Chapter Seven: Autograph (Part One)
While protecting Adrien from Jackady, Ladybug notices a signed Jagged Stone CD on his desk; but the autograph isn't made out to Adrien...
"You have her smile."
As they gazed at the beautiful woman on the monitor screen, Ladybug and Adrien said the exact same thing at the exact same time. They both gave a start, stared at each other in silent wonderment, and then hastily looked the other way.
Ladybug's first thought was that she couldn't believe Adrien would say something so nice about her. Her second thought was that she couldn't believe she had just said something like that about him. She smiled, raising a self-conscious hand to her cheek, where a blush the same colour as her suit was rapidly blooming. If she hadn't averted her gaze, she would have seen Adrien doing the exact same thing.
An embarrassed silence stretched between them. Usually, Ladybug was nothing if not self-assured; but at the moment, dithering Marinette seemed to have taken over. Her mind flailed frantically, trying to find something to say after that. Her keen blue eyes roved haphazardly around the room, looking for something - anything - she could make small-talk about. Should she compliment his choice of bed-sheets? Ask which gaming console he liked best? Challenge him to a race up his rock-climbing wall? Come on, he was going to think she was bored - or worse, boring - if she didn't speak up soon!
She spied a stack of CD's on the desk near her elbow. Music - that should be a safe topic! Especially since the top-most album was one that she immediately recognized; in fact, she knew it very, very well...
"Uh, I s-see you're a fan of Jagged Stone!" She heaved an inward sigh of relief when she managed to get the words out coherently. Picking up the copy of 'Rock Giant' in what she hoped looked like a casual gesture, she noticed that the cover was signed.
"Oh, y-yeah, I am." Adrien sounded relieved that she had broken the silence. "He's my favourite artist."
"Mine too!" Ladybug momentarily forgot that she was a costume-clad super-heroine; she was simply thrilled to have found something she had in common with her crush. The smile Adrien gave her in answer made her feel as if she were lighter than air - she suspected she could have soared up to the (very high) ceiling without aid of her yoyo if she tried!
"Really? That must have made it difficult to fight him as an akuma," he adroitly observed.
"No kidding!" Ladybug smiled wryly at the memory. Out of all the unlikely things she'd done since becoming a superhero, battling her much-loved rock idol atop the Eiffel Tower was prime candidate for most-surreal. "The ten-foot purple dragon certainly didn't help, either."
"Ha, I can imagine!"
They both laughed. Marinette was pretty sure this was the best day of her life - she had seldom spoken to Adrien as easily as she was doing right now. If she had known changing into Ladybug was all it took, she would have done it ages ago!
"Unfortunately, I didn't have time while de-evilizing him to ask for a signed CD," she said, examining the disc in her hand. She suddenly froze, stunned by what she saw. She had been expecting to see the same autograph that was on her own CD - Jagged had signed it for her, as soon as the first proof-copy featuring her artwork had arrived from the record company. However, looking closer, she saw that this wasn't Jagged Stone's autograph - though she definitely recognized it!
Adrien took her surprise for curiosity. "I got the artist who designed the cover to sign it for me," he said, as she stared in amazement at the 'Marinette' emblazoned across the image in bold black marker. "She's a school friend of mine. Talented, isn't she?"
Listening to him in a dream-like state, Ladybug barely registered that this last statement had been a question. "Y-yes!" she said, in a voice that was pitched just a little bit higher than normal. Adrien had kept her signature! As if his compliment of her smile hadn't been enough - any second now, she was going to start circling the light-fittings in pure delight!
She shakily put the disc back, hoping she could manage before she dropped it and spoiled the moment. Setting it down without incident, she noticed another Jagged Stone album - an earlier one - just beneath it in the stack. This one was also autographed, and not by her this time. She picked it up and examined it in turn. There was even a dedication-
She gasped out loud as the angular scrawl deciphered itself before her disbelieving eyes. Adrien, about to make some sort of pleasantry to her, stopped short when he noticed what she held in her hand.
The autograph read: To C. N., the most rockin' cat in Paris! - Jagged Stone
Ladybug stared at it uncomprehendingly. That was undoubtedly what it said, but... C.N.-? Rockin' cat-? That sounded like... like it was written to...
"Jagged, can I have an autograph?"
The aftermath of Guitar Villain's rampage replayed itself in her mind. Her partner had sidled up to the freshly un-akumatized rock-star, bobbing excitedly on the spot. At the time, she had wondered how he just happened to be carrying a CD on him; had he really kept it in the pocket of his cat-suit all along, just in case the chance for an autograph came up? Mr Stone had obliged - it was the least he could do, really, after they had freed him and Fang from Papillion's control. Ladybug hadn't actually seen what he had written for Chat Noir. She had been too busy thinking about her unfinished design, getting ready to rush back home, steeling herself for the all-nighter she'd have to pull in order to get it done in time...
