Chapter Sixteen
A/N: Ohhh we're about 9/10 of the way there OH-OHHH livin' on a prayer! Isn't that how it goes?
I texted my best friend/cousin and she assured me that that is not, in fact, how it goes. Meh.
Anyways, the point stands that we are 9/10 of the way through, about 90%! I'm sure you lovely people can do basic math and even if you can't I'm doing it for you: estimated two chapters, not including this one, left. I'm sure you guys are as tired of this as I am but if you're still reading by this point then hey, kudos to you. Note: there is f**k in this chapter. As a PG-13 story, I get the right to one f-word, if we're going off of how they rate movies. Also, character death. If you can't tell, this is supposed to be Chat Blanc. On with the story!
Harlequin
Luckybug lounges in Annabeth's little nook. Sue him, he wants to drop in on one of his best friends(and make sure that Helen hasn't hurt her). Annabeth comes out of the bathroom, combing her hand through her hair, and that's when he sees it: about a third of her head is shaved and it looks identical to Jinx's hair. Same amount of growth and everything. He chokes on air and scrambles out the window, leaving Annabeth confused as to why Luckybug was sitting in her room.
Back at home, Percy's pacing back and forth, back and forth. Tikki watches him nervously.
"That's ridiculous, Percy! Maybe Annabeth just liked the style."
"Then why would she keep it covered up? Neither Jinx nor Annabeth are stupid, she'd know to keep it covered in civilian form," Percy retorts.
"She doesn't want Helen seeing it?" Tikki suggests. He snorts.
"Helen isn't at school, it'd be easy for her to cover it up. Besides, I've seen each of my friends interact with Jinx- all but Annabeth." He stands, laughing.
"Jinx is Annabeth, Tikki! God, that's why I fell in love with both- they're the same person." Tikki gives up, sighing.
"Yeah, you're right. But do not, under any circumstances, reveal your identity- understood, loverboy?" Percy nods, almost delirious with joy.
"Yeah, yeah, got it, whatever. I'm asking her out tomorrow."
Annabeth is apparently a hot-spot for superheroes tonight as Cottontail drops in.
"Will-er, Cottontail! What are you doing here?"
"Transform," he says tersely.
"Alright, alright! Plagg, claws out!" She glanced at him slightly annoyed but more worried. Cottontail, the holder of the Rabbit Miraculous as she found out a couple weeks ago, grabs her wrist, pulling her into his Burrow. Before she can get a good look at anything, he claps a bowl on her head, obscuring her vision.
"You know you're not supposed to know the future." She smirks beneath the metal.
"Alright, how're you and Nico doing then?" She can hear him sigh in annoyance.
"Did you just hear me?" A moment, and then- "He proposed to me. And that's all you need to know! The reason you're here is because you're the only one who can save the world right now. I don't have time to explain, but Cataclysm the akuma and then bring the victim back. I'll be watching, and I'll help bring him back in. Don't use Cataclysm until the akuma is released! Go, Mini-Jinx." He pushes her through a random hole and watches as light engulfs her. He then turns to his screens, searching for answers. How in the world did Luckybug get akumatized?
Jinx throws the bowl off her head, alert and ready for anything. Not quite anything, she realizes, staring around a smoldering wasteland. The only recognizable feature is the Eiffel Tower, crumpled into a heap of metal. What happened? She spots a figure in the distance. The akuma. He seems to be sitting on the same rooftop she landed on, so she approaches him cautiously. Her foot catches on a piece of metal and she yelps, alerting him. He spins and she gasps.
"Luckybug? What the hell happened to you? And why does your suit look like that?" His suit, usually cheerful red and black patterned, has turned all black, with red streaks down the sides and his chest like claw marks.
"Jinx! I thought she'd killed you! And it's not Luckybug anymore, darling. I'm Harlequin now. I got a bit of an upgrade." He approaches her and she steps back, unnerved. His eyes are scarlet.
"Who killed me?"
"I-" His expression contorts and his face fills with rage before smoothing out. "You're here now. Perhaps I should fix this, just for us. We can have three kids and a hamster, just like you've always wanted, Annabeth. Kronos let me create anything, so I created several volcano eruptions! I can turn it back, though. What do you say?"
"You- you called me Annabeth," Jinx stammers, backing away further and hitting the ledge.
