Symbiotic Whiskers

by B1ack0ut

Adrien Agreste aka Cat Noir was given the cat ring miraculous to help Ladybug in protecting Paris. But something had found him first, a silent companion that granted him strength and power he never knew existed. Bonded with a symbiote, Cat Noir faces Paris alongside Ladybug without even knowing that someone left a magical ring in his room. (Canon Divergence)

1. Chapter 1

Symbiotic Whiskers

Chapter 1

Flashing lights clicked all around, blinding with each and every click. It would overwhelm anyone, the noise, the demands, the poses that revealed new muscle groups, and a schedule that would drown anyone who wasn't a professional.

Yet somehow, being a fourteen year old boy he managed to make it work.

"Give me more of that!" The photographer to his right shouted, blinding him with the massive light attached to his camera.

"Tighten it!" Another shouted, making him fight the urge to close his eyes.

"Over here!" Turning his face hidden behind a wall of make up over to the voice, he flashed a glistening smile towards where he hoped the camera was.

For the past half an hour, he couldn't see anything except when a new light crashed against his eyes. Still, he had grown accustomed to this life. A life of luxury, where he was given the best private lessons, helped to promote his father's extravagant line of fashion, and was given anything he wanted in return.

At least, anything money could buy. A simple life where he could make friends, go to a normal school and have a closer relationship with his parents just wasn't for him.

Adrien Agreste wished it was though, because despite having so many worldly pleasures what was the point if it all felt so hollow and left him no time to enjoy them? What was life like for a typical fourteen year old boy?

"That's all for today." A stiff voice calmly stated, and the assault of Adrien's vision ended.

A guiding hand landed on his shoulder, cold and rigid as it steered the boy over towards a chair to sit in. Damp clothes immediately descended on his face, wiping away the layers of contouring and foundation that were applied earlier. By the time they were done, his sight had returned allowing him to see his own face in the reflection.

While others saw a young model who was taking the industry by storm under his father's guidance, all he saw was someone tired of being treated like a doll to dress up and move around as they pleased. Someone ran their hands through his blond hair, washing out the thick gel as he just kept his focus on the green eyes looking back on him begging to just get out of here.

At least he could go home soon and maybe spend some time playing a couple games before-

His father had snapped his fingers, assistants already on the move bringing over another outfit. What even was it? There were a lot of black feathers involved, like someone turned a crow into a tailcoat.

Ah, there it was. Some kind of bird masquerade mask with an over exaggerated top hat. Come on who even wears this stuff?!

Him apparently, because after they applied a new set of colors on his face to make it paler and more pronounced he was all but shoved into the outfit. Right after they were pinning all sorts of jewels onto his clothes, draping them around his neck, until a large amber stone with an unusual black cloud inside of it was placed onto his breast.

"I don't want a single scratch on these." His father, who watched over them with his thin yet powerful presence warned. "I've had several of these gems imported from across the world and carved from the rarest of stones. Even a meteorite."

His father had lighter blond hair than himself, large cold ocean eyes laying behind his black framed glasses. He was an imposing man, despite the light cream suit jacket over a gray vest with a white collared shirt the menacing red from his ascot and crimson pants never let anyone think he wouldn't fire someone on the spot for a simple mistake.

He demanded perfection, and expected it the most from his own son.

Just as Adrien was almost done being dressed, he was moved over to the next set with the backdrop ready with several props around. His father never liked to use photo enhancements, only using the bare minimum of touch ups before publishing his work. That's why they never used a green screen, and that's why Adrien had to give it his absolute best because his father wouldn't accept someone having to edit his smile to be a little brighter, a little wider.

It got worse these last few months, ever since Adrien's mother was no longer around.

So, trying his best to interpret the vague commands of the photographers Adrien went back to work propping himself up on a fake shingle rooftop that stood no higher than two feet off the ground.

*flash*

He didn't want this anymore.

*click*

He wanted to be free of this.

*Flash*

He wanted OUT.

*CLICK*

LET HIM BE FREE.

"DAMNIT!"

Adrien froze along with the whole studio, his father storming up to him as Adrien prepared for a stern yelling. It was rare for his father to swear, and given the volume Adrien assumed he had somehow messed up, letting his inner feelings break out of his carefully crafted persona to appease everyone around him.

Instead, his father reached out, grabbing the broken gem from his jacket. Spinning around and holding the shattered item in his palm, he let everyone see what went wrong.

"I want to know exactly everyone that has handled this and what they were thinking when they decided to damage a gem from the stars that cost more than they would ever make in their lives! And get me the number of the person who sold this to us! I'm going to fix someone's mistakes and find out if we can get another more durable meteorite that's good enough for this shoot."

Standing awkwardly as his father stomped away, Adrien was partially relieved when his father canceled their plans for the rest of the day. A lot of this apparently hinged on one little rock, and now that the masterpiece was ruined there was only enough time to find those responsible for the rest of the day.

"Let's get you home." Nathalie Sancoeur, his father's personal assistant and the one who oversaw every part in Adrien's life came forward. While she had a pitch black suit, glasses, and hair it matched the red turtle neck she wore with the tips of her bangs died the same color. She seemed menacing, but she was probably the only nice person Adrien had in his life.

Almost everyone had scrambled out of the studio to meet his father's demands of locating every hand that touched the space rock, leaving Adrien to undress himself. Stepping over to the wardrobe area, he was quick to take off the really tight outfit with ticklish feathers and draped it over a chair. Finding his casual clothing where he had put it before, Adrien slipped his basic black t-shirt over his head and found comfort in the basic outfit.

As he grabbed the white button up over shirt to put on, he never noticed that something that managed to blend in with the suit stretched out to hide along his back, blending in with the dark fabric of his t-shirt.

---

The darkness of his room greeted him, Adrien stepping inside as the exhausting day began to catch up with him. While he managed to get home at a reasonable time, he had several other lessons to catch up on. Chinese, music, fencing, never a moment to rest up until now.

Don't other teens get to have summer break? When was the last time he had a break?

Not even bothering to turn off the lights, or get undressed, he walked passed the arcade machines, the computer set up with three monitors and a massive tv above it, the other tv area on the other side of his room, and the indoor skateboard/basketball half court/rock climbing wall. His bed sat right in the center of it all, where he all but jumped onto his specialized memory foam mattress and a thread count on his covers higher than he could ever notice.

Exhaustion set in, Adrien flipping himself over so he could stare up at the tall two story bedroom with bookshelves covering half of the second floor. So much stuff, so much money and expectations that it was just too much.

Somehow he managed to make it work, running himself ragged just for the chance for his father to express a hint of gratitude. It was becoming a higher price than he could pay, a weight becoming too much for his frail young body to handle.

Was it selfish to ask for more? A new life where he could handle the demands of his father and have half of a normal schedule where he could go out and meet people his own age?

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

Closing his eyes, Adrien couldn't find an answer. Instead, he hoped his dreams would let him have the life he wanted. As sleep finally came to him, the black shirt he wore began to spread out across his skin.

His mind was a vast sea of haze floating along a sea of black. The sky was a void, hiding anything that was lurking in its depths.

Adrien found himself in the center of it all, his footsteps rippling the floor and continuing into the expanse. With nothing else to do, he kept walking, mindlessly letting himself drift through the dreamscape.

"Weird dream." He muttered aloud, stopping his wandering to let the obsidian floor settle. Staring down at his own reflection, he felt unnerved by the soulless green gaze staring back at him.

It was just him, only he was supposed to be in his dreams. So why did he feel like someone else was watching?

A ripple passed over it, but he hadn't moved.

Someone else had.

Spinning around, he tried to catch whoever or whatever it was.

"Hello?" He called out in the emptiness.

No one responded, no one to answer his voice. There was nothing, and the nothing was closing in on him. Somehow the landscape tightened around him, the haze becoming thicker and the void descended from above. It glistened, woven around him like-

-like a web, and he was caught in the center of it.

It was ok though.

His own thoughts echoed around him, but how could they be his thoughts? He didn't think of that!

There's so many thoughts, desires, things we want.

It sounded like him, and Adrien couldn't help but agree. But he can't, there's nothing he could do to change that.

If we were stronger, we could do whatever we wanted.

"Big if." Adrien began to argue with himself, looking back down at his own reflection.

It was more patient, more understanding than how he felt.

We want a new life.

"Yeah." The teen lowered his head, the tendrils of darkness growing tighter around his space. "I don't hate my life, but it's just missing something."

We desire a bond.

A bond, something he wasn't getting from his family or the few people he might consider friends. "Yes."

We can shape our own path.

Adrien was so absorbed into the ideas, he didn't notice his own feet sinking into the pool of darkness.

"How?" Looking away and up towards the space above, he was startled as a shadowy figure stood crouched in front of him, balancing carefully on a single black strand as its faceless head was only a few feet away.

