The Butterfly Effect

Copy Cat

'That stupid old man! Here I was thinking he would at least have a good explanation for choosing kids to be heroes. But no! He chose them because they were nice enough to pull him away from a car and pick up his cane!'

The chain kept rattling as (Name) relentlessly kept moving. A flurry of kicks and punches assaulted the equipment, its sounds echoing in the empty space as it accompanied the girl's heavy breathing. (Name) didn't stop, even when sweat soaked her clothes, even when she felt as if she was pushing herself too much, even when she knew bruises would start to develop from her actions. A day had passed but she was still caught up in the confrontation.

"Ah!" She released a shout, her chest heaving as she sent one last kick. (Name) could feel certain areas of her body throbbing, begging her to take a break. "This is ridiculous."

The girl collapsed, letting herself crumble to the floor as she finally let the tension that was in her body release itself. She did not mind the aching she felt, it was a distraction from her wild thoughts. Still, (Name) knew she had pushed herself too far, so much that she would be feeling the effects for days. A groan left her as she reached for her phone. 'I didn't even notice the time.'

All (Name) knew was that her classes most definitely ended, if her friends' texts were anything to go by. The phone was promptly thrown back in her bag as she concentrated on the rise and fall of her chest, calming down her beating heart. 'I should go for a walk. It'd be a nice cooldown.'

It took a couple more minutes before she could finally get up. (Name) ignored the building in front of her when she exited, opting instead to plan the route she would take. 'First the park, then stop by Marinette's bakery to grab a bite, and then head home.'

The usual peace in Paris, minus the times when villains run amok, eased (Name)'s thoughts, enough for her to almost forget everything that happened. Warm sunlight kissed her skin as she approached the park. However, the girl was confused when there were people gathering around, talking excitedly among each other. Curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself meeting eyes with the person she wasn't ready to face.

Cat Noir was pleasantly surprised to see (Name), the person who he felt as if he hasn't seen or talked to in ages. He wasn't about to let the opportunity go. "Excuse me for a minute." His words were rushed but Mr. Bourgeois had no choice but to watch as the hero disappeared.

'He definitely saw me.' (Name) sighed, not bothering to run because she knew she wouldn't be able to.

"Hi there (Name)!"

A cheerful hero stopped in front of her. She was just glad she managed to walk a good distance away from the crowd, she wasn't sure what to feel when her interaction with Cat Noir would be under the scrutiny of too many people.

"Hi." (Name)'s smile was a little strained, she just hoped it wasn't too obvious. "Aren't you supposed to be at the park?"

Cat Noir shrugged, smiling mischievously. "No worries, Ladybug's not there yet so it's fine. Anyway," There was now hesitation in his expression. "You're friends with Adrien Agreste, right?"

'You're not being slick at all, cat.' "Why do you ask?"

His hand found its way behind his neck, smile now a little wobbly as he avoided her stare. "He asked me for a favor, you see."

"I didn't know you two were close. He never mentioned it." (Name) was a little exasperated that it took only a little pushing for Cat Noir to turn nervous.

His hands flew around wildly as she rose a brow. "Oh we're not close at all! We just happened to meet some time ago and well, he asked me for a favor. Of course I couldn't turn down a fan!"