Marinette and Adrien sat at the table in the war room. After the chilling summary of danger by Alya, they had described anew the situation for their families and Chief Raincomprix. They had spent an hour discussing a few different strategies for how best to approach not only the issue of the new Holder, but also the flurry of reporters and bloggers wanting to know what as going on with it, and with the newly revealed secret identities of Honey, Vixen, and Shield. They had decided to do nightly patrols and created a new patrol grid map and chart for duty. They had also decided to allow their families to stay with them to avoid the press and any backlash from the blood-thirsty dragon beast.
Marinette groaned and massaged her temples. It had been a hell of a week. They had settled Alya, Nino and Chloe in their own rooms, then had given each group of parents a room. Marinette's parents and Rico—who seemed to be at a complete loss—took the nursery, Alya's parents and sisters the library, and Nino's parents and brother were bunking in the room downstairs next door to Mayor Bourgeoise. The Kwami were all cozy in their dens in their respective Holders' rooms. Everyone was settled down for the night as the clock ticked towards midnight. She and her new husband—that was definitely going to take some getting used to—were alone in the living room.
"What are we going to do?" Marinette sighed as she fell back into the couch cushions.
"I have no idea," he answered, staring up at the ceiling. "I half-hoped we were done with this."
"So had I." Marinette leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I mean, sure. We would always be Ladybug and Chat Noir. Always super heroes. We would never give up our Miraculous, never take off the masks—but Hawkmoth was supposed to be our big enemy, right? And then his final Akuma. We took care of it all, and we won. We were supposed to have smooth sailing from here. A life of stopping bank robbers, muggers, stalkers."
Adrien wrapped his arms around her as well, and they hugged each other like life rafts, keeping them afloat. "How do we fight something like this? Hawkmoth…my father…he was never trying to kill us. He just wanted the Miraculous and the wish. We usually knew what to expect. But now? The Kwami said this D'Rake is insane and irrational, that the tattoo makes his Holders just as crazed. We might not be able to figure out motive, find patterns. The tattoo could be anything, too. We have no idea who we are looking for, or how to find them."
"We'll figure that out. We always do." Adrien gave her a raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe not so much with the finding people's secret identities. But the rest of it? You and I are a team. And we have three members of the team who will help us catch ourselves on the small stuff. That isn't all that worries me though." She paused. "This is what has killed so many Ladybugs, so many Chat Noirs. This will be so much more dangerous than any akuma. And this enemy will have no qualms about using our families to gain power. Do you remember Paolo and Arabella? Their daughter was almost killed. And the enemy they fought…I remember some of that dream. Fire, ash, and a man laughing as he held a knife to her throat, as he killed Paolo." She squeezed him tighter. "That had to be D'Rake, too."
"I think so." Adrien replied. "What is it that worries you? Our families? We have them safe. The police said that once we have the press taken care of, there will be a police detail protecting everyone. And you and our baby," he placed his hand at her waist. "Will be surrounded by people who will do everything in their power to protect you both."
"My pregnancy is dangerous." Marinette argued, pushing back, but not leaving his arms. "It puts a time-limit on my fighting. It limits my mobility, my agility, my speed. My first thought when I go out there won't be to protect Paris, it will be to protect our baby. I will be vulnerable. More vulnerable than I have ever been. Once word gets out, you, me, the team, our families—everyone will be at a higher risk because there is a weakness someone can exploit. This is a fight that needs Ladybug. A fight that will probably have casualties. And…I don't think I can do this pregnant."
"What are you saying?" Adrien froze. "Are you considering…"
"I have to consider it." Her voice dropped to a whisper. She didn't want any of their house guests overhearing. "It's our job. We are the protectors of Paris. This pregnancy puts Paris in danger. Yes, I want children with you. Yes, aborting this pregnancy would be the most painful thing I have ever had to do, but—"
"You have a choice." Adrien hugged her back to his chest. "I will support you, and I will always be here for you. You know that. But you have a choice. I'm not going to pretend that I have any say in what you do with your own body. If you think that an abortion is the best thing for you, I will be by your side. But I am your husband. I love you, and I want to have this baby. I doubt we're the first Ladybug and Chat Noir to get pregnant and continue the fight. We have the Kwami, the team, our family, our friends, and all of Paris standing behind us, protecting us as much as we protect them." He kissed the top of her head. "Besides, we can't put our life on hold for every villain that stupidly tries to stake a claim in our city."
Marinette was quiet for a long minute. "I'm scared." She paused again and sniffed, snuggling into his chest. "Are you sure about this? Are you sure we can protect our baby from our lives?"
"What is the strongest part of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" Adrien asked, smiling into her hair.
"The team." Marinette answered with a giggle.
"And now our team has not one, not two, not three, but four new members. And a city. So, we are stronger than ever." Marinette didn't answer him, lost in thought. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Adrien said at last. He picked her up bridal style, making her laugh and smile perfectly up at him. They turned out the lights, and the house fell dark, and the night took over.
Linelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline
"We are not telling another soul about the pregnancy." Marinette said firmly at breakfast the next morning. No one argued. "It would be too dangerous for all parties involved. We don't know who this guy is."
