Chapter 16: Up to Speed
Just as she said, Nathalie came by Nino's early that morning to drop off a small duffle bag of Adrien's clothes and his book bag for school.
She watched Adrien closely as he checked the bags, she hadn't brought his phone but he didn't mind. He tried not to look at her once he had confirmed the bags were fine and had what he needed, but it was hard. Appearance wise, everything about Nathalie was fine, everything but the bags under her eyes that told him she has been up all night, stressed.
"Are you okay?" He finally managed to ask.
Her eyes lost focus as she thought over the answer.
"Your father didn't return home last night," She mumbled, Adrien clenched his fists, "He hasn't called, at the very least he does that when he disappears, but not last night, and everyone I asked said they hadn't seen him, aside from the Bourgeois hotel. Who said the same thing that you did," She looked at Nino momentarily before returning her attention to Adrien, "Did something happen? In the attack? Is he okay?"
"He wasn't captured if that's what you're asking," Nino responded from behind Adrien.
"How do you know?" She asked him.
Nino stopped and looked awkwardly to Adrien.
"We just do," Adrien shrugged, she narrowed her eyes at his aloof response, "Nathalie, it's fine, he'll be back, you don't need to worry about him."
"There's something you're not telling me Adrien," She stated.
"…You're right," He mumbled, but began to push her out of Nino's apartment, "And I won't tell you now, maybe later. I just need some time to think about it!"
She protested, but Adrien easily pushed her out the door and managed to close it before she could push her way back in. He sighed with his back against the door. Nino stared at him.
"You know you'll have to tell her what's going on eventually, she needs to know," Was all Nino said grabbing Adrien's duffle bag and taking it to his room. Adrien grabbed his book bag and followed after.
"I'm aware of that. It's like I said, I'll tell her later," Adrien replied.
"You said "maybe later"," Nino corrected as they got ready, Adrien tried to ignore him.
They headed to school in silence, Adrien acutely aware of Nathalie and the Gorilla following them from a fair distance in the car. They stopped when Adrien and Nino met up with Marinette and Alya at school, the four of them rushed in past the new stream of reporters there after the akuma attack and went to class. Adrien quickly regretted coming to school when he saw all the eyes on him. Of course, how could he be so stupid, everyone was curious about the akuma attack yesterday, about what happened when he and Ladybug ran off with the akuma. However, no one said anything, the silence was stifling, but he certainly wasn't going to be the one to break it.
He sat down and gave everyone a glance over, stopping at Chloé, who gave him a very stern "we need to talk" look from where she sat. It was probably about his father's visit last night to her hotel. He looked down at his desk and pulled out his school work, waiting for the teacher to come in and distract the class.
When the teacher did arrive, they knew not to say anything about yesterday and went into their lesson like any other day. Adrien was thankful for it at first, but as the day moved along, it became annoyingly evident that he couldn't focus in class. He kept thinking about his father.
Erase his memories; it was such a terrifying concept to Adrien. He understood why Plagg hadn't said anything about it before, but that didn't help to quell his anger. He tried to think, to remember how his father was two years ago. Strict, quiet, full of stern gazes, and closed off, very closed off. Adrien was amazed how Nathalie ever managed to convince him to let Adrien go to public school.
His pencil hovered over the paper for the longest time. His father had a miraculous. How did he even get it? Was he supposed to be a hero, to fight someone else and then corrupted Noroo? Adrien ran his hand through his hair, he didn't know, he didn't even know why his father had been making akumas. Why he wanted the Chat and Coccinelle Miraculous. His father never answered Marinette when she asked during the fight yesterday. He sat up, he and Marinette didn't know, but maybe the Healer would know.
Lunch was spent with everyone still watching him, waiting for him to say something without having to start the conversation themselves. The four of them didn't leave the school for fear of the reporters attempting to follow them and instead settled at one of the little picnic tables inside the school grounds, Marinette having brought extra lunches so they could all stay inside. Alya, Nino, and Marinette acted as a shield for Adrien from the other student's questions, he doubted his classmates would attempt to swarm him with questions, but their presence next to him was comforting.
Halfway through the period, Chloé finally approached him with Sabrina in tow, having just come back from getting her lunch. She sat down directly across from Adrien and looked at him, Sabrina sitting down next to her and nervously looking between everyone else before electing to look down at her food.
"Alright Adrien," Chloé said, her voice stern and sounding almost like she was going to scold him, "What's going on? What was your father doing at my hotel last night?" And then, in a softer tone, "Are you okay?"
