Chapter Text
“I have to be honest…” Fu started looking at the man that sat in front of him: “I knew you’d come here, but I didn’t think you’d come this early.”
Gabriel nodded, grabbing the black box that he put in his pocket beforehand that, many years ago, he found on his desk:”I’m here to give this back.” he said, opening it and showing the pin inside of it, making the box slide towards the other man: Fu looked at the box, then at Gabriel, staying still: “My son explained to me what’s happening.”
“And you think giving back the miraculous could help?”
Gabriel nodded, keeping his eyes in the guardian’s: “You could find someone better than me, like you did for my wife.”
Fu said nothing, got up and went to the gramophone that, thanks to a fragile mechanism, kept all of the miraculous safe: “Find a new holder, you say?” he asked, stroking the object and lowering his head: “I can’t do that, Gabriel. Besides, I am already in possession of the turtle miraculous. It’s dangerous for me, no, for all of us that I have two, and that’s why, after your defeat, I found the other assigned people for the other miraculous.”
“You could find another…”
“The right person right now, is you. The only person who deserves to have this miraculous is sitting in front of me.”
“I can’t.”
“Gabriel Agreste, I understand that what happened in the past makes you feel guilty and unworthy, but you’re the only holder of that miraculous.” Fu smiled: “Protect Noroo and help Ladybug and your son, so that you can redeem yourself: don’t run away, face it.”
She held her bag tightly , looking at the principal’s office’s door: she met her as soon as she arrived and the woman’s gaze made her shiver, as she sat on one of the chairs.
Come on. You can do it.
It’s nothing.
You just have to go in, sign a couple of documents and then you’re done.
You can face the dragon.
She took a deep breath, cursing herself for all the mess she was bringing to her life: why stay in America, with all her friends and family, when she could go to Paris and attend high school there? Senior year, also.
“Remember, you’re doing this for greater good…” she murmured to herself, exhaling: everything was going to be fine, she repeated in her head, she was doing this for something important.
A boy entered the administration, smiling at her.
Why did he have to smile?
What did he want? She was just waiting for the dragon to accept her in her office!
Like she was called out, the principal opened the door and glared at the student: “Monsieur Baudin, please, do quickly what I asked you to.” she said, looking at him straight in the eyes: the poor boy nodded nervously; then the woman’s attention shifted to her: “Mademoiselle Sarah Davis?” she asked, reading her name on one of the papers she held.
“That’s me.”
The sound of quick steps made her turn around, just in time to see a girl lean on the door and paint: “And mademoiselle Lila Rossi, I suppose.” she went on, reading from another paper and glaring at the newcomer
“As promised, for my favorite kitty.” Marinette exclaimed, putting on Adrien’s desk a brown bag; she looked fondly as the green eyes lit up, and his hands flew to the bag: “Shouldn’t I be your only kitty?” the blonde asked her, matching her smile, as he breathed the smell coming out of the bag.
Marinette giggled, putting her bag on the desk next to his: “Of course, you’re my one and only kitty.”
“Ooh, I liked this one.” he said, looking inside the bag: “You see? You can tease me too without speaking another language.”
“What? I- I wasn’t”
“Yeah yeah, sure.” he quickly dismissed her, rolling his eyes and then giving all of his attention to the sweets: “Oh hi, loves!”
“You’re weird.”
“Shut up.”
“Alright, alright.” The girl snorted, sitting next to him and starting to take her stuff out of her backpack: “When you’re rendez-vous with the croissants is done, do you want to talk about what you told me yesterday?”
Adrien nodded, swallowing: ”I thought we could go to the computers room after class and wander around university sites.” he suggested, taking another bite out of the pastry and finishing it: “I wanted, I don’t know, to do a first sorting?”
“Do you have any major in mind?”
“Er- no.”
“Something you don’t want to do?”
“The doctor or anything related to medicine.” he said immediately, taking a second croissant from the bag: “I don’t really see myself with a white coat, and besides, I don't think I’m suited for the job.”
