Chapter Thirty-Four:
It had been two days.
Nathanael had emerged from his pod. Though he had been weak at first, he was regaining his bearings slowly. When he had first stepped out of the pod, he was face to face with Adrien. The exchange was rather awkward between them at first, and it still hadn't gone away. The fact that they had been in a fight to the death with one another was... difficult, to say the least.
Adrien had been sitting in the infirmary, watching the vapor inside Marinette's pod swirl around in circles when Nathan's pod popped open. It had startled the cat so much, he had fallen out of his chair. Nathanael had pulled himself out of the healing chamber, waving his hands in front of his face like he couldn't breathe. When he finally looked around, both Adrien's and Nathanael's eyes locked.
"Uh... hi?" Adrien said, attempting to be friendly.
Nathan sighed and leaned against the pod. He folded his arms. "Let me guess, you're here to chew me out for trying to hurt you?"
Adrien shook his head quickly and got to his feet. "No no, not at all. I'm here to just... well..." He turned his attention to Marinette's pod. Nathan was confused at first, but once he followed Adrien's gaze, his whole body stiffened. He stared at Marinette's pale face and limp form.
"D-did I do that to her?"
Adrien rubbed the back of her head. "No, not really. Do you remember what happened?"
"I..." Nathanael trailed off, then scratched his head. "I remember Marinette getting hurt and then us escaping into the Cataclysmacopia. Then..." He furrowed his eyebrows together and he dropped his hand. "Something happened. Something... bad."
"Do you want me to tell you?" Adrien asked.
Nathanael shook his head, giving him the cold shoulder. "No, I'll figure it out myself."
From then on, the conversation between the two boys was either extremely awkward or it didn't happen at all. Adrien could tell that Nathan didn't want to say a word to him, but it wasn't like he was looking for conversation. They may have made it out of the arena, but that didn't mean that their tension had gone away. If anything, it had only increased.
For the past two days, on top of the two boys dancing around each other's presence, Master Fu had been pushing everyone to work harder in their training. Adrien, who had only been taught certain types of fighting movies, was seriously struggling. He almost regretting telling the old Chinese man that his mother had asked for a prepared team. They had woken up early a couple times in the row now, but after going through some rigorous training exercises, Adrien was ready to pass out. Running laps, throwing spears, wrestling, and lifting weights was not something he did on a daily basis. He respected all of the Charms and their scores even more now.
Adrien trudged into the top floor apartment after a long workout session, his head dripping with sweat. As he walked in, Juleka lifted her head up from the book she was reading - Your Design and How to Find It - and smirked.
"Tough day?" she asked.
Adrien scoffed and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "What do you think?"
"Well, I think you need a little pick me up!"
Adrien jumped slightly as Rose popped up next to him, holding a tray of cookies in her arms. He smiled and was about to take one, but Juleka raised a finger.
"Ah ah, mister. What's the point of working out if you're only fattening yourself up afterward."
In retaliation, Adrien picked up one of the cookies and shoved it in his mouth. Juleka only rolled her eyes in response while Rose giggled. He took a handful.
"I'll cash ooo gas lada," Adrien said, his voice muffled by the cookie.
Juleka waved her hand and returned to her book. Rose wished him good luck then made her way back to the kitchen. Adrien walked upstairs only to be greeted by Nathan stepping out of his room. Both boys stopped. Adrien hadn't seen him at training because Master Fu insisted that he rest up. To quote, he had said that, "one must always be in full health when pushing themselves to the limit". Nathan glanced at the handful of cookies in Adrien's hand.
"Where did you get those?"
"Uh, Ross gaf dem oo me."
He raised an eyebrow. "You know I made those, right?"
Adrien blinked, feeling like he had crossed the line of some sort. He awkwardly held out the handful. "Wand on?"
Nathan rolled his eyes and pushed past him. He stole a cookie from his hand, though. Adrien watched Fox walk away, then decided it would be better if he just left him alone. Turning around, Adrien strolled into the room he had been using for the past little while: Marinette's.
It was interesting when he had stayed there the first night. He had made sure to keep to himself. He didn't want Marinette getting mad at him because he had been sleeping in the bed she had before the Games. To make himself feel better, and to make sure Ladybug wouldn't come after him with a grappling hook when she woke up, he had made a bed of blankets on the floor. He had laid them out next to the window. It was nice to lookout over the Capital he had once been in charge of. Late at night, he would lay there, sleepily watching car lights travel slowly along the streets below.
While he watched, he sometimes would imagine all kinds of funny scenarios. He imagined Marinette and him running across the skyscrapers, jumping from one to another. In his mind, he could see Marinette's smiling face as she used the grappling gun to swing majestically between buildings. He would no doubt follow her lead, using his silver baton. Last night, he had an amazing dream about the two of them being superheroes. He hadn't wanted to get out of bed to go work out.
Adrien opened the door to the bedroom and tossed the cookies onto the dresser by the door. He kicked off his tennis shoes and they hit the wall. After changing out of his workout clothes and into his normal attire, he glanced at himself in the mirror. He may have been bruised and gross, but he was okay with that. It was nice to finally be a slob without his father glaring him down.
