A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this story, especially to the newcomers who decided to give it a try and let me know what they thought of it. I always appreciate hearing your thoughts.


The ring didn't give. Marinette should have known it wouldn't, not when Chat Noir's fingers were wrapped so tightly around her wrist. But her attempt had surprised him enough that he stopped trying to turn her head, if not enough to loosen his grip on her arms.

"This is for the best, my lady," Chat Noir insisted as he tried instead to twist her body by pulling on her arms, strategically dragging his right hand out of her reach as he did so.

Marinette tried to resist, but she wasn't going to win in a battle of brute strength. Not against her partner. She tried not to panic as she felt the carpet sliding beneath her feet. She couldn't remember when she had dropped her yo-yo, but he was taking her farther away from it now, inch by deliberate inch. "What could you ever hope to gain by giving up my Miraculous to Hawk Moth? By giving up yours?"

"I'll gain a treasure more valuable than anything I could sacrifice now."

She wished he hadn't described it as a sacrifice; she could have done without being reminded of the potential deathly finality of this deal. She might make it through this, but Tikki? Plagg? If they lost the Miraculous to Hawk Moth….

"Nothing is worth—!"

"What about your family, Marinette?"

She couldn't help but flinch at the sound of her name. It still sounded strange when she was Ladybug. "My family isn't part of this discussion."

"Aren't they? Wouldn't you sacrifice your life as Ladybug for them? To keep them safe?"

"I'm keeping them safe by being Ladybug. I'm keeping them safe from Hawk Moth."

"You have so far," Chat Noir agreed, "but what about when you can't? That day will come if this continues, you know. You won't be able to save them and keep everything as it is. You'd have to choose what to sacrifice. That's all I'm doing. I'm making my choice. Believe it or not, my lady, there are those I value above the freedom I get from being Chat Noir."

Marinette frowned. "Freedom? What are you—?" She broke off and wrenched her head away as he risked releasing her left arm to grab her jaw. She didn't have the leverage to hit Chat Noir anywhere it would do any damage; his suit would mitigate the blow, and she couldn't reach his head.

She grabbed his tail instead, and by some miracle, he didn't notice.

She bided her time, waiting for the right moment to throw him off balance.

"Don't you find it freeing, being Ladybug?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Pity this is the only way, but you'll understand everything once it's done, my lady. I promise."

"I can't wait until everything is done," she said. His free arm had landed on her shoulder, preventing her from moving even an arm's length away, and she wasn't about to bet he wouldn't try to knock her out if it came to that.

He wasn't thinking straight anymore.

"It'll only take a moment once I have your Miraculous, Marinette. It's only a small sacrifice. You were about to make it earlier anyway."

"And you were about to trade my Miraculous for—" Marinette stopped, suddenly realizing that this was exactly like it had been earlier, except that Chat Noir wasn't playing pretend any longer.

He really didn't want to hurt her unless he had to.

All he needed was her Miraculous.

If she didn't wear the mask of Ladybug, she and her family would be safe from Hawk Moth. Only, the bargain must have expanded this time. I want to save the ones I love. She couldn't imagine how that didn't include Plagg, not with how she felt about Tikki, but Hawk Moth would have plenty of wiggle room when it came to the word safe.

Chat Noir should know better than to fall for vague wording, but she'd never heard the tempting whisperings promise whatever she most desired when she was at her most vulnerable. She didn't know what Chat Noir had faced, she didn't know if she would have made a different choice in his stead, and she didn't know if he'd thought he'd be able to resist it, to try to trick Hawk Moth again.

Whatever the truth, she needed to cut through to its heart. She needed to break his contract. He was willing to give up the Miraculous in exchange for safety, whatever that meant, but if…but if one of them couldn't be saved….

She hadn't realized she'd stopped fighting him until Chat Noir pulled off her other earring and her transformation dissolved completely.

He fished the first earring out of the pocket of his cheek, and for the second time that day, he held her Miraculous in his hand.

She knew without looking at his face that Hawk Moth was congratulating him. She couldn't afford to wait. Marinette yanked on his tail to throw him off balance and then lunged forward, tackling Chat Noir with about as much grace as if she'd slipped on ice and went bowling into him. She needed her Miraculous. She'd settle for his Miraculous. If nothing else, she needed to break the contract—or snap him out of it.

