Nathalie opened the door to Adrien's room.
Sunlight spilled through the windows, the bar's shadows stretching all the way to the opposite wall. Nathalie had to shield her eyes for a bit before looking for Adrien.
There's a chance he isn't there.
Time went unstable an hour past midnight. People were flickering in and out of the present. But now, time seems to have stabilized somewhat. The police are forming a list of missing persons and everyone is advised to report to them as soon as possible.
She, Gabriel and most of the staff are accounted for, which leaves Adrien. Nathalie checked on him at some point after time went unstable, but he wasn't in his room. It's time to see if he's warped back to the present or not.
"Good morning."
Adrien greeted by his bed. He's up in his pajamas, perfectly fine.
He's still here, unlike Chat Noir.
Nathalie let out a sigh in relief. Five seconds later, she recomposes herself. It's business as usual. She recites his schedule for today, at least, the appointments that aren't cancelled due to the time warp.
"Nathalie," Adrien said with an unsure look in his face. "Will father be having dinner with me this week?"
Ever since he started going to school, he hasn't asked that question as often as he used to. But every time he asks, it doesn't get any less heart wrenching to answer him.
"I'm sorry."
Because the answer is always no. Gabriel is a busy man, doing everything in his power to pick up the pieces of his broken family…
"Oh. I understand," Adrien looked down, crestfallen.
Nathalie turned to the door.
"Breakfast is ready downstairs," she said on her way out.
0-0-0-0-0
As soon as Nathalie left, 'Adrien' disappeared in a cloud a smoke and a fox heroine stood in his place. She released her transformation and caught Trixx in her hand.
"Do we have to do this all day?" Trixx whined, as he nibbled on a grape Blair passed to him.
"Sorry, Trixx. This needs to be done. Adrien's secret must be protected for this timeline to remain stable," Blair said, rubbing behind Trixx's ear in comfort.
Plagg nodded with a guarded look Trixx couldn't quite read. It's uncharacteristic of him to be so serious so early in the morning. Though, this only proves that Plagg here is from the future too.
"How was my acting?" Blair smirked at Plagg.
"You nailed it, kid," Plagg said, brightening up if only a little. "Down to the sad kitten eyes."
"Even after all these years, you still remember him well enough to direct me," Blair snickered. "He must be real special to you.~"
"I've been stuck with him longer than anyone else. It's hard not to memorize all his tics."
Despite the nonchalant tone Plagg used, he didn't deny of Blair's claim. Huh…?
"Oh, and don't forget to wax poetic about Ladybug later! In case someone passes by. His bedroom door isn't that soundproof. Be as cheesy as possible! Then again, if you do as you usually do but replace Shizuke's name with Ladybug's, I'm sure no one will be able to tell the difference."
Ah. Now he's back to teasing. Classic Plagg.
"Hey, I don't daydream about him that often!" Blair is looking a little pink at this.
"Yeah, yeah. You're less of a sap. That's what sets you apart from Adrien. You're no less special than him."
Trixx had to pick his ears to make sure he didn't misheard that. Is Plagg being openly affectionate? Since when?
"Whatever you say," Blair rolled her eyes, but that lighthearted smile softened her dismissive words.
Blair set out to prepare for the day. She transformed, this time with Plagg, to message Bunnix about Adrien's schedule. Here's hoping the time-hopping heroine could take out a few more appointments this week. It's best to keep contact with others to the barest minimum. With that taken care of, she took out some of Adrien's pajamas and dumped them into the laundry basket. She said it would look suspicious if his laundry basket doesn't fill up like he hasn't changed clothes in a week.
One of the limitations of her Mirage Disguise is it can fool people at a glance but can't do everything a normal person is expected to do. It's why she has to move within the Adrien illusion layered over her - Adrien has to consume food, submit physical copies of his schoolwork, beat someone at fencing classes, and have mass in general. Gotta complete the illusion.
Trixx thought this future kitten of Plagg's could give any fox a run for their money. There was a small pang in his heart as he thinks back to Alya. He misses his true wielder. She's the most promising wielder he's had in a long time. In a matter of weeks, this little fox kit's illusions have vastly improved.
But being stuck with Blair isn't too bad. She's also pretty good with illusions. Plus, she knows his preferred snacks and his favorite spot to be scratched. It makes sense. His future wielder is this girl's twin brother. If this cat can emulate a fraction of what her generation's true fox can do... Trixx has something to look forward to in another century. Might as well see what else she can do.
"Think you can keep this up for a week?" asked Trixx with a grin.
Blair smugly flipped her hair. "Of course I can. I'm a professional.~"
0-0-0-0-0
Last night was a wild ride for Blair. Getting sent to the past, working with the legendary Ladybug superheroine… Now, it's her mission to protect this generation's cat from coming out of the bag.
