Miraculous Devilman: Chapter 6
Disclaimer: We Do Not Own MLB or Devilman. MLB belongs to Thomas Astruc and Devilman belongs to Go Nagai. Also, this fic contains slight mature themes and mild language.
(Insert Miraculous Ladybug theme music)
"In the daytime, we're Marinette, Adrien, and Akira,
Just normal teenagers with normal lives.
There is something about us no one knows yet,
Because we have a secret,"
"Miraculous and Devilman,
Fight till the end to stop Hawkmoth!
Miraculous and Devilman,
Together as one they'll save us all!
Miraculous Devilman!"
Miraculous Devilman
Chapter 6
Ryo looked out of the apartment window as the sky turned it's rediscovered orange from the dark blue. There was no sunrise, as the bustle and brick of the city covered all horizons around them.
("What a shame") Ryo thought. How humans could give up pleasures of the world when building their constructs. He might have continued brooding if Akira hadn't decided to wake up at that moment. Akira yawned and looked to his side. Miki was still asleep in the bed they shared next to Ryo's own bed.
The Devilman quietly got up and started to make small-talk. "So, what do you have planned for today? You were up late last night."
Ryo looked back at his friend with a smile, "Today is the day I learn the truth of these Miraculous the heroes use. I managed to track all of Ladybug and Marinette's movement patterns across the city. There are two places she's visited often. Her house, and this one apartment building."
"Actually, there's one other thing I found out…" Akira starts, before Ryo cuts him off. "Adrien is Chat Noir?"
"You knew?"
"Oh please." Ryo waves a hand, "I heard the boy talking to his kwami, and that ring of his looks exactly like the book's depiction of the cat miraculous. Thanks for the confirmation, though."
Akira scratched his head, still drowsy, but now showing some annoyance. "Ladybug's not gonna like it when she figures out you know too."
The blonde detective just walks over to a coffee machine on the other side of their room, "We both suspected it before you confronted her, and even if you made a promise, I can still practically read your mind. It's her fault for not being careful. Same with Miki." Ryo presses a few buttons and scoffs lightly. "I can't believe she almost got herself killed on the first day." He is quickly caught off guard as Akira grabs him by his coat collar and shoves him into a wall.
"You watch your mouth, Ryo." Akira growls, getting up in his face. "If you say that again, I'll rip your fucking head off and shit down your neck!"
Mullo, who has been silently awake all this time, flew over and put his tiny paws on his hips. "Please do not speak that way about my master." the mouse kwami says sternly. "Yes, she may have over-exerted herself, but she is a brave soul who stood her ground."
Ryo glared at Mullo, then looked back to Akira before giving a defeated sigh. Akira let's him go, and starts getting dressed for school.
"Don't think I'm done with you, kwami of the mouse." Ryo grumbles out loud as he pours his coffee. "It's bad enough that Akira here comes and goes as he pleases, now I have to deal with another chaotic hero." He walks over to his desk and sits down on his chair, a miffed expression on his face.
As this is happening, Miki begins waking up herself. With a rub to her eyes, she gives a "Good morning, everyone."
"Morning, Master Miki." Mullo says with a small bow. Miki giggles as she gets out of bed and pats both Mullo and Akira on the head.
"See, all better." The Devilman smiles and turns to the kwami, "See, what'd I tell ya? Bright as the sun."
"You two have school, don't you?" Ryo takes a sip of his coffee.
Akira grumbles a bit as Miki goes into the bathroom to change. "Yeah, yeah. We're getting to it." Once Miki is ready, Mullo flies into her bag, and Akira joins her in leaving. Ryo continues sipping from his coffee. "I just need to teach Adrien this morning, then I have the afternoon for the Guardian."
(At the Dupain-Cheng Bakery)
"Marinette, you're going to be late!" Sabine calls out from the bakery level. She checks her watch. It was now 7:40am. With a sigh, she walks up the stairs, and opens her bedroom.
Marinette stood by her desk, putting her books in her backpack. She looks up and offers a weak smile. "Almost ready."
Sabine's eyebrows furrowed in concern. Marinette had bags under her eyes, her nose was red, and she was involuntarily shaking.
"Honey, you don't look so good." Sabine remarked worriedly.
"Mom, I'm fine.." Marinette started before bursting in a fit of coughing.
Sabine walked up to her daughter and put a hand on Mari's forehead. "Fille, you're burning up. You can't go to school like this."
"But-"
"No buts." Sabine shook her head. "I should have known. You were overworking yourself, and now you're sick."
Marinette slumped her shoulders. "Mom-"
"Don't "Mom'' me." Sabine continued. "Now, off to bed with you. I'm gonna make you some soup and tea."
Before Marinette could reply, Sabine walked out of the room and closed the door. She opened the door again and added, "I mean it, Mari. Rest." With that, she closed the door again and headed back downstairs.
With a defeated sigh, Marinette flopped on her bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment.
"Your mom is right, Marinette." Ticki, who floated over, said. "You have been seriously overworking lately. You need to take care of yourself."
"But it's my job to take care of the city." Marinette replied.
Ticki firmly shook her head. "You can't do that like this. Your health is more important than anything else."
Just then, Marinette's cell phone rang. Marinette picked it up and saw it was Alya's number. With another sigh, she picked up the call.
"Girl, where are you? I've been waiting at the end of Jacques street for 15 minutes." Alya said on the other end of the call.
"Can't come to school today. I'm sick." Marinette replied, followed by another cough.
"Oh, bummer." Alya responded. "Well, see you later then. Bye." The call ended before Marinette could reply back.
"That's it? "Oh bummer"? No "Get well soon." or "How are you feeling?" Marinette said in frustration. She crossed her arms. "Some friend she is."
"Just focus on yourself right now." Ticki said, giving Mari a small hug on her shoulder.
Marinette patted her kwami on the head. "You're right. Thanks, Ticki."
Ticki nodded and smiled. "Anytime, Marinette."
(At the Agreste Mansion)
Adrien frantically tossed around bathroom supplies as he searched for a hairbrush.
Plagg watched in amusement as he swallowed a wedge of camembert in one bite.
"Where is my hairbrush?" he asked himself as he emptied one drawer and proceeded to search through another.
"Why are you so worried about your hair? People would still be fangirling about you if you were bald." Plagg remarked, running a paw through his whiskers. "Just look at me. I don't need any hair to look this handsome."
