Marin stood next off to the side, holding Alya's tablet in hand near Alya as some of their friends were gathered at the Couffaine houseboat. Marc, Nathaniel, Myléne, Ivan, Lila, and Chloé were on video call while Kim, Rose, Juleka, Max, Kagami, Alix, Nino, and Luka were standing by. Alya was at the forefront of all this as she stood before everyone assertively.
"So we're all in agreement, we can't just leave Adrien all alone on a day like this."
"Of course we're all in agreement but there's no way his old man's gonna let us see him." Alix pointed out as she stood next to Max with his arms crossed.
Alya smirked as she adjusted his glasses. "Which is why our dear class rep thought of a way to send our support without even breaking daddy Agrete's silly rules."
"Basically we're just going to take turns sending Adrien video messages about how much we care about him. Marin explained briefly as he was a little embarrassed at all the eyes on him.
"Okay, Marin you first since this was your idea!" Nino said immediately as he held up his phone towards him, but Marin immediately recoiled as he covered his face with Alya's tablet.
"I- uh, was going to just record by myself within the safety of isolation." He said still covering his face. "Plus I'm baking muffins downstairs in the kitchen, gotta go check on that!"
"I'll help you out with that." Alix said as she and Kim had greedy expression written on their faces, but Marin was already backing away.
"No, no it's good, I got this. You all know the plan right? Great!" Marin said, scrambling away, quickly returning Alya's tablet as Nino snapped his fingers in frustration as one of his best friends escaped. But then quickly changed his mood as Alya pointed her phone towards him, a wave of excitement washing over them as Alya hit record.
Adrien sat in the garden alone clutching his phone in hand just in case he got any message. He checked it again, seeing that there were no new messages. That dampened his spirit a little, but as he looked up towards the statue of his mother he smiled a little. Even if it was a portrait or a stone figure he felt some comfort looking at her face. Adrien smiled to himself as he hummed a familiar tune. She always sang it when he was younger and had trouble sleeping or when he was sick. Right now, however, all he felt was a lingering loneliness that never seemed to truly disappear.
"Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his-"
A beep interrupted his song as he looked down on his phone to see a new text notification. Excitement swelled his chest as he recognized the sender but just as he was about to open it he heard footsteps drawing near.
"Adrien."
"Father?" Adrien asked as he looked up to see his dad. He was taken off guard as his father sat down next to him abruptly looking uncertain before he turned his head towards him with a serious expression.
"There is something important I have to talk to you about. I think about telling you every day, but I don't know how to find the right words." His father began to say. But as he was talking Adrien noticed that in the window behind them Nathalie was looking down at the two of them with a hopeful smile on her face. Adrien stared at her for a moment before a smile broke out on his face, waving towards her before he turned back to his father. "You know that I would do anything for this family-"
"I think I already know what you mean father," Adrien said as he noticed his father's shocked expression. "I've noticed how close you and Nathalie have become. If she can make you happy again, then... as far as I'm concerned, she's already part of our family."
But Adrien quickly regretted saying those words as he saw his father's expression warp into a silent fury. Almost immediately he stood up, towering over his son as he folded his hands behind his back, now staring at the statue of his late wife.
"You should be ashamed of yourself," Gabriel said coldly as Adrien winced at his tone. "Nathalie is an important member of this house but nobody could ever replace your mother, as long as she is still in our hearts she lives on." He said sternly as he then turned his back to his son. "We're expecting guests. Be ready." He said leaving Adrien alone in the garden with dampened spirits.
Tikki poked her head out of Marin's pocket as he pulled muffins out of the oven, resting them on the countertop as he removed his oven mitts, sighing heavily. "What am I gonna say to him? Also, how are these smelling?" He asked before he turned to see Tikki gluttonous eyes extremely close to the muffins, hovering over a dozen double chocolate muffins.
"Just let your heart do the talking, and as long as it is filled with love, you can't go wrong!" She said optimistically but looked at her partner in content as he looked disheartened.
Marin rested his back to the counter, looking down at his phone. He didn't see any new messages from Adrien. He probably didn't want to be bothered on a day like today. Or maybe Adrien was offended on how he'd ended their last conversation. In any case, Marin knew he was in no right mind to be really doing anything. He took a few deep breaths, claiming his heart as he closed his eyes, then rested his back, crossing his arms. Every free moment he could spare was given to meditating, processing everything that had just happened the past few days, unable to sleep at all ever since he found out…
Well. He didn't even want to think about it.
Gabriel Agreste of all people. The man whom he admired for his work almost all his life, who was Adrien's father, and who brainwashed the citizens of Paris to bend to his will. Oh, also he'd tried to kill him on occasion, but that was a problem for another time.
He recalled his Master's words, telling him that their next move was all on him. He had to choose a partner or partners to take out Hawkmoth once and for all. But it wasn't that simple. He couldn't just defeat Hawkmoth so simply. Wayzz had told him that there was a secret underground facility under the Agreste manor, that was just one way down and one way back up. But nothing more at risk of the Kwami being discovered. But there was so much more he couldn't account for, Mayura being the main one.
Not to mention the fact that he would be taking out Adrien's father.
"Is there a right answer to this Tikki?" Marin asked openly, feeling her sit on his shoulder while he was still in his trance.
"There is never just one way to confront a problem. Some need time and planning others just need you to just be honest. All you need to do is be sure of what you choose. It may not seem like the right answer to begin with, but so long as you can trust yourself you'll be alright."
Marin sighed heavily as he opened his eyes, resting his hands on the counter behind him. "Every plan I've ever come up with has just been by instinct. Once I've collected all the pieces I can see the bigger picture so clearly. But with this, it's all fuzzy. Even with all of our allies and with Master Fu helping I just don't know what to do." Marin averted his gaze.
