Chapter 25: More revelations

Having watered her plants, Marinette leaned on the railing to watch the Paris skyline. The beautiful sight of her city always helped to calm her mind. She recalled a time, many years ago, when Chat Noir joined her one night on her balcony, watching the skyline together. That night she learned Chat truly loved Ladybug. He got his wish; it seemed. She hoped he was happy with Ladybug. She doubted it, especially the way Ladybug spoke about him.

She got her wish too, to her detriment. "Be careful what you wish for," the stories always say. She got her night with Adrien, a memorable night followed by devastation. She thought the pain would help get over him, but she wasn't. Hearing him talk about himself at school hit her heart and confused her. Maybe he had a split personality, sensitive and kind one day while selfish and cruel the next.

She noticed a billowing cloud of smoke in the distance. Paying more attention, she heard the sirens. Another akuma attack. That brought some perspective on life. Here she was brooding about a boy while people were suffering actual pain. She wished she could help them. She wondered if Ladybug was helping Chat.

A ringing to her right gave her the answer. The ringing continued unanswered for another minute until it stopped. Marinette closed her eyes in frustration and disappointment.

"Why didn't you answer? He needs your help. You said you will help him."

She watched the smoke rise to the sky and dissipate, join with the clouds in the darkening sky. It was nearing sunset. An end to a long day with a promise to be even longer.

"He's as bad as all of them. Worse."

Marinette turned to Ladybug. "Worse? What did he do? Declare that you are Hawkmoth? Really? How could he be worse?"

Ladybug looked at Marinette with pity. Why pity? Chat was her problem, not Marinette's.

"Chat's Adrien Agreste."

Of all the things Ladybug could have said, this was the least expected.

"Adrien?" Marinette did not blink during the minute it took to find her voice. "My Adrien?"

"Considering what he's done, I find it strange you still refer to him as your Adrien." Ladybug tilted her head, scrutinizing Marinette.

"Chat's Adrien?" Marinette ignored Ladybug's statement. "How can he be Adrien? They are so different. And Chat ... Chat's your boyfriend. He cheated on you - with me. Oh my god! I'm the other woman!"

"Don't get your tail in a spin," Ladybug huffed. "He isn't my boyfriend. We're not really dating, it's fake."

"It's fake?" Marinette's confusion lasted a split second. "I knew it! I knew it was fake." Marinette looked left and right, searching. "Where is Alya? I told her it was fake. She didn't believe me. But wait," Marinette's eyes narrowed, studying Ladybug. "Chat loves you. You faked a relationship with Chat when you know he's madly in love with you? How could you do that to him? Living this lie he wished was true would tear him apart."

"He'll get over it," Ladybug brushed it off. "It was for a good cause and it was his idea. He just sucked it up and moved on. If he even felt anything for me. You're forgetting this is Adrien. The way he used you and tossed you aside, I doubt he has any feelings for me. He just wanted an impressive conquest and I'm the perfect candidate. I can imagine him boasting about how he conquered Paris's superhero." She suddenly sported a smile, lopsided and ironic. "Joke's on him. Now Paris hates me, blaming me for all the violence, and he's the evil bitch's boyfriend. Serves him right to go down with me."

This was too much. Marinette didn't know how to take it all.

Chat was Adrien.

Chat fake dated Ladybug - by choice.

Chat was a womanizer.

Chat did not love Ladybug.

No! She knew Chat loved Ladybug. Chat told her when he had no reason to lie. When she told him she loved someone too.

Adrien!

She loved Adrien.

Adrien was Chat.

Adrien loved Ladybug.

Of course! Adrien loved Ladybug. It all makes sense now.

"You're wrong. Chat loves you and you drove him mad with the fake dating. When he saw me wearing the Ladybug costume, he lost it and in his mind I was you. When he realized what happened, he ran away in shame. That's why he couldn't look at me, not because he thought less of me. He was ashamed of himself." Marinette replayed the bakery scene in her mind, adding this new information. "It still hurts. It hurts that he wants you and not me. It hurts that he spent the night with me thinking of you, and when he realized what he's done, he ran away. I don't think I can forgive him for that. But Chat isn't a womanizer. Adrien loves you more than he could handle."

The two women looked at each other, neither saying anything for a while. The silence stretched as Marinette attempted to stare down Ladybug. It was uncomfortable to stare down a superhero, but she knew she was right. Ladybug was too quick to judge both Adrien and Chat. She was the one who convinced Marinette Adrien was the problem. Adrien wasn't the problem - Adrien had a problem.

"You're an idiot!" Ladybug shook her head. "I tell you how my sidekick of a partner is the same guy who used you and threw you away, and you come up with a way to exempt him from any wrongdoing. It was the same when you blamed yourself and your costume - that you 'confused' him," Ladybug used air quotes. "He's a no-good, woman abusing, two-timing, piece of shit."

