May I present to you chapter 10 of Chat Burlar! Thank you all so much for sticking with me thus far! And again, thank you to the lovely PerditaAlottachocolate for encouraging me and making sure Chat did her thing! (she is actually so sweet, you should check her stuff out. 3)

Thanks also to TheDancingPrincess for proofreading it! Sadly for some reason my spell checker isn't working properly, so I had to proofread a million times. Plus my 'A' key doesn't work unless you smack it really hard, so that's been a little bit of an issue too. But, even throught all this time and trubulation, I hve managed to complete it! I walked through the valley of the shadow of death to get this to you!

So, haha, please enjoy! :)

Theo didn't know what he expected to see. He certainly didn't expect to see this scene played out before him though. He peered through the small gap in the curtins and frowned again. This wasn't anything he had ever expected.

He was looking down into a brightly lit office space. A tall man wearing a purle coloured suit was yelling at the girl who had led him to this place. She was indeed Chat Noir, and he could see from her body language that she was speaking to one who had a position above her. His eyebrows shot up at the man reached across the desk that seperated the two and slapped the girl across the cheek. His mind flew a million kilometres an hour. Who is this man? Is this the 'Hawkmoth' fellow Vanisher was talking about?

A young girl who called herself The Vanisher had been captured about six months ago while she was robbing a jewery store. She had accidentally revealed some information about some of the most famous criminals in France before she had mysteriously disappeared from her cell, in keeping with her name. She had said something about many criminals in Paris working for this man called Hawkmoth, and now it seems she was telling the truth. There was no way Chat Noir would let herself get beat up like this unless she owed something to this guy. He watched as the man's mouth opened an closer furiously, obviously screaming abuse at the young girl as his hand relentlessly struck her.

Theo frowned. This wasn't right. Everything they had ever discovered about Chat Noir was irrelevant now. This called for backup and probably child support. From the looks of things, this was far more complex than they had ever thought.

Quietly he slipped way to notify his squad.

"YOU'RE USELESS! I TRAIN YOU FOR YEARS AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE I TRUSTED AND YOU HAVE FAILED!"

Chat flinched as another blow glanced off her face. She slumped back, taking a half step away. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't think. Her senses were dulling. She was just so tired. So tired. Looking up at Hawkmoth, she studied the lines of his face, taking in the way his mouth looked as it moved up and down. He looked kind of silly. Another blow pushed her back and she stumbled back into the door.

Her head hit the brown wood and she slid down to the floor. She blinked once. Twice. All of a sudden, everything came back to her. She looked up at Hawkmoth as everything became brighter. His voice was booming in her ears, the carpet's grey colour became more vivid. Her brain wirred and buzzed, moving faster as she became aware of everything her senses were picking up. She reeled slightly, the information almost too much for her to take in. Everything was happening at once and suddenly she thought clearer than she had ever thought before.

This man. He has no right to do this to me. Hawkmoth. I did everything for him. I served him for years. He's told me I could leave. Why haven't I just left? I don't answer to him anymore. I can just leave now. This isn't right.

Her eyes narrowed. Swiftly she rose to her feet, staring at Hawkmoth with an intensity that even made him pause in his screaming.

"Why am I even putting up with you?" Her voice was as sharp as knives. She stood straighter, taller. She was her own person. She had done what he asked and she was free. Why had she ever wanted to stay? Why had she cried herself to sleep for a week? This place was evil. And she was finally free.

Taking a step towards the furious man she smiled coolly at him. "Goodbye Hawkmoth. I'm going now. I'm leaving this awful place forever and I'm never coming back."

She walked up to the desk holding her wrist out. "Take it off." She commanded, motioning to the tracker. "I'm not having anything to do with you or your stupid gang anymore." Hawkmoth glanced down quickly, realising she needed his controller to open the clasp. He looked up at her a smug smile slipping onto his face.

He looked back down at her wrist and then up at her. "You really think I'm going to let you go?" He asked.

Chat was on him in a second, his words from earlier spurring him on. "I trained you for years...you are the best...the strongest...the most capable..."

Leaping onto the desk, she spun her legs over the table top and propelled herself toward him. Before he even had time to think, her legs were grappling his neck and she was reaching for his wrist, where his tracker was kept.

