Chapter 7
The morning light was streaming in through the skylight. It looked like it would be overcast all day, and it was supposed to storm later today. Marinette was still lying in bed, trying to decide if it was worth it to even get up. It was not her habit to slack off while there were things to be done, so the young hero reluctantly rose from her bed. It was Saturday. The city had been without its protectors for two weeks. It was time to fix that. Marinette sat at her computer and sent a message from her Ladybug account.
LB: Chat, I'm back. We need to meet.
CN: I'm busy today, free tomorrow.
She thought for a moment and replied.
LB: Meet me Cafe de Flore 12:30
The reply back was just a thumbs up. He must be really busy. Ok, that was the easy part. Now she needed to set up the rest. She needed to start small. Just Alya and Nino.
MDPC: Hey, how about lunch tomorrow?
DJN: When and where?
BlogGirl: And who is paying? :)
MDPC: Meet me Cafe de Flore 12:30. My treat.
Both gave thumbs-ups, and Marinette went downstairs to start her day. Her dad was in the bakery with customers, and her mother was not back from the event yet (there was clean up to do first). So she was alone this morning. A quick breakfast and shower later, she was ready to face the day. She bid her dad goodbye and left as if she were just going for a walk. Finding a quiet nook along the way, Ladybug started her first patrol in two weeks. It was a thrill to be free like this again. She ran across the rooftops, just enjoying the wind in her hair. The young hero stopped a mugging and rescued two cats. All in all, it was a quiet day.
She returned home just as the first booming thunder rolled across the city, then the sky opened up and drenched the world outside. Marinette felt a prick of dread. "It was a dark and stormy night," she mumbled to herself.
He was walking in the storm looking for something, someone. He was hunting. Some unseen force kept the driving rain from touching him. His plum-colored suit looked immaculate. His face was shadowed. It took some time to locate his prey. The seething anger and hatred were perfect for his needs. A former soldier badly wounded in battle, now homeless and alone, forgotten. He would be ideal. Hawkmoth squatted down and smiled at the man. "I think we can help each other." He gave the man a folded stack of bills. "Take it. Go get yourself cleaned up. I will contact you in a few days." The villain then stood and walked away, satisfied his plans now had their final piece.
Adrien was almost an hour early to his 'date' with Ladybug. He found a table where he could watch the whole place. Being a street café on a stormy day, it was nearly deserted. He was in the cat hoodie his partner had given him, which kept him mostly dry and his identity hidden. He watched as those that had to be out as they hurried past trying, unsuccessfully, to stay dry and thought about his bugaboo. She had done it. She had convinced the temple to let her keep the box, and he was getting Plagg back.
The weather was horrendous. Anyone on the street was soaked in an instant. The typically busy street was almost dead, so any time an umbrella was spotted, Adrien tried to guess why someone braved the storm and where they were going. It was a fun game to pass the time with. At twelve-twenty, he spotted a small group of umbrellas heading down the sidewalk. It looked like a small group of friends out for a walk. When a gust blew one of the umbrellas out of the way, Adrien was shocked and a little panicked. It was Marinette, and judging by the clothes, the other two were Alya and Nino. Making sure that his face cover was in place, The young hero waited for the group to pass. They didn't. They turned in to the café, Walked right up to his table, and sat down. Marinette turned to him and smiled, "Hey, Chat. Glad you could make it."
The storm from last night had settled into a heavy downpour, unusual for this time of year. By ten a.m., the wind had blown itself out. However, the street drains were not up to the task and water ran like streams on every street. Marinette was tending the bakery. After the morning rush, there hadn't been a single customer and she was bored. She glanced up at the clock, Eleven a.m. The door chime sounded, startling her. There stood Alya, soaking wet, an hour and a half early and at the wrong location.
"Hey girlfriend. You sure you want to go out in that?" the soaked girl ask as she shook out her umbrella.
The gloom and despair (i.e., boredom) vanished in an instant and brought a grin to the bluenette's face. "Alya, I didn't expect to see you until lunch. Here let me grab you a towel." She grabbed two of the large raising towels from the kitchen and tossed them to the redhead. "Yeah, I already made plans, and you won't melt."
"Ya know you and I are already here. I can call Nino, and we can stay in and stay dry." The young reporter was finger-combing her now damp hair.
"Sorry, no can do. We are meeting others there, and I can't get hold of them to change plans." Marinette suddenly grinned an evil grin. "And you will never forgive yourself if you miss this."
"And just what do you have planned," the cautious reporter asked.
Marinette just stuck her tongue out, "You're going to have to come to find out."
"Okay, girl. Now you have me worried."
"Good," the designer replied. "It's working." Alya just stared at her.
The two girls just bantered back and forth until Tom and Sabine returned home, and it was time to get ready. They left at twelve-ten, stopping by Nino's to pick him up. The three friends laughed and splashed all the way to the café. As they approached the door, Alya gasped, "Is that Chat Noir?" She was nearly hyperventilating.
Marinette simple smiled and went in. Alya just about fainted when the young designer walked up and sat down at Chat's table. "Hey, Chat. Glad you could make it."
The shock was mind-numbing. Chat quickly looked around. There was no one else in the small café. It was just as apparent that Alya and Nino had no clue what was going on either. Marinette was digging through her raincoat for something. "Um, Princess?" his voice quivered with uncertainty. "What are you doing here? I was kinda expecting someone else."
"Yeah, I know," she smirked. "Found them. I talked to the temple, and there are going to be some changes." She handed over the hexagonal box containing the ring. "First, as the guardian, I need to know who is under the masks."
"Wait," Alya interrupted, "What guardian?"
The young hero took a deep breath. "I am the Guardian of the Miraculous and keeper of the Miracle Box. Apparently, as such, I make the rules for my box. First rule: I can't do this alone. Chat, you're my partner and we are equal partners. Second," she then hands Alya and Nino their boxes. "I need a core group of people I can trust, and we need to know who we are so we can plan and cover for each other." She checked around the area. "Tikki, come on out." The little Kwami floated to the table using Marinette's body to block the sight of anyone that may happen to look their way.
Alya gasped, "You're Ladybug?" She whispered. Marinette gave a lopsided smile and nodded.
Chat dropped his head to the table with enough force you could hear the bang. "I feel like such an idiot." The others opened their boxes. Plagg, Trixx, and Wayzz joined the group. There was a heavy silence for several moments.
Chat let out a heavy sigh, "Well, I guess it's my turn." He reached up and removed his hoodie. "Surprise," he half-grinned.
The reactions were as different as the people. Adrien smiled sheepishly, still trying to come to terms with everything going on. Nino just laughed at the irony but kept his mouth shut. Marinette's mind simply shut down for a short time.
Alya began laughing and showed no sign of stopping. "So let me get this straight. Chat you love Ladybug to the point you friend-zoned everyone else. Adrien likes Marinette but has been too blind to see it. Ladybug has turned down Chat time and again because Marinette likes Adrien to the point of incoherency. This is just too good."
"Alya!" Marinette was alternating between pale white and tomato red.