"Okay. Fine. That information stays here, hermanita." Rico spoke from across the table. "What is the next move?" He had taken all of this in stride, much more easily than anyone would have anticipated.
"The next move," She answered, "Is to get all of you home. Safely. We can't have every potential target in the same place." She nodded to Roger Raincomprix, who had reappeared that morning for this conversation, along with his first lieutenant and a member of dispatch. "Chief."
Officer Raincomprix stood as she sat, yielding the floor to him. "Each potential target, as you put it," he nodded to Marinette, "has been assigned an officer. Each place of residence has been assigned another officer, who will head a small team of men and women who will be in charge of safety not just from this new threat, but from the press as well. Each residence of note has also been assigned a walkie-talkie comms system like we set up with Mr. and Mrs. Agreste when they went into hiding."
"Dupain-Cheng." Adrien interrupted. The table turned their gazes to him. "It isn't 'Mr. and Mrs. Agreste.' It's Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. Or it will be, when the paperwork has been fully processed." Everyone but Marinette and her parents looked at him stunned into silence. Adrien raked a hand through his hair. "It's…something we discussed weeks ago, after I first proposed."
"While I was writing my vows," Marinette added. "It was fresh on my mind."
"I will always be Adrien Agreste, playful innocent baby-faced model." He scrunched his nose. "The son of the Gabriel Agreste, fashion mogul extraordinaire. Now, son of the Gabriel Agreste, notorious supervillain who terrorized Paris on a weekly, sometimes even daily, basis for five long years. Chat Noir is now forever tied to the Agreste name, as is Adrien." He looked a little sad, mostly frustrated. "But I have never felt like I was part of the Agreste family. I was a pawn, a tool to be used. Literally. My father had originally kept me sequestered in here because he had planned to sacrifice me to resurrect my mother. She was the only good thing I could remember from this family, and she never took his name, legally, despite doing so publicly. Even then…I barely remember her." He looked at Marinette, and that grim mask disappeared from his face. "No, the first real time I felt like I had a sense of family, was the first time I came over to Marinette's home, and her parents welcomed me with hugs and the world's best chocolate chip cookies. They have been the loving support that I have needed for five years. And, with their blessing, I decided that we wouldn't be known as Ladybug and Chat Noir, under the thumb of Hawkmoth forever. We would be our own family, surrounded only by love. So, I am taking her name."
Marinette leaned over and gave him a chaste, happy kiss, and the table cooed. "I am glad you have found some peace after everything that has happened." Roger said, smiling at the couple. "However, to return to the matter at hand." He cleared his throat, and the table quieted once more. "Each household will be assigned a comms system. The officer in charge at the residence will show each member of the house how to use it. In addition, the three new members of Alpha Team have each been assigned their own comms, and I will show you how to use them today before I leave."
Alya, Nino and Chloe shared a look and a nod. "We are staying here. If that is alright with you two." Alya said, nodding at her friends. "You have the rooms set up already, and this way it will be easier to coordinate movements and keep up with patrol schedules. It will also be easier for—and I cannot believe I am agreeing to this," She groaned the last part, then took a deep breath before finishing her sentence. "For you two to train us up more."
"Maybe we could go a little easier this time?" Chloe asked hopefully.
"Are you kidding?" Marinette blinked. "Of course you can stay. This type of scenario was exactly why we had those rooms set up like we did. But if you think we are letting up on the training, you don't know us very well." Adrien, usually a balm from tyrant Marinette's harsh hand, nodded in support, crossing his arms. "This is the worst thing we have ever faced. We quite literally need to be prepared for everything. And I will have to be stepping back from the thick of the action in a short time. It is going to get even more intense from here forward." The trio groaned, and the parents at the table tried to hide their chuckles. Marinette turned her disapproving gaze on them next. "Don't think the lot of you are getting out of it either. Everyone in this room not a police officer will begin at least basic self defense lessons with the team tomorrow. In fact, anyone who is an officer in this room is welcome to attend as well. Adrien and I can easily put together exercise routines that would benefit everyone." Everyone shared looks. Roger and his lieutenant looked intrigued at the offer.
"I might be able to help in this." The gazes turned to Marinette's cousin in surprise, but he just smirked. "I have learned a great many things in Spain. Perhaps some of them could be put to good use."
Marinette eyed her cousin curiously, giving him a thorough once-over. He was tall. Lithe. Like a wild cat. Well-muscled. Lean like a dancer. He definitely had the build of someone who knew their way around a gym. She nodded. "Alright. I've seen you dance, but I haven't seen you move in a fight. We can spar later today to test your strengths. But I won't go easy on you."
"Maybe you should rethink that," Alya stage-whispered to him, remembering the fist-shaped bruises all over her body that still ached when it stormed.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Dancing, fighting. It is often the same energy, eh, hermanita? Challenge accepted."
"Don't say no one warned you." Alya responded, already planning his funeral in her head. It was tragic. He was killed by an overabundance of self-confidence and swagger that Ladybug pummeled him with. He had such a pretty face. Died too young, he did.
