I told myself I'd try and put less dialogue in this one, but as usual, I didn't. Also, Gabriel is an absolutely shit father and there will be absolutely no redemption for him in this. On another note, this wasn't nearly as humorous as I'd intended it to be, but that's ok. It's about time I write something other than crack. Hope you enjoy!

Alya Cesaire was always on top of new news. Always. She had been the first to capture footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir when they first showed up, and the first to snag an interview (although now, she knew that was because her best friend felt guilty). Anyway, the point was that she was an excellent reporter, and she always knew about a new scoop. Why then, was Marinette refusing to tell her anything?

She had been banned from going out filming yesterday since she had so much homework to catch up on, and Marinette hadn't needed her help as Rena, Furtive or Rouge. She'd been annoyed, but had reluctantly sat down to analyse a poem or two. As such, she hadn't been able to get any footage on the one day that a new supervillain just happened to reveal themselves.

Marinette hadn't responded to any of her texts or calls and was now stubbornly keeping her mouth shut.

"Come on girl!" she said with an exasperated sigh. "Can't you tell me anything? I could help! I could spy on them or something."

Marinette shook her head. "Stop it, Alya. I'm not telling. You're just wasting your time."

Alya huffed. "Well if you can't tell me about the supervillain, maybe you can tell me why a super hottie is currently walking towards you?"

"What?" Marinette turned her head and Alya chuckled, expecting her friend's usual panic and general incompetence around Adrien Agreste.

"Hey Marinette!" Adrien chirped, cheerful as always at half past eight in the morning.

"Hi Adrien!" she replied, voice calm, face normal coloured, limbs where they should be.

What the hell was going on, Alya wondered.

In class, Miss Bustier started with a small inspirational speech on how Parisians should stay hopeful in the face of adversity, making a very subtle reference to supervillains that may or not be terrorising Paris at that moment in time. Adrien shrank further into his seat next to Nino.

"Now, in light of recent attacks, we are going to have an hour this morning dedicated to safety and response to akuma and sentimonster attacks. We know Ladybug and Chat Noir are very capable, but with this new threat, we do need to know how to act if we are in danger."

Adrien glanced at Marinette behind him who nodded reassuringly. She picked up her pen and scribbled a note, passing it forward. He opened it warily.

It'll be ok.

He turned and smiled. I know. He mouthed.

There was an akuma attack mid morning, and Adrien found a text from his father instructing him to make a sentimonster. He did so, creating some muliticoloured monstrosity to go with Hawkmoth's terribly designed akuma. Ladybug defeated it quickly, but Adrien wasn't able to go and help as chat. Honestly, he was beginning to miss his daily akuma fights. Being Pavo meant he didn't get to do any actual fighting and he found it tedious.

At lunch, Adrien went to find Marinette, intending to discuss their next moves, and also wanting someone to talk to. He found her locked in some kind of staring contest with Alya.

"Alya, I've told you. I can't tell you about it. Please just stop asking."

"Hey guys!" he said, sensing the tense atmosphere in the air. "Marinette, can I speak to you for a sec?"

"Yeah sure, just give me a minute."

Alya frowned. "What's up with you two? Marinette could hardly speak to you on Friday and now you're having normal conversations? Something's fishy."

'Alya, me and Marinette are just friends." He told her. "Can't friends talk to each other?"

She didn't look convinced, but before she could say anything else, Marinette yelled, "Ok, great. See you Alya!" and took him by the hand.

"What was all that about?" he asked as they walked off into the courtyard. "She seems angry."

"She's being unreasonable. She thinks that just because she knows I'm Ladybug, that she should get to know everything. She's asking about you."

"And?"

"I'm not telling her anything. You know me – I'll let something slip. This whole thing has to remain secret."

"You certainly love your secrets, don't you, milady. Well, if that's what you think is best, then we won't tell her."

School passed in the same way as it always did. Adrien found the lessons easy because he'd already covered the material with his tutors, Nino was told off for listening to music in class, and Chloe was generally a horrible person. When Adrien got home, he crept past his father's office and then collapsed on his bed. As soon as he was alone, Plagg and Duusu came flying out of his shirt pockets.

"Adrien!" Duusu crowed. "It's been so booring in that pocket aaall day!"

Plagg scowled. "I've had to deal with you all day. How do you think I feel?"

"Guys." Adrien laughed. "Can you not even pretend to get on?"

"Well," the peacock kwami huffed, affronted. "I've tried to be nice. It's not my fault Plagg is about as friendly as camembert."

"They've been insulting camembert all day!" Plagg yelled. "how can you expect me to live with this blasphemous traitor?"

"Calm down guys. Father will hear!"

"I don't care."

"Plagg."

"I don't either!"

"Duusu!"

"I swear to myself, Adrien, if I don't get some cheese and a break from them, I'm going to go insane."

