Adrien didn't think he had ever run as fast as he had at that moment.

His usual manners were forgotten as he pushed aside those that stood in his way. He could vaguely hear Chloe shouting at everyone to get out of the way, so the damage would be minimal. It worked, but only because everyone feared her. Adrien was just glad he didn't fall flat on his face when he rushed down the staircase.

Once they reached the bottom, Adrien demanded, "Where?"

"Bathroom," Chloe claimed as she tried to catch her breath. "She was headed that way when I ran to get you."

Not bothering to wait on her, Adrien bolted into the, thankfully, vacant locker room. He was glad Chloe had the foresight of locking the door behind them.

Adrien didn't know what he would have done if someone walked in one what would transpire next.

Rushing toward the women's bathroom, Adrien tried for the door, only for it to be locked. Instead of being gentle in the dire situation, he pounded on the door so he could be heard and interrupt anything that was about to happen. "Juleka!" Adrien shouted. "Open this door!"

"Go away," he faintly heard Juleka mumble. "I want to be alone."

"Not until you open this door," he negotiated forcefully in hopes of getting her to listen. "Let me in so I can see you're okay; so that you're not alone."

Straining to listen, Adrien could barely hear Juleka whisper, "I will always be alone."

Before he could have the chance to argue anymore, Adrien tensed at the familiar sound of sharp metal opening, ready to be used. If only he could break down this door—

Wait a second.

He didn't have the strength, but he did.

Hesitating for only a split second, Adrien turned to Chloe desperately. "Promise me you won't tell anyone what you're about to see."

"What are you—"

"Promise me!"

"Alright!" Chloe shouted in annoyance. "I promise!"

Taking a deep breath, Adrien sincerely hoped she would keep her promise as he called out, "Plagg, claws out!"

As the magic of the kwami took over him, Adrien forced himself to ignore the loud gasp made as he transformed into Cat Noir. He kept himself from looking at Chloe's expression, knowing it would be a mixture of shock and confusion. She was probably going through every interaction she had with Cat Noir in her head to see if she noticed any similarities to him as Adrien. Cat Noir should have tried to explain himself—

But he had a more important issue to worry about.

Bracing himself for the impact, Cat Noir slammed himself against the bathroom door, breaking it from its hinges as it collapsed on the floor. Scrambling to regain his balance, Cat Noir found Juleka on the far side of the bathroom, hiding partially under the sink. While her eyes were wider than usual, her mouth slightly agape in surprise, Cat Noir's eyes focused on the dangerous object in her hand.

A small pocket knife, with the small blade very close to grazing the skin of her already scarred wrist.

Without giving himself a moment to think through his next few steps, Cat Noir called out once more, "Cataclysm!"

Admittedly, Cat Noir should have been more cautious when calling on his destructive power. As he reached out with his power-induced hand, Juleka flinched, causing the blade to dig slightly into her skin. A tiny bead of blood emerged as the knife crumbled into a pile of ash.

Her awestruck expression was the exact same as Chloe's, except she seemed a bit more horrified. Cat Noir really couldn't blame her. One of the two heroes of Paris—who just happens to be a close friend—caught her in the compromising position of her about to self-harm herself.

Adrien probably would have felt the same.

But Cat Noir was the one in control, even though his anger was about to make him lose control.

"What were you thinking?" Cat Noir scolded with a vicious growl on the edge of his lips. "You could have talked to Rose, Marinette, me, or called Luka! What happened that made you want to hurt yourself? What made you want to end it all?"

With so many questions and the revelation still a shock, Juleka couldn't answer. Her mouth hung open as her eyes blinked erratically, like she thought the whole interaction was a dream. She couldn't process everything happening at that moment.

And yet, Cat Noir continued with his interrogation. "How many more knives do you have?"

Somehow able to hear that one, Juleka shook her head stubbornly, "I-I don't—"

"Don't lie to me," Cat Noir growled just to show his seriousness. "I had three I kept hidden in my bedroom and bathroom when I self-harmed. How many more knives do you have on you or hidden away? We aren't leaving until you tell me."

Clutching the wrist that had the slight cut, which already stopped bleeding, Juleka mumbled a number that caused Cat Noir to be incredibly worried about her mental state.

"Seven?" He repeated incredulously. "You have seven more? Where?"

It took a few moments for Juleka to decide whether or not to reveal the locations. Just as the sounds were forming on her lips, a frightened gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes grew wide with terror at something behind the hero. Swiveling around, Cat Noir scowled at seeing a black butterfly slipping through a portal.

Of course. An akuma just had to show up after he already recklessly used his cataclysm. Cat Noir would just have to figure out a way to capture the akuma without touching it and without it akumatizing anyone. That just had to be easier said than done.

Luckily, before he could think too complicated about it, a familiar magical red yo-yo with black spots swished through the air, capturing the butterfly with such ease. Cat Noir breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left his shoulders.

"Thank goodness you're here, Milady," Cat Noir praised. "An akuma was the last thing we needed."

"Your luck is horrible today, Kitty," Ladybug commented with a light scowl on her pretty perfect lips. "Two more people know your secret identity. If Monarch finds out—"

"Chloe already promised she wouldn't tell anyone," Cat Noir reassured. "And Juleka—"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Go find a place to hide and transform back," Ladybug instructed firmly. "I'll do damage control here. Try to be back in class before the end of the day. We can take Juleka and Chloe to the bakery after school to explain everything. Since they know, we may be able to convince Luke to come back."

"Sounds like a plan to me, but there's somewhere I need to go before I head back." Hesitating for a brief second, Cat Noir rushed forward to give her a quick peck, causing the two teen girls to flinch. Pulling away quickly, he cooed without thinking, "Love you, Marinette."