Adrien flopped back on his bed after changing into his pajamas. His mind was spinning.
Marinette was definitely Ladybug. He was the missing Chat Noir. He was a superhero. His real name was Adrien Agreste, the famous supermodel. His own father had been trying to set him up to marry Chloe Bourgeious against his wishes. He groaned.
"Plagg, what do I do?" He asked, feeling overwhelmed. The cat kwami blinked at him lazily.
"Anything you want," he replied. "You have the chance to make a fresh start, if you want it. I think you should take advantage of it."
Adrien didn't answer as he caught hold of this thought. It was his choice. What did he want?
He knew he loved the place he had as a part of Marinette's parents' family. He loved that they cared about him, that they'd taken him in and treated him as their own, and that they gave him a chance. He knew he didn't want to give that up.
He also knew that he really liked his work in the bakery. It was fun, lighthearted, relaxing work that he was good at. He'd learned a lot, and he was especially proud of his abilities now that he knew who he really was. He thought it rather unlikely that a supermodel and son of a famous fashion designer would have much cause or opportunity to be making his own food, so it made sense to think that he had some natural talent in that area.
He loved that he'd able to help Ladybug for real now. And now he knew her, in and out of the mask. He could maybe be a real friend to her, or maybe more. He just wished he remembered more about her…
He remembered that Ladybug had said that he'd won competitions for fencing. National competitions, even. It seemed that his abilities in that area could help in his fighting as Chat Noir, if what had happened earlier that week was anything to go by. Maybe he should explore that further, he thought.
Chinese wasn't that interesting to him at this point. If he wasn't leaving his job at the bakery, he'd have little reason to use it. He couldn't remember anything about his Chinese lessons anyway. And he still couldn't remember anything from his business degree either. Perhaps that had been another thing that had come about at the insistence of his father. He made a face. It surely didn't sound like something he was passionate about.
His thoughts turned to his father. He knew his father was all alone, now that his mother was gone, and Adrien himself had disappeared. Was it right to stay away, to let his father think he was dead, just so he could have some freedom and not have reporters following his every move? Sure, his father was cold and controlling- at least, from the one memory he had of the man. But did that warrant leaving a man in the dark about his own son's continued existence?
What would happen if he turned up one day at his family home? Would the press hound him at every turn for the rest of his life? Would he have to cut off contact with his father anyway in order to live the kind of life he wanted? He surely had no intention of getting married right now, and certainly not to Chloe Bourgeious. Not that he actually remembered knowing the woman, but it was plain from his memory what he'd thought of her.
Shaking away these heavy thoughts, he resolved to ask Marinette her opinion later. It was then he realized just how late it was. He was exhausted. He rolled on his side and closed his eyes.
"Night, Adrien," he heard from a spot next to his ear. He cracked one eye open, peering blearily about in darkness. Plagg had drifted over and curled up on the pillow beside him.
"Night, Plagg," he answered sleepily, before succumbing to dreams.
In another bedroom across town, Ladybug was flopping on her bed, too, releasing her transformation. She couldn't believe it. Chat was alive! Her Kitty hadn't died in the explosion after all! He was safe and happy, and hiding in her room at her parents' house!
She felt a little stupid now. She really should have seen the signs sooner, she supposed, but…in her defense, it had been difficult to let herself hope. The evidence clearly pointed to his untimely demise, but against all odds, he'd come back to her. He just hadn't known that he had.
Marinette's cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. She'd asked him to come live with her! What on earth had she been thinking? Why didn't she just put up a big neon sign that said, "I'm in Love With You!"? She slapped her own forehead as she remembered something- she'd already admitted to Jean Luc- Adrien- that she loved Chat Noir…before she knew that he WAS Chat Noir. Even before HE knew he was Chat Noir!
"Ugh. Tikki!" She wailed, "Jea- Adrien- knows I'm in love with him! He's- he's not supposed to know thaaat!"
Tikki looked at her unsympathetically. "Why not?"
"Because…because I don't know if he still loves me," she said in panic. "He doesn't remember his own family, for goodness sake! He has so many things to sort out. I wasn't supposed to let him know I'm in love with him! Not at least until he'd had time to figure out what he wants to do."
