Work Text:
"Oh, Marinette, Marinette..." She stepped out, clapping her hands with the confidence of knowing she was in control. "You were so close, weren't you?"
Marinette was looking at the ground because she didn't want to see that infuriating smirk appear on her face; besides, she was already struggling just to stay on her feet. Such intense pressure was bearing down on her ribcage that it felt as though her lungs were about to be pierced.
"This whole war could've ended; the chaos could've ceased... You could've so easily turned a small mistake of mine to your own advantage, you were about to." As Chrysalis’s calm tone merged with the voices in her head, Marinette felt as though she might lose her mind—and Chrysalis, sensing this, continued speaking with evident relish.
She took up her cane and planted it on the ground; leaning on it, she remarked flirtatiously, "Ladybug would have been so proud of you, wouldn't she? Imagine if this chaos had ended forever thanks to a heroic move on your part—following Gabriel Agreste's heroic sacrifice, for instance? Wouldn't that have been wonderful?"
She continued, tapping the glass part of her cane with her fingernails. "But what did you do, my little pathetic friend?" She gestured with one hand toward Chloe—who had simply slumped onto the ground about five meters away from Marinette—and said, "You chose her."
She giggled, "You chose your bully."
How she longed to get close to Marinette right then—to playfully toy with her hair, lift her chin to meet her gaze, and do everything to drive her crazy—yet she was smart enough not to approach her while wearing that brooch on her collar.
The mocking tone in her voice vanished instantly, replaced by a serious one: "I’m asking seriously, how much more selfless can you be?"
Marinette wanted to scream: "Just go in already. You won, so just go." but couldn't.
Her serious tone shifted back to a flirtatious one, and she said, "But it's alright, little butterfly... We love you just the way you are: that naive, pitiful, incorrigible person..."
She glanced at Marinette and smirked one last time, then turned to Chloe. She didn't hesitate to get close to her; she stepped right up to her but remained standing, and while Chloe looked at her, she didn't return the gaze.
"Congratulations, Chloe. The battle you’ve been waging for years has finally come to an end. You managed to shatter Marinette’s self-confidence and all just by existing here." She tilted her head down to look at Chloe, curious to see how she would react. "Marinette lost, you won. And the winner takes it all."
Chloe remained unresponsive; Chrysalis hadn't really expected that hollow mind to process what had happened so easily anyway. She turned toward the school exit; that was enough for today.
On a sudden impulse, she turned back and called out to Chloe. "And don't dwell too much on your mother using you as bait—that's what mothers do. In the end, thanks to her, you won; that's all that matters," she said, and vanished.
With Chrysalis gone, Marinette began walking toward the storage of the school directly across from her—right at eye level—that dark, cramped storage where she had spent countless hours over the years.
Chloe lifted her head and looked toward Marinette. "Dupain-Cheng?" but Marinette had already shut herself off.
Feeling a sharp ache in her elbow, Chloe pushed up her jacket sleeve to reveal a bruise; she had sustained the injury just seconds before Marinette caught up to her, and it was the only blow she had received.
So little time had passed between her mother bringing her to Paris and all these events unfolding that she was still struggling to make sense of it.
All she knew was that the Butterfly Miraculous had gone missing at the school, and a council her mother was involved with had decided to sacrifice her to prevent Marinette—who happened to be at the school by chance— from retrieving the Miraculous before they could.
Strange men dressed entirely in black and wielding swords, the fire, the aftermath of an ongoing akuma attack...
Chloe still had goosebumps. She knew the bruise wouldn't vanish even if Ladybug used her powers; it hadn't been caused by an akuma, but by the henchmen of the council her mother worked with.
As tears streamed down her face, she was startled by the sound of someone approaching from behind and turned around; she was sitting flat on the ground.
"Don't be afraid," said Chat Noir, gently.
"What do you want?" Chloe asked in a faint voice.
"We just noticed that things at the school hadn't quite returned to normal after the incident with Miraculous Ladybug; the extent of the destruction seemed odd, so we came to check on it," explained Rena Bug.
