"Stay. Here."
"Why?" Alya yelled indignantly, "Why should I? I can help!"
Chat shook his head. "It's better for you to stay here at the bakery. It's safe, and I can't be risking civilian lives while it's just me on duty, okay? Please, stay here."
"Oh, come on. I've already proven I can handle it, I'm no novice at avoiding danger."
"You're also no novice at getting into danger, Alya. I can't protect you and fight the Akuma at the same time. This is difficult enough as is." Chat said, drawing his eyebrows together as he tried to think of a reason that would really get her to stay put. "Isn't Marinette here? Wouldn't she want you to stay safe?"
"She's not with you?"
Chat and Alya turned. Sabine stood in the bakery doorway, hands held to her mouth. "She said you had an emergency Alya, and that she was going to check on you. You haven't seen her?"
"What? No, I haven't, not all day. When did she leave?" Alya replied, panic already creeping into her tone.
"Around eight o'clock this morning."
"That's hours ago now." Chat managed. He'd gone stiff as the unease slipped down his spine. "Do you think she went to your house?"
Alya shook her head, phone already in hand, "No, my dad would've told me if Marinette turned up— crap, my notifications were off, I've got so many missed calls—"
"Damn. Okay. More reason for you to stay here." Chat said as he typed something into his baton.
"What? No, it's more reason for me to go, I need to look for her! She's my best friend, I'm not going to let her get Chloe-fied, I need to find her!" Alya shouted at him. She was getting more and more aggravated, her face turning beet red.
"Alya." Sabine called, her voice calmer than her expression. "Please come inside. We need to trust Chat to find her, okay?"
Alya looked at her in shock, "But, Mrs Dupain-Cheng, Marinette—"
"I know." Sabine cut her off. "I know Alya, and I am just as scared as you, however I will not be having you risk your life too. I will not have two children missing like this, it's too dangerous, and you are too precious to lose. Stay here, stay safe, and Chat Noir will find Marinette. Right, Chat Noir?"
"Of course." Chat nodded. "I'll find her. I promise."
"Thank you. Now, Alya, lets get you inside, get you cleaned up, you've got dirt all over your shoes." Sabine smiled warmly, blinking tears from her eyes. "We'll get you a blanket too, your hands are so cold!"
Sabine ushered her inside before she could complain any further. She turned back towards Chat before she closed the door. "Chat, please, I beg you. Find my daughter. She means the world to me and her father."
"I won't fail. I'll find Marinette." Chat replied. The Kwami in his hair fidgeted.
Sabine gave him a faint smile, "I don't expect any less. Here." She handed him a paper bag she'd had tucked beside the door, "There's a couple of cheese pasties, danishes and chocolate chip cookies in there, just to keep you going. I can't imagine you've eaten all day."
Chat accepted the bag with a murmur of thanks. He was always surprised by the kind thoughtfulness of the Dupain-Chengs, though he supposed by now he should be used to their easy consideration. He owed Marinette and her parents so much, and the idea that Marinette was missing, and still Sabine had thought of him, made him even more deadset in saving her.
Sabine turned to go back inside before adding gently, "Oh, and Nadja got here safely, as did Officer Raincomprix and little Manon. She's very grateful. Thank you for thinking of them."
Chat nodded, one less worry off his shoulders, and the door shut, Sabine watching and waving from the window as he leapt away, determined.
As such, neither of them noticed Alya silently slip out the back door and run furiously in the opposite direction.
—
Marinette. Where would Marinette go during an Akuma attack?
Alya was drawing a blank and it was killing her from the inside out.
All that talk yesterday, all that frustration, over the insinuation she didn't know Marinette well enough, or that Marinette didn't know her, and now she couldn't think of one place that Mari might go. It was driving her crazy, it was like her brain had just shut down.
There wasn't a single obvious place that would come to mind.
Alya hadn't considered that Marinette might come after her. Past the texts she'd send that morning, she hadn't even thought of Marinette all day, too caught up in the excitement and the danger. Irritably, she resisted taking her anger out on the city rubble, worry and guilt making her antsy.
Where would she have gone? Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Sunday afternoon, during an Akuma attack. She could couldn't understand why it was so hard of a question to answer. She'd known Marinette for a while now, they spent every other day together. Maybe they hadn't been friends for years, but they'd been friends long enough. They were close, she'd thought.
But, somehow, Alya couldn't remember a single time she'd even seen Marinette during an attack. The girl usually just up and vanished, running away like a dart the second an attack was announced. Surely she had to go somewhere when she did that.
Alya punched the sides of her head, frustration growing. How had she never once gone with her? Never followed her into whatever cupboard, room, place or landmark she ran to? They were otherwise joined at the hip, it just didn't make sense.
"C'mon! Marinette, she's Marinette. Where is Marinette likely to go?" Alya murmured under her breath, words tripping over each other. "She was looking for me, but she didn't find me, so she won't be anywhere I've been. She wasn't at the bakery, or the studios, or the hotel, and I didn't see her in between. Where haven't I looked today? C'mon Alya, use your brain, use your stupid, stupid brain."
Places flitted through her head. The Arc de Triomphe. The fabric store. Nino's house. The swimming pool. The Eiffel Tower. The cinema. Their favourite café. La Seine. The school...
Alya stopped dead in her tracks.
The school. Marinette could've gone to the school.
It was safe, robust, she already knew her way around and the Akuma would be unlikely to go there. There were several things she could use as weapons, no Chloe-clone would set foot in there by choice and every one of the doors in there had a secure lock. Usually they were in school anyway when an Akuma struck, and Marinette would reappear pretty soon after they were defeated, so surely she couldn't be going far from there.
It was the perfect place to hide if you didn't want to be found. After all, no rational person would assume a student would hide at a school, especially not at the weekend.
It wasn't exactly Mari's favourite place in the world, but it was the best idea Alya had, and for now that was enough to go on. Alya spun on her heel and raced back towards the Collège Françoise Dupont.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Alya turned into the next street, one filled with clones. She gasped in surprise before she could stop herself, catching their attention. In an eerie moment of unison, they all turned to face her at once, making her stumble backwards in shock.
Other than their hard-eyed glares, nothing else seemed especially amiss. Assuming they were moving past the verbal attacks to the cold shoulder, Alya was ready to run right past them, but then one at the front of the hoard held up a hand. She moved her pointer finger side to side like a metronome.
