Chapter Text
It was a long day for the young Parisians Heroes. They had begun mid-afternoon, and now the sun was slowly setting. Both had to have countless timeouts to recharge the kwami's. As the fight continued longer than expected, their hits became weaker, their minds less sharp. There were many times when Ladybug had to grab Chat's tail or collar just to pull out of the way from a flying car, bus and or lamppost. There had also been several times when Chat corrected Ladybug and ensured that she was sure of the plan. They became brash with their movements as they just wanted the fight to end.
The only reason they had been fighting all afternoon was that yet again, Chloe had angered someone, this time a construction worker who was part of the refurbishment on the Grand Paris. The gentleman was working away, mixing concrete, when Chloe just happened to pass and had gotten her new jacket all dirty. She immediately called her father, and the gentleman was fired instantly. He needed the money to provide for his family, and now he felt so ashamed. The male was akumatized into the De-Constructor. He could alter elements and change them to fit with the fight.
"Pound it?" Ladybug raised an aching arm towards her partner. He raised an equally sore arm and fist-bumped with his Lady. On the roof above the Grand Paris, a young apprentice tripped over a bucket and threw steel poles that he was carrying over his shoulder. They all came flying to the ground.
"Watch out!" While everyone went for cover behind cars, Cat Noir, too exhausted from the previous fight to have his usual cat-like reflexes, froze longer than expected. Ladybug being equally tired mustered all her strength and jumped to Cat Noir, pushing him out of the way. They crashed to the floor with a lot of force. Their cries of pain were masked with the clanging of the steel poles hitting the ground.
For a second Cat Noir couldn't move, his body was entirely heavy and warm but not in a cosy way. It wasn't due to exhaustion from the fight. It was much worse than that. That feeling, he could deal with and continue his day. What he felt now, scared him slightly. It was new and very unwanted. Even with his eyes closed the world spin. He thought that he could pass out any minute. He knew he was alive from a cough that erupted from, leaving a taste of metal behind. He could feel something dripping down his mouth. It wasn't supposed to rain today, nor did he feel it hit his face. The substance felt like something else entirely.
Cat Noir forgot about himself when he heard a collective gasp forcing him to peek at what it was. Cat Noir attempted to pick his head up, but he groaned and collapsed back to the floor. Worry washed over his face as he felt like his body was being ripped apart as he moved. He scrunched his eyes closed to deal the sheer pain ripping through his stomach.
Still not knowing what they gasped at he slowly picked his head up, keeping one eye closed, dealing with the pain as he did so. He raised his heavy head to see someone wearing a pink jacket. It was hard to tell exactly who it as the world was slowly distorting the longer he kept his eyes open. He kept his eyes open long enough to see a steel pole impaling the girl who was lying limp on top of him. The longer he left his eyes open, the more he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. Who was the girl lying on top of him? The last thing he remembered was that he was fighting De-Constructor and they had purified the akumatized butterfly. There was a scream, and then a flash of red and black before the pain erupted from his body. He was with Ladybug, and it was Ladybug that pushed him out of the way. So the girl lying on top of him was civilian Ladybug. The steel pole must have forced Ladybug to revert to her civilian self. She had thrown herself on top of him to protect him from the pole. It suddenly hit Cat Noir that he could feel a hot liquid pooling near his abdomen. The pole was penetrating him as well. The pain that he felt moments was the force of being penetrated by the pole as well.
He slowly moved his aching arm to try and check how much it was in him, but as he moved a hand in view, he saw that he was no longer clad in black leather but his bare skin. He looked above to see that a camera crew was gaping at them.
"Please!" He begged. "Call... an ambulance!" He finally croaked out. "The pole...has impa-" he coughed and realised that blood had come out as he did so. No one moved as they stared at the superheroes now in their civilian forms. Adrien pushed away from the pain that felt—avoiding the fact a steel pole was lodged in his stomach. His only concern was the girl that was now lying lifeless on top of him.
"Nadja! Phone...an... ambulan-." his voice haggard as he spoke. She quickly pulled out her phone and turned away from the pair.