This must be that signed CD... but why in the world did Adrien have-
"Uh, I, um..." the boy in question mumbled, rubbing uncomfortably at the back of his neck. He seemed to be casting about for an explanation. "That is-"
He was interrupted by a heavy pounding on the door to his room. A moment later, it burst open in a shower of splintered wood, admitting several of Jackady's hypnotized soldiers. Ladybug instantly snapped back to herself - if anything could make her pull it together, it was a threat to Adrien! She grabbed him by the arm and half-dragged him to the bathroom, slinging him down on the tiles a little more roughly than she intended. She couldn't afford to be gentle right now, not with a rabid mob rapidly closing in on him!
"Stay here!" she told him, bracing herself to barricade the door.
"Wait-!" Adrien sat staring up at her from the floor for a split-second; then he rolled back onto his feet with surprising agility. She would have been impressed by his athletic prowess, if she hadn't been so worried about him.
"Get back!" she tersely commanded him. A possessed citizen darted forward, trying to push past her to get at him. She shoved the man firmly in the chest, sending him reeling. Whoops, she hadn't meant to lash out as hard as that! Hopefully her Lucky Charm would take care of a few bruises later on! She went to slam the bathroom door, but it stayed firmly in place. She was glad she looked around and noticed that Adrien was holding it open - the last thing she wanted was to accidentally break his arm, Lucky Charm or no!
"Let me help you," he said as he planted himself in the doorway beside her, appraising the approaching zombies with a determined gaze. "I can-"
"It's too dangerous!" she interrupted, in an abrupt tone that betrayed her anxiety. Much as she was impressed by the chivalry he was showing, this wasn't the time for needless gallantry - his life was at risk! "Just get back, let me handle-"
"Watch out!"
While she had been focused on him, one of their assailants dove at her. She didn't have time to dodge out of the way - and wouldn't have done, not while she was shielding him.
Luckily for her, years of fencing had apparently given Adrien very fast reflexes. She wore her yoyo slung at her hip; he quickly grabbed the string looped around her waist and pulled her backward into the bathroom, managing to kick the door shut in the same motion. He let go of her to turn the lock. The door shuddered as fists railed upon it, but it held firm.
Caught wrong-footed, Ladybug grabbed the edge of the sink to keep herself from falling. She recovered quickly, shooting him an exasperated glare.
"What the hell was that?!"
He flinched as she suddenly turned on him. Okay, she hadn't meant to yell quite so shrilly; but he had just about given her a heart-attack! If he expected her to compliment him for that, he had another thing coming! "I told you to let me handle it! Now we're both trapped in here!"
This last statement wasn't entirely true; out of the corner of her eye, she spied a swathe of sunlight coming in through the wide-open window. If Mr Agreste had lowered the mansion's defences, maybe she could go out that way and come back in through the bedroom. "Just stay here for a while, okay?" she told him, unhooking her weapon. "It'll be safe to come out soon." She twirled her yoyo as she crossed over to the window and paused with one foot braced against the sill, ready to snag the guttering overhead and swing out-
"Wait a minute!" Adrien rushed forward and seized her free arm. She faltered; her yoyo lost momentum, dropping to the floor with a clatter. "I can help you! Just let me t-"
"No," she firmly interposed, "you can help me best by staying here and keeping out of sight." In her perfect mental portrait of Adrien, she hadn't allowed for this very masculine streak of stubbornness. While the way he balled his fists and glared at her might have been swoon-worthy at any other time, it was not attractive right now. Okay, that was an outright lie, it was unbelievably adorable; but now wasn't the time to appreciate it. She had a job to do, and he couldn't seem to get that through his gorgeous head.
"But I can-" he began.
"No, you can't-" she cut him off, and was cut off in turn.
"But I could-"
"No, you should-"
"If you'll just let me-"
"Adrien!"
They both winced as her shout echoed around the confined space. Much as she loved Adrien - and did she ever love Adrien! - he was starting to try her patience. It was very flattering that he was so protective of her, but it really wasn't doing her any favours right now. While she wasted time arguing with him, other concerns tugged on opposing corners of her mind. She had no idea where Chat Noir was, and his absence was starting to worry her. Had the rush of intruders at the front gate overwhelmed him? The possibility that Jackady could be handing his Miraculous over to Papillion right now sent a chill down her spine.
