A shrill scream echoes across the cobbled street of the Parisian block. More screams join in a terrifying chorus, singing horrifying praise to the monstrous Akuma that slides along a slimy trail. The octopus-like monster is a putrid purple color, oozing slime onto everything it touches; it cackles and strikes people out of its path, leaving a wake of crumpled bodies.
Marinette is helping her parents out in their bakery when she hears the muffled shouts through the glass front door. Alarmed, she rushes out of the shop with her parents to investigate. The family frantically looks down the street; Tom and Sabine hold each other, scared, while Marinette scans the road with intense focus. She spots trails of smoke swirling into the sky a few blocks away. The girl immediately knows that Paris needs Ladybug. Marinette glances around to find a suitable place to slip out, but before she can move, her mother grabs her and starts to drag her inside.
"Marinette get away from the street! We have to get to safety!" Sabine urges.
Marinette, knowing she has to get away, quickly stutters, "B-but I think Alya was coming over from that direction, I have to make sure she's okay!" the daughter lies.
Marinette yanks her hand back from her mother and bolts down the street, Sabine naturally rushes after her. Hoping to lose her mother she can hear trailing her, Marinette rounds the corner, looking for an alley to duck into so she can transform. Instead, she barrels straight into a large figure with tentacle-like appendages, slime sticking to her cardigan as she pulls away.
Glowing red eyes peer down at her. One of the monster's arms moves to swipe at her.
Suddenly, Marinette is staring at the back of her mother; Sabine is immediately caught across the abdomen by the appendage. The world is in slow motion as Marinette hears the sickening crack of the arm making contact with the frail woman, sending her flying. An even more gruesome smack is heard as her body slams into the brick wall of the shop across the street.
The scene replays in her head, over and over. A deafening scream, so loud that Marinette cringes, echoes out and pierces her ears. Panicking, Marinette realizes it is her own voice. She rushes over to her mother, ghosting over her figure with her fingers.
"N-n-no, no, no, no, no," Marinette sobs. "T-this is my fault, M-Maman, Maman..." her voice was barely intelligible through the thick wails.
Marinette sits in shock, her world spiraling into blackness, crippling guilt gripping her.
I wasn't fast enough, I wasn't strong enough, I was so stupid….of course she would follow me. I should have just slipped out of my room, a-and now, and now she's de- I have to transform, I can fix this.
She shakily reaches down to where her purse normally is only to discover it is missing. Tikki!?...but it was just here! Where did it go? I can't fix this without Lucky Charm. I need Tikki!
All of a sudden, Marinette's terrified eyes are staring at her father, who is currently standing in the middle of the street.
Marinette, panicking, screams, "Papa, run!" just a second too late, for the monster shifts and lazily swats the large man away.
The pure strength of the monster sends the father's body colliding with a cafe's outdoor patio set, creating a loud, reverberating metal clash and a disgusting thump as her father goes limp. Marinette screams out again, this time for her father. With her mother's blood on her hands, Marinette, unsteady, stands up.
She appears next to her father and tries to wake him, gripping his shoulders and shaking him.
"P-Papa, I-Im sorry, Papa...p-pl-please wake up!" Marinette attempts to steady her voice. Tom doesn't move.
The Akuma's deep voice cackles again, his laughter thick with pleasure. Marinette turns to face the monster, trying to steel herself. She knew her parents, heck all of Paris, needed Ladybug, but for the first time in her life she doesn't have the strength to fight. Marinette feels like Ladybug's small, fading shadow on a cold winter's day.
The vulnerable girl's thoughts overwhelm her- her insecurities, her doubts- Papa...Maman...I-I can't do this… I can't lose you...I don't know where Tikki is, I can't lose anymore...I-I'm s-so sorry...She slumps to the ground.
Jagged metal from a broken chair digs into her shins, drawing blood. She doesn't feel the large wound appearing on her leg. She couldn't save her parents. She couldn't save Paris. She couldn't-
A soft hand gently grips her shoulder.
"Marinette…" a low, sultry voice whispers. The boy's voice is laced with worry, sadness, concern- Marinette glances up to see Chat Noir, looking down at her with kind, supportive eyes.
His voice wavers with forced strength, "I-It'll be alright Marinette. I'll take care of this pawful abomination, Ladybug will be here in a flick of a tail, and together we will fix everything."
He tries to smile at her, but instead of reassurance, his smile conveys fear. Despite seeing Chat face this monster alone and with uncertainty, Marinette felt a small comfort within her swirling anguish.
He needs help...but Ladybug...she can't...I can't...do the duty anymore...I'm pathetic, I'm not worthy. I'm supposed to protect…not kil-
Chat bounds towards the massive octopus creature, swirling his baton in front of him to knock the slew of flying tentacles out of the way. He weaves and bobs, avoiding each attack with relative grace, but not making it any closer to the monster. Sweat begins to drip down the leather mask and Marinette knows he can't keep this up for long. She watches from beside her father's body, eyes fixed on Chat. In the back of her mind, she knows she needs to find Tikki but she can't find her strength. She hugs her knees, sobs wracking her body once more.
Through the tears, she spots Alya across the street, crouching in an alley with her phone out. Of course she would have no regard for safety and obviously she would be recording the attack. Marinette's eyes widen, glancing at Alya, then at Chat, then back to Alya.
Before Marinette could register what happened, the Akuma is in front of the crouching girl. As if viewing the scene from above, Marinette looks down at Alya's terrified face smeared with horror, knowing all too well that her best friend is about to die. Marinette lifts her huge tentacle and slams it into the surprised girl.
