Broken Hero

Chapter 11 – I choose you

"Perfect! Perfect! THEY ARE ALL PERFECT! Thank you master Adrien for your wonderful performance!"

"You're welcome, just doing my job I guess." Adrien half-heartedly told the over-enthused photographer before walking back to the clothes rack to put on the next outfit he was required to model.

He stopped as he suddenly heard a scream from a distance an immediately turned to try and locate it. He didn't have to look for long before he could see flames in the distance and more screaming. By this point, everyone at the shoot had turned their attention to the fire. The photographer had brought up the news on his mobile phone and they all gathered around to look at it.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! We're getting reports of an akumatised super villain called Fireman setting streets on fire near the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug and Chat Noir are yet to appear on the scene to save the day. We advice people to stay hidden and stay tuned for more updates."

"Everyone get inside!" Someone shouted causing a mass scattering of the crowd. It was perfect for letting Adrien slip away.

"Ok Plagg, it looks like we're going to have to go through with Master Fu's plan after all. Any last-minute fox miraculous suggestions?"

"I know you know deep down who to give it to Adrien, just go with your instinct."

"Wow Plagg, that's probably the wisest thing I've heard you say in a while."

"Just shut up and transform will ya?!" Plagg said grumpily, "I hate when you patronise me."

"Haha, Plagg! Claws out!" Adrien shouted before becoming Chat Noir and heading off to their house.

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Chat Noir knocked on the door, unsure about what he was going to say. He knew what he would say if he were Adrien but he's not and Chat Noir has never properly talked to-

"Nino!" a girl's voice called from inside finishing Chat's thought sentence. He heard footsteps getting closer to the door as the girl continued speaking, "Why didn't you just open the door? You know you didn't lo-". Alya froze as she discovered it was not Nino but Chat Noir who was standing at the door.

"Chat Noir?!" She asked, mouth gaping open.

"Umm, yep that's me" Chat said awkwardly unsure what to do.

"Why are you here? I heard about the akuma attack; shouldn't you be out fighting it?"

"I- umm" Adrien was frantically debating whether he should explain his mission to her or not when something popped into his head that was worth a try, "Aren't you normally out when there are akumas too? For the Ladyblog?"

Alya's intimidating eye contact was thrown off as Chat flipped the question on her, "I- well um" Alya started to blush, "Well you see I was going to but my boyfriend convinced me to stay here... FOR SAFETY, obviously." She tried to subtly clear her throat whilst avoiding eye contact.

"Right", Chat Noir said having not listened to anything Alya had said as he was using the time to work out a plan. "So, Nino isn't here?" He asked as he went to put the box containing the fox miraculous from behind his back into his pocket.

"No, he-" Alya gasped as she noticed the box, "Oh I get it!"

"No you don't!" Chat said shoving the box in his pocket even more quickly to try and pointlessly hide what she'd seen.

"Yes! You wanted to know if Nino's out because you need me to be Rena Rouge again!"

"No I- again!?" Chat frowned at her, he began to look at her and the more he did the more obvious it was. He mentally face-palmed for nit figuring it out sooner.

"Did- did Ladybug not tell you?" Alya gasped putting her hands over her mouth, "Was I not supposed to tell you?"

"Well, no... but now you have I don't have to worry about finding Nino."

"You were going to give it to Nino?!"

"Yes?" Chat said wondering why that idea was so bizarre to her.

"I can't believe you Chat; you have no sense. Nino couldn't pull off Rena even half as well as I can." Alya said flicking her hair sassily mimicking how Chloe does, "But seriously Nino is an odd choice for the fox."

"Ok point taken; now can we get on with this? It's kind of an emergency."

"Emergency?" Alya asked now putting the necklace on.

"Look I don't have time to explain in detail right now but Ladybug is currently out of action and that means we cannot purify akumas."

"What do you mean she's-"

"She can't leave her house, I won't say any more as I know you like to investigate her identity, and if anyone is finding it out because of all this it's going to be me not you."

"Wow, you're a feisty Kitty."

"I'm sorry, it's just stressful."

"Ok, I won't ask anymore questions. Rena is here to help, not be a burden."

"Thank you." Chat Noir said smiling at her. He realised he was too quick to judge Alya's priorities, she was a good fit for a hero, no wonder Ladybug chose her before.

"Trixx! Let's pounce!" She shouted causing her transformation into Rena Rouge.

"So, what do we do Chat Noir?" Rena asked.

"What you need to do is use your powers of illusion to distract Fireman long enough for me to return."

"What do you mean return?"

"I have been given instructions by the Master to see him as soon as I had found Rena and told her to do as I have to you. I have no clue why but I trust him."

"Ok" Rena said, "1 distraction coming up, see you soon Chat Noir!" She blew her flute once creating a note with a made-up reason for her being gone for Nino and then jumped out into the streets.

"Now to see Master Fu" Char said to himself, "What could you be planning you mysterious old man?"