"About Hawkmoth or about Adrien?" Tikki asked as Marin averted his gaze from his Kwami. "Normally when you're thinking you're Ladybug, you just have to purify an Akuma and save someone from Hawkmoth's control. But now you have to face not just a masked stranger but someone you know, someone who's connected to your friends." Tikki inquired as she saw the turmoil brewing on her partner's face. "You already know what you have to do, don't you?"
"I don't know anything." Marin denied turning around.
"Maybe talking to Adrien will help? If you're worried about him the most wouldn't it be better to relieve yourself of that burden?" Tikki suggested.
"Not really." Marin said as he rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't called Adrien since their last conversation for obvious reasons. But didn't have the will to make the first move on a day like day considering it was the first anniversary of his mother's…
"I'll send him a few texts later on... but if he wants to call me then I'll be there. But I seriously doubt that." He reasoned as he rested his hands in his hands shamefully really feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.
"Nonsense!" Tikki insisted as her eyes started to light up. "You know how he feels about you and you know how you feel about him. This day is important to both of you, so you two should spend it together." She reasoned.
"You're kind of forgetting something there Sugarcube," Marin said as he nuzzled his Kwami with his hand. "He's kind of under watch by the evilest villain in the city. Like I said earlier, something like this needs careful planning, not emotions clouding my judgment," Marin said. "Every single time I let my heart, or whatever
"Hawkmoth doesn't know who you really are or that you already know his identity, right now you have the upper hand. Shouldn't you take advantage of that while you still can?" Tikki asked as she rested on the palm of his hand.
But before Marin could respond he heard footsteps walking down the stairs. He quickly grabbed his Kwami, placing her in his inner jacket pocket before making it look like he was just setting the muffins down.
"Is something wrong Marinus?" Kagami asked as she stood before him with her arms behind her back.
"Oh, hi Kagami I'm just-" Marin suddenly stared coughing harshly, feeling a sharp pain in his chest that lingered for a little while. He was at a loss for words, seeing Kagami's reaction it and instead he held his hands behind his back, trying to not veer the conversation to an unwelcome topic. "Uh, muffin? They're fresh from the oven."
She stared at him for a moment before crossing her arms. "You're trying to misdirect me." She pointed out.
"...Nooo I'm not." He said trying to misdirect her.
"I thought I heard someone else down here." She said looking around.
Marin flinched slightly, averting his gaze looked down at it for a moment before sighing heavily. "That was just...me. I'm just worried I'll say the wrong thing, so I'm having a conversation...with myself." He slightly fibbed as Kagami stood next to him, reaching for a muffin.
"If saying something like this is hard then it just means that you care about Adrien very much." Kagami said as-a-matter-of-fact like as she approached him with her arms behind her back.
"Hm?"
"You care about what he thinks and all you want is for him to feel at ease but it is your lack of experience in matters like this that makes you feel insecure. You feel as though you're going to hurt him, when it couldn't be the opposite."
"...did you just think of that now?" Marin asked in surprise at her wisdom as Kagami took a bite of the muffin.
"It's just common sense," Kagami said as she turned her head towards him, her eyes lighting up. "Did you really make this?"
"Um, yes." Marin said sheepishly as he took out his phone as Kagami continued to eat. He took a deep breath and typed out what was on his mind, sending it quickly before he could regret his actions.
"You're not going to record something for him? It seems a little cold considering he's your boyfriend."
Marin's face immediately ran red as he hid it in his hands. "Please don't say that aloud Kagami." he whimpered, feeling Kagami pet his head as a form of comfort. "I just sent him a few texts-" Marin was about to say before he saw a notification on his phone.
"That was quick." Kagami remarked looking at his screen.
Marin tilted his head in confusion as he read aloud the message. "He says that he has something to tell me and want to meet up." Marin recited as he and Kagami exchanged a look of surprise.
"I thought his father wasn't allowing him to leave the house." Kagami said as Marin chuckled to himself in amusement.
"He has a way of sneaking out whenever he wants to. Guess I should see him if going through the trouble of leaving." He said with a small smile, placing his phone into his back pocket. "I don't really wanna have to explain myself so would you mind telling everyone I had to go?"
"Okay, but what am I supposed to say if they ask where you are?" Kagami asked as she walked up the stairs with him.
"Just that I have to help out my parents?" Marin offered. with a little smile on his face. But before he walked away, he turned and hugged Kagami for a moment. A gesture which she returned with a smile on her face. "Thanks for talking with me, you really helped me out."
"No problem, we're friends after all." She said shoving the rest of the muffin in her mouth much to Marin's amusement.
Adrien rested his head on his desk feeling a familiar sore pain in his chest. He hadn't left the house all day but somehow he was exhausted, almost wanting to take a nap and sleep through the entire day. But there was no way his father would allow it.
He quickly snapped out of it, wiping away his tears as he was surprised by a knocking at his door, revealing Nathalie.
"Your father is waiting for you downstairs, Adrien." She said briefly.
"Ah... I'll be right there." He said wiping away his tears as Nathalie left the door open behind her. Adrien sighed heavily while he still could. He looked down at his phone for a moment seeing that there were a few unread messages on his phone. Part of him wanted to open them all now and soak up the excitement of his friends' attention, but he knew he'd need it for later.
Adrien placed his phone in his back pocket as he walked out of his room and down the stairs. He stood next to his father who was at attention, not even sparing him a glance as Adrien's eyes widened with realization.
He had no idea who was coming today.