Tikki raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "Yeah, sure Marinette. Now, what's the real reason?"
Marinette sighed. "What if…what if he gets freaked out? He doesn't really remember me, he probably saw how we were before in the videos, and now suddenly I'm in love with him? I- I don't want to scare him off. He'll leave again," she whispered. "I couldn't bear it if he decided he hated me or tried to avoid me. I'd much rather just be his friend than lose him altogether." She hid her face with her hands. "I already went through that once," she muttered gloomily.
Tikki's eyes softened. "I'm sure everything will work out," she said optimistically. "Besides, with all the other bombshells he'd had to deal with this week, it's possible that this one won't even register."
"I sure hope you're right," Marinette said doubtfully, pulling out her pajamas and disappearing into the bathroom to prepare for bed.
As it turned out, Adrien didn't remember that detail. He hummed happily as he prepared some raspberry macarons in the bakery the next day. In just a couple hours, he'd be able to meet up with Ladybug. Maybe he'd get some more answers to his questions. Maybe he'd be able to learn how to be the greatest superhero ever. Maybe he'd have a new friend.
To make things even better, his memories had continued to return. As he focused on his meeting with Ladybug, more and more flashbacks shot through his mind. Most of them were of battles, but there were a few where they were just talking as they looked out over the city lights, or a couple times where they played tag out on patrol. They'd had so much fun together.
"Someone's in a good mood," Sabine teased him as she walked in from the store front, taking a tray of finished pastries from the cooling rack. "Your midnight rendezvous went well, I take it?"
Adrien blushed a deep red. "Uh…" he said stupidly. Had she heard them again? He'd been sure that they'd gone out for the evening, since when he'd descended to the kitchen to collect dinner, there had been no sign of them. Maybe before they'd left…? Hoping she'd drop the subject, he shifted uneasily, but she just smirked at him.
"Oh come on, dear. It's written all over your face," she said. "You've been practically bouncing all day. Actually, come to think of it, how that's been possible with how late you were up is beyond me," she said, looking amazed. Adrien was a little amazed, himself, and not just at how she knew that. He had roused himself from slumber around 4:00 for the morning shift in the bakery, which was no easy feat when he'd gone to bed at almost midnight.
"Actually…" Adrien cut in before she could tease him anymore, "I- I kind of…have a date tonight," he lied quickly. He wished it was a date, but…meeting up with Ladybug to train would work, too. It wasn't as if he could tell her the real reason he'd be out of the bakery, anyway. Sabine's gray eyes lit up.
"Oh! Good for you! I hope I'll get to meet her sometime?" She asked. Adrien shrugged, feeling embarrassed.
"It's just a date, Mada- uh, Sabine. We haven't been…uh…seeing each other long. We're just… meeting up for…dessert," he invented wildly.
Sabine patted his shoulder. "Well, let me know how it goes," she said, taking her pastries with her as she made her way back to the displays.
When she was gone, Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, pushing his glasses up his nose with the back of his hand. He wondered what, exactly, she thought they'd been doing last night, then blushed as he decided he didn't really want to know.
He quickly finished his work, cleaned up his work station, and ascended the stairs to "prepare" for his "date". On his way out the door, he gathered some of the macarons he'd just made, along with a handful of chocolate chip cookies, into a bag before waving goodbye to Tom and Sabine (the latter of which smirked and winked) and disappearing into an alleyway to transform with plenty of extra time to spare. He didn't want to be late. Not for any reason.
"Plagg, claws out!" He commanded. He examined his hands, which were covered with clawed gloves, before tucking the bag of cookies into his belt so he'd be able to have both hands free. He was a little nervous. Reaching back, he pulled out the silver baton and pressed one of the buttons, one he knew was not for the phone.
"Whoa!" He cried as the baton suddenly extended high into the air, taking him with it. He was now level with the rooftops. Holding on tightly, he leaped just as the staff's balance failed, beginning to tip forward. He landed nimbly on a chimney, heart racing.
