Ch2

Marinette sat at her table her face in her hands as her kwami tried to comfort her. "It's all my fault," she muttered as she cleaned her face with another tissue. "Because of me and Master Fu Cat Noir quit."

"It's alright I'm sure Master Fu will figure something out," Tikki said softly trying to console her.

"What's worse Adrien-," She let out a sob and cleaned her face. "Adrien left school and I don't know where he is."

It all happened really fast, Adrien just stopped coming to school and responding to anyone. She tried to check on him as Ladybug but the premises of the Agreste Estate were permanently guarded, especially around Adrien's room.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she muttered as she cleaned her face. Adrien was everything to her, to not be able to see him made her heart fall in her chest.

"Just focus on one thing at a time," Tikki said. "Just get ready for school and then we can visit Master Fu later ok?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. Forcing herself to get up she got herself ready for school. However, despite cleaning her face she still could not force herself to smile or be happy.

Her parents said goodbye to her but barely put on a smile for them as she walked out of their bakery and headed to school. It was a nice sunny day in Paris and most people were happily going about their lives but she could find no joy in it as she headed to school.

When she arrived at school she found Chloe crying in her seat as their classmates tried to console her. "What's going on?" She asked.

Chloe sobbed, "A-Adrien is moving!"

It was like her world had crushed down on her. "Wh-What do you mean?" She asked softly her legs shaking, she covered her mouth hoping she was joking.

Chloe cleaned her eyes, "My daddy told me this morning heft. Adrien is moving to the UK!"

"No," she said nearly falling on the desk. She covered her mouth as tears fell down her face. "Wh-Why is he moving?" No this can't be happening. "Adrien," she said softly tears falling down her face. Why would you do this? What about us? She had everything planned, on how they would get together and love each other forever.

"I don't know," Chloe sobbed as she cleaned her face. "All I know is that he is gone."

She nearly fell down but was caught by her friend Alya, "It's alright Marinette I'm sure he'll come back. Maybe he has some sort of emergency?" Alya said trying to sound reassuring. "Nino have you heard anything from him?"

Nino shook his head. "No, he hasn't responded to any of my messages. I don't know what happened to him."

Oh my god no. She shook her head staring at the ground her eyes wide. It was like her entire world was falling apart. First Cat Noir and now Adrien? She shook her head covering her face with her hands. We were supposed to be together one day why could he just leave?

She wanted to cry as she sat down in her seat. Adrien what is going on with you? She forced herself to not cry for the remainder of the school day but her mind kept drifting to how Adrien moved and Cat Noir disappeared. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed twice. Despite her teacher trying to engage with her she could not find the motivation or desire to study that day.

"Hey Marinette are you ok?" Alya asked when the final bell rang.

"I don't know," she muttered grabbing her things. "Adrien's gone and so many things are happening I just don't know what to do."

Alya placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright hopefully Adrien will give us some sign that he is ok. Maybe his dad is just acting up again."

"I guess," she muttered.

"Anyway I'm here if you need me just let me know ok?" Alya said smiling at her.

"Thank you," she said. To her surprise Alya hugged her, she returned the hug. "Thanks for everything Alya."

Alya pulled away and smiled at her. "We are friends you can come to me for anything."

"I know thank you," she said as she put on her backpack. "See you around."

I'm glad I have a friend like her during these tough times. She clenched her fists as she made her way through the streets of Paris, she had one more destination to go to.

She made sure she wasn't followed or anything as she headed towards Master Fu's place. Arriving at his small residence she knocked on the door and was greeted by the old man.

"Ah Marinette come on in," Master Fu said with a smile.

She nodded and walked into the small house. "Master Fu any news on Cat Noir?"

Master Fu sighed and shook his head as they sat down at his table. "I'm afraid not," he said pouring them some tea.

"It's all my fault," she muttered shaking her head. "I should've trusted him more and now he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"It's not your fault Marinette," Master Fu said as he drank some tea. "He wasn't ready for the full truth yet and seeing how he acted it looks like I made the right choice."

She stared at Master Fu in shock. "But Cat Noir was a good partner. Why couldn't he know about you?"

Master Fu looked at her and shook his head. "He is a child deep down. Look how he acted? He left his miraculous in the middle of the city that like? What if the enemy got it? Such irresponsibility." The old man shook his head and looked at her with a sad gaze, "I'm sure things will work out in the future trust me." He gave her a small smile. "Maybe another bright girl could wield it."

She clenched her teacup tightly; she wanted to yell and scream at him for his actions. Instead she forced herself to drink the tea. It won't do me any good to get in a fight with him.

"Anyway dear Paris is oddly quiet," Master Fu said as he drank some tea. "Hawkmoth hasn't made any moves lately."

"Yeah I noticed," she muttered. Ever since the Syren fiasco, there haven't been any new akuma attacks. But why did Hawkmoth just take away her powers like that? Why is he stopping now? She wracked her brain but could find no answers.

"We must be prepared for the worst," Master Fu said looking her in the eyes. "Marinette I'll keep the Cat Miraculous with me for a while. We will have to rely on the power of the other Miraculouses for the time being."

"I understand," she said. Despite everything you just said I'll still continue to protect Paris.

Master Fu smiled at her, "I know I was right choosing you Marinette. You are a special girl I know it."

She forced a smile on her face, her insides feeling hollow. "Thank you," she said softly as she got up. "I better get going now."

Ignoring everyone that passed by she returned to her home and collapsed on her bed. "I can't believe they are both gone," she said softly pushing her face against her pillow.

"It's alright Marinette," Tikki said softly. "I'm sure things will work out."

She turned to her kwami resisting the urge to break down and cry, "Why couldn't we tell him? I shouldn't have left him out." Letting out a sob she grabbed a tissue to clean her face. "We kept so many things from him and now he is gone."

