All Eyes on Me

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: This is posted for Nino appreciation week.

Chapter 1: Hero

"Mr. Lahiffe, we need to talk."

Coming from anyone, those words were enough to make Nino nervous.

Coming from Gabriel Agreste, those words scared him to death.

Coming from Gabriel Agreste when he was currently covering for his son and had no idea where he was... Nino broke out in a cold sweat and debated just making a run for it.

He gulped, steeled himself, and looked up at the man staring at him with that familiar icy disdain. Mr. Agreste's eyes swept around the room. "Where's Adrien?" he asked.

"Taking a show-" the habitual excuse died on his lips as he spotted the door to the bathroom wide open. They could both see the reflection of the empty room on the mirror.

Mr. Agreste raised an eyebrow. "Try again, Mr. Lahiffe."

Why didn't he think to close the bathroom door? Nino gulped again. "He said something about getting a snack?" he offered.

"Did he now?"

"I think?" he left some leeway in his excuse in case Mr. Agreste decided to march off to the kitchens.

"Hmm," the frown deepened and Mr. Agreste studied Nino for a long moment. "Very well," he said at last, and Nino fought the urge to sigh in relief. "Follow me, please." He turned away.

"What? Why?"

Adrien's father glanced back. "As I said earlier, we need to talk." Nino briefly wondered if he should leave some kind of sign that he was in Adrien's room in case he just... disappeared. "Quickly, Mr. Lahiffe, I do not have all day," Mr. Agreste barked, sending Nino scurrying toward him in a skittish mess of arms and legs. So much for that idea, he thought with a gulp as the door to Adrien's room closed behind him. He hoped it wasn't a sign that his fate was sealed. He followed the stoic designer downstairs into the atelier. Mr. Agreste motioned for Nino to sit in the sunken couches in the middle of the room. With an audible click, Mr. Agreste locked the door and turned to face Nino. This is it! Nino thought with more than enough panic for the entirety of Paris. Mr. Agreste took out a tablet and sat down near Nino, fiddling with the screen for a moment.

"Enough with the games, Mr. Lahiffe," he said. "We both know exactly where Adrien is." He flipped the tablet around to show the live feed of Alya's Ladyblog. Chat Noir flipped over the head of the newest akuma victim and turned around to block an attack with his baton.

In an instant, Nino jumped to the defense of his friend, both literally and figuratively as he flew to his feet. "Whoa, du- sir," he corrected. "I know Adrien's friends with Alya and all that, but I promise you he's not there filming with her. She barely even accepts my help with her videos, and I know my way around equipment. She'd never let Adrien handle her phone."

Mr. Agreste blinked and his jaw dropped slightly. If Nino didn't know any better, he would have said that Gabriel Agreste was stunned into silence. But Nino knew the man was never shocked or stunned or surprised – and if on the rare instance he was, he never showed it visibly.

"You really don't know," he said in a near-whisper. His eyes sharpened as they studied Nino in a new light, critical and calculating. "You've been covering for him this whole time and you genuinely have no idea..."

Nino wasn't going to admit as much to the fashion mogul, and besides, he remembered his role. "Adrien's getting a snack," he reminded his best friend's father.

The look Mr. Agreste shot him, full of condescending pity and exasperation, did nothing to quell his nerves.

"I think we both know that's not the case," Mr. Agreste said, "And honestly, is that the best excuse Adrien could come up with?"

Actually, Adrien hadn't given him any excuse, just a rushed "Nino, I gotta go out for a bit, can you cover for me?" like he usually did, then dashed out of the room before Nino could reply. Mr. Agreste was right – Nino had no idea where Adrien went off to in such a hurry, but he was his best friend and he would cover for him, without fail, to anyone. Even the fearsome Gabriel Agreste.

The man in question continued, "You have got to be one of the most loyal people I have ever met," he said, and now it was Nino's turn for stunned silence. Did Mr. Agreste actually... compliment him? The same man who banned him from his home only to ignore said ban with icy indifference whenever Nino came over anyway? The same man who sneered as he verbally ripped apart his senior designers over minor flaws and mishaps? Nino shook his head. Couldn't be. Must be dreaming. He'll wake up, finding himself asleep on Adrien's couch and the boy will have come back in with a grin and a flush to his cheeks like he had just sprinted across all of Paris in the last five minutes.

"All this time, you've been lying for my son and you have no idea where he goes. What he does. Why he vanishes so abruptly only to return minutes later with a half-hearted excuse and a bit out of breath."

"Adrien doesn't give me any excuses," Nino replied automatically, then gasped and resisted the sudden urge to clamp a hand over his mouth. But the words were out. Mr. Agreste stared at him once more, the shock on his face clear even to Nino.

"You've been... all this time..." Mr. Agreste trailed off, still in a state of stunned disbelief. Nino began to get worried.

"Du—uh, Mr. Agreste, sir, are you okay?" he asked.

Mr. Agreste shook himself out of his stupor. "Forgive me," he said, and Nino wondered if the day could get any more astonishing. After all, Gabriel Agreste had apologized. To Nino. "It would appear that I have chosen well."

