Solve || Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Chapter 5

The walk home felt bitter. The sun is about to set, but the day wasn't beautiful. All I could think about was what she said to me before she told me to leave. What did she mean by that weird phrase? I hope she is feeling better.

I entered through the heavy doors into my safe, secluded home. There was a note left on the table from Natalie. "Gone to run errands for your father; dinner is on the table. Eat and practice piano. Natalie."

I looked up to see my father standing right in front of me. I was a little startled saying I don't really see him much, and I keep forgetting how tall he really is. Man I wish I was that tall.

"Welcome home son," he spoke in his rather linear voice.

"Hello father," I greeted back. "How was work today?"

"The usual as always Adrien," he adjusted his glasses with his right hand. "Adrien what were you doing today?"

I shrugged subtly replying, "I hung out with Ayla and Nino, then I went to Marinette's place to check on her."

"Check on her?" His voice intensified, startling me a bit; however, he readjusted his voice and continued with "what do you mean by that?"

"She was acting weird ever since she got back from the fashion tour," I explained "and when I went to go check on her, she was on the ground in pain. I didn't know what to do."

His upper body lean in towards me. "Did you get her help?"

I shook my head. "No, because she said not to. Then she told me to leave."

"Is she okay?"

"She insistes to me that she was, but I know she isn't, and I want to find out what's going on with her!"

My father straightened his posture and sighed. "Adrien, I do not feel that you should be near that girl for a couple of days."

"Why?"

"If you're saying what I assume you're saying, she may be in danger, and I don't want you to be involved in such manner."

"Father, Marinette is my friend," my voice began to crescendo "if you're saying what I'm hearing then I have to help her."

"Adrien, now is not the time for participation awards."

"And father, now is not the time for being selfish and letting a poor girl get hurt by someone or something!" This was the loudest I've ever spoken to my father. "Friends help friends, and you can't stop me from helping my friends!" He doesn't look convinced, so I decided to use an alternative method. "Besides, Marinette is your student as well; you don't want to have anything happen to your pupil. A student of Mr. Agreste going bonkers will look bad for your reputation."

He stood quiet, most likely in utter shock that I used an unreasonable amount of volume when speaking to him, and the fact that I used manipulative words to attempt to sway him. "Very well. I will call Natalie about your concern."

I ran up to my room and locked the door shut. I scrambled up to my bookshelf to find any medical books that could help me figure out what is wrong with Marinette. Nothing! Nothing! Nothing! I couldn't find anything after searching high and low through all the pages! Her symptoms don't add up.

My phone rang suddenly. It's Nino. "What's up?"

"Dude! You're not gonna believe what Ayla figured out!" He said in shock as he handed his phone over to his girlfriend.

"Adrien, Marinette's in trouble!" She cried.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Remember that weird phrases she kept saying to avoid hanging out with us today?"

"Yeah."

"It's a code! If you take the first letter of each sentence, it spells 'Help Me'."

My brain was running wild. A spark hit me with a realization. "Ayla, more than just trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"I went to Marinette's house to check on her, and she looked like she was going through hell. She told me she was feeling better, but when I told her that I wanted to help, she said a bunch of phrases like before!" I thought for a moment. "But the first letter of each sentence doesn't spell anything."

"What about first letter of each word?" I hear Nino in the distance. Ayla agreed.

"Have, H; a, A; wonderful, W; kind, K..." I kept going until I realized what the first word was. "Hawkmoth," I continued on "alive"

All three of us were silent for a while in the realization that Marinette is in trouble and Hawkmoth could be the culprit. Ayla broke the silence, "Did she say anything else?!"

I thought long and hard connecting the letters together. "Lila 'I-t-o'?"

"Lila? You mean that one girl that lied to you about knowing Ladybug and literally tried to kidnap you?" Nino asked.

"Thanks exposition guy," Ayla said sarcastically "what was her final sentence?"

"She said it took over." Marinette wasn't wearing her earrings from both times that we saw each other. All the dots were connected. Well the message was decoded. "Hawkmoth is alive and Lila took over!"

Hawkmoth... is... alive...

Lila... took... over...

Marinette... is... Ladybug...

[End Of Chapter 5]

There's a lot of exposition after this, but don't worry, it gets better!