Chapter Text
"To prepare you all for your upcoming academic career placements, you will all be receiving questionnaires to fill out regarding your study options after school," Miss Bustier announced to the class before handing a stack of papers to Marin, who handed them out to the class. "This form is meant to give you all an idea of what career you may like to pursue in the future." Everyone in the class started talking amongst themselves as excitement filled the room. One voice then spoke out over all of them in a condescending tone.
"Utterly useless!" Chloé announced as Sabrina caught the questionnaire that Chloé crumpled and tossed aside. "I already know what I want to be when school is over: rich, because I'm already rich! Careers are for the poor and uneducated!" She laughed aloud as the rest of the class rolled their eyes at her most recent commentary.
Miss Bustier gestured for Chloé to sit down, which the girl did begrudgingly with a frown. "You know, Chloé, people are defined by their choices and what they decide to do with their lives. That's why I'm asking you to start defining yourselves by deciding what you want to do later on. It's not just about your future careers, but also what you want out of your life." Chloé scoffed at her teacher's words but said nothing more. "If some of you aren't sure yet about what you want to do, the Paris Career Expo will be held this afternoon in various locations throughout the city! You'll meet professionals who can tell you about their careers!"
"How unfortunate for Chloé that 'school bully' isn't an option on the roster," Alya remarked as Marin sat down next to her. Unfortunately, Marin couldn't suppress a chuckle and instantly slapped his hand over his mouth. Glancing in Chloé's direction, he saw she was staring daggers at him but didn't say a word.
Alya remained unfazed and instead eagerly asked Marin a follow-up question. "So you wanna go for treats after class?"
"Maybe..." Marin shrugged his shoulders, hoping that his Kwamis wouldn't get themselves into trouble if he did leave.
"Do you two already know what you're going to do with your future careers?" Adrien cut into their conversation, looking at them curiously while holding the fill-in sheet in his hands.
"Yeah, dude, everyone in the class already knows," Nino pointed out. "Well, almost everyone." Four sets of eyes landed on Chloé, who was now in her own bubble, setting aside the paper to fix her makeup while Sabrina had to hold up the mirror and lighting for her. "Are we sure that 'supervillain' isn't an option for her?"
"Come on, Nino. That's pretty mean," Adrien pointed out, shaking his head.
"Everyone knows that she's really good at it. And what's a career if not a reflection of our personality?" Alya pointed out, not noticing that her words struck a chord with Adrien. Marin noticed that his friend was looking down, but before he could ask, he received a text on his phone. He clicked on the light blue icon and scanned over the text curiously but then immediately put it away when he realized that he was still sitting next to his friends.
"Who was that?" Alya asked. For her, it was a simple question, but Marin suddenly felt anxious as he clutched his phone like it was a life preserver.
"Uh... um. Just Luka." He stammered out a response and then realized he made a critical mistake as Nino's eyes lit up with excitement and an overly cheerful grin.
"Just Luka, you say?" Nino asked cheekily as now it was Marin's turn to stare daggers at him. Telepathically, he was yelling at him not to say a word, much to Adrien and Alya's confusion. "Seems like you two are getting awfully chummy..."
"Really?" Alya's expression mirrored her boyfriend's and now Marin had two sets of mischievous eyes on him. He looked to Adrien for any help but faltered as his best friend just stared with a blank expression—there wasn't a thought behind those gorgeous green eyes.
"...Y-yes," Marin rasped out. He then grabbed his backpack and sped out of the classroom just as the bell rang. Both Alya and Nino looked at each other grinning as Adrien continued to look on in confusion.
Adrien sat in his room, reading through the career fair pamphlet over and over again. There were so many choices that looked interesting but ultimately he knew it was useless to dream. Plagg hovered over his shoulder looking down at the same pamphlet with a more honest reaction.
"What's the use of looking through this? Don't you want to continue being a model? It's easy for you."
"I'm only doing it now because my father wants me to. I don't want to be a model my whole life. But I also don't know what else I could do," Adrien admitted as he stretched out on his couch while Plagg sat on his chest. "I've always been told what to do so I've never thought I'd have the opportunity to be anything other than what my father wants."
Plagg's ear twitched. "Well just stick to what you know! You could just continue being Chat Noir. We'd be official co-workers! Once we retire we could be public about who you really are and then open up a cheese shop!" Plagg's mouth started to water at the thought of his castle filled with cheese.
"That'll never happen. We'd run out of stock before we'd even open the store," Adrien informed, poking his Kwami's nose.
Plagg then thought to himself for a few seconds before conceding. "I suppose that's true. What's a job that'll pay you in cheese?"
Adrien chuckled at his Kwami's remark before his smile quickly faded. "Now that Ladybug is the Guardian and taking care of the Kwamis, do you think he'll become like Fu?"
Plagg looked at him curiously. "What do you mean 'Like Fu'?"
"When Fu was the guardian, he went into hiding to protect the Miracle box. Now that Ladybug is guardian, what if he decides to do the same thing? Would he stop being Ladybug?"
"Never gonna happen," Plagg immediately said with great certainty. "Ladybug would never, ever in his life go away and disappear into hiding." Adrien perked up, hoping to hear some reassurance from his partner. "Because he loves us Kwamis, and I'm the best Kwami," Plagg said proudly, puffing out his chest. "So long as I'm with you, he's never gonna leave you alone."
Adrien partially wondered how truthful Plagg was being. He didn't doubt Plaggs' honesty but neither had any real insight to how Ladybug thought things through. If it did come down to it, Adrien was certain that Ladybug would choose the Kwami's over him every time. It was a truth that wasn't shocking in the slightest but still made his heart sore.
