My inner Kermit won again…I decided to post my mafia au story. This is mostly a test to see how well it works out. If this gets a lot of support I'll continue it regularly. If not then updates will be delayed. For those wondering, I still plan to continue Cat's Eye one day, I promise.

Chapter 1

There is nothing quite like the feeling of hopelessness.

Truly, it is an…interesting feeling, indeed. How you feel that you're going nowhere in life, destined to be surrounded by cute and sugary pastries while everyone else around you is achieving their dreams.

There was definitely nothing like it.

As Marinette stood at the bakery counter, absentmindedly stirring a spoon in her tea, she found her mind wandering to thoughts of hopelessness. It wasn't her fault, when everyone around her was achieving what they desired most in life while she was stuck working at her parents' bakery.

Alya became a journalist at the most famous and prestigious newspaper in all of Paris. Nino was a popular DJ who got several requests a week to work in various clubs around the city. Rose and Juleka were happily married and running a cute flower shop down on Rue Pierre. Ivan and Mylene were married as well and running a rescue clinic for animals on the other side of the city.

Kim and Alix opened up one of the best gyms in Paris. If anyone wanted to work out, play any sport, and needed any type of equipment, then Briseur Foncé was just the place for you. While they were not married, there were rumors of them being romantically involved. But no one dared to bring up such rumors to them in person. While they were nice and awesome people, they could still deliver a fearsome punch.

Max moved to America several years ago to better pursue his dream as a game developer. She was aware that he just released a new game around five months ago, but hasn't heard anything since.

Nathanael worked as an animator at a popular animation studio. He was behind the artwork of the current most popular children's television show in the country, The Illustrator. It was about a superhero who was able to draw anything and have it magically come to life to save the day. It motivated many children to get interested in art, and for that Nathanael became a symbol of inspiration and hope.

Chloe was still as snobby as ever, and as far as Marinette knew, Sabrina was still her unofficial indentured servant. She tried to not pay much attention, but it was kind of hard to ignore her childhood bully when her face was printed in every single tabloid in Paris due to her relationship with Jean LeBeau, the most eligible bachelor (aka the richest man) in the whole country. Like her, he was born into wealth, and as far as Marinette knew he was just as haughty as his girlfriend.

There were rumors that Chloe desperately tried to get together with Adrien Agreste, famous model and heir to the Agreste fashion company. It was a proven fact that they were childhood friends, but the rest is fuzzy from there. The story was that Chloe had always been attracted to him, yet he spurned her affections every chance he could get. He was apparently only interested in friendship, so she finally gave up on him and moved on.

Well, maybe Chloe wasn't living her greatest dream, but at least she was somewhat successful with her life. She would probably get married to Jean LeBeau and live happily ever after with her piles of money and a big, fat mansion to boot. Sabrina would most likely be taken in as a maid, and she would most likely be perfectly okay with that.

Which left Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl with big dreams for fashion design, the only failure of her class. True, she could make a decent living working at the bakery, but she wanted more.

A dejected sigh escaped past her lips. It must be nice to obtain some type of goal in life.

"Hey, I need some service over here!"

Startled, Marinette's head snapped up to meet the amused gaze of her best friend. Nino stood beside her, wearing a cheeky grin as his eyes sparkled with humor and friendliness.

"Hey, girl," Alya greeted with a giggle. "Your head stuck in the clouds again?"

She plastered a smile to her face, finally dropping the spoon in the tea. It was as stirred as it was ever going to get.

"I guess you could say that," she replied easily. Her sky blue eyes shifted over to look at her friend's companion. "Hey, Nino."

"Dudette," he acknowledged with a wink and a single finger gun, making her momentarily pause. Since when did he use finger guns? "How's it hanging?"

She shook it off. It was a common enough, silly hand gesture. "It's alright. What club are you entertaining this week?"

He immediately perked up at that in pride, prompting Alya to lovingly roll her eyes.

"Délire, only the hottest club in Paris," he bragged, blowing on his knuckles to mime polishing them on his shirt. "It's going to be lit!"

Well, with Nino DJ'ing, it probably was.

"And I got an interview scheduled with Jagged Stone," Alya chimed, a triumphant smile spreading her lips. "He's the first celebrity I'm interviewing!"

"Awesome!" Marinette cheered, honestly happy with her friends' accomplishments. She may have been jealous a little, but her friendship and happiness for them far outweighed any negative emotion.

"But enough about us," Alya suddenly spoke, this time her face lit up with eagerness. "Did you hear back from Agreste, yet?"

She shook her head, her smile from before quickly dropping.

"No, and I don't think I will, either."

She emailed the company last week, but still didn't receive any sort of reply back. It was fairly obvious that a job there just wasn't meant to be.

"If I can just get an interview," she breathed, her eyes already seeing the wondrous opportunities in store working for such an illustrious brand, "I'm sure they'll have something for me!"

Although, she could be just deluding herself. Her designs weren't that impressive, after all. Not one fashion label seemed to think so, anyway.

"I know they would," Alya strongly agreed, her mood instantly turning sour upon hearing the state of her friend's dream. "Don't give up, girl. Your designs are amazing, only a blind person would think otherwise!"

"Wait, you want to work at Agreste?" Nino questioned curiously, making the girls stop what they were thinking to look at him.

"Um, yeah?" Marinette answered, not understanding why he asked the question so…weirdly. It wasn't asked in the normal way, like casually. No, it sounded like he had…an idea or something formulating in his mind.

Gradually, a smirk curled the edges of lips up. Marinette and Alya sent each other confused glances at the sight.

