Tikki sighed. "Lycca, please talk to Gabriel about Fu." she paused. "Why don't you bring him to Fu instead? I'm sure Fu would be willing to meet him. Both of them could up with a peaceful solution. I just want this to be over with so I'm begging you."

Lycca paused.  The last thing he really wanted to do was upset Tikki, but Gabriel's decision was his priority.  Gabriel would be more than happy to end this, but it was still completely his decision on how.  "I'll talk to him when he's ready to listen to me.  If he decides to go to Fu, then we'll go to Fu. If not...  Well, I don't know what he's going to do, but he's not going to send any more akumas.  This fight is effectively done even if Your miraculous holders don't realize it."

Plagg narrowed his eyes, "If it's over, then take some responsibility as a kwami and tell Hawk Moth what to do!  If he's as done as you say, he should be more than willing to listen to you and go to Fu."

Lycca's eyes also narrowed.  "Gabriel can make his own decisions.  I'm not dealing with a naive teenager like you are."

Tikki quickly got between both of them. Things were getting heated. The last thing wanted was a physical fight. "Lycca, you better convince him to go to Fu. If not then I'll talk to Gabriel myself."

Lycca crossed his arms and floated up from the ground.  Gabe would be furious if Tikki showed up and he realized who had blown his cover.  "Stay away from him!  I will speak to him.  You two worry about your own miraculous holders!"

With that, Lycca darted from under the table and back to Gabriel's pocket.  He shouldn't have talked to them.  He could handle Gabe's problem.  He didn't need their input.


Plagg continued to glare at where Lycca had been moments before.  "Stubborn asshole.  You should go talk to Gabriel anyway.  Show that stupid butterfly how a good kwami handles things."

Tikki sighed. It was frustrating that out of all of the kwamis only her and Wayzz were the most mature. She just looked at Plagg. "I'll give him time to talk to Gabriel if nothing happens I'm going to Fu. I don't want to upset anyone. We should head back."

Plagg nodded and they flew back to Marinette's room.


Gabriel took a sip of the disgusting coffee and stood. It was time to return to the room. Marinette would probably need to go home soon. She obviously skipped class to stay here, and her parents might be worried depending on whether or not Adrien being hospitalized was already in the news.

He knocked on the door to give them time in case their kwamis were out before opening it. "How is everything?" He asked, his eyes focusing on Adrien, though Marinette could answer too if she wanted.  Adrien just shrugged.

"Alright, I guess," Marinette replied. She knew him being here meant it was time for her to go home. School was over and her parents were probably furious. She looked at Adrien. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." she squeezed his hand and Gabriel offered her a ride home. She decided to take it. Marinette was exhausted. 

After getting home, Marinette spent almost an hour explaining to her parents about her disappearance. She told them she ran off because Adrien called her about being in trouble. It was really hard to convince them. Luckily she didn't get grounded since was trying to help a friend and the akuma wasn't insane like Chat Blanc. 

She went up to her room and collapse on her bed. Marinette didn't say a word to the kwamis. She just fell asleep.

The night was long and boring.  All the beeping from the heart monitor, the activity outside the room, and the occasional check in by the nurses ensured getting a good night's sleep was futile. Adrien had always been a light sleeper. So he was left to his thoughts as the sun went down and the hospital staff switched to night shift.  

He glanced to the shadow where his father slept in what had to be a super uncomfortable chair and frowned.  It was so strange to see him look so tired and defeated.  Perhaps that was why he hid away in his office or bedroom all day every June 12th..  Either way, it was nice to see he cared for a change.

Adrien closed his eyes, again trying to sleep.  There was another reason he couldn't slip into dreamland. The conversation with the kwamis earlier still nagged at the back of his mind, trying desperately to tell him something.  He pushed it down, tried to suffocate its voice with other more pleasant thoughts, but it refused to die.

He had gotten a good look at Hawk Moth during the fight.  He was tall and slim with a commanding posture and an anger filled voice that in person, if Adrien was being honest with himself (he wasn't), he had to admit sounded very much like a voice he'd heard many times before in his civilian life.

He let out a small groan of frustration.  He wanted to sleep!  If only they'd given him some sedative with the pin killers...