The more he thought about it the more he realized that he was extremely strange for his father to allow anyone in the house today of all days. He held back asking as the front door opened and Adrien was stunned by the familiar face that walked through.
A beautiful woman with light blonde hair similar to his own dressed in a black suit and whose radiance could only be matched by the smile on her face as her eyes laid on him.
"My, my! Look at how much you've grown!" The woman immediately said as she rushed towards him, immediately embracing him and giving him numerous kisses on his cheek. "Gabriel, how on earth is this adorable boy your son?" She joked as Gabriel's expression didn't waver, seemingly used to this kind of behavior.
"I'm sure Adrien is delighted to have such a timely visit from his aunt, today of all days." Gabriel said in a monotone as Adrien looked up to his aunt in realization.
"Aunt Amelie?" Adrien asked as his aunt gave him another tight hug.
"I'm soo happy to see you again! I thought it'd be better if we were all together on a day like this! Don't you agree, dear?" She said with a bright smile on her face.
Adrien was overwhelmed by all the attention from his aunt, he felt happy but at the same time it was laden with a little guilt. If Aunt Amelie was here than it would mean that he was here as well.
Right on cue, he heard footsteps as he spotted another familiar face walking through the door with a familiar stern expression on his face.
"Félix?" Adrien asked as his cousin walked towards him holding out his hand. But Adrien met his gesture with a hug, overwhelmed to see him after so long. "It's good to see you again!" He said with a smile but as he pulled back he noticed that Félix was glaring at him before Amelie stood between them, resting her arms on their shoulders happily.
"Aw, they look just like twins! Don't they, Gabriel? Do you remember when they used to have so much fun pretending to be each other? Once they had you and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend!" Amelie laughed fondly at the memory as Adrien smiled sheepishly. "We laughed so hard!"
Gabriel once again met her positive energy with mild disapproval. "I won't be fooled a second time."
"Hello, uncle." Félix greeted holding out his hand towards Adrien's father but was met with a cold response as Gabriel only glanced at him for a moment before Amelie cut between them.
"Félix, you know your uncle's never been the physical sort." Amelie said with a smile. "Why don't you two go on up and play in Adrien's room and I'll check on you two later okay?" She said with a smile.
"Sure, come on Félix," Adrien said with a smile leading the way towards his room as Félix walked behind him closely followed by Adrien's bodyguard who was carrying the luggage.
"Have fun boys!" Amelie called out, waving her arm happily as she saw her son and nephew walking off together. As soon as she heard the door close behind them her she dropped her arm. Her smile quickly faded as she turned to Gabriel, mirroring his expression as she folded her arms before her politely.
"I see you're still wearing your wedding band." She inquired, her tone turning colder with no trace of that friendly warmth from earlier. "And if you still have yours then I assume you're in possession of my sister's as well."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes as he clutched his hands tighter, growing more protective of the ring on his finger. "These rings are obviously very dear to me-"
"They're very dear to me too, Gabe." Amelie interrupted unapologetically taking a step towards him. "Those jewels have always been in the Graham de Vanily family, not the Agreste's." Amelie pointed out. "I realize that you may believe that I'm asking a lot, but you're a smart enough man to know that those rings aren't the only dear thing Emilie left behind in your care."
"...We will discuss it later. It's been a long journey from London, I'm sure you may want to rest a bit. Nathalie?" Gabriel said, narrowing his eyes as his secretary approached them.
"Follow me, please." Nathalie requested as she guided them towards the guest bedrooms, but Amelie lingered behind looking back at Gabriel over her shoulder for a moment as she retained her composed expression.
"Don't think you've tabled this discussion Gabe. I haven't brought it up out of respect you and to Adrien but it's been long enough."
"I would be daft to believe a Graham de Vanily would give up so easily." He responded with mild amusement, almost missing his verbal banters with his sister-in-law.
Adrien dribbled the basketball in his hands as he and Félix stood in his room. "Do you remember our shooting contests?" He asked playfully before he passed the ball to Félix who easily shot a basket with one arm skillfully but was unenthusiastic the entire time. Adrien's previous excitement was quickly extinguished as he knew that no amount of reminiscing would cover up the tension between them. "I'm really sorry I didn't come to your dad's funeral. My father thought it would be too hard on me, considering... everything that's happened this year. You've every right to be mad at me."
Félix narrowed his eyes towards him. "Do you always do everything your father tells you to do?"
Adrien averted his gaze as he didn't meet his cousin's eyes. "He's just...protective of me." he said sheepishly. But he felt reassured as he saw Félix smile, walking over to him and giving him a hug.
"Oh hey, do you have that chessboard we used to play all the time?" Félix asked pulling back.
Adrien nodded eagerly as he ran up to the second floor. "Of course! Let me go upstairs and get it for us!"
"Mind if I use your bathroom?!" Félix called out from below.
"No, go ahead! Make yourself at home!" Adrien said with a smile on his face as he eagerly pulled out all the games he and Félix used to play together.
Félix leaned against the back wall well away from the spray of the showerhead holding Adrien's phone he had pickpocketed off his cousin. He rolled his eyes as he easily unlocked Adrien's phone having access to everything on it
"Tch, what kind of idiot uses the same password for everything?" Félix chided as he snooped through his cousin's phone. He hummed to himself as he noticed all the unread messages Adrien had received one for almost every contact on his phone.
As he clicked the first message he saw a boy wearing glasses with a cap looking goofy. "Hey, my dude! I'm not quite sure what to tell you, except that, you're my man, dude! And bros are always there for their guys!"
Félix scoffed. "Bros are always there- blah, blah, blah! Moron." He grumbled moving on to the next message, seeing a petit girl wearing all pink.
