Let's Take It From The Top, Chapter 11: An Electrifying Performance
A silver butterfly glittered in the Parisian sky, floating on a gentle air current, seeking out its master's target. A young woman, sweet and emotional, light in heart and mind, the joy of a new romance bubbling in her soul...
The butterfly flew towards the Dupain-Cheng home, circled the neighborhood briefly... and found its target with ease. Slowly, it descended without a sound...
She walked down the street, half-dancing, almost floating. I still can't believe that that just HAPPENED! she thought, overwhelmed by her romantic encounter of just an hour before.
I knew that he had a sweet side... I could see that in his eyes, and in the way that he talked with me. Not everyone gets that about him, but I do, she smiled. It's so easy to look at him and write him off, like you know exactly what he'd be like as a person. Even I did, at first! I'm so glad that I gave him another look and another chance!
The girl waved at a couple of people walking by her, whom she didn't know, and got a half-smile, half-huh? in return. I just want everyone around me to be as happy as I am right now! Is that so much to ask? she giggled.
She closed her eyes and remembered the moments leading up to their first kiss. I still can't believe that he made what he did, just for me! she beamed. Not every girl can say she's gotten one of those from such a handsome young man...
Tikki hid away in Marinette's pocket as they strolled down the street, her mood not quite as overwhelmingly buoyant as her host's. Certainly, it was good to see Marinette back in high spirits and good health... but there were still a lot of troubles left to be dealt with.
Marinette got very lucky today, she thought, and not just with Adrien's romantic desires. That quarter-Cataclysm was just short of doing real damage to her; at LEAST enough to put her in the hospital. Obviously, Adrien didn't mean it, but that's also the problem; he can't control it! Master Fu seems to think that maybe he can do something about it, but that involves getting the two of them together, preferably without spoiling just who Master Fu is! And I don't know how we do THAT.
She listened to Marinette humming a happy tune as she waltzed home, and smiled. She is so perfectly matched with Adrien, thought Tikki. If we can resolve the Cataclysm problem, they'll be beyond cute together! But if we can't...
Tikki shuddered, refusing to even consider some of those possibilities.
And then there's Adrien's father. I doubt that we've seen the last of...
"...Papillon?" Tikki gasped. "Marinette, LOOK UP!"
Marinette looked above her and saw a familiar, glittering sight. "WHOA!" she replied, not sure how to react. "Tikki... what should I do? Do butterflies and Ladybugs mix well? Should I take my earrings out? Should I hide?"
"I'm... not sure!" whispered Tikki. "Follow it for now! It looks like it's headed towards your house..."
"Yeah!" said Marinette, and started to run... then stopped, briefly, as a thought struck her. "But... I'M over HERE!"
The butterfly looked beautiful up in the sky, its wings sparkling with both particles of magic and reflected sunlight.
From about half a block away, Marinette crept up on the silver messenger, still not quite sure if this was a good idea or not. Is it going to circle back for me if it senses me? Do I WANT it to?
A little part of her mind giggled, If Adrien thought Firefly was adorable BEFORE... wait 'til she's kissing him in mid-air!
"Marinette... it's diving!" cried Tikki, abruptly. "It's found its target!"
That sweet, wonderful boy... the young woman thought. Once he toned his singing voice down from heavy-metal screaming, that song he wrote for me was SO romantic...!
She closed her eyes, dreamily... then opened them wide as something mysterious touched one of her hair ornaments, and a strange silver energy appeared before her face!
Papillon smiled broadly as contact was made... then raised an eyebrow in surprise. THIS isn't Marinette Dupain-Cheng!
"Greetings, er... Mylenè Haprèle! I am known as Papillon. My butterfly is drawn to positive emotions, such as happiness and love, and it seems that you are overflowing with both at the moment!"
The girl was terrified at first, but tried to calm herself down once she figured out that she was unhurt and that nothing bad seemed to be happening. "I... yes, I am, but who the heck ARE you? Why are you doing this?"
