"You don't have any actual proof, and you know it."
Adrien stood in the doorway of Kagami's police station office, still wearing his coat, scarf, and accusatory glare.
"Hello to you too," Kagami grumbled, setting down her tablet. She was already in a sour mood from having to be present at the station, but due to the arrest last night she didn't have much of a choice.
"All you can do is fine him and give him thirty days for disrupting the peace," Adrien continued. "If you don't have something better soon, the international press is going to get involved. Luka's music is pretty well-known these days."
Kagami shrugged. The charges against Luka were weak, she knew, but it wouldn't take long to come up with something that would be more palatable to the press, once they got wind that their darling Pop Sensation had gotten himself into trouble with the law.
"You might as well just let him go now, I-"
"Adrien, I would advise you not to be too interested in what happens to Couffaine," Kagami interrupted. "If by any chance you were to help him escape…"
"Kagami, what makes you think I'd do that? I'm just trying to talk some sense into you–"
"Because one, you have bet 2000€ that Luka will escape." Kagami interrupted again. "Two, you have the stolen file he's after, don't bother denying it," Adrien opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it as Kagami plowed on.
"And three, you might do it simply to piss off your father. And as a bonus I imagine my mother would be pretty upset with you as well."
Adrien gave her an annoyed look.
"Well, they're all excellent reasons, maybe you've convinced me," he replied sarcastically.
Adrien did not seem to be taking the situation seriously, but when did he ever? Perhaps when he had been an active miraculous holder he had acted more professional, but Kagami didn't really get to know him until after he had been relegated to the Agreste Lifestyle brand and became the broody "influencer" he was today.
"I feel I need to remind you that we are not friends, Adrien," Kagami pointed out. "Our parents are in business together, that is all. And even if we were friends, I'm powerless in this matter. My mother wanted him arrested, and he's arrested. That's the way it is."
Adrien frowned at her sudden shift in tone. How did a man that tall make himself look so small and sad with a frown? Kagami let out a tired sigh.
"Besides, I might lose 2000€," she joked, trying to cheer him up.
Adrien suppressed a smile and closed the door, taking a seat across the desk from her.
"You're not very subtle, but you are effective," Adrien admitted, a rare mischievous glint in his eye. "Yes, I have the file, but I intend to use it myself, to recover my miraculous. I'm leaving Paris tonight."
Kagami was struck by the sudden and outright admission.
"And I'm taking a friend with me," he continued. "One you'll appreciate."
"What friend?"
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Kagami couldn't help the incredulous look that spread across her face as she was left speechless by this second revelation. Marinette had seemed quite dedicated to Luka when Kagami met the couple yesterday.
"That should put your mind at ease about me helping Luka escape," Adrien asserted. "He's the last person I want to see after today."
Kagami was hesitant. Adrien had never voluntarily shared details of his love life with her. She had noticed he had an emotional reaction to Dupain-Cheng, but to take her with him on a search for his lost miraculous was a whole other matter.
"You did not come here to tell me this," Kagami pondered aloud. "You have the file, you can take it and start your search whenever you please. Why are you still interested in what happens to Luka?"
"I'm not interested in what happens to Luka," Adrien corrected. "I'm interested in what happens with your investigation—mainly that it stays in Paris." "Marinette and I are not involved and have every legal right to leave the country, but as you and I both know, people have been held in Paris despite their legal rights."
"What makes you think we want to hold you?" Kagami asked with caution.
"Marinette has been in a relationship with Luka. She knows a good deal that I'm sure Tomoe would like to know," Adrien explained.
He wasn't wrong. Especially since she seemed to know Max Kante as well, Tomoe was sure to want Kagmi to do a further investigation of the woman eventually, even if their focus right now was Couffaine.
"Kagami, I'll make a deal with you," Adrien said, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. "Instead of whatever made-up charge you have against him now, you can get something really big, something that you could arrest him outright and deal a blow to the resistance. That would be quite a feather in your cap, wouldn't it?"
Kagami gave a doubtful frown. "It most certainly would. My mother–" she cut off before correcting herself. "—the French Government would be grateful."
"Then release him," Adrien proposed. "I'll arrange for Luka to come for the stolen file. That will give you criminal grounds to make the arrest. You get him, close the investigation, and Marinette and I are free to leave without your team's interference."
"And has your father approved this little excursion?" she asked, unconvinced Gabriel would approve of Adrien taking a plus-one on a mission to get a miraculous.
