Louvre." -Mr. Kubdel declared. –"Come on, Jalil, pick up the pace. We must not leave her waiting."

Once they arrived at the Egyptian wing, the two of them saw the person they had been talking about. Wearing a white blouse with a cerulean jacket worn over it, matching cerulean business pants and a pair of white high-heel shoes, the woman was inspecting the sarcophagus of Thutmosis III, which had been shipped from Cairo, making sure that this one had not suffered any damage Both Kubdels, approaching her, greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Miss Bouchard." -Mr. Kubdel said, as the woman turned around. –"It is a pleasure to finally meet you." -he said. The two of them had exchanged emails, and talked over video chat, but this was the first time they met face to face.

"The pleasure is mine, and please, call me Elodie." -Elodie smiled. –"I just wished I could have helped a little more. But due to some family issues…" -she added.

"Nonsense, nonsense, trust me." -Mr. Kubdel told her. –"You already did a lot, by helping us during the negotiations with the Museum of Cairo, which accepted to temporarily loan us this incredibly beautiful exhibit." -he declared.

"The pleasure is all mine. An exhibit such as this one should be seen by everyone in Paris." -Elodie declared.

"Is everything alright with the sarcophagus?" -Jalil asked her, having noticed that she had not taken her eyes from it. –"Our team of movers was extra careful with it. My father supervised the whole thing himself, to ensure that nothing bad happened to it."

"Oh, yes, everything is fine with it, as well as the mummy inside it." -Elodie said. –"I was just admiring it. I've looked at this sarcophagus countless times, while studying it a few years ago for a thesis I wrote. And still, every time I look at it, it looks like I'm looking at it for the very first time." -she admitted. –"It is a magnificent piece."

"Indeed, it is. One of the most amazing sarcophagi the world has ever seen. One of the few that can compete with the Tutankhamun's sarcophagus." -Jalil declared, as he looked at the sarcophagus.

"Jalil! Don't exaggerate!" -Mr. Kubdel told his son. –"It's true that they are both incredible, but one must not compare them, especially when they belong to complete different eras."

"Yes, dad." -Jalil sighed.

"Oh, don't be hard on your son. There's nothing wrong in comparing archaeological findings, even if they are not from the same era or the same civilization. My sister and I, we did it all the time." -Elodie said, as those las words of hers, rekindled some good memories of Emily. –"And when it comes to this sarcophagus, it truly is a beauty. A sarcophagus fit for a king, or a pharaoh in this case." -she added. –"Which doesn't surprise me. He was one of the fiercest warriors in the History of Ancient Egypt, and unlike Tutankhamun, he actually lived long enough to enjoy the spoils of most of his wars."

"They called him the "Warrior Pharaoh", am I right?"

"Indeed. Even when he was alive, they called him that. A fitting nickname, for one Egypt's most important pharaohs. He's also called the Napoleon of Egypt, due to his numerous campaigns." -Elodie declared. –"If he was alive, he would certainly have numerous stories to tell us. And the same thing could be said for his army, who was buried with him."

"Absolutely." said. –"Though, the idea of committing suicide, so they could be mummified and accompany their pharaoh into the underworld… it's not exactly a happy thought." -he admitted.

"Not for them. They were loyal to their pharaoh. To them, serving him was their sacred duty, and all of them would gladly go on serving him, even in the afterlife." -Elodie said. –"The thought of his undoubtably macabre, but quite romantic at the same time, if you ask me." -she added. –"And we're lucky enough to also have his army here, so people can see just how incredible it looks."

