Aaaand now for the fall out! Thank you so much for the awesome reviews! You all made my week! Also thank SunshineMLB who helped me polish this chapter to greatness!
Scrumblenut... Sorry about that... to be honest I didn't get the time I needed to iron out all my kinks in the last chapter. Thanks for the positive feedback!
lillykleaf... Thank you for the wonderful review! Not sure if our dynamic duo are any happier this time around either lol! I'll leave it for you to decide!
Brian... Answered in order... Yes but Marinettes powers are easier to manage and more useful, I am thinking about it.
gleamqueen... I am getting better about that word vomit thing I swear lol. It still happens though and while I try to whittle my paragraphs into bite sized chunks sometimes I just don't think about it and they stay huge. Thanks for the feedback though! I appreciate it!
(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?
Fall Out
Marinette woke with a headache to end all headaches and she groaned as she opened her eyes. Blinking, everything slowly came into focus and as she took in the silent surroundings Marinette realized that she was still in the small room with the lights turned down low. A thin but warm blanket covered her up to her chest, and while the cot wasn't the most comfortable thing the mattress was serviceable. Fu must have placed her in the other cot after she lost consciousness, and as she looked over to the side she could see Adrien still lying in the other. They were both safe which was really all that mattered and as she looked back up to the ceiling she became aware of the odd shape she missed the first time she opened her eyes.
"Did I hit my head?" Marinette muttered to herself wincing at the soft whisper of her own voice as she let her eyes drift back closed. There was a floating rat hovering just before her, its green eyes eerily familiar. Then the rat spoke flashing tiny fangs in the dim light.
"No you overreached your power and doing so drained you badly. If you had tried to push any harder you could have died."
Marinette bolted upright only to cringe and grip the edge of the cot as her head pounded so hard she felt like she might pass right back out. Everything spun in a nauseating way and instinctively she closed her eyes as she tried to keep her stomach in the right place.
"Easy there, I'd hate to have to tell Fu you sat up only to pass right back out."
Marinette had to wonder if she had a slight concussion from the fight since that should be the only reason why she was hearing and seeing a floating rat. Vertigo settling to a bearable level, Marinette forced her eyes back open to see the floating rat still hovering just out of reach. It didn't move or speak again and the only thing Marinette could think to say was, "A floating rat?"
The thing hissed "I'm a cat and my name is Plagg. You're lucky Adrien likes you or I'd cataclysm your jacket!" Plagg's aura flared dark for a brief moment, then he shook himself and the light was gone. "Not that you have your jacket on. Fu is cleaning it. My stupid kit bled all over it."
For a long moment Marinette was silent as she processed Plagg's words then they connected into the larger picture. "You're what makes Chat Noir." Marinette whispered, eyeing Plagg suspiciously before glancing over to where Adrien lay.
"Smart little bug." Plagg hummed "Yes I am. It's a hell of a story and one Adrien needs to be awake for, so don't go asking a bunch of questions because I won't answer them. Matter of fact, I'll go get Fu. You look like you need some healing yourself."
Marinette didn't get a chance to argue since Plagg bolted from the room, phasing through the wall as if it didn't exist. "Alright… either I'm having a psychotic break or I've just stepped into the twilight zone." Marinette mumbled to herself as she slung her legs over the edge of the cot.
Her whole body ached something fierce, and she felt oddly empty, like something was missing from within. It took her several moments of contemplation but Marinette finally realized what the empty sensation was from. The stones fiery energy that she had apparently become used to simmering through her core was missing and only the faintest traces of warmth flickered in its place. Plagg, if he really was real, said she'd overreached herself and Marinette believed him. Although, it worried her that she felt the loss so keenly. Technically Marinette had only been aware of the stone energy for a few days and this was the first time she had used it with a purpose. It made her realize that her body must have been slowly adapting to the stones energy as it built in her system.
Head still pounding Marinette stood, her limbs trembling from exhaustion as she wobbled over to where Adrien lay. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes, but his breathing was deep and easy, settling something in Marinette's heart. Pulling back the blanket that covered him, Marinette was relieved to see clean, unbroken skin, although there was still some light mottling near the rib area along his one side. Scars both new and old traced the faintest white lines across his pectorals as well as his abdomen, telling Marinette that Adrien had been fighting as Chat for years. It made Marinette's heart ache considering how lonely he must have been, especially when his wounds would had to have been serious considering she could still see the scars. She had seen how fast he could heal so unless the scars were newer she shouldn't really be able to see them at all.
