So happy new year...it's been a while but I really wanna finish my open projects this year. So expect more updates.
Adrien's danger senses were still going off after trapping the Akuma in a bottle. Ladybug failed to show up for the fight against Quicklock. Quicklock had the ability to teleport the victim to the closest locked room. He kept the butterfly in his bag for safekeeping. He was able to sneak back into class unnoticed. Lila had the rest of the class raptured with her story.
"It was so scary! One minute was running with someone and then I was trapped in the supply closet. I twisted my ankle when it went into the mop bucket. I tried calling for Ladybug of course but no one could hear me. I was locked in there for hours! But then my best friend Ladybug defeated the Akuma and got me out."
Adrien narrowed his eyes immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. Alya beat him to it.
"Wait a second...Ladybug didn't even show up. It was just Chat Noir."
Lila's eyes widened, "Really! Uh, I must've been mistaken I think I got a concussion from hitting my head on the shelves above me."
"That's not possible either, there aren't any high shelves in there," Max stated.
Adrien's eyes scanned the room. "Where's Marinette?"
"Lila. You said you were running with someone. Who was it?" Nino asked.
Her eyes were huge, looking like a deer caught. Suddenly she tried to make a break for the door but Adrien was in the way. He grabbed a hold of her as Kim and Ivan came to help him. They each had her by the arm.
Alya got right in her face. "What did you do to Marinette!"
She sneered at the rest of them as she told. Adrien didn't wait he bolted.
Why Marinette why? She was the nicest, most honest, and the most down-to-earth person he's ever had the pleasure of knowing. She wouldn't hurt anyone but still sticks up for those she cares about.
Nino and Alya were hot on his heels. The rest of the class was close behind with Ivan still holding Lila.
He rounded the corner into the kitchen. Passed all the equipment and to the back where the storage rooms are. The walk-in freezer was huge. It's where they kept all of the meat and products cold. Some of the coldness leaked out from the bottom, turning into vapor from the warm air outside.
"You chained it up!" Adrien growled as he tried to get the handle to budge.
"B-by my calculations, she's—she's been in there for over two hours," Max stated still trying to catch his breath from all the running.
"Give us the key or my fist will get to know your face!" Alix threatened.
Lila tried to shrug in the hold. "I don't know, I grabbed it off the floor."
Markov snaked a camera underneath the door. "She is alive but her heartbeat is growing faint. Switching on camera."
The class crowded around a picture of Marinette huddled in the corner shivering. It looked like she was cradling something in her hands. "D-d-d-don't w-worry Tikki. I'll th-th-think of something, j-just hang on a little longer. I know bugs aren't the big-ggest fan of the cold."
Plagg pawed at his chest.
"It's alr-r-right Mari. I know you don't l-like the c-c-cold either."
"Who is she talking to? Does she have her phone? Sabrina asked.
"No look her phone is over here!" Rose said picking up the abandoned device on the floor.
Marinette shifted slightly, unknowingly showing the camera the same creature in her hands. Adrien's breath left him.
Everyone has had a miraculous at one time or another so they all knew a kwami when they see one.
"No fucking way," Kim swore.
Adrien threw his shoulder into the door. "My Lady! I'm getting you out of there!"
Her head picked up slightly, "Kitty?"
He braced a foot on the door and pulled with all of his might on the chain. It creaked under the pressure but didn't budget.
"Her heartbeat is weakening!" Alya panicked.
"Plagg claws out!"
The others let out various surprised noises behind him but he paid them no mind.
"Cataclysm!"
Dark energy was absorbed into his hand and unleashed on the chain. Even though the chain was the main target, his highly emotional state as well as Plagg's panic caused the energy to surge through the entire door. It turned black and crumbled into pieces.
His ring beeped and the transformation wore off. Even though Plagg was tired, he flew directly to Tikki.
"Plagg?"
Adrien got on his knees in front of her. Alya, Nino, and the others are right behind him.
He took Plagg and Tikki from her. "Alya, take the kwami's and keep them warm. We can't risk Tikki going to premature hibernation."
His hands cupped her cheeks and the warmth startled her a bit.
"Don't worry I got you Bugaboo."
"I'm tired Minou."
"That's okay, I'll get you warmed up with my hot personality in no time." He smiled as he hauled her into his arms.
"You're incorrigible." She muttered, burying her nose into his neck.
"I need the rest of you to find the warmest stuff, pillows, blankets, heat packs, and meet me back in literature class." He addressed the others.
