Chapter Text
Ladybug ominously walked to the balcony doors and was about to kick them off before she realized that she could just summon a lucky charm to repair the damaged doors afterwards so her parents would never know how Marinette somehow managed to escape. Ladybug went ahead and summoned a lucky charm, which took the form of a note with something written on it, only to scoff at Tikki’s desperate last resort to stop Ladybug.
The note:
Please don’t make the biggest mistake ever! You will truly regret it! I beg you to stop all at once! Don’t betray my faith in you, my precious holder… please…
“Whatever. I will get my justice whether you support me or not, Tikki.” Ladybug cruelly scoffed, dismissing the note in her hand. With a single kick powered by the Ladybug miraculous, Ladybug smashed the balcony doors completely off their hinges, and she casually walked out of the bedroom. The heavy wooden frame plunged straight down toward the street below, hitting a startled pedestrian who had just walked out of the bakery with a fresh baguette.
Before anybody on the sidewalk could realize it and call for help, Ladybug casually flung the Lucky Charm into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” A swirling vortex of pink and red magical energy instantly enveloped the building. The falling debris vanished from the street, the pedestrian stumbled backward completely unharmed, and the balcony doors reconstructed themselves back into their frames, locks fully sealed as if nothing had ever happened.
Smugly smirking at her clean handiwork, Ladybug leapt from the railing and aggressively swung into the Parisian skyline toward the Agreste mansion.
“First, I need to check on my Adrien and see if he’s holding up without his amazing girlfriend,” Ladybug muttered to the wind, her grip tightening on the yo-yo string. “Then, I’ll deal with Lie-la. If she gets akumatized, even better — I’ll beat the fuck out of her nearly to death myself.”
Ladybug’s thought:
I will save you from being corrupted by Lie-la, my sweet Adrien..! Just wait for me!
Meanwhile, Adrien was on his bed, blankly staring at the 90-inch OLED 8K smart TV showing Zeta Gundam in combat against Psycho Gundam while being lost in deep thought regarding what happened in the restroom incident with her new girlfriend, Marinette.
Adrien’s thought:
I still don’t understand why Marinette would send Sabrina to attack Lila in front of Chloe — Sabrina would not do such a thing, given that her father is an officer. I know Lila is a liar. But… Marinette still illegally replaced the glass of the restroom regardless. There is always something off with Marinette… I can’t put my finger on it.
Adrien had been feeling uneasy since day one when he and Marinette finally got to be officially dating. Of course, he was full of joy, feeling like the luckiest boy in the world because Marinette was the class’s everyday Ladybug, showering Adrien with so much love that he rarely experienced, and Marinette seemed to be amazing with people.
However, Adrien started to notice subtle changes within Marinette, like how she became more anxious whenever Adrien was around an unknown girl, nonstop hostile toward both Chloe and Lila, and frustrated with Alya almost daily. Those changes might not be directed at Adrien; still, Adrien felt uncomfortable with it all.
Adrien doesn’t have good social skills since his father, Gabriel Agreste, had isolated him from the world except for approved people since his mother, Emilie, unfortunately passed away. It stayed this way until he was finally allowed to attend Collège Françoise Dupont as a high school student after years of private homeschooling.
“Good afternoon, master Adrien. Your father just called me from London to check in with you because I noticed you seem off since what happened at your school. Is everything okay?” Nathalie peeked through the door with a concerned expression, then she stepped with a lot of effort into Adrien’s bedroom. She looked sickly pale and struggled to stand any longer, even with advanced exo-legs technology personally designed by Tomoe Tsurugi, and Adrien signaled her to sit on the cozy sofa.
Adrien walked to sit with Nathalie to tightly hold his mother figure’s wrinkly hand, which left her a bit shaken. “C-can I ask you some questions about being in the relationship, please?” Adrien shyly asked while trying to comfort himself with Nathalie’s wrinkly hand that somehow felt motherly. Nathalie happily nodded as she gave Adrien a warm yet fatigued eye to let him know that she was always here for him.
