Everyone is on this Chat Blanc train, so I bought a ticket and got a window seat.
"Yes, Timestreamer, find me the best Akuma ever created!" Shadowmoth raised a manic fist as the images appeared before him.
The woman who was once Nathalie Sancoeur stood next to him, now transformed into an Akuma with thick glasses, which almost looked like VR goggles.
In a fit of artist's block, Gabriel Agreste had vented that he had run out of ideas for Akuma. He had to keep going, and the villains couldn't slack less Ladybug and Chat Noir get the upper hand.
To which Nathalie had said, "well, you don't need to reinvent the wheel."
She had meant it to be cheeky, but he took inspiration from it in a whole new way. Why invent a new villain when one from a different time is sure to work? Timetagger, an Akuma from the future, had seemed to almost win. Perhaps there were more like him out there.
He only needed someone to see the timelines so he could pick his champion.
So here they were, scanning through endless time streams, looking at massive successes, and massive failures. There really was no telling which one would do the job, but unless Timestreamer's Akuma was taken or, heaven forbid, the Butterfly was taken, they could send villain after villain after villain.
Yes, this was a good plan!
"That one!" Shadowmoth pointed, the stark white catching his gaze.
"That one?" Timestreamer asked, feeling unease looking into his soulless blue eyes.
"That has to be Chat Noir's akumatized form. He's perfect."
Following orders, Timestreamer summoned the Akuma forward.
From the static images appeared a grainy figure, slowly solidifying into a solid white boy. His expression was one of confusion and disorientation.
"Chat Blanc, I am Shadowmoth," he began.
Immediately, Chat Blanc snarled. "You! You monster!" And he leapt.
Suffice to say, neither Timestreamer or Shadowmoth were prepared for a full on fight this early in the conversation.
Shadowmoth did have training in fighting, and successfully blocked the incoming swipe at his throat with his arm. However, the claws cut right through his suit and into his flesh, making him cry out in pain.
The next swipe hit true, and knocked the butterfly Miraculous from its place on his collar.
Chat Blanc then plucked the Peacock from his lapel while Gabriel Agreste tried to put pressure on his grievous wounds.
"Why?" Asked Gabriel, "don't you know I made you? Don't you know I can give you everything you want?"
Chat Blanc didn't respond, only snapped the goggles off of a shell shocked Timestreamer. He then touched the black butterfly with his claw, and it crumbled into dust.
Nathalie ran to Gabriel and looked at his wounds. "You need to go to a hospital."
"No!" He protested, pushing her away. "Answer me, boy! You're easily the most powerful Akuma ever made. Once you get the Miraculous of Ladybug and this timeline's Chat Noir, we can make the ultimate wish! Whatever your heart's desire, it's yours!" He reached a hand out to the boy.
Chat Blanc, who Gabriel knew as the exuberant and emotional Chat Noir, just looked at him with a sharp, emotionless stare.
"You already took everything from me, Father. This is my one chance to get things back to where they are supposed to be."
"Adrien?"
The gaze didn't change, but he did raise an eyebrow. "In my timeline you knew. You knew, and you still hurt me. You hurt her. You turned me, and you forced me to kill. You left me alone in that world for months. Left me to mourn. Cursed me to this form—" he snarled. "That can't starve, that can't sleep, that can't thirst or drown—" a tear fell down his cheek. "You left me in a prison where I couldn't die, and would continue to suffer because of your mistakes." He gave a hint of a bitter smile. "Does that answer your question, old man?"
Maybe it was just the blood loss, but Gabriel felt some remorse. "I'm sorry, son. Give me back the Butterfly, and I'll set you free."
"Not a chance. Ladybug will fix me. And when I give her these, she'll love me again. And I'll have all the family I ever need." With that, he summoned his baton to break through the window, and launched out into Paris.
Gabriel laid still on the ground, holding his chest with one hand while Nathalie gripped his wrist with the other.
"I…what am I going to do?"
"Well, you know Adrien has the ring—"
"No doubt Chat Blanc will tell him everything before we can get to him. I don't think that's an option anymore."