Well, that was terrifying, he thought. He took a breath, attempting to steady his nerves. He didn't know why his fencing skills had come back as second nature, but this had surprised him. Maybe he was overthinking it, he thought. Maybe it worked better on instinct.
Just then, he caught sight of a red blur in the distance, heading towards the Eiffel Tower. His stomach did a flip. There she was.
Letting all other thoughts leave his mind except getting to Ladybug, he took off running. He bounded over the rooftops on all fours, like a cat, leaping while twirling his staff over his head like a helicopter when he reached a gap without a second thought. Before he knew it, he was at the base of the Tower, running up the legs to the platform about halfway up, where he could make out the form of Ladybug.
He approached her silently; she sat with her back to him, legs crossed, looking out over Paris. He watched her for a moment, and was startled that he could hear her quiet sobs even from the distance at which he stood. Probably extra-sensitive cat hearing, he thought. He made his way over to her.
"Ladybug, what is it? What's happened?" He asked, looking down at her worriedly. Apparently he hadn't made enough noise while he walked, because she jumped, squeaking in surprise. Stupid quiet cat paws, he thought. "Will you tell me what happened?" He asked again. He was surprised when she thrust her yo-yo into his hands, the screen display showing a news station's coverage of a speech by the mayor. The severe-looking woman was tall, wearing a sharp business suit. Her rectangular spectacles framed her face and her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She stood at a podium as flashes from cameras lit up her face from all sides.
"Due to recent events, the people of Paris call for the dismissal of Ladybug, effective immediately. As a whole, we feel that removal of Ladybug from our streets will only help in the akuma crisis," the mayor stated confidently.
"Are we sure she hasn't been akumatized?" Chat asked in surprise. Ladybug just shook her head, tears still falling.
"She's not."
Chat Noir's eyes narrowed in anger as the woman continued to make her case, siting the many people who were stranded in one akumatized form or another and the several times that damage to property had not been completely erased by the Miraculous Ladybug spell. The news clip ended with some leaked footage from the Louvre security cameras of his own battle as Jean Luc against the wizard-akuma only days before. Luckily for him, his back was to the camera the majority of the time, and even then, the poor video quality and his hoodie made it difficult to make out his face. It was unlikely he would be recognized.
"If Ladybug has become incompetent enough that she needs civilians to protect her, then we would be better off without her. If anyone sees her in Paris again, she is to be arrested forthwith." the mayor finished dramatically. "Thank you."
The news continued with a few witnesses who claimed they had family members or friends frozen around the city. They expressed their sadness and anger at the state of their loved ones. Many of them personally blamed Ladybug for the state of things.
Chat was fuming. As he watched his Lady continue to let tears slide down her cheeks, he desperately wanted to break something. He angrily snapped the yo-yo shut, cutting off the current citizen's vile diatribe. How dare these people insult Ladybug? After everything she'd done for them? She'd been protecting them for over ten years. Ten. Years. At great personal risk, to herself, her friends, and her family. And then the citizens show their thanks by, what? Humiliating her? Telling her they'd be better off without her? Did they really think they'd be safer, that Hawkmoth's onslaught would cease if Ladybug went to ground? How stupid were these people, exactly?
He sat down on his knees, hugging her from behind and pulling her against his chest. "Milady, don't listen to those fools," he said softly, though even he could hear the dangerous note in it. "They don't know you. They don't understand-"
"But they're right!" Ladybug cried, sagging in his arms, covering her face with her hands. Her voice had become slightly muffled. She grabbed onto his wrists, holding on as though they were a lifeline.
Chat Noir felt his eyes well up with tears. He was beginning to understand how much she'd been hurting. "I'm sorry," he whispered shakily. "I'm so sorry." He began to rock her as she cried, burying his face in the crook of her neck.
Suddenly, he felt her stiffen. He looked up, alarmed, to see a dark shape fluttering towards them. Courtesy of his cat-like night vision, he could clearly see the lightning-streaked butterfly. An akuma.
"Chat! Now!" She cried.
"Cataclysm!" He shouted without a second thought, reaching his hand out for the butterfly, his fingers now bubbling black with magical power. His claw hit the edge of a wing and the insect disintegrated into a pile of ash.