It all started when Bunnix called her down after she took care of Robustus. It was the only time she could've talked to Blair without Ladybug being privy to a word of it.
"We need to make sure no one suspects Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir."
0-0-0-0-0
Fortunately, Blair had a plan. She held an open palm out to Alya.
"May I borrow the Fox Miraculous?"
Marinette didn't quite take it so well and jumped between Blair and Alya. Which Blair tries to understand. Bunnix warned her about this when she first ran this plan by her. At this point in history, Alya's a permanent wielder, isn't she? With Chat Noir gone, it's not an unreasonable reaction for her to be extra clingy to her.
"What do you need it for?" Marinette challenged.
"It's so I can pose as Chat Noir's civilian identity to cover for him. Plagg can direct me as I play the lead role. It'll be a cinch!"
They need to convince Marinette that this is for the best.
"Well, he's not the only one who got whisked away to another time. It's unlikely anyone would suspect he's Chat Noir just because they're both missing."
Actually, it's very likely. Gabriel Agreste is a paranoid man. You never know what would give away Adrien's secret to him. They can't afford to give Hawkmoth- err, Shadowmoth, now is it? Whatever. They can't let this crummy excuse for a father get even the slightest baby step closer to figuring it out
Plagg would attest to that.
"Chat Noir's father can be a bit… overprotective. If his son goes missing, he's bound to look into it. And if he suspects, he'd forbid Chat Noir from suiting up ever again," Plagg pulled the performance of his immortal life trying not to sound like he doesn't hate Gabriel from the bottom of his soul. "I don't want to lose him over this. Please, let us help."
For a second there, Marinette looked like she's about to crack at Plagg's plea. But one glance at Blair and she stubbornly held firm.
"I'll find a way to lead him off Chat Noir's trail. There's still time to convince people he isn't really missing… Maybe Rena Rouge could put up illusions of Chat Noir whenever we fight an akuma from now on?"
"And what if the akuma pops those?" Bunnix said. "Alya may be improving her illusions by the day, but it's still much easier to maintain an illusion in a civilian setting than in the middle of an akuma attack."
"Alya can improve! She can do it! I believe in her! She's the best wielder of illusions! She's the only one I could trust with the Fox Miraculous!"
Oww. Right in the feels for Blair.
"Then you're gonna have to extend that trust to us," Plagg said sternly. "We don't need the best. We need someone who can pose as Chat Noir and it's not safe for you or Alya to know who he is."
Marinette didn't budge. Ugh. Is stubbornness a requirement for wielding the Ladybug Miraculous? It's time to bring out the big guns.
"You know who else isn't allowed to know Chat Noir's real name?"
Blair caught everyone's attention before answering her own question.
"Shadowmoth."
Always been one for dramatics, she let that name hang in the air. Let it seep into Marinette's head before firing away with more reasoning.
"News travels fast. There's no way no one noticed me with all the Cataclysms I used tonight. A missing persons list should be available to the public by the crack of dawn at latest. By the time it's a reasonable hour for anyone to be up and about, Shadowmoth would have a list to narrow down Chat Noir's secret identity with. You can bet your Miracle Box he'll immediately hunt down everyone on that list 'til he finds Chat Noir."
Blair stared Marinette straight in the eye, daring her to prove her wrong. Now for one last push.
"Would you risk it?"
Plagg shot her the stink eye. Was that laying it on too thick? She and Plagg are basically saying the same thing. Don't let Papa-llion find out his son is the one in the leather cat suit!
"… Fine," Marinette said through gritted teeth.
"It's okay, Marinette," Alya gently patted Marinette by the shoulder. "Even though Rena Furtive is temporarily benched, I'll still be around to support you as your BFF."
Marinette needed to hear that. Her stiff shoulders loosened at her best friend's words.
Alya said goodbye to Trixx before she took off her Miraculous. Before handing it over to Blair, Alya's curiosity got the better of her.
"How good are you at illusions? Do you need to practice first?"
"I'm good, thanks. Trust me. Being a fox runs in my family."
Blair may not be the main wielder of the Fox Miraculous, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have some talent with it. It just so happens her brother had slightly more talent than her. Slightly. Okay, maybe more than slightly. It doesn't matter.
He's not here.
But she's still here. So is Plagg. She'll get back. Blair always finds her way back.
She put on the fox tail necklace and out came Trixx who gave her a cordial greeting. Right. This is fine. This is a Trixx that hasn't met her yet… It's as to be expected.
Now that she has the Fox Miraculous and the Black Cat Miraculous, a name started forming in her head. Orange, white and black…
"Calico."
Blair tried the name and decided she liked the sound of it.