Adrien sighed. "Fine. Plagg, go and eat your cheese. – you know where it is. Duusu, I got the chef to send up some almonds – father said you like those. They're on the table over there. If you two really can't stand each other, I suppose you can each stay somewhere different."

"I'm keeping the pocket." Plagg said. "I was his kwami first and I just got it smelling perfect."

"Lovely." Adrien grimaced. "Thanks for making me stink of cheese, Plagg. Duusu, you can stay in my bag if you like."

"I suppose that will be adequate." They sniffed.

Adrien sunk back into his pillow as the two kwamis left to get their food. He had no idea how Marinette dealt with so many. He turned over and curled up, fully intending to nap before Nathalie woke him up for dinner.

She came in and woke him quite abruptly. It was really very annoying.

"Five more minutes, Nathalie." He groaned.

"It's ten past six." She told him. "You shouldn't be sleeping."

"Is it time for dinner? Is father joining me today?"

"He is today, but it's not time yet. I wanted to talk to you, Adrien."

"Uh huh?" he sat up, stretching and yawning. "What?"

"I wanted to talk about the peacock. How are you finding it?"

"Uh, it's alright?"

"Adrien, you can talk to me. I know it's tiring wielding a miraculous. How's Duusu? Are they getting enough to eat?"

"Uh, they're fine, I think."

On cue, Duusu came hurtling over from the corner or the room. "Miss Nathalie!"

"Duusu!" she cried.

"Oh, miss Nathalie. It's good to see you again. I spent soooo long with master Gabriel and I missed you. You're nicer than him, although I suppose it is nice to be better again. Oh, how are you? You were sick and it was sad!"

"Duusu, I'm fine. I'm recovering. Gabriel never wanted either of us to get hurt."

"I know. But he's mean. He was mean to me, and he's mean to Nooroo. Oh poor Nooroo!"

"And Adrien?" Nathalie asked, as if Adrien wasn't right there next to her. "Is he nice?"

"Oh yes." Duusu answered, flitting about the air. "Adrien is lovely. He lets me eat whenever I want and he always asks before transforming. The only annoying thing is Plagg."

"Plagg?" Nathalie raised her eyebrows, turning to look at Adrien. "What's Plagg?"

"Oh, Plagg is the kwami of…"

"Plagg's an imaginary person." Adrien interjected. "Who I made up. I was just telling Duusu about him. He's completely not real."

"Right." Nathalie said. "Ok. Plagg is not real and definitely not a kwami. Ok. For your sake, Adrien, I'm going to ignore everything I heard in the last five minutes. I'm glad you and Duusu are ok. Remember, you can always talk to me about the peacock miraculous. I know how it feels, after all."

"I know, you were a supervillain who terrorised the city. I get it."

She sighed. "No need to take that tone with me. I just want to help."

"I know. Sorry Nathalie."

Soon after Nathalie left, Adrien was called down for dinner. He entered the dining room, sitting down at his place at one end of the table. A few minutes into the soup course, his father came striding in, laden down with various sketchbooks.

"Father." He nodded. "I'm glad you could join me."

"Yes. Of course. I wanted to discuss our next steps."

Adrien tilted his head. "Yes?"

"Chat Noir has been absent from recent akuma fights. It's suspicious. Could he be ill, or out of the city? Whatever the case, this is when we should strike. Ladybug is weak without her partner. She has backup, yes, but she knows that I know the other heroes civilian identities. She's been reluctant to use them recently. This is an opportunity, son!"

"Yes father." He said. Inside, he was silently screaming. Marinette was capable of handling any threats herself, but if his father planned to strike soon, then he was right – she would be weak. Of course, he himself would be helping her, but he knew they worked best as Ladybug and Chat Noir, not Ladybug and Pavo. Now that the cat miraculous wasn't in use, Ladybug was unbalanced. Father was also right about the temporary heroes. Marinette hadn't been using them as much, and now he knew why.

"Father, perhaps we should wait for a while. For all we know, Ladybug and Chat Noir could be planning something big that we're not prepared for. I still need more training and I don't know if it's a good idea to go all out right now…"

Gabriel glowered at him. "It's now or never. If you're not prepared to take the necessary risks, then I don't want you around. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression you had a say in my plans. You do what I tell you. Don't you want your mother back?"

He was standing up now, hands slammed on the table and Adrien cowered back in fear.

"Yes father. I'm sorry."

"I am not to be trifled with, Adrien. I will do anything to return Emilie to us, and I expect you to do the same."

"Yes father."

"Good. Now eat your soup, then go to bed. You will be up at four o clock tomorrow to train, and then I expect you to make another public appearance as Pavo. Don't forget you also have a photoshoot tomorrow. Do not disappoint me, Adrien."

"I won't. I promise."

"You know I love you."

"I know."

"Goodnight, Adrien."

"Goodnight, father."