"Unicorns have a saying: even when there's nothing but gray skies and rain, all it takes is one little sunbeam for a rainbow to appear!"
Félix didn't even let her finish as everything about this girl wanted to make him barf. He skipped through the rest of them not seeing anything interesting and growing more annoyed by the number of people that seemed to take an interest in his cousin. Finally, he stopped as he saw a familiar face.
"When my mother left for New York, I felt so sad. It felt like she was…" Félix narrowed his eyes as he saw Chloe falter averting his gaze as she took a deep breath, drawing a smile on her face as he faced back to the camera. "She came back, and I know how lucky I am. Auntie was like a mom to me when I was alone so, you can count on me to help you out too, my Adrikins."
Félix rolled his eyes. "Chloé. Just as annoying as usual," he said just as he deleted all the video messages that were sent. Just as he was about to pocket the device again he saw that someone else had sent Adrien a message.
[Xiang: Sorry about freaking out about...the thing. Anyway, hope you have a good day.]
[ Xiang: Ah- maybe not a good day, but like- you know-]
[Xiang: A day where you don't have to worry]
[Xiang: That is to say you shouldn't have to feel like you don't have to worry, worrying is natural. Even if this is a day where you got some really bad and confusing news just don't feel like you don't have
[Xiang: I'm here if you kneed me]
[Xiang: need]
Félix hummed to himself as he clicked on the contact photo attached to the messages, seeing the full photo was one with his cousin and this boy. Snooping further into his cousin's photos were numerous pictures of a handsome-looking boy, most of the pictures with Adrien himself but as few were taken of him by himself. Félix hummed to himself as he looked over texts Adrien's text messages, seeing that same dark haired boy in his contacts.
"Xiang huh?" Félix said aloud as he grimaced, seeing that all the messages typed between them were in Mandarin. He recalled that his cousin had been studying it for years so it fit well that he had found someone who spoke it just as fluently. He spotted the open window just a few feet above his head, meant to release steam but it would be easy enough to jump through. Maybe this trip wouldn't be such a waste, after all, he had found something entertaining to do. He ruffled his hair a little as he opened a recording app.
"First of all, thanks so much for all your messages, guys..."
Marin was walking down an alley as he saw the message from Adrien. One that was sent to all of his friends, completely out of character. Almost like Adrien was a different person altogether.
[Adrikins: It's over between us, lose my number.]
He stared at the blunt text that was sent from Adrien's number. He'd know, he checked more times that was necessary, feeling a calm numbness washing over his mind. But before he could properly gaze a reaction a familiar portal and only a moment later a familiar face stepped through it, one what he hadn't seen in a long time, making him drop his phone.
Marin didn't move a muscle, seeing the Miraculous holder from the future step out."Bunnyx?" Marin asked as his jaw fell in surprise, looking up slightly towards the older Miraculous user. But then he took a step back as he realized that he had let it slip that he knew who he was, something no one should know except for Ladybug in this time.
But she didn't seem to react to his slip as she walked directly towards him as the portal disappeared behind her. Marin noticed she had a sullen expression on her face, her body was covered in wounds, claw marks that penetrated the magical defenses all holders were gifted when using a Miraculous. This troubled him as only something that was stronger than a Miraculous, stronger than a Kwami could disrupt their magic.
"You're injured!" He said reflexively, stepping towards her in concern, also worried about Fluff. He took out a mini first aid kit that he always kept in his bag about to open it up but Bunnyx placed her hand over his. Something about her was different, something that made him tense up, but Marin looked up towards her, he could see that there was still a spark of warmth within them deep inside her tired exterior.
"Mar, I need to tell you something, and I need you to listen." Bunnyx said seriously, sounding like she was tired.
"Yeah, this seems about right." Marin said to himself as he knelt down, seeing that his phone had a crack on the screen.
"Félix?" Adrien asked looking around seeing that his cousin wasn't there. He heard the shower still running so he must have still be in there. He shrugged his shoulders, placing the board games aside while he sat down before his computer screen. He noticed that he had only one new message on his phone. It was odd to him, considering he saw a bunch of new ones earlier, now there was one. While Félix was occupied there was no harm indulging in a little computer time.
Adrien looked through a few of his inbox's between his friends, not seeing any new messages, but then moved over towards the newest one. He clutched the mouse in his hand tightly as he read through messages he didn't read and a response he didn't write and his boyfriend responding.
[Xiang: I'm sorry you feel this way, I'll get out of your hair.]
Adrien re-read what he had just seen multiple times but it wasn't setting in. Did someone hack his account? His eyes widened as he stood up, patting down his pockets but then snapped to attention as Natalie burst into this room.
"Come along, Adrien. You have a last-minute photo shoot." She ordered with urgency.
"Now?" Adrien asked in surprise, wondering why his father would allow him to do any work today. "What about Félix?"
"Your father insisted you go alone, hurry." Nathalie insisted.
"Uh, yeah sure one second." Adrien said as he noticed there was a new message on his computer from Alya. He wondered what it could be as he clicked on it. Next thing he knew his monitors flashed white and three familiar Villains appeared in his room. Lady Wifi, Reflekta, and Princess Fragrance, all three whom he had faced off before as Chat Noir. But this time he didn't have Chat Noir to back him up.
" It's time for your punishment, you naughty boy." Reflekta said holding out her bracelet towards him as the other two did the same with their weapons.
Adrien reflexively held up his arm defensively. "Alya, Rose, Juleka what's going on?" He asked as Nathalie stood between him and the villains defensively.
"Playing dumb huh? You'd know all about that huh?" Lady Wifi accused.