"Alya." She said, malice dripping from her tone, "Did you know my Daddy's hunting you?"
"What?" Alya's face scrunched up in confusion, "What are you talking about? He's nowhere near here."
"He's on his way." A Chloe from the middle of the crowd called. "He's coming to get you."
"Daddy's very angry that you upset me." Another whispered beside her.
"You left me alone! You deserve it!" A clone to the left sneered, jerking suddenly and launching herself at Alya, her acrylics held out like cat claws. With a shout, Alya jumped to the right, slow enough to have her wrist nicked by a nail. The Chloe fell in a crumpled pile on the floor. She didn't try to get up.
"Hey, ow, that hurt! Those things are like tiny knives— oh, great now I'm bleeding. Thanks a lot." Alya said, sucking the blood from the cut, "First Marinette goes missing and now this, this is such bullshi—"
"Marinette too!" Another copy hissed, slowly stalking forward alongside the rest of the clone mass. "Another enemy. More prey."
Alya really wasn't liking that phrasing. "Prey?" She raised a fist, "What did you freaks do with Marinette? Did you hurt her?"
The copies didn't answer, all they did was smile menacingly, all teeth, and that was enough for Alya to suddenly realise she really wasn't safe.
She had to get to that school, now.
"Uhh. Bye." Alya managed before kicking the pavement and forcing herself into a sprint.
Like a pack of hungry hyenas, the Chloes scrambled over each other in fast pursuit, cackles and camera shutters getting closer and closer to Alya's retreating back. They hissed like caged animals, chewing at the bit to get to her, as if catching her would bring them riches beyond their wildest dreams. Each Chloe was out for herself, pushing her duplicates to the ground maliciously, their cruelty heightened by the chase.
Alya tried to let that motivate her, but the exhaustion and panic running through her veins weren't as great a mix as she'd hoped. The strain was becoming too much; her legs were turning to lead, and while the school wasn't far, a few more turns that was all, it was being more and more difficult to keep herself moving, despite knowing that if she was caught, she'd have more than a little scratch to show for it.
She'd taken the scenic route originally in an effort to avoid Chat, but now she was wishing she'd just been more direct or had thought of going to the school sooner so she didn't end up taking a massive detour. Maybe a more succinct route would've had less bloodthirsty blondes out to rip her to ribbons lining the way too.
Alya whipped around another corner, jumping over the pavement slabs, catching a glimpse of the copies. If anything, the mass had grown, stray sisters picked up along the way. Each one had their faces warped in a snarl, far beyond anything she'd seen real-Chloe wear, bloodlust shining clear in their eyes. For the first time all day, Alya felt a jolt of fear.
Suddenly Alya could see it; the school was in her sights.
Using a lamppost to propel herself forward as fast as her legs could take her, Alya reached out for the stairs, racing up the steps on all fours as her knees threatened to give out. She took them two, three at a time, the hoard barely a breath behind her. Her vision darkened as her lungs started to struggle, but Alya gathered enough strength for one final jump.
Through the doors she fell, twisting her torso and kicking them shut behind her, knocking a Chloe in the chin with the handle, sending her plummeting into her twins like a bowling ball into pins. Quickly, Alya reached up to lock both doors. She leant back against them and gasped like parched man lost in the desert.
"What?" She said to the empty entrance when she could breathe again. "W-What happened there?" She couldn't think of an answer, and no one appeared to offer one.
Real-Chloe had messed up somehow, that much was obvious, but why would that affect Alya? The fakes had clearly got some kind of alert to seek out her and Marinette, but how?
Could they sense something wrong with the original, feeding off her emotions somehow? What if Perfect Candidate was able to control the clones remotely? Was he sending them telepathic messages? The unanswered questions made her head hurt and her stomach sink. Maybe their phones had access to more than just Instagram, and they really were an army, organised for warfare and child kidnapping.
Then, Alya remembered why she was out to be chased in the first place.
"Marinette!" Alya cried out, trying to stand on her wobbly legs, "Marinette, are you here?"
There was no reply. Alya wanted to scream, so she did.
"No, come on! Mari! It's me, Alya! Please, you have to be here!" She shouted as she ran around the first floor, throwing open doors. "You have to be, or... or I've— I messed up and I didn't think— I didn't even care— and you always tell me to, to think before I speak or before I act or before I throw myself at danger— Chat did the same, not five minutes ago!"
She ran up the stairs to keep desperately searching, "And look, I still did it, despite all that. I didn't listen and you could be hurt or lost or worse and all because I'm stupid— I didn't think or listen or— I don't even know you well enough to know where you go when you're scared!"
Alya threw her fist against the wall, the thump reverberating across the room like a guilty verdict, finishing her rant. Breathing heavy, Alya hiccuped back the frustrated tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
The school stayed silent. Marinette was nowhere to be seen.
Alya walked back to where she'd dropped her bag, down by the entrance. With a defeated sigh, she slid down to the floor, head in her hands. She wanted to give in, sit there discarded like a forgotten rag doll against the doors. She wanted to cry like a little girl. It was so unfair.
She'd tried hadn't she? Alya'd run herself ragged, trying. Dirty, tired, sweaty and miserable, and nothing good to come from it. What was the point? The city was doomed anyway. Ladybug was a no-show, possibly missing or kidnapped by the hoard, and so Hawk Moth would win, and then Alya, like everyone else, was going to turn into a Chloe without even knowing if her best friend was safe.
It was a bleak reality.
Alya pulled her phone out her back pocket. She'd already checked all her messages, text, apps, everything, so there was no point looking. She'd had missed calls and messages from Mari, but there'd been no answer when she tried to return them; straight to voicemail. Aimlessly, she clicked the link to her blog, staring at the last picture she'd posted, ignoring the low charge.
Sure, it wasn't technically up to her usual standard of thrilling modern day journalism, just a picture of the hotel clones, but fundamentally the Ladyblog was just that, a blog. Blogs had pictures with caption jokes. She was just playing to the convention codes.
She clicked the image. Immediately popped up a link below it: several new comments. Alya clicked on that too, not really caring. She started to school aimlessly when the top voted comment caught her attention.
? : Alya i stg the one time u don't geo-tag a post is when im tryin to find u, answer ur phone idiot i've been looking for u for hours
- posted 10:47, from iPhone 5
The tears started falling.
No. She couldn't give up. Marinette wouldn't. Marinette hadn't. Marinette was still trying, still searching, still keeping on.