Adrien waved her off, rolling his eyes. "Let me worry about that. Trust me, by this time tomorrow, everyone will be happy."
"Everyone except Couffaine," she corrected.
"Obviously."
Kagami was intrigued by the plan, but there were still some aspects that puzzled her.
"There's something I'd like clarification on," she started. "Ms. Dupain-Cheng, she's very beautiful, yes, but—well you've never been seriously interested in any woman."
"Well, she isn't just any woman," Adrien stated matter-of-factly.
"I see," Kagami replied curtly. "How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"
"I'll make the arrangements with Luka right now in the holding pen," Adrien said confidently.
Kagami bit her lip, contemplating his motives. But Adrien had clearly already made up his mind.
"Adrien, I'm going to miss you," she admitted begrudgingly. "Apparently you're the only one in Paris that has even less scruples than I."
"Thanks," he replied drily to her backhanded compliment.
Kagami gestured to the door. "Go ahead then."
Adrien stood up from the chair and adjusted his coat, and Kagami stood as well to usher him out. With his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her.
"Oh, by the way, call off your watch-dogs when you let him go," he instructed cryptically. "I don't want them around tomorrow. I'm taking no chances, Kagami, not even with you."
Kagami gave him a tight-lipped smile and only nodded in response.
When he left the office, Kagami sat back at her desk and pulled up the security feed. She was grateful that she had thought to upgrade the facilities surveillance technology when she was assigned this position, as she now was able to follow Adrien's movements through the entire building, and listen to anything that was said in the holding cell.
The arrangement wasn't exactly legal, but what part of her work was these days?
She pulled up the audiovisual feed for Luka's cell as she saw Adrien approach from the previous security point.
Adrien spoke in a low voice, quiet enough that the guards wouldn't hear, but plenty loud enough for the Tsurugi-tech microphones to pick up on.
Viperion slams against a stone wall, cracking the façade. He looks up to see Cat Noir has cornered him again. He reaches for his bracelet, activating his Second Chance and relishes the moment's reprieve as he is transported back to five minutes earlier in the fight.
He's been through this loop many times before, so immediately he knows to roll out of the way to avoid a strike from his enemy. Cat Noir swipes at him with emotionless vigor, his steely eyes locked on Viperion's every move.
Needing to do something different this time, he uses some construction scaffolding to vault himself to the rooftops, trying to open up the playing field. But Cat Noir is close behind, using his staff to catch up almost immediately. The villain lunges for him, and as Viperion deflects the blow with his lyre he hears the unmistakable beeping sound of an expended miraculous.
He jumps out of the way and looks down at the magical bracelet on his wrist, getting the confirmation he doesn't want. How many loops has he done? Clearly too many, as even with his full powers he has managed to use up all his energy.
Cat Noir swipes at him again and he twists out of the way. He knows his transformation is about to fall. But when he feels a cold hand wrap around his wrist, he automatically reaches for his bracelet to reset the timeline, as he'd done thousands of times before.
But as he reaches, his hand feels nothing, and never finds its goal. He looks down to see the charred miraculous blinking in and out of existence, along with the rest of his arm.
Suddenly his feet are very cold. Extremely cold. Colder than he's ever felt. He tries to take a breath, but no air reaches his lungs as the Cataclysm that hit his miraculous spreads through his suit.
He tries to take a step but falls onto his back, now laying face up looking directly into the cold, glowing green eyes of his attacker. Luka tries to reach an arm up to shield himself but only feels the icy sensation spread further up his neck as specks of ash fly around him.
The reality of what's happening hits him, and he tries to call out to warn his partner but no sound leaves his lips. As his vision darkens, his lips whisper his last apology to her.
"Ladybug. I'm sorry."
…
…
…
Viperion
Viperion!
Luka! wake up!
Luka's eyes shoot open as he quickly tries to sit up, only for his head to quickly collide with a blur of blue and red.
"Hey, watch it Scales, I'm trying to help," Bunnyx complains while rubbing her forehead.
"Bunnyx?" Luka asks, still confused. "What are you doing here? Are you dead too?"
Bunnyx gives him a concerned look.
"Well, we're in the time stream, so I guess you could say our deaths are both in the future and have already happened," she remarks. "But I just found you… floating? asleep? I'm not sure what you're doing to be honest but it does look like your miraculous is eaten up."
