Behind A Mask

With or Without

"Any idea where the girls are?" Adrien asked as he looked around the room for them.

"They're probably just trying to keep Sierra busy. Don't want her walking in on the surprise." Said Nino as he fiddled with the wires.

Suddenly Alya came flying into the room. She stopped in the doorway and looked around frantically. Seeing the boys, she ran over to them with a worried look on her face.

"Adrien!"

"Whoa. Alya, what's wrong?" The expression on her face made Adrien worry. He could tell something was wrong and his thoughts immediately went to Marinette. Alya was supposed to be with Marinette.

"Yeah babe, where's the fire?"

"Adrien!" Alya says again, completely ignoring Nino's comment. "There's trouble!"

He caught her arms in his hands and bent to look at her on eye level. "Alya, calm down. Where's Marinette? Wasn't she supposed to be with you?"

"That's just it! That's the problem! It's Caleb, Adrien!"

"Alya what are you talking about?" Nino says, concern for the frantic girl on his face. It made Adrien grow a bit cold.

"Calm down, you're not making any sense, Alya. What's Caleb got to do with this?"

"Caleb asked me to get Marinette alone. But I didn't think this was why! I thought he just wanted to talk to her!"

"Everything's going to be fine, Alya. Where are they?" The words came out far calmer than Adrien felt right now. Panic and fear stung his insides as they filled him, threatening to make him burst like a balloon.

"By the wall, near the back of the school!" As soon as she said the words, he was running.

"Nino look after her!" He called back.

"On it, bro!"

"Hurry!" She called after him, but he was already out the door.

He didn't need to be told twice. It was silly to think he had to be told once. He took the steps two at a time and hit the ground running. His heart raced, he could feel it in his throat, it was partially form the adrenaline but mainly from the thought of Marinette in trouble. Adrien wasn't nearly as fast as he was when he's Chat, but he was definitely not slow. Pushing the doors open, he suddenly came to an abrupt halt, frozen in place.

There, against the wall, was Marinette. In front of her stood Caleb, leaning over her, his hand on the wall behind her. He couldn't see them very well from where he stood, but Marinette didn't seem happy. Her hands pushed against his chest and he held her chin so she couldn't look away. There faces were close. Too close.

It looked like he was kissing her.

Everything froze. The world around him turned to ice. Just as quickly, the ice turned to fire, a burning, inexplicable rage that left him only seeing red. It consumed him, burned him, built within and threatened to destroy him.

His anger seething, he grabbed Caleb and pulled him off Marinette. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

Adrien stood between them now. The force of the sudden movements caused Caleb's knees to buckle partially. Adrien held him by the collar of his shirt, their new position left them with Adrien looking down and Caleb looking up.

"Hey, man. Chill." Caleb threw his hands up in a nonthreatening position. "We were just having a friendly conversation."

"Didn't look that friendly to me." His words were a growl and he struggled to contain his anger. Who was he to try and take something that was his?