But she was a little too late. His hand slammed down on the buzzer on his desk and she knew she only had seconds to act. Twisting her body, she maintained her position on his shoulders and drew back the heel of her boot to smack it soundly into the middle of his stomach. Hawkmoth let out a cry of pain, doubling over. Chat grinned, the pain from before gone. She tucked her feet around the back of his torso and pushed the sharp point of her boots into the small of his back. Frantically, she reached for his wrist, but as she did so, the door was thrown back and five of Hawkmoth's best men raced into the room.

Chat grunted in determination, flinging herself off Hawkmoth and onto the first man. She caught the fist her threw at her and moved past his defense circle. Her arm quickly smacked down on his shoulder, right on the sweet spot and he slumped to the ground. Then the next two were on her. She silently thanked whoever had decided this room was to be made small. The men could only come at her two at a time – the room was small and the desk made it even harder to move around in.

She came in close, jabbing and ducking, weaving though the men like she was performing a dance. Grabbing one man's arm, she used her shoulder to heave him onto his back and forcing the other three to back away. His body 'thumped' on the floor, lying sluggishly and her heart soared as she realised he was out too. The third man stepped across him, trying to reach her, but she danced out of his grasp.

Sparing a quick glance at Hawkmoth, she saw him only just catching up to procedings. Thinking fast, she lept onto the desk, sweeping her leg horizontally and felling him. She turned just in time, as the third man had reached her. He lunged and she slammed her hand onto the back of his head, as the fourth guy aimed a punch at her torso. Her blood pumped and adrenaline coursed though her veins. The third man crumpled beneath her and she grinned at the two left. Seeing everything as if it was in slow motion, she used the fourth man's momention to bash his head on the counter. Now there was only one to go. She surged over the desk, her arm pulling back to land the final blow.

He cowered against the wall and she smiled grimly. This was too easy. Her fist landed on the point she aimed at, and her last enemy was gone.

Chat spun slowly, her eyes alightling on a dazed Hawkmoth. She strode to him, careful to avoid the people slumped on the floor. She held out her wrist.

"Hawkmoth? If you please." She said curtly. Hawkmoth looked at her, finally realising she had beaten him. He sighed in defeat and pulled his coat sleeve back, revealing his tracker. He held his arm out and Chat waved her wrist over his. A small 'beep' was heard and the clasp opened. She smiled and pulled it off, placing it on the surface of the desk.

"This operation will be shut down." She said harshly. "I will tell the police. And you will be punished. I don't care if I go to prison. I can't stand to see you do this to anyone else. This has gone on long enough." Hawkmoth opened his mouth, but she brushed his off.

"Don't try to stop me, because I will make it even worse for you. Goodbye Hawkmoth."

And with that, she turned and raced out of the room, her boots echoing loudly along the dark corridor.

Alya had been alseep when Marinette had come into their dorm. Needless to say, she wasn't asleep any longer.

"What do you mean you're leaving?"

"Just that. I can't stay in this hell hole a second longer. Hawkmoth is after my hide and his henchmen will be coming for me any second now. I'll come back in a few days when everything has cooled down a little bit, to get my other stuff and hopefully bust you all out, but for now I'm only taking a change of clothes, some water, money and a blanket. I can get everything else I need from other places."

Ayla sat up in her bed, swinging her feet off the side.

"I'm coming with you them."

Marinette looked up from where she was packing her backpack. "What?"

"I'm coming with you them." Ayla repeated.

Marinette shook her head. "No, Alya, I appreciate it, but you are safter he-"

"What?! This is about my safety? I can look after myself Mari, and think, it'll be like old times!"

Marinette shook her head. "No, Ayla, it's not just about that. Your tracker will give me away and more importantly, I need you to stay and warn the others."

Alya cocked her head to the side in an unasked question. Marinette explained. "Hawkmoth, he isn;t who we think he is. He's not out for us, he's out for him. He did most of the damage to my face."

Ayla gasped. "What? I thought you said that the Agreste boy did that! Why, when I get my hands on either of them..." She trailed off, her fury too strong for words. She clenched her fists, only calming when Marinette laid her soft hands on her.

"Hey, it'll be okay Al. We'll see each other again. This is only temporary. I'll come back remember, and then we can see if we can get everyone to leave. And then, we will go to the police. Hawkmoth will be ruined if no one is stealing for him. You have to get the others together. Our group at least, if the others won't listen to you." Alya nodded sobery. "You will do this for me?" She asked.

