Book Two: Chapter 7

The Right Thing

Ladybug reached after Cat, but he left her behind. She could still see him as the dot of black against the sky. They didn't talk much about his father and their history, unless it was in brief references to their deal with him. But when she saw Cat's face... the way it sharpened, how his eyes hollowed out, the muscles in his jaw and neck tight… it was all still so raw for him.

She should have made him talk about it. She should have realized that of course it wasn't okay. He had to go home every day to live with that man and pretend that he didn't know. The absolute control that must take. No wonder he was becoming a powerhouse. He was flexing every muscle each hour he had to be in that house.

She'd underestimated him, and she was responsible for locking him inside a prison he called home.

"Cat!" She almost caught up to him, but he landed on the roof of the TV tower and dangled his feet over the edge and his head in his hands. "Cat?" She approached slowly, just in case.

"Sorry, M'lady. I didn't handle myself well back there."

She took his hand and sat with him on the edge of the building. Their shoulders were touching, as were their knees. She wanted her touch to be a balm that soothed away whatever he was feeling, but he seemed reluctant.

"You did fine. That can't have been easy."

"It's fine. I'm fine. Promise." Then he leaned his head against hers and she sighed in relief. Their fingers entwined together and she squeezed three times. I love you.

He squeezed back four. I love you, too.

Sometimes that little signal was all that got her through the day. She could have said the words aloud, but the silence seemed easier somehow. Even if she knew silence wasn't what he really needed.

"Talk to me."

"About what, M'lady?" His voice was so sweet and soft, she didn't want to ruin it.

"Your father."

"Not much to talk about, I'm afraid."

"You're angry."

"No shit, wouldn't you be?" His voice lost that melty edge that she liked so much.

"I'd be furious. Don't bottle it up. Who else knows you—all of you—better than I do? You don't have to hide from me."

Cat leaned away from her. "I'm not. It's just... whenever I think about it, I want to destroy everything and sometimes I think I really could." He stared down at his right hand, then made a fist. "It's not safe to let that much anger run free."

"Then how can I help?"

He deflated a little. "You help just by being here. See? Already not mad anymore." He tugged on one of her pigtails, and she ran her hand over the spot where his bell had been.

"You've changed so much." She smiled a little sadly. She was still the same. Same red suit. Same pigtails. Same limitations.

He pulled her against his side and squeezed her in tight, kissing her temple. "None of us would be this strong without you. Leadership isn't glamorous, but it's essential. Right now, things are just," he seemed to struggle for the right word, then puffed out his cheeks and blew out a breath, "fucked up."

That made her grin, but then she sobered. "We'll find them." She promised herself more than him.

He spoke like a balloon suddenly losing all its air. "We have no clue where to look for Alya and Nino if my father's not involved, it's our last year before university, you and I still can't be together, and sometimes I just want to wrap you into my arms and..." His gaze turned distant. "Run."

"Something tells me your father wouldn't uphold his end of the deal if we did that. Besides, our duty is to Paris. We can't leave it." Cat's expression fell. Was he being serious? "Cat?"

"Come on, we should meet with the others, see if they have any ideas on how to track down Rena and Carapace." Cat stood and offered to help Ladybug up. She took his offered hand, but he dropped it quickly. Ah, she'd definitely said the wrong thing.

Viperion and Ryuko were similarly at a loss for how to find Rena and Carapace, but it was getting late. Classes were long over and Ladybug had missed half the day, plus her usual study partners were now missing.

"We'll scout the city, top to bottom," Ryuko offered, fierce determination in her eyes.

"Anything you need, you know you can count on us." Viperion added.

"Thank you, both of you. But we don't know where to start. We'd be wasting our time and energy. I don't think Mayura would hurt them. She'll probably use them as bait or ransom us for our Miraculouses."

Cat tapped his chin. "Sounds likely. Then our plan is to draw out Mayura's next move."

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug caught a copy of her own diary. "All of you patrol. I'll be back." She wobbled on her feet. Thirty-six hours without sleep pushed her previous limits on the magic of her Miraculous. Nothing could replace sleep, not even Tikki's power.

Cat steadied her. "You need to rest tonight."

"We need to find our friends."

"And we will, I promise, but we'll have a better chance if you're not a zombie." He kissed her temple.

Ryuko looked like she was trying not to smile, but Viperson was openly grinning. Ladybug shooed them all on and head for her hiding spot at home. It was ridiculous to feel embarrassed by Cat's affections, but they didn't usually do that kind of thing in front of... well, anyone. She still wouldn't confirm their relationship to any media outlets, even though they all assumed they were a couple. They weren't wrong, but it really wasn't any of their business.