"I need your help, Mylenè. There is a young man in Paris right now, dressed as a black cat, who has a power that he cannot control. I need a person who can find him, and either talk him into coming home... or bring him home, if need be. My butterfly can grant you superpowers, for a while. Perhaps something with the strength and spirit of your new paramour, hmmm?"
"Can I really be of help? I'm just... a small, scared girl," Mylenè said, still unsure.
"If you accept my offer, and I hope that you will, you won't be for long," Papillon smiled. "Are you willing to give it a try?"
"O-okay," murmured Mylenè...
...then she gasped with wonder, as an energy chrysalis formed around her!
Wide blue eyes watched the transformation from half a block away. "Tikki, that was MYLENÈ! She's a friend of mine from school! Is SHE going to become Firefly, too?" asked Marinette.
"I doubt it! Usually, every transformation is different! They're very personal," said Tikki. "LOOK!"
The chrysalis split open, and Mylenè stepped out, pulsing with energy... and growing rapidly! In a matter of moments, she stood revealed as an animated stone statue, around five meters high, bulging with muscles! Large, multicolored dreadlocks adorned her head, and a surprised and awed smile spread across her rocky face.
"WAIT 'TILL IVAN SEES THIS!" she gasped in delight. "I'm like something off of one of his album covers now!"
"Welcome... Dreadnaught!" smiled Papillon. "Now, here is the task I have for you..."
"Okay... THAT is a new look for Mylenè," boggled Marinette. "Look at the size of her! Tikki, what do you think we should do?"
"Adrien is down in the bakery... but he's got to come out sometime, and if he's not Chat Noir when she finds him, he'll stand no chance!" Tikki noted.
"I'll warn him first... then I think we both know what comes next," Marinette said, pulling out her phone:
[Marinette] Mylenè turned into one of Papillon's creatures! Look out the window... but be careful!
"Okay, Tikki... SPOTS ON!"
The stone golem stomped out into the middle of the street, roaring loudly. Traffic swerved around her, screams were heard from all directions, and one car smacked into a bench and trash can...
"Hey, you!" called a small voice from an unlikely place - up in the air!
The golem looked up, surprised, as a red-and-black blur swung by her head and flipped down onto the ground, about ten meters away. "Don't suppose you'd care to move onto the sidewalk?"
"Actually... you're exactly who I was looking for, Ladybug!" said the golem, visibly relaxing. "I'm called Dreadnaught, and Papillon sent me because, well, when it comes to luring superheroes, what could be better than creating other superbeings?"
"Okay, Dreadnaught. With that hair, your name is perfect," parried Ladybug. "So... you found me. Now what?"
"I have a message for you. Or, rather, I have messengers for you..." Dreadnaught took a deep breath... looked like she was struggling with something in her stomach... then belched out a stream of silver butterflies, which flocked together and formed a rough approximation of a face. It looked like a middle-aged man's head with combed-back hair, wearing a mask in the shape of a butterfly. Dreadnaught slumped over, her animating force clearly concentrating on the bunched-up insects at the moment.
To Ladybug's visible surprise... the face began to speak, with a clearly audible voice!
"Greetings, Ladybug! I am Papillon, the keeper of the Moth Miraculous. You are the first other Miraculous host I've ever met face-to-face... a sort of a face, at least... and I am delighted to meet you," said the voice emanating from the face.
"Charmed, I'm sure," she replied, a little warily. "I suppose I'm not the easiest to reach, but I don't give my address out to strangers very often. What is it that you need from me?"
"I have something that I must discuss with you... in private. It involves someone I am searching for... and someone he was searching for, most intently. I believe you may be the key to both reunions, Ladybug." Papillon's voice was not unfriendly, but it still gave Ladybug the creeps, for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint. "Would you be interested in assisting your Chat Noir in that way?"