Together.

It stretched out its hand, offering a new chance, a new life. All he had to do, was take it. With barely a hint of hesitation, he reached out to have his fingers barely brush against the tips of the outstretched hand.

The fingers bled out, stretched into a living liquid as it began to flow over Adrien's hand as the space around him enveloped his body. It felt good.

---

"Mph."

The teen found himself stirring awake, his eyes blinking as he could make out the darkness of the night littered with small lights. Ah, he woke up early. Closing his eyes once again, he hoped to catch as much sleep as he could.

The cold wind brushing against his cheek, made him throw that idea away.

Snapping to attention, Adrien realized that he wasn't looking at the sky but the city.

Upside down.

"What?" He was outside, upside down, looking over Paris. Glancing upwards (or down really) he saw the base of the Eiffel tower.

"What?!"

Immediately looking to see what was keeping himself so high up, Adrien saw he was crouched, upside down, his feet and hands somehow keeping themselves attached to one of the metal beams.

The most shocking part of it all, was that he was wearing a black second skin, with unusual thin green lines running along the sides of his torso, running up along his arms and his legs that were almost glowing in the dark.

"WHAT?!"

Standing up, or down, just letting himself hang by his feet Adrien was startled by the sudden….everything!

Pinching the outfit hugging his chest, he couldn't decipher what it was made of. It was soft like silk, but it stretched out like spandex and had the strength of nylon, maybe kevlar? It was keeping him covered and warm though and that's what mattered most.

"Ok ok, first rule of heights is don't look down." Too late, he had been looking down, up, everywhere ever since he woke up!

How did he even get here?

How was he going to get down?!

"Let's, calm down first." Taking a deep breathe, Adrien slowly reached up and grabbed the beam he was standing on. Pulling himself up with a single hand, he was shocked by how easy it was. "Woah."

Pulling himself higher, Adrien stood up on the thin platform on just a single hand, keeping himself balanced easily. "Woa-ho-ho!"

This was amazing!

Pushing up onto his fingers, he kept testing his new found strength. Four, three, two, until he was holding himself up on just the tip of his pointer.

"Holy crap!" Giving a short push, Adrien flipped onto his feet as he overlooked Paris with a new perspective. He was strong, agile, way more than ever.

There was a whole city in front of him, with newfound power to explore.

Taking another glance around himself, he didn't see anything or anyone out to say no. "Well, while I'm out."

He scooted towards the edge, his heart rate thumping wildly as he was putting all of his faith into something he wasn't even sure was going to work.

His foot slid forward, as if it moved on its own to encourage him, to relish in the idea that nothing was going to hurt him, nothing could. His heel stuck to the side of the structure, Adrien bringing his other foot out to stand parallel to the ground. "So far so good."

One step down, then another, until Adrien was sprinting towards the ground with his blood rushing with adrenaline he never felt before. Kicking off before he got close to the ground he soared through the air, turning over and landing on a lightpost with his palms. Pushing out, he let his momentum carry him over towards the street.

His legs caught the side of a building, Adrien running above the roads and jumping over the rooftops. "WOOOOOOO YEAH!"

This was so much more than parkour, this was the best thing EVER!

Leaping above the city lights and the sleeping homes, Adrien felt more awake than ever. It was like he was sleeping his whole life, and just now he was able to open his eyes.

And saw he was falling right into an open road with cars swerving around a roundabout.

His arms and legs flailed, hoping to latch onto something to stop his sudden fall.

One of his hands shot out on its own, a thin strand of the same substance making up his suit latched out, sticking to the corner of a rooftop. Adrien swung around the building, holding on like his life depended on it as he spun in place with his legs kicking.

A weight shifted along his body, stopping his uncontrollable spinning and letting him see where he was going. Right into a billboard of himself!

"AH!" He let go of the strand, holding out his limbs and smacking into his own dumb face. The landing was softer than he expected, as he remained stuck on the paper with spotlights capturing himself.

He was safe, he was ok. Sitting up against the billboard, he held up his own hands to try and figure out how he did that string thing earlier. Hold on, did he have claws?

Flexing his digits, sharp claws glowing a poisonous green sprouted out from his fingers. They were long, and there was no hint of where they came from. The gloves were already skin tight, so they had to have come from his own fingers.

He didn't have claws though, but the sharp weapons along the tips of his hands said otherwise.

"How does that even work?"

Something flashed in the corner of his eye, and when he glanced over he realized it was a bedside clock. Did he just happen to notice that or were his eyes just that good. Was this another power?

Standing back up and walking to the top of the billboard, he leapt over the street and landed against a recently cleaned window. With the lights off inside, he was left staring at himself.

The rest of the outfit covering the neck down he already knew what it looked like. His head, was a different story.

While his hair was still showing, shaggy and covering part of his face, his entire face alongside his ears were covered by the same substance making up his suit. He didn't even realize it, despite being able to breathe just fine.

His sight was ok too, maybe even better than ever as his eyes were solid green orbs with some kind of darker material surrounding each of them as their jagged shape arched upwards like flames.

Scary, but friggin awesome.

Wait, the clock!

Double checking the time, he saw that it was nearly sunrise. Did he wake up recently? How long was he running around?! Not that he regretted it. The only regret he had, was needing to go home.

Did he have to though?

Unfortunately, reality reminded him that his father would throw a fit if he found out he was out so late, even more about whatever he was wearing. Whether it was because it was a super suit, or probably broke five rules of fashion.

On the bright side, he could figure out that string swing thing on the way back.

---

Finally arriving home after a late night out in the town, Adrien crawled down the side of his home and over towards the window of his bedroom. Cautiously peeking inside, his newly discovered natural night vision let him see no one had come in or even noticed he was gone.

Ignoring his mixed feelings, he flipped down onto his feet upon the deck and opened the door to step back inside. Like he was willingly going back in his cage.

Longingly, he looked back to the moon in the sky, the city waiting with open arms for him. Letting a smirk come across his face, he made a promise. "See you tomorrow night."

Reaching back behind himself, he tried to find a zipper, or a button to take the suit off. Scrambling around for a seem or a latch, even a special clasp he couldn't find anything. "I don't want to take you off, but I still need to-"

Adrien kept himself from shouting as it slithered off him, a living slime sneaking off his body and crawling under his bed.

He kept still as to not startle whatever that thing was, Adrien tip-toed his way back to his bed and slipped under the blankets.

Ok, recap. He woke up, was wearing a super suit of some kind, had all sorts of powers as he leapt across Paris, and now said suit was under his bed. Was it alive?

Maybe he was still dreaming. It would explain everything. But, if the universe was kind enough, Adrien would have many nights like this one.

---

As the sun rose across the city, an old master of arts long forgotten by the world arose for the morning. Humanity was in a peaceful time. Noisy with all of its distractions and contraptions, but peaceful. The old man rose from his bed, his rusty joints protesting his movements. He would need to spend a few extra minutes doing his morning yoga routine.

"Master Fu." A small creature floated to his side resembling a turtle.

Rubbing the dust from his eyes, the old master slipped his feet out from the covers and fit them into some slippers. He did his best to wake up faster despite his body's protest. "What is the matter?"

"I'm not sure." The creature, nevertheless, was unnerved. "I felt an aura last night that passed overhead."

"Hmm." Not one to take his companion's warnings lightly, Master Fu gave the kwami his full attention. "Tell me more."

"It was, raw, tangled with another joyous one." The kwami floated around his master's head as he recalled the sensation. "I couldn't tell whether its energy was positive or negative, but it was powerful."

The word was not used lightly. Only particular wielders that had been carefully selected were ever referred to as having powerful auras. Even fewer, were villains or creatures that needed to be stopped.

---

Perhaps it was time once again for him to select new miraculous wielders.

Summer was, in short, amazing.

Why?

Because for a teenager with no real responsibilities, sleeping in was the number one thing to do.

A young girl snuggled deeper into her bedspread, enjoying her pocket of warmth under the blankets. While there were many hobbies she liked to occupy her time with, drawing, sewing, pretty much anything regarding fashion and some arts and crafts, the only thing she craved in the mornings was sleep.

Unless her parents decided to wafte the downstairs bakery aroma up to her room, making her stomach act as an early alarm clock.

"Mmmmrrrrrr." Rumbling in annoyance, Marinette peaked her head out from the shelter of her blankets. Barely opening one of her eyes, slightly cursing the bright daylight outside, her arm snaked out of the blankets to locate her phone. Through her blurry vision that was still trying to focus, she slapped her fingers on the screen and tried to read the time displayed.

It was somewhere in the early afternoon, no wonder her stomach was demanding food.

Rolling out from her bed, wrapping herself in a loose burrito Marinette slumped in her room still trying to wake herself up. Bad choice, because the girl quickly found herself tripping over on the blankets and landing harshly on the ground.