One scar that drew her eye was totally different from the others. Not only was it darker than the others, but it also wasn't white. Instead it almost looked like a birthmark, a single brownish starburst sitting just above his heart. Except Marinette knew what a gunshot exit wound looked like, and it made her wonder how she hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't like Adrien had ever changed right in front of her, but he had taken off his shirt before in the gym and she had seen him nearly shirtless in her flat at least once. The scars would have given her a hint that Adrien wasn't all he seemed, especially if the twin lines she sewn up his back were still there. Part of her wanted to check, to pretend there was no way that Adrien had changed from Chat Noir before her very eyes. Even now staring at him she couldn't understand how he was Chat Noir. Plagg said it was a story for them both to tell, and Marinette burned with curiosity as well as a small bit of anger. Telling herself not to be foolish, Marinette folded the sheets and blanket back around Adrien's shoulders before eyeing them critically. Since no blood marred the sheets or his skin Marinette realized Fu had to have cleaned Adrien off, then changed his clothes and quite possibly even the sheets. From the feel of it as she shifted even her own clothes had been changed since she didn't feel the stiffness of dried blood around her neck or on her skin. It made her feel a little self-conscious but after a moment she shrugged the feeling aside, knowing that Fu had probably checked them both over for any injuries when he changed their clothes. Considering she had been covered in Chat's blood and sweat she would have to remind herself to thank Fu when she saw him. At least they had been in capable hands. After all if she had managed to get Chat to her apartment alone she probably would have passed out onto the floor and cracked her head on something.
"You should not be up Marinette." Fu said as the door shut behind him.
Marinette wavered on her feet as she turned and the room tilted dizzily, forcing her to brace herself against the bed. Fu moved swiftly to her side putting his tea set down in passing before holding an arm up in case she needed to lean on him. "How long was I out?" Marinette asked taking the offered arm as she moved to sit back down on her cot.
"You have been asleep for almost 14 hours. No one has missed you, and Adrien apparently had the day off. You are very lucky." Fu answered, releasing Marinette and moving back to the table to fix her some tea.
"Ugh, I don't feel lucky. I feel rather terrible. How is Adrien?" Marinette responded wincing as Fu turned the light's brightness on the wall up a little further.
"Adrien is fine thanks to you. He had overreached himself as well and coupled with his injuries, it would have killed him."
"But... I healed him right, so why hasn't he woken up?" Marinette asked as Fu busied himself with the tea set he had brought in.
"You didn't just heal him Marinette, you reversed the damage done to him so it was like it never happened. Plagg told me. Apparently he could sense your power and what it did while he was still contained within the suit. Adrien simply hasn't woken because the use of his own powers wore him out and his body hasn't yet realized it's fixed. He will probably awaken soon but for now drink this." Fu placed a cup into Marinette's hands and she crinkled her nose at the amber liquid inside. Noting the reaction Fu chuckled. "Drink it Marinette. It is sweet and will make you feel better."
Holding her breath Marinette did as Fu bade and drank the cup swiftly down. The liquid was sweet like honey but there was a medicinal aftertaste that left Marinette not wanting to drink more than she had to. Fu took the cup as Marinette yawned and shook her head, the headache finally easing as her muscles relaxed. Warmth curled from her stomach, filling her limbs with lead, and she shot a glare at Fu as a niggling idea blossomed in her mind.
"You just drugged me." Marinette accused as Fu gently pushed her back down on the cot. She couldn't fight the push, her body already feeling like a cross between lead and a limp noodle.
"You can be angry later. You must have more rest first." Fu answered calmly placing her legs on the bed before pulling the covers back across her body. "Adrien will have woken by the time you do so again. Believe me Marinette, you need more rest, there is no reason to push your spirit to breaking this early in the game."
Marinette growled, trying to at least curse Fu out for pulling such a sneaky move. Unfortunately, whatever she had drank was fast acting and she slipped into a peaceful sleep before she could form any words properly.
The second time Marinette awoke it was to find herself free of pain, but stiff in a way that told her she had been asleep for a long time. Keeping her movements slow Marinette sat up and waited for a few moments for any delayed reactions. When no bouts of pain hit she glanced over to find Adrien still fast asleep on the other cot and felt that same worry slide through her, like the first time she had awakened but he continued to sleep. Shifting out from under the blankets Marinette placed her bare feet upon the floor and stood experimentally. No dizziness or pain greeted the movement this time making Marinette sigh with relief.
"You're a stubborn one. No wonder Tiki liked you so much."
