ADRIEN

"Get up you lazy bum!" A sudden loud voice paired with hands pushing me off my bunk bed wakes my groggy self.

"Gosh..." I push myself up on the floor with my elbows. They ache as I prop them up. My hand shoots up in front of me to cover my eyes as they squint and try to adjust with the sudden brightness of the bunker. "W-what is going on?"

"Wake up!" Alya's cheerful face comes into view. She starts to do stretching exercises at my right. "It's time for our early morning run!" She announces.

I look around the bunker and notice that we are the only ones inside. "Where are the others?"

"They all left already. You should be thankful that I decided to wait for you!" She grabs ahold of my hands and starts to lift me up. "Now stand up!"

I groan and shake my hands away from her grasp. I fall on the floor again. "Let me sleeeeeeep!"

Ever since I had to start learning new lessons and start teaching Marinette in a fast pace, my body has been telling me to stop over-using it. Like seriously, even worrying over Marinette is taking a toll on my physicality. It has truly been a long time since I have felt this tired.

"I'm tir-"

"Me too!" Alya cheerfully cuts me off. She now grabs ahold of my legs and starts pulling them. "It's 3:30 in the morning and all of us are tired! But come on, we got a three-hour run waiting for us!"

"THREE HOURS? I'm too tired to do any kind of crap!" My body rolls so that I can lie down on my stomach. But Alya's hold on my legs stops me from doing so. "Please let go of me..."

"I won't stop until you get up. You have to be fit!"

"My body has enough abs to be considered irresistible already!" I whine. I start to lift my shirt, "Here's proof-"

"I-I don't need proof!" Alya frantically pulls down my shirt. "Jesus, you are such a burden so early in the morning..." She mutters under her breath.

"What did you say?" I ask, trying to seem clueless even if I heard every single word she said.

"N-nothing!" She says, trying to cover up her words. "Please get up. Even the soldiers have left us already!"

My ears perk up and my eyes fly wide open like as if I feel much more awake now upon hearing the word 'soldiers'.

"S-soldiers?" I question cautiously, "Even the privates?"

"All of them." She simply answers.

So Marinette will be there?

I clear my throat and start to slowly get up, "Okay. You win. I don't want to feel ashamed later when people will tease me of being the only one who did not run today..." I say, masking my excitement of just seeing Marinette early in the morning.

"That's the spirit!" Alya cheers, completely oblivious to my sudden change of character. "Now start stretching with me!"

"No." I push myself off the floor. "We gotta start catching up with them right now!"

--------

"W-wait up!" Alya shouts with exhaustion at me.

I laugh looking behind me and seeing her struggle to run in the same pace as me. "Just one more hour, Alya! And then we're done!"

"Seriously, I'm going to die!"

I chuckle before looking ahead again. All of us nurses are wearing white shirts with shorts while the soldiers, to our right, are wearing their standard military uniform.  My smile turns into a frown as I look around and realize that I haven't seen Marinette yet.

I'm just interested on how fast she runs...it's part of her training!

Someone jolts my shoulder and my eyes widen in surprise to see Alya beside me already.

"H-how?"

"I ran fast...Whoo! I somehow...forgot how to breathe!" Alya grabs my arm to stop me from running. Her body hunches as she takes deep breaths one at a time. "Can we skip the route and go back, please?" The rest of the nurses have left us behind already and the soldiers are even far ahead.

There is one route I know that can lead us back to the garrison in less than an hour. I don't want Alya to feel more tired than before and I don't want to tire myself too. And with this chance, no one will know that we left.

"I know a route that leads us back to the garrison." I suggest and she rolls her eyes.

"Well why didn't you mention that an hour ago? Let's go!" She pushes at my back. I grab her arm and pull her with me.

We start walking at a different direction in the woods, Alya at my back as I clear the path for her.

"So..." She starts after a few minutes. "Marinette will be getting the mark tonight?"

I look at her whilst walking, "Yeah, just her." I kick a pebble away.

"The general has to get emotionally ready to mark his niece-"

"He doesn't have to get ready..." I whisper not intending to let Alya hear me. Unfortunately, she hears it loud and clear.

"Wha- Hey! Don't continue walking away from me!" She grabs my arm and yanks me to her side. "What are you trying to mean?"

"The general will not be the one to mark her." Rubbing on the spot of my arm where Alya held on tight, I inform her. "She asked me to do it."

"Is she aware that you have never done that yet? It has always been the general."

The silence between us was just enough to answer her question. She shakes her head in disappointment. "Oh my goodness."

"H-how was I supposed to turn her down?!" I start defending myself, "She wanted me to do it and I couldn't just say no! I could have lost her trust in an instant."

"I know, I know. But you could have thought of the probability of getting her hurt! And there is like a 95 percent chance of that happening!" She yells at me the same time I feel a sudden push of pain on my right temple.

"A-ah!" I cry out in pain. I lean on a tree and start to feel dizzy as my eyesight becomes blurry with the appearance of black moving spots and suddenly, I can see two figures of Alya swirling around. Forcefully, I close my eyes and open them. I keep on repeating the same process until I finally see clearly. Alya approaches me with a face full of worry.

