Chapter Text
"Why me?" he asked, slowly, slipping the black ring onto his right hand and watching it turn into a simple silver band with a single tiny garnet set into it. He looked back to his companion (his rival, best friend, and crush, as childish as it sounds). The blond shrugged plainly.
"I wouldn't trust anyone else with this kind of power." He frowned. The blond sighed and answered the unasked question. "Yes, I'm sure. Out of all of us, you understand best what it means to destroy." He winced. "Not a jab against you. Just a statement of fact. You've done this before. You get it. But this time-"
"'-you'll be doing this for a good cause'..." he murmured, vivid green eyes scanning the city skyline. He was sat on one of the many rooftops within Paris, leaning against a chimney with one leg hanging over the side of the building, the other bent to prop up an arm. His other hand rested on the shingles underneath him, tapping a rhythm only his fingers knew. His belt-tail flicked under him, the magic flowing from the ring animating it, creating the realistic movements. The hero - not that he'd done anything really heroic, yet - sighed, turning from the skyline to the sky. Thousands of stars twinkled there. "A good cause, hmm...?" he asked no one in particular. He could almost hear the confident words his predecessor had assured him of for weeks before he came here. "I'll do you proud. Or as proud as one can be of someone like me." The stars didn't answer. The night's silence stretched into what felt like oblivion.
Is it wrong that he hated how quiet it was?
Goro stood at the bakery's counter, looking over the selection of pastries under the glass. The scent of baking bread wafted out from behind the counter, making the entire building smell heavenly. His phone vibrated, and he looked down at the open chat.
Goro sent an image.
Ren: Yeah, that's the place.
Ren: The owners are lovely people.
Ren: Everything's made fresh, too, so you know it's good quality.
Goro: I can tell.
Goro: Any recommendations?
Ren: Pancakes work for you?
Goro: Very funny.
Goro sent an image.
Goro: An actual recommendation, if you please. I'm looking for some breakfast.
Ren: Yeah, yeah. Give me a sec.
Ren: Try their chocolate croissants or banana nut bread. Both are really good to start the day.
New Message
Ren: Hell, get both. That's what I did, when I didn't have my handler breathing down my neck.
Goro hummed. That did sound like a nice meal... He quickly thanked his rival (best friend), then slipped his phone into his pocket and approached the counter. The girl behind it looked to be no older than Ren (that was his legal name, now, wasn't it? It had been changed?), perhaps slightly younger. Her body was made of subtle, lean muscle, though she was still petite, only reaching his shoulder in height. Her face was kind in appearance, soft with small, rounded features, and was framed by dark, raven black hair pulled into twin buns on either side of her head. Bluebell blue eyes sparkled at Goro as a bright smile crossed her face.
"Hi!" she cheerily greeted as he approached. "Find what you want?" Her positive energy was near intoxicating, pulling a smile from him, despite himself.
"Yes. A slice of banana nut bread and a chocolate croissant, please." He pulled out his wallet, already looking for his debit card. The girl nodded, though an odd look came over her face as she did. Goro worried if he'd, maybe, mistranslated something. Did he use the wrong word? "Is everything alright?" The girl looked back at him as she took his card and swiped it.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, it's just... a couple of years ago, this guy would get the same order some mornings. Not every day. Not really. But often enough." She shook her head, returned his card, and retrieved the pastries. Goro tilted his head.
"What happened?" She paused and stood up, two bags in hand.
"He... had to move away." It didn't take a genius to tell that she'd given an incomplete explanation. Goro raised an eyebrow. She handed him his bags. "But, it's ok. We still talk sometimes. He's doing much better than he was, so I guess it's for the best." She shrugged.
"His name wouldn't happen to be 'Adrien,' would it?" Goro asked, following a hunch from what little information he had. If Ren had taught him anything, he should listen to his instincts. And he felt he knew exactly who this girl was talking about and, by extension, who this girl was. Said girl blinked, surprised by the blunt question.
"Uh... Y-Yeah, how did you...?"
