They finally make it back to Paris in this one! How do you think Ladybug will react?
Thanks to everyone for the support, happy reading!
Chapter 8
(::)
When Kagami woke up, stretching the awful crick in her neck and rubbing her eyes as she struggled to part from the thirty minutes of sleep she'd had since two nights ago, the first thing she saw was Adrien, also struggling to keep his eyes open as he stared at several messages open on his phone. She caught a glimpse of pink, next to the name at the top of his screen.
His eyes were bloodshot and although dry, the telltale tear stains on his cheeks told a different story.
She moved to sit beside him, replacing the ice bags under and over his ankle for one more round before they arrived.
"Did you get to say goodbye to Marinette before you left?" she asked curiously.
Adrien's jaw just barely hardened. He HAD, but that wasn't a moment he wanted to relive any time soon. Or share with anyone besides her.
"I don't want to talk about it." His voice sounded low and strained. He'd definitely been crying.
"Aren't you going to tell her that you're coming back to Paris?"
Adrien just stared, expressionless, at his phone screen. "I may not be able to stay long. My father can't know I ever left. I don't want-I don't know if I can say goodbye to her again. I don't want to put her through that again."
Kagami re-shook and sipped her liquid IV like the true athlete she was and stared coolly ahead. "Isn't that what caused this problem in the first place? You keeping important information from Marinette to try and spare her feelings?"
Adrien was silent, hating the fact that he knew she was right.
"People in strong relationships don't keep things from each other, Adrien. The one thing that's even more important in a relationship than love, is trust. When I realized last week that I could no longer trust my mother, our relationship was broken, and I doubt it will ever be repaired. Even though Felix has been trying to help us, you still don't trust him, because it takes a long time to restore trust that has been broken, even with good intentions."
"But-I can't burden her with things that are already this difficult for me," Adrien protested weakly. "I'll probably be back in London within a few days and I can find a way to protect her from the akuma attack without her having to know."
Kagami's eyes narrowed. "How do you feel when your father makes important decisions to 'protect' you without even telling you about them, or letting you have a say in how he does it?"
Adrien wheezed a little at the thought. "Th-that's totally different!"
"I'm not implying anything. You and your father are nothing alike. But Marinette will be furious if she discovers you shouldered more problems yourself instead of letting her support you. She loves you, and she's not a weak person. She would want to be there for you, on your bad days as well as your good ones."
"How can you be so sure?"
Kagami gave him a side-eye. "I dated you before, remember? You did the same thing to me. I know it makes her feel the same way I did."
"Oh." Somehow he'd kinda forgotten than he used to date Kagami. "Um. Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize to me. Just talk to Marinette."
He wanted to. He was so tired, though, he wasn't sure he could form a coherent thought. He could call her later, after they met up with Ladybug. Maybe after they'd finished their investigation. Maybe after he'd given up his Miraculous, when his part of the job was finished, and he could see her without worrying about how long he could stay.
For now, his very soul was clinging to her words in the messages she'd sent him.
'I love you'
'we can do this together, we'll find a way to make your father change his mind!'
'i won't leave you. not ever.'
The next few messages were assorted collections of emoji hearts and a meme from Mecha-Strike 2 with one of the final boss androids declaring, "I'm coming to get you!"
He almost laughed.
Even when she must be upset herself, she was trying to find ways to cheer him up.
As they pulled into Paris's Euroline Station, he quickly typed back, if anything just to ease her mind that he was alive:
'i love you too, boo' and added a tiny heart at the end.
Felix startled awake as the train pulled to a stop, giving a very undignified half-snore that ended in a brief coughing fit.
Catching Kagami's amused stare, he straightened himself quickly, adjusting his beanie. "Too many pigeons in fucking Paris, I swear."
Because, of COURSE, Felix was also allergic to feathers. Somewhere inside his half-asleep-muddled brain, Adrien wondered briefly if that was ironic or if it was somehow BECAUSE they'd been created by one!?
The three of them donned their sunglasses and Adrien and Kagami pulled up their hoods tightly to avoid recognition as they tag-teamed to exit the train.
"We should get somewhere that you two can transform," Kagami pointed out. "That will make whatever comes next much easier."
Adrien, who was already gasping for breath just from the brief walk, was inclined to agree.
"Let's head for that alley," Felix pointed to a back exit up ahead.
By the time they made it there, Adrien had all but collapsed against the two of them, even his good leg not cooperating the way it should from the lack of oxygen in his lungs. Plagg flew out of his coat as soon as they were away from the crowds. "I-" Adrien attempted, mouthing 'sorry' as more of a whisper since he couldn't get anything more out. His transformation wouldn't be easy for Plagg in the state he was in.
"I got you, kid," Plagg reassured him, rapidly flying into his ring.