Alya wiped her eyes furiously with her sleeve, getting little spots of blood from her cut on her cheeks. No quitting now. She felt sore, both inside and out, but she had to prove she was Marinette's friend and that that meant something.
She was Marinette's best friend, Alya Césaire. Marinette Dupain-Cheng would never abandon a friend, and Alya wasn't about fall behind, not if Marinette was at stake.
Quickly, she typed out a reply.
ladyblogger : im at the school where are u? i'll come to u
- posted 13:13, from iPhone 5
? : im omw now, DO NOT MOVE. stay safe gurl the cavalry's comin
- posted 13:17, from iPod Touch
Alya let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.
Marinette was okay, okay enough to joke. The guilt lifted a little, but not a lot. Part of her wanted to argue that Marinette should stay put and she'd go to her, but the aches in her bones suggested that maybe that wasn't the best plan.
She was just so used to leading the way. She couldn't help being rash and overprotective, it was her nature as a middle child, and as a reporter. Besides, Mari was the kind of person you just kind of wanted to protect. The girl still had, and actively used, an iPod, how could you not want to look after someone like that? Alya was used to bailing her out, making excuses, pressing for more, but still keeping the peace. It was rare the opposite happened.
It was a weird feeling to know they'd flipped their self-assigned roles.
Alya wiggled herself into a more comfortable position, seeing as she was probably going to be waiting a while. She scrolled through more blog comments for a while when suddenly a chilling thought struck her.
For all they'd chased her to the school, the copycat Chloe's had been very quiet since she'd locked the door. Much too quiet.
Slowly, she pushed herself up to look out the window.
The Chloes were lined up outside the building all holding their phones aloft. One or two of them were directing the masses into a series of formations, pointing and shouting, but for the most part they seemed to be waiting impatiently for something.
'Odd.' Alya thought. 'Don't like it.'
The screens started to light up in quick succession. The Chloes chattered amongst themselves, excited.
Alya didn't know what to make of that, but she really, really didn't like it.
One pointed over the school and waved, the copies besides her soon following suit, awareness rippling though the crowd. Alya couldn't see what they were looking at but they seemed excited. Very excited. Hell, maybe Adrien Agreste was on the roof or something.
There was a creak behind her. Alya whipped around, hitting herself in the face with her hair. She stared at the hall, the squeak of her sneakers too loud as she shifted nervously.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, within a number of seconds, the sunshine coming through the skylight began to disappear, dark shadows rushing forward eagerly, plunging Alya and the empty school into pitch black. Alya turned on her phone torch without looking at the screen, her heart beating against her chest in 4/4 time. Her mind raced with panic.
If the Chloes stormed the building from the other side, she'd be trapped, so she couldn't stay. She had to get out, get back to the bakery. Carefully, she risked a step forward, the sound all too loud in the quiet.
Another creak. Alya sharply in took a breath.
All at once the right side of the building collapsed, caving in like there'd been an earthquake. Broken pillars rained down from the roof, showering Alya in splinters and broken glass. Somewhere, a pipe burst, spraying the room with water. Coughing and drenched, Alya waved her hand to waft away the wood dust and froze the moment it was clear enough to see.
A giant blue fist sat in the debris.
Slowly it moved back. It was replaced immediately, faster than the eye could follow, by two too-black holes, staring at her with a stronger feeling of animosity than she'd ever experienced in her life.
Alya spun round, fumbling with the locks, already sweating buckets. The Chloes had cleared out, apparently satisfied, but somehow that didn't alleviate the panic. If that Akuma caught her, she knew for sure there'd be no escape. If Hawk Moth couldn't control it's reign of terror, then there was no way she was surviving it. She'd be dead before she could say 'miraculous'.
Alya had to run if she wanted her life. She shot out the doors too fast, catching her shoe in the door frame. Shouting in surprise, she crashed down the stairs, landing in an awkward, crumpled pile. She heard something snap.
Clutching her foot and hissing through her teeth, her vision turning spotty, Alya cursed. She tried to stand, but fell with a wrecked shout the minute she put weight on her ankle. She couldn't walk, it was twisted, or broken. Oh god, she couldn't walk. If she couldn't walk, she couldn't escape. If she couldn't escape, she'd be dead within the minute.
The Akuma behind floated through the school building, bricks cascading down around it as easily as water. It wasn't in any rush.
Slowly, it leaned down, reaching towards Alya, it's thick fingers twitching in sick anticipation. The target style badge inside its hand was as clear as day.
'Because you have no choice!'
Alya found herself wishing, quite suddenly, that someone would come and save her.
—
Marinette looked up at Perfect Candidate and missed Tikki more than ever.
The Akuma's pantomime grin was upside down, clicking slightly from side to side, as if grinding its teeth, and the thought alone made her want to run and hide.
She could see it was getting closer and closer to Alya. It held it's giant glove-like hand menacingly out towards her, and it was clear she wasn't going to get away in time. The fear on her friend's face was apparent even from where she was standing; Alya was petrified. She stumbled, tripped and hobbled, desperately trying to get away in any way she could.
Alya almost looked like she was crying. It was that that made Mari most worried.
Alya was never scared, not even when she'd been captured by The Pharaoh, not even when she herself had been akumatised, not even on the first day they'd met, when Ivan had been possessed and Hawkmoth declared war on the heroes of Paris.
Alya didn't get scared. She'd boast about it in class, and everyone would just believe her. They had no reason not to.
But she was scared now.
Marinette's vision tunnelled, locked onto Alya's terrified face. A thousand thoughts ran through her head in the span of a second and, suddenly, Mari started running.
She had to save Alya.
Alya was her best friend, no one was going to touch her, not while Marinette was still able to stop them. Her legs ached with strain but she kept surging forward, sweat coating her brow like a face mask. Alya'd stuck with her, through everything, she wasn't going to lose her, not by choice. She clenched her hands into fists, pushing herself harder. Faster. Quicker. Save her.
A mad panic pounded inside her head. No one else was getting hurt on Marinette's watch. Suit or no suit. No one else. This was where she drew the line.
Silently she apologised to the people from the studios. She was about to break her promise.
Mari risked a glance at the Akuma: it was closing in. It was now or never.
Marinette gritted her teeth, outstretched her arms and slammed her eyes shut at the last possible moment, ignoring her own fear, focusing on her determination. Thinking would come after.
"Alya!"