Marinette glanced around the room her eyes meeting a bright pair of green eyes that she now recognised. Before the table in between the cots had been bare. Now a small pillow rested on the top and Plagg was curled up in the center, wrapped around a red and black stone. Instinctively her hand jerked to her waist band only to remember Fu had changed her clothes.
"Uhhh thanks I suppose… can I have that stone back?" Marinette asked realizing that the fleeting memories of her first awakening hadn't been a dream after all.
Plagg yawned lazily, "Sure but you don't have anywhere to put it right this second. Hold it for a few minutes and then return it to the pillow. No one is going to mess with it. I'll go get Fu."
"That's not necessary." Marinette called, but it was too late as Plagg had already taken off through the wall. Huffing with irritation she snatched up the stone grumbling, "I am not drinking anything he has to offer. He already drugged me once, it isn't happening again, even if I do feel better now."
"Who drugged you?" A slow, somewhat slurred voice asked from the other cot, nearly making Marinette drop the stone in shock.
"Adrien!" Marinette yelped darting to his side as his eyes flickered open.
"Marinette?" Adrien asked curiously, sounding very confused. He blinked slowly, glanced around the room, then pulled one hand out from under the blankets. Seeing skin and the silver ring he paled visibly which was impressive because he was already a pasty color. "Uh… what happened?"
Worry niggled at Marinette, dampening the anger she had been ready to wield like a blade. "Do you not remember the Akuma?"
Adrien flinched "I do… we were fighting it but after I got slammed through that column my memories sort of lose cohesion."
Marinette nodded sinking onto the edge of the bed beside him. "I managed to trap the Akuma in my chains and my miraculous stone… I don't know how to describe what I did, but I guess it helped me free the spirit of the person who was in the Akuma. It turned back into a dead human the second that happened and you were so badly injured I had to call Fu to help me get you here."
Adrien winced then lifted the covers slightly to peer down at his chest. It was smooth, no bandages or gauze and suddenly alarmed he threw the covers off completely before trying to sit up. "Where are we? How long have I been out? My injuries…"
Marinette pressed a hand to his chest noting the freaked out, slightly pained expression he wore. "I uh… I healed you, with my miraculous stone. I think I scared Fu and it took a little too much out of me because he drugged me the first time I woke up. This is the second time I've woken but I think I've unconscious for at least 20 hours total. Since you don't know where we are or anything you must have slept right through."
Slumping back to the bed Adrien wrapped his hand around hers. "That was really dumb. You could have killed yourself."
"You were dying Adrien. Dying as Chat Noir and some instinct told me that I couldn't let that happen no matter what. I would have done whatever it took to save you, you idiot." Marinette hissed feeling her anger flare back into life.
Adrien cringed, "I was going to tell you. I was trying to tell you but then the Akuma attacked and… are you… mad?"
Taking a deep breath Marinette paused for a moment before speaking, her mind racing with emotional turmoil. It would be easy to scream "YES!" to berate him, accuse him, but Marinette understood that a good bit of her anger stemmed from the confusion that was raging through her. Once upon a time she had thought she understood what Adrien's motivations were, and now in light of discovering he moonlighted as a half cat man in a leather suit Marinette was at a loss. After all, he had approached her first saying he wanted to help her protect Paris and its people while promising no ulterior motives. Then they had met while he was Chat, and while their initial meetings had been rife with distrust as well as fighting, somehow Chat had earned her respect and she had earned his loyalty. It made a bit more sense now that she knew Adrien and Chat were the same person, but as Chat he had held a certain distance even if he flirted too much. Of course, Adrien had quickly become something far more than a work partner, and it hurt to even suspect that he had been using her. The whole idea that these two seemingly different men were one and the same left an emotional tangle of thoughts in its wake, leaving her scrambling for words. One thing she knew was that Adrien had come to trust her so much he had been about to spill his secret, it was only bad luck that led to Marinette discovering it in such a shocking way.
Time seemed to hold its breath as Marinette felt her way through the emotional murk and the question she had to finally ask herself was if she had been in his situation would she have revealed such a precious secret? Even if it was Adrien she was telling? Deep within herself, Marinette had a feeling that the answer would be no. She wouldn't have felt safe revealing such a secret to anyone, not even Alya or her parents. The potential danger of anyone knowing, and that secret being used against her or those she loved would have kept Marinette from ever saying a word. Some of the anger within her died down to a low simmer at that revelation. Adrien was far braver than her, or stupider, or more reckless, and Marinette let her breath ease out before finally answering.