The other main attraction of the exhibit was the mummified army of Thutmosis III. But the Louvre had decided to only reveal it, on the day of the opening, as sort of surprise, when its doors opened. The army was composed by more than 200 mummified bodies, along with their belongings; weapons, chariots, which were buried with them and had withstood the test of time. Unlike the pharaoh's sarcophagus and mummy, which were on display in the main exhibit room, along with several other pieces, the army was in one of the adjacent rooms. To ensure that the media would not know about it, the museum workers had signed a contract, which forbid them from telling anyone about it, until the exhibit's opening. All had signed it… all, except one. And the reason why he did not sign it, was because he did not work there. Having used his powers to change into whoever he wanted to, Reptile had infiltrated the crew of museum workers, by Brutus request, and what he had found out, from listening the Kubdels and their guest, was most interesting.

"A mummified pharaoh with an army?" -Reptile thought to himself. –"This is the sort of thing that will interest Brutus, as well as our master. I must report this to him, immediately." -he mused to himself.

When the bell rang at exactly 10:30 a.m., at Collège Françoise-Dupont, Miss Bustier's class made their way to the courtyard, where they would be having P.E. that morning, just before lunch. The week before, when they had P.E., they were told by their P.E. teacher, Monsieur D'Argencourt, that they would be practicing fencing on the following class. So, they knew what awaited them. Some were happy to practice fencing, like Mylene, who surprised herself and others, when she picked up an epée for the first time in her life, and demonstrated a natural talent for it .Others, like Alya, who were really bad at it, did not see that day's class as something they wanted to do. Of course, the best fencing practitioner in that class, was none other than Adrien Agreste, who had been having private lessons for the past five years.

On their way to the locker rooms, Marinette noticed that Adrien was nowhere to be seen. She had been one of the first to exit the classroom, so she would have noticed him passing by her. Arriving at the locker room doors, she waited to see if he was coming, while the others entered. Everyone passed by her. Everyone except for him and Alix, who showed up a couple of seconds later.

"Hey, did you see Adrien?" -Marinette asked Alix, as the pink-haired girl passed by her.

"I don't know. He was right behind me." -Alix said, as the two of them had been the last to exit class. –"Maybe Miss Bustier wanted to talk to him. He seemed a bit… I don't know, absent-minded, today." -she said, as she was about to enter the girls' locker room. –"You're coming, Marinette?"

"Uh, no, not yet. I'll wait for Adrien." -Marinette said.

"Okay. But remember, don't take too long. You know how Monsieur D'Argencourt gets when we arrive late at his class." -Alix warned her

Waiting for Adrien to show up, Marinette kept looking at the time in her cell phone. Seconds looked like hours, and the blue-haired girl was starting to worry about her friend, who was taking his sweet time to show up. Usually, she would have Tikki to distract her from that wait. But, like it happened in every P.E. class, the kwamis would stay back in the classroom, because it was a safer place for them to stay hidden, until their return. Time went by, and no sign of Adrien. Tired of waiting for him to show up, Marinette decided to go back to the classroom and see if something had happened to him. She was about to do so, when Adrien showed up, coming down the stairs.

"Hey! You didn't have to wait for me." -Adrien smiled at her. Once again, she noticed that his smile was not his usual smile. It was a smile one would see in a person without reasons to live, or with too many problems.

"Where were you? Did something happen?" -Marinette asked him, as he stopped in front of her. She was worried about him, and he could tell it from her voice.

"Oh, Miss Bustier wanted to talk to me. That's why I took a little longer." -he smiled at Marinette.

(Flashback)

Adrien was not in the mood to practice fencing that morning. To be honest, he was not in the mood to do anything. The chat he had with Marinette the previous night had helped him to have a decent night of sleep. But unfortunately, when he woke up, every worry he had, came back with three times the strength. If it was not for Plagg, who forced him out of bed, Adrien would still be asleep in it, without much reasons to go to school that day. The black cat kwami was a bit mad with the teenager, because he was forced to go to the kitchen himself and grab a piece of Camembert, once they got back home from that night stroll. Still, he was not going to let Adrien be late for school.