Luka looks down at his wrist and sees the ouroboros bracelet slithering in glitchy staccato circles around his wrist. He notices he's still transformed, which is probably the only reason he survived.
"I tried to use my Second Chance," he explains, "but Cat Noir Cataclysmed me, at the same time."
Alix sticks her tongue out in response and makes a gagging motion.
"Gross, that can't be fun," she replies. "You've probably broke your miraculous and have just been sitting here looping, getting Cataclysmed over and over again for… well an undefinable amount of time."
"I need to get back!" Luka realizes with a start. "Ladybug, she's fighting Cat Noir without me!"
"Calm down kiddo," Alix stops him with a hand on his shoulder. "You and Sass need to rest. And if the snake miraculous was damaged, I don't know how close to that point in time I can drop you without damaging the flow of time as well."
"I can't just leave her," Luka insists, trying to stand. His knees buckle and he falls back to… well there is no ground but he falls to a stopping point at least.
Alix looks at him concerned, and Luka doesn't want to imagine how unprepared he must look to her right now. Alix always seems to be one step ahead of him when it comes to time business.
"Let me see what I can do," she promises uncertainly.
She raises her hand and a circular window into the world appears, zipping through moments like a tape on fast-forward. She scans the timeline leading up to the fight that killed him, but just before the Akuma appears, the window suddenly closes.
Alix curses and tries again, but gets the same result. She can't seem to keep a burrow window open during the event at all. Her brow creases in concentration and she tenses her fingers, and suddenly the timeline skips ahead to an empty Parisian alleyway.
"When is this?" Luka asks
"About 2024," Alix says, looking at some unreadable symbols next to the burrow window.
"That's two years later!" Luka cries out. "I can't leave Ladybug for two years. Too much could happen."
Alix opens her mouth to argue, but upon looking at Luka's distressed state, closes it, and tries again. This time she manages to get to a point five months after the Cataclysm, she says.
"It's the best I can do. You don't have much time, you need to go through now before I lose this anchor point," Alix instructs, her voice strained from the effort she's putting in to keeping the portal open.
"It's still too far," Luka insists.
"Luka we don't have much time, you need to go."
"I can't."
"Are you listening? This might be the closest you'll ever get. We don't have much time, go now!"
"We don't have much time," Adrien whispered through the bars. "I've bribed a release for you."
Luka rubbed his eyes as he woke up, his back sore from the little sleep he'd gotten on the bench in his holding cell. Was that… Adrien Agreste? Visiting him?
"I've decided to let you have the dossier," Adrien whispered again.
This caught Luka by surprise, and he stared at Adrien for several seconds, careful to keep his expression neutral. What had caused Adrien's change in heart? He had previously seemed apathetic to the cause at best, and at worst he may have been the one to turn him in to Kagami in the first place.
Adrien seemed to notice his hesitation, and explained, "I'm a little over my head with all this, better for you to take them off my hands. I can arrange transport for you to Shanghai, but after that you're on your own."
"Very well," Luka quietly agreed.
"Meet me at first light tomorrow morning, at the south corner of the Eiffel Tower," Adrien instructed.
"They'll shadow me," Luka reminded him.
Adrien waved him off. "I've taken care of that."
"And Marinette?" Luka asked tentatively. He had asked Adrien to get her out of Paris, but if Adrien was helping him escape… perhaps the quiet harmony he felt between the pair had already faded.
Adrien was clearly hesitant, but finally replied, "bring her with you ready to leave. You'll need to skip town right after, my money only goes so far."
Luka's features softened to a grateful expression. "Adrien–"
"Skip it," Adrien cut him off. "This is strictly me saving my own neck."
hr
"Shall we draw up papers, or is our handshake good enough?" Felix asked.
"It's certainly not good enough, but since I'm in a hurry, it'll have to do," Adrien asserted.
Felix studied his cousin's expression closely, trying to read the lines on his face that might give the slightest clue of what Adrien was up to, passing over full responsibility of his club to Felix.
"I don't suppose you're going to let me in on what kind of 'trip' you're taking?" Felix pressed. "I don't think I've heard Nathalie making any travel arrangements."
Adrien looked away, refusing to meet his gaze as he replied.
"Just cleaning up a mess I made. No need to discuss it with Nathalie."
Felix smiled, despite himself. So whatever Adrien was up to, Gabriel had not approved it.
"I'm proud of you, cousin."
Adrien scoffed. "Oh by the way, my agreement with Nino has always been for him to get twenty-five percent of the profits. That still goes."
