Chapter Text
“I can’t believe he’d do this,” Chat Noir says out loud, seemingly to no one, but he had heard the footfall of his partner behind him. “He has to be stopped...once and for all.” His jaw is set, determined, as he catches his breath from fighting the akuma rampaging on the streets below his perch on the rooftop.
His resolution had been shaken upon his discovery of Hawkmoth’s identity. The guilt and sadness he had felt this morning, now changing to anger. If pressed to say something good about his archenemy, Chat had to admit that Hawkmoth was not prejudiced. He’s an equal opportunity villain. Race doesn’t matter, nor religious beliefs, sexuality, or gender identity. He targets them all alike, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the healthy and even, as in this particular case, the mentally ill.
This was not the first time Hawkmoth had crossed an unwritten line. Afterall, he had akumatized a baby for heaven’s sake! But this...this is too much. He had targeted someone incapable of controlling their emotions due to illness and used those emotions against them. It made Chat feel sick to his stomach to think that his own father could be so insensitive, so... cruel . If anyone is a madman, then it must be Hawkmoth.
“We will, Chat,” Ladybug assures him. “We will…” Her voice trails off with a sigh. Her shoulders are hunched and her arms are wrapped protectively around her core. Although she is looking down at the enemy, she appears to be miles away, her eyes unfocused.
“M’Lady!” he says in greeting, happy to see her, yet uncertain how he’s going to tell her. He knows he should tell her, but...telling her is going to make it real. And, he’s not sure he’s ready to handle the consequences of his father being a supervillain. He’s going to have to do something about it and whatever that “it” is, scares him. At the same time, he can feel the bubbles of anxiety popping inside of him, making him unable to stand still. He shifts his weight back and forth between each foot, hopping as if the ground underneath is boiling hot to the touch. He can’t go on like this. He has to tell her. He’ll feel better when he does, he thinks to himself, or at least he hopes he will. It won’t just be his problem, it’ll be their problem. They’ll figure out what to do; they always have before. He trusts her. She’s the only person he can trust with this.
“Sorry I’m late,” she murmurs.
“I’d wait forever for you, ‘Bug,” he flirts. It’s more a knee jerk reaction saying this, not that it’s insincere, but he feels...scattered, so many discordant thoughts running through his mind. If he could just feel normal again, just for a moment, it might help him deal. He wants to settle into a certain rhythm with her, to connect as they normally do through teasing banter, as a way to affirm their relationship before he inevitably disturbs it. She doesn’t take the bait. No rebuff, no buffering quip, not even an eyeroll. Sensing that she’s not to be trifled with today, Chat turns serious. “There’s something important I’ve got to tell you.” The index fingers of each hand tap against one another anxiously.
She turns suddenly, locking eyes with him. For a second, he gets lost in those eyes, seeing only the brilliance of sapphires, forgetting what he was about to say.
“The akuma?” she prompts. “What did you figure out?”
“He thinks he’s a superhero. Akuma’s in the cape, I think,” he replies hurriedly. “But that’s not it. Actually, It’s about me, well…” he chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, “ you and me, and Ha--...”
“Ugh! Chat, I can’t do this today!” she interrupts abruptly.
He looks up in concern. “M’Lady?” he asks, puzzled by her reaction.
“Not today,” she repeats. “I’ve told you before, there’s no you and me, okay? I don’t feel that way about you.”
“Oh.”
Chat lowers his head and his cat ears lays flat. He deserved that. He had been pressing his case pretty strongly of late, but, could he really be blamed? She’s so wonderful and that guy that she likes, whoever he is, doesn’t seem to have a clue, so couldn’t he at least be given a chance?
“ Focus, dumbass! ” he chastises himself. “ Your unrequited love for her is not the highest priority right now. ”
“No, that’s not what I meant. See…”
She shakes her head, lips pressed firmly together in a straight line. “Let’s get this over with…” With a flick of her wrist, the spotted superhero throws out her yo-yo, leaps, and swings down to the chaos below.
“ Shit. How hard is it to say, ‘Hawkmoth is Gabriel Agreste’? ” he chastises himself. Without hesitation he follows her lead just like always. Planting his baton on the street, he vaults, landing solidly a few meters from the akuma.
---o---
“Now, he’s shooting nuts at us?” Ladybug asks in exasperation. They’ve taken cover behind some parked cars. Chat Noir cups his hands together, catching a few as they bounce off of the passenger’s side mirror. He pops them into his mouth, enjoying the salty, nutty goodness. Ladybug’s jaw drops in surprise.