Adrien looked her straight in the eye. Telling Chloé meant a higher risk of information being exposed, she wasn't the best with other's secrets, but there was also the likelihood of her following him out of curiosity and finding out more than she really needed to know. He gave her the most basic answer.
"My father is unhappy with me going out as Chat Noir," Adrien said, "He thinks it's too dangerous for me and wants me to stop."
"So you're hiding from him? Not coming home?" She looked at him hard, as if she could see through him. She glanced to his right, where Nino sat, "Staying at Nino's?"
Was it that obvious? Chloé knew Adrien well, but she figured that out way too fast for comfort, Adrien opened his mouth to say something but couldn't think of what.
"Look," She sighed, it was odd to see and the four of them watched her closely, "If you need help, if you need a place to stay, you could always stay at the hotel, you'd have your own bed and-"
"No." Adrien interrupted, "Too close, it's too close to home."
She looked hurt at his immediate refusal, but quickly shoved it down and gave a strained smile, "Fine, fine," She stood up from the table, Sabrina following suit, "Just… Stay safe Adrien, and I can help you if you need it."
She gave a pointed look to Alya, Nino, and Marinette before leaving, this isn't over.
After school, the four of them ran. Adrien, Alya, and Nino followed Marinette through what they guessed was a more convoluted path than normal to reach the Healer. The closer they must have gotten, the slower they moved and the more Marinette checked to make sure no one was following them. They arrived to a seemingly normal looking apartment building after a few minutes. Marinette led the way into the building and up the stairs, Tikki poking her head out to point out the correct door.
Adrien felt Plagg squirm under his shirt and poke his head out to watch as they stood before the door. Marinette was about to knock, but it opened before she could. A short, old man stood in its place, Adrien swore he had seen him before but couldn't place where. The Healer smiled as he looked over the four of them.
"How nice to have so many visitors at once, please come in," He said, stepping out of the way of the door and allowing Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien in.
He watched Nino and Alya closely, they noticed and squirmed under his gaze as he closed the door, feeling like they shouldn't be here. He said nothing and beckoned them further into the apartment, Plagg and Tikki coming out in the open. They followed Marinette as she sat down on the floor, but Nino hesitated.
"Are you sure it's okay that we're here?" He blurted out, still half standing, "We… as in, Alya and I. I mean, we don't have miraculous, or powers, or kwami-things, and we really shouldn't know any of this, are you sure it's okay that we're here?"
Alya gave a look showing that she shared his sentiment, just to a lesser degree.
The Healer just smiled, "You have been given more information about the Miraculous than the average person," Marinette said they could trust him, but Adrien briefly wondered if he was going to erase their memories for knowing, "And you are obviously very trustworthy if these two to let you know," He glanced at Adrien and Marinette, "And very cared for."
"Wyazz, I can hear you nagging us from here," Plagg suddenly said to the air, "Come out, it's okay."
A small green kwami shot out from behind a phonograph to their right, "I can't believe you let two strangers know about the Miraculous!" He began yelling, however it wasn't directed at Adrien or Marinette, but to Tikki and Plagg, "It's one thing for someone to figure out their identities, but to learn about the Miraculous and you two?! They know too much!"
Alya and Nino looked nervous again, staring up at the kwamis floating above them. Plagg rolled his eyes while Tikki looked to the side in shame.
"No need to be so hard on them, Wyazz, they're in love," The Healer said, stopping Plagg as he opened his mouth to defend himself.
"That doesn't make it okay, master!" Wyazz snapped back.
Adrien's eyes widened when he realized the implication of the Healer's words, he glanced at Alya, Nino, and then Marinette to his sides. It looked like they were also coming to understand what the Healer said.
"Woah, woah, woah, woah, wait, wait, wait!" They all began spluttering at once, trying to explain the nature of their relationship.
"They haven't quite figured that one out yet on their own," Plagg mumbled coming down to rest on Adrien's shoulder. Tikki did the same thing, and looked like she wanted to laugh.
"Look, look, look," Adrien said, shaking his head and regaining his focus, "We came here for a reason."
The other's quieted down and looked at him, waiting for him to say it or to jump in and help should he lose his words.
"We need your help to figure out how to stop… How to get the butterfly kwami -whasit, Noroo- here, and uncorrupt her," He said, the Healer watched him as he stumbled over saying "Papillon". Adrien didn't look up at him, too afraid to find out if the Healer already knew that his father was Papillon just like Plagg did.
