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Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.
Adrien didn’t.
He loved his lady so much.
It blinded him from what was right in front of him.
Her.
And he didn’t realize it until she was gone.
-
The final battle, in movies is an epic ending to an incredible story.
This was nothing like a movie.
There was no happily ever after.
Only hurt.
Chat noir stood strong next to his lady.
She had a fierce look of determination. Ready to attack.
They had finally tracked hawkmoth down. Weird that he was in Adriens house.
Maybe it was the adrenaline that kept Chat from putting it together at the time. Maybe he already knew and refused to put it together. Either way, he would do anything to go back. Undo it. Make it click faster. Maybe then he wouldn’t have hesitated.
Back and forth, yo-yo and baton against cane sword. They had the upper hand. The element of surprise.
Until they didn’t.
Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around hawkmoth pinning him to the wall. She reached for the broach.
Chat Noir relaxed in relief. It was finally over.
Unknowing to Hawkmoth’s last trick.
He wasn’t prepared to see her. Neither was his lady.
With on simple button Hawkmoth opened a casket to reveal his mother. In a coma. Not dead, but not quite alive. Stuck in a limbo.
Chat dropped the baton in shock.
He hesitated.
Ladybug stared in horror. Unknowingly releasing the yo-yo’s firm grip.
Hawkmoth did not hesitate.
He didn’t hold back. He shoved his cane sword right into her gut.
Chat Noir turned in time to witness the horror. Hear her scream.
He reacted slowly, but reacted nonetheless.
While hawkmoth was preoccupied with ladybug, reaching for her earrings, Chat went for the broach.
By that time he had figured it out. Who else would have a hideout in his house, with his mother’s body.
But that didn’t lessen the shock. Seeing his father standing over the girl he loves. Seeing him covered in her blood.
This time, he did not hesitate.
He whispered “Cataclysm” under his breath. He leapt. His hand making contact with his fathers defenseless body.
Hawkmoth didn’t even have time to react before it was over.
Chat ran to hold his lady tears leaking. Her transformation about to wear off.
Beep. Beep.
Somehow this hurt worse than knowing ladybug was hurt.
Because it was Marinette.
It was her blood he was covered in. Not just his lady’s, but also his best friends.
His first real friend. Only now, when it was too late did he realize he wanted to be more than friends.
He looked up at Tikki and Plagg for help, his transformation must have run out between his tears.
Tikki looked, broken. Plagg looked hurt.
A silent shake of Plagg’s head was all he needed to break down.
The wish. He could make it. He had the ring and earrings.
He went to unclip them from Marinette’s ears, his lady’s ears.
Tikki stopped him.
“There will be a consequence.”
That did nothing to stop Adrien.
“She wouldn’t want this.”
She wouldn’t want to die either Adrien thought. But deep down he knew Tikki was right.
He left the earrings where they were. They were meant to be hers after all.
“We” Adrien choked out, “we should call someone.”
Plagg could only nod in agreement.
-
He sometimes wondered what had happened if he made the wish.
Would he have died in her place? Would Nino or Alya? Her parents?
What if they’re had been time? Would she have loved him back? That didn’t matter to him. He would give anything to get her back.
But she couldn’t come back. So he made his choice.
He was Chat Noir, she was Ladybug. Two halves of a whole. One can not survive without another.
As he starred at the city from the Eiffel Tower he took his final breath.
He jumped.
The only way he could guarantee he could see her again.
And he did.