Adrien turned his kwami with a frustrated sigh. "I have a photoshoot today. I have to look my best, or father will have my head." he found his hairbrush and hastily brushed his blonde waves. "Literally."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "Kid, if your dad really wanted to kill you, he would have done it ages ago." he chuckled a bit as he added, "Besides, your new devil friend beat him to it."
Adrien put the brush down and glared at Plagg. "You're never going to let that go, are you?"
Plagg shook his head. "Nope."
Adrien sighed, then frowned. "I really hope he keeps his word. If he tells Ryo, I'll be done for. He'll tell my father, my father will ground me for life, and Chat Noir will be no more."
"Relax, kid," Plagg waved his hand in disregard. "Don't get ahead of yourself."
Suddenly, Adrien picked up his brush and held it above his head, glaring violently at Plagg's direction.
"Oh no." Plagg said, realizing his mistake. "No no no no no!"
Natalie made her way towards Adrien's bedroom, letting him know that Ryo would be arriving soon. She could faintly hear yelling coming from inside the room, a "Please, you don't wanna do this!" followed by a "Oh yes, I do!"
She knocked on the door.
Sudden silence.
After a few more seconds, footsteps can be heard, scrambling closer.
Adrien opened the door, a hairbrush in one hand.
"Good morning, Natalie." Adrien greeted.
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Adrien, who were you talking to?"
"Um," Adrien rubbed his neck. "I..you see.."
"Were you talking to your friend Nino on the phone again?" Ryo had just rounded the hallway corner and strode up to the doorway next to Natalie.
Smilining in relief, Adrien nodded. "Oh..yes, I was. Nino was..telling me about this scene in the play they are reading in class. Guess we got a little carried away with re-acting it." he rubbed his neck with a nervous chuckle.
Ryo gave a smirk and tilted his head, "You have a lively friend there." He then turns to Natalie, "Is it the usual schooling today, or do we have other plans?"
Natalie nodded. "Oui. Adrien has a photoshoot this afternoon, so take him to the park straight after school." She turned to Adrien. "Your father will allow you to bring one friend with you, so I suggest you let Miss Tsurugi know about this."
Adrien beamed. "Really? Thank you, Natalie."
A small smile appeared on her face. "Thank your father later." She turned to Ryo. "I'll leave you to his tutoring."
With that, Natalie shuffled on her heels and walked off.
Ryo stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, locking it. He then crosses to the window, pulling something out of his pocket. "Well, looks like today is gonna be busy, so I'll make it light on homework. Here." He tosses a round object to Adrien.
Adrien catches it, his eyes widening in horror as he realizes it was a piece of camembert.
"Camembert?" Adrien questioned, trying to remain calm, a bead of sweat visibly running down the side of his forehead.
Ryo maintains a cool smile, sitting down on a chair by the window. "Adrien, I may be your teacher, but I'm also a detective." He pulls open his briefcase and organizes some books onto a nearby table. "And unlike your friend Alya, I won't wait for the information to hit me in the face." Ryo stares at Adrien, then scans the rest of the room. "Come on out, kwami of the cat miraculous. I know you're there. I brought that cheese for you."
Adrien could only stand, frozen in shock, as Plagg guiltily flew out of a wall.
"Adrien, if you renounce me after this, I completely understand." Plagg mumbled meekly.
Adrien simply gave him a death glare, making a slicing motion across his neck with his finger.
Ryo finishes setting up his lesson. "Relax, Adrien. I'm not going to tell anyone. I understand that your identity is important to keep secret. I say this with…well, I'm gonna help you out a little more here…" his eyes glint as he smiles, "…Chat Noir."
Adrien didn't say anything for a minute, then asked, "Did Akira tell you who Ladybug is too?"
"I figured out who Ladybug was a while ago," Ryo calmly stated, "Would you like to know who she is?" Ryo was having the time of his life. Finally, he had solved his latest case. It had taken some effort, but now things were paying off.
"More than anything." Adrien replied. "I keep trying to persuade her that we should tell each other who we are, but she is stubborn about keeping our identities secret from each other."
Ryo looked on. Listening to this made him cringe just a bit. He really wanted to smoke, but kept down the urge since he wasn't alone. "Well, I could tell you who she is, if that's what you want."
Adrien took a moment to think about this offer. Finally, the information he has been dying to know for months, he can have it right now. He can finally know who the love of his life is behind that mask.
But, Ladybug is his partner. Wouldn't knowing her identity against her wishes break her trust? She must be insistent about her secret for a good reason.
No. He's waited too long for this. He needs to know. He can't be in the dark anymore.
What about everything they have been through? From the moment they met, Ladybug allowed herself to trust him, a complete stranger, during their fights. No matter how hard the akumas got, Ladybug was always there by his side. Yes, she sometimes ignored his suggestions, but she was the planner, after all. They always managed to win thanks to her. He trusts her, and she trusts him.
"I can't thank you enough for this offer," Adrien began, "But Ladybug will tell me when she is ready."
Plagg slaps his forehead, barely resisting the urge to scream at Adrien right then and there.
Ryo rubs his brow in frustration, "I could really go for a cigarette." He sighs and hands Adrien a textbook. "Well, let's get to your lesson then. We'll start with math."
(At Francoise Dupont High School)
School started and went by as normally as it could have. Marinette's parents had called in for her, so some seating changes were in order. With Chloe now back at school, Lila took Marinette's old spot as her new seat.
"It really is a shame," Lila lamented as she sat next to Alya, "I was hoping to check on Marinette today after her akumatization yesterday."
Alya looked very uneasy. She had been planning to apologize herself on the walk to school, but doing it over a phone call seemed wrong somehow. She had probably made it worse by hanging up though.
Lila gave Alya a pat on the shoulder. "You must be worried. You know, taking on five heroes must have really taxed her body. It's no wonder she's so sick all of a sudden."
Alya rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, that was one brutal fight. I shouldn't have laughed at her, or mocked her for not being able to talk to Adrien." she sighed.
Akira watched as this was happening, and couldn't help but grumble to himself a bit. As if spying on this chick wasn't enough, something about Lila seemed…off. Akira shrugged it off for now as the teacher began morning lessons.