"Ouch." Her muffled voice cracked as she laid in her defeat. Rolling over, sitting up against the foot of her bed her eyes blinked against the blinding sun bleeding in from the rooftop balcony windows.

She wondered if anyone else struggled as much in the mornings as she did.

---

Adrien's mornings started bright and early, either right at sunrise or just before. He had an early morning fencing class, studied with Ms. Sancoeur, then was taken over to another photoshoot hastily put together as they try to track down another space gem, and that was all before noon. Luckily things weren't working out well for his father, and since his schedule was thrown out of whack there were some gaps at the moment.

Now instead of a ten minute lunch, he had half an hour. Being on a diet as a model though, made eating a quick endeavor. Finishing his meal in only a few bites, ignoring some proper etiquette when Nathalie's back was turned.

"May I be excused to go to my room?" Adrien asked as politely as he could. Luckily Nathalie was more lenient if his time wasn't already occupied.

"Be back soon Adrien." Ms. Sancoeur scribbled across her notepad, finding work as Adrien quickly went back to his room.

While the busy routines of the morning had distracted him, Adrien didn't forget last night. During random points of the day, he would try to stick his hand against a piece of paper or a wall, try to flex his fingers to bring out the claws, peer down towards a dark corner to try and make out the hidden contents, or even in a more embarrassing attempt to throw out some more sticky string.

None of it happened, making him begin to doubt it ever happened outside of his dreams.

Nearly slamming open his door, closing it and making sure it was locked, Adrien slowly stepped towards his bed where he last saw the….goop. Getting down onto his knees, he lowered himself down and pressed his cheek onto the floor.

He couldn't see anything down there.

"Hello?" He cautiously called out, not seeing any movement.

That didn't mean it wasn't there, and the fact that he didn't know if it was there lurking in the dark or not made his throat dry. Only one way to find out.

Shifting closer, dangerously so, he slowly reached out with his hand to see if anything was there. He touched something wet, and the shadow rushed over his skin.

"Ah!" Adrien leapt up when he was startled, much higher than before until he found himself clinging to the ceiling of his room. He was wearing it, it was real!

His ears perked up, as quick steps made their way to his bedroom door.

"Adrien?" Nathalie knocked against the door. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine!" He yelled out, but that never satisfied her. She was already trying the doorknob, and soon she would be pulling out a key to enter.

"Please be dressed." Was her only warning, Adrien scrambling to think of some way to hide the super suit he was wearing.

"I am!" But the problem was what he was wearing at the moment!

Pushing off the ceiling, Adrien spun over to land on the short glass wall that served as a railing around his second story bookshelves. He relished in how cool it was that he just did what he did, but Nathalie was about enter and he needed to keep this a secret if he wanted to do anything like this again!

The suit responded to his will, slipping off of him and crawling to hide between the books.

"Woah."

Not having time to really think about it, Adrien snapped his gaze over to Nathalie followed by the massive bulky man who served as his bodyguard.

"Adrien?"

"Up here."

The two adults glanced up, relieved to find Adrien alright and in no danger.

"What was that noise?" Nathalie asked, making the boy's mind scramble for an answer.

"Just uh-" He grabbed the book closest to his hand, holding it out to them. "Reading some thrilling….'Forager's Guide to Edible Foods'. Who knew that the slight discoloration of berries could mean a good meal to inevitable death? Am I right?"

As awkward as it was, standing silently as he attempted to convince them he had a sudden interest in odd wildlife in the area. Oh wait, this is for the vegetation in South America. Half of the books in his room he never spared a glance towards, just a bunch of random stuff listed under all sorts of private lessons that some guy thought would be good.

Nathalie usually just uses her own personal collection for homeschooling.

"Well, ok then." The woman exited, the beefy man in a suit following right behind her. "Ten minutes left, then your music lessons."

"Alright." He waved them off, waiting until they were gone to put the book back in place.

That was a little too close. Looking back to where his hand rested against the several spines of paper. Just behind them, he could see the slithering suit, or whatever it was waiting. The suit, the moves, the strength, he craved to experience it again. But with so many micromanaging his every move, he couldn't have that right now.

"Tonight." He promised it, seeing it twitch in response as it scurried to find another hiding place.

---

The moment that the sun began to set, Adrien could barely restrain his excitement. It did end up bleeding through at the photoshoot, and he was lucky that the photographers loved it instead of getting a mouthful from his father. Right after dinner, he went straight to his room to get some 'sleep.'

He was more awake than he had been the whole day.

"YEAH!" Jumping off of a rooftop, Adrien let gravity take hold of him as he entered a freefall. Right at the last second, he shot his hand out to let the black string shoot out to hook onto a flagpole. Swinging between the cars, holding out his legs as his ankles were inches from the asphalt, his body began to pivot back up into the night air.

Twirling around, letting his arms and legs dance to the momentum, Adrien's cheeks ached from how wide his smile was under the mask.

It wasn't just the agility and the strength, he was seeing the world in a whole new way. He could go anywhere he wanted, seeing with an enhanced perspective he never knew was possible. The lights, people moving through the streets, there wasn't too much happening but anything that was he was aware of it.

Including the person yanked out from the street.

Adrien let go of the tether, floating above until he landed in a lowered crouch on an adjacent rooftop giving him the perfect vantage point to see what was happening.

There was a woman, being gagged and thrown up against the alley wall by three individuals who didn't even bother to hide their identities. They weren't from around here, maybe privileged tourists or people who thought they could have their way with Paris.

Either way, their intentions were obvious.

Scrambling around to try to find a pocket, he hoped to contact the police as quickly as he could. To his horror, he remembered that he intentionally left his phone in his bedroom to not give away his location in case his father or Nathalie thought to check the gps app they had installed on it.

Were there any cops nearby?! Anything! Sirens, flashing lights, someone who could help before-

A stifled scream came out from the woman, the smell of iron spreading into the air as his nose picked up on the smell. They just slashed her back, toying with her like she wasn't human!

Anger bubbled inside of him, Adrien picturing his own mother weak and helpless in their position. It didn't matter who these guys were, because no human acted like this.

They weren't people.

Their words of glory, of taunting, all sounded like monkey chatter as Adrien stayed in the shadows and leapt over to the ledge right above them. His venomous green eyes narrowed on the one who kept the woman pinned with one arm, using his other hand to cut past the back of her shirt.

When he pulled his arm back, Adrien jumped down and slammed his heel into the man's elbow where everyone heard a loud crunch come from it. He screamed in pain, the other two startled by the new arrival.

Adrien dug his foot further into the injury, making sure they were all aware of their fate as he waited for them to feel the same fear they made the poor woman feel. Then he pounced, driving his fist up into one of their rib cages and feeling them snap under his blow.

The last one began running away, hoping to escape but Adrien's arm snapped out a thicker string that wrapped around his face, blinding and suffocating him as he struggled to free himself.

Adrien yanked back, snapping him back over and gripped his neck harshly. He threw the body against the other wheezing individual, knocking them to the ground where he shot out a wide net to bind them in place.

Distracted by the fight and his anger, Adrien didn't notice that the first man had fought past the pain with newfound adrenaline and grabbed his knife, charging to stab him in the back.

As if alive, Adrien's own arm shot out on its own and gripped the man's wrist, squeezing tightly until a loud pop echoed in the alley. He screamed again, annoying Adrien until his foot met the man's face and shut him up.

That, felt good. He wouldn't have stood a chance before, he wouldn't have been able to do anything before. Tonight? He easily had the strength to take on three grown men in seconds and didn't even feel winded.

A stifled sob reminded Adrien why he was fighting in the first place, the boy moving over to the crouched woman who was still bleeding from her back and gagged. Flicking out a long claw from his finger, he cut her loose.

"It's ok now. They can't hurt you anymore." He soothingly said, carefully helping her up as she was still too shaken up to say anything. "Do you have a phone?"

She nodded, her shaking hands barely able to bring it out of her pocket only to fall once it was out. Adrien quickly caught it, making his intentions clear as he stepped in front of her in slow movements to not startle her anymore, given his appearance wasn't exactly helping.

With a couple of clicks, Adrien was able to dial the emergency line without unlocking the phone. "Hey, there's a woman here who needs your help. A couple guys tried to hurt her but they're taken care of."

"Who is this? What's your location?" The operator on the other side asked, Adrien almost stating his name but stopped himself.

Ignoring the first question, he looked up to the nearest street signs and relayed the necessary information. He should get out of here though, he didn't want to have to try and explain whatever he was wearing or worse have them try to take it off him.

"They'll be here soon." Adrien held the phone back to the woman. "I'll watch from nearby until they arrive, ok?"

She only nodded again, Adrien stepping a couple feet away before her cold hand caught his elbow.

"Thank you." She uttered, Adrien giving a small nod before leaping away into the air again.