"Tikki and Plagg explained that we need to bring her to you to help her with her corruption," Marinette explained, "But…"
"I understand; with her corruption she's not going to come with you willingly. Just a moment," He confirmed, standing up with a worrisome crack in his bones and shuffling over to one end of the room where a phonograph sat on top of a drawer. The Healer pulled open the drawer directly underneath the phonograph and went rummaging through it, after a few seconds, he pulled out a little black box with red detailing that reminded Adrien of the one he had first got with the Chat Miraculous and had long since lost; Marinette eyed at it with recognition as well.
The Healer turned back to face them and sat down, he handed the little box to Marinette.
"An electrum box, one of the few things a kwami can't pass through, it will hold the Papillon Miraculous as well as Noroo herself, and allow for her to get some much needed rest," He explained, they watched with interest as Marinette opened the box, Adrien expected another kwami to suddenly appear like before, but it was empty and nothing happened, "You don't need to put Noroo in it, just her Miraculous item, and she'll disappear into it."
"...Thank you, this is exactly what we need," Marinette responded, closing the box and putting it in her purse.
"Now we just need to figure out a proper plan," Alya said, she pulled out the note pad that they had scribbled their mess of a plan on.
The Healer nodded, glancing over the plan and seeing how disorganized it really was, "Are the two of you going to be able to fight him-" He gave a knowing glance between Marinette and Adrien, making his whole body sink, before being interrupted by Alya.
"Two? No-no, all four of us are going up against him," Nino agreed with her, though less enthusiastically. Both Marinette and Adrien's eyes bulged out of their heads at the comment.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said anything about you being involved in the fight?" Marinette asked.
"Yeah, you two aren't getting hurt on our behalf," Adrien added, he would have even preferred that Marinette not be involved in this fight with his father, but she at least had powers and experience in fighting.
"So, what? We're just going to stand on the sidelines and watch you possibly get hurt by your own father?" Nino said, "If we can prepare for this fight, we can certainly help you in some way."
"You don't have powers! And he does!" Marinette screeched, "And if you two get too close to the fight you're going to get hurt!"
"Perhaps," The Healer spoke up, relieving some of the tension in the room and bringing everyone's attention to him, "A helping hand could be used."
He stood up again and walked over to the phonograph, this time fiddling with it in a way Adrien couldn't see. He straightened up when he saw the phonograph suddenly open up, revealing a much larger electrum box. He glanced over to Marinette to see if she recognized the box, but she looked at it with just as much wonder as Adrien did.
"Four people have a higher chance of overpowering one, then two might have," He said as he set the box before them and glanced at Adrien from the side of his eyes. Adrien could hear what wasn't being said, particularly if one of those might not even be able to fight due to familial relations. He couldn't help but feel like an obligation.
The box opened, its cap covering its contents from them while the Healer peered inside thoughtfully, Adrien guessed that inside were more miraculous. He looked up at Alya and Nino, who straightened under his calculating gaze, and rubbed his chin.
"A fox, for someone who always seeks fact from fiction," He said, holding out a necklace to Alya. The charm was in the shape of a fox tail and looked remarkably similar to the necklace that Lila had claimed made her a superhero so long ago, the same necklace that was part of the Agreste design line. Adrien sunk at the realization as Alya gently took the necklace in her hands, this time however, it glowed and a small kwami with markings like a red fox came floating out of it and before her, leaving the foxtail white in its wake.
Alya couldn't keep the smile off her face as the kwami introduced themselves as "Trixx". They gave a small exchange of words while Alya put on the necklace before quieting down as the Healer looked over to Nino. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as the Healer thought over what to give him, he continually switched between looking the Healer in the eye and looking anywhere else.
"You wish to protect your loved ones," He finally said, Nino gave a tiny nod in confirmation, letting himself relax just a bit, "Wyazz."
"No," Was all the little kwami said, Nino's eyes widened as he realized what the healer was doing.
"I think you should watch over them," The Healer continued, not even blinking at Wyazz's immediate refusal.
"I think I should stay here and protect you," He replied sternly.
"Oh I'll be fine, there are plenty of others to watch over me," The healer explained, sliding a bracelet Adrien hadn't noticed off of his wrist, and handing it to Nino.
"Are you sure?" Nino asked, gently taking the bracelet from him and sliding his fingers over the Jade charm cut in the shape of a turtle. Wyazz, reluctantly, floated over to Nino's side.