In class, he stood in his place, listening to the lesson, without making a sound. But Miss Bustier, being the dedicated teacher, she was, she knew something was wrong with Adrien, the minute he stepped into her class. She was used to seeing him smiling and always ready to answer a question she might pose him. And on that day, he looked the complete opposite of it. Which is why, she decided to talk to him, to see if she could help him, anyway she could. Waiting for the end of class, when Adrien was about to exit the classroom, she calls him.

"Adrien, could I have a word with you?" -Miss Bustier asked her student, who promptly turned around and walked to her desk.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Bustier?" -Adrien asked her. He had been trying his best to pretend that everything was alright with him. But it looked like his best efforts were not enough.

"Well, I should be the one asking you that, Adrien." -Miss Bustier told him. –"I noticed that through most of the class, your mind seemed to be somewhere else." -she said. –"Is there something you want to tell me? Because if you do, I'm here to listen. You know that I'm always ready to listen to your problems."

Adrien did not feel like talking about what was going on with him. But Miss Bustier was too good of a teacher and person, for him not to be fully honest with her. Still, he felt that this was one time, she and her advises, would not be able to help him.

"I… I don't think you can help me with this particular problem, Miss Bustier." -Adrien admitted to her.

"Try me." -Miss Bustier smiled at him.

Sighing, he began to tell her everything that was going on. The only part he omitted from the story was the conversation he had with Marinette the night before. Miss Bustier listened to every word he said, silently, waiting for him to finish talking. Once he did, she did what any teacher would do, advise him, the best way she could.

"I'm really sorry to hear you saying that, Adrien." -Miss Bustier told him. –"I can only imagine how you're feeling right now, because you're in the middle of an argument." -she said. –"Still, you must believe that things will turn out for the best."

"I hope so. Because, right now, I just don't know what to do…" -Adrien sighed.

"I'm sure you will find a way to help solve this, Adrien. You are a very resourceful young man, and you have proven to me, and others, over and over that you can overcome anything that stands in your way." -Miss Bustier smiled at him. Ever since he came to her class, she had seen him slowly, but steadily, break the walls he had erected around him, to protect himself from any kind of emotional heartbreak, and she was immensely proud of him. –"But always remember this; I'm not saying that you are blaming yourself for what's happening, or that you will, if things become harder. But if you begin to do so, remember, it's not your fault your father and your aunt aren't on speaking terms. Always remember that." -she told him. –"Also, don't keep it all to yourself. Talk to your friends and tell them what you told me. Who knows? Maybe they will help you find the solution you're looking for, as well as giving you the courage you need."

And just like that, Miss Bustier did it. Her wise advises not only had managed to lift Adrien's spirits up, but had also given him a little bit of hope, in that everything that was happening between his father and his aunt, could be solved.

"Thank you, Miss Bustier." -Adrien thanked her, as he spontaneously hugged her. He would not do such a thing with one of the other teachers, but Miss Bustier was special. Most of the times, Adrien and the rest of her class did not see her as a teacher, but rather an older sister, or even a mother; someone they could talk about their problems, without fearing her criticising them.

"Always happy to help, Adrien." -Miss Bustier said, as she hugged him back. –"And remember, if you need to talk some more…"

"I will keep that in mind." -Adrien declared.

(End of flashback)

"You told her what was going on?" -Marinette asked him.

"I did." -Adrien admitted. –"I wasn't going to, but, you know how Miss Bustier is. You just can't hide anything from her." -he said. –"I'm even surprised how any of us has let it slip to her, that we're the Miraculous Team."

"She does have that talent." -Marinette smiled.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"M-Me?! N-No, of course, not!" -Marinette giggled nervously." –"Stop that, Marinette! Just say the truth, and don't act like you're crazy or anything!" -she thought to herself. –"A-Actually, I was. I was worried that something had happened to you."

"Oh, don't worry, everything's fine." -Adrien smiled at her. –"She waited for me… that's really sweet of her. More and more, I have reasons to tell her just how much I… what are you doing? Say something! She's going to think that you're not paying attention to here!" -he thought to himself. –"B-Besides, I guess I needed to hear some of the advices she gave me."

