A Masked Game

Level 10: Searching

Flashback Cutscene: Midnight

9 years and 7 months ago...

"We've really got to stop meeting like this." Adrien walked towards Ladybug, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Thank you for coming," she said somberly, arms resting on the bridge as she looked out over the Seine. It was late and she wasn't sure someone in Adrien's position would feel safe with her request, but she needed to talk to him, and the middle of the night seemed the quietest time.

He came beside her, removing his hands from his pockets and mirroring her pose on the bridge.

"It's peaceful in the city at this time of night, don't you think?"

She heard the scuff of his foot, followed by the descent of a stone dropping into the calm water; the ripples expanded out and disfigured the reflection of the moon. The peaceful silence was suddenly erased by the roaring crowd fumbling out of a bar and heading down the river.

Looking at each other, Ladybug and Adrien started to laugh, both finding the comparison to his words humourous.

"So, seriously, why the late night call? I had to lie to my girlfriend for this."

"Sorry," she sighed. "I know this isn't ideal, but Adrien, I need to talk to you about your father."

Adrien moved backwards away from the edge of the bridge and looked at her, his arms crossing over his chest in defence as he leaned one hip into the wall. She watched him gulp, his tongue flitting out to lick, what she was guessing were dry lips.

"Why?" he asked, his face void of any emotion. "I thought we agreed to not talk about him. You said he helped bring my mother back. That's all I need to know, right?"

She closed her eyes before dropping her head and shaking it. She couldn't hold this lie in anymore. It was killing her.

"Right?" he said again, a hitch in his voice from where emotion was kicking him hard.

"There's things... there's something I haven't —"

"Please, don't! I don't want to hear it, okay?"

"Adrien, I can't keep this to myself. It's killing me!" She opened her eyes and knew she was almost begging with them. "I need to tell you what really happened."

Adrien began to shake his head and move away. Ladybug needed him to listen. The more powerful Lila got the greater this threat became and she was sure it would kill everything they'd built. Not just for herself as Ladybug, but for Marinette too. The guilt was eating her alive. She just couldn't do this anymore.

"Can you remember the night you came to see me? The night you called him a hero. That was enough, Ladybug. I don't need to know anything else. I don't want to know anything else."

Ladybug sniffed, her emotions finding it hard to keep at bay when everything was telling her she needed to be honest, to tell him.

"Adrien –"

"Ladybug, I am begging you! I don't want to hear it. I'm happy, I don't want anything to ruin it, and knowing that my father actually was a fully fledged asshole is not going to help me." He placed his hands back in his pockets. "I've got to go."

"Please, Adrien, I need to —" The look in his eyes told her to stop talking. So, she did. "Don't walk home by yourself, it's late. It's dangerous."

He smiled at her, and her heart flipped at the lopsided smile she adored more than life itself.

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Without another word, Adrien turned on his heel and made his way back towards his home, leaving her alone with nothing but her gut churning thoughts. "He's going to hate me," she said, her head coming down to rest on the cool stone of the bridge.