Adrien's POV
Mari and I spent our Saturday afternoon sightseeing, trying to spot the differences in local land marks and stores throughout our city.
Not much had changed, just the occasional shop here or café there, and we were pleased to see that the Dupain-Cheng's bakery was still doing well.
"Anything from the kids?" Marinette asked, the two of us continuously checking our phones for any updates from the "under cover" twins.
"Nope. Just-" I paused as I read my incoming message.
~Em~
Come quick. We need to talk.
On our way. I replied, before grabbing my girlfriend by the hand and practically dragging her through the Parisian streets.
"Adrien! What is it?"
"I don't know... but Emma said we need to get home ASAP. I think they found something."
And with that, we were off.
- • - • - • - • - • -
Marinette's POV
A few minutes later we arrived at the mansion, greeted by the faces of the twins, Louis, and our future selves.
"What's the emergency?" Adrien asked, seeing the apparent worry in their eyes.
"Let's go inside."
The house was empty, all but the seven of us. The rest of our class was scattered around town, and Janson, Jessie, Cole, and Alyssa must've left when our adult selves returned home.
"Is this a good time to ask how the trip went?" Adrien shyly questioned.
My future self gave him a very familiar looking glare.
"Guess not."
"We found out what they know." My future husband blatantly began. "As soon as we got home, we caught Cole snooping through our room and he just spilled."
"Apparently, Jessie overheard you when she came to the house with her parents a couple nights ago," Louis elaborated, "she gathered that you two were Lb and Cn and that you were from the past, but they weren't sure whether to believe you, assume you were kidding, or just figure that you two were crazy. That's why they were watching you, they were trying to gage everything she heard."
Mari and I nodded our heads, stunned. Not only could this do damage to our timeline, but it could endanger those kids... assuming they learned the truth.
Just because Ladybug and Chat Noir were "retired" didn't make the secret any less dangerous. There were still lots of villains who would kill for the chance to take them down in their own home.
"How do we throw them off?" Adrien finally asked. "What can we do to fix this?"
"That's the problem," my future self admitted, "They're smart kids, I don't know if we can. These people we're talking about... Janson. He has remarkable investigative skills." Son on Alya and Nino. I reminded myself.
"Then Alyssa, she's unbelievably smart and assertive." Max and Sabrina.
"Jessie, well she has her parents' competitiveness." Alix and Kim.
"Not to mention Cole is just as stubborn and confident as his mom." Chloe and Nathaniel.
"But we do have one advantage," Hugo concluded.
"And what would that be?"
"We're Agrestes. We're as determined, assertive, and competitive as they come.
If our friends think they can out 'Agreste' us, then they've got something coming for them. We have one week until the machine is ready... until then, our game our rules." We all looked at each other, nodding and planning.
Let's play.
- • - • - • - • -
Louis's POV
The seven of us locked ourselves in the office, talking and brainstorming, only interrupted by the occasional sound of footsteps as more and more kids came home from their "night on the town".
"Just confront them, talk to them, and deny everything."
"Avoid them at all cost."
"Just be natural around them."
"Pretend it was a role playing game."
"Pray." I so intelligently added.
"It's been two hours and we still have nothing." Adrien reminded us.
"Okay," dad offered, "how about this: why don't we just tell them the truth. They're bound to find out from their parents or one of us eventually."
"Adrien!" Mom scolded, "we hid this to protect them, we can't just..."
"Let me finish, princess," dad resumed, cutting his wife off. "Why don't we tell them the truth, and then use the mind wipe machine to make them forget everything. When all's said and done, it will appear as if a class won a contest, stayed for a couple of weeks, and left. Nothing remarkable about it."
"O-okay," Marinette nervously agreed, "so if they ultimately figure it out, we mind wipe them?"
"Exactly, m'mini-lady."
"That could work..." mom said, carefully weighing the idea out in her mind, "worst case scenario, they forget. Best case, they don't connect the dots. It's so simple! I can't believe we didn't think of this earlier!"
"So this is our play?" My sister questioned. "Are we willing to make this move if something goes wrong? Let's be honest, I'm sure we've all considered the idea that the machine won't work, or the time line might be too screwed up for everything to go according to plan. What if they don't go home?" Emma gestured towards Adrien and Mari, "or what if they remember everything? What if this backfires?"
"If this backfires..." dad calmly explained, "then we'll have a lot more to worry about than a few kids knowing our secrets."
"So this is it." I confirmed. "We stay on the down low and blast them if they find out. This is our move?"
Everyone collectively nodded.
"Then check and mate."
YOU ARE READING
Shattered
Fanfiction- • - • - • - • - • - • - • - Hugo Agreste has spent his whole life hearing stories of his parents: Ladybug and Chat Noir. Ever since the defeat of Hawkmoth so many years ago, the superhero duo have become legends, no longer defenders. Yes they stil...
