Hello all. First I want to thank you if you're here. Coming back to read the ending of a story after it's been such a long time-about 11 months- isn't easy to do, and if you're current of what this story is so far, I appreciate you. After my last posting, my Mom's health took a bad turn. She's been unwell for my entire life and taking care of her was another job in itself. I lost her in April of this year, and as you can imagine, from October to late February there was too much stress to write, and from April until now, there's been too much grief. It's been a very difficult time to say the least, but I'm proud that I've finally accomplished the ending I envisioned so long ago, along with the epilogue. I can't wait to hear what you think,
and once again, I am so grateful you took the time to read my story. Thank you so much for going on this journey with me. See you in the A/N after the epilogue.
His chest felt hollow.
The sun was high in the sky, midmorning sunshine brightening up the very empty streets of Paris. He kept his pace steady as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, holding a tight awareness of his surroundings. The breeze flowing over his skin and through his hair was something that usually calmed him, but today he had so much adrenaline and anxiety flowing through him, he could barely feel it.
Ah, there she was.
He could sense someone was following him, Volpina no doubt. He changed his direction, heading to Alya's at a faster pace. He caught her out of the corner of his eye, changing direction as well. He pretended he didn't notice.
He met them on the rooftop of Alya's building. Alya was wearing some of her eldest sister's old winter wrestling gear, with one glove. Her free hand was holding a cell phone to her ear. Nino wore his running turtleneck and tight sweats. Both forgoing their glasses, Chat assumed they were using contacts.
"He just arrived. Make sure everyone is ready." Alya finished her phone call and tucked her phone away.
"Hey dude." Nino greeted calmly, looking past Chat to keep an eye on Volpina, just like they planned.
"Morning guys." Chat nodded to Nino, bringing his attention to Alya. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" She smirked.
"We've been waiting to do our part for a very long time now. Everyone downstairs is even more riled up. We'll be fine."
"She's getting close enough." Nino whispered. Chat felt all his muscles tense even more than they already were.
"Taking a detour, are we?" Volpina snarkily asked, a few yards from Chat, now on the same rooftop. He put on a confident smile, turning to face her, both his arms outstretched like a friendly greeting.
"Well well, are you here to chaperone me on my way over to meet Hawkmoth?" He looked away from her, the morose tone held to every word after. "I just wanted to say goodbye to my friends. Or, is he not even there?" He looked up to her, glaring.
"Oh he's there. Waiting. But you'll never get to see him. I'm going to take your Miraculous now and bring it to him. I'm going to prove my worth, and then he'll let me use the Peacock Miraculous instead of that bitch!"
Chat's heart stuttered for a moment and he struggled to hold his composure. This wasn't something they expected, but it was all starting to make so much sense. Lila's eyes were not red, which very much could have meant she was akumatized within the small window before Hawkmoth became Scarletmoth, who would have been created by Catalyst. His brow scrunched in confusion.
That still didn't make sense. Hawkmoth in his normal form can only akumatize one victim at a time. Volpina isn't Catalyst. But…but if Mayura is involved, and she made a Sentimonster of Catalyst, and she transformed him into Scarletmoth- oh yes, then it could make sense!
His stomach swayed, his mind working too quickly to piece together everything. He had seen Lila only minutes before the attack of scarlet butterflies on the Louvre. She had left in a haste…
…with his father and Natalie.
He shook his head suddenly, as if that could erase the dark, creeping thought he was desperately trying to shove into the back of his mind. He had to be present at this moment. Not a mistake could be made.
He was supposed to say something, to provoke her to follow him, but his mouth was too dry now. The best he could muster was a challenging look as he quickly turned and sprinted toward the stairway door. Alya and Nino made a dash and opened the door for him, shutting it in Volpina's face, her blood-curdling scream muffled by the sudden slam of the iron door. They sprinted down the stairs and she barraged the metal.
"It won't hold for long!" Nino shouted. Alya already had her phone out, calling someone on speakerphone.