"Of, course, and it won't be forever, this is only temporary help," The healer confirmed. Nino agreed with that, though Alya looked saddened at the idea of having to return the new Miraculous.
They were quiet for a while, thinking over their plan and how to change it with the extra help, Marinette and Adrien would need to train Nino and Alya as much as they could in whatever time they had so they could use their powers properly, but no one knew how long that would actually be. The Healer straightened up, having not yet closed the box of miraculous, which was concerning.
"Ah, it seems your follower has finally caught up to you," He said with interest, causing everyone else to pale.
"Our… Follower?" Marinette asked with worry, but they had made sure that no one was following them.
Suddenly a heavy knock came from the door, more like someone slamming the palm of their hand on the door aggressively.
"Adrien? Marinette, Alya, Nino! I know you're in there! Let me in I can help!" It was Chloé's voice.
Panic came over Marinette as the healer stood up to head to the door, "Don't let her in!" She hissed in worry. It was hard to hear her over the thumping on the door.
"Adrien, I know you're having a lot of trouble right now, I just want to help!" Chloé repeated.
"This help can be very good for you all, Marinette," The Healer said, dignifying that he had heard her, but blatantly ignored her as he continued to the door.
He opened the door revealing a very pissed Chloé, her hand up from where she had been pounding on it. She looked down at his in shock, not expecting someone she didn't recognize to be there.
"I ask that you not cause too much of a riot, and please come in," He said, stepping to the side to let her in. She looked around the room before spotting Nino, Alya, Marinette, and Adrien all sitting together on the floor and came stomping past the Healer towards them, their kwamis instinctively hid from her sight. The Healer barely blinked an eye as he closed the door behind her.
"Alright, what's going on?" She started without a moment's notice, "The three of you sneaking off with Adrien after what's been going on…" She paused and looked at Adrien, "What has been going on? Adrien you can tell me, I can help."
"How did you manage to find us here?" Marinette asked the question they were all thinking, "I made sure that no one was following us."
"I'm not stupid," Chloé defended with a sneer, swinging her phone as she crossed her arms.
"I beg to differ," Alya replied rolling her eyes.
"Oh screw off," Chloé snapped back.
"Please calm down," The Healer said, coming back into the room, he gestured next to Nino, "And please, sit."
"Not until someone tells me what's going on," Chloé responded, shaking a finger at the Healer.
"If you sit, we'll explain Chloé," Adrien bargained, seeing no way out of this.
"Nuh-uh!" Marinette shook her head and leaned close to hiss in Adrien's ear, "Chloé is the last person we want to tell everything to!"
"There is no way around it-"
"We could make her leave!" Marinette butted in.
"And it's like he said," Adrien whispered back to her, gesturing to the Healer sitting in front of the box of Miraculous again, "We need as much help as we can get, and Chloé's willing to help."
"I am" Chloé emphasized, trying to listen in on their whisperings but only catching what Adrien said.
"If anything," Alya whispered, leaning in from where she sat next to Marinette and keeping her voice particularly low, "We could erase her memories after this," Adrien's eyes widen at the possibility to taking away the memories of someone else who was close in his life, Alya noticed his panic and quickly added more to explain her statement, "She'd only lose a few days, just until we finish this whole thing."
Alya's confidence that everything with the Miraculous could come to an end in only a few days was infectious, though Adrien couldn't help but have his doubts.
"Fine," Marinette sighed, and looked up to Chloé, "Sit down Chloé, and we'll explain what's going on."
Chloé was hesitant, but eventually sat down next to Nino who had been listening in on their conversation and understood their reasons for letting her in on such a sensitive secret.
They were all silent for a moment as each waited for another to speak up and begin explaining things to her. The Healer was the first one to actually say anything.
"You friends-"
"Classmates," Marinette mumbled in correction, the Healer brushed it off.
"-Are looking to launch an attack on Papillon."
"…But shouldn't just Ladybug and Adrien be doing that?" Chloé asked.
"…" Marinette sighed, "Chloé, I'm Ladybug."
Chloé looked shocked at the statement, if a bit disagreeing, but wasn't given time to say anything as Adrien launched into a full explanation.
"Marinette's Ladybug, a-and I just found out that Papillon is my father. Our Miraculous aren't only just enchanted jewelry, but also come with small, magical creatures called kwamis," The kwamis peeked their heads out from their hiding places when they were mentioned, Chloé's eyes almost popped out of her head, "Papillon has a miraculous too, and we need to get it away from him, and bring it here so that his kwami, who is corrupted, can be rehabilitated. We've been going over a plan to catch them and this man who is a healer to the Miraculous, or something, just gave us a magic box to catch this kwami. He also just gave Nino and Alya their own miraculous to help us fight against Papillon and I think he's going to do the same for you," Adrien took a deep breath after his quick explanation.