Adrien tried adjusting his head to the side to attempt and get a glimpse of his Lady, but it was far too painful to adjust his body, so he remained still. He could feel his mind ebbing away into unconsciousness. He looked over to where the crowd was beginning to congest, noticing their surprised faces, although there were two faces he recognised as his best friends that not only were in shock, they also felt betrayed that Adrien was one-half of the crime fight superheroes. Alya wanted to stumble forward and meet her friends, but the police had shown up and blocked the spectators from getting any closer out of respect. A wave of nausea washed over Adrien. He could no longer back the pain; his body was pulling him into the darkness, eyes becoming heavy, he gave up the fight and allowed the darkness to take him.
There was no energy to keep his eyes open; he felt a warm hand squeezed his limp outstretched hand. The warm hand went to his ring and slid his miraculous off his finger. If there were an ounce of energy left, he would pull his hand away and fight them back, but he couldn't even move his finger. He wanted to believe it was someone good that was stealing his ring. Hawkmoth wore gloves, and the stranger certainly did not. The stranger removed the ring so delicately from his finger. He felt a small presence hang about his face. It was a comforting presence one he was familiar with. The gentle touch that lingered near his face was Plagg. Plagg leaned over and placed his head against Adrien's forehead.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm going to miss you, Adrien. Thank you for accepting my powers and for the delicious cheese."
"Thank you, young Adrien and Marinette. You held duties well, but now I release you of your powers," the stranger sounded like Master Fu. He was taken the miraculous back since Paris knew who they were. Hawkmoth now knew who they were. Without Plagg he was now merely Adrien Agreste, the only son of Paris' own Gabriel Agreste.
Marinette.
Master Fu had said Marinette. His first friend was his Lady. The woman who he loved was his first friend. She sat behind him in class. The girl who stuttered, who stumbles and trips. The girl who was overall amazing was Ladybug. For all this time he was in love with Marinette Dupain Cheng. They had shared many moments like when they danced closely at Chloe's party when she placed her head on his shoulder as they danced.
As the ambulance took its time to arrive, the news of the identity reveal was bringing in the crowds. Many Parisians crowded the area as they looked into the injured couple. They all gasped when they saw the famous Adrien Agreste lying flat on the ground, a young woman tucked into his neck, a pole slicing through the pair. They all had theories on who it could be but never guessed it was Gabriel Agreste's only son.
When the ambulance and the fire engine arrived mere moments from each other, a young paramedic had jumped out with his equipment and rushed over to the pair. A fireman was talking to the other paramedic about the plan of action. The first thing he did was place an oxygen mask on Ladybug. The paramedic picked up Adrien's head and strapped the oxygen mask around his mouth.
"Hey Adrien, I'm Pierre, a paramedic. I'm here to help. How are you?" Adrien groaned as the male had touched Mariette, in turn shifting the pole. "Your friend is beautiful," Pierre kept rambling to him to keep him somewhat in a conscious state.
"Okay buddy, we need to get the pair of you apart, so we need to cut the pole. My friend and I are needing you to roll onto your side. Don't worry, we will guide you and her," Adrien didn't have the energy to moan out in pain as they rolled the pair over to their side to get easy access to the pole.
The paramedics moved her back ever so slightly where she groaned out loud, gripping onto Adrien's clothes. It was the first confirmation that he knew that Marinette was still alive. The paramedics held the injured back while a fireman cut the pole that kept them together. He realised that the blood on his shirt was a mixture of her and his blood. When the pole broke in half, Adrien felt a relief as he somehow felt so much lighter. They hoisted Marinette onto a stretcher and placed her gently in the back of the first ambulance. The young paramedic stayed with him throughout the journey. He held his hand tightly as Adrien lay lifeless as they made their way to the hospital.
-X-
Bright lights blinded Adrien as he slowly rose from his unconscious state. Everything was all hazy; his head was beating, although he felt no pain. His entire body felt like it was no longer there. Through slanted eyes, he tried to adjust to the very blurry and distorted world, trying to piece together where he was. As he adjusted to the light, he noticed that he was in the hospital from the plain walls, the reek of disinfectant and the small chatter of the nurses and doctors from the hall. Wires were coming out of his skin and hooking up to a machine - that was mimicking his heartbeat. There was a hole in his white blanket to allow for the pole to sit comfortably. The doctors still hadn't removed the pole. The mere sight of it made Adrien nauseous.
