Chapter Text
Adrien walked into his room after yet another lonely dinner. This one was especially bad due to Nathalie having stayed with his father. But now wasn’t the time to focus on that. It was late but Adrien had one last thing to do. Leaning down he took out the Miraculous Box and opened up the main compartment to put Wayzz back in the box. However before he could put it away an orange kwami shot out of the box. “Whoa, what happened to the roof?” Barkk questioned looking around.
“Barkk, where did you go!” Daizzi questioned as she also flew out of the box. “Oh, wow!”
“A button that freely lets the kwami out.” Wayzz mumbled as he watched a few more kwami poke their heads out of the box. Adrien watched stunned as the remaining kwami started exploring his room before letting out a chuckle.
“I bet Cheshire doesn’t have a way to let her kwami out.” Adrien looked at Tikki with a bit of mirth. Tikki didn’t initially respond before thinking about what Adrien had said.
“What makes you think she has a box? The only people with a miraculous box were the guardians.” Wayzz questioned. His question seemed to gather the attention of all the other kwami.
“The cat has a box? Oh, I bet it is a void as black as her soul!” Ziggy seemed to shake at the thought.
“Oh, we need to get them back as soon as possible!” Barkk snarled a little as she imagined what her fellow kwami could be going through.
“Did Master Fu not show you the streams?” Adrien questioned the kwamis to which he was met with confused looks.
“What do rivers have to do with anything?” Daizzi questioned from over by his dresser. Looking around the room Adrien saw the other kwami exploring his room.
“Dear Guardian, I don’t mean to misspeak but I think someone might have scammed you on these mirrors.” Orikko called from over by his computers.
“Those are computers Orikko.” Tikki explained to the rooster. “Oh, Adrien, perhaps you can show them what you mean!” Adrien pondered her idea before nodding his head. “Maybe some of the other kwami might know how they pulled it off.”
“Yeah I really didn’t get to ask Master Fu his thoughts.” The new guardian flinched a little as he remembered his former mentor.
“Thoughts on what?” Wayzz questioned as he and a few other kwami watched Adrien working the computer.
“Wow, so this is a computer!” Daizzi said in awe as she watched. A few other kwami started joining around them. All of them gasped though as Mullo, Liiri, and Pollen appeared on screen. The clip was one of the last Subnatica streams and had the two kwami entering the lair of the Sea Emperor Leviathan. “Whoa, what is this!”
“According to what Trixx and the others have said on these ‘streams’ Cheshire made them this box.” Tikki informed the other kwami as the clip showed Mullo, Liiri, and Pollen first encountered the legendary creature.
“This is a box?” Wayzz motioned to the screen. “How is this even possible?”
“As far as I understand it involves a mix of magic and modern technology.” Adrien tapped his fingers against his desk as he watched what was happening.
“How is Liiri even there?” Stompp questioned while watching the eagle kwami.
“I don’t know, just that he showed up around the same time as Cheshire got Pollen.” The guardian informed them as he looked at the recommended clips.
“But why would the evil cat do something like this?” Ziggy questioned as she seemed to try and understand what was happening. Adrien flinched at the question of the kwami as he caught sight of the news clip of Cheshire sacrificing herself for him.
“Hey Tikki? I know I asked this before, but…” Adrien began only to trail off at all the kwami looking at him. Swallowing his doubts, Adrien started again. “Is there any chance that Cheshire might not be evil?” The kwamis gasped at his question.
“I, I don’t know anymore.” Tikki seemed to deflate at the admission. This drew even more gasps from every kwami except Wayzz. “I thought I did but then I started talking to Trixx and the things he said. He wasn’t trying to trick me or something like that. He just kept pushing the idea that Cheshire was good enough to be his kit! But the girl is a cat! How can a cat be worthy of being chosen by any other kwami!” What started weak slowly started to build up more and more.
“Trixx called her a kit?” Daizzi questioned with curiosity.
“He did.” Wayzz confirmed for the panting Tikki.
“But if Cheshire isn’t evil then what about Plagg?” Barkk pounded while letting out a hum of thought. It was quiet for a good long moment before Tikki broke it.
“I want to talk to him.” The little red ladybug spoke up with determination. Left unsaid was her needing to know why so many of her bugs needed to suffer before Plagg found a good cat.
“I can see two ways of going about this.” Adrien aired his thoughts as he moved his mouse around the computer. The boy wanted to check out the various news clips from today. “First is that we put our plan of recording you into action and see if we can get into contact with them that way.” Tikki had always been of the opinion that he should review his actions post battle. So with that he clicked on one of the news clips that was in the recommended tab. “The other is the straightforward approach. We ask Cheshire to speak to Plagg.”
