Marinette didn't know what it was but for the last few weeks, she found herself muttering and stumbling over her words when she was face to face with Adrien. She couldn't help but wonder why she was so..out of whack. More than usual. The sight of his eyes made her heart summersault, the tone of his voice when he spoke to her made her stomach flutter. Being in his presence made her palms clammy and gross.

She asked Alya if what she was experiencing was indeed a side effect of a crush and the dark haired girl had all she could do to compose herself. Guess that was a yes.

"If you want…" Alya's tone played in the silence of Marinette's bedroom. "We could do a double date?" Her tone was teasing but Alya was being serious. She could see those two together, they'd be cute.

"What?! No!" Marinette was quick to brush that idea off Alya's shoulder. "No way. He's a famous model and I'm-just an ordinary girl."

Plenty of girls had crushes on models, she was no exception to that. She couldn't see Adrien returning any sort of feelings in return of her own.

Alya saw it in her face, what'd she been thinking. A whiskful smile slipped into her features, causing her cheekbones to lift and her eyes to sparkle. "You're already friends with him are you not? Which by the way.. Was so sudden. You hated him before."

"Well, let's just say he persuaded me to like him." More than intended…

"I see. So..I'll contact Nino and see if he can get Adrien to meet up with us for a movie. I hear the new Jurassic world is out." Alya shifted her eyebrows, "So many people have been waiting for that movie, meaning they won't pay attention to any makeout sessions if they should happen."

"Alya!" Marinette could feel her cheeks burning. The thought of Adrien's lips on her own….

"I'm going to enjoy teasing you, Mari."

"Alya, please spare me."

"Okay but only for tonight. Tomorrow is a whole new ballgame." Alya batted her eyes before gazing out the window. "And I'm only letting you off because it's getting late."

Marinette nodded. "Yeah… with the killings going on..it be best. Unless you want to spend the night?"

"I can't…I actually wasn't supposed to be out tonight. I got in trouble for failing geometry." Alya rubbed the back of her head.

"Well.. at least ask one of my parents to give you a lift home?" Marinette suggested.

"No..they work hard. I'll be okay, Marinette. I'll text you when I get to my room, deal?"

She wasn't so sure how to feel about the idea. Then again.. She could follow her home as LadyBug.

"Deal."

As soon as Alya was out the door, Marinette transformed, slipping out of her hatch that led to the balcony of her room. She couldn't decide if she should drop in and escort her home personally or if she should just keep her distance and lurk. The section option sounded better. Alya was the LadyBlog reporter after all.

So she stayed high above, avoiding Alya's sight but this way she could also cover more ground. She didn't know what the intention of that creature was and why it killed that man and not her but she couldn't take the chance and risk it.

She watched as Alya turned the corner that led to her house and watched as she snuck in through the door. Sighing in relief. She was grateful that Alya made it home safe.

A breath of comfort passed her lips. Alya was safe at home and she could go on living in peace knowing that.

And yet… part of her didn't want to go home yet. It was late of course but why go home? There was no school tomorrow and the night was still young. She wondered if ChatNoir wanted to do some patrolling.

Using her yo-yo as a phone she rang to ChatNoir's baton. A sigh reached her lips as she got a voicemail. "Chat. I'm just calling to see if you wanted to do some patrolling tonight. I'll meet you in front of the Eiffel Tower." She ended her sentence.

Paris was unusually silent tonight and not so vibrant. Most of the local bars that lit up the streets had closed down temporarily, most clubs followed their lead. People were scared of the creature. Scared it would take them next.

She landed on top of a rooftop that had the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. She admired that it still stood strong, alit with lights so dazzling they outshone the stars above. She took a seat and silently awaited for ChatNoir to appear.

It was a bit brisker tonight, she had to admit. She almost shuddered from the cold kiss the wind gave her exposed skin every now and again.

When a gentle thud interrupted her thoughts she averted her attention from the tower to where the sound emitted from, which happened to be behind her. She allowed her lips to curl into a smile as she rested her gaze on the feline superhero. He looked a bit gloomy tonight. His orbs which were always glimmering were dull. His lips were pursed into a small frown and the color of his cheeks were paler than usual. "Good evening, M'lady." He gestured, solemnly.