"First off, he's not my Chat Noir," Ladybug said with a grin. Well, he IS as of an hour or so ago, but YOU don't know that! "I've only met him the one time, when your ice cream guy tried to freeze my kidneys solid."
"I do apologize for that!" Papillon's face said, earnestly. "My Dairy Dynamo was well-intentioned, but a bit... impetuous. Hence I came up with this method so that we could speak, rather than fight. Remaining civilized is so much better, don't you think?"
"It beats getting mint chocolate chip in my hair. But, regardless, I can't snap my fingers and make Chat Noir appear..."
Green eyes looked out a window in the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, trying to remain out of sight, though the... people? he was looking at seemed preoccupied.
It's Ladybug again! thought Adrien. And the thing that Marinette warned me about... geez, that's big! And some kind of floating talking head. It's amazing that my life has gotten weird enough that I can just go 'Oh, look, a floating talking head made of bugs' and not freak out!
MARINETTE! he realized, suddenly. She had to have been near enough to see that statue thing; did it try to hurt her? Did she get away?
Ladybug oriented herself so that both the face and Dreadnaught had their backs... well, as much of a back as a floating head had... to her house. If Adrien does sneak a peek, I don't want him seen, she thought. I don't know if the face can do anything, but Dreadnaught looks like she could tear the building down to find him!
"So what is it that you'd want me to do, then?" she asked Papillon. "I don't-"
BREEP! went her cell phone, indicating an incoming message. "Er, um... sorry about that! Messages, heh. I knew I should've silenced my phone before transforming," she apologized, sheepishly. Probably Adrien texting "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUTSIDE?! RUN AWAY!", unless I miss my guess...
"Actually... do take a number down for me, would you please?" Papillon asked, and rattled off a series of numbers that she typed in. "If you encounter Chat Noir, please speak with him for me. Tell him that I know what caused his... accident, and that I believe that with your assistance... we can do it right."
Her astonished eyes betrayed her foreknowledge. "So, you know something of this?" queried Papillon, with a raised eyebrow.
There's not hiding much of anything from him, I see. "A little," admitted Ladybug. "Chat Noir told me some of how he came about. Not enough to know how I'd fit into this scheme."
"Speak to him of this. If he proves agreeable... message me at the number I gave you, and I will arrange a time and place for the three of us to meet." And if he does not... well, I have more persuasive, albeit distasteful methods that I may use.
"If I see him, I'll pass it on and see what he says. I'd, um, say 'let's shake on it,' but you don't have hands," she quipped.
"Poor Dreadnaught can only house so many butterflies," smiled Papillon. "Until we meet again..."
The butterflies separated and floated away, and Dreadnaught slowly regained her senses. "That was... interesting," she murmured. "We don't have to, like, fight now, do we?"
"Can you think of any reason that we should?" agreed Ladybug. "I can't. I guess we can each go our own way, and transform back. Nice to meet you, Dreadnaught!"
She leapt away, the girls waving to each other. Ladybug circled back once she was out of sight, intent on making sure that Dreadnaught was indeed changing back. From afar, she saw Papillon's energy signature on Dreadnaught's face...
"Now what, Sir?" Dreadnaught asked, meekly, in marked contrast to her imposing physical form. "Ladybug got your message, and I don't see Chat Noir anywhere nearby."
"That'll do for now, then. I would suggest that you get out of sight and transform back, so as to save the rest of your energy," Papillon replied. "I appreciate your help very much, Mylenè, and I hope that I may call upon you again."
"I... um... thank you, Papillon. I'll try." Dreadnaught ducked behind a building into an alley - it was a VERY tight fit - and added, "Transform me!", changing back to Mylenè.
A bit overwhelmed by her experience, Mylenè dashed away, hurriedly. Ivan isn't going to believe what just happened! she thought. Then again, will anyone else?