"That is your name." He smiles at her, but it's not warm, it's just...wrong. She shakes her head.
"You're not supposed to know that. Lucky, just give me your akumatized object. I can help you," she pleads, walking slowly towards him, hand twitching and ready to draw her staff. He steps away from her, twitching.
"You're just like Kronos. You all want something from me, don't you? Kronos?! KRONOS!" he shouts. Jinx raises an eyebrow. She's a bit concerned now.
"...Is Kronos here?" she asks.
"Well, I killed her, so she shouldn't be. But you're obviously an illusion so Kronos must still be alive." Jinx isn't even sure what her face is; she's sure it's a mix of horrified and terrified.
"You killed Kronos?" Harlequin nods, fiddling with his yoyo and looking entirely unbothered.
"Of course. She killed Jinx, you see, and so she had to die."
Cottontail curses under his breath, running to the other screens.
"Gimme the moment it all went wrong," he mutters. The screen, usually disobedient, flashes and settles on Luckybug staring at Annabeth coming out her bathroom. Her shaved head is exposed. Cottontail swipes the screen and it zooms forward to Percy running up to Annabeth before school and kissing her, then asking her out. Cottontail frowns. "i don't remember that..." He swipes more. Dates on the Seine, stolen kisses in the bakery, lots of fluffy fun times. The screen pauses on a similarly innocent scene. Cottontail tries to swipe more but it doesn't budge.
"Damn Burrow. Has a mind of it's own," he mutters. Still, he watches the scene play out. It's just Luckybug and Jinx walking through a garden together. Surely, Jinx knows who he is, because it's a very romantic setting. A large window lights up the room and butterflies rise up around them. Cottontail's eyes widen as Kronos sneaks into view behind them. Jinx's fake ears perk, swiveling as she turns. Kronos's cane flashes and they're dueling. Luckybug takes care of Kalapin, tying him up with his Lucky Charm. As he turns to help Jinx, metal flashes and Jinx falls to the ground, knife in her heart. She reaches for Luckybug and her hand falls, her breath gently wooshing out of her. A butterfly flies into Luckybug's lucky bracelet Annabeth must've given him. He doesn't notice as he cradles Jinx, taking her pulse and murmuring to her. Kronos approaches him, laying a hand on him and clearly expecting him to just obey her. He whips around, teeth bared.
"You fucking killed her," he mutters, low at first. "YOU KILLED HER!" Bubbles race up his sides, transforming him, but he doesn't seem to notice. Kronos backs away.
"Harlequin, I give you the power of ultimate creation. Join my side and I'll let you wish to bring her back." Luckybug howls at her, a primal howl filled with longing, despair, and anger.
"She never would've wanted me to join you. How about I just kill you and then make the wish," he gets out with gritted teeth. Kronos looks nervous now, faced with an irrationally angry Luckybug and no weapon.
"She wouldn't have wanted that either." Luckybug shrugs, wrapping his yoyo around her neck.
"I guess we'll never know." Cottontail turns away as Kronos screams. When her voice stops, he turns back, almost unwillingly. Luckybug gently takes the ring off of Jinx's finger, turning her back to Annabeth. He detransforms and Plagg flies up to him, shaking his head.
"No. Kid, no, I loved her too, don't do this Percy- PERCY!" he shouts, hugging Tikki as Percy lifts the ring and cufflinks up.
"Tikki, Plagg combine!" he says. He transforms into a golden suit with dark dots scattered across it. "I wish to bring Annabeth back to life," he says clearly. Wind howls and Annabeth stirs.
"Percy?" The earth begins shaking and somehow Cottontail knows, instinctually knows, what's going to happen. He covers his face as a rock falls from the ceiling. Annabeth, crushed, dies. Percy howls again, releasing Plagg but not Tikki. He's still akumatized. Cottontail slams his fist on the screen and it goes dark. It's too much for him. These young kids, going through this. Jinx needs to finish up, quickly. Speaking of... she'll be going for his earrings. Mistake. He pops into the world and cups his hands.
"BRACELET!" he yells, then pops back into the burrow. He hopes Jinx can do it.
She hears what Cottontail shouted, registers it, and continues panicking. Jinx chokes on air. "That's...awful. We can fix this though. You and me, we can fix this. Just let me help you." Harlequin lashes out.