"Ah ha, Thanks Plagg. Let's go check out the food booths. I'm sure we could find a cheesemonger if we wanted to." He jerked his head to his backpack and the Kwami disappeared inside. Adrien put on his backpack and ran to the foyer to leave for the career fair. Just as his hand was on the door, a cold voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Adrien." His father took a single step outside his study and approached him with his usual scowl. "Where are you going?"
Adrien stood before his father, holding his head up but feeling small under the gaze of his stern guardian. "Father, I was thinking about my future and-"
"There is no need for you to concern yourself with such matters. Nathalie and I have already ensured that you will remain on the path to becoming the ideal Agreste," Gabriel responded abruptly and immediately, shutting down any notion that Adrien had a choice in the matter. Adrien opened his mouth to respond but couldn't bring himself to say a word after hearing his father's certainty.
"I was going to say I should be more proactive in my studies. So during my free period, I was going to the library..." Adrien became disheartened at his father's response and became even more distressed after his father believed his lie so easily.
"Very well. Your bodyguard will escort you on your way out. Ensure that you return for your tutoring sessions. I expect full marks on your upcoming exams."
"Yes father..." Adrien said lamely while his father walked back into the office, locking the door behind him.
As soon as the coast was clear, Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's collar, looking between the closed door and his partner. "Sooo...we're not going to study, right?"
"No way," Adrien said immediately, much to Plagg's relief, as he opened the front door and sprinted out towards the train station."
Marin was tinkering with the secret compartment of his sewing box while Pollen and Tikki hovered over his shoulder. He had a few opened texts on his phone that informed Alya and Nino that he wouldn't be attending their ditch-the-career-fair gathering.
"Aren't you going to the career fair?" Tikki inquired, looking at the pamphlet that the Guardian had tossed aside.
"No. I don't need to. ," Marin said promptly. "My future is already planned out so it would just be a waste of time."
"But what about preparing for your future like your teacher said?" Tikki followed up, garnering the attention of the rest of the Kwamis who were playing together.
"I already know what I'm going to be," Marin said in turn, continuing to work without missing a beat. He hoped that it would be the end of the career conversation, but with curious fairies flying around, it was a fleeting dream.
"Dear Guardian, what's a career fair?" Pollen asked, hovering closer to Marin curiously. His fluffy collar tickled his shoulder, making him giggle.
"It's uh, like a job. A job that you do almost every day until you retire, or move on," Marin said simply as he poked Pollen's cheeks, much to the little bee's amusement.
Roaar and a few other Kwamis listened in on the explanation and flew closer. "So is your job being the Guardian of the Miraculous?!"
Marin lifted his head curiously at his inquisitive Kwami's all of them started to
"No no! His job is being a student! He does it every day!" Mullo countered.
"No! It's picking up a new hobby every week!" Xuppu pointed out.
"But he should do what he's best at! And that's making crafts!" Longg added, landing atop Marin's head.
"Well sure, I like all those things but they're not my job-"
Kaalki shouted over all of her siblings. "His real career is being Ladybug and to carve his name in the pantheon of previous holders through glorious exploits!"
"SILENCE KWAMIS! Your words are overwhelming." Sass abruptly yelled out, quieting all of his siblings. "Dear Guardian, what is the real important task that will bring meaning to your life?"
Marin was speechless. He opened his mouth to respond to the Snake Kwami, but nothing came out. "I…It's simple." He squeaked out. "I'm going to become a fashion designer one way or another. Even if I'm stuck just selling stuff online, I'll work towards opening up my own store, like my parents did."
"But why do you want to become a fashion designer?" Sass followed up, his yellow eyes didn't waver away from the pressing question at hand. "A single choice can be the deciding factor in how your life's path will be decided."
"I…uh-" Marin stammered a few times trying to come up with a response, but ultimately he could only shrug his shoulders. "I'm going to leave now, and I don't want to hear any more about careers and the future. I know what my future is going to be, and it's going to be in fashion," Marin said more sternly to the floating Kwamis. "I'll be back at the end of the day, please be good."
"Okay bye I love you!" Daizzi yelled out, wildly waving just as Marin closed the door behind him from his room.
He sighed heavily while Tikki hid in his collar. "So you're going to the career fair?"
"YEAH I GUESS SO TIKKI," Marin said with snark as he quickly realized he was just peer pressured into leaving his room.
"Welcome to 'You Gotta Be Kidding!'"
In the middle of the career fair, Marin heard a voice booming on a microphone and saw an announcer speaking to a crowd. Curious, he walked over to observe Alec talking to a familiar face. "Today, we're live at the Paris Career Expo where I'm gonna be introducing you to the most pointless jobs ever! And to start off, here's a perfect example: André, the Ice Cream Maker, the ice cream man that is never around! Let me remind you how this goes: André doesn't have a shop, no one knows where he is, it takes forever to find him, and he gets to pick a flavor of your ice cream! You've gotta be kidding, André!" Alec pointed the microphone at the ice cream man. "Give me one reason why I should bother to chase after you when I could get my choice of ice cream in any corner supermarket!"
Everyone in the crowd started to laugh while Marin looked on at the display with some interest.
André remained unfazed by the announcer's jokes and donned a smile. "Well, people don't just come for ice cream when they find me. They come to share their love and experience of magical moments! A supermarket cannot do what I do! I am a creator of magical moments!"
Alec snidely laughed at the ice cream man, rolling his eyes. "Creator of magical moments? You've gotta be kidding! That's not a real job! That's just resume filler!"
Marin nodded in sullen agreement, crossing his arms as he edged away from the ice cream man. Bad and weird things seemed to happen when André the ice cream man popped up. This time he would take the initiative to steer clear.
"You're right, dear Alec. It's not a job, it's a career!" André challenged. "But you found me today! I have some ice cream just for you: lime for the sourness you show on the outside, and chocolate cinnamon for the sweet dreams that still live inside of you! One day, you too will figure out what you really want to be!" He showed Alec a customized ice cream that was made especially for him. However, the announcer recoiled back and waved away the cameraman who never stopped filming.