(Later, on the courtyard)
The students had gone out for lunch, Akira and Kim were now trying to figure out what else they could do. The two had settled on a push-up competition as some of the others watched to keep score. Nino had fun counting their rounds. Lila had gone off with Alya and some other girls, telling of a past adventure she had taken while visiting a relative. Miki found herself watching the courtyard from a distance, eating her lunch on a bench. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Chloe was making her way towards her, Sabrina following close behind.
"M..Miki, is it?" Chloe asked, nervousness visible in her voice. Akira had taken notice of her approaching Miki and called off his match with Kim. He started walking up, but stopped dead in his tracks as Miki gave him a firm "No." with her eyes. Akira stayed over in the courtyard, but looked over every now and then.
"Yes, that's me." Miki confirmed with a smile, "How can I help you, Chloe?"
Chloe glanced at Sabrina, who gave her a reassuring nod. Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out a small, white container. She held it out to Miki. "Th..this is for you. I..I'm sorry..for all the mean things I said to you."
Miki took the container and opened it. Inside was a chocolate souffle, half-wrapped in silver wrapping, garnished with powdered sugar.
"D..Daddy hired the finest chef to make this." Chloe added, rubbing her arm.
Miki gave her a smile, "This is…very nice of you. Thanks a lot."
"Y..You're welcome." Chloe nodded. "H..have a nice day." With that, Chloe turned around and walked away, Sabrina following suit.
As Miki went back to her lunch, Akira then made his way over to where she sat. "What was that? What did she do?"
Miki could tell that Akira was trying to hide his anger. He had a genuine concern in his voice, but there was a low growl under his words. Miki just patted the spot next to her on the bench, and Akira relented any violent intent. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"
Miki had to laugh at that. "Akira, you very well know I could have slapped her too. She came over to apologize."
The devilman looked over as she showed him the dessert Chloe had given her. "I guess she's not all bad." He grumbled, to which Miki gave him an encouraging smile. "Sometimes, people need a chance to improve. We have to set them right, but we also need to show them the kindness they can achieve if they work at it."
"Thanks, mom." Akira chuckles before Miki lightly whacks his shoulder.
"Hey Akira, Miki." The two turned to see Adrien walking over to them. "Akira, can I talk to you for a moment?" Akira looks over and sees Lila tailing Adrien. She ends up pulling back to talk more with Alya, and the devilman shrugs. "Eh, why not." He and Adrien make their way to the boys bathroom as Miki goes to join Alya and Lila.
As they enter the bathroom, Adrien looks around to make sure nobody else is around before turning to face Akira.
"Why did you tell Mr. Ryo my secret!?" Adrien raised his voice. "I was just starting to think I can trust you, and then you go and rat me out to him!?"
Akira raises a brow, standing firm where he is. "Two things wrong there, buddy. One, I never told Ryo. Two, Ryo is smart and willing to do what he needs to." Akira waves a hand, "Ryo figured you out before I did, same with Ladybug. There's a lot you don't know about him and what he can do." He then yawns and leans against the wall away from the door.
Adrien exhaled and rubbed his temples. "Oh. Well, I hope Mr. Ryo is good at keeping secrets. If my father finds out about this, I'm a dead man." He sighs and looks at his ring. "And Ladybug won't have her partner anymore."
Akira chuckles a bit, "Nah. If he's anything like your dad, he won't tell a soul. Folks like that don't tell people shit unless it can be useful in some way." He tries to lighten the mood a bit, "So how's Kagami been for ya? I'm surprised you went through with it, what with you and Ladybug."
Adrien smiled. "It's going really well. We had Andre's ice cream by a bridge, and it was enjoyable, while it lasted." He ran a hand through his hair. "Marinette got akumatized and tried to attack us, but Ladybug showed up just in time for us to escape." A look of guilt appeared on his face. "I can't help but feel like it's my fault she got akumatized. I thought about calling her, but she probably needs some space." His shoulders slumped as he added, "And Ladybug is in love with someone else. I've tried asking her who it is, but she won't tell me."
Akira has to facepalm and think hard to himself,
('I made a promise. This is so infuriating, but it's a promise') "Look, maybe you could visit her later. I heard some of her friends were planning to go check on her."
"Maybe," Adrien replied. "I have a photoshoot after school, though perhaps my father will allow me to go see her afterwards." His eyes then lit up as an idea popped in his head. "Say, why don't you and Miki join me? I could use the company." he lowered his voice as he added, "And personally, you two would make great models."
Akira gave him a weird look. "Are you serious?"
Adrien nodded. "Really. These photoshoots are always long and boring, though it would be more bearable with friends around." He smiled as he added, "And somehow father is allowing Kagami to join. The more, the merrier."
"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh...sure." Akira starts making his way to the door, "I'll talk to Miki about it. Maybe we can carpool or something once school is out."
"Sounds good," Adrien said, "Mr. Ryo is picking me up, so I'll let him know you two are coming." He pulled out his phone and proceeded to message Ryo.
(Afterwards)
Lila and Alya had been left to themselves. Miki had gone off with Akira, excited about their plans for later. Lila had done some research for this new scheme, and was ready to inflict a new blow to her already downed nemesis.
"Are you planning to visit Marinette later? I was wondering if I might have a chance since I need to watch Adrien." Lila used it as a start.
Alya nodded. "I still need to apologize for making fun of her." Alya bit her lip, feeling guilty about the whole ordeal. "I always teased her about being too shy around Adrien, but I guess I took it too far this time."
Lila had her opening now, "if I didn't know better, I'd say it looks like Marinette's been dealing with a lot of stress, especially since Adrien is...you know." Lila acted uneasy, as if she was trying to be gentle about this topic. "That must have hit her hard, didn't it?"
Alya nodded again. "Yeah. From what Marinette told me, this Kagami person is everything she wishes she was: Confident, smart, strong, independent. She sounds like the kind of girl any guy would want." She smiled. "Those are certainly qualities I want in a guy. Guys like Nino."
Lila put on another worried face, "He does seem like a nice guy, which is kind of what I wanted to talk to you about." The two sit next to each other at a desk in this empty classroom. Lila takes a gentle hold of Alya's shoulder. "You have to keep in mind that Marinette isn't exactly in the best of places, but she might be trying something desperate."
"What do you mean?" Alya tilted her head.
"Marinette is having a tough time finding anyone who could reciprocate her affection, for all her attempts at confessing to Adrien, he's no longer an option. So...she might try and look for affection from someone who used to have a crush on her. And I've seen some suspicious goings on." Lila looked regretful.
