When Will The Snow Cease?

by crispycroutons

Summary:

Ladybug and Chat Noir fight another akumatized victim, only to discover the villain’s snow lingers after the magical ladybugs repair the damage. When the two heroes discover the consequences of lingering powers, finding a way to fix everything will prove to be more difficult than they’d imagined.

Chapter 1

The Eiffel Tower and the buildings nearby were covered in snow, as snowflakes slowly slid from the clouds, reaching Paris’ streets hurriedly.

“That’s the last of them,” Ladybug, one of Paris’ trusted superheroes, concluded with a sigh. She wiped her hands on her red suit, covered in black polka dots. “I don’t suppose a certain cat would want to help me break the villain’s scooter, would he?”

Beside Ladybug stood another superhero dressed in black, sporting a little golden bell by the collar of his suit. “I’m on it! Cataclysm!”

The superhero extended his hand out to a dark toy scooter, watching as it disintegrated underneath his clawed glove. A small purple butterfly fluttered out, flapping away quickly.

“It’s all yours, M’lady,” he grinned with a wink.

“Thanks, Kitty,” she smirked, returning his wink. Within a matter of seconds, Ladybug gripped her yo-yo, swinging it out and around the butterfly. “No more evil doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha. Bye-bye, little butterfly.”

The two heroes watched the akuma, now reverted back to a white butterfly, flutter away in the cold. The superhero dressed in black winced. It was a wonder how the butterfly’s wings could still flap despite the chilling weather in Paris.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug interrupted his thoughts, sending out hundreds of magical ladybugs to repair the damage. Buildings stood upright once again. Streets smoothed over. Damages were fixed instantly.

The snowy villain they’d just fought de-akumatized into a young girl, dressed in a puffy winter jacket with ponies printed near the zipper. She stood up, sadly eyeing her surroundings. However, her frown slowly dissipated at the sight of the two heroes in front of her.

“It’s still snowing?” Ladybug lifted her hand up slowly, letting a couple snowflakes land against her suit. “How is that possible?”

“Ladybug! Chat Noir! I’m so sorry,” the girl cried, pressing her mismatched gloves against her face. “I really wanted it to snow, but Hawk Moth made me a monster.”

Chat Noir knelt down, bumping the bell of his suit to catch the girl’s attention. “No need to apologize. Besides, the real monster is Hawk Moth, not you.”

The girl sniffled, ignoring the icy feeling of her nose. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” Ladybug agreed, staring off where the butterfly flew away. “We’re here to protect you and everyone else from the real monsters.”

The girl stood up, unknowingly bumping Chat Noir’s forehead with her glove. “Yay! You two are the best!”

Chat Noir rubbed his forehead with a grin, extending his hand. “Let’s get you back to your parents. Sound good?”

The girl looked off sadly at the Eiffel Tower, hesitant to respond. After a couple seconds passed, she turned back around and faced the two heroes. “Umm… yeah!”

“Mind taking her back, Chat Noir? I need to check up on something,” Ladybug, still facing away from her partner and the girl, voiced.

Chat Noir knelt down for the girl, letting her on his back for a piggy-back ride. “No worries, Bugaboo. I’ve got this covered.”

Chat Noir and the girl were off, leaping through Paris and against the snowy wind. Ladybug sighed, reaching her hand out to the snow again as it chilled her fingertips.

“For superhero suits, you’d think they’d be weather resistant,” she mumbled to herself, grasping her arms around her waist as the cool wind slapped her further awake.

She leapt off, finding a building to de-transform behind. Once she was sure no one was around, she called out, “Spots off.”

~~~~~

“Master Fu!”

A girl with dark pigtails ran inside a small room. She spotted an older man sipping tea. “Marinette. Is everything alright?”

She closed the door behind her, clutching her purse as a small red creature flew outside of it. “I don’t know. Chat Noir and I just defeated another akumatized villain, but my magical ladybugs didn’t fix the weather the villain started.”

Master Fu looked outside of the window, stroking his beard in thought. “Hmm. That is strange. However, it doesn’t sound like it’s a problem from your Miraculous.”

Marinette knelt down to the ground, taking a seat on the floor nearby Master Fu. “Then what could it be, Master?”

Master Fu continued to stroke his beard. Once he’d finally let go of his beard, he took another sip of his tea. “Perhaps it has to do with the Ladybug and Black Cat’s balance.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Chat Noir and I aren’t balanced?”

“Yes, and no,” Master Fu stood up, setting his tea cup on a table. He reached for a teapot, slowly pouring more tea into his cup. “The miraculouses themselves are fine. Tikki and Plagg have a strong bond that stabilizes your powers once transformed.”

The red creature from before flew up quickly. “Yes! Plagg and I are the same as we always are! But Chat Noir and Ladybug are just as close.”

Marinette fiddled with her fingers, rubbing the back of her neck quickly. “Yeah! He and I are purr-fectly, um, perfectly fine. That’s what I meant to say.”

Master Fu and the green creature eyed each other suspiciously. “Then if it’s not the balance of your miraculouses, it must be something to do with Hawk Moth himself.”

The green creature took a sip of tea. “I agree. If you two are as close as you are, then Hawk Moth must’ve expanded on his own powers.”

“Or maybe,” the red creature peeped in, “it has to do with the girl’s wish.”

“Her wish?” Marinette turned to the red creature. “What do you mean, Tikki?”

Tikki landed in Marinette’s lap. “The girl wanted it to snow, right? Her wish wasn’t an evil one, so why would your magical ladybugs need to fix the weather?”

Master Fu’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“Master? What’s wrong?” Marinette worriedly eyed the older man in front of her. He shakily took another sip of tea.

“Whoever possesses the butterfly miraculous has a dangerous amount of power now. If he knows the wishes of those he akumatizes, and chooses to akumatize the people with pure-wishes, you won’t be able to stop whatever effect they leave behind.”

“But should I be worried about that, Master? If another person wants it to snow or wishes for good things, maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” Marinette smiled, trying to reassure Master Fu.

“It’s disastrous,” Master Fu reprimanded. “If Hawk Moth has any lingering effect on Paris, his power can grow with each new person he akumatizes with a pure wish. You’ll have unpredictable wishes filling Paris, and if one of them happens to elicit honesty when it’s most important, your secret identity could be revealed.”

“What should we do then?” Marinette eyed the window, watching as the snow continued to lower down on Paris lightly.

“You must speak with Chat Noir. Together, your miraculouses should present some form of constraint against Hawk Moth’s new power. Work together, and the solution should present itself. Hopefully.”

Marinette wiped her cheek, waiting for Master Fu to continue. But he didn’t. The green creature seemed concerned as well.

Tikki floated beside the green creature. “Wayzz, make sure Master Fu doesn’t have customers come in right now, alright?”

Wayzz nodded. “Of course. We kwamis need to protect those who hold our miraculouses.”

Tikki smiled, but before she could fly off to Marinette, Wayzz tapped Tikki’s shoulder.

“Make sure you watch out for Marinette as well. This must be difficult for her,” Wayzz whispered.

Tikki eyed Marinette’s conflicted and guilt-ridden face staring out the window. “I’ve got this.”

~~~~~

“I’m the worst!” Marinette slumped down on her chaise, planting her pillow underneath her face.

“It’s not that bad, Marinette,” Tikki consoled. “Maybe he’ll forget about it.”

Marinette lifted her face from her pillow to glare at Tikki before shoving it back onto the pillow. “How’s Adrien not going to remember what I said? What I said about his father is unforgivable!”

Tikki floated beside Marinette, who was still crying and fearing for the worst. “All you did was say your opinion on his latest design.”

“Exactly! I have no right to say my fashion opinions to the son of Paris’ greatest fashion designer!”

Tikki frowned. “You only said what you said because you and Adrien are close friends. You were open and honest with him, Marinette. That’s a good thing!”

“It’s one thing to be honest, but it’s a whole other thing to be that honest! I should’ve never gone to school today! This is a disaster! A horrible, disastrous disaster!” Marinette shook her head, gripping her ponytails in aggravation.

Tikki sighed, flying over to Marinette’s phone. “Well, if I’m not helping, I’m sure Alya might be someone you could talk to.”

Marinette stopped, slowly turning to look at Tikki’s despondent expression. “Tikki, I’m sorry. It’s not that you’re not helping me. I just… I’m just so mad at myself! It was so embarrassing! I don’t know how I’m even going to face him tomorrow.”

Tikki took a seat next to Marinette’s face, bumping Marinette’s cheek. “I’m sure it’ll be okay as long as you try to forget what happened and move on. And if it’s not, I can always create a lucky charm for you to run away.”

Marinette burst out laughing, poking Tikki’s head. “You would not! But… thanks for cheering me up, Tikki.”

“No worries, Marinette,” Tikki giggled, floating up to Marinette’s hair. “So, were we still heading off to Kitty Section’s performance tonight?”

Marinette gasped, holding her face in her hands. “Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! I need to find an outfit, let my parents know I’m heading out, and-“

Tikki tapped Marinette’s nose, catching Marinette’s attention. Tikki floated over to Marinette’s mannequin with a dress covered in cats.

“It looks like you’ve got the outfit covered,” Tikki grinned. “Now all you’ve gotta do is get in it and take me with you!”

Marinette snorted. “I can’t wear that! That was just a mock up with some weird cat fabric I had lying around!”

“Well, there’s no better time to wear it than at a Kitty Section performance! I’m sure your friends will love it!”

Marinette eyed the dress skeptically, groaning as Tikki posed nearby the dress. “It looks awful.”

Tikki gasped. “It looks beautiful! If I were you, I would be wearing it! Besides, you don’t have any other cat inspired clothing other than those cat pajamas.”

“I don’t need to dress in cat merch,” Marinette giggled, walking over to the dress apprehensively. “I guess I could fix up a couple things for it though.”

Tikki beamed, floating around happily now that Marinette’s mood was back to her Marinette-self.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “I’m only doing this to get you off my back about this awful dress.”

“Of course, whatever you say,” Tikki nonchalantly spoke with a tiny smirk. She floated over to a set of berets on her counter. “Make sure you wear one of these as well!”

Marinette eyed the counter with mismatched berets she tested out new designs with. “Tikki.”

Tikki lifted some berets around, letting them bump against her head before one landed straight on top of herself. She flew through it, giving off an awkward laugh. “Too much?”

~~~~~

“Please, Father? I’ll bring my bodyguard with me.”

“Adrien,” a man with smoothed-back and blonde hair began, “I’ve already told you I don’t want you going out. That’s final.”

Adrien, dressed in a black t-shirt with some colorful stripes, sighed in defeat. “Alright. I’m sorry for bothering you.”

His father didn’t bother to look at his son as Adrien walked outside of his study and up the staircase.

“Your father is unbearable,” a black kwami groaned from Adrien’s shoulder once they’d both made it up the stairs. They both headed off to Adrien’s room. “He’s like a smelly cheese that even I wouldn’t touch. A smelly dairy-free cheese.”

Adrien wanted to defend his father, but his kwami’s comment made him laugh instead. “Plagg, my father isn’t dairy-free cheese.”

“Well I won’t be the one to prove that true or not,” Plagg lifted his hands up, smiling a little at Adrien’s louder laugh. “We’re going out the window, right?”

“Definitely,” Adrien agreed once he’d gotten inside his room. He lifted his hand, eyeing a silver ring on his finger glistening. “Want some Camembert before we head out?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Plagg spun around, already clutching a small slice of cheese in his hands. He took some bites, savoring the flavor as Adrien walked over to his computer. He stopped on a picture of his mom and him together.

Plagg gulped the entire piece of cheese quickly. “If we’re not in a rush, I wouldn’t mind having another slice of Camembert… if…”

Adrien turned off the computer, ignoring the photo of his mom and him as it disappeared. “Have at it,” Adrien smiled Plagg’s way, unaffected. “I’ll just find something better to wear tonight.”

Plagg, already clasping a new slice of Camembert, frowned at Adrien’s computer. He flew up to Adrien, cheese in hand. Begrudgingly, he extended the cheese out to Adrien. “…Want a tiny piece?”

Adrien playfully shooed Plagg away. “Nope. It’s all yours, buddy.”

“Thank the cheeses,” Plagg breathed a sigh of relief, stroking the cheese tenderly.

Adrien rolled his eyes, opening his closet. He stared at the duplicates of his one outfit. “This sucks.”

“Well this is delicious,” Plagg spoke through bites of Camembert. “I’m not offering you part of this anymore, so don’t get any ideas!”

“Plagg, can you stop talking about the cheese and help me find something to wear? I can’t find anything else besides my same stupid jacket.”

Plagg begrudgingly floated over, snorting at the sight of Adrien’s closet.

“Well?” Adrien inquired, waiting for his cheese-eating buddy to help him out.

“You might as well go in your pajamas if you want to change your look so bad,” Plagg spoke. “It’s either that or the Chat Noir costume you wore for that singer’s music video.”

Inside the closet, next to several black shirts with colorful stripes, hung a familiar Chat Noir costume. It dangled from its hanger, jingling a little once Plagg bumped into its bell.

“Why do I have this?” Adrien, now holding the costume in his hand, asked aloud. “I mean, it’s definitely not my regular outfit…”

Plagg eyed Adrien and the cat suit nervously. “I was joking, Adrien. Don’t wear that.”

“Why not?” Adrien shrugged, holding the costume up against his regular outfit. “I won’t wear a mask with it or anything.”

Plagg floated around Adrien’s head, plopping on his blonde hair. “Didn’t you say your friends are singing or whatever? It’s not a costume party.”

“Don’t friends dress up together?” Adrien eyed the suit with even more excitement filling his eyes. “This could be a way for me to get closer to my classmates! I’ve got to do this!”

Plagg worriedly watched as Adrien ran off to his bathroom with his Chat Noir costume, closing the door. Some seconds passed, seconds Plagg considered reaching for a nice block of Brie, before Adrien emerged with the Chat Noir outfit on himself.

“Don’t your friends like you enough?” Plagg groaned, eyeing the cheese cabinet longingly. “Why bother with getting closer when you already are friends?”

“Plagg, I’ve told you already,” Adrien smiled, bumping the bell around his collar. “School was huge for me, and it’s still different, even after two years. I’ve never… had so many amazing friends.”

“What about you and Chloe?” Plagg mindlessly asked as he continued to stare at the cheese cabinet.

“Yeah, but that’s different, Plagg,” Adrien sighed. “She and I are friends, but it’s not like either of us know what it’s like to really be friends, or, uh… I don’t know. I still don’t really know how to do the whole ‘friend’ thing, but I’ve really liked being friends with them so far… so as long as I keep trying, I’ll eventually figure it out.”

Plagg’s attention broke from the cheese. He turned to look at Adrien’s conflicted and sad expression. “Fine. You should do it.”

“Plagg?”

“Your Chat Noir outfit is a hundred times better than the junk your father’s designed for you anyway,” Plagg said with a smirk. “You should wear your Chat Noir outfit if it’s what you really want.”

Adrien blinked. He was surprised by Plagg’s genuinely thoughtful comment. Well, Plagg did give him helpful comments a lot more than Plagg would’ve admitted. Plagg was someone Adrien could be himself around, someone he could trust. If Plagg was encouraging him to do this, then Adrien took his outfit decision as a good choice.

“You’re not doing this for extra cheese, are you?”

Plagg shrugged. “Extra cheese wouldn’t hurt.”

“We’ll pick some up after Kitty Section’s performance, Plagg.”

Plagg let out a dramatic groan, failing to hide just how fake it was. “Well… um, whatever! Fine by me! Just make sure we get cheese as soon as the thing is over!”

Adrien smirked. “Plagg, claws out!”

~~~~~

A group of teenagers gathered together on a boat floating around in the water. To be oddly specific, there was enough room for a certain band to set up their equipment if they wanted to.

…Which they did. There were drums, guitars, and keyboards scattered across this ship. Cords and speakers lined parts of the wooden base, and fold out chairs decked the rest of the deck up.

Some looking out to said-boat will automatically assume the boat would sink from the sheer weight of it all, or the fact that there was now a growing audience of people climbing aboard.

What those people didn’t know was that two of the teenagers actually lived on the boat, with their own rooms and furniture beneath the deck. So, to whoever would worry a ship like this would sink… they’re fortunately wrong.

However, Marinette wished so badly that the ship would sink. Not so that anyone she cared about would sink… just herself. The mortifying feeling of every single onlooker looking… staring at her ridiculous cat dress… it was enough to make her wish for the ship to sink with her still inside.

She shook her head, slapped her cheeks, and eyed her purse, shivering from the slight chill outside. Tikki wiggled her eyebrows up to Marinette’s red face. Tikki, thinking she’d just done Marinette an incredible favor, smirked. “I told you wearing that dress was a good choice, Marinette. They’re speechless!”

“Please sink, please sink, please sink,” Marinette mumbled under her breath, closing her eyes as tight as they possibly could shut. Her eyelids scrunched as she worried the bitter wind would shut them for good. She held her breath, gripping the ugliest green beret in the world tighter to her head. Luckily for her, her dress was warm enough without a coat. Or maybe that was unlucky.

“Girl…” Alya, a friend of Marinette, slowly whispered, approaching Marinette’s outfit. “Uh… nice dress.”

“I wore this for a friend,” Marinette rushed out so quickly, she could barely feel the words leave her lips. She didn’t have to look down at her purse to know Tikki had just grown even more proud. “My friend wanted to cheer me up… and now… I’m wearing this.”

Alya tapped her chin, lost in thought. She lowered her eyes to the randomly sewn patches of fabrics, each with different cat designs across it. “Uh-huh. And do I know this ‘friend’?”

Marinette lifted a hand to cover her face, and one more hand to shoo Alya. “No. Thankfully, you don’t.”

Alya laughed, catching Marinette’s hand in hers. “Relax! It’s not… that bad. Your friend must’ve wanted you to get out of your comfort zone! Show off your wild side.”

“Alya.” Marinette narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, come on! You’re a wild person sometimes! You can be totally crazy when I least expect it, so I think your friend just wanted to show off the real you tonight. You should thank them.”

Alya bumped Marinette’s shoulder playfully, waiting for her friend to shove her away. But all Marinette did was slouch onto Alya instead. She took in her friend’s casual outfit: a colorful plaid winter coat with thick sweatpants. “It’s too late for me to go back and change… isn’t it?”

“Definitely too late,” Alya took in Marinette’s embarrassment with a supportive smile. She tucked her arm around Marinette, letting her friend hide her face from everyone else on board. “It’s really not that bad, Marinette. It’s grown on me.”

“Mmhmm,” Marinette mumbled, face nudged against Alya’s shoulder. She could feel Alya try to break the hug, but Marinette gripped tighter. “Please don’t leave me like this. I can’t go in there alone!”

“Well, lucky for you, Adrien texted the group chat a while ago. He said he’s coming! Isn’t this great?”

“WHAT?!” Marinette screamed, shoving Alya away as she eyed the boat in terror. She looked at Alya’s startled, but snickering, face.

Alya clicked her heels on the boat, listening to each tap’s crescendo. She turned around, spotting someone pouring a glass of lemonade. “Oh, looks like Nino’s here. See ya, Marinette!”

Marinette watched Alya’s departing wink in horror. She couldn’t move. She wouldn’t follow after her friend, and she was too scared to leave the boat. But she had to leave the boat. She would either leave the boat or die in shame.

“Marinette?”

Marinette’s voice quickly whispered to herself. “No.”

Behind her, a familiar presence and voice spoke again, asking, “No?”

Marinette felt her neck twist painfully slowly to eye the last person she wanted to see in this horrid dress. In this awful, embarrassing, hideous dress.

It was Adrien Agreste.

The son of her favorite fashion model, a fashion icon. The model she’d befriended and critiqued his own father’s designs in a recent conversation. The last person she ever wanted to see her dress .

This guy.

She met his green eyes, feeling tears form around her eyelids. Before those tears could fall, her eyes tilted up.

Cat ears.

… Cat ears?

Adrien flicked his bell. “Meowch,” he began, eyeing Marinette’s conflicted expression. “Is the suit really that bad?”

She turned away. “What. Is. Happening?”

“Uh, are we the only ones dressed in cat attire?” Adrien crossed an arm over his chest, resting another arm overtop it. He raised his hand, pointing his index finger out to the boat members. “Why is no one else dressed up for our friends’ performance?”

“Who knows,” Marinette began, extending her arms out comedically far. “This… CAN’T be happening. This is the worst nightmare I’ve had all week! This can’t be real. This just can’t be real!”

Adrien eyed Marinette gripping her face, slowly walking over to the farthest side from everyone else. He turned to look at his friends, who seemed to be preoccupied with their own things. He had to admit that he wasn’t good with the whole ‘friend’ thing… but for right now, he needed to be.

Marinette didn’t seem super happy to be in costume like he was. As he walked over to her, he wondered if she was upset that no one else had dressed up. But he’d dressed up.

He gulped. What could he say to her? What did he want to say to her? Would she feel worse with him nearby?

His steps slowed to a stop. She was staring down at the water, leaning close to the edge. He couldn’t blame her. The stars outside reflected beautifully against the water, and the snow made it all the more lovely.

“The stars are pretty tonight,” he whispered, walking over and leaning against the edge beside her. He eyed the water’s reflection of her face, noticing a small ripple disrupt her image.

Marinette wiped her eyes. “Yeah. They’re definitely nice.”

Adrien nodded, adjusting a cat ear. “I wonder what song Kitty Section will start off with.”

“Uh,” Marinette began, panicking as she couldn’t find the next words to say. “Umm… nice?”

She slapped her face, startling Adrien enough to make him jump, which let a small jingle from his bell spill out.

“You okay?” He eyed her skeptically, taking in the dress.

This was it. Her credibility as a future fashion designer: gone. Her eyes trailed off to the water, wondering how swimming back to the bakery would look to her parents.

“No, not really,” Marinette answered. She’d given up. What else could she say? Lying would make everything worse. She couldn’t possibly pretend like she was ‘a million bucks’ with a dress she made out of scrap fabric.

Adrien lifted his eyes to her checkered green beret. “How come?”

Marinette gave him an incredulous stare. Wasn’t it obvious? “I took a friend’s advice to wear my mock-up dress.”

Adrien scanned her sad eyes, waiting for her to tell him the rest. Surely, she couldn’t be upset over a dress, right? But she didn’t say anything else. Why would she be upset over something like that? It didn’t look bad to him at all, and quite honestly, he liked the abstracted look of the dress. It was better than his boring white jacket, no, his 97 identical white jackets combined. Adrien studied the cat dress, grinning at the different cat fabrics looking back at him. “They’re adorable.”

“I know,” Marinette began somberly, before widening her eyes. “Wait, what?!”

Adrien lifted his finger up in concern, pointing to the fabric. “The cats. I like the cats.”

Marinette’s face flushed, looking down at the dress once more. He… liked the cats. All of her worry seemed to sink away as she felt a small smile embrace her pink cheeks. “Thanks.”

Adrien grinned, flinging his bell. “Any time, Meow-inette.”

The pun was awful, and she knew that. Puns were always a hit or miss for her, but this one got her laughing. She wanted to stop, but she couldn’t catch her breath as she started to snort. Ugh. If Chat Noir called her that, she wouldn’t have been laughing like this. Not because his puns aren’t hilarious as well… but everything felt different right then. Her hysteria had to do with the situation she was in right now. She was just through a wave of embarrassment, and now she’s standing in front of her crush… her crush that was dressed and acting like Chat Noir himself. Of course her laughter would take forever to end.

Adrien laughed with her, blepping to catch another snort from her. Once she’d tried to wave his eyes off her, he felt his eyes scrunch in together from how ‘hilarious’ his one pun was. “I know someone I try to make puns with who doesn’t see them for just how incredible they are. You’re the first to appreciate my art.”

“Your art?” Marinette wheezed, gripping her cat dress underneath her fingertips. “You’re kidding!”

“Nope!” Adrien professed. “I’m a pun-enthusiast, you know. It’s not every day I land a pun on someone though. And it looks like you might be a purr-etty good audience for my upcoming puns.”

Marinette bit her cheeks, begging herself to stop laughing. At this point, she would scare him off if she kept laughing the way she did. She felt like a cackling buffoon in the presence of an angel. Which… doesn’t make much sense, but that’s exactly how she felt in this predicament.

“Ha! Sure. Me, an audience,” Marinette smugly giggled, taking in Adrien’s genuinely happy face looking back at her. The two ignored the sounds of drums and guitars playing behind them. However, by the time a keyboard started playing, and a screechy voice took the microphone, Adrien and Marinette fell into realization. “An audience! I’m, we’re Kitty Section’s audience!”

Adrien flinched at the sound of Rose’s shrill voice cracking out one of the higher notes of the musical scale. He rubbed his cat ear before rubbing his real ear. “I guess we are. They’re… as great as always.”

Marinette nodded, bopping along with Rose’s rocking vocals. “They really are!”

The two of them together felt nice. Maybe the music was on the louder side for Adrien’s tastes, but nonetheless, being here with his friends was worth it all. Besides, his Chat Noir costume worked! Well, not yet with his other classmates, but it definitely gave him points with Marinette. A soft smile found its way to his face. Adrien took one last look at Marinette before he settled his eyes on the stage.

~~~~~

A girl sporting a blonde ponytail and sharp blue eyeliner walked inside of a nearby bakery. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

Oh, whoever could it be?

Marinette turned her head, shocked that Chloe of all people wanted to be in her family’s bakery. Chloe, the girl that refuses pizza and always has food ordered to her family’s hotel. She blinked. Chloe couldn’t possibly be there.

Two hands with freshly manicured nails plopped on top of the counter.

This was definitely Chloe.

“Welcome!” Marinette gave Chloe a toothy and wobbly smile. “What can I get for you?”

“Uh, you’re kidding, right?” Chloe eyed the pastries and loaves of bread, almost longingly, before snapping her eyes back to Marinette. “Don’t change the subject, Baker Girl!”

“But there wasn’t a subject yet-“

“I said don’t!” Chloe pointed her nail out for Marinette to examine the rose detailing. “Ms. Mendeleiev partnered us for that stupid science project, remember?”

“Wait, we’re actually working on it together?” Marinette hopefully eyed Chloe. She’d been waiting for Chloe to respond back to her messages for two days. This project wasn’t just important for their grades. She was hoping she’d get a chance to really talk with Chloe now that she knew more about her. At least, now that Ladybug and Queen Bee were getting along surprisingly well.

“Ew! Of course not! There’s no way I want to work on that junk,” Chloe examined her nails. “I thought you’d want to come with me to protest.”

“…Protest?”

Chloe scoffed. “Duh. You obviously don’t want to be partners with me, and neither do I. So, the only way we can settle this is by… working together to not work together.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes. “It’d be faster to just work on the assignment with me.”

Chloe smirked. “Well, if you insist.”

Before Marinette could question Chloe’s response, Chloe snapped her fingers toward the door. The door’s bell dinged as Armand, one of the hotel’s workers, entered with a box full of beakers.

Chloe eyed the window, twisting her hand toward the box as she shivered from the cold wind. “Since you’re so insistent we work on this project, fine. We will work on the project. I had a feeling you’d force me into this.”

Marinette watched as Armand set the gigantic box right on top of the counter, blocking her view of him. “Uh, well, okay. The bakery closes in a couple minutes, so this’ll be perfect!”

Chloe waved her hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, Dupain-Cheng. Jean-Michael!”

Marinette took off her apron, setting it on a nearby chair. Chloe leaned close to Armand, puffing out her cheeks.

“Thank you,” Chloe grumbled low enough for Marinette to not hear.

“No problem, mademoiselle. Let me know when to pick you back up.”

Armand left the bakery, leaving Chloe and Marinette alone.

Marinette let out a small awkward laugh, pulling out a beaker. She placed it by her eye, looking at Chloe distorted from the glass.

“What did you have in mind?” Marinette asked.

Chloe triumphantly placed her hands on her hips, motioning over to the box. “Something that’ll blow up on Ms. Mendeleiev’s horrible coat.”

~~~~~

The air shifted in her room. Something was off.

“Ugh, what is it, Baker Girl?”

Marinette studied Chloe’s relaxed figure on her chaise. “It’s nothing.”

“Of course it is,” Chloe dismissively waved her hand, flipping the page of a science magazine.

The two ‘continued’ on their project as much as they could. Marinette was too distracted by her strange feeling, and Chloe was too interested in her science magazine. Bored, not ‘interested’. She was totally bored of the surprisingly investing discoveries a scientific journalist wrote.

Marinette fiddled with a beaker full of… crumbled croissants. Carefully eyeing Chloe, and deciding the coast was clear, she pulled out a piece, savoring the bread piece filling her cheeks.

Chloe slipped her hand along the last lines of the magazine, shutting it closed. With a satisfied smile, she turned to eye Marinette’s scientific progress, only to gasp in utter shock. “Dupain-Cheng! That’s our science project!”

Marinette eyed Chloe, scrunching her cheeks.

“Marinette. Dupain. Cheng.”

Marinette gave her a toothy grin once more, failing to hide croissant crumbs falling out.

“You!” Chloe sat up, slamming her hands on the chaise. She lifted a hand to point menacingly at Marinette. “Ridiculous. Utterly, ridiculous. To think the Baker Girl would resort to scavenging her own family’s croissants like a mouse!”

Marinette swallowed the last bite of croissant, finding it hard to hold back her laughter. “I’m sorry! Really, I am!”

“No, you’re not,” Chloe laughed, clearing her throat sharply. She tightened her smile back into a frown. “This won’t do! Now we’ll have to start all over again.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Well, we didn’t actually start yet, Chloe. All we did was put the croissant in the beaker.”

Chloe and Marinette exchanged ‘menacing’ glances. They weren’t harsh glances, or particularly ill-intended. They were a friendly amount of ‘threatening’ and ‘scolding’… or whatever this point of their friendship could be described as. Neither girl would admit they were on the brink of friendship, but it wasn’t exactly unknown to them. It was the beginning of something new: two enemies that didn’t have to be enemies anymore.

A sudden slam against Marinette’s roof caught the two off guard.

“What was that?” Marinette stared up at the ceiling in alarm.

“Uh, how should I know, Baker Girl?” Chloe rolled her eyes, studying the ceiling. The two remained silent, waiting for a following sound, which never came. Chloe slowly narrowed her eyes. “Maybe it was just the wind.”

Two more slams crashed against the roof, and a distant cackle sent alarm bells ringing in the girls’ minds.

“An akuma!”

“Here?” Chloe rolled her eyes, scanning the room covered in glass beakers. She stood up, crumbling the magazine behind the chaise’s pillow. Looking down at Marinette, she reached her hand out to the girl. “Come on.”

Marinette took Chloe’s hand, eyeing the roof and Chloe back and forth. “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, ‘what do you mean’? I’m getting us out of here!” Chloe tugged Marinette’s hand, gasping at the sound of another crash. “Ladybug and Chat Noir might be up there with whatever idiot was akumatized, so as long as Ladybug repairs everything, we’ll be okay. But staying here is just stupid.”

Chloe slammed open the hatch dividing Marinette’s room from downstairs. She started down the steps, holding the wall for balance as Marinette started behind her. However, before Marinette could fully leave her room, her roof collapsed.

“Marinette!” Chloe screamed in horror, watching Marinette lose her balance from the top of the stairs.

Marinette reached for her room’s floor, gasping as she lost her balance. Her socks slipped against the stairs, and despite trying to keep herself up, she began to fall backwards. Chloe’s terrified scream paralyzed Marinette as she shut her eyes, accepting she would fall.

But she didn’t fall.

“Woah, there,” a familiar voice rang into her ears. A bell jingled nearby Marinette’s head. “You alright, purr-incess?”

Marinette flinched from the awful nickname, opening her eyes to behold Chat Noir, the infamously punny superhero. “Thanks, Chat Noir.”

Chloe sighed in relief, collapsing to her legs as she held her face in her hands. After some slow breaths, she scowled, infuriated by Chat Noir’s presence. “Yeah, thanks for saving someone’s life that could’ve just ended!”

Marinette felt Chat Noir set her down on the stairs. “Get to safety.”

Marinette nodded, running down the stairs, and slipping onto the rail in the process. She gripped Chloe’s hand, pulling her up to follow her. “Let’s go!”

“Are you alright?” Chloe worriedly asked, shaking her head in disgust. “Ugh! I mean, CHAT Noir, SO HELP ME, if I’m not given the bee miraculous soon, then I’ll whack you with one of the baker’s dusty baguettes!”

Some crashes from inside Marinette’s room grew as Chat Noir extended his staff to the noise. “Hey, free food is free food.”

Chloe scoffed, begrudgingly letting Marinette tug her outside of the bakery. “Oh, get over yourself!”

Once they were outside, Marinette gripped her chest and let out some panicked breaths. Snow gently landed atop her head, reaching her fingers and nose. She really wished she’d brought a coat.

“I wonder what idiot was next,” Chloe murmured under her breath, watching the building crumble further. “Hawk Moth is utterly pointless.”

Marinette nodded in agreement, feeling a nudge from her purse. Looking down at her bag, she spotted Tikki spiraling around like a loose yo-yo. “You know what? Almost dying made me need to go to the bathroom.”

“Uh…” Chloe trailed off, startled as Marinette bolted off.

“Go hide! I’ll be with the toilets!” Marinette called back, running as quickly as she could to a nearby building.

~~~~~

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette screeched from behind a bathroom stall, thankful no one else was inside.

“Marinette!” A voice called from outside the bathroom.

“Oh no,” Marinette, in the middle of her transformation dance, muttered. Once she’d finished her signature pose, she pulled open the stall’s door, thankful Chloe wasn’t actually in the restroom itself.

She opened the door, meeting Chloe’s confused face. “Ladybug?”

“Yes! And it’s just the girl I need! I need you, Queen Bee,” she winked, pulling up her yo-yo with the bee miraculous floating through it. She was thankful Master Fu had let her carry this particular one with her inside her yo-yo.

“Uh, hold on,” Chloe held up her finger, scanning the bathroom. She held her nose, shutting her eyes as she pulled away from the bathroom. “Marinette? Are you in there?”

“Yes, she is,” Ladybug nervously reassured, stepping out of the bathroom and shutting the door. “She might want privacy considering she’s in the bathroom. I think it would be too embarrassing for her to even answer you right now.”

Chloe scanned the door suspiciously, accepting the bee miraculous from Ladybug’s hand. “Um, okay then.”

Ladybug stepped away from the door, sighing in relief. “Alright! Let’s go!”

~~~~~

Ladybug crushed the akumatized flute, watching the butterfly fly free from it.

While Ladybug did her usual speech, Chat Noir and Queen Bee bickered with each other.

Queen Bee pointed an accusing finger at Chat Noir. “You blocked me from stinging the villain twice!”

“Well, I thought he would tell us why he was fighting us, but he never did,” Chat Noir huffed.

The buildings whooshed with magical ladybugs, and Ladybug set her yo-yo back on her suit.

“Ladybug, back me up here!” Chat Noir frowned at Ladybug, waiting for her to come to his defense.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. “For what exactly?”

Queen Bee took off her miraculous, muttering, “Buzz Off”, directly at Chat Noir.

While Queen Bee de-transformed into Chloe, Chat Noir raised his hands up defensively. “I thought we should’ve questioned him more before we beat him, that’s all.”

“And risk everyone else’s lives nearby like you did with Marinette?” Chloe crossed her arms once she’d given Ladybug the bee miraculous back. “So what if you saved her? If you were questioning the guy on her roof, what did you expect to happen? Did you not even bother checking who was even inside?”

Chat Noir clasped his fists together, looking away. She was right. He knew she was. However, everything had turned out alright. Marinette was safe, Ladybug was here to repair the damage, and the akumatized person was free from Hawk Moth’s control.

Chat Noir lifted the man up, setting him in front of Ladybug. “Here’s the victim.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at Chat Noir before looking at the extremely quiet victim. “Hey, everything’s okay now.”

“No, it’s not.”

All three heroes eyed the man in shock. Chloe placed a hand on her hip, rolling her eyes.

“Um, it clearly is. Look around you. Ladybug cleaned up your mess, and you’re not dressed in that awful clown suit anymore,” Chloe remarked with a flick of her wrist.

Ladybug turned the man to face her. “Why were you akumatized?”

The man shuttered, clearly recalling some awful memory or feeling. Shaking his head, he tried to control his breathing. “I… I just wanted my father to be honest with me.”

Chat Noir’s cat ears perked up.

The man continued, finally calm and with peace warming his face ever so slowly. “All my life, he pushed me away. I just wanted to know why. And now I know… so I guess it has to be okay… am I right, Ladybug?”

Ladybug stepped away, clutching her yo-yo. “Oh no.”

Chat Noir and Chloe eyed Ladybug, suddenly worried. Why would Ladybug be backing away from one of Hawk Moth’s victims like this? “Uh, M’lady… what’s-“

“Don’t ask me that!” Ladybug called back. She eyed the man. “Sir, if you’re stable, I’m going to need to ask that you walk home by yourself. Chat Noir, take Chloe back to her hotel, and don’t talk to each other.”

“We were just arguing a little,” Chloe scrunched up her nose as she spoke. “Now we can’t talk?”

“Trust me. I’ll explain everything later, but seriously, be careful with what you say,” Ladybug replied, running out of the building as quickly as she could. She pulled out her yo-yo, eyeing it intently before swinging off into the snowy sky.

~~~~~

Marinette sulked as she walked out of Master Fu’s place. She eyed her purse in despair. “Tikki, what now?”

“To be honest with you,” Tikki paused as Marinette groaned. Tikki cleared her throat, continuing, “I don’t know.”

“This is awful,” Marinette sighed, looking up to the winter clouds. Snow drifted down to Paris, down to the buildings, down to herself. She felt a snowflake land on her nose.

“Well, as long as no one asks where you were, you’ll be fine-“

“Marinette!” Chloe, ahead of Alya and Nino, rushed down the street to meet Marinette. “What happened? Where were you?”

Marinette fearfully eyed Chloe, eyed Alya and Nino not too far behind, eyed her purse, and eyed Master Fu’s house. “You can’t tell anyone why, okay?”

Chloe nodded, and as soon as she had, Marinette was already whispering underneath her hands.

“I can’t hear you,” Chloe groaned. She eyed Marinette gripping her mouth shut. “Do you not want to tell me?”

Marinette gasped in relief, nodding. She still held her hand up to her mouth, worriedly eyeing the group.

Chloe knew something was up. The fact Marinette ran off, Chloe conveniently ran into Ladybug, the way Ladybug and Marinette were more similar than she cared to acknowledge. She didn’t realize it until now. She never considered the possibility up until now. And from the way Marinette was acting, something inside Chloe unfortunately proved her theory correct. “You can’t tell me, or them… even if you wanted to. Can you?”

Marinette nodded, eyeing the sky’s frosty wind and snow colliding with the rooftops. Snow fell. It never stopped falling. It had been snowing since the last akumatization. And now… she was facing a new consequence… one disastrous consequence, all from a well-intended wish of a broken man’s heart. Her eyes flickered on a black dot zipping around the city of Paris, just as nervous as she was.

“Chat Noir.”

~~~~~

Notes:

🩵🥐🐾

This is the first fanfiction I’ve written, and that I’ll continue to add to (because Miraculous Ladybug+Chat Noir will always be one of my favorite shows). I made this chapter today and did a quick proofread, so hopefully everything is comprehensible, ehehe. Thank you for reading! :D

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 2

It was too late for Marinette to turn back and explain to her friends why she was currently running away from them. Technically, she did say she had something to take care of, but neither Alya, Nino, or Chloe would understand until everything was resolved. More specifically: when she could lie around the truth again.

“Of course Hawk Moth can turn good things against us now,” Marinette huffed under her breath as she continued to dash across the streets. Officer Roger blew his whistle in the distance, cutting her thoughts short.

She turned around, preparing for the cop’s reprimanding comments… but thankfully, they never came. She eyed the cop standing in front of a parked car, raising a clipboard up with a pen attached at the top.

“Phew,” Marinette sighed in relief, smiling at the sight of some unfortunate person receiving a ticket. She slapped her face. The act caught the attention of concerned pedestrians, watching her rub her forehead in aggravation.

“Marinette,” Tikki mumbled from the fabric of Marinette’s purse, “what are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Marinette yelled down to her bag, ignoring the increasing stares of parisians nearby. “I’m trying to catch Chat Noir!”

“As Marinette?” Tikki rolled her eyes, leaning on the purse’s clasp. “You need to be careful.”

“I know I do!” Marinette exclaimed. The onlookers came and went as she continued to publicly humiliate herself… not that she realized she was humiliating herself. She would only realize that once she'd take a moment to think. But now, she was running on pure adrenaline with Chat Noir as her top priority. “I can’t waste time! If anyone asks him a question that could jeopardize his secret identity, then it’s over!”

“CALM DOWN!” Her purse exploded. At this point, anyone nearby knew Marinette was acting odd, but they were definitely not expecting to hear her purse reply back. “Go hide. You need to hide and clear your head, Marinette.”

The snow blew past her face, breezing around the city like it never wanted to leave. But it needed to leave. The snow had to leave, even though it was pretty and it was the wish of at least one little girl in Paris.

Marinette sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll find some bench to hide behind and transform there. Happy?”

Tikki slammed against the purse, bumping Marinette’s leg in contention.

“A light pole?”

A small gasp from Marinette’s purse, and another bump, answered that clear enough.

Marinette raised her hands out to the city of Paris, taking in just how snowed in it looked. “Well, where then? There’s barely anyone in Paris to see me, so does it really matter?”

Tikki floated up to peek outside of the purse. She planned a thoughtful retort, but shrunk back at the sight of Paris. It really was empty. She could’ve sworn she’d seen the same woman in five different parts of the street, and that wasn’t counting the bleak atmosphere in general. Wasn’t Paris supposed to be crowded with pedestrians and tourists?

“Look for a safe alley,” Tikki proposed, slipping back into the purse.

Marinette patted her purse lightly, scanning the empty streets. She was used to only a few people loitering around, but it was unsettlingly empty as she strolled.

Several alleys gave off promising privacy, but one in particular caught her eye. The perfect alleyway, right in the middle of a shoe shop and a fish shop. No one would ever suspect Ladybug would emerge from there.

She bolted into the alleyway, smugly passing the unsuspecting pedestrians waltzing around in the cold. Granted, there weren’t many pedestrians to pass to begin with, but nonetheless, she secluded herself from their view.

Before Marinette could transform, she felt a tug on one of her pigtails. “Oww! What was that for?”

Tikki flew back at the sight of Marinette’s distressed face. “Marinette, something’s bothering me.”

She knew where this was leading. Marinette sighed, cupping her hands out to Tikki carefully. “Well, what’s worrying you, Tikki?”

Tikki nudged Marinette’s hand, making room to sit down. She leaned back, kicking her kwami legs back and wrapping her arms against her chest.

“What if the akumatized victim’s wish wasn’t for honesty?”

Marinette eyed Tikki in confusion. Of course the man’s wish was for honesty. The man practically admitted it himself. He wanted his father to be there for him, a feeling Marinette couldn’t completely understand. However, after everything Chloe shared with Ladybug about her mother, Marinette could somewhat see where the man was coming from. Not feeling loved, listened to, or just acknowledged in general was unfair. If she were in the man’s place, she thought to herself, she’d definitely want her dad to be honest with her.

“What do you mean by that?” Marinette asked, eyeing the kwami’s worried expression.

Tikki looked up to Marinette. “He said he wanted to know why his father pushed him away, right?”

Marinette nodded, not fully understanding where Tikki was getting at.

“Wishing to force the truth from someone isn’t a pure wish,” Tikki said. “However, wishing for a person to open up is.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes at Tikki. “How are those different?”

Tikki floated up, placing her hand on Marinette’s nose. “I’m glad you asked! Let me explain. Honesty is a positive trait. However, some people can’t be honest, even when they want to be. Forcing someone you care about to tell you the truth isn’t pure, so his wish had to be something else.”

A gust of wind crashed some nearby garbage cans onto the pavement. “So, you’re saying he wanted his father to feel free to talk to him?”

“More than that. He wanted to hear what was on his father’s heart, and he wanted his father to be himself. You never really let the man finish, Marinette. Once you heard ‘honesty’, you up and left.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know his dad’s heart was blocked off?” Marinette conceded, flinching from the cold. “Right then, I wanted to warn Master Fu. He could’ve been in danger if he didn’t know, and I needed to talk to him! Who else could I have talked to?”

Tikki floated in front of Marinette’s face, eyeing the girl intently. “You see?”

“What?” Marinette asked defensively, reaching out her arm to the brick wall in front of her. Cold tears lined her eyelids, letting themselves slide down her cheeks.

“Marinette, as Ladybug, you’re pretty open and protective of others, so there wasn’t much of a change in you. However, by assuming every word you’d speak would be a truth you’re not supposed to share… The first thing you thought about was your loved ones and their safety, along with the secrets you’re hiding. You acted under the notion of ‘forced honesty’… but deep down, you want to be honest with someone. The only person who’d be safe to be around also happened to be Master Fu, Marinette. If you were really forced to be honest, wouldn’t you have gone to your family for comfort if there were no restraints holding you back?”

Marinette watched Tikki take a seat on Marinette’s palm again. She thought over Tikki’s words. She wanted to be honest with everyone. Everyday, she wondered what she’d say to her parents if they’d caught her out of her room. Lying to her friends became too easy, a feeling that disgusted her every time she looked at the people that trusted her. Every moment that went by, she wished she didn’t have to be somebody else, but Tikki was right: she didn’t want to get her loved ones involved when they didn’t need to be. Tikki, Master Fu, and the other kwamis really were the only ones she could trust with her burdens. So… would it be possible to lie under this man’s wish for ‘openness’?

“My name is… Ma…Ma…rinette?” Marinette fumbled, eyeing the alleyway’s snow. She groaned in defeat.

Tikki shrugged. “Looks like you still want to believe you’re forced to speak the truth, Marinette. Why?” Tikki looked straight into Marinette’s eyes, deadpan. “Is it because you want a real excuse to push everyone away even further?”

“What is with you today?” Marinette scolded, lightly poking Tikki’s head. “You’re acting all wise and mean!”

Tikki crossed her arms, looking away. “I was affected by the man’s power, Marinette. It didn’t take me long to realize I could lie, which proved my idea.”

If only she’d said that sooner.

“Prove it.”

“I’m Adrien Agreste, the boy you’re in love with,” Tikki smirked, cocking an eye over Marinette. Floating above Marinette’s head, she patted her hair. “I can lie because I’m being myself with you: playful and helpful. If my lies aren’t ill intended, just like your day to day lies are, I can tell them. However, just because I can lie doesn’t mean I can hide how I’m feeling. As your kwami, I need to warn you. If you keep focusing on your words, you’ll overlook your feelings and emotions, which everyone around you will definitely pick up on.”

“So, his power sparked honest emotions and feelings?”

“Exactly,” Tikki nodded. “The words you speak from that power are an afterthought. What you should really focus on is what you’re feeling and how to translate that in your words and actions as smoothly as possible. Recognize your emotions, and acknowledge them. Okay?”

“Uh… sure,” Marinette nodded, processing Tikki’s reasonings. Her mind quieted as she sorted through her priorities. Within the second, her mind settled on her partner, Chat Noir. “Tikki, as much as I love our chats, I need to transform.”

Tikki nodded, pointing her hand toward Marinette’s earrings. “You’ve got this, Marinette.”

~~~~~

Outside a local pizza shop, a small pathway between the snow prepared itself for three incoming customers.

“It’s probably for the best,” a guy sporting a red cap sighed. He rubbed his head, readjusting the cap in the process. “If she needs space, then it’s not like we can take that from her.”

“Ugh, but she’s my friend,” Alya groaned. She adjusted the zipper to her plaid winter jacket, frustrated as the fabric caught in the zipper more than once. Harshly tugging part of the jacket, she wondered what her fashionable friend would say if Alya ruined her jacket. The thought calmed her as she slowly let go of the stuck zipper. “Why can’t she have space with me in her space?”

“Uh, you’re kidding, right?” Chloe studied her nails in disinterest. She looked up to the pizza shop’s dinky sign, repelled by the fading and chipped wood.

Alya and Nino eyed each other. They were definitely used to Chloe’s presence by now. That is, they were used to Queen Bee’s presence. Alya, also known as Rena Rouge, questioned Ladybug’s decision to leave Queen Bee on the team, but it’s not like she really cared. Besides, after at least ten akumatizations, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee got along fairly decently. However, Nino, a.k.a Carapace, seemed to be less than thrilled.

They definitely weren’t prepared for Chloe’s presence outside of hero work, but it wasn’t exactly unwelcome. It was just different.

Alya slumped against the frosted door, letting the door open as she slugged her way inside. The smell of dough and marinara sauce flooded her nose, lifting her spirits instantaneously. “It smells amazing in here!”

Inside of the small pizza shop, tiny tables and chairs found themselves by the window. Posters and advertisements littered the brick walls, each popping with color and intense fonts. Looking further inside the shop, a metallic counter decorated with customers' signatures stood in front of several workers. Each worker, sporting a cap with their shop’s logo, seemed to slug around the shop in boredom.

By the time the three friends made it to the counter, a woman with a messy apron reached the cash register. “Welcome to Paris’ best pizza place, where every pizza tastes like home.”

Her voice was definitely unenthusiastic, not that the three expected a grand welcoming. Alya shuffled in place, Nino tapped his fingers, and Chloe lifted her nose up at the woman in disdain.

The worker scratched her ponytail, eyeing the three guests in front of her. “What do you want?”

“Pepperoni!” Nino, startling Chloe, pointed his finger up to a photoshopped pepperoni pizza poster. “Just the pepperoni; I don’t need all the extra stuff.”

The worker pulled out a notepad, slowly writing out the word ‘pepperoni’. She lifted her eyes to the group in front of her before checking the shop across the street. On the other side of the pizza shop stood an exquisite Parisian restaurant full of cuisines to envy any and every homemade dish. Her eyes softened at the sight.

A couple seconds passed before Chloe placed her hand on the countertop, startling the worker.

The worker's eyes retreated from the window, emptying once more as she eyed the three customers. “What else?”

Alya pointed at another photoshopped pizza poster, failing to hide her interest. With her eyes glued to the crinkling poster, she proclaimed, “Your onion and mushroom with extra anchovies, please!”

A worker in the back audibly gagged, but Alya assumed that was just a coincidence. Who wouldn’t want a slice of pizza as heavenly as that? Especially with the anchovies. She needed the anchovies. They looked absolutely delicious, and identically glorious, in the poster.

The worker at the register slowly slid her pen along her notepad, writing out each word carefully. She made sure no letter touched the next as she started to write ‘anchovies’. The worker scrunched up her eyebrows in thought. How do you even spell ‘anchovies’?

Before she could get past the first two letters, Chloe cleared her throat dramatically. “Pineapple.”

A crash from the kitchen, followed by a pan spinning around the floor, caught the three customers’ attention. Before they could question the worker taking their order, heavy clicks from the cash register prickled their ears.

Once they heard how much the pizza would be, they pulled out their wallets, paid the worker, and waited at a booth closest to the glass window.

“Pizza,” Chloe grumbled. “I’m not surprised you two chose this junk.”

“Well, you were the one who came,” Nino protested. He crossed his arms, eyeing some snow splatter on the window in front of his face.

Alya eyed the glass, taking in the snow’s shape against the glass. Once she’d scanned the street, she spotted a group of kids throwing snowballs at each other, enjoying the weather with their bulky winter coats.

“Let’s just move past that.” Alya swooped her hand in front of Nino and Chloe, thankful the two relaxed. “I’m looking forward to those anchovies.”

“That’s great, babe,” Nino mumbled, fiddling with a napkin dispenser. Once he realized what he’d just called Alya with Chloe listening, he raised his hands and stood from the table. “Bacon! I meant to say bacon and anchovies would’ve been a better choice! Not that I know since I hate anchovies, I mean, I love Alya, no, the anchovies. Uh… I did mention bacon, right?”

Alya snickered as she pushed up her glasses. Chloe on the other hand rolled her eyes.

“You don’t have to pretend you two aren’t dating,” Chloe looked away, resting her arm on the counter. The counter was slightly sticky as she immediately pulled her arm off the counter. She gripped some napkins to her arm, wiping profusely. “I really don’t care.”

Nino and Alya eyed Chloe hesitantly. Alya sat up, studying Chloe sitting in front of her. “Seriously?”

Chloe widened her eyes, clearly offended. “Do I look like I care?”

“I guess not,” Nino shrugged, studying the sticky counter. He pulled up a napkin, bumping hands with Alya in the process.

Before the three could continue, the same worker from the cash register brought out a tray with sizzling pizza. The sounds from the pizza unnerved Chloe, whereas Alya and Nino lit up in interest.

“Your pizza,” the worker placed three plates down, carefully balancing the tray against her arm. As she set down Alya’s plate, her eyes caught the restaurant across the street once more. One family happily entered the restaurant, laughing with each other and letting the door close behind them, without ever looking back.

“Um,” Chloe lifted her hand up, swirling her nails in the air, “hello?”

“Here,” the worker muttered, placing Chloe’s plate in front of her. She let the metal tray slide between her arm and apron before stomping off.

Chloe looked down at the pineapple pizza. It didn’t look exactly appetizing, but she didn’t feel like complaining. Lowering a napkin to the pizza, she dabbed at the oil, wincing as the napkin practically soaked in her hand.

Alya plopped some anchovies in her mouth, picking around the onions and mushrooms to find more. “This is so good.”

“Tell me about it,” Nino spoke in awe at the sight of the crinkled pepperoni. Lifting the slice up, he took a bite, eyes lighting up in bliss. “Alya, you’ve got to try a bite.”

Alya eyed the pizza, reaching for the slice. She slid her plate over to Nino. “Have some of mine, too!”

“Uh, yeah,” Nino wobbly began, “totally.”

Alya chewed on a side of the pizza with stacks of pepperoni, grinning at the salty taste. Nino, on the other hand, lifted Alya’s plate to his nose for a sniff test, deciding it’d be best to pass it up.

“Pretty good!” Alya smirked, handing his pizza back. “So? What about mine?”

Nino eyed Alya’s hopeful eyes. He couldn’t let her down. She was important to him. Would taking a tiny bite be that bad?

He raised the slice up to his mouth, cringing as an anchovy slid from beneath a cheese clump. Scrunching his nose, he forced a small bite, pulling the rest of the slice away as soon as he did so. He slid her pizza back to her, chewing carefully and painfully. “Mmm,” he forcefully sounded, shutting his eyes at the texture of a mushroom.

“Good, right?” Alya excitedly clasped her hands together, taking her pizza back and chewing away.

Chloe rolled her eyes as Nino threw a thumbs up, turning toward the window glass and forcefully swallowing.

“Uh. I guess it’s not terrible,” Chloe picked up her pizza slice, narrowing her eyes at a pineapple chunk landing back on her plate with a thud. “Do you guys always eat this stuff?”

“Of course!” Alya replied while chewing. She covered her mouth, slightly embarrassed. “It’s pretty good for the price.”

Alya and Chloe failed to notice Nino shoving his pizza slice in his face, chewing and savoring the pepperoni like his life depended on it. He needed to get rid of the lingering anchovy taste, so the smartest way to do so was letting the pepperoni take over. But it didn’t work. He burped, groaning at the anchovy’s deepening flavor and the depressed pepperoni fading away.

Nino stood up, pulling out his chair and setting it back in place. “I need a soda. Anyone want one?”

“No thanks,” Alya smiled. “Chloe? What about you?”

Chloe, lightly chewing some pineapple, raised her eyebrows. She lowered the slice, pointing to herself in confusion. “Me?”

“Well, duh,” Alya laughed, slapping her hands on the table.

“Uh, yeah,” Nino shrugged, turning to look at Chloe’s conflicted face. “Want anything?”

Chloe sat silently. This was odd. The two idiots she definitely didn’t want to be around were… including her. She shook her head. No. That couldn’t possibly be it. Lifting her hand to shoo Nino off, she studied her nails. Her eyes glanced around the room momentarily before she settled them back on her nails. “No.”

“Okay,” Nino spoke, walking off to the counter. He studied the menu, looking for the perfect beverage to mask the anchovy taste as quickly as possible.

Alya, close to finishing her slice, held it out to Chloe. “Want a taste?”

Chloe’s cheeks flushed from the offer before paling at the sight of smooshed mushrooms. “I’ll pass.”

Alya nodded understandingly, shoving the rest in her mouth. Chewing and chewing, she let her eyes drift around the room. She smiled at Nino pressing his hands together in thought, before she realized the disgusted look on his face. She wondered what could make his face twist in such repulsion. It had to be something absolutely nasty.

Her eyes scanned the table’s sticky and oily surface. This was her favorite pizza shop. They always cooked the anchovies the way she liked them: cooked, but slightly lukewarm, squishy, and heavily seasoned. Delicious.

“Do you… want a piece?”

Alya blinked, eyeing a plate with pineapple chunks scoot closer to her. She looked up to Chloe’s avoidant eyes, looking at the glass in utter embarrassment. A warm rush brushed Alya’s cheeks.

“I’ll have a pineapple piece,” Alya accepted, immediately picking at a pineapple chunk. She chewed it, grinning at the sweet taste. “I think I’ll pass on mixing the two.”

Chloe almost smiled before she scoffed. “Oh, so anchovies, mushrooms, and onions are up to par with your disgustingly low standards? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.”

Alya gave Chloe her plate back, giggling. “You know, you’re not the only one who finds my taste in pizza gross.”

“Uh, clearly,” Chloe raised her eyebrow, nudging her head in Nino’s direction. “Your dumb boyfriend only ate some of that pizza to make you happy.”

Alya scrunched up her mouth, fighting the urge to deny Chloe’s observation… but she knew it was true. She wanted to convert him to the side of deliciousness, at least, what she felt was the side of deliciousness. She looked away, aware that her pushiness got the better of her more times than she’d like to admit. Admitting that to Chloe would absolutely not happen.

Chloe took her pizza back, lifting the slice to her mouth. Juicy, sweet pineapple slices cascaded against the somewhat clumpy cheese, softening the marinara’s bitterness as Chloe chewed a bite. It wasn’t half bad for pizza. Granted, Chloe would always prefer sushi over this tolerable junk.

“This is nice,” Chloe whispered mindlessly, letting the pineapple’s glossiness reflect the pizza shop’s ceiling lights. With Nino at the counter and Alya now folding a napkin into a swan, she felt relaxed. Too relaxed. “Wait!”

Alya smirked, eyeing Chloe and the pineapple pizza. “Pizza really is nice… isn’t it?”

Chloe rolled her eyes, placing the slice on the plate once more. “Yeah, sure, whatever. I was talking about my reflection on this oily excuse for food.”

Snickering, and slowly gripping her stomach, Alya laughed, shutting her eyes tightly to keep Chloe’s embarrassed face fresh in her mind. Her giggles quieted once she realized Chloe went quiet. “You know, the pineapple really is good.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes at Alya’s grin. The two sat together, basking in the pizza shop’s tranquility for the several peaceful seconds passing by.

The seconds grew to minutes. Awkwardly silent minutes, where neither girl spoke. But more strangely, where no Nino could break the ice.

Alya turned to scan the counter, waiting to spot Nino’s familiar red cap for reassurance.

He was gone.

~~~~~

“Ladybug.”

Chat Noir, slumped against the Eiffel Tower’s bars, beamed at the sight of his partner.

“Hi, Chaton.”

His eyes dimmed at Ladybug’s dismal expression. It was as if she’d lost against Hawk Moth himself. “What’s wrong, M’lady?”

“Everything,” Ladybug whispered, sitting beside Chat Noir. He scooted over, making more room for her to lean against the beam. “Remember the girl who was akumatized as Snowtopia?”

Chat Noir’s cat ears twitched as he pensively eyed the city streets below. He nodded after picturing the girl’s timid expression when battling the two heroes.

Ladybug lifted her hand out, letting some snowflakes land and melt onto her suit. “Ever since that day, it hasn’t stopped snowing.”

“How long has that been?” Chat Noir wondered, looking at his clawed glove tentatively. He started to count his fingers, letting each finger raise from his fist.

“It’s been a week.”

Chat Noir eyed Ladybug’s stoic stance, taking in the confidence and severity of her words. Had it really been a week? How hadn’t he noticed the weather up until now?

Picturing the past week, he remembered taking the girl, Emma, back to where she lived, just like Ladybug asked him to do. His eyes sank. He’d reassured the girl that her parents must be worried sick, wondering where their little girl was, when she told him that they wouldn’t feel a thing.

“Of course they’ll be happy to see you!” He’d said, mindlessly. “Whoever’s lucky to have a daughter like you will be over the moon once you’re safe and at home. Don’t worry about being akumatized anymore. Like Ladybug and I said, you’re not the bad guy here.”

He pictured Emma’s sad smile, taking in the snowy landscape around her generously. The two had landed on top of a set of apartments, looking down at a family entering inside.

Before Chat Noir could ask which patio window was her own, Emma pointed to the building across the street.

He looked at the building and down to Emma, clutching her pony coat underneath her gloves. “I lost my mommy and daddy a week ago,” she calmly said as snow brushed her hair. “We were going to put spoons under our pillows and flush ice down the toilets back in our apartment, just like every year, so it could snow on mommy’s birthday.”

Chat Noir stared at the building in front of him in despair, slowly eyeing the little girl beside him.

She continued. “Some fancy business people brought me back here where I have tons of new friends. But… even after I put my spoon under my pillow… it didn’t snow, because it never did when mommy, daddy and I did that. I… really wanted it to! I thought… if it snowed, maybe mommy would come back, but… it didn’t.”

Emma lifted her eyes to the puffy clouds, carefully layering the rooftops with soft snow. She stuck her tongue out, waiting to catch a snowflake on her tongue. She couldn’t catch one. However, a snowflake did happen to land on her eyelash, surprising her as she wiped it off with her glove.

“So…” Emma gripped her ponytail, smoothing it out against her shoulder. “If mommy saw it snow, I thought she’d come back for me, and bring daddy, too.”

Chat Noir couldn’t speak. His eyes watered, freezing over from a gust of snowy wind. All he could do was listen.

“The purple butterfly scared me. My head hurt a lot, and I knew why mommy and daddy left. I was asking for too many toys, and I purposely made the tv super loud when I was mad. Even though it snowed, they won’t come back for someone as awful as me.”

Emma cried, wiping her eyes against her puffy and cold coat. Her tears froze to her red cheeks and nose, and she took a hard sniff to stop her nose from running.

“I’m sorry.” Emma looked up to Chat Noir with tears falling down her face. However, her eyes widened, taking in Chat Noir’s tears.

Chat Noir was crying because of her. One of Paris’ best heroes was hurt… and it was all because of her.

“No,” Chat Noir had whispered, kneeling down to Emma. Face to face with her, he brushed some snow off of her hair. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

She stared at the sincerity swimming in his eyes. She stepped back. Why? It was her fault. Everything was her fault. Why did he care? Why was he listening to her? Why did he look like he understood? Was everything really her fault? Where did they go? Why weren’t they here?

Anyone, somebody, just one person… could there really be a being in the world that saw her when everyone else had left?

Chat Noir was here.

Emma broke.

“Chat Noir?” Ladybug’s voice cut into Chat Noir’s thoughts, silencing his memories of the beginning of their snowy days.

“Sorry,” Chat Noir whispered, shaking his head. He looked over to Ladybug, waiting for her to speak.

She turned away. “Hawk Moth has a strong power against us now, Kitty. After that girl’s wish for snow came true, the snow hasn’t stopped. My ladybugs can’t repair it because the girl’s wish was pure.”

Chat Noir took a shaky breath, eyeing the buildings scattered around Paris. Scanning each snowy building, his eyes landed on a familiar brick building with frost-bitten vines. The building he’d brought Emma back to.

“So, what does that mean?” Chat Noir voiced to the air, turning his attention back on Ladybug.

Ladybug played with her yo-yo, throwing it up and down below the Eiffel Tower’s bars. “If Hawk Moth akumatizes people and they have a pure wish, their wishes will come true, and I won’t be able to repair it.”

Chat Noir felt the air leave his body as he took in those final words. What would they do with Paris stocked up on wishes they can’t get rid of? What kind of wishes will these people make? How will Hawk Moth use something as genuine as a wish against the superheroes?

Within an instant, he realized exactly where Ladybug was going with this. “The man that was akumatized today: Clarityvoice?”

Ladybug nodded. “Yep. My kwami explained that his power doesn’t force verbal honesty, but emotional honesty and openness. Because emotions themselves are uncontrollable, he must’ve wished for whatever blocks people from feeling their feelings to disappear, which technically is a pure wish.”

“What are we going to do then?” Chat Noir eyed Ladybug. He raised his eyebrows in realization. “Master Fu must have the answer!”

“I already talked with him about this,” Ladybug replied, frowning as her yo-yo slammed the metal bar. “He said that we would need to work together so our miraculouses could present a solution against Hawk Moth’s newest playing card.”

“Oh, I see,” Chat Noir let out a small smile, desperately seeking relief. “To maintain the balance of the miraculouses, our miraculouses will find a way to counteract the butterfly miraculous.”

“That’s the plan,” Ladybug grinned, whipping her yo-yo back together. She stood up, surveying Paris. “We have to focus on our emotions, Chat Noir. Whatever we want deep down will show on our faces if we don’t inwardly acknowledge them first.”

“That’s a first,” Chat Noir smugly cocked an eye. “Usually, we’re supposed to hide our emotions in order to keep akumas away.”

Ladybug booped Chat Noir’s nose, giggling as he pulled back in surprise. “Well, we can’t do that, and we probably never should have to begin with. If we can’t fully accept our feelings for what they are, then they’ll bottle up and become our worst enemy. Even though this new wish is dangerous, if we work alongside its rules, it can be our asset.”

“Pretty smart, M’lady,” Chat Noir smirked, reaching for her hand with one of his clawed gloves. Extending his other hand out as well, he knelt his head to her hand, gently kissing her hand. “Share some intelligence with the rest of us.”

“I don’t have to,” Ladybug grinned, poking Chat Noir’s forehead. “You’re pretty smart yourself.”

~~~~~

Alya cupped her hands around her mouth, calling out, “Nino? Nino, where are you?”

“Maybe he’s in the bathroom.” Chloe, standing up, attempted to reassure Alya. To put it shortly, Chloe’s attempts failed.

“NINO? Are you in the bathroom?” Alya, screaming throughout the pizza shop, waited for a reply as she walked around.

None of the workers were there anymore. Chloe eyed the empty kitchen, finding the atmosphere shift to something strange.

“Do you feel that?” Chloe whispered, waiting for Alya’s agreement. She didn’t receive a response. She groaned, turning around and gripping Alya’s shoulders. “Alya, something’s wrong with this place! Pay attention!”

Alya adjusted her glasses, scanning the pizza shop once more. She finally realized it: there really was no one left inside the pizza shop besides the two of them.

“Where did everyone go?” Alya muttered, realizing just how quiet the pizza shop had been. How long had it been this quiet? When did it get this quiet?

“Here.”

Alya and Chloe turned to face a menacing voice dripping behind them. The two froze. That voice sounded familiar.

It was Nino.

Alya spun around, expecting to spot Nino’s spooky, but goofy, expression to calm her nerves. But all she saw was a hologram of Nino, glitching as hologram rooms sparked around him.

“Nino?” Alya asked, eyeing Nino’s terrified expression. “What happened?”

Glitching, Nino felt his body twist against the changing hologram sceneries. “Some. AKUMA. Where. youuuu. PizZA. Project. RegiSTER-“

His voice broke around the pizza shop, freaking Alya and Chloe out even further. Chloe eyed the hologram, examining the sceneries changing back and forth.

“Hold on,” Chloe spoke, leaning up to the hologram.

“Chloe! Be careful!” Alya gasped, pulling her back as Nino’s arm glitched back to their table.

Chloe rolled her eyes, studying Nino’s hologram further. “The hologram has three main places, Alya. Look at it.”

Alya studied the hologram for herself. “You’re right! That one’s our home room!”

“Yeah, and that one is this crappy pizza shop,” Chloe said. “There’s one more in some kind of zoo enclosure.”

Alya’s eyes widened as she adjusted her glasses. “That’s where Nino and I realized we liked each other.”

Chloe snorted. “That's rich! Utterly rich! The zoo’s the perfect place for the two of you.”

“Oh, shut up,” Alya snarled as Chloe broke out into hysterical laughter. “We’ve got to help him.”

“Well, duh,” Chloe agreed, wiping some tears from her eyes. “And, uh… sorry, I guess. That was just too good to pass up.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alya waved her hand dismissively. “The places showing up in these holograms are all places Nino probably likes.”

“And if there’s no one else here, and he’s glitching in the pizza shop,” Chloe began, pointing her fingers in the air while she connected the dots, “that means that whoever was akumatized takes people where they want to be.”

“So. why. AM. I. Glitch. ING.” Nino, somewhat more intelligibly, voiced through the glitching hologram.

“Because you actually want to be in this dump,” Chloe concluded.

Alya and Nino stared at each other. Nino’s face glitched away, returning, but distorting throughout the room.

“Then who was akumatized?” Alya asked aloud, rubbing her forehead. She ran up to the window, scanning the street with unsuspecting civilians.

“I think I have a theory,” Chloe replied, flipping her wrist. “Hey, Nino!”

The hologram split. “WhAT?”

“Did you see an employee get akumatized?” She asked, checking her nails.

The hologram stopped for a second, disappeared, and then reappeared fully in the pizza shop. “Yeah. It was the woman at the register taking our orders.”

Alya’s jaw dropped, eyeing the blonde girl’s victorious smirk. “How did you know that?”

“Logically speaking,” Chloe began, tightening her ponytail, “The akumatized person must have a place they want to be right now, so why would they bother with terrorizing everyone nearby? That worker kept looking out the window like she’d rather be anywhere else than here, which proves my theory further. And to conclude, if we weren’t affected, and no one else outside was, it clearly means that the akumatized person stuck to whoever was closest, which happened to be anyone and everyone right by the kitchen counter.”

Alya was impressed. Chloe was smarter than she let on, not that she’d want to hear it. Slowly eyeing Nino’s hologram, she picked up her phone. “I guess it’s time the Ladyblog warns Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

~~~~~

“Lucky charm!”

Hours passed as Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge scanned the city. They were looking for any sign of the akumatized victim, but they were out of luck. Ladybug caught her lucky charm, eyeing the ball of yarn intently.

“Once you figure out what to do with your lucky charm,” Chat Noir, leaning forward, began, “mind if I have that tempting ball of yarn?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, handing it to her partner as he started to bat at it. “Why haven’t we found the victim yet? Shouldn’t they be fighting us for our miraculouses?”

“Let’s head back to the pizza place,” Chat Noir suggested. “Maybe the akumatized victim wanted to go back for something.”

“Or maybe they’re across the street.”

Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Rena Rouge stopped on top of a building, turning back to eye Queen Bee.

“Ugh, just look at the restaurant if you don’t believe me.”

A flicker glistened from the restaurant's roof.

“Get it now?”

Ladybug nodded, swinging down. She broke the roof’s glass, coming face to face with a glitching figure.

“Well, well, well,” the glitching person voiced, feeling Hawk Moth’s voice break through her own. She coughed, gripping her throat as her body glitched across the restaurant’s kitchen. Glitching arms flipped through recipe books, cabinets, and napkin displays. “If it isn’t Ladybug, Chat Noir, and your little friends. My new friend Changeseeker has been waiting.”

“Hawk Moth, let the person go,” Chat Noir commanded, gripping his staff tightly.

The glitching figure twisted, screaming in pain as their face glitched back to their own. “I. JUst. wANTED. To. be. A. ReaL. CheFffFfffFffFffFffFf,” the voice splintered through the glitching, full of agony and sorrow. “PLeAse.. hELPPPp. MMmmEe-“

“We’re here!” Rena Rouge called out in support, raising her flute. She blew it, calling out, “Mirage!”

The room went dark. The glitching was masked over by a deep blue fog, drifting around the room in panic.

Rena Rouge struck her flute out to the fog, revealing a stagnant amongst the glitching pieces of their body. “Queen Bee!”

“I’m on it!” Queen Bee called, nodding to Chat Noir who extended his staff. Once she’d braced her shoes against the beam, she felt Ladybug’s yo-yo wrap around her waist, propelling her forward to the unmoving form. “Venom!” She called, pressing her weapon onto the form.

The allusion broke away as the room gained back its color. Glitches poured back into the frozen piece, collecting glitching pieces of the akumatized person’s body. The victim was immobilized.

Ladybug eyed the yarn lucky charm Chat Noir still had around his belt. “Looks like I didn’t need my lucky charm this time. That’s odd.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to fight Changeseeker anymore if that’s the case. We’ve got to get rid of this person’s power. Where could the akuma be?” Chat Noir, scanning the victim’s body, waited for something to pop out so he could cataclysm it.

Ladybug sauntered over, observing the akumatized victim’s terrorized expression. “It’s not on her.”

“Then where is it?” Rena Rouge asked, gently picking the figure up and off the floor.

Chat Noir’s cat ear wiggled at the sound of the restaurant’s door opening. He turned around, spotting Queen Bee walking across the street.

“Uh, I guess we should follow her,” Chat Noir said, leaving the restaurant. She was definitely taking her role as Queen Bee seriously, but he’d noticed just how thought out her ideas were, ideas she usually held back during akuma attacks. This must’ve been a side effect of Clarityvoice.

Reaching the pizza shop’s entrance, Chat Noir held the door open for Ladybug and Rena Rouge, following them inside. He stared at Nino, still glitching around the pizza shop like he had been when they first got there.

“Ladybug,” Queen Bee lowered her voice, placing her hands on the counter. “I think the akuma’s somewhere on this counter.”

Ladybug nodded, scanning the area thoroughly. Broken pens, ripped napkins, and scattered receipts covered the counter. The only thing that really stood out was…

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug turned around, eliciting Chat Noir’s attention. “The register!”

“I’ve got this,” Chat Noir winked, sliding over to the broken machine. He extended his gloved hand, calling out, “Cataclysm!”

The machine disintegrated under his glove, letting a small purple butterfly escape.

“No more evil doing for you, little akuma,” Ladybug whispered, extending her yo-yo to the akuma. “Time to de-evilize! Gotcha. Bye-bye, little butterfly.”

Ladybug eyed Chat Noir’s belt, narrowing her eyes at the distraught look he sent back to her.

“Oh, not the yarn!” He frowned, watching the red and black spotted yarn leave his belt.

Ladybug stared at the yarn. It was a vibrant shade of red, covered in striking black dots. She wondered why she received yarn as a lucky charm, yarn that she never used in the battle.

Chat Noir leaned close to Ladybug’s ear, whispering, “So… we’re keeping the yarn after all?”

Ladybug deadpanned. “Miraculous Ladybug.”

Chat Noir stared at the disappearing yarn, jumping to get one last touch as magical ladybugs surrounded the room. Nino stopped glitching, and Changeseeker, carried by Rena Rouge, reverted back to her real self.

“I’m sorry,” the woman sighed, adjusting her pizza cap. “I’ve wanted to be a chef for the longest time, but everyone I went to culinary school with surpassed me. Working here was never what I wanted. I just wanted to make food I felt was worth eating.”

Ladybug stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay to want to be better than you feel you are, and to strive for something better in general. Just because you’re not where you want to be doesn’t mean you can’t be someday, or that this job’s position can’t compete with another restaurant’s. If you have a passion for cooking, I’m sure it shows in your work here.”

The woman adjusted her cap. “Thank you, Ladybug.”

Ladybug nodded, waving Rena Rouge over to the door. “Chat Noir, take the bee miraculous. I’ll take the fox miraculous, and I’ll text you where we’ll meet, alright?”

“On it,” Chat Noir saluted, turning to Queen Bee. He watched as she lifted up a cold piece of pineapple pizza, finishing off the last bite. “Are you… eating pizza?”

Queen Bee wiped her mouth, glaring away at the window. “Well, I have to admit it didn’t taste horrible when I first ordered it,” Queen Bee frowned, picking up her plate. She walked over to the counter, transforming once she’d said, “Buzz off.”

“You didn’t have to eat that to make me feel better,” the woman sighed.

Chloe slammed her hand on the table, startling the cashier. “I wanted the rest because I thought it tasted good, nothing else. Besides, I got hungry after spending three hours looking for you.”

The woman’s eyes lifted. A small sparkle lighted inside them, and despite Chloe’s harsh tone, the worker could tell she truly did enjoy the pizza.

“As a thank you for saving me,” the worker began, straightening out her apron, “could I make you one slice for the road?”

Chat Noir’s ring beeped. He stepped forward, extending his hand. “I’ll take the bee miraculous.”

Chloe nodded, letting Chat Noir take the miraculous. As he dashed away, Chloe turned to the worker, mumbling so Nino wouldn’t hear her say, “Extra pineapple, and we’ve got a deal.”

~~~~~

Ladybug sent Chat Noir a quick message, shutting her yo-yo delightedly. She jogged in place, scanning the snowy city as her jogging pace increased.

A thud crashed behind her, stopping her hamster on a hamster-wheel act. “Woah, I didn’t know we needed extra training, Bugaboo.”

She swiped her hand in the air, letting her current smile grow. With a quick grab of Chat Noir’s arm, she pulled him over to where she’d planted a small notebook.

“Changeseeker’s wish didn’t linger behind!” Ladybug cheered, pumping her fists in the air. She felt over the moon right now. Finally, there was some form of progress.

“I don’t know about that,” Chat Noir smirked. “I mean, I’m with you, M’lady.”

Ladybug’s excitement simmered down as she raised an eyebrow Chat Noir’s way, not wanting him to test his luck. “And?”

Chat Noir crossed his arms, looking off to the side, ‘hurt’ by her reaction. “Changeseeker’s power was to take people where they wanted, and I’m with you, so… Oh, never mind.”

He slumped down on the roof, resting his fist underneath his chin.

Ladybug slipped beside him. “Chaton?”

Chat Noir turned his head, closing his eyes shut. “Nope.”

They could’ve gone on like this, but that would’ve been pointless. Chat Noir was as stubborn as a mule when he wanted to be. Not to mention, Ladybug just didn’t want to entertain this scene.

She stood up, lifting up her yo-yo. Pink light sparkled outside of it, glowing around her face. “Well, when you’re done pouting, I’ll show you my notes.”

Chat Noir huffed. “Yay… Notes.”

“Chat Noir,” Ladybug groaned, bumping his head with her yo-yo, “this is serious.”

Chat Noir leaned back, staring up at Ladybug’s red mask with black spots. He grinned. “I’m listening.”

Snow scattered along Chat Noir’s hair as his cat ears wiggled in Ladybug’s direction.

She sighed, flipping her notebook open to some doodles she’d made. “First off, we know that the snow and open emotion stuff are still here, right? Changeseeker’s wish must’ve not been ‘pure’ in the sight of my magical ladybugs.”

Chat Noir lifted a finger up, pointing at the loose yo-yo above his head. “But being somewhere that feels right isn’t wrong.”

“Not for everyone in Paris,” Ladybug replied, bonking her yo-yo on his nose. She waited for him to sit up before she continued. “Imagine if Hawk Moth wanted to be in the guardian’s home, or if either one of us wanted to be in each other’s civilian lives. Or somewhere even worse.”

“Poor Changeseeker,” Chat Noir sighed, rubbing his nose and tapping his shoe on the roof. “All she wanted was to be in that nice restaurant.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at Chat Noir’s sarcastic tone. “Like I said, her wish was one my magical ladybugs could purify, so compared to harmless snow or openness, it’s definitely not a wish we have to worry about.”

Chat Noir tapped his gloved fingers along his chin, lost in thought. Was Hawk Moth even aware of his new power? Or were they not giving the man enough credit?

“Do you think Hawk Moth has a strategy?”

“There’s no doubt he has a strategy, but I’d call it a ‘plan’,” Ladybug nodded, flipping her notebook to a doodle of a butterfly with legs. “He must be able to see what wishes the people he akumatizes have in that moment. He most likely planned to akumatize the first person he sensed wanted to be somewhere other than their usual spot. Unlucky for him, his plan failed.”

Chat Noir shrugged. “We spent hours looking for Changeseeker. Why didn’t he just order Changeseeker to send him where we were?”

“For the same reason he never shows up in battles: it’s too much of a risk for him to be out in public. With one wrong move, we could’ve taken the butterfly miraculous back in an instant. Plus, remember the glitching guy in the pizza place? There wasn’t just one place that civilian wanted to be in. According to Queen Bee, there were three. What’s more, that person was stuck in place. The power Hawk Moth akumatized Changeseeker with was definitely unstable.”

“Unless that’s what he wants us to think,” Chat Noir frowned. “What if he wished to see where we live, or where the guardian could be?”

Ladybug took in Chat Noir’s fears, gulping as she flipped through her notes. Settling her eyes on two more doodles of legged-butterflies, she sighed in relief. “Impossible. That villain’s power only focused on places they’d been in before. Hawk Moth has never been in my room, and I highly doubt he’s ever been in yours. Even if he has, there would’ve been several other places he’d want to be inside as well, and who’s to say how Changeseeker’s power would affect his miraculous. He wouldn’t risk his miraculous like that.”

The two eyed the stick figure doodles scattering the notebook. They were pretty goofy drawings, but Ladybug believed they got her point across. She closed the notebook, winking to Chat Noir.

“Patrol tomorrow?” She asked, stepping back one step as she waited for his response.

“Sounds meow-zing, M’lady,” Chat Noir smiled.

He waved as she zipped off along the buildings, ignoring his clever cat pun. If only he could get her to see the beauty in his humor. He wanted to hear her laugh again. Sure, they were meant to be superheroes saving Paris, but he’d thought they were closer than that. Friends. They were friends.

So why couldn’t they laugh like they used to?

Sure, they played around here and there, and their dynamic didn’t drastically change… but, nonetheless, something was missing. Their friendship lacked the humor and sophistication, no, the ‘eloquence’ cat puns provided.

Or maybe he was just lying to himself. Maybe it wasn’t a lack of cat puns, but something else. Maybe their friendship was put on hold, and he’d have to find a way to bring it back.

He leapt through the sky, stuck in his head. What could he do to feel any sense of peace? Where could he go if the family he came back to every night, the only family he had now, avoided him? Cracking jokes with Plagg was definitely an option, but so was fatigue. He knew the moment he went back to his room, he’d collapse on his bed, sleeping through the loneliness, and waking up again, to do the same thing all over again.

A tiny thud from nearby caught the fabric of his cat ear’s attention. Twirling around, he spotted a familiar face, looking out at the sky with a gigantic chocolate chip cookie in hand. A chocolate chip cookie only the best bakery in Paris could stir up.

His nose wiggled at the smell of warm chocolate chips in the cold wind.

Marinette liked cat puns from what he could remember. Maybe… he could ‘purrfect’ his art with someone who appreciated his craft. Maybe he didn’t have to be alone right now.

Before he could stop himself, he landed atop a building next to her balcony, hoping she’d spot him. Hoping he didn’t have to leap away like he was only just patrolling.

“Chat Noir?”

Thank the cheeses, Plagg would’ve said. A small smile slipped across Chat Noir’s lips as he dramatically turned to face the girl chewing on her cookie.

“Purr-incess! Do you have a meowment?”

Oh, please let her have a meowment. Please let her have a meowment.

She hesitantly chewed her cookie, swallowing a bite as she tilted her head toward Chat Noir’s goofy stance. “I suppose I mew- I mean, I do. I meant ‘I do’.”

He ‘mew’ he made the right call coming to Marinette’s bakery.

~~~~~

Inside the cold Agreste mansion, Gabriel Agreste clenched his fists. He slammed the wall, listening to the sounds of a vase shattering against the floor.

He’d planned everything out to a ‘T’. Gabriel Agreste, Paris’ renowned fashion designer, wasn’t one to accept losing. And yet… for the past two years… he’d been losing more than his ego wanted to admit.

Why did his plan fail?

“Master,” a purple being floated up from a solid white counter, worriedly eyeing the man pacing his study.

“Silence, Nooroo,” Gabriel Agreste spoke, glaring the purple creature’s direction. He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Hawk Moth had failed… again.

He groaned.

His plan was flawless. Sensing an unsatisfied heart was child’s play, and bringing their wishes to reality seemed just as plausible. But he was proven wrong.

Changeseeker had used her power on him, all according to plan. He de-transformed, setting his brooch aside as the akumatized victim brought him where he wanted to be at that given moment.

The residences of the two superheroes he faced.

But it didn’t work.

He was sent to a shutdown fashion studio in Milan, one he’d interned at more than a decade ago. Then, he was face to ‘glitching-face’ with Émilie. Émilie, locked away in a glass case, surrounded by innocent butterflies locked inside the basement with her.

And then his son’s room.

But Gabriel Agreste didn’t want to be in his son’s room.

His plan had failed miserably.

He stepped out of his study, opening the door and slamming it shut. He approached the stairs. One step up, he thought back to Milan. His designs and inspiration truly shined in Milan, in the fashion studio he’d wanted to succeed. His shoes clacked along the floor, his pace increasing. Émilie. If only she were back. If only he could beat the two nuisances holding him back, keeping his wife in silence. He wanted to hear her voice again. He wanted to hear her laugh like she used to, to see her smile, to be beside her again. And for her sake, he wanted her to see Adrien again, the child she treasured more than anything in the world.

He was at the top of the stairs. Adrien. His son.

Why didn’t he want to be with his son? They could be a family again if Émilie were with them. Facing Adrien without Émilie was too painful. Why should he pretend to be happy if their family wasn’t complete?

…Why did Changeseeker bring Gabriel to Adrien’s room?

He was planning to go back to bed. He was tired, disappointed, and ready for the day to end.

But something kept him awake.

He turned away from his door, slowly walking out to a door across the hall. Each step echoed in the large, empty mansion. It wasn’t empty though. Nathalie, his assistant, was somewhere downstairs, and the bodyguard was in the kitchen. And Adrien was in his room.

He knocked on the door.

Silence.

He cleared his throat. “Adrien? I need to speak with you.”

There was no answer. Invading his son’s privacy wasn’t appealing, so he didn’t bother to open the door. It was too early to be asleep, but there was always the possibility Adrien had gone to bed early.

Gabriel turned away from the door.

And a light lit up in his mind.

… Why Adrien’s room?

He turned back to the door. He wanted to be wrong. And yet, everything seemed to connect. It all made sense. Everything was finally making sense.

He didn’t even bother opening the door to see whether or not his son was asleep or awake.

He already had his answer.

“My son is Chat Noir.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Writing is way more fun than I realize sometimes…So here’s the second chapter I made today. I had some free time here and there. Thank you for reading! :D 🍍🍕

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 3

Summary:

(Warning: this chapter has a character becoming akumatized, which includes the character’s panic and Hawk Moth being extra evil, so this is just a heads up in case someone needs one 🦋)

The scent of chocolate chip cookies faded. Marinette, slipping inside her room, had taken the last bite of her cookie after Chat Noir landed on her balcony.

She raised her hand, pointing her index finger to Chat Noir. “Hold on! I’ll be right back. I just need to get a couple things.”

“Uh, okay,” Chat Noir shrugged. He took a seat on one of her balcony’s foldout chairs, stretching out his legs and propping his arms behind his head. Carefully scooting his belt off the floor, he tucked it by his side.

It was evening. The stars were faint against the blueish-purple sky, but within minutes, their lights would soon replace the sun. As long as the snow clouds continued to make room for them.

He quickly scanned the sky for the moon.

A puffy cloud scooted aside to reveal the moon, hiding behind what was left of the day. It was like one of the Agreste mansion’s cleanest plates: round, shiny, and smooth. He narrowed his eyes. Was a ‘plate’ the best comparison he could make?

The floorboards creaked.

“Sorry I took so long,” Marinette spoke, pulling up a plate full of cookies and two beanies. “I brought cooKIEs-“

She slipped, losing her balance as the beanies flew up on her balcony… and the cookies bounced off her plate. They were going to crash on her balcony, scattering crumbs across the wood. And, with her unluck, they’d sprinkle down onto her bed.

A clawed glove reached out, swiping the plate and catching as many cookies as he could. He caught all of them.

Phew. Crisis averted.

Marinette blinked, looking directly at the cookie-filled plate. That was fast. She’d forgotten their super abilities increased their speed along with their strength.

She lifted herself above her bed’s window, closing the hatch and turning to the plate of cookies. “Thanks, Chat Noir.”

“No problem,” he replied. He eyed the cookies, taking in their chocolatey scent. Relieved he hadn’t startled her by stealing her plate, he wondered why she didn’t seem startled by him. Of course losing the cookies had her in a panic, but wouldn’t Chat Noir, the hero that can destroy anything he touches with just a tap, reaching out to her-

“Wow! You caught all of them, too!” Marinette’s voice broke into his thoughts. “Without you here, I would’ve had to bring up the vacuum cleaner from downstairs and… I’m not allowed to use it anymore.”

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

The cookies sat between the two of them, wondering what Marinette would say next.

“Because,” Marinette slowly began, “it’s our family’s fifth vacuum cleaner… and the previous four were all broken by me.”

“You broke four vacuums?” Chat Noir asked incredulously. Marinette’s nod shocked him as he eyed his clawed glove. “I’ve only broken two.”

“Well you had an excuse!” Marinette raised her hands out to Chat Noir’s gloves, bumping her fingers against the tips of his claws. “Me? Nope. I mess up everything I touch naturally, and it’s like no matter how hard I try to get things right, I just can’t. It sucks. And with my horrible luck, I might end up hurting everyone around me and giving Hawk-“

She gulped back her words, covering her mouth as quickly as she could. Did she just… vent with Chat Noir… as Marinette? Why couldn’t she stop herself? Why did she keep going, complaining, formulating her thoughts aloud to someone she’s only that close with as Ladybug? She could’ve revealed her identity. She could’ve gotten akumatized.

Chat Noir took her words in like a sponge soaking up dirty sink water. She sounded like she was in pain, something he never witnessed when he was Adrien. And then his mind gave him his answer. Clarityvoice. Marinette’s emotions were opened up because of Clarityvoice. Should he warn her? He never really asked Ladybug whether or not they could warn other civilians, but seeing Marinette like this…

No. He wanted her to be open. Telling her about Clarityvoice would be a hundred times worse. She’d bottle up her emotions tighter to avoid being akumatized, just like every civilian had been for the past two years. Besides, she was opening up to a superhero, one that could easily destroy an akuma if one interrupted the two. Everything would be fine.

Marinette stood up, wiping her hands along her coat. She bent down to pull up two beanies: one black and the other green. Scanning the beanies, just in case a cookie unfortunately landed inside, she realized they were perfectly crumb-free. She extended the beanies toward Chat Noir.

“Pick one,” she spoke, nudging the beanies closer.

Guess the cookies would have to wait. Chat Noir eyed the cookie plate sadly as he set it down on his chair, returning to the beanies. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. It’s too cold for you to be outside without a hat.”

The beanies waited for his response.

Marinette tapped her shoe against the floor.

“I… would’ve offered you a coat, but it’s not like I have one lying around in your size,” Marinette muttered. “I’m sure my dad could lend you one of his, but it’d swim on you.”

Chat Noir cocked an eye at the beanies, raising his eyes to look at Marinette’s avoidant ones. “I’ll take the black one.”

Marinette felt a beanie slide out of her hand as she looked back at the superhero. A gentle smile brushed her face.

But it faded just as soon as it appeared.

“What’s wrong?” Chat Noir, noticing her reaction, asked. He tugged on the beanie, pulling it closer to his forehead. Although Marinette was unaware of this very important fact, Chat Noir -as Adrien Agreste- was a model. He was used to clothes accentuating or ruining his overall look, but he never really cared about his appearance personally. Besides, it’s not like he had an extensive wardrobe or variety of clothing in his normal day-to-day life. But for some reason, he was beginning to feel very self conscious of his appearance. He covered his face with his glove, turning away.

Marinette leaned forward, tugging his beanie farther back on his head. She tugged until two pieces of black fabric stuck out from his hair. “There.”

Chat Noir wiggled his nose, looking up to Marinette’s relaxed smile… spotting some cookie crumbs around her chin. Swallowing a laugh, he asked, “What do you mean?”

She blinked. Adjusting the beanie a little more on his head, and smoothing out his hair, she wondered why the beanie seemed so uncooperative. Her knitting skills definitely weren’t as great as they’d used to be. However, it’s not as if she’d had much time lately to perfect any of her hobbies. Her responsibilities as Ladybug always came first, because they had to come first. For everyone’s sake, for her sake, and for a future where she could feel free to strengthen her skills.

Looking down, her eyes widened in realization. Had she just gotten into Chat Noir’s space without even asking? Hold on, it’s not like she could just ask to adjust someone else’s hair… let alone do it on a whim. Her fingers released from his tufts of blonde hair, pulling away in complete embarrassment.

No. She couldn’t be embarrassed like this. She was Ladybug, not that Chat Noir knew that. She can adjust a beanie if she wants to. Well… maybe not a beanie on someone else’s head, but still. One day, in a future she fought for everyday, Ladybug and Chat Noir would finally share their secret identities with each other. If Chat Noir learned the girl he confessed his love to whenever she was around was really Marinette…

She pulled back, failing to hide her horrified expression. Chat Noir… and herself as Marinette? What was she thinking? She didn’t share Chat Noir’s feelings. Of course not, no way, absolutely not. Her eyes lingered on his blonde hair, catching some snowflakes, reflecting his bright green eyes’ glow. Of course not.

“Your cat ears were covered by the beanie,” she voiced hesitantly, pointing at his beanie to clarify which beanie she was talking about. “You looked weird without your cat ears. That’s all.”

“Hiding my ears is for the best, Purr-incess. You wouldn’t want to keep a black cat around,” Chat Noir joked, leaning forward. “I’m not exactly ‘good luck’.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, tapping one of his fabric cat ears. “Neither am I, so does it really matter?”

Chat Noir lifted his hand up to his hair, touching the familiar cat ears. He grinned. “Thanks, Marinette.”

…He bit his tongue. If he called her ‘Purr-incess’ too often, she might send him away. It’s not like he wanted to overuse any of his clever cat puns and have to leave. He really wanted to stay with her, and his new beanie, and the chocolate chip cookies waiting for him.

A small grumble rolled out onto the balcony.

“Cookies!” Marinette gasped, pulling away. She turned around, waving her hand to signal him to follow. Once he’d caught on, he walked behind her, following her to a set of chairs.

She lifted the cookie plate, carefully eyeing each cookie. They were all chocolate chip. Warm, deliciously gooey chocolate chip cookies, where the chocolate could, and absolutely would, drizzle onto your clothes if you didn’t chew them just right.

She held out the plate to Chat Noir’s hands. “Have some.”

“Don’t mind if I ‘mew’,” he whispered in awe. Each cookie, each delicate and divine chocolate chip cookie, wafted their scrumptious scent in the air, luring him closer. He reached for the gooiest chocolate chip cookie he could find, carefully holding it up to his face. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Marinette replied, scooping up another cookie for herself. She set the plate down, taking a seat. The cookie in her hand dripped some chocolate down her wrist as she took a bite. “So, Chat Noir,” she began, “how long can you stay out?”

Chat Noir rolled the cookie around in his hand, keeping the melting chocolate from slipping. “For as long as I can keep my eyes open.”

The two chewed on their cookies, taking in the rich chocolateness and crumbly cookie dough. It’d been awhile since he’d properly visited Marinette as Chat Noir. Sure, he got to see her at school all the time, but that was as ‘Adrien’. Besides… something about being Chat Noir around Marinette felt right: she always seemed more open with him, even without Clarityvoice’s wish. Plus, he could be himself without any consequence. Not that ‘Adrien’ wasn’t himself when he was just ‘Adrien’… but it was definitely tamer than the superhero side of him.

And Marinette didn’t seem to mind his company. In fact, as Chat Noir, Marinette was the only civilian in Paris that treated him just like anyone else. He felt like a normal person for once. Not a model, Gabriel Agreste’s son, or a superhero… he was just himself.

Marinette finished the second cookie, reaching for a third before a thought popped to mind. She cocked an eye at Chat Noir still enjoying his cookie.

“…Are you up for something stupid?”

~~~~~

A school bell rang inside a classroom full of students. Ms. Bustier, dressed in her light blue suit, clapped her hands together, smiling at her class.

“Alright, students! That was the bell,” she said, eyeing the desks. She stopped on Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s desk, with Marinette staring off into space. She sighed, lowering her eyes in surprise. Adrien Agreste was equally as exhausted, slouched against his French history textbook. “…Remember to read chapter fifteen for next week’s class.”

“Finally!” Chloe’s voice slashed through the room, startling Marinette and Adrien. “I’ve got better things to do than be stuck in here forever.”

Alya rolled her eyes, standing up with her bag. “Like what, Chloe?”

Chloe scoffed. “I’m getting my hair done, obviously. The tips are so last week. Besides, I can finally read the next edition of scien-“

Chloe stopped. Alya cocked an eye.

“I mean ‘celebrity gossip’, duh,” Chloe laughed off her blunder, irritated she’d even made a blunder to begin with. “My hair salon is always up to date in the latest magazines worth my time. I’m assuming you’re your own hairstylist, so you wouldn’t understand.”

Alya gasped at Chloe’s snide comment, failing to formulate a retort. She watched as Chloe stepped out of the classroom. Alya wasn’t her own hairstylist; she went to an affordable and nice salon a few blocks away! How rude! She sighed, shutting her eyes as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. At least Marinette was with her this year, unlike last year. She needed her best friend with her in a place as torturous as this. “Ugh, now that she’s off, I’m assuming you and I are still up for-“

Marinette’s face slumped against her desk, crushing her forehead and chilling her cheek. She was exhausted.

Alya’s eyes slipped to her boyfriend, Nino. He was tapping Adrien’s head, waiting for a response that never came.

“Interesting,” Alya mischievously voiced, eyeing Adrien and Marinette with a smirk. “Hey, Nino.”

Nino adjusted his cap, facing Alya. “Yeah?”

Alya tugged Nino’s arm, pulling him out of his desk. “Pack your bag, and hurry!”

“Uh, why?” Nino asked, rubbing his arm from Alya’s tug. “I thought you and Marinette were roller skating?”

“Change of plans,” Alya whispered aggravatedly. “Marinette looks tired, and so does Adrien. Hint. Hint.”

Nino scrunched his face together, failing to get Alya’s point. Why would Adrien matter if Alya and Marinette were the ones roller… oh.

“Oh!” Nino replied, catching on. “I get it.”

Alya nodded, eyeing Nino pack his bag as she walked toward the door.

“Wait up!” He shouted in a whispery voice, gripping his bag and running after Alya. The two left the room, snickering with each other as they started off toward the exit.

Ms. Bustier straightened the books on her desk, grabbed her purse, and plopped a caramel candy in her mouth. She planned to leave the room when a snore from Adrien’s desk caught her attention. She could’ve sworn everyone had already left, or that these two were out of her classroom… but she was wrong.

She walked over to Adrien and Marinette, clapping her hands. They stirred, not fully waking up.

“Vacuum,” Marinette mumbled, turning her head away from Ms. Bustier. “Chat… Noir?”

Ms. Bustier giggled. Chat Noir, huh? It’d been awhile since she’d heard any student of hers gush over Paris’ young heroes. Marinette muttering about Chat Noir like this felt fairly familiar, but it still surprised Ms. Bustier. Marinette’s sleep talking would feel normal two years ago, but now?

The teachers were reassigned to different grade levels this year… an unexpected, but necessary decision. There were so many teachers affected by the akuma attacks. Many had to step out of their jobs permanently, by choice or by force. Students were also heavily affected by the akuma attacks; many would purposely avoid school altogether. So, as a solution, the remaining teachers were assigned to their previous students… That way, the students could feel some form of comfort in going outside at all.

But it’s not like the teachers were just moved up to their previous students’ grades. They were also tasked with more than one class at a time. Ms. Bustier had three other homerooms this school year, each scheduled for different parts of the day. By next week, there’d be a fourth class on her list.

It was hard on Ms. Bustier and her colleagues. It was even harder now that many of her previous students were in the same class. Part of her was glad to see them again, but something else inside her was bothered. They were growing up. Something she didn’t realize would be so painful to see.

Adrien stretched out his arms, pawing his desk like he was making biscuits. “…Purrincess…I’ll… save you…”

That was odd. Ms. Bustier eyed Adrien Agreste, a student she never recalled muttering when he’d occasionally nap during her lessons. What happened to her two students? Was there an akuma attack last night keeping her students awake? A personal matter with their families? Issues in their schoolwork?

Marinette slipped from her desk, slowly sliding down the bench. “Tikki…”

“…Plagg…” Adrien grumbled, weakly punching his fist out.

Before Ms. Bustier could re-attempt waking her students, gentle whooshing sounds followed by a crash behind her startled the two awake.

“The plate!” Marinette jumped.

Adrien screamed, slamming his hands on the table and throwing his head up. “The moon!”

Marinette and Adrien looked to their teacher’s desk, eyeing the chair and table knocked over. How did that happen?

“My desk!” Ms. Bustier exclaimed, rushing past her students and to her desk. The chair was tipped over with its bottom wheels spinning. The table was flipped to its side, papers scattering the floor. Who did this? What did this? Was this an akumatized victim? Were they in danger?

Ms. Bustier gripped her head, dropping her purse as she slid to the floor. No. Not another victim. Not another innocent victim. It couldn’t be. No! It can’t happen again! Not again! Not again!

Her two students stood up, slowly approaching the mess. Adrien picked up some papers, and Marinette lifted her teacher’s chair. The two eyed each other. What had just happened?

Ms. Bustier shook uncontrollably as her two students struggled to lift their teacher’s desk.

Not again. Not again. Not again. Not another victim. Who was next? Where were they? When would they strike? No. No. No. no. no… no… no…

“Ms. Bustier?” Marinette’s voice broke into the room, worriedly waving around her teacher’s shaking frame. “What’s wrong?”

What was wrong? Wasn’t it obvious? They were all about to die! They were under attack again! There wasn’t time to escape!

“Stay with Ms. Bustier, Marinette. I’ll get Ms. Mendeleiev,” Adrien said, rushing out of the room. He turned to look at Marinette one last time before scanning the hall in desperation.

“Kid, relax,” Plagg spoke. “It was just me.”

Adrien whipped his head to Plagg floating beside him. “What did you do?”

“You were mumbling in your sleep,” Plagg replied, shrugging his arms comedically. “I didn’t think you realized where you were, so I thought I’d stop you from transforming.”

“Then what’s wrong with Ms. Bustier?” Adrien thought aloud, resting his hand against his forehead. He pictured his teacher, gripping her arms around her waist, tears spilling to the classroom floor, pupils shaking, fingers twitching. “Oh no.”

He turned, eyeing the classroom, surely holding his friend consoling their teacher. Surely holding two equally terrified people.

Ms. Bustier was having a panic attack.

And Marinette was waiting for someone to help her teacher.

Adrien ran down the hall, scanning the classrooms frantically. There was no sign of Ms. Bustier’s colleague, Ms. Mendeleiev. There was no sign of anyone who could help their teacher.

What if her fear grew stronger? Twisting, and spiraling into something sinister… something that would beckon an akuma to the room.

“Any luck finding that teacher?” Plagg asked mindlessly. He scratched his head with his paw, waiting for Adrien to focus on Plagg again.

“There’s no time. I need to transform. Is there anyone nearby?”

Plagg eyed Adrien’s terrified expression, taking in the look sadly. This was his holder’s daily life. Wake up, eat, go to school, model, panic, practice, Chat Noir, cry in his room, joke around, study, fight…

Nothing would be normal for this kid.

Plagg flew around the deserted halls, scanning the area for any onlooking eyes. Once he’d assured himself no one could see Adrien, he returned.

“No one’s around, kid.”

Wasting no time, Adrien called out, “Plagg, claws out!”

~~~~~

Marinette placed her hands on Ms. Bustier’s shoulders.

“Everything’s okay, Ms. Bustier,” Marinette soothed, jumping a little as Ms. Bustier pulled back.

“Run away!” Ms. Bustier gasped, crying, looking out to the room emptily. She couldn’t see Marinette in front of her. She couldn't tell she was safe.

“Ms. Bustier?” Marinette whispered, glancing at her purse holding Tikki. Maybe Ladybug could reassure her teacher in ways Marinette couldn’t. “We’re not under attack.”

“Hurry…” Ms. Bustier cried, gripping her face tighter. Her nails dug into her skin as she screamed, “You have to escape!”

This wasn’t the same as before. She wasn’t talking to Marinette or to herself. She was talking to someone else.

Marinette held Ms. Bustier’s hand, feeling Ms. Bustier shakily, yet gently, accept Marinette’s hand. “I promise you. We’re alright.”

Ms. Bustier seemed to relax slightly. But not for long. Images, dark and terrifying images, flooded her mind. Everything spun. Her chest grew hot and her lungs ran laps around her heart, beating, and beating, and beating, and beating.

Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat.

Beat-beat. Beat-beat. Beat. Beat-beat-beat.

“No,” Ms. Bustier’s voice quietly called out to the emptiness gripping her legs. “Please.”

Marinette felt her fingers squish under Ms. Bustier’s grip.

“No… Ladybug and Chat Noir aren’t here yet. Don’t go. Don’t go! You won’t make it. Don’t go! YOU WON’T MAKE IT! DON’T GO! I DON’T WANT YOU TO DIE! PLEASE! I’M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE!”

Marinette needed to transform. Ladybug was the only one who could help Ms. Bustier right now, the only one who knew what was happening.

“Ms. Bustier, I need to let go,” Marinette calmly voiced, slipping her fingers from Ms. Bustier’s hand. She looked down to her purse, tapping the fabric. “Tikki,” she whispered, waiting for a response. But she didn’t get one. She opened her bag, terrified at the sight.

Tikki wasn’t there.

“Gisèle…” Ms. Bustier whispered, letting her empty hand collide with the cold floor.

A light fluttering sound brushed past Marinette’s earrings. She didn’t have to look to know what it was.

“No,” Marinette panicked, settling her eyes on a purple butterfly flying between Ms. Bustier and herself. “Ms. Bustier!”

“… She’s gone,” Ms. Bustier muttered, lips quivering, fingers shakily lifting to her face. “It’s all my fault.”

“Ms. Bustier, we need to leave!” Marinette screamed, failing to hold back her fear. She rushed to her teacher, desperately pulling on the blue jacket. Without Ladybug’s strength, carrying Ms. Bustier and herself to safety wasn’t an option. But she had to try. “Please, Ms. Bustier! We have to run!”

“I’ll never see her again,” Ms. Bustier’s eyes dimmed, emptying further and further as Marinette dragged her. She couldn’t feel her body anymore. She didn’t feel alive. She was paralyzed.

The akuma fluttered closer and closer, increasing its speed with every scream Marinette failed to hide. She tugged, pulled, dragged, gripped onto Ms. Bustier’s jacket, failing to move her teacher to safety. Failing to save anyone as Marinette. Her legs shook violently as her chest heaved, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m not useless without Tikki!” She whispered to herself, pulling harder on her teacher’s jacket. “I will save you! We’ll be okay!”

She lost her grip. The fabric slipped out of her hands as she flew back, crashing her head into the door’s glass window. It shattered against her hair as she slipped to the ground. Pieces of glass slipped off the door’s wood as Marinette’s head rested against the cold floor.

Ms. Bustier fell back, too empty to feel anything anymore. The akuma settled down on her purse, bleeding into its fabric.

Ms. Bustier’s lips contorted as her head knelt back to Marinette’s limp body. She let out an agonized scream as her eyes shifted.

Her mouth began to speak without her needing to form the words. “Ressusciter. I am Hawk Moth. Ladybug and Chat Noir failed to save someone dear to-“

A light sparked in Ms. Bustier’s eyes as she twisted her neck forward. She felt her mouth loosen as she stumbled a retort, “No! You’re the reason she isn’t here! She’s gone because of you!”

Her face twisted as Hawk Moth spoke through Ms. Bustier’s clenched teeth. “Ladybug and Chat Noir could have saved her, but they didn’t. With my help, I can give you a power that can bring her back.”

“Y-you… can?” Ms. Bustier asked, not yet convinced.

The voice in her head didn’t seem so convinced either as it slowly replied, “We can try.”

Ms. Bustier considered the offer, but it didn’t sound possible. How could it be possible? She witnessed it all. Every horrible second that she’d begged to have taken from her mind. “But she can’t come back for real.”

The voice in her head went silent. All of her face’s pain seemed to cease. She was free. Until she wasn’t.

Her arms felt like they could rip as she felt her neck twist to face Marinette collapsed on the floor. Her eyes widened in fear.

“N-no!” She cried, eyeing her eerily quiet student.

“If you don’t want your student joining the woman, accept my offer as Ressusciter and save the people Ladybug and Chat Noir let down.”

Chat Noir crashed into the outside window, staring at the scene in front of him. Ms. Bustier, contorting in pain on the floor, and Marinette…

… Marinette wasn’t moving.

“I’ll fix the people you heroes left to die,” Ms. Bustier, facing Chat Noir with the emptiest look in her eyes, spoke. Her body shifted as a deep purple fog enveloped her blue suit, pulling her akumatized purse close to her waist. She stood up, dressed in a cyan Grim Reaper cloak, gripping a small scythe-shaped purse.

Enraged, Chat Noir fixated his cold eyes on the cloaked victim. “No. You won’t.”

~~~~~

Inside a high-end salon, Chloe Bourgeois raised her painted nails to a new scientific magazine on display.

“I’d like a rinse as well,” she voiced to the awaiting hair stylist behind her.

“Of course,” the stylist nodded, waving their hairdryer up. “Do you have a preference on shampoo?”

“Hmm…Lavender sounds nice,” Chloe mindlessly hummed, flipping through the magazine for the chemistry section.

“Lovely choice,” the stylist replied, guiding Chloe to the rinse. As Chloe sat down, the stylist loosened Chloe’s ponytail, lifting her short blonde hair toward the sink. “You might want to hold your magazine out a little while I wash your hair. Just so the water doesn’t splash into your eyes.”

Chloe wanted to feign disinterest in the magazine, but her hair stylist knew how much she enjoyed reading them. Pretending she didn’t would be pointless. Obliging, she held the journal out, flipping to a page with pictures so she wouldn’t strain her eyes.

The stylist gently brushed Chloe’s hair. Setting the brush down, they turned on the water, smoothing Chloe’s hair underneath the water. “So, how is your project with your classmate coming along?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes, shutting the magazine shut. “Well enough.”

“Did you two finish already?” The stylist pried some more, knowingly eyeing Chloe’s puffed cheeks.

“No,” Chloe sighed, realizing she would have to engage in conversation. She loved her stylist; her stylist was the best in Paris. However… it wasn’t exactly a secret how nosy and chatty her stylist could be.

“Take some of our science magazines back with you then! I'm sure they’ll help you two with the next steps.”

“Ugh… Thanks, Avery.”

Customers and stylists closest to the door screamed in terror. Hair bottles broke along the shelves, and all throughout the salon, there was the beginning of complete and utter chaos.

Chloe sat up abruptly, irritated beyond belief. “Ugh! Again? What idiot is it this time?”

Avery turned to view the fleeing customers. The screams only started by the window, but by then, everyone in the salon was in a panic, hiding or running out with their hair half done. It’s not like there was an immediate threat inside the salon, and as the minutes passed, it only proved there was no villain inside. “I highly doubt the villain’s in here. Want me to continue with your rinse?”

Chloe turned back, giving Avery an incredulous look. “Now?”

“Well, I don’t think we’re in danger,” Avery replied with a shrug, stepping away. Avery peered out the window, trying to spot any sight of whatever had the customers in fear, but there was nothing. Another stylist, gripping the counter’s phone, took shaky breaths as Avery approached. “Did you see anything?”

The other stylist nodded. “Yes! The grim reaper was outside the salon! I… I didn’t see where it went, but I know I saw it by the window!”

Avery turned back to Chloe. “See? Perfectly safe!”

Chloe rolled her eyes, slipping back on her chair. “Yeah, and what if Ladybug needs Queen Bee?”

Avery eyed the streets, giving Chloe a knowing look. “If so, I’ll wave her over to get you. In the meantime, the lavender shampoo I’ve got over there needs that gorgeous hair of yours.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “My hair isn’t that pretty, Avery.”

“Nonsense!” Avery replied, walking over and picking up the lavender shampoo. “You’re my favorite client, and your hair is my favorite guest. Always going for a new look keeps me on my toes! Just look at this shampoo bottle. It’s waiting for that hair!”

Chloe shut her eyes, feeling a deep rush of embarrassment. “Ugh, fine. I’ll stay, but don’t you dare make that shampoo bottle talk to me or I’ll let the grim reaper walk me out itself.”

“It’s coming back?!” A panicked customer screamed from behind a styling chair.

“No, of course not,” Avery replied to the customer. “I’m completely done with this drama. Show me the hair.”

Chloe tilted her head, letting Avery scan her hair. “You? Done with drama? Since when?”

Avery let some lavender shampoo slide out of the bottle, smoothing Chloe’s hair with it. “Two years and counting of the same scene over and over again? It’s getting old. Hawk Moth should move on and retire already.”

“That’d be nice,” Chloe sighed, feeling some water rinse through her damp hair. “He gets on my nerves.”

“Ugh, mine too! I bet his hair is a complete travesty under that hideous suit. He better not be one of my clients, because if he is, so help me-“

“Avery,” Chloe interrupted Avery’s dialogue.

“Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to tug your hair.”

“No, that’s not it,” Chloe frowned. “…What would you do if one of your clients really was Hawk Moth?”

Avery took in Chloe’s question, thinking it over carefully. What could be done? No one knew if Hawk Moth had hair or not under his ugly ensemble. But, if he did have hair under that dastardly design…

“I’d give him frosted tips,” Avery replied. “Or use drugstore shampoo on his pathetic head.”

Chloe let out a small snort, clasping her hand over her mouth. Frosted tips? Drugstore shampoo? Could anyone go as low as that without any hint of remorse? “That’s evil!” Chloe laughed, ignoring some water running around her forehead.

“Then I’ll do both!” Avery snickered, rinsing out the rest of Chloe’s shampoo as Chloe continued to laugh unapologetically.

~~~~~

“Resuscitate!” Ressusciter called out to the classroom, striking her scythe-shaped purse to the ground.

The wood splintered, sending a cyan electrical current down the depths of the school, crawling through the ground.

Chat Noir scanned outside the classroom window. The city streets were lined in cyan, glowing beautifully against the grey cement. It was strangely pleasant for an akumatized power.

Until it wasn’t.

The cyan faded away, as if the effect never happened.

Ressusciter gripped her purse, eyeing it skeptically. “Why didn’t it work?”

Her head twitched as a purple haze covered her eyes with an eerie butterfly shape.

“Try it again.”

Not wasting time, Ressusciter struck the floor once more. The streets lit up, decorated with the comforting cyan lines… but they broke once more.

She shifted the purple haze away from her face. “You lied to me.”

Marinette gripped her head, slowly opening her eyes. Her head was booming, aching, and throbbing from her previous collision on the door.

“Marinette!” Chat Noir leaped through the window, extending his arms. “Run away!”

Marinette gripped her head. Kitty… cat was here. Hehe. Heh.

“Hurry!” Chat Noir screamed, eyeing between Marinette and Ressusciter.

Ressusciter swung her purse onto the desk, gripping her head.

“Make it stop! Make it stop!”

Her head twisted to Marinette shakily standing up. The purple haze gripped Ressusciter’s face once again, centering her eyes between Marinette and Ressusciter’s scythe purse.

“Silly me,” Hawk Moth spoke with Ressusciter’s voice, twisting her body toward the desk. “Looks like I dropped this.”

Chat Noir was standing there. He couldn’t decide whether he should pull Marinette away or distract the villain for her escape. Which one would be enough time? Maybe Marinette would catch on and run off… and if he tried scooping her to safety, Ressusciter might strike her. He couldn’t risk it. Ressusciter was unstable, but she wasn’t fighting him or attacking Marinette… yet.

Ressusciter shook away the purple haze, shakily holding the purse. She turned to Marinette.

And Hawk Moth didn’t need to puppeteer her motions anymore.

“Ms… Bustier?” Marinette wobbly mumbled, holding her head up weakly with her hand. “Your… clothes… are… different.”

Ressusciter blocked Chat Noir’s advance, throwing him aside with strength she didn’t realize she had. If she wanted to, she could collapse the entire building with several blows. But that’s not what she wanted. She looked down at Marinette, lifting her up with her free hand.

“You and your friends are growing up,” Ressusciter’s voice slipped around Marinette’s struck head. She didn’t need to look at Chat Noir when she’d swung her scythe purse his way, sending out an air wave to blow him across the room.

“Heheh… We’re gonna… be adults,” Marinette fumbly replied. Her thoughts were… hazy. She was tired… really… really… tired…

Ressusciter lifted her purse, pressing it against Marinette’s purse. “Occupy.”

Chat Noir lunged forward, striking his staff toward Ressusciter’s figure.

But her form vanished.

Where did she go? …Did it matter? Marinette was safe, and without Ressusciter in the way, his mind could clear. Ladybug would be here in no time, probably with the other holders. He’d sent her several messages to meet him at this specific school. She had to be on her way, and maybe, she’d run into Ressusciter outside, and the magical ladybugs would repair the room. And that’s how it should go. Chat Noir… wasn’t… necessary in battles as much anymore. Not that that bothered him! He just realized his role wasn’t as important as it had been… and his strategizing suffered from the lack of Cataclysms and one-on-one akuma attacks. Everything would be okay though. It would all be alright.

“Marinette,” he smiled, settling his staff along his belt, scooping her up in his arms. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t think straight before. But now I am! I’ll take you somewhere safe!”

He lifted her up, setting her in front of him.

That was weird. She wasn’t answering him. How tired was she? He knew they stayed up a little later than planned, but had she been pulling all-nighters more than he’d realized? He hadn’t slept in two days… but what about her? And she was responding weirdly earlier.

She’d collapsed before. She’d hit her head on the door. Of course she wasn’t responding.

He gripped her arms. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to carry you to the hospital. You might have a concussion.”

Marinette’s eyes were shut. She tilted her head to the side, twitching slightly back and forth. Her head shook like it was saying ‘no’, but it wasn’t a natural looking nod. It was slow, and it repeated its motion like a broken record.

Chat Noir surveyed the room once more, worried Ressusciter would somehow reappear if he wasn’t careful. His eyes went back to Marinette as she continued to slowly move. “Marinette?”

Her eyes opened.

And a cyan glow emitted into his green glowing eyes.

He let go.

“Chat Noir?” Marinette asked, turning her head to look at Chat Noir’s terrified expression. She stepped forward. The closer she she got to Chat Noir, the further he pulled back. “Chat-“

She quieted. Her hands clasped her purse, slowly slipping it off her shoulder. She held it in front of herself, seemingly observing the purse with her cyan eyes.

But then, her eyes completely covered themselves in the cyan glow. Her bluebell eyes, along with her pupils and sclera, were masked by glowing cyan entirely.

Her body stepped forward, making its way over to Chat Noir. She stood in front of him, lifting her head to his green eyes.

“Marinette,” Chat Noir whispered, failing to control the panic beating inside his chest. He was supposed to recognize and acknowledge his emotions all thanks to Clarityvoice. Okay then. He recognized that his friend, one of the realest friends he’d ever had, was currently one of the akumatized victim’s victims…

He recognized the dread he felt, considering he had no idea how to free Marinette from Ressusciter’s powers. He recognized just how helpless he was when he was supposed to be the hero. He acknowledged that over the past two years, no matter what he did, ‘Chat Noir’ would never be Paris’ hero when they needed him most.

