• Member Since 6th May, 2014
  • offline last seen March 20th

LightOfTriumph


Good authors too, who once knew better words, Now only use four-letter words writing prose. Anything goes. :raritywink:

More Blog Posts4030

  • 179 weeks
    Act 1 is done.

    Act 2 might take a couple of weeks, but for now, new Chapter.

    0 comments · 373 views
  • 180 weeks
    New chapter is out!

    Sorry for the long delay, but here it is! The last of the main characters, and one of my favorite new creations! Diamond Tiara's little sister, Creme Rich!

    0 comments · 311 views
  • 181 weeks
    Sorry about the lack of chapter this week!

    I've written up through chapter 7, but I haven't edited. Been a busy week. Next chapter next Sunday!

    0 comments · 292 views
  • 182 weeks
    New Chapter out!

    And this one is dedicated to tha people who taught me that shipping could be an absolute blast! Down Beat made it, yall!

    0 comments · 291 views
  • 183 weeks
    Next Chapter is out. Meet Pumpkin Cake!

    Yep! Pumpkin Cake shows up and introduces herself this chapter! And moreover, the creeping feeling continues to crawl up the spines of our heroes.

    1 comments · 254 views
Dec
24th
2017

Chapter 9: Counting Cards (Countdown: Part 2) · 12:57pm Dec 24th, 2017

The Management recommends "Counting Stars" by One Republic be listened to while reading.

145:55:51

Alya couldn't hail a cab and so she had to hoof it across Paris on foot. It took her two and a half hours to get back to the Agreste's house. Running the whole way.

She found Marinette in the sitting room talking excitedly with Adrien, in better spirits than she had been in weeks. Normally she would have skinned herself alive before interrupting anything that would have led to the two finally getting together, but desperate times.

“We're screwed,” Alya said, out of breath.

“We're saved!” Marinette said at the same time.

“What?!” they said simultaneously.

“Bousquet's 'Jackpot',” Alya started, catching her breath. “It's a nuke.”

“You're kidding,” Adrien said dryly.

“A nuclear trigger, specifically,” Alya explained. “Sixteen to twenty-four small explosives around a uranium core. If one of them goes off on it's own, the bomb is useless, but if all of them go off at once...”

“We're at the end of Dr. Strangelove,” Adrien sighed. “Or the beginning of Southland Tales... Or the end of Big Trouble. I've seen way too many American movies...”

“You said something about good news?” Alya said to Marinette.

“Yeah,” Marinette smiled. “We have an inside man!”

“We what?!” Alya asked, stunned.

“I used the Lucky Charm, and what it gave me was a phone and a number,” Marinette explained. “It linked me to one of the Bandit's goons. He wanted to talk.”

“Did he have anything interesting to say?” Alya asked.

“Plenty,” Adrien said. “Apparently, the Nanite dome itself is dangerous to anyone who isn't Martin or the Bandit.”

“Martin?” Alya asked.

“Our snitch,” Marinette clarified. “They're building something out of the Arc. The Nanites swarming around the thing constantly are like Razor wire. Martin is doing the physical construction of the... whatever it is... so he's safe.

“The control device,” Alya pieced together. “It's connected to his brain, so he's protected. He'll subconsciously not let the Nanites hurt him.”

“A glove,” Marinette nodded. “Bandit has been telling him what to do in order to, and I quote, 'Get ready for the big show-stopper midnight on Friday.”

They both looked at Alya expectantly. She couldn't understand why until she did some math in her head. “Wait a minute...”

“There it is,” Adrien sighed. “Took me a second, too.”

“That's two hours off!” Alya realized. “The Countdown goes up to ten Friday night! If that isn't the show-stopper, what is it counting down to?”

“The Nanite Dome dropping,” Marinette sighed. “Whatever he's making will be finished two hours early.”

“So why doesn't he just-” Alya stopped herself, realizing what the answer to her question was. “It's another gamble. He's giving you a chance to stop him.”

“That's what we thought, too. Yeah,” Adrien said.

“The gambling thing is seriously grating on me at this point,” Alya was starting to raise her voice as she paced around the room. “How the hell are we supposed to out think a guy who will take every stupid risk possible for no other reason than 'it's fun?!'”

