Hello… I know it's been forever and I swear I've got my reasons, part of it being a stupid mistake I made typing out this chapter. Sorry if it's not my best work, I really tried my hardest but have been very stressed lately with audition season for one of my classes. Anyways, here it is!

I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Marinette had been working the entire night, so it was no surprise to her waking up in a mountain of fabric that she'd stitched into a brand-new coat. It had turned out great, if she could say so herself.

The colors were perfect. Though it was a deep red and not very good camouflage, she adored the color. It seemed to make a rather bold statement, in her opinion.

It was fitted, yet comfortable and still allowed for the demands of crime-fighting. There were pockets on the inside and out, and five big, black, buttons closed up the front of the red coat along with a cloth belt of the same material. It had a removable black hood, and the ends of the coat reached just at her hip.

She had thought out the piece very well. For extra protection, she had sewn some heavy-duty black fabric onto the elbows, and, to make it look a bit nicer, she lined the inside with another black fabric and accented the cuffs of the coat with even more black.

She was incredibly satisfied with her work, she couldn't wait to finish the all-black attire she would make to wear underneath. It had to be of a fabric she could be flexible and work in, but she didn't have any of the right material, or else the outfit would probably be finished by now.

All she needed to do was get a little more money, maybe from a few shifts at the bakery before she can find a job, and before too long she will have the extra money she needs to buy the fabric she needs. Marinette didn't want to admit it, but she was a bit bad with money sometimes. "Bad" meaning she'll splurge for fabric instinctively and suffer the consequences of it later, but she was happy.

A few minutes flew by, and she finally got up and decided to get straight to it. She wasn't a morning person, but her one-track mind was reeling. There was one main objective she had right now, and she knew she had to start working now.

First things first: the bakery.

When Marinette arrived, the little doorbell rang as she stepped inside. She just didn't expect to hear the gasp escaping her mother's mouth until she remembered- she forgot to tell her... only everything.

What do I say?! "Hi, Mom, I just got fired yesterday and so I will take a few shifts at the bakery, if you don't mind. Oh, yeah! And I'm BROKE.

"Bonjour?" she tried.

Her mom sighed. "Grab an apron."

-:-

Back at the workplace, or Akuma Investigators Headquarter Residency (AIHR), Adrien was about ready to throw up. How could you blame him? He went back to work the day after his partner gets fired only to see the person who got her fired in the first place is sitting at her desk?

Hell no.

What's worse is hearing all the congratulations as he walked by, every repulsed step making him feel sicker and sicker. It was just too much. His "friends" delighted faces at seeing Marinette replaced, seeing Lila's face, or the pat on the back he got from Kim.

He was probably as green as his eyes by the time he reached the desk, already knowing that his worst nightmare had come to life. He swallowed the lump that had gathered in his throat. It came right back.

Lila was his new partner.

Nope, nope, nope. Adrien turned and bolted out the workplace just as Lila spotted him.

Nope!

He sprinted out of the Team 1 room and down the hall, past the other few teams, around the corner, and straight into Luka and Kagami.

"Woah, be careful, Adrien," Luka said, in his usual calm demeanor.

"Where were you guys yesterday?! Marinette got fired!" Adrien didn't mean to sound so harsh, he just wished he could've at least had more help defending Marinette. He was weak when it came to arguing, as he's never liked to argue much... except that one time.

A pause replaced the space around them, and it felt like everything went still. His two friends in front of him were always a bit harder to read than some of his others, but at this moment he could read them like a book, just looking at their eyes.

"What did Lila do?" Kagami growled.

Luka just clenched his fist.

"We were out doing fieldwork. That bitch knew Marinette would be easier to prod at." Kagami's voice was eerily level.

Adrien stiffened, knowing exactly what that meant.

"Kagami, no."

"' 'No,' what? Yelling at her will… relieve my frustration."

"Kagami, you know yelling will get us nowhere. And you'll probably end up hitting her face." Adrien told her, chancing a look at Luka.

Luka looked like he was about to punch a wall.

Though Adrien was just as irrational, he tried to talk his friends down. If anyone was doing something stupid, it was him.

His stomach tightened more, and he walked past his friends and into the elevator, going out to take a few breaths.

"I'll be back in five," he says, while the elevator doors close.

-:-

Marinette waved goodbye to her mother from the window, finally at ease after telling her she was fired. Sabine had told her she could help out at the bakery, but she will have to at least get another job as well.

She continued to make her way down the street, on her way to her favorite fabric store. It was one of her favorite places in Paris. Just the thought of being surrounded by fabrics stacked up and filling every corner made her want to skip all the way there, even after being so worn out from the bakery shift.