“Oh, I think you’d be amazing with a white coat.” Marinette sighed dreamily.
Adrien giggled, getting closer to Marinette to whisper in her ear: “You know, for someone who gets embarrassed easily, you sure have interesting thoughts, spots.” he waited as the girl’s cheeks became redder and redder.
“You. You…”
“I. I…”
“Guys!” Alya’s voice interrupted, making them both turn to the door: the girl entered panting, phone in hand and wide eyes, look that screamed ‘I have news’: “You have no idea what I just found out.”
“Chat Noir and Ladybug’s secret identities?” Adrien asked, receiving an elbow in the ribs.
“It’s Ladybug and Chat Noir.” the bluenette immediately corrected, making him smile.
“Two new students. Our same grade. In our class.”
“I don't like new students.” Marinette pouted, laying her face on the desk as her mind travelled to her memories, back when she had problems with a ‘new student’.
Horrible memories.
Adrien smiled and took her hand, gently squeezing it, going back to Alya: “You know anything else, oh big reporter?”
“Not much.” she replied, doing something on her phone: “One is american and the other one is italian.” she said, followed by Marinette’s groan.
She had problems with new italian students.
Sarah observed the girl walking in front of her: tall and skinny, tan skin, long brown hair.
In a word: amazing.
She held the strap of her bag tighter, speeding up her pace to reach her: “I didn’t introduce myself, I’m Sarah.” she said, smiling tentatively as the brunette made her eyes examine the girl: “I think we should stick together, since we’re both new here.”
“Why not?” the girl said, reaching for Sarah’s hand: “Lila.”
Sarah shook the offered hand, smiling: “Shall we?” she asked, hinting at the door of the classroom that the principal- dragon for Sarah -told them to go to; they went in together and the first thing she noticed were three students in first row: a boy, very beautiful, that held the hand of an asian featured girl and, another girl, with darker skin; she looked at the rest of her new classmates and noticed that there were a few desks left and they were all far from each other.
Lila stiffened and Sarah noticed she was staring at the three in front row: “I’ll sit there.” she said, pointing at an unoccupied desk towards the end of the room, without turning once, followed by the eyes of the students she noticed when she entered.
It was like…
Like Lila knew them.
It’s none of your business, Sarah.
Sarah smiled and got closer, noticing the girl with the darker hair was looking at the boy next to her worriedly.
Ok, something’s up.
No, ignore it.
It’s not your business. End of the story.
“Is that seat taken?” she asked, pointing at the desk next to theirs, still empty.
“If you want to be eaten by Chloe Bourgeois, no. It’s all yours.” the asian girl said, looking at her and smiling sweetly.
“Nette…” the boy scolded, shaking his head and smiling.
“Come on, it’s true and you know it.” Marinette exclaimed, turning to him and pouting: “If you want the seat next to Alya is free.”
“That’s because my best friend prefers sitting next to her boyfriend.” Alya said, that until that moment, remained silent: “I’m Alya, and these two lovebirds are Adrien and Marinette.”
“I’m Sarah.”
That vision again.
Sometimes, when he used his power, a scene appeared: him on a rooftop, surrounded by five other heroes.
All miraculous holders: Ladybug, Chat Noir, the bee and another two he didn’t know. For now.
Paris was destroyed, everything was just a distant memory.
The last fight.
The vision faded, like a dream when you wake up, and his miraculous started the countdown.
He sat on the armchair, waiting for the five minutes to end and thought about what he had seen that morning: that ice giant, now the stone monster…
The bee.
Too many weird things had been happening in Paris lately.
Not that he cared, but he would rather not be in the line of fire just in case, and that’s exactly why, that morning he decided to peek at the future.
Cool stuff, the visions.
Five minutes passed and he transformed: he smiled, looking at Dusuu slowly floating to the couch, glaring at him: “You shouldn’t be using your powers for personal reasons.” he scolded as he opened the box of chocolates: “You also skipped school this morning.”
“I just had to check something.”