"I know him," Goro explained with a nonchalant shrug. "He talked about you sometimes. The Baker's Daughter with a penchant for fashion design. Marinette, correct?" Her eyes widened as he spoke, looking almost surprised that she'd met a friend of a friend.
"I, uh..." She found she could only really nod in shock. The ex-detective hummed.
"Goro. A pleasure." He turned. "Thank you." And with that, he left.
Mari: Hey! So I have a question
Adrien: I'm out with a buddy, but I can answer real quick.
Adrien: What's up?
Mari: Oh, sorry
Mari: I didn't mean to interrupt
Adrien: Nah, we're just out for a jog. What's your question.
Mari: Ok uh
Mari: Do you know anyone named Goro?
Mari: Because a guy came by the bakery and said he knew you???
Adrien: Goro?
Mari: Yeah
Adrien: Brown hair, brown/red eyes, bad case of resting bitch face?
Mari: kdjdkksjd I mean, yeah, vut omg
Mari: I'll never get used to you cursing, I swear
Adrien: 🙃
Mari: 😖
Adrien: Anyway, yeah, I know him.
Adrien: Great guy, kinda depressed.
Adrien: What do you think of him?
Mari: I don't think I can have an opinion on him. He didn't really talk much. Just ordered his food, said he knew you and that you talked about me, and then left
Adrien: Lol
Mari: ????
Adrien: He's being prickly. It takes a while for him to open up to people.
Adrien: Give him time, he'll come around.
Mari: Are
Mari: Are you trying to set him up as my friend?
Adrien: Maybe
Adrien: Gotta go. Talk to you Sunday?
Mari: Yeah
Mari: Bye, Adrien.
Ladybug lept away from another black rose arrow, trying to think of a plan. Dark Cupid cackled from above, following her path along the roofs. She needed to find a place to summon her Lucky Charm. Somewhere to think up a plan. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought about how she would have preferred if her Kitty were present. He made all of these fights so much easier. And yet, for the last two years, Chat Noir had not been seen, and he wouldn't communicate with her when she tried to get ahold of him. Paris's Black Cat and his Miraculous had simply vanished , never to be seen again. She knew Hawkmoth didn't have the Ring. After all, the Akumas still demanded both. But not even she knew where her partner had gotten off to.
She had to admit, she was a little bitter about it. With no warning, Chat Noir disappeared and didn't even have the decency to leave her with the Ring. Wherever he had gone, he'd taken the power of absolute destruction with him. She couldn't help but find it a passive-aggressive statement born from pettiness. "You may be the Guardian, but the Ring is mine." It sounded like something that Tomcat would do. Maybe. Was her anger clouding her judgment of her Kitty?
Because despite that, she still missed him . His skills and abilities, sure, but also their chemistry as a team. His smile, his laugh, his constant flirting, hell, even his God- awful puns. As angry as she was, she missed him and wanted him back. Or, at the very least, give her a sign that he was ok, that Plagg was safe, that he was coming back, eventually . But there was nothing. Not so much as a whisper.
The red and black heroine swung into a long-evacuated building, breathing heavily. She pulled out her yo-yo, praying that Tikki had given her something good today, and threw it. "Lucky Charm!" With a whoosh and a flash of light, the object of the day appeared and fell into her hands.
A cat mask.
Not a Chat Noir mask, mind you. This one was modeled after a Japanese Yokai mask. Her mind immediately jumped to needing him, anyway, and her eyes teared up. She knew it. Eventually, she would get to a point where she couldn't win without him. But he wasn't here. How can she win if the one person she needs isn't present ?
"Here, Buggy, Buggy, Buggy~!" Dark Cupid's voice cut through her thoughts, causing her to flatten her back against the wall, hugging the lucky charm to her chest. She couldn't get lost in her head right now. She needed a plan. What can she use? How can she do this? "I've got a present for you~."
"How considerate. Unfortunately, I don't think she's open to Valentines." The air stilled at the new voice. It was a low tenor, rough around the edges, but still somehow smooth. There was a sharpness to his tone - he was undoubtedly a man - like running your hand along a sharp, well-used knife. It felt both foreign and familiar to Ladybug, but she couldn't fathom why in either direction. So, she chanced a glance from her cover and froze stalk still.