They slumped back to the platform in relief. He noticed that Ladybug was shivering in his arms.
"It's alright, Milady. It's gone now," he said softly. He could hear her taking slow breaths, trying to calm herself. He gently held her as she relaxed, finally patting his hand to get his attention.
"How- how did you know what to do?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"Instinct, I suppose," he replied. "None of the memories that have come back revealed anything about my powers, but…I guess it's like…when I was coming here, I had a bit of a scare trying to figure out how to work my baton," he said sheepishly, filling her in on the details. "It was like…I didn't know what to do when I thought about it too hard, but when I just went by feel, things clicked into place," he finished.
She was silent as she processed what he'd said, finally nodding. "It makes sense," she said. She squirmed in his hold, and Chat Noir loosened his grip in response to her movement. "We should probably go," she sighed, standing up, gazing down at him sadly.
Chat thought for a moment, then shook his head as he stood to face her. "No. We still have to train," he said seriously. Ladybug looked taken aback.
"Have…have you not been listening?" She asked, incredulous. "We'll be arrested-"
"No, Milady" he interrupted, poking her shoulder as he smirked at her, "You'll be arrested. Which is ludicrous anyway, seeing as they'd never be able to cat-ch you. But, that's beside the point." He paused, looking at her mischievously. "I, on the other hand, have likely been presumed dead, so no one ever said anything about the consequences of seeing meow-t and about."
Ladybug stared at him, then snorted with laughter. "You mangy cat," she said, her voice laced with mirth as she shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"
He raised an eyebrow suggestively. "What do you want to do with me, Milady?" Ladybug blushed, and, once he realized what he'd said, he blushed, too.
"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "That was inappropriate, I-" but Ladybug shook her head as she started to laugh. She laughed so hard she almost couldn't keep herself upright. Chat Noir just stared at her in shock. That was definitely not what he was expecting.
"No, it's ok," she said when she could breathe again. "I- I just have never seen you get flustered like that before. It was..well, it was nice to not be the only one becoming reminiscent of a strawberry."
He chuckled softly; his face still felt hot. "Glad I could help, Milady," he said dryly.
"That's a good idea, actually," she said seriously, continuing their conversation from before as if there had been no interruption, though still with a small smile on her face. "No one ever said anything about you fighting akumas. I could stay out of sight unless it's an emergency, or until you need me to purify the akuma…" she sighed at the thought. "Not that it works that well at the moment anyway…"
He reached out a hand to her, setting it lightly on her shoulder. "Hey." She met his neon eyes nervously. He put on the most sincere and confident look he could muster. "We'll fix it. There has to be a way. And we will find it. Your powers will be back to normal in no time."
Ladybug looked down at her toes. "I hope you're right," she said softly. Just then, Chat's ring chirped. He frowned down at it; Ladybug quickly answered his unspoken question.
"It's a signal that you need to give Plagg something to eat to recharge. Did you bring any cheese with you?" Char Noir shook his head. Ladybug checked her yo-yo. "That's ok, I still have some from the other day." She took out the slice of cheese and handed it to him. "Make sure you're out of sight before you de-transform," she reminded him. He nodded to her, hiding himself by sitting down behind a pillar crosslegged, removing his bag of cookies from his belt before he could sit on them.
"Claws in," he said, and his Jean Luc persona and Plagg appeared in a flash of green. He handed over the cheese as Ladybug came and sat down beside him, looking him up and down.
"You look sharp," she remarked. "You…you have plans later?" She asked a little timidly. He shook his head, feeling his face grow warm again.
"I told your parents I had a date tonight," he said ruefully. Curiously, Ladybug flushed again, too. "As cover for going out. I haven't really been out in the nightlife much since I came to live at your parent's place, so it would be suspicious if I was missing without cause."
"Oh," she said quietly, suddenly finding her fingers very interesting. He wondered what she was thinking; was the thought of going on a date with him embarrassing because…she wanted to? Or because she didn't want to, but didn't want to hurt his feelings? He decided against being forward enough to ask outright. So, he held up the bag in his hand, a certain ice breaker…he hoped…
"Cookie?" He offered, pulling out a chocolate chip one for her. She took it in surprise, biting into it.
