Ch11

Cat Noir sensed movement coming towards him before he even looked up. "Something's coming!" Venom growled.

His head snapped up as he saw a sentimonster fly at him. It was a large insect like creature that flew at him with a stinger. He quickly jumped and willed the symbiote to restrain and grab it. Mayura must be nearby.

Two symbiotic swords formed in his hands as he descended upon the sentimonster. "Cataclysmic blade!" The symbiotic swords glowed darkly with the power of darkness as he decapitated the sentimonster. "Venom the enemy might be nearby," he said as the sentimonster disintegrated.

It was then he heard the sound of movement from his right. He quickly ran towards the direction of the movement and saw Mayura retreating from a rooftop.

Extending his arm symbiotic tendrils flew at Mayura who dodged most of them but one managed to knock her back. "So you've decided to show yourself," He said as he formed a fighting stance.

Mayura said nothing as she met him with a cold hard expression on her face and extended her fan and charged at him. Lets do this! His symbiotic blades gleaned in the dark moonlight as he blocked Mayura's attacks.

His movements were quick as she blocked her fan and kicks. He went on the offensive and nearly grazed her with his symbiotic blade only for him to land a kick sending her back. "Did Hawkmoth send you?"

Mayura said nothing as she glared at him and took out a feather from her fan. His eyes widened as she realized what she was going to do. Stop her!

He flew at her as Venom's symbiote grabbed Mayura's arm and threw her to the ground. Mayura swore as the feather fell out of her as she struggled to get the symbiote off her.

A smile spread across his face as he charged at her. He punched her across the face knocking her back before pulling back the symbiote. Mayura glared at him as she tried to kick him but he pulled her back with the symbiote and flung her around on the ground.

"Lets take her out!" Venom said as they charged at her.

The symbiote around him exploded as it grabbed Mayura's limbs. "Let me go!" she screamed as she tried struggle against the symbiote.

"Try to find where she keeps the-"

He jumped out of the way as a cane nearly struck him. "Mayura!" Hawkmoth charged at him with his cane in hand. "Let her go!"

A smile spread across his face as he threw Mayura's body between them, the symbiote holding her limbs tightly.

"Kid something about this woman is familiar," Venom said in his head.

Not now we're in the middle of a fight. Hawkmoth then produced a few small round objects and flung them at him.

He swore as he realized they were grenades. They blew up around him creating a small fiery explosion that was enough for Venom to recoil back into his body. He jumped back and summoned his staff just as Mayura escaped and ran over to Hawkmoth.

Damn he knows your weakness.

"Sorry kid. We'll figure something else out." Venom growled in his body. "Something about her seems familiar like I've seen her around."

He was about to charge at Hawkmoth but to his surprise he stood in front of Mayura and threw a smoke bomb on the ground.

"Damn it!" he charged at them both but it was too late, Hawkmoth and Mayura both got away. "So close, we'll get them next time."

He scanned the area trying to pick up any sign of them. "Next time," he muttered as a cold wind brushed through the area. "They won't get away next time."

"Yeah I'll let that asshole have it," Venom growled. "I won't be humiliated in such a way."

With that he decided to call it a night and return home. "Claws in," he muttered. He collapsed onto his desk chair. "They both haven't come at me like that before."

Plagg came out of the ring and floated by his head. "They must have been scoping out your new powers."

Venom's head formed at his side. "Fire and high pitch frequencies. They got one of them down." The symbiote growled. "Next time I'll bite their heads off."

Frankly if that meant the end of Hawkmoth he might allow it. His gaze drifted to the photo of his mom on his desk. He gingerly cleaned the dust off it. "So much has happened this year." His mother's gaze in the photo moved his heart as he got up.

"Whatever did happen to her?" Venom asked.

He stretched his arms. "She passed away…It was hard on all of us."

"Does your father talk to you about her?" Plagg asked.

He shook his head. "No. Not that he's the most talkative person anyone." Shaking his head he fell onto his bed. "Besides I know it her passing affected him too, even if he won't admit it."

The next morning he noticed Nathalie was limping. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine," She said as she frowned at her tablet. "I just overexerted myself with a task."

"Uh huh," he finished his breakfast as he looked at her with concern. "You should tell father you need the day off."

Nathalie smiled at him. "Thanks for your concern."

He nodded and watched her limp away. What did she do anyway?

Marinette frowned as she sat in class and looked at the empty desk. "Max isn't here again, did something happen?"

Her classmate had gone to French Guiana for research but she hadn't seen or heard from him in a while. Maybe he got sick or something?

She sighed and got out her notebook but froze when she saw him enter. Adrien. The boy she loved sat by Nino and the two shared a laugh. If only you could forgive me. She had tried to get Alya to convince Nino to make Adrien forgive her but Nino refused and said Adrien deserved privacy.

