Chapter 10

Where is he?

That was the question that burned in Adrien's mind ever since he had witnessed Theo subtly leave the Bourgeois party. He waited a few minutes until he followed after him, only so that the captain wouldn't suspect that he was being trailed.

However, those few extra minutes also cost him the knowledge of where he went.

If Theo was simply returning home, he would've made sure that everyone knew about it; he clearly liked to have attention. There had to be a reason why he left so quietly.

He used the horse he initially took to the party to go after Theo, a young, strong horse with sleek, black fur and a glossy mane to match. Agreste horses were known to be some of the most impressive, but more than that, this one in particular was the fastest the family owned.

Adrien switched to holding the reins with one hand. The fingers on his other moved to the inside of his jacket pocket, brushing against the leather mask lying inside. Good thing he had the insight to wear his Chat Noir clothes under his civilian ones. It was risky, but he never knew when a good opportunity for a heist would come up.

He winded up in town, slowing his horse to a trot so as not to wake up anyone who happened to be sleeping already. His eyes scanned everywhere he could think of Theo to be located. The night was silent, save for some crickets who felt the need to be heard.

Maybe Theo really had gone home quietly. Maybe he was just being paranoid and left the party for no reason at all.

He was about to turn back and return when he saw the Dupain-Cheng bakery, with light coming from the windows. A bit late to be awake, he supposed, but what was most incriminating was the lone, brown horse standing by the entrance, devoid of any rider.

He knew the Dupain-Cheng family didn't have a stable, and thus it was most likely they didn't own a horse at all. Suspicion piqued, he gently urged his horse to trot closer to the bakery.

Adrien snuck a peek in the window, and what he saw made his heart almost leap out of his chest (and not how it happened when he usually saw Marinette).

She was gripping a rapier, her expression tight and controlled but he could easily detect the hint of fear in her blue eyes. Meanwhile, Theo was edging closer to her, his own sword drawn.

What happened next made Adrien see red.

Theo brought down his weapon, intending to strike her, but thankfully she was able to parry it and dance off to the side. She tried landing a blow of her own, however Theo saw it coming and swatted her attack away as though she was nothing but a nuisance that required no effort to defeat at all.

He didn't wait to see any more. He urged the horse to go towards the back of the house, and from there jumped down to the ground to quickly strip himself of his noble clothing. He put the clothes in a pile on the horse's saddle before tying on the black mask. His costume now complete, he ran for the door.

His hand reached for his rapier, and that's when he froze in his steps.

He could feel his heart plummet to his stomach.

No rapier. No weapon. Nothing he could use to defend Marinette against Theo. Attending the party with a sword attached to his hip not only wasn't needed, but it would have also made him look strange in the eyes of the other guests.

"Dammit!" he cursed, wildly looking around as if a rapier would just divinely drop from the sky. "No, no, no!"

While he could fight with his hands, it would be difficult against someone holding a sword. And an army captain at that? He stood no chance of winning.

He ran back to the window, his eyes widening in new panic as Theo's attacks were getting faster, and Marinette, in her likely limited knowledge of swordplay, was having a harder time deflecting them.

He hurried to the front of the bakery, intending on just bursting inside and hoping for the best, when his ears picked up the sounds of laughter.

Pressing himself against the wall of the bakery, he poked his head out to see two soldiers drunkenly swaying as they tried to walk down the road, talking and laughing loudly the entire time.

But more importantly, they each had a sword attached to their hip.

Chat's lips curled into a grin.

…

Marinette resisted the urge to swipe sweat from her forehead as she continued to parry Theo's relentless attacks. The man in front of her however, appeared to actually enjoy this. In his eyes, it was simply a game they were playing.

Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed where she was going until she had backed up into a wall.

Theo's eyes gleamed as he swiftly took the opportunity, moving so that their swords were pressed against their chests and his head was bent close to hers. Marinette squirmed, trying in vain to get out of the compromising hold.

"Have you had your fun, my little spitfire?" he asked. He was so close she could smell the wine he drank recently on his breath. It made her struggle all the more. "I'm growing rather tired of this, just surrender now and then we could both enjoy the night."

