Yo! I'm back again to do my second monthly challenge, but this time it's gonna be a connected story. I'm not really a Ladrien fan, but the prompts are quite nice. So here ya go!

It was a boring albeit normal day for Adrien Agreste.

He was the last student to leave the school grounds, thanks to M. D'Argencourt's strict regimen in perfecting his fencing stance. And with his usual lengthy shower, it wasn't a surprise that his teammates left him alone in that eerie, deserted locker room. It was quarter to six, and while eyeing the orange sunset reflected from the windows, he texted his driver not to fetch him anymore since he will be crashing at Nino's place. His father was currently in Italy for a fashion show together with Nathalie, so no adult will be around that can reprimand him for staying out late.

As if there was even an adult who cares for him anyway.

Securing the laces of his sneakers, he slipped his duffel bag on his shoulder and left the premise with a happy whistle. He was barely out of the door when a loud crashing noise caught his attention.

A few years ago, strange creatures called Akuma showed up and inflicted terror in Paris. There was no concrete evidence as to why these creatures even exist, but according to some sources, a powerful entity called Papillion created them as his 'Champions' with a mission to exterminate the Order of Miraculous.

Miraculous is a term used for magical soldiers that are nurtured and trained by the French government to protect and save the people from Akumas' threats. Some believed that the Miraculous wielders were being forced to enlist in the magical army, while others were taken away from their families in exchange of hush money.

And right now, Adrien was witnessing a battle between an Akuma and a Miraculous wielder.

All of his teachers, as well as the principal, taught them not to interfere with Miraculous' affairs, especially if they were in a middle of an Akuma fight. Some obeyed, while those who were stupid enough to ignore the rules ended up as role models of those who strived and survived to see the daylight.

The last thing that Adrien wanted to achieve that day was being buried six feet below the ground.

Unfortunately, the luck was not on his side.

The golem-like Akuma sensed his presence when he attempted to flee from the scene. His danger sense rose when the ground reverberated, followed by a loud thumping sound as the rock giant was running towards his way.

He yelped when a large hand grasped his leg and pulled him up in the air with scrutiny. He didn't surrender to his captivity without a struggle though; Using his duffle bag, he slammed it directly into the creature's face, and the painful shriek he heard from his captor was like a music to his ears.

His victory was short lived.

The raging Akuma tossed him blindly to the debris, and that dawning realization had him braced for the worst. The blond squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that his body will survive from the collision.

The collision never came.

A strong thread suddenly wrapped around his torso, yanking him away from his demise and the momentum jolted him when he crashed to a warm body. The impact wasn't painful, but the soft cushion he felt was enough to convince himself that was safe and alive.

Adrien couldn't wait to brag his near-death experiences to Alya.

The blond slowly opened his eyes and met the most gorgeous yet familiar bluebell hues he had ever seen in his entire life, covered in a spotted red mask.

"Tikki, do you copy? There's a fucking civilian here! A motherfucking civilian! I thought the coast was cleared?!"

He didn't expect that his bluebell-eyed savior could swear like a sailor.

The was a buzzing white noise coming from her earpiece, which was barely covered by her midnight hair. She introduced herself as Ladybug, an obvious name based on her outfit, and when she asked him if he was alright, he couldn't help but gave a brisk nod.

"I'm going to bring you to a safer place, and I want you to run as fast as you can – "

"Look out!" he screamed when an Akuma hovered above their figure with a clenched fist.

Adrien barely registered when Ladybug forced him to duck as she propelled her yo-yo in front of them, making a large force field to deflect the blow. The ground trembled as the Akuma punched the shield repeatedly, just in time with the thumps made by his anxious heart. The heroine, however, has a smirk marred on her pink lips.

"Tikki, set the launcher at eight o'clock from the east gate. Tell me if you're ready," she muttered airily "Trois... Deux... Un... Zéro!"

Seconds later, they were airborne as a missile exploded from the Akuma's back. They bounced when Ladybug landed briefly on a post but safe enough from the flying rocks then floated again as they began their retreat.

"Woohoo!" Adrien hollered in triumph "That was awesome!"

Ladybug has a different sentiment.

"Negative, Tikki," the heroine whispered as the white noise echoed in her ear again "Stoneheart absorbed the impact, but it only doubled his size. We can't attack him."

She paused for a bit then eyed the blond civilian impassively as they reached the vacant park "No casualties, Tikki. He's safe."

This was the first time Adrien laid his eyes on the infamous superhero. He first heard her existence a year ago from one of his best friends who happened to cover her first mission, and saw her pictures from the candid shots his friend posted on her fan blog. He considered himself as a fan, but that was due to Alya's influence.

Now he felt something else.

The blond remained still as Ladybug made a few steps away to talk to her communicator in private. The dusk accentuated her figure covered by her spandex uniform, and dimming light revealed the blue highlights on her pig-tailed hair. She was obviously a half-French based on the shape and color of her eyes, and with her neutral accent, it was likely that she was born Parisian.

Adrien knew her, not as a Miraculous soldier but as an aspiring designer who lived in a famous bakery across Collège Françoise Dupont.

"Marinette?"