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Beau and the Beetle	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 3721 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Prologue: Alya
- 2-Adrien
- 3-Felix
- 4-Bridgette
- 5-Adrien
- 6-Sabine
- 7-Bridgette
- 8-Alya
- 9-Adrien
- 10-Felix
- 11-Sabine
- 12-Bridgette
- 13-Alya
- 14-Felix
- 15-Adrien
- 16-Alya
- 17-Felix
- 18-Bridgette
- 19-Adrien
- 20-Sabine
- 21-Felix
- 22-Alya
- 23-Bridgette
- 24-Adrien
- 25-Sabine
- 26-Adrien
- 27-Felix
- 28-Alya
- 29-Bridgette
- 30-Adrien
- 31-Sabine
- 32-Bridgette
- 33-Felix
- 34-Alya
- 35-Adrien
- 36-Felix
- 37-Sabine
- 38-Bridgette
- 39-Adrien
- 40-Felix
- 41-Adrien
- 42-Felix
- 43-Adrien
- 44-Adrien
- 45-Adrien
- 46-Epilogue
- 15
- 16
- 17
‘It’s been three days,’ Nino stressed, as he paced at the bottom of the school steps. ‘It’s not like him to leave his phone off, or not come to school.’
Alya reached out to grab his shoulder and stop his frantic pacing. ‘Maybe he’s sick. If he’s resting, he wouldn’t want you bothering him, nagging about when he’s coming back.’
Nino’s expression was flat. ‘If he were sick, his dad or Nathalie would’ve called the school. Madame Bustier would have told us if he were just sick.’
Alya huffed in frustration.
‘I don’t know, then,’ she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. ‘What do you think?’
Finally, Nino stilled, his eyes downcast. ‘You don’t want to know what I think.’
Her irritation ebbed as she looked at him. Pulling him into a hug, she said, ‘I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation. I mean, what’re the odds of losing another friend? There’s no way we’re that unlucky.’
Accepting her reasoning, Nino nodded and drew back with a wan smile. ‘You’re right. I’m sure it’s nothing.’
Alya gave him a firm nod, but she was no longer sure if she was reassuring him, or herself. It was all too much like how things had been after they lost Marinette. The days of not knowing, of not hearing anything, or not being able to get through to their family; it was like history was repeating itself, and she wondered if she ought to be preparing for the worst.
Nino fidgeted restlessly throughout morning classes, tapping his pen, and chancing sly glances at his phone. Alya watched his shoulders droop as the hours ticked by, as he became increasingly discouraged.
Over lunch, she tried to distract him.
‘You want to get something to eat?’ she asked, hopefully.
Nino shook his head slowly. ‘Actually, I was thinking of going to Adrien’s place to check up on him.’
‘Do you think they’ll even let you in the door?’
He shrugged. ‘I have to try. You know what this is like.’
Alya turned away as remembered pain lanced her chest. ‘Yeah, I do.’
‘So, you know why I have to do this.’
Releasing a quiet sigh, she nodded. ‘Would you like me to come, too?’
Nino’s taut expression eased into a smile. ‘Yeah, I would.’
‘Then, let’s talk to Madame Bustier about bringing Adrien all the schoolwork he’s missed. Naturally, we’ll need to talk to him, to bring him up to speed so his grades don’t suffer.’
Nino threw his arms around her and squeezed. ‘You think of everything.’
She patted him on the back. ‘You wouldn’t even get through the front gate without me.’
Together, they spoke to Caline. She gave them the stack of work Adrien missed, then advised them to speak with Madame Mendeleiev as well. They both suppressed groans at the delay, but reluctantly obeyed.
A few minutes later, they carefully descended the front steps, each burdened with a stack of papers.
‘I’m going to trip,’ complained Nino, as he took the stairs one at a time.
‘As long as you keep walking like an arthritic tortoise, you’ll be fine,’ Alya assured him.
They traversed the stairs without mishap, then set off toward Agreste Manor.
Alya whistled appreciatively at the size of the building. It was grand, but the façade was austere, even to her untrained eye.
Gingerly, Nino rang the doorbell.
Alya leapt back a foot when an articulated camera popped out of the wall to examine them.
‘Yes?’ asked a dispassionate voice.
Nino raised a hand in greeting, his papers balancing precariously on his free arm. ‘Hey, I’m Nino, and this is Alya. We’re here to see Adrien. We brought the schoolwork he missed.’
He held the papers up as proof.
‘Adrien isn’t here.’ With no further explanation, the robotic eye retreated into the wall.
Stunned, Nino turned back to Alya. She gaped at him, shrugging helplessly.
He pressed the buzzer again, cringing when the camera burst forth once more.
‘Can you tell me where he is?’ Nino gave the camera his most doleful eyes.
‘No. goodbye,’ the voice replied, as the camera hid again.
Alya rubbed Nino’s back as his shoulders slumped, her share of the paperwork wedged between her arm and breast.
‘Come on, Babe. There’s nothing more we can do here.’
He turned to her, equal parts lost, betrayed, and confused.
‘For now,’ she finished.
His expression clearing, Nino nodded and followed her away. She bought him lunch at a modest café close to the school, then sat with him quietly while he processed this newest development.
‘What can we do, though?’ he asked while they walked back to school, picking up the conversation as if they’d never stopped.
Alya hummed, thoughtfully. ‘I was thinking of recruiting Max, and seeing if he could hack Adrien’s phone remotely.’
Nino’s brows shot up. ‘Is that even possible?’
‘Sure,’ she replied, with false bravado. ‘It’s just not legal.’
‘So, how do you expect Max to do it?’
Waving a flippant hand, she replied, ‘if he gets stuck, we’ll talk Sabrina into lifting some of her dad’s stuff.’
‘We’re talking multiple felonies here, Alya,’ Nino told her, seriously.
She turned to look at him, matching his expression. ‘But it’ll be worth it.’
‘Yeah,’ he agreed, with a rueful nod. ‘It will be.’
She rubbed his arm. ‘I wish it hadn’t come to this, you know. I don’t want to break laws, but I really don’t want to lose another friend.’
Nino’s answering smile was brittle. ‘I know. Thanks, Alya.’
‘Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t. I’d rather not go to prison.’
They approached Max in the locker room, after the final bell had sounded. They engaged him in idle conversation until the crowd departed, then their affable smiles dropped.
‘Look,’ hissed Alya, as she draped an arm over Max’s shoulders to pull him close. ‘We went to Adrien’s house today, but we were stonewalled at the gates. Nino’s distraught, and none of us want a repeat of what happened with Marinette.’
Max’s face turned ashen as he nodded. ‘What do you need?’
‘We want you to hack into Adrien’s phone remotely,’ she answered, bluntly.
His eyes bulged as Nino shook his head at her tactlessness.
‘We don’t have time to pussyfoot around,’ she snapped.
‘I realise that,’ Max placated her. ‘But there’s some equipment I’ll need.’
Nino clapped him on the back. ‘Good man. We’ll talk to Sabrina about pilfering some of her dad’s stuff. Just make a list of what you’ll need, and we’ll take care of the rest.’
Max looked doubtful. ‘How do you plan on getting Sabrina to cooperate?’
‘Easy,’ Alya stated, airily. ‘We’ll just mention to Chloe that we need some things to get Adrien back. She’ll bully Sabrina into helping.’
‘That’s a dangerous line you’re walking,’ Max warned.
‘It’ll be worth it, if it means getting Adrien back safe,’ said Nino.
- 15
- 16
- 17
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Beau and the Beetle