"No, I really don't know what you guys are talking about."
"Only a real meanie would insult the video we made for him and then act like he did nothing wrong!" Princess Fragrance said angrily as she released a smoke cloud from her perfume bottle.
"Adrien run!" Nathalie ordered as Adrien did as he was told.
"Not so fast rich boy!" Lady Wifi said aiming towards him but Nathalie kicked the tablet out of her hand as she took them on while Adrien ran away towards the main foyer.
"Just what the heck is going on?!" He demanded to know.
"Nathalie's in trouble, she's fighting in my room!" Adrien said to his bodyguard who ran to help her while Adrien ran into his father's study but only saw his aunt sitting in there alone. Her eyes lit up as she saw him.
"Adrikins!" She said happily, giving him a hug before he could say anything.
"Aunt Amelie!" Adrien yelled pulling him away in urgency, "Do you know where Félix is?" He asked growing more worried for Nathalie.
"Oh did he sneak out again?" Amelie chuckled with an amused expression. "He's just so excited about being in Paris again after so long." She said nonchalantly.
"Wha-" Adrien gasped in disbelief. "Aren't you worried about him?!"
"No, he just does this sometimes when he needs his space." She said pulling out her phone and activating an app on it. "He has an app in his phone that always shows me his location. Our little compromise." She said winking at Adrien playfully. "There you see?" She said holding out her phone towards him. "He's near the Grand Hotel, maybe he's visiting Chloe." She suggested as Adrien silently disagreed.
"Aunt Amelie, may I please borrow your phone?" Adrien asked growing more frantic as the seconds passed. "I think Félix took mine."
Adrien saw his aunt sigh as she placed her hand on her cheek, "That would be like him, he's been causing more mischief lately. But," She said pulling back her phone just before Adrien could grab it. "What's in this for me?"
Adrien was stunned at his Aunt's forwardness as he saw a mischievous glint in her eye. "Uh, what do you want?" He asked as she folded her hands behind her back and closed her eyes expectantly.
Adrien stared at her for a moment before he sighed heavily, kissing her cheek as she then smiled happily.
"So adorable!" She squeed as she handed him her phone. "Play nice with your cousin now, alright my little darling?"
"Yes, Aunt Amelie." Adrien nodded as he then ran out the door.
Marin stared at the time-traveling hero as he began wondering if he did something in a past life that was messing him up so bad within his present one.
"Mar?" Bunnyx inquired as she reached out her hand towards him in concern.
He closed his eyes for a moment, closing off any lingering emotions from this morning, no distractions."I understand what you're saying, but no matter what Hawkmoth needs to be taken out." Marin said with determination as Tikki sat on his shoulder looking between the two fearfully.
The moment he said that Bunnyx's eyes flashed with something raw but that was only for a moment before she closed her eyes."Didn't you listen to what I said?" Bunnyx asked as her voice began to tremble.
"I know what you said." He said firmly clutching his hand. "But you're asking me to look the other way when we have a chance to end this whole mess." He tried to reason.
"I'm not, not really. Just..." Bunnyx was at a loss for words as she held his head in his hand looking like she had a growing headache. "If you do this, then everything is going to fall apart. Even me being here is risking our safety."
"Maybe it's enough." Marin said optimistically. "Maybe you meeting me in this moment, right now is enough to change what will happen." He said trying to sound optimistic, but he knew better and he had a feeling Bunnyx knew better as well. "Even if what you're saying is true...I can't just turn my back on people who need me."
"You're making up your mind that fast?"
Marin averted his gaze despite having already turned his back to her, just wanting the day to be over already. "It doesn't change that I have to do this." He confirmed.
"It should change everything!" Bunnyx snapped turning to him. "I tell you that you're going to lose no matter what happens to Hawkmoth and you still decide to fight him?! Mar, I've been through this over and over again-"
"Bunnyx…" Marin said heavily before turning fully towards her, his tone turning more serious. "A Miraculous holder can't be selfish in the name of desire. Amidst the confusion and chaos-"
"The true mind can weather all lies and illusions without being lost and the true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed." Bunnyx finished. "Master Fu didn't just train you." She said growing more irritated. Something about Bunnyx being another one of Master Fu's students upset Marin, both of them had the same teacher, yet they had two completely different reactions to the situation.
"Then you must already know what it means to be a Miraculous holder. I've been afraid of failing even before I became Ladybug, but I only really lose if I allow it to dictate all of my choices so you shouldn't either. No matter what we have to keep the city safe."
"It's not just about protecting the city." Bunnyx said clenching her fists in frustration.
"No, it's also about making sure everyone feels safe too. Hawkmoth can't be allowed to wreak chaos every time someone has a bad day, he can't be allowed to take control of anyone like that anymore. I have the chance to stop him now."
"Every time I've tried to convince you like this I've always failed." Bunnyx chuckled dryly, as though she were laughing at herself.
"You're not going to fail." Marin said trying to lift up her spirits. "Now I know what is coming, I know what I have to do. Don't worry, we're going to fix this."
"That's what you said every time before…" Bunnyx murmured as Marin could feel the air between them intensify. He turned back to see that Bunnyx had drawn her weapon and there was no longer any warmth in her eyes, only a familiar steely determination. "Sorry, but I'm not letting you do this."
"Ah- Tikki, spots on!" Marin exclaimed as Bunnyx charged towards him at blinding speed.
Luckily for Adrien, all of his guardians were preoccupied for a little while so he had free reign of the city. His auntie's phone led him straight to Félix whom he saw standing before the Grand Hotel looking up at it; like he hadn't just messed up his day.
"What the heck Félix?!" Adrien demanded as he grabbed his cousin's shoulder in annoyance.
