Winner: Option C "Try to find out more"

Adrien chewed on the end of his pen in frustration.

Apparently looking up "magic peacock jewelry" on Google image search WASN'T the best way to get information on the peacock miraculous.

He supposed he really should have known better, but as far as resources went the Internet was his only option. It wasn't like there was a museum dedicated to ancient magical artifacts that bestowed super powers onto the holders, a learned expert who gave talks at universities about where superheroes got their powers or a giant archive of every little trinket that may have been used by villains.

There WAS a book on the miraculous.

Adrien knew that.

But of course, he had somehow managed to lose it. Leave it him to stumble across a book on the miraculous stones in his own house only to misplace the darn thing within twenty-four hours.

Good on you Agreste. You're really reliable with records of ancient magic.

His mind flew back to the book he had found in his father's hidden safe. It was filled with illustrations that he had recognized as himself, Ladybug, and even one he assumed to be Hawkmoth (hard to tell when you only saw the guy's face as a mass of swarming black butterflies).

Those illustrations were all he had to go on considering he couldn't read the language to save his life. His knowledge of the Chinese language helped him tell that it was some kind of eastern language, but not one Adrien himself could identify or read. But what little he could glean from the pictures had been interesting, to say the least.

The picture he had found of Volpina in the book had been particularly illuminating. It was there right alongside Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Hawkmoth who were all three miraculous holders. So that meant Volpina was a miraculous holder too right?

Lila hadn't been the real deal, but that didn't mean there wasn't a fox miraculous somewhere out there. For that matter, there was no telling just how many miraculous there were.

He hadn't gotten to check out anything beyond the four figures in the book before it disappeared from his bag.

Despite the fact that it had been months since he had misplaced it, Adrien still made it a point to discreetly scan the bookshelves in the school for the familiar large brown binding. Hoping to one day find it tucked into some corner of a bookcase where some random student or teacher had stuffed it in their hurry to clean up.

Or, he imagined, he might find it at the bottom of the lost and found box one of these days when he volunteered to help Marinette find something she had lost (poor Marinette was always forgetting and losing things).

As of yet, though, he had yet to find the book anywhere.

Adrien had spent the days after the books disappearance in a state of nerves. He expected his father to burst into a rage upon finding the book gone at any moment. And since there were only four consistent residents in the big house it likely wouldn't take long for his father to piece together who did it. Or worse he'd blame the wrong person, and Adrien would have to watch as Nathalie or the Gorilla's career went down the toilet. All because their employer's stupid son had listened to a mischievous miniature cat, and stole from his father's private safe.

But nothing happened.

He never heard his father yell at anyone, he seemed strained sure, but he never drew attention to the break in. A part of Adrien feared that his father knew it was he who had taken it and was just waiting for him to return the book on his own. Something he couldn't do since he had LOST it.

Why did his father even have the book? That was a question Adrien could not find an answer to. He had kept that safe behind his mother's picture an absolute secret. Adrien had lived in the house for years, and he had never even heard a secret safe mentioned.

And his lack of reaction was something he had trouble reconciling. His father wasn't the type of man to keep quiet about his displeasure. Being hard and critical had become his default setting over the years

None of it made any sense.

His father had a book on the miraculous, something he had no way of knowing about. He kept the book in a hidden safe that no one else in the house knew about. And worse when the book had disappeared his father had said nothing about it. Nothing.

There was no explanation for it all. It was so out of character for his father that he had trouble believing any of it was real.

Letting out a deep sigh, Adrien slid down until he lay splayed out over the chair.

And then, of course, there was Paon Royale, who seemed to have popped out of nowhere in an effort to make Adrien's life even more complicated than it already was. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the man. Despite being a mysterious ne'er-do-well whose motivations were unknown, there was something about the other that made him… comfortable?

That probably wasn't the best way to put it but it was the only way he could think of describing it at the moment. It wasn't just that Paon had a funny sense of humor, and a fluid way of speaking. It was something else. Something Adrien couldn't put his finger on.

