A/N: I've addressed some comments and concerns on my tumblr (akirhenwrites). Please feel free to strike up a conversation with me. I don't bite! THANK YOU EVERYONE OF YOU THAT READS THIS! I love you all.

After over a week of searching for any clue to Marinette's whereabouts, Adrien came up with absolutely nothing. The police had officially given up and declared it a runaway, but everyone knew that couldn't possibly be true. Even Chloe had to admit it wasn't like her. Marinette's parents still had an active manhunt going, but even they were starting to have major doubts that they'd ever see their daughter again.

On the tenth day with no results, Plagg finally convinced Adrien to go looking as Chat Noir. He was incredibly hesitant to do so, but Chat Noir would be better at observation. So he gave in and found himself bounding over the rooftops of Paris.

He gave a wide berth to the part of town where he'd last held onto Ladybug. There was no way he was going to revisit that place. It was too painful. Instead, he went in search for any clues to the akuma that had gotten away. With Stoneheart, the akuma multiplied fast and created a havoc so large it was all over the television. This time, though, no one knew the akuma got away. There was nothing on tv, no strange akuma attacks, nothing to suggest that Chat Noir had prevented Ladybug from doing her civic duty. But he knew. He saw the akuma escape. It was out there, somewhere, and it had something to do with Marinette's disappearance.

Chat Noir found himself crouched halfway up the Eiffel Tower and looking out over the city. He wondered if Ladybug's friends and family were worried about her. They were probably clueless as to why she was missing, especially if she didn't tell anyone she was Ladybug. If Adrien disappeared one day, no one would know he was Chat Noir.

He furrowed his brow at that thought. He never got to know who his Lady actually was. He destroyed her, and he never got to know her name. All he knew was that she had the best laugh, the bluest eyes, the blackest hair, and the confidence of a super hero that could change the world. Nothing he did could come close to being as daring and strong as she was. Ladybug had been his rock. And now? Now Chat was just a useless black cat running through the night without a single clue to where his school friend could possibly be. There wasn't a single trace of an akuma or Marinette anywhere.

Maybe she did run away.

No, Chat shook his head. She wasn't like that. Marinette loved her parents too much. And she loved Alya. She may have had her quarrels with Chloe, but everyone else at school loved her.

So where was Marinette?

The thought quickly vanished from his mind as he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He perked up in excitement. His eyes darted all over but he couldn't find any evidence of anything red. He couldn't possibly have imagined it, could he? Chat Noir got back up to his feet. He needed to keep looking.

Plagg soared out of Adrien's ring and flopped on the couch with a heavy sigh and some mumblings about cheese. Adrien stood by his large window with his head resting against his arm.

"You're the one that wanted me to transform so badly," Adrien muttered in reply. The kwami must have taken his comment as an angry retort, because he didn't hear anything back. Instead, Adrien was left to his own thoughts as he stared out into the city.

He had searched for hours and found no sign of Ladybug. Or Marinette, for that matter. Maybe he did imagine that flash of red after all. It was hopeless. It was useless. Ladybug was gone. Marinette was missing. They were both his fault. He couldn't find any evidence to prove that Marinette was missing because of an akuma, but Adrien knew. Something deep inside was scratching at the back of his mind. There was a reason it was his fault, he just didn't know what that reason was. He assumed it was because of the akuma, but something about that didn't fit either.

After a long while, Plagg floated up next to Adrien. "Hey Adrien?"

Plagg's voice had been so cautiously lately. Maybe the kwami was starting to get scared of him as well. Good. He should. Everyone should fear Chat Noir. He was a murderer. But he couldn't bring himself to tell the kwami to go away. Adrien had no friends, and without Plagg, no one would know anything about his true self. He'd be left alone with people that knew him little more than a stranger would.

"Yeah," Adrien finally answered with a sigh.

"I know this may seem too soon, but um, well," Plagg paused for a moment. "There's someone we need to go see."

"Who?"

"Um, well," Plagg shifted back and forth in a nervous fashion. "The one who gave you the miraculous."

Adrien turned his head to look over at the small black creature. "Wait, you know who gave it to me?"

Plagg shrugged. "Yeah. Of course. Master Fu."

Just as Adrien started to get excited, he felt the pull of everything that happened drag him back down. "Did…did he give Ladybug her miraculous too?"

Plagg nodded slowly.

Adrien looked back out the window. He didn't know if he could face this Master Fu after what happened with Ladybug. What would he say? 'Uh, hey, thanks for the powers, but I went ahead and killed off Ladybug with it, so can you just make another?'

The thought stung him. Could he do that? Just make another Ladybug? Adrien reached into his pocket and pulled out the earrings. He supposed that was possible. All they needed were these, right? All Adrien ever received was his ring. Did that mean Ladybug's kwami was somewhere in these earrings, or did it get destroyed too? The questions were too much. Even if this Master Fu punished him, Adrien had to ask.

"Alright," Adrien nodded and put the earrings back in his pocket. "Tomorrow we shall go see this Master Fu."