"Hm. You sound upset." Félix said cooly, unsurprised as Adrien had tracked him down.
Adrien's annoyance quickly turned to anger as he saw how unfazed, how unapologetic his cousin looked.
"First of all, give me back my phone. Second, I know you're upset about what happened between us but that doesn't give you the right to be mean to by friends and it especially doesn't give you the right to mess with my boyfriend!"
"So what? Take a joke once in a while." Félix remarked, uninterested with what his cousin had to say as he held out the cell phone. "What do you care anyhow? You hardly know any of those people." he pointed out.
"Those people are my friends Félix." Adrien said fuming at the seams. Just as he was about to take his phone back and yell at him more Adrien's phone rang and next thing they knew the trio is villainesses appeared before them with their weapons pointed at him.
"Wait there are two Adrien's?"
"Actually we're cousins," Félix said.
"What? But you two look exactly the same." Reflekta pointed out.
"Our mothers were twins." Adrien said.
"THAT DOESNT EXPLAIN ANYTHING AT- you know what it doesn't matter so long as we get one of you." Lady WiFi said as the trio pointed their weapons toward them. Adrien stepped in front of his cousin protectively, he wasn't sure what he could do but so long as he didn't panic-
All of a sudden a familiar hero skidded past them in a defensive stance, falling down on one knee trying to catch his breath as another unfamiliar woman with rabbit ears landed nearby.
Adrien wasn't sure what to make of the scene as the woman's expression was square on Ladybug but then noticed him and the trio of villains.
"Ah right, you three were a thing." She remarked as though she knew them, resting an umbrella on her shoulder. Before Lady Wifi could attack them the rabbit-eared woman kicked the tablet out of her hands, smashing it under her foot as an Akuma was released. Adrien saw his friends turn back to normal before he saw Ladybug's yo-yo capturing the Akuma, but he didn't purify it yet as he was still on guard towards the rabbit-eared woman.
While Rose and Juleka looked confused Alya's eyes immediately lit up.
"Ohhhhh are you a new Miraculous holder? An adult Miraculous superhero?! Can I interview you for my Lady-"
"Sorry kids but you need to run along now." She said walking past them and towards Ladybug who gripped his yo-yo in hand, stepping back into a fighting stance as the woman dashed towards him with blinding speed. Ladybug shallowly dodged her attacks but then used his yo-yo to parkour onto the rooftop of the hotel.
"Psh- like I'm gonna miss this." Aly remarked taking out her phone but Adrien stepped in front of her, having a bad feeling.
"Alya! Have you met my cousin Félix?" Adrien said pushing his cousin towards them. "Whatever you three were mad at, it's his fault."
Ladybug tumbled to the ground as Bunnyx had skillfully overpowered him. Both of them were standing on top of the hotel which was cleared of any guests staying, leaving only the two heroes. He already knew that she had years of experience under her belt, far more than he had as Ladybug. Not to mention despite her injuries she was far more fighting fit than he could ever be, especially with his health.
"This is wrong Bunnyx." Ladybug said as he looked up towards the person he thought of as an ally of sorts. "What you're doing, trying to mess up time is extremely dangerous." Ladybug said. "The rabbit Miraculous wasn't created to be used like this. If you mess with the timeline any more-"
"You know that I don't want to have to do this." She said rather sincerely but held her seen expression as she walked towards him. "But the stakes have changed. I've already tried convincing you hundreds of times. Every time you face Hawkmoth, no matter what I say or do, it doesn't change the outcome. This is the only way to actually change things." The rabbit Miraculous holder explained as she stood over him. He didn't avert his gaze as she reached towards his Miraculous but even so, he couldn't help but wince apologetically as he saw firsthand the cruel effects of the rabbit Miraculous.
Ladybug could see the fear in her eyes as she recoiled back, looking at her arm start to disappear as she winced in pain."Whatever happens causes you to get your Miraculous, if something drastic happens then you disappear. I'm sorry, so sorry about everything you went through, but it's not worth the risk. Neither of us can do anything, not without risking you disappearing. We're stuck like this." He said.
Bunnyx laughed to herself, resting her head on her hand. "So, all
"There's always another way, you're not alone in this Bunnyx." Ladybug said as he held his side. "No matter what happens, I'm not going to let you disappear." He promised.
The Rabbit eared hero's expression fell said with a wry smile. Before she could say anything Ladybug's eyes widened as he saw Bunnyx's ears twitch as they picked up on someone approaching.
"I'll give you this mini-bug." She said opening up a burrow behind her. "You're got some pretty good friends." She said, disappearing through the portal just before Ladybug used a nearby wall to help lift him onto his feet. He was in no shape to interact with any civilian. He held his yo-yo in hand, releasing the newly purified Akuma into the sky, stepping onto the railing nearby.
Looking back for a moment he saw Adrien walking around, seemingly looking for something. But Ladybug didn't want to have to explain any part of his disheveled appearance, not wanting to worry his former partner. Instead, he jumped off the roof heading back towards where he was originally planning on going, after he summoned a lucky charm of course.
Adrien stood in the foyer of the house, still upset about what happened earlier. Both of them had received stern lectures from Nathalie despite the context to their situation (some details were retracted, not like Nathalie or his father needed to know every single thing about him after all) but ultimately his aunt Amelie decided that it would be better to cut their trip short by a few days.
"Everything you did today, how you treated my friends... Unforgivable, Félix." Adrien said in annoyance with his arms crossed while Félix couldn't look him in the eye.
Amelie looked between the two, upset that they were arguing. "Now that his father isn't here to stop him from getting into mischief -" She tried to explain but Félix stopped her.
