Chloé was panicking.
The shock of losing Lizzie had wore off, and everything that was happening had actually started to kick in. She still felt empty and soulless without the presence of her beloved bee Kwami, but now she could also see that her other friends were in danger too. Volpina looked a bit beaten and bruised from having all three villains gang up on her before Chat and Ladybug arrived, but despite that, there was a determined look on her face and she absolutely refused to stop fighting. Every once in a while she had to play her flute while fighting, mostly to keep the tornado going instead of using her powers against Miss Fortune.
Ladybug was fighting Blanc, looking very confused and hurt at times. She knew it wasn't her Kitty, but that didn't mean she liked fighting against him. Sure, it wasn't as bad as the Copycat incident, back then it had been the spitting image of Chat and she ended up not knowing who was who. But at the same time, Blanc was Adrien, which made it worse.
Chat, on the other hand...oh, Chloé felt bad for him. He got stuck with fighting Hawk Moth, his own father. And, judging from the way he was acting, he knew it. He was hesitating, only dodging attacks instead of throwing them. Hawk Moth seemed to realize that too, judging from the smirk on his face as he advanced on the hero, multiple butterflies surrounding him.
Chloé's attention shifted back to Volpina, her blood running cold to see her lying on the ground, Miss Fortune standing over her body with a smirk on her face and that insane glint in her red eyes. The villain kicked the flute behind her and crouched down next to Volpina, stroking her hair with her gloved fingers. "Such a shame," she sighed. "You're really pretty, you know?" She smiled as Volpina glared at her and tried to get up, only to be forced back down by Miss Fortune punching her in the gut. The villain's eyes flashed and she cracked her knuckles. "Oh well, can't say I won't enjoy this." She shrugged, pushing the black button on her yo-yo and smiling as the blades shot out of it.
The blonde knew this was a reckless action, but who knows how many times Volpina had saved her? She was only returning the favor.
Chloé slipped away from her hiding spot, making sure not to be spotted by anyone. Her friends would stop her, and the other three would try to kill her. Neither option sounded good at the moment. The mayor's daughter ran and tackled Miss Fortune, not noticing how close to the window they were standing. The villain got caught of guard by it, she automatically placed her hand on the girl's shoulders, dropping her weapon in the process. The large window shattered, glass shards exploding and flying across the whole room, if Hawk Moth hadn't sidestepped at the right time, he'd have been cut.
"Chloé!" Volpina yelled, eyes wide as she strained to get up. She cursed when her arms shook and her legs gave out, surely some of her bones had been broken; but that didn't mean she'd just give up. She had to save Chloé, she just had to.
Ladybug used the distraction to kick Blanc in the face, sending him flying back. She didn't say a word as she ran and followed suit, jumping out of the window after them. She was aware of Chat's calls for her, but at the moment, she ignored them. She soared down at top speed, fear pooling at the bottom of her stomach as she remembered the events similar to this one. When she and Chat fell, she was sure they'd die, and now, here she was, jumping out of that very same window to save two people- one of them being her evil counterpart who had tried to kill her multiple times.
The hero somehow caught up to them and grabbed Chloé's hand, swinging her yo-yo up and letting out a breath of relief when it hooked itself onto one of the glass shards still stuck in the windowsill. She glanced behind her, feeling a bit bitter when she saw Miss Fortune holding on to Chloé. Deep down, very deep down, a part of her had hoped that Miss Fortune wouldn't make it, because of all the things she did to sweet little Manon. But then again, despite her wishes, Ladybug knew she wouldn't have let the villain just die. She tugged on the toy once, the rope immediately pulling them up at top speed. As they reached the top, she was met face to face with Hawk Moth and Ladybug got a sudden sense of déjà vu.
Hawk Moth grinned, staring down at the three people hanging from the window. He hooked the end of his cane in the rope of the yo-yo, if he just tugged upwards a little the toy would unhook itself from the glass and they'd fall. He didn't have to worry about Chat or Volpina, the girl wasn't even able to move and he had trapped Chat with his Akumas, the villain was free to do as he pleased.
"Stop!"
Hawk Moth froze and shivers ran down Miss Fortune's spine.
Chat Blanc ran up towards his father, his yellow eyes frantic and a bit dull. "Mari doesn't have her yo-yo, if you drop them she'll die!" He hissed, and for once since Ladybug had met him, he showed some type of emotion. His eyes were on his father, occasionally slipping to meet Miss Fortune's, nothing but worry in them.
Hawk Moth rolled his eyes. "So?"
