Chapter Text
Inspired by a conversation held on my Discord with DracarysDovahhe12. Feel free to join us! We would love to have you and who knows, maybe you'll be the one to inspire my next story ;)
Chat Noir winced as he landed in the alleyway beside Master Fu’s massage parlor, his side sore from the latest Akuma battle. It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Ladybug had disappeared. Three weeks since Master Fu had informed him that her Kwami was sick. Three weeks since he had started fighting Hawkmoth’s Akumas by himself. He couldn’t bring Rena Rogue and Carapace into the fight; he still didn’t know their identities. He supposed he could have requested the Bee Miraculous to give to Chloe, but given the fact that she had exposed herself before all of Paris, she couldn’t keep Pollen full time. Besides, Chloe Bourgeois might like Adrien, but she was not a fan of Chat Noir and usually only cooperated with him when Ladybug was there as a buffer. No, if he was going to have a new (temporary) partner, he wanted someone he could trust.
Straightening up as best he could with the giant bruise blossoming across his left side, Chat Noir slipped from the alley and rapped quickly on the door to the parlor. It was late, the moon high in the sky, and the street was thankfully deserted. He didn’t want to risk leading anyone here, to Master Fu or the Miracle Box. Especially when Fu was currently in possession of Ladybug’s Kwami as well. It didn’t take long for the door to swing open, revealing the small Chinese man in his trademarked red Hawaiian print shirt and khaki pants. The man looked up and down the empty street before beckoning the hero inside and bolting the door behind him. Only once the door was firmly locked behind him did the older man speak, turning towards the young hero with an unusually grave expression on his face.
“You brought it?” He asked expectantly. Chat Noir nodded, just as solemn. “Good. Follow me.”
The old man led the boy through the main room, a small kitchen, and through the door to a small room in the back. The room was basically bare, save for the pillow on which Ladybug’s Kwami was currently laying on. The Ladybug Kwami was looking slightly better than the last time he saw her, but not by much. The first time he had seen her was after the first Akuma Attack without Ladybug. Chat Noir had obediently brought Master Fu the corrupted Akuma and had been led to this very room, where the Kwami had been laying in much the same way. That day, she had been this weird, pinkish gray color but now she was more of a light red. Not the vibrant red she should be, but she was getting better. As they entered the room, her blue eyes fluttered open and a weak smile curved her lips as she sat up slowly, stretching her tiny arms out in a stretch. Her eyes looked brighter too, which Chat took as a good sign.
“How are you feeling, Tikki?” Master Fu asked, kneeling beside the pillow and picking the Kwami up gently. Chat knelt on the other side of the pillow.
“I am okay, Master. But I miss Ladybug,” the Kwami said with a sigh.
“I know, Tikki. But you will be better soon. Using your powers to purify the Akuma is making your healing process take longer, but you will be back to your old self before you know it,” the old man assured confidently. “Chat Noir. The Akuma?”
While Tikki wiggled around to face the leather-clad hero, Chat Noir held out one hand and carefully unfurled his clenched claws to reveal a mangled Akuma. As he watched, one wing fluttered brokenly and the Akuma slowly began to piece itself back together through whatever sort of dark magic that Hawkmoth had infused it with. Before it could, Tikki reached out and placed one paw on the creature, eyes closing. Faster than last time, the Akuma began to glow brightly, piecing together and turning white before their very eyes before fluttering off through the open window nearby. When it was over, Tikki slumped in Master Fu’s hand and the old man carefully laid her back down on the pillow to sleep off the exertion before beckoning Chat to follow him. He allowed himself to be led out of the room and back through the small shop to the main room before he spoke.
“How much longer until Tikki can return to Ladybug?” He asked, allowing his transformation to drop now that he was no longer holding evil incarnate within his hand.
“A week. Two at most,” Master Fu said, settling at a small table and pouring steaming tea into two small mugs. Adrien hesitated before taking the seat across from the old man and wrapping his fingers around the hot cup.
“ Two weeks ? Master, I don’t know if I can hold off Hawkmoth that long,” the boy protested, green eyes wide in alarm.
“I am sorry, Adrien. The dark energy from the Akumas must go somewhere when they are purified, and most often they are split between Ladybug and Tikki. They balance each other. That darkness builds up eventually, and because Tikki is so small, it builds up faster in her. With her having to continue purifying Akuma alone right now, it’s even more strenuous on her,” the old man explained sadly. “She can’t return to Ladybug until she is fully healed. I am sorry.”
“There must be something we can do. Hawkmoth knows that Ladybug is out of commission right now and I can’t keep up with all of these Akuma by myself. Let me know who Rena and Carapace are. I’ll give them their Miraculouses for two weeks and then-” he broke off when the old man held up a hand.
“I’ve already told you, I cannot reveal their identities to you. However ,” he said when Adrien’s expression fell. “-I will allow you to pick a Miraculous of your own to bestow upon a trustworthy companion. Once Ladybug returns, you will return the Miraculous to me. But until then, whoever you choose may keep his or her powers and aid you in the war against Hawkmoth,” the old man set his tea aside and rose, crossing the room to grab the Gramophone sitting on a side table along one wall. Returning to the table, he punched in the password and quickly pulled the Miracle box out, setting it on the table between himself and the young hero. Adrien watched in awe as the many compartments were revealed. So many Kwami to choose from.