Her earrings didn't go flying, unfortunately, but she'd knocked him flat onto the carpet and landed on top of him. A crazy part of her wanted to laugh at the situation; he'd done this to her so often before, always grinning at her, always ready with a pun on his lips…. She had never entirely been sure how much of it had been intentional. "I don't want to cut your claws, kitty," she said, "but you need to be a little more grounded."

It was the best she could think of, but her possessed partner was already trying to flip her over and reverse their situation. She made a wild grab for his shoulders, managed to find his neck, and pulled herself up to kiss him before her back hit the floor and forced them apart.

The kiss had barely lasted a second, hardly more than a brush of the lips compared to the last time she'd tried this, but it had worked then. "Chat Noir?" she asked tentatively, hopeful that she was reading the shock on his face correctly. All she'd needed to do was to snap him out of it. That would break the contract, wouldn't it? It had to. He just wasn't thinking straight. Once he had a chance to really look at the situation, he'd give her back her Miraculous and—

"Thank you."

Marinette blinked. The apology seemed out of place when Chat Noir had made no move to get off of her or give her back her Miraculous. To be honest, she was a little surprised he knew what had happened, because last time—

"Now I have no reason to doubt my choice."

Chat Noir sprang up, but Marinette was frozen in place as reality sunk in. It hadn't worked. He was nearly at the door before she found her feet. "Wait, kitty," she said. She hadn't expected him to stop, but he did, turning back to her. Marinette swallowed before saying, "I'm sorry. About earlier. You were only doing your best to save me. I was angry because of what your decision had cost me; I didn't think about what it had cost you, nor that you were right and it had worked. Maybe it was luck. Maybe it wasn't. But I should have trusted you, and I'm sorry I didn't."

The smile Chat Noir gave her seemed wrong, neither his usual smirk nor a genuine grin. "Be safe, Marinette."

Marinette ran to catch up to him even as he left the room. A kiss wouldn't break the spell, not this time, and clearly telling the truth had had no more effect. She'd worried her actions had been the reason he'd become akumatized, but even if they had pushed him over the edge, pushed him to Hawk Moth, words weren't enough to undo it. She'd meant what she'd said, but she'd hoped her words might take away Hawk Moth's hold.

She'd been wrong again, but she had to keep trying. She had to save Tikki. She had to save her partner. She had to save Paris.

Marinette barrelled into Chat Noir in the hallway, managing to send them both to the floor again. The tile jarred her more than the carpet had, but she was desperate. Either her Miraculous or his. She was sure she'd be able to work with Plagg if need be. He certainly wouldn't have any reason to object to her trying to save the real Chat Noir.

Chat Noir hissed and twisted beneath her, kicking her off. The blow took her breath away, the ache in her side making her wonder what it was like to have a bruised rib. Her head had cracked against the wall, and it took a few precious seconds for her sight to completely clear. Her suit protected her. When she didn't have it, she noticed. She was vulnerable.

But maybe that was the key.

By the time she got her bearings, her partner was standing and looking over at her. "You can't stop me. It's better not to try."

"I always have to try." The words came out as more of a mumble than she'd intended, but actions spoke louder than words. Marinette pushed herself to her feet, too, knowing Chat Noir would interpret the meaning, and focused on not swaying on her feet. She didn't want to use a hand to steady herself, not now.

"I don't want to fight you." Chat Noir kept his voice down, and she realized he didn't want to alert the staff. Because he had a reputation to protect? Because he didn't want them realizing he wasn't himself? Or because there was enough of her real partner still fighting for control that he didn't want anyone innocent getting hurt?

"I'm not going to give you the choice." She'd meant to say the words louder, to scream them so that someone else might hear, but her voice was still little more than a loud wheeze.

She pushed down the pain and attacked. She just needed to break past his blocks. She just needed to get the ring off his finger. She just needed to figure out which pocket held her Miraculous.

Her nails raked uselessly against his suit, but she could still grab a limb and drag him down with her. If nothing else, she could use his tail against him. She tried not to let him get more than a few steps before she tripped him up again, no matter how much her head was pounding and her body was aching. He might not want to fight her, but she was fighting well enough to force him to do more than just defend. She knew how much he wanted to find Hawk Moth and present the Miraculous. She knew how much he—how much any akuma victim—burned with the desire to reap the promised reward.

And she knew what stalling him would do.