A new life, a new perspective, a new purpose, he would make the most of it and no one would take it away from him.

Not even his own Father.

---

Many in the world believed money was power, and for a time Gabriel Agreste believed a similar notion. Of course, he was aware that he couldn't throw money at an outfit to make it. He had to use his own hands, his own skills to make something worthwhile. Money was just a cushion, something to support and make some things easier.

One thing that hammered this lesson into his life more than anything, was being unable to do anything for his wife. No money, no skilled doctor, could keep her in his life.

It could purchase a private room to be built into his house, one that he could use to openly find a way to achieve absolute power. Something that money couldn't hope to achieve.

In a darkened room, empty of everything except for the quiet fluttering all around him, and the brooch in his hand. Running his fingers over it, he admired the exquisite workmanship, and its abilities even more.

"Nooroo." The man spoke up, a small light purple creature resembling a butterfly floating to his side. "I have thought long and hard lately, about how to achieve my goals. I know that alone I haven't been as successful as I hoped."

"Sometimes all we need is a little help master." The kwami happily agreed, glad to help in any way he could.

"Yes, and I will depend on your help very soon."

Giving a small bow, the ignorant magical being just smiled with pride. "I would be happy to assist you master."

---

Today was not starting off that good. School in general tended to suck, but being late on the first day was going to double suck. Throw a messed up packet of macaroons, nearly seeing an old man get run over, it was just a whole screwed up situation.

Running up the steps of the highschool, Marinette hoped there wasn't some stain on her outfit she somehow missed or one of her pigtails came undone. If she had a fraction of luck left, Chloe wouldn't be in her class this year.

As she rushed inside her newly assigned classroom, she looked around and saw there were still a few empty seats. Good so far, but getting her hopes up might prove to be fatal to her time here. Sitting down in an empty section in the second row, Marinette took stock of her current treats and was disappointed to see how many her clumsiness had cost her.

"You're in my seat."

Aaaand there it was. The final nail in the coffin for the year. The self entitled blonde with too much makeup and a bad spray tan stood above her, cocking her hips to the side like she had something to show off. Chloe, great. Her school life was over before it began.

---

After a few days of having regained confidence in himself, finding a new way of life and discovering how much there was beyond his Father's expectations, Adrien decided it was time to make a new change to his life. Something he always wanted.

He reached out to Chloe, an old friend of his to find out which school she went to, and when it started. Right after he was done with his last father's photo shoot for the day, he snuck out before he could be escorted home for more lessons.

Why can't he just learn at school with everyone else? That way, not only did he get an education but he could also make friends! Have a chance at, normal.

Even if his nightly escapades were the farthest thing from normal.

Taking in a deep breath, Adrien brought his foot up to the first step leading towards the highschool. This is where it all started.

"ADRIEN!"

He knew turning off his phone wasn't going to be enough. Not taking his foot away, Adrien looked back to see Nathalie had managed to find him with his body guard waiting in the driver seat. While the woman was distraught, Adrien was at least grateful she didn't have The Gorilla just come over and throw him in the trunk to take him home.

"Please Nathalie, let me do this! I want at least some part of my life normal!"

"You can never run off like that, ever!" Her calmness was hanging on by a thread, probably nearly calling the police to try to find him. "You know what your father thinks of this!"

"And what about what I think? What I want? I always do what he says but for once I want to pick something for me!"

She didn't say anything more, just waiting with The Gorilla coming up by her side as they knew he would eventually have to give in. Unfortunately they were right, because Adrien knows that if he didn't go home right now the very little time he had to himself would be taken away.

A grunt came from nearby, Adrien looking over to see an old asian man was struggling to get back up. If Adrien was going to have any choice today, it would be to help him.

Nathalie didn't protest as the teen knelt down, helping the man up and reuniting him with his cane.

"Thank you young man."

The looming shadow of The Gorilla came over him, Adrien knowing his time was up. "I just, want to be like other kids my age."

"You're not like other kids your age though." Nathalie had to remind him as she escorted him back to the car. "You're an Agreste."

As he sat back in the car, keeping to himself as he was driven back to the mansion/prison he grew up in, Adrien was unaware of how dangerous the school had become in his absence.

---

Nearly two hundred years of training in several arts and skills, Master Fu found it a simple task to deposit the first miraculous into the home of that sweet helpful girl from earlier in the day. The second home, he found to be a little more difficult. Cameras everywhere, but with all of those eyes they were still blind to his approach.

With the assistance of his kwami, he tracked the young lad's aura to the bedroom, slipping inside and resting one of the most easily abused miraculouses. The power of destruction, he had to choose this wielder carefully but there was nothing but positive energy flowing through the man.

Yes, it was clouded, yearning for spiritual growth that was not given in his environment. Just as the world needed that boy, so too did he need this magical-

He halted, feeling a presence observing him. Technology could not accomplish this, only the living.

Remaining still and quiet, he waited to see its reaction and try to determine its source. Its aura, was strange, simple, almost like an animal. He didn't see any hair, but perhaps with as large as this room the boy could have a secret pet hidden from his family.

Hopefully Plagg would get along with it.

---

Gabriel Agreste slammed open the door to the dining area, where Adrien and Ms. Sancoeur were going over today's lesson. Obviously the boy hadn't learned a thing despite all the lessons that had been drilled into him. Any other time, he would have simply talked through a screen. But today was almost a disaster, because Adrien was nearly caught right in the middle of the plans he had set in motion.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous the world is Adrien?" He did his best to be casual, oblivious to the rampage that had set in place at the very school his son almost entered.

Adrien only huffed, as if there wasn't anything too dangerous for him to handle. "I would be in as much danger there as I would be here."

How wrong that boy was.

"You are a child, any average adult could easily overpower you." Gabriel reminded Adrien, not that it actually got through the boy's clouded judgement.

"And what about those fencing lessons I take all the time?"

"Are you saying you would be allowed to carry a sword with you?" He 'calmly' explained. "Fencing is an art, and you know very well how fragile the blades are."

"I can handle myself!"

"No, you cannot." He didn't need to raise his voice, because reality would be louder than he was. It would take time for his words to settle into his son, and he had very important work to watch over.

Nathalie was quiet, waiting for any instruction or new orders that would have possibly been given between Gabriel and his son. It wasn't her place to intervene, she was just hired help, not part of their family. As much as it pained her heart, to know how frustrated both of them were she couldn't do anything to help.

Adrien was an excellent student, and she could see how public school could slow his progress and expose him to the vultures that were the paparazzi. Still, he was just a boy trying his best.

"We can take a break for today." She announced, closing the thorough lesson plan she had prepared. "You're ahead on your learning anyways."

He didn't give his thanks, he didn't smile, he didn't even acknowledge her as Adrien ran off to the solitude of his room. How much her heart begged her to look after that boy, to let him know that they cared for him and only wished the best for his well being.

Gabriel never said it, and she couldn't.

She was just hired help after all.

---

Shutting his bedroom door with a harsh shove, Adrien found himself pacing his room, fuming over the unfairness of it all. His father always just dismissed everything important! They already had plenty of money. Why did he have to keep flaunting the clothes all over the place for cameras?!

"Grah!" Adrien kicked a skateboard laying on the ground, not even bothering to see where it landed.

A massive rumble shook his room, the boy immediately regretting his choice. Oh please don't let that be his fault. It shook everything again, Adrien partly relieved knowing that couldn't be him but curiosity drove him to his balcony.

A police vehicle with its sirens blaring sailed through the air, Adrien all but rushing now to see what was happening. His bare hands smacked against the railing, his green orbs widening as he witnessed a GIANT ROCK MONSTER ON A RAMPAGE!

Was this really happening?

The crash of the car skidding across the road pointed towards yes. Adrien backed away, realizing that the battle right outside his house was real, actual danger that could kill him easily. Was this the kind of world his father was mentioning?

A small blob of darkness crawling across the coffee table in his room reminded him that he had faced danger before, and it was easy. A challenge sounded kind of fun right now, anything to get him away from this place.

Extending his hand to the strange suit, Adrien was immediately joined by it to envelop him in unimaginable power. When he opened his eyes, he was a new person.

They also noticed the weird box sitting right there on the table. One curious thing after another, Adrien picked it up to inspect it. His father isn't the kind of man to surprise him with gifts, especially when he was angry with him.

Nathalie and The Gorilla only gave him things that he needed, and they weren't allowed to give him Christmas or Birthday gifts.

So where did it come from?

With his fingers finding the seam around the box, Adrien was about to open something that would change his life. If an ambulance didn't just fly over his house.

Flicking out his hand, he shot some string over towards a drawer near his computer and tossed the little weird box into it for safekeeping. He'd check it out later. Right now, Paris needed help.

