Thank you tharrine and AR153 for your support!
A/N: "Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign
Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes
Like ours: the land our brothers walk upon
Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.
They, too, aware of sun and air and water,
Are fed by peaceful harvests, by war's long winter starv'd."
—James Kirkup
(Poem: No Men Are Foreign)
I'm a little late about this and the entire world is exploding on this topic. I didn't say anything earlier, but now I feel like staying neutral at this point would make me side with the oppressors.
Remember, equality (be it on the basis of gender, colour, religion, caste or race) is NOT about ignoring the diversity. It's about acknowledging the differences and learning to respect them. A decision that favours one community must not tear down the other. Work together, learn together, respect the diversity and make sure that humanity is born again.
I SUPPORT UNITY IN DIVERSITY!
Disclaimer: This chapter has mild divergence from the canonical concepts of Miraculous Ladybug and hence I request you to read this chapter as an AU. Although you won't face any problems even if you don't consider it as an AU if you have a wildly huge imagination.
Chapter 19
...The Fire's Burning In My Eyes
As soon as Hawkmoth's hand came in contact with Multimouse's earrings, she puffed into orange smoke. His eyes widened and a surprised look crossed his masked face. He could feel Mayura tense up behind him too.
"What the--" He wasn't able to dodge a metal object aimed at his head causing him to fall back hard on the ground. He quickly scrambled back to his feet— not thinking about the pain in his back and joined his helper at the back, hastily taking back his cane. He was a man of few words— he didn't like to see changes neither did he like to get caught off guard. He was all about a steady flow and he didn't like how the tables had turned. The ache in his lower back— the brunt of the fall taunted him that he was getting way too old for games like these.
"Did you really think that you can win, Hawkmoth? Did you really think that I would give up that easily?" Multimouse appeared in front of him from a gallery facing him, catching the baton that she had hurled at him.
"B-But how?" He spluttered, "Even the Fox Miraculous can't create illusions like that. I could swear that I hit you while we fought."
"Oh that," the heroine shrugged casually, "Was a little update in the Fox Miraculous— the new mirage shows you and makes you feel what you want to. It messes with your brain. You see, I didn't come unprepared." Her smile was dangerously sweet, her words delivered a warning to the villian duo in front of her.
"Indeed, I shouldn't expect any less from The Great Ladybug," Hawkmoth nodded slowly in agreement, "But nothing can change your doom tonight. You are a petty girl who's going to lose." He said haughtily.
"I guess we need to teach him never to underestimate us, don't we, M'lady?" Cat Noir made his appearance from the shadows he was blended in and caught his baton which was thrown to him by his partner.
"Cat Noir?" Hawkmoth gaped. "How? The entrance is guarded by my akumas, they would have alerted me of your presence."
"You are not really the only one with brains here, Hawkmoth." Cat Noir deadpanned, his lips twitched into a half-smile.
"Get ready, Hawkmoth," Multimouse stated. "Because the endgame has just begun."
(40 minutes earlier...)
Cat struggled to get out of the hold of his captor desperately. Whoever they were had to be very quiet in order to sneak up on him. Instead, he felt himself getting pinned against a wall and he came face to face with his supposed enemy, his night vision helped him to make out the face of a person he knew too well. The twin buns and the gray and pink mask were unmistakable.
Multimouse
The sight of Marinette, safe and sound, acted like beams of sunlight that had dissipated all the clouds of worry he had in mind. He knew that she was alive. He hadn't lost her. He had known that she was alive since he read the guardian's letter, but seeing her in flesh, in front of him, breathing soundly made him forget all about his worries and anxiety.
He blinked back his tears, looking at her intently for a few moments as he remembered the breakdown he had when he considered the possibility of her being dead. Slowly and hesitatingly, he raised his arm to stroke her soft hair. Yes, she was real. He wasn't seeing an apparition and neither was his brain playing any tricks on him.
"Princess!" He exclaimed as he splayed his one hand behind her head while he kept the other on the small of her back and pulled her towards himself— capturing her in a tight hug, promising all the protection and devotion that he could. "Oh mon dieu! You are safe. I was so worried." He rubbed his cheek against her forehead lovingly, like a real cat. He was confused when she didn't hug him back, much less did anything to return his gesture. "Mari? Are you okay?"
