Losing Identities

Chapter 27

Adrien's POV

It's a new day. The sun is warm on my face as I get out of bed. With a yawn, I go to get dressed. Today seems like prime time to visit Nino. Father mentioned that he's not akumatized anymore, which is great! Hanging out with him is been way overdue. I comb my hair a bit, then go to the kitchen to get some fruit and make some tartine.

As I'm waiting for the tartine to cook, there's some footsteps behind me.

"Good morning," Marinette says, her voice as sweet and cheerful as always.

I can't do this anymore. I can't keep on pretending like I'm mad at her. "Good morning," I reply, turning around to face her.

She freezes in shock. She didn't think I'd respond... oh, I've been so cruel these past few days...

I kiss her on the cheek. "I'm so sorry about how I acted. I..."

Before I can finish, she throws her arms around me, hugging me tight. "It's okay, kitty. I understand."

Relieved, I hug her back. "Thanks, bugaboo." My tartine is finished cooking, so I grab it and put it on my plate as she goes to get some juice. "Have you thought about it? The whole outside world thing?"

"I have," she says. "A lot."

I start to spread jam on the tartine. "What do you think? Could we find our place out there?"

Her smile falters, and she sighs. "No, I'm afraid not."

"No?" But... she said she thought about it...

"I'm just not sure it's right."

I kiss her forehead as I bring my breakfast to the table. "Of course it is. I'm going out with Nino today. While we're hanging out, I'll look for something and report back to you."

Marinette grins. The first genuine smile through all of this. I'm so glad I could make her happy! "That sounds great, Adrien. Thank you."

"And thank you for always being so kind to me, my lady. If you hadn't forgiven me, I don't know what I'd have done..."

Placing her hand on top of mine, she gives me another one of her gorgeous smiles. "Of course, kitty. I love you."

"I love you too, Marinette."

We talk and joke all through breakfast. I offer to take the dishes. We kiss goodbye, and she goes to her room to draw. The dishes go in the sink, then I head downstairs, nearly running into Mother in the hallway.

"My goodness, you scared me!" She laughs. "Good morning!"

"Morning, Mother!" I start to walk past her, but she stands in front of me.

"What are you up to?" she asks playfully.

"I'm going to hang out with my friend Nino."

She nods. "Okay, have fun, but make sure to be quiet. Your father's not awake yet."

"No worries," I tell her. "I'm going to his house. Bye!" And with that, I hurry down to the foyer. A small gasp startles me, but when I look back, Mother is gone. Strange. I hope she's okay. I go to the door and open it.

What hits me isn't the scent of flowers and sugary sweets anymore. Instead it's something almost... bitter. Weird. As I step outside, I notice that the trees aren't as green, the flowers not quite as bright or even as many. A chilly breeze sends goosebumps up my arms. Approaching the gate, I realize that the metal's sort of dull, not shimmery like it was. The uneasiness in my stomach grows when I walk onto the sidewalk. Kids aren't out playing. No one's singing. Someone is selling something though. However, no one's lining up to purchase his wares. I turn the corner. There's patches of barren land where whole buildings used to be, and people are gathered up there, sharing food and supplies. Marinette was right. Everything earlier had been an illusion. This is what my father's really done. It's awful...

"Agreste!" someone yells.

A stampede of angry teenage boys come running at me. They must be upset about Father! I turn and bolt back toward the house. I regret it. I regret it all!

"Get him!"

A pebble hits my shoulder. Ow! Glancing back, I see one of them pick up a bigger stone. No! I run faster, dodging the rock as the guy throws it. Let's hope they don't chuck anything at me again! I go back around the corner as quickly as I can. Please, let it slow them down...

Suddenly, someone pushes me into an alley. The boys' footsteps sound like thunder as they pass. Wiping my brow, I catch my breath. "Thanks."

"You're welcome dude, but what are you doing out here? It's a mess!"

I look up at my rescuer. Tan skin, hazel eyes, glasses, red hat... "Nino!" I wrap my best bud in an embrace.

"Good to see you, Adrien," he replies, grinning at me as we separate. Then he grows serious. "But really. You shouldn't be here. It's bad."

"I... I know. Someone warned me about it, but my mother had showed it to me on that beautiful day, so I didn't believe them." I sigh. "I was a fool..."

He shakes his head. "It's fine. Your parents must have been doing everything they could to convince you to join their side."

"They were." It's true. Everything they said to me, everything they did, everything they gave me was a lie. I wish I could've listened to Marinette...

Nino gives me a sad smile. "I'm glad you've realized it then, dude. Maybe then you could fix things. People's homes and businesses are disappearing. Food, clothes, and other stuff too. Everyone's in constant fear of losing what they have left. There's been fights. Some say there's gonna be war..."

War. The thought of it sends shivers down my spine and makes my chest ache. All because of my father. I swallow. "How have you been?"

Nino glances at the ground, tracing a circle in the dirt with his shoe. "Not the best," he says finally. "We lost our house. And some food, too."

"Nino..." I hold out my arms, and he falls into them.

"We're surviving, Adrien. But just barely. I miss how things were before..."

"I'll figure out a way to get it all back. I promise."

"You mean it, dude?"

"I mean it. I'll..."

The cold wind dies down. Sunlight washes over everything as clouds vanish. The traffic lights start to work again. Flower pots line rapidly-improving shops. People open their doors and skip out onto the street, their faces brightened by smiles. Father's trick!

"What do I do now?" I ask Nino nervously.
"Pretend," he replies in a whisper. "Pretend you only saw the pretty parts. Then decide what to do."

I nod. "In the meantime, I actually came out here to hang out with you, so that'll take some time. What do you say we go see a movie or something?"

He high-fives me. "Awesome, dude! Let's go!"

As we saunter down the street, blending in with the lie, I start thinking of a plan. Like Nino said, I'll pretend I never saw anything. Then I can go to Marinette and tell her what happened, and we can go get the miraculouses. It'll be risky, but if it means saving the world, how could I say no?

Yay!!!  Adrien's back!!!

Also, I forgot to mentioned that I watched Anansi today.  I finally found it online LOL.  Nino and Alya are so cute OMG!!!