A/N: Happy anniversary, Prophe-Cass! :D She's been on here for three years now, and we've been buddies for most of that time and she's sooooo fun to talk to. Prophe-Cass, I couldn't decide on fluff or feels, so... I gotcha both!
This started as a few brief scenes between Ladybug and Chat, but then I got curious and it just kept going!
Ladybug dangled her feet over the rooftop, humming to herself. She stared across the street, where the Agreste mansion loomed over even the high walls.
After several minutes, a voice calling to her caught her attention. She looked down to see Alya waving. Ladybug waved with a shy smile, then redirected her gaze to the mansion.
Not long after, several more voices joined Alya's. Ladybug glanced down, sighing when she saw she was gathering a crowd. She swiftly stood and raced away.
Marinette had been Ladybug for a few months, but she still wasn't used to the attention. She really didn't get Alya's obsession with her, or why civilians had to stare whenever she was around. She was just a normal girl!
Well, a normal girl with an ancient, magical artifact that gave her super stamina and agility, extreme strength, and a sacred duty to protect others. So… maybe not so normal.
Ladybug made a long arc around the mansion before stopping in the middle of a roof with a decent vantage point of the mansion. She made sure none of her fans had followed, then settled down.
Since her first transformation, Ladybug had been drawn to the Agreste mansion. She wished she could detransform so Tikki, the magical kwami who granted Ladybug's powers, could see the mansion, but there would be way too many questions if Marinette was spotted on the roof.
Tikki had suggested that there was someone inside the mansion who was connected to a past Ladybug. Ladybug wondered if she wasn't drawn to protect the man inside.
Sure, Ladybug had always admired Gabriel Agreste's work, so it was possible she just wanted to see if the designer would leave his mansion to speak with Paris' hero. But there was also the fact that Mr. Agreste was a lonely man, probably with a lot of sadness. And with Hawkmoth on the loose, such strong emotions made Mr. Agreste vulnerable.
A year before, the Agreste family showed themselves frequently to the public. In clothing shows, photo shoots, and simply taking walks. There had been talk of Adrien, who was an only child, going to Marinette's very own school!
But, that had all changed when Adrien and his mother, Emilie, vanished. Though the news claimed Emilie and Adrien had died in a wreck while traveling, there were many theories flying around. Illness, divorce, publicity stunt, and every excuse one could think up. Some claimed to have seen Adrien since his death, though Ladybug was never one to accept such claims.
Whatever the reason, Mr. Agreste had locked himself away from everyone since. Having faced such difficulties, Ladybug feared for Mr. Agreste, and had taken it upon herself to watch for akumas around his mansion.
Ladybug spent an hour on the rooftop in silence, working on her homework and watching the skies. At some point, her mind wandered to when she'd first transformed.
Stoneheart had been… strange, and Ladybug's first taste of akumas. She abhorred akumas, and the troubles they inflicted on innocent Parisans. She often struggled against the akumas on her own, and was relieved that Hawkmoth seemed as new at making akumas as she was to fighting them.
Tikki had warned her that akumas could be very strong and devious, so Ladybug put all her effort into becoming a better Ladybug. To help, Tikki had led Marinette to Master Wu, a quirky old man who was Guardian to the other Miraculous.
Ladybug pursed her lip in a pout. She'd asked Master Wu for some help fighting akumas once she'd learn he wielded a Miraculous as well, but he said he was too old. When she'd asked for him to recruit someone else, Master Wu had solemnly showed her an empty spot in the Miraculous box.
The Black Cat Miraculous was meant to be the Ladybug's counterpart, Master Wu had said. Ladybug had no idea if Master Wu had given the Black Cat to someone else or lost it -Master Wu could really talk in circles- only that she had to find holder of the Black Cat before Master Wu would allow any more Miraculous out of the box.
A headache distracted Ladybug from her musings. She checked the time on her yo-yo, eyes widening when she saw how late it was. She'd been transformed for five hours, way longer than she usually did. Poor Tikki would be straining to hold the transformation.
Ladybug hurriedly stood, mentally berating herself for getting so distracted. Suppose Hawkmoth had spotted her or the transformation had dropped?
Ladybug raced across the rooftops, headed for home. As she leaped across an alley near the La Grand Paris, a clatter startled her. She landed awkwardly, sprawling across the tiles.
Leaping to her feet, Ladybug glanced around, as though there was anyone to notice. She stepped to the edge of the roof, squinting into the alley.
At first, Ladybug couldn't see anything but a couple dumpsters. Then, just as she was about to turn, something shifted in the shadows. A pair of cat ears poked into the light, then green eyes flashed and the ears vanished.
Ladybug blinked. Had it been her imagination, or had the ears been rather large for a cat? Her headache intensified, forcing Ladybug to leave before she could investigate.
"Oversized cat ears?" Tikki said ten minutes later, letting her macaron dangle.
"I don't know," Marinette said, twirling on her desk chair. "I'd just been thinking about the Black Cat Miraculous, so I probably imagined it."
"But you might not have," Tikki prompted.
"It would be a strange thing to imagine," Marinette admitted. "Do you think I should have stayed to check?"
"No," Tikki said, nibbling on the macaron. It was her third. "We barely made it back in time as it was."
Marinette winced. Her rushed return to her balcony had been a bit too rushed, as she sailed right through the open skylight and crashed into the floor. Her parents had, luckily, not thought too much when Marinette had simply explained she'd fallen. Being clumsy sure had its perks when it came to making excuses.
"We can check again tomorrow," Marinette determined.
Unfortunately for Marinette's plans, the bakery was an absolute madhouse the following day. Marinette was kept busy baking, cleaning, taking orders, and delivering, so it wasn't until evening that she was able to escape and investigate the alley mystery. Figuring she had only an hour before her absence was noticed, Marinette escaped to her room, transformed, then took off, reaching the alley in record time.
Ladybug landed lightly in the alley. She lamented when she realized how dark it was in the alley -the hotel cast a rather large shadow- but figured she wouldn't have to search, anyway.
"Hello?" Ladybug said, turning in a circle.
Ladybug waited, but there wasn't any noise or movement. She squinted under and around the dumpsters, but there wasn't anything out of place.
After several minutes of searching, Ladybug was startled by the sound of a door opening. She spun on her heel in time to see Alya's mom exit the hotel's back door. Both froze, staring at each other.
"Er…" Ladybug waved. "Hello."
Mrs. Cesaire blinked, then smiled. "Ladybug, I wasn't expecting to see you here. Can I help you with something?"
"Oh, no, that's alright, Mrs., er, Ma'am."
"Call me Marlena, please."
