#NINO KNOWS

[runawaycatwalker]

Part 29. Jumping to Convictions

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Description below the cut

A swarm of magical ladybugs sweeps over Carapace’s body and unpetrifies him

A close-up of Carapace’s hands as he falls to the ground and lets out a ‘gasp!’

A close-up of Carapace’s eyes, dripping with tears.

Carapace: Adrien...?

Cut to a frazzled Rena Furtive, gripping her flute as her mind races.  Carapace lands on the roof behind her.

Rena Furtive: Is there any other plausible explanation for... that?  Was I just seeing things?  Could there have been some sort of doppelganger...?  Maybe Chat's been in hiding at Adrien's and borrowed the ring...?  Can I let myself believe he actually pulled off that insane plan to replace himself without anyone knowing...?

Carapace: Rena?

Rena jerks as she turns to see Carapace approach her with hand outstretched.

Rena Furtive: Carapace!  What—

Carapace: Did anyone come near me after I got hit by the akuma?

Rena Furtive: I don't know?  Not for sure.  After you fell to the ground, I couldn't really see you, and then the last few minutes of the battle were... distracting.

Carapace covers his mouth, eyes widening in horrified comprehension.

Rena Furtive: So the only one I saw remotely near you was Catwalker.  I think he stayed there a couple minutes before going after the akuma?

Carapace: Then that means...

Carapace pleads with clenched fists in front of him.

Carapace: I think we've been entirely wrong about Catwalker.  Rena, I heard... I don't think I'm even allowed to say what.  And maybe it was a trick, or a side effect of the akuma, or whatever, but...  I believe Catwalker is completely on our side.  I really do.

Carapace, with sad puppy dog eyes, gives a ‘nod’.  Rena looks down at her flute as it lets out a loud ‘BEEP!’

Rena Furtive: You really think we can fully trust him?  Then— Sorry, I'm getting a call from Ladybug.  I need to take this.

A holographic screen pops up from Rena’s flute, on which Cosmobug’s angry face appears.

Rena Furtive: Hey, La—

Cosmobug (over phone): I AM GOING TO MURDER CATWALKER IN HIS SLEEP!

Rena Furtive: Back up.  What happened?

Cosmobug (over phone): The Lucky Charm worked! It led me to Adrien!

Rena Furtive: Isn't that good news?

Cosmobug (over phone): It was until I turned my back for one minute and he vanished all over again!

Rena Furtive bewilderedly watches the screen as Cosmobug goes on a tirade.  Behind her, Carapace trembles as he puts everything into forcing down the immense urge to open his big mouth.

Cosmobug (over phone): And immediately afterward, I see that Catwalker used a space power up to follow me here!  I just know he hid Adrien away somewhere to keep me from helping him!

Cosmobug fumes and clenches her yo-yo hard enough that if it wasn’t magical, it would have broken into tiny pieces.

Cosmobug: This has to be the final straw!  Catwalker is officially the most malignant person I've ever met!  (Besides Shadowmoth!)  (And Gabriel Agreste!)  (And Mayu—!)

Rena Furtive (over phone): Ladybug!  Listen...

Rena holds out her hand and glances behind her shoulder.

Rena Furtive: I was just talking to our informant.  They now believe that Catwalker is actually safe for us to trust.

Cosmobug (over phone): You can't be serious.

Rena Furtive: Completely serious.

Carapace silently looks away, his hood hiding the expression on his face.

Cosmobug (over phone): This is still the same person who couldn't stand Catwalker, right?  What could have possibly changed their mind?

Rena Furtive: I'm not sure.  They didn't think they could tell me their reasons.

Cosmobug (over phone): If they're telling you that, then they were probably blackmailed into claiming Catwalker's all sunshine and roses, so we can't trust—

Rena Furtive: I saw something too.

Rena looks out towards the city from atop the roof.

Rena Furtive: I don't think it was the same thing my informant heard.  And maybe I can't quite rule out the possibility that Catwalker tried to bamboozle us both while we believed he didn't know we were observing him.  But if even part of what we witnessed was real?  Catwalker is a far better person than any of us have given him credit for.

Rena holds up a finger thoughtfully.  In the background, Carapace looks on in bewildered ‘???’, an expression that reads ‘What on earth do you know about my best friend that I don’t???’

Cosmobug (over phone): Is this about his secret identity?  Did you recognize his face after seeing him detransform?

Rena Furtive: No, nothing like that.  I don't have a clue what his real name is.  But... I think I know a... pseudonym he used in the Ladyblog community at one point?

Cosmobug pokes toward her yo-yo screen, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Cosmobug: Just because he acts one way online, that doesn't mean it's who he really is.

Rena Furtive (over phone): You trust Chat Noir despite knowing nothing about the life he lives outside of the mask.

Cosmobug: That's different.

Rena Furtive (over phone): It's close enough.

Rena Furtive (over phone): Close enough that I think you should give him another chance.

Cosmobug looks away, biting her thumb nervously.