“What?” he asks, not understanding her dismay at eating the akuma’s ammunition. “They’re good for you and I am a health nut .”
She rolls her eyes at him. “You’re nuts alright,” she quips.
“Darn.” He had hoped to get a little chuckle out of her. “ She’s probably still mad at you about the earlier misunderstanding. ”
“Ladybug…” he begins, “about before. I didn’t mean anything...I wasn’t trying to…”
“I know,” Ladybug sighs, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry, Chaton.”
“No, I’ve been pushy and...a jerk. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, I swear.” He places his hand over hers and squeezes. She smiles, but only slightly. He thought that would improve her mood, but she looks just as sad...no, heartbroken. “Are you okay?” he asks with concern.
“Bad day,” she replies simply. Since they have to keep their identities a secret, she’s always been pretty curt with the personal details.
“Yeah, me too,” he huffs with a rueful smirk, remembering the events of the morning. He’s about to make a joke to try to cheer them both, but he stops himself when he sees her eyes start to fill with tears. Whatever is causing her pain is filtering through her mind.
“Bugaboo…” he says almost pleadingly, “what is it?”
“It’s nothing,” she says, blinking back tears. “Nothing worth crying over. Come on, we can’t stay here forever.” Signalling him to move down the line of parked cars, Ladybug jumps on top of the car they were hiding behind, holding the akuma’s attention all the while spinning her yo-yo to fend off the on-going onslaught of pecans and almonds. Chat’s head bobs downwards. He really needs to tell her, but for now focuses on the job at hand. Although his attacks had not been particularly dangerous, Looney Ben, as the akuma is known, had certainly kept them on their toes. He has the most powers of any akuma that they have ever faced, perhaps because he’s under the delusion that he himself is a superhero.
Taking up a position behind another parked car further down the street from his partner, Chat waits. Ladybug nods to him. He leaps, landing on top of his car and calls out to the akuma. The ploy works; the akuma changes his target, now attacking the feline superhero. Chat is the distraction, giving cover for Ladybug, who calls on her lucky charm.
Chat dodges, rolling out of the way. Wind rushes against his skin, blowing his hair and causing his tail to swing. This is a new power. It’s wind mixed with something, something that tickles. It’s floating down around him. Is it snow? It’s not cold enough for snow. Another blast. Chat darts, missing the brunt of the attack, but the white floating things keep falling around him. He’s about to call out a taunt to keep the akuma’s attention, but he feels his lungs constrict. He can’t breathe. Looking at his partner in a panic he sees Ladybug putting together a makeshift fishing rod from her lucky charm and items she has gathered from a street vendor’s cart. She casts it out and hooks the cape fluttering behind Looney Ben, the hiding place of the akuma butterfly. She reels and pulls, but something’s wrong. The line of the lucky charm breaks. That’s not supposed to happen. It’s never happened before. Her plan has failed! Ladybug’s plan never, ever fails.
Looney Ben smiles smugly, flexing his wings back. He’s targeting her now, Chat realizes. Without thinking he plants his baton and vaults high up into the air, landing right in front of her. As the wind knocks them both off of their feet, he wraps his body around her, twisting his body to take the brunt of the fall and protecting her head with his hands. Lying on the ground he can feel her panting against him, but he can’t move. No breath. His heart is pounding so fast. It hurts . As one settles on his shoulder, he realizes what they are now, the white things falling.
“ Feathers… ” he thinks, “ from Looney Ben’s wings. Superheroes should fly after all. Why can’t I fly? Oh, right...cat’s don’t fly. Just as well, I’m allergic to feathers anyway. ”
A wave of nausea hits him, overcoming his muddy thoughts, and he gasps, trying to breathe. Someone’s shouting. His head hurts. He hears a voice, but not with his ears. It’s inside his head.
“Now, I’ll show you your delusion!” the voice says.
The pain...in his head...blinding! His body spasms uncontrollably. His head hits something hard. More pain followed by a bright light. He squints. Voices, but this time around him, not inside him. He tries to concentrate on the voice, saying his name over and over again. He can feel himself being lifted up. It feels like he’s flying, then falling. Now, he’s still, lying down with his legs stretched out and something soft underneath his head. He can hear beeping. Is that his miraculous timing out? He’s going to transform back to Adrien. He needs to hide. No one can see his face. He opens his eyes, seeing someone he didn’t expect.