"Then…what would you like to do?"
He spent a long time just breathing and thinking.
Choosing.
"I guess, apologize. And then hope that I haven't done enough damage to lose the only family I have left."
"Maybe, if he is Chat Noir, and you explain the truth to him…he'll tell Ladybug. Maybe she'd help."
"I doubt she'd do anything to help me, after all I've done." He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I could just bleed out here. Save him the pain."
"I won't let you do that, Sir. As upset Adrien will be, he still loves you."
"But for how long?"
"I think you should live and find out."
—
Chat Blanc had never been so happy. He should be upset, angry, sobbing even, but he wasn't.
He was getting his second chance. Paris was full, alive, teeming with traffic and swearing and smoking and everything foul that wasn't there in his wastelands.
Hawkmoth was gone, and he was on his way to Marinette. With these, she had to love him, she just had to.
Francois DuPont never looked so pretty. The windows showed bored expressions of dozens of students.
Students that were alive and not submerged under water.
He dropped down in the courtyard, letting muscle memory take him up the stairs to his old classroom. The door was closed, but not locked.
Did he knock? Or did he just walk in? It had been so long…did he introduce himself? Did he apologize for interrupting?
He decided to forgo knocking, and pushed the door open on his own.
All eyes turned to look at him, but his attention was only on her.
Though he did get a glimpse of his own horrified face.
"Chat Noir?" The teacher asked.
"No." He shook his head. "Not anymore." He never stopped looking right at Marinette.
"I must be dreaming," the girl in question said aloud. "I must have fallen asleep, and now I'm having a nightmare." Tears were filling her eyes as her voice crumbled. "Please tell me you're a nightmare, Chat."
"No, My Lady. I'm real." Did she know him from somewhere? Or was she just assuming he was an akumatized Chat Noir? "But this shouldn't be a nightmare, Marinette." His steps were slow and soft, trying not to spook her. "I'm your dream come true. Because it's over now, and we can be together."
She stood abruptly, smacking her knees on the desk and almost tumbling. "What are you talking about?"
He placed the Miraculous on the desk. "It's over now. I won. Hawkmoth is no more, and there's nothing that can hurt us. This will make you love me again!"
"Holy shit…" Said Alya.
Marinette just stared at them, and then at Chat. "How—?"
"He brought me here. Somehow, an Akuma I guess. He plucked me out of my time, and brought me here. This is my chance to start again, you know." He grabbed her wrist. "Now our love won't ruin the world! We can be happy again, My Lady! We can be happy and nothing will tear us apart!"
Adrien, who had up until very recently, by reveal of a certain nickname, thought that Marinette was only just Marinette, grabbed Chat Blanc and yanked him back, forcing him to let go of Marinette.
"Don't touch her!" He snapped.
"And you—" Chat Blanc grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. "A little liar with too much self preservation! Why didn't you act sooner?! Why couldn't you save her?!"
Adrien clawed at the hand on his throat. "I don't—know what the hell—you're talking about!"
"Don't play stupid, Adrien! It's not going to work on me, and you know that!"
His voice was just a whisper now, as he attempted to meet Chat Blanc's gaze. "Whatever, man. But you think outing her is smart? You think that'll make her like you?"
Chat Blanc crushed harder, suffocating him. "It doesn't matter with Hawkmoth out of the way! And once I kill you, there will be no competition! She'll love me for sure!"
Marinette had stashed the Miraculous in her purse once Chat Blanc had turned his back. She was going to attempt to talk him down, but at his threat on Adrien's life, she realized he was beyond talking.
"Tikki, Spots on!"
Chat Blanc whirled back around, only to get a fist to the face.
Adrien fell on the floor, gasping.
"Are you alright?" She asked, helping him up.
He rubbed his neck sheepishly as he nodded. He knew she was Marinette, but the mask still turned his legs to jelly.
"Why do you protect him, Ladybug? Don't you know you can just be happy with me?"
