Notes

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Marinette could hear her footsteps echo across the narrow hallway. She had never run so fast in her life. Though the notion of Adrien’s death was still clouding her vision and thoughts, she had to push it aside. She had already de-transformed so that Hawkmoth wouldn’t tail her. Though Tikki was supporting her the entire time, she had no words for what was happening. Marinette was heading towards Alya’s place on foot, intent on giving her the fox Miraculous this time for help. She still hadn’t figured out who to give the bee Miraculous to, but she decided she’d figure out soon. She arrived at the apartment building and frantically pushed the button on the elevator, taking her to the seventh floor and opening the door to let her out. She ran as fast as she could to Alya’s door and proceeded to transform until she heard a huge growl proceeding her way. Hawkmoth was coming and there was no time to re-transform.
“Oh, whatever.” She muttered under her breath as she banged as loud and as frantically as she could on Alya’s door, earning a frightened peek from Alya’s mom and a click as the door unlocked and she let Marinette in. Marinette gave her the politest smile she could and tried to telepathically deliver the message that she was in a huge hurry at the moment. She ran to Alya’s room and banged again on her closed door, which opened, revealing a glum Alya who looked at Marinette in surprise.
“Mari? What ar—”
“No time!” Marinette yelled, clamping her hand onto Alya’s mouth. “Alya, what I’m going to tell you is very very important, so please don’t freak out on the way, okay?”
Alya nodded quietly.
“Look, the battle outside is way too out of my hands and I can’t fight it without help.”
The brunette furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
“Alya, I’m Ladybug, okay? Believe it or not, I’m Ladybug and I need your help as Rena Rouge. Let’s freak about it later, okay?”
Alya’s eyes widened more than Marinette has ever seen eyes widen before and she hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. Marinette sighed and removed her hand, ready to ceremonially give the Miraculous to Alya.
“Alya Césaire, here is the Miraculous of the Fox, which grants the power of illusion. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me.”
Alya took the Miraculous and opened it, not flinching when Trixx spiraled out of it. She gave the kwami a smile of admiration before automatically yelling, “Trixx, let’s pounce!”
When Alya was transformed, Marinette yelled, “Tikki, spots on!,” and let her Miraculous clothe her with her Ladybug suit and mask. Alya just had to marvel at her best friend for a moment before following her out the window.
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Ladybug was back on her feet, running wherever her legs would take her. She had left Rena Rouge to go her own way and save as many people as she could, while she went to decide who she would give the bee Miraculous to. After managing to avoid Hawkmoth for a few minutes, she stopped in an alleyway to take her breath, catching it in her throat again upon hearing muffled crying on the other side of the alleyway.
The spotted hero turned around to find one of the people she least expected to see crying in an alleyway and paused before hesitantly approaching her.
“Chloé?”
Chloé looked up at Ladybug, wiping her eyes and frowning. “What?”
“Um… what’s wrong?”
The mayor’s daughter buried her head in her knees again and mumbled something inaudible.
“Sorry, didn’t catch that, Chloé.”
Her voice came out so quietly and muffled Ladybug could barely make out her words. “It’s Adrien.”
“What? What about Adrien?” Ladybug played dumb, feeling her heart sink to the core of the earth at the thought of him.
“You seriously haven’t heard?” Chloé’s head reemerged. Ladybug braced herself for what came next.
“Adrien… he… he’s in the hospital with amnesia…”
So the rumours really did twist completely before they got to Chloé.
“Chloé…” Ladybug started, causing the mayor’s daughter to look at her in alarm at the tone of which she spoke.
“Chloé… Adrien’s dead.”
Chloé’s eyes widened instantly. “No, don’t say that! Don’t even think about it!”
“But Chloé…”
“No, he isn’t… dead! I visited him five minutes ago!”
It was now Ladybug’s turn to be extremely confused. “What?”
Chloé nodded. “So don’t ever say he’s dead again!”
The spotted hero was dumbfounded at how much Chloé cares, and the craziest idea popped into her head. She went on with it before thinking.
“Chloé… would you like to be a superhero and help me defeat Hawkmoth?”
The mayor’s daughter squealed, momentarily forgetting about Adrien and nodding vigorously. “I knew you’d come around and know I was the best option someday!”
Ladybug mentally rolled her eyes. “Okay, but we have to hurry.” She spoke as quickly as she could. “Chloé Bourgeois, here is the Miraculous of the Bee, which grants the power of cloning. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me.”
“Of course, Ladybug, you can trust me!” Chloé flapped a hand before opening the box containing the Miraculouses and marvelling at the kwami that flew out.
“Hi! I’m Pollen! I take it that you’re new to Miraculouses!”
Chloé nodded eagerly.
“Okay, then let’s get started! All you gotta do is say ‘Pollen, stripes on!’”
The mayor’s daughter nodded one more time before saying, “Pollen, stripes on!,” and watching herself move involuntarily to the transformation sequence, resulting in her transfiguration to the bee-themed superhero.
“I’ve already thought of a name,” she said proudly, praising her own efforts. “From now on, call me Queen Bee!”
Ladybug smiled. “Nice! Now go fend off as many villains as you can! Me and Rena will be right behind your back!”
Queen Bee grinned widely and leaped off into the air. Once she was out of eyesight, Ladybug bolted. She had never moved so fast in her life. She arrived at the hospital and pushed the doors open violently, stomping to the reception desk and demanding if Adrien was still in the hospital room. The startled nurse nodded and Ladybug ran off to the stairwell, trying not to think about what had happened the last time she refused to take the elevator.
It was around four or five a.m., but it was still pitch black outside. Ladybug supposed that Hawkmoth had somehow manipulated time so that it was always nighttime.
Although the spotted hero was moving with surprising agility, she halted when she reached the closed door.
What if Adrien really was in there, and he was alive? But… what if he was dead, still? What would she say if he was alive? Oh, who was she kidding, Chloé was probably just being hopeful.
She turned the knob with hesitation and walked inside, closing her eyes and expecting the worst.
However, when she opened her eyes, she was met with a sight that caused her entire body to go rigid and her heart plummet to her throat while her jaw practically met with the ground.
Adrien was right there, sitting on the bed with his eyes wide open, staring at Ladybug like she was about to kidnap him.
“Uh—hi… what are you doing here?”
Adrien’s voice caused Ladybug’s heart to shatter into more pieces than it already had.
“A-Adrien…” she stuttered, “H-hi… you’re… you’re… you’re alive…”
The blond boy stared at his own hands. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m alive.”
Then he cocked his head to the side and looked Ladybug straight in the eye. “So who are you again? My sister or something?”
It was then that the spotted hero remembered Chloé’s words.
He’s in the hospital… with amnesia.
Immediately, she ran up to Adrien and began shaking him harshly.
“Adrien. Adrien. Adrien!”
He stared at her blankly for a moment and then shut his eyes tight. “Stop shaking me, it hurts!”
Ladybug immediately let go, the tears of hurt glistening in her eyes.
“Adrien… do you remember me?”
“No.”
A few tears trickled down her cheek.
“Adrien, it’s me, Ladybug.”
He tilted his head again. “Ladybug, who’s Ladybug? That’s a weird name…”
Ladybug stood up and walked to the foot of the bed, spreading her arms wide and allowing her suit and mask to cascade down her body until they were gone.
She let her words out between sobs. “Adrien, it’s me… Marinette.”
Adrien looked down and furrowed his eyebrows, and then Marinette saw his eyes widen.
He looked up again.
“I know.”