The source of the new voice was a man dressed in a black suit, black leather armor layered overtop with silver accenting along the edges. A belt draped off his hips, various pouches hanging from it, the rest falling behind him and flicking about like a cat's tail (likely animated by magic). A black half cloak, trimmed in green, fell from the mystery man's shoulders and extended up in a hood that covered his head. Based on the shape, it was apparent there were ears underneath. The hood cast a shadow over the man's face, leaving only his vividly green eyes and a large, near-feral grin visible. It was an ugly smile, the kind a predator gave to its prey before it swallowed it whole. His body language matched such a description, appearing entirely relaxed, even a little bored, his right hand propped on his hip, left loosely holding his silver baton out like a sentry holds a spear. A green dot could be seen on his right hand, where his middle finger would be, all but confirming who this was.
A Chat Noir.
Just not her's .
"Who the hell are you ?" Dark Cupid asked incredulously, voicing Ladybug's exact thoughts. The new Chat Noir laughed, a sharp, ugly thing that reminded the heroine of the cackle of a hyena rather than anything a cat could do. Ladybug's brain attempted to rationalize what she saw, a whirlwind of confusion and minor betrayal flitting through her head. He moved along the roof's edge, his movements languid—a panther readying to strike.
"Ah, you're cute," the feline... hero(?) cackled, clearly amused. "If you must know-" He bowed deeply, arms extending out like an actor on a stage. "-I am Kurohyō, the new wielder of the Black Cat's Miraculous." He straightened, green eyes narrowing. "And you are being a nuisance. I would greatly appreciate it if you would kindly stop and hand over your connection to Hawkmoth." Dark Cupid growled and knocked an arrow, losing it in... well, Kurohyō's direction. An arrow the new hero(?) easily dodged. His grin somehow became broader and sharper, a flash of... something going off in his eyes. " Perfect ..." Ladybug couldn't decide if he said the word or just straight up purred it before watching him leap down and push the black angel villain into the ground, burying his face there.
Then locked eyes with Ladybug and leaped for the next roof.
The heroine followed, chasing the alleycat across Paris until he'd deigned to stop. He turned to her, cackling to himself to a joke only he seemed to know. "Not the entrance I was planning, exactly, but I couldn't resist." Ladybug looked him up and down as he bowed to her, this time with his left hand over his chest, his right held down and out. "As you may have heard, Kurohyō, at your service." He stood up, a manic twinkle in his eye. "I've been tasked with being your new partner." New partner?
"Wait, what happened to Chat Noir?" Kuro grimaced.
"He's ah... retired."
" Retired?! " Kuro's hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her away from a black arrow that he deflected with his baton.
"Maybe it would be best to have this conversation later , yes?"
"YOU'RE DEAD , ALLEYCAT!"
"You don't think I made him angry, do you?" Ladybug looked at him like he was nuts. Maybe he was.
'Chatton, just who did you give your Miraculous to? And why ?'
Dealing with Dark Cupid was trivial after Kurohyō's arrival, especially since he already seemed to be an incredibly skilled fighter. And... really unpredictable.
Yes, he did the job, and in a way, he was utterly brilliant, but fuck if Ladybug could pin down what he was going to do next. Chat Noir was a little wild, sure, but he was practically tame compared to this guy. Kuro took great joy in combat, and it seemed he enjoyed running circles around his opponent. Mania appeared to be the name of the game with him. But he was also very, very intelligent and used his knowledge effectively. His fighting style, more than Chat Noir's brute force method, was cunning and creative. As it turned out, those pouches on his belt held a variety of different objects that he used to control both the Battlefield and Dark Cupid's mobility, including smoke bombs, strange contraptions that shoot gusts of wind, electrified darts, and even a mother fucking molotov cocktail at one point. He explained to Ladybug, rather quickly, as Dark Cupid was recovering from being knocked out of the sky by one of his wind contraptions, that he made them himself and that Plagg didn't supply them. Supposedly, his little flair added to his abilities, giving him a variety of what he could do. It was not something Ladybug had considered before, but it made sense.
