The Call of Chat Noir

They Can't Know

I'm trying to throw in a lot of original ideas while sticking to the storyline, so its not all going to be 100% accurate all the time. 

~ Adrien (Chat Noir) ~ 

I continued to sprint through the jungle as fast as I could. I felt horrible for leaving her there with those other creatures. I hadn't even had a chance to see them, so I didn't exactly know what I would've been up against, but I hoped that she'd be alright! I would feel completely awful if she got hurt. . . I need her next to me so that I can protect her. 

Why do I miss her? Why am I so emotional about this female? Tikki had told me the story about how she fell in love with Plagg, and, right now, I'm feeling almost exactly what she'd described. Heavy heart pounding in your chest, animal instincts kicking in - over-protectiveness, vigilance - I even feel. . . attracted to her; can I love her? Would she love me back? We are almost the same, right? 

I kept sprinting on all fours until I reached the river at the base of the waterfall. I lept into the river and swam across, shaking myself off as I climbed out on the other side. I then glanced around until I saw Felix, my older brother.

Felix is technically only Tikki's son, because Tikki's previous mate, Wayzz, was killed by the villagers when Felix was just a cub - only a few days old. This was before Plagg had become Tikki's mate, and before they'd lost their cub, Theo. Felix wasn't so thrilled with having me as a "replacement" little brother, but he still seems to tolerate me. 

Felix was sleeping underneath a baobab tree when I took a running start and jumped onto his back, and he immediately jumped up and growled at me, baring his fangs.

"What do you want, Adrien?" He asked, and I could tell that he was extremely annoyed. I rolled over and sat in front of him, watching as he stretched out and closed his eyes again. 

"Uh, Fe," I started, for some reason, sounding nervous, "I have something to tell you -" 

"What is it?" He muttered, letting out an irritated growl. I felt my mouth go dry as I swallowed, my fingers digging lightly into the dirt beneath me. 

"I-I think I may have found my mate. . ." 

Felix's eyes shot open, and, within a split second, he was on top of me, his nose only mere inches from mine.

"It's not Bridgette, is it!?" He asked almost frantically, and I shook my head, flipping him off of me.

"No, of course, not! I would never steal another's mate," I quickly replied. Felix hesitated for a moment before letting out a snort, and he turned and sauntered up to the baobab tree, extending his claws and dragging them down the trunk, leaving behind long gash marks in the previously smooth bark.

"Good, because you know that I would tear you limb from limb if you did," he muttered, holding out one of his paws to reveal his razor-sharp claws. I just rolled my eyes.

"Pssh, yeah, okay," I replied sarcastically; everyone, even Felix, knew that I was by far the strongest in our pack. He retracted his claws and yawned as I turned my head to glance around at the surrounding area.

"Where's the rest of the pack?" I asked, and Felix rolled his eyes, nodding upward. I tilted my head back and shielded my eyes against the rays of sunlight darting through the leaves above. The rest of them were sleeping up in the branches of the trees beside us. I looked around and saw Tikki and Plagg, curled up with each other, and I couldn't help it as I smiled. Tikki's expression reminded me of the look on the blob's face; she seemed happy. Happy. . .

I looked back down and glanced at Felix, who was now sitting in front of me, staring at me with a smirk on his face. I knitted my brows and shot him a confused look, folding my arms across my chest.

"So, your mate, huh?" He asked smugly, to which I slowly nodded. Oh, boy.

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered, and Felix laughed.

"So, who is it? Lila? Alya?" He asked, glancing at the sleeping figures above us. I cleared my throat, shaking my head nervously. 

"No. . .I don't think she's a. . . panther," I replied quietly, but Felix's sensitive ears picked it up, and he burst out into an even harder laugh.

"So, what? Now, you're gonna mate with a-a-a w-water buffalo?" He sputtered in between fits of laughter. I lowered my head, letting out a low growl.

"No, Fe. She. . . looks like me." 

Felix's head snapped up and he immediately stopped laughing.

"What do you mean?" He asked, now dead serious. I leaned back, my teeth gritting together nervously. 

"I mean. . . She looks like one of them -"

Within a split second, Felix had charged me and knocked me onto my back, one paw next to my head while the other was on my throat.

"Adrien," he growled, quietly so that the others couldn't hear, "you've fallen for a villager?!" I pushed him off and reversed the hold, so that it was now I on top. 

"No!" I whisper-shouted. "She's not one of them! I know what they look like, and, yes, she resembles one -" Felix leaned up and snapped at me, but I shoved him back down. "But, so do I! And, if there are others out there who look like me that aren't trying to kill us, then I'm taking my chances!" It had only then occurred to me that I was panting hard, and Felix just laid back, his mouth hanging open. I shoved him down and climbed off, walking on my hind legs over to the tree where he'd previously sunk his claws. I heard him rise and walk up next to me.

"Fe, I don't know, but I think. . .she's it," I murmured, running my hand along the scratches on the tree. Felix shook his head, letting out a sigh. 

"Adrien, this is a bad idea. What if they come after us -?"

"No," I cut him off, "she would never do that. She spoke to me -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Fe interrupted, "you understood what it said?!" I shushed him as I reached forward and clasped a hand over his mouth. 

"No! She spoke like they did, but her tone was. . . softer; kinder. Like, I could understand her, even though I couldn't make out what she was saying."

Fe just stared at me blankly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Adrien, but you lost me," he muttered, and I removed my hand from his mouth, wiping it off on the cloth around my waist. I then turned and stared off in the direction I had come back from. 

"I have to see her again," I murmured, and Felix growled and stepping in front of me.

"Adrien, I'm going to move out of your way, but please, just listen. If this female is anything like the villagers, you must be prepared to fight her; for the pack! The pack comes before mates, and even then, you can always find another mate -"

"I don't want another mate, Felix. I want her," I interrupted, and, for a brief moment, her image flashed in my mind; her gorgeous smile, her midnight fur, her dainty paws, and as I glanced down at my paw, I could remember the warmth of her touch. Felix let out a long sigh, shaking his head. 

"Listen kid. I'll let you go, but, whatever you do, don't tell Plagg. Or, Tikki, or even Bridgette, okay?" I nodded, and Felix backed away, heading toward Bridgette, who I could see was still sleeping under the same tree where I'd left her. 

I got down on all fours and ran toward the clearing, splashing across the river and bounding through the brush, making my way back to where I'd last seen her.

It took a while, but when I finally arrived at the clearing, I could only gasp at what I saw.