Ladybug hopped down onto her bed, then detransformed just as her earring gave its last warning beep.

"Sorry Tikki, here." Marinette reached to the side of the bed and pulled out a package of store bought, processed cookies—blasphemy for her family, but she needed to keep fuel for Tikki in various spots without worrying about it spoiling. "Do you have any idea how we can find Alya and Nino?" Marinette popped open the Miracle Box and checked the Miraculouses. No change.

Tikki nibbled and talked at the same time. "Barkk has a good nose, you might be able to sniff them out."

"True. I could unify him with Mullo and cover more distance. But even then, they could be anywhere. Maybe not even in the city." Marinette flopped back on the bed, cradling the box to her chest. She really didn't want to lose her position as Guardian or her best friend, or Tikki, and especially not her memories of Adrien. She must handle Mayura and prove she was capable. It didn't matter why the Guardian was here now and not in three months. What mattered was that he knew she was slipping. He'd been able to capture Alay and remove her Miraculous, and now he had Nino, or rather they did.

A guardian working with Mayura. Was her vendetta so personal that she didn't care about giving up her Miraculous if it meant Marinette lost hers?

Maybe it was her fault, after all she'd let Tikki and Plagg act on their own without guiding them. They'd held hands to combine a teaspoon of their magic and heal the poison that locked Duusu in her pin—and kept Adrien's mother in a coma. They were free, but maybe this was the cost.

Tonight, right now, she was out of options and trusted her allies would contact her if they found anything. She mumbled an apology and lay down, asleep before she'd finished speaking.

#

When Marinette made it to class the next morning, Adrien gave her a little wave. She suppressed a smile and immediately felt guilty for it. There'd been no news on their search for Nino and Alya. If she was wrong and Mayura had hurt them, she'd never forgive herself.

"I'm telling you Chloe, I can totally get us tickets, even if your dad says Jagged is sold out, I know him. I'm sure he'll help us out." Lila and Chloe sauntered in, looking admittedly resplendent in their Chanel and Givenchy jackets. Chloe spotted the empty seat by Adrien and popped down.

"Hey Adri-kins, we're going to a concert on Friday night, want to join?"

"No thanks, Chloe."

"But you love Jagged!"

"I have plans."

She huffed. "You do not, you're just avoiding me. We haven't hung out in ages. Let me take you out on a real date, something a person of your caliber can appreciate.

"I don't date."

Don't look, don't look. Ah, damn she looked, and worse, so did he. Ms. Caron entered, and then so did Nino and Alya. Marinette froze. Adrien stood in a rush. When Chloe vacated the chair so Nino could sit, Adrien shouldered his bag and stepped down to Marinette's level, tapping Alya's shoulder.

"I think you should sit with Nino today; he seems a little bummed. Did you two have a fight?"

Alya's face was blank at first, then she shook her head with a laugh. "That boy is helpless, thanks Adrien." She walked up to Adrien's usual spot and sat, but she and Nino didn't do much other than look at each other, then pull out their books and notes in unison.

Adrien took Alya's spot, which was of course right next to Marinette. He bent over to set his bag down. "Sorry," he whispered.

Marinette scribbled a note, Senti quick and stuck it in her purse, which Tikki grabbed and deposited stealthily into his bag. Usually she discouraged this, but not when it was work related.

Adrien checked the note, then nodded. Marinette scrubbed at her face and Adrien's knee knocked into hers gently beneath the desk. Class started and Marinette did all she could to ignore the love of her life sitting right next to her and the monsters in the seats behind them.

Between classes, Marinette slipped into the supply closet. Adrien followed a moment later, but this time there was no making out.

"Why would Mayura have the Sentimonsters attend school and go about Alya and Nino's daily life?"

"Perhaps to flush us out? Or to keep from raising suspicions that they are gone. Did Nino know when our next training will be?"

"No, I haven't scheduled it yet."

Adrien worried his lip with his thumb. "Is there an advantage to attacking?"

She thought about it, but they needed to find the object housing the emotional intent, and if they destroyed those, then there was still no lead to Mayura. "No, but if we follow them, they might lead us back to Mayura."

"Alright, I have to make an appearance at home after school, can you take the first leg and then I'll meet up?"

"Can do."

"Thanks, love." He leaned in.

The door was yanked open. Light streamed in and Adrien jumped back. Lila smiled at the two of them like she was about to be given a treat. Her phone was in hand.