"Not happening," she grunted before gathering all the saliva in her mouth and spitting it directly in Theo's eye. He growled and staggered back; Marinette seized the moment to land a solid scratch on his left cheek.

He hissed in pain, his hand going to his cheek to blindly assess the damage. When he pulled his fingers away, there was a bloody streak across the tips.

He wiped the remnants of her spit from his eye before opening it once again to level a glare at her.

"You're going to pay for that."

With that vow he aimed his sword low, intending on ripping her dress to pieces, but a sharp point on his back halted his movements.

"Now, is that any way to treat a lady?" Chat Noir chided, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. His grip tightened on the rapier, the only visible sign of his anger. "When a woman says 'no', it isn't typical to engage her in a fight."

Theo grimaced, remaining still when Chat circled around him, the tip of his sword never leaving his body. Finally, the bandit stood in front him, with the weapon aimed for his heart.

Chat's eyes appraised the captain, stopping once he saw his cheek. A single line of blood dripped down from the corner of the slice. The cut wasn't very deep, but it was enough so that a scar would form in its place. A surge of pride welled inside him, pleased to know that Marinette didn't go down without a fight.

Marinette meanwhile allowed herself to slump against the wall in relief. It wasn't her proudest moment, having to be rescued, but honestly she probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. He was a trained soldier after all, the best since he was promoted to Captain. She wasn't blessed with any sort of the rigorous training he had to endure.

Chat Noir on the other hand, possessed all that and more. She had heard of his skills with the sword, and was fully confident that he would beat Theo.

"You want a duel?" Chat quipped, the smile disappearing from his lips. "Then let's have one, just me and you. I've heard that's what you've been wanting, along with capturing me afterward. Well, Captain, here's your chance to act on that promise."

He turned back, his gaze landing on Marinette. The corners of his lips quirked up, resulting in a grin that most people would call 'dopey'.

"I don't wish for you to be caught in the crossfire, Princess. Would you mind moving to the stairs until I'm finished? Don't worry, this won't take very long."

Theo bristled at the not-so-subtle insult tacked on at the end. His glare turned irate at how Marinette directed a soft smile of her own towards the thief that has been a constant thorn in his side as of late. Was that the kind of woman she was? The kind who didn't want a good, law-abiding soldier and instead desired a fiendish outlaw?

Marinette did as Chat requested, walking to the stairs and standing on the third one, well out of the way but very much able to watch the upcoming battle.

Chat Noir faced his opponent with a confident smirk, letting the tip of his rapier fall back so that it pointed to the captain's feet.

"If you're ready?" he prompted with a tilt of his head, his smirk never wavering. That, combined with his lack of a proper stance, left Marinette wondering if he really did know what he was doing after all. No one was this casual before a fight.

He was probably just acting so nonchalantly in an effort to impress her or something. The thought caused her eyes to roll to the ceiling.

Theo's voice brought her back to what was occurring right in front of her, when he announced that he needed a minute to warm up, and he unsheathed his own weapon. He intricately twirled the blade in the air a few times, obviously showing off whilst trying to intimidate Chat. Finally, he grinned maliciously and turned around to the coffee table, eyes trained on the single candle sitting inside its holder.

With a deft stroke of his sword, his sliced the candle in half, leaving behind a sharp incline from where he had cut it. The top of the candle flew off and landed a few feet away from the table. Marinette's mouth dropped in what was definitely not awe. She would have to replace that candle!

Theo looked back to Chat Noir with a smugness of his own swimming in his eyes and apparent in the curl of his lips.

"No, I don't think Marinette will have to wait long at all," he sneered.

Chat Noir lifted an eyebrow, saying nothing in return to the jab. Still silent, he walked forward, to the coffee table but still keeping an eye on Theo in case he tried something. The soldier didn't, choosing to only watch with interest.

He stopped in front of the other candle on the opposite end of the table. A smirk gradually grew across his features as he first pointed his rapier at the captain, before swiftly slicing through the candle in a horizontal motion, then again vertically.

Marinette's eyebrows furrowed, confused when she saw that nothing happened. Did he miss?