"You mean like Nathaniel or Kim?" Alya asked.
Lila shifted around in her seat, acting as if she really didn't want to continue. "I've seen Marinette hanging around Nino a lot more often these past few days. They've cracked some jokes together, and I've seen her...try to get him away from the group without him noticing. Adrien told me a while ago that Nino used to have a crush on Marinette. In fact, it was a plan for Nino to confess that led to you two getting to know each other better."
Alya's eyes widened. "What? No. No, that can't be true. Nino and I recently tried to help Adrien and Marinette be alone together at the Louvre."
"And how well did that go?" Lila asks with a sad face.
"They seemed happy. I thought…" Alya couldn't believe it. Has Nino been keeping this from her all along? Did he just try to get Adrien and Marinette together so that she wouldn't suspect him? Perhaps Marinette has always secretly liked Nino, but pretended to like Adrien since she always put her friends before herself.
A surge of mixed emotions flew through Alya.
Anger. Sadness. Distrust.
It seems like Marinette wasn't the only one with secrets.
Alya stood up, a look of hurt on her face. "I see. Seems like I'll be visiting Marinette for a different reason now." her eyes narrowed. "Confrontation."
A smirk curled on Lila's face. Her scheme was working. ("Better watch out, Marinette. If you think I'm your only problem, well, you have another thing coming")
(Meanwhile)
Plagg flew to the backroom of the school's cafeteria, searching for cheese. After phasing through several walls, he managed to navigate to a storage closet. He flew inside and looked around. On one shelf lay several different wedges of still-wrapped cheeses. Gouda, Fromage, Swiss, and...Camembert!
Plagg picked up the camembert and squeezed it tight. "Oh, sweet camembert, we meet again."
He then heard the sound of someone entering the storage room.
Plagg slowly turned around. To his surprise, Mullo, the mouse kwami, floated a few feet away.
"Mullo?" Plagg's eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"
"Plagg?" The mouse kwami had been looking around, curious about his new surroundings. Upon seeing his "brother", he rushed over, hugging Plagg. "It's good to see you, Plagg. My new master goes to school here."
Plagg, who normally wasn't keen on affection, gave Mullo a friendly pat before gently pulling away. "Welcome back to the human world, bro. This is the place I call the "jackpot" of this school." He picked up the wedge of camembert again and stroked it affectionately. "You gotta try cheese, especially camembert. It is like a gift from the gods themselves."
Mullo eyed the wedge in Plagg's mitts. There was something that called him to it, something almost instinctual. He started floating towards it, almost mesmerized. "It does look good."
Plagg handed him the block of cheese, smiling encouragingly. "Trust me, you're in for a lovely experience."
With that, Mullo took a bite out of the cheese. True to Plaggs' word, it tasted great. Quickly, the wedge was gone. "Thanks for the treat, Plagg. I'll have to make it up to you someday."
"I'll keep that in mind." Plagg noted. "You should come over to the Dupain-Cheng bakery sometime. Ticki lives there with her wielder." he does the "chef's kiss" gesture. "The pastries are to die for."
Mullo nodded, "Sounds like a plan. Hope to visit soon, then."
(Later that day) (At the park)
Cameras flashed as the photographer snapped photos of Adrien and Kagami, lunging at different angles to get professional quality photos.
Adrien sat on a bench, his arms folded in his lap, smiling widely at the camera. Kagami stood behind him, her arms wrapped around Adrien's shoulders, leaning forward slightly so her head was right next to Adrien's head.
"Hm, too modest." The photographer muttered. "We need more heat, more romance." A smile then appeared on his face. He directed his attention to Kagami. "Miss, lean in and kiss the young man on the cheek."
Both Kagami and Adrien's cheeks flushed pink at the photographer's request.
With a nod, Kagami leaned forward and pecked Adrien on the cheek. Adrien blushed brightly, his smile growing into a genuine grin at Kagami's touch of affection.
"Parfaite! Stay still just like this!" The photographer exclaimed as he snapped more photos of the cute couple.
Akira and Miki sat nearby on a bench. Miki enjoyed watching the show, and nudged Akira who had started falling asleep.
"Come on, don't nod off right here."
Akira shook his head to rouse himself before giving a, "This is what he does all day? No wonder he seems real off sometimes. I'd be bored out of my mind."
Miki pouts a little, but goes back to watching the shoot. The Devilman opened a few of the buttons on his jacket, feeling a bit stuffy.
Ryo hangs back behind the two, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Being outside, and with the wind lightly blowing away from the others, the detective was able to indulge himself in a cigarette.
Lila spent her time circling around the area, doing her best to redirect any groups of people from the cameraman.
Natalie stood by the camera set, watching the photographer's actions with alert attention.
The photographer turns in Akira and Miki's direction, a look of curiosity appearing on his face.
"Madame and Monsieur!" He points a finger at the
them. "How would you like to join the lovely couple?"
Akira gives the photographer an odd stare, he looks as if preparing to say something before Miki immediately answers with a "We'd love to," pulling him over. Akira shrugs and complies.
"Wonderful!" The photographer hastily grabs the two by the arm and leads to a bench adjacent to the bench Adrien and Kagami were at.
"What is your name, young man?" the photographer asked.
"Uh…Akira."
"Alright Akira, you sit on the bench and face that way." he points to his left, then turns to Miki. "And your name, madam?"
"The name's Miki," She answers excitedly.
"Well Miki, you sit and face the other direction, back to back with your boyfriend." He points to his right and gestures to the bench. "And have one knee up to your chest."
The duo comply and get in the positions the photographer told them, Miki more enthusiastic than the dull eyed Akira.
The photographer takes a few steps back and gazes at the two, pursing his lips together in thought. "Miki, rest your chin on your knee. Akira, turn your head slightly towards me."
The two re-adjust their pose. The photographer then turns to Adrien and Kagami, who were still in the same position they were in before.
"Adrien, Kagami, copy the positions precisely like Miki and Akira." The photographer walks over to his standing camera and shifts the lens. As Adrien and Kagami match the position Miki and Akira were in, the photographer puts up his hands in excitement. "Perfect! Nobody move!" Camera flashes once more as pictures are taken of the two couples.
