Master Fu motionlessly watched as Marinette's small frame vanished around the corner, the eerie darkness making her appear even smaller. He didn't like seeing so much sadness reflected in her eyes, but this was the only way to protect her from Chat Noir. He had to respect Chat Noir's wishes no matter how much of an idiot he thought the thief was for pushing her away.
After making sure that the bluenette was no longer in sight, he turned to face Nathaniel with a friendly smile. "You're Miss Dupain-Cheng's friend, aren't you?" he asked, stroking his short, gray beard thoughtfully.
The artist nodded warily, still not fully trusting the older man. Marinette might've been acquaintances with him, but he had no idea who this guy was. He should probably be more careful around strangers, especially considering what he'd witnessed that night. But maybe he was just being paranoid. There was no way an old man could attack him, right? Then again, looks could be deceiving...
Upon his confirmation, Master Fu continued calmly, "Let me get to the point. You saw Chat Noir earlier, didn't you?"
"Y-Yes!" Nathaniel found himself answering despite himself. He had to be careful. This man was rather persuasive, and he didn't like where this conversation was going.
"I'm afraid we can't have you running around telling everyone what you saw, so I'll have to do this. I'm sorry, but it's the only way," Master Fu said, sounding almost apologetic as he held up an antique pocket watch with a silver chain in front of Nathaniel. He swung the pendulum back and forth, and Nathaniel followed the watch's movements with his eyes as though he been caught in a trance. "You never met Chat Noir, and you won't go to the police. You will forget everything you saw tonight in five...four...three...two..."
His smile grew wider as Nathaniel's bright, turquoise eyes glazed over.
"...one."
The following day was Saturday, and Marinette had never been more grateful that she didn't have to wake up early for school.
She spent the entire morning lying in her bed, not feeling up for anything. She even turned off her phone so she wouldn't receive any news regarding a certain stupid thief.
Speaking of the thief...she felt another tear roll down her cheek. Her heart ached painfully when she remembered Chat Noir's rejection from last night. After running away from Nathaniel and Mr. Fu, she had somehow managed to stumble her way home, bursting into tears as soon as she spotted her parents. She'd cried, safe in her Maman's arms, until she could shed no more tears. Thankfully, her understanding parents didn't ask her for an explanation or question her actions. They had even suggested for her to go to bed early and get some rest, which she'd grudgingly accepted.
But she could hardly sleep that night, tossing and turning into the early hours of the morning.
The next morning, her parents tried everything to cheer her up, even calling and inviting Alya over to hang out. But Marinette wasn't in the mood to talk, and sent Alya home with a box filled with sweets from their bakery. Her dessert-loving best friend was too happy to oblige.
Marinette was sprawling lazily on her bed when she heard her Papa's booming voice call for her later that afternoon."Marinette, come downstairs for a minute!"
She wondered why they asking for her now. She was almost tempted to ignore her parents and stay put, but then decided against it. They had been nothing but sweet to her all day. They hadn't even asked her why she was feeling so sad, and respected her privacy. This was the least she could do to show her appreciation for their support.
She forced herself out of bed, shooting one last longing look at her cozy pink and black comforter, and trudged downstairs into the bakery. As she entered the room, her eyes widened when she spotted a cardboard box sitting on the marble floor. She approached the box, and froze when it suddenly seemed to move on its own. Was it her imagination, or did she just hear a cat's meow echo faintly from inside? Her family definitely didn't have a cat the last time she checked (even though she had always begged her parents for one, but that was besides the point), so what was going on?
"We found this on our doorstep just now," her Maman explained, gesturing to the box. "The box has your name on it. Someone meant to give it to you." Sure enough, she noted that one side of the box had been decorated with an elegant script that read 'Please open! For Marinette'.
Curiosity getting the best of her, she inched closer and bent down to study the box. She opened it gingerly, letting out a gasp when she saw a tiny black kitten sitting inside and gazing at her with large, round green eyes.
"Where'd you come from?" Marinette cooed. Her sadness forgotten, she leaned in to stroke the kitten's soft fur. That was when she noticed that he was wearing a red collar with a note tucked inside.
Frowning, she pulled out the tiny scrap of paper and quickly read the message on it.
"This is Plagg! I found him, but I can't keep him with my strict father and all. Do you think you could take care of him for me? - A.A."