"I… I am angry, though I don't think I should be. In your position I don't think I would have ever revealed such a secret because it's too dangerous for others to know. I'm just… confused… and upset and I… I don't know what to say! What was the point? Why hang around as Chat Noir when you were already at my side? I just…" Marinette trailed off, words sticking in her throat as her thoughts seemed to lose cohesion.
Adrien pushed himself upright and hesitantly wrapped his arms around Marinette, giving her the option to shove him away if she wanted. Instead Marinette buried her face into his neck and clung to him, seemingly worried that he would disappear.
Knowing the hug didn't indicate forgiveness Adrien spoke. "Initially I didn't know if you could be trusted. You were the last one to see Tiki alive, and none of the reports of Tiki's death made sense if you started cross referencing them. There was a possibility that you had killed her yourself and I wanted to make sure you had nothing to do with her death. I also was curious to know what had made you so special in Tiki's eyes. Then I ran into you as Chat." Adrien chuckled, remembering their first encounter and the exhilaration he had felt facing her down. "I quickly realized there was no way you were responsible for Tiki's death, and our encounter made me want to get to know you better. Without having to worry about getting arrested of course. By the way you are an incredibly difficult person to hunt down when you don't want to be found."
Marinette snorted into his shoulder, remembering how she had hid from Adrien those first days but in the end he had still managed to track her down. Angry at him or not, Marinette needed the contact with Adrien since the whole near death thing had freaked her out more than she cared to admit. So Marinette remained where she was in his arms, keeping her own wrapped around Adrien as she took solstice that he was still with her.
Rubbing a gentle hand over her back Adrien continued. "I had vowed to stay the hell out of your way as Chat, but you hunted me down a second time and stole the miraculous stone. After that… I had to keep an eye on you as Chat because I didn't know how the stone would react to you if at all. Then the Akuma started popping up and you really started getting involved. Plus the stone actually began to activate and I knew you would need some guidance or else you could get into some serious trouble. It's hard to keep track sometimes moving between two lives, so I decided to tell you I was Chat Noir. I wanted to protect you Marinette, not hurt you. I...I told you that I love you and I really do mean it. I want to spend the rest of my days as your partner no matter which side you choose and well… here we are."
Slowly Marinette pulled back, her fingers tracing down one of the faint white scars that were barely visible on his chest. They hesitated on the starburst shape over his heart before dropping to her lap. She wanted to ask about those scars since she knew that each had been a battle that made the man before her now.
She didn't know how to ask though so Marinette finally echoed, "Here we are." unsure of her next move. She did love him, it hurt to think of her world without him in it, but with everything that had happened in the past 24 hours she really needed a moment to stop and think without being knocked unconscious. Unsure of how to go about saying such a thing Marinette rubbed the stone in her hands, desperately trying to form some sort of answer. Thankfully the door opened behind them before anything more could be said and Fu came in pulling a cart inside with him. Plagg hung out in the air nearby, tossing a massive piece of cheese into his mouth before swallowing it down.
"Ah good. You are both awake." Fu hummed letting the door shut.
"Adrien!" Plagg yelped as he noticed Adrien's upright form and zoomed across the room to slam into his collar bone.
"Hey Plagg. Were you worried?" Adrien teased, fondness in his voice as he cupped his hands around him.
"Of course I was worried you stupid kit!" Plagg snarled "You almost died!"
"Yeah, Marinette told me." Adrien admitted, releasing Plagg from his hands so he could hover between them.
Marinette eyed the floating cat with unease before reaching up to poke him lightly in the back. Plagg spun around with a hiss making Marinette jerk back.
"Plagg…" Adrien growled a warning in his tone.
"How…?" Marinette breathed, having to finally admit to herself that there was a small talking black cat floating before her. After all, everyone else was talking to him so he had to be real.
"It's a long story…"
"One that will wait until after you eat." Fu interrupted before Adrien could start.
Rolling her eyes Marinette opened her mouth to complain, but the smell of food hit them both making their stomachs pinch.
"Is it drugged?" Marinette demanded instead, remembering the tea.
Her question made Fu laugh even as he lifted the lids on the trays to reveal chicken soup and what looked like grilled cheese. "No Marinette, it is not drugged. Earlier you gave me no choice, your body and mind still needed rest and I knew you would not be willing to do so with Adrien still unconscious. You may have even tried to heal him further once my back was turned and it was a risk I wasn't willing to take. Besides, the dose I gave you should have only made you sleep for three or less hours. You slept for another ten."
"We really have been out for 24 hours?!" Marinette groaned, rubbing her fingers over the stone in her palm before really looking down at it. It had changed again. Black dots were now present in the red area and Marinette noted with interest that it looked like a ladybug.