He walked over to the dresser, about to pick up a cookie, when the black box caught his attention. His hand faltered as he stared at the device. It was vibrating.
They hadn't heard any word from his mother. He had tried to call her before he went to bed the night before but hadn't received a response. She had been completely silent.
But now...
Adrien scooped it up, put in the nude earpiece, then pressed the button on the side.
"Hello?"
"Adrien," his mother said. When she said his name, a feeling of relief rushed over him. She was okay. "Honey, I don't have much time to talk. Do you have a group of people, like I told you?"
"Yes," he replied immediately.
"Excellent. The Charm Ball is the day after tomorrow and we need to get everything ready."
"I have the team ready. Hang on, I'll get Master Fu."
"No, Adrien. We don't have time."
Adrien froze. "Wait, what?"
"Adrien, listen to me. I have everything ready. I only have one job for you." She paused and Adrien waited. He held his breath, his mind racing a thousand miles an hour. What did his mom want him to do? Blow up a building? Kill someone? Find her?
"I need you to tell Master Fu that the packages are in the janitorial closet on the top floor as soon as you can. This is urgent. Nothing can come before this."
He blinked. "W-what?"
"I have to go, honey. I promise I'll call you back." There was the sound of something insanely loud in the background of her call. "Adrien, before I go, I need you to promise that you will stay strong, okay?"
"I..." He couldn't spit it out, he was too busy trying to process her request.
"Pumpkin, please."
He took a deep breath. "Okay, I promise, mom."
"Thank you. Stay safe, baby. Love you."
There was a click and the line went dead. Adrien lowered the box and placed it back on the table. It was warm to the touch. It must have been vibrating for a while. How long had she been trying to get ahold of him?
Something was going on. Though he may have been in contact with his mom, that didn't mean he understood it completely. What was happening on her end of the call? Why did she have to leave so quickly every single time?
There was a knock on his bedroom door. Adrien glanced over just in time to see Rose pop her head in. She smiled.
"Hi, Adrien! Sorry to bother you, but Master Fu is out here and wishes to speak to you."
Adrien stiffened. That had been fast. He gave Rose a swift nod.
"Thank you. I'll be right down."
She disappeared behind the door. Adrien stumbled back toward the bed and pressed a hand against his temple. What was going on? What was his mother planning? He had a feeling that Master Fu knew more than he let on. He had tricks up his Hawaiian shirt sleeves, and Adrien was going to find out what they were. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and got to his feet. Time to face the inevitable. He scooped up the cookies from off the dresser, stuffed one in his mouth, then walked out the door.
It didn't take him long to get downstairs, and when he did, he immediately took notice to Nathanael. He was sitting on the couch next to-
Wait a sec.
Adrien stopped in his tracks, cookie crumbs dangling from his chin. The cookies in his hand slipped and cascaded down the last few steps. Why had he not taken a shower? He was a mess!
"Adrien," Master Fu said.
The cat-like boy jumped at least a foot off the ground and spun toward the old man. It was like he had just appeared next to him from out of nowhere.
"I see you've seen the great news," he commented.
Adrien turned back toward the couch. He didn't realize he was holding his breath until that moment.
"Marinette," he breathed.
She turned to look at him. Her hair had grown a little longer, thanks to the healing pod, and her skin glowed with health. Her eyes, oh her eyes, had a shine in them like she had just witnessed a beautiful sunset. It had been so long since Adrien had seen her fully well. She had no fever, no burns, and no knife in her back. She no longer wore her arena clothes, which was kind of weird for Adrien, since that was all he had seen her in other than elegant dresses. She wore pink pants that cut off mid-calf, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket. It was almost like she had never gone into the arena at all.
The biggest smile stretched across her face. "Adrien."
No more words needed to be said. Marinette launched herself off of the couch and Adrien rushed forward. The two of them threw their arms around each other. Adrien buried his face in Marinette's hair. She was okay. They were going to be okay.
"Can you quit it you two?" Nathan grumbled. "It's not like we need anymore excessive PDA from you guys." The pair leaned away just enough to send a disapproving look to him. Fox spread his hands. "What? I can't be the only one thinking it."
"I find it entertaining," Master Fu admitted, leaning on his cane with a smug grin.
"It's cute!" Rose commented, kicking her leg up and framing her face with her hands.
Juleka shrugged. "Eh, it's not a problem, really."
Nathan rolled his eyes and go to his feet. "Well, I think it is a problem. Why don't you guys get a room instead?"
The old man's smile melted. "Nathanael," he scolded, "don't be rude."
"I'm just saying the truth," Fox muttered, then lumbered out of the room. Everyone watched him climb the stairs and disappear into his room.
Master Fu sighed. "Marinette, I think it's time you talk to him. You're the only one who can sort this out."
Marinette tightened her grip on Adrien, then nodded sadly. "Okay, I'll talk to him a little later."
Talk. Yes, that reminded him. He opened his mouth to say something to Master Fu, but Marinette cut him off by asking the old man, "Do you, um... think that Adrien and I could talk? Alone?"
