The Algorithm

Chapter twenty-two - Code Name: Siren

Adrien didn't want to believe her past was any worse than her time at Akuma. Fate wasn't that cruel. Her entire life had been blanketed in darkness, and Adrien knew how much she hated the dark. She deserved a sliver of light. She had earned it.

"But-" Adrien continued until he was cut off by Plagg.

"We can't rush her into this. It has to come at her own time and that time might never come."

"I guess you're right," Adrien said sheepishly, it wasn't a choice he could make for her.

"Aren't I always?" Adrien rolled his eyes, an expression he had caught from watching Marinette and Tikki suffer through Plagg's dry humor.

"I think we've done enough for today kid." The director said. "You should rest. I heard you walking around last night, I doubt you got much sleep."

"How did you know that was me?"

"The strides are longer so they came from someone tall. It was late, really late, so someone with a sleeping disorder. By the way, you should probably talk to Dussu about your insomnia. The footsteps were quiet. Even if someone was trying to be quiet, the tread of their boots was softer than usual, so they were wearing the standard boots trainees wear. And lastly, they passed by Marinette's dorm three times. Making it easy to single you out as the late-night wanderer."

Adrien had never witnessed his deducing skills to such a degree. Then again Plagg always seemed to hear or see things that others didn't notice.

"And I poked my head out the door and saw you." Plagg finished. Again, Adrien rolled his eyes.

"For a second there I was actually impressed." The blonde said, making his companion grin.

"Go get some rest." Plagg rose to leave but Adrien stopped him.

"Where is Marinette anyway?" He asked, ignoring Plagg's earlier statement.

"A supply run." The tall man answered nonchalantly, unaware of Adrien's inner turmoil.

"What?!"

"Whoa, kid. What's the problem?" Plagg asked.

"She's going on a supply run. Alone?"

"Yes. What's so wrong with that?"

"Everything Plagg!" The blonde yelled, running his fingers through his hair out of stress. Adrien didn't seem to notice Plagg's ginormous hands end up on his shoulders and his voice bringing him back to reality.

"Hey Adrien, calm down, breathe. It's alright." He said softly, trying to get his heart rate down.

"Alright?! Plagg, she's out there, alone! No one is there to help her if she gets hurt. What if Akuma-" He stopped his rant when the grim figure put his hand up, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Kid, she's smart. If anything were to happen, she'd know what to do." Seeing the absolute trust for the blunette in the man's eyes did nothing to calm his nerves.

"But what if-" Again, he was cut off.

"Adrien, listen," he took the blonde by the shoulders, "you are forgetting she has powers. Now you may have only seen them only in smaller forms, like stopping you from falling to your death, but she is a lot stronger than you think. Do you have any idea how she got the name Siren?" Adrien tilted his head slightly, his curiosity peaking.

"How?"

The grim man had to hold back a grin, he had known Adrien long enough to understand what grabs the boy's attention, and usually, that included Marinette more than anything else. Seeing how his curiosity was outweighing his fear for the blue-eyed girl, he reckoned why not kill two birds with one stone?