It was beautiful out, and she was glad for once she wasn't at the workplace, where she was shoved into the workplace restrooms and threatened by the new recruit, Lila.

It was safe to say that she hated her with a passion. Marinette was a bully magnet for most of her life, and had no patience for them anymore. She always stuck with her morals, whether it was to help herself or another, and was often admired because of it.

Lila was somehow more insufferable than Chloe, though. While she had seen Chloe do (almost none) good deeds, Lila only made it appear that she did. Lila was, to put it flatly, a narcissistic bitch. She tries to perfect her image by hurting others, and if that isn't the definition of an asshole, then Marinette didn't know what was. (A/N: besides the literal definition for "asshole.")

Finally, she could see it. The fabric shop was just in her view, but the thought of it had swiveled around her head forever. She quickened her pace, but got cut off by the traffic lights and busy streets.

"Drats," she muttered, impatiently.

The sun shone brightly overhead, almost directly into her eyes. She turned her head to look down instead, and in doing so caught something bright red from the corner of her vision.

There, crossing the street, was an old man in a crimson Hawaiian shirt. He wobbled and hobbled on his cane, taking what seemed like slower steps than a tortoise.

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. He's going to get hit!

Without thinking twice, she dove into the street.

-:-

"Investigator Agreste, why did you leave?" Head Bustier demanded.

"I needed some air."

"You just arrived at work. Is something wrong, do you feel unwell?"

Well yes, but actually no. (A/N: i couldn't help it)

Adrien got up and left from his boss's office, not bothering to answer.

"Agreste? Agreste!"

The door shut behind his single-finger salute. He walked over to his desk, noisily sat down, and proceeded to shove all his paperwork into the shredder, while his co-workers watched in shock.

And he couldn't give a flying duck.

Head Bustier must've called Chief Damocles, because a few minutes later he "waltzed" into the workplace all red-faced like yesterday and huffed and puffed all the way to his desk.

"Monsieur Damocles, I'm sooo glad you're here!" Adrien said, getting up.

Head Bustier emerged from her office, hearing Adrien emphasize the words Monsieur and Damocles.

"It's Chief Damocles, and-" Damocles paused, taking a huge breath, either from anger or the exercise of taking five minutes to get here on a ten minute walk, "-WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

Adrien cleared his throat and let out an obnoxious laugh. "Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" He then proceeded to climb into his desk, and clap his hands.

It was obviously unnecessary, as he had already brought so much attention to his self.

"Hey, everybody! I have an important announcement to make! If I could all have you attentio-"

"Investigator Agreste, get down from the desk, immediately!"

"No."

A simultaneous gasp hushed the workplace, and everything went silent. Everybody was staring. He couldn't say he wasn't used to the spotlight.

-:-

"Thank you for saving me, young lady."

"Of course!" Marinette said, shakily.

"There must be some sort of way to repay you, might I ask where you're heading?"

"That's really not necessary! I was just out looking for a job."

The small man brightened. "Perfect, you're hired! I own a small tea shop just around the corner."

"I, uh, what?"

-:-

Adrien looked down around him, seeing his ex-friends faces ranging from anger and disappointment to just plain shock or confusion.

And he was fine with it. After the argument he had with his father, and Marinette getting fired, he'd had enough.

He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the argument. Gabriel was a terrible man, someone who was willing to prevent his own son from serving as an investigator, something which Adrien would have done willingly, and using the excuse that he was trying to protect him.

He was also excessively rich, and could've gotten away with preventing Adrien from being an investigator. Not to mention the ties he has to the mayor, which Adrien had always speculated to have maybe been the remnants of an old friendship.

He stood a little taller, and reached for his badge.

Kagami and Luka seemed horrified, but there was no way he was backing out. Maybe he should've warned them, but he knew they would try to talk him into something "sensible."

He plucked the shiny badge from his shirt and threw it onto his desk, which was in ruins, though the floor was just as messy after shredding all the documents on his desk.

"I quit."

And as he walked out, a plan was already being formulated.

There was no way he was done for good.

So, yeah, I made Adrien a bit more rebellious. And in the previous chapter, Marinette wasn't as… stuttery? I hope you don't mind, I try to keep characters as similar as possible. Anyways, thanks for reading if you made it down here. I really do appreciate it! Also, stay safe and stay inside!

One more thing. I'm thinking about trying something new, where I tell you a bit of what happens next chapter… so, stay tuned, because there might be:

•stealing

•more stealing

•a dead-of-night meeting

•and a bird man