"I happen to know he gets ten percent. But he's worth twenty-five," Felix conceded.
"And Alix and Alya and Zoe — they stay with the place," Adrien continued.
"Of course they stay," Felix agreed. "Chez Adrien wouldn't be the same without them."
"Ok then," Adrien said with sudden but inexplicable finality. "See you later."
"Will you?"
Adrien ignored the question. "Don't forget, you owe the club a hundred cartons of American cigarettes."
"I shall remember to pay it to myself," Felix promised with a grin.
Adrien nodded wordlessly, and without a goodbye, turned on his heel and swept out of the office.
"You're late," Adrien complained when Kagami arrived at the base of the Eiffel tower.
"I was informed when Luka was about to leave his hotel, so I knew I would be on time," Kagami replied as she pulled her hood up to shield her hair from the light drizzle of morning autumn rain.
Adrien gave her a disapproving look. "I thought I asked you to tie up your watch-dogs?"
"He won't be followed here," Kagami dismissed his concern. "A bit early for you isn't it? I don't think I've ever seen you up before sunrise."
"You're assuming I went to sleep at all," Adrien answered. "Besides, at this hour we're less likely to be disturbed."
"I saw you didn't open the club last night," Kagami remarked conversationally.
"No, no point in opening it. I don't know if you've heard, but we were recently rather publicly raided for illegal gambling. Tends to scare off the customers," Adrien teased.
Kagami sighed. "The place won't be the same without you Adrien," she observed, sounding almost genuine.
"Don't worry," Adrien reassured. "I've already spoken to Felix, when the VIP lounge reopens you'll still win at roulette."
Kagami smiled. "Is everything ready?"
"I have the envelope right here," Adrien told her, tapping his breast pocket.
"Tell me, when we searched the place, where was it?" Kagami asked.
"In Nino's piano," Adrien answered with a smile.
Kagami scoffed. "Serves me right for not being musical!"
Adrien saw the headlights of a vehicle flash across the front of a nearby building.
"You'd better wait out of sight," he whispered to Kagami.
She nodded and moved to a shadowed part of the park, her position hidden by the trees.
When the taxi pulled up, Marinette jumped out of the cab immediately, and headed straight for Adrien as Luka paid the driver.
As she approached, Adrien noticed the strained and distressed look on her face.
"Adrien, Luka thinks I'm leaving with him. Haven't you told him?" she forcefully whispered when she reached his side.
"No, not yet," Adrien replied under his breath, barely audible.
"But it's all right, isn't it? You were able to arrange everything for him?" Marinette asked as she glanced back at her husband.
"Everything will be fine, don't worry," Adrien assured her.
Marinette looked unconvinced.
"When we get to the airport, we'll tell him he's going alone. The less time to think, the easier for all of us. Please trust me."
Marinette pursed her lips, but conceded. "Yes, I will."
"Adrien, I don't know how to thank you," Luka greeted as he approached the pair.
"Oh save it," Adrien replied sharply. "We've still got lots of things to do."
"I have money, to reimburse you for the arrangements—" Luka started.
"Keep it, you'll need it in Shanghai," Adrien cut him off. "Everything is arranged. And you'll need this."
Adrien reached into his jacket to withdraw the envelope. "Take care of it. The data was wiped from the servers when it was stolen, so that's the only copy."
Luka nodded in understanding as he took the envelope from Adrien.
"Luka Couffaine!" Kagami's voice rang out across the garden. "You are under arrest."
Adrien's heart sank when he saw the horror in Marinette's eyes as his betrayal dawned on her.
"On charge of unauthorized access to a National Security System, and accessory to the murder of your co-conspirators," Kagami continued as she approached the group, revealing her position.
Luka was stunned, frozen, holding the incriminating evidence in his hand, as Adrien backed away toward Kagami.
"Oh, you are surprised about my colleague Adrien?" Kagami mocked, not attempting to mask the enjoyment she was taking in the arrest. "The explanation is quite simple. Love, it seems, has triumphed over virtue. Thank him—-"
The laughter suddenly died in her throat. She turned to face Adrien, and saw that he had indeed committed a betrayal, but not against Luka.
Adrien leveled his handgun at Kagami, unflinching.
"Not so fast," Adrien announced. "Nobody's going to be arrested. Not yet."
Author's Note: Posting this a bit early because I'll be busy the next couple days. I can't wait to share the last chapter with you all next week!