Marin sat on the bench with his head hanging and his fingers laced around his neck- keeping him in place."All I'm certain of is everyone in the world perished, the entire city became flooded with the ocean, Chat Noir became akumatized for years, and the Ladybug of that timeline left behind a lucky charm, also..." Marin hesitated for a moment as he dug his fingers into his neck. "He knew who I was...my identity. Not just that he knew my other name- and I have never told anyone else what it was."
His entire body felt like it would go into shock at any moment he waited for his Master's response. He had spilled out his entire soul as he relived every memory he previously experienced. Ever since that day he was riddled with nightmares from the incident. Marin brushed the scars under his eye patch as he recalled this instance where he saw the cold rage of Chat Blanc's eyes, seconds before he fell into the freezing cold ocean below.
That kind of hatred coming from someone he cared about so much...it wasn't something he could ever forget.
"I'm in the mood for something sweet." Master Fu said as he stood up for a moment. "Would you like a cone as well?"
"...come again?" Marin asked in disbelief to what he was hearing. Sure, his master always had a sweet tooth, but he had hoped that priorities would weigh out his cravings.
"It's especially warm today, yet it's rather cool nearby this river. So it appears that we're fortunate enough to be sitting under the perfect conditions to have a nice treat." Master Fu explained.
"Wha? Master what are you talking about? Shouldn't we make a plan? Shouldn't we prepare?" Marin rambled, feeling a tenseness in his chest that only grew worse the more he saw how unreactive his master was.
"There is nothing more that can be done to an issue that may or may not happen." Master Fu's tone made Marin feel whiplashed as he stared at his Master walking towards a nearby crepe stand near the road. "If such an event occurred then the universe will correct itself the same way. Just as a river will find another way to flow forward as will time. But there's nothing we can do, so let's eat." Master Fu said in a calm tone as he looked over the menu of available crepes for the day and then placed an order for two.
The sight of seeing his master being the calm one was something that he trusted in, that gave him some relief that the situation wasn't terrible. However, today in particular, after he had spilled out everything that had been tormenting him for the past few months only to be met with a baseline reaction..it made him feel upset.
"So what am I suppose to do? Just wait? As we speak Hawkmoth and Mayura are planning on defeating us, we've never once had an advantage because unlike them we always have to put our Miraculous at risk!" Marin exclaimed as he recalled the nightmare he had lived through. He was someone who had been surrounded by back luck all his life, and as a result, he knew better than anyone how devastating the results could be. He saw his best friend had been akumatized and destroyed the world, and then try to destroy him alongside taking his Miraculous. "How am I suppose to save Nooroo and Dursu if I don't even have the slightest inkling of how to even find them?!"
Marin had always believed in his master's judgment, always had placed his trust in the beliefs he was raised with- that those elder to him were to be respected for their wisdom- however, he found himself challenging that notion he couldn't hold back his frustration. However, he faltered as he saw that Master Fu was holding a crepe towards him; assorted fruit, cream, and chocolate sauce- his favorite. In a moment he realized how outlandish he must have sounded to his master who was nothing but kind and considerate towards him. Those feelings of frustration, apprehension, anger, and fear still threatened to burst to the surface- but even so, he couldn't help but feel guilty as he saw his Master holding up a crepe towards him.
"I...I have to go." He said curtly as he walked away, suppressing those feelings as he did so many others, placing them somewhere they couldn't be accessed ever again; Along with the fears of that future of destruction he was once a witness to.
Adrien's fingers pressed playfully on the piano keys while Plagg bounced around on them happily as they played cheerful music together. This practice became a daily occurrence that the two partners both enjoyed. Adrien always had high respect towards the more classical scores he had more recently found a special interest in more cheery tunes. However, their practice was cut short as they heard footsteps approaching the door. Plagg disappeared into the piano as Nathalie entered the room with her tablet in hand.
"Ready to go, Adrien?" She asked as Adrien grimaced at the thought of sitting around for more than an hour by himself in a boring museum.
"Nathalie, since this is gonna take a while, can I bring a friend?" He asked half expecting her to refuse but was presently surprised at her nod. Immediately he reached for his phone and dialed up Nino.
"Whassup, bro?" Nino answered almost immediately as Adrien heard faint music in the background.
"Hey Nino, I've got to go back to the Grévin Wax Museum. Do you want to come with me this time?" Adrien asked.
"Sure thing, dude. I'll be right there—" Nino said eagerly but then stumbled over his words. "Uh, eh, actually, Alya and I are hanging together today...Wait! Do you think Alya could come too?"
"Can I bring two friends?" Adrien asked turning back to Nathalie who nodded. As he was about to respond to Nino again he heard Alya's voice.
"Would it be okay if there was room for one more person and a pint?" Alya asked eagerly.
"Who?" Adrien asked reflexively.
"Our dear Cutie pie of course, and Manon too- they're a package deal today. "I'm sure that he wants to see you again, after all, it's been like a million years since you two saw each other face to face right?" Alya explained as Adrien could feel his heart racing faster at his friend's name. Reflexively his eyes darted towards Plagg's trophy bed.
