Chapter 6

"I can't have this, Fu. An unknown girl in my institute? That's unheard of! Just because I let Adrien under my roof doesn't mean he can bring whoever he wants over!"

The older man set down his tea and looked up at the infuriated woman pacing in front of the library's fireplace. "Please, Nadja, the boy was merely helping someone in danger."

"He broke house rules," Nadja said, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "I can't have him running around with girls who don't even know the first thing about what we do."

"You aren't his mother," Fu said.

She turned to glare at the Chinese man sitting cross-legged on a pillow. "I might as well be."

Fu dropped his head. "Yes, I understand, however, he might not. Ever since his father-"

"No," Nadja cut him off. She ran a hand through her short hair. "I will not discuss him in this household. He made his decision, and because of that, I am now making mine."

"Just because his father went down the wrong path doesn't mean he will," Fu advised.

Nadja shook her head and turned on the little man. She placed both hands on her hips. "I realize he's his own person and can choose whatever he wants, but he needs to learn that, if he lives under my roof, he must abide by my rules."

Fu chuckled. "You can't say he doesn't have a spark of rebelliousness from his mother."

That softened her. Nadja let herself smile. "That is true. He does have his mother's rebellious attitude." Her jaw tightened. "But the point still stands. As soon as the girl is healed, she is to go back home. I can't have Manon be exposed to problems such as these. She's only seven, Fu."

He let out a sigh. "You do realize, Nadja, the girl has no home to go to."

She turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

Fu picked up his cup of tea and took a small sip. When he was finished, his eyes glazed over, as if lost in thought.

"From what Adrien told me after delivering the young girl, he claimed that a level two Akuma attacked her. The apartment it had trapped her in had been turned upside down. If he had not followed her, she would most likely be dead."

Nadja turned her head away. After taking a breath, she said, "Though that is tragic, the Institute is not a place for her kind."

"We shall see."

Fu picked up his cane and slowly pulled himself to his feet. He set the empty teacup on the library's desk, then turned toward Nadja.

"I am going to check on the girl. You are welcome to come and meet her yourself."

Nadja shook her head. "No, I need to make sure Manon gets to school on time."

Fu nodded. "Of course." He made his way to the door, but before he left, he said, "If you want to talk to Adrien, please wait until I can be present."

Though she seemed reluctant to agree, Nadja gave him a single nod. With a smile, Fu left the room and made his way down the hall.

Time to meet this mysterious young girl.

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing Marinette felt. Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a long groan.

"Ah, she wakes."

Marinette turned her head to see who had spoken. Standing by the window, Chloe was giving her a small smirk. Marinette groaned louder and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"Of all the people I wake up to, it has to be you."

"It's better than some options, I'll tell you that," Chloe said humorlessly.

Marinette sighed and dropped her hands and took in the room. She was laying on a bed that was dressed in simple white sheets and a thin blanket. She still wore her pajama shirt, pink pants, and jacket - all of which were covered in odd goop.

Oh stars, she wasn't wearing a bra.

"What's going on? Where am I?" she asked.

"You're at the Institute," Chloe answered, coming up to her bedside and sitting on the edge. "From what I hear, you're lucky to be alive."

Marinette blinked.

Then, it was as if everything hit her all at once. Her mom. The oozing creature. The brushing on her arms. The pair of green eyes...

She looked down at her right arm. She let out a small squeak and pressed herself back against the bed. She had black drawings all down her forearm!

"W-what-"

"It was Adrien's idea," Chloe said without skipping a beat. "If the Akuma didn't kill you, I'm surprised you were able to survive the Marks."

"M...marks..."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I thought you'd be smarter than this." She got up from the bed, walked over to a dresser under the window, and opened the top drawer. She pulled out a yellow tank top, white bra, and a pair of black skinny jeans. She tossed them onto the bed.

"Here, you look like you walked through hell."

Marinette pulled herself up into a sitting position, then winced as her head pounded. Chloe waltzed over to the door and was about to step out, but turned to look back at her.

"If you need it, there's a bathroom down the hall. When you're done, feel free to come join us in the kitchen."

Before Marinette could say anything, Chloe walked out, her blonde hair flying behind her. The door closed and left Marinette in silence. Letting out a small sigh, Marinette reached forward and picked up the clothes. She glanced at the bra size.

Of course, it was too big for her.

