Author's Notes:

Yyyyeah another new story despite having a ton of stories on hiatus. Please don't kill me! This is just how my muse works. X_X;;

Enjoy!

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG: "CAT FLAP"

by Mythril Moth

Chapter 1

"So that's the situation," Adrien Agreste said. He sat lotus-style across from Master Fu in the older man's massage parlor. Plagg and Wayzz flew slow circles around their heads. Plagg's tail drooped sadly. Several pieces of cheese lay untouched on a plate between them.

"Hmm." Master Fu bowed his head, closing his eyes. "This is a troublesome development, but not unprecedented. Still, the timing is undeniably terrible."

"Tell me about it," Adrien said with a grimace. "Believe me, if there was a way out of it, I would, but even I can't find a way to avoid spending an entire month in Korea with my father."

"Indeed," Master Fu said. He smiled tiredly. "And, unfortunately, I cannot allow you to take the Miraculous with you. It is simply too dangerous."

"I...I understand, Master," Adrien said, fiddling with the ring on his finger. He looked up at Plagg glumly. "I...I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"Now now," Master Fu said calmly. "It is not a permanent goodbye. You will see Plagg again when you return. You will be able to resume your duties as Chat Noir, and I assure you Ladybug will be waiting for you."

"Man, a whole month without My Lady," Adrien groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "Bad enough I'll be away from Marinette and Nino and Alya, but—"

Master Fu chuckled. "You will endure," he said. "One month seems like an eternity to a fourteen year old boy, but I assure you, it will pass before you know it." His expression became sober. "Now, on to an important matter. We must choose your temporary replacement."

"My...replacement?" Adrien asked, eyes wide and jaw agape.

"Ladybug has no shortage of powerful and capable allies to call upon in your absence," Master Fu said, "but the Black Cat cannot be allowed to remain dormant. Someone must wield Plagg's power in your stead." His eyebrows raised slightly. "Do you have someone in mind?"

Adrien looked at Plagg, who shrugged. He looked down at his own ring. His eyes clouded as he thought long and hard.

"Marinette," he said clearly and decisively, looking up at Master Fu. "If I can trust anyone to protect Ladybug while I'm gone, it's Marinette."

Master Fu's eyebrows climbed. "An interesting choice," he said.

Adrien grinned. "Hey, she winds up caught up in so many Akuma attacks all the time, it's about time she got a chance to fight back for a change, right?"

Master Fu smiled. "That would be something, would it not?"

Adrien looked at the ring again, then up at Plagg. "I'm gonna miss you, buddy," he said.

"Bring back lots of photos and souvenirs!" Plagg said. "I haven't been to Korea in forever!"

"You got it," Adrien promised. Taking a deep breath, he slid the Miraculous off his finger and held it out to Master Fu, who palmed it. With one last, long look at the ring, Adrien stood and left, casting frequent glances back over his shoulder.

Five minutes lapsed in absolute silence.

"Plagg? Would you be so good as to summon Marinette, please?" Master Fu asked.

Plagg stared at him. "Master, you're not seriously gonna—"

"Of course not," Master Fu said with a dismissive snort. "But since Adrien accidentally chose his own partner to be his replacement, it falls on Ladybug herself to choose her temporary Chat Noir."

Plagg sighed. "I'm sure glad he already told his friends he's going out of town then," he said. "I wouldn't be able to hold in my scream if she chose Adrien." He shook his head. "They're so tiring..."

Master Fu chuckled. "Go," he said. "Hurry."

"Are you absolutely certain about this, sir?"

Gabriel Agreste stood ramrod straight, hands clasped behind his back, staring up at the golden portrait of his wife. To his left, Nathalie Sancoeur stood, ever-present tablet in one hand. The tiny violet form of Nooroo hovered between them, looking back and forth with bland interest.

"If the Akuma attacks were to cease during my absence, it would be suspicious," Gabriel said. "At the same time, I cannot simply continue as usual while on another continent."

"No, that would be even more suspicious," Nathalie agreed.