"Yes, Ma'a- er… Marlena." Ladybug didn't think she would ever get used to calling adults by their first name. She rushed on, "Actually, have you seen anything unusual around here?"
Marlena's gaze suddenly became guarded. "Unusual? What are you looking for?"
"Well… I don't really know…"
Ladybug trailed off. She took in the trash bags in either of Marlena's hands, and thought it was odd that the head chef of the largest hotel in Paris was on garbage duty.
Marlena seemed to shake herself, and the caution left her eyes. "Well, what brings you here, then?"
"Call it a hunch," Ladybug said.
Marlena hummed as she threw the garbage into the dumpster. "What sort of hunch?"
"This is going to sound silly," Ladybug warned. "But I'm… kinda looking for a cat?"
Yikes, just when Ladybug didn't think she could be any more awkward.
"A cat, you say?" Marlena said musingly.
Ladybug shrugged. "Yeah…"
Marlena stared at Ladybug for several minutes, in which Ladybug tried to not shift her feet. Aside from Nadia during the news and Alya's interviews, Ladybug had little experience speaking with anyone. She was grateful when Marlena nodded after a minute.
"Can you meet me here tomorrow at about this time?" Marlena requested.
"Uh, yeah, sure," Ladybug said. "What do you need?"
"I want to show you something I think you'll be interested in," Marlena said with a mysterious smile, then refused to explain further.
Marinette spent the next day in jittery impatience. She suspected whatever Marlena was showing her had to do with the cat she may or may not have seen, but she just didn't understand why Marlena had to be so secretive about it.
Ladybug raced to the alley as soon as sunset arrived. She waited on the roof until Marlena came out the back door, again holding bags of garbage.
"Ladybug?" Marlena called softly.
"I'm here," Ladybug said, landing beside her. "What did you want to show me?"
"Sit here."
More confused than ever, Ladybug did as she was told and sat by the door. Marlena threw the garbage into the dumpster, then returned to the open door and grabbed a plate of cheese and crackers Ladybug hadn't noticed sitting just inside. Marlena set the plate on the ground in the middle of the alley, then sat beside Ladybug.
A few silent minutes ticked by. Ladybug glanced from the food to Marlena patiently waiting. She opened her mouth to ask, then Marlena spoke quietly.
"There he is."
Ladybug looked forward and saw a person-sized shape beside the dumpster. She was almost certain it hadn't been there before. The shape moved cautiously to the plate, eventually coming into a bit of light.
It was just a person, probably a kid based on their size. Ladybug couldn't make out many features under the hood hiding their face in shadow. They were wearing some sort of black, one piece outfit that somehow combined a hoodie and sweatpants. The hood had large, tattered cat ears that flopped backward. They wore black gloves and shoes as well.
Ladybug was, admittedly, a bit disappointed. "A kid?"
The hoodie ears shot straight up with the kid's head. Ladybug caught a glimpse of glowing, slitted green eyes, then the kid leaped over Ladybug's head, grabbing onto the wall ten feet off the ground, then racing up the brick to vanish on the roof.
Ladybug leaped to her feet, mouth agape. "What was-"
"He's not an akuma," Marlena quickly said.
Ladybug blinked, the possibility not crossing her mind until then. "Why not?"
"He hasn't destroyed anything, and he's been around for much too long." Marlena retrieved the empty plate -the kid had grabbed the food before fleeing. "Longer than Hawkmoth."
Ladybug stared at the trio of slashes the kid had left on the wall in his wake. "How long?"
"I found him digging through the trash five months ago," Marlena said. "I have a soft spot for children, especially for someone who's clearly alone. I've tried to help him, but he's incredibly skittish."
"I see that. Do you know how he…" Ladybug pointed to the slashes.
"I didn't know what to make of him at first," Marlena said. "I had nothing to compare him to. Not until I saw you on the news."
Ladybug blinked. "Me?"
Marlena nodded. "His costume is similar to yours, just like a cat. You saw the work of his claws, and he has some sort of tail attachment that acts so much like a cat, it's uncanny. Those cat ears aren't just decoration, either."
Ladybug's mind flew back to the musings from a couple days ago. The Black Cat Miraculous was out there somewhere. Tikki had explained the Black Cat holder would likely look very similar to a cat, but… she needed Master Wu.
"Thank you for showing me," Ladybug said. "Does he come every night?"
"Nearly so," Marlena said. "He's harmless, really."
Ladybug paused from yo-yoing away. Was Marlena afraid she'd hurt the Black Cat? No wonder she'd hesitated to show Ladybug in the first place.
"I believe you," Ladybug said with a smile. "And I think I know someone who can help both of you."
Marinette tried to contain her excitement as she hurried to Master Wu's apartment. She was delighted to find Master Wu alone when she arrived.
"Master Wu!" Marinette blurted as soon as she knew the room was empty. "I think I found him!"
Master Wu's brows rose. He beckoned Marinette to a back room, where Marinette explained about the sounds that had led her to the kid.
"Do you think it's him?" Marinette asked at the end.
"It's the only explanation, given the outfit and such a feat of leaping," Master Wu said consideringly.
"Has he really had the Black Cat Miraculous for five months?" Marinette asked.
"Eight months," Master Wu corrected.
Marinette unconsciously wilted a bit. She couldn't help but wonder why the other kid had received a Miraculous so much earlier than her, especially if the Ladybug and Black Cat were supposed to be a team.
"Master, why so long ago?" Tikki asked, apparently sharing the same thought.
"Finding keepers for Miraculous is not easy," Master Wu said. "For the Ladybug and Black Cat, even more so. Very few people can appropriately use their powers."
Marinette again straightened.
"Without proper training, it would have been better to wait until you were older." Master Wu shook his head. "Alas, Hawkmoth's stirring forced the Ladybug out much too early."
"And Plagg?" Tikki asked, then explained, "That's the Black Cat kwami. I bet he snuck himself out, didn't he?"
Marinette snickered at the thought of a cat the size of Tikki trying to sneak a Miraculous around the city.
"Wayzz and I could find only one person worthy of the Black Cat," Master Wu said. "In his case, I had to give the boy his Miraculous early so he could survive."
Marinette's mouth dropped open.
Tikki giggled. "Plagg's got a kit now?"
"He does," Wayzz said, sounding amused.
"I don't understand," Marinette said.
"Why do you suppose the Black Cat would go to the back alley of a restaurant for leftovers?" Master Wu asked.
It took a second, then Marinette's eyes widened. "He's homeless?"
Master Wu nodded sadly. "I found him digging in the garbage behind the building nine months ago, in the middle of winter. He refused my attempts to help, but he did accept the Black Cat Miraculous."
"Plagg was supposed to direct him back here," Wayzz sighed. "But, you know Plagg."