"Chat? What's wrong?" Her words were left to linger in the air for a moment.

"I..it's nothing. I don't think it'd be okay to share my personal problems outside the suit." Chat spoke, keeping his gaze towards the ground.

She patted the spot beside her. His movement was sluggish as he took the place next to her, his eyes avoiding hers.

"You can talk to me." She whispered comfortably.

"Okay." He breathed. "Someone close in my family was murdered today."

LadyBug felt her heart sink. Her poor sweet kitty.

"They were killed by whoever has been making these killings the last few days." Chat stated. "You never think it'll happen to you or someone close to you."

"Chat…I'm sorry." LadyBug tries to come up with the right words to say but they fall flat on her lips.

"It's okay, nothing can be done about it now."

"But you're wrong. If we find the one responsible, we can take them down and they could get the proper justice they deserve. It'll put the souls lost to rest." She tries to sound confident in her words but she doesn't know if it'd be true. However that seemed to spike his mood a bit, he was now looking at her at least.

"Okay.." He ushers in a gentle whisper, carried away by the wind.

As much as she hated to admit it, this killer was more important to take down than HawkMoth at this second. Yes, he was the main objective but he wasn't moving as fast as…Whatever that thing was.

It had to be stopped. If HawkMoth didn't create whatever it was then he would surely try to akumatized it to achieve his goal. She didn't think her nor ChatNoir would stand a chance against it if it was Akumatized.

Chat had turned solem again, his body shifted uncomfortably as he readjusted his sitting position, now crossing his legs. LadyBug scooted closer to him, nudging his shoulder with his own. Her eyes softened when his met hers.

"We will put a stop to it, Chaton. I promise."

…

HawkMoth stood in the depths of the blackness that he'd become so familiar with. His eyes staring aimlessly at the colorless moon that glimmered through the large window he freed his Akuma's from. He'd been thinking about the monster he'd come into contact with. He wanted to know more about it. What was its origin? Where did it come from? Maybe if he found a way to connect with it, perhaps he could bring it to an understanding. But what if his plan didn't work?

He tapped his cane on the floor with frustration.

Maybe for now, he'd send some Akuma's or a sentimonster out just so he can observe its behavior and see exactly what it was after.

But first..he needed the Peacock Miraculous stabilized just enough to use it.

…

The alarm clock read 7AM when Marinette opened her eyes, the sunlight was glistening with a bright amber color, seeping into her room with warmth. She groaned. It was the weekend and she was up at seven AM! She'd gone done with ChatNoir around four and decided to head home…after texting Alya because she did NOT want to feel her wrath if she ignored her text.

In truth, she didn't want to be out that late but she couldn't just leave ChatNoir alone to wallow in his grief alone. She did feel good that she managed to take his mind away from his grieving, even if it was for a short time.

A soft sigh passed her lips as she emerged from her bed, careful not to wake the slumbering Kwami. She gathered some clothes and slipped into the bathroom to shower and change. Now that she was awake..there was no sense in going back to sleep. She could work on her design to pass the time. She could go down and help with the Bakery but Saturday was unusually quiet.

They have been like that since the beast and HawkMoth arrived.

As Marinette finished up her hair she heard the sound of her phone buzzing in her bedroom.

Tucking in the last strain of hair into one of her pigtails, as she entered the room, she made her way to the phone, grabbing it and reading the text message.

Girl, Nino and I are going to the movies tonight and we invited Adrien. He needs a plus one…

The text ended with a winky face.

Alya! I told you to spare me.

Marinette wrote back.

Yeah I know but Adrien looked down in the dumps from what Nino said and he also said hanging out with friends would cheer him up a bit…his father even approved.

Marinette let the text linger for a moment. The thought of Adrien being down made her heart twitch with pain.

Okay…what time?

Nine. Be readyyyyy

She texted Alya back with a "I will" before setting her phone down on the desk. Why did they have to watch a movie so early on a Saturday? This was definitely a scheme in the making. She'd have to beat up Alya later on when they were alone..