“Nathalie?” he asks in confusion. She’s his father’s assistant and in charge of his schedule, making sure he’s where he needs to be from school to private classes to photo shoots. What’s she doing in the middle of the akuma attack? She looks different, though. She’s wearing a white coat over her normal conservative black business suit. Her hair looks different, too, lacking the streak of red that highlights her otherwise black hair.
“Adrien? Can you hear me?” she asks.
He flinches. She knows his name, but he’s still transformed! Nathalie works for his father, she’ll tell him. She’ll tell Hawkmoth ! Fear floods his brain, spurring him to action. He tries to get up, to run or to fight, he’s not sure which, but hands press him back down. As he struggles he feel restraints being placed on his hands and then his feet. He’s being strapped down to a table or a bed, maybe? No matter, what does matter is that he can’t move, can’t escape! He can hear more voices, more words, but he can’t make them out; there are too many, all talking over each other. The light above him shines brightly, making his eyes tear. He closes them, straining against the brightness and the restraints.
“You’re okay. It’s okay,” she says. That’s a lie. He has to move. He has to go. More beeping. That’s definitely the timer on his miraculous. “You’re okay, Chaton. Breathe!”
The name registers and he stills. Only Ladybug calls him that. He opens his eyes.
“Ladybug?” he croaks. His throat feels sore and his mouth is dry. He blinks, grateful to see her there, hovering above him. “I thought…” he tries to explain, but she shushes him. With the back of her fingers she brushes his cheek.
“You okay?” she asks, a tremor in her voice. “You were gasping for air.”
He smiles. “You take my breath away, M’Lady,” he whispers hoarsely. His lungs still burn, but not as badly. The air is clear, no sign of feathers.
“You’re fine,” she concludes pushing his head off her lap with a laugh. Chat silently cheers. He made his lady laugh. Innocent flirting has always been part of their repartee. He knows that’s allowed. It’s the repeated confession of his love, that’s what he can no longer continue doing. “That akuma’s still out there. Can you fight?” she asks as she stands, searching the scene for where it might be hiding.
“Just give me a sec,” he says, shaking his head as if to rid the strange vision he had from his memory. He realizes he’s no longer on the street, but on a rooftop. How did he get there? His miraculous beeps and he looks at his ring. Only two pads left. “I need to recharge.”
“How is that possible?” she cries in surprise. “You didn’t use cataclysm.” Her own miraculous beeps.
He shrugs, standing hesitantly on his feet. He sways a bit, but catches himself with his baton. “You need to as well,” he says pointing to her earrings. She has three spots left.
“Feed your kwami and meet back here,” Ladybug states.
Chat gives a silent nod. Usually he’d make some quip about how he’ll be counting the minutes until he sees her again, but his mind is still too cloudy for him to fool around with clever word play. Using his baton, he drops down from the rooftop into an alleyway. Saying the magic words, he releases his transformation. He’s about to ask his kwami, Plagg, why his timer uncharacteristically ran out on his miraculous when he feels the world tilt beneath him. His vision is blurred and then blinded by light. A sharp pain stabs his head.
“Adrien?”
He’s back to lying horizontal. His arms and legs still bound to the bed. There’s an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.
“Breathe deeply,” the figure above him says. It’s not Ladybug or Nathalie this time. It’s someone else, wearing green scrubs. “Just relax,” he says, “I’ve got you.” The reflection off of the figure’s glasses obscures his features. Adrien can’t tell who it is, but the voice is familiar and...comforting. His glasses flash again, reflecting the light and blinding him. He closes his eyes.
“I’ve got you now .”
He opens his eyes, but the figure is gone, replaced with the akuma standing right in front of him in the alley way. Looney Ben smiles ominously. Reaching around to the small of his back for his baton, the blonde realizes he’s not transformed. He’s Adrien .
“Ladybug!” he yells, hoping his partner is nearby.
Looney Ben takes aim. “Give me your miraculous!” the akuma demands.
“I don’t have one,” he responds in confusion. Why would the akuma demand it from him now that he’s back to his normal self? Had he seen him release his transformation?
“LIAR!” Looney Ben shouts. Adrien cringes, not knowing what’s in store. Instinctively he ducks, shielding his head with his hands. A purple mask encases the face of the akuma and he cries out in pain.
“NO!!!!!” Looney Ben screams, “I have him! He’s what you need! What I need!” He runs toward the brick wall, slamming his forehead brutally against it. A red stain quickly forms as he chants, “Get out of my head! Get out of my head!”