Marinette looked between the kwami. "Is that a problem?"
"It depends on how much Plagg told his holder about Miraculous," Tikki said. "Since he's never shown up in battle, that's probably very little."
"Maybe he's just focused on surviving," Marinette suggested.
"Perhaps. But if you are to have any hope against Hawkmoth, you must get him to work with you," Master Wu said.
"I can do that," Marinette assured him. She stood, then paused. "Do you know anything about the boy?"
Master Wu shook his head. "Wayzz is talented at finding new keepers, but we never met the boy until the night I gave him the Miraculous."
"Not even his name?"
"Sadly, no."
Marinette hummed in thought. "Well, it won't be easy, but I won't let you down, Master!"
"Here, kitty, kitty," Ladybug murmured, landing in the alley the following day.
She'd spent the day wondering how to get the jumpy kid to come out to her. Unintentionally, she'd been comparing the boy to an alley cat, which felt strange despite Tikki's assurances that it was fine. Regardless, everyone knew the best way to make friends with a cat was with food.
Ladybug set a small box of pastries from her family's bakery on the ground, then stepped back. A minute later, Marlena entered the alley as well.
"Hello, Ladybug," Marlena greeted. She noticed the box. "I see you've been busy."
Ladybug just stopped herself from saying her family loved to bake, as the bakery's logo was on the side of the box. She simply greeted Marlena and said she'd stopped by a bakery on her way.
Ladybug and Marlena sat and waited. Before long, Ladybug saw glowing eyes appear from behind the dumpster. She was very careful to stay still while the boy crept into view.
Now that she knew what she was looking at, Ladybug could see the boy moved in a distinctly feline manner. He remained on all fours, moving one hand or foot at a time and audibly sniffing. His ears were pointed straight at her.
"He's not used to anyone else showing up," Marlena commented quietly.
Despite his wariness, the boy sat beside the plate. He ate with his hands, nibbling at the cheese while watching Ladybug and Marlena. When the plate was empty, he lightly batted the bakery box.
Ladybug held in a laugh. While it was rather odd to see the feline behavior in a human, it was amusing to see his head tilt to better study the box.
Without thinking, Ladybug leaned forward to offer her help. The boy immediately sprang back, green eyes going wide and ears flattening. At the same time, his head angled so Ladybug could finally see his pale, bony face.
For a second, nobody moved. When the boy still didn't flee, Ladybug very slowly crept to the box and opened it. She nudged the box closer to the boy, heart twisting in pity when she realized he was panting.
"It's okay," Ladybug crooned. "It's okay, kitty. I'm not going to hurt you."
Ladybug kept speaking calmly while the boy slowly calmed down. His ears flicked forward, seeming more in curiosity than fear. He crept forward, eyes on Ladybug.
On a whim, Ladybug offered her hand to the boy. He stopped, eyeing the hand, then ducked his head. He pushed his head against Ladybug's hand briefly. He blinked slowly at Ladybug, then grabbed the box and leaped away. Ladybug stared after him.
"Woah," Marlena eventually said, breaking the silence. "He's never let me touch him before."
"Well," Ladybug considered her hand, "You were right about him being like me. He must have sensed it, too."
Ladybug returned home soon afterward. She was thrilled, considering the boy's actions a success. Her excitement soon faded, though, when Marinette explained to Tikki about the evening, and Tikki's face became distressed.
"Tikki, what's wrong?" Marinette asked, cupping her hand for Tikki to sit.
"It's the Black Cat," Tikki said. "He's not supposed to act like that!"
"You mean, like a cat? Well, he's got the Black Cat Miraculous, so maybe it's that?" Marinette considered her statement. "Then again, I don't act like a ladybug… I think. What do ladybugs act like, anyway?"
Tikki shook her head. "Focus, Marinette! Black Cats in the past sometimes get some feline quirks, but never anything like that."
"What's that mean?" Marinette asked.
"He's spent too long transformed," Tikki said, tapping her tiny paw to her chin.
"I thought we had time limits."
"We do. But if the circumstances are bad enough, the kwami can extend the time," Tikki explained. "It's just really draining for us. And if they do it too often, the holder and kwami can become… stuck."
"What do you mean, stuck?"
"Just, stuck. You saw the Black Cat. It could become permanent." Tikki shuddered. "And if someone removed the Miraculous while he's stuck, the shock could kill him!"
The next day, Ladybug enacted Operation: Catch a Stray.
The first order of business was to wait for school to finish dragging out. She left with a half-finished excuse about a project, then spent the rest of the day searching for the boy.
She didn't find him the first, second, or sixth day. In the evenings, he returned to the restaurant, but never stuck around and Ladybug couldn't follow him in the darkening city. She was stuck, and probably would have spent weeks in futile hunting if it hadn't been for a phone call Alya received at the end of the school day.
Marinette was leaning against the wall outside the school, trying to not pout as she mentally searched for a new plan to find the Black Cat, who she'd unconsciously nicknamed "Kitty." Alya and Nino were nearby, Alya excitedly talking about how she'd seen Ladybug every day of the last week and what it could mean.
"She's searching," Marinette wanted to supply.
Alya's phone rang, cutting her off mid-ramble.
Holding up a finger, Alya answered the call. "Hey, I'm on- woah, woah, slow down, there's a what?"
Marinette and Nino exchanged confused glances. Marinette turned to walk away, already planning on continuing her search for Kitty.
"There's a cat on the roof?" Alya said, sounding exasperated. "Just leave it alone, Ella… what do you mean it's as big as me?"
Marinette bolted.
It took longer than Ladybug would have liked to reach Alya's building, but she'd had to at least show up at the bakery so her parents wouldn't worry when she didn't return after school. Then she'd had to dodge her parents so she could transform and leave.
Having prepared for the worse, Ladybug was greatly relieved to see the situation was calm when she arrived. Ella and Etta were giggling at Kitty, who was crouching and picking tuna out of a can. When Ladybug landed on the corner of the roof, Kitty perked up.
It was her first time seeing Kitty in full light. Ladybug's first impression was that Kitty was way too skinny. She also got her first good look at his tail, which swished happily.
"Ladybug!" Etta said, going wide-eyed. "What're you doing here?"
"I just came to collect my kitty," Ladybug said with a smile.
Kitty bounced to his hands and feet -paws, maybe?- and beamed at Ladybug.
A second later, the door to the rooftop slammed open, making everyone jump. Ladybug blinked upon realizing Alya had literally kicked the door open. She was too startled to move at first as Alya ran onto the roof, brandishing a broom.
"Go on, get out of here!" Alya said, waving the broom.
