So I am trying something this month and we shall see how it goes. This month there will be two updates but the chapters will be a bit shorter than the previous chapters. I will post the next chapter in about two weeks or so. There will also be an update for Cats Closet too so its going to be a full month! Hope you guys enjoy and if you have questions comments or just want to say hi drop a review!
(Slow Burn Detective AU!) Marinette is used to working alone on the streets of Paris as she strives to take down the Hawkmoth gang. When the thief Chat Noir comes crashing into her life things are bound to get magical, especially when co-detective Adrien returns to Paris and seems to want to be her new partner. Will their fated partnership end in a capture or a kiss?
Visiting Rights
Adrien walked through the door to find a dark-skinned male staring intently at his phone as he typed in something furiously.
"I need precisely 120 seconds to complete my answer, Master Fu," the male said, even though his eyes never left the screen.
"Take all the time you need, Max," Fu answered patiently as Adrien watched in amused silence while Max finished his message with a bit of a frown before shoving the device away.
"My apologies, Master Fu. Kim is being difficult since he wanted to show me his running skills later, but he won't give me a precise time," Max grumbled, adjusting his glasses as he looked over at Adrien before offering his hand. "Ah, I have been rude. My name is Max. You're Adrien, correct?"
"Yes, I am Adrien. Is the Kim you're talking about a bartender?" Adrien asked as he shook Max's hand. It was probably an odd question to ask right off the bat, but Adrien wanted to know if this was the Max that Alex was complaining about. It wasn't as if Adrien had been given a description of him before to compare to, but this Max was dark-skinned with black hair that was cut in a box-like shape. He wasn't quite as tall as Adrien, although his hair put them almost at even heights, and unlike Adrien, Max was built along the lines of a rail. His whole outfit screamed 'nerd', from the thick square-framed glasses, to the suspenders that crossed his button-up shirt. Max didn't seem to have much in the way of muscle but Adrien did note that he appeared fit, and not like the usual pasty, heavyset type of adult nerd that society portrayed them to be.
A decidedly fond look crossed Max's face as he nodded, "Kim likes to stay moving and the tending job has been an excellent fit. Alex has probably been complaining since Kim decided to stay in for a movie night."
Adrien felt his lips twitch, "I believe she said she misses her running buddy is all, but from what I understand he's a fairly frequent attendee."
"As I said, he enjoys staying on the move," Max replied as he glanced down at his watch, then back up at Fu, a question clear in his eyes.
Fu gave a slight nod, some unheard conversation passing between them, "Adrien is Marinette's and Tiki's. He is safer than most."
One of Max's eyebrows rose in clear surprise. "Interesting," he commented, turning a suddenly sharp gaze on Adrien.
Unlike Fu, Max's gaze didn't bother him in the least and Max broke off eye contact after a moment to pull out his phone. "Does this mean I need to code another access key for him in the drives, or will he be using Tikis?"
"That is a decision Marinette will have to make on her own. I'm certain she is a little uneasy with us taking such an interest so quickly," Fu answered
"Wait, what?" Adrien asked, breaking in before Max could comment further.
"Ah, right. I never did explain Max's presence did I?" Fu asked, making Adrien shake his head.
"Master, I'm not that important," Max muttered shyly.
Fu raised an eyebrow at Max as he shrugged, looking sheepish. "Kim has told me I sometimes let my accomplishments cloud my judgement and make me think I am invincible. Then, if someone beats me I become sour in mood for a while. I will not use the words he used to describe my mood."
Fu tapped his chin thoughtfully, "You two have done well for each other, and knowing your weaknesses will give you both strength. As Marinette has proved, your gaming skills can be improved upon. However, your computer skills are far ahead of anyone I've met thus far."
"Thank you, Master Fu," Max murmured looking embarrassed before looking over at Adrien and finding the confidence to continue. "I designed the drives we use to collect information. They all have several modifications to them that allow Marinette to keep track of who has been in the drive to see if things have been changed."