Cosmobug: I don't know... there are so many unknowns... I don't think I can work with Catwalker if I have any lingering doubts about him.  It's not that I don't trust you, it's just hard to trust at all.  This all was so much easier when it was just me and Chat, and I never had to question him on anything.  I just knew.

Rena Furtive (over phone): Then talk to him.

Rena looks at her screen with optimism and encouragement.

Cosmobug (over phone): What???  I can't just 'talk to' Chat Noir!

Rena Furtive: Sure you can!  You could meet up with Chat Noir in secret!  You always do better when you have his support, so why not let him support you?  He might even have answers!

Cosmobug (over phone): But I don't have a clue where he is or how to contact him!

Rena Furtive: Didn't Catwalker tell you that he could bring Chat Noir back safely?

Cosmobug (over phone): That doesn't mean I believed him!

Rena Furtive: If anything, we've proven that Catwalker can do things without anyone noticing.

Cosmobug (over phone): Mayura noticing isn't the problem—it's Catwalker.  What he'll do to Chat Noir without anyone knowing...

Rena smiles and waves away any doubts.

Rena Furtive: I'm not saying you have to trust Catwalker without taking any precautions.  I'll stake it all out and make sure everything's safe and that no one intervenes!  All you'd need to do is make sure that the Chat Noir who shows up isn't his evil twin or something!

Cosmobug looks away in thought.

Rena Furtive (over phone): I know it seems risky, but it's worth the risk, Ladybug.  You need to see the boy who used to be your partner again.  And I'd bet anything that Chat needs to talk to you too.

Cut to Cosmobug flying towards the Eiffel Tower, from the top of a long, thin, silver rod protrudes out to the side.  At the end the rod is a black, gray, and green blob.

Catwalker is lies on the end of his baton, his belt tying his body to the rod with his arms bound behind his back.  Cosmobug hovers a few feet away from him.

Catwalker: You didn't find Adrien, I take it?

Cosmobug: No.

Catwalker: I'm sorry.  Can we talk?

Cosmobug: No.

Catwalker looks up towards her uneasily.

Catwalker: Have you decided what you're going to do with me?

Cosmobug: Send Chat Noir back.

Cosmobug, eyes shrouded, makes her demand.

Cosmobug: Midnight tonight, on the rooftop where I first told him I had feelings for another boy.  I need to talk to him in private before I decide your fate.  He'll come alone.  Tell him to not be seen.

Catwalker’s eyes shine as he tries to contain his excitement.

Catwalker: Of course.  He'll be there.

Below is the same image as above, only without text:

[anna-scribbles]

inspired by recent events from my sister’s actual real life

[westywallowing]

oh the accidental transformations,,,

[celerydays]

Princess and the Frog Turtle AU 🐢👑

[chocostrwberry]

Adrien dressed by Nathalie, Marinette, and himself!! ☕️🌞🧦

[edorazzi]

Some Miraculous Twin AU content commissioned by @lapzoli!

She tried to pay me for this but she's been such an amazing friend the last few months (and in general really) that I point blank refused. And then she put up with me when I took 10 million years to finish this! She's the best person ever and a really talented fanfic writer, please give her a look! 🥰

[hamsternamedmarinette]

Hello everyone here's a comic that was spontaneous and definitely not planned in advance for @is-nino-actually-luka to avoid having to draw anybody!!! Also @is-nino-actually-luka had nothing to do with this comic what are you talking about!!!!!!!

[wafsspie]

Rekindling a friendship (bad quality :( sorry!!)

[bigfatbreak]

Birds of a Feather previous / next

[rwsdarw]

gang my friend DOES NOT like luka

[camomila-tea]

really love drowning (in plain sight) from @buggachat 😁 gave me many moments of dramatic irony where I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I loved it. Please continue with your good work buggachat 🤘

[miabrown007]

the summer after finishing university in New York, Marinette gets invited to a camping trip with Alya and Nino and his best friend. which, honestly, is for the best. at least she has more time than the four years she's already had to figure out how to reach out to her one-time superhero partner, with whom she fell out of touch after the reveal.

only, it's Adrien Agreste waiting for them on the meeting point, beaming so hard at her that it's blatantly obvious they know each other well. in her panic, what is Marinette supposed to tell Alya and Nino to protect their identites, if not that they used to date?

(fake exes AU x there was only one tent)

[zoe-oneesama]

Just want to say that I've loved reading your Scarlet Lady AU. It's been amazing to see your story grow and unfold in real time. It's the highlight of my day whenever I see that you've posted.

Just because it's been a while and I can't remember, did Adrien find out that his father didn't make his scarf or did Marinette just out Gabriel in a moment of righteous rage.

This is pretty much her accidental confession, but Adrien's opinion of Gabriel is at it's worst anyway, so, why not throw that on top?

[anna-scribbles]

anyone else up listening to robin by ts on repeat while thinking about how no one who loved adrien agreste ever told him the truth 🤨⁉️ just me?

[sofilandstuff]

Cause we probably won’t get Nino with the cat miraculous and I really wanted my boy to have a cool cat design, so I tried to do a quick doodle of him.