Blanc clenched his fists and Miss Fortune cast her eyes downwards. This wasn't really a surprise to her, she knew Hawk Moth would kill both of them if he needed to, although it still hurt to be betrayed like that. Her jaw clenched and her red eyes lit up with fire, if her 'boss' could do it, then why couldn't she?
She looked up, smiling sadly at Blanc. "Au revoir, mon chéri."
Before anyone could realize what she was doing, she reached inside her dress and pulled a blade-less yo-yo from her bra. It's rope wasn't as long as that of her other weapon, so it was only enough for two people. And judging from the determined look in her red eyes, she had already made her decision. She swung her yo-yo, once, twice, three times. The toy wrapped around Chloé and Ladybug and she tugged to make sure it was secure before swinging it one last time, smiling when it hooked around one of the glass shards far from Hawk Moth. Her eyes locked on Blanc one last time and he swore he could see a single tear running down from her left eye and onto her mask before she let go of the yo-yo, making Chloé and Ladybug shoot up and into the building.
Miss Fortune closed her eyes as she fell, the wind rushing past her ears. She could feel herself getting closer to the ground, but she wasn't prepared for the painful blow, followed by a loud snap as nearly every bone in her body broke the moment she hit the ground. The last sign she showed of living was a strangled gasp before her body went limp.
Hawk Moth was so surprised by the unexpected turn of events that he unintentionally let go of his control of the Akumas, giving Chat the room to move. He didn't use it though, he stood frozen, his mind not wanting to belief what just had happened.
"Truly unfortunate," Hawk Moth muttered, sounding a bit bored. He turned to the two teenage girls on the ground with a smirk on his face, his eyes flickering to the yellow eyed boy. "Son, get the remaining Miraculous," he ordered. "Avenge her death."
Blanc stayed mute, his shaky hands grabbing his weapon. He extended his staff a little, eyes looking lost and teary. His eyes shifted to Chloé and Ladybug, then to Volpina and finally they locked on Chat. The white-clad villain's grip on his staff tightened, claws almost digging in the material. He raised the weapon and threw it with lethal intentions.
...right at his father.
Blanc chuckled and cracked his neck. "Oh, her death will be avenged all right," he rolled his shoulders, his glare set on the man who 'raised' him. He opened his palm, sparks of electricity flickering in his hand before he lunged at Hawk Moth. And this time, Miss Fortune wasn't here to stop him.
As the two fought, Chat made his way to Volpina, pulling her up and dragging her out of the way before moving on to Ladybug and Chloé and cutting Miss Fortune's rope with his claws. The latter immediately headed towards Volpina while Ladybug and Chat stuck together, watching the scene with wide eyes.
Chat's green eyes scanned over Ladybug's body. "You okay?" He asked softly.
She shrugged. "Been worse."
Blanc tossed Hawk Moth to the ground and yanked the butterfly pendant from the man's collar before tossing it behind him at Ladybug, who caught it. "You do your thing," he instructed, cracking his knuckles. "And I'll do mine," his eyes narrowed as he stared at his father.
Ladybug and Chat glanced at each other before she smashed the pendant on the ground, shattering it into multiple tiny pieces. Hawk Moth's transformation wore of and he shifted back into Gabriel, making the blond hero inhale sharply, his father's eyes looked as cold as ever; even if he was being beaten mercilessly.
A black butterfly Kwami appeared, looking scared and angry at the same time.
"Trap it," Volpina instructed, leaning against the wall for support.
Ladybug glanced at the Kwami and back at her yo-yo, frowning. "No," she shook her head.
Chloé blinked. "If you don't, it'll just find a new host."
The masked hero shook her head again. "I won't," she repeated.
"My Lady-"
"This has been happening for millennia because you keep trapping the poor thing," she explained, determination in her blue eyes. "I'm pretty sure that if we trap him again he'll just escape in a few years and then the heroes from that timeline will have to do this all over again! Why didn't anyone try to cleanse him from evil instead of locking him up and making it worse?" She asked, her words making even Blanc stop from killing his father, just so he could listen.
Volpina and Chloé seemed a bit wary. "Coccinella, I don't think that'll work-"
"We have to try!" Ladybug insisted, cutting the fox-themed hero of.
Chat slipped his hand in hers, smiling when she looked at him in surprise. "She's right," he stated. "The least we can do is try," his eyes locked on Chloé. "Who knows, maybe we can get Lizzie back this way?"
Her light blue eyes seemed thoughtful, filling with hope at his words. Finally, she nodded in approval and smiled. Chloé turned to face Volpina, urging her to agree.
The Italian girl raised an eyebrow. "You're all agreeing to this?"