"Would four work?" Adrien asked as his eyes sparkled with hope, very much wanting to spend time with all of his friends today. "Actually, more like three and a half." He offered as Nathalie kept her composed expression.
"I'll see what I can do."
A smiled broke out on his face as he raced over to his trophy case, reaching inside he took out Marin's necklace that he had received from Felix a few days earlier. Looking down at his he couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of returning it to the original owner.
Marin sighed heavily as he sewed in his room. It was only yesterday that he had snapped at his master and his actions were still eating away at him. Despite believing that his fears were founded it didn't take away the feelings of shame he felt towards the way he acted. He glanced at Tikki who was hiding nearby in her yarn basket looking at him with sympathetic eyes but unfortunately couldn't make herself known.
His thoughts were pulled away as his phone rang and he saw Alya on the other end.
"Marin, you are coming with me and Nino to the Grévin Wax Museum. Adrien invited us!"
"Huh?"
"There's no saying no. We're coming to get you now. You don't have a choice in the matter!" Alya exclaimed excitedly while Marin was still processing what she had just said with an unenthusiastic frown.
"No."
"What?!" Alya gasped.
"I can't Alya I'm babysitting today." Marin explained as his shirt was then tugged by Manon who was looking up at him with excitement sparkling in her eyes.
"Mar! Look at this picture I drew!" She exclaimed as she held up a crayon drawing of herself as a superhero. Marin couldn't help but smile as he patted her head.
"Wow, that's so good! Are you going to fight crime now?"
"Yes!" Manon yelled happily as she started punching imaginary enemies. "I'm going to beat up all the bad guys just like Ladybug!" She then started running around the room pretending that she could fly.
"As you can see." Marin said in a more lame tone as he turned back to his friend, his previous bliss quickly fading. "I'm going to have my hands full today.
"Come on dude you haven't seen Adrien since we were stranded in space on the Startrain, and even before then we hardly spent any time hanging out. Why not seize the day a little?" Alya said cheerfully but that same cheeriness quickly faded as she could see Marin's sullen's expression. "Are you mad at him or something?"
"Mad? At Adrien?" Marin asked in confusion as he turned to his friend. "Why would you think that? Wait- does anyone else think that?!"
Alya shrugged her shoulders. "I mean- he's the only one who never really visited you when you got in that accident and since then you two you've never really seemed to hang out that often. When was the last time you had your little macaron lunch together or even gamed?"
"That's..." Marin felt a burst of defensiveness as it couldn't have been that long, but he realized that Alya was right. Ever since the incident, he hadn't realized how far he had been going out of his way to avoid others.
"Granted- I get that you would have wanted to keep Manon at your place since you're babysitting, but- kind of seems like something is up between you two. It's just like when you two first met and you always went out of your way to avoid him." Alya pointed out as Marin became more sheepish, recalling the conversation in his head over and over again.
For a moment, Marin then juggled to prospects of telling Alya the hidden truth about the wax museum incident or continuing to allow her to believe the idea that she had come to the conclusion of; the end result of either would only serve to make him look worse- that he was certain of. Regardless, the idea of Adrien being upset because of him was something that didn't sit well with him at all.
In his head, he went back and forth of the pros and cons of going out, but his emotional bias outweighed any reasoning and he sighed heavily. "Manon, would you like to go on a field trip today?"
Adrien's foot tapped in anticipation as they drew closer to the wax museum, they had already picked up his friends and now were on route together. He couldn't recall the last time he was so eager to do his job but knowing his friends were with him made the experience all the more fun.
"You leave Adrien alone, and then, I'll leave Marin alone..." Alya whispered to Nino as they were both interrupted by Manon.
"Hey! Why are you leaving Marin all alone? Don't you like him anymore?!" Manon yelled as she tried to get closer to the couple,.
"Manon sit in your seat." Marin scolded as the child tried to crawl over his lap. "It's not safe to do that in a moving car."
"But they were talking about you! I heard!" Manon exclaimed again pointed towards the two.
"Nothing! It's nothing! We're definitely not leaving them alone together! What a horrible idea that would be! HA!" Nino rambled as he felt like he was put on the spot.
Both Adrien and Marin stared at their friend in confusion as Adrien then spoke up in their defense. " Don't worry, Manon. It's just that Alya and Nino are boyfriend and girlfriend, and they probably wanna spend some time alone together. Without us."
"Are you two friends?" Manon asked looking at the two of them.
"Of course we are!" Marin said, ruffling her hair slightly though he was quickly growing flustered. "Adrien and I are very good friends."
Adrien couldn't help but smile when Marin said that, feeling some tension he felt be eased.
"But you said earlier that you didn't want to see him but Alya forced you to-"
"AH HAH HA! Children are hilarious aren't they!?" Marin immediately interrupted as he covered up Manon's mouth, trying to cover up his tracks with little success as Adrien's smile quickly faded.
At the Grévin Wax Museum. Adrien steps out of the car, where a woman in a red dress was waiting for them.