"Why are you here?" She hissed.
"To see you, ma cheriè." He grinned like a Cheshire cat. Wasn't she happy to see him?
"Don't call me that." She said angrily. "What are you doing here? How did you even find this place? Max told you, didn't he? Wait till I go bac-"
Cat Noir pressed his index finger firmly against her lips, silencing her immediately. "I understand your anger, love. It's justified, you are just trying to protect us all, which is really brave of you but, don't you see what are putting your loved ones through." He didn't try to stop a big tear that slid down his cheek.
"Two days, two whole days, I have spent crying over you, missing you terribly. Your parents haven't opened the bakery since your disappearance, Alya has been bawling her eyes out, poor Nino has been trying to comfort her but he misses you too. Your whole class is praying for your safety. You know what, I should be angry and not you."
Her eyes softened and her body language became a lot more relaxed. A look of regret flashed her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something when her partner shushed her.
"I know your intentions, sweetheart. You always go out of the way to help others and it's good, but that doesn't mean that you have do it alone. We all willingly support you, we all are willing to kill for you, we are willing to die for you, I am willing to die for you, princess."
She stared at him wide-eyed, feelings whirling inside her heart. Her strong resolve crumbled beneath his gaze and she finally let out all the pent up emotions. She collapsed into her boyfriend's arms, sniffling and sobbing. "I - I am sorry, kitty. I wa-was so scared." She looked up at him with tears blinding her vision, "I thou-thought that maybe," she sniffed, "If I did this al-alone then atleast y-you and the others wou-would be safe."
Cat Noir smiled at her warmly. He patted her head and rubbed soothing circles on her back to calm her down. "It's okay, Marinette. I get it. You were scared and trying to protect us all but," he made her look into his eyes, "Don't ever scare me like that again. You can always count on me whenever you are in difficult situation." She sighed against his chest, he could feel her smiling gratefully. "After all," He continued, "It has always been you and me against the world, Bugaboo."
He knew that she had caught on when she went rigid in his arms, her arms that were linked around his torso were limp too. She pulled back hurriedly and blinked up at him a little too innocently. "Whaaaaaat?" Her voice was probably in its highest pitch, "W-What did yo- did you mean b-by tha-that? Bugaboo? Pssh.. y-you don't kn-know what you a-are talking ab-about. Ha ha." She stuttered way too much for a normal person.
"Right. I totally believe you." The hero's voice dripped with sarcasm. "There's no point in denying it, ma princesse. I found the letter that Master Fu left you. Besides, both you and Ladybug share the similar looks, have same heroic qualities, you both are never present at the same place at the same time. Ladybug would have never let you do this on your own and your rambling just now confirmed it. You still think I don't know what I am talking about?" He spoke in a matter-of-fact voice, "In fact, I feel like a blind idiot for not seeing it earlier. It's so obvious."
Multimouse inhaled sharply, her shoulders were slumped. "Then, are you mad at me? Are you angry at the fact that I am Ladybug, considering everything?" She turned her face away from him and closed her eyes— hoping for the best, but expecting the worse.
Cat smiled at her tenderly, lifted her chin with his thumb and index finger to make her look at him in the eyes. "Look at me, love. Does it look like it? I think I have mentioned it a thousand times now, I can't be mad at you, ma cheriè. If only, I am glad that I fell for the same girl twice. I am kind of mad at myself for not seeing it before."
"B-But I rejected you so many times as Ladybug."
"True, but that gave me a chance to know your civilian self better. You gave me a V.I.P access to Marinette Dupain-Cheng. How can I be mad at that?" He grinned.
Multimouse threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck and clung onto him for her dear life, wrapping him in the best bear hug she could give. He hugged her back tightly, getting intoxicated in her scent. Her embrace felt so comfortable and warm. "Thank you, mom minou." She whispered in his ear. He kissed the top of her head in answer.
They pulled back reluctantly after some time, staring into each other's eyes intently. "And it looks like," Cat Noir smiled at his girlfriend flirtatiously, "You did fall for this cat, Buginette."
Her cheeks burning in embarrassment were a sight to sore eyes. She playfully pushed him away by his nose and giggled. "You are back, chaton. I never thought that I would say this, but I missed the flirting as Ladybug."