With all her strength, Marinette pushed Alya out of the way hard enough to topple her, just as the massive fist closed tight. Fingers coiled quick around Marinette's body, knocking all the air out of her all at once. She gasped in shock, the hard brunt force more painful than she'd expected.
Alya fell, her shoulder landing awkwardly against the pavement. She looked up and her cheeks paled. Mari could see the blood drain from Alya's face as slow as it happened, like a broken lava lamp left to dribble across a carpet.
"Marinette!" She screamed, voice breaking. Her voice sounded raw, her eyes already red from crying, "Marinette!"
Mari couldn't focus. All the breath in her lungs was squeezed out of her, gone. She swallowed, choked, dreamed for air. Only her arms and head were outside of the Akuma's grip and she flailed about, trying to reach her backpack or push at the fingers resting at her waist or wave frantically for help, anything, but her limbs wouldn't obey her. She felt trapped.
Mari gasped again. Somewhere far away she could hear shouting, but the words were too mangled for her to make out, distorted by desperation and sobbing. She heard a sharp yell.
There was a rush of movement, a lurch in her stomach, and suddenly Marinette found herself staring directly into the face of the Perfect Candidate.
His eyes were an unfriendly void. No colour, no sound, no life— only pitch black darkness, the exact rare kind you might find under a child's bed, cloaking a monster. In a slow, agonising movement, the grin started to turn right side up.
Click. Click. Click.
It was as strikingly boring and as agonising as watching a clock's hands tick.
Click. Click. Click.
Slow. Marinette gasped. She needed air. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, like it was trying to break free of its ribcage. Marinette couldn't blame it for trying.
Click. Click. Click.
She couldn't feel her face. Her lips were numb. The all encompassing darkness of those eyes seemed to swallow her, and the dark circles grew, clouding her vision with a solid black.
Click. Click. Click.
'Huh.' Marinette thought to herself. 'I didn't tell my parents I loved them before I left home today. Huh. Huh.'
Click. Click. Cli-
"Cataclysm!"
Another rush of movement, a horrible inhuman roar, a pop that near shattered her ears, a jarring stop and then, suddenly, she could breathe again.
Marinette took the biggest breath of her life and tried really hard not to throw up her lungs. She could feel hot tears streaming from her eyes and she almost wanted to laugh. She was alive! Somehow, despite her best efforts, she was alive. Painful, wonderful, full throttle life.
An image of Tikki flashed through her head. Lucky. Lucky red bug.
Mari could feel warm arms wrapped around her protectively, and she leaned in close to the comforting feeling, drawing in deep breaths, coughing into her shirt. Whoever had saved her smelt of home: new fabric, fresh morning air and vanilla bean. Content that she was safe, she closed her eyes.
The person holding her moved swiftly, jumping and gliding like a gymnast, before coming a sudden stop. They gently lowered her to the ground. Silently she protested; she wanted to stay in the nice, warm, hug for longer so she could take a nap. She really wanted a nap.
Voices swarmed around her, and Marinette struggled to focus on just one, words dipping in and out like a broken speaker. There seemed to be thousands of people all vying for her ear.
"Marinette! Oh my god, Marinette, Marinette! Don't fall asleep, I— I think that's dangerous, I don't really— I don't know—"
"I'm so sorry, I'm so— I should have been here quicker, I should be— oh god, is— is she going to be okay, I don't know first aid—"
"Her bag, quick— Get her bag, Chat, she might have a med kit in there!"
"Why would she— okay, never mind she does, here, here it is! Alya, god, Alya do you think she'll— how long was she up there, I—"
"Only about ten seconds— it wasn't long, she has to be— she's not, not going to be okay, right? I'm not— I'm not losing—"
"No. No no no, she's not going to— I'll call an ambulance."
"Wait." Marinette struggled to sit up. "Wait, don't, I'm f-fine. I don't need an ambulance, don't— don't put me in a hospital."
Alya gasped, patting all over Mari's face. She whispered angrily, her voice wobbling with worry, "Mari, no, do not get up, stay right there, where you are! You could hurt yourself—" Her hands fluttered in front of her friend, uncertain how as to help.
"I'm fine! Don't worry!" Mari managed a bleary smile, though her lips felt like cracked porcelain and her throat like coarse sandpaper. "Just needed some— ugh, oh god— some air, that's all!"
Chat and Alya shared a look, and Mari didn't miss the hidden meaning there. She kept smiling. Pretending felt better.
Chat stood up, his face unreadable, "I'm going after the Akuma victim. I need to find that butterfly immediately. Alya, get her home."
He glanced at Marinette and for a moment his face crumpled with guilt, "This was my fault. He never should have been possessed for this long."
Before anyone could protest, he pressed the button on his baton and leapt away.
Alya turned back to Marinette, passing her some water. She took a deep breath. "Marinette."
Marinette grunted in response; she couldn't talk and drink. It was taking enough of her energy just to keep sitting up.
"What you just did was so ridiculously stupid." Alya said, her voice cracking, "It was by far the stupidest thing you have ever done Marinette and I am— god I'm so— so... so angry at you for... you nearly died! You nearly died!" Alya stopped herself to take a deep breath, hissing through her teeth to keep herself from shouting, "Why would you throw yourself in the line of fire like that! You could have been killed!"
Marinette finished her water and looked at her friend defiantly. "He would've got you if I hadn't done anything!"
Alya huffed in shaky disbelief, "So? Yeah, I was scared, but I already knew the risks when I came out here. There was no need for you to put yourself in danger for me! Ladybug or Chat Noir would've saved me if it got really bad! Chat was right around the corner, it would've have been fine, it would've been fine."
Oh.
Marinette felt Alya's words like an echo, feeling as if she was watching their argument unfold from outside of her head.
Alya's blind faith in her heroes could've left her dead and, not for the first time, the weight of her responsibilities as Ladybug settled on her shoulders, making her knees feel weak. A little part of Marinette crumbled inside as she realised that people's lives, their futures, really did depend on her, and it was up to her to protect her city more now than ever.
It sounded so obvious, but somehow the thought hadn't completely hit her until that moment.
And, like a second punch to the stomach, she remembered how it could've all been avoided if only she hadn't lost her precious Tikki.
"Ladybug wasn't there Alya! Chat Noir was late! You can't— they aren't always there!" Marinette heard herself say, "Don't convince yourself it would all just be fine because two magical scapegoats are ready to bail you out whenever you mess up! I was there! I didn't want you to get hurt so I did what I had to, to keep you safe! It's my job to protect you!"
