Author's Note: Drabble? What's a drabble? I can't drabble. At all. Do I hear anyone complaining?

Day 7: Loved Ones "Curfew"

Emma Agreste was only fourteen but she knew that her life would never be the same. Things tend to be that way when you just watched a live feed of what started as a coverage of simple diplomatic visit of representatives of another country and ended up in imprisoning the Mayor of Paris and half of her clerks together with all the journalists invited to cover the visit.

As it happened the extremists from the Revolution for the New Millennium with just one effective attack had managed to seize both of Emma's aunts - Chloe Bourgeois-Kutzberg, the current Mayor, and Alya Lahiffe, the reporter conducting an exclusive interview at the moment of the attack.

Unsurprisingly, from that moment on things had gotten worse. Surprisingly they had gotten miraculously worse, because a few days later, when government forces were preparing a counterattack they were crushed by two familiar yet very strange figures of Vixen and Queen Bee. Whatever brainwashing the Revolution masterminds practiced, it seemed to be effective, super-hero effective even.

But life had more surprises for Emma Agreste, because on the evening of Vixen and Queen Bee's alleged betrayal she found a small, octagonal, black box with red patterns on the cover, lying on her desk on her desk.

Why did their mansion have so many rooms and corridors? The trip to Hugo's room seemed to be taking ages when you had a box containing a simple brooch inhabited by a lavender bug. Could it distort time? Emma arrived at the door to her oldest brother's room red in the face and panting.

She was about to knock when she heard what sounded very much like a fight. She could be wrong of course, but she thought she heard the rattle of something metallic hitting something bony.

Hugo and Louis were often fighting, sometimes even on purpose, as each of them mastered an art of their own choice. But that was mostly hand combat. They certainly never used any weapons save Dad's fencing gear.

Emma decided to enter without permission when she heard an even louder clank accompanied by two 'Owww!'s of her brothers.

Her first instinct was to close the door immediately with a cry of 'Sorry, wrong room!'. In a mansion this big it's bound to happen sometimes.

But it was the right room. Hugo's room. Filled with books and strange artifacts that he loved to collect.

And in the middle of the room there were two strangers in purely bizarre attire, rubbing various parts of their bodies that probably got hit during the clank incident. Emma could only see their backs at the moment but she took a good look considering her next move.

The taller of the strangers was about Hugo's height. He was wearing a dark green skin-tight suit, covered by a leather sleeveless jacket reaching his tights, with a darker belt around his waist. A hood attached to the jacket was covering his head. There was also a shield at his feet, shaped as a turtle shell.

The other man was a bit shorter but he definitely drew her eye. Dressed in blue suit of impeccable cut with iridescent embroidery around the sleeves, he was the most colorful person Emma had seen in the entirety of her fourteen years of life. There was something on his back that looked very much like a folded cape, peacock eyes peeking at her from the folds of the lower hem. It had a very feathery vibe. There was a clank similar to the one that brought Emma to this room, when the blue man kicked a metallic fan, that looked dangerously sharp around the edges.

'Those things are lethal, Lou!' the taller man complained reproachfully. 'You could have cut me!'

'That's the point, bro. They are a weapon after all,' the blue man flashed him a toothy grin and then picked up the fans to inspect them closer.

Emma finally gathered her courage and cleared her throat.

'Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my brother's room?!'

The intruders turned around and she found herself staring at two set of familiar eyes hidden behind a green hood and a blue peacock mask.

'Nice suit, sis,' Louis held out a fist for her to bump.

'Thanks,' Emma replied looking herself up and down in the mirror. That was… not what she had expected when the lavender bug, who now she knew was called Nooroo, explained the transformation to her. Purple leggings and a shade darker ankle-high boots, lavender tunic wrapped tightly around her body and a silver mask.

'You look cute, Emma,' Hugo added from the other side of his room where he was frantically looking for some books he thought could help them. 'I like the wings!'

