Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Chapter 31

Gabriel finally shooed them all to bed around eleven, and he was met with little protest. All dead on their feet, the shuffled towards upstairs. Marinette was pleased to see Adrien hug his dad before following them. It was amazing how much Gabriel had changed in the course of the night. Although, maybe "change" wasn't the right word. Marinette had seen a glimpse of that man the first time she visited, so he was always there, just smothered under the burden and fear of his situation. Now he could be the father he wanted to be all along.

Alya and Marinette stayed in the guest room down the hall while the boys filed into Adrien's room. A pointed look at Adrien and Marinette from Gabriel threatened hell for any funny business that night. Honestly, they were so exhausted it wasn't even on their radar.

Flopping into the large bed, Alya fell asleep instantly, but tired as she was, Marinette's mind was whirring. A plan was forming, and she just had to keep her cool long enough to make it happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking much earlier than she normally would, Marinette grabbed her bag and she and Tikki slipped out of the guest room, closing the door silently behind her. She was overly aware of the way the large, sparse halls echoed with every step she took, and it felt like in trying to be quiet, she was broadcasting her exit throughout the house. She made her way down to the lobby, but remembering the beeping noise that the door made every time it was opened, she redirected herself to the kitchen. There was a ground level window there that would be easy to climb out of and she could grab Tikki some breakfast too. If all went to plan, she'd be back before noon, which is when she expected the rest of them to wake up.

She padded lightly towards the kitchen, shoes in her hand to further decrease the sound of her footsteps. Walking through the wide archway, she immediately spotted some cookies on the island. Stuffing some in her bag, she then moved towards the window, and was just beginning to lift it when she hear the clink of ceramic from the corner breakfast nook. Spinning around, hand on her throat in surprise, she saw Gabriel sitting calmly and enjoying a cup of coffee.

"Off on your secret mission? You know, we have a front door." He raised and eyebrow, but looked more amused than angry. Seeing him now, this early in the morning, Marinette had a difficult time conjuring an image of his public persona in her head. He sat, drinking out of a company promotional coffee cup in jeans and an old t shirt, his hair still disheveled from sleep. He looked like a dad. He looks like Adrien, Marinette thought suddenly and then blushed remembering the reason she knew what Adrien's bedhead looked like.

"Good morning," she said, deciding to try and play it cool, or at least as "cool" as she was realistically able. A smirk played on Gabriel's lips, but he played along.

"Do you at least want some breakfast before you go off on your mission to convince Chloé to help us and Fu to give Chloé the civilization miraculous?"

That caught her off guard. Not that he knew her plan, she could see last night that he was catching on to her line of questioning more than the others. Although, to be fair, her friends had been so caught off guard by her acceptance of the Chloé plan, they were too in shock to keep up. No, what intrigued her was him calling it the "civilization miraculous". Last night she came to the realization that she knew next to nothing about the history of the miraculous. Nino had asked if he was the only one who talked to her kwami, and Marinette and Tikki talked all the time, but she never really asked about the other miraculous and their powers. Tikki was creation and Plagg was destruction, but the rest seemed more elusive.

"Civilization miraculous?" She asked, and moved to sit down across from him. He pushed a plate of toast across to her, and she took a bite, realizing that she was famished.

"I didn't ask until ten years after I first got my miraculous. For some reason it seemed...rude, I guess? Like asking someone their age," he laughed quietly. "Nino seems to be the only one who has ever just asked forthright. Yes, each of the kwami has some abstract idea attached to it, and each kwami came into existence when that abstract idea did. So it was Creation, Destruction, Emotion, Manipulation, Illusion, Civilization and Progression. Each was created as the world evolved, and now there are seven. Civilization and Progression are probably the least self-explanatory, and they are the youngest kwamis. Civilization in particular is interesting, because it could be considered the most powerful of all the kwamis. Danielle was always a bit vague about the extent of her powers, probably her way of still trying to show-off a bit." He rolled his eyes, but Marinette could see a genuine affection for his old friend. "The way she explained it was she wielded logic. So, think about a civilization, how when people come together it tends to lead to a collaboration that results in the most logical solutions. She can create that mentality amongst a group of people, or cut through any false impression or brainwashing someone might be under. For this reason, she is able to negate the powers of kwamis like Trixx or Nooro. She can only use the truth though, so it doesn't affect Duusu as much. However irrational emotions are, they aren't lies. "

"That seems...confusing." Marinette decided, taking a final bite of her toast, and Gabriel laughed.

"Yes, it is very confusing, and Pollen would be able to explain it better when you meet her. The gist of it is civilizations may bring out the best and the worst in people, but they always reveal the truth. Nothing stays hidden for long when a ton of people are watching and asking questions, and that is Pollen's power. Use the truth, however uncomfortable or aggressive it might be, and force it upon people."

"That actually sounds a lot like Chloé." Marinette signed.

"Yes, it does. You were very perceptive to think of her."

"So you think it's a good idea?" Marinette had her doubts all night. She was suddenly realizing how dangerous this all was and that four, hopefully soon to be five, teenagers were tossing themselves into the middle of a potentially violent government coup attempt. Yes, the were not ordinary teenagers, but she nonetheless felt very young and usure all of a sudden.

"Yes, I do," he answered without hesitation, though he noticed the insecurity flickering across Marinette's face. "It will be delicate getting Chloé to agree, but when she does, I think it will be a good fit."

She was grateful that he said "when" and not "if".

"Okay."

"Just remember, Chloé is brutally honest, even if that honesty is sometimes distorted to fit her own goals. A person like that isn't going to respond to platitudes and empty compliments. You need to use her strength against her." He stared at her, making sure she understood. When she nodded he said, "Good. Now off you go, I'll close the window behind you." He made a shooing motion with his hand and went back to his coffee.

Marinette stumbled over the window frame, but made her way towards Chloé, more resolved than ever.