"Hi, Véronique." Adrien greeted as she approached them walking out of the car.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Adrien. I'm sorry, but a piece of your statue went missing yet again! Just goes to show how popular you are." The curator said as she guided them within the empty building. Adrien looked behind him to see that Alya and Nino were walking together and Marin was holding Manon's hand- who was wildly looking around in excitement.
"Lookie Marin! We get to go in, even though it's closed! Hey! Are you paying attention to me?!" Manon demanded as Marin snapped back to attention looking nervous as he looked down at the small child.
"Uh- yeah, yeah." Marin nodded as Manon huffed in frustration, pulling her hand back as she crossed her arms but then something caught her attention as she dashed ahead of them, passing by Marin's friend who were whispering to each other.
"Be careful this time, right? Marin's the only one that's gotta spill the beans to Adrien— not us! So no matter what Adrien asks you, just deny. Okay?" Alya said to Nino who mirrored Marin's apprehensive nature.
"What about beans?" Marin asked as both of his friends tensed up looking back at him with guilty expressions.
"Nothing! Just-" Just before Nino was about to ramble Alya interrupted him.
"Oh look Manon's running ahead of us!" Alya pointed out as Marin realized he had lost right of his ward.
"Oh no, Manon!" Marin called out as his friends sighed in relief as their friend raced past them.
"Ahaha, whoah! Mr. Jagged! Can you give me an 'autygraph,' please?" Manon asked, looking up at the figure in awe, but quickly became annoyed. "Why isn't anyone paying attention to me today!?" She asked as Marin approached her, immediately grabbing her hand.
"That's because this isn't the real Jagged Stone. It's a wax statue of him. The Grévin Wax Museum is the kingdom of illusions!" Véronique explained.
Manon took a double-take towards the statue "Woah! But he looks so reals!" She then smiled in excitement about to run off again but then was stopped as Marin grabbed her hand.
"Manon you shouldn't be running off like that. Just because we're allowed in, doesn't mean that you can be naughty okay?" Marin pointed out but Manon continued to pout.
"It would probably be fun to play hide and seek in a place like this." Adrien teased lightly as he approached them. "Should we play a round before we go?"
Marin looked at him in disbelief, silently chastising his words while Manon looked excited as she jerked her babysitter's arm. "Mar mar! Can we please play a round before going? Please please? I'll be a good girl I promise!" She pleaded, widening her eyes, knowing it was his weakness.
"Nope, no no no." Marin immediately responded. "I couldn't ever play in a creepy place like this, Uh- no offense." Marin said sincerely but then backtracked as he realized that the curator of the museum was still nearby.
Véronique chuckled as she brushed off his words. "None taken. Indeed, after opening in 1882 the museum houses around 200 wax statues on exhibition at any one time. We bring new celebrities in on a regular basis, the most recent one being Adrien! So, I second the statement that it would be an ideal place for a game of hide and seek. Please, come this was." She remarked playfully as Marin felt his face burn with embarrassment, hanging back for a moment while his friends walked ahead of him.
"Heh. Smooth." Alya chuckled as she took Manon's other hand. The two of them lifted up Manon together as she jumped up each stair, more focused on her newfound jumping ability than her babysitters.
"So hey- dude." Nino said clumsily as he walked with his friend up the stairs of the museum. "This is going great, yeah?"
"What is going great?" Adrien asked as he noticed his best friend looked uneasy, trying to seem upbeat.
"Uh...me and Alya right? Fun time. Good fun, looking at museums like this. But it could be more fun if we could walk around together, 'cuz you know- Alya really wants to check out the superhero exhibit."
"That's cool, it's just be me, Marin and Manon then- that'll be fun." Adrien said with a smile.
"You sure?" Nino asked abruptly.
"Huh? Yeah, why wouldn't I want to hang out with them?"
"Well- you know." Nino said, making hand gestures that implied a situation Nino didn't want to say aloud, but quickly realized his best friend wasn't picking up any signals. "You two haven't exactly spent a lot of time together after Marin became homeschooled."
Adrien's stomach immediately sank as Nino said something that he hadn't realized was so true. He had to hear second-hand that his friend was pulled out of school and that he was recovering from an incident that left his arm broken- and he'd never once really checked up on him. Adrien whipped his head towards Nino now extremely worried. "Do you think he resents me for not being a better friend?" He asked genuinely unsure. Was checking up on each other something that friends did? He thought that it was appropriate to give him space, but if that wasn't the case...
"Does he hate me?" Adrien couldn't help but ask as the pendant in his pocket felt all the more heavy.
Nino waved his hands wildly as he realized he messed along the way. "What?! No, no! Dude, he likes you a lot! I mean, no! I mean, yes? I mean... barely! He barely likes you a lot, so there you have it!"
Adrien looked at his friend in disbelief." You sure? I'd be really bummed if I ended up hurting his feelings." Adrien said as they all entered the elevator. Nino in turn sighed heavily, flinching slightly at Alya's glare. Somehow she always knew when he had a guilty conscience, especially so as the couple noticed the disheartened expressions on their friends' faces.
