till death do us part
Chat Noir struggled against the bonds that held his hands together, the desperate rasping of his breath banging in his ears. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the bandana tied over his eyes.
"Mari!"
Chat heard a stifled gasp, and then a groan following a loud thump.
"Marinette!"
"I'm... here..."
He let out a quick breath of relief.
"Can you untie your bonds? I tried mine, but I can't reach them. Maybe yours are loose? Have you-"
"Chat."
"Have you tried yet? There must be some way to-"
"Chat!"
He stopped, feeling more words press against the creases of his mouth, and swallowed against them.
"We're not getting out of here."
No.
Chat sat in silence, unsure of how to respond, when he heard a quiet sob come from Marinette's direction, and pressed against the lump rising in his own throat.
"I can't believe it," she murmured, each word dragging out of her, "That you and Ladybug have come so far in the past five years, and yet she failed."
I'm failing.
Guilt wracked his body, and he bit back a cry of anguish. It's all my fault.
"At least I'll see my parents again. Hawkmoth took them from me- they died in the fire he spread a few days ago."
Marinette let out another choked sob.
"I heard that Ladybug gave her Miraculous to save them, but she was too late. Just like she's too late to save you."
Chat winced when he heard her let out the softest whimper.
Rising to his knees, he scooted across the floor to Marinette, and rested his head against her shoulder. Hesitantly, she leaned into his touch.
"The only thing that I regret," Chat murmured, "Is that I never told Ladybug that I loved her."
He felt Marinette stiffen.
"I still love her. With every breath I breathe, I love her. Every part of me is consumed with my devotion to her. She is the light in my world, and she saved me from myself. I would trade my life for hers, but I don't know if she'd do the same."
Marinette was silent for a moment, then whispered, "She would."
Chat felt his lips curling upwards, and let out a soft sigh of contentment.
"I wish I could have told someone I love him," Marinette said after a moment, pausing thoughtfully. "We're friends, but I haven't seen him in a month, with all the attacks going on. You probably know him. He's kind of famous."
With a sudden burst of hope, Chat Noir hummed, "When we escape Hawkmoth's lair, I promise to take you to this man."
"If he's still alive," she muttered.
"Of course he-"
Chat was interrupted with a loud clang, and footsteps echoed inside the large cavern. Suddenly Chat doubled in pain when a staff hit his gut with a crack, and the pain worsened when he heard Marinette's wail of agony. Before he could crawl to the sound, bony fingers dug into his shoulders, tearing at his flesh as they dragged him backwards.
Forced to his feet, Chat was slammed against a wall. He struggled with the bonds tying his hands together, and kicked furiously at his attacker.
The person snickered, and growled, "I wouldn't try that, Kitty."
With a jolt, Chat recognized the voice. "Nino?!" At the same time, he heard Marinette gasp Alya's name from across the room.
"It's the Bubbler," his friend spat, and removed the blindfold over Chat's eyes.
At once he locked gazes with Marinette, shocked as his eyes traveled slowly over her body. Blackened bruises dotted her face, and a trail blood leaked out of her nose, mixing with the tears that stained her cheeks. One of her arms was twisted at an awkward angle, and his rage grew as he took in the grotesque cut running down her leg, oozing blood each time she pulled in a ragged breath.
Chat saw equal disgust mirrored in her eyes as she took in his own injuries, and for the first time he was aware of the stinging of his cuts and bruises.
Suddenly, the sound of a metal door slamming open caught broke the silence, and a voice rasped from the shadows, "You're here at last, Ladybug and Chat Noir."
The superhero writhed against the Bubbler, barely restraining his fury at the man. "Ladybug is GONE because of you!"
Hawkmoth stepped out of the darkness, grinning as he held up two earrings.
"I may have won Ladybug's miraculous, but she's closer than you think."
The villain smirked at Chat's bewildered expression, and crossed the floor to Marinette's side, motioning for Alya- no, Lady Wifi- to move away. He grabbed Marinette's chin roughly in his hand, forcing her look at him.
"Isn't that right, Ladybug? Care to tell Chat who you really are?"
Huh?
Marinette is Ladybug?
Suddenly everything began to click into place. The random absences during school, slipping away in silence during gatherings, and even the time when Ladybug told him to protect Marinette from the Evillustrator.
Marinette's eyes slid warily over to him, and Chat felt joy bubbling up inside him as he realized it was her.
"Marinette? You're Ladybug?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was afraid that you'd be disappointed, and-"
"Marinette, I'm glad it was you."
She shot him a quick smile, then gasped as Hawkmoth slammed her head against the wall, teeth bared in anger.
"Honestly Chat," Hawkmoth growled as Chat struggled against the ropes tying his hands together, "I thought you'd be mad that she didn't tell you."
"If that was your plan, Hawkmoth, it was really stupid. I'd never be angry at her."
Hawkmoth rolled his eyes, and waved at Lady Wifi and the Bubbler, who left their posts beside Chat and Marinette and joined him on the far side of the room, backs facing the superheroes.
As soon as they turned away, Marinette slowly reached her hands up to her hair, pulling out a tiny pin. She twisted her hands around, and stuck the pin into the lock holding her hands together. After fiddling with it for a minute, she clicked it open, and gently set the lock on the ground.