He failed Ladybug.

He failed his father.

He failed his friends.

He failed Paris.

… and now… he failed Marinette.

She blinked. Ressusciter must’ve entered her purse, attaching herself to Marinette in the process… somehow. She couldn’t speak, or freely move, without a weighing feeling dragging her along. Was it her exhaustion, or Ressusciter?

She leant forward, bumping her head against Chat Noir’s chest.

She was helpless, useless… pathetic. Ladybug should’ve been there. Ladybug should’ve encouraged Ms. Bustier, or at least captured the akuma before it reached her teacher. Now… Chat Noir was left to face the consequences. He was capable, and she knew that. She trusted him, believed in him… and she wanted him to know that.

Chat Noir held Marinette’s head against his chest, smoothing her hair with his clawed gloves. What could he do?

She looked up at him, and he looked down at her.

“I’ll save you,” Chat Noir whispered, pressing his hands on her shoulders.

Marinette’s cyan-coated eyes glitched, swirling a cyan glow through her body and into her purse. The glow was free from her eyes. She could move again. She could speak again.

“Chat Noir! My teacher’s not here anymore!”

Chat noir scanned Marinette’s freed eyes and her glowing purse back and forth. “What do you mean? Wasn’t she controlling you?”

“No,” she replied, rubbing her head. “And what’s weirder is that my head feels fine now. She must’ve escaped and used me as a distraction somehow. Or maybe she left a piece of herself behind to heal my head.”

She lifted her bag, holding up the glowing fabric.

“Her scythe purse,” Chat Noir muttered, scanning Marinette’s glowing bag. “Cata-!”

“Wait!” Marinette pulled her purse back. “Is there a way to transfer your cataclysm to your staff? Directly touching my bag could be dangerous.”

Chat Noir scanned his staff, pulling it apart into two pieces. He placed one piece in his hand, extending his middle finger around the circular edge. “Smart thinking, Purr-incess. Cataclysm.”

He lifted the piece of staff, swirling with a cataclysm. Moving his hand could signal the staff’s destruction, so he kept his hand alongside it. Carefully lifting it to Marinette’s purse, he faced the staff part toward her purse’s fabric.

Her purse disintegrated.

But his staff began to glow.

“It traveled to my stick?” Chat Noir worriedly eyed his staff, unaware his head began to twitch.

The glow sunk into his staff, spiraling through his arm and up to his eyes. Their normal green hazed into cyan blue.

Marinette gasped. “Chat Noir!”

Securing the two pieces of staff back together, he slowly extended it, viewing just how far it could go inside the room. He blinked. The cyan wiped away all traces of his familiar green eyes.

He turned to Marinette, extending his hand out to her head. She was right. He wasn’t being controlled by Ressusciter… but he felt weighed down. Beneath him, Marinette stared into his unnaturally glowing eyes. He waited for her to pull away. But she didn’t pull away. Was she too afraid to move?

He patted her head. He couldn’t let her know he was okay. He couldn’t even move his mouth. He was just quiet.

Marinette lifted her hand to his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Let me take it back. It’ll slow you down.”

No way. Absolutely not. Not again. How could Marinette stay so calm at the sight of him? He was shaking in his boots when her eyes were glowing cyan. But not because of the villain’s power. He was afraid that Marinette was gone. Forever.

He slowly stepped back. She was okay. She was safe now. That was all that mattered. Besides, Ressusciter just left him a way to track her down.

“Chat Noir, no!” Marinette called out, eyeing Chat Noir standing against the window. She tugged his belt. “Give it back!”

He blinked. It wasn’t painful or anything, so why was Marinette worried about him so much? He could use Ressusciter’s power against her! He could stop her and fix everything. Well, Ladybug would fix most of the damages with her magical ladybugs, but he could stop Ressusciter from whatever she was about to do.

Leaning back, he tugged his belt out of Marinette’s hand. When she tried to reach for it back, he pressed his hand on her shoulder. Ugh. Silence really did suck. Without his paw-some puns to lighten the mood, everything felt eerily empty. But right now, he also felt empty. Empty. Emotions, feelings… everything he’d felt before lightened thanks to Ressusciter’s power… minus the weight it also left behind. How could lightness and heaviness coexist like this?

“Chat Noir,” Marinette narrowed her eyes, reaching out for his bell. His hand pushed her back. “Come on!”

He leaned forward, booping his nose onto hers. She went quiet.

With a pat on her shoulder, he turned back to the window, readying his staff to leave.

“Be careful,” Marinette grumbled underneath her hands covering her nose.

And then he was off.

~~~~~

“They’re totally going to bond over this!” Alya squealed, shaking Nino in place outside of the school. They’d taken a while to actually leave the building; the cafeteria had left over yoghurts the two couldn’t pass up. “I’ve been waiting years for this!”

Nino eyed Alya skeptically. “If they stay awake.”

“Of course they’ll stay awake!” Alya groaned, letting go of Nino’s arms. “Marinette will snap out of her sleepiness and go totally crazy, and Adrien will wake up after he hears her losing her mind! It’ll be perfect!”

Alya hummed triumphantly whereas Nino slugged in place, wondering why he entertained Alya’s schemes anymore. Oh yeah, because he loved her. Duh.

“Well, now that you’re free from roller skating,” Nino began, “wanna play Super Penguino?”

“AHHHH!”

A scream interrupted the two right when they were about to have their own moment. Of course it did.

The two looked behind them, watching a cyan grim reaper float across the street.

“An akumatized victim!” Alya gasped, covering her mouth. Another innocent person, taken advantage of, just for being human. Were the citizens of Paris not allowed to feel anything anymore? That was a dumb question. For the past two years, feeling any type of negativity was shunned by the city. People started to blame each other… just for feeling normal emotions. Of course Ladybug and Chat Noir reassured the victims they were innocent… but afterwards… anyone in the victim’s life was more than likely to ostracize and judge them. It was a horrible way to live.

“Where’s Ladybug?” Nino asked, scanning the rooftops. “Did the villain just appear?”

“Who knows how long it’s been here,” Alya frowned. “I’ll start recording the villain on the Ladyblog. You should go to the usual spot Ladybug meets us at when we see the akuma first. That way, one of us can assist Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Leaving Alya? Was she kidding?

“Seriously, Nino. I’ll be fine. Ladybug might stop here first or our meeting spot. As long as one of us can help her, splitting up is for the best.”

Little did the two know, Ladybug wasn’t coming for either of them.

“Okay?”

Nino frowned. “Okay.”

Alya smiled, pulling out her phone. She scrolled through her apps, eyeing between her screen and the cyan figure floating away.

With one last glance, Nino ran down the steps, trying to picture their meetup place in his mind. It shouldn’t be too far away. As long as he could keep moving, he’d make it.

His legs started to shake. He’d make it. Alya would be fine. She was right. Carapace or Rena Rouge could surely help Chat Noir and Ladybug. Leaving Alya was what she wanted. It was for the best.

An older man met Nino below the steps, stroking his beard fondly.

Nino panicked. Would he crash into him?! He had to stop running! Slow down! Slow down, you stupid legs!

Right before he could come to a complete stop, the old man pressed his hands onto Nino’s shoulders, slowing Nino down forcefully. Nino was surprised the old man was able to stay upright, let alone so calm, after he’d almost gotten knocked over.

But Nino landed face first on the ground, squishing his nose against the concrete.

“Oww,” he muttered, rubbing his nose and adjusting his glasses as he sat up. He opened his eyes, eyeing a familiar bracelet along his wrist.

The turtle miraculous.

But… How did it get there? When? Why?

He scanned the streets. The old man had vanished!

The older man didn’t actually vanish. Unbeknownst to Nino, the older man had just hidden himself behind a tree, continuing to stroke his beard.

Eyeing around the tree, and noticing Nino take the hint to hide and transform, he turned back to the cold and snowy streets.

There were important matters for the guardian of the miraculous to attend to now that he’d sent Chat Noir another partner.

It was time for Master Fu to strategize with the kwamis.

~~~~~

Notes:

Everything is coming together; I’m finally writing Marichat moments!! I wanted to “set the scene” for them first, so hopefully their interactions feel natural (their Marichat-ness is important to me). 🧵🐾
Ressusciter’s heavily inspired by Zombizou, but playing along with the actual “zombie” part. I thought it was time I had an official character get akumatized.
The next chapter will keep up with this chapter and give it some more context once I write it! Thanks for reading! 🥐

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 4

Marinette looked out the window, irritated by Chat Noir. How DARE he BOOP her! And why was he being so stubborn? Chat Noir should’ve never taken the cyan glow! Now, he would have Ressusciter’s odd power slowing him down, and it’s not like he had backup. She wouldn’t be transforming into Ladybug anytime soon.

Ladybug… Tikki!

Where had Tikki gone? She looked down at her disintegrated purse, questioning the last time she’d even seen Tikki today.

This was beyond aggravating.

Her head was healed from crashing against the door, something she wasn’t expecting at all, but thankful for nonetheless. However, she hadn’t realized just how rejuvenated she felt once Ressusciter’s power left her body. Her head wasn't the only healed part of herself.

Her fatigue had completely subsided.

She’d been so drowsy that morning, almost sleeping through her alarm. Chat Noir and her had stayed up way too late, a mistake she didn’t exactly mind. She missed spending time with Chat Noir now that her responsibilities as Ladybug increased. She hadn’t been able to sleep fully for four days. Four days, she flipped around in bed, mind scattered and planning against Hawk Moth. She couldn’t rest. Even when she’d gotten comfortable in bed with her huge cat plushie, nothing could send her to Dream-Land.

That morning, Tikki woke her up, bumping Marinette’s nose roughly.

“Get up,” Tikki had demanded, clinging to Marinette’s ruffled bangs. “You’ll be late for school!”

Marinette rubbed her eyes, irritated by the awful feeling in her eyelids. What… time was it? She’d gone to bed around 5:00 AM…

Her clock read 7:15 AM.

Two hours of sleep. Lovely.

“I’m up,” Marinette grumbled, throwing her body upward. She gripped her head, holding it up to face Tikki.

“You shouldn’t have stayed up so late, Marinette.”

Marinette frowned, looking away. “Chat Noir and I were having fun, Tikki… don’t be so mean about it.”

Tikki slumped onto Marinette’s shoulder, worriedly eyeing Marinette’s exhausted face. It was hard seeing Marinette like this. Marinette, who was supposed to be just a normal student, had been protecting Paris for two years now. Living her normal life wasn’t an option anymore.

She had to be what the public needed: a superhero. Not the creative and confused Marinette Tikki had grown to love. No one else saw Marinette like this anymore besides Tikki.

Well, scratch that. Chat Noir got to last night.

Tikki wanted to help Marinette in any way she could… and maybe that meant distancing herself from her. Without Tikki, Marinette wouldn’t need to be Ladybug… or resort to becoming Ladybug. She could just be herself again, even if it were just one day.

“Marinette,” Tikki voiced, poking Marinette’s nose. “I have an idea.”

Marinette yawned, jumping at the sound of snowy wind against her window. It was snowing. Right. Snowtopia’s power was still lingering around Paris. When would it stop? Would Ladybug find a way to end the sudden winter? “Hit me.”

Tikki raised her eyebrow. Lifting up her hand, she slapped Marinette’s cheek.

“Ow! Not literally!” Marinette groaned, rubbing her cheek with her hand. “I meant ‘tell me your idea’, Tikki.”

That made more sense. Tikki cleared her throat, taking a seat on Marinette’s hand. “How about I stop by Master Fu’s and search for a solution while you’re in school? That way, you won’t be worrying in class.”

“Wait… what?” Marinette shook her head, wondering if she really was awake. The proposition seemed calming… but not plausible. She had to stay focused. Stay alert. “I can’t do that, Tikki! Paris needs Ladybug!”

“Marinette, it’ll be fine! Someone was akumatized yesterday, remember? Hawk Moth is less likely to akumatize someone today!”

Oh yeah! Why would Hawk Moth attack Paris again so soon? She didn’t have anything to worry about! She… could relax if she wanted to. Huh.

Marinette slumped down on her cat plushie, trying to think. Thinking… was hard after, uh… how many hours of sleep did she get again? Two! Two… tutu? Sewing! When was the last time she made a dress-

“Cat dress!” Marinette gasped, sitting upright. “Ugh… no…”

Tikki pinched Marinette’s cheek. How would Marinette focus in class? Would that even be possible? Maybe Marinette should stay home… no! Tikki frowned. That was the worst possible option. Her holder needed to socialize, keep up with her schoolwork, and have a day completely free from her Ladybug-duties. She couldn’t sleep through this opportunity! Tikki had to get Marinette to that school. Or at least thinking straight.

“Marinette, stay with me!”

“I’m dying?!” Marinette gripped her chest, worriedly eyeing Tikki and the room around her. “I don’t… have time to die… Heheh… I can tye-dye my lucky socks.”

“Marinette!” Tikki exclaimed, pinching Marinette’s cheek harder. “Text Alya! She can help you get to school.”

Hawk Moth wasn’t a threat today! Woohoo! Stupid butterflies. Butter… and toast. Marinette felt weak and lightheaded. Maybe she was just relieved; after all, she didn’t have to worry! No more worries. Breezy… haha. It would all be breezy.

She jumped at the sound of wind against the roof, laughing as it continued to bang against her window hatch. Ha… Everything was ‘so’ funny. And what was happening? A red bug-mouse? Eating her nose?

Marinette laughed, pulling out her phone. “My nose isn’t cheese, bug-mouse… mouse-ity mouse mouse…”

Marinette’s eyes widened in fear as she threw herself off her bed.

“MOUSE!”

What an awful way to wake up! Having your nose mistaken for cheese? It was terrible! Where was her cat when she needed it? Surely it would get rid of the mouse!

Marinette sat up from the floor she’d just crashed onto. It was a long drop down… and everything around her went blurry. She pawed her sewing machine, pulling back in confusion. Was she going bananas? Why was her cat bald? She tapped her sewing machine.

“Cat! Get the mouse!” She snorted. Frowning, breaking out into a laugh, yawning in the middle of the laugh, scowling… smiling… She couldn’t control her emotions at all! She started to cry, poking the sewing machine tiredly. “…Come on! …Get it!”

Tikki nervously floated down to the sewing machine, eyeing Marinette cautiously.

“Fine!” Marinette pointed her finger up in the air, spinning on her sock. “I’ll ask my bestest best… best? Uh… bestie-best friend to… eat… the cookie, you spoiled roTTen caT.”

Tikki pulled back at Marinette’s sharp ‘T’ annunciation, wiping her spotted head from Marinette’s spit.

“That’s it, Marinette,” Tikki frowned, lifting her hands. “I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve left me no choice.”

Marinette blinked. Her eyes shut slowly…slowly lifting, then shutting again. It took her a couple seconds to pull her eyelids back open on their own; she was too tired to raise her hands to rub her eyes.

“Lucky charm!”

A bright light filled the room, widening Marinette’s eyes all the way open. Marinette fell back, hitting her head against the floor from the sight.

Tikki caught a large cup of coffee.

“Perfect.”

Before Marinette could figure out what had just happened, she found herself gulping down Tikki’s coffee, with Tikki pushing the cup up for her. Coffee spilled all over Marinette’s clothes, burning her skin.

“I’m awake!” Marinette screamed, standing upright.

Tikki nodded, wiping her hands in satisfaction. “Text Alya to pick you up so you won’t be late!”

Marinette rubbed her ears as she whipped out her phone, calling Alya.

Alya answered almost instantly. “Hey girl, what’s-“

“Tick, no, take me to the roller skate!” Marinette demanded across the phone.

“Uh… you want to go roller skating after school?”

Tikki slapped her forehead. Using her lucky charm without a holder was bound to have a consequence. Sure, Marinette was awake… but was she really intelligible?

Marinette didn’t reply, hanging up the phone as she threw on her black jacket. She slipped on her shoes, picked up her book bag, and slid down the stairs. Her parents tried to wish her ‘good morning’, but she was already out the door, running down the icy streets.

“Marinette! Slow down!” Tikki screamed, pulling on Marinette’s ear. Well, at least she was on her way to class. Tikki gripped onto Marinette’s ear, leaning forward. “I’M GOING TO MASTER FU’S, SO GOODBYE!”

Marinette nodded, still running as Tikki freed her ear. “GOODBYE TO YOU, TOO!”

Some students nearby eyed each other in concern, flinching as Marinette ran past them all.

She glided into the building, bolted up the stairs, slid into her seat… and completely crashed out.

That was Marinette’s morning. Lovely.

~~~~~

“Stay connected,” Alya concluded quickly as she narrowly dodged Ressusciter’s scythe purse. She scrambled to tuck away her phone, eyeing the fleeing parisians.

Some were perfectly normal, running away and screaming in terror. But half of the parisians nearby were acting odd. Alya wanted to keep filming, but Ladybug would probably need Rena Rouge soon. Besides, she was more focused on avoiding the akumatized victim in front of her.

“Resuscitate!” Ressusciter called out to the ground as she struck it with her purse. The ground lit up with cyan, but the color didn’t last long. She screamed in frustration. Why wasn’t her power working? Was Hawk Moth playing a cruel joke on her?

Ressusciter swung her purse once more toward Alya’s bag. “Let me bring you to liminality. You will be protected from the destruction your heroes can’t resolve.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Alya shakily spoke. She nervously took several small steps behind her, avoiding the cyan grim reaper’s scythe. “I’d rather stay alive.”

Alya bolted away, slipping around a patch of ice. She kept running, and scanning the sky for Ladybug. There was no sign of any hero yet, but maybe Nino would get his miraculous soon. She was relieved he’d listened to her and went off to their meeting spot.

If only she could lose the grim reaper’s attention. Facing the akumatized victim, knowing they were hurting inside, bothered Alya. She wanted to comfort the person, but they weren’t in a position to listen. Besides, this victim clearly had it out for Alya in that moment, so reasoning with them wasn’t an option.

She ran into someone slowly walking across the street. Jumping from the impact, Alya realized she was distracting herself when she should be focusing on her surroundings. So, she turned to face the person she’d bumped into.

“Woah, sorry about that,” Alya began, adjusting her glasses.

The person turned their head, slowly… too slowly. It looked… unnatural… and empty.

Alya gasped, “Your eyes!”

The person didn’t respond. Their cyan eyes stared over Alya as they slowly tilted their head. They must’ve been hit by Ressusciter’s bag… but why wasn’t this person attacking Alya?

Ressusciter floated over to the two, swinging the small scythe purse as Alya haphazardly dodged.

“Everyone we’ve lost will come back once I fix everything,” Ressusciter began, “and you WILL stay safe.”

Alya tried to pull away, but the person in front of her held her hand. It wasn’t a forceful grip, surprisingly enough… but it was missing something. It was like there was no person behind the touch; a zombie. The living… not the dead… were walking, lifeless, empty shells.

“Occupy.”

Alya’s bag lit up, sending cyan twirls of light up to her brown eyes. But the brown of her eyes vanished within a moment. Cyan beamed out, covering her sclera and reaching her pupils.

She wanted to fight the power off. The weighing feeling she felt, the gust of emptiness…

But it didn’t hurt. In fact, nothing hurt anymore. Her fears, feelings, and happiness were gone. There was nothing left. She still had her memories, but without the emotions and feelings connected to them.

Sure, it was possible to reject Ressusciter’s occupancy, but Alya didn’t want to. She felt like life itself was taken off her hands, lightening her load to nothingness. She could replay her memories like a film, breezing through everything without ever creating more.

Journalism? A dream she could keep alive, never risking the chance of it ending.

Her friends, family, even Nino… Every ounce of care she felt for them slowly twisted into something else. Remembrance? Apathy? She couldn’t tell.

How were the other Parisians responding to Ressusciter’s power? Were they accepting it as easily as she was? Did she really care enough to know?

Lightness and heaviness coexisted.

She, along with many other civilians, were on the verge of something between life and death, or even the center of death itself: Liminality.

The purest yet creepiest emptiness she’d ever experienced. Existence’s fade, and the border between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Eternal emptiness.

~~~~~

Chat Noir stabbed the concrete with his staff, narrowing his eyes over the city. Ressusciter would show herself soon… and he’d put an end to her with Ladybug.

“AhHh!” A familiar voice screamed in the distance, catching Chat Noir’s attention. Not too far away, a green hero flung off a building, crashing into a chimney. That must’ve hurt.

Chat Noir eyed his staff, releasing its grip from the ground. He was in the air, carelessly falling toward the city street below. However, once he extended his staff toward a nearby window, breaking it, he propelled himself over to the green hero nearby.

Crashing against the rooftop, Chat Noir looked down at Carapace, who was currently rubbing his back from the collision.

Carapace spotted Chat Noir’s familiar shoes, sighing in relief. “Yo, dude! I’m here to help-“

He covered his mouth in horror. What happened to Chat Noir? Why… were his eyes cyan? Was he POSSESSED?!

“G-G-GHOST! AhHhHhH!” Carapace crashed back against the chimney, lifting his shield out. “Stay back! STAY BACK! I might look strong, but you don’t want to possess me, I mean really, I’m a total wimp! Don’t possess me! PLEASE!”

Chat Noir turned away, narrowing his eyes. Was Carapace seriously asking to not be possessed? Chat Noir wasn’t possessed! Come on, it was just cyan eyes. Well… he technically couldn’t blame Carapace. Chat Noir worried Marinette was taken over by Ressusciter as well. It’s not like he could reassure Carapace, let alone respond. So, he leant forward, trying to express camaraderie.

Carapace backed up further. “W-w-w-w-what are y-y-you d-d-oing-“

Would this guy calm down already? Chat Noir imagined himself rolling his eyes, not that Carapace would see his completely cyan eyes roll to begin with.

But just then, the cyan started to glitch from his eyes. He could speak again if he wanted. That was definitely convenient.

“Safe,” Chat Noir voiced, eyeing his glowing staff. Wait a minute. How would he be able to use Ressusciter’s power against her if he loses it?! A panic grew inside of him as his ring started to flicker. Hold on.

“Uh, dude… you sure?” Carapace narrowed his eyes at the glowing staff and blinking ring. “You look like you’re about to-“

Chat Noir shooed his hand at Carapace, signaling him to stop. His emotions were what broke Ressusciter’s power… so he just had to silence them entirely.

He dashed behind the chimney, placing his hand out to Carapace.

Carapace eyed Chat Noir’s stance, instantly picking up on his motioning. “Chillax, dude. I won’t look.”

Chat Noir nodded, hiding behind the chimney. His ring signaled its last beep as he transformed back into Adrien Agreste. Plagg spun out of his ring, silent.

“Plagg?” Adrien whispered, leaning closer to his kwami. “Don’t you want cheese?”

Plagg floated emptily in front of Adrien.

“Oh no.”

“Oh no?!” Carapace, behind the chimney, repeated. “What do you mean ‘oh no’?! Wait… are you still POSSESSED?!”

“No, and I was NEVER possessed!” Adrien slapped his forehead in irritation, glaring at a pile of snow below. “Listen. The akumatized victim seems to have two powers. One power didn’t work when she first used it… and the other was the glowing thing you just saw. It basically slowed me down and healed my body.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Carapace voiced to the chimney. He adjusted his suit’s hood, scanning the sky skeptically.

“Probably because her power isn’t one an akuma can grant,” Chat Noir replied. “Hawk Moth must’ve realized that by now.”

“Do you think he’ll keep that person akumatized?”

Adrien looked down at his ring. It was glowing. “Definitely. The instability of it will be a weakness against us. Speaking of ‘us’, where’s Ladybug?”

“I don’t know,” Carapace replied, scanning the city. “I thought she’d be with you.”

“What?” Adrien turned to the chimney, struggling to keep himself hidden. “Then how did you get your miraculous?!”

“I ran into some old dude, fell down, and bam!” Carapace replied, slapping his hands together. “The miraculous just showed up out of nowhere, dude! It was insane.”

Ladybug wasn’t here? Adrien gripped his head. No. She must be on her way. She had to be! Who would fix the damages if he destroyed something valuable?

He groaned. “Great. So it’s just us?”

Carapace looked off to the side, somewhat intrigued. “Hey, this could be sweet. Two bros, fighting crime? Off the hook, don’t you think?”

Adrien eyed his ring’s increasing glow and Plagg’s silent stare. This wasn’t at all eerie…

“Uh… sure. Purr-haps we should come up with a strategy first.”

“Turtle-y, my dude.”

Adrien blinked. Was that a turtle pun? Not bad.

“Okay, so you know how I went ‘oh no’ earlier, right?” Adrien asked, anxiously turning his head to his ring.

“Think so, bro.”

“Well,” Adrien nervously began, “the akumatized victim’s power is stuck in my ring.”

“…Oh.” Carapace gulped. Wasn’t Chat Noir’s ring his miraculous?

Adrien opened up his pocket, shoving a piece of Camembert toward Plagg. The smell should’ve sent Plagg into a joyous fit, whining over how hungry he’d been all day. But Plagg didn’t respond. Plagg wasn’t responding to cheese?!

This was bad. What would happen when Adrien transformed back into Chat Noir?

“I have a feeling I won’t be able to talk as Chat Noir once I transform back,” Adrien sighed in irritation. “Just… don’t freak out once I have glowy eyes, okay?”

“No promises,” Carapace whispered. “You looked freaky, dude.”

Adrien scrunched up his nose, shoving the Camembert back in his pocket. Fine. Carapace and Chat Noir could take care of this ‘Ressusciter’… and Ladybug would show up to fix everything.

“Once I transform back, I’ll try and use the victim’s power against her to track her down. As long as you cover me, I can cataclysm her purse. That’s where the akuma’s hiding.”

“Sweet,” Carapace replied. Fighting alongside Chat Noir? This sounded totally awesome! They could be super-bros!

Adrien smiled. This might work. “Plagg, claws out!”

~~~~~

“Gotta hurry! Gotta hurry! Gotta HURRY!”

Marinette ran through her school’s locker room, flipping open as many lockers as she could. Most were locked, but some were fortunately open.

“Ah-ha! Yes!” Marinette cheered. She’d finally found a person with common sense! A person who kept pliers in their locker was a good person to stay close to.

She tightened her grip on the tool, investigating its jaws decorated with bunny doodles. Blunt, but strong enough to cut through a purse’s strap! Excellent.

“Now, I just need to get Tikki! Pliers, you’re coming with me just in case.”

She ran toward the locker room’s exit, crashing against the wall. That definitely hurt.

“Ow,” Marinette groaned, rubbing her shoulder with her free hand. She glared at the wall dangerously. “You won’t stop me! Not today!”

She made it out the door, only to trip on an empty yoghurt container. Just her luck.

Within a couple minutes, she’d made it to the outside! And, yet again… she’d forgotten to take a coat.

The air was unsettlingly colder than it had felt that morning, and the snow was pressing down harder. How was that even possible? The snow should’ve weakened over the week, not worsened.

Now, which direction was Master Fu’s place again? Considering she was at her school, she’d need to take a left down the-

Oh, uh, maybe not a left. Umm… a right, then another right, followed by a left… and… oh boy.

The city was one white blob. Snow along the rooftops, ice across the streets, snowmen in front of the shops… precariously-hanging-icicles dangling above her head that could drop with the slightest sound? Hopefully ‘this’ wasn’t that child’s Winter Wonderland.

Snowtopia… more like Forced-Subnivean.

But there had to be a way to become Ladybug. Marinette would make one, even if her legs frosted over from the cold. Trudging through snowy alleys, slipping on black ice, or even soaking her clothes wouldn’t stop her. The snow thought it had the upper hand, huh? Well, think again!

She slipped on black ice, face-planting into a conveniently placed Chat Noir snowman, soaking her jacket.

Cold! Cold! Cold!

She pressed her balled fist against the snowman’s chest, lifting herself slowly… until the snow caved in and she crashed back down. She landed nose to snowman-nose with the Chat Noir imposter.

Okay, the ‘nose’ thing had to stop.

“Make it end already!” Marinette cried out to the snowed-over city. Her pliers shivered against her chilled palms, reminding her of their presence.

That’s right. She had a goal. She had a plan of action. Snow, no matter how much was thrown her way, would not stop her! She had to go on! Paris needed Ladybug!

Marinette eyed the smooshed snowman beneath her. She needed to check on Chat Noir. All she could think about was that strange power he’d willingly kept. What was he thinking? And why couldn’t she stop worrying? They were partners, so he could trust her, and she could trust him… but…

What if he kept that power out of some ‘superhero-responsibility’ thing? If she were Ladybug in his position, and Adrien were standing in front of her, she would’ve done the same, but…

Adrien! How did she forget about Adrien?! Was he still in the building? Did he ever find Ms. Mendeleiev? Was he stuck somewhere? Did he know what was happening?

Hold on… How did Chat Noir know where to find Ressusciter?

…The window. Chat Noir came in through the window. He could see Ressusciter from outside the window! Of course!

But how did he know which window to enter? And why did he come so soon?

…..Ressusciter’s power lighting up the window? Well… Marinette couldn’t remember seeing Ressusciter use her power before Chat Noir showed up… But how could she remember that? She’d crashed into the door. The only reason she knew he came through the window was due to her blocking the doorway.

Adrien was missing… Chat Noir stepped in…

She got it!

… Adrien must’ve spotted Chat Noir on a patrol and asked for help reassuring Ms. Bustier; then, Chat Noir discovered Ms. Bustier had been akumatized, taking Adrien to safety in the process! Of course!

The snowman’s mask slipped off, revealing-!

A lumpy snowman.

“They didn’t get Chat Noir’s nose right.” Marinette rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed tsk.

She looked around the snowman, spotting her freezing leg sticking out. It would be hard to walk now that her jeans were soaked with snow, but she had to. She must!

“Tikki,” she whispered to her pliers, “I’m on my way!”

She started off to the right, determination fueling her every step. However, once the streets lit up cyan beneath her shoes, her steps ceased. She turned her attention to her left, observing the bright road and the not-so-far-away instigator.

Marinette’s grip on her pliers tightened, eyeing three figures in the distance. Narrowing her eyes on her target, she charged down the road. “Change of plans.”

~~~~~

“Gabriel, don’t you think this has gone on long enough?” A woman dressed in a black suit adjusted her glasses. “Ressusciter’s power isn’t working.”

“But it has to.”

Beside Nathalie, Hawk Moth gripped his cane, tightening his hold. He seemed anxious to Nathalie. It was understandable though.

He was planning to wake his wife without the wish.

Nathalie was confused when he’d entered his study earlier that morning. He was pacing across the room, muttering to himself about Emilie, Adrien, Chat Noir, and Ladybug.

Why was he acting so strange? Had he finally lost his sanity from losing so often? What was bothering Gabriel Agreste, a man that never openly lost his composure so easily?

“The ring… I can’t do it,” Gabriel had whispered to himself, turning to his son’s drawing framed along the wall. There stood wiggly doodles of Adrien, Émilie, and himself… as a happy family. The happy family they were. The happy family they could be again.

“Sir?” Nathalie set down her paperwork, walking over to the terrified man. What could she do to help him? Would suggesting Mayura’s help be best?

Her walking pace slowed as her chest lit up in pain. She gripped her red sweater beneath her black suit jacket, waiting for the pain to subside. A deep and overpowering pain filled her stomach as she slipped to the floor, holding her knees. It was like she’d swallowed a truck’s worth of tar in that single moment, writhing as the tar permeated her bones and lungs.

Gabriel turned around, coming back to reality as he spotted Nathalie coughing on the floor. It pained him that she’d used the peacock miraculous. She knew what happened to Émilie, so why would she willingly accept a fate so horrible? She had a life of her own, free to stay or leave Gabriel whenever she chose. And she chose to stay here. He couldn’t fathom it.

“Nathalie,” he voiced, kneeling down beside her. “You’re getting worse.”

Nathalie knew he was right. Every day, the pain grew stronger… and there was no cure. At least, not one obtainable. If there were a cure, Émilie would’ve been here, and Nathalie would’ve never turned into Mayura in the first place.

She cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”

Gabriel stood up, reaching his hand to her. She accepted it, following him to a set of chairs. Taking a seat, Nathalie tapped her fingers together, lost in thought. She had to reschedule and set up Gabriel’s meetings within the hour; letting her sickness take the best of her wasn’t an option.

She tried to stand up, only to fall back down into her chair. She tried again. And again.

“Nathalie,” Gabriel spoke, lifting up her paperwork. “I’ll take care of this for today.”

“But I can do it.”

“I’m aware of that. However, I’m the one who determines your work schedule as you’re under my employment,” Gabriel frowned. “I insist you take the day off.”

Nathalie sighed, flinching at a pressing feeling in her lungs. She couldn’t deny the pain she felt, but she needed that work. She had to busy herself with something, anything, to distract herself from the pain. Sitting around, waiting for the inevitable… it was too hard on her mind.

Gabriel took a seat beside her, flipping through a packet. He started writing, eyeing between his packet and Nathalie.

“…Why did you do it?”

Nathalie turned to Gabriel in confusion. “Do what? Is there something wrong with my list?”

Gabriel pinched his forehead. “No, not that, Nathalie. I’m referring to the peacock miraculous.”

Nathalie looked off to the dressed up mannequins, eyeing their frozen stances. “You were about to be discovered, and you and I both couldn’t have that happen. For Émilie.”

Flashbacks filled Gabriel’s mind in an instant. Gripping his head, he tried to stop thinking altogether, which failed. He thought back to Milan’s groundbreaking fashion studio, the place he would’ve wanted to stay in forever. He thought about Émilie. Émilie’s warm smile, hopeful words, struggling last moments.

He rubbed his eyes. Émilie was in pain. So much pain. He’d stayed with her throughout it all. Every painful second that never seemed to end for either of them. Her smile was shaky, her reassuring laugh was weak, and the hope in her eyes dimmed as they shut closed. And the last thing she’d said to him, writhing from the pain, was that she loved her family… and wished them the best… even if she could no longer be a part of it herself.

Tears streamed along his fingers. Now, Nathalie, one of Gabriel and Émilie’s closest friends, was experiencing the same fate. The bone shattering, terrorizing, agonizing pain Émilie spent so long fighting through. It was now Nathalie’s.

And he had half the solution to his problems in his very own home.

No. He couldn’t use Adrien like that. Although he’d grown distant to his son, he couldn’t imagine telling him he was Hawk Moth, taking advantage of his son from his shock and despair. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

It pained him enough he’d lost Émilie and failed so many times trying to bring her back. With Nathalie facing the same miserable fate, and his son’s ignorance to the pain that haunted Gabriel’s every moment…

It angered him. His own son: Chat Noir. Chat Noir was in his home, fighting and successfully stopping his father’s plans. How could he let this continue? Letting Adrien keep Gabriel and himself from ever seeing Émilie again?

He couldn’t decide what to do, or how he felt anymore. It wasn’t fair. What cruel world would allow his very own son to be his nemesis?

“Why is there only one way to save her?” Gabriel tiredly muttered aloud.

Nathalie shifted in her seat. The two miraculouses of Chat Noir and Ladybug would resolve everything, right? There wasn’t another way. Not with the peacock miraculous, one that could only create sentimonsters. Mayura wouldn’t be able to wake Émilie up with a power like that.

A power like that. A power… that could wake up Émilie?

The butterfly miraculous.

“Gabriel,” Nathalie voiced, gripping the chair. She leaned forward, eyes wide in realization. “Your miraculous!”

Gabriel kept his grip on his face, refusing to look at Nathalie’s state.

Unbothered by Gabriel’s lack of a response, Nathalie raised her hand out to Émilie’s portrait. “Akumatize someone with the power to bring Émilie back!”

Gabriel’s hand slipped, crashing against his leg. “Would that really work?”

“Your power is giving anyone any power they wish!” Nathalie spoke in pure elation. “It has to work!”

Gabriel tapped his chair, thinking it over. He’d never tried akumatizing someone with that kind of ability. It never even came to mind. He was just so focused on the ladybug and black cat miraculouses that he never even considered the idea! Maybe… it could work. Maybe he’d never ruin Adrien’s hope with Gabriel’s despairing secrets. Émilie could come back. They’d all be a family again. And then, and only then, would Gabriel share the truth with his son.

~~~~~

“Dude,” Carapace whispered shakily.

In front of Carapace stood cyan-eyed Chat Noir. Chat Noir started off toward the edge of the building, striking the iced-over street with his staff.

Carapace took slow breaths. Chat Noir wasn’t possessed. He was NOT possessed. Everything was perfectly fine. It was all cool. ‘Chill’ even. He was fighting crime with Chat Noir! If only Chat Noir could joke around to lighten the mood. It was too tense to officially be super-bros.

He eyed Chat Noir leaping away. “Uh, wait up!”

The two flung around Paris’ snowy sky, waiting to spot Ressusciter. Where was she? What was her goal?

They could focus on Ressusciter’s goals later. For now, they needed to find her. It was hard to see much of anything outside. The only way Carapace avoided crashing into snowy walls was with Chat Noir leading the way. How could Chat Noir see where he was going? Was it his night vision? But… that couldn’t be it. It was the beginning of the afternoon.

Chat Noir strode along, letting the wind whip his hair off his face with each leap. He knew Ressusciter’s power would come in handy. With it, he could sense the civilians affected by Ressusciter’s power, along with Ressusciter herself. He couldn't wait to tell Marinette how right he was! The look on her face would be worth it. Besides, feeling empty for a little while wasn’t too bad. He was familiar with the feeling, even though it was slightly different.

The two heroes stopped along the edge of a building. Chat Noir’s abrupt stop startled Carapace as he failed to avoid bumping Chat Noir.

“Uh, ehehe, sorry dude,” Carapace apologized, pulling on his hood. He looked around Chat Noir’s shoulder, taking in the sight.

Ressusciter was striking the ground, screaming the same word over and over again like she’d lost her mind.

“Resuscitate! RESUSCITATE! RESUSCITATE!” Ressusciter screamed, breaking the ground below her. “WHY WON’T YOU WORK?!”

Carapace grimaced at the sight, tapping Chat Noir’s shoulder. “So, we just have to break the purse and she’ll stop?”

Chat Noir nodded, leaning forward. He scanned the street, ensuring a safe place to land. His staff extended to the street as he threw himself down, nodding for Carapace to follow along.

“Cool, cool, cool,” Nino eyed the street nervously. He lifted up his shield, leaping off the edge with the shield blocking his body. One quick land on the ground later, he reminded himself he’d survived.

“RESUSCITATE!” Ressusciter struck the ground once again, chipping away at the road.

Carapace walked beside Chat Noir. Ressusciter was too focused on her purse to even notice the two approaching, thankfully enough. Carapace wondered what exactly ‘resuscitate’ as a power would do. Considering whoever was akumatized wore a grim reaper outfit, it probably wasn’t anything good. It was relieving to know it wasn’t working.

But then, after another strike of her purse, Ressusciter’s power lit up the streets… completely saturating the ground in cyan glowing light. It spread past the two heroes and down the streets, shining against the piled up snow. Its luminosity looked calming eerily enough.

The ground around them started to crumble lightly. Her power was sinking into the streets.

“Chat Noir,” Carapace shoved Chat Noir as he continued, “get her bag! I’ll cover you, dude!”

Chat Noir nodded, bolting forward. Carapace lifted his shield, never letting Ressusciter leave his sight.

“Shelter!” He called out, sending a forcefield around Ressusciter, Chat Noir, himself, and Marinette.

… and Marinette?!

What was she doing here? How did she get in? It was too late to drop his shelter, and Chat Noir could still beat Ressusciter easily. It would be fine.

Except Chat Noir wasn’t reaching for Ressusciter’s bag anymore. He was standing still. Silently, he observed Marinette’s combative stance. What was she doing here? This wasn’t safe! …What if he accidentally struck her?

Chat Noir’s hesitation costed him. He was struck across the face by Ressusciter’s bag. As he flew back, his eyes reverted back to their usual green, filled with worry and panic. What was he going to do? What could he do? It’s not like Carapace could shield her from Chat Noir’s cataclysm if he missed his strike. This was dangerous!

Where was Ladybug?!

Carapace, bracing himself with his shield, turned to Chat Noir lying on the ground. “Dude, get up! Chat Noir! You’ve got to use your cataclysm, now!”

Chat Noir’s eyes shook. No. No! What if he missed?! What if Ladybug never came? Who would protect Marinette?

Realizing Chat Noir was too distracted to attack Ressusciter, Marinette ran forward with her pliers. She stood in front of him, blocking Ressusciter’s advance. She had to do something, Ladybug or not. Extending her arms forward, she gripped onto Ressusciter’s cloak, pulling Ressusciter closer. Once Marinette was sure she wouldn’t miss, she struck Ressusciter’s bag off her arm, tearing part of the fabric without using the plier’s jaws.

A small akuma flew out, hovering over Ms. Bustier. Without Ladybug to purify it, Ms. Bustier could easily take it back and become Ressusciter again.

So Marinette held Ms. Bustier’s hands in her own.

“Ms. Bustier,” Marinette whispered, holding onto her teacher. “Trust me, you don’t want this power. An akuma can’t revive what’s already been taken. Even if you took your power back, the most it could do is create a town full of zombies. I know it’s hard to lose the people we love, but believe me, it would be worse for their bodies to come back without the person behind them!”

Ms. Bustier emptily stared into Marinette’s watery eyes. “I just wanted to see her again.”

Chat Noir snapped out of his daze, eyeing the flying butterfly. It floated in front of Marinette’s face, as if it thought she were talking to itself. It stayed there, intently focused on her.

Marinette knew exactly who Ms. Bustier was referring to. A victim Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn’t save. That woman’s death haunted Marinette’s nightmares for weeks. She could only imagine what Ms. Bustier felt.

“I’m so sorry,” Marinette said, looking down at her shoes. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She was the reason Gisèle didn’t survive.

Ms. Bustier slipped to the floor, overcome with sadness. The akuma didn’t touch her. It just floated between Marinette and Ms. Bustier.

“She was everything to me,” Ms. Bustier cried, covering her eyes with her hands. “I should’ve done more! I should’ve been the one to go, not her! Why did she leave?”

Marinette knelt to the floor, eyeing her teacher apprehensively. “Ms. Bustier? Is it okay if I, um… give you a hug?”

What was she supposed to do in a situation like this? She couldn’t apologize as Ladybug without her miraculous, and she couldn’t find the right words to say at all. She wasn’t going to force a hug to make everything ‘better’ when it couldn’t be better. She just wanted to be there for her teacher, someone who’d been there for her over the years.

Ms. Bustier lifted her hands, eyeing Marinette’s avoidant eyes. Without speaking, she wrapped her arms around Marinette, holding her student like a mother holding a child. All of her students were growing up… something she’d been fearful to see. But they were growing into wonderful people. Just because they were getting a little older, they wouldn’t change being who they were.

She just wished she could’ve known that sooner. Gisèle would’ve pulled her through those confusing moments, distracting her with the tv. She’d put on Ms. Bustier’s favorite show, proceeding to make fun of every character on screen.

Gisèle was gone. She couldn’t just move on.

But nobody was asking her to move on. She was allowed to miss her. Many of her coworkers disregarded her feelings, telling her to just move on before Hawk Moth akumatized her. They would tell her to keep control over her emotions. She wasn’t allowed to mourn for Gisèle, let alone process it all with her ever-growing responsibilities.

Someone understood. Marinette, her student, listened to her feelings. If one person could be as kind as Marinette was just now, maybe Ms. Bustier would’ve felt freer to speak without fearing akumatization.

The akuma in front of them lost its darkness, fading from purple to white. It fluttered to Ms. Bustier’s head, landing on her red hair.

Chat Noir was speechless. Every affected civilian’s eyes returned to normal. The street’s cyan glow faded away, sprinkling up to the falling snow in the sky. Evil was purified… without Chat Noir and Ladybug.

Ladybug never showed up. She must’ve had a reason, of course… but still. If Marinette hadn’t stepped in, he could’ve beaten Ressusciter… but he never would’ve comforted the victim the way Marinette had.

Marinette was incredible. She was brave, kind, and selfless; she was a hero without a mask. He never doubted Marinette's strengths; he’d just severely underestimated her, especially in the face of an akumatized victim.

However, that didn’t change the fact she, as a civilian, placed herself in danger. She could’ve been hurt! He promised he’d protect her, but Marinette was the one standing in front of him just a minute ago, protecting him from the akumatized villain like she was Ladybug herself. How could she risk her life like that? Did it have to do with Clarityvoice’s wish, pushing her to act? She could’ve died! She was someone important to Chat Noir… and losing her would absolutely break him. He couldn’t afford to lose a friend like her.

A friend… Marinette was his friend. And… they could talk about things… The things he couldn’t talk about with his photographers or fellow models. Kind of like Chloe, Nino, and Alya. They were a dynamic group of friends! He had friends.

But Marinette didn’t feel like just a friend anymore. What was she then? His best friend? No, that was Nino. Then what was she to him?

He could think about that later. Right now, he had to focus on his duty as Chat Noir.

“Are you alright, ma’am? Did you injure yourself?” Chat Noir asked, kneeling beside Marinette. He kept his eyes on Ms. Bustier, but he desperately wanted Marinette to answer his questions as well.

Ms. Bustier blinked, vaguely remembering something. Hmm. Wasn’t Marinette muttering something about Chat Noir earlier during her nap?

“I’ll be alright,” Ms. Bustier reassured Chat Noir. “In fact, I’ll be taking my leave. How about you take my lovely little student back to her family’s bakery, alright?”

Chat Noir raised his eyebrows, scanning Marinette’s conflicted expression. “Uh, sure, but-“

“Great! Then it’s settled!” Ms. Bustier pulled out a small smile. “And thank you, Marinette.”

Marinette felt Ms. Bustier let her go, leaving Marinette in the cold once again. She couldn’t think of a response, so all she could do was smile. Ms. Bustier just suggested Chat Noir help her home! But would Ms. Bustier really be alright on her own?

Ms. Bustier waved goodbye, turning away. She walked off, gripping her arms together from the cold.

Carapace sighed, slugging forward. He and Chat Noir barely fought together! This totally sucked, and his face definitely didn’t hide his disappointment. “Uh… so… do you take back my miraculous, or…?”

Chat Noir shrugged. “Well, Ladybug didn’t show up, so I guess I have to. Marinette, could you stay here for a moment?”

Marinette’s eyes widened. Chat Noir was taking back Carapace’s miraculous? Well… was it really that bad? The only issue was whether he knew her identity or not, so knowing Carapace’s identity wouldn't be a huge deal.

“Sure,” Marinette said, looking around the streets.

Chat Noir nodded, leaping onto a building. He signaled for Carapace to follow. Once he could tell Carapace was behind him, Chat Noir and Carapace went several blocks away, searching for the perfect desolate alleyway. It took awhile to find one completely free of people, but eventually, an alleyway caught Chat Noir’s eye. He stopped along a building’s rooftop, waiting for Carapace to stand beside him.

“Alright,” Chat Noir began. “This place is empty. Once you detransform, leave the miraculous on the ground. I’ll take it back once you’re gone.”

Carapace nodded, landing in the empty alley. He went through Chat Noir’s instructions internally, realizing something. “Hold on, dude. Why can’t I just hand it to you? You know Queen Bee’s identity.”

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow, turning away from Carapace. “Everyone knows Queen Bee’s identity. But… Ladybug never had me retrieve your miraculous or Rena Rouge’s before, so I guess she doesn’t want me knowing.”

“Well, whatever, dude,” Carapace replied with a shrug. “It’s cool! I’ll leave the bracelet next to the trash can. Shell off!”

Some sounds from the alley clattered around Chat Noir’s ears, followed by footsteps. Once the sound of footsteps weakened, Chat Noir assumed Carapace had left. He dropped down to the alleyway, looking around the area. Like Carapace said, the miraculous sat next to a snow-covered trash can. He lifted it, securing it in his hand before extending his staff.

Once in the air, he scanned his surroundings, waiting to spot Marinette again. However, he spotted another familiar face pretty close to the alleyway.

It was Nino.

Huh. How did he get out here? Why was he even around this area to begin with? He seemed to be tying his shoe from what Chat Noir could see. Nino never mentioned coming around this area before.

It was a little too convenient… but Chat Noir could think about it later.

He turned his head toward the left, spotting Marinette where she’d been before… pretty far away. She tapped her shoes along the ground, gripping her arms from the cold. Why wasn’t she wearing a coat? Was she trying to get sick?

He shook his head. She must’ve forgotten it from the panic Ressusciter caused. And regardless of the danger, Marinette showed up when Ladybug didn’t.

He wanted to know why Ladybug never showed. But for now, he wanted to see Marinette a whole lot more.

~~~~~

Marinette felt her teeth chatter from the breeze. Ugh. Waiting around in the cold like this was pointless. She could always just walk home on her own.

…But she wanted to stay with him a little longer. She couldn’t spend time with him as Ladybug without staying in superhero-mode: surveying the city, planning against Hawk Moth, and constantly changing the subject to hero-work. She missed talking with him just to talk with him, and as Marinette, he didn’t expect her to get all ‘Ladybug-y’ in a conversation.

She could wait a little longer. Despite the freezing air gusting through her clothes, the apricity brought her the slightest bit of relief, helping her withstand the cold. She was thankful the sun hadn’t been covered over by snow clouds; it shone across the snow, lighting up the street like it were made of diamonds.

The akuma purified itself, so… did that mean there’d be no lingering power left behind? If the butterfly miraculous’ wielder really did purify the akuma, nothing should be left over. That was a relief.

She looked up, preparing to cover her eyes from the sun when something covered the sun for her. She spotted Chat Noir, leaping into the sky with the sun haloing around his blonde hair. His green eyes were as bright as ever.

“Purr-incess!” Chat Noir landed in front of Marinette, reaching his hand out to her. “May I?”

Marinette snorted, studying his hand. She noticed he wore the turtle miraculous, which was a good thing; he didn’t have a magical yo-yo to stash the miraculous inside. She placed her hand onto his, raising an eyebrow.

“Sure,” she replied. “Thanks.”

Within a matter of seconds, Chat Noir and Marinette were… walking down the street?!

Hold on. Why weren’t they riding across the sky with Chat Noir’s staff? Surely this was some kind of joke. This was their moment! It couldn’t possibly be so-

“We’re here! It’s convenient your bakery is so close to your school, Purr-incess.”

Marinette nodded, feeling Chat Noir set her on top of her balcony. “Thanks, Chat Noir.”

“Anytime,” Chat Noir winked. He scanned her window hatch, realizing it was covered in snow. “Here, let me get that for you.”

Marinette watched Chat Noir step in front of her, kneel down to her window, and start pawing through the snow. What was he doing? He was Paris’ superhero, not her personal butler.

“Oh, really, it’s fine. I can get that.”

She knelt beside him, scooping some snow away with her hands. The snow bit against her skin, sinking into the sleeves of her soaked jacket.

Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at Marinette’s red hands. “I’m the one with gloves here.”

“You shouldn’t be worrying about my window,” Marinette said, scooping more snow away. The snow closest to her window hatch seemed to solidify, making it slightly more difficult to remove. Her fingers shook against the snow, bumping into Chat Noir’s hands. She was about to pull her hands away to scoop some more snow, but Chat Noir gripped them instead.

He carefully observed her shivering hands, wondering why she was so insistent to move the snow on her own. “Marinette. You could get frostbite. Let me help you.”

He was just trying to help her. Maybe she should accept his help and move on.

She stood up, lightly kicking the solid snow mound. She felt wrong for keeping Chat Noir like this. Well, it was his decision to stay; he could leave if he wanted to.

As he pushed away the last heap of snow, a bell ringing below caught their attention.

“Hello? Is there someone up there?”

Marinette and Chat Noir eyed each other. They walked side by side to the end of her balcony, peering down at whoever called out to them from below.

It was Sabine.

“Mom!” Marinette smiled, waving down to Sabine like she hadn’t seen her in years. “It’s just me! Chat Noir brought me back home.”

“Oh!” Sabine grinned. Her mouth contorted as her face scrunched up. She raised her arm to her nose, letting out a sneeze. “Why don’t you two come inside through the door?”

The door. Chat Noir completely forgot Marinette even had a door. He slapped his forehead with his hand, shutting his eyes in complete embarrassment. Here he was, digging around her balcony, when she could’ve been inside by now.

“It’s okay! I’ll come in through my window! I need to change anyway.”

Marinette eyed her soaked clothes, realizing just how prickly her skin felt. She turned to Chat Noir, planning to thank him. However, he was still covering his face in shame. She raised an eyebrow, bumping his shoulder. Why wasn’t he looking at her?

“Chat Noir! Come inside,” Sabine voiced, sneezing. “Stay for lunch. We’ve got plenty of food.”

“Lunch?” Chat Noir whispered, pulling his arm away from his face. “Is that… really okay, Mrs. Cheng?”

“Of course it is! Come inside!” She waved her hand out, beckoning Chat Noir down.

He turned to Marinette.

“Yeah, you should totally stay! I mean, if you’re not busy or anything,” Marinette reassured, patting his shoulder.

She wanted him to stay. He wasn’t imposing.

“Okay, then,” he replied with a bashful smile. He looked down to the street, calculating how he’d land. How could he say no to free food?

Chat Noir leaped off her balcony, landing a good distance away from Sabine. He looked up at Marinette’s balcony, spotting Marinette shooting him two thumbs up.

“See you down there!” Marinette turned away, rushing over to her window hatch. She was excited for some reason. She couldn’t tell if she was just hungry from skipping breakfast, or if it had to do with Chat Noir coming inside for some food.

Maybe it was both. She lifted her window’s hatch, preparing herself to land on her bed. However, a red flying creature greeted her as she crashed onto her blankets. The window hatch slammed behind her.

“Uh… Marinette?” Chat Noir hesitantly asked, eyeing between the roof and Sabine. Was she okay? He was tempted to go up and check, but Sabine held the door open for him.

Sabine smiled. She knew Chat Noir was here last night. Marinette snuck the family vacuum upstairs… not so sneakily. It crashed against the stairs as she pulled it up, insisting through the wall that nothing was happening. However, something definitely was happening. Sabine knew something was up, so she left her room, planning to ask Marinette why she had the vacuum cleaner with her. But, before she could make it up the stairs, the store’s window painted the scene perfectly for her. Outside the window, Chat Noir carried Marinette down on his staff, going back up, and retrieving the vacuum. They studied the vacuum like it would come alive, intently examining each and every part. That’s when Marinette snapped her fingers, plugging the machine in as Chat Noir steadily held it in place.

They were vacuuming the snow. There went another vacuum cleaner.

But Sabine saw something in that moment. Whether they were just teaching each other the functions of a vacuum, or spending genuine time together, Sabine couldn’t help grinning at the sight. Marinette was friends with the hero behind the mask, and from what Sabine could tell, the two friends were having the time of their lives…

…breaking their fifth vacuum.

~~~~~

Notes:

The whole vacuum scenario I decided to go with was pretty stupid, but Marinette did technically suggest doing something stupid, so… tada!
Fun fact: It’s been really snowy and cold recently where I live, so that’s some inspiration for this story.
Thanks for reading! ☃️❄️

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 5

The week passed like it was never there at all. No akumatizations! Not a single person’s emotions were twisted by the hands of Hawk Moth! Was he planning something? Was he setting the ground for harmonious peace, only to crush it with no mercy? Would he strike them the moment they least expect it, when they’re at their weakest, and finally manage to succeed?

Unbeknownst to Paris, Hawk Moth wasn’t planning anything at all. In fact, he’d given up.

Whatever Marinette said to Ms. Bustier set him in perspective: his wife was dead, and who’s to say she’d even be the same Émilie if he did bring her back? It was hopeless.

Émilie died in misery; her agony haunted his dreams. What could he have done differently back then? Back when they were together, leaving Milan for Paris, they’d planned their whole lives together. Every day was a treasure for them both, especially once Adrien came along. They were everything they’d ever hoped to be: happy. And now, their dreams were fading away like a candlelight’s dying ember.

Émilie should’ve lived. Every waking moment, he questioned why it had to be her. He would’ve done anything to take her place; he could die peacefully, knowing the woman he loved never suffered while he was alive. But that was selfish, and he knew that. Émilie loved him, and she’d face the same misery he was facing now.

When he learned Chat Noir and Ladybug’s Miraculouses could bring Émilie back with just a single wish, he’d been over the moon. Finally, there was a way to end his suffering. He could see Émilie again.

And yet, two years went by with no luck at all. He lost, over and over again. How could he stand himself anymore? Terrorizing innocent people, instigating their withheld emotions, and watching as countless civilians died… felt like nothing to him. He’d become Paris’ enemy for the woman who’d left him behind.

Maybe she wouldn’t want to come back at all.

If she did, could she still love him after every iniquitous act he’d committed?

Even if she never loved him again, he’d still want her alive; the world without Émilie was worthless to him.

Adrien was still here, not that Gabriel seemed to care. Nothing Adrien did would be enough for that man. The son Émilie and Gabriel raised was gone; Adrien was different now, and he’d grown into someone without Émilie.

How could he move on so easily? Did he not love his mother? What was wrong with him? If anyone were heartless… it’d be Adrien, not Hawk Moth. At least Hawk Moth cared for Émilie, and that’s better than what Adrien had done.

Adrien not only moved on… He let Émilie stay dead. He could’ve done something. Did he never think to steal Ladybug’s miraculous, merging it with his own to bring Émilie back? He had the means to do so: a connection with Ladybug, the black cat miraculous, and a wish worth granting. And yet, he never did. Instead, he’d snuffed Hawk Moth’s plans, letting his own mother remain in solitude.

Adrien…

“Father? I’m going out, so… I’ll be back, and I won’t miss the photoshoot……. Um…… Have a nice day, Father.”

Adrien… was no longer Gabriel’s son.

~~~~~

Adrien took in a shaky breath, letting the door shut behind him as the winter weather greeted him.

“He’s not just smelly dairy-free cheese,” Plagg grumbled. “He’s expired dairy-free cheese.”

Adrien weakly smiled, bumping Plagg’s forehead. Plagg was a kwami of cheesy words, but he always put Adrien in a better mood, no matter how bad he was feeling.

He just wanted to understand why his father was so distant from him. He wanted to pretend Gabriel’s treatment meant nothing, but he couldn’t lie to himself anymore. Gabriel hurt Adrien by being so closed off. He’d thought Clarityvoice’s power would spark some sort of change in his father, just like it had for Clarityvoice’s father… but Adrien was wrong.

As Gabriel’s son, the only relief he felt from the constant loneliness was his friends. The people that were there for him and actively engaged with him were the only reason he still had hope left. That included Plagg.

Without meeting Plagg, or any of his other friends, Adrien wasn’t sure he’d be able to go on. The pain of losing his mother to death, and his father to negligence, ate away at his being. The only family he knew left him, leaving him in an indescribable, yet constant, suffering.

Every day as a model dragged without his friends. He was representing the Agreste brand, so showing any form of sentience was forbidden. To smile for the camera. To smile for the press. To smile for anyone and everyone, even the harassing stalkers he’d gained from modeling. Smiling didn’t feel like ‘smiling’ anymore.

He was broken for so long. Despite having his friends with him now, life as Gabriel’s son severed his courage to continue on. The times his father forbade him from leaving the mansion, he’d learned to find comfort in loneliness… At least he didn’t have to perform when he was locked inside his room.

However, the joy he felt from his friends was immensely stronger. And that was the problem.

Everyday that went by, he toyed with terrible ideas. What if he lost all of his friends, the people that brought him relief? What if he wasn’t being what a ‘friend’ should be? Was he getting friendship wrong? Should he even be allowed to seek friendship at all?

Keeping his friends… or pushing them away before they inevitably left. Which was the better option?

Over the past two years, he’d assumed trying his best to succeed in friendship would be best. Learning to care for others, and be cared for, was what he craved. He needed to know what that felt like.

And for the past week, he definitely felt something. His friends and him got together more often after Ressusciter’s defeat, and he realized just how thankful he was to have them. Chloe, Nino, Alya, and Marinette were people he wouldn’t let himself lose.

Opening up about his feelings would damage the Agreste brand, but this week in particular, he felt obliged to open up more. Of course Clarityvoice played a part in this, but his friends were actively seeking his feelings, and listening to him like no one ever had before.

The aching in his heart didn’t quiet, but that was okay. He could finally be someone other than Gabriel’s son. Even his Chat-Noir-self got more comfortable opening up with the other heroes… and with Marinette-

“Kid?”

Adrien blinked. Plagg was trying to catch his attention. For how long? He shook his head, smiling at Plagg. “Yeah?”

“You’re going the wrong way,” Plagg grumbled, holding his paws around his belly.

“No, I’m not. I’m meeting my friends at the bakery.”

Plagg gasped, placing his paw against his chest in utter betrayal. How could his owner be so cruel?

“You PROMISED to take me cheese shopping, Adrien! I can’t go on much longer! My stomach’s waiting for Epoisses de Bourgogne~!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, scanning the city. He’d been walking for awhile, and now, he was only a minute away from Marinette’s house… and the cheese shop was a good fifteen minute walk the opposite direction.

“Plagg,” Adrien slowly began, “I can get you that afterwards.”

“Oh the humanity! Why, WHY, why me~! It’s like you enjoy my constant suffering! When will it end?”

Adrien gulped. Constant suffering, huh? Well, he wouldn’t take that personally. He knew how dramatic Plagg could get. But… the words still stung.

“Ugh… fine.”

Plagg, wiping his eyes with a random handkerchief he’d pulled out from nowhere, beamed with delight. “Thank the cheeses! You won’t regret this, Kid!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he scoffed, turning away from the bakery with a small frown. “You’ll have to eat it when we walk back, alright? I’m not sitting in a restaurant so you can ‘dine in style’ again.”

~~~~~

“Come on, Marinette. You were the one who invited us, so stay awake!”

Marinette lifted her head to Alya. Alya was right. She did invite them… per Tikki’s request. This week, she was finally able to work past her sleep anxiety… but it wouldn’t last for long. School was canceled for the week due to damages inside the building, so by the next week, her newest bad habit of sleeping in till noon would have to break.

She was surprised she couldn’t stay awake, even with two of her friends right in front of her. She never used to be like this. The days she couldn’t rest, her body would go on autopilot, and her alertness would increase. Her surroundings were her top priority, and no matter what faced her, she had to be ready… even if she physically wasn’t prepared.

Sleep used to feel scary… like if she closed her eyes, even for a second… the world would self-destruct. But now, she was sleeping twelve hours a day, as if it were what she wanted.

But it wasn’t what she wanted. She felt guilty for sleeping peacefully when someone might need her, or when she could be planning against Hawk Moth. It scared her whenever she’d wake up for the day, realizing just how many hours she wasn’t present for: hours she could never get back.

Now, she was napping through her get together. Although Tikki was the one forcing the current meetup, Marinette wanted to spend time with them. She just wasn’t sure she’d be able to stay awake, that’s all.

The door hatch between the staircase and Marinette’s room slammed open, startling Nino and Alya.

“I’m here,” Chloe spoke, smugly eyeing the three. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Uh-huh.” Alya raised an eyebrow, failing to hide a small smile. “Glad you could make it.”

Chloe, with a brand new set of nails to admire, pressed her hand onto Marinette’s shoulder. She waited for Marinette to respond, react, or retaliate, but Marinette didn’t seem bothered. Chloe wondered why. Maybe Marinette grew comfortable around Chloe, not that Chloe wanted that or anything.

Marinette let out a quiet mumble, spinning a little in her desk chair before slumping her head against a book.

…Or, Marinette was just tired.

“Uh, Baker Girl?” Chloe frowned, pressing her freshly painted nail onto Marinette’s ruffled bangs. “Hello?”

Marinette snapped up, eyeing the room. Was there an akuma? She knew Hawk Moth was planning something! But where was it? On her bed? In her closet? On the balcony?

Nino tapped Alya’s shoulder, glancing between Chloe and Marinette worriedly. “Why’s Marinette flipping out?”

“Maybe it has something to do with Adrien coming over,” Alya smirked, placing her fingers together. She let her fingers tap each other several times as her mind planned out an entire Adrienette scheme. There were so many ways she could finally get those two together! He was coming over… and it was cold outside… So wouldn't it be wonderful if he happened to wear something she’d made for him over the years? Maybe the Santa hat with snowflakes across the red fabric? He’d dressed up as Chat Noir for Kitty Section, so dressing like Santa wasn’t exactly a stretch.

Nino interrupted Alya’s concentration with a tap of her shoulder. “Maybe we should lay off their love lives for today. You know, so we can all hang out and keep everything chill.”

But this was another perfect opportunity! Perfect enough at least. She knew Marinette like the back of her hand; Marinette loved Adrien, but she’d never made any progress with him other than friendship! What a total waste! As Marinette’s bff, she couldn’t let her down. She’d make a way for Marinette to live her dream life with Adrien, even if it took five years of assistance.

“They were made for each other,” Alya grumbled, crossing her arms around her chest. “Seeing them like this is infuriating!”

Nino shrugged, eyeing Marinette and Chloe chatting near Marinette’s bed. “It’s not that bad, Alya. Those two could totally dig each other just as friends, and that’s okay.”

Alya pushed her glasses up on her nose, taking in Nino’s words. Of course he was right. But still. Marinette used to confide in her a whole lot more than now, and back when she opened up, both girls would talk about their dream lives. She was thankful they were obviously still close friends… but after a year, she’d noticed how closed off Marinette became… and she thought that helping Marinette with Adrien would bring her happiness. But maybe she should stop pushing their relationship. Besides, this entire week, Marinette seemed to be opening up naturally without Adrien as her boyfriend… so maybe, she should just drop the whole thing.

A knock on the door hatch concluded her reasoning.

“Come in!” Marinette called from her bed, holding Chloe’s hand. They were sitting together, talking about Chloe’s latest nails, which shockingly changed color with temperature. Marinette’s hands were warm, which shifted the nails blue to pink.

The hatch opened, revealing-!

NO. NO WAY. Alya fanned her face, turning away in complete shock. Was she hallucinating? Was this some kind of joke? She’d just renounced Adrienette! And now…

There was Adrien.

…wearing the blue scarf Marinette knitted him two years ago… The one Adrien thought his father gave him. The infamous scarf, reveling in Alya’s internal schemes!

THIS was their moment!

“Dude!” Nino walked over to Adrien, gripping his hand. “What took you so long?”

“I… forgot to feed a cat,” Adrien replied. He narrowed his eyes at his jacket quietly choking on a clump of cheese.

“You have a cat?” Marinette lit up. She kept her hand gripped on Chloe’s as she leaned forward, studying Adrien’s flushed face.

Huh. His face was flushed. She realized her room was a little warmer than usual today, but if he’d take off that scarf, he’d…

Oh. She eyed Alya, studying her absolutely elated smile. Looks like Alya figured it out first. Marinette remembered that scarf. She’d used some of her favorite blue yarn for that ironic joke along his neck.

She should feel embarrassed to see it, right? That was one of her first failed confession attempts. But… she didn’t really feel that sad to see it. She was just bemused at first glance.

Alya would definitely take this as some kind of sign. Just Marinette’s luck.

“Uh, I don’t have a cat… um… actually,” Adrien replied, tapping his shoe along Marinette’s floor. He was in Marinette’s room, as Adrien. The past week, he’d realized just how easily he could slip into Chat Noir mode with Marinette if he weren’t careful, so now, he had to watch every word he said.

“You were late because you were feeding a cat that you don’t have?” Alya asked, grinning ear to ear.

This. Was. Everything.

“He’s more like a stray that follows me around,” Adrien mumbled, turning to Alya. He stopped mid turn, sensing a strong emotion emitting from Alya. Furrowing his eyebrows, he decided to finish his turn, settling his eyes on Alya’s… radiant face. How could someone’s face glow like that without a photo retoucher’s expertise?

She was like a bottled up rocket of energy about to explode. Catching Adrien’s eye with her absolutely wide ones, she pointed to his neck.

“Huh. Speaking of ‘around’, ahem, what’s THAT, that, on your neck?” Alya placed one arm on the wall, and the other on her hip, trying to emulate calmness… and miserably failing.

“Alya,” Nino whispered, eyeing her giddy demeanor.

Adrien tilted his head. “Is there a bug on my neck?”

Alya turned away. She had to remain calm. Peaceful. Serene.

Adrien stared at Alya’s twitching head, gripped by her hands. The cold must’ve given her a migraine. He could definitely relate to the feeling; staying out cheese shopping increased the paralyzing sensation in his own head. Hopefully his pain wasn’t traveling to his face. He touched his cheek to determine the amount of ‘smile’ he was giving, just in case.

“You’re good, dude,” Nino replied, wrapping his arm around his buddy. “Let’s skip to the part where Marinette tells us what we’re baking.”

Chloe leaned forward, surveying the scene below Marinette and herself. Alya was slouching against the wall like a deflated balloon, Nino seemed way too anxious, and Adrien was just smiling. Ugh.

“Oh yeah,” Chloe sighed, turning to Marinette. “There’s no way I’m touching a greasy pan with these nails. Got it?”

Marinette nodded, solely focused on the changing nails still in her hand. However, after a couple seconds, the nails remained completely pink. That was odd. Maybe Marinette’s hot hands tampered with Chloe’s usually cold ones. Even the base part of her nails were pink, the spot Marinette’s hadn’t pressed per Chloe’s request.

“It’s settled,” Nino cheered, tugging Adrien toward the hatch again. It’s not like they addressed what they were even making yet, so saying ‘it’s settled’ confused Adrien as Nino continued to tug. “So, are we all going down there or-“

“Yep!” Alya chimed in, bumping Nino’s side. She gave him a slow nod, as if that would communicate the newest plan she’d settled with. Nino seemed to catch on; he looked terrified, so that was a good enough indication.

“Uh, Pu-, Marinette?” Adrien gulped, cautiously eyeing the bed. “What are we making?”

Marinette was still distracted by Chloe’s nails. Chloe rolled her eyes. Chloe wasn’t thrilled with today’s activity, but she’d put up with it. Besides, today, she would finally confront Marinette with the truth. Baking would just have to come along with it.

“Uh, Dupain-Cheng? Earth to pigtail-brains?” Chloe whispered, gently pulling her hand away from Marinette’s.

Marinette blinked. Where did the pretty colors go?

Alya turned, eyeing Marinette’s slumped position. “Marinette? Are you okay?”

Marinette nodded, lifting herself off her mattress. She placed her cat slippers along her bed’s ladder, carefully alternating between steps until she’d made it to the bottom. She looked up at Chloe stepping down as well, keeping her nails upright.

“Today…” Marinette smiled, wiggling her nose as she let out a snort, “…WE …are making, um… banana cream pie!”

“Pie?” Adrien whispered, never letting his eyes leave Marinette’s tired grin.

He’d remembered his favorite cousin’s father, Colt Fathom, brought over pies when he was little. In fact, Colt inspired Émilie to try baking pies, ensuring they’d be easy to create. Although her sister Amelie found them to be lacking, Émilie took on their simplicity with her own ‘sense of style’. Émilie would layer several layers of dough in the pie, and the dough would burn around the edges. She’d drizzle melted chocolate along the top to mimic lattice, decorating the top with bonbons, no matter what pie she’d make. Sure, it wasn’t chef-level-cooking, but every pie his mom made was delicious because she was the one making them. His mom’s pies were masterpieces in his eyes. And now, his whole modeling career forbade him from one of his favorite memories of his mother. One of the only good memories he had with her.

“Yep!” Marinette reassured, leaning back mindlessly. “I love banana tarte tatin, and I love you guys, so it’s perfect!”

Alya grinned, listening to Marinette’s laughter filling the room. If Marinette was able to admit some potentially incredible feelings from her drowsiness, Alya would take full advantage of it! She wondered what could give Marinette the push she needed to admit her love for Adrien, even if Alya’s nudges had to stay subtle with Nino off her team.

“So, are we making banana tarte tatin or that other banana thing you mentioned?” Alya asked, already stepping down the stairs. She eyed each step, painfully walking down each one with the most calculated expression on her face. Setting those two up would be hard with Nino actively shooting down her schemes. But she could do it. It was her duty as Marinette’s bff: ensuring Marinette’s happiness, just like Marinette ensured Alya’s.

Marinette tapped her chin, contemplating the question. It was a good question. Why… ‘banana’? She shrugged, walking up to the hatch. Nino and Adrien hadn’t gone down the stairs yet, so she decided to go down first-

“AHH!” She gasped. Her foot stepped out without one of her staircase’s steps in mind. She was ready for the staircase to take her, and potentially Alya downstairs with her, but a hand gripped her own.

Chat Noir?

“I’ve got you,” Adrien worriedly voiced, tightening his hold on her hand. Again. Why was she constantly on the verge of death?

“You do,” Marinette eyed his hand skeptically, readjusting her slippers to the steps. Placing her free hand along the railing to steady herself, she looked up at Adrien’s tight-lipped mouth and wide eyes. “Thanks.”

Adrien slowly let go of her hand as she carefully stepped down the stairs. Maybe today wasn’t the best day to hangout. Marinette seemed tired, Chloe wasn’t even interested in baking, Nino seemed like an anxious mess, and Alya had a potential migraine. They weren’t exactly off to a great start.

~~~~~

“Flour! I need flour! Watch out for the- OH! Are you okay?”

Crashes across Marinette’s kitchen circled the five messy bakers. Pans were falling from the counter, an entire carton of eggs managed to plop down the sink, and banana peels comedically lined the floor, awaiting their next victim.

“It’s everywhere!” Chloe screamed, stepping back in horror. “My sapphire heels are RUINED!”

“Why did you wear heels to a bakery?” Nino incredulously turned his head to Chloe stomping on banana chunks.

“They were a gift from my hairstylist, you brute!” Chloe pulled back, crashing her back into the counter holding a bowl of sugar. “It’s not like you’d ever appreciate a gift like heels when you’re constantly in those hideous sneakers!”

Nino gasped, eyeing his unblemished red and white shoes. “Too far, Chloe. Too far.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, brushing sugar off her jacket. His shoes were utterly distasteful, and the truth would come out eventually. She was just surprised with herself; she’d planned to keep her criticisms inside her head and stay as neutral as she could, now that she’d gained their trust. And yet, her plans dissipated from this uncontrollable urge to say what she felt. She’d noticed a similar feeling all week, but it’d been growing into something insidious…

Alya would’ve intervened for Nino’s sake if she weren’t caught up with something else. Across the kitchen, she mindlessly peeled bananas, scattering the peels along the floor.

“I have to be her support,” Alya muttered, eyeing Marinette giggling by the fridge. “I can help her. I can do this!”

“Do what?”

“AHH!” Alya jumped, turning to spot Adrien next to her, picking up the banana peels. “Umm… peeling bananas. That’s what I mean.”

Adrien scanned the floor, littered in banana peels. “I think you’ve proven yourself.”

Alya placed a half peeled banana on the counter, settling her free hands on Adrien’s shoulders. “It looks like Marinette could use your help.”

“But, what about the banana peels?” He asked, feeling Alya push him against his will. What was with Alya? Her mood seemed really off, like she was bordering a thin line between pure elation and insanity. Maybe she was nervous about school reopening soon; he knew Alya and Marinette weren’t huge fans of the place. But could it be something else?

“Marinette! Just the girl Adrien needs, I mean, I need! Adrien should get instructions on how to bake from the best baker in the room, huh, girl?”

Marinette tilted her head. She was holding a stack of plates, with the top plate covered in forks and napkins.

“But we just finished the pie,” Marinette replied, showing Adrien and Alya the plates she was holding.

Alya tilted an eyebrow up. “Uh… we haven’t even put a… pie together yet. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Well…” Marinette began, thinking over Alya’s question, “…I’m not sure. But, I have to be okay, so I’ll be okay.”

Marinette was sure she’d smoothed over Alya’s concerns. As Ladybug, it was Marinette’s responsibility to be okay, awake, and alert, so her words were perfect. However, Alya and Adrien’s concerned expressions blew right past Marinette.

Alya turned to Adrien. Was Adrienette now of all times wise? She could easily pick another day to set those two up, but at the same time… Adrien might get Marinette opening up more than Alya could. It was hard to accept the distance their friendship had taken, but just because they hadn’t shared their feelings with each other for a while, didn’t mean they weren’t still bffs… right?

“I… I’m going to help Nino,” Alya whispered, walking away in dejection. Maybe Adrien and Marinette were only friends, just like Nino suggested. And maybe… Marinette and Alya were only friends now.

“Okay,” Adrien smiled, waving Alya goodbye. He settled his eyes on Marinette. “So… you’ve got plates.”

Marinette nodded, walking around the kitchen to a free table. Adrien followed behind her, watching Marinette place each plate down with a napkin and fork. “I’ve got one for all of us.”

Adrien eyed the table. There were five plates neatly placed in front of five chairs. With how tired Marinette seemed, he assumed the napkins would be bent or the forks would be off, but he was wrong. Her attention to detail was incredible. The table was perfect.

But then he noticed an extra plate in her hands, with a crumbled napkin and fork haphazardly sticking out of it.

“Who’s the sixth plate for?” He asked, holding back a smirk. As Chat Noir, he’d absolutely tease Marinette for the extra plate, taking in her embarrassed monologue with a genuine smile embracing his face.

She looked down at her hands, tightening her grip on the napkin. “I know a cat that would like some later, that’s all.”

All of his attempts to suppress his Chat Noir side flew out the door. His eyes glimmered, settling their focus on the plate like it could vanish if he looked away.

“Huh,” he started, leaning forward. “I didn’t realize cats could eat pie.”

“This cat can,” she rolled her eyes, looking out the bakery’s window. “Believe me, the cat I know will definitely want a piece.”

Adrien stepped back, turning away with a mischievous glint in his eyes. All of the puns he wanted to use circled around his mind like a hamster on a hamster wheel. Which one to choose? They were all ‘purr-fectly’ ‘a-mew-sing’ options.

“IT’S GOING TO COLLAPSE!”

Marinette and Adrien snapped their attention toward the kitchen door, fearfully listening to the terrorized screams. Marinette placed the plate she was holding onto another table before she bolted to the kitchen.

“What happened?!” Marinette called out to the kitchen as Adrien made his was behind her. “Is it an akuma? Where?!”

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” Chloe voiced under her breath, looking away from the unfolding scene.

Alya and Nino were failing to hold a disgustingly squishy blob of pie filling together, whereas the crust in the pan sank inward, creating atrocious lumps. A rolling pin beside Chloe crashed to the floor, narrowly missing her heel.

“Oh, so we really didn’t make the pie,” Marinette whispered to herself. Banana cream pie… she knew there was a reason she wanted to make it. After a couple seconds lost in thought, she remembered something. On a recent Chat Noir visit, she and Chat Noir recalled the time they’d met as superheroes; she was Multimouse, and Chat Noir was dressed as Mr. Banana. Of course! How could she forget?

“Dupain-Cheng, what on EARTH are you smiling about?” Chloe scowled, wiping her hands weakly. Did anything get on her nails?! Quickly lifting her hands to scan each gorgeous nail, she let out a sigh of relief.

Adrien let out a soft smile, walking forward. Reaching for Marinette’s hand, he lead Marinette and himself into the disastrous kitchen.

“Let’s finish the pie so we can eat it,” he voiced, letting go of Marinette’s hand. “Nino, Alya, you two okay?”

Nino eyed Adrien. He’d never seen Adrien hold Marinette’s hand like that before. It was… sort of sweet. Maybe Adrien did have feelings for Marinette after all! Which would mean Alya was right in trying to set them up.

Coming back to reality, some pie filling sloshed down to his shoes, plopping onto his beautiful red and white sneakers. “We could use some help.”

Marinette nodded, rushing over to her fridge. Nino and Alya blinked. The fridge?! How was Marinette going to the fridge helpful while the pie filling they’d made, the obsessively unnecessary amount of pie filling they made, oozed everywhere?

Marinette slammed the fridge door shut, ripping open a box of pie dough she’d ordered on a whim. She carefully unwrapped the dough, layering it on top of the pie filling Alya and Nino were holding. Pinching the pie dough inside the pan with the new dough on the top, she managed to secure the pie.

“You’re using boxed pie dough?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, scanning the countertop's floury mess. “That’s not very authentic.”

“Oo,” Adrien studied the box, immediately recalling a distant memory of his mother. She’d come back from shopping one day with a bag full of pie dough, scorning herself for forgetting three packages… for one singular pie. He tilted the box, almost jumping as another roll of dough fell out. “Can we add this other one to the top?”

Chloe winced at the sight of the pie. Sure, Marinette managed to connect the pie dough, but it wouldn’t be long before that thing popped.

“Do it. Do it now.”

Adrien nodded, holding the dough. The familiar touch of smooth store dough sent a shiver down his spine. The color, scent, even weight of it… it was like he was back in the kitchen with his mom again, asking if there was anything he could do to help. And now… he was holding the same dough she’d insist to unroll herself. He carefully peeled the wrapper back, watching the dough unwind and stretch from gravity’s tug. Before it could fall to the floor, he clawed it, leaving nail prints along the center. Did he ruin it?!

Marinette slowly nudged the pie forward. “Here.”

Adrien blinked. Marinette was letting him help. Sure, everyone else was too, but… something felt different. The warmness in her eyes froze him in place. His mother never let him help bake, and his father would always tell him that she could handle it herself.

But here was Marinette, making a pie with all of her friends like it was something natural. And he was a part of that.

“Adrikins. The crust?” Chloe stuck her finger out to the dough in his hands, raising her eyebrow in concern. “What are you waiting for?”

Was he really allowed to do this?

He lifted the dough over the pie, letting it hover as the edges slipped down. With a slow breath, he carefully lowered it along the top layer of dough, smiling as the pie accepted the dough.

The sudden rush of happiness enveloping his heart reached his steady hands, no longer shaking. His body relaxed, his eyes beamed, and the brightest smile lit up his face. His photographers would’ve criticized his grin, reminding him to remain stoic and focused on the eminence of the Agreste Brand. His father would’ve stripped his pure elation away with a single comment. His mother would’ve looked past his smile, not even realizing just how different his daily smile was to this one he wore right now.

But Marinette could see a difference, and so could Chloe. They both took in his momentary smile, cherishing it like they’d never see it again.

Alya and Nino gave each other a high five. “Sweet! The pie’s set for baking, dudes!”

“Totally!” Alya laughed, sensing a change in Nino’s disposition. She turned to Marinette. “How long do we put it in?”

Earth to Marinette.

Marinette shook her head, breaking her eyes from Adrien’s smile. She looked over to the oven covered in banana peels.

“Um, maybe an hour?” Marinette replied, tapping her finger against her wrist. “We can check how the crust looks occasionally just in case.”

“Cool.” Nino sent Marinette a thumbs up, scooping his hands underneath the pie pan. Hopefully he could carry it all the way there without dropping it, but after making it to Marinette’s side, Nino proved he could.

Marinette opened the oven door, scooting aside as Nino awkwardly slipped the pie onto the one low shelf inside. The pie was massive, and heavier than he’d realized. As long as it didn’t explode inside the oven, cleaning up wouldn’t be too bad. He was thankful Adrien suggested the second pie crust on top, ensuring it would stay together.

“Once it’s done, we can add whipped cream to the top. We have frozen whipped cream my mom made three days ago.”

“Omg! I need a taste!” Alya gushed, running to the freezer. Viewing the whipped cream in all its glory was a necessity. And she would’ve made it if it weren’t for a banana peel on the floor.

“Alya!” Marinette screamed, watching as her friend slipped across the floor and into the sink.

Everyone in the room stood quietly. What could they say? Alya was the one littering Marinette’s floor with banana peels, so this was to be expected.

Alya lifted her head, rubbing her knee that had unfortunately collided with a cupboard’s handle bar. She looked at the sink currently occupying her head. Adjusting her glasses, she closely observed the drain.

“Hey,” she began calmly, as if she didn’t just skid across the floor. “I think your sink’s clogged. We might’ve filled the sink with non-broken eggs by accident.”

Chloe gagged, covering her mouth with her hand. This was not happening. Two years ago, she’d scream in horror if she even dreamt this moment as her future. And yet, here she was, taking every messy peasant-like display in front of her like a champ. Where did the old Chloe Bourgeois go? Where was the girl that mocked her classmates, pushing everyone away from herself like they’d infect her with a disease? Surely, this was some kind of joke.

“That’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to buy some more later,” Marinette replied, walking beside Alya. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Alya replied, shrugging. “Sorry about the mess, girl. I was lost in my head and I-“

Marinette patted Alya’s shoulder, silently reassuring her friend that everything was fine.

“Wait, did you say that the pie will take an hour?”

Marinette turned to Adrien who was pulling out his phone. She nodded, wondering what was wrong.

Adrien sighed, frowning. “I have a photoshoot in a half hour I can’t miss. I’m really sorry, Marinette.”

Marinette focused on Adrien’s distraught expression. She wished he could be happy like he was before, and that it’d be a permanent feeling. Modeling clearly wasn’t his passion, and yet, he found himself stuck with his father pulling the strings to his every move.

Of course she still felt something in her heart for Adrien, but she wasn’t sure what it really was anymore. Was Adrien still her crush? Or… after all this time… were they really just friends after all? Whatever the case, his friendship meant a lot to her. So, seeing her friend’s misery pained her. He was living a lie because of his father, and she couldn’t do anything to help him other than be his friend. But was that enough?

“You deserve better,” Marinette mumbled mindlessly.

The room grew quiet as her eyes widened in mortification. She’d spoken her mind… all thanks to Clarityvoice she’d assumed… and now… Adrien was staring at her with an indiscernible look in his eyes. What had she done?!

“I mean, have fun! Haha! I said the right, no, wrong, VERY wrong thing that I um… I didn’t really mean…”

“It’s okay, Marinette.” Adrien nodded, walking toward the bakery’s door. “Thanks for inviting me over.”

What had she done?

~~~~~

The pie continued to bake as the group of four waited in expectation.

“I bet it’ll taste awesome,” Alya said, nudging Marinette’s shoulder in support.

“I hope so,” Marinette mumbled, pressing her head against the countertop in pure despair. Clarityvoice’s wish was an absolute nuisance! She couldn’t catch herself in time before she’d gone out and said something Adrien probably didn’t want to hear. Her opinion on Adrien’s life was irrelevant; he was the one who knew firsthand how he felt. Saying things he’d probably felt before doesn’t change his situation or help him in any way.

The room felt unsettlingly uncomfortable, and it wasn’t just the scent of banana cream pie. Nino and Alya weren’t exactly sure where they stood right now after the whole Adrienette plotting, not to mention their in sync stomach growls from skipping breakfast. Marinette was stuck in her head, waking up to the horrible reality of her blabbing mouth. Chloe was disgusted —not that that’s new— from cleaning with the others, but she was irritated simultaneously; she hadn’t found the right moment to single out Marinette for their talk.

So, she’d have to force a moment to free up.

“Marinette,” Chloe began, studying her nails to seem less suspicious. “We need to talk.”

Marinette snapped out of her thoughts, turning to face Chloe’s agitated expression. “Uh, sure. We can go to my room.”

Alya and Nino eyed each other skeptically. What could Chloe possibly want to ‘chat’ about? Of course they didn’t think she’d stoop as low as she used to; Chloe definitely softened over the years. However… Chloe was Chloe, and she’d always be ‘Chloe’. They couldn’t help but wonder.

Marinette instantly caught their concern, but she waved her hands dismissively. “If it’s okay, could you keep an eye on the pie?”

“Uh… sure. What do we look out for?” Nino replied, looking between Chloe, Marinette, and the oven.

“The crust will start to look golden when it’s ready, and if the edges get too dark, they could burn off. Plus, the filling might crack out of the pie dough, but that’s normal.”

Alya nodded, sending Marinette a thumbs up. “We’ve got this covered.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, widening them at Marinette’s sudden and firm grip. Was she seriously walking Chloe to her room like she was a child?

“Alright! Let’s go!” Marinette cheered, dragging Chloe alongside her. She was surprised Chloe wasn’t protesting, but Marinette was overly thankful for Chloe’s proposal as well. She needed to hear someone else other than her own mind ruminating over her past blunders. This was exactly what she needed.

Chloe and Marinette made it up the staircase, slipping inside the room. Once they’d stepped away from the door, Marinette felt Chloe grip her shoulders.

“You’re Ladybug, aren’t you?” Chloe whispered coldly.

How did she know? Marinette looked away, seeking Tikki’s perfectly timed distraction that didn’t seem to come. Great. She was stuck.

“Don’t bother pretending you’re not,” Chloe continued. “That day your roof broke into your room, everything started to make sense. Ladybug conveniently showed up from the same bathroom you were at, Ladybug acted odd when she left Chat Noir and I behind, and YOU were acting the same way when I bumped into you outside that dusty home. We’ve needed to talk about this, but ever since that day, we haven’t even had time to work on our chemistry project alone!”

Marinette was discovered. She couldn’t lie her way out of it, either. And she didn’t want to lie her way out anyway.

“You’re right, Chloe.” Marinette looked away, holding her arm loosely. The hero Chloe had looked up to ever since the heroes even appeared was Marinette. The disappointment Chloe must’ve felt pained Marinette. What was running through Chloe’s mind? Did she feel like her trust had been betrayed? Chloe confided in Ladybug, whereas she remained somewhat distant with Marinette. Of course, that gradually changed as time passed, but Chloe had to have felt let down.

Marinette felt Chloe’s grip on her shoulders loosen, lowering to her upper arms. It was almost like… a hug? Eh, maybe not a hug. Whatever Chloe was doing, Marinette could tell it was meant to be reassuring. Maybe she’d let her own fears take the best of her. She was Ladybug, whether that upset anyone or not. Standing straight, she looked back at Chloe, confidence locking in her eyes.

“I’m Ladybug.”

Chloe’s hands slipped from Marinette. She knew she was right, and she knew Marinette was Ladybug, but… to actually hear her say it… it…

“Chloe?”

Chloe’s eyes lightly watered, sending tears down her face. Her hero, the girl that saved her life so many times in more ways than one, was the girl she’d reconciled with after years of rivalry. Ladybug, the girl that showed her meaning when Chloe’s mother determined Chloe worthless… was the same girl that baked treats for her class every school year. How? …Why? It made complete sense, and yet, it was surreal. Overwhelming would be an understatement.

Chloe wiped her eyes, lifting her head to the girl worriedly standing in front of her. “You… being Ladybug…”

Marinette held her breath.

“…is the most conceivable thing. Thank you… for everything, Marinette.”

Without another second’s thought, Marinette wrapped Chloe in a hug, snorting as Chloe stood as still as a tree. She wasn’t backing away from Marinette’s embrace at least.

“…‘Utterly’ conceivable?”

Chloe scoffed. “Don’t.”

~~~~~

“Bravo! Give me the smile when your mom brings in spaghetti!”

This line, again? Seriously?

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Wonderful!”

The photoshoot ended faster than Adrien expected. He was relieved. He could finally go back to Marinette’s!

He felt his phone in his pocket buzz. Pulling it out, he went to his friend’s group chat, finding a picture of the… not so appetizing pie.

Banana cream burst from the sides, drizzling all over the pan. The top was thankfully intact, which Nino thanked Adrien for through a text.

According to Chloe on the group chat, she was leaving, and Nino and Alya apparently had plans as well. So… he couldn’t go back over as Adrien anymore.

Marinette’s words from earlier rang around his mind, questioning his preconceptions on modeling. Modeling was what his family wanted… but it wasn’t what Adrien wanted. He just didn’t expect her to say that he deserved ‘better’. Wasn’t he well off as a fashion model? His family had money, so he didn’t have any reason to complain. And yet, here was Marinette, speaking in favor of his spoiled self. Her heart was too good for someone like him.

He shook his head, trying to stay positive. Marinette was the type of person that looked out for her friends, and spoke up for them when they needed it. And he needed those three words; he would’ve never said them to himself.

Even though Adrien couldn’t meet with Marinette again, Chat Noir still could.

That was the plan anyway. Marinette specifically saved a slice of banana cream pie for him after all! Granted, it looked pretty gross, but free food is free food, no matter what it looks like. And besides… Marinette was his…

…friend?

What were they really? The question poked around his head all week, waiting for an answer. And yet, nothing came to mind-

…Okay, that was a lie. He’d been lying to himself all week whenever he visited Marinette as Chat Noir. When he was with her, he felt safe. The irony of a superhero’s protection ensured by a civilian amused him, but it was true. When he escaped to her bakery, he’d be guarded from the press, his stalkers, and his father. She gave him a reason to feel something other than overwhelming sadness. He could be in a better world, one that replaced his drearily ‘perfect’ life, and exchanged it for one full of chaotic and small escapades. If only it could last forever.

And what if it did last forever? Would wishing for a life beside Marinette seriously count as just friendship?

Maybe that’s just how having friends felt. And yet… he’d been Marinette’s friend for two years, and his feelings from then were different from now… from what he could put together. Everyday he saw her, he’d try to make her laugh; that way, whenever she’d cave in, he could bask in her warm smile. It’s not like he could bask in Nino or Alya’s smiles the way he did with Marinette. And with Chloe, seeing a genuine smile from her was pretty rare, so he’d be gawking at the sight. Then what was his relationship with Marinette?

Was Marinette really just a friend to him?

Or was she more than that?

~~~~~

Chat Noir landed on her balcony, studying the window hatch. It was wide open with Marinette waving her hand to him, signaling him to come inside.

The weather had gotten worse. Wind crashed against the billboards, on the verge of snapping them in half. The previously gentle snow bombarded the roads with unrelenting power, suffocating the city. Why was Emma’s wish, one full of hope and innocence, turning into an insidious monster?

“Chat! Come in before you’re blown away!”

Chat Noir walked over, studying the window cautiously. “Can I use the front door?”

“Technically, yes,” Marinette began, flinching from a gust of wind, “but my parents locked up for the day, and you’re already here and it’s really, REALLY cold, so please come inside.”

Was this really a good idea? He wanted to come over, of course, but… it’s not like she knew that he knew about the banana cream pie. Besides, he wasn’t really here for that anyway.

“Uh-“

“Nope! You’re coming in.”

Before Chat Noir could reschedule their meetup for another day, Marinette leaned out the window, pulling him in by his belt.

“Hey!” He called out in alarm, landing on a plush mattress.

“Well, you were taking too long,” Marinette accused, releasing his belt. “You came by at the perfect time!”

Chat Noir listened to the window slam shut from a sudden and sharp breeze. “I did, huh?”

“Yep! Prepare to be amazed!” Marinette beamed, climbing down her ladder.

Chat Noir let himself smile from Marinette’s euphoric temperament. She seemed different from when he’d last been here as Adrien. Maybe successfully baking the pie set her in a chipper mood.

“Come here,” She said, facing her desk. She could hear light steps from behind her, making their way over to the table.

Chat Noir studied the desk covered in berets, beanies, designs, yarn, and two covered plates.

“My friends and I made a dessert today and I saved you a piece. But it’s pretty, um… it’s not exactly amazing, so I made madeleines.”

Marinette lifted two napkins covering the plates, revealing the two delicacies. The first plate had a tower of madeleines, glistening in their glorious splendor. The second plate… held a squashed clump of whipped cream atop the finely smooshed banana cream pie slice, wafting the room in a sweet banana aroma.

“Wow,” Chat Noir spoke in awe. He lifted his clawed gloves to the plates, preparing to accept Marinette’s gifts without another second’s pass. “I can really have both of these-?“

“-Hold on,” Marinette interjected. She poked Chat Noir’s hand reaching for the madeleine plate, scooping that plate up with her free hand. “We’re sharing the madeleines, but the slice of pie is all yours.”

Chat Noir looked down at the pie plate. The pie sat uncomfortably still, like the banana cream glued it stiff. Poking his glove into the banana cream, he took a tiny bite, pulling away from the awful taste in his mouth instantly. He felt like he could retch from the despicable flavor swirling his mouth, but with an uneasy gulp, he managed to suppress his revulsion. He let his tongue blep out as he tried to lose the banana’s unpleasant taste.

Marinette held out the madeleine plate. “And that's exactly why I made these instead.”

Chat Noir carefully took a madeleine, observing its gentleness with thankfulness. How could the pie turn out that badly? What did they even put in that thing?

He took a bite of the madeleine, relieved as the vanilla washed away the banana cream pie. Finally. Freedom. At long last.

Marinette raised an eyebrow in concern. “I know it was bad, but don’t you think you’re milking this?”

Chat Noir smirked, snatching two madeleines in his clawed gloves. “Purr-haps, but these madeleines are pawsitively purr-fect, Purr-incess~”

Chat Noir was cut off by a madeleine plopping into his mouth.

Marinette snorted, looking away from Chat Noir’s madeleine-stocked paws. “Don’t push your luck, Chat. Just because I laughed at your puns yesterday doesn’t mean you’ll get me today.”

“I ‘mews’ you’re right,” he sighed, chewing the rest of his madeleine. Swallowing the pastry, he delicately savored the flavor, licking his lips from the remnant crumbs.

“Uh… ‘mews’? That’s not even a pun; you just threw a cat sound in the middle of your sentence.”

“But it is, Purr-incess,” he replied, poking his cheek. How could she doubt his pun? Well, he’d have to fix that. “I was re-fur-ing to the word used for expressing thought or, as a noun, someone that brings creative inspiration to another. I mews over your purr-fection, and you’re my mews for my art. See?”

Chewing on a couple madeleines, he failed to notice Marinette’s flushed expression. She couldn’t believe that cat! Explaining a pun should’ve been a sign your pun didn’t land, but this guy managed to twist that unspoken rule into his favor, outright flirting with her! The absolute nerve!

…Was he flirting with her? She pondered this question. He was giving examples of the word ‘muse’ once she’d finally realized what he was getting at… but both ‘examples’ were directed at her. So… which one was it?

She shook her head. No. It’s not like it mattered. So what if Chat Noir flirted with her? She didn’t care. He acted this way with Ladybug all the time.

Sure, he’d been almost silent with Ladybug all week… and he’d begun teasing Marinette relentlessly in Ladybug’s place… but she wouldn’t let his cheesy puns get the better of her. Not as Ladybug, and not as Marinette. Nope. Of course not.

Stealing a glance his way, she tried shooing away her thoughts. If she couldn’t decide what Adrien was to her, how would worrying over Chat Noir’s actions answer any of her questions?

Chat Noir swallowed, reaching out to the madeleine plate expectantly. He couldn’t get enough of the madeleines. Looking at Marinette’s flustered face, he let out a small grin.

He finally knew what Marinette was to him. She wasn’t just a friend anymore. Chat Noir’s feelings for Marinette were a whole lot more than that. For years, he’d loved Ladybug in ways she couldn’t reciprocate, and it was okay that she couldn’t. He still loved her, but in a different way now. They were partners against the forces of evil, and that was enough for him.

As a superhero, loving Ladybug felt natural: she was the only one who saw him for who he wanted to be. She was the only person who truly viewed him as another human being, and not some ‘important figure’. Of course he loved her. But it wasn’t the same anymore. If the only person he loved like that was a superhero like him… that meant no one else would see him for just another person. And maybe they shouldn’t. But even with the most recent events, for two years, he felt like somebody else knew Chat Noir just as well. Someone else let him be himself when the world wouldn’t. Someone else laughed at his jokes and joked along with him. Someone else gave him back his smile, and not for anyone else but himself.

He was a real person. He wasn’t an admired model, or a superhero on duty. He was himself. And his ‘friend’ had been there for him just as long as Ladybug. Maybe he didn’t know what he felt. Maybe he’d regret admitting to himself what he’d questioned for years now.

But now, he finally had his answer.

“CHAT! You-! …You! Hey, at least save me one madeleine!” Marinette groaned, reaching for the plate Chat Noir had snagged from her grasp.

Chat Noir was in love with Marinette.

~~~~~

Notes:

Cherry pie was on my mind when writing this chapter, so I thought their friend group baking a banana cream pie (of all things) was a ‘great idea’. 🍌🥧
Writing Marichat moments is harder than I thought; sorry Chat Noir’s feelings for Marinette might be rushed. Thanks for reading!

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 6

As the snow continued to drift down to Paris, Ladybug and Chat Noir were requested to assist in snow-cleanup.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called out, sending her yo-yo into the air. She waited for the magical yo-yo to deliver her the tool she needed. Preferably a snowblower.

…Or a blowtorch manual.

“Ha! Your lucky charms always blow me away, M’lady.”

“Chat!”

It wasn’t even an actual blowtorch, which could’ve been useful. It was the manual for one! Just her luck.

“Sorry, not helping,” Chat Noir snickered, scooping snow into his arms. He waltzed over to an alleyway’s trash can, dumping the snow inside. With a wipe of his hands, he sent Ladybug a satisfied smirk.

“That’s not helping either.”

Chat Noir gasped. “Of course it is! I’m removing the snow.”

“By throwing it in the trash?” Ladybug rolled her eyes, pressing her hand against her forehead. She had to change the subject before she lost her mind. “Look. There’s been no sign of Hawk Moth recently, so just because we’re not fighting villains, doesn’t mean we’re not on duty.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Chat Noir replied, standing straight. He knelt down, observing the snow around his heroic cat shoes. “How do you propose we remove it then?”

Ladybug eyed her blowtorch manual, carefully reading through the fine print. Some words popped out at her as she continued to skim the pages. Once she looked out to the streets covered in snow, she realized what she needed to do.

“Chat Noir! Go to the shop over there and ask if they have a snowblower.”

Chat Noir stepped over to Ladybug, eyeing the manual’s image. “Isn’t that a blowtorch?”

“Just trust me.”

~~~~~

“Nathalie. You’re getting worse.”

Stating the obvious didn’t exactly help Nathalie’s situation, but she took it more as acknowledgment. She knew what he planned to say next.

“I can still help you,” she said. “I can still schedule your meetings and prepare you for upcoming events.”

Before Gabriel could retort, Nathalie broke out coughing. Her lungs struggled to keep in the air as she gripped the chair in agony. There was no cure. There was nothing she could do but wait. And now, without her work as Gabriel’s assistant, she’d be stuck in her own terrifying thoughts.

“No, you can’t anymore.”

Her hand shook violently as she tried to catch her breath, failing over and over again.

“You don’t understand!” Nathalie looked away, covering her chest with her hand, hoping her lungs would give her more than a minute to breathe. After several coughs, she continued, “I need to do something, anything! If I can’t keep my mind off of this illness, I’ll drive myself insane. I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t!”

If only there were a cure.

Émilie used the broken miraculous of the peacock, suffering the same fate Nathalie was experiencing now. It was all because of that broken, worthless piece of junk, Émilie had died and Nathalie was close to being next.

If only there were a way to fix everything.

A slam from outside of his study caught his attention. The door slowly opened, revealing Adrien’s bodyguard in a panic.

“Why aren’t you keeping an eye on Adrien?” Gabriel frowned, already realizing his answer. His son must’ve gone out as Chat Noir. And here was Adrien’s father, Hawk Moth, letting it happen.

He’d given up on bringing Émilie back. But he wouldn’t let Nathalie suffer the same fate. There had to be a solution.

Before the bodyguard could explain Adrien was missing, Gabriel waved him away.

“Aren’t you worried about Adrien?” Nathalie asked, eyeing the currently departing bodyguard. “He could be missing.”

“Believe me, he’s fine,” he scowled, pulling out his phone. He went to the news, viewing a live report of Ladybug and Chat Noir blowing away the piling snow with a snowblower… emitting fire. What in the-

“How can you be so sure?” Nathalie reminded Gabriel of her sickly presence, letting out some more coughs.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the screen in disgust. “He’s out removing Snowtopia’s snow.”

“What?” Nathalie leaned over to view Gabriel’s phone with Chat Noir and Ladybug melting snow with the fiery device. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

Gabriel let Nathalie take a moment to think it over.

“Wait… your son is La-, I mean, Chat Noir?”

Gabriel nodded, shutting his phone off. He wouldn’t consider that traitor his son anymore, not that Adrien even knew what treacherous deeds he’d even committed against his very own family.

Nathalie sat up, tapping her fingers together in thought. “If that were the case, wouldn’t he know the guardian?”

Gabriel shrugged, pondering over Nathalie’s suggestion. It was possible. In fact, it was highly possible. Adrien had to receive the cat miraculous from somewhere. How else would Adrien become Chat Noir?

“If he did,” Gabriel thought aloud, “he could find a cure for your illness.”

There was hope. The solution he’d been looking for was right here! Nathalie would no longer suffer once they’d convince Adrien to help them reach the guardian.

If only he could’ve saved Émilie as well.

Without another second’s pass, Gabriel stepped over to a neighboring chair holding his jacket. Picking it up, and carefully putting it on, he made his way to the door.

“I’m going out. Once I’m back, we can discuss our newest plan.”

Nathalie eyed the door slowly opening with Gabriel smoothing his hair back. “Should I rearrange your schedule for this afternoon with-“

“No need. I’ll do it myself,” Gabriel finished, abruptly shutting the door behind him.

~~~~~

The streets cleared as Ladybug and Chat Noir continued their heroic duty. Sure, Hawk Moth wasn’t making a peep, but that didn’t mean the city was safe. The snow piled up was a hazard, and it would only prevent people from venturing outside.

It might’ve been pointless to blow away the fallen snow, considering it’d be replaced by freshly falling snow in minutes… but at least they were trying something.

“Maybe we can finish the rest later,” Ladybug suggested, viewing the halfway cleared street. “I’m meeting a friend of mine soon, and our kwamis could use a snack break.”

Chat Noir nodded. He lifted his gloved hand to observe his ring. “Huh. I would’ve thought Plagg would fly out just from the word ‘snack’.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, bumping Chat Noir’s shoulder. “See you later then?”

Chat Noir nodded. “Let me know when you’re free.”

As Chat Noir and Ladybug made their exit, civilians cheered, thanking them both for their help.

Everyone suffered from the snow. Of course, it was beautiful. But… it just wouldn’t end. Businesses and schools suffered from the low temperatures, and parisians locked themselves inside to stay warm.

And the snow kept coming down. How would they ever fix something like this? If her lucky charms wouldn’t work against Snowtopia and Clarityvoice, how would a new lucky charm, one without an opponent, repair the issues arising? Was it hopeless?

As Ladybug flew through the sky, she spotted a building with frosted vines swirling along its bricks. Snow piled along the window edges, like frosting on a cake’s borders. The building was old, but it looked fairly full of people, judging by the lights spilling out the window glass.

The door opened as a girl rushed out, waving at Ladybug with a toothy smile. She gripped her pony jacket with her mittens bumping the jacket’s zipper.

Ladybug recognized the girl sniffling from the cold.

Deciding her plans could wait, she found a spot to swing her yo-yo, guiding her down to meet the girl outside the…

Where was this place anyway? She hadn’t read the sign yet.

“Ladybug!”

“I saw you wave,” Ladybug grinned, tilting her head up to the sky. “Looks like your wish came true.”

The girl frowned, kicking the snow off her shoe lightly. Wiping her nose, she eyed Ladybug’s yo-yo.

“I wanted something… different… but the snow is pretty I guess.”

Ladybug scrunched her eyebrows in thought, wondering why the girl wasn’t happy to see it snow. She was the one who wanted it to snow. If anyone in Paris could find the current weather pleasing, it should be her.

So why was the girl suddenly so quiet?

“Umm… what should I call you instead of Snowtopia then?”

The girl’s entire mood brightened once the subject had been changed. “I’m Emma!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emma,” Ladybug smiled, standing up. She wasn’t planning to stay long. When she’d seen Emma rush out the door to wave to her though, she thought she’d greet her and encourage her to go back inside where she could keep warm.

Ladybug pointed toward the building’s door, gripping her yo-yo.

“You should stay inside, alright? You could catch a cold if you stay out in weather like this.”

Emma nodded, preparing to go back inside. Ladybug scanned the city, preparing to strap her yo-yo to a nearby building to fly off when she felt a tap on her back.

“Thank you for saving me, Ladybug.”

Ladybug knelt down, taking in Emma’s smile. It looked like a smile on the surface, but something was missing from it.

Before Ladybug could reply, Emma wrapped her arms around Ladybug’s arm in a small hug. The gesture on its own was sweet, and yet, there was something more to this hug. It was almost familiar.

Ladybug gave Emma a pat on the head. “I’ll always be here when you need me.”

Emma’s eyes widened as Ladybug grinned a toothy smile. Emma let go, watching as Ladybug flew off into the sky, swinging her yo-yo across the buildings.

If only Emma could see her parents again. Ladybug and Chat Noir felt like her mom and dad the day they saved her. And the time Chat Noir listened to her feelings. And the way Ladybug spoke to her now.

Everything about them, whether she was deluding herself or not, reminded her of her parents.

The parents that left her behind.

~~~~~

“Girl! There you are! Where’ve you been?”

Marinette held onto the wall, eyeing the skaters zip past her. It was one thing to skate around as Icebug: she could count on her supersuit’s protection if she fell. But skating as her civilian self was a different task.

“I had some snow to get rid of… from my balcony. Yeah. I couldn’t leave until it was spotless.”

Alya skated over to Marinette, taking her shaking hand. “It’s cool. I wanna show you some awesome spins I can do!”

Marinette nodded, skating alongside Alya. Of course Marinette knew how to skate, but initially getting on the ice was another story. The time she’d stop by with Luka, Kagami, and Adrien two years ago, she’d realized skating was a relaxing activity, one she could share with her friends. Plus, Alya seemed extra supportive in her ice skating practice, encouraging Marinette to learn jumps and spins.

Skating a little to the side, Marinette lightly bumped her back against the wall, reassuring herself she could lean back and watch Alya’s latest moves.

Alya smirked. “Are you ready to be amazed?”

“Try me,” Marinette replied, returning Alya’s smirk with a smirk of her own. She sent Alya two thumbs up, ready to watch the incredible skating of Alya Césaire.

Alya found a space on the ice with enough room to perform her newest skill: a one foot spin. She let her left arm stretch in front of her, lifting her fingertips slightly. Her right arm reached slightly back. Carefully observing the distance between each arm, and ensuring they looked and felt right, she started to skate. Pumping her right leg twice, she carefully circled the third pump around herself, drawing it in on herself. She raised her right leg, keeping the skate close to her left leg as she spun. Her arms curled in front of her waist, tightening the spin as her ponytail whirled around in the air. By the time the spin was complete, Alya placed her right leg back on the ice, hoping to regain her balance as she eyed her wobbly surroundings.

“Alya! That was incredible!” Marinette gasped, skating up to her friend. Not prepared to stop, she bumped into Alya, knocking them both onto the hard ice.

Alya rubbed her head, eyeing Marinette doing the same. “Well, thanks! I can’t figure out how to ease out of the spin though, so every time I do it, I get dizzy.”

Marinette tapped her chin in contemplation as Alya stood up. “Maybe you can keep your right leg out and skate back a bit if that helps.”

Alya lifted her hand down to Marinette, lifting her friend off of the ice. “I could try that. I’m just worried I’ll lose my balance.”

“Hmm… then maybe we should take a break and watch a tutorial first.”

Alya poked Marinette’s nose. “Nuh-uh. You just got here. There’s no way we’re taking a break.”

Marinette nodded, taking a hold of Alya’s other hand. “Then how about we pull each other around the rink!”

Marinette pressed her skate against the ice, pulling on Alya’s hands. Marinette leaned back, skating backwards as Alya acted as her eyes.

“Am I going to run into anyone?”

Alya scanned the rink with minimal skaters doing their own thing. “Nope. We’re good!”

“Phew!” Marinette sighed in relief, momentarily losing her balance. Alya gripped Marinette’s arm, pulling her up. “Thanks.”

“No worries, girl,” Alya replied, sharply spinning around Marinette. Tugging on one of Marinette’s hands, she released the other, extending her hand up elegantly.

Marinette awkwardly lifted her own arm in mimicry. “You took the lead!”

“Well duh,” Alya snickered. “We can’t skate if you can’t see where you’re going.”

They whipped around the corner, passing a group of friends figuring out how to skate. The room was spacious, allowing Marinette and Alya to loop around the ice rink without running into anyone else.

Marinette eyed Alya’s focused expression, guiding the both of them around the rink. “I’ve missed this. Skating with you, the talented and amazing Alya Césaire, is the best!”

Alya turned to look at Marinette. Marinette couldn’t spend much time with Alya anymore, and she wondered if their friendship was dying off right before her eyes. It was a feeling she hated and experienced more than once before. Before she entered Marinette’s school, many of her previous friendships ended slowly, and by the time Alya’s friendships would come to an end, both her friend and Alya would already know it was time for them to split ways. And then… she found Marinette and her new friends. They were with her now, and of course she was thankful for having them… but she always wondered when they would leave… when she’d have to make new friends… when those friends would also leave her in the end. She was left behind so much, she’d just expected Marinette to eventually push her away since she’d already seemed distant.

But she wasn’t. Alya’s current friends were with her, and none of them were pushing her away. Besides, her friends were obviously allowed to do their own thing, but that didn’t automatically end their friendships with each other. At least, not with Marinette, Nino, Adrien, and even Chloe. The difference between her old friends and her current friends-

“Alya! Watch out for the-“

Crash!

…The two fell against the wall, slipping down onto the ice.

“Ugh… are you okay?” Marinette mumbled, rubbing her neck.

Alya adjusted her glasses, leaning forward. “Marinette, I’m so sorry! I was caught up in my head and I…”

Marinette and Alya eyed each other. Alya’s ponytail was an absolute mess, and Marinette’s pigtails were coming loose. Marinette reached her hand out to Alya.

“I missed falling on the ice with you the most.”

Alya eyed Marinette’s smug expression, failing to hold back a forming smirk of her own. “…Same, girl.”

The two stood up, gripping each other’s arms for balance.

And for the next hour, they circled the rink together, chatting and spending time together like the close friends they never stopped being.

~~~~~

Elsewhere in Paris, a certain salon’s door jingled.

“Welcome!” Avery, one of the salon’s best stylists, called from behind the front desk. Avery didn’t bother to look in the door’s direction, adjusting some papers along the desk. “We’ll be with you in a moment.”

“I suppose you will.”

Avery’s eyes widened. No. Not him. ANYTHING but-

“Mr. Agreste,” Avery reluctantly addressed, turning around to view Gabriel Agreste’s formal entrance. “It’s… lovely to see you so soon.”

“I suppose it is,” Gabriel voiced, flipping the clump of hair atop his head promptly.

This was the absolute worst. Gabriel Agreste’s hair was like a smeared toothpaste clump in the sink. Styling that gelled mess was a literal nightmare, and this man wanted the same style every single time he stepped in. His hair was utterly despicable.

Avery eyed the packed salon, desperately seeking another employee to take on Gabriel’s hair. But… of course, everyone else had managed to snag the other customers.

Avery was stuck with Mr. Agreste. Magnificent.

“…The usual?” Avery winced, observing Gabriel already seated at a free styling seat. He’d taken the liberty to make himself comfortable, as if he’d owned the place.

Gabriel waved his hand dismissively toward Avery, judging the salon supplies along the counter. Tapping his fingers along a rather expensive hair dryer, he eyed himself in the mirror, taking in his ‘look’.

Hmm… What was Gabriel’s overall ‘mood’ for today? His usual style captured the ‘mystique’ and ‘complexity’ of ‘Gabriel Agreste’ perfectly, but he’d recently felt another part of his overall essence emerge. The refreshing sense of victory, tied to the overall presence he’d been emulating, called out to him, seeking a change.

Gabriel waited for Avery to come over before speaking. “I believe I want something new. I sense something… different within myself.”

Avery inwardly scowled, avoiding the mirror Gabriel kept admiring. This man was absolutely impossible to be around, and Avery loved every customer —to a certain extent—, yet, Gabriel was just too much. He was haughty, constantly criticizing Avery while gossiping about the fashion industry to himself in the mirror. None of the other stylists seemed to dislike Gabriel as much as Avery… and here they were. Avery was stuck styling the worst hair in Paris.

“I see,” Avery deadpanned, observing the glossy, and highly reflective, wad along his head. Avery picked up a brush, preparing to brush it out before Gabriel slammed his hand on the table. Some customers and stylists eyed Avery and Gabriel in alarm from the sudden sound.

“Let me process my look before you ruin it,” Gabriel spoke in a snotty tone, smoothing back his hair from Avery’s potential disturbance. “I believe I haven’t instructed your styling directions yet.”

Avery gripped the brush tightly, holding it away from Gabriel’s head before Avery could whack Gabriel’s head with it. “Of course, Mr. Agreste. Take. Your. Time.”

“What was that?” Gabriel eyed Avery in the mirror momentarily. “Breaking up your sentence is childish. Say it fully or don’t speak at all.”

“Take your time, Mr. Agreste,” Avery replied in a disgustingly sweet voice, forcing it as much as possible.

“Now, that’s what I thought.” Gabriel crossed his arms, eyeing his hair in the mirror.

Avery eyed the salon. There had to be someone else to style Gabriel’s hair. Anyone! Literally anyone.

“If you’ll excuse me, someone else will-“

Gabriel cut Avery off. “I’ve decided.”

Of course he did. Avery sighed, turning back to Gabriel with disinterest. “Enlighten me, Mr. Agreste.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, choosing to let Avery’s snide comment slide. “I believe I want something flashy and bold. Something that will complement this season’s fashion vision boards. What would… ahem, you suggest?”

What would… Avery suggest?

Gabriel was looking for someone else’s opinion?

Normally, Avery would take this as a sign a customer is opening up. But Gabriel was most definitely not. He must’ve had no idea what to do with his hair other than leave it toothpastey.

And then… a wondrous idea appeared within Avery’s mind.

“Mr. Agreste…” Avery began, carefully planning the next following words, “I would like to suggest… frosted tips.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened, giving his hair an extra look. Touching his hair’s edges, he carefully smoothed everything back in place.

“They’re bold, and I believe they’re making a comeback,” Avery said, desperately waiting for Gabriel’s reply. This was the chance of a lifetime. Avery could ruin the most despicable man’s hair even further and get away with it! Well, Gabriel’s second to Hawk Moth of course, but to Avery, it might as well have been the same person.

Gabriel nodded, reflecting over Avery’s suggestion. “Proceed.”

This was an absolute win! But… it could be better. Everything can be ‘better’, right?

“May I suggest a wash for your hair?” Avery asked, scanning across the room. There was a set of fancy shampoos lined along an open shelf… but behind the fancier sets of hair-care, there was store bought shampoo. Avery planted the store bought bottles there for such an occasion.

Gabriel hesitated momentarily. Was Avery pushing whatever luck there even was for this occasion?

“…Proceed, stylist.”