"I can get you an interview at Agreste," he declared boldly (and maybe just the tiniest bit smugly), causing their eyes to widen.

"How?" Marinette asked in disbelief. Nino was a popular DJ, but not a full-blown celebrity to possibly know Gabriel Agreste.

"Yeah, how?" Alya echoed.

"I know a guy," he replied cryptically before reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out his cell phone.

…

"For the last time," he hissed, his teeth bared in an angry snarl, "who are your accomplices?"

The man gazed defiantly into his eyes. Although both eyes were almost swollen shut, his bottom lip cut and bleeding, his nose broken and bleeding as well, the man still refused to give up any information. He was stubborn and not an easy talker, which was liked by his father, but it didn't come in handy when they were on opposing sides.

"Fuck you," he spat, a glob of blood narrowly missing the blond.

He opened his mouth, ready to fire off another threat, when he felt the right side of his butt vibrate. He paused, drawing back to dig his cell phone out of his pocket, momentarily ignoring the traitor who looked puzzled by the distraction.

For the first time during the interrogation, a smile graced the young man's face.

"Take over for me, will you? I have to take this," he ordered the lower-ranking man standing off to the side of the dimly-lit basement.

The crony nodded with a wicked grin as he stalked closer to the man tied up in the chair, who now looked nervous with the realization that he wasn't going to be let off scot-free just because his interrogator had to take a phone call.

Once he was out of the room, he tapped on the screen to answer the call.

"Hey, Nino. What's up?" he answered, his lively tone betraying nothing of his prior activities.

"Hey, dude! Listen, I hate to ask you this, but I need a favor."

"Sure, what is it?" he asked curiously.

Being homeschooled his whole life, Adrien was never able to make any friends aside from Chloe, and casual acquaintances with other models. Due to his prestigious last name (and his family's secret), he was incredibly sheltered as a child and teenager. It was only two months ago that he was able to slip away undetected from his bodyguard to freely roam the city.

He would be okay. He had his 9mm pistol safely tucked away in his jacket. If anyone were to try anything, he would be able to get out unharmed.

Along his way he came across an arcade. He had always wanted to go to one, but his father never let him since he was so afraid of the possible danger of being in public.

So, seeing the opportunity, he made his way inside.

It was there that he met Nino Lahiffe, who was perhaps the only person that didn't care about his last name and treated him like any other guy. Well, a friendship sparked between them, and they ended up spending another hour at the arcade, then going to the movies.

He told him that he was a DJ for various clubs around Paris. He invited him to go to the one he would be working at the next day, but he had to decline the offer. If word got out that the Adrien Agreste went to a place as sinful and scandalous as a nightclub, he would never hear the end of it from his father.

But that didn't stop the two from hanging out together. His father at first protested the friendship, claiming that Nino was only after his money. But after a while of no favors being asked, Gabriel began to trust his new best friend.

Adrien knew that Nino wasn't manipulative or conniving, nor was he selfish. So he knew that this favor had to be pretty important.

"My friend has been trying to get an interview at Agreste, but so far she hasn't gotten a response. Could you maybe pull a few strings for me? She's an awesome designer, dude, I swear that she will bring great things to the company."

That was it? All he wanted was an interview for his friend?

Hmm…

He could do it. It might take a little convincing to get his father to agree, but it could be done. His persuasion skills were some of the best, as he's been told.

"Sure, I can get her an interview," he replied just as brightly as ever. "What's her name?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Nino answered slowly so he couldn't mishear.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he repeated, nodding in affirmation as the name imprinted itself in his mind. "Got it. Tell her she can come in tomorrow at one for the interview. Do you need anything else?"

"Nope, that would do it," Nino said, his serious tone switching to a relieved one. "Thanks, man, I owe you big time."

"No problem. I better get going now, there's something I have to finish." Just because he answered a phone call, didn't mean he was done with the bastard. Not at all. He just gave the man a break.

He cracked a grin at the unintended pun.

"Sure, I understand. Sorry for bothering you. See you whenever!"

He chuckled. "You didn't bother me, and yes, see you 'whenever'."

With that he pulled the phone away from his ear and tapped on the icon to end the call. After replacing the device back in his pocket he strolled back inside the interrogation room, a grin on his lips, only to be dismayed at the sight before him.

"You fucking killed him?!" he growled to the man he had left in charge. Currently, the traitor was limp and hunched over in the chair, his head bowed low. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was possibly dead.

"I didn't kill him, I swear!" Pierre claimed fearfully. "He's just unconscious."

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion before walking to the slumped man. He picked up the head and placed the pads of his index and middle fingers to Jacque's pulse point. It was faint, but beating all the same.

He sighed and took a step back, allowing Jacque's head to fall again.

"Well, I would rather have to wait for him to wake up to give me more information than have him be dead." He turned his head to look at Pierre, who gulped at the warning glare he received.

"For your sake he better wake up soon. I'm not a patient person."

Pierre meekly nodded. "Y-Yes, Chat Noir."

He said nothing as he casually opened his jacket to reveal the hidden pistol in its folds. He took it out, cocking it in Pierre's direction before aiming it to be level with the man's heart.

Pierre trembled, and Chat could swear he saw a bead of sweat drip from his forehead.

He chuckled and put the gun away. He always thought it was funny to give an occasional scare, but only to those who deserved it.

"And now, we wait," he murmured, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He was already feeling bored. "Father is going to be very happy with this delay, I'm sure."

A/N: The user Totally Lucky helped me develop the idea of how Adrien and Nino meet. I was originally going to have them meet at the movies, but thought of an arcade at the last minute xD Still, she deserves credit for helping me :) Thanks, girl!