"Cut! CUT!" André stomped off with his ice cream in hand muttering under his breath about ratings.
Tikki popped her head out of Marin's collar. "Maybe you should ask André about his job! He seems very passionate about his work, just like you!"
"Haha." Marin immediately shut down that notion. "No. No thanks. Not even the promise of magical ice cream could get me near that guy-"
"Buongiorno Marinus!"
Marin immediately tensed up at the sound of his full name being shouted out in a crowded area. Tikki quickly hid away as the dreaded ice cream man approached with a happy smile.
"My dear Marinus, do you have an interest in becoming a curator of love-filled flavors?!"
Marin tried to find a way to get out of this conversation while being as polite as possible. "Well, I am at the fair to look around but I already know what my career is going to be so-"
André sighed loudly in wistful bliss. "That is what I believed as well. When I was a young man every morning, I would wake up and do something I didn't like doing. The only enjoyable moment of my day was when I would come home and concoct ice cream flavors that suited my mood. Until one day, in the same way that ice cream enchanted my daily life, I wondered if my true calling would be to try and enchant other people's lives, too! That's when the truly successful career is: a blend of flavors of what you can do, what you love to do, and what you can bring to others!" He sang loud, presenting a unique ice cream. "Strawberry and cotton candy for the lad, pistachio and pecan for the clear-sighted young man."
Marin got chills up his spine as he specifically eyed the green of his supposed destiny ice cream. Every bone in his body told him to accept free ice cream, but his mind reminded him of the implications. "Nope. No. No thank you." Marin cut him off and tried to back away slowly. "I already have a- a thing I need to get to-" His escape was foiled as he walked back into someone whom he tripped over. He quickly turned around and was horrified to see that he knocked over Luka. Laid out on the ground were a few woodwind instruments and a few boxes.
"I'm so sorry, Luka!" Marin immediately apologized, helping to pick up the fallen instruments. He was all too certain that his face was bright red so he tried to hide his face as much as he could. He helped his friend up not realizing that they were holding hands until it was too late.
"Hi Mar." Luka smiled, ignoring that he was just tripped over. "I'm happy to see you."
Marin only nodded in return, suddenly unable to speak as a flood of familiar and unrelenting sheepishness bubbled up. There was a brief moment as the two shared a smile, looking at each other happily. André witnessed this scene and saw sparks.
"Ah, I see!" André's eyes lit up as he took the original cone back and had a new set of flavors. This set Marin off as he quickly realized the danger of this situation.
"UH! That's not needed, Luka and I are—" Marin bit his tongue, stopping himself from possibly making the situation worse…or better? He shook his head to try and stomp out his conflicting feelings but was grounded as he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Luka spoke clearly without a trace of hesitation. "Buddies! Best buddies."
Marin stared at him for a few seconds, feeling disheartened and guilty all of a sudden. He didn't have time to dwell, as it was clear that the ice cream man paid them no mind.
"A scoop of Matcha to remind about the bitterness of change, Cookies and Cream for an honest but clumsy heart, and Blue Moon to remind the soul to remember the excitement of mystery!" André presented a new cone that was far different from the original that Marin was presented with. He was ready to sprint away without a second thought on instinct. However, he was also reminded that he was the one who got himself into this situation.
Seeing that his friend was hesitant to accept the cone, Luka quickly responded. "We're not in a relationship. So we don't need an ice cream."
André looked between the two again, his spirit unchallenged as his smile broadened. "I see. But there is also equal value in a friendship and no harm in sharing magic between two good buddies." He prompted, almost putting the ice cream in their hands. In turn, Marin grabbed his friend's hand with the instruments and started walking away.
Luka chuckled. "Thank you, André! Have a good day," he shouted back while still carrying the box of instruments.
André sighed happily, nodding to himself as he took a bite of ice cream. "Young love."
The two ended up walking hand in hand to a booth that was filled with exotic wooden instruments along with modern ones. Surrounding them there was no one who took any real interest in the instruments and instead were more curious about the flashier booths. Luka smiled at Marin and placed the box of wooden instruments on the desk of the booth.
"I was surprised to see you." Marin remarked shyly, still embarrassed from the earlier incident. "What are you doing here at the career fair?"
"I'm in charge of my school's booth. As a display, I'm informing people on the care and production of stringed instruments. But-" Luka looked around at the other booth's who all had small crowds and smiled wryly. "It doesn't look like there's alot of appreciation for my craft."
Marin shook his head immediately. "No way. People love music and these instruments are so beautiful."
A smile dawned on Luka's face. "Thanks. I think more people are so used to seeing these instruments everywhere they forget how much love goes into making them." Luka gestured towards a wall of the booth that was filled with exotic instruments from international countries. "I worked hard to study all about the techniques that go into making these. I'm grateful that at least one person can see their beauty." Luka smiled, as he noticed Marin took notice of one instrument in particular that was sitting on a shelf. "Are you interested?" He asked taking it off the shelf and holding it out to him.
Marin was taken aback and hesitated. "It's uh-" He stumbled over his words as he scratched the back of his head. "It's just those I haven't seen one of those in Paris before. "Just as he was about to take it an obnoxious voice broke through.
"Weirdo wooden instruments? How outdated!" Alec popped on the scene with his cameraman holding up his phone. "These days you can just make music for free! Why spend hundreds on something that's just a hassle to carry around?!" Alec then pointed to the instrument in Luka's hand and then loudly laughed, drawing a crowd around them. "That's that some kind of noisy hammer? Sounds like we've got another pointless job on the list everyone!"
The crowd around them started to laugh at Alec's quips. Marin frowned, taking the instrument from Luka's hand and putting it in the empty box out of sight.
