The Unlucky Shot – Chapter 4

As soon as the elevator door was closed, Adrien was ready to transform.

He had almost called the words, when suddenly, the elderly man did something that absolutely confused him.

He pulled out a small piece of camembert from one of his pockets.

Plagg, unable to resist, shot out of his hiding place.

„MASTER FU! You've brought me camembert!", the little Kwami shouted, gobbling the piece of cheese down in one gulp.

From the corner of his eyes, Adrien saw a small green Kwami, sighing in disappointment.

„Plagg...", he said. „Don't you ever change?"

The cat Kwami shook it's head. „Master Fu is the one who got me hooked on the stuff!"

The green Kwami, (was it a turtle?), continued. „Yes, but before that it was salami, a century before that it was sushi, and a century before that it was..."

„I think we get the idea, you two.", the man, who Marinette and Plagg had both called Master Fu, interrupted them. „We are confusing poor Adrien. He must have thousands of questions."

"Y-You...How...W-Why...Who..."

The turtle Kwami sighed again. "He is not as articulate as Ladybug, that's for sure."

"You know Ladybug?", Adrien finally asked, ignoring his Kwamis attempts to steal more cheese from the Masters pockets.

"Yes, I do.", the man answered. "Which is why I have been looking for you, Adrien. But perhaps we should talk a bit later. The elevator is about to open."

The man handed him a business card with an address – a massage place – and both the Kwamis got back to their hiding places before the elevator opened.

It turned out that Marinette was too exhausted from being stitched up again (and from the pain medication) to receive her visitors again, so everyone except her parents were dismissed from the hospital.

Master Fu had, as far as Adrien was concerned, vanished into thin air after delivering drinks to everyone, but he was not about to let this clue about Ladybug get away. He pulled out the business card the old man had given him and started walking.

"So, Plagg, you know this man?", he whispered. He always had to be careful while talking with his Kwami in public. Paris was a busy city after all – and talking to oneself was a sign of being coo-coo.

"Master Fu is the last member of the Order of the Guardians.", the Kwami explained, suddenly very earnest. "He is responsible for guarding the Miraculous and distributing them. You got your ring from him."

All of a sudden, Adrien remembered his first day of school. That was where he had seen the man before!

"So, he's not an enemy?"

"Definitely not. I wonder what he wants though, normally he is very secretive."

Adrien crossed a street and entered a residential area of Paris.

"What about his Kwami? He didn't seem to like you very much."

Plagg just laughed. "You mean Waizz? He is Master Fus Kwami. Strong protective magic. I suggest that's why only Marinette and nobody else got hurt at the shooting – because he was there."

The conversation was over fast as Adrien suddenly found himself at the old mans door and was bid inside by a voice before he could knock.

"Hello Chat Noir. I'm glad you accepted my invitation."

Adrien was still cautious, making no attempt to sit down. "I didn't have the feeling that I had a choice.", he said.

Master Fu only smiled. "Being cautious is something that previous Chat Noirs have neglected a bit, so it is most welcome in you."

He took a sip of his tea, while the little turtle Kwami poured a cup for Adrien.

"My name is Waizz.", he introduced himself. "I'm pretty sure Plagg has called me lots of colourful names already?"

Plagg had indeed, on the way up the stairs, dished a bit about Waizz – but not in a bad way.

Adrien finally decided to sit down opposite the old man, but got straight to the point.

"You are the one who gave me my Miraculous, right?"

Master Fu nodded. "Ladybug did not remember as fast as you did. But I'm afraid we have to skip the history lesson, at least for now. I am concerned about Marinette."

"That's another thing...", Adrien interrupted. "How do you know my classmate?"

The old man opened his mouth, but he received a stern stare from his Kwami.

"I'm afraid you have to ask her that. I promised Marinette to keep the secret of how we met – she is a very private person."

Adrien thought about it and after a while could only agree. Whenever he was around, she was a bit shy, stuttered but was still sweet. If she had a secret, he had to honour it.

"But I'm sure she will tell Chat Noir if he asks."

"Why am I here?", Adrien wanted to know.

Master Fu sighed and put his teacup down. "What happened to Marinette was a terrible thing. I am the guardian of the Miraculous, so my part in this world is to protect the people from Akuma attacks – but a gun is not in my repertoire."

