Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters. Or the Mash characters.
Chapter 27,
Hawkeye and Margaret were taking a small breather outside, when Cat Noir and Marinette dropped from the sky. They rushed over to the young ones, and started examining their wounds.
"We better get you guys prepped." Margaret said and Marinette gasped when she heard Cat Noir's ring beep.
"He's about to change back. He can't get treated in there." Marinette said and Hawkeye blinked.
"Change back? Well, I guess that explains the hero getup." Hawkeye said.
"Please. A hero's secret identity is the most valuable thing we own." Marinette said and Margaret sighed.
"Great. I suppose that means you're a hero, and would like to be treated privately as well." Margaret asked and Marinette nodded.
"Yes ma'am." Marinette said and Margaret sighed.
"Can you be together?" Margaret asked and Cat Noir looked away.
"No." He said sadly and Hawkeye nodded.
"Alright, fine. Though for the record, I object to not doing this in the operating room." Hawkeye said.
"And where do you plan to operate?" Margaret asked.
"Well, your tent is pretty close, so he can carry Marinette to your tent. Then I'll escort him to my place and we'll take care of them real fast, while everyone else is in surgery." Hawkeye said and Margaret glared at him.
"How dare you offer up my tent without-"
"Margaret, I've read enough comic books to understand when a hero is about to be an average Joe, and he's on a ticking time clock." Hawkeye said and Margaret sighed.
"Fine. I'll get some surgical equipment and tell Colonel Potter that we are working on some sensitive cases." Margaret said and Hawkeye blinked.
"Well, he's gonna want a better explanation then that." Hawkeye said and she smiled.
"I know that. I'm just gonna let you deal with him." Margaret said and she disappeared into the hospital.
"Great. We better get you to Margaret's before Potter comes out to investigate." Hawkeye said and he led them to a tent with the words 'Major M Houlihan' on the door. Cat Noir set Marinette down on the cot and they smiled at each other.
"Thank you for carrying me, Cat Noir." Marinette said.
"Thanks for giving me your jacket. I hope it's not ruined." Cat Noir said. Marinette smiled lovingly at him, lifted her hand up to his face and gently caressed his cheek.
"It probably is, but that's ok. I'd rather have a ruined jacket then have you ruined, Cat Noir." Marinette said and Cat Noir chuckled bashfully. Cat Noir stood up and blushed when he saw the smile on Hawkeye's face.
"I'll show him to my tent and then I'll come back and work on your leg. Margaret should be here any minute, so why don't you just relax while she gets you settled." Hawkeye said and Marinette nodded.
After that, Hawkeye and Cat Noir left Margaret's tent. Pierce escorted Cat Noir to a large tent labeled 'Swamp' on the door, and they went inside.
"So, I thought your name was Adrien, what's with this 'Cat Noir' business?" Hawkeye asked and Cat Noir's eyes widened.
"You can tell?" Cat Noir asked and Hawkeye laughed softly.
"Let me guess; that's not how it works in your world. Basically every day you are Adrien and this Cat Noir persona, fighting different villains with all sorts of powers; BUT none of them can compare to you, right?" Hawkeye asked and Cat Noir rubbed his arm.
"Well, kinda." Cat Noir admitted.
"Man, I knew something was up, I just knew it. I mean, how else do you explain the universe bringing back old friends, including a dead one?" Hawkeye said outloud.
"How is that possible, kid? How did that happen? What's going on around here?" Hawkeye asked.
In that moment, the Cat Noir ring powered down, transforming Cat Noir to Adrien and causing Plagg to pop into the air. Instinctively, Hawkeye reached out and caught the foreign object, and then stared at the kwami when he realized it was alive.
"Oooooooohhh, I'm hungry." Plagg whined, splayed our across Hawkeye's hands, without even opening his eyes.
"Um... uh... what does it eat?" Hawkeye asked nervously. Plagg tensed up when he heard the doctor speak, and his eyes opened wide.
"Wait a minute... I know that voice... is it-?"
Plagg lifted his head and he gasped when he saw Hawkeye's face.
"Oh, My, Gosh! It's Alan Alda!" Plagg said happily. He turned to Adrien and pointed at Hawkeye excitedly.
"Dude! It's Alan Alda!" I can't believe I'm being held by Alan Alda!" Plagg said. Adrien knew if Plagg was charged enough to fly, he'd be flying in circles right now.
"Oh, God, Mr. Alda, you are one of my favorite actors! I just loved you in Betsy's Wedding, so fun. 'I was nervous before when they were shooting at us, but I'm alright now', 'The day after they get married, we'll put her face on a milk carton', 'no, no, when I say fantastic and wonderful, I mean cheap and ugly'." Plagg quotes like a true fan and then he finally noticed the world around him.
"Oh wow! Oh wow! This looks like The Swamp! Is that...? It is! The still! Wow! We are at the 4077th?!?" I can't believe it, Mr. Alda, this is a dream come true." Plagg said and Hawkeye swallowed.
"Why... why do you keep calling me that?" Hawkeye asked and Plagg finally started to calm down.