"Positions! It's time!" She said quickly, ending the call as they got to the first door. They filed in as they suddenly heard the metal hinges give way, Volpina's enraged voice carrying down the flights, cursing in loud echoes.
Alya and Nino ran ahead of him as he waited in position for her to catch up.
It took only a few deep breaths in and out of his lungs for Volpina to make it down the flights of stairs. When she was close enough to see him, he took off down the hall of apartments, each door ajar with a citizen or two of Paris behind it. They crouched down, tightening pieces of fishing line across the hall as soon as he passed over it. Volpina, hot on his trail, was tripped by the first few lines at different heights, before she got the hang of it and started flipping over each line to the end of the hall. There she was smacked in the face by pies and bags of flour.
He smirked rounding a corner as she let out a screech. He flew down a flight of stairs before jumping out a window left open for him, vaulting onto the closest rooftop.
"They should keep her busy for a while." He muttered. He turned, took a deep breath, and headed for the Eiffel Tower, right on schedule.
He prayed it would all go according to plan. Marinette always had the best ideas in all of their battles, and he had the faith that this would be no different.
But that didn't mean that he wasn't nervous.
For years she forced them to keep their identities a secret for the dangerous variable it causes, and here they are, at the most important battle of their lives, with that variable in play. He smirked.
Though he was sure that he would give his life up for his lady just as dangerously, before knowing her civilian identity.
So it should go fine, nothing to worry about. His feelings concluded as the tower was one leap away. He took a moment to scope out the area. He saw two figures standing on the biggest platform. With a deep breath, he extended his baton to the ground far below, and vaulted himself over the last bit of space, landing on the edge opposite of Hawkmoth and Mayura.
"Well, I was starting to get a bit worried. You're about five minutes late." Chat hadn't expected the villain's voice to be so deep. This was the first time he'd heard the voice in years, and his young mind definitely did not remember it well. Chat made sure to put on the show they rehearsed in Marinette's bedroom. He remembered her sitting on one of the large thorny vines weaving through her room as he paced, trying to get the proper emotion to come out of his voice. Gosh, he wished he was with her now.
"Well, I did have to deal with a Fox you sent to take my Miraculous before our meeting. Not very proper of you when you agreed to meet and give me your reasoning before I handed this over." He raised his hand to show his ring. Hawkmoth scowled.
"I did no such thing. She will be dealt with after we finish this." He took a few steps forward slowly, with his hand stretched out, ready to receive the Miraculous. Mayura silently walked a step behind him, both of them descending one side of the hollowed out square platform. Chat advanced as well, but both parties stopped a few feet apart. The breeze blew through the structure, as a pregnant pause stilled them all. The space felt eerie with no tourists down below. He was so used to looking over the railing that carved out the center square of the platform and seeing countless heads, their bodies as tiny as dolls from his distance.
"I'm not handing it over until I have the real reason why m'Lady is dead right now. Why have you made our lives, and the lives of Parisians hell for the last six or seven years?" His tone felt bitter on his tongue. The bitterness stemmed from Marinette's hurt expression the first time he successfully used it. It was one thing to model, but to act was almost an entirely different ball game. Every word mattered.
Hawkmoth's expression was cold, but it also looked tired. Mayura's was similar, though Chat could have sworn he saw grief and heartbreak in her eyes too. The villain bit the inside of his cheek before starting.
"The wish I want to make...is for my wife. She's been gone for a while... and I want her back so we can be a family with my son again." Chat could tell each word was carefully chosen, but as they came out of the man's mouth, he couldn't help feeling more enraged by each word.
That wish was so personal, so selfish, it burned in Chat's chest. Here he was as Adrien, for years now without his mother, forced to grow up too quickly and have an overly detailed schedule as he built his degree while having a full-time career, while being a protector of Paris, while this selfish son of a bitch put everyone through hell because he wanted his wife back?
