No More Heroes: A Miraculous Fanfiction. Chapter 17
It’s been three years since Papillion’s defeat, Paris is on the road to recovery. One year after Ladybug and Chat Noir disappeared, the magic holding his victims’ memories in place broke. The LadyBlog is used to help those victims deal with the memories.
Nobody has been more affected by this than Alix Kubdel. Her memories haunt all of her waking moments. Amongst those memories, she alone knows the identity of Chat Noir.
Gabriel Agreste leaves to find his missing wife, leaving Adrien to run the company. Marinette has taken on an internship, but it’s with his company’s largest rival. While reconnecting with Alya, she learns of the horrors Akuma victims are dealing with and resolves to help them. She just has to do it without revealing her own identity.
Sequel to All Good Things.
Warning: May cause you to feel
Thank you to my beta readers @ace-fox and @fuchsrenard
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Marinette jerked from sleep by the sound of her default ringtone. Adrien let out a low grumble and tightened his grip around her waist as she reached out for the offending item. She just managed to grab the phone before it went to voicemail.
“Hello?” Her voice heavy with sleep.
“MARINETTE!” Nichole’s screech made her pull the phone away from her now partially deaf ear. Adrien reluctantly released her so they could both sit up.
“What is it?” A glance at the cat clock told her it was just after five in the morning.
“There’s been an emergency down at the office. I need you here, ASAP.” Her panicked tone help wake Marinette up just a bit more.
“It’s going to take me at least an hour, hour and a half, to get down there.”
“Whatever! Just hurry!” The line went dead.
Silence filled the apartment as she stared at the phone resting in her palm.
“I guess I have to go in this morning….”
Adrien stretched, then rubbed the crust from his eyes.
“I wonder what kind of emergency warrants a five a.m. phone call to an intern.” He grumped.
“Dunno,” She threw the blanket off of her legs and swung them over the side of the bed. “Maybe everyone really needs coffee?”
Adrien reached for his own phone as she made her way towards the bathroom. A scowl grew on his face as he scrolled through his emails. When Marinette reemerged, she was as close to fuming as he had ever seen her.
“She just texted me a drink and breakfast order……” She took in several deep breaths, then released them through clenched teeth. “Why hasn’t she been doing this all week?”
After a few more breaths, she made a self-calming motion with her hands. Adrien raised an eyebrow at her.
“It must be a workplace emergency. I don’t have anything industry related coming across my desk.”
“The order was just enough food for two people.” She looked at it again. “I’m assuming it’s not including me.”
“Do you mind dropping me off at the office on your way in?” He shot her a lopsided grin.
“That’s right.” She smacked herself in the forehead. “We were going to pick up the car before taking my parents out to dinner tonight. I’m sorry about this.”
“No problem. I was out of the office all day yesterday. There’s bound to be papers that need signing and sensitive emails that need answering. I’ll get a driver to pick me up when I’m done, you come by the mansion when you’re finished. We’ll continue with our normal plans from there.” He stepped out of the bed and rotated his neck. “In the meantime, take your time getting ready. Don’t let them think they can just walk all over you.”
“Ok.” She smiled at him. “If I’m not mistaken, you have some shaving to do before we go anywhere.”
Nino grinned as he stepped into the bedroom. With each foot propped up on separate pillows, Alya somehow managed to take up the entire queen-sized bed and still have an arm hanging off the bottom. The duvet showed evidence of drool escaping her lips along with the grinding sounds of her open-mouthed snore.
After finishing the gig, he’d been surprised to find her asleep on the couch in the lounge. Sitting on top of the fridge had been two empty minis of Fortaleza. That, coupled with her lack of sleep the last few days, was all the explanation he needed.
With the help of some of the club staff, he managed to transport her from the club to his van. Luckily, The Den provided their own gear. Short of his personal bag, no packing up was needed. Due to her level of inebriation, Alya hadn’t noticed what had been sitting in the back of his van.
When they made it to her place, Nino managed to rouse her enough to get her from the vehicle to her bed, but it had taken awhile. After tucking her in, he returned to retrieve the extra cargo he had brought with him. Still being on DJ time, he set to work on his project.
A few hours later, he was standing next to the bed with a glass of water and a packet of seltzer tablets. Placing both items on the table next to the bed, he went about gently coaxing her awake.
“Time to get up.” He began coaxing her limbs into a more comfortable position.