The limb catches Alya on her head and tosses her at the back alley wall. The scene mirrors a thick baseball bat hitting a ball to the stands. Her head cracks against the stone, blood running down her face to cake against brunette hair. Marinette's raw voice shrieks out again; she falls to her knees.
"NO! No, Alya, no, t-this is all my fault, no...I can't - this is-" Marinette starts to hyperventilate between her blubbering, burying her head in her hands.
Chat's ears flatten against his blonde hair at the scene he just witnessed. His heart is immediately filled with utter despair at seeing one of his friends critically injured and the other so distraught, so scared, that he would never forget the sound of her screaming and weeping.
Emerald eyes swell as Adrien realizes the Akuma is streamlining for the distressed black-haired girl covered in blood in the middle of the street. His body moves automatically as he rushes past the towering monster. Chat quickly plans to pick up the feeble-looking girl, leap to safety, then try to contact Ladybug for backup.
Through the muffled noises the girl can't process, Marinette somehow hears the clack of boots against the cobble. She looks up to lock eyes with the most scared expression she has ever seen on Chat.
"Marinette!" he coarsely shouts, his own voice now saturated with fear.
Chat barrels into the girl, her head knocks on the street from the force. Though she avoids the monstrous swing from the Akuma, thanks to her kitty, Chat Noir however is right in the arm's destructive path.
The tentacle wraps around Chat Noir. Marinette can feel the tentacle squeezing the breath out of him, and she can hear the rasping gasp that escapes Chat's lips. He is flung into the side of a building. Part of the building collapses into a heap of rubble, the hero disappearing among the fallen stone.
Marinette's voice is raw and sore as she calls out, "Chat! No! Why, Chat why did you protect me, no!" She rushes over to the debris, searching for his body.
She finds a bloodied figure with broken bones, arms displayed in sickening directions, and she holds her kitty to her chest. Tears fall onto his face, only to mix with blood and dirt and streak down his unmoving chest.
The Akuma's body starts shifting into a black, dark shadow. The tentacles morph into four legs as the once rotund body lengthens.
The now large black cat stares down at the quivering girl with piercing green eyes.
He laughs, " Oh. Sweet, sweet Marinette. This is all your fault. You couldn't protect them. You put everyone you care about in danger. You're going to be the death of them. Who are you trying to kid? You're not strong enough, not as Marinette and not as Ladybug."
The shrill laughter rings in her ears as it resonates with her feelings. "I-I know it's all my fault...I-I tried, I tried to protect Paris, my family, my friends, the people I love...I'm just not strong enough...".
Tikki floats next to Marinette's ear. In a small, high-pitched voice, Tikki says, "He's right Marinette. I chose wrong for Ladybug. You're not good enough to be Ladybug. You're not strong enough to protect anyone, you can't even talk to your cru-"
Suddenly, Marinette's vision jerks. The world collapses in on itself- Tikki melts into the Akuma, creating a perturbing ladybug-spotted cat creature, her parent's bodies burned into the back of her eyelids...she is shaken awake.
Disoriented, the girl first feels the warm Parisian night on her clammy skin. Then, she smells fresh plants and flowers. Though her mind is still reeling, she slowly opens her eyes, which are caked with tears. The girl looks around her rooftop, and finally focuses on a familiar boy leaning over her, shaking her awake.
"Marinette! Marinette!" Chat Noir calls out, his voice wavering.
Marinette blinks up at him, confused, and he smiles down at her.
"Ch-Chat? What's going on? What are you doing here?" The girl asks, trying to piece together reality as the dream still haunts her thoughts.
Chat scans his eyes over Marinette, still worried.
"I was running around the rooftops when I heard a scream. I was investigating when I found you asleep. You were having a dream, well a nightmare I think...I didn't want to wake you, but then you were crying and screaming. I've been trying to wake you for 10 minutes..." his voice trailed off.
"Crying? Screaming?" She asks as she grips her head.
Chat Noir makes a small nod, then places his hand on her arm, trying to comfort her. She brings a hand to her cheek to feel her entire face soaked with sweat and tears.
Her voice cracks when she speaks. "I, oh, uhm...wow, sorry, that must have been scary for you to hear, ha ha...I'm alright, really. Sorry to bother you." Marinette forces a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
She is so embarrassed for disturbing one of Paris' heroes with a stupid dream. She moves to wipe her face off on her sleeve, but Chat reaches up and cups her cheeks, staring into her eyes.
The sight of his green eyes, looking so concerned for her, cause the nightmare to come rushing back. Her parents' dead bodies, her best friend's cracked head...Chat Noir's broken figure from giving up his life for stupid, pathetic Marinette... everything was her fault. She wasn't strong enough, she wasn't meant to be Ladybug...
Marinette unexpectedly feels a new wetness on her cheeks, falling from her face. She tries to turn away to hide her tears, but Chat Noir immediately wraps his arms around her, petting her hair and rubbing soothing circles on the fragile girl's back.
"Hey, shh shh shh. It's okay, you're okay," the hero's silvery voice tries to soothe. This brings more sobbing from the poor girl as she struggles to contain her insecurities and fears.
Chat doesn't press her for details. Instead, he just holds her until she can no longer cry. Hours pass as the sun sinks below the horizon, tucking in the warmth of the day into bed along with it.
Marinette felt weak, both mentally and physically. A dream shouldn't bother me this much, she thought, I know it's not real...I know I'm supposed to be Ladybug...right? I was chosen. This is stupid, and you're even bothering Chat with this! But even as she tried to rationalize it, the fears still crept their way into the cracks in her heart.
Exhausted, Marinette lets herself slip back into slumber in the comfort of Chat's arms. When she woke up in the morning, she was in her bed, tucked in.
And that was the night that Chat Noir noticed Marinette started to linger in his heart.