A.A. Now, where had she seen those initials before? They looked awfully familiar - the name was just on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't remember for the death of her. She shook her head. She could worry about that later...
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she gathered Plagg the kitten into her arms."Your name is Plagg, huh?" she mumbled into his fur. "What kind of name is that?" The kitten mewled, almost as though in protest. Marinette giggled. "You're so cute," she gushed, stroking his fur fondly. "So much cuter than some other black cat..."
Just then, her parents cleared their throats behind her, making her jump and reminding her that they were still there.
"So, do you know where that cat came from?" Her Papa asked suspiciously.
"H-He's from a friend," she managed, glancing at Plagg again. This wasn't completely a lie, she told herself. She still couldn't recall where she had encountered those initials before, but she figured that the sender must've been a friend to ask for such an important favor from her. A friend with a strict father...hmm...where had she heard that before? "Can we keep Plagg? Please?"
"You've already named him Plagg, huh? That's an interesting name," her Maman noted.
Marinette ducked her head in embarrassment. "T-That's what my friend named him," she mumbled.
"Oh, so the cat is from your friend, huh? Are they a guy or a girl?" Tom demanded, getting straight to the point.
"Papa!" she exclaimed. "W-Weren't we talking about if I can keep Plagg? Can I? Can I? I'll take good care of him, I promise!" she begged, changing the subject before her parents could pry further into her love life.
Sabine exchanged a glance with Tom and motioned for him to decide. "We run a bakery, Marinette. You know we shouldn't be keeping pets," Tom began, and Marinette felt her heart sinking. At her crestfallen look, he added, "But, we'll consider it if you can meet our conditions."
Her face lit up like she had just woken up on Christmas morning with a pile of presents waiting for her. "Yes, Papa! I'll do anything!" she readily agreed.
Tom nodded thoughtfully. He was glad that she was no longer crying so much. "Very well. Our rules are...one, you will keep Plagg in your room. He shouldn't be hanging around the bakery, at least. And two, you'll take care of him, including feeding him and cleaning his litter box every day. Does that sound good?"
"Yes! Thank you, thank you!" Marinette threw her arms around her parents gratefully.
"We're just glad that you're feeling better, dear," Sabine said warmly, patting her back.
Marinette smiled at her parents. "I'm sorry for making you worry," she apologized. "But I'm feeling better now. I'll get Plagg settled in, and then I'll buy some supplies for him!"
She picked up the box and hurried back to her room, where she placed it on the floor to give Plagg an opportunity to explore his new home. She made a check list of supplies she would need to purchase for her new kitty, and, after grabbing her hand-sewn purse and a jacket, headed for the closest pet store.
But just as she opened the front door and walked outside, she almost crashed straight into a customer trying to enter the bakery at the same time. She thanked the gods that she managed to catch herself in time, albeit having to twist her body so she could balance on one foot awkwardly. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare away her parents' precious customers!
"I-I'm so sorry!" she squeaked, getting a good look at the person for the first time. He wore an oversized jacket that covered his entire body, and sported a pair of sunglasses. His outfit was complete with a black cap that completely hid his hair from the public eye. Wait a minute...were those cat ears on the top of his hat? Was he some cosplayer dressed up as a character in some new series that she had no clue about?
Talk about acting suspicious, she couldn't help thinking. As she continued studying him, she noticed a lock of blond hair peaking out from under his hat. She knew someone with blond hair - not just one, but two guys. How many blond-haired guys lived in Paris, anyway?
"Don't apologize, Marinette!" the person insisted. His voice sounded low and raspy, like he was getting over a cold.
How did he know her name? She frowned at him. "Er, I'm sorry! Do I know you?" she asked, mystified by this strange turn of events.
He lifted his sunglasses smoothly for just a heartbeat, and soon she was losing herself in a pair of gorgeous green eyes. Wait a minute. Gorgeous green eyes...they were eyes she had definitely encountered before.
Oh no. It was Adrien!
"A-Adrien?" she gasped, recognition dawning upon her. "Why are you dressed like - oh!" she suddenly understood. He was a celebrity, and it would make sense for him to disguise himself when being out and about in public to avoid being attacked by crazy fangirls. "Sorry," she apologized again. "I-I didn't recognize you."