"Oh, I see…" -Marinette said. –"So, hmmm… are you going to tell the others what's happening between your dad and your aunt?" -she asked him.

"I am." -Adrien declared. –"After our talk last night, I was sure about telling the others about what's happening. But then, when I woke up this morning, I wasn't so sure about it anymore." -he admitted. –"I guess, I needed to hear someone else tell me, what you told me last night. And in this case, it was Miss Bustier."

"Well, like I said, she has a natural talent to tell us things that we sometimes know, but need to hear them again." -Marinette smiled.

They were so entertained, talking to one another, that nether of them remembered that P.E was about to start in a couple of minutes. And if it was not for Alya, who came out of the girls' locker room, to see what Marinette was doing, she and Adrien would have continued to talk to one another, as if nothing else mattered.

"Girl, what you doing there?! If you don't get change, D'Argencourt is going to get mad at you." -Alya told her.

"Oh, right!" -Marinette said, as she realized she did not have long, before the class started. –"I'll se you in a couple of minutes!" -she exclaimed to Adrien, as she sprinted inside the locker room.

"And you? Are you going to stay there, or are you going get changed?" -Alya asked Adrien, with a joking voice. It was clear to her that Adrien and her best friend were having a moment there, and she was sorry she had to end it, but it was for their own good. Monsieur D'Argencourt was a man of little patience, and even less comprehension

"N-No, I'm going to get changed as well." -Adrien said, as he made his way to the boys' locker room and opened the door.

As always, Armand D'Argencourt was not in a very good mood. He insisted that his students were to be always on time, but that rarely happened. And on that morning, that was not going to happen. When the bell rang, there were still three students form Miss Bustier's class in the locker rooms. As such, when they finally exited it, they were berated by the P.E. teacher, the same way a drill sergeant talks to recruits.

Once he finished reprimanding them, he told the whole class that they would all be practicing fencing with a partner that day, so he paired them up randomly. Marinette was paired with Nino. Alya was paired with Juleka. Rose was paired with Sabrina. Chloe was paired with Alix. Max was paired with Mylene. Kim was paired with Nathaniel. And last, but not least, Adrien was paired with Sabrina. As the lesson went on, it was clear to Monsieur D'Argencourt that some of them had improved greatly, since the last time they had practiced fencing in his classes, while others had not.

"Very well, Miss Haprèle. Perfect position." -Monsieur D'Argencourt said, praising her. –"You should learn from her, Monsieur Kante… bend those knees properly!" -he exclaimed to Max, who was having trouble, as always. –"Don't you remember what I told you last time? Bending your knees properly, is essential for when you are in combat."

"Y-Yes, sir." -Max said. –"He knows I'm no good at any kind of sports. Why does he always pick me?" -he thought to himself.

"Extraordinaire, Miss Raincomprix. You have clearly been practicing your attack." - Monsieur D'Argencourt praised her, as she managed to score a point against Adrien. –"Monsieur Agreste, don't let your guard down!

When they were already halfway through the lesson, Monsieur D'Argencourt took a moment to once again elucidate his students, regarding what he thought fencing was all about, with one of his melodramatic speeches. After having classes with him for the last couple of years, everyone in Miss Bustier's class agreed that the man had chosen the wrong profession, and should have studied Theatre, instead of Physical Education.

"Fencing is not just a sport. It is also an art. And like any art, it has to be practiced, in order to achieve perfection." -Monsieur D'Argencourt declared. –"Of course, fencing did not began as a sport, but as a means of war. Sword fighting wasn't invented because it was beautiful, it grew out of necessity. That necessity is in many ways very beautiful, in part because it speaks to something deep within us all – a fire to win, to survive, to protect." -he went on. –"The art of swordsmanship is elevated to something higher in many cultures across the world. Though modern competitive fencing has its roots in Europe, we see the same reverence and beauty in swordsmanship across Asia, as well as in other parts of the world. Swords become these magical things. Think about the way that King Arthur's sword is so central to the meaning of the tale; his sword was powerful and all the more so, because it was, he who wielded it. The samurai saw power in their blades. Taking on the art of the sword is an honour across many cultures, making the people that much better than they would be otherwise."