There was also Nino, Nathalie, and Mr Agreste to consider. At the thought of Gabriel Agreste, she bit back a grimace. She had thought that Adrien was far more reasonable than his father, but just like the older Agreste, he was refusing to let her help him!
"It isn't safe for you out there," she said, in a slightly more reasonable tone. "I can take care of myself, so much as I appreciate it, there's no need for you to worry about me. Now stop arguing, stop slowing me down, and stay! put!"
"But you can't go out there alone," he protested. The concern in those smoldering green eyes made her feel slightly less annoyed with him - very slightly. "There's too many of them, and y-"
"I have Chat Noir to help me," she assured him, "so don't wor-"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" he snapped back at her.
Startled by his sudden outburst, she wheeled around, not understanding his words. Now that he had her full attention, he was suddenly avoiding her gaze. He stared resolutely at the tiles beneath his feet for several long seconds, then chanced a glance at her from under his fringe, giving a heavy sigh.
"You saw what was written on the CD, you must have realized..." He raised his head, grinning half-heartedly at her. "The cat's practically out of the bag, huh?"
Huh...? Ladybug blinked at him in surprise. First he had a CD signed to 'C.N.', and now he was... making cat-themed jokes? What in the-
He sighed again, frowning distractedly at a nearby towel-rack. "My father won't help himself, and I'm no use to you here, hiding in a bathroom. I've been meaning to tell you anyway..." He trailed off, opening his shirt to reveal a hidden inner pocket. A dark object tucked inside it made it bulge.
"Plagg, transform me," he said, in a flat tone.
Something small and black emerged from the fabric. It struggled away from him for a moment, resisting some invisible force that seemed to be pulling it towards his right hand-
For the first time, she noticed the ring on his finger.
"A bit of warning would've been n-" the black thing managed to say, before it skittered in the direction of the silver ring, disappearing from view. An instant later, Adrien was engulfed by a brilliant burst of light. The green glow rippled across the reflective surfaces of the bathroom, turning it into a kaleidoscope of glittering emerald facets.
When the glare dimmed and faded, Chat Noir stood exactly where Adrien had just been.
He shuffled nervously on the spot, still not quite looking at her. He seemed so out-of-place, standing there in head-to-toe black before the spotless white vanity, steel-capped boots heavy upon the slick tiled floor, the tip of his tail just barely brushing the side of the bathtub as it twitched back and forth.
Ladybug stared at him. If she had bothered to glance at the mirror over his shoulder, she would have seen that her mouth hung open unbecomingly and her eyes were bugging out, in an expression better-suited to the wielder of a goldfish-Miraculous. She didn't notice; her eyes were riveted on the familiar figure in front of her.
He fidgeted nervously beneath her gaze. When nearly a minute had passed and she still hadn't said anything - nor closed her mouth - he seemed to take it upon himself to break the silence. He crossed his ankles, leaning against the rim of the bath as nonchalantly as he could manage. The only outward sign of his unease was the nervous swish of his tail, and the slight tremor about his smile.
"So," he said, in a tone that attempted to be breezy, "you come here often?"
Apparently, his jokes were the superhero equivalent of smelling-salts. Ladybug spluttered, blinked rapidly, and stood a little straighter.
"Really?" she asked, settling on exasperation; it was familiar, unlike the boy standing in front of her. No, scratch that, he was too familiar, he was not one but two boys that she knew very well, he was- "That's the best you can come up with?"
He grinned sheepishly, scuffing at a grouting with the toe of his boot. "Uh, yeah. I'm not much for coming up with witticisms after that."
That. Right. That was a thing. She should probably acknowledge that, even though her brain was surely short-circuiting, even though she was almost certain that the last two minutes had all been a figment of her imagination, even though what she had just seen was not... it wasn't possible, there was no way-
"C-Chat Noir?" she asked, hesitantly. Why was she stuttering, she only usually stuttered around- "Y-you... y-you're Adrien...?"
"Heh, uh, y-yeah..." He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes had skittered away from her; now their gaze fell upon her again, and she gave a small gasp. Those eyes, that shade of green- sure, the mask changed them, she had always assumed that his visor altered their true colour, but... how had she not noticed, they were the same-
"I'm sorry," he said, his words bringing her part-way back to her senses. "I know you didn't want to know, but you practically already knew - I shouldn't have left that CD there! - and it was too hard for me to explain..." His tentative manner suddenly evaporated; his eyes focused steadily on her. "But that isn't important right now. We need to get out there, if we don't hurry th-"
As if to illustrate his point, the door thudded loudly. He wheeled around to face it, yanking his staff from his belt and twirling it up into a guard position in a single smooth motion.