"Welcome to the workshop!" Véronique explained as they entered a room on the This is where our sculptors create and repair all of our statues. And this is where we store our wax. It comes straight from our very own beehives up on the roof of the museum. Adrien, you'll be sitting here while we make your mold." She explained as her assistant prepared the wax while Adrien sat down.
Nino observed one of the statues still in progress, observing the face with fascination. "The beard's really well done." He complimented.
"It's genuine yak hair." The assistant said as he set the timer.
"The two of us have to prepare the wax so we'll be leaving you alone for a little while, if you need anything we'll just be in the next room." Véronique said as she and her assistant walked into a larger room that gave off waves of heat when the doors were open.
Marin's eyes immediately darted around as he realized that Manon wandered off again but relaxed as he saw her playing with Nino- screaming with glee as she ran over to Marin.
"My turn! My turn! I wanna play statues, too! Mar!" Maron exclaimed in excitement as she demanded his attention. "C'mon! Let's go and play hide and seek and statues in the museum!"
"We can't, Manon. We came here to keep Adrien company remember?" Marin said, kneeling down before the small child, who in turn pouted.
"But-"
"Don't worry little monkey we'll play with you. We'll have fun together without all the boring people." Alya cut in as she lifted up Manon, winking at her best friend. " You take good care of Adrien. He must not get bored a single second!"
Immediately the air around them tensed between Marin and Adrien as they avoided even looking at each other.
"OK BYE!" Alya said, grabbing Nino and were halfway out the door.
"WAIT DON'T LEAVE WITH-" Marin exclaimed just as the door shut and he was quickly aware he was standing between a rich and a hard place. He looked back with some hesitation as he saw Adrien looking back at him with a sad expression on his face. "So...how is your day going?"
"Good." Adrien responded as he looked away, hurt by how his friend seemingly resented him enough to not want to even be in the same room as him.
"Neat...neat." Marin nodded as he ran a number of scenarios through his head to try and escape the room with a reasonable explanation.
"Are you mad at me, Marin?"
"What?!" Marin exclaimed as he bumped his shoulder into a nearby shelf, dropping a bucket and scattering it's contents to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Adrien asked as Marin knelt down to clean up the mess he made.
"Fine-fine, everything's fine-"Marin immediately said feeling his face burn red with embarrassment but then immediately felt the blood drain from his face as he saw that he was holding an eyeball in his hand.
"Main are you sure you're okay?" Adrien asked as he saw the expression on his friend's face who was now frozen in place.
"Yup." Marin mustered up as he quickened his pace to clean up, placing the bucket back on the shelf. "Excuse me." He wheezed as he immediately ran out of the room leaving his friend alone.
Adrien sighed heavily just before he was surprised by a floating head hovering before him. "Oooh, Aadrieeen! At least you don't have trouble talking to cheeeese!" Plagg taunted in a ghostly tone.
A smile broke out on Adrien's face as he chuckled at his partner's prank. "Plagg, put that head back down before you cataclysm it." His kwami complied as he materialized from the statue with a mischievous chuckle.
Even though Plagg could always find a way to improve his mood with his jokes, it didn't take away the guilt he felt towards his friend. "I'm sure I did something to mess up our friendship by accident. Ugh- I'm so clueless about these things!
"Don't try to overthink it." Plagg said as he hovered nearby, sitting on the timer. "If the baker boy is actually upset with you then he'll tell you."
"I can't take that risk Plagg, this time I'm going to be proactive," Adrien said as the timer went off, causing Plagg to reflexively jump off as a cat would- now sitting on Adrien's head much to his amusement.
"It's not funny!"
Marin hid out in the restroom, pacing back and forth within the room as tried to calm down.
"It's okay Marin, it's not like any of the props were real." Tikki said helpfully.
"Ugh- I know I know I just...I really do not like wax museums. They're just year-round haunted houses for the public." Marin explained as he couldn't get the image of touching the fake eyeball out of his mind. "Worse than that though, I completely abandoned my friend- who probably already dislikes me and now will certainly think that I'm a spaz...which isn't that far off from the truth." Marin complained as he rested his head against a wall; completely content with remaining there- wallowing in shame as Tikki sat on his head.
"Well hiding in here isn't going to solve anything." Tikki pointed out. "You should talk to Adrien, you of all people know how kind he is. I'm sure that this is just one huge misunderstanding."
"...It's not just that Tikki." Marin admitted, sighing heavily. "I've just been feeling worried ever since I talked to Master Fu. I've always tried to be open to his teachings, but this one is just...difficult to understand," Marin said as recalled his conversation with his master. "I'm the one who always has to have a plan, I can't not have a plan or else how can any problem be solved."
"Not every problem has to have an answer." Tikki said as she hovered before her friend. "You've always been level-headed when you take a step back. Just try and have some fun with your friends for now and try to relax, everything is going to be okay."
"Thanks sugarcube." Marin said gratefully, feeling a brief surge of confidence, but it then dwindled as he saw his reflection in the mirror and once again his stomach sank- thinking about the worst-case scenario once again.