Chloé nodded and Chat smirked. "It isn't proper to deny a Princess, now is it?"
Ladybug rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, her face flushing a little.
Volpina sighed. "Fine."
Ladybug smiled and squeezed Chat's hand before letting go and walking towards the terrified looking Kwami, she opened her yo-yo. "You ready, Tikki?" She whispered, smile widening when she felt the ladybug Kwami agree. She swung the toy, trapping the Kwami inside, she waited a couple of seconds before letting go, surprised to see a yellow bee Kwami fly out first.
Chloé squealed and didn't hesitate to hug Lizzie close to her, tears in her eyes.
A few seconds passed, and slowly, another Kwami flew out. Ladybug smiled when she saw the butterfly Kwami, but instead of the black color he had before, his skin was now a bright pastel pink color, and he was smiling. He was soon followed by two Kwami's of different colors, a green turtle Kwami and a blue bird Kwami.
Volpina whistled. "Well, I wasn't actually expecting that to work."
"But it did," Blanc spoke up, his voice low and surprising everyone. His glowing yellow eyes were still focused on his father, a smirk on his face when he saw all the blood running down his face. "You guys better leave now," his eyes shifted to Chat. "Especially you, I don't think you want to see this, Adrien."
Chat blinked, it was weird, hearing himself talk to him, but the warning (advice?) was clear. Whether they tried to stop it or not, Gabriel Agreste's fate was set in stone; he would die, and his son would be the one to do it. The hero's green eyes went to the bleeding man for a second and he flinched when he found him already staring at him. "Son," he gasped out weakly. "Help me."
Blanc kicked him in the gut, glaring daggers at him. "Don't listen to him, you know it isn't your father, he's just playing tricks on you," he snarled.
"I..." Chat stopped as Ladybug grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Her blue eyes were locked on him and he kept his eyes on her, blocking out the sound of Gabriel calling for him. Blanc was right, he was just playing tricks.
The four heroes and three Kwami's climbed out of the window and onto the roof.
"Ladybug," Blanc called before she left, making her tense.
"Yes?"
"When you fix everything...wait until twelve PM tonight," he instructed, making her frown. Her blue eyes searched his emotionless yellow ones, but she was unable to read them. She couldn't find any motive and she was about to decline, but then she thought about how he just lost Miss Fortune, and from the way he was acting, it was clear he loved her, so she nodded and followed her friends.
When he was sure everyone was gone, Blanc glanced at the large clock in the corner of the room. Nine PM. He smirked, his eyes glowing. "Looks like we've got three hours to ourselves, father."
When the four heroes entered the mansion, both Volpina and Chat tensed up. The Italian girl's ears twitched (surprising everyone, they were sure her ears were fake) and she stood straight, her eyes narrowing before she burst through the doors. Crashes and screams could be heard, followed by Manon's terrified scream, which send Ladybug into action. Queen B and Chat glanced at each other before following.
They found Volpina, in the living room, pinning down Nino. Not The Bubbler, Nino.
"Volpina! Wait!" Chat called.
Ladybug walked in, carrying Manon in her arms. "Let him go, Volpina, it's safe."
Manon nodded her head. "Yeah! He saved me!"
At the child's words, Volpina jumped off the boy and brushed her clothes off. "Talk," she ordered coldly.
Nino pushed himself up, eyes warily set on the fox-themed hero. Queen B rolled her eyes and pushed Volpina out of the way to give him some breathing room before holding her hand out for him to take, ignoring the way Volpina stood in a corner with her arms crossed, grumbling to herself in Italian.
Manon jumped out of Ladybug's arms, her pigtails almost slapping her in the face from the small action. "He found me and brought me here! He stayed with me until you came back!"
"Why?" Chat questioned, arms crossed as he casually leaned against the wall. Don't get him wrong, he was more than thrilled that his best friend was here, but in this universe, you couldn't trust anyone.
Nino shrugged. "I left, after Fortune and Blanc killed Alya...I got out of there. I didn't want to stay with them anymore. They're horrible."
Ladybug bit her lip. "Miss Fortune's dead."
"Good riddance," he scoffed, adjusting his glasses.
"She and Chat Blanc saved us," Queen B muttered softly.
Nino blinked. "What?"
"Not important right now," Volpina cut in, glancing at the clock. "Coccinella, don't you need to do something right now?"
Her blue eyes shifted to the clock, nodding when she noticed it was already twelve. "Right," she climbed out of the window and stood on the rooftop, calling her Lucky Charm before tossing it into the air and watching as everything that had been destroyed started fixing itself. It didn't take long before everything had been turned back to normal.