"Stop talking! Stop pretending to be her! You can't help me, nobody can help me. They're all dead, killed just like Jinx. And you, soon enough." He lunges at her and Jinx flips, right off the building. She hits the ground running. All around her, people are curled on rooftops like the statues in Pompeii. Jinx races, right up to the Eiffel Tower's wreck. Luckybug lands behind her. She turns, backing up until her back hits the post. Straight up hand to hand won't work, not without Cataclysm in play. Trickery? And then Jinx gets an idea. A terrible, awful idea. She steps toward him, face relaxing and hopefully hiding how terrified she is.
"You're right. I'm not Jinx. I'm her ghost." Luckybug pauses, face expressing confusion.
"You're solid."
"I died with my Miraculous," she says. Of course, it's straight up bullshit but he accepts it. He nods.
"Why are you here, Jinx?" She gestures around her. Go big or go home.
"I can't move on when you are doing this in my name. I can't move on as long as the earth is broken, because of you. Look what you've done. I am being punished for you. Let me go, Lucky." Harlequin wipes away a tear.
"I can't. She killed you, Jinx." She steps even closer to him, carefully, and cups his face.
"I'll always be with you. One last time, for old times sake?" She angles her face towards his and he leans in. Her hands snake down his shoulders and arms, stopping at his wrists as she tugs him closer. Their lips meet and she snatches his bracelet, ripping it. An akuma flutters out of them and she calls it in front of him.
"Cataclysm!" She crushes the butterfly easily and it's ashes crumple to the ground. Luckybug appears before her, not that nightmare.
"Jinx? What- you were?" She smiles at him.
"I know. I'm not anymore, I'm here- oof." Her breath leaves her as he hugs her.
"You were- actually, not just the fake-" He stops talking, unable to continue. He pulls back and cups her face, looking into her eyes and kissing her. She grips his shoulder, not pulling back but not really reciprocating either. He is a good kisser- she stops that train of thought instantly. He pulls back again and she just lets him hug her again. A bright flash fills the wasteland and it makes him jerk, suddenly looking around the waste that used to be Paris. Cottontail pulls tjem into the Burrow, for once not bothering to cover their eyes. All the screens are dark anyways.
"Excellent job, Jinx. Luckybug, you put a hell of a fight. You're not finished yet. Follow my instructions exactly so we can all go back and have a semi-normal life. We're going to go back to the moment Luckybug figured out that you're Annabeth. I don't see the problem in you knowing when that was because you're a famous model who was bound to be recognized. Jinx, you sneak into your bathroom, make Annabeth tie her hair back, and Luckybug, you wait on the rooftop with me. Jinx will come back when she's finished and Luckybug will cast 'Miraculous ladybug'. He will vanish into nothing and you, Jinx, will be sort of combined with Annabeth. You'll basically be Annabeth of that night with all your memories. Don't ask me how."
"Wow, Cottontail, was that hard for your little rabbit brain to process?" Jinx jokes, punching him in the shoulder.
"Very. Let's go." He opens the Burrow and ushers them out. Jinx's clock is ticking, so she rushes into her own bathroom, grabbing Annabeth by the shoulders. She sweeps her hair over her head.
"Cover that." Annabeth smooths it down like usual, face perplexed.
"What-"
"There's no time. You can't let Luckybug see your shaved head, ever. Or at least not until Kronos is gone, do you understand me?" Annabeth nods.
"Yeah, I do. Yes. This is weird as hell, what's happening?" Jinx pats her shoulder.
"No time to explain. Catch you later!" She jumps out of the window, vaulting herself to the nearby rooftop where Cottontail dropped them off. Luckybug stands.
"So now I do Miraculous ladybug."
"Now you do Miraculous ladybug," she agrees. Luckybug drags a hand over his face, a haunted look in his eyes.
"I'm going to forget, everything, aren't I?" She steps closer to him, taking his hand.
"Yeah." He drops his forehead to hers.
"But you'll survive." She nods, and he opens his yoyo.
"I still have the original lucky charm, you know. It never worked after I got akumatized, I guess. Wasn't Luckybug anymore, but I know I would've done anything to get you back, and that should've been the first thing I tried. It's in my yoyo."
"You remember?" Jinx asks. All akumatized victims usually forget, but she has no idea what applies to an akumatized superhero.
"Bits and pieces." He pulls a length of rope out of his yoyo. "Loneliness. Eruptions. Rooftops. Playing with the rope." He gets ready to throw.