"So..." Multimouse started, "Are you going to kiss me or what?"
The feline hero did not need any further encouragement. He grabbed her face and quickly claimed her lips, their eyes shutting immediately at the contact. She sighed in contentment. His fingers threaded between her hair as she rested her one hand at the nape of his neck whilst the other was cupping his cheeks.
Their hearts exploded as they moved their lips against each other, they had been separated for too long. All pent up emotions fuelled their frantic kisses. Their tongues danced around. The heroine sucked her lover's bottom lip into her mouth and nipped it gently.
Cat Noir was on cloud nine, kissing her felt like coming home. It was familiar and new wrapped altogether. He had missed her taste, her touch and had finally got her back. He held her protectively as he poured every ounce of love he had for this girl into the kiss. He kissed her as if his life depended on it. It probably did.
Marinette felt sparks as her heart that had ached for the boy she loved finally got its wish. She smiled into the kiss. She was grateful of her boyfriend for being so understanding about this entire situation. Her tears made their presence felt too as they slid down her cheeks.
Reluctantly, the two lovers pulled away due to lack of oxygen. They looked at each other, never breaking their embrace and panted.
"I missed you." Marinette whispered against his lips.
Cat Noir grinned ear-to-ear, "I missed you too, bug."
Her smile wavered for a second, "And I'm sorry again."
"What for? For worrying about me and your parents and the whole Paris? I don't think that you need to apologise for being so caring."
Her heart swelled with affection for the boy in front of her. Her partner, (whoever he was) was always there for her. He was always there to catch her whenever she fell. He was always by her side. She took his hand in hers, bringing it closer to her lips, she planted a sweet kis on his knuckles— a gesture he had always made with both her civilian and hero form. She could feel the blooming blush on his cheeks underneath the black mask.
After the heartfelt reunion Cat Noir finally dared to ask. "Do you want to know my identity?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she squinted her eyes, considering the question for a moment. "Yes, but not now, not like this. We still have people to save and two villains to defeat. You can tell me who you are once we are out of this nasty mine."
Cat nodded. "That reminds me," he frowned, "Why didn't my super senses made me aware of your presence behind me?"
The mouse-themed heroine smiled, "I have been taking shelter in an old, abandoned building in the middle of nowhere for the past few days. It smells just like this place and that's how my scent got mingled up. Wearing the Mouse Miraculous," she pointed to the necklace she was wearing, "Enables me to produce as less noise as possible. And you were so preoccupied with whatever you were thinking at that particular instant that you didn't even notice anything." Marinette explained.
"Alright. That makes sense." He rubbed his hands. "What's the plan?"
She got on her tippy toes and whispered the plan in his ear. He looked sceptical. "Isn't it too risky? What if he finds out?" He asked.
"He won't." She assured him, "I found out about a procedure in the translated edition of the Miraculous Spellbook that Master left for me. It strengthens the power of Mirage. The smoke should mess with their brains to show them the illusion they want to see. Besides, the mine is poorly lit and that would come in handy." She took off her glasses and handed them to him. "Here, use the Miraculous to get the hostages out of here safely. Teleport them to Le Grand Paris hotel. I have made all the necessary arrangements. A team of specialised doctors, nurses and post-trauma counsellors will be present there along with the police to ensure their health and safety. All of them will be staying at the hotel itself. The Mayor already knows about this."
Cat gave her an impressed look. "Wow! You planned everything. But, just be safe, bug." He pecked her lips. "I won't take long."
"I will, kitty." She kissed the tip of his nose.
"You and me against the world?" Cat Noir held out his hand.
Memories of Miracle Queen resurfaced her mind. This was it. They were finally going to defeat Hawkmoth once and for all. Her eyes shone brightly, "I wouldn't have it any other way, kitty." She clasped her hand with his.
"Trixx, Mullo, unify!"
"Kaalki, Plagg, unify!"
️️️️
(Present...)
"Very well, Ladybug, you brought your pet cat. I warned you, but you didn't listen. Now, the prisoners will pay." Hawkmoth said and looked at Mayura, gesturing her to go along with their plan B.
Mayura smirked and pulled a feather out of her fan. She was about to create an amok when Cat Noir stopped her.