"There's no need to be ashamed." Luka promrised, patting his friend's shoulder. He then turned to Alec, unbothered by his comments. He took out a violin that was sitting nearby, placing it into the box started walking to the riverfront. "Follow me."
Alec for his part was surprised, sharing a look with Marin but then followed silently along with the cameraman.
Outside the career fair, the small group watched Luka stand on the sand. He looked down at the calm water, then at the breeze gently brushing against the leaves of the palm trees. He lifted the violin onto his shoulder. The breeze echoed through the crevices of the instrument, playing a calm, simple note that was pleasing to hear.
"Musical instruments fill the space, and space fills the instruments. No phone in the world will ever be able to do that."
Alec scoffed. "That's a pretty sound, but very inconsiderate of anyone who wouldn't be able to afford it. A job that starts out with a person in debt for something that can break so easily is more of a burden than anything."
"That's why it's my dream to run a store that allows people not to be held back by money to learn. Music is something that's shared by everyone, not looked down upon," Luka responded to Alec but glanced at Marin.
"Cut! CUT!" Alec was wiping away tears and stomped off angrily without a second thought.
The cameraman dropped his camera, sighing heavily and following his boss.
"You're so sure of yourself," Marin said, more observant.
"I think the same about you," Luka complimented, placing the violin back into the box and taking out the instrument from earlier.
"Heh, you're just saying that," Marin said sheepishly as the pit in his stomach started to grow.
"Take it."
"Huh? What? No, I can't do that!" Marin rejected the gift, knowing its value to Luka as it was one of his instruments. "Doesn't it belong to your school?"
"It was one of the instruments I built during my study. I would be happy if you took it."
Marin looked down at the instrument now in his hands. Luka was a very sweet and generous person.
"I started practicing again when I traveled back to my hometown. I don't really enjoy playing... Everyone around here thinks it's weird. Case in point." Marin jerked his head back to Alec, who was sauntering off to find his next target. "You have a gift for saying the right thing in the moment," Marin remarked, shoving his hands in his blazer pockets. "How do you do it?"
Luka chuckled. "I don't see it that way. I just say what I'm thinking in the moment. It can lead to some problems sometimes." Luka lowered his head, his smile falling a little, laden with some guilt. "But if I may ask," Luka reached down into the box, taking out the instrument that Marin was looking at earlier, "why don't you like being yourself around other people?"
Marin stared at him, completely stunned at the heavy question asked without a second thought. He was slightly amused at the similarity between Luka and Sass, both able to ask questions that broke his brain. This feeling was eased without over a dozen Kwami's hovering around looking for answers. Now it was just him and his friend—and his Kwami who knew everything about him. Marin shrugged his shoulders, scratching the back of his neck. "It's just because of—"
"Adrien?"
Marin's face became red instantly. "What? No, nothing because of him! I mean, yes kinda, not overall no—"
Luka simply pointed, and Marin looked to see that Adrien was sitting by himself near the beach.
"Oh." Marin's knees started to shake as he quickly hid behind his taller friend. "He didn't see me, did he?"
"I don't think he saw either of us. He looks sad."
"You should talk to him. You're the best at talking," Marin prompted.
"It's okay if you want to check up on him. I don't mind," Luka said reassuringly.
"What? Why?" Marin shot him a confused look, his face starting to burn in embarrassment. "He's probably here to meet up with someone else."
"Let's keep him company until then!" Luka grabbed his hand, preventing his escape with a cheerful, but sinister smile.
"Wait, hold on!"
"Adrien!"
Adrien looked at the person calling out to him and was surprised to see Luka waving him down. Next to him was Marin, who looked equally surprised. He watched Luka pointing him out and Marin shaking his head a few times rapidly, but then Luka dragged him over without a second thought.
"Why the long face?" Luka asked.
Adrien looked up at his two friends, noticing that they were holding hands but said nothing about it. "I just made the rounds to every stand at the Paris Career Expo and I still don't know what I want to do. Nothing seems good enough."
"What does 'good enough' mean?" Luka inquired.
"Good enough to impress my father." Adrien sighed. "I have to choose something he'll approve of; otherwise, I know he'll just decide for I try to think about what I really want to do, nothing! My mind is empty!"
Both Luka and Marin exchanged a look before Luka sat down next to Adrien, giving him a comforting smile. "I've always felt that modeling wasn't really your true inner music."
"I've always been told what to do. I've been content so far doing that, but thinking about always doing what my father tells me isn't something I like the idea of," Adrien admitted. "I thought it was normal to follow in your parents' footsteps. You both have always been certain about your future, how did you decide that?"
"I don't know what I want for my future," Luka said easily. "Everyone assumes that I want to be a musician. Being a musician is not my career, it's my nature. What I want is for other people to be able to feel that music the way I do. That's why I wanted to be a stringed instrument maker; to make instruments so people can share their feelings in a way that's unique to them."
Luka then bumped Marin's shoulder gently, prompting him to speak.
Marin glanced at Adrien. "I've always liked to learn new things whenever I could. There were always limitations in what I could do. Sewing and making clothes came easy. So I decided that doing it, and making clothes other people can be happy with, is something that I want. No matter what, I want to make sure that being a designer becomes part of my future. It's safe and secure."
Luka placed a hand on both of his friends' shoulders. "Nothing is set in stone. What I hear is Adrien, and it sounds like it's being muffled by someone else playing a sad piano tune. It's beautiful and serene, but there's no heart. Your true melody is a happy one. Pretty rock and roll, actually. You two will eventually find what's already in front of you, but you can't hear it clearly. Just let the melody flow." Adrien's eyes brightened up. "But you, Marin, you just need to learn how to listen to your inner melody. Mar, at this moment, is a little bit like a brass band where... all the instruments are playing a simple tune. However, these instruments are constrained by their own player, afraid of playing louder. I totally get why you're lost. But if you listen a bit more closely, the music of your band is really beautiful. I wonder if you'll give yourself a chance." He then held out the wooden case right in front of him.