"Wait, that's right... you're suppose to be in your 80's..." Plagg said slowly and Hawkeye looked up at Adrien.
"Do I look 80ish to you?" Hawkeye said.
Adrien came over and picked Plagg up out of his hands and held the kwami close.
"I'm sorry, I've never seen Plagg that excited before." Adrien said and Plagg shrugged.
"It's still an honor to meet you, Dr. Pierce." Plagg said, extending an arm out to him and Hawkeye did his best to shake the hand without crushing it.
"Does this explain my friends?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien hesitated.
"Well, only part of it." Adrien said.
"Wait, which friends? Is that Frank's bunk or Winchester's?" Plagg asked and Hawkeye turned towards the cot.
"Both, I guess. That's a picture of Frank's wife, but that's Charles' record player. Frank's bible is there, but I also see some of Charles' cognac and Red Leicester." Hawkeye said and Plagg's stomach growled.
"I normally prefer Camembert, but can I have some of that Red Leicester?" Plagg asked and Hawkeye shrugged lazily. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small pocket knife, and unceremoniously whacked off a slice of cheese for Plagg.
"Hehe, Mr. Alda gave me cheese." Plagg whispered giddily to Adrien, who chuckled at him.
"So, what is that thing, anyways? What is... Plagg?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ok, Plagg is a creature called a kwami. He is a magical creature that gives power to my miraculous." Adrien explained and Hawkeye nodded.
"Uh-huh. And a miraculous is...?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien pointed at his ring.
"For me, it's my ring. But for Marinette, er, Ladybug, her miraculous is earrings. Others have necklaces or bracelets or whatnot." Cat Noir said and Hawkeye nodded slowly.
"So what makes this ring a miraculous instead of any other ring?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien hesitated.
"Actually, Mr. Alda. The miraculous' were created centuries ago, so that kwami's, like me, can be seen and interact with the world on this plane. Without it, I'm basically a ghost. I can't be seen, I can't be heard, I can't pick anything up, or eat. Without other kwami like Tikki or Sass, life would be rather... lonely and flavorless." Plagg said and Hawkeye's widened a little and he took a breath in.
"Ok... you and Marinette wear special jewels that can be charged by this creature called a kwami, and they give you the use of super powers, so you can be superheroes, because those jewels allow the kwami's to live among us." Hawkeye said, to make sure he got that right.
"Yes, sir." Plagg and Adrien said.
"But what does that have to do with Frank, Radar, Trapper, and Henry coming back?" Hawkeye said and Plagg blinked.
"Whoa, really?" Plagg said and Pierce nodded.
"Yes, really! I mean, I can understand Frank coming back to try and win over Margaret, but Radar and Trapper got sent home... and somehow poor Henry is back from the dead. AND I can't even react to it, because everyone thinks this is normal; But Why! Margaret and I are the only ones who even realize the fact that they aren't suppose to be here! It's hard enough just to be in OR trying to save the lives of the boys that are fighting to survive a battle they never asked to fight. All that pain, I can only try to help while I get older and older and they get younger and younger- and now! I have to block out the strangers I've said goodbye to years ago, just so no one dies on my operating table." Hawkeye said and Plagg sniffled. Now that he's had some cheese, he was now charged enough to float, and he flew over and hugged Hawkeye's arm.
"It's ok, Dr. Pierce. I understand how you feel. It's not your fault an akuma was released." Plagg said. Hawkeye looked at the kwami and then up at Adrien.
"What's he talking about, 'akuma'. We didn't talk about that." Hawkeye asked as Plagg nuzzled him. There is a miraculous that is currently being used for evil. His name is Hawk Moth and he has the power to give powers to other people and make them temporary villains. When he gives others powers, he uses a moth-like creature known as an akuma." Adrien explained.
"So, you're telling that my cousins Hawk Moth is releasing akuma that made my friends and Frank come back." Hawkeye asked, Plagg looked up at him.
"Well, technically, just one. He akumatized a villain who brought your show to life. They must not be very familiar with the show if they brought all the main characters to life." Plagg said and Pierce blinked.
"Show...?" Hawkeye said slowly. Plagg gasped slowly when he realized what he just did and he pulled away from Hawkeye and back over to Adrien.
"Are you guys telling me... that I'm not real? T-that my friends and I are only alive because some creep brought all of this torture to life, just for kicks? And all the lives I've saved, all the laughs I've shared, all the tears I've shed, all of the kisses I've experienced... none of it was real?" Pierce asked and Adrien hesitated.
"I... um..." He didn't know what to say, but Hawkeye hung his head in defeat.
"Look, uh... I better go operate on your friend. Maybe we can continue this conversation when I come to fix your shoulder." Hawkeye said and he walked out of the tent.
The little kwami couldn't stand to see him so sad, though. So he rushed through the tent, and he went up to Hawkeye and Plagg hugged his face.
"You were always real to me, Hawkeye." Plagg said, sincerely. Hawkeye wipes his eyes and smiled at the kwami.
"Thank you, Plagg." Hawkeye said, giving him a small pat on the back.
"You better head back before someone sees you." Pierce said. They shared a smile and Plagg few away.