Adrien watched as Ladybug and Dreadnaught conversed, gradually becoming more relaxed about it once he saw that they weren't coming to blows. I'm glad that I don't have to go charging out as Chat Noir and protect her, he thought. I think that Ladybug can take of herself well enough, but everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face by a giant living statue...
His eyes followed Dreadnaught as she left, then went back to Ladybug, and he chuckled when he saw her double back to make sure that Dreadnaught wasn't causing trouble. Smart of her. I like her instincts; don't fight if you don't have to, but make sure that you don't have to.
Once the danger was over, Ladybug paused, evidently thinking to herself... then turned towards the bakery with a grin.
Adrien blinked. Is she looking right at me now?
...She just waved at me!
THAT I did not expect.
Ladybug swung away, and about thirty seconds later, Adrien's phone lit up.
[Marinette] Do you have any idea who's standing next to me right now?
[Adrien] Rémi Gaillard?
[Marinette] If it is, it's his best disguise EVER... No, silly, it's Ladybug!
[Adrien] How? What are you even doing outside? You were totally wiped out when I left you!
[Marinette] It wore off, mostly? I took a walk to clear my head and then, hello Mylenè and Papillon!
[Marinette] So I hid until it was over, then I came out to say 'thank you' and meet her.
[Marinette] She asked some of us, "Has anyone seen Chat Noir lately?" and I was like, um, yep!
[Marinette] I left out the "He's a very good kisser" part. /3
[Adrien] Never leave out that part. It's good for my reputation. Why was she looking for me?
[Marinette] Something Papillon told her. She needs to talk with you about it.
[Marinette] Is there a time and place that you can meet?
[Adrien] ...
[Marinette] It's fine with me. Superhero stuff ranks above snuggle time. Though snuggles WILL happen.
[Adrien] But what if I don't want to sn- no, I can't even finish that sentence.
[Adrien] Eight o'clock, Eiffel Tower.
[Marinette] She says that's fine with her. Will be back soon!
Ladybug fiddled with her phone a little more, and laughed out loud when she realized what had happened just before that conversation.
The phone number Papillon just gave me... returned "Contact already exists in phone!", she giggled. Gee, I wonder if my hunch about Papillon being Gabriel Agreste was right?
In his office, Gabriel Agreste wound down his day ruminating on the actions he'd just taken and the proposition he'd made.
I cannot believe that I just gave my cell phone number to a teenage girl wearing a mask! he mused, chuckling to himself. But it's not as if she could ever trace it to its true owner... Besides, given what is at stake, it's worth the minor risk, and I don't really have anything to hide from her anyway, do I? She knows what the Moth Miraculous is and that it is in Paris. I have done nothing wrong with it, nor do I plan to if I can avoid it.
If she learns Chat Noir's true identity, she will have mine, and I do not know if he has been compromised. But by the time this whole saga concludes, I suspect I will have reason to reveal myself, just to explain why I am so sincere about needing to borrow the Ladybug and Cat. Besides, perhaps extending a little trust will gain me the valuable knowledge of where the Ladybug Miraculous resides for half of every day!
This is all so very delicate. I must watch my steps carefully.
A loud noise from the next room distracted him, and he focused on that momentarily; it sounded like Nathalie having an excruciating time of it on the telephone. He stepped out to better overhear her argument with one of the company's suppliers, punctuated by her slamming the receiver down and clasping her head in her hands.
"Trouble, Nathalie?" he inquired, lightly. "Not your first frustration of the day. How are you feeling?"
She looked up at him with half-closed eyes. "Would you like the professional answer or the honest one, Mr. Agreste?" she sighed, wearily.
"I'd prefer the honest one, and I'd be alarmed if I gave you reason not to provide it," Gabriel frowned. "You're not looking like yourself today."
"I haven't been myself..." Say it, Nathalie! she ordered herself. You need the help. "...since that night, with Adrien," she admitted through gritted teeth.