Marin's ears were bright red. He ducked his eyes away from Luka's bright smile and honeyed words. He opened his mouth to seemingly argue back but then sighed heavily. He took the instrument case in hand and opened it up to reveal an odd-looking instrument.
"What's that?" Adrien asked curiously, seeing Marin's face become more flushed.
"It's, uh... it's an Erhu. I used to play it a lot when I was a kid and picked it up again the last time I was in Shanghai."
"Why'd you stop playing?"
Marin shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno, it's weird looking and I got tired of people asking what it was and saying that there was no way it could play music." He remarked as he fidgeted with his hair.
Adrien stared at him for a few seconds. "Oh wow, that's sad. So you just stopped playing altogether?"
"It was just part of learning to be normal. I was raised abroad with my mom when I was a lot younger, and it was a struggle to adapt. I learned guitar from my grandpa, but it didn't feel the same, so I just stopped altogether."
"You were playing an instrument your heart didn't resonate with and yet it still was beautiful," Luka remarked, placing the violin on his shoulder. "Being honest with yourself is more fulfilling."
"Pft-Okay, music boy," Marin said more cheekily as the two started tuning their respective instruments.
The melody that the two instruments conveyed felt as though they were always meant to be played together. Adrien could feel the passion being conveyed from the two, filling up his heart with excitement and leaving him envious as well. He liked playing the piano; he was good at it. It was a handy skill he had mastered, every note was perfect, but on his own, he knew that his heart wasn't in it.
The song that echoed out garnered the attention of a few passersby who stopped to listen to the scenic music.
"Hey! Hi there, son!" The familiar-sounding crocodile yelled out at them with a joyful tone. All eyes turned to a crocodile that was walking on its hind legs.
"Dad?" Luka questioned, immediately grabbing Adrien's attention.
"DAD?!" Adrien rapidly looked between Luka and the talking crocodile, coming to terms with the odd implications. There was no time to follow up as boxes started to fall from the sky and jingle bells echoed out.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Santa Claus yelled out over the crowds of people running away from the heavy falling objects.
The three friends started to run away from the boxes, heading towards the cover of the career fair booths. Just then, Marin tripped over one of the fallen presents, dropping his instrument and falling face-first into the sand. When he lifted his head, a large shadow towered over him, and he was effectively terrified by a giant robot pointing a blaster at him.
"Robo Tech Ultimate Destructor will turn you into mush!" The robot announced as its blasters started to power up. Luckily, Luka quickly helped him up, grabbing his hand and leading him to the changing booths on the sand.
"Stay here, Mar!" Luka ordered, shutting the door before Marin could respond. "So, robot, where is this mush you were promising?" Luka taunted the robot before running off in another direction, grabbing its attention and leading it away from his friend.
"Tikki!" Marin called out, summoning his Kwami who was hiding in his sling bag. "I've gotta save Luka!"
"Because you love him?" Tikki asked cheekily, happily teasing her partner.
"What? No—I don't, I mean—" Marin then shook his head, quickly regaining his focus. "Tikki, Spots on!"
Luka evaded the giant robot's blasts until he was caught at a dead end. Between the wall and the robot, he had nowhere to run. He shut his eyes but then felt someone grabbing him, sweeping him off his feet. He was being carried by Ladybug and landed near a booth at the career fair.
"Thank you Ladybug." Luka said gratefully.
"You'll be safe here. Make sure to stay out of danger." The superhero warned before using his yo-yo to pursue the robot. As Luka saw that the robot was out of sight he dashed to the changing booths opening the door to where he stashed his friend, but it was empty- much to his shock.
"Marin?!" Luka called out with worry, looking around he couldn't spot Adrien either. He immediately grew worried for his friends and took out his phone to call them but to no avail.
"Help me! I don't know how to swim!"
Luka whipped his head to see the crocodile version of his father struggling to stay above water. He tossed his belongings to the side and then drove in after him.
"Hold on, Dad! I'm coming!"
Ladybug was evading the robot's blasts and punches within the city. The hero swiftly dodged them and used his yo-yo to bind the robot, preventing it from moving. Chat Noir then landed before the giant machine and used his extendable staff to knock it over, completely incapacitating it.
"Destroyer of... Dreams!" The robot exclaimed before powering down.
Ladybug narrowed his eyes as he looked at the giant fallen machine. "I don't think there's an Akuma or an Amok in this thing." He said to himself. He thought back to Heroes' day when there were numerous enemies running around under the control of Hawkmoth. This situation seemed different- more like a child's wish- "OW!" A present bounced off of his head as Santa Claus still flying through the skies of Paris.
"How many Santa's is that this year? Three?" Chat Noir remarked, landing next to his partner who was rubbing his head. Chat Noir patted his partner's head feeling if there was a bruise while Ladybug had to lower his head so his partner could reach. Suddenly the two heroes flinched as a man was screaming on the street- being chased by a man dressed in black swinging his cane around.
"Wishmaker will grant you your childhood dream!" The villain exclaimed, shooting a spark of light at a fireman who was running away.
The fireman was stunned like he was in a trance and then smiled. "When I was a child, I wanted to be a fireman and a cowboy!" The fireman exclaimed aloud and transformed into the subject of his desires. "Wow! I knew it was possible! Yee-hah!" The now fireman-cowboy exclaimed in excitement as he rode off into the sunset on his bright red fire horse.
Wishmaker swung his staff again, now aiming for another citizen until he was stopped by Ladybug's yo-yo. Wishmaker glared at the two heroes, holding onto his staff tightly. "Why are you trying to stop me? I'm making people happy!"
"You're shooting them with stars!" Ladybug shot back as he tried to pull the staff out of Wishmaker's hands.
