It had been a few weeks and they had made it out okay. Marinette was still safe and Adrien was back to living his life normally.
Adrien walked through town and stepped into a bar, getting a drink. He sat down on a barstool and peered into his glass. A man sat down beside him and ordered a shot.
"How did you accomplish it?" The man spoke beside him, tossing the shot back.
"Pardon me?" Adrien peered over at him like the man was not of sound mind.
"How did you accomplish the murder?" His eyes seared into Adrien's face and he swallowed hard.
"You must be mistaking me for another fellow. I did nothing of the sort." Adrien finished his beer and stood up, hearing a pistol click and the barrel of a gun on his back. He kept his arms at his sides. "You are aware that killing me where I stand will not solve anything."
"I do not plan on killing you. On the contrary I am challenging you to a duel." The man tugged Adrien by his coat harder, whispering into his ear. "I know you gathered the poison to kill Monsieur Couffaine. I happen to know you went to the Madame and inquired about paying to free Marinette."
"You know nothing of the sort." Adrien seethed through his clenched teeth. "Grab your second."
The man shoved him away and pocketed his pistol. "Sunset today at the top of the hill out of jurisdiction. Bring a doctor, if you wish."
Adrien swallowed hard and his eyes went wide as he reached into his pocket and clenched the Ten Duel Commandments in his pocket. He had hoped to never have to use it, but he knew that one day he would have to.
000
Adrien rushed into Nino's apartment, shoving his coat from his shoulders and throwing it over a chair. He was in a panic and his heart was racing a million miles a minute. His hair was a mess from him running his fingers through it and he was absolutely mad looking. Marinette rushed over with a concerned expression on her face.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Marinette clung to his shirt, confused at his expression.
"NINO?" Adrien shouted out through the apartment and Nino came rushing into the room. "I require a second and a doctor."
Nino froze with his lips parted, unsure how to speak. He closed his mouth, swallowed hard, and nodded.
"Wait, wait." Marinette placed a hand on Adrien's chest to stop him from storming off to write a will. "A second?"
Adrien yanked a chair from a writing desk and grabbed a quil to begin writing a letter to anyone that cared. He slammed his elbow down on the top of the desk and tried to focus enough to write.
"Adrien." Marinette touched his arm and he shrugged her off.
"Marinette." Nino called from the doorway and she peered over her shoulder with tears in her eyes. He gave her a soft nod and she reluctantly followed him out of the room, giving Adrien one last glance.
"What is happening, Nino?" Marinette didn't want to be lied to. She didn't want hearts and flowers, she wanted honestly. Even if it hurt her, she needed facts. "And don't sell me a dog like some church-bell."
Nino sighed, "He was challenged to a duel. I have yet to conversate with the man so if you could just give me ti-" He raised his hand to get Marinette to calm down.
"A duel?" Marinette scoffed and placed her hands on her hips. "For why?"
"If you would just give me a moment to-"
"Luka's right hand man." Adrien slammed his rolled up will into the center of Nino's chest. "I shall be off to fetch a doctor. I have to pay him to keep his sauce-box shut."
"Adrien!" Marinette ran after him, grabbing his coat with her fist after he shrugged it on.
Adrien swallowed hard and held his head high, grabbing the lapels of his coat and tugging on it. "I have to do this. I have no choice. Pray my second will negotiate well."
"Stay." Marinette yanked him back, causing him to lose his balance slightly.
"You have to accept my decision. It is not in my hands." Adrien painfully ripped his coat from her hands and walked out the door.
Marinette fell to her knees and lifted her hands to peer down at them. The tears began to burn the corners of her eyes and her hands trembled. She had heard about men having to duel when someone challenged them. Had heard horror stories from men at the bordel, but she had never had to personally deal with the decision. Her hands shook harder and she flinched when a hand touched her shoulder.
"My apologies, Marinette." Nino sighed and gripped her shoulder, leaving her in the apartment alone. "I will try to the best of my ability to bring him home."