For a moment Adrien stands there in shock, watching Looney Ben bash his brains against the brick wall, trying to wrench control away from Hawkmoth. Blood pours out his open wounds, down his forehead into his eyes and mouth.
“Father!” Adrien calls, hoping that whatever the akuma hears, Hawkmoth can hear as well. “Father, please! Stop this! I know what you’re doing, but... please! Stop! ” Tears streak his cheeks as he pleads.
The purple mask fades from Looney Ben’s face and he stops his self harm. He squares up in front of Adrien, taking aim once again. Adrien prays for nuts. Let it be nuts, let it be anything, just not feathers. Before Looney Ben can attack, his gold and red superhero outfit disintegrates. A young man, perhaps four or five years older than Adrien, is left standing in a thin, white hospital gown, tattered brown slippers, and a blue and white striped bath towel tied around his neck. A small black and purple butterfly hovers above his head and then flutters up, up, up into the sky.
Adrien blinks. He’s been spared. They both have.
“Wh-where?” Ben sputters. “What?” His dull green eyes squint against the bright sunlight, keeping him from knowing where he stands. He brushes a hand through his tangled and bloodied blond hair and then down his neck. Both arms wrap protectively around his core. He looks scared.
“It’s okay,” Adrien says calmly and quietly, placing his hands up in a surrender position. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to harm you.”
---o---
Using his phone Adrien contacts the police, who in turn contact the local hospital. They find out that the akuma victim, Ben, is a patient at Maison Blanche, a mental institution. Suffering under a delusion that he is a superhero, Ben, according to his doctor, Dr. Cinglé, had gone off his meds and had an outburst, making him susceptible to Hawkmoth’s powers. Adrien watches as Dr. Cinglé and two orderlies gently talk Ben into a waiting ambulance.
Ladybug, who had returned to the scene, expecting to meet her partner to finish the battle, is surprised to find Adrien there. She’s unwilling to talk to him for some reason, brushing past him brusquely. Standing a little bit apart from the rest, he watches as the police fill her in on all that happened in her absence. She still has the broken lucky charm in her hand.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” a police officer that Adrien recognizes as the father of one of his classmates asks him.
“Well, actually...” he hems, nervously rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
The officer points at the patrol car. “Get in. I’ll drive you.”
He complies, knowing he doesn’t have a good argument that any reasonable person would believe. Officer Raincomprix is a nice enough fellow and a fairly competent cop. As such, he would want some kind of proof to back up an accusation, but he has no evidence of his father’s true identity. Ladybug wouldn’t need any proof, she’d take Chat Noir at his word. He’d have to wait to tell her. He hopes he won’t have to wait too long to do so.
“ Father knows ,” he thinks. “ He knows I know who he is .” He swallows hard, trying to hold back tears. Worry eats at his stomach. He shouldn’t have called out to his father like that. The one piece of leverage Adrien had over Garbiel was that the supervillia didn’t know that Adrien knows he’s Hawkmoth. That was gone now, traded to momentarily stop his control of the akuma victim. School is the last place he should be going. It’s where his father would surely find him. Adrien wonders how much trouble he is in and what punishment he would have to endure. There’s a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he already knows the answer to that question. He’ll take his miraculous and then he’ll be halfway to his goal. “ This is what you get for not telling Ladybug when you had your chance .”
As the car pulls away, he sees Ladybug launch her lucky charm up into the air. He can’t hear her over the police siren, but he knows she’s casting the Miraculous Ladybug spell, fixing everything that the akuma damaged.
---o---
By the time Adrien and the officer arrive at his college, classes had already resumed. The all clear signal being sounded roughly 10 minutes ago, notifying those in the surrounding area that it was safe to return to normal activities, since the akuma had been cleansed. Or, at least that was what everyone assumed.There wasn’t a different signal for Hawkmoth having simply recalled his akuma and ending the battle abruptly. That had never happened before today.
The officer escorts him into class even though Adrien tries to insist that it isn’t necessary. At their appearance Mlle. Bustier pauses mid-sentence. All eyes are on him. The entire class lets out an “ooooh-oooh!” at seeing him being brought in by the police. The officer quietly explains to Mlle. Bustier why Adrien’s late and she signals for him to take his seat. He slides into the first row, keeping his head low. Normally, Nino, his best friend, would offer a fist bump as a greeting, but he wasn’t his best friend anymore, so he receives instead what could only be described as a disdainful tsk. Alya, sitting one row above him, shoots him daggers with one look. Chloe, his oldest friend, sitting across the aisle from him, pointedly sniffs the air and turns away, crossing her arms in front of her. The officer finally leaves but not before exchanging a wave and smile with his daughter. Mlle. Bustier resumes her lecture and Adrien tries to pretend that everything is fine despite his profuse sweating and the rapid pounding of his heart. He splits his attention between the door to the classroom and the window looking out onto the street. He anticipates the arrival of his father at any moment. He needs to get out of here.