“Choose wisely, my boy. Pairing the wrong Kwami with the wrong holder can have disastrous consequences,” Master Fu warned.
“How do I know who would work well with which Kwami?” Adrien asked, hesitating with his hand hovering over the box.
“Think of the person you want to bestow the Miraculous on; think of their traits, and what they might be best at in battle,” the man advised. Adrien nodded, brow furrowing in thought. He didn’t have many friends and those he did have he had made in the year since receiving his own Miraculous. Of the three he knew best, he immediately dismissed Alya because she ran the Ladyblog and he wasn’t positive he could trust her to keep this a secret. Nino was out too because as much as he loved his best bud, Nino seemed too relaxed and easy going for this job. That left Marinette. He almost dismissed her on principle. The way his gut twisted at the thought of putting her in the line of fire wasn’t pleasant in the least. And yet… though shy, Marinette was the bravest person he knew. Her bravery rivaled even that of Ladybug. She defended her friends, she had helped him with Evillustrator. She was smart and crafty and would make an amazing partner. There was a reason he called her their everyday Ladybug. His eyes scanned the box before him, sweeping over the many different Miraculouses, before finally landing on one in particular. Something about the simple necklace called to him, and before he could change his mind, he found himself reaching out and closing his hand around the chosen Miraculous.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng frowned at the computer screen before her. It was nearing one in the morning and she had school in the morning and a homework assignment to finish, but the dark-haired girl couldn’t seem to tear her gaze off of the footage the latest Akuma Attack. It had been three weeks since Tikki had fallen ill and the last time she had spoken to Master Fu, he had warned her that it would likely be another week or two before Tikki was fully recovered. Being forced to the sidelines, Marinette was certain she would go crazy by the time she got her Kwami back. Hawkmoth knew she was out of commission by now, and he was doing everything in his power to get Chat Noir’s Miraculous. The Akumas had increased in both frequency and power and it was more often than not that the leather-clad hero left the scene of the battle limping. Tikki could purify the Akuma, but she couldn’t do the Miraculous Cure by herself. That meant that the remaining hero often fought with some injury or another left over from the last few battles. She hated it. She hated this. She should be out there helping her kitty and keeping him safe and putting the world back to rights instead of sitting here, uselessly, incapable of doing a damn thing.
Growling in annoyance, the ravenette paused the video moments before the Akuma slammed one of his giant fists into the leather-clad hero’s side. The hulk-looking Akuma possessed super speed and strength and a very hulk-like physique with fists that could flatten a semi truck. No doubt that blow had left her partner black and blue and she couldn’t do anything . She had been tempted to go out there as just herself and find something to do to help, but then she had been afraid of getting in the way and making things worse. If Chat Noir was hurt saving her because she was being stupid, she would never forgive herself. So instead, she had sat on the sidelines and fretted and worried and stressed while waiting for Tikki to get better. It wasn’t doing anyone a bit of good. She was barely sleeping, barely eating. Her friends and family had already taken note of her frazzled state and they were worried. Worse, she had no good excuse for why she was so on edge as of late. She was forced to deflect their questions as best she could.
Shutting down her computer, Marinette decided to finish her homework during homeroom and quickly got ready for bed. She could use the sleep and perhaps she could visit Tikki after school tomorrow. Seeing the Kwami might bring her some much-needed peace of mind. Clicking off her desk lamp, she crossed the room and climbed the ladder to her loft bed. She was just about to crawl under the covers when there was a thump on her roof. Flinching, Marinette debated ignoring the sound. After all, it was likely something had simply fallen over. Some unknown force was pushing her to investigate though, and so changing her course, she moved to the hatch and pushed it open. Popping her head up, she was immediately met with a pair of warm, cat-like green eyes boring into her own.
“Chat Noir?” She asked, pushing the hatch further open and climbing out into the chilly night air. “What are you-”
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chat interrupted, stepping closer until less than a foot of space between them. “You have been chosen to wield the Miraculous of the Rat. Should you choose to accept, you will don this Miraculous and assist in the war against Hawkmoth. When Ladybug returns, you will return the Miraculous to me. Do you accept?”
Marinette stared slack-jawed as the hero extended one clawed hand, palm up, to reveal a very familiar black box with red markings. It took everything in her power not to reach up and touch her own Miraculous. A million thoughts coursed through the girl’s mind, the first and foremost being of what Tikki would think about her working with another Kwami. But Tikki wasn’t here and if not her, then Chat would choose someone else to wield the Miraculous. And having worked with her partner for over a year now, Marinette knew that she trusted no one to have her partner’s back the way she had. This was the answer to her prayers. This was her way to rejoin the fight and ensure that her partner didn’t get hurt again. With shaking fingers, she reached out to take the box, and when her blue eyes clashed with his glowing emerald ones, her gaze was bright with determination and a fierceness that the leather-clad hero didn’t quite understand.
“I accept.”