Adrien watched Plagg hover around in the elevator as they went down to the lower floors.
"Who cares about friendship this much?" Plagg remarked lazily as he yawned. "You're better off napping in a sunbeam or eating cheese, those are the true pleasures in life, not chasing around friends."
"Plagg are you jealous?" Adrien asked playfully as he scratched his Kwami's ears. "Don't worry, you're still my number one."
"Pft- like anyone else could come close." The kwami remarked as the door opened and they walked onto a display floor.
"Marin is an important friend to me, so I'll do whatever it takes to help change how he sees me." Adrien remarked as Plagg snorted in disbelief.
"Going so far for a classmate, I thought it was Ladybug you were in love with." Plagg teased as Adrien rolled his eyes.
"You should be supporting me on this Plagg, after all Marin bakes all the treats that you eat, they're not even served in his parents' bakery." Adrien noticed Plaggs ears twitch slightly.
"Well- who am I to get in the way of your outlandish schemes." Plagg said as Adrien chuckled.
"It's not a scheme, I'm gonna take a page from your book and play a prank, that's sure to help him laugh." Adrien said confidently while Plagg took a second to process the information.
"Are you sure? That kid seems kinda on edge-"
"Plagg hide!" Adrien harshly whispered as they saw a door opening. Adrien immediately froze in place in a pose while Plagg hid in his shirt,
Plagg peaked out of his collar, harshly whispering near his ear as they saw Marin walking out of the restroom slapping his face. "What exactly are you doing?!"
"Shh, I can't let him think it's the real me!" Adrien whispered back as he returned to the pose while Plagg sighed heavily- knowing that it was probably not going to end well.
Marin was taking deep breaths as he was looking down at the ground, walking towards the elevator. "I can do this, they're not real, they're not real-AH!" He stumbled back as he almost ran into what he thought was his friend for a second, but then tilted his head in confusion as it didn't move.
Adrien felt a rush of excitement, wanting to laugh as his friend was actually falling for the prank.
Marin on the other hand looked over the wax figure with curiosity, circling it once with interest like a cat. He was amazed by the level of craftsmanship that the museum was capable of, as he couldn't tell the difference between the sculpture and his friend. His eyes locked on the elbow of the sculpture and a feeling of guilt bubble up. He brushed the arm of the sculpture, wondering to himself how flawless the replica was.
"BOO!" Adrien exclaimed as he broke his pose, surprising his friend who backed away in shock. For a second Adrien waited for any sign of laughter but then quickly became horrified as he realized he scared his friend too well as he hit a nearby, hurting his head from behind.
"Ow- " Marin hissed as he rubbed the back of his head, lowering his head he winced at the impact made.
Adrien in turn took a step forward towards his friend but then immediately felt inadequate as he realized that it was his fault his friend was hit and most certainly disliked him even more than before. "I- I'm so sorry I didn't mean to- it was a joke." He tried to explain but stumbled over his words as he heard an angry tone from his normally kind friend.
"That wasn't funny Adrien! What is wrong with you?!" Marin snapped as he walked away, sitting on a stone bench nearby to nurse his newfound headache.
Adrien could feel his heart break as he clutched his hands together, feeling worse than ever before- and helpless to do anything more at risk of worsening the situation. Rather, he just stood in place with the pseudo hope that if he didn't so anything else then maybe for a second he could avoid thinking about how he just ruined a treasured friendship in the stupidest way possible. In retrospect, how could he ever think that pranking Marin of all people was a good idea when everyone in their class was aware of how easily he was spooked. Heck- it was why it was more of a challenge to even approach him in the first place.
Then, a shrill cheerful voice boomed over the speakers of the museum. "I am the Puppeteer, and I'm going to play with you and my statues!"
"Manon?" Adrien questioned as he heard the child's familiar voice cheerfully announced as Adrien looked towards the speakers but then time seemed to slow as he saw that the wax statues were moving. His eyes immediately darted towards his friend who hadn't even noticed what was happening as his head was still lowered. But even more pressing Adrien tensed up as he saw the wax statue of Hawkmoth wielding his cane- about to attack his friend. Adrien immediately sprinted into action as any previous feelings of self-doubt disappeared. He grabbed a display umbrella nearby- defending his friend before the attack made contact.
"Marin, run!" Adrien exclaimed as his friend looked on in shock at the scene before him.
"What? What about you?!" Marin asked back as he was still trying to process the situation.
Adrien looked back for a second and for a moment he couldn't help but feel a little glad that his friend could still be concerned for him. "Don't worry about me, I'm pretty good at fencing remember?" He said cheekily as he heard his friend run away. He felt at ease a little- knowing his friend had gotten away and then turned his attention towards the statue made from solid wax.
Adrien parried an attack from the wax Hawkmoth, holding his own against it, but then slipped up as he felt something grab his foot; causing him to trip and drop his only line of defense. He turned his head to see that he was being grabbed by another statue- one of Jagged stone as the rest of the sculptures came to life. Looking around he saw no camera, but just as he was about to transform all the sculptures were sliced up- falling to the ground.