This was Avery’s day.

~~~~~

Once Alya and Marinette split ways, Alya met up with Nino for ice cream, and Marinette got back to her Ladybug responsibilities. She met with Chat Noir and finished clearing the leftover snow, finding herself exhausted by the time she’d made it back home.

“Ugh.”

Tikki floated up to Marinette, landing on her nose. Marinette was definitely busy today. However, ever since Tikki had met up with Master Fu, she and the other kwamis discussed what could be done to rid Hawk Moth of his new power.

“Marinette,” Tikki began, watching Marinette’s pupils center on Tikki. “Remember when I went off to see Master Fu?”

“I think so,” Marinette mumbled, rubbing her forehead. “How long ago was that?”

Tikki tapped her chin in thought, calculating the days. Failing to get an accurate number, she rolled her eyes. “It was whenever you fought Ressusciter.”

“Oh yeah!” Marinette thought back to Ms. Bustier, wondering what would happen to her teacher. Ever since her akumatization, she’d been reevaluated as a teacher from what Marinette overheard. The school was going to open tomorrow, and Marinette hoped Ms. Bustier would still be approved to teach. Walking into her homeroom with someone else as her homeroom teacher felt uncomfortable to think about.

Tikki flew over Marinette's mannequin, resting on a slouched blue beanie. “Well, after my visit with Master Fu, we came up with nothing.”

“You told me that already,” Marinette replied, looking out her window. Was there seriously no solution?

“But,” Tikki mumbled, “I think I figured something out about Hawk Moth’s new power.”

Marinette stood up, eyeing Tikki in shock. “What is it? What did you find out?”

Tikki flew over to Marinette, landing on her shoulder. Poking Marinette’s chin, she nudged it over to view the window once more. “Have you noticed the weather fluctuating? The day you made madeleines, the weather was at its worst. But now…”

“…It’s not as bad anymore,” Marinette answered, eyeing the calmly drifting snow. “Clarityvoice’s openness power isn’t as strong today either.”

“Precisely,” Tikki said. “I think I know why.”

Marinette leaned closer to the window, observing the pedestrians cross the freshly cleared street. “How come?”

“Hawk Moth wants your miraculous and Chat Noir’s. However, he hasn’t done anything recently. I wondered if he was just planning something big, but I realized something. Hawk Moth is the holder of the butterfly miraculous, so even without Snowtopia and Clarityvoice around, their wishes are influenced by whoever brought about the wishes. Which would be Hawk Moth.”

Marinette tilted over to view Tikki’s proud expression. “I think I’m following.”

“So, just like his miraculous, his emotions are influencing the effects of each wish. The stronger his emotion, the stronger effect the wish will have. And, since each wish was positive, the way they’ve acted recently has to indicate that his strongest emotion is negative.”

“So… he’s scheming evil schemes?” Marinette raised an eyebrow, conflicted. “He’s evil, so why would that tamper with a pure wish?”

“If he were plotting against you, he’d probably believe he’d have a chance. However, with how much he’s lost, he might be aggravated. Planning his next move when it’ll inevitably be stopped by you and Chat Noir sounds frustrating, so I think he’s mainly angry, or just upset.”

Marinette thought over Tikki’s explanation, picking around the details until she finally pictured it. “I think I can see that. So… what do we do?”

“I’m not sure,” Tikki whispered. She placed her hand on the window glass, watching a snowflake land on the street below. “But I do know the weather is calmer, and that must mean something with Hawk Moth has changed.”

“He’s planning something?”

The snow continued to lightly fall from the clouds, drifting down to Paris as Tikki eyed Marinette’s face. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

~~~~~

Morning light slipped past the snowy clouds and into Marinette’s window, lighting up her blanket-covered face.

“Marinette?”

Marinette stirred under her blanket, envisioning an odd-looking horse. “Neigh?”

Tikki bounced back as Marinette rolled over. Marinette pushed her cat pillow over her eyes, covering the approaching sunlight sinking into her blanket.

“…Marinette?”

The horse in Marinette’s imagination turned red, chewing on some disintegrating hay with its very long teeth. Marinette grimaced, pushing her cat plushie away. She rolled over to the edge of her bed.

Before Marinette could roll over once more, Tikki lifted the cat plushie up as high as she could, dropping it on top of Marinette’s face.

“AHH!” Marinette woke up, struggling away from the stuffed animal as quickly as she could. “Get off of me! Get off!”

Tikki raised an eyebrow, tugging the plushie away as Marinette registered what had just happened. She eyed Marinette. “Good. You’re awake.”

Marinette groaned, rubbing her head. “That was an awful way to wake up.”

“It was just your stuffed animal, and you need to get ready,” Tikki replied.

“But-“

Tikki covered Marinette’s face with the plushie again. “No ‘buts’. You’re going to be late for school.”

Marinette eyed her alarm clock in horror. The time was way later than she’d thought it’d be. “I’m two hours late!”

Ignoring her bed’s ladder, Marinette jumped off her bed and landed on the floor with a loud thud. She scrambled to pick up her book bag, grab her keys, and snag her phone off of her dresser. Before she forgot, she slipped on the purse she made from her grandma’s birthday gift two years ago; it was tan with red tassels on the bottom, decorated with a black and white owl, and black lines topped with red and yellow circles.

“I can’t believe I slept so late! I don’t even have time for breakfast!” Marinette rushed down her stairs, bolting toward the door.

“Oh yes you do,” Sabine spoke from the kitchen, nodding to Tom.

Taking Sabine’s nod as his cue, Tom lifted a bakery sack, tossing it out to Marinette rushing out the door. The bag soared across the counter, flying toward Marinette as she reached out. But with a small thud, the bag crashed onto the ground, centimeters away from Marinette’s grasp.

Marinette momentarily stopped to view the smooshed bag on the floor, and then the distance between the door and the kitchen. “Uh, I appreciate it you guys. Thanks!”

She swooped up the bag, waving goodbye as she slammed the door behind her.

“Okay!” Marinette spoke, gripping her purse with Tikki bouncing inside. “Just because I’m late doesn’t mean I’ve missed all of it. I can’t wait to see-“

“Marinette?”

Alya and Nino were on the staircase, sitting together. They were playing a game together on Alya’s phone, shutting it off to greet their friend.

“Hey, girl! How come you’re so early?”

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, slowly narrowing her eyes to her new purse, holding Tikki. “How early am I exactly?”

Nino tapped on Alya’s phone, watching it light up. Lifting his fingers to count the minutes before class and the current time, he spun around to face Marinette. “You’re half an hour early, Dudette.”

A small snicker from Marinette’s purse ceased once Marinette tugged on the purse’s gold clasp. “Huh. I guess I read my alarm clock wrong.”

“Maybe you just set it super early so you wouldn’t be late,” Alya suggested, standing up. She placed her hand on Marinette’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring look. “Were you looking forward to seeing me?”

Marinette playfully pushed Alya’s hand away, rolling her eyes from Alya’s smugness. “Sure.”

Alya gasped. “Was that sarcasm?”

“Maybe,” Marinette narrowed her eyes with a smirk. She’d definitely talk with Tikki about the alarm clock after school, but she had a good idea why Tikki did what she did. However, for now, she wanted to talk with her friends. Pointing between Alya and Nino, she asked, “You guys went out for ice cream yesterday, right?”

“Yep!” Alya grinned, tugging Marinette’s hand and turning to Nino. “We spent the rest of the day at the zoo. My dad let us walk around before closing time.”

“Aww!” Marinette covered her mouth with her hand, crinkling her nose. “Did you two have a good time?”

“Duh,” Nino smirked, leaning back on the stairs. “We went to the panther exhibit-“

“Which is both your favorite exhibit!” Marinette mumbled against her hand, gushing at the thought of her two best friends spending time together. Her cheeks pinched from how tight her smile was.

Alya smirked and Nino looked out to the street in embarrassment, covering his face with his cap. “Yeah, the panther’s the coolest.”

Alya sat next to Nino again, leaning down a little to see past his cap. Once they caught each other’s glances, Alya reached for Nino’s hand, holding it in hers. The two smiled at each other, but once a small squeal from ahead of them sounded, Alya raised an eyebrow and Nino narrowed his eyes in concern.

“Tell! Me! Everything!” Marinette rushed over, sitting down a couple steps above them. Clutching her book bag in expectation, she waited for Alya and Nino to retell the wondrous evening they had together.

Nino lifted his cap, eyeing Alya adjusting her glasses. Right when she was about to speak, the familiar sound of a car door closing caught her attention. Nino followed Alya’s eyes to Adrien slipping on his jacket, waving to his bodyguard driving off.

“Dude!” Nino called out to Adrien, watching Adrien scan the steps to find Nino. He waved Adrien over, eyeing Adrien eyeing Marinette. “Ready for the test?”

Adrien narrowed his eyes at his jacket complaining about cheese, poking it until it stopped. Making his way over to his friends, he fluffed his hair. “I think so. I studied yesterday after fencing, but I got busy with some other stuff.”

“Huh,” Alya voiced, nudging Nino. “Nino and I studied a bit at the zoo yesterday.”

“You had a study-date?” Marinette whispered, leaning beside Alya. Marinette smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. “Very studious of you two~!”

“Well,” Alya trailed off, nudging Marinette back with a grin, “we didn’t study for that long, so honestly, I have no idea how I’ll do.”

Adrien nodded, walking over to the step Marinette was on. Sitting down beside her, he slumped down on his knee, eyeing Marinette. “I can’t believe we have a test the first day we get back.”

Marinette leaned away from Alya, resting her fist underneath her chin. She tilted her head at Adrien’s slumped state. “I don’t get it either. It’s like they want to make us all miserable.”

“Dude,” Nino began, turning around to face Adrien’s exhausted face. “Did you sleep?”

Adrien’s focus on Marinette’s small smile broke as he turned to Nino. Was he being too obvious? It’s not like that mattered necessarily… He knew how he felt now, but to everyone else around him, it would be confusing. He saw something in Marinette as Chat Noir… but to his friends, a sudden interest in Marinette, as Adrien, would be considerably confusing. He eyed Marinette one last time before resting his fist under his chin, focusing on Nino’s amused look.

“Yeah, I, uh… I slept.” Adrien pieced his words together, wondering why Nino’s face, and now Alya’s, grew cheekier.

Alya poked Nino’s shoulder, catching his attention. She wiggled her eyebrows, practically spelling out ‘Adrienette’ with each movement of her brows. Nino immediately caught on, readjusting his cap before taking it off. He lifted his hat toward Adrien and Marinette, moving the hat side to side, and bumping their arms. Their identically positioned arms.

“You know,” Nino slowly began, settling his hat in the center of Marinette’s and Adrien’s arms, “there’s been something I’ve been… wondering about.”

“Both of us, actually,” Alya smirked, playfully nudging Nino before leaning toward Marinette’s confused expression.

Marinette obliviously blinked. “What is it?”

“You two.”

Adrien gulped. Carefully, and slowly, tilting his head against his curled fist, he caught Marinette’s perplexity. She didn’t know he liked her. Well, he was making it pretty obvious as Chat Noir, but as Adrien?

His mind was in conflict. As Chat Noir, he had a responsibility to Paris and to the safety of everyone in it, including Marinette. Being… with Marinette as Chat Noir could be dangerous, right? If he were ever caught, her life could be at risk. So, he considered growing close to her as Adrien. It made sense for the most part.

But that’s just for the most part.

As Chat Noir, he could protect her from any danger, no problem. Hawk Moth has been at him and Ladybug for years, so dealing with him would be easy. Besides, as a hero, he could shape who he was to the public without someone behind the scenes editing out the parts they didn’t like. So, his feelings for Marinette, if they were ever made public, would appear genuine to anyone that truly respects him as a person/hero. Those that admire Chat Noir see and hear how he really feels, so if they could trust and admire him… they could respect his decisions in his own life as Chat Noir.

No one would get the chance to say otherwise, he thought to himself. Curling his nails deeper into his skin, he eyed his ring.

As Chat Noir, his power of destruction would be enough to fight back any backlash or threats. Civilians and Hawk Moth, to Chat Noir, are not a problem at all.

As Adrien, he could place Marinette in even further danger if anything did happen between the two of them. His fans, and stalkers, could get severely out of hand, and potentially murderous. He’s viewed as a ‘relatable’, day-to-day, guy… just like everyone else; his modeling markets toward ‘simplicity’ through expensive and indulgent products. To his fans, the ones that know his modeling persona over his actual character, he’s like their ‘friend’. A friend they don’t have to talk to, where his choices and feelings don’t matter, because a ‘picture’ is easier to talk to than a person.

Adrien Agreste, the model, is a face. If anything did happen between Marinette and Adrien, the picture-perfect image his fans and stalkers admired could shatter, destroying the fictional realities they’d molded him in. And the reason their fantasies and ‘ideal Adrien Agreste’ shattered? They’d find someone to pin the blame on, and not the picture-perfect-face they never truly listen to, but the person that ‘took Adrien away from them’.

He couldn’t do that to Marinette.

And who’s to say Marinette even liked Adrien Agreste to begin with?

…Or Chat Noir for that matter.

“Uh, hello?” Nino waved his cap against Adrien’s face, bumping his nose and smooshing his eyelashes.

“W-what?”

Adrien snapped out of his thoughts, rubbing his eyes and nose from the departing cap. He pressed his thumb against the inner corner of his eye, narrowing his eyes at Nino’s smugness. Looking over to his left, he caught Alya’s beaming grin spiraling back and forth between her three friends. And then, his eyes settled on Marinette.

Her eyes were wide, and almost bothered. Her arm lowered, quickly reaching out to Alya’s hair to tug on it. She flinched in pain as Alya gripped one of her pigtails in retort, and the two girls pulled at each other’s hair.

He felt a nudge on his shoulder.

“Are you two a thing, dude?”

Adrien frowned, eyeing Marinette shaking her head in adamant denial. Turning to Nino, he stoically stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. By the time all three of Adrien’s friends had their eyes on him, he stepped back a step. A corner of his mouth lifted, and the familiar picture-perfect-smile lit up his face like a studio light panel’s artificial glow.

“Nope,” he replied.

The air chilled the four, reminding them of the wintry weather.

“We should probably go inside. I need to study some more before the test.”

“Oh yeah, I totally-“

Nino’s voice cut off as he watched Adrien walk up and away from the three. He seemed… off. Nino shook his head. No. Adrien probably just needed to study, that’s all. He was definitely one of the smarter friends among their group. Besides… his father pressured him to be better than ‘passing’… so simply passing a test wouldn’t be enough. He’d need to excel.

Adrien’s dad was a major controller over Adrien’s life. Nino totally forgot.

“Let’s head in,” Alya broke into Nino’s thoughts, gripping his hand. “Maybe we can work as a group to study.”

“Good idea!” Marinette replied, eyeing Alya’s free hand grip around Marinette’s. “I want to see Ms. Bustier!”

The three nodded in agreement, making their way up the set of stairs and toward the classroom Adrien was surely already inside.

~~~~~

“…Your new look, Mr. Agreste.”

In the salon, Avery finished frosting the tips of Gabriel’s hair. The day before, washing his hair-gelled clump of hair with store bought shampoo was the first move for revenge against the man. Rescheduling the frosted tips for today was necessary after Gabriel left for some fashion emergency the day prior. Little did Gabriel Agreste know he would be the next fashion disaster. Avery fought the urge to cackle, or even let a single snicker slip into the obnoxiously attentive ears of Gabriel Agreste.

Gabriel eyed himself in the mirror, scanning for any imperfection to complain over. Yet, he couldn’t find anything wrong, unfortunately for him. “You took your time.”

“Yes!” Avery forced a smile, clasping their hands together in a loud clap. “The gel in your hair took longer than expected to wash out, so rescheduling your frosted tips for today was necessary.”

“Five hours is extensive,” Gabriel sharply voiced, slamming his fist on the counter. “Five hours of my very busy schedule were taken up by your inabilities as a hairstylist yesterday. Your tip will be lessened for this incongruous inconvenience.”

Avery eyed the exit door, envisioning Gabriel’s exit. “Of course, Mr. Agreste.”

After Gabriel flashed a stack of cash at the register, he made his way out the salon doors, smoothing back his shiny new do.

“Ah, nothing like a new look for finally uncovering Ladybug and Chat Noir’s weakness,” he hummed, tapping his fingers together evilly. He lifted a finger to stroke his nonexistent mustache, somewhat disappointed he didn’t have a mustache to curl around his finger while plotting. “Me! I will be victorious!”

He knocked on the bodyguard’s car door, rolling his eyes after he’d taken too long to unlock the doors. Within the moment he buckled his seat belt, the car zipped away and back to his ridiculously large mansion.

“I will crush them,” he laughed, ignoring his bodyguard closing the car’s partition. “With the help of my injudicious son, I will seize the Guardian’s solution for Nathalie’s illness, and perhaps lay claim to Émilie’s revival once I rid the Guardian of his position and steal my son’s Miraculous. The fatuous Ladybug will be easy to squash once I rid her of her partner, and everything will be made anew!”

He tapped his fingers again, brewing in his sinisterness. “And if my inane son refuses to lead me to the guardian…”

The car parked, and the bodyguard’s door sounded.

“…I’ll simply obtain his allegiance by force.”

~~~~~

Notes:

After some slight writer’s block, lack-of-motivation, and some free time to write whatever I felt like, I finally figured out what I wanted for this chapter, which included bullying Gabriel a lot because he’s obnoxious. 🫧❄️ Thanks for reading! :D

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 7

“You wanted to see me, Father?”

Inside the Agreste mansion, Adrien, brushing off some snow from his blue scarf, entered Gabriel’s study.

Gabriel nodded, standing in front of his latest sketches. He stacked some papers, smoothing the edges of each side to ensure each page fell exactly where he wanted them. “Yes.”

The room slightly echoed Gabriel’s response, whispering it toward the narrow windows, and past the faceless mannequins. The black and white checkered tile flickered around Adrien’s eyes as he gripped his head.

He hated this room. Adrien despised the long and dark curtains that took away the minimal window space there was. Not to mention the overwhelming golden frame enclosed around several white picture frames. Each picture frame within the large gold frame contained pictures of Adrien, per Émilie’s request. Surrounded, the pictures made up half of the wall.

Then there were the three mannequins lined up on the other side of the wall… modeling Gabriel’s black and white designs. Their bodies were glasslike, lifelike, and cold. They could shatter easily from his cataclysm, Adrien thought to himself.

Adrien looked away from the creepy three. There used to be four equally creepy mannequins. The fourth mannequin used to stand by the back right window. When his mother was alive, she’d ordered mannequins to perfectly model Gabriel’s designs. But they were too perfect. Adrien confused the fourth mannequin for his mother, and he’d rushed out to it, hoping it would greet him. But instead, it’s eerie silence sent alarm bells ringing in his mind as he couldn’t stop in time. Running directly into the frozen mannequin, the body shattered across the floor, the remains scattering against the cold tile in desolation.

The portrait of his mother shortly arrived after he’d broken the mannequin. Towering over the room like it were a figure of authority, nothing in the room felt more unsettling than that painting. It had his mother’s face, and eyes along her dress. Eyes that watched the room. Eyes that reprimanded Adrien’s mistake. The mannequin he destroyed never received one of Gabriel’s dresses… and the dress of eyes looking back at Adrien reminded him of that fact.

“Take a seat at Nathalie’s desk.”

Adrien looked over to the left, viewing the empty spot awaiting him. Carefully closing the door behind him, he sat down on the chair, laying his hands along the table. The table was cool to the touch, sending a chill throughout his arms. Carefully lifting his hands from the icy desk, he brushed some dust from his fingertips.

Gabriel shut off his computer, turning to look at Émilie’s statue. He smoothed his hair, carefully tucking some of his frosted tips behind his ear. “It seems you're comfortable.”

“Uh,” Adrien began, avoiding the painting of Émilie, “I guess so.”

Gabriel tapped his chin, taking in the painting’s presence. “Nathalie won’t be needing that seat for much longer.”

This was it. Adrien gulped, already trying to picture what his father had in mind. Adrien was used to this. Gabriel purposely dramatized everything he could, and he practically thrived off of Adrien’s misery. Gabriel was openly degrading, commenting on the smallest of mistakes and insisting to be right, even when he was wrong. With Gabriel as Adrien’s father and boss, there was no escape.

He had to play along. If he showed any sign of irritation or concern, Gabriel would twist it to his advantage. “Why won’t Nathalie need her desk?”

Gabriel smirked, slightly turning to his son’s stoic voice. “Interesting. I would’ve assumed you’d feel some form of sympathy toward Nathalie.”

“Of course I do,” Adrien voiced, eyeing his father in disbelief. “I was just asking why she won’t need her desk.”

The black and white tiles waved around Adrien’s eyes as he gained a migraine.

“Well…” Gabriel spoke in a low voice, turning back to the painting. He pressed around some of the eyes, lowering his finger to one last spot. His finger hovered over it. “Because of Chat Noir…”

Adrien rolled his eyes. He couldn’t stand his father’s dramatic pauses. And what was this man’s point anyway? Chat Noir had nothing to do with the Agreste family for what Gabriel knew.

…What did Gabriel know?

“What?” Adrien stood up, eyeing his father’s hovering finger. What was his father getting at?

“I’ve caught your interest. Excellent,” Gabriel mused, placing his finger along the last spot of the painting. The floor beneath him began to open as he listened to Adrien’s approaching steps.

Adrien watched as his father pressed a button on the painting, halting the floor’s opening. “Father? What are you getting at? What’s going on?”

“Would you like to know what will become of Nathalie due to Chat Noir’s interference?”

~~~~~

“I haven't heard from Adrien yet.”

Carefully setting away her phone, Marinette crossed her legs and eyed her three friends. Originally, she came with Adrien, Alya, Chloe, and Nino for André’s ice cream after school. However, Adrien’s father needed Adrien to leave for some reason. She sighed, twisting her mint chocolate chip ice cream around in her hand. It wasn’t the flavor she was expecting André to choose, and she wasn’t necessarily a fan of mint chocolate chip. Yet, underneath the abrupt minty-ness, there was a surprisingly sweet and milky taste, somehow insisting there was more to mint chocolate chip ice cream than what she remembered it tasting like.

The weather had relaxed. Sure, there were the occasional flurries and remaining icicles, but it was nice enough to stay out in at least a jacket. Everyone saw this as a sign that their random winter was coming to an end. But the guardian, the kwamis, and Marinette thought otherwise.

Marinette was painfully aware of the weather’s strange calmness. It didn’t even feel like a casual, normal day. It was just unsettling. Like there was something she was missing. Something extremely important that Ladybug hadn’t considered. Something that discouraged her from minty-ice-cream-inquiries, and instead probed her for answers. What had she missed? What didn’t she see? What did Ladybug do wrong?

“Well, Adrikins’ ice cream will melt if he doesn’t get back from his dad’s ‘urgent quandary’ or whatever he said,” Chloe sighed, twirling her wrist. She pointed her finger over to a blueberry rose ice cream in Nino’s hand. “We should probably just finish it.”

“It’s not going to melt,” Alya scoffed with a small grin. “It’s cold enough outside to save it for Adrien until he gets back.”

Marinette took a bite of her minty ice cream, flinching from the coldness rushing through her teeth. She had a bad habit of biting her ice cream, as Alya would remind her frequently. However, Alya was too busy with her own ice cream to notice Marinette’s blunder, thankfully enough.

“By the time he gets back, it WILL melt with Nino holding it!” Chloe rolled her eyes, pointing one of her mood-changing-nails to Nino’s hand. “He’s crushing the cone!”

Nino, crushing the cone, glared Chloe’s way. “I’m so not!”

“You so are TOO! Hand me the cone before you ruin it!” Chloe leaned forward, extending her hand out to the ice cream. She didn’t want to waste another second. That ice cream could completely topple to the bottom of the stairs. It would be an utterly pointless end.

“Hey!” Alya stood up, blocking Nino from Chloe. “Don’t talk to Nino like that!”

Chloe stopped mid lean, looking up at Alya’s face. From Chloe’s point of view, she couldn’t figure out why Alya seemed so upset with her.

She eyed Marinette chewing her mint ice cream. Marinette seemed more quiet than usual. It made sense Marinette wasn’t talking; she was still eating her ice cream, Chloe enviously reminded herself. But she’d been quiet almost all day. They were friends now… so asking her wouldn’t be a problem. But… Chloe needed an excuse to bring it up. An excuse for herself, at least. Casually talking with the baker girl wasn’t part of her skill set, let alone easy now that Marinette confirmed her Ladybug suspicions. Chloe knew she wasn’t great a couple years back, but despite her mistakes, Marinette showed her kindness in ways Chloe never experienced. She wanted to do the same for Marinette. Not just because she was Ladybug; she’d wanted this before she knew Marinette’s secret identity. Now, for whatever reason it might’ve been, Chloe felt comfortable around Marinette and the others. And that comfort intimidated her.

And speaking of intimidation… Alya’s glare sent daggers Chloe’s way once she’d finally snapped out of her worries.

Right. Alya was upset. But… why? What did Chloe even do? This whole situation was utterly pointless, but Alya’s stance was too overbearing to ignore.

Chloe tilted her head, readjusting her hands on the steps propping her up. “Uh… sorry?”

“Uh-huh.” Alya nodded, raising an eyebrow. She eyed Chloe’s confused expression, thinking over her friendship with Chloe. It was an odd one, and Chloe was hard to read. Chloe was trying, from what Alya could tell, but she still seemed to be the same Chloe from middle school. She’d always had a snarky personality, even when her intentions were supposedly well intended.

So… Alya must’ve missed something.

She assessed the situation. Marinette was chewing her ice cream, flinching from the chill running up her teeth. Alya would scold Marinette later, she mentally noted to herself. Nino was rolling his eyes and sticking his tongue out at Chloe, ignoring a frozen plop of ice cream slipping down the cone. Then, there was Chloe.

…who was still leaning out toward the cone.

“Nino,” Alya voiced, reaching out to Nino’s hand, “could you give me that?”

Nino eyed the breaking cone, shrugging his shoulders. He handed Alya the cone, snickering once he’d heard Chloe gasp. “Here.”

Alya nodded. Turning around to Chloe, currently slipping from her leaning position from shock, Alya extended the cone out to her.

“If you wanted more ice cream, you could’ve just said it,” Alya smirked.

This wasn’t the time for retorts, and Chloe knew that. She accepted the cone, twisting away from the couple as she observed the top rosey ice cream. It glittered back at her, as if it were thankful she’d saved it from a crumbly end.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, already licking the rose ice cream away from their view.

Nino’s jaw dropped as Alya wiped her hands. He pointed out to the cone, then to Alya. Was he just… betrayed?!

Alya narrowed her eyes. “Adrien won’t be back for a while at this point, so she might as well have it.”

“He wanted me to hold it!” Nino frowned, crossing his arms and looking away. Who cares if Chloe wanted extra ice cream?! He was supposed to be responsible for that cone! And now… once Adrien came back… Nino would be held responsible. There’s no way Nino could blame Alya, and ‘blaming’ others in general is childish. He sighed in defeat and acceptance of his fate: blowing the sour news to Adrien. “Ugh, my dude’s gonna be cone-less.”

Turning to view Marinette and Chloe clinking cones —the absolute nerve of those two—, Nino slumped down onto his bag, flinching from the cold metal zipper.

Alya reached down to her book bag. Unzipping its zipper, she looked around, pulling out her wallet. “Well, we can always get him another,” Alya replied. “And we might as well get one, too.”

“Seriously?”

Alya nodded.

Nino stood up, pulling his wallet from his pocket. “Sweet.”

“Nope! I’m paying,” Alya spoke as she tapped Nino’s cap. She reached for his hand, and the two left the bottom of the stairs together.

~~~~~

Marinette and Chloe watched as Nino and Alya walked off toward Andre’s ice cream stand.

“The ice cream matches your nails!” Marinette commented, pointing at the blueberry rose ice cream.

Chloe lifted her nails in observance, scanning her cold blue nails slowly fading pink. Huh. They really did match. “It’s like it was made for me.”

Marinette smirked, raising an eyebrow at the crumbling cone Chloe tried to save. She liked Chloe, and hanging out with her was pretty enjoyable now that Chloe had opened up to her.

“So, you’re ‘Adrikins’?” Marinette teased, wiggling her eyebrows at the annoyed Chloe.

Chloe poked a completely pink nail onto Marinette’s nose. “Maybe I am, baker girl. I mean, why else would my ice cream match my perfect set of nails?”

Marinette scoffed. “Hey!”

Chloe had some more of the ice cream. “What? Think I can’t pick on you anymore just because I’ve changed? Well think again, Dupain-Cheng.”

“You’re so mean,” Marinette laughed, accidentally bumping her mint ice cream onto her nose. Minty ice cream smeared at the tip of her nose, chilling her skin more than the somewhat-frosty breeze. A chocolate chip stuck close to her nasal columella, loosely hanging down like a septum piercing.

Chloe rolled her eyes at Marinette’s mess. “Need a napkin?”

Marinette crossed her eyes at her nose, viewing the blurry chocolate chip clinging for dear life. “Ehehe, yeah, that’d be nice.”

Chloe scanned the steps, eyeing some crumbled and used napkins beside ice-cream-stained-steps. Normally, she’d offer one of those to her with a snippy comment. But…

Marinette watched as Chloe picked around her fancy winter jackets’ pockets, avoiding direct contact with the fabric. Carefully pulling out a folded napkin, Chloe shook the napkin open, offering it to Marinette.

“Here,” Chloe mumbled, looking down at her pockets. If her jacket was ruined, she’d absolutely blame this on Marinette. Thankfully though, her winter jacket was pristine.

Marinette accepted the napkin, carefully holding it in between her fingers as she wiped her nose. “Thanks, Chloe.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Chloe mumbled again, immediately chewing off half of the rose ice cream on top of her ice cream cone. The coldness stabbed her teeth as she flinched, embarrassment etching her face.

After a couple seconds, Marinette placed the napkin underneath her purse so it wouldn’t blow away. There was plenty of mint chocolate chip ice cream left, so she extended her cone over to Chloe.

“Want some?”

Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise before settling back down in disgust. “Uh, I’ll pass. Andre’s mint ice cream is way too sweet.”

“I actually kind of like that,” Marinette voiced, shrugging her shoulders. “Regular mint ice cream’s too minty for me.”

Chloe leaned back on the steps, propping her elbows on one of the higher steps. She eyed the ice cream in her hand, lifting it up to catch some of the minimal sunlight. “Isn’t that the point of mint ice cream?”

“Maybe,” Marinette mumbled, slowly eyeing her own ice cream. Did she really like mint chocolate chip? Or was it too minty and bitter for her?

The chocolate chips in her ice cream were sweet, milky, and pleasant with the ice cream. The mint was definitely minty, but not in the usual ‘peppermint-mintiness’ she’d expected. It was a wintergreen flavor, like the mints her father liked to order for snacking during Ultimate Mecha Strike III.

Wintergreen isn’t in the mint family, even though it tastes similar to mint. So… was this really mint chocolate chip ice cream?

Whatever it was, she knew she liked it. A lot.

“It’s wintergreen chocolate chip, so the laws of ‘mintiness’ don’t apply,” Marinette concluded, lifting her cone over to Chloe’s. She clinked her cone onto Chloe’s cone, smirking at the pale green ice cream. Who knew André made more than one minty flavored ice cream?

Chloe raised an eyebrow, glancing back to Alya and Nino in line. “No wonder it’s so sweet. Isn’t wintergreen from the Gaultheria genus?”

Marinette blinked. “…The ‘what’?”

Chloe rolled her eyes, shooing her hand at Marinette’s ice cream. “You’re kidding, right? The Gaultheria genus? Ring any bells?”

Marinette shook her head, perplexed. Was Chloe serious, or was she just messing around?

Chloe tapped her nails along her ice cream cone, thinking back to a science magazine she’d read at the salon awhile back: ‘The Common Misconceptions of Our Genus By-Products’. It was a decent read for a Biology article, but the salon’s Chemistry magazines were totally superior. She must’ve remembered wintergreen’s genus wrong if Marinette was confused. That had to be it.

“Well, whatever it was called. Wintergreen plants aren’t common in Paris, like, at all. But plants in the Mentha genus are.”

Marinette slowly nodded, nibbling her ice cream. She refused to blink as she stared at Chloe in confusion.

“Mentha? …Hello? Okay, I know I got that one right. Mint plants are in the Mentha genus, just like that one book in Literature mentioned, remember? The one Ms. Bustier assigned around the beginning of the year?”

Chloe watched as Marinette shrugged.

“You’re kidding,” Chloe whispered, tilting her head.

Marinette didn’t mind Biology, but she definitely didn’t remember anything from the course. Chloe had to have been serious now that Marinette took in Chloe’s bewildered expression.

“You’re pretty smart, Chloe,” Marinette slowly said, letting a smile grip her cheeks. “You’re like a… um… a textbook! Yeah!”

“What?” Chloe began, realization hitting her like a bus.

She’d just gone full science-nerd with Marinette.

Chloe raised her hands in embarrassment, carelessly pressing her ice cream out toward Marinette. “No, it’s not what you think-“

“It totally is! You’re a genius!” Marinette gushed, clinking her cone with Chloe’s again. “Have you always been this smart?”

“Uh…” Chloe eyed Marinette shoving ice cream into her face, waiting for a reply. Great. She couldn’t lie her way out of this one. But was it really something to hide? Marinette wasn’t making fun of her like she’d feared, and it’s not like Chloe hated science. “It’s just some junk I picked up from magazines at the salon, that’s all.”

“Some junk?” Marinette shook her head. “Why would you say that?”

Chloe shrugged. “Well, why would anyone care about plant genera? Or stupid facts about the periodic table? My hairstylist is a total chatterbox, so even science magazines give me some relief from that stylist’s blabbing.”

Marinette placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder. “I don’t think it’s junk.”

“So?” Chloe raised an eyebrow at Marinette.

Chewing the cone of her ice cream, Marinette looked behind her at the slowly moving line. Alya and Nino were still waiting, playing Super Penguino from what Marinette assumed.

“So… what’s a stupid periodic table fact?”

“Nope,” Chloe shook her head, poking Marinette’s cone. “We can save science-talk for the rest of our Chemistry project.”

Marinette slapped her forehead, startling Chloe.

“Uh, are you okay?”

Marinette nodded. “Yeah, I just forgot we haven’t finished our project yet. It’s been weeks since Ms. Mendeleiev assigned it to us.”

“Yeah, but she said it’s due next week,” Chloe said. “With Ms. Bustier’s akumatization and the stupid snow, moving the deadline was a smart choice.”

The two had some more of their ice cream, expecting Nino and Alya to show up sometime soon. Yet, when they both turned around, they were still in line.

“They’re taking forever,” Chloe muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Marinette checked her phone, waiting for a message that never came. “They’re not the only ones taking a long time.”

“Right!” Chloe licked the last of the rose ice cream, making it down to the blueberry ice cream. “I wonder if Adrikins is okay.”

“Me too,” Marinette sadly mumbled.

Chloe scanned Marinette’s conflicted face. Taking a few more licks of the blueberry ice cream, Chloe asked, “Do you still like him?”

This was the part where Marinette would say ‘yes’.

But did she? Marinette rolled the idea around her mind. She admired Adrien’s kindness and thoughtfulness. He was probably one of the only people she’d met so committed to friendship. He would go out of his way to be supportive, and not just for Marinette, but for all of their friends. He was someone she admired. But… for the past couple years, she’d never truly made any ‘move’. They were just friends.

“Is there… someone else?”

Marinette blinked. “…What do you mean?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Exactly what I just said, Dupain-Cheng.”

Someone else. If not Adrien, who? Who else? Who else is as kind as he is? And would there even be another person she could see the way she saw Adrien?

Well… yeah. Yeah, there definitely was someone else.

“Uh,” Marinette began as she eyed her mint chocolate chip ice cream, “I… no, I mean yes, but… well… maybe?”

Chloe smirked. “You can trust me.”

“With that look on your face?” Marinette incredulously asked.

Chloe raised her hands in defense. “I kept your crush on Adrien secret for years, baker girl. But it’s your choice. Tell me or don’t, I don’t care.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at Chloe’s somewhat offended stance, watching as she had some of her blueberry ice cream.

“Fine.”

Chloe looked up from her ice cream in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Marinette replied, twirling her ice cream cone in her hand. “But it’s gonna sound weird.”

“Hey, weird is cool,” Chloe awkwardly let out, waiting for Marinette’s answer.

“…I see this person almost all the time, and we’ve met when I’m ‘you-know-who’ the most. Until recently.”

“Oo,” Chloe smiled. Marinette has met this person as Ladybug, and now as Marinette? Utterly intriguing.

She shook her head. She had to focus. If she accidentally made fun of Marinette, she’d never get this kind of opportunity again.

“Sorry. Until recently?”

Marinette nodded, pushing her bangs away from her face after a sudden breeze brushed past the two. “Yeah. I think I’m starting to see this person differently, but… maybe not all that differently, you know?”

Chloe noticed Marinette was waiting for a response. What comment could Chloe make that wouldn’t sound rude?

“Uh, I guess. Um… what are they like?”

Marinette’s smile tightened her cheeks as she eyed the chocolate chips in her ice cream. “Special. This person is… really special to me.”

They sat for a while in silence.

Marinette pictured the person she had in mind, covering her face from embarrassment. “With the cutest tufts of blonde hair, bright and mysterious eyes…”

Chloe raised an eyebrow in concern. Although this was cute and all, these descriptions sounded pretty familiar. And… a little cheesy. It sounded like ‘Adrien’, or even…

Oh no. No… it couldn’t be.

Chloe pressed her fingers against her forehead. No, no way it could be… absolutely not. No.

A gentle breeze made Chloe’s blonde ponytail bounce, crashing back down onto her jacket. With her ice-cream-free hand, she smoothed out her hair. It couldn’t possibly be.

Sunlight sparkled through the frozen trees, brightening Chloe’s eyes like they were diamonds.

She shook her head. Anything but that.

“Um… do I know them?”

“Yeah,” Marinette began, shaking off her goofy grin. She took a deep breath, letting a small smile slip onto her face. “It’s Chat Noir.”

The air slowed as Chloe clamped her hand around her mouth, letting out a relieved sigh. It was Chat Noir. Of course!

Chloe should’ve known. Ladybug and Chat Noir have been close for years, so feeling something for one another wasn’t unlikely.

Just the thought of those two actually becoming a couple… saving Paris together… as a couple…

Sounded amazing!

But for some reason… Chloe felt a strong urge to tease Marinette for her feelings. She shook her head. No! She couldn’t do that! Chloe had to stay strong! Any sign of meanness is a definite ‘no’!

Resist!

She felt the skin around her eyes crinkle. She turned away, still covering her mouth with her hand.

…Be strong!

“Uh, Chloe?”

Chloe let out a small snort.

Marinette pulled back in shock. “Hey! Are you-? You’re-! You didn’t-!”

“Sorry,” Chloe cleared her throat, trying to stop her laughter. Even ‘playfully’ teasing Marinette would come off the wrong way. So… Chloe chose another kind of response; one she felt would suffice. “I just… I didn’t expect to hear ‘Chat Noir’ from that. Why on earth would that be ‘weird’?”

Marinette sighed a breath of relief. Sharing stuff like this was surprisingly refreshing, especially with someone who knew her secret identity… not that anyone should know her identity to begin with. It was just nice having someone listen to her feelings, as Marinette and Ladybug.

“I’ve turned him down as… ‘you-know-who’ so much, that… I guess I thought it’d sound crazy,” Marinette replied with a shrug. “Plus… I’ve only realized my feelings for him recently when he meets me as Marinette.”

Chloe gasped.

“He WHAT?!”

Some civilians nearby eyed the two as Marinette covered Chloe’s mouth, accidentally pressing her entire ice cream cone onto Chloe’s lips.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Marinette embarrassedly pulled her smooshed cone off of Chloe’s face, avoiding Chloe’s irritated eyes.

Chloe licked a clump of mint ice cream off her lips. “You should be.”

“I am!” Marinette agreed, scanning around herself. Slipping her napkin from underneath her purse, she tapped away at Chloe’s face. “Here! Let me get it off!”

“Hey! Stop it!”

Marinette reached for more napkins, accidentally grabbing Alya and Nino’s used napkins instead of fresh ones. She pressed them to Chloe’s face, widening her eyes as the mess became even worse.

“DU…PAIN…CHENG!”

“AHH!”

~~~~~

The white butterflies, floating in the room below, wanted to escape.

Adrien held his chest as the cavernous basement echoed the butterflies’ movements. When did the mansion have a basement?

“I see you’ve noticed,” Gabriel whispered to the daunting room.

Adrien looked around the room, brushing past dark, metal bars. A bridge eerily stood between him and a large butterfly emblem. Lights adorned the sides of the wall, brightening their spots like street lamps. Their lights reached the murky water beneath the bridge.

“Dearest Émilie… your son has arrived safely.”

…Émilie?

Adrien gripped his arm, slowly stepping back. No. His mother was dead. She died years ago! She wasn’t here! She wasn’t!

His father must’ve lost his mind… that’s all. Speaking to the room like Adrien’s dead mother was present was absurd.

Underneath the butterfly emblem… a beacon of warm yellow light shone overtop green bushes, allowing the butterflies to see through the darkness.

…and at the center of the light.

…at the… center…

“Adrien Agreste,” Gabriel’s voice boomed throughout the room, “you are no longer my son. You are only hers.”

…at…the…center…

Adrien’s legs shook, startling the metal floor as the room echoed his trembling. The basement grew taller. The light lost the butterflies as Adrien viewed a glass case beneath the butterfly emblem.

…the glass case held a body.

He tried to run away, to leave her behind, forever. And now… she was right here.

And he was no longer his father’s son?

What kind of sick joke was this?!

“Father?” Adrien timidly scanned the room, shaking as Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. Adrien gripped his trembling arms, trying to regain his composure. But he couldn’t.

His shaking stopped as he felt an unsettling presence emerge somewhere behind him.

Adrien turned around.

“…You’re… Hawk Moth?”

A man in an ugly purple suit with a spoon-like mask let out an evil grin, reaching for Adrien’s ring.

“And you’re Chat Noir,” Hawk Moth replied with a disdainful tone. He narrowed his eyes as Adrien managed to pull back.

Adrien crashed against the bridge’s metal bars, narrowly missing Hawk Moth’s cane.

“Why?!”

Hawk Moth broke part of the metal bar, slashing his cane toward Adrien. “Isn’t it obvious? I need your Miraculous and Ladybug’s Miraculous to bring Émilie back to me… and to save Nathalie from the same fate.”

With a strike, Hawk Moth managed to cut Adrien’s cheek. Adrien covered his mouth. Émilie was sick when she died… so how would Nathalie have ‘the same fate’?

Hawk Moth gripped his cane, mockingly tilting his head. “Don’t believe me? Using a broken Miraculous, like the Peacock Miraculous, slowly kills its user. And all the time you fought me as Chat Noir, Émilie could’ve returned to us. But now… Nathalie will soon be next.”

The man that terrorized Paris, haunting the dreams of all Parisians… silencing their emotions from complete and overbearing fear… was Gabriel Agreste. His father, Paris’ best fashion designer… was Paris’ worst enemy.

“Why?” Adrien whispered to himself, gripping his head. It made sense… too much sense. The cold, unloving man Gabriel was… was the only person he could truly picture as Hawk Moth. And yet, Paris was full of people. He’d just assumed it’d be too convenient. Too perfect.

He always felt guilty for assuming the worst in his father. But now, things were completely different.

“You’re the one to blame.”

Adrien felt the cane’s end stab into his back, shoving him across the bridge. He pulled back, staring up into Hawk Moth’s chilling eyes.

“You’re the reason why I’ve lost!”

Adrien tried to control his breathing, shakily opening his jacket.

“P-Plagg…?”

The cane drug against the metal bridge, slowly crescendoing its screech mere feet away from Adrien.

“Kid! Transform!”

Adrien shook in place, hyperventilating. The room caved in on itself as he contorted backward.

“Come on, Adrien! We can do this!” Plagg tugged on Adrien’s hair, trying to pull him further back. “You have to transform!”

Adrien felt a drop of blood run down his neck as he slowly reached for his bleeding cheek.

“Hurry!”

The grating sound of Gabriel’s cane drew closer.

“Can’t seem to control your emotions?”

Plagg’s paws slipped from Adrien’s hair as the glint of Hawk Moth’s staff caught his eyes. “…Adrien?”

Hawk Moth’s cane stopped as he towered over Adrien, taking in Adrien’s betrayed and inflamed expression. “I can help.”

“Kid-!”

“Plagg, claws out!”

~~~~~

“Ugh, I’m back,” Chloe groaned as she walked over to her friends. Alya, Marinette, and Nino waved her over as she sat on one of the steps. “I can’t believe my hairstylist! To think, I only called to schedule my next hair appointment, but Avery was flipping out over a ‘hair emergency’. They took half an hour just to complain about frosted tips! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”

Alya looked over to Marinette, waiting for an explanation, but Marinette just shrugged. Alya looked around the decently filled streets, taking in just how many people actually had frosted tips.

“Now that you mention it, I’ve seen tons of people with frosted tips today,” Alya thought aloud.

“You’re right,” Nino agreed. “Most of the dudes in line had them. I’m not into trends or anything, but aren’t frosted tips dead?”

“They should be,” Chloe replied. “Apparently, my stylist did Gabriel Agreste’s hair today, and somehow convinced him to get frosted tips. But too bad for Avery; now every client coming in wants to copy that toothpaste-headed-loser.”

Marinette snorted, covering her mouth suddenly as Alya, Chloe, and Nino caught her reaction.

“Isn’t he your favorite fashion designer?” Nino gave Marinette a quizzical glance.

“Used to be,” Alya answered in Marinette’s stead.

Marinette nodded. “When I found out how he treats his employees, and Adrien, I don’t respect him anymore. Besides, he may be Paris’ number one fashion designer, but have you seen some of his latest designs? They’re hideous!”

Tikki bumped around in Marinette’s purse, as if she wanted to make some sort of insightful comment. But alas, she had to stay hidden. Marinette smirked to herself, feeling a sudden rush of smugness sweep over her. Ha! No life-messages today, Tikki!

“Finally! Someone says it. I can’t even look at his new line without gagging.”

Marinette turned to Chloe’s disgusted face. “You’re not talking about the ‘Chiffon-in-Milan’ line, are you?”

Chloe scrunched her nose. “The one with models in sheets?”

“Don’t they always look like they’re wearing sheets?” Nino leaned forward, readjusting his cap.

Alya tapped her chin in thought. She wasn’t exactly a fashion-expert, but she could remember Marinette’s infuriated texts with screenshots of Gabriel’s latest runway designs.

“Oh! I remember one that was made from a towel.” Alya commented, tapping Marinette’s shoulder. Once Marinette’s eyes were on Alya’s, Alya snickered, “You were crying over the phone.”

Marinette covered her face in embarrassment as Alya tugged at her pigtails, earning some snorts from Nino. Chloe leaned back to face Alya.

“A towel?”

As Alya continued to mess with Marinette’s hair, she glanced over to Chloe. “Yep.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, burying her face between her hands. “It was in his summer line, ‘At the Beach With My Wife’.”

A small and wiggly smile strapped onto Nino’s face as he covered his chest with his arms. “Uh, hold up. Isn’t she dead?”

“Nino!” Alya gasped, bumping his hat while Marinette sunk further into her hands. Alya flinched from the maniacal laughter of Chloe Bourgeois a step beneath her.

Gripping his hat away from Alya, he carefully set it back on his head. He apologetically looked away. “Too far. Sorry.”

Chloe continued to laugh, falling on her back as she rolled along the steps. She could barely breathe.

“But! It’s! True!” She stammered, earning a couple snickers from Alya. “Utt..er…ly trueee~!”

With Chloe's voice cracking like a wheezing hyena, Nino’s previously apologetic face crept back to the goofy grin he’d had before. Alya bumped his hat as he started cackling along the steps, mimicking Chloe’s wheezy laughter.

“You two are evil,” Alya scoffed with an irritated grin of her own, shaking her head in disapproval.

As Chloe and Nino continued to laugh, Alya wrapped her arm around Marinette’s back.

“Alya?”

“Yeah?” Alya leaned down to Marinette’s covered face. She expected Marinette to look up from her hands and face Alya, but Marinette stayed put. She even drew her knees closer as she wrapped her arms around her legs.

“Do you think… Adrien misses her?” Marinette worriedly whispered.

Alya poked Marinette’s back.

“Ow! Hey! What was that for?”

Alya raised an eyebrow at Marinette, who was now sitting up like nothing had happened. “Well, of course he misses her, girl. She’s his mom.”

“You’re right,” Marinette mumbled in defeat, slapping her forehead. “He just never really talks about her, you know? And now…”

Marinette and Alya jumped from a startlingly loud snort from Nino, and a shrieky laugh from Chloe.

Alya stood up, marching over to the two. She slammed her foot along the step, narrowing her eyes at the two laughing below.

“Hey! The two of you need to quit it!”

Chloe covered her mouth. Within seconds, her laughter ceased as her eyes widened in realization. It finally hit her.

Apparently, Nino hadn’t picked up on it yet.

“Nino!”

Nino leaned back with a goofy smile. He settled his eyes on Alya’s, letting out a few tiny snorts before he eventually calmed down. “What’s wrong?”

Alya rubbed her forehead.

“We shouldn’t be joking around about Gabriel’s wife like that. She’s Adrien’s mom, you jerks.”

Nino’s eyes widened as he started to put the pieces together. “Wait… what?”

Chloe and Alya both bumped his cap.

“You’re kidding,” Chloe voiced incredulously. They’ve all known each other for years, and Nino didn’t even know Émilie was Adrien’s mother?

Nino rolled his eyes. “Hold on a sec. You’ve got it wrong. I wasn’t making fun of Adrien’s mom.”

Alya leaned back, crossing her arms. “You could’ve fooled me.”

“I was laughing at his majorly stupid dad,” Nino sighed, trying to defend himself. “Not even Adrien likes his pops.”

Chloe stuck out her nail between Alya and Nino, nodding adamantly. “It’s true! Adrikins and I have been close since we were little. I’d never make fun of his mom. Gabriel’s a totally different story though. The incompetent fool can’t even name his own fashion lines.”

Alya listened to their case’s, accepting their explanations. She didn’t think those two would really laugh at Adrien’s late mother, but for Marinette’s sake, forcing some confessions was necessary.

And once Marinette finally seemed less droopy, Alya felt her mission was accomplished.

“Alright,” Alya said, leading Chloe and Nino back to their original spots. Once they sat down, Alya turned over to Marinette. “So… is Adrien gonna meet us soon?”

Marinette tapped her phone, letting out a disappointed sigh. “No. He hasn’t texted me yet.”

“What’s taking my dude so long?” Nino asked, leaning on the stairs. He propped his head up with his arm, pulling out his own phone with no new messages. “I thought he said he’d be back soon.”

“Yeah, well his father sucks,” Chloe grumbled, checking her own phone. She scrolled around on it, viewing messages from people other than Adrien pop up. However, instead of replying to the people currently messaging her, she shut her phone off.

Alya glanced at her phone momentarily before setting it back in her pocket. “He told us not to wait on him if it took long.”

“Yeah,” Nino sighed, “but I wanted him to hang with us.”

“We can always just meet up tomorrow after school,” Alya suggested with a shrug. The sky was still light, and the weather was still pretty calm… but she was somewhat cold from sitting on the steps for so long.

Chloe rubbed her nose with a napkin, wiping away some drips from the cold weather. “I’ll text Adrikins and tell him we’re leaving.”

Nino and Alya nodded as Chloe pulled out her phone. She clicked away at the screen, stopping momentarily to eye Marinette’s conflicted expression.

“Uh… Baker girl? You okay?”

Marinette blinked, forcing a smile on her face. “Um, yeah! Yeah, I’m… I’m good.”

Accepting Marinette’s response, Chloe continued to type out her message, sending it off after a couple seconds.

“So, see you guys tomorrow?” Alya stretched her arms, looking over to Chloe, Marinette, and Nino.

All four of them nodded in agreement.

“Sweet,” Nino voiced, tilting his head back. “I’m gonna meet with my other dudes for some remixing practice. I gotta be at the top of my game for Kim’s party next week.”

Chloe scrolled through her phone mindlessly. “You're the DJ for Kim’s party?”

With a proud smirk, Nino nodded. “Course I am.”

“He’s gotten way better,” Alya joined in. Straightening her jacket, she started walking off. “I’m heading back to my place. See you guys at school.”

“Bye,” Marinette waved, watching as Alya crossed the street. Marinette turned to Nino and Chloe, only to watch as they went off as well.

“Later losers,” Chloe called behind her in a snippy voice. She waved her hand behind her, showing off her nails one last time. Placing her hands in her pockets, she walked off toward her family’s hotel.

Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going as Marinette gripped her bag. She spotted Nino tilting his cap toward her down the street, sending her a grin.

“See ya, Dudette.”

Marinette smiled, waving. “Have fun DJing, Nino!”

“For sure!” He called back. Within a matter of seconds, he’d turned past a street corner, disappearing from Marinette’s sight.

So, taking this as her cue, she started home.

~~~~~

Carefully avoiding some black ice, Marinette made her way down the street, watching pedestrians shuffle past each other. The sky was a light blue, almost like it were a summer sky. But leftover clouds with snow blowing down proved otherwise. It was still a pretty day, she thought to herself in discomfort. But even if Mary Poppins came flying through the sky with her umbrella to sing about the weather, Marinette wouldn’t feel at peace.

Scratch that. Who in their right mind would want to see that?

She shook her head. Well, seeing Mary Poppins wouldn’t necessarily be a stretch. She’s seen worse. If she could deal with akumatized victims like Mr. Pigeon, or process a baby giant wreaking havoc like Gigantitan, Mary Poppins wouldn’t be the freakiest thing she’d seen.

Yeah, Mary Poppins would be considerably normal.

With a sigh, she looked both ways before crossing with a group, scanning the rooftops for someone. Not Mary Poppins, of course.

She wanted to see Chat Noir again. Maybe he’d be on patrol if she were lucky, and then, she could join him as Ladybug. Or… maybe he would come over to her house again, and they could continue taste-testing the bakery’s pastries. She could finally convince him to watch some of her favorite shows, bargaining crème brûlée just in case. Then… they could go to the movies! If she chose the most boring film playing, she could draw cat whiskers on his face if he couldn’t stay awake.

She snorted to herself, unaware of some skeptical glances nearby. Then, to make up for it, they could get smoothies, no, some more of Andre’s ice cream! That way, she’d get sick from all of the ice cream she’d had, and he’d stay at the bakery longer to make sure she was alright.

She stopped at the end of the street, slapping her forehead in discomfiture. What was she thinking? Getting sick with ice cream… all to have Chat Noir stay longer? Was she crazy? Besides… why would Chat Noir even stay if she felt gross? He’d probably make some stupid cat pun and leave.

The absolute nerve of that cat.

Crossing one last street, she spotted her family’s bakery ahead. She could finally change out of her school clothes and into her pajamas; she wasn’t planning to go back out anytime soon.

As she made her way to the bakery, she felt the urge to turn around and look behind her. As if there were something she’d forgotten. Something that she didn’t see before, but that was on the brink of disclosure.

She turned around.

…Nothing. There was nothing to be seen.

Keeping her eyes focused on the buildings, she wondered why she suddenly felt so on edge. Did she forget something back at the stairs? Something in class?

She had her book bag and her purse. She had her phone… she knew Tikki was in her purse from all of her squirming… and she had her keys tucked inside her pocket.

It must’ve been her imagination. Yeah. That’s all.

Slowly turning back to her house, she noticed a flashing movement in the corner of her eye.

What was that? She turned to the side, looking out into the sky once again. Far away, a figure fogged over from the clouds leaped around the city, seemingly heading toward the Eiffel Tower.

It must’ve been Chat Noir!

She sighed a breath of relief, pressing her hand along her chest. Too bad he wasn’t heading toward the bakery. She couldn’t help but imagine crazy and stupid activities she could only share with that goofball.

Maybe he’d stop by later. Or maybe she could visit him as Ladybug!

Without another second’s thought, she rushed toward the bakery’s door, swinging it open for her grand entrance.

“I’m home!” She called out to the room.

Sabine, currently covering some dough, turned around to view her daughter. “Oh, there you are. How was school?”

“Good,” Marinette quickly replied, failing to hide a wiggly smile.

Sabine caught on to Marinette’s squirmy behavior. “Um… that’s great, honey.”

“Yeah!” Marinette grinned, widening her eyes from how loudly she’d responded. She walked over to the kitchen, eyeing the dough. “What’s that?”

“Oh, this? I made some dough for croissants,” Sabine smiled, lifting up the bowl. She walked over to the fridge, scooting some other bowls aside. “Your father went over to Grandpa Roland’s awhile ago, and he asked me to come by as well. Think you can manage the bakery until I come back?”

Marinette blinked. Manage the bakery? But… what about her plans? What about meeting Chat Noir again as Ladybug?

“I can close up for the day if you need to rest,” Sabine suggested, closing the fridge’s door. “I just thought you and that friend of yours might like free reign of the bakery.”

“Wait… what friend?” Marinette asked, opening the fridge door. She stuck her finger out to the croissant dough, planning to scoop some for a taste, until she caught her mother’s disapproving look.

“The one that helped you break our vacuum awhile back? The one you sent back with all of our cherry clafoutis?”

Marinette covered her mouth. Her mother knew about Chat Noir? But how?

“Honey?” Sabine tapped Marinette’s head, startling Marinette. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Marinette awkwardly smiled. “I just…”

“Didn’t know I knew?” Sabine answered for Marinette. She watched Marinette slowly nod. “If you’re worried I wouldn’t want your friend coming over so often, don’t be. I’m glad you two are having fun.”

Marinette felt a wave of relief wash past her as she relaxed. “Really?”

“Of course,” Sabine nodded, patting Marinette’s shoulder. “He’s a good kid, and I trust you two.”

Marinette didn’t know what she was expecting. Her mom was extremely understanding, and Marinette could share anything with Sabine. That’s just the kind of person Sabine was. “Thanks, mom.”

Sabine rubbed Marinette’s cheek, warmly smiling at her daughter. Once she’d given Marinette one last pat, she pulled back, setting aside her apron. “I’ll be at Grandpa Roland’s if you need me. Alright?”

“Okay,” Marinette smiled, scanning the pristine kitchen. “I love you!”

“Love you, too,” Sabine voiced from the bakery’s door, blowing Marinette a kiss. She listened to the door jingle as she opened it, letting it shut behind her once she’d made it outside.

Marinette nodded, responsibility and confidence flowing through her. She felt her purse shift as Tikki flew out.

“Okay! I’m ready to take on the bakery!” Marinette clasped her hands together, letting Tikki sit on top of her hands.

Tikki tilted her head, narrowing her eyes toward Marinette’s shoulder. “Are you sure about that?”

Marinette followed Tikki’s eyes, realizing she still had her book bag on.

“Oh! You’re right. I should probably put this-“

Crash!

Tikki jumped from Marinette’s hands in alarm, scanning the bakery frantically. Marinette stood in place, frozen stiff.

“What was that?” Tikki asked, rubbing the sides of her head.

Marinette shook her head. “I… I don’t know.”

Another crashing sound sounded, but louder. It was coming from a building nearby the bakery.

“Do you think it could be an akumatized victim?” Marinette asked, turning to Tikki.

“Maybe,” Tikki replied. “But it could also be construction.”

“When it’s snowing?” Marinette asked, eyeing the windows. There weren’t many, but snowflakes still brushed by.

Tikki tapped her forehead. Marinette’s smartest choice would be to transform… but if they didn’t know what they were up against, if anything at all, would that really be best?

“Listen. You stay here. I’ll go out the window and see what’s happening.”

Marinette tapped Tikki’s head. “And what if it’s an akumatized victim? You can’t go by yourself!”

“And what if it’s not?” Tikki retorted. “Just let me have a look. I won’t take long.”

Before Marinette could protest, Tikki was off.

While Tikki went off toward the crashing noise, Marinette made her way to her room. She slipped off her bag as she carefully climbed the steps, holding the railing so she wouldn’t fall. Halfway up the stairs, she could hear Tikki scream from the entrance door.

“MARINETTE! MOVE!” Tikki called out, zipping to the staircase. “There’s a sentimonster on the roof with-“

A final, and cacophonous sound tumbled through the top of her family’s bakery, coming from her room. Marinette pulled back as the ceiling above her shook.

She lost her footing, slipping backward as her book bag pulled her down. The railing no longer secured her as she prepared to collide with the floor below.

But when she shut her eyes, waiting for the impact… it never came.

She could no longer hear Tikki’s panicked voice. The crashing ceased. And her breathing slowly went back to normal.

She felt a pair of gloves gripping her wrist.

Chat Noir! Of course. The day Clarityvoice broke in, Chat Noir was here, just like now. He fought the akumatized victim, crashed into her room, and saved her from a fall!

It was just like last time!

Once she’d relaxed, she accidentally slipped against the steps once more. She hadn’t opened her eyes, or even thanked Chat Noir yet, as dust blew around her face.

She tried to set her shoes back down on the stairs, but she ended up shoving one of her shoes into the railing instead. Great. Just great.

She felt the gloves brace her back, keeping her from falling once again.

Her luck was incredible today! To think, she almost missed seeing Chat Noir, and now, here he was! And he’d managed to save her from her stairs twice, and it hadn’t even been a minute!

“Thanks,” she voiced to the figure in front of her, wiping her eyes with her free hand. She couldn’t wait to see him again! To hear a cheesy cat pun, offer him treats from the bakery, or just be with him again. And now… he was here.

Carefully lifting her eyelids open, she could vaguely make out a masked face. Dust continued to mask the figure’s image as she started to shape out the mask’s outline, and two cat ears’ outlines. She spotted his familiar bell amongst the dust, slightly jingling as he helped her stand upright.

But then… she wondered why something felt severely off.

Didn’t Tikki mention a sentimonster? And why was there so much dust…?

Chat Noir can’t cataclysm sentimonsters, so it still had to be nearby, right?

And maybe it was just her imagination… but… his suit appeared lighter behind all of the dusty debris. He hadn’t said anything yet, let alone crack a cat pun like he usually would. He was just quiet.

But past the debris, and past the uncomfortable silence, Marinette noticed something far worse. Something that sent chills down her spine, narrowly missing the pair of gloves bracing her upright.

There was a faint glow from his mask. And it wasn’t from his familiar green cat eyes. The glow wasn’t even green.

The glow was blue.

“…Chat Noir?”

The figure silently leaned forward as dust blew away from his face. He dubiously tilted his head, letting another jingle fill the room.

“I’m not Chat Noir anymore…” he voiced in slight despondency, more so impassively.

The debris cleared somewhat more. It was his cataclysm's coloration. So… did that mean the sentimonster was cataclysmed? Or…

Marinette was lost in thought. But not for long. A small, cold drop from his cut cheek landed on her forehead.

“I’m Chat Blanc.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Chat Blanc is finally here! I’ve been so excited to write Chat Blanc scenes, so here he is 😅🐈❄️.
Thanks for reading! :D

🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 8

Summary:

(Warning: this chapter includes some violent scenes and sad memories/grief, so this is a heads up just in case someone needs one 🦋)

Marinette was frozen. When she’d finally realized just what Chat Noir meant to her… ‘Chat Noir’ no longer existed.

The grip holding her up loosened slightly.

…Or was ‘Chat Noir’ still there?

What was running through his mind? Was he scared? Did Hawk Moth threaten him, manipulate him, or both?

His suit was completely white, his eyes were blue and glowing, and even his usual golden bell was white.

…And the cutest tufts of blonde hair were now white, she thought to herself, sadly eyeing his snow white hair. His eyes were still bright, and mysterious (as she’d confessed to Chloe), but not in the same ‘Chat Noir’ way. The life behind his eyes was practically snuffed out. They no longer invited goofy inquiries from Detective Marinette; they were like a cold case, unwilling for further investigation, and no hope for an answer.

Another drop of blood dropped from his cheek, quietly landing on her face.

“Chat.”

She trusted him, even if he was akumatized. Chat Noir would always be Chat Noir. No matter what. A costume change wouldn’t change that. As long as she could talk with him, and hear him out, she could find a way to save him.

He blinked.

“…Chat?” Marinette mumbled, waiting for a response.

He wasn’t showing any signs of hostility. He was just quiet. Yet… she couldn’t probe him for answers, or transform into Ladybug anytime soon. She was just stuck.

…What if Chat Blanc knew her identity?

She internally scowled at herself. She couldn’t think like that. Not right now. Not when he needed help. Whether he knew her identity or not, she would have to save him, knowing he might fight against her. And for now, she needed to stop his bleeding.

“Did you get cut anywhere else?” She leaned toward his right cheek, trying to assess how deep the cut was.

Before she could get a full look, he turned as well, only allowing her to see his left cheek. His unblemished left cheek to be precise.

“H-hey! What are you doing?” Marinette frowned, forcefully leaning more to her left to see his cut. But as she struggled to get a glance, he continued to hide his cut cheek from her sight. “Stop it!”

He narrowed his eyes, looking away from her silently.

What was this doofus doing?

Without a second thought, Marinette stretched her arm out to his face, gripping his chin. She pulled his face toward her own as he tried to struggle away. Not the best move for the injured, but there was no way Detective Marinette would let this issue go.

“Let-! Me-! See-! Your-! Cut-!” She struggled to voice between tugging his face.

He looked up, down, to his right… and then to his left.

“GOT YOU!” She let out a victorious snort, carefully placing her other hand along his face.

His empty eyes slowly filled with worry as she stared at his cut. He wasn’t Chat Noir anymore… so what would Marinette do?

He tried to shake his head, only for Marinette to steady it again. He furrowed his eyebrows in distrust.

“Chat! What happened to you?!”

Well, that was unexpected, Chat Blanc thought to himself. Tilting his head in confusion, the blood dripping out slanted along his cheek, dripping down his chin.

She gently straightened his head, tilting his head back. “No! Don’t move. Follow me to the kitchen so I can clean your face.”

Marinette slipped from his arms, gripping his hand as she started to walk down. But there was one problem: Chat Blanc wouldn’t budge.

“Chat? Why aren’t you following me?”

Chat Blanc puffed his cheeks before replying, “You told me not to move.”

“I meant your head!” Marinette let go of Chat Blanc’s hand as she facepalmed. Unaware she was tilted on the steps, she slowly found herself falling…again.

And Chat Blanc caught her by the hand… again.

“…Thank you,” Marinette mumbled in embarrassment.

If only she were Ladybug right now. Everything would be so much easier. For starters, she could compose herself… unlike now.

She couldn’t just wait for an explanation from this guy; why would Chat Blanc confide in Marinette? ‘Marinette’ wasn’t a superhero… yet another reason why ‘Ladybug’ was a better fit for this situation. Besides, what would ‘Marinette’ be able to do with that information anyway? It’d be useless confiding in her.

So why wasn’t he searching for Ladybug?

…Why was he here? With Marinette?

Marinette shook her head out of her thoughts. He had a hold on her hand again, so she’d just lead him down the steps and to the kitchen. Then, she could fix him up, hide behind a tree to transform, and save Chat Noir from the clutches of the big bad butterfly man.

She nodded to herself as she further formulated her plans. With a simple ‘Miraculous Ladybug’, she’d fix everything. Then, she and Chat Noir could put an end to Snowtopia’s and Clarityvoice’s wishes once and for all. It would all be over.

With a slow scan of his solemn face, a small frown embraced her own. He hadn’t let out a single pun as ‘Chat Blanc’… and that bugged her more than his outfit change.

Chat Blanc was the reserved version of Chat Noir. He wasn’t terrorizing Paris, or mumbling to the butterfly man in his head. Chat Blanc was lingering in her bakery, and just moments before, he’d fought a sentimonster from what Tikki could see. He wasn’t the villain here, just like every other akumatized victim. He was still Chat Noir.

But even if he was himself as Chat Blanc… he didn’t appear all that happy.

“Chat? Can you follow me, please?” She calmly voiced, tugging his hand a little. If she had a gentler approach with him, maybe he’d open up a little more. Maybe he could slip out of the cold darkness that monster, Hawk Moth, cast on him.

With a defeated nod, Chat Blanc looked down at the stairs as he let Marinette lead him down.

Her plan would’ve worked if it weren’t for another small miscommunication. She glanced behind her, forcefully stopping on her own. Chat Blanc bumped into her soon after.

“Chat!”

Chat Blanc raised his eyebrows in alarm. “…Yes?”

“Keep your head up, or you’ll keep bleeding,” she sighed as she tilted his head up for him.

“But I can’t see the steps if I look up,” he replied. He lifted his free hand to smooth his hair, nervously eyeing the staircase.

Chat Blanc wasn’t all that different from Chat Noir. But not in the ‘reserved’ way she thought he was. She inwardly facepalmed, annoyed she even considered this guy ‘reserved’. He wasn’t the nonchalant antihero at all; he was the exact same Chat, but with all the annoyance and none of the humor. The oblivious audacity of this guy was enough to drive her insane. Here she was trying to help him, and he was making it ‘impawsible’ just getting past the stairs.

The. Nerve. Of. This. Cat.

~~~~~

Two hours went by, but Tom and Sabine were still with Grandpa Roland. Marinette was in charge of the bakery, as some customers pointed out to her, but she wasn’t just taking care of the bakery at this point.

Behind the counter, a bell jingled furiously.

“Chat! Stop it!” Marinette mumbled from the cash register through clenched teeth, smiling at an irritated customer.

“Mmm, what was that?” The customer inquired, tilting her head. “If you’re going to take my order, speak intelligibly, thanks.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes, slowly taking in a deep breath, while ignoring an equally irritated sound from beneath the counter.

“My apologies,” Marinette forced a smile as she locked her fingers together. “What can I get for you?”

“Umm, yeah,” the customer began, “I want one of your smallest cherry clafoutis slices to go, mmhmm.”

A tiny snicker under the counter caught the customer’s attention.

“Umm… mmhmm, and what was that?”

Marinette shoved her shoe onto a leather belt below the counter. “Sorry, ma’am. It must’ve been one of our paper bags… umm… slipping. Yeah. It was that.”

The customer flicked her hand in disinterest, shimmying slightly as she straightened her jacket.

“So, mmhmm, as I was previously saying, I need the cherry clafoutis wrapped ‘del-i-cate-ly’,” she continued, pressing her hands on the counter. “You make cherry clafoutis with recycled flour, right?”

Marinette slowly replied, “We only use regular flour. But we have gluten free pastries available! I can give you a gluten free slice instead-”

“Seriously? You don’t use recycled flour? Mmhmm… no, the original cherry clafoutis is what I ASKED for, so I won’t have your ‘glue-tin-free’ thing, thanks. I’ll take what I ordered, m’kay? But you should really consider, like, making this place healthy and not so… problematic.”

An audible scoff from under the counter was silenced by a forced laugh. “You know what? I would ‘love’ to get your regular cherry clafoutis packed, MMHMM… What was it? Oh yeah, that’s right. ‘Del-i-cate-ly’. But I’m so sorry. Your cherry clafoutis isn’t made from recycled ingredients. It’s flour, sugar, and cherries.”

Marinette leaned forward, pointing to the glass display. “That’s one of our last slices of cherry clafoutis. Will this be alright?”

The customer shrugged after scanning the small piece. “Mmm… I guess so. It’s just… like… your vibe is totally hostile, and I don’t like it.”

Marinette gripped her hands behind her back, thinking back to the day she wore that ugly cat dress on the boat. If only the boat sunk with her in it. Then, she wouldn’t have to deal with this.

And it wasn’t just the obnoxious customer. The human cat tapping her apron under the counter wasn’t exactly helping her relax. Hiding Paris’ hero gone ‘villain’ wasn’t an easy task, especially when he loudly pawed at pastries she’d given him to stay quiet.

She sighed. So many things would be resolved if the boat just sank.

With one last slow breadth, she carefully packed the cherry clafoutis piece up. She planned to hand it to the customer, have her leave, and then finally find Chat Blanc’s akuma.

But the clawed glove swiping away the bag diminished her hope.

“AHH! Was that a snake?!” The customer jumped, slamming her hands on the table. “You know what? No thank you. Mmm, no. I’m leaving. Goodbye.”

The customer left, shoving past some people making their own exit. The door opened, and some wind blew against the customer’s jacket as she finally walked away.

There was no one left in the bakery after a couple of minutes.

And now…

There were no cherry clafoutis slices, either.

“…Chat.”

She bent down, narrowing her eyes at Chat Blanc. He was licking his lips, studying his clawed gloves for crumbs.

“Chat! I can’t believe you!” Marinette angrily booped his nose.

Pulling her finger back, she watched as he rubbed his nose with an irritated glare. To anyone else, having one of Paris’ heroes akumatized, and glaring right at them, would be an absolute nightmare. But Marinette was already living through an even worse nightmare: managing an entire bakery… and worse… putting up with one of Paris’ heroes akumatized.

“Barely any customers got their orders because you ate most of them. What were you thinking?”

Chat Blanc tilted his head, tapping his bandaged cheek. “They were rude to you, so they didn’t deserve any.”

“Neither did you!” Marinette replied, flabbergasted. “Are you trying to put my family out of business?!”

Chat Blanc wiped his paws, shimmying out from beneath the counter.

“Well, if I were, would you pay more attention to-”

Chat Blanc felt a madeleine plop into his mouth, silencing his question.

“Save it. The bakery’s closed now anyway. So… It’s fine. It’s… fine,” Marinette replied, leaning onto the wall. “Are you feeling better?”

Chat Blanc chewed the madeleine. “Yep.”

Marinette scanned Chat Blanc. Thankfully, he didn’t have any other injuries. It took an hour alone just to get that cat’s cheek cleaned; every time she tried to clean it, he would tug his head as far away as he could. But once she’d dumped a bucket of soap water onto his head, he gave up.

Bandaging him wasn’t an issue, and neither was drying his hair. In fact, he was very open to the assistance. But she was still in charge of the bakery, and some customers were in a rush, making it difficult to focus on drying Chat Blanc’s hair. Plus, every time she asked about his akuma, he’d back away from her, retreating further under the counter.

And speaking of which… where was that butterfly?

“Chat Noir-“

“Chat Blanc,” Chat Blanc corrected, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, that’s what I meant. Um… so, uh, do you… know where your…”

As she pieced her sentence together, Chat Blanc caught on, instantly retreating underneath the counter again.

“Hey! Wait a second! You didn’t let me finish!”

Once several awkward seconds passed, a white cat ear stuck out from underneath the counter, wiggling toward Marinette.

Marinette tapped it. “Chat… Blanc. Do you… know where your superpower-giving-buddy could be?”

“He’s not my buddy,” Chat Blanc huffed.

“Then… have you tried looking for Lady-“

Chat Blanc twisted away, covering his cat ears with his gloves.

She rolled her eyes, leaning down to try and find his face again. “I know you can hear me,” Marinette sighed, tugging the collar of his suit. “Get out of there!”

“Leave me alone,” he replied, shaking his head in protest. “You just want Ladybug to fix me so I’ll be ‘Chat Noir’ again… but I’m not Chat Noir anymore! And I don’t want to be.”

Marinette continued to pull on his suit, but he just wouldn’t budge. Was this his akumatized power: getting on her nerves? It was working.

She lost her balance after another failed tug, crashing against the floor. Her arms followed, releasing Chat Blanc.

“Ow!” She grumbled, sitting up. She rubbed the back of her neck, spotting Chat Blanc worriedly coming out.

“…Are you okay?” He asked, tapping her shoulder.

She looked down at the white glove hovering by her neck, with one lone finger incessantly tapping her shoulder. She stayed silent, waiting for him to eventually give up and go find Ladybug.

But he didn’t leave. The longer she stayed quiet, the more he tapped her shoulder. So eventually, she shoved his hand away.

He shoved her hand back.

“What are you doing?” Marinette raised an eyebrow at him, lightly hitting his hand back again.

He bumped her hand back several times, and she did the same. They just started batting at each other.

Once a minute of relentless batting ensued, Marinette poked his nose, startling him back as she stood up. “You’re not a cat, and neither am I, Chat.”

“I didn’t call you a cat,” he smoothed his cat ears, slightly offended.

“That’s not what I meant.”

He blinked. “Then… what?”

Marinette raised her hand, purposely shaking it in the air. “You were batting with my hand.”

He looked away, unamused. “No, you were.”

“I. Was. Not.”

Before she could leave the room with the last word, he quickly spun around to her. She stopped in place, startled by his sudden approach as he tapped her hand pointedly. He narrowed his eyes. “Yes. You. Were.”

That was it. Marinette couldn’t take this anymore! His stubbornness was incredible! Why was he acting like a child?! Why? And why was he pestering ‘Marinette’? Why not Ladybug? And yes… Marinette knew she was Ladybug, but it’s not like Chat Blanc knew that. Ladybug could help him more than Marinette, but he was just being so obstinate.

“STOP IT!”

She puffed her cheeks, glaring at his forming smirk. She angrily tapped his nose to get rid of said smirk. Was he proud of himself for getting on her last nerve? What was he trying to accomplish? If he knew her secret identity, wearing her out mentally before swiping her earrings was an interesting strategy… but she knew him better than that. He could be petty when he wanted to be, so there was no way he’d miss out on an actual fight.

She squirmed uncomfortably in place. The thought of fighting Chat Blanc, her partner, would never feel easy… but it’s not like she had a choice anymore.

He flinched, pulling away with a scowl. “Stop hitting my nose!”

“Then TELL ME how I can help you!”

Chat Blanc poked her forehead. “I’m staying like this.”

Chat Noir… was Chat Blanc. And it wasn’t a forced persona from Hawk Moth; Chat Noir really wanted to be ‘Chat Blanc’. Why couldn’t Marinette see that?

“Then… is Hawk Moth really in your head?” Marinette asked, leaning toward him slightly. “Are you really going to let that monster tell you what to do?”

Chat Blanc rolled his eyes. “He’s not making me do anything.”

“But what if he hurts you?! What if he kills you if Ladybug loses?! Whether you’re Chat Noir or Chat Blanc doesn’t matter to me; if Hawk Moth had the upper hand, I won’t be able to do a THING!”

She covered her face with her hands. There was no way she’d let Hawk Moth see her cry through Chat Blanc. Not happening.

But as she felt tears slip down her wrists, a gloved hand lightly held her shoulder in support.

“Hawk Moth won’t be a problem anymore.”

Marinette slowly lowered her hand.

…Hawk Moth won’t be a problem anymore. What did that mean?

More importantly, why wasn’t Chat Blanc elaborating?

There was a somewhat villainous glimmer in Chat Blanc’s eyes. Hold on. If Chat was akumatized, and Hawk Moth “wasn’t a problem anymore”… did that mean…

Chat Blanc cleared his throat, tapping her chin. “Could I have another madeleine?”

Marinette snapped out of her thoughts. “I…”

He waited for her to finish her sentence, but after a minute passed, she gave up. There was nothing she could say that would ever make sense in her current situation’s context. For all she knew, with Chat Blanc’s vagueness, Hawk Moth could be dead… and the potential culprit was asking for a treat like everything was completely normal.

Within a moment, a sudden wave of bashfulness took over Chat Blanc as he eyed the floor. He felt a little guilty for asking for more pastries, but he’d offered to pay her back an hour ago. She was the one who insisted he could have as much as he wanted.

He leaned in, wondering how Marinette felt. Probably not the best, he admitted to himself, but he wanted to hear it from her. He changed. But she wasn’t exactly running away from him or pushing him out the door.

Marinette was the only person he could go to after he fought against his dad, but it’s not like he planned to barge in her room. That was on the sentimonster. And with everything that went down, he wasn’t sure he’d ever see her again. But here he was: loitering in her family’s bakery.

A small sigh escaped his lips as he mindlessly stared past her shoulder. He shouldn’t be here. He knew that. He should be filling Ladybug in on the details… on everything he knew now.

But… something stopped him from searching for her. He slightly shook his head, eyeing Marinette’s pigtails. No, he never planned to meet up with Ladybug to begin with.

He was the one who fought the mannequin sentimonster, and he might’ve subconsciously played a role in where he’d destroyed it. It was created in a last attempt against Chat Blanc, after Gabriel realized he’d made a grave oversight.

“Umm… Chat…?”

Marinette eyed Chat Blanc. He was leaning close to her, as if he wanted to say something… but the closer he drew, the more his silence worried her. Something was off. His face was contemplative, like he’d put pieces to a puzzle together that she couldn’t see. Something was revealing itself in his mind, and from what she could tell, it wasn’t just one revelation. Everything she didn’t know was clicking for him, and the fact she didn’t know what he knew alarmed her. He knew something…

He… knew… something…

He snapped out of his thoughts. His eyes centered on hers.

“Sorry,” he coyly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I was just lost in my head.”

Marinette kept her eyes on him as he quietly pulled back with a light smile.

Coy: the only word to describe his actions. It was like he was feigning innocence with a guise so perfect, his ‘shyness’ might never reveal its true colors. It was like he was acting for an invisible camera, which almost reminded her of Adrien. But there was a key difference: every smile Adrien formed for the cameras held an unspeakable sadness, as if he’d been trapped his entire life. Unlike Adrien, Chat Blanc’s ‘picture-perfect’ smile was intentionally detectable, yet genuine somehow. It was playful and engaging, but the secrets swirling his mind tainted his otherwise pure smile. He was hiding his thoughts, keeping them to himself.

He knew something.

…What did he know?

~~~~~

Over an hour before Chat Blanc caught Marinette on her staircase, Adrien transformed into Chat Noir. He was still in the mansion’s basement, with Emilie’s coffin close behind him.

“Father,” Chat Noir spoke, raising his clawed glove in defense, “please don’t make me fight you.”

“We wouldn’t be fighting if your heroic fallacy ceased years ago,” Hawk Moth countervailed, charging toward Chat Noir. He extended his cane, slashing it toward the dodging hero. “If you want your meaningless existence rectified, join me in defeating Ladybug and conquering the guardian’s secrets. Your mother’s waited long enough.”

Chat Noir dodged another strike, uncomfortably twisting his neck away. The minuscule moments he could catch his breath, he stole quick glances at the glassy case holding his mother.

Fading memories grasped his mind as he recalled his mother’s laughter, her smile, and the scent of burning pie dough in the kitchen. She would always insist she’d bake alone, which used to bother Adrien. But as time went by, and the memories came back to him, he finally understood why.

Émilie was fixated on the details, process, and overall presentation. She strived for perfection in everything she did, similar to Gabriel. However, as Adrien saw it now, Émilie wanted those around her to experience perfection, and if she could bring about that perfection, she’d be satisfied. But no matter how much Adrien adored her singing, baking, acting, sculpting… She couldn’t view her talents’ worth. She couldn’t see what Adrien saw.

She was so focused on creating a perfect life for her family, friends, and herself, she didn’t realize how her actions would be received. Her love was genuine, even when it wasn’t viewed as such. She was trying her best, and that’s all anyone can do.

But she couldn’t accept her best. And she couldn’t see that her family loved her and her talents. Of course, that didn’t stop her from trying harder. She tried to be everything she thought her family deserved.

She overlooked a lot of things. Within their perfect family, Gabriel seeked power past the fashion industry. Adrien was in misery as a model. Nathalie, one of her closest friends, was taking on more work than she could handle.

She couldn’t see the tension slowly creeping within her family. In her eyes, everything was perfectly fine. Until the day it wasn’t.

Chat Noir took a shaky breath, narrowly missing a stab from Hawk Moth’s cane.

His mother’s illness was sudden. No one expected it, and he never knew why she’d grown ill to begin with.

He could vividly recall the day she’d collapsed in the garden. They were collecting flowers for Nathalie’s birthday, chatting about the weather and Gabriel’s latest fashion line. Some white roses further back in the yard caught Adrien’s eye, so he ran to them, leaving Émilie behind. He only planned to pluck a few roses for Nathalie’s bouquet… but by the time his fingertips brushed the roses’ petals… he froze.

He couldn’t turn to look behind him. He could only stand in place. Listening.

A scream of agony crossed the garden, and then the sound of a heavy thud.

By the time he twisted his neck her way, his terror encapsulated him at the sight. Across the yard, his mother was paralyzed on the ground with her hand grasping her chest. The fear in her eyes, the trembling of her lips, her bleeding out along the concrete pathway… he could remember it all vividly.

His legs weakened as he started to run for her. His voice screamed out for her, waiting for her to get up. Her face was scratched. Blood hastily dripped from her cheek. The flowers she’d picked were scattered along the grass. And as he stumbled on his shoelaces trying to reach her, he could see the light in her eyes dim as her hope ran away.

He collided with the ground, scraping his face as he painfully twisted it up. Shock and despair gripped his being as he tried to pull himself up. She remained on the ground, tears running down her cheeks as Adrien called out to her several more times.

The moment he thought he could make it, the bodyguard suddenly appeared. He held Adrien back as Gabriel and Nathalie lifted his mother, carrying her away.

That was the last day they’d ever have as their original perfect family.

The days she’d spent, laying in bed, talking to her family before the end… were hard for everyone. Whenever Gabriel wasn’t visiting Émilie, Adrien or Nathalie would be. Nathalie and Émilie would watch their favorite movies, inviting Adrien after he finished his lessons. Émilie would grip onto their hands as the films played. It was hard for her to speak, but she enjoyed hearing their voices.

The last days were special from what Adrien remembered. The two of them would truly spend time together, even if some moments were filled with silence.

But he couldn’t overlook her pain. Her sickness gripped her like pure darkness itself. It taunted her as the days continued to grow worse.

Adrien would cry in his room to not scare his mother, but as the days grew worse, he slipped. He’d entered her room with a package of bonbons, the kind she’d top her pies with for decoration… and before he realized it, he couldn’t present his usual smile anymore. He burst into tears, sobbing at the door as the bonbons shook in their plastic package. Gabriel would’ve scolded him if he’d known how Adrien was acting.

But Émilie didn’t. She slowly waved to him, inviting him over. The two of them sat in silence as Émilie smoothed his hair. By the time he’d stopped crying, a rumbling sound from the bonbon package caught his attention. She was tapping the case with one hand, and with the other, she patted his shoulder. Although it hurt for her to speak, she talked with him for the longest time that day. They talked about the movies they’d watched, games they’d played, and overall, the happiness Émilie found, despite the pain.

She listened to his feelings, and she shared her own. Without Gabriel shutting Adrien down, they truly spent time together. And despite how much he loved their time together… it eventually came to an end.

So he pushed away every memory of her. He couldn’t relive those memories. Not again.

But as he turned to look at the glass case with his mother… he didn’t want to forget those memories anymore. She wouldn’t have wanted that either. Their time together was perfect, even if it hurt. And without the difficult moments, the positive moments in the past wouldn’t be what they were now: special.

He finally remembered why his mother wanted space. He realized why baking those pies by herself was so important to her. He could see why perfectionism was so necessary.

Unlike his father, she just wanted everyone to be happy… and in the end, she realized they already were, just having her around.

Gabriel wasn’t in the wrong for wanting Émilie back, Chat Noir thought to himself.

…But would his mother be happy now? To see Paris fighting against the person she married? To see his son, trying to stop his own father?

Émilie deserved better than that.

“Mother wouldn’t want this.”

The sentence was so quiet, it could hardly be heard at all. Hawk Moth was still swinging his cane at Chat Noir, but by now, Chat Noir wasn’t dodging it. He felt his arms tense as the cane drew closer.

Chat Noir turned to look at his mother again. Her eyes were closed, and her expression was peaceful.

Hawk Moth scowled, slamming the cane on the ground to catch Chat Noir’s attention. “We can ask her once you retrieve Ladybug’s Miraculous.”

Suddenly, as Chat Noir turned to view his dad, the cane lunged forward. Chat Noir backed away as the cane narrowly missed his neck.

But what he didn’t see was a purple butterfly slip itself into his bell.

“Chat Blanc.”

“N-no,” Chat Noir eyed the bell, lifting his hand. “Cata-“

The cane shoved Chat Noir’s arm away. “Retrieve Ladybug’s Miraculous to save your mother.”

“I don’t… want to,” Chat Noir shook his head, gripping his head in his hands. “Stop!”

Hawk Moth ignored Chat Noir fearfully shaking on the floor. Instead, Hawk Moth looked out to the glass case.

“Soon, you will be with us again, Émilie.”

Chat Noir grit his teeth, eyeing his father smoothing his brooch, and then his frosted tips.

“Soon, you will-“

A quick swipe silenced Hawk Moth as he stumbled back, detransforming.

Chat Noir stepped forward, grasping the butterfly Miraculous in his hand. As he drew closer, Gabriel stepped back. A sadistic smile lit Chat Noir’s face as he placed the butterfly Miraculous in his pocket. Purple fog enveloped him, transforming his suit from black to white.

“Chat Blanc…” Chat Blanc voiced, tapping his chin as he eyed the ceiling. He let out a deranged laugh as he locked eyes with Gabriel. “I like it. It’s so bland compared to your usual tacky names, father. I’m impressed.”

“Adrien,” Gabriel nervously began, pulling back as Chat Blanc stepped closer. “Remember your mother. Save your mother.”

Chat Blanc gripped Gabriel’s throat, lifting him off the ground. “I’m not Adrien.”

Gabriel gulped, struggling as Chat Blanc’s deadpan expression twisted. Chat Blanc flicked his bell with his free hand, letting out a scoff.

“Don’t you remember?!” Chat Blanc cackled, shaking Gabriel in the air. “I have a better name now! You came up with it yourself! You and your simpleminded head of yours managed to create something decent for a change.”

One of Chat Blanc’s white cat ears twitched from an approaching sound. He raised Gabriel in the air, keeping his eyes on Gabriel panicking beneath his grasp. With a smirk, Chat Blanc flicked his free wrist behind him, catching an arrow aimed for his head.

“Nathalie!” Gabriel choked out, twisting as Chat Blanc’s claws dug into his neck. “Get out of here! He’s gone insane!”

Chat Blanc’s cat ears twitched as a dubious look embraced his face. He turned around, spotting Nathalie with a bow and arrow aimed at the two of them.

“Nathalie!” Chat Blanc called out with a cheerful smile. “Your aim is incredible. You almost got me!”

Nathalie’s eyes narrowed as she kept her stance. “Put him down, Adrien.”

“Oh, so you knew my secret identity as well?” Chat Blanc asked, tapping his chin with the arrow he’d caught. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m not Adrien anymore.”

Nathalie took a step back as she sadly eyed Chat Blanc. She shook her head, pointing her arrow toward Gabriel. “You told me you wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Well, I lied,” Gabriel confessed. “I only meant to use him for Émilie’s sake, but he’s stolen the butterfly Miraculous from me.”

Chat Blanc shook Gabriel around a little. “Seriously?”

“Please put him down,” Nathalie sighed, wondering why she was even bothering to protect Gabriel at this point. “We can find a solution to-“

Before Nathalie could continue… her bow crashed against the floor. She gripped her chest as she coughed, falling to her knees.

Just like Émilie.

Chat Blanc’s nails dug further into Gabriel’s neck as blood trailed down his gloves. “What’s wrong with her?”

Gabriel coughed as he answered, “Isn’t it obvious? She’s ill. The illness your mother faced is now Nathalie’s.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes twitched as Nathalie gasped for air, facing away from the two of them in agony.

The grip on Gabriel’s neck loosened slightly as fear spread across Chat Blanc’s face. With this opportunity, Gabriel smirked, leaning his head back. “They both used a damaged Miraculous for your sake, Adrien. Their deaths are on your hands. Unless… you were to retrieve Ladybug’s Miraculous and betray the Guardian.”

Nathalie shook her head, coughing as she weakly gripped her bow. “Don’t… listen to… him.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes darted between Nathalie and his mother. Because of him.

Because of him. For his sake? No. No! That wasn’t possible. It’s a lie. Everything, all of them, it was all a lie. He didn’t… do anything, no, he didn’t do anything wrong.

Gabriel’s smirk faded as he caught a glance of Chat Blanc’s glowing free hand.

Chat Blanc hyperventilated, shaking in place. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t him.

Chat Blanc didn’t do anything wrong. Chat Blanc was someone else. Someone else entirely.

Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir were to blame. Not Chat Blanc.

Chat Blanc was innocent.

“Stop-!” Nathalie called out, grasping her mouth as blood ran through her fingers. The bow shook in her other hand without an arrow. “Gabriel… leave… him alone!”

Gabriel’s hands tightened around Chat Blanc’s neck. “Don’t be obtuse! I akumatized him to be stronger than he’s ever been. If he lets out a cataclysm, we’ll die!”

Chat Blanc scowled at Gabriel, tightening his own grip around Gabriel’s neck.

Nathalie lowered her blood stained hand, eyeing the drops sticking to her skin. Her eyes dimmed as she set down her bow. “I’m going to die anyway.”

Caught off guard, Gabriel’s eyebrows furrowed as he twisted his head past Chat Blanc. Chat Blanc’s cat ears twitched in Nathalie’s direction.

“What are you saying?” Gabriel weakly demanded against Chat Blanc’s grip.

Nathalie struggled to stand up. Her eyes filled with tears as she took off her glasses.

“NATHALIE!” Gabriel screamed, watching as a blue and purple kwami flew out of her jacket.

“Duusu… spread my feathers.”

Nathalie transformed into Mayura, sending a feather to her bow. She mumbled beneath her fan as a mannequin sentimonster stood beside her.

“This… is the only way… you two… will stop,” Mayura coughed, violently extending her hand out to the two of them. “Release each other… or I’ll order Sentiquin… to shoot both of you.”

Gabriel immediately raised his hands in defeat, but Chat Blanc’s grip tightened.

“Give me your Miraculous,” Chat Blanc monotonously voiced, stepping forward with one hand gripping Gabriel, and the other hand extended to Nathalie. As he approached, blood dripped onto the floor, smearing as Gabriel’s shoes slowly dragged against the ground.

Mayura jumped back, landing at the top of the basement’s opening. “Sentiquin… stop him.”

Sentiquin nodded, levitating arrows around their bow.

Chat Blanc scowled as Mayura slipped away. He gave Gabriel one last glance. “Where is she going?”

Gabriel scoffed. “Like I’d tell a monster like you.”

Chat Blanc raised an eyebrow at Gabriel’s smugness, tossing him at Sentiquin. With Sentiquin distracted, he planned to chase after Mayura.

But Sentiquin tossed Gabriel aside as well, charging past Chat Blanc. Sentiquin guarded Mayura’s exit, levitating their bow.

Chat Blanc rolled his eyes. “Come on! Move already!”

Sentiquin fired an arrow toward Chat Blanc’s forehead, narrowly missing as the arrow glided through his snow white hair.

“That’s the best you’ve got?” Chat Blanc scoffed. “Nathalie had better aim than you.”

Sentiquin kicked Chat Blanc back, readying several more arrows.

“Aren’t you gonna say anything?” Chat Blanc taunted, sadistically smiling Sentiquin’s way. “Or are you really just a lifeless puppet?”

Chat Blanc jumped once more, reaching for the exit. But Sentiquin gripped his arm, firing an arrow toward the wall. The wall crumbled as Sentiquin pulled Chat Blanc outside of the mansion.

“I have my orders,” Sentiquin quietly replied, wiping some light snow off of their glassy face.

Chat Blanc’s smile widened, as if the puppet before him were really alive.

But Sentiquin really was alive. And Sentiquin wasn’t a puppet. They were moving on their own, following Mayura’s instructions. Sentiquin was just as alive as Chat Blanc was. Chat Blanc just wouldn’t let himself see that.

“So you do talk?” Chat Blanc tilted his head, tapping Sentiquin’s glass head. “If you happened to shatter… What would your voice sound like? Would it be raspy?”

Sentiquin dodged a swipe, firing an arrow toward Chat Blanc’s head. The arrow missed as they leaped away from Chat Blanc.

“Oo! Would you have multiple voices?” Chat Blanc inquired, lunging forward. He gripped Sentiquin’s shoulders, shoving them down on a nearby roof. It was as if he’d forgotten they were even fighting as he gave Sentiquin a beaming grin. “Tell me!”

“That’s enough,” Sentiquin muttered, grasping a floating arrow. They raised it toward Chat Blanc’s eye, scowling as Chat Blanc jumped back.

“You're boring,” Chat Blanc frowned, fixing his hair. He ran across the snowy buildings, smirking as Sentiquin followed behind him.

Sentiquin’s face lit up as Mayura spoke inside their head. “I’ve managed to escape. Your service was appreciated.”

Chat Blanc spotted a familiar roof nearby, wondering when he’d beat Sentiquin. Calling Ladybug crossed his mind… but he could handle Sentiquin. Besides, Ladybug might call the whole team and make things more than they needed to be. And then… they’d all try to get rid of his akuma.

Ladybug wouldn’t understand. She just wouldn’t. She’d be so focused on their jobs as heroes, she wouldn’t listen to a thing he said. Besides… no one on the team would defend Chat Blanc, either. Carapace flipped out the day Chat Blanc had cyan eyes from Ressusciter. Chat Blanc would be labeled ‘possessed’ by Carapace if Chat Blanc refused to change back. Rena Rouge wasn’t as close with Chat Noir compared to Ladybug, so she’d side with Ladybug in a heartbeat. He rolled his eyes, imagining Queen Bee loudly protesting against him, even if he could explain himself to her.

None of the heroes would defend him if they knew he was akumatized. And he wasn’t sure he could play off his akumatization as a power up.

But maybe Marinette would understand.

Sentiquin gripped their bow, steadying it toward Chat Blanc. “I’ll finish him off for you, Mayura.”

The voice in their head came back, speaking through Sentiquin’s mouth audibly. “No. You’ve done enough.”

Chat Blanc’s ears twitched, listening to the exchange between Sentiquin and Mayura.

“I release you from-“

“Hold on,” Chat Blanc scoffed, dashing up to Sentiquin. Sentiquin pulled back, firing another arrow that somehow missed again. “You haven’t even left a scratch on me. Do you seriously think you can stop me? Your aim is awful.”

Sentiquin aimed a punch toward Chat Blanc’s chest. But Chat Blanc caught the punch, gripping Sentiquin’s arms as he threw them off the building. Sentiquin landed on a snow-covered roof, jumping away from Chat Blanc’s advance.

“For Mayura, I will stop you,” Sentiquin replied as they landed on a nearby balcony. Sentiquin ripped off their arm, shattering glass pieces on the ground. Merging their torn arm with their intact arm, one bulky arm formed. “Permanently.”

“Oh no,” Chat Blanc gasped, covering his mouth with his gloves.

Sentiquin aimed a punch toward Chat Blanc, letting out an aggravated sigh once Chat Blanc dodged. “Didn’t you just admit defeat?”

“Huh?” Chat Blanc tilted his head. “I was just sad your voice stayed the same even after shattering. It was kind of a let down.”

Sentiquin shook their main arm, watching it divide back into two. Each arm went back to its original place. “You’re still a threat to Mayura. If my strength isn’t enough to end you, it’ll be enough to end someone else.”

Chat Blanc furrowed his eyebrows as Sentiquin eyed the balcony’s window hatch. “What are you saying?”

Sentiquin levitated their bow from the ground, centering some arrows by it. “A hostage will shake you up enough to catch you off guard. Then, I’ll kill you.”

Chat Blanc eyed Sentiquin in shock. “Are you insane?”

“Why does that matter to you?” Sentiquin scoffed. “Once my mission is complete, I’ll die anyway. Taking someone else with me in the process won’t bother me. Will it bother you?”

Chat Blanc gripped Sentiquin by the throat. “Don’t make me do this.”

Sentiquin tilted their head in mockery. “Do what? Shatter my neck? I don’t need my head to fight you.”

Mayura’s voice spoke through Sentiquin. “Sentiquin… that’s enough.”

Sentiquin’s face flickered as Mayura’s presence faded away. “…Mayura?”

Chat Blanc’s cat ears twitched as he heard sounds from inside the building. It only hit him once he’d spotted the balcony’s chairs, the familiar window hatch, and a familiar scent of freshly baked pastries.

They were on Marinette’s balcony.

And Sentiquin’s hostage would be someone in Marinette’s family… or even Marinette herself.

Without a second thought, he shattered Sentiquin’s neck, sending chipped glass across the balcony.

Sentiquin raised their arms in confusion. “I told you already. Shattering my neck won’t stop me from killing you.”

Chat Blanc spotted the bow with three arrows hovering to the side of his head. Sentiquin raised their arm, pointing a finger gun toward their headless and chipping neck.

“Your time is up.” Sentiquin fired their finger at their broken neck, signaling the arrows to fire toward Chat Blanc’s head. Sentiquin’s head rolled over to them on its own as the arrows fired.

Chat Blanc leaned forward, dodging the arrows. He shoved Sentiquin to the ground, grabbing their head and placing it back on their neck. He placed his clawed gloves along Sentiquin’s chest. The bow and arrows crashed to the floor behind them. “Huh. I guess it’s not.”

Sentiquin struggled against Chat Blanc. “Die!”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at Sentiquin. Sentiquin was stubborn… and despite Mayura’s orders… Sentiquin seemed to resist Mayura’s attempts to end their fight. Mayura must’ve grown worse if her control was weakened.

He shook his head. This sentimonster seemed to care a lot for Mayura. Sentiquin didn’t care they would die, by Chat Blanc or Mayura, as long as someone else died as well.

Why did Sentiquin want Chat Blanc, or even an innocent bystander, to die with them so badly?

Chat Blanc readied his hand, light flickering from his palm. Maybe Sentiquin represented Mayura’s own feelings. If she was just as sick as Émilie was… maybe she didn’t fear death as much, knowing her friend was already gone.

But Sentiquin was alone.

“I’m not dying until I kill you first!” Sentiquin screamed, gripping Chat Blanc’s neck. “Just die already!”

Chat Blanc shook his head. “No, I’m not going to die with you. I’m sorry.”

Sentiquin gripped Chat Blanc’s neck tighter. “Yes you are!”

“No… I’m not,” Chat Blanc voiced. “Listen. I don’t know what exactly you’re feeling. If you're scared, or are in pain… I wouldn’t have a clue. I don’t know what sentimonsters feel… I just know I’ve had to defeat a lot of them already. You’re not the only one.”

Sentiquin’s grip weakened as they fidgeted beneath Chat Blanc. “You’ve already beaten Mayura’s creations?”

Chat Blanc nodded. “It’s not like I had much of a choice. But… there was a time one sentimonster had a chance to live… and she died. Would you consider… not harming people… if I let you go… and if I retrieved the peacock Miraculous?”

Sentiquin’s head chipped against their neck. “No.”

Chat Blanc shut his eyes, letting the light from his palm brighten. “I’m sorry.”

Sentiquin’s grip on Chat Blanc’s neck tightened as the light reflected along their chipped glass.

“Cataclysm.”

~~~~~

Somewhere in Paris, a figure dressed in white and blue casually walked along the rooftops. Snow gently blew past the shivering figure striding along, wind messing with their hair. Bright blue eyes scanned the city, searching the buildings below. Those eyes locked onto a brick building with frost-bitten vines scattering up the walls.

A pair of pliers covered in familiar bunny doodles raised up toward the sky.

“Emma,” the figure voiced, lowering the pliers toward the building in the distance. “I found you.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Sentiquin can’t aim a bow at all… at least they couldn’t when Chat Blanc dodged so much. The bow is still there… so maybe I’ll write someone practicing with it. 🏹❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 9

“MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG, so HELP me-”

Marinette’s phone violently shook against her hand with Chloe’s voice booming out of it. Chloe had every right to be upset, Marinette thought to herself. They had to finish their science project soon; the deadline wouldn’t be postponed anymore than it had been.

It was early in the morning when Marinette first heard her phone’s buzzing. Chat Blanc was nowhere to be found, and her panic spiraled through the roof as she accepted Chloe’s call.

And now, at full blast, Chloe’s voice protested throughout Marinette’s entire room, as if Chloe was in the bakery.

Marinette didn’t bother turning down the volume, or even taking Chloe off speaker. She crumbled into her blankets, squeezing her cat plushie.

“I deserve this,” she depressingly mumbled into her pillow, scooting the booming phone closer.

“We NEED to work on the project soon or we’ll both fail,” Chloe loudly demanded across the phone. Her voice was shrill, practically scratching at Marinette’s eardrums.

Chloe waited for a response from Marinette, hoping Marinette understood just how important this project was to their grade, but Marinette remained silent. And at that point, Chloe knew something was wrong. “Uh… Baker girl?”

Marinette limply lifted her phone up, yawning as she accidentally dropped it on her face. “Ow!”

“Dupain-Cheng? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Marinette groaned underneath her phone smooshed against her nose. “I’m really not. Wait-! I mean, yeah… yeah, I’m just great! Everything’s perfectly fine. Nothing wrong here. Nothing absolutely horribly wrong… nope.”

Chloe’s voice scoffed through the phone. “…You don’t have to light into me with sarcasm first thing in the morning, you know.”

Marinette matched Chloe’s scoff with her own offended scoff, sitting upright. Eyeing the phone in disdain, she pointed her finger out to it defensively. “Hey! You were the one who called me and started yelling at me!”

The phone buzzed with a sound of irritation. “I wouldn’t have if you’d just made time for the rest of our project. We should work on the rest of the project today or tomorrow so we have time to fix anything that goes wrong. I texted you about it after I got back to the hotel, but apparently, the baker girl can’t be bothered to check her phone.”

Marinette blinked. Chloe texted her?

She lifted her phone off the bed, scrolling around the screen before she found a message twenty minutes after they’d left from their ice cream meetup.

Oops.

“I’m really sorry,” Marinette sighed in defeat, lifting her phone closer to her ear. “There was this… thing I had to deal with for most of the day.”

“Well… is it okay now?” Chloe’s voice lightened as she asked her question, seemingly concerned. “Spending an entire day away from your phone sounds like an absolute nightmare. Of course, I wouldn’t know, thankfully.”

Marinette let out a small laugh, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. Everything would be okay if she knew where Chat Blanc was. But she had no idea where that cat went.

Anxiousness swirled around her stomach, gripping her arms. Of course, she trusted him. But he was akumatized, and even if Hawk Moth ‘wasn’t a problem anymore’, that could change within an instant. He was in danger, and she needed to use this time apart to find him as Ladybug. She knew how important her project with Chloe was, but she couldn’t use this time for their project. She just couldn’t. Not with her superhero buddy wandering alone in Paris.

What would Chat Blanc say when he saw her as Ladybug? Would they fight?

She curled her legs up to her chest as her eyes widened. He wasn’t hostile with Marinette. But what about Ladybug? The moment they meet… she’d finally see where his motives lie.

If he acts the same way around Ladybug and Marinette… then maybe she could talk with him for real. He might open up with Ladybug more so than Marinette. He’d trust Ladybug with all of the ‘hero-details’, right?

Her eyes drooped as she thought about his expressionless face. It was empty… like he’d thrown away who he was to try and start over again… but why? Why would he want to throw away his goofy sense of humor, puns, and benevolence? And why so easily?

She missed Chat Noir. She missed his silly little face on the balcony waiting for pastries. She missed his bright green eyes accidentally meeting hers out of the blue. She missed his obliviousness to just how cute he was.

Chat Blanc didn’t want to be ‘Chat Noir’… the two cats were different, despite some similarities. Was the goofiness in his heart completely erased? Even though he wouldn’t converse with her over what happened yesterday, she could tell an unspeakable amount of suffering swirled through his eyes.

Chat Noir might never come back. Even if he were de-akumatized, there was the terrible chance he’d be stuck in his pain, living through yesterday’s memories on repeat with no end in sight. But she would be there for him, and whenever he was ready to share what happened, she would listen. As Ladybug, it was her responsibility to save him, and she would save him, no matter the cost.

She eyed her phone with Chloe’s name displayed on the screen. She’d have to work with Chloe some other time.

“Hello?” Chloe’s voice shook through the phone, startling Marinette. “Is whatever you were dealing with fixed?”

“Honestly… I think it’s gotten worse,” Marinette replied, scanning her Chat-free room.

“Do you need help?”

Marinette wouldn’t mind Chloe’s help. Whether as Chloe or Queen Bee, she’d be able to argue with Chat Blanc for a decent amount of time. Long enough for Ladybug to find his akuma.

But Chat Blanc didn’t want to be de-akumatized. For some reason, he trusted Marinette with that knowledge. She wasn’t sure he’d even share his reasoning with Ladybug once they met.

But did she need a reason? Her job is to get rid of akumas and save people. That’s her whole purpose as Ladybug, and same goes for Chat Noir.

But Chat Noir wasn’t Chat Noir anymore, and he didn’t want to be.

Why?

Marinette eyed the window hatch with light snowflakes touching the glass. The previous night, the hatch was covered in snow… but now… there was hardly any snow to point out.

Why?

She shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts.

“I’ll be fine,” Marinette spoke. “But could we work on the project tomorrow after school?”

A long silence filled the room before Chloe grumbled in defeat. “Fine.”

Slam!

Marinette flinched as she eyed the window hatch, catching something shiny radiating sunlight through her window.

“What was that?” Chloe asked.

Marinette eyed the window hatch and her phone back and forth nervously. “Uh, nothing! Can’t wait to finish the project tomorrow! Bye!”

“Wait a sec, what about school-”

Marinette hung up, flinging her phone back as she eyed the window hatch.

“Tikki. It’s time for Detective Marinette to investigate. Let’s transform!”

The foreboding window hatch jittered with the sound of footsteps. A subtle wind gust blew around outside as the room remained silent.

Chat Blanc. It had to be him. Who else would be on her balcony other than that cat?

“Tikki? Investigation time is about to commence! Where are you?”

As several more unsettling seconds passed, the lack of response from Tikki heightened her worry. Tikki wasn’t responding at all, and the last time she’d even seen Tikki was after Chat Blanc caught Marinette on the staircase.

That was hours ago. Over an entire night.

How didn’t Marinette realize that?!

“Tikki!” She frantically called out, eyeing her messy blankets. There was no sign of a squashed bug-mouse as she tapped her earrings. “Tikki, spots on!”

…Nothing.

“She’s not here…” Marinette mumbled in realization as the footsteps echoed in her mind. The roof. There was someone on the roof. Tikki was missing. Chat Noir was akumatized.

And there was school today.

“No, no, no, no, NO!”

Marinette fumbly straightened her pillows and blankets, securing her phone away from the messy bed. She smoothed her hair, eyeing the time. School would start in an hour.

The sound of footsteps along the rooftop caught her attention once more.

She had to get ready for school. She had to go to school, work on her assignments, and actually pass.

Some more footsteps and a small thud sounded.

“School can wait,” Marinette determinedly whispered, standing up.

She slowly reached for the window hatch, preparing herself for Chat Blanc’s oblivious comments or mess. Maybe he brought a bunch of her family’s pastries up to the roof and needed help organizing them. Maybe he would tell her what he was feeling, and let her help him. Maybe everything wouldn’t be so bad.

But once the window hatch fully opened, she wasn’t exactly prepared for what she saw instead.

~~~~~

“Ah, yes. We’ve finally discerned our solution.”

Master Fu stroked his beard contemplatively as Wayzz floated past his head.

“Master, I hate to say this… but I don’t think we have.”

Master Fu narrowed his eyes as he held out a teacup for Wayzz. “Of course we have, Wayzz. Take a sip of your tea and you’ll see what I mean.”

Wayzz nervously eyed the tea as he tilted the cup toward his mouth. The tea slightly spilled out of the cup as Wayzz pulled away from it in disgust.

Unaware of Wayzz’s reaction, Master Fu held out a teacup for another kwami close by. “Have a cup, Tikki.”

Tikki slowly took the teacup as Wayzz continued to gag across from her.

“Thank you… I suppose,” she remarked, raising an eyebrow at the honey filled cup. Carefully lifting the cup to her mouth, she took a tiny sip.

“And? How is it?” Master Fu leaned forward expectantly, still oblivious to Wayzz’s adverse reaction.

Tikki’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’s really sweet.”

“Of course it is! There’s more honey in that tea than actual tea!” Wayzz coughed, shaking his head in disgust.

Master Fu raised a finger up into the air matter-of-factly. “And three scoops of sugar.”

The three eyed the sickeningly sweet teapot along the table. Wayzz shuffled away from the tea, floating toward a kitchen cabinet with cheese crackers. Tikki and Master Fu continued to sip their tea.

Wayzz floated back to the two with a cheese cracker in hand. “So… Tikki… shouldn’t you be with Marinette?”

Tikki rolled her eyes. “I explained yesterday, Wayzz. I came to the guardian because Marinette was caught by Chat Blanc. I thought that she’d need back up, but when the guardian sent me back to her… I was clearly wrong.”

Wayzz chewed his cracker with a tentative expression. “For all you know, she could’ve been buying time for you to come back.”

“Don’t even bother!” Tikki retorted with a snarl, angrily sipping her cup. “I saw enough. She treated him the exact same way she always does! Playing around, feeding him snacks, I just-! I thought she would realize her duty as Ladybug. But no. Every time he literally gave her an opening to go off and transform, she didn’t TAKE it!”

Master Fu sipped his tea, eyeing Wayzz sadly chewing his cracker and Tikki violently gulping tea in between her venting.

“She is one of the best Ladybug’s I’ve ever had,” Tikki dejectedly voiced, eyeing her reflection in her tea. “But she’s too kind for her own good. No, she’s just gullible! Gullible! She let her partner CLEARLY controlled by Hawk Moth hang around her as if he were perfectly safe, and she didn’t even bat an eye!”

“Then why are you still here?” Master Fu obliviously asked aloud, earning an offended glance from Tikki. The room remained silent as Master Fu poured some more tea in his cup.

Wayzz frowned, tilting the cracker in his hand out to her. “Maybe Marinette wanted to hear him out-“

“You’re right! You’re absolutely right, which is the exact POINT! He is akumatized, and is most definitely spewing out whatever lies Hawk Moth is MAKING him say… and she knows that. Deakumatizing him is her top priority as my holder, but she’s letting her feelings for him get in the way.”

Master Fu coughed as he set his teacup down. Wayzz and Tikki eyed Master Fu continuing to cough as he stroked tea off of his beard contemplatively.

“She has feelings for Chat Noir?”

Tikki scoffed, accepting Wayzz’s cheese cracker. “Yeah. Big time.”

“H-hey!” Wayzz watched as Tikki finished off the cheese cracker. With a tiny sigh, he floated back to the cabinet with cheese crackers.

“Intriguing,” Master Fu mumbled. “I don’t suppose their feelings are mutual?”

Tikki set her teacup in front of the teapot, eyeing Master Fu pouring some more tea into her teacup. She let out a small sigh as she slumped against her hands.

“Does it matter at this point? Chat Noir isn’t Chat Noir anymore, so whatever he felt for her is probably not the same either.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Master Fu said.

Wayzz flew back to Master Fu and Tikki with the cheese cracker box. Granted, the travel back was slow. The box weighed Wayzz down as he hovered through the air, clinging to the box. He wanted to be a part of the conversation, but without the cheese crackers, he’d never get rid of that tea’s taste.

Master Fu eyed the cheese cracker box landing beside the teapots, carefully pulling out a cheese cracker. As he nibbled on the cracker, he covered his beard to avoid crumbs.

“Hawk Moth can’t get rid of Chat Noir’s feelings, Tikki. You know this very well.”

Tikki flew over to Wayzz, scooting past him so she could grab another cheese cracker. “Exactly. The feelings don’t go away, but Hawk Moth getting to his head will definitely change Chat Noir’s feelings. At least in some way, right?”

Wayzz narrowed his eyes at the two of them nibbling on their cheese crackers. Sitting beside the box, he leaned over to grab a cracker for himself.

“Both of you are right,” Wayzz spoke through a mouth full of cheese cracker crumbs. “Anyone akumatized doesn’t suddenly lose their sense of self or feelings. Hawk Moth can influence the victims feelings through manipulation, just like anyone else can… but that doesn’t seem to be the case every time.”

Tikki dipped her cracker in her teacup, letting the cracker crumble around the honey-drenched tea. “Are you suggesting Chat Noir’s akumatization was on purpose?”

“Potentially,” Wayzz mumbled as he swirled a cheese cracker around his hand. “Consider this: Chat Noir and Hawk Moth must have faced off in realtime, without Ladybug. Chat Noir consistently risks his own life, time and time again, when he has Ladybug to save him when she wins. Like the time the two of them fought against the video game victim two years ago.”

Tikki chewed her cracker, suppressing an emerging grin from just how sweet the cracker had become from the honey tea. “Or the time he questioned Clarityvoice before Ladybug showed up, endangering Marinette and Chloe once her entire room caved in on itself? Wayzz, Chat Noir is just reckless. Whether it’s self sacrifice or not, he acts on impulse, and is now akumatized for whatever wrong move he made. There’s no reasoning through this. He’s akumatized, and the only one who can stop him hasn’t even bothered to look for me… so if Chat Noir’s facade suddenly snaps and he loses his mind, there won’t be a Ladybug to repair everything.”

The room grew uncomfortably quiet as Tikki crushed the last bite of her cracker along the table. She was used to nudging Marinette into action, pushing her to get up early and take on her responsibilities. Tikki thought she was being helpful. She thought she was encouraging Marinette… but she must have just been enabling Marinette instead. Of course, Marinette would take on a lot of her responsibilities by herself, without Tikki’s nudging. But when her responsibilities coincide with her personal life and feelings, she doesn’t move as quickly as Tikki wants Marinette to.

Tikki wiped her eyes, eyeing her hand covered in crumbs. It’s not fair to expect this much pressure from Marinette, who was meant to have a normal life, just like everyone else. It wasn’t right to expect Marinette to fight someone she deeply cared about, as a friend or something more than that, just because it was her ‘duty’. Marinette wasn’t allowed to have a normal life anymore… and Tikki was the visible proof of that fact.

So when Marinette didn’t even look for Tikki… it only reiterated Tikki’s discomfort. It proved just how much Marinette craved for a normal life, even if she’d never have one again.

Tikki gripped her face in her hands. “I’ve ruined her life. She didn’t look for me because I’m the reason she can’t be normal. Does staying with Chat Noir as Marinette, instead of fighting him as Ladybug, mean that much to her? He’s akumatized with a destructive power strong enough to disintegrate a sentimonster. She’ll end up dead without Ladybug… and it’s as if she wants that.”

Wayzz furrowed his eyebrows as he took in Tikki’s confession. So, it wasn’t a matter of ‘Ladybug responsibilities’ like Tikki suggested; Tikki was taking Marinette’s actions personally.

“Chat Noir is reckless,” Master Fu chimed in, catching Wayzz’s and Tikki’s attention. “He fits the destructive Miraculous perfectly. I chose him for a reason. As I chose Ladybug.”

Tikki scooped some of the crushed crumbs along the table into her hand, chewing on a couple pieces. She eyed Wayzz grasping onto the cracker box, pulling out another cracker without looking away from Master Fu.

“As Wayzz said, he would risk his life if need be. He would never hurt the people he cares most about, so rest assured, Tikki, Marinette must know this as well. I believe she’s perfectly safe for now.”

Tikki choked on a crumb. “What do you mean ‘for now’?!”

Master Fu poured some tea into his teacup. “Wayzz, how about you finish your previous explanation for us. I’m quite intrigued by your theories.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, glancing at Master Fu stroking his beard contemplatively. The guardian didn’t always have to act so ‘mysterious’ all the time. It got a little old.

Wayzz nodded, finishing a bite of his cracker. “As I was saying, Chat Noir would risk his life if need be. And usually, Ladybug would be there to win and bring him back. However, that clearly wasn’t the case. Chat Noir would never be akumatized without direct contact with Hawk Moth. He may be reckless, but he has incredible control over his emotions. As observed through his civilian life, he was raised in a household that required his behavior to align to his father’s expectations. If anyone knows how to suppress their emotions against Hawk Moth, it would be him.”

“But Clarityvoice’s power should open him up to his feelings,” Tikki responded. “His impulsiveness could have gotten the better of him, and Hawk Moth used that as an opening.”

“I don’t think so,” Wayzz frowned, tapping his chin with his cracker. “Hawk Moth’s recent power has weakened significantly. Snowtopia’s snow is lighter, and the urge to express my feelings hasn’t been very strong recently. Even before you saw Chat Noir akumatized, Clarityvoice’s wish wasn’t playing an affect on him.”

Tikki’s eyes widened in realization as she swallowed some more cracker crumbs. “Chat Noir and Ladybug both took my advice to process their emotions before speaking their mind… so you’re right. He really wouldn’t be akumatized so easily.”

“Of course, we don’t know how the akumatization went down, so these are only assumptions,” Wayzz whispered, nibbling a little bit of his cracker. “But I believe this to be the case.”

Master Fu sipped his tea, taking another cracker from the box. “I know the heart of that young man well. He wouldn’t let himself succumb to akumatization out of the blue.”

“Chat Noir wouldn’t have a reason to become akumatized outside from directly meeting Hawk Moth,” Wayzz concurred. “That’s why they had to have fought face to face.”

“But what about the control Hawk Moth has over the victims?” Tikki thought aloud, swirling a crumb around the table. “Every time the Evillustrator was akumatized, he would show signs of pain when he disobeyed Hawk Moth.”

“A forged alliance?” Master Fu suggested, spinning a spoon in his teacup.

“No,” Wayzz muttered, gripping his forehead. “Hawk Moth sees through the people he akumatizes, and Chat Noir wouldn’t be allowed to disintegrate a sentimonster if he really was in an alliance. Something must have happened to Hawk Moth.”

“Did he lose the butterfly Miraculous to Chat Noir?” Master Fu sat up in disbelief, spilling some tea across the counter. “That’s impossible! Chat Noir would never akumatize himself.”

“I don’t know about ‘never’, but I agree.” Wayzz crawled into the cracker box, pulling out several more crackers. All three of them grabbed a cracker, nibbling on their crackers in contemplation.

Tikki took a sip of her tea. “Then there’s only a few other options. If he were akumatized by Hawk Moth, he could’ve used his power to kill Hawk Moth. Keeping a strong power like that would definitely be appealing, so de-akumatizing himself would be overlooked.”

“There’s also the possibility that there’s a new Butterfly Miraculous holder,” Master Fu suggested. “If Chat Noir took the Miraculous and gave it to someone he trusted, they could power him up to defeat Hawk Moth.”

“Why would they ‘power Chat Noir up’ to defeat a powerless man?” Tikki raised an eyebrow as she sipped her tea. “Hawk Moth is nothing without the Miraculous, so why even bother?”

“Maybe against Mayura?” Wayzz tapped his head. “There was a sentimonster on Marinette’s roof from what you mentioned.”

“You’re right,” Tikki whispered, setting her teacup down. “But who would’ve transformed Chat Noir? Is there anyone he’d trust more than Ladybug with the Butterfly Miraculous?”

The three eyed each other, waiting for one to respond. The cracker box shifted a little as they grabbed handfuls of cheese crackers.

“I can only think of Marinette, but she was having ice cream with her friends,” Tikki mumbled. “I don’t know Chat Noir like Plagg does, but I know for a fact he trusts Marinette as Adrien and Chat Noir. Another hero would be out of the question. He’s not extremely close with Queen Bee or Rena Rouge, and both of them were with Marinette anyway.”

Master Fu extended his hand into the air, realization spreading across his face. “That’s it! It must’ve been Carapace! He trusts Nino, and he teams up with Carapace from time to time.”

“No, Nino was with Marinette and their friends,” Tikki sighed, crossing her arms. “You know, we could consider how everything played out all day, but we just don’t know what happened.”

“You’re right,” Wayzz agreed. “Maybe you should try checking on Marinette again. Leaving her behind wasn’t exactly wise, and I’m sure she’s worried about you. Besides, she’s got your earrings. If there’s something we didn’t consider about Chat Noir, and he somehow finds out she’s Ladybug, it could be disastrous.”

Tikki nodded, taking one last sip of her teacup and reaching for a cracker. “I’ll go back, but I need you to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about Plagg,” Tikki mumbled, looking away. “Could you and the guardian look through the writings of previous holders? I want to know what’s happening with Plagg while Chat Noir is akumatized.”

Wayzz and Master Fu eyed each other knowingly before Wayzz gave Tikki a nod. “We’ll look.”

Tikki smiled, floating toward the window with her cracker. “Thank you.”

Tikki flew away, leaving Master Fu and Wayzz behind. The two eyed the table covered in tea and crumbs.

“Wow, we really made a mess,” Wayzz muttered, wiping some tea off the counter with a nearby napkin.

Master Fu placed his teacup down, placing his hand nearby Wayzz. “You need to go find your holder.”

“Wait… what?” Wayzz eyed Master Fu in confusion, setting the napkin down. “Tikki is already going to find Marinette.”

“Exactly. Ladybug might need backup, just like Tikki suggested. And who better than Chat Noir’s closest teammate other than Ladybug to help?”

Wayzz raised an eyebrow. “What about Rena Rouge or Queen Bee? Sure, Rena Rouge and Chat Noir barely talk, and Queen Bee mainly argues with him, but they could be of assistance.”

“No,” Master Fu shook his head dismissively. “I believe too many holders will overwhelm Chat Noir and potentially threaten him. If we want to understand his akumatization, we’ll need to approach this gently. Besides, the sooner he returns and works with Ladybug, the sooner Clarityvoice’s and Snowtopia’s wishes will end. They must find the solution. And soon.”