"Are you okay?" She places a palm on my forehead then on my neck. "I am sorry for scolding you too much. Adrien, you aren't feeling well."

"I'm fine." I sigh and feel my forehead and neck. They don't feel very hot, and I don't feel feverish.

"But you almost fainted, Adrien." She clicks her tongue and places an arm of mine around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" I ask as she starts to walk. I have no choice but to also walk along with her.

"You can faint at any moment. It's better if you're leaning on me for support in case you really faint."

I scoff and scoot away from her. I continue to walk normally and I turn back to look at her. "I told you that I'm fine, Alya. I don't have any fever and I don't feel any headache."

"I just want to help-"

"I know." I cut her off, "And I thank you for that, but there are more things at hand I have to worry about...and my health is not one of those things at the moment."

"But at least take some medication." She insists.

I silently sigh and rub the bridge of my nose, "Fine." I say with no emotion. "But I will take them when I'm not anymore busy, okay?"

"Deal. But you better take them and stay well." She flashes a smile at me, "You wouldn't want to let Marinette down, would you?"

I rest an arm on her shoulders and pout at her, "Take me to the infirmary pwease!" I say in a baby-voice, "I don't feel well!"

"Yeah right." She pushes me off her and I fall on the ground. "Let's get moving already. And plus, you didn't answer yet my question."

----------

"Looks like someone skipped the morning jog."

Marinette chokes on her water as I surprise her with a hard pat on the back.

"Oh, shoot!" I panic and grab a handful of paper napkins. I hand all of them to her but she does not accept them. Marinette doesn't stop coughing and now I am left with no choice but to start wiping her part of the table that is wet.

"Geez, I didn't know that you get scared easily..." I whisper as I grab another paper napkin to wipe the table.

"This...this isn't." She coughs, "the first time you...surprised me." She finishes while wheezing and taking deep breaths.

"And what happened during that first time?" I continue wiping the table until she gets the paper napkins from me and starts to wipe her mouth.

"I was drinking water too that time." She starts, "And you approached me with your intimidating voice. I bet you thought that I looked like a stray dog that time..."

I take a seat beside her and rest my head on my hand. I smirk at her as she gives me that weird look of hers.

"Why are sitting beside-"

"You're too cute." I interrupt and instantly, she turns away.

"Why the sudden statement?" She quietly asks, her back facing me. I inch closer to her and I notice that she is slowly scooting farther from me.

"You still remember the first time I approached you...and that happened like a month ago."

"So?" She murmurs.

"You know, it's disrespectful when a private is not facing or looking at her superior when the both of them talk" I smirk again as she stiffens upon hearing me speak close to her ear.

She suddenly turns to look at me, her face twisted with anger. "First you surprise me then flirt with me..."

F-flirt?!

"And now you're demanding me!" She continues, her voice getting louder each time she talks. "Are you..." Instantly her facial expression changes from anger to pity. "Are you okay?" Surprisingly, she asks me softly and her hand flies up to my forehead. She caresses it with the back of her hand and I jolt from her touch.

"Stay still." She whispers and cups both of my cheeks with her hands. "Face me." She instructs. Her eyes waver before looking at my...lips.

Oh my God.

So this is what it feels like when the tables are turned.

Is this like a 'nurse' instinct? Her whole demeanor changed in a snap and now I am the one that is at a loss for words.

My cheeks start to flush as her finger touches my lips. I grab her hand and hold it still.

"Let me go, Lieutena-"

"You shouldn't be touching me like this in a public area such as the canteen." I cut her off. A sudden piercing surge of pain hits me again, specifically at my left temple. I stay quiet and hope that Marinette won't notice my sudden discomfort.

"I don't care. You are clearly not feeling well and I'm scared that you won't be able to do your job tonight."

She's really worried over me.

"I'll take medicine, Marinette." I assure her and evidently, she lets out a sigh of relief.

"Good. Don't make me worried like that. I am really counting on you, Adrien."

I smile at her despite my bothering headache. It is very tempting for me to massage my head this instant, but I can't show Marinette that I am in pain right now. I have to be the strong one for her.

"Thank you, by the way." I say as I stand up from sitting on the bench. "You checked-up on me...it's been a long time since someone has done that for me." I nervously rub the nape of my neck. "I'll see you tonight at the general- well...your uncle's bunker."

"Will there be a lot of people tonight?" She asks.

"I hope not." I simply reply. Her eyes widen with my answer and I just shrug my shoulders.

But really, I'm praying that there won't be a lot of people tonight.

-----------

My prayers were not answered.

Marinette has been sitting stiff beside me on the floor. And the general's bunker is becoming hotter by the second because of the amount of people crammed in the area.

I nervously tug on my collar and the both of us haven't spoken with each other ever since we got here.

The soldiers and nurses, who are already part of the mutiny, don't stop talking about the secrets they know about the government or ways on how to ambush them. I know that Marinette is listening to their conversations because sometimes her eyes would look at their direction every time they mention anything about the government.

