Connecting the Dots

The bustling noise of the newsfloor enveloped every corner of the building. The breakroom, where people were meant to relax, was not untouched by the grasp of the phone chimes, printer screeches and hurried steps of the people on the clock. In the midst of the chaos sat Alya, typing away on her laptop while simultaneously taking her lunch break. She was in a slight panic, it felt like the hustle of the city was catching up to her. Though she had always been determined, quick witted and extremely involved in her work, this internship was just getting to be too much. She was homesick, having not gone back in so long she was forgetting what the city looked like. Nevertheless, the work kept coming, and she kept trucking along.

Just as she was going crossed eyed from the blue light of her screen, her phone began to ring. She snapped out of the haze and looked at the interface. It was Nino, she forgot that she was supposed to call during her break; she wasn't banking on having to work through it. Alya debated whether to answer at all, but she figured this was her only chance to get a chat in with him before having to work another seven hours straight.

"Hello?" Alya answered the phone, putting her earbuds on so she could continue typing away while talking to Nino.

"Alya! Long time no speak, dude!" Alya felt her breathing become lighter. Just the sound of this dorks voice could soothe her.

"Ugh, I know, don't even get me started," Alya began. "My supervisor just gave me another report to fact check and rewrite." Nino didn't know what any of that meant, but he tried his best to be supportive anyway.

"Well, I'd be honored to have my writing fact checked by the Alya Césaire anyday." She giggled.

"Yeah, only because you needed me to revise all your reports in school or else you'd fail." Nino made an overly dramatic and offended sound, like an old, rich lady who'd been denied entry to a sophisticated restaurant. The idea of Nino being snooty made Alya laugh, he was just the opposite; humble, funny and incredibly talented. They were like a mixture of the most unlikely ingredients that make the most delicious flavor. Their love was long lasting and tightly wound despite their equally chaotic and busy lives.

"I can't believe you're dissing me like this," Nino joked. "First Adrien totally ices me out and now you give me such sass!" Alya, who had been casually typing away, stopped abruptly. A frown coming upon her face.

"Wait, Adrien too?" She rubbed her neck, trying to sort the details. "Marinette's been impossible to contact lately…"

"Dang, I thought he was the only one." Nino, who'd been walking back to his house from a late night snack run, slowed his pace. "He keeps giving me excuses when I do manage to get him on the phone, saying he's working or something."

"Working? But didn't he like… give up on all that?" Alya was getting a hair raising feeling.

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either." Nino put Alya on speakerphone as he scrolled onto Instagram. Adrien's account was weirdly quiet. "But he hasnt been posting about going out to clubs lately, so maybe it's true?"

"No… somethings definitely up." Alya thought for a moment, she'd been trying to call Marinette at least once a day for the past two weeks but she rarely answered. It was odd, she'd always try to talk for at least a few minutes even when she had a big deadline coming up. When she did pick up, Marinette would give her hurried excuses, saying she had meetings, needed to run somewhere, that she needed to rush samples. "Nino, you said Adrien has been working, did he ever say with who?"

"Now that I think about it, no, he hasn't mentioned a company or brand." Nino tried his best to remember the conversation to better inform Alya. "Ah… but I do think he said something about meeting with an important person." Alyas eyes widened.

"You don't think he means… Marinette do you?"

"Marinette?" Nino looked as confused as ever. "But they broke up ages ago! Besides, don't you think Marinette would have told you if she was seeing Adrien again?"

"That's exactly why I'm asking." Alya was forming a theory, and she didn't like it. "That break up destroyed her… the fact that she isnt telling me makes me think she's trying to hide something that she's ashamed of."

"Why would seeing Adrien be something she'd have to be ashamed of?"

"Well, he's not exactly an angel." Alya still followed Adrien on social media. He was partying, getting hammered, smoking and losing himself. "Nino, i'm sorry to cut this short but i'm gonna make another call to get some more information."

"No problem, dude. That's my reporter girlfriend for ya'!" Alya smiled and hung up. She was so grateful to have such a trusting and wonderful partner, but now was not the time to idle on that thought. She scrolled to Lukas contact, selecting the option to facetime. She knew that if anyone was going to be honest and share everything to help Marinette be safe, it would be him. Almost instantly, the call was picked up.

"Alya! What's up?"

"No time for pleasantries, Luka. I'm on the scent." She looked close at the picture coming through from Lukas' end, he was in bed, nothing on the nightstand was out of place and his room was kempt. Nothing suspicious to report there.

"Do you mind if I ask what scent?" Luka thought it was comical how frantically Alya was searching his room. All he could see were her eyes, he began to laugh.

"Adrien's scent. Nino says he's M.I.A. and so is Marinette." She stopped frantically searching and looked Luka face on, ready to interrogate. "I think they might be up to something." Luka suddenly looked much less enthused.

"Adrien and… Marinette?" He chuckled in disbelief. "Alya, I think you're going down the wrong paper trail."

"Why? It's a plausible theory." She knew her gut feeling was founded in something. "I'm thinking Marinette is trying to start up something again, but really, that would be great for her." Alya bit her lip, thinking about what the consequences of Adrien and her dating would be; it could be perfectly fine if he cleaned up his act and followed some sort of career path, but the likelihood of that was slim to none.

"Absolutely not." Luka put his phone down, crossing his arms and putting his head against the bed frame. "There's no way she could go out with-"

"Anyone but you?" Alya interrupted. She knew Luka still loved her. It was patently obvious how much he cared about her, but she also knew how unhealthy it was for him to continue to pursue something so fruitless.

"No," There was contempt in his voice. "There's no way she could go out with someone so unhinged."

"Unhinged?" Alya thought about his bad habits as nothing more than the effects of losing his father; unhinged seemed like an overly harsh descriptor. "The guy is in mourning, you can't blame him for trying to cope."

"That's not it, Alya." Luka sighed deeply, he knew things she didn't. It killed him to keep silent. "It's deeper than that."

"What, like, he's gonna do something to her?" Alya scoffed. "It's not that extreme is it?" She sounded nonchalant, but knowing that they both went silent was making her nervous. What if something did happen? A drunken fit would be enough to cause real harm. Maybe Marinette got mixed up in a bad scene… Luka could feel she was close to unraveling the mystery, but he didn't want her to find out because of him. Alya needed to hear what happened from the horse's mouth; only then could he tell her who Chat Noir really is. So that he could help Alya understand that this is so much worse than she thinks it is.

"Alya," Luka prepared to scare her, to scare himself with just how real the matter has become. "There's something Marinette hasn't told you." He breathed a ragged breath. "And It's not something I should be sharing without her permission."

"...Okay." Alya was confused as to why he couldn't just tell her, but he was such an honest person, she didn't think to question him.

"But… once you do find out, I've got something to help fill the gaps. Something not even Marinette is aware of." Alya stayed quiet. "I don't ever want her to find out, but it's important for you to know so we can keep her safe."

"This is… heavy, Luka."

"Heavy is an understatement." They both lingered, unsure of what to say next. "Alya, just promise to come back soon. Marinette needs you more than you know."

"Of course, i'll try to get out there A.S.A.P." Alyas stomach churned. She didn't know it was so dire, but if Luka was warning her, she wasn't going to take it lightly. "Thanks for telling me, let's talk again soon."

"Sure thing." The call ended. Alya wondered for a moment about what this could mean. About what Luka meant about needing to hear from Marinette herself. Everything was even more blurry than before she called, but somehow, she felt the fire lit under her. She went back to her computer, going into her email to compose a message:

Good afternoon, I'm writing to ask if I can move up my requested leave. The matter is urgent…