It was a familiar feeling. Something nostalgic, that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Groaning, he glanced over at Plagg who was sitting on the edge of the desk devouring a piece of Camembert whole.

Frowning Adrien couldn't help but voice his displeasure. "Can't you help me out with this at all?"

The kwami opened one eye to look at him but closed it again as he focused on the cheese again. "Aww, but this is all so boring. So there's some fussy old birdman, so what? None of my business."

"If his miraculous is really real, I'd think it would be your business."

For just a moment, the cat looked put out. But just as quickly he went back to his usual laissez-faire attitude.

He gave a bored yawn and simply said, "Meh, that kind of stuff doesn't really interest me."

Adrien looked at his kwami with displeasure. "When I was given the magic power of destruction I really should have known there'd be a catch. Namely, how unhelpful you are."

"You wound me," Plagg replied with one tiny hand over his chest overdramatically.

Letting out a deep sigh, Adrien focused back on his computer. So far he hadn't found out anything about the peacock miraculous. Though really he had nothing to go on.

He laid his head on the desk and tried to think everything through. The few miraculous he personally knew about all seemed to be based on animals. Volpina had the fox. Hawkmoth had butterflies, Ladybug had, well, Ladybugs , and as for Adrien himself…

He smirked.

Before all this superheroing Adrien had never considered associating himself with black cats. But now he wondered why it had never occurred to him before.

He had always liked cats. Admired them really.

Cats had a way of asserting themselves in a way Adrien could never seem to manage. They didn't even need words. All a cat had to do was send you a look and you somehow knew they were telling you to leave them alone and to mind your own damn business.

It was only as Chat Noir that Adrien could get over his shyness and say exactly what he wanted to say and do the things he could never muster the nerve to do. As soon as he became Chat he felt as though he was a whole new person. Though really it was still him.

From time to time his shyness resurfaced while in costume, but that didn't really happen all that often.

Cautiously, Adrien glanced out the large windows of his bedroom at the setting sun. He bit his lip as he fought the temptation that was slowly growing in his mind.

He had promised Ladybug that he would be careful and avoid approaching or being approached by, Paon Royale. He took his promises to his Lady very seriously. She placed her faith in him and the last thing Adrien wanted was to let her down.

But the past few days had been insufferable.

He had to deal with his Chinese lessons, his piano, his fencing, school, modeling, friends, and Plagg . All the while worrying about the peacock miraculous, the book, and his dad. The stress had gotten to him so badly that he had actually managed to absentmindedly cut himself.

Typically when things got this bad, he would bribe his kwami with an extra box of Camembert and go out for a quick night on the town. It was an irresponsible use of his powers. He knew that better than anyone. But it was the most effective way he could find to deal with the stress.

Out of respect for Ladybug's wishes, he had done his best to remain under the radar by not going out as he usually would have done. Now it was finally the evening when he and his Lady had agreed to meet for their nightly patrol. He was expected to meet with her at the Eiffel Tower in just a few short hours.

Surely his Lady wouldn't fault him if he headed out early and took his time getting to their meeting place. After all, he would just be getting in some extra patrol time. And if there was an akuma attack, he'd be already transformed and ready for action!

That's not what she meant and you know it Agreste . He mentally punished himself for trying to wriggle out of his promise.

Though really, he wasn't breaking his promise in the least.

He had promised Ladybug that he would avoid the stranger, and contact her if he ever approached Chat alone. She had never actually made him promise to not go out as Chat Noir when there wasn't an attack going on.

Finally, the temptation became too much for him.

Standing up he grabbed Plagg and headed for the window. "C'mon Plagg it's time to head out."

"It's three whole hours early!" the kwami complained.

"Well… we might as well get a head start." Adrien sheepishly grinned.

Plagg gave him a knowing look. "Four boxes of Camembert. The good stuff."

Frowning he replied, "Two boxes."

"Three."

Adrien pounced, "DEAL! Claw's out!"

Plagg wasn't stupid.

Being over five-thousand years old, he'd seen kingdoms and empires rise and fall. Dictatorships topple, democracies sprout, and more than his fair share of day to day drama. No one existed for as long as he had without picking up a few things along the way.