He felt confused for a moment but then was lifted to his feet by Ladybug who placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern as Adrien nodded.
"Ladybug my friends are still here!" Adrien informed as Ladybug nodded.
"I'll find them, you get out of here and stay safe." Ladybug ordered as he ran towards the stairway.
Adrien lowered his head as he saw the wax carnage around him. "Well, that escalated quickly." Plagg remarked as he flew out of his hiding spot. "But this probably could have been avoided if you'd just listened to me for once."
"We'll deal with that later, for now- Plagg, claws out!"
Chat Noir ran into the hall of heroes that already had an array of destroyed statues. Reflexively avoiding a trap set by Lady Wifi and Bubbler as he knocked both out with one swift motion of his staff. Landing on his feet he sensed another enemy behind him as he attacked them as well- however, his ears immediately flattened as he realized that this enemy made a noise; yelling out in pain as he saw he had just hit his partner.
"Ah-" Chat Noir was at a loss for words as he noticed that all the other statues in the room were taken out. He saw Ladybug rubbing his forehead as Chat Noir couldn't bring himself to speak- reliving the same shame he had just experienced earlier.
"It's nice to see you too kitty cat." Ladybug said but then noticed his partner was acting off- as it was evident by his flattened ears and mannerism. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked reaching out a hand towards him but then stopped as he saw Chat Noir flinch slightly- which made Ladybug all the more alarmed. His partner was strong-willed and always something to say- the fact that he didn't, or didn't feel up to speaking was unpleasant; to say the least.
"It's...not that." Chat Noir said hesitantly as he gripped his bow staff. "Sorry for hitting you- I didn't mean to."
Ladybug looked at him in confusion for a moment. Normally, he would redirect him back to the mission at hand, but something about how he was acting was offputting. "It was an accident Chat Noir, do you think I'd be mad over something like this?"
"I don't know- maybe? I was being careless." Chat Noir said as his tail swished from side to side. "I've been doing that a lot lately..."
Ladybug sighed, not knowing what Chat Noir meant, but just knew his friend was upset. "Hey- you genuinely apologized and I genuinely accepted, that's all there is to it. We're good." Lady said trying to reassure him but it didn't appear to light Chat Noir's demeanor.
"But- what if I hadn't? What if I hadn't apologized and you became upset and then thought worse of me for it?" The hero asked in almost an accusing tone.
"Never would happen." Ladybug said sincerely as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Chat Noir we're friends, if one accident is enough to break a friendship then there's no way we could be partners. You know me better than that."
Ladybug's words hit a never as Chat Noir could feel his face heat up, quickly realizing that he was holding the hand of the person he was in love with and immediately his ears perked right back up and a smile drew on his face. "That's true I guess, I mean without me keeping you in check you'd lose your way." Chat Noir remarked smugly as he transitioned into his persona, smiling happily at his partner, holding his hand tighter as then ran upstairs towards the roof together.
Just before they entered the room Ladybug hesitated for a moment. He sensed the akuma nearby, most likely on the other side of the door.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug exclaimed throwing his yo-yo in the hair, and a small ladybug printed bouncy ball fell into his hand.
"That's useful." Chat Noir remarked as he rested his staff on his shoulder. "Are we going to play some catch?"
Ladybug hummed to himself as he bounced the ball on the ground a few times as a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Something like that."
Chat Noir broke into the room with his staff in hand, facing off against Pupetter and her wax minions, all of whom were standing in the bright room.
"Neener, neener, neeener! You can't catch me! Attack Chat Noir and take his ring!" Puppeteer mocked as she waved her wand, commanding her minions to attack the hero. "I've got tons of friends, but you? No one wants to play with you, Cat!" She taunted as Chat Noir used his staff to keep them at bay.
"That's fine by me." Chat Noir said as he jumped atop of the shelves to avoid capture for a few moments. "I've got the best friend in the world to play games with me. Cataclysm!" He exclaimed running his hands over the shelves and dropping all of it's contents, causing havoc within the room as the wax figures kept tripping.
"What are you useless puppets doing?! Catch him!" Puppetter demanded in annoyance, so much so that she hadn't noticed how Chat Noir threw something when the shelves fell. It bounced rapidly around the room until it hit Pupetter's arm, causing her to drop her wand. "Hey! That's mine!" She exclaimed but before it could even hit the ground, the wand was taken by Ladybug who was standing on top of the skylight. He broke the wand in two, releasing the akuma into the sky.
"No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."
Chat Noir caught Manon as she transformed back while Ladybug jumped from the roof. The two partners bumped fists as Manon looked around in confusion.
"You know, Bugaboo, the worse the situation, the more I realize how amazing you are." Chat Noir complimented as Ladybug chuckled.
"I think it's more impressive to be as earnest as you are." Ladybug said, noticing Chat Noir's ear's twitch. "It's not easy to say what you're feeling so easily."
"I would think the most important thing you could talk to someone about are your feelings. Otherwise how else would I know how much you rely on me as your only partner." Chat Noir said playfully as he fluttered his eyelashes.
