The Black Cat (a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction)

Adrien: A Different Route

   It had been almost 4 months since I moved in with Marinette as Chat Noir. It was awkward at times, like when she'd find me fresh out of the shower, or when I found her in the kitchen at 5:30 still in her pajamas. But, it was something we'd both become accustomed to. I'd have to fight a few akumas here and there, but Marinette always sent me off with a smile and encouragement. Unfortunately, not even that was enough to help me at times. Hawkmoth's akumas were becoming much more stronger. Ladybug and I had come to the conclusion that it wasn't just because of the practice of his powers, but he was channeling even more rage into the people he akumatized. The more he could anger them, the more powerful and more difficult they became. Something had happened to Hawkmoth. He was changing, and the change was causing even more trouble, something Ladybug and I were struggling with. Currently, we were dealing with one those more difficult akumas. The Mad Scientist aka, my former Chemistry teacher, who happened to be Marinette's current Chemistry teacher. I am talking about Ms. Mendeleiev. Her power was the ability to use different colored potions to either restrain civilians or turn them into lab rats who could give The Mad Scientist the ability to make even stronger defenses.
   "Ugh!" Ladybug was currently dodging several flying bottles of potions, and I was trying to hold back the army of affected civilians. We didn't have the help of anyone else at this time. 
   "Just a little more." I grunted. I saw a potion coming for my head, and I ducked down. The people tried grabbing me, but I quickly got up and catapulted myself with my baton. I was on the rooftops now. They were heading for Ladybug. She quickly moved up as well.
   "Chat!" Ladybug called out, "I need you try to destroy that building, so that we can hold her underneath the walls. That's the only way I'm going to be able to use this see-saw to hold the bit up, so I can grab her potion bottle."
   "Where?"
   "That corner store!"
   "Gotcha!" I landed on the building, and shouted, "Cataclysm!" the building became black, and crumpled to the floor, catching the Mad Scientist with it. Ladybug took her bottle, but The Mad Scientist emerged from the rubble, and was chasing Ladybug for it. "BREAK IT, LADYBUG!" I yelled.
   "IT'S NOT THAT EASY!" Ladybug yelled back, "IT STILL HAS STUFF IN IT!" she found herself throwing it directly at the Eiffel Tower, but before it could hit anything, the Mad Scientist caught it. "LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug shouted. "CHAT, TACKLE HER!" I sighed, and ran towards her. She tried throwing a potion at me. I barely dodged it, and tackled the Mad Scientist to the ground. Ladybug had a case, and took the potion, throwing it in the box. Then, she threw it towards the Eiffel Tower, and it made a gigantic "POP", but nothing came out. The Lucky Charm contained the potion. She ran towards the box, and the akuma escaped the now bent Lucky Charm box. She purified it, and everything returned. Ms. Mendeleiev stood up. Ladybug was able to retrieve her original potion, and slowly handed it to her.
   "Please, be careful next time." Ladybug told her.
   "I will... thank you." she looked at me, and smiled softly.
   "Thank you, Chat Noir."
   "Sure thing." I smiled. Her eyes widened, and I watched as Ladybug fly away.
   "W-Wait, Chat Noir, may I speak to you?" she asked me.
   "Me?" I asked her.
   "Yes." she answered.
   "Sure." I found myself at the school, and eventually we had made it to her office. She sat down, and the first thing she asked me was,
   "You are oddly similar to a student I once had."
   "A-Am I?" I asked her, chuckling, "No way."
   "I can sense you have magic." she explained, "I also know Ladybug is magical. How else would the both of you be able to channel and harvest your... superpowers?" It was known that Ms. M had some knowledge on this stuff, but now I was starting to get nervous.
   "But I don't go here-"
   "You did." she answered. Oh, shoot. "Most of Paris can't see who you really are behind the mask. It takes extensive information on body language to catch onto who is what and what they do outside of their normal routine. As a magic teacher, it's my job to ensure that not only my students are okay in class, but outside as well. I've been keeping an eye on Miss Dupain Cheng." Marinette? Why would she need to keep an eye on Marinette? Then I realized... the Anti-Magic Counsel. "Chat Noir, I know you've been staying with Marinette, but I also know... you've been keeping secrets. They're big secrets, too."
   "W-What secrets?" I asked her.