Moments later, Adrien blinked, realizing he could actually see. Had he passed out just before transforming? Kagami and Felix were staring at him in wide-eyed concern. He swallowed, looking down at the black leather uniform. Thank goodness this was an option, he definitely couldn't have gone on without this transformation.
"I'm fine," he attempted to reassure them. He realized he'd collapsed facedown into the trash-covered pavement, and shakily wiped the grime from his face as he got to his feet.
"I really think we should get you to the hospital," Kagami deadpanned.
"You were starting to turn blue there for a minute, cousin. What happens if you have to detransform?"
"I don't have to anymore," Chat reasoned, shrugging off their concerns. "And besides, I'm not going to be much use to Ladybug for long anyway."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I doubt she would share that sentiment."
Chat Noir coughed, waving his hand over to him. "Look, can we talk about this later? For now, we have a lot of work to do."
"Fine," Felix opened his knapsack, allowing Duusu to fly out and transforming quickly.
Chat opened his catphone, checking his messages and seeing he had 128 missed calls from Ladybug. He smiled faintly. After what he'd left for HER yesterday, he shouldn't have expected less.
After briefly scrolling through a sea of accompanying texts, many of which, strangely, included his civilian name (oh, she must have been concerned about Monarch's connect to him as Adrien) he decided to just call her back.
"CHAT! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN ANSWERING YOUR PHONE? I'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU ALL NIGHT!"
He opened the video screen only to be accosted by a VERY disheveled Ladybug, her eyes wide and bloodshot, her hair askew, and dark circles along the inside rims of her mask.
"I'm sorry, M'Lady, it's-" he looked over at his companions, sighing. "It's been a long night for us, too."
"Who is 'us'!? Are you still with Felix?"
He turned the screen so she could see Argos and Kagami, who waved awkwardly.
"Is Adrien there!?"
"Uh..." he deadpanned, having not expected that question. "W-why do you ask?"
"He left for London last night! I've been trying to find him because, if his father is really Monarch, he could be in grave danger!"
"You've been trying to find him?" Chat raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Him, you, anyone else who can tell me what the fuck is going on," she exploded. "When I got your message last night, I transformed into Astrobug and spent half the night scouring London for signs of either of you, and this morning researching everything I could find in the news on Gabriel Agreste. I was about ready to pay his mansion a visit myself, because I didn't know if you were coming back!"
"Ladybug, please, take a deep breath," Chat begged her, realizing his mistake in not finding a spot on the train to transform and fill her in a bit more. "Felix and I got Adrien to a safe place. I'm back in Paris now, and both Felix and Kagami and I have a lot more to tell you, but I'd rather do it in person. Can you meet us at the Collège Françoise Dupont in ten minutes?"
She looked apprehensive, hesitating before replying. "Yeah, I can. But-why the collège?"
"Be-because the students are out of school for the summer, so it's bound to be empty," Chat stammered, grasping for a reason. "Plus, the Resistance holds its meetings in the basement there. It's a very secure, private place to come up with a plan." He hoped she didn't ask how he became so familiar with the Resistance.
"Okay," Ladybug sighed heavily, still sounding stressed. "If it's okay with you, I'm bringing some of our allies along. They may no longer hold miraculouses, but I'm thinking if we're about to go after Monarch for real, we're going to need all the backup we can get."
"So-you really believe he is Gabriel Agreste, then?" he felt an apprehensive pang. They'd suspected this before, and she hadn't seemed anywhere near this convinced.
Her face hardened, lids sliding halfway shut. "Whether he's Monarch or not has yet to be proven. But I don't have to be told twice to start a fight with someone as evil and twisted as Gabriel Agreste, whether he's Monarch or not."
Chat swallowed. What could she possibly mean? The last time he'd seen Ladybug interact with his father, she hadn't exactly been the friendliest, but she had been polite and compassionate, perhaps more so than he had. When had she developed such a negative opinion of his character?
"Are you bringing-everyone?" He wasn't sure how good he felt about airing his dirty laundry to the entire team. Frankly his father being Monarch was something he'd love to forget himself, but when had he ever had the luck of forgetting something that could make money for the press?
"No, Kitty," her face softened slightly. "Not just anyone. But I think, when you see them, you'll agree they deserve to be a part of this."
(::)
Even transformed, Adrien's injuries didn't just disappear, but they became far less debilitating. He still couldn't put much weight on his ankle, but thanks to the icing on the train, he found he could at least hobble-run at a decent pace. His chest hurt when he breathed deeply and he felt like there was a crushing weight on it but at least he COULD catch his breath if he stopped for a few moments here and there.
As he and his two companions approached the school, Argos took Kagami in his arms and leaped up to one of the taller windows. Chat leaped up on the opposite side of the sill and, quietly murmuring 'cataclysme,' slid his finger along the edge destroying just the seal, not enough to create permanent damage but enough to allow the window to swing open for them.