"Have you ever considered," Chat's tone was nasty, but even. "That there are so many people out in the world like you, that have lost somebody that they'd want back dearly?" Hawkmoth lowered his hand. Mayura slid a foot backwards, ready for a fight.
"Look me in the face and tell me, that if any of those people had the opportunity that I did, that they wouldn't take it." Chat didn't have the time to respond, let alone process and reflect on what was just said to him, for he saw a red flash swoop around the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug swung into action and kicked Mayura in the back. She collided into Hawkmoth and they landed in a heap in front of Chat. He quickly leaned down to try to take Hawkmoth's Miraculous from his collar, but he grabbed Chat's hand, trying to pull off his ring.
Suddenly, Chat was kicked away. He was lucky enough to form his hand into a fist at the right moment or his ring would have been taken. His stomach still felt the presence of the heeled boot as he stood to see Catalyst helping up Hawkmoth, Ladybug already in combat with Mayura.
Chat took a fighting stance as they approached, pulling his baton from behind his back and extending it the right amount to parry Hawkmoth's cane.
"You fucking brats!" Hawkmoth spat, lunging forward. Chat flicked his wrist to spin his baton around Hawkmoth's cane to successfully parry just before he ducked from getting kicked in the head by Catalyst. He repositioned himself to make sure he was never in the middle of them as they traded attacks.
He could hear Ladybug struggling as she fought Mayura, but couldn't find the opportunity to look let alone get away to fight by her side. He hadn't had the chance to warn her that Catalyst may be in the fight if his predictions were correct, and he was thankful that he had the two on one fight instead of her. This fight was probably too soon for her still recovering, though Tikki helped so much from the suit.
He crouched down and swept his leg in an arc through his opponent's stances, destabilizing them for a moment so he could back up. He itched to start his Cataclysm, but Marinette had told him to wait until her call. He checked over his shoulder to find Mayura on top of Ladybug, choking her as the woman tried to remove her earrings.
"LADYBUG, NO!" He started to dash in their direction, but Catalyst got in his way and kicked him again. He felt the sting in his chest this time as he crashed back into Hawkmoth, the man's arm wrapping around his neck in a chokehold. Catalyst manically laughed as she walked forward to remove his ring. He struggled against Hawkmoth as she approached, and when she was close enough he used the man behind him for support as he swung his legs up and kicked her in the stomach. He then used the motion to break out of Hawkmoth's hold.
As he looked up to check on Ladybug, everything was moving slowly. He saw Mayura in the air above the opening in the center of the platform, having just been kicked away in a similar fashion, Ladybug's legs still bent above her as she lay on the pavement. She then quickly scrambled to her feet and tossed her yoyo over the railing reaching for Mayura, but she stumbled, gasping for breath. She grasped her temple and fell to her knees, most likely still light headed from the choking.
In that moment everything seemed to move in real time, if not faster, as he saw Mayura fall through the sky out of sight. He cringed as he heard a sickening thud. Catalyst faded away in front of him in a blue haze, a white feather floating away. He dashed over to Ladybug's side, checking if she was still conscious before leaning over the railing to look.
His throat went dry. His ears started to ring.
"NATALIE!" Hawkmoth screamed as he ran to the railing, a ways down from them.
Chat raised his head from the gruesome scene of Natalie Sancoeur bleeding out from a broken pile of limbs stories below them to the man just a few lunges away from them, yelling out in agony half thrown over the railing. The official realization of his adversary's identity hardened in his stomach, as the ringing grew louder and louder in his ears. He ignored the gasp next to him as Ladybug stood and shakily grabbed his arm.
He gently pulled out of her grasp, his eyes never leaving the man as he silently willed his Cataclysm to his hand. The first few paces were eerily calm, then he started to dash forward until his palm slammed into his father's chest, letting out a pained scream as he attacked, that echoed from the Eiffel Tower through the skies of Paris.
She couldn't breathe.