"What?" Gabriel replied. "Why hadn't you told me sooner? Shut all that down," he said, motioning to her computers, "and come walk with me. We're closing things down early today so that we can talk about this."
"Yes, sir," she sighed, complying. Well, there it is, the cat's out of the bag. I have no idea what'll come next...
Dinner time arrived, and Marinette and Adrien took their seats at the table, trying to act casual... but slowly realizing that Marinette's parents were silently smiling at both of them.
"...What?" asked Marinette, laughing nervously.
"That didn't take long," smirked Tom.
"What didn't?" she asked him, innocently.
Sabine pointed at them with her fork and directed, "Here's a challenge for you two. Go the next ten seconds without looking at each other and grinning."
They made it to a count of four before both turned red and started laughing. "Guilty as charged," Adrien admitted. "We like each other."
"We sure didn't see that coming, did we, dear?" Sabine asked her husband, who chuckled.
"Not at all," replied Tom. "Like oil and water, you two."
"Now, be fair," protested Marinette. "It took me a little while to figure out that his inside was just as gorgeous as his outside."
"Yeah, a whole week! That was quite the lengthy courtship," her mother teased. "I'm very happy for you two."
"I'll understand," ventured Adrien, "if it means that we have to change our, er, living arrangements... If I'm going to stay at all, I can move down to the couch."
"Why?" Tom asked. "If you stay where you're at now, does that mean you'll be tiptoeing into Marinette's room in the middle of the night?"
"N-no," Adrien stammered. "I didn't plan on that..."
"Nor did I expect you to," smiled Tom. "All I'll say are two simple words: just behave. No crazy behavior, no crazy new rules."
"That is a relief," replied Marinette. "I mean, I didn't expect padlocks on my door, or anything like that..."
"We know we raised you right," Sabine said. "And we can certainly tell that Adrien was raised to be a gentleman. I don't think we need to worry much unless you two give us reasons to worry, and you won't do that, right?"
They smiled at each other, and Marinette reached over and took his left hand. "I think we'll be fine with that," she replied.
"And, no, silly grins and goo-goo eyes won't make us worry, so by all means, please continue," her mother quipped, enjoying the sudden red glow from that side of the table.
Gabriel and Nathalie walked together to a quiet room at the far end of the house, where she took a seat on the sofa and Gabriel sat across from her in an armchair. "Please, Nathalie, tell me what's been happening to you!" he implored. "What can I do to help you?"
Nathalie smiled at him, as best she could. He does have concern for me, she thought, but just as much because whatever's happening to me might be happening to his son. "It's... You know how I've been eating you out of house and home ever since I came back from the hospital?" she began. "It's like I have a second hunger in me, and that one has nothing to do with food."
"Dare I ask what it IS about, then?" Gabriel asked, worriedly.
Nervously, she told her boss the story of the cafe incident. "As soon as I made contact with that poor boy, the hunger stopped and I felt like I'd had a triple espresso," she admitted, with pleading eyes. "Slowly, I came back down to my normal energy levels... and then it started going the other way. Right now, I feel like I'm starving inside and I'm terrified that the next person I touch, whoever they are, might not wake up."
She closed her eyes and hung her head. "But if I don't touch SOMEONE... I don't know if I can control it much longer."
The look on Gabriel's face didn't do much to reassure her; it was compassion mixed with horror, not the "Oh, THAT! I know how to fix THAT!" expression that, honestly, she hadn't been expecting.
"I see..." he intoned, clearly not seeing what he wanted to see. "For now, Nathalie... please rest and conserve your energy. I will consult my research and see if I can find something... ANYTHING that might help you! If you can think of anything, do not hesitate. I am so sorry that my son got you into this situation, Nathalie..."
He stood up with a pained expression. "...And if I need to DRAG him back here to set things right... I have the means for that."
Around seven o'clock, a voice rang up the stairs, interrupting... whatever Adrien and Marinette were... talking about at the time.