Marinette had found a few notebooks from the burnt room with some pages still legible amidst the charred remains; deciding to stay home to examine them, she had handed her Miraculous over to Alya. However, just as she stepped out onto her balcony—having noticed an Akuma attack—she saw a purple figure running toward the school. Unable to reach Alya, she had been forced to go and investigate the situation herself.
Chat Noir noticed the bruise on Chloe's arm and leaned down. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked.
Chloe shook her head.
Rena picked up the partially burnt jacket that had caught her eye on the ground. "Was there anyone else at the school?" asked Carapace, seeing what Rena is holding.
Rena had already realized whose jacket it was; she looked at Chloe in fear.
"Dupai- Marinette." Chloe looked at the storage unit anxiously and said, "She saved me."
Panic was written all over the faces of all three heroes. "Marinette?" Chat Noir was the first to speak up.
"Where is she?" asked Carapace.
Meanwhile, Rena crouched down in fear at the thought that something might have happened to Marinette.
Upon seeing their reaction, Chloe began to cry even more violently and said, "They lost the Butterfly Miraculous at school; Marinette was just about to retrieve it when they used me as bait—she lost the Miraculous while trying to protect me."
None of the three was concerned with that detail at the moment; unable to fight the growing fear within him any longer, Chat Noir shook the weeping girl and shouted, "Where is Marinette?"
"She locked herself in the place where I used to lock her up; she looked like she had no soul," Chloe cried out, simultaneously frightened by Chat Noir. "She said I won, but I didn't want to win like this—not like this," she continued to wail. She seemed to be having a breakdown.
Carapace grabbed hold of her and tried to calm her down.
At the same moment, Rena realized where Chloe was talking about; Marinette had mentioned it to her. She immediately ran toward the storage, with Chat Noir close behind.
"Use Cataclysm on the door," Rena said, after trying—and failing—to open it once.
Chat Noir shook his head no, trying to ignore the fact that his body had started to tremble. "What if she's right on the other side? I could hurt her."
Rena leaned desperately against the door and shouted, "Marinette... It's me, Rena. Chat Noir is here too. Open the door so we can talk."
But there was no answer.
As Chat Noir began to get really scared, he asked Rena, "Isn't there another way in?"
Rena shook her head. "I don't think so."
Chat Noir clasped his hands behind his head, stepped up to the door, and shouted, "Marinette, please. If you can hear me, open the door. Please."
When no direct answer came, Chat Noir winced and stepped back.
Rena immediately turned to Chat Noir with the thought that had just crossed her mind. "Tikki can open the door." She said "Spots off" and remained as Rena Rouge.
Chat Noir immediately turned to Tikki and said, "You need to open the door." Tikki nodded.
When the door opened, the first thing that caught their attention was that Marinette was sitting on the ground and her clothes were stained red.
Chat Noir immediately rushed forward; just as he reached out to take her hands and ask if she was alright, he saw that her hands were covered in cuts—with a few shards of glass still embedded in them.
"Marinette..." he whispered.
Upon seeing her hands, Rena involuntarily took a step back and covered her mouth with her hand.
Chat Noir continued, "Where does it hurt?"
Rena moved closer to them and tucked the hair that had fallen onto Marinette's face behind her ear; her face was deathly pale. At the same time, she quickly put Marinette's earrings back on. She could see how dangerous it was to be left without her being Ladybug.
Chat Noir didn't know how to hold her or where she was hurt, and the fact that Marinette wasn't responding made the situation even worse.
Unable to bear it any longer, he gently gathered her into his arms, turned to Rena, and said, "We're going to the hospital."
Rena nodded. When she turned around, she saw that Carapace and Chloe weren't there. They had gone straight to the hospital.
After entering the emergency room and handing Marinette over to the doctors, Rena Rouge turned to Chat Noir and said, "Let's not tell her family until we hear from the doctors."
Chat Noir nodded; he was in no state to argue anyway.
Forty-five minutes later, the doctor arrived and said, "There were cuts on the arms and legs, but the internal organs are undamaged, so the condition wasn't critical; stitches have been applied. The glass cuts on the hands weren't very deep either, though they still required stitches. It is a bit concerning that the patient wasn't interacting with us at all; she might still be in shock."