Alya scoffed, almost laughing, "Job? Who said it was your job? I can take care of myself, thanks."
"No! You don't under— oh, whatever, it doesn't matter!" Mari shook her head and crossed her arms, trying to clear herself of her thoughts, ground herself. She felt too dizzy to think. "You're safe, so am I, so why are we even having this argument?"
"Because you can't just... sacrifice yourself like that Mari! It's not okay; do you think I want you to die for me or something because I don't, I really don't. Don't you dare do something that stupid again."
"Why don't you stop being stupid?" Mari snapped, holding off a coughing fit, "Every time there's an Akuma you run straight towards the danger! It's not a game Alya, if Ladybug doesn't purify the butterfly in time, she can't save you! That ankle of yours— yeah, I noticed it's twisted— it's permanent! You get anything worse than that, that's it! If you died then, that's it! You wouldn't be coming back and I... I— I feel like that would be on me."
"That's no excuse to throw yourself at a supervillain, Marinette!" Alya snarled through her teeth. "My decisions are my own."
Marinette choked back a sob she didn't expect, wiping her eyes, turning away from her friend's furious expression. "You don't get it, I didn't... I don't wanna see you hurt, or see you injured, or see you damaged if I can step in to stop it. You're my best friend, I don't want to lose you, I can't— not you too—" Marinette suddenly sounded very small. "You're my best friend, Alya."
Alya blinked, more tears threatening her. She wanted to hit something. Again, too caught up in her own pain and shock to notice, she'd forgotten to think of Marinette.
Alya felt the guilt well up in her throat as again she realised she'd only been thinking selfishly: what she was doing, feeling, acting on, trying to accomplish. It was the reporter in her: focused always on getting the story, but not always aware of the damage in insensitivity, in hypocrisy. Her face crumpled. "I'm sorry, Mari, I'm— I should've— Oh, 'Nette, come here."
Alya pulled Marinette into a hug, and the dam broke. Mari started to cry, little hiccuping breaths making her shake, and gradually they both leant on one another, so they wouldn't have to rely on their own shaky limbs.
Marinette hid her face in Alya's shoulder, sniffling. "I was so, so— I was so scared Alya, I thought that you were— that that was it— and then I was going to die and I hadn't— I didn't—"
"Shhh, shhh, its alright, we're both safe. We're okay... we're all okay. I promise. I promise it's okay, I'm okay, you're okay, it's alright..." Alya kept murmuring softly, her own tears making Marinette's hair wet. She gently stroked her friend's head, trying to sooth her, and Mari in turn hugged Alya tightly, as if trying to stop both of them from trembling, trying to make everything right again.
It wasn't working fast... but it was working.
—
Adrien was angry.
He'd been angry beforehand, sure, but the fear had covered most of it up.
Fear of failure. Fear of the enemy. Fear of losing someone important. There was too much danger to focus on anything else.
Now though? Now he was mad.
He was mad the Akuma had ruined his city, tearing down landmarks like LEGO brick houses. He was mad he wasn't strong enough alone, he needed more help to finish off the Akuma, he couldn't do it by himself.
He was mad at Ladybug for leaving him alone.
But mostly, he was mad that his own weakness nearly cost Marinette her life. She was an innocent, a sweet-hearted person full of compassion who'd done nothing wrong and she nearly died. His friend, his kind and considerate first school-friend, and he'd nearly failed to protect her. It was his job to protect her.
The look of terror on her face kept replaying inside his head.
Adrien grit his teeth. The Akuma had to be stopped now, there was no time left to look for Ladybug. He had to act sooner rather than later, there was no telling when the Akuma would release and multiply. Together, they usually took care of it before it reached that point, but the danger was quickly nearing reality, and if it did, then all hope would really be lost. If he, with his powers and his cunning, couldn't handle one Perfect Candidate, then a hundred could wipe out France without lifting more than a palm.
"Tikki?" Adrien said softly, "You okay?"
After leaving Marinette with Alya, Adrien had jumped to the nearest high roof with the Kwami to recharge. Tikki and Plagg sat in silence in front of him, morosely chewing on the cheese pasties and cookies Sabine had given them. Adrien himself hurried to eat an apple danish.
"Mhmm." Tikki replied, sounding sniffly. "I'll be alright. Just… a little shaken."
"That's... that's good." Adrien said, taking a heavy breath, "Tikki, I'm sorry to ask, but I need to know. Is there a way to purify the butterfly without Ladybug? Like a chant or something? I think we're going to need another solution and fast. We're not going to have enough time to find her."
Tikki wiped her nose with her arm, sniffling again, "I agree and I do... but it's not easy. It'll take a lot of energy."
"Do you think it's still—"
"Kid, no, don't. Last time she tried to purify something that powerful on her own she nearly burnt up into cinders. It's not worth the risk. We gotta find Ladybug instead." Plagg said between large bites. "It's not happening. Don't even entertain it."
"But Plagg—"
"No, Chat." Adrien was interrupted by Tikki shooting in front of his eyeline. She wiped her eyes and crossed her little arms. "It's not Plagg's decision to make. Yes, the charm isn't easy, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to try. My Ladybug... sh-she isn't able to fight with us right now, so the second best thing will have to do." She softened her eyes, "Find the butterfly. I'll take care of the rest."
Adrien frowned. "Are you sure, Tikki? I won't make you."
Plagg scoffed. "No, she's not sure!" He shouted, flying up to her level, "What if you burn up? Then we've got no Tikki, no Ladybug, no good luck! Then what? We fall to Hawk Moth? I drag Adrien on some hair-brained mission to find some other purification Kwami?" His voice took on a sneering quality, "Hmm let me think... how about Babbs? Things worked out well for her when she tried a charm as difficult as this right? Do you remember that?"
Tikki's determined expression crumpled like paper and she sank to the ground. "Plagg. That's not kind."
"I— ugh..." Plagg's anger deflated as quick as it arrived. "Yeah... I know, I'm sorry that was... that was a low blow. I just don't want you to get hurt again. I'll be in the miraculous, I won't be able save you if something goes wrong this time."
"I know. It's okay. But you know we have no choice. My charge isn't here, it's just us three." She locked eyes with Plagg, "I have to."
There was a beat of tense silence before Adrien cupped Tikki in his hand and lifted her to his eye level. "We can find another way if—"
"There isn't one. Let's go." Tikki said, her tone final.
