MiracuCrack #G37: The Silent Treatment

by DFC

(Timeline: Post-Gang of Secrets.)

"I suppose that you're wondering why I asked you to meet me here today," Adrien sighed. "There's something big... something really, really big that I need to tell someone. It's a huge secret... and it's more than one secret. You'll understand when I get that far," he noted, "if you're willing to listen."

His guest nodded... looking a bit wary of the intensity in Adrien's eyes, but content to hear him out.

"First off... I'm not in any trouble. This isn't, like, 'I killed a man just to see what it would feel like,' or 'my girlfriend's pregnant' or anything like that," Adrien grinned. "I can see how relieved you are by that! But it is important."

He paced back and forth, unable to remain still. "I... don't know an easy way to say this... so I'm just going to blurt it out," he declared. "I... am Chat Noir."

The room fell silent.

"I suppose that I should've expected that look on your face," Adrien apologized. "I need to stress just how vital it is that you keep it to yourself. Completely. I need-"

He paused. "You don't believe me, do you?" he asked. "I don't blame you, I suppose. It's a lot to take in. And the only way that I can prove it to you... is to show you. Plagg... claws out!"

A white flash nearly sent Adrien's guest running in terror... then left said guest staring in awe.

"Seeing is believing, I hope?"

That got a wide-eyed nod.

"I can't tell you much about how this happened. There are tons of things that I can't tell you, for safety reasons... or because I don't know them. Like, don't ask me who Ladybug is; she's never told me. I don't know that she ever will. And..."

Chat stared at the floor. "It hurts me a little that she won't. She needs her secret in as few other people's heads as possible. She thinks it's dangerous for me to know her true identity, or her to know mine. And when I know that I'm in love with the girl behind the mask... but I can't know her name, or where she lives, or what she likes to do when we're not fighting Akumas..."

Abruptly, his tone changed as he forced himself to change the topic. "I'm sorry. I didn't bring you here for a pity party, right? I brought you here to share my secret with you. And the reason for that is... Ladybug asked me to."

"Something else that's hard to believe, right?" he laughed, seeing What written all over his guest's face. "Well, there's a reason for it. Ladybug asked me... because she shared her secret."

"Not with me," he added, quickly. "That's not going to happen. But she shared it with someone else, just so that if something ever happens to her... there's a backup plan. Someone can come to me and say, 'Chat, if you want to save Ladybug, look for this person.' Or 'Chat, all of the other Miraculous belong to you now. Look here to find them.' And if something happened to me... no one would know where to look for me or my ring, either, because she doesn't know."

Adrien watched the puzzled reaction to that. "Why not? Again... security. If I get brain-jacked by Hawkmoth or his villains... and that's happened more than once, I'm sorry to say... my memories can't lead Hawkmoth straight to Ladybug's secret. And vice versa. I mean... I think you can relate to that, right? Because he's gotten to you more than once. That's what he does. He's awfully good at it."

He sighed. "You're giving me a look like, 'DUDE! You're insane!' And maybe I am," Adrien conceded. "But, I don't know... I was trying to think of someone who's always had my back, whom I can depend on, whom I can trust to never say a word about this to anyone. And I thought of you. I hope..." smiled Adrien, looking nervous, "that you're okay with that."

Adrien leaned in closer. "So... are we good?"

After a slight pause... a lengthy hug was the response.

"I feel so much better now," Adrien smiled, still wrapped up. "I hated lying to you all this time so much? Hiding things from you. I guess this explains why I disappear so often, doesn't it?"

A buzz on Adrien's phone distracted him. "Crap," Adrien muttered. "Father needs me immediately for something... as usual."

As Adrien disengaged from the hug and headed for the door, he repeated, "Not a word to anyone, okay?"

The Gorilla nodded... watched his young charge dash down the hallway... then stared blankly into space for a while.