The heroes ducked into an abandoned warehouse in this empty part of the district called 'Gemini Street'. This must be one of their secret bases. The interior of the building is cleared up. The ground floor was mostly empty, with crates stacked to the sides leaving a wide dirt floor perfect for sparring. There's a salvaged leather couch with a coffee on a loft above. This place looks ideal to have friendly sparring matches and cozy midnight chats…
However, Renard Rouge doesn't look to be in the mood to hang out. He glared daggers at Shizubug the whole way.
Chat Noir remained awkwardly to the side with Princess Honey, who filled him in on what happened.
Bug released the akuma earlier than planned. Instead of a split Chat Noir she was expecting, it was Bug who went over to help her. He purified the akuma and casted the miraculous cure. With the sword gone, Renard Rouge was forced to retreat. That was when Miraculous Ladybug reached Chat Noir and they all ran away from Pavonis with the de-evilized girl in tow. Speaking of the girl, she is currently lying down on the couch on the loft.
"She got to me again, didn't she?" she said as soon as she gathered her bearings, all curled up and shaking like a leaf. "I wasn't even that upset… but she…"
This is the fifth time she's been akumatized. The first time happened all the way back in February. The last four times happened one after another within the span of June. Tears were flowing down from her eyes.
"I never meant to hurt anyone!"
Chat Noir and Princess Honey tried to reassure her, telling her it's not her fault. Hawkmoth took advantage of her feelings.
"Wearing a mask… it could get tiring at times," Chat Noir said, like a confession. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be free of the mask to express yourself."
He must've said too much because the girl realized she got him with her powers and she apologized to him profusely, crying even harder.
"When will this end?" the girl whimpered into her tear-soaked handkerchief.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Shizubug standing by the stairs, tinkering with his yoyo. Is he trying to make an Anti-Akuma Charm? That would be useful! Except… As soon as he pulled out the charm, it fell apart. Shizubug made a frustrated noise and tossed the failed charm aside, never mentioning it to the crying victim.
It would be cruel to tell her a solution exists only to be unable to give it to her.
Princess Honey offered to give the former akuma a lift home, which the girl accepted and they left.
As soon as they were gone, Renard Rouge rounded on Bug.
"What happened back there?" Renard Rouge snarled, his ears folded back. "We could've exposed him! Just a little bit more… There would've been one less threat following me and my family! With Pavonis out of the picture, we could've freed him!"
Shizubug said nothing to defend himself. He couldn't even look the angry fox in the eye. This only further infuriated Renard Rouge, who grabbed the bug hero by the shoulders and forced him to look him in the eye.
"Why did you have to release the akuma when you did?!"
Bug had no answer for him. Renard Rouge was practically shaking in anger, claws sinking into Shizubug's suit.
Chat Noir stepped between the two older heroes and pried them apart. He couldn't stand by and let Renard Rouge keep doing this. Especially not when…
"He only did it to save me!"
He levelled Renard Rouge's emerald stare with his own, green to green.
"I'm sorry your plan failed because I couldn't split. If it weren't for Bug, I'd still be trapped in that nightmare," Chat Noir said evenly, trying not to look as distressed about it as he really is. "Please, understand."
Renard Rouge's tall fox ears dropped down, all the fire in his emerald eyes went dull. Guilt was written all over his features.
"I see."
Chat Noir kept his own features neutral, but internally, he felt bad. If it weren't for him, this team could've solved their peacock problem…
This is why his Lady wouldn't trust him more.
There was a ring coming from his flute and a screen popped up. Chat Noir could make out the caller ID as 'Mrs. Liung', before the fox shook it off. Renard Rouge let out a shaky breath.
"I better get back. 'Til next time," he said as he disappeared into the shadows.
The warehouse was left in tense silence.
Now it's just Chat Noir and Shizubug.
"Are you okay?" Bug asked at the same time Chat Noir said, "Please don't blame yourself for this."
The two heroes shook it off. Chat Noir was the first to recover.
"I'm fine," Chat Noir smiled that same model smile Adrien had.
Upon realizing this, he immediately recoiled in disgust with himself. He's had enough of masks for one day.