Apparently Theo thought so, as he began to haughtily laugh.

That is, until Chat held up a hand.

Theo quieted, just in time for the bandit to stamp his foot on the floor. Marinette watched, this time with her jaw dropped in amazement, as the candle fell in four, perfectly cut pieces, with not a sliver of wax uneven.

Chat picked up his head, grinning wickedly.

"No, not long at all," he echoed, finally shifting his body in the proper stance, blade pointing toward the soldier's head.

Theo stiffened, fuming at being outdone with his candle trick, and thus making himself look like a fool. Oh well, he would have his retribution soon enough, and would never have to worry about the nuisance standing in front of him ever again.

Theo squared his shoulders and got into his own stance, stretching out his sword so that it crossed with Chat's.

Marinette's breath hitched in anticipation.

Theo made the first move, tapping Chat's blade with his own a few times. He stepped forward, to get a closer hit, and Chat matched him, stepping back. This continued for a few moves until Theo decidedly had enough, and went for a more direct hit.

Chat easily deflected it and at last started to make his own attacks. While he couldn't land a hit either, he was hardly deterred from that. His eyes remained hard, trained on Theo's as he worked. Marinette had never seen him look so serious.

The pair continued back and forth, at times their blades flying so fast they resembled a blur. The sound of the clashing swords rang in Marinette's ears as she tried in vain to determine who was winning. Both matched the other's steps, both lunged with force, and both fluidly dodged each other.

Marinette swore her heart stopped when Chat's foot slipped on the candle piece on the floor originally caused by Theo and tumbled to the ground. Her knuckles gripped the stair railing so hard they began to turn a ghostly white. She hardly noticed though, too frozen to think of anything except for Chat's imminent defeat and possibly death if Theo didn't spare him.

She breathed out a sigh of relief when Chat continued fighting as valiantly as he did standing. He deflected all of Theo's blows, much to the captain's frustration, given the growl that tore out of his throat.

Fortunately, he was too distracted to see Chat's legs wrap around his foot. He realized too late once he found himself falling to the floor, his rapier flying out of his hand as his back hit the ground.

Chat bounced up just as Theo reached for his sword, only to be stopped by the outlaw's foot brought down on the blade, and it was evident that he wasn't going to budge. Theo slowly rose back up, teeth gritted in shame and fury.

He lost. He lost. He had his chance to capture him, and he blew it.

Chat Noir didn't look happy nor proud of his victory. Instead, a scowl twisted his lips as he pointed his rapier in Marinette's direction, who stared wide-eyed at what just happened.

She supposed Chat didn't really take long after all.

"Apologize!" he demanded, now pointing his blade above Theo's heart.

The soldier shifted his eyes back and forth between the woman he was earlier trying to steal a kiss from and the thief that bested him. Apologize?

"I refuse to apologize to a woman," Theo spat.

Marinette bristled, her temper sparking at the sexist comment. She still had her sword, she had put it down before the duel began. She could walk over and slice his throat. Chat surely wouldn't mind, would he?

Chat wasn't too pleased with the comment either. His eyes sparked with a new enraged fire, as the sword dug harder into Theo's chest, eliciting a small whimper of pain.

"Apologize, or you'll be dead where you stand."

Theo grimaced. He didn't want to apologize, but the desire to not be dead was much greater. For once, he supposed he just had to swallow his pride and get it over with. It wasn't he would mean it.

Wordlessly he turned away from Chat, stomping like a child with a temper tantrum, halting once he got in front of her. He already didn't like the height difference the last step offered her.

Marinette stared down at him like he wasn't worth anything more than the dirt on her shoes.

"Sorry," Theo grumbled and was prepared to walk away, but once again he found that pesky sword poking his back.

"On your knees," Chat growled, enunciating the order with a firm tap on the captain's shoulder with his rapier. "And I expect more than just 'sorry'."

Theo's grimace dug deeper as he reluctantly got down on both of his knees, at the complete mercy of the same woman he had been chasing after for months. For a brief, fear-ridden moment, he wondered what would happen if she didn't forgive him.