"Oh, Marinette told me about that. I was wondering if someone had made them from scratch," Adrien said.
"Max is our technology guru. If you want something on the computer or need any advice about technology, he is the one to ask," Fu stated, glancing at the door that they had come through moments ago. "And now, I fear my time to visit has come to an end. Max will return you to Marinette's side and then you two can ask her about the codes and anything else that comes up."
"It was nice meeting you, Master Fu," Adrien said, holding his hand out.
Fu shook the offered hand with a wry smile, "We will see each other again, Adrien, probably sooner than you think. Max, no detours if you will. He can have a tour the next time he comes out. Marinette is probably starting to wonder if we kidnapped him, or something worse."
"I'll take care of it, Master Fu," Max called and immediately started walking down the hall. "Come Adrien, this task should take less than 300 seconds to complete."
Adrien's eyebrows rose, wondering to himself if Max was always so exact. He took off after Max, coming even with him in a few strides since his legs were longer.
Max didn't seem to want to talk as he wove their way down two halls and popped out of a door that Adrien hadn't entered by. The moment they hit the alley, Adrien could smell the garden again and it took less than a minute to arrive at the green covered courtyard.
"Here you are," Max said in satisfaction as he glanced at his watch. "It would seem Master Fu was correct in his assumption that Marinette had begun looking for you."
Adrien had spotted Marinette the second they had moved into the garden area. She seemed a touch frazzled as she spun to face him, the person she had been speaking to pointing them out. Relief flitted across Marinette's face and Adrien shot her a smile as he waved her over to them.
"There you are," Marinette sighed in relief. "They told me you were playing with Manon in the kids' zone and then you vanished. Where did you go?"
"Ah, I was offered tea by Master Fu," Adrien said quickly before Max had a chance to say anything.
Marinette's jaw went slack for a second before snapping back to normal and she quickly glanced around the two of them as if she were expecting Fu to be behind them. "Fu didn't come with you?"
"Master Fu, I believe, is busy and just wanted to see who Adrien was, Marinette," Max commented, his tone distinctly disapproving as he emphasized 'master'.
Marinette rolled her eyes, "Still sore about the video game tournament?"
Max sputtered, "NO! I have been diligently working on my skills and updating all known attacks. I will defeat you the next time we play."
Marinette grinned, "I hope you put up a good fight. Everyone else was a little lackluster that last time we did a Mecha Strike tournament."
"Just because you can cream everyone does not mean you should, Marinette," Max pouted. "I believe next time, you should have a handicap so normal players have a chance."
The grin on Marinette's face was rather savage as she answered, "That actually sounds like a fun challenge. I'll go up against two people at once in melee version, and when I beat them, we can see how many it takes to finally take me out."
Max shook his head again, but before he could chide Marinette further, Adrien broke in, "You play Mecha Strike? Do you have the game at home, because I will be happy to help you train!"
Marinette turned to him in surprise while Max shook his head helplessly, "If I didn't stand a chance, I don't foresee you battling any better. Marinette is as merciless playing as she is when fighting IRL."
"Thanks, Max," Marinette quipped, rolling her eyes. But, before the conversation could go any further, Stormy called to them from across the courtyard, "Marinette, Adrien, you ready? Car's waiting!"
Marinette shot her hand up to show they had heard her, then grabbed Adrien to pull him towards Stormy's position, "Thanks for bringing him back, Max. Say 'hi' to Kim for me!"
"I will," Max answered calmly before realizing he hadn't asked any of the questions he had meant to. "Ah! Wait, Marinette! Does Adrien need a code?"
Marinette nearly tripped over her own feet as her gaze shot to Adrien who looked a little sheepish, "Um… right now he doesn't need one, he can always use Tiki's code unless you gave it to someone else."
Max adjusted his glasses as he pulled out his phone, "Very well. Tiki's code hasn't been given to anyone and I can simply change the attached name. There are other questions I have for you as well."
