Chapter Text
“Plagg!” Adrien yelled, stuck in his own head. “Why did you break into Marinette's home?” Adrien watched at Plagg pulled out camembert cheese. Adrien didn't have time to puzzle why the bakery would have such a, so called, savory cheese, or how Plagg knew they would have it, because a voice caused Plagg to turn around. A voice which wasn't out of place here, but Adrien still hadn't expected. He was sure the girl would have been at Chloe's party like the rest of his classmates.
“Ah,” Plagg was saying, “How nice of you to drop by.” Plagg swallowed a piece of camembert. Adrien felt the cheese move slowly down his throat, he wanted to gag, but he couldn't even wiggle his own toes.
“Wish I could say the same to you.” Marinette glanced around.
“Marinette run!” Her parents yelled, but she couldn't leave them, couldn't leave the bakery and their home to be destroyed by Plagg.
Marinette threw a roll at Chat Noir's hand, knocking the rest of the camembert away. "Bad kitty." She said, before she charged with a curtain rod.
“I do love a good fight little lady.” Chat Noir smirked, crouching down before he charged, his backup baton in hand. The baton and the rod clanged together. While Tikki was right, Marinette knew the moves, knew how to fight, and how Chat Noir would fight, Marinette wondered if the Kwami had underestimated the power difference between the two now that Marinette was just a girl and Chat Noir was still in his superhero form.
Marinette found herself being pushed back. She ducked under Chat Noir's baton, giving herself a moment to breathe before Chat Noir swung his baton again. Marinette raised her curtain rod, managing to strike Chat Noir's fingers, sending his baton rolling out of the kitchen. Chat Noir hissed. He jumped, grabbing hold of the curtain rod too, and the two struggled to gain control of the weapon.
“Feisty for some pretty faced, majorly klutzy, fashion designer.” Chat Noir smirked, and Marinette looked into the green eyes behind the solar glasses. They were different, more cat than human.
“You are still so annoying!” Marinette grunted. Her palms were getting sweaty. She didn't want to lose the curtain rod, but her hands were slipping.
Adrien watched as Marinette stood up to Chat Noir, to Plagg. He knew she stood up to Chloe sometimes, but this was a whole other level. “So brave,” Adrien mumbled, wondering where Ladybug was, and how come she hadn't used her Lucky Charm yet. Marinette lost the curtain rod. Chat Noir laughed. Tossing the curtain rod away and shoving Marinette across the kitchen where she tumbled over the back of her living room couch. “Marinette!” Adrien yelled. He still wasn't in control.
“Cataclysm!” Plagg shouted, swiping his claw across the refrigerator before he bent down to eat the last slice of camembert. Marinette popped her head above the couch, watching the fridge rust and fall apart, the food inside now sitting in the rusted heap of metal and plastic.
“Stop this Chat Noir!” She pleaded. More unsure than before she had the ability to do anything. Chat Noir walked slowly across the kitchen toward her. Marinette's father grabbed the dropped curtain rod; he held it above his head. Marinette did the only thing she could think of to stop her father from getting involved.
Marinette lunged over the couch, flinging her arms around Chat Noir's waist. They tumbled to the ground, and for the second time the two rolled around in a flail of limbs. Marinette was quickly pinned, Chat Noir sitting on top of her, hands held together above her head.
“You know, I've always wanted to try this.” Chat Noir raised his hand, “Cataclysm!” Marinette's eyes widened as she watched the hand glow with black Kwami magic. She bucked her hips, causing his other hand to slip off her wrists. He swung both hands, claws out, at her face. Marinette grabbed both wrists, holding them above her face, sweat dripping as she did her best to stay alive.
Marinette's parents were frozen in fear. Marinette's arms trembled. Chat Noir's grin twisted as his cataclysm claws inched closer to her face. Adrien felt his muscles straining, and he wondered what was taking Ladybug so long. Marinette's eyes glanced between the two claws, and she made the only decision she could. Marinette quickly let go of the normal clawed hand, adding it to further support the fight of keeping the cataclysm claw above her head. The normal claw finished swinging downward, leaving one long scratch down Marinette's cheek, starting below her eye.
Marinette sucked in extra air, feeling the cut though every fiber of her being was focused on the other hand, the deadly hand.