"All I want is for people to live their dreams, even you two!" Wishmaker retorted, breaking the hold that Ladybug had over him by shooting his stars at the two heroes.
Chat Noir brandished his staff, looking at the villain in annoyance as he pointed out one of his victims. "Would you really call this a dream?"
"Look! Look! I'm a cucumber! Woo-hoo-hoo!" A giant cucumber was rolling down the hill, seemingly fully sentient but had no face.
Wishmaker simply scowled at the two heroes. "Try me, let me be your Wishmaker! Let me make all your dreams come true!" He then used his staff to send more stars at the two heroes. In response, the two used their weapons to shield themselves from the attacks using their weapons.
"Whatever happens, don't get hit by his stars!" Ladybug warned. "There's no telling what we could turn into."
"Noted!" Chat Noir shot back as Wishmaker intensified his attacks. Chat Noir pulled Ladybug's scarf, moving him out of the way of a star blast. Chat Noir then used his staff to carry them onto the rooftops where they were able to catch their breath.
"I don't remember what I wanted to be when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Ladybug-themed superhero!"
One of Chat Noir's ears twitched at his partner's response."You really don't remember?"
"I wasn't a whimsical kid," Ladybug responded back as they ran across the roofs. "What about you?"
Chat Noir's expression went blank at the question, unable to respond.
Ladybug in turn looked at him curiously, picking up on his normally talkative partner's silence. A feeling of dread began to creep over the hero the longer Chat Noir remained silent. He then tried to mirror his partner's usual playfulness. Nothing good ever happened when Chat Noir was quiet. "You probably wanted to be a fireman or something like your parents are." Ladybug prompted trying to cheer him up. Before Chat Noir could answer Wishmaker jumped after them giving them no time to collect themselves. Chat Noir jumped forward and used his staff to shield them from the now increasing blasts.
Ladybug wrapped his yo-yo around Chat Noir's waist, pulling him back just as a star was about to blast them, and then hid behind a nearby chimney. "There'll be no turning back if we're blasted by Wishmaker."
Chat Noir recognized what his partner was thinking about. "Viperion?" He asked hesitantly as Ladybug nodded.
"I think we're going to need the insurance," Ladybug spoke pragmatically. In the back of his mind lingered the feeling of the phantom that was seemingly following Luka the last time he took out the Snake Miraculous. "I'll just have to be extra careful."
Chat Noir nodded his head, trusting his partner's judgment completely. "I'll cover you!" Chat Noir then jumped back to where Wishmaker was rapidly approaching them while Ladybug used his yo-yo to jump to where he last saw his friend.
On the sandy beaches of the river, Ladybug jumped down to where Luka and his crocodile father were soaked and lying out on the sand.
"But Dad, crocodiles know how to swim," Luka pointed out, after clearly having to fish out his father from the water.
Jagged Stone laughed in turn. "I didn't when I was a kid."
Ladybug cleared his throat, signaling his presence to the two who lifted their heads.
"Mr. Croco-Jagged! I need a word with your son if that's okay with you," Ladybug said politely.
Jagged Stone gave two thumbs up while Luka stood up. "Rock and roll, Ladybug!"
Landing under a nearby roof adjacent to the growing chaos, Ladybug looked around, narrowing his eyes to ensure the coast was clear before taking out the snake Miraculous.
As Luka put it on, Sass was summoned before their eyes.
"It is good to see you again," Sass greeted.
"You too, Sass."
"Luka, you'll need to use Second Chance to make sure that if Chat Noir or I get hit, no one will remember our identities," Ladybug directed, grateful that Luka understood the weight of responsibility immediately, nodding his head in affirmation.
"Sass, scales slither!"
Ladybug nodded at Viperion and then threw his yo-yo in the air. "Lucky Charm!" From it fell a triceratops plushie with a ladybug print. "A dino-stuffie?"
"Saving the world with a stuffed animal? I like that idea!" Viperion said in amusement, poking the plushie. He noticed a genuine smile on Ladybug's face but said nothing as more blasts were heard from a distance.
Viperion pushed back his bracelet. "Second Chance!"
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," Ladybug said reassuringly before the two ran back to the riverfront.
Atop the bridge over the river, Chat Noir was continuing the fight against Wishmaker. Chat Noir continued to evade the attacks, laser-focused on the task at hand. The villain continued to throw stars at him, closing the gap between them so that he could swing his staff at the hero.
"Are you sure you don't want me to make your childhood dream come true?!" Wishmaker taunted as their weapons clashed against each other.
Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at the villain. "Don't waste your breath! I didn't have any dreams!"
Wishmaker smirked, grinning like a Cheshire cat at the hero. "You just need to get your memory back. Just let me help you, and your childhood dream will be revealed to you!"
Chat Noir's eyes widened as he could feel his staff slipping from his hands. He couldn't explain it himself, but he felt longing beginning to bubble to the surface.
"Chat Noir!"
He snapped out of his trance at the sound of his partner before being tackled to the ground.
"Get your head in the game!" Ladybug scolded immediately as he grabbed his partner's shoulders. Chat Noir was still gathering his thoughts before shaking his head.
"S-Sorry! I don't-" Chat Noir stammered before seeing Viperion covering them from the blasts. Ladybug didn't miss a beat before throwing his yo-yo at Wishmaker's staff, launching it a few feet away from the villain.
Ladybug then jumped to his feet, holding up the plushie over his head and yelling out to the crowds below. "Does this stuffed animal mean anything to anyone?!" He received a chorus of "no's," leading the hero to look around for other people. "Dang it," Ladybug muttered under his breath.
"Oh hey- that's a Dino Huggie!" A man in a red beret across the bridge pointed out the toy directly. Ladybug spotted him and was about to jump towards him.
"Look out!"