"I'll forget everything if it means you are gonna be okay, m'lady. One last time, for old times sake?" She nods, kissing his cheek. He smiles at her. "Miraculous ladybug!" Ladybugs swirl around them and he vanishes. She does get absorbed into Annabeth of ages ago, standing at her window. This time, Luckybug didn't flee.
"Annabeth? You alright?" She nods, flinging herself at him.
"I zoned out, sorry. 'M glad you're okay," she mumbles into his shoulder. He pats her back awkwardly.
"Ah, yeah. You know me, always A-okay." She laughs, pulling back. He rubs the back of his neck.
"I have to go, working on a-" he coughs, "-project with one of my friends." She nods, stepping away. "Great seeing my favorite model." She smiles at him fondly.
"Great seeing my favorite yoyo-er." He snickers, throwing said device out the window and jumping, swinging away. Annabeth collapses in his seat, scrolling through her Tumblr. Her phone begins vibrating not soon after. Percy.
"Hello?"
"Hey Annabeth. Not sure if you remember, but today's the day." She curses briefly. Between school, rescuing the world form certain doom and meeting a traumatized partner in the future, she completely forgot.
"Right. I'll go do that."
"Don't get hurt and I'll be at Thalia's place with all your stuff." She nods, steeling herself.
"I won't. Thanks. Bye." She hangs up, standing and getting ready to end this nightmare.
"Teddy!" she calls. The bodyguard opens her door.
Is it time? he signs.
"Yeah, it's time. Let's go bait her," Annabeth says, walking past him and towards the dining room, where they have cameras set up.
This is a stupid plan, Teddy tells her, catching up to hr to walk beside her. She shrugs.
"It's necessary. Ready?" Teddy nods. Helen is coming out for her evening meal, like usual. He fades into the background as Annabeth grabs Helen's most prized vase and hurls it on the ground. It was ugly as hell anyways.
"What the hell?" Hellen shouts, standing in the doorway. She strides forward and slaps Annabeth across the face. Repeatedly. Annabeth doesn't put up a fight.
"Why do you hate me so much?" she asks loudly, to make sure the cameras don't miss her voice. "Why do you always hit me?" Helen slaps her again.
"Insolent, good for nothing girl! I have no time for a child, especially not her child. Your mother was-" Annabeth cuts her off, glaring dangerously at her.
"Don't talk about my mother. Or my father, the one you murdered." Helen shrugged.
"He was in my way, and you were going to tattle. Snitches get stitches."
"Oh, so you admit it?" Annabeth says clearly. Helen rolls her eyes.
"If you have a recording phone, I will murder you. But yes, I did. So what?" Annabeth doesn't answer, walking out of the room. Teddy holds up his phone, the cameras streaming to it.
I got it. Are you okay? Annabeth nods, hugging him.
"Let's get out of this hellhole," she says, speed-walking out the doors. They're locked, and Annabeth slowly turns around. There stands Helen, clawed hand extended.
"Phone," she says. Annabeth eyes her.
"What for?" Helen makes an impatient gesture.
"I don't need a reason." Impatiently, Annabeth hands it over. Little does Helen know that she has a burner phone, currently stored in the luggage she gave Percy yesterday. Helen opens it, scrolling through her videos. She hands it back. "So, you weren't videoing me. Wise of you." Annabeth rolls her eyes but keeps the rest of her face impassive.
"I'm not stupid. Can I go out with Teddy now?"
"Could've fooled me. Yes, yes, you may go. Teddy, dear, remember who you work for." Teddy nods. They walk out the door, both with stiff backs. As soon as they pass the gates, Teddy pokes her and motions at a silver car. Thalia's brother's car. Annabeth sucks in a breath, mentally preparing herself.
"Annabeth!" Thalia shouts, jumping out and running full-tilt at her. They collide and Annabeth almost hits the pavement, Teddy bracing her. "I can't believe that witch- and you- don't ever do that again!" she reprimands. Annabeth laughs, waving awkwardly at Jason and Piper standing a ways away.
"Planning not to." Thalia drags her into the car, but before she can push her fully in, Annabeth breaks free. "Hold on," she tells Thalia. Then she runs over to Teddy, hugging him tightly.