Marinette sank further onto the ground and curled up on her side with her fist to her trembling lips as she let the tears take her over. A loud sob escaped her lips as she brought her knees to her chest and let go.
000
Adrien flung his coat, making his way to an apothecary. He slammed money down on the counter when he saw there was no one in the barber shop but him and Nino.
"May I help you, sir?" The doctor walked over from setting a medication down beside a handwritten sign.
"How would you venture to be a doctor on sight for a duel?" The man went to protest and Adrien injected him. "I will face you away to deny accountability."
The man nodded and took his money. "Time and place, sir."
"Sunset up at the hill." Adrien smiled and held his hand out to the doctor.
"You got yourself a deal, sir." The doctor slammed his hand into Adrien's to shake on it.
"Right." Adrien nodded and turned to leave the shop with Nino.
"You are really going through with this. Marinette was-" Nino was interrupted by Adrien.
"As long as this right hand man is alive, Marinette is not safe. It must be done. Plus the code will not let me pass on the matter. The deal is done, Nino." Adrien glared at his best friend and continued to walk through town.
"But why did you leave her on the floor crying? Why not kiss her one last time?" Nino caught up to him.
"If I had kissed her then it would have been a true goodbye and I intend on returning to her." Adrien walked into another shop, leaving Nino to sigh and shake his head.
000
Marinette sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, as she sat at the writing desk to write a letter to Alya. If he wasn't going to live after this then she would take her life too. She knew where to get rat poison and she wouldn't hesitate to use it. Her hand trembled as she wrote the letter.
Dearest Alya,
I am writing to say that I will no longer be on this Earth. I will be in the heavens looking down at you and witnessing you becoming something much greater. I hope you will not blame me for this. I simply can not live without my beloved. I can not see my life without him. He is about to duel Monsieur Couffaine's right hand man and he has no choice. Why is this the world we live in? A world where men must have to choose honor over living? A world where there is no other option but to fight. To duel. I hope that Nino can use his words as a second to negotiate thoroughly or I fear that Adrien will parish.
You were always a wonderful chuckaboo and I could not fathom asking for a better one. I did not deserve such a strong and amazing woman. You will go many places. Look in the loose panel of my wall in my old room and you shall find a stash of money. Use it. I was saving it for a time that I should need to run, but I thought it was best for you to have in case something like this happened. Use it to get free and find Nino. He lives down the street from the small market near the park. Room 56.
Lastly, I apologize that this is the way that I say goodbye and that it was not over a cup of tea. I will always love and care about you.
Your ladybug of good luck,
Marinette
Marinette sniffed and ran the back of her hand beneath her nose and folded the letter, sealing it with Adrien's wax seal. She kissed the folded letter and clutched it to her chest after the wax cured. She was going to miss her friend, but if the love of her life was going to parish then she would too.
000
Adrien stood at the top of the hill at sunset with the doctor turned around, facing away from them. He crossed his arms and watched Nino walk up to shake hands with the other man's second.
"Are we going to negotiate this first?" The other man stared at Nino before flashing Adrien a quick glance.
"Agreed, let's negotiate." Nino backed up.
"Your man was seen in an apolocary purchasing medication for syphilis and for purchasing rat poison. Care to explain?" The man waited for Nino to speak.
"Syphilis is quite a common ailment in this city and rats run rampant in the streets and our homes. Nothing out of the ordinary there." Nino shrugged.
"Yes, but Monsieur Couffaine did the bear with Marinette many a time and never complained of such ailment."
Nino smirked, "You wager that Monsieur Couffaine was the only gal-sneaker in that jammiest bits of jam's bed? Surely you are gravely mistaken."
"Even so, that strawberry never gave him syphilis. My argument still stands." The man argued and spit in the grass.
"Your so-called argument would not hold up in court." Nino argued.
"Proof says it does." The man held up images of Adrien at the apothecary and of the body with the same tube of medication on the vanity.
"Still does not prove a thing about my man poisoning yours. Either way a man is dead and it must be answered." The other man slammed his finger down towards the ground.
