Chapter Text
The heroes still did not understand how Emilie came back, Zatanna didn’t have the power needed in order to heal the wounds Emilie had sustained. Once the authorities showed up at the Agreste mansion and found Emilie, she was taken to the hospital. Her vitals were improving and the doctors couldn’t explain it. Even Zatanna was confused, after all her studying, she was well aware that she wasn’t prepared for what she did. She would make sure to ask her friends in the magic community and see if they had any theories about it.
Adrien had started weekly TeleHealth therapy with Black Canary to process what he had just been through. He wasn’t alone, he had Marinette. After a couple days of awkward interactions, they finally sat down and talked through everything they’d been through, as Adrien/Cat Noir and Marinette/Ladybug. He confessed to her how awkward it was to be given the snake miraculous and how Plagg had mocked him the entire time. She finally opened up about the time she had to fix the timeline and prevent him from becoming Cat Blanc. Not to mention the amount of times they rejected each other for the other versions of themselves.
They realized they had been each other’s best friends without even knowing it. He knew he loved Ladybug, and Marinette. It only made sense that they were the same person. Marinette was still confused because, to her, Cat Noir and Adrien were too different. He explained more about his life behind closed doors at the Agreste mansion, and how he had to be the perfect son. The real Adrien wasn’t one or the other, it was a mixture of both, like Plagg once said.
Soon after that, Adrien took Marinette out on a proper date. All the things that had previously held them back from being together were no longer at play.
Gabriel was somewhat cooperative with authorities. He had given his side of the story, including his assistant being Mayura and the part where his nephew, Felix, was the reason he acquired the rest of the miraculous recently. Despite describing his own motives as noble, the authorities were working a case that would lock him up for his terrorist actions.
Nathalie had been taken in for questioning, she was cooperative and released on bail. There was no evidence to connect her to Gabriel’s crimes, other than being his assistant. While Emilie was still at the hospital she helped continue taking care of Adrien. She was confused by her own feelings. She spent so much time being loyal to Gabriel, and if she had continued, she could’ve ended up worse. She also couldn’t deny that she loved him to some extent, until his actions caught up with him and she could no longer go along with his schemes. She couldn’t help but also remember the dormant feelings she once had for Emilie either. Once Emilie was released from the hospital, she packed her bags and left. She needed time on her own. Time for herself at last. The last five years had been difficult, she needed room to breathe and go back to find the treasure hunter within her that craved adventure.
Felix, still a minor, also came in for questioning, with his mother. Felix stated that the only reason he helped Monarch was because his uncle had threatened to hurt his mother. Felix was afraid to be an orphan, and hoped that his cousin would not meet the same fate. Amelie backed him up, Gabriel had been cold and distant since Emilie’s disappearance. She didn’t think he would stoop so low, but ultimately was not surprised her own son was blackmailed.
When the case finally was heard, it was concluded that he would serve a sentence of 5 years per each akumatization, which ended up amounting to over 300 years. Since nobody actually died, he would have the possibility of parole after 30 years with good behavior. In his jail cell, he often thought about the second Cat Noir called him father. The moment in which the pieces finally clicked and was under the realization that Cat Noir was actually his son, Adrien. How long had the miraculous of destruction been under his roof? This single thought kept Gabriel up for many nights. Slowly driving him to madness.
Zatanna’s residency show was over. Her shows sold out nightly, especially after Cat Noir and Ladybug made a special appearance one night (this was part of her act, but it was Marinette’s idea). She was glad to have the opportunity to put her production in Paris and spend more time with her boyfriend. On closing night, Zatanna was showered with love from her Parisian friends. She could also tell the atmosphere of the city felt different, people felt more… at ease. She almost went into cardiac arrest when she saw Marinette and Adrien finally holding hands. They showed up with a wide array of their classmates for closing night. Marinette and Adrien’s friends were very supportive. Dick gave her a huge flower bouquet and told her how amazing and incredible she was.
Dick was glad the “vacation” was over and he would be able to return to full active duty with the Team. He wouldn’t admit it though, but he had a lot of fun being normal for once. In Paris, people didn’t immediately recognize him as one of Bruce Wayne’s sons the way they did in Gotham. He loved being able to sightsee with Zatanna after Monarch’s defeat. They made frequent visits to the Louvre, had a nice picnic in the French countryside. This was the most relaxing vacation he’s ever had, even with all the Monarch-related things early in their stay. Their relationship was strengthened by this stay.
Gabriel Agreste’s arrest caused a decline in the Gabriel brand’s popularity. Iit no longer monopolized Paris, and paved the way for young designers to be featured in boutiques. After a famous American magician wore Marinette’s designs, she had the opportunity to showcase her designs in the “Future of France Fashion” exhibits. Dick helped get it set up and reminded her that it would help strengthen her portfolio for her future in the industry.
After some playful arguing, Zatanna and Dick agreed they would Zeta back to Bludhaven instead of flying. Adrien and Marinette helped them with their luggage, they just wanted an excuse to see the couple one last time. Marinette was extremely grateful for their help in defeating Monarch.
“If you ever need anything, or want to talk about things, we have friends who have been in similar situations and might understand what you’re going through.” Zatanna said to Adrien, giving the boy a hug. She couldn’t help feeling her motherly instincts kick in. This boy deserved all the happiness in the world, and she was happy Marinette was at his side.
“Here’s a reference letter, Marinette. It’s as good as a golden ticket to any university in the United States.” Dick handed her an envelope from Wayne Enterprises. Bruce wrote it himself giving high regards to Marinette. Bruce was made aware of the work Ladybug and Cat Noir had done on their own, and he was proud of the Parisian heroes.
“Adrien, it’s been great to hang with you. Let me know if you need absolutely anything. And don’t think we’ve forgotten about you. If you’re interested in tech or business, I know my adoptive father’s company has internships. I’m sure he would love to take you in.” Dick said and gave Adrien a big hug. The young man had been through a lot in such a short time, and with the miraculous of destruction, he could’ve become a villain as well. Dick could see Adrien had a big heart and good intentions.
“Thank you so much, Mari.” Zatanna hugged the young Parisian
“No, thank you. Thank you both. Without your help, we probably wouldn’t be where we are now.” Marinette admitted
“You guys did so much. Don’t sell yourselves short. We helped where we could.” Zatanna said. It was true. Dick and Zatanna mainly dealt with crowd control, and minor spells here and there. Dick helped steer them in the right direction with training and tactics, but they would’ve figured it out on their own eventually.
“Let us know if you guys drop by for a visit,” Adrien said, as he waved goodbye to his new friends.