This was not happening.
Tikki could feel herself falling through the air but she couldn't find the energy to force herself to float back up, she was too busy thinking about the terrible mistake she'd made. Adrien Agreste? How could she keep that from Mari, how was she even supposed to keep that from Mari, Tikki wasn't exactly known for being a good liar—
This was not happening.
If Marinette ever found out she'd been keeping this from her, any trust she'd built with her charge could be shattered. Why did it have to be Adrien Agreste, of all the hundreds and thousands people currently living in Paris? Why couldn't it be some random stranger who lived in the shadows, like some kind of weird Parisian hermit, or a man who always wore a mask, or just the regular sort of wannabe vigilante? Even just an everyday stranger would have been better that Adrien 'Paris' Sweetheart' Agreste.
It was just Plagg's luck, and though Tikki usually balanced him out, she had an inkling that Fu had chosen the rich kitten in the mansion-shaped cage for a reason. He always was a match-maker at heart, and though likely his reasons ran down multiple routes, Tikki choose not to delve too deep. Fu's motivations could be baffling at best; that inner monologue was for another day.
Though Chat Noir being Adrien Agreste made her situation so, so, so much worse, it couldn't be helped, or at least that was what Tikki was trying to tell herself. She'd kept worse from her chosen in the past and her lips were sealed, even if they were already cracking at the strain. It wasn't lying if you didn't say anything, right?
Right?
Maybe she wouldn't have to worry about it, seeing as this was not happening.
—
Adrien and Plagg watched Tikki with morbid fascination as she bobbed awkwardly in the air. Her expression was blank as a cleanly wiped board, her blue eyes wide as saucers, as if she'd been startled by a hypnotist. She almost looked like a puppet hung from a single string, the way she was being bounced up and down in an off-beat dance, perhaps motioned by an inexperienced puppeteer.
"Is she alright?" Adrien asked Plagg after a tense moment, who shrugged in response.
"Eh, it's happened before." He murmured. "Just give her a minute to process the information. Hey, at least you're not the heir to a throne, that was a break down I'll never forget."
"What?"
"Doesn't matter, point is, Tikki will be fine. Drama just... it gets to her."
Adrien was sceptical, but he let the matter rest. Plagg obviously knew more than he was letting on, but Adrien trusted him to make the right decision. He glanced at Tikki for a moment and felt sorry for her, wanting to help but not knowing how. Obviously something about him had seriously shocked her, seeing as she was twitching like she'd been electrocuted. He wasn't vain enough to think she was a fan (why would a Kwami care about a human model?) but, she quite clearly knew his face, so she must have seen him before somewhere, maybe she had a holder who knew about him? But the only other miraculous holders in Paris were...
Plagg's cough brought him back out of his head and he suddenly remembered there was another problem at hand. "So, how do I get home in time without transforming? We've wasted three minutes as it is."
"That's easy. You can still transform, just do it a distance away so you don't drag her into my ring, stupid."
Plagg gently dragged the twitching Tikki to the back wall of the alley before he flew past Adrien to the other side of the street, waiting impatiently. Adrien followed. "Claws Out!"
This time, Chat Noir leapt successfully from an alley, leather clad and ready to run.
"Okay, kid." Plagg's voice said in his head, "Grab Tikki, stick her in your pocket and let's get gone."
—
Cat Noir, slippery as ever, wasn't seen by single person as he expertly escaped the view of the security cameras surrounding the Agreste Mansion.
Not a soul witnessed the superhero in question land a street away and turn magically back into the Agreste heir, nor did they see him holding two strange-looking faeries in his hands and or notice him tuck them carefully in his pockets.
No-one saw him click the buzzer and walk silently through the gate, head hung like criminal and fists clenched nervously at his sides.
Someone did, however, witness the scolding that boy received when he entered the house, two minutes early, from his father's assistant Nathalie, and this witness was known as the Gorilla.