From the look on Shizubug's face, it didn't look like he was going to buy any of his excuses anyway… A traitorous part of his mind whispered 'unlike my Ladybug'. It made him shudder.
"Fine as can be," Chat Noir amended, more honestly this time.
Shizubug looked like he was about to ask for a more detailed explanation, his hand was reaching out to him… so Chat Noir had to cut him off.
"Can you please leave it be? I… I'd rather not talk about it."
Shizubug's hand fell to his side in a tight fist. Like this isn't the answer he wanted. Yet, he respected it anyway.
"Okay. Let's go home."
0-0-0-0-0
Adrien has never had anyone yell his full name at maximum volume before. All five names, perfectly pronounced in French. Old Master Hisui scolded him to high heavens. Is this how Nino felt whenever he got in trouble and his mother yells his full name for all to hear?
"What you did was absolutely reckless!" Master Hisui poked him in the chest with her cane.
"Grandma, your blood pressure," Shizuke warned, ready to catch her if she falls over from all that angry cane-waving she's been doing.
"And you! You let him join you!" Master Hisui angrily pointed her cane at her grandson, who backed away with his hands raised in surrender.
"In his defense, you did say I couldn't go anywhere without a chaperone," Adrien couldn't help but jump to Shizuke's defense. "If anything, we were just following your orders."
Master Hisui shot Adrien a deathly glare, which -Adrien had to admit- he kinda deserved for that remark.
"You can't expect him to do nothing when people are in trouble. He's a legendary hero! It's what they do!" Shizuke defended, which earned him his grandmother's ire.
"His identity could've been exposed!" Master Hisui yelled, which had Shizuke slump down like he agreed with her.
"I'll only be here for a week," Adrien explained calmly, which only irked Master Hisui even more. "My identity doesn't matter."
Master Hisui, Shizuke and Tikki stared at him with matching concerned expressions.
"Adrien," Tikki started. "The kind of enemies we have aren't like your Papillon back in the day. This generation's butterfly wielder won't hesitate to attack us and all our loved ones in our homes once they know who we are."
"It's why we moved," Shizuke continued. "We passed by Taurus Street on the way here. You saw that one destroyed building covered in huge webs, didn't you?"
Adrien nodded. He's been meaning to ask them about it. Well, it looks like he's getting answers now.
"We used to live there, until a week ago... Our home was attacked at the crack of dawn…" Shizuke shook, breath getting thinner as if the event is unfolding within his mind's eye.
"Pavonis took my holder hostage," Tikki finished for him.
"They discovered your secret identity?!" Adrien asked Shizuke with wide eyes.
"No," Master Hisui said. "It's because they discovered Chat Noire is actually Blair Crawford."
Adrien felt a chill run down his spine. This Hawkmoth is closer to succeeding than his generation's evil butterfly wielder has ever been. This is what Shizuke meant when he said they were in even more danger than ever.
"She and her family took measures to evade Hawkmoth," Master Hisui continued, face devoid of emotion. "Her twin brother happened to have a great affinity for the Fox Miraculous. He took to it at an astonishingly fast pace just so he can cover their tracks. They never stayed in one place for too long, going through different hotels and inns every night. That's how they stayed out of reach for the most part. But as a famous model, people are always looking for gossip on her. One such gossip is her developing interest in a certain classmate of hers."
Master Hisui shot a meaningful look at Shizuke.
"And Hawkmoth followed the new trail like a bloodhound to a scent," Tikki said with barely contained anger. "Not only did they held Shizuke hostage, they made a sentimonster based on the former butterfly holder and had him forcefully akumatize Blair's foster brother, used them to akumatize Blair's foster mother, captured Blake which forced him to pass on his Miraculous to Blair…." Tikki's eyes went watery but she refused to cry. "The whole time, I could only watch from the sidelines until near the end."
Shizuke looked down in shame.
