Miraculous Kat

Part Five: Kat and a Cat

"Oh, yay, you're back," Kat smiled warmly. Adrien just nodded, exhausted from the akuma attack. "I've been having one-sided conversations and yelling a lot while playing Mario Kart. I didn't want your bodyguard getting suspicious."

"That's great," Adrien sighed, "but we need to talk."

"What about?"

"Look, you absolutely cannot tell anyone that you know who I am."

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, just swear that you won't."

"I solemnly swear that I will tell no one."

"Ok. Good." Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. Then a thought occurred to him. "Since you know who I am now, could you give me some advice?"

"I suppose. I don't know if it'll be good advice, but I can try."

"How do I get Ladybug to like me?"

Kat stifled a squeal of excitement.

"Okay, I actually might be able to help. First, I suppose a great outfit is what you need. I think."

"She only sees me as Chat Noir."

"Oh, right. Well, the wardrobe is not a problem. How she doesn't at least kinda drool over you is a mystery to me." Kat paused. She knew why. "But maybe that's not the problem. Maybe she just likes someone else."

"Who, though? And what do they have that I don't?"

"Uh..." Kat had no idea what to say to that. She changed the subject. "Why don't we play a board game or something, and I'll try to figure it all out. But please don't be too disappointed if I can't, though."

"All right."  Adrien smiled a little. "I guess you can't have all the answers."

"Ah, but I can have most of them." Kat paused, staring at the small cat eating cheese behind Adrien's shoulder. "Ohmygosh he is so adorable!"

"Thanks," Plagg grinned sleepily.

"Can I hold him?"

——The Next Day at School——

"Today, class, we'll be continuing our study of Greek gods and goddesses. Who thinks they can name a few?" Adrien's hand shot up in the air a fraction of a second after Kat's. Plagg peaked out of Adrien's bag.

"Kat, Adrien, why don't you come up and write what you can come up with, then scribe for the rest of the class?"

Kat excitedly jogged to the front of the class. Soon enough, there was a long list of Greek gods and goddesses. Adrien's list had seven of the twelve main Olympians, but Kat's list had the remaining five plus at least six other not-so-well-known ones. Adrien knew a lot of the Olympians, but didn't recognize some of the names Kat was writing.

"Who's Hestia?"

"Goddess of the hearth," Kat replied without looking up from where she was writing 'Nike'.

"Wait a second, I thought Nike was a brand."

"Goddess of victory. Her name literally translates to victory."

"Oh." Adrien turned back to the board, trying to come up with a name that Kat hadn't already written. Miss Bustier squinted at one of the names.

"Who's Thanatos?" She asked.

"Thanatos is the god of death—"

"Actually Hades is," Miss Bustier interrupted.

"No, Thanatos is, but he's usually mixed up with Hades. Hades is the god of the underworld, not death."

Miss Bustier decided to give in. Apparently, Kat was smarter than the teacher's manual.

"All right, you can take your seats. I doubt anyone can come up with any others."

The rest of her lesson seemed to drag by. Finally, finally, after an entire day of being interrupted and corrected by Kat and Adrien, the bell rang for the students to leave.

Seeing as it was Friday now, Kat gave Adrien a quick hug and failed to notice Plagg sneaking into her jacket pocket.

"Oh, hey, I have something for you, Kat."

"What is it?"

"Here." Adrien held out a brand new phone. "I convinced Nathalie to pick it up this morning."

"Thank you so much!" She looked into Adrien's eyes. "You are the best baby bro ever."

And with that, she hurried over to where Marinette was waiting impatiently.

"Hey, Marinette, thanks again for letting me stay with you."

"No problem," Marinette muttered. She began to walk briskly towards her house, Kat close behind.

"Marinette?"

"What?" Marinette snapped.

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"What? I'm not mad!" Marinette laughed. "I'm just...tired! Yeah, I'm tired."

"Sure you are." Kat rolled her eyes. "I think I know what this is about."

"There's no 'this', Kat."

"Yes, there is. I know you like Adrien."

"Uh..."

"Yeah. I know. Look, he's like a brother to me. I'm not gonna steal him or anything."

"Oh. Thanks?"

"No problem." A small noise came from Kat's pocket. It sounded like...giggling? As sneakily as she could, she glanced in her pocket. Her eyes widened in alarm.

——At Marinette's Family's Bakery——

"Hi, Papa."

"Hi, Marinette. Oh, is this the young lady that'll be staying with us?"

"Hello," Kat smiled, anxious to be alone so she could call Adrien.

"Marinette said your name is Kat?"

"Yes, sir." Kat eyed the cinnamon rolls (sweet rolls) then shook her head. Time for cinnamon rolls later. But Tom had seen the look.

"You want one?" He asked, gesturing to the sweets. Kat hurriedly said yes and followed Marinette upstairs, cinnamon roll in hand.

"You'll have to sleep on the floor," Marinette said apologetically.

"That's fine," Kat replied, shifting from side to side. Marinette turned around to turn on her computer to the news while Kat sat down awkwardly on Marinette's bed. A news banner flashed across the screen. Marinette's eyes widened.

"I'll be right back," she said, darting up to the roof. Kat breathed a sigh of relief. Marinette left, leaving Kat alone with Plagg. She took out her phone and found Adrien in her contacts. The phone rang once and Adrien picked up.

"Hey, Kat," Adrien said, worry evident in his voice. "Before you say anything, have you seen Plagg?"

"That's why I'm calling." Kat scowled at the small cat eating the rest of her beloved cinnamon roll. She'd try to get it back, but Plagg just looked so happy. "Can you come get him?"

"Can you meet me? I need to transform," Adrien added in a whisper.

"Dude, does it not work over long distances?"

"I have no idea."

There was a faint, "plagg, claws out," on the other end of the line and Plagg shot out the window.

"Plagg's on his way, hon."