Suddenly standing, he blurts, “Toilet!” Mlle. Bustier stops her lecture, looking up in confusion from her notes. His classmates giggle at his outburst. “I need the toilet,” he says more calmly. His teacher merely nods and indicates with her hand that he should go.
“Watcha need your bag for?” Alix calls from behind him, noting he still had his messenger bag looped over his head and one shoulder. He’d forgotten that he’d been carrying it this whole time, since it vanished when he transformed and his mind had been too occupied while untransformed.
“Maybe he’s not coming back,” Kim suggests.
“Good,” Alya huffs.
Adrien pays them no mind, eager to be free of the classroom and soon free of the school. If he can get out, then he can transform and hide until he can make contact with Ladybug. Maybe, if he’s lucky, she’s still at the scene of the akuma battle. Without even breaking his stride he grabs the hall pass from his teacher’s desk. He jumps what feels like 3 meters into the air as he comes face to face with Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It’s only by sheer luck they didn’t run into each other. She apparently is also late returning to class. For a second, she stands there immobilized by the unexpected sight of him, but then her eyes widen in recognition and fill with tears. She lowers her head, pulling one pigtail across her reddened cheek to hide her discomfort.
“Do you have a reason for being late, Marinette?” the teacher asks.
The girl can only shake her head in response, probably not trusting her voice to answer. Adrien curses himself. He knows he’s the reason for her distress. He has hurt her and, what’s worse is that he had done it on purpose.
When he arrived at school this morning, earlier than usual due to rushing through breakfast and hurrying his driver, he had hoped to find an empty classroom so he could finally talk to his kwami. So many questions ran through his mind.
“ How the fuck is my father Hawkmoth? Does he know who I am? Does he know who Ladybug really is? Is she in danger? Am I? What am I going to do? Should I tell Ladybug? How can I not tell Ladybug? What is she going to do? I’m going to have to fight my father, aren’t I? How am I going to fight my own father? Maybe he’ll listen to reason? Maybe if I just talk to him? No, that’s stupid, he’ll never listen to me. Maybe he’ll listen to Ladybug...or Nathalie? Oh God, does Nathalie know? Does Gorilla? Fuck! He’s going to jail. I’m going to lose my father on top of losing my mother. Why the hell did he do this? All those people...he has hurt so many people! ”
To his dismay, when Adrien walked into his classroom he found it filled already with every single one of his classmates. His eyes went wide in surprise.
“Morning,” he blurted, nervously rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. They all stared at him in awkward silence as if the words “Son of Hawkmoth” were tattooed across his forehead. With an anxious chuckle, he immediately turned around to escape to somewhere else, anywhere else, but Alya caught him by the arm.
“Hang on there, Sunshine,” she called with a twang in her voice. She slung an arm around his neck. “Marinette’s got somethin’ to tell ya.”
Adrien’s eyes focused on the raven-haired girl sitting before him. She looked ill to the point that Adrien was afraid she might keel over. There was sweat on her brow, making her bangs stick. Her eyes were wide and she’d chewed her bottom lip to such an extreme that it looked puffy, red, and raw.
“A-Adrien,” she stuttered out. Her arms flailed at her sides, but she managed to stand. WIth eyes downcast she squeaked out something unintelligible.
He should have just left it at that. He should have said, “Okay,” and left. Old habits die hard they say. What could be a more knee jerk reaction then to say, “What?” after not understanding what someone just said. That’s what Adrien did. And, that was a mistake.
He’s forcing her to repeat her words and she wasn’t prepared for that. Saying it the first time was hard enough. She visibly swallowed hard. Adrien was sure she was going to faint. The other kids in class encouraged her. “Come on, Marinette!” “Tell him!” “You can do it!” they all said.
“Go on, Dupain-Cheng!” Chloe scoffed. “Tell him. I dare you!”
“Yeah, we dare you!” Sabrina echoed from behind her blonde friend.