"You visit, you hear me?" she says, mock scolding him. He chuckles and nods. She hugs him again and gets into the car, watching until he fades into the distance. Piper turns from shotgun.
"Have a good day so far?" she asks kindly. Honestly, Annabeth loves Piper, Jason's soon-to-be wife. Annabeth grins at her.
"The best."
"I hope you like pizza," Jason adds. He's a cop, working right under Officer Nemesis. She settles back.
"Do I ever." As they pull into the driveway and walk into the house, Annabeth realizes what it must feel like to be a family for the first time in a long time as Thalia proudly shows her an additional bed in her room, another desk, another seat at their table.
"I know it's not much," she says awkwardly. Annabeth crushes her into a hug.
"It's perfect."
Later that night, Jason sits her down and asks her to open the video footage. It's all there, Helen hitting Annabeth, admitting to Frederick's murder, and threats of murdering Annabeth. He compiles it, sends it to the police station, and assures Annabeth that Helen Chase will not have any parental rights of her very soon. Annabeth goes to sleep easy, and so does the boy in the red suit that's been watching her this entire time.
The next evening, Luckybug and Jinx meet up for patrol. Luckybug frowns. Jinx looks..different. She looks less stressed, happier, but also weirdly nervous.
"You good?" he asks. Jinx sighs, folding her legs under her and sitting.
"I moved out of my step-mom's house, so that's going well. But other than that, I have some superhero related stuff I'm not sure if I should tell you." Luckybug frowns, taking a seat next to her.
"Then why bring it up to me, and not Chiron?" Jinx leans towards him. Normally, he would make a flirty joke, blush, or lean in towards her as well. Not now. He sees how serious this is.
"I trust you to trust me. I trust that if you think that you can't handle something, you won't ask for it. I trust that you'll know that whatever I'm telling you is true. What I might tell you involves you, but future-you." Luckybug frowns, leaning back on his elbows.
"Huh. I... I don't know. Why would you not tell me?"
Jinx puts her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them. "I don't want you feeling guilty for something that hasn't even happened in this timeline, and probably won't ever, if I can help it." Luckybug looks over at her. She's facing away.
"I won't." Lie. He's already wondering about what he possibly could have done. Jinx sighs.
"If you really want to know..."
"I do."
Jinx faces him, settling her elbows on her knees, and begins her story.
"Cottontail picked me up, randomly. He took me into the Burrow and then shoved me out."
"Where did you land?" Luckybug asks, trying to prompt her along. She squeezes her eyes shut then opens them, gazing past him.
"Paris. It was in ruins. The Eiffel Tower was all twisted and figures of people covered in hardened lava were scattered along the streets. I think an eruption, or an earthquake? Anyways, I was on top of a building with the only other alive person in all of Paris. He turned around, and it was you." Luckybug feels a shiver run up his spine but stays silent. The sunset, the faraway, haunted look in Jinx's eye, it's all something out of a ghost story. "Only, it wasn't. You were... you were akumatized, Luckybug." His jaw drops.
"But...I thought I couldn't." Jinx shakes her head, fiddling with her hands nervously.
"You had killed Kronos. You knew my real name. And..."
"Why was I akumatized, Jinx?" Luckybug asks lowly.
She buries her face in her hands. "She killed me." Her voice comes out as little more than a whisper, but it runs an electric shock down his back and rings in his ears after it's faded into silence.
"I see."
Jinx looks up at him pleadingly. "It wasn't your fault."
"Did Cottontail let you see, fill you in?" he asks.
"No, but let me finish! I tricked you. All you wanted to see was me, and you did. I took you back to the past, or my present, and you cast Miraculous luckybug knowing that you would forget everything that had happened, any relationship we may have had. And that, Luckybug, is how I know it wasn't your fault. If it was, you would've blamed anyone but yourself."
He had blamed Kronos, who apparently had killed her. She knew in her heart that it wasn't him, could never be him, and so she didn't feel the need to tell him that. He had enough on his plate. Luckybug stood, getting ready to sling away.
"I am so sorry, Jinx. You deserve someone who can keep control of himself. That's apparently not me." Jinx stands so quickly she almost gets whiplash. She stalks over to Luckybug, yanking the yoyo out of his hand.
"I don't want someone like that! I want someone who keeps control when it counts, I don't want a robot! I want a partner who knows when he's made a mistake, who always has my back and lets me have his, and who treats me like an