Waizz sat down on the table next to his masters teacup, sad.

"I should have been able to protect her my with magic, but I failed.."

"The thing is, Adrien, bad things happen in this world. The woman who shot Marinette was mentally ill and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Adriens knuckles turned white as he imagined how scared everyone must have been.

"I am about ninety percent sure that this attack was random- but I can't be sure onehundred percent."

"What do you mean, Master?", Plagg asked and gulped down a cookie.

"I mean, that the attack could have been a hit on me- or Marinette for that matter, as we are friends. It is a possibility, but a weak one."

"W-What?! You think it could have been intentional?"

Master Fu nodded. "I have already asked Ladybug to investigate in the matter, so don't be alarmed if you don't hear from her for a while. What I would like for you to do, as Chat Noir, is keep an eye on Marinette during her healing process. I am almost sure it was an accident, but if not, she could still be in danger."

Marinette was nudged awake by Tikki in the middle of the night.

"Chat Noir is on the roof.", she mumbled and then hid under the covers.
Only a minute later, the black cat himself opened her window and slid in – his body just a shadow in the night.

"You're not as sneaky as you think you are, kitty.", Marinette mumbled, but was sure that she would have not detected her Chaton without Tikki.

Chat Noir stopped in his movement.

"Princess, what are you doing up? You should be sleeping."

Marinette tried to sit up but had some difficulty. Chat Noir rushed over and helped her sit straight, only realising the close proximity when he was finished. He coughed, backed away and sat down on a chair.

"I have been sleeping all day, I'm wide awake...", she sighed, trying to hide a blush. She was not ready for this confrontation – at all.

"I heard you ripped your stitches today.", Chat Noir said, with a stern expression on his face.

Marinette blinked, astonished. "How'd you hear that?"

"Master Fu told me. I was surprised that you know him, he's … let's say a special man. But he didn't want to tell me how you know him."

Marinette almost sighed with relief. Her secret of being Ladybug was safe.
A while ago, she and Master Fu had devised a simple but foolprof story of how they had met, and now it was time to tell the lie and not rise any suspicion.

"I haven't known him for long, maybe seven or eight months?", she said. "I found an add on the internet, that's how we met."

Chat Noir looked surprised.

"Y-You're looking for men… on the internet?" His skin had turned white as a sheet.

Marinette didn't realise what he meant at first, but turned red as a cherry seconds later.

"Wha- no! Not like that, oh my god!"

Chat Noir could feel Plagg giggling, which sent ripples through his superhero suit.

"I want to go to a top school for design someday.", Marinette continued, "and I thought that voluntary work would look very good in my resumee. There is an agency on the internet that brings people together. Master Fu is not the youngest anymore, as I think you know, and he lives close by. I contacted him and I've since helped him with some everyday chores, I helped him with his massage parlour – again, not in the way you think! - and over the last seven months, he's become a cherished friend."

On the inside, Adrien sighed with relief. Also, doing voluntary work for elderly people, even if it was for credits and her resume, was very much like Marinette.

"We were out having coffee when this happened… Just two friends enjoying the day...", she said.

An awkward silence fell upon the two, both of them suddenly remembering their last encounter.

Marinette hastily tried to change the topic.

"The doctors are releasing me tomorrow."

"Already?", Chat Noir wondered. "You've been shot just three days ago!"

The young girl shrugged, which she regretted moments after and whinced.

"There's not much they can do here, and I'm bored out of my mind. I'll have to stay home for another few days before I can get back to school. But it was a clean shot, through and through, so it's up to my body to heal itself."

Chat Noir crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't like this. Knowing you, you will overexert yourself and overdo it."

"I will not!"

"Yes you will..."

Marinette sighed.

"I need to get out of here.", she said. "I don't have time to lie around in a hospital."

"Well, if you're being released, let me tell you this. Master Fu asked me to have an eye on you, princess. And I will do that."

Before he knew what came over him, Chat Noir leaned forward and put a chaste kiss onto Marinettes lips, before backing away.

"A good night kiss for my princess.", he said. "I'll come to your house tomorrow. And don't bother locking the windows, I'll find my way in.