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Adrien did not feel good. His guts felt like they had been twisted too tight and then flipped inside out. He almost wanted to throw up, thinking that it might make him feel better. But hours went by and the pain had only ballooned until he couldn’t even stand upright. And god, he was so tired, but sleep remained out of reach with the inferno burning in his core.
He must have dozed off at some point though because the akuma alert sent him bolting awake.
His head spun, and his throat spasmed. He ran to the restroom and immediately threw up. Plagg came hovering in after him.
There was an akuma - he needed to go.
“Pl-Plagg—“ he threw up again before he could finish the transformation phrase.
“You can’t fight like this, kid.”
“I can!” But he slumped over on the ground as his stomach clenched once again, and he braced himself for the next wave.
It came up violently.
“You can’t even transform.”
Adrien wanted to argue, but it was difficult to do through the wretching into the porcelain bowl.
“Give me the ring. I’ll take it to Marinette.”
“No! Not Marinette!”
Marinette was most definitely one thousand percent capable of wielding destruction. He had seen her with the Mouse, which she had used brilliantly, and now with the Fox, and whatever she said to the contrary, she was an absolute natural.
But she didn’t want to be a hero. And Adrien couldn’t be the one to push past that boundary. He wouldn’t!
“Kid, you know she’s the best choice.”
Adrien gagged and choked back the next wave.
“Nino! G-go to Nino.”
Nino at least enjoyed being a hero, and sure, he already had Wayzz, but the black cat’s presence was more vital in any one particular battle. Ladybug had to summon eight others when he had failed to show in the past.
He promised he would never leave her again.
He couldn’t leave her without support.
“Nino,” he said again.
Plagg nodded. Only then, did Adrien slip off the ring.
“Stay with him. I’ll—“ he swallowed the acrid taste in his mouth. “I’ll come collect the ring when I’m capable of standing up again.”
And then Plagg was gone.
Adrien stayed by the toilet, hating that he couldn’t be there for Ladybug, that he didn’t even know what was happening.
And he felt truly awful, like his insides had gone to war and hadn’t made it back in one piece. Despite the rancid smelling vomit in the toilet, he didn’t even feel any better.
…
Nino wasn’t asleep, though he had climbed up to his bed to appease his maman fifteen minutes earlier, but he was too wired for actual sleep. The akuma alert went off, and Nino pulled up a newsfeed on his phone, waiting and ready if Ladybug should call on him.
She didn’t.
But from the feed, he wasn’t sure she had the time to call any of them. She was too busy leaping, twisting, and dodging the lightning blasts that the akuma shot after her every few seconds.
Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen.
“Wayzz, do you think—“
He was interrupted by a metallic clink on his window.
His fourth story window.
He swung his legs over the edge and jumped down to the floor.
Ladybug’s summons came in a split second later.
But the sight at the window had him frozen.
A kwami was waving frantically at him from the other side of the glass. A black kwami that looked an awful lot like a cat.
Couldn’t kwamis phase through walls?
“Open the window!” Wayzz said.
Nino did as ordered and the unfamiliar kwami zipped inside and almost threw a ring at him.
“We gotta go, turtle boy. Carapace has to sit this one out.”
“Ummm… where’s Chat Noir?”
“Not here,” the kwami said gruffly. “So you’re up. Name’s Plagg. Transformation phrase is claws out! Now, let’s go! Can’t leave Ladybug waiting!”
That shook Nino loose. “Right! Ladybug! Okay. Plagg! Claws out!”
The transformation felt different. The Turtle imparted a warm smooth thrum of power and strength. The Black Cat crackled down his form like static electricity. He felt just as strong, but there was something more raw about it, more feral.
He already felt off balance.
But Wayzz smiled at him. “Good luck, young master. Remember to keep your identity a secret! Even from Rena Rouge!”
“But—“
He told Alya everything.
“It’s a secret! You are Chat Noir’s back up. His identity must be protected at all costs!”
Nino wanted to object. How could he give Chat Noir’s identity away when he didn’t know it himself?
But it was time to go.
Nino was pole vaulting over rooftops towards the flashes of light and rumbling thunder.
Why him? Why would Chat Noir choose Nino to be his sub?
And was Chat Noir okay?
“Who are you?!”
“I umm…” he hadn’t chosen a name. He glanced down at his transformation. He was a black cat. What else had he expected? “I’m Chat Noir today?”
“You are not Chat Noir!” Ladybug growled. Aiming her yo-yo at him.
“No! I mean! Obviously, I’m not the Chat Noir, but I mean he sent me! Because he couldn’t come today. You can call me Panthere.”
Her stance hardened. “He said he didn’t want a stand in.”
“Look! I come in peace! I don’t know why he chose me, but it looks like you could use some help?”
She reluctantly nodded.
Rena Rouge landed between them. He tried not to fidget. If there was anyone who would see right through him, it was Alya.
“Is Carapace on his way?” Ladybug asked her.
Nino winced.
“I don’t know. He’s not answering.”
“Okay! The three of us it is! Rena, I need an illusion. Panthere, let’s see what you can do.”