Marinette rolled her eyes as she started walking again, "Just text me, Max. We are sorta on a time schedule."
Max froze at the mention of schedule, "I hate to hold anyone from their schedule. I'll text you, that way I'll have a record as well. Perfect idea." He waved them on without any further comment since he was already tapping away at the phone screen.
Marinette pulled Adrien over to Stormy who was grinning as they arrived. "Max demand a rematch?" she asked leading them out of the garden area and through a series of alleys.
Marinette huffed, "He wants me to have a handicap, so I challenged him to a multiplayer battle but everyone versus me."
Stormy whistled, "I'm guessing he fell for it. So, how many can you take on at once?"
Marinette's savage grin was back, "At least five, but I'll be nice and let them score a few hits. Adrien has offered to help me train a little, too."
Stormy glanced over her shoulder at him pity in her gaze, "I wish you the best and I hope you don't mind losing... a lot. By the way, Gram told me that Fu wanted to meet you."
Marinette shoved at Stormys shoulder, "Is that why you dragged me off earlier? To give Fu a chance to talk with him?!"
Stormy rolled her eyes and moved out of Marinette's reach, "Yes, and I don't understand why you're so afraid of the guy. He's a really nice old man and I'd swear he knows everything."
Marinette huffed, kicking at the ground, "I'm not afraid of him, he just makes me feel like a misbehaving school child half the time. Besides, have you ever seen him fight? 'Old man' my ass. He moves faster than Tiki ever could."
"Wait, Fu?" Adrien asked, breaking in on the conversation. For a moment, Adrien couldn't picture the elderly gentleman with a cane going to fight anyone. Then he remembered how swift and silent he had been in the play ropes and reevaluated his initial opinion.
For a moment, both Marinette and Stormy went silent. They had forgotten Adrien was there for a second and his question made them both pause. Picking up on the sudden awkwardness, Adrien decided to keep his thoughts to himself since he could tell they had been close to revealing something they weren't sure he should know.
"Fu was really nice, Marinette, but I completely understand the misbehaving school kid feeling. All he did was offer me tea and tell me how he knew Tiki before Max came to get me."
Marinette's shoulders relaxed a fraction. Stormy shrugged her shoulders when their gazes met again.
"See, Marinette?" Stormy said as they came out on the street next to a parked car. "Fu was curious, same as the rest of us. You know it'll die down the more we see him."
Rolling her eyes, Marinette moved to the passenger side of the car, "Yeah, right. It took everyone like three months to get used to seeing me and I can't even begin to count how many times random people kidnapped me to test my skills, ambushed me, randomly showed up at crime scenes, or tried to feed me for whatever reason. You guys were terrible! No, Adrien, sit up front or you'll have to bend yourself in half to fit back there."
"Wait, they used to kidnap you?" Adrien asked, sliding into the front seat since Marinette had shoved him into the space before climbing in the back.
Marinette sighed even as Stormy chuckled, "Why do you think poor Marinette has been so nervous about you meeting us?"
Adrien found he didn't really have an answer since he had been rather curious as to why she had seemed so jumpy or hesitant at times. Even when he had been Chat she had been nervous about him meeting the Whisperers, although it had been far less. "So, when do the kidnappings start?"
"They won't," Marinette snapped, her tone like iron. "I don't have time to be chasing idiots all over the city, and with all the problems cropping up, I need to know if something is a real emergency and not just a prank. I'm serious, Stormy."
"So are we, Marinette," Stormy answered, their eyes meeting in the mirror.
There was a tense silence for several seconds and Stormy looked away first with a grumble, "It's still going to happen, Marinette. Although, we will make sure you know beforehand. After all, I'd hate to see you come busting down on anyone for a simple prank."
"Nothing you guys do is ever simple," Marinette grouched meeting Adrien's eyes as he looked back at her. "And I hope you're good at memorizing things. This is your fault too, for wanting to be my partner so badly."