"It's a good thing you didn't recognize me, then! That means my disguise worked!" Adrien dismissed her apology with a carefree grin. "And no need to apologize, Marinette. I'd prefer to see you smile. That's what I like most about you, you know, that bright smile of yours..." he added, speaking so softly that Marinette wasn't sure if her ears had been playing tricks on her. No...He did just say that, didn't he?
Marinette's heart fluttered as she repeated his compliment over and over in her head. I'd prefer to see you smile. That's what I like most about you. It wasn't fair that he was such a smooth talker. She blinked when she realized she had become lost in her thoughts.
"But anyway...it's my fault for showing up like this, so I'm sorry for startling you. I had to shake off my bodyguard, you see," he explained sheepishly, sounding almost as though he was a child caught in the act of stealing candy.
"Y-You have a bodyguard?" she asked in surprise. She had no idea that modeling was such a dangerous job.
"I do. I call him the Gorilla...you'll see why if you meet him. Of all the questions you can ask, that's what you were most curious about?" he responded teasingly.
"I'd like to know more about you, that's all!" she replied quickly, her cheeks heating. "But enough about that! What are you doing here, anyway?" She didn't think she would see Adrien again so soon, after they'd just had the interview the previous day. The interview felt like a lifetime ago with all the crazy events that happened last night.
"Good question! I take it that you received my gift?" he asked, beaming at her.
His gift? For a moment, she wondered what he was talking about, until she finally put the pieces together. Plagg...that note from A.A...! "Plagg! You got him for me?" she exclaimed, her eyes stretched wide in wonder. A.A...Adrien Agreste. Of course! Why hadn't she made the connection sooner?
"I did! He reminded me of a certain black cat," Adrien confirmed, snickering as he remembered some inside joke that only he knew about.
Marinette paused. He couldn't be referring to Chat Noir, could he? No, that couldn't be possible. There was no way Adrien would know of her interest in the thief, right? Still, just thinking about him made her heart squeeze in pain again. She slapped her cheeks to come to her senses. No, she was hanging out with Adrien, she reminded herself. Other girls would kill to be in her position. She was going to treasure the moment, not think about some stupid guy she couldn't have. She shouldn't be dragging Adrien into her problems, not when he was trying to cheer her up.
She cleared her throat. "Well, thank you so much for letting me keep him! He's so cute, I love him so much! In fact, I'm on my way to the pet store to purchase some supplies for him!" she revealed to the model.
"My father would throw a fit if he found out I was keeping a cat, so I had to find someone else to take care of him. I'm so glad you like him and you're able to take him in," he explained. Marinette giggled as she imagined the Gabriel Agreste throwing a fit over his son keeping a cat. Somehow, she didn't think such an image suited him. "And that's great! Can I come with?" Adrien asked unexpectedly.
She paused at his question. Adrien was a model, would he have the time to go out shopping? Seeing her hesitation, he added, "I had to sneak out of fencing practice, so please?"
Her mouth formed into an 'o' in surprise. "No way, you fence on top of modeling!? Is there anything that you don't know how to do?" she asked, impressed by this new revelation.
"Yup, I do. Models have to stay in shape, after all. And to answer your question..." He pretended to think for a long time before deciding on an answer, "Being a thief, I suppose?" he mused with a knowing smirk.
"That's the second time you've mentioned thieves," Marinette noted, raising an eyebrow at him. "You don't have anything against them, do you?"
"Of course not! I think they're cool," he said innocently, echoing Marinette's thoughts from the previous day. "So, I can go to the pet shop with you, right?"
"Are you sure?" Marinette asked dubiously. "I'll just be shopping, so it could be pretty boring, you know. Don't models have other things they should be doing...I don't know, like modeling?"
Adrien shook his head with an amused expression dancing across his face. "I was the one who found Plagg, so he's partially my responsibility too," he pointed out. "Besides, I'd rather spend time with you than be stuck in photo shoots all day. I'd like to know more about you, too, if that's okay with you?"
How could she say no to him if he put it in such a sweet way? She sighed. "Well...if you put it that way...of course that's okay! In that case, let's go!"
"Allons-y!" He agreed cheerfully, following after her.
The two made their way to the nearest pet store, chatting to each other along the way. Marinette found that she quite enjoyed spending time with Adrien, and was completely engrossed by the conversations they shared. She learned that Adrien had been homeschooled as a child, and even studied Chinese and played the piano (not to mention fencing and modeling, too!). She didn't think she'd ever meet someone so talented and perfect.
