Hi everyone! Here's the second half. If there's interest in me continuing this I might consider it, but for now it's a two-shot.
Thank you again to LinhLotus for being my beta!
Chapter Word Count: 1,294
Chat Noir watched from across the street as Marinette hung her head. She picked up the plate of cookies she'd been nibbling on when he arrived and went inside, closing the trap door behind her.
He'd been able to hear the words she said after he left. And while he appreciated her optimism — it was part of why he loved her so much — she was wrong this time. He was no hero. And he knew that if she, Nino, and Alya ever found out the truth, he'd lose them forever. No, it had to be this way.
Chat went home, jumping from roof to roof, always staying in the shadows. The people below never even knew he was there. Perfect, there was no way for his late-night outing to get back to Father. He jumped into his window, calling for his detransformation as he did.
"Claws in." As Plagg emerged from his ring, Adrien face planted onto his bed and groaned. He didn't know what to do. The conversation he just had with Marinette played through his mind.
"She's right, you know." Plagg's voice came from somewhere by Adrien's desk. Adrien looked up to see the Kwami snacking on the Camembert kept there. "The ladybug and black cat Miraculouses are supposed to be used by partners, not opponents." Adrien stayed quiet, but his Kwami didn't stop talking.
"Of course, this isn't the first time they've been used against each other, but this time it's especially unique. It's a two against one fight, and Ladybug doesn't have any backup." Adrien felt like Plagg was keeping something from this statement. He knew that there were other Miraculous than the three being used. But he had no clue where they were. And if the Kwami knew, he wasn't telling. Which Adrien understood. Why would Plagg trust him?
"But kid, I've been telling you from day one. You don't have to do this. Do as your girl says. Reach out to Ladybug, see what she knows. Or better yet, join her. Help her fight against your dad. You were supposed to be her partner, her best friend. Someone she could always trust and rely on." Adrien thought Plagg might say more, but the cat just went back to eating.
As he got ready for bed, Adrien thought about what Marinette and Plagg had told him.
He knew Plagg was right when he said he should be working with Ladybug. He knew Marinette was right when she said his father was mistreating him. He knew Ladybug was right when she said he was wrong. He knew the people of Paris were right when they called him a terrorist and a villain.
However, knowing things were wrong didn't mean he could just stop. It didn't mean he could just walk away. Oh, he knew he could and should. He knew that what his father was doing was wrong, and eventually Adrien would have to pay the price. He knew that he could switch sides, or just go to Ladybug directly and confess to everything.
And at the end of the day, Gabriel Agreste was his father. Nothing would change that. And Marinette was right. Despite his faults, despite his wrongdoings, Adrien loved him. Did Adrien have a mild case of Stockholm syndrome? Probably. But step one to getting past it was recognizing he had it. So there's that.
But Adrien also knew that wasn't the only reason he wouldn't go to Ladybug. If he was being honest with himself, he was afraid to. He was afraid of the media fallout it would cause. He was afraid of losing his mother. He was afraid of losing Plagg. He was afraid of losing his friends. But most of all, he was afraid of losing Marinette.
Adrien played with the good luck charm tied around his wrist. She was able to forgive him for the gum incident, but he doubted he'd be forgiven for this. Marinette herself had never been akumatized, but the rest of their classmates and several of their teachers had been. And she was very vocal about how she felt about Hawk Moth and Chat Noir.
But, then he remembered their conversation that evening. Marinette thought that Chat could change, that he could redeem himself. Adrien wasn't so optimistic. But if Marinette thought so, then it at least had to be possible.
He didn't know why he opened up to her. Well, he sort of did. It was Marinette. She was his weakness. He was well aware of this fact, especially with how often Father threatened her. Adrien considered himself lucky that he was allowed to even have a girlfriend. But it looked good for the press.
His cell phone pinged, and Adrien picked it up to see a photo from the subject of his thoughts. Marinette had been working on some sort of new project, and she refused to tell him anything except a hint a day until he guessed correctly. Today, the photo showed what he assumed to be the fabric of whatever she was making: white with pink peonies.
Adrien couldn't help but smile as he sent a reply: an over-exaggerated text about how he was suffering from a lack of knowledge. He got the usual response — You're a dork followed by an eye roll emoji. It was their little game to play.
"Hey kid, it's almost midnight and you've got school tomorrow. Quit texting Pigtails and get to bed. You two can canoodle tomorrow." Adrien groaned but turned off his lamp.
He didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, next week, or a year later. But he knew that something had to change. He never wanted Marinette to look at him with fear again, as she had when he'd first arrived. He didn't know if he was willing to let Mom die, but he also no longer thought that getting the Ladybug Miraculous was the only way.
There had to be another way. There just had to be. Father must not know about it. That was the only explanation Adrien could think of for his father's (and his own) actions since he was fourteen. And once they found a way to help Mom without hurting anyone, Hawk Moth and Chat Noir could just disappear. No one would find out who they were, and he'd have his family back. It could work.
Maybe he wasn't strong enough to stand up against his father. He certainly wasn't strong enough to confess to his friends. But maybe, just maybe, he was strong enough to recognize when he needed help.
He'd take his princess's advice. He will go to Ladybug. Or rather, he will find a way to get a message to her. It will have to be discreet. Father can't know until after Ladybug agrees to help, or he will put a stop to it. Besides, if this works maybe Father will tell Adrien that he did a good job. Maybe he'll finally get Father's approval.
Tomorrow, Adrien will start planning. He'll look on Alya's blog and see if she has info on Ladybug's favorite places in Paris and plant something there. He could also leave an anonymous message on the blog itself. Or contact Alya directly. No, that last one is a bad idea. He didn't want to scare her. Plus, he knew from Nino that Alya threw a mean right hook.
He desperately hoped there was another way. He didn't like hurting people. It didn't matter that there was no lasting damage or that the victim didn't remember anything. He didn't like it. But Father said it was necessary to bring Mom back.
Adrien rolled over, getting more comfortable in bed. Tomorrow, he thought as he fell asleep. Tomorrow will be the beginning of the end.
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