Chapter Thirty-Six:

Nathanael watched Adrien leave the room, making his way back downstairs. Raising his eyebrow, he realized that Marinette wasn't with him. Had something gone down?

"Hey," he commented, trying to catch the black cat's attention. "Where's Marinette?"

Adrien didn't reply. Whether he had ignored him or didn't hear him, Nathan wasn't sure. Either way, it made him upset. Then again, it's not like he wanted to talk to him anyway.

"Fine, don't answer me," Nathan muttered. He struggled to get to his feet, using the couch to help him up. Even though he had come out of the healing pod 'fully healed', he didn't feel that way. Every scan, blood test, and analysis told him that his body was fine. He knew it was a lie. Pain still coursed through his muscles, leaving him unable to work or participate with the others. He considered himself the runt of the tear: the handicapped one. It was frustrating, but he was grateful that Marinette was still by his side. Maybe not as close as she once was, but she still at least treated him like a human being. Adrien, on the other hand, only gave him hateful glares. That's what he thought.

With caution, Nathanael made his way up the stairs that led to the bedrooms. Maybe laying down and going to sleep would help him forget his problems. And hey, if it could help him heal faster, he wouldn't complain about that at all. As he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed a pounding noise to his right. What what that? He heard someone yelling furrowed his eyebrows with concern.

"You stupid cat! I want to help... Please, let me help!"

It was Marinette.

"Ladybug?" Nathan called, making his way to the door.

"Fox!" Marinette exclaimed. "Please, can you open the door?"

He responded to her question by grabbing the door handle and jiggling it. It wouldn't budge.

"Is it locked?" he asked.

"Wait, is it not?"

"I... think so?" Nathan fiddled with the handle a little longer before finally twisting it open successfully. When the door swung inside, Nathanael was taken aback at what he saw.

Marinette was on her knees, staring up at him like he was her saving grace. Her face was blotted with tears. Her eyes were red, her bottom lip trembled, and her hair was a mess.

"Oh, Marinette..." Fox breathed. He rushed forward and hugged her tightly. Marinette melted to the floor and buried her head into his shoulder. "What did he do to you? What did Adrien say?"

She shook her head. "It's okay... I... I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Nathan pulled out of the embrace but didn't let go of her shoulders. "What happened?"

Marinette glanced down at the floor, rubbing her shirtsleeve under her nose as she sniffled. "It's nothing, Fox. I just..." She sighed. "I'm just frustrated."

"Marinette, please." He gripped her shoulders tighter. "What did he say to you? Did he hurt you?"

She was quiet for a minute as if she were trying to pull herself together. Then, the dam broke. She let out a sob that was half cry and half frustration. The truth spilled from her lips. She explained how Adrien wasn't letting her leave, to let her fight. She expressed through her tears how desperately she wanted to show the world what she was made of. She may have been scared, she said, but that didn't mean that she had to stay back and let other people fight for her. With determination etched deeply into her features, she declared that she was no longer going to let anyone get in her way of standing up for herself.

"I got into this mess," she confessed, pulling away from Nathanael and looking straight into his eyes. Her bluebell orbs met his turquoise ones with so much intensity, they could have been flaming red. "I need to get myself out."

"But you can't do that alone," Nathanael insisted. "You can't run into a fight without someone guarding your back."

He watched as her expression changed. It went from ferocity to absolute devastation. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bowed her head. Nathanael knew what she was thinking about. Who she was thinking about. Adrien. He had stood behind her for so long, but Nathan refused to let him destroy Marinette. He couldn't let that happen to one of his deepest and closest friends that he had ever had.

Being the child of an art-oriented family, he really hadn't made that many friends. He was the weird kid, the kid no one wanted to get to know because they had been afraid that he would be too 'deep' for them. The Miraculous Games had been his way of escape. And...

He had met Marinette.

He couldn't lie, he had liked Marinette for a long time. They had known each other in school and she was nice to him, but they had never been close. In the Games, though, they had relied on each other. They had stood back to back fighting for their lives and to stay in the running. People had rooted for them, applauded for their performance. Heck, he had even gotten the chance to kiss her!

But now, as he sat here on the ground next to Marinette, he realized that it wasn't what she wanted. He could see on her face, pain and all, that she truly loved someone. Someone other than him. They way she looked at him wasn't the same way she looked at Adrien. It was like she could see a future with him. She gazed at him like he was her entire world.

And yet, Adrien had shut her out.

Nathanael clenched his jaw. He knew that pain.

"Marinette," he said, his tone stiff and precise, "I realize that you love Adrien, I've always known that, whether he was Chat Noir or not. I thought that I could somehow change your mind, but now I see that there's nothing I can do." He met her gaze. She was looking at him, her eyes starting to water again.

"Nathanael, I'm so sor-"

"But you can," he insisted, cutting her off. "I couldn't change your mind about how you felt about me, but I know that you can change his mind about you. He said that he didn't want you to come along because he was afraid he couldn't protect you - that you would get hurt, correct?"

Marinette stared at him, her mouth hanging open. He had to admit, he had never been this harsh with her. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I... yes. Yes, that's what he said."