Nobody else moved and, after a moment, Alya seemed to actually notice that Kitty wasn't just a big cat. She made a slight "meep" sound, and Ladybug was afraid she was frightened. But then Alya whipped out her phone, and Ladybug knew she was fine.
"Who are you? Do you have powers like Ladybug, too?" Alya rambled, grinning. "Oh, wow, a new hero in Paris, and right on my rooftop!"
Ladybug leaped between Alya and the confused Kitty. "Wait, don't record him!"
"Ladybug!" Alya said. Her smile grew. "Is this a new teammate of yours? Is he still in training? What's his name? And his powers?"
Ladybug tried to hide how flustered Alya's questions were making her. "That doesn't matter right now. Why don't you all wait downstairs so I can handle this."
"Oh, is he a villain?" Alya leaned around Ladybug. "Oh, wow, this is the closest I've ever been to a villain. Everyone watching the Ladyblog is going to go crazy!"
Ladybug remembered the Ladyblog with a jolt. She suddenly couldn't remember if Alya posted her videos live or not. What if she was live right now? Everyone would see Kitty, including Hawkmoth!
"No!" Ladybug said, forgetting her usual awkwardness to the camera. "Alya, put down your phone!"
Alya gaped at Ladybug, but did lower her phone. Ella and Etta edged away and Kitty growled, making Ladybug soften.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to yell," Ladybug said softly. "But you can't post him on your Ladyblog."
Alya got a stubborn look in her eyes. Ladybug inwardly groaned. Alya was a reporter first. Even if Ladybug explained the entire story, she wasn't sure if Alya would be able to keep it to herself.
Etta made a disappointed "aw," alerting Ladybug into turning around and seeing Kitty fleeing. The noise and strangers had probably been too much for him, and Ladybug's frustration sure couldn't have helped.
Ladybug ground her teeth in annoyance as she forced herself to not chase after the boy. She had to make sure Alya understood the importance of keeping Kitty a secret.
"Ladybug?" came Marlena's voice.
Everyone turned as Marlena stepped onto the roof. Nino was behind her, peering over her shoulder.
"Nino caught me at the cafe," Marlena explained. "What's going on?"
"Mom!" Alya yelped. "There's another hero of Paris! He was right here!"
Ladybug groaned. Yeah, Alya was fantastic at secrets.
Marlena's eyes flicked between Ladybug and her daughters. Ella and Etta were bouncing excitedly, but silent about the rooftop visitor. Alya, however, was rattling off the entire scene.
Ladybug put her face in her hands.
"He came here?"
Ladybug peeked between her fingers. Marlena was looking at her, and Alya had been silenced by the question. Ladybug nodded her head.
"You knew about him?!" Alya demanded. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Marlena calmly explained, "Because he's shy. Ladybug and I have been making efforts to get him to trust us, but he isn't ready for the entire city to know about him."
"But… isn't he like Ladybug?"
"He could be, someday," Marlena said. "But right now he is scared and alone. He isn't ready for the entire city of Paris to be hunting him down. And he isn't ready for Hawkmoth to know about him yet."
Alya sputtered, "He's not- I wouldn't tell Hawkmoth!"
"Alya, if you post videos about him, Hawkmoth will find out. You can't tell anyone about him, got it?"
Alya shuffled her feet. "Not even Marinette?"
Ladybug nearly laughed at the thought, but restrained herself.
"Not even Marinette," Marlena said. "Marinette is a good girl, but it would be easy to let something like this slip. Or, suppose someone overheard you?"
"Yeah… you're right…" Alya sighed, then pressed the delete button on her phone. "But, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Well, now that you do know, I could use your help," Ladybug offered.
Alya perked right up. "Anything."
"Kitty must have followed your mom home at some point," Ladybug said, silently glad the kid hadn't shown up at the bakery. "And he'll probably be back. It would be such a relief to me if I knew he had a safe place to go to if he needs."
"Oh, we'll help!" the twins piped up.
Marlena laughed softly. "They always wanted a cat."
"Can I help?" Nino asked, stepping onto the roof. "The little dude looks like he could use some friends."
"Er- of course!" Ladybug had forgotten Nino was watching. "But you can't tell anyone."
Nino nodded seriously.
"What should we do if he comes back?" Alya asked.
"You can call me," Ladybug said.
Ladybug had recently discovered a phone feature on her yo-yo. It was kind of pointless if Alya called while Ladybug wasn't transformed, but it would have to do. Ladybug gave her number to Alya, Marlena, and Nino.
Afterward, Ladybug was feeling more confident. Kitty was coming around, slowly but surely, and she had more people to help her. If Kitty felt safe enough to show up at the Cesaire house, then it wouldn't be long before Ladybug fully had his trust. Of course, it wasn't like there was any need to rush Kitty, right?
Wrong.
Ladybug was on a timetable, apparently. Akuma could be quite chatty, and it turned out that Hawkmoth really wanted the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. And with Hawkmoth getting more used to his powers, akumas occurred more and more often in an effort to flush out the Black Cat.
Ladybug was learning quickly, too, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that she couldn't work alone. With akuma that could multiply or control citizens, Ladybug was too easily outnumbered.
The appearance of Darkblade really changed the game. Two Lucky Charms later, Ladybug still hadn't gotten close to the akuma.
A third Lucky Charm sent her to Master Wu, who urged her to call her partner. But Kitty, who rarely let Ladybug touch him and liked to sprawl on the Cesaire roof and watch the twins play, wasn't nearly ready to fight. He had no desire to help and, frankly, no bravery.
Luckily, Ladybug knew some people who had both.
Master Wu reluctantly parted with the Fox and Turtle Miraculous. Ladybug raced to the Cesaire house, where Alya, her parents, and Nino fiercely guarded the twins and Kitty.
Ladybug's first instinct was to give the Miraculous to Marlena and Otis, who'd learned about the rooftop visitor pretty quickly, but neither parent wanted to leave the twins. When Ladybug lamented that she needed help from other Miraculous holders, Marlena simply pointed to Alya and Nino.
And thus, Rena Rouge and Carapace was born. With their help, Ladybug saved the day and finally had the confidence of teammates watching her back.
Master Wu was furious.
But it wasn't Ladybug's fault. He'd never told her that the members of a superhero team weren't supposed to know each other's identities!
A couple weeks after Darkblade's attack, Ladybug, Nino, and the Cesaire family sat on boxes and chairs on the rooftop. Trixx and Wayzz floated nearby.
For simplicity's sake, Master Wu had allowed Alya and Nino to keep their Miraculous. Wayzz often visited the old Guardian, though. Ladybug had to stay transformed around Alya's family.
Before long, Kitty peeked over the edge of the roof, then hopped up to perch on the railing. He cocked his head at his watchers. The twins giggled at him.