They all split up trying to find anything useful.
They each spread out blankets and pillows on the floor. Adrien wrapped her up in no less than three blankets. He got the kwamis and nestled them into a nest of blankets.
"What should we do about Lila?" Ivan asked as he still had a hold of her.
"Alix? Why don't you get some rope from the gym? We can tie her to one of the chairs." Adrien suggested.
Alix chuckled, "My pleasure."
She came back in no time and they tied her wrists to the back of a chair. Markov was keeping vitals.
"Her body temperature is slowly increasing as well as her heartbeat. She is still susceptible to hypothermia."
"We need to get her to a hospital." Rose cried.
Chloe typed away on her phone. "Can't the city is on Akuma lockdown since Ladybug didn't show up. The Akuma is still out there."
All of their heads turned to Adrien who was on the ground, trying to rub more warmth into Marinette.
"I took care of the Akuma. Obviously, because I'm not Ladybug it hasn't been purified yet." He reached into his duffle bag to pull out the bottle containing the butterfly.
"When Tikki is strong enough I'll cleanse it."
"Wow, so we're not gonna pretend that whole thing didn't happen." Nino whistled.
"You mean that my best friend is LADYBUG!"
"And my best bro is Chat Noir."
"I didn't know it was her. We kept our identities a secret for a reason." He sighed.
"Tikki is waking up Kid." Plagg's rumbling voice disturbs the silence.
Adrien unravels their cacoon. "Tikki?"
"Adrien?"
He takes her into his palms. "How are you feeling Little Bug?"
"Tired but warm." She blinked, "Marinette! Is she alright?"
He nodded to the bigger pile of blankets, "Still asleep but she's warming up."
"I didn't want the reveal to be like this." Her antennas droop.
"That's okay, I should've known it was her all along anyway. Someone as perfect as Marinette deserves to be Ladybug."
"She will be very happy that you're her kitty, Adrien."
He smiled slightly. "If you're strong enough we need to cleanse that Akuma."
She nodded. He slipped off his ring and took the earrings from Marinette. Saying the transformation phrase, he cleansed the butterfly and let it go.
Tikki buzzed near her holder's chest. Offering her soothing healing powers to warm her up. She shifted in the blankets slightly.
Adrien sat down right beside her.
"I hope you can hear me Bugaboo. I would be absolutely floored if you could wake up now. Get it? Because you're laying on the floor."
"hmmph...that was a bad one Chaton." She muttered.
Air escaped his nose. "It got you to smile didn't it?"
She couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she peeped open her eyes. Her eyes saw the blurred blonde hair of her partner. She waited until her vision focused, her eyes blown comically wide as she jolted up.
"Adrien!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you Bugaboo."
Only one person called her that name. She visibly deflated, eyes softening. "Kitty?"
He smiled, "How are you feeling?"
"Still kinda cold...and confused? What happened?"
"During the Akuma, Lila somehow locked you in the freezer. I got you out but you were in there for hours."
"Shit, the Akuma's still out there. Come on, Kitty Cat." She stood shakily.
Adrien had a hand on her waist. "Already handled. When you didn't show up I figured something was wrong so I trapped it in a bottle and I just cleansed it with Tikki."
She rested a hand on his jawline her thumb curving up to wear the edge of his mask would be. "Thank you, I couldn't have asked for a better partner."
He smirked, taking her hand from his face and kissing the back of it like he always does. "I aim to please My Lady."
A clearing of the throat broke them out of their tension. Marinette who seemed to have lost all of her Ladybugness, slipped in surprise and would've fallen on her butt if it wasn't for Adrien's strong grip.
"Not that this isn't the cuteness thing ever and I'm freaking out inside but Marinette you almost DIED ARE YOU OKAY?" Alya exclaimed.
She gaped at her, finally taking into account the rest of the room. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygoddoeseveryonehereknow?"
Adrien scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah they saw Tikki and it didn't help that I had to become Chat Noir to break the chain on the freezer door."
Marinette smacked her face with her hands, moaning, "This is a disaster, no one was supposed to know!"
"Girl I think you skipped over the part where you almost DIED?"
Marinette waved off her best friend's concern, "I die almost every week Alya, it doesn't phase me anymore."
Alya smacked herself on the forehead. "Oh my lord."
If anyone is curious, Lila gets expelled, the class keeps the reveals a secret, and Marinette and Adrien start dating a week after.