"Chosen?"

Mr. Agreste smiled – it was more of a twitching of the lips, but with Gabriel Agreste, that counted as a full smile – and tapped the tablet. Nino glanced down and saw that Chat Noir and Ladybug were still engaged with the akuma. "I'm sure my elder mentor would disagree with my approach to this, but I was never one for dramatics. Adrien is Chat Noir. And I'm asking for your help to protect him."

A million thoughts raced through Nino's head as he stared at Mr. Agreste, certain his expression adequately conveyed his shock. "Uh, no offense, du—sir, but I think I would know if Adrien was Chat. He's my best bud."

"And he's my son," Mr. Agreste returned calmly, much more calmly than Nino would have expected to see considering his only son often threw himself recklessly into danger, if Mr. Agreste was correct. "I have decided to choose a successor. Duusu agrees with my choice."

"Duusu?" Nino repeated. Mr. Agreste merely smiled again.

"You'll meet her soon enough," he said, a knowing glint in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and held out a pin in the shape of a peacock tailfeather. "You've heard of Miraculouses, of course?"

Nino refrained from snorting – barely – and settled for rolling his eyes. "That's the whole reason Hawkmoth is attacking Paris, isn't it? To get to Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses?"

"Yes." Mr. Agreste glanced down at the pin and motioned for Nino to take it. Nino folded his arms and continued to watch the designer with wary reluctance. "Again, my elder friend would probably have appreciated it if he were the one to select you, but this is my pin and I'll choose it's next owner. Well," he amended, looking thoughtful, "Duusu and I."

"Who is this Duusu person?" Nino asked, noting the odd name for the second time.

Once again, the fashion icon just smiled, and Nino thought he spotted a bit of fondness in his expression. "You'll meet her soon enough," he repeated. "Anyway, the three Miraculouses aren't the only ones in existence."

"Three?" Nino blurted out.

"The Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the Butterfly Miraculouses," Mr. Agreste listed.

"Hawkmoth has a Miraculous too?" Nino spluttered.

Mr. Agreste tilted his head. "But of course. How did you think he got his powers? Ladybug even confronted him about it early on in her career. Now, we're getting off topic. As I was saying, those three are not the only Miraculouses in existence. There are many more and this is one of them."

It took another moment for the words to sink in. "That's a Miraculous?" Nino exclaimed, stumbling back a bit as he tripped over his feet. "How did you get a Miraculous?"

"It's the Peacock Miraculous," Mr. Agreste said. "And it was bestowed upon me many years ago. I have decided to pass it onto you, so that you may use its powers to protect my son."

Nino regarded Adrien's father with extreme suspicion. "This is a joke, it has to be. You're pranking me."

"I don't prank people," Mr. Agreste said, irritation flashing across his face as he scowled at Nino. "I find it childish and a waste of valuable time. I am also one who loathes needless dramatics, so you'll have to forgive me if this presentation of a magical artifact is a bit duller and less theatrical than you might have hoped for. I'm certain it's not nearly as exciting as Ladybug or Chat Noir's first encounter with Miraculouses, but I assure you it's adequate enough for me." Well, at least the usual biting sarcasm was back in full force.

"Why me?" Nino said. "You hate me."

"No," Mr. Agreste corrected, "I was weeding out Adrien's friends, in order to see who only cared about his name and status. You are one of his only true friends, sticking by him day after day, ignoring my threats and disapproval. You've been at Adrien's side since day one and you've never let him down. You are the best choice for this Miraculous."

Nino didn't know what to say. He blinked at the man who for so long had struck fear in him, then peered down at the pin.

"Of course," Mr. Agreste huffed in annoyance, "that is if you'll actually accept the Miraculous being offered to you."

Ah, that was more like the Gabriel Agreste he knew. He grinned. "So if I take this, what happens?"

"You become Paon," Mr. Agreste said as if it were the simplest thing the world. "I'll help you at first, walking you through your powers and whatnot." He leveled a look at Nino. "You have pretty big shoes to fill in this role, and I won't see you tarnish my legacy by fumbling around like an imbecile."

"Your legacy?"

Mr. Agreste sniffed. "Of course. I'm surprised your blogger girlfriend hasn't researched past superheroes. I was pretty good, if I do say so myself. You have a lot to live up to."

Nino sat back down and reached out with a shaky hand to grip the Miraculous. He glanced at Mr. Agreste, wondering if the man was laughing at him for being too nervous to pick up a brooch. But the older man just watched him with a placid expression. For the first time in his life, he felt that Gabriel Agreste was not judging him at all. His fingers tightened around the charm and he lifted it from the designer's palm. He held it up, examining it carefully.

"Where am I supposed to wear this?" he asked.

Mr. Agreste shrugged. "Wherever you want. It's a pin."

"Where did you wear it?"

"On my lapel." Mr. Agrested slid his gaze up and down Nino's casual choice of attire. "Obviously, that will not work for you."