   "I knew Marinette's black cat familiar wasn't normal. Her familiar was pointing at ingredients, looking at a packet with her, and consistantly looking at her. Not only that, but a familiar always has the same type of channeling... hers was different. Chat... I saw you transform into her familiar behind the school. I know you're not an actual familiar. You're a wizard, the same type of wizard I had in my classes about 6 months ago, and the same one I had in my class for 4 years."
   "You... caught on, didn't you?" I looked down, "So, I guess the cat's out of the bag."
   "Adrien." Ms. Mendeleiev grabbed my shoulders, "It's you, isn't it?" she asked me.
   "Yes." I answered very quietly. "You absolutely cannot tell anybody I'm here. You can't contact my parents, they can't know I'm a superhero. No one knows... except for the person who gave me the powers, and now, you."
   "I won't." she answered. My eyes widened,
   "You won't?"
   "No, Adrien. I know your father would do something crazy, and your mother was taken off as a contact for you... I'm not going to let you go home. I will however, ask that you stay with Marinette."
   "That's my plan."
   "That means if she summoned you, she doesn't have a familiar... at all. Neither do you. I've never met two people who don't have familiars. This is a special case. Look, Adrien. I don't want you to fall behind. As much as I'd love to talk about your mask, we need to talk about your education."
   "I was worried about that."
   "This is your last year."
   "I don't know what I'm going to do."
   "I'm going to give you a deal. You need to act as Marinette's familiar for the rest of the year. In return, I will give you privates, and all of your assignments. Pay attention in class. Take photos of Marinette's notes. Your labs will be graded on how well Marinette does. That means, she will be alone for labs for the rest of the year. This is the best way I can grade you. I can try and give you Miss Bustier's material as well. Adrien, I mean business. Doing this could result in me losing my job."
   "Why are you helping me?"
   "Because you need it. And no wizard should be walking the streets of Paris without a high school diploma. Not on my watch."
   "Do you know how I could fix all of this?"
   "You mean the mask? No clue. You could try a separation from spirit spell... but you know, most of those are fatal."
   "Ms. Mendeleiev... I owe you so much."
   "No, you don't. Just protect that girl, and keep protecting Paris. Teach humanity that magical beings are people, too."
   "I will."
   "Now, go. Meet me every day after school at 4. I will give you privates each hour."
   "Yes Ma'am." I headed off, and went straight to the apartment complex. I landed on the roof, and Plagg immediately started talking.
   "Kid... you just gave someone your identity."
   "I know."
   "That's a risk."
   "A risk I'm willing to take. Ms. Mendeleiev, despite being strict, is a good person." I assured him, "Besides, I need the help for school. If I miss anything else, I might not get a high school diploma... she's helping me more. It's kind of an exchange for saving her from the akuma."
   "Do you think she knows who Ladybug is?"
   "That's something to ask her later." I answered. "Besides, that's not my main concern."
   "It isn't?" Plagg asked me.
   "No, it isn't." I answered, "I've got another person I've gotta worry about now." A lot happened today. But the main lesson I learned was that people, despite acting one way, can and will be another way when you give them the chance to get to know you. I had a feeling I'd be seeing Ms. Mendeleiev a lot more... she was the only adult I could talk to as of now. And you know, my mind wasn't so clouded by thoughts of Ladybug for the first time after an akuma attack. It was the right time to tell someone. Not just for my life's sake, but I needed to be able to move forward somehow, and yeah, maybe my classes would be different, but I'd do anything to make sure I could truly be independent and separated from my father in the future. All I knew was that I was doing the right thing in the moment... that was enough for me. I hopped off the roof and landed on the balcony to our apartment. Marinette saw me from the kitchen and let me in. That was when I noticed something red on her apron.

~~~~~~

   What a turn of events. Originally, no one was supposed to know an identity at all. But, Adrien needed someone to talk to, and what better person than someone who can not only help him graduate, but be there, as an adult? The greatest thing about Miraculous Ladybug is that they have these background characters that don't have a lot of depth and appearances in the show, so it makes my story flow more when I can incorporate people who already exist in the Miraculous Ladybug world. I know, Ms. Mendeleiev wouldn't be anyone's first choice, which is why I chose her. She has a reputation of being strict, and mean, but I'm the kind of person that wants to know why. I think it makes a story more enjoyable, and more relatable when I put in characters people would normally shrug off. It's another way of making my story stand out... I guess. But besides that, thank you all so much for reading this. This started off as a fun little book I wanted to do with my free time, but because I'm seeing people read it, it's motivated me to turn it into something. Thank you for that. I will see you all in the next chapter! Till then, have a wonderful day! ~Morgan ♡