“Simple,” came a cool voice behind them. “Learn to gamble.” They all shot around to meet the figure.

Alya had never taken a good look at Gabriel Agreste's personal assistant before now. She gave off the impression that she could be very beautiful, but chose not to show it because that would be unprofessional. She wore a smug smile, something that seemed unlike her, and in her right hand she held a pack of cards.

“You kids really should keep your voices down,” Natalie continued. “This is an old house, and there's a fairly decent echo. So strong, in fact, that it might give the impression to some poor working woman that her employer's son has gone insane and is talking to an imaginary cheese eating cat. Then convince herself she's gone insane when she hears the cat talk back.”

As Natalie sat down on the couch across the small glass coffee table that sat in the room, Alya could see Adrien pinch the bridge of his nose. Seemingly wishing he could beat himself up for being so stupid. Marinette seemed to be caught in the middle of being impressed, panicked, and amused by the situation.

“This is, of course, all hypothetical,” Natalie continued slyly, as she began to shuffle the deck. “If I had heard such a thing, I might come to the conclusion that you, Adrien, were recklessly risking your life on some sort of ego trip to play superhero. A course of action I would have to oppose, and immediately inform your father of the situation. Because if I were to be supporting, or much worse aiding these activities, I would lose my job.” She looked straight at Adrien. “I'm sure you understand me.”

It took everyone a moment to pick up what Natalie was laying down. Adrien sat down across from her. “Loud and clear,” he said cautiously. “You were talking about... Sorry... You definitely weren't talking about learning to gamble?

Natalie slid the deck across the table to Adrien. “Deal four cards,” she said. “Two for me, two for you. Keep yours face down.”

Adrien did. Natalie flipped hers over to reveal a three and a seven. “Now what?”

“Hit me,” Natalie said. Adrien looked panicked and bewildered. “Deal me one more card,” Natalie clarified.”

He did. A jack. “Now what?” Adrien asked again.

“Stay,” Natalie replied. “Flip your cards over.”

Adrien complied. “Ten and a nine,” he said observing his cards.

“Dealer has nineteen,” Natalie responded. “Player has twenty. I win. Keep going, put those cards to the side and keep playing until I tell you we're done.”

Adrien was confused but did as she asked. Dealing out the next hand.

“Hit me. The thing about gamblers is that the best ones are thinkers. Stay.” Natalie continued playing the game. Giving the advice without losing her focus on the cards. “Twenty, dealer has nineteen. I win. They have to calculate the odds in their head quickly enough to keep the game going. Blackjack. It's much harder than it sounds. Hit me. There's a lot of things to consider, and things keep changing constantly. Stay. Eighteen. Dealer has twelve. Draw a card. Twenty-Two. Bust. To beat a gambler one must think like a gambler, and know the right way to--”

“Hang on!” Alya piped in. “You haven't lost a hand yet! How is that possible? You can't be that lucky!”

Natalie gave Alya a little grin. “You must know the right way,” she finished. “To cheat.”

Adrien's jaw dropped. “Cheat?”

“What I just did was called 'Counting Cards,” Natatlie explained. “Using the past deals, and a little math, I was able to tell what card was coming up next within one number. The first two times, I got lucky. The next few it was all skill and memory.”

“I'm a little confused,” Marinette stroked her chin. “What do we-”

“You've fought this man twice,” Natalie interrupted as she packed up the cards. “You know him. So out think him. What has his pattern been, and what will it be. What card comes next.”

Marinette seemed to think for a moment. “He's making us wait to sweat us out,” she said finally. “He wants us to panic. So that's the one thing we can't do. We have to keep our cool, and let him try to sweat us out.”

“Once we get there, we have to remember that he's not planning on making it out alive,” Adrien said. “Remember what he said about 'living forever through a public death.' He's going to want to torch us, the city, and himself in one big flash.”

“Whatever he's turning the arc into is going to be big, ridiculous, and gaudy,” Alya added. “Something to attract as much attention as possible to what he's doing. We can try to use that...”

“Adrien, do you have a whiteboard?” Marinette asked.

Natalie got up and began to leave. “I'll leave you to it, then.”

“Natalie!” Adrien called as she was leaving. “Thank you...”

“For what?” she smiled softly. “I wasn't even here.”

And for the next three days, they tried to think of every strategy.

