A/N: Thank you everyone for the kind reviews! I hope this chapter isn't too bad. :3

A Match Well Met

The setting was almost the same, but there was one difference.

Luka.

Marinette stared worriedly at her plate, it smelled delicious, but with the situation at hand her appetite was definitely gone. It seemed like Luka noticed it too, ever the perceptible guy he was, "You won't eat?" he frowned, the dark mask covering his face was foreign, it didn't look like the sweet boy she met.

The fact that Hawkmoth, for whatever reason, made him appear to look like a snake-themed akuma, it reminded her eerily of the snake Miraculous she had spotted in the box at Master Fu's, but it definitely didn't feel the same. It didn't offer her the same comfort and sense of security like the Miraculous did, instead, even if it was Luka, she felt alarmed, frightened even.

Luka's outfit was a dark green scaled suit, snake tails curled around his legs as part of his design, the snakes darker than the rest of his suit, his eyes were slightly more slit, like an actual serpent's and a tail extended down his back and reached his lower legs.

He looked intimidating to say the least.

The blue in his eyes appeared darker, almost green. They reminded her a bit of Chat's, at least the fact that the whites of his eyes were yellow, whereas Chat's were green.

But they weren't Chat Noir's eyes, not at all. Her kitty's were warm and mischievous, adventurous but always honest, always laced with a certain affection she denied herself to feel when in the suit.

Luka's – Ophio's – eyes were different, far different than Chat's, than Luka's original. They reminded her of a snake intent on harming, these eyes lacked the pure goodness Luka had.

It upset Marinette more than she would let on, "Luka…" Marinette took a calming breath, channelling her inner Ladybug, "Please, you have to fight Hawkmoth's control, you have to fight it until Chat Noir and Ladybug get here," she bit her lip, 'At least, until I get a chance to escape and transform,' she stared worriedly at the dock, which wasn't all that far away. She could swim, but she knew Luka would catch her before she reached the shore.

Luka shook his head, reaching for her hand on the table, "But Marinette, Hawkmoth doesn't seem to be as evil as we thought, he…" he paused, as if unsure whether to continue or not, "…he helped me, he understands me. I didn't want to fall under his control, but I was just so upset, not even music helped," he smiled wryly, bitterly, the look didn't suit him at all.

Marinette frowned, turning her hand to grab at his larger one, the scales beneath her fingertips feeling foreign, "But why? What happened?" she felt guilty, guilty for not noticing Luka's conflicting feelings sooner to stop him from being akumatized.

His grip on the tablecloth tightened beneath her hand and she felt the way his veins bulged, the serpentine eyes flashed eerily, "You were crying," he felt Marinette freeze, her hand stilling over his, "I saw you during break, I wanted to visit your class and go to lunch, but I saw you crying under the stairs, you…you were mumbling something about Adrien." His gaze was downcast, averted from her conflicted one, "Adrien's a good kid, but good or not, it was wrong of him to hurt you and not apologize," when Luka's eyes moved back to hers, she swore they were greener than before.

Marinette stood up, "No! You got it all wrong! It's not Adrien's fault at all!"

His figure stalked along the rooftops of Paris, the darkness of the night helping him blend in perfectly, safely out of eyesight from the akuma, giving him an opportunity for a surprise attack.

He watched their interaction with a frown, feeling the storm brewing in his heart grow when Marinette suddenly stood up from the chair.

She looked upset.

He noted Luka's straighter posture, the tense setting of his shoulders.

Chat Noir's ears drew back with a snarl, 'No wonder cats and snakes never saw eye to eye, they're slimy," he knew his comment seemed immature, but he couldn't help but think that when he saw the sleekness of Luka's akumatized suit.

Chat Noir extended his staff and quietly landed in-between two buildings, soundless bounding close to the long rows of metallic gates separating the water from the streets.

He was close enough to the ship to pick up on some of Marinette's words, "Adrien….upset…feelings…blame….anyone," his movements stuttered for a brief moment, shaking his head to focus back on the task at hand.

"Whatever it is, I can find out later, right now I need to get Marinette out of there," Chat Noir reached for his baton and tried calling Ladybug, but froze as if remembering something, before he clutched onto his weapon hard, "I forgot, this cat's going hunting solo tonight,"

Chat Noir could safely say that he didn't feel anger often, not as Adrien or Chat, but the hurt and conflicted look on Marinette's face did make him angry, angry at himself for allowing her to be in this situation again.

Wordlessly, Chat Noir extended his staff and jumped.

Despite her perceptiveness and heightened senses as Ladybug, Marinette failed to realize the shadow that suddenly froze on the ship when she said, "Adrien didn't do anything wrong, I was just upset because….because of my own feelings, I can't force people to feel the same way I do about them, and I don't blame him for that! You can't blame anyone for the way they feel!"