Not even thinking twice, Adrien jumped out through the open balcony doors and into the daylight. He was more exposed, more at risk of being discovered, but if big monsters can walk around in daylight then he could too.

Grappling on a gargoyle atop of a steeple, Adrien threw himself forward and saw the path of wreckage. Stop lights, street signs, cars and shops, everything was demolished in its path. Whatever this was, was strong.

Time to find out who was stronger.

A red spot above him made Adrien pause, the boy flipping onto a rooftop to see something was falling towards him. Was it, screaming?

A gasp escaped his mouth as he realized it was a girl!

Flexing his thighs and squatting low on the rooftop, he waited for just the right moment to intercept. NOW! He pounced ahead, latching his arm around her waist as he positioned himself to land squarely on the other rooftop. One thing he didn't account for, was a yo yo to be tugged along and the string to wrap itself around him and the girl.

They both fell, Adrien on his back and the girl stuck on top of him as they laid helpless on the slanted red shingles. Looking down, it was a girl with brilliant blue eyes, dark hair that shimmered in the sunlight, and a tight red outfit with black polka dots that resembled the domino mask on her face.

"I-I'm sorry!" She stammered out as she tried to untangle them both. Whatever the yo yo was responded to her will, loosening as she stood up on her own two feet. "I'm new to this."

"I'm pretty new too." Adrien confessed as he got up, the two alone on the building.

"I guess we were both chosen for this though." She said as she took a couple steps away from the ledge.

Chosen?

Before he could ask anything else, a skyscraper in the distance began to tilt. Rubble and dust was pushed through the empty streets, Adrien hoping no one was in that. Jumping ahead to get a better vantage angle, he couldn't see anyone outside. Good, the mayor must have told everyone to stay indoors.

"Wah!"

The spotted girl passed by, hanging on dearly to the yo yo string as it yanked her ahead. He shot out with his own strings, latching onto a distant building and yanking himself faster than before. Eventually they came close to the damage, Adrien holding his breath as they passed through the cloud of debris.

"Does anyone need any help?!" He called out, trying to see anyone that might be trapped or pinned, or horribly injured.

"Hello?" The girl had followed him, coughing from accidentally inhaling the dust as they swung around the collapsed building.

As much as Adrien wanted to do a sweep of the area, he could already hear emergency services moving in. They were trained for this, they could handle this. What the city was having trouble handling was a big stone giant demolishing the place.

Quickening his pace, he slapped his heels against the side of one of the taller buildings still standing and ran up to get a better view. He pushed himself higher, faster, until there was nothing left for his feet to run under.

His momentum carried him a few extra feet, and in that short few seconds it felt like he was floating. Yes, the city was in danger and he was actively looking for the source of it. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the moment.

There!

Up along one of the sport stadiums was a big rock out of place. Letting gravity pull him down, the wind rushing past his face as he straightened himself to cut down through the air. His heart kept hammering the closer he got to the ground, his body screaming to pull up and away from the certain death.

That's where it became exhilarating.

Adrien snapped his arm out, anchoring himself to a distant building and breaking away from his self destructive trajectory. He became a blur rushing above the city, rocketing towards his target in the distance.

It leapt down into the stadium just before he could land a hit. No matter, with a single flex of his arm a black line tethered him to the back of the monster. "Knock-"

Cracking his heel against the back of its head, Adrien leapt over to land between it and a teenage boy scrambling to get away. "Knock!"

"RAHH!" The thing's geode body flashed brightly, increasing in his size and his rage.

Guess hitting is out of the question.

"You're supposed to say who's there." The boy replied to the roar.

It answered by slamming a massive fist down, nearly flattening Adrien if he didn't leap out of the way in time. Adrien slid around the soccer field, weaving up and around his fists as the rest of the teens that were in the area ran away.

Except for one girl who was hiding out near the entrance recording the whole thing on her phone. Adrien wouldn't have had a problem with that, if the lugging geode didn't just pick up one of the goals and send it hurtling towards her!

He braced his feet into the grass, throwing out his palms to will several binding strings to ensnare the post to keep it from crushing the girl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the red dressed girl standing above, hesitant to join in.

A clobbering hand caught Adrien, squeezing his body tightly as he tried to find some leverage. "Could really use some help about now!"

"What are you waiting for!" The other girl he just saved shouted up towards the other super powered individual. Why didn't she leave right after nearly dying?!

Adrien managed to find a gap between the fingers, slipping his arm into it and pushing hard. The hulking monster stopped what it was doing, watching as the little man in his fist began to open his hand. He tried to squeeze tighter, only making Adrien fight even harder to get out.

A tight string found itself around the monster's ankles, making him stumble until a quick tug made him flail out and lose his balance. Adrien took advantage, leaping out and away to join his fellow hero.

"Nice! Now that he's down, let's take advantage of it!" Adrien was about to descend upon his prey, until the girl grabbed his arm and kept him from the fight.

"Wait! Haven't you noticed he gets bigger when he's attacked?"

"Sort of, but it's only if a direct blow is landed on him. Look!" Adrien pointed towards the pokemon reject that was starting to get back up. "You tripped him, and the force of his fall really shook him up. But he's not growing."

"So we have to attack, but not directly." She summarized, trying to think of some way to stop him. "My kwami mentioned you have the power of destruction, and all we really have to do is find and break the object that the, whatchamacallit, akuma is in right?"

"Who in the what now?"

"Didn't your kwami tell you anything?"

Is that the name of his suit? Pinching the odd material he was wearing, knowing it was imbuing him with power, Adrien was somewhat aware that it was partially alive but she could talk with hers? "I didn't even realize our suits could talk."

"Well, it's not our suits, maybe while we're transformed? But-"

"Come here you little bugs!" The charging behemoth beelined towards them.

"You can talk?!" Adrien shouted, both of the teens jumping to the side to not get squashed.

As his counterpart was off to the left, Adrien decided to have a little more fun and cartwheeled to the right. "Ok, I get how she looks like a ladybug and all that but how am I a bug?"

The taunting worked, he got his attention as the stonehead smashed the spot he was just in.

"Oh, I get it now!" Jumping over and onto his back, Adrien crouched low as his opponent struggled to reach behind him. "It's because I'm bugging you so much isn't it?"

"Lucky charm!"

Adrien peeked over to where his partner was, seeing that somehow she managed to create…a wetsuit?

That was her power? Scuba gear? She also mentioned before that she knew what his power was, destruction. As he was squatting in between the monster's shoulder blades, Adrien reexamined his claws and flexed them to their full length.

He could be destructive.

"Catboy!" The heroine yelled out to him, doing something with a hose and the spare suit. "Scratch him up!"

Well who was he to turn down the chance to show off to the lady.

Flipping backwards and over the stone head, Adrien was face to face with his enemy. Not that it could see, but the teen was grinning widely. With a couple slashes, his claws carved through the stone, earning a painful shriek in response.

His hands went to his face as he backed up, stomping all around him as something fell from his right hand. The wetsuit that had been filling up with water this whole time began to swell tightly, until it popped as water rushed past the monster's feet and gently guided a small dark stone over to where the ladybug girl was waiting.

With a quick stomp, it shattered, releasing a dark butterfly to flutter away from the scene.

The stone man became a rather large boy of Adrien's own age wearing a black t-shirt with crossbones on it, dazed and confused the boy looked around for someone to give him answers. "What am I doing here?"

"That was amazing!" Adrien zipped over to where his partner was. "You just used a random piece of clothing to change him back to normal! How did you know that would work?"

With pride swelling in her chest, she put her hands to her hips and relished in the compliments. "Just lucky I guess."

"Also, what was with the catboy nickname?"

"Well, you have the cat miraculous right? That and the claws, you're just like a black cat especially with those green eyes."

Ok, clearly she knew way more about this than he did and she was new at this. Well he was too, but he never got a breakdown of his powers, what made the supervillains, or even other heroes!

"Clearly I never got the memo, or anything but these powers." Adrien tugged on his super suit. She called him a black cat right? Then he could go by something like that. "Would you mind catching me up to speed?"

She seemed ready and willing to, but then the clumped piece of paper on the wet grass made her think otherwise. Bending down, she grabbed it, reading its contents as the boy nearby seemed embarrassed by it all and emotionally defeated. Then, she went the extra mile. She didn't just save him from being a supervillain, she was going over and helping him where it mattered.

She was a true hero, and he admired her fully.

He was so enamored by her that he didn't even notice that one girl from earlier sneak up and started spouting a barrage of questions at her. Geez girl, is a near death experience not enough to teach someone to stay away from dangerous events.

Great, now he sounds like his dad, just without the 'geez girl' part.

"Call me, Ladybug." The heroine's voice refocused his attention as she swung out of the stadium.

"Ladybug." He echoed softly, watching her move with certainty and grace.

"Excuse me." The dark skinned girl with wavy reddish brown hair adjusted her glasses as she came close to Adrien. "Can I ask you some quick questions?"

