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“Bye, bye little butterfly.” Ladybug said as she threw the wrench into the air. Quietly, she watched as it exploded into a thousand little butterflies before zooming out to repair the broken city of Paris. Taking a shaky breath, she nodded.
Today’s akuma had been a rough one: a child akumatized into a fire and acid breathing dragon because some kid in their class stole and ripped up their favorite dragon plushie. The dragon had ravaged the town, attempting to burn everything and everyone in it. Thankfully, she and her team had been able to keep most casualties to a minimum as the dragon roamed so only a few got caught in its fire. However, that still meant a few people would forever know what it felt like to burn and the team would know what it was like to see it in person.
The sight of people and buildings burning and the smell of burning flesh would forever stay with her for the rest of her life.
Ladybug wouldn’t wish that on her greatest enemy.
Not Hawk Moth.
Not even Lila.
The images still roamed her mind, flashing beneath her eyelids when she dared close her eyes. Even with the low number of casualties, the impact, the danger it posed to the entirety of Paris, it was impressive.
The city, now back to its normal state, still filled her lungs with the acrid smell of smoke that was no longer there. Ghosts of the formerly destroyed buildings filled her thoughts.
It was all back to normal, but why couldn't she feel it?
"Ladybug? Are you okay?"
Chat snapped her out of her thoughts. His hands on her shoulders, it would have been comforting any other day.
Now, the only thing she saw when she looked at him was the traces of burnt magical latex and his skin disintegrating before her eyes. Hear his agonizing screams bouncing off the buildings for seconds that lasted eternities.
It made her wonder why she remembered such a thing when Viperion was there to reset time. That’s when it hit her.
If this was the best outcome, then Viperion must have seen worse. Chat burning alive. Maybe even Ladybug herself burning alive.
It was too much. Too much to think about. Too much to handle and Ladybug felt something in her break.
A hand clutching her chest, she collapsed to her knees and fought to breathe normally as the panic overcame her.
How could she keep doing this? How could she continue fighting day in and day out when the akumas grew more dangerous. People were getting hurt- people she cared deeply about- and people would continue getting hurt if this kept on. Right now she was able to magic away most of the damage, but what happened when the day came when she couldn’t? When the day came that someone who died stayed dead?
Sobs began to break from her chest.
When would the day come when she was the first one to fall, leaving no one to figure out the mess she had been too weak to solve? Wouldn't it be better for her to give up her role now, before she couldn't do something that put many others at the stake?
She had been given a role. She had made a sacred promise. Chat, Tikki, the team and Paris, all of them trusted her for protection, protection she had failed to give them.
It had been years, and she still hadn't found out who was under the Moth's mask, or who was helping him.
She fought his akumas on a daily basis, true, but she hadn't even found a clue that could help her get closer to finding out Hawk Moth's identity. Years, and she was still as far as she had been on day one.
Her vision started numbing, her lungs fighting to get even a little more air.
She had to quit. She had to.
There was only so much she could do. So many lives she could risk before-
Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an even stronger hug.
“Shhh, Milady.” Chat breathed into her ear as he rocked her slowly. “It’s okay.”
She shook her head. “It’s not! It-It was horrible!”
Through her tears, she saw Viperion kneeling in front of her. “It was, but we made it through. We’re all okay. Everyone’s okay.”
“But for how long?! We’ve been at this for five years, Viperion! Chat! All of us have been working so hard and we haven’t gotten close to him! I’m a failure as a leader and I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” She sobbed over and over again. More arms surrounded her and she felt someone running their fingers through her hair.
Belatedly, she realized her earrings were beeping but she couldn’t shake the immense pain and grief she felt. So she just cried, even as her transformation fell and she was just Marinette Dupain-Cheng being comforted by Chat and Viperion on the roof of some random building in the middle of Paris.
Neither boy said a word about it. They just continued stroking her hair and whispering reassurances to her.
"You're not a failure. Never have been and never will."
"Time means nothing, as long as you get where you wanted to. Just as it doesn't matter if I have to use my Second Chance one or a hundred times if I get the best outcome."
"But I… I'm not even someone as special as you two must be!"
"You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I can't think of anyone more awesome than that", Chat replied.
"Do you know me?"
Both boys nodded and Chat grinned at her. “Would you like us to show you?”
Marinette hesitated for a long moment. Her reveal had been an accident, done under emotional distress and turmoil. If she agreed to let them reveal themselves, it would be on purpose and directly against what Fu had told them.
But she didn’t care.
“Yes.”
Chat wrapped an arm around her before gesturing at Viperion. “Snakes first.”
Without hesitating, Viperion stood. “Scales, rest.” Marinette already knew who he was, but it still amazed her to see Luka standing in front of her.
“Luka?”
“It’s me, Melody.” With a soft smile, he pulled her into his arms. “Your turn, Chat.”
The cat hero rubbed his hands together. “Yep. It’s finally time to let this cat out of the bag.”
Despite the whirling emotions within her, she felt a groan emerge from deep within her soul. Turning to Luka, she frowned. “Maybe we’re done for the day. I think I made a full recovery so I don’t need to know who this silly Chat is.”
He smirked. “It’s so weird to hear m'lady’s voice come from Marinette’s lips. Especially when you can hardly talk when I’m near you."
That was… suspiciously specific. Could he be..?
"Fine, you can detransform. But just because I want to see if I'm right", she said jokingly.
"As you desire, m'lady. Plagg, claws in."
Oh.
She launched herself into both boy's arms, allowing herself to close her eyes as she breathed in their scent.
For the first time since the akuma earlier that day, she saw nothing but the two boys she loved the most, holding her gently.
No destruction, no pain or fear.
Just them.