The kwamis looked between each other at the suggestions. “I would prefer the second option.” Tikki mumbled while nodding her head. “I want to talk to him in person.”
“Plus it will give me the chance to talk to Cheshire.” Adrien nodded. “If she is good then it would be best if we try to settle our differences.” As he said this Adrien saw that someone had posted a new video on the Wonderblog. Clicking on it the guardian and kwami watched the video that started out simple enough. It was right after Misterbug caught the akuma and he was going to comfort the victim.
“Wait, pause the video.” Barkk ordered while looking hard at the screen.
“What’s up dog?” Adrien questioned with his best American accent.
“What is up with Cheshire’s costume?” The orange kwami questioned with narrowed eyes. “Those are real cat ears and a real tail!”
“Wait really!” The other kwamis let their shock be known and crowded around the screen to see.
“What does this mean?” Questioned Adrien leaning back into his plush chair. The kwamis looked between each other before Tikki sighed.
“Just like Catastrophe I don’t know. I don’t think this is a power-up potion.” The red kwami responded with a shake of her head.
“This is way too much for just a potion.” Wayzz agreed with the goddess of creation.
“Maybe if Cheshire agrees to meet up we can question her about it.” Adrien nodded thought about plans for the future. “Or maybe Marinette might know something.” A few kwami looked between each other. Maybe Fu hadn’t informed the other kwami of the girl. Oh well he would just tell them about her.
~~~~~~~
Plagg sat on the cat pillow watching his Bread as she slept. So far he had not seen any hints of her being transformed but it might be subtle. Despite the rabbit checking out the girl’s hand it might not have started there. The rabbit, despite having the power of time travel, wasn't omnipotent and didn’t know everything. So Plagg would keep her safe.
“Um, hey Plagg.” Mullo’s voice came from the edge of the bed. Glancing over he saw the mouse at the edge of the bed. The black cat then shot his eyes back toward the pigtailed girl. “Yeah, I can understand.” Plagg didn’t respond as Mullo sat down near him. “So um… I suppose I should tell you and the others about what happened.”
“That would be appreciated dear.” Pollen responded from her doll house which was hanging near the bed. Plagg didn’t show any sign of responding to Pollen being so near. He didn’t notice her and that slightly bugged him.
“How much do you know about the akuma attack?” Mullo questioned as Plagg took his eyes off of the girl to take a quick glance around. He saw that Mullo had settled down into one of Marinette’s hands. One of the girl’s fingers seemed to twitch and brushed against the gray kwami every so often.
“We saw the news report on it.” Pollen responded as Plagg spotted Liiri who flew up and landed on the dollhouse near the bee.
“Then you know about how the beam affected the pup?” Mullo questioned while grabbing the finger that had been petting her. Seeing the others shake their head Mullo seemed to steady herself. Spotting movement Plagg spotted Longg near Marinette’s legg. Seeing that she was spotted, the dragon settled down there. “When the beam hit it caused Cheshire to act like a cat.” Plagg narrowed his eyes at that.
“Why did she take the hit?” Plagg questioned though he most likely knew that Mullo had no idea why.
“I don’t know why, she just did.” Mullo shook her head and then hugged the finger. “But what mattered is that after getting hit the pup started hissing at anyone who got close.” That made sense to Plagg. Any cat would lash out after everything Bread has been through. “I managed to get her away from others and to an isolated rooftop. Or what should have been an isolated roof.”
“Ssso that wasss how Viperion knew where the girl wasss.” Sass commented from way too close by for Plagg’s comfort. Spinning he saw the snake right by Longg. “So this is the girl under the mask?” Plagg wanted to hiss and put the snake back into the Cube so there would be no chance for the snake to use his kitten’s kindness to return to his Chosen where they would then report to Misterbug her identity.
“Yeah, but don’t think I will forgive you for bringing the amok to my pup!” Mullo yelled at the snake. She instantly toned it down though as said pup stirred a bit. “So after the amok came it started fighting Bread. She was being beaten up pretty badly.” Plagg let out a hiss at hearing this. Sass, who had been moving to get a better look at Marinette, flinched and darted toward Pollen’s doll house. “When it seemed like the amok was about to win though she did something.”
“Something?” Longg questioned with obvious confusion. The red dragon had moved into a bit more comfortable position.
“I haven’t seen anything like it.” Mullo shivered a bit as dropped the finger she was holding to move closer to Marinette. “It was called ‘Catalyst’.” The word came out with a shiver. The other kwami looked between each other as they heard the name of the power. “It summoned a wave of black energy that swept over her. It changed her in ways no potion ever could.”