Kitty often showed up when they were all gathered. Ladybug still wasn't sure if he lived nearby or if he could just sense when she was transformed. Either way, he was steadily growing more relaxed with the group.
Since Darkblade had threatened the city, something had changed. Kitty had shown up every day, whether or not Ladybug was present, usually to just hang around.
Sometimes, he was agitated and paced, other times he stared plaintively at Ladybug. But he never said what was wrong.
Kitty dropped to the rooftop. He circled a few times, then abruptly flopped onto the ground and stretched out.
"What's he doing?" Ladybug asked.
Alya smothered a laugh. "Haven't you ever seen a cat in a sunbeam?"
The others laughed with Alya. Kitty lifted his head, his expression so smug, everyone laughed harder. Kitty just gave a rumbling sound and lowered his head.
Ladybug stopped mid-laugh. "Did he just purr?"
"Dude, I thought I'd imagined it," Nino sputtered between laughter. He nudged Alya with an elbow. "Does this mean you'll bark?"
"If you can make your head disappear into your shell," Alya returned with false sweetness.
Nino's laughter cut off, a vaguely disturbed expression crossing his face. He looked at Wayzz. "I can't do that, can I?"
"No," Wayzz said soberly.
"But you might bark," Trixx giggled to Alya.
"Nope, no way, never barking," Alya said.
"It's involuntary," Trixx said, waving a paw.
"Awesome," Nino said, settling back in his seat.
Alya waved a warning finger at him. "If I catch you recording me, I will bite that phone in half."
"Wouldn't snapping be my job?" Nino teased. "Or should we change your name to Ginger Snap?"
Alya shoved him. Nino, shaking with renewed laughter, tumbled off his box to the floor. Kitty leaped up with a startled little mrr that was way too adorable, and set everyone into gales of laughter.
Eventually, everyone calmed down. Alya, shooting him warning glances, let Nino back onto the box.
As everyone settled down, Kitty stood. He walked to the chair where Ladybug sat, then sat on the ground beside her. He gazed at Ladybug, who froze. He opened his mouth, and Ladybug unconsciously leaned forward.
"Meow!"
"I get the purring, but meowing, too?" Otis commented.
Most of the others chuckled, but Ladybug only felt a sudden horror. Kitty's eyes, the most -and sometimes seemingly only- human part of him, were sad.
Nino was the first to notice Ladybug's reaction. "Ladybug?"
"He's stuck," Ladybug whispered.
"Stuck?" Alya repeated.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Ladybug said, jumping to her feet and pacing. Trixx and Wayzz, upon realizing what Ladybug meant, rushed to her. "Tikki told me this could happen, but I didn't think…"
"What does that mean?" Marlena asked.
"We aren't supposed to stay transformed for long," Ladybug explained. "When we're older, we can handle it for longer, but as teens, we just can't."
"So, the transformations end," Alya said, having that happen on her first day as Rena Rouge.
"According to Tikki, my kwami, it sometimes won't if the kwami doesn't let it," Ladybug said. "If there's something wrong -I don't know, an akuma or something- the holder and kwami can keep the transformation going."
"For how long?"
"I don't know. I never tried and didn't ask."
"In the wrong circumstances, the transformation can last for days or weeks." Wayzz hesitated. "Or months."
Trixx zipped to Kitty's face. "Plagg, this isn't funny anymore! You let the kid go!"
Kitty yowled.
"Plagg couldn't have forced it unless the boy wanted it, too," Wayzz said. "And, I believe it was necessary."
"Last winter," Ladybug said, remembering how cold it had been. "They had to stay transformed to survive."
"He's been like this since winter?" Alya asked.
Kitty gave a miserable head bob.
Ladybug crouched. "You're understanding us?"
Kitty made the head bob again.
"Could you always?"
Kitty blinked at her.
"Gonna take that as a no. Can you drop the transformation now?"
Kitty yowled miserably.
"Sh, it's okay," Ladybug told him. She patted his head, smiling sadly when he leaned into her hand. "We'll figure this out."
Marinette was still puzzling over Kitty's predicament the next day when she, Alya, and Nino visited the zoo to see a new panther Otis had told them about. She could tell Alya was thinking, too, as Nino had to steer her while she typed out notes on her phone. All three were so distracted, they didn't notice the akuma until everyone was suddenly screaming and a large panther with purple eyes roared from the top of a cage.
"What happened?" Marinette yelped.
Alya squinted, then her eyes widened. "Hey, that panther's wearing my dad's bracelet!"
Alix, darting by, heard Alya and stopped. "That panther is your dad."
"What? How?"
"I'm not sure. Kim was insulting the animals, and I saw Mr. Cesaire get mad at him."
Alya's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to kill Kim."
"Unless Mr. Cesaire beats you to it," Alix said, pointing when the panther leaped out of sight.
"How did Kim even get him that mad?" Nino asked.
Alix shrugged. "Kim's talented."
The trio of heroes quickly found a hidden corner and transformed. Since Rena Rouge and Carapace were new and Rena sounded worried about fighting her own father, Ladybug sent them to find and protect Kim, figuring he'd be Otis' first target. She then chased after Otis, who was calling himself Animan.
Animan proved to be frustratingly elusive, though. He could transform into any animal he wished, and he could communicate with animals, too! If Ladybug wasn't cornering Animan, then she was herding escaped zoo animals away from frightened citizens.
Before long, she'd given up the offensive in an effort to remain safe herself, and had to race along rooftops to avoid most of the animals. She crouched in the shadow of a chimney, panting. Knowing she didn't have long, Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air.
"Lucky Charm!" she whispered fiercely. The yo-yo flashed, then a small object fell into her hands. "A bell?"
Ladybug frowned at the round little bell. It looked like something off a dog or cat collar. What was she supposed to do: collar Animan?
Ignoring the bell just then, Ladybug opened her yo-yo and called Rena Rouge, knowing she couldn't defeat Animan on her own.
"Ladybug!" Rena said a second later. "We got Kim to the bakery. Where are you?"
Ladybug looked quickly around. "I'm near your place. Stay put and I'll- ah!"
Ladybug broke off as a purple-eyed eagle slammed into her side, knocking her from the roof. She hit the ground hard, then had to roll to the side. Animan's talons slammed into the pavement where her head had been a second earlier.
Ladybug jumped to her feet. She froze when she realized her hands were empty, then spotted her yo-yo laying across the street.
While Ladybug was distracted, Animan changed to his panther form. He paced closer.
"No more running," Animan snarled. "I'm tired of chasing you."
Ladybug wished she had something to say that could distract him, but she wasn't really good at bantering with the akumas. She lunged to the side, hoping to at least move too fast for him to react.
Wham!
