4HELLO EVERYBODY! Some of y'all probably haven't heard from me since... January? Here we go again! (I know I just posted the preview on the tail end of "Miraculous: Tales", but I wanted to crank this out tonight for you guys ;) )
Some of y'all may know that I'm working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fic called "Once Upon a December Night". I thought I was done with MLB for a while, at least until after OUADN was finished. It wasn't until I heard a couple songs and rereading "Miraculous: Tales" that the inspiration for "Miraculous 2.0: You're Worth It" was born! I'm really excited to explore this story with you guys! I'll leave the songs that inspired me down at the bottom in case y'all want to groove with me and maybe catch the vision.
But for now... HERE WE GO! (Enjoy a VERY large first chapter!)
Sabine glanced at the clock on the stove again, wringing her hands worriedly. It was almost 11pm. Heroes Day had come and gone, but not without its troubles.
It was all over the news: HAWKMOTH AND ACCOMPLICE ARRESTED FOR TERRORISM. However, there was no sign of Ladybug, Chat Noir, or Rena Rouge on any of the news coverage after the bright burst of light that had disrupted the cameras for a time. Sabine shook her head. While it was worrisome that Ladybug and Chat Noir were currently MIA after defeating their nemesis, it worried her more that she had not seen or heard from her teenage daughter since lunchtime earlier that day. The city had been full of the Miraculous Ladybug Cure… so where was Marinette?
"Mamon?"
Sabine twisted around to see the door open behind her. In the doorway stood her daughter and her boyfriend, both looking exhausted.
"TOM! She's back!" Sabine shouted into the apartment. She rushed forward, embracing her child in a crushing hug. Adrien took a step back to let the two have their moment but felt himself drawn in by a tug on his sleeve. He looked over top Marinette's head to see Sabine's watery gaze. He flinched as it sharpened.
"WHERE. HAVE YOU. BEEN?" Sabine shook the teens by their shoulders. "The city's been in chaos; Hawkmoth was taken into custody; and ALL of the planned Heroes Day festivities were postponed until tomorrow. What kept you two out so late?"
Marinette and Adrien exchanged a glance before intertwining their hands. "It's a long story, Mom. I think all of us need to sit for this."
Adrien went to make everyone tea while Marinette sat both of her parents down in the living room. Once everyone was seated and held a mug, Marinette took a deep breath.
"So Adrien and I are Ladybug and Chat Noir." Both adults blinked, staring at them in silence.
"Just ripping off the Band-Aid, are we Mi'Lady? And just to clarify, I'm Chat Noir, she's Ladybug." Adrien quipped, taking a sip from his mug. He chuckled as his girlfriend flicked his forehead.
"Now's not the time for trying to lighten the mood, Adrien." She murmured. "This is a big deal."
Sabine set her teacup on the coffee table before steepling her fingers in front of her face. "Wait… sweetheart, YOU are Ladybug?" Marinette nodded. "But… how?"
"Well…" She played with the ends of one of her pigtails. "It all started last fall on the first day of school…" Marinette explained how she received her Miraculous and that first day as Ladybug. She shared her doubts and fears about being a hero. She smiled, tugging on Adrien's hand.
"It's thanks to you guys and Adrien - well, Chat Noir. I didn't know he was Adrien at the time - you all believed I could do anything I set my mind to. I have amazing parents caring for me and an amazing partner watching my back. It's because of all of you that I can help protect Paris."
"Speaking of protecting Paris," Tom rubbed a hand over his mustache. "What happened with Hawkmoth today? The news said he was arrested and charged with terrorism, but they haven't revealed his identity yet…"
At that, the light in Adrien's eyes dimmed. "Hawkmoth… he's…" The boy gulped.
Marinette sighed. "He's Adrien's father, Gabriel."
Sabine's hands flew to her face. Tom took a quick breath. He rubbed his forehead in sorrow while his wife knelt before the blond boy who was now shaking. "Oh, oh honey… Adrien, I-I don't know what to say…" She turned to her daughter. "Hawkmoth used a Miraculous too, right? Did you or the authorities find it?"
The girl shook her head. "We had to leave after I accidentally unlocked my Ultimate Creation power and met the previous Ladybugs," She stopped her mother's next question. "Long story, I'll tell you about it later. But no one's found it yet. They found Gabriel's assistant Nathalie with the Peacock Miraculous, but the Butterfly brooch is still missing. Lila's gone too."
"Lila?" Tom and Sabine exclaimed. Marinette nodded.
"She was working with Hawkmoth until he turned on her. No one's seen her or the Miraculous since the Ultimate Creation Cure."