He went on for another five more minutes, talking about the importance of fencing, while Marinette and the others kept practicing. Near the end of the class, Monsieur D'Argencourt made a point of naming those, whose performances he had liked, and those he had not.

"Miss Raincomprix and Haprèle, as well as Monsieur Agreste, I commend your efforts in today's class." -Monsieur D'Argencourt declared. –"As for the rest, you have to work a lot harder, if you are to master the art of fencing. Next week, we will be practicing volleyball, so remember to bring the proper equipment. Dismiss!"

After P.E., but more importantly, after changing clothes, Marinette and the others wasted no time in going to the classroom to fetch their kwamis, before hitting the cafeteria, for some well-deserved lunch. Since it was quite a pleasant day outside, they all decided to have lunch in the courtyard, beneath one of the flight of stairs, which provided them shade and a little bit of privacy. Continuing the tradition of one of them bringing a dessert to share with everyone else, it was Ivan's turn to bring it. And what he brought was a delicious looking Baklava, which the second they saw it, decided it was too beautiful to eat. Though, that did not stop them from enjoying it, after the main dish.

"Mmm… delicious." -Alya said, as she ate another bite. –"You're saying it was your mom who made it?"

"Yes. I helped a little too." -Ivan admitted.

"Well, you've got to ask her for the recipe. This is probably the best baklava I've ever tasted." –Kim said.

"Hey!" -Marinette exclaimed in playful tone. –"I resent that!"

"Oh, come on, Marinette. Your parents are incredible bakers and confectioners, but I'm sure they can't beat this one." -Kim told her, as he practically gulped another piece, without chewing it.

"You haven't tried my mom's baklava!" -Marinette shot at him, playfully. –"One of these days I'll bring it, so you guys can try it, and then we'll see who makes the best baklava." -she laughed.

"If I were you, I wouldn't bet against her, Kim. Marinette's parents' treats are very delicious." -Alya joked with him.

Between laughs and giggles, the only one that was not feeling like laughing was Adrien. And it was not until Marinette decided to lay down the path, for Adrien to tell the others what was going on, by cracking a couple of jokes to make him feel a little more at ease, that he smiled for a little bit. Finally, when he felt the time was right, he asked the others if they could all keep silent just for a moment, so he could tell them something. Noticing just how serious he was looking at them, they all stopped talking, and let him speak. What followed was the abridged version of the events, told by Adrien to his friends, who all listened closely to what he said. It was not easy for him to hold his tears, when talking about it, especially because he was always remembering about his mother.

"Oh, Adrikins…" -Chloe sighed, treating him by the nickname she had given him, a long time ago, when she still had a crush on him. –"Hearing your dad say that to you… it must have been awful" -she told him.

"It really wasn't pleasant at all." -Adrien tried to hold the tears.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Adrien." -Marinette told him, pretending that she was hearing all that for the first time.

"Your mom has a twin sister… how come I didn't know about this? I mean, don't get me wrong, but I'm used to know things about celebrities and all. How come I didn't know about that?" -Alya asked him. But before he could answer her, she interrupted him. –"You know what? Never mind that… there are more important things that matter."

"She's right, bro. Are you really going to obey your dad and never see her again?" -Nino asked Adrien.

"Definitely not…" -Adrien told him. He did not know how he was going to get his father and his aunt to speak to each other again, but he dd know that he was not going to let his father tell him, he could not see his aunt Elodie again. –"And like I said, I need to find a way to end that ridiculous fight between them. They're blaming each other for what happened to my mom, when none of them is to blame for it. It was an accident." -he sighed.