Adrien swore under his breath, then said, "Lila, hi. Marinette, I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested in you that way. Please stop asking me out, it's making me uncomfortable." He backed away to Lila's side with his hands out, but his jaw was tense, like his teeth were clenched.

Marinette did her best to tear up, which was easier to think than do, and said, "I just don't see why we can't at least be friends." No use hiding her crush on him. She'd only had one for, oh about five years. Might as well play it desperate.

"You heard him, don't come near Adrien again or I'll make your life a living misery."

You could try, Marinette thought. Instead she walked out with her head held low, managed to squeeze a tear free, and ran off towards the women's bathroom. She closed herself in a stall and leaned against the door.

"That was close," Tikki zoomed free. "You have a note from Adrien."

"What? When?"

"Just now." Tikki raised a tiny origami star. On the outside it read: Plagg, deliver upon scenario B. She couldn't help but grin. He's planned for something like this. She opened it and read.

Don't believe what I say. You know the truth.

Of course she knew. His words might have convinced someone else, but not her. She folded the letter again and hid it with Tikki. She wanted to keep that one.

"Okay, Tikki, the plan is to follow the Sentimonsters tonight and find my friends. Are you ready?"

"Always."

###

Lila was quick to spread her photo, much to Adrien's annoyance. It wasn't as if she'd caught them kissing, but he certainly looked like he was about to. Marinette looked pawsitively charmed in the photo, which he loved but also found terribly inconvenient. There was no use in trying to control the spread of the rumor or the photo. Mostly because Lila was spreading a simultaneous rumor that Adrien had told Marinette she was creepy and threatened to get a restraining order.

He sighed and packed up his books. Plagg yawned inside his bag, but lazily held out another note, carefully folded like a bow. It just had one little heart drawn on it with her Ladybug symbol. Her perfection never ceased to make him grin.

His mood was short-lived once he got home. He barely stepped through the front doors when Father opened his office door.

"Adrien, a word please."

He straightened up and kept his expression neutral as he walked past him. Father's office was wide open with a massive desk and a huge portrait of mother behind it. That's where he'd hidden the safe. Where he'd hidden the entrance to his lair as Hawkmoth. Adrien—as Cat of course—checked the vast rooms under the house about once a month, but so far it was abandoned. He couldn't help but scan the room for threats, touching his gaze on the security measures his father installed. Adrien has deployed some of his own after everything, including a small audio bug that blended in with an onyx bust of Louis Vuitton to the right of his desk.

"Explain yourself." Father held out his tablet, on it was the same photo of him and Marinette that Lila had been spreading. Adrien sighed.

"I told her I'm not interested."

"She's been pursuing you?"

Adrien clenched his teeth, then tried to relax. "Not really. She thought it was time to become friends again, but I still don't understand why she was so cruel back when we..." He let it trail off for effect.

"I see." Father stared at the photo again. Adrien resisted the urge to snatch it from him and delete the picture. "Which is why I've forbidden you from dating. You need to focus on your studies and modeling, not the ineffable hearts of teenagers."

"And if I'd started dating Kagami instead of Marinette back then?"

"Kagami is an exceptional young woman, but you are both too young for such things."

"Be fair, you've never liked Marinette." He just wanted to hear his father say it. Wanted to hear the lie he'd use to justify his hatred, even if Adrien knew the truth.

"She was an overeager fan that couldn't be trusted. Now that you're eighteen, I suppose you're able to choose which of my rules you follow, but if you date that talentless child I'll make sure she's not only rejected from her university of choice, but I'll thwart her every attempt to enter fashion."

Adrien took a reflexive step back. "What could she have done to deserve that?" At this point he really wanted to know. She'd saved Mother, she'd stopped Father from destroying the city. She'd saved Adrien as both himself and Cat dozens of times.

"She has power over my son, and I won't stand for it." Father opened his office door, a clear dismissal. "This isn't the first time you've had slips with this woman. Make sure this is the last."

Adrien didn't lower his head; not like he did three years ago when Father forbid him from being with Marinette. No, this time he stared straight at Father and marched out, making no promises to anything.

When he was sure he wouldn't be checked on for the rest of the night, Adrien transformed. His staff pinged a message alert. He checked it and Ladybug's face filled the screen.

"Cat, I'm down under the city in the train system. I followed the Sentimonsters to," she paused and appeared to poke at the screen, "Saint-Jacques station, but I've lost track of them. Get here as soon as you—" The video went blurry, and there was the sound of blocked hits, then the message cut off.

"Plagg! Claws out!" He transformed and focused on his goal: get to Ladybug. Nothing else mattered as much as her safety.

