"Just a Friend?" Book 1 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy (MLB FanFic) |COMPLETED|

Chpt 36: Cat Noir actually can be observant.

The four superheroes sat down, tired out from their training. Carapace and Rena looked at each other wondering why Cat Noir and Ladybug looked so serious all of a sudden. They both grabbed their water bottles and took a drink, waiting to see what was going on.

Cat Noir broke the silence. "So, basically, I'm not going to be available in case anything happens next weekend, and I was wondering whether there was anything we could all do to prepare in case something big goes down when I'm not here," Cat Noir said to them. "I'm really not happy about it, but I don't have a choice."

"The first one I had was for me to keep in more constant communication with Rena while you are gone- checking in regularly so we are kept up to date on any possible supervillain sightings," said Ladybug. "So we can try to head off anything before it gets too big."

"I can put in a broader search for my news alerts so I catch anything that way," said Rena.

"We've been doing a lot of good teamwork training, so I think that should help us," said Carapace. "How long are you out of commission?" he asked Cat Noir.

"Probably next Friday until Sunday night, I would guess. Can't miss school, you know!" said Cat Noir. Carapace raised his eyebrows at that. He had never really thought about how Ladybug and Cat Noir might also have to go to school.

"I'm really not sure what else we can do, since we can't predict what might happen," said Ladybug. Everyone went quiet, trying to think of any other ideas. "Well, I guess that's all for tonight. Let me know if you think of anything else," Ladybug said as she stood up. The other three also rose and they all started to haul the equipment back into storage. Cat Noir stayed in the back room until Rena and Carapace transformed back and he heard the door close. Ladybug was putting the Miraculouses in her bag when he came out. She looked up at him when she heard him approach. "I was hoping for some great idea, even though I knew that it was unlikely since you and I have been thinking about the problem all week," she said. Ladybug realized something and gasped. "We never told Master Fu that you will be going out of town! We should talk to him tonight when we return the Miraculouses."

"It's fine. Don't worry! He won't be mad or anything. He knows I don't have control over being gone and I don't think he'll have any ideas of what we can do to prepare, either, unless you or he have some other people in mind that could be trusted with the Miraculouses in an emergency. Do you?" he asked Ladybug.

"That's a thought, I suppose. It's really only our friends, though. Do you think they would be up to it?" she asked him.

"Well, since Alya and Nino are already using the Miraculouses . . . " Cat trailed off waiting for her to understand what he knew. It didn't take long for Ladybug to look up at him with a startled expression and Cat gave her a smirk. "Did you think I wouldn't be able to figure it out once I knew who you were?" he asked her, his smirk turning into a lopsided grin. "It does start to become pretty obvious, since who else would you know to trust but our friends?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you know I wasn't supposed to!" said Ladybug contritely.

"I know. It's fine. I figure it's better if they don't know I know, you know?" he added, his eyes twinkling. He turned serious. "So that leaves us with Alix, who we know will have the Miraculous in the future, so she's a good choice. Then Kim, Max, and Ivan for the boys."

"Don't forget Luka," Ladybug chimed in.

Cat Noir gritted his teeth a bit at that, since he knew Luka had been interested in Marinette before, though he didn't know how Marinette had felt about him. "Ok, and Luka. And Rose, Juleka, and Mylene for the girls. Chloe and Sabrina in an emergency." Cat Noir paused, thinking about all of their friends. Something occurred to him.

"Doesn't it seem really weird to you that every single one of our friends has been akumatized?" asked Cat Noir.

Ladybug nodded slowly, thinking. "And," she added, "now that you mention it, almost every single other akumatized person has been someone we know or have at least interacted with. Why would that be the case? Is there some way for Hawk Moth to focus in on Ladybug and Cat Noir and then find the people closest to them?" They both thought about that for a bit.

"Maybe our kwamis know?" said Cat Noir. He backed up into the middle of the room so he could transform and talk to Plagg. "Claws-- what?!" He looked down at Ladybug's yoyo string that was now wrapped around him and then over at her, a question in his eyes.

"There was something I wanted to do first," she said to him, grinning. She reeled in the yoyo string pulling him over to her until his face was an inch from hers and then she kissed him. He started purring. They continued kissing for some time before Ladybug finally pulled back. "I love doing that to you!" Ladybug said, smiling warmly at him.

"No objections here," Cat replied, grinning widely.

He cleared his throat. "So, M'lady, do I now have your permission to transform so I can talk to Plagg?" he asked her.

"Yes, Kitty, you may!" she replied, giving him a royal nod. Ladybug unwound her yoyo string and returned it to her waist.

"Thanks, Bugaboo!" said Cat teasingly. He quickly grabbed his tail to keep her from yanking on it and then leapt out of her reach to avoid the elbow she tried to aim at his side. He was prepared to move as he knew just how much that name annoyed her!

"Plagg, CLAWS IN!" he said before Ladybug could try to elbow him again.

Plagg zoomed back out of the ring just as Ladybug tackled Adrien to the ground. "Hey, what's going on?" asked Plagg, confused at the scene.

"Too slow!" Adrien said to Ladybug as he rolled out from underneath her and pushed himself up off the floor. "Still got some Cat reflexes!" said Adrien smugly. He offered her his hand, bracing himself in case she tried to pull him over. Surprisingly, she didn't, so he helped pull her up.

"Better watch your back, Kitty!" Ladybug said to him over her shoulder as she walked away, giving him a slightly menacing glance.

Adrien laughed, wondering what she might do to get him back.

She dusted herself off before saying "Tikki, SPOTS OFF!" 

As soon as she detransformed, she unexpectedly launched herself at Adrien, knocking him down, just to prove she could still do it, even without her powers. He landed on his back with Marinette on top of him. Adrien started to tickle her, leading to a lot of laughing from both of them.  Adrien was having so much fun that he forgot that he was going to talk to Plagg.

Tikki appeared and flew over to Plagg, who still looked confused.

"What's wrong?" Tikki asked Plagg.

"Kids!" he said watching the laughing teenagers, sounding disgusted.

"Um, ok," Tikki replied, very confused. She was glad the two were getting a little time to play. Everyone, even kwamis, needed that. Maybe next time they could join in.

A few minutes later, Adrien again helped Marinette to her feet and they went around turning off the lights before heading to Master Fu's.