Dusuu opened the little sweet, giving him a serious look: “You know that you should use your miraculous for a greater good.” He went on, like every time he transformed not to do any good, like Chat Noir, or Adrien Agreste.
Honestly, he couldn’t choose who was more sickening: the hero or the sunshine boy?
He snorted as the kwami started inhaling his food: “That vision again?” Dusuu asked, flying in front of him, chocolate still in his paws.
“Yes.”
The kwami nodded, taking a bite out of the chocolate: “Maybe that’s what awaits you, Rafael.”
“Do you want to go to the computer room now?” Marinette asked, putting her stuff in her bag; she turned to Adrien, who was nodding and mimicking what she was doing: “Or maybe you want to…”
“Priorities, spots.” the boy stopped her, winking: “But…” he trailed off, massaging his stomach: “We could go to eat something and check the websites from our tablets.”
“You think with your stomach.”
“Not only with that.”
Marinette sighed, getting up and shaking her head: “Whatever you want to do.”
“Good bug.”
“Marinette…”
Lila’s voice stopped the girl, who turned around and looked at her old nemesis: Lila aka Volpina.
The akumatized person that, for both Ladybug and Marinette, was a tough rival: “Lila.” she murmured, not knowing what she wanted from her.
The girl’s eyes remained in Marinette’s, as her lips curved in an apologetic smile: “I want to talk to you.”
Talk? Why would she want to talk with her?
Marinette bit her lip, tightening her grip on the strap of her bag, not knowing what to say: should she accept? Or maybe not? What was she supposed to do?
Adrien went behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, making it clear that whatever she decided to do, he was going to support her.
“Alone.”
“I can stay, if you want.” Adrien murmured, ignoring the Italian's words.
He didn’t want to leave her alone, he wanted to stay by her side.
Marinette brought her hand on top of his, then shaking her head: “You have something to do, and it’s important.” she stated, turning around and smiling: “Go check those websites, really. It’s something I can…” she stopped, shaking her head: “I have to do by myself.”
Adrien stayed still, then nodded, and looked at the brunette then at Marinette again: “Call me as soon as you’re done.” he ordered, then kissing her forehead and giving her a quick hug, grabbing his last few things and exiting the room.
“You’re together.” Lila commented: “How long?”
“Mh, four years.”
“Since…”
“Yeah.”
“He knows you’re…”
Yes, Lila knew who they were.
“Yes, and I know who he is.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
The Italian exhaled loudly, smiling softly: “Can we go somewhere? I want a coffee, if that’s okay with you.”
“Alright.”
Wayzz looked at the elderly man who, sitting with crossed legs in the middle of the room, was meditating: “Why didn’t you accept the butterfly miraculous, master?” the kwami asked, remaining on the wooden table: “And you also didn’t say everything to know, neither to Ladybug and Chat Noir, nor to Hawkmoth.”
Fu slowly opened an eye to look at the little god and then sighed: “Telling them the whole story…” he stopped, shaking his head and uncrossing his legs: “I couldn’t do it, Wayzz.”
“But…”
“This way they’ll fight Coeur Noir without any problems. Besides, it’s an old story, there’s no need to bring it back up.”
“But, Master, it’s not an old story and Coeur Noir was…”
“Wayzz, not another word.”
The kwami kept his eyes in his holder’s and then lowered his head: “As you wish, master.”
Fu nodded, looking at Wayzz as sìhe flew to his hiding place in the gramophone, caressing his bracelet: he had to make another decision, that Wayzz wasn’t going to understand or accept.
Don’t do it.
Those three words kept echoing in her head as she got closer to her enemy.
She could hear the screams of her lover.
She could see the corps of her teammates.
And she could see her nemesis.
Then nothing.
Then evilness.
She woke up, frazzled from the dream: she moved in her bed, feeling the satin against her skin.
She got up, put on the robe left at the end of the bed and went to the little table in the middle of the room, where a bottle of wine and a glass were sitting: she poured the liquid in the glass and stared at it.
The miraculous.
She needed them.
She had to have them all.
They had to be hers.