And in the end, his odd creations were what was needed.
Even better, despite his feral fighting style, Kuro had managed to keep casualties and damage to a minimum during the fight. He did really well for a debut, and the media seemed to eat him up, even as he preened under the flash of the cameras next to Ladybug.
Mari: There's a new Hero in town
Adrien: I saw.
Adrien: Anyone get his name? Doesn't seem like Alya did.
Mari: Kurohyo, apparently
Adrien: Yeah, that's definitely better than Chat Noir
Mari: Chat Noir isn't a bad name
Adrien: What you gotta crush on that tomcat or something?
Mari: ...
Adrien: Omg, Mari, no way...
Mari: LOOK
Mari: Chat Noir was sweet and kind and careing and loyal and half the girls in the city had a crush on him, puns be damned!
Mari: Not to mention he was damn PRETTY
Adrien: Eh
Adrien: I think Kurohyo's better.
Mari: ?
Adrien: Super suit is giving hard-core rogue vibes.
Adrien: And I have a thing for guys who are low-to-high-key feral, so he is an instant hit for me.
Mari: Smash or Pass?
Adrien: Oh, instant Smash, hands down.
Mari: And Chat Noir?
Adrien: Pass
Adrien: He looks like my cousin and I do not want to be thinking of him while doing the horizontal mumbo, know what I mean?
Mari: akskdjdkdkd OMG
Mari: What about Ladybug?
Adrien: No yeah, she's a Smash.
Adrien: Also hands down.
Adrien: Ngl, she could tell me to get on my knees and I do it, no hesitation.
Mari: aldkdjfkslsjd whipped
Adrien: Yes, and?
Mari: I
Mari: huh
Mari: Yeah, ok, can't tease a guy who owns it, can I?
Adrien: I have, what, 5 girlfriends and 3 boyfriends?
Mari: Jesus, that many?
Adrien: Just did a head count, yeah, I'm right.
Adrien: 8 SOs.
Adrien: And I am whipped for all of them.
Mari: I forget you are, like, the defenition of poly
Mari: Wait, head count?
Mari: Are you with them?
Adrien: Yeah, we're having a sleepover with Futaba.
Mari: Sorry
Mari: I don't mean to pull you away from them
Adrien: Nah, you're good.
Adrien: We're just rewatching some FPRO.
Mari: Still
Mari: I should let you get back your sleepover
Mari: Tell everyone I said hi
Adrien: Every says hi back!
Adrien sent and image.
"Hey." Goro looked up from his laptop and found the girl from the bakery standing next to his table. She was wearing a pink shirt under a brown shoulder jacket and black pants. Her hair had been let down from their buns today, tied back into twin tails at either side of her head instead. Like a certain superheroine, he noted silently. A pink shoulder bag stuffed with papers, notebooks, and fabric hung at her side. "Goro, right?" She asked, shifting her weight.
"Yes," he confirmed, tilting his head at her. "And you're Marinette." She nodded.
"Yeah! We met at my parents' bakery!" Her positive energy was, once again, quite infectious, and she pulled a ghost of a smile from him.
"I recall. What can I do for you?" She sat in the chair across from him, taking off her bag.
"I wanted to get to know you better. A friend of Adrien's is a friend of mine, so..." She trailed off expectantly. Or maybe fearfully. After all, if she had spoken to Ren about him, she might expect him to tell her to scram. And maybe once, he would have. He closed his laptop and slotted it back into his briefcase, stacking his case files, and school notes neatly atop it before snapping the article closed and turning to her. "What would you like to know?" She blinked, deflating.
"Oh, was I... interrupting something?"
"Nothing that couldn't be finished at a later date," Goro admitted. "I was working ahead on some school work, so I have time." She perked up.
"Oh! You're in school?"
"Year one of University. I'm majoring in Criminal Justice, specifically." Her eyes lit up.