"Adrien's right mother, I've been acting like a jerk all day. No apology can ever be enough. I just hope I can learn from this, and come back to see you as a better person someday." He said respectfully towards Adrien. "I really am sorry. I'll do my best to make it up to you."
Part of Adrien's anger wavered as Félix turned towards his father, holding out his hand towards him. "Uncle." He said.
"Goodbye, Félix." Gabriel said shaking his nephew's hand.
Meanwhile, Adrien tried not to fall over as his aunt covered his face in kisses as she squeezed him tightly in a hug.
"Mother, please." Félix prompted as he watched the scene unfold with an unamused expression. "You're going to choke him."
"I just want to get my fill of my adorable little baby nephew before I have to go again!" She retorted back playfully giving one final kiss to Adrien on his cheek as she placed both hands on his shoulders. "Now remember, if you're feeling overwhelmed or if you just want to get away we're one Startrain ride away. Come over anytime if you ever miss your auntie or cousin."
"Thank you Aunt Amelie I will." Adrien said politely but broke out into a smile as she hugged him again, only to be pried off by her son and pushed outside.
"Just one more hug, I promise-"
"No mother we need to go." Félix said sternly, he sighed heavily as he finally got her out of the house.
Adrien watched as his aunt and cousin walked out of the house as something nagged at him. "Félix, wait!" He called out, ignoring his father who ordered him to remain. Félix looked at him in surprise as Amelie entered the car. "If you're feeling upset or out of control, just call before you do anything you might regret."
Félix's expression softened as he hugged his cousin, a gesture that Adrien returned with a small smile on his face. As Félix pulled back and walked towards the car, he hesitated for a moment as he turned back towards Adrien. "You have some good friends."
"Yeah, I know." Adrien said with a smile as Félix entered the car. Adrien watched for a little while as he watched his extended family leave. Despite everything that happened, it felt a little lonelier but it helped to think about how he could visit them anytime. As he turned back towards his house he took out his phone, prepared to return the kindness his friends had sent him earlier.
"Hey guys. I never got your messages, but I'm really touched just knowing you were thinking of me today. You're the best friends anyone could ever dream of. I love you, all of you."
"Are you certain about this?"
No. But it's been a long day Master Fu, honestly, I'm just on auto-pilot at his point." He sighed heavily as Master Fu placed two Miraculous boxes before him.
Marin recalled his previous visit with his Master as the day neared its end. He was sitting near Alix on the staircase behind her house, the two of them watched her dad and brother pack up the car, bickering over something as they did so.
"So, Cairo huh?" Marin said, sparking a conversation between himself and his friend. a
"Yeah, we're gonna be gone for a few weeks." She said resting her back against the stairs. "But luckily I have a bud like you to make sure I don't fall behind the rest of you guys. I can just mope around in a desert instead of around school now." She chucked by noticed that Marin has his "lecture" face.
"Just because you're not going to be in school for the next few days doesn't mean-"
"That I can just slack off with my studies because I can so easily fall behind, yadda yadda." She said that last past a little mocking but both she and Marin laughed at her wit.
"Alix, come on we gotta go!" Her brother called.
"Coming!" She said shouldering her pack as she stood up. " Welp, that's my cue I guess. Thanks for seeing me off. Nath was going to but he and Marc are off being dorks together." She grimaced. "But I guess you'd know all about that." She winked teasingly as Marin started to blush.
"Oh, uh before you go-" Marin said taking a small wrapped box out of his bag. "This is for you,"
"Ooo, a present for me?" Alix asked, intrigued. "But my birthdays not for a good while."
"Think of it as an early gift." Marin suggested rubbing the back of his neck. "For if you're feeling down, or something."
"Heh, sorry to disappoint but I'm gonna be riding high for a while." She said pulling out a familiar white plush unicorn that could have only belonged to one person,
"Is that Rose's unicorn?"
"Yup, she and I had this bet going see, and I ended up winning." She said with a cheeky grin. "I told her that you and Adrien would end up being an item, she had her reservations."
"...you two." Marin grimaced with embarrassment, slapping his forehead.
"Don't worry, I'm not below accepting your kind gift." She said shaking the box close to her ear. "What is it some kind of gear to upgrade my skates?"
"Like I said, it for when you're feeling down, or you're just missing Paris." Marin said, hugging his friend tightly before she ran off towards her family.
"I'll be seeing ya Mar!" Alix called out as she ran towards her family.
Marin turned away just as he saw the car drive off, his smile quickly fading as he walked off the main street. He turned his head to see Tikki popping out of his jacket pocket looking up at him in concern.
"You don't have to do this you know." She said as she noticed Marin's face growing paler.
"Don't you go doubting me sugarcube. You're supposed to be my rock." Marin said, forcing a smile just before he started coughing again.
Adrien quickly walked down the stairs near the riverfront. He received a text from Marin to meet him here, hopefully not feeling hurt about his cousin fake breaking up with him. But he chose to think optimistically as he spotted Marin standing under the bridge looking down at something at his phone while rested his back against the wall. He could feel his heart race with worry, even more so as Marin spotted him.
"Hi Adr-"
"I'm so sorry about today, my cousin stole my phone and was being a jerk to everyone; an Akuma transformed Alya, Rose, and Juleka; then they turned my bodyguard and dad's sectary into Reflekta clones; then I had to take my Aunt's phone to track down Félix who was apparently running all over town for some reason and..." Adrien trailed off as he realized how much he was ranting while Marin was listening intently. "I'm done talking now." He said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He could see Marin looking tense, more tense than usual.
"...I have something to tell you, and I need you to believe me." Marin said taking something out of his back pocket.