"Give or take an hour or so. After eating Adrien will likely want more rest. I believe you have to go to work in the morning." Fu replied lifting one plate and handing it to Adrien.
Nodding and looking glum at the prospect Adrien accepted the plate. Marinette took the other one and they both took small bites of the soup. It was surprisingly good and they both ate swiftly before passing Fu back the cleaned out dishes. Even though Fu had said the food wasn't drugged, Marinette still waited for exhaustion or sleepiness to kick in. Other than the normal filled-stomach-sleepiness though, Marinette didn't feel like passing out, and she glanced down at the stone in her hand again.
"Alright… " Marinette began holding the stone up for everyone to see. " I think it's time for some questions to be answered. Mainly, do I need to be worried about this thing killing me the next time I get into a fight?"
"It depends on how you use it Marinette." Fu answered sinking into the chair in the corner. "A healing skill set is rather rare, and very unusual considering your own natural fighting gifts. I expected your gifts to follow along with something similar to Adrien's abilities to be honest. Now that we know what your gifts are becoming I can tell you that while a healing ability is easier to overreach, your energy and body will recover far faster. Depending on how your powers continue to grow, it might not ever become a fighting skill set, but you might be able to pull energy from other sources as you get stronger."
"Fighting or not, healing is a skill set we are going to need." Plagg muttered, then shrugged when Fu glared at him. "What we will! These Akuma are getting stronger, faster, nastier, and if the stone Hawkmoth has goes critical we will need a healer to fix whatever Hawkmoth breaks."
"Breaks?" Adrien voiced, this news clearly new to him too. "I thought the stones could only get activated a certain way, and if you don't do it right they explode or something once they hit critical mass."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "Yeah that was Atlantis in a nutshell kid, the Black Plague was another Miraculous break so to say. In both cases a healer wasn't around to fix things, so once the stone went critical the damage just compounded. Marinette is the best case scenario of keeping the damage Hawkmoth wreaks to a minimum. At least until the stone consumes him too."
Marinette really didn't like the sound of that, but she didn't really like the sound of being a healer either. She liked being in the middle of things, fighting her way through along with everyone else. She did not want to be regulated to the sidelines to fix some damage here, or a person there, and she said as much to the two men and cat before her. "I am not going to be stuck on the sidelines. Healing is all fine and dandy, but where do the offensive powers come in?"
Fu chuckled, "A miraculous stones powers are influenced by the person who holds them and by the environment surrounding them. In other words, a person who needs to breathe underwater will likely gain water based abilities even if they do not like to swim. It is very likely you will have purification abilities and healing but will need to use your own fists in a fight. The power of purification can be an incredible tool when used correctly, but we are getting ahead of ourselves. Your abilities will unfold as time moves on. Although I would suggest not trying to pull anyone back from the brink of death for a while. Start small like cuts and such then work your way up from there. Understand Marinette?"
Crossing her arms Marinette held in a grumble of how unfair this whole powers thing was. She didn't mind the healing aspect since it meant less time for her and others to be in pain, but not having an offensive ability was a bit of a downer. "How long should I hold off before starting to practice? I assume that practicing will make me better or at least stronger right?"
"Give yourself another day or two to recover and then we will see about starting small." Fu chuckled, knowing that if he tried for a longer period that Marinette would just go out on her own.
Marinette rolled her eyes but agreed to the terms then paused as another thought hit her. "Do I have to die for the stone to activate fully?"
The air itself seemed to freeze and Marinette looked between Adrien, Fu, and Plagg wondering which would be the first to answer.
To Marinette's surprise it was Plagg who spoke. "Every stone activates differently. But as Adrien told you once before, the stone needs a soul to bond with to fully wake up. That means that you could die and who ever holds your stone next would be able to wield the stone fully, or if someone dies next to you they could become the bonded soul and you will be the wielder. Back in ancient times they had a whole song and dance to decide the outcome but we don't know exactly what they used to do. There used to be hundreds of stones. Now there are probably only a dozen or so."
"How do you know that?" Marinette asked, wondering if there was a text or something she could read to get more up-to-date information. After all, that information hadn't been in Tiki's papers.
Plagg sighed "I know because I died and when I woke up like this, it was like the information had been poured into my brain. How else do you think I knew the activation phrase right away and what powers we could wield?"
Marinette flinched, but before she could apologize Adrien caught Plagg gently in his hands, pulling him down to his shoulder. "Please forgive Plagg Marinette. He's always been a crotchety guy, even as a human, but it's my fault that we ended up like this."