"Are you looking to become a lawyer?" Goro chuckled.
" Detective , actually. I worked as a Detective Intern while in high school back in Japan, so I have a fair few cases under my belt already. I came here to further my education." Marinette frowned.
"Why not stay there? It sounds like you were going to get a jump start on your career." Goro winced.
"That's... a simple question with a complicated answer." Her frown became a look of concern. Goro looked away. "Let's just say I made some mistakes that... hampered my progress and leave it at that, yes?" She nodded.
"Ok, that makes sense. Are you working, too?" Goro sighed gently, thankful for the redirection.
"Yes. I'm working in the Police Department as a Special Investigations Detective. Well-" He waved a hand dismissively. "- officially, I'm still only an intern in the SIU, but they treat me as a fully-fledged member of the team due to my experience in the field, so that's really just semantics ."
"Wow..." Marinette said softly, a soft blush on her face. "That's... incredible ." Goro gave a half-shrug and tried not to preen under the praise. He liked it but had yet to earn that kind of praise. Until he did, it would always feel hollow.
"What about you?" Marinette jumped at the question as though shocked. "What do you do? Aside from helping your parents at the bakery, that is." Goro glanced down, eyeing the bag.
"I'm in my Terminale Year. But I want to become a fashion designer one day." She seemed bashful admitting this information. "I make all of my own clothing, and I've already had a fair amount of commissions for things over the years." Goro blinked in surprise. A fashion designer, huh? And she made her clothing? He looked over her outfit again.
"I can see why. Your clothing has quite the quality to it." Her blush darkened.
"Oh, um... thank you?" He raised an eyebrow, a ghost of a smile appearing.
"Is that a question?"
"I-I just-! I don't get a lot of compliments like... that. How can you tell?"
"Fashion is a bit of a passion of mine," Goro admitted without shame. "I make it a point to be well dressed. It presents a positive image to others and encourages my own confidence." He motioned to her bag. "May I see some of your designs?" She glanced down, blushed darker, and nodded.
"S-Sure!" It took a bit of fumbling, but eventually, Goro was flipping through one of her sketchbooks slowly, looking over the various designs within. They discussed the designs for what felt like minutes but had to have been hours, talking over inspiration and interpretation. Ultimately, they had to stop because Goro had received a text from work requesting his presence at the station. As he got up, Marinette scrambled with her bag. Though, by the time she'd gotten her phone out to try and ask for his number, he'd paid for their coffees and vanished into the crowd.
Mari: I met Goro again, today
Mari: He said he liked my designs
Adrien: Really? Congrats.
Mari: ?
Mari: I mean, I'm glad he likes them, but it isn'tthat big of a deal
Adrien: Yeah, it is.
Adrien: Impressing Goro is like getting a standing ovation from anyone else.
Adrien: Or, "effing difficult", to use Ryuji's words.
Adrien: So, seriously, congrats.
Mari: Thanks
Mari: Btw, he mentioned he was a Detective in Japan
Mari: How did you two meet?
Mari: Were you guys in the same school?
Adrien: Nah, school trip to a TV station
Adrien: He was being interviewed about a case he'd just taken on, and we butted heads on live TV
Adrien: He decided I was a little shit and gave me his number.
Adrien: The rest, as they say, is history.
Mari: Adrien, are you and Goro dateing? 👀👀👀
Adrien: God, I wish...
Adrien: He is so pretty...
Mari: Really? Not even a hookup?
Adrien: Pretty sure he would have strangled me in my sleep if we did.
Adrien: Probably would have been more effective, too
Mari: Please tell me that's a joke
Adrien: ...
Adrien: I refuse to answer that question without the presence of my lawyer.
Mari: ADRIEN
Mari: Are you sure this guy likes you?
Adrien: Yeah, we're chill.
Mari: Even if he wanted to kill you, at one point?
Adrien: It's ok, he missed.
Mari: I'm never getting context for that, am I?
Adrien: Not any time soon, probably.