Akira begins to grumble, "God's sake. Why do I let myself get roped into this stuff?" As the photographer fired a scatter of shots. After a few minutes, the photographer called a break, giving the four some time to rest.
Miki huffed a little bit, "Phew. Who knew posing like this was taxing?"
Adrien chuckled slightly. "Yeah, you do get kinda stiff when you gotta stay like that for a while."
"You know what, Adrien? I think a little more highly of you now," Akira offered as he unbuttoned his jacket. His jacket was stuffy, and he shook it around trying to catch some wind under his newly sweating body.
Kagami smirked as she turned to the blonde model, "Guess you train in a more casual manner as well, eh?"
Adrien smiled at Akira. "Why thank you. It's about getting used to it, I guess." He then offered Kagami a smirk. "I sure do."
The photographer paused looking over the photos as he noticed Akira's abs under his unbuttoned jacket, a lightbulb comically appearing above his head.
"Akira! Adrien!" He called out.
The two boys turned to the photographer, who gestured them towards one of the benches. "Both of you, take off your shirts and lean on either side of the bench, s'il vous plait!"
Adrien's eyes widened at the abrupt request, hesitating for a minute. As he saw Akira pull off his jacket and shirt with a "Whatever, I'm already in this hole",
he exhaled and slowly pulled off his shirt, revealing a bit of muscle. Meanwhile, Akira put his hands behind his head, showing off a pair of six pack abs, which glistened in the sunlight.
Miki giggled at Akira while Kagami shook her head, offering an amused smile.
"Oui, oui! Muscle, just what we need!" The photographer then turns the girls and directs them to the other bench.
"Girls, unbutton the first two buttons on your shirt and sit back to back on the bench!"
The girls follow the photographer's commands and get into position, slightly unbuttoning their tops in the process.
"Parfaite! Everybody stay still!" He rushed over to his standing camera and started snapping the four of them again.
A group of girls were walking by in the park. They pause when they notice shirtless Akira and Adrien leaning on the bench with grins on their faces.
The girls blushed and giggled to themselves, looking away as they fished at the two male models.
Noticing the girls from the corner of his eye, Akira winks at them, causing a few of them to start bleeding from their noses. Akira then looks in Ryo's direction and smirks, causing the detective to flush slightly, while Lila rolls her eyes.
"And finish!" The photographer stopped snapping as he was now satisfied with all the photos. "Wonderful! You may all move now."
The four of them exhaled in relief as they got off the benches.
Akira slings his jacket over his shoulder, wiping his brow. Miki gives him a light nudge in the chest. "See, it can be fun if you try." She gives a sly smile, her face flushed as she opens her hand on his torso. "You're looking nice."
Akira returns a grin as he eyes his girlfriend, "You're a fine slice yourself."
The two chuckle together, each implying plans for later.
Adrien shifts uncomfortably at the two's flirts. He turns to Kagami and lightly pokes her shoulder, a smirk on his face. "I told you modeling wasn't that bad."
With a shake of her head, Kagami replies, "With you, I'm sure anything is fun."
Adrien blushed at the reply, rubbing the back of his neck with a smile.
Ryo and Lila approach the four, either subtly or not so trying to break the tension.
"If you all are done, we should get ready to go." Ryo fixes his coat collar, and Lila turns her attention to Adrien. "You did a good job today," she smiles.
"Uh, thanks Lila." Adrien replied with a shrug.
"Alright, let's get you home…" Ryo starts before Miki jumps in. "Hey, we should go on a double date." She puts an arm over Kagami's shoulder, "It'll be a good chance to talk and have some more fun."
Kagami ponders for a moment before grinning. "I'm up for that. What do you say, Adrien?"
Adrien's eyes light up. "Hey yeah, good idea." He turns to Akira. "And we can go over to Marinette's to check on her while we're at it."
Akira gives him an odd look. ('This sounds like a bad idea') he thinks to himself. Surely Marinette would be in no mood to see her two rivals/enemies today.
('Then help me out here, Akira. I need to get Adrien home,') Ryo communicates to Akira telepathically.
"I…don't know. I'm still hot from that shoot." Akira tries to wipe himself with his jacket. Lila steps in, gesturing to Akira. "If it's the heat you're worried about, the bakery has good air conditioning. If you want to sit outside, the building catches a good breeze." She walks over to Adrien and puts a hand on his shoulder, "Adrien is right. It's also a good chance to check on Marinette and maybe cheer her up."
Ryo is very annoyed, and tries to step in, "Lila, Adrien. You both know that Mr. Agreste likes to maintain a tight schedule." ('Besides, I have plans for today')
Natalie then steps forward, clearing her throat. "Actually, Mr. Asuka, Adrien is clear for the rest of the afternoon. I'm sure Mr. Agreste would not mind Adrien spending time with his friends, under Lila's supervision."
Ryo stares at Natalie, then to Lila.
"I've got this," she states proudly. "You can count on me to keep an eye out for Adrien. I'll call you if we need a pickup for any reason."
With a sigh, Ryo relents, pulling out another cigar. "Well, thank you Lila. I'll stay posted" He lights the cigar and walks off, disappearing around a street corner.
Adrien beams happily. "Great. Let's go!"
(At the Dupain-Cheng Bakery)
Marinette sat behind the counter, cup of tea in one hand and leaning her other hand on the counter.
"Achoo!" Marinette sneezed into her sleeve, her nose red and runny since this morning.
Ticki held up a box of tissues to Marinette, who gratefully took one and blew her nose.
"Marinette, you should go back to bed. You won't get better at this rate." Ticki said with concern in her voice.
"It's just for a little bit, Ticki." Marinette reassured her kwami. "I'm sure Mom will be back from the grocery store any minute."
Just then, the bell above the door jingled, signaling a customer stepped inside.
"Good afternoon, how may I help…" Marinette stopped mid-sentence as she saw Alya standing by the bakery door.
"Who do you think you are!?" Alya shouted at Marinette. "I thought we were friends!"
"I thought so, too." Marinette crossed her arms. "Before you laughed at me, mocked me, and left me to get akumatized!"
"That is no excuse to go behind my back!" Alya glared daggers at her. "How dare you lead me on, thinking you were head over heels for Adrien, when you've been horsing around with Nino for who knows how long!"
Marinette's eyes widened both in anger and shock. "What are you talking about!? Nino and I are just friends!"