"Now hang on, just because we're letting Chloé help doesn't mean she can help out in a Miraculous sort-of-way," Marinette added, looking between the Healer and Chloé who was still processing all the information dumped on her.
"Now why is that?" The Healer asked.
"Listen, I could write a 5-page essay about why Chloé doesn't deserve to have a Miraculous," Was all Marinette said, Chloé looked up at that.
"I could do the same on why you don't deserve to be Ladybug, Marinette," Chloé spat back.
"You'd probably just make Sabrina write it," Nino mumbled, earning himself a quick glare from Chloé.
"The Miraculous are not to be given out haphazardly," The Healer said, he looked directly at Chloé, "You have much potential," Chloé looked smug and Marinette looked like she wanted to refute it, but didn't fight with the Healer, "And your eagerness to help your friend is important, which I why I think the bee would work best for you in this situation."
The Healer handed her a hair comb with top shaped like a bee with its wings out, she took it delicately in her hands and watched with wonder as it glowed and a fuzzy kwami came out. They smiled at her with odd yellow and blue eyes and introduced themselves as "Pollen".
"So… with this, I've have powers and be able to transform like you guys? And I'll be able to help in this fight against your father?" Chloé asked, placing the comb at the base of her ponytail.
"Yes," Adrien confirmed, trying to hide his flinch at the thought of fighting his father, "Pollen will help you out with the details of your powers and we'll help you train so you can use them properly."
She nodded, a determined look in her eyes.
"I've done what I can to help, you best be going now," The Healer said, breaking the pause as he closed the box of Miraculous and got up.
"But wait-" Marinette said, standing up with him, "Can't you help us figure out an actual plan of action?"
He glanced between her and everyone else gradually standing up with her.
"You all capable of something, and you know that, I'm sure you can figure out what to do on your own," He answered, turning and putting the box away into the phonograph, "Try not to overthink it, simple plans can turn out to be the best plans."
Marinette thought over the responce as Alya grabbed her arm and gently led her to the door with Nino and Chloé. Adrien, however, stayed rooted to his place, he still had a few things to ask. The way the Healer looked at him told Adrien that he already knew the questions.
"Adrien will be with you in just a second," The Healer said to the others just out the door, they looked back at him and understood his wanting privacy, and closed the door behind them.
The Healer said nothing, instead looking at Adrien with a patient gaze, waiting for him speak.
"…" Adrien clenched his fists to calm himself for his question, "Memory erasing… What-what all does it entail?"
"It's a harmless process performed by myself and some other kwamis," He responded calmly, "We've done it before. It takes a bit out of the recipient, and they typically pass out after the process, but they'll wake up a couple of hours later, groggy, as if they were taking a nap."
Adrien nodded at that answer, that seemed harmless enough.
"And …does he… does he have to lose all his memories of the miraculous?"
"What are you suggesting?" The Healer asked with a suspicious look in his eyes, though it held no malice.
"Well… maybe if we only take away his memories from the past month?" Adrien curled into himself, despite the Healer showing no disagreement to his suggestion, Adrien could tell he was breaking some unspoken rule by even asking about it, "So… he would remember the Miraculous, but he wouldn't actually know what happened to them or how he lost it."
The Healer had a tired look on his face which he tried to hide by looked down and closing his eyes, but Adrien could still see it. Before Adrien could say anything else, try to take it back, the Healer put his hand on Adrien's shoulder, finally looking back up to him.
"That can only be answered when the time comes."
Adrien frowned, trying not to dwell on the dissatisfying answer as he mentally prepared his last question.
"And- uh -do you know what… my father, wants to do with our Miraculous?"
The Healer furrowed his brows, he actually had to think about this one.
"I, unfortunately do not, there are a variety of reasons for him to want them, but that is an answer only he knows."
Adrien left with nothing but a quiet bow.
A/N: *me looking at this fic after season 2 episode 11* oh ffs Gabe.
Yaay! I'm finally done! And that wait period is exactly why I shouldn't be allowed to write more than one fic at a time haha. Ok, but also, in the original outline of this fic Alya, Nino, and Chloé never actually got the miraculous, but I realized that I literally couldn't make my story work without including them/giving them proper closure.
Only four or five more chapter to go!