And Nino too.

By now the little Kwami of creation had stirred from her slumber, yawning with a stretch. "Good morning, Mari!" The Kwami's cheerful tone was vibrant, just as the day was outside.

"Good morning, Tiki. I hope you slept well." The girl greeted in return, pulling out a small cookie for the creature to eat.

"I did," Tiki said between chews.

"Good. We are going to have a busy day I'm afraid." Marinette said with a sigh. "Alya is scheming."

The Kwami giggled.

Marinette had placed her sachet around herself and opened the zipper so that Tiki could fly in.

Marinette slipped out of her door and headed down to the bakery to say goodbye to her parents before she headed out..and hoped they wouldn't ask for her to stay.

Pressing through the door that separated the bakery from her home, she was greeted with the warmth of fresh baked goods and small chattering. Her parents were talking but they weren't only talking to one another, they were talking to someone else.

They were stationed in the center of the bakery, backs turned to her.

Marinette slithered around them, eyes landing on the person they were talking to.

Elise.

"Oh!" Her mother hummed. "Marinette, good morning sweetie."

"Hi mama." Marinette beamed, making her way over to kiss her mothers cheek.

"Marinette, have you met Elise yet?" Her father said, pulling her into a hug.

"Yes, papa, she's in my class. She's super nice." Marinette boomed, honestly. Elise hadn't been harsh to her, only to Chloe and Lila who deserved it.

"Well, I'm glad you think so because you'll be seeing a lot more of her outside school." Her mothers lips never uncurled from their smile stance.

"Yes. She will be helping us in the bakery for a while on weekends. We just offered her a job."

"Oh!?" Marinette stated, astonished. She'd never expected her parents to hire anyone. They usually managed on their own.

"Yeah.." The thick accent of the American dragged towards their ears. "I need to save up money and I'm pretty bored on the weekends."

"Well, Elise, you'll be working for the best two people in the whole city." Marinette assured. "But can I ask why so suddenly? You haven't been in Paris for long, I thought you'd want to sightsee."

"Oh, she'll be sight seeing. She's going to take care of most of our deliveries." Her mother spoke.

"Oh." Marinette said, rubbing the back of her neck.

For some reason she felt bad.

Elise tilted her head to the side reading the facial changes on the girl's face. "Don't worry about me. I didn't plan on making many friends here or sight seeing too much. I'm a soulitude person. Always have been."

It occurred to Marinette that her group of friends hadn't engaged with Elise much, despite wanting to add her to their small gang. Marinette hadn't even put the effort in but the last few days have been crazy. In truth, she really did like Elise. She had a personality that outmatched everyones in her class. She wasn't afraid to say something when she needed to.

"Okay." Marinette nodded. "So..you don't need me then?"

"We will be fine, go and have fun." Her mother gestured. "It's super nice out today."

"Okay, mama and papa. I'll see you later." Marinette spoke heading towards the door, cracking it slightly before stopping. "Hey Elise?"

"Hm?"

"Maybe some time we could hang out? We could go see a movie or something?" Marinette invited.

"I'd like that." The hooded girl spoke.

Marinette stepped out the door, the ringing of bells fell silent once the door shut.

The day was indeed beautiful. She just hoped it was peaceful too.

Marinette walked in the direction of the movie theater, the sounds of birds graced her with their melody of music, the smells of the local food shops invaded her nose. Oh how she would love to just stroll the streets with the one she loved. This city was so romantic.

Maybe one day she could do it..with Adrien maybe?

No.. Adrien had higher standards..being famous and all.

As much as she wanted to pursue this sudden crush she felt it was unhealthy to obsess so she didn't know why Alya was suddenly prying at the thought of it. Marinette could settle for being just a friend with him.

She kicked a rock along the side of the sidewalk, watching it bounce against the solid cement. It was only eight so she had some time to spare before meeting up with her friends. She might as well take her time and enjoy herself….

Or not..

She watched as the white SUV sped past her, followed by a police car. Of course something had to go on to ruin her hopefulness of peace. She slid into a nearby alley and quickly transformed.