"Family arguments are never easy to deal with, especially when both parts believe they're the ones who are right, and not the others." -Alix sighed. –"believe me, I know that from experience." -she said, remembering the countless times she had argued with either her parents or her brother, sometimes over the most trivial things.

"But don't worry, Adrien. Everything will turn out okay in the end, you'll see." -Rose smiled at him. –"I'm sure you'll find a way for them to make amends." -she told him.

"I'll be honest… I wish I could be that positive about it." -Adrien sighed. The more he thought about the possibility of not being able to come up with an idea that would work, the more depressed he got.

"Then, in that case, we'll transfer our positive energy onto you, along with an idea or two. What do you say?" -Marinette asked him, trying to cheer him up.

"Count on us all, bro." -Nino smiled at him.

"Yeah. We're here for you, Adrien." –Sabrina waved at him.

"No matter how we can help, we'll help." –Nathaniel told him.

But they were not the only ones who wanted to help. The kwamis, upon listening to what Adrien said, wanted to help as well. And Muria, Ivan's kwami spoke for them all.

"What about us? Can't we kwamis also help? We want to help out too, you know?" -Muria asked, as he poked his head from Ivan's shorts' left pocket.

"Of course, you can." -Ivan told him. –"The more the merrier, right?" -he asked the others.

"Yeah. And we can start doing that, while we're helping Mylene filming her short-film this afternoon." -Rose said. –"You're coming along, aren't you, Adrien?"

"I don't really have anything to do today, so… oh wait, I forgot! I've got my bodyguard picking me up after school." -Adrien sighed. –"And there's no way I can get rid of him." -he said.

"Maybe there is…" –Alix smirked mischievously. –"All you have to do is to phone home and tell them that you're going to stay here power-up

It was a bit risky, that was for sure. But then again, it was not the first time Adrien pulled a stunt like that. Besides, as long as he had his miraculous, he could transform into Chat Noir and get back to the school in a heartbeat, after the filming was over.

"You know what? I think that just might work." -Adrien smiled. It was his first true smile that day. –"I'll call Nathalie before we go back to class and warn her."

"Awesome!" -Mylene exclaimed, happy to know that her friend was coming with the rest of them. –"And I've got the perfect part for you. You're going to love it." -she said, as she imagined it in her head.

"Well, you guys have fun. I'm afraid I can't go today." -Alya told them.

"Why not, Alya?" -Mylene asked her.

"Her sister Nora has a fight this afternoon, and she's going with the twins to cheer for her." -Nino told them. –"What was the name of her opponent again, Alya?" -he asked her, as he tried to remember it.

"Allison Levin, I think. She's coming from the United States, so it's a very big deal for Nora." -Alya said. –"And like Nino said, I won't be able to go." -she said. –"But, hey, this is not about me, it's about Adrien. You make sure to cheer him up and help him come up with an idea for his predicament. We don't want to see our feline friend without his usual grin."

You know what? This chapter was harder to write than most... maybe because it describes a typical school morning. Still, I took the opportunity to use another of the series original character, Monsieur D'Argencourt aka. Darkblade. Plus, it allowed me to make use of Miss Bustier a little more... I love to write scenes with her, because she's such a cute character and she's a great teacher (no wonder everyone in her class adores her).

So, yeah, now everyone knows what happened to Adrien... how are they going to help him? Will they be able to help him? And furthermore... what do you think will happen once Reptile blabs everything he found out to Brutus and Hawk Moth? Find out on the next chapter. And as always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this story.

P.S And speaking of suggestions, I have to thank Ben10Man for his suggestion, which I made use in this chapter. It was a pleasure to introduce one of your characters, Allison Levin, into this universe, even if it's just a little reference. if you want to know more about her, check out the story "Ben 10 and Jen 10: Alien Force"