Tikki avoided her gaze, "Master Fu made the decision it was our duty to follow it even if it doesn't make sense."

She threw the tissue into her trash can. "It's partly my fault, I couldn't been more open with him. I just didn't think he would react this badly." Deep down she knew she shared the responsibility along with Master Fu.

Picking up her phone she checked to see if there was any news from Adrien but alas her crush had not said a word to her or anyone. Why did you have to leave we are perfect for each other.

Fighting tears she looked at all the photos she had of Adrien, some were professional shots, and some of them she took herself when he wasn't looking. "Please come back Adrien," she said softly her voice croaking as she turned to the white board she had of his memorized schedule.

It was like she had been robbed of all the joy in the world. "I hope Adrien is safe wherever he is," she said softly. Looking at one of the pictures of Adrien she leaned over and kissed it, imagining that it was him. Please come back.

Tikki came up to her and patted her head, "It's alright Marinette I'm sure things will work out." Her kwami didn't sound so sure though and avoided her gaze.

"I just was hoping one day he would recognize me," she said resting her head on her hands. "It would've been my dream for him to recognize me, to be his girlfriend who he would take out and show the world that she was his girlfriend." She let out a sob and grabbed another tissue. "Now he is gone."

The words hit her in the gut like a dagger. Adrien Agreste was gone from Paris and whatever chance she had with him was now gone.

"Maybe he'll come back," Tikki said hopefully. "Maybe it's some kind of family emergency or something."

"I hope so," she said softly as she got up from her bed and stretched. Taking a deep breath she sat down at her desk. "There haven't been any akuma attacks lately, hopefully it can stay like that until this situation with Cat Noir is resolved."

She shook her head, "I can't believe he would just leave like that? I can understand feeling left but still why would he just abandon Paris?" A part of her wanted to hug her companion the other wanted to scream and smack him across his head for being so selfish.

Tikki avoided her gaze, "I don't know. Lets just focus on now. We need to work with our allies more than ever until we get this situation with Cat Noir resolved."

"I know," she said clenching her fists. "As much as I feel sorry for Cat Noir feeling left out I can't let Paris fall. I will continue to fight against all those who want to harm it."

"That's the spirit," Tikki said with a smile. "We have other allies to rely on. We'll figure things out I promise."


Adrien lay down on the bed in his aunt's house looking up at the ceiling. He had been in the UK with his aunt and cousin for about a week but the overwhelming numb sensation inside of him made him want to do nothing.

I guess I wasn't good enough to be a hero. Gripping his fists tightly clenched his eyelids shut to prevent himself from crying. I just wanted her acceptance and her love but I wasn't good enough for her or anyone.

Tears formed in his eyes and then fell down his cheeks. I loved being Cat Noir I really did but if I wasn't good enough to be trusted I don't want to continue working with her.

The thought stabbed through him like a knife. He loved Ladybug, his heart ached for her affection but he was also tired of being left in the dark. Tired of her treating him like something disposable and tired of being taken for granted.

There was a knock on his door, turning he saw his cousin Felix enter with a bored expression on his face. "Are you just going to lie down in bed or what?"

He frowned at his cousin, "What's it to you?"

Felix sighed and went over to his side and pulled up a chair. "Listen me and my mom don't mind you staying here but at least tell us what is wrong with you so we can help."

He looked at his cousin with a bored expression. "I'm just tired that's all."

Felix folded his arms and frowned. "Yeah I doubt that. I'm no fool, something is wrong with you. Is it about your mother?"

"No," he muttered resisting the urge to tear up at her memory.

"Was it your father?" Felix asked.

He flinched and avoided his cousin's gaze. "No," he said softly.

"Really?" Felix said raising an eyebrow. "Adrien if I know one thing about you is that you are a people pleaser."

"No I'm not," He muttered turning away from his cousin.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to be accepted," Felix said. "But you have to look out for yourself and your own interests. Like me you were born into wealth but unlike me your parents tried to shield you from the ugliness of this world."

He froze in the bed; he always wished his parents were more willing to let him live a little instead of coddling him and raising him into the image they wanted him to be.

"I know you want to impress your dad and others," Felix said. "If I had to guess you wanted to impress someone but they rejected you. No one has ever rejected you have they?"

He tensed up as his mind replayed all the memories of Ladybug and Plagg keeping secrets from him and treating him more like an accessory. Ladybug more than Plagg but still the fact that his kwami didn't trust him to let him know what was going on really hurt him.

Felix sighed and got up, "Adrien me and my mom are here for you but you have to learn to love yourself. Not everyone is going to like you and some, many will use you. Just because you love someone doesn't mean they will love you back."

His cousin's words rang in his head as Felix exited the room and closed the door. Not everyone is going to like me. It was a simple truth, one that he knew was a fact in life but still he trusted Ladybug and loved her but in the end he wasn't even worthy of her trust.

Was I wrong in pursuing her too much? Thinking about his time with Ladybug he did everything out of love, yeah he may have been a little over the top but his heart was in the right place.

Swallowing the lump in his throat his mind replayed all of his interactions with Ladybug. I trusted her but she never gave me the same courtesy. I could live with us keeping our identities a secret but in the end I was not her equal. She kept her secrets from me even when it involved our teamwork.

Not everyone will like you or love you. Felix's words repeated themselves in his head. "Maybe loving too much is a bad thing," he muttered as he turned around in bed.

Maybe that's why Ladybug didn't trust him, he smothered her too much with affection. He gave her his heart and his trust but she gave him nothing but excuses and cold shoulder. Well I hope she finds someone willing to help her.

Closing his eyes he could feel tears form. Hopefully she finds someone who she can trust and fight with, I won't be used by her and taken advantage of by her again.