Thief | Lukadrien

Part 26 - The Designer's Office

Third Person Perspective 

"So, what's our next move?" Carapace asked. "If Félix never went to visit Adrien, does that mean that his disappearance was purely coincidental?"

"That's not important right now," Marinette said. "Bunnix, there's one last thing you can try: go back to the past and talk some sense into Félix. And while you're in that timeline, you might as well tell the past me that I have to hide the butterfly pin a lot better."

"Or," Adrien started. "You could stay in the present and talk to Nathalie. She's bound to know what happened to me or Félix; she's a part of the family, after all."

The team exchanged glances.

"What?" 

Marinette grimaced. "Adrien..."

"Nathalie was found dead in the Agreste Mansion six years ago," Ryuko said.

Adrien's jaw dropped. "No! No, she can't be... how did it happen?"

"We think it was Félix," Bunnix said. "It happened the same day you disappeared, so--wait."

"What is it?" 

"I... I have to check something. I'll be right back."

Bunnix stood up from the table and activated her power. She stepped into her burrow and frantically started looking for the right window. 

"I really hope I'm wrong about this," she muttered to herself. 

She found the right timeline and reversed it back to the same day she took Adrien, but this time, she let it play out without interference. She watched as the scene progressed into something more serious, and took a step back, completely appalled. 

"That was quick," Carapace said once Bunnix came out of her burrow. "Is everything okay?"

"Adrien, I have to bring you back to your timeline," Bunnix said, ignoring her teammate's question. "But I need you to promise me something."

"Sure, what?"

"Promise that you're not going to do anything rash. That you'll think with your head, and don't do anything stupid. No matter what happens, you can't lose control, okay?"

Adrien tilted his head slightly, a bit confused. 

"Okay, I promise." 

Bunnix squeezed Adrien's shoulders tightly, which scared the boy a bit. Why did she look so concerned?

"I don't mean to be so intense, but I'm not exaggerating when I say our future depends on you. You've gotta keep your wits about you, understand?"

...

Adrien's POV

Bunnix brought me back into the burrow. The portal opened up right in front of my house. 

"Stay here," she ordered. "Don't go inside yet."

"Okay..." I muttered as she rushed off in the opposite direction. 

As I waited, I noticed Nathalie in one of the windows on the second floor. I waved at her, but she didn't return the gesture. She did, however, pivot and walk away. Classic Nathalie.

The doors to the mansion opened. 

"Adrien, what are you doing outside?" Nathalie asked. "Where's Luka?"

I walked across the courtyard. "He's staying with his family for the rest of the afternoon."

"Oh... Well, you better come upstairs and practice your eye-stimulating exercises. I'll get some turmeric tea ready for you."

"Do I really need to keep doing those? I only get dizzy with motion, not when I move my eyes around."

"The doctor hasn't cleared you yet."

"Argh, fine. But I can't yet--I'm meeting a friend. She'll be back any minute."

"Message her to meet you inside; it's bright out."

I felt around my pockets for my sunglasses, but they weren't there. Damn it. They must have fallen out earlier. 

"Come on, Adrien. You're still sensitive to light."

"Nathalie--"

"Inside, now."

Nathalie was only this strict when she was being overprotective. She stared me down, and I decided not to risk making her mad. The only problem was that I didn't have any way of contacting Bunnix. Sure, she'd probably assume I'd just gone into the house, but if she tried to go through the front gate, Nathalie would notice, and then she'd start questioning why I needed to talk to a superhero. She knew I was Chat Noir, but she didn't want me getting caught up in any sort of hero business anymore, or at least not until I was fully recovered. She'd been very firm about that. 

I followed Nathalie into the house. I started walking up the stairs as she headed for the kitchens, but as soon as she was out of sight, I ran back towards the front doors. Before I exited, however, I noticed the door to my father's office was ajar. 

"Why is that open?" I muttered. That room hadn't been touched in months. 

It was probably Nathalie that went in there, but why? My father didn't like people snooping around. 

Hmmm... snooping around. 

Of course. It hadn't really occurred to me until now that what he was hiding in there had something to do with his secret identity. For years I thought Father was just really paranoid someone would steal his designs, but now that I knew he was Hawkmoth...

I had to know what was in there.