Finally, something in him snapped, and he snarled out the word she'd both wanted and dreaded to hear: "Cataclysm!"

Marinette lay on her back, her legs wrapped around one of Chat Noir's with her arms latched to his left, trying to force him to the ground with her. She had purposely left his right arm free, and now it hovered less than a foot from her face, deadly magic swirling around it.

They didn't know what Cataclysm would do to another human being.

She wished now that she hadn't decided finding out was the only way to end this.

It could kill her. She knew that. She didn't want to die, but she also knew that she'd rather die than let Hawk Moth control their Miraculous.

At least, she'd thought so.

Now, she wasn't quite as sure as before.

Marinette's heart had jumped into her throat and she found it hard to breathe.

The last thing she saw before closing her eyes was Chat Noir's hand moving steadily closer.


Stop!

The voice wasn't Hawk Moth's, the command didn't come from him, but Chat Noir's hand stilled anyway, a hair's breadth from Marinette's cheek.

How can you save her if you do this?

She was stopping him from saving her. She was trying to stop him from saving everyone. If he had to make the sacrifice—

You won't ensure the health and safety of those you love if you destroy them!

Marinette had once been Ladybug. She fought him now because she did not understand what he was trying to do for her, for all of them. But she believed she acted for the right reasons. That was one of the things he loved about her, her determination to do what she thought was right. She was misguided in this, but it wasn't reason to destroy her.

He drew his hand away and let his fingers brush the frame of the painting that hung nearby, watching as it turned to ash under his touch. The portrait of the once-happy family blackened and crumbled. He was regrettably familiar with the feeling.

"Chat Noir, you have the Miraculous. Bring them to me!"

He was jerked to his feet by the sheer force of Hawk Moth's will. He heard a soft exclamation of surprise from Marinette as he pivoted on his heel. He might not know where Hawk Moth was, exactly, but he could feel him, and he knew he could find him. Once he handed over the Miraculous—

You'll lose everything. You'll lose her. You'll lose your father. You'll lose Plagg.

His feet stopped moving, uncertain. He felt Marinette's hand grab onto his ankle, but it didn't take much to shake her off this time, even though she knew he couldn't use Cataclysm on her, not right now.

"Why did you let me go?" she asked quietly, making no move to try to hold onto him now that he wasn't moving forward.

"The Miraculous, Chat Noir!"

No one will thank you if you do this.

"Kitty?"

You'll destroy her by doing this as surely as you would by using your power. It will just take longer.

That wasn't true. Hawk Moth didn't break his contracts; he honoured them, was bound to uphold them. As one he loved, Marinette—Ladybug—would be healthy, safe. That meant unharmed.

It doesn't mean happy.

It doesn't mean free.

His ring beeped, and he watched in sudden fascination as the first pad disappeared from the paw. What was he trading with this deal? Hawk Moth would honour the contract to the letter, but he was free to act as he pleased when it came to reading between the lines. He was happy to trade away his freedom, but Marinette's? Plagg's? His father's?

"Bring them to me now!"

Pain erupted, flaring as fire along every nerve. He screamed and dropped to his knees, hardly feeling the cool tile beneath him. He had no concept of how long it had lasted. It had been forever, an age during which Marinette had crept up beside him, put her arms around him, and tried to take away his ring. It was missing another pad now, and her arm had a new set of red lines tracking down to the back of her right hand he didn't remember leaving. He uncurled from his tight position on the floor and stood.

He couldn't think of disobeying. He owed it to her. He was doing this for her. To keep her safe.

Then why is she bleeding? Why are bruises already forming? She is not safe. She will not be safe, no matter what Hawk Moth promises.

She would always be safe once he handed over the Miraculous. Hawk Moth could not evade honouring that part of their deal.

Safety is not isolation. Wouldn't that be her fate, a dark cell somewhere far from the world in which she belongs? Far from her family? A cage made specially to ensure her safety? Is that really what you want for her? For all of them?

"Chat Noir, please."

No. No. He wasn't going to listen to this. Marinette would be safe. Plagg would be safe. His father would be safe. And Nathalie and Nino and everyone else. They would all be safe. He would keep them safe. By doing this, he would keep them safe.

And if he didn't disobey, he wouldn't have to feel that pain again.

His ring beeped. The third pad disappeared.