“Is it... is it normal to somehow feel suffocated in the relationship with an amazing girl, Nathalie?” Adrien began, staring down at his lap, his knuckles whitening as he squeezed his own hands after letting go of Nathalie’s wrinkly hand. “Marinette... She's wonderful in so many ways, and everyone calls her the everyday Ladybug. But since we started dating, Marinette keeps urging me to cut ties with girls she doesn’t like — she gets upset if I even talk to them.”
Nathalie listened silently, her sharp, perceptive eyes taking in every detail of Adrien’s anxious posture.
“And it’s not just that,” Adrien continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “Whenever I have a photoshoot, run an errand, or just go out for a walk, she somehow appears there. Almost instantly. At first I thought it was a sweet coincidence, but... it happens every single time. Marinette also love-bombs me 24/7 with endless affection and grand gestures — yet whenever I ask about her personal life or what she’s dealing with, she brushes it off with secrets. But she knows everything about me — details I don't even remember telling anyone. Is this what love is supposed to feel like?”
Nathalie took a slow, deliberate breath, gently wrapping her other wrinkly hand over Adrien’s cold fingers. “No, master Adrien,” Nathalie said softly but firmly, not to shame Adrien but to empathize. “That is not love. That is control.” Adrien looked up, startled by the bluntness in her voice.
“Love is not a cage, nor is it surveillance,” Nathalie explained, her expression softening into a deep, tender empathy. “True love requires trust, respect, and freedom. When you truly love someone, you want them to flourish, to have friends, and to feel safe — neither uncomfortable nor watched. You don't demand ownership over their life.”
Nathalie’s longing gaze drifted slightly toward the window, her mind briefly recalling her own deep, silent feelings for Gabriel. She had loved Gabriel for years with an undeniable intensity, yet she had never once wanted to destroy his bond with Emilie or force herself into his life.
She had cherished Emilie just as deeply, caring for both of them without a single grain of jealousy, because her affection was purely about their happiness and well-being, not possession or lust. However, Nathalie felt like Emilie would be deeply disappointed with her for allowing Gabriel’s countless abuses towards Adrien to happen. She rubbed the twin ring on her pale finger as a subtle command to Adrien that he should start realizing what he truly wants.
Nathalie’s thought:
My love for Gabriel and Emilie was never about ownership or control… It was about seeing them whole and happy. I might be a hypocrite, considering Gabriel is very controlling towards his son. But what Marinette is doing lately to Adrien isn’t love at all — it’s a suffocating obsession, a desperate need to claim him as a trophy rather than cherish him as a person. I can’t let Adrien stay in this status quo any longer — not after what I heard about Marinette’s strange behavior.
“I have known true love in my life, Adrien,” Nathalie murmured, returning her focus to him. “And I can tell you with absolute certainty that real love never demands that you shrink yourself or abandon your friends to satisfy another person’s insecurities. If someone love-bombs you while keeping you in the dark and watching your every step, they are treating you as an idol or a prize to possess — not a human being to cherish.”
Adrien felt a heavy knot in his chest loosen, replaced by a painful yet grounding clarity. His instincts hadn't been wrong after all. Then, his smartphone dinged with the sound of a notification, so he picked it up to see the text message from the small chat group that Marinette isn’t in.
[Chat Group: Modeling DJ Blog]:
Nino - I couldn’t believe what just happened at the school, my dude and dudette! It was really bad that we got days off next week! Is Marinette alright, though? ;0 - (Sent Friday)
Adrien - I honestly don’t know. I’ve tried calling and DMing her a dozen times, but nothing goes through. I think her parents might have taken her devices away. - (Sent Friday)
Alya - Adrien, I apologize for snapping at Marinette earlier. I was so furious in the moment, but it was horrible of me to blow up like that. I really want to apologize to her in person and talk it out. :(( - (Sent Friday)
Adrien - It’s okay, Alya. I get why you were upset with Marinette’s… questionable action. I believe she had good intentions, just terrible execution, though. - (Sent Friday)
Alya - Hey, Adrien. I just talked with Nino about visiting the bakery to ask Marinette’s parents if we can check on Marinette. Do you want to come with us? - (Just now)
Adrien just swallowed a lump in his throat as Nathalie weakly got up from the cozy sofa and walked out of the bedroom so Adrien could have his privacy. Plagg swiftly manifested from Adrien’s ring to put his cuddly cheek on his holder’s ear. “Are you sure you want to see Marinette, my kitten? I get it that she is your girlfriend — but she really messed it up a big time, you know? You heard what Nathalie said about love.”