"I deeply and sincerely apologize for what I have done, Miss Marinette," he said in the most truthful voice he could muster, even bowing his head as he spoke the words to seem all the more real.

Marinette sighed. She needed to be the bigger person in this. She couldn't be mad forever, even though she believed she had every right to be.

"I-"

"No," Chat interrupted with a shake of his head. "He isn't worthy your forgiveness." His attention switched back to the still-kneeling captain. "Get up and get out. If I ever see you here again I won't hesitate to pierce your heart with my sword. Get up!"

Theo stood at the order, angrily silent at being told what to do. He hasn't been on the receiving end of an order for a long time, and never intended for it to be that way again. He picked his discarded sword and wondering for a fleeting moment if he could surprise the bandit and overtake him. But the more sensible part of him refused to even take another chance of his pride being horribly beaten.

He strode out of the bakery with as much dignity as he could manage for someone who was just defeated in a duel.

"Thank you, chaton," Marinette breathed once she was sure Theo was gone and far enough away. She smirked sardonically. "I hate to say it, but I probably wouldn't have held him off for much longer if you hadn't shown up."

Chat let his weapon drop as he allowed himself to finally relax. His shoulders slackened as a weak smile turned up his lips.

"It was my pleasure to assist you, Princess." His gaze suddenly hardened. "But something like this can't happen again. As much as I wish for it to be so, I can't be around you all the time."

Marinette tried to not let herself become distracted by the little sentiment.

"I know, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll always be around my family and friends."

Chat's eyes moved to the older sword lying one of the stairs, the one that Marinette had earlier used. Though she needed his help in the end, she still proved to be somewhat skilled with the art of the blade.

"Have you been fencing long?" he questioned, not taking his eyes off the weapon as his mind started to calculate a plan.

Marinette shook her head, now looking back to the sword as well.

"My father taught me a little bit when I was younger, but I haven't used a sword in years up until tonight."

Chat returned his gaze to her, this time with a sly grin curving the edges of his mouth. Marinette raised an eyebrow, intrigued for what he was about to say.

"How about I train you?"

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. She honestly wasn't expecting that. It was already unusual that her father taught her how to use a weapon, but another man advancing those teachings? Training her? It was unheard of.

"You-you want to train me?" she repeated slowly, still trying to comprehend the idea. Was he serious?

"Yes." He nodded once, smiling broadly. "If I train you, then if Theo or anyone comes along intending to hurt you, you won't have any issue defending yourself. It's a perfect solution, don't you think?"

"But-"

"I don't care that you're a woman," he dismissed, his smile dropping into a frown. "A lady should have the right to defend herself, especially from men like Theo," he finished, spitting out his name like it was a bitter poison.

Marinette smirked upon hearing his words. He was right, she did deserve the right to defend herself. Plus, if anything were to happen to her, like being kidnapped, she wouldn't be a hindrance to Chat trying to get her back.

"Who knows?" Chat purred, leaning down so that their noses were almost touching. Marinette gulped, her cheeks flaring as the confident grin worn only moments before died and became a flustered pout. He grinned roguishly.

"Maybe one day we could fight side by side?"

Marinette's flush darkened into a rosy red, a squeak tore past her lips as she took a step away from him.

"Yeah, imagine that," she shakily said, emitting a nervous chuckle as her fingers played with a lock of hair. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. "Maybe one day that could happen."

"So you're agreeing?" he prompted, crossing his arms together with an impish smirk. He didn't seem to mind at all that she pulled away from him so fast.

Marinette faltered, stopping to really think it over. She would be able to defend herself with ease, on the other hand…well, come to think of it, there really were no disadvantages.

"Alright," she decided, by now fully calmed down and thus able to lock eyes with him again. "I agree."

"Purrfect," he replied mischievously, reaching out for her hand. Marinette let him take it, not thinking of any reason to reject him.

"I'll stop by your balcony tomorrow night at eleven. Until then, my princess."

He sealed his promise with a kiss to her knuckles before rising and collecting sword. With one last grin and bow, he walked out the door from which he came.

Thanks for the continued support! :)