"Thanks! How did you know?" She asked, before her eyes narrowed. "Wait, don't tell me; Maman?" He grinned at her unapologetically.
"The very same," Adrien said grandly, grinning happily. He became serious then, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he busied himself with the bag. "She's been baking a lot of these lately."
Apparently, she knew exactly what that meant, because she became withdrawn all of a sudden. He did not dare press her further. He pulled out one of the pink macarons, hoping to lift the mood.
"I made these ones myself," he said, handing her one. "These are my favorite. Raspberry," he volunteered, though watching her with some trepidation. She eyed it warily, then took it from him. She took a bite, meeting his chocolate-lensed eyes in surprise.
"This is…amazing, Jea- I mean, Adrien," she said, giving him a warm smile. Her eyes sparkled. He grinned happily at her praise and her sparkle, before puffing up in mock arrogance.
"I'm pretty a-meow-zing, though, so no surprises there," he said, striking a flexing pose. He watched with some confusion as she blushed again even as she rolled her eyes with a small giggle. He did not protest as she changed the subject.
"So…is there any specific place you want to start with your training?" She asked. He thought it over before answering.
"Well, I already know my power- Cataclysm, right?" He looked at her in question. She nodded affirmatively. "It can destroy anything?" She nodded again. "And…is there a limit on how many times I can use it before Plagg needs more energy?" She nodded a third time.
"You can only use it once per transformation. When we were younger, we only had five minutes before we changed back after using our powers. But now, it's dependent on how much energy we've spent, how tired we are, etc. We still get a five-minute warning, but the countdown doesn't always start when we use our powers. The gems draw energy from us, so being fully grown has given us more advantages than just size and strength."
"Do I have any other powers?" He asked. She shrugged.
"Not that I know of, besides the inherent super strength. And the cat senses and reflexes," she answered. "You know: the night vision, sensitive hearing, leaping tall buildings in a single bound… that sort of stuff." He looked excited, but wilted when she added, "And no, that last one was an exaggeration." She smirked a little before she continued. "Plagg might know if there are more spells, but there isn't anything about them in your user guide, and I've only ever seen you use the one."
"Ok…" he said finally, mulling this over. "My baton…staff…thing. Is there anything I should know about that?"
She thought for a moment. "Just that if you have questions, you should have a user guide in the cat-phone feature. I've only used the Chat Noir powers once or twice, so I'm nowhere near an expert," she admitted.
He thought for a moment. "So…I think I'd like to set up a schedule consisting of sparing, with and without super-weapons, and just regular workouts- running, weights, that kind of stuff." He hesitated. "I- I think I'd also like to get formally tested in fencing. I want to see what level I am, at the very least, and if I can get any memories of my former training to reappear in my head. It could be useful." Ladybug nodded her agreement.
"I know where you can find a fencing instructor. The one at my old lycée is one of the best in Paris. In fact, you may have actually taken lessons from him before, even though you didn't go to public school. He's that good. You can just ask Maman if she can point you to a fencing instructor, she'll probably send you to the one I'm thinking of, Monsieur D'Argentcour." She paused. "If he's reluctant to take an adult student…well, we did save him once when he was akumatized, so he might pull a couple strings for Chat Noir. And if not…he might still be receptive to Ladybug. I'd have to be careful about how I get in touch with him now though…" she trailed off, her thoughts reverting to internal processes. Then she turned to him, shaking herself out of her thoughts.
"Do you want to go as your civilian self, your true civilian self, or as Chat Noir?" She asked. He was startled that she'd asked him that, particularly because he hadn't really thought about it.
"I think- I think I'd prefer to go as Jean Luc." He said after a moment, reaching for another cookie and handing her one as well. She took it gratefully. "Adrien will attract too much attention. Come to think of it, Chat Noir might, as well, considering he's supposed to be dead. Plus, Chat might accidentally throw the poor man through a wall, if what you were saying about super strength is accurate," he said doubtfully. "I don't want to have to hold back for fear of hurting someone, and I don't have much experience with my powers yet."