The yo-yo made a whizzing sound as she vaulted across buildings, keeping up with the pursuit. If she timed herself just right she could jump onto the car raging through traffic. She needed to do it fast. As she leaped through the air, she aimed her yo-yo for any opening she could find which had been both the passenger and driver side window. With a flick of her wrist she managed to aim her yo-yo at the right location. She landed with ease on the raging vehicle.

She slid through the opening of the passenger window which caught the driver off guard, he eyed her with rivitating fear and anger. "What the hell?" He cried out, swerving off to the side.

"You should really pay attention to the road!" She called out, slapping the SUV back onto the right side.

He pulled a gun from his pocket but she deflected any plans of using it. She curled her fingers on the back of his head and slammed it against the steering wheel with enough force to place him in a daze. This allowed her to slow the SUV down to a stop.

The police siren blared as the car pulled up beside the SUV.

The officer wasted no time to get from his vehicle to the drivers. He ripped the door open only to pull the man out. He offered his thanks to the heroine as he slammed the man against his car before applying cuffs.

She gave the officer a wave before darting off to another location where she could drop her transformation.

…..

"Marinette, where have you been?" An irritated Alya met her in front of the movie theater. Her arms were crossed over her chest with a foot tapping against the concrete.

"I..uh there was a police chase. I had to wait until they captured the driver." Marinette said, rubbing a hand across the back of her neck, feeling the small hairs ticket her skin.

The frustrated look painting Alya's face fell. "Alright..I suppose I'll let you off the hook this time. Besides, you're here ten minutes before the movie starts."

"I guess I got lucky this time." Marinette laughed it off.

Alya reached for Marinette's hand pulling her along as she entered the theater. "The boys are already in the room, they got the popcorn and drinks. Just waiting on us now."

Marinette hummed. "Alya…"

"Yes?"

"Please don't pursue trying to get Adrien to date me."

"What?!" Alya tried to play it off. "I'm not…Nino and I.."

"Nino and you were scheming." Marinette wiggled her eyebrows. "I know you two well enough by now."

"I still think you'd be cute together and come on…He's single! Normal models have girlfriends at his age. This is an opportunity." Alya nudged Marinette's side.

The two girls slipped through the door and made their way towards the young males who sat silently. Nino's eyes lit up upon the sight of them while Adrien's remained gloomy and low.

Nino whispered something about Adrien not saying a word since they arrived and Alya frowning at the boy's gloomy expression.

Marinette sat beside him. "Hey, Adrien."

"Hey."

"I notice you look..sad today. Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked, hopeful he'd open up to her but when he shook his head no, she decided to not engage. "If you ever need someone to confide in, you can talk to me."

Adrien shifted, his eyes trailing on Marinette. The corner of his lips curled upward. "Thank you."

….

"That movie sucked." Alya sighed, stepping out of the theater.

"What a way to end the trilogy I guess." Nino chimed in.

Adrien said nothing, his eyes narrowed down. His solemn gaze reminded her of the same look as her partner.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words died at the lips.

She had a feeling he wanted to leave, may that be to home or anywhere else.

"Adrien?" She muttered his name.

"Hm?" He hummed.

"Do you wanna go for a walk around Paris?"

"I'd love to."

…..

Elise Feral wasn't always this way. Her heart used to be filled with kindness and love. Love for her friends, family and herself. Her mother had always told her she could never love anyone until she learned herself and showed her the ways beneath her advice. Her father showed her courage and fight. Always stand up for others and yourself when you need to.

She was eight when she saw her parents sitting down with four strange men. She peaked around the corner that led to the living room, quietly observing them. These men that sat at her table were completely covered, head to toe. Their upper halves covered by hoodies and their faces clouded by black dog masks.

She'd referred to them as the black dogs.

They were an underground organization that had ties all over the United Statesand out of it too. They were Mercenaries and scientists gone rogue. Instead of working for the highest bidder, they gave "loans" from people who struggled. Most times those people couldn't pay the price back.

Her parents fell under that category.

She was Nine when their payment day expired.

