Adrien was at the Goth store, shopping for more black clothes and accessories he can find. Like being in darkness rather than be in the light. He spots vampire fangs and black paint nails. The makeup eyeshadow and eyeliner, he wasn't sure if men can do that. Once he paid, he headed to the supermarket to buy himself food and drink.
"Tell me again why you're into a dark black color?" Plagg asked, peeking out from his owner's leather jacket.
"It helps me blend into the dark," Adrien said.
"And a depressing teenager," Plagg said.
"Yeah, an orphaned one" Adrien sighs and picks out a steak from the meat aisle, "Perfect" He found different types of cheese and some milk.
"Yummy" Plagg peeks seeing the cheese.
"Plagg, people are watching" Adrien whispered.
"Sorry" Plagg hides again.
Adrien goes into the fruit aisle to pick out bananas, apples, and grapes, "Well that should be enough" He took some potatoes.
After checking out, he carried his backpack and headed into the alley to transform into Cat Noir, "Plagg claws out!" He transformed and leaps up the rooftops.
"Adrien?" Ladybug said behind him.
Cat Noir inhales sharply, turning around to face her, "Don't call me by that name. Adrien Agreste is dead and he became an emotionless man"
"Please Noir. You're still the same boy as before, just not obeying anyone" Ladybug said.
"No one could understand me, milady. I spent my whole life being perfect and I hated being a prodigy because I did not have a normal childhood" Cat Noir hissed.
"You're now old enough to make your own decisions. I'm not asking you to join me again. We don't have to fight. And every one of your friends misses you dearly" Ladybug said.
"Those friends I had did not understand the true side of me," Cat Noir said.
"They were too blind, I get it," Ladybug said.
"So were you, milady. Just like you were blind to see Cat Noir being funny and annoying but I make cat puns to keep me sane and boost my happiness" Cat Noir said.
"Alright. But there was one thing I've never told you Cat Noir while Shadow Moth was alive" Ladybug said.
"And what is that?" Cat Noir scoffed.
"That I undid a timeline that you were akumatized and destroyed everyone and everything as Cat Blanc, the moon included. All was because I revealed my secret identity in a gift" Ladybug revealed the Blanc incident.
"So that's what you were afraid of? That I would get akumatized? Milady, fear is one thing but distancing me can lead to consequences. It made me think that you hate me and that I was not good enough for you or anyone. You don't think for others" Cat Noir was not surprised by the truth since he's very emotionless.
"You're too unbelievable. I never hated you, Kitty. It's all the pressure and so forth, sure the trash can was too much and I indirectly humiliated some people but I never meant for these things to happen! Would it satisfy you if I renounced my guardianship and I lose my memories to start over again?!" Ladybug made a long rant.
"Bullshit! You saw how I would feel if you lose your memories! When you became guardian, I wanted to help you but you shut me out! Like the day I wanted to spend time with you at the movies, you got us kicked out because you were talking too loud! Yes, I can be annoying at times but I was trying to support you! But you never let me" Cat Noir explained, "I understand the pressure you were going through, milady. But you let your pressure get the best of you"
"You're right Kitty! I do! I feel too much pressure and now that you are a villain, There's no turning back. I want to undo my mistake. What can I do to repay you for all this? I'll do anything for you this time" Ladybug begged.
Cat Noir walks around her, licked her cheek seductively, pinned her against the chimney wall, and pinned his knee against her stomach so she doesn't try to wrap her legs around his waist.
"Try exploring the abandoned mansion and find your answers. Or you can try spying on me in the criminal territory but you do know they don't allow superheroes in there" Cat Noir said coldly.
"Alright. I'll go there" Ladybug said.
"And don't get in my way. I kill bad men because that's what I do. Just like my father tried to exchange my soul for my mother without realizing the consequences" Cat Noir licks her cheek again.
"Fine. Once I've learned the whole truth, I'll leave you alone" Ladybug gently pushed him off to go to the mansion.
"You like to stalk me, bugaboo" Cat Noir flirted.
"Purrhaps I will" She kissed his cheek.
"I'm very wild and untamed, milady. I don't like to be petted" Cat Noir said.
"See ya" Ladybug swings to the Mansion.
Once there, Ladybug searched through the mansion, finding several pieces of destroyed furniture and pictures torn down, holes in ceilings and walls.
"This gives me the creeps" She soon saw the door to Gabriel's office, "So this is his old office" She saw the big portrait of Emilie but then noticed the destroyed elevator. It was a long drop down there but it would be best to investigate. So she jumped down and soon stopped at the old lair. On the bridge floor, there were decayed black bones of a person.
Ladybug gasps in shock, these were the bones of the late Gabriel Agreste, "Oh my god!" She nearly recoiled at the sight, "Cat Noir wasn't kidding!" She walks away and then saw all vines grown over.
The sight of the skeleton was still in her head. She kept walking until she saw the now dirty golden casket. It felt warm like it has been running for a year. She saw it was a woman preserved in there.
"Is that Emilie Agreste?" She recognized the face from the portrait.
She felt bad about how Adrien felt without her by his side, and she only hurt him more like Gabriel has done while he was alive. She placed her hand on the glass.
"I'm so sorry Mrs. Agreste, I hope you can forgive me" Ladybug fell on her knees sobbing, "I tried so hard to confess my love to your son but I failed!" She sobs.