"Kid don't even start…" Plagg began, only to get cut off as Adrien snapped "Why you know it's true!"
"The blame lies with the ones who killed you. I don't understand how it could be either of your fault." Marinette broke in making the two of them freeze.
Plagg had floated off Adrien's shoulder again, and this time he dodged Adrien's hands as he tried to pull him down. "Adrien only recently discovered this so don't hold it against him Marinette. I used to live here in Paris, and I had known Tiki since before we could speak. I'm not going to go through the whole song and dance again, just ask Adrien later if you're that curious. I used to be a thief and years ago, probably when you two were in diapers, I stole the miraculous stone pair that are in this room."
"Did you give the other stone, my stone, to Tiki?" Marinette asked.
Plagg shook his head. "I didn't, although that doesn't mean she didn't steal it when she helped patch me up. She never mentioned having a stone, but to her credit neither did I. Once we started researching them we realized how dangerous they were and we never checked into each other's business. It was one of the few secrets between us I suppose. Tiki came to collect all my papers when I died, and I didn't want to burden her with the knowledge that I had turned out like this so I hid. I think Tiki knew though. Or at least she suspected."
"Wait, so Tiki took all your papers?!" Adrien cried "I went looking for your stuff, and when I didn't find anything, I thought someone had stolen them! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Of course she took them. The miraculous are a need to know basis, and you didn't need to know. You were already a miraculous user and I didn't want that information to affect how you thought your powers should grow. Besides you turned out fine." Plagg scoffed.
Adrien rolled his eyes about to snipe back but Marinette broke in before he could.
"She missed you terribly you know Plagg. You should have told Tiki you were still… present." Marinette said softly. "Tiki told me it was an ambush and that Adrien had been out of the way when things actually went down. I am guessing that was a lie since Adrien told me that he died to become Chat Noir."
Plagg shook his tiny head, his green eyes closed up tight as Adrien rubbed a hand over the starburst scar, wincing as he did so. "When I was still human Tiki and Fu had started hearing rumors of the Hawkmoth gang attempting to plant a foothold in the USA. Since I was closest, I went to check it out on my own because Adrien didn't know about the Whisperers and such. I had already disrupted a few supply lines in the gangs that were around, so most of the gangs in our area knew not to bother me. Hawkmoth was a different story however, and they sent the worst of the worst to break into the business there. Usually when gangs start-up they're quiet while they gain money and power, but the Hawkmoth gang wasn't even trying to be stealthy. They came in killing and looting, so when they started killing off local gangs I became deeply involved on both sides of the job and dragged Adrien into the mess by accident. The night Adrien was with me was supposed to be a quick run, a simple in and out. Figure out who had the upper hand in the gang standing, maybe create some chaos, and call the cavalry in if backup was needed sort of thing. I had called Adrien in to come check a lead I thought was safe and watch my six. I was trying to figure out the best way to repel the Hawkmoth gang, and my intention was to bring the largest of the gangs together that night. I was hoping to get them started on an idea to boot Hawkmoth out but that never happened. Unfortunately, two of the smaller gangs had already rolled over for the Hawkmoth gang and that night we were led right into a trap."
"I wouldn't call dropping a building on us much of a trap." Adrien commented dryly.
Plagg snorted, "They only did that because they shot you through the chest and realized they missed me. I think I made them panic when I started taking them out in the darkness one by one."
"So they buried you in rubble…" Marinette whispered "But how…"
"Did we become Chat Noir?" Plagg finished, cocking his head to the side as Marinette nodded slowly.
Plagg crossed his paws, sinking down to land on Adriens knee. "Adrien and I were close. The only other person I could claim that sort of closeness to was Tiki. Without realizing it, Adrien had handled my stone a few times, even bled on it by accident. The stone liked him, although since I was the one carrying it, I was the one whose body was changing. I was becoming faster, a hell of a lot stronger, and my senses were already through the roof. I hadn't unlocked any special powers per say but that night, when they shot Adrien… When I saw him go down… When I caught him and knew his wound was fatal unless I did something fast… I may have gone a little berserk in a predator kind of way. I don't really know how, but I used the stone to sear the worst of the wound shut and then I hunted the men that were in the building with us. I couldn't get Adrien out without going through the Hawkmoth gang, and they didn't respond well to me asking nicely, so I started killing them. When I had taken about ten of their men out they got scared and brought the building down on top of us."
"You protected him." Marinette stated, because she understood that drive. She had felt it when she saw the Akuma attacking Tiki all that time ago, and she had felt it again when the Akuma had attacked Chat. Even with insurmountable odds stacked against her, Marinette would move against an enemy if it meant protecting the ones she loved.
