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Chapter 45 – Quiet Between Storms
A week had passed.
The raids were over, the labs empty, and every lead Tony's network pulled turned up cold.
The Tinkerer had vanished like smoke, leaving behind only broken machines and haunted silence.
Natalie felt frustration simmer beneath her calm exterior every time she searched for a clue—every time she replayed the footage, hoping Daredevil or Tony had found something new.
But the trail was dead. Waiting was all she could do… yet it wasn't all she was willing to do.
If she couldn't find answers online, she'd find them face to face.
And so she went out to find answers.
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Midtown High
"—and that's why I think there's a superhero in our school," Ned declared confidently, waving his hands like he'd just solved a mystery.
Marinette stifled a laugh beside Adrian, scribbling neat notes while Gwen arched a skeptical brow.
"So just because some supervillain attacked Midtown while looking for Spider-Man, you think Spider-Man goes here?" she asked.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, a faint smile tugging at his lips. The classroom buzzed with chatter—the scrape of pens, the shuffle of backpacks.
For the first time in days, life almost felt ordinary.
"Okay, okay," Ned said, slumping in defeat. "But think about it! He shows up everywhere around our neighborhood. That's too specific. He has to be one of us!"
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Sure, because our school doesn't already have enough weirdos."
Marinette covered her grin with her notebook. Adrian let out a quiet chuckle—the sound felt lighter than it had all week.
"Adrian, you believe me, right?" Ned pressed.
Adrian's grin turned mischievous. "Of course. In fact, I know who Spider-Man is."
Ned leaned forward eagerly.
"It's Peter."
Laughter erupted. Gwen nearly choked on her water; Marinette shook her head, giggling.
Ned groaned. "Just wait till I prove you all wrong."
The bell rang, breaking the spell of laughter. Desks scraped, chairs clattered, and they drifted out into the corridor, still teasing Ned.
For a few fleeting moments, Adrian could almost pretend he wasn't watching the world for signs of another disaster.
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Lunch Break
The four of them found a table near the window. The skyline glittered beyond the school fence, cranes dotting the horizon where reconstruction still crawled forward.
"Did you see the news?" Gwen asked, nudging her tray aside. "People are saying Iron Man stopped some huge trafficking ring."
Ned leaned in, lowering his voice. "Yeah, but there's zero footage. No press conference. And rumor says Mayura was there—with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen."
Marinette's eyes brightened instantly. "Wait—Mayura? Was Guardian with her?"
Adrian smirked. "Ignoring the whole trafficking ring part, are we? Pretty heartless. Or could it be you've got a crush on Guardian?"
Marinette's cheeks flushed. "No! I-I just admire what he does." She hesitated, gaze dropping to her tray. "It's not that I don't care about what happened. It's just… we can't really do anything about it. So maybe it's easier not to think about it."
Her words lingered in Adrian's mind long after lunch.
Easier not to think about it.
I know I'm not a good person. I'm someone who wants to act like a hero—but not be one. I'm not the type who wants to help everyone. I just wanted to know what it feels like to be a hero. Maybe the Miraculous are wasted on me.
Classes blurred together—a physics quiz, a dull history lecture, the usual jokes in the hallway.
The normalcy should have been comforting, but it only felt fragile—like glass stretched over a storm.
At one point, Marinette dropped her sketchbook, papers scattering across the floor. Adrian bent to help her, fingers brushing the corner of a half-finished design—a sleek black-and-gold suit, its lines glowing faintly.
"Clumsy as always," he teased lightly. "So, what are you drawing now, Marinette?"
She smiled shyly. "Just an idea. Some designs. What do you think—are they any good?"
"Looks like it could go on a magazine cover," he said with a soft laugh.
Marinette blinked, surprised. "You think so?"
For a heartbeat, her expression softened—then the bell rang, and they were swept back into the tide of students.
By the final bell, Adrian had almost convinced himself the day was normal. Books in his bag. Laughter echoing down the stairs. Warm sunlight spilling through the windows.
Normal. Or close enough.
Until his phone buzzed.
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He slipped it from his pocket while the others walked ahead.
A single encrypted notification glowed on the screen:
> Secure Channel – Stark Industries
Stark: 8 PM. Avengers Tower. Time we had that talk.
Adrian exhaled slowly, his reflection faint in the glass door beside him. The storm hadn't passed—it was only waiting.
"Hey," Gwen called from up ahead, "you coming? We're grabbing coffee before heading home."
Adrian pocketed his phone and forced a smile. "Yeah. Coming."
But even as he laughed along with them, part of him was already elsewhere—among steel towers, glowing cores, and questions that wouldn't stay buried.
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Nightfall
By the time the sun dipped below the skyline, he stood at the base of the tower—transformed once more into Guardian.
The massive "A" gleamed against the deep blue sky, a beacon and a warning all at once.
The city lights blinked below like constellations. Wind whipped at his hair as he tilted his gaze upward.
Avengers Tower.
And inside… answers.
Or maybe, just more questions.
Wind howled past the edge of the platform as he stepped forward, his pulse steady beneath the armor.
"All right, Stark," he murmured. "Let's talk."
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End of Chapter 45
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