"That certainly explains everything that happened at the school…" Tom stood to refresh his and Sabine's tea. "And don't take this the wrong way, sweetheart, but why tell us about all of this now?"
Marinette shifted on the couch, taking note of the blank look on Adrien's face. Since the topic of his father came up, he had all but shut down. She lightly scratched his back. "Papa, I've been Ladybug for almost a year and a half now. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to tell the two of you the truth… that I'm Ladybug… But I hid my identity to protect you. We've all seen superhero movies where the villains take out the hero's family. But…" She sighed, her breath shaky. "With all that's happened… all that could be coming with a missing Miraculous and us becoming Guardians… I just couldn't lie to you guys anymore." Marinette smiled as best as she could with the emotional turmoil swirling around in her stomach.
Her facade fell as her parents enveloped both teens into a comforting group hug. Tears sprung to her eyes as she gripped her father's shirt.
"You've both been through so much today," Sabine whispered, stroking Adrien's hair. She could hear the boy sniffle. "You're safe now." Everyone sat in a comfortable silence as the teens released the emotions they'd been holding in all day. Marinette, crying with joy because her parents finally knew the truth but also crying for all the grief one man's selfishness had caused. Adrien, crying because he had never felt so safe in his life but also for the last memories he would have of his father… striking him repeatedly, demanding his Miraculous. He slowly reached his arm up to grasp Sabine's arm that wrapped around his neck. How long had it been since he'd had a hug not from just one parent, but two? Marinette was so incredibly lucky to experience this every day. Maybe one day…
"Mamon, Papa… can Adrien stay here tonight? He doesn't really have anywhere else to go…" Marinette wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"Of course, sweetheart! Yes!" Sabine wiped away Marinette's tears as she chuckled. "Adrien dear, you're welcome here for as long as you need to work stuff out." She glanced at the clock over the stove once more. "Goodness! It has gotten late. You two don't worry about school tomorrow. We'll figure everything out in the morning. Marinette, do you have something amongst your scrap clothing that Adrien could wear tonight?"
The girl blushed slightly. "I may have something…"
"Alright. You two get cleaned up and ready for bed. Your father and I will prepare the couch for Adrien. Will that be alright, dear?"
Adrien nodded, his brain fog clearing. "That would be more than perfect, Sabine. Thank you." He took Marinette's hand as Sabine shooed them upstairs.
xXx
"Okay… please don't laugh… but these were supposed to be for Christmas…" Marinette handed a grey and red bundle of fabric to her boyfriend. He quirked an eyebrow as he unfolded the bundle. His frown turned to an amused grin as he held up a pair of red spotted sweatpants and a grey shirt with the words 'Spots On' embroidered with red and black thread. Marinette ran an embarrassed hand through her now loose hair. "I thought it would be funny, but now that you need them, I can come up with something different for Christmas… I still have a couple of months-"
"Marinette, breathe." Adrien grasped her shoulders, chuckling. "You started spiraling. Don't worry about Christmas right now. These are perfect."
She smiled, glancing down at the ground briefly. Adrien released her shoulders as she began gathering her own things to get ready for bed. He sat on the chaise lounge, rubbing his fingers over the embroidery.
"So… Co-Guardians, huh?"
Marinette spun around, shaking her head. "Nope. Nuh-uh. We'll talk about Guardian stuff with Master Fu later. If anything, we need to talk about you. We've put off this discussion long enough." She put her pajamas on her vanity then moved to sit on the ground in front of the chaise. "Adrien… Hawkmoth is your father… what're you feeling?"
Adrien took her hand in his, gently playing with her fingers. He remembered back to the fight he had with his Father just a few hours ago…
The duo parried back and forth, their weapons blurring together. Chat began to pant. He wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. While he was an award-winning fencer, his father was clearly the master of the subject. Gritting his teeth, Chat ducked and attempted to sweep Scarlet Moth's leg. The villain leapt into the air. Chat's eyes went wide as the man landed on his outstretched leg. The boy screamed in pain, dropping his staff.
Scarlet Moth grinned, swinging his cane up. It caught Chat in the chin, sending him flying several feet. The blond grimaced in pain, doing his best to crawl away from the man he once called 'father'.
"We could have done so much together, Adrien. Once I have your Miraculous, I'll have to do something about this disobedient streak of yours." Scarlet Moth tsked. "We can't have you upsetting your mother, now can we?" He crouched over the splayed body of his son, yanking his head up by the hair. "How are my girls faring against yours? I know how skilled Nathalie is, but seeing that Lila girl in action takes the cake. Maybe she's the one for you, son." He chuckled. "Oh, would you look at that? Looks like my ladies beat yours." Chat slowly opened his eyes. The sight made him sick. It was literally his worst nightmare.
