Those With Powers - Miraculous Ladybug - Traits/Superpowers AU

Here To Stay

Adrien was certainly having a far harder time with his studying than he normally would have. He knew all the answers, he could do all the theory and rhetoric regarding the daily questions that were thrown at him on a regular basis. Years of private tutelage had left him with an intellect that wasn't anything to snuff at, so to suggest that these questions were difficult was almost an insult. The day itself wasn't anything special either, just the regular challenges he faced on a regular basis, the worst that would be thrown at him would be a textbook on the Great Trait war and the Human – Primal war.

The abnormal thing about today was the burn marks on his chest, now covered up with a charcoal black vest, a black T-shirt, and his normal white jacket. While three layers of clothing did little to help him keep cool, it hid the circular-spiral burned flesh from around his heart, so no one would notice such a brutal injury and question him of it. He couldn't go to his father and explain the wreckage done to his skin, as his father would no doubt use it as an excuse to pull Adrien from the school, nor could he go to the school nurse for treatment, as they would inevitably tell his father of the marks. The laws be damned, Gabriel Agreste certainly would not allow his son to go to a school where this could be the end result, and even though Adrien knew that wasn't the reason, having to explain to his father that he was the newest Vigilante roaming the streets of Paris was a sure fire way to God knew what sort of retribution. He would have to go to a hospital later on, when he had some spare time.

He had staggered home the previous night and collapsed in his bed, and stagger really was the right word. Teleporting was painful – Extremely painful, and he couldn't manage more than a few meters without collapsing. He'd basically moved like a baby first learning how to walk on his way back home, but not before he had questioned what the hell had been wrong with Ladybug.

That had not been the Ladybug he remembered. That had not been the person who had saved him, the person who defeated Molecular in an instant, the strong female Vigilante that Adrien had wanted to meet. She had sprung into action against a Villain like Molecular, but done nothing against Sunstreak. She'd just stood there, paralysed with what could only assume to be fear, and Chat Noir, whom had never done this Vigilante work before, had done all the fighting. Surely that should be the other way around?

Sighing, Adrien scribbled out the answer he had written in the answer box, after realising he had done a silly miscalculation. Perhaps Ladybug wasn't the person he thought she was. Perhaps she was what he had assumed Vigilantes to be all along. Headstrong, reckless idiots, only this one having a slightly higher success rate. But that left Chat Noir as an established Vigilante, and he wasn't even close to being done with that sort of life. Tucked underneath all the books in his bag, and under a black blanket cover at the bottom of the rucksack, were the clothes he needed to become Chat Noir. He had begun this adventure of his, and he wanted to keep going with it. Despite the pain his chest was enduring, he felt he had to try this, at least once more. If he failed... It would just be conclusive proof he wasn't ready to become a Hero.

Or, he'd end up in a shallow grave somewhere outside of Senlis.

"Dude, you doing okay?" The Dual Trait user's Hydrokinetic friend prodded his upper arm with a sharpened pencil, which quickly shot Adrien straight out of his trance. Normally he would be angry at such a rude awakening of his thoughts, but he didn't even have the energy to be so.

"Ah... Sorry, Nino." Adrien said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck and giving an awkward smile. "Just... Some thoughts got into my head is all."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Personal stuff man. I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Alright, that's cool." Nino reassured his friend with a pat on the shoulder. "Just don't stress yourself out, yeah?"