Chapter Text
Adrien sat in his room, limbs stiff and mind foggy with exhaustion. It had been a long day, and Adrien was still attempting to understand the events of the day, and it seemed as if there was too much to process. Shadowmoth was not ‘playing’ anymore. Risk and Strike Back had been far more dangerous than other Akuma and Sentimonsters they had encountered before, and Adrien could still see the destruction of his own Cataclysm turned against them.
There were so many questions that still plagued him, sending his thoughts into a spiral.
Who was Flairmidable? Obviously Ladybug had feelings for the new wielder of the Dog Miraculous. A wave of jealousy washed over him, and he closed his eyes, turning his thoughts elsewhere.
Why was Rena Rouge Furtive...Alya…still active? And why had Ladybug lied to him about it…It had been a shock to see her, and that Carapace…Nino…was aware of this. He shouldn’t have been surprised by Nino. And it was, again, a bitter pill to swallow that Ladybug had allowed the pair to know each other’s identities when their identities had to be kept under wraps.
Adrien took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he did his best to relax his tense shoulders and calm his wandering thoughts. These types of questions were going to be the death of him, unless Shadowmoth got to him first. He wasn’t sure which would be more painful.
“Kid…” Plagg said, throwing cheese into his mouth. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
“At least I haven’t had to face my father yet. Not after Félix took my place…I just feel bad that I burdened Marinette with everything. I never meant to put my problems on her…” He placed his head in his hands. “Marinette is busy enough as it is.”
Plagg sighed, zooming around his head and diving into his sock drawer as he spoke. “It’ll be okay, kid. She can handle it. Might even help you handle it better, yourself.”
Adrien nodded and opened his mouth as if to speak, when a sudden sound from his bathroom caught his attention.
“I’ll make this quick.” A voice interrupted from behind his bathroom door. Adrien immediately placed the voice as Ladybug’s…but who was she talking to?
"I'll wait here. Good luck."
His heart twisted as he recognized another voice…Rena Furtive. What were the two of them doing there? Had they figured out he was Chat Noir? Was his identity compromised? …No. If so, she would never have brought Rena with her. His Lady would approach him alone, probably on their rooftop.
He sighed and took several steps towards the bathroom door, waiting for his Lady to make the first move. After the long day he’d had, he wasn’t sure he could handle anything else going wrong…
The door opened, and he saw Ladybug smiling at him. “H-hello, Adrien.” She said, breath softer than when she spoke to Chat Noir. Was she nervous? He felt a heat rise on his cheeks. “I’m here to collect–”
Suddenly, there was a movement from the window, and what looked to be a ball (was that Flairmidable’s ball?) flew through the air, striking Ladybug’s yo-yo and flying back towards the window.
Several things happened at once, Ladybug stared at the place her yo-yo had once belonged. Rena reached out and grabbed Ladybug and pulled her back into the bathroom. The door slammed shut and locked.
Adrien rushed forward, ear to the door.
“That was…that was Flairmidable. How?? Adrien’s right here.” Ladybug’s voice was pitched higher than normal.
“Calm down. What can you do about this?”
“I can…detransform. I…Spots Off.”
Rena knew Ladybug’s identity. Just another person Ladybug trusted more than him. Another hero that Ladybug was comfortable enough to detransform in front of.
“Tikki! Hurry! Hurry! Eat!” Ladybug’s voice sounded panicked as she spoke to the Kwami, and Adrien closed his eyes, thinking about her words.
Rena’s voice cut through. “Adrien! Did you give the Miraculous to anyone else…”
He was confused... “What Miraculous?”
“The dog.”
“I…I was never given the…” He trailed off, closing his eyes in anger. “Félix. Félix was pretending to be me. Did Ladybug give me a Miraculous? If so…it went to Félix.”
“Félix??” Ladybug’s voice panicked, then suddenly there was movement. “Here. Rena. Take the earrings and Tikki. Catch that ball before it gets any further. We have to find it.” Another movement, and he realized they were alone. Just the two of them.
He could hear her crying in the other room. “Ladybug…” He whispered through the door, and was met with a quiet sob. “She’ll get the yo-yo back.”
“You don’t understand.” She whispered, broken. “Whoever has the yo-yo has access to all the Miraculous. The only ones safe right now are mine, Rena’s, and Chat Noirs…I’ve failed…as a Guardian.”
“You didn’t! You were fooled.” He replied.
“No, Adrien. I should have known better. And because of my mistake, Félix is about to have access to all the Miraculous.”
“Rena will get them back!” Adrien reassured her, but he had his doubts.