Marinette pushed Adrien behind her. "I might be able to be happy with my Chat Noir, but never with you. I love Adrien, and I'll fight to protect him, even if he doesn't love me back." Though it was a brave declaration, she still blushed.
"Ugh, don't you get it? I am him!"
"What?"
"I'm Adrien! Adrien is Chat Noir! We're supposed to be together! And we were! We were happy, Marinette! And then—and then you told me you didn't love me anymore. You almost got akumatized over that…but I saved you." He snarled. "But he kept us apart. My father knew who I was, and he turned me into this…"
"Wait," Adrien rasped. "Father turned you into…an akuma?"
"Because he's Hawkmoth, Adrien. He always has been. Mother is alive, in a coma, in the basement. And he never let you see her, because he doesn't trust you."
"Shut up!" Ladybug shouted.
"Even after he knew who I was, he still hit me. He beat me, Adrien, because he doesn't love us!"
Adrien held a hand over his face, willing his sobs to stay silent.
"We're just a pawn for him. But…I can make it better. Let me destroy you, and everything will stop hurting. I'll take care of Marinette, I promise!"
"That's enough!" Ladybug lashed out and snagged his bell, ripped it from his throat, and smashed it on the floor.
Then she caught the butterfly as it emerged, purified it, and let it go. But she didn't call for a cure, not yet.
Chat Noir, sans bell, glanced around the room in confusion. "Ladybug? What's going on? Why are we here? Where's Hawkmoth?"
She met him with tear streaked cheeks. "You're in the wrong timeline, Chat Noir."
His eyes flicked to Adrien, who was clearly shell shocked. "That would make…some sense."
"You were akumatized, and our Hawkmoth brought you here…probably to recruit you."
"Did I hurt anyone?"
"You beat him. You beat Hawkmoth."
"And you tried to take my place," Adrien hissed, showing his bruised throat.
Chat Noir gripped his hair fiercely. "Oh crap! Oh crap crap crap! I'm so sorry! He'll be all better once you do the cure, right Bug?"
"Yeah. Physically, at least…but you did say some things that will hurt for a long time."
"I didn't mean any of it! I was an Akuma, they lie and say all sorts of things—"
"You told me about Father. And mother."
"Oh…" he sighed. "Unfortunately, that's too fresh in my mind to be a lie. I saw mom. He wanted to use the Miraculous to bring her back, but he was so unwilling to listen to me, to even think about working with us—that's how it happened. He got me."
"I'm so sorry, Kitty." Ladybug lamented. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
He shook his head. "It's over now. If I defeated him, then you don't have to be subjected to it," he told Adrien. "I don't mind taking one for the team."
"Did you kill him?" Adrien asked.
"I don't know."
"Even if he did, casting cure would fix it." Said Ladybug. "There might be hope for a happy ending."
Chat Noir took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "My Lady, will you send me back? I have to see her again. My Marinette. I have to see her and make up with her."
Ladybug patted his cheek fondly. "Knowing me, she probably still loves you. But something happened to make her put distance between you."
"You'll be happy together, right?" He asked, pouting.
Adrien slipped an arm around her waist and held her. "I think we'll manage."
Ladybug hugged Chat briefly. "Thank you. For all your trauma and suffering, you helped us."
"You also revealed both of our identities to the class, but that's the kind of mistake I would make as an Akuma…" Adrien winced.
Chat Noir looked at all the shocked and concerned faces around him. "Wow, look at all these comforting, understanding, and loyal friends you have. Where's Lila?"
"Out sick today," provided Sabrina.
"Perfect! Don't ever ever tell her what happened here. She's a liar and would tell our identities in a heartbeat for a chance for fame."
"Not a problem, Kitty Cat," said Alya, with a wink. "Some of us are pretty good secret keepers."
"You knew!?" Adrien cried, with betrayal in his voice.
Alya winced. "Ah, yeah…"
"Adrien." Ladybug took his face and held it with trembling hands. "My kitty, my partner, my best friend, what I'm about to tell you is going to suck and you're going to hate it, and that's why I haven't told you."
"I've already had a lot of bad news dropped on me today, lay it on me."