Before Ladybug could respond both of their Miraculous began to beep, reminding them that their time was running out. The two heroes exchanged a change as Chat Noir placed Manon on the ground.
"Now you're going to wait here for your babysitters okay? I'm sure they'll find you soon enough." Chat Noir said as Manon nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll be easy to find this time!"
They all left the museum together in the late evening. Nino and Alya were dropped off first and Marin walked with Manon to meet her mother just outside the television studio. Marin smiled as Manon hugged him tightly, having enjoyed her day despite being akumatized and was eager to see him again. As soon as she walked away with her mother his stomach dropped as he turned to see Adrien holding the door open for him. With their friends gone there were no more buffers to stop them from talking- meaning, confrontation. It wasn't something that Marin was looking forward to.
"To Marin's place please." Adrien said to his bodyguard as he entered the car. In the car they sat on opposite ends of the back seat, sitting in silence as they drove. Then tension between them was palpable as neither wanted to speak, fearful of what the other would say, but eventually their proximity to each other was enough to break the quiet.
"I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry!"
They both said at the same time turning towards each other.
"I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Marin said apologetically. "I don't think anything's wrong with you at all."
"It's my fault I shouldn't have tried to prank you like that- I should have noticed how uncomfortable you were in the museum. I just thought that if I didn't do anything then you wouldn't want to be friends anymore, but I took it too far."
"Wait- why would you think I wouldn't want to be friends anymore? I thought that you were the one upset with me."
"Because Nino pointed out how distant I've been. I was the only one who didn't visit you after you broke your arm and you were pulled out of school so I thought that made me a bad friend."
"That doesn't make you a bad friend Adrien. In retrospect I was the one who was avoiding people, lately, I've been really stressed out and going to the museum today really kind of multiply that stress by infinity. I really can't stand those places."
"Then why did you come?" Adrien asked, as he then noticed how red Marin's face turned in embarrassment.
"...Because...I'm kind of the reason that your previous wax model broke..." Marin admitted as he then hid his face in his hands while Adrien was stunned; it was the last thing he'd thought Marin would say. "BUT- I'm really ashamed about it! If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..." Marin offered by then he was silenced by the sight of Adrien trying hold back his laughter.
"What?! How did you do it? When did it happen?" Adrien asked eagerly while Marin became even more flustered.
"Ugghh- The day of the scavenger hunt. I was startled and I bumped into it and it fell over...then Kagami and I ran away."
"Kagami knew?!"
"She had nothing to do with it! I swear I'm the one who broke it!"
"I'm not mad- please don't worry." Adrien promised. "It's just kind of hard to believe that's all."
"It's not so hard to believe, I'm basically no better than a mouse." Marin said bitterly as he looked down at his hands. "I just keep causing trouble with my bad luck."
Adrien's previous joyful feeling faded as he saw his friend looking distressed. It then hit him how different must have been from Marin's perspective. He was always the person who was responsible, and took his mistakes seriously; almost like he was afraid of the worst possible outcome. He was timid yet was always willing to help others no matter what, even when he made mistakes never once did he turn away from taking responsibility- even when the situation was out of his hands. Adrien never once stopped to think how much of a toll such a personality would have on someone.
Adrien reached into his pocket, holding out the charm necklace that belonged to his friend. As Marin's eyes rested on it- he was shocked it see it in his friend's hands.
"My necklace! I thought I lost this..." Marin said, his voice heavy with emotion.
"My- my cousin Felix was the one who gave it to me to give back. I guess he must have caused you some trouble in England."
"Yeah...you could say that." Marin said ruffling the back of his head at the memory of their first meeting, and of how he was almost stranded in another country.
"But- I hope that we can be better friends from now on." Adrien said as he say Marin placed his necklace back on, looking down at the red charm with a warm fondness in his eyes.
"Is necklace was special?" Adrien asked.
"Yeah, a dear friend gave it to me. It's really important to me." Marin said as he grasped the charm around his neck. He then turned to his friend with a sheepish grin. "Adrien, I think we've both may have made some mistakes. But I promise that if I'm seriously upset with you then I'll outright say something, no holding back."
"Yeah, same. I promise, that's what friends are for right?" Adrien responded as both he and Marin bumped forearms just as they pulled up to the bakery.
Adrien held the door for his friend as he exited the car, thanking Adriens' bodyguard as well. For a moment Marin stood just before the door to his family's bakery, grasping a the Kwagatama charm around his neck.. He then turned around, walking back to his friend, and hugged him tightly- much to Adrien's surprise. Marin couldn't feel any sort of nervousness or embarrassment within him when enacting his gesture as for the first time in a long while, he felt glad, truly glad to have an important charm returned to him
"Adrien, you're a really good friend." Marin said sincerely as he then took a step back, "More than you realize." Just before walking back into his house, turning back with a smile that was infectious. Right until Marin entered his house, disappearing from view as they drove off, Adrien was sure he had a smile plastered on his face.