Renard Rouge's outrage suddenly became more understandable. Being so close to getting rid of one of those who did this to his family… Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it. What happened to them was horrible! Adrien couldn't imagine what he'd do if Hawkmoth were to do the same to his family and friends while his Ladybug couldn't help him. Then again…
"If your Hawkmoth knows your Chat Noire's identity, why didn't you reclaim her Miraculous?" Adrien asked the guardian, holding his hand with the ring close to his chest.
If it were Adrien who got his identity exposed and Master Fu was still in charge, he can't imagine he'd be allowed to continue being Chat Noir. He stole his Miraculous in his sleep once, he could do so again. Adrien would never say this to Ladybug, but he's relieved Master Fu is retired.
"She's the best person to wield the Miraculous of Destruction and the only one I would entrust with that kind of power," Shizuke said sternly. "There is no one better to be Chat Noire! Blair is an exceptional superhero! Replacing her would be a big mistake."
Adrien is touched at how firmly he believed in his partner. He wonders if his own Ladybug ever defended his honor to a guardian like this. Speaking of, Master Hisui didn't look eager to contradict him.
"Blair no longer having the Miraculous wouldn't stop Hawkmoth from using her as a hostage. Everyone is well aware how effective that would be," Master Hisui added pointedly at her grandson, who guffawed at how casually she acknowledged his romantic feelings for his partner. "Blair would become a bigger liability without the Miraculous. As Chat Noire, she could protect herself. She's already proven how capable she is with both the Black Cat and the Fox. And she has broken past the one-use timer for both. She's made herself indispensable."
Shizuke hung his head down, his fists clenched tightly on his sides. He's making a face Adrien knows all too well. It's the face one makes when they're questioning why couldn't they do better.
"It's not your fault," Master Hisui patted Shizuke on the shoulder. "We all made it out of that situation more or less in one piece. And we'll keep doing so until we stop Hawkmoth and Pavonis for good."
Shizuke winced, one hand twiddling with the cufflink on his other sleeve. In a quiet voice, he said, "… We could've exposed Pavonis' identity today, you know?"
Master Hisui went closer to her grandson, her voice gentle as she asked him what happened. Shizuke complied with Adrien filling in for his side of the story and Tikki throwing in her opinions to soften her holder's harsh self-criticism. Master Hisui considered their words carefully before coming up with her verdict. The old guardian rubbed her temples from the headache the two teenaged boys are causing her.
They were both doing what they thought was best. True, it would've been nice to be rid of one major threat, but Shizuke had a good point. More than eliminating a present threat, they should make sure to preserve the past first.
And Adrien… He keeps a good poker face, but Master Hisui knew this boy. Or at least, an older version of him. She could read his face like a book, and that perfectly neutral look tells her he's upset but doesn't want to show it. Fine. She'll play along for now.
"I understand why you two did what you did. As superheroes, I commend your choices."
The two boys sagged in relief. But one tap of the guardian's cane on the floor had the two boys straightening up.
"But as children living under my roof, your neglect-" she pointed at Shizuke, "- and your recklessness-" she pointed at Adrien, "deserve to be punished!"
Adrien flinched. Is she going to revoke his freedom and restrict him in the shop until he could go home? Would he not be allowed to tour the city with Shizuke and his friends after all?
0-0-0-0-0
It turns out, punishment was just extra chores. First, they were to cook dinner on their own – mostly Shizuke, as Adrien doesn't know how to cook.
They regret trusting him with the rice. It was supposed to be the easiest part of their dinner. Adrien didn't clean it enough with the water still cloudy and he put too little water into the rice cooker. The rice came out dry, burnt at the bottom of the pot and has this weird aftertaste from the starch. Plagg laughed at Adrien's blunder. Sadly, it's still edible.
"It's bad manners to waste food," Master Hisui said, as she heated up the leftover rice from lunch. It was only enough to fill one small bowl for herself.
Consider it part of their punishment, went unsaid but still heard by the boys.
The rest of their dinner was still pretty good. Fried pork cutlets with a side of vegetable tempura and miso soup to soften the burnt rice. It was a modest and humble affair. Nothing like the nutritious balanced meals made by the professional chef he had at his extravagant dining room back home.