He continued to lean against the door, wishing he could open it, but knowing that Ladybug’s identity was on the other side of the door. Every now and then, a sniffle came from the room, letting him know that Ladybug was still crying. He wanted to hold her. To comfort her. To beg her forgiveness for allowing Félix to take his place.
It seemed like forever, and then he noticed a flash of light in the sky as millions of ladybugs burst out, cleansing whatever damage may have been caused. A minute later, and a sound from his bathroom let him know that two people were inside.
“Did you…did you manage to…” Ladybug’s voice was weak.
“Yes. They are safe. All except for the Dog Miraculous. I wasn’t able to get it back from Flairmidable before he took off and abandoned Hawkmoth.” Rena’s voice held an angry note. “I’m not sure if he will be a problem in the future…”
There was a moment of silence then Rena continued.
“That wasn’t all Flairmidable took with him.” Another pause. “He has the Peacock Miraculous.”
Adrien cringed. Felix with two Miraculous? Could this get any worse.
“Rena…I…” Ladybug trailed off. “Take me home, please. I can’t…I can’t…” He couldn’t make out the last thing she said, but footsteps approached the door again.
“Adrien. I need to take Ladybug home. Stay safe.”
He waited another minute before opening the door to the bathroom. Ladybug and Rena were gone. The window was open.
“Look on the bright side, kid…Hawkmoth no longer has the peacock! He will be less powerful.” Plagg said.
Adrien glanced over to his Kwami and shook his head. “Félix has it now. And from what they said, he also has the dog miraculous…what is he doing?”
With no clear answer, Adrien went back to his desk, considering the last several days and how it all continued to go wrong.
—--
It had been two days, and Adrien was not allowed to go back to school. Punishment for his switching with Félix. In fact, his father was in an extremely foul mood, and Adrien was doing his best to steer clear of his wrath. Hawkmoth had also been eerily silent.
He took the time in his room to think about the events of the previous days. Félix’s betrayal and manipulation. Ladybug choosing Adrien for the Dog Miraculous. His jealousy for how Ladybug treated Flairmidable – who he now knew she thought was Adrien. Jealous of himself. Ironic.
A chime on his phone caught his attention. A new message.
Nino: Hey, Dude! Lila was in class today. I thought you two were gone!
Adrien paused and replied.
Adrien: Never left. Stuck at home. Not sure when Father will allow me to return.
Nino: The girls have both been out, too! You have all left me by myself!
Adrien shook his head, imagining his best friend sitting alone in class, empty seats beside and behind him.
Adrien: Sorry. There isn’t much I can do about it now. Waiting for my father to let me go back.
Nino: Let me know if you need anything! At least he is letting you have your phone.
Adrien glanced at his door, wondering how long before his father decided to take away all his contact with the outside world. A feeling of dread filled him as he realized that his father could strip away everything…everything except his ring.
Adrien: Sorry! He replied before he forgot, and then tossed his phone onto his bed.
Marinette and Alya weren’t at school either… at least he didn’t have to deal with Lila. …and neither did Marinette. That was a relief.
“Kid!!” Plagg suddenly flew in front of his face. “Akuma!!”
Adrien turned and followed Plagg’s gaze, realizing that Nadja Chamack was on the news detailing the current Akuma attack. His breath caught in his throat. He hadn’t talked to Ladybug since Strike Back. Maybe he could catch her when the battle was over and have a much needed conversation.
Would Ladybug tell Chat Noir what happened to the Miraculous and Flairmidable?
“Plagg. Claws out!”
A renewed energy filled him as the transformation settled into place. It lifted his mood and gave him the confidence to take on whatever problems were before him. With a deep, rejuvenating breath, he took off out the window to face the Akuma…and Ladybug.
The Akuma was a tall man. Very thin. His hair was slicked back and shiny. He was reaching out with his long arm that extended out and grabbed people off the streets. The arm moved like a rope through the streets and around cars. When it returned to him, it looked normal once more.
Frowning, Chat looked around for his Lady, not seeing her. Had he arrived first?
THUNK
He spun around to see Scarabella standing awkwardly in Ladybug’s place. She was nervous, and flinched at the frown he gave her. His eyes narrowed with a glare that was likely too harsh – he was still bitter from the lies.
“Where’s Ladybug?” He tried to keep his voice calm, but the growl still slipped in.
Scarabella must have felt the intensity, and took a step back. “She…needed me to cover for her, again. I’m not sure when she’ll be back.”
His growl became more pronounced. “We don’t have time for this. We’ll talk after the fight.” Chat Noir found satisfaction in the way she cringed at his words. “We need to tangle his arms together. Then we can find the Akumatized item and get this over with.”
Chat Noir took off, landing effortlessly on a nearby lamppost. He’d take care of the Akuma first, and then he would make sure Scarabella gave him answers.