Nino sighed and Adrien nodded at him. "Duel, it is."
Adrien took out his pistols and someone checked his and the other's man's to make sure they were uncocked and loaded. Adrien's expression was lifeless as one of his pistols was shoved against his chest by Nino. He leaned closer to Adrien and whispered in his ear, "Best come home to her. I do not wish to be the burden of bad news and tell her that her beloved perished for such reasons."
Adrien nodded and swallowed hard. He turned away from Luka's right hand man and Nino and the other second counted to ten as the men walked.
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The shots rang out as the two men spun to face one another and fired their pistols. Adrien had his pistol aimed for the sky, while the other man had lodged the bullet into Adrien's side. He fell back onto the grass and Nino called for the medic.
Adrien cringed and sat up, gripping his side. "No."
Nino froze and turned the doctor back around, watching his best friend struggle to stand and spit blood from his lips.
"I will not cease until I draw blood." Adrien cocked his pistol again and pointed it at the other man.
"John, throw your hand up to signal for us to shoot." Luka's right hand man nodded at his second.
"Ten paces and shoot!" Nino called out.
Adrien swallowed hard and bit back the pain that was pulsing in his side. His vision was blurring and he blinked to try and focus.
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John flung his hand down and both men spun and fired. This time Adrien didn't give in. His bullet landed into the other man's chest before he dropped dead. Adrien's hands shook and he clenched his wrist, dropping the pistol onto the grass. Nino grabbed the medic and ran over to Adrien, as his friend fell to the ground and blacked out.
"Adrien. Adrien, stay with me." Nino smacked his friend's face.
Adrien watched his friend go in and out of focus, before he passed out entirely.
000
Marinette heard the door burst open and watched the two men carrying Adrien into the apartment. She gasped, seeing the blood that coated Adrien's side.
"Is he?" Marinette covered her mouth and Nino looked up, rushing her out of the room so she didn't see more.
"He will be okay. Stay here." Nino shut the bedroom door, leaving her there alone.
Marinette held her fingers against her lips and chewed on them as she heard yelling from the other room. She covered her ears and clenched her jaw, recognizing the familiar sound of Adrien's voice.
Nino stared at Adrien and held his arms down, as the doctor dug for the bullet in his side. He tried to break free and Nino firmly held him down, as his friend panted in pain.
"Got it. Damn thing was lodged in deep." The doctor threw the bullet away and Adrien relaxed more, hissing as alcohol was poured onto the wound. "Have to stop the bleeding or he will bleed out. Then there is infec-"
"Let me help." Marinette walked out with a sewing kit and Adrien was barely functioning enough to peer over at her. "I have practice with a needle and thread and a fairly steady hand." She swallowed hard.
The doctor stepped aside and Marinette walked over, grabbing whiskey along the way. She raised Adrien's head up, removing the cloth from his lips that he was biting on. "This is going to hurt. I apologize now, love."
Adrien gazed at her with love filled eyes as she pulled the cap from the bottle of whiskey and gave him some. He choked slightly and swallowed hard as she laid him back down. She used alcohol to sterilize the needle and nodded to Nino and the doctor. Both of them held Adrien down by his hands and feet, after Nino put the fabric back into his friend's mouth.
Marinette took a deep breath and used one hand to push the sides of his skin together. She swallowed hard and stuck the needle through his skin to begin stitching the wound shut.
Adrien cringed and made sounds of pain as she began to close it for him. Marinette tried to not focus on what she was doing. At how the wound looked deep and the blood continued to flood the hole. She finished the stitches and bit the thread.
"We need to dress that." Marinette stared at the doctor and watched him get out his supplies to pass to her.
She began to dress the wound with the men watching her with interested eyes. "Ridiculous man, I swear." Marinette uttered the words under her breath as she finished tending to Adrien.
Adrien weakly smiled at her after she removed the cloth from his teeth. "Thank you."
"Speak with me after you heal and get better." Marinette sighed and the two men lifted him to take him to the bed in the guest room.