Marinette saw some movement in her peripheral vision. Turning to the akuma attack, she spotted something flying over the buildings. Not something - someone. Chat! It didn't look like he was controlling his movement. Why wasn't he using his baton? He was moving fast, going high. He was still far, but it didn't look like he was moving or struggling or attempting to do anything. A crush-test dummy limply flying through the air. Was he knocked out?

"Chat!" Marinette called out. "You need to save him!"

"Why should I? I don't want him as a partner anymore."

"What?" Marinette's voice rose in pitch. "You must save him. He'll get badly hurt."

"He'll survive."

"Oh my god! No!" Marinette watched Chat's upward arc, taking him even higher. "Adrien! No! You have to save my Adrien."

"I told you already. He isn't your Adrien. He isn't worth the effort."

"Please," tears were flowing down Marinette's face. She could not take her eyes off the love of her life. No matter what he's done and who he loved, she wanted nothing bad to happen to him. "Please, Ladybug, for me. Please save him."

Chat imagined himself hovering in midair, like a cartoon character running off a cliff, hovering in the air until he confirmed the ground was no longer beneath him. Chat too was in midair, glaring at the ring on his hand, debating what to do. He felt weightless, hanging in the air during the split-second when he reached the apex of his ascent. His problems, his troubles, and all his mistakes left him as he gave himself over to the inevitability of his demise. His own life has already passed the apex, free falling to his destruction. It is only right for his body to follow the same path.

And so he fell.

The wind rushing past blew dust from his eyes, improving his vision. The world around was still blurry. Nothing he felt like looking at, anyway. He closed his eyes.

When did everything go wrong? Chat reflected. What could . . .

His chest constrained at the sudden pressure hugging him. A powerful tug changed his projection. Chat opened his eyes and made out a rope wound around him, pulling him down. Blurry vision or not, he could see buildings approaching at a rapid rate. Chat tensed, panic bubbling up as he lost the little control he had on his situation. The high-rise building passed by as he quickly approached the blotches of colors below he suspected were the ground.

The rope went taut and pulled him sharply to the side, sending him on a long arc, passing above the ground and lifting him up once more. His ascent slowed near the top of another building, onto which he landed with neither harm nor grace.

The rope, he now recognized as Ladybug's yoyo, unwrapped itself and disappeared from his sight.

"Ladybug?" Chat looked around, rapidly blinking his eyes.

A human-shaped red blob appeared on his right. She has come. Ladybug came and saved him. All is not lost.

"Ladybug," Chat signed. "I'm so glad to see you, or sort of see you. Something flew into my eyes and everything is blurry."

Ladybug was silent. Did his hearing also get damaged in the attack?

"Thank you so much for saving me. I worried you weren't coming."

"I wasn't."

"Oh," was the only response Chat could think of.

"And don't thank me for saving you. I would have let you crash into the next building, just to see how much damage can get past the suit."

"Ladybug?" Chat cried in disbelief. What was she saying?

"You are some piece of work. Had me fooled with your over the top flirtation. I thought you were a charmer, all bark, but no bite. But I was wrong, wasn't I, Adrien? You bite and you bite hard. I can't believe I kissed you. I have to wash the stench from my mouth."

Chat stiffened, trying hard to decipher her meanings.

"What did I do? How did I hurt you like this? I'm very sorry for whatever I did. I just, well, I don't know what you are talking about. Wait, what did you just call me?"

"Don't lie, Adrien. Don't pretend ignorance. You think I don't know all about the adventures of Mr. Adrien Agreste."

Chat sunk to his knees. She knew who he was, and somehow she knew what he's done. Did she know Marinette? Was Ladybug the one Marinette ran to instead of Alya?

"I'm so sorry for what I've done. I didn't mean to hurt her. She is so special to me. I hate myself for what I did."

"I can't believe I dedicated my life only to be betrayed by everyone. I gave up so much for these people and now they want to send me to jail. And then, my own partner sees me as nothing but a sex object."

"That isn't true." Chat looked up. He wished his sight would clear so he could see her face. "I love you. I think the world of you."

"No, you don't!" Ladybug snapped at him. "I know you. You are nothing but womanizing, male trash."

"I…"

"Yes, he is!" Ladybug snapped again. "I told you he isn't worth the effort. We should have just let him crash."

That made little sense. Was she not talking to him? He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Instead, he gave himself black spots and flashing lights.

"I told you he loves you. You have to believe him."

What? Who was that? This forsaken vision, he did not understand what's going on. He rubbed his eyes with the same results.

"No, he doesn't." That tone was definitely Ladybug, although they sounded similar. "Him and the rest of Paris. They must all just go to hell and leave me alone. I've had enough of all of this."

There was another flash of light, although this time he wasn't rubbing his eyes.

"You're overreacting. They don't want to put you in jail. I spoke to people and they support you. You should read the Ladyblog, see how many come out in your support against those few bad ones. And Chat is still your partner. He loves you and he did not betray you. Yes, he messed up and I don't know if I can forgive him - but that isn't against you."