"Paws right there, ma'am. Look, I am not a big fan of all this so, how about we make a deal, eh? You give us your Miraculous and we will let you go." Cat asserted. "Besides," he continued. "It's no use, I mean trying to threaten us by that lame 'dangerous captor' trick, Hawkward~" He drew out and smiled fake innocently, "Your 'prisoners' are sleeping peacefully in Paris. Yep! We saved them. Nothing Kaalki couldn't do."
Hawkmoth's face darkened in anger.
"That's right, Hawkmoth." He flexed his muscles, he could feel Multimouse facepalm beside him. "You fail all the times, I don't know why you even bother trying so hard."
"You talk too much, pussy cat." Hawkmoth snapped.
"Tell me about it." Cat Noir heard his girlfriend mumble through his heightened senses and grinned widely.
"Enough of these childish games!" Mayura bellowed, "How about this deal, Ladybug and Cat Noir; we settle this the old-fashioned way." She snarled fiercely.
"They just had to choose the hard way." Cat murmured to Multimouse who would have flicked his forehead if she wasn't concentrated on defeating two villians.
Mayura quickly made her amok enter Hawkmoth's cane. Soon enough, the sentimonster hawkmoth came into being.
"Sentimonster," she instructed the giant insect from behind her fan, "Assist Hawkmoth and attack Cat Noir and Multimouse."
The sentimonster launched itself on the two, but they dodged the attack easily.
"Cat!" Multimouse exclaimed, "I have an idea, give me the glasses."
"Here you go, bugaboo." He threw the Horse Miraculous at her.
Multimouse caught it while dodging the attacks by the sentimonster.
"Trixx, Mullo, divide!"
"Kaalki, Mullo, unify!"
"Multitude!" She was shrunk to her several other tiny forms which had the power of teleportation.
"This was your plan? To get eaten by that flying insect?" Cat Noir roared as he struggled to keep both moths at bay with his baton.
"Just trust me." She reassured him. Her smaller forms could be heard yelling.
"Xuppu, Mullo, unify!"
"Pollen, Mullo, unify!"
"Tikki, Mullo, unify!"
"Longg, Mullo, unify!"
"Are you kidding me?!" The hero's form radiated anger, "You call me reckless and yet here we are... What do you think you are doing, merging so many Miraculouses at once? Do you want to die?"
Hawkmoth managed to disarm Cat and hit him in his stomach, the latter yelped in pain and staggered back a few steps.
"Get your head in the game, kitty. Don't worry about me only to get distracted. Let's show those two... well three that we are the heroes." Muti-Bee whispered in such a low voice that only the cat could pick it up, "Distract Hawkmoth for me."
"Enough!" Mayura yelled. "Sentimonster, get me that nasty mouse." She ordered.
The insect like monster aimed for Multi-Dragon.
"Wind Dragon!" She yelled to save herself. Her form now turned into wind and she escaped the moth's clutches. She looked back, the sentimonster was having trouble locating her smaller forms.
She looked over to her partner who was struggling against Hawkmoth as he fought against him with all his might. Their little fight had somehow been converted into a fencing match, but more aggressive. They were treating their staffs as their sabers. Their blows were stronger and sharper in magnitude because they actually wanted to hurt each other.
Cat Noir raised his baton towards the left arm of his enemy— who blocked the attack easily, but the hero surprised him by turning his baton to hit him square in the jaw. A feint attack. Hawkmoth grunted in pain and lunged towards the hero. He aimed to hit his opponent's chest, but Cat Noir managed to deflect the cane. After doing the quarte parry successfully, he went for the riposte.
The feline hero jumped forward and bent on his right foot and stretched out his left leg behind him— trying to hit Hawkmoth's abdomen from below. The villain jumped backwards, with his leg pushing hard on the ground and managed to successfully dodge the attack. Cat Noir lunged forwards and feinted a blow at Hawkmoth's hand, which he blocked, but he disengaged the attack to the older man's thigh.
Multimouse marvelled at her partner's skills, he reminded her of a familiar person, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her heart sank when she saw Hawkmoth punch his nose.
Right! This is not a real fencing match, they don't have rules. I have to do something now!
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mayura slowly creeping up slowly to Cat Noir with the intentions to pull off a sneak attack on him. That good-for-nothing sentimonster was planning on eating her, even if she knew that hawkmoths were not carnivorous.