###

Ladybug dropped the yoyo mid-message and leaped aside, blocking a sudden blow from her left. Senti-Nino made no sound as he approached, and the tunnel was nearly black. She could sense more than see him, but he swiped out and knocked her down.

"Lucky Charm!" She caught something while something else clattered down to the pavement. The item she managed to grab was long, tubular, and flexible. She cracked it and shook until it illuminated the area in dull green light. Senti-Nino and Senti-Alya stared after her with lifeless eyes. They lunged at the same time and she flipped back off the maintenance platform, landing below in the tunnel. They pursued. She had to be getting close to the real Alya and Nino. She couldn't let this slip through her grip. Not now.

With the glowstick attached at her hip she rushed forward, knocking Senti-Nino down. Senti-Alya jumped, missing Ladybug's low kick, and managed to slam her heel into Ladybug's shoulder. She yelped, stumbling back, but then leaped over the handrail to the dark platform. Her hip light brightened a red-spotted camera—her second lucky item. It was clunky with a massive bulb on top. Jogging out of their path, she swiped the camera and slid the strap over her head, then spun, pointed, and clicked. It was like a flash of lightning. The Sentimonters scrambled to a halt, lost and squinting.

Ladybug ran further down the maintenance tunnel, looking for any offshoots, doors, anything that might lead to her allies. She was running at full speed and didn't see the shadow until it was too late. Mayura dropped like a spider on a thread and trapped Ladybug's arms at her side, then ripped off her hip light and launched it away. The tunnel went completely black.

"Behave, or I'll decide your friends aren't worth returning. We just want the Miraculouses. Hand them over."

A hand flew to Ladybug's ear and plucked out one of her earrings. The slow detransformation illuminated the darkness. A darker shadow caressed the wall beside her. "Cat!"

His staff slammed down. Mayura jumped back, barely missing the blow. Still, Tikki's magic creeped away. She had to find the earring. Where did it go?

"Cat, she has my earring!"

"Your two part Miraculous was poor planning." He slipped under Mayura's reach and picked her pocket. Nothing.

"Ladybug, detransform!"

"Are you mad?" she called back.

"You're too bright. Turn off."

She bit her lip and raised her hand, knocking it into the camera. "Kitty—"

He saw. "Do it."

She looked away and set off the flash, the light so bright her closed eyes felt seared. Now the light of her magic looked dim, but she could hear Cat growling, then his shuffling, sliding steps and—

"Hah!"

His hands were on her shoulder, at her ear. The magic flashed over her and plunged the tunnel back into the dark, but she felt Cat kiss her cheek. "I've got you. Yoyo, there!" She did as he instructed and heard it hit flesh. He took her hands and yanked her around. "Kick!"

She did. With him as her eyes, they beat Mayura back towards the dim lighting at the mouth of the tunnel. The Nino and Alya Sentimonsters rejoined.

"Enough," the Guardian's rough voice called out. Ladybug couldn't see Etan, but Cat was suddenly warm against her back.

"Your earing wasn't the only thing I grabbed." Cat whispered and she felt his hand grope for hers, then he set two small objects in her palm. "Would you do the honors?"

She slammed them down and stepped back, spinning her yoyo. "Time to de-evilize!" She caught the two feathers and purified them, the two white feathers floating free in the light of her screen.

A slow clap echoed down the tunnel they'd just run from. "Well done."

"Cat, what can you see?"

"The Guardian."

"Sir." Mayura's light footsteps went towards Etan's voice.

Cat's body tightened and he moved to her right, blocking her non-existent sight down the tunnel, but she could hear soft footfalls approaching. She could feel the presence, like knowing when someone was staring at you.

"Ladybug, Mayura's offering me something."

"Take it."

He must have, because he said. "It's Carapace's Miraculous."

"Give us your Miraculouses and we'll return your friends." The deep voice sounded amused.

"You know we won't do that."

"Then perhaps when we've collected a couple more allies you'll be ready to honor Guardian Law."

Then she heard a whoosh, quickened steps, and nothing. Well, not nothing, there were drips hitting puddles and the far-off sound of a train on a connected tunnel, but then it was just her and Cat.

"Let's get out of here," he said and spun towards her, his breath warm against her cheek. His feet were sure and his grip strong as they ran into enough light that she could lead. They ascended above ground, but Ladybug was disoriented by the seemingly sudden fall of night. How long had she been in the tunnels?

"Let me see," she said and pulled his fisted hand towards her. He slowly opened it. Nino's bracelet looked like Alya's pendant. The center bead cracked like glass. She slid it on, but nothing. No Wayzz. No magic.