His feet started to move of their own accord, and he heard Marinette climb to her feet behind him. "The end goal might not be destruction," she stated, "but that's where this is headed."

You were ready to destroy her, the treacherous voice whispered. He didn't want to question what was right, what must be done. He knew there would be no peace for him if he did not present Hawk Moth with the Miraculous. Moreover, if he broke the deal, Hawk Moth would no doubt have his revenge. He might very well seek out those Chat Noir most wished to protect.

He kept walking.

Behind him, he heard Marinette following. He could tell from her gait that she was limping. He had hurt her. All he had wanted to do was to protect her, and he just kept hurting her, over and over.

"Are you really ready to do this?" she asked. "You seem to think you're doing this for the people you love, but have you thought about what they would want? Would they want you to make this sacrifice for them?"

He didn't turn back to look at her. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made." He remembered the blackened painting, the ash that had fallen from the wall. It had been one of the few paintings of his mother that still hung where it could be seen by all. It had been a reminder of happier times.

Now it was gone.

"Chat Noir." Marinette had caught up to him, and her hand rested on his arm. He didn't stop, instead forcing her to keep moving. "Chat Noir," she tried again, "you'll be undoing everything we've done. Has our partnership counted for nothing?"

His ring beeped for the fourth time, and he finally stopped and looked at her. "You of all people shouldn't need to question me. Have you thought about what I risk if I don't do this?"

From the shock on her face, she hadn't.

He started moving again, retracing his steps down the long corridor. He could not afford to fail; he had wagered too much on his success. She had triumphed over Hawk Moth in every fight before, but that did not mean she didn't know the bitter taste of past mistakes, the sourness of wrong decisions, the sharp sting of loss. She could imagine what failure might mean if applied on a grander scale.

It was a failure from which he would not recover, a failure from which none of them would recover.

He must do this. He had no choice. He had agreed.

And Hawk Moth, as he had clearly demonstrated, had a way of ensuring that the bargains were kept.

"What you think is success is only certain failure!" Marinette called after him, almost as if she could read his thoughts. "The risk of succeeding is greater than the risk of failing! This won't turn out the way you want it to. You know it won't. Not with Hawk Moth."

Chat Noir hissed and spun back to look at her. She hadn't moved, but she was giving him a defiant stare. "Hawk Moth and I have the same goals," he growled. "All we need are the Miraculous, and our goals can be achieved!" He took a step toward her, and pain raced up his leg.

"Do not engage her, Chat Noir. She would see you fail. Just bring me the Miraculous!"

He hadn't seen Marinette move, but suddenly she was right in front of him. "I can't let you do this," she said. His ring began beeping once more, the frantic final warning, and she'd grabbed his hand and tugged off the ring before he realized what she was up to.

Plagg reappeared, but his costume didn't melt away. He still had a chance to retrieve the ring, the real ring, before the magic was fully broken. After all, Marinette had no way of destroying the Miraculous, and she wouldn't be able to cleanse the akuma if she could. She—

"He's your father." Plagg suddenly hovered at his eye level, zipping around to continue blocking his view of Marinette and looking much more energetic than he usually did after the use of Cataclysm. "Hawk Moth is your father. This is all a trick!"

Even Marinette stopped her retreat. "What? You know who Hawk Moth is?"

No. Plagg was lying. That was the trick. Chat Noir lunged forward, swatting Plagg away and focusing on getting the ring back from Marinette. She was weak and injured. He might be without his power, but he still possessed those Hawk Moth had given him and would until the akuma was freed. He knew that. Which might also mean—

He risked glancing down at his right hand.

The true Miraculous was taken, but a facsimile now rested in its place.

He was no Copycat, not really, but he had a copy of his true power. And that meant he could use Cataclysm twice.

Don't!

He raised his right hand, growling out the word to activate his power. Marinette's eyes went wide. She looked for Plagg, and he took advantage of her distraction to advance. He wanted to protect those he loved. As Ladybug, she numbered among them.

But sometimes sacrifices must be made.

He loved her, but he couldn't afford to let her stop him. Not in this. Not again.

Ignoring the voice inside that was begging him to stop, he lashed out his hand.

Marinette's scream echoed in his ears as he felt the blow connect.

Something inside him cracked, and he scrambled back in alarm, filled first with confusion and then horror as he began to properly realize what was happening—what had already happened—for the first time.

What have I done?