Once Adrien had re-transformed and Tikki had resettled herself comfortably beside his cat-ear, Adrien leapt again, running over rooftops towards the hulking form of Perfect Candidate. After he'd burst the thing's hand, the Akuma had retreated, cradling it's stump. It hadn't gone far, just a few blocks over, but it made a sad crooning sound, like a hurt baby bird, probably looking for a Chloe to comfort him.
Adrien had no sympathy left for the Akuma. Hawk Moth's bastardisation of the Mayor's parental wish had hurt his friend so badly she'd felt cold in his arms. He had to defeat Perfect Candidate and he had to do it fast.
With a cry, Chat shot forward, his baton raised high. The Akuma whipped round, mouth clicking firmly into a frown, wasting no time advertising it's aggression. Raising it's one remaining hand it levelled the badge in it's palm directly at Chat. Without hesitation, it began firing.
Chat shot his baton to the side, using a chimney to send himself swiftly to the left, dodging the blasts by a hairs-width. Rolling immediately once he landed, he shot upwards again, shortening and lengthening his weapon in two clicks, shots shooting past him, too close and personal to be safe. He hooked the end of the baton between the Akuma's fingers in one quick movement and swung himself up, curving and landing on the it's head.
"Where do hit?" Chat yelled at Tikki as the Akuma tried in vain to shake him off, "Which badge?"
"Try the closest one!" She cried in reply, "Whatever's in range!"
Chat gritted his teeth and jumped, aiming for the biggest badge on the sash, the one that read 'I Am The Perfect Candidate'. Catching his baton behind it, he pulled hard, using his weight and gravity to pull it loose from the Akuma. As it fell, Chat flipped himself upwards in a tight arc, landing on the badge and surfing it down the Akuma, only jumping off it to push it forcefully into the pavement. It shattered on impact.
Hanging from a fire escape, Chat waited to catch the butterfly. Nothing emerged.
"Crap." Chat climbed up the ladder, perching himself on the roof. "Next badge?"
"Blue one." Tikki chirped, "Try the blue one, then white, then red. We'll make our way along it, shoulder down."
'This sucks. You can't pick out something unusual if everything on the stupid thing is gaudy and stand-out-ish. The butterfly could be anywhere.' Plagg's voice complained inside his head.
There was no time to grace him with a reply; the Akuma, without looking, swung its arm backwards over its shoulder, flailing about like it was trying to hit a wasp. Chat ducked and weaved, bouncing across rooftops and billboards until there was an opening to get close and try again. The Akuma's arm slowed for a second and Chat jumped up, using the outstretched arm as a bridge to his targets. He clicked his baton five times, hitting each button's pin as the baton shot forward, sending all three cascading into the asphalt in quick succession.
Still no butterfly.
"We don't have time for this. I'm going to take out the whole sash."
The Akuma turned sharply, clicking like gnashing jaws. A purple outline appeared in front of its maw and Chat could've sworn it's hideous grimace grew larger. It's pause gave Chat an opportunity to get closer, but he hesitated to strike, unsure of Perfect Candidate's next move
.
As the mask faded, the Akuma spun, facing back where it came from. Back towards Marinette and Alya.
Chat Noir tensed. "Oh no, you're not going back through there. You don't touch them."
Perfect Candidate didn't reply, but it's smile began to turn back to a grin, relishing in the promise of pain. It took a step forward.
"No!" Chat roared. He jumped forward, twisting in the air, his baton raised for attack, "Leave my friends alone!"
How he missed, Chat didn't know, but the Akuma surprised him again. How was it so fast? It traveled like a stampeding rhino aiming only to injure; straight towards the girls. Streaks of blue fizzled in it's wake.
"Dammit!" Hooking his baton into a chimney, Chat flew after it, his tail whipping in angry flicks.
"Chat!" Tikki screeched in his ear, "Don't let him touch Marinette!"
"He's not going to make it that far." Chat said, fist clenched by his side. "Cataclysm!" His hand erupted with destruction energy.
'Don't miss, kid. You can't afford the recharge time.' Plagg warned in his head.
"I know that, Plagg!" Adrien snapped. The pressure was starting to take a toll on his manners. "I'm not about to miss!"
'You missed just then.'
"I know that, Plagg!"
Chat ran like he his shoes were alight, boots pounding against the rooftiles. Again he jumped, cutting across streets in a bid to catch up. He noticed Perfect Candidate slow. It bobbed awkwardly, back to being balloon-ish.
'Huh, guess it can only move quickly in short bursts then.' Plagg said inside his head as Chat positioned his baton against a drain pipe for the perfect launch angle. 'Good. Get him now, Adrien.'
Chat didn't need telling twice. He had people to save.
Chat zoomed forward, dashing alongside the rooftops, bouncing off chimneys and lead tiles to catch up some distance to the Akuma, using his speed and weapon to his advantage, bouncing through the street in aerial zigzags. The Akuma, ahead of him, was using the houses to pull itself forward, moving reminiscent of walking through deep waters, it's heavy bulbous body like deadweight without a speed boost. It glanced back at him, hatred clear and deep in it's eyes. It knew it was within reach.
Jumping, Chat held his non-powered hand out like grappling hook, catching the edge of the sash with his claws and clenching. He closed his eyes for a second and stared hard at the Akuma, holding it's endless gaze.
"This better be it." He whispered like a prayer, slapping his other hand hard against the fabric, kicking off in a tight arc the minute the hex took hold.
The sash crumble into dust. The butterfly fluttered out, large and pulsing with dark purple energy and Chat could've cried.
Purple bubbling goop quickly coated Perfect Candidate, eradicating him like smoke. Around the city, Chloes starting turning back into civilians, each as scared and confused as one another. Mayor Bourgeois emerged from the corpse as it faded, high in the air, quickly falling, and very unconscious.
"Tikki, go! I'll get the mayor, you get the Akuma!" Chat yelled, already moving as Tikki shot out his hairline. "I'll find you after, go!"
Tikki, too, didn't need telling twice. Target in her sights, she flew like a bullet.
The butterfly didn't want to be caught. It undulated and pirouetted, tried to slip through cracks, but Tikki was faster, she had more grace. It was like a walrus trying to outmanoeuvre a ferret: one was born and forged on land, the other was merely squatting.