Ladybug gaped at him all over again. That was Adrien, Adrien was right there, Adrien was-
Adrien was a black-clad, badass superhero who spouted cat-puns and never stopped flirting with her!
Before she had even begun to try processing this fact, his voice broke in upon her reverie again. "Go out through the window," he told her, baton clenched tightly in clawed hands, "and come back in through the other room. I'll distract them and hold them off here."
Adrien was about to single-handedly face down a horde of hypnotized soldiers in order to give her an opening.
Nuh-uh, not on her watch! She'd been there with Dark Blade, and she wasn't about to let it happen again! She winced when she thought of how many times that perfect face had been put in harm's way, the mask that concealed it doing little to protect it. It was Adrien who had been snapped at by a t-rex and cornered by a bear and locked in a freezer and nearly incinerated by a dragon and struck out of existence by Chronogirl-
The prospect of some endangerment to him was once again all it took for her brain to re-boot itself. "Are there any cameras?" she asked, managing to use her usual brisk, battle-ready tone.
He'd been shaping up for an imminent skirmish, eyes fixed on the shuddering door; at her words, he turned to her with an aghast expression. "In my bathroom?" he asked, looking and sounding horrified by the notion. "I should hope not!"
Okay, she really wasn't prepared to contemplate the fact that this was his bathroom, and by his that meant Adrien's, and by Adrien's that meant he spent a lot of time in here naked, and she did not need to start picturing that right now, especially not when she had just walked in on him earlier, while he was-
Oh. Huh. She had walked in on him in the shower, just after coming from talking to Chat Noir. Which meant he'd been-
She wrested her mind back onto the matter at hand with an effort. "Even if Mr Agreste isn't watching camera feeds of the building's exterior from his control room, there's no telling whether Jackady can use his power over his victims to see what they are seeing. It will look odd if Adrien went into the bathroom and Chat Noir comes out."
The tip of his staff wavered, and she wondered if she had insulted him, calling it 'odd'. Which it definitely was, because Chat Noir was Adrien, it could not possibly get more odd than that! This meant that all this time, she'd been- he'd been- they had-
"You take the window," she said, forcing herself to corral her wayward thoughts once more. "While they're focused on you, I'll come in through the door and back you up."
"Understood." Without a word further, he stepped past her towards the window, giving her a backward glance that was- what? Grateful? Apologetic? Remorseful? Before she could tell which it was, he leapt out and was gone from her sight. Even though it was exactly what she had just told him to do, she had to fight back an overwhelming sense of alarm, reminding herself that it was fine for Adrien to jump out the window because he was wearing a super-powered cat-suit.
"Hey, zombies, the brains are over here!" His voice reached her through the closed door moments later. "Come and get 'em, if you don't mind 'em with cat-ears on top!"
Was that really Adrien?! She still wasn't sure if what she had just witnessed was merely a hallucination. A trick of the light. A really bad prank. A really good cosplay. No, she was sure it was genuine, that had been Chat Noir's suit, and it had been Adrien wearing it. Adrien had Chat's kwami, and Chat's signed CD, and had transformed right in front of her and she was pretty sure there was no way he could have faked-
The sound of swift footfalls and the thud of a staff hitting heavy objects filtered through to her scattered consciousness. Oh yeah, she was supposed to be out there backing him up.
She burst through the door, taking the hypnotized army by surprise. Those in the flank position were not prepared when she came at them from behind, knocking them aside with a sweep of her arm or a low kick to the shin. Chat Noir was caught in a knot of them, but he didn't look at all concerned; he vaulted over heads and side-stepped rush attacks as if it was nothing. Which it was, really; their opponents had the advantage of numbers, but they weren't particularly threatening. Besides, he had plenty of experience at this, she realized. How many akuma had they taken down together? Hadn't she seen him defeat Dark Blade in single-combat, and take out the entire Parisian police force not once but twice, and stop a runaway bus with nothing but his staff-
He was evading his attackers, angling toward the door of his room. She dodged a woman who lunged at her and edged after him. He had the right idea, they needed to regroup as soon as possible. There were others here besides themselves; they were supposed to be protecting Natalie and Nino and-
... and Mr Agreste... Adrien's father, his father...
She sprang out into the hallway with single-minded purpose, landing on the stair railing and somersaulting down to the lower level with a sinuous grace that belied her urgency. She saw Chat Noir do the same. When a crowd of possessed citizens swarmed across the atrium towards them, he looked significantly at her, then moved to intercept them, tripping the first of them with the end of his staff. She realized that he was letting her go ahead while he held them off, trusting her to protect the people he cared about in his stead.