They hopped down into the sun-bathed central court of the school, now empty of its usual bustle since the students had all left for the summer.
"Chat!" he heard a female voice call out behind him, just before he was all but tackled by Ladybug, who swept him up in her arms, sending jolts of pain through his ribcage. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
He groaned, steeling himself and attempting to pry her away from the tight grasp. "Easy, M'Lady...I-I'm glad to see you too."
She pulled away, a more serious look replacing the one of relief. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he began, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, but didn't get a chance to finish.
"Thank you all for coming to help," Ladybug announced in a grave tone, looking around at Argos and Kagami. "Felix, if-if what you're saying is true, then we owe you a lot. Not just me and Chat Noir, but all the people of Paris who have been affected. I'd be lying if I said I trusted you fully, but if I can trust you, and you're telling the truth, then you have my heartfelt thanks."
Argos looked a little unsure, having not expected such a warm gesture from her without having shown any proof yet. He deteransformed, Duusu taking a perch on his shoulder, and looked at his feet instead of at Ladybug. "At this point, all I want is to help my cousin," he said quietly, repeating what he'd said to Adrien earlier. "Everything with the Miraculouses I stole from you, I can explain. I know it wasn't the right move, but I only did it because I had to."
"I look forward to hearing what you have to say," she answered him honestly. "I don't think I could ever condone what you did, but I promise I'll listen to your explanation."
Then, turning, she gestured to several others standing in the corner to come and join them.
Chat's eyes widened with surprise, but also happiness. Alya and Nino walked in to stand beside her, both with determined expressions but also looking very pleased to be invited. As if he or Ladybug would want to defeat Monarch with anyone else beside them?!
"This is so cool!" Alya couldn't help but grin as they all gathered in the center of the room. "Who knows, by the end of the day maybe it'll be the six of us beating Monarch's ass?!"
"After over a year!" Nino chimed in, also grinning widely. "Paris is finally gonna be safe, thanks to us!"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Chat surprised even himself by saying, unable to keep the negativity out of his voice and posture as he crossed his arms. "We still haven't proven who Monarch is, or why he's doing this. We have a lot of work to do before we even start planning for how to defeat him."
There was a moment of slightly less encouraging energy filling the room before Ladybug sided with him. "Chat Noir is right. The prospect is exciting, but there's still a lot that could go wrong. That's why we need every single one of us to work together as a team. Perhaps this would be a good time for us to head downstairs. Nino?"
"Not that you need this key to get where you need to go, but I'm sure the school appreciates minimizing vandalism," Nino joked halfheartedly, pulling out the key to the school basement and leading the way down to the meeting table for the Resistance.
Sticky notes, diagrams and leftover writing utensils scattered the surface of the table as Nino switched on the vintage green desk lamp he so treasured for its detective-ish vibe. He was absolutely geeking out. Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves were coming to a Resistance meeting?! Even if Ladybug had called the meeting, and not all their members were present, he felt honored.
The six of them took seats at the table. Ladybug started their meeting by asking Felix to repeat what he knew about Monarch.
Chat sat in silence while the others occasionally piped up with questions throughout his story. Felix mentioned himself being a sentimonster to the others, whose eyes widened with the realization, to explain why he had to trade the other Miraculous for the Peacock, but he left out the detail of Adrien's situation.
As they neared the end, Alya spoke up. "All of this is pretty convincing stuff," she surmised, "but what about his motive? We still don't know why someone like Gabriel Agreste would want to collect the Miraculous. They're not exactly the same as a designer shoe collection. Why would he put his own son in danger-hell, why would he put HIMSELF in danger-to get ahold of them?"
"I have a theory," Kagami spoke up evenly. All eyes turned to her. "My mother and Monsieur Agreste have been working on the Alliance project for some time, and as you are all aware, it even announces akuma attacks with remarkable accuracy. Not only have they made a great deal of money from the sale of Alliance, the sales of which have no doubt been boosted because of Monarch's threat, they've also achieved tremendous power over the people of Paris, and the world itself.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir, you've never been able to figure out how Monarch transfers powers of the other Miraculouses to akumatized villains, but Alliance wasn't launched until after M. Agreste came into possession of the other Miraculouses. Perhaps that was their intended purpose, to allow total control and manipulation of the people of the world using the Miraculous. Adrien's and my parents have shown time and time again that what they really want, more than anything, is control. Over us, and over as many others as possible. The Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses are the only major threats to them ruling the world however they wish."
"You really think they want to take over the world together?!" Nino was floored. "I mean, I knew your mom and Adrien's old man were bad news, but I never pegged them for maniacs."
"Now someone like Chloe, I could see wanting to take over the world," Alya suggested. "But you would think two grown adults would know that ruling the entire world would be a lot of responsibility. I don't know too many people who would enjoy that."
"Even Chloe was bound to get tired of it eventually," Nino agreed.