It seemed like an eternity passed, everything seemed still on the ship, that's when Luka – Ophio - suddenly stood up, the scaly staff-like weapon in his hand, reminiscent of a snake's body, gripped firmly in his hands.

His whole body was tingling, as if sensing approaching danger.

Ophio's eyes thinned into slits and he turned, sharply pivoting on his foot as he blocked the strike from the metallic baton, the harsh blow sending vibrations travelling all the way from his hands to his head as he took a step back.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Ophio hissed, eyes focused on the unwelcome guest standing in front of Marinette, far too closely, too comfortably.

Just then, a voice, distant but at the same time very present echoed in his head that was swarmed with darkness, "Ophio, get me Chat Noir's Miraculous before Ladybug shows up! He's defenceless without her!" the butterfly mask appeared over Ophio's face and the boy hissed in pain the pounding in his head caused.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," yellow serpentine eyes focused on the figure of Chat Noir and Marinette.

"No!" before he charged, Ophio stopped sharply, "I don't want to hurt him! He's only protecting Marinette! I have to fight it! I can't let Hawkmoth control me like this! Chat Noir, get her out of here!" the words were never spoken aloud, only bouncing around in his head, Luka's voice trying to reach his subconsciousness through the dark fog that Hawkmoth created.

He was unable to listen to himself.

His body wouldn't listen to him.

He charged.

Chat Noir barely had time to guard, quickly stepping back to grab Marinette and jump up higher on the wooden beams holding the ship's sails, claws digging into the wood as he climbed it up, setting Marinette inside the crow's nest.

He attempted to jump back down before Ophio came up, but Marinette grabbed at his belt.

An image of his lady appeared in his mind, but when he looked back, Marinette stood there with a worried expression on her face, "Chat Noir, get me to shore, we can't beat the enemy in his own territory," the fact that Luka, Ophio, could use the water around the ship to his advantage terrified her. She knew cats weren't fond of water and despite them swimming twice already in their aqua forms, she didn't want to find out what would happen to Chat Noir if he fell into water like this.

But Chat Noir only sent her a reassuring smile and a two fingered salute, "Don't worry princess, this cat has it in the bag!" he grinned and for a moment, chills ran down her spine at how carefree he tried to be in front of her despite the situation.

Fighting an akuma alone without Ladybug, fighting an akuma in his very own territory without Ladybug there to help him. Marinette being a liability, unable to help but a helpless target for Ophio, another burden for Chat Noir to protect.

He jumped down, his tail sliding from her grip and Marinette didn't want to think that more than just his belt slid from between her fingertips.

She had never viewed Chat Noir as her sidekick before, a nuisance at the beginning, yes, but she never thought of him any less than her equal. She knew he could hold his own against akumas, but this wasn't just any akuma.

This akuma was of Volpina's calibre, even more fearsome, she suspected. She remembered herself having trouble dealing with Volpina's illusions until Chat Noir came to her aid.

Marinette gripped the edge of the crow's nest tightly, "Tikki," her kwami immediately flew out of her purse, looking equally terrified and worried, "We have to transform,"

Tikki's worry grew, "But Marinette-"

"I know this isn't the safest spot to transform, but Chat Noir needs me, he can't fight Ophio on his own,"

Her kwami frowned, "It's not that Marinette, you can't transform because Ophio kidnapped you before I could recharge," bluebell eyes flew open in realization and she hastily searched around in her bag for any more cookies.

She found none.

"Oh no! What do we do! I can't just let Chat Noir deal with an akuma alone!" she glanced at her trusted kwami, a plan formulating in her mind, "Tikki, you have to do something for me but we have to be quick,"

The ancient kwami of creation looked concerned, but listened attentively to her charge.

He met Ophio half way, staff meeting staff in a brutal clash of force, both trying to push over the other, "What do you want with Marinette, huh?" Chat Noir glared down at Ophio, whose slit eyes narrowed in annoyance up at him.

He swung his snake staff to the right and Chat Noir went along with the movement, using the momentum to somersault back and land on his feet, body set in a defensive position, "I could asssk you the same Chat Noir," Ophio hissed, eyes scanning his stature, looking for a weakness.

Chat Noir did the same, trying to formulate a plan, "Without my lady, it will be difficult capturing the akuma, but until then I have to hold him off," Chat Noir looked up at the crow's nest, "I need to get her down and buy time," he remembered Marinette's words to go to shore, he also knew the reason why, he would need to at least knock out Ophio for that.

Chat smirked, gripping his staff tighter, "Ssssay do all snakes talk with a lisp or is that just the case with you?" he slowly circled him, Ophio following suit.

A smirk curled the snake's lips, "Who knew the hero had such a venomous tongue,"

The cat frowned, "Heh, mine's not as forked as yours though," he watched the movement of his feet carefully and smiled, "We're natural competitors, but let me show you how I'll viper that smirk off your face!" Chat launched himself forward, using his baton the same way he used his practice sword at fencing, using the same moves.

