AN: Okay…picking up from where the last chapter ended, time for a little Cat Noir perspective. I'm thinking that the next chapter will also continue on from this one (keeping in his perspective). Hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 3: Sad Little Kitty
Cat Noir fled from the Agreste mansion, his home. How had he never known any of this? How many more secrets had his father kept from him over the years?
As he ran, Cat Noir did not look back. It all did not seem real. Today had started out so normal, but nothing was normal anymore. In just one day, he had lost both of his parents. He did not know what would happen to his father, but Cat Noir was not so certain that he could call Gabriel Agreste by that title anymore.
What could even be considered "right" anymore? Hawk Moth, his father, had said that everything he had done had been for his mother, to help her coma. Hawk Moth had been thinking of Adrien, Cat Noir himself, the whole time. How had it come to this? Cat Noir knew he had no association to anything that had happened, but he almost felt like he was just as intertwined in Hawk Moth's goal.
Cat Noir leaves along the rooftops, putting as much distance between himself and his home as he could. He wanted to be nowhere near that place. He did not want to be there when Ladybug ended the life support that had been keeping his mother alive. He still had not recovered that his mother (who he'd been told had disappeared years ago) had been right below his feet all that time.
Lost in his thoughts, Cat Noir slipped a little on a rooftop and fell to his knees. Even through his suit, he could feel the scrapes on his knees from the fall. Usually he thought nothing of the little injuries. Ladybug's Miraculous Ladybug would usually fix them. That would not be the case today. Her power would not fix his broken heart either.
Shifting to sit back against a chimney, Cat Noir pulled his knees up to his chest. Then, he laid his head onto his legs and finally allowed himself to cry. So often he would try to remain strong and confident, allowing his puns and joking demeanor to mask his fears. Today, though, Cat Noir made no attempt to keep up these defenses. There was no reason to be strong. His mother was probably already gone; she would not live long off of the life support that his father had been using to sustain her life.
I never got to say goodbye to her, Cat Noir realized. She had just disappeared in the night while he had slept many years ago. Waking up the morning after to learn that she had gone had been hard. The days that followed had grown easier over time as Adrien had accepted his mother's disappearance and adapted to the new normal that was his life. Now he would have to adjust all over again. Adrien had continued to hold hope that he would someday see his mother again, but that was gone now. His mother was gone forever.
Cat Noir shifted so that he could place his chin on top of his knees. Looking down at his gloved hands, he caught the glimpse of his Miraculous ring. The Miraculous of destruction, known for its bad luck. Well, that made sense. He'd had a terrible streak of bad luck lately!
The secured staff on Cat Noir's back vibrated, indicating that he had an incoming call. Only one person called his Cat Phone and he did not feel like talking with her right now. In fact, for probably the first time ever, Cat Noir did not want to see Ladybug at all. Pulling the staff out from its holder, Cat Noir pressed a button on his screen to send the call to voicemail. Ladybug would leave a message; she always did. Maybe he would listen to it someday.
The staff in Cat Noir's hands felt heavy. Not literally—he had become accustomed to wielding it. No, the staff felt laden down with the responsibility and power of being a superhero, of taking on the role of Cat Noir. It was all so much for just one teenager to handle. That had been one reason why Cat Noir used to wish that he and Ladybug could reveal their identities to each other. Surely the figurative weight of the Ladybug yo-yo was even heavier! Cat Noir had used it just one time, as Mister Bug, and he had definitely felt overwhelmed by the responsibility.
If they would have just revealed their identities to each other, they could have helped their partner. They would not have to carry their secrets alone. Now, though, Cat Noir was questioning if he did actually want to know Ladybug's identity. He did not want to always associate Ladybug, the girl behind the mask, with the passing of his mother.
Cat Noir's staff beeped, indicating that Ladybug had left him a message. He closed the staff and secured it on his lower back once again.
He raised his head and looked out over the city. It was growing dark and the lights were starting to flicker on. The city was always beautiful. Cat Noir gave a small smile but it did little to cheer him up. Though he knew that he should probably go home soon, Cat Noir was not looking forward to doing that. How could he return back to the Agreste mansion after all that had just happened there?
Instead, he figured that he would just sit on this rooftop for a little while longer. Eventually, he would return home and listen as his father explained to him about his mother's death, not realizing that poor Adrien did not need that reminder. Someday he would meet back up with Ladybug. He could never explain why he had left the Agreste mansion so abruptly, not without revealing that he was Adrien Agreste. However, just being able to speak with Ladybug, to keep up the friendly banter between them, that would be enough.
Someday, he would heal from all of this today, he knew. For now, though, Cat Noir just sat overlooking the city as his tears continued to slip from his eyes.
Poor Cat Noir/Adrien…why must he suffer in all my stories? I guess it's because he's my favorite character! Oh well…more sad Cat Noir in the next chapter! See you then!