He nodded. "Of course, Ladybug."
Adrien flinched, a sense of urgency rushing into his mind, but Master Fu had already gathered up Rose and Juleka. They were out the door before he could say a word.
"Adrien," Marinette started, pulling away from him and sitting on the couch, "I... I need to talk to you. I need to tell you some things..."
That sent alarm bells ringing on top of the alarm bells. "Um, okay?" He sat down next to her and took her hand in his. She smiled sadly down at their intertwined hands before pulling hers away.
"I realize that there is a lot going on right now and I don't want to be a problem to you, but... I think you've sacrificed too much for me."
He blinked and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Well," she nervously wrung her hands together, "you gave up everything for me; your family, your job, and you've risked your life one too many times. When I woke up from my pod, I realized that... maybe we've been walking too close to the edge."
Adrien leaned forward on his knees and stared at her. Was this really the same Marinette that almost killed a Charm for hurting her friends?
"Marinette, we're going to be okay. We aren't alone in this anymore."
"I know, but..." She trailed off and took a deep breath before continuing. "I just don't want to put anyone else in danger. Everyone I fought against, all the Charms that are here, they didn't choose to be here. They were pulled into it without their consent, and I just... I can imagine putting them at risk.
"I was awake most of the time in that sleep pod. I would sometimes see people come and go by my pod... I saw my parents. I saw my best friend. I saw everyone that I had loved all gathered around me and I felt..." She sighed and dipped her head. "I felt like I had been the one who had put them in danger. They were here because of me and my stupid actions. My parents, Alya, your friend Nino, Nathanael... I can't hurt anyone else."
She glanced up to meet Adrien's gaze. Her eyes were watering with tears. "Worst of all, I hurt you... I hurt the boy that I fell in love with. If that's not painful, I don't know what is."
Adrien couldn't stand it anymore. He scooted across the couch and pulled Marinette into a tight hug. He pressed her close, resting his chin on the top of her head and running a hand down her back. "My Lady, you didn't hurt me at all. You're not hurting anyone. You chose to be here because if you weren't, a little girl would be taking your place. You saved her, isn't that enough?" He kissed the top of her head and pulled her away just enough to press his forehead against hers. "Ladybug, you're my everything. If you hadn't come into my life, I wouldn't even be here."
He lifted his hand and brushed her cheek. He could feel her wet tears smear across her cheek with his fingers. Tenderly, he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him in return, and Adrien could feel more of her tears fall. He pulled away and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Ladybug," he said, his voice level. "You are the love of my life. I want you to etch this deep in your heart so you can never forget it: I will do anything for you. I willingly left my family because I knew I would find a stronger love in you." He kissed her again, but this one was quick. He leaned away and breathed, " I will jump in front of a bullet if it means that you live." He opened his eyes and met her blue orbs. He held her gaze like it was the last thing he would ever see. "Don't you ever think that I would leave you. I won't, not without a fight."
This time, it was Marinette's turn to lean in and press her lips to his. The two kissed long enough for Adrien to lose track of time.
And then, he realized his mistake.
It was sudden, the way the mission smashed into his mind. It caused his whole body to jerk and pull away from Marinette. His eyes were wide.
"Where's Master Fu?"
Marinette blinked, her expression revealing how completely lost she was. "W-what are you talking about?"
"I need to talk to him!" Adrien scrambled to his feet. "I was supposed to tell him what my mom dropped off in the janitorial closet!"
"Woah, woah. Chat, slow down," Marinette said. "Take a deep breath."
"I was supposed to tell him immediately. Crap, I have to find him!"
In one swift motion, Adrien gripped Marinette's wrist and pulled her off the couch. She yelped in surprise, unsure how to react to Adrien pulling her behind him.
Adrien's mind was racing a million miles an hour. He had a job to do and he had gotten distracted! Then again, the distraction itself hadn't been too bad, but that wasn't the point. He needed to find their trainer. Fast. They didn't have any more time for delay.
Adrien skidded to a stop at the janitor closet that both he and Marinette had sneaked into earlier. He jiggled the handle for a minute before throwing open the door. He stopped in his tracks. In stacks as tall as he was, boxes stood like pillars at the bottom of the entrance ladder. Adrien's heartbeat quickened when he saw the note attached to the closest one:
For the Final Plan,
~ Peacock
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AH. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE WRITTEN 8000 WORDS IN LESS THAN 2 DAYS JUST SO I CAN AVOID FIXING MY GRADES IN SCHOOL.
UGH.
(I'm passing, though, so that's good.)
I hope you guys are liking the constant flow of updates. I had no idea I would write this much. I guess stress does this to me sometimes, haha.
Since there isn't much to talk about, let's go right into my favorite comment.
Favorite Comment:
Oh no! The connection-.......
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started buf-......
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fering!
(The newest akuma- the bufferer XD)
I also want to thank her for her 53 comments. And yes, I counted them all individually. *finger guns*
And! I also finished this just today (2/2/17):
Figured you guys would love it.
And, as always, have a Miraculous day!