Of course his real name wasn't 'the Gorilla', but many had called him as such in the past, and he'd never bothered to correct them, so eventually, the nickname stuck. Who knew if anyone other than himself knew what his real name was, he couldn't even be sure Gabriel or Nathalie knew— he'd been employed by recommendation, not by interview. He had so much experience, he'd seen many things in his life, as, though he was imposing, his quiet deposition meant that he blended well into the background noise of wherever his employer needed him to go, and this was a useful talent for a bodyguard, as people tended to forget he was there and it made it much easier to prevent an escalated situation. He simply stepped in, the sudden realisation that they weren't alone being enough to stop most aggressors. Low conflict guarding; there was a reason he was the best of the best.
But, in this case there was nothing he could do for Adrien. He watched, silent and sorrowful, as Nathalie calmly tore into him like a vulture at a carcass. Her clipped tone was the only indicator that she was actually angry, as her face remained mostly neutral. The Gorilla almost wished he could help, but unfortunately there was no way to avoid the inevitable. He'd kept quiet as long as he could when Adrien had not-so-subtly snuck away, as he knew that the young Agreste only wanted some rarely given freedom, and to support his friend. However, he'd no choice but to give the game up when Nathalie sent her per-hour-check-up text; his momma raised an honest boy and he wasn't about to change his morals, he couldn't afford to, not at this job.
Even so, he silently vowed to bring the boy something sweet later on to cheer him up, because right now Adrien looked as if the world was ending: his face was completely void of emotion, his gaze empty. Guilt was not a foreign feeling in his line of work, but he felt like he'd really done wrong this time. The more scoldings Adrien received, the more blank his expression became and, not for the first time, he worried for the boy's mental health. Adrien would just shut off, dull the pain, ignore the input and it was starting to frighten him.
When Nathalie finished her lecture and sent Adrien to his room, the two adults silently watched him go, waiting until the door clicked to release the tension in their shoulders. The Gorilla turned to Nathalie and quietly asked her why she was so harsh, being careful to use just the right phrasing so as not to offend her, a talent gained from years of co-working.
He looked at her earnestly, knowing that way she wouldn't sugar-coat a reply, and she sighed, "It's this, or I tell his father." She looked up at him, face effortlessly impassive, "Gabriel won't show him any mercy, his child or not, you know that. It'll only make it worse for the both of them."
The Gorilla nodded, completely understanding her reasoning, even if he didn't like what had to be done. If Adrien kept pulling stunts like this, eventually his father would find out, no matter how strict the measures they put in place to stop it were. It was a matter of reducing the number of escape attempts as well as the amount of successful escapes, something he would have to think about, seeing as he was guardian over Adrien most of the time.
Nodding to Nathalie, the Gorilla slowly started to meander into the kitchen to look for some sweets, glad that the chef wasn't due to come in until five; the chef was vividly passionate about his craft and was unnecessarily rude to everyone but Gabriel. When the Gorilla couldn't find any sugary things, though it was probably to be expected, Adrien's diet included the minimum amount of sugar possible, he decided to go a step further.
He grabbed an apron. He was going to bake the best homemade cookies that that kid had ever had.
—
Meanwhile, Adrien paced room from top floor to bottom, both Kwami following him tentatively. He spun around and nearly knocked them out of the air, making all three of them jump. "Okay, so let me get this straight. You, Tikki, er— I mean, uhh Spots, sorry what is your name—"
Tikki smiled gently, still twitching a little, "My name is Tikki! I'm pleased to meet you!" She carefully ignored Plagg's amused snort from behind her.
"Tikki, okay, cool, that's cool, Tikki. So, Tikki, Tikki is your name, what you're telling me, what you are , is that you're... you are in fact..." Adrien took a deep breath, "Ladybug's Kwami?"
Tikki swallowed, suddenly nervous. Was this a mistake? Was it too late to back out now and not do this? Could she fly fast enough to reach the window before Plagg could catch her? Definitely not, he was faster when full of food, somehow. It was a medical mystery.