Adrien tried to discourage her, telling Marinette that she could tell him later, no big deal. Too late. It’s the challenge of her nemesis that lit a fire in Marinette’s eyes. She screwed up her courage, fists balled at her side, locking her eyes on Adrien. For a moment he forgot how to breathe, the very sight of her took Adrien’s breath away. He hasn’t seen her look at him like that since the first day they met, when she mistakenly thought he’d planted chewing gum on her seat. He didn’t know what he’d done this time or what she was going to say, but he knew he was in for it.
“ I’m doomed ,” he thought.
“Adrien,” she said, clearly and without the slightest tremor or stutter.
He waited, holding his breath. Everyone in the room seemed to lean in closer. Rose, in her excitement, hopped up and down from her vantage point a few tiers above them as she held her girlfriend’s hand. Nathaniel’s head was buried in his sketch pad, looking up only periodically to reference the scene before recording Adrien’s inevitable demise for posterity. Max kept pushing buttons on his graphing calculator and shaking his head, no doubt calculating Adrien’s chance of survival. He couldn’t help but wonder how bad the odds were against him. He suddenly realized that Alya had let go of his neck and had backed up a step while pushing him forward at the same time. He cringed slightly, knowing the worst was to come.
“I like you.”
Adrien blinked. Surely he’d misheard her.
“I like you, Adrien,” Marinette repeated.
A sunny smile spread across his face as his shoulders relaxed. “I like you, too, Marinette,” he replied. She beamed brightly as pink spread across her cheeks. “Afterall, you are one of my closest friends.”
The whole room groaned. Nino’s hands covered his head, which was the only thing that prevented Alya from taking his hat and eating it out of frustration. Alix slapped her forehead with her hand. Kim shook his head disapprovingly. The calculator dropped from Max’s hands with a thud. Rose stopped her bouncing, Juleka rolled her eyes, while Mylene shared a knowing look with Ivan. Obnoxious snickering from Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila filled his ear. Undeterred, Nathaniel continued to frantically draw, intent on capturing every emotion. Adrien knew he had said the wrong thing, based on their reactions, but worst of all was that the smile that had made Marinette shine so brightly had completely disappeared, replaced with worry lines across her face. She started chewing her bottom lip again.
“No, see…” Rose piped up, “she like likes you.”
“ Like likes? ” he thought, not understanding.
“Ugh! What are we? Ten?” Chloe asked rhetorically in exasperation. “She’s in love with you!”
“She’s not in love with me!” Adrien chuckled. He had already asked Marinette weeks ago if she had a crush on him. When Jagged Stone taped a baking show at her house, the rocker and the camera crew accidently stumbled into her bedroom. As a result, he, as well as the rest of the viewing audiece, had seen lots of modeling photos of him hung up on her bedroom wall . However, when he asked her about it, Marinette had flatly denied having any romantic feelings for him, explaining that she had those photos only because she’s a fan of fashion, not him. Her answer hadn’t hurt his feelings, since he’s in love with Ladybug. Actually, he didn’t really think Marinette liked him, since he knew she had gone on a date with Luka. He just wanted to tease her a little bit.
“Um...actually…” the nervous girl squeaked as she nibbled on her lip.
“Wait...you do?” he asked in surprise, his laughter dying in his mouth.
She nodded her head and then anxiously looked at him. The whole room looked at him. Waiting. For him to say something. Anything.
“Oh,” was all he’s able to manage, the shock, silencing him. A tinge of pink grew across his cheeks. It was certainly flattering to think that she liked him, both sides of him as a matter of fact, since she had also confessed to Chat Noir not all that long ago. She looked decidedly more nervous to tell Adrien than Chat Noir.
“Dude…” Nino breathed and gestured for him to say something more.
His eyes flicked to all of the expectant faces. They had to do this with an audience? No wonder Marinette looked nervous. He felt nervous, too, his hand reaching up on its own accord to rub the back of his neck to stall for time. He didn’t want to hurt her. He really did like her, just not that way. He loves Ladybug, even if she doesn’t love him. In his heart he knows that his spotted partner is the only girl for him. He knows he’s meant to protect her, to love her, to be by her side. To date Marinette when he feels this way about his lady would be unfair to her and she deserves to be loved whole-heartedly.
“Could we...um, talk privately?” he asked Marinette, gesturing toward the classroom door. He’d just have to let her down easily. That shouldn’t be too hard. He’d already rejected her when she confessed to his superhero alter ego. She had taken it well then. He would just say the same thing and all would be fine. They would still be friends. Afterall, he was still friends with her as Chat Noir.
“Ha! I knew it!” Chloe cheered snidely. “There’s no way Adrien would ever date you, Dupain-Cheng.”