Adrien couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, "It's been worth it so far! This is the most fun I've had in years!"
Crossing her arms, Marinette still looked displeased. But Adrien could detect the slightest smile on her lips. "Yeah, well, you just wait till they make you late to something important. You'll regret it then."
"Aw, come on Marinette, we didn't interfere that much!" Stormy called, for the rest of the ride Adrien got to enjoy stories of the pranks the Whisperers had pulled on Marinette as well as the pranks she had managed to pull back on them.
It was an enlightening ride and after a while Stormy pulled into a part of the city Adrien didn't fully recognize. Slowly, she pulled the car over into a parallel parking spot in the middle of what appeared to be an old shopping district.
"Alright, this is as far as I go," Stormy called as she handed a small square of paper back to Marinette.
"You're not coming with us?" Adrien asked as he opened the car door.
"Stormy doesn't play well with others, and technically this area is part of the Hawkmoth gang's territory. I'll tell Mime you said 'hi'," Marinette answered for her as she slipped out the door, the blue bag in hand again.
Adrien climbed out of the car as well hearing Stormy call, "I'll be driving around so just call when you're ready."
"Thanks, Stormy. Try not to cause any trouble when you are just driving around," Marinette huffed slamming the door.
"Hey, that's my line!" Stormy quipped back at her as Adrien closed his door firmly behind him.
Adrien was a bit surprised when Stormy just pulled away instead of irritating Marinette some more. Marinette, on the other hand, just shook her head and looked down at the address on the paper.
"Welp, let's go see Mime," she said in passing as the two of them made their way down the street.
The area they were in was a bit run down, although it wasn't as bad as some places that were on the outskirts of Paris. The small shopping area was downright tiny and only had a few stores open, although every store had bars on all the windows. The few people that were out didn't appear to be very friendly, either.
"People seem nice and welcoming here." Adrien commented, pretending he was relaxed and carefree as they strolled down the sidewalk.
"For the most part, they aren't," Marinette sighed, although she waved to a child who waved along with their mother on the other side of the street. "This area belongs to the Hawkmoth gang and the people who stay here are under their watch."
Adrien raised an eyebrow, surprise coloring his tone, "The police allow that?"
Marinette shrugged, "Not our precinct's jurisdiction, and many of the officers in this area are lazy and at times won't even answer calls in these poorer areas. As much trouble as the Hawkmoth gang causes elsewhere in Paris, on these streets they actually help keep the peace. They don't have a command center or anything around here either, it just so happens that a large portion of the people here are part of the Hawkmoth gang."
"Wait, do you come out here a lot?" Adrien demanded.
"No," Marinette replied glancing down at the paper in her hand before looking up at a street sign. "I'm not stupid Adrien, I only come around here if I've been invited or someone calls me specifically."
She held up the blue bag to show him and Adrien realized that at some point a purple butterfly sticker had been applied to the outside of the bag. "This is why we haven't been asked to leave the area yet, or accosted. This mark means we have… let's just call it visitation rights."
Coming to a halt in front of a random building, Marinette peered at the faded number on the side then started climbing up the stairs. The front door opened as they hit the top step, and a small heavy-set woman threw herself at Marinette.
"Marinette, you came!" she cried throwing her arms around Marinette. Adrien had to put an arm out to keep Marinette from going backwards down the steps. The woman hugging Marinette was actually shockingly shorter and a bandanna covered in pins tamed multi-colored dread-like hair.
"Hi, Mylene!" Marinette laughed, shooting Adrien a look of thanks as she regained her balance. "Of course I came, why would you think otherwise?"
Mylene pulled back looking nervous, "I-I don't know… I mean, Papa was hurt… badly I mean, and they always say when he does get hurt that it was an accident or some other nonsense when it really isn't and-"
Marinette put a hand out in a calming gesture before shooing Mylene back towards the door. "I promise you that this time it wasn't a… 'work issue'. This was an animal attack."