They kept eating their cookies in companionable silence when Adrien suddenly had another thought.
"Hey, that woman who has the mayor's office now- what's her name?" He asked abruptly. "She seems…familiar."
Ladybug looked at him questioningly before she replied, "Her name is Nathalie Sancoer. She took office a couple years or so ago, winning finally against Mayor Bourgeious. Goodness knows that man was in office way too long."
But Adrien was giving his full attention to another memory.
Sixteen year old Adrien was standing in the foyer of an enormous house. Everything the eye could see in that room was modern and immaculate, the decor in stark blacks and whites. His father stood at the top of a grand staircase, looking down on him. Next to Adrien stood a woman in a sharp business pants suit and heels. Her glasses and her hair, which was pulled back into a tight bun, spoke of sophistication and precision.
"Nathalie," Gabriel's cold voice rang out through the echo-y room, "Adrien is to confined to his room for the remainder of the day. He is to practice his piano lesson, then his Chinese, and then get ahead in his mathematics and history lessons. Under no circumstances will he be allowed to leave. Once he is secured, please join me in my office. There is a meeting that is about to begin with the board of directors in Italy, and I require your presence. Please bring note taking materials. Is that understood?"
Adrien glared at Gabriel, then at Nathalie, who responded with a sharp, "Yes, sir," before attempting to lead Adrien away. Adrien stayed put, angry at being talked about as though he weren't there, as well as being treated like a criminal. He'd only wanted to get away for a few hours. Was that too much to ask?
"I hope you learn from this, Adrien. You must never leave the house without permission, and your bodyguard must always accompany you," Gabriel said sharply. "You are my son. And you will do as I say."
Adrien narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to argue, before Nathalie nudged him subtly with her foot. He looked over at her, and she gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. Adrien sighed, then silently followed Nathalie from the room.
Adrien shook his head. Ladybug was looking on in concern.
"Nathalie used to work for my father," he said without preamble. "She seemed to be some combination of his secretary and a…a babysitter or handler for me," he said bitterly.
Ladybug had surprise written all over her face. "I wonder how she went from being a secretary to being Mayor of Paris," she said, looking puzzled.
"Maybe there's some sort of conspiracy," Adrien joked with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. He really wasn't in the mood to talk about politics, or Nathalie. "Maybe she promised everyone better scheduling devices in exchange for votes." Ladybug laughed.
"Or maybe, she promised model-quality meals for everyone in Paris," she added, eyes sparkling with laughter.
They sat, trying to come up with conspiracy theories for Nathalie's appointment to office, each one more absurd than the last, until Adrien yawned widely, stretching luxuriously like a cat. "Sorry Milady. I'm going to have to scat. Otherwise my purr-fect body will probably give out before noon tomorrow," he teased. "We can train properly tomorrow." She smiled, though her cheeks were pink again. He found he quite liked making her blush. He turned serious again.
"Will you be alright? After what happened earlier?" He asked softly, searching her eyes. She nodded, though her expression was unsure.
"I should be ok," she said aloud. She sounded to him as though she were trying to convince herself as well. He stared at her doubtfully.
"I can, well, not walk you home, but…you know what I mean," he finished lamely. She shook her head.
"No. That's really nice of you, but I'll be fine," she said, sounding determined. Her eyes were dull with worry now though, all sparkle vanished. He narrowed his eyes.
"Plagg, claws out," he muttered, standing in one fluid movement.
"Chat, what are you-"
"I'm taking you home, Bugaboo," he announced, scooping her up in his arms. She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head. "No arguing, now. I'm going to take you home and I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, alright?"
Ladybug struggled half-heartedly against his grip. "Chat, put me down," she whined weakly. "I'll be alright, and you have work in the morning and-"
"Shh," he cut her off, putting a finger to her lips. "Just trust me. Ok?"
"Always," she whispered. Chat Noir felt a thrill run through his body, before he forced his mind back to the present.
"Right," he said, returning to the task at hand. "Which way, Princess?"