"I really am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt anyone." Chat was unsure who was there, but was certain apologizing couldn't hurt. Another flash of light. Was that his imagination or are his eyes getting worse?

"You didn't mean to? You messed up Marinette and all you can say is 'sorry'. When you treat your friends that way, why would I ever want to be your partner."

"You're right. I'm a terrible friend. She trusted me and I abused that trust. I didn't realize I was doing it. My feelings for her just came out of nowhere. It was so sudden and overwhelming, I didn't mean to take advantage of her. I was so confused between you and her and my feelings. It was only today, at the hospital, when I realized I love her, and probably have been for a while." Chat's body slumped further, hands on the floor to hold him from collapsing. "I'm sorry, Ladybug. I betrayed my love for you. I've developed feelings for someone else. I'm in love with Marinette."

A flash of light.

"You love me?" the words were hardly louder than a whisper.

"Marinette? Is that you?" Chat head snapped up. He stood and took a few steps forward, cursing his poor eyesight. Slowly the girl in front of him came into focus, still hazy but enough to recognize Marinette.

"It is you. You're the one arguing with Ladybug. That is so like you to stand up for others. I've always admired that about you. I…" Adrien realized this was his one and only chance to make things better. "I'm sorry I took advantage of you. I don't know what got into me. I could blame your costume, I could blame the situation. But really, it was me. I wanted you and I took what I wanted and I'm really sorry I hurt you. Could you ever forgive me?"

Marinette was silent. His sight had not cleared enough to recognize her facial expression. The silence stretched for an eternity. She must really hate him. He was ready to leave and go away forever.

"You think YOU took advantage of ME?" Marinette sounded incredulous. "You're not a womanizer. You're not a betrayer. You're simply a stupid idiot. Oh my god! I can't believe you. The boy I've been crushing on for years is, at last, giving me the attention I've been craving, spending hours and hours only with me. I invite him up to my room, at which point he sweeps me off my feet and gives me the most amazing night of my life. And then you ruin it all because you're a bloody idiot. Why am I surprised? You've been oblivious for years, not realizing my feelings for you and are still clueless when I throw myself at you." Chat stared, flabbergasted, as Marinette took in a big breath. "This is just too painful."

Chat could not get the words to form properly. It was all too difficult to comprehend.

"You've been crushing on me for years?" were the first articulate words which came out.

Marinette nodded, then glowed with white light with a red streak down her body.

"No way!" Ladybug exclaimed, standing where Marinette was a second ago. Even with his blurry vision, Chat was certain there was only one person in front of him. "You're going to call him an idiot and forgive him? That is so like you, forgetting what he did. He must take responsibility for all the hurt he put you through."

A flash of light, a streak of red, and Marinette was there again.

"Yes, he hurt me. But it wasn't what we thought. He didn't use me and dismiss me as it appeared. We can work this out."

"No, you can't!" Ladybug retorted before the burst of light faded, looking away from Chat to her right. "He cannot be trusted. I refuse to be his partner."

Chat stumbled back in shock. Marinette was Ladybug! Ladybug was Marinette! And they were arguing? How was that even possible?

Another flash. A red streak from face down to hip.

"Where is your compassion?" Marinette was looking to her left as if someone were there. "He loves you. I know he does. I can hardly believe it, it seems he loves me too. Can't you forgive him?"

"Marinette. You're Ladybug?" Chat said, more of a question than a statement.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. We're both right here in front of you? Why would you say such a thing?"

"There is only one person here. You. You're Ladybug."

Chat's eyes must be clearing, as he saw the look of disbelief on Marinette's face.

Another flash. The red streak went to her ears.

"Compassion is for the weak." It was Ladybug now. "He must be responsible for his actions."

When the flash came, Chat paid close attention to the red streak.

"That is rich coming from you. What about your responsibility to Paris? You have given up on the whole of Paris because a few of them want you to take responsibility for your actions."

"Marinette," Chat's urgent tone caught her attention. "How are you transforming without the magic words? What's in your purse? Is your kwami there? And why are you arguing with yourself?"

"What are you talking about? You're really confusing me."

"Me too. This whole situation is very confusing. Can we sit down and talk? Try to work things out."

A bright flash and Ladybug was glaring at him.

"No. It's enough of this," she said.

"I want to talk about this. Work things out."

"No more talking. I'm done arguing."

"I want to speak to Marinette," Chat's words sent an icy shiver down his own back. Marinette was Ladybug. Only somehow, she wasn't. The two were occupying the same body, but they were not the same person. From the look in Ladybug's eyes - she knew this too.

"No," the word had a tone of finality. "Marinette is not here anymore, and she isn't coming back. It's too late. You had your partner, you had your lover, and you messed up both. This is it, no more Marinette, no more partnership. You're on your own."

Without another word, Ladybug sent out her yoyo and disappeared into the night.

A/N Next chapter: The Splitting of Maribug