Miraculous Games

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Three:

Adrien walked inside the Agreste Mansion, his shoulders sagging and his head hanging low. His limbs were screaming at him to stop moving and to rest, even if it was just for a minute. Closing the giant doors behind him, Adrien slumped against them and slid to the floor.

She was nowhere.

He and the Charms had searched the entire city and yet, somehow, Marinette had been able to get away. He thought he would have been able to catch her, but apparently, she had even gotten away from the reporters.

The headlines they had posted broke Adrien's heart right in half, but not as much as the pictures they featured. The headlines either read, "Ladybug Missing?" or "Ladybug Escapes After Showdown!" or "Gabriel Agreste: Murderer and Kidnaper?". It depended on the site or news station. But the pictures...

Adrien squeezed his eyes closed. They were burned into his memory. He couldn't imagine why the reporters and press thought it would be perfectly fine to take pictures of a broken girl. He could see it in his mind's eye as clear as day; blueish black hair sprawled across the marble steps, a blue peacock dress ripped at the bottom and across the shoulder, a bloody and bleeding chin, and - to top it off - a trembling body curled up into a ball.

"Did you find her?"

Adrien snapped out of his trance and opened his eyes. Standing at the top of the stairs, Nino was looking down at his friend, his eyes full of worry.

Adrien dropped his gaze again. "No... There hasn't been any sign of her."

Nino sighed. "Well, the press has been trying to get into the mansion for the past couple hours searching for answers. We've been barely able to keep them at bay. I'm surprised you were able to get inside."

He shrugged. "It took a lot of pushing and shoving, but still, here I am." Adrien yawned and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

Nino pulled out his phone. "It's almost ten in the morning." His eyes widened. "Bro, did you stay up all night?"

Adrien didn't respond to the question. He merely dropped his head and rested it between his legs, his blond hair hanging down across his face.

"Dude, you need to get to bed," Nino insisted, coming down the stairs and kneeling next to his friend. "You can't keep functioning like a machine."

"But I need to find her," he said with a forlorn expression. "I... I can't give up."

"You won't be giving up on her, I promise, buddy." He placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "If anything, getting some much-needed rest will help rejuvenate you. You can go searching for her tonight."

After a long moment, Adrien nodded. With some effort, Nino was able to get his friend to his feet. He patted him on the back reassuringly, and was about to lead him up the stairs when someone said:

"Nino, can I talk to Adrien for a minute, please?"

Both boys looked over toward Gabriel's office doors. Adrien's mother was standing in the doorway, giving Adrien a loving smile. Nino immediately unhooked his arm from his friend's shoulders and nodded.

"Of course, Mrs. Agreste."

Adrien watched his friend walk away before sighing and hanging his head. "I know, Mom... I was out for too long and I didn't come home when I told you..."

His mother walked up to him and, unlike what he was used to, she enveloped him in a hug. He stood there in shock for a moment, then he finally melted. Before he could do or say anything, his mother spoke.