“Yeah, no way!” Sabrina agreed, shaking her head violently.
“Shut up, Chloe!” Alya snapped.
Adrien threw his blonde friend a harsh look. “Seriously, Chloe? Can you just stay out of it?”
“Don’t feel bad, Marinette,” Lila condescended with a pat on her shoulder. “Adrien’s used to a certain caliber of women: glamorous, beautiful, charming. That’s why he asked me out. He can’t help how he feels anymore than you can. Besides, unrequited love is so pathetic. Best you know the truth.”
“The truth?” Adrien scoffed. “That’s rich coming from you, Lila.”
Everyone except Marinette and Chloe gasped in surprise.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alya accused with her hands on her hips.
He could feel the cold hard stares from his classmates. Oh, Adrien had done it now! He’d messed with the class’s sweetheart. Nevermind that she’s a total liar. He looked to Marinette for help; she’s the only other person that knows Lila hasn’t told the truth once since she started attending their college. He saw only hurt and confusion in Marinette’s eyes. The flame that had burned so brightly just a moment ago having been doused by his retitance to affirm her love.
He straightened, throwing his shoulders back, deciding not to back down. Normally, he’d let Lila get away with her lies because they were only told to either make herself look good or sympathetic. But, now she’s telling lies to hurt Marinette and he wouldn’t stand for that, especially since his silence would make him compicent in the lie he knew not to be true. “You know perfectly well we did not go out on a date, Lila. Nor would I ever date you.”
“I can’t believe you would deny it!” Lila cried, fake tears forming in her eyes. “You told me I was special! You’re the liar!”
“Whatever, Lila,” he sighed, finding it not worth the effort to fight her. She would say and do whatever she pleased, but he didn’t have to stand there and take it. “I’m done with this.” He turned to go, choosing to wait in the bathroom until the bell rings for class.
“Adrien?”
He turned back, finding Marinette still waiting for a reply. His face softened and he bowed his head slightly, hoping that she will understand. “I’m sorry, Marinette, but…”
“But you’re not good enough,” Chloe filled in. “It’s ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! You and Adrien! Ha! As if Gabriel Agreste would ever allow his only son to date you!”
A protest was on the tip of Adrien’s tongue. He wanted to silence Chloe once and for all. To say to her in front of everyone that actually he’s not good enough for Marinette because she’s wonderful: smart, talented, pretty, funny, kind, thoughtful, brave, and so many more adjectives that would take too long to list. But, he swallowed down his words.
It’s his father’s name that stopped him, catching him off guard. For a moment, he had forgotten, too consumed by the drama of the current scene, but now it all came crashing down around him. His father is Hawkmoth. His father is dangerous and by association, Adrien is dangerous...to everyone he knows, everyone he cares about. He looked around the room at his friends and classmates. Every one of them had been akumatized by his father, everyone except Marinette. Maybe he can save her. Maybe he can save them all.
“I’m in love with someone,” he said simply to the trembling girl before him. “But, it’s not you, Marinette.”
“Exactly!” Chloe crowed.
“It’s not you either, Chloe,” he continued. “Nor you, Lila. Not any of you.” He looked down at the floor, gathering the courage to say what he must, before raising his head with a determined gaze. “None of you are good enough...not even to be my friend.”
“Dude! What the…”
Adrien cut Nino off before he can finish, “My friends, my true friends wouldn’t ambush me like this! They wouldn’t back me into a corner.”
“That’s not what we’re doing!” Alya argued.
“I never should have come to this school. I never should have lowered my standards to such depths. To be friends with you…” He had to do it. For their sake, he had to push them away. “...you, low-class scum ! That really is ridiculous!”
A din of discord exploded around him. He couldn’t make out they’re words, but he shouted them down anyway.
“You’re wannabes! Always striving for attention! Trying to be noticed, but you’re worthless!” he cried, pointing at Marinette, Nino, and Alya. “Or, posers! Always bragging and lying! Claiming to be the best, but achieving nothing!” he shouted, calling out Chloe and Lila. “And you, not even interesting enough to be worth knowing!” he gestured to the rest of the group. “You’re just background, space fillers. If you dropped dead, no one would care or even notice!”
The group lurched toward him and he knew he’s about to get punched or worse. It would just be a matter of who would get to him first: Kim or Ivan or Alix, or most likely Alya. He braced himself for what he deserved.
