Welcome back! We're almost at the end of season one and we're coming to a turning point soon. I'll be working on Season Two during the holiday season but things at my work are a bit of a mess right now. I just lost another boss and we're on the third one this year. Hours were slashed but then we were approved for more (again) so it's making it a bit hard to plan time more than a week in advance. (Suns I crave a consistent schedule)

Anyway let's get on with it shall we?

Content warning: Talk of trauma, grief, self doubt, and theft

Chapter 27

Childhood Dreams

Varian had gotten very little sleep last night. With his thoughts and worries about who the Miraculous holders could be added to a barrage of strange nightmares involving the black rocks his sleep was anything but restful. Still he dragged himself out of bed, got dressed and made a beeline for the coffee maker. Adrien was already up and speeding through his breakfast.

"Adrien, slow down, the Paris Careers Expo is going on all weekend." He said tiredly filling his mug with some much needed caffeine. "You'll have plenty of time to explore and find something you'll be interested in." Adrien fidgeted in his seat.

"I know, I'm just excited to see as many options as I can." He was excited at first but then he started getting nervous. "What if I have too many choices, what if I don't find any? What if Father doesn't like what I choose and I have to be a model again?" Varian sighed, put down his mug and went over to his foster brother.

"Your Father is not going to make you go back into modeling, not after what happened." Adrien looked away for a moment.

"I-I know, it's just…when I told him the first time I didn't want to model he still made me do it even if my schedule was lighter. I can't help wondering, if I wasn't attacked would I still be stuck on the runway?" Varian sat down next to him at the table.

"I can't answer that one and I can't change the past. This is something you and your Dad need to talk about a bit more."

"That's why I have to find a career today, so he knows I'm serious." He turned to Varian.

"At least you know what field you want to work in. What exactly do you want to do when you grow up Varian?" He looked away with a sad look in his eyes.

"While it's true I want a career in science, what I really want to do…I can't." Adrien cocked his head confused.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not something I'm any good at."

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The Louvre Museum had yet to open for the day but many employees were busy getting ready to welcome the massive crowds of people. In all the hussle no one noticed the person hanging around the moonstone's display. He didn't work there but he was around so often no one would think it odd he was there lending a hand. He made a show of pretending to fix one of the monitors while he carefully slipped the real moonstone carving out and replaced it with a duplicate. He knew he would be searched so they hid it in another part of the building before leaving for the day. He would return later, closer to closing time where they could hide out. And once everyone was gone he could begin…

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Varian loved his brother but right now he was getting a little frustrated with him. Despite telling him multiple times to slow down Adrien kept racing to every booth in Paris barely stopping long enough to learn anything.

"Adrien, slow down! It's not like they're going to run out of careers." Adrien paused, a flier describing the careers in cooking in his hand added to his growing collection.

"Sorry Varian but I want to see everything so I can make the right choice." and he was off again.

"It's not always love at first sight you know. Trying new things for more than five seconds can be very helpful as well." He raced after the other boy only to get blocked by a camera crew setting up to film the expo. By the time he got around them he had lost track of the other boy.

He swore under his breath and tried going down the line asking if they had seen Adrien. Most responded, "You just missed him." He was debating about going to the last booth to just meet him there when he stumbled across the charity booth.

"Hey Varian!" Mylène called out. She was sitting next to Ivan while Mr. Damocles was getting more fliers set up at the table.

"Ah, good to see you again Mr. Ridder. Were you interested in finding out more about our programs?"

"Actually I lost track of Adrien. Did he come by here?" Ivan looked up.

"You just missed him." Varian sighed dramatically.

"Of course I did." Mr. Damocles frowned.

"He came and went so fast we barely got to explain what it is we do."

"You help people right? Personally I think it's great work. I just…don't have a lot of time to spare."

"People often think they need to make a large commitment to make a difference but if more people just gave a little of their time we could do so much more." Mylène nodded.

"Sometimes giving someone a little help can make a big difference." Ivan nodded in agreement while Varian was struck by what she said.

After the blizzard and all those false rumors popping up no one was willing to help him no matter how much he begged. Then he thought of Gabriel who probably saved his life when he took in a total stranger. Even now he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened back in Old Corona if someone, anyone, had offered him even the smallest bit of help? Would things have turned out the way they did?