Ladybug reached out with both of her arms against the smooth pavement to find nothing to stop Mayura from gripping her neck so tightly she was starting to feel dizzy. She mustered up the energy she had left to scrunch her legs between them, kicking Mayura away with all the force she could muster. The woman left scratches on Ladybug's neck in her wake as she was violently propelled into the air, shock in her features as her gaze locked with Ladybug.
Realizing what was to come, the spotted heroine quickly got to her feet and threw out her yoyo, swaying before it could fully extend. Her vision blinked in and out of blackness a few times before she suddenly felt her knees hit the pavement.
Then Chat was there- she could feel his palm gently cradling her cheek as her vision cleared. Once he was satisfied, he stood, surely to check down below.
"NATALIE!" Hawkmoth screamed as he ran to the railing, a ways down from them. She gasped and felt her stomach lurch, as the man's voice all of a sudden felt all too familiar to her.
No no no. This can't be happening. Her mind repeated over and over as she glanced up to Chat, stone cold as he stared down the railing at their enemy for so many years now. She suddenly felt cold. She shakily stood, grasping his arm. She had to stop him from whatever he was about to do. If she could just hold him here-
He gently pulled out of her grasp without giving her a glance and started from a walk to a run forward, and she didn't realize his Cataclysm was activated until it slammed into Gabriel Agreste's chest.
Hawkmoth screamed, falling to his knees, clutching his chest. Chat didn't give him a moment as he punched the man in the face, causing him to fall backwards. Chat hastily moved to kneel on his chest as he punched him over and over, screaming with every punch.
Ladybug quickly picked up her yoyo, shakily sliding it into her bug phone and dialed. "Yes, this is Ladybug. Yes, I'm alive chief, lying was the only way. Listen, can you meet me at the Eiffel Tower? It's over, but I need medical assistance. Possibly a heart attack. Thank you." She shakily walked over to Chat, using the railing to help keep her steady. She definitely didn't recover enough before this fight.
Chat was still punching away, blood now starting to spatter from Hawkmoth's unconscious bloodied face. It horrified her.
"C-chat, stop. You're...you're going to kill him." He didn't respond, and her vision swam with tears that were going to fall soon. "Chat!" She yelled, moving around him to grab at his arm. She held it against her chest with all that she had left, but he was about to pull out of her grip, still not looking at her.
"ADRIEN PLEASE!" She shouted, the tears falling as she squeezed her eyes shut. She opened them as she felt him turn to her, and was met with shocked, tear filled green eyes, the tears flowing over his mask and mixing with the droplets of blood as they fell down his face.
"W-what?" He whispered, his other hand letting go of Hawkmoth's collar. She held his head in both of her hands to keep him looking at her. She cleared her throat, thick from the constantly falling tears.
"I said, you're going to kill him if you don't stop." Chat looked at her flabbergasted, and she understood that it said 'that's not what I meant'.
"H-how long have you known?" He asked shakily, distracted enough that she was able to pull him off of the barely breathing man and onto the pavement.
"Well, I've had this feeling deep down for a while, but I knew for sure since you brought me home from the hospital." She gave him a small watery smile as she gently combed her fingers through his hair. "Your detransformation triggered my memories to come back, including the one of you carrying me through the alley and transforming into Chat when I hit my head." Acceptance crossed his features as he started to cry harder, and his head dropped against her chest, her arms wrapping around his head and cradling him.
They sobbed together, holding each other tightly as the breeze blew over them in the quiet space, both of their enemies silent. She whispered her Lucky Charm, catching it in her hand. She didn't bother to look at what it was as she threw it over the railing, still holding Adrien tightly as he continued to sob. She said her Miraculous Ladybug just as quietly, feeling the ladybugs quickly healing the scratches on her neck before they continued on. She hoped they would heal the damages to Paris from the beginning of this nightmare.
"Don't worry, we'll get through this." She whispered as she heard the sirens approaching. "Adrien, my Kitty."