Cradling her head, he worked on trying to it her up. The snoring stopped, replaced by a grumpy whine.
“Mmmmmhhhhhrrrrrmmmphhh……. wha?”
“C’mon, we both know the only cure for tequila Alya is a Holybelly breakfast.” Getting her stable and upright, Nino reached for the tablets. He ripped opened the packet and dropped them into the water. “How about you drink this, we’ll get you dressed, then go get pancakes.”
Nino grabbed the glass and brought it to Alya’s lips. She reached up with both hands, took the glass, and drained it. With a final swallow, she held the glass out to him.
“With a fried egg on top?” she asked.
“Whatever you need.” He smiled at her, kissed her lightly on the forehead and took the glass from her hand. “Can you dress yourself?”
Alya nodded groggily, eyes never fully opening. He gently slid her from his lap to the mattress before standing.
“When you’re ready, meet me in the office.” Nino shut the door as he left the room.
Most of Paris still slept when Marinette parked in front of Lyon Creations. Approaching the building, she began to question the validity of Nichole’s call. Everything appeared dark, but she tried the door anyway. It was locked.
Marinette blew a frustrated breath from her nose as she dug her phone out of her pocket. Unlocking the screen revealed a text notification. It was from Nichole.
“Got it handled, don’t worry about coming in.”
Her grip on the phone tightened as she read over the text. It had been sent right after she dropped off Adrien. She wouldn’t have felt the vibration or heard the notification while driving, but she was upset that the cancellation hadn’t even warranted a phone call.
Overwhelmed with exasperation, Marinette sat on the steps to think over the situation. There hadn’t been enough time for Adrien to even start his paperwork, much less finish, and she was stuck holding a breakfast for two. She sat up suddenly as a thought struck her. This would be a perfect time to visit Alix. Gathering herself, Marinette got back on the scooter and took off for the hospital.
The trip was not nearly as long or scary as she had remembered riding behind Alya. The lack of motorists out and about this morning could account for the difference. She hoped it wasn’t too early for visitors, but found her timing to be perfect. The nurse set to take Alix’s morning vitals had been passing the desk and offered to walk her in.
“You have a visitor.” The nurse spoke loudly so he could be heard through the door before entering.
Despite the sun outside, the room was just as dark as the last visit.
“Who is it?” Alix’s shadowy figure turned toward the door.
Alix visibly perked up at the soft voice, picking up her hand and motioning for them to enter. The nurse stepped up to the chart hanging off of the bed and took a quick look.
“Huh, Judy took your vitals about fifteen minutes ago, must have handled it just before shift change.” He replaced the chart. “Do you want to try eating something today, or should I get you prepped for the tube.”
Alix gave a non-committal shrug.
“Something smells good.” She stated quietly.
“I have tea and banana muffins.” Marinette held up the bag.
“The tea should be fine, but the muffin might be a bit much, right now.” The nurse chuckled. “How about I get you a smoothie together. We’ll try that, then work from there.”
“Ok.” Alix’s shoulders drooped a bit. “Could you make it banana? That way I can pretend I’m eating the muffin?”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
After the nurse left, Marinette brought the tea over to Alix making sure it was fully in her hand before letting go.
“It should have cooled down to a drinkable temperature by now.”
Alix brought the cup to her lips and took a long slow drink. When she pulled it away, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips.
“That’s the first thing I’ve actually tasted in a very long time.”
“I’m sorry.” Marinette took a seat in the chair closest to the bed.
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Another drink. “Kind of makes me appreciate it that much more. Is this earl grey?”
“Yeah,” Marinette chuckled. “the owner of Lyon Creations has this crazy thing about bergamot oil. Can’t get enough of the stuff.”
“Sorry,” She waved her hands despite the fact Alix couldn’t see it. “I’m interning there. I got a call to go in this morning, only to have it cancelled after I picked up breakfast orders.”
“So, now you’re spending your morning with me?” Alix brought a second hand around the drink to steady it.
“Yep.” She nodded, then had to remind herself that Alix couldn’t see her gestures.
“Lucky for me.” She took another gulp. “You bringing this in gave me the appetite to try eating on my own today.”
“And I get to sit and talk with you.” Marinette pointed out. “I think we both won in this situation.”
The nurse returned carrying a lidded cup and a straw.