Mylene looked instantly placated, her shoulders relaxing as she moved back inside. "I'm so relieved to hear you say that Marinette. Papa told me that you were there but I just couldn't believe that an animal hurt him that badly. You didn't get hurt, did you?"
"No, I wasn't hurt. And really Mime shouldn't have been injured either, but the thing ambushed us and I didn't have time to pull him out of the way," Marinette sighed as she crossed the threshold, followed closely by Adrien.
"According to Mime, he would have been hurt worse if you hadn't been there," ahulking shadow claimed, making Mylene shriek in surprise.
"Hi, Ivan," Marinette called as she put a hand out since she had sensed Adrien starting to drop into a fighting crouch.
"Hi, Marinette. Sorry, Mylene," Ivan said peering down at Adrien.
"Ivan, you scared me! You know I hate being frightened!" Mylene cried, wringing her hands.
Ivan moved forwards wrapping Mylene against his side, "Um… up on the left, Marinette. He knows you're here."
Marinette nodded at Ivan and moved past him with Adrien as her shadow. Ivan watched him curiously before Mylene tugged on his shirt pulling his attention away from the two of them. Adrien waited until they were halfway up the stairs before commenting quietly, "He's a big guy, and Mylene is so tiny!"
Marinette chuckled, "Size-wise they are totally opposites, but in everything that matters they're great together. And before you ask, technically neither of them are part of the Hawkmoth gang. Just Mime is."
"That's…odd," Adrien managed. But Marinette shook her head as they mounted the top of the stairs.
"Mime made some kind of deal to make sure Mylene was never inducted, and Ivan became her sort of bodyguard-turned-boyfriend when he got himself badly injured in a gang turf war."
"Mylene came to you, didn't she?" Adrien asked, already seeing where this was going.
Marinette nodded, "Yeah, she did since Mime was making sure Ivan didn't try to run off somewhere. Ivan is a big guy but he has the heart of a marshmallow. Gang life didn't suit him a bit, he was just dragged in because he looks so damned scary."
She paused at a door and tapped out an odd pattern on the wood.
"Come on in, Marinette and company, apparently," Mime called as Marinette opened the door. "How on earth did you get them to allow you bring an extra?"
"Ask Stormy when you feel better," Marinette said moving into the room. "She says 'hi, and feel better' by the way."
Mime placed aside a book in the bed he was resting in and Adrien noted a blood pressure cuff that was off to the side. The room had a slight disinfectant smell and it didn't look like a room that was lived in year-round.
"Please tell her that I am fine and she doesn't need to come sneaking around to check on me. The wounds are simply deep scratches and the only reason I'm resting is because my daughter insisted," Mime grumbled.
Marinette chuckled, handing Mime the blue bag, "I'm pretty sure you would be doing the same thing had she or I been hurt instead of you. How many stitches did it take?"
Adrien flinched at the mention of stitches, turning his attention on the window that faced the street they had come in off of. There were few people outdoors and it was starting to get dark. With his enhanced hearing he could hear Ivan and Mylene chatting downstairs, and somewhere above them he could hear movement as someone crept across the floor. It made him twitchy knowing that there were unknown people in the place with them when, most likely, they were an enemy rather than a friend. It really made him wish that he hadn't left Plagg with Fu.
"So, your running partners are following you on the streets now, Marinette?" Mime asked, snapping Adrien's attention back to them.
"Adrien has started working at the same precinct I do and I figured this was a safe enough venture for him to come on," Marinette answered, making Mime raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"And you're letting him roam with you, or did Gabriel ask you to take him on?"
"My father would rather I not play with Marinette. He fears that she'll be a bad influence like he believed Tiki to be," Adrien answered for himself, not willing to be left on the sidelines for the entire conversation.