“No!” Adrien screamed, watching blood pour from the wound. “Plagg stop this now!” Adrien pushed back. Plagg couldn't keep him in a corner anymore. As Marinette struggled to push Plagg away, Adrien slowly got a foothold in control. His left foot to be exact. Adrien pushed, and his body toppled to the side, wrist twisting slightly as Marinette still held it, using it to pull Chat Noir to his feet. She turned, pulling the wrist over her shoulder, flinging Chat Noir over her body and onto his back against the floor. Marinette dropped one of her hair ribbons onto his cataclysm claws, watching the ribbon disintegrate, and the claw return to normal.
Adrien finally gained full control as Plagg tried to comprehend how he was suddenly on the floor with the breath knocked out of him. Adrien rolled away, running and jumping through the broken window. He passed Alya, with her phone up, but he didn't dare stop. He had control and he wasn't going to waste it trying to fend off Alya's questions for her blog.
Marinette stood, ignoring her parents' concerned cries as she chased after Chat Noir. She even jumped through the window, sliding across the sidewalk outside as she tried to track where Chat Noir ran.
“Marinette!” Now Alya's voice joined the screams, but Marinette continued running. She saw Chat Noir turn down an alley, and she also turned, ready to try to restrain him again before Plagg got his hands on more camembert.
Marinette took a few steps into the alley, squinting in the semi-darkness, only getting darker as the solar eclipse continued overhead. She pushed the glasses to the top of her head for a moment, scanning the alleyway one more time. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Marinette threw her elbow back. “Oof.” Marinette turned to see Alya doubled over, her phone screen cracking as it hit the ground.
“Alya, I'm sorry!” Marinette put her hands on her friend's shoulders. “I didn't know it was you.” Marinette sighed.
“No kidding.” Alya stood up, rubbing her stomach. “No wonder Chat Noir ran, girl you are stronger than you look.” Marinette rolled her eyes, glancing once more behind her. “You do realize you are bleeding right?” Marinette brought a hand up to the cheek which was clawed, feeling the sticky substance on her fingers made Marinette feel the pain of the cut. And the sticky blood all over her check, and a little on her neck.
Alya grabbed her cell phone and then her friend's shoulders. “C'mon. You're parents are worried.” Marinette let Alya lead her out of the alley, hoping the reason Chat Noir ran, was because he was himself again.
#
Adrien was crouching in a mostly empty dumpster; Plagg was contained in a glass jar smeared with peanut butter. Plagg was banging on the glass, shouting something, but his voice was muted by the glass, the white button down shirt Adrien had wrapped around the jar, and the fact Adrien's mind was busy processing what had just happened.
Plagg had attacked his friend. Plagg had nearly killed Marinette, leaving a claw mark on her face. Plagg managed to do these things for two reasons: Adrien hadn't regained control in time, and Ladybug hadn't followed them into the bakery. Adrien felt drops of water hit his arms: tears.
He had failed.
#
Marinette's mother tended to her wound. Marinette's father gave the scoop of a lifetime to Alya. She was about to post the news of Marinette standing up to Chat Noir, when Marinette snatched her phone away.
“Hey,” Alya reached for the phone. “I'm doing this for you. Don't you want to out grow your klutz status?” Marinette held the phone out of Alya's reach. Marinette watched as her friend struggled with the idea of taking her on with the phone, knowing Marinette was already hurt and she had bested Chat Noir.
“Nobody else needs to know about this. Chat Noir, he, wasn't himself. You said it yourself at Chloe's party, the eclipse got to him.” Marinette was speaking fast, eyes on the broken window, also knowing not far behind her, the fridge was a pile of rusted metal and twisted plastic.
“That doesn't change the fact you stopped him.” Alya pointed out. “And the fact Ladybug didn't show up.” Marinette sighed.
“Alya, please.” She pleaded. “I don't want this to be a big deal.”
“Why? Fighting Chat Noir showcases you are way more than a klutz.” Marinette bit her lip. She didn't want the real person behind Chat Noir feeling anymore guilty about what had happened, didn't want him to think she was gloating. She didn't want to deal with questions and the stupid comments by Chloe.
“I just want to forget about today Alya. If you post the story, this will follow me around for the rest of my life.” Fighting Chat Noir, her ally, was hard. This time it was hardest, because without the Lucky Charm and the Miracle Cure, she had a feeling Chat Noir remembered everything that had happened. She didn't want anyone else knowing about it than those who had witnessed it. Alya blinked, glancing between her phone and her friend. Finally, she sighed.