"Yeah, I did the best I could." Plagg sighed "Even with the stone's speed and strength I was injured badly enough that I knew I wasn't walking out of that place alive. Then the building came down and broke my spine. Somehow I managed to get back over to Adrien, and since he was minutes away from dying as well, I decided to gamble our fates away to an ancient magic stone. The miraculous can heal injuries to their host's body when activating... at least to a certain extent. I knew that my body wasn't going to make the cut even with miraculous powers, but Adrien was healthy. Besides the bullet hole in his chest of course. I had the choice, so I let go… I died and since I made sure Adrien had a direct connection with the stone we became a bonded pair. We became Chat Noir. The first transformation was… tricky… We did far more damage than an Akuma could ever dream of and no one made it out of there alive, but we survived. I became what I am now and Adrien isn't fully human either these days, but he's better at hiding it than I could have ever been."
"I'm guessing Hawkmoth never managed to get a foothold over there." Marinette asked, letting the breath she hadn't realized she was holding go.
"No, we destroyed them." Adrien stated, his voice filled with a wintry chill. "It took us a while since they had used a pronged method of attack to get started, but we got every last Hawkmoth member and we even managed to clean up the streets a little along the way. The police force over there calls Chat Noir a vigilante, and they might have a shoot-on-sight policy against me."
That little tidbit alarmed Marinette into asking, "Why would they shoot on sight?!"
Adrien chuckled nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. "I uh… well Hawkmoth had started infiltrating the force, and the person in charge of my case may have been a first wave snitch, and I may have, sort of killed him… Plus Americans do things a little differently. Practically everyone over there has a gun and the police force isn't afraid to draw or shoot their weapons. They are the reason why I know my suit's bullet proofing range so well."
Marinette buried her face in her hands with a bit of a groan at Adrien's seemingly endless stupidity when another thought crossed her mind. "W-why didn't you come home at all? Tiki was here, you could have come home and… and… we could have used your help."
Marinette knew the words came out wrong from the way that Adrien flinched, but while she had understood Plagg's desire to protect, she couldn't understand why he hadn't come home. Even changed, Marinette knew Tiki would have rejoiced at him being alive, and if Adrien had been in Paris Tiki might have survived that night…
"That was my fault." Plagg answered before Adrien could, "I was too caught up in my guilt at changing Adrien, and I was terrified at the thought of Tiki knowing what I had become. I told Adrien to remain in America while we sorted out our powers and made sure that Hawkmoth couldn't make a comeback, and by the time I'd drawn up my courage… Tiki had been killed. It's an excuse. I know it's an excuse and I know if I had just sucked it up and gone to her when she collected my papers I probably would have been in Paris the night she was killed and you were so badly injured. Maybe it would have changed things and maybe not… I don't know and it kills me that I don't know. Either way when Tiki was killed we returned to Paris for her funeral, and Adrien had a drop-down-drag-out-fight with his pops. After that we elected not to return to America and began tracking the Hawkmoth gang's movements in the wider European area. After a year or so of that, we collected too many leads that lead us right back to Paris, so we returned and the rest you have been here for."
Numbly Marinette nodded, looking back down at the miraculous stone in her palm. It was just the slightest bit warmer than what her body heat could make it and as the silence continued, a purr like vibration oozed from it, making another question form in her mind. "Tiki said she saw your body Plagg. How or what made you a black cat?"
Plagg shrugged "My hair was black as a human, so since I kept my eye color I guess I kept my hair color too. As for what made me… Adrien says the stone vanished once we became Chat Noir for the first time, so I guess I sort of hatched from the stone? Or maybe the stone turned into me? I really don't know kid. Any other questions?"
"Only about a million." Marinette answered, but for the life of her nothing would come to her mind. She felt completely overwhelmed and she knew that the best thing for her to do would be to take a walk to clear her head.
"As you think of questions Marinette you can ask them. There is no need to know everything right this moment." Fu said after a drawn out moment of silence. "Adrien, I would recommend returning to sleep since you have work in a few hours. Plagg, come with me and we will see about the dishes."
Plagg rolled his eyes, but to both Adrien and Marinette's surprise he flew after Fu as he exited the room with the empty food trays. As the door swung shut Marinette realized they were alone again and a sudden sizzle of nerves twisted through her gut. Marinette wasn't sure where to start off again, since Fu had come walking in before she could really get her thoughts together. With Adrien staring intently at her, as if he were expecting her to say something, she panicked.