Animan's paw moved quickly, slapping Ladybug to the ground before she took three steps. He jumped onto her, pinning her down with his paws on her shoulders.
Ladybug squirmed and kicked, but couldn't budge the panther. Her mind raced. Animan couldn't remove her earrings in his present form -no thumbs- so he'd have to change form. She'd have a brief second of distraction to escape.
Before either could make a move, a furious screech filled the street. Animan looked quickly up, then a blur of black slammed into him, knocking him off Ladybug. The heroine scrambled to her feet, then her eyes widened when she saw her rescuer.
"Kitty, no!"
Kitty and Animan were rolling around the street, locked together in combat. Kitty yowled when Animan's paw struck his face, then retaliated by biting the paw. Animan roared and kicked Kitty away. Kitty hit the ground, rolled, then threw himself back at the akuma.
Ladybug ran and grabbed her yo-yo, then spun toward the battle. She groaned, realizing the fighting was moving too quickly for her to intervene. Buzzing from the yo-yo alerted her into opening it, where she saw frantic, worried texts from her teammates.
"On the ground," Ladybug texted, adding the nearest street name. "Kitty's fighting akuma. Hurry!"
Ladybug looked back at the battle right as Animan roared. He snatched Kitty's hood like the scruff of a cat, then hurled him into a wall. Kitty dropped to the ground and didn't move.
"Kitty!" Ladybug yelped, rushing toward him.
"No!" Animan howled, making Ladybug freeze. "You told me the earrings, and I'll get you the earrings, but I'm getting a ring for you, too!"
Ladybug felt a pang of horror. Hawkmoth!She hurried to Kitty's side, kneeling as he slowly moved his paws under him.
"Kitty, you have to run!" Ladybug hissed.
Kitty shook his head with a deep-throated growl. His ears were flat on his hood. His green eyes were glowing slits in his shadowed face, glaring at Animan arguing with Hawkmoth.
Ladybug worriedly eyed Animan. Kitty obviously didn't want to leave the fight, but it simply wasn't safe for him!
"Ch… ch…"
Ladybug's gaze whipped back to Kitty, who was making the odd sound. His gaze was intensely focused ahead while rasping something.
"C… C…"
"Ladybug!"
Carapace!
Ladybug spun as Carapace and Rena Rouge landed across the street. Rena frantically pointed at Kitty, then away. Ladybug nodded. Kitty wasn't safe and she was on a time crunch, as a beep from her earrings alerted her.
"Hey, Animan!" Carapace yelled. "Over here!"
"Fine!" Animan snarled. "I'll get your precious ring, too."
Rena face-palmed as Animan ignored her and Carapace completely, instead walking toward Ladybug and Kitty.
"Hey!" Carapace punctuated his yell by throwing his shield.
The shield struck Animan's hindquarters, making him jump and spin to claw at the attack. The shield, however, had bounced back to Carapace, who easily caught it.
"I'll teach you to respect animals!" Animan yowled.
Animan's form changed, then he charged the amateur heroes as a gorilla. Carapace barely had time to form his Shellter before he and Rena were smashed by Animan's huge fists.
Ladybug instinctively moved toward the pair, but made herself stop. She had only moments before Animan remembered the Miraculous Hawkmoth had ordered him to retrieve. She had to wonder briefly what made her earrings and Kitty's ring so special compared to Rena and Carapace's Miraculous. Was it because they were the most powerful?
Ladybug was startled from her thoughts when she found herself staring at… herself. She blinked, caught off-guard, then noticed a second Kitty beside the other Ladybug. Kitty hissed at his other self.
The other Ladybug waved a hand, then pointed toward the alley. Then, pointing to herself and the other Chat, she pointed toward the raging Animan.
Of course! Rena's Illusion power could buy them all time!
The illusion Ladybug and Kitty ran a wide arc around the battle, then ducked into the Shellter from behind. Animan roared and beat his chest, making everyone wince from the sound.
"Time to go, Kitty!" Ladybug yelped.
"Ca… ca…" Kitty growled out.
"Carapace is fine," Ladybug told him. "But we won't be!"
Animan growled, then went silent. Ladybug glanced nervously over her shoulder in time to see Animan's shape grow bigger and taller until he towered over the Shellter. His shape settled and cleared to reveal… a T. Rex?!
"Okay, that's just not fair," Ladybug grumbled.
Animan gave a bone-chilling, teeth-rattling roar, then clamped his enormous maw over the Shellter. Startled shouts came from inside.
"Com'on, dude, brush your teeth!" Carapace complained.
"Or a breath mint," Rena was barely able to be heard comment.
Ladybug might have laughed, if she hadn't heard a sudden crack. Her eyes widened at a seam that had appeared in the Shellter.
"Ca," Kitty snarled.
"They're going to be fine," Ladybug said, though she was suddenly less sure.
Another crack appeared. Rena and Carapace's yells turned scared.
"Ca…" Kitty lunged forward with a rasping cry of, "Cataclysm!"
Swirling black energy formed around Kitty's right paw, which he kept raised as he raced across the street. He ducked under Animan's swinging tail so he stood in front of the T-Rex, then lunged upward.
"Kitty!"
Ladybug ran toward Animan just as a shudder ran through the T. Rex. He collapsed sideways, shrinking and shadows flooding his form. By the time he hit the ground, he was Otis again.
Spotting the akuma fluttering away, Ladybug quickly swung her yo-yo to capture the akuma. She hurriedly purified the akuma and released it with a muttered, "Bye," eyes on her friends.
Kitty was sprawled on the ground, ears flat and panting. Inside the heavily damaged Shellter, Carapace was hunched protectively over Rena, who was kneeling and just noticing they were safe. The illusion Ladybug and Kitty stared blankly ahead.
"Is everyone okay?" Ladybug asked.
Rena patted herself down. "Considering we were almost eaten by a T. Rex… pretty good!"
"Speak for yourself," Carapace grunted, sagging tiredly to the ground.
"Don't be dramatic," Rena teased him. "We're alive, aren't we?"
Ladybug frowned worriedly at the boys. Carapace seemed to be feeling the effects of his Shellter being damaged, but she wasn't sure why Kitty was still on the ground, unless the fight had hurt him more than he'd shown to Animan.
Well, at least Ladybug knew how to fix it.
Pulling out the bell -what had it even been for?- Ladybug threw it in the air and yelled, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
A swarm of magical ladybugs rushed through the street, repairing the damage Animan had caused, then moved on to the rest of the city. Even Carapace's Shellter had been fixed, and Otis' bracelet appeared beside Kitty's hand.
Carapace straightened and cautiously stretched, then nodded. Ladybug looked at Kitty, expecting the same from him.