“We were able to blend an actual banana into the mix.” He smiled as he switched out Alix’s tea for the smoothie. “How was the tea?”
“Good.” Alix stated before putting the straw into her mouth.
The nurse watched as she took in a few gulps.
“Makes my mouth feel kinda dry, can’t really taste the banana.” She admitted. “But I can finish it.”
“Take your time and I’ll be back to check on you in an hour.” He made his exit to finish his rounds.
“Tell me more about your internship.” Alix stated before latching onto her straw.
“Not really much to say about it.” Marinette admitted. “It’s pretty much running errands, filing papers, and picking up food.”
“Doesn’t sound like you’re learning very much.” Alix observed.
“Well, I got a chance to review some older designs yesterday. Honestly it was the most I’ve learned all week.”
“I guess that’s something.” Alix seemed to mull over the information. “Still, seems like a waste of time. You always had great designs in school. I can only imagine you’ve gotten better.”
“Let’s just say I have a standing offer from Agreste Designs.” Marinette chuckled. “Even though I’m dead set on breaking in on my own steam.”
“Headstrong and focused. Sounds a lot like the Marinette I remember.” A small smile cracked from Alix’s lips before she resumed drinking her smoothie.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Marinette thought out loud.
Alix nodded in response, straw still in her mouth. An empty slurp echoed through her cup. Marinette reached out to take the empty cup from her hand.
“If you weren’t here, that nurse would have sat there and waited for me to finish that.” She placed her hands in her lap.
“I honestly can’t imagine going through everything you have.” Marinette sat back in her chair. “Makes some of the stuff I’m going through feel petty by comparison.”
“Complain to me.” Alix settled back against the elevated mattress. “Let me live through you for a few minutes.”
“Ok. I guess I should start with the coffee orders…”
“Murrnnnhhh.” Alya ambled through the office door hunched over, hair covering her face.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Nino handed her a cup of coffee.
“Nnnnnnhhhhmmmnn.” The mug disappeared behind her curtain of hair. From the slow, occasional movement, he assumed she was drinking it.
“When you’re ready to come out of there, I have something to show you.” He waited patiently as she drained the mug.
Gradually, she stood straighter. The hair began to fall back naturally and rest on the front of her shoulders. Her groggy eyes glared at him over the top of her drink.
Nino beamed at her. Leaning in, he placed a light kiss on the mole sitting over her right eye. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out her glasses and slipped them onto her face.
“You’ll need these to see the surprise.” He pulled back, pride practically spilling from his face. Stepping aside so she could see the results of his effort.
Alya blinked a few times, trying to focus. She stared, unbelieving in what she saw in front of her.
“You bought me a new computer?” She took in the three large monitors and one of the largest towers she’d ever seen.
“And upgraded the servers for the Ladyblog.” Nino practically vibrated where he stood.
“Thank you?” She brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“How bout we go get some food in you before I start showing off what this thing can do?” He came up behind her and placed a hand on each shoulder.
“That’s probably for the best.” She grumbled. “Right now, I’m not sure if I should hug you or kill you.”
“Wow, Nichole sounds like the absolute worst.”
“I don’t know, I’m sure she has her reasons…” Marinette defended.
“You’re too nice.” Alix spoke through a wide yawn.
“Maybe I should go, you seem tired.”
As Marinette rose from her chair, Alix’s hand shot out in her general direction.
“No, wait! This might sound kind of weird, but can you just stay with me while I sleep?”
“Sure. May I ask why?” She sat back down.
“When you were here the other night, that’s the longest I’ve slept on my own. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about being around you that makes me feel calmer. Helps me relax.”
Silence filled the dark room as Alix slipped into a calm sleep. Marinette used the time to think. Something about Alix’s comment stuck with her. She was pretty sure Adrien had said the same thing.
Alya popped the egg yolk so the yellow liquid could run all over her pancakes. Nino watched with a little disgust as he drizzled syrup over his plain cakes.
“So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do with your new computer?” He asked.
“Turn it on.” She shoved a yolk-soaked triangle into her mouth without looking up at him.
“Fair enough.” He began cutting into his own breakfast.
Nino felt a nudge against his foot. Looking up, Alya was still engrossed in her own meal. When he looked back down at his plate, there was another nudge to his foot. A mischievous look crept over his features before he reached forward with his own feet. He pinned one of her feet between both of his own.
