Hello, lovely readers!

This is the missing scene from Feast where Adrien has his Miraculous taken by Wayzz.

You can thank runningash (flashflashitsash on Tumblr) for giving me this idea.

Enjoy!

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

Adrien's heart seized when Nathalie dropped the tablet on the museum floor. It was an all too familiar sight that stirred unpleasant memories in the back of his mind. When his father told him that she would be fine, a burning ache settled in the pit of his stomach. By the time he entered his room and closed the door behind him, the numbness had returned.

He slumped on his piano bench and lazily dragged his hand across the keys. Soon, the melody that emerged was one that contained every tear he was too tired to cry. Disappointment had hardened him, but the song helped him feel again.

Adrien sighed as his eyes landed on a framed picture of his mother.

"Hey, why the long face?" a tiny, grating voice said, breaking him out of his reverie.

Adrien frowned. "My mom used to have dizzy spells...just like Nathalie. Father said those weren't serious either."

Plagg zipped in front of him and landed on the keys. "How about a duet?"

"You play the piano?"

"My talents go way beyond sniffing out cheese, young man."

Adrien's eyes widened in amazement as his Kwami danced across the keys. Within an instant, joy broke through the void in his mind, and he felt his fingers move to the tune. Laughter filled his soul, and it was as if the sun itself had made a home in his heart. Things didn't feel quite so grim and empty anymore. It almost felt like hope.

It'd been a long time since he'd dared to let himself fully give into hopeful whims. The last time he did, his heart had been broken. Sure, his friends were amazing, and his lady was incredible...but an emptiness still remained. No matter how many people he had in his life, at the end of the day, he was alone. However, his Kwami was working hard to make him smile, and the warmth of companionship flooded his body. Maybe he wasn't so alone after all.

Adrien beamed. "Mom's the only one who could make me laugh like that! Thank you, Plagg!"

Even though the rest of the evening was filled with routines and mundane tasks, Adrien's world felt a little brighter. Plagg had been with him for months, and he was finally starting to see how much they'd bonded in such a short amount of time. The tiny black being was not just his friend...no. Plagg was his family. He was an unwavering source of love and support. (Even though he got on Adrien's nerves sometimes, Plagg had proven to be faithful and loyal...which was more than he could say about most people in his life.)

"Goodnight, Plagg," Adrien whispered sleepily as his Kwami settled himself on the pillow next to him, "Thank you for always being there for me."

Plagg yawned noisily. "Anytime, kid."

Within minutes, Adrien drifted off into a peaceful sleep. It was one of those rare moments where the chaos of the world faded away, and he entered his own contented bubble. His house may be cold and lonely, but being next to Plagg made him feel safe and warm.

It wasn't often that he was graced with happy dreams, but tonight he dreamt of his mother meeting Plagg. He laughed as the three of them talked and made jokes. It was a simple dream, but Adrien longed for the normalcy of having his mother again. In his mind, he could almost see the loving glimmer in Emilie's eyes as she looked at him. He could almost feel the warmth of her skin as she pulled him in for a hug. He could almost hear the melodic tone of her voice when she spoke.

Even though the Emilie in his dreams felt like the whisper of memory when he interacted with her, Plagg's presence was clear and strong. It was as if Adrien was talking to him in real life. The Kwami's voice reverberated across his mind and filled him with a peace that usually did not come when he had dreams about his mother.

Suddenly, a soft fluttering and the sensation of something brushing against his hand caused his eyes to flick open. A piece of discarded camembert took Plagg's place on the adjacent pillow. As Adrien reached for the paper, something felt off. His hand was too light...too empty.

Upon noticing that his ring was missing, everything inside of Adrien stopped. His mind went blank, and all the air left his lungs. He felt as if he'd been hit by a sixteen wheeler.

Hastily, he grabbed the paper and began to read.

"Dear Adrien,

You're a most incredible Chat Noir, but I cannot let you and Ladybug risk your lives to fix the mistake I made. I hope you can forgive…"

Adrien crumpled the letter in a clenched fist. He didn't want to read anymore. He knew what it meant...Plagg was gone.

The hope he'd fallen asleep with turned to ice in his veins. His breath came back to him in short bursts, and he dropped the paper on his bed. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it close to his chest. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he tried to face his new reality.

"I'm alone again. He's gone. No more Chat Noir. No more Ladybug. No more Plagg. Just me...just me...just me..."

As he watched the paper disappear in a flash of green light, a cry escaped his throat. Tears ran down his cheeks and stained the pillow in his arms. Adrien's sobbing quickly became uncontrollable. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't live like this. He couldn't go back to the way things used to be. He had to do something.

He attempted to calm himself down by taking several deep breaths, but every gasp felt like fire in his lungs. His chest felt tight and the room started to spin. He was beginning to fall apart, but he knew he needed to clear his mind...otherwise, he'd be stuck without his Miraculous forever.