Adrien was uneasily trying to find the correct words to explain his reasoning. “Yes, I know Marinette did something unacceptable — but still, I am her boyfriend. At least, I should be there for her, try my best to help her become a better person — like how she helped me with… becoming… more confident socially?” Plagg gave a tiny scoff that Adrien did not hear, despite him being next to Adrien’s ear.
Adrien texted a chat group, ‘Modeling DJ Blog,’ that he would be coming over to the bakery in a moment, then went to his walk-in closet. He was a bit excited about dressing up the way he wanted since his father was away on a fashion business trip from Paris to London, so he was not here to scold Adrien for not wearing Agreste brand outfits. Adrien excitedly opened the hidden box full of various clothes that Chloe secretly sent every month since his first day at Collège Françoise Dupont, without either of their parents knowing.
He knew Chloe was a horrible person to many people, but she was still his very first friend from when he was a young kid who had just experienced the loss of his mother. Chloe was always there for Adrien before Marinette soured their friendship, so they were taking a break rather than simply breaking off the friendship as well.
Adrien’s thought:
I know Chloe isn’t a good person — even though she was there for me since my mom passed away. I can’t let her hurt people around anymore for her own good — I really have to stop being passive. I will talk to Chloe so she will take my word to stop being a bully soon. Thank you for the clothes, Chloe…
Adrien decided to wear something more discreet; he picked a navy hoodie, black sweatpants, and monochrome sneakers. They were all made of high-quality, ethically sourced material, just like Chloe knew how Adrien felt about wearing the Agreste brand when it was using sweatshops full of poor children to produce the luxury clothes. Adrien mentally noted that he should try to mend his friendship with Chloe again by asking her to be nice for her sake, and called his loyal bodyguard, Placide, to drive him to the bakery.
Finally, Adrien thanked Placide by calling Nathalie to give the loyal bodyguard a raise as they arrived at the bakery. Adrien got out of the custom-made electric BMW 540i himself to see his good friends, Nino and Alya, and took a deep breath as he walked to them. “Hey, my dude! I see you got a drip!” Nino cheerfully greeted him, waving his hand at smiling Adrien.
“Hi, Adrien! I’m glad you came — and I will order some bakery goods for us to snack on.” Alya smiled back at Adrien as she rubbed her boyfriend’s back before they entered the bakery together. The amazing scent of bakery goods hit their noses as they all started to drool a bit, especially Adrien, who drooled a bit too much. Alya walked to the counter to see Sabine, who had a very mentally exhausted and unfocused expression, right before she immediately switched to her usual cheerful expression once she saw Alya.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng! It’s so good to see you again.” Alya greeted warmly, placing her hands on the counter. Sabine replied, forcing a soft, welcoming smile over her visible fatigue, “Good afternoon, Alya! It’s wonderful to see you, Nino, and Adrien! What can I get for you all today?”
“We’d like to place an order to snack on,” Alya said with a friendly smile. “Could we get one croissant, a small batch of chouquettes, a pack of variety-flavored macarons, and three warm creamy chocolate drinks, please?”
“Of course! Coming right up,” Sabine said, entering the order into the register and assembling the pastries into a neat bakery bag while preparing the hot drinks. Alya tapped her smartphone at a wireless payment system to pay for the order. Once the payment cleared, Alya leaned in slightly, her expression turning earnest and hopeful. “Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, if it’s okay... Could Marinette come down to talk with us? Adrien, Nino, and I really want to check in on her and talk things through.”
Alya’s thought:
It’s my fault. Marinette’s parents do not deserve all this stress. I will apologize to Marinette and try to believe in her about Lila — even with my doubts. I can’t help but feel like Marinette was trying to tell me the truth. I need to be there for her despite her wrongdoings.