She glared at the door, a part of her starting to deeply hate Chloe, but she knew she didn't have time to hold grudges. Her mother was still missing, after all.

After getting up and getting dressed, Marinette felt a little bit better about herself. Yellow wasn't her color, but at least she wasn't covered in goo. As she was getting ready, she couldn't help but run her fingers over the black marks on her forearm. It was like a whole other language that she didn't understand. Almost like a mix of Chinese and simple doodles.

Once she was ready (and comfortable in her new 'outfit'), Marinette stepped out into the hallway. The walls were a deep green and accented with dark wood floorboards, doors, and crowning. It was darker than she was expecting, what with it only being lit by a few cap lights every few feet.

A couple of voices echoed down the hallway to her left. Cautiously, Marinette followed the sound of them. After turning a corner and making her way down an elegant staircase, she saw a door partially open with light shining on the dark carpet. She crept to the door and pushed it open.

Inside, Chloe was standing by a long counter with another girl - wasn't her name Juleka? The two were laughing and talking over plates of waffles. As Marinette walked further into the room, she saw Adrien standing with his back to the door. He stood in front of a big stove, frying something in a pan with a spatula. By the smell, Marinette could tell it was bacon.

Juleka looked up from her plate of waffles and noticed Marinette standing by the door. She gave her a smile and tilted her head, her bangs falling into her eyes.

"Glad you're up," she said.

Chloe glanced back at Marinette, gave her a small wave, but didn't say anything. Adrien on the other hand...

He turned his head just enough so he could see over his shoulder. When he saw it was Marinette, his eyes widened. He spun around and the spatula clattered to the ground. Marinette couldn't break her gaze away from his startled green eyes. They bore into her, but not in a bad way.

"Y-you're up," he stuttered, stating the obvious but it seemed to be the only thing he could say.

Blushing, Marinette forced herself to close her eyes and turn her head away from him. She rubbed her Marked arm.

"Yeah, I just got up."

She could almost feel his eyes scanning her as if taking her outfit and checking to see if there was anything wrong. It only made her blush brighter. Instead of looking back at him, she shuffled over to the other girls.

"Do you have any extra waffles, and do you mind if I have one?" she asked.

Juleka nodded and reached for a plate of them that hadn't been touched. "Here, take as many as you want," she said simply.

Marinette thanked her and took one. She merely bit into it, just wanting to eat it plain. It wasn't too bad either.

It was only then that Adrien moved. Though she wasn't looking at him, Marinette could tell he was plating the probably overcooked bacon. The only sound in the kitchen for the next few minutes was forks clinking against plates and the sink running as Adrien washed the greasy pan.

Knock knock.

The group's attention turned toward the door. An older man walked inside, smiling at everyone individually. He seemed to be half the height of everyone there, but it was made up by his wisdom. He wore a loud red and white Hawaiian shirt and a pair of brown khakis. He had a thinning widow's peak of grey hair, a thick mustache, and a pointed goatee. His older amber eyes met Marinette's and it felt like he saw every part of her.

"Good morning, students."

"Good morning, Master Fu," Juleka greeted.

"I'm glad to see that all of you are awake and moving," Master Fu said, strolling into the kitchen while leaning on his cane. He pulled out a fork from a drawer.

"Some of us have been up since four," Chloe said, shooting a glare at Adrien. The blond boy rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

Master Fu chuckled. "Sad, but not surprising." After grabbing the fork he wanted, he walked over to Adrien's plate of overcooked bacon. He stabbed the utensil into the piece of meat, but instead of piercing it, the food shattered. The old man sighed and set down the fork.

"Adrien, Marinette, I need to speak with you."

Marinette straightened. She could almost feel something creeping down her spine. It didn't help she was wearing someone else's clothes and a bra that was too big for her.

Adrien didn't seem as shocked as she was, but he did tense. His jaw locked and his eyebrows twitched. His green eyes darted to hers. It wasn't until that moment did Marinette realize she was staring at his face. She dropped her head but made sure to give a nod of understanding.

"Thank you, both of you," Master Fu said. He gestured with his cane for Marinette and Adrien to follow. Adrien did immediately, though he stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and slouched his shoulders. After a moment of hesitation, Marinette followed.

The three left the kitchen and made their way down the hallway. Marinette could hear Adrien dragging his feet and Master Fu's cane hitting the carpet. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give herself more coverage than the tank top was giving her. She felt bare, exposed, but she would just have to suck it up. It wasn't like she could go home or anything.