"Then someone else is going to protect you. You are going to fight alongside him. He may not like it, but I don't care. You're right, you need to fight. You're the face of the whole revolution. Ladybug is a symbol of hope, and I'm not going to let it die." He got to his feet and extended his hand. "I will protect you, Ladybug. Since Chat Noir can't, I will. And I promise you with every fiber of my being that you will not get hurt. I will not - I cannot - let that happen. Are we clear?"

Marinette gazed up at him like he was someone she had never seen before. And it was true. Nathanael could feel inside of him that something had grown. Whether it was a sense of dignity, loyalty, or just plain stupidity, he didn't know.

"But how?" Marinette asked desperately, lifting her hand hesitantly as if she wanted to take his outstretched hand.

He smiled down at her, not afraid to let his creative artist side take over. "Don't worry, I already have a plan."

* * *

It had been three hours. Three, tortuous hours.

Adrien sat alone at the edge of the training room. Everyone was going through the costumes, picking out which one they wanted. There had been a big fight between Alya and Lila about who would be in the fox costume. Adrien found it funny that Alya had won, even though both girls had walked away with bruises and scratches.

Girls.

Girls...

Adrien shut his eyes and tried to focus on something other than her. He felt bad enough shutting her away, but now the real guilt had set in. It was eating him alive, leaving him nauseous and on the verge of puking. That on top of the nerves about how their mission would end up was going to have him vomiting all over the floor if he didn't pull himself together.

He tightened his grip on his staff. He was trying to repair it in the best way he could, but so far it had only been in vain. Though his baton had been opening and closing better, it still didn't have the same response time as it once did. He had thought about calling up his mom and asking her how to fix it, but he knew she couldn't be bothered. Besides, he didn't even know if she was still alive or not.

"Adrien," someone said. The boy spun around, his heart in his throat. The scare was enough to almost make him fall off the box he was sitting on. Master Fu came closer to the boy, his hands holding his cane behind his back. "You seem tense, is something wrong?"

The black cat opened his mouth to respond, but only sighed and looked down. "I don't know, sir. I have a lot of conflicting feelings at the moment."

"Well, you better put on a confident expression because it's time to discuss the plan." He took a step forward and rested a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "The Charms are counting on you to stay strong."

After a moment of hesitation, Adrien nodded. Master Fu was right. He needed to keep a strong face for everyone. Luckily, he had been doing it for years. He would have to thank his father for that later.

Getting to his feet, Adrien took a deep breath and gripped his staff. "Alright, let's gather everyone together. We're going to need everyone to hear the entire plan."

Master Fu nodded with pride, then stepped aside and gestured for Adrien to walk past. Chat gave the old man a confident smile before puffing out his chest and walking toward the Charms gathered by the costumes.

"Everyone!" he shouted, raising his arms high. "I'm going to need your attention!"

Nino and Alya turned toward him first. Seeing their confident smiles only helped Adrien feel even better. The guilt still rotted in his stomach, but he at least felt more rooted in his decision. The rest of the Charms turned their attention to him as well. They looked at him like he was some sort of superhero, which he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. Still, he needed to step up to the plate.

"I am grateful that you've all agreed to help us with the plan," he said, looking at each one of them individually. "It's not an easy task, going against everything we've grown up with, but I know that we're strong enough to it."

He tucked his baton into its holder on his back and gestured to the costumes. "I assume that you all have chosen a costume. It is vital that you not only put on the costume but act like you are not a Charm underneath it. In order for this to work, I need each one of you to come up with some sort of disguise other than your costume.

"By tomorrow night, we should have everything in line. Each of you been given jobs to complete, correct?" He scanned the group. They all nodded in agreement. "Perfect. Once those jobs have been completed, we will meet back in here before departure."

Master Fu stepped forward. "Before we leave, each of you will be given a predetermined area to contain. If we are to succeed and strike back effectively, we need to do so with complete stealth."

Adrien picked up the plan from there. "We will break our way into the ball using these costumes and other supplies that we will receive tomorrow. The plan is to get in, stop the crowning from happening, and take down the Game Master. Once that's done, Master Fu will be able to take the place as Game Master. I should be able to talk to my father, convince him that this will be the only way to create peace."

"Are you sure about that, dude?" Nino asked, then hastily raised his hands. "It's not that I doubt you, bro, I just think... Are you sure you're up to facing your father?"

Adrien set his jaw. In his mind, he was trembling with fear, but on the outside, he was stone-faced. He had to be.

"Yes, Nino. I can do it. It's time that my father realizes that I am the only one who will make my destiny. It's my life, and he needs to understand that."

"Not only is it your life, but it's all of ours too, you know," Felix replied. He had his arms folded and he was glaring at Adrien. "You're not the only one who could get hurt in this fight."

Master Fu stepped forward. "Charms, please. We cannot turn against each other. If we are to take the government down, we need to band together."

"I agree," Alya said, placing a hand on her popped hip confidently. "We're only as strong as our teammates are."

"True wisdom," Nino commented, his gaze glossed over with affection as he looked at her.