"We need to notify her family, but she didn't have an ID card; do you know who she is?" the doctor asked. Chat Noir was just about to speak when Rena cut in and said, "Unfortunately, no."
When Chat Noir turned to Rena with a puzzled look, she signaled him with her eyes and said, "How about we talk to her? Maybe she'll get in touch with us."
The doctor knew he could trust the heroes of Paris and given that they hadn't been able to reach the girl's family yet, the idea made sense. "Alright,"
They were by Marinette's side within seconds. She was wearing a hospital gown, and she was bandaged all over. Rena sat in the chair on the right, and Chat Noir in the one on the left. Marinette wouldn't make eye contact with them.
"Marinette, we are so worried about you; please talk to us," Rena said.
Chat Noir didn't know what to say; seeing the girl he loved in this state pained him deeply. He reached out toward her bandaged hand, took hold of it, and gently stroked it. "You're safe; I won't leave you alone," he said.
Marinette slowly pulled away; that rejection had left Chat Noir’s heart in tatters. He realized that the girl standing before him—the one he loved—was the very same person he had broken up with just yesterday.
He was furious with himself for the thought that had crossed his mind earlier: after wondering in the morning if Marinette was happy now, he had found himself hoping that she was upset, too.
Well done, Adrien; the girl you love is devastated and heartbroken. Are you happy now?
When Marinette murmured something, both of them snapped out of the emotional intensity of the moment and tried to understand her. "Marinette, can you say it again?" Rena asked.
"Take off the earrings," she repeated. Then, she suddenly lifted her head and looked at Rena. Her expression held something that resembled anger, but was more akin to sheer exasperation.
"What?" Rena asked. What was Marinette trying to do?
When her trembling hands failed to remove them, she cried out, "I don't want to be Ladybug anymore; take them off."
Chat Noir’s eyes went wide.
"Marinette, you're talking nonsense—what do you mean, 'Ladybug'?" Rena insisted, all the while trying to signal Marinette with her eyes.
As for Marinette, she was starting to get even angrier. "I'm telling you, I don't want to be Ladybug; there's no secret identity left—don't you understand me? It's over!"
As Marinette started clawing at her hair and face while trying to remove the earrings, Chat Noir lunged forward and held her hands. "Marinette, please calm down."
Marinette gave a bitter laugh. "You really wanted to find out who I was, didn't you, Kitty? Well, here—this is who I am; this is all there is to me."
"Marinette, enough! Pull yourself together," Rena shouted, realizing that Marinette wouldn't respond to polite words.
While still holding her by the wrists, Chat Noir turned to Rena Rouge and said, "Alya, you're not helping."
Marinette laughed "Unfortunately, Alya, I don't want to pull myself together. I don't want to spend even another five minutes with myself. I don't want to see you, either. Just take the earrings and go."
"We'll get Miraculous back, please don't do this. You and me against the world, remember?"
Marinette yanked her wrists free and pulled herself away, leaving Chat Noir stunned. "What do you mean, 'you and me,' cat? I’ve always been alone!" she shouted; the smile had vanished, replaced by an angry glare. "Not you, not Alya, not anyone else... Go ahead and fool yourselves—I’m fooling myself too, after all—but I’ve always been alone in this."
She turned to Rena and said, "The person who threatened to stop being friends with me just because I lied is the very same person who, when I entrusted her with the role of the team's secret member and scout, ran straight to her boyfriend with the news and lied to me by keeping it a secret."
She turned to Chat Noir. "As far as I know, there have been three times you gave up your Miraculous—are there any more, Chat Noir? Is this the kind of partners we are—running off every chance we get?"
She got out of bed and moved toward the opposite wall. "Don't get me wrong—you aren't to blame; I’m well aware that I’m the one at fault for everything. Just cut out this 'we’re always by your side' act."
Putting her anger aside, she hated herself all over again when she saw the two people before her with tear-filled eyes. She couldn't even manage not to hurt people she loved; everything she did was a mistake.
"I’ve broken up with Adrien, and I’m parting ways with you two as well. I’m giving up being a Guardian, I'll forget everything." she said, believing it was the right thing to do.