"And pointless," Gabriel added. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are here, in Paris. There is nothing to be gained from Hawk Moth creating Akumas in Korea." He glanced sharply at Nathalie. "I have trusted you with all of my secrets and all of my plans," he said. "You have already proven yourself beyond all expectations. What I ask of you now, I ask with complete faith and trust."

Nathalie nodded. "I will not fail you, sir."

Gabriel snorted. "I am not so naive as to expect you to succeed where I have failed again and again," he said. "I merely expect you to continue the work." He smirked. "Though if by some chance you...get lucky...I wish to be notified immediately."

Nathalie nodded again. "Of course." She glanced down at the peacock brooch pinned to her lapel, hesitated, then removed it and handed it to Gabriel. A bright blue-green flash lit up the room as the hidden Kwami returned to the brooch. Gabriel swung open the portrait and keyed in the code to the hidden safe, returning the Peacock Miraculous to its proper resting place.

Once the safe and painting were closed again, Gabriel glanced up at Nooroo, his face stern. "Nooroo," he said coldly, "you know the rules. They will remain in place even in my absence."

"Of course, Master," Nooroo said.

Gabriel closed his eyes and adjusted his ascot, removing the Butterfly Miraculous. Its wings expanded from the brooch as Nooroo was sucked into it. He placed it in Nathalie's waiting hand, giving her a firm nod. Nathalie stared down at the Miraculous for a long moment, took a deep breath, then pinned it to her own turtleneck, just behind the lapel of her jacket. With a purple flash, Nooroo reappeared immediately.

Gabriel clicked his heels together smartly. "Bonne chance, Lady Papillon," he said.

"Have a safe trip, sir," Nathalie said.

Marinette's bedroom had become a chocolate graveyard in the wake of Adrien's announcement.

Marinette herself presently sat at her desk, spooning ice cream into her mouth while tearily watching dramas.

"Cheer up, Marinette," Tikki said placatingly. "You'll be able to call and text him the whole time! You know he's only a text message away, right? And he'll be posting pics and videos of his trip, and you and your friends can look up cool places for him to visit and share!"

"I know, Tikki," Marinette said with a sigh. "It's just...I don't know how I'll be able to go a whole month without breathing the same air as Adrien!" She spun around in her chair, throwing back her head and letting out a keening sound of anguish.

"Wow. You are ridiculous."

Marinette and Tikki both stilled, looking up sharply at the new voice that had intruded. Green eyes shone with mischief from atop Marinette's monitor.

"PLAGG!" Marinette and Tikki both said at the same time.

"Hey Sugarcube," Plagg said lazily to Tikki. Turning to Marinette, he added, "Princess Bug."

Marinette groaned. "The nicknames are bad enough from Chat Noir without you making a mash-up," she muttered.

Plagg snickered. "I make my own fun where I can," he said.

"What are you doing here, Plagg?" Marinette asked. "Is...is Chat Noir in some kind of trouble? Did he lose his Miraculous again?!"

"Yeah, about that," Plagg said, digging in one ear. "Something came up and the kid has to take a break for a few weeks. He's fine, don't worry, he just won't be around to help you out for a while."

Marinette blinked. "He's...not?"

"Yeah. So he dropped off the Miraculous with Master Fu, and Master Fu wants you to choose a temporary replacement Black Cat wielder."

Marinette gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "A new Chat Noir?"

"It's happened before, Marinette," Tikki piped up. "Sometimes a Miraculous user has to take a break, like if they get pregnant or break a leg or something, and they choose a replacement to fill in for them while they're out of action."

"It's just for a little while," Plagg added. "When the kid's ready to roll again, Master Fu'll let you know. But for now, you gotta pick a new partner, and not someone you've already given a Miraculous to." He folded his paws. "I don't share."

"Why me?" Marinette asked. "Why do I have to pick Chat Noir's replacement? Why isn't he doing it himself? Or Master Fu?"

"Yeah, Plagg, why isn't Chat Noir picking his own replacement?" Tikki asked slowly. "That's usually how this works."