Grabbing it with both paws, Tikki twirled and pushed the bug to the ground, making sure she had a good grip before picking it up properly. It struggled against her palms, fury bottled up in two wings. She clutched it between her hands and squeezed, perhaps a little harder than necessary, but in her defence, she was very, very angry.
"You won't be hurting anyone else, little one." She murmured darkly, her words quickly falling into humming. "Marinette won't fear you while I am here to protect her, and I will always be here to protect her."
Her paws glowed warm and bright with energy as she murmured her lullaby. Patches of the butterfly began to turn white, spotted all over like a dalmatian, the dark evil coating it's wings wiping away as easy as water off a duck's back.
Though, depsite this, the spell itself wasn't as easy going. Tikki shook with exertion. She hugged the butterfly closer to her chest and shivered, wisps of red light leaking off her shoulders in thick waves. She noticed them out of the corner of her eye and quickly looked away, refusing to acknowledge the pain further.
"No." Tikki hissed between notes. "No, I'm stronger than this. I'm strong. I can't let Plagg be right. He'll never forgive himself."
More than half of the butterfly glowed white and Tikki hummed louder, wisps turning into flames. Everything burned. The edges of her vision turned red, but she was almost done, just one corner left. Just one. She could make it.
With one final note, the butterfly glowed all at once, purified, as white as linen.
Tikki sighed in relief, letting it go free and unclenching her teeth with a gasp, glancing at her shoulders. The flames hadn't stopped.
Trying not to let herself panic, she held her paws together and hummed a different tune. To anyone but her siblings, it was a nonsense jingle, jolly and lilting, but to Tikki, it was the thing that grounded her most. She hummed it loud, not caring if anyone human could see or hear her. Soul-saving songs could never be quiet.
An image of her lost sibling floated across her mind and a different kind of sad warmth filled her bones. Maybe he'd heard her through the butterfly.
It didn't take many bars until she stopped leaking colour, but it was still enough to leave her feeling weak under the skin. Silently, she floated to the floor, unable to pick herself back up. The gravel was surprisingly soothing, and she let herself sink into the stones, welcoming their cold roughness.
"Tikki!" She heard Chat Noir call from behind her, "Tikki, where are you?"
She croaked out an answer. "Here. I'm down here."
"Oh thank god— Woah, Tikki you don't look so good." Chat said between laboured breaths as he picked her up gently, "You're really pale, and feverish too, wow you're really warm. How can— how do I help you?"
"I just need to get some rest, please. Plagg'll know what to do."
"Okay." Chat looked over his shoulder, and Tikki could see him looking at Marinette tucked securely in Alya's arms, an ambulance parking up on the roadside beside them.
Her heart ached for her charge, but she didn't dare call out. Tikki looked away.
"I really just want... to go home."
—
By the time the police and paramedics arrived at the scene, all they came to find were two scared teenagers, a confused, bedraggled mayor and no heroes at the scene.
Hands pulled at their shoulders, urging them to get up, but neither Mari or Alya moved. If anything, they just hugged each other tighter. They were barely aware that anyone was even talking to them; the sounds of alarms and sirens around them went ignored and unregistered.
Behind them, the mayor was ushered quickly to an ambulance so he could be checked for any injuries or adverse effects of the missing Akuma butterfly. Before he was rushed to hospital, while he was being checked by the paramedics, he kept his horrified gaze locked on his daughter's classmates. He didn't say a word, his eyes glazed in regret.
In the end, it took the arrival of their respective parents to tear Marinette and Alya apart, and even then the two of them held tight to each other's hands as they were carried away to the bakery. A silent agreement was made amongst their parents that they would all be staying together for the night. Clearly, the girls would not be separated, so makeshift beds were arranged on the Dupain-Cheng's living room while Alya's father drove to fetch the twins and Nora, and Sabine bandaged Alya's ankle. It was comfortable, if a little squished what with the refugees still camping out in the bakery and stairway, but still, it felt like they were finally safe.
Nonetheless, no one slept well that night.
—
Ladybug's failure to appear on the scene of the Akuma attack was front page news the next day. Some criticised her, claiming she'd turned her back on Paris, gone back on her vows of protection, and these few individuals had very vocal opinions.
They blamed politicians and police for leaving Paris' protection in the hands of a random girl in red, they blamed Chat Noir for not being good enough alone, blamed Ladybug for her apparent hypocrisy, her abandoning of the city when it needed her. They tore into every crack they could, using the tragedy to try to gain public relevance.
Others, like Nadja Chamack, opposed them strongly, instead commenting on how they as a city were more worried than upset, frightened that their hero had been injured or kidnapped by super villain Hawk Moth, or hurt by some of her harshest, most radical critics, whilst praising Chat for his individual heroism. Many reports addressed the comments made against the heroes, but did not indulge them, merely noting their existence then moving on to a more positive portrayal.
For the most part, the more positive opinion was shared by the people Paris. Countless interviews and videos of the people affected noted how Chat had saved their lives by risking his own. Livestreams of people as they were saved were dotted across social media, people expressing how grateful they were to have their heroes to protect them, but still a few influential bodies stayed stoic in their anti-Ladybug, anti-Chat view.
A newbie reporter had made the mistake of asking Chat Noir his opinion after the fight against Perfect Candidate, and a poor choice of words resulted in an angry response from the exhausted hero. Chat's words had gone viral overnight.
"Chat Noir! What do you say to Ladybug's neglect to appear and aid the people of Paris against the Akuma Perfect Candidate?"
"Neglect? Excuse me?" His tired expression had turned harsh. "Do you understand how hard it is to fight like this every other day of your life, not knowing whether you're going pull through, not knowing whether your family and friends will be safe, not knowing whether you're even good enough to do the job? To shoulder a burden like ours, like hers… Don't you see how much pressure she's under? She's more of a hero than anyone in this city and to say she's neglected Paris? Because one time she doesn't turn up to hand you a victory?"
"No, I only meant—"
Chat's hands shook by his sides, fists clenched hard. "Think about the duties she has to shoulder alone. So many of us depend solely on her and her healing— how is that fair? How is that justice? Who helps her? Yes, she's not here, yes, this was a nightmare and a tragedy, but I have no doubt she would be here if she could be— but don't you ever think about how Paris has neglected her? Alone, she deals with all that responsibility by herself. Don't you think I'm frightened too? Don't you think I'm worried about her? Without Ladybug, I'm scared. People almost died today because it was just me, fighting by myself, and I don't even know where she is, I can't even contact her, I don't know, I—"
The black cat had cut himself off after that. He'd stared at the floor, paused, nodded sharply and abruptly jumped away, leaving the rookie reporter ashamed and embarrassed, and more than a little reflective of his phrasing. No one had tried to question Chat Noir on the missing bug again after that.