She wouldn't allow for that trust to be misplaced. Twisting away from the grasping hands of a hypnotized soldier, she got clear of the crush and sprinted for the door of the control room. It wasn't locked-
It wasn't occupied. The shields over the windows had been retracted, afternoon sunlight streaming in over the framed pictures that had been scattered across the floor. She didn't stop to ponder all the sublime portraits of Adrien that had been treated so discourteously, thrown to the ground during what appeared to have been a struggle. The images were the only Agrestes currently in the room, there was no one-
Or there wasn't, until Chat Noir landed beside her in a low crouch. He paid no attention to the pictures of himself as his eyes swept the room, methodically searching for signs of life. For signs of his father.
"Great, all that for nothing." He stood, giving a slight grimace. The shrug of his shoulders tried to be stoic, but...
But she could see the brave front he was putting on for what it really was. She had just seen him pull a similar act in the bathroom, facing the fall-out from his surprise-reveal with a nonchalance that he couldn't possibly have felt. She had seen him wear a similar expression before, when his father hadn't turned up for Career Day, when he hadn't been allowed a birthday party. Though his mouth was drawn and he wore a resigned look, his eyes were worried.
He had every right to be worried. It was his father that the akuma had taken, his father who was in all kinds of trouble right now. From the way he had spoken of his mother, it seemed she wasn't around anymore, which meant that his father was all he had...
She crossed the floor to him before she fully realized what she was doing, throwing her arms around him and crushing him in a strong hug.
She felt him stiffen, surprised by this uncharacteristic gesture coming from her, but she didn't care. She should be going to pieces over her closeness to Adrien, but there was no way she was going to let her own distraction draw her away from what really mattered here. His family was at risk, and she would be strong for him. He had never needed her more. There was no way she was going to let him down.
She'd had the presence of mind not to shout his name across the room, in case it was also fitted out with cameras and microphones. Beside his human ear, knowing that his kitty ones would amplify it if necessary, she whispered: "We'll get him back, Adrien. We'll save your father. I won't let any harm come to him."
He stood awkwardly, too shocked - too distraught - to react right away. Then his hands slowly came up, clinging to the back of her suit. She could feel the slight shake in them.
"I know," he said, with such touchingly simple faith in her, her resolve wavered. She had to stifle a near-sob that rose in her throat before he could hear it. "We'll save him. We'll save them all, just like we always do." His chin rested on her shoulder; she felt him swallow, his voice a trifle thick when he spoke again. "Thank you. This, it means... he's all I... the o-only one I..."
She knew what he was trying to say. She squeezed him a little more tightly, to steady herself as much as him. "We won't fail," she told both of them. She wouldn't allow herself to fail. Not now, not with so much at stake. She would give him her very best, come what may. Remembering Gabriel's manners when they had last seen him, she added: "We'll make him thankful to us for saving him, whether he wants to be or not."
He managed a weak chuckle; pressed up so close against him, the sound seemed to reverberate through her as well, like a cat's purr. "He won't be happy about that." He drew back to look at her, gazing searchingly into her face. She set it in the most self-assured expression she could manage, trying to dredge up as much confidence as she'd ever had. She must have done something right, for he smiled softly down at her. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he's forced to admit that we were right. I'll make sure he tells you just how amazing you really are."
She smiled genuinely at that, dropping the hug and instead taking his hand in hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'll look forward to it, Chaton. With any luck, the tv station will catch it all on camera."
He squeezed her hand back, giving her another wan smile that nevertheless seemed to light up the room. "I'd like a copy of it, if it does."
She gently chucked him under the chin. "In that case, Minou, let's head over there - it's time for lights, camera, action!"
She was thankful that she still had some sass left, for his sake. In the face of what was ahead, she needed to keep the tone between them as light as possible. There were so many things they would need to address later, after all this was over, but now wasn't the time. Talks about the reveal could wait; for now, they were heroes, first and foremost. Whoever else they were to each other besides, their current mission brought them closer together than they had ever been.
In perfect synchronization, they ran for the open window. Without letting go of the other's hand, they dove headlong through it. They only dropped their grasp at the last possible moment, when they were forced to take up their respective weapons to slow their fall.
Side by side, they swung and vaulted across the city, in the direction of the TVi studios.
Author's note: so, I decided to disregard general preferences for one long, all-inclusive chapter, because a) this one is far too long, b) it is taking far too long to write, c) it looks weird if I post a two-parter then never do it again, and d) I'm not above messing with you all a bit on purpose :3
If I was a crueler author, this would be the end of this particular vignette, but this is only one half of the full reveal; you can probably already guess what is coming in Part Two. It's been a busy month, and will be a busy month again, but I'll try to get onto the next chapter soon. A belated Happy Halloween! ~ W.J.