"If no one has any other questions," Roger broke in again, trying not to smile. "I will begin showing everyone how the comms work." No one had any objections, so the table broke down. Marinette and Adrien gathered dishes and brought them back to the kitchen. The woman from dispatch followed suit.
"Hello, again." She said as she placed a stack of plates on the counter by the industrial sink.
"Hello," Marinette smiled brightly at her. "Laurel, right?" She nodded. "It's been great finally seeing the face behind the static." The three laughed as they began rinsing dishes and lining them up in the pallet for the industrial dishwasher. "Thank you, by the way. I don't know if we've said that yet."
"No thanks needed," Laurel answered. "It's a pleasure. It's what I do."
"You have our gratitude anyway. None of this would work at all without you. So thank you." She repeated.
"You were the one, weren't you?" Adrien said, not looking up from the dishwater. "The one I spoke to when…when I gave the news?"
"I was the one you spoke to every time. So yes, I was the one who had to signal to the rest of the department that Ladybug was dead." She was quiet for a moment. "But I was also the one who signaled that she was alive. That the citizens were safe, the Ladybug and Chat Noir had done it, that there was a new team. So yes, I have been the bearer of bad news. But I have also been the bearer of really, really good news as well." They quietly washed dishes for another few minutes. "If it isn't too much trouble, I would actually like to take you up on your offer of self defense classes. For me, and for my wife."
Marinette blinked, then smiled. "Of course. We'd be happy to help you both out. You can come by tomorrow, we'll test out your skills, and go from there."
They put away the dishes, then rejoined the party as they finished up. Bags were packed, cots put away, and at last, it was just the five heroes and Rico standing in the living room. "Okay, Ric. You're about the same size as Adrien. You okay lending him some clothes, chaton?" Adrien nodded and motioned for Rico to follow him. The six changed quickly into workout attire and met in the gym. Marinette bounced back and forth on her toes, eager to work off some of the residual tension in her body with a vigorous workout, while Nino, Chloe, Alya, and even Adrien looked hesitantly at her.
"Warm up. You first, Rico." She said as she maneuvered to one of the two padded sparring rings.
"You sure, hermanita?" He grinned as he stretched his arms and did a couple of lunges to loosen up in his own corner of the ring.
In reply, Marinette lunged headfirst towards him, catching him off-guard, then twisted her body, landing in a crouch on her hands and knees before raising herself up on her hands and sweeping both legs up to the backs of his knees and unbalancing him. She followed through with an ab flex that lifted her back onto her feet, dancing once more as Rico blinked up from his place on the mat.
"I guess you're sure. Well. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, squirt." He said, grin widening as he mirrored her move, pushing himself up.
"Hey, no blows to the stomach." Adrien called from the sidelines. "No arguments, Mari," he warned, knowing his partner.
Marinette rolled her eyes, and the two circled. Rico was right; this held the same tension, the same passion, that their dance had, around and around, drawing closer but not sure how, trying to get close enough to land a blow…There! She twisted on her heel and struck her foot out and up, aiming for the opening at his right shoulder. Rico had been ready for her, though, and grabbed her foot, yanking her towards him. Marinette let him pull her, keeping her footing and simply falling into a floating splits. Rico seemed surprised enough by this that she was able to twist free and use the circular momentum to kick his knee in, making him stumble backwards. He managed to clock her in the ribs as she did. And those were the last blows either of them landed for almost a half hour. Marinette was growing increasingly more impressed as they fought on, not only by her cousin's stamina, but by his overall skill and power. He was closely matched to her. He began showing signs of tiring, but she powered through. Sweat dripped off his body, his brow furrowing, his grin fading to a frown of concentration. His blows were slower, his movements less fluid. She saw an opening as he turned in a maneuver; he was not guarding his six. She waited patiently for him to repeat the mistake, and when he did, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and using her body wait to force him down.
With a renewed life, Rico turned as she closed her arms around him, facing her and moving so that the momentum pushed her down rather than him, letting her drag him down with her. Quick as lightning, he had a knee on her thigh, his left elbow digging into her bicep with the hand against her throat, his right hand holding her other arm down. "Pinned ya," he said smugly.
Marinette struggle for a minute, but he had her points of power locked down, and he was heavy. Finally, she growled and slapped the floor twice. Rico laughed triumphantly, and the others in the room cheered at seeing their tyrant trainer taken down at last.
"Okay, I have to know. Who did you train with, and where? You have definitely learned some new moves." Marinette asked as he helped her to her feet.
"Do you really want to know?" There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes that Marinette could not place, but she nodded. He leaned in to her and put his lips at her ear. "Duusuu," He whispered. Marinette's spine went rod straight. "Eyes up." There was a swirl of turquoise light, a high-pitched giggle, and there, before her, stood her cousin Rico in what looked like a blue-green tuxedo with a coat and tails—actual tails, hundreds of peacock feathers that fanned out and shimmered in the light. On his face was a feathered mask that looked like a prop from a Mardi Gras party.
"What the fuck?" Was the most she could think of in that moment.