Ah, the wings.

If she could tell her four-year-old self, that in a decade she'll become an incarnation of Barbie Mariposa, baby Emma would have died in ecstasy clutching her favorite doll to her chest.

'Now that we are super-cool super-heroes we need a name,' Louis said whirling around in front of the mirror and observing how his feather cape caught the wind.

'Like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from grandpa Tom's comics?' Emma asked weakly. She was new to this super-hero stuff. It was Louis's and Dad's area of expertise.

'Not quite,' Louis frowned. 'There's only one turtle here. Although he seems to know all there is to know about the Miraculous. Which if you'd ask me is a bit suspicious, even if extremely convenient.'

'I already told you,' Hugo looked at him, trying to sound patient, even though Louis was getting on his nerves. 'Uncle Fu always had a story for anyone who would listen. I listened. You did not.'

'And that's why you get to be the new Guardian?' the blue hero's frown deepened. 'Because you listened to some fairy tales?'

'Guys, stop,' Emma could see this fight was brewing for some time. She tried to remember what her brother's kwami told her when Hugo and Louis dropped their transformations in front of her. 'You heard Wayzz. Hugo got to be the next Guardian not because he listened. But he listened because he was to become the next Guardian.' That actually had more sense when the green kwami explained that to them. Emma was just satisfied with the bottom line of "Your abilities had guided you through life so far. You got what you needed to become the wielder of your miraculous."

'Yeah, whatever,' Louis waved his hand dismissively. 'The names?'

'Why don't you think of something. You know all about this super-hero stuff,' Hugo could recognize an expert when he saw one.

'Well, I may have an idea,' his blue brother admitted with a cunning smile.

Three teenage heroes stood in the middle of the room.

'This is stupid, Lou,' Hugo was barely holding his exasperation at his brother's antics in check.

'Come on, it'll be fun,' Emma was vibrating with excitement. Louis had some very interesting insights to all this super-hero business, even if she had the absolute best role model in the super person of Ladybug available thanks to living in Paris all of her short life.

'You know Ladybug and Chat Noir have their own customary fist-bump,' Louis teased. 'We can have one too,' he sing-sung in his annoying falsetto voice.

'Okay, fine, let's have our customary greeting,' Hugo gave up, mainly because of his little sister's enthusiasm.

'You start, Hugo, then me, then Emma. It sounds better this way,' Louis instructed and placed his hand in the air in between them.

The other two teenagers extended their hands and rested them on top of Louis's, palms down.

'Shell!'

'Feather!'

'Wing!'

'So… do you think we get to know them?' Wing wondered, beaming with hope and excitement.

'Who?' Feather asked absentmindedly inspecting the edge of the roof they were on.

'Ladybug and Chat Noir,' the girl explained. 'That is if they haven't gone bad like Vixen and Bee.' She wrinkled her nose. 'I don't want to meet them if they did.'

'If they did, you're gonna have to meet them,' Shell said. 'That's kind of the whole point of us receiving the Miraculous.'

'Ladybug and Chat Noir are way too cool to go bad,' Feather was now experimentally folding and unfolding his cape wondering how it will glitter in the sun.

'You know,' he turned to his siblings with a Cheshire Cat grin. 'This is going to be my absolute best thing. Have you even thought about our possibilities now?'

'What do you mean?' Wing asked carefully. She didn't like the mischief in his eyes.

'Everything,' the blue hero said simply. 'Look at me – the ladies are gonna go wild!'

He casted another glance at his shadow and flexed his muscles.

'Well, not all of us are interested in ladies,' Hugo muttered under his breath.

'Oh, Shell, Shell,' Feather strode lightly towards his brother and put a hand over his shoulder. 'I'm sure you'll get your share of fanboys,' he added with a wink.

'Thanks,' the turtle hero shook his hand off. 'But that's actually not what I meant. We have a job to do, you know.'