If this was happening to him, he assumed that it must be happening to Ladybug, as well. She probably had a plan. His lady was good with plans.

"I just need to find her," he thought.

The thought of Ladybug springing into action without her Miraculous began to flush the coldness away from his core. A small glimmer of hope began to resurface, and the sobs that racked his body began to subside. He could once again feel the coolness of the night air fill his lungs. Slowly, his thoughts begin to settle. Tears still flowed freely down his face, but he was now able to stand on his feet.

"With or without the Miraculous, I'm still Chat Noir, and Ladybug is still my lady. I have to help her fix this."

Now that the panicked haze had lifted from his mind, he remembered the piles of safety gear he had buried in his closet. The pads and helmets were meant to be used with his zipline, climbing wall, and ramp. Much to Nathalie's chagrin, he never used the gear, but tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity to start.

Adrien stumbled over to his closet and pulled on a helmet and knee pads. He looked in the mirror and realized that his identity was fully exposed. As much as he would love to tell Ladybug who he was, he knew that now was not the appropriate time.

He dug further into his closet until he spotted a mass of bright yellow. A mischievous grin spread across his tear-stained face as he held up the banana suit.

"Perfect," he mumbled out loud.

He quickly put on the costume and checked himself again in the mirror. Adrien nodded at his reflection, ran to the window, and scaled the mansion wall.

After climbing over the wall that surrounded his home, he landed on the sidewalk and quickly scanned his surroundings. He spotted a man riding down the street with a scooter.

"Excuse me, sir!" he yelled in an attempt to get the man's attention.

The man gave him a confused look. "Uh, yes?"

"I know you may not believe me, but this is an emergency. I'm Chat Noir, and something bad has happened. I think Paris may be in danger, and I need to get to Ladybug quickly. May I borrow your scooter?"

"Ummm...okay. Is this one of those prank shows?"

"No, sir. It is not. I promise to return it as soon as I can."

The man reluctantly handed over his scooter, and Adrien breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir." Adrien reached out and took the scooter from the man's hands.

Before the man was able to answer, Adrien hopped onto the scooter and rode off into the night. He weaved expertly through traffic and soon came upon a large, blue monster chasing Master Fu. He pushed his foot harder against the pavement with each movement. He had to get to his Kwami, but he knew he was going to need help.

A girl in a skintight suit and a helmet whizzed around the corner on a bike. She was hunched over in determination, and she looked like she was on a mission. Adrien knew this was his partner. He prided himself on being able to spot her even without their Miraculouses. He now knew that if anything happened like this in the future, he would always have his lady by his side.

More hope began to crack through the barrier in his mind. "Maybe this means that one day I will be able to find her without the helmet on, as well...NO. Stop, Adrien. You're here to get back Plagg. There will be plenty of time for that kind of stuff later!"

In an attempt to cover up the tears and panic from only moments before, he spoke using his most cheerful voice. "Hi there, Bugaboo!"

"Cat Noir? Is that you?" she asked with surprise lacing her tone.

"Of course, it is. Who else would you expect by your side?"

"Isn't that costume of yours a little unsafe?"

"That's definitely my lady," he thought to himself.

"Only on the outside," he quipped, "I have a helmet and pads on under my banana peel."

She scoffed. "If you call me "Bugaboo" one more time, I'm going to start calling you BanaNoir."

"As you wish, Bugaboo."

As the pair began to move even faster towards their target, the world began to brighten once again. Adrien began to see that there was more than just one source of hope in his life. He never had to be alone again. His Miraculous didn't set him free...he set himself free. All he had to do was keep hoping for a better tomorrow.

It was at this moment that Adrien made the decision to see beyond the confines of his civilian life. He didn't just have to be Chat Noir when he was transformed. He could be an everyday hero outside the mask, as well. He'd seen his friends stand up for others countless times. He didn't need magic to make himself strong...he just needed to be himself. If people like Marinette could be and "everyday Ladybug", then he could be an "everyday Chat Noir". Because he actually was the holder of the Black Cat Miraculous, he should be able to achieve that more easily than others.

A wave of confidence consumed him...it was the kind of confidence he typically felt exclusively when he was transformed. Civilian-Adrien wasn't weak. If he was, then he would never have been chosen to be Chat Noir.

He looked at Ladybug peddling next to him and felt a rush of joy. She was able to identify him the moment he spoke. He knew that they would always be partners...with or without the masks. While she didn't reciprocate his romantic feelings (for now), Ladybug still cared about him. He was safe. He was loved. He wasn't alone.

Now all he needed to do was get back his Kwami and help save the day.

He grinned and focused his mind on the mission at hand. "I'm coming, Plagg."