His eyes rolled up in his head to glance at her from across the table. She was staring at him in the same way. When their eyes locked, she brought up her free foot to trap one of his feet between her own.
To other people in the restaurant it looked like they were cutely holding each other’s feet while enjoying their breakfast. In reality, it was a battle of wills. They both continued with their meal, feet locked under the table. Just as they were finishing their last bites, Nino relaxed and released her foot.
He looked at her dreamily, taking her in as she did a private dance. Little did she realize, her reactions to small victories such as these were his prize.
“Are you ready to head back so I can show off your new computer?”
“I don’t know why you did that without asking me first.” She huffed.
“If I’d asked, would you have let me do it?” He tilted his head toward her as he asked.
“No.” Her shoulders and expression dropped at the admission.
“And I would have done it anyway.” Nino countered. “Besides, I’ve wanted to do this for you for a while. I work with computers, and the most important person in my life is running a system that can’t even support the newest OS.”
“So this is a matter of pride?” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Look, I don’t need to protect you from the world. Hell, you could probably kick my ass ten ways to Sunday. You spend a lot of your time doing things for others, this is the one thing I can do for you. I built it from scratch, so we can upgrade the individual parts as needed. In the long run, it’s better than the pre-boxed POSs the government budget allows for you.”
“Not to mention I have multiple monitors, now.” Alya brought a finger to her chin in contemplation.
“Don’t forget a webcam.” Nino pointed out. “Now you can do group sessions with the people over the net.”
“Ok.” She perked up. “You win.”
When Jalil checked in at the nurse’s station, he was surprised to hear that his sister currently had a visitor. After a quick description, he guessed that it was Marinette. Honestly, he was surprised she would be making good on her promise so soon.
Upon entering the room, he could see both girls were napping peacefully. Marinette leaned from her chair onto the bed, head cradled in her arms. Alix’s hand was sitting gently on her visitor’s head. He would have been touched if it weren’t for the smell of tea and baked goods that invaded his nose.
Jalil’s eyes locked onto the disposable cups and muffin wrappers that sat on the small bedside table. In a quick motion, he stepped up to the bed and pulled Marinette back by her shoulder. The shock on her face did nothing to dissuade his anger.
“What are you doing!” He rasped in an angry whisper.
“She was helping me sleep, but you put a stop to that.” Alix’s response glued Jalil to his spot.
“Are you OK?” He turned his attention to his sister. “I know the smells can trigger attacks…..”
“They what?” Marinette stood up. “No one told me, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Alix interrupted. “I didn’t have any problems. I even managed to take down a smoothie on my own.”
“You did?” Jalil was honestly surprised.
“With banana.” Marinette offered. “The nurse brought it to her when I came in this morning.”
“And I was sleeping pretty well until you came barging in.” Alix groused.
“Are you mad at me?” He asked cautiously.
“More like annoyed.” She crossed her arms and pouted.
Moisture welled up in Jalil’s eye before he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his sister.
“That’s the most emotion you’ve shown in a long time.” Careful not to squeeze her too tightly, he let his tears flow.
“I think this is my cue to leave.” Marinette stood and quickly gathered the leftovers from her visit.
“Thanks for coming!” Alix called from her brother’s grip, not knowing she had already left.
When Jalil finally released her, he stood up and looked down at his sibling.
“Yes, still a bit sleepy, though.” A yawn pushed its way past her lips.
“And you were able to drink the smoothie without any problems?”
“Yes.” The roll of her head implied she was rolling her eyes.
“Do you think you’d be up for another visitor?” He asked.
“Did you bring Kevin with you?”
Adrien was responding to emails when his phone rang.
“Have you had lunch yet?” Marinette’s voice greeted his ears.
“I was just about to head out.” He leaned back in his chair, smiling. “When will you get here?”
“Already here. Just waiting on you.”
“I’ll be right down.” Adrien hung up and shut down his computer.
The elevator could not carry him down fast enough. He was practically giddy when he exited the building to find her standing at the bottom of the steps. Rushing up, he scooped her into his arms and spun her in in a happy hug.
“I should surprise you more often.” Marinette giggled as her feet reconnected with the ground.
“That’s what I keep telling you.” The smile on his face added brightness to his words. “What did you want to do for lunch?”
“Well..” She fidgeted in her spot for a moment. “I saw a cute outdoor place on the way over.”
“I know where you’re talking about.” He grabbed her hand gently. “We can walk there.”