068:30:41

“We've been working through every plan,” Adrien said quietly to her. “Every single thing we can think that he would do, we're writing down. Whether the bomb is on the top or bottom of the Arc, whether or not he'll sick the Nanites on us... The information that this 'Martin' guy is giving us has been invaluable. Every day we learn what he might be doing. We've got it all planned out.”

“Except the bomb...

“We're teenagers, and they're asking us to disarm a nuke, and we've thought of a way to do it... There's only one way to disarm it permanently. The Nanites will repair any damage done to the bomb... But they can't make Uranium out of thin air. Eventually I thought of a way to do it... But it's risky.

“I'm not going to lie... I'm a little scared. The Miraculous should protect me, but... I just...

“I wish you were here Mom,” Adrien said, looking up at the portrait of his mother. “I really wish I could talk to you and have you talk back.”

Adrien looked down on the ground, feeling silly about talking to a wall.

“Do you talk to her often?” came a voice from behind Adrien. He whirled around to meet Marinette, his face turned beet red with embarrassment, and then he laughed it off.

“Yeah, more and more often,” Adrien said. “Natalie's usually busy keeping my life in order and Dad is... Dad. So I find myself talking to Mom.”

“How did she...,” Marinette started. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask that...”

Adrien smiled. “It's alright,” he said quietly. “She was an Archaeologist. She was studying a Tibetan ruin called 'The Temple of the Bai Zhei'. Something happened and the temple collapsed. My dad got out one way my Mom...” He exhaled. “My mom apparently didn't.”

There was a small silence in the room. “I'm so sorry,” Marinette said.

“No need to be,” Adrien sighed. “Heck, maybe Dad is right. Maybe she's still alive somewhere. I've seen things that I would have called impossible. I've done things that I can be proud of so... So if It doesn't work like we think, I'll at least have that.”

“That's it,” Marinette said. “I'm not letting you do this.”

“Not a matter of letting me,” Adrien shot back. “It's the best plan we've got “

“We'll think of another one,” Marinette said frankly. “I'm not going to let you risk your life-”

“I won't be risking much,” Adrien joked.

“Don't say that,” Marinette said. “You don't say that. Your life is worth something.”

“You say that as if it should be obvious,” Adrien laughed. “I am the very definition of 'idle rich.' I sponge off of my Dad's money, and I'm popular in school simply because I'm a fashion model. Where is the worth in that? And to who?

“To me, alright!” Marinette screamed. “Every second you're around is worth a lot to me!”

Adrien looked at her, awestruck.

“I've been thinking about what you told me, before we unmasked,” Marinette said quietly. “You said you saw yourself as nothing and... that baffles me. I looked across the room at you every day and you were all I could see. And I don't know if... I don't know if I was actually in love with you. I'm only sixteen, but I had to get to know you. Because every time I saw you, there was nothing else.

“How can you be nothing?” Marinette finished. “You were the only thing in the room.”

Adrien pondered that for a moment, and came to a question. “Why?” he said finally. “What was so impressive?”

“You are one of the kindest people I know,” Marinette explained. “You have never looked down on anyone, you've never put yourself on a pedestal, you're not stuck up. You try your hardest to be friends with everyone, and the kicker is, you don't have to. Look at this house! Check your wallet. You don't have to work a day in your life, but you do. You work yourself insane just trying to be a good person, expecting nothing in return! You're the kind of person who-” Marinette seemed to trip over her words, and then restart. “You're the kind of person who, when presented with a chance to help people, in the most insane and suicidal way, takes it without question.”

“I...” Adrien needed a moment to compose himself. “I was barely there... I barely said anything... Nothing real... I just... I was a ghost. Didn't you notice that I barely broke an octave?”

“I thought you were just sad,” Marinette answered. “Was I wrong?”

Adrien closed his eyes, leaned back, and smiled. “That may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Marinette gave him a soft smile back. “Hey, I'm the one who should be having this self confidence crisis,” she joked. “Did I have to come to school naked in order for you to notice?”

“Skin tight red jumpsuit would have helped...” Adrien was proud that he got her to laugh at that. “In all seriousness, it's not that I didn't notice... I guess... I guess I just thought I had more of a chance with Ladybug. After all... She doesn't know who I am.”

