~Author's Note~

I just wanted to reply to the reviews I got for this story. I thought I did add the page breakers, but the file uploaded without them for some reason. I fixed this issue in chapter 4. The name Panthera comes from the scientific name for big cats. The genus, Panthera, is used to refer to tigers, lions, leopards, etc. The full scientific name for a tiger is Panthera Tigris. I just wanted to use something that hasn't already been done in other shows/movies, and panthera seemed to stick. I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far!


"So, let me get this straight," Cassandra said as she stretched her leg along the barre, bending sideways until her hands touched her foot, "there is a magical box that contains a bunch more miraculous, but the previous owner of this box lost three of them, including mine. And now, there's this psychotic holder who frequently combines the other two in hopes of creating a monster bad enough that it is capable of taking yours and Ladybug's miraculouses for his own. And you've been fighting this guy for three years."

"Basically," Adrien said, watching her eyes find his in the full-length set of mirrors.

"And I thought my life was crazy," she said, switching sides before stretching once more.

"You get used to it," he said, shrugging.

"And where do I come in," she asked, turning to face him and hoisting herself to sit on the barre.

"I think you with your powers could be the key to bringing him down. He would never see you coming, especially when your miraculous is thought to be lost. And you're more experienced using your miraculous than anyone, including me and Ladybug."

"Speaking of Ladybug," she said, smiling as she jumped off the barre and circled her brother, "Let's talk about that relationship, shall we?"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "There's nothing to tell, really. She doesn't know who I am, and she loves someone else. I'm used to it at this point."

"You still love her though," Cassandra stated rather than asked.

"I do," Adrien answered anyway, "And I always will. But, if I am meant to be nothing more than her partner, I accept that too."

"Hey," she said, grabbing his hand, "Let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving."

"Fine," he said, allowing himself to be drug out of the studio.

"You want the usual," Cassandra asked, and Adrien nodded, opting to grab them a table while she walked over to the line to order.

"Hey, it's Adrien," he heard a voice say and was soon face-to-face with Nino, Alya, and Marinette.

"Hey, guys," he said, waving at them.

"I can't believe your father let you outta the house, my man," Nino said, fist bumping him.

"Well, he has to loosen the reigns eventually. Future CEO and all," Adrien said, chuckling even though the situation felt anything but funny.

"One café au lait and half a ham and cheese sandwich, no pickle," Cassandra said, placing the food and drink in front of him before sitting down with her meal.

Before she could take a bite, she noticed the small group staring.

Clearing her throat, she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Cassandra Taylor, new in Paris," she said, standing back up and offering her hand.

"Hi, Dudette," Nino said, shaking her hand with gusto. "This is my girlfriend Alya and her best friend/fasion extraordinaire, Marinette."

"You just started with the biggest ballet dance company in Paris, right? I've only watched your debut performance a hundred times," Alya said, jumping into reporter mode.

"Guilty. It's hard to not fall in love with the city of lights after all," Cassandra said, looking from Alya to Adrien.

"So, tell us, how do you know our little ray of sunshine over here," Nino said, shaking Adrien's shoulder as the latter rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, he introduced himself after one of my shows. We've become fast friends," she said, glancing at the blush slowly creeping up on the darker haired girl's face.

"Oh, that's terrible, I mean great. It is terribly great that you found friends in Paris so quickly. It must be lonely traveling all the time," Marinette said, the smile on her face growing wider and wider until it took over most of her face.

"You could say that. I'm used to it, though. I think my head would start spinning if I stayed in one place for too long," Cassandra said, coughing into her fist to cover up her urge to giggle.

"Well, we best be going. Don't want to interrupt your date," Nino said, winking.

"Oh, we're not," Adrien said before Cassandra interrupted.

"It's not a date. I was just treating Mr. Model to lunch. You know, how they never seem to eat enough," Cassandra said, poking him in the ribs.

"Hey," Adrien said, smiling in spite of himself.

"See you at school, Adrien," Alya said while Marinette merely waved, her smile wide and eye slightly twitching.

Cassandra waited until the trio was out of earshot before breaking out into a laughing fit.

"Oh, Dude, did you see the looks on their faces," she said, wiping the tears and some running mascara from her face.

"What are you talking about," Adrien said, digging into his lunch.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said, grinning, waiting for Adrien to laugh with her.

When he stared at her, peridot eyes wide and unblinking, Cassandra stopped. "Oh, you really don't know, do you?"

"Not a clue," Adrien said, drinking his coffee.

"That girl? The dark-haired one? She has a massive crush on you," she said, finally digging into her salad.

"Marinette? No, we're just friends."

"Suuurrreee," Cassandra said, taking a sip of her water, gripping the cup with both hands.

"I mean it. Honestly, I'm not even sure she likes me half the time. There's no way she has a crush on me," Adrien said, finishing off his sandwich.

"Father's sheltered upbringing really did a number on you, didn't it," Cassandra said, eating the rest of her salad.

"You know, you never talk about your family. What were they like," Adrien asked, standing before offering her his hand.