But in this small apartment, gathered around a cramped dinner table; Plagg and Tikki eating out in the open, Master Hisui insisting Adrien should get seconds as she deemed him too skinny for his age, Shizuke giving him tips on how not to mess up the rice next time…
This is what a home is supposed to be like.
Too bad he can't stay. He's only a guest here. Adrien could bring some of this home when he gets back to his own time. He considered asking Shizuke to teach him how to cook. He could see it now; a romantic candle lit dinner with Ladybug by the Notre Dame… Her face lighting up with joy at the delicious home-cooked meal he made for her… the two of them having a good time…
No. He's supposed to stop hoping for things to go that way, isn't he? He won't ask Shizuke to teach him how to cook.
But there is something else Shizuke could teach him.
0-0-0-0-0
It was eight in the evening and the shop was practically sparkling. Adrien wiped the sweat off his brow before putting away the mop. As tiring as it was to clean the whole place, he'd pick this kind of punishment over getting grounded any day of the week.
Shizuke brought in the last plant from the outdoor display. He rolled his sore shoulders from all the heavy lifting he's been doing. The plant was placed with the dozens of others he brought in for the night. Even as a civilian, Shizuke is pretty strong.
Adrien mustered up his courage for this request. Time is of the essence.
"Hey Shizuke, may I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure. What is it?" Shizuke grabbed a bottle of water to drink.
"Can you please teach me Mirakung-fu?"
The Ego Split incident opened his eyes as well as his barely covered-up wounds. Waiting patiently for Ladybug to give him the answers isn't enough anymore. It's what he did with his father, waiting for him to open up, and that worked out so well. Why wait when he can take matters into his own hands?
Shizuke spat out his water – luckily in the direction of the plants – and sputtered dryly at him.
"W-w-what?!"
"I know the odds of me mastering it within a week is improbable, but-"
"Then you know it's pointless. Why would you still want to try?"
Useless. It's what one of his masks called him.
Adrien is painfully aware of the increasing gap between him and his Lady when it came to wielding the Miraculous. As more and more heroes got recruited to join the team, the less his Lady relies on him. Sometimes, she doesn't even need any of them to get the job done. She is just that amazing! She's growing more powerful by the day, but…
"I don't want to get left behind."
If he's of no use, she won't keep him around, would she? That's how it works. It's why Adrien strives to be the best at everything his father sets him out to do. If Adrien doesn't prove himself useful, he knew his father wouldn't take notice of him. One wrong move, and what little attention his father gives could be gone.
He doesn't want the same thing to happen with Ladybug.
Ever since she became the guardian, she got more and more absorbed with her duties – whatever they are. She never let him shoulder some of the burden even when he asked. It's always secrets locked behind closed doors. Even outside the guardian thing, there are now many other heroes Ladybug could lean on. Some come with more useful powers than him, such as the Fox's Mirage, the Rabbit's Burrow, or Snake's Second Chance. How useful is Cataclysm compared to those powers?
"I want to be able to help my Ladybug more."
If Adrien could learn Mirakung-fu, he'd be indispensable. More important than fighting akumas is taking down Shadowmoth himself. Despite the many superheroes in their ever-expanding team, Shadowmoth is the sort of coward who only shows up when it's down to the two of them – the two who wield the Miraculous he's after. It has to be them who beat Shadowmoth.
But both times they've fought him in person, he's proven to be a powerful physical combatant. He easily outclassed them, even without akumas to help him.
Mirakung-fu could change that. Adrien's been on the receiving end of a Mirakung-fu beat down twice now, thanks to Su Han and Shizuke. Both times, he was overwhelmed. If Adrien could borrow their techniques, perhaps next time they fight Shadowmoth, it'll end more favorably.
"If there's a chance I could learn Mirakung-fu, I'll take it."
Persistence. That's what another mask said he needed. Now, it's all he's got.
Pensive brown eyes gazed at Adrien with consideration. Shizuke's face scrunched into different expressions. There was wide-eyed surprise. There was furrow-browed doubt. Then, there was understanding. Adrien hoped that would triumph over the others.