"You know what? I'll take a pamphlet. I can't promise a commitment but…I'd like to help out in some way. Even if it is small." They all smiled at him and hoped to see him soon.

He went looking for Adrien again and after more, "Just missed hims" he ran across a familiar face. Luka was manning the booth for instrument makers so Varian popped by to say hello.

"Hey Luka." The teal haired boy looked up and smiled.

"Varian! Long time, no see." Varian rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Yeah sorry about that. I've just had so much going on-"

"No need to apologize. How's Adrien, he blew by here so fast I barely got to say hi?" Varian sighed again.

"Right now he's speed running the entire expo. He so worried that Gabriel will make him go back to modeling he's bound and determined to find a new career path today." Luka frownd.

"You think Gabriel would do that?" Varian shook his head.

"I doubt it. He felt absolutely horrible about what happened. Adrien's still afraid he'll change his mind though."

"How are you doing by the way? Are things any better between you and Gabriel?" Varian pondered how best to answer that question.

"Honestly it's still a bit…bumpy but we've come to a truce for now. Our fight was right before Adrien got kidnapped so we've both been a bit preoccupied making sure Adrien is OK." Luka smiled.

"I think it's good that you two became brothers. You've been good for eachother. And even if you have to return home someday I hope you'll stay close." Varian couldn't argue he was starting to think of the Agrestes as family and that scared him a little. It would be one more thing he'd have to give up if he wanted to achieve his goal. He shook his head not wanting to linger on those thoughts.

"Well for the time being my brother can find me when he's done, I've barely got to see anything so far myself." He glanced at all the instruments behind Luka. "Tell me about yours? Have you really made some of these yourself?" Luka picked up a violin from the shelf looking at it fondly.

"This was the first instrument I ever made. It took a full two years for me to finish." Varian looked impressed.

"I had an old guitar back home. I've had to repair it many times but I've never built one from scratch. This is some great work." Luka smiled back.

"I love playing music but creating an instrument with your own hands and bringing life to it." he ran his fingers lightly over the strings causing them to quietly quiver. "And hearing them perform and letting other people enjoy it. It's something I'm really passionate about."

Varian understood completely. While he always got over excited bringing an idea to life he could see Luka's peaceful happiness when he was talking about the thing that gave joy in life. He was happy he got to share this moment with his friend. Luka looked back at him with a smirk.

"That reminds me. You still owe me a jam session don't you." He said plucking one of the guitars off the shelf.

"Sure it's OK to play here?" He took the guitar adjusting the strings.

"No place better." Varian smiled back and began a slightly improvised song. It was a mix of Old Corona style and a more modern sound. Luka played along his bow dancing along the strings of his violin. Even though they hadn't rehearsed beforehand they easily read each other's rhythm and kept in sync.

It was over too quickly as the song ended with a flourish and a round of applause. Varian blushed, not noticing that a crowd had formed. He then got a text saying that Adrien had finished and was looking for him.

"Hate to leave so soon but Adrien's looking for me." He handed the guitar back to Luka as he put both instruments back on display.

"Just don't be a stranger."

Varian bid him goodbye and went to find his foster brother. He found him sitting on a bench staring at his hands and looking depressed.

"So how was your speedrun?" Adrien looked up at him sadly.

"I went to every booth at the expo and I still don't know what I want to do when I leave school." Varian sighed and sat down next to him.

"This isn't a race you know. Some people are only now just visiting their third booth. Take your time, I know you're worried about your Dad going back on his word but rushing to a new career could leave you just as miserable." Adrien went back to staring at his hands. "In my hometown following in your parents footsteps was the norm. My mother was an Al-Scientist and since I was little I wanted to be a scientist just like her. When she passed away there was no one around to teach me science anymore. My Dad was my last living family member so I was expected to be a farmer like he was and learn from him."

Adrien looked up with interest, Varian always avoided talking about his past if he could help it; this was new territory for him.

"I remember hating every minute of farm life when I was younger but I wanted to make my Dad proud so I tried it for a little while. What he didn't know was that I was sneaking into my Mom's old lab and reading her journals and before long I started trying to recreate her experiments." An awkward grin appeared on his face. "He ah…found out when I miscalculated and blew a giant hole in the wall."

Adrien let a laugh slip out as Varian continued.

"He was so mad but that's when I finally told him I didn't want to be a farmer like him and that I wanted to be a scientist like Mom."

