A Masked Game

WARNING: LOW HEALTH

Flashback Cutscene: Morning

9 years and 5 months ago...

Marinette stretched in her bed as the morning sunlight shone in her eyes, surprised as her arm hit something — or someone — solid beside her. She turned her head and looked at bright, sunshine hair. He was breathing lightly, a slight snore leaving his lips as he stayed content in a deep, restful state.

He looked so calm. So young and angelic – the complete opposite to how he was last night.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, reaching up and brushing a section of stray hair from his face. "But I promise I will tell you what I can. Just give me time."

After placing a gentle kiss to his forehead, Marinette rolled to the side and climbed carefully out of bed, not wanting to wake him. She shuffled cautiously. Standing over him and heading for the ladder leading down into the main area of her room.

Her feet hit the floor, the coolness shocking her and making her scramble to find her slippers, only to see her phone flashing instead. Making her way to the object, Marinette looked down and noticed the name on her screen.

Alya.

Answering the call, Marinette headed down the stairs and into the main area of her home. Her parents would already be in the bakery, giving her free reign to the kitchen and lounge.

"Alya, hi!" she whispered, not wanting to wake Adrien up. Even though her parents knew he was there, they were under strict orders that the trapdoor remained open, at least until they could properly talk about it.

'What's with the whispering, girl? Do you have someone there?'

"You know, don't you?"

'He rang Nino last night from your balcony.'

"How romantic!" Marinette laughed, Alya echoing the sound down the phone line.

'How is he?'

"Pissed off, as expected. I think we'll be okay though."

Alya's silence had the hairs on Marinette's arms stand on end.

'Adrien sent something to the Ladyblog last night. He asked me to send it onto Ladybug. I promise I haven't read it.'

Ice circulated around her body, quickly chased by molten heat sending her into a shivering mess.

"Send it to me!" she said, the demand was neither kind, nor polite.

'Just remember the facts... I'll speak to you later.'

Ending the call, Marinette opened her inbox finding one email forwarded to her from A.Agreste@Gabriel.com

With a deep breath she opened it and sat down on the sofa.

'Ladybug,

There are things I still don't know and things I am reluctant to understand, and I can choose to blame my circumstances on fate or bad luck, or even bad choices... but I need to decide when I can finally sort through my feelings and confusion.

I understand that things aren't always going to be fair in the real world, and that's just the way it is. But this has hit me hard. The love, the loss, the betrayal.

It's going to take me time to piece together how I feel, and what I want to do. And it pains me to say this, but I can't see you again. I don't know if this will be forever or just whilst I sort my feelings and life out?