"Attention, lovebirds!" called Tom. "This is your captain speaking. Please return my daughter to an upright position."
"DAD!" was the reply from a completely mortified female voice. "You know PERFECTLY WELL that we're not..."
"I know, I know! But I've been waiting fourteen years to be able to tease you like that! I have to take my shots when I can get them," he laughed. "Anyway... Sabine and I have a little surprise for you two."
Marinette looked at Adrien. "Shall we, before he sends up a search party?"
Adrien laughed, "Absolutely."
They came downstairs quickly and found Sabine setting up fresh plates around the dining room table. "Ooooh! Ice cream cake!" cooed Marinette.
"It's not Andre's, or anything... but I ran down to the store and got a little something to celebrate," she explained. "Care for some?"
"I'd love that, Mrs. Cheng," Adrien replied, then smiled when he got a look from her. "Sabine. I know, force of habit," he corrected himself, as he pulled a chair out for Marinette.
"Such a gentleman!" Marinette admired, as she sat down in his offered seat. "I knew I liked you."
"Good!" he grinned. "That'll save a lot of time."
Gabriel dug frantically through his notes and research on the digital copy of the Guardians' book, grumbling in frustration. There were a few cryptic hints, here and there, with some references to bizarre ingredients for one concoction or another. Branch from the dragon king's garden? A secret kept in a shell? Dancing ant honeydew? Preposterous! Gabriel thought. Why can't ancient prophecies and magic potion recipes be in plain language for once?
But I've found nothing that'll help right now. It simply MUST be in here somewhere! he thought, mentally willing the answer to appear in the book's pages. One or both of their lives might hang in the balance... or someone else entirely's life might.
Marinette, her parents and Adrien dove into their dessert, eagerly, exchanging light chatter.
"Cookie roses, hmmm?" mused Sabine. "I love the idea! We may just have to keep you around longer, Adrien."
"I'll show mine to you later, Mom!" beamed Marinette. "It might be the most romantic thing anyone's ever given me."
"Oh, you didn't eat it?" teased Tom.
"EAT it? I may have it framed!" Marinette gushed. "Oh... we'll probably eat it at some point, but I need so many pictures of it first."
"I'm very glad you liked it," smiled Adrien. "I was thinking of you today, and the thought just popped into my head."
"Speaking of keeping you around longer, Adrien," Tom added, "Have you heard from your father at all? Or tried to reach him?"
"I haven't, yet," Adrien admitted. "But I did get a message from him today... or, rather, Marinette did."
"You DID?" Both parents turned to look at Marinette. "How did THAT happen?" Sabine asked her.
"Well..." Marinette told the story of her conversation with Ms. Bustier, then of her later walk with Adrien's father and the message he'd given her to pass on to him. "As much as I'd LIKE to keep you here forever, Adrien..." she smiled, turning to face him, "he seemed quite sincere about needing you at home."
"I know," said Adrien, somberly. "That did sink in quite a bit. I may call him tomorrow, and see what he has to say about me. As for you," he added, reaching out to take Marinette's right hand with his left, "you went above and beyond trying to help the two of us, and it's appreciated so very much."
"That's my girl," smiled Sabine. "Can I take your plate, Adrien?" she asked, seeing that he'd finished his ice cream.
"Certainly," he said. He reached down, picked up the plate and handed it across the table to her -
*SNAP!*
"Ow!" cried Sabine, holding her hand in surprise and pain. The plate fell to the table; luckily, it didn't break, but it made quite a clattering noise.
Marinette jumped out of her chair, startled; she was pale, while Adrien was nearly green. "ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" he gasped.
"Yes... I'm not sure what happened there," Sabine answered. "It felt like static electricity, but I'm not sure where it came from!"
Tom started to joke about the electricity between the new lovebirds... but stopped, seeing the concern on both their faces. "That was just a little static spark, wasn't it?" he asked, curiously. "Is there something that I should know about?"