…
The battle was over pretty quickly. Nino wasn’t a raw beginner like Ladybug assumed, though cataclysm was an absolutely terrifying power and he wasn’t sure he wanted to get used to it.
They shared their normal fist bump.
“Is Chat Noir okay?” Ladybug asked.
Nino hesitated. He had no idea, but he didn’t think he should say that either. “I-I ummm… I think so! We didn’t really have time to talk. He wanted me out here as quickly as possible. Not wanting Ladybug— I mean, you out here all alone!”
That all implied Chat Noir was at least alive, which… Nino couldn’t really even verify that much.
He really wasn’t cut out for all this secret identity nonsense.
“Tell him, I hope he’s okay and to reach out if he needs anything.”
Nino nodded.
“Dudet— I mean, ladies! Have a nice night!” And he ran before he could give away his identity with his choice of nicknames or further put his foot in his mouth.
When he got home and detransformed, Plagg refused to take the ring back.
“What do you mean, you can’t go back?”
“He told me to stay here until he could come collect me.”
“Why can’t he come collect you now?”
“He has his reasons. Now, I need cheese. Camembert.”
“Camembert? That’s umm… kinda expensive.”
“I have a refined palette. Chat Noir can provide all I need. You had better be able to do the same. I’m not above sabotaging your socks if you can’t.”
“Any cheese will do,” Wayzz said.
“It will not!” Plagg objected.
“Plagg just doesn’t like his holders to know he cares about anything other than camembert. It’s a defense mechanism.”
“Hey!” Plagg tackled Wayzz midair. “Don’t go psycho analyzing me! Especially in front of a human!”
“Then stop trying to intimidate my chosen!” Wayzz countered, rolling away from the attack. “You know he’s a good kid.”
Plagg crossed his arms. He was the picture of petulance. But he didn’t argue.
“What’s wrong with Chat Noir?” Wayzz asked.
“He’s sick.”
“Sick?” Nino echoed.
“Yeah, super sick. Can barely stand, couldn’t even get out the words to transform, though he tried. Kid is so stubborn.”
Nino let out a nervous chuckle.
Plagg eyes narrowed. “It’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t laughing at your cat dude! I just… I was scared he was dead or in a coma or something.”
Plagg stared at him flatly.
“And I don’t understand why he would pick me,” Nino continued to ramble.
Plagg had his arms crossed again. “You ever gonna get around to finding me some cheese?”
Nino laughed, patted the little guy on the head. Plagg batted at his hand. “I’ll see what I can scrounge up for you, little dude. If you’re staying more than a day, we can try to go shopping.”
Nino really hoped Chat Noir would show up by morning.
He could not maintain the secrets all the time.
…
Panthere was needed for three more battles over the next three days, and Nino was slowly unraveling.
Not during the battles. The battles were fine. Ladybug was less suspicious of his presence, especially now that he could just say Chat Noir had the flu or whatever. And while he felt really nervous about cataclysm, the role of protecting Ladybug felt natural enough.
It was walking around school where he was a nervous skittish mess.
Alya draped her arm over his, and he jumped ten centimeters off his chair.
“What’s going on with you?” she asked.
“N-nothing! Absolutely nothing! Wh-What’s going on with you?”
She arched her eyebrows. “You didn’t make it to the akuma we were called for.”
“I told you, I just slept through it.”
And thankfully Ladybug hadn’t called on Carapace again since that first fight because he was pretty sure his continued absence would start to be really really obvious.
“It just feels like there’s something you’re not telling me.” She kissed his cheek. “Just want you to know I’m here for you.”
He nodded stupidly.
Chat Noir needed to get better quickly.
It didn’t help that Adrien was out the whole week. Adrien had a way of grounding him when he was vibrating out of his seat.
Alya usually did the same. The only reason she didn’t now was because he was keeping a secret from her. He couldn’t keep a secret from Alya! She sniffed out the truth the way a compass aligned with north.
But Adrien would drop a topic the second he asked. God, he wished Adrien was there.
…
Adrien was feeling better, but he still could barely keep more than a few bites of food down at a time. Nathalie had downgraded his menu all the way to just broth and bread, and even that made his stomach squirm. He was still running a fever after four days, and he could only stay awake for an hour or two at a time before sleep would claim him.
But at least the stomach pain had subsided enough so he could sleep. And sleep was better than not sleeping because without Plagg his room was stiflingly quiet and lonely. Being miserable was always better when Plagg was there to make him laugh or even just make fun of him.
And when he was awake it was too easy to think and worry anxiously over how Ladybug was faring without him. What did she think of his absence.
No longer exiled to sitting by the toilet, he had watched all the coverage of all four of the akumas he had missed. Adrien had some notes, the biggest one being Panthere needed to be way more careful about the size of his cataclysm, he needed to visualize only the bit that he wanted to dissolve. But overall, he thought Nino was doing pretty well, better than he had when he had first started.
But Adrien was starting to feel restless. He missed Plagg and he felt naked without the ring on his hand. He thought he was feeling better enough that he could handle a battle, but Nathalie still didn’t want him to return to school.
