Oh. My. God. Hello guys! It's been- Well, it's been some time now, hasn't it? I missed writing! My life now is so different and it's such a new experience. Growing up has been wonderful. I can't promise my return, but I've been so invested in ML content lately, I thought I would bring back this small gem. :) Enjoy chapter 6~ Please! If you can comment and follow this story, that would be lovely.
Bright. That was the last moment Marinette caught a glimpse of the bright lights beaming from her father's chest. It looked as if her father's heart had completely shattered. Chat Noir was jumping from rooftop to rooftop to keep dodging the ray of light being zapped towards him. Was this really happening? Of course this was happening! All because of her…
"M-Marinette…"
Marinette gulped hearing a familiar voice struggling to release her name. Quickly standing up from the coffee shop table, she turns around to face the open door. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng was limping, clutching a fist full of her dress at her chest.
"Mama!", Mari glided over fallen chairs, racing to her frail mother. "Mom, are you okay? W-What happened?"
"Darling.. A-Are you okay? Is.. Is the baby safe?", Mrs. Dupain-Cheng released her grasp from her chest and laid her open palm against her daughter's stomach.
Marinette sighed softly to the caring gesture her warm mother placed. She always was first to care for others before her own well-being and that was the role model Mari constantly aspired to be. How could someone so selfless, so tender change the scene to fit other people's situations other than her own?
"Mama.. The baby is fine. I wasn't even near the action.. Thankfully.. Please, are you okay? I need to know what happened, can you tell me?", she placed her hand on top of Sabine's, awaiting a response to what happened.
"Your father.. He was so hurt.. I never saw him so upset before..", Sabine inhaled sharply, regaining the courage to retell the traumatic experience. "He just was so stone cold.. He kept repeating to himself that he failed as a protector, failed as a father, and failed as a husband.. Hearing those words leave his own lips broke me..", Mrs. Dupain-Cheng started to weep. "He loves you so much Marinette! We both want the best for you, no matter what, but hearing such news… And at such a young age.. That would make any parent feel guilt.."
Mari blinked slowly hearing how distraught her mother was. She knew exactly how her parents felt because of her actions and choices. It's not easy being so young and curious when life is constantly throwing new obstacles at your way.
"I tried my best to console your dad. He kept refusing my care and kept blaming himself. I wasn't the one to blame, only he was. Which is far beyond the truth.." Mrs. Dupain-Cheng's hand started pacing rubs against her daughter's small stomach. In the moment of fear, this gesture was a way of soothing her trauma from her own husband. "The next thing I knew, your father was controlled by this glistening butterfly.. It absorbed so quickly into his balled up fist.. Then he was reciting weird things and became this… this monster! My husband.. He isn't my husband anymore.."
The blue eyed girl flinched at the words. He was akumatized because of his own guilt.. Oh no.. There is no way Chat Noir can take care of this alone..
Releasing her own hand on top of her mother's, she knew she had to fix this mess she made.
"Here, let's sit down.. I know how to get dad to listen. It's not going to be easy, but I promise to bring dad back to us..", Marinette guided her mother to sit against the wall, checking her body for any open wounds. Thankfully, there were minor scrapes and bruising, but nothing major was needing to be tended urgently.
"You know how to bring him back..?", cautiously questioning her daughter, she knew her only hope at restoring her loving husband back was to trust her.
"Yes.. It will make much more sense after everything is fixed, but for now, you need to know I will bring him back to us mom."
Sabine nodded up at her. This was the only chance she would have at saving her father and showing Chat Noir that Ladybug was finally going to return. Maybe.. Only one more time?
Chat Noir reached behind himself to clutch at the pole strapped to his lower back. Fumbling fingertips against the metal, he finally managed to grab ahold the gear. Moving his arm around to the front of himself to start spinning the device rapidly was the first instinctive tactic to block the beam of light.
"Mr. Dupain-Cheng! Please, this isn't you!"
"Of course this isn't me! I am Heartwrencher! Destroyer of those who took what was precious to me! Hand over your miraculous and all my pain and misery will finally end!", the akumatized Tom Dupain-Cheng was laughing maniacally. His movements were so much quicker this time then before. Chat started to piece together the antics.
"His movements are glitching... Like something is powering him to build up more energy-", the feline was cut off from his whispering expression by a loud and proud voice.
"The sun! As long as he's still exposed to sunlight, his powers are going to grow stronger!"
Chat Noir's once parted lips flipped into a grin, "M'Lady! You're finally back..."
Ladybug's yo-yo caught the railing above, lowering her down next to the hero. Her wrist flicked, drawing the yo-yo back in, "I know how to stop my father. It's going to be tricky, but if you can help me get him out of the sunlight, we might have a chance!"
"Hawkmoth is up to something. Not only does he want our miraculous, but this time it feels more anticipated.. Like he knows he's going to get it this time.. Ladybug, I'm starting to overthink about you fighting. We can't risk the baby's life!"
"Chat...He's getting more powerful by the minute.. You know you need me to purify this akuma within my father. Hawkmoth is not going to win, especially messing with such a strong man like my dad. He may already be programmed to get our miraculous, but I know deep down he's still a fighter to Hawkmoth's akuma...", Marinette's courage shined through, encouraging Adrien's trust in her. Just how can we do this?
The blonde boy lunged forward at his love interest giving a passionate kiss before parting, "I love you, Marinette. Please, let me take care of the both of you.." He fell to his knees and gave her small stomach a peck. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing you got harmed over something I could prevent.."
"I promise.. I promise we will get out of this. We always do. Now-", her fingertips traced the frame of his face as he stared up at her with glistening green hues. "Follow my lead, kitty!"
Turning quickly, the red suited superhero leapt off the edge of the building, racing to the bright prisoner. Chat, speechless, snapped out of his gaze coming back to reality.