Ophio tripped, Chat Noir feeling the slightest sense of triumph bubbling in his chest as he tried delivering a blow, but Ophio slithered away too easily from under his feet, tripping Chat Noir with his staff.

However, the feline hero was quick, rolling on the floorboards and jumping to his feet, "Looks like we're evenly matched, hisser," Ophio's eyes widened.

"Didn't you ever hear to never hiss off a king cobra?" Ophio's eyes thinned into slits as he once again moved forward, staff in front of him.

Chat Noir spun his staff and did the same, running towards him, "That's my line," the two boys changed tactics.

Ophio struck Chat's legs while Chat managed a blow to his middle, both of them groaning in pain and falling to the floor.

"No! Ophio do not let yourself be beaten so lightly when Chat Noir is alone! Get me his Miraculous!" the poisonous words rang out in Ophio's head like a dark mist, clouding his senses briefly but sharpening the anger he had in his heart.

Chat Noir slowly stood up, rubbing at the dull ache in his legs, "Damn, that staff is more durable than it looks," he watched the way Ophio gripped his side, "Sorry Luka, Ladybug will fix everything after," he shook his head, slowly getting to his feet, "Ophio isn't too bad with the staff, but he doesn't know fencing techniques as well as I do, I can get the advantage," his eyes narrowed at his suit, looking for a ring or any other piece of jewellery, "Where is the akumatized object? He has to carry it somewhere,"

His eyes zeroed in on his earrings, but their color scheme remained, so they couldn't be it. He guessed it to be the staff, but it didn't seem like he drew power from it.

His gaze landed on the ring, but it also remained black and silver, not blending in with the rest of his outfit. Chat grew frustrated as he took on a fighting stance, "Where is it? I can't see it anywhere! If only Ladybug was here…"

Ophio also stood up, the annoyance in his eyes turning to hatred, the butterfly mask disappearing from his face, "You don't have to listen to Hawkmoth! Don't let him control you Luka, you're better than that! Whatever upset you can be solved, I'm sure of it!"

But Ophio shook his head, "Solved? As long as that boy is still as oblivious to Marinette's feelings and continues to hurt her like that, nothing can be solved,"

Chat paused, "…What?"

A boy? Oblivious to Marinette's feelings?

The words he heard from Marinette's speech resurfaced in his mind like building smoke.

"Anyone…"

"Blame…"

"Feelings…"

"Upset…"

"Adrien."

Chat Noir's eyes flew open in shock, "A…Adrien?"

Ophio nodded, the blue colored tips of hair appeared like real snakes for a moment, as if they were hissing at him angrily, "You're more perceptive than I thought, honestly, I'm alright with Marinette not returning my feelings, I would even rather want her to look at you than him, just because you would pick up on her emotions and…seem to understand her better," his voice grew sad at the end, it sounded like Luka broke through the control and guilt tore at Adrien's heart.

"I…did this? I caused Marinette pain? I never noticed she had…feelings for me. She was always stuttering and running away, until recently I thought she didn't even really like my company but…" he stared back up at Ophio, who looked like the fight left him, "Luka, I-"

"Marinette didn't deserve this you know," he hung his head, and for some reason, it unsettled Chat Noir to see someone look so heartbroken, "I know what I did was wrong and doesn't justify my actions, but I wanted to show Marinette that the person you like can appreciate and notice you. She deserves better,"

Chat Noir had to silently agree, she does.

He heard more than saw the staff, the whipping sound it made as it travelled through the air at high speed.

It was only thanks to his cat like reflexes that Chat Noir narrowly avoided a very painful collision with his head, slamming his own baton against it and sending Ophio's staff flying somewhere behind him.

Now weaponless, Chat moved in for the blow, but a sudden, unsettling cracking noise drew both of their attention.

The staff had shattered a large piece of wood from the overhanging beam, the one where Marinette was still in the crow's nest above.

Chat's blood ran cold when the beam started toppling over, his legs automatically moving, not even noticing Ophio's form moving beside him, both reaching out, hoping to still reach her in time.

"Move!" Chat Noir's leap was strong, but the previous blow to his legs made his usual jumps a bit less powerful, a bit less fast, speed was the only thing he needed now. Speed! Chat Noir's eyes widened when the beam was coming closer and closer to the end of the ship, towards open water, "Move….MOVE!"

The beam crashed, disrupting the ship's balance and tilting the weight forward, Chat Noir and Ophio both stumbling to the floor from the impact.

Splashes were heard, too many splashes, and beneath the thin cloud of dust, Chat Noir's eyes zeroed in on Marinette's form falling into the water, "NO!"

Thank you kindly for reading! :)