Ladybug only had a spare second to turn around before being hit by a star. The shock of the impact pushed him off the edge. Fortunately, Viperion grabbed him, protecting his head just as he transformed.
Viperion lifted himself up and was shocked to see Marin's face.
His eyes were glossed over, similar to the other victims.
"Marin?" Viperion's voice wavered as he helped his friend to his feet. Marin, in turn, held his head, looking at him in confusion.
"That's a nice costume. Are you a performer?" He asked, not knowing who he was.
"What? No. It's me, Luka. And you're Ladybug, a superhero." He tried to remind him, but Marin was confused further.
"Me? No, I'm just a normal person. Not some superhero." He laughed as if it were a joke. Luka furrowed his brow before resetting his bracelet.
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."
Viperion's eyes widened at Ladybug, now with no memory of what happened previously. Viperion held back the troubling feelings and focused on the task at hand. "I know the first part of the solution, but we have to hurry!" Viperion warned, running ahead while Ladybug followed, holding the plushie under his arm.
The two heroes came upon Chat Noir fighting against Wishmaker. Viperion narrowed his eyes as he saw Chat Noir dropping his guard due to something that Wishmaker said. Before Ladybug could dive in after him, Viperion placed a hand on Ladybug's shoulder, shoving him back, and then tackled Chat Noir to the ground. Ladybug covered them by attacking Wishmaker with his yo-yo.
"You need to focus Chat Noir." Viperon warned, helping Chat Noir to his feet. The hero nodded, gripping his staff he ran ahead of Viperion to switch places with Ladybug.
"Find the man with a red beret!" Viperon yelled out as Ladybug backflipped onto the bridge. The hero- his friend- nodded towards him and spotted said man on the same bridge whose eyes gleamed upon seeing the plush in Ladybug's hand.
"Live your childhood dream!" A shooting star was knocked away by Chat Noir's staff and hit the man with the red beret barely missing Ladybug. The man transformed into a giant stuffed Triceratops who trapped Ladybug in a hug. The embrace was too strong. Ladybug struggled under the giant Triceratops's hug unable to escape and unable to evade another attack from Wishmaker. Without hesitation, Chat Noir used his staff to push himself in the way of the shooting star.
Viperion was shaken, seeing he was too late to save Chat Noir. He dropped his staff and was placed in a trance.
"When I was a kid...I always wanted to be what my parents wanted me to be!"
Viperion looked on in shock, seeing Adrien standing in the place of Chat Noir. Wishmaker cackled in victory as he moved on to find his next target. Ladybug escaped the grasp of the giant dinosaur and scrambled to see what had happened behind him.
The snake-themed hero was frozen upon the revelation of both heroes being his friends. He watched Ladybug staring at the same spot where his partner- best friend- now stood. Abandoning the lucky charm he dashed to his partner, standing before him. Ladybug hesitated before touching him but placed both hands on his shoulders, his face was twisted with a mix of emotions.
"Chat Noir?" Ladybug shook his shoulder gently but there was no response. "Adrien?" He asked more desperately as Adrien looked at him with an unnaturally content smile.
Lost for words Ladybug looked at Viperion, the two silently knowing that the person before them wasn't their Adrien.
Viperion's mind was clear. Taking a step back, a calm washed over him as he placed a hand on his bracelet. "I'm sorry Mar. This isn't the right moment yet." He closed his eyes, turning his bracelet back as Ladybug reached out to him.
"Wait, Luka-"
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."
Viperion opened his eyes to see Ladybug- Marin- saying those words for a third time, still holding his plushie Lucky Charm. "The stuffed animal is for a man with a red hat. His childhood dream was to become a dino huggie."
Ladybug blinked at the straightforward response. His eyes sparked victoriously but then faded quickly as they narrowed with worry. Before Ladybug could ask Viperion placed a hand on his shoulder to divert his attention.
"We need to hurry and defeat Wishmaker."
The feeling that Ladybug previously showed vanished as he nodded. Viperion led the way as he took the lead. Like before Chat Noir was fighting against Wishmaker but this time Viperion threw his lyre at Wishmaker's head, knocking him off balance so that Chat Noir could kick him away.
"HEY!" Wishmaker's attention was all on Viperion as Ladybug jumped to the man on the bridge. "Who do you think you are?! Some kind of hero?!"
Viperion caught his lyre in his hand as it recoiled back to him. Staring at the villain and his two best friends his fingers grazed the strings on his instrument, calming his mind.
"Something like that."
Wishmaker became irritated at the heros' calm demeanor and rapidly threw his shooting stars directly at him.
"Watch out!" Chat Noir warned but Viperion already knew what to do. He evaded the first few beams and used his lyre to redirect the stars away from him.
"I'll be fine, move Ladybug out of the way!" Chat Noir nodded and used his staff to reach his partner quickly to deflect any stray shooting stars. One of them hit the man in the red beret, transforming him into a giant stuffed dinosaur.
"Wow! I'm a dino huggie!" The towering plushie held out his arms to give out a hug.
"Look! Wishmaker needs a big dino hug!" Viperion yelled out, grabbing the Dino's attention after Ladybug and Chat Noir jumped out of the way.
The Dino jumped behind Wishmaker gleefully as he raised his stout arms over his head. "Big hug! Big hug! Big hug! Big hug! Pretty hug! Pretty hug!"
"No! No! Noooo!"Wishmaker screamed out as the plushie embraced him tightly. In the moment Ladybug threw his yo-yo to grab the staff and hurled it to Chat Noir.
"Cataclysm!" Upon activating his power Chat Noir grabbed the staff, destroying it in an instant- releasing the akuma. "No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug called out, throwing up the lucky charm as everything turned back to normal.