Nino briefly debated attaching it to his hat, but then thought about how often a stray gust of wind knocked it off his head. He looked to his wrist, at the multicolored bands there. He hooked it through the bands. The moment the pin snapped on, a blinding blue light illuminated the room. Nino instinctively shielded his eyes. When the light faded, he lowered his hands, discovering with a small amount of satisfaction that Mr. Agreste also had to shield his eyes. He almost missed the blue creature floating in front of him until it spoke.

"Hello, Nino."

He practically jumped out of his skin, but the serene expression on Mr. Agreste's face grounded him. He didn't appear fazed. Then again, Nino wasn't exactly sure what fazed him. Regardless, he refused to act afraid in front of the man. He gulped.

"Hello, uh... blue Miraculous dude?" he offered. Mr. Agreste's lips twitched.

"It's Duusu," the blue being greeted. Ah, the mysterious Duusu. "I'm a kwami. I grant you magical powers. How much has Gabriel explained?" The blue creature glanced to Mr. Agreste.

"Uh, nothing?"

The creature – no, kwami – leveled a glare at Mr. Agreste, who returned it with a calm indifference. "Gabriel," it chided, "I told you to explain things!"

"And I told you," he answered back, "that I'm no good with children."

Duusu flew in his face and raised it's blue-feathered tail. "Gabriel! You agreed to help guide our chosen!"

"So temperamental, Duusu," Mr. Agreste replied, and Nino rolled his eyes. He was one to talk. The designer glanced over to Nino. "She's a bit of a worrier."

"I am not!"

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Nino cut in, "but uh, how exactly does all of this work?"

Duusu sighed and turned to face him. "Gabriel came to me and said that he had finally found a worthy successor. He described you in great detail!" she gushed.

Nino looked at Mr. Agreste. "Did he, now? And what details were those?"

Mr. Agreste huffed. "Duusu, if you're going to explain to the boy, hurry along. We're short on time right now."

Duusu smiled at him with a secretive wink that seemed to say later. Nino hid his own smile. He was beginning to like this kwami. He wondered if Adrien's kwami acted the same. "I grant you the powers of the Peacock Miraculous. Gabriel wants you to protect his son. That's somewhat accurate, but not entirely. Your role in the group is not strictly protection, but rather distraction."

"So I'm the bait?" Nino asked.

Duusu shook her head. "A peacock is flashy, vibrant, and eye-catching. You must own the flow of the battle and direct the focus of the attention onto you, to allow your teammates to work to their fullest potential."

"Chat usually distracts the akuma so Ladybug can cleanse," Nino pointed out.

"That is not his true purpose. He is to clear a path for Ladybug. He is not the distraction, but rather the bulldozer."

Makes sense. Chat's Cataclysm certainly clears out objects. "Okay, so I... distract? That's it?"

Mr. Agreste shook his head. "That's your ultimate role, but no, you'll be as much a part of the team as any other. You work best, yes, when you're distracting the enemy. But that won't limit your ability to fight directly. And I can tell you'll be fantastic as a distraction."

"Thanks... I think?" Nino asked. He scratched his head.

Duusu flew up and nuzzled his cheek. "You'll do wonderful! All of my chosen have!"

"Uh, so do I have a catch phrase or something?"

"Certainly!" Duusu answered. "It's 'quills open'."

"Uh, right. Dusuu, quills open!" He stumbled back as Duusu flew to his bracelet. Something shot out of his back and Nino hopped around, trying in vain to see what was happening. He felt his clothes morphing into a longer suit and a mask settling upon his face. Two fans materialized at his sides. With a flash, the transformation stopped and Nino froze for a long moment, trying to process everything. Mr. Agreste watched with open amusement.

"Okay, so that just happened," Nino muttered.

"I think you look quite good," Mr. Agreste said, nodding with approval and shocking Nino for the millionth time that night with another compliment.

"Thanks," he said as his brain started catching up with him, "Wait a minute, you're just saying that because this is what you used to wear, right?"

Mr. Agreste stood up, ignoring his question. "I'll let you get accustomed to using your fans and talking with Duusu. She has a voracious appetite, especially after she uses her Sonic Scream."

"What's Sonic Scream?" Nino asked.

"She'll tell you." Mr. Agreste pointed to his tablet. "The akuma has been cleansed so I believe it's time for you to go back to pretending to cover for Adrien. You'll need training if you're going to fight on equal footing with those two." He scribbled something down on a piece of paper. He paused and stared at Nino. "You can detransform now. It's 'quills close'."

"Dusuu, quills close," Nino recited, and his suit vanished. Duusu flew onto his shoulder.

"Great job, Nino!" she praised nuzzling into his neck.

Mr. Agreste handed Nino the piece of paper. "That's the address to an old property of mine. It's abandoned now and a perfect place to meet. Be there tomorrow night at 6pm sharp. You'll begin your training then." With that, he walked out of the room.

Wait... training?

Author's Note: Chapter two will be posted on day 4: "Nino vs..."

Special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate for beta reading this! Check out her contributions to this week as well, they're amazing.