Even a year ago Adrien was sure that any friend he'd have would always be out of reach. Yet, despite the low points that he endured in the end it was somehow all worth it to hear those words spoken aloud to him of all people.
Marin held his charm in hand as he walked up to his master sitting in their usual spot near the river. He was the one who had asked him to come out and as a peace offering he held out his Master's favorite crepe. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Master, it was disrespectful," Marin said as he hung his head, feeling shameful towards his burst of negative emotion.
Master Fu hummed to himself, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he accepted the treat. "I do not accept."
"I understand-"
"I do not accept, because there was never a need for you to apologize in the first place my student." Master Fu said as his expression became more sullen. "Your ability to adapt and follow through on your instincts have never been something I've looking down upon. But when you told be of this alternate timeline I must admit it made me reflect upon my own actions. I have always placed my priorities on protecting the Miraculous my entire life. Now that they're being used to evil, I've always done all I could to preserve the rest so that I could at least right at least one of the many mistakes I've made."
"Master you didn't do anything wrong, it's all Hawkmoth's fault this happened."
"Hawkmoth's selfishness indeed affects everyone within Paris and he will especially be a great threat to both you and Chat Noir. However, an even greater challenge to overcome is the hardest lesson you will have to learn; The illusion of control. " Master Fu said as he took a bite of his savory crepe, filled with sauteed vegetables and cheese. "The fear of the unknown, fear of the unknown will always be greater than the unknown itself. Because once we have the chance to face it head-on it no longer becomes an enigma to be feared. This terror you feel comes from the enemy you once faced, the ally you've lost, and the comrade that betrayed your trust. This is a terribly difficult lesson, but it's one that must be learned if you intend to face Hawkmoth and Mayura."
"But there are certainties that we can prepare for!" Marin argued back. "If I can just work harder to decypher the grimoire better, then maybe there'll be something in there that'll be able to help us. Or maybe if I can just train harder with Chat Noir then..." Marin tried to reason but quickly realized how helpless he sounded.
"Marinus." Master Fu said with a warmth in his voice as he patted Marin's shoulder. "I've done my best to do what I believed is best, but ultimately I know that my past will catch up to me. No matter what you or I do, there is always a chance for the worst to come. Should that day come, the only thing I ask is that you continue to follow your own will."
Marin placed his crepe to the side as he fully turned towards his master with determination in his eyes. "I trust you and Chat Noir with everything I have Master. No matter what happens that will never change. You're and rest of the Kwami's are like family to me and family protects each other. I will always do everything I can to keep you and the Kwami's safe, I promise."
Master Fu's expression softened as he chuckled to himself, wondering for a moment how it was that he was fortunate enough to come across someone who cared for him so much in his long life- moreso he was aware of how undeserving he was of this brand of kindness. He could see a bright future for his student, but at the same time if he couldn't overcome his weakness- there was a darker future awaiting just as easily.
"You don't need to be saying so serious things to an old man." Master Fu said playfully to his student. "Simply give me your word the once in a while you'll come here once in a while and eat something pleasing." Master Fu asked as they looked out over the river. "It is always soothing to the soul to allow it to rest now and again."
Marin could only nod in silence as he picked up his crepe again, sharing some with Tikki and Wayzz which make him smile. Yet he was unable to take his master's words to heart as he only could think of a terrible future to come. However, as he thought so, he looked down at his lucky charm, the yellow bracelet that had been gifted to him. That, along with his Kwagatama eased the burden he had always held with him.
So long as he had his master, the Kwami's and Chat Noir Marin was certain that everything would turn out right in the end.
Within Gabriel's study darkened study with the only light coming from the screen before him. His eyes scanned over a guest list of people who would be attending an upcoming anniversary event.
"All the preparations are in place Mr. Agreste." Nathalie announced as she entered the room with a gift box in hand. "Chloe Bougeuois has sent her finished sash for the gift."
"Tell me, Nathalie, what is the most efficient way to unbind?" Gabriel asked as he organized the photos before him.
His secretary was hesitant for a moment. "Cutting sir."
"Indeed," Gabriel mused as he pulled up multiple photos; Chat Noir, Ladybug, and the Guardian of the Miraculous."To properly unbind what is strong, you must find it's weak spot and sever each thread accordingly. When properly done, that what has been cut can never be restored. But to do so, one must have the proper tool." He remarked as he pulled up one final photo as a smile drew on his face with anticipation as he looked towards Nathalie. "The reckoning of the Miraculous holders has been overdue for a long time Nathalie, and now I believe I have found the right tool to ensure their end." Gabriel said as under his hand on the screen was a photo of Chloe smiling brightly while her parents argued behind her.
Notes:
- They're just friends everyone, calm down.
-Master Fu is just Marin's grandpa at this point, and the Kwami's are all his baby cousins that he has to babysit.
-Whoever asked for Adrien and Chloe to get character arcs- this one's for ya'll.
- Me writing the next trilogy: Look at how much trauma you can fit in these characters.
- If it wasn't clear enough- Gabe is a villain, and I have no plans on writing a redemption arc for him anytime soon.