'Of course, how could I forget! But there's nothing wrong with having some fun once we're at it, huh?' He nudged Shell in the ribs.

'Just think about it!' he started pacing around the roof again. 'Super powers! And… no control!'

'No control?!' Now Wing raised her head in surprise.

'No curfew!' Feather added wiggling his brows.

'Not so fast, young heroes,' Chat Noir appeared next to a chimney.

'There are still rules and control,' Ladybug joined him putting an elbow on his shoulder.

'And curfew,' Chat finished.

Shell almost exploded. He emitted a high pitched sound and in just one leap was at their side.

'Ladybug. Chat Noir. It is an honor to meet you.' He put a hand on his chest. 'I'm Shell, the new Guardian. And these are my associates…' he gestured to his siblings.

'Wing,' the butterfly heroine gave them an anxious wave.

'Feather,' the blue hero stepped closer and bowed. 'Now what did you say about curfew?'

'Curfew still takes effect for all underage people.' Chat explained.

'Not cool,' Feather muttered. 'That means Hugo has a pass. But hey, you're not our parents. You cannot tell us what to do!'

Ladybug smiled warmly at him. 'You are heroes now. You do what is right and not what is wrong.'

Feather snorted.

'Besides, I'm sure your parents wouldn't appreciate you abusing the powers you have been bestowed with.' Chat continued rather pompously. He put a clawed hand on Shell's shoulder, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'

Shell shuddered with excitation, 'That was soooo cool!'

Feather snorted again in disgust. 'So cool? That was sooooo lame! He talks like Dad.'

'Um…' Chat Noir tried to backpedal really quickly under the scrutinous gaze of Ladybug. It didn't go unnoticed by Wing.

'So you are a dad?' she asked.

'Of course he is,' Shell interrupted. 'He must be – what? – our parents' age. He appeared when Mom and Dad were in collège and he was a teen then.'

Feather shook his head in disbelief. 'Again. How do you know all this stuff?'

'Look,' Ladybug said, before the two teens could engage in another fight. 'We need to talk. But it would be better if it wasn't in an open place like that,' she gestured to the broad rooftop. 'We're like sitting ducks up here, should Queenie go for aerial patrol tonight.

'Right, right,' the Guardian felt he should be taking the lead in this, but he couldn't help feeling a little (okay, a lot) intimidated in presence of the two most famous super-heroes of his time. 'We have to go somewhere where there are no prying eyes.'

'Or ears,' Chat interjected with a smug smile earning and eye-roll from Ladybug and Feather.

'Do you have a place like that?' Shell asked the heroine and she quickly exchanged glances with her partner before nodding in acknowledgement.

'Yup. Let's go.'

'Why did you make us sneak to Agreste mansion?' Shell asked confused, when they got out of a secret tunnel that led directly to their own house's pantry.

'Because you live here and it's past curfew,' Ladybug said simply.

'So you know who we are,' Wing hung her head in disappointment. It was nice to be a mysterious heroine, not a teenager. Although she had to admit Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't patronizing at all, despite being much older and more experienced.

'We know,' Chat admitted putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.

'Do we get to know, who you are, now that we're heroes too?' Feather asked, dare flaring in his masked eyes.

Ladybug casted another glance at Chat Noir, giving them all an impression that this had been a topic of earlier discussion. 'It is a bit risky. We still don't know what happened to Vixen and Bee. We don't even know if they still have their miraculous or if it was really them attacking the troops.'

'They would never do this to us,' her partner countered.

'I haven't been able to get ahold of either of them - gone bad or not.' The heroine gnawed nervously at her lower lip.

Chat released Wing's shoulder and came to rub Ladybug's arms. 'There's nothing we can do about it right now. But these guys could help us save them. Come on, Lovebug. Let's do this!' he said with a wink.

Feather whipped his head to look at the feline hero. That was their Dad's nickname for their mother. 'Hey-'

'A-choo!' Chat sneezed loudly. 'Aaaaa-CHOOOOO!' he bent in half with the next one.