"I know his motive," Felix's solemn voice interrupted their brainstorming, and collectively, they all-except Chat-turned to look at him.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Ladybug questioned, not unkindly.
"Because-I didn't know if I should tell you guys something that I haven't had a chance to tell Adrien yet," he admitted.
Chat's ears perked up, as a feeling of dread washed over him. There was MORE?!
Felix met his gaze briefly before looking away, so as not to arouse suspicion. "It could really hurt him when he finds this out."
Chat's green eyes slid over to him from the side as he leaned his elbows against the table. "Adrien will be fine," he growled, a little harsher than he meant to. "I'm sure he'd understand why you have to tell us."
"Now wait just a minute," Ladybug interrupted, looking unsure.
"M'Lady..."
"It's not that hard to put together," Felix huffed, interrupting the two of them. "Look, if you'd lost someone important to you, and you heard there was a way to make a wish and bring them back again, wouldn't you want to take that chance?"
Chat froze.
Ladybug's jaw hung slightly open in astonishment, while Kagami, Alya, and Nino's eyes all widened at him with sudden realization.
"You don't mean..." Alya started.
"He was tryna..." Nino continued.
"Bring back..." added Ladybug.
"His WIFE?!" Kagami finished for them.
"Huh." Chat surmised, his voice eerily casual. "That sounds about right. After all, she got sick from wearing the Peacock Miraculous, right? So of course, he thought another Miraculous could bring her back."
Felix gave him a nondescript look, trying to read into his reaction. Checking to see if he was going to snap and give away his identity, no doubt.
But Adrien didn't even sense his own reaction this time like with the last few. It was as though he'd grown a shell that each new bit of earth-shattering information just bounced off of like a ping pong ball. He wanted to laugh. It was almost hysterical. All this time they'd spent wondering about Monarch's identity, his motives, his whereabouts, his plans, and it was all because-
Because of what he'd known this entire time?
That his mother, like a lot of people's mothers, was gone and wasn't coming back?
That his father, like a lot of people's fathers, was selfish and evil and only cared about himself?
Except HIS family had to be the one with access to magical gems that possessed almost infinite power. HIS. The same family whose son, presumably at random, had been chosen to become Chat Noir. How the FUCK had he gotten so lucky?
Ladybug, oblivious to his reaction or personal stake in the issue, was becoming frustrated, her hands on either side of her head. "But that's insane! If he used our Miraculouses to make a wish like that, someone else would have to die in her place! And that's if he managed to pull it off without any complications! At best, someone innocent would have to die, and at worst, he could destroy the entire world! We need more information," she decided, finally. "Before we make any decisive acts, especially since going after him in his house could lead us straight into a trap to secure our Miraculouses, which for all the reasons I just mentioned, we cannot allow to happen." She sighed heavily. "Let's all head upstairs and decide assignments."
They each pushed away their chairs from the metal table, screeching them against the cold concrete floor, and filed up stairs, Chat clutching the handrail as if in a daze. Felix steadied him, offering a subtle hand so nobody else would notice.
Ladybug stood in the center of the upstairs room, pulling out her yo-yo as she neared the cracked skylight window. Her brow furrowed in thought. "If you all had brought Adrien with you, we could have just asked him. But as it is, we need to do some more investigating. We should go to the Agreste mansion, possibly even one or two of us as our civilian selves. Maybe we could talk with Nathalie, she should be able to give us the information we need."
Chat interrupted. "You can't talk to Nathalie."
All eyes turned to him in surprise. "Why not?" Ladybug questioned.
"Because she's dying."
They all gasped. Many of his friends had known Nathalie was sick, but Adrien and Felix were the only ones who suspected how it would end.
"She's dying because she used the Peacock miraculous improperly, or something like that. I've seen it before. And there's only one person she could have gotten that Miraculous from." Chat's skin felt like it was crawling to say it out loud. The longer he had sat downstairs, the more he had realized he didn't need any proof of what Felix had claimed. He was walking proof.
"Maybe there's someone else that she knows?" Ladybug suggested. She was trying to figure out how Chat would know Nathalie so well. His reaction would explain why he was so upset to see her weakened state after her most recent akumatization. "Kitty, I know she might not be up for a conversation, but we still need to try and find proof, somehow."
"My Lady, there is no one in Paris more reluctant to admit this than I am, but we have all the proof we need." Ladybug looked up in shock to see a single tear running down the side of his mask.
"Chaton? What are you talking about?" she whispered in shock.
"Because the same person who gave Nathalie the Peacock Miraculous, and lent it to Felix's parents to allow them to create a child, also used it to create one of their own."
Her eyes widened. "Y-you mean, Adrien?" she whispered. "But-how do you kn-"
"Détransforme."
AHHHH Sorry not sorry! Feel free to drop a review if you have any thoughts or ideas!