"Oh, spare me!" Alya interrupted. "Lila told me all about how Nino had a crush on you!"
"I told you Lila was a liar!" Marinette protested. "You know I've had a crush on Adrien since we've met. You're really gonna believe Lila over your best friend!?"
"Well how am I supposed to believe you when you're the one lying to me!?" Alya challenged. "I know all about your random disappearances during akuma attacks! Care to explain what you do during those times!?"
"You really gonna talk to me about akuma attacks!?" Marinette's face now red with anger. "I just got akumatized all because of you, and you don't even show an ounce of worry! You don't care how I felt when you left me to watch Adrien and Kagami flirt with each other outside the bakery! Admit it, Alya! You only care about yourself!"
Alya paused, recognizing the same words Marinette said to her while akumatized.
"Oh, don't have a comeback now!?" Marinette continued. "You really are a terrible friend!" She paused for a minute as she coughed, purposely not covering her mouth. "And for your information, I know Nino used to have a crush on me! It was Adrien's attempt at having him confess to me that led you two to get together!"
It was at this moment that the double-daters and Lila had reached the bakery. Akira had strode in first, but quickly went quiet as he saw what was happening. The others made their way in slowly, unsure how to proceed. Lila watched from behind with satisfaction at her plan working perfectly.
Miki steps forward, "What's going on?"
Alya, her face full of fury, turns to the five and declares, "Marinette and I are over!" With that, she pushes past them and storms out of the bakery, the doorbell jingling loudly as she exists.
(Meanwhile)
Master Fu sat in his usual cross-legged position over a coffee table, a cup of tea in one hand.
"Master, I'm getting a bad feeling that something terrible has just occurred." Wayzz said, worry visible on his face.
"I'm sure your kwami instincts are just acting up." Master Fu reassured him. "After all, you and I are over a hundred years old."
It is then that Master Fu hears a noise at his door. He tenses up, readying for action as a click is heard, and his door creaks open. As the door swings, a coated figure steps forwards, his eyes blocked by shades.
Fu immediately senses a malevolent presence, but maintains his composure as the figure approaches. "Hello. Can I help you?" He stands up, his hands behind his back.
"I've finally found you," Ryo says, lifting his shades. "Guardian of the Miraculous." His eyes burn with a white fire, and his smile is one bordering on the uncanny.
A bead of sweat runs down Master Fu's forehead. "I do not know what you are talking about, young man. You have the wrong person." Fu's senses tingle as he hears a light chuckle from Ryo. This laugh, it is not like any other he has heard. Hawkmoth was grandiose, but this was insanity. A blur of motions pass as Ryo takes a hard step back, reaching under his coat. Wayzz flies in front of his master in a flash as Ryo pulls out a shotgun.
"Stay away from my Master!" The turtle kwami shouts.
"Wayzz, No!" Master Fu yells in panic.
Ryo pulls the trigger on his gun, aimed at the Guardian.
A flash of green light.
"Shell Shield!" Wayzz yells, a green energy surrounding him and Master Fu as a large green barrier in the shape of a turtle shell appears, giving off a brilliant glow as the crack of the gun sounds and the shot is dispersed.
Ryo pulls down his gun, dropping the empty casings before pulling it back into his coat. "Are we quite done with the song and dance? I have business with you." Ryo's eyes are now cold, but his body is rushed with adrenaline.
"You better explain yourself, intruder!" Wayzz demanded, crossing his little arms.
"Stand down, Wayzz." Master Fu commanded his kwami.
"No! I won't let this maniac hurt you!" The turtle kwami insisted.
Ryo quietly reached back into his coat, "Forgive my intrusion. My name is Ryo Asuka, and I believe I have an item that would interest you…" Ryo then produces the book of the Miraculous.
Master Fu's eyes widened. "Impossible. How did you get your hands on it? It was supposed to be lost."
"To whom?" Ryo asked, sitting down at Fu's table. "I found this at the residence of Gabriel Agreste."
"That can't be." Master Fu explained. "Hawkmoth was in possession of it. Unless…"
Both Ryo and Fu lock eyes as they realize what this discovery means. Ryo's smile returns as Fu looks on suspiciously.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Fu asks carefully. "For all I know, you could be working for Hawkmoth."
Ryo rubs his brow in annoyance, "And apparently I was, in a way. I had been hired to teach and protect his son, Adrien."
"Adrien Agreste?" Master Fu frowned.
"Yes. Chat Noir. And now that's one secret I'm helping him keep from his father." Ryo facepalms himself. How could he have not seen it? It had all been there from the start.
"Oh dear." Master Fu's voice is full of concern. "The boy has no idea who his father really is."
"And thankfully, vice versa." Ryo sighs. "Then what of the moth Kwami? Surely it must have tried to escape? Or is it corrupted?"
Wayzz spoke up. "We haven't had contact with Nuru in months. The others and I have tried combining our energy to communicate with Nuru, but whatever control Hawkmoth has over him is overbearingly strong."
Master Fu turned to his kwami. "Wayzz, lower the shield."
The turtle kwami hesitated for a moment, then nodded, making the barrier vanish.
Ryo flips through the book, turning to a section regarding the mouse necklace. "I had begun trying to decipher your texts here since one of your…choices happens to be my partner's girlfriend, Miki. I thought we might find some way to help her and the others temper their abilities."
Master Fu nodded. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will need all the help they can get to take down Hawkmoth." A grave look crossed his face. "Let us keep this discovery between us. Chat Noir will face his destiny when the time is right."
Ryo nodded, "Once they're all ready, they will know. You have my word."
Wayzz gave him an odd look. "Some promise from a guy that just tried to kill us."
Master Fu gave the turtle kwami a stern look, making Wayzz lower his head in silence.
Ryo laughed, "Fair enough. Killing you would both be impossible for me and the worst decision I could make, for all of us." He placed the book on the table. "Perhaps I can have Multi-Mouse coordinate the others to a schedule, and we can set up some sort of regiment. I don't suppose you have a day job?"
Master Fu gave the detective an amused smile. "I may be old, but I still work." He gestured to a massaging bed in the corner of the room. "I am a spa owner during the day, Miraculous Guardian at night." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "My spa closes at 7:00pm on weekdays, and 3:00pm on weekends." He hands the business card to Ryo. "I'm sure we and the others can arrange a weekend for a meeting."