~~~~~

“Marinette? Hey, it’s Alya. I’m not sure if you’re just running late or you can’t come to school today, but, uh, let me know what’s going on, okay? Call me when you get this.”

Alya hung up, placing her phone in her pocket. She let out a sigh, eyeing Chloe hovering beside her desk.

“Chloe?” Alya raised an eyebrow in concern. “Umm… what’s up?”

Chloe rolled her eyes, setting her hand along the table. “Don’t think I’d care enough to make small talk with you.”

“Rude much!” Alya crossed her arms, leaning back. “What are you doing here then?”

“Wondering when Dupain-Cheng will answer,” Chloe replied. “I called her this morning, and she hung up out of nowhere. We only have a couple more parts of our project to finish, and she said we’d work on it tomorrow, but she was like totally not paying attention-”

Chloe scoffed at the sight of Alya mindlessly staring off into the class.

“Hey! Are you even listening?!”

Alya frowned. “Didn’t you say you wanted to avoid ‘small talk’?”

“What I have to say is NEVER small talk, thank you,” Chloe offendedly retorted. “You’re so boring.”

“Says the one talking about a science project,” Alya groaned, slumping onto the desk. “Ms. Mendeleiev’s science classes put me to sleep.”

“Well, duh, she teaches science so boringly,” Chloe sighed, standing up straight. She flipped her ponytail, checking her nails. “She completely ruins Chemistry for me. Uh, ahem, not that I like Chemistry to begin with… of course not, I mean, uh… ew.”

“Chemistry is stupid to begin with.” Alya shrugged, readjusting her glasses. “School in general just sucks. It’s easier to get through the day when Marinette’s here, but who knows if she’ll pick up her phone.”

Chloe smirked. “Maybe she’d pick it up if you weren’t such a pessimist.”

“I’m not a pessimist!” Alya leaned back, eyeing Chloe up and down. “I just don’t like school.”

“Well, it could be better if you make it better,” Chloe hummed, tapping her fingers together. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice. “That’s why our Chemistry project will explode on Ms. Mendeleiev’s horrible coat.”

Alya frowned. “Ruining our teacher’s jacket doesn’t make school any less unbearable.”

“See? You’re a total pessimist.”

“More like a realist,” Alya grumbled. “Schoolwork is tedious, people are gossiping jerks, and the chances of me becoming a journalist are slim. See?”

Alya turned away from Chloe, facing straight ahead at the teacher’s desk.

“I’m a realist,” Alya finished, depressingly crashing her head against a textbook.

Chloe scrunched her face up in discomfort, turning back as the door sounded behind her. She eyed Nino walking in, adjusting his red cap.

“Nino,” Chloe voiced, walking back to her seat. “Your girlfriend’s depressed.”

“And I’m assuming you’re to blame?” Nino joked, walking over to his own desk.

“I’m not a part of that mess,” Chloe scoffed, waving a nail in Alya’s depressed direction. “That’s all her.”

“Right,” Nino laughed, taking his seat. He set his bag down, turning around to eye Alya’s slumped position. “Alya?”

“I’m good, I’m good,” Alya mumbled into her arms unconvincingly. She weakly raised an arm up, waving it in the air as ‘reassurance’.

Nino raised an eyebrow at the gesture, spotting Marinette’s empty seat. “Where’s Dudette?”

Alya lifted her head up, somberly eyeing the empty seat and then Nino. Dramatically, she pressed her head back into her arms against the desk.

“Not. Here.” She aggravatedly muttered.

Nino tapped Alya’s hand, grinning once Alya accepted his hand. “Babe, you’ll be fine without her for a day. Besides, you’ve got me.”

Alya raised her head, eyeing Nino’s geeky grin and wiggling eyebrows. She rolled her eyes, laughing as she pushed his hand away.

“You’re no Marinette,” she smirked, pulling her book bag up on the desk. She giggled as his grin embarrassedly faded away behind her bag blocking their view of each other.

“Oo,” Chloe’s voice slowly raised across the room. “She’s totally right, too.”

“Why did I bother to come to school?” Nino sighed, turning back to his desk with a small laugh.

Once Nino faced his desk, he unpacked his bag, setting some textbooks and notebooks out. He pulled out a folder with an assignment he’d been working on, placing it on the desk. Sharpening a pencil, he twiddled the pencil around his fingers, preparing his mind to work on his work.

But a green floating kwami nudging his side chose otherwise.

Without hesitation, he hurriedly put everything back in his bag. His folders crashed around several bent notebooks, stuffed behind several worn out books. His pencils and pencil sharpener quickly followed after, scattering around the base of his bookbag.

Chloe rolled her eyes at the rustling from Nino’s desk. “Um, are you done?”

Alya looked over her bag. Her eyes widened in confusion as she took in his frazzled state and his packed bookbag. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“I, uh, forgot something in my bag, and I really need to go back… home, uh, yeah.”

Alya covered her face in embarrassment. “You didn’t take what I said seriously, did you?”

Nino shrugged, shaking his head. “No, babe, you’re fine. I just have to, um, DJ, uh… yeah, for my dude’s… my dude’s party, totally.”

Chloe scoffed. “Didn’t you say you forgot something in your bag?”

“And your ‘dude’?” Alya raised an eyebrow. “You call everyone ‘dude’.”

Nino awkwardly wiped his forehead, eyeing all over the room as a nervous smile gripped his face. Some of his classmates eyed him tapping the top of his bookbag. “I meant, you know, my dude, Mr. Front-Of-The-Cover-Teen-Model-Weekly, uh, you know the rest, haha.”

Chloe cringed, eyeing Alya worriedly readjusting her glasses. Everyone seemed so off today. Leaning back in her seat, Chloe raised her hand in the air to observe her nails, letting the ceiling light brighten the currently blue nail polish. First, Marinette… and now, Nino. That couldn’t be a coincidence, right? So what in the world was happening that Chloe wasn’t a part of?!

Alya flinched from an irritated huff coming from Chloe’s desk. Gripping her own book bag, Alya watched Nino struggling to zip his bookbag. “Adrien wouldn’t have a party this early in the morning when it’s school. You don’t have to lie. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong at ALL, uh, it’s um, all good! I’ll see you in a bit!”

Nino fumbled out of his seat, rushing toward the door with his bag wrapped around his chest.

The door opened and closed, and the seat in front of Alya was empty. No Marinette, and no Nino. Alya would be alone for the entire school day. Despite her forming a friendship with Chloe, it’s not like they’d spend class together enjoyably. Alya sighed, rubbing her forehead as she pictured Chloe completely ignoring her for the entire day. If only Nino hadn’t left. If only Marinette were here. Reality sucked.

Alya sadly eyed the empty door, curling her fist under her chin. “…See you, Nino.”

~~~~~

Up in the sky, above the buildings of Paris, a figure zipped through the light snow.

“They’re gone,” Chat Blanc mumbled to himself, recalling the empty mansion holding neither Nathalie nor Gabriel. “And so is the Peacock Miraculous.”

His white shoes skidded across a viney building as he came to a stop. Tapping the white fabric of his suit, he unzipped his pocket, reaching for a small brooch.

“At least I have you,” Chat Blanc smirked to himself. His eyes widened in embarrassment as he shook his head. “No. Don’t talk to yourself. Do not talk to yourself. You’re normal. Be normal.”

A purple kwami floated out of the jewel, spinning around in the air. It shivered from the cold, but a rush of relief breathed through the kwami. It was no longer trapped in the dark basement with Gabriel Agreste. It was free.

The kwami surveyed the snowy city. Most of the original snow was shoveled away, but it would soon be replaced with lighter snow. It was cold outside… but not unbearably. It felt like the odd sensation of peppermints from Gabriel’s office desk: cooling, but nonetheless uncomfortably strong. He shook his head. Maybe there was a better way to describe this feeling, but he just couldn’t pinpoint it.

It’d been years since he’d seen the city, let alone anyone in it. Even the times Hawk Moth de-transformed and allowed Nooroo to breathe, he could never fully appreciate the view. The streets were grey and covered in stones. Wood, stones, and bricks were scattered across the city, forming buildings and decorative structures. The craftsmanship, detailing, and efficiency were more than notable.

Nooroo could finally see the world again. He could finally be a part of it, rather than assisting in its harm. He was free.

And he had a new holder!

A joyful smile gripped his cheeks as he covered his mouth. What would they be like? Would they be the next hero of this city? Oh! Or a hero outside of Paris?

Nooroo shook his head, holding his chin. How far into the future was it? He was so excited to be free from Gabriel, he completely lost his sense of time. It had to have been a year at least. The overwhelming sense of freedom Nooroo felt furthered his viewpoint.

But he needed confirmation.

Turning around, he closed his eyes, lowering his head. “Greetings! I am Nooroo, the kwami of transmission.”

“Hello.”

Nooroo inwardly beamed. The new holder’s voice was so gentle and sweet! Surely, the new holder had nothing to do with Gabriel Agreste, thankfully.

As Nooroo opened his eyes, he gasped.

“Chat Noir?!”

Chat Blanc blinked. He raised his hand to point at his suit. “Nope. Chat Blanc.”

Nooroo gulped. “You’re akumatized… I’m so sorry! I should’ve sensed you were akumatized, but I was just so happy to be free from Hawk Moth, that I just…”

“It’s okay,” Chat Blanc replied, tapping Nooroo’s head. “I think we’re pretty similar in that regard.”

Both of them were trapped under Gabriel Agreste’s roof, forced into whatever nonsense he dictated. If either one of them so much as broke character, Gabriel would find a way to make their misery worsen. Gabriel’s son was the image of his brand, and his kwami was his power source to torture Paris; there wasn’t room for the real Adrien or Nooroo in Gabriel’s life. And now, leaving the obnoxiously vile man behind, they could both see just how different the world could be when they were allowed to do whatever they wanted.

But as Nooroo took in Chat Blanc’s unsettlingly stoic stance, he realized that Chat Blanc’s direction might not be for the better.

“Would you like me to purify the akuma so you can get back to yourself?” Nooroo suggested, floating around Chat Blanc. Carefully observing the white suit, he stopped by the bell. “The akuma is in this, right?”

Chat Blanc gently pushed Nooroo back with his index finger. “I’m okay, Nooroo. I’d rather stay like this.”

“Well, whenever you’d want to change back, I can remove its power,” Nooroo slowly spoke, eyeing the bell one last time. He raised his eyes to Chat Blanc’s blue ones. “So, are you my new holder, or are we going to the guardian?”

Chat Blanc tapped his bell, listening to the jingle with a straight face. “I don’t know.”

Nooroo recalled the fight between Hawk Moth and Chat Noir. Although he wasn’t visibly present, he knew what was happening. And he knew Chat Noir’s identity.

It must’ve been hard for Adrien to fight his own father. Nooroo crossed his arms. It was physically impossible to disobey the holder of his miraculous, no matter how much he wanted to. So… the feeling must’ve been similar for Adrien. Or at least something like it.

“You should be able to de-transform into your civilian form if you want to,” Nooroo voiced. “Your Miraculous protects your original identity when akumatized, by good or evil Butterfly Miraculous holders. It’s just, you won’t look exactly the same.”

Chat Blanc’s cat ears twitched. “Wait… will Plagg be okay if I detransform? And where does the akumatization power go if I turn back?”

“Since the akuma wasn’t placed directly in your Miraculous, Plagg isn’t in any danger,” Nooroo reassured. “As for your akuma… it’s linked between you and Plagg. Another holder of the Cat Miraculous won’t have your akumatized power because you, as Chat Noir, were directly akumatized. Other holders of your Miraculous weren’t a part of that. If you detransform, it’ll be easier to explain.”

Chat Blanc worriedly eyed between his bell, his ring, and Nooroo.

“You can trust me,” Nooroo gently said. “I’m on your side.”

Chat Blanc nodded. If anyone could understand his personal life first hand, it would be Nooroo; he went through similar manipulation from Gabriel Agreste. He could trust him. And at this point, Chat Blanc was too curious not to.

“Claws in,” Chat Blanc muttered, shifting in place as the suit brightly shifted. As he transformed back, he spotted a white blurb float out of his ring.

Nooroo clasped his hands together. “See? Now, I’ll explain some-”

“CHEESE,” a familiar voice whined. “I feel terrible! What is happening?!”

“Plagg?”

Chat Blanc, now back to being Adrien, covered his mouth in shock.

“Kid? Is that you? You look… weird.”

Adrien eyed his regular outfit and his blue scarf. “No… you’re the one who looks weird.”

Plagg scrunched up his face before looking down at his paws. With a gasp, his eyes widened. “WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FUR?!”

Plagg zoomed over to Adrien, tugging on his hair.

“Ow! Stop it!”

Plagg shook around angrily. “No! Why do I look like this?! And why do you look like that?!”

“Like what?!” Adrien scowled, trying to pull Plagg off of his hair. Plagg’s claws kept their grip on the hair, pulling it down in front of Adrien. And that’s when he realized what Plagg meant.

Adrien had white hair.

“Whenever you’re both ready, I’ll explain,” Nooroo voiced between the two.

Plagg and Adrien eyed each other and then Nooroo.

“Nooroo!” Plagg grinned, floating over to the purple kwami. “Thank the cheeses you’re okay!”

Nooroo’s eyes crinkled with his smile as Plagg gripped him in a hug. “I’m glad to see you again, too.”

Their hug lasted for several long seconds before Plagg gripped Nooroo’s shoulders, eyeing him. “You said you’d explain everything… so I was right? Chat Noir really was akumatized?”

Nooroo nodded. “Yep.”

“Wow.” Plagg eyed his paws again, shaking his head. “That’s a feeling I’m never forgetting.”

Adrien stepped forward. “So… what’s going on?”

“Well… both of you took on the akumatization’s attributes. When a superhero is akumatized and they de-transform, their akumatized power remains between the Miraculous holder and the kwami, and that link leaves behind visible proof. Because Chat Blanc has white hair and blue eyes, both of you visibly take on those qualities.”

Nooroo paused to point at Plagg and Adrien, noting their white hair/fur and blue eyes.

“Over the years, previous Miraculous holders akumatized for power enhancements created this feature. Basically, my Miraculous adapted to function with your civilian life. However, because there weren’t many heroes that wanted my power enhancements, it’s not recorded much in the Guardian’s texts. If a hero needs to return to their civilian life, my power allows that… but the catch is they’ll appear like their akumatized version… and many people won’t recognize them.”

“So you’re saying I’m not ‘Adrien’ to everyone else?”

“Exactly.”

Adrien let out a relieved sigh, gripping his forehead with a large smile. “That’s perfect!”

Plagg’s eyes widened as he side-eyed Adrien. “Excuse me?”

“As ‘Adrien’, no one will know I’m the son of Gabriel Agreste,” Adrien beamed. “I can be myself without anyone remembering all of the awful things I’ve caused. I can start over!”

“What are you talking about?!” Plagg flew up to Adrien’s face, poking his nose. “You’re so sickeningly sweet, I practically gag just knowing you’re my holder! What could someone like you do that’s even remotely ‘awful’?!”

Adrien narrowed his eyes, lifting Plagg off of his nose. “Father was right. I failed him and everyone around me. I didn’t try hard enough. I wasn’t good enough. But now… I am.”

Adrien smiled as he eyed his free hand, curling it into a fist. His nails dug into his skin, pressing the cold wind into his palms.

“I’m stronger now. I have the power to fix everything, and to be better than what my father wanted. Once I find my father, figure out how to fix the weather, and end the ‘open-emotion’ nonsense, I’ll fix everything. I can be ‘Chat Noir’ again if I save everyone. I can be ‘Adrien’ again, once my father’s locked in prison. I won’t have to be a burden anymore.”

Plagg felt Adrien’s fingers shake slightly within his hold. Adrien’s mouth quivered and his eyes were glued to the floor. His eyes glossed over as tears built up around his eyelids. Adrien didn’t even realize he was crying until small droplets dropped onto Plagg’s head.

Plagg held his paw on Adrien’s thumb.

It was frightening to see his holder like this. His holder was broken, with features Plagg could barely recognize. But past the sad blue eyes, fluffy white hair, and somber expression gripping Adrien’s being, Plagg knew it was still Adrien.

Plagg just couldn’t figure out what to do. What could he do? How could Plagg convince Adrien of his worth when his father shattered his confidence in himself?

Adrien was his friend… not just his holder. He deserved more than the life his father forced him into. He deserved more than a chance of ‘escape’ as Chat Noir. He shouldn’t have to fight alongside his friends every day to save their home from his own father.

What kind of life was Adrien living like that?

What could possibly be running through his mind? And why would he view himself as the problem when he’s just as innocent as the civilians, and when he’s trying his best to help solve everything?

And even with Hawk Moth out of commission… Adrien was still fixing that monster’s mess.

Adrien deserved better than this.

“Adrien… no matter what happens… I’m with you. Okay?”

Adrien wiped his nose with his free hand as he eyed Plagg gripping his thumb. “You… get it?”

“Yeah.” Plagg nodded, scrunching up his nose. “I don’t know what your father said to you, and I don’t think you’re as bad as you’re making yourself out to be, but if being ‘Chat Blanc’ gives you enough power to end Hawk Moth’s mess, then I get it.”

With an adamant nod, Adrien locked eyes with Plagg’s newly blue eyes. Like Nooroo said, the akumatization was between both of them; whatever action Adrien chose, Plagg would play a role in that choice.

“So… we’ll both have to stay like this for a bit… right?” Plagg lowered his eyes to his fluffy paws, letting sunlight bounce off his fur.

Adrien tugged on his hair, lowering it above his nose as he observed its new color. It was something he could get used to, but he knew Plagg wasn’t taking his fur’s change that well.

“…Plagg, if you don’t want to stay like that, you don’t have to. I can just akumatize myself as Adrien since I have the Butterfly Miraculous now.”

The idea made sense, but Plagg shook his head, lightly punching Adrien’s thumb. “If you think I can’t handle a temporary coat, then you're wrong. Besides, didn’t Master Fu say your Miraculous will give you the answer to fix this mess? Maybe being akumatized as your hero form isn’t that bad. It might get us to the solution faster.”

Nooroo floated beside Plagg, nodding in agreement. “Plagg makes a really good point. The wishes lingering behind involve my Miraculous somehow. If your Miraculous is necessary to counteract mine, staying akumatized will have the best chance.”

Adrien pointed to the snowy clouds. “So you’re both fine with me becoming ‘Chat Blanc’ again until it’s all over?”

“Duh,” Plagg snorted. “But you better get this mess over with fast. I don’t want my fur looking like this forever.”

Adrien scrunched up his nose, booping Plagg’s nose with his finger. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have this over in no time.”

Nooroo eyed Plagg and Adrien batting at each other, poking fun at each other’s fur/hair and eyes. They seemed pretty close from what Nooroo could tell. Of course they were. They’d known each other for years now.

Nooroo sheepishly brushed his hand against his arm. Although he’d assist Chat Blanc with reverting the wishes, Nooroo wanted a bond like theirs. With someone who would stay close to him for years.

But wishes have consequences when they’re fulfilled. And most of the time, there’s a catch. No one ever has a wish fully granted to them.

Nooroo gripped his forehead, looking away from the two. He could hear Gabriel’s voice booming in the mansion, reprimanding Nooroo for Hawk Moth’s failure.

Nooroo might never obtain his wish.

That’s just reality.

~~~~~

“Emma! You have to come back!”

Emma, gripping onto her winter jacket covered in ponies, dashed throughout the orphanage.

“No!” Emma called back, crashing past a door frame and into a painting. Readjusting her ponytail, she spotted Bunnyx lunging forward, attempting to catch her. But with a quick dodge, Emma avoided Bunnyx as Bunnyx crashed against the wall.

Bunnyx brushed some metallic paint from the picture frame off her cheek, narrowing her eyes at Emma. “Your parents never left, Emma.”

“Yes they did!” Emma screamed, startling some of the orphanage’s volunteers. “They’re gone! They don’t want me anymore, so I’m back here where I belong! They should’ve adopted a better kid than me, and that’s why the businessman-ness people took me back. I wasn’t good enough.”

Bunnyx crossed her arms. “What are you talking about? You're seven. Cut yourself some slack.”

A volunteer walked past Emma and over to the painting on the wall, straightening it and smoothing it out. The volunteer eyed the two.

“Can I help you, Bunnyx?”

Bunnyx rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’d like you to pack this brat’s suitcases so I can bring her back to her parents. Is that possible?”

The volunteer eyed Emma’s stomping in place and adamant shrieking refusal. “The front desk will need the proper paperwork for an adoption-”

Bunnyx failed to hold back an aggravated sigh. “No, she’s already been adopted, but she was mistakenly placed back in the orphanage.”

The volunteer shrugged. “Look, I can’t just let you walk out of here with a child without her supposed parents paperwork properly registered-”

Before the volunteer could continue with her reasonable explanation, Bunnyx set her burrow behind Emma, tugging her inside.

“HEY!” Emma scowled as she stomped on the invisible floor. Circles filled with past, present, and future moments scattered the burrow.

Bunnyx awkwardly eyed one of the time circles with the volunteer frozen in place. Placing her hand along the circle, she rewound the time.

“I know this looks bad, but forgive me Ladybug,” Bunnyx muttered under her breath, reversing the numerous places the one time circle contained.

“Put me back! Put! Me! Back!” Emma stomped her boots, curling her fists.

“Let me explain,” Bunnyx sighed. She turned around, spotting Emma waltzing over to a circle and entering it. “GET BACK HERE!”

Leaning through the circle, Bunnyx pulled Emma away from a dinosaur charging toward her. She rolled her eyes as Emma crossed her arms inside of the burrow.

“This is exactly what happened,” Bunnyx groaned, gripping her forehead. “Those two idiots wanted me to babysit you, so I did.”

Emma furrowed her eyebrows as Bunnyx raised her hand to count off her fingers.

“I came over to the apartment. I brought over snacks. And the ONE thing I apparently failed to do was keep you in our timeline!”

“Stop lying!” Emma turned away, studying her chipped nails covered in crayon residue. “They left me with you so they could move to another home, and then you left me, too!”

“NO, that’s NOT what happened!” Bunnyx gripped her face, pulling on her nose. “YOU were supposed to be coloring while I checked on the burrow, but NOPE! It took me five days to realize you snuck into my burrow, and WEEKS to figure out what timeline you’d even entered! My Miraculous should’ve alerted me to what timeline was messed up, but it was like you were supposed to come back here, and I couldn’t explain to your parents why I, the practical guardian of time itself, couldn’t find their daughter! You have GOT to come back with me. They’ve been an absolute mess, and it’s all my fault!”

Emma turned around, eyeing Bunnyx’s distressed face. “They only had me for four years, though. Becky says her adopted parents had her for five years before putting her back, so Mommy and… I mean… my old parents shouldn’t miss me.”

“Great. There’s a ‘Becky’ now,” Bunnyx scoffed, shaking her head. “Look, kiddo. Your parents are really sad that you’re gone. And if that doesn’t paint the picture, they’re very, very, VERY mad at Miss Bunny,” she sighed, pointing at herself. “Who knows why they couldn’t contact their usual babysitter, but once you come back, they’ll never ask me to babysit you again. You won’t get stuck in the wrong timeline anymore. And happily ever after, Miss Bunny will survive another day in the time continuum, the end.”

Emma tapped at her winter jacket’s zipper, intently eyeing it. She was listening to Bunnyx… but she wasn’t exactly sure what Bunnyx meant. If her parents were sad, why? Were they sad because they wasted their money on toys she wasn’t playing with now that she was gone? Were they sad because they missed her?

So much time had passed since Emma came to the past. She couldn’t remember the love her parents had for her, the time they spent together, and the happiness she felt… With how much time had passed, she rewrote her memories, letting every good thing twist into something ugly. Any form of joy she had with them was overwritten by her own fears of what had happened. The real events were masked by what she thought she did or said wrong. She compared her friends at the orphanage’s stories to her own. The fears her friends felt became hers.

And here was Bunnyx, saying her parents ‘missed’ her.

What was there to miss?

“I don’t believe you,” Emma whispered, angrily picking at her zipper some more. “I failed to be what they wanted, so I want to stay here. They can adopt someone better than me if they’re upset about the expensive toys.”

Bunnyx was beyond confused. The level of self deprecation this kid exuded was immense. What in the world was running through Emma’s mind?

“You sound just like your father,” Bunnyx mumbled, rolling her eyes. She slumped her head against her hand, taking a seat on the invisible floor. “They miss you because they miss ‘you’, Emma. They don’t care about your cheap dolls and firefighter trucks. Believe me, your mother hates those screechy trucks more than anything.”

“Just like Becky said,” Emma gasped, covering her mouth. “Becky says that her parents pretended to like her and her toys before they went crazy and business-y-ness people took her away.”

“I’m very sorry for Becky then, and I’m glad she’s safe now,” Bunnyx said in concern. “But your parents never went crazy.”

“I know,” Emma nodded in agreement.

“Phew,” Bunnyx sighed, feeling as if she made some progress.

Emma bounced from one shoe to the other, zipping her jacket up and down several times. “I went crazy.”

Scratch that. Bunnyx didn’t do a thing.

With a twitch of her eye, Bunnyx asked, “What does that mean?”

“I was akumatized!” Emma landed on both of her feet, extending her arms out wide. “I made a big BIG mess, but Ladybug and Chat Noir weren’t mad at me, and Chat Noir told me to never apologize ever again! The past is the best! Nobody hates me here!”

“And nobody hates you in the FUTURE-… I can’t. I’m done. I’m DONE. Convincing you is like convincing your father: it’s IMPOSSIBLE.”

Bunnyx mindlessly opened a time circle, holding onto Emma’s hand as they both landed in front of a bakery.

“Your grandparents will take you back home. I’m… super busy.”

Emma raised her eyebrows, not buying it. “Miss Bunny just doesn’t like me, does she?”

“Miss Bunny just needs a nap,” Bunnyx angrily muttered under her breadth. “Now, go inside and say hello, and act like you’re happy to be back home-”

“DONT WORRY! I KNOW EXACTLY WHO TO GO TO!”

Emma and Bunnyx looked up at the roof, spotting Marinette gripping onto a bow.

“Marinette?” Bunnyx frowned, tilting her head. Bunnyx tightened her grip on Emma’s hand, blocking Emma’s head with Bunnyx’s free arm, just in case Marinette accidentally knocked a flower pot over the balcony. Bunnyx eyed the bakery sign and the shoveled snow around the streets. “Wait. What timeline is this-”

Marinette jumped off her roof, gripping the bow above her head as she landed on the ground. She wobbly straightened her legs, nodding to herself as she dashed down the street with the bow close to her chest.

“I forgot my coat again, but that’s fine!” Marinette called out to no one in particular, eyeing the bow. She ran into a light post, rubbing her head before continuing down the street.

Emma’s eyes widened as she watched Marinette fumbling down the street haphazardly.

“Mommy? Why is mommy running with that bend-ed umm… stick?”

Bunnyx shook her head, hoping she was just imagining things. But who in their right mind would imagine ‘that’?

She sighed, gripping the set of pliers secured along her back. “It looks like we’re still in the past, and if this is the timeline I think it is… both of us aren’t leaving anytime soon.”

~~~~~

Notes:

This chapter’s longer than I expected 😅. I wanted to vary the character scenes/interactions so it wouldn’t just be Chat Blanc and Marinette, but I’m looking forward to writing more interactions with them together. 🍵🧀
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 10

Marinette dashed across the streets, closely holding onto the bow.

“I don’t know if I’m right about this,” Marinette said as she turned a corner, “but if you’re the sentimonster Chat fought on my balcony, then I’m sure Master Fu can help you.”

No one in particular was around to hear her commentary, other than the bow in her arms. She could’ve sworn she’d heard footsteps on her balcony only a couple of minutes ago… but when she’d opened the hatch, the only thing out of place was the bow. Everything else was perfectly normal, except that one item… and she wanted to know why.

Her room was completely repaired after the sentimonster and Chat Blanc fought each other. She didn’t realize that until she’d jumped off her balcony, weirdly enough. How could she not realize her room and roof were back to normal after everything that had happened yesterday?

It had to have been Tikki. Just like the day she’d made that cup of coffee for school, Tikki must’ve used her powers to revert the damage in some way. She never remembered Tikki doing something like that before… but that was the only reasonable explanation.

Tikki would help her in so many ways, Marinette thought to herself. Tikki was there for Marinette, no matter what, be it through helpful lucky charms, or simply keeping Marinette company for two years. No matter where she went, she had Tikki tucked away in her purse, ready for conversation and advice.

Tikki wasn’t here now.

Marinette ran past the fish and shoe shops, narrowly missing another light pole.

First Tikki was missing… and now Chat was gone, too.

She wasn’t planning to let him stay akumatized so easily, but… she was definitely open to hearing his reasoning as Ladybug. Maybe that was stupid, but what was she supposed to do? Her partner would only enclose those types of details with Ladybug, so of course Marinette wouldn’t get to hear his story. The only chance she’d get to hear his side is when she would be in her hero form.

Yet… now that he’d split away from her, too… she realized just how much she’d preferred him staying. Akumatized or not, she just wanted to have his company again. Giving him snacks, persuading him to let her sew him something, and finding an excuse to fluff his soft and pretty hair. And just talking with him again.

Distracted, she ran into a light pole. She extended her arm before her collision, so the bow didn’t crash into the pole. It was just her nose that suffered.

“Oww,” she groaned, rubbing her reddened nose in aggravation. She sighed, eyeing the bow a safe distance away from the pole. “We’re almost there. Don’t worry.”

The bow was unresponsive. Of course it was unresponsive. Was a bow supposed to respond to her ridiculous rambling? No. Of course not.

After she’d dashed down several more streets, she was only a couple feet away from Master Fu’s when she’d bumped into two people she didn’t think she’d see today.

Alix and Emma.

~~~~~

Chat Blanc landed along Marinette’s balcony, pressing his paws on the railing. His eyes centered on a snowflake landing along his nose before he wiped it away. He pulled out the Butterfly Miraculous, watching Nooroo spin out of the brooch.

“I know you and Plagg want me to talk to Ladybug and all, but I want to wait a little bit longer.”

Nooroo nodded, viewing the balcony’s chairs and window hatch. “That’s fine. Where are we?”

“…At a friend’s house,” Chat Blanc mumbled, leaning on the railing a little.

Nooroo’s eyes widened. “Wait… um. I think I misheard you. Could you repeat that?”

“We’re at my friend’s house,” Chat Blanc repeated, slouching down. He took a seat, leaning his back against the railing as he observed the empty chairs. “I wanna talk with someone else first… just in case.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Nooroo gulped, eyeing the window hatch like it could open any moment. “This person won’t recognize you in your civilian form… most likely.”

“I’m not meeting her as Adrien.”

Silence ensued as Chat Blanc leaned his head back, studying the clouds. The snowy ones were few and far between, but nonetheless, they lingered behind. It was like he was at the solution, that it could be resolved right then and there, and yet, he was still missing something. He curled his clawed gloves together, pressing his paws onto his aggravated puffed cheeks as snow gently brushed his white hair.

“Can I even fix this mess?” Chat Blanc muttered to himself, eyeing the blue sky around him with his bright blue eyes.

Everything was tinted blue. Sure, the previous colors of Paris were still noticeable, but it was as if they had blue hovering above them, ripping them away from their previous vibrancy.

He scanned the city, lowering his head to the grey cement streets below. Nothing was the same anymore. It was all so empty and dull now.

“Will she… be okay?” Nooroo asked, eyeing Chat Blanc’s slumped state.

Chat Blanc tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean, Nooroo?”

“I mean, um… since you’re akumatized, will she…”

Nooroo trailed off, sheepishly eyeing the floor as he floated in place. Chat Blanc knew what Nooroo meant.

“She seemed okay with me before,” Chat Blanc whispered, eyeing the window hatch nervously. “I hope that hasn’t changed.”

“…And what about you?” Nooroo turned to view the window hatch, just in case it would open. “Will you be okay?”

Chat Blanc lowered his paw to the floor, somberly eyeing the shut glass window. “I can’t clear my mind if I don’t see her. It’s hard to explain, but… I feel like I’m allowed to be myself when I’m with her, and… I want to remember what that feels like… before I have to see Ladybug as ‘Chat Blanc’.”

Nooroo nodded, crossing his arms. Floating up to the window hatch, he peeked past the glass.

“H-hey! Don’t look through her window!” Chat Blanc embarrassedly voiced, waving his paws and shaking his head.

Nooroo scrunched up his face as he pointed at the window hatch. “We’re… not going in?”

“Well, no.”

Nooroo floated over to Chat Blanc in concern. “Chat Blanc… I’m not sure I understand what we’re doing here then. Will she know we’re here if we don’t go in?”

“We’re not breaking into her house,” Chat Blanc agitatedly replied, covering his face with his paw.

Chat Blanc knew Nooroo and himself were eerily similar, but to think Nooroo could be so oblivious to social norms when he was centuries old. It was different with Chat Blanc; with his friends’ support, and Plagg’s begrudging pep-talks, Adrien started to realize what was acceptable and what wasn’t. His years of isolation from others his age, other than Chloe, sometimes got the better of him, but for the most part, he thought he was doing better.

He scanned his white clawed gloves. And now, as Chat Blanc, fixing Paris’ current problems would be a piece of cake, so surely this new ‘purr-sona’ could help him navigate through his own barriers as Adrien Agreste, too.

But he could paw through his difficulties later. ‘Fur’ now, he had to focus on his city. The people that were here, his friends, and Marinette.

He found himself smiling as he pictured her gentle grin, calming voice, and kindness. She was someone incredibly important to him, and no matter what came his way, he knew she would be there.

Marinette glowed with confidence. When they first met, Marinette wouldn’t show that side of herself with Adrien that often, but she would with Chat Noir. He always wondered why. But over time, Adrien started to see her confidence more and more. It was something about her he couldn’t help but admire.

Everyone could see that radiance she possessed, he thought. She was like her own superhero, without a mask.

And that’s why he needed to see her. It was finally time to share just what happened at the Agreste mansion… and who he was under the mask.

The wind ruffled his hair as he eyed the Eiffel Tower. Nooroo and Plagg encouraged him to talk with Ladybug, and work together to fix everything… but… he wasn’t sure she’d listen. She was so focused on her Ladybug duties, she’d be fully set to remove his akuma.

He assumed that was his excuse. That’s what it had to be. What else would it be?

Maybe he wanted to avoid his superhero partner for another reason. Maybe he knew that she would take the time to listen to his side… and maybe that scared him.

Ladybug was a real life superhero that he got the honor to befriend and work alongside. Admitting his own father was their sworn enemy, or how ‘Chat Noir’ wasn’t good enough without an akuma’s power… worried him.

Would she patronize him, saying he was just fine as Chat Noir, when it was obvious his strength and power had increased? Would she lock her eyes onto him in horror, as if he’d lost his mind, and only a fragment of the real Chat Noir were speaking to her…? Would she… assume he wasn’t the same person anymore, grasping for their partnership that had long since passed?

He was supposed to know Ladybug better than anyone… So why couldn’t he picture her response? Why was he so afraid?

What sparked his doubt in the hero he'd trusted? In the partner he’d risked his own life for throughout the years?

“Was it because of that day?” He whispered to himself, ignoring Nooroo’s questionable glance. Chat Blanc covered his mouth with his paw, concentrating on the floor.

He could see Ms. Bustier, panicking in the classroom beside Marinette. He could see his teacher gripping onto her jacket, sinking to the floor, knowing just what would happen if her panic continued, yet all the same, unable to regain her composure. He could see himself down the deserted hall, and the space between him and that door.

The space between him and that door stretched further and further away in his mind, as he recalled that day in detail. As he pictured what he’d been unable to prevent, all because he was a few steps down the hallway.

He could see himself as Chat Noir only moments later, his hand gripping the window, and his cat shoes wavering between the room and the street several stories below. The wind tugging on his back as he teetered between the classroom and the cement sidewalk. He could see his teacher trapped by his father, her emotions used for his own benefit. He could see Marinette’s head bashed against the door.

Her cyan eyes. Her emotionless face. Her emptiness.

He wasn’t on time. And by the time he’d left her in the classroom, the city was already breaking beneath him and his staff. Everything was broken. The whole city would be destroyed… and how would his power of destruction fight against that?

…And why wasn’t Ladybug there?

He gripped his clawed gloves deeper into his palm, unaware of the cuts he dug into his skin. Cold wind rushed through his hair as the day vividly painted itself within his mind.

Ladybug wasn’t there.

She wasn’t there when he’d needed her. When Paris needed her. When Ms. Bustier needed her.

Sure, she was allowed to have her own life, and she couldn’t constantly be Ladybug. He knew that.

But when the city turned to walking zombies, indifferent to their own existence, unaware they needed their heroes as the time drew on and on…

She wasn’t there.

He couldn’t remember her reasoning why. He couldn’t remember whether they talked about that day or not. Was she okay? Was she in danger? Did Ressusciter affect her, too? He never knew why she wasn’t there… and he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Knowing why the hero he depended on couldn’t be there when he needed her sounded terrifying; it scared him to know the answer. If she were just running late, or if she were inches away from death; any answer would be unsettling at the least. He couldn’t help Ladybug. He couldn’t save Paris. The weight of the world pressed onto his shoulders as he sighed. What if she needed him just as much as he needed her that day? What if she was avoiding him because ‘he wasn’t there’… just like she wasn’t there? He just didn’t know what to feel anymore. Every emotion he felt was too confusing to deal with. It would be easier to drop everything altogether. If only he could just walk up to her and simply ask for her side. She didn’t meet with him for their talks on the Eiffel Tower as often now… and her mind seemed to be centered on the wishes. Everything was about their hero work. Solving the wishes, ending Hawk Moth’s schemes, and repeating the same day over and over again.

They were supposed to be partners… but they grew distant within an instant. Or maybe they were just the same as before. He wasn’t sure anymore.

He didn’t want to see her. He was scared to see her.

They were supposed to be friends, and yet, sharing his feelings to her just felt impossible now. They had to work through this patch in their relationship, but he wasn’t sure he’d find the right words if any at all.

“Chat Blanc? Are you feeling alright?” Nooroo’s voice snapped through Chat Blanc’s thoughts.

With a couple startled blinks, Chat Blanc wiped his face with his paws, nodding as he stared off to the Agreste mansion’s direction. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Nooroo worriedly floated over to the railing, sitting on some snow along the bar. “You seemed distressed.”

Chat Blanc eyed Nooroo on the railing. “Oh… did I… scare you?”

Nooroo leant off the bar, shaking his hands. “No! Of course not! I was just… worried.”

Chat Blanc puffed his cheeks, slowly nodding as he stared back at the brick chimney. He tapped his shoes along the wood to a tune spinning around his mind. Once a couple of minutes passed, and the song became redundant, he stood up, stretching his arms into the cold air.

“She might not be home,” Chat Blanc shrugged, leaning on the railing.

“Then will we go find Ladybug now?”

Chat Blanc flinched. That was the plan: find and work with Ladybug. But…

“Okay,” Chat Blanc sighed, fixing his hair. “We usually take turns patrolling the city, so I bet we’ll spot her soon.”

Nooroo watched as Chat Blanc leapt off the balcony, stabbing his staff into the cement street below. Propelling himself over to another building, Nooroo nervously followed after him, scanning the city for any sign of Ladybug.

By the time Chat Blanc was far enough away, Tikki flew out from Marinette’s room, holding her chest in shock.

“He has… the butterfly Miraculous?”

The air around her tightened as she eyed the streets in sheer panic.

“Where’s Marinette?!”

~~~~~

“Hey, girl. It’s Alya. Uh… school’s over so, I guess I’ll stop by with our assignments. Adrien wasn’t here today, and Nino left before class started. Have you heard from either of them? …Neither of them are answering… and I’m really worried. Whenever you see this, please call me. I… I hope you’re… I’ll see you in a half hour. Call me, girl.”

Chloe eyed Alya frustratedly standing up from her desk. “Uh… you’re ‘what’?”

“No one is answering us, Chloe,” Alya sighed. “If they won’t get back to me, then I’ll just meet them myself.”

Chloe scrunched her face, crossing her arms. “So what if they’re taking a while? Maybe they’re just busy.”

“All three of them?” Alya questioned, zipping up her bag. “There’s something weird going on, and as the journalist I am, I’m going to find out what it is.”

“Fine,” Chloe replied nonchalantly as she shrugged. “Let me know what you find out.”

Alya, who was almost out the door, froze in place. “You’re… not coming?”

Chloe studied her nails. “I have a hair appointment.”

Alya eyed Chloe in disbelief. “Didn’t you just have your hair done?”

“Yeah… and?” Chloe frowned, pointing to her hair. “I totally love my look and all, but I can’t keep it like this forever.”

“It’s only been a couple days,” Alya mumbled, opening the door. “…See you later?”

“Sure,” Chloe spoke, watching the door shut behind Alya. She straightened her jacket, grabbing her purse as she made her way out of the school to the salon.

~~~~~

Below Paris, Gabriel crumbled against the wall. What had he done? He’d practically given his enemy the Butterfly Miraculous after strengthening him. This was the complete opposite of crushing his son’s spirits… and it irritated him beyond belief.

“Why did you send your sentimonster?” Gabriel muttered in annoyance, gripping his sides.

Mayura detransformed, collapsed against the wall. Her breathing was slow, practically nonexistent as she held her chest. Pain gripped her bones, lungs, and stomach. There was no relief.

“You… and your son-”

“That traitor is not my son,” Gabriel interrupted. “If he were, he would’ve given everything to save Émilie. But he didn’t. He betrayed us.”

Nathalie weakly turned her head to the side, incredulously staring at Gabriel Agreste. He wouldn’t listen to a thing she said. Not her reasoning for Sentiquin, devotion to their family, or anything else.

But she had to at least try.

“Gabriel… I loved your family. Adrien, Émilie, you… all of you were… dear to me. I… I couldn’t just… watch as you two killed each other… with Émilie already… dead… a couple feet behind you.”

Gabriel covered his face with his hand as he gripped his forehead. “You should have let me handle it. I’ve been the one handling his life, so I should have been the one to keep him in line. If you had not interfered, I might have had a chance to use the monster for Émilie’s sake. Then we could be a family again.”

Nathalie covered her mouth as she violently coughed. Her fingertips were ice cold, legs trembling, breathing weakening. Her chest felt hot and cold at the same time, as if she’d been burned and pricked by icicles. Nothing felt normal. Nowhere would ever feel human again.

Did she deserve the body she used to have? The healthy, pain-free body she had back when Émilie was here? After every horrid act she’d committed… could she even consider herself human anymore?

Blood dripped down her chin, sinking into her clothes. Her eyes took in the droplets of red spreading through the fabric. “…Do you… know what… creating… sentimonsters… involves?”

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows. “…Enlighten me.”

Nathalie wiped her mouth, holding her head up. “…When creating sentimonsters… the creator… can’t help but… envision a memory… or a person… when they… create their… sentimonster. And… in turn… the sentimonster… embodies the qualities of… those memories… or that person.”

Gabriel’s eyes lightened as he turned his head, eyeing Nathalie’s deteriorating state. “What are you implying, Nathalie?”

Nathalie let off a weak smile. “I… not only created… Sentiquin with my… feelings… knowing I was close to death. I pictured… Émilie’s… perfectionism… and her… devotion to her family. Her smile… and her… friendship with me. And I… remembered the boy… who would stay by… Émilie’s side. Who… scribbled pictures of his family… and picked roses… in the garden. The mistakes he made… that made him… the boy Émilie treasured. I… I wanted to see… our family one last time… even if it were… in the form… of a sentimonster.”

Gabriel stood up, stepping away. “You-?!”

“…I… never intended… to release Sentiquin… from existence… even though I said I would. I spoke through him… so Adrien would defend him. Why else… would I speak through a… sentimonster… when Adrien would… undoubtedly… hear us?”

“Nathalie!” Gabriel gripped his head in his hands, reality hitting him across the face. “Release him from existence! Do it now!”

“I’m… not releasing Sentiquin. He’s… going to live. In place of the… countless sentimonsters… I killed. And just… for the sake of living… he could have a future… whereas I… won’t.”

“Don’t do this,” Gabriel uttered, staring at Nathalie’s pained face.

Nathalie coughed, shaking her head. “…You aren’t the only one who wants to see Émilie again.”

All of these years… Nathalie’s friendship with Émilie never died. Nathalie would do anything to see her friend’s smile again. She’d do anything to embrace Émilie, holding the friend she’d lost long ago. All of the work as an exhausted secretary, buying Gabriel time, was worth it if she’d see Émilie’s joy once more. If she could see Émilie and Adrien back in the garden together, picking flowers and giggling with each other.

That was all she ever wanted.

So… ‘Mayura’ was inevitable when Gabriel almost lost. She had to risk her life to bring back Émilie’s.

But now… everything was clear. She couldn’t win. Selfishness… the wishes that aren’t meant to be granted… should be destroyed before they reveal their horrible consequences. Before those wishes plague the mind, never fully being fulfilled for what was initially asked for.

Émilie was gone. And Nathalie wanted to be with her again.

And now… she would be. Her wish would be granted. In the most excruciatingly painful way imaginable. She would die the same death as Émilie. The friend she’d tried to console… would soon meet her once again.

She gripped her face in agony. Not like this. She didn’t want this. This wasn’t her wish. Why would she ever wish for this?!

It was inescapable. She’d known that deep down the moment she became Mayura.

The worst imaginable outcome; the saddest possible fate. Émilie would never see her son again, and Nathalie would never witness the two of them happy in the garden. Coloring together. Being the family Émilie wanted as she breathed her final breaths.

“Gabriel… don’t… forsake your son.
…Adrien… loved… Émilie… more than you realize.”

Nathalie held her chest as tears dripped down her hands.

“We… wished for… things we should’ve never wished for. The family you had… the family… Émilie drew me into… was perfect. We never needed… to terrorize Paris to get our family back.”

Gabriel froze in place. “You believe we were wrong?”

Nathalie looked up to the dark ceiling letting in slivers of light. “…I believe… in Émilie. I loved the family she invited me in… and she wouldn’t have… wanted this. I… should’ve realized that. I just hope… that she’ll still be my friend… after everything I’ve done… once… we… finally… reunite…”

“Nathalie,” Gabriel weakly voiced as he staggered closer, “don’t leave me, too. Please.”

Nathalie coughed as she felt Gabriel lift her off of the ground. “………I… want… to see……… Émilie………”

The room’s echo silenced itself as the room filled with light. Sunbeams poured out onto the cold floor, lifting up the walls, and sinking into Nathalie’s red turtleneck.

Gabriel held Nathalie close to himself, staring at her in pure torment. “…Please. Don’t leave.”

~~~~~

Carapace leaped across the buildings, extending his shield once he’d landed on a hotel’s roof. He scanned the city, keeping his shield in front of him as he scanned every area possible.

“If Wayzz found me to assist Ladybug, where is she?” He sighed, slumping slightly in frustration. He held his forehead up with his free hand, blocking some light reflecting off the snow. “Did she already defeat Chat Noir?”

The city remained quiet.

He narrowed his eyes at the lack of response. “If I knew where to look, then my dude would get back to himself. It totally sucks being akumatized.”

There were no other heroes around to respond to his commentary. Awkward silence spread across the deserted hotel roof, frustrating Carapace.

“Whatever,” he angrily muttered as he leant over the railing. “I can find those dudes without Rena Rouge and Queen Bee. If anything, they’ll be the ones telling me where they are. Then, my superhero bud will be back to normal, and we can hang out. It’ll be easier when he’s not possessed.”

His vantage point over the city was a decent one, but as his search dragged on, he realized they wouldn’t reveal themselves anytime soon. It was like they’d totally disappeared or something.

He rolled his eyes, realizing his plan and this building’s view were another bust. Where in Paris could he go to actually see anything? How was it impossible to spot his superhero dudes when they were supposed to be in some epic battle?

It was hopeless. Wayzz said they needed him, but why not the whole team? Why just Carapace?

If only he had a higher vantage point. If only there were some kind of structure that was so tall, it’d be impossible to miss those two.

A pigeon cooed behind his head, startling him as he jumped back. “AH-”

His eyes met the Eiffel Tower. He facepalmed, further aggravated with himself. How could he not think of the Eiffel Tower? He’d lived in Paris for as long as he could remember, and yet, it didn’t even come to mind.

“Dudes,” he said as he readied his shield, “I’ll be there soon.”

~~~~~

Alix, Emma, and Marinette sat together on a nearby bench, holding hands. Alix had just introduced Marinette to her daughter of the future, Emma, and after an emotional exchange, they all sat together, mindlessly staring off into the distance.

“So, mommy?” Emma asked, tapping Marinette’s cheek. “Will we really fight Mister Kitty?”

“Mister Kitty?” Alix groaned, rolling her eyes. Emma never called Chat Noir ‘Mister Kitty’ before, but of course she was now. Now that she had an audience.

Marinette tapped Emma’s nose. “Nope. Chat is just… dealing with some… tough stuff I guess. We’re just gonna talk, that’s all.”

“Will that really work?” Emma shivered, eyeing her jacket's pockets. “The butterfly man… was really scary. Mister Kitty must be really, really scared.”

Alix scowled inwardly at herself. This kid had been akumatized by this timeline’s worst nightmare. Calling one of her heroes ‘Mister Kitty’ wasn’t something to get annoyed over. As one of Emma’s heroes, Alix should be kicking the pathetic butterfly man’s butt.

With a sad smile, Alix smoothed snow off of Emma’s hair. “He’s fine, Emma. I remember this moment back in the past… for the most part. I mainly kept my distance, but Marinette’s got the right idea to talk with him first.”

“Because I’m Ladybug… just like Alix apparently told you on the way here,” Marinette whispered, slightly irritated as she pointed to the rooftops. “Chat and I run around those buildings all the time, and over there on the Eiffel Tower, we like to chat. I’m sure we can figure everything out.”

Alix nodded, poking Marinette’s forehead. “Spot on, Marinette. Besides… it’s not Chat Blanc we need to worry about.”

Emma tilted her head. “It’s not?”

Alix nodded, eyeing the streets cautiously. “We’ll just need to be ready. When we meet myself from your timeline, Minibug… we’ll need to be ready.”

Marinette stood up from the bench, scanning the city as well. “Understood.”

The air was tense. No one knew what was ahead except Alix… and even she wasn’t all that clear.

A cold breeze rushed past the bench, ruffling Marinette’s pigtails. She reached for her earrings, lightly tapping their glassy finish. She had responsibilities to fulfill. She needed to meet with Master Fu, continue planning with Alix and Emma, and then work together with Chat Blanc. This wasn't just her duty as Ladybug; Marinette needed to be with all four of them, even just for their company. She felt incredibly alone.

If only she had Tikki with her.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” a mysterious voice uttered from the trees.

Marinette tilted her head, eyeing a man with sunglasses waltzing from behind the tree. “Master Fu?”

Master Fu warmly smiled at the three, contemplatively stroking his beard. “Hello.”

Emma reached for her chin, stroking her hairless chin in imitation. “Mr. Shirt! What are you doing here?”

Master Fu furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “I’m not sure who you’ve mistaken me as, but I knew you three would be here.”

Alix scoffed, rolling her eyes as she slumped back against the bench. Raising her hand out, she stuck her finger out, flicking it around. “I’m not in the mood for a past and future introduction, or your ‘wise’ remarks.”

“Alix… just as brash as always,” Master Fu muttered, turning to Marinette. He pointed to the bow in her hands. “Marinette. I see you have something of importance.”

Marinette nodded, standing up. “Yes. I saw this on my balcony… and I just have a feeling that there’s something… different about it. It’s not my bow, and I can only think of it as belonging to Chat or the sentimonster on my roof yesterday. It might even be the sentimonster’s amok.”

Master Fu nodded, taking the bow from Marinette’s hands. “I can inspect it for any oddities. In the meantime, have you met with Tikki yet?”

“You saw Tikki?” Marinette’s eyes lit up with hope.

If Master Fu saw Tikki… that meant she had to be nearby! Of course Tikki couldn’t have just vanished but… it was just relieving to know her friend was okay.

“Yes… she was at my home just a little bit ago. I sent her back to your home to find you, but it seems your paths were separate.”

Emma stood up, wrapping her arms around Marinette. “Mommy! We can go to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s bakery together, right?”

Before Marinette could respond, Master Fu nodded.

“You three should go. You have matters to attend to… as do I.”

Alix rolled her eyes, uncrossing her legs as she stood up from the bench. Crossing her arms behind her neck, she raised one arm to stretch it. “Yep. See ya, Master Fu.”

Master Fu irritatedly eyed Alix as he cleared his throat. “As I was saying… This is our departure. Good luck, Marinette.”

Marinette watched as Master Fu walked away, holding the bow.

“The bakery! Can I have pastries in the bakery, mommy?” Emma asked, tugging Marinette’s arm.

Everything would be fine. It would all go smoothly.

Marinette nodded, ruffling Emma’s hair as she lifted her onto her back for a piggyback ride. “Let’s go!”

“Yay!” Emma squealed, raising her arms up into the air.

As Emma raised her arms, she started to tilt back. But before she could fall off of Marinette, Alix lifted Emma back up onto Marinette.

“Miss Bunny! Thanks!”

Alix nodded with a tired grin. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t fall off. Wouldn’t want Minibug to freak out, you know.”

“Right,” Emma determinedly spoke, curling her fists into Marinette’s jacket. “I’m ready!”

“So am I,” Alix quickly responded, pointing finger guns out at the street. She started ahead of the two, walking backwards. “Once we find Tikki, we’ll need to plan some stuff as a group. Let’s save talking with Chat Blanc until you're Ladybug again.”

Marinette readjusted Emma a couple of times, awkwardly stepping forward. “You’re right. If we’re gonna work together… we’ll all need to be in our hero forms… and it’s not like I can reveal my identity when we’re up against whatever you saw as your teenage self.”

Alix nodded, pulling a stick of gum from her pocket. “I can’t fully remember everything, but it’ll probably be for the best to keep your identity a secret for now.”

“Hehe… Mommy’s a super secret superhero!” Emma snickered, poking Marinette’s pigtails.

“She’s also about to pop her spine. Minibug, you want me to take over carrying the kid?”

Emma gasped in offense. “The kid?!”

Marinette hesitated before nodding.

~~~~~

Alya tapped her shoe along the cement, leaning back against the bakery’s door.

“Alright. You’ve got this Alya. Just confront her. You're a journalist after all.”

Her shoe’s tapping grew as she gripped her phone in her hands. There was something incredibly off with her friends today. She had no idea what was with Adrien, but Nino was a scattered mess, and Marinette seemed preoccupied with something she wouldn’t open up about. Chloe was fine, as usual.

Alya groaned, gripping her face with one of her hands. Was she overreacting? Were they all perfectly fine, and she was just bugging them?

“Alya?”

Alya’s attention flipped over to three figures in the distance. She cupped her hand over her eyes from the sunlight. “…Marinette? Is that you?”

Marinette sprinted over to Alya. “Alya! I’m, um… what’s going on?”

“I called you after school and said I’d come over,” Alya replied, wiping her forehead from her previously tight grip on her head. “I was just… worried about you guys.”

Alix and Emma made their way over to the bakery’s door, eyeing Alya and Marinette.

“Wait. What do you mean ‘you guys’?” Marinette looked around the streets suspiciously, as if someone were spying on their group.

“Adrien and Nino weren’t at school. Well, Nino was… until he started acting weird and left. I thought… maybe you would know?”

Marinette shook her head. “I had no idea.”

A tiny red blurb from the distance caught Marinette’s attention.

“Well…” Alya slowly began, eyeing the three of them in discomfort, “I guess I’ll just go.”

“Wait!” Marinette held Alya’s sleeve. “You don’t have to go, I-”

Alya shook her head, patting Marinette’s shoulder. “No, it’s fine. I’m gonna go look…”

Alya’s eyes centered on the Eiffel Tower a decent distance away. She could’ve sworn she’d seen something zip toward the structure at an incredible speed. A speed only the heroes could produce with their Miraculous.

“…I’m gonna look for Nino. See ya, girl.”

Before Marinette could stop Alya, she watched as Alya ran off toward the Eiffel Tower, gripping her bag close to herself.

Alix walked over to the bakery door, pointing to the red dot in the air. “So, are we going in? We found your floating friend.”

Marinette sadly eyed Alya’s form vanish into the streets. With a shaky breath, and a quick nod, she turned her attention to the red dot in the air. “Tikki! I’m sorry I lost you.”

Tikki frantically floated down to Marinette, pressing her hands on Marinette’s nose. “It wasn’t your fault, it was mine.”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows at Tikki’s panicked expression. “Tikki… are you alright?”

“I… I’m just glad I found you. I should’ve never left you alone. And there’s a serious issue I really need to talk with you about now that I know you’re safe.”

“The genie mouse seems upset,” Emma pointed out on Alix’s back. She leaned forward, tilting her head to eye Alix. “What’s wrong with her?”

Alix rolled her eyes, gently nudging Emma back. “Must’ve been scared by something. Minibug, we’ve got to go inside. We need to form a strategy now that you’ve got Tikki.”

Marinette held her arms close to her chest. Her eyes darted from Tikki, the bakery, and the street she’d last seen Alya pass. Her hands slowly lifted toward her head as she gripped her ears. “I…”

Tikki floated back, worriedly eyeing Marinette.

“I… I understand. Let’s go inside.”

Marinette nodded to herself, lowering her hands uneasily. She felt Tikki land on her shoulder.

Alix eyed the streets, catching a figure slipping into an alleyway. She shook her head, opening the bakery door. “Let’s go inside.”

~~~~~

The sky was clearing only somewhat, letting in beams of sunlight toward Paris. Snow clouds continued to drift by, lightly dusting the rooftops with snow. Carapace swung himself around the Eiffel Tower, observing every direction carefully.

“No luck yet,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Maybe I just missed a spot.”

As he gripped his shield close to his side, he propelled himself to the opposite side of the Eiffel Tower, startlingly meeting Ladybug face to face.

“AH!” He screamed, pulling back in concern. “Wha-what’s-”

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows as she pointed at him in confusion. “Hold on. Carapace? What are you doing here?”

Carapace’s eyebrows lifted as he tilted his head. “Uh, didn’t you need me to help my dude?”

“Which ‘dude’ do you mean?” Ladybug asked, extending her hand out to Paris. “Is there someone I can help you find, or…?”

“You know, Chat Noir. Wayzz said he’s akumatized and that you needed backup.”

Ladybug walked along the railing, crossing her arms. “I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t need backup for my partner. I need to talk with him by myself.”

“Seriously?” Carapace spoke, leaning against a pole. “I’m sorry, dude. Wayzz said I should come, so I did, but I can just back off.”

“Alright,” Ladybug replied, tightening her ponytails. “It’s nothing personal or anything. I just don’t think he’ll like being up against two people when I…”

Ladybug cut off abruptly, surprising Carapace. Before he could ask why, he followed her eyes to the opposite side of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Blanc had quietly leaped onto one of the metal beams, standing up with a betrayed expression across his face. A gust of wind whipped through his hair, folding his cat ears back.

Ladybug gripped her yo-yo close to her shoulder as panic filled her face. “Chat…”

“Don’t,” Chat Blanc sighed, eyeing the inside of the Eiffel Tower. It was a long drop… something that would scare him whenever he’d take in just how high the structure was. He wouldn't land on his feet from a jump off of this.

But he never needed to worry when Ladybug was with him; she’d catch him if he fell, anyway.

When Ladybug and Chat Noir would meet here, the distance from the ground wasn’t too scary. He could forget about the innate danger since he had his partner by his side. But as the silence grew between the three of them, and he realized that she’d brought Carapace to ‘defeat’ him… and that their partnership supposedly meant nothing to her now… the only courage he had against the terrifying distance was his superpowers.

He was alone. But even so, that wouldn’t stop him from making things right. He would find the solution to the wishes, with or without Ladybug. He could do it by himself.

Carapace gulped, adjusting his hood. “Chat Noir, dude, I-”

Chat Blanc leapt over to their side, letting his shoes slam against the metal beam. The sound reverberated as he eyed Carapace. “I’m not mad at you. You don’t know me well enough to understand what I’m going through… I know you just wanted to help.”

Carapace’s eyes lightened as Chat Blanc side eyed Ladybug.

“You brought backup?”

Ladybug held her hand over her mouth. His expression… he looked heartbroken. Was that… was that because of her…? But… but it was all just a misunderstanding! If he’d just let her explain-

“Dude! She didn’t bring me here! I think the old guy sent me or something, but why would you be mad if she did? I mean, dude, you’re akumatized. Even if she did call me for backup, wouldn’t you see how hard it is for her to fight you alone? You two are super close, so she’s gotta be a mess, dude.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she stepped back. “Carapace, don’t. He’s not-”

“But aren’t you dudes partners?” Carapace interrupted, pointing at the two of them. “If he’s akumatized, it’s only natural we get him un-possessed so he can get back to being himself. There’s nothing wrong with having backup if it’s for Chat Noir’s sake. I care about the dude, too, you know.”

Nothing Carapace said was inherently wrong… and in all honesty, it was a perfectly reasonable perspective. There was more to this akumatization though that he didn’t know about. All three of them were missing pieces to a bigger picture, one that all three were scrambling to gather pieces for.

Chat Blanc lowered his head, gripping his staff, expressionless. The act caused Carapace to pull out his shield, and instinctively, Ladybug gripped her yo-yo as well.

He was only planning to leave… and yet... the two heroes he thought he could depend on in the past just assumed he’d attack.

Those two saw him as a monster.

Chat Blanc’s eyes weakened as his eyelids begged to shut. Cold air stung his solemn eyes, blurring his vision as he tried to avoid their fear-filled glances. He held his staff out, opening his eyes to the large city ahead of him. “You’ve got it wrong.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she held her hand out to Chat Blanc. There was so much she wanted to say. No, that she needed to say. But how could she? The torn look on his face broke her. She couldn't speak, let alone think straight, as he prepared to leave her again.

Not again, she thought to herself. He couldn’t leave again. He was running away from her, but could she blame him? He was hurt. It was difficult how stubborn he could be… but if he’d only try to talk with her… if only they could just work things out, like they used to-

Ladybug froze, curling her fingers into her palm. When was the last moment they’d spent time together just as friends? She couldn’t remember. She could only remember their patrols and general responsibilities. They hadn’t met together on the Eiffel Tower just for casual talk, or goofed around as often. They hadn’t played around during patrols, or even opened up about their feelings for so long.

Was that because they’d spent time together while she was Marinette? How could she let their Ladybug and Chat Noir time slip from her mind so easily?

She pulled her hand back, covering her mouth. She’d recently had him on her mind as Marinette so often, she forgot that he saw Ladybug and Marinette as two different people. She was so focused on her responsibilities, she assumed that she’d get to see him sometime soon on her balcony.

But he wasn’t spending time with Ladybug on the balcony. So… how in the world did Chat Blanc see their current partnership? How badly was this impacting him? Chat Blanc seeing Carapace here… and Chat Blanc misinterpreting everything, while being his same stubborn self… how deep of a wound did this misunderstanding create?

How many other misunderstandings were there that she hadn’t noticed? What was circling his mind?

Why wouldn’t he talk to her? Or let her talk to him?

Why couldn’t they be partners anymore?

Chat Blanc turned his head in their general direction, avoiding eye contact. “I’m not Chat Noir.”

Ladybug held her breath, fighting back tears as she painfully remembered the times they went around the city as their superhero team, Ladybug and Chat Noir. They were supposed to be a duo… they were friends-! Why, why was he not opening up to her?! Why couldn’t she speak?!

She gripped her head, trying to shake the image of his heartbroken face from her mind. She had to say something! She had to make him stay, even if everything turned for the worst. They’d been friends for so long, and they’d shared so much of their time together. She couldn’t leave him alone like this! He was hurt, and she needed to be there for him, just like he would be for her. She had to speak!

“Chat, please! Just listen to me!” Her voice cracked through her hand. Her hand tightened around her nose, sheltering her face from the cold.

She could feel his pain enclosed around her. He needed her before he was akumatized, but she didn’t even notice. How much of a barrier did she form between them? Was she wrong for being around him as Marinette? Did she fail as Ladybug, despite the countless hours she’d spent trying to stop the horrible man tormenting their city? Why couldn’t she be the friend he needed as Ladybug and Marinette? Why, despite everything she could do… Why did she always fail when it mattered most?

She lowered her head. No. This wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t blame herself for things he hadn’t even said himself. She had to pull herself together. She couldn’t let stress or fear break her. She was Ladybug. She had a responsibility as Chat Noir’s friend to get him talking… so if it took all of her strength to get that cat’s side of the story, then so be it.

Chat Blanc’s staff extended all the way down to the bottom of the street, audibly stabbing the cement. Some startled Parisians stood back, eyeing the Eiffel Tower in confusion.

Carapace held onto the beam, eyeing the civilians and the heroes back and forth. He counted inwardly how many people he’d need to prepare his shield to hold… and by the fifty-second person… his eyes met Alya’s.

Alya was down there.

“…Don’t do something you’ll regret,” Carapace muttered, gripping his shield as he eyed Chat Blanc defensively. “Take it out on us if you want. Not them.”

Ladybug stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at Carapace. “Stop it. Chat would never hurt anyone if that’s what you’re implying.”

Carapace held his stance, eyeing Chat Blanc. “Then why does he look like that?”

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms. “What are you talking about? Look like ‘what’?”

Well, that was a stupid question. He was akumatized. He clearly had an outfit switch.

But Carapace wouldn’t note something so obvious. What did he mean? What could he possibly see in Chat Blanc that painted him so negatively? Chat would never hurt anyone, akumatized or not. He just wouldn’t. Why on earth would Carapace come to such a strong conclusion?

Some uncomfortably silent time passed between the three. Neither Carapace nor Ladybug could fully see Chat Blanc’s face; he wouldn’t let them see his face. Chat Blanc wiped his eyes, lowering his hand slowly.

“Like he could kill someone,” Carapace replied with his eyes locked on Chat Blanc. “He’s beyond talking to, Ladybug. My dude’s possessed by that butterfly freak… and he could start killing all of the civilians down there if you don’t beat him, Ladybug.”

Ladybug stepped closer, tilting slightly to try and see Chat Blanc’s face. “He’s not like that, Carapace.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes centered on the staff stabbed into the street.

Carapace leaned toward the beam with his shield. “I’ll protect the citizens. Ladybug, de-akumatize him before it’s too late.”

Before she could reply, Carapace was already sending a shelter over the citizens below.

This couldn’t be happening, Ladybug thought to herself sadly. She turned her focus back on Chat Blanc, who was now only inches away from her.

“Chat!” She gasped, holding her chest. “You scared me-! What’s going on?”

“Can’t you tell?” He asked monotonously, flicking his white bell. “I’m akumatized as Chat Blanc. I’m going to destroy all of Paris according to the turtle.”

“Chat, that’s not funny,” Ladybug frowned as she stepped back, keeping her eyes locked onto his somber ones. “You’re not hurting anyone.”

“How do you know that?” He asked, emptily tilting his head. “It’s not like we could talk about what’s exactly happening. I’m just a monster possessing your former partner, right? Why should you bother listening to anything I have to say?”

This was the moment she was begging to avoid. The moment she would’ve done anything to prevent. “I don’t want to fight you.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes flickered from the growing sunlight. The sunbeams bled through the metal structure, shining onto the two of them. “I’m akumatized. There’s no other option unless you want me to keep my akuma. How about it, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug dodged a swipe, clenching her teeth from the metal’s scream. The beam she’d been standing in front of slit in half.

Chat Blanc brought back his staff, letting it shorten before extending it toward her head. “What are you waiting for? I’m another problem on your to-do list, right? Get rid of me.”

She tilted her head to the left, letting the staff rapidly extend past her head. In shock, she eyed the staff beside her neck, realizing that one single attack would’ve killed her. “Chat… I'm serious. I really don’t want to fight you-”

She widened her eyes as she lost sight of him. The staff had practically vanished as she turned her head, spotting him close behind. As he tried to stab her with the staff, she gripped his arms, lifting him over herself and slamming him onto the floor.

“Chat, please! I just want to talk! I don’t want to fight you. We’re friends.”

Chat Blanc fixed his eyes on Ladybug, scowling at her spotted mask. “Are we?”

Ladybug frowned, gripping his arms as he tried to move. “Come on. Let’s just talk.”

Chat Blanc pulled out of her grip, settling his eyes on the Parisians covered in Carapace’s shield. “We’re past that.”

Ladybug dodged a couple swipes, swinging to the other side of the Eiffel Tower. “Chaton… why won’t you talk with me?”

“I don’t want to,” Chat Blanc huffed, leaning against one of the beams. “You wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”

Was he… pouting? Just a couple seconds ago… she would’ve died with one wrong move… and now… he has the audacity to ‘pout’? The nerve of this cat! The absolute level of audaciousness was insane.

She rolled her eyes. She couldn’t just ignore the fact he was willingly fighting her. He wasn’t purposely trying to kill her, from what she thought, but his akumatized power was definitely stronger than she’d realized. Maybe he didn’t realize how strong he was now. Otherwise… how should she feel if he were aware?

She shook her head. He was egging her on to fight him. That's all this was. It had to be.

Even if he continued to fight against her, she’d just have to pick at him until he opened up. She could be stubborn when she wanted to be, too.

“…You won’t know that unless you talk with me,” Ladybug suggested, sticking her finger up in the air with a tiny grin.

He stopped as his eyes settled on hers. How was she unbothered by his attacks? Granted, he missed every single time, but wouldn’t she do more to stop him? She should be fighting back knowing he’s akumatized.

Could he… really talk with her? Would she really listen?

He puffed his cheeks, looking away. Maybe this was part of her strategy… He wouldn’t let down his guard so easily. Straightening his arms, and curling his paws, he eyed the buildings in the distance. “Would you trust me while I’m akumatized?”

Ladybug swung over to him, booping his nose in irritation. “Why wouldn’t I? Do you seriously underestimate me that much? And here I thought we were partners. We can just talk this out like we usually do, Chat.”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at Ladybug’s attempt for camaraderie. “Like we did the day Ressusciter showed up?”

“What… do you mean?” Ladybug reached for his shoulder, placing her hand along his shoulder pad.

The action startled Chat Blanc as he pulled back, eyeing his bell anxiously. He shakily lifted his paws toward it, worryingly batting at it as he continued to walk away. His eyes drew up to Ladybug’s. “If you won’t remember that day… I won’t explain a thing to you.”

Ladybug stepped closer, swinging her yo-yo back onto her side. “It’s not like I don’t want to remember, I’m just trying to figure out what you want me to understand.”

He flinched, continuing to draw back. How could she not remember? The day she wasn’t there… and people were on the verge of death… he never knew why. He never knew if she was okay. She never brought the day up. And it’s not like she would. They haven’t been the partners they used to be for a long time now. Deep down, he really wanted to be her partner again… but he wasn’t sure if she really wanted that at all anymore.

He placed his paw on his forehead, silencing his thoughts. Until she bothered to remember… trusting her was not an option.

Chat Blanc fluffed some snow off of his hair with his paw, glaring her way. “Take a lucky guess.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Lots of moments including Marinette’s and Emma’s “reunion” are definitely rushed; I mainly wanted to get to the Ladybug and Chat Blanc drama 🐈🌨️.
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 11

Ladybug felt the air in her lungs twist. This was really happening: she was fighting Chat as if they were enemies. The partner she’d sorted her feelings for looked at her with pure despair in his eyes, as if he’d been betrayed. But why? They were supposed to be partners, right? She loved him, but he didn’t know that. She never got to express her feelings for him as Marinette, and it’s not like she could now while she was Ladybug. Yet, if she couldn’t dodge a cataclysm, one powerful enough to disintegrate a sentimonster, would she ever have the opportunity again? Would she fail everyone, including Bunnix, if their timeline terminates as a result of her failure? Could Bunnix go back in time to bring another Ladybug to the present if Ladybug’s current self… failed? Would the future Emma comes from exist if Ladybug made one wrong move after the other? Would Chat be okay?

Every question unsettled her as she realized none of her thoughts were coherent. How could they be coherent? With so much at stake, and no room for error, it was only natural to feel immense unease.

So what would Chat feel? And what effect did that akuma leave on him?

When she’d met with Master Fu in the past, she studied as many scrolls as he’d allow, aiming to find an end to Hawk Moth. She researched the Butterfly Miraculous’ ins and outs, records from previous wielders, and victim/volunteer accounts.

She knew what would happen if a person were akumatized for too long. And so did he.

So how long had he been akumatized? How long would it take for…

No. They would talk to each other and work things out. Any other questions could be left for later.

Ladybug sent her yo-yo past his arm, ducking down from a swing of his staff. He was fighting her in a similar style to their sparring practice. When they’d wanted to prepare themselves for Hawk Moth, they trained together, just like this. She was confident she could dodge all of his attacks back then, and so was he. That was the point. It was just practice against their real enemy. Yet, with everything at stake in this present moment, the coolheaded-ness she previously wielded wavered. With every dodge, and every strike of her yo-yo, she wondered just how long she’d have to counter his attacks, knowing she was fighting one of her closest friends.

He thought his attacks were nothing more than agitated sparring, a waiting period before she finally explained what happened when Ressusciter was akumatized. Once he knew why she wasn’t there for Paris, and if she was even okay during her disappearance, he would talk about his akuma. He would talk about Hawk Moth. He would tell her everything, but she needed to be there to hear it. She needed to be present for his story, actively present, unlike the day Ressusciter was akumatized. It was either that, or he’d leave to solve the wishes by himself. That was the plan; spar until they talked, or leave her alone. He just wished she’d say something. Their sparring in silence was incredibly uncomfortable.

The anger gripping his mind wasn’t as strong as Carapace implied it to be. Chat Blanc would never try to kill someone, no matter what. He wasn’t like his father. He wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t.

With one wrong move, Ladybug reminded herself again as she dodged a swipe, he might actually end her life. Whether on purpose or not, they might never find their compromise.

She wouldn’t let her future with Emma disappear so easily; she would stay diligent and alert. She wouldn’t let her best friend, the boy she loved, be responsible for her death; she would fight him if that’s what it took.

And for herself, she wouldn’t lose this fight. She was going to live, no matter how difficult her future would be from this battle.

She won’t die. Not now. She won’t allow it.

If it took an incredibly risky ‘sparring match’, and an undoubtedly heavy conversation, to put an end to their miscommunication, so be it. He was worth fighting for. Or in this case, he was worth fighting ‘against’.

Swinging around the beams, she tried to gather her thoughts. He wanted her to remember something, but her mind was drawing a blank. The day Ressusciter appeared, she could only remember comforting Ms. Bustier. What else was there to remember?

Chat Blanc’s staff snapped her out of her thoughts as her arm bent out of place. She crashed into one of the metal beams as she struck her yo-yo toward him in retaliation.

“Chat,” she voiced, fighting back a scream from her bent arm, “I’m trying to remember, but it’s just not coming to me. What did I do?”

The yo-yo gripped his ankle, tugging him her way. He banged his knee against a beam as he fell toward her general direction. “That’s just it. You didn’t do anything.”

Chat Blanc tried to draw back, but Ladybug wouldn’t let him off that easily. She lunged forward, stealing his staff from his back.

“Then WHY are you mad at me?!” She exclaimed, jumping to a higher altitude. With one hand gripping the staff, and the other grasping a jagged metal slab, she lifted herself higher up the tower. “If I didn’t do anything, you shouldn’t be this upset!”

Chat Blanc tapped his back, annoyed that she’d stolen his weapon. He wiped his hair back, rushing toward her as she continued to lift away from him.

“Don’t tell me how I’m supposed to feel,” he snarled, clenching his teeth together as he threw himself above several ripped metal beams. “Whether it’s a stupid reason or not doesn’t matter.”

“A reason?” Ladybug placed the staff by her waist, securing it with her yo-yo’s string. She gripped both of her hands on a smoother beam, eyeing him quickly approach from below. Raising her legs, she kicked him away, digging her heels into his shoulders as he fell. “What do you mean ‘a reason’? You were akumatized because I did ‘nothing’?!”

Chat Blanc eyed his glove before wiping his mouth from a cut. He ran toward a beam parallel to Ladybug’s, running up along its unblemished metal.

“Yeah, because that makes so much sense,” he sarcastically replied, reaching the beam’s limit. Eyeing the surrounding beams, he carefully eyed a beam parallel to the ground’s direction. He readied himself to jump, reaching for the beam, and barely managing to grasp it as his gloves dug into the metal. He precariously threw himself over to her side, slicing her side’s beam with his claws.

“Then how in the world are you this mad at me for doing ‘nothing’?!” Ladybug tightened her ponytails, scooting away. “This is getting us nowhere. Just tell me why you were akumatized! I’m sure we can work this out!”

“Don’t try to change the subject. You weren’t there when Ressusciter was attacking the city. That’s what I meant. You did NOTHING, and you never explained why!”

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she took in his words. What was he talking about?! She was there! She was-

Nope. She wasn’t there. That was Marinette.

She facepalmed, gripping her bangs as she inwardly screamed at the horrible irony of this situation. If she could remember right, Tikki went to Master Fu’s that day… so there was no way ‘Ladybug’ could show up. That’s why Marinette was there, even if she couldn’t purify the akuma. It was her job to help the citizens, with or without the mask.

Chat Blanc leant forward, stealing his staff back. “I didn’t know if you were late, or if Ressusciter got you, or if you needed help, or-… If we’re ‘partners’, why did we never talk about that day, or… did I… were you upset with me, or-?”

Ladybug held her breath as she eyed Chat Blanc’s confused state, trying to form a picture. Chat Blanc didn’t know she was Marinette. He didn’t know she was there, that they were both together. An identity reveal wasn’t exactly practical on the ripped up Eiffel Tower, but even if she did reveal her identity, would that really help right now?

“Well, umm… I can explain now! Yeah!” She clasped her hands together matter of factly. This was a serious problem. She couldn’t tell the truth and risk her identity, so she’d have to lie. As long as he took an interest in whatever excuse she fabricated, then maybe they could create a temporary truce.

He stopped, withdrawing his paws as he took a seat. “Fine. I’m listening.”

Wha-… wait. That was quick.

Was it… too quick?

Ladybug confusedly blinked. She wasn’t expecting him to agree so suddenly, let alone stop fighting her. She had to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible, or he would know she was lying-!

“I… I was… umm…” she stammered, eyeing him sitting along the beam patiently, “…my miraculous, no, I mean, uh, my kwami… she… she went to Master Fu’s to discuss the wishes that day.”

She couldn’t lie to him. Lying to him would make everything worse, and he’d definitely catch on if she did… so this was her best option: the truth. He wanted to know ‘why’ Ladybug wasn’t there. He wasn’t asking ‘where’ she was. Those were two incredibly different questions; one would risk her identity, and the other would amend for her absence.

She just hoped their fight would end now that the truth was out.

~~~~~

“Ah, yes,” Master Fu spoke aloud as he contemplatively stroked his beard, “I sense the essence of an amok in this bow.”

He paused dramatically, raising the bow toward the window. Sunlight glistened around the wood, shining directly in his eyes.

“My word,” he uttered to himself. “This phenomenon hasn’t occurred for over a century!”

The wind outside bashed against the window glass. Snowflakes stuck onto the window, melting away as soon as they landed.

He placed the bow onto a desk, clasping his hands together.

“Hold tight to your remaining sense of being, my friend,” Master Fu spoke to the bow. “I will need time to decipher some scrolls in my possession, but I can assure you this: you will be freed from your immobile state.”

He quickly walked over to a set of boxes. He flipped through several sections, skimming some labels as he searched for his answer. And after some time, he found just what he was looking for.

“The miracle box truly is a wonder,” he remarked to himself, turning his head over to the gramophone. Carefully holding a scroll, he made his way to the gramophone, contemplatively stroking his beard. “It seems I can save you much sooner than I supposed.”

~~~~~

The bell to the salon door jingled.

“Chloe, welcome back!” Avery clasped their hands together, already waltzing over with some chemistry magazines. “These were brought in a couple hours ago!”

Chloe eyed the magazines in Avery’s hands, taking a couple as she followed Avery into the salon. “Thanks, Avery.”

“No, thank you,” Avery replied. “Seriously, so many regulars are digging the science-chic magazines now that they’ve seen those being read. Like they were just sitting there, gathering dust and looking totally pathetic without you, but now~! So many people are scientifically-inspired!”

Chloe scanned the salon, noticing a couple clients reading her previously read magazines. “Uh, that’s nice.”

“I know, right?!” Avery gushed, tapping the chair. Avery pointed at Chloe’s hair. “So… did this style not click with you this time?”

“I always like your work,” Chloe responded, flipping through a magazine as she took a seat. “I just want to see something new, that’s all.”

Avery eyed Chloe in the mirror. Chloe was avoiding the glass, eyes glued to the Chemistry magazine. “Say no more, girl; I’ll do my best. Oh wait! Actually, do say more. I wanna know your vision for your hair.”

Chloe eyed Avery’s reflection in the mirror, flipping through the magazine. “I want really long blonde extensions.”

Avery gasped in excitement, clasping their hands over their chest. “YES! Yes, I can, and I WILL! Oo! I’ve been dying to work with long hair for days! So, are we thinking Rachel Green in season 6 of Friends, or Sailor Venus? Rachel has highlights and layering, but Sailor Venus has super-duper long hair, so? Tell me and I’ll make it happen!”

Chloe took a couple seconds to think before she decided, “Sailor Venus.”

Avery dashed toward a storage cabinet, eyeing the stash of hair extensions extensively. “I can see it now! I’ll Venus Power, Make-Up your gorgeous new look!”

Chloe scrunched up her face, eyeing the magazines once more. “Avery, you’re ridiculous.”

“Utterly ridiculous, you mean,” Avery corrected as they continued to look through the hair extension collection.

~~~~~

Alya’s eyes widened from the green geometric shield surrounding her and the other Parisians. Her phone was on, preparing to capture footage for the Ladyblog, which seemed to be inevitable.

The pedestrians by her side panicked, knocking on the transparent shield and demanding answers. Some curled up onto the cement, holding their knees close to their chests.

“What is going on?!”

“Not again! How many more akumatized villains do Ladybug and Chat Noir have to deal with before we’re safe?!”

“My kid’s leaving school in a half hour! I can’t leave him alone in the school building! Get me out of here!”

“What’s happening on the Eiffel Tower? OH-!”

A metal staff and yo-yo slashed each other in the air, staying within the Eiffel Tower’s vicinity.

“My word! Is that Miss Ladybug fighting the Cat Kid?”

Alya rolled her eyes, turning around to the person covering their eyes from sunlight. “No, of course not. It’s probably one of the akumatized victims.”

“He sure does look like that young man,” the person muttered, scratching his braided beard. “I don’t suppose he’s got one of the, uh, butterflies or something?”

“An akuma?” Someone else corrected, stepping over to the man and Alya.

“Whatever you all call those things,” the man agreed with a wave of his hand. “I’m visiting my grandson after one of those things got in his head. Flew out here the moment I saw the news. He’s been a wreck ever since those nasty akuma-ma-taters poisoned his brain.”

Alya snickered, lifting her phone slightly to the two in front of her. “I don’t suppose you’d know what name your grandson had when he was akuma-ma-tatered, would you?”

The man snickered, lifting his hat off his head as he sadly eyed the Eiffel Tower. “My grandson had some weird kind of name. Let me think of it, um… hmm, yes, I think I can remember. Something like ‘Coherence Speech’ or whatever. That poor boy.”

Alya furrowed her eyebrows, recalling the latest akumatizations in her mind. There weren’t as many as usual this month, but there were definitely notable ones. Snowtopia, Clarityvoice, Changeseeker, Ressusciter…

“Would you mean ‘Clarityvoice’?” Alya asked, camera raising higher. “Oh, also, are you okay with being in the Ladyblog? It’s my blog that lets Paris in on akuma attacks and stuff like that.”

The man nodded, tucking his hat back onto his head as he gave a small bow to the phone. “Well hello there! Yes, I believe that name sounds about right.”

“I hope he’ll start feeling better,” the other person beside the man commented. “Hawk Moth has really impacted our city in all of the worst ways.”

“I betcha,” the man agreed, eyeing the camera carefully. “My grandson’s been blaming himself for some… unfortunate family issues, and it’s been a real mess for the poor boy. I was about to get ingredients for my family's famous gratin dauphinois.”

“Interesting,” the person beside him commented. “I don’t suppose you’d give out the recipe, would you?”

The man dramatically turned to Alya’s camera. “Family secret! I was just hoping it would brighten my grandson’s spirits and all.”

“I bet it would,” Alya awkwardly laughed, taking a couple steps back. “Well, thank you for your contribution to the Ladyblog! I’m going to go find Carapace if possible.”

“Good luck!” The person and man said simultaneously, waving Alya goodbye.

As Alya walked away, she scanned the crowd. It shouldn’t take long to find her boyfriend in a turtle super-suit.

A few seconds of chattering went by before a huge slam erupted from the Eiffel Tower, drawing the crowd into silence. Alya zoomed her camera in on the Eiffel Tower, recording the beams slicing and sliding.

“What are we going to do?!”

“Oh would you people calm down?! The akumatized freaks always destroy the Eiffel Tower! You should know this by now!”

“Mom?! Dad?! Where are you?! MOM?!”

“How much longer is Ladybug going to take? Ugh, I have a dentist appointment.”

“That victim must be a Chat Noir fan like Copycat was! Look at that suit!”

Alya rubbed her ears from the shrieks beside her. A ‘Chat Noir fan’? How in the world could someone see the akumatized victim from down here? She assumed the man from earlier was just confused about what was happening, but now this other person seemed certain about a ‘Cat Kid’. Zooming her camera in closer, she could spot Ladybug striking her yo-yo at a figure dressed in Chat Noir’s outfit, but the outfit was white. Could that be-?

“We’re doomed!”

“Where did I put my coffee?”

“Is there ANYONE that could explain what’s happening?!”

Alya continued to scan the enclosed bubble, finally meeting eyes with a familiar face. “Carapace!”

“Aly-, uh, pedestrian. Hello,” he awkwardly commented, eyeing the ‘pedestrian’ and the recording camera approaching him at the speed of light.

“I’m so glad you’re-… I mean, Carapace. Do you know what’s happening?”

Carapace eyed Alya’s agitated glare from behind the phone. He knew that look. She was mad, obviously, but a whole other level of mad.

First of all, Nino left school without explaining a thing. Then, she finds out that he has his Miraculous. But why doesn’t she have her Miraculous?!

“I… I think Ladybug is up against another akumatized victim, but other than that… I don’t think I know. While Ladybug tries to help the akumatized victim, I’m acting as the pedestrians’ shield just in case of, uh, debris?”

Carapace rubbed his forehead, eyeing the Eiffel Tower and Alya back and forth.

“Thank you, Carapace. We appreciate your help, and we also appreciate how you’re letting us know everything we need to know.” Alya’s eye twitched as she finished her statement. He wasn’t letting her know everything since she was recording for the Ladyblog, but even so, he should’ve said something before! He could’ve left a note before he left class. Maybe send a text?

It doesn’t matter. That’s not the point right now. She knew Marinette was fine, and she knew Nino was…

She paused to eye his nervous expression focused on the Eiffel Tower.

Uh, Nino was hanging in there.

She knew two of her friends were okay, so that only left Adrien. Maybe he was just sick or something. It’s not like she could go to the Agreste mansion and check on him, too.

Yeah, he was probably fine.

The crowd seemed to calm down once the slashing of the Eiffel Tower ceased. Alya raised her phone hurriedly.

“They stopped!” Alya sighed with relief, pointing the camera toward her face. “See? Ladybug will always save the day! She’s incredible!”

A small offended cough sounded beside her. She turned her head over to spot Carapace eyeing the pedestrians.

“Ehehe, and Carapace! Wow! Gotta love all of our heroes, peeps! Stay connected!”

~~~~~

Master Fu read the scrolls instructions. Placing the bow beside the Miracle box, he carefully counted each Miraculous. In order for an amok to regain its form without the Peacock Miraculous’ assistance, the Miracle box was critical. There are many Miraculous to the sides of that box, but without at least one Miraculous from the top shelf, it would be incredibly difficult. The top shelf usually consisted of the Bee, Butterfly, Cat, Fox, Ladybug, Peacock, and Turtle Miraculous. Thankfully, the Fox and Bee Miraculous were still there.

“Alright,” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Your original form was cataclysmed, but your amok remains intact. That simply means your previous form was shattered into incredibly small pieces. Your form has most likely scattered from the wind and such, but because your amok remains, the Miracle box recognizes you as a part of itself. This is because the Peacock Miraculous belongs to this box, and whatever one Miraculous creates or powers, that power will be transferred and remembered by this box. So, the form the Peacock Miraculous created for you is recognized by the box, and the Miraculous’ power will gather the pieces back together.”

The bow remained silent as Master Fu eyed it.

“Listen. The girl who saved you and brought you to me is only one of many your masters have attacked. If it weren’t for Marinette bringing you to me, you could have remained in silence for years. Believe me… she’s not your enemy. Neither am I. I just hope you will recognize that, and that you won’t fight against us anymore.”

The Miracle box began to glow.

“Of course, no matter what side you choose, I’m not the one who decides whether you live or not. You still exist, and you undoubtedly hear me. You still have a purpose, whether it be good or bad. Letting the Miracle box piece you back together isn’t necessarily a good or bad choice. It’s a choice. Everyone has a choice.”

The Miracle box’s side doors opened as shining particles filled the room, glittering from the sunlight.

“Any moment now, you’ll come back together. According to the scroll, I’ll need to check if you remember your name and your powers. If there’s any missing information, that could mean you have pieces erased from existence or that the Peacock Miraculous has an error. It can be either. The Peacock Miraculous is a damaged Miraculous. Then… there was Chat Noir’s akumatized power. Since he is given a power of destruction stronger than his Miraculous allows currently, that could result in a level of destruction that surpasses disintegration. It could be destruction our world has never seen… destruction that could erase existence as we know it… leaving absolutely… nothing… behind.”

Master Fu’s voice silenced itself as he curled his hand onto his mouth in worry. The world as they knew it was in danger! If Ladybug couldn’t stop him… no. With every passing second, the chances of existence ending grew. With one enormous cataclysm, everything would be over.

Within the room, a glass body began to shape. Sunlight and light from the Miracle box shined throughout the room as Master Fu covered his eyes.

He would send the Bee and Fox Miraculous to their holders once the amok came back together. Then, he’d have to find holders for all of the other Miraculous, just in case. With the world at stake, the more help Ladybug could receive, the better. She didn’t deserve to shoulder this on her own. He chose her to be Ladybug, yes, and he saw her strength. However, expecting one person to single-handedly resolve every issue nonstop for years, was a burden no one deserved.

Sending more Miraculous holders may overwhelm Chat Noir, but with more heroes to confront him, the faster his akumatization could end. In order to assist Ladybug, this was the least Master Fu could do. It wouldn’t be too hard anyway. Ladybug chose several other holders in the past, so he may as well go with them.

He contemplatively stroked his beard. Oh. He really didn’t need to think that hard about new holders. But he still would. Once Alya and Chloe joined Marinette, he would find the other holders. He would also take time to carefully think through the current situation at hand. Surely there would be time for that, he thought to himself wisely.

Within a matter of seconds, a glass figure formed on the table. The figure’s entire body was glass, yet, even so, there were intricate details to its face. Soft yet solemn eyes were shut closed. A small and somewhat tilted nose reformed itself quickly. There were even speckles of freckles catching the sunlight.

This sentimonster had someone’s face… didn’t it? Mayura had never created sentimonsters with humanistic features other than the Ladybug sentimonster. What purpose did this sentimonster’s face have to Mayura?

Why was the sentimonster made of glass if the face really did hold significant meaning? The more delicate the intended material, like glass, the more likely the sentimonster would break.

The sentimonster’s eyes opened. The sentimonster eyed its legs hovering over the table, and they realized they were sitting on the table itself.

“Hello. What is your name?” Master Fu asked.

The sentimonster lifted their hands, eyeing the glass shining light through them. The bow by their side took on a glasslike appearance, holding onto three singular arrows.

“Do you remember your given powers?” Master Fu tilted his head, eyeing the Miracle box and the sentimonster skeptically.

The sentimonster stood up, taking their bow and arrows promptly. “I will return once I can fully recall my memories. Thank you for your assistance. I’ll come back to thank the other one who brought me to you as well.”

Master Fu eyed the sentimonster in concern. “Are you sure you want to walk around like that? Take one of my cloaks. It won’t exactly fit you, but it will cover you from the pedestrians. They don’t trust sentimonsters as easily due to some previous attacks on the city.”

The sentimonster stopped, turning their head back to Master Fu. Master Fu approached with a beige cloak, covering the sentimonster’s shoulders with it.

“Come back once you find the answers you seek.”

The sentimonster slowly nodded, turning back to the door. Once the sentimonster left Master Fu, he hurriedly placed his own cloak on himself. Snatching the Bee and Fox Miraculouses, he took off down the streets, preparing to find their holders as quickly as possible.

~~~~~

The Eiffel Tower teetered a little from all of the previous impact. Ladybug and Chat Blanc weren’t fighting anymore, but the damage they’d created definitely left an impact.

“I couldn’t be Ladybug during that time, and I really wish I had been. I’m sorry we didn’t talk.”

Say something, Chat, she thought to herself.

His paws wiped his eyes. “So… you were okay at least?”

“Yeah,” she sadly replied. “Tikki and I never considered an akumatized victim would appear. The one day I wasn’t prepared… everything became a mess. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for Paris as Ladybug, or for you.”

A small moment of silence passed between the two of them.

He nodded, turning slightly toward her. “I’m sorry for freaking out about this. I’d blame it on Clarityvoice’s wish, but I can’t. We haven’t been as close as we used to be, even before Ressusciter’s akumatization. If I wanted you to talk with me about that day… I could’ve just talked to you first, but I kept backing out of it. I’m really sorry.”

Ladybug shook her head, scooting over to him as she patted his shoulder. “I wasn’t exactly approachable as Ladybug, you know. I don’t blame you for not asking me upfront about that day. I’m sorry I’ve been so focused on everything but our partnership. We deserve better than that.”

Chat Blanc stood up, extending his hand toward her. “After everything that’s happened, can we really still be partners?”

Ladybug eyed Chat Blanc’s distant expression. He needed someone right now. They’d wedged a barrier between the two of them, hadn’t they? She could really use his company again as Ladybug. She didn’t realize just how much she missed their friendship until now.

“You’ll always be my partner, Chat.” She took his paw in her hand, lifting it up. With both of her hands, she curled it into a fist. “It’s been awhile since we’ve had a ‘Pound It’.”

Chat Blanc eyed her let go of his fist as she curled her own fist out toward him. “…Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Ladybug nodded, nudging her fist closer. “Pound it?”

After a couple seconds of hesitation, Chat Blanc tapped her fist with his fist. “Pound it. Maybe we should ‘purr-ge’ the wishes once and for all?”

“Yeah, that’d be ‘pre-fur-able’,” Ladybug snorted as she stood beside Chat Blanc. The two of them eyed the city, covered in light snow. The wishes were barely noticeable anymore, but even a slight lingerance would be too much. These had to end.

The Eiffel Tower screeched, startling Chat Blanc and Ladybug.

The pedestrians underneath the shelter began to panic.

“Oh no,” Ladybug eyed the teetering Eiffel Tower and the Parisians below.

“It’s going to collapse because of me,” Chat Blanc nervously voiced, guiltily eyeing the distance between him and the cement. “What should we do?”

Ladybug eyed her yo-yo, swinging it up. “Lucky Charm!”

Within seconds, a snow globe appeared in her hands. It had a miniature Eiffel Tower inside, poorly glued to the bottom.

“I think we get the picture,” Chat Blanc mumbled, crossing his arms. “Why a snow globe of all things? You could do more with a fountain pen, and you ‘have’ beaten akumatized victims with a fountain pen. But a snow globe?”

Ladybug shook the globe, watching as the plastic Eiffel Tower peeled off from the base. It swam around the globe, spinning around. “I’ve got it! Okay, since we were the ones that fought each other, punch my arm so the lucky charm registers the fight we had.”

“Wait, what? Why? It can just repair the damage on its own, right?”

Ladybug nervously eyed the beams above them tremble. “I don’t think throwing my lucky charm will repair this. Once you punch my arm, cataclysm the Eiffel Tower. If I’m right, the akumatized power you have should disintegrate the Eiffel Tower so no beams land on any uncovered Parisians. Then, once the Eiffel Tower is gone, I’ll bring it back by throwing my Lucky Charm up.”

Chat Blanc eyed the plastic Eiffel Tower in the snow globe skeptically before nodding. “Got it!”

He curled his fist, punching Ladybug’s arm. Out of reflex, she punched him back.

“Ow! Hey! You told me to punch you!”

Ladybug rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. “Ehehe, sorry. It’s a reflex. Okay! Cataclysm the tower, and I’ll swing us out of here.”

Chat Blanc agreed, lifting his paw to a beam beside them. “Cataclysm.”

The moment he spoke, the Eiffel Tower turned to dust, breezing past them as they fell into the sky.

“Chat! Grab onto my hand!”

Chat Blanc lifted his paw over to hers, cupping their paws together.

“Are you ready?” Ladybug asked.

Chat Blanc smiled with an almost maniacal tone to his voice. “Yeah, I’m ready for us to not crash on the cement.”

Ladybug swung her yo-yo out, aiming for a roof’s chimney, but she missed. “Chat! I think the building’s too far for my yo-yo.”

“I’ve got it!”

Chat Blanc pulled out his staff from his back, extending it parallel to the floor. It launched toward the building, stabbing through the roof’s chimney at an angle. With an abrupt stop to their fall, the muscles in their arms uncomfortably stretched due to the pull of gravity from before. The only reason they could still feel their arms was due to their supersuits’ protecting them.

Holding onto the staff with one arm, Ladybug spotted her yo-yo knotted around Chat Blanc’s face.

Chat Blanc eyed the string before turning his eyes over to Ladybug. “Hey, thanks for keeping my head on my shoulders during the fall.”

Ladybug snorted, tugging back the yo-yo as it released itself from his face. “Yeah, it would be a shame for your brilliant pun-filled mind to leave Paris so soon.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to anyone if that happened,” Chat Blanc agreed. “I still have so many puns to give! You’ve truly helped ‘meowt’.”

Ladybug furrowed her eyebrows with a roll of her eyes. Swinging her yo-yo to a nearby tree, she let go of his paw, swinging herself to ground level. She scanned the streets, but eerily enough, no one was around. On the other side of the street, Carapace’s shelter still held up, but no one was on her side of the road.

Chat Blanc jumped down, settling his staff behind his back. “So, where’s the Lucky Charm?”

“In my yo-yo,” Ladybug replied, pulling it up from the yo-yo as she spoke. She eyed the plastic Eiffel Tower settling onto the base once again, but upside down rather than right side up. “…Miraculous Ladybug!”

Magical Butterflies repaired holes in the streets from Chat Blanc’s staff, and cuts on the trees from Ladybug’s yo-yo. And then, the Eiffel Tower returned just like it had been before.

Ladybug wiped her hands, settling her yo-yo on her waist. “All fixed! I can’t believe your cataclysm disintegrated the entire Eiffel Tower! That was incredible!”

Chat Blanc eyed the repaired Eiffel Tower, nodding in disbelief. “Yeah. You were right, but I didn’t think it would break that fast…”

Ladybug eyed Chat Blanc eyeing his gloves in worry. “…You okay?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, tucking his hands behind his back. “If you and the other heroes are nearby, could you start looking for the solution to the wishes without me?”

Ladybug booped Chat Blanc’s nose. “Of course. I think Master Fu sent Carapace, so I’ll go see if he’s sent Rena Rouge and Queen Bee yet.”

“Alright,” Chat Blanc slowly replied, stepping back. He eyed Carapace’s shield from the corner of his eye, quickly making his exit. “See you later then?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “And if anything’s wrong… please talk with me. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t. I’ll always be here if you need me, Chat. We’re a team.”

Chat Blanc stopped in place, giving Ladybug a small smile. “Will do.”

~~~~~

The sentimonster made their way to the Agreste mansion. This was the only place they could recall, with vague faces flashing through their mind. One face was covered by a blue feathered fan. Another face was behind a glass case. The last face was one with a white mask.

The sentimonster stepped past the metal gate, turning toward the garden. There was a large stone shaped like the woman in the glass case. It was sitting down with its eyes open, looking past the sentimonster.

The sentimonster looked at their glass arms in despair. “Even you get a solid form, huh? You don’t breathe, but I can see you. I can barely see me. And I don’t even know what I’m supposed to see.”

There was a rustle around the corner, and in the distance, the sentimonster spotted two humans. One person was carrying the other.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” The sentimonster asked, failing to recognize the two peoples’ faces.

An irritated groan resounded from a tall man dressed in white, looking like an expensive napkin. The hair atop his head swirled like a dollop of toothpaste as it glistened in the sunlight. “I beg your pardon? This is my home. I, Gabriel Agreste, have no need for gardening services. Leave at once-”

Gabriel stopped, lowering Nathalie toward Émilie’s statue. Once he rested her head against the hard stone, he turned to the sentimonster in disbelief.

“You. Sentiquin, was it?” Gabriel held his breath.

The sentimonster flinched from the name, uncomfortable from its sound. They looked over to Nathalie’s head slumped down. “Who is that?”

Gabriel sighed, annoyed the conversation wouldn’t lean in the direction he’d hoped it would. “Nathalie. If you’re Sentiquin, you should know who your own creator is.”

The sentimonster’s eyes widened. Leaning down, they carefully lifted Nathalie’s cheek up to look at her face. If this ‘Gabriel’ knew who the sentimonster was, and if he were being honest, then this ‘Nathalie’ would be…

“Mayura,” the sentimonster whispered, tears slipping down their glass face. Each transparent tear collided with Nathalie’s motionless face. Once they realized Nathalie wouldn’t wake up, they turned to Gabriel with pure fury etched along their face. “What did you DO to her?!”

Gabriel stepped back, covering his chest that now held the Peacock Miraculous. “S-she’s been ill for years, and it’s finally-”

“YOU’RE LYING,” the sentimonster snarled, lifting Nathalie off of the hard rock. They carried her over to a nearby bench, placing her down, before following after Gabriel’s departing steps. “Tell me, or I’ll shoot these arrows through your head.”

Gabriel gulped, twiddling his thumbs nervously. He WAS telling the truth, he angrily thought to himself as he straightened his peppermint ascot tie.

…Sometimes… it’s easier, no, better… to lie.

“You were right,” Gabriel confessed, dramatically collapsing to the garden grounds. He covered his peppermint ascot tie with his hands, coldly eyeing the frosted over grass. “If I told you who hurt my dearest secretary… his blood would be on my hands.”

The sentimonster stepped closer, slamming with each step as Gabriel caught his own reflection in their glass leg. “Who?”

Gabriel covered his mouth to hide an emerging grin. “Someone Nathalie and I treasured. It would disgrace her memory if you went after him! Even though he was the one to betray us.”

The sentimonster reached for an arrow along their back, raising Gabriel up by the neck. They held the arrow beside Gabriel’s jaw, pressing the spear into his skin. “I won’t ask again.”

Gabriel gulped, feeling the spear cut beneath his face. What he was about to say would change everything.

“It was… my son.”

He’d already disowned his son, so what exactly would change?

The spear pressed deeper into Gabriel’s skin as blood dripped down his neck. “They were fighting about his mother! I swear this is fact! He didn’t see eye to eye with dearest Nathalie, and before I could do anything, he-!”

Gabriel pulled his neck away from the spear, centering his eyes on Nathalie. She was laying on the bench, covered in the sun’s beams. She was gone. Whatever he said now, she wouldn’t get the chance to correct.

“…He killed her right in front of me.”

~~~~~

Notes:

I didn’t want Ladybug and Chat Blanc to fight with each other forever (it’s supposed to be a Chat Blanc fic, but here I am not making him evil :/), so they might’ve worked through their feelings too fast -sorry-. 🐈❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 12

Everyone previously under Carapace’s shield left except for Alya. She poked Carapace’s shoulder, crossing her arms in irritation. “I wish you would’ve texted me what was happening before ditching class like that. You had me totally freaked out!”

“Ow! Hey!” He frowned, rubbing his shoulder from her poke. “I’m sorry, okay? I thought Ladybug needed my help, so I wasn’t really thinking clearly.”

Alya narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh. Fine.”

The two of them awkwardly stood beside each other, wondering what to say. Thankfully, they didn’t have to stay in their uncomfortable silence for long once Ladybug swung over.

Alya turned to eye Ladybug land beside her. “Ladybug! Is everything okay?”

Ladybug eyed Alya’s worried expression. Wasn’t the whole team supposed to be here? Master Fu was the one who sent Carapace, so why wasn’t Alya transformed into Rena Rouge right now? Did that mean Chloe wasn’t Queen Bee?

Ladybug held her breath. Maybe Master Fu just sent Carapace this time, just like when Ressusciter was here. If that were the case, she would have to visit Master Fu to retrieve the Bee and Fox Miraculouses. For now, she had to let her team know what their next goal would be: working together to solve the wishes.

It was odd, though. Master Fu said Ladybug and Chat Noir were supposed to find the solution together, but now, the whole team would be a part of that.

Working with more heroes was necessary at this point. Chat Noir and Ladybug hadn’t resolved anything yet, so the chances of success were just as promising with the three other heroes. She just wondered how she’d balance her team along with Alix and Emma. Not to mention the threat Alix warned Marinette about.

“…Ladybug? Everything okay?” Alya worriedly eyed Ladybug, placing her hands into her pockets.

Ladybug snapped out of her thoughts, giving Alya an encouraging nod. “Everything’s fine. Chat Blanc will be back to help all of us as a group to-”

“Uh, holdup. Who is Chat Blanc?” Alya readjusted her glasses, eyeing Carapace suspiciously. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve got no clue,” Carapace admitted as he placed his shield on his back. “I just assumed Ladybug would deakumatize Chat Noir and we’d be done, but I don’t know.”

Alya turned to Ladybug in shock. “CHAT NOIR IS-“

Ladybug waved her hands out to stop Alya’s sentence. “Hey! It’s okay. He’s on our side.”

Carapace narrowed his eyes. “We both saw him earlier. He looked like a mess, Ladybug.”

Ladybug frowned, tapping her yo-yo. She wasn’t in the mood for a long-winded conversation, so she’d keep it short. That was the only way she’d remain sane with all of the details she had to work against. “We had some things to talk through, that’s all.”

Before Marinette transformed into Ladybug, she spent some time talking with Alix, Emma, and Tikki. From what they all discussed, Ladybug had a feeling she knew what Chat Blanc got himself into.

First of all, Alix brought up a memory she had as a teenager. If Alix remembered correctly, Chat Blanc and herself from the future casually talked with each other at the Couffaine family’s boat. From the positive way she described their interaction, that had to mean they were on each other’s side.

Then, there was what Tikki mentioned.

Ladybug eyed Carapace and Alya. She couldn’t share this information with them. It would put them in danger if she did. Besides, Chat Blanc hadn’t even admitted this yet, either. Ladybug was working on pure speculation, but if what Tikki said was true, Ladybug knew without a doubt that Chat Blanc was on their side.

Tikki saw Chat Blanc with the Butterfly Miraculous.

That could mean many things, but Ladybug put a couple pieces together on her way to the Eiffel Tower. If Chat Blanc had the Butterfly Miraculous, that meant he fought Hawk Moth. She didn’t fully understand why Chat Blanc remained akumatized, but she could only assume he was testing out the powers of the Butterfly Miraculous himself. That way, they could discover just what they’d need to do in order to end the Butterfly Miraculous' wishes.

She couldn’t think of any other reason. He never brought up his akumatization to begin with. So sharing her ideas to Carapace, Rena Rouge, and Queen Bee wouldn’t exactly be the smartest idea without actual evidence.

All she could do was encourage her team to trust in her partner. They could talk about the rest later. What mattered was that he wanted to help Paris, just like always. He isn’t their enemy.

“I can’t explain everything yet because I’m not sure of everything myself,” Ladybug admitted. “But please trust me. He’s on our side.”

Alya and Carapace eyed each other nervously. Some silence ensued between the three before Alya nodded.

“Ladybug, I’ll always trust you,” Alya replied with a smile. “If you say he’s okay, then I’ll believe it.”

Ladybug sighed a breath of relief. That was quick, but she was glad to have this settled. That scratched off one issue from her to-do list.

Carapace eyed the Eiffel Tower guiltily. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh with the dude. But he’s akumatized. Is he really gonna be okay?”

Alya patted Carapace’s arm. “Maybe he’s just tricking Hawk Moth and finding a way to use the power Hawk Moth gave him. He’s kind of reckless, you know.”

Carapace covered his face with his hand. “And here I went bashing the dude while he’s already got the butterfly freak up in his head. I’m the worst.”

“No, you’re not,” Ladybug said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You were only acting with the information you knew at the time. I wasn’t exactly sure of what to think of him before, either, but believe me, he’s not the bad guy here.”

Carapace turned away. “But wouldn’t Hawk Moth twist what I said to try and hurt Chat Noir, I mean, uh, Chat Blanc?”

Ladybug crossed her arms. “If I’m right, Hawk Moth might not even have access to his head at all.”

“How?” Alya asked, eyeing Ladybug in concern. “Hawk Moth always has control over the akumatized victims.”

“It’s just an idea I have. Whether I’m right or not, I’m sure Chat Blanc will explain what his goal of staying akumatized is once we regroup.”

Carapace slowly nodded as he eyed the ground. “I hope you’re right, but… I just really hope I didn’t hurt the dude anymore than he looked.”

Ladybug shook her head as she eyed the Eiffel Tower. “I can’t really say what he felt, but you two are friends. I think he knows you were more concerned with helping him than anything.”

“Yeah, babe,” Alya agreed as she nudged Carapace’s arm. “I’m sure he knew where you were coming from. If he’s on our side like Ladybug says, then you’ll get the chance to talk things over. It’ll be okay.”

Ladybug grinned at the two of them as she wiped her hands. “Since you two know what’s going on, I’m going to try and find Chloe to let her know what’s happening. Once she knows, I’ll retrieve the Bee and Fox Miraculouses.”

Alya punched her fist in the air. “Woohoo! It’ll be nice to work with you guys again!”

“Agreed,” Ladybug grinned. “Alya. If you could go to the spot you usually return your Miraculous, I’ll meet you there.”

“Got it!” Alya nodded, immediately bolting off.

Carapace’s eyes widened in shock. “Uh, Alya, wait, I-“

Alya was already too far away to hear him as she pulled out her phone.

“I didn’t mean for her to go right now,” Ladybug laughed, eyeing Alya zooming down the street.

Carapace sighed, placing his arms on his sides. “She’s probably looking forward to seeing Trixx again. Is there anywhere you’d like me to patrol while you meet with Chloe?”

Ladybug tapped her chin, scanning the city. There weren’t many tasks she could give off to her teammates yet. Even so, there had to be something…

Once a couple seconds passed, her eyes lit up. “Yes, actually! Could you look around the city and see if there’s any sign of Mayura?”

Carapace gulped, scanning around nervously. “You think Mayura’s got sentimonsters running around?”

“Not exactly,” Ladybug replied. “If something happened with the Butterfly Miraculous, Hawk Moth might have Mayura filling in for him. I’m not sure if that’ll involve sentimonsters or not, but it’s worth consideration. If you spot anything, let me know, okay?”

“Got it,” Carapace nodded, readying his shield. “See ya, Ladybug.”

Ladybug nodded, extending her yo-yo to a nearby building. Swinging off, she scanned the city, searching for Chloe.

~~~~~

“Adrien? What’s wrong?”

Adrien held his head in his hands, pressing his back against a brick building’s wall. Some of the wall’s brick crumbled onto his shoulders, running down his arms as he avoided Plagg’s eyes.

Everything was different now. He knew Hawk Moth’s identity, and now, Adrien could only sink into the reality of this mess. All of the years he spent fighting, feeling free to goof around, he was fighting his own father. For two years, he’d taken his Miraculous for granted, seeing it as a form of escape from his everyday life. Was his pun-filled presence the reason Ladybug hadn’t defeated Hawk Moth sooner?

The only reason he even defeated Hawk Moth was by chance. His father was the one who revealed himself and his goals, even powering Chat Noir with a power far beyond his own capabilities. Chat Blanc beat Hawk Moth because Hawk Moth laid all of his cards on the table.

Plagg deserved a capable holder, Adrien thought to himself. So far, Adrien felt anything but. He wasn’t ready for what would come next. The escape he had as Chat Noir was freeing, but now, the reality of his position made itself clear: he wasn’t strong enough to take on a hero’s responsibilities. Becoming Chat Blanc wouldn’t somehow make it all better. Now that he really saw what he was capable of akumatized, he couldn’t see himself wielding that power well. He could endanger everyone.

It would be selfish to keep Plagg tied to Adrien. He was holding back the Cat Miraculous’ potential.

“Adrien?” Plagg landed on Adrien’s white hair, leaning over to view Adrien’s eyes covered with a pair of sunglasses. “You haven’t said anything for ten minutes now.”

Nooroo floated beside Plagg, tapping Plagg’s shoulder. “Maybe he needs some space? My previous holder would need that sometimes-“

“No,” Adrien mumbled. “Please… don’t leave me alone.”

Plagg and Nooroo eyed each other in worry. Plagg scooted over, making room for Nooroo to take a seat on Adrien’s head.

“We’re here, kid,” Plagg slowly spoke. “If there’s anything wrong, you can say it.”

Adrien lifted his eyes up to his forehead, spotting Plagg leaning closer and Nooroo scooting back. “It’s just… the akuma’s power is sort of scaring me. I don’t think I know how to control it.”

Plagg slipped onto Adrien’s hands. “What do you mean? You’re not making a mess or anything. I thought we needed to be this strong in order to find a solution to the wishes faster. You know, since the Butterfly Miraculous is responsible for the wishes, your akumatization is only getting us closer to an answer.”

Adrien looked down at the concrete with a small sigh. “It’s just… the power is way more than I thought it would be. I… I wonder if my father planned that on purpose. If I really did fight Ladybug for her Miraculous… and I happened to use my cataclysm… what if… what if she…”

Plagg patted Adrien’s hand, encouraging him to take his time. Plagg didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t exactly lighten the mood by asking for cheese.