Ladybug approached him on one of the beams of the Eiffel Tower (where she and Chat used to meet). He seemed... calmer now; the sharp smile and hyena cackle traded for something more... somber. Whatever mania had befallen him during the Attack appeared to have vanished, leaving something that could best described as... content. He was sitting on the beam's edge, leaning into the vertical beam next to him, one leg hanging over the side. His hood was pulled down, revealing a shaggy mane of chestnut hair. His vivid green eyes flicked to Ladybug as she landed, the bottoms of her feet clicking against the metal.
"Ladybug," he greeted, returning to look over the city. She kept her distance.
"... Who are you?"
"Someone who's here to help." She frowned. She imagined Chat Noir must have told him the importance of keeping his identity a secret.
"What happened to Chat Noir?" She could learn that, at least. Kuro shrugged.
"He retired." Ladybug huffed.
"You can't just retire from being a hero. Besides, that doesn't explain where he's been for the last two years!" Kuro glanced at her again, a whirlwind of emotions flashing in his gaze: curiosity, wariness, anger, guilt, and fear.
"That's not a story for me to tell, I'm afraid," he finally said softly, avoiding her eyes. "It's his."
"Not one I can get from him," Ladybug said bitterly.
"My apologies, I wasn't aware I was a messenger boy." The blunt sarcasm took her off guard. He sighed. "Listen, Osa-san-" Ladybug blinked at the name, not understanding what he said but recognizing that it was meant to be... somewhat affectionate. "-Chat Noir has his reasons. The fact of the matter is, he's passed on the torch for one reason or another." He paused. "While I don't have liberty to tell the whole story, I can say this: he isn't coming back. Not for a long while."
"So... what, you're his plan B?" Ladybug asked. Kuro grimaced.
"I'm his solution , Osa-san. You needed a partner. He wasn't going to be here to perform such duties. I was. It was logical." A pause. "Even if I... don't quite understand his reasoning for me being his first option." He turned back to the city, seemingly lost in thought. Ladybug relaxed.
He was just like her at first. Lost in a world he didn't understand, of heroes and villains and magic and kwamis, uncertain of his place in it and insecure about why he, specifically, was singled out of millions. He knew, logically, why the ring was in his possession, but he didn't quite see what Chat Noir did and likely wouldn't for some time. Finally, Ladybug came and sat next to him, looking out into the city. He glanced at her, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips.
'Don't worry, Chatton,' she thought, silently sitting with him. 'I'll take care of him.'
Mari: You know, Kurohyo is kinda growing on me
Adrien: Kurohyo is cool. Am I right, or am I right?
Mari: Yeah, you're right... 😔
Adrien: Lol
Adrien: You say that like it's a bad thing.
Mari: Not really, no
Mari: Honestly, Kurohyo and Ladybug feel more like they're on equal footing, ability-wise
Adrien: Like actual partners?
Mari: Yeah
Adrien: Not surprising. Kurohyo seems to have a knack with doodads.
Adrien: Just means he's got his own gadgets to go with Ladybug's Lucky Charms.
Mari: Right?
Mari: I think he's grown on Ladybug, too
Adrien: What makes you say that?
Mari: Just a hunch
Mari: She doesn't seem as nervous around him, anymore, at least
Adrien: True.
Marinette came down the stairs that morning to run into her mother. "Oh! Perfect timing!" Her mother handed her a card with a knowing smile. "A nice young man wanted me to give this to you this morning!" She giggled and turned, walking back into the bakery downstairs. Marinette blinked and looked down at the card. It was simple and professional looking, complete with email and phone number, and the name "Goro Akechi" blazoned atop it in bold. Neat handwriting had written another number under the one printed on the card, the word "personal" next to it, and one line of text.
"Contact me."
Marinette felt a smile spreading on her face, so she pulled out her phone. She registered the number under Goro's name and texted him.
Mari: Hey, Goro! It's Marinette! I got your card! Thanks for your number, I hope you have a good day!
A response came almost immediately, sending a thrill through Marinette.
Goro: I'm glad you received it. You as well.
Mari: I have his number.
Adrien: Nice.