I can't just let her feel anxious for this whole entire time while waiting for the general. Even though I feel anxious too.

I bring my mouth close to her ear and quietly apologize to her, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that a lot of people wanted to witness tonight's initiation..."

"Maybe it's because I am the niece of the general." She whispers back at me.

Or maybe because they know that it would be my first time to initiate someone.

"Are you feeling well now?" She asks and I just nod my head.

No. I am not okay.

My head hurts so much. I am literally gasping for air as I am having a hard time breathing in this crammed room. And I have to carefully mark a beautiful person like you, Marinette...I don't want to hurt you.

So no. I am still not okay.

"I'm good." I lie and flash her a soft smile. "You're counting on me, right? I can't let you down then."

She slowly places her hand on top of mine. The feeling of her cold hand on top of my warm hand soothes me and I can't help to scoot closer to her for more.

"I-" Just as I was about to tell Marinette that it would be my first time to do the initiation, General Hugo steps into the room and everyone turns their attention to him. At once, all of us stop what we were doing and stand up to salute at the general.

"At ease." He says with his arms at his back. All of us sit down on the ground again whilst the general looks at each one of us in the room. He catches me looking at him and he glares at me before looking at another direction.

I grunt as I can't stop thinking about his carelessness towards his fellow members of the mutiny.

"Adrien, what's wrong?" Marinette must have noticed the short interaction between her uncle and me.

"It's nothing you should worry about, Marinette."

The general and I are not still in good terms after the bombing incident. I can't tell her that her uncle is making stupid decisions and he thinks that they are beneficial to the mutiny.

"Soldiers and nurses!" The general starts, "Different people with different jobs but all of us are united with one thought in mind--Freedom! Freedom from social castes, war and most importantly, the government." The whole room burst into cheers while others also start to clap.

I look down as I feel someone squeeze my hand. Marinette's hand is tightly holding mine and in order for her to calm down, I bring her hand to my lips and softly kiss it. "You don't have to feel scared..."

"Do you really hate the government?"

"I wouldn't use the word, 'hate'. 'Despise' would more likely be the correct term." I answer.

"And tonight, we welcome our newest member to the group!" The general continues talking to us, "With steadfastness and determination, I am sure that our new member will be a great addition to this mutiny." He takes out the pocket knife from his pocket and presents it to me. "And tonight, Lieutenant Agreste shall be the one marking her."

I stand up and walk to the center where General Hugo is also standing. I take the knife from him and look at the crowd of people before me. "Nurse- or should I say, Private Dupain-Cheng. Please come to the center."

Slowly, Marinette stands from her sitting position on the floor and approaches the center to stand before me. I give her a reassuring smile before asking an important question, "Private, are you willing to fight?"

The entire room is silent as they await for her answer.

"Yes..." She says in a voice that is somewhat above a whisper. "Yes." She utters once again, this time with more confidence and conviction. "I am willing to fight for the country, for freedom..." She turns to look at the group of people before her, "And for all of you. I'm willing to fight in this mutiny."

The entire room bursts into cheers again, most of them shouting her name out loud. Marinette smiles at me and I smile back.

That's my girl.

"Now I want you to kneel with your back facing me." I instruct amidst the cheers.

She complies with my command and takes off the left part of her military jacket to show me her smooth skin covering the left shoulder blade. I rub disinfectant on her skin before taking out the knife. I softly press the point of the knife on her exposed skin and at this moment, another piercing headache bothers me and I had to swallow down vomit that was climbing up my throat. I start to breathe heavily as I start to feel dizzy and feverish. Marinette must have noticed my sudden change of focus since I feel her hand on mine again.

"Are you okay?" She asks in worry.

With all my might, I muster up a smile and let go of her grip on my hand. "Of course, I am." I quietly answer. "Now I promise, I will be gentle with this knife..."

Once again, I press the tip of the knife on her skin and cut her skin in a very short line. She breathes heavily as she starts to feel pain from the cut. I softly rub her other shoulder and assure her that it will be done in a few seconds.

I continue cutting through her skin until I am at the last stroke. "This is the last one, Marinette." I whisper at her ear. She nods and inhales sharply as I gently run the knife on her skin, making the last line in order to form the letter, 'M'. I grab a gauze and place it over her skin so that it can absorb the blood that is seeping out her skin.

"You're done, Marinette." I tell her with a smile.

"Everyone!" General Hugo suddenly shouts from the side of the room, "Let us welcome Private Dupain-Cheng!"

I start to clap along with the others and Marinette covers the mark with her jacket before turning to face me.

I start to blink rapidly as the resounding round of applause from the crowd is starting to irritate my hearing. Black spots start to block my vision and my headache has evolved to a full-on migraine. Someone holds me by the shoulders and I try to move my hands. But I seem to have become so weak that I couldn't move or even stay still. The whole room is spinning and the whole thing is making me sick.

"Adrien? Adrien, are you okay?!" Are the last words I hear before falling with a thud.

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Hi! So I hope you like this chapter :) Thanks for reading it by the way :)

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