Eventually, after weaving down a few hallways, Master Fu stopped in front of a door and opened it. He gestured for the other two to go inside. Adrien frowned but went inside anyway. Marinette didn't know what to think or feel, so she just followed Adrien.

She stepped inside and was immediately hit with the smell of musty books. After giving a scan through of the room, she realized that they were in an older library. Tall windows lined one wall and shelves of books filled most of the space. An old desk sat near the back, the shadows of the frame between the panes of glass casting lines across the floor. An unlit fireplace pressed covered part of the right wall with a simple chair and pillow in front of it.

"Please, have a seat," Master Fu invited, strolling over to the desk.

Marinette walked toward the chair and sat. When she looked over her shoulder, she just saw Adrien leaning up against the brick of the fireplace. He apparently didn't want to sit.

Once Master Fu was situated behind the desk, he rested his cane against the desk chair.

"Now," he started, "you're probably wondering why you're here."

"Cut the crap, Master," Adrien snapped. "I know why we're here."

Master Fu smiled gently. "I was talking to Marinette, Adrien. Simmer down, you're not in trouble."

Marinette could almost feel the tension release out of Adrien.

"So, why are we here?" Marinette asked.

Master Fu let out a sigh. "There are many problems having you here, my dear. First, Mrs. Chamach doesn't appreciate you recovering here uninvited."

Adrien folded his arms. "That has nothing-"

"Second," Master Fu said, cutting him off, "it is dangerous here, especially for you."

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. "But what's that supposed to mean?"

Master Fu laced his fingers together and rested them on the desk. "My dear, Akumahunters are daring and dangerous people. From what I hear, you have only known of their existence for less than 48 hours. There is much that you do not know, and Mrs. Chamach fears you will discover things you shouldn't."

"Who is Mrs. Chamach?"

"She's the Institute caretaker," Adrien answered. "She takes in Akumahunters who are working in the area and gives them somewhere to stay."

Master Fu nodded. "She is a lovely woman, but there are times when things go too far. This is one of them."

Marinette dropped her gaze. "So... you need me to leave?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all."

Her head shot up. "Then what-"

"You survived the Mark process," Adrien interrupted. "It should have killed you." Marinette looked at up, her mouth agape. His gaze softened as he met her gaze. "It was the only way I could think to save you."

"By risking my life in a fifty-fifty chance?!"

"Children, please," Master Fu pleaded. "This isn't the time or place for this."

Marinette got to her feet. "No, this is the perfect time for this." She turned on Adrien. "You Marked me, even if I could have died?!"

"What did you want me to do?" Adrien asked. "Let you die at the hands of a second degree Akuma?"

Marinette couldn't say anything. She glared at him, her lips pursed and her cheeks puffed. She could feel her face redden - she was so mad!

"How could you gamble with my life like that? Do I mean nothing to you?"

Adrien pushed away from the wall and stepped into her personal bubble. Marinette stumbled back in surprise, unsure what to make of his expression. His jaw was locked, every muscle tense, but his eyes... It looked like he was about to break into tears.

"Watch your mouth, Princess. You don't want to see me mad."

"Enough, you two," Master Fu said, pushing back the chair and getting to his feet. "You can discuss that topic matter later. At this time, there is more pressing matters at hand."

Marinette scowled at Adrien, then stuck out her tongue. Only when he lifted his mouth into a smirk did she feel accomplished enough to look away.

"Marinette, since you have the ability to be Marked and, not only do you have nowhere else to go, Sabine is still missing."

"Wait, how did you know her name?" Marinette said, holding up her hand.

Master Fu looked at Adrien. Marinette followed his gaze, but he seemed just as confused as she was. Eventually, Master Fu sighed.

"My dear, this much you must know, but first, we need to get you a room here at the Institute. Permanently." 

---

GUYS I DID IT! I updated 2 days in a row! Aren't you all proud of me??? This chapter is also almost twice the length of the last one, so I think I'm pretty much winning all around. 

I hope everything is going well for you guys and that life isn't tearing you apart! 

And now, my favorite comment. 

Favorite Comment: evaaa_pp13

OMG!!! I'm so glad that you make another story. <3 <3 <3 You are the best!

Aw, thank you so much! Thank you for all the continued support!

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!