Ayla stood abruptly and threw her arms around her friend. "I'll miss you." She said chokingly. Marinette hugged her back, forcing the tears back. If she started crying Alya would cry and they both needed to be strong for this. She rubbed her back gently, crooning soothing words into her ear. Finally she stepped back. Alya sniffled a bit and rubbed her eyes. Marinette smiled at her and pulled her backpack on. "I'll see you soon. Stay awesome" Ayla nodded.

"Yeah. I will. I love you girl, you know that? You're probably the only reason I haven't gone crazy here. You and Nino." Marinette nodded.

"I love you too. When we're both free we can do something cool together." She walked to the door, peering out into the darkness. "Bye for now." She smiled back at her friend. Alya needed to remember her as strong. Alya had to convince the others. The two girls hugged each other one last time and then Marinette slipped off down the hallway. Alya looked after her friend.

"Stay safe Mari." she whispered.

If I had chosen a night to run off in, I couldn't have chosen a worse one." Marinette thought, as she curled up tighter. She had walked for about two or three hours, and found a little town, with a 24 hour chemist, where she had bought some medical supplies. She had been lucky she hadn't been caught too, she was still wearing most of her costume. The tail and ears were in her bag and she was wearing a jacket over her top, but she still felt rather consious. The guy at the chemist hadn't paid her a second glance, despite her disheveled appearance.

Now she was curled up next to a wall in a small alleyway. She had chosen it, because the warm air from the factory was blowing gently throught it, but once she was on the ground, the stone floor seeped cold into her bones. The warm air did help, but again, hot air rises, so there was a little layer of cold air just above the floor. Her teeth chattered together and she thought about moving, to try and find a better place. She stirred, looking around to see if she could find something to sleep on, so the warm air would reach her. A dark shape loomed around the back of the alleyway and she stood up to investigate.

As she walked closer, she realised it was a bin. A big, blue, new-ish looking bin. Stopping by the side of it, she stood on her toes to see if it had anything she could use in it. Slowly, as her eyes got used to the darkness, she made out what looked like pieces of cloth. Frowning with confusion, she reached a hand in and touched the contents. Her eyebrows rose with suprise as she realises that, yes, it was indeed cloth. And nice cloth too. But where had it come from? She raised her head to look at the factory next to her. That's right! This was a clothing factory! And that must mean that all the odd and unused bits of material were thrown away.

She put her arm in the bin, intending to pull some of the cloth out to use as protection against the cold floor, but she stopped as her arm detected temperature difference. Marinette smiled and put her other arm into the space. Heck, why couldn't she just sleep in the bin? She inspected the inside. It didn't look dirty, and the plastic it was made out of looked new. She poked her head inside and sniffed. All it smelled like was clothes that have just come out of dryer. It was certainly big enough to hold, her. In fact, it could probably hold at least two or three large adults. Hoisting herself up the side of the continer, she slid over the top and dropped down into the bin. She sighed in bliss. There must be a fan or a vent behind the bin and the inside was toasty warm. She half closed the lid to allow fresh air into the space and then sunk down into the fabrics.

This is where I shall stay for now. She thought. It wasn't bad for someone homeless. Infact, it was pretty good. Snuggling up in her blanket, she sighed contentedly. The fabric was soft and she was tired. It had been a long night.

The next three days passed by reasonably quickly. She spent the first day in the bin, terrified that Hawkmoth had discovered where she had gone. The day after, she relaxed a little and explored the town a bit, buying some food and trading some of Chole's cheaper rings at a small pawn shop they had there. On the third day she made her way slowly back to the warehouse.

She had changed into her spare change of clothes and washed her face in a small stream on the way, best not to draw uneeded attention to herself she thought. As she approached the warehouse she frowned worriedly and quickened her step. There seemed to be a lot of of commotion around the area.

Marinette slowed to a stop as she reached the grounds. Her hert quickened and her hands flew to her mouth in shock. Her worse fears had come true. For, there, swarming in front of her were squardrons of police. And there was no sigh of anyone, inculding Hawkmoth.

So there you have it folks! Please tell me how i did, I thrive on reviews! :) Till next time!

xx missdragongirl