Plagg laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, so funny story," he said. "He actually did pick his own replacement. And as far as he knows, that's who'll be taking over for him. It's just, well..." He shrugged. "He kindasorta, maybe, picked Marinette here to fill in for him."

Tikki facepalmed. "Of course," she muttered inaudibly.

Marinette blinked. "Me? Chat Noir chose me?!"

"Said he trusts you to keep his Lady safe," Plagg said. "And something about wanting to let you get payback for all the times you've been on the wrong end of a rampaging Akuma victim." He snickered. "Man, if he only knew..."

Marinette giggled. "So I guess Master Fu's waiting for me?" She stood up and stretched, looking around at the mess of ice cream tubs and candy wrappers in her room. She frowned. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna take the red bug express. I need to work off all this junk food. Tikki, spots on!"

Marinette stepped into Master Fu's parlor, looking around to make sure it was devoid of customers. "Master Fu?"

"Welcome, Marinette," Master Fu called from the phonograph containing the Miracle Box. "Please, sit down, I will pour tea."

"Thank you, Master." Marinette sat down. "Plagg told me that Chat Noir's taking a leave of absence and I need to choose a...a replacement." She swallowed. "Wow, that feels so wrong to even think about. I mean, a new Chat Noir? I can't even imagine working with anyone other than the real Chat Noir..."

"And it does me no end of good to hear that," Master Fu said, "because it means I chose correctly when I paired the two of you. But these things happen, and you have proven time and again to have uncanny wisdom in choosing Miraculous wielders. I trust you to be able to choose a temporary partner that you will work well with until Chat Noir is able to reclaim his ring."

Marinette grimaced. "That's just it, though," she said. "I've been thinking and thinking all the way over here and I can't really think of anyone who's a good fit."

Master Fu nodded once, eyes closed. "Understandable," he said. "You have certain expectations, and you are matching your friends and peers against those expectations. It is little wonder they aren't matching up."

"If Adrien wasn't leaving the country for his dad's business for a month, I'd choose him in a heartbeat," Marinette said, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Running around Paris with Adrien beside me would be a dream..."

"Marinette! Focus!" Tikki hissed. Fortunately, Marinette missed Plagg's exaggerated eyeroll.

Marinette sighed. "I don't know," She said. "Maybe Luka...?"

"Definitely not," Plagg said, making a face. "I'm allergic to emo kids and I hate living on a boat."

"Yeah, that doesn't really feel right either," Marinette admitted. She shrugged. "I'm seriously open to suggestions here, Plagg. I mean, you're bound to know somebody Chat Noir knows that I don't who'd be good for this, right?"

Plagg tilted his head for a long moment, mulling it over. "Well I do know somebody who's got the skills to handle me," he said slowly. "I just...don't know how well you'd get along as partners."

"It'll have to do," Marinette said. "So who is it?"

The door of an elegant, austere Japanese manor house slid open. A young girl stepped into the entryway, bending down to untie her shoes and slip them off, lining them up neatly to the side before walking through the house, her black tights whispering across the tatami mats and shining wood. She climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor, where she entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her and turning on the overhead lights. She laid her gym bag down on the bed, then pulled out her desk chair and sat down, smoothing her plaid skirt. She turned on her laptop and began pulling out study materials from her school bag, but a gleam from inside her gym bag gave her pause.

She opened her bag and felt around inside. She came out with an object that decidedly did not belong there: an ornately lacquered six-sided box. Frowning, she opened it. A brilliant green flash lit up the box from within, nearly causing her to drop it.

A black shape materialized in mid-air in front of her, green eyes full of mischief watching her curiously.

"Hello," it said. "My name is Plagg. I'm the Kwami of Destruction, the brawn behind the superhero Chat Noir. My owner's taking a little break, so Ladybug needs a temporary partner to cover for him. Are you interested?"

Kagami Tsurugi gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "What?"

À SUIVRE...

Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Zagtoon, Method Animation, Toei Animation, and Thomas ASTRUC. This intellectual property is used without permission with no intent to profit from said use. The unique content contained on this page is the property of Mythril Moth, and redistribution of this content without express permission is strongly discouraged.