Ryo grins and reads the card, "I'll definitely remember this. Well, this has been a most valuable meeting for me. I should take my leave." He eyes the book. "I suppose you'd like to keep that now that you have it again?"
Master Fu shook his head. "Hawkmoth will get suspicious if notices the book is gone." He pulls out his phone and turns on his camera. "I will take all the necessary pictures. The last thing we want is Adrien being pulled into this trouble."
Ryo nodded, and waited as Fu did what he needed. Once the Guardian had taken his pictures, Ryo pulled down his shades. "Thank you for your hospitality, we will meet again soon."
"Until next time, Mr. Asuka." The Guardian replied.
And with that, Ryo took his leave, being sure that he wasn't seen or followed.
As soon as he was gone, Wayzz turned to his master with a frown on his face. "I still don't trust him."
Master Fu sighed. "Neither do I, but if he can protect Adrien from this ugly truth, then it will be worth it."
(Back at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery)
Marinette glared at the five that had just entered, specifically pointing a finger at Lila. "What are you doing here!?"
Miki stepped forward as Lila explained, "Adrien was allowed to go out for a while, so we decided to have a double…"
"We were looking for somewhere to cool from the heat." Akira cuts her off.
Marinette crossed her arms, still glaring at Lila. "The bakery is closing early today. You'll have to find somewhere else to cool off."
Akira starts herding the others out of the bakery, with Miki looking to say something but not having the words. Lila grins as the door closes behind them, turning as the group moves elsewhere out of sight.
As soon as they were gone, Marinette ran up to her bedroom, locked the door, and flopped onto her bed, the tears falling onto her pillow.
Ticki phased through the bedroom door and flew over to her wielder, looking concerned as ever.
"Marinette-"
"Don't!" Marinette stopped the kwami with a wave of her hand, her voice laced with anger. "I don't need anymore of your "advice", Ticki! It doesn't help anyway! Just leave me alone!" Marinette saw the hurt look on her kwami's face, but at that moment, she was too upset to care. With a sigh, Ticki flew out of the room.
Marinette's condition, which she thought was getting better before this encounter, suddenly felt worse than before. She was sick. Sick of her friends, sick of Adrien, sick of herself being unable to do anything. She decided to simply distract herself by trying to sleep. Time passes at an odd pace for her, but the light from her window eventually reddens to dusk. Her parents had come home, but with Marinette not in the mood to eat, they decided to leave her a plate of snacks on her table.
Marinette at this point was resigned to sleeping, but then she heard a knock on her door.
"Go away." She called out, not wanting to face anyone anymore today. The door opened regardless, and who else would be there but her bane.
Lila simply gave a wave and, "Hello," climbing into her room and scanning around. "Hm. This is the first time I've been in your room, Marinette. You have a nice space, I'll give you that."
Marinette glared once again at her nemesis. "Why are you here? I told you the bakery is closed." She barely kept herself from yelling at her, not wanting to alert her parents and get them involved in her problems.
Lila put on a fake worried face, "I was just so worried about you. You've been through so much these past few days." She locks eyes with Marinette, who is having none of it. Lila then assumes her arrogant smile.
"Bullshit!" Marinette lashed out, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I know you brought Adrien and the others here out of spite! You are the one who created that akumatized figure and made everyone believe it was me! You turned my best friend against me! I am sick and tired of your lies, Lila! What did I ever do to you to deserve this!?"
Lila sits back on one of Marinette's chairs, then acts as if pondering. "Well, maybe it was the fact you challenged me constantly on my first day here? Or maybe it was the cut of your jib so to speak. Maybe it was simply that I love Adrien and see you as an obstacle. Maybe I just found you the exact person I like to take my frustrations out on. Which is true?" Lila then chuckles at herself. "Though you wouldn't believe me even if I told you the truth at this point would you?" She then gives a sigh. "I actually wasn't planning on Alya being there so late, but I guess that's luck, eh?" She gives Marinette an almost delightful sneer.
Marinette's rage is reaching a high, giving a low growl under her teeth, only to tense up as Lila gets up and walks towards her. "You know what I like about you, Marinette? You've got spirit. A genuine drive. Everyone has their lies and fake morals, but you stick to them. Truly, I couldn't ask for a better rival."
"I'll show you morals!" Marinette then shoves Lila back, followed by a middle finger to her face. "Screw you, Lila! Get lost!"
Lila only begins to laugh as she gathers herself. "Relax, Marinette. If things stay the way they're going, and if you stay away from Adrien, then I will leave you alone. But even if you do keep this up, you're already out of the race. Adrien's eyes wander so far, and now he has Kagami. That won't last long. Then I'll be the only one he can rely on." Her voice turns to genuine malice. Lila is enjoying this moment.
"Adrien may be an idiot, but he's not stupid!" Marinette shouted back. "He sees through you lies as well! And one day, those lies will stab you in the back!"
Lila holds back for a moment, regaining her composure from this rush of adrenaline. "And how many times have you told me that be…"
The both of them hear a sudden knock, and the door is quickly opened. Lila freezes as Akira peers his head from under the door.
"Uh…Akira?" Lila is caught off guard, as the Devilman steps up into the room, a foreboding look on his face.
Steam comically blew out of Marinette's ears. If her anger at Lila wasn't enough, now the guy who made her fighting as Ladybug more difficult and nearly killed Chat Noir is here.
"What do you want now!?" Marinette yelled, her hands tightening to fists.
Akira winced ever so slightly to the yelling, a light growl under his own breath. He gives Marinette an apologetic look before turning to Lila. "Lila, I think it's time for you to leave."
Lila gives a fake smile and chuckles. "We were only talking about…" her prideful face and voice falters completely as Akira steps towards her, staring down into her eyes. Marinette watches with an odd satisfaction as her enemy is seemingly brought low. But at the same time, she hears an uneasiness in Akira's voice. "You…need to…Leave…Now." His voice bears a rage, yet quivers on the edge of…something. Lila is filled with a sudden panic, but holds up some semblance of composure as she leaves the room silently and quickly. She closes the door behind her, Leaving Marinette alone with Akira.
As soon as Lila was gone, Marinette grabbed the pillow on her bed and threw it at Akira, hitting him in the face with a comedic "plop".
"You better have a good reason for being here, or your face will meet my sewing needles next!"
