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13) Night at the Museum

Marinette's (younger) POV
"You're kidding, right?" I asked my older self as she explained her idea.

"M'lady," adult Adrien added, "I love you and all, but do you really think this is a good idea?"

"Of course!" She grinned, "don't you think so kitty noir?"

"Oh no, don't get me involved with this. I'm on whatever side my bugaboo's on." He decided, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. It was weird. I mean, this was the Adrien I had always known and loved, but I still looked like an adult. It just made me hope even more that we could fix everything and get back to normal.

"Well, too late now! I already told Mlle Bustier that my Aunt Brigette and Uncle Felix Aguilera would be happy to help out, so that means you're coming to school with us."

"Fine." I sighed. "But only if I'm allowed to bring Cocoa Puffs. This is your fault, you know. All three of you." I decided, gesturing towards my large stomach.

"We know. You've reminded us multiple times. But anyways, can I count on you two joining us tomorrow morning at the Lourve?"

"We'll be there princess." Her husband decided, walking up to her placing a kiss on her cheek. "Promise."

- • - • - • - • - • - • -

"Now students, before we get on the bus, I would like to introduce you to our chaperones. Mdme and M Aguilera, I presume?"

Adult Adrien kept his arm wrapped around me as we smiled and nodded, our eyes trained on our other selves.

"Well, I certainly see the family resemblance. Mdme Brigitte, you appear to be an adult Marinette!"

"We get that a lot. I guess it runs in our genes."

"And you, M Felix, if you don't mind me saying... you remind me of another student, Adrien Agreste."

"Oh, you mean the model? Well, I'll take that as a compliment." He smirked.

"So, I can see there's a little one on the way. Mind telling us a little about her?"

"Him," I politely corrected, looking away from my teacher and at my boyfriend watching me with an encouraging smile from his spot in the front row. "Hugo. Hugo Agr-uilera. We'll be very excited to welcome him into our family in less than 3 months."

"Well that's wonderful! Now class, I'll be splitting you into three groups. With me: Lila, Nathaniel, Mylene, and Kim. With M Felix: Max, Sabrina, Marinette, and Nino. And with Mdme Brigette: Alix, Ivan, Chloe, Adrien, and Alya. Now, everyone, feel free to board the bus!"

Everyone grumbled (Adrien and I included) as we got on the hot, stuffy bus on our way towards the museum.

Relax Marinette, they're just your classmates. Your classmates that don't know you're you or that you're in the body of your future self. Just breathe.

I was definitely happy to have Adrien and Alya with me, although Chloe might be a little bit of a pain. I had to wonder how "Felix" was doing though, getting stuck with his old classmates and best friend, then being expected to stay away from his wife who just so happened to be in his group as well. There was no future in which I saw that going well.

"So," Adrien asked with a smirk as our group split off from the rest of the class, "where are you from Mdme Aguilera?"

Oh boy, my boyfriend was going to try and destroy me. I just knew it.

"Felix and I are from the Lyon area." I replied as I led my classmates through the exhibits.

"Cool! And how long have you been together?"

"We started dating when we were... 16? I believe? But we got married about 3 years ago when we were 20."

"Ooh, high school sweet hearts," Alya replied, "nice. My name is Alya, I'm your niece's best friend. It's weird, though, I never knew Sabine had a younger sister."

I looked at Adrien with desperation as he gave me an encouraging smile. "W-Well, Sab and I have never had the greatest relationship. You know, with such a dramatic age difference. We've struggled with keeping in contact, but when... work... brought A-Felix and I here, we decided to take it as an opportunity to visit with family. Especially my favorite niece."

Over the next few hours, I did my best to stay in character. Although I got some suspicious glances from Alya and Chloe. My boyfriend did his best to help sell my story, although half of the time he looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Much to my relief, Alix and Ivan didn't seem to notice anything odd.

"Okay guys," I checked my phone as we stopped at a food court, "it looks like we have about an hour until we're needed back on the bus. We need to make sure we-" I was cut off as the lights began to flicker, eventually fading out.

I looked out a window, our only source of light, only to notice dark storm clouds rolling in, lightening and thunder suddenly beginning to strike. It was pitch black.

I heard gasps and shocked screams from tourists, but they only grew as shattered glass rang from somewhere across the building. Then again and again. Then closer and closer.

"Adrien! Get them out of here!" I yelled, gesturing towards our classmates.

"What? No! You get out of here!"

"What are you two talking about? I'm not going anywhere. See you guys later, but I have an akuma to record!"

"Alya!" I yelled, but it was too late, with nothing but her phone flashlight she ran into the abyss.

"She'll be fine," Chloe scoffed, "that girl is like a roach. She runs into danger and then pops back up. But you better get me out of this, or else daddy will hear! Isn't that right Adrikins?"

"Sure. I'll take your word for it. Ma-Brigitte, get them out of here now. I'll try to find the others." I nodded, looking at my pregnant stomach, knowing that fighting was futile and a waste of time. By now the wind was howling and whistling, uncharacteristically frigid for a spring day.

"Be careful."

"I will. Now go!" With our phone flashlights turned on, Ivan, Alix, Chloe and I began searching for the nearest exit, though with every step we were almost trampled by other tourists trying to get out.

And that's when I realized. We weren't supposed to get out, were we? Tok was doing this, somehow, and it was on purpose. We were trapped in here like Theseus in the Labrynth, waiting slowly but surely for the monster that could be hiding around any corner to strike and suffocate us.

We had to end this now.

The first question that came to my mind as we came across the locked doors was how. Tok's power was time, not chaos or weather or destruction. How could he have done so much damage? And why did he explain his plan only a few days ago?

It all began to click.

Tok was the victim. He tried explaining why he separated us in hopes we could find a loophole and best him, because he was losing control. And if he was losing control, then surely Hawkmoth was too. They tried to control time, and with every jump and every switch, the very fragile timeline holding our lives together, moment by moment, was beginning to crack.

It would only be a matter of time, time that the villain couldn't control, that it all would simply shatter.

Tok wanted us to save him. He wanted us to save our city. He wanted us to save our future. Because if we didn't, everyone else would lose theirs as well.

"Stay here." I hissed at my classmates as I practically shoved them into a corner behind an exhibit. "Don't move or come out until I get you. There's something I have to check."

No, not something, someone. It looked like the city needed Ladybug and Chat Noir.

All four of them.