Kitty, however, didn't move.
"Ladybug?" came Otis' voice. "Rena Rouge? Carapace? What did I… oh."
"It's alright, D- er… sir," Rena said, trotting over to the sheepish man. "I think Kim learned his lesson about messing with the animals."
"I still could have handled it better," Otis grumbled, mostly to himself. "Is… er, he okay?"
Ladybug touched Kitty's shoulder, but didn't get a reaction. She rolled him onto his side, frowning when he remained completely limp.
Chirps from three Miraculous and the sound of approaching civilians forced the team to move quickly. Rena offered to guide Otis home and Carapace said he'd stay with Ladybug and Kitty. Ladybug picked up Kitty carefully, then cradled him to herself when he didn't show any response.
Ladybug used her yo-yo and swung herself and Kitty onto a nearby rooftop. Carapace landed beside her, looking at Ladybug for instructions.
Knowing Carapace had less time, she said, "Meet me at Alya's," then whipped away.
The trio of heroes vanished in separate directions, making sure nobody spotted them before turning to the Cesaire rooftop.
Ladybug arrived on the rooftop first, Kitty still cradled against her. She was just setting him on the floor, when a tiny chime caught her attention. She squinted at Kitty's collar, from where the sound had seemed to come, and saw a tiny, round bell hidden by the folds of his hood.
A thud and oof made Ladybug look up as Carapace ungracefully face-planted the floor. Half a second later, he transformed back.
"Cutting it a little close, I see," Wayzz commented as he appeared. "You really must be more careful."
Pushing himself to his feet, Nino chuckled awkwardly. He then fished out a bag of baby carrots from his pocket to feed to his kwami.
Alya arrived moments later with her entire family behind her. Trixx floated above them, munching on an improvised snack of a sausage in a croissant.
Marlena immediately joined Ladybug beside Kitty. "Alya said Kitty joined the fight. How is he?"
"I don't know." Ladybug sat back and gestured to him. "I can't find anything wrong, and the ladybugs should have cured him, anyway."
"Let me check," Otis offered, going to her side.
"Does he need a vet or a doctor?" Nino wondered aloud.
"I've got a doctor kit in my room!" Ella piped up.
"I can get Sugar," Etta offered, referring to her teddy bear. "She always makes me feel better."
"Yes, let's get both," Marlena said, herding the twins to the door.
Ladybug opened her mouth to suggest taking Kitty to a "friend" -AKA Master Wu- but her earrings chirped a warning. She startled, having forgotten her own time limit.
"Let me get my bag," Otis said, standing and following Marlena and the twins.
Ladybug smiled gratefully at Otis, then returned her gaze to Kitty. For a moment, the trio of heroes just stared at the silent Kitty. Ladybug's earrings gave a final chirp, then the transformation dropped.
"How did it-" Tikki gave a tiny squeak. "What happened?!"
Taking a cookie from her bag, Marinette explained what had happened in the fight. Tikki nibbled the cookie, but mainly just stared at the still Kitty.
"If Otis can't fix him, he should be taken to Master Wu," Wayzz said. "It must be some sort of Miraculous sickness I've never seen."
"Is that possible?" Alya asked.
Tikki's head tilted. "I don't think so."
"What makes you say that?"
Tikki pointed. Everyone looked at Kitty as a sickly green glow appeared around one hand. The glow quickly grew bigger and brighter until it covered his whole form. A split-second later, the light vanished.
"Plagg!" squealed the three kwamis as they dove, catching a fourth, black kwami that had appeared over the boy.
Marinette's gaze stayed on the boy. With the transformation gone, he was completely normal. It was kind of jarring, for some reason. Without the hoodie, she could see his shaggy blond hair and pale, dirty face. Under the ragged white jacket, faded black shirt, and tattered jeans, he was still skinny despite Marinette and Marlena constantly feeding him.
"Ugh, get off," groaned Plagg. "I'm fine."
Tikki shoved the rest of her cookie into his paws. "Take it easy, Plagg. You've really strained yourself."
Plagg took the cookie, but stared at Tikki with his huge green eyes. "How long has it been? A week?"
"Try nine months," Wayzz said drily.
"Oh…" Plagg shrugged. "Eh, it was worth it."
"Plagg!" Tikki shrieked.
Plagg squeaked and dove into the boy's hair, losing the cookie on his way. "Help! Tikki's on a rampage!"
Marinette giggled at Plagg's theatrics and Tikki's exasperated sigh. She froze, eyes widening, when Plagg's disturbance made the boy stir.
"Kit!" Forgetting Tikki, Plagg floated to the boy's forehead. "Hey, kit! You can wake up now!"
The boy's face creased, then his eyes fluttered open. He focused on Plagg, a slight frown tugging his mouth. Then he seemed to notice the teens leaning over him, as he gasped and jerked his hand protectively over his chest.
"Woah, easy, dude," Nino said quickly. "We're friends."
The boy blinked his green eyes. He shuffled backward while slowly sitting up. He nodded at Nino and Alya, but frowned at Marinette.
"Oh, right, you've never seen me like this," Marinette said. "Tikki?"
Tikki floated to her. "Let's do it, Marinette!"
"Tikki, spots on!"
The boy's face lit up once Marinette had transformed. "Ladybug!" the boy said happily. He twitched, as though startled by his own voice.
"So you can talk," Ladybug said.
The boy grinned, but didn't offer anything else.
"Does he look familiar to you?" Alya suddenly piped up.
"No?" Ladybug said. She looked at the boy. "What's your name?"
The boy frowned.
"His name is-" Plagg broke off with a bubbly hiccup.
Nino snorted. "What is that?"
"It's a protective measure to prevent kwamis from accidentally saying their chosen's name around someone who doesn't already know it," Wayzz said.
"Even if it would be totally helpful?" Ladybug asked with a groan.
"Help us out, kit," Plagg said, floating upside down in the boy's face.
The boy just stared through his overgrown bangs.
"Hello?" came Otis' voice.
The boy was on his feet in an instant, backing away from the stairs.
"Woah, woah, it's just Dad," Alya said. "All clear, Dad!"
The rest of Alya's family filed onto the roof, stopping to stare at the untransformed boy. Otis glanced at his vet bag, then shrugged and set it aside. Ella pouted that "Kitty" was gone, while Etta stared wide-eyed at the boy. Marlena's expression was purely curious.
"Adrien?" Marlena said.
The boy jumped back, wildly shaking his head. He stammered in a raspy voice, "N-no?"
Alya snapped her fingers, further startling the poor boy. "Of course! You're Adrien Agreste!"
Ladybug would have face-palmed if Adrien didn't look like he was ready to vault off the roof. There had never been an official search, but Adrien and his mom's face had been all over the news, and Ladybug herself had been guarding the boy's father.