Adrien gulped, pressing his free hand onto his sunglasses. “If I cataclysmed Ladybug… and she died… I don’t think I could live with myself. I think my father knew that.”

Nooroo gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. He was aware of Gabriel’s cruelty, but Adrien’s statement shocked him nonetheless. Not even Gabriel’s own son was spared from that man’s vileness. “Adrien-”

“I’m serious. You two didn’t see the Eiffel Tower disintegrate into dust from my cataclysm. Normally, my cataclysm would take longer to break something as large as that down, but as Chat Blanc, it was gone the moment I…”

Plagg gripped Adrien’s thumb. “Hey. Calm down. My power is literally destruction. The Eiffel Tower can’t withstand even a normal cataclysm.”

Some people in the distance chatted amongst themselves, entering the nearby stores as they left Adrien alone.

He was alone. By himself. Even with Plagg and Nooroo right beside him, he felt like no one could pull him out of the dark pit he’d fallen into. He was trapped under a mountain of fear, crushing his lungs, breaking his spirit, quieting his thoughts.

His mind was empty, yet full of thoughts he’d have to face. No one could see in his head. No one could get him out of there. The silent screaming in his brain, waiting for answers, teetering between solace and pure misery. He didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.

It was too much. The world was just too much. Every ounce of pain weighed on his head. There was nothing he could do. No power would ever be enough; any power would be too much. Too little, too much, it all felt the same. He couldn’t wield destructive power safely, could he? As long as he was the one who wielded the Miraculous of destruction, their world would be doomed to the depths he was already submerged in.

There would be nothing left. One cataclysm… one wrong move… one mistake would be too much.

Existence would die at his hands. His father was right about everything. Everything that awful man said about Adrien’s existence was true in this painfully long moment. The orders he commanded, silencing Adrien, were for his own benefit. He never had to choose anything for himself before. He never truly saw what responsibility was before it came slamming at his door. Before it threw him down the depths of his family’s home. Before it pulled him up against his mother’s coffin. Nathalie’s collapse. Sentiquin’s death.

He should’ve stayed the dress up doll his family wanted, a model for his father’s fashion. He should’ve practiced his piano, locking the windows, locking the doors, shutting the curtains.

But instead, he became Chat Noir. He foolishly chose independence, without realizing just where that sickening choice would lead him. If he had just lived in ignorance, stayed his father’s son, lived the life he was meant to live behind the perfect view guarded in glass… the world would be a whole lot different.

He couldn’t determine whether that world would be any better than this one. Inevitably, he’d ruin that paradise as well. Nothing he could ever do would ever be enough. Perfection wasn’t something he could obtain, unlike his mother had.

Adrien started to hyperventilate as he stared at his knees in horror.

What was he truly capable of? What power was he failing to wield? If he stayed as Chat Blanc, what would his power truly be? How much would disappear? How long would the faces of the citizens last beneath his glove? The world? The solar system? The universe? The universes?

He gripped his shirt away from his neck. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe in the air the people down the street were stealing from him. The air that kept blowing by with the irritating snowy dots.

His eyes shut. Then they opened. Then they shut again.

Make it stop. The world… he could truly destroy everything if he wanted… and no one would know it.

Tears ran down his face as he failed to hear the concerned Kwamis’ calls. The meaningless wishes and dreams he thought he had… all of those pathetic aspirations, along with everything else, could be put to an end in a matter of seconds.

What kind of power was he bestowed with? The Miraculouses themselves… What power was their world given through tiny pieces of jewelry?

Faces flashed through his mind as his head felt hotter than a burning toaster. Each face popped up, one after the other, intricately detailed, vaguely detailed, faceless?

How many people were there in the world? Why was he, out of every being on this planet, given the one jewel that could end them all with the assistance of an innocent butterfly? Why… why did he have to be in this terrible position, alone, with no way out of his head?

Everyone he loved could die by his hands.

Adrien gasped as he fought to catch the cold air. “I couldn’t, no, I wouldn’t. I would never cataclysm a person, I-”

Plagg’s eyes darted to Nooroo. “Nooroo, get rid of it. Get the akuma out of him.”

Nooroo gulped, pointing between the two of them. “The only safe way for me to do that is when you two are transformed into Chat Blanc. If I tried to take the akuma now-”

Plagg flew up to Adrien’s face. “Kid, do you want to stay as Chat Blanc or not? If it’s too much, then transform and we’ll help Ladybug as Chat Noir like we usually do.”

Adrien’s eyes darted around the street, fighting for somewhere to lock onto.

“Kid. I’m right here.”

Adrien took deep breaths, focusing his attention on the snowy cement beneath him.

Plagg booped Adrien’s nose. “I’m here. If you don’t believe me, you’ll definitely smell the cheese I had earlier. I saved some smudges on the backs of my paws.”

Adrien’s nose wiggled from Plagg’s cheesy paws. “P-Plagg… I’m sorry.”

Plagg sighed a breath of relief, using Adrien’s nose as a backrest. “Phew. You’re back! But take your time. I could use a nap.”

Adrien held his breath. He wasn’t trapped inside of his head anymore. He was leaning against a building with a street full of unaware civilians. He was fine. Everyone was safe.

With a careful breath, Adrien crossed his eyes onto his nose. Without Plagg, Adrien would’ve been back to the normal life his father wanted. Now that Adrien could think clearly, he knew that wasn’t a fate he’d ever want to have. The fact he met Plagg brightened his world astronomically. He found a friend in Plagg, a friend that was there, even when Adrien would forget he wasn’t alone.

The clouds parted slightly as they flurried light snow. He didn’t want to do this. He’d already tried this before, but… for the world’s safety… and for Plagg’s potential… Adrien knew what he needed to do.

“Plagg… I’ve had fun when I’m with you, and your friendship is something truly special to me… but I feel like I’m holding you back from someone who could actually use your power. Someone who could help Ladybug, and keep you safe. I thought being Chat Blanc could fix my inabilities as your holder, so I could help end the wishes like we planned… but I’m worried I’ll destroy everything with a power I can’t control. I don’t want that. I don’t want to kill everyone. I don’t want to die. I just want to be useful.”

Adrien eyed his ring.

Plagg immediately slipped down from Adrien’s nose, floating down to Adrien’s hand. Plagg placed his paws over Adrien’s ring finger to keep the ring in place. “Adrien. Don’t renounce me again. Please. You’re one of the best holders I’ve ever had, and I wish you’d just see that already.”

Before Adrien could reply, a sudden sound behind him caught his attention. Nooroo and Plagg slipped into his jacket as Adrien turned his head around to the noise.

“Adrien Agreste?”

A figure approached him as he adjusted his sunglasses. How in the world did this person recognize him? Nooroo said that people weren’t likely to know Adrien’s civilian identity while he was akumatized.

With a closer look, Adrien recognized the figure instantly. “Master Fu?”

Adrien eyed the building he was leaning up against, facepalming as he stood up. He was right next to Master Fu’s place. Did Adrien come here subconsciously? Was he looking for advice from the Guardian, or was he planning to give back his Miraculous?

“Come inside,” Master Fu spoke, opening the door. “You and I have much to discuss.”

~~~~~

Alix and Emma waited around in Marinette’s room, watching a show on Marinette’s computer.

Emma leaned over to Alix’s shoulder, eyeing Alix in amazement. “Woah! I never realized you liked this, too!”

“Hey, it’s a good watch,” Alix replied as she adjusted the volume. “Pretty sweet of your mom to let us use her computer.”

“Yeah! Mommy’s the best!” Emma grinned, pausing the episode.

Alix eyed the frozen screen and Emma jumping off. “Hey. I was watching that, you know.”

“I want to look around mommy’s room!” Emma cheered, jumping over to Marinette’s dress stand. “Look! It’s full of stuff!”

Alix rolled her eyes, following behind Emma. “You know, snooping through people’s rooms isn’t exactly a good idea.”

Emma frowned, tapping Marinette’s sewing machine. “Please? I want to find her diary! Becky has a diary! I wish I had one.”

Alix facepalmed, awkwardly flipping through Marinette’s stuff. “Nothing I say will stop you, will it?”

“Miss Bunny! That’s mean!”

“You’re mean for snooping through your mom’s room,” Alix responded as she continued to look through Marinette’s mess.

Emma eyed Alix in confusion. “…Hey. You’re looking for something, too?”

Alix hesitated before shrugging. “She used to bring wintergreen mints to art class, so…”

“You’re stealing my mom’s mints?” Emma snorted, pawing through Marinette’s fabric stash.

Alix eyed the room, debating where she should search next. “…Potentially.”

Just as they were about to continue looking through Marinette’s things, the computer chimed with a notification.

“Oh! Is the computer telling us to watch some more, Miss Bunny?” Emma asked as she looked between the computer and a box of thread.

Alix placed some pincushions down, making her way over to the computer. Taking a seat, she closed out of their show, looking around for the notification. Once she spotted something that looked promising in Marinette’s reminders, she clicked on it.

Alix eyed the reminder, reading it aloud to herself. “…‘Kitty Section performs tomorrow, so don’t be late, and don’t you dare wear the cat dress’?”

“Oo! OO! Kitty Section?!” Emma gasped, dropping a stash of yarn across the floor. Tumbling over to Alix and the computer, she excitedly eyed the screen.

Alix took a slow breath, closing the reminder. “It looks like it won’t be long now until everything becomes a mess.”

~~~~~

The sentimonster lowered the arrow pressed against Gabriel’s jaw, loosening their grip on Gabriel’s neck. “Where is your son?”

Gabriel smirked inwardly to himself. Even without the Butterfly Miraculous, he could still somehow make anyone do what he pleased.

“I assume he’s off with Ladybug somewhere,” Gabriel voiced in frustration. “Those two have fought against Nathalie and I for years.”

The sentimonster eyed Nathalie lying on the bench. “Is Ladybug a villain?”

Gabriel hesitated before curling his fists. “She and Chat Noir, my son, are seen as heroes by the fools of this city, but they’re anything but. They’ve kept Nathalie and I from bringing back Émilie, someone very dear to the two of us.”

“I’m not following,” the sentimonster frowned.

“Of course you’re not,” Gabriel muttered under his breath. “Ladybug and my son wield two magical jewels that bring someone any wish they could think to ask. We were planning to bring back Émilie, Adrien’s mother, who was Nathalie’s dearest friend. But Adrien betrayed us. And you can see where that’s left me.”

The sentimonster eyed Gabriel up and down. Gabriel nervously scooted his peppermint ascot tie to the side, accidentally letting sunlight glimmer onto the Peacock Miraculous.

“So… would their jewelry be in line with that thing on your shirt?” The sentimonster poked Gabriel’s chest, narrowing their eyes at Gabriel’s nervous laughter.

“Not exactly-“

The sentimonster ripped the Peacock Miraculous off of Gabriel’s shirt, observing it carefully as a tiny blue kwami flew out of it.

“Ooh! We’re in the garden again! Nathalie, I’m so-“

The kwami stopped, eyeing the bench with Nathalie’s immobile body.

“No! No! What happened to-”

“Silence, Duusu,” Gabriel groaned as he rubbed his forehead. Once he confirmed Duusu listened, he cleared his throat. “I want to bring Émilie and Nathalie back… but my son has stolen my Miraculous from me. I have no way to save them on my own.”

The sentimonster eyed the brooch. “This was Mayura’s, wasn’t it?”

Gabriel nodded, gasping as the sentimonster dropped him to the floor. “It’s a Miraculous, but it won’t bring Nathalie back. Only Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses can do that!”

The sentimonster narrowed their eyes at Gabriel. “What makes you think I’m planning to bring Mayura back?”

Gabriel felt a cold chill run down his spine as he looked up at the sentimonster’s glass face. “W-what are you saying?!”

“Why would I want Mayura to die twice?” The sentimonster asked, eyeing Nathalie again. “She’d come back knowing your terrible son took her life, and she’d live the rest of her life without the family she thought she had. I won’t put her through that kind of misery.”

This wasn’t going how Gabriel planned at all. Gabriel nervously eyed Duusu and the sentimonster, scooting back. “Sentiquin. She didn’t want to die.”

“I wish she didn’t die either,” the sentimonster sighed, “and stop calling me that. That’s not my name.”

“She was the one who gave it to you,” Gabriel scowled as he gripped his peppermint ascot tie. “Who are you to decide what is or isn’t your name? Don’t you care for Mayura? She was betrayed yet again by an absolute waste of a creation! You’re only a mannequin that can speak, and nothing more! How dare you!”

The garden took in Gabriel’s enraged accusations like a sponge, holding onto each and every word he continued to speak. His words were heavy like a storm’s raging rain, sinking and drowning the land in his fury.

Gabriel’s voice weakened as he cupped his head into his hands. “…‘He could have a future’… what an injudicious dream, Nathalie. You let yourself die for a being that doesn’t want you anymore. We’ve shared the same fate. Creations of our family, two sons with no regard to our deaths… a world where my actions are deemed horrific. Why? Why was I deemed wrong in your eyes, Nathalie? Weren’t we working together to see her eyes open, even for just one more moment?”

He’d given up. Whether he would be killed or not, Gabriel would remain indifferent. He had already lost his entire family. Émilie had no chance of revival, as did Nathalie. He’d already disowned his only son, the one who betrayed their family. There was nothing left of the Agreste mansion now. There wasn’t a family in this place anymore. Everything was erased right before his eyes.

Confused as to why an arrow hadn’t ended Gabriel’s misery yet, he looked up at the emotionless face before him. Gabriel’s eyes twitched as he took in the face. That face…. How hadn’t he noticed it before?

“I’ll keep that name for her sake then. It’s not like I have any further value than what she gave me anyway.”

Gabriel held his breath as Sentiquin knelt down beside Nathalie. Picking through the grass with glass hands, Sentiquin picked a handful of birdsfoot trefoils, lightly laying them along Nathalie’s black dress jacket. The sunlight caught his glass arms, dispersing color throughout the garden. The neighboring flowers, grass, wooden benches, and even Émilie’s statue took in his colorful beams.

Gabriel couldn’t believe it. That face… Nathalie gave that horrible being the face of someone dear to their family. She wanted to see their family one last time, huh?

Sentiquin walked away, glancing one last time at Émilie’s statue and leaving Gabriel behind in the garden to himself. “You’re not worth my time, Gabriel. However, your information was appreciated. Your son will pay for what he’s done. So will everyone who gets in my way.”

~~~~~

Outside of a familiar local pizza shop, a woman took down the shop’s wooden sign. She sighed, smoothing it lightly with her glove.

“It’s time for you to be cleaned off,” she whispered, eyeing the faded paint and chipping wood. “You might be a mess, but replacing you isn’t an option.”

A family across the street chattered amongst themselves as they walked into a restaurant. She kept her eyes on the sign in her hand, readjusting her pizza shop’s cap with her free hand.

The pizza shop’s door opened as a worker stepped outside. “Ephemera! The customers are complaining about the pepperoni.”

Ephemera placed the wooden sign under her arm. “Did we unbox the fresh box today or are we still using the old package?”

“The old package, of course,” the other worker replied with a laugh. “We can’t throw out that box until it’s all used. Besides, it hasn’t expired yet.”

“Yes, but that’s the batch that was over-seasoned,” Ephemera sighed as she held out her hand. “Open the newer batch, okay? I can find a purpose for the overseasoned pepperoni later.”

“Will do,” the worker replied. “By the way… I have to leave early today, so we’ll need someone to be in charge of the cash register, and… since you’re really good at seeking change~”

Ephemera’s shoulders tightened as she eyed the other worker. She rolled her eyes, fidgeting with her pizza cap. “Cut it out. Those jokes are getting old.”

“Oh, come on!” The worker smirked. “You’ve gotta admit the name was absolutely perfect.”

“Yeah, well maybe if he akumatizes you next, I’ll make fun of your villain name.”

The worker shrugged. “Hey, I’m fine with that. Honestly, that guy couldn’t come up with a name more awesome than yours if he tried. You’d only be making fun of a name that doesn’t even meet your name’s level.”

Ephemera rolled her eyes, walking toward one of the pizza shop’s windows. “Whatever. Can you turn on the open sign?”

The worker snickered before leaving Ephemera alone outside, turning on the red and blue lighted sign.

Ephemera stood in place. The sign’s red and blue glowed out onto the residual snow, reaching the corners of the wooden sign in her arm. The pizza shop really grew on her now that she put her job in perspective. Just like Ladybug said, she could be an amazing chef even at a pizza shop, bringing everything she had. And if Chloe Bourgeois of all people could enjoy pizza Ephemera made, that should count as a sign of Ephemera’s talent.

Distracted, Ephemera failed to notice a cloaked figure walking her way. Once she stepped back a couple steps, she bumped into the figure, gasping as she dropped the sign from under her arm.

“Hey! Be careful where you walk!” Ephemera groaned, leaning down to lift up the dropped sign. As she placed her hand on the worn down wood, a glass leg kicked it out of view. “Excuse me?! What was THAT for?!”

Ephemera looked up at the mysterious cloaked figure in front of her, covering her face from some sunlight bouncing off the figure’s face.

“You were the one who ran into me. Why does it matter if I kick a slab of wood out of my way?”

Ephemera furrowed her eyebrows, looking over to the side. The wooden sign was against the pizza shop’s brick wall. “That’s not just a slab of wood, you-“

The figure walked off, ignoring Ephemera completely.

“HEY!” Ephemera ran up behind the figure, gripping the person’s cloak. “Listen here, sir. I don’t spend hours of my day working at this place for people like you to treat me like that.”

The figure remained silent as Ephemera shook the cloak.

“Who do you think you are?” Ephemera let go of the cloak, eyeing the figure in disdain.

The air twisted around the almost deserted streets, ignoring the happy families entering the fancy restaurant nearby. The figure stepped toward the wooden sign, lifting it up.

Ephemera assumed this person finally got the hint and would apologize for being a jerk. However, the cloaked individual stared at the slab of wood in silence. “What are you… doing?”

The figure smoothed some snow off of the wooden slab before slinging it toward her forehead, as if it were a frisbee. Before it could hit Ephemera’s face, she bent to the side, gasping as the figure instantaneously appeared in front of her.

She tried to step back, but the cloaked figure threw her to the side, removing his hood. “You people are all the same.”

Ephemera covered her mouth in fear as she took in the person made of glass. “W-what a-are y-you? A s-sentimonster?! Or an akumatized victim?”

Sentiquin reached for his bow behind his back, raising it from beneath his cloak. “It doesn’t matter. You’re in my way.”

Ephemera backed herself against the wall. She could barely speak, let alone move. She was hoping one of her coworkers would spot her, but no one was around. She was completely alone.

“P-please! Leave me alone!” She covered her face with her hands, curling her knees toward her chest. “I-I’m sorry!”

Sentiquin readied his bow, watching as the arrows floated around his head. Sending an arrow to his bow, he fired, missing as it crashed beside her shaking arms.

He scowled, sending another arrow directly into her head.

…But she wasn’t bleeding.

“What?” Sentiquin bent down, gripping Ephemera’s frozen head in shock. The arrow disappeared, leaving Ephemera’s face unblemished.

Her eyes were open, almost lifeless.

“She isn’t dead,” he scowled, picking up the arrow he’d missed. “Why wouldn’t Mayura provide me with a real bow?!”

Ephemera’s body sunk down against the brick wall.

Sentiquin sighed, eyeing Ephemera’s immobile state. “Well? What are you waiting for? You survived, so pick up your piece of wood and go on with your pathetic life.”

Ephemera stood up, walking over to her wooden slab in the distance. Picking it up, she walked back to Sentiquin, standing in front of him with no emotion on her face.

“…You…” Sentiquin scowled. He wondered why Ephemera remained silent. Was she in shock?

No, that wasn’t it.

“…Drop the wood and cross your arms.”

Ephemera followed his instructions in silence. He examined his bow as he realized the capabilities of the weapon. Why Mayura would grant him this power of all things was beyond him, but…

He had the power to turn people into living mannequins.

~~~~~

Ladybug swung around several buildings until she finally landed along Chloe’s hotel.

Before she could decide on her entrance, her yo-yo started to buzz from three lines.

She knew Carapace would call if he spotted anything, but the other two lines were unexpected.

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge were calling along with Carapace. They weren’t supposed to have their Miraculous yet. The only other people with their Miraculous were Chat Blanc and Bunnix, so how did…

“…Master Fu,” Ladybug sighed as she narrowed her eyes. Shaking her head, she separately answered each call. “Rena Rouge?”

“Ladybug,” Rena Rouge spoke with relief. “I’m with Carapace and Queen Bee right now. Uh… some older man met me by a tree on my way to our spot, and uh… did you send him?”

“No, I didn’t send him, but that man was definitely the Guardian,” Ladybug replied as she furrowed her eyebrows. “I just arrived at Chloe’s hotel-“

“The same thing happened with me,” Queen Bee cut in as she leaned onto Rena Rouge’s shoulder. “Uh, can you hear me through Rena’s flute thing or-?”

Ladybug accepted all of their calls, connecting their lines. “Well, that saves me time I didn’t exactly need saved. Is everyone alright?”

“No,” Queen Bee sighed in irritation. “The Guardian apparently wants us to fight Chat Noir? What’s that about?”

“Ladybug said he’s on our side, so I’m not going to take that man’s word over hers,” Rena Rouge declared adamantly.

“The Guardian must have assumed for the worst,” Ladybug whispered as she rubbed her forehead. “Listen. Chat Blanc isn’t a threat to anyone. He hasn’t explained how exactly he received his powers, but believe me when I say he’s absolutely on our side.”

“Uh… sure, whatever,” Queen Bee responded with a shrug. “You know him better than any of us do, so I’ll believe it.”

“That was kind of quick,” Carapace cleared his throat before letting out a small sigh. “Ladybug… I, uh, you know how you asked me to search for any Sentimonster signs nearby?”

Ladybug scanned her surroundings hesitantly. “Yes? Did you find anything?”

“…I did.”

Ladybug eyed her yo-yo in concern. Carapace sounded off. “What did you find?”

Carapace hesitated before responding, “It was more of something I saw. I, uh… do you remember Changeseeker?”

“Yeah,” Ladybug agreed, remembering the pizza shop and the ball of yarn she had as a lucky charm. She never ended up using that yarn against Changeseeker… and she still wondered about that. She did know Chat Noir was pretty fond of it at least.

She shook her head. Now was not the time to think about Chat Noir and a ball of yarn. She had to focus.

Carapace lowered his voice. “From a distance, I thought I could smell the pizza shop’s pepperoni, so I thought I’d have time to snag a piece. But, uh… the cashier, the one that was Changeseeker, was outside with some glass person. I couldn’t tell if it was a sentimonster or human, but… I saw it shoot an arrow through the cashier’s head before I could reach her in time.”

Ladybug held her hand over her mouth, trying to tune out the panic on the other side of her call. She couldn’t believe it. It felt like it’d only been a couple days since she’d saved that woman, and now… “…She’s dead?”

Carapace’s voice seemed to shake as he replied, “No… the arrow disappeared and she started walking around. Ladybug… I’m sorry. I… I called you as fast as I could, but I just… it really freaked me out. Working solo doesn’t work for me… I should’ve done something to help but I didn’t act fast enough-”

“Carapace, it’s okay,” Rena Rouge’s voice shakily ran through Ladybug’s yo-yo. “We can go check it out now that we’re together. Can you meet us there, Ladybug?”

Ladybug held her breath. What exactly were they about to face? “Of course. I’m on my way.”

~~~~~

Inside of Master Fu’s house, Adrien watched as Master Fu brought in tea and sugar clumps.

“I see,” Master Fu sighed as he poured some tea in a cup. “I was too hasty in my reasoning. Forgive me, Adrien.”

Adrien accepted a teacup from Master Fu. “No. I never realized just how much power the akuma would give me, and since I already don’t feel like an adequate Chat Noir, I’m scared that I really could’ve-“

“Adrien, no.” Master Fu worriedly set down the tea pot. “You are an excellent Chat Noir. As we both know… if a person is akumatized for too long, it can truly be disastrous. However, I wish I would’ve known your true intentions before I misjudged your willpower. Your heart has always been kind… I’ve never doubted that. I was only worried the akuma would lead you into despair.”

Adrien sipped his tea, eyeing some snowflakes outside the window. “I don’t want to feel any worse than I already do.”

Master Fu frowned as he sipped some tea. “Your father doesn’t define who you are, Adrien. You are not that man.”

Adrien’s eyes filled with tears as he covered his face. “I want to help, but even with the powers my father gave me, I’m scared. I can’t use them.”

The room grew quiet.

“…Why did you pick me to be Chat Noir? There had to be better candidates than me.” Adrien wiped his tears away, messing with his white hair.

Master Fu set his teacup down. “Adrien… there will always be other people who can do what you can do. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to do things, too. I chose you because I saw a young man with incredible potential and kindness that the world around us doesn’t always appreciate. You don’t have to do grand gestures to earn your existence. The small ways people help each other goes unnoticed, but they’re what make our world a good one. You make the world good, with or without your Miraculous. That’s why I chose you.”

Adrien slowly nodded, taking in Master Fu’s words. “So… you think I’m a good person?”

“Yes, I think you’re a person with good intentions,” Master Fu smiled. “Even your willingness to stay akumatized is well intentioned. It’s easy to notice our flaws in ourselves, but remember that you’re not those flaws.”

Adrien awkwardly sipped his tea, taking in Master Fu’s words in slight disappointment. Maybe there was a deeper meaning to what Master Fu was saying, but it was difficult for Adrien to decipher. “I’ve hurt Plagg by trying to renounce him again.”

Master Fu eyed the other room’s entrance, listening to a snack box rustling in the distance. “You thought you were helping your friend by keeping him at a distance. From what I’ve seen, you along with many others try to push the people they hold close to themselves away in order to protect them. In a sense, it’s noble. But Adrien… people thrive on connection… not separation. Friends that are true, like Plagg is to you, are worth fighting for.”

Adrien sipped his tea some more. “I hope I can fight for him well enough then… I guess. If that’s, um… what you mean. I’m sorry, Master. I’m really confused.”

Master Fu nodded inquisitively, contemplatively stroking his beard as he sipped his own teacup. “Yes. These words of wisdom take time to learn. But the outcome is worth the journey your mind takes along the way.”

Adrien eyed the room, leaning forward. “Uh, Master Fu, do you have a piece of paper I could write some of that down on?”

Master Fu shook his head, placing his teacup down as he quickly stood up. Trotting down the room, he made his way to a gigantic book, lifting it up over his head. Making his way back to Adrien, he placed the book on the floor, eyeing the book as tall as Master Fu himself.

“No need, Adrien. I have recorded many of my wise observations and words into this. From a man now 188… the wisdom I have encountered throughout my years truly speaks for itself in the pages.”

Adrien set down his teacup, lifting up the heavy cover as he flipped to a random page. “Uh… ‘The momentary moments are worth the adventure’?”

“Ah yes,” Master Fu hummed as he held his teacup. “I believe I wrote that one when I was on a crowded subway several years ago. Once you really appreciate the small moments, the results are truly wonderful.”

Adrien nodded as he rubbed his forehead. He closed the book, returning to sip his tea. Adding a couple sugar cubes to his teacup, he realized he was beyond ready to move on from the gigantic book. “This tea is really good.”

Master Fu nodded in agreement, pouring himself some more. “Tea and good company truly work hand in hand.”

Nooroo and Plagg floated into the room, carrying cheese crackers.

“These crackers are really good!” Nooroo exclaimed. “They’re way better than the study’s peppermints!”

Master Fu nodded, sipping his tea. “I’m glad you two are enjoying them.”

“Adrien,” Plagg called out through a mouthful of cheese crackers, “these crackers aren’t too bad! They could be stinkier though. Want one?”

Adrien eyed the nibbled cracker Plagg held out. Plagg didn’t offer to share very often, but when he did, it was usually a good sign. Adrien held out his hand, accepting the cracker. “Thanks, Plagg.”

Plagg shrugged, eyeing Adrien’s ring. “Looks like you’ll keep me after all, right?”

Adrien chewed on the cracker, sipping it down with his tea. “Plagg, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I just didn’t want to burden you anymore.”

Plagg flew up to Adrien’s nose, giving it a tiny punch. “Kid, you’ve never been a burden, so stop making me say cheesy stuff and hand me some real cheese.”

Adrien let out an amused scoff. “Wow, Plagg. Cutting to the chase, huh?”

Plagg shrugged, floating toward Adrien’s pocket. “I need cheese to keep me sane, Adrien. I’m tired and distressed… I’ve got nothing to digest~”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, I’ll give you some Camembert, alright?”

Adrien picked around his pocket, pulling out a gooey slice of Camembert as Plagg lunged toward it.

“Plagg!”

Plagg chewed on the cheese slice, wiping his mouth. “CamemBERT~! You’re the CHEESE of my drEAms~! Camembert~! You make life better than it sEeMs~!”

Adrien covered his eyes as he reached for his teacup. “Let me know when you’re done.”

“Oh, I’m done,” Plagg grinned as he finished off a tiny nibble of Camembert. “I just wanted to savor the moment.”

Adrien sighed, letting out a tiny smile as he struggled to keep his teacup from slipping. He took some sips, realizing this was probably Plagg’s way of moving past their previous conflict. Or Plagg was really excited to have his usual slice of cheese.

Even though Adrien wasn’t really sure what Master Fu was talking about, he did know Plagg was his friend. If Plagg and Master Fu thought Adrien was a good holder, he’d try pushing back his own doubts for now. Maybe, he’d start to see what they see.

A thud from outside of the house startled Master Fu, Adrien, Plagg, and Nooroo.

“What was that?” Adrien whispered, wondering whether or not he should be concerned.

Master Fu furrowed his eyebrows as he took one last sip of tea. Setting his teacup down, he stood up, eyeing the door in suspicion. “Either that was just the sound of snow falling off my roof-”

A series of five knocks interrupted Master Fu’s statement.

“…Or that would be the sentimonster I recently helped.”

Adrien eyed the door in surprise. “A sentimonster? You managed to save one from Nathalie-, I mean, Mayura?”

Master Fu nodded as he stroked his head in contemplation. “Yes. The sentimonster’s body was destroyed, so I used the Miracle box to collect its body back.”

“Wait… what?” Adrien’s eyes went from his hands to the door. “What sentimonster is outside that door?”

Master Fu started to walk over to the door slowly. “The same sentimonster you fought yesterday. Now that it’s regained its life, you and Ladybug have the chance to guide it to safety-”

“Master Fu!” Adrien whisper shouted, watching as Master Fu turned back to eye Adrien. Adrien waved his hands down, encouraging Master Fu to stay away from the door. “Sentiquin planned to kill people in order to get to me-!”

Master Fu placed his hand on Adrien’s shoulder in encouragement. “That must’ve been Mayura’s orders, Adrien-“

Adrien shook his head. “No. She never instructed that. She wouldn’t. I know she wouldn’t. Sentiquin was the one who came to that decision when we were fighting.”

There were four more knocks at the door.

Adrien eyed Plagg with a knowing look. Once Plagg realized what Adrien had in mind, he floated over to Adrien, swallowing the last nibble of another cheese cracker.

“Plagg,” Adrien whispered, “Claws Out.”

Transforming into Chat Blanc, Chat Blanc held his hand out in front of Master Fu, guarding him from the eerily still door.

“Why did you bring Sentiquin back?”

Master Fu solemnly eyed the gramophone. “Sentiquin’s amok was still alive inside its bow. It wouldn’t be right of me to keep it from regaining its body.”

Chat Blanc listened to three knocks at the door. “But I thought I destroyed Sentiquin at… Marinette’s.”

Silence filled the room.

“…How did you find the bow?”

Master Fu eyed the door as two more knocks knocked louder than before. “I spotted a confused young woman with the bow, and I offered assistance, only to realize there was an amok within the bow.”

Chat Blanc eyed the window, letting his eyes scan the buildings outside. “…Marinette. It had to have been her. She must’ve found the bow on her balcony-!”

One last knock.

A familiar voice slid through the shut wooden door, catching Chat Blanc’s and Master Fu’s ears.

“I’ve found the answers you wanted me to find, sir. If you could open the door… I’d like to discuss them with you.”

~~~~~

Notes:

I wanted to write some tough moments for Adrien so he could overcome some of them later on. Having him talk with Master Fu felt like a necessary moment, so snack-time with tea and cheese crackers was absolutely essential. 🌈🍵🧀
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 13

After questioning several pizza shop employees, searching the nearest shops, and eventually reaching Ephemera’s apartment complex, the heroes let out uneasy breaths.

“It’s all my fault,” Carapace muttered underneath his hands, avoiding the apartment complex’s buzzer.

Rena Rouge placed her arm around his shoulder, extending her other arm toward the apartment complex. “Hey… calm down. She might’ve just gone home. If not, we can keep looking.”

Ladybug stepped up to the buzzer, eyeing the slip of paper one of the employees provided for the search. Scanning for the right buzzer to buzz, she placed her finger on it.

“Is it really a good idea for us to be looking around in a group?” Queen Bee asked, eyeing the apartment building’s windows. “It would be faster if we split up.”

Carapace slowly nodded, stepping back. “Yeah. You’re right-“

“Hold on,” Rena Rouge broke in, tugging Carapace’s arm back. “Instead of splitting up entirely, I think we should go in pairs. Whoever shot Ephemera with the bow might still be with her. It’s better to have one person to defend Ephemera, and another to take her to safety.”

Ladybug nodded, stepping back from the apartment’s door. “I agree, but we should all at least be nearby. Let’s all check the Louvre, but split off in pairs. I’ll stay with Queen Bee. Rena, you go with Carapace.”

Carapace’s eyes widened slightly. “The Louvre? Why would she be there?”

Ladybug flipped her yo-yo up to her hand, pulling it up and down like a real yo-yo. “If the person who attacked her was made of glass, there might be a connection between the glass person and the Louvre. The Louvre has the glass pyramid for one, but there are also several spots the attacker might have an interest in.”

“Like, where exactly?” Queen Bee raised an eyebrow, placing her arm out to the buzzer. She buzzed the buzzer, receiving no answer.

Ladybug caught her yo-yo, swinging it around a little. “The Winged Victory of Samothrace at the top of the Daru staircase for one.”

Carapace visualized the statues of the Louvre, trying to remember which one was which. “You mean the statue with wings, no arms, and…”

Rena Rouge covered her mouth. “And no head.”

“Exactly,” Ladybug spoke as she hit her head with her yo-yo. Rubbing her head after the yo-yo’s collision, she tapped her chin. “But that’s not the only spot that should be checked. The Diana of Versailles in the Salle des Caryatides. She’s the statue that reaches for arrows with her right hand, and her left hand by the deer’s antlers.”

Queen Bee frowned, wiping her hands. “The art history thing is interesting and all, but why would the attacker be interested in the Louvre just for the statues? For all we know, the attacker could’ve killed her and gotten rid of her somewhere else.”

“Then why was she walking around?” Ladybug asked. “We have to at least try the Louvre. As twisted as this sounds, maybe the attacker was trying to create living artwork with help from either a Miraculous or Mayura’s power.”

“That actually makes sense,” Rena Rouge agreed. “Maybe the attacker wants to create some kind of puzzle for us to find her.”

Carapace started off to the Louvre, turning to Rena Rouge. “The dude’s most likely some kind of art piece interested in messing with people. Some freak like that would probably do what Ladybug mentioned with the living artwork thing.”

Queen Bee dashed ahead. “Then let’s hurry. I’m not going to let some twisted person mess with us.”

“Hold on,” Ladybug called back, watching as the three other heroes stopped. “There’s something I’m considering we should try.”

Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Carapace eyed each other, waiting for Ladybug’s response.

Ladybug held her breath before placing her yo-yo back on her side. “I think we should consider going in our civilian forms.”

“WHAT?!” Queen Bee and Carapace simultaneously voiced.

Rena Rouge furrowed her eyebrows, stepping closer to Ladybug. “Why would you suggest that? Wouldn’t we risk our secret identities if we bumped into each other? The Salle des Caryatides and the Daru staircase-“

“-Are in two different wings,” Carapace interrupted as he stepped closer. “Ladybug already knows our identities and we know each other’s, so as long as Queen Bee doesn’t know who we are, this should be fine.”

“What about Queen Bee and Ladybug?” Rena Rouge crossed her arms, eyeing Carapace. “Queen Bee can’t know Ladybug’s identity either.”

Ladybug slowly lowered her head. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to explain this to all of you, but since there’s no sign of Chat, I’ll have to tell you two without him.”

Rena Rouge and Carapace looked at each other in confusion before settling their eyes on Ladybug. Queen Bee stood next to Rena Rouge, tightening her blonde ponytail.

“Queen Bee accidentally discovered my identity.”

Rena Rouge covered her mouth with her hand, stepping back to eye the three heroes. “She… she knows who you are?”

“…Yes,” Ladybug responded. “At some point, I’ll share my identity with all of you, but Queen Bee happened to discover mine by chance.”

Carapace walked over to Rena Rouge, tapping her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

Rena Rouge eyed Queen Bee, wondering what sort of ‘accident’ gave Queen Bee the opportunity to know Ladybug’s identity.

Queen Bee caught on as she placed her arms on her hips. “Before you even think I purposely found out, I’ll tell you. As our civilian identities, I happened to connect the dots once an attack from Cla-“

Ladybug waved her hands, cutting Queen Bee off. “It was only an accident. With Hawk Moth, I can’t risk my identity or Chat’s, but by the time Queen Bee discovered who I was, there was nothing I could do. No matter how much I’ve wanted to tell the people closest to me who I am… I couldn’t. My duties as a hero kept me from that. I just hope that when you two discover who I am… you’ll forgive me.”

Queen Bee furrowed her eyebrows, turning to Ladybug in confusion. Rena Rouge and Carapace were equally perplexed.

“Forgive you?” Rena Rouge asked, making her way over to Ladybug. “Why would you say that?”

Ladybug sadly eyed Rena Rouge. For years, she’s wanted to let Alya know the secrets Marinette couldn’t share, but as Hawk Moth’s power continued to grow, and the years went on with no end to his reign, Marinette felt she’d never be honest with her friends for as long as Hawk Moth prevailed.

“I’ve had to lie to many people to keep my identity a secret, that’s all,” Ladybug quietly voiced.

Before Rena Rouge could question her further, Carapace shrugged. “If you think going as civilians would be best, what about when we face the attacker?”

“We can transform behind some artwork or something,” Queen Bee suggested with a wave of her wrist. “It’s not like light poles or benches would actually cover our transformations, but a statue could.”

“Yeah,” Ladybug awkwardly laughed as she clasped her hands together. “If we go in our civilian forms, we won’t draw as much attention to ourselves. As long as we all have our Miraculouses, we can transform if need be.”

“Alright,” Rena Rouge agreed with a sigh. “I’m still annoyed Queen Bee found out who you are first, but if it really was an accident, then I understand.”

Queen Bee smirked, leaning next to Rena Rouge. “Seems like someone’s jealous-“

“I’m not even going to deny that,” Rena Rouge snorted, bumping Queen Bee’s forehead back. “But we should really get a move on. Which statue should we look by, Ladybug?”

Ladybug tapped her chin before responding, “The Diana of Versailles. Her statue has the set of arrows, and since we don’t know what powers the attacker has, having your mirage and shield would be best.”

Carapace nodded. “The Winged Victory of Samothrace doesn’t have a head or arms, so Ladybug’s Lucky Charm and Queen Bee’s Venom could figure out whatever trick it might have.”

“We don’t know if the statues even play a part in any of this at all,” Queen Bee remarked.

“Right,” Rena Rouge began, “but if the attacker has powers we’re not aware of, the statues might really have significance.”

Ladybug readied her yo-yo, eyeing the three preparing themselves to follow. “To the Louvre?”

Queen Bee snickered. “Uh, yeah. Where else?”

Rena Rouge bumped Queen Bee with her flute. “Queen Bee.”

Queen Bee crossed her arms, eyeing Rena Rouge in disdain. “Don’t you dare hit me with that flute!”

“It was just a polite bonk,” Rena Rouge smirked, following Ladybug's departing figure.

~~~~~

Chat Blanc eyed the door. The sentimonster he thought he had killed was alive. He couldn’t leave Master Fu alone with Sentiquin; who knows what could happen to Master Fu. Meeting with Ladybug and the others to end the wishes would have to wait.

Before Master Fu went up to the door, he patted Chat Blanc’s shoulder. “Chat Blanc, I’m sure I’ll be alright. Go to the others and focus on the solution you five need.”

“I can’t do that,” Chat Blanc responded as he eyed the room. “Let me stay just in case you need help.”

Master Fu hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright then. The house isn’t very soundproof, so hide yourself in one of the rooms and try to stay quiet.”

Without wasting another second, Chat Blanc went behind a nearby room, listening to the door unlock.

“Sir,” Sentiquin voiced as he crossed his arms. “You wanted me to return after I found my answers, and I did. Mayura addressed me as Sentiquin before you and I met.”

Master Fu extended his hand out to Sentiquin, waiting until Sentiquin’s hand met his. “You can call me Master Fu.”

Sentiquin stepped inside, eyeing the house. He noticed there were teacups left beside a teapot, and many crumbs littered the floor.

“Master Fu… did you have company?”

Master Fu eyed the mess, nervously stroking his beard. “Awhile back I did. However, I haven’t gotten around to cleaning yet.”

Sentiquin eyed the steam leaving the teacups. The tea must’ve been freshly brewed for steam to still be noticeable. Master Fu was lying, but if Sentiquin pointed that out now of all times, he wouldn’t get the answers he wanted. “Alright. I’ve come here to ask for your help.”

Straightening up the leftover mess, Master Fu caught Sentiquin attempting to assist. “How may I help you, Sentiquin?”

Sentiquin eyed the gramophone before lifting up the halfway full teapot. “My creator was killed.”

From the other room, Chat Blanc held his breath. Nathalie was gone, and he would never see her again… and this is how he had to find out.

“She was killed by her friend’s son, Chat Noir,” Sentiquin continued with Master Fu. “Now, for her sake, I’m seeking his life.”

Master Fu let go of some used napkins as he placed his hand on Sentiquin’s shoulder. “Sentiquin, that boy would never do such a thing.”

“Just because he’s Paris’ hero, you’ll defend him for my creator’s murder?” Sentiquin asked, placing the teapot somewhere else. “You stated he was given a destructive ability strong enough to erase existence, and yet you act as if he wouldn’t kill Mayura?”

“He was akumatized, and I was concerned,” Master Fu stated. “However, I let my own fears keep me from his true character. He would never kill anyone, so I’m absolutely certain he didn’t kill his family’s secretary.”

Sentiquin made his way to the gramophone, observing the intricate details on the golden horn. “You know the hero fairly well if you knew she was his family’s secretary.”

Master Fu and Sentiquin stood beside the gramophone, eyeing each other.

“Don’t tell me you’re the one who gave Ladybug and Chat Noir their Miraculouses.”

Master Fu frowned as he set his hand along the wall. “The city was in danger of ruin. I sent heroes to protect Paris. In that regard, I have nothing to apologize for.”

Sentiquin narrowed his eyes before stepping toward the window. “Then they can kill whoever stands in their way in order for a greater future?”

Silence filled the room as Chat Blanc stayed behind the wall. Master Fu hadn’t answered Sentiquin’s question yet. Even with a wisdom journal, sometimes people will never have the right words to say when it counts.

“You don’t have to answer that, Master Fu,” Sentiquin stoically voiced. “Besides, the whole concept inspired me to do the same.”

“You can’t be sure he really killed her,” Master Fu tried to protest.

“Then I’ll kill him and the man that brought her to the garden,” Sentiquin casually remarked. “That way, her death will be avenged for certain.”

Master Fu eyed the room Chat Blanc had entered. Thankfully, Chat Blanc hadn’t made his presence known after all of Sentiquin’s accusations. “You can’t take back a life you steal, Sentiquin. If you succeed, you’ll be a murderer.”

“I know,” Sentiquin replied with a shrug. “I’m pretty aware of that already. But since you saved me, I thought I should at least thank you. Now I have the opportunity to avenge her death.”

Master Fu’s mind lit in realization. Internally, he begged that Sentiquin would forget one small detail that could change everything. One person that he didn’t want endangered from Sentiquin’s actions.

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes. Again, his father proved to be an absolutely disgusting man. To blame his own son for their family’s closest friend’s death? How low could his father go-, actually, Chat Blanc already knew the answer to that.

Nathalie was gone now, just like Émilie. Chat Blanc wondered what she felt as she left… what was on her mind.

She was sick. She had the same illness as his mother.

So why would his father lie and pretend that she was murdered? Or was she killed to escape her suffering? He couldn’t be sure. He wouldn’t know what happened to her or why.

Master Fu dropped a teacup outside of Chat Blanc’s room. He listened to the teacup’s shatter.

“W-wait, I’m not sure that’s a good idea-“

Chat Blanc listened to Master Fu’s panicked voice, cupping his cat ears closer to the wall.

Sentiquin placed his hands on the dresser with the gramophone. “I believe it is. So could you tell me already? Where is the girl who brought me to you? I want to express my gratitude to her as well, just as promised.”

Chat Blanc furrowed his eyebrows, failing to hold back a scowl. He gripped his clawed gloves into his palms. He knew exactly who Sentiquin was referring to. Who would have access to Sentiquin’s bow left on Marinette’s balcony other than Marinette herself?

Sentiquin wanted to see Marinette.

Master Fu held out his hands, shaking them. “If she found out your plan to kill one of Paris’ heroes, she would be devastated. I really don’t think it is wise to see her now that you’ve made up your mind.”

“Whether you think it’s a good idea or not doesn’t matter to me,” Sentiquin spoke as he lifted the gramophone. “I still have to thank her for allowing me a chance to revive.”

Master Fu took the gramophone from Sentiquin’s hands, setting it back on the dresser. “If you must see her, I ask you to keep your plans a secret from her. I don’t want her involved in a fight that isn’t hers.”

Sentiquin remained silent for several seconds, considering his options. If he agreed to Master Fu’s request, he could finally express his gratitude to the one who made his goals possible. The only way he could see her would be to pacify this man’s plea.

“Alright then. Now, may I know her name?”

Chat Blanc’s clawed gloves dug into his skin as he listened behind the wall.

“You won’t hurt her?” Master Fu asked, keeping his eyes away from Chat Blanc’s room.

“Of course not,” Sentiquin uttered as he eyed Master Fu’s discomfort.

Master Fu’s voice slowly spoke, “Her name… is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Wherever you last fought Chat Blanc, she should be there for you to express your gratitude. But nothing more.”

Sentiquin tilted his head in confusion. “Chat Blanc is Chat Noir, right?”

“Yes, but that’s his name while he’s akumatized,” Master Fu remarked. “Once you’ve met her, please come back before you try to enact revenge on Chat Blanc. Before you commit to your plans, you might need some time to clear your thoughts.”

“I’m thinking clearly,” Sentiquin sighed as he eyed Master Fu. “Whether I come back or not doesn’t matter. This may or may not be our last meeting, Master Fu. Goodbye.”

Sentiquin made his way out the door, and the moment that door shut, Chat Blanc furiously rushed out to Master Fu.

“You TOLD him where she lives?!” Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes on Master Fu in betrayal. “Her life is more valuable than his gratitude. How could you?!”

Master Fu remembered his time with Tikki and Wayzz, thinking over Tikki’s remarks. Tikki mentioned that Marinette had feelings for Chat Noir, and from Chat Blanc’s current display, it seemed as if he might share those feelings.

Or he was just naturally concerned for her safety. Master Fu contemplatively smoothed his beard, preferring the first option.

“I would’ve never said it if you weren’t here,” Master Fu spoke. “Now that you’ve heard, you have a chance to get to her before he does. Now hurry!”

Chat Blanc sighed, scanning Master Fu to check if he was injured. Once he confirmed that Master Fu was alright, Chat Blanc made his exit, rushing to the bakery.

~~~~~

Alix and Emma watched a few more episodes of their show before sighing in boredom. Alix was completely out of wintergreen mints, and Emma hadn’t found Marinette’s diary.

“Ugh, she’s taking forever,” Alix groaned as she pulled on her face. “She should’ve made up with Chat Blanc by now.”

“Mister Kitty isn’t very smart,” Emma complained as she ran around Marinette’s room. Settling her eyes on the window hatch above Marinette’s bed, Emma skeptically eyed the ladder. Rushing up the ladder, she pulled at Marinette’s stuffed cat plushie, giving it a squeeze. “Mommy’s movie has him giving her flowers all the time, and that makes me sad.”

Alix sighed, rubbing her forehead. “How does that make you sad?”

“Well,” Emma began as she plopped onto the cat plushie, “before you told me that Mommy’s Ladybug, I used to really, really, really like Chat Noir and Ladybug in the movies, but… now I know that he doesn’t really, really, really love her anymore.”

Alix tilted her head, questioning Emma’s thought process until it suddenly clicked with her. Since Emma was a bit of a blabber-mouth, Alix decided against revealing Emma’s father’s secret identity. Alix knew that it would be easier to reveal Ladybug’s identity given the circumstances, but to keep Adrien’s identity safe from Marinette, Emma wouldn’t get to know his identity yet.

“Huh, I guess you’re right. Pretty sad.” Alix shrugged, looking toward the window.

Emma scrunched up her mouth. “Come on, Miss Bunny! That can’t be it! He loves Mommy, right?! Why did he give up on her?”

This was definitely not a conversation Alix was interested in having. Nonetheless, it was better than sitting around with no mints.

“Uh, that’s a secret. If I reveal too much, then the whole world could go ‘poof’, and then no more Emma.”

Emma nodded in defeat, accepting Alix’s answer.

“Or maybe that isn’t such a bad thing,” Alix thought aloud with a smirk.

“Hey! No! It’s bad! Very bad!” Emma screeched, lifting up the cat plushie. “You can’t tell us! We’ll fade from existence, Miss Bunny!”

Alix snorted, leaning back on Marinette’s spinning chair. “I was just kidding, Emma. At least you won’t ask me anymore future questions.”

Emma crossed her arms, looking up to Marinette’s window hatch. “Miss Bunny, do you think he was akumatized because she doesn’t love him?”

Alix rolled her eyes, turning back to Marinette’s computer. “Again, too many questions, and you’ll disappear.”

Emma puffed her cheeks, eyeing the cat plushie. “This isn’t fair! None of you will ‘poof’ away!”

Alix shrugged, choosing to leave the conversation behind so she could focus on spinning in the chair.

Emma stayed with the cat plushie, booping its nose. Alix stood up, scanning Marinette’s room for something to do. That’s when a large and unsettling thud resounded above Emma’s head. She looked up to the window hatch, eyes lit up in excitement, whereas Alix’s were moreso unease.

“That must be Mom-!”

Alix pulled out her watch. “Emma, get down.”

Emma questionably eyed Alix as she transformed into Bunnyx. “Wait, what? Why?”

Before Emma could question Bunnyx, Bunnyx opened her burrow, leaping up to Marinette’s bed to pick up Emma. Emma kept her grip on the cat plushie, pulling it inside the burrow with her as she listened to the window eerily lift.

Inside of the burrow, Emma narrowed her eyes at Bunnyx. “Miss Bunny? Why are we in the burrow again? It’s just Mommy.”

Bunnyx shook her head, swiping through one of the burrow’s circles to Marinette’s room. “No, it’s not. Take a look.”

As Emma dragged the cat plushie toward the time circle, Bunnyx and Emma widened their eyes as a glass person slipped into Marinette’s room. The glass person observed the mess Emma and Bunnyx left behind, eyeing the staircase leading toward downstairs.

Emma tightened her grip on the cat plushie. “Miss Bunny… are Grandma and Grandpa going to be okay?”

Bunnyx nodded, pointing toward a different circle. “They should be. Both of them are with Mr. Dupain’s mom, so whoever just broke into Marinette’s house won’t find anyone.”

Emma tilted her head to the numerous circles available. “Miss Bunny? Is there any way we could check on Mommy?”

Bunnyx raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Hey, you’re pretty good at thinking these things through.”

Without wasting another second, Bunnyx swiped around the current circle, settling it on Ladybug and Queen Bee.

“Miss Bee!” Emma squealed, shaking the cat plushie in excitement.

Bunnyx eyed Ladybug’s and Queen Bee’s interaction. “Just because she babysits you sometimes, doesn’t mean you have to flip out-“

“AUNT ALYA and UNCLE NINO!” Emma pointed toward the Louvre, watching as those two walked in far away from Ladybug and Queen Bee.

Bunnyx rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t Marinette hire a real babysitter instead of her superhero friends?

“Mommy and Miss Bee are really far away from Aunt Alya and Uncle Nino,” Emma frowned, crossing her arms. “Are they mad at each other?”

“No, they’re just planning to search the Louvre as civilians,” Bunnyx remarked, pointing toward the Louvre. “My current timeline self is inside with my father and brother.”

“When are we going to meet you?” The moment Emma finished her question, she confusedly stared at the circle. She wasn’t sure what to make of the whole timeline thing. It was annoyingly complex.

Bunnyx ruffled Emma’s hair. “You’re not going to meet this timeline’s me when Minibug and I do. Minibug is going to ask Chloe once they’re inside to-“

“No spoilers or I’ll ‘poof’ away!” Emma smooshed the cat plushie onto Bunnyx’s face, startling Bunnyx as she pushed away the stuffed animal.

“Emma, relax,” Bunnyx sighed as she facepalmed. “I was just joking. You won’t disappear from stuff I already know about.”

Emma eyed the burrow’s circles in embarrassment. She tilted her chin up, eyeing a circle with someone watching the movie about Ladybug. Carefully thinking through some of her favorite lines from the film, she narrowed her eyes at Bunnyx. Crossing her arms, she scanned the circle one last time before settling on her next words. “I’m not taking any chances.”

Bunnyx rolled her eyes. “Don’t start copying Ladybug’s lines from the movie. Most of the time, you use them wrong.”

Emma puffed her cheeks, pointing to the circle. “Are we going to follow Mommy? Or are we going back to her room?”

Bunnyx swiped through the circle, studying the scenes shifting around until the setting stopped on Marinette’s balcony. The glass figure appeared to be gone. Instead, Bunnyx and Emma noticed Chat Blanc knocking on the closed bakery’s door.

“Chat Blanc’s here?” Bunnyx narrowed her eyes, tapping the circle. “Come on, Emma. Let’s go check out what’s happening.”

“Is this really a good idea, Miss Bunny?” Emma asked in concern. “What if Mister Kitty isn’t good?”

“Believe me,” Bunnyx began with a tired sigh, “he’s on our side.”

Bunnyx opened the circle, letting Emma walk outside of it first. Bunnyx followed after her, making sure the burrow closed once they were back at the bakery.

Chat Blanc turned around, spotting the two in confusion. “Bunnyx?”

“Hello,” Bunnyx quickly remarked as she stepped forward.

Chat Blanc noticed the cat plushie dragging around the street, partially covering Emma’s face. Once she started to drop it, he recognized her from the day she was Snowtopia. “Bunnyx, why is she with you?”

“Listen,” Bunnyx quickly spoke as she eyed Chat Blanc’s dubious expression. “Emma and I are from the future. I won’t get into why we’re here, but to save ourselves from any confusion later on, Emma’s-“

“Mister Kitty! What are you doing at Mommy’s bakery? Shouldn’t you be with… uh, Lady-“

Bunnyx gripped her forehead in aggravation. She was planning to tell Chat Blanc that Emma was Ladybug’s daughter, not Marinette’s! It made no sense for specifically Marinette’s kid to be here when Chat Blanc doesn’t know her secret identity.

She couldn’t really blame Emma, though. Emma only recently discovered her mom was Ladybug, so she was closer to Marinette as a parental figure than Ladybug. At least Emma didn’t reveal Marinette’s secret identity.

Chat Blanc eyed the bakery and Bunnyx in confusion. “Bunnyx… this girl has been here for at least a month by now. Why is she saying she’s Marinette’s kid?”

Bunnyx turned around, shutting her eyes as she fought the urge to scream. Taking a slow and deep breath, she turned back around to look Chat Blanc in the eye. “I can’t tell you everything or else I’ll put our future at risk. For now, all you need to know is that a threat is coming Paris’ way very soon.”

Chat Blanc eyed his white suit, pointing to his bell with his paw. “Would that threat be me by chance?”

Bunnyx rolled her eyes, walking forward. Once she made it up to him, she punched his shoulder. “Kitty Noir, or Kitty Blanc in this case, relax. Minibug and you are on the same side. I’m talking about something else.”

Chat Blanc crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. “Would that something else involve a glass sentimonster?”

Bunnyx placed her hands on her sides. “Looks like you two have already met.”

“Yeah, we have,” Chat Blanc scowled as he curled his fists. “Listen, I have to find Marinette. That sentimonster goes by Sentiquin, and he’s looking for her to supposedly thank her.”

Emma grinned. “Oh! That’s nice!”

Chat Blanc shook his head. “Actually, it’s not. He’s a serious danger to anyone who gets in his way.”

Bunnyx eyed Chat Blanc and Emma skeptically. She couldn’t continue their conversation without Emma hearing things she shouldn’t hear. “Listen, Kitty Blanc. Once Emma’s somewhere safe, you and I need to discuss what you know.”

“Sure,” Chat Blanc replied as he eyed the bakery. Turning toward it, he started off toward the door. “I’ll be back once I-“

“Mommy’s not at the bakery,” Emma broke in as she watched Chat Blanc stop.

“Then where is she?” Chat Blanc asked, eyeing Bunnyx.

Bunnyx hesitated before responding, “She’s at the Louvre with Chloe Bourgeois.”

~~~~~

Ladybug and Queen Bee de-transformed in a nearby alley, making their way toward the Louvre.

“Carapace and Rena Rouge must’ve gone in by now in their civilian forms, so we won’t risk running into them.” Marinette eyed the streets cautiously as she stayed beside Chloe. “They’re in the Sully Wing, and we’ll be in the Denon Wing; there’s no way we’ll cross paths.”

“If we can’t find any clues by the two statues separately, we’re meeting back up as heroes, right? Why wouldn’t we just stay transformed the entire time?”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at Chloe’s confused expression. “I explained it on our way over. We won’t cause a panic in our civilian forms once we first get in. The Winged Victory of Samothrace may or may not have a threat waiting for us, but we’ll find somewhere to transform either way. The Diana of Versailles could be the same. Once we contact Rena Rouge and Carapace, we’ll regroup wherever the threat may be or continue our search together.”

Chloe eyed her nails. “Are you sure we’ll be inside in enough time?”

Marinette scoffed, extending her hand out to the Louvre dramatically. “Are you kidding? Of course we will! There’s never a line anymore, so getting in will be a piece of cake.”

Chloe slowly nodded, rubbing her forehead. “You’re right, but I’m not exactly thrilled. Of course you gave us the creepier statue to search.”

Marinette snorted, letting Chloe walk inside the Louvre first. “Just because she’s missing her head?”

Chloe gulped, avoiding eye contact. “Don’t you realize what that could mean?”

Marinette worriedly eyed the inside of the Louvre. “Yeah… that was one of the main things I thought about.”

Chloe gulped. She wondered if Marinette and Chloe were really considering the same outcome. “Don’t you think people would already be in a panic if they saw…?”

Marinette scanned her surroundings. “For some reason, not many people are here at all. Haven’t you noticed how empty the streets are, too? Ever since Hawk Moth started akumatizing people, there haven’t been as many tourists. Plus, many of the citizens just stay inside at this point so they can avoid akuma attacks.”

Chloe nodded as they made their way past some paintings. “But still. Ephemera would catch the attention of anyone nearby, right?”

Marinette smoothed her jacket. “The attacker made of glass would catch more attention than Ephemera. Besides, the only way she’d catch attention is if she were dragged inside.”

“But she’s not just going to walk in the Louvre herself,” Chloe protested. “Why would she willingly follow that freak?”

Marinette shrugged. “From how Carapace described her behavior, she seemed almost mindless. The attacker might’ve wanted her to catch less attention by appearing alive.”

Chloe gulped, holding her hands over her stomach. “But you said she would be alive.”

Marinette covered her mouth as she kept walking toward their destination. “Yes. If we’re not too late, she should be. The moment Carapace said he’d seen her survive an arrow through her head, I immediately considered the Louvre. I don’t know the intentions of the attacker, but in order for her to even be set up in the Louvre, she would have to walk in herself. The attacker couldn’t sneak in someone who already died. I’m just hoping she’s only mindless in that case.”

Chloe started to run through the Denon Wing, scanning her surroundings as she failed to hold her breath. “What are we waiting for?! Dupain-Cheng, if you’re saying what I think you’re saying, we need to get there before he really does kill her!”

Marinette ran after Chloe, ignoring several people eyeing them in concern. The moment they’d get to the Daru staircase, they’d have their answers. They just weren’t sure they’d want whatever answer awaited them.

~~~~~

Alya and Nino eyed the statue in front of them: the Venus de Milo. They were in the Sully Wing.

“Alright,” Alya shakily began as she eyed the few people in the Louvre. “Onto the Diana of Versailles?”

Nino gulped, reaching for Alya’s hand. “Uh, yeah. Now that we’re here, everything feels too real. I hope Ladybug was just imagining things.”

Alya nodded, taking Nino’s hand. “I think she’s just become used to thinking things through. She’s had to put herself in the shoes of akumatized victims, and sometimes, those victims were almost as evil as Hawk Moth.”

“The akumas can really affect a person’s mind, huh?” Nino whispered, thinking back to the Eiffel Tower. “Are you sure we should let Chat Noir have that thing stuck in his head?”

Alya furrowed her eyebrows in thought, leading Nino down the hallway with her. “I think we should trust Ladybug. Besides, she seems to know more about his akumatization anyway.”

Nino and Alya continued onward, nervously eyeing the room they were inside.

“Are you upset Chloe knows Ladybug’s identity?” Nino asked suddenly.

Alya stopped in place as her mind recalled their last interactions as a group. “I am. But at the same time, it’s not like I can change something that’s already happened. Ladybug wanted to reveal her identity to all of us, not just Chloe. There’s no reason why I should be upset over not knowing. I’m just upset I wasn’t a part of the accident.”

Nino scoffed, breaking out into a laugh. “You could always stage an accident yourself. You’re the journalist after all.”

“Hey!” Alya snickered, punching Nino’s arm. “I’m an aspiring journalist, not a conniving one. Ladybug’s my friend; I would never betray her trust like that and you know it.”

Nino sheepishly grinned, looking up as he rubbed his neck. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you, you know.”

Alya stole his cap and placed it on her head, eyeing him with a smirk. “I know.”

~~~~~

Chat Blanc landed in an alleyway, recalling his last conversation with Bunnyx and Emma. He had a lot to think about. For one, he was confused why Marinette’s daughter would be stuck in their timeline while there’s supposedly a threat. Then, there was Bunnyx’s warning to go in his civilian form.

He de-transformed, eyeing Plagg float out of his ring. Adrien pulled out a slice of cheese, handing it to Plagg.

“Kid, you should put on the sunglasses you have. If anyone does recognize you, they’ll be freaked out by your blue eyes.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow as he smirked at Plagg gulping the Camembert. “What about my white hair?”

“It’s easier for someone to change their hair than their eyes,” Plagg replied as he finished his cheese. “If anyone does recognize you, they’ll buy some lie about dying your hair. Your eyes are a completely different story.”

Nooroo floated out of Adrien’s pocket, eyeing the two.

“Want some cheese?” Adrien offered.

Nooroo shook his head. “I’m okay. You should go find your friend before Sentiquin does. Something about him doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Agreed,” Plagg sighed. “I just hope we can get this over with already! I just want to nap on my pillow and call it a day.”

Adrien’s eyes widened in realization. “I guess we’ll have to find somewhere else to stay other than the mansion. My father might try to steal my Miraculous if he’s hiding there.”

Plagg groaned in defeat. “I can’t believe this! Where are we going to go?”

Adrien shrugged. “We could go to a nearby roof or something.”

“Absolutely not!” Plagg protested.

Adrien thought over his options before realizing he was distracted. He held his face in his hands, shaking his head.

“I need to focus on protecting Marinette from that freak,” Adrien spoke aloud. He turned to Nooroo. “No one is supposed to recognize me even though my eyes and hair were the only changes?”

“That’s correct,” Nooroo replied. “It’s just like when Miraculous holders transform into their hero forms. No one will be able to pinpoint who you are because of the Akuma’s effect on your Miraculous. The link between you and Plagg lingers while you’re Adrien, so your civilian identity is affected by your akumatized-hero identity.”

Adrien nodded as he lowered his blue scarf around his neck. “You two want to stay up here? You could probably see more of the Louvre in my scarf than behind my jacket.”

“Eh, sure,” Plagg shrugged, snuggling into the scarf instantly. “It doesn’t smell like Camembert, but I’ll manage.”

Nooroo slowly slipped into Adrien’s scarf. “Do you have your sunglasses?”

Adrien pulled them out of his pocket, placing them over his eyes. “Yep. I think I’m ready.”

Plagg lounged back a bit, extending his paw toward Nooroo for a high five. Once Nooroo reciprocated, Plagg let out a tiny burp.

“Alright!” Adrien determinedly cheered to himself, rushing off toward the Louvre. “Let’s do this!”

~~~~~

Inside of the Denon Wing, current timeline Alix pinched her brother’s arm, reminding him that he had to actually help their father.

“Alix, Jalil will help me organize some of this paperwork,” their father voiced with a sigh. “How about you look around and make sure the guards are protecting the artwork. You like to do that.”

Alix furrowed her eyebrows at Jalil’s snickers. “Ugh, whatever. Let me know when Jalil ends up ticking you off over one of his theories. That way, I can smash the akuma that’ll inevitably want him back.”

Jalil narrowed his eyes. “I won’t become the Pharaoh again.”

Alix shrugged. “Yeah. You might become ‘the Vizier’ instead. You know, the Pharaoh’s secretary.”

Jalil planned to retort before readjusting his glasses proudly. “I actually wouldn’t mind that. It’s a little sad you could only describe the Pharaoh’s vizier as a secretary, but with time, you might realize the beauty of history. In fact, you should take that akuma yourself! As Timebreaker, you could have more than enough time to discover the secrets of-“

Before Jalil could continue his clever remarks, Alix threw a blue hippo stuffed animal she’d snatched from the Louvre’s gift shop at his head. “You think you’re so smart, huh? Go bother dad with your stupid theories then. I’m leaving.”

“I was just trying to joke around with you, too.” Jalil held the blue hippo in his hand, eyeing it as he sadly sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine,” Alix scoffed, tilting her head near the exit. “Don’t get all sad about it. You might really get akumatized if you do.”

Jalil stood up, walking over to some paperwork. “Have fun bothering guards doing their job.”

Alix snorted as she walked away, crossing her arms.

Her checkered shoes stomped around the ground, leading her down the hall. Not many visitors were here, unfortunately. That meant she wouldn’t be able to watch the guards menacingly like she’d hoped.

However, she was glad. That day, she’d noticed some odd things occurring around her. For starters, once she left school, she happened to notice Bunnyx’s burrow along a rooftop.

Alix wondered what could be happening for her future self to show up. So surely, Alix had to find out. She tried eavesdropping on several conversations, including one near the bakery between Marinette, some kid, and her future self. But no matter how close she got, she couldn’t hear a thing. She could only guess what was happening, but that wasn’t enough. It made no sense for future Alix to be around those two.

By chance, she was near the Eiffel Tower when Ladybug repaired it. That’s when she saw Chat Blanc. Alix assumed he had to be the reason why future Alix showed up, but he was casually talking around with Ladybug like they usually would. She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of their interaction, but she decided she would let it go until she got more details.

Sure, that was a random, reckless decision on Alix’s end, but what else was she supposed to think? She couldn’t figure out what was happening to begin with.

Now that she didn’t have to help around with her father and Jalil, she could take this time to get some answers!

“So that’s why I thought I’d ask.”

Alix furrowed her eyebrows, looking around the practically deserted Denon Wing. That voice sounded familiar.

The continued conversation was muffled as Alix tried to pinpoint where the voices were coming from.

“You seriously trust me to babysit?” Chloe scoffed. “What makes you think I’d even be good at something like that?”

Marinette shrugged. “You’ve got the Bee Miraculous to protect her with, and around the time I left, she mentioned you would sometimes babysit her in the future.”

“Marinette, I really don’t know about this-“

Alix kept searching around, failing to figure out where to go. The voices echoed around her head, hiding their location from her.

Marinette looked down at the ground. “Bunnyx mentioned there would be a threat soon. I don’t know why Emma can’t go back home yet, but I don’t want her to be in danger. Since you know my identity, you know what could happen if someone discovered who I am. They could target her while I help Bunnyx end whatever’s coming.”

Chloe eyed Marinette’s worried face. It didn’t make sense why the kid would be stuck in their timeline if something bad really did happen, but Marinette was asking for Chloe’s help.

“…Fine.”

Marinette’s eyes lifted as she smiled in relief. “Really?”

“Well, yeah,” Chloe spoke as she shrugged. “Now that I’m the designated babysitter, can we go back to looking for Ephemera?”

Alix finally figured out where the voices were coming from as she peeked around the wall. Maybe it was a group of heroes planning to prevent thievery! Or maybe it was Bunnyx, questioning guards to discover a witness! To a crime? A crime large enough for Bunnyx herself to appear?!

Once her eyes settled on the two figures, she realized they were Marinette and Chloe. That was anticlimactic.

Alix furrowed her eyebrows as Marinette’s voice awkwardly cracked like it usually did in class. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Let’s go. Um…. I’m sorry I brought that up now of all times.”

“It’s fine,” Chloe’s voice replied in indifference.

Alix rolled her eyes, slouching against the wall. Maybe future Alix saved Marinette and the kid from some kind of disaster, and that’s all there was to it.

The sounds of shoes tapping along the floor crescendoed as Alix hid behind the corner. She watched as Marinette and Chloe bolted off, running right past a guard munching on an eclair.

Once Marinette and Chloe made their exit, Alix sighed in defeat. This totally sucked. When would she be a part of the action? When could she see her awesome future self face to face?!

Some nibbles and a startled cough brought her out of her thoughts.

She smirked, eyeing the guard she’d spotted before. From what she could spot, a large box sat beside the guard, waiting for Alix’s snooping presence to discover it. It had to be full of pastries! She wiped her hands, preparing to find a way to snag an eclair for herself. As she approached the unsuspecting guard, the guard opened the box, picking up another eclair. Alix smirked at the sight of several eclairs and pastries awaiting her. Even if she couldn’t figure out any hero secrets, at least some things were working out.

~~~~~

Notes:

Princess Twinkle Peach deserves some plushie friends, so whenever Alix has the chance, she snatches blue hippo plushies from the Louvre’s gift shop. I may or may not have a scene planned for this; I’ve already added so much unnecessary stuff already 😅. This is a warning before the hippos ‘potentially’ appear 🦛🦛🦛
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 14

Alya and Nino studied the Diana of Versailles, relief washing over the two. The statue in front of them remained still, just the way it was before.

Her short chiton looked as if it were real fabric, frozen in a loose and flowing depiction. Alya weakly smiled at the outfit, wishing she could be enjoying the Louvre with her friends. Searching for Ephemera, who may or may not be seriously injured, was nerve wracking. Of course she would do everything she could to ensure Ephemera’s return, but the lack of any real direction was discouraging at the very least.

She sighed, keeping her eyes on Diana’s garment, suddenly envisioning Marinette by her and Nino’s side. Marinette would come up in between the two of them, insisting Alya and Nino spend the day as a couple instead of dragging Marinette around as the third wheel. Alya would insist Marinette wasn’t a third wheel and that today was their day to hang out together. They would all look at the numerous artworks together, carefree as the guards reprimanded them for getting too close. Marinette would comment on the clothing of statues and paintings, gushing over the details and designs, while simultaneously almost knocking them down.

Maybe Chloe and Adrien would run late that day. Chloe would have some new hairstyle or set of nails, and Adrien could wear his infamous blue scarf. Alya would find a way to nudge Marinette his way, and she could watch Adrienette’s adorableness in person.

Alya and Nino could mimic the poses of the statues or paintings, reenacting the artworks’ visions. They could hold hands, giggling with each other as they followed their friends further into the Louvre.

The Louvre was meant to be enjoyed and appreciated for its beautiful artwork; it’s an experience the five friends were lucky to get to see whenever they wanted. Once they would defeat Hawk Moth, the Louvre would receive lots of visitors like it used to. Many other places in Paris would benefit from Hawk Moth’s end.

All of her friends could experience an outing where no inevitable danger eerily hovered over their heads. Alya could see her friends truly relax.

“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about Diana,” Alya sighed with a laugh, waving her hand toward the statue’s arrows.

“You forgot about the deer,” Nino pointed out with a dramatic sigh. “It could spring to life any second now and trample us with its hooves.”

Equally as dramatic as Nino, Alya facepalmed. “You’re right! How could I forget about the fearsome deer?!”

Nino eyed the deer and Alya back and forth. Settling his eyes on the deer’s leaping posture, he copied the deer’s stance, widening his eyes to resemble a deer caught by headlights.

“You-! You didn’t!” Alya held her stomach, fighting the urge to laugh. She adjusted her glasses, watching him break character to check his shoes.

Once Nino confirmed his shoes were spotless, he stood back up. “I soooo did,” Nino replied smugly before going back to the deer’s pose.

Some snickers between the two faded once Alya covered her mouth with her hand. “You don’t think the statue’s really alive, do you? We could just be egging it on.”

Nino’s eyes lit up in worry as he stepped away from the deer. He cautiously reached toward the deer’s antlers, attempting to tap them before a security guard’s reprimanding screech stopped him.

“Well, now I’m freaked out. You don’t think the deer will flip out and chase me, right?” Nino’s eyes shook as he stared at the deer statue in horror.

After several seconds of observation, Alya shook her head, placing her hands on her sides. “Well if it does, I’ll protect you.”

Nino sighed in relief, wiping his forehead with his arm. Once he felt his bracelet hit the side of his eyebrow, he lowered his arm. His voice was quiet as he stepped back. “Hold up. I’ve got the Turtle Miraculous, Alya. I’ll barely have a chance to escape! I’ll be too slow!”

Alya narrowed her eyes at Nino’s distressed whisper shouts. “Nino, that’s not how the Turtle Miraculous works. You don’t actually become a turtle.”

Nino took a second to let Alya’s words sink in, settling his eyes one last time on his bracelet. “Oh yeah. You’re right.”

An awkward silence settled between them before Alya failed to hold back a loud snort. Her laughter caused Nino to eye her in shock, furthering her snorts until they echoed throughout the Sully Wing.

“Alya!” Nino worriedly exclaimed as Alya held her stomach. “What is it? Are you sick?”

Alya wheezed from Nino’s comments, tears streaming down her face as she attempted to speak. “I’m…! Just…! Laughing…! You…! Goof…!”

Nino snickered at Alya’s broken sentence. “Are you sure you’re okay? I need you to protect me, remember?”

The two giggled with each other, making their way in front of the statue. After several more comments and jokes here and there, they quietly stood beside each other.

Looking through the entire Louvre sounded daunting. Ephemera and the attacker could be anywhere at this point, and they might not even be in the Louvre at all. It was frustrating. The heroes could fight for the side of good forever, and evil would still persist. In a world where civilians had to bury their emotions, holding their breath as akumas drifted past their daily messes… hope was practically nonexistent.

Alya sighed, spinning around as the statues stood in place. She would be the journalist Paris could count on, through the Ladyblog and potentially a larger news outlet once she became an adult. Everyone’s spirits were low as they barricaded themselves inside, desperately seeking solace. Even Alya had to admit she worried for the future; Everything she could do to help would never be enough for at least one person, but even so, she still had to try.

She wanted to spread hope to her city. As a journalist, hero, and civilian, she could at least do her best. Maybe that wouldn’t be enough for some people, but that’s fine. Besides, she knew just how much criticism heroes like Ladybug and Chat Noir would receive, good and bad.

There was hope. No matter how little left there was, there was undoubtedly hope for a brighter future.

Hawk Moth’s reign would crumble to the ground. Parisians would feel safe to leave their homes. People could have a fresh start, living the lives they put on hold.

The heroes would succeed. Alya would do everything she could to bring that reality to fruition.

“Let’s contact Ladybug and Queen Bee,” Alya suggested, readjusting her glasses. “Just like planned.”

Nino took in Alya’s determination, nodding in agreement. “Right.”

The two eyed their surroundings, trying to find a safe place to transform. As they walked around, observing the Louvre’s artwork, several promising spots made their appearance.

Nino planned to transform before he noticed Alya’s contemplative expression. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he leaned to the side, worriedly eyeing her pensive face. “Alya? You ready?”

Alya stayed silent for several seconds. Her eyes lifted to Nino’s as she curled her fists. “We’re going to find her.”

“Exactly,” Nino agreed adamantly. They would save Ephemera together, as Rena Rouge and Carapace; they were unstoppable as a team. Carefully observing his bracelet and Alya’s fox pendant, he extended his hand out to her. “You ready?”

Alya took a slow breath, carefully scanning her surroundings. Once she confirmed no one was nearby, she accepted his hand in hers with a nod. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

~~~~~

Adrien made his way inside the Louvre, worriedly searching as many rooms as he could. He was in such a rush, he wasn’t aware whether he was in the Sully Wing, the Denon Wing, or the Richelieu Wing. He couldn’t even process the paintings surrounding him as he bolted around the building.

Many guards noticed Adrien dashing along. Some managed to stop him and give him a warning. Others were too far away to catch up to him. The rest just assumed he was looking for his family, and if they were on break, they’d assume one of the other guards would assist him.

His family wasn’t here. His mother hadn’t been for years now, and Nathalie left before he could say goodbye. His controlling and abusive father was nowhere to be seen as Adrien relentlessly ran away.

Running away from his life, the fans that didn’t even know him, and the family he no longer had. All he could do was run. Nothing else felt right.

The only people he had left were his friends and the other heroes. Nino, Chloe, Alya… and Marinette. They were the only people that hadn’t left him behind. They were still here, waiting for the day of Hawk Moth’s defeat, unaware his father was no longer the wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous. Adrien could live in the future he and his friends could only dream of: a future free of akumatization.

His shoes tapped along the floor as he continued to run. Now, a sentimonster Adrien didn’t finish off threatened that future the heroes were fighting for. Adrien had to stop Sentiquin before Sentiquin made a mess of potentially everything.

No matter what that being’s intentions were, Adrien couldn’t care less. He wouldn’t allow even the possibility of one of his closest friends dying by the hands of his new enemy. Not Nino, Chloe, Alya, Marinette, or anyone else; he wouldn’t allow anyone to be a victim of that thing.

He kept his breathing under control, confirming another room was free from Sentiquin or Marinette. It had only been a day since he had seen either of them, and yet, it felt like it had been longer than that. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Sentiquin, but he wanted to see Marinette. He wanted to talk with her, accept pastries from the bakery, and paw through her intricate fashion designs.

He wanted to spend a day with her and their friends, living a normal life like everyone else. He never got to experience that luxury, even before Hawk Moth’s arrival. He could only imagine what it felt like. Looking around shops, not being instantly recognized, eating whatever snacks he pleased, laughing a little louder than an ‘inside-voice’ entailed, just being someone in general.

All his life, he was told what to do, reprimanded for minute mistakes, scolded for wanting to make his own choices. Freedom wasn’t an option for Adrien when his household determined his fate; when his father was the one with the freedom, Adrien had to follow his demands. There was no such thing as a free will if every move Adrien made, other than the ones Gabriel ordered, was wrong. Everything about Adrien was wrong, so he couldn’t exist; only his father’s image could. That was the life he had lived for so long.

Adrien’s pace increased as his shoes met the ground faster than before.

He was alone.

“Adrien! Slow down! The delicious slice of Camembert in my stomach is starting to make me nauseous,” Plagg groaned, holding his mouth as he fought to keep the cheese inside.

“I can’t do that Plagg,” Adrien replied, sharply turning a corner. The paintings’ paint blurred around the room as he tried to stay calm. With each step further into the Louvre, his mind raced with vividly horrid images, painting their terrifying pictures throughout the Louvre as every real piece of artwork seemed to fade past his view.

Adrien, Plagg, and Nooroo were in the Louvre for at least half an hour by now, searching endlessly down the halls. With each second, Adrien’s distress heightened, waging a war inside his mind to regain control.

If he were in his hero form, he could definitely save more time in his search. However, if a guard spotted Chat Blanc, they’d trap him in the Louvre’s bars, which would inevitably hinder his search. He considered de-akumatizing himself to find Marinette without alarming the Louvre, but he chose against it. Whenever he would meet Sentiquin, he would need enough power to cataclysm Sentiquin and then the bow. His regular powers as Chat Noir wouldn’t instantly disintegrate Sentiquin’s body, so with the help of his akuma, he’d get the results he was looking for: Sentiquin’s complete erasure.

Adrien’s head ached as he narrowed his eyes in vexation. This wasn’t like him. This wasn’t what he wanted. Even if it came down to ending Sentiquin’s life for good, purifying the amok was more than enough; there was no need to make Sentiquin suffer more than he already was.

The walls tightened around Adrien as he gripped his head, barely avoiding a group he was passing. No, there was nothing wrong with wanting to destroy someone who planned to cause destruction themselves. In fact, it was only right… wasn’t it? Chat Blanc would enact justice on a being seeking murder. Sentiquin would feel his body disintegrate once again, and when Chat Blanc destroyed the amok, Sentiquin would feel his life leave him behind, just like Sentiquin planned for Chat Blanc. It was only fair.

Sentiquin wanted to kill Chat Blanc, and if he were willing to kill one person, what would stop him from killing more? What would stop Sentiquin from killing Marinette?

Adrien’s steps clashed around the ground as he tried collecting his thoughts. Sentiquin wanted Adrien to die by his hands. Adrien alone would be Sentiquin’s target, so there was no need for Adrien to assume the worst. Violence, and murder against murder, weren’t his answers.

Murder against murder could be his answer if he’d let it be, a thought arose in his mind as he looked around for Sentiquin’s approach. Killing someone who planned to kill someone else wasn’t inherently bad, was it-?

“It’s wrong,” Adrien mumbled under his breath, looking into an empty room.

“Tell me about it,” Plagg gulped, rubbing his belly. “Losing my cheese would be a nightmare.”

“I think he meant the room we’re inside,” Nooroo suggested, cupping his hands along Adrien’s scarf. “His friend isn't here.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, slowing his running pace.

Adrien wanted to see Sentiquin suffer the same fate Sentiquin intended for Chat Blanc.

His eyes darted around as he tried to shove away his thoughts. No… he didn’t want Sentiquin to suffer; he wanted Sentiquin to live back when they fought each other-!

Adrien’s head burned as he ran past a couple. He gave Sentiquin his chance back then, but Sentiquin blew it; killing Sentiquin was the only logical choice now.

Back and forth. Yes, no, yes, maybe, no-

Why couldn’t he collect his thoughts? Why was there a war inside his mind?

A dark and dense fog of emotion hovered over him, sinking into his brain and drowning him in darkness. This wasn’t who he was… so why did he not feel like himself at all? Why did it feel as if something else were trying to take over?

With every slow step down the halls, why did it feel as if his father made his way back into Adrien’s head? Hawk Moth wasn’t a threat anymore… right?

Adrien abruptly stopped beside Jacques-Louis David’s “The Death of Marat”. It was the only painting he could see; every other painting was a messy blur swirling around him. He was familiar with this piece of art. The Louvre received a replica of this painting, and the original was placed somewhere in Belgium from what Adrien could recollect. It depicted a man from the French Revolution, Jean-Paul Marat, murdered in the place he found relief. Adrien couldn’t remember where Marat was murdered just from the painting alone… but he did remember his father’s interest in Marat.

Gabriel took inspiration from Marat’s clothing for one of his lines, emphasizing on Marat’s dissension from traditionally elegant clothing of the time. As Adrien looked at the painting, he noticed Marat wearing a white turban, but other than Marat’s exposed and stabbed chest, Adrien couldn’t see the outfit inspiration Gabriel took from this man; there must’ve been written records or other artworks depicting Gabriel’s interest in Marat.

Adrien sighed, eyeing Marat’s limp hand holding a white quill feather along the ground, and his other hand holding a written letter. If only Adrien knew why this man was killed, who killed him, and what he should feel while looking at the portrait.

Adrien held his hand over his chest, gasping as he realized his bell was missing. Of course it was missing; he wasn’t transformed into Chat Blanc, so Adrien wouldn’t have his bell in his civilian form.

He shook his head, trying to shake away the image from his thoughts. This was no time to get distracted. Protecting Marinette and bringing her to safety was his top priority. Killing Sentiquin would come later.

Plagg gulped back a clump of cheese fighting its way out of his stomach. Gripping onto Adrien’s scarf, he could barely see the Louvre’s artwork at all with Adrien’s resumed jogging. His eyes lifted to Adrien, observing a small smile vaguely forming on Adrien’s face.

Plagg narrowed his eyes.

…Why was Adrien smiling?

Within seconds, Adrien’s expression went back to its previous design, focusing on his surroundings and lost in his thoughts. Both Plagg and Adrien knew the consequences of akumas lingering for too long; there was only so much strength victims had against Hawk Moth before they’d give into whatever formation Hawk Moth desired.

Akumas are the butterflies powered for evil, whereas kamikos are the butterflies powered for good. The holder of the Butterfly Miraculous forms a connection with their target, and that connection is weaved within the akuma’s or kamiko’s powers. In the case of Hawk Moth, his ill intentions and manipulation infest the akuma, enforcing darkness around the recipient rather than offering an actual choice. That’s why many akumatized victims can be incredibly evil compared to their normal selves: the akuma will nudge them to act on their intrusive thoughts, or even darken the heart of the victim to such an extent, they can’t remember what they did while akumatized.

The case with Chat Blanc was different. Hawk Moth wasn’t in control of Chat Blanc because there was no more Hawk Moth. However, the vileness instilled within the akuma remained. Chat Blanc existed because Chat Blanc didn’t reject the akuma; he accepted it. He accepted it after Hawk Moth was no more.

That’s where everything starts to twist. Without a Butterfly Miraculous wielder directing or supporting Chat Blanc, he was on his own, with no one to actually control the akuma. The akuma is just as alive as Adrien and Plagg are. So, whatever evil intent Hawk Moth instilled within the akuma, the akuma’s existence was purely working for the side of evil.

It would be different if Adrien were kamikotized. Adrien wanted to be on the side of good, so the kamiko would work alongside him, without trying to take control for ‘the common good’ like it would with a villain. Adrien and Plagg themselves wouldn’t change as a result of being akumatized, but the constant battle of intrusive thoughts against their own personal views could drive them to insanity.

That was the danger of staying akumatized for too long. With as stubborn Chat Noir was for the side of good, he was at risk of completely breaking down, and being rebuilt into whatever was needed to complete the akuma’s task.

Regular civilians had the choice to reject akumas if they could see Hawk Moth’s manipulation for what it was. Adrien had the choice to reject the akuma whenever he wanted as well. However, he convinced himself he could fight against the akuma’s evilness despite knowing what would happen.

Adrien was persistent… and that strength was his weakness. Working under Hawk Moth, and letting Adrien’s heart completely darken to the point he wouldn’t remember what he’d done, was Hawk Moth’s goal. Yet, that’s not what happened. It was different now. Adrien chose to stay akumatized. He wanted to use the power with a new sense of purpose, and a new sense of confidence thanks to visiting Master Fu. He would fight against the negative thoughts forever if he could.

Plagg hadn’t felt any of the akuma’s power influence himself as of yet. Maybe it was the same for Adrien. They had to hurry and figure out the answers they needed before it was too late. Staying like this wasn’t exactly pre-fur-able. Plagg studied his white fuzzy paws in discomfort. It wasn’t just his appearance that unsettled him; no answers or real progress came from their akumatization yet. Plagg only narrowly missed his holder renouncing him again, but even that wasn’t a result of Chat Blanc’s akumatization. It was as if the akumatization were pointless. All of the positive outcomes this new power gave to them were not revealing themselves. The time would only keep ticking, and the chances of Adrien losing his mind would only heighten.

Plagg sighed, eyeing Adrien’s distressed expression as he exited the Louvre’s Wing he was inside. Plagg could only know as much as Adrien shared with him; Plagg wouldn’t know everything Adrien faced or felt, and no matter what advice or support Plagg could give, it would never truly answer Adrien’s plights.

“Kid… I think we should take a break.”

Adrien avoided crashing into a family in the new wing he was inside, eyeing the ceiling in despair. “By then, I could be too late. Sentiquin wants to kill me, but he could kill her if he knows who she is.”

Plagg’s eyes widened as he looked past Adrien’s scarf. “What do you mean ‘who she is’?”

Adrien brushed arms with another person as he slipped past a guard’s whistle. “She’s my… friend. If he knew how important she is to me, he’d use that information in whatever twisted way he plans. I can’t waste a second; I have to find her before he finds her first.”

Nooroo dubiously eyed the two of them. “You know, I’m sure she won’t be hurt by that sentimonster. He only wants to thank her, right?”

Adrien ran toward a staircase, gripping the handle as he eyed the stairs awaiting him. “She’s one of the kindest people I know, Nooroo. She’s strong and capable… smart and talented; anyone would see that, just like Sentiquin already has. Yet, there are people that are willing to hurt the people they care about or are grateful toward. It sounds contradictory, but it’s true; I’ve been willing to die for Ladybug for years, but it’s not like I’m unaware how she’d feel if I really did die. So, even if not on purpose, I’m willing to hurt the people I care about. Sentiquin wants to avenge Nathalie’s death, and he’s assuming Marinette’s helped him in some way. If she tries to reason with him, who knows how he’d react. I’m not going to let Sentiquin kill Marinette to get closer to his goal of killing me.”

Plagg and Nooroo looked at each other. Holding tightly to the scarf, they realized some clear signs within Adrien’s words that something was off.

“Nooroo,” Plagg whispered as he scooted closer. “I think it’s time we find a Butterfly Miraculous holder for you. If we really need your power in order to solve your Miraculous’ current wish granting problem… then he should be kamikotized, not akumatized.”

Nooroo slowly nodded, worriedly eyeing Adrien. “I should’ve suggested that sooner. Once Adrien’s found his friend, we should talk with him about this. He doesn’t have a clear head right now.”

Plagg rubbed his forehead. “Hopefully he’ll still be sane by then.”

~~~~~

Current timeline Alix successfully plundered ten eclairs, leaving the distraught guard behind.

“Where to next?” Alix asked no one in particular. Her eyes settled on the glistening eclairs, picturing a scene between Chat Noir and Ladybug in one of the recently released films. “Stay close to me. We don’t know what we’ll face.”

She carefully eyed her surroundings, observing some paintings along a specific red hallway. Her checkered shoes tapped along the wooden floor, leading her and the eclairs further into the hall. Eyeing the ceiling, she took in the glass surrounded by golden detailings, letting out a sigh. She finally spotted “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix, grinning in satisfaction from the vibrant colors looking back at her.

She looked to her left, confused at the sight of the Mona Lisa not too far away from “Liberty Leading the People”.

“Isn’t the Mona Lisa supposed to be located in the Salle des États?” Alix asked as she eyed the eclairs. “It’s not supposed to be in one of the Red Rooms.”

Alix thought back to the time Copycat stole the Mona Lisa two years ago, trying to picture the paintings where they were back then. After several seconds of picturing each painting in her mind, she realized that the Mona Lisa and “Liberty Leading the People” really were in the same room that day. Even the portrait of Madame Récamier by Jacques-Louis David was on the other side of the wall, not too far away from the two other paintings. The room was exactly the same as it was the day Copycat showed his face.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Alix grumbled under her breath, giving the paintings a skeptical glance. If everything was just the same as back then, why did it all feel misplaced? That’s when her eyes lit in realization. “Hold on.”

Alix and the eclairs bolted down the hall. She finally stopped in front of the Joan of Arc statue, carefully eyeing the surrounding paintings until her eyes met Ridolfo Ghirlandaio’s “Lady with a Rabbit”. For some odd reason, she felt like that specific painting didn’t even come from the Louvre at all, even though she was used to seeing it in its usual spot. She practically lived in the Louvre with her father and brother, so why did the Louvre suddenly feel so off to her?

She shook her head. No. This is how the Louvre always was. This is what she’s seen for as long as she could remember. Questioning the Louvre with no real evidence was absurd.

Lifting up an eclair, she sighed. Maybe she was just trying to find an excuse for Bunnyx’s return. She was annoyed with her future self for avoiding present-time Alix, not even attempting to let her know what was happening. She was curious, but no one would give her the answers she wanted and it was just… SO… FRUSTRATING-

A thunderous slam startled her as she lost her grip on her eclair. “NO! No, I’ve got you!”

She knelt to the floor, catching the eclair before it could meet the ground.

“Phew,” she sighed in relief. “Crisis averted.”

Clangorous noises persisted a fair distance away from her as she wondered what they could be.

Turning the corner, she spotted disturbed visitors complaining to several guards, along with a departing figure leaving them all behind.

Alix eyed her eclairs. “Let’s go catch them!”

Running past several groups and families, she continued following along for several minutes.

“I wish I had my skates,” Alix groaned, continuing in her pursuit.

Once the two turned one last corner, she realized they were by her stash of plushies she planned to sneak back to Princess Twinkle Peach later. She had three new blue hippos for Princess Twinkle Peach’s army, waiting for her to take them home. Two of the hippo’s were small, and one was as big as her head.

That’s when she spotted the guy bolt over to her plushies in a panic, calling out a familiar name.

“Hey!” Alix screamed, dashing up to the guy in anger. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

The moment he turned to glance her way, they crashed into each other, knocking all three hippos to the floor.

“Marinette,” The guy called out, scanning the room carefully. “You’re in danger-!”

He stopped, eyeing the three hippos laying on the floor.

“Marinette?” Alix furrowed her eyebrows, scooping her blue hippos up and away from the guy. “How do you know her?”

The guy hesitated, readjusting his scarf and sunglasses. “I’m… Adrien.”

“What?” Alix turned around sharply, almost smooshing a blue hippo with some eclairs. “No you’re not-“

She took a closer look at the guy in front of her, recognizing his one singular outfit and familiar blue scarf. Other than the sunglasses and white hair, he was basically the exact same as he always was.

“Oh. Okay, yeah, you’re Adrien.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes, standing back up in a hurry. “Have you seen Marinette anywhere? There’s a sentimonster looking for her.”

“Seriously?” Alix shoved an eclair in her mouth, offering one to Adrien. Once he awkwardly accepted an eclair from her, she shrugged. “Yeah. I saw her earlier with Chloe a while ago.”

“Would you know which way they went?” Adrien asked, eyeing the hippos in Alix’s arms.

“I know this place like the back of my hand,” Alix began, eyeing her hand covered in eclair with shock. “I can take you to them.”

Adrien munched on the eclair in his hand, looking off to the side. He did technically come here thanks to Bunnyx… so bringing current-timeline Alix along seemed like the right choice. “Okay.”

Alix nodded, preparing to waltz off before stopping in place. “Hold up. I’ve got some questions.”

“Now isn’t exactly the greatest time,” Adrien sighed, eyeing Alix’s confused expression.

The two of them started to walk out the door. “Why did you attack my blue hippos?”

Adrien nervously eyed Alix’s blue hippos as he crossed his arms. “I didn’t know they were yours.”

“So you were planning to attack my stuffed animals for another reason?” Alix snorted, coughing from a piece of eclair she swallowed wrong.

Adrien nibbled some more of his eclair. “Well… from a distance, they kind of looked like… um, nevermind. I just wasn’t looking or thinking clearly.”

Alix bumped his arm. “No. What did they look like?”

“…Marinette’s head,” Adrien quietly voiced, trying to hold back a laugh. “You know how she’s always wearing pigtails?”

Alix couldn’t believe this. Adrien thought the three blue hippos looked like Marinette’s hair? What kind of angle were they sitting at for Adrien to even come to that conclusion? There was no way he was thinking straight if he really did see that…

Her eyes settled on her arm holding the blue hippos. The large hippo was in between the two smaller ones, almost resembling a head with pigtails.

“Oh no. Now I see it, too.”

Adrien laughed in embarrassment, wiping his eyes. “Really? Okay… I guess I haven’t lost it yet. I’ve been a mess trying to find her.”

Alix studied Adrien’s frazzled expression. “Yeah, you look like a mess. Plus, what’s with the hair?”

Adrien raised his hand with the eclair onto his hair. “My hair?”

“Yeah, Buttercup,” she snickered. “What’s with the hair dye?”

Adrien brushed some eclair from his hair, turning down another corner with Alix. “I, uh… was inspired by the recent snow?”

Alix narrowed her eyes as she considered his explanation. “That checks out.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the model in our school, so it’s not like I really care all that much about the weather’s influence on fashion or whatever you’re going for,” Alix pieced together.

“Oh, yeah,” Adrien agreed, frowning at some memories of photoshoots. “Guess you got me. Thanks for helping me find Marinette.”

“No problem.” Alix shrugged, opening a door for Adrien. “You don’t think the sentimonster’s after anyone else, do you?”

Adrien sadly eyed the floor. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

The two continued to walk down the hall, until Alix’s pace increased. Her steps quickened until she was full on running.

“Is something wrong?” Adrien asked, somewhat thankful they were searching at a faster speed.

Alix nervously eyed the rooms, picturing Marinette’s goofy smile. Adrien wasn’t the only one worried about her now. “I just want to make sure she’s okay.”

~~~~~

The Winged Victory of Samothrace silently watched Chloe’s and Marinette’s approach. Scratch that. It didn’t have a head to watch them to begin with.

“Ephemera’s… not… here,” Chloe breathlessly remarked, placing her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

“I’m glad I was… wrong,” Marinette sighed in relief, also trying to catch her breath. “We ran… so fast!”

“Well of course… we… whatever,” Chloe voiced in exhaustion, waving her hand in dismissal as she fell to the floor. “It took… forever… to get here.”

“I know!” Marinette gasped, crumbling next to Chloe with a weak smile. She placed her hand on Chloe’s shoulder to regain her balance. “She’s… okay! I’m so happy, I could… I could… run around all… over again…!”

Chloe breathlessly scoffed at Marinette’s remark. “Sure… you could.”

The two looked up at the winged and headless statue. Even though there would be plenty more areas to search, the relief that Ephemera was somewhere other than here was immense. They didn’t have to walk into a horrid scene if they were too late, and they didn’t have to worry about fighting at their best while purely exhausted. They could finally breathe.

Several moments went by as they regained their strength and control over their breathing.

“We should meet up with Rena Rouge and Carapace now, right?” Chloe asked, standing up from the floor.

Marinette nodded, eyeing Chloe’s hand lowered down to her. She took in Chloe’s extremely long hair, tied into a long braid. “Your hair is gorgeous, Chloe.”

Chloe looked away, keeping her hand out as Marinette accepted it. “Thanks I guess, but it’s not staying for more than a week.”

“Seriously?” Marinette gasped, mindlessly reaching out to Chloe’s braid with her free hand.

Chloe leaned away, slightly tugging Marinette up and narrowing her eyes at Marinette’s shock. “Take a picture if you’re that attached, baker girl. It’ll last longer.”

Marinette smirked at Chloe’s remark, rolling her eyes as she kept her grip on Chloe’s hand. “I guess we’ll need to find somewhere to transform.”

Chloe continued to tug Marinette up, letting go of Marinette’s hand once Marinette regained her balance. “Sure. Where should we-“

A startlingly loud crash broke into their conversation, presumably close.

“What was that?!” Chloe gasped, cupping her hand over her chest.

Small chipping sounds followed afterwards, and the two of them realized the sounds were coming from above.

“I’m not sure,” Marinette voiced in concern, eyeing Chloe’s frazzled face. “We should tr-“

Before Marinette could finish speaking, the ceiling started to crumble, sending chunks of debris toward the two of them.

~~~~~

Elsewhere in Paris, a group of friends placed their instruments on a familiar boat.

“This performance is going to be our best one yet!” Ivan cheered, lifting his drumsticks up in the air.

“yeahumm iuhthink sotoo iguess,” Juleka mumbled from behind the bass. She walked over to a chair, tugging the bass along with her as she eyed the floor. “it’sgonnabe totallyawesome.”

“YEAH!” Rose agreed behind the microphone loudly. Ivan, Juleka, and Luka covered their ears from the booming microphone’s sound, eyeing Rose’s bashful grin. “Ehehe, oops! Sorry!”

Luka placed his hands in his pockets, eyeing the clouds. “It’s kind of cool how the snow’s still here. It’s like the snow is waiting for tomorrow’s performance, and we’re sending it off with our music.”

Juleka looked up at the clouds, tapping her chin. “i kindof likethat.”

“Me too!” Rose smiled, scooting a chair beside Juleka as she took a seat. “We’ve been practicing really, really, really hard for this! Now our friends AND the silly snow get to hear us play!”

Ivan set his drumsticks down as he walked over to a case of drinks. “It’s kind of weird. The snow hasn’t stopped for around a month already, right? It’s not even a winter season.”

Luka studied the water around the boat. “Maybe the snow’s been waiting for our melody.”

Juleka and Rose eyed Luka’s familiar and calm expression. Rose centered her eyes on Luka’s guitar nearby. “Do you think the snow likes our playing?”

“I don’t see why not,” Luka said with a shrug. “We’ve put our hearts in our music, just like always. After this performance… our lives will continue to change and adapt, and we might not be the same band next year that we are now. The snow’s been with us all practice, so maybe it’s looking forward to our moment as we are now.”

Ivan nodded as he closed his eyes in contemplation. “You make everything sound super cool, Luka.”

Rose nodded, rushing over to the drinks to get a juice box. “Yeah! It’s really nice to hear your perspectives and things! You always have something to say that brings our band closer together than ever before!”

Juleka smiled, walking over to Luka. She lightly punched his shoulder, swooping her bangs to the side. “you’re totallyawesome.”

Luka smiled in embarrassment, shutting his eyes as he listened to the water splashing around the boat. “Together, I feel like we’re an even greater tune, you know. We really flow through the music and hit every note from our hearts. All of our practice truly lets me see that. Tomorrow, we’ll share our rhythm with everyone.”

Juleka shut her eyes as well, listening to the waves. “i can’t wait to perform, umm, with youguys.”

Rose and Ivan grinned at each other, clinking their juice boxes before making their way over to Juleka and Luka.

~~~~~

Rena Rouge and Carapace leaped toward the roof, rushing over to the Denon Wing. They spotted a mysterious figure leaping across the city’s rooftops, sporting a bow.

“It was that person,” Carapace timidly voiced, eyes centered on the figure.

Rena Rouge placed her hand on Carapace’s shoulder in support. “Don’t worry. I’m here with you now.”

Carapace nodded, scowling at the glass-being searching the city. “Thanks for being here with me. I don't know what I’d do without you.”

Rena Rouge gave Carapace’s shoulder a couple pats, stepping forward. “Let’s take care of that jerk once and for all.”

The glass figure planned to slip into a nearby apartment complex before a harsh voice from the distance called out in anger.

“HEY. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!” Rena Rouge screamed to stop the figure’s descent. “IF YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH HURTING PEOPLE, THEN YOU’RE SERIOUSLY MISTAKEN!”

The figure hesitated before leaping over to Carapace and Rena Rouge.

Carapace eyed the person’s glass face in fear as Rena Rouge narrowed her eyes. She gripped her flute, standing slightly in front of Carapace. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you need to know it-“

With a renewed sense of confidence, Carapace stepped forward, gripping the person’s cloak with a scowl. “You’re going to answer her question. Or else.”

The figure glanced at the two, determining they were superheroes. “I’m called Sentiquin. I suppose you’re with Ladybug and Chat Blanc then?”

Carapace’s eyebrows furrowed, wondering why Sentiquin would know about Chat Blanc’s akumatization. Before he could ask, Sentiquin’s leg broke off from himself, merging with his other leg. “W-what are you doing?!”

Sentiquin used the joined leg to slam Carapace’s leg to the ground, twisting Carapace’s knee out of place. Leaping back onto his hands, the one giant leg returned into two legs, collecting glass shards back to his body.

Rena Rouge lifted Carapace up, dodging a swing from Sentiquin’s bow. “Carapace! Are you okay?”

Carapace nodded, slowly standing upright before grabbing his shield. “Yeah. We should let Ladybug and Queen Bee know what’s happening.”

Sentiquin stepped back, carefully observing the two heroes before him.

“Speaking of,” Rena Rouge voiced as she stepped toward Sentiquin. “Where did you put Ephemera?”

Sentiquin narrowed his eyes, dodging a strike from Rena Rouge’s flute. “Who?”

“The woman you shot in the head with one of your arrows,” Carapace clarified, appearing behind Sentiquin. Attempting to grab Sentiquin’s waist, Carapace lunged forward as Sentiquin jumped out of the way. “Where is she?”

Sentiquin eyed the other two arrows on his back. He wasn’t sure what would happen if he used all of them, but two useful candidates were perfectly presenting themselves.

No. He needed to save at least one in order to perfect his plan.

“She’s somewhere that represents what she is now,” Sentiquin replied with a wipe of his hands. He made sure to keep his emotions hidden from the two heroes as he smirked. He really wasn’t sure what exactly he was doing, or how he was doing it, but if it’d get him closer to avenging Nathalie’s death, then so be it. Until he could figure out how to retrieve the arrow Ephemera absorbed in her head, he planned to keep her in a place only Chat Blanc would ever consider.

“Are you saying she’s really in the Louvre?” Carapace asked, shocked Ladybug could even come to that conclusion so quickly. He pointed to the building they were on top of. “Is she in the Denon Wing?”

“No, she’s not,” Sentiquin replied with an annoyed expression. “Her location isn’t something you’ll be receiving.”

The three resumed their fight, striking at each other and dodging each other’s attacks. Unbeknownst to them, the impact their continuous blows created chipped away at the glass tiles they were standing along, chipping and scratching, until one last attack sent the ceiling into collapse.

~~~~~

Gabriel Agreste held his face in his hands, eyeing his study in pure horror. He’d been frozen in place for at least a half hour, staring at the four mannequins in his study.

But there aren’t supposed to be four mannequins in his study. Adrien confused the fourth mannequin as his mother years ago, shattering it, leaving three mannequins behind.

Now… a motionless, quiet, and barely breathing body leaned up against the center mannequin, eyes slowly blinking every twenty-five seconds. Her arms were up close to her right shoulder, mimicking Émilie’s portrait only several feet away.

What kind of creature did Nathalie create?

He shook his head, eyeing the numerous pictures of Adrien Émilie wanted in the room. To think he called Adrien, Émilie’s very own son, a monster. Gabriel didn’t even know what a monster really was.

He looked down at his trembling hands. Gabriel was the monster he’d visualized Adrien as… and now, a new monster would steal Adrien’s innocent life… all because of Gabriel’s obsession.

He lost everything. Émilie, Nathalie, Adrien… and his own mind.

Looking at the posed woman on the floor, he realized he should’ve joined Émilie in death if he missed her so terribly. He should’ve left Adrien with Nathalie and the bodyguard; maybe then all of his wrongs would be rectified. He could’ve been with Émilie, and sure, he would’ve left Adrien alone to process the grief of losing his parents, but that’s not much different from what Gabriel already did. He thought that maybe everything would be better that way.

Was he wrong for wanting to bring a life back rather than end his own…? When he had the chance to bring her back? When all it would take were two magical jewels?

Was he wrong for wanting to live with Émilie rather than die with her?

It was too late for that. It was too late to escape the consequences of his actions. The son he disowned and left alone throughout his life would die by Nathalie’s last creation’s hands, all thanks to Adrien’s very own father.

Hawk Moth was a horrible villain, but Gabriel Agreste was an even worse man.

Ephemera’s body remained quiet as he wallowed in his thoughts.

Wishes and fate were truly despicable.

~~~~~

Notes:

The others might need to stay ‘en garde’ for Princess Twinkle Peach’s army’s return 🤺🩵.
It’s been super fun looking into the Louvre’s and MLB’s Louvre’s artwork, so most of this chapter might read like a short tour guide 🗺️.
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 15

The ceiling crumbled, preparing to send Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Sentiquin tumbling down.

Meanwhile, inside the Denon Wing, Chloe and Marinette scrambled to avoid a chunk of ceiling. They ran toward a nearby wall, covering their heads with their arms.

“What are we waiting for? There’s no one else in here!” Chloe exclaimed in frustration, waving her nails out to the empty room. Her nails caught in her hair as she tried to resume covering her head.

“It’s too risky,” Marinette concluded, dodging a slab of metal. “Let’s focus on leaving the room first. Then, we can transform.”

The two made their way toward the exit. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far away as they avoided ceiling debris. Within a matter of seconds, they made their way to safety, tumbling into Alix and Adrien outside of the deteriorating room.

Marinette profusely blinked at their arrival. How come Alix and Adrien were here? Technically, it made sense for Alix to be here since her family works in the Louvre, but Marinette wasn’t expecting to see Adrien. He never returned to their ice cream get together the day before, so she wasn’t prepared to see him now.

“Phew,” Alix sighed in relief, eyeing Marinette over. She leaned onto Marinette’s shoulder, pressing the blue hippos and eclairs onto Marinette’s jacket. While Marinette awkwardly accepted the smooshed plushie/eclair hug, Alix gave Marinette a goofy grin. “Looks like Lotus is safe.”

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, flinching from a crash further back in the room. “Who exactly is ‘Lotus’?”

Adrien held his breath, eyeing the ruined room behind Marinette. He was here to warn her about Sentiquin, but he never expected the ceiling to meet her before he did. “Marinette! Are you okay?”

Marinette looked at Adrien covering his stomach with his arms. She reached out to his hand, gripping his hand in reassurance. She turned her head back to eye the breaking ceiling sending chunks of debris down. “Yeah. Chloe and I made it out just in time, thankfully.”

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, readjusting his sunglasses and settling his eyes on her bluebell ones. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Marinette let out a soft smile before spotting Chloe’s aggressive Bee-Miraculous-pointing behind the three of them. “Uh, yeah! I’m glad I am, too, since, uh… you know… the ceiling is collapsing.”

Alix’s eyes widened at the sight before settling back to normal. “Eh, Ladybug and Chat Noir will probably fix it later.”

Chloe stepped forward with a smirk. “I love how you’re only noticing the breaking ceiling now. It’s ridiculously loud.”

Alix rolled her eyes with a shrug. “Hey, I’ve got things on my mind. Besides, I would’ve noticed it if the roof would just come all the way down already. It's breaking off in chunks instead of just caving in on itself.”

“Yeah,” Chloe scoffed, scanning her now chipped nails. She raised her eyes to the crumbling ceiling, sighing from the unfolding mess. “It’s conveniently taking its time.”

The four of them jumped from a thunderous thud. A large chunk of ceiling slammed ontop of the rubble, breaking in pieces and pushing dust clouds their way.

“We don’t have time to stand around anymore,” Marinette determinedly voiced as she curled her free fist inward, unaware of Chloe’s annoyed sigh. “Alix! Since your father is one of the historians, warn him to have everyone seek shelter or follow the proper evacuation protocol.”

“I’m on it,” Alix agreed instantly, bolting off with her left over eclairs and blue hippos.

As Alix departed, Marinette quickly turned her focus over to Chloe. “Chloe, we both saw Rena Rouge and Carapace outside the Louvre, remember?”

Chloe confusedly eyed Marinette. Right now, Rena Rouge and Carapace would be de-transformed, searching in the Sully Wing until they could contact Ladybug and Queen Bee.

That’s when Chloe remembered their plan to regroup as heroes, whether they found a clue concerning Ephemera or not. If that were the case, they’d transform any minute now, ready to receive a call from Queen Bee. And since Chloe had access to her Miraculous, she could contact Rena Rouge and Carapace about the current ceiling issue.

The only problem with this plan would be Marinette and Adrien. Currently, Adrien was here, which meant Marinette couldn’t exactly run off and transform. The only way to warn Rena Rouge and Carapace would be for one hero to go to them, and the other to stay behind with Adrien.

Since Marinette seemed to be voluntarily staying with Adrien, Chloe didn’t feel the need to argue. This wasn’t the time to nitpick the details anyway.

Chloe eyed Adrien’s white hair. She wanted the details on the new look, but that would also have to wait.

“I’ll go warn them,” Chloe sighed, waving her hand in the air dismissively. “And you’ll take Adrien to safety?”

Adrien looked down at Marinette’s hand in his. Master Fu, Marinette, and Chloe could all instantly recognize who he was. What was the point of his akumatization changing his hair and eye color if it wouldn’t even deter people from his identity?

He wasn’t mad they could tell who he was, but more so confused. It was as if the akumatization’s magical-masking of his identity was useless.

Maybe the akuma’s temporary-disguising-power was only working against strangers, acquaintances, and not-as-close-friends. That would explain Alix’s confusion with his identity.

But then again, the power caused more issues than it helped; he would have to make up excuses for his hair and eye color with those who recognized him.

So why could some people recognize him when the power is supposed to work on everyone? Did it have to do with his acceptance of the powers he received?

He puffed his cheeks, looking off to the side as he thought to himself. His alliance to the akuma, and to what extent he would be magically disguised, must go hand in hand. The more someone accepts everything the akuma/kamiko is intended for, the stronger the influence the akuma/kamiko will have on that individual. Since he’s not exactly on board with the akuma’s original intent to work for Hawk Moth, Adrien’s going against the akuma’s true purpose.

Working with the Butterfly Miraculous involves partnership. If Adrien won’t accept Hawk Moth’s partnership/goal, then why should the akuma grant Adrien its full power?

The akuma won’t give up on its task, though. If the akuma’s recipient isn’t cooperative, then the akuma will make them cooperate.

He looked toward the crumbling ceiling. It would only be a matter of time before the akuma would try to influence Adrien’s mind to fully utilize its power. Then… no one would recognize his civilian identity after that.

At least he wasn’t all alone. He couldn’t imagine a world where he’d be in complete solitude, letting the days go by as his mind crumbled just as slowly and evidently as that ceiling. He couldn’t bear to imagine a future where everything and everyone he loved would leave him behind.

Paris… completely destroyed.

He wouldn’t live in that future.

Thankfully, he wouldn’t have this power for too much longer. The wishes and Sentiquin would be put to rest before any unbearable future came their way.

Adrien’s breath caught in his throat as he started to feel dizzy. His forehead ached and burned as his surroundings seemed to blur.

Adrien might never be ‘Adrien’ again if that future came true.

“Adrien,” Marinette whispered, tugging on his hand. “It’s not safe here. Let’s go.”

Adrien felt Marinette pull him out of the Denon Wing, leading them both elsewhere. He turned around to take in the ceiling’s last crumble. He could see Queen Bee land beside Rena Rouge and Carapace, and farther back, another figure leaped out of the Denon Wing’s open ceiling.

As Adrien and Marinette left the scene, Adrien’s grip on Marinette’s hand slightly tightened. So much had happened… and so much would come their way.

Once they were outside of the Louvre, Marinette looked down at their hands. Not too long ago, she’d be a blushing and stuttering mess from holding his hand like this. Yet, there was something different about this hand hug. His fingers were trembling, and he seemed severely frightened by something. Was it because of the crumbling ceiling or something else? She hadn’t seen him since yesterday after school, but it felt like it’d been longer than that.

Adrien had to leave their ice cream get together early because his father needed something. Did Adrien get into an argument with his father?

Adrien didn’t seem to enjoy modeling as much as everyone assumed he did. If he confronted his father, maybe it didn’t go all that well.

Adrien deserved more than what his father forced on him.

Marinette lifted her free hand to Adrien’s cheek, sadly eyeing his sunglasses covering his eyes. Was he trying to hide his eyes on purpose? Sometimes, she would wear sunglasses to cover her eyes in public if she’d been crying, but maybe he was just wearing them to wear them.

Either way, as she reached for his face, she wanted to let him know that she was here for him; they’re friends.

But he pulled back. He flinched as he worriedly eyed her retreating support.

He had the same fearful look on his face the day she tried to imitate Harry the Clown. Was he… scared of her-?

Adrien didn’t let go of her hand. If he were scared of her, would he feel safe enough to hold her hand?

Then maybe he was startled. He seemed caught off guard when she tried to reach for him. Maybe he just wasn’t expecting someone’s hand to reach out to his face, but it wasn’t like she was going to punch him or something-

Marinette’s eyes widened as she remembered Adrien blocking his face in fear the day she tried to copy Harry the Clown’s jokes. He wasn’t covering his face like he did back then, but the look in his eyes was just the same: he was scared.

…Did Adrien’s father or someone else hurt him?

“Adrien?” Marinette slowly voiced, gently loosening her hold on Adrien’s hand. “Is everything alright?”

She shouldn’t be holding his hand like this, should she? She should give him space. Maybe the crumbling ceiling sparked some kind of awful memory in his mind and he was reliving it. If that were the case, just verbally letting him know she was there would be enough.

Even though Marinette’s grip loosened, Adrien kept ahold of Marinette’s hand as he looked away. “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Of course I am,” Marinette replied, eyeing Adrien in confusion. “We left before any ceiling debris could leave a scratch, so, um… I’m more worried about you.”

They stayed quiet for a little bit, still holding hands.

Marinette awkwardly rubbed her neck with her free hand, carefully eyeing Adrien’s sunglasses. “Is everything alright with you and your family?”

Adrien’s eyes lifted from the ground to Marinette, wondering if he should share what happened at the Agreste mansion. “What do you mean?”

“I, um, well…” Marinette stuttered, trying to find the right words to say. “You seem really, um… scared, and I… was just worried something might have happened. If you ever need to talk about anything, Adrien… I’ll always be here when you need me.”

Adrien was just as stubborn as Chat Blanc, Marinette inwardly screamed as she eyed Adrien’s hand relaxed in hers. If only those two could open up to her, maybe then she could do something to help. They were both important to her, and she felt helpless when they held back their feelings. It was as if they were the same obliviously obstinate person.

She shook her head. Maybe there were just some things people would never be comfortable sharing with Marinette. She liked Adrien, but not in the same one-sided way as before… he was her friend. She’d listen to whatever was on his mind, just like she would with Chat Blanc.

Chat Blanc… where was he? She pictured his bright blue eyes, white suit, and white fluffy hair. She was glad he was on her side as Ladybug, but she sort of hoped she’d get to see him again as Marinette. That way, they could hang around in the bakery and enjoy each other’s company without focusing on all of their hero responsibilities. Besides… she wanted an excuse to ruffle his pretty hair.

Granted, his hair was white instead of his usual blonde now, but it was still fun to brush around. If they had the time, she could design some cute berets or hair clips to compliment his new hair. He never seemed opposed to trying on outfits or accessories she had lying around. In fact, there were times where he’d be the one trying on her designs before she could even agree to it.

She inwardly rolled her eyes, suppressing a smirk. That silly cat. He’d probably try on her cat dress if she stepped out of her room long enough. He’s pointed it out on numerous occasions, eyeing it as if he wanted to say something about it. She would’ve offered for him to try it if he wanted, but she wasn’t sure it would actually fit him, so she never did.

Maybe someday, she’ll bring back pastries to her room and find him swaying around in that awful dress. If only that day could come sooner.

Over the past couple weeks, she did have the time to tweak some tiny details and make it an official dress rather than a mock-up dress. However, it’s not like she’d actually wear that monstrosity out ever again; she mainly fixed it up for the memory of Kitty Section’s latest performance.