Tom looked at Marinette; Marinette looked at Adrien, helplessly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Sabine insisted, rubbing her hand lightly. "It just surprised me, that's all." She picked up the plate again and headed to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry... so sorry... May I be excused?" Adrien asked, and at Tom's nod, went up the stairs to his room.
Marinette rose to follow him, but Tom stopped her with a gesture. "A word, please?" he asked, and she sat back down, her stomach knotting itself. "That wasn't just surprise on your face just then; you were alarmed, like you thought that spark was something more serious. IS there something I need to know?"
I can't lie to him... but I can't just tell him, either. "There... is," she admitted, her eyes watering. "I'll talk with Adrien, and we'll tell you about it together. Okay?"
"All right. We'll discuss this when you're ready... but we will talk," he said, somberly. "Your mother really is all right?"
"As far as I know, yes. I promise," Marinette answered. She went up the stairs, quickly, hoping to console and speak with Adrien... but he wasn't there.
"Tikki... everything just hit the fan, didn't it?" she whispered.
"Perhaps," answered Tikki. "Things certainly just got a lot more complicated."
"Where could Adrien have gone?" Marinette wondered, looking in her own room and not finding him there, either.
"Look at the clock," Tikki said. "I believe the two of you have an appointment in a few minutes?"
"CRAP! That's right," panicked Marinette. "I'd better hurry... Spots on!"
A young man wearing a black cat costume sat halfway up the Eiffel Tower, hating himself intensely.
I can't believe that the draining effect recharged again that quickly, even just a tiny bit! But how STUPID can I be? First Marinette, then Sabine in the same day! he screamed internally. There's no way that I can trust myself around them again. Maybe around anyone.
WHAT am I going to do?
He heard a faint sound by his side, and said "Hello, Ladybug," in a dour voice, without turning his head.
Oh, Adrien! sighed Ladybug to herself, deeply concerned. That wasn't your fault just then, it really wasn't! I know you didn't mean it, but I can't tell you that until we get home, since Ladybug would have no way of knowing what just happened!
"Are you okay, Chat Noir?" she said, carefully.
"Not even remotely. But I keep my appointments," he replied, half-heartedly. "I got your message. What do you need from me?"
"I'm... hey," Ladybug said, sitting down beside him. "The first thing I need is for you to know... that I'm not here to try to make you do anything you don't want to, okay? From what my Kwami's told me, we're meant to be partners, but you look like you need a friend more than a partner right now."
"Just don't get too close, okay?" Chat replied. "I seem to break everything I touch today."
"It sounded like you touched the heart of that girl I met earlier," Ladybug said, softly.
"And I might've broken... look, I get what you're doing, but I do need to be alone right now, Ladybug," said Chat. "But I don't want to be rude, either. So what did Papillon tell you? To bring me home, kicking and screaming?"
"A little more than that. He said, and I quote, 'I know what caused your accident, and with Ladybug's assistance, I think I can do it right.' And he gave me a number to reach him if you're agreeable to meeting him, which really surprised me."
The concept hit Chat like a shovel to the face; he turned and stared. "He wants to do the invocation... RIGHT? Haven't I done enough damage already? And you're okay with this, Ladybug?"
She held her hands up, defensively. "I don't know what I am okay with, yet. That's why I came to you first, instead of to him. You, I'm sure I can trust."
"Why?" The question was simple, but sincere.
"I can't tell you how I know... yet... but I know."
"Did he tell you what the COST of that invocation would be?" asked Chat, glaring at her...
Ladybug covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my GOSH!" she gasped. "Does Papillon have any idea what that tradeoff would be?"
"I have no idea. We didn't exactly talk about Miraculouses before I stole one and nearly killed his assistant." He lowered his head, feeling ashamed. "And the thing is, I do want what he wants. So badly that I can taste it! But now that I know the implications... there's no way that I can ever do that."
"I agree," she replied. "That's far too great a risk to be part of. So what would you want me to do, Chat?"