"I said let me take care of you M'Lady!"
"Come on! Follow the plan!", her yo-yo flew up into the air giving leverage against Heartwrencher's visible range. Heartwrencher gazed at the heroine flying, strategizing his next moving target with a blast full of light. Chat slid across the rooftop, outstretching his legs to buckle underneath the akumatized man's legs. Heartwrencher collapsed, releasing his rays into the sky away from Ladybug.
"You dare try and hit me? One last time. Give me the miraculous or feel the pain of sorrow!"
"Never! You can't inflict pain on others when they can forgive and rebuild!", Chat screeched, trying to let his lady continue the plan.
"Your pain is something that lives deep inside of you. It never goes away, no matter how hard you try to forgive", the akuma resonating inside started to split. Dark marks stretched across Tom Dupain-Cheng's face, cracking an 'X' over his heart.
Chat Noir paused standing next to Heartwrencher. His eyes widened at the new form of his unofficial girlfriend's dad. This newly found strength was only going to get worse if Ladybug didn't hurry.
"You will always live with that mistake, that pain. Don't you have a secret that is too painful to forgive?", his smirk grew wider.
Chat Noir blinked in disbelief. Remembering two months ago what his father told him..
"Your mother, Adrien. You know I loved her, right?"
"Yes, father."
"I tried my best to keep her safe, but she couldn't continue to do so for the two of us. You were the only one she wanted to protect, but knew it wasn't enough against this plan.."
"Father, what are you trying to say?... Mother left us because she had to.. Not because of a plan..."
"She wouldn't let me continue my work, our plans to strive for a better world. I told her what is best and she would not have it! She knew if we went through with this, you would have been the ultimate sacrifice."
"H-How would I-"
"Your mother was a superhero, Adrien. I wanted to help her when she was protecting our world. Once we had you, she no longer wanted to continue the superhero life. It pained me to see her control so much... power.. and to give it up over having a child? I couldn't let it go to waste... So I took her power and tried it for myself. To feel such, raw power.. I knew what needed to be done. Your mother forbid me to wield it and wouldn't put the power into the both of us all because of one ingredient in the mix.."
"Mom was a superhero..? Why would I.."
"You being the offspring would have given enough to bond the power between her and I because of the DNA made from us!"
"She was the superhero! Not you- You can't make her if she didn't want to be-"
"She never had the guts to be one! She gave up what we could have had! Instead of putting both our power together, she gave it all up to save you! I will never forgive her for ruining what we had set! I loved her and gave her everything, until we had you. You were all she wanted and when it meant to give to get, she would not have it!"
"Father please! S-Stop!"
"I lost my perfect wife because of you, Adrien! You are the one who made her lose her ways! Get out of my site!"
"B-But- I-I!"
Heartwrencher's beam of light shot out of his chest towards the stunned Chat Noir. Ladybug released her lucky charm, a hand-held mirror appearing. She tossed it right in front of Chat's body, reflecting the ray of light into the mirror and back out into Heartwrencher's balled up fist. His fist opened up, letting the powerful light hit the object he once held, breaking it to reveal the fluttering akumatized butterfly. Ladybug did her usual saying to capture and purify the akuma, releasing it into the air.
Tom Dupain-Cheng collapsed onto his knees, feeling uncertainty to where he was or how he got there. Ladybug ran over to the dazed man, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay, sir? Here, you were just akumatized. Let me bring you back to your wife!", Marinette's alter ego smiled comfortingly.
"Please.. I feel horrible. Is she alright?.. I lost my way.."
"Don't worry. Your wife is alright and even more so worried about you! I know pain is the most difficult to conquer, but know family can always help you through it. Even if they were the ones to cause that pain to begin with.."
Chat Noir subconsciously froze. Hearing the girl he loves say words that struck towards his memory, his heart shattered. Even after that conversation two months ago, Adrien was planning this whole time on how to forgive and rebuild with his father. After feeling the shared pain Heartwrencher spewed, he would not be able to forgive his father so easily. That pain can no longer be forgiven.
"You're right.. Family is my number one in life.. Thank you Ladybug. And thank you Chat Noir."
"Yeah..", Chat mumbled quietly.
"Chat Noir, help me carry him down!"
"Honey!", Sabine Dupain-Cheng stumbled over to her husband. "My love!" The two adults embraced one another sorely, kissing each cheek. "I thought I lost you.."
"I'm so sorry my dear.. I lost my way. Please, is Marinette okay?"
"She is perfectly fine dear.. She went to get Ladybug since she's been good friends with the superhero for quite a long time with helping Alya's Ladyblog. She knew Ladybug would save you! Marinette is back at home resting."
"Let's hurry home then!"
Ladybug smiled and waved off the parents. Her gaze fell back over to Chat Noir, who has been remotely quiet and not his usual self, "Pound it?"
Chat Noir wouldn't budge. His bangs fell over his eyes, covering up this forming anger.
"Are you okay?.. Hey, I'm here to talk about anything, A-", her hand reaching for his shoulder.
"Stop!", his hand lightly smacked away her own. Her eyes shot open in shock. Parting her lips to make a small remark, her earrings started to beep. She was about to transform and with their identities being newly revealed, it felt too new to just retransform in front of one another. Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes as she grabbed her yo-yo to connect on the nearest cell tower. She quickly flew off without looking back.
"L-Ladybug..", Adrien's voice faded. This whole fight to save her father, put herself at risk of losing their baby, and he can't even be there for her when she needs him. Maybe being a parent would be the wrong thing? Especially now knowing he was the wrong thing for his own father..
It's time to give up and go away.
For good.
I hope you guys like this new chapter! Some drama to add, oooo~ xD Please let me know what you think! I'm not sure if this is something I will continue in the near future, but maybe the help of encouragement.