I was giving him privacy why can't he see that I was protecting him? She turned Chloe and frowned her blood boiling inside of her. She must have said something I know it. Whenever something bad happened to her at school, it was usually Chloe's fault.

It still hurt how he ignored her and treated her as if she did something horrible. I'll fix it Adrien I promise you'll see how much you really mean to me.

With that her class started, it was a little difficult being so far back but she was getting used to it. Hopefully, one day she'd be allow up front though she doubted it with the current state of things since everyone seemed to think she was stalking Adrien.

"Hey have you seen Max?" Alya asked as they headed to the cafeteria.

She shook her head. "No. I thought he was supposed to be back from French Guinea a while ago?"

Alya frowned. "Maybe he's sick or is helping his mom out."

As they entered the cafeteria she froze as she saw Adrien talking with Nino and Luka of all people. "Adrien," she said softly.

She stepped forward and he looked up at her before looking down as if she were nobody. Alya placed a hand on her shoulder which snapped her out of her thoughts. "Come on lets eat elsewhere."

Looking down she slowly nodded. "I don't get why he is being like this? We are meant for each other I know it."

They sat down at a table and Alya looked at her calmly. "Well he has made it clear he doesn't want his privacy invaded."

Her heart sank as she looked at Adrien with a longing gaze. Seeing him laugh and be happy with other people made her want to tear up. "Where did I go wrong?" She didn't have any bad intentions she just wanted Adrien to love her and keep him to herself.

"Probably when you started trespassing on his personal space," Alya said.

She frowned. "I wasn't trespassing I was keeping an eye on him."

Her friend gave her a quizzical look. "Well that's not how he saw it. I'd calm down with him, the last thing you need is for his father to put out a restraining order."

How could he be like this? She did her best to take her mind off him but it was eating her up on the inside. The entire day she found herself stealing glances at Adrien who didn't look at her the entire time. One day we'll be together I know it. It was all she could hope for, she had to have some sort of comfort.

As soon as school ended she quickly went home to do homework. "Hey Tikki do you think he'd ever give me a chance?"

As soon as she entered her room her kwami came out of the earrings. "I don't know, maybe if you give him space he'll come over in the future."

She sighed as she collapsed onto her chair. "I just wish he knew how much he means to me." Her heart ached so much she had to take down the pictures of Adrien, the disappointing looks he gave her all the time made her heart ache.

"Well you can't force his feelings, he is still a person." Tikki flew in front of her. "Marinette just respect him as a person and I'm sure he'll eventually come around."

"But I only did what I did for his sake," she said as she grabbed a tissue and cleaned her eyes. Shaking her head she threw it in the trash. "Never mind we have bigger things to worry about."

Turning on her computer she went to the Ladyblog to see the newest sightings of that large black creature. "How did he get so strong?" It boggled her mind that he was able to be so strong, stronger than her.

Tikki frowned. "I'm not sure. I really don't know what to make of it. We have many ups but we also don't advertise them." Her kwami paused and looked at the screen. "A part of me says it isn't Plagg but another part of me says he has his own tricks up his sleeve."

She stared at the photo and thought of the various possibilities. This creature seemed to avoid her but then again Cat Noir had been very distant with her and refused to tell her much about his new power up. Kitty what is going on with you?

A part of her wasn't happy that he was keeping secrets from her, yeah she did the same to him but she was the guardian she should know what is happening with all the miraculous holders. "I'll go speak to Luka. Tikki spots on!"

As soon as she transformed she leaped out into the city. The evening was calm and so far no signs of any akumas. She landed on Luka's ship and found him tunning his guitar. The blue haired boy looked up at her and smiled. "Hey Ladybug what do you need?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about Cat Noir. Do you have any idea about this new form of his?"

Luka gently played a few chords. "We talked a lot about it."

She frowned. "I see and what did he say?" How could he tell him but not me? Her irritation in her grew.

"Well he wants to continue helping the city," Luka said as he played a few more chords. "Don't worry about it, we are stronger now with his new powers."

She folded her arms. "But we are partners we shouldn't hide anything from each other."

Luka looked up at her with his calm eyes. "Exactly. Maybe you both should have a good heart to heart with each other."

She avoided his gaze and looked down. "Well just keep an eye out on anything suspicious."

"I will. Good luck Ladybug," Luka said.

Even you take his side? As she flew off into the city to patrol she couldn't help but feel miffed that Viperion and Cat Noir had their own thing. Yeah she trusted Luka and knew he would never do anything bad with it but still the fact he and Cat Noir had their secrets didn't sit well with her.

She landed on a rooftop and scanned the neighborhood. Her eyes fell upon Max's house, the light was on but she couldn't see anyone from where she stood. I wonder how he's doing?

It was possible that her classmate had gotten sick in the South American jungle but as she looked at the window the hairs on her neck stood up and a sense of unease washed over her. Looking at the window she saw a figure wiggle in the shadow, she blinked and it was gone. He's probably just sick. Shaking her head she turned around and left.