Shizuke knows how it's like to feel insufficient for his role, doesn't he? Renard Rouge can use his Mirage as many times as he needs without recharging and is proven to be a cunning strategist. From what Adrien could gather, this generation's Chat Noire has power, talent and smarts all rolled into one neat package. Compared to them, Shizubug couldn't pull the same feats. He's not the one with the plans. This bug's use of Lucky Charm is simplistic compared to his Lady's. He couldn't even make a basic Anti-Akuma Charm that Bugguinette could pull out of her yoyo with ease.
If there's anyone who can understand why Adrien would want to learn Mirakung-fu regardless of how difficult it is, it's probably the guy who has it as his strongest skill – as though he polished it to make up for his shortcomings.
Before Shizuke could give an answer, his phone rang. It wasn't that same ringtone from earlier, so Shizuke was more relaxed as he picked it up.
It was a video call from Kaji.
"Shizu! My bro, my guy, my dude! What took you so long to pick up?!"
"Sorry, I was closing up shop," said Shizuke.
"I had quite a day today!" Kaji said full of cheer. "Most interesting of all was this new cat!"
"… Interesting how?" Shizuke questioned with great trepidation, voice cracking at the last word.
Kaji's lips curled into a grin that looked ripped off from the Cheshire Cat. Pictures popped up on the screen. One is of Chat Noir from earlier that day. The second is a picture of Chat Noir doing his traditional fist bump with his Ladybug, the Eiffel Tower looming behind them. The last is a headshot of what looked to be Chat Noir, except he's older. His hair was longer and wilder, his face was sharper and more defined, but his mischievous grin is the same as ever.
"This Chat Noir. If he's not a time traveler, then he's a descendant with awfully powerful genes," Kaji smirked.
Shizuke was turning more purple by the second. The only silver lining is Kaji hasn't seem to figure out his identity. The work of Glamor Magic. Adrien would rather keep it that way.
"Or he could be a sentimonster. Or a clone. A robot? No. Maybe a mutant. Oh! How about an alien…"
And so, Adrien channeled his inner-Alya and enumerated all the crack theories she came up with in his and Ladybug's first month as heroes. Divert Kaji away from the truth. After having fought their enemies first hand and being told the lengths they would go to get their Miraculous, Adrien is no longer keen on revealing his identity to anyone else. Not while his identity could be traced back to this shop and compromise the home Shizuke and his grandmother are trying to rebuild.
Kaji looked at him with sparkly eyes, like he found a kindred spirit in the art of theorizing superheroes. If only he could meet Alya.
Shizuke recovered from his stupor.
"Who else have you told?!"
0-0-0-0-0
The news was playing on a television screen in a dark lit office room. It was all about Ego Split's fifth akumatization.
No, that news was quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a new Chat Noir - younger, blond and male. It's clearly not their usual Chat Noire. In fact, he bore an uncanny resemblance to one of the founders of the city. The legendary black cat hero of destruction from over a century ago! Is he a descendant? A clone? Or a time traveler? Everyone was wondering who he is and where he came from.
Bluebell eyes shone in recognition.
0-0-0-0-0
Emerald green eyes narrowed down in intense focus.
Blair has faced off against all kinds of powerful enemies. An emotionally manipulative, scheming butterfly. A rogue Mirakung-fu fighting peacock. Bring it on! She is a fighter! As sly as a fox as fierce as a black cat! There is nothing on earth she can't overcome!
… Except the lay of the earth itself is different from the one she remembers in the future.
This makes Blair's passing knowledge in Geography utterly useless in the face of this French Geography class's pop quiz.
Because she's two academic years ahead of Adrien, she thought handling his schoolwork would be a cakewalk. What she didn't take into account was how much school curriculums could change after a century, let alone how Helios City is a completely different place with its own culture and history separate from France.
Heck, Helios City doesn't even exist right now! The brilliant woman who created that city is still a baby-cheeked fourteen-year-old girl sitting right behind Blair. You can't get more out of depth than that!
Had Icarus not flown too close to the sun all those years ago, the moral story about arrogance would've been about Blair believing she could ace Adrien's classes.
0-0-0-0-0