“I still don’t know how you got me out of bed before nine on a Saturday.” Alya opened the apartment door. “The way you were acting, I thought I had slept most of the day.”
“It’s healthier for your sleep schedule if you wake up at the same time every day.” Nino countered.
He rushed past Alya through the front door and took off for the office.
“Sound advice coming from the guy who hasn’t kept a regular sleep schedule since he was a teenager.” She crossed her arms as she caught up to him.
“I said your sleep schedule.” He offered her the rolling task chair. Alya flopped into it and spun to face the set-up on her desk. Nino pointed to a silver circle on top of the black mid-sized tower. “That’s the power.”
Alya slowly reached out and pressed the button. A ring of blue light appeared around the circle, accompanied by a quiet whir.
“Whelp. I’ve achieved my goal today.” She stood up and left the office.
Nino’s jaw dropped as he looked between the computer and the office door. On the fourth sweep, Alya popped back up in the doorway. A big mischievous grin plastered across her face.
“I’m kidding.” She approached Nino and wrapped her arms around him. “Just the fact that it’s already on the log-in screen makes it a million times better. I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed this more than even I thought.”
Nino smiled and led her back to the task chair.
“Ok. Let’s get your credentials set up, then I’ll show you how to set up the new features on the LadyBlog.”
“How is there no one bothering us.” Marinette asked before taking a bite from her sandwich.
Adrien looked around the area. He pulled a spoon from his mouth and placed it back into his bowl of soup.
“It may or may not have something to do with me leaking that I was out of town.”
“You didn’t.” She sent him an incredulous look.
“Hey.” Adrien brought his hands up defensively. “The plan was to meet at the mansion. I figured you wouldn’t want to get mobbed by crowds of photographers when you came through the front gate.”
“You’re right.” She conceded. “Still, you know how I feel about liars.”
“It’s not a total lie.” He pointed out. “We don’t live in the city. Technically out of town.”
A blush came over Marinette’s cheeks as she swallowed a bite of her sandwich. The flush of color brought a smirk to Adrien’s face. He cocked a questioning eyebrow in her direction.
“You just said we don’t live in the city.”
“Well, we don’t.” He brought another spoonful of soup up to his lips.
“You weren’t kidding.” Her eyes grew wide with realization. “You really did move in with me.”
“I thought I made that pretty clear…….” Adrien’s brows furrowed with confusion.
“No..no..no.” Marinette assured him. “You did. It’s just….”
She tapped her bottom lip as she considered her words. Adrien pushed his soup to the side and brought his elbows onto the table, propping his hands on his knuckles as he attentively waited for her to continue.
“You know how you can know something, but it doesn’t really hit you until later?”
He made no response, so Marinette took a deep breath and continued.
“Do you remember that day we skipped school to look at the clouds?”
“Even though Tikki’s leaving was the reason I was sad; she was the first person I wanted to talk to when I got home that day. I ran up to my room and ‘Tikki! You’ll never guess what happened today!’ just came right out. It made me sad all over again. I knew she was gone, but I don’t think it really hit me until that moment.”
Adrien reached out and covered her hands in his own.
“I get it.” He glanced down at the ring on his finger. “Sometimes, I still talk to Plagg.”
Her eyes made their way down to the same piece of jewelry his own were trained on.
“Sorry to bring down the mood.”
Adrien lifted his hand to cradle her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who pressed.”
A small smile wormed its way onto Marinette’s face. Adrien mirrored it on his own.
“We should probably get on with the rest of our day, huh?”
“Yes,” he responded. “But I have one more thing to talk with you about.”
Chuckling lightly, Adrien sat upright in his seat and began to rub the back of his head. His hand came to rest at the base of his neck.
“You know how the company is turning thirty this year, right?”
“Mmm hmm.” Marinette nodded.
“They’re having a big company dinner for the executives and people that have been around twenty years or more. I have to be there, for obvious reasons, but now that we aren’t hiding anymore, would you come with me? At the very least for moral support. You know how I can get with too many people around and..”
She cut him off by placing a hand on his elbow.
“I’d love to.” She beamed at him. “Besides, it will give me a chance to wear the dress I made for my final last semester.”
“Darn it!” Adrien snapped his fingers and grinned. “You have discovered my ulterior motive.”
With a playful push against his shoulder, Marinette stood up.