“STOP!” a voice cried out just as he felt rough hands take hold of him. “What is going on here?” Mlle. Bustier asked, swiftly hurrying through the classroom door. Her students erupted with accusations, fingers pointing at him. The teacher tried to calm them, so that she can understand what happened and try to arbitrate a reconciliation. Her efforts were cut short by the sound of the akuma warning alarm. Anxiously, Adrien looked around him, wondering if he had gone too far. He had only meant to dissuade them from being his friend any longer, not to get them akumatized. He felt relieved to find that none of them had been evilized by his father. Alya announced after a quick check of her phone that a Ladyblog tipster reported that an akuma had been seen at the mental hospital, about four blocks away. With quick efficiency Mlle. Bustier hustled them out of the classroom, encouraging them to hurry to safety at the assembly point.
“Saved by the bell,” Kim snarked at him as he brushed past him, hitting him with his shoulder.
“To be continued,” Alix promised, slapping her fist into the palm of her other hand.
“Oh, Adrien!” was all that Rose managed to say, as Juleka led her away. The rest just ignored him as they filed past him, Chloe with her nose in the air and Lila still fake crying.
“I thought I knew you, Dude,” Nino sighed hoarsely. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Stay. Away. From. Us.” Alya crisply commanded as she led Marinette with one hand on each shoulder.
The broken hearted girl’s red rimmed eyes never left him as she moved away. “This isn’t you,” Marinette whispered. Her words echoed in his ears as he stood alone in the now emptied classroom. Surprisingly, it’s Plagg that reminded him there’s an akuma loose and he should be transforming.
After the akuma battle Adrien hadn’t really expected to be returning to school, but Officer Raincomprix had other plans for him. Now, coming face to face with Marinette again, a mere hour after his rejection of her, he can still hear her words, “This isn’t you.”
She’s not moving. Neither is he. Standing just in front of the threshold, Marinette is blocking his only exit. Similarly, Adrien’s position is preventing her from taking her seat. They are at an impasse. He wants to tell her how sorry he is. He wants to take back all of those hateful words he said earlier. He wants to apologize and beg her to forgive him, to be his friend again.
“Marinette?” Mlle. Bustier prompts. “You can take your seat now. Adrien, you may use the bathroom.”
Now, he remembers. He was in the process of making his escape when he ran into Marinette.
“Better hurry before you piss yourself,” Kim jeers. The class bursts into laughter despite their teacher’s scolding. Awkwardly, but quickly Marinette scoots past him and hurries to her seat next to Alya.
He should be leaving. Why won’t his feet work? A bright light fills his vision and his world tilts.
“Time for your drugs,” a figure dressed in green standing to one side of him says. It startles Adrien and he jumps in surprise. The figure’s holding a clear plastic bag that contains some fluid, which he’s hooking on to something shiny above him and just out of his line of sight. The bag hovers, swaying slightly. He tries to understand what’s going on.
“Wha?” Adrien asks, but before he receives a response the light flashes again, blinding him for a brief moment.
“I said ,” Nino replies hautily, “‘If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were on drugs.’” His classmates laugh at that, but it doesn’t register with the blond. Adrien stares at Nino, bewildered with eyes blown wide. He’s had another vision... after Ladybug casted her Miraculous Ladybug charm.
“It can’t be,” Adrien mumbles to himself. This shouldn’t be happening. The charm always puts everything back as it was before the akuma. Something’s wrong. He looks around him in wonder. A moment ago he had been lying flat on his back in what he now realizes is a hospital. How did he get back in his classroom? How did he leave in the first place? “I need…” he moans, holding his head. It’s so confusing, the moving back and forth between two places, two worlds, two...realities? He looks up, finding Mlle. Bustier’s concerned face.
“I think you should go to the nurse, Adrien,” his professor instructs him. “Can someone please escort him?”
“No!” he practically yells, flinching away from her, but then remembering himself he says more quietly and with a nervous laugh, “I can find it myself.” He hurries out the door and down the hall. Pausing only to ditch his phone in a hallway trash can, he heads straight out the side door. He needs help, but not the kind of help that the school’s nurse can provide.
“ I gotta find Ladybug ,” Adrien says to himself. In the alleyway, he transforms and leaps away using his baton.
If he had been paying attention, Chat Noir might have seen his family’s town car pull up to the curb outside of the school. A moment later a tall, platinum blond figure emerges with a very sober expression.
“We need to find Adrien, Nathalie,” Gabriel Agrestse states matter-of-factly. His keen blue eyes scan the front facade of the school. “We need to find him now .”