Marinette looked down at the floor, blushing a little.

“Look,” Adrien said, preparing to put himself out there. “I don't know if you want to give... this a shot. Give us a shot. If not, I completely understand but... You are a person I need in my life. Marinette, Ladybug, doesn't matter. Either one of them managed to make my day a little brighter. You are the one person that makes me feel alive. So I need you there. As a friend, as a partner... Something. I don't care how you show up, but my future won't be nearly as bright without you in it.”

Marinette looked right into Adrien's soul. “Don't worry,” she said softly. “I'll be there. I promise.”

Adrien smiled, and turned back to the portrait of his mother as Marinette began to leave the room.

“What if I did?” Marinette said, turning to face Adrien.

“Sorry?” Adrien asked, turning around.

“What if I did want to give this a shot?” Marinette asked. “What if I wanted to see if we could get through at least a few cups of coffee without driving each other insane, then see how tings go from there?”

Adrien couldn't believe it. It took him a minute to think of something to say... And then another minute. Adrien vainly begged for his brain to reboot as he stared, slackjawed at his crush. Finally he came out with: “You're sure?” Adrien stood a little straighter trying to regain his lost dignity. “Even though that kind, sad, compassionate guy you were talking about is also kind of a smug, wisecracking idiot sometimes?”

“Depends,” she answered. “Do you mind if that fiery, impressive superheorine you were crushing on is also a shy, unsure, klutz of a girl sometimes?”

Adrien shook his head immediately.

“Coffee on Saturday,” Marinette said. “After this is over.” She started to walk away. “So you better come back from this alive, got it?”

Adrien nodded, and Marinette left the room. Which was good, because now he could have the ten mile grin on his face. He was on top of the world, nothing could touch him.

And then something did.

“No,” came a familiar female voice from upstairs.

“Alya,” responded a familiar male one.

“Nino, this stops! Right now, this stops,” Alya responded.

Adrien was confused. Why did Nino show up without telling him? Was he just there to flirt with Alya? Why was Alya shooting him down so hard.

“We have to tell Adrien,” Nino insisted. “He might be in danger! What if he knows--?”

“He doesn't, or it wouldn't take four days in this house to make a move,” Alya responded. “Besides, we still aren't sure you're right.”

“We can't be,” Nino responded bitterly. “Not until we get Adrien to open up that attic room.”

“That isn't happening,” Alya said.

“Why not?!” Nino hissed. “If I'm wrong, what's the harm?!”

You might be right!” Alya sharply hissed back. “And if you are, Adrien doesn't need that on his head when he's dealing with disarming a nuke!”

Adrien listened carefully. What were they talking about? They wanted to get him to open up his father's private attic room. He was able to, but not allowed to. Alya and Nino thought that whatever was inside could cause him so much stress that it might distract him from the fight with the Bandit.

He could feel another shoe waiting to drop.

“He could murder them in their sleep!” Nino said.

“I don't think so,” Alya replied. “He hasn't been here. He left pretty much the same time Marinette's family arrived. Sabine's been spending most of her time at the hospital, so really, the only adult here has been Natalie.”

They were talking about his dad. For some reason they suspected his dad of something... But he couldn't think why.

And then he started to.

A book that just happened to be in his dad's safe. His frequent absences from home and from work. How obsessed he was that they would see his mother again. How he swore that nothing would stop him from achieving any goal.

The fondness his father used to have for butteflies.

He closed his eyes, and prayed for them not to say it.

“Just... Let's drop it for now. This city has got the Sword of Damocles hanging over it,” Alya said. “Adrien has got enough to worry about without his dad being a supervillain.”

Logic: What took two weeks?

Me: OH MY GOD, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME ON THE PLANET TO EXPLAIN.

Logic: Alright, sorry. Three day time skip is going to annoy people.

Me: The countdown is a week long, dude. I wasn't going to give every second. There were going to be a few jumps.

Logic: Fair enough. Anything to say to the people?

Me: Next chapter probably won't be for a bit, going to take a break for the holidays, and speaking of which, Happy Holidays everyone!

And remember, if you want this on a more professional format, check it out on Archive Of Our Own.

Comments ( 1 )

This is on Archives? Nice! Hopefully this story gets a lot more views. :twilightsmile:

Login or register to comment