The moonlight shined through the window and she got up, wiping her tears, "I have to make things right with him" Ladybug said and placed one flower near the casket and headed out of the hideout back up the mansion. Little she suspected that Lila was walking near the abandoned mansion.
-
Adrien was still in criminal territory, trying out the dental vampire fangs he bought to look goth and creepy to intimidate anyone getting in his way. He looks into the mirror and admires his teeth.
"Move it or lose it, kid!" A man bumped into his shoulder, trying to take a piss in the bathroom.
"Alright, I'm done anyway!" Adrien got out and stood outside, feeling the cold weather.
"You sure that your lady will figure it out?" Plagg asked.
"I hope, but it's gonna hit her hard when she sees my father's bones," Adrien said.
"And she knows you let yourself out of the bag," Plagg said.
"Yes, but I don't know hers," Adrien said.
He transformed and headed into the nightclub, unzipping his zipper down to reveal his pecs and abs. Smirking evilly at the lovely ladies pole dancing.
"My, look who's here" One girl saw him come in.
"Hello ladies" Cat Noir purred.
"You're so handsome," One girl said.
"And dangerous" Cat Noir smirked with his dental fangs.
"Wow, neat" One girl said.
"Cats may bite but I love clawing" Cat Noir purred and then stomps on the man's legs since he can hear him harassing a lady.
"AAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! What the fuck?!" The man couldn't move his bent legs.
"When a lady says no, never use force" Cat Noir smirked and got off of him, "Next will be your arms"
"Goddamn it! You broke my legs!" The man screamed.
"Yes, I did" Cat Noir cackled and does the Vulcan neck punch to knock him unconscious. He walks over to the bar to order a glass of milk.
"So much darkness in a black cat" The bartender gives him a glass of milk.
"You have no idea" Cat Noir drank his milk.
"You're still a young kitten and you have a lot more growing up to do," The bartender said.
"Yeah, I hope for sure I will break the Ladybug," Cat Noir said.
"But you didn't. You still have the old you somewhere deep in there" The bartender said.
"The old me perished after Shadow Moth died," Cat Noir said.
His ears perked when he senses bad men with daggers coming this way, "And that's why I kill bad men" He gets up and throws the chair at the gang, knocking them out, and smacks them with his staff.
Another one whacked him with a baseball bat in the back.
"Agh!" Cat Noir groaned but jumps on the bad guy, locking his legs around the guy's neck and he snapped it in a hard pull.
One thug however strikes Cat Noir with a knife, "AGGGHHH!!!!" Cat Noir was stabbed but it didn't hit his vitals, "Get off of me!!" He clawed the bad guy's eyes.
"AAAAAAAAH!!!" The blinded thug screamed but Cat Noir pulled the knife out and stabbed him in the heart.
Cat Noir quickly ran out of the nightclub, steadying the pressure on his wound. He poles vaulted to the roof but it opened his wound too much.
"AAAAAGH!" He groaned in pain.
His vision was blurry and he sees a mouse figure coming this way before he blacked out.
-
He woke up in pain and saw Marinette stitching his wound.
"Relax Kitty," Marinette said.
"Kid, can you see us?" Plagg asked.
Adrien gasped and saw his bare hand, "Marinette! I can explain!" He gasps.
"Lie back down" Marinette pushed him back down, "It's all right. I saw and Plagg told me what happened. Don't move" She continues stitching the wound on his stomach.
"Hgh!" Adrien flinched.
"Guess the mouse and the cat are even," Plagg said.
"Yup, for now," Mullo said.
"How the hell did you find me?" Adrien groaned.
"I was out patrolling as Multimouse when I saw you climbing on the rooftop bleeding" Marinette explained.
"And you were probably in shock that I'm not dead," Adrien said.
"I was. But no time to argue, I need to fix you up" Marinette said.
"I'm sorry had to hide for a year. The truth is I'm an orphan now. It's best if I show you the truth when I recover" Adrien said.
Marinette cuts the thread, "I really miss you, Adrien"
"I missed you too, Marinette" Adrien sat up, getting patched up.
Marinette gently touched his face, "Why did you leave everyone?"
Adrien closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, "I couldn't put you all in danger. If the authorities knew I was alive, they would send me to London. Paris is my home"
"But why did you become a villain?" Marinette asked.
"Technically, it's an anti-hero. I had to steal to survive. Ever since my father died, I never had freedom in all my life. I closed my feelings so I can forget that terrible incident" Adrien explained.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Both he and Shadow Moth are gone" Marinette said.
"My father was a terrible parent. I never really loved him at all. In fact, he never cared about my mentality or how I was feeling" Adrien growled lowly.
"You don't have to be alone anymore, Adrien. You still have me" Marinette said.
"But you have a life, Marinette. I don't" Adrien said, purring in sadness.
"My life changed while you were gone. I went to your supposed grave every weekend, placing flowers there. I even lost the lust for designing" Marinette said.
"Here I am back from the dead" Adrien teased.
"Yeah, of course," Marinette said sadly.
"Princess, thanks for saving me," Adrien said.
"You're welcome, Adrien. It's just quite a shock that the boy I've admired was Cat Noir the whole time" Marinette said.