“It alssso increased her power to an incredible level.” Sass commented having settled down. “Ssshe was able to throw the amok over multiple buildingsss. Her clawsss were able to tear through the amok’sss defenssssesss.”
“It made the Queen that much stronger?” Pollen questioned in shock as she tried to imagine it. The bee glanced down at the girl who was still deep asleep.
“It did. Her speed was even greater than that of Knightmare.” Mullo confirmed while snuggling into the cat’s hair. At the mention of the girl’s horse, all of Marinette’s kwami glance over to the spot where Kaalki still slept. Sass followed their line of sight to the black and green house. The snake felt a temptation to head over and check on the brown kwami but wanted to see where the rest of this conversation went.
“Plagg, do you think it is possible that this ‘Catalyst’ somehow destroyed whatever limits the power a user gets?” Liiri questioned as they tried to puzzle out the situation.
“A power to destroy limitations?” Plagg questioned as he went over it in his head. “It is possible.”
“Wouldn’t that alssso destroy whatever sssafty featuresss there are?” Sass thought out loud to the group. This caused the group to go quiet as what he said sunk in.
“Mullo, do you think this is possible with what you saw?” Pollen questioned while looking towards the mouse. Said mouse had made a nice bed out of Marinette’s hair and was now asleep. “I guess today was tiring.”
Plagg could understand, he was feeling pretty tired himself. But he couldn’t let himself sleep, he had to keep watch. “I think I shall join her.” Longg stated before starting to make themselves comfortable. All the other kwami gave various agreements to that statement. All except two that is.
Plagg and Sass sat and watched as the other kwami flew and settled themself around Marinette. It took about an hour or so but the kwami settled down and fell asleep. “Aren’t you going to sleep?” Sass questioned turning toward Plagg.
“And let you fly off so you can lead the ‘heroes’ here?” Plagg returned with heat. Sass looked down at the girl in question and all the kwami around her.
“I get the feeling that you don’t trust me.” Sass flatly said while looking toward Plagg. Sass would be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated by the black kwami. The kwami had been built up in all kwamis minds since he had been lost to the order. Two of his young serpents had been brutally killed by past cats and some of those feelings had been put onto Plagg. So to soothe himself the snake let out a sigh and flew up a bit. “I’m going back to the Cube, there's much for me to think of.” Plagg didn’t say anything as the green kwami did as he said. He was a guard cat and he would watch over his charge. Plus like Sass he had a lot to think about.
It was thanks to him still being awake that Plagg was able to hear the door open from below. Acting quick he tossed a blanket over Marinette and flew around to make sure everything was hidden. With that done Plagg flew down to see who it was that came into the bakery.
~~~~~
“Of course, I’m checking on her right now!” Nadja informed Sabine as she reached the bakery. Alya had texted her earlier asking her to check in on Marinette. Thankfully she had a few seconds before the broadcast and was able to reassure the girl that after work she would check on the girl. So the second she could, the woman had told her serpiours that something had come up and thankfully they let her go. While on her way there Nadja had decided to inform her friend about what had happened. It might even get the woman to come home soon.
“Thank you so much Nadja!” Sabine thanked the woman with much relief. “I have to go now. But please let me know how she is doing.” Walking in Nadja saw that the apartment was clean.
Nadja rolled her eyes. On one hand it was very good that Tom and Sabine had become famous but on the other the two needed to learn how to say no. “I will.”
“Can you also let her know we are on our way home.” Now that was a pleasant surprise.
“Will do.” With that Nadja hung up and entered the young girl’s room. Despite it still being around six or so the black haired girl was in her bed soundly asleep. “Marinette?” Lightly touching the girl Nadja was relieved to feel her breathing. Chewing on her lip a bit the woman debated between waking up the girl or letting her sleep. A beep from her phone made the decision. Walking over to the girl’s desk Nadja wrote down a note asking for her to call when she woke up.
After all, at the end of the day she was a single mom and needed the work. Hopefully the station would approve of her idea of trying to get both Cheshire and Misterbug in at the same time. That would be a big enough event that the paycheck would be big enough that she could take some days off. Maybe if Manon wanted she could invite Marinette to one of their outings along with those twins she mentioned from time to time.
It was about an hour later that Marinette texted her that she was okay but was just tired from running away from both the amok and akuma. Combine that with what Alya had texted and it was more than enough for the journalist to put together why the poor girl was so exhausted. Arriving back at the studio Nadja decided to make this turd shine enough to get Sabine home early. It was close enough to Christmas so it was for the best.