"And that when he accepted what you wanted to be?" Adrien said, expecting a happy ending to this story.

"No, he didn't." Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Honestly he still doesn't but he didn't force me to do farm work except for harvest time."

"But he still lets you pursue your dream?"

"More like, he'd rather I didn't try and hide it. He was afraid there would be an accident and he wouldn't be around if I was hurt or couldn't call for help. My point is parents can sometimes have expectations for their children but it's your life. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with your life even if they don't approve at first." Adrien thought about what Varian said, slightly confused.

"So like you I finally told my Father that I didn't want to be a model. But unlike you I don't have a passion to fall back on. So what do I do?" Varian thought for a moment.

"Best advice I can give is to try new things, take a class on the weekend for things that seem interesting. Some things you won't like and some you will but maybe not as a career. You can even ask your Dad about the other parts of his business. There's always tons of people behind the scenes and a lot of different jobs. Maybe you could shadow some of them or try an internship. My point is don't rush." Adrien thought about it for a moment.

"My Mom was an actress. I don't think I want to be in front of the camera but I would be curious to get to know a little bit more about her passion."

"See, that's a start." Adrien wanted to ask another question but was a little hesitant.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to but…are you ever worried about forgetting your Mom." Varian looked surprised by the question. "It's OK if you don't-"

"No, it…it's fine. She passed away when I was pretty young. I was only 5. Old enough to remember her but over time some of the details get fuzzy. Like I'm not totally sure if I'm remembering them or if my mind is just filling in the gaps. My clearest memories of her are when she was experimenting in her lab." Adrien sighed.

"I like watching her movies. It helps me remember and in a way it's like she's still here with me." Varian nodded wishing he had something like that to remember his own Mother by. His Dad had hidden away her only portrait in his room and he was always too nervous to ask to see it. His love of alchemy always frustrated his Dad but whenever his Mom came up he just got so sad.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything." Adrien and Varian looked up to see Luka and Marinette making their way over.

"Just…reminiscing" Adrien said and the other two sat down on the bench with them. Turns out Marinette was having career troubles of her own. Questioning if her passion should be her career and which part should she focus on. Adrien confessed he still wasn't sure what he wanted to pursue but liked the idea of looking into film making and seeing if something there would spark an interest.

"How about you, Varian?" Marinette asked. "We all know you love science but what would you actually like to do when you leave school? Well, the way you're breezing through it, it might be a lot sooner than the rest of us." Varian gave her a sad smile and Adrien was reminded about how he said he couldn't do what he really wanted earlier.

"It's…complicated. My hero growing up was a Chemist and inventor named Lord Demanitus. He used science to help people and make the lives of everyone around him better. That was my dream growing up. I wanted to help people just like he did. But while I may be intelligent I can never seem to actually help anyone." The others looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked. "You've invented lots of things before."

"Yes but whenever I try and help anyone I either fail, it backfires on me and sometimes people…people get hurt." The others were stunned by this admission. "So I guess I'm just as lost as everyone here except for Luka." The musician looked at him saddened by what he heard.

"Varian-"

"Hey Luka!" Everyone turned around at the sound of a new voice but no one was prepared to see a man sized crocodile waving at them. "Hi there son!"

"Dad?" Luka exclaimed, more than a little shocked.

"Jagged Stone?" Marinette and Adrien question just as shocked.

"Hey Adrien, Marinette." He looked over to see a kid with dark hair and a blue streak running through it. "Oh and you must be Varian. Luka's talks about you a lot. Nice to meet you." Numbly Varian waved at the giant lizard man.

"Ah Nice to meet you too?" He turned to Luka who still looked a little stunned.

"Ah, Varian, this is my Dad...He's not usually a…crocodile."

Suddenly something blasted the sand near Jagged Stones feet as a Giant Robot started attacking. Everyone jumped up as chaos erupted around them. An Akuma attack no doubt. Luka tried to usher everyone away but Varian and Adrien were cut off by the robot. Varian used this as an opportunity to slip away. He did notice Adrien hiding around the side of a building and he remembered what he had been contemplating the night before. Should he turn back and follow? Just to see- He shook his head. Better to help in the fight against the real Ladybug and Chat Noir. Maybe Gabriel has a better plan this time.

