"Adrien, it's time to go on a walk," a woman said. She had pale blonde hair pulled in a side ponytail that fell down her shoulder.
"Mother, do we have to do this every week? I have things I need to do," a boy with sunshine blonde hair and grassy green eyes groaned. This was a lie, because they didn't only walk per sei.
"Come on, we'll be late," his mother hummed, not wanting to let Gabriel, Adrien's father know. He had seen the bruises. Little did he know it was because of his sweet wife. Emile said to Adrien he'd be able to do things other than model if he got a bruise. He never came home with just a bruise.
This continued once a week, that is until this day. Adrien was thirteen, and could've been killed because of his mother's "solution" to his modeling problems. When they were walking, Adrien fell. But, instead of comforting him, Emile slapped him across the face for being so stupid. Tears sprung from Adrien's eyes. This started six months ago. What had happened to his mother? That's when a superhero wearing red with black polka dots came to the scene.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the woman began, "But did you just slap this boy for falling?"
"He's my son, and he has consequences for doing things out of time," Emile shot.
"My, my, you know that abusing children is illegal, right?"
"I'm not abusing him!"
"Or are you. What have you done to him these past months? When he goes into that empty house and comes out with you patting his back while he's coughing up blood?" Emile held her eyes on the superheroine's.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb, I've dealt with this before." And within a few seconds, twenty cops surrounded them. "You won't be hurting this boy anymore." The superhero grabbed Adrien and swung him with a yo-yo to safety while Emile was arrested.
"What's going to happen to Mother?" Adrien asked. "And who are you?"
"I am Bino, and as for your mother…" Bino held her breath. "She's not going to be back to your house for a long time."
"What?!" Adrien cried.
"She has done something really bad, and if she stays with you, you could die," Bino said, holding Adrien as he gently cried into her costume.
"But… but she wouldn't kill me, right? She… she's my mother!"
"I'm really sorry." This made Adrien's tears fall faster and harder, silently weeping. "Let's get you to your home." Bino grabbed Adrien and made her way to the Agreste mansion. "Be safe, little one." And with that, Bino was off. That was the first and the last time Adrien would ever see the ladybug. Walking inside, Adrien was blocked by Gabriel.
"Son, where is your mother?" Gabriel stared down at his son, and Adrien started shaking uncontrollably.
"G- gone. She- she was arrested…" Adrien trailed off. He didn't tell his father why, and that was the biggest mistake of his life.
…
"The reason that she didn't come back to us was you! Emile got out of jail and now she refuses to come back! Why? Because of you! This is your fault and you are no longer my son!" Gabriel shouted, reprimanding his son for something that wasn't his fault.
And with that, Adrien was forgotten. He walked himself to school. He signed all his paperwork for his father who would never think of signing it. He made his meals. He spent every day, hour, and minute wondering what he could do to fix this, because it wasn't his fault. It was Bino's.
…
Adrien, as he did everyday since he was forgotten, fell down against his door, sobbing.
"Hello?" a female's voice came. Adrien looked up and saw a woman, floating. She had white hair, a pale white and gray dress with delicate embroideries of flowers lining the bottom.
"Who… Who are you?" Adrien said, his voice shaking.
"I am here to help, not hurt," the woman hummed. She held out a ring. "You don't like the ladybug superhero, do you?"
"No! She's the reason this is happening to me!" Adrien exclaimed.
"Then wear this," the woman said, motioning to the ring. "You will become powerful, fast, and will have everything you need to defeat the bug."
"Really?" Adrien looked up at the woman.
"Really, minou."
Adrien snatched the ring out of her hand. "How does this work?" Before the woman could answer, a white cat-like animal flew out of the ring.
"This is Plagg, your guardian," the woman said. "When you say 'claws out' you will become someone with powers- powers of destruction. With these powers, you will be able to squash that ladybug!"
"No one will mess with me," Adrien declared.
And from then on, Adrien may have been forgotten, but Chat Blanc was not. Chat Blanc finally had his choice.
…
There was no Bino. Just another ladybug, who called herself Ladybug. Wow. Just brilliant. Ladybug had raven hair tied in pigtails, big blue eyes, and determination. But, Chat Blanc was just as determined. A new supervillain had already fought Ladybug, his name something like Sock-moth? It didn't matter. Ladybug was his. And she would die.
…
"Marinette, how… how did you know I was lonely?" Chat Blanc asked the girl hesitantly.
"It looks like it. All people who are villains have their reasons, and you just seem lonely," Marinette said, and embraced the cat. Chat jumped at the collision of their bodies. But, after a moment of realization, he returned the embrace. "You'll never be alone if you talk to me, minou." Minou. That's what the woman had called him. Tears cascaded down his cheeks and he cried for the first time since he got his miraculous.
He truly cried.