She stepped closer to Chat Noir and took his hand in her bandaged ones. "I loved you so much. I wish we had met as our civilian selves and become friends, but things turned out this way—we met in the midst of this hideous chaos."
Chat Noir was frozen in place. Rena, however, still had plenty to say. "Isn't all this because of Chloe?" she blurted out.
Marinette let go of Chat Noir's hands and turned to face her.
"You're angry with yourself for choosing her; you're angry with yourself for constantly putting people who hurt you before yourself—and now, because you're angry with yourself, you want to lose us." Rena walked angrily toward Marinette. "You can't handle a second case after Gabriel Agreste, can you?"
Upon hearing Gabriel's name, Marinette—who hadn't shed a single tear all day until that moment—burst into tears. She clutched her chest as her breathing became ragged. Fearing she might collapse, Chat Noir immediately grabbed her by the waist.
Then, he turned angrily toward Rena. "Is this how you help her? Did you think you were protecting her by blaming her all this time?" he shouted.
Marinette was having a panic attack; struggling for breath, she pleaded with Chat Noir, "G-Get me out of... here."
He immediately picked her up. "Okay, okay, my love, we're leaving here." They left through the open window.
When Marinette made sounds as if struggling to breathe, Chat Noir grew worried; he stopped on the nearest rooftop and sank to the ground, still holding her in his arms.
He cupped her chin with one hand and gently guided her gaze to his. "Marinette... Marinette, look at my eyes."
She managed to look up at him. "You're safe; I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Marinette nodded, and as her breathing steadied, she rested her head against his. Their breaths mingled.
After catching their breath like that for a few minutes, Marinette lifted her head and said, "I'm sorry."
Chat Noir gave a sad, wry smile. "For what, M'lady?"
Marinette broke eye contact and began looking down at her hands. "What I said wasn't nice."
"It wasn't nice, but it wasn't wrong, either. Don't think about that now. Do you want to go back to the hospital? Maybe there are still things to be done—"
"I'm fine, Chat Noir. I just want to be alone."
"I can't leave you alone, Marinette; you've already been alone for so long," Chat Noir said as he gently stroked her hair.
As her eyes began to well up again, Marinette looked at Chat Noir and said, "I wasn't serious when I said I was lonely."
Chat Noir hugged her gently and said, "Of course you weren't," not wanting to argue the point.
He whispered into her ear, "But I am very lonely..." He ended the hug and looked on with a smile. "Perhaps we are the cure for each other's loneliness."
"The only cure might be losing my memory, cat. It's so heavy, I can't take it anymore."
Chat Noir listened, waited a moment, and then spoke. "Let's try to see if I can take some of the weight off your back; if it doesn't work, you're free to do as you please. Could you hold on a little longer, for my sake?" he said softly.
Marinette nodded through her tears. Chat Noir smiled warmly at her and wiped away her tears. "Thank you."
Marinette smiled, however faintly, and rested her head against Chat Noir's chest to listen to his heartbeat. Chat Noir let out a deep sigh.
How could he have been so blind? How had he failed to notice Marinette's feelings? But come what may, he would help her now—and he was ready to do whatever it took.
"Would it be a problem for you to go home? Your family will be very worried when they see you like this," Chat Noir asked, voicing what had been on his mind for a while.
"They already know I'm Ladybug," Marinette began, her head still resting against Chat Noir's chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but a few days ago, someone disguised himself as my uncle to try and test whether I was Ladybug; when my family found out my uncle was actually in Shanghai, they got scared, and I had to explain why a stranger had entered our home. I felt like I had to share that information so they would be more careful."
Chat Noir was horrified; he hadn't imagined things had become so serious. He could now understand why Marinette had been so tense over the past few days and why she had sent him a breakup message yesterday. She must have wanted to protect Adrien.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through this, M'lady," was all he could say.
Marinette lifted her head and looked at Chat Noir. "You can tell your family too, if you want."
Adrien smiled wistfully; he couldn't very well say that his only family was right there in front of him—Marinette wasn't in a state to handle any more revelations. He would help her as Chat Noir for now.
"Yeah, maybe," he said. "In that case, let me get you back to your family."
