Behind the Mask (Book One)

Chapter 5

(Marinette's POV)
Realizing I have little time before I detransform, I quickly throw my Lucky Charm in the air.

Chat Noir wakes from his dream and stands up.

"Hey, m'lady. What did I miss?"

I frown, "I think we need to talk"

"Huh?" He becomes tense, "Am I in trouble?"

I shake my head, "It's just-"

I was interrupted by my beeping earrings.

I sigh, "We'll talk later tonight during patrol"

I quickly run out of sight and detransform.

~

"Marinette!" Adrien runs up to me when I return, "Are you alright?"

I nod.

What has gotten into Chat Noir? And Adrien? I'm starting to worry about those two.

~Later That Night~
(Adrien's POV)
I sit down on my couch, sore after another beating.

"Adrien," Plagg flies up to me with concern in his eyes, "Please tell someone about this before it's too late"

I shake my head, "I told you already, I'll just seem like I'm looking for attention"

I stand up and walk to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I take out a knife that I took from the kitchen and hold it to my left forearm. I drag the blade across my skin, tearing up a little at the pain. I proceed to make more cuts until I hear Plagg's voice outside the door.

"Adrien? Are you okay?"

I put the knife away, bandage my cuts, and roll down my sleeves, "Yeah, I'm good. I was just treating my wounds"

"It's almost time for patrol," Plagg says.

I open the door, "Okay. Plagg, claws out"
I said the magic words with an emotionless voice this time.

I transformed into Chat Noir and jump out my window, heading for the Eiffel Tower where I usually meet Ladybug.

I wonder what she wants to talk to me about?

~

Ladybug was already sitting at the top of the Eiffel Tower when I arrived.

"Hello, m'lady," I sat down next to her, "You wanted to talk to me about something?" Love confession perhaps?

"Yeah," she looks at me with a worried face, "It's about what happened during the akuma battle earlier today."

"Basically you fell asleep because of her power," she began, "And you were screaming in your sleep. It was something about your father"

I tensed up at the mention of my father.

"That wasn't the only thing concerning me," she continues, "You were also screaming about how you wished you were dead."

She inhales, "Chat, if there's anything bothering you, you can talk to me about it. Please don't end your life if that's what you're thinking about"

She noticed. Somebody noticed. Somebody cares. But how do I tell her?

"It's just," I run a hand through my hair, "I go through hell in my civilian life"

That was all I could manage to say. I didn't want her to worry about me. Most importantly, I don't want her throwing my father into prison.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.

I shake my head, "No. Not yet, at least"

Maybe I'll tell her one day. I'll tell her when I'm ready. I've never opened up to anyone before so I'm not used to this.

~

I lay down on my bed in the dark after a night of patrol, flinching as my scarred back hits the bed. Plagg fell asleep right away. I couldn't sleep. Whenever I sleep, I get haunted by nightmares. And sometimes my father-

"ADRIEN!"

Father slams the door open, not bothering to turn the lights on. I sit up as he approaches my bed. I look at the clock. It's 11 PM.

"Can I help you, Father?" I ask, trying to hide the fear and annoyance in my voice.

He grabs my shirt collar, "Did you sneak out again?"

I was shaking at this point. I nodded because I knew that if I lied, the consequences would be much worse.

That's when he forced me out of bed and threw me into the "torture room". My entire body was shaking, wondering what he'll do to me this time as he turns on the dim lamp.

His slender figure stepped towards me, hands behind his back. My feet were completely frozen, not letting me back away. He took one hand out from behind his back, revealing a long stick. He whacked me hard on the side, causing me to collapse. He kept hitting my already-scarred body. I closed my eyes tightly, causing tears to sneak out as I covered my mouth. I refused to scream this time. I know he likes hearing my screams of pain.

He stopped hitting me and I opened my eyes, lowering my hand. Is it done already?

That was when he grabbed my hair and pulled me up, causing a small grunt to escape my lips.

"Why aren't you screaming?!" He growls.

He throws me against the wall. Now my scream came out as my scars slammed into the wall.

An evil smile appears on my father's face as he steps towards me. He took his other hand out from behind his back, revealing a lighter.

"No... Please, anything but that!" I beg.

"This'll teach you not to sneak out again," his bitter voice says.

He grabbed my right arm and a flame ignited from the lighter. The flame inched closer and closer until it came into contact with my arm. I cried out from pain, tears escaping my eyes and pooling down my face. I had a feeling my father was calling me things like "worthless" again, but his voice was completely drowned out by my screaming.

He took the flame off my arm and threw me on the cold ground.

"Go back to your room!" He shouts.

I limp up the stairs and to my room for the second time that day. Thank god he didn't hold the lighter to my other arm.

Sometimes I get two beatings in one day. It depends on if my father drinks after dinner, and some days he does. He usually doesn't use "weapons" on me when it's late at night like this, but since he noticed that I snuck out, he worsened my punishment.

On some occasions, it does seem like I deserve his punishments. Other times, it's like I'm getting punished just for being alive.