He was not the only patient in the room; first he heard his machine and a beat later, he listened to the same sound from a different machine. He dropped his heavy head to his shoulder to see that his hand was dipping below a screen and was clutching someone's hand. Their hand was soft and small compared to his. Without a doubt, he knew this hand was holding Marinette's hand. During their friendship, their hands brushed against one another enough times for him to be able to identify his friend and his new crush. Without realising he sniffed as tears rolled down his face; she had survived the incident. He placed his free arm over his eyes to realise that the ring was missing from his hand. It took a moment to remember the events that just happened. Master Fu had taken their miraculous back as they both revealed themselves to the world that Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain Cheng were the superhero duo. He wanted to roll over, but his body just would not allow it, so instead, he lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.
"Hey Kiddo, how are you feeling?" A male in his late fifties walked into his room wearing a white lab coat, so Adrien could only assume that he was a doctor, came strolling into the room and picked up his chart. Adrien groaned as he sat up to talk with the doctor. His eyes flickering to Marinette as he got himself comfortable. "Your girlfriend is fine for now, but we need to have a conversation about both of you." The doctor came round and sat on the bed beside him, touching his arm, his face hiding the lousy truth.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"She won't be if she stayed here. There are specialists in Finland that have much better technology than us and will offer 24-hour care. I want to send you both there." Adrien looked over at the curtain to see the bland curtain blocking him from his friend. If they stayed, Marinette could die. There was no other option than to leave.
"Okay. But do not tell our parents where we are going. We need time for everyone to get over the news," the doctor nodded then strolled out the room, calling many doctors to prepare for departure. A few moments later, the doctor came back with a team, and they were getting them to move out. Adrien looked over at Marinette, wishing he could do more than just hold her hand. He squeezed her hand one final time before he had to let go as the doctors wheeled her out the room first.
The doctors and nurses unlocked the wheels on his bed then moved the bed to the hall where they jogged him up to the roof. He instantly greeted him with the cold wind blowing against his face; he was thankful that the nurses tucked his blankets in tightly, so they didn't blow away. As soon as they rounded the corner, he instantly saw the massive helicopter that would take him and Marinette to Finland. He watched as the crew grabbed Marinette's bed and yanked her into the aircraft. He couldn't make out her features, but he noticed that she lay on her side as a steel pole entered her back and exited through her stomach. If his blankets did not trap his hands, then he would hover over the wound where the pole was still protruding from his stomach.
Once Marinette was in the helicopter, it was now his turn to be transferred. The team pulled him to the aircraft and slid him into the helicopter. For the first time in ages, he could see her face; she was deathly pale. He looked at her body to see that the pole was still lodged within her. He was lucky as she lay facing him; he could now lie down and simply stare at his woman. His hand once again found hers and held it gently. Once he heard the whirl of the propellers, his eyes drooped, and he fell back asleep. All the medicine that they gave them made him tired. His head dropped to the side as he fell back asleep. One of the crew pulled his head up as he wouldn't be comfortable sleeping like that.
-X-
Gabriel clutched his fists as some kids once again defeated him. He needed to up his game. He released his transformation just as Natalie came up through the secret entrance clutching her tablet. She cautiously stepped forward and tapped his shoulder.
"Sir, there's something you need to see," he pivoted around to look at the tablet. On the screen was a video. "Breaking News: the identities of Ladybug and Cat Noir revealed." It read. Gabriel smiled big and tapped on the video.
It was just after their fight, the pair barely able to move a step. Gabriel saw as the duo pounded fists. Then just as quickly he watched as the poles fell and Ladybug surged forward onto her partner knocking him backwards. Gabriel smiled in anticipation as in any second now; he would see the identities of those who opposed him consistently. The smile did not falter as he watched as a pole pierced Ladybug and Cat Noir. Blood spurting out their mouth as the impact hit some organs. He smiled widely when he saw the green and pink light that engulfed the pair. In the next second, he would know. The transformation had worn off, and he looked instantly at Cat Noir instead of LadyBug. When he looked at him, his broad smile dropped as he saw his son struggling to breathe and keep conciseness. He stumbled back slightly then rushed down the stairs as Adrien should be at home practising his piano. He could hear the music coming from his room. His heart was pounding in his chest, body shaking from the video, his blood slowly turning cold.