Kitty Section performs tomorrow! She’d completely forgot! Tikki would probably insist she wear that thing again, but nope, no way, absolutely NOT.

She quietly sighed, picturing Chat Blanc and herself walking to the boat together, hand in hand. They’d have left over ice cream from Andre’s, and by the time they’d make it to Kitty Section’s concert, Chat would take the last scoop for himself. Oh, he’d be proud of it too, that thieving cat! He’d make some pun to cover up his ice-cream-thievery, and she’d have to just deal with it? Not happening.

He might want to dress up, she thought to herself. Surely there was something he could wear from her stash if they did go together! Even if it were just an accessory, that goofball deserved to feel stylish. She could look around her completed projects for something… WAIT! She had the ‘purrfect’ accessory just for him! In her beanie collection, she had a blue beanie made with the blue yarn she loves…

Her eyes settled on Adrien once again as she realized he was wearing the infamous blue scarf, the one she’d made for him years ago. How did she get so distracted? Adrien was right in front of her, and yet, here was Marinette, thinking about Chat Blanc, her cat dress, and Kitty Section.

Adrien seemed to really like that scarf, huh? She was glad that he did, even if he would never know it was from her.

That’s when she caught a glimpse of Adrien’s hair.

She didn’t realize it back inside the Louvre; she was too preoccupied with the ceiling’s collapse. Now that Adrien was so close to her, she could see that his blonde hair wasn’t blonde anymore: it was white. Adrien Agreste had white hair.

Just like Chat Blanc.

~~~~~

“He got away,” Rena Rouge said in frustration, placing her flute on her back. She stared out into the city, trying to avoid the rubble down below. “Should we regroup with Ladybug and Chat Blanc whenever he joins us?”

“We could keep looking for Ephemera,” Queen Bee replied, crossing her arms. “Sentiquin couldn’t have gone that far.”

Carapace eyed the area carefully. “His body is glass which reflects like crazy under the sun, but I’m not seeing any glowing bodies anywhere. It might be best to use this time for strategizing.”

Rena Rouge frowned as she lifted her necklace up. “We can’t form a plan without Ladybug and Chat Blanc, but we can help with the Louvre’s broken roof.”

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge eyed the debris and nervous Parisians.

“Do you really think our powers are the right ones to deal with this kind of mess?” Queen Bee commented, pointing her finger out at the damage. “Your Mirage disappears the moment it’s touched, my Venom is for immobilization, and Carapace’s Shelter would only protect the citizens from already fallen roof debris.”

Rena Rouge tapped her chin, eyeing the mess and the gathering people. “We have to at least try to do something. Even though Ladybug’s Miraculous Ladybugs would be better for this situation, we can’t depend on them this time. For now, we just have to do what we can.”

Queen Bee nervously eyed the damage and the worried citizens. “You seem confident.”

Rena Rouge nodded, walking past Queen Bee and Carapace as she prepared to reassure the pedestrians. “Just like Ladybug and Chat Blanc, we have to be confident, even when we don’t feel like it.”

~~~~~

Sentiquin made his way back to the Agreste mansion, slipping into Gabriel’s study. Looking around, he spotted Ephemera up against the middle mannequin, frozen in place.

Glancing around the room, Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.

Sentiquin sighed, making his way over to Ephemera. “The coward couldn’t save Mayura or keep you company, huh?”

The room remained silent as Ephemera blinked.

“Mayura gave me three of these arrows, and I’ve wasted one on you,” Sentiquin groaned in frustration. “Stand up.”

Ephemera mindlessly stood up, emptily staring off into the room.

Sentiquin tapped Ephemera’s forehead, wondering if his arrow was magically dissolved within her head. “Alright. Let’s try something. Nod if you can feel the arrow in your head, or clap if you don’t.”

Ephemera remained motionless before nodding.

Sentiquin’s eyes widened in surprise. Mannequins weren’t supposed to feel anything. And yet, she could feel the arrow?

Sentiquin looked away. He shot an arrow at a living person, not a mannequin. Even if she couldn’t control her own actions anymore, she still was designed to be human, unlike him. “Does it hurt?”

Ephemera stood still.

“Oh, right. You can’t answer me verbally,” Sentiquin said with a roll of his eyes. “That’s probably a good thing; you'd be yelling at me for what I did if you could, but you can’t now. Nod if the arrow in your head hurts, and clap if it doesn’t.”

Ephemera clapped.

Sentiquin let out a relieved sigh, pulling out his last two arrows from behind his back. Observing their identical designs, he held them close to Ephemera’s forehead.

“Does seeing these arrows scare you or make you sad? Nod if they do, and clap if they don’t.”

Ephemera remained still.

Sentiquin pulled the arrows away from her head. “Hmm… your body can feel things, but you can’t feel emotions or express them anymore? Why would Mayura make this my power?”

Ephemera was reduced to a human body with no person steering its direction other than Sentiquin. What an awful way to live, Sentiquin thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes on her forehead.

“Uh…” Sentiquin eyed Ephemera’s emotionless face. “Arrow? Return.”

The arrow didn’t come back. Ephemera remained the same as Sentiquin returned the two remaining arrows on his back.

Sentiquin tilted his head. “De-mannequinitize?”

Ephemera tilted her head in mimicry before returning back to her previous position.

Sentiquin frustratedly gripped his head, tugging it off of his neck. This was hopeless! Retrieving his arrow would be impossible if she wouldn’t just give it to him herself.

His eyes sparkled from some sunlight reflecting on his glass face. Placing his head back on his neck, he extended his hand out to Ephemera. “Return the arrow to me.”

Ephemera’s eyes flickered as her face contorted. Light sparkled on her forehead, forming a singular dot. However, once that dot made its appearance, nothing else happened.

Sentiquin eyed Ephemera’s forehead in suspicion. “You can’t follow that order if the arrow isn’t in your head, can you? That means I’ll have to do the rest.”

With a roll of his eyes, he set his hands on his sides. From the dot on Ephemera’s head, he could technically retrieve the arrow whenever he wanted, but returning her to the pizza shop while she was still a living mannequin would make everything easier.

“Follow me.”

~~~~~

Adrien broke away from Marinette awhile ago. She wanted him to stay with her, but as she made her way back to the bakery, she pictured future Alix and Emma waiting for her.

“It shouldn’t be too long until I make it back,” she whispered to Tikki in her purse. “Once I let Alix know what’s happening, I’ll regroup with Chat Blanc and the others.”

Tikki would’ve responded, but she remained silent as she bumped Marinette’s side from within the purse.

“Tikki? Hey, what’s wrong?” Marinette worriedly voiced, lifting the purse up to her face.

Tikki nudged her head toward the bakery’s direction, refusing to speak as she clasped the purse closed.

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, looking to where Tikki motioned. And that’s when she spotted him.

Chat Blanc was walking up to the bakery.

…YES! FINALLY, aRgH, it’d been so LONG-!

Marinette galloped over to the bakery, wishing she could use the Horse Miraculous so she’d be there even sooner. Sure, it had only been a day since they last talked as Marinette and Chat Blanc, but it felt like it had been months instead of just yesterday! And now… HE WAS HERE!

She quickened her running pace, still wishing she could just teleport over with the Horse Miraculous. After their time apart, and everything she’d learned since their last bakery-get-together, she knew for certain that Chat Blanc was Chat Noir first and foremost, and she wanted to support him after everything that occurred. Even though she would have to be serious as Ladybug once they all worked as a group, she could be herself with him while she was Marinette! They could even just sit quietly together and she’d be happy.

The Horse Miraculous would get her to the bakery sooner, but if she had the Bunny Miraculous, their moment could last forever, which would be even better!

Oh, wait, no… wouldn’t the Snake Miraculous be a better choice if she wanted to relive this present moment over and over again? How many times would it take before she’d be calm enough to actually converse? By the 25,913th Second Chance, she’d probably be less of a frenetic mess.

Huh. 25,913… that number felt oddly familiar. Wasn’t that the number of times Aspik tried to save Ladybug? The Second Chance’s five minute time limit would’ve made his attempts last for under three months… all for Ladybug.

She shook her head as she continued to dash across the street. Why would she think about Adrien and herself as Ladybug, when right in front of Marinette was Chat Blanc?

The way Adrien and Marinette split off from each other did feel somewhat sudden, she thought to herself. Maybe she just wanted some clarity over her feelings, which was ironic since Clarityvoice’s wish was one of the wishes the heroes needed to get rid of. She needed to let herself recognize her emotions, but it was as if Clarityvoice’s wish was barely present at all… unless charging toward Chat Blanc was a sign of her openness toward her feelings.

She just couldn’t shove those two from her mind. There was something odd about Adrien and Chat Blanc. They felt so similar, and she wondered…

No, she adamantly thought to herself. She wouldn’t try and connect those two. They were two different people, two people she cared about deeply. If she suddenly started assuming things that may or may not be true, her relationships with them both could suffer.

Instead, her mind settled on every pastry she could snatch and bring to her room! Luring him in with cherry clafoutis would be for the best; that way, she could give him his new blue beanie, and clip as many hair clips to his hair as humanly possible. She could remain calm around him as Ladybug, but now that she was Marinette, she could be as openly chaotic as she wanted to be without consequence. And so could he! He could snack, chillax, oo! They could watch a movie together-!

She was clearly not paying attention as she continued racing her way over to Chat Blanc. His white cat ears wiggled at the sound of excited and distracted giggles, and he turned just in time to be knocked over.

The two landed on the sidewalk with a loud thud. Several silent seconds passed as they processed their collapse. The minutes passed by as Marinette’s eyes met Chat Blanc’s, and their equally excited smiles reached their cheekbones.

“Chat!” Marinette squealed as she tried to shake the goofy grin off her face. Scooting over to his side, she kept her eyes locked onto his. “Um… h-hey!”

Chat Blanc smiled as Marinette sat up. He wasn’t planning to be knocked over, but at the current moment, he couldn’t have been happier. He knew seeing her as Chat Blanc was the right call.

“Hey,” he replied quietly with a smile.

Marinette smoothed some snow off of Chat Blanc’s shoulders as he started to sit up. “I, uh, I wanted to… umm, gift you a make-! I mean, gift you a give I made… I mean-!”

Marinette shook her head, covering her face in pure embarrassment. She listened to the tiny jingle of Chat Blanc’s bell, peeking past her fingers to look at him. Behind her hands, her smile returned to her cheeks as she watched him dust snow out of his snowy hair.

Chat Blanc smirked from Marinette’s covered face. Placing his paw on hers, he gently nudged her hands away from her face so he could look at her bluebell eyes. “Thanks for waiting for me, Purr-incess.”

Marinette’s eyes brightened as she took in his gentle smile. ‘Purr-incess’… it felt like it’d been forever since she’d last heard him call her that name.

Of course, she used to take it as a playful nickname like always, but now… she couldn’t help but wonder what he felt about her, and if he meant that nickname the same way he always did. Did he… feel the same way about her? Could he see through her stammering mess and see what she felt for him? Could they both feel the same way-?!

She should say something. Anything! Wait, no… maybe not ‘anything’. She needed to know what he felt; she needed him to know how she felt. It didn’t have to be complicated, so why did it feel just as complicated as when she tried to confess to Adrien?

She shook her head, glancing at Chat Blanc a couple times before taking a slow breath. This was their moment! It would be the perfect opportunity to at least hint what she felt for him, right? The time was now!

…Now would be her chance to confess.

“I have to tell you something-“

“I have to tell you something-“

Both Chat Blanc and Marinette blinked. They were both… going to say something?! WHAT WAS IT?! Marinette had to know. She had to know right NOW-

“You first,” Marinette calmly offered, internally squealing. She had to know what he was going to say first. She just had to! Before she’d tell him anything that could change their friendship forever… she had to know what was on his mind.

Chat Blanc rubbed the back of his neck, lifting his staff off from his back. “Um… okay. I can take us up to your balcony so no one nearby can hear us.”

Marinette stood up with several strong nods, trying to remain as composed as possible. As she watched him stand up, she eyed his conflicted expression. Her smile slipped as she took in his face. Was what he wanted to share difficult for him?

She leaned a little closer, trying to read his face. Whatever was on his mind must’ve been bothering him for a while now.

Chat Blanc watched as Marinette’s face inched closer to his own with a smirk. “You ready?”

Marinette blinked. Once she realized just how close she was to his face, which was only inches away from nose-booping-range, she jumped back, placing her arms out in shock. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to get in your face like that, I-!”

Chat Blanc placed his paw on Marinette’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Marinette’s face felt like a piece of toast as she let Chat Blanc’s paw draw her closer. He didn’t mind… he didn’t mind her being close-! Eee!

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Chat Blanc’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Your face is really red.”

“Is it?” Marinette asked in shock, fanning her face. “I must be overheating from how hot it is outside! Yeah! Haha, uh, it’s a real heat wave out here!”

Chat Blanc looked around at the patches of snow, flinching from a small gust of wind. “Um… are you sure you're feeling okay?”

Marinette awkwardly laughed, waving her hand dismissively as she studied her nails. Wait. Chloe’s the one who studies her nails like that. Crossing her arms around her chest, she nodded, looking away from his concerned expression.

This was hopeless. She was acting the exact same way she used to around Adrien. Why was this happening to her?! She knew she could be herself around Chat Blanc, with or without her feelings for him.

She must have just been a mess from their argument and then reconciliation as Ladybug. Yeah. That must have been at least part of her current awkwardness.

She sighed in defeat. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just…excited to see you… I guess.”

He lightly smiled as he leaned forward, tilting his head to meet her eyes avoiding his. “I am, too.”

Marinette took a hold of his paw, gently gripping his hand and weaving his arm around her. “To the balcony?”

Chat Blanc grinned, keeping her close to himself. Readying his staff, he let the metal staff lift the two of them far off the ground, raising them higher and higher up until their shoes graced the balcony’s ledge.

“We’re here,” he announced, carefully setting Marinette down.

Marinette held her arm as she tried to remain as casual as possible. “Um… I can get us snacks before we talk if you want-“

Marinette stopped as she turned to look at his distant expression. He was staring at the wooden tiles, gripping his arm as he nervously looked around the floor.

She walked over to him, gently placing her hands on his paw. “I’m here.”

Chat Blanc’s ears wiggled as his eyes lifted to her hands. “What I’m about to say will change everything, Purr-incess. I… I can understand if you’ll hate me once I tell you the truth.”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows as she held his paw a little tighter, tugging him closer to herself. “I will never hate you, Chat.”

Chat Blanc slowly breathed in and out, nodding as he realized there would be no better time than now. Even though he wished this moment could be the moment he expresses his feelings for her, it couldn’t be. He had to share something else that weighed on his heart, something that would have all of Paris turn against him.

“Marinette,” he slowly began, stepping back as he leaned against the ledge, “I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity to tell you the truth other than now.”

Marinette nodded, standing beside Chat Blanc as he looked out at the snowy clouds.

“…I want to tell you everything, Marinette.”

~~~~~

Rena Rouge sighed. “I’ve tried to get a hold of Ladybug, but I can’t reach her at all.”

Queen Bee and Carapace frowned as they turned to the pizza shop’s exit. All three heroes were notified of Ephemera’s return, but even after questioning her, she couldn’t recall a thing that happened.

“At least we don’t have to worry about her anymore,” Queen Bee said as she held the door for Rena Rouge.

Carapace crossed his arms. “We still have to find Sentiquin. He’s a major threat to Paris.”

Rena Rouge lifted her flute from her back once more, attempting to leave Ladybug a message yet again.

Queen Bee rolled her eyes. “I think we should just look around the city separately and wait for her to call. We can do more on our own.”

“Maybe you can, but I can’t,” Carapace replied. “I need to work in a team or my mind will be a total mess.”

Rena Rouge groaned as she couldn’t reach Ladybug. She set her flute on her back, walking back to Queen Bee and Carapace. “Alright. Carapace and I will look for signs of Sentiquin.”

Queen Bee nodded, already walking away. “Try to relax. Ladybug will call back.”

Rena Rouge slowly nodded. “Since you know her secret identity, could you check on her to make sure she’s alright?”

Queen Bee shrugged. “Uh, sure. I’ll let you know what I find out, okay?”

“Sweet,” Carapace replied as he lifted his shield from his back. Turning his attention to Rena Rouge, he shrugged. “Ready?”

Rena Rouge crossed her arms, walking away with Carapace by her side. “I guess I have to be.”

~~~~~

“Everything?” Marinette’s eyes widened as she tried to imagine what ‘everything’ meant.

Chat Blanc covered his bell with his hand, eyeing his white gloves and ring. Everything. Why he was akumatized, who akumatized him, who Chat Blanc really was underneath the mask-

A slam from the window hatch startled Chat Blanc as he stayed silent. His ears twitched as he recalled the day Marinette offered him chocolate chip cookies, narrowly dropping the plate. He caught it just in time, but to think… his claws could’ve left a scratch if he weren’t careful, and the plate would’ve been ruined.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen. They enjoyed cookies together without him making a mess.

…And whatever mess they ‘did’ make, they just vacuumed it up, along with a whole lot of snow.

If only they could live in the past forever… wouldn’t that be easier? He would never have to change things between them both. No one would ever know he was the son of Hawk Moth. Nathalie would be alive. Marinette would still be in Chat Blanc’s life, and he wouldn’t risk losing her.

The world would be whole, and nothing would be broken. The truth would remain locked away, and their happiness could last forever.

Everything could be perfect again.

His eyes dimmed. Up in the sky, he could faintly spot the moon’s shape, planning to take over for the night. If only his good intentions, according to Master Fu, got him somewhere. If only he could make the world make sense with a single touch.

Chat Blanc wanted to make everything go back to the way it was.

His clawed gloves stretched up to the moon as he straightened his back. Each claw on his glove hovered above his eyes, daring to scratch into the moon’s surface. In space, you can’t hear a thing… but wouldn’t the moon crumbling against his claws make a sound?

“Emma?” Marinette whispered as she eyed the hatch slightly cracked open. Walking over to the window hatch, she carefully lifted it up to spot Bunnyx and Emma spying on them. “Hey!”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes, making his way over. “What’s wrong? Did someone break into your room?”

“No, we’re just being spied on,” Marinette snickered as she ruffled someone’s hair from underneath the window hatch. “I can’t believe you two!”

Chat Blanc’s eyes widened as he watched Bunnyx and Emma lift themselves out and onto the balcony. Even though he’d seen them by the bakery not too long ago, it was still shocking to see them exit Marinette’s room so casually.

Emma leaped onto Marinette, wrapping her arms around Marinette in a hug. “Mommy!”

Marinette nervously laughed, eyeing Chat Blanc’s unphased expression. “…Ehehe, hi, Emma!”

Bunnyx leaned over to Marinette, placing her hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “We met up with Chat Blanc earlier. You two alright?”

Chat Blanc puffed his cheeks, narrowing his eyes as he looked away. “Yeah… everything’s fine.”

Marinette giggled from Emma’s goofy grin before gasping. She turned around, eyeing Chat Blanc’s distant expression. “Oh! Wait! Chat, you wanted to talk with me.”

Chat Blanc glanced at Marinette, spotting Emma fiddling with Marinette’s hair. He let out a small smile before studying his paws. “It can wait.”

“Woohoo!” Emma cheered, widely widening her arms out. Lowering her arms back to Marinette, Emma fluffed Marinette’s bangs. “Miss Bunny and I were bored watching our show for so long.”

Bunnyx whistled, leaning up against a patio chair. “Any updates on your end, Min-, uh, Marinette?”

Marinette eyed Bunnyx and Emma with an exasperated sigh. “There’s already so much going wrong. I don’t know what could possibly be next.”

Chat Blanc took a seat on the patio chair Bunnyx was beside. He sadly glanced Marinette’s direction. Every interaction felt incredibly awkward to listen to now that it wasn’t just the two of them. This was supposed to be their balcony time where he finally revealed his identity, but now, he was only interrupting a time-traveling-family-reunion.

Well… he was kind of glad they were interrupted. Eventually, he’d have to tell her the truth, but he was way more scared than he realized.

Chat Blanc tapped his bell, listening to the jingle. Marinette seemed so composed considering the current situation. She was chatting with her daughter from the future and Bunnyx like it was nothing. The only other person he could imagine staying that coolheaded in this kind of situation would be Ladybug.

Bunnyx glanced out at the city before turning back to Marinette. “I’m assuming you and Chloe talked about the thing?”

“What thing?” Chat Blanc asked, eyeing Emma giving him an oblivious shrug.

Marinette lifted Emma up, untying Emma’s hair so she could play with it. She turned to Chat Blanc. “Chloe said she could watch Emma for me. Since she’s a superhero, I thought Emma would be safer with her than here with me.”

Chat Blanc sadly nodded. “That’s probably for the best. Your room tends to be destroyed a lot.”

Marinette snorted as she continued brushing Emma’s hair. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Bunnyx bumped Chat Blanc’s head, waiting until he turned around. “Hey. Did you stop that sentimonster from earlier?”

Marinette and Chat Blanc puffed their cheeks. Just how many issues were there to uncover?

Marinette wanted to scream from this whole mess. She wasn’t expressing it outwardly, of course, but her irritation was immense. Chat Blanc was going to SHARE things with her. Marinette! Not Ladybug, MAR-IN-ETTE. She had no idea what he was going to say, and she worried she’d never get to hear it at all.

If she were Ladybug right now, all four of them could freely converse; Chat Blanc was probably confused why Marinette was even involved in this mess. If she were Ladybug, no one would have to tiptoe over hero-details, and Emma wouldn’t have to feel responsible for keeping Marinette’s identity a secret.

It was so unnecessarily difficult to keep things as they were, but she didn’t want to be Ladybug right now. She just wanted to be Marinette.

That was the problem. It would be so much easier to tell him her identity. Then, she could explain everything she knew, and he could feel free to tell her everything he wanted to. They could tackle all of these issues so much easier…

…IF THEY COULD JUST TELL EACH OTHER-!

Emma bumped Marinette’s nose. She leaned up to Marinette’s ear. “Mommy? Are you okay? Your face is all twisted up like when dad dropped crème brûlée on the carpet.”

Marinette scrunched her face from the crème brûlée’s smooshed image painting itself in her mind. She let out a tired laugh from the whole situation. Even in the future, she’d be just as stressed as she was now, but that was okay. It would all be fine. “I’m okay.”

Emma worriedly puffed her cheeks, eyeing Chat Blanc and Marinette back and forth.

Chat Blanc glanced at Bunnyx before studying his paws. “The sentimonster hasn’t made contact with Marinette, so no, I haven’t crossed paths with him yet.”

Marinette tilted her head in confusion, scanning the rooftops. “Why would a sentimonster try to meet with me?”

Chat Blanc stood up, eyeing Bunnyx as he waltzed back over to the ledge. He placed his paws on the railing, leaning down as he observed the city. “I don’t know how much I’m allowed to tell you.”

Marinette looked down at her hands. If she revealed her identity, everything would be easier for them both. They could freely talk to each other without all of the unnecessary secrets.

A tiny thud from Bunnyx caught Marinette’s attention. She glanced at Bunnyx’s pliers propped up beside the chair.

Marinette couldn’t tell Chat Blanc her identity. Not like this.

“It’s okay,” Marinette said with a weak smile. “On a different note, let me go get the thing I mentioned before!”

Chat Blanc, Bunnyx, and Emma watched as Marinette quickly dove into her open window hatch, crashing on her cat plushie.

~~~~~

Once the window hatch clicked shut, Emma narrowed her eyes. She stood up, walking over to Chat Blanc with a disappointed look in her eyes.

“I know what you’re doing.”

Chat Blanc raised an eyebrow at Emma’s comment. “Uh, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Emma crossed her arms, looking at the snow clouds in the sky. “You were planning to give up on Ladybug and try to trick my mom with flowers and cat puns, but I won’t let you!”

Chat Blanc glanced at Bunnyx, whereas Bunnyx just shrugged. “Why would you think that?”

Emma covered her eyes with her hands, remembering the heroes’ movies. She thought about Chat Noir giving Ladybug roses and their multiple duets. They were special to Emma… but now that she knew her mother was Ladybug… she knew that Ladynoir’s relationship was impossible.

It broke her heart! They were partners, no, more than that! In each movie, they grew closer and closer, tricking Emma into believing they could ever be together. But no. She was deceived!

Now, he looked at Marinette the way he used to look at Ladybug, and it wasn’t fair! It just wasn’t. He had no idea that Marinette was the woman behind the mask.

To think… Chat Noir loved Emma’s mom for both of her identities. Yet… he would never be with Marinette… because Emma already had a father that wasn’t Chat Noir.

Why was fate so cruel? The world was so mean and full of complications that ruined everything.

How could Emma wish for Chat Noir’s and Ladybug’s happiness if it meant her parents wouldn’t be together?

Was Emma the reason they could never be together? Is that why she was in this timeline?!

Emma had to be careful with her words. Marinette would be heartbroken by that cat, as destiny foretold! Of course, Emma loved her father from the future just as much as her mother, but witnessing Ladybug and Chat Noir splitting apart? It was too much to bear.

With one last glance at the snow fluttering down, Emma shut her eyes closed. “My mommy doesn’t love you in the future. She loves my dad.”

Bunnyx’s eyes widened in shock as Emma fought back tears. Chat Blanc knew the truth.

He… wasn’t with Marinette in the future.

“Who,” Chat Blanc whispered as he kept his eyes locked on the wooden tiles.

Bunnyx and Emma eyed each other skeptically.

Chat Blanc lifted his head, failing to hold back the agony gripping his face. “Who does Marinette love in the future?”

Emma blinked. He really was in love with Marinette. She took slow breaths as she processed Chat Blanc’s pained face. What would happen if Emma told Chat Blanc who Marinette loved in the future?

Emma covered her mouth in shock. What if he were willing to be the bad guy in order to be with Marinette-?!

NO WAY! That would be so-!

…Emma knew that would be ‘bad’, but then again…

…Absolutely not! He was one of the heroes; being the bad guy would be terrible!

Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. This was way too convoluted. She wanted to cheer Chat Blanc on, but at the same time, she couldn’t risk her mom and dad’s happiness in the future. Hmm… she had to think about this carefully.

“My dad’s name is Adrien,” Emma replied with a sigh.

She gave up on trying to think things over; all she knew was that Chat Blanc loved Emma’s mother for both sides of herself, and if Adrien had to fight Chat Blanc just like in the movies, then she’d allow it.

She walked over to Chat Blanc, eyeing him sadly. “I’m really sorry, Mister Kitty. I’m warning you now that my dad can and will kick your butt, so your battle will be difficult. Miss Bunny will make the arrangements to take you to him.”

Bunnyx’s eye twitched as she facepalmed. This kid was too much.

Chat Blanc’s face softened as he thought over Emma’s response. Eyeing the window hatch for Marinette’s return, his cat ears twiddled enthusiastically. “…Emma, do you mean Adrien Agreste?”

“Yes,” Emma confessed with another defeated sigh. It was over. The future would be determined by Chat Blanc’s battle with Adrien Agreste. She didn’t know how to feel! All of her emotions were torn!

That’s when the window hatch opened, catching all of their attention.

“Chat! I’ve got it right here-!”

Before Marinette could finish, Chat Blanc slipped beside her window hatch, holding his paw out to her with a smirk. “Purrhaps you could use a paw?”

Marinette rolled her eyes with a snort, accepting his hand as she completely missed Emma’s flabbergasted expression. “Thanks, Chat.”

He winked, gently kissing her hand as he contentedly looked into her eyes. His paw kept ahold of her hand, lingering as he kept his eyes locked on hers. “Anything for you, Purrincess~”

Emma’s jaw dropped to the floor.

What. Was. Happening.

He-! He was flirting with Marinette! Why was he flirting with Marinette?! Didn’t Emma JUST make it clear that Marinette wasn’t available in the future? If he wanted to be with her, he had to FIGHT for her! Fight to the DEATH-, eh, that’s a little far; fight until either Adrien or Chat Blanc needed a nap.

How could he be so awful! Now Bunnyx would have to fix this entire timeline.

Emma nudged Bunnyx. “Aren’t we gonna go in the burrow to fix this?”

Bunnyx raised an eyebrow. “Fix what?”

“This!” Emma whisper-shouted as she glanced at Marinette and Chat Blanc giggling with each other. “The future is going to poof away!”

Bunnyx rolled her eyes. “Emma, cut it out.”

Emma curled her hands into fists as she glared at Chat Blanc. “This is all Mister Kitty’s fault. He’s trying to steal mommy away from dad! He's not a superhero at all!”

Bunnyx snickered from Emma’s infuriated whisper-shouts. “Well, he technically is akumatized.”

Emma gasped, keeping her voice low so only Bunnyx could hear her. “Miss Bunny! You’ve got to stop him! Think about all of the evil plans he could be planning! I… I was a FOOL for telling him my dad’s name, and now, he could go AFTER him! Why? Why, me?! What have I done?!”

Bunnyx widened her eyes in surprise. “Les aventures de Ladybug & Chat Noir” and its sequels of the future really left an impact on Emma’s personality, huh? Emma was just as dramatic as her parents.

“You’ve got to DO something!” Emma whispered furiously, gripping her head as she locked her eyes onto the balcony’s wooden tiles. “I’ve doomed us all!”

Bunnyx gave Emma a pat on the head, scooting Emma away as she stood up. The snow continued to lightly drift down on them all as Bunnyx stretched her arms. “Eh, it’ll be fine.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Mariblanc is finally here again! I can’t wait to write the impending doom, character interactions, and the last parts to wrap it up! 🎞️🤺❄️
Emma’s thought process was so fun to write; Each member of her family has a favorite hobby: Marinette sews, Adrien jogs, and Emma watches tv 💿✨
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 16

Summary:

(Warning: this chapter is a bit darker at points and includes a violent nightmare, so this is a heads up just in case someone might need one 🦋)

Snowflakes graced the bakery’s balcony, settling and melting along the railing. Queen Bee landed on Marinette’s balcony. After several minutes of summarizing what happened while Ladybug was gone, Queen Bee side-eyed Marinette as Marinette tried to find words to respond with.

“I didn’t mean to forget about searching for Ephemera! Honest!”

Queen Bee ignored Marinette’s attempts for amends. Marinette was the one who stayed with Adrien to protect him, but now, she had the audacity to plead innocence while she lounged around on her very own balcony… with Chat Blanc no less.

Thankfully, once Queen Bee arrived, Chat Blanc went inside the bakery to sneak some snacks, leaving Queen Bee, Marinette, Bunnyx, and Emma alone on the balcony. But still. Queen Bee had seen enough.

“Well, Ephemera’s back at the pizza shop now. It’s like she didn’t need any of us to begin with,” Queen Bee sighed, shifting her focus to Bunnyx. “And you. Are you sure it’s safe to keep Emma in this timeline?”

Bunnyx nodded, setting her pliers on her back beside her umbrella. “It’s necessary. I can remember Emma being here in the past. My memory’s fuzzy on a lot of other things, but I know for certain she was here. Our future will be destroyed if this present moment doesn’t have everything in place, including Emma. But rest assured, she will be fine.”

Emma glanced between Queen Bee and Bunnyx in concern. This wasn’t the time to talk about Emma’s safety; they should all be stopping Chat Blanc! Why was no one worried that Chat Blanc was in the bakery?

Surely Queen Bee would have something to scold him for, too, right? She had to! He was clearly akumatized, and if “Les aventures de Ladybug & Chat Noir” taught Emma anything, it would be to never lower your guard around an akumatized victim… and now, she realized that more than ever.

No one else saw him as a victim of an akuma. Everyone saw him as their ally.

…But what if he wasn’t their ally at all anymore?

…What if the akuma already tricked his mind, making him join the side of evil?

Eyeing Queen Bee, Emma tapped her shoes along the balcony impatiently. The seconds went by as Queen Bee narrowed her eyes at the shoe-tapping.

Emma rolled her eyes as she stopped trying to get Queen Bee’s attention. This was useless. The more time went by, the higher chance that scheming cat was up to no good.

What if Adrien came to get a pastry, and Chat Blanc spotted him beneath the balcony? It would be sooo convenient for Chat Blanc to slip away and feign innocence with the snacks as he made sure Adrien would never be with Marinette ever again!

They could be battling this very second! Emma knew her father was in fencing, so what if his only saving grace was the bakery’s baguettes as his swords?

That was it! If no one else would do anything, she’d do something herself!

Emma readied herself to swan dive into the balcony’s window hatch, prepping her hands together as she took a slow and confident breath.

Before Emma could save Adrien from Chat Blanc’s mischievous plans, Marinette kneeled beside Emma. Emma froze as she turned to Marinette.

She wanted to save her mother, just like Ladybug saved Emma. If Emma was the only one who distrusted Chat Blanc, then so be it. Chat Blanc was on the side of evil, and Emma wouldn’t let Marinette suffer another fight with him. It was now or never. Emma had to get in that bakery right now, or she might never have the opportunity again, and everyone would be doomed.

Marinette smoothed Emma’s hair, worriedly eyeing Emma. “Once this is all over, I would love to spend some actual time with you. Maybe making stuffed animals together, patterning a dress for you, or whatever you want. If you want to, of course.”

Emma lowered her hands as she glanced at Marinette’s sad eyes.

There would never be a more open opportunity to stop Chat Blanc then now… but Emma couldn’t leave Marinette like that. Saving Chat Blanc from the evil akuma would have to wait.

Emma placed her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “Come over sooner than that! Tomorrow morning, please come over! Please!”

Marinette held her breath as she took in Emma’s adorable little face. Sending Emma to safety was harder than she’d imagined it being, but now that it was really happening, Marinette felt extremely overwhelmed.

She glanced at Queen Bee who only shrugged in response. Marinette nodded, wrapping her arms around Emma reassuringly. “Of course. Besides, Chloe and I still have to finish some final details for our science project, so I’m sure you could help us out.”

Emma’s eyes lit up in excitement as she let every thought of Chat Blanc’s schemes slip from her mind. “Really?!”

Marinette grinned as she felt Queen Bee’s hand aggravatedly ruffle her pigtails. “As long as Miss Bee is okay with it of course.”

Emma clasped her hands on Marinette’s face, eagerly looking up at Queen Bee. “Miss Bee! Please?”

Queen Bee knelt down to Marinette’s side as she nodded to Emma. “Fine. But your mom has to actually help with the project instead of eating it.”

Marinette laughed, bonking her head lightly with Queen Bee’s. “I couldn’t help it! We were using croissants-!”

“And we still are,” Queen Bee cut in with a sigh. “It should only take around an hour, and we’ll be done. Then, and only then, we can snack on whatever’s left over.”

“Oo! Or we could go out to eat!” Emma squealed as she started to tap Marinette’s pigtails. She tugged on the hair elastics, pulling them off as Marinette’s deep blue hair cascaded along Emma’s wrists. “I want mommy and Miss Bee to go out with me!”

Queen Bee gasped at Marinette’s flowing hair, admiring the setting sun sparkling onto its deep blue strands. “Your hair is absolutely gorgeous, baker girl! Why do you always wear pigtails?”

Marinette smirked, poking Queen Bee’s forehead. “I could ask you why your new hair is tied back in a braid, you know.”

Queen Bee narrowed her eyes, leaning away from Marinette’s poke. “I went to the salon today, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Today. It’s been a day compared to your years of pigtail-fraud.”

Emma eyed Queen Bee’s blonde ponytail, spinning around with some strands of black. “Your hair looks the same to me.”

Marinette booped Emma’s nose. “That’s because she’s in her superhero form right now. When she’s in her civilian form, you’ll get to see her super duper pretty hair for yourself!”

Queen Bee rolled her eyes. “And that won't be too much longer since we’ll have to leave soon. Marinette, before we go, Rena Rouge and Carapace have tried to contact you. They need to know what to do.”

Marinette cupped her hand over her mouth, looking out at the city in realization. “You’re right. They can’t search the city all night. We all have to sleep so we can put an end to every issue once and for all.”

Queen Bee nodded, impressed by Marinette’s growth as a hero; only a couple weeks before, she would’ve been a stumbling mess, fighting to stay awake to stop Hawk Moth. Now, she was actually agreeing to get some rest along with the other heroes. “So, you’ll stop by to collect my Miraculous once you get back theirs?”

Marinette tapped her chin before shaking her head. “No. I’m leaving the Miraculouses with you three. If any of you are placed in danger from whatever will come next, you’ll need a way to protect yourselves.”

Queen Bee’s eyes widened in surprise. “…Are you sure?”

Marinette adamantly nodded. “I’m positive. I know this is a lot to ask, but could you let Rena Rouge and Carapace know what I’ve said? I need them to know as soon as possible that they need to rest. I don’t know when an opportunity for me to transform will open up.”

Queen Bee narrowed her eyes at Marinette and then the window hatch. “Since Chat Blanc’s here, right?”

Marinette hesitated before letting out a defeated sigh. “He’s been through a lot, Queen Bee. He trusts me, and if he needs to talk, or just relax with someone for a bit, then the bakery’s open to him. He’s my partner.”

“And why can’t Ladybug do that later?” Queen Bee asked in irritation. “To him, you’re a civilian who knows nothing about the Miraculous.”

Marinette frowned. What Queen Bee was suggesting made complete sense. Besides, Marinette thought the same way not too long ago: Chat Blanc would only discuss important things with Ladybug, not Marinette.

That didn’t matter, though. They didn’t have to uncover thousands of secrets solely for their hero work. They could just be together.

Chat Blanc might need company from a friend like Marinette, not a hero to relay information to.

She had no idea what he saw, where he went, or what he did. She might never know. But he would. He would know and remember everything that’s happened. Marinette knew Chat Blanc faced Hawk Moth, the man who relentlessly tortured Paris for years. There’s no way Chat Blanc would forget that day.

So why would Chat Blanc stay with Marinette instead of pouring his heart out to Ladybug? What reason could there possibly be?

The answer was obvious.

Marinette shrugged. “Ladybug doesn’t have an endless supply of pastries like Marinette does.”

~~~~~

Queen Bee contacted Rena Rouge and Carapace, who agreed to wait till the next day to find Sentiquin. As Bunnyx departed to scan the city one last time and then guard the burrow, Queen Bee and Emma said their final goodbyes to Marinette for the night.

The moon settled into the sky, glimmering its light down onto her balcony, and shining against the snow.

Marinette’s eyes widened as she realized something important: Chat was still in the bakery.

“You need to get some rest,” Tikki voiced from Marinette’s purse. “Let’s go inside and lay down, okay?”

“But Chat Blanc’s still here,” Marinette reminded Tikki, walking over to the window hatch. “I still need to give him the blue beanie, remember?”

“At least get ready for bed before sending him off,” Tikki sighed in exhaustion, closing the purse’s clasp once again.

As Marinette slipped into her room, she quickly snatched her pajamas, changing in the bathroom and tying her hair back into pigtails. She made her way to the stairs, sneaking down to the kitchen. As she made her way up to the counter, some moonlight glistened on a note from her parents, explaining they were helping Grandpa Roland and that they might not be home for a while.

“Well, they’re probably going to spend the night there,” she whispered to herself, folding the note in her palm.

Carefully scanning the dark kitchen, she pawed for the light switch. She knew it had to be there somewhere.

Chat Blanc was still here, right? Or maybe he left already… but without saying goodbye?

Was he pulling some kind of prank on her? Ugh, that cat. Of course he was! Him and his night vision would explain the lights being out.

Well, fine. She’d play along for now, and then BOOM! She’d sneak attack him and take back whatever pastry he was probably munching in his blissfully unaware state of supposed victory, beating him at his own game!

“Oh NO,” Marinette dramatically gasped, covering her forehead with the back of her hand. “I can’t find the lights!”

She failed to hide a smirk as she covered her mouth, eyeing the darkness around her knowingly. Any second now, Chat Blanc would reveal himself, and he’d be in for a rude awakening.

But the seconds turned into minutes. Long, silent, empty minutes.

The longer she left the lights off, the more she wondered if he was even here.

…Until a hand brushed past her hair and toward the lights.

~~~~~

“She is the one-! SAILOR MOON!”

Chloe and Emma stood up on the bed as the tv played Sailor Moon’s DiC dub opening. Chloe knelt down to pose as Sailor Mars, whereas Emma raised her arm to pose as Sailor Venus.

“Are you sure you don’t want to pose as Sailor Venus?” Emma asked as she paused the episode from starting. “Your hair looks just like hers!”

Chloe shrugged, taking a seat on the bed. “When I was a kid, my friend and I used to pretend we were the Sailor Guardians together. He would be Sailor Moon, and I would be Sailor Mars during the intro. It was kind of our thing, and it’s pretty much stuck over the years. He views himself like Sailor Moon to this day, even though his whole life has Sailor Saturn written all over it.”

Emma hopped onto the bed, placing her hands under her chin. “Oo! Who is your friend?”

Chloe scrunched up her face from an emerging memory of her and Adrien making up their own Sailor Guardian battles. “His name is Adrien.”

Emma bapped Chloe’s head, watching Chloe’s extensions glimmer from the ceiling light. “I KNEW IT!”

Chloe shoved Emma’s hand off her head, glaring Emma’s way. “Excuse me?”

“Where I’m from, you, me, and dad watch Sailor Moon together!” Emma cheered, standing up to jump on the bed. “When mommy’s not busy, she’s Sailor Mercury!”

Chloe cupped her hand over her chest. Adrien was Emma’s father, which meant that he and Marinette were together! This was incredible! And in the future… Chloe would still be a part of their lives. The relief she felt from that thought was immense.

That’s when Chloe remembered Marinette’s confession over ice cream the day before: Marinette currently loved Chat Noir.

Chloe pressed her hand on her forehead. Marinette and Chat Noir must’ve not worked out then… that’s kind of sad.

But then again, in Emma’s future, they all got to watch Sailor Moon together, so was there really anything for Chloe to dislike?

There were plenty of other shows Adrien and Chloe liked to watch together as kids, but since Emma and Chloe were currently watching Sailor Moon, Chloe decided to keep their conversation focused on the show. “Do you have a favorite season?”

Emma tapped her chin, considering the two. “I really like ‘Sailor Moon Super S’ since Pegasus, the protector of beautiful dreams, is there! I want to be friends with an alicorn so bad! I’m gonna ask mommy if she can help me find one since she’s Ladybug! She can do anything!”

“That’s not gonna happen. Someone has to tell you, so I guess it’ll be me.”

Emma gasped, crossing her arms. “It could happen!”

Chloe shook her head apologetically. “Trust me, no one can give you an alicorn as a friend. I’ve asked my dad for unicorns to replace the staff when I was a kid, but it never ended up happening. Life doesn’t always give us what we want, unfortunately.”

Emma raised an eyebrow at Chloe’s confession. “What unicorn, earth pony, alicorn, or pegasus would ever want to work in a hotel?”

Chloe waved her hand dismissively. “It sounds utterly ridiculous, but I knew there’d be at least one unicorn that might be interested. Of course, I didn’t realize until way too late that Rarity wasn’t real.”

Emma shrugged as she kicked a pillow up in the air. That’s when Emma remembered Adrien and Marinette were still in danger. If Emma could recruit Chloe to stop Chat Blanc from his evil plans, then the future Emma belongs to won't disappear.

“Miss Bee?”

Chloe eyed Emma’s serious expression. “Uh, yeah? Is something wrong?”

“…Yes,” Emma agreed sadly. “My dad is in danger, and I think mommy is, too.”

The two of them remained silent for several moments as Chloe processed Emma’s statement.

Chloe sat up, returning Emma’s serious expression with her own. “I’m listening.”

~~~~~

The Eiffel Tower collapsed, nudging Chat Noir off its beams as he watched countless metal slabs pass his vision, blurring into something incomprehensible as the long drop continued to pull him down. Normally, a fall like that would’ve killed a person, but he landed purrfectly on his feet, shivering from the sudden reunion with the cement.

Chat Noir took a slow and shaky breath, preparing to walk away from the destruction. He’d find Ladybug, and then poof, tada! Miraculous Ladybugs would come fix this mess up. He could always count on Bugaboo whenever he would break things that weren’t meant to be broken.

But right in front of him stood Chat Blanc.

Metal beams of the Eiffel Tower melted, locking Chat Noir’s shoes to the ground.

“S-stop!” Chat Noir tried to scream, fearfully watching Chat Blanc’s approach.

A loud thud off in the distance made Chat Blanc’s ears twitch.

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at the melting metal locking Chat Noir in place. Chat Blanc circled Chat Noir, snatching Chat Noir’s ring with his white belt. The ring spun around on the tip of the white belt, sending a motion-sickened-Plagg out onto Chat Blanc’s paws.

“Kid! Transform!”

No… not again.

Adrien felt his knees weaken as he fought to stay standing, leaning back as Chat Blanc leaned closer.

Another thud off in the distance followed the last, eerily ringing in Adrien’s ears.

“Come on, Adrien!” Plagg called from Chat Blanc’s paws scratching at Plagg’s head. “We can do this!”

A tingling burning pain resumed its presence along Adrien’s cheek, oozing blood down his skin, down his neck, down his arms. He weakly raised his ringless fingers, fearfully eyeing his trembling hands. Blood dripped and poured, eerily smearing Chat Blanc’s white shoes. Adrien gulped as he observed his white jacket soaked in deep red, dripping down his knees, and painting the melted metal crimson.

“You have to transform!”

Images of his mother in the garden flashed through his mind as his cheek continued to sting. Even though he was currently locked in place, it felt as if he’d been running for hours, trying to reach Émilie collapsed in the garden all over again.

Gabriel stood in the distance, watching the scene unfold. He watched as Adrien tried to call out to him, but Adrien’s voice wouldn’t vocalize.

Adrien opened his mouth, but no sound came from his lips. With every attempt to speak, the familiarly unsettling numbness he felt living in the mansion silenced his voice, keeping him from speaking his mind.

Adrien couldn’t speak against his father without trembling in fear, knowing just how far Gabriel’s anger could lead.

Adrien couldn’t speak his feelings over his modeling career, let alone speak for his real interests. And over the years, he realized he never had interests that were considered worthy of attention… so he never had anything to speak for to begin with.

Adrien couldn’t speak the truth with his friends, Marinette, or Ladybug, no matter how many times he begged himself to open up. He didn’t want to hide his secrets anymore… but even when he’d gathered the courage with Marinette… the fear paralyzing his lips would’ve never allowed him to share just what happened at the Agreste mansion. He wanted to depend on Clarityvoice’s wish for assistance… but the wishes weren’t as strong anymore.

Adrien couldn’t speak. Nothing he could say would ever be listened to, so there was no use in speaking. There was no use in screaming. There was no escape. Even with no bars surrounding him, he’d been imprisoned his entire life. There was no difference between his normal life and this horrible scene playing before his eyes. Both were equally terrifying and inescapable.

A third thud startled Adrien from his thoughts. He still hadn’t recognized what was making that sound, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to find out what it was at all.

The metal melted into his calves. Any chance he had of escape was gone as the scenes unfolded just as he expected. He wanted to scream… but he couldn’t. No sound would escape the panic screaming inside his mind; every emotion would stay bottled inside, forever.

He could taste the blood running out of his face, watching as Gabriel did nothing to help him, just like usual. Gabriel just looked at him.

Adrien slowly reached for his bleeding cheek, crying as Chat Blanc drew closer… and closer… and closer… and closer…

and closer… and closer… and closer… and closer… and closer…

……………closer…

…close……..too…close…

…c…l…o…s…e…

Adrien felt like a toaster submerged in water, breaking, and burning, and screaming, with no foreseeable end. Why? Why was everything so painfully slow? Chat Blanc wasn’t doing anything yet; he wanted Adrien to suffer as long as possible before finally finishing him off, repeating the same horror the next night, and then the next.

Why was he all alone? Where was everyone else?

In an instant, he could see the bakery’s staircase stretching up into the sky. There was someone covering their mouth, looking down at something below, but Adrien couldn’t bring himself to look at what seemed to horrify the person up above.

Adrien’s tears built up around his eyes, blurring his sight as he tried to keep them on the one person he wanted to see.

In so many ways, Marinette showed kindness and love he never thought he’d find. Escaping to her balcony, he saw the future Paris would have one day, and he wanted to experience that future with her and all of their friends. It would come one day. Emma confirmed that future would exist.

The person along the steps ran down, screaming the names of Adrien’s friends as if they were in danger, but Adrien hadn’t seen them anywhere.

Plagg’s voice chipped as his neck twisted beneath Chat Blanc’s paw. “Hurry!”

Adrien closed his eyes, feeling his tears slip down his cut face. He lifted his arms, trying to cover his eyes before they could open, trying to shove away the memories of his father’s abuse, Émilie’s coffin, and Nathalie’s collapse. All he could do now was shield his eyes before the next horrible scene would come.

Adrien knew what to expect. He wouldn’t look.

His eyes forcibly opened as the pain in his cut cheek faded away, settling with an icy cold sensation. He looked down at his jacket, shocked it’d returned to white, but blood still dripped underneath the sleeves, landing on the blood-smeared ground beside Chat Blanc’s shoes.

Chat Blanc smirked, gripping Adrien’s chin as he eyed Adrien’s green eyes flickering cyan. “Can’t seem to control your emotions?”

Plagg stayed in Chat Blanc’s hand, staring at Adrien’s petrified face. “…Adrien?”

Adrien’s neck twisted from Chat Blanc’s grip, forced to look out at the steps. And that’s when he finally saw his friends…

…dead. The last person tried to reach them, seemingly assuming they were still able to be saved.

“I can help.” Chat Blanc smiled, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his grip on Adrien’s neck.

“Kid-!”

Adrien slowly reached his arms up to Chat Blanc’s neck. With every inch closer to grasping Chat Blanc, Adrien’s arms grew weaker and weaker. As his hand met Chat Blanc’s neck, Chat Blanc crushed the ring in his palm.

Plagg disappeared. He… was gone.

No one could be there in time to save Adrien from his mistakes.

No one would save Adrien… not even himself.

Adrien was alone.

His eyes locked onto Chat Blanc’s as he forcefully pulled Chat Blanc’s hand off of Adrien’s neck. He slowly slid Chat Blanc’s ring from his finger, watching as a different Plagg silently flew out of the ring.

“Plagg, claws out!”

The transformation didn’t work.

The snow quietly fell down to them both, sinking into Adrien’s hair. He wasn’t bleeding anymore.

Chat Blanc sent Adrien to the staircase. Adrien eyed his shoes free from the melted metal, but when he tried to move, he remained just as stuck as before. He could see vivid streaks of red dripping down the stairs, leading to his friends beneath him.

Chat Blanc stood behind Adrien, placing his paws on Adrien’s shoulders. Lifting up one of his clawed gloves, he extended it past Adrien’s head, waving his hand out toward Marinette.

The moment Chat Blanc waved to her, her set of stairs vanished, and she lost her balance. She covered her eyes, ready to collide with the ground…

Adrien couldn’t move. No matter how hard he tried, he could only stay in place. He shut his eyes… and listened to the final thud.

A light brightened around Chat Blanc’s paw. Adrien’s neck twisted uncomfortably as he slowly broke apart.

“Cataclysm.”

~~~~~

Inside the bakery, the light switch turned on, filling the dark room with the ceiling’s light.

“AHH!” Marinette gasped, stumbling back into a pile of baking pans. She looked up at a cloaked person standing in front of her. “W-who are you? The bakery is supposed to be closed right now.”

The figure removed their hood, revealing their glass face. “My name is Sentiquin. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Marinette thought back to Carapace’s description of Ephemera’s attacker, realizing the glass person in front of her was most likely the same person Carapace saw. She’d have to stay on guard, ready to transform into Ladybug if need be.

Sentiquin lowered his hand down to Marinette. She eyed him skeptically before accepting his hand, standing up from the mess below.

“I’m here to thank you,” Sentiquin mumbled as he looked at the scattered pans. “I was left to my own thoughts on the balcony for hours… and I wondered how much more of existence I could take trapped in my own thoughts. Without your kindness and recognition of what I am, I would’ve been trapped for a really long time.”

He…wasn’t going to fight with her?

Marinette studied Sentiquin’s melancholic glass face in confusion. She wanted to keep her guard up, but as she took in the sadness swimming in his eyes, she couldn’t.

His emotions were fully visible to the world. Was he created to be a living depiction of internal emotion? Carapace was certain a glass figure shot an arrow through Ephemera’s head, but she could still walk. If Sentiquin were the attacker… why would he have a weapon like that?

Sentiquin narrowed his eyes. “I’ve already expressed my gratitude to Master Fu, so you were the only human left to thank. Now, I have a goal I need to reach. Thank you once again.”

Marinette shook her head, placing her hand on Sentiquin’s shoulder to stop him from leaving. “You still have control over your amok, right? You have the choice to be whoever you want to be now.”

Sentiquin glanced at Marinette’s hand. “I won’t be anyone once my tasks are complete. I’m not human.”

“So what if you’re not human?” Marinette frowned, narrowing her eyes back at him. “You’re just as alive as me.”

The two stood in silence. Marinette hoped she said what she meant to say. She didn’t want Sentiquin to feel as if he were nothing; she didn’t want anyone to feel like that. He was just as real as she was, and now that he was free, he could be whoever he wanted to be.

Sentiquin reached for his cloak, placing his glass fingers along a brooch. Carefully taking it off his cloak, he observed the shining jewel in his hand. Duusu spun out, quietly observing Marinette.

Marinette’s face paled as she covered her mouth. Sentiquin had the Peacock Miraculous?! If Chat Blanc had the Butterfly Miraculous and Sentiquin had the Peacock Miraculous… then Mayura and Hawk Moth really were defeated.

“I didn’t want to involve you in what I planned to do, but I can’t count on Mayura to release me from existence anymore,” Sentiquin spoke. “I would’ve requested Master Fu’s assistance since he’s the one with the magical box that put me back together… but he’s not you. Can I trust you to rid me of my existence only after I’ve completed my tasks?”

Marinette blinked. Hold on. He wanted her to kill him?!

Marinette shook her head, stepping back. “Why would you want me to kill you? Even if you finish whatever you wanted to do, you’re still allowed to live.”

Sentiquin locked his eyes on the floor. “I’ve only recently discovered what guilt feels like… and once I accomplish my last tasks… I won’t be able to stand myself any longer than I have now. I would use the Peacock Miraculous to end myself if you refused, but I’m scared. I knew from the very start Mayura would release me from existence… so now, without her… I can’t depend on what I was prepared for. But if you could do what she planned to do for me, I don’t think I’d be as scared as I am now.”

Marinette’s eyes filled with tears as she held her hands over her chest. At that moment, she couldn’t help but place herself in his shoes. Mayura was basically a mother to Sentiquin, at least in Sentiquin’s perspective. She wasn’t sure what happened to Mayura, but she knew Sentiquin couldn’t give Mayura the brooch if he were offering it to Marinette.

Marinette would be taking Mayura’s place in his perspective.

Tears slipped down her cheeks. Now that she’d met Emma, she knew that in the future, she’d be a mother. She’d have Emma to love and take care of. But to think… Sentiquin’s parental-figure planned to kill him, and he was willing to let that happen.

Sentiquin was just as alive as Marinette. Just as alive as Emma. Even if he wasn’t a human, he was still alive.

Yet, he was created to be used and destroyed by the only person he could even view as a parental guardian. It wasn’t right.

She placed her hands on his hands holding the brooch.

“I’ll accept the brooch, but only if you try to be who you want to be while you can, rather than do what you think you’re supposed to do.”

Sentiquin twisted his head in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

Marinette took a slow breath. “Whoever you want to be… don’t compromise your existence for someone else’s sake. You’re worth more than that.”

~~~~~

It was silent in space as Astrocat quietly soared through the sky, eyes locked shut. His paw was extended out forward as he drew closer and closer to something straight ahead.

His eyes slowly opened, surprised by how dark the bakery had become. He planned to leave, but after one too many croissants, he dozed off on the kitchen counter. At least, that’s what he could remember happening.

As he opened his eyes, he was confused by the stonewall straight in front of him, and why he had a cataclysm lit up on his paw.

Why did he have a cataclysm on his paw? Where was he?

That’s when his eyes fully opened as he pulled his paw away.

“The moon!”

His eyes flickered as he took in the moon’s craters and the stars surrounding him. He blinked. Was he still dreaming?

…No. He was awake. This was really happening.

He almost cataclysmed the moon as Astrocat in real life.

He eyed his suit, observing the suit’s white and blue instead of its black and green. This akuma would be his downfall unless he removed its power.

Studying the Earth beneath his shoes, he stretched his paws out toward the Earth. Countless stars shimmered around him as he felt the sheer amount of space overwhelm him.

Removing this power on his own might be dangerous without a Butterfly Miraculous holder set in place, so maybe he could give the Butterfly Miraculous to someone down below.

Ladybug or Marinette would probably be willing to replace the akuma with a kamiko.

At that point, if one of them did kamikotize him… would he really be any more helpful than he was now?

As he traveled back to Earth, his forehead burned as he considered keeping the akuma solely for its connection to Hawk Moth directly. A kamiko from another holder wouldn’t help solve an issue Hawk Moth’s possession of the Butterfly Miraculous caused… or would it?

Besides… nothing would go wrong if he kept the akuma a little longer. He could control it.

He sighed as he broke through the snow clouds. For now, he would just stay akumatized and hope for the best.

~~~~~

Sunlight filled Marinette’s room as her alarm screamed at her to wake up.

It was morning.

It was finally a different day! It felt like it’d been the same exact day for months, but now, it was the next day!

Marinette rubbed her eyes as she sat up. Huh. She couldn’t remember when she went to bed, let alone how she went to sleep after every intense moment from the previous day.

…Actually, it made sense to crash out after a seriously long day of non-stop action. She didn’t need to remember the moments that led to her going to sleep, or any of the wild dreams she had. What mattered was that she was awake!

She could get an immediate start on the science project at Chloe’s, and they could all hang out with Emma!

“Marinette,” Tikki yawned as she plopped on Marinette’s messy hair. “You’ve got school today, remember?”

Marinette crashed back onto her bed instantly. “Nooo! I totally forgot.”

Tikki swam through one of Marinette’s messy pigtails. “Don’t even think about skipping another day. Your education is very important.”

Marinette groaned, pulling the cat plushie onto her face. “Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right- OH NO!”

Tikki fell out of Marinette’s hair, startled from Marinette’s outburst. “Marinette? What’s wrong?”

“Chloe and Emma!” Marinette replied, facepalming as she almost slipped off her bed. “How is Chloe going to go to school today if she’s babysitting Emma?! What’s wrong with me?!”

Tikki sighed, patting Marinette’s cheek. “You could call her.”

“Tikki, you’re a GENIUS,” Marinette declared as she pawed around for her phone. Scrolling around, she found Chloe’s contact. The phone rang for several seconds before Chloe accepted it. “Chloe! I completely forgot we have school today, so Emma-“

“Baker girl,” Chloe interrupted Marinette, “it’s fine. I’ve got a plan.”

Marinette scrunched up her face. “Uh… what’s your plan?”

“You’ll see,” Chloe reassured.

Marinette wanted to protest Chloe’s vagueness, but Chloe hung up before Marinette had the chance. With an aggravated sigh, Marinette pressed her face on her cat plushie.

“Why do I feel so nervous about Chloe having a plan?” Marinette mumbled into her cat plushie’s stripes, groaning as she hit her head on it.

Tikki giggled as Marinette sat up. Tikki planned to comment on Marinette’s goofiness before spotting a glimmer from Marinette’s polka-dot-tank-top. “Uh… Marinette?”

“Yeah?”

Tikki tapped a brooch on Marinette’s tank-top. “You need to return the Peacock Miraculous to Master Fu.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I also have to return the Butterfly Miraculous, but it’s not like I have either of them.”

Tikki floated up to Marinette’s face, slapping Marinette’s nose.

“OW! HEY!”

Tikki wiped her hands, floating back down to the brooch on Marinette’s tank-top. “That was for being oblivious. Look at your tank-top.”

Marinette rubbed her nose as she tugged her tank-top forward slightly. Once she realized the brooch wasn’t just any brooch, she gasped.

“Wait! That wasn’t a dream?!”

Tikki rolled her eyes, narrowing her eyes at the room. “Duusu, where are you?”

Marinette and Tikki sat in silence for several seconds before hearing a tiny yawn behind Marinette’s pillow. Tikki floated over, watching as Marinette lifted the pillow to uncover Duusu napping away.

Tikki side-eyed Marinette, pointing at Duusu comfortably napping. “You two will get along. Neither of you can wake up early without a forceful nudge.”

Marinette scoffed, pointing at her alarm clock. “Oh yeah? Look at the time, Tikki! I’m up early. Hah!”

Tikki smirked, giggling to herself.

“What’s so funny?”

Tikki shrugged. “Read your clock.”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows as she eyed the clock’s time. “I’M LATE!”

~~~~~

The school steps were practically empty as Marinette ran toward them. However, as she took a closer look, she could spot Alya and Nino chatting with each other on the top steps. That’s when Marinette realized Tikki messed with Marinette’s alarm clock, just like the day before yesterday.

“Tikki,” Marinette grumbled at her purse, rolling her eyes from the purse’s snickers.

Well, she wouldn’t be late. Phew. She didn’t have to be worried anymore. Nothing could bother her mind now!

…Other than Chloe Bourgeois’s plan concerning Emma.

…and the wishes.

…and Adrien’s panic the day before.

…and whatever Chat Blanc wanted to say on the balcony.

…and Sentiquin’s appearance with the Peacock Miraculous.

…Then whatever disaster Bunnyx couldn’t even remember.

Fantastic. It was a brand new day, with all the same problems as before, and more. Woohoo.

“Marinette?” Alya called out, eyeing Marinette breathlessly running up to them both. “Is everything okay, girl?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I’m great!” Marinette sarcastically groaned as she held onto her knees, trying to catch her breath. “You two… are early!”

“As usual,” Nino replied, giving Alya a fist bump.

Alya patted the step, offering Marinette a seat. “You haven’t heard from Adrien, have you?”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows as she pulled out her phone. “I saw him yesterday at the Lou… um, I mean, we ran into each other yesterday randomly, ehehe, yeah!”

Nino leaned forward in complete shock. “Really?! I’ve been trying to reach him for the longest time, but the dude just doesn’t check his phone.”

“Is he okay?” Alya asked with a concerned expression.

Marinette held her breath. Adrien looked anything but okay the last time they saw each other, but she couldn’t exactly say that. Besides, if she went into detail about their meetup, Alya and Nino would know she was at the Louvre with Chloe, and Ladybug was supposed to be at the Louvre with Chloe, not Marinette.

“Uh… he dyed his hair,” Marinette offered as an answer, trying to deflect the question.

“The dude did what?!” Nino gasped, holding his cap on his head so it wouldn’t fly off. “Why would he dye his hair?”

“He didn’t tell me,” Marinette replied with a shrug. “Maybe he’ll tell us when he comes to class.”

Alya lowered her glasses to eye Marinette. “He wasn’t in class yesterday, just like you. You sure he’s actually gonna be here, girl?”

Marinette thought back to the fear on Adrien’s face when she reached for his cheek. Covering her chest, she eyed the steps sadly. “I hope so.”

Alya’s eyes widened at Marinette’s behavior. Was that-? Was she-?!

Alya tugged Nino all the way to the other side of the steps. She ignored Marinette’s shocked gasp and Nino’s startled yelp, whispering loudly in excitement. “Nino! Tell me you saw that!”

“The life flash before my eyes?” Nino sarcastically asked as he rubbed his forehead, concerned by Alya’s sudden reaction.

“No,” Alya muttered as she narrowed her eyes. “Marinette wants to see Adrien!”

Nino raised his eyebrows with little enthusiasm. “Wow. Was that why you pulled me over here? We all want to see our dude, babe.”

Alya tilted Nino’s head at Marinette. “But LOOK at the heartaching glimmer in her eyes! I can hear Adrienette’s heartbeat in those bluebell eyes of hers!”

Nino took in Marinette’s freaked out position from across the steps. She was grasping at her shirt, eyeing Alya and Nino, completely startled. “Uh, yeah, no. Ignore her eyes, Alya. You just gave her a heart attack.”

“No,” Alya smugly replied, readjusting Nino’s cap, “Adrien did. And we’re gonna help them finally get together!”

Nino let out a suppressed sigh. It felt like it’d been forever since Alya last schemed Adrienette schemes. He wanted to back out of whatever crazy plan Alya would work out for those two, but as Alya’s boyfriend, Nino was already in too deep.

“Uh… how are we getting them together this time?”

Alya gripped Nino’s hand, making her way back to Marinette’s side of the stairs. “After school, we have to strategize with Ladybug and Chat Blanc… but I’m sure we’ll figure out something now, so think, Nino, think!”

“We could just wait for Adrien to show up before we plan anything,” Nino quietly suggested, taking a seat as Alya dejectedly took a seat beside him.

Marinette let out a startled breath. “What was that about?”

Alya leaned back, covering her eyes with her arms in complete boredom. “Sorry. I thought I saw a wasp.”

“So you LEFT me here?!” Marinette screamed in pure betrayal, reaching out to Alya’s slumped shoulders. She hovered over Alya’s impassive face, eyeing Alya in shock. “How could you?!”

Before Alya could half-heartedly respond, she leaned up, eyeing Nino distracted by someone down the steps. She followed Nino’s eyes to the bottom of the stairs.

Nino readjusted his cap, moving his glasses slightly so he could rub his eyes. “Adrien…? Dude, is that you?”

Down below, Adrien glanced up at the stairs, not expecting to see anyone so early. He let out a small smile. Nino still recognized him.

Adrien gave a wave Nino’s way. “…Yeah.”

Alya profusely blinked as Adrien made his way up the stairs. “No way! I could barely recognize you!”

Nino tilted his head in confusion toward Alya. “What do you mean? He just changed his hair color.”

“And he’s wearing sunglasses,” Marinette mumbled, eyeing Adrien’s sunglasses skeptically. Yesterday, and today, he had those sunglasses. There was something up with that. He wouldn’t be able to wear those in the classroom, so why was he wearing them now?

Was he… hiding something? Were his eyes… different?

Adrien glanced at Marinette’s contemplative expression, grinning at her furrowed eyebrows and scrunched up nose. Thankfully, he’d prepared for this moment.

He removed his sunglasses, closing his eyes from the brightness of the sun. He set his sunglasses in his bag, opening his eyes.

His eyes were green.

Marinette tilted her head as she looked at his eyes. They were green. Of course they were green. Adrien Agreste has green eyes. Although the shade of green looked slightly darker than normal, she couldn’t exactly tell him his eyes weren’t his eyes, and why would she?

Was she disappointed…?

No. It didn’t matter. His eyes were green, so whether he resembled a specific person or not didn’t matter. She’d drop it… for now.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, thinking back to when he mustered the courage to put in colored contacts. His father had him wear colored contacts for a photoshoot not too long ago, so he had a prescription for contacts to fit his eyes… but he hated putting on contacts, and his friends knew that. However, just like Plagg brought up before, it’s not like people could easily change their eye color, so explaining his newly blue eyes would be an absolute mess compared to lying with green contacts.

Nino patted the seat, tilting his head back with a grin. “Take a seat, dude! And you better explain why you haven’t gotten back to any of us.”

Adrien laughed in embarrassment. “…Sorry about that. My father arranged last minute photoshoots due to the winter weather. He said it would be good for the Agreste Brand if my hair was dyed to mimic the snow.”

“Seriously?” Nino asked, floofing Adrien’s white hair around. “It looks so natural!”

Adrien shrugged. “They spent a while making it look as natural as possible. My father wanted me to represent ‘Winter Eternal’ or something like that.”

“That’s pretty smart,” Alya said in surprise.

“I know. It’s pretty unusual for him,” Adrien scoffed, listening to Nino break out into a laugh.

Marinette narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward, observing Adrien curiously. She slammed her hand on the step beside Alya’s leg as she went full Detective-Marinette-mode. “I haven’t heard of any new line from Gabriel’s being released… or a ‘Winter Eternal’ line.”

Adrien smirked as he leaned past Nino, cupping his hand under his chin. He tilted his head as he carefully observed Marinette’s perplexed expression. “It hasn’t been formally announced… until he finalizes some finishing pieces. I trust you guys enough to keep it a secret.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes even further as she studied Adrien’s coyness.

He was coy… Just like Chat Blanc when he reassured Marinette that Hawk Moth was no longer an issue.

Coy… Adrien was skillfully feigning innocence through his picture-perfect smile. But the gentleness in his smile as he looked at her was swayed by something else. It was as if he knew something… like he was playing with them all.

He knew something.

He… knew… something…

…What did Adrien know?

Alya cleared her throat, snapping Marinette from her thoughts. Marinette turned her focus onto Alya, sighing in exasperation as Alya wiggled her eyebrows.

As Marinette fought against Alya’s inquisitive eyebrows, Adrien sat back up beside Nino. He wasn’t sure if Marinette was catching on to his secret identity before he could share it first, but nonetheless, watching her contemplative expression from his teasing sent him over the moon.

The school bell rang, startling the four of them as they eyed each other.

“To class?” Alya asked, grinning at Marinette’s annoyed expression.

Marinette grabbed her bag, lost in thought before she remembered Chloe and Emma. “Yeah! See you guys inside!”

Before Alya, Nino, or Adrien could process her statement, she’d already bolted inside of the school building, leaving the three of them behind.

~~~~~

Inside the classroom, Ms. Bustier clapped her hands, eyeing the doorway.

“As a request from the Mayor’s office, we have a very special guest observing our classroom today! She’s a young genius considering transferring to your grade level next school year, so please make her feel welcome.”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. Chloe wasn’t in class today, so maybe she just decided to stay at the hotel to watch over Emma. Marinette felt bad about that… she didn’t want Chloe to miss school. If only Marinette could skip class to babysit her future daughter instead.

Marinette blinked from her own thoughts. Wow. This whole situation really sounded weird now that she thought it over.

Curiously eyeing the creaking door, Marinette wondered why the younger student was brought into her class by the Mayor’s office.

…Until she saw the door open with Chloe and Emma stepping inside.

Chloe glared at the classroom before raising her hand to study her nails. “This is Emma. She’s my half-niece from New York, so treat her with respect and bow down- uh, I mean, give her the welcome her status deserves.”

Emma tugged Chloe’s sleeve, looking up at Chloe in confusion. “Future you doesn’t like being called ‘Aunt Chloe’.”

Chloe thought over Emma’s comment, shaking her head in disgust. “I’m absolutely justified in the future. ‘Aunt’? Ew. Just stick with ‘Miss Bee’ since you refuse to say anyone’s actual name.”

Emma grinned, oblivious to Chloe’s eye roll. “Yay! I’m in school with Miss Bee and Mo-, I mean-!”

Emma ignored Chloe’s nervous hand-waving as she glanced at Marinette’s shocked face, covering her mouth in excitement as she spotted Nino, Alya, and…

Adrien raised an eyebrow at Chloe. Clever. No one in the school knew Chloe had a sibling at all, let alone a sibling in New York, so using that relationship to cover Emma’s presence was smart. However, if the school really did take an interest in Chloe’s “half-niece from New York”, they might find out that Chloe’s half-sibling is actually a year younger than Chloe, which would ruin the whole illusion Chloe painted to their class.

Emma’s eyes lit up as she recognized Adrien.

“Da-!“

“Daily Arithmetic equations, yes,” Chloe interrupted as she kept Emma from dashing up to Adrien. “My half-niece is obsessed with math. Right. Okay, Emma; let’s move on and not interrupt their math studies.”

Ms. Bustier furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Uh, Chloe, we’re not working on math right now. We’re working on French-“

Emma ran up to Ms. Bustier, giving her a hug. “Hello!”

Ms. Bustier’s eyes widened as she patted Emma’s head, accepting Emma’s randomly sudden hug. “Umm, hello. Welcome to our class!”

Emma smiled at the desks before feeling overwhelmed by the amount of students in the room. Emma bashfully waved to them, surprised they all waved back at her.

Marinette’s exasperated glance at Chloe chilled the room. Of course Chloe brought Emma to school. She should’ve known the moment Ms. Bustier mentioned the Mayor’s office.

Chloe walked up to Marinette’s desk, leaning down beside Marinette’s pigtail. “Well what did you think I was going to do? There’s absolutely no way I’m skipping class when Emma could find a subject she enjoys.”

“How noble of you,” Marinette scoffed with a whisper, bumping Chloe’s braid. “What was the daily arithmetic thing about?”

“Nothing,” Chloe rolled her eyes, walking away as she avoided glancing at Adrien’s desk.

Marinette sighed, plopping her head along the desk as Ms. Bustier clapped her hands once again, signaling the class’ resumption.

~~~~~

Notes:

These chapters are popping into my mind faster than Gabriel can make his terrible pancakes. I’ll try to write the next chapters as smoothly as pawsible 🐈❄️.
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 17

The windows in the classroom brightened as more snow breezed past the glass. Class was over. Ms. Bustier was packing away her papers while the students talked amongst themselves.

Rose pressed her hands against the window glass, observing the snow floating down to Paris. “We perform in a couple hours, Juleka. Do you think the snow will calm down by then?”

Juleka eyed the streets building up with snow. “ihopeso.”

Ivan walked over hand in hand with Mylène. “We’re still practicing after class one last time before the real performance, right?”

Juleka nodded, widening her eyes as Kim abruptly stood on his desk.

“Your conclusion is flawed,” Max voiced with narrowed eyes, pointing at a sheet of paper on the desk promptly. “Markov and I explained this portion yesterday, but it’s as if you purposely ignored our help.”

“What do you want me to say?” Kim crossed his arms as he looked away from Max. “I’ve told you studying’s just not my thing. I could be spending that time at the pool with Ondine. Besides, I don’t have time to study; next week is my sweet pool party Nino’s DJing for!”

Kim pointed finger-guns at Nino at his desk, whereas Nino tilted his cap up in recognition.

Markov floated up to Kim’s agitated stance. “Your education is valuable, Kim. I’m sure if you valued your schoolwork just as much as your hobbies, your grades would benefit tremendously.”

Max held out a notepad beside his phone as he readjusted his glasses. “I am 98.2% positive that Kim would fail to repeat what you just said.”

Kim glared at Max before pointing his finger up, pretending to readjust an invisible pair of glasses on his face. “Actually, I can, Max. Markov stated… he, uh… hold on, I’ll get there eventually.”

Mylène stood in front of Ivan, Juleka, and Rose, placing her hands on her hips. “Listen, everyone! Kitty Section has something to say!”

No one left the classroom yet, so as they continued to pack their bags, they turned their attention to the top seats in the back.

“uh…weareperforming inacouple… umm… hours.”

Adrien glanced at Nino, whereas Nino shrugged.

“Before we perform, we’re also practicing right after class,” Ivan added with a smile. “So feel free to stop by early!”

Rose clapped her hands together. “And the snow looks like it’s strong again, so make sure to bring your coats! We’ll be performing for realsies in around two hours!”

Chloe and Marinette eyed each other. Would two hours be enough to finish their science project? Well, it would have to be at this point.

Marinette tapped her chin as she thought over their remarks. She thought the Kitty Section performance would be later that night, not only two hours away. But maybe that was a good thing. It would be lighter outside, and Bunnyx would be by the boat to keep watch against whatever she remembered seeing as a teenager.

Bunnyx was supposed to see Chat Blanc by the boat at some point, too.

Marinette let out a sigh. She hadn’t given Chat Blanc his blue beanie yet, but if he was supposed to be at the performance tomorrow, she could bring the beanie with her just in case.

Some bickering in the classroom interrupted Marinette’s thoughts as she watched Adrien walk toward the door without his bag. Class was over, so everyone could go home if they wanted to, but no one was; they were all too busy arguing with each other.

Marinette held her breath, standing up as she prepared to break the contretemps up. Everything would be fine. There would be time for the project, she’d get to see Kitty Section, and everything else that needed clarification would be cleared up. She’d make sure of it.

“Oh yeah?” Kim’s voice cracked as he narrowed his eyes at Markov. “I could totally beat a panther in a race!”

Max readjusted his glasses. “It’s statistically proven that-“

“please, uh, everybody calmdown, okay?”

Rose crossed her arms. “Juleka’s right! You’re all going to scare Emma with your shrieking!”

“Like your singing isn’t shrieky enough,” Nathaniel muttered as he covered his mouth in shock. “Wait… why did I say that?”

Marinette slowly exhaled, placing her hands on the table as she eyed everyone still in the room.

“ENOUGH.”

~~~~~

Adrien stepped outside the classroom, opening his jacket once he confirmed no one was around. Plagg and Nooroo floated out as he eyed them in confusion.

“My father doesn’t have the Butterfly Miraculous anymore,” Adrien began, “so why are the wishes acting up? Weren’t they affected by Hawk Moth’s emotions?”

Nooroo tapped his hands together as he nodded. “The wishes were swayed by Hawk Moth, and once the Butterfly Miraculous was freed from him, the wishes weren’t as strong. He was an evil holder, and the Miraculouses aren’t intended for evil purposes... so after carefully thinking everything over, Plagg and I discovered something.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes at them. “Well, what is it?”

Plagg held his paw out to Nooroo, signaling he would take over the explanation. “You see… when cheese-“

A slam from inside the classroom startled them as Plagg eyed the room.

“Uh… back to what I was saying, ahem. So… the wishes are pure just like cheese made with dairy.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, slumping against the wall as he prepared himself for a cheesy explanation from Plagg.

Plagg held out his paws. “Well, like I’ve said before, your father is expired dairy-free cheese… but the Miraculouses are pure, rich, creamy, delicate cheeses. If your father tried to eat the pure cheese and use it for evil, the pure cheese would still make him gassy.”

“Plagg, please,” Adrien sighed, pulling at his head.

Plagg scoffed at Adrien’s irritation. “Fine! I’ll explain it as boringly as possible then. So you see, a bad guy like him using something good for evil… doesn’t work. The good thing will still want to be good, even if it’s being used for evil. So… after years of evilness from the expired dairy-free cheese, the Butterfly Miraculous decided it had enough and it grew.”

“My Miraculous tried to create something positive from the negative,” Nooroo explained. “That’s why the pure wishes of the victims have lingered behind. However, since they still come from my Miraculous, they must be affected by the holder’s emotions if that holder was the one who created them in the first place. If that’s the case, then evil holders that reign for too long end up as the pure-wishmakers and wish-controllers. The pure wishes would be calling out for Hawk Moth’s change of heart, following his emotions to try and get his attention. It was my Miraculous’ goal to stop Hawk Moth’s evilness… but it failed. I assume a good holder of my Miraculous wouldn’t have to worry about pure wishes because their intent for kamikotizing people would be good anyway. However, that’s only an assumption without any proof.”

Adrien took a minute to process everything before lifting his jacket again. He eyed the Butterfly brooch on his shirt. “Then why are Clarityvoice’s and Snowtopia’s wishes reacting so strongly if my father is no longer the holder?”

Plagg and Nooroo eyed each other nervously. Nooroo floated up to the brooch, pointing at it. “Hawk Moth never resigned from evil, which means he never put an end to the pure wishes he brought about. He may not be the holder anymore, but he was the one who made your akuma. Now that the Miraculous has no holder, and you still have the akuma, the wishes are reacting to the intent behind your akuma. So in essence, they’re still swayed by Hawk Moth’s intentions instilled in your akuma.”

Adrien frowned as he shook his head. “No, that can’t be true. If it were, the effects would have happened immediately. The wishes are only strong now.”

Plagg tapped Adrien’s forehead. “Kid… you said you had control over the akuma, right? You were ‘you’ when you first received it… albeit a little nuts.”

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows at Plagg’s comment, deciding to hear him out.

“Comté is described as a cheese with a nutty flavor to it,” Plagg casually remarked. “Imagine if that cheese were drenched in wine. It would absorb the wine’s flavor over time, until the original taste of the Comté was lost. Adrien… you’re the Comté. The longer you keep the wine, the less you’ll stay ‘you’. The wine will saturate who you are as time goes by, and the winemaker’s intent behind the wine will strengthen as you fade away. But the wine won’t replace the Comté’s flavor; the Comté and wine will blend into something nasty, something with no control over what flavor it’s trying to be. Complimentary baguettes or figs, the wishes in this case, will recognize and react to the wine’s presence in the Comté, and it won’t be pretty. Even I wouldn’t eat from that spread.”

“Are you saying I don’t have control over the akuma anymore?” Adrien asked Plagg, raising an eyebrow at Nooroo skeptically.

Nooroo nervously gulped as he floated behind Plagg. “That’s not it… it’s not a matter of whether you can control the akuma or not… it’s the akuma that persists until it can have its way. And if Clarityvoice’s wish increases openness within you, you’ll have to acknowledge more and more of what could be either you or the akuma, and resisting evil at some point will become impossible.”

“So, the akuma’s taking over my mind then? That’s what you’re insinuating.”

Nooroo shivered from Adrien’s tone of voice, eyeing Plagg for assistance. Plagg floated up to Adrien’s nose, pinching it as Adrien pulled away.

“Kid, we’re just trying to help you. We can remove the akuma-“

“No.” Adrien narrowed his eyes as he covered the brooch with his hand. “This is a link to Hawk Moth’s original power. Losing his last trace with the Butterfly Miraculous will ruin our chances to end the wishes.”

Plagg crossed his arms. “For all you know, getting rid of that akuma might be the slice of Chabichou we’re searching for. We haven’t tried getting rid of Hawk Moth’s complete influence yet, even if he’s no longer the holder, so deakumatizing you might end his Hawk Moth career for good.”

Adrien eyed his hands, considering what Plagg said.

They haven’t gotten rid of Hawk Moth’s complete influence. Huh… Plagg was right about that.

“I think I have an idea,” Adrien’s voice spoke as his eyes seemed distant. He centered his focus on his shoes, grinning as he dug one shoe closer to the floor.

Before Plagg and Nooroo could comment on Adrien’s behavior, he opened his jacket, waving for them to go back inside.

Adrien knew what he needed to do.

He started toward the classroom again, ignoring the burning sensation along his forehead as he smirked to himself. As long as he could find his father again, Adrien could solve everything within an instant. Chat Blanc’s akuma intended to reunite Gabriel Agreste with Émilie… and soon, that intent would be fulfilled.

~~~~~

Back inside the classroom, everyone gathered their things in silence, nervously glancing at Marinette as they left the room one by one. Only Adrien, Alya, Chloe, Emma, Marinette, and Nino were left in the classroom.

Chloe, Emma, and Marinette walked over toward the window, observing the snow floating down.

“Do you mind if I make a couple pit stops before we work on our project?” Marinette asked, eyeing Chloe hesitantly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I kind of don’t have a choice, do I? You’ll yell at me like you did with all of those other fools if I refuse.”

Emma bumped Chloe’s braid. “Hey, that’s mean, Miss Bee. Mommy was just being helpful!”

Marinette facepalmed. “No, Chloe is right. I let my emotions get the better of me before I could recognize what I was feeling, and I took it out on everyone around me.”

Chloe placed her hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “It’s probably one of the stupid wishes’ faults that you brought up. We can do whatever you need to do, but you better be quick.”

Marinette let out a relieved sigh, nodding as she took Emma’s and Chloe’s hands in her own. Tugging them lightly toward the exit, she gave a departing grin to Alya, snickering once Alya regally waved back.

Once Alya packed her bags, she poked Nino’s cheek. “Ready to go?”

Nino eyed his desk still covered in notebooks, and Adrien’s conflicted expression. “Uh, not exactly, babe. Mind waiting for me?”

Alya glanced between Adrien and Nino, realizing they might need some time to talk. “Of course. I’ll look around the cafeteria for a bit.”

Nino grinned as Alya patted his red cap, making her way over to the door. Once the door clicked, and no one else was left inside the room, Nino turned his attention to Adrien’s slumped position.

“How’s it going, dude?”

Adrien rubbed his forehead, flinching as he shakily eyed his hand. “I… don’t know. I feel like something’s completely off about me, but I don’t know if I can really do anything about it.”

Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien, slumping onto the desk as he faced Adrien directly. “Buddy, I’m your dude, too. Whatever’s on your mind, we can talk about it. I’m here for you.”

The corner of Adrien’s lips tilted up as he examined the glimmer of light in Nino’s glasses. “I’d like that.”

Nino let out a smile as he realized he was finally having some one-on-one time with his buddy. It’d been awhile since they’d talked, and now, he could be there for him, just like Adrien had been there for Nino. It was officially dude-time.

Adrien turned his face over to Ms. Bustier’s desk, resting his chin on his desk as he frowned. “Recently… everything has been really… difficult. My family, myself… everything. I don’t know how I should feel anymore. I don’t know if what I’m feeling is really even ‘me’ anymore. It’s like… I can’t trust my own thoughts, or that I’ve never even thought for myself to begin with.”

Nino’s eyes dropped at the pain in Adrien’s voice. This was serious. Way serious.

“I… I just wish everything could be clear. My father usually makes decisions for me, and I’ve gotten used to that. Now… he won’t be making any more decisions for me at all.”

Nino’s eyes lit up as he patted Adrien’s back. “Way to go, bro! You told your old man what was up, and what’s up is your total freedom!”

Adrien sadly eyed the window, keeping his chin on the desk.

“You’re in control of your life, dude. He can’t hold that over you anymore. You’re free!”

Adrien’s eyes watered as he looked down at his desk. “But I’m not, Nino. All my life, I’ve listened to him. I did what he wanted me to do, said what he wanted me to say, and now… now I have to figure out how to be myself after years of being what he wanted me to be. It’s scaring me. I can’t tell if who I was when I first came to school was really me, or if somehow he planned for me to rebel against him. Like he knew once I chose school, he could set even more rules and photoshoots to compensate for my behavior, as if he knew everything I would do before I ever did it, and I-!”

Nino held his breath as he watched Adrien’s tears slip down his cheek, gracing the wooden desk. Nino lightly ruffled Adrien’s hair, letting out a weak smile of reassurance. “You’re free. I promise you, my dude. Besides… I won’t let him get to you anymore. If you don’t feel safe at home, I’m sure we could find some way to get you away from him. Chloe’s dad is the mayor, you know. I’m sure they’d help you out, and I’ll help you out, too.”

Adrien turned his head back to Nino, resting his cheek on the tear-stained desk. “I don’t deserve a friend like you, Nino.”

Nino tugged at Adrien’s hair, snickering as Adrien rubbed his head. “Yeah you do. I’ve got an awesome dude like you, and you’ve got an awesome dude like me. That’s never switching up anytime soon. We’ll always be buddies.”

Adrien laughed, wiping his eyes and nose as he took a slow breath. Having Nino as his friend was a blessing for sure. But then again… he had to lie to him so much because of his secret identity.

Nino eyed Adrien’s conflicted expression. “Dude?”

Adrien eyed some of Nino’s notebooks left on the desk. “What if there are secrets we can’t tell each other that cause us to lie?”

Nino’s eyes widened as he gulped. There were secrets between them. But… what if there didn’t have to be?

“There are secrets,” Nino voiced as he eyed the tear puddle Adrien left behind on the wood. “And you know what? I’m tired of them. I’m tired of keeping things from you. You’re my bro, and you deserve to know what’s up.”

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Adrien meant himself, but Nino was hiding secrets, too? “What do you mean?”

Nino locked eyes with Adrien as he kept his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. This was happening. It was really happening. Finally, he could tell Adrien the truth.

Tightening his grip on Adrien’s shoulder, Nino took in Adrien’s perplexed expression.

“Adrien… I’m Carapace.”

It happened… it finally happened. Nino told Adrien the truth.

Adrien’s eyes widened, surprise taking hold of him. “You-? You’re… Carapace? You’re actually Carapace?”

Nino nodded. “My kwami, the magic genie that gives me my powers, is in my bag if you don’t believe me, dude.”

Adrien took a slow breath, remembering Carapace’s reaction to Chat Blanc on the Eiffel Tower. If Carapace knew who Chat Blanc was under the mask… that whole situation would have gone very differently… wouldn’t it?

Adrien placed his hand on Nino’s shoulder. “I’ve got something to tell you, too. Since Hawk Moth is no longer a problem, it’s safe now.”

Nino raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Huh? Hawk Moth’s defeated? How would you know that?”

Adrien gulped. It was now or never. For years, he had to hide his secret, keeping it to himself. He wanted to tell Ladybug and Marinette who he was more than anything, but it’s not like he wanted to keep his secret from the other important people in his life.

This was it. This was the moment he would finally reveal his secret identity. Maybe not to Marinette or Ladybug yet, but to his best friend: Nino.

“Nino… I’m… I’m Chat Noir.”

Silence filled the classroom as they stayed where they were.

Adrien loosened his grip on Nino’s shoulder. There. He said it. Now, everything would change. And maybe it would change for the worse.

…Adrien was prepared to lose Nino if it came down to their friendship’s end; he was ready if Nino didn’t want to be his friend anymore. But after everything Nino said to him, every ounce of kindness and friendship he’d received from his buddy… he couldn’t lie anymore. He didn’t want to lose Nino… but if Nino couldn’t trust him after knowing his secret identity… then Adrien would understand. Nino needed to know. After everything that has happened, Nino deserved to know the truth, even if it would lead to the end of their friendship.

They were both superheroes, both fighting together this entire time. Would their friendship, as heroes and civilians, break now that they knew the truth?

Adrien’s eyes betrayed him as tears filled his eyelids. “Do you… not want to be my friend anymore?”

Small tears quietly met with the wooden desk, dripping into a little puddle.

Nino’s eyes filled with tears as he sadly smiled at Adrien’s face. He ruffled Adrien’s white hair with a poignant laugh, feelings of bittersweetness lining his eyes as he bumped foreheads with Adrien. “You and I… we’re super-bros, my dude. I couldn’t be happier.”

Adrien let out a sad laugh as he thought back to all the times they risked their lives in battle against Hawk Moth, unaware of who they were this entire time. But now, they knew.

The super-bros would never have to lie to each other again. Everything… was okay now.

Everything, and everything else, would finally be okay in no time at all.

Nino’s smile quivered as he noticed Adrien’s eyes.

Adrien worriedly raised his eyebrows as Nino started to giggle. “Nino…? What is it?”

Nino poked Adrien’s forehead. “You’re wearing colored contacts?”

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows before realizing his eyes felt slightly off, pulling out his phone as he checked his reflection. He winced at the sight of his red and tear stained face; he was a model, but he was most definitely an ‘ugly crier’. That’s when he noticed his contacts’ losing their previous position in his eyes, sort of slanted as they revealed some of his blue eyes.

“Yeah,” Adrien confessed as he covered his ‘hideous’ face from Nino’s sight. “I really want to take them out, but we’re having a moment, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

Several seconds passed before Adrien let out a small snort. Nino’s giggling furthered into a laugh, until both of them were wheezing, filling the previously silent room with their inharmonious cackling.

The moment was ruined, but that was fine; they were both happy.

~~~~~

Chloe and Emma waited outside of Master Fu’s house, holding a bag of croissants and candy apples Marinette picked up from the bakery.

“I can’t believe you’re making a science project out of mommy’s croissants,” Emma sighed in despair, glancing at the bakery sack Chloe placed on a nearby bench.

“I can’t believe we haven’t had the time to finish it with every absolute annoyance-of-an-issue, but whatever,” Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms in irritation. “We barely have an hour and a half left before she has to leave. Again.”

Emma shrugged. “Kitty Section is too cool to miss.”

“Well, I’m skipping out of it,” Chloe replied with a roll of her eyes.

Emma gasped as she looked between Master Fu’s house and Chloe. “WHAT?!”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Rose is sweet, but her voice gives me a headache if I hear it for too long.”

“That-! That’s mean!”

Chloe rolled her eyes as she brushed some snow from her jacket. “I know. I’d end up saying it to her face if I went, so that’s why I’m not going.”

Some seconds ticked away as Emma realized just what it would mean if Chloe wouldn’t go to the performance. “What about me? Can I still go?”

Chloe shrugged. “I have no idea. You can ask your mom whenever she’s done wasting our time for the project, ugh.”

~~~~~

“Ah, yes. I sensed you would arrive after a fated encounter-“

“You met with Sentiquin before I did,” Marinette held out her teacup as Master Fu poured tea into it. “So you already knew what he was planning.”

Master Fu set the teapot down, sipping some tea as he looked away. “I sense you’re not pleased.”

“Of course I’m not!” Marinette stated as she crossed her arms.

Master Fu sadly sipped some more tea as he thought over his last encounter with Sentiquin, and the distress of Chat Blanc’s face. “I told him not to tell you his plans.”

“He didn’t really tell me what he was planning,” Marinette admitted, eyeing the Peacock Miraculous brooch in her hand. “However, he wanted me to use this to kill him.”

Master Fu gasped, coughing on his tea. “Wait, I beg your pardon?”

Marinette held the Peacock Miraculous out to Master Fu. “He met me in the bakery last night, and he gave me this. He… he said he wants to accomplish some kind of goal, but I don’t know what it is or when he’ll meet me to have himself removed from existence. So I came here. I thought you would know what to do since you’re the Guardian.”

Master Fu reached out to Marinette’s hand, almost touching the Peacock Miraculous before hesitating.

“Master Fu? Is something wrong?”

Master Fu set down his tea, standing up immediately. “Yes. There is indeed something terribly wrong.”

Marinette tilted her head in confusion. “Well, what is it?”

Marinette took another sip of her tea, watching as Master Fu lifted the gramophone up, slowly walking over to Marinette. Placing it on the floor, he sat down in front of it, pressing the buttons to unlock it.

“Now that you’re here, I can share Sentiquin’s plans with you since he’s manipulated his intentions in his favor against you. You see him very differently than I do, as everyone in the world is destined to view the people around them.”

Master Fu pulled out the Miracle Box, taking a deep breath as he observed it carefully.

“He plans to kill Chat Blanc. After Sentiquin was informed of Mayura’s death, he assumed it was by Chat Blanc’s hands.”

Marinette almost dropped her tea as she gasped. Placing her tea cup and Peacock Miraculous down, she stood up in anger. “What? Chat Blanc would never kill anyone! That’s an absolute lie!”

“It is,” Master Fu agreed. “Chat Blanc did not dispose of Mayura. But Sentiquin doesn’t know that. He plans to kill him, and from what you've said, he plans to use you to aid in his own death as well.”

Marinette clasped her hands over her mouth as she slowly took a seat on the floor again. “No…”

Master Fu took some more deep breaths before opening the box. “I assume he has either formed a genuine trust in you for saving his life, or he knows of your value to Chat Blanc. Or he realizes your connection to me as the Guardian is a valuable resource for his plans. Which I don’t doubt. The last time he was in here, he reached for the gramophone as if he wanted the Miraculouses that helped him revive.”

Marinette placed her hand on her chest as she tried to control her breathing. “So… he wants to use me to kill Chat Blanc and steal the Miraculouses to revive himself if he gets cataclysmed again?”

“Potentially,” Master Fu quietly spoke. “However, he might be testing just how close you are to the Miracle Box and me. Imagine this… if you were to return the Peacock Miraculous to me, and he had his hands on the Miracle Box, he would know you returned it to me, and you would be in serious danger.”

Marinette widened her eyes as she nodded, eyeing Tikki and Duusu floating inside the room with cheese crackers. “Then, what should we do?”

Master Fu let the Miracle Box reveal its Miraculouses one after the other. “It is too dangerous for me to keep them here, but if I entrusted you with the Miracle Box and Sentiquin found the box in your room, that would be even more disastrous. Instead, I will keep some Miraculouses and give you some to watch over if you will accept this responsibility.”

Tikki floated down to the box. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, what Tikki said! Is that a good idea or not?!” Duusu voiced, zipping around Master Fu’s head as she chewed a cracker. “I just have to know!”

Master Fu nodded. “It must be done.”

Marinette took some more sips of her tea. Alright. So, she would guard some of the Miraculouses until everything between Sentiquin and Chat Blanc could be resolved? Fine then. If it had to be done, then so be it.

Master Fu slowly picked up Miraculouses one after the other. The Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Rooster, and Dragon Miraculouses.

“These Miraculouses would best be protected by you,” Master Fu remarked. “You haven’t returned the top Miraculouses yet, as you shouldn’t. Just one of the top shelf’s Miraculouses would allow Sentiquin easy use of the Miracle Box’s powers, and we can’t have that happen.”

Marinette placed the Miraculouses on herself, watching as they went into camouflage mode.

“Since Sentiquin most likely viewed what camouflage mode your Peacock Miraculous went into, any other jewelry other than the earrings he’s most likely noticed you wearing would be suspicious. As Ladybug, you can place these Miraculouses in your yo-yo.”

Marinette nodded. “Thank you Master Fu, but what about the other Miraculouses? Wouldn’t it be dangerous if he got ahold of them?”

Master Fu contemplatively stroked his beard. “You see… I believe he would only want the Miracle Box’s powers, not the Miraculouses themselves foolishly enough. The Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Goat, Monkey, Dog, and Pig Miraculouses are a believable amount of Miraculouses for me to guard over. He doesn’t have to know I guard the others. That is, he might come back for the Peacock Miraculous from you if his intent for the Miracle Box is genuine. It would be incredibly difficult to use the Miracle Box without one of the top shelf Miraculouses. He would only need one of the top shelf Miraculouses to quickly recollect his body if it breaks.”

“And the other Miraculouses will be in my yo-yo by then since he won’t suspect my earrings,” Marinette nervously voiced as she cupped her hands around her ears. “He… he won’t suspect my earrings, right?”

“I highly doubt so,” Master Fu voiced. “I’m sure you’ll come up with a plan just in case.”

“Then again,” Duusu voiced, “he would need someone to place his bow on the Miracle Box to begin with if he did get cataclysmed, right? So, he’d have to have an ally. Does he really want to revive himself? Or does he want to release himself from existence to reunite with Mayura?”

These were questions that would need to be thought over for sure, but for now, it would only be pure speculation.

Marinette stood up. “Thank you, Master Fu. I have to work on a project with my friend, but I’ll hide the Miraculouses in my yo-yo now.”

Removing the Miraculouses off of herself, she transformed into Ladybug, placing the Miraculouses in her yo-yo. Once she was done storing the Miraculouses, she detransformed, picking up a cheese cracker for Tikki to snack on.

“Be safe, Marinette,” Master Fu spoke.

Marinette nodded as she made her way to the door. “You too, Master Fu.”

~~~~~

Sentiquin placed his hands along the Louvre’s pyramid. It would only be a matter of time before his plan would be complete.

The glass pyramid reflected his image, one that felt eerily familiar as he observed his face. He couldn’t get a full look at his face without removing his cloak, so he settled with what he could currently see.

It was easier to secure Marinette as a part of his plan than he realized. Gabriel wasn’t at the mansion anymore unfortunately, but sooner or later, Sentiquin would find him. Once Sentiquin would secure one last person, and he held the Miracle Box in his hands… he could finally silence Chat Blanc forever.

…Then everyone else.

…And finally, himself.

His eyes slipped to his mouth’s reflection as he smirked. Humans were fools. As long as he could embody whatever humans saw him as, he could get whatever he wanted. Just like a mannequin modeling clothes; if Sentiquin could evoke feelings from humans’ perceptions of himself, he could invoke whatever information he deemed valuable.

Gabriel viewed Sentiquin as a monster, and in turn, Gabriel’s fear turned against him as Sentiquin retrieved the Peacock Miraculous.

Although Master Fu seemed to be off when they last met, he viewed Sentiquin as a redeemed sentimonster with the chance to make his own choices. He gave Sentiquin all of the answers he needed, verbally and through his actions. Soon, he’d retrieve one last thing he needed from that man, and his use for Master Fu would be over.

Ephemera was a temporary test of his arrow’s power, and nothing else. With everything he learned from his arrow’s possession of Ephemera, he could be certain his cards were better than anything Chat Blanc would have under his sleeves.

Then there was Marinette. It was as if she never viewed him as a monster to begin with, a feeling he could vaguely recognize, even if not fully. She saved him before, so if he expressed honest and internal emotions he felt to her, she might try to save him again. Luckily for him, she responded exactly as he had hoped, taking on the burden of the Peacock Miraculous.

That’s what he thought anyway. He had to admit that having someone to express his thoughts to somehow felt comforting, even if his mind was already set.

The Louvre’s reflection glimmered as he recalled Émilie’s coffin in the basement.

Sentiquin could only recall what the amok felt emotion/presence wise when held by two people: Marinette and Master Fu.

Once the bow was on the Miracle box, and his body started to form together, he could vaguely understand some general statements Master Fu made, but they weren’t vividly clear. Master Fu seemed to be talking to himself at that point, anyway.

Although he couldn’t hear or see Marinette, he could sense her presence when he was left in his thoughts on the balcony. He could only assume he was on the balcony back then since that’s where he was cataclysmed. Without her presence and assistance, he would’ve been stuck living in his mind for however long he was destined to live.

He stepped back from the Louvre’s pyramid. He had his cards ready… so whatever Chat Blanc had under his sleeves, Sentiquin would be prepared. No matter what it was… he knew for certain that Chat Blanc’s sleeves would soon be soaked with his own blood before he could dream of escape. Mayura would be avenged, and then, no one would ever feel anything again.

With one last glance at the familiar reflection, he walked away, planning to head back to Master Fu’s and then the Agreste Mansion.

~~~~~

“This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”

The beakers lining the counter shattered and melted as Chloe and Marinette tried to finish the last parts of their project.

“This can’t be happening,” Marinette nervously voiced as she tried shoving croissant pieces into the remaining beakers, watching as each beaker destroyed itself in different ways. “Why is the croissant reacting so badly with every test chemical in the beakers?”

Chloe gripped her forehead in annoyance. “Well, now we know that all of these reactions will explode on Ms. Mendeleiev’s horrid coat, but there’s a high chance they’ll explode in her face.”

“Is it safe for me to take a croissant now?” Emma asked from behind a couch.

“NO!” Chloe and Marinette called back, falling to their backs.

Chloe shoved her long braid away from her back as she pulled it over her face. “Great. Now we have no assignment.”

There was no more time to make anything actually work for their project. It was due next week, and with all the time they had to make something incredible, they failed to do so. Now, their grades would suffer the price.

This whole situation was horrible. It was almost as bad as the day Marinette invited her friends over to make a banana cream pie.

…Hold on. Marinette tapped her chin in consideration, curiously eyeing Chloe.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Uh, what is it, baker girl?”

Marinette grinned. “You wanted to make something that would destroy a coat, right?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. A coat. Not a person along with it.”

Marinette smirked. “I think I know what we can do instead.”

Chloe crossed her arms as she looked Marinette up and down. Marinette seemed overly prepared, as if there was a simple solution to all of their problems right under their noses.

“Well, what is it, Dupain-Cheng?”

“…Baking is considered chemistry, right?”

~~~~~

Chat Blanc and Carapace leaped across the buildings, observing the snow falling along the rooftops.

“So, you think we’ll see Ladybug soon?” Carapace asked as he narrowly avoided a chimney.

Chat Blanc shrugged, observing the city. “Hope so.”

Carapace smirked as he used his shield to slide down a rooftop, catching it as he ran down the street. Nodding his head to Chat Blanc, he slowed his pace so Chat Blanc could catch up to him.

“So, dude,” Carapace began, “I wanna know something.”

Chat Blanc tilted his head with a smirk. “Yeah? And that is?”

Carapace leaped over a snowman as he ran along the walls, eyeing Chat Blanc across the street. “Do you still like Ladybug, or would you happen to like Dudette?”

Chat Blanc rolled his eyes. “They’re my friends, Carapace. Of course I like them.”

“Don’t be an oblivious airhead,” Carapace snickered, running up the wall as he did a handstand along the roof’s edge. He observed Chat Blanc upside down, watching him come up to the roof with his staff. “I wanna know, dude. Who do you like?”

Chat Blanc tapped Carapace’s stomach, sending his back onto the roof. As Carapace gasped in shock, Chat Blanc laughed, wiping his eyes as Carapace glared his way.

“It’s kind of complicated I guess,” Chat Blanc admitted as he fell back onto the roof with Carapace. “I used to love Ladybug, and in a way, I still feel like I do, but… I know she doesn’t see me that way, and constantly telling her my feelings when we were younger probably wasn’t my smartest move.”

“You think she’s sick of you or something?” Carapace scoffed before being silenced with Chat Blanc’s paw.

Chat Blanc rolled his eyes. “That’s not what it is. I didn’t realize confessing all the time when she didn’t feel the same way was wrong. Now that I’ve realized telling someone your feelings over and over again isn’t cool… I sort of backed off.”

Carapace shoved Chat Blanc’s paw to the side, narrowing his eyes as Chat Blanc put his paw back over his face. With a few struggles to move Chat Blanc’s paw, Carapace raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Sooo? What about now?”

Chat Blanc looked off into the clouds, reaching both of his paws up to some snow falling down to them both. “Recently… I’ve seen Marinette differently. Well… not all that differently I guess. We’ve spent time together, and every minute I’m with her, my mind is at ease. It’s like… it’s like she sees me, you know? And… I really love to see her. She makes me feel happy.”

Carapace covered his mouth with his hands, fighting the urge to squeal. “Alya was right! You two are made for each other, dude!”

Chat Blanc let one of his arms slip toward his face, letting out a sigh. “I wish. She probably doesn’t see me that way though, but that’s okay. I’m fine with that.”

Carapace sat up, narrowing his eyes at Chat Blanc. “Dude. You’ve gotta tell her how you feel. Next time we go to class, I won’t let you try and slip out of it.”

Chat Blanc widened his eyes as he moved his arm off his face. “What do you mean at school? ‘Chat Noir’ isn’t supposed to be at my school, ‘Adrien’ is.”

Carapace planned to retort before questioning Chat Blanc’s statement. Of course Chat Noir wouldn’t be at their school; Adrien would confess to Marinette as himself! Duh.

“Hold up. What do you mean ‘Chat Noir’?”

Chat Blanc lowered his arm to his forehead, leaning back. “I usually visit her as my superhero form, not Adrien. So… I thought I’d confess sometime after we get rid of the wishes and end Sentiquin.”

Carapace raised his hands as he shook his head. “No way! We’ve all hung out a lot as civilians lately, and I could’ve sworn you two hung out recently while you’re Adrien! Like, yesterday for example.”

Chat Blanc tilted his head in confusion. “Yesterday?”

Carapace nodded. “Yeah. Dudette mentioned you two met up yesterday. She mentioned it on the steps this morning.”

Chat Blanc widened his eyes in realization as he pawed at the sky. “Oh yeah. You know how I destroyed Sentiquin before, right? And how Marinette somehow brought the amok to the Guardian by accident since she ran into him? And then the Guardian brought Sentiquin’s body back.”

Carapace leaned on his arms, giving Chat Blanc a nod as he watched snowflakes stick to Chat Blanc’s hair.

“Well, Sentiquin wanted to ‘thank’ Marinette or whatever.”

Carapace raised his eyebrows in shock. “WHAT?!”

Chat Blanc sighed. “Yeah, exactly. There’s no way I would’ve let him meet her, so I ran into Bunnyx, and she told me Marinette was at the Louvre.”

Carapace puffed his cheeks as he slowly nodded. “Huh. What a coincidence.”

Chat Blanc glanced at Carapace’s conflicted expression. “Yeah. I saw you and Rena Rouge on the roof when I found Marinette as Adrien.”

“Was she okay?” Carapace nervously asked.

“Thankfully yeah,” Chat Blanc sighed. “Our timeline’s Alix helped me find her, but it looked like she was perfectly fine when she ran out with Chloe.”

Carapace felt the air leave his body as his eyes locked to the roof’s snow. Chloe. Adrien and Alix found Marinette… with Chloe.

The heroes were all searching the Louvre as civilians.

Queen Bee is Chloe.

Chloe… was searching with Ladybug…

“Uh, Carapace? You good?”

Carapace eyed Chat Blanc nervously. Maybe Carapace was just jumping to conclusions. But… what were the chances that Marinette was in the Louvre, in the same Wing, in the same ROOM as Chloe and Ladybug’s civilian identity.

No. There was no mistaking this.

…Marinette is Ladybug.

“Uh, hello?” Chat Blanc voiced, waving his paw in front of Carapace’s eyes. “You still there?”

Carapace rapidly blinked. This was huge. No wonder Ladybug seemed so down around Rena Rouge when Rena found out Chloe knew who Ladybug was. Marinette and Alya were best friends… so this must have been awful for Marinette.

But soon, once everyone defeated the final problems of Paris, Marinette would finally have her chance to tell Alya herself. Marinette could reveal her identity to Alya, something she’s probably waited for for years.

Ladybug was also waiting to share her identity with Chat Noir.

Carapace eyed Chat Blanc with a weak smile. This wasn’t Carapace’s secret to share. When the time came, Ladybug and Chat Noir would finally have their moment, and everything would be perfect for them.

What’s more, Chat Blanc loved Marinette for ‘Marinette’ and ‘Ladybug’.

“Everything’s awesome, dude,” Carapace smiled. “I’m just relieved Marinette wasn’t caught up in the roof’s destruction.”

A flashback to the Agreste mansion’s basement startled Chat Blanc as he gripped his burning forehead.

“I am too,” Chat Blanc replied, rubbing his forehead in pain.

Carapace placed his hand on Chat Blanc’s white hair. “You okay?”

Chat Blanc slowly sat up, wiping some snow from his suit. “Yeah… but I realized there was one last thing I had to do before I can meet up with the team.”

Carapace stood up, extending his hand out to Chat Blanc as he tugged Chat Blanc up beside him. “Say the word, and I’m there, my dude!”

Chat Blanc smiled at Carapace’s confident grin, until the burning returned to his head. He gripped his head with his clawed glove, shaking his head. He shouldn’t get Carapace involved in the confrontation he’d soon have with Gabriel Agreste. Besides… he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand against the akuma raging within his mind.

“No, it’s okay. It’s more of a different thing than a hero thing. It’ll only be a minute.”

Carapace looked over Chat Blanc’s pained face. “Well… call me if things get bad, or if you just wannna hang out, okay?”

Chat Blanc nodded, putting out his fist for Carapace to pound it. “See you later.”

After watching Chat Blanc depart for a couple seconds, Carapace decided to try and find Alya, or Rena Rouge at this point.

That’s when he realized she was probably still in the school’s cafeteria, wondering where he went. He scanned the city, eyeing the school’s rooftop nearby. “Ehehe, my bad.”

As he soared through the sky, Carapace looked down at the bakery’s balcony. All this time, Marinette was Ladybug. She was the confident hero of Paris, and one of his close friends. She was the amazing friend that supported her friends, building them up even when Paris crumbled beneath them… and she was the same hero who would fix the city and protect everyone around her. She was absolutely incredible.

She’d been crushing on Adrien for the longest time, and now, Nino knew Adrien liked her back for both sides of herself. Nino knew Marinette seemed to feel differently about Adrien when Nino and Alya confronted her and Adrien, but that was okay. She would be ecstatic to know someone liked her for both her identities, even if they didn’t get together as a result.

To think… his best friend, Adrien, was Chat Noir, fighting alongside his other close friend, Marinette, who was Ladybug. Their relationships with each other were so convoluted as he pictured each of their four dynamics: Ladynoir, Adrienette, Ladrien, and Marichat.

Huh. It was kind of funny how complicated their relationship with each other was, all because they couldn’t share their secret identities. The day they would figure out who they are, Nino hoped he’d be nearby with Alya and potentially Chloe, spying in a bush if they couldn’t be a part of the moment. The looks on Adrien’s and Marinette’s faces would be priceless as they connected the dots.

He would do his best to help end the wishes and Sentiquin’s plans. He would do everything in his power to end Paris’ terror. Then, she could finally be free to tell the people closest to her what she’d been hiding for years. She could potentially get together with Adrien, hopefully, and they could be happy. Marinette would feel free to tell Alya, too, and then they could be happy. Everyone would be happy.

Happiness would come back to Paris. He was sure of it.

“Dudette,” he quietly voiced as he eyed the bakery’s balcony one last time, “we’re all going to do our best to end this mess. I promise.”

~~~~~

The hotel kitchen reeked of burnt bananas, soggy croissants, and candy apples. Marinette, Chloe, and Emma looked at the countertop, beholding a mammoth pie with the weirdest scent wafting from its croissant crust.

“What have we done?” Chloe asked as she fearfully pointed at the chemistry project.

Marinette wiped her hands in satisfaction. “We just used up the last of the bakery’s candy apples I found buried in the fridge from months ago, AND we made use of the leftover croissant pieces for the crust!”

Chloe incredulously eyed Marinette as she felt her eyelids twitch. “THIS is our chemistry project?”

Marinette nodded in satisfaction, keeping Emma’s hand away from taking a taste. “Yep! No one will ever know what this thing is, and since baking sort of matches chemistry, we’ll get points for creativity! Tada!”

Emma clapped her hands as Marinette pumped her fists up in success, unaware of Chloe’s disgust within the kitchen.

“So, it’s going to sit around until your class next week?” Emma asked as she tried to reach for it again, narrowing her eyes as Marinette kept her from a piece.

“Exactly,” Marinette agreed. “That way, whatever happens to it by then will be EXTRA science! There is absolutely no way we can get a bad grade now!”

Emma and Marinette cheered as Chloe slumped onto the one clean section of the counter, completely, no, utterly done with everything.

The science project was finally complete.

Marinette wiped her hands, eyeing her clothes covered in squashed bananas. “Oh no! I was going to wear this to Kitty Section tonight! Now I have nothing to wear.”

Emma tapped her chin before having a light bulb light up in her mind. “What about that dress with all of the kitties on it? It’s super cute!”

Marinette sighed as she gripped her head with her hands. “My mom put a load of laundry in around the time I left, so that thing is probably the only thing I have left that’s warm enough with a jacket. NO!”

Chloe snickered as Marinette cupped her hands over her eyes, sadly accepting her fate.

Some minutes passed before Chloe recalled what Emma shared with her the night before, and before Marinette could go full panic-mode, Chloe needed to warn her.

“Marinette.”

Marinette took a deep breath, eyeing Chloe’s serious expression. Huh. Chloe’s seriousness next to the horrible chemistry-banana-candy-apple-pie was sort of funny to see.

Emma glanced at Chloe’s face in confusion before remembering the previous night. “Mommy, there’s something I noticed and told Miss Bee, but I think Miss Bee would be able to word it better without telling you, uh, too many things. It’s very, very important.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at Emma’s attempts for seriousness, inwardly facepalming as she realized she should be taking Emma more seriously if Marinette was her mom in the future.

“Um… okay. What’s up?”

Chloe let out a sigh, grimacing from the pie’s presence. She placed a hand out to Marinette’s shoulder. “I have to be careful how I share this with you. If I tell you everything I know, it could risk your future with someone. However, I can’t risk blowing off what Emma shared. It could really be dangerous if it turns out to be true.”

Marinette glanced one last time at Emma, fully taking in the panicked look in her eyes. There really was something off.

“…I’m listening.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Identities are being revealed! I wanted both of Adrien’s and Nino’s identity reveals to sort of feel like the scene Marinette revealed her identity to Alya in the show; it was so much fun thinking through how they would tell each other! It’s one of my favorite parts in this chapter 🐈❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 18

Ivan wiped some snow from his drums, skeptically eyeing Luka hugging his guitar. “Are you sure we should still perform today? Practice has been hard with all of this snow.”

Rose wiped the microphone, shaking her head once a snowflake landed along her nose. “It’s a little chilly out here, even with my favorite pony coat.”

Juleka glanced around the nearby table, spotting a pair of pink cat earmuffs with unicorn horns hiding underneath a blanket. Placing down her base, she walked over to the blanket, tugging the earmuffs out. She dusted some snow off of them before offering them to Rose.

“Aww! Thank you!” Rose grinned, immediately lowering her pony coat’s hood as she put the earmuffs on, carefully setting the hood over her earmuffs.

“noproblem,” Juleka replied with a smile, scooting some snow to the side with her shoe.

Luka reached out to the clouds, letting some snow melt along his black nail polish. “It’s our moment. The warmth in our hearts is enough to fight the chill.”

Ivan narrowed his eyes, dusting more snow off of his drum set. Even though he wanted to believe in Luka’s metaphors, Mylène had to go inside because she was too cold. Ivan suggested performing inside of the boat, but the rest of Kitty Section preferred performing with the snow despite how freezing it was outside. It didn’t make any sense to him. In under an hour, they would be performing, and if the weather stayed like this, many of their friends might end up missing their music.

As Kitty Section talked amongst themselves, Bunnyx leaned up against the outside of the boat’s stair-platform, observing the surroundings carefully. She knew that her teenage self was spying from behind the nearby wall, so as long as she remained in this spot for Chat Blanc to show up, everything should go smoothly.

“Bunnyx?”

Wow. That was fast. Bunnyx twisted her head to the side, viewing Chat Blanc’s arrival. No one on the boat seemed to pay him any mind as he strode along, meeting Bunnyx’s relaxed position against the boat’s steps.

“Arrived just in time, Kitty Blanc,” Bunnyx sighed, stretching her arms with a hopeful look in her eyes. “Please tell me there’s good news on your end.”

“Purr-haps,” Chat Blanc smirked, crossing his arms. “I’m assuming that means you found nothing on your search?”

Bunnyx narrowed her eyes, bonking Chat Blanc over the head. “I caught sight of Sentiquin by the Louvre at some point, but before I could follow after him, I was approached by several civilians worried about you.”

Chat Blanc’s cat ears straightened as he tilted his head in curiosity. “Worried? Were they scared to see me like this?”

“Some were,” Bunnyx admitted, “but I reassured most of them that it was just a new power up, just like your Astrocat, Ice Cat, and Aqua Noir forms. You’re welcome.”

Chat Blanc slowly nodded. The world would be better off not knowing he was akumatized… wouldn’t it? Knowing one of their hero’s was akumatized would send everyone in a panic. Besides, it’s not like he planned to use his akumatized powers to bring about the world’s total destruction.

Bunnyx tapped her shoe impatiently. “Look. We don’t have much time left. From what I can remember as a teenager, everything will become a mess in only hours from now. Kitty Section performs after they practice for a little while longer.”

Chat Blanc raised an eyebrow at Bunnyx’s serious tone. “Uh… why can’t you just check out what happens in the burrow? You could scroll through one of those circle things, take a couple notes, and then relay your notes to the team.”

“Since I’m currently a part of this timeline’s issue directly, I can’t know any more than what I saw as a teenager. If I knew too much, the upcoming events would play out differently, and our future would be replaced. Everything that’s happened canonically in this timeline will twist into something else. That includes the future Emma brought up to you yesterday; it could become something completely different than what it is now.”

Chat Blanc rolled his eyes as he seemed to accept her excuse. “Is there anything you can clearly remember? Like a scene before the mess happened?”

Bunnyx tapped her chin, pondering over the question. “Well, yeah. I bet I can remember some details if I really think about it.”

The two flinched as the practice session resumed.

“Remembering anything yet?”

Bunnyx narrowed her eyes at Chat Blanc’s impatience, gripping her forehead as she thought to herself. She tapped her shoe along the ground, widening her eyes as she recalled something.

“Yeah, actually,” she began. “I don’t know why I would’ve forgotten something like this.”

Chat Blanc crossed his arms, waiting for Bunnyx’s memory to reveal itself.

“One of the last things I can sort of remember is during Kitty Section’s performance. I had a couple juice boxes and talked with Marinette for a bit about the Louvre and stuff before I went off for some reason. I can remember the boat shaking a bit which cut off Luka’s guitar from the rest of Kitty Section. From there, all I can remember is Bunnyx screaming for everyone to run when I felt…”

Bunnyx tightened her grip on her forehead, trying to recall what she was missing. As she continued to think to herself, she rubbed the back of her head, messing with her hair.

“…I can’t remember anything else.”

Chat Blanc stayed quiet before placing his hand on her shoulder. “It looks like you're starting to remember at least. Besides, if you remember Bunnyx warning everyone, you might remember everything else by then.”

Bunnyx rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips as she observed the snow clouds above. “Thanks, but for everyone’s safety, I need to remember sooner rather than later.”

Chat Blanc lowered his hand, picking at his clawed gloves. He would need to finish his upcoming confrontation as quickly as possible; being at the boat was a necessity.

“It’s fine,” Chat Blanc voiced, eyeing the boat’s side windows. “I’ll be here whenever you remember, and we’ll keep everyone safe.”

Bunnyx nodded, eyeing some snow land along the boat. “Cool. I’m gonna need all of the support I can get.”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes as he slowly took in a breath. Everyone was working off of vague details, but at least some of their issues would be put to rest soon. If he wanted to be back in time for Bunnyx’s disaster, he’d need to leave now.

“I’ll catch you and the others later.”

“Are you busy or something?” Bunnyx asked with a scoff.

Chat Blanc flicked his bell, listening to the little jingle with a grin. “I just have to take care of something inconsequential, that’s all.”

Bunnyx raised an eyebrow at Chat Blanc’s response, snickering as she held out her fist. “Call me if you need backup, Kitty Blanc.”

Chat Blanc returned the fist bump, completing their ‘pound it’ before starting off. “I’ve got this covered, but I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

~~~~~

Sentiquin made his way inside of Master Fu’s house, closing the door behind him.

