3. Chapter 3

Traveling from one place to another was not as easy as what they've imagined, even with the help of modern technology.

Since the teenagers failed to get an access on any private vehicles without requiring an adult's intervention or have someone who can drive a vehicle for them, the two decided to commute using a public transport as their fastest option possible.

They were planning to go to Caen by train first, then a bus ride going to the hotel. And if one of their best friends would text their next destination while they're en-route, they might do their best to meet their classmates there.

Unless the two got lost.

Relying on the map's data from their phone app and some tourist reviews they found on the internet, they realized that their itinerary was way shorter compared to their classmates.

"Seems like we'll be chasing them from the opposite way," Marinette commented while scanning the train schedules.

"It'll be tougher if we start from Paris to whatever stopover the class decides to stay in, given that we're both new to this itinerary," Adrien responded as he checked a similar schedule. "We have almost an hour disadvantage from them, and we can't tell if our transport bus can cover twice of their distance."

"I'm sorry if I dragged you along to this ridiculous plan." the girl deflated. "I should've asked your opinion first before I suggested it."

"Don't be, Marinette or I'll be sorrier here. I understand that you're doing this for me more than for yourself." he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You have no idea how thankful I am."

She blushed as a response.

Before they headed off to the train station, the teenagers decided to visit a convenience store to purchase some necessities first. They went inside separately - Adrien to the dairy section while Marinette to the delicacies shelves - without any questions asked.

Finding an empty area, Marinette opened her bag to check her enervated kwami. "Sorry in advance if I'll not be able to talk with you today."

"No worries. I don't want to act like a cat in public anymore." Tikki sighed. "But why did you come up with a solution to go to Normandy with Adrien?"

"Well, it's quite tragic that Adrien will never experience school excursion before graduation, being homeschooled three-quarters of his life and all." the girl explained. "Besides, he's the most excited among the bunch. Also, I want to go out of town too. I mean, who doesn't want to?"

The red kwami gave her an impassive look. "Why do I have a feeling that you're doing this for yourself?"

"No, I'm doing this for both of us." her charger's response only narrowed her marbled eyes. "Or not really. Well, I admit I'm doing this mainly for myself, but you got to admit it - Adrien wants to join the field trip. And honestly, I would like to hang out with Alya before our Bac. She'll be taking up Mass Communications, and since we'll be enrolling in a different University, then that means this field trip would be our last bonding moments as classmates."

"Okay. I got it."

The pig-tailed designer blinked and ogled at her with caution. "So...you're not mad at me?"

"I don't see anything wrong with your decision. I just find it peculiar." the kwami shrugged her shoulders with a frown. "By the way, have you been to Normandy before?"

"Honestly, no."

Tikki was not the only kwami who was worried about her Chosen.

Plagg gaped indignantly when his charger told him about his temporary silent-treatment and the mere fact that the model has never been to Normandy by himself, much more commuting in public transport outside Paris.

"How about Camembert?" the black kwami asked pitifully.

One of the main reasons why Adrien was in a sleep-deprived mode was due to Plagg's incessant glee that pestered him for days. His kwami read something about a dairy farm tour from his class' catalog, which eventually led him to his poor state.

"Going out there is not part of the plan..." the model taunted him. "...initially. Once we were able to catch up with our classmates, then that's the time you will earn some wheels of camembert."

To prove his point, the blond plucked a bar of cheddar from the displays.

"Why cheddar?!"

"I don't want Marinette to get a whiff of your smelly cheese and assume that I have some sanitary issues. I had enough share with you for years, thank-you-very-much. So deal with it."

It wasn't a question why his kwami wanted to visit that town - it was the home of his favorite cheese after all. And as a self-proclaimed cheese-lover, Plagg would like to honor the place akin to what pilgrims do in Mecca.

By eating cheese.

Adrien was starting to doubt if Plagg was actually a cat and not a mouse.

Once the teenagers reached the counter and paid for their own respective bills, they headed to Gare Saint-Lazare as their next destination.

The crowd there was quite overwhelming.

Being the second busiest station in Paris, the place was swamped not only by tourists but also some Parisian vacationers for their summer break.

To avoid line hassles, Adrien went to the ticketing booth while Marinette remained in the waiting area.

The designer in her perked up as she admired the activities in the station. From floral shirts to hijabs, from mixed clothings to disaster fashion, Marinette felt like she was standing in a place where all people of different nationalities and races gather.

On the farthest corner was a group of Japanese tourists, probably listening to their tour guide's instructions as they waved their flaglets, while on the opposite side was a rowdy family of six. She also spotted some group of friends laughing at a joke while waiting for their train, and few couples who acted like they have the world of their own.

Concerns grew when she realized that the public might react indifferently once they found out that a simpleton like her was traveling together with the world-famous Adrien Agreste without bringing any pieces of luggage. Oh, the horror! The scandal!

While scanning the crowd to kill time, she saw an elderly man walking slowly with his steel cane from afar when all of a sudden, a muscular man bumped him and left the poor man scrambled on the tiled floor.

"Hey!"

She yelled at the escaping offender while running towards the old man.

"Are you alright, Monsieur?" the pig-tailed girl asked as she addressed his possible injuries.

"I'm fine, young lady. Thank you." the elderly replied as he stood up. While tapping the specks of dust on his loose shirt, he froze. "It's gone."

Marinette was ready to hoist him up and bring him to the medical booth when he grabbed her wrist then pointed the direction where his offender went. "He took my wallet. It's gone!"

Years of being Ladybug gave her civilian self an eye speed to detect a target, and upon seeing the man's horrified face, she chased him without delay.

The thief sprinted and elbowed some bystanders to clear his way, while the girl followed his pace with ease. She had to leap on a stroller then ran on walls to avoid collision between food stalls. There were cries from those people who fell on the pavements caused by the runaway man, but that didn't divert her attention towards her prey. She just let the police and the medics do that job.

Marinette stupefied him by landing on his front. He jabbed her but she docked it with a smug, and when he flung his other knuckle as a revenge, she used his momentum to grab his wrist and collar then slam his body to the ground.

The impact stole the man's breath, and without a second wait, she twisted and bound his arms with his unbuckled belt then hastily swiped the stolen wallet from his hands.

Unfortunately, the problem didn't end there.

A burly man - twice as big as her captive - hovered behind her then raised a metal fist that glints against the light. It was a knuckler's knife.

And that was how she realized she wasn't transformed.

Everything happened so fast that the next second didn't register immediately.

Stupid me for running without thinking about myself.

Stupid me for not calculating that professional thieves always carry a back-up.

Stupid me for leaving Adrien alone, even though he told me to stay in one spot.

Stupid me for not spending much time with Alya, and most of all, with my beloved parents.

Stupid me for letting Tikki down and the whole Paris, that Ladybug failed them.

She shut her eyes closed and ready to accept her fate when a rod lurched on her attacker.

The illumination that cast a shadow on her savior's back made her squint. At first, she thought he was clad in black, but after adjusting her eyesight, she immediately caught a familiar blond streak that shone against the light.

Chaton?

She was about to call him until she realized her mistake.

Her savior was a green-eyed mask-less man with an ear-less blond hair, wearing a cat-like grin that was mixed with relief and worry. On his hand was a silver cane.

Adrien finally asked, "Are you alright?"