She glanced at the rest of the class and then Chat Noir. "Let me send him home, and then we'll talk in privacy."
He nodded, not really fond of how much the class had already learned about him today.
Ladybug threw her yo-yo up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"
In a wave of fluttering red, Chat Noir was gone, and so were the bruises on Adrien's neck.
"Spots off."
Now, the class started whispering. Up until that moment, shock held them in silence. After all, it's not everyday you find out your classmates are superheroes.
"Miss Bustier, are you okay if we leave for a while?"
The teacher stammered a second, unfreezing from her complete and total shock. "I think it would be a crime to make you stay here today."
Marinette smiled gratefully, before taking Adrien's hand and leading him out into the hall. He was silent, rightfully so, and Marinette could only be happy there was no chance of him getting akumatized.
Finally, they took a seat on a bench, and waited for the other to speak.
"I…didn't think this was how our identities would be revealed," he breathed.
"I always wanted to tell you." Marinette insisted, "even though I said otherwise. Tikki and Master Fu were so adamant that I not tell a soul."
"So why does Alya know?"
She rested a hand on his. "I'll get to that. But first…Chat Blanc."
Adrien sat attentive and quiet, holding his accusations for later.
"It started about three months ago, when I gave you that Beret."
"Beret? The one from the Brazilian fan club?"
"Yeah…except it wasn't. It was from me. Originally, I left it in your room, with my name on it. My real name. A little while after I left, Bunnix came to me, and explained that she needed my help. She took me into her burrow, and led me to the future…the future where you were akumatized."
"As Chat Blanc."
"Yes."
"That same akuma, that same Chat Noir?"
"I assume so. The moon was destroyed, the city flooded. You were all alone, everyone was gone."
"Where…where was that Ladybug?"
She hesitated to say it, but admitted, "I found her underwater…cataclysmed."
"No…I wouldn't have—"
"I know, Adrien. Chat Blanc was upset about it too. He cried. He wanted my Miraculous to make the wish and fix it."
"Sounds like an Akuma alright," he said bitterly.
"At the time, all I knew was that you knew my identity, and you said that our love destroyed the world. So…I assumed that you became akumatized by finding out who I was…and that the beret had something to do with it. So I erased my name."
"Oh…but Chat Blanc said he was akumatized because of my parents."
"I didn't know that back then. I wish I had. As it stood, I was certain an identity reveal would end up with an Akuma."
"I understand your reasoning…but what about Alya?"
She sighed, the guilt toiling around inside her. "That wasn't…it was a spur of the moment thing. I was back into a corner and people were getting really worried about me. Worried and nosey…and so I told Alya. Rena Rouge."
"Ah. I see."
"I should have told you. I should have told you so you could have told someone. It's not fair to think I was the only one that needed a confident."
"If I had to pick someone that wasn't you, it would have been Nino. So I get it. Really, I do."
Tears welled up in her eyes regardless. He was hurting so badly, but what could she even do to help?
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize."
"Yes! Yes I do! Adrien, you're my partner. Yes, keeping secrets can keep us safe for a while, but eventually we'll run out of trust and then we'll be in danger again. I don't want to lose you!"
He gave her a little smile. "I might be upset, but you aren't going to lose me. I promise."
She squeezed his hand. "No more secrets. We train as guardians together. I'll tell you all the auxiliary heroes, and all the formulas and—" she stopped, blushing.
"What?"
"Ugh…I have to tell you something, since I said no more secrets."
"Is it bad?"
"…no?"
He turned his hand to squeeze her back. "Okay. Well then, let's hear it."
She looked away, too nervous to look at his face. "Gah! This is just as hard as it's always been!"
"I'm not going to judge you."
"I know! I know!"
Pretend this is just Chat. She goaded herself.
"I…I'm in…love with you?" She squeaked out. There. The deed was done. She shyly turned to look at him.