Marinette smiled and held onto Chat Noir a little tighter.
As they moved along, Chat Noir chuckled and said, "I see you aren't scared anymore, you little faker." Whenever he carried Marinette, she would act as if she were frightened at first, only to 'get used to it' later. Then again, the dynamic between Ladybug and Adrien was just the same, which was honestly pretty funny.
Discovering that his partner—his first love—and his girlfriend were the same person—realizing that his partner's boyfriend was actually him—would normally have been enough to make him laugh for hours; who knows, maybe Marinette would get the chance to laugh for hours when she found out.
When Marinette entered the bakery in her hospital gown, bandaged all over and cradled in Chat Noir's arms, her mother was the first to see her; she cried out "Marinette!" and rushed to their side.
Hearing Sabine's voice, Tom had quickly rushed over.
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine—just a few minor cuts," Marinette explained, though Tom had already burst into tears.
"What happened to my little girl?"
"I'll tell you everything, but could I rest a bit first?" Marinette asked; Sabine kissed Marinette's bandaged hands and turned to Chat Noir.
"Thank you for bringing her back, Chat Noir."
Chat Noir smiled and said, "It's my job."
He was surprised and looked at her when Marinette added, "As my partner. He knows now."
Tom and Sabine looked at each other and nodded.
"You two go on upstairs, then," Sabine said with a smile.
As Chat Noir started up the stairs, Tom’s voice rang out: "That’s it! It’s over—it’s forbidden!"
Chat Noir turned to Marinette anxiously. "What do we do now? Your dad is really mad."
Marinette laughed. "What’s the matter? Scared, Kitty?"
"Of course I’m scared."
When they reached the apartment door, they both realized they didn't have the key. "Tikki, can you open this door too?" Chat Noir asked sheepishly.
But Tikki just smiled and took care of it right away.
"To your room?" Chat Noir asked, and Marinette nodded.
Once upstairs, he set her down in the seating area by the window and sat on the chair. "Was I the only one who heard your dad say 'forbidden'? You’re so calm about this," Chat Noir said, still worried.
"What do you think happened when I first got interested in sewing and accidentally sewed my finger?" Marinette asked with a laugh, then answered her own question: "He shouted at my mom, saying, 'I’m going to smash this sewing machine to bits; she needs to dream up a different hobby,' and so on."
Chat Noir relaxed and chimed in, "But you’re still sewing."
"Exactly." Marinette noticed her phone lying nearby. She must have tossed it aside after trying—and failing—to reach Alya before running to school; she hadn't even realized she’d left it behind. She picked it up and continued talking while checking her messages. "Besides, what does it matter if he forbids it? I’m a Guardian, and my partner is dead set on making sure I don't escape this torture."
Chat Noir pouted. "You know perfectly well that I want you to be happy more than anything." Marinette sighed as she looked at the last messages Adrien had sent her and murmured, "I know."
She rested her head against the wall and turned back to look at Chat Noir. "You know, I broke up with my boyfriend," she said. Then, she grimaced and added, "It feels like everything piled up all at once—though, in a way, it feels like everything has been piling up for a long time."
Chat Noir got up from the chair and sat down beside her. He held her hands. "If you regret breaking up with Adrien, message him; I’m sure he’ll understand. You are the only person in this world who deserves the most care and consideration."
Marinette's eyes widened. It wasn't true; she was a liar. She was an idiot—she had only one job, to retrieve the Butterfly Miraculous, and she just couldn't seem to do it. Adrien deserved someone better than her.
"Adrien will be happier without me—the others, too, and even you."
Chat Noir was just about to open his mouth to object when Marinette covered it with her bandaged hand and continued. "You don't know what I've done or what I've turned a blind eye to, Chat Noir. It’s been a long time since I abandoned the side of the light and Adrien was always a spark in the dark. I cannot plunge Adrien back into the darkness he has just escaped from, simply by virtue of my presence."
Chat Noir gently moved Marinette's hand away from his mouth and placed it against his cheek, resting his own hand over hers to keep her from pulling it away. "What do you mean by Adrien escaping the darkness? Do you mean Gabriel Agreste?" he asked curiously.