Indeed he did. Wishmaker was using his gift from Shadow Moth to turn people into whatever they wanted to be in their childhood. It was a good idea and there was a high chance they could learn Ladybug and Chat Noir's secret identities this way. He kept to the shadows ready to step in if needed. And then his stomach dropped. Viperion had entered the battle with Ladybug.

"Luka." he whispered as Ruddiger popped out of his pocket.

"Varian he's your friend, you're not going to fight him are you?" Varian paused a pained expression running across his face.

"I-I don't want to but…" With Viperion in the fight he could steal away a potential victory for them with his second chance. He sighed, not happy with what he had to do. "I don't have to hurt him just…keep him from using his second chance."

He told himself as he transformed into Tanuki. But the moment he step onto the battlefield he felt this weird sense of displacement. Like something was out of sync. Has Viperion used his Second Chance already? The others around him didn't seem to notice anything. Maybe it was because he himself was from another time. He wasn't sure but he couldn't remember if this was the first time or not. He shook his head to clear it he needed to keep his head in the game.

He used his fusion power to create a modern day goo trap. If he could just get close enough he could coat Vipirion's miraculous, rendering it useless without hurting Luka in the process. As he tried to sneak up behind him however Viperion spun on his heels and knocked the goo trap out of his hand letting it hit a nearby trash can. Tanuki blinked in surprise, it was like he knew that was going to happen. This…this must have happened before.

But his thoughts were interrupted when Viperion raced to Chat Noir and pushed him out of the way of Wishmasters beam. Unfortunately Ladybug was now in the crossfire. He heard Ladybug yelp as the magic hit her, turning her into her childhood dream.

"Awesome! I always wanted to be the Knitting Fairy in real life!" Tanuki's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"M-Marinette?" It was all there right in front of him the whole time. The only student who hadn't been Akumatized except for Adrien. This explains how she knew who he was. His hunch must have been right about her using the Fox Miraculous to make it look like Ladybug and Multimouse were two different people. Much like how Gabriel Akumatized himself to throw off suspicion. Suddenly he remembered Viperion was still in play but before he could even turn in his direction the world warped.

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Tanuki blinked, feeling a little out of sorts. What had just happened? He felt it was important but couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. He shook his head to clear it. He had to keep his head in the game. He used his fusion power to create a modern day goo trap. If he could just get close enough he could coat Viperion's Miraculous, rendering it useless without hurting Luka in the process.

He was going to try and sneak around Viperion and hit him from behind but then he saw Ladybug with the Lucky Charm in her hands and running with a purpose. Deciding she was the bigger threat he followed after her instead. Viperion looked confused for a moment before moving toward Ladybug.

"Chat Noir Duck!" This made Tanuki hesitate. Did Viperion know something, has this happened before? Instinctually he turned his attention to Chat Noir who stood there motionless letting the beam hit him. Both Tanuki and Viperion froze as plain clothed Adrien Agreste stood before them.

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to be what my parents wanted me to be." Tanuki couldn't move. Adrien, his brother, was Chat Noir. The one he had been fighting against, the one who stood between him and freeing his Dad. He really should have known, no, he's known for a while now he just didn't want it to be true.

He saw Viperion come out of his shocked state and looked at him. Tanuki just gave him a sad look but didn't try to attack. He just let the magical goo ball fall to the ground and turned away as the world reset again. Maybe he was just imagining it but for a moment it looked like Viperion, no, Luka was looking at him concerned.

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Varian blinked and held his head as a wave of dizziness hit him. "Suns I hope I'm not getting another headache. But the dizzy spell faded quickly. He looked around and saw Ladybug running with the Lucky Charm as if she already knew the answer to its riddle. He used his fusion power to create a modern day goo trap. He had intended to use it on Viperion but if the Lucky Charm was in play that took precedence. It looked like she was heading for a man in a red hat so he headed towards him.

Ladybug reached the man first and was showing him the plushie. Tanuki reached out to grab it but then-

"Watch out Chat Noir!" He turned to see Viperion step in front of the black clad hero and batted away the magical beam. He realized too late that the beam was heading right for him and he had no time to react.

But the moment he was hit he felt…happy. For at last his childhood dream had come true.

To be continued…

Next time: .EVERYTHING. He's in the worst position imaginable because whether he tells or keeps quiet he's betraying someone he cares about. And what happens when Varian suspects?

Stay tuned for the Season One Finale where friendships are put to the test and destiny comes calling.