"...Okay?" Adrien said, not exactly sure what he was expecting but the last thing he expected to see was Marin holding out a small Miraculous box before him. He looked down at it trying to progress the implications of his boyfriend holding a Miraculous box in his hand. "Woah what is that thing, some kinda...box?" He said at random quickly realizing it was a silly thing to say as Marin looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.
Marin sighed heavily. "It's my Miraculous box." He said bluntly as Adrien's face ran red.
"...Then you're-"
"He's Ladybug!"
Adrien saw a familiar red Kwami fly out of Marin's bag, hovering between the two with a smile on her face. "This is so exciting," she said darting her head at the two former partners.
"I realize this is a lot to take in and you may not believe me but-"
"Ohhhhh this makes so much sense," Adrien said trying not to freak out as he turned away from Marin and started pacing. His face heated up with embarrassment as he ran through every previous interaction he ever had with Ladybug as every single one of his feelings were now shed in a new light. Every feeling he had was called into question, especially their friendship while he was still Chat Noir. He took a deep breath, turning towards Marin who had a neutral expression on his face. "Okay, is there anything else I should know?" He asked hesitantly.
Marin's eyes darted away for a moment as Tikki rested on her partner's shoulder. "Your dad is Hawkmoth."
"..."
That wasn't something he thought he was going to hear today.
"So my father is Hawkmoth and my boyfriend is Ladybug." He said aloud, not wanting to believe it at all. "What a day."
"I-I'm sorry." Marin said as he hung his head apologetically but then he was taken off guard as Adrien suddenly hugged him tightly. "What- What are you doing?!" He demanded as Adrien started to smile, already knowing that Marin's face would be flushed red.
"I'm hugging you." He said simply.
"I get that but why are you hugging me?!" Marin demanded while Adrien took a step back, smiling happily.
"Because I love you."
"Well don't say that!" Marin scolded as his ears started to turn red. "I expected you to be upset or mad!"
"What? Why?"
"I don't know, I'm giving you some really heavy news." Marin stammered as he hid his face behind his hands rather cutely. He sat against the wall, wrapping his arms around his legs.
"Yeah well, I'm just going to keep riding this high until it all comes crashing down. Probably tomorrow." Adrien said sitting down next to his boyfriend, his previous joy started to dwindle, quickly realizing that if his father was Hawkmoth, then it would mean that Marin-Ladybug would have to face off against him; and he remembered all too well the last time they tried to take his Miraculous. "So what are you going to do if…" Adrien asked, his voice starting to waver.
"All I want is to take away their Miraculous, his and Mayura's," Marin said starting to calm down a little as he glanced at Adrien who was frowning.
"All this time my father's been endangering the lives of everyone in Paris including you and me. Do you at least have a plan?" Adrien asked.
"Kind of." Marin said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Kind of?" Adrien asked in confusion and received an answer as Marin held out a small Miraculous box before him.
"Adrien Agreste, this is the Miraculous of the Cat, which grants the power of destruction. You will use it for the greater good and once the mission is over, you will return the Miraculous to me...you know, if you want to." Marin mumbled at the end as he averted his gaze.
Adrien's expression softened as he recognized the same box from before. He took the box without hesitation, as he opened it up a black ball of light manifested around him, transforming into a familiar Plagg Kwami who looked at his former partner in confusion before immediately hugging him.
"ADRIEN!" Plagg exclaimed joyfully as a few tears fell from Adrien's eyes, reuniting with his precious Kwami.
As much as Tikki wanted to enjoy the moment she looked up towards Marin whos eyes looked glossy, emotionless despite the scene unfolding before them.
Gabriel looked outside the window of his office as he heard Nathalie approach, rubbing the newly placed ring on his finger. He silently promised himself that Félix would be dealt with another day.
"Well?" Gabriel asked as Nathalie approached him. He could sense his partner's hesitation for a moment before she spoke up again.
"There's no sign of the foe Ladybug was fighting or the ring of Destruction." She informed. "But Ladybug is getting weaker with your constant barrage of Akuma attacks along with Chat Noir no longer being present.
"And Adrien?" Gabriel asked.
"He's made no contact with Ladybug." She said. "Sir, forgive me if I'm out of line...but perhaps it's possible that the Cat Miraculous is no longer in circulation?"
Gabriel closed his eyes taking a deep breath to calm his mind. He recalled the moment when Nathalie had told him what she had saw when he tried to Akumatized one of his classmates but failed to do so. He denied it for a while before Mayura played her part, distracting the two heroes while investigated, discovering that almost all of Adrien's absences had been timed near appearances of Chat Noir. His son's missing ring only solidified the fact.
"Patience is a virtue, Nathalie." Gabriel said as he rubbed the ring on his hand."Sooner or later this advantage will benefit us, and when it does we will be prepared to strike down all that have stood in our way no matter the cost."
Notes:
-The chronology in this is a little off as Marin's POV is a little ahead of Adrien
-To an extent, Marin is thickheaded as much as Adrien is perceptive.
-Amélie would throw down with her brother in law and knows Gabe better than most ( despite her not knowing that he's a super villain) She can see through Gabriel's bad fathering, and would kidnap her nephew, but holds back for Adriens sake. She is fully capable of being a crime aunt.
-Gabe and Nath found out Adrien was Chat Noir in the Ladybug episode.
-If it wasn't clear Bunnyx intended to take the earrings but doing would indirectly make her disappear because Marin was the one who gave her the rabbit Miraculous to begin with. So now she knows that directly trying to intervene is not going to work out well for her.
- Next chapter is going to be even heavier than this one, sorry in advance.