"The jobs for the infiltration are these," Adrien said, continuing the plan. "Kim, Sabrina, and Max, you three are in charge of getting inside and letting me, Alya, and Alix in. Us three will blend in with the rest of the dinner guests. Ivan, Felix, Mylene, and Lila are assigned to the kitchen. Your costumes may not be as nice as the rest of ours, but that is only because you need to blend in with the servers and waiters."

Lila scoffed and folded her arms. "Oh, come on. That's so not fair."

"It's a good thing you didn't get the fox costume now, huh?" Alya commented, raising one eyebrow at the already pissed off Raven.

"The rest of the Charms will come in after that," Adrien rushed on. They didn't need another major fight. "Once we are all inside, we need to slowly start spreading the rumor that I am still alive. It should cause enough gossip in the crowd that our attendance shouldn't be questionable." The black cat turned to the smartest kid in the room. "Max, your job is to specifically take down the cameras. How you do that is up to you, but we'll need the cameras in the hallways and the main ballroom taken down."

Max adjusted his glasses proudly. "There is over 70% of odds in our favor with that decision."

Felix scoffed. "Cocky, much?" Lila snickered at his comment.

"Once the cameras are down, we should have decent enough cover. More details will be revealed at a later time, I'm sure, so for now, I think this will do." Adrien looked back at Master Fu. "Is there anything you would like to add, sir?"

The old man smiled. "Not to the whole group, no. I would like to talk to you in private, however."

That sent alarm bells screeching in Adrien's mind. He had caught on. Master Fu was on his tail.

Adrien nodded firmly, trying to act like it didn't bother him. "Alright then, it seems as though the meeting is now adjourned."

After he said that, the Charms began chatting with one another about the plan. Some complained about their jobs, others were chattering on and on about theirs, but Adrien didn't care. His forehead was already beaded with sweat as he turned around to face Master Fu. He opened his mouth to speak, but the old man held up a finger and waved for him to follow. Adrien shut his mouth, stuck his hands into his pockets to hide his nervous tics, then obediently followed him. They walked out into the hallway outside of the training room, and once the door was completely shut, Master Fu turned to face the young boy.

"I noticed you did not mention Marinette in the plan. Is there something going on between the two of you?"

Adrien bit his lip and nervously cast his gaze down at the floor. "Well, it's not like that, sir."

"Then what is it like, Adrien?"

He had been placed on the spot and Adrien had no clue what to say. Should he just spit the truth out plain and simple, or should he try to evade the topic? After a second or two, he decided that there was no way he could hide from his decision. Master Fu would find out eventually. The crazy old man had his ways.

"We had a disagreement," he stated simply.

Master Fu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? About what?"

Adrien sighed and lifted a hand to rub his neck. "Well, I... I told her that I didn't want her to come on this mission."

The Chinese man was quiet for a long moment, the pause killing Adrien more than any words could have. Finally, he spoke. "And if she does not come, where will she be?"

"In..." He couldn't say it. It was at the back of his throat, ready to be said, but he couldn't let his tongue say the words. He knew, once the words escaped, there was no turning back.

"Adrien," Master Fu insisted, "where is she?"

The young man sighed, dropped his hand, and slumped his shoulders. "She's in her room. There was nothing else I could do. She wouldn't listen to me and I knew that she would only get herself hurt if she came with us. It was for her safety, as much as I hate to admit it."

Master Fu didn't say anything for a long pause. He only stared at Adrien before finally dropping his gaze and letting out a heavy sigh.

"I respect your decision, Adrien. I only worry about what the consequences may be."

Adrien bowed his head. "Thank you for understanding, Master Fu."

The old man waved his cane, gesturing down the hall toward the elevator. "I would suggest getting some rest now. We have a long day ahead of us and I would recommend that you get as much sleep as possible."

Adrien nodded, stuffed his hands back into his pockets, then turned around. As he walked down the hallway, he could feel Master Fu's gaze on his neck. With his trainer's intense attention trained in so strongly on him, Adrien couldn't help but wonder one simple question:

Had he done the right thing? 

---

Hope that update was good enough for you guys, haha. I tried super hard to make it long, full of angst, and have some pretty significant plot points placed before I moved on. 

Shout out to solareclipse1357 for calling me out and to actually update this book. It's kinda nice to escape to, especially since my play performs this week. AHHHHH I AM SO SCARED AND EXCITED ALL AT THE SAME TIME. If I die, you guys will know why. 

Also, I cannot believe that Miraculous Games has officially passed 15K reads and over 800 votes! Guys, that is so amazing. 

Another shout out to MyLordandSalvation for voting on every chapter! People like you really make my day worth living. Thank you. 

And now, my favorite comment. 

Favorite Comment(s): 

Both by: Averkle17

No. No. No. No. ADRIEN U JUST MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF UR WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE, I get that u love her and all, BUT GET OVER URSELF, U R JUST MAKING IT HARDER FOR HER AND UGH. NO JUST NO.

And also... 

Wait.
No.
This.
CANNOT.
BE.
THE.
END

Don't worry, sweetpea. There is still so much that needs to happen before the end, haha. I wouldn't be surprised if this book hits 45 chapters before it's finally over. Who knows? We'll see how it turns out. 

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!