The male rushed out the lair and headed up the stairs to Adrien's room where the bodyguard was still outside—motioning for the male to move with a swish of his hand. He clasped the door handle praying that his son was practising. Shoving it forward almost breaking the latch, Gabriel marched straight into the room and saw his fear come to life, an empty bedroom. It was indeed his son. His son was Cat Noir. On top of the piano where his son should be sat his iPod playing the piece. Gabriel stumbled backwards until he hit the edge of Adrien's bed and slumped down, his hands going in his hair. Natalie stood in front of him, handing him the tablet again. There was still time in the video. He pushed the tablet away as he tried to compile his thoughts. His son snuck out every time to protect the city. His eyes glanced to Adrien's computer to see his wife on the screen. His heart sank, thinking about losing his wife and quite possibly his son.
He knew that if Emilie was still here that she would pray to the almighty to grant her wish of her son's safety and that's what he did. He clasped his hands together and prayed for the protection of his son and Ladybug. If he was only allowed, one wish was it for his son or his wife? He beckoned Natalie to make preparations to head to the hospital. His son was his only concern at the moment.
-X-
Tom was idly working in the kitchen preparing for dinner while his wife was in the living room/dining room area, setting out plates. She stopped what she was doing when she heard her phone ring. On the caller ID, it was Alya, she wiped her hands and answered the phone.
"Turn on the news. I'm so sorry, but I don't think it looks good," Sabine heard her sob through the phone. She did just that. At that point, Sabine witnessed as some paramedics placed, a girl who just so happened to look like Marinette onto a stretcher. It couldn't be her daughter; she was upstairs working on her latest piece like she always did on a Friday. She would have been in denial until she saw the banner, scrolling at the bottom of the screen.
'BREAKING NEWS: Ladybug revealed to be Marinette Dupain Cheng.'
She dropped the phone and screamed!
"TOM! TOM!" He rushed through to the living room to see his wife shaking yet frozen in the spot. He held her and looked at what she was looking at. He saw his daughter being administered to an ambulance, a pole sticking out of her back and stomach. The camera panned down to see Adrien out cold with a pole wedge into his chest. As soon as the paramedic stepped to place Adrien on a stretcher, the camera panned to Nadja Chamack.
"Our thoughts are now with The Dupain-Cheng's and the Agreste's. Hearing the news that their son and daughter are the heroic duo Ladybug and Cat Noir, now fighting for their life instead of an Akuma. We can only pray that they make a wonderful recov-" Tom switched off the television and held onto his wife as she cried hysterically into his shirt. He soothed her hair as she sobbed hard. Tom breathed slowly to prevent the sobs from escaping from his mouth, which was useless. The tears wouldn't stop, even when he fought back.
Tom wanted to deny what he just saw and heard. Marinette was in her room preparing her latest piece for Jagged Stone. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a bang at the door. He sat his distraught wife on the couch and went to answer the door; there stood a police officer with his hat clutched to his chest. There was no denying it now; his daughter was fighting for her life.
-X-
Gabriel sat in the limo as they sped their way to the hospital. He clutched his hands as he sat alone in the back. Natalie had offered to accompany him in the back of the car, but he wished to be alone from the time being. Witnessing his son lying on the concrete floor, gripping his partner for support, his eyes rolling backwards as he struggled to stay awake. Blood was trickling down his mouth; skin was pale. If his son was still alive, then he was in the most epic battle he would ever face and prayed that it was a fight that he didn't lose.
Had he missed the signs that his son would sneak away from his duties just to protect Paris. He could not believe that every time he akumatized a victim that his son risked his life for one civilian. He straightened his body and shook all the negative thoughts that nibbled at his mind as the bodyguard pulled outside the hospital, he had a reputation to uphold. As he stepped out of the car, a helicopter flew away, causing Gabriel to look up at where the noise was coming from. Natalie patted his back as she walked in front and into the Emergency Department. She strutted to the desk, to ask where Adrien was. Gabriel slowly walked behind her as he was afraid to hear the results. As he walked towards the counter, a couple rushed past and stood at the desk, slamming their hands on the desk interrupting Natalie.