Adrien was waiting for an answer. He had an expectant, hopeful looking expression on his face, like she held the most wonderful gift he could ever imagine in her paws, and in a way she did. She had the answers to a number of his questions. It was which questions was she chose to answer that she had to be careful with. There were many things she could say to him, but most were not her secrets to reveal. She didn't want to jeopardise any relationship that Adrien and Marinette could have in the future either, so this was going to be difficult. Taking a moment to decide, Tikki took a deep breath and jumped headfirst into uncertainty.
"Yes." She looked up, expression and tone unreadable, "I'm Ladybug's Kwami. It's nice to meet you, Chat Noir."
"Oh my gosh." Adrien gasped, both hands clutching his head, and fell backwards onto his bed, grinning. "That's amazing, oh my..."
Tikki struggled to hold back a smile. He really was in love with Ladybug, wasn't he? It was cute, watching him so elated by something so simple as thinking of her.
"No way. Ladybug's— No wa— wait so you know who my Lady is?"
Tikki instantly tensed. "Yes." She said the word as if it had stolen and used her favourite mug, and, to add insult to injury, had then left it dirty on the worktop.
"Can you tell me anything about her? Not her identity, of course, but like what's her favourite colour? Favourite ice cream? When's her birthday? Does she prefer summer or winter or autumn or spring? Does she—" Tikki scowled suddenly, her expression becoming almost aggressive, and it was a look that was so out of place on her face that Plagg choose this moment to cut in, flying around her to glare at Adrien with a frown, an expression that was otherwise practically etched onto his.
"Kid, she's not going to tell you, you're just making her upset. It's against the rules." He said, picking at his teeth.
Adrien blinked and sat up, apologetic, but unable to hide the disappointment in his tone, "But I— I'm not trying to upset, I'm sorry, I don't really understand all the social rules yet, I'm new to— I'm just curious, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have—"
Flying closer to Adrien face, Plagg shook his head and crossed his arms. "Nah, not that, I'm talking about the Kwami rules. She's not gunna tell you anything about her holder because that's technically a clue to her charge's identity, and because the rules 'are our foundation' or something, they aren't supposed to be broken; thought I'd mentioned them before." He shrugged, "Guess not."
Adrien frowned, not sure whether to be concerned or not, "What Kwami rules? They sound important, why haven't you said anything about them before?"
Plagg shrugged again, lazily spinning in the air, "Couldn't care less about them, Tikki's the expert. She's a real fanatic."
He flicked Tikki with his tail, which broke her out of her guarded focus. She pouted and kicked Plagg, hard, between his shoulder blades.
Ignoring his pained shout, she coughed politely and caught him in a disapproving glare. Plagg floated over to the sock drawer to sulk, muttering something about 'secret cheese' and 'comfort eating'. Adrien made a quick mental note not to cross Tikki, it seemed that she was as feisty as Ladybug herself. He also made a mental note to clean out his sock drawer; if there really was secret cheese in there, it had probably been in there a while and he didn't want anyone thinking he'd put it there. He had something of a reputation left to protect.
His attention was brought back to Tikki as she cleared her throat; she spoke methodically, as if she was reciting a speech for the millionth time, "The rules of Kwami are something we came up with years and years ago to keep us, and our charges, safe. They've changed a little here and there over time, but they're pretty simple." She held up a paw, "Number one: a Kwami should never maliciously reveal the identity of their charge to another Kwami or human. By extension, to keep the balance between good and bad luck, only the chosen Chat Noir and Ladybug should reveal themselves to one another, so, I'm sorry Adrien, but until my Ladybug is ready to show herself to you, if she ever is, you shouldn't and won't know who she is. This rule has tweaked here and there in the past depending on the circumstance, but in this case you should take it as it is. If you figure out her identity that's a different matter, but I doubt you will, there's ancient magic that twists perception attached to my Miraculous that should prevent that. It's only ever happened a couple of times in the past, and I'm pretty sure they were guesses... or someone broke a rule."