Sabine’s face softened with genuine relief and joy. Seeing Adrien and Marinette’s closest friends here to support her daughter felt like a rare ray of light after days of overwhelming stress. “Oh, absolutely! That is so sweet of you all — let me get her right away.”
Sabine called over to the back, “Tom, dear, could you take over the cashier duty for a moment?”
“On it, honey!” Tom called back, stepping up to the counter with a warm nod to the teenagers as they got their snacks. The teenagers went to the table to eat their snacks.
Sabine hurried up the stairs to the private living quarters and reached Marinette’s trapdoor. She knocked gently on the wooden door and hollered through, “Marinette! Sweetie, your friends are down here to see you! Alya, Nino, and Adrien are all here!” Sabine paused, expecting an instant response.
Normally, the mere mention of Adrien’s name would cause Marinette to practically poof up right in front of her, scrambling down the ladder in a flustered hurry. But there was only heavy, unbroken silence from inside.
Brows furrowed in confusion, Sabine knocked again. “Marinette?” Still receiving no answer, Sabine slowly unlocked and lifted the trapdoor, peeking her head into the bedroom. Her eyes widened in absolute shock.
The bedroom was typically messy yet strangely empty. There was no sign of any struggle or Marinette breaking out of her bedroom, with locks still intact everywhere.
Panic painfully surged through Sabine’s chest. She dropped the trapdoor and rushed back down the stairs, practically flying toward the counter. She grabbed Tom’s arm, pulling him close to whisper frantically into his ear. Tom’s face instantly paled, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and deep, agonizing frustration.
Sabine turned back to the three friends barely finishing their snacks, her shoulders slumping with intense shame and distress. “I... I am so sorry, kids,” Sabine whispered, her voice trembling. “Marinette is not in her room — she sneaked out when she was strictly grounded. I have no way to communicate with Marinette…”
“A-Also, I-I don’t know how long my daughter has been gone.” Sabine was about to have a panic attack.
All three friends gasped as worry flashed across their faces, but Adrien was the one who had the most troubled expression. Then Adrien instantly blitzed out of the bakery as he loudly assured Marinette’s parents, “Mrs. and Mr. Dupain-Cheng, don’t worry! I will search out for her! Please call the police to report Marinette missing!”
He ran to the nearest dark, empty alley to crouch behind the trash can, then firmly whispered, “Plagg, claws out!” His whole body was quickly flashed with neon green energy to reveal Chat Noir, while leaving bright green particles fading out around him. He quickly used his baton to stretch upward past the buildings to the sky.
Chat Noir’s thought:
Monarch might have gone silent for a while, but I still can’t leave Marinette all alone at the risk of being akumatized! Only if I were to go straight to check on Marinette after what happened at the school instead of waiting for her responses or somebody to invite me over to the bakery like a pathetic boyfriend! W-Wait, I should call M’Lady for her help with searching for Marinette!
Chat Noir panicky called Ladybug’s yo-yo with his baton as he looked around the city of Paris for Marinette in the desperate hope of having Ladybug help with searching. However, Ladybug blatantly hung up, so Chat Noir called once more. Ladybug still hung up and annoyedly turned her yo-yo on ‘Do not disturb’ mode to stop Chat Noir from calling again.
Chat Noir groaned and instantly shrank his baton to jump on the roof. He started sprinting as he repeatedly shouted out for Marinette.
Chat Noir was speechless at how Ladybug was suddenly muting him like never before. Chat Noir’s panic had gotten worse and worse while running and hopping on the roofs of the buildings as he carefully scanned around with his cat eyes working to the maximum extent. He was truly desperate and hopeless out there for Marinette.
Meanwhile, Ladybug excitedly landed on the roof of the nearby building to have a clear view of Adrien’s bedroom at the Agreste mansion at close distance. Her pupils dilated to the very edge of her icy blue irises as she rapidly panted and heavily moaned at the fantasy of ‘accidentally’ catching Adrien all naked and wet from his shower. She had an extremely psychotic, blushing expression like those yanderes featured in some anime.
It’s as if she’s high on multiple psychedelic drugs all at once.
Ladybug’s thought:
My Adrien… My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien. My Adrien—