She reconsidered her plan. It's now or never!
"Lucky Charm!" Multi-Bug called out and a beautifully potted flowering plant appeared. The pot landed on the floor safely and true to its nature, the hawkmoth was distracted by the pretty flowers. She just had a little time before Mayura gained control over her sentimonster again.
"Voyage!" All her miniature forms yelled.
They all started teleporting themselves all over the chamber. One of the little forms landed on Hawkmoth's shoulder and ran her way across it and then disappearing into yet another portal.
This distracted Hawkmoth and he was punched into his nose by her feline partner. The punch was hard. She could practically hear his cartilage breaking. It would've been a bloody mess if not for the Miraculous armour protecting him. The butterfly villain stumbled back, trying to regain his composure.
Meanwhile, Mayura had sensed what was happening and was about to bring hawkmoth back its senses, when abruptly, Multi-Monkey appeared in front of her from Kaalki's portal.
"Uproar!" She yelled and a toy doll appeared. "No hard feelings, Mayura." She aimed the object perfectly at her fan and cheered when it hit the woman's weapon. Before the peacock-themed villian could register, the Monkey Miraculous had messed up her powers and her sentimonster vanished.
At the same time, Hawkmoth, who was getting beaten up by Cat Noir was eventually getting exhausted. His pants echoed the room. The blonde thrusted forward and hit the man's knees hardly, causing him to double over and flop to the ground.
To Mayura's horror, a portal opened in front of Hawkmoth's chest and Multi-Bee appeared.
"Venom!" She yelled as she stung his chest thereby paralysing him. Hawkmoth fell back and showed no struggle as Cat Noir pinned him down. His upper body was like a stone, it was eerily still.
Mayura found herself in the same position by Multimouse, her size being restored to normal. She was tied up in Multi-Bug's yo-yo. "Mullo, divide." And sure enough, there was the familiar heroine, Ladybug. "Wanna do the honours first, chaton?" She asked.
"Let's do it together, princess."
"Alright, 1... 2... 3 and now!" Ladybug said as she unpinned Mayura' brooch as Cat Noir did the same with Hawkmoth's pin.
A purple and blue flash illuminated the otherwise dimly lit room.
"Y-you bu-but you..." Ladybug's mouth hung agape as she saw a way too familiar woman in Mayura's place. Words failed her.
Nathalie Sancoeur?!
She looked at the man lying in the place of Hawkmoth.
Gabriel Agreste?!
Cat Not looked as if he had seen a ghost. She had never seen him looking so pale as he was right then. Never in a million years had she imagined her own idol in the place of a person she despised strongly. She had always thought that the person behind the mask would be someone with a famous criminal record and NOT someone who was the father of one of her closest friends.
Oh god! What will happen to Adrien? His own-
Her internal turmoil was cut off short as she heard something from her partner's mouth that she had never in a gazillion years expected him to say. Something that caught not only hers but the adults' attention as well, something that made the exhausted kwamis, Nooroo and Dusuu, widen their eyes in horror.
"F-Father?" Cat Noir's voice cracked.
A/N: And there you have it: The Reveal (Part 2) which turned out to be a three way reveal.
I got you in the last chapter, didn't I? Please don't kill me. I'll make up for all the pain I've caused you in the next three (ending) chapters.
This chapter's title is again from the song On My Way by Alan Walker, Farruko and Sabrina Carpenter. The lyrics are: So take aim and fire away/ I've never been so wide awake/ No, nobody but me can keep me safe/ And I'm on my way/ The blood moon is on the rise/ The fire burning in my eyes/ No, nobody but me can keep me safe/ And I'm on my way...
I watched some fencing instructions (in French with English sub) just so that I could get my terminology right. I've never been into sports and suddenly I am watching Fencing matches. Try imagining the shocked look on my parents' faces.
Let's review cliffhangers, shall we?
Ch 7, Ch 13, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18 and Ch 19...
Man, that's a lot of cliffhangers in a row! Are you all still alive? This has gotta be some kind of record or something.
️[Please leave your thoughts about the intro of the next book I released in the last chapter.]️
Anyway, I took part in a fanfiction award thingy and I'm TERRIFIED! Let's see how it goes.
That's all for today,
Peace, I'm Out!