She was almost ten when they found her family.

She was fourteen when she escaped.

They didn't touch her sexually but they did phsycally abuse her, they expieremented on her.

She remembered the day they merged her with that beast.

She remembered the first time it overtook her.

She remembers when she overtook it.

They wanted to use her as a weapon and they by all means did anything they could do to achieve her potential. They succeeded but what they didn't know is that she was going to escape.

And escape she did.

She had killed most of them in less than a year. She burned down their bases, and made her mark on the United States.

The heroes that existed in the states were left in the dark of what had occurred.

After a year she found their last bit of organization was in Paris, the city of love.

Unfortunately, time for her was coming to an end. The beast dwelling in her was slowly devouring her body. Soon she'd be too weak to move, too weak to finish them off.

She never once harmed an innocent person, though it may seem that she did when the news played a case involving her.

She didn't care anymore.

Elise had been sent to deliver a large order to a house four blocks from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

She didn't really need to save money. She had a real reason for being there.

Marinette was in danger and she had no idea about it.

A Black Dog had marked her that night and even though he was now dead, there would be more.

They sold people off to the black market or used them for sex traffcing.

Marinette was a beautiful girl.

One they could make money off of.

Elise didn't have to do what she was doing. But something told her to.

She'd do it for anyone who had been decent towards her, Marinette, Nino, Adrien, Alya.

Anyone.

She planned to stop it all.

She knew they'd target the bakery or target her on the street.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was a forbidden fruit.

And soon her friends would be too.

…..

"Thank you, Marinette. I had fun with you today." The fashion model said, his voice holding a more positive tone than earlier.

The bluebelled eyed girl felt the heat in her cheeks. Adrien Agreste had fun with her today. Adrien Agreste had a good time with her.

Chloe and Lila would be fuming if they heard this.

The two teens had gone for a walk down to the park where they'd shared one ice cream, prepared by Andrea. His ice cream was always the best. It also had special effects.

They'd skipped rocks by the lake.

They'd visited several shops.

If Adrien hadn't been so down in the dumps today would have felt like a date.

Maybe it was.

"You're welcome." She finally spoke after several seconds of silence.

"My bodyguard is coming to pick me up. Would you like a ride home?" He asked her, a small hint of hopefulness lingering in his voice.

"I'd love to, Adrien but my house is literally on the next street." She said, trying to hide her chuckle.

"Well, we can still give you a ride home. After all..there is a monster out there." Adrien trailed off, his green orbs dulling at the thought.

Marinette smiled. "If the monster wanted to kill me, it would have done it that night."

Adrien recalled her story.

"Right.."

"I'll be fine." She assured him, placing her hand on top of his. "Besides, Elise is running the streets. She's working for my parents. So I'm sure I'll see her come and go several times on my walk home. I'll yell at her if I need help."

"She is a brute." Adrien stiffened a chuckled, rubbing the back of his beck. For some reason, his stomach turned.

The pair watched as the silver car slowly pulled up beside them.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" Adrien pried. He really didn't feel good about leaving her alone.

"I'll be okay. How about I text you when I get home? I'll even add a picture." Marinette offered. She could feel her heart swooning. Adrien was worried about her wellbeing.

He cared.

After a pause of silence Adrien let out a breath. "Okay.." rolled off his tongue. He really didn't want to leave her alone.

They watched as the silver car rolled up. The bodyguard stared intensely at him.

Time to go.

Marinette watched as he stood up. His golden locks bounced happily in the air his body produced. His eyes trailed down to hers, catching them. "Thank you again, Marinette. Maybe we could hang out again some time?"

She mentally screamed.

"O-of course! I'd love that." She squeaked, trying to hide the blush that returned to her cheeks.

Adrien offered her one final smile before getting into the car..

Marinette watched as it pulled away.

...

Hey everyone! Sorry for the chapter. It's a bit boring. Seems like I can only write out good chapters if they involve chaos lol.

I just started doing 12 hours at work ;-; so I may go back to being slow at posting.

BTW thank you for the revives. I love hearing feedback! Makes me glad people are enjoying my stories. :)