She slipped back in, nearly getting the fright of her life when Volpina wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer. "Thank you, Marinette," she breathed. The girl was surprised, but returned the hug anyway. When they broke apart, she transformed, the other three heroes following suit. They didn't have to worry about Nino, the boy knew fully well what would happen if he told, besides, it's not like he actually wanted to tell.
Marinette took a deep breath before smiling at Nino. "Thanks for watching Manon."
"Eh," he shrugged. "No problem." He acted calm, but he was pretty sure everyone knew how uncomfortable he was with Adrien and Marinette in the room, thankfully, no one commented on it.
A sob could be heard, and everyone turned to see Chloé with tears running down her face and Lizzie looking worriedly at the girl.
"Are you okay, Honeybee?" Volpina asked carefully, stepping forward.
The blonde shook her head. "No," she sniffed. "They have no reason to stay anymore," she wiped the tears with the back of her hand, although more kept falling down her face.
The room went silent and Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other a bit uneasily. They hadn't thought about that at all. Now that this Paris was saved...they didn't have to stay, they had to go back to their world...which meant leaving behind their newly found friends. They were sure that once they went back, there were going to be a lot of this they needed to deal with. Surely everyone would have noticed Chat Noir and Ladybug disappearing for a month the same time Adrien and Marinette did, not to mention that Hawk Moth could make as many Akumas as he wanted seeing as they wouldn't be there to stop him.
Marinette looked at Manon, smiling softly when she saw the child's eyes droop and her stumbling to stay on her feet. She was tired. The black haired girl picked her up. "How about we deal with this tomorrow?" She suggested, looking down at Manon with a soft expression on her face. "After we've gotten some rest and got her home safely."
No one protested.
Marinette groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly, she glanced at the clock, groaning again when she saw it was three AM. The girl buried her face in her pillow, pulling her covers over her head to drown out the sound of the rapid knocking on her door. She'd kill the person who thought it was a good idea to wake her in the middle of the night.
Tikki rolled her eyes and nudged the girl. "Come on, Marinette, you should open the door. Maybe it's important."
The girl made a sound of protest before forcing herself out of bed and dragging her feet towards the door. She swung it open, surprised to see Adrien standing there. "Adrien?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes, too tired to realize how unattractive she was being in front of her crush. "Do you realize how late it is?"
He didn't answer, just stepped in and closed the door behind him before pulling her into a hug, causing her to jolt awake. She stood frozen, not quite knowing how to react.
"You've always been there for me, Marinette," he breathed softly, pulling her even closer. "Even if I didn't know it...thank you."
She frowned and pulled away from him, her eyes widening when she saw the pain in his. "Adrien, are you okay? What's wrong?!"
He smiled, although a bit weakly as he shook his head.
"Is this about your father?" She pressed, worry in her bright blue eyes.
He sighed and shrugged. "I expected many things from him, but this..." He trailed off and this time she was the one to wrap her arms around him.
"It'll be okay," she whispered, running her hands through his hair, all thoughts of sleep disappearing. "I promise."
"Even you can't promise that," he replied, voice soft.
She pulled away and winked. "Hey, I'm Lady Luck, you never know!"
Adrien chuckled and she frowned. "This isn't just about your father, is it?"
"You're too smart for your own good," he replied, chuckling. "But yeah, you're right."
"What is it?"
His green eyes lost focus for a second before they locked on her. "Even if you can't promise me it'll be okay...you can promise me something else."
She frowned. "What?"
"Promise you'll always stay with me."
Marinette blinked and stepped back, not having expected that question at all. Had he asked her this a month ago, she would've been so overjoyed she'd start jumping for the stars, but now...now it just worried her. "Adrien-"
"Blanc lost Fortune today," he explained, looking pained. "I...I can't imagine how he felt and...and I don't want that to happen to you." He admitted, face flushed.
Her blue eyes softened and she nodded, smiling. "Okay, I promise," she agreed. "Only if you promise to do the same."
His response was almost immediately. "I promise."
Marinette hesitated at first, but decided to do it anyway before her sudden confidence burst disappeared. She pulled him closer and leaned on her toes, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. "Sleep tight, Adrien." She breathed, pulling away.
He blinked, smiling when he saw her flushed face and feeling his own face heat up a little. "Sleep tight, Marinette," he answered, walking out the door.
Tikki flew up next to her, a smirk on her face. "You're making progress," she sang.
Marinette's face flushed even more. "Shut up."
Tikki smiled, using her powers to flick off the light.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST KILLED HER