Chat Noir's tearful outburst led to some fans leaving out messages for Ladybug in the streets: chalk drawings were found outside shops, on boardwalks, on the steps of the city hall, under the Eiffel Tower. Some read 'We Stand In Red', 'Ladybug: Our Hero', 'Justice Needs Rest', 'Bring Back Our Bug', 'Respect The Spots', 'We Love Our Bug', but the most common message, 'Protector of Paris', could be found in big letters on almost every street, usually matched with an image of a mask painted vivid starlight red.
Some even went as far as to make massive murals along pavements and walls that depicted some of Ladybug's greatest battles in bright colour: Stoneheart, Lady Wifi, The Bubbler. Other pictures were simply red ladybugs drawn within hearts, or silhouettes of a girl, fist held in the air, yo-yo by her side.
Other supportive messages were more cryptic, such as pictures of black cats chasing ladybugs, with no caption, posted quietly on social media, printed on bus stops, pasted as large scale posters around the town. Often people wore clothes in shades of crimson, glasses tinted green, paw print and red dotted doodles on their hands, or added tasteful black spots to each outfit.
Even celebrities, namely Jagged Stone, XY and presenter Alec Cataldi, honoured her in their own ways: Stone insisted on playing his song for Ladybug at every public appearance he made, XY plastered red stickers all over his mix-deck, even replaced his trademark headband with cat ears, and Alec signed off every program he hosted with a fist bump and bright smile for the audience.
Every inch of Paris was shouting in silence for their lost hero.
Marinette saw them and wept.
She'd never felt more loved or more useless, and the torment was killing her. She'd spent days now, trawling through Paris' streets, photographing as many messages as she could find. She documented them on a blog, linked to Alya's Ladyblog, that archived all the different shows of support.
She didn't know why she was doing it. As a punishment, maybe. A means of showing herself how her stupid mistake, her clumsiness, had led to so many injuries and so much destruction, and yet somehow, she had been forgiven.
Marinette didn't want to be forgiven. She'd made a irreparable mistake. Losing Tikki had nearly lost people their lives— she'd nearly lost her own.
It was a miracle that no lives had been lost to the attack.
Buildings were destroyed, people were traumatised, the Mayor might never find closure, and it was all her fault, and still the people of Paris had forgiven her, told her they'd rebuild, they'd repair. They'd be okay.
They just wanted their hero home safe.
Marinette wouldn't forgive herself.
Her friends didn't know what was wrong with her, though they'd asked. Countless times they'd found her wandering, staring off into nothingness, and tried to make her feel better with a joke or a hug.
Alya asked her hundreds of times to tell her what was wrong, whether she was alright, if she still hurt from the attack, if there anything she could do for her, even just as someone who would listen. Every time, Marinette had just smiled sadly and walked away, absentmindedly touching her earring, muttering something under her breath.
As for the school, the entire front, middle and back had been destroyed. Initial estimates for the repairs claimed the reassembly of the plumbing alone would take weeks, even months, so students took it upon themselves to help with the building efforts around town, desperate to be helpful however they could, as the school was deemed too dangerous for regular class attendance.
The effort was commandeered by the dynamic duo of Alya and Nino. Under her authority as Deputy Class President, Alya sent out her classmates to talk to all the workers around Paris, asking them what they needed help with and when, so that from there she could send groups of students to assist with resources, refreshments, reconstruction, anything.
Mylene had made banners, Sabrina made posters and Max made a website to promote their pro-Ladybug local aid campaign. Kim ran around town handing out flyers, spreading the news that the students of the Collège Françoise Dupont were available for any assistance needed: no matter what the people needed, they were there to help. Ivan even made badges and handed them out to everyone he met: parents, students, relatives and strangers.
Hundreds of requests rolled in. Some asked for manpower, moving resources, collecting deliveries. Others asked for messengers, to keep the communication across Paris. Many asked for moral support, support for those affected by the attack, finding temporary accommodation or looking for lost treasures in the rubble.
Together, Nino, Juleka, Rose and Alix ran an event to raise money, complete with music, gift bags and something Alix called a 'roller derby dance extravaganza', which involved her skating some very dangerous tricks in quick succession on a raised and rickety platform. Somehow it worked, though several classmates had been sceptical at first, and immediately plans were put in place to stage more fundraisers that would hopefully be just as successful as the first.
In the meantime, Nathaniel drew as many pictures, as many posters and signs and murals as he could in support of Ladybug, making it his personal mission to drown out the noise of her critics. He could often be seen running around with chalk clasped in his hands, wrists stained dark with red paint.
Adrien joined in too, holding an exclusive interview to give his explicit support of Ladybug and Chat Noir, as well as his concern for the both of them.
Alya posted a confessional to her blog, outlining her role in the attack, how her actions not only endangered her friend but nearly prevented Chat Noir from helping the Mayor. It gained over a million views overnight, with both positive and negative responses.
Even Chloe, irritated as she was to have been left stranded on a roof, made an effort to sing Ladybug's praises, calling an interviewer an idiot for suggesting the spotted hero was being lax in her duties.
"Are you stupid? Ladybug is our city's hero! Not everyone can be as flawless as me everyday— though it's true Ladybug comes a close second— so of course she needs a break sometimes! Are you suggesting she can't save Paris? My Daddy will hear about this! Didn't you know he supports her? He knows she would've been there if she could, blaming her won't solve anything! Consider yourself sacked, Mr... whatever your name is!"
Paris had come together in a time of crisis. Unintentional or not, Ladybug's sudden disappearance had strengthened the community, uniting people across the city in the name of support for their friends, their peers and their heroes. Donations of money, manpower, promotion and shelter were given freely. Groups were set up for victims of Akuma attacks, funded by the local government. Damage was repaired as quickly as it had been done, as people from all backgrounds banded together to help even in the smallest ways. Despite the despair, the people were motivated, they had a purpose, and unbeknownst to them Hawk Moth found it harder and harder to find a victim to control.
Paris was in celebration of its pain and it was beautiful. Painful, but beautiful nonetheless.
Marinette still couldn't, and wouldn't, ever forgive herself.