"That's not true! You're just mad your bugs didn't figure it out first, you're jealous of my cats!" Plagg yelled from the drawer, voice muffled as he buried himself in socks.
Tikki rolled her eyes, "Anyway... Number two: we mustn't be seen by anyone who isn't a miraculous holder, and I will admit... I've accidentally broken this one in the past and I'm not proud of it, though to be fair, the most recent time it happened they thought I was a plastic toy."
She choose to ignore Plagg's cackling from the drawer behind her and continued her explanation. "Finally, we must remain loyal to our holders. This is Plagg's favourite one to break."
"Hey!" came the indignant squawk from within the socks, "S'not my fault they suck sometimes, it's not like I can do anything about stupid humans being stupid. I'm not their mother."
"What do you mean?" Adrien looked nervous, "Betrayal?"
Tikki's expression softened and she heard Plagg stop rustling behind her, his head popping up suddenly, socks flying everywhere. It wasn't that Adrien wasn't a smart person, in fact he was very intelligent, it was just that he'd never considered that Plagg would ever give him reason to question the mutual trust between them. The thought of that trust breaking was horrifying, to say the least; a bit like being slapped in the face by a sweet little duckling you thought was your friend, except the duckling was a cat god who exclusively ate rotting cheese and the act of being slapped was actually the chilling suggestion of duplicity.
"Kid, I'm made of destruction energy." Plagg said with a scowl, as if that explained everything.
Seeing as it did not, as Adrien looked at Tikki for help, only panicking slightly. Tikki sighed, her voice heavy with memories and sadness. She flew over to the drawer and perched herself on some socks next to Plagg's head. She slowly folded some next to her to occupy her hands, needing to do something. She avoided looking at either of them, and with a start Adrien realised she looked older somehow, like she'd seen a thousand horrors and had resigned herself to her fate. The spark of joy that was always present in her eyes had dimmed.
She spoke quietly, her voice almost a whisper, "It was... different then. Can you guess how many people over the millennia have tried to use our powers— have tried to use us for evil?" She didn't wait for Adrien's answer. "Too many, more than I can count. It's... difficult being a Kwami. I won't ask you to try to understand because, and please don't take this the wrong way, you can't. We have long pasts Adrien and, unfortunately, they haven't all been cookies and cheese."
Plagg nodded solemnly, which was strange considering he was still submerged in socks from the neck down. He was somber for a moment, concentrating on picking the right words. Eventually, he said, "I can't stand idiots, so I try not to waste my time on them." He looked his charge in the eye, the most serious that Adrien had ever seen him. "And you're no idiot, Adrien Agreste."
The conversation was interrupted suddenly by a knock on the door, making everyone jump. Immediately, Tikki and Plagg shot under the chest of drawers, squished but hidden. Adrien scrambled to get up from the bed and tripped on the duvet covers, so he half-hopped, half-dragged himself to the door. He yanked it open as soon as he reached it, but there was no one there. Instead, there was a plate of warm cookies on the floor, complete with a glass of milk and a note that read:
'I AM SORRY YOU WERE YELLED AT. I MADE YOU COOKIES. DONT FEEL BAD NATHALIE IS ALSO SORRY.'
Adrien smiled, knowing exactly who the sugary treats were from: there was only one person with enough time to make him fresh cookies, the same person who, strangely enough, was the only one in the house who entertained conversation with him long enough to know white chocolate cookies were one of his absolute favourite foods. Though the cookies themselves were not much to look at, they were lopsided and uneven, maybe a little overcooked, they were made with kindness and good intentions and Adrien accepted them gratefully. He walked back into his room, placing the plate and glass on the computer desk as he walked past.
"It's okay, there's no one here, you can come back out."
Plagg and Tikki flew out from under the chest of drawers and both immediately soared toward their favourite food: Plagg shoving his head back into the socks to dig for his Camembert, Tikki zipping over to the cookie plate to drool. She looked at Adrien hopefully.
"You want one?" He said, not even trying to hide his grin.