“I was expecting you.”

Sentiquin crossed his arms as he watched Master Fu sip his tea. Placing his teacup down, he waved Sentiquin over, pointing to another teacup awaiting him.

Master Fu eyed Sentiquin’s approach, remaining calm as Sentiquin broke off his arm, sending it down and shattering the teacup. Letting the glass arm lift back onto his body, Sentiquin wiped his mouth with his reattached arm, smearing some tea along his face.

Master Fu took a sip of his tea, dissatisfied with the taste. He placed a sugar clump into his teacup to remedy the previous flavor. “If you change your mind, I can always pour you another cup.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sentiquin replied coldly. “I’m not staying for much longer.”

“Then what is it you seek?” Master Fu took a sip of his sweetened tea, letting out a satisfied grin at the sweetness.

Sentiquin leant down, snatching Master Fu’s teacup from his hands. “Open the box.”

Master Fu took a deep breath, remaining calm. “Again. What is it that you seek?”

“That is none of your concern,” Sentiquin replied, opening the teapot on the table. He poured the teacup’s tea back into the teapot, smirking as the teacup’s tea spilled around the teapot. “I wouldn’t want to break the gramophone to get what I need, sir.”

Master Fu disappointedly watched as the teacup emptily sat itself down on the counter. Reaching out for the cup, Master Fu’s hand was caught by Sentiquin’s hand.

“Open the box, sir.”

Master Fu frowned as he stood up, eyeing the glass hand on his. “You promised you wouldn’t harm Marinette-“

Sentiquin tightened his grip on Master Fu’s hand. “And I’m keeping that promise. Open the box.”

Master Fu eyed the dresser with the gramophone. It was playing some light music as the two stood in discomfort. Sentiquin threw down Master Fu’s hand, making his way over to the gramophone in impatience.

Sentiquin listened to the gentle melody drifting from the gramophone, softening his approaching steps. He lifted the needle off the shellac record. He carefully removed the shellac record, setting it beside a stack of shellac and vinyl records laying on the dresser. “I’m doing your world a service. Open the box.”

Master Fu made his way over to the dresser, placing his hands on the gramophone before Sentiquin could. “I can’t do that.”

Sentiquin eyed Master Fu’s hands along the gramophone. Holding out his glass arms, he let his fingers shatter, slipping beneath Master Fu’s hands as his glass fingers lifted the gramophone upward. Shoving his shattered wrists beside the gramophone, his palms reconnected to his fingers, setting the gramophone along his hands despite Master Fu’s attempts to stop him.

“Yes, you can,” Sentiquin calmly replied with a softer tone of voice. “Sir. Open the box.”

Master Fu remained silent, pulling his hands back as Sentiquin gained control of the gramophone. What other choice was there? He would have to comply with Sentiquin’s insistence, but unbeknownst to Sentiquin, Master Fu was prepared for this exact moment. “I will.”

An uncomfortable silence passed between them as Sentiquin presented the gramophone. Master Fu pressed the eyes of the dragons along the gramophone, watching as they turned red. Several seconds passed as Master Fu entered a code along a keypad, revealing the miracle box inside of the gramophone.

Master Fu placed the box on the counter, opening it for Sentiquin to see what Master Fu and Marinette prepared.

Sentiquin eyed the remaining Miraculouses, thankful the Peacock Miraculous hadn’t been returned to Master Fu. There weren’t many Miraculouses inside of the box… but that was fine.

He would only need one of them anyway.

“You were interested to know what I wanted, right?” Sentiquin solemnly voiced, pawing with one specific Miraculous.

Master Fu narrowed his eyes at Sentiquin’s selection. Although all of the Miraculouses were powerful in their own ways, there was surely a higher regard for some than the others in the hands of villains. A villain would seek the ‘most powerful’ jewels in the box, which were all given to Marinette to stash in her Ladybug yo-yo… so why was Sentiquin toying with one that wouldn’t normally be seen as useful in the eyes of evil?

“Yes. What do you seek?”

Sentiquin narrowed his eyes at the piece of jewelry in his hands. “The man that pointed me to Mayura’s murderer let me see a copy of something called the Grimoire. A specific writing regarding a Miraculous caught my eye… and thankfully, you have it in your possession.”

Master Fu watched as Sentiquin curled the piece of jewelry in his hand, using his other hand to rip his head from his neck.

“Why would this Miraculous intrigue your interest?” Master Fu asked, watching as the Miraculous camouflaged itself inside of Sentiquin's shattered neck. Placing his head on top of his neck and Miraculous, Sentiquin watched as a tiny kwami floated around the room.

Master Fu worriedly eyed the kwami drifting nearby. His reasonings failed him, and now, one kwami he swore to protect was under the control of Paris’ newest threat.

“The adoration I held for my creator was immense. And with this… everything will soon fall into the place I wish it to be. Now, I’ll get what I want with a single touch.”

Master Fu gulped as Sentiquin walked over to the teapot, signaling the kwami over to him with a wave of his glass finger. Leaning down, he swooped up the teapot, letting the tea drizzle down his glass face, and seep into his cloak.

“What is it that you want?” Master Fu inquired, uncomfortably watching as the teapot settled beside the teacups. “How would this Miraculous aid you in your battle against Chat Blanc? Surely, there must be something else you’re seeking.”

“Correct,” Sentiquin voiced with a warm grin, gently patting the kwami’s head. “There is more to what I want. With the help of this Miraculous, my plans for this world will be finalized.”

~~~~~

Marinette bolted down the streets, narrowly avoiding ice. If she wanted to make it in time for Kitty Section’s performance, she’d need enough time to change into her cat dress, fix her hair, and take a minute to breathe.

She fumbled past a hill of snow, throwing herself over it as she ignored the concerned looks of pedestrians and her freezing hands.

Chloe shared something that would change everything between Marinette and Chat… but not for the reason Chloe expected.

According to Chloe and Emma, Chat Blanc planned to get rid of Emma’s future father in order to be with Marinette, destroying Emma’s timeline in the process. At least, that’s the conclusion Emma came to after some vague explanations concerning the day before.

Marinette listened to their concerns, but she absolutely wouldn’t accept it for reality like Chloe had hoped. Marinette couldn’t. She knew Chat, and he would never do whatever Chloe and Emma were implying he would.

Marinette never thought too hard about Emma’s father, but now, Marinette had to. Who was it? And if Chat were ‘targeting’ that person, that meant that… Chat wasn’t Emma’s father.

Marinette’s love for Chat… wasn’t possible. Her feelings weren’t returned or even allowed to exist in the future.

Marinette and Chat would never be together. Not as heroes, civilians, or anything in between. Their futures would be separate from each other, and the perfect life she dreamed of as a kid wouldn’t include him.

As she ran down the snow, tears slipped down her face. She pictured his cute little fabric cat ears, fluffy hair, and silly smile. She didn’t want to lose him. No. She couldn’t! She wouldn’t lose him! Not again. Not anymore.

Tikki tried to mess with the purse’s clasp, peeking out of the shaking purse to console Marinette. “Maybe it was a misunderstanding.”

“He wouldn’t. I know he wouldn’t, but no matter how many times I tried to explain that to Chloe and Emma, they wouldn’t listen to me.”

Tikki held her stomach inside Marinette’s purse. “You don’t know what he would do for you or anyone else, Marinette.”

Marinette scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Tikki. He’s stubborn when he has his mind set on something, but he would never purposely hurt anyone.”

“Then why did we sprint out of Chloe’s hotel?” Tikki asked, narrowing her eyes as she peeked past Marinette’s bouncing purse. She observed the streets, surprised with just how much snow managed to stick around.

Marinette eyed the bakery not too far away. “I have to get ready for Kitty Section, but I also have to find Chat. I’ll talk with him directly so that I can reassure Emma and Chloe later.”

Making her way up to the door, Marinette listened to the door’s jingle, surprised to find Alya waiting inside the bakery.

“Marinette? Are you okay, girl?”

Marinette breathlessly held her hands on her knees, slipping to the floor. Numerous customers awkwardly eyed Marinette’s descent as she ignored them all. Alya slowly approached, extending her hand out to Marinette’s frazzled state.

“I’ll help you get to your room if you want,” Alya offered, catching hold of Marinette’s hand as she tugged her up and off the floor.

Marinette took a deep breath, letting it out as she let Alya walk her to the staircase.

Alya’s company set Marinette’s mind at ease as she opened the hatch to her room. She offered for Alya to stay while Marinette left to clean off from the chemistry project.

After a ten minute shower, Marinette came back to her room, narrowing her eyes as her wet hair stuck to the cat dress’ fabric.

“Woah, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen that piece,” Alya snorted, clearing her throat from Marinette’s unamused expression. “I mean, uh, wow! It’s um… so much better than the last time I remember it!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marinette groaned, flopping onto her chaise. “I didn’t have anything else that was clean, so it’s made its comeback.”

Alya sat beside Marinette’s slumped state, observing the random cat-fabric-patchwork dress. “It’s not all that bad.”

Marinette lifted her face from her pillow, giving Alya a hopeful glance.

“I mean, you’re gonna wear a coat with it anyway,” Alya added mindlessly, patting Marinette’s wet hair. “It’ll all be okay.”

Marinette pressed her face back into the pillow, fighting the urge to cry.

“I can’t keep doing this,” Marinette whispered, shaking her head in despair.

Alya placed her hand on Marinette’s back for support. She could tell whatever Marinette was referring to didn’t involve the cat dress.

“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen… but if you don’t feel ready, I understand,” Alya voiced as she felt Marinette reach for Alya’s hand.

Marinette squeezed Alya’s hand. Alya was here with her… she wasn’t alone. Her mind felt disorganized as she tried to regain control over her thoughts.

Was it wrong to wish for a normal life again? Was it wrong to want normalcy and a safe, happy, and steady future, without death knocking on her door day in and day out-? Wondering when it would be the end of Ladybug; when her parents would find out the hero of Paris was their very own daughter; when the world figured out who was beneath the mask only after she was gone-?!

Alya squeezed Marinette’s hand back. “I won’t try to figure it out or force it out of you. If you can’t tell me what’s in your heart, it’s your right.”

Marinette pressed her face into her chaise’s pillow, muttering against the pillow in aggravation. She shouldn’t speak. She shouldn’t say a word. Clarityvoice’s wish was no doubt pushing this moment, but… was that really a bad thing?

Clarityvoice’s wish was pure, and it only became dangerous when a person’s emotions weren’t internally reflected upon before spoken. Being open wasn’t wrong, or even a bad thing like she’d imagined it to be. But… being open would come with a price, and losing people she was close to from being completely open about everything was a definite possibility, one she didn’t want to occur.

Marinette took a slow breath as she twisted her head. She glanced at Alya’s concerned face. It hurt. No matter how much Marinette wanted to tell the truth, it would only place the people she cared about in danger. She had to push everyone away. Or they would be hurt, and she would be hurt… or they’d all leave her right then and there for being a liar.

Marinette didn’t doubt herself, and she didn’t believe her friends would hate her if they knew she was Ladybug. That’s not why she was trembling. That’s not why she couldn’t look Alya in the eyes.

Marinette hated lying, and she couldn’t stand liars… but she herself was a liar, everyday, in order to protect the people she cared about.

Knowing Alya, someone who values the truth no matter what, she worried that maybe Alya would never see Marinette in the same light again. She’d be forever seen as the girl that lied to her best friend for years, and any goodness she brought from lying would be tarnished. Alya was her friend, and she deserved a best friend who could be completely honest with her. So… if the truth came out after two years of friendship… what would run through Alya’s mind?

“…Will we… still be friends?”

Marinette’s lip quivered as she tried to hold back tears. Did they ever have the chance to be true friends? After all of these years, did Marinette even know how to be one anymore?

Alya tugged Marinette’s hand closer as Alya leaned down. “Marinette, I’m your best friend, and I’ll always be. That’s why it kills me that I can’t help you with whatever’s making you feel so alone.”

Marinette ignored her purse’s nervous taps against her leg. She cupped her free hand around Alya's other free hand, pulling herself up to Alya’s side. If Marinette had to inwardly recognize what she was feeling, then so be it.

Inside, she was a mess.

“If I tell you, things will never be the same between us again. It’ll mess up everything… maybe even destroy it.”

Alya curled her fingers into Marinette’s fingers, trying to look into Marinette’s eyes past her own tears. “Marinette. I’m your very best friend.”

Marinette gulped. “And I… I’m…”

A whoosh of wind outside slammed against the window, startling Marinette as she screamed.

Sabine, hearing Marinette’s scream from downstairs, worriedly called up to the room. “Marinette? Is everything alright?”

Alya felt Marinette’s hands loosen against hers, slipping out of her fingers. Alya rubbed her eyes to see a melancholic look encompass Marinette’s face.

“…I’m fine, I just… I thought I saw a spider and I, um, threw… I threw my Ladybug doll at it to make it run away.”

Alya looked down at the chaise in discomfort. Thankfully, Marinette wasn’t at Alya’s house right now; they were taking care of a spider from the zoo that would be returned soon.

“Oh, um, is your doll alright?”

Marinette felt tears run down her face as she remained as quiet as possible. Her eyes flickered around her room before settling on her empty hands. “She’ll be fine, she’s just… broken.”

She could remember the days she and Manon played with that doll. Every doll would need Ladybug-doll’s help, but Marinette’s doll wouldn’t last forever if the stitches weren’t strong enough. Or if the stitches were constantly tugged at left and right nonstop, as if the constant torment Hawk Moth put Paris through day in and day out wasn’t enough. The lies, excuses, fears… they were intermixed within the good, even when Marinette wished they weren’t. Pain was inevitable in the world Hawk Moth prepared for her, as if life weren’t hard enough already.

Alya’s eyes flickered over to Marinette’s silent but terrified expression, watching as a countless amount of tears splashed onto her trembling hands.

“…Don’t worry sweetie. We’ll take care of it! Broken things can always be fixed, and if school is keeping you busy, I can sew her right back up for you tomorrow. Have fun with Alya, and I love you!”

Marinette tearfully glanced at the unopened door hatch, keeping her mom from seeing what had really gone down. “I… love you, too… Mom.”

Alya held her hands over her mouth as her eyes glued onto Marinette. This was bad. There was something Marinette couldn’t open up about, a level of suffering Alya didn’t realize Marinette even had.

What could Alya do if Marinette wouldn’t let her know what was happening?

“…Marinette-?”

“I keep secrets. I lie all the time. I lie to my friends, to my parents, to everyone-! I… I have no choice, I-, I can’t do anything else but lie!”

Alya held her breath. She wasn’t sure what to say, or if she should even speak.

Marinette stood up, walking over to her desk. She smoothed her hand along the sewing machine, taking slow breaths.

Alya walked over to Marinette’s side, placing her hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “I’m here.”

“I just hope you’ll forgive me, Alya.”

“Forgive you? Why…” Alya’s eyes widened as she remembered the last moments before the heroes went to the Louvre. “Why would you say that?”

Marinette held her head up, looking Alya directly in the eyes. “I’ve had to lie to you to keep my secret… that’s all.”

“But you don’t have to,” Alya whispered, searching Marinette’s eyes for an answer. “Whatever it is, I’m here for you. You can tell me. I’m your friend.”

“… And I’m Ladybug.”

Marinette didn’t look away. She wanted to tell Alya for so long, but it was never the right time. Now, there didn’t have to be a ‘right time’. She wouldn’t let her own guilt for lying keep her from this moment. She had to lie back then. Sometimes, people have to lie, even if lying is supposedly wrong. This moment was right for her, and she wouldn’t ruin it by looking away.

A small grin slipped on her face as she looked at Alya smiling back at her. Alya wrapped her arms around Marinette into a hug, keeping Marinette close to her. They’d end every issue coming their way. The whole team would make sure of it.

“Thank you for stopping by the bakery,” Marinette laughed, letting some tears slip from her eyes and onto Alya’s hair.

“Of course, girl,” Alya spoke as she leaned back, eyeing Marinette. “Together, we’ll end everything that’s made you so late for school every morning. I promise.”

Marinette snickered, bumping Alya’s forehead. “Wow. What a way to talk to Paris’ superhero.”

Alya scoffed, tugging Marinette’s pigtails. “You’re so ‘modest’, Marinette.”

“I was just kidding,” Marinette raised an eyebrow, pulling away from Alya tugging her hair.

“I know,” Alya grinned. “So… that textbook I found back when the Pharaoh was akumatized was yours?”

Marinette nodded.

“I KNEW it!” Alya punched her fist into her hand, narrowing her eyes at Marinette. “Clever, making me think you’re over 5,000 years old.”

With a smirk, Marinette flipped her pigtails. “I did what had to be done, but at least you bought it at the time. Like Chat Noir said: I don’t look a day over 3,000. Pulling off 5,000 wasn’t exactly easy.”

“Ugh, I feel like such an idiot,” Alya snickered, resting her hands on her forehead. “I should’ve known you were Ladybug.”

Marinette knelt down to eye Alya’s expression. “How come?”

“Well, besides your same blue pigtails, now that I know who you are, it just all makes so much sense. You’re still you, with or without the mask.”

Marinette nodded. She knew she was the same person with or without the mask, but to hear someone else say it directly really sent her a wave of relief. Finally, at least two people she was close to knew her secret identity. Everything would be okay.

From beneath the stairs, Sabine knocked on the hatch. “Sorry to interrupt you two, but if you wanna hand your Ladybug dolly to me, I can sew her good as new!”

Marinette looked around her room, trying to find her Ladybug doll. “Uh, I…”

“I already started sewing back one of the pigtails,” Alya called back, sending a thumbs up to Marinette. “Just one more pigtail to go, and she’ll be good!”

“Aww, that was sweet of you to do, Alya,” Sabine replied. “Marinette, remember to thank her, and make sure to give her some madeleines before you two leave for your friends’ concert.”

Marinette giggled as Alya fiddled with Marinette’s pigtail. “Will do, mom! I love you!”

“I love you, too,” Sabine voiced, stepping down the steps once again.

Marinette turned her attention back to Alya. “Off to Kitty Section?”

Alya eyed Marinette’s cat dress as she nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

~~~~~

Emma carefully tiptoed toward the closet, pawing at the handle. Trying to keep the closet from squeaking, she slowly opened the door, observing the numerous coats and jackets lining the space.

“Mommy could’ve just borrowed something from Miss Bee,” she muttered to herself, eyeing the clothes in annoyance. “Then, she could’ve brought me with her to Kitty Section. Now… I have to be wealthy.”

She slipped her favorite pony coat off of one of the hangers, eyeing its worn down zippers and ponies in awe. Carefully tugging it on, she smiled, closing the closet. Preparing to walk toward the exit, she glanced to her left, jumping in shock as she spotted Chloe.

“You have to be ‘wealthy’?” Chloe raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “What on earth does that mean?”

“Miss Bee! You SCARED me!” Emma gasped, covering her chest with her hands. “I didn’t mean ‘wealthy’. I meant ‘stealthy’. A simple mistake, really.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “And why would you have to be ‘stealthy’?”

Emma’s eyes widened as she gave up. “Okay, fine. I was trying to sneak out to go see Kitty Section.”

“Yeah, I already knew that,” Chloe replied, extending her hand out as Emma handed Chloe her pony coat. “You spent half an hour verbally debating your sneak-out.”

Emma glanced at one of the nearby windows. “Well, mommy would’ve been totally surprised, and we would’ve hung out together! It would’ve been the best.”

After opening the closet, Chloe hung Emma’s coat back on a hanger. “She already lost you once, Emma. Losing you again would be even worse for her if you didn’t make it to the concert and ended up lost. Sneaking out isn’t okay, even if it’s for Kitty Section.”

Emma slumped against the wall. “So… I still can’t go?”

“Absolutely not,” Chloe scoffed, shutting the closet doors as she wiped her hands. Being a babysitter is a piece of cake. Honestly, if Chloe knew it would be this easy, she would’ve spent less time hiding away her expensive shoes.

However, once she took a look at Emma’s dispirited expression, Chloe realized she was probably not as good of a babysitter as she assumed.

“Uh… we can do something else though,” Chloe slowly offered.

“Really?” Emma asked, eyeing the closet once again. “Could we try on all of those fancy dresses?”

“NO!” Chloe gasped, clearing her throat. “I mean, um, we… don’t have time to try on any of my designer clothes because, uh, we are going to…”

Emma tilted her head, waiting for Chloe’s magical offer to reveal itself.

“We’re… uh, we’re going to… look at… artwork.”

Emma squealed, jumping up and down as she pointed to the window. “WE’RE GOING TO THE LOUVRE?! Woohoo!”

Chloe let out a tired sigh. “Um… sure. But first, let’s check out some artwork my family owns before we deal with the Louvre. Besides, even though there’s a lot to see, I was literally just there yesterday.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Chloe nervously laughed as Emma jogged up to the door, jogging in place as she waited for Chloe to lead the way.

~~~~~

Marinette dashed down the staircase, without holding the railing. At the last five steps, she braced herself to jump, landing perfectly along the ground.

“Aren’t you supposed to fall down stairs every time you’re on them?” Alya teased from the top of the stairs.

Marinette rolled her eyes with a grin, opening the door leading to the bakery now that they’d made it way past her room. “Ice skating with you must have restored my balance.”

“Uh-huh,” Alya began with her eyes narrowed, “I don’t buy that at all.”

Marinette shrugged, continuing her descent down the stairs. Once she made her way inside the bakery, she sent Alya a thumbs up, dramatically spinning herself toward the exit. There was no way she’d trip now. Even though she was currently unaware of her surroundings, nothing could possibly go wrong.

Alya watched as the unavoidable scene unfolded before her eyes. “Um, Marinette? You’re not watching where you’re-, Marinette, stop!”

Attempting to stop herself, her left arm threw itself forward as her right arm threw itself toward her back. She pressed her right shoe into the ground, trying to cease the spin, but only furthering it as she continued to kick the ground with that same right shoe. Realizing her attempts to stop herself were failing, she lifted her right leg up… regretting the fact she wasn’t wearing her left shoe. The spin continued on her lucky sock, spinning, and spinning, and spinning, as she cupped her arms around her stomach to keep herself upright. Surprised she still hadn’t fallen over, she kicked her right leg onto the door, stopping her spin as a stinging pain traveled up her ankle, sending her to the floor.

Alya gasped, running over to Marinette in a panic. “Girl, are you okay?”

Marinette held her head in embarrassment. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, I’m good-! No, I’m great.”

Alya raised a skeptical eyebrow as she lifted Marinette off the floor. “Are you sure about that? You just did a one foot spin on your sock.”

Marinette placed her hands on Alya’s shoulders as she regained her balance. “You mean the move you did when we met up for ice skating?”

“Uh-huh,” Alya said with a slow nod, patting Marinette’s back. “Maybe we should look up how to ease out of one of those spins. Neither of us know how to stop apparently.”

Marinette sheepishly nodded, gripping the door handle as she slipped out the door. She placed her hands out in front of her, preparing to crash onto the ground, before Alya gripped the back of her dress.

“Girl, you forgot your coat again? Don’t you realize how cold it is outside?” Alya sighed as she widened her eyes in realization. “And you planned to leave with only one shoe?!”

There was only so much luck Marinette could have after successfully facing the stairs of her house.

Hovering over the cement, Marinette spotted a letter stashed underneath a book. She reached for it, still being held up by Alya. Scanning the streets, she spotted a man walking away from behind a tree, sporting a red and white shirt. He was stroking his beard contemplatively as he wisely nodded to himself, taking his leave.

“Uh… Marinette?”

Marinette twisted her head back to eye Alya, realizing Alya was still holding her up. Nervously laughing, she steadied her shoe and sock on the ground, hugging the book and letter close to her stomach. “You’re right. I’m gonna go get my other shoe and my coat… but you can go on without me if you want. I don’t want to make you late for Kitty Section.”

Alya eyed the book against her stomach. “Does that thing have to do with secret-undercover-Ladybug stuff? Or is it for Detective Marinette?”

Marinette lowered her eyes to the book and letter. “I’m not sure, but I’ll have to look through some of this before I can go to Kitty Section.”

Alya nodded, patting Marinette’s back. “Well… okay, girl. I’ll meet you there. Call me if you need me.”

“Or if I want you, can I call you?” Marinette tilted her head with a mischievous grin, narrowing her eyes as she watched Alya facepalm. Wow. Chat was really starting to rub off on Marinette, wasn’t he? At least for this singular moment.

Alya rolled her eyes, stepping outside of the bakery. “Try not to be too late. I’ll save you a juice box, but they run out of drinks quickly, especially with Alix drinking all of them.”

“I will,” Marinette snorted, waving goodbye to Alya. “I’ll see you soon.”

~~~~~

Sitting along a snowed over bench, Adrien eyed his scarf in irritation. “Are you about done, Plagg?”

Plagg narrowed his eyes at Adrien’s impatience, remembering how little patience Adrien had with Plagg’s cheese-eating when they were first working as a team. Plagg really thought they were past the point of dashing to Ladybug as quickly as possible, interrupting his cheese eating… but maybe he was wrong.

“Something’s really off with you,” Plagg frowned as he swallowed some cheese. “Maybe you should reconsider meeting with your father.”

Adrien glared at the ground, helplessness gripping his mind as his head burned. “…I’m sorry if I was rude, Plagg… but I can’t afford to lose anymore. Ending everything comes down to confronting Hawk Moth directly, and I’m ready to do that, no matter what happens.”

Nooroo held his breath, looking away. He would’ve taken the akuma from Adrien by now, but he couldn’t; Adrien said not to, and whether Nooroo liked it or not, Nooroo had to listen to that command… even if it were hurting his holder.

Nooroo’s eyes widened. Was Adrien really his new holder? Well, pretty much. Sure, Adrien hadn’t used the Butterfly Miraculous yet, but it was still in his possession.

Being with Adrien and Plagg felt like a dream come true for Nooroo, but he worried that dream would turn into a nightmare… and there was nothing he was allowed to do to end that nightmare.

Adrien lightly tapped Nooroo’s hand, leaning down to eye him. “Hey… are you sure you’re not hungry?”

Nooroo felt like he would cry. Adrien was still gentle at heart, despite the akuma prying into his mind.

But just like Plagg said: Comté and wine wouldn’t have one distinct flavor over the other, but they’d combine with no control over what flavor they choose to become. Adrien and the akuma would coexist, creating a disharmonious balance, and remaining in that state for too long would break Adrien.

Adrien didn’t deserve that kind of fate.

“No thank you, Adrien,” Nooroo quietly voiced. “I was wondering something, though.”

Adrien narrowed his eyes from Plagg’s burp, resuming his attention onto Nooroo. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Well… if you don’t mind me asking… what are we planning to discuss with your father?”

Adrien stayed silent as he cupped his hands along his scarf, keeping the cold air away from Plagg and Nooroo. One thing remained clear: Gabriel’s evil and remaining presence presented a problem, one that Adrien could resolve, rectifying everything.

He knew exactly what he would do. There was no other option.

Adrien lifted one of his hands to his forehead, flinching as his head felt like it was on fire. He didn’t feel like himself, and he wondered if his decision would truly solve anything. In all honesty, he really wished it wouldn’t solve a thing, but he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do anymore. Throughout all the time he spent away from the mansion, it seemed like he wanted some way out of this reckless decision.

No. It wasn’t reckless. He’d thought it over long enough. He wouldn’t allow himself to shed compassion for that man anymore.

Adrien covered the scarf further as he stood against the rushing wind, ignoring some tears chilling his face. “I’m not sure what we’ll discuss with my father, but meeting with him one last time is necessary. It will… solve everything, it will, I know it will. I… I have to end these mistakes before they can get any worse.”

~~~~~

Out on the boat, everyone was chatting amongst themselves as Kitty Section tested their instruments and mics.

Kim crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at Alix. “Hey! Save some for the rest of us!”

Markov and Max eyed each other uncomfortably as Alix stashed some drinks in her arms.

“I am,” Alix sighed with a roll of her eyes. “I’m only having a couple.”

Markov floated over to Alix’s arms. “A couple usually refers to a small amount around two. You’ve taken nine beverages from the cooler.”

Alix eyed her arms, grinning at each drink in her possession. “Huh. I guess I have.”

“So, are you going to put some back?” Max asked, readjusting his glasses as Kim glared at her drinks.

Alix rolled her eyes, glancing at the numerous coolers prepared. “If I don’t drink them all, then sure. But there’s plenty left. Get over it, Kim.”

Kim gasped, eyeing the coolers in despair. “But you’ve got one of each of all the good ones!”

“And there’s tons left,” Alix replied in annoyance, walking away. “It gets boring stealing pastries from the security guards at the Louvre. By the time they buy their pastries, they cheap out on drinks.”

Max narrowed his eyes. “And how is stealing beverages from Kitty Section justified from that excuse?”

Alix gave them one last glance. “I’m not stealing. Kitty Section and I have made a deal: I give Rose blue hippo plushies from the Louvre, and in return, I get early access to the coolers.”

“Is that why I’ve seen so many decorated blue hippo stuffed animals?” Markov asked aloud, pointing at a nearby blue hippo with pounds of glitter and a felt unicorn horn.

Max and Kim eyed each other in defeat, reaching for juice boxes in the open cooler. As they prepared to clink drinks, they spotted Alya approach the boat, waving toward her.

“Hey, guys,” she voiced, eyeing the boat. “Have either of you seen Nino?”

Kim nodded as he pumped his fist in the air. “He’s up at the front with Luka and Juleka.”

“Thanks,” Alya smiled, walking off as she ended their conversation. She made her way over to a foldout chair, eyeing Nino listening to the two siblings talk with each other.

She wasn’t sure if leaving Marinette was the right choice or not, but she might’ve needed some space to gather her thoughts.

Marinette, her best friend, was Ladybug.

Just thinking of everything Marinette had done for the city and everyone around her tired Alya. As Rena Rouge, there were times she could spot Ladybug half awake and fighting at a hundred percent, as if that were okay. No wonder Marinette was always late for school; she needed some serious sleep.

Hopefully, Marinette could relax a little at the Kitty Section concert. It’s not like their problems were over yet.

Alya sighed in despondency. She wasn’t sure how to help other than listen. One day, she’d have a direct part in ending all of Hawk Moth’s evilness for good, and then all the heroes could be free from the constant fear he created.

She was thankful at least one other person knew Marinette’s secret identity, even if it were an accident. Her friendship with Marinette was stronger than needing to know everything Marinette felt before someone else could; Alya felt so much relief knowing that Chloe had at least known and been there for Marinette when Alya couldn’t.

Soon, there would be a future where Marinette could tell her parents and the rest of her friends, and even Chat Noir-!

Oh no.

Alya placed her finger up into the air, drawing out a triangle. If Alya were dead set on Adrienette, what about Ladynoir?! No. No, this couldn’t be happening!

She sulked into her seat, unaware of Nino’s approach as she placed her hand onto her forehead.

Nino fixed his cap as he took a seat beside Alya. “Uh, you okay?”

Alya lowered her hand, closing her eyes as she accepted reality for what it was. “Everything is a lie.”

Nino snorted, offering Alya a soda. “Eh, everything’s more so confusing than a lie, you know.”

Alya narrowed her eyes, accepting the drink. “That’s basically what I meant.”

Nino nervously laughed, clinking sodas with Alya.

“So, where’s Adrien?”

“He’s off on some kind of task-thing,” Nino replied as he almost spilled some soda. “Uh… what about Marinette?”

“She’s… gonna be late like usual.”

Nino nodded in understanding, taking some sips from his soda as Alya drank her drink. They sat together in silence, listening to the Kitty Section members continue to test their instruments and the audio feedback.

With a small smile, Nino could only hope Marinette and Adrien were together. Maybe they would share their secret identities with each other, showing up to Kitty Section hand in hand as a couple! That would totally spin Alya’s mood in a positive direction: seeing her two friends finally get together.

Tapping Nino’s face, Alya grinned as he snapped out of his thoughts. “Whatcha thinking about?”

Nino leaned back, catching a snowflake with his nose. “Eh. It’s nothing too big.”

~~~~~

Marinette closed the book, which just so happened to be the Guardian’s copy of the Grimoire. Staying calm was absolutely not an option. Why on earth would Master Fu give her the Grimoire?!

The letter warned her of Sentiquin’s possession of a Miraculous. Master Fu wrote about Sentiquin in detail, but reading in another section concerning the wishes, Master Fu couldn’t get to the point directly. He was vague, as usual, offering some advice to follow her heart, which was absolutely not helping at all.

Emptying her bookbag, and wincing from the crashes of her textbooks, she stashed the Grimoire, letter, and Chat Blanc’s new blue beanie inside. She accepted a blue checkered beret from Tikki as she ran out of her room. She hurriedly scooped some madeleines from the kitchen, giving her mom a kiss on the cheek before crashing into the wall. Once she made it inside the bakery, she double checked to make sure she had both of her shoes, zipping outside into the cold.

“Marinette, I know Master Fu’s letter and the book were confusing, but is it really necessary to run to Kitty Section?”

“I’m late, Tikki,” Marinette sighed as she double checked if she closed the bakery’s door. “If I hurry, I can let Bunnyx know what’s happening with Sentiquin, and maybe she’ll know why Master Fu gave me the Grimoire. She’s from the future, so she would know more than I do, right?”

Tikki floated beside Marinette. As snow continued to drift down to them both, Marinette pressed her beret closer to her head, jumping over snow clumps.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Marinette voiced as she dodged a snowball fight from some nearby kids with their parents. “I would like to let Alya know what’s going on, too, but I don’t want to interrupt the concert. If I could trust her with my secret identity, I could trust her with this, but I ended up pushing her away.”

“You did the right thing,” Tikki replied. “You didn’t want her to be late to Kitty Section, and now, she won’t be. She knows where you’re coming from, so just try to relax a little. Everything will be okay.”

Marinette nodded, looking straight ahead. “You’re right, Tikki. Everything will be fine. It will be more than fine once I meet Chat Blanc there. He’s supposed to be with Bunnyx, right? Like she said before?”

Tikki sighed as she slipped into Marinette’s purse. Marinette was back to thinking about the cat again. Although Tikki wanted to roll her eyes from the immediate subject change, she sort of found Marinette’s behavior cute. “Yes. He will be there.”

Marinette let out a sigh of relief as she continued down the street faster than before.

Rushing past a street corner, she narrowly missed a tall snowman awaiting potential collision. Her dress would’ve been soaked if she hadn’t seen it in time. “Phew. Crisis averted.”

She wouldn’t face-plant into another snowman. Not happening. She was better than that.

As she charged forth with a new sense of confidence, she failed to notice a figure dressed in white ahead of her.

It was too late. She couldn’t stop now.

The collision was sudden for them both as they fell to the ground. In preparation of their fall, she cupped her hands behind the figure’s head, bracing for impact. They fell into a pile of snow, cushioning their fall as some snow tumbled onto them both, awkwardly pressing her nose onto the other person’s nose.

Some silence passed between them as she kept her eyes closed, trying to deny what just happened. However, as she tried to pull her hands from the person’s head, she felt familiar and plush hair gracing her fingertips.

“Chat?” She asked as she opened her eyes. Her face lit up with a smile as she confirmed it was him. She kept her eyes on his bright blue ones, wiping some snow from his hair as she attempted to sit up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over-“

Hold on. Why wasn’t he at the boat?

She took a couple seconds to study his conflicted expression. “…Chat? Are you okay?”

Chat Blanc brushed some snow from Marinette’s bangs, observing the blue checkered beret slipping from her head. Before it could fall, he swiped it from her hair, readjusting it on her head. He smoothed her hair, widening his eyes as her hair slipped from behind her neck and toward his face, brushing his cheekbones.

“I’ll be okay,” he quietly voiced, lost in her dark-as-night hair.

If only things were different. If only his father wasn’t Hawk Moth. If only Chat could gather the courage to tell Marinette how he feels, and if they could be together, and this moment in the snow could last forever. If he could introduce her to his normal family. If he could be in the brighter future with her right now.

Without his father terrorizing Paris… Adrien would’ve never become Chat Noir. He wouldn’t have met Ladybug or experienced freedom like he had. He wouldn’t have visited Marinette on her balcony so freely. They might have never been friends.

To think Adrien was almost grateful toward the man that tortured innocent civilians, akumatizing them for feeling human emotions. That man’s evilness assisted with the reality Chat Noir shaped for himself through his superhero responsibilities and goofy puns. At least he could thank his father for something despite the misery he put Adrien and everyone else through.

Everything would be okay. Soon.

His forehead burned as he took a slow breath. Gently tucking some of Marinette’s hair behind her ear, he finally realized what she was wearing: the cat dress.

“Chat? Would you, umm… would you like to walk with me to the performance?” Marinette asked with a hopeful glance. Please, please, please let him say yes! They could hold hands, and get some ice cream on the way, and pun-around, and it would just be amazing!

Chat Blanc softened his eyes as he prepared to accept her offer, reaching for her hand with his paw.

Gabriel Agreste was still here. Chat Blanc hasn't gotten rid of Hawk Moth’s complete influence yet.

Chat Blanc’s paw almost met with hers, gracing the air between them as he pulled away, inwardly wincing as she tried to reach for his departing hand.

“I’m… sorry. I can’t.”

Before Marinette could process the sadness lining his voice, he stepped back.

“But I’ll see you soon, Meow-inette.”

Marinette’s eyes widened in surprise as he stepped further away from her. She wanted him to stay-

…But he was already gone.

She stood in silence as Tikki fiddled with the purse’s clasp.

Meow-inette… where had she heard that name before? Chat Noir liked to throw in the ‘Purrincess’ nickname as of recently, but ‘Meowinette’? Wasn’t she called that by-

“…Marinette.”

Marinette looked down at her purse, holding her breath as Tikki floated up to her nose. She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting back tears. “I…”

The wind whistled gently as she cupped her hands over her ears. She wasn’t sure if she was letting her emotions get the best of her over something as simple as him leaving, but… it didn’t feel right. Something felt incredibly wrong, but there was nothing she could currently do about it.

He left her to herself… but the pain in his voice frightened her. It was as if he were working through despairing emotions no one should have to face alone… and he pushed her away.

He was all alone.

Marinette sadly eyed her arms as she felt Tikki give her nose a little squeeze. “…He’s… I wanted him to stay. Why did he leave me?”

Tikki remained silent as she watched a tear drip down Marinette’s face.

Marinette let out a shaky breath as she tried to recognize her emotions inwardly. “…Never mind. It’s okay. I forgot my coat again… that’s all.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Even though Mariblanc is having a rough moment at the end of this, have no fear; ice cream is on its way and Adrien will finally talk with Gabriel next chapter 🍨🐈❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 19

Summary:

(Warning: this chapter will have difficult moments, including: characters debating wanting to live, Gabriel’s manipulation, and violence; this is a heads-up for those moments 🦋)

The flowers sunk underneath the snow. What were they supposed to look at? Covering themselves in the ceaseless snow was the only way to escape the unfolding scene.

An endless amount of minutes… piles upon piles of snow.

Why was this pathetic snowy wish granted over Gabriel’s?

Adrien’s future was poisoned by Gabriel’s mistakes. However, Gabriel sent Adrien’s bodyguard out with a very important letter concerning Adrien’s future. Before Gabriel escaped his mistakes, he’d at least do something for Adrien’s sake.

Gabriel didn’t plan to pay for his crimes, obviously. He wouldn’t be placed in jail, or even admit to his crimes. No one in Paris deserved his apology other than his own family. Despite the countless atrocities he’d committed against innocent civilians, he didn’t feel the need to rectify any of his actions against them.

They were in his way. Everyone that got to live their happy little lives didn’t deserve to be so lucky. Émilie deserved to live more than the pathetic civilians he’d akumatized.

So, no. Redeeming himself for those pests? Absolutely not. He would stay the villain for his family, even if his family were already gone. He’d stay the villain, and he’d die the villain. He had no interest in redeeming himself for people he wanted to take Émilie’s, Nathalie’s, and Adrien’s places for. For all he cared, Paris could be burned to the ground if he could live happily ever after with his family once again.

His face tightened from the bitterness. He planned to take Nathalie inside, but with every step, he could only recall the terrible mess he’d created. Once he finally faced her snowed over state, he broke, falling to her side as the reality of her passing hit him across the face.

Émilie and Nathalie were gone, and he renounced his very own son, the son that would soon be killed by a sentimonster. What had Gabriel become in order to piece his family back together?

The guilt bit away at him as the freezing temperature locked him in place. He brushed some snow from Nathalie’s face.

“I’ve failed you,” he spoke as his eyes watered. “You, Émilie, Adrien… our entire family. I… I am so sorry, Nathalie…”

He looked up at Émilie’s nearby statue, wiping his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Émilie, my love. You just wanted us to be happy… and I’ve ruined any chance of that, haven’t I?”

The statue stayed in place as a sharp wind slashed across the garden.

He lifted his hands to his face.

Some snow slipped from Nathalie’s black dress jacket, revealing the birdsfoot trefoils tucked along her jacket. They were covered in snow, drooping as they quietly looked out at Gabriel.

He lowered his hands, observing the nearby flowers sinking under the snow. How on earth could flowers even grow with all of this bitter weather? Why would they? Did Hawk Moth unknowingly akumatize someone with a wish for these things to survive despite his vileness?

…Hold on. Did he?

He glared at the flowers, gripping them in his hands as he tried to break them. They smooshed, but they didn’t break. Not by his hands.

Ressusciter. She had a wish granted after all. Through something so frivolous as plants.

Bringing loved ones back wasn’t a wish that could be answered, but keeping stupid flowers alive in this bitter weather was allowed?

Gabriel’s entire family wasn’t allowed to return to him… but measly flowers could persevere against his attempts to save the people he held close to himself?

What a joke. Everything he did came to nothing, and even the flowers wouldn’t bleed from his hands.

No length was too far for Émilie, Nathalie… Adrien. No length. All of humanity could crumble beneath him for all he cared if it would bring them back.

Why was facing the consequences of his actions all alone so terrifying?

All he could do now was imagine a world where he successfully granted his wish. He could envision Émilie waking up before Nathalie grew sick. He could even picture a world where his vileness lived on, and he wished for Nathalie’s recovery in exchange for reuniting with Émilie. In that world, he probably would’ve found a way to manipulate his son into wishing for Gabriel’s and Émilie’s return… in exchange for Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s end.

That would’ve been his dream. Imagine! Émilie and Nathalie would return to him and Adrien, and the nuisances that kept him from happiness would perish forever! He would’ve won!

But in that world, Adrien wasn’t Chat Noir. Adrien would live with his family, and Gabriel would be the father he should’ve been; one that kept Adrien from ever going to school, forming him into a son worthy of succeeding Gabriel. The family they always were would once again exist, and the so-called heroes would pay for keeping Gabriel from his wish with their lives.

Adrien… wouldn’t be Chat Noir. It would be some other fool. Not him… not his son.

He looked up at the sky. “Adrien… I’m… sorry. Chat Noir or not… I should have been the father you deserved. You… of anyone on this miserable excuse for a planet… deserved better from me.”

He placed the flowers on a clump of snow, wiping Nathalie’s jacket. Slowly standing up, he observed the garden in misery, fighting against the stinging pain his legs felt from staying in the cold.

“…Father?”

Gabriel’s pupils shook as he grasped his peppermint ascot tie, keeping his eyes ahead of himself.

“Don’t delude yourself,” Gabriel whispered under his breath, gripping his head. “He’s not here. He was never here. I have no right to be called that.”

Some snow sprinkled onto Gabriel’s face as he wiped his eyes, glancing at Nathalie's jacket shifting slightly from the wind. That’s when he noticed a tiny envelope pinned along the dress jacket’s lining.

He planned to reach for it, but as his freezing hand trembled to unpin the letter, his wrist was held by a white glove.

Little jingles from a bell rang beside Gabriel’s ear as he observed the paw keeping Gabriel’s hand in place.

No… it couldn’t be…

“…Son?”

~~~~~

Marinette kept her eyes on the snow flurrying down. Even though she was already late to Kitty Section, she wouldn’t be able to keep herself together if someone asked her if she was alright. She needed some time to herself before she faced her friends.

“What are we doing, Marinette?” Tikki asked, worriedly glancing at Marinette from her purse. “Your friends are waiting for you.”

Marinette lightly tapped her purse in recognition, eyeing around the street as she spotted André’s ice cream cart.

“I don’t want anyone to see me like this,” she replied with a small sigh, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Everyone needs to have a good time after everything that’s happened, and before I show up feeling like this, I want to be just with you and Duusu for now.”

Snow gently graced her nose. Whether snow would swoosh her away, or she would actively dive off of the boat later on, she wished she could escape her racing thoughts.

Tears dripped down her face as she pictured Chat Blanc’s blue eyes, desperate for help even as he ran away.

“Marinette? Is that you?” André voiced from behind his ice cream cart. He waved her over, frowning as he took in her expression. “You seem down. Maybe some ice cream could cheer you up.”

Marinette wiped her nose, slowly nodding as she placed her hands along the ice cream cart. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

André swirled the spoon along his fingers. “Anytime, dear. Now, let’s see… it seems as if your ice cream flavors have changed, but the one you love hasn’t. Mind if I try a new set of flavors for your cone?”

Marinette studied the ice cream cart. “Sure.”

André nodded, looking around his ice cream options until he figured out exactly what it should be. He prepared his ice cream scooper, prepping one of his famous cones beside a tub of blue ice cream. “Vanilla for his hair. Schtroumpf for his sky blue stare.”

Marinette eyed the ice cream in surprise. “Schtroumpf? Is that a blue version of wintergreen chocolate chip?”

André smiled as he looked around the ice cream tubs for wintergreen chocolate chip, preparing a tiny sample spoon. “Schtroumpf is Smurf ice cream. It’s not a very common flavor of mine, so only a few people know I have it. That is, it also has another name you might recognize.”

Marinette tilted her head, eyeing the ice cream cone sitting along the ice cream cart’s edge.

“I’ve had a customer or two refer to it as Blue Moon ice cream, even though mine incorporates bits of marshmallows. Both are magical names to remember.”

Marinette shrugged, looking around at the snow sweeping down. “It sounds interesting. I’ll get my wallet out so I can-“

“Oh, no need,” André voiced as he held out her ice cream cone and a tiny sample spoon. “It’s on the house. No one really wants ice cream while it’s snowing so much, so anyone that stops by will get their flavors for free.”

Marinette smiled as she accepted the vanilla and Schtroumpf ice cream, along with the wintergreen chocolate chip sample. “Well, thank you. I’m surprised you don’t have more customers just because it’s snowing. Isn’t ice cream all year round?”

“That’s what I believe,” André said with a wink. “Enjoy your cone, and next time, feel free to bring your friend along.”

“My friend?” Marinette asked as she eyed some snow land along the Schtroumpf ice cream.

“The boy you have on your heart surely has you on his heart as well,” André reassured, swirling the scooper spoon out to her cone. “Ice cream never lies.”

Marinette smiled at her ice cream cone, widening her smile as she focused on the wintergreen chocolate chip sample. “Thanks, André.”

“Anytime,” he replied as he waved goodbye.

~~~~~

A kwami floated into Sentiquin’s cloak in silence as Sentiquin gripped his arm. Originally, he planned to make his way to the Agreste mansion, but practicing with the Miraculous he acquired wasn’t going well.

“The Miraculous doesn’t want me?” He mumbled, fearfully taking in his shattered arm… covered in purple vein-like streaks. He had visible blood running through his glass body.

The wind slipped around his arm as he flinched.

“But… but I’m doing something good, aren’t I?” He asked, tapping his cloak lightly to get the attention of the kwami. “I’m looking forward to avenging Nathalie, but that doesn’t mean ending the world is a bad thing, right?”

The kwami frowned, floating beside Sentiquin. “I have no place to say whether your actions are good or not. You can always ask the Guardian for assistance.”

Sentiquin flinched as he reconnected part of his shattering arm, terrified from… the feeling he could feel in his arm. His body wasn’t supposed to feel pain, if this is what physical pain even was… So why could he now? And what was with the veins? He wasn’t human compared to someone like Marinette. So why did he have veins, and why could he now sense every inch of his arm?

“I can’t exactly revisit the Guardian after stealing you,” he sighed, eyeing the kwami sadly. “Besides… he wouldn’t agree with what I need to do. Humans are fools, but Nathalie was human. If she no longer has to feel the emotions she embedded within my design, then no one else should have to experience this agony… They’ll be free. I’m freeing them, and then I’ll be freed, too. Besides, they won’t have to deal with whatever this sensation in my arm is if this is what humans feel. Chat Blanc will, but no one else… well… I don’t know if I’d even want him to feel like this.”

The kwami gulped at the sight, patting Sentiquin’s nose. “Look… you’re not a bad kid, but no one wants humanity to end.”

“Maybe they just don’t have someone who can end it,” Sentiquin suggested with a disappointed glance. “I can, though. I’ll get there, if my arm could just stop… doing whatever it’s doing now.”

The kwami eyed the Miraculous trapped inside of Sentiquin’s neck, letting out a small sigh. “Even if one human wanted to stay, would you stop?”

Sentiquin covered his arm with his cloak. “…I… I don’t know.”

“Well, can you think of one to ask?” The kwami suggested. “If you won’t refer to the Guardian, you’ll just keep breaking. Why don’t you see him? He has a journal full of wise stuff to say. I’m sure he’d have something helpful for you.”

“No,” Sentiquin groaned, flipping his hood back onto his head. “I won’t see him… I’ll try to find someone else, instead.”

~~~~~

“Where are we?”

Emma looked around a large room of the hotel, covered in artwork. Paintings were framed all over the wall, several statues stood beside the windows, and frames covered in sheets leaned against chairs.

“This is my family’s art collection,” Chloe replied as she lifted her hands up toward the numerous artworks around them. “Over the years, my father bought several pieces from private sellers, and the other paintings are from families we’re close to.”

Emma followed Chloe around the room as she listened to Chloe’s explanations of each piece. If Marinette were here, she’d probably have tons of ideas for her fashion designs. However, Marinette was going to Kitty Section, so too bad for her; she was missing out on an incredible opportunity!

As the seconds went by, Emma slumped against a chair in boredom. She couldn’t take it anymore! Who was she kidding? Marinette missing out on a place like this? Marinette was probably having the coolest time ever at the concert, and Emma was stuck looking at paintings of men in white wigs. This wasn’t fun at all.

“Emma?” Chloe turned around, eyeing Emma’s exhausted expression. “Hey, are you paying attention?”

Emma rolled her eyes as she pressed her hands on the chair. “I’m trying, but we’ve seen the same guy painted over and over again! He's super boring, Miss Bee.”

Chloe nodded with a sigh. “Yeah, my family has a lot of artwork with upper class people. There are only a few paintings in here that aren’t boring, and most of those few are mine.”

Emma widened her eyes in interest. “Well, can I see them?”

Chloe rolled her eyes with a tired nod. “Sure.”

Chloe walked around to a corner near the window, taking a seat on a pillow already placed on the floor. She waved Emma over, waiting for Emma to arrive before pointing at a painting low on the wall.

Chloe cleared her throat as she rolled her eyes. “That’s a painting your father and his cousin, Félix, painted for my birthday when I was around your age. It’s a horrible reinterpretation of ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent van Gogh. Félix got bored with Van Gogh’s art style and smeared the swirls, while Adrikins kept repainting the moon until he lost it and just left a tear across the paper. One of their best works, sadly.”

Emma held her hands over her mouth as she started to giggle. “It looks like a smooshed blue chicken.”

Chloe covered her ears as Emma broke out into a cackle, rolling on the floor as she held her stomach. “I said it was horrible, didn’t I? Just like that terrible comparison you made… Let’s be honest, it’s worse than a smooshed blue chicken.”

Emma wiped some tears from her eyes as she looked at the smooshed swirls and the broken-looking moon. “You really don’t like it, huh?”

“No,” Chloe sighed. “I love this piece of garbage.”

Emma rested her chin on Chloe’s shoulder as she gave her a hug. “I’m sorry Sir Bird and dad gave you this weird thing.”

Chloe snorted as she moved Emma back a bit. “Whatever, I mean they tried at least. Besides, they took my suggestion to add glitter to the buildings which was a nice touch.”

As the two observed the smeary and scratchy painting with chunks of glitter, they broke out into raucous laughter.

~~~~~

Marinette kept her eyes ahead of her, catching a snowflake on her tongue. Duusu and Tikki sat along side Marinette, tasting the ice cream cone sitting along the cement.

Duusu spun around in excitement after taking a couple licks of the blue ice cream. “This blue moon ice cream tastes like fruit, with vanilla-essence almonds or even pistachio swimming around, kissed with a hint of lemon!”

“Schtroumpf,” Tikki corrected as she pulled out a smooshed marshmallow. Taking a couple nibbles, she kicked her legs in excitement, falling onto Marinette’s dress.

“Schtroumpf, blue moon, whatever,” Duusu replied through a mouth full of blue ice cream. “It’s delicious!”

Marinette grinned at the two kwamis having some ice cream. “I’m glad you two are enjoying it.”

“Don’t you want some, Marinette?” Tikki asked, wiping her mouth with her hands. “We don’t want to take it all.”

Duusu narrowed her eyes at Tikki. “Don’t tie me into that statement.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, floating over to the cone to pick it up. Booping Duusu on the head, she carried the cone over to Marinette, pressing the icecream on Marinette’s nose.

“Take a taste!” Tikki grinned, nervously laughing as Marinette wiped her nose.

Marinette sighed, eyeing her empty sample spoon of wintergreen chocolate chip ice cream. “…I guess I will.”

Lowering her sample spoon to the blue ice cream, she slowly pulled apart a piece of bright blue ice cream, furrowing her eyebrows at the marshmallow that spread itself along the blue. Lifting the spoon, she took a tiny taste, widening her eyes in surprise.

“Good, right?!” Duusu voiced as she spun up to Marinette’s cheek.

Marinette nodded, taking a couple more bites. “It tastes like that cereal I tried in New York a couple years ago. You know the one I’m talking about, Tikki? I think they’re ‘Fruity Pebbles’, right?”

“Oo, yes!” Tikki cheered, clasping her hands together. “The pebbles of fruit were delicious!”

Marinette tucked the spoon in a napkin, placing it in her purse as she took a hold of the cone, biting into the blue moon ice cream. “So is this ice cream, I mean, wow!”

Duusu gasped as she eyed the blue ice cream covered in teeth marks.

Tikki tugged Duusu down, giving a satisfied nod. “Looks like she’s finally having some of that ice cream.”

Duusu shook Tikki in despair. “Why. Did. You. Do. This.”

Marinette snorted at the two kwamis bickering with each other before placing the cone back on the cement. “You two can have the rest of the blue moon ice cream if you want.”

“Schtroumpf,” Tikki mumbled in correction, clearing her throat as she dodged Duusu’s rush to meet the ice cream cone. “Marinette… are you sure you don’t want anymore?”

“I’ll have some of the vanilla if you two get full,” Marinette suggested, “but I don’t know. After the way Chat and I broke off from each other, I’m too worried to enjoy my ice cream. He didn’t look like he was doing well.”

Tikki slowly nodded, placing her hand on Marinette’s nose in reassurance. “I’m sure whenever he’s ready, he will let you know what’s on his heart. Even though he’s not here, you still have this ice cream.”

Marinette smiled as Duusu rolled onto Marinette’s dress, full from all of her taste-tests. Marinette lifted the cone up to Tikki, but she shook her head.

“No. It’s yours.”

Marinette scrunched up her face as she eyed the ice cream cone awaiting her. Her fingers graced the cone lightly before she set it down.

She unzipped the zipper for her bookbag, eyeing the Grimoire, letter, and blue beanie. She let out a sigh, thinking over each item carefully.

The wisdom the Grimoire would impart would be essential, if only she could recognize its use. Her mind circled over its potential purpose, and when she would discover the intellect it held for the wishes’ cease. Even if it took months to understand, she’d find a way, Bunnyx or no Bunnyx. That was Marinette’s job as Ladybug, and she was confident she would decipher what she needed from its text. It would only be a matter of time.

Then… there was the letter calling her to action, and filling her in on everything that had transpired between Master Fu and Sentiquin. Sentiquin and Chat Blanc would try to kill each other again. Now, Sentiquin had a Miraculous. And yet… even with everything she knew now about Sentiquin, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was really what he wanted to do. Maybe, to maintain honor to his family, he had himself believe his actions were right… even though he said the level of guilt he’d feel would be enough to break him. Despite his disinterest to exist… his heart for Mayura and the courage he had despite fearing his own death were admirable, weirdly enough. His perseverance for justice was at a level only the greatest of warriors possessed throughout history… even if she couldn’t agree with his choice of action. Maybe, if she and Chat Blanc were lucky, Sentiquin would listen to the truth, and Chat Blanc wouldn’t have to fight Sentiquin anymore. Maybe… there was more to consider with Sentiquin and Chat Blanc both; the similarities those two had could lead to a beautiful friendship if they’d just let it.

Then… the blue beanie, made from the same yarn as Adrien’s scarf… Marinette’s favorite blue yarn. That beanie was the same shade of blue her Blue Moon ice cream was, the ice cream she wished she could have shared with Chat Blanc. Once she’d give that blue beanie to Chat Blanc, she’d finally tell him her feelings for him have changed… or that they were always there. Everything would be clear; the future would be whole. Even if Emma said Chat Blanc wouldn’t be the one in Marinette’s future, she wouldn’t stop loving him. Besides… Maybe he will be by her side in the future, just without the mask. Their secrets would no longer be locked away, and the world would feel whole once and for all.

Marinette let herself smile at the three special items in her bookbag one last time, zipping her bag so they’d remain safe. Her eyes lit up with determination and hope. Today is the day! She can feel it! She’d give him the blue beanie, end the wishes, and try her best to resolve the tension between Sentiquin and Chat Blanc. She could do it!

Bunnyx and Chat Blanc are supposed to talk with each other at the boat, right? Maybe she’d make it just in time for Chat Blanc to show up! The long awaited future Paris wanted, and she wanted, was ready to be seized!

Scooping Duusu up, she gently placed her in Marinette’s purse. She lifted the purse, offering for Tikki to take a seat as well.

“Uh, don’t you want to finish your ice cream before we go to Kitty Section?” Tikki asked, wondering why Marinette’s mood seemed to brighten so quickly.

Marinette took a bite of the blue moon and vanilla ice cream, chewing away as she started to stand up. “I can chew on the way. Chat’s gonna be there, so I might as well meet him there first!”

Unbeknownst to Marinette, unfortunately, Chat Blanc wouldn’t be there. She was already too late.

“He’s going to be there, I’m sure of it!” Marinette voiced as she felt a brain freeze coming on. “Ow!”

Tikki face palmed beside Duusu, currently in a food coma.

“Please be careful, Marinette,” Tikki gasped as she felt Marinette rush down the street. “And slow down!”

Marinette nodded as she slightly slowed her running, chewing on the vanilla ice cream. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine!”

~~~~~

The snow continued to drift around Paris.

“Something is wrong.” Bunnyx lowered her phone, looking out to the boat.

The music had already started. Everything seemed fine, at least, fine enough while she was on guard. Yet… there was something different about the atmosphere, as if the current events weren’t playing out the way they were supposed to.

And that’s when she noticed her arm… glitching.

“…The timeline’s been messed up,” Bunnyx whispered in shock, watching her phone slip from her fading hand. “Burrow!”

~~~~~

Chloe and Emma made their way back to the tv, plopping down on some fluffy pillows.

“Alright, I’ve had enough, so pick something to watch on tv,” Chloe voiced in exhaustion, slumping against a pillow. Looking at artwork was definitely more tiring than she’d like to admit.

“We’re not going to the Louvre?”

Chloe placed her hand on her forehead in aggravation. “We’ve seen enough art for the day, so absolutely not.”

Emma shrugged in acceptance. “Okay. I like tv more anyway.”

Chloe eyed Emma snatch the remote, scrolling through available shows incredibly fast. “Uh… can you even read what those shows are called?”

“Yeah,” Emma mindlessly voiced as the tv continued to dash past several available selections. “Why?”

Chloe tried to focus on the tv’s speeding colors as she earned a headache. After three seconds, she couldn’t take it anymore, slamming her hand on the remote.

“Hey!”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Out of all 563 shows you zoomed past, are you sure there’s not anything at all that caught your interest?”

Emma tapped her chin in consideration. “The future has way more shows to look through.”

Chloe secured the remote in her hand, scrolling around the tv herself. “That’s not answering what I asked. Don’t tell me none of those options were good enough. If you won’t decide, I’m keeping the remote-”

Emma lifted up Chloe’s long blonde braid, poking around at the braid’s strands. “Wait! Two movies looked good!”

“Well, what are they?”

Emma snatched the remote back, scrolling past several selections hurriedly. She pointed her finger out to the tv in excitement. “First off, the Smurfs movie.”

Chloe rolled her eyes as Emma scrolled even further down the selections, finally stopping on another familiar film.

“Then, Tangled!”

Chloe rubbed her eyes in annoyance. “Put on Smurfs. That one teacher you met today for science, Ms. Mendeleiev, had to confiscate Marinette’s phone more than once for watching Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventures during class with you.”

“That was SO much fun!” Emma exclaimed as she jumped up on the bed.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, pointing at the remote. “Put on Smurfs.”

Emma puffed her cheeks in disappointment. Chloe did seem tired, though. Messing with Chloe’s long braid, she realized that maybe there was a way to help Chloe. “Miss Bee! Trust me, you’ll feel like talking to me in no time once you feel better!”

Chloe raised an eyebrow in confusion, narrowing her eyes as Emma tangled her fingers in Chloe’s braid, ruining it. “Emma, it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, I’m just tired.”

“I know,” Emma nodded in understanding. “Your hair came from the magic of watching tv, right?”

“Uh, no. It came from a salon.”

“Potato, akuma-ma-tater,” Emma dismissively voiced, holding up Chloe’s braid majestically. “Flower gleam and~”

“NO!” Chloe interrupted, tugging her braid away from Emma’s grasp. “Smurfs. Now.”

“You don’t have to be all Gargamel-y about it, Miss Bee,” Emma huffed, flipping through the shows once more before settling on Smurfs.

~~~~~

Marinette held her hands on her knees, eyeing the remaining distance between her and Kitty Section. “I’m almost there.”

“Keep going, Marinette!” Duusu cheered. “You can do it! Yeah, you can!”

Tikki gripped her forehead as she took a slow breath. She loved Duusu, but sometimes, she could be a bit much. “Marinette’s been running this entire time, Duusu. Let her catch a breath.”

Duusu floated up to Marinette’s hair, swooshing it around her hands. “Well, okay! Hopefully you can relax and have a fun time talking to the one you love! Eee! I can’t wait to see you two spend time together, and fall in love, and-“

“Duusu, please,” Tikki groaned as she floated over to Duusu. “This is supposed to be relaxing for her.”

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to relax anytime soon,” Marinette sighed as she stood up, pointing at the boat. “Bunnyx isn’t there, so something must be wrong.”

Tikki and Duusu held each other’s hands as they realized Marinette was correct.

“Chat Blanc isn’t there, either.”

Tikki patted Marinette’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Marinette. I’m sure you two will see each other soon.”

“But what if the disaster Bunnyx mentioned is already happening?” Marinette mumbled in nervousness. “I can’t go to the concert. I have to try contacting Bunnyx to see what’s-“

Before she could finish her sentence, the sound of breaking glass shattered behind her as she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Marinette took a deep breath, thankful her hair was down to cover Tikki and Duusu as they immediately dove back to her purse. She turned around.

“…Sentiquin?”

Thankful that she was the person he was looking for, he nodded. “Marinette. I… I need your help.”

Marinette remembered what Master Fu had warned her about. Chat Blanc was nowhere in sight, so had he and Sentiquin already fought?! If Sentiquin were here, did that mean Chat Blanc was…

She studied Sentiquin’s face, looking for answers… but she couldn’t find any.

He took a slow breath before slipping his arm from his cloak, revealing vivid purple streaks chipping away at his glass arm.

“You have a close connection to the Miraculous… don’t you?”

Marinette’s eyes widened at the sight. His body was breaking. Those purple streaks weren’t from a cataclysm, so he hadn’t met with Chat Blanc yet.

“I guess you could say I have a connection to the Miraculous,” Marinette whispered as she took in his chipping arm.

He kept his cloak close to his neck as he eyed the ground in nervousness. “I knew it. Listen… I’ll be honest with you. I… I guess Master Fu was right to not want you involved with me… but I…”

Marinette looked up at Sentiquin’s solemn eyes. She recalled Master Fu’s warnings and the Miraculouses she had stashed in her yo-yo. She knew that Sentiquin was a danger to Paris… but directly talking with him himself, the danger practically vanished. Face to face… she knew she needed to be cautious… but his worried and hopeful eyes were innocent to her. She couldn’t see him the way Master Fu warned. Sentiquin, in person with Marinette, was someone completely different, and she couldn’t fear him. As a hero, she wouldn’t fear him, but just him himself didn’t bother her.

He needed help, and he chose to seek her help. Whether he would go through with his plans or not didn’t matter right now.

When someone asks for her help, she will do everything she can. Not just because she’s Ladybug, but because everyone, including herself, needs help from time to time.

She placed her hand on his. “I know what it’s like to need help with things I’m scared to involve others in… but I promise you, asking for my help is totally okay with me. Of course I’ll help you.”

He widened his eyes in surprise. “Are… are you sure?”

Marinette nodded adamantly. “I’m positive. Come on, we can go back to my house and figure out what’s happening.”

While Marinette and Sentiquin discussed going back to the bakery, they were unaware of Alya’s and Nino’s eyes watching their departure.

“He’s got Marinette,” Alya muttered, curling her fists. “Nino, we need to go after them.”

Nino nodded, setting his soda down. “Agreed.”

~~~~~

Inside Marinette's room, Sentiquin marveled at the numerous trinkets and furniture lying around. His kwami, along with Duusu, decided to go to the kitchen while Sentiquin tapped a brown and white cat-plushie-head-thing. “This is all yours?”

“Yep,” Marinette proudly declared, thinking he was commenting on her fashion designs. “I make a lot of things in my spare time.”

He tapped the top of the sewing machine in amazement. She could make all of this?! Her interest in creation would match the Ladybug Miraculous perfectly! It’s too bad it was already taken by someone else.

He shook his head, realizing his nonsensical thoughts took away from the current situation. Lowering his cloak to point at his neck, he frowned. “So you’re saying this Miraculous is destroying me?”

Marinette nodded as she placed a piece of paper out to doodle her explanations. “Yes. You see, holders of a Miraculous that aren’t adults yet can’t use their power more than once, and there’s a security system set in place to keep those holders safe. However… since you found a way to bypass that system set in place, your body is suffering every time you use the power more than once per transformation.”

He nodded, securing the cloak over his neck once again. “I didn’t realize simply over practicing would have this kind of reaction. Thank you for agreeing to help me, Marinette.”

“It’s no problem, Sentiquin,” she replied with a smile before noticing him flinch. “Oh, did I mispronounce your name?”

He put the cloak’s hood over his head, avoiding eye contact. “No, it’s just the name. My mo-, I mean, Mayura named me that supposedly, but… I really don’t like it.”

Marinette patted his shoulder, waiting for him to look back up at her, but he kept his eyes glued to the floor. “Is there any other name you prefer?”

He shrugged. “Not really. What’s the point in me even having a name if I’m not planning to stay?”

Marinette wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “…Who do you want to be?”

He lowered his forehead to her shoulder. “I don’t understand that. I don’t want to be anyone. I am nothing but the emotions she created before she was killed. So, I have no need of a name.”

Marinette tightened the hug. “Yes you do. You’re here with me, and I want you to have a name you feel happy to hear when you’re with me.”

He placed a hand along her back, trying to figure out how to return the embrace Marinette gave him. The fact she was helping him this much sort of shocked him. “You’d hate me if you knew what I needed to do.”

“You haven’t done anything yet,” Marinette whispered as she eyed her bag holding Chat Blanc’s blue beanie. “Besides, you told me yourself: you’d feel guilty for… whatever it is.”

His arms slipped as he carefully pulled away from Marinette. He turned away from her, slipping to the floor as he curled his arms around his legs. “I’m sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“No,” Marinette whispered, kneeling down to him. Face to face with him, she brushed the hood of his cloak off his head. “Don’t apologize. Feeling emotions is nothing to apologize for, and don’t try to tell yourself otherwise.”

He froze from the sincerity swimming her eyes, covering his neck with one of his glass hands. Why? Why did she look like she understood? Was everything he had to do really dependent on avenging Mayura’s death? Could he really be someone, even if his body were made of numb glass?

Anyone, somebody, just one person… could there really be a being in the world that saw someone in him when even Mayura’s use for him was barely needed?

Marinette was here.

He broke.

“Y-your arm!” Marinette gasped, watching as the arm chipped onto the floor. Cupping the glass shards in her hand, she held them out to his arm. “Here, I think I can put them back.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled, wiping his eyes. “I break easily.”

To confirm his statement, he playfully made a slashing motion in the air with his finger, letting part of his head slip off.

“See?”

Marinette gasped as she tried to place his head back together. “Hey, don’t do that! You’re going to hurt yourself! Don’t slash your head!”

Huh. She never thought she’d tell someone to not do what he just did, but here they were.

He snorted, readjusting his head back together. “Okay, okay, I won’t.”

Marinette tapped her finger on his forehead pointedly. “Good.”

A distant memory arose in his mind as he glanced toward the window. “Did you… hear about the woman with, umm… an arrow in her head?”

Marinette scrunched up her mouth as she nodded, giving him a serious look. “Yes.”

He glanced at her stern expression, already realizing he should’ve kept his mouth shut.

“I… was created with arrows that make people do what I want them to do, and… she… accidentally had one of those arrows go through her forehead… by accident.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, recalling Carapace’s description of the scene. “Are you being completely honest?”

He puffed his cheeks, looking away in annoyance with himself. She didn’t have to know he was planning to kill Ephemera for ticking him off, right?

She narrowed her eyes. “Come on.”

He sighed in defeat. “Fine. I didn’t realize my arrows would end up controlling her, so I tried to get rid of the arrow from her head somewhere safe. It worked, and I brought her back to her building-place. Honest.”

Ephemera technically was safely returned later on, not to excuse the fact she was taken to begin with.

Marinette raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “So what were you doing with one of your arrows by her head?”

He guiltily looked to the floor. He wasn’t necessarily regretting putting an arrow through Ephemera’s head, but he couldn’t casually say that out loud. “…I’m sorry?”

Marinette gave him a slow nod, patting his shoulder. “Promise you won’t do that to anyone else?”

He narrowed his eyes in disinterest.

She narrowed her eyes in return. “Promise?”

“…Fine.”

“That’s the spirit!” She cheered, giving him a couple thumbs up. “I’ll give you a hand, and you’ll give me a hand.”

He widened his eyes in understanding with a smile. Lifting his thumbs up, he let his hands detach from his wrists, offering his hands.

She gasped. “Hey, no! No, that’s not what I meant!”

“It’s not?” He dubiously asked, returning his hands to his wrists as his one deteriorating arm flickered with pain.

She shook her head. “It was my fault. I didn’t really explain what I meant all that well. By talking together, we’re helping each other out, but that expression doesn’t really make a lot of sense now that I’m thinking it through.”

“…Sorry if I scared you.”

“No, no, it’s okay! Now, it’s time I help you find a better name, isn’t it?” Marinette grinned, poking his shoulder as she tried to lighten the mood.

He eyed the floor, crossing his arms in embarrassment. “…If you insist.”

She clapped her hands together in excitement.

~~~~~

Marinette narrowed her eyes at her phone, sporting one of the last designs Gabriel had released. “This beret for that price? Absolutely not. I could easily make something better than that for less.”

The curious buddy beside Marinette eyed the phone, unaware the brand was owned by the same man that confirmed Chat Blanc killed Mayura. “The checkered one you have is prettier.”

Marinette patted his cheek. “That’s so sweet; thank you!”

He pointed at the glass screen in confusion. “Why does that designer name all of his designs?”

“I’m not sure,” she sighed in irritation at the horribly boring design on her phone. “At least we can use this brand’s idea to help you find a name you like!”

He nodded enthusiastically. “What’s the name of that beret?”

Marinette pointed to the title underneath the picture. “It looks like it says ‘Athanase’. Huh. That’s the fifth name of my friend, Adrien.”

The boy beside her shook his head in disinterest. “It sounds weird.”

Marinette tilted her head at the beret. “It’s supposed to mean ‘eternal life’ or ‘immortal’, but again, it’s assigned to the worst beret in this collection. You could do better.”

He nodded, watching as Marinette tried to scroll down, only to find there were no more products left to choose from.

“I guess we’ll have to figure out some other way to find a name for you,” she spoke as she set her phone down.

He covered his head with his cloak’s hood. “You really don’t have to-“

“Nope,” she cut in. “We’ve been over this. I’m gonna help you find the right name!”

Tapping on her chin in consideration, she eyed his face hidden behind the cloak’s hood.

The cloak… that was it!

“You got that cloak from Master Fu, right?” Marinette asked, pointing to the cloak.

He nodded as he took off the cloak, holding it out for her. “Yeah, but was I not supposed to keep it for this long?”

“I’m sure it was given to you as a gift,” she replied. She carefully set the hood down as she propped the cloak up, pointing to a fabric tag inside. “Do you see the tag inside of here? It’s the brand name of the cloak you’re wearing.”

He narrowed his eyes at the tag as his eyes widened in interest. “…Louis… Vuitton?”

Marinette nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Gabriel’s can’t even compare to this brand, believe me. Do you like wearing that?”

He eyed the cloak in his hands before letting out a soft smile. “It’s the first thing I was ever given other than my bow, so yeah.”

With some excited claps, Marinette leaned over to catch his expression. “So… Do either of those names sound nice?”

Giving one last glance to the tag, he placed the cloak on once again. “I’m not sure.”

Marinette tapped her chin in ponderance before coming to a revelation. “Hey, I know! Ahem, um… nice cloak, Vuitton.”

He scrunched up his face as he shook his head. “Yeah… no thanks.”

Marinette snorted. “Yeah, you’re not a ‘Vuitton’ anyway. The cloak looks nice on you, you know. I’d even say Louis Vuitton in general would suit you. I’ve been interested in fashion since I was little, and Louis Vuitton has been just one of the numerous brands to inspire me.”

She pointed to different spots in the room, covered in her designs as he grinned. He was amazed by her perseverance in designing; the countless and beautiful pieces of work she created were truly remarkable. “Creating all of these clothes must’ve taken a long time, but you did. That level of dedication to something you enjoy doing makes me want to find something I’m passionate about.”

She felt a rush of relief rush through her from his words, realizing it was one of the first times he didn’t seem like he wanted to be released from existence. “I’m sure there’s something you’ll find that you will love doing!”

He widened his eyes before shaking his head in denial. “I only meant if I planned to stay, but… I’m not planning to stay.”

He wasn’t planning for anyone else to stay, either. Humans… were fools, he painfully reminded himself. Never-ending emotions were suffocating. So… he would rid the world of the endless future awaiting them, snuffing out the lights of the world before they’d have to keep going in their constant emotion-filled existence. That was the plan.

Mayura’s future was cut short, and she was freed from the emotions she had passed on to him.

He thought ending the world would be doing everyone a service, including Mayura, even though he knew it would be a service no one asked for.

But…

He glanced at Marinette’s cat dress, her blue checkered beret, her purse, her designs, her sketches… her.

He… he couldn’t, and he wouldn’t want to take years of passion-filled designs away from her.

So, in a world full of people, were there others just as passionate as she was? Just as invested in their interests as she was? Were there people out there that were happy with their families, enjoying their lives, even if the heartache emotions brought to them day in and day out persisted?

Was he the only one who would benefit from disappearing?

Or did he just never give himself the chance to see what Marinette sees?

He closed his eyes as he envisioned a world where his emotions wouldn’t hurt him so badly, one where he could protect and defend the people that love their lives. A world where he knew who he wanted to be.

He opened his eyes as realization hit him across the face.

He couldn’t end the world. That wasn’t his purpose, and it wouldn’t avenge Nathalie’s death. He still had his heart set on ridding Chat Blanc of his existence for killing Mayura, but no one else needed to die in order to make things right.

Guilt would eat away at him once Chat Blanc was no more, but he trusted Marinette would end his existence once and for all. She had the Peacock Miraculous, and he’d give her a reason to release him from existence.

A small pat on his back snapped him out of his thoughts as he eyed her concerned eyes. “I’m going to do things you won’t agree with, Marinette. It’s what I have to do, even though my emotions won’t let me stray from the overwhelming guilt I’ll take on. Please… once I fulfill my tasks, get rid of me.”

Marinette wondered why his voice seemed so pained and desperate, as if he were ordered to kill Chat Blanc before she died.

Was that the case? Did Mayura instruct him to do that?

“You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do,” she voiced. “You’re free.”

“Not exactly,” he sighed. “I have to remain loyal to Mayura, whether she’d want my actions or not.”

Marinette sort of understood where he was coming from, even if it didn’t completely make sense. She wouldn’t let him know she knew what he planned to do, but when the time came to fight, she wouldn’t let him succeed, for his sake and Chat Blanc’s sake.

Oddly enough, even after everything she’d heard from Master Fu… she couldn’t view the buddy sitting beside her as a monster. She just couldn’t. His plans were wrong, but every time she looked at him, it was as if he were asking for another answer, waiting for a different direction.

“I’m sure you’ll find another way if you can’t go through with your current plans,” she offered. “I’m probably going to word this horribly, but your conflicting emotions are telling you something, so try finding a solution that doesn’t hurt, but respects your creator.”

The realization of her words opened his eyes as he pictured his last moments with Mayura in his mind. She didn’t want him to hurt Chat Blanc. So… she wouldn’t want Chat Blanc to die either, even if it would be for her stolen life.

Then, what could he do…?

“You’re a warrior at heart, and I believe that wholeheartedly. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision, one that will feel right.”

“A ‘warrior’?” He asked with a slightly amused tone.

“Yep. You are definitely warrior-worthy to me. You know what? That’s it! There are actually several names that mean ‘warrior’ if any of them catch your interest. One of my favorites is ‘Louis’, the starting name for ‘Louis Vuitton’. In fact, I even planned to name one of my-“

Marinette stopped. She slowly lifted her eyes over to the boy next to her.

Emma was here, so what would stop this timeline from having… another important person emerge?

No. She couldn’t just assume something like that. It was just a name, a name he hadn’t even chosen yet.

“Um, are you okay, Marinette?” He worriedly asked, tilting his head in mimicry of her own.

Carefully holding his hand, she looked away from his chipping arm and up to his familiarly sweet face. For the mere beginning of his existence, he chose to trust in her. Sure, she’d rescued him after he was left behind on the balcony, but… was there more to consider? Was she wrong for even considering something so out of the blue?

Was it truly out of the blue? Was this something that was supposed to occur all along?

The hope in her heart raced as she couldn’t help but consider this singular consideration. “…What about ‘Louis’?”

He lightly smiled at Marinette’s returning voice and the name’s sound before tapping his cheek. “What do you mean?”

“Would you like ‘Louis’ to be your name?”

He widened his eyes as he considered the name. “It doesn’t feel weird to me, so if you really did want to call me something, then… I think I’d like that.”

Marinette looked down at her hand holding his hand.

This boy is Louis.

She didn’t care if she was wrong. Louis would live, and he’d learn the truth concerning Chat Blanc once and for all. She would be on both of their sides, bringing them together in the process. The future would be bright, for everyone. She’d make sure of it.

A bright light sparked in her room, revealing Bunnyx, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Carapace, and Emma. Keeping his hand safely in hers, Marinette realized that everything from here on out would either be resolved peacefully or end in oblivion.

~~~~~

The little white paw clung to the fashion designer’s wrist, sending his claws into the wrist’s skin.

“You never loved me. Don’t act like I matter to you now.”

Gabriel lowered his eyes to the blood seeping down into the snow.

“I didn’t treat you as I should have,” he confessed. “I hurt you, and for that-“

“NO,” Chat Blanc screamed, throwing Gabriel’s arm to the side. He trembled as he stepped back, gripping his hair in his hands as he slipped to the ground.

Gabriel wasn’t acknowledging anything; he had to have an ulterior motive. Don’t buy it! Don’t fall for Gabriel’s schemes again!

Chat Blanc felt tears run down his face as he shook in place. Not now. Not after everything that’s happened.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. “Listen and let me speak, Adrien. Or are you going to make the same hasty mistakes that led to Nathalie’s death? I am your father, whether you like it or not. You wouldn’t save your mother, so at least listen to the one parent you have left.”

He didn’t realize returning to his father would terrify him this much. Even though he had a destructive power strong enough to stop Gabriel once and for all… Chat Blanc felt helpless.

“Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!”

Chat Blanc covered his eyes. He wouldn’t let his father see him cry. He wouldn’t let Paris’ enemy have the satisfaction.

Besides, he was too scared to even look at his father. He didn’t want to see him. He buried his head in his curled up knees as he covered his cat ears with his paws. He didn’t want to hear him.

Gabriel gripped his bleeding wrist, eyeing the letter attached to Nathalie’s jacket one last time before deciding to ignore it. He approached his son, knowing just how little he could do for Chat Blanc.

But there was no telling how much Chat Blanc could do for Gabriel instead.

“You’re right to hate me,” Gabriel sighed, as if everything could be put to rest. As if everything that had happened never happened at all. “I was horrible to you.”

Chat Blanc glared at the ground as his head involuntarily twitched. He dug at his hair, raising his head up to Gabriel by force as he venomously eyed his father.

“Don’t try to get into my head,” Chat Blanc snarled, keeping his voice low. “You won’t live long enough to make me fall for your lies.”

Gabriel stared emptily at his son. “Then do it.”

Every painful memory of his father swirled Chat Blanc’s mind as he tried to back away.

“Kill me. I assume that’s why you’re here, is it not?”

Adrien would let his father treat him horribly, waiting for the day he’d love Adrien again. One day, when he’d be an adult, living the life his father set in place for him, Adrien imagined he would understand Gabriel’s coldness by then. He thought Gabriel would care about him when he was the man Gabriel wanted him to be.

Meeting his friends taught him otherwise.

Adrien didn’t want to see the day his father was ever right for what he did. He’d rather die than have that man’s abuse ever begin to ‘make sense’. Gabriel's treatment of everyone in Paris was horrific, which was more than enough reason for what Adrien had to do. He had to do this.

He had to take out Paris’ threat once and for all.

“Son… in order to rectify my evil, you must end my life. You’ll be free from your insidious form I designed. I’ll reunite with your mother and Nathalie, and life will be perfect for you. Just like you want it to be. No one will ever have to know I was Hawk Moth, and you’ll live a life free from the consequences I designed. Be discreet, my son. Keep my identity a secret. Kill me, and reunite me with your mother and Nathalie.”

Chat Blanc’s neck twisted as he lowered a hand from his hair. His clawed glove slipped to his neck as he held it up, digging his claws into his own skin. His nightmare couldn’t even compare to what was happening now.

Gabriel eyed the claws of Chat Blanc’s glove. “You’ll be free.”

The snow shifted as Chat Blanc realized he could no longer internally recognize and reflect over his emotions. The wishes were spiraling out of control. The snow was relentless, and the emotions he’d previously recognized (before acting upon any of them) were showing their colors. Chat Blanc made no progress in ending the wishes, and now… his father found a way to get back in Chat Blanc’s head.

There were times he just wanted everything to end… for the world to just stop. With his cataclysm, he could do that if he so pleased. There would be no more wishes, suffering, or people. It would all be over… and he had the power to do that.

Everyone he cared about would perish though, he fearfully thought to himself. He couldn’t! He wouldn’t!

He… was just as evil as his father for even considering ending the world… wasn’t he?

He didn’t have to spend years tormenting Paris to become just as vile. Simply considering ending the world was wrong. His actions were normally peaceful, he thought, albeit discreetly insidious.

He furrowed his eyebrows. Discreetly insidious? What was that supposed to mean?!

Was he the bad guy all along? Was getting rid of only one of Paris’ threats enough?

…Was he himself a threat?

There was no time for him to reason through the scrambled feelings throwing themselves around his mind. He couldn’t see any answer, any relief to this devastating realization. The realization, inspired by Clarityvoice’s wish, nudged him to an answer he desperately wanted to refuse… but he couldn’t.

It was obvious. The truth had perfectly set itself out for him to view, not allowing him the time to process just how reckless his ‘answer’ would be.

Clearheadness was beyond him now. He had wished for the world’s destruction, and as Paris’ hero wielding a power no one on earth should ever have access to… he couldn’t let this threat remain.

“I… I just wanted you to be honest with me, father.”

Gabriel furrowed his eyebrows in vexation, pondering where Chat Blanc was going with this.

“All my life, you pushed me away. I just wanted to know why. And now I know.”

Gabriel sighed in relief. “Then it’s settled. My inability to be a father to you has hurt you, so live without me. Hopefully… once I’m gone… you’ll find peace.”

“You’re mistaken, father,” Chat Blanc voiced lowly, gripping his own neck tighter as he winced against the pain. “You’re no longer a threat to Paris… but I am. Just like you said a couple days ago: I’ve gone insane, and I’m a monster. You were right; I’m not safe. In order to protect Paris from myself, I’ll have to perish. Ladybug will find the answers Paris needs without me, and you’ll go to jail.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened as he watched Chat Blanc raise his other hand up. “Son, stop! Please!”

Chat Blanc ignored the tears slipping down his face. He didn’t want this, but he couldn’t stop himself. Everything would be better this way. Ladybug would find a better answer to ending the wishes, and overtime… she’d move on once he’d leave her forever.

He didn’t want to do this, but his mind wouldn’t let himself stop. The dark and heavy emotions pressed on his heart, making it impossible to find a way out. He was trapped in his mistakes, mind, and fears.

Ladybug could take Gabriel to jail, concluding Alya’s Ladyblog, and potentially inspiring her to find a news station to work for. His last moments with Nino could be remembered for what they were: honest and special. Nino would know where his buddy went, even if he wouldn’t know why he left. Together, Chloe and Félix could stand strong against any pain they felt from this decision.

Ladybug… would be hurt. She had said it to him before. She didn’t want him sacrificing himself, but… he was only doing what was right for Paris, and for Ladybug. He had no right to call himself a hero… but he knew Ladybug would be the hero Paris needed without him.

And then there was Marinette. Marinette would be safe from him. She deserved a brighter future, one without a friend that considered ending the world. A future where she wasn’t constantly thrown in danger, all because of his inabilities as a hero. Ladybug was a stronger hero than he’d ever be, so he could trust that Ladybug would save Marinette from any danger the world would face once… once he was… gone.

With every reason he gave himself, furthering his decision, the fear inside of himself heightened. This wasn’t what he wanted, but it was as if somewhere inside of his mind, something wouldn’t let him see any other option. There was no other option presenting itself, and he was far beyond recognizing how to find a better answer.

He wanted to live. He had reasons to live, and a future waiting for him… but he couldn’t see that as his eyes blurred from his tears. There were joyful moments awaiting him, full of laughter and difficulties of their own… but he couldn’t see them… he couldn’t hear them.

They didn’t exist. And they wouldn’t exist. His heart sank as he gasped, shaking his head as he couldn’t control his emotions from twisting anywhere and everywhere.

No. No. no. no… no… no….. no…….

The happy future he always wanted wouldn’t be waiting for him. Not anymore.

He struggled to catch his breath, fighting the urge to stop his voice from speaking. He wants to live! He wants to stay, why can’t he stay?! Why did everything hurt so badly? Why did he have to leave to make everything better-? It didn’t make any sense.

He couldn’t see a solution. He couldn’t hear his father’s pleading voice.

He couldn’t see… he couldn’t hear…

In more ways than one, he was no longer Paris’ ‘Chat Noir’. No longer Ladybug’s ‘Chaton’.

The wishes and Paris’ troubles would cease… without him.

“Cataclysm,” he whispered, letting go of his neck to steady his other hand. He carefully gripped his wrist, slowly lifting the cataclysm higher and higher, and the brighter the light was, the more he wished to pull it away.

“SON, STOP!”

Gabriel gripped Chat Blanc’s arm, tugging it away from Chat Blanc. Chat Blanc screamed, bursting into tears as he weakly fought against his father’s grip. With his cataclysm-free hand, he scratched at Gabriel’s face, trying to make him let go, but Gabriel continued to pull the cataclysm away from his son.

“Adrien, I’m begging you,” Gabriel cried out to his son. “Live a life free from my mistakes. Get RID of me-!”

“I WAS GOING TO,” Chat Blanc screamed as he forcefully shut his eyes, letting a countless amount of tears slip down his face. “But I can’t take it anymore! I can’t! I can’t keep going like this, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth- IT WILL NEVER END! I hate how… hopeless I feel-, I hate everything about myself, and everything around me. I thought I could be the hero Paris needed… no, I thought everything would be better for everyone and myself if I killed you… but I don’t know if I’ll ever be free from this pain in my mind. It’s constant, and it’ll never leave, even with the people I love by my side. They don’t deserve this. I can’t BE here anymore! I have to leave! LET GO OF ME! Let me fix everything!”

Gabriel gripped onto Adrien’s arm with his other hand. “I’m sure if you deakumatize yourself, you’ll feel normal again. From there… we can decide what to do if you don't choose to end my existence.”

Chat Blanc fearfully peeked at the cataclysm in his hand, wondering if the cataclysm would hurt as bad as it did when Miraculer struck him.

He didn’t want to cataclysm himself. He didn’t want to cataclysm anyone.

The akuma had to be responsible for this… there was no other answer. This wasn’t what he wanted.

He knew for a fact he would never want to cataclysm a person, including himself.

Even when he planned to cataclysm Gabriel-

No. That had to be the akuma’s influence. Adrien would never kill anyone. He knew he wouldn’t. He would never do something like that.

At least, he hoped he wouldn’t somewhere in his mind.

Clarityvoice’s wish along with the akuma’s affect on his mind seriously hurt him. He wouldn’t let the akuma stay any longer; he’d find some other way to end the wishes-, with Ladybug. They’d solve everything. Together.

Chat Blanc didn’t need an akuma to be strong enough to make things right.

“…I’m sorry, father. You’re right. I don’t want to hurt myself or you, or anyone. This isn’t who I am.”

“I know it’s not,” Gabriel quietly voiced, still holding Chat Blanc’s arm. Snow slashed past the two, messing with Chat Blanc’s fluffy white hair, and Gabriel’s frosted tips. “That’s why I’ll make this decision for you. I promise… it’ll be the last time I decide what’s right for you.”

Before Chat Blanc could comprehend what Gabriel meant…

…it was too late.

“FATHER-!”

~~~~~

Notes:

This chapter is the longest one yet. Louis’ reveal might have been rushed (sorry), but here he is 😅; I was tired of waiting for the ‘right moment’ to reveal who he is, so I just made one. :/
Writing Chat Blanc’s last moment with the obnoxious Gabriel Agreste was rough, but now, things are getting Chat-Blanc-y 🐈❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 20

Summary:

(Warning: this chapter involves tons of Chat Blanc themes, including murder/death, violence, panic, and stuff like that. Also, this chapter is twice as long compared to usual, so here’s a heads up for that, too 🦋)

Bunnyx’s fingers tapped along her leg anxiously as they went through her side, completely disappearing from view.

“I swear, I never told Nino a thing,” Rena Rouge explained, eyeing between Marinette, Bunnyx, Carapace, and Queen Bee. Louis and Emma were off in the distance, practicing shooting arrows from his bow.

Archery practice with the arrows that possess people… why was nobody acknowledging that?

Rena Rouge shook her head as she remained focused on the current issue she needed to work through.

“Then how would he know?” Queen Bee asked in distrust.

“I figured it out myself,” Carapace sighed as he gave Marinette an apologetic glance. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to find out, Dudette. Honest.”

Behind Carapace, some of the burrow’s circles began to glitch.

“…It’s okay,” Marinette slowly began, readjusting her bookbag’s straps on her shoulders. “There’s just so much going on right now.”

“Exactly,” Bunnyx adamantly agreed as she pulled out her umbrella. “Which is why-”

“-You owe us an explanation, too,” Queen Bee remarked in unease. “Why on earth is Sentiquin here?!”

Marinette narrowed her eyes, thankful Louis and Emma were far enough away. She asked if he would like to spend some time with Emma while Marinette figured out why they were all here, and even though Louis was even more confused than she was, he reluctantly agreed. “His name is Louis.”

In the distance, she could spot them giving up on archery practice to scroll through the burrow’s circles, treating them like mini TV’s.

Rena Rouge’s eyes flickered in realization as she thought back to all the times Marinette used to picture the life she’d have with Adrien.

“Marinette…” Rena Rouge slowly began as she reached for Marinette’s hands. “If you’re thinking what I think you are-, no, Marinette. He isn’t the ‘Louis’ you want him to be. He’s a danger to everyone, not your… Louis.”

Marinette tightened her grip on Rena Rouge’s hands. “Even if he isn’t, that’s fine. I don’t think he’s really realized what he’s done, Rena. I’ve spent enough time talking with him to see he wants some kind of answer to his pain, and he’s just been going about finding that answer in the wrong ways. He’s more than the mistakes he’s made. He’s not a threat to anyone.”

“What is this? What’s going on?” Queen Bee remarked in discomfort, pointing between Rena Rouge and Marinette.

Rena Rouge knew Marinette was deluding herself. Besides, did Marinette even consider helping that sentimonster before he just so happened to take on the name ‘Louis’?

She shook her head. Hold on. That is kind of ‘Ladybug-y’ of her to do. She’s always mentioned the regret and pain she felt from all of the sentimonsters that died… but with Louis, he survived.

So that was what this is. She was forcing herself to see goodness in the one sentimonster she could save. The ‘Louis’ name definitely helps in that regard.

Then again, a name didn’t mean a thing, right? Numerous people are named ‘Louis’. How on earth would Marinette so easily believe the being that possessed Ephemera was…

A faint laugh broke into Rena Rouge’s ears.

She glanced behind her.

That laugh… was Adrien’s laugh. But he wasn’t here; only the heroes and two other guests were in the burrow.

Her eyes settled on Emma scrolling through one of the time circles, playing a show off of a tv. Louis’ laughter rippled around the room, followed by Emma’s cackling from a bunny on the tv.

Rena Rouge couldn’t just ignore everything he did. She wouldn’t. Yet, she could see the tiny sparkle of humanity in that being; there wasn’t a monster seeking evil and torture anymore.

She’d regret seeing that flicker of life in the cold monster that creature was, wouldn’t she?

“I think I see what you’re seeing,” Rena Rouge muttered in slow acceptance.

Marinette raised an eyebrow in concern. “What exactly are you ‘seeing’?”

Queen Bee eyed between them, realizing she wasn’t going to be included in their conversation. She raised her hands in disgust, backing away from the two as she stood near Bunnyx.

Rena Rouge took a deep breath before narrowing her eyes on Marinette. “He’s a person just as real as Adrien or myself are. You want to see the good in people around you, which is admirable. Even if he’s more than just Mayura’s puppet, can we really trust him? Not just because he’s a sentimonster that managed to escape Mayura’s control, but because he’s actually trustworthy?”

“What he does isn’t under my control, but I believe he has a good heart,” Marinette responded adamantly. “I trust him.”

With a slow nod, Rena Rouge glanced one last time at Emma and Louis by the burrow’s time circles. The concerns and questions spinning her mind remained inside as she took a deep breath. For Marinette’s sake, Rena Rouge wouldn’t be so trusting of the suspicious guest, but dropping the matter was probably for the best. Besides… if Ladybug was adamantly on the sentimonster’s side, there had to be some good in that being.

Rena Rouge crossed her arms as she let out a sigh. She just hoped whatever goodness that being possessed would be enough to fully believe in.

~~~~~

Emma and Louis tapped around at the time bubbles in the distance, spying on people watching television.

“Don’t you get bored of sitting in front of a screen?” Louis asked, swiping the time bubble several moments ahead to get to the action on the tv.

“Not really,” Emma mindlessly remarked as she took the time circle back a couple of minutes, shooing his hand away from skipping ahead. “It's something to do, and I don’t have to talk to any of the characters to see what’s gonna happen next.”

Louis rested his head up with his hands, accidentally breaking off his arm. Before it could crash along the ground, he secured it back on, flinching from the pain the Miraculous left behind.

“But weren’t you the one who dragged me over here?” Louis asked, narrowing his eyes at her unfazed expression. “Why have me over here if you don’t like to talk?”

“I love to talk,” Emma retorted, “but it gets tiring trying to guess what won’t hurt someone else’s feelings, or if I’ll ruin the plot by my unnecessess-, uh, unnecessar-… my comments.”

Louis nodded his head in understanding before furrowing his facial expression. “Hold on. You’ve been talking to the screen characters this whole time. Why are they ignoring you?”

Emma shook her head with a snort. “Characters can’t hear me talking to them; that’s just a thing I do by accident. Like when a character is gonna do something really stupid, I try to warn them, but they end up doing it anyway because they recorded all of their scenes before putting it on the tv.”

Louis couldn’t really understand her reasoning, but he shrugged it off.

Glancing over at Marinette, he sighed. He knew she was Ladybug. It was pretty obvious at this point. When they first entered the burrow, he just assumed the heroes came to her for guidance, like she was Master Fu’s protégé regarding the Miraculouses. She definitely had the knowledge and heart to help all of these heroes… which made her most likely a hero herself.

Unless there were way more superheroes than he realized, the only slot left for Marinette would be Ladybug’s.

He wasn’t sure if Marinette knew his plans for Chat Blanc… but she probably heard them from Master Fu.

She never forcibly tried to stop him or make him act in a way she deemed fitting. She just suggested finding alternatives to his plans, and to think through his thoughts carefully.

Everything she said to him felt genuine. He was smart enough to know trusting her was dangerous, but he couldn’t help it.

She didn’t have to show him that kind of kindness, let alone put up with him at all. Although he couldn’t be certain, he had a feeling she knew of his plans for Chat Blanc, a person Louis now knew was a whole lot more important to Marinette than Louis had realized: they were friends.

Speaking to Louis should’ve been hard for her, but she still showed him kindness, trying to suggest another way when she could’ve stopped him then and there.

She was a hero reaching out to some monster like him; someone that planned to end the world, assuming it was what humanity wanted without even asking.

He placed his hand on his forehead, processing his rash decisions and current options. Was he crazy for jumping from one plan to the next? Without Mayura’s voice to guide his actions, he felt incredibly lost. What’s a sentimonster without the voice of its creator leading it? An independent being, one with the freedom of choice and control over his mind, like a human.

He was like a human… and that terrified him.

He didn’t want to be a human. He didn’t want responsibilities or this body. If he could feel such a strong sense of rejection of his own life, why would any of these humans want to stay?

What was scarier was the conflicting pictures fabricating inside his mind without Mayura’s voice to dictate what to imagine. Seeing humans like Ephemera and Marinette carry on with their day to day lives, choosing their own actions, and seemingly wanting to stay alive… he didn’t want to take that from them. The hope they had seemed so different from the tormenting pain his emotions flickered within his heart.

What about Chat Blanc? What about avenging Nathalie?

He’d given up on that. Nathalie didn’t want Chat Blanc to die by Louis’ hands, even if the same person Mayura protected killed her in the end. Marinette must also see some kind of twisted good in that human if she could be partners with him.

If someone as kindhearted as Marinette could believe and work alongside that human… was that person capable of murder?

Was Louis deceived by Chat Blanc’s father back in the garden?

He sat up, placing his fist against his palm with an overflowing sense of understanding soaring through his glass face. Everything was clear now. Finally, he knew what he needed to do: nothing.

Marinette wanted him to feel free to do whatever he wanted, right? Well, he knew what he wanted to do: absolutely nothing.

What was done is done. There was an endless amount of possibilities his emotions could pick through, but without Mayura’s voice to make him move, he didn’t need to move at all if he didn’t want to. He could just be here, and figure out what it means to be here like everyone else.

Eyeing the screen flickering inside of the burrow’s circle one last time, he let out a relaxed smile, reminiscent of the garden’s statue’s smile.

“I don't want to interrupt your shows,” Louis voiced as he started to stand. “I’m gonna go over-”

“-But you have to see what happens next!” Emma cut into his statement, waving her hands out to the glitching circle.

With a sigh, he sat back down, watching as the screen behind the glitching circle continued to play. Maybe just being here wouldn’t be so bad.

~~~~~

In the distance, Carapace stood beside Bunnyx, waving out to Marinette and Rena Rouge. He was aggravated with himself. He couldn’t stop that sentimonster back when he had the chance… and now… the monster was free to be within the Burrow, a place no villain like that should be allowed to enter.

Carapace frowned at the sight of Louis lightly tapping one of the circles beside Emma. How was Carapace supposed to believe that sentimonster —the threat he let slip from his hands— wasn’t a threat anymore?

His thoughts broke off as his ears picked up on a repetitive noise, lifting his eyes over to spot Bunnyx’s distraught expression. Her chin seemed to shiver as he assumed the noise came from her chattering teeth; her hands twitched as one of her arms glitched in and out of view.

His breath stopped as he took in the hero’s uncomfortable stance. If the hero of their future looked this unsettled… what on earth were they up against?

Concerns over his failures against Louis could wait. Clearly, they all were in danger. They had to assemble the entire team and make their way out of the burrow, ceasing the threats, and saving their future. He might not be a great hero on his own, but as a part of this team, he knew his contributions wouldn’t be in vain.

Now, all that was left to save the world was their team’s last member.

“You guys, we should really go get Chat Blanc now,” he said uneasily, watching the burrow’s circles glitch more and more.

“Exactly,” Queen Bee agreed as she crossed her arms. Although Emma’s concerns concerning Chat Blanc against Adrien still remained at the front of her mind, she knew their team would be better off with everyone in it. “We’re wasting our time.”

Bunnyx eyed her arm flickering, taking a shaky breath. “We don’t have time to bring Chat Blanc. The second Marinette came inside was the last past moment I could access.”

“What are you saying?” Queen Bee remarked as she walked past Carapace’s horrified stance. “Your power doesn’t just stop because one thing goes wrong.”

Bunnyx narrowed her eyes as she lifted her arm up to the others, letting them witness its disappearance and reappearance. Queen Bee’s pupils shrunk, shaking as she took in the fading arm.

“I’m the Bunnyx of your future,” Bunnyx spoke. “If the future I exist in destructs from a time anomaly here, I cease to exist. I haven’t informed you all just how long I’ve been in the burrow. The moment I realized your timeline wasn’t following the memories I had, and my arm began to fade, I came here to search out what we’d face… and I… I wasn’t expecting to see what I saw.”

Marinette stepped forward, encouraging Bunnyx to continue.

Bunnyx shook her head, letting out a nervous breath. “I can’t share anything with you yet; the less you know about the future, the better. No one should have to face what you’ll face alone… so I gathered… as many of you as I could.”

Carapace glared at Bunnyx as he accusingly pointed at her. “So you left my dude out there by himself?! We need him!”

“She can’t get him if she can’t reach the past anymore.” Rena Rouge placed her hand on Carapace’s shoulder. “We'll just have to work as the five of us.”

Bunnyx bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to reveal she wouldn’t be joining their fight.

“I have the Rabbit Miraculous in my yo-yo,” Marinette began with a hopeful smile. “I got it along with some other Miraculouses from Master Fu. Tikki, Spots On!”

Pink light covered her entirely as she almost did the transformation dance in its entirety (before realizing the world is at stake and she’d have to put that on hold). Everyone in the room, other than Louis, knew her identity, but she was fine with him knowing. It’s not like they had much of a choice anymore anyway.

She reached inside her yo-yo, retrieving the Miraculous before Bunnyx covered Ladybug’s hand, curling the Miraculous back to Ladybug. “No. The Rabbit Miraculous you possess can not be used for that purpose.”

“What are you saying?!” Carapace exclaimed, panic gripping his mind as he wondered just what Adrien was facing on his own.

Bunnyx narrowed her eyes at him before looking back at the Miraculous in Ladybug’s hand. “Ladybug… do you have the Snake Miraculous in your possession?”

Ladybug was just as upset as Carapace was, but from the desperation in Bunnyx’s voice, she realized that their priority must include saving Chat Blanc from the danger awaiting everyone. She slowly opened her yo-yo, placing the Rabbit Miraculous back inside as she retrieved the Snake Miraculous.

Bunnyx let out a relieved sigh as she held out her hand. “Would you mind if I borrow that?”

Ladybug placed the Miraculous in Bunnyx’s hand, watching as Bunnyx placed it on herself to unify it with her own Miraculous. Lime green snake patterns zipped along her sleeves as the tips of her hair took on a turquoise to lime appearance, fastening some of her hair into a high center ponytail.

“I can’t tell you what you’ll face out there,” she remarked as she set her lyre on her side, “but the Unification power of the Rabbit and Snake Miraculouses will allow me to… bring you back if we need to start over again.”

Risking all of the heroes’ lives by sending them to a timeline they may or may not come out of wasn’t right. Before she’d send them to whatever danger awaited them, she’d need to see how the events would fold out for herself.

She gripped her umbrella, tugging it off her back as she took a slow breath. Tapping the lyre, she began to spin her umbrella before Ladybug broke the spin.

“I don’t understand,” Ladybug muttered as she took in the hero in front of her. “Also… what should I call you now that you’ve unified with the Snake Miraculous?”

Queen Bee face-palmed as she gripped her ponytail. Was this really the right time to pick a hero name for a one-time unification?

“Couleuvrex is fine,” Couleuvrex remarked as she readjusted one of her bunny ears. “I can’t access the past anymore… which means once you go in there… I can’t bring you back to start over if you fail. Unless you’re given a Second Chance, that is.”

“Hold up, you’re not coming with us?” Rena Rouge nervously voiced as she watched Couleuvrex’s arm fade for longer than normal.

“If I can’t bring any of you back, I might be able to access the heroes of the future… if they haven’t faded already,” Couleuvrex replied. “But since Ladybug allowed me to unify with the Snake Miraculous, the Unification power these two Miraculouses possess will bring you back if anything goes wrong.”

“Unification powers?” Ladybug tilted her head in confusion. “Unifying with other Miraculouses doesn’t create different powers.”

“We don’t have a lot of time to explain, but you’re right. They don’t create different powers; they just combine Miraculous powers into a single power. Mine, for instance, is called Witness. I can witness the exact and only future you all will create once you face the disaster. Your choices will be the ones you would’ve chosen no matter what; it doesn’t branch into ‘what if’ territory. However, if your exact actions result in canonical catastrophe… I can bring you back.”

“Isn’t that just Second Chance?” Queen Bee raised an eyebrow at Couleuvrex’s seriousness.

“Somewhat,” Couleuvrex agreed, “but there’s some differences. With the Rabbit Miraculous involved, this power can work in the past, present, or future, with no time limit, adult or not. However, there were some conditions of its use… one in particular that can be positive or negative: I won’t be the only one who remembers what happens if I have to bring you back. Unlike a Second Chance, what you do won’t be erased from that moment in time.”

“Who else would remember?” Carapace stepped forward, eyeing one of the glitching circles. “And why would that be a bad thing?”

“…Anyone entering Witness, or any Miraculous holder already within the timeline, may or may not recall the events that unfold if I have to Nullify Witness. In order for a team to try again, they need to know what they faced… unless they faced their demise… which I would have to relay. So… anyone who remains alive within Witness will remember everything that happened.”

The heroes felt their blood freeze over.

Queen Bee gripped her chest as she tried to regain control over her breathing. “You… you’re saying… we’re… we’re going to-”

Rena Rouge gripped onto Queen Bee’s arm, keeping her close to her in reassurance as she placed her hand on Carapace’s shoulder. “No. We’re not going to die. Couleuvrex, whatever future you’re sending us to won’t be that dangerous, will it?”

Couleuvrex remained silent as Carapace collapsed to the floor, hyperventilating.

“No…” Ladybug whispered in complete and utter despair, trembling from the word’s uncomfortable escape from her mouth. “…So… does that mean that…”

“ARE OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ALREADY DEAD?!” Carapace screamed, digging his nails into his head as the reality of their job crushed his heart. “What if we fail?! …What if this is really the end?”

Couleuvrex raised her hands up in the air. “Whatever is inside there is something that needs to be stopped, but simultaneously, has to occur; whatever impact this issue leaves on just one person creates the future I live in. That’s why I’m glitching instead of the future instantly erasing itself. If Emma and I exist, that should mean that you succeed-”

“-But at what cost?” Queen Bee coldly bit back. “What if one of us…”

Rena Rouge’s grip on Queen Bee tightened as she felt tears fill in her eyes.

“What if… one of us has to die?” Queen Bee finished, locking her eyes onto the floor.

“Or what if when you take back Witness, we remember each other’s deaths?” Carapace whispered as his tears blurred his vision of Rena Rouge. “I can’t watch you guys die.”

Her own tears slid down her face as she took in Carapace’s terrified eyes. Rena Rouge straightened her back, stomping over to Couleuvrex. “We won’t use that power.”

“If any of you die, I won’t be able to reverse the timeline you create if this power isn’t used,” Couleuvrex quietly voiced, failing to recall any of her timeline’s heroes mentioning their memories from this moment. If she could recall their memories, she would’ve known what to expect in this timeline; she’d only been relying on her own memories as a teenager, a flaw so fatal, existence itself was at stake.

Ladybug took one last shaky breath before curling in her fists. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

“What?!” Queen Bee screamed, scrambling over to Ladybug as she gripped onto Ladybug’s shoulders. “Don’t you realize that whatever nightmare Couleuvrex is sending us to, we’ll have to face losing our lives?”

“Weren’t we going to with or without the power of Witness?” Ladybug’s voice sounded as her determination kept her from collapse. “If something goes wrong, at least we’ll all be alive when Couleuvrex brings us back.”

Looking over at the umbrella in Couleuvrex’s hand, Ladybug narrowed her eyes.

“How many uses of Witness are there?”

“It’s complicated.” Couleuvrex lifted her head up to eye the numerous circles within the burrow. “Witness is basically one Second Chance where you all can recall whatever you witnessed if you survive. However, it’s a power that can be used indefinitely if I just de-transform and re-transform, granting me the power once again. That means there’s an interval where I’m left open, and with my body fading away, I won’t be able to use Witness more than once.”

“Then what’s the use?” Carapace’s voice solemnly filled the burrow’s space. “If you bring us back, then won’t we just have to go back in, knowing that one of us already died and might die again but permanently?”

“I won’t send you back in if that’s the case,” Couleuvrex responded. “I’ll go to the future and see if any of you are able to assist in this threat’s cease. I sincerely apologize for putting all of you in this position.”

Before anyone else could retort, Ladybug nodded.

“Alright then. I’ll go.”

Rena Rouge’s tears dripped to the floor as she stood beside Ladybug, trying to keep her confidence high. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. So… I’m in.”

Louis glanced at Rena Rouge in the distance, somewhat picking up what she’d said. As his attention drifted to the heroes, so did Emma’s, encouraging the two of them to investigate the heroes’ conversation.

Carapace fearfully eyed Rena Rouge’s determination despite the terror that awaited them. He couldn’t watch her die… and he wouldn’t. They will succeed. As a team.

“If you’re in, so am I,” Carapace stated. “We’re all a team. We can do this. We’re going to live.”

Queen Bee eyed Louis and Emma in the distance, noticing their attempts to approach. She held her hand out to stop them, signaling to them that everything was fine, and that they needed to stay back.

This team has faced numerous dangers over the last two years… so whatever awaited them beyond that circle… they could handle it. Even if their team wasn’t complete… they would do their best as always. That’s their job.

“Yeah, let’s not die,” Queen Bee voiced as she took a hold of Ladybug’s and Rena Rouge’s hands, settling her eyes on Carapace. “As a team… none of us are going to fall alone or at all.”

Carapace lightly smiled as he recognized Queen Bee’s acknowledgment.

“Let's do this,” Ladybug replied as she held her fist up for a pound-it. The heroes by her side lifted their fists, bumping them together as their company gave them courage.

Whatever they were about to face…

…they would face it together.

~~~~~

Couleuvrex spun her umbrella counter-clockwise, lightly tapping the lyre as a melody filled the burrow, swimming around their ears as she thumped her shoe on the ground. “Witness.”

The burrow twisted the circles around them, spinning them around like slithering snakes as her umbrella fanned around so quickly, a clock could be vaguely seen through its spin. One circle of the burrow lit up as she struck it with the umbrella, settling it in place.

The heroes eyed the circle skeptically.

“I’ll keep an eye on all of you,” Couleuvrex reassured as she placed her free hand on Ladybug’s shoulder. “Emma and Louis will be fine.”

Ladybug glanced at the amazed expressions of Emma and Louis in the distance, gasping as she noticed Emma’s flickering arms.

Couleuvrex tapped Ladybug’s shoulder to regain her attention. “Work as a team. I never planned to send anyone alone in there, so remember to trust one another and stay strong. If anything happens… I’ll fix it.”

Ladybug let out a small nod, eyeing her team as she prepared to enter the catastrophe. “Let’s go, you guys.”

~~~~~

The air suffocated the heroes as they took in their surroundings.

Paris… was submerged under water. Up above in the sky, the moon was a crumbled mess.

“…What… happened…?” Rena Rouge voiced as she took in the desolate scenery.

“I don’t want to know,” Queen Bee replied as she gulped, rolling her eyes from Carapace’s nervous shoe-tapping.

In the distance, one lone person amongst this empty wasteland sat by themself, covering their arms around their legs as they buried their face in their arms, sobbing.

“…There’s someone left?” Ladybug’s voice filled with hope as she went running toward them, keeping her eyes locked on the terrified person out in the cold. “Come on, you guys!”

The sight of just one survivor brought a wave of relief to them all as they mindlessly raced across the rooftops.

Of course, they never stopped to consider why there was only one person left amongst this destruction.

“Don’t worry,” Rena Rouge called out to the trembling figure, “we’re here to help!”

The heroes jumped over a broken slab of rooftop, narrowly avoiding scrapes from jagged scraps of metal.

“Please…”

The cool air shivered through the running heroes as they faintly registered the person’s voice. Running along a set of blurry windows, each hero desperately tried to ignore their gloomy surroundings. The hope one person brought to them was like a little light in an eerie cave, but as the heroes’ rushing steps increased, the light dimmed entirely.

“…don’t.”

~~~~~

“Kaboom!” Emma exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air, cackling as the characters on the screen comprehended their current predicament.

Louis glanced over his shoulder, carefully watching the bunny-snake hero.

“Are they okay?” He asked, scooting away from the circle’s distant TV. He made his way over to the hero.

Couleuvrex kept her eyes locked onto the glowing circle ahead of her. “So far.”

Louis slowly nodded as he leaned beside Couleuvrex, taking in the dreary scenery with a small gasp.

“They’re in there?!”

Couleuvrex stepped slightly closer to the circle as she watched the heroes finally reach… a certain person’s position. “I have to bring them back if anything goes wrong, which requires my entire focus. Although I would like to reassure you that everything will work out, I’m not positive what to expect as of now. What’s Emma doing?”

Louis glanced behind him before turning back to observe the Witness power’s circle. “She’s just watching TV.”

“Of course she is,” Couleuvrex sighed as she held her breath from the heroes’ slow approach. “Remember: neither of you can go into any of the past circles, alright?”

“Understood,” Louis remarked as he stepped back. The corner of his eye met with a distant circle as his attention immediately shifted. “I’ll, um… go look around.”

“Don’t look at any of the future ones,” Couleuvrex remarked as her arm faded away entirely before popping back into view.

“Got it,” Louis replied as his steps drew him to the circle’s imagery, showcasing a previous battle.

He placed his hand on the circle, rewinding it as his eyes flickered with fear.

Ladybug and Chat Noir fought against a poorly designed villain with a monster-like being by their side, tossing around cars and breaking nearby buildings.

Louis held his breath. That monster was obviously a sentimonster. He knew Mayura had no need for Louis after his use was up, so she wouldn’t need that unfortunate thing either.

He skipped past the monster’s inevitable death, sighing in relief from nearby damages repairing themselves. He listened to agonized cries nearby the destruction. Countless people had been severely injured by the villain and the monster, but it wasn’t like either of them wanted to actually hurt anyone, right?

Louis knew what the Grimoire contained; he knew what level of control Mayura and Hawk Moth had over their victims. Yet… even so, as he eyed another nearby circle, he could see another dreary battle, one where many people needed to be hospitalized as a result, with a not-so-apologetic victim that lost their akuma.

Louis wasn’t all that different from a villain in all honesty; he never cared about the severity of murder as long as he didn’t have to die by himself. By the time he’d realized what physical pain felt like… he knew ending the world and everyone in it was a burden he couldn’t see himself fulfilling anymore. Physical pain sucked.

Skipping past several sentimonster attacks and purified amoks, he stopped on the sight of Chat Noir and Ladybug against Mayura. Ladybug snatched away an object containing a nearby sentimonster’s amok, a sentimonster identical to Ladybug herself. By the time she’d given it to the sentimonster, Mayura snapped the being out of existence, letting the meaningless object crash along the ground as the heroes’ devastated expressions haunted reporters by the scene.

Louis placed his hand along his bow. That sentimonster… could’ve been him, and he wasn’t sure he’d mind. However, Marinette made it clear she didn’t want him to leave just like that.

He lowered his eyes as he tried to place himself in the heroes’ shoes, constantly pushing through the difficulties Louis could only watch.

It had to have been horrible for them and all of Paris.

He gulped at the sight of an innocent civilian barely missing a swipe to the head as Ladybug de-akumatized yet another victim.

Countless more sentimonsters were designed and destroyed, as Chat Noir’s heart seemed to dull from each loss. As long as he didn’t view sentimonsters as humans, he could do his job; he could destroy them before Mayura could puppeteer them any further.