"Who are you really?" she blurted and at Adriens startled, confused look Marinette scrambled to backtrack. "I mean… you or Chat… who or which one's the act?" Marinette managed, wondering if Adrien even understood what she was asking.
"I am not the perfect obedient son my father wants." Adrien finally murmured. "Actually, he doesn't even want an obedient son, he wants a puppet that he can show off when it pleases him and then sits quietly in a corner the rest of the time. When I was in America with Plagg I was free to be who I wanted, for the first time in my life. I didn't have a babysitter, or a body-guard, I just had people around me who liked me for who I was. Nino was the only person I really knew like that over here, and being able to just live without having to second guess my every move, or thought, or word was liberating. Then Plagg died, I became Chat Noir, and my father wanted me to return home. He didn't like the person I was becoming in America. He actually said that to me!" Adrien shook his head, his disgust evident. "I always knew when I returned that I would have to pretend to be the perfect son if I wanted to avenge Plagg and Tiki as well as wipe out the Hawkmoth gang. I thought I was going to have to shove myself into a box for however long it took and then I ran into you. You… you draw me out. The real me I mean. Usually I'm a blend of the two I guess, but here it's easier as Chat Noir to let myself be who I really am since no one has any preconceptions as to who he is supposed to be. Since being with you though I guess it's a mixed bag. My personality is a little over the top as Chat, but it's only because I'm allowed to relax and have fun without repercussions from my father. I do have to be careful though, Plagg's warned me more than once not to let the split between my two sides become too deep. He doesn't want the stone to accidentally cause a split in my personality. He says you balance me though."
"ME?!" Marinette cried, shocked into speech.
Adrien nodded "Yeah you. You have always been able to calm me down or snap me out of what you call my stone-face. I remember you doing it once or twice, even in college. You are important to me Marinette. I don't want to lose you through my own stupidity, it's why I was going to tell you I am Chat Noir."
His words hammered at Marinette's heart. She loved him. Marinette knew she loved him but she was also upset, confused, and angry, with no outlet here to free the emotions enough to separate them. If she tried to work through anything with Adrien right now Marinette knew she would do more damage than healing. "I… I need a few days." Marinette finally managed, forcing the words out even though they tasted like betrayal.
Those words definitely weren't the ones Adrien was expecting and for once his face was an open book. He was scared, scared of losing her, exhausted still from the fight, and sadness pulled his mouth down in a frown while one shoulder was slightly raised like he was bracing for her to hit him. "I… I understand Marinette. I can… I can go."
"NO!" Marinette yelped, understanding that Adrien didn't mean just leaving the building. At his startled look Marinette dropped her head into her hands, taking a deep breath before fixing a terrifying glare upon him. "I love you, you idiot, and I swear to God if you try to pull any sort of disappearing act I will hunt you down and skin you alive understand?"
Adrien blinked his eyes lighting back up at her words even as confusion crossed his features. Before he could ask anything however Marinette put a hand up. "Look… I get flustered and overwhelmed and my world just sort of got turned upside down and honestly we are lucky I haven't had a complete melt down yet. I need a few days to sort myself out and get my head back on straight. This thing between us… this…"
"Relationship?" Adrien supplied, and Marinette sighed but nodded.
"Yeah, relationship, everything you have told me shines new light on it and you and I just… I need to figure out where I stand is all. I need to put you and Chat in the same box and I can't do that here or around you. I just need a bit of time. I'm sorry."
Relief made Adrien's shoulders slump and a wane smile lifted his lips. He understood. Adrien didn't like it, but he understood. It was the same as when he had first become Chat Noir and he had needed a few days to process everything that had happened. "I understand Marinette. I won't bother you. Just… if you need me… or Chat…"
"I'll call." Marinette said reaching forwards to grip Adrien's hand. "I promise."
Adrien's smile grew and he lifted her hand up to press a chaste kiss to her knuckles, making a small blush etch its way across Marinette's cheek bones. "I'll hold you to that princess."
Suddenly a look of horror flickered across Marinette's face, "Oh god… you're a punner… I'm going to have to deal with a punner for the rest of my life."
That made Adrien burst out laughing and Marinette's cries of "It's not funny!" did absolutely nothing to contain his giggles. Pulling her hand out of his grip she swatted his shoulder lightly and stood, stretching her arms to the roof.
"I'm going to head out but you should stay until you have to go to work. Fu will want to watch you anyway, so I doubt you could leave even if you were able. If you do need me don't be afraid to call me." Marinette said "I mean it Adrien."
Nodding Adrien simply gave her a wistful smile and watched as she slipped from the room.
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