Tikki nodded and Adrien handed her one, sitting down at his computer desk. In between bites, she answered some more of Adrien's questions, always taking time to choose her words carefully. Whether Adrien noticed or not, he didn't say, but he did try to ask questions that weren't invasive, knowing now that Tikki had sworn to protect his Lady's secrets. It was a comfortable conversation, though not exciting, as neither of them were used to each other's company, but both were happy to talk to someone new and, secretly, wanted to make a good impression.
Adrien took a sip of his milk and wiped away the frothy moustache. He said, "So... you eat cookies?"
"Yep! Technically, I can eat anything that's not rotted, but sugar-y or all natural foods, like freshly-baked pastries or home-grown fruits, give me back the most strength. I tend to prefer cookies over most other things though." Tikki waved the remains of the cookie to demonstrate, "I've found they give me the most energy too."
"That's pretty cool, actually. What about Plagg?"
Grinning, Tikki whispered, "He doesn't like to say but, he can technically eat anything rotting for the most effective boost, be it mouldy bread, certain mushrooms, anything fermented, even food off cuts! He doesn't tell his holders because he just wants to eat Camembert all day, he doesn't really like much else; he believes in a cheese or nothing philosophy. He won't mind if you know though, he likes you."
Adrien's mouth fell open. Tikki took another bite of her cookie and tried not to giggle. It was always a little funny when Plagg's chosen discovered his cheesy deceit (Adrien's shocked expression was priceless), though none of them took it to heart, knowing that if they had the choice, they'd eat their favourite food forever too.
Besides, everyone had their secrets.
She looked down at the cookie in her hand and was suddenly hit with a craving for Marinette's infamous Chocolate Chip Triple Deluxe cookies as a bizarre type of homesickness suddenly swept over her. She pulled a face at the misshapen cookie in her paws, it's deliciousness disappointing in comparison.
"What's the matter, does it not taste right?" Adrien picked up a cookie to try, "Hmm, they're not the worst, I like them, but then again I'm no expert. I don't get to eat sweets that often."
Tikki's antennae shot up straight. A plan was starting to formulate in her head, but it was risky and there was a lot that could go wrong, though it could work out if she played her cards right. She wasn't sure she liked her idea, but it was all she had. The problem was that for it to work, she'd have to lie, and Tikki was horrible at lying.
"Well... as a cookie expert... I'd have to say the best cookies I've ever tasted came fresh from the Du-D-Du-Dupain-Cheng Bakery, round the corner from he-here I think?" She winced; she was already stumbling over her words.
Adrien raised his eyebrows, surprised, "Oh! That's my friend Marinette's bakery, she goes to my school, she's really nice."
Tikki couldn't meet his eyes as she stuttered, "Oh, really? Well, d-do you think you c-co-could take me down there one day? They, um, they make their cookies new every— different every— fresh every morning!" The substitute cookie felt heavy in her hands. She took another bite, the burnt chocolate crumbs tasting like dirt.
Adrien frowned, "I'd love to, but I'd have to be sneaky, they'll be keeping a close eye on me what with today's... er... noble escape?"
This was going to be harder than she thought. She realised that he was right of course, the Gorilla and Nathalie would absolutely double their efforts to keep him safe if he kept trying to escape. But, if she could get to the bakery, she could get to Marinette, and she had to get back to Marinette. "Are you sure? Is there no way you could g-g-get there as Chat Noir? I don't mean to be ru-rude."
Adrien waved his hands about, "No, no no, you're not! You're not being rude! I... I can try? It might not be straight away though, sorry."
It would have to do. She couldn't in good conscience push him to do something that could land him in trouble, not to mention how it could affect his double life as Chat, so waiting seemed like the only available option. Lying to someone directly wasn't exactly her forte either as, much like Marinette, she was just too expressive to have an effective poker face and she stammered terribly when nervous. Hopefully Marinette, and by extension Paris, could last without her for a couple of days, though knowing her charge it was likely that she was still frantically panicking.