"Like the fashion designer?" Nino asked.
"His son," Alya supplied, oblivious to Adrien backing further away. "He vanished a year ago. There were tons of theories, but everyone thought he'd died-"
"H-he did-d," Adrien rasped.
Alya broke off with a choke. Marlena looked at the shocked teens, then stepped forward. Adrien eyed her, but didn't retreat. Ladybug let her take the lead, as Marlena was the only one who didn't seem to be reeling.
"Adrien," Marlena said.
Adrien shook his head. "N-not-"
"I'll never forget the face of the boy who snuck cookies out of my kitchen," Marlena said.
Adrien flushed.
"You've met him?" Ladybug asked.
"His family used to come to the restaurant," Marlena explained. "And Adrien and Chloe were practically raised together."
Alya made a face. "Chloe?"
"Yes, Chloe," Marlena said. She re-focused on Adrien. "Why are you hiding?"
Adrien shook his head and took another step back. Until then, Plagg had been silently watching, but now he floated to Adrien's shoulder and piped up.
"Adrien's mom got sick a year ago."
Adrien frowned at the kwami.
"What? Ladybug can help Emilie," Plagg said.
"What happened?" Marlena asked, crouching.
Plagg looked at Adrien, who pursed his lips, then nodded. Plagg, with the occasional addition from Adrien, explained.
Gabriel's family had been in possession of two Miraculous for generations, but nobody knew what they were beyond cool pieces of jewelry. Emilie's family had an ancient book full of a lost language and odd pictures of heroes. When the two married, it had taken Emilie very little time to make the connection between the Miraculous and Grimoire.
Within a few years, Emilie had discovered how to unlock the Peacock Miraculous. For a time, she'd been content to study the Miraculous and Duusuu as they were. Eventually, she got more curious and decided to transform for the first time, not realizing the Miraculous was damaged.
With Gabriel busy in the fashion business and Emilie absorbed with the Miraculous, Adrien had grown up largely alone and raised by the family assistant, Nathalie. The times he'd spent with his parents when they actually took breaks were the highlights of his life, and Adrien had thought he led the perfect life.
Adrien had remained unaware of Emilie's true activities until two years prior, when she caught a mysterious illness she traced to the damaged Miraculous. Nevertheless, she had continued her efforts to learn more about the Miraculous.
Just over a year before, Emilie had translated the Butterfly's powers and transformation words. By then, she had been too weak to attempt using a second Miraculous.
So, she had turned to Adrien.
Adrien, finally learning why his mom was so sick, had urged her to stop using the Miraculous. He'd refused to use the Butterfly, assuming it would sicken him as well. Emilie had eventually dropped it, then had dropped into a coma a week later.
Gabriel had lashed out then, blaming Adrien's selfishness at refusing to use the Miraculous, as though Adrien could have even helped Emilie's illness. In his fury, Gabriel had activated the Butterfly and attacked his own son, forcing Adrien to flee.
For a time, Adrien had lived alone on the streets, afraid of approaching someone for help. What could he have said, anyway? That his mom was in a magical coma and his dad had an army of butterflies after him?
When winter came, Adrien had been fully unprepared and would have died if he hadn't happened upon Master Wu's alley. While wary of the odd man and his Miraculous, Adrien hadn't rejected Plagg when the kwami first appeared.
Plagg, upon hearing Adrien's story, had prioritized Adrien's survival in the winter over dealing with Gabriel. This plan had backfired, however, when Plagg had underestimated Adrien's fear of other people. Adrien had refused to drop the transformation and Plagg hadn't wanted to force the boy to do something that scared him so badly, and so the pair had gotten stuck until Adrien's Cataclysm had pushed their limits to their end.
By the end of their tale, Ladybug could only stare in shock. No wonder Adrien had never shown himself, and had acted so frightened of everyone! The idea of such a cold, harsh family felt so odd to her.
And now that she knew what Gabriel Agreste was really like, Ladybug shuddered. To think, she'd been trying to protect him from…
Ladybug's eyes widened. "Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth."
Alya rocked back on her heels. "Say again?"
"Hawkmoth holds the Butterfly Miraculous," Ladybug explained.
Adrien flinched.
Ladybug absently put a hand on his shoulder. "It has to be him. And this whole time, he was trying to get our Miraculous… why?"
"Not everyone's," Plagg said. "Whoever holds the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous has access to some major power."
"What kind of power?" Ladybug asked.
Plagg shrugged. "If anyone's ever done it, I don't remember it. But nobody's ever been allowed to wield both at once."
"Why didn't Tikki ever say that?" Ladybug asked.
Plagg tilted his head. "Well, I mighta been phasing through some walls I shouldn't have been centuries ago…"
Wayzz sighed.
"Now what?" Alya asked. "Go after Hawkmoth?"
"We should, and soon," Ladybug determined. "But first, we have to figure out what to do about Adrien."
"I'll be fine." While Adrien had readjusted to using words, his voice was still raspy. "I'll go back to my box."
"No way," Nino immediately said. "You need a better place to sleep. We'll sneak you through my bedroom window and you can hide in my closet if we have to."
"We could find room…" Otis trailed off.
Ladybug thought about the family's apartment. Even with Nora away for a few months, they didn't have room for Adrien. Neither did Nino's family.
Her own family, however…
"Marinette can help," Ladybug said.
Adrien blinked, obviously confused over Ladybug referring to herself in such a way, but he luckily didn't comment. While Marlena and Otis didn't know Marinette was Ladybug, they did know Marinette knew about "Kitty." Ladybug had had to explain her easy access to bakery goodies somehow.
Alya grinned. "Yeah! They've got plenty of room in their house, and a guest room. And maybe Mr. Dupain-Cheng can put some meat on Adrien's bones."
"How will you explain it to her parents, though?" Marlena asked.
"We'll figure out something," Ladybug assured her.
There was no question about her parents taking in Adrien once they heard his story. She wasn't sure how long-term it would be, but at least Adrien would have someplace safe to stay while Hawkmoth was taken care of.
Ladybug looked at Adrien. "Only if you want to, though."
Adrien hesitated, uncertainly painfully clear in his eyes. But after a moment, he nodded.
"I trust you, M-" Adrien stumbled over his words, "Lady… M'lady."
Ladybug smiled at the impromptu nickname. "Okay, Kitty."
A/N: This is as good an ending as any! I'm also leaving you with the mental image of Ladybug kicking Hawkmoth in the face and Adrien sitting at a table with Tom, Sabine, and a plate of croissants. XD
I wrote most of the taming scenes while I was trying to tame real life kittens, so that was fun. 0w0