“Fine.” Alya shrugged her shoulders, “I won't post the story. But you owe me.” Marinette passed Alya her phone. “But what are you going to tell people about the damage here? And your face?” Marinette blinked. She felt her purse shake. She laughed nervously.
“Good question, Mom, Dad, you can start discussing that as I go to the bathroom. Nothing like fighting superhero cats to make you have to use the bathroom.” Marinette dashed to the back of the bakery, running past the bathroom altogether and standing outside the back door. She opened her purse. Tikki flew up.
“You can still undo the damage done to your home, it is a different technique and you will probably feel tired for a few days.” Tikki nodded to her home, “but it will fix it.”
“Will it also erase memories?” Marinette asked hopefully. Tikki shook her head. Marinette sighed. “Okay, at least I can save the fridge and the glass. Tikki, spots on!”
Ladybug entered the bakery through the broken window. Alya and Marinette's parents gasped. With the transformation her cut was gone, or at least, it was invisible, since Marinette could still feel the pain Chat Noir's claw left behind.
“Ladybug, care to comment on where you were when Chat Noir was terrorizing this bakery?” Alya jumped out, holding out her phone. Ladybug sighed.
“Making sure the eclipse wasn't causing anymore problems. Now if you'll excuse me,” Ladybug gently brushed past Alya. “Sir, Ma'm,” Ladybug nodded to the owners, “can you describe exactly what Chat Noir broke, cataclysm or otherwise?” Ladybug nodded as her parents described what she already knew. Then Ladybug took out her yo-yo, wrapping part of the string around the broken window frame, and part of it around a large rusted piece of the fridge.
Ladybug started chanting, ancient words she assumed Tikki was giving power to. Ladybug closed her eyes, her yo-yo and string began to glow. She repeated the phrase twice, then flicked her wrist to undo the strings. As the yo-yo snapped back into her hand, the broken glass returned seamlessly to the window and the fridge reverted back to its state before the cataclysm. Ladybug smiled and then staggered, her earrings already warning her of low power.
“Sorry about this. I'm sure it won't happen again.” Ladybug mumbled as she hurried out the front door. She heard Alya and her parents call after her, but she didn't stop. Ladybug ran around the bakery, slipping back through the back door, and shut the door to the bathroom before she transformed back into normal Marinette. Tikki lay on the floor, gasping, and Marinette leaned against the door, eyes shut, all her limbs heavy. Marinette heard footsteps so she scooped Tikki back into her purse, before she opened the door to a very excited and bubbly Alya.
“You just missed Ladybug. She was here. She fixed your parents bakery.” She was bouncing up and down, squealing, almost as ecstatic as when Marinette had somehow arranged the exclusive interview with Ladybug.
“That's cool.” Marinette yawned, and then she collapsed.
“Marinette!” Alya screamed. And then Marinette lost consciousness.
#
Marinette wasn't awake for long the rest of the day, a bathroom break, and she ate a meal. Her mother changed the bandage on her face, and then she passed out again. Tikki was the same way.
It was usually the time Marinette went to bed, when she woke up with a start. Tikki did too. Marinette rubbed her eyes. “Tikki, why didn't you give me a Lucky Charm? Surely something could have let me restrain Plagg.”
“Well, yeah, but only for the five minutes. As soon as you transformed back the object would have disappeared. And I did give you a Lucky Charm.” Marinette tilted her head. Tikki laughed, a happy little giggle which reminded Marinette of a baby giggle. “You silly. You were the Lucky Charm. That's why you transformed back so quickly.” Marinette blinked.
“So, why was I the Lucky Charm? Plagg was the one fighting me, not, well whoever usually is in control.” Tikki sighed.
“But he started fighting Plagg the moment you called Chat Noir out on the attack. The moment you were in danger, he started fighting to regain control. And as far as I can tell, he won. He didn't just regain control of his body as Chat Noir, I think he went back to normal.” Marinette rubbed her head.
“What makes you say that?”
“There were no other sightings of Chat Noir after he was here.”
“How do you know? We've been sleeping all day.” Marinette grumbled, stretching.
“Alya would have sent you something.” Tikki said, pointing at Marinette's phone, which had no new messages. Marinette sighed.
“Well, I'm glad that's over with then.” Tikki made a non-committal humming noise. Marinette yawned, “Night Tikki.”
“Night Marinette.” Tikki glanced out the balcony door, eyeing the inky black night before she settled back into her handkerchief bed.