Taking another glance back to where Ladybug leapt off to, Adrien thought the same thing. "I have some questions of my own."

"What about your name!" She asked as he began to chase after the girl.

"Cat Noir!" He yelled out as he used a string to zip himself out of the stadium.

It didn't take long for his eyes to catch sight of the spot of red dancing above Paris. Deciding to really play into the 'cat' theme, Adrien got down on all fours to see how well it worked. His hands flung ahead, throwing him forward as his legs kicked out to accelerate himself.

Holy crap he was moving!

Not the fanciest form of transportation, but if he needed to get somewhere quickly this would be his go to.

"Ladybug!" Adrien yelled out, startling the heroine as she tripped on the corner of a ceiling. She rolled to a stop, dusting herself off as he landed on the cold chimney. "Ouch, sorry."

"What is it?" She quickly asked, serious and slightly panicked. "Is there another villain?!"

"Uh, no. I just wanted to ask some questions."

"Sorry, not right now." She brought her yo yo back to her hand, giving it a couple of test rolls in her hand to make sure it wasn't tangled. "I'm almost out of time for my transformation!"

"You have a time limit?"

"After we use our powers we only have a few minutes before we change back." Ladybug explained, taking what little time she had left to ask a clarifying question. "Did you not use your powers back there?"

"I scratched him, but other than that nothing really beyond the strength, speed, and the stringy thing."

"Is it yarn?"

"I don't know." Adrien held his hands out, weaving a few strands to see if he could make a shape between his fingers. "Makes sense if I have cat powers. Oh yeah! I also have night vision."

A small beep came from Ladybug's earrings, the girl becoming even more panicked. "As much as I want to catch you up, I really don't have time right now. My kwami made it clear that we can't reveal our identities to anyone."

"I understand." It was one thing to have a busy schedule managed by someone else, it was a different thing for someone to discover your secret double life. He hated to think what his father would do if he found out. "Maybe another time then?"

"Yeah." She nodded, before swinging herself away in a hurry.

He'd get to see her again, awesome.

The clock on a nearby building showing he had been out for over an hour? Not awesome. Picking up his pace and rushing back home, Adrien all but jumped back down onto his balcony and rolled inside of his room. No one was here. Thwipping his arm out to where he left his phone, he saw no new messages.

Wow, when Nathalie mentioned he was done for the day she really meant it.

A knocking at the door stiffened the boy, and luckily his suit realized why and scurried off of him to hide under his bed. "Come in."

Nathalie slowly opened the door, and she didn't seem like her normal self. "Are you feeling better?"

The breeze from outside brushed against his back, Adrien turning around to gaze up over the rooftops. He could picture himself, back out there with nothing to hold him back, right beside Ladybug. "Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better."

It seemed to please her, Nathalie closing the door as she left him be. After an active day, Adrien sat back down on his small couch in his room and flicked on the tv to just have some noise in the background.

A lot happened, and there was so much that he struggled to keep up. Ladybug mentioned all sorts of things, knowing how their powers worked and what they could do. Glancing back over to his bed, unable to see the sentient suit that was tucked under the shadows, he questioned what more he was missing.

Oh yeah, there was that weird box this morning. Maybe he could go check out what that was and-

"-People all over Paris are turning to stone."

Or he would have to wait.

---

A whole day passed, a whole night, and Adrien was out as much as he could. He patrolled Paris, keeping an eye on all of the stone individuals in case they rampaged like their original version. They didn't have their fists closed, no 'akuma' to find. Worst part of it all, he couldn't find Ladybug. Either the helpless panic he felt over it was keeping him awake, or it was just a perk to his powers that he wasn't aware of.

So many questions, so many things to worry about, and the one who could help them was nowhere to be found.

"Where are you?" Adrien, running in his civilian attire through a park, questioned as he hoped to just happen to catch a glimpse of red with black spots.

While Paris was worried, it wasn't in immediate danger. So, taking advantage of the confusing time, he wanted to add one more thing to his growing list of ways he was making his life his own.

Running back up the stairs of the school he was at the day before, Adrien could hear the car peeling around the corner.

"Adrien don't do this." Nathalie pleaded with him as she opened the car door as it was still moving.

"Just, blame it on me." He all but begged, barely turning back towards the woman. "Say you didn't make it in time."

Not waiting for an answer, or an argument, he tried to push that little voice in the back of his mind reminding him of his father's thoughts into the furthest corner. When he made it to the top, he felt himself immediately relaxing in his new environment. So many kids his age, moving all around the place to all sorts of classes to learn in! Almost everyone had someone to talk to, even in whole groups of friends!

In fact, there was one huddled group talking to-that kid! The one who was a big stone monster yesterday! He still seemed upset about it, storming off as a familiar laugh arrived to his ears.

"Hey Chloe." He called out to the only familiar face here that he hadn't seen in years. Even if it was barely recognizable behind all of that make up. If she was applying it herself, she needed to learn a critical lesson of 'less is more'.

"Adrikins!" She rushed up, enveloping him in a hug that he eagerly returned. Chloe was always so happy to see him, it made him feel like someone cared about him more than just his fashion model face. "I'm so happy you finally made it!"

"I'm glad to be here too."

At least when there was a short moment of strangers not knowing who he was. But soon they all came up, either asking for autographs or wanting a photo. He tried to play it off, only doing one here or there to not leave a bad impression as Chloe all but tugged him to where their class was. Adrien still wanted to make friends with others here too, so he wouldn't dismiss them immediately.

"Here, I saved you this seat right in front of mine." Chloe proudly pointed towards the desk in the front row, where sitting beside it was a boy wearing a red cap, glasses, and wearing a thick pair of headphones over his ears almost too distracted to even notice.

He did though, and they were already off to a good start when he didn't ask for a photo!

"Hi." Adrien greeted with a well practiced smile as he sat down in the spot next to the boy. "I'm Adrien."

Taking off his beats and pausing his music, the boy gave Adrien a skeptical look. "You're friends with Chloe then?"

Why? What was so wrong with-

"What are you doing?" Adrien spotted his one friend here taking some gum out of her mouth, handing it off to another girl with short red hair awaiting with open hands. Disgustingly, that girl rubbed the gum into the empty seat.

"Don't worry about it." Chloe waved the act off. "Just enforcing the order of things."

"What order?"

The blonde just laughed to herself, moving back to her seat and keeping her eyes on him. "You've got a lot to learn about school culture Adrikins."

All around the classroom, Adrien tried to gauge how the others in the class felt. Some were distracted by other things, and a couple had an amused expressions, but most were disgusted by it. Clearly this wasn't the most well received thing to do, and he really wanted to make as many friends as he could while he could.

Finding a box of tissues near the teacher's desk, Adrien grabbed one and went down to try and remove the gum before-

"Hey!"

That.

A girl with mixed ethnicities came right up to him, he could tell she was sort of asian but it was hard to decipher from the scowl pointed towards him.

"I was just-"

Scattered laughter of the class interrupted Adrien before he could come up with a defense, only making this girl seem to hate him even more because of it. None laughed louder than Chloe, and this potential classmate was already connecting some dots.

"I see, trying to make a joke out of me for your 'friend'?"

"No!" Adrien tried to think of some way to explain things without throwing his one friend under the bus.

The girl's cold anger pushed past Adrien as she turned his back to him fully. "Just, get away from my seat."

Already disappointed by how this day was going, Adrien slumped himself into his seat and waited for the class to start.

"Hey." The boy bumped his arm to get his attention. "How come you didn't tell her?"

"I just came here to make new friends." Adrien folded his arms, resting his chin on them as he stared blankly ahead. "I don't want to lose the only one I ever had."

He must have said something right, because a tanned hand extended out to him.

"Nino." He introduced himself with a smile.

Maybe he could salvage the wreck that was today.

The wall to the classroom exploded into rubble and dust, Adrien shielding himself with his arm as a massive figure stomped into the room. When he managed to blink away the cloud from his eyes, Adrien was shocked to see that Stoneheart had returned.

He marched straight through the desks as students rushed to get out of the way, towards one particular girl with dreadlocks in a hairband. "Ivan, let go of me!"

Adrien realized that he was useless to help as he was right now, and so with a heavy heart he ran straight out of the room like a coward. Ladybug probably wouldn't do that, she wouldn't hide behind a desk and wait for the trouble to leave.

His lungs began to ache, his legs burned as he sprinted as fast as he could to make it back home. That's where his suit was, he should never have left it there while he went out. Because if something happens when he's away, there was nothing he could do.

He needed to have his suit with him twenty four seven.

---

It felt like hours, his mind hazy as sweat kept rushing down his forehead to get in the way of his eyes. He might have some good cardio, but he never dead sprinted miles at a time before and his body was not happy about it.