Ladybug quickly sent him to the far corner of the room, still sneezing and then returned to the trio.

'Feather, is it?' Ladybug asked gently. 'Could you drop your transformation, honey?'

'W-wwhy, Miss?' the blue hero asked uncertain.

'There are too many feathers in a confined space and Chat is allergic,' she explained and another bell rang in Feather's head.

'Why don't we all drop our transformations and let the kwami have some rest,' Shell suggested and soon all three of them were seated on the couch in the leisure room, their kwami nibbling on a plate of food the Guardian had prepared in advance.

Ladybug sat in their mother's favorite armchair like she owned it. Chat leaned on the armrest invading her personal space, but unlike in public she seemed to be more than okay with that. She was casually scratching his back between the shoulder-blades to his very clear enjoyment.

Louis was watching them like he was a hawk, not a peacock wielder, while they whispered between themselves.

'Can you think of anyone better to know?' Chat nodded in their direction. 'We can trust them.'

'We do,' Ladybug finally admitted. 'With our lives.'

Chat smiled fondly at her and stood up. 'Get ready kids.'

'I can't believe it!' Emma hyperventilated. 'All this time! All this time! You were superheroes all this time!'

'I remember you!' Hugo was looking at a delighted Tikki. 'I thought you were my plushie! You cuddled with me when I slept!'

'You were an adorable kitten,' Plagg interrupted, greedy for some attention.

'Oh, you're Mister Cat!' Hugo exclaimed in recognition.

'Not my favorite nickname, mind you,' Mister Cat grumbled but let the boy scratch him behind the ears.

'And don't even think about being outside after curfew! Me and your mother mastered the art of sneaking out years ago. There's nothing you can do to get past us. Besides, it is dangerous out there.'

Louis stood by the window getting a lecture from his father, while Emma and Marinette watched them with amusement. Hugo joined them, a swarm of happy kwami hovering over his head.

'But Daaaad,' the younger boy whined. 'I have a miraculous. I'm the danger out there now!'

'Louis,' Adrien growled, 'Let me get this straight. If I catch you sneaking out past curfew on anything other than super-hero business, I will personally cataclysm into nothingness all of that god-awful collection of music you like to torture us with.'

Plagg flew to Louis's face. 'And I will gladly help, even without a customary tribute of cheese. Your music sounds like a goat that suffocated on a goose and now is trying to sneeze it out,' he said reproachfully. 'I barely can get some sleep these days, when you turn that on.'

Louis casted his father a sly grin and winked at Emma. 'Is that a challenge?'

His sister stepped to his side.

'If you catch us, you say?' Emma returned Louis's wink. 'Well,' she said with a mischievous smirk, 'you can try. Nooroo, wings up!'

And before Adrien even could blink Wing caught Louis's hand and teleported them out of the room.

Marinette giggled at her husband gasp. 'This is going to be interesting,' she said kissing him lightly on the cheek, before summoning her own transformation and running to the hall.

'Last one in suit is on washing duty for the whole week!' she called from the door.

AN: This story is something totally different from what I had in mind when I sat down to write it. But I just went with the flow and who knows, maybe I will continue it at some point with a next-gen fic?

A gigantic THANK YOU to Remasa, who was with me this whole week patiently pointing typos and plot holes.

And a HUGE thanks to all of you who were here for the whole week reading and commenting. I hope you had fun!

Don't forget to let me know what you think about this story. I really appreciate your feedback.

You already know you can find me on tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog), so drop by! I may have drawn a sketch of the siblings in their super-hero outfits…

Now a little announcement: I'm going on hiatus for the next 2-3 weeks, mostly because I'm going to be travelling with little to no internet access (starting today). But hopefully when I get back there are going to be updates on "Tikki, claws out!", "Tomorrow's Hopes" and "Dreamcatcher" - my current WIPs.

So see you in 3 weeks!