Wide, sparkling eyes full of tears, but a big smile on his face. "You mean it? You said as much to Chat Blanc, but I didn't know for sure…"
"Ugh, right. That." She nodded. "You were the boy I kept turning…well, you down for. I'm sorry…"
"I'm not!" He chirped. "Marinette, if anyone was going to have a crush on me as Adrien, I'm so glad it's you. You really know me! You're special to me, and I always considered you as a friend."
She sighed, hearing the magic words. "As I've heard."
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She blushed again. "It's just…whenever we had a moment, or I tried to do something special for you, you always remind me that you feel…nothing for me."
"Wait, what? That's what you got out of that?"
"That you want me as a friend and just a friend?"
He actually laughed at her and pulled her into a hug. "Marinette, I thought you were nervous around me because you were uncomfortable. I said that stuff to let you know I treasured our friendship. I love you so so much, My Lady. I was deeply in love with Ladybug, and completely in denial with Marinette."
"Can confirm!" Shouted Plagg from inside his jacket.
"So having you be the same? I'm…I'm so happy!" He hugged her tightly. "Today has thrown a lot of bad things at me, and I'm so worried about what comes next. But with you, I'm sure I'll be okay." He pulled away slightly. "You…will stay with me for whatever happens, right? I know Hawkmoth being my dad is kind of a deal breaker…"
Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up into him, kissing him right on the mouth.
He stiffened briefly, before melting against her and pulling her tighter into the hug.
The kiss was perfect, not in execution or performance, but because of the love they felt. Adrien nipped at her lip, and Marinette hummed as she twined her fingers into his hair.
They pulled away begrudgingly.
"You and me against the world, right Kitty?"
"You know exactly what to say to make my heart swoon, my lady love."
"I'm sorry I hurt you."
"Kiss me and I'll get over it."
"I'm serious, Kitty." She touched his cheek. "I knew it was going to hurt, and I foolishly and cowardly put it off, hoping it would go away."
"Marinette, from what you said…it wasn't just painful for me. It scared you, didn't it? You said…when Chat Blanc appeared, that you thought you were having a nightmare. Do you dream of him?"
"Sometimes."
"I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, Adrien."
He considered his next move, and decided to scoop her up into his lap. "So, here's my idea. If you have another nightmare about him, you call me, and I'll be there in a jiffy."
"And do what?"
"Hold you. Kiss you. Reassure you. Cuddle with you until you fall asleep. Whatever you need."
She snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you."
"I love you too, bugaboo."
Silence lapsed between for a while, as they just sat together, enjoying the warmth of their bodies, and the open air between them.
Marinette sighed. "We should probably go confront your father."
"Yeah. We should…"
"Could…I offer you a reward if we go through with it?"
"What could possibly motivate me?"
"Once we're done, and everything is put away…we can find a random, secluded rooftop and…make out for a while."
Adrien stood, with Marinette still in his arms. "You know how to motivate a man."
"I'll be with you every step of the way. Just think about later."
"One peck for the road?"
"One."
Adrien held her tightly before dipping her and pressing a sinful, toe-curling kiss to her lips. When he finished a few minutes later, she breathlessly huffed, "that was not a peck."
"No, but I need the strength."
"Somehow, it's a lot harder to stay mad at you. You can put me down now."
"Nah. Plagg, Claws out!"
"Tikki, Spots on!"
The closer they got to the mansion, the faster Chat's mood tanked. All the surface level happy feelings had bubbled away, and now he was filled with dread and apprehension.
"I…I don't want to send my dad to jail," he said, as they landed inside the walls.
"I know Kitty. I can do the talking."
"You're so good at it, Princess."
She knocked twice, but didn't wait for an answer before entering.
It didn't matter. Gabriel and Nathalie were sitting in the lobby, waiting, as it appeared.
"Hello son," said Gabriel, with not a trace of malice in his voice.
Chat halted, paling considerably. "You know?"
"Chat Blanc revealed as much. What did he tell you?"
"He said that…mom was still alive. You wanted the Miraculous to wake her up."
"That's right. But…" he sighed. "Can I humble myself and ask for your help, Ladybug? Can you look at her? Can you see if there's any hope?"
"I would love to."
