Unshared Secrets

Chapter 10: A Secret Code

Aspik waited for Multimouse, tapping his feet impatiently. He had a bad feeling for tonight and wanted it over soon. Maybe it was because Marinette looked tired today...or panicked? He couldn't tell, he just wanted her here now. And she hadn't come, in fact she was late. It shouldn't be surprising, but she was never late for the patrols and if she was it was maximum a minute. It had been 10 minutes.

Multimouse arrived but she was distracted. Suddenly she pulled his arm, causing him to bend.

"Aspik, I need you to do something."

"What?" He breathed. Marinette seemed quite serious but he couldn't take anything seriously with the space between them.

"The code. The code is 5,6,2,7."

"What?"

She pulled back and all her seriousness was wiped off her face, but she still stood stiff.

"What are you talking about? Multimouse look at me!"

He turned her, his hands on her shoulders,

"I- the code will make sense later on."

She lowered her voice, a bare whisper, "Hawkmoth might know."

She pulled back and sat on the edge, leaving Aspik to stand alone in shock. A million things ram his mind, however one rang through. Marinette was endangered.

"You-You cant."

"What do you mean Aspik?"

"You cant be Multimouse!"

"Aspik?"

She reached out her hand to comfort him, but he jerked his own hand, holding her's in the air in anger.

"You can't go out anymore! Its too dangerous, please. I cant lose you too, I care for you, I. Please Multimouse."

I love you rang in his head but he ignored it, fights like these end with that. It didn't mean he liked her. He cared for her as a friend.

Her face was softened, before he saw a kind of realization cover the façade as she jerked her hand back.

"Ladybug chose me and I won't back down!"

In truth she knew she was being a slight hypocrite, but she couldn't leave with another miraculous and she couldn't let Aspik fend for himself and all of Paris.

"Fine! Then when Paris and YOU get endangered it wont be my fault! I don't want you getting hurt!"

Adrien was getting restless with her, the long haul exhausting him, and Marinette being stubborn angering him especially with her life on the line, or identity.

"I think its best we had home afterwards, longer patrols create risks..."

Marinette muttered.

"There wouldn't be risks if not for someone being stubborn."

Aspik didn't want to turn to face her, knowing full well he'd hurt her. Unable to face the circumstances he jumped off and patrolled.

Lying on his bed, he made a mental note to make sure Marinette would safely get away or find a secure place to transform. The bad feeling he had worsened and he couldn't tell if it was because of what he knew or didn't know.

The next day at school he arrived to see the Dupain-Chengs leaving the school, their faces dull and sad. What happened? Did Lila strike again?

He went inside soon to discover a somber atmosphere, whilst Alya cried in the corner by Nino, even Chloe was silent.

"Cesaire, stop being such a crybaby!"

He heard her exclaim,

"I phoned Daddy and he sent out a search! What are you all looking at me for? I'm doing it so this moping stops! Don't give me that look, I bet she just went somewhere forgetting to tell someone and got lost. We all know what a klutz Dupain-Cheng is.'

Chloe was right, Marinette had gotten lost in Shanghai as well, but lost and klutz as she may be, she never went anywhere without telling anyone, at least Alya. Wait a second, search?

"What's this about Marinette and a search?"

Adrien could feel his heart beats accelerating, his breath becoming ragged as his mind feared the worst.

"Dupain Cheng's missing, Adrien."

"What?"

"Poof, gone. She's disappeared Adrikins."

*********************************************

Adrien snapped his gaze from the seat to the window. Perhaps hoping somehow he'd see her superhero form jumping roof to roof, but to no avail.

He hadn't focused in class, even Ms.Bustier was low in spirits as she tried comforting the class with encouraging words.

Hawkmoth.

The cursed name rang through and out his head and ears. There would be no other answer. According to her parents she had gone out to meet a friend, and hasn't been seen since. Meaning he was the last person to see her, well Aspik was though no-one has to know.

Nathalie, for some reason allowed him to rest, saying his father allows it. He didn't protest as he hit the bed, now all alone. When Plagg found out what happened he seemed petrified, as if Hawkmoth got the Ladybug Miraculous or something.

Seeing his poor owner so sullen, he intervened, trying to make him happy before Sazz shook his head, taking away Plagg. They both understood their owner needed time and silence.

Guilt rocked Adrien's chest as he remembered the fight they had, and the last hurtful thing he said to her before she disappeared. Did she think he gave up on her? Did she know how much he loves her?

For a second he shut down. Love her?

But she's a -

His emotions in his head dared him to finish, as he stopped knowing this war he would surely lose.

He...loved her. And she didn't even know. HE didn't even know!

He breathed shakily, finally accepting he so long denied. But there was no way. He liked Ladybug, loving Marinette must be because he misses her right?

After all she's a...a.

He sighed, he'd think about all this later, it was too much, maybe Ladybug could assist in their search for Marinette.

Adrien turned and twisted in his bed all night, unable to sleep or shake off worry, for he knew something bad had happened, and this might not even be the worst of it. What if Marinette was being held hostage? What if she was close by? Like those movies where the person is next door.

If only he could be that lucky.

For some...very odd reason, those weird night thoughts. He wondered back to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny had gone missing like Marinette, too bad the school had no basilisk.

He nearly laughed at Ronald's line for, "Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"

Just then Adrien shot up. Follow the butterflies! That's it! Ronald Weasley, you're a genius!

All he had to do was wait for an akumatization and follow the butterfly back to Hawkmoth! Howcome ladybug never thought of that?

Just then another thought slid the ground of hope beneath his feet, how will he capture and purify the Akuma? Ladybug hadn't called back or replied in weeks.

He slowly ruffled his hair with his hand, Plagg is going to travel tomorrow. And him? Oh...he has an event scheduled. An event known as Hawk-moth's doom for messing with them, messing with his Marinette.