"Hi, we are looking for Marinette Dupain Cheng. We are her parents," the receptionist called one of their colleagues to come to the desk. Gabriel didn't care as the couple were the parents of Ladybug. He wanted to scoff as they were making a scene. He watched as all the patients in the waiting area, turned their heads or stood at the door gawking at the scene.
"Look, it's Gabriel Agreste."
"Did you hear, those people said they are Ladybug's parents." Gabriel stood beside Sabine and carefully took in her image. She was the mother of the young girl who foiled all his plans. Sabine had dark blue hair much like Ladybug. He didn't even think that Ladybug was part Chinese. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tear stains still on her cheek. Even Ladybug's father, a huge man, who could easily harm Gorilla in a fight had red, puffy eyes as well. Gabriel saw that Ladybug's father placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest, whispering to her. After a few moments, an older gentleman came round the desk and greeted the group.
"Mr Agreste. Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng, if you follow me. I'm sure you would like to talk about your children." Gabriel watched as Mr Dupain-Cheng took his wife's hand and led her down the corridor after the doctor. Gabriel walked behind the couple with Natalie following a few steps behind him.
He could feel the stares from everyone he passed. Was it because of the news or his position? They were led to a large room with many seats. He sat everyone down and had two X-rays on his desk; he switched them around and slid them closer to the correct parent.
"Mr Agreste, your son, will recover just fine. Unfortunately we haven't been able to remove the pole and the longer we leave it in, the longer we risk other problems down the line. It pierced several fat muscles but no serious injury to any organs," Gabriel sighed with relief, hearing that his son was going to be okay. He didn't know, but his prayers had been answered.
"Mr and Mrs Dupain Cheng, I wish I had some better news for you," Sabine sharply breathed in and grabbed her husband's hand as she waited to hear the rest of the sentence. "Well the pole pierced her completely, and unfortunately we weren't able to remove the pole from her body, either. We weren't able to fully comprehend the extent of her injuries. Which brings me onto my next news. If Marinette and Adrien stayed with us their chances of survival were going to be very slim especially for Marinette so with a brief consolation with Adrien, I have sent them to one of our sister hospitals where they will receive constant care with better technology,"
"So our daughter is in another hospital in Paris?" the doctor removed his glasses and lay them on the table then pinched his nose.
"I am afraid not. We do have other hospitals in Paris, but their treatment is precise, so I have sent them to another hospital. In Europe. I have been asked by Adrien not to inform you which hospital I have sent them to," Sabine gasped and clutched her hands.
"So how will we get in contact with them?" Natalie asked for Gabriel's sake.
"Well the thing is, you don't. You can contact me and I'll put the request through to Fredio, who works for the other hospital and he will pass the message on. Once they have settled in the hospital, I will ask them to inform me when the pair are awake so you may have a conversation with them, but that'll just be it." Sabine took a sharp intake of breath, Tom's hand on her clasped hands.
"You can't tell us where our kids are. We are their parents, we have a right to know," the doctor groaned and leaned back in his chair at Gabriel's outbreak.
"I can't. Your son, Gabriel, told me specifically that he doesn't want you to know where they were heading. And I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng's that you won't be able to see her daughter, but you need to think about their situation. Everyone including Hawkmoth knows who they are. They need a time out and they need to be safe at this point. They are very vulnerable at this point, and they don't want Hawkmoth to find them in their current state," Gabriel gulped as due to him his son is lying somewhere in pain and barely holding his eyes open.
"When did they leave?" He asked as he remembered seeing a helicopter leaving just as they entered the hospital. The doctor leaned forward in his chair and glanced at the clock in the room.
"Oh, a few minutes before I met you. I personally ensured they were transported safely," the doctor ensured that he got the medical backgrounds from both of the parents before they were sent on their way with a time tomorrow they could phone their kids. When Sabine and Tom reached the reception area, Sabine dropped to the floor and cried to the floor, muttering her prayers in mandarin. Tom bent down and soothed his wife's outburst. Gabriel held his head low and walked past the pair, the guilt eating away at him. He caused this. He caused his son and the Dupain-Cheng's daughter to be sent out of the country with little contact with their babies.