Chat considered what she was asking. One more person in my life who seems genuinely good at heart... who's trying to get closer to the wrong guy.
"You've already done it," said Chat, standing up. "You needed to get a message to me, and you have. You needed to know what it implied, and now you do. You wanted to be a friend of mine... and it sounds like you are. I do thank you for that, Ladybug."
"Wait!" Ladybug called, seeing that he appeared to be about to leave. "When I need to get in contact with you again, what should I do? Can I send word through that girl... Marinette?"
Chat stiffened, thinking for a moment... then replied, "No. But I'm sure you can find me," and leapt away.
Ladybug sat still for a few minutes, stunned.
No?
Why not?
Secret identity concerns? He doesn't want Ladybug to know where he's staying, or with whom? He doesn't want more superpeople in my family's lives, or to potentially put them at risk? Does he just not know Ladybug well enough yet?
And as for him and Papillon... oh, boy. I think I just put an even bigger barrier between them than before! If Papillon doesn't know what the cost of a Miraculous wish would be, he needs to know, pronto. But if he DOES know, and wants to attempt it anyway...!
She spent a few minutes pondering how to respond to that, until a thought hit her like a lightning bolt...
AGGGH! If Chat Noir goes to my house now... he won't find Marinette there!
In a flash, she swung home as quickly as her yo-yo could take her.
Marinette knocked on Adrien's closed door, lightly. "Adrien?" she called. "Please open the door. I need to talk to you."
There was no audible response.
"You're not in big trouble. We just need to explain more of the situation to them. I'll be right there with you, I promise."
Still nothing.
"Adrien? Will you talk to me, please?"
Marinette opened the door...
...and found the room empty. What belongings Adrien had brought with him or purchased appeared to be gone. She looked in the dresser drawers - all empty.
Quickly, she ran downstairs and found her father. "Have you seen Adrien since... what happened, happened? You didn't throw him out, did you?" she begged.
"Of course not! I think we all need to talk, but I'm more confused than angry. I wouldn't just... wait. Why?" Tom asked.
"His things are all gone from his room!" Marinette answered. "He's not down here somewhere?"
"Not that I've seen!" said Sabine. "And we were right here in the living room, he couldn't have gone out the front door without us seeing him!"
The trio searched the house, rapidly, and found no sign of Adrien or his belongings. When she got back to her room, Marinette looked in the closet, under the bed... then froze in place when she saw a sheet of paper on her pillow, torn from one of her notepads.
Adrien, NO! You wouldn't have... you didn't...
Marinette read from it, quickly... then sank to her knees on the floor. Sabine took the note from her hand, and read:
. The three of you were beyond kind to me in my time of need, and I will always
. be grateful for that. I owe you more than I can imagine, and it touched me
. to be part of your family even for a short time. Which is why I cannot stay...
.
. There is something wrong with me that is dangerous to those around me.
. What happened today - both times - proved that I can't control it, and I
. will not put any of you at risk. You all mean too much to me for that.
.
. Sabine and Tom, I hope that you can forgive me. I never put you or your
. daughter in any danger deliberately, but doing so even by accident is
. too much. I hope your hand feels okay, Sabine, and I'm so sorry.
.
. Marinette...
. This is so hard for me to write. Meeting you was like feeling real sunshine
. for the first time in my life. You are too sweet and caring to not want to
. stay close to me; you are far too wonderful and amazing for me to let you
. put yourself at risk like that. If I can ever figure this out and get rid of it,
. maybe I can earn your trust again. This time for real.
.
. Adrien
The room was silent as Sabine handed the note to Tom, except for the choked sound of a young woman trying hard to hold back tears.
Next time:
* Marinette comes clean with her parents.
* Ladybug goes on the hunt.
* Plagg and Adrien debate what few options they have left.
* Gabriel and Nathalie wonder what can be done.
* The phone rings...