As soon as he arrived to the gate of his home, he nearly slammed into the metal fence before his shaky finger punched in the code to get in. It clicked open, slowly getting out of the way as he only waited long enough before there was a gap he could squeeze through. As soon as he made it into the front door, he almost expected a large hand to pick him up by his collar and take him straight to his father.

No one was there, maybe he was lucky and they were all out at the moment.

Taking no detours, Adrien rushed straight to his room and collapsed onto the floor as his organs struggled to stabilize him. The sudden crash, the exhaustion, it all kept him from getting back up as his mind was pulled into a fog of aches and pains with the drumbeat of his heart hammering in his head.

He tried to pull himself together, his arms aimlessly waving above him to try and find the one thing that would help him. He bumped the corner of his bed, and the shadow scrambled down his arm as his body was renewed.

"UGH." Adrien shook his head, all of the struggles of his body being pulled out of him as he found the strength to get back on his feet. Reorientating himself and stepping towards his balcony, Adrien flung open the doors as his relaxed breathing sucked in a deep calming breath.

Without the suit, he could barely make it home. With it, he could run across Paris all night. No way was he going anywhere without it ever again.

Let's do this.

Bounding back out into the city, quickly falling back into his rhythm as he jumped over rooftops, swung through the streets, and soared through Paris. It was crazier than before, every single person that was stone before was now causing havoc.

He needed to find Ladybug now!

How lucky was he when he spotted a blur of red swinging through the city. Changing his course, Adrien quickly intercepted Ladybug as he joined her along her journey.

"Where have you been?!" She yelled out as soon as he bounced over her.

"Would you believe me if I said I was getting my suit washed?" He tried to lighten the mood as he pushed off one of the chimneys.

Whether or not she could tell if he was joking or not, Ladybug got straight to business as she held up her yo yo as she ran. Adrien looked over her, seeing it was displaying one of the stone guys at the Eiffel tower with helicopters circling it. How did that work? Did her powers let her yo yo tune into tv or was it just a fancy piece of equipment?

Hold on, he had Chloe!

"Race you." Adrien half joked as he increased his speed, rushing straight to the tall metal tower in the distance. Clawing ahead, leaving scratches across Paris rooftops Adrien jumped out into the open before landing on the large open road, between the police barricade and the monster.

Behind him, the mayor himself had a megaphone pleading for his daughter's safe return.

Stoneheart complied, throwing Chloe right at the man!

"No!" Adrien jumped up, snatching Chloe out of the air as her momentum pushed them back towards the police line. He quickly checked over her, cradling her in his arms to make sure she was alright. "You good?"

She just nodded dumbly, Adrien quickly lowering her as Ladybug finally caught up to him. There was something on her mind that she was about to express but someone else was already making demands.

"Alright men!" The police officer with his arm in a cast leading the charge got their attention. "Fire on my mark!"

"Wait!" Ladybug held her arms up. "He still has a hostage!"

With an annoyed huff, he just dismissed her like her words didn't matter. "Like we should listen to the person who failed to stop this in the-"

A glob of black shut his mouth, Adrien glaring towards the officer. "She's the only one who actually managed to stop him in the first place, so I'd rather listen to her over you!"

"But he's right." Ladybug bowed her head in shame. "I let the akuma get away, and you didn't even know about it so this is all on me."

"Are you really though?" As ignorant as he was, he knew this is something she would never have done on purpose. "Did you make it?"

"Well, no."

"Did you willingly let it spread to other people."

"No, but I was-"

"Then I don't see how this is your fault." Adrien rested his hand on her shoulder, getting her to look up at him with those ocean blue eyes.

A deep cough coming from Stoneheart made the heroes turn back to the villain, seeing a dark cloud of butterflies emerge from his throat as they pooled together above in the air. Cameras from various helicopters zoomed in on the anomaly, as a face began to take shape.

"I am Hawkmoth, and I have the power to stop all of this. Ladybug, Cat Noir, give me the ladybug earrings and the cat ring, otherwise more will suffer, more will become victims, and it will all be on your heads."

How awfully convenient for someone to fess up and confess to being the source behind all of this. Now Ladybug had no reason to blame herself…..hang on did he say a cat ring?

"You're the villain here Hawkmoth!" Ladybug proclaimed, finding the person to blame for all of the travesty. "You manipulated someone, turned so many others into villains, and used them to put Paris in danger! We're not giving into your demands, we're not letting you have more power to hurt more people, and we're not going to give up defending the innocent!"

She ran forward, latching her yo yo between lightpoles like a tightrope before leaping up to face him head on. Twirling her weapon around, she captured the butterflies inside of it, making the villain cry out before there was nothing left of his face. Holding it high above herself, she released a wave of cleansed butterflies to fly out through Paris to show her commitment to the world.

"I've got to find out more about her." Adrien uttered, in awe of how despite the burdens that were weighing on her soul she still could face all of it.

With or without him.

While he was here, he would do everything he could to help.

He sprinted ahead to catch up to Ladybug, Stoneheart climbing the tower as she ascended up the otherside to the very top. Adrien could see many of the other stone beings climbing up the sides, the boy running along the metal to land just below Ladybug's position. "What's the plan?"

"I'm willing to bet he's got the akuma in the same fist he has Mylene in."

"You need it open? I got you." Cat Noir promised, flexing out his claws and jumping over the side.

Ladybug called out to him in protest, but he could barely hear her over the sound of the winds all around him. He came right down towards Stoneheart, the villain throwing out his arm that he held Mylene in to try and swat him out of the air. Adrien scraped his claws along the limb, making the villain scream out in pain as the teen saw the fingers loosen from the attack.

Not wasting a moment he sent out a barrage of thicker black roped to entangle the digits, jumping over onto Stoneheart's back and tugging harshly. The limb followed, pulling back at an awkward angle as Cat Noir kept tugging it further and further. He groaned as he exerted more strength, more than he ever used before as the limb eventually couldn't bend any more.

Something small managed to fall between the widening grip, Adrien's eyes locking onto the black rock similar to the one Ladybug smashed earlier. He couldn't let go now! His hands were full and Ladybug was still up on the tower!

He needed to grab it before they lost it!

His suit granted his silent plea, as a thin tendril shot out from his chest, sticking onto the rock and flicking it back up. It retracted before Adrien could think to question how, Stoneheart's body began to vanish, leaving only the boy in place.

All three of them fell, Adrien quickly assessing the two helpless teens on both sides of him. Thinking quick, he tugged on the strings that were still attached to the boy's arm and pulled him close. He then reached out to Mylene, shooting out another string to catch her and wrap her under the same cords carrying the other boy.

Managing to have one of his arms free, the ground approaching dangerously fast, Adrien reached up hoping to attach himself to the tower in time.

A gloved hand grasped his outstretched one, Ladybug catching him as the parachute on her back let them gently glide down.. She managed to stop their fall, lowering all of them in a controlled descent until Adrien's feet touched the ground. He let go of the teens, watching them both quietly stand next to one another.

Before he knew it, Ladybug threw her used parachute into the air, and then the magic happened. Millions, if not billions of ladybugs swarmed through the city, repairing all of the damage done in the recent battles.

Wrecked cars, fallen buildings, all of it repaired in seconds.

What an amazing power.

As he was distracted by it, she didn't just fix the city, she managed to fix the tension that was between the two teens they just saved by just showing the girl the note left behind by the akuma.

"You are, miraculous." Adrien uttered as Ladybug returned to his side.

"Are you kidding me?" She laughed at the usage of his word. "You just faced off against Stoneheart one on one and got the akumatized object away from him and caught them both."

"But then I literally fell for you." He toyed, before glancing back to the crowd of people nearby, the helicopters all around them. "Ok, in all seriousness I think we need to talk."

"Um, about that." Her earrings beeped once again, the girl pointing to them apologetically. "Don't think that's going to happen today."

"Well then what about tonight?"

"Maybe if there's an akuma." She began walking off, grabbing her yo yo and ready to zip away from him.

"What about patrol?" He offered, trying to find any excuse to meet up with her again.

"Patrol?"

"Well, yeah. Before the villain stuff I was going on nightly patrols."

It's like it never occurred to her that there was more to superhero stuff than to fight the big bad villains. Ladybug seemed hesitant, especially with the alert from her earrings pressing her on time. Still, Cat Noir seemed totally in the dark about all of this and if they were going to work together in the future she at least needed to catch him up to speed. "Ok, I'll try to meet you again soon if I can."

"I'll be waiting." Adrien gave an exaggerated boy as Ladybug took off, leaving him back on his own.

The day was stressful, full of risks and danger, but it felt worth it. So long as he can get back home in time before someone noticed.

---

Within the private chambers of Gabriel Agreste, the man was fuming with rage. He was so close! The miraculouses were right there and he had a whole army of super powered beings to control! He desperately wanted something to vent his anger out towards, and the timid kwami floating nearby was just the thing.