Best case scenario, Adrien could take her to the bakery tomorrow or she could sneak back to Marinette at school on Monday. Worse case scenario, she didn't make it to Mari in time and Hawk Moth inevitably won, and that was not an option she was willing to let happen.
—
While Tikki and Adrien had been talking, Plagg had finally finished the last of his slightly gone-off secret cheese. He choose not to listen to their conversation, thinking it was just going to be stuff he'd already heard a million times, and he wasn't wrong. After floating aimlessly around the room for a while, he meandered over to Tikki, bored. She hadn't noticed him, as she was busy explaining how Lucky Charm worked, so he decided to play a little prank on her.
He snuck up behind her silently, ignoring Adrien's warning glare and suddenly leapt at her with a victory cry.
"Adrien? What's the—" Tikki screeched as Plagg pulled hard on her antenna, trying desperately to reach him behind her, but her little arms were too short. He let go, in between laughing, shooting upwards out of her reach as she rolled across the desk, landing with a 'thunk' against the monitor.
As she sat up, blowing a bruised antennae out of her eye, she hissed, "Plagg! I'm going to get you for that, oh my stars, are you in for it now!"
The two of them flew faster than the eye could follow around the room, zipping from side to side, trying to avoid and catch one another in a frenzied game of tag. They were like red and black fireflies dancing around the room, beautiful but strange. They slowed down for second as Plagg lost track of his sister. He was looking around for her when, out of nowhere, Tikki flew out from behind a curtain and kicked Plagg in the tummy so hard that he shot across the room like lightning. For a second Adrien thought he was going to crash into the door and ran to catch him, but Plagg phased through seamlessly with a grin on his face. With a light hearted giggle, Tikki rocketed after him, shooting through the door just as easily.
Adrien stood there, shell shocked for a second, thinking 'boy, that escalated quickly'. They really were like little kids, terrorising each other in a game of sibling rivalry. Adrien sat down and went to eat one of the remaining cookies left on the plate when suddenly he paled, having had an epiphany: the Kwami were now loose in his house.
The Kwami were now loose in his house.
The Kwami were now loose in. his. house.
Oh no.
He had a bad feeling about this.
—
The two Kwami had completely forgotten about Adrien, too wrapped up in their game to notice he was missing. They hadn't seen each other in decades and family gatherings were always hectic, so minor things like Adrien Agreste just didn't seem to matter.
It was just Tikki and Plagg, playing a game like they always did. Potted plants were hid behind, corridors used as race tracks and ceilings were dubbed as the designated drop kick area. Walls were bounced off of, floors slid along and corner swung around. It was the most fun they'd had in years, and Plagg was not one to waste the opportunity.
It was rare he saw his sister on good terms, often he was subject to holders who thought they could just boss him around or bend him to their selfish wants, and, as he hated following orders more than anything, it was hell. His miraculous, like Tikki's, was bound by ancient spells, ones even he could not undo, that meant he couldn't remove his miraculous from a holder, they had to willingly give it up or take it off, so no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of them and he hated it more than anything. The only other option was to have it stolen by someone else, preferably another miraculous holder, but that hardly ever worked in his favour.
Plagg could easily imagine how Nooroo was feeling right now, where ever they were, trapped by some malicious human only out for their own desires. It was sickening, so he chose to fight for good whenever he could, and keep Tikki smiling. If there was one thing in this world he cared about above anything else, it was Tikki, not that he'd ever tell her. Cheese was obviously a close second, but it was moments like this, where they could act like they were young again and goof off like they'd never seen the darkest, most horrific sides of the world, that meant the most.
"Tag! You're it, kitty-cat!" Tikki laughed as she tapped Plagg's tail, as it poked out from behind a chair leg, "Catch me if you can! Which you can't, because you're too sloooooow!"
"I'm faster than you Spots, and you know it!" He couldn't help but grin when she was having fun, her joy was infectious. Tikki really knew how to light up a room.
But didn't mean he was going to just let her win.
Using the table to push off, like a bird, Plagg soared through the air. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he stretched out a paw to touch Tikki's tails and tag her. He was going to win for sure.