Viperion and Ladybug landed on a roof obscured from the main street as they timed out of their transformations at the same time. They had parted ways with Chat Noir, who would take the time to ensure Alec was okay as they had to hide to detransform. Luka caught Sass in his hands, who looked extremely tired. The two looked at each other in silent solidarity while Ladybug fed his Kwami and transformed back. Ladybug walked over to Luka's side, taking the Miraculous and Sass back. With a small smile, he gave the snake Kwami an egg pastry, which Sass began to eat happily while sitting on Ladybug's shoulder.
"Thank you, Luka. Both Chat Noir and I are grateful for your help. We couldn't have done it without you," Ladybug said graciously, but then his smile faded. "Are you alright?" Ladybug asked, noticing Luka's fallen expression.
Luka looked at him with a blank expression and smiled to defer the hero's—his friend's—suspicion. "No. I'm just tired." He didn't think twice before responding. He tensed up as Ladybug narrowed his eyes at him, as though he were determining his fate in the few seconds he looked at him.
"Luka, Second Chance is an ability that is incredibly draining both physically and mentally," Ladybug said, his voice more stern than normal. His defensiveness intimidated Luka, and for a moment he forgot it was his sweet friend who stood there. "There were only a handful of users who used the Miraculous for extended periods of time, and even then there are fewer who had the mental prowess to understand their own limitations in using it. If you feel burdened by wielding it, then please don't be afraid to tell me. I trusted you with it because I know you are a capable person."
"Why don't you want anyone to know your secret identities? Not even Chat Noir?" Luka bluntly asked without thinking. He winced at the sight of how Ladybug—Marin—reacted. He could almost laugh at the similarities he could see that his friend and the stoic superhero shared. Ladybug was seen as a serious person; it was only to a few select people who truly saw a softer, more vulnerable side of him.
"It's what I was taught by my master, a man whom I greatly respected." The surprise that Ladybug had faded instantly as he spoke with a stern resolve. "He was a man who was scared. He always prioritized the safety of the Miraculous, and I have followed his teachings because I knew he cared not just for the Miraculous but for Chat Noir and me as individuals. He gave me many chances to give up using my Miraculous, and I'm certain that Chat Noir had similar opportunities as well. I know that he would have given us his blessing to share the truth of our identities with each other—if I hadn't messed everything up." Ladybug's voice became more icy, his expression never wavering. "He sacrificed himself to save me, and now that I am the Guardian, I will never put Chat Noir nor the Kwami in danger."
"Have you told Chat Noir what you're telling me?"
Ladybug relaxed his shoulders at the mention of his partner—Adrien, whom Marin had been in love with for a long time. The change was immediate, and the cold demeanor Ladybug had melted away, becoming more nonchalant. When it came to his partner, the hero always wore his heart on his sleeve, even if he didn't recognize it. "I trust Chat Noir more than anyone, but I don't know if he's ready to talk about the Master again. I wasn't the only one affected by his sacrifice, and I'd rather avoid bringing that topic up again with him."
Luka nodded at all that his friend was telling him and smiled. "Thank you, Ladybug. I'm glad to be one of the people you trust with this information."
Ladybug chuckled at this, smiling the same way Marin smiled. "You're a trustworthy person, Luka. I'll always be grateful for your honesty."
That hit him harder than it should. Fortunately, Ladybug waved his good-bye and left with Sass quickly as Luka felt overwhelmed by his newfound knowledge. Looking down at his feet he knew that he should have felt uncertain, maybe overwhelmed by the heavy secret that he knew. But all he wanted to do now was to go back and find his friends.
Marin ran inside the changing room, he was tired from jumping all around the city and was glad that he made it back in time. The door opened back up moments later to Luka who came back to check up on him. His friend had a sullen smile on his face and said nothing- he too was probably tired from the day's events and Marin couldn't blame him.
"Thank you for hiding me in here." Marin said sheepishly. Luka wasn't responding, only staring at him. "Luka? Are you alright?"
That seemed to snap his friend out of his tiredness as he nodded his head. "It was nothing, Mar. You know you can always count on me."
They smiled at each other as they walked towards the beachfront with only the sounds of the waves filling the silence between them. Marin looked at his friend longer and instinctively was going to ask about his condition further- only to be interrupted by Adrien running up to them.
"You guys are okay!" Adrien said with a bright smile, glad to see the two of them. Marin smiled in turn, nodding at his friend. "Yeah, thanks to Chat Noir and Ladybug- what a day right?" He nervously, feeling the pit in his stomach grow the longer he looked at Luka. Wondering just maybe if their friend was hiding something very important.
Luka for his part only nodded, his smile became more genuine as he looked at both of them. "Yeah. I'm sure today has given you both a clearer picture of how you're going to decide your careers in the future."
As soon as he said that both Marin and Adrien's faces fell as they exchanged a look of worry. One that conveyed that they both completely forgot about the reason that they went to the Career fair to begin with.
"I don't think I have any idea. But that's okay. I have plenty of time to discover myself and what will make me the happiest." Adrien said more optimistically.
Marin listened to what his friend was saying, keeping quiet as he thought about it for a moment, and then noticed a familiar ice cream man still at his booth at the Career fair. All his life he kept faltering to his own insecurities. Whatever was normal was what he thought was the best course of action. He then shook his head and then grabbed Luka's arm, looking at him with calm assuredness. "Hey look, there's still a chance to get some ice cream."
Luka looked at him in surprise as he brought up the ice cream man he notoriously chose to avoid. "I thought you didn't like Andre."
Reflexively Marin scowed upon hearing the ice-cream man's name. The sight was surprising to Luka, as he had never known Marin to be unfriendly to anyone. Admittedly it was kind of cute. "I don't. But I like you." He responded and immediately Luka smiled, swinging his arm around his "buddy's" shoulder.
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
Adrien looked between the two of them and smiled, just glad that his friend's were getting along, and walked with them to get ice cream.