He flopped over on his pillow, almost shocked at how close to sleep he already felt.
Maybe Nathalie was right.
Maybe.
…
After six days, Nino was starting to think that maybe Chat Noir had died and he’d have to fill in indefinitely.
Plagg had laughed at him when he admitted his fear.
But the school day was better! Adrien had made it back! He was looking even paler than usual, but his smile was real.
“Mec! You’re here! How are you feeling?”
“So much better than I was.”
“Yeah, Nathalie said you were really sick. She wouldn’t let us see you.”
Adrien froze. “You came to visit?”
“No, that’s what I’m saying. Nathalie wouldn’t let us.”
“Well, I got you something anyway,” Adrien said, pulling a wrapped parcel from his bag.
“For me? Why?” Nino asked, reaching for the present.
Adrien pulled it away. “Could we… could we go somewhere more private?”
They reserved a study room in the library, and only once the door was closed did Adrien give him the present.
He opened it to discover a pair of headphones. The present was puzzling in more than one way. First, it wasn’t something that needed to be all that private, and second the headphones were way too small. They were not going to fit, and surely Adrien knew that.
“They’re for Noel,” Adrien explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know you’ve complained that he steals yours all the time… and they’re wireless, really easy to pair to whatever device. I don’t know if he has a device, but I figured he was listening to something when stealing yours. I probably should have actually gotten you something, but this was the thing I could think of that might make things nicer for you—“
“Mec! What is going on?”
Adrien didn’t usually ramble like this. And he didn’t usually give presents either though maybe that had more to do with his old man, and Adrien was now more allowed to explore himself. But right now he looked so nervous - couldn’t even meet Nino’s eyes. Him! Nino, the guy who always had Adrien’s back.
“I… I just wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?”
“For subbing for me?”
The world spun. Nino could not hear anything as something in his mind broke like a rubber band overstretched until it snapped apart.
“I hope Plagg wasn’t too much of a nuisance.”
Adrien was Chat Noir!
“I would have sent some cheese along, but he was already holding the miraculous and that has always felt so dangerous, I didn’t want—“
Maybe it made a little sense that Chat Noir would pick him.
“Oh my god! You liar!”
Adrien stopped talking. “What?”
“You said you were scared to be a superhero!”
And he had looked so small and hesitant when he said it, Nino hadn’t even thought to question it. Nino knew he was bad at lying. But Adrien, Adrien was apparently really good at it.
Did Nino even know him?
But Adrien smiled. “That part wasn’t a lie. It is terrifying being a superhero! Especially the superhero with the power of destruction!”
“Hey!” Plagg objected. “You’re all prejudice! It’s not any different than any other power.”
Adrien smiled at the kwami. “Hey Plagg. Nino took good care of you?”
“He did adequate,” Plagg shared. Nino was about to open his mouth to defend himself.
“Woah! That’s high praise indeed!”
“You’re Chat Noir,” Nino said.
Adrien grinned. “Yeah, we covered that already.”
“And you’re scared of being a superhero?”
Adrien shrugged. “I have nightmares of a misplaced cataclysm. I’ve actually accidentally cataclysmed real people, and sure one of them was Monarch, but the man is dead now, and I can’t help but think—“
Plagg snorted. “Monarch cataclysmed himself.”
“Plagg.”
“What?! He did! He’s the one that decided that dying was preferable to being caught. And that emo copy of you stepped right into it. He was just being self destructive! Neither one was your fault.”
“But maybe Monarch is dead because of me.”
That was heavy. Nino had no clue what to say. Nothing whatsoever came to mind.
Adrien sighed wistfully, but then he smiled. “It’s really nice to be able to say all this out loud to someone.”
Nino threw his arms around Adrien. “Mec! You’re amazing! Do you know that? Amazing!”
Adrien laughed. “Thank you?”
“I’m serious! Like you were juggling even more than any of us guessed. You’re so reliable and you make decisions when it matters so fast. You obviously are willing to put yourself on the line for everyone. And you’ve save my life I don’t know how many times—“
“As you’ve saved mine!”
“—and apparently you’re an amazing liar!”
“That’s a good thing?”
“I don’t know. Probably depends on how you use it, but like, I’ve never seen you use your powers for anything bad, and I think the lying is included in that. And I’m really glad I can be a person maybe where you don’t have to lie.”
Adrien smiled. “I hope so.”
“But are you insane?! You can’t tell me this! I can’t keep a secret to save my life. Especially not from Alya!”
Adrien laughed. “Well, my other option was Marinette.”
Nino frowned. “Honestly, that would have made more sense. Why didn’t you pick her?”
“Because she didn’t want to be a hero.”
Nino softened. “And you’re such a good boyfriend! And the absolute best friend a guy could ask for. And I’m serious, what the hell are we gonna do?! I can’t be the reason that you get uncovered! I would never be okay with that!”
“Nino, Nino. Calm down. You picked up being Pathere in less than a week! The trick to lying is that you don’t lie.”
“What?”
“You just gotta tell selective truths and leave other stuff out. We can practice.”
And for Adrien, Nino would.
…