"Since your cat also goes by Chat Noir, you can call me Calico."
0-0-0-0-0
Marinette hardly had a wink of sleep when Tikki told her it's time to get up. She had a long night. It was a disaster! Her plan backfired in the worst way possible!
"Marinette, don't let what happened yesterday bring you down. Chat Noir will come back before you know it!" Tikki reassured.
It's because of her he's gone. But there's nothing Marinette could do to change that other than wait.
"I hope he's fine wherever-whenever he is. It's scary to imagine - whisked away to a world you don't know all alone…"
"He's not completely alone. He still has Plagg."
"Yeah," Marinette agreed shakily. That has to count for something. Marinette felt herself breathe a little easier remembering the Kwami of Destruction. The Plagg that was with them yesterday is technically not the exact same one she knew, but... "Even over a century and a half later, Plagg still cares for Chat Noir."
"Was it just me, or does that Plagg seem more responsible? The way he was actively supporting this plan with Blair…"
At the mention of the future cat's name, Marinette's mood dampened.
Blair Crawford. Chat Noire. Calico.
The arrival of this future cat put her world out of whack. Even now, she couldn't quite find her balance yet. She came along as she lost Chat Noir. She's different from anyone she's ever worked with - too powerful for comfort, too new to trust. And now, she has the Fox Miraculous too. Sure, Bunnix seems to be cool with her, but Marinette couldn't rest easy around her. She's an enigma.
"I guess even Plagg can get his act together to protect two of his kittens," Tikki mused.
It's her fault Blair is stuck here to begin with. As scary as it was to see her use Cataclysm the way she does, she was only doing her best to help. And as unsettling as it is to see her with the Fox Miraculous, she is only using it to protect Chat Noir's identity from his family.
"Plagg seems to get along well with Blair. She must be treating him well for them to tag team in convincing me with their plan," said Marinette.
Plagg wanted to protect Chat Noir so he supported Blair's plan. Bunnix backed them up too. If she can't find it in herself to trust Blair, she could at least trust Bunnix and Plagg. She knows they wouldn't want any harm to come to her kitty. With that, Marinette has come to a decision.
"With this plan, they can both protect Chat Noir's identity and preserve the good future Blair is implied to be from. I'll support them if they need any help. I just have to trust them."
"That's the spirit! And the future Ladybug would definitely help Chat Noir out once he finds him. He seems like the helpful sort based on what Blair said about him."
With that, Marinette got out of bed.
She may not be her kitty, but she shouldn't shun the girl over it. They'll make it work for the rest of the week, keep Paris safe and trust her to protect Chat Noir's civilian identity. Marinette will not waste another minute worrying over this!
Marinette's mother called her down for breakfast.
With renewed vigor, Marinette finished off her breakfast and prepared for school. As she went out of the bakery, she looked up at the bright blue sky.
It was a brand new day.
She wonders if the weather is as pleasant whenever Chat Noir is. As Blair said, he should be in good hands by now.
0-0-0-0-0
Chat Noir was staring up at the big blue sky. It was an admittedly nice view on this warm summer day. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and there's a rather scenic view of an unfamiliar city rushing by him. Now if only he can view it all right side up. Too bad he's not in the position to move.
Firm hands held him in place as he's tied up snuggly with a yoyo chord and carried over some stranger's shoulder like a sack of flour. Those firm hands and strong shoulders belong to this boy dressed in his Lady's spots. This can't be good.
"Please stop struggling! You'll only make it harder for the both of us!" the stranger yelled at him in English as he swung from building to building.
Ah. His father's insistence on becoming multilingual has finally come in handy.
"Who are you and where in the world am I?!"
One moment, it was past midnight at the Eiffel Tower and time was going crazy. The next, the sun is high up in the sky and he's standing on this unbelievably large tree. There is no way he's in Paris - but where on earth is this? He's never heard of a tree as big - or maybe bigger - than the Eiffel Tower in his fourteen years of existence. And the lay of the city itself is unlike anywhere he's ever been to before.
The bug boy looked up into the heavens like he's begging for strength. Chat Noir personally thinks he's got more than enough considering how quickly Chat Noir lost to him in their skirmish and ended up kidnapped like a damsel in distress.
"I am Ladybug! Hero of Helios City! The guardian told me to bring you to her!"
0-0-0-0-0
Mirage Disguise
It's an advanced form of the Fox Miraculous' illusions. The user layers a semi-solid illusion over themselves like a full body suit. The fox should at the very minimum master light, sound and touch based illusions to make this work. It's a technique Alya Cesaire made to infiltrate an enemy group that formed to oppose the Neo Order of the Miraculous. At present, Blake and Blair used this to cover for each other at critical times – more details will be revealed as the story progresses.