One of those things was knowing not to show your cards in the middle of the game. Not even to your partner. If you wanted to have any hope of winning the game you had to know when to lay your cards on the table. Whether you won the pot or had to fold was based solely on how well you played the game.

But for those who couldn't pick up on metaphors, Plagg would simply have said that you should never share all you know until it was necessary. Which was the case here.

The fact that Paon Royale was the real deal had become obvious the moment the bird man had approached Adrien. Quinn's power had been dripping from the other man like melted cheese. Plagg had gotten plenty of time to pick up on it and determine that the miraculous was real. But since his charge didn't seem to doubt the authenticity of the miraculous, Plagg didn't see why he should bother mentioning the fact.

Besides, the man hadn't attempted to harm Adrien in any way, and so long as he kept his mitts off the kid Plagg saw no reason to take action. Really, the sudden appearance of the peacock was almost funny. He could already imagine how Tikki must be freaking out about the whole thing. Especially since she wasn't on the spot like he had been.

Since both Adrien and Paon Royale had been transformed at the time and had taken their own sweet time talking to one another Plagg had zero doubts that the older man was using Quinn's power. But where exactly he had gotten that power, he couldn't say.

He doubted that the old man had been given his miraculous since the peacock had been lost some time ago. And it was unlikely the guardian had gotten his hands on it again in the year he had been with Adrien.

Paon Royale COULD have stolen it, but somehow Plagg thought that that was kind of jumping the ship. There certainly wasn't any evidence or indication that he had stolen it. Or at least he hoped he hadn't.

The kwami was hopeful that the miraculous had merely been stumbled upon in some old trash heap somewhere or picked up as a trinket at some local street market. The alternative carried with it implications that would make Plagg's job a lot harder.

It was at this time that Adrien had apparently decided it would be a lot of fun to try and make a particularly risky jump. The kwami surged his power out to ensure his cocksure charge didn't snap both his legs on impact.

Honestly, I can't let my guard down even for a second. Plagg thought ruefully.

Being unable to communicate while transformed was easily one of the most frustrating things about doing his job. Especially since his current charge was a little too into his role as a superhero.

He'd been irritated when, just after releasing him from the miraculous, Adrien hadn't let him finish his admittedly boring explanation and transformed immediately. Charging into the action like a cat who'd been in a crate for way too long (a description that Plagg later found to be extremely apt).

A lot of first time Chat Noir's had screwed up and screwed up big time. But as far as Plagg could remember none of them had wasted the almighty power of destruction on a soccer net and then proceeded to nearly get themselves crushed by a giant rock man.

If Ladybug hadn't intervened when she did, Adrien would have been the Chat Noir who was active for the shortest amount of time. But thankfully, where his chosen failed, Tikki's could usually pick up the slack. So the kid didn't get popped like a grape on his first day.

After their first job together, Plagg learned more about his newest charge. Wasn't like there was much else to do at the time.

And honestly? Adrien had confused him.

Plagg had had his miraculous handled by young gung-ho kids before, and they had all been of a standard type. Usually, they were curious, ready to see the world from a new angle, and all set to go out and do some good in the world. But they were also tricksters and more often than not, troublemakers.

His charges had a habit of being people the world had stepped on, spit at, and left at the side of the road in a ditch somewhere to rot. They often led unhappy lives, and the kwami made it a point to try and use his powers to show them the world wasn't so bad and maybe even help them gain some real happiness along the way.

Greater good be damned, Plagg had his kittens to look after.

At first, Adrien had seemed like an exception. Whereas many former Chat Noir's had had lower-class lifestyles that formed their characters, Adrien was the son of a wealthy man. Hardly someone who suffered the intensity of poverty.

And it wasn't like he had any skills that were ignored, or that he lacked any kind of opportunity. Hell, the kid could speak at least two languages, play some stellar piano, and his athletic skills were surprisingly fierce for a young skinny kid.

Adrien was also an exceptionally good looking boy. The ladies had a habit of noticing him and not taking their eyes off him.