Adrien was discharged from the hospital the following evening, as planned, with some pain killers, a sling to wear for the first month or so, and the order to get as much rest as possible.  That meant no extracurriculars, but he could go to school tomorrow if he felt able.  Which, he would make sure he felt able.

The drive home was silent between them.  Adrien was still trying to ignore his instincts while his father worked on a sketch.  Every so often, they would catch each other's gaze, but both were content to stay silent.  He was glad when he could just curl up in his bed and go to sleep; though, he missed Plagg's company.


The next morning, he went to school despite his father's wishes that he stay home another day or so.  The quiet of his room would be too much, letting his mind treacherously work toward what he'd been trying not to think about.  He needed Marinette, Alya, and Nino to make himself feel better.

He smiled when he saw Nino in front of the school.  His best friend looked concerned, quickly crossing the courtyard to meet him.  "Hey, dude.  Glad to see you back so soon.  The tabloids made it sound like you were dying.  Marinette seemed upset yesterday, too. "  Adrien frowned but Nino continued, "She wouldn't talk to Alya, so be prepared for an interrogation."

Adrien didn't get a chance to comment before he noticed someone coming toward them.  Well, speak of the devil...  Nino followed his gaze before deciding it was time to go, leaving him to their very irritated looking journalist friend.

"Uh hi, Alya..."

Alya narrowed her eyes, when she stopped right in front of Adrien. She was annoyed that Marinette refused to talk to her about yesterday events. Judging be her behavior Alya could tell she was upset about something. She took a deep breath and gently pulled Adrien away from other people. She needed to stay calm. "Adrien, what happened yesterday? Obliviously you got hurt pretty bad by an akuma. Is that why Marinette is upset? Or is there more to it?"

Adrien was relieved when Alya didn't bite his head off in her pursuit of the truth. She even happened to miss the various cuts and scrapes on his body when she pulled him aside.  

He paused as he figured out how much he should say. He definitely wouldn't bring up Hawk Moth if he didn't have to. Alya would be all over trying to figure that one out.

He sighed, "I skipped school and didn't answer my texts so she was worried.  She got mad when she came to get me for the akuma attack because there was no reason do me to ignore her texts.  We were distracted when the akuma attacked us, and I was almost killed.  She thinks it's her fault..."

Alya almost stomped her foot. "I'm going to kill that girl!" she turned away and stormed off. she returned to the locker area and spotted Marinette. "Marinette!"

Marinette who was standing in front of her locker jumped. She glanced over and saw Alya standing there. "Hi, Alya.."

Her friend marched right over to her. "Why do you think you know what was your fault?"

"Uh, where did you get that idea?"

"Adrien."

"He's here!?"

"Yes. Now explain yourself." she folded her arms.

"I..I.."

"You?"

"I didn't want to hear your input, okay? I knew what you would say." she closed her locker door.

"What would I say?" Alya was annoyed that she didn't get an explanation, but this will do. 

"That it's not your fault."

"Well, it isn't. At least the way Adrien described it."

"I'll see you in class.." Marinette walked away from her friend and found Adrien. "Hey. Shouldn't you be at home resting? Why didn't you tell me you were coming today?"

Adrien watched in dismay as Alya stormed off. He had hoped she would blame him for not answering Marinette's texts and stop questioning Marinette for a while.  He should have known he'd have the opposite effect. He sighed and walked slowly into the school. His injuries were already starting to hurt.

He was at his locker, trying to figure out the best way to carry his books when Marinette found him. "Hey. I didn't feel like being home alone.  I'll be fine. I was going to text you, but it was kind of a last minute thing, so I just decided to come."

Marinette sighed. "Adrien, you should be in bed!" she looked him over. "You look in pain. Does your dad know you're here?" she crossed her arms and gave him a disappointed look.

Adrien focused on the books in his locker as she scolded him. So, sneaking out was a bad plan.  That was obvious before he did it. But he didn't want to be home alone. He'd come to school with a cracked rib before and played it off as nothing.  The only reason it mattered now was because people actually knew he was injured.

"He doesn't know," Adrien said, still looking into his locker. Might as well tell her that truth. There was no believable way his father would have let him come to school a day after he was in the hospital.

"What!?" Marinette tried not yell at him. "Adrien, you need to go home. If you want I can have my dad take you home."