The next early morning Adrien carefully gets dressed and ready during the arrival of students before the first bell. He dresses in a loose t-shirt over his back shoulder burn to limit harsh rubbing against the wound. Its healing is coming along slowly which he still cannot wrap or it'll damage the delicate tissues trying to grow, and still continues to sting no matter what he does, but for this, he'll endure it.
He and Plagg take a walk off the school property, hiding his face under his blue ball cap and shoulder-length messy hair to keep the few (okay, mostly just one person) who recognizes him as 'Adri' from stopping him leaving. They head out into the city in the direction of the church which the funeral ceremony is being held for the woman he tried to save in the fire. It takes time to get to the church and movement of his upper torso has to be stiff to avoid the shirt from rubbing across his wound. The sidewalk crowds he has to deftly dodge doesn't help and he hisses when movement is too fast while avoiding contact with an oblivious man on a mobile phone. He takes his time though along the city business and shopping blocks as the ceremony doesn't start until 10am.
At first, he isn't sure if he should attend considering the private event between family and friends. So Adrien chooses to visit the church building, but stay out of view at the ceremony, and pay his own condolences privately.
The other problem is his physical appearance. He debated whether to be in his civilian attire or as Chat Noir. He decided on the side of being Chat Noir so he can access hidden places a lot easier than Adrien can, and the all black ensemble blends in shadows better. Though he hasn't transformed into chat noir since the fire near a week past, Plagg assures him the suit won't hurt his injury, but upper body movement must not stretch the skin underneath. Which leaves him to only using his legs to leap carefully while in suit.
The modest stone church, which was noted in the web article last night, is a subdued gathering as a few people stand outside the large wooden doors. Adrien tries to find another access point around the building and sees a back door near the alley trash cans and extra parking. Trying the door he finds it unlocked. Adrien checks to make sure no one is around and quietly enters the back access. In the back entrance area he checks again for cameras, which are none in this hall, and ducks behind a desk for extra coverage to transform. In case he's caught he can at least leave quickly when wearing his super suit.
It's not for another half hour before the ceremony starts, but a small crowd is gathered at the inside entrance on the other side of the open spaced building with only pews between him and the visitors. The aged all-stone structure allows mellow voices to echo softly, though no words are distinct. No one is seated yet, and the front with the closed casket sits gathered in many flowers. The church architecture is old and has many beveled walls, columns, and concave art designs which houses different sculptures of bible figures. He angles his view to see the stage while also not be seen by the seating visitor area. Adrien finds a nook out of view to get himself comfortable in the shadows and waits for the ceremony to start.
The ceremony for the woman goes on through her life, and some words are spoken of her by exchanges of different family and friends. There are prayers and music too. It isn't a particularly long ceremony, and the final eulogy is said before everyone stands and begins going to the casket to add their own quiet words, placing a flower from the wreath onto the casket before heading back to the entrance doors. When the front clears as most are gathered in lingering groups at the entrance, Chat slinks out of the shadows and keeps behind objects as he approaches the casket.
Chat Noir quietly walks to the closed casket and a large picture of the woman wreathed in flowers. He pauses as he considers what he learned of the woman from those she left behind.
He then considers another woman he hasn't seen since he was 10 years old: His mother, Emilié.
Emilié's death, and the lack of info about how she died leaving behind a large scar of its own in his life. To the public, it was a sudden illness. To just a select few, it was gradual coughing and weakness until one day, she wasn't home when he returned from his karate class (which he wanted cancelled as he associated it to his mother's death). For nearly two years afterwards, he tried to connect with his father only to be rebuffed and further sheltered. If she hadn't vanished Adrien might have been able to have more freedom, and even possibly go to school. But he spent two years of long, boring, overworked, sheltered, and a silent life until he made the fateful decision to begin making escapes from his captivity. The final successful one being near his twelfth birthday, which led him to cross paths with an old man and his jewelry box in a park.
In the church sanctuary, He looks at the portrait of the woman next to the closed casket: Anna Monet. Mother and wife. At least her family will know how she passed instead of the lingering agony of unknowns.
Standing next to her casket he's left with very little to say and quietly so as not to be heard by the unaware guests on the other side of the large room, "I'm sorry, Anna…I tried, but I wasn't fast enough. They call me a hero, but you still died…" His shoulders slump and he barely notices the sting in his shoulder under the suit, "I'll do better…and…" He looks over at her large photo portrait wreathed in flowers next to the casket. He picks a purple flower bundle from the wreath bursting with many different flowers and rolls the stem gently between his finger grip: the many small purple bulbs grouped around a single stem which look like tiny starfish spins slowly as he stares at them. "And I'll be the hero where no one dies if I can help it."
He hears a distant gasp and murmur. He glances over his shoulder at the entrance across the room and sees there's a dozen eyes frozen, watching him. He gently places the flower on the casket lid, pausing a silent moment in respect and guilt.
He turns to go: his promise is spoken.
It's the following morning and Adrien finds himself completely stir crazy cooped up in the tower again, which is going on a week now. It's beginning to remind him of his old life being trapped in his room until otherwise told where to go. He knows resting is important to heal, but he figures sitting at a computer or people-watching is just as much resting as sitting in a quiet tower.
So he carefully puts on a loose grey button-up shirt and heads down to the school during the lunch hour when students are free to roam without question.