Marinette nodded, her eyes welling up again. She broke eye contact with Chat Noir and looked down at her knees. "You know, Gabriel Agreste was my idol—I mean, for as long as I can remember," she began, and Chat Noir realized this was something he deep down knew and something they had never actually discussed. Marinette gave a small, soft laugh. "In fact, when I first saw Adrien on the first day of school, I didn't recognize him; Alya was the one who told me he was Gabriel Agreste's son."
Marinette pulled her hands away, and Chat Noir didn't object. "After I met Adrien, he became the center of my life—and that’s not something that’s going to change—but his entry into my life killed off my idol. I realized what kind of person Gabriel Agreste really was: controlling, unloving, and indifferent." Marinette stood up and turned to Chat Noir. "And you know what? When I went to talk to him—hoping he’d let Adrien and me be together—he told me that fashion isn't what I thought it was; he said it’s just an illusion of giving people a choice, when in reality, there is no choice. I was so disappointed; at the time, I couldn't tell if he was doing it just to upset me or if he genuinely believed that. But now I know: for Gabriel Agreste, the only person with the power to make a choice is himself. And you know what? He proved that to me."
"Did he make you do something?" Chat Noir asked, trying to rein in the anger rising within him.
Marinette stood up and stepped away from Chat Noir. "If I tell you, I’ll lose you just like I lost Adrien," she said.
"You didn't lose him and you won't lose me, we both are here for you." Chat Noir said but she didn't even seem to believe it.
She opened one of her cabinets and took out the Miraculous box. Holding it in her hands, she looked at Chat Noir and said, "I really don't have any strength left, Chat Noir. I know it's very selfish, but I can't live knowing you hate me and understanding the reason why; I need to forget."
Chat Noir immediately lunged toward Marinette in a panic and said, "But we were supposed to try. I know you'll be able to carry it once the load is evenly distributed; I can't lose you that easily—please."
As the Miraculous box was roughly snatched from Marinette's hands, she—already weakened—stumbled forward and fell to the ground. Chat Noir immediately tossed the Miraculous box aside and knelt beside her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Ignoring the pain all over her body, Marinette turned to Chat Noir and said, "I'm fine, Chaton."
Chat Noir didn't know what to think or do; the moment Marinette was left alone, she would bring about their end, and he didn't know how to convince her otherwise. Then, his eyes lit up with an idea, and he began to speak. "So, you aren't angry with yourself for choosing to save Chloe? Aren't you going to try to fix your mistake?"
He had said this knowing it aligned with Marinette's mindset, yet he felt a pang of guilt; Marinette didn't deserve to feel the way those words implied.
Contrary to what Chat Noir expected, Marinette smiled and took his hand. "I understand what you're trying to do, Cat, but I don't fully regret saving Chloe, deep down I'm still angry at myself but I had to do it."
Chat Noir was surprised; after all, wasn't the reason for all the tension they’d experienced over the past few hours her anger at her own choice?
Marinette continued, as if reading Chat Noir's mind. "Yes, Chloe didn't deserve that sacrifice; yes, I have no hope for her because she has none for herself; and yes, she made my life miserable by bullying me for years—but there is one thing I am so grateful to her for that saving her was essential."
Marinette pulled her hands toward herself, almost as if hugging herself. She spoke with shining eyes: "If I hadn't been in the same class as her—if she hadn't stubbornly arranged to be in my class just so she could bully me—I wouldn't have met Adrien."
Then, she stood up and extended her hand to help Chat Noir up, adding, "And the truth that I fell for their trap over and over again is nothing because Adrien is everything."
Chat Noir took the hand extended to him—not for support to stand up, but simply to hold onto Marinette. He stood up without applying any pressure on her. He wore a look of enchantment.
"Plagg, claws in," he said without warning.
As the green lights faded, he chuckled at the shocked expression on the face of the love of his life.
He gently grasped her waist and pulled her close; as their breaths mingled, he whispered, "And the lies that my father forced you to tell is nothing, because you are everything."
As their lips met, it was as if all their worries washed away and the storms raging within them calmed, for they had truly become partners for the first time.
Lies would be shared and truths shouted out, but now... it is truly them against the world.