The Devilman stood before her for a moment before hanging his head. "I saw…Lila wander off from us a while ago. I was worried she might…make you do something you'd regret…"
Marinette huffed, blowing one of her bangs away from her face. "And since when do you care what I do!?"
Akira warily moved towards her, "I…mostly came to apologize…alongside the Lila thing… You're right to be mad at me, so I can't hold anything against you…"
"Yes, I do!" Marinette's tone carried malice, which she has bottled up for some time. "Ever since you came to Paris, you've made life more difficult for both me and Ladybug! Did you ever stop to think how insecure I truly am, how long it's taken me just to even have the courage to speak to Adrien without sounding like a complete fool!? You have a girlfriend, for God's sake! And the real person you should apologize to is Chat Noir, for nearly cataclysming him out of existence!" She proceeds to grab an umbrella and hold it high, looking ready to smack him with it.
Akira looks up to her, and seeing this, he resigns himself. He gives her a saddened, "If this is what you need, go ahead. I deserve it…"
Just as Marinette prepares to hit him with the umbrella, Ticki phases into the room, her tiny mitts raised in a stopping gesture. "Marinette stop! this continuous rage lashing isn't going to solve anything!"
With a pause, Marinette turns to face the ladybug kwami, her glaring expression softening only the tiniest bit. "Ticki, stay back!"
"I won't!" Ticki crossed her little arms, giving Marinette a pleading look. "Please Marinette, don't do this. Don't give in to your indignation."
Marinette looked into her kwami's worried purple eyes. She looked at Akira, who looked back at her, his eyes seeming to well up. She looked at the umbrella, lowering it. With a deep exhale and slump of her shoulders, she dropped the umbrella and turned her back on Akira. "Leave. Leave and don't come back."
To her surprise however, the devilman wrapped his arms around her. It was such an odd thing to feel after everything that had happened. A simple feeling of comfort. As simple as it was, it soon became overwhelming. She could hear Akira start to sniffle, "I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're hurting. I know what it is to hurt, to feel as if it's all for nothing…I should have been kinder to you."
Marinette's face slowly softened into a confused expression. "What do you mean?"
"I worry every day about the demons like Silene…" Akira solemnly says, "I wonder when they're going to come out of nowhere and hurt innocent people. I wonder if each day is the last I'll ever see Miki. The thought of her dying haunts me…" his voice falters as tears come down. "You must feel the same, having to take care of so many people. Having to be that beacon of hope."
Marinette felt tears pooling in her eyes, both shocked and amazed at how this half-demon, who barely knew her, could understand her struggles better than anyone else ever could.
"It's true." she nodded, her voice beginning to quiver as she releases everything she's contained. "I worry all the time about when the akumas will attack next. I worry about how I present myself everyday, having to be that perfect heroine that everyone relies on. I worry about what my friends would think if they ever found out who I truly am. I worry about any mistakes I make, how they would utterly lead to failure. I worry how long I can hold up this "perfect persona" before I break." Tears stream down her face as all the pent up emotions she has had to contain come spilling out. "You must find me really pathetic now."
Akira only hugged a little tighter. "Heh, the way we all feel, being able to cry and care…frankly, that makes us human." He managed to chuckle a bit under his tears, "No, you're not pathetic. You're human, and one of the best of us humans that I've met."
Marinette looked up at him, meeting teary eye to teary eye. She forced a smile through her tears, truly feeling better, having let out everything she's had to hide for months. "Thank you, Akira. You…you really are a true friend."
Akira couldn't help but return the smile, "Thanks for giving me a chance."
Eventually, the two separate, and Marinette returns to her bed as Akira stands up. "Well, you make sure to get plenty of rest, Fearless Leader." He makes his way to the door. "If you need a break, maybe you can show me how to be Ladybug."
This gets a small laugh out of Marinette. "I'll keep that in mind, D-man."
With that, Akira waves goodbye and makes his way downstairs.
After a few minutes, Marinette gets up from her bed and makes her way to her desk, looking over the rows of pictures of Adrien she has strung up on her wall. Slowly, she collected each and every picture, folding them neatly into one pile.
"What are you doing?" Marinette looked around to see Ticki floating close by, a curious frown on her face. She offered her kwami a genuine grin. "What I should have done a long time ago." She lifts the stack of photos, and in one motion, rips them all in half. Ticki's eyes widened at the sudden action, but didn't object.
With a firm nod, Marinette made her way up to her balcony, the cool night air brushing past her face. She walked over to the railing and looked down, the streetlights lighting up the mostly empty roads. With an inhale, Marinette lifted the ripped pieces of photos and threw them outwards, the pieces flying away in the night breeze. With an exhale, she put a hand to her chest, her heart and mind feeling lighter than ever.
End of chapter 6
Author's notes:
Aladar Caval: well, folks. I hope you had a good time with our latest cool down chap. I have to admit, I've been a bit too…mean with the DM stuff, but I hope this helps in showing some humanity for the devilman. For those of you wondering, I am making this Akira a bit of a blend between the manga one and the 2018 one. I like manga one best, but understand the appeal of crybaby. Hell, it made me cry. I'm gonna try and be nicer these next few chapters. After all, I couldn't have done this without Dancecat25.
Dancecat: That's right. Quite the emotional roller coaster in this chapter. I was going for the soap opera vibe with the fight/friendship breakup between Marinette and Alya. To MLB fans out there, I promise Marinette will eventually get the happiness she deserves. Hope you enjoyed the Ryo/Master Fu reveal, and the hurt/comfort scene between Marinette and Akira. It warmed my heart writing that. You see that, Asstruc? That's how you write a hurt/comfort moment without being annoying and pathetic. And yes, I quite enjoyed myself writing up that photoshoot. Quite a hot take, if you catch my drift.
Aladar Caval: Heh, guess we really did earn the "hurt/comfort" tag. I can't promise that the next chapter will be a battle, but I can at least promise buildup. I understand if some of you LB fans used to the status quo are getting a bit jarred. I also know you DM fans have the worry that comes with any DM story. I look forward to seeing what you all think of this chapter in the reviews. "'Til all are one!"
Dancecat25: Speaking of which, many thanks to Guest01 for all your suggestions. Your input helps a lot, and it makes me happy knowing that you are enjoying this story. Looking forward to bringing you more drama among our teen heroes and other things. Until next time, beautiful readers. Bug Out!