A long silence followed as Mime glanced between the two of them, until suddenly, he busted out laughing only to grimace and grab his side, "So, Marinette… when do the kidnappings start? I'm assuming that he has already been introduced."
"Oh, don't you start too, Mime," Marinette growled. "Keep your friends in line or else I will bust heads."
Mime shook his head, "They've already seen you two together and they'll become curious very fast. Remember your little redhead friend? He got reassigned over here."
Marinette let out a sound that was closer to a hiss then anything and Adrien patted her on the shoulder. "I think Marinette has had enough teasing for the day, Mime," Adrien commented. "Besides, I've heard some stories and I don't think anyone will want to face Marinette's wrath… at least not willingly."
Mime nodded but a smile was still flickering at his lips, "It'll be good for her, and it's all in good fun. At least for us it is."
Before Adrien could claim to be difficult prey, Marinette stomped her foot snapping both men's attention to her.
"If you idiots insist on playing these stupid games, same rules the Whisperers have will apply to you. Otherwise, I will hunt down the idiot that breaks them and they will rue the day they crossed me. Understand?" Marinette hissed, her tone promising all sorts of hell to come.
Mime swallowed, "Understood, Marinette. I'll let them know the consequences, although you'll have to send me rules."
Marinette huffed, crossing her arms. But she nodded, her eyes tracking Mime's arm as he gently rubbed a hand over his bandages. "I don't know if Stormy managed to tell you or not, the Akuma that attacked you was actually one of Spike's dogs transformed. You followed Spike home that night from the zone, and as far as anyone can tell it was the last he was ever seen."
Her tone held a question, although Adrien noted that she was giving Mime an out if he chose to take it. To Adrien's surprise, he didn't.
"I did follow Spike home and threatened to break his legs so badly that he wouldn't ever be able to run again. However, that is all I did. Although, I heard of some odd murmuring in the higher-ups about something he did. Apparently, Spike was very good at pissing off the wrong people. I'm assuming Spike is missing?" Mime asked.
"Yes, vanished. Apparently along with all of his dogs," Marinette answered, her voice dropping. "But the dogs are turning up as these Akuma monsters and I was hoping that maybe you knew…or could ask?"
Mime was shaking his head his lips tight, "You know I can't. Unless you find a body…"
"There was never a problem," Marinette finished with a sigh. "Fine, but I really do hope to see you back at the zone soon."
Mime chuckled, "This isn't as bad as being stabbed, to be honest. No internal injuries, just a deep flesh wound. Adrien, it was nice to properly meet you. Watch after Marinette, if you don't mind. She doesn't often protect herself when she feels the need to help others."
"I will, sir," Adrien replied, ignoring a grumbling Marinette as she stalked back towards the door.
"Come on, Adrien. Time's up."
Adrien turned to follow, only to pause as Mime said, "Really, do be cautious. It's a very tangled web that is woven through Paris, and even I'm unsure of who the spider really is."
"Good thing spiders are crushable," Adrien quipped, but he noted the serious look on Mime's face and he had to wonder if Mime knew more than he could let on.
"No matter how crushable they are, their venom can still kill a man," Mime replied softly as Adrien turned the corner and followed Marinette to the stairs.
"What was that about?" Adrien asked Marinette as they descended.
"He was warning you," Marinette admitted after a moment of silence. "Mime is someone I would almost consider a friend, and I would do anything in my power to help out Mylene or Ivan. However, our badges and siding with the Whisperers comes with a price. If we ever run into him out on the streets in a fight, or if we catch him breaking the law, he will do everything he can to stay free, even if it means taking us out. Always be on your guard, Adrien, and pray that it never comes to that. Because I can't imagine having to deliver the news to Mylene and be the one who put Mime in jail or the hospital."
Marinette's words were sobering and Adrien remained silent as she said her goodbyes to both Ivan and Mylene. They exited the building into the slowly-darkening street and Marinette pulled out her phone to text Stormy for their return ride.