Ladybug seemed fine as Louis watched a sentimonster’s amok float away up in the sky. However, once she’d made her exit, avoiding some news reporters below, she landed along a familiar balcony, sinking against the bars as she transformed back into Marinette. Her hands gripped her head as she tugged at her pigtails, trying to physically shake the memories of the battle out of her mind.

Louis couldn’t watch this anymore. He brushed his hand against the circle, skipping around to an entirely different setting and time as he watched Mayura transform-

He looked away, gripping his shattering arm as he took in a shaky breath.

“Louis!” Emma shrieked in the distance, patting the ground beside her. “Watch more tv with me! The bunny’s back!”

The circle ahead of him lost its grasp on him as he sighed in relief. Stepping away from it, he glanced over at Emma and the circle’s tv. “Okay, I’ll come over.”

She punched her fists out in the air, swiping the circle back for Louis to catch up.

~~~~~

“Chat… Blanc?”

The heroes kept their distance from the curled up figure. However, as Ladybug began to step forward, someone tugged her back.

“What are you doing?” Queen Bee muttered as she tugged Ladybug’s arm once again.

“I’m going to talk with him,” Ladybug responded as she slipped her arm out of Queen Bee’s arm.

“Yeah, that’s not a good idea,” Queen Bee sighed as she nudged Rena Rouge. “Tell her.”

Rena Rouge narrowed her eyes at Queen Bee before grasping Ladybug’s wrist. “Queen Bee’s right, you know. We should form a plan and make sure it’s safe to approach him. Right now… he doesn’t look all that good.”

Carapace stepped past Rena Rouge as his eyes locked onto his distraught friend. “A-, uh, dude… what happened?”

Chat Blanc’s cat ear twitched as he buried his head further into his arms. “It was an accident.”

“Y-you did this?” Queen Bee remarked as she looked up at the crumbling moon. Her eyes narrowed as she inwardly scolded herself; of course he did this. Who else was left to make this mess?

Chat Blanc tilted his head up as he glanced at the pools of water below. “…I didn’t mean to.”

Rena Rouge gave Ladybug’s wrist one last squeeze before letting go.

“You know,” Rena Rouge began, “Bunnyx sensed a disruption in the time continuum, which means that this doesn’t have to be reality.”

Chat Blanc’s claws dug into his arms. His eyes remained set in the water.

“Look around you. This is real… and… if you fix everything now… who’s to say I won’t make it happen again? This nightmare will last forever.”

“No, it won’t,” Ladybug replied as she stepped forward, watching his cat ears flip over to her voice. “This isn't the reality Bunnyx came from, you know. She’s visible proof that we can fix this. Together.”

The light’s reflection glossed in his eyes as tears rippled down his face. He glanced at Ladybug’s extended hand, hopeful eyes, and smile.

He didn’t deserve to be given a second chance. If this reality really wasn’t true… that meant the version of himself in front of her… wasn’t real either. ‘He’ would disappear, and be ‘replaced’ with the version of himself that didn’t do anything wrong. He could forget everything… he could let himself disappear in this desolate world, and awaken with no recollection of the moon’s silent break.

His hand lifted up to hers. Before he would die in this reality he created, he wanted to keep her smile locked in his mind, letting his current set of memories fade as the heroes around him made everything right.

But just before his paw could grace her hand, light shimmered from his fingertips.

“Get back!” He and Rena Rouge screamed simultaneously as Ladybug felt Carapace’s shield sharply divide the heroes from Chat Blanc’s light-filled palm.

“What-” Ladybug looked around at Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Carapace, all preparing their weapons.

“He was about to kill you,” Queen Bee voiced in fury. “He’s not on our side anymore. Whether you like it or not, we can’t purify that akuma if you’re dead.”

Carapace lowered his eyes to the ground as he straightened his stance. “He’s still on our side, but clearly that akuma’s already taken control of his body.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes fearfully glanced at the light in his palm. “…I didn’t mean to do that, I promise.”

“I know you didn’t,” Ladybug reassured him as she confidently nodded toward the other heroes. “Like Carapace said, Chat Blanc is still on our side, akuma or not.”

Rena Rouge narrowed her eyes at Queen Bee’s frustrated huff. Setting her flute back, she eyed back and forth between Ladybug and Chat Blanc.

“Then what do we do?” Rena Rouge asked. “If we can’t free him from that akuma, then we’ll just be stuck like this.”

Ladybug nervously glanced between her team, settling her eyes on Chat Blanc.

“Do you have control over your power now?”

Chat Blanc somberly eyed Ladybug. “No. I don’t.”

Carapace took a deep breath before stepping forward. “Then… would you let us purify your akuma, dude?”

Chat Blanc’s fabric cat ears flattened.

“Stop babying him,” Queen Bee remarked as she crossed her arms. “This isn’t the time to ask politely.”

“We can’t approach him safely,” Rena Rouge retorted. “Whether the akuma is affecting his actions or not, we need to calmly speak with him to not stir up the akuma’s influence.”

“Are we even sure he’s not completely under the akuma’s influence?” Queen Bee snarled. “For all we know, he might be pretending to be innocent to catch us off guard and kill us off.”

“He would never do that.” Carapace glared at Queen Bee, curling in his fists.

Ladybug held her hands up to her team, letting her eyes dart around to take in her surroundings. “We need to work together to save him and everyone else, you guys. I think I have an idea.”

Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Carapace skeptically eyed each other before settling their attention on Ladybug.

~~~~~

Chat Blanc eyed the nearby heroes as he kept his paws behind his back. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

Ladybug nodded. “I’m positive. Tikki, Longg, Unify!”

Transforming into Dragon Bug, she held her hand out to Queen Bee.

“Your Miraculous can stunt him from moving,” Dragon Bug remarked. “Once I give you the Dragon Miraculous, you can become Wind Dragon, Water Dragon, or Lightning Dragon, elements Chat Blanc can’t cataclysm. Then, once you're close enough, use Venom, and we’ll try to find his akuma from there.”

Queen Bee watched Dragon Bug quickly explain and demonstrate Wind Dragon, Water Dragon, and Lightning Dragon before dividing the unification of the Dragon and Ladybug Miraculouses.

Placing the Dragon Miraculous in Queen Bee’s hand, Ladybug gave her an encouraging nod.

“What about my power?” Carapace asked as he held out his shield. “Shelter could protect Queen Bee.”

“We don’t know if his akumatized power can break through your shield or not, and I’d rather not risk it,” Ladybug responded. “Besides, if his akuma recognizes we’ve used your power, it might try to possess Chat Blanc even further to get rid of its perceived threat: us. Your Shelter is the only set of defense we have that’s keeping his akuma dormant.”

“Understood,” Carapace sighed as he held his shield out in front of himself.

Ladybug turned over to Rena Rouge. “Rena, I’m going to need you to create several illusions of Queen Bee once she unifies with the Dragon Miraculous. Please make sure every illusion uses her powers at different time intervals to throw Chat Blanc off from reacting. The akuma wants to stay, so confusing the akuma will save Chat Blanc in the long run.”

“Got it,” Rena Rouge smirked. “Looks like Couleuvrex’s power won’t be necessary. With you as our genius and fearless leader, we’ll solve everything here and now.”

“Let’s hope,” Carapace whispered as he glanced at Chat Blanc one last time. “Don’t worry, dude. We’ll help you out of this mess.”

Chat Blanc stayed silent as he lowered his eyes to the destruction below.

The Dragon Miraculous merged with the Bee Miraculous, changing Queen Bee’s design. The yellow of her suit turned red as gold outlined the black stripes, zipping around her suit. Her hair split into high pigtails, dyed red at the tips. She placed her hand along the wind, water, and lightning symbol on her suit, nervously eyeing the lightning one.

“I don’t think I should become Lightning Dragon with all of this water around,” she whispered to Ladybug, narrowing her eyes at the mess around them. “I have a theory it won’t end well.”

“Good point,” Ladybug whispered back as she admired the red tips of her swirly pigtails. “Also, what should I call you now that you’ve unified with the Dragon Miraculous?”

“Queen Dragon’s fine,” Queen Dragon replied in annoyance. “Seriously though, isn’t it a little extra to change our hero names whenever we unify with other Miraculouses?”

“This isn’t the time,” Carapace voiced beside Queen Dragon and Ladybug, ignoring Queen Dragon’s offended gasp. “Rena, you ready?”

Rena Rouge studied Queen Dragon’s design, circling Queen Dragon as she quickly steadied her flute. “I’ve got it.”

A small melody blew out of her flute.

“Mirage!”

Queen Dragon spotted numerous clones of herself, taking on a similar stance to her own. “Okay… when do I-”

“WIND DRAGON!”

“Lightning Dragon!”

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculou-”

“WATER DRAGON!”

“Water Dragon!”

The clones started to split away from her as they called out their transformations. Although some clones stayed by her side or simply ran toward Chat Blanc without transforming, Queen Dragon’s thoughts jumbled from the discordant voices surrounding her.

“I can’t hear myself think!” Queen Dragon screamed out to her team. She watched a clone of herself detransform into her civilian form, jumping off the building. “WHAT THE-”

“-Go, Queen Dragon!” Ladybug broke into Queen Dragon’s voice, nudging her away from the heroes.

Chat Blanc’s pupils dilated. He observed the numerous clones poofing away as his claws disrupted their movements.

Queen Dragon glared at the heroes behind her before lowly snarling, “Water Dragon.”

Chat Blanc’s ears twitched as he recognized the body of water heading his way. He knew none of the lightning bolts were her due to the conversation his ears picked up on between Queen Dragon and Ladybug.

Based on the water’s precise movement to avoid contact with the illusions, he knew which Queen Dragon was the real one… even if he didn’t want to.

The akuma had control over his reflexes and body motions after he’d witnessed his father’s death and the world’s destruction from his paws. A part of himself internally gave up, allowing the akuma’s partial control in that regard. However… he wasn’t sure what would happen if he fully gave into the akuma, or what would even cause him to give in entirely.

He knew Plagg implied the akuma wouldn’t fully possess him. So… the akuma’s influence along with his own sense of self would merge. He would completely break and be rebuilt into whatever his mind and the akuma deemed fit if that were the case. But… there’s no way he’d ever want that. No. He would never choose the akuma’s powers over the future his friends were trying to save.

Queen Dragon’s water split into two as Chat Blanc’s claws tore at the water.

“Ow! Stop scratching me, you jerk!”

“I’m not exactly trying to,” Chat Blanc defensively bit back as he swatted away the illusions with his belt.

Ladybug’s plan should’ve worked. Yet, there was one tiny detail no one seemed to recognize before now: Queen Dragon would have to lose her water form to sting Chat Blanc, which would leave her open for an attack.

The heroes didn’t know how to use Unification Powers like Couleuvrex had. Besides, they weren’t even aware what Unification Power the Bee and Dragon Miraculouses granted: ‘Fight, Flight, or Freeze’.

It would’ve been a power that made the Lightning, Wind, or Water Dragon paralyze anyone it comes into contact with, which is what they really needed in this case.

If they had known… their plan would’ve worked.

~~~~~

“Let me have a turn!”

Louis narrowed his eyes at Emma’s irritated stance. “No. I’m trying to practice my aim.”

Emma extended her hands out to the glitching circles around them. “But there’s no target!”

Louis shrugged, shooting out an arrow as he internally debated whether or not his shot was good. Frustratedly setting his bow back on his back, he retrieved the arrow.

“Hey, Couleuvrex, what’s happening with the others?”

As Louis made his way over to Couleuvrex, he looked inside of the Witness circle. A pigtailed version of Queen Bee’s face almost met with an oddly familiar glowing paw-

“I’ll go get your arrow!” Emma’s voice cracked into their ears as both of them watched Emma enter a circle of the future.

“EMMA, NO!” Couleuvrex screamed, looking away from the Witness portal as she settled her eyes on Louis.

Louis rolled his eyes as he darted toward the circle. “Emma, I didn’t lose any of my arrows! What are you doing?!”

Couleuvrex planned to keep an eye on Witness, but leaving those two to cause yet another problem wasn’t exactly ideal.

As she dashed over to the circle Emma and Louis entered, she felt her heart stop as she listened to a faint scream on the other end of Witness.

…She reached for her set of pliers, following after Emma and Louis as she let Witness unfold.

~~~~~

Ladybug’s eyes froze onto the scene in front of her. Every sound boomed within her ears as she cupped her hands over her mouth.

Their leader’s plan failed… and no matter how hard she tried to look for a solution, counterattack, or ‘plan b’… her mind went silent.

“CHLOE!”

Rena Rouge collapsed to the ground as Queen Dragon’s unification divided, leaving behind Chloe scratched up with her extensions cascading to the floor. She picked up her broken Miraculouses, watching the last of her hair comb disintegrate into dust.

Chloe placed her hand on her uncomfortably cold neck, trembling as she refused to look at the blood slipping down her wrist.

Tears dripped down to the floor as she glared at Chat Blanc in agony.

“If you were going to betray us,” she weakly managed to speak out, “you shouldn’t have pretended to be on our side.”

His eyes took in her scratched-up state as he painfully drifted his eyes down to his clawed gloves. He did that… he… was responsible for her pain.

He held his breath as tears lined his eyes. Why couldn’t he stop himself? Watching him hurt the one friend he had as a kid, the friend that he cherished like his very own sibling… this was unbearable.

Chloe was like a sister to him; she was probably the only ‘family’ he had left along with his aunt and cousin (who were technically already gone in this timeline)… but now… all because of him… she almost died.

He had no control of his body anymore. He wasn’t trying to excuse himself for hurting her; he was just trying to hold onto the last truths he could hold onto, hoping that he wouldn’t break his mind any further than it was. He would never hurt her, but he watched himself cataclysm the Bee Miraculous and slice the Dragon Miraculous from her neck.

His hope diminished. At this point… there was no saving him. His mind would plead for the brighter future awaiting them all, but his body would do whatever it could to protect his powers.

Even now, he had no say over his own actions, even with all of the world dead beneath his paws.

“I’m sorry,” he began as he tried to reach out to her.

Rena Rouge’s flute struck his arm back. “You’ve done enough, haven’t you?”

Carapace’s eyes darted between Chloe’s staggered breaths and Chat Blanc scratching his nails into his arms.

“Why hasn’t Couleuvrex fixed this already?” Carapace asked out to the group of heroes.

Chloe tried to sit up as the pain struck through her head, settling her eyes on her hair caught between ripped up metal slabs. “Maybe she’s noticed I’m not dead yet.”

“No,” Rena Rouge gasped as she clamped her hands over her head. “She wouldn’t do that… would she?”

“She doesn’t have to come out here herself,” Chloe bit out as she covered her neck with her hands. Eyeing around the rooftop, she spotted a broken chunk of glass, sharp enough to cut off the extensions tying her to the ground.

“Ladybug.” Rena Rouge turned to Ladybug, locking her eyes onto Ladybug’s eyes. “If you go back to where she opened the Witness portal, maybe you can tell her to bring us back.”

Ladybug nodded as she watched Chloe cut off her hair.

“Just make sure she’s doing her job,” Chloe sighed as she threw the glass shard across the rooftop. “I’m still breathing… so we have a chance.”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at Ladybug’s departure, gasping as Rena Rouge’s flute struck his chest.

“Keep your eyes on your opponent,” Rena Rouge voiced in fury. “Your ally isn’t here to cover for you anymore.”

She kept the flute ready for attack, thankful Ladybug hadn’t heard her remark. Although Rena Rouge usually agreed with Ladybug’s decisions, Ladybug didn’t give them any direction once she departed. So… after just witnessing Chloe’s collapse… Rena Rouge deemed it fitting to be ‘bad cop’ without Ladybug as ‘good cop’. If she could press the urgency of his de-akumatization to him, maybe he’d finally break away from the akuma himself.

She would always trust Ladybug, so if Ladybug still had hope in Chat Blanc, so did Rena Rouge. However, if she had to be harsh to get through to him sooner rather than later, so be it. For his sake, her friends, and herself: she’d do whatever she needed to do to bring Chat Noir back.

Chat Blanc placed his paw over his bell.

He was aware his body would react violently, even if he himself didn’t want it to. At this point… what else could he do but let his body react however the akuma deemed fit? In order to guard his powers, the akuma wouldn’t let him end this nightmare peacefully.

His heart didn’t want to witness anyone else perish by his hands… he’d already listened to enough lives cease. Right now… his body and mind weren’t in tune with each other (as Luka would remark), and that broken melody only made it more difficult for the heroes’ success. The less resistant Chat Blanc was against the akuma, the higher chance the heroes would have. Letting the akuma direct him was for the best.

A predictable villain would be easier for the heroes than an unpredictable victim.

Chat Blanc almost let a grin slip onto his face before twitching his head over in Rena Rouge’s direction. “To get the happy ending everyone deserves… I need to be defeated. Since Chloe couldn’t stop me… it’s your turn.”

Rena Rouge readied her flute as Chat Blanc gripped his staff.

“Looks like you’re willing to fight after all,” Rena Rouge commented as she dodged a strike to the head. “I should’ve known.”

Chloe rolled her eyes as Carapace offered her his arm. “Ugh, that’s what I’ve been saying since we first got here.”

Blood dripped to the floor as Chloe’s head felt light. She tried to regain her balance as Carapace wrapped her arm around his shoulder, propping her up.

Carapace held his breath, worriedly eyeing Chat Blanc. “Dude… I thought you wanted to fix everything. Why are you fighting us?”

Chat Blanc’s eyes drifted over to Carapace’s direction as he blocked an attack from Rena Rouge.

Carapace didn’t need a verbal answer from his buddy.

His buddy… wasn’t his buddy anymore.

~~~~~

Ladybug landed beside their entry spot, tears quietly slipping down her face as she gulped. Her body trembled in a cold sweat.

“We… can’t do this…” she whispered under her breath, slowly descending to her knees as she violently shook in place. Her hands shakily lifted up to her hair, tugging at the pigtails until they went loose. “Everyone is dead.”

The rooftop remained silent as she listened to the distant echoes of her friends fighting each other.

Her chest lifted and lowered.

Her eyes darted around the darkness beneath her arms.

“Everyone is gone. Everyone… forever…”

Her head twisted as she lost control of her breathing, letting her hands slip to her neck as she tried to shake away Chloe’s image from her mind. Her nails dug into her skin as she pictured the blood warmly lining the ground.

“…I… I can’t… I can’t… I… CAN’T… DO THIS!”

Her voice broke into the air as she screamed, holding her head closer to her knees.

“BRING US BACK, BUNNYX! PLEASE!”

The silence terrified her as she lifted her tearstained face to the Witness-less outside air.

“I don’t want us to die,” she croaked out to the open, shaking her head violently for even considering the idea. “We can’t do this Bunn-, Couleuvrex, we-… please, I can’t… b-bring us back-”

A distant slam along with the sound of a collapsing building sent Ladybug straight up, scanning and searching her surroundings for any nearby threat. She wished she would’ve known what she was walking into. She wished she could’ve cohesively worked with her team. She wished she wasn’t so scared.

Gripping her shoulders, she tried to control her breathing.

She is Ladybug.

She can do this. If anyone could do this, it was her.

Besides… who else would save the world if she and her friends couldn’t?

She and her team had to face off against the one who killed everyone on earth: Ladybug’s very own partner.

She gulped as she studied the crumbling moon up above, surrounded by the faint blue sky.

With every moment she wasted in her own fear, her friends suffered just as terribly as she did. Although she wished no one could feel the level of panic she felt currently, she was somewhat relieved she wasn’t alone in this feeling.

The people by her side would see her through this.

She’d bring the hope back to Chat Blanc’s tearfilled eyes. The fears and panic swirling the hearts of everyone awaiting her would be silenced as this nightmare came to an end. She would make sure of it.

Everyone and everything depended on her pulling herself together.

So that’s exactly what she was going to do.

She let herself dash away from her solitude, not even bothering to look behind herself. Whether anyone still alive saw her break or not didn’t matter; they’d see her make everything right with the help of her friends.

That’s all that mattered anymore.

~~~~~

Rena Rouge dodged a swipe from Chat Blanc, bending her neck back as Carapace’s shield advanced toward Chat Blanc.

Chat Blanc's neck twisted to the side as the shield struck a wall behind himself. He kneeled down as Carapace approached, tripping Carapace’s advance as Chat Blanc kicked him against the wall. His cat ear twitched as he listened to the wall’s damage.

Rena Rouge dashed over to retrieve Carapace’s shield, yanking it from the concrete wall as chunks of debris fell around her. She held her flute perpendicular to the floor, throwing the shield in the air with her free hand, striking it with her flute as if it were a frisbee-shaped baseball.

Chat Blanc leaped up into the air, digging his heels into the shield before slamming the shield down onto Rena Rouge’s shoe. He kicked the bottom of the flute up into the air, watching as it slipped out of Rena Rouge’s hands. Just as he was about to grasp it, Chloe caught a hold of it, jumping back as she dodged another swipe.

“You really had Ladybug fooled,” Chloe remarked in reproach, remembering Emma’s fears of Chat Blanc hurting Adrien. “To think, she ever tried to defend someone as evil as you.”

“Chloe, what are you doing?!” Rena Rouge muttered as she snatched her flute back, wincing from the pain in her leg. “He’s possessed by the akuma, not the akuma himself.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she watched Carapace and Chat Blanc fight for the shield. “Before he went and killed everyone on earth, I just so happened to find out his plans for Adrien Agreste.”

Carapace and Chat Blanc stopped mid shield-tug, eyeing each other skeptically as their eyes settled on Chloe.

“And that is?” Rena Rouge asked as she dusted off her flute.

Chloe glared at Chat Blanc, menacingly lowering her voice. “He’s willing to reconstruct the future if he can get what he wants… that’s all.”

“Be more specific,” Carapace sighed as he snatched his shield out of Chat Blanc’s confused paws.

“Let’s just say he and some idiotic baker girl can’t be together in the future, and he’d be willing to get rid of the person said-baker-girl has in her future with Emma.”

Rena Rouge kneeled beside Chloe in shock. “Are you saying…”

“Whether you think it’s stupid to listen to a kid or not is up to you, but Emma’s concern was real.” Chloe wiped some blood from her arm as she raised her head out to the heroes and Chat Blanc. “I was not about to ignore her, especially when the evidence lines up perfectly against him, and when Adrikins is involved.”

Rena Rouge’s eyes lit up as she registered the news. “Adrienette is real?!”

Carapace offered Chat Blanc a mini pound-it before realizing Chat Blanc wouldn’t return the action.

Chloe deadpanned. “Look around you. Not in this timeline. Chat Blanc killed everyone on earth, remember? Did you happen to see Adrien waltzing around? No. He’s… dead… and I’m willing to bet his death played a part in this reality’s demise.”

Rena Rouge gasped as she glared out to Chat Blanc.

Carapace rolled his eyes as Chat Blanc snickered.

“See! I TOLD you! He’s even happy about it!” Chloe clenched her fists, ignoring the blood uncomfortably slipping down her arms.

“Yeah, you caught me,” Chat Blanc admitted dramatically as he ignored Carapace’s confused expression. “That guy had it coming.”

Rena Rouge’s jaw dropped as tears filled her eyes. Carapace narrowed his eyes at Chat Blanc, somewhat surprised by Chat Blanc’s theatrics.

Rena Rouge placed her hand on her chest, picturing the last moments she spent with all of her friends before this mess. “…Why?”

“Yeah, dude,” Carapace coldly muttered as he narrowed his eyes even further at Chat Blanc’s smug smirk. “Why did you murder that guy you’ve got no connection to?”

Chat Blanc felt the akuma’s influence balance out, allowing him to dramatically place his paw along his forehead as he turned away from them. He leaned his head back, twisting it an uncomfortable amount as he studied the broken moon.

“Like Miss Chloe so generously announced, I was enraged that Adrien Agreste would be with the woman I love, so in cold blood, I made sure he wasn’t a problem anymore. Tada. The meritorious answer the world deserved.”

Rena Rouge and Chloe froze from the confession as Carapace scoffed in annoyance.

“Come on, dude,” Carapace sighed. “Cut it out.”

Chat Blanc leaned up against a pile of rubble, studying his gloves as his smirk weakened. “He wouldn’t accept death, even when I was inches away from cataclysming that stupid smile off his face. Guess he was too scared to die. Oh well, the world won’t see the model in him anymore.”

“THE WORLD WON’T SEE YOU EITHER ONCE I RIP THAT SMILE OFF YOUR FACE!” Chloe screamed, grasping onto a broken metal beam as she lunged it toward him.

Carapace held out his shield as he glanced at Chat Blanc’s unphased smile. “You’re a total jerk.”

Chat Blanc’s eyebrows wiggled in Carapace’s direction, listening to the metal beam slam into Carapace’s shield.

“Fine,” Carapace sighed. “If you won’t tell them, I will.”

Rena Rouge glared at Carapace’s calm expression. She gripped onto Chloe’s trembling hand, reassuring her that she wasn’t alone in their fury against Chat Blanc.

Chat Blanc planned to interject with one last melodramatic display before feeling Carapace’s shield squash him silent.

“Adrien’s not dead,” Carapace groaned in annoyance once Chat Blanc’s tiny snickers slipped from underneath the shield. “The dude’s the only one still alive.”

“Are you saying he’s…” Rena Rouge eyed between Carapace and Chat Blanc, widening her eyes in realization.

Chat Blanc glanced at Chloe, flicking his fabric cat ears as he anxiously awaited Chloe’s reaction.

He didn’t have to wait long before receiving a chunk of wall debris to the head.

“Yeah, right,” Chloe scoffed as she wiped her hands in satisfaction, ignoring Carapace’s gasp of disbelief. “I’m not going to believe that load of garbage for a complete second.”

Chat Blanc rubbed his head with a sigh.

“Come on, dude,” Carapace voiced sadly as he offered Chat Blanc his hand. “You don’t have to keep the akuma if you don’t want it. We can’t help you if you won’t let us.”

“He’s right,” Rena Rouge replied as she stepped beside Carapace, pressing her hand beside Carapace’s hand. “We can fix this together.”

Chloe scoffed as she observed the two heroes reaching out to their friend. “Do you honestly think he wants things to change?”

“I can’t,” Chat Blanc muttered under his breath, keeping his eyes on the floor. “I’m not strong enough… I’m sorry.”

Carapace and Rena Rouge eyed each other in confusion as they kept their hands extended toward him.

“Uh, if you can destroy the world, you’re strong enough to tell a butterfly to go away,” Chloe remarked with a wave of her wrist.

Chat Blanc locked his eyes on Chloe’s eyes. “It’s different, Chloe. Just like my father, I feel like there’s this invisible hold over me, and even though I want to give up, I can’t. It won’t let me.”

“Stop making excuses for yourself,” Chloe snapped. “And don’t act like you’re-”

Chloe stepped forward, leaning in between Carapace and Rena Rouge.

“…You’re not… who you’re pretending to be,” she indignantly whispered under her breath, eyeing Chat Blanc in disbelief.

Rena Rouge tilted her head up at Chloe. Even though she didn’t want to believe Adrien killed everyone, Rena Rouge couldn’t picture Chat Noir wanting this world either. They both were the same person, trapped in whatever web the akuma nudged him toward.

Distracted, one of her arms bumped into Carapace’s hood. “Oh, sorry, Carapace.”

Carapace grinned at Rena Rouge, bumping her arm. “It’s all good, Alya.”

Chat Blanc and Chloe eyed each other before simultaneously pointing at Rena Rouge. “Alya?”

Carapace nervously laughed as Rena Rouge bonked the back of his head, on purpose this time.

“Surprise,” she sarcastically sighed as she patted Carapace’s hood. “I know you didn’t mean to reveal my identity, Carapace. It’s fine.”

Chloe glanced at both Rena Rouge and Carapace as she connected the dots. “He’s Nino, isn’t he?”

“Yep,” Chat Blanc snickered as Carapace realized his one mistake resulted in this many secret identity reveals.

“Wow,” Rena Rouge laughed as she looked at each of her friends. “If only we knew sooner.”

They all stayed in their places for several moments in silence before Chloe turned her head over to Rena Rouge.

“You kind of suck as an aspiring reporter,” Chloe muttered back at Rena Rouge as Rena Rouge gasped in offense.

Chat Blanc snickered while Carapace bapped his snow white hair.

As Chat Blanc opened his eyes, Chloe’s hand reached in between Rena Rouge’s and Carapace’s hands. His eyes brightened from the gesture, realizing that even throughout everything that’s happened, he still had his friends, reaching out to help him. He didn’t have to be alone.

“We can fix this,” Carapace voiced out as Chat Blanc’s cat ears picked up on his suggestion. “I promise.”

Chat Blanc eyed their hands reaching out for his paw, waiting for this nightmare to come to a rest. He was ready for everything to change.

So, he reached out.

~~~~~

Ladybug landed along a building close to the other heroes. As she looked out to them, a smile slipped onto her face as she spotted her friends offering their hands out to Chat Blanc.

“They’re really the best,” she mumbled to herself, letting go of the fear that previously gripped her.

However, as she took one step forward, she stopped.

His hand reached up to the hands offering him help.

Within a matter of milliseconds…

The light in his palms spread through all three of them.

~~~~~

As the light faded away, cataclysmed statues remained, reaching for the hand of someone they only wanted to save. They stood… frozen… like mannequins behind a fashion boutique’s glass window.

Their eyes were open… their smiles still present. Their hope encased in the last millisecond of their existence.

They didn’t know they died. It was quick.

Ladybug’s legs trembled as she stepped back.

They didn’t hear her approach. They didn’t see the instant light that pierced them.

They couldn’t hear her cries, her screams… they couldn’t see her tears, her stumbled steps of petrified retreat.

Her friends… were dead.

They died right in front of her. And she was only a building’s length away from stopping it.

She waited for the Witness power to bring her back to the burrow. She waited for the moment she’d reunite with her friends, oblivious to their own deaths. She waited for Bunnyx to give up on the Unification Power and find the heroes of the future.

But none of that happened.

She continued to step back as she clenched her hand along her chest. As she withdrew from the horrific motionless scene, she lost her footing, slipping down into the water.

Her body sunk down below as she recognized where she was: outside of Kitty Section’s performance. Covering her mouth with her yo-yo, she swam onto the boat, eyeing all of her friend’s forever stunted stances.

Outside of the boat… two people were facing away from the concert.

She pressed her hand along the boat’s edge, throwing herself overboard as she landed on the concrete. Swimming over to the two frozen statues holding hands, she felt her body freeze as she registered their faces.

But it didn’t make any sense.

She reached out her hand to Alya’s cataclysmed face, gasping as Alya and Nino completely disintegrated into the water.

She could also spot two others in a frozen run, cupping their hands around their mouth, as if they were looking for someone.

Looking at the last two familiar people, looking for someone they never found, she swam over to their faces, choking on some water as she realized who they were.

Queen Bee and Louis looked back at her.

~~~~~

“What did you do to them?!”

Chat Blanc pressed his face up against a jagged slab of metal, crying as his body refused to move any closer. “…I didn’t mean to.”

Ladybug collapsed beside the metal slabs, eyeing the three heroes that wouldn’t be by her side to help her.

The Witness power failed. This… was reality…

…forever.

Tears slipped out onto the metal as the two remaining beings on earth stayed by each other’s side.

There was no fixing this.

Ladybug… failed everyone.

~~~~~

The time continued to drag on. Ladybug concluded Bunnyx must’ve faded away; why else was Ladybug still here if not?

The two heroes sat together as the hours flew by, healing none of their wounds. Natural feelings like hunger and tiredness couldn’t reach them anymore. Their stripped away hope left them completely empty.

“I can’t live with myself,” Chat Blanc’s voice quietly broke through his tears. “But my body won’t let me leave.”

He dug his face closer to the jagged metal, feeling his neck forcibly tug away from a sharp corner.

Ladybug placed her hand on his cheek. “I thought I could fix this… but I was wrong. I’m sorry… for getting your hopes up for nothing.”

They glanced at each other silently for a moment. They’d given up. Fighting was worthless. There was nothing left to fight for, nothing left to protect.

Chat Blanc sniffled as he wiped his eyes. “I shouldn’t have held onto this akuma. It’s my fault. You only tried to help me, and I ended up destroying… everything.”

He felt his eyes drift over to the three cataclysmed statues.

“They were trying to help me… and I… I tried to let them… but I should’ve known. Why… why did they have to die? Why was I given this power of destruction so easily, so… willingly?”

The air slashed through them as they held their breath against the chill.

“…There is no good in me. There was good in them… but now… they’re all dead.”

Chat Blanc placed his hand on his chest.

“PLEASE, DON’T!” Ladybug screamed, grabbing onto his arm. “We’ve already lost everyone else, Chat, and I can’t lose you, too!”

He painfully looked away as he slammed his arm on the ground. “It’s not like it would work, anyway! Not back then, and not now. I’ll be stuck in this nightmare forever.”

Ladybug loosened her grip on his arm as she scooted closer beside him. Another hour passed as they sat in silence, waiting for the words to say if any at all.

She looked up at the moon in an almost unsettlingly calm way, observing the moon’s crumbles, as if it were a snickerdoodle cookie. She reached her hand up to it, wishing this were really just a nightmare she could wake up from.

The dream would collapse on itself and her eyes would widen in the darkness of her room. She’d be frozen stiff for a while before hugging onto her cat plushie, reassuring Tikki she had only had a dream. She’d say she needed some air and slip up to her balcony…

She glanced over at Chat Blanc covering his eyes as tears dripped across his wrists.

…and Chat Noir would just so happen to be on a night patrol, trying to shoo away the exact same nightmare. She’d invite him over… he’d land along the balcony… she’d find some excuse to fluff his pretty hair before bringing back some cookies and madeleines… and they could spend the rest of the night together, chatting and messing up yet another vacuum cleaner just for kicks.

Yet… that was only a ‘what if’ of her imagination, a simple wish she wouldn’t receive.

Her hand lowered as she gave up on collecting the moon’s little crumbs.

Chat Blanc’s eyes widened as he felt her hands cup his cheeks, squishing his face as his mask crinkled around his nose.

“What are you-?”

“-If this is it,” she whispered, placing her nose on his nose as she tried to focus on the one person still breathing. “If this is how the world ends… then… I don’t want to be alone. Please… don’t leave me, too.”

Chat Blanc furrowed his face as he tilted his head, feeling her palm press onto his jaw. His eyes weakened as he felt silent tears slip from her eyes to his face. “But I’ve destroyed everything… I’m the one who-”

Ladybug wiped some of his tears away with her thumbs. “I know.”

The sky was a gentle light blue, trying to stay positive and carefree against the glittering pool of death beneath itself. Yet, it didn’t have to try anymore as it watched the last two people on earth converse.

This world was like a snow globe, one where every artificial flake of snow dissipated, leaving behind the flipped over Eiffel Tower statue and a splashing pool of water.

There were two tired hearts still beating, keeping only two people alive amongst the glass prison of broken wishes and dreams.

“…Kitty,” Ladybug’s whisper broke as she pressed her forehead onto his, “I need to tell you something.”

Chat Blanc closed his eyes, trying to avoid the scenery he painted and scratched into view.

“I should probably tell you some stuff, too,” Chat Blanc quietly voiced as he kept his paws from meeting her embrace.

She pulled her head back as she waited for his eyelashes to open, waiting for him to look at her now that there was nothing left to look at.

Chat Blanc slowly fluttered his eyelashes open. “There isn’t any purpose in me hiding my identity from you anymore.”

“Mine as well,” Ladybug agreed as she brushed her hands through his fluffy white hair.

The world had already stopped. This was the long awaited reveal of the two protectors of Paris, the two heroes that failed the entire world.

The last wish left on earth: finally knowing who their superhero friend was beneath the mask.

He sighed, tapping his paws along the rubble. “You might as well know who I am first. You deserve to know first. I took away everyone’s lives you-”

Ladybug placed her hand on his face, shaking her head. “You lost everyone you love, too.”

Chat Blanc glanced at the cataclysmed heroes one last time before letting his eyes drift over to the sunken bakery.

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.”

The wind swirled through their hair as he took an uneasy gulp.

“I’m… Adrien Agreste.”

He glanced at her not so surprised face.

“Uh… did you already know?”

“No,” she replied quickly. “I just… I’ve had a couple moments recently where I’ve wondered. That’s all.”

Chat Blanc awkwardly nodded his head, smoothing out his hair.

She took a deep breath before looking out at the world’s end. “And I’m… Ma… Mar…”

She shook her head, accidentally tugging on his hair as she apologetically leaned back, bumping her back onto the rubble as it fell behind them.

“Madly clumsy… I’m… yeah. That.”

Chat Blanc snickered slightly before covering his mouth. “Sorry. This isn’t exactly the greatest time for me to laugh, huh?”

Ladybug lowered her hand from his hair, pointedly patting his face. “It’s okay. Even with things super bleak, keeping yourself from laughing isn’t any better. Besides… it’s kind of nice to hear it. I’m glad to hear your laugh again.”

Chat Blanc let a small smile form along his face. “I’m glad… I’m not alone right now.”

“Me too,” Ladybug quietly whispered as she forced herself to stay together. She took a couple of seconds before sighing. “I don’t think I can say who I am.”

Chat Blanc nodded in understanding as he glanced at the Eiffel Tower in the distance. “It’s okay. You don’t have to-”

“Tikki… Spots Off.”

Chat Blanc’s eyes widened as he watched pink light surround Ladybug, revealing a familiar cat dress and book bag strap.

No… it couldn’t be.

“…Marinette?”

Marinette let the weight of the world fall from her shoulders as she finally felt at peace with everything that had transpired.

“…Yep… that’s me, ehehe… surprise?”

The world didn’t end… not for him at that moment. It was saved.

He wanted to hold her hand in his, but not with the akuma’s power.

“Plagg… Claws In.”

Marinette took in Adrien’s tearful face, bright blue eyes, and fluffy white hair. For some reason, he didn’t look as ‘Adrien-y’ as he did when they were at school, but she could still tell it was him.

“I’ve wanted to tell you this for so long,” Adrien’s voice quietly whispered as he looked at the smiling cats along her sleeves. “Marinette… you’re not just a friend to me. I’ve always felt like you were more than that.”

Marinette placed her hand on top of his paw. “Does that… does this mean that you…”

Adrien smiled at her hand on his, looking up at her eyes. “It means that I love you, Purrincess.”

“I… I love you too,” Marinette’s voice broke as she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his arms return her embrace. “I love you, Kitty.”

They sat there, holding onto each other in their hug, hoping this moment would never end. Hoping that even though the world was gone, they could remain in this singular moment, the moment they realized who they are, what they’ve felt, and the connecting of dots in the past.

Everything made sense.

Marinette booped her nose on his, pulling back as she placed her hands out to him.

“What if…” he whispered, eyeing her earrings hesitantly. “…what if we-”

He placed his hands on hers.

Marinette tilted her head, waiting for the rest of his remark.

He glanced at his ring. To fix everything… to be happy again…

What if they made a wish?

A wish they wouldn’t have to get rid of… a wish with the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses, not the Butterfly Miraculous’ lingering wish-making power.

A permanent solution.

They could save their world and everyone in it. This didn’t have to be the end.

Would she agree? Would she be willing to pay any price to bring back their world? Even if it meant the destruction of another?

Marinette had completely forgotten about the Miraculouses in her yo-yo. She didn’t even realize that she could save everyone by simply unifying with the Rabbit Miraculous, putting an end to this moment.

Yet… once she’d finally had the realization cross her mind, her eyes drifted down to their hands.

His hands were cold against her hand, but in a matter of seconds, a light warmth brushed beneath the hand with his ring. She smiled as she realized she could save everyone and him. “I know what to do, Kitty!”

His eyes drifted onto hers as they ignored the warmth growing in their connected hands. “I… think I know, too.”

She wondered what he was referring to since he wouldn’t have known about her Miraculous collection within her yo-yo.

“Tikki…”

A faint glow gently brushed onto Adrien’s face.

Marinette’s eyes shook as she slowly let her eyes drift down to their hands.

There was light.

“No,” he screamed, trying to pull away, shaking as he fearfully eyed her shock. “YOU HAVE TO LET GO!”

Marinette’s eyes flickered from the light in Adrien’s palms. “…How is this possible? You’re… you… you’re not-”

“This isn’t the time Marinette,” Tikki gasped as Plagg emptily floated beside the three. “Please! Let go! Use the Rabbit Miraculous and go back!”

Marinette… was too scared to pull away.

“Marinette, please! Let go! I CAN’T lose you too! Please!”

Marinette closed her eyes as the light brightened around them all. It shouldn’t have been possible… without the link of Plagg and Adrien together… his power shouldn’t have been active.

“Tikki, Spots On!”

By the time she realized why this was happening… It was too late.

Adrien’s hands pulled away.

It was his ring. But his akuma was in his bell, not his ring; he wasn’t Chat Blanc right now.

This shouldn’t have happened.

…Why did it happen?

His plan of removing his ring for her to fix the world must’ve triggered some kind of response. It would’ve been different if he’d snatched her earrings. It would’ve been different if he hadn’t held onto the akuma for so long.

His eyes drifted away from Ladybug’s frozen body, making sure he wouldn’t break her any further. He’d already broken enough people and statues.

“Plagg… Claws Out.”

Chat Blanc knelt on his knee, lifting himself off of the ground. The world she let him have shattered to pieces as he finally succumbed to the akuma’s power… letting himself finally break entirely.

She….. was……. gone.

And so was he.

~~~~~

Couleuvrex pulled Emma and Louis back into the burrow as she glanced one last time inside the future circle.

“I’ll be back if it’s necessary,” Couleuvrex remarked to two figures behind the circle, turning over to Emma and Louis. “As for you two… don’t even think about touching any of the burrow’s circles again, understand?”

Louis nodded as Emma slumped to the floor.

“Mommy was happy to see me,” Emma replied in aggravation, feeling as if she didn't do anything wrong. “She even cried when she saw Louis and me, which you said was a good thing, Miss Bunny.”

Choosing to ignore her, Couleuvrex stepped over to the Witness circle, feeling her breath stop as her chest tightened, keeping her from breathing.

Louis stepped over, eyeing the circle. “What’s wrong-?”

Behind the circle… they watched as Adrien’s palms filled with light… killing Marinette.

“NO!” Louis screamed, holding his hands over his face as his glass body shattered pieces around him. Collecting the pieces, he firmly glared at Couleuvrex. “Why didn’t you send me in? I have a Miraculous. He’s already tried to kill me before. I should’ve gone in. Maybe then… Marinette…”

Couleuvrex raised her umbrella, slashing it through the Witness circle. “Nullify.”

The circle placed a clock hand on the current time the Witness circle displayed, using its other hand to form a doorway. The door creaked open, revealing the moments the heroes stepped inside the Witness circle.

“Let’s go, you guys- huh? Wait… weren’t we supposed to go in, Couleuvrex?”

Ladybug’s voice filled the burrow as Louis rushed over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a terrified hug. She returned the hug, eyeing Couleuvrex’s Unification divide.

“We… failed. Didn’t we?”

Bunnyx’s face was completely broken as she tried to shake away the sight of Marinette’s death.

“I’m so sorry,” Bunnyx voiced as she glanced at the heroes covering their mouths.

“What was on the other side?” Carapace asked, gulping at the nearby time circles. He pointed out to one. “That was the one we went into, right?”

“No, that’s the one I drew you and Alya from after I first got Chloe and Emma,” Bunnyx responded as she shook her head. “Alright. This failed… but I’ll go get my team. They’ll fix this.”

Ladybug watched as Emma’s body started to fade from sight.

“What’s happening to her?” Ladybug asked.

Louis let go of Ladybug, walking over to Emma beside the circle Carapace pointed out.

“Just like me… she’s fading away,” Bunnyx admitted quietly.

Ladybug held her breath. The heroes of the future were most likely fading away as well. They wouldn’t be able to save everyone.

The heroes gathered by Emma as she and Bunnyx continued to fade more and more.

“We can still fix this,” Ladybug nervously voiced as she held out her yo-yo. She pulled out the Horse and Rabbit Miraculouses, placing them on herself as she eyed her team.

Carapace weakly smiled at Ladybug, beginning to nod, before his eyes settled on Rena Rouge’s adamant nod. He held his breath. “If we really did lose… I can’t watch any one of us die in there.”

Rena Rouge turned over to Carapace, patting his shoulder as they stepped closer to the time circle. “We’ll be more careful this time.”

Louis tilted his head up, glancing at Ladybug worriedly. With Emma by his side, already fading away, Louis confidently raised his head.

“Let me help,” Louis voiced directly at Ladybug, ignoring the glances of the other nearby heroes. “I have a Miraculous, and as long as my amok isn’t purified, I can live through any kind of attack.”

The idea sounded perfect to Rena Rouge and most of the others… but once her eyes landed on Ladybug’s, she knew Ladybug was completely against the idea.

Deciding to spare Ladybug of the awkward-work-around of Louis’ offer, Rena Rouge patted his shoulder. “Let’s… think about it, okay?”

His eyes drifted over to Rena Rouge, trying to withstand flinching from her patting his chipping shoulder. “…Marinette? Please?”

Ladybug stepped over to Emma and Louis, feeling Emma’s arms wrap around her neck. “Emma is going to need a friend to chat to in the burrow while the others and I fix whatever’s waiting for us.”

Louis eyes filled with tears as he looked over to Bunnyx’s silent stance, barely visible anymore in the distance. “But I saw you…”

The air in Ladybug’s chest tightened as she realized just what Louis was getting at: he saw her die, didn’t he?

“I won’t let that happen again,” Ladybug reassured, holding his non-chipping hand. “I promise you… we won’t die a second time.”

Carapace stepped forward, kneeling beside Ladybug. He hesitated for a moment before he reached his hand out to Louis, patting his head.

“Little dude… we’ve got this this time.”

Louis and Carapace exchanged understanding nods as Emma wrapped Louis into the hug with Ladybug.

Carapace waited for their hug to break before he tapped Ladybug’s shoulder, walking over to Rena Rouge and Queen Bee nearby.

“Do you think we’ll be able to win if we go as a team?” He slowly whispered, glancing at the distant circle they’d need to enter, and the nearby circle Bunnyx dragged him in from. “We already lost as a group, but maybe on our own… it’d be different.”

The heroes huddled close together, eyeing each other carefully. Queen Bee scrunched up her face, eyeing Carapace in concern; he said he wasn’t able to work well on his own from what she remembered, so why on earth was he suggesting they split up? If they wouldn’t go in as a team… who would go in, and who would be left behind?

“If we’ve died once in there, it’s better we go together than alone,” Queen Bee stated as she eyed Ladybug. “Got any ideas?”

Everyone’s eyes shifted over to Ladybug’s contemplative stance.

“I’m not sure what we’re up against… but whatever it is, we’ll need some help.” She eyed her yo-yo in her hand, nodding to herself as she called out, “Lucky Charm.”

A parachute flew into the air, brushing against the burrow’s circles. As it fell, it covered everyone near Alya’s and Nino’s time circle: Rena Rouge, Carapace, Queen Bee, Ladybug, Emma, and Louis. Their hands rapidly tried to remove the heavy chunk of fabric, tripping over themselves in the process.

“Hey! Get this thing off of me!” Queen Bee barked, twisting around the fabric.

“I can’t see,” Louis gasped as he felt Emma completely fade from his arms. “Oh no… Emma? Emma, where are you?!”

“Ladybug, what’s this Lucky Charm for?” Carapace asked, trying to shove the parachute off of himself. “Why is it scrambling us up?”

“I don’t know,” Ladybug called out as she spotted the burrow’s light from a corner. She knelt down, pulling herself outside of the parachute as she tumbled to the floor. She shut her eyes, sighing in relief from finally escaping the Lucky Charm she’d been gifted. “You guys! I made it out!”

“How?!” Queen Bee called, failing to tell which direction Ladybug’s voice was coming from.

Ladybug sat up, eyeing the parachute’s descent toward Alya’s and Nino’s time circle. “Uh, you guys? You’re going the wrong way.”

“Wait, we’re moving somewhere?!” Rena Rouge called out, tripping over someone’s leg. “What’s going on?!”

Ladybug bounced off the ground, placing her hands on the Lucky Charm as she tried to pull it off of the others. “Don’t worry! I’ll try to get this thing off!”

The parachute dipped further inside of the time circle as Ladybug felt her body lift off the ground. She tried to steady her hands around it, but she continued to lose her grip.

“Follow my voice, you guys!” Ladybug screamed, frantically tugging at the immovable fabric.

“I’m trying,” Queen Bee remarked as she felt her leg drift in the air. “I can’t tell where you are.”

“Over here!” Ladybug called out louder, pressing her heels into the ground to try and stop the parachute’s descent.

“More specific, Baker Girl,” Queen Bee called back as she realized she was no longer standing in the burrow. She felt the wind pull the parachute along with her as Rena Rouge’s flute slammed across her face.

“We’ll get out of this,” Carapace nervously reassured the others as he started to fall backward. “You guys, we can’t get out of this if we keep pulling in different directions.”

Rena Rouge gasped as she realized where they were going, but by the time Carapace’s voice cut out, it was too late.

Ladybug’s hand trembled as she fell directly on her face, trying to grasp the last slip of parachute before it disappeared from sight.

“Tikki… Spots Off.”

Tikki floated out of Marinette’s earrings as she sat beside Marinette.

“….. They’re gone,” she whispered in complete shock, cupping her hands over her chest.

Even though she wanted to cry, it was as if she’d run out of tears she didn’t realize she’d lost. She glared at the circle that stole her friends.

Tugging her book bag off her shoulders, she pulled out Master Fu’s letter and the Grimoire.

“Whatever is waiting for me… I’ll be ready.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Chat Blanc eyed Alya, Chloe, and Nino with a cataclysm prepared in his paw. “I’m going to kill you….. and THEN kill you again.”
If anyone’s been waiting for this chapter, I’m so sorry it took me almost a month to get it out; procrastinating, lack-of-motivation, and personal crap are the only excuses I’ve got, ehehe 🥲🩵
Sooo, yeah… I finally had the courage to have Chat Blanc kill off the world. 20 chapters is about time, pff
The showdown between Chat Blanc and Marinette is coming in the next chapter, so tada, my blabbering shall cease now 🐈❄️
Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢

Chapter 21

Summary:

(Warning: ❄️ -please read- ❄️

this chapter is a little more intense than normal, and it explores heavily emotional themes; there are several instances where a character actively doesn’t want to live with themself anymore, violence, panic, and it’s double-length like last chapter.

If this is too much for anyone, that’s completely understandable; I’ll put a mini sum-up of what happened in author’s notes, but for anyone still planning to read this one, here’s a heads up 🦋)

Time froze over for Chat Blanc. The akuma’s full power was under his control now, but it was too late for it to matter. With everything he broke, his mind and heart didn’t know what to feel anymore, so what was the use? Was there really any need for the akuma’s power if he had nothing left to save?

He was empty. Emptiness didn’t have to hurt from what his mind could remember. However, his current emptiness was dark and lonely. He couldn’t understand the pain he felt, but he didn’t feel like reacting to the pain either. His feelings were a blur, and if he even tried to ‘react’ in a ‘normal’ way to the mess in his mind, he’d just be acting for a nonexistent audience.

The countless deaths weighed on his heart so much, his mind tried to trick him into believing he wasn’t the one responsible. Even though he couldn’t erase the images flooding his mind, he couldn’t believe it was really him behind the actions. Deep down, he knew he was responsible… but his mind wanted to hold onto any last hope that it was all a fabricated lie, and that he’d wake up soon, even if every passing hour discouraged the idea.

It was like he wasn’t even connected to his own mind anymore; he was just watching his body and mind continue to operate without an operator. Every time he thought he could determine his feelings, they muddled, leaving him more perplexed than before.

With everything the way it was, he didn’t feel human; he was the monster he always was, but now, he wasn’t hiding it.

He was a despicable person that rejected humanity entirely, ending every last life on earth until there was nothing left except himself. It was selfish to be the only one left… but despite the disconnect within himself, his physical body was too scared to leave.

He looked down at his trembling hands, tearfully glaring at them as they refused to stay still. “…You’re a coward, Adrien Agreste. Everyone knew it, too… but they thought you could be better. They thought you would be so much more than you turned out to be… and now….. this is what you’ve become……… and it’s all your fault.”

As the time passed… he wasn’t sure if he really minded the world’s end. He was the only one left here. The only one ‘holding him responsible’ would be himself… so did he want to do that? With no one left, should he even care?

He knew better than to think like that. Maybe the last speck of humanity inside him discouraged those thoughts, but sooner or later, that piece of himself would dissolve as well.

The world was gone. Without Ladybug’s earrings, there was no fixing that.

Without Marinette, he wasn't sure he’d even want to live in a restored world.

“Don’t worry,” Chat Blanc sighed as he gripped onto the Louvre’s ceramic blue hippo he’d snatched out on a swim through the city, searching for at least one survivor. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

Leaping away, Chat Blanc steadied his balance on Montparnasse Tower, de-transforming.

Pieces of glass scattered nearby reflected his fluffy white hair and unfamiliar blue eyes. “I can’t even recognize my own face anymore,” he whispered to himself. “I guess the akuma really did give me its full power.”

Now that everything was destroyed, did ‘Chat Blanc’ need to exist?

His powers were perfected, but they were useless.

Adrien looked at his palms, narrowing his eyes at the nail indents pressed into his skin.

“I hurt every single one of you,” he mumbled out to no one, shutting his eyes as water blurred his vision. Even when he closed his eyes, he couldn’t escape the confused screams, the heroes’ deaths, and the unsettling water.

His hands trembled as light drops fell onto his palms. Instead of scolding ‘Adrien Agreste’ for shaking so badly, he let his body break, aware it was still processing everything he’d witnessed and committed.

“None of you deserved to lose your lives because of me…” he started as he violently shook his head left and right, flinching from the pain twisting his head too far created. “You deserved to live, all of you-… and I was supposed to protect you… with my friends. But I killed them too.”

He pressed his palm on his face, wiping away some tears as he refused to open his eyes.

“The earrings that could grant a wish with my ring are gone,” he explained, “but so is the girl that wore them.”

Now that everyone was gone, and Adrien’s heart was broken, happiness ran away from him, leaving him completely alone.

“I’ll never see her again, not here… not like this.”

This was the outcome of Master Fu’s trust in Adrien Agreste of all people: the literal end of the world. Master Fu saw ‘goodness’ in Adrien Agreste. He saw something in him, and he… trusted Adrien.

“…I let you down,” he cried, pawing at his eyes as he thought back to Master Fu’s comforting words when he almost renounced Plagg. “If I could’ve just been useful… my wish was to be useful, but it wasn’t answered. That was all I ever wanted, but look where it’s gotten me-, all of you-! It’s all my fault!”

The air swirled through his snowy hair, chilling him slightly as he clung to his light blue scarf. Stepping over to the edge, he finally opened his eyes, taking in the sunken city. If he took Ladybug’s earrings like Hawk Moth originally commanded, would things be better? At best, his mother would come back and someone would end up dying in her place, which would most likely be himself.

However, the chances of him even successfully stealing Ladybug’s earrings were low. Of course he wasn’t going to steal her earrings back then, so why even bother considering something so pointless now?

It was ironic how he had complete control of the akuma, but his mind was a total mess.

Carefully tapping the ceramic blue hippo, he ended up carving out the block under its belly with his clawed nail, severing its faience limbs. He tried gathering the pieces, but some of the dust blew over the tower.

He set the blue hippo on the ledge beside him, kneeling down to it with a dispirited sigh. “…I’m sorry for dragging you into this. I just didn’t want to be alone anymore. I, umm… hope you don’t mind.”

The blue hippo’s face slumped with its broken faience limbs, failing to give Adrien a reply.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be okay with all of this,” Adrien mumbled, tapping the blue hippo’s head. “I would’ve brought one of the plushies with me… but those were Alix’s. Besides… if I had a plushie right now to hold… I might not do… what… I’m, um…. about t-to do…”

The wind sent a chill over the two of them.

“…I hate this. I hate feeling like this. I’m terrified, but it’s not like everyone else wasn’t, so why should I keep going? Why should I squish a plushie to make me feel better when I hurt everyone I loved? I’m… a horrible person. I even dragged you out of your spot to be with me, some doofus you don’t even know.”

The wind breezed around the blue hippo’s dust as Adrien stood up, letting his scarf swoosh up to bap his face.

Blue pigtails flooded his mind, and tears blurred the city’s image in his eyes. He wished he could’ve saved her… and everyone else, too. If only he thought faster. If only he could be the perfected Chat Blanc he is now back when it actually mattered. If only he could’ve ended the wishes. If only he were useful.

“I won’t let these powers be the ending,” he said to himself, centering his eyes on his trembling hands. All of the tears caught in his eyes distorted the city’s destruction, lighting up in his eyes like diamonds. With a slow breath, his hands relaxed, and he stretched them as far apart as possible, breaking through an invisible line that tied them before. “If I’m the only thing keeping the world from ending, then I’ll end it all on my terms.”

The air nudged Adrien as he held his breath, and the city’s diamond-like reflection in his eyes blurred so brightly, he couldn’t see the gaping distance beneath him, or the water reflecting the sky.

But then the burrow opened.

~~~~~

Pennybug stepped out of the burrow’s circle. Holding her breath, she eyed the city’s sunken state.

As long as she could find the problem in this timeline, she could erase it, and fix everything.

She wouldn’t lose. Too many memories with Emma, and hopefully Louis, would vanish before she’d even get to have those experiences. Too many events would disappear, and she’d never know what she lost. Moments with her friends and family, graduating from school, and becoming the adult Emma knew, just to name a few, were in her hands; she was not about to let those moments erase.

“Hello?”

Something in Adrien’s heart broke; he knew the voice calling out to him. He wanted to look, but… he knew it was impossible. She was dead. He killed her.

Along with everybody else. He… he was the one who ended her life.

The masking capability of his akuma was at its highest point, and in his civilian form, no one in the world could recognize him even if he wanted them to.

This was just the final goodbye he couldn’t give Ladybug, one his mind tried to comfort him with before he leaped.

But… he wanted to look… even if it were just his mind tricking him into believing she was really there-

“…Adrien?”

Adrien’s eyes flickered with one last glimmer of light before they dulled. A snowflake landed on his nose.

The wishes didn’t end yet… they were still here.

If she were here… he would do anything to give her back the world she lost. Even if he didn’t know who he was anymore, he knew she was real.

Would righting whatever ‘wrongs’ he’d committed be worth staying ‘Chat Blanc’ for a little bit longer?

His powers were perfected. If anyone could save the world after destroying it, it’d be him.

Pennybug’s eyes widened as she registered Adrien turning to fully face her. He stood… on the edge of Montparnasse Tower…

…with his arms completely stretched out………..

“ADRIEN! WAIT!”

Although she couldn’t see it, a weak smile slipped onto his face as he recalled the time Ladybug caught him when Gorizilla was akumatized, but that wouldn’t happen this time. He looked up at the blue sky, cupping his hand over the blue scarf holding Plagg, leaning back until his shoes had nothing left to touch.

~~~~~

“…Where did he go?”

The emptiness around her was unnerving. She could’ve sworn she’d seen Adrien, but when she leapt after him, he was gone. At first, she wasn’t sure if who she even saw was Adrien, but the blue scarf he wore confirmed it was really him… so where was he now?

“I… I didn’t imagine that, did I?” Pennybug asked herself, pushing back one of her long ponytails.

She had to have imagined that. He was gone seconds after she reached the edge, which was impossible. Why would she imagine him there though? Was her mind playing tricks on her, remembering the day she almost lost him when Gorizilla was akumatized? If her imagination was that realistic, she needed to keep her guard up.

As she made her way up the tower, she felt the urge to turn around and look behind her. As if there were something she'd forgotten. Something that she didn't see before, but that was on the brink of disclosure.

She turned around.

...Nothing. There was nothing to be seen except flooded water.

Keeping her eyes focused on the tower, she wondered why she suddenly felt so on edge, if seeing an illusion of Adrien Agreste jumping off Montparnasse Tower hadn’t sent her over the edge already -which it literally did do-, but the unease she felt seemed different. Did she forget something she and her friends said back when they were in the burrow? Something she read in Master Fu’s letter?

She had her book bag and her purse in her civilian form. She had her phone... she knew she had Master Fu’s letter and the Grimoire after relentlessly scanning their pages in the burrow, and she had her keys tucked inside her dress’ pocket, not that she’d be needing her keys with her house sunken underwater.

It must've been her imagination… just like Adrien Agreste jumping off the tower. Yeah. That's all.

Slowly turning back to view the city, she noticed a flashing movement in the corner of her eye.

What was that? She turned to the other side, looking out into the sky once again, shivering from the sight of the broken moon. She looked around, but saw no one.

She sighed a breath of relief, pressing her hand along her chest. At least she didn’t have to imagine another person she cared about leaping off of Montparnasse Tower. Maybe her mind was finally stabilizing to the environment around her. Maybe she could finally adjust to her surroundings and figure out how she could solve this mess.

Once she made it back up the tower, her ears twitched from a chipping noise somewhere nearby. She turned her head over to the sound, eyeing a familiar white shoe press onto a shard of glass.

“M’lady… I thought I lost you.”

Pennybug felt her heart sink as she looked out at her superhero-buddy’s empty eyes. She wasn’t imagining him; he was real.

But Adrien looked real, too. Why did she imagine Adrien right before seeing Chat Blanc?

“…Kitty?”

His eyes drifted over to a building nearby, eyeing several out-of-place statues.

He stepped back.

“…M’lady… I… I… thought I… lost you.”

“…Chat… you already said that.”

Pennybug stepped forward, frowning as he continued to back away from her.

“…Why are you moving away from me?” Pennybug asked, gasping as she realized he most likely saw her die during Witness. “…I can’t remember what you saw or what happened, but we’re going to put an end to this nightmare, together.”

Chat Blanc must have survived whatever caused this mess, joining the other heroes to try and resolve things. Whatever villain they were up against was a serious threat she and Chat Blanc needed to take care of immediately.

Hawk Moth wasn’t ‘Hawk Moth’ anymore after losing his Miraculous… and Marinette still had the Peacock Miraculous… so…

Who on earth were the heroes fighting?

“…You don’t remember…” Chat Blanc quietly whispered to himself. Peeking his head up at her, he nervously gulped. “A-are you… real?”

Pennybug took a shaky breath. “I’m real, Kitty. It’s okay now.”

“…No it’s not,” Chat Blanc sighed, curling down to the ground. “Everything is destroyed.”

Pennybug fought the urge to scan her surroundings, wondering where their enemy was as she stepped closer to Chat Blanc.

“We’re gonna fix everything,” Pennybug confidently stated.

Chat Blanc looked away from her. “…It was my fault.”

Pennybug stopped.

“…You?”

“…Yeah,” he emptily replied, keeping his eyes away from hers.

She took a slow breath before stepping closer, kneeling beside him. She held onto his hands, giving his paws a squeeze of reassurance. “I’m sure you didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Yeah, but that’s a pretty big ‘accident’,” Chat Blanc sighed, lightly squishing his fingers in her palms.

“Chat. If you let me purify your akuma, I might be able to fix this.”

Chat Blanc let her casually flip his bell and squish his fabric cat ears. He knew she was probably looking for the akuma, but even so, he didn’t really mind. He was more interested in having his hair fluffed than worrying over the akuma.

He leaned his head down, trying to encourage the idea. “Will that really work?”

She held back a snort as she smoothed some snow from his hair. “Well… I’m not sure. Since we didn’t fight with each other, I can’t purify all of this if everything…”

She glanced at the building Chat Blanc was looking at before out of curiosity, but her mind started to realize something she didn’t want to realize.

“…If…everything’s…”

Chat Blanc felt Pennybug’s hands freeze against his hair as he kept his face as impassive as possible. Leaning into her hands, the four frozen statues vividly painted themselves in his mind now that she’d spotted them. “…If everything’s already been destroyed?”

Pennybug’s hands lightly withdrew from his hair, leaving him with a more realistic and disappointed look.

“Was the world already like this before I showed up with the others?” She asked worriedly, glancing at the pools of water.

He leaned back, twisting his head to the side as he took in the view. “Yeah.”

The four statues of her and her friends made her feel dizzy. The Chat she knew would never do… that… on purpose. He just wouldn’t. She didn’t even plan to confirm that thought with him; she just knew he wouldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, slowly looking down at the ground.

She gripped onto his hands again, thankful she had him here with her, and that she didn’t have to be alone right now. “I’m sorry, too.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he quickly and adamantly stated. “You didn’t cause any of this.”

“You saw me die,” she mumbled, shaking the thought from her head. “…Even though I’m here now… I clearly didn’t do enough back then to help you out of here.”

His hands weakened in hers. “…Are you sure you can’t remember what happened?”

Pennybug eyed a snowflake land on Chat Blanc’s nose. “Anyone who dies in Witness has their memories of Witness erased so that they don’t break from remembering their own death.”

Chat Blanc pressed one of his clawed nails on the back of her hand. “…You’re not in the ‘witless’ power right now, are you?”

“Nope. That one was the only use we had.”

Chat Blanc pulled his claw back, eyeing her extra Miraculouses. “…If we can’t purify my akuma and have your ladybugs fix everything… are the Horse and Rabbit Miraculouses supposed to help?”

Forgetting she even had them on, Pennybug shrugged. “I had them on just in case since I didn’t know what was in here, but since you’re with me, I don’t really need them anymore.”

She divided the unification of the Miraculouses, placing the Horse and Rabbit Miraculouses in her yo-yo, closing it shut.

Chat Blanc placed his paws on her shoulders, tapping her suit’s sleeves now that the Pennybug-puffs were gone.

“Uh, Chat? What is it?” She asked, clearing her throat.

With everything he’d been through, he probably needed to know who he was seeing was actually real.

…Which was why he was tapping her shoulders, obviously, of course! It’s not like he was trying to find the words to confess his feelings for Ladybug out of nowhere or something cheesy like that, seriously, come on-

She squished her face together, contemplating her current situation. Well, she wouldn’t exactly ‘mind’ a cheesy and heartfelt confession; it was kind of Chat Noir’s thing. With her current surroundings, it wasn’t exactly the time, but now that she knew their problems would end in mere seconds, she might as well accept one of his confessions now that she actually returned his feelings.

His eyes watered as he closed them shut. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

Ladybug snapped out of her thoughts; …this clearly wasn’t the ‘moment’ she thought it was. She couldn’t even believe herself! Seriously? A ‘confession’ of feelings he felt for ‘Ladybug’ now of all times? Was she crazy?!

Maybe her mind was trying to focus on something different than the current reality she faced. The world was completely destroyed, Chat Blanc was upset, and everyone she knew and cared for was dead, including herself from Witness; she could cut herself some slack for wanting to think of anything else right now.

Wiping some of his tears away, she couldn’t bring herself to look at his face; she didn’t want to see him in pain anymore. Even though her tears stayed on the inside, he wiped her cheeks as well.

The moment she felt like everything could resolve itself, an unsettling feeling poked at her. She thought she was just anxious from this timeline’s events, so she tried to ignore the dark feeling weighing in the air.

Something was off about Chat Blanc that went past the world’s destruction. From the way his face looked like it was hiding something, to their entire conversation, something was definitely wrong.

Chat Blanc pawed at her cheeks, scooting away from her non-existent tears as his paws lingered by her ears. “What if we can’t fix everything on our own?”

“As long as we try, I promise we can find a way,” Ladybug replied, brushing some more snow from his hair. She wished this unsettling feeling could just be her imagination, but it only grew worse as time went on. Placing her thumb and index fingers on his cat fabric ears, she carefully scanned their surroundings, trying to hide the fact she’d even picked up on something wrong. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I know.” He smiled, batting one of her pigtails with one hand, tapping her earring with the other hand. “I’m not going to lose you again, Purrincess.”

Ladybug raised an eyebrow from the nickname. “Chat, seriously, stop calling me that.”

The uncomfortable feeling she had heightened as more snowflakes landed on her face. ‘Purrincess’ wasn’t Ladybug’s nickname.

Chat Blanc tapped her nose, letting a snowflake dissolve onto his glove. “Well, what else should I call you… Marinette?”

It was too late.

Chat Blanc stole one of Ladybug’s earrings.

~~~~~

“You’re wrong. I’m not Marinette.”

He placed the earring he’d stolen on his fabric cat ear, sitting on the floor and smiling as her mask faded away. “Yeah, you are.”

“It’s impossible,” she nervously mumbled to herself, covering her last earring with one of her hands. “I never told you anything.”

“But you did,” Chat Blanc disagreed, pressing his head up with his hands. “We both did.”

Ladybug lowered her hand from her ear, glaring at Chat Blanc. “Give me back my earring, Chat.”

Chat Blanc mockingly eyed the sky, pretending to consider the idea before shaking his head.

“Chat. Give me back my earring. Now.”

He sat up a bit and crossed his arms. “No.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes, reaching for her side. “I’ll just get another Miraculous.”

She couldn’t feel her yo-yo. It was gone.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He glanced at her to make sure the yo-yo was really gone, sighing in relief. “Phew… I guess I was right about you losing that thing.”

This couldn’t be happening. One of her best friends, the superhero partner she’d fought alongside for years, just betrayed her, and she let it happen.

Did she even try to stop him? She kept ignoring her unease because she didn’t want to see him as the akumatized victim that he is, but that one mistake led to one of her earrings being stolen from her.

The fate of the world rested on her shoulders alone, and she let herself slip.

She wouldn’t let that happen again.

She clenched her fists. “Why did you betray me, Chat?”

His eyes flickered over to her curled fists. “The only way to fix everything is by making a wish, right?”

“You know that would come at a price!” She screamed, rushing over to him. She reached for his fabric cat ear with one arm, blocking his defense with her other arm. “To bring back our world, you’d destroy another! Or our world wouldn’t be the same world it was! It could be even worse than when Hawk Moth had power; that world could be full of villains that’ll only end the world again!”

Chat Blanc’s eyes narrowed as he shoved her hand away from his fabric cat ear. “I know… but I could make sure my wish includes killing them before they surface.”

“That’s not how the wish works.” She dodged a swipe to her other earring, curling her fists as he stood up. “Snap out of it, Chat Noir. You wouldn’t kill anyone, villain or not.”

He shrugged. “I would.”

“No you wouldn’t.”

“Yes, I would. Look around if you want, or I could give you a tour before I fix everything.”

Aiming to punch him, he misinterpreted her punch, catching her hand in his. Of course his misinterpretation ‘made sense’; this was clearly ‘hand-holding time’ if there was ‘ever’ a time. Might as well give him a hug-time bracelet if he’d misinterpret a literal punch for a handshake. The absolute obliviousness of that cat!

Did he seriously think granting a wish with their Miraculouses would come with a consequence he could simply fix? Their Miraculouses couldn’t restore the world, and deep down he knew that, but now they were… awkwardly holding hands.

She tugged her hand away, narrowing her eyes as he caught it back in the awkward handshake once again. “…Chat. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but if you don’t give me back my earring, I’m going to take it back by force.”

He didn’t budge.

“I don’t want to fight you, Chat Blanc.”

His fabric cat ears drooped. “You’re… not going to give me your other earri-”

“OF COURSE NOT!”

There was an awkward silence between them before Chat Blanc snickered.

Ladybug couldn’t believe this. He was laughing ‘now’ of all times?

“This isn’t funny, Chat. Give me back my earring.”

His laughs slowly faded as he wiped some nonexistent tears beside his eyes. “Don’t you realize there’s nothing else you can do but let me fix my mistakes? With only one of your earrings, your transformation only lasts for five minutes, as if you called a Lucky Charm, but you haven’t called one, and you can’t anymore.”

Great. Now he was in his villain-monologue phase.

Ladybug glanced at her suit, realizing the sleeves of her dress were starting to show.

“Like it or not, I’m making a wish to save you and everyone else. That’s the least I can do now that you’re here with your earrings.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “I know you’re stubborn, but I can be too, you know. I’m not giving you my other earring, and YOU are giving MY earring back. NOW.”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes, looking off to the side in conflict with his thoughts. “…Are you sure about that? You only have a couple minutes left before you transform back, and by then, I’ll, um… I’ll simply take your other earring. Yeah. Now that my Miraculous is stronger than it’s ever been, you might as well give me your earring yourself. The world’s still dead until we do something… so… there’s a faster way to make this end, you know. Without waiting around like this.”

She angrily tapped his bell, rolling her eyes as he batted the bell back in place with his free paw. And yes… they were still holding hands in the same awkward handshake. “Me giving you my Miraculous while you’re akumatized? That’s not happening, Chat.”

“I’m ‘purr~etty’ sure it is, and if not, I’m ‘purrfectly’ capable of stealing the other one from you if I could get at least one,” Chat Blanc mumbled as he kept his eyes locked on his bell. Shaking his head, he booped her nose with his finger. “Like it or not, I’m going to make things right, even if you hate me for it. You and everyone else deserve the world so you can live again, and because I stole that from you, I need to be the one to give it back.”

Ladybug swung her hand holding his a little, eyeing his smile. Her de-transformation let her pigtails down and gave her back her checkered beret. “If you have control of your power now, why haven’t you tried to center a cataclysm directly at me while avoiding my earring?”

Chat Blanc froze as he felt the air in his chest leave him. Pulling away from her hand, he made sure to keep his paws out of view, hiding them behind his back so they wouldn’t even be visible to her.

“The world you create might rewrite who I am, along with everyone else, including you. The wish you make with our Miraculouses won’t be what you want it to be.”

He could easily kill her, and she knew that. He had an akuma along with the Cat Miraculous, whereas she only had one of her Ladybug earrings left. He wasn’t the same Chat anymore, but he would never cause this much destruction on purpose. She just hoped he’d see the fault in his plans and listen to reason. If he really did end up cataclysming her, then… so be it. She’d risk everything to fight for him and existence itself, but if he wouldn’t think twice now that she’d made it clear to him what he was about to do… then… this might as well be it.

Whether he killed her to get to his goal all depended on him. If he was confident his plan would succeed, he wouldn’t hesitate. Whatever confidence he had wouldn’t stand a chance against the fact she’d clearly laid out: the wish wouldn’t work.

Especially now that the world’s destruction would need to be replaced with a whole world’s worth of life.

…Even he would have to think twice about the world he’d be wishing back if the wish comes with a price.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“No; you don’t know what you’re doing,” Ladybug countered. While he was caught off guard, she stepped forward, pushing her palm up his chin and twisting her hip away from him. Pressing her free hand on his back, she threw him to the floor.

He landed on his back, preparing to snap back up if it weren’t for her kneeing him in the stomach. She dodged a swipe to the face, locking his arms with her own as she twisted him over and on his stomach.

“Hey! Get off!”

“I thought you could handle fighting me to get my earring,” Marinette, completely detransformed, stated in annoyance as she kept his arms locked behind his back. She blew some of her hair out of her face, flipping her head to the side as she made sure to keep her hold on him. Before he could try and jump away, she used her legs to lock his legs in place, ignoring her beret slipping to the back of her head. “Whether you have heightened superpowers or not, you can’t make a perfect wish to solve everything if that wish comes at a price. I can still fight with or without a Miraculous, so like it or not, I’m not budging until you GIVE ME BACK MY EARRING, CHAT.”

He tried to scratch the arms locking his arms, but with every swipe, he got nowhere. The only way he could get out of this was with a cataclysm, but he refused to let that happen again.

His fabric cat ears drooped as he tried to turn his head back, hiding the earring clipped into his fabric cat ear by pressing his head closer to the floor.

“The earring, Chat.”

He narrowed his eyes. As if he would actually give up the earring he snagged! Pff, what? He was crazy, but he wasn’t ‘crazy’ like an ‘idiot’ kind of crazy.

The arms locking his arms tightened as he felt one of his arms pop.

“OW! Okay! Okay! I’ll give you your earring back!”

Marinette nodded, loosening her grip as his head turned to the other side, revealing the earring.

She reached to his fabric cat ear with one of her hands, eyeing his contemplative expression. “Don’t even think about it.”

The contemplative expression dissipated as he gave up on snagging her other earring, grumbling as she took back the earring he’d snatched.

~~~~~

Ladybug and Chat Blanc eyed each other, waiting for their next move.

Reaching for her yo-yo, Ladybug pulled out the Dragon Miraculous, but before Longg could even float out into view, Chat Blanc tapped the Miraculous… and it crumbled into dust.

“CHAT!” Ladybug screamed, eyeing the Miraculous’ dust in her hands. “What do you think you’re DOING?!”

Chat Blanc glanced away, pretending he didn’t just cataclysm the Dragon Miraculous.

“You do realize I’m trying to help you,” Ladybug slowly began, scanning over his unaffected face, “right?”

Chat Blanc kept his eyes on some falling snow, ignoring Ladybug as she placed the dust into her yo-yo.

Even though Ladybug knew he hadn’t given up on making a wish, he was definitely less confident in the idea. They needed to look over the Grimoire and Master Fu’s letter, but in order to find their answer, she needed to talk with Chat Noir, not Chat Blanc.

Yeah, they were the same person. But Chat Blanc was living with the memories of what he did, replaying those memories in his mind. He was desperate to solve this mess, even if it meant stealing the Ladybug Miraculous. Even if a solution presented itself to the two of them, she wouldn’t know how Chat Blanc would view that solution with his guilt and memories clouding his mind.

If she could purify his akuma, he’d forget the images and sounds he heard.

However, she still needed to consider Chat Noir’s reaction once he saw the world’s destruction for the first time, which he would immediately guess was his fault.

The only difference that made de-akumatizing Chat Blanc worth anything was the fact Chat Blanc’s painful memories would erase.

If they could restore the world to the way it was without making a wish on their Miraculouses, then it would be as if the world never died… even though it did.

She shook her head, eyeing him skeptically. “You’re not going to do that again, are you?”

Chat Blanc shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes, backing away as she retrieved the Rooster Miraculous. “Orikko, Tikki, Unify!”

Ladybug’s ponytails scooted higher up on her head, flaring out and fading into orange and yellow at the tips. Her suit-

Chat Blanc sent a cataclysm to the Rooster Miraculous, stopping the transformation sequence.

Ladybug curled her fists close to her sides. “Chat Noir, so HELP me-”

“-Chat Blanc,” he corrected, sticking his finger up in the air pointedly. The snowflakes in his hair shuffled down to his nose as he wiped them away, ignoring her grip her head in complete disbelief.

Once several seconds passed, filled with frustrated screams, the Rooster Miraculous’ dust went back into her yo-yo.

“I can’t believe you.”

Chat Blanc grinned. “Pretty cool, right? I wish my powers were this precise back when we saved the world and everything. Too bad it’s dead now.”

Ladybug pressed her hand on her forehead, fighting away an emerging headache. “Chat, please.”

He slumped to the floor, batting with the Louvre’s blue hippo for a bit before he dropped it, breaking it even further. “…I was gonna end the world in this really cool way, you know. I had it all planned, and there was lore and everything, but then ‘you’ showed up.”

“What are you saying?” Ladybug groaned, completely done with him at this point. “You wanted to ‘save’ the world with our Miraculouses.”

“That wasn’t the original plan,” Chat Blanc huffed. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but killing everyone and living to remember it sucks. I was gonna end everything without using my powers, and it was gonna be like the times I was ready to die for you and everyone else… even if I’m too late to sacrifice myself for anyone- it’s complicated okay? I don’t know how to explain it… but I was gonna end everything without these stupid powers. But now… I’m not gonna get to see everyone anymore, and whatever ‘plan’ you have isn’t gonna fix anything.”

Chat Blanc fell onto his back, eyeing the snow clouds up above his head. Snowflakes fell down onto his face, just like they did back when Emma was de-akumatized.

Emma… was gone… wasn’t she?

Of course she was. Just like everyone else, she wouldn’t come back. He spent hours swimming through the flooded waters, hoping to find at least one survivor, or even the Guardian.

He never saw Emma. It was as if she was never there. And maybe she wasn’t there. She was from a future that would no longer exist. He destroyed the future she came from, so even without cataclysming her, he killed her.

Chat Blanc didn’t just kill everyone in his life and the world; he killed an entire future filled with lives that would never get to exist.

Everyone that was and could be… would never be again… all because of a single cataclysm. It was all his fault.

Tears slipped down his face before he could realize he was even crying.

Snowflakes stuck to his cheeks. He wiped them away with his paws.

“…I don’t want to die alone…” he whispered past the snowflakes, pawing at the Louvre’s blue hippo he brought with him. “…even though… it’s what I deserve.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened at the comment. She placed her hand over her mouth, and several water droplets slipped down her face, until all the tears she couldn’t cry before poured out before she could register why she was even crying.

She didn’t want to fight him. Why did they need to have some ‘epic battle’ when they could just work together?

Snowflakes stained his white mask. The blue sky mirrored his uncomfortably blue eyes. He didn’t want to be here anymore. The guilt was killing him, and before Ladybug showed up, he was… so close to just… being free from it all, even if he wished he didn’t have to want that to begin with.

But if he left now… Ladybug would be alone. Even if she hated him for what he did, he knew leaving her alone in this world he destroyed would break her heart, and he would be killing her all over again by doing that.

Yeah, she could just use the Rabbit Miraculous to get away from this world, or to try to save it again… but the memory of the last person on earth… choosing to leave… and leaving her all alone… leaving their last moments in such a horrible way and letting her see his death, he… he couldn’t do that-… he just couldn’t.

“If…” he gasped in between his tears, scratching at his face, “…if y-you… didn’t show up… I could… you wouldn’t see… there wouldn’t be any need to fix… to fix this… but…”

She held her breath. It was like he was punishing himself for killing the world by not letting her save him.

He was stalling…..

Her eyes widened in realization. That was exactly what he was doing. When he said he was going to restore the world… he never said he’d ‘be’ in it.

The wish he planned to make… he planned to give his life for it.

Chat Blanc grabbed at his hair. “…you came back… so I thought… but it didn’t work… and you won’t let it… but I can’t hurt you to make my wish. I can’t hurt you again, I just-… I just can’t!”

Ladybug knelt beside him, placing her hand on his chest beside his bell. “Hey…”

Looking up at her pigtails, Chat Blanc twisted his head away. He glanced at the distant buildings that should be full of people.

“…Why won’t you try and help me fix it?”

Ladybug flinched. “Kitty… that’s why I’m here. Once I remove your akuma, you’ll be able to think clearly, and we can try and fix things without the wish.”

The snow continued to drift down as he looked straight ahead. The small sparkle of light in his eyes dimmed until the light finally died off.

“…Why… won’t… you………. try… and… help me………help… me….. fix it…?”

“…..Chat… you… already said that.”

The jingle of his bell made his fabric cat ears flicker. “……Why….why…. why won’t you… try to……. why……. WHY………. WHY WON’T y-you try to HELP ME fix-… help me fix… it…..”

Ladybug stepped back as a wave of light rushed from his palms.

Chat Blanc emptily sat up, batting his bell a little before looking up at Ladybug. “…..Marinette. I know who you are.”

“I know,” Ladybug mumbled.

She needed to find somewhere to unify with the Rabbit Miraculous. If she could go in the burrow again-

A cataclysm flew past her head, barely missing her neck.

Chat Blanc’s paw was outstretched, and his other paw pressed against the ground, keeping him in his lounging position. He kicked his shoe a little, studying the snowflakes melting on the shoe’s material.

Ladybug listened to a nearby building collapse from the small cataclysm he’d sent her way. “…are you and I still friends now that you know I’m Marinette?”

Chat Blanc tilted his head to the side, watching the building fall into the water. “…Of course, Bugaboo. I blew you a kiss and everything. Too bad you didn’t catch it.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes at his emotionless face. “My apologies, Chat. I didn’t feel like catching it.”

Chat Blanc twisted his head away, twisting it further and further away as he scanned his bleak surroundings. The tall buildings, blue sky, snow, pools of water, and the crumbled moon up in the sky.

“You know, I always thought the moon would shatter like a plate.”

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. So this was what they were doing now? He was all over the place! What in the world was she supposed to say to THAT? What was she even supposed to feel right now?

Like it or not, Chat Blanc was just trying to work through his thoughts. If his actions were erratic or confusing, she’d just have to work with it. Saving him was her top priority. “…so…..…like a plate, huh?”

“Yeah…” he mumbled, flinching from the strain in his neck. He twisted his neck back to normal, rubbing his neck with a small cough. “Ow.”

Ladybug puffed her cheeks, scanning his suit. He had to have the akumatized object on him, but what could it be?

“I thought it’d make this long, loud scratching sound,” Chat Blanc added, curling his fists as he pushed himself off the floor. He braced his knees against the ground, steadying his shoes as he stood up. “I was wrong.”

Ladybug mentally counted each object Chat Blanc had on him: his fabric cat ears, bell, staff, belt…

“I couldn’t hear a thing,” Chat Blanc sighed in disappointment, wiping some dried tear smudges from his face.

Ladybug shifted her eyes over to his slow steps. “Sound needs a medium. The vacuum of space prevents sound waves from transmitting to earth, so even though the moon’s broken, you wouldn’t have been able to hear it.”

When Chloe and Marinette worked on their science project, Chloe read from an outer space magazine (once she ran out of chemistry magazines) on and off, and by sheer luck, Marinette read the right part at the right time. The vacuum of space stuff was definitely familiar to Marinette, but rereading it really let the fact settle in, and she had the perfect occasion to use it. ‘Thank you, Chloe Bourgeois,’ Ladybug thought to herself.

“Oh,” he mumbled, pressing his paw on his chin as he took in her response. “…In space… you can’t hear a thing…but wouldn’t the moon’s crumble have some sort of sound without the, umm… ‘vacuum’ thing you mentioned?”

She took a quick glance over to a building, internally calculating how she’d land seconds from now. Once she looked back, she was face to face with Chat Blanc.

“…The moon is an object. Of course it would have a sound when it breaks, but like I said, sound needs a medium, so even if you were up in space, you wouldn’t hear it.”

“Oh… okay.” Chat Blanc eyed her yo-yo. “I wish I could’ve heard it.”

Ladybug placed her hand over her yo-yo. “The vacuum of space is the one vacuum I didn’t manage to break. Sorry I couldn’t break it for you, buddy.”

They stood silent for a couple minutes.

“…The snow we vacuumed didn’t stop new snow from falling.”

“Yeah,” Ladybug replied. “…I guess it didn’t. Too bad for the vacuum.”

Chat Blanc nodded. “I wanted to fix the wishes, M’lady. I wanted to be useful, but my lingering akumatized powers ended up being the world’s downfall. I was the problem all along, but I never wanted to see the akuma for the evil it was… I thought I could control it. Now that I can control it, I guess there’s nothing left to protect, huh?”

“We could fix this,” Ladybug immediately tried one last time. “If you agree to give up on those powers, we can find a way to fix everything together. You and me, Chat. We’re partners.”

Chat Blanc gripped his staff. Ladybug prepared her yo-yo.

“Did you know the plants survived?”

Ladybug tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“The flowers and stuff. All the plants under the water are still alive. It’s just the people that died.”

“I don’t understand.”

Chat Blanc lowered his head. “I think Ressusciter wished for things to survive against Hawk Moth. Too bad the people didn’t. Probably had something to do with Hawk Moth dying; with my main cataclysm, and no true holder of the Butterfly Miraculous, her wish only saved some plants. But it’s not fair. I don’t know why the flowers get to live when you’re dead.”

“I’m not dead.”

“Yes you are,” Chat Blanc angrily countered. “You’re not here.”

Ladybug tugged his hair, lightly bapping his nose.

“Ow!”

“Is that real enough for you, Chat? I’m here whether you like it or not.” Ladybug jumped, swinging her yo-yo away as she swung to a nearby building. Of course, the only nearby building she had enough time to calculate her landing for was the building she and her friends died on. Go figure.

Dashing over to the three friends she’d entered with, she flinched from the sound of Chat Blanc’s staff stabbing the roof.

She studied her friends’ postures, confused that they were reaching out to a figure that wasn’t even there. Circling in front of them, she felt pure despair grip her being.

“They’re… smiling…”

Chat Blanc’s staff retracted up as his shoes collided onto the roof.

Ladybug studied Chloe’s bob and her warm smile beside Rena Rouge’s and Carapace’s. Who on earth would Chloe reach out to like that with the world’s complete destruction surrounding her? Ladybug knew Rena Rouge and Carapace fit that kind of picture, but seriously, ‘Chloe’?

Nothing against Chloe, obviously. This just really wasn’t a ‘Chloe’ kind of thing for her to do. Especially with such a choppy bob. But even though her long extensions were completely gone, the jagged look to her bob somehow fit with the setting. Typical Chloe, huh? She always seemed to be in style, even when ‘end of the world’ was in.

Chat Blanc’s staff slowly dragged on the roof, letting the metal screech uncomfortably as Ladybug glanced over at his approach.

She eyed her distant frozen body beside some rubble, eyeing her friends once more. “They were reaching for you… weren’t they?”

“Stop it,” he muttered, glaring at her. “I’ve already lived through their deaths. My mind won’t let me forget it, and you’re just a figment of whatever humanistic guilt I have left trying to remind me of it all. But I’m over it. So stop pretending to be Marinette.”

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. “I’ve already told you. I’m real.”

“A real pain,” Chat Blanc scoffed, scratching the sides of his head and digging his nails into his skin. “Fade away already.”

“I TOLD YOU THAT I’M REAL!” She screamed, grasping at her chest as she stepped away from her friends. Her shoes brushed through Chloe’s extensions left behind. She looked up at Chat Blanc in pain. “Why won’t you acknowledge that I’m real? Chat, I’m right in front of you! I want to help you, and I don’t want to fight you, so please stop saying I’m not here. I am here, and I’m real.”

She pulled away from Chloe’s extensions, eyeing Chat Blanc sending a cataclysm to the already cataclysmed statues of her friends, letting their dust breeze away with the snow.

“Please,” she gasped, watching her friends disappear. “Let me help you. I’m not dead.”

She felt her steps stop as her heel pressed onto a jagged slab of metal. She found her statue crouched down, so she crouched down beside it.

Her face looked determined, as if she wasn’t going to give up, even though it seemed like she was aware this was it. Knowing her friends died first by their overall calm stances, Ladybug had to have been the last person Chat Blanc cataclysmed. This was their last moment, the last moment Chat Blanc and Ladybug had together in Chat Blanc’s mind.

But Ladybug wouldn’t remember any of that. Who she was right now was who she always was, and even though she died here, she wouldn’t remember it.

She reached out to her cataclysmed statue’s face…

…but Chat Blanc’s staff stopped her hand.

She looked up at his empty eyes. “Chat… I’m right here.”

He emptily eyed her and the statue. “…Tell that to her.”

With one swoop of his staff, he cut Ladybug’s cataclysmed head, and her dust faded in the snow.

“She’s gone now,” Chat Blanc sighed, eyeing the clouds, “so give it up already.”

The staff retracted slightly, pointing at the living Ladybug left behind.

Ladybug shoved the staff away from her head. “I don’t want to fight you, Chat.”

With a flick of his wrist, he prepared a cataclysm, looking at her in complete emptiness. “I’m akumatized. You don’t have a choice, ‘M’lady’.”

~~~~~

Ladybug sent her yo-yo out, throwing herself over the roof and swinging over to the Eiffel Tower. Since they’d fought each other on it before, and there were several angles to hide and calculate her next move, she felt like it was the right location.

On one of the Eiffel Tower’s beams, Chat Blanc, jingling his bell for funsies, landed in front of Ladybug. “This is a long drop down, you know. It’s a little suffocating being up here… but that won’t stop me from doing what I need to do. Nice choice picking this spot, thinking it would shake me up, but it’ll be the same story it was back on Montparnasse Tower. So, are you gonna call out a ‘Lucky Charm’ or what? If you're lucky, you might get one of those huge jagged swords all of the other fake Ladybugs get.”

Ladybug bent her neck back from a claw heading her way, attempting to poke her. Shifting over to his side, she gripped his arms, twisting their bodies as she regained her balance.

“…Chat….. what would you do if I couldn’t save you… and this was it? If… if I died here… again… what would you do?”

Chat Blanc’s arms went weak in her arms as he twisted his head over to her, eyeing the tears lining her eyes. “…I’d move on. I’d forget about you… and finally leave this world behind, too.”

“…When you look at me,” Ladybug mumbled, tightening her grip on his arms, “what do you see?”

Chat Blanc narrowed his eyes at the tears slipping down her face. “The last speck of humanity tricking me into believing you're still alive. So please… stop pretending to be… her. I can’t… I can’t look at her anymore… not after everything I’ve done.”

Ladybug shook her head, trying to find somewhere to look, but her eyes couldn’t find a safe spot; she stared off into space as her thoughts left her behind. “It hurts to be considered as nothing more than an illusion. I wouldn’t treat you like an illusion if I really couldn’t believe you were ‘you’. Could you at least pretend to believe in me?”

He shivered from one of her tears sliding down his glove. “…I don’t want to.”

She shifted away from him, eyeing him with an accepting yet hurt look to her face. She couldn’t convince him she was real, because he wouldn’t want to accept that truth, even if it were blatantly obvious.

It was selfish to her, but when she really thought about it, he was the kind of person that couldn’t move on from the mistakes he’d make. Chat Noir would occasionally make small mistakes here and there, and despite how much she’d try to convince him it was okay, he wouldn’t listen. Now that he’d killed her, there was no way he’d let himself believe the Ladybug in front of him was real; the guilt he had wouldn’t allow that.

His words hurt her… but in order to save him, she’d have to take it from his perspective instead of taking it personally. There wasn’t any time left to take things like that personally, anyway.

“Did Hawk Moth gain access to his Miraculous before the world ended?”

“What?” He glanced at her, waiting for an attack, but she didn’t give him one.

She crossed her arms, lifting one up slightly to point at his ring. “If he’s in your head, that means he’s still here. Don’t let that monster trick you into believing this is irreversible! I can go in the burrow back to a point you weren’t akumatized if I beat you here!”

“Sure, you can,” Chat Blanc scoffed. “Hawk Moth isn’t making me do anything. The only monster here is me.”

From the way he worded his reply, she assumed that meant Hawk Moth was still around. She curled her fists, scanning her surroundings carefully. “Where is he? You don’t have to tell me; you can just point in a direction and I’ll take care of him. I won’t let him hurt you any more than he has. I trust you, but I don’t trust the akuma you have, and I should’ve made the distinction sooner.”

He raised a paw up to discourage the idea. “Hawk Moth won’t be a problem anymore. I’m the only problem left. So… if you want to ‘shoot your shot’ at anyone, it’ll be me. But if I die… so will you, and that’s pretty much my goal anyway. I just thought you’d want one last standoff before I inevitably kill us both.”

“‘Morality needs a human body to exist in’, I get it,” Ladybug sighed, rolling her eyes. “Spare me the humanity crap. If you leave me here… you wouldn’t know what happens to me. I’d still be here, and I’d know what you did to yourself. We can spar if you want, but don’t you dare hurt Chat Noir.”

Raising his finger out in the air, he planned to correct the name she addressed him with before stopping. He lowered his hand, tapping his leg nervously. “…Who are you talking to?”

“The akuma, obviously.” Ladybug glared into Chat Blanc’s eyes, searching them for any sign of emotion, but she came up with nothing. “You might’ve accepted the akuma’s powers, but Chat Noir is still in you, and the only one keeping me from my friend is the despicable bug Hawk Moth put in you. I promise, if I can’t save myself, I’ll at least save Chat Noir, and he’ll be the one to set things right with the Rabbit Miraculous.”

Chat Blanc twiddled his fingers together, circling his eyes up and around the Eiffel Tower’s beams. “…You could’ve given ‘Chat Noir’ your other earring, bugaboo, but you didn’t. ‘He’ wasn’t attacking you earlier.”

“Don’t change the subject; my earrings have nothing to do with this. And no… ‘you’ were the one who didn’t attack me earlier. It’s only now that you are. You broke him. You tricked Chat into breaking down so you could tie yourself into his being. I won’t let you hurt him anymore.”

Rubbing his head, Chat Blanc eyed Ladybug in confusion. “Choose one or the other: the akuma or me. I’m both, but you’re addressing me like I’m not.”

Ladybug didn’t plan to answer him, knowing it was only a way to distract her from the main point she needed to address. There were things he wouldn’t admit to himself, things he was too scared to think for himself, so she’d say it for him and hope he would take it to heart.

“You have a goal whether you’ll let yourself see it or not. With everything gone, your akuma wants to destroy the hero in you that fought Hawk Moth, because Hawk Moth’s rage against the heroes resides in the akuma. Everything, every flicker of emotion behind Hawk Moth when he akumatized you, is in the akuma. But if you keep insisting Hawk Moth is dead, there isn’t anyone behind those lingering emotions except you, is there? That’s why you’re so insistent on denying your reality, and denying I’m alive right now. STOP DENYING MY EXISTENCE. If you never saw me die, you would’ve never had an empty world to live in; you would’ve had me with you. You would’ve fought against the akuma, and even if you couldn’t control its outbursts, your heart wouldn’t have molded to its heart. The akuma wants you dead, so if you’re really Chat Noir and the akuma combined, then you want the hero that failed me to die, but the hero never failed me, and you know it! It was the akuma, not you!”

Chat Blanc’s eyes lowered, but even as they grew dark, a flicker of light sparkled in them after being dull for so long.

“…Me? You want to pretend like you know ‘me’? Like you know what even happened in the rabbit’s stupid power up trick that made me the way I am now? LIKE YOU HAVE ANY ROOM TO TALK, LADYBUG. YOU were the one who DIED! YOU were the one who said we could fix this, and held onto me… even when my cataclysm was clearly visible. It’s… it’s not fair! I don’t care if you came back from your Witness power or not! YOU DIED ON ME! It was NOT the other way around!”

Heaving in rage, his eyes menacingly darted over to Ladybug’s, realizing she was too real to be an illusion. Ladybug stepped back as he stepped forward. Eyeing the distance below him, he lost his focus, striking her arm and digging his nails into her shoulder. Once he realized what he’d done, he opened his mouth to apologize, but his voice wouldn’t vocalize. Instead of striking him back and starting their ‘epic battle’, she gripped onto her cut, looking at the mess he’d become, and the blood pouring past her palm.

His hands trembled as his eyes fearfully locked onto the blood running around his gloves and her shoulder. This was a mistake… a horrible mistake, another mistake to add to his list of mistakes, his never ending lists of mistakes, and reasons to rid himself from her.

Her other hand pressed onto her cut, covering the gash. Chat Blanc wanted to fight her… but she didn’t want to fight him. She knew she would have to, and he was giving her plenty of reasons to fight him back, but she was waiting for him to give up on his akuma, to realize that she wanted to help him more than anything at the moment.

Saving the world could come after saving him; right now, he was the only one left to save, and fighting someone who’d witnessed so much death already just felt wrong… especially knowing he would never kill anyone on purpose. She knew this was all an accident, one that was so big, Chat Blanc wouldn’t forgive himself. She wouldn’t strike him back to ‘get even’ with him for her own cut; she was just waiting for him to give up on fighting her, and to give himself a second chance.

“You don’t have the right to act like I’m doing YOU a disservice,” he resentfully provoked with a mumble, flicking her blood from his clawed gloves. “The akuma’s hatred of me isn’t any different then my own hatred. I can’t stand myself, I… I hate myself. I hate the fact you cared about me, because it only made me want to stay longer, when I should’ve just left before all of this. I was never the partner you needed, Ladybug. I was baggage that dragged you down. I should’ve never existed in the first place; maybe then, the ‘perfect little angel’ everyone thought I was wouldn’t have stabbed them in the back. I didn’t need the akuma to hate myself. It’s the same story now. The only difference now is that I’M willing to admit I shouldn’t be here. It makes me sick to think of all the ways I burdened you and everyone around me. If I’d combined with my akuma sooner…”

Eyeing her pick at some torn skin by her shoulder, he grasped ahold of her arm, moving her arm away from her bleeding shoulder. She curled her fists as she stepped back, aware of every counterattack she could give, but she lowered her arms, refusing to strike him. He eyed her limp arms, waiting for her to finally hit him back, to ‘spar’ or just kill him already, to just end the nuisance he was in her life. But as he stepped closer, and she let him, his guilt pressed at him even further. By the time the two of them realized there wasn’t any more walking room, he eyed the blood running down her shoulder, blocking her arm from picking at it as he continued to stare at what he did.

His eyes sunk as they looked off to the edge of the beam they were standing on.

“I would’ve killed off every person individually,” he uneasily finished, pointing out to the floodwaters as his disquietude heightened. “This… was pathetic. If they were all going to die anyway, I should have made each death personal and painful. But those pathetic things don’t even know they’re gone. If I couldn’t hear the moon break, the human’s screams could’ve lasted longer.”

Ladybug felt her head spin. He was lying… he had to be lying.

She sent her yo-yo up in the air, preparing to move away, but with a bap from his glove, the yo-yo wrapped around their necks.

“The cat’s out of the bag. Now that we’re done with secrets, it pretty much ends here, doesn’t it?” He tilted his head toward the outside of the Eiffel Tower, pointing his finger out at the water. “Look on the bright side, M’lady. It’ll all end sooner than I planned. Once you free yourself from me, tie the knot. I’ll do the rest.”

The snow slashed through them both, sending chills down both of their spines.

Ladybug’s breathing was uneven. Her legs felt numb, but she knew she was still standing on them. She was standing, but the world felt like it was circling around her. His words… were scary. His thoughts he let out into the open hurt as badly as her cut, but it felt hopeless. She couldn’t reach a heart convinced it should stop beating.

Lightly loosening the yo-yo from Ladybug’s neck, he lifted it past her ponytails, keeping it around himself. Before he could step away, he felt her hands grasp at his back, locking him in place. He tried to nudge her away, but by the time he placed his hands on her shoulders, he felt her trembling, and the panicked gasps against his wrists, fighting to catch a breath.

She locked her eyes on the cuffs of his gloves, hyperventilating as she ‘couldn’t get a grip’. He wanted his heart to stop beating early. Her heart, everyone’s heart, everyone’s… heartbeats… stopped… forever.

“…I can’t do this.”

His eyes settled on her pigtails. He knew she couldn’t kill him; that’s why he planned on doing the rest. If she would just let go, he’d end her worries in mere seconds.

“…I… I can’t… I can’t… I… CAN’T… DO THIS!”

Her voice broke into the air as she screamed, holding onto Chat Blanc as she pressed her head onto his chest, keeping him with her.

His pupils darted around, and the heart he thought was dead in his chest uncomfortably beat, pounding his chest as her panicked voice mumbled directly to his pointless heart.

She was everything to him… everything keeping him tied to a world he knew he didn’t belong in anymore. If they stayed like this…

No. He didn’t deserve to stay with her like this. Not anymore.

…He never deserved to even meet her if he would only hurt her.

Tears lined his eyes, but he wouldn’t let them fall. He shakily breathed in, knowing what he had to do before it was too late; before she could believe they were still the ‘friends’ they thought they were for years.

He shut his eyes. Their friendship was over… he couldn’t let her stay with him like this, with someone like him, and only worsen the pain she felt.

“…Marinette… let go.”

Ladybug’s eyes shut as tears poured down her face. She shook her head, shaking in fear as the reality of the world she’d be saving hit her. She never realized just how horrified she was until now, now that there was no one but Chat Blanc watching her. Now that there was no one left to record her every move, ensuring their hero could keep a levelheaded demeanor. Yes, she was the capable and dependable hero… but in order to keep civilians at ease, she had to push aside her own nerves, waiting until she was alone in her room to cry over the things she’d seen. Now that the world she was supposed to save was dead, the weight of her responsibilities crushed her before she had the chance to stop them. Everything Chat Noir and Ladybug did and saw as heroes was immensely terrifying… and for what? Really, what was the point of fighting so hard against evil, if even the heroes wouldn’t win one day? If one day, they’d slip, and their minds would have to take in every reality they tried to ignore, begging for the days they never got to have, waiting for the fear and pain to subside once the reality of it all came tumbling down all at once. What was the point if the one person left she could depend on didn’t feel like being here anymore?

“Come on,” Chat Blanc nervously spoke, nudging away a little as her grip tightened. “You’ve got to let go.”

“I DON’T WANT TO LET GO!” She screamed, sobbing as she pictured her friends vanishing into the air, and imagining Chat Blanc leaping away from her, leaving her… leaving her like this, because he didn’t think he was good enough, but in reality, he was everything she ever wanted in a friend. It wasn’t fair to tell her to let go. Chat Noir would never do something like that, but Chat Blanc was… and she wondered if she’d ever get to see his genuinely kind smile ever again.

All at once, the weight of the world, and every fear she couldn’t register, pressed and burned her mind.

“I don’t want things to end like this,” she whispered, violently shaking her head for even considering the idea, and yet, her mind wouldn’t let her escape the darting thoughts, the scary thoughts that refused to leave her alone. “…I…can’t… do this anymore. I… I just can’t.”

Everyone and everything depended on her pulling herself together.

But she couldn't. Not now.

He uneasily gulped, wishing he was allowed to hold her like this. Wishing he could’ve been her Chat Noir again, even if Chat Noir was just as terrible as Chat Blanc, just as unworthy to be there when she needed someone.

Did she really need someone? Wouldn’t she be better off with space?

He gasped as her arms tightened around his waist within seconds, and he fearfully listened to the terrified gasps of air Ladybug tried to take in.

…He did that to her. He was the one who scared her and made her feel miserable. Someone like her should never feel miserable, and never have to be scared like this.

She deserved to be happy, but he stole her happiness. Now that the world full of better and safer embraces was gone, she ended up holding onto the monster that stole away her world.

He was a monster.

So why did he wish in this moment he wasn’t one?

His paws shook above her shoulders, lifting behind her back. They fought to hold her, to keep her safe even for a couple of minutes, but…

…he kept his paws off of her.

…her screams muffled further into his suit as her head nudged his bell, jingling it.

Everything hurt.

~~~~~

They stood there in silence for under an hour. She’d managed to gain control of her breathing, but her sadness stayed, and so did his.

She sighed, pressing her cheek onto his suit as she teetered slightly for standing so long.

“So, what now?” Chat Blanc dumbly remarked, awkwardly eyeing Ladybug rubbing her eyes while pulling away.

“I don’t know.”

“Well… what do you want?”

“…I don’t know what I want,” Ladybug sighed, eyeing the world’s complete destruction. “What about you? I thought you wanted to fight me, so how come you haven’t killed me yet?”

“Pff, please, like I could win in a fight against you,” Chat Blanc scoffed, rolling his eyes at the confused look on Ladybug’s face.

“Well… you did before,” she mumbled, unaware of the nerve she struck in him.

He tugged at the yo-yo still around his neck. “A cataclysm would be quick… but why not fight it out? See what happens? Maybe make it last a little longer, you know?”

Ladybug’s eyes dulled. “I was wide open for almost an hour… didn’t you even consider cataclysming me while you had the chance… instead of waiting to ‘fight’ me?”

Chat Blanc glanced at Ladybug’s empty eyes, wondering why she kept suggesting he cataclysm her. She was upset, but since he didn’t feel like he could hold her, he just let her stay with him until she could cool off. He was strong with an akuma, but he knew she could beat him if they were in a real one-on-one fight; he wouldn’t use her panic attack against her so he could fire a cataclysm.

She inspired him back when they were heroes; even now, putting an end to his evil shouldn’t be a problem. Why was she acting like she’d already lost? She had one moment where she broke, but he never even considered taking advantage of her distress. Why would he? He knew just how painful this world he created was. If he could have time to process his own muddled emotions, she could, too.

He nervously glanced at her again, confused by the expression on her face, waiting for some kind of response. Oh, right, she asked him a question.

…Uh… he must’ve let his mind wander for too long. It was hard to keep his thoughts in track, let alone think clearly. He had to come up with some kind of response; the prolonged eye contact must’ve been awkward.

“Maybe, or maybe not,” he mumbled, already forgetting what her question was. Whatever it was, he knew that the sooner she got to fighting him, the sooner her mind would shift from the bleak atmosphere he’d created, and the sooner he could finally be free of it all, selfishly enough. He didn’t want to have his akuma purified and get the chance to rejoin her and everyone after everything he’d done; he didn’t feel like he deserved a luxury like that. Once Ladybug stopped him once and for all, she’d realize this was for the best.

Her hands curled into fists as she angrily eyed the floor. Okay, good, he was egging her on with that response. Good choice. Maybe he could throw out another villainy response, and bam! She’d be back to her crime-fighting self.

Before Chat Blanc could make a dramatic and villainous comment, Ladybug flicked her yo-yo slightly, preparing to pull it back to her side.

“You and I aren’t weak for feeling fear,” Ladybug commented, locking her eyes on his. “I understand you’re scared and unwilling to see a bright side to all of this, because I’ll admit… there isn’t one. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let this world be everyone’s definitive future. You are worth more to me than you know, so there’s no way I’m giving up on you and everyone else, Chat.”

“I’m flattered, but you should really reconsider that,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows with a snort. “I’m a whole lot of bad luck.”

“So what? So am I.” She frowned, ignoring his almost apologetic and droopy look on his face once he’d stopped laughing. “I want to help you; I never planned on hurting you to remove the akuma, so please let me help you peacefully.”

His fabric cat ears fell from her response before his smirk reappeared on his face.

Chat Blanc twisted his head to the side, letting part of Ladybug’s returning yo-yo slash into his skin. He pressed his fingers to his bleeding neck, pulling them back to look at the blood running down them. With a grin, he dug them back into his cut, ignoring the look on Ladybug’s face.

“Meowch. I thought you liked hearing me laugh, but that look on your face says otherwise,” He snickered, flinching from the scratches he added to his cut. Pulling his fingers away, he smeared the blood on his gloves onto his shoulder to mimic Ladybug’s bleeding shoulder. “Come on, you don’t have to lie to yourself about me being redeemable. You can go ahead and admit I’m a murderer, Bugaboo.”

Ladybug eyed the blood on her yo-yo; the akuma wasn’t visible to her, so whatever attacks she would throw at Chat Blanc would hit ‘Chat Noir’ too if they really did end up fighting. From the look of Chat Blanc’s reaction to his cut, he didn’t mind. Did he want her to kill him?

He tried to use her to get rid of him instead of letting her save him. Every time she refused, he offered to ‘do the rest himself’; there was no winning with him.

She glanced down at the metal beam they were on. There wouldn’t be any ‘winning’ if they stayed this high on the tower, either.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” She asked, securing her yo-yo to her side as she walked over to him. Neither one attempted to hit the other. “At every angle, you think you’ve won.”

Chat Blanc eyed her yo-yo and her defensive stance. With a grin, he lifted his staff, twirling it around before letting it rest on his shoulder. He leaned his head onto the staff, letting some of his neck’s blood smear on the staff’s metal.

“What’s there to win?” He asked with a laugh, looking around for dramatic effect. “The only other person alive is you, but you won’t let me kill you… so I don’t really get anything out of any of this.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, stepping inches away from him and pressing her finger on his forehead. “I want to solve everything with you, so why don’t you want to solve things with me?”

His eyes crossed onto the finger pressing his forehead, leaning down to get her palm in his hair and to be on a more eye to eye level. “I’ll only end up in your way if I do that. I’m not useful to you. You’re better off without me.”

Ladybug pulled her hand back from his hair, narrowing her eyes as he bumped her elbow to press her hand back in its place. Fluffing some of his fluffy white hair, she raised her eyebrows at him with her same irritated expression. “That’s not true, and you know it.”

Rolling his eyes, he booped his nose onto hers, snickering as her eyes widened. “Let’s get on with the battle part! Call it sparring if you want, but don’t hold back. Reeeally try to get me!”

Twisting her neck to the side, she barely missed his staff aiming for the center of her neck. Just like Chat Blanc, she received a scratch on her neck.

He frowned, wondering why she’d even let him get another scratch on her. Shaking off the concern he felt, he remembered he needed to keep up his villain-act or she’d never get rid of him.

“Oo!” He pointed at his own neck with an empty smile. “We match!”

“Yeah, but don’t expect me to dig at mine,” Ladybug replied, rubbing away some of the blood onto her palm.

Chat Blanc swiped his claws at her face, frowning as she spun to his side, throwing them both off of the Eiffel Tower as he maniacally laughed, “Oh I get it now! You want to kill me so ‘Chat Noir’ doesn’t have to keep going like this, or whatever your logic was earlier, I kind of forget.”

Ladybug held her breath, eyeing the water they were getting closer and closer to falling in.

The wind slashed through them as their fall continued. “I’m seeing the picture you’re painting. Once I’m dead, Chat Noir’s free, too. And if you’re falling with me… that must mean you’re planning to sacrifice yourself for your ‘goal’. I can’t tell if that’s heroic or ‘paw-sitively’ stupid.”

She tightened her grip on Chat Blanc, calculating the distance between one of the Eiffel Tower’s beams.

His eyes darted between her and the water. “…I don’t need you to come with me, so you can let me go if you don’t wanna do this. I’d fall for you with or without you forcing it, you know.”

The water drew closer.

“Hey… I really don’t need you with me for this. I’ll go on my own, so you can just save yourself already.”

He pawed at his staff, trying to shake her off of his arm. But with every attempt to separate himself from her, her grip tightened. His eyes centered on her lost-in-thought look, feeling the air press into them the further they dropped.

“…Save yourself.”

Their reflections started to grow bigger than the previous dots they were. He was ready for everything to stop, but she wasn’t letting go. Why wasn’t she letting go?

“Save yourself,” he voiced again, eyeing her and the water nervously before he full on panicked. “Are you even listening to me? Ladybug, LET GO OF ME! SAVE YOURSELF! PLEASE!”

Before Ladybug could swing her yo-yo to the Eiffel Tower to situate the two of them on a lower metal beam, Chat Blanc let his staff lengthen out to the Eiffel Tower instead, stabbing through a beam. He slashed the staff back and forth, jaggedly cutting into the Eiffel Tower as it slowly slipped into the water. To make its fall speed up, he lengthened his staff by the top chunk, shoving it toward the two of them and dragging the part he’d caught down. The akuma seriously upgraded his powers if he could do that with one arm.

Once she was safe… he’d finish what Ladybug started, but without her nearby.

Ladybug choked on a scream, trying to find somewhere to send her yo-yo before swinging it out to the collapsing top half of the Eiffel Tower, hoping her yo-yo would wrap around something. Thankfully, her yo-yo caught onto a beam. She kept her grip on Chat Blanc’s arm, ignoring the scratches he left on her arm to distance himself from her. Her yo-yo pulled the two of them through the beams, and they both split off from each other to keep their balance on one falling beam after the next.

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!” He dashed through the jagged beams he’d sliced, worryingly eyeing her do the same.

“Why did you SPLIT the EIFFEL TOWER?!” Ladybug threw back, barely avoiding a chunk of metal beam to the face. She barely missed a sword-like sliver of Eiffel Tower zooming toward her neck, preparing to sever her head, if it weren’t for Chat Blanc slamming it away with his staff. “I was just going to move us to another part of the Eiffel Tower because I know you don’t like being too high up with nowhere to go! I thought you said it felt suffocating.”

“Well, it’s not like giving me ‘air’ helped at all! You SCARED me! If I didn’t cut into the Eiffel Tower, you would’ve ripped off your arm -if you even TRIED to save yourself- with how far away you were from a single beam!”

She glanced over at him in surprise, flinching from a slab of metal slicing the side of her leg. “…I thought you wanted me dead-”

“-OF COURSE NOT!” He screamed, widening his eyes in realization. The two of them landed on the other end of the Eiffel Tower’s bottom half. “…I don't want you to die, okay? I want you to stay, it’s only me that I… I can’t… I can’t find anything that feels right to get emotional about… I don’t know… why… my emotions feel like ‘this’.”

He waved a paw at himself, failing to get to a point he wasn’t sure Ladybug would understand.

She stepped over beside him. He took a defensive stance, curling his fists and shifting his weight to one side as he eyed her… sit on the beam beside him.

She was wide open.

She kept her eyes on him. Maybe this could count as ‘letting herself slip’. Maybe a lot of things she’d done since he stole her earring counted as ‘slipping’. But she was human, not a flawless hero without sometimes costly mistakes. What was so wrong with risking a chance to reach the Chat Noir she loved, even if it meant being betrayed again? What was wrong with crying when everything felt so immeasurably hopeless? She didn’t care if Chat Blanc would try and fight her again. He might be influenced by the akuma, but without all the fancy ins and outs of akumatization, he would always be Chat Noir.

If sitting beside him, hoping they could just be friends again was wrong or considered weak for Paris’ hero of two years, she didn’t care anymore. No one but them could see what she ‘did do’ and ‘didn’t do’. She didn’t have to have every perfect answer or action, and neither did he.

She would do her best to save him and everyone else in the way she wanted to, not the way she was ‘expected to’ by the standards she’d set up for herself after years of criticism and failures. Maybe she would fail again. Maybe she wouldn’t reach the partner she loved behind Chat Blanc’s dim eyes, but she didn’t want to be constantly fighting when peace was just a reach away.

His dim eyes… she hoped they’d brighten again.

She looked up at him, hoping to see a speck of Chat Noir again, but she felt her heart stop for a moment: his eyes were glistening, filled with tears full of emotion she hadn’t seen for the longest time.

Chat Noir was still in there.

He looked down at her sitting beside him, letting the tears completely blur her picture. After everything he’d done… she chose to stay with him this entire time.

She placed her hand out to the spot beside her, patting a spot for him. He hesitantly eyed her hand and her, debating if he should really let himself take her up on her offer.

But something inside of Chat Blanc chose to let her back into his brokenness.

He knelt down beside her, scanning her one last time for any change of heart, but she stayed still. Taking a seat beside her, his eyes widened as her hand immediately settled on his.

Worriedly eyeing her hand, flashbacks from the Witness moment flooded his mind, and he prepared to scoot away, to do what he thought he needed to do, to give her the answer he thought she needed… but her hand tightened on his.

“…Please don’t leave me,” she whispered, pressing her face onto her knees as tears blurred her eyelashes. “…Please stay.”

The picture of her in his eyes blurred further as he silently cried, shaking from the emotions suddenly gripping his entire being.

He wouldn’t give up on himself or the world. Even though things hurt, and the guilt and pain never seemed to end, there was still hope left.

The snow swooshed through their hair as he nervously eyed her. She wanted him to stay with her, just like she’d wanted him to be with her back when she invited him to Kitty Section. He regretted leaving her like that, so why should he make the same mistake now? There was a lot to work through, and a lot of problems to uncover, but the rest would right itself out as long as he let her back into his heart and didn’t give up looking for an answer.

He lifted his paw, scooping hers up. Pressing his thumb on the back of her hand, he let out a small breath he’d been holding. He glanced at the broken moon one last time, deciding that he wouldn’t let it stay broken anymore. “…Okay.”

~~~~~

Notes:

Mini summary for the chapter:

❄️Ladybug meets with Chat Blanc in the burrow; they fight verbally and physically with each other after Ladybug’s trust is betrayed, but once Chat Blanc says some things about himself after all of the guilt he’s taken on, Ladybug panics at the reality of what she’s facing completely alone. Once their distance comes to a close, they sit side by side, and Chat Blanc chooses to give the world another chance.❄️

I am so sorry it’s almost been 2 months. There were some really big changes -outside of writing this chapter- I’ve been dealing with, and finding the time to cohesively write this (and the embarrassing ‘attempted-half-drafts’), felt impawsible.

I’m super excited to get the next one ready; the ideas for it have been in my mind for probably months now 🍵🐈❄️

Thanks for reading! :D
🐞🐾🦊🐝🐢