Chat smirked as Marinette ran lightly across the ground to him, whispering, "I thought you said you couldn't get out."
"Hawkmoth was listening through the wall, and he would have separated us if he knew I could escape."
"I knew I could trust you, bugaboo."
For the first time in a while, she let a smile escape at the nickname, and continued trying to untie the knots holding Chat.
"This part is stuck," she murmured, nudging a huge tangle. "We've got to hurry before they finish. Do you think you can reach-"
She broke off as a bang reverberated around the room, ringing in Chat's ears. He peered passed her, startled at the sight of Hawkmoth holding a gun, smoke rising up from the lip.
"You missed," Chat started, only to turn as Marinette gasped.
Eyes wide, she breathed in short convulsions, and Chat stared a blood began to seep between her fingers.
The gun exploded.
Marinette's head exploded in agony as a bullet ripped through her body a second time. Crying out in anguish, she began to drop to the ground, barely registering when Chat caught her, gently lowering her to the floor as he frantically screamed her name.
Marinette moaned in response, pressing her hand against her wounds as she tried to soothe the pain. She peered up at Chat through a haze, coughing as blood began to bubble in the back of her throat.
Chat whipped away from Marinette, shouting, "What have you done?!"
Hawkmoth shrugged. "Now I have leverage."
"Leverage? For what?!"
"Your miraculous."
Marinette felt panic rising inside her at the implications, and opened her mouth to warn Chat, but all that came out was a gurgling cry.
"If you give me what I desire, I'll allow you to leave and take your dearest to the hospital. If not, well," Hawkmoth sneered, "she dies."
His statement was confirmed as she cried out, a spasm ran down the length of her body.
Marinette stiffened when Chat's face hardened, and she strained to reach out and grasp his hand.
"Chat," she choked out, "Don't do it. Not... not for me."
His eyes filled with tears, and he bent down, squeezing her hand.
"Marinette, I love you."
He pressed his lips against her knuckles, and she swallowed on the lump in her throat.
He stood up, and Marinette reached for him again as he limped toward Hawkmoth. "Don't trust him, Chat! He won't let you leave!"
The superhero ignored her, and stopping a few feet away, stood firm.
"I accept your offer. Take my Miraculous, and Marinette lives."
"Of course," Hawkmoth purred, pacing to stand in front of Chat.
As he began to slide the ring miraculous off, Hawkmoth reached behind his back. Chat started to detransform, and with a jolt, Hawkmoth produced a silver blade in his hands.
Suddenly Chat cried out, and Marinette screamed in horror when she saw the sword protruding from his backside, crimson blood already staining the wound.
"NO!"
"Sorry Chat," Hawkmoth snarled. "I know that even without your Miraculous, you'll still come to kill me. So I can't let you leave-"
Hawkmoth ended with a gasp as the boy fell off the sword, blond hair caked with his own blood.
He dropped beside her, breath coming in short gasps, and Marinette dragged herself over to him, ignoring the blood gushing out of her bullet wounds, and grasped his face.
"Chat?! Chat! Are you-" she stopped with a sharp intake of breath as he opened his eyes.
"Adrien?"
He smiled, and Marinette whimpered at the sight of blood running in the back of his mouth.
"It's me," he whispered, and Marinette felt her eyes water as his filled with love.
"It's you." Her voice cracked as she forced a weak smile.
"I'm... so sorry, Mari," he breathed. "I could have saved you, and now we're both dying."
Marinette released the tears flooding her eyes, tasting the salt mix with the blood on her lips.
"I'm sorry I failed you. Hell, I'm even sorry that I can't tell the boy you love about your affections. I-" he broke off, coughing, droplets of blood spraying the floor between them.
"Adrien, it was you."
His coughing subsided, and he watched with a dazed expression as she continued.
"I love you. As Adrien or Chat Noir, I love you-" she began to splutter as the blood rising in her throat finally reached her lips, and sank to the ground beside him.
He grabbed her hand, and placed the other on her heart until she stopped hacking. She in turn rested hers on his chest, and tangled her other hand in his hair.
Marinette felt herself growing weaker, struggling with each breath, lungs about to collapse, and peered through the blinding pain at Adrien.
"I'll never see you again."
"Of course you will," he gasped. "I will always... find... you."
The lovers closed their eyes.
"I love you," they murmured.
Their breathing stopped altogether.
"Nuru, detransform me."
Hawkmoth choked as the kwami released its power, once again reverting to Gabriel Agreste, and shuffled toward the body of his son.
With a cry, he fell to his knees, and shook Adrien as if to wake him.
"I'm sorry, Adrien. I'm sorry for neglecting you for the past few years. I'm sorry for rejecting you, and leaving you to raise yourself. I'm... I'm sorry for killing you."
The boy gave no response, and Gabriel began to sob, long, drawn-out howls echoing across the cavern.
"I made you a promise years ago- that it would all be over soon.
And it is. I'll be better, son.
I promise."
dang. that was hard to write.
jUST SAYING I LOVE CHAT NOIR AND MARI OKAY OKAY
-eradrin
DISCLAIMER: I don't own ML or the characters, just this idea.
I also posted this on wattpad.