"We made it!" she announced excitedly as the two approached the entrance of the small and cute pet shop. They didn't need further encouragement before entering the store, where they were welcomed by an employee.
"Welcome!" A girl, wearing the store's uniform and looking like she was in her early twenties - possibly a college student, Marinette guessed - greeted them politely. "If you don't mind me asking, are you adopting your first pet together as a couple?"
Her innocent question made both Adrien and Marinette freeze. "N-No!" Marinette squeaked, but to her horror, Adrien beamed at the girl and responded with "Yes!" at the same time.
At Marinette's denial, Adrien lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry about it. We can use this as a part of my disguise. That way they won't know that it's me." He winked at her as he pulled away. At a loss for words, Marinette could only nod in response.
The girl squealed, mistaking their actions for those of two lovers. "Wow, congratulations! That's so exciting! Please feel free to look around, and let me know if I can help with anything!" She turned to greet the next customers who walked in, finally leaving them alone.
Marinette let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Don't mind us, we'll just be looking..." she muttered, trying to get as far away from the zealous girl as possible.
Once the two had maneuvered their way into an empty aisle, Adrien doubled over in laughter, clearly amused by their current situation. "I-I'm sorry!" he said, finally stopping when Marinette pouted at him in annoyance. In the back of his mind, he admitted that her pout was rather cute. "I forgot that you're not used to being around celebrities. We do things like that all the time and use each other as part of our disguises."
"Do you?" Marinette asked dryly, not feeling amused at all. Adrien had been so close to her...his proximity definitely wasn't good for her heart.
"Yes. The other day, Lila and I pretended to be dating to get rid of some fangirls who were hitting on me." He shuddered as he remembered the scene.
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" she asked. "Wait...did you just say Lila? As in the famous actress and model Lila Rossi!?"
"Yup, she's my friend," Adrien explained with a wry smile. "Well, I guess I wouldn't call her a friend. We just...work together sometimes."
"Wow, I had no idea!" Marinette said, her eyes growing round in awe. "Alya is a big fan of her. She's even interviewing her for our alumni project!"
Adrien grinned. "That's great!"
They continued to converse cheerfully as they browsed through the store. They had trouble deciding what supplies to pick - why were there so many brands of cat litter, anyway? - and ended up buying a little bit of everything for Plagg. Being a perfect gentleman, Adrien insisted on paying no matter how much Marinette protested. Finally, she gave up and let him cover the cost of everything.
It was already dark by the time Marinette and Adrien walked out of the store, both their arms ladened with shopping bags.
"Can't believe it's already this late!" Adrien remarked, his expression darkening as he lifted his head towards the periwinkle sky. It was getting darker and darker by the minute. "Why don't I walk you home?"
"I-I'm fine!" Marinette argued. "You've already payed for everything, I can't take up more of your time."
He looked at her intently, the intensity of his gaze making Marinette pause. His eyes reminded her of the way Chat Noir had gazed at her yesterday, before he had pounced back into his fight with Evillustrator. "It can be dangerous at night, especially for a girl walking by herself. Besides, you have to carry all these bags. Just think of me as an extra arm," he offered.
"You do have a point," she accepted. "Alright. Thank you, Adrien. For everything."
The two friends had barely covered a few blocks before a strange man stepped out from the shadows of a nearby building, blocking their path and stopping them in their tracks. Marinette stared at the man with her eyes wide in horror, because he wasn't just any man. She recognized him.
He looked exactly like Chat Noir, their outfits identical down to the black cat ears. But judging from the killing intent glinting in his eyes, she had an inkling that he wasn't the thief she knew and loved. She was aware of Adrien's body stiffening as he stood next to her, his expression of shock mirroring hers.
The Chat Noir look-alike opened his mouth, and a single word escaped from his lips. Even though it was just a single word, Marinette felt a shiver run down her spine as an evil smile spread across his face.
"Jackpot."
A/N: Hope everyone is staying safe! I appreciate all of you so much for your love and support, and thank you so much for all your reviews! I've loved reading every review!
Leave a review and let me know what you think? :)
(Poor Marinette, she can't catch a break with all these criminals going after her... But this is the calm before the storm. xD (Anyone know who the fake Chat Noir is? hehe :P )
Next chapter preview - Marinette and Adrien are attacked by a fake Chat Noir. Can they survive the fight? Marinette also finds out a little more of the truth...