"Were you holding back on me?!"

"N-no master!" Nooroo quickly assured, backing away from the rageful man. "When you transform, I am completely at your will. I barely even know what is happening when I supply your powers."

"Then how did Ladybug and Cat Noir, with no experience, manage to defeat an army?!"

"T-they are the more powerful miraculouses master." Nooroo timidly answered, unable to look the man in the eye as he flicked on a screen nearby. He switched through the channels, allowing them both to observe the recent failure.

"Cat Noir never even used a power like Ladybug did." He pointed towards the black dressed boy leaping around the danger, throwing out strands of black strings to stick onto any surface it landed on. "You also failed to inform me about his 'yarn'."

Nooroo stared quizically, almost forgetting how much trouble he was in as he tried to see the new wielder of the cat miraculous. There were hardly any cat like features besides the claws, and the eyes didn't have any pupils.

Different wielders would have different transformations, but this one was so foreign and lacked the usual extending baton Plagg favored. Yarn? He had never seen or heard of a wielder have that special ability before.

Then there were the feats of strength, Cat Noir overpowering a being twenty times his own size. Yes, when transformed humans were easily stronger than before, but this was unseen. The kwami hoped Plagg was ok.

---

By the time Marinette arrived home, she was ready to indulge herself after a terrifying day. Sweets, family, video games, all of it just to unwind in the safety of her home. But a constant tug in her bag made her break away early from the parental hugs to go up to her room.

Stepping up the ladder and shutting the door on the floor, her kwami zoomed out of her bag and went over to her computer. The little ladybug creature, with black spots and usually a cheery demeanor seemed more anxious than ever. "Marinette, I need your help."

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to look up footage from today's fight."

"Why?" Sitting into her rolling seat and still complying with the magical creature's wishes, she began typing in her password. "Oh no, don't tell me I missed an akuma."

"I need to double check something I saw on your parents tv when you arrived."

Curious as to what had the kwami's attention peaked, Marinette found the 'ladyblog' that her new friend Alya had set up recently. She had to get some good shots right?

Only of Ladybug though, and just some short moments of Cat Noir.

Tikki flew up, eyeing the view photos of Cat Noir with careful examination. "Can you find a video of him?"

"Uh, yeah." She remembered all of the helicopters around the battle, there had to be plenty of angles to satisfy. Locating one that captured Cat Noir tugging the strings to pin Stoneheart's arm, Marinette was surprised to see just how strong the cat miraculous made him. "Wow, I could barely move a car off Alya a foot and that was with leverage. Wait, does this haft to do with Cat Noir not knowing anything about our powers?"

"He doesn't?!" Tikki exclaimed, shocked to hear that Plagg didn't say a peep to the new chosen wielder.

"Didn't you hear me talking to Cat Noir before?"

"When you're transformed, I'm barely aware of our surroundings. That's why I wasn't aware that the akuma wasn't captured the first time. What else did he say?"

That would make sense. Marinette scrolled through a couple more videos, concerned with how worried Tikki was becoming. "Well, he mentioned that he didn't even know his kwami could talk."

Plagg isn't talking at all? Taking another look at the unusual outfit, the lack of the destructive power, the heightened strength, the unusual strings that-

They saw it, Cat Noir's suit launching a tendril from his chest to catch the akumatized object while his hands were occupied.

"How did he do that?" Marinette zoomed in, trying to see if it was some sort of trick of the eye.

Tikki didn't believe that was the case, kwami's had no influence while their wielders were transformed. They barely had any influence in the first place and had to obey their masters. She wasn't just worried about Nooroo anymore, she was deeply concerned that something could be wrong with Plagg.

---

His train of good luck could only chug so far. His father discovered his little 'field trip' going to the school, and had pretty much locked him down in the living room immediately to express his 'dissapointment'.

Honestly, Adrien was a little terrified, because his father seemed to be at the very edge of doing something dangerous from how furious he was. Not even Nathalie wanted to be in the room during the moment. The only thing keeping him steady was the comfort of his shirt, that his suit had managed to blend into. He wasn't sure if it absorbed it, or was just hiding out in the threads, but he could still feel it strengthening him.

Even when he was sent to his room, they made sure he wasn't going out. At some point, his balcony had been reinforced, sensors placed along the door, and if he walked right up to it he could see a small red light along the corner of the house pointed right to the balcony. Luckily he had enough privacy because it didn't actually look inside, but the message was clear.

Never again.

Laying in bed that night, he just clutched his shirt as he tried to come up with some way to get back out, to see Ladybug and return to the school. His thoughts kept running until they lulled him to sleep, and the next day his father had him escorted back into the car and taken to an unknown destination.

It stopped, right in front of the school, Adrien looking up at it longingly for the opportunities within.

"Take a good long look Adrien." His father's face, projected on the screen on the back of the passenger seat. "Because you will never return again-"

He was barely holding back the tears, a sudden anger welling up in his gut as he gripped the bottom of his shirt tightly.

"-without a bodyguard present to escort you."

What?

Looking up with hope, he tried to see if his father was somehow joking with him. No, the man didn't have a sense of humor. But on a rare occasion, if he was lucky, his father was kind to him.

"Thank you." Adrien dashed out of the car, not even letting his father change his mind as he rushed up to the place where he could finally find his place.

Nathalie smiled, seeing how thrilling it was for Adrien, how proactive he was to achieve this goal and how much it meant to him. It was hard to convince his father that this would benefit the boy, especially with how dangerous Paris had gotten. But there were things Adrien needed to learn that couldn't be taught in private lessons or on a photo set. Things that he would remember for the rest of his life and help him understand the world he was in.

Even if she was just hired help, she would make sure that boy got the help he needed the most.

---

That night, after having his first official day at school, Adrien was too excited, too eager to just sit still and quiet. He tried playing a game, tried aimlessly browsing away on the internet and scrolling through the ladyblog, but he needed to exert himself again. He had promised to meet Ladybug again during a nightly patrol, and if he was stuck in here that couldn't happen.

If only he could do something about that camera.

Logging into his computer, and finding the security program his father used and managed to get downloaded onto his own computer, his privileges only got him so far as he was only able to see the cameras around the house not do anything else.

"Hmph." He grumpily rested his cheek on his wrist, staring at the new one pointed at his room's balcony. It overlooked the entire thing!...almost the entire thing.

It was more focused onto the balcony itself, not the high glass windows above the doorway. His father wouldn't think a need to have the entire wall captured, only wanting to see if he stepped outside or not.

Grinning excitedly, Adrien's shirt responded to his eagerness and enveloped the boy, giving him the smooth black outfit with green highlights he had come to love. Only this time, there were new additions.

Since he was Cat Noir, he had managed to figure out how to change his outfit at will, at least enough to give him a pair of cat-like ears atop of his head, and a tail snaking from the back of his waist. Pouncing up to the top left window of his room, twenty feet up from the ground, Adrien carefully unlatched it from the frame, pushing it out on the hinges that hadn't moved since it was first installed. Those who built the house set it up like this to help air out his room whenever they made a new addition to it, and now he was going to use it to get a little fresh air himself.

Flinging out through the city, the sparkling lights of Paris bringing life all around him, Cat Noir soared over the residents and let the adrenaline flow through him.

"WOOOOO YEAH!"

He hadn't forgotten all the mysteries of his powers, or needing/yearning to talk with Ladybug in a more relaxed setting, but right now he let his mind forget about all of it as he claimed the night.

Even forgetting the awaiting miraculous he had stowed away thinking it to be an odd trinket, never knowing its critical role in the fight between good and evil.

---

Welp, I ended up doing this. I already have lots of writing projects I've been working on and others I've been meaning to pick back up for a while. Yet I've learned many times, sometimes I just need to start something fresh to get it out of my head so I can focus.

I tried to satisfy myself by watching the show, but it didn't help at all given the low quality writing. The premise and dynamics are interesting, but the execution I've found to be extremely flawed. Probably because this was intended to be simplified to let younger audiences understand more of what's happening.

I tried looking up other Miraculous Ladybug fics, that didn't help either because either the fics I found were way too low quality, or it never went anywhere. I only found one that I think I enjoyed, but after a while I realized that even though it was good writing the author was dragging out character conflicts even though they were set up to at least begin to be resolved.

The only thing that kept peaking my interest in the potential are all of the mini comics that people made in this fandom. I found a lot that I like, and they would make good stories if someone sat down and actually wrote it out instead of doing small snippets.

So this fic is to satisfy myself more or less, and since I wrote all of this I could just publish it alongside my other fics. Not sure if I'll come back to this, or if I do when that will be, but if it gets popular enough I'll probably add a few more chapters.

I'm open to suggestions regarding where this story could go and what small moments could happen between the plot.