Now, while there were things that Plagg was good at, he had always been exceptional at eating cheese for example, his math skills... they were not so good.
Having severely miscalculated his trajectory, he slammed into Tikki at such an angle that he propelled her into the next room at a startling speed. He then smacked headfirst into the door frame a second later, sliding down to the floor with a groan. When he looked up, slightly dazed, he saw Tikki batting around the other room like a pachinko ball in play.
'Oops.' he thought silently. 'That looks like it hurts.'
When the crashing noises stopped, Plagg rushed into the room after her and looked around frantically. "Spots? You okay? Tikki, answer me!"
There was a squeak from the other side of the room. Tikki was lying in in front of a huge painting of a pretty blonde lady, curled up in a ball. She waved at Plagg weakly as he floated down next to her.
He said, "Sorry, sorry, are you alright? I didn't mean to do that..."
Tikki pulled herself up, wincing as she checked for damage. The tiny bruises on her arms were already healing. She grinned and said, "It's fine, I'm pretty lucky!"
Plagg couldn't help a tiny smile at the old phrase. They used to say it all the time as a joke, she'd say 'I'm pretty lucky!' and Plagg would say 'Well, what does that make me then? Ugly unlucky?' back, like the cheesiest comedy duo routine ever.
It seemed like forever ago.
"Anyway, where are we? Who's this?" She said, pointing at the massive portrait.
"Oh, that's Adrien's mum. She's, uhh, she's not around anymore, but her picture's full of cool stuff, look!"
He flew up, Tikki wobbling behind him, and went through the painting into the safe behind him, gently dragging Tikki through as well. She took a quick glance around the safe, her glow and Plagg's eyes providing a small amount of light, and gasped, "Wow, you were right, there is a lot of— Dusuu?"
Plagg blinked. What? He followed Tikki's eye line and tried not to scream in frustration. How had not noticed that before? Dusuu's miraculous was right there. Right in front of him, plumage bright and very, very obvious. He'd been in here tons of times to hide from Adrien, how had he missed his sister sitting right there? Right there?
Well, there was only one thing to do.
"Oh yeah, her. She's here too."
Bluff like there was no tomorrow.
Tikki gaped at him, "You didn't even see her did you?"
"I can neither confirm or deny that statement."
"Plagg! I cannot believe you! She's been missing for how long?" Tikki shook her head in unimpressed disbelief, "You're a terrible brother, but at least we've found her now, no point me wasting my breath with more moaning, ugh. We should check if she's actually in there, though don't you think this is over, I'm furious with you. Can you help me carry it?"
Plagg shook his head and said, "There's no point, even if she is in there, we can't phase the miraculous through the door and if we try to get the thing out by ourselves, we'll definitely be seen."
"Why not? There's no one around, and we can't be seen on camera."
"Yeah, but a floating broach still looks very suspicious. Come on Spots, use your massive head for once."
Tikki paused, choosing to be the bigger Kwami and not retaliate to the head comment, reminding herself that it suited her. After a moment she clapped her hands together and gasped, "Adrien! Adrien could get her out of here and then we could take her back to Fu!"
"No! He'll get in trouble again and then what'll he do? You can't ask him to do that, besides he's not ready to meet Fu." Plagg said, a little louder than necessary. There was no way he was putting Adrien in the firing line like that. A kid like him, running around with three Kwami and two unsealed miraculous? It'd be like he was asking to be attacked by all things of magic and mayhem. There was only so much protecting Plagg could do. But the look on Tikki's face was wearing down his resolve. Family was really important to her and he knew she wouldn't leave Duusu there on her own, he didn't really want to himself.
He sighed. "Alright, here's the compromise. Adrien will fetch birdbrain's badge from here and then he'll hide it somewhere safe until we find your Ladybug, then she can be the one take her to Fu. Sound good?"
Tikki considered this for a moment then nodded. "It's settled then.' Plagg grinned. "Let's get our sister out of here."