At first he checks out the lunchroom to grab a meal with Plagg hiding in his oversized shirt. Finishing quickly, he goes down to the ball court, but no one is doing anything in particular for him to watch, as all are various friend groups just chatting or doing worksheets. So Adrien walks to the school library to spend time either reading with other kids or surfing the web.
Of course, he checks out Paris' interest in their city cryptid. Many articles ramble on about his actions that saved two of the three victims from the fire. Many citizens' statements are confused, but cautiously supportive of the 'hero', while others are still trying to figure out his origins.
He's only ten minutes into web searching articles about 'Chat Noir' or 'The Paris Cryptid', when a girl's voice startles him from behind.
"What do you think of my article?"
Adrien flinches an inch off his chair and the movement bring a pained hiss out of him.
The girl to his right sees his obvious pain and frowns in confused sympathy, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"No you're fine." He straightens as best he can, trying to avoid further shirt rubbing of his wound, "I was just too focused on the computer."
She nods and points to his screen, "Yeah, you're reading my article I wrote yesterday. What do you think?"
"Oh! About the article or Chat Noir?"
The girl with wild auburn hair and skater street clothes shrugs, "Either. Both." Her glasses reflect the computer screen as she smiles at him. She holds out her hand in greeting, "I'm Ayla Césaire, by the way."
Adrien glances at the article and back to the girl and takes her hand, "I'm Adri…and…That he seems…harmless? For all his unique abilities, he hasn't done much. The article is good, though."
The girl squints at him, "Okaaay…so what do you feel about him?"
Baffled, Adrien asks, "Feel?"
She shifts her large glasses back up her nose, "Yeah. Scared? Happy? Curious?"
"Oh. Um….Happy, I guess. Since you know…the fire. How he helped." Adrien is floundering of course for an answer, because how does one talk about themselves in third person without dropping too much information?
Pouting at his lack of enthusiasm, she huffs in response. Then a new voice joins them just outside his periphery.
"Ayla, give Adri a break. I told you Chat Noir is a good guy. Why do you keep asking people about the validity of this?"
Ayla turns to the girl just as Adrien does, and he sees it's Marinette. Today she's wearing pigtails instead of a ponytail as last time. Her clothes are a mix of pink and greys, and is carrying her ever-present pink flowered purse.
"But Marinette, a reporter has to get the opinion of the everyday citizen about events. So we can judge how such things are actually received by the people, instead of through the institutions like the police, which are currently a 'hands off' policy." Ayla folds her arms after using finger quotes as she faces Marinette, and Adrien looks on from his computer seat. "And it's not like I can just ask Chat Noir."
Adrien bites his lip to hide his smile, "And what would you even ask him?"
Marinette and Ayla turn to him as Ayla pushes her large glasses back up her nose, "Well, for starters I'd ask what he's doing in Paris."
Adrien frowns in confusion, "What? Why?"
"Well so far he's been seen traveling the rooftops, and in the past seen carrying objects a few times. Some speculate he's an escapee from some lab and trying to live life in the big city."
Marinette rolls her eyes as Adrien watches them in amusement.
Ayla gestulates excitedly, "But my theory is he's a new hero from some secret organization and left them behind to scope out Paris and help the helpless! Like the apartment fire last week. That was his first Big Hero moment!
Marinette facepalms, "Oh my goodness Ayla…"
Ayla turns slightly more serious as she looks at her phone, "And yesterday, I got a report message that he was seen at the end of the funeral of the woman that died in that fire."
Adrien holds his breath as Ayla turns her phone around to show the report. Someone had snapped a blurry photo of him walking away from the casket as he was just about to vanish behind the sanctuary wall into the back hallways when leaving.
Adrien purses his lips, "You think he's a good hero? But that woman died." Completely counterpoint to his earlier statement about Chat's actions being heroic.
Ayla considers her words as she looks over her phone, "He did something amazing, in that he obviously risked his life, just like those firemen do. While the last rescue he helped didn't survive, it was his actions that count. That's what makes a hero."
Adrien sits stunned with a squirming mix of warmth and guilt stirring in his gut.
Marinette stands there with her hands clasped in front and shyly whispers, "He was, is, amazing. He deserves to know that. Two others survived because of his actions. If I ever get the chance to meet him again, I'd bake him lots of cookies…or whatever he likes." She ends with a soft smile and a softer blush.
Ayla elbows her gently from the side, "Oooh, someone's got a crush on the local superhero." Ayla grins mischievously.
Adrien feels his cheeks get hot from his likely blush too.
Marinette squeaks mortified at the observation and gets redder as she hides behind her hands, "Alyaaaa!"
Both Ayla and Adrien chuckle at her response.
Adrien feels ten times lighter after days of feeling guilt. He looks forward to his future now with a new perspective on his actions to help people in the city instead of just being the passive observer like in his sheltered childhood.
Author Notes:
The flower Chat Noir places on the casket- Hyacinth (Purple): Means sorrow, please forgive me, I'm sorry, seeking forgiveness.
Another note: In many countries, including French schools, I understand that kids get at least an hour-long lunch. In America, most schools give kids only 30-45 minutes to stand in line, and then shovel food in your mouth, before running back to class (At least mine was). Leaving is generally prohibited in most during lunch, until mid-high school when many can drive off campus, or old enough to safely walk themselves to the nearby food places. It varies.
My point is: Adrien gets time to hang out with other kids for these lunches, or do after-school things if he desires.
Also, I have no beta. I hope my several passthroughs are good enough.