"How is he doing this?" Her earrings beeped.

"We'll have to find out later. I need to take you home."

"Cat we really shouldn't—"

"Two of our friends are missing and their Miraculouses are damaged. I'm not leaving you alone."

She gave in. They found a quiet spot for her to detransform, and without the magic she was almost as exhausted as the night before. The stress of losing Alya and Nino was weighting her down, but then Cat cradled her to his chest. His vanilla espresso scent was comforting and brought her a rush. She clutched him as if he'd always be at her side if she only held on tight enough.

"My father saw the photo Lila shared."

"Damn." She buried her head in his shoulder. "I can ask about transferring classes. Or we stage another fight."

Cat sighed, his voice carrying over the wind. "I'm tired of this."

She didn't respond because she was, too, but they couldn't risk Gabriel having any reason to reveal her identity. She wished she could erase his memory. Cat opened his arms. She stepped in and let him scoop her up. They leaped over rooftops and soared through the night, until the bakery came into sight, the whole while she leaned against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She'd failed tonight. Their best friends were still out there, and all she could do was run home and come up with a new plan. One thing was for sure, she wasn't going to get stuck in the dark like that again without a way to see what was happening. If Cat hadn't been there, she'd have lost her Miraculous.

Cat set her down down on the lounge atop her roof and settled next to her. He examined the Turtle Miraculous on her wrist.

"I guess I'm not much of a Guardian."

"This isn't your fault. We're not invincible," he reminded her.

"There was a reason Master Fu didn't let the others keep hold of the Miraculous. I just thought with Hawkmoth gone—"

"I agreed with you." Cat leaned in, setting his forehead against hers. "We needed more people to help patrol the city and build a team. When it was just the two of us, Master Fu had our backs, he could slip a Miraculous to others when we were in danger. But we couldn't do this alone. We needed allies."

She refused to cry, but since she could tell her eyes were tearing up and knew his stupid good night vision would catch on, she switched the subject. "I think they have Nino and Alya south of the city, somewhere around the 14th arrondissement."

He slipped his thumb down her cheek, wiping away the tear she couldn't stop in time, but he didn't comment on it. "Then we call in the others and use all the tools at our disposal to search."

She shook her head. "We can't risk more Miraculouses."

He nudged her jaw, lifting it up a little. "They want us scared. We'll call Ryuko and Viperion and keep the four of us together. No one goes out alone."

"What if we're wrong? What if I should hand over my Miraculous as a sign that I'm a capable Guardian? Guardian Etan is trying to uphold Guardian Law, right? Then aren't we breaking it?"

Cat was quiet a moment, then said, "Do you know their laws?"

"No, Master Fu didn't leave anything to—"

"Then it's our duty to do the right thing, even if it's not the legal thing. We were tasked with saving lives and protecting this city—definitely the right thing. Would you disagree?"

She had to hide a smile. Using her sense of duty against her like that. Smart. "Shouldn't I be the one coming up with the clever answers?"

He kissed her, then grinned. "Seemed like you needed a night off."

"Ha, ha." She made a face. "But you're right. We'll get everyone in close, and I'll comb through the old text of the Miraculouses to see if I can find how Master Fu used to heal Kwamis. Which just leaves your father and this photo from Lila."

"He made some vague threats, but nothing we haven't seen before."

"Eventually he's going to lose his patience with these slips." If he hadn't already.

"He still thinks I'm the same cowed teenager I was back then." He laced his fingers in hers and kissed the back of her hand. They both did a fair amount of acting in their lives to keep their secrets, but she'd underestimated his abilities. If anything happened to her as Ladybug, she knew the city would still be safe.

"You're sure he's not going to expose me?"

"As sure as I am that we'll get Alya and Nino back safe."

"So, what, ten percent?"

He jabbed at her rib. She squeaked in surprise and he laughed, then he was holding her wrists down and staring at her with a touch of concern in his eyes.

"Cat?"

"I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

"I don't know what you'd do, either. Seeing as how you're so desperately in need of my leadership."

His hands dropped from her wrists back to her ribs. When she coiled in on her side half out of breath and half in tears, he lay beside her and nestled her against his chest. "Love you, bug."

"Love you too, kitty." It felt right to be in his arms and her eyes felt so heavy.

A chill ran through her body. She woke, and Cat was gone.


Author's note:


Hello lovelies,

I made sure the chapter was properly long since you've all been so patient! Many exciting things coming up in in my regular writing life—like a potential release date of summer for my novel, GILDED LIES. But don't worry, I'll never abandon this story and leave you hanging. Fanfic must live on.

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