She accepted it, standing as well before shrugging. "There's not much to tell. They adopted me to check off an item on their 'we're good people' list, gave me minimal love with maximum education and stuff. When they found out I was really good at dancing, they signed me up for every class they could afford. And when it started feeling like an obligation instead of a hobby, I was too good and they were too invested to quit. Shipped me off to the first dance school they could, and I've never really seen them since."

"That sounds awful, yet weirdly familiar," Adrien said, sticking his hands in his pockets as they walked along the street.

"It used to bother me, but now, I get to see the world, and I don't have anyone telling me what to do or who to be. As long as I maintain my position in a professional dance company, they couldn't care less. And their Christmas and birthday presents tend to be pretty awesome," Cassandra said, smoothing back her braided hair as the wind blew the loose strands in her face.

"I wish I got that kind of freedom. I think my father will own me until the day he's too old to do it anymore," he said, sitting on the nearest bench.

"Or until you stand up to him," she said, sitting down beside of him.

"You're one to talk. You're afraid to tell him you're alive."

"True," she said, pulling out a small baggie of bird food from her purse. She grabbed a handful and threw it into the grass, watching as the birds flocked to the pile.

"I know I have to face him eventually. I owe it to Mother, wherever she is. But I don't know if I'm ready," Cassandra said, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"You're almost eighteen, with a miraculous. What could he possibly do to you," Adrien said, picking up the discarded baggie and throwing his own handful into the grass.

"I could ask you the same thing," Cassandra said, turning her head to look at him.

"It's different. I grew up with him. For you, he's this big, scary concept that Mother put in your head. He's real for me, and he's the only parent I have left. No, he's not affectionate, and yes, I'm more like his employee than his son, but he's still my father."

"At least, you have good memories of the two of them. I don't know if I will ever get to meet my own mother," Cassandra said, standing up and turning her back to her brother.

"Cassandra, I didn't mean it like that," Adrien said, standing up with her.

He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"It's okay. I have to get back to the studio and actually practice this time. I'll text you, Adrien," she said, walking away, wiping away the stray tear as it made its way down her cheek.


Later that night, Marinette paced across her small bedroom as the kwamis watched.

"I'm so stupid. Of course, he has a dancer for a girlfriend. Why wouldn't he? I can't believe I ever thought he might like me too when he has these amazing fencers and dancers and fellow models to choose from. Why would he ever even think about dating plain old boring Marinette," she said, flopping down on her bed.

"Oh, Marinette, you're not boring or plain," Tikki said, floating down to lay on her holder's chest.

"Yes, I am, Tikki. The most interesting thing about me is you, and I'd never be able to tell him that. Why do I still have these feelings?"

"Because you love him. There's nothing wrong with loving him," Tikki said, looking up at Marinette with her large blue eyes.

Marinette picked up her kwami and laid her to the side before rolling over onto her stomach. "There is when I can't even string two sentences together in front of him. Or when I would never be able to date him even if he did like me. Being Ladybug will always get in the way."

A thump on the roof alerted the kwamis to hide, all of them flying to Marinette's dollhouse. Moments later, a knock on the trap door brought Marinette out of her stupor.

She crossed her room and opened the hatch, allowing a certain cat-themed superhero to enter her room.

"Meowdy, Princess," he said, tipping an imaginary hat, ears perking up at Marinette's giggle.

"I don't think you'd quite fit in with the cowboys, Kitty," she said, sitting down on her chaise.

"I don't know; I have the muscles for it," Cat Noir said, striking several poses before sobering up and sitting down beside her.

"Is something wrong, Cat? You seem down," Marinette said, looking at her partner.

Cat Noir shrugged, shoulders a little too tense to be genuine. "My civilian life has just gotten a little bit more complicated recently. There's this girl, and I think I hurt her today. I don't know what to do to fix it."

Marinette smiled while her shoulders sagged. She did tell him to move on, after all. "I'm sure you can fix it, Kitty. She'd be crazy not to forgive you."

"You really think so," Cat said, his tail twitching at her words.

"Of course. You're amazing, Cat. She's lucky to have you."

A small blush creeped up his cheeks, partially hidden by the black mask. "She's not my girlfriend or anything like that," he said, rubbing his neck, "More like long-lost family. But, I still didn't want to hurt her."

"Oh," Marinette said, sitting up straighter, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have assumed."

"It's okay. I'm still waiting on Ladybug. Or at least for someone who makes me feel like she does. Nothing else is worth it. I tried to move on with someone before, and I hurt her as a result. I'm not going to do that anymore."

"I know what you mean," she said, remembering the disaster that was her and Luka's brief relationship, "If there's not at least a chance of it being the real thing, it's not worth the pain that follows it. Who knew that Cat Noir would be such a wise person?"

"I am when I want to be," he said, nudging her shoulder with his own, "Thanks for listening to me, Marinette. You're a good friend."

"I try to be," Marinette said, bringing her knees to her chest as she watched the boy climb out of her room and shut the hatch behind him.