Ladybug's hair had come undone from their usual pigtails and it wasn't only her suit that was spotted. Big, ugly bruises dotted her entire face. Chat saw blood dripping from her split lip. His heart plummeted as she attempted to stand.
"Stay down, LB." He muttered. He shut his eyes again as Catalyst slammed her foot onto Ladybug's back and she cried out in pain.
"What should we do with the Bug, sir?"
"Toss her with the others. I will collect her Miraculous from her body once I'm done disciplining my son." Catalyst clapped her hands giddily.
Chat pushed himself to a semi-standing position. "No." He desperately crawled forward as he saw what Catalyst intended to do: throw Ladybug into the street 18 stories below. The girl grabbed the heroine by her hair, dragging her to the exposed edge of the platform.
"Chat.." Ladybug whimpered. She struggled, but Catalyst's grip was too tight. "Chat! Chat I'm sorr- aaaaaAAAAHHHHH!"
"NO!" Chat screamed as he reached for thin air. There was nothing else he could do except scream.
Adrien shuddered. He looked into Marinette's loving bluebell eyes. He cupped her cheek with his free hand. "My father… He hurt people because he couldn't move past his grief. I knew Mother was sick and I might have to deal with that aftermath, but he refused to even try. He preyed on people's worst moments to further his own purposes." He wiped his nose on his sleeve as tears began forming again. "But worst of all… He KNEW I was Chat Noir and he still did those horrid things to me - to you, Marinette." She gripped his knee as he took a shuddering breath. "You have no idea how terrified I was when I saw Lila throw you over the edge of the Tower, on his orders. I… I think he even enjoyed it. D-does that… that evil run in me too?" He broke down into fresh sobs.
Marinette pulled herself up into his lap, brushing his hair out of his eyes. She gasped as he threw his arms around her. He clung to her like he was drowning. The girl gently forced his chin up so he would look at her.
"Adrien," She soothed. "We made it. We're alive. Hawkmoth is in jail. He can't hurt us again." She ran her thumb across his cheek, disrupting the path of another tear. "I know you're hurting right now. We've both been through a lot today. You don't have to make any decisions tonight, but will you think about finding a therapist to talk to about this?" He frowned, but Marinette placed a finger over his lips. "They have doctor-patient confidentiality, so secret identities can stay secret. I've talked to someone before when I was younger. It's helpful."
"Really?"
"Yeah… back in Primary School when I was Chloe's sole verbal punching bag. I had stomach aches every night at the exact same time. I didn't want to go to school the next day, but I wouldn't tell my parents why. They found someone for me to talk to and we worked through some of those feelings. Now obviously, I still had trouble standing up to her, but I learned to let what she said roll off of me." Marinette ran her fingers through Adrien's wild hair. He sighed, leaning into her touch. "I am always going to be here for you, but I might not know how to help you with all of the trauma from the past couple of years. Will you at least consider it?"
He nodded, sniffling again. They shifted positions until he was laying back on the chaise, Marinette laying on top, their arms wrapped around each other. Neither one had taken a shower yet after the events of the day, but neither one wanted to leave the comfort of the other. Marinette sighed.
"So… what happens next?"
Adrien shrugged, lightly scratching her arms. He knew she liked that. "I probably need to call my father's lawyer and my Aunt Amelie. She'll need to be a part of the legal conversations…"
"Hmm." Marinette pushed herself up off her boyfriend. "Like Mamon said, we'll talk more about that tomorrow. You get first dibs at a shower. There are some extra toiletries in the bathroom down the hall. They should have the couch set up by now." She pulled a grumbling Adrien up into a sitting position. His grumbles ceased as she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "I know it may not seem like it now, minou, but things are going to be okay. I love you, Adrien."
He smiled, kissing her forehead. "Love you too, Bugaboo.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!
Here are the songs (in order they'll inspire 'Worth It') that got my creative juices flowing again: Can I Have This Dance - HSM3 (ALSO the animatic on YouTube) ; For Good - Wicked (ALSO the animatic on YouTube by electragoob); Somethings Never Change - Frozen 2 (ALSO the animatic on YouTube by Gethsy G); Get This Right - Frozen 2 Outtake; Show Yourself - Frozen 2 (Christina Vee version); This Day Aria - MLP: FIM
I'll see you guys soon. Until next time... STAY CREATIVE!