He also didn't have to deal with the responsibility of school or be left exposed to the elements. Adrien had anything he could ever need or want at his fingertips, and all he had to do was reach out and take it.

Plagg had known so many Chat Noir's who would have killed (most figuratively, some literally) for that kind of life. And it became quickly apparent that Adrien would have happily given it up to them.

All the kwami could think as the boy snuck out of his house, to go to school of all places, was just how strange this whole setup was. He couldn't help but think that the guardian had somehow made some kind of mistake.

Adrien wasn't a bad Chat Noir by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he had adapted to the role alarmingly quickly. But he was so unlike any other charges that Plagg had looked after that the kwami had begun to think that maybe, just maybe, there had been a mistake.

That maybe he was actually meant to go to some cleaning boy who worked in the Agreste mansion. A boy who was a lot more like his other Chat Noir's and who caused trouble in his spare time. And that through sheer chance, the rich bosses son had stumbled across it on accident. Really, though, that didn't seem likely.

From the outset, the boy's life just seemed so perfect that Plagg couldn't see why such a person would need him at all.

But he'd been proven wrong.

His newest charge didn't need to prove himself or be convinced that the world wasn't an awful place. Nor did he require the power to escape poverty or to right some great personal injustice.

Adrien needed Plagg because he was trapped.

The boy was smart, skilled, good-looking, and lived a life of luxury. But he had no agency of his own, rarely was allowed to make his own decisions, was so shy he couldn't stand up for himself, and was soul-crushingly lonely. So lonely that he had run away to school just to finally interact with children his own age.

Kids Adrien's age should be avoiding school at all cost. Setting out, causing trouble, making friends, and learning about life. Not sitting cooped up in some oversized birdcage while their parents decided their life for them.

At his age, the kid should have been off making stupid mistakes and learning from them. Gaining a backbone as he faced down adversity. And meeting people who would have his back for life.

But that wasn't the case.

Adrien's life was defined by order and control. There was no expression or freedom to be found there.

It was sad. Because Adrien was a good kid. A really good kid. One of the best Plagg had ever seen.

He handled the role that had been thrust upon him exceptionally well and dealt with an amount of pressure that had crushed plenty of adults before him. Really the boy was exceptional.

And that was why they were currently transformed, a whole three hours before the proper meeting time, hopping along the roofs of Paris like they were on a playful jog.

It wasn't what his powers were meant to be used for, Plagg knew that better than anyone. But as far as the cat kwami was concerned Adrien had earned the right to exploit his powers just a little bit. Previous miraculous holders, some of the best even, had exploited their powers in ways that were much more damaging than a quick joy ride around Paris.

Besides that, a bit of fresh air was good for the boy. His life at home was so constrained that anything that reminded him he had any kind of agency of his own was uplifting.

And Plagg got PLENTY of cheese out of the deal so it was win-win.

Before he knew it two hours had already ticked by, and Adrien was finally moving his leather clad butt to the Eiffel Tower to meet up with Ladybug.

About time , Plagg thought. The sooner they get this little patrol over with the sooner I can get my hands on those three wonderful boxes of Camembert~ Hmmm

Unfortunately, Plagg's cheese filled fantasies were cut short when he sensed a strong source of energy. Very strong, very near, and very familiar.

"Ah," a familiar voice. "How pleasant to see you again, Chat Noir."

The kwami groaned.

It was going to be a loooong night.

Next weeks chapter is finally gonna resolve some things, so I want the content to be a surprise.

So we're gonna try a different kind of question this week! I wanna make this fic as enjoyable as possible for all of my readers. So I'd like to know what you'd like to see more of in the future.

VOTING FOR THIS CHAPTER IS NOW OVER

((It's late but chapter 8 is finally out!

Now we're definitely gonna see a bit more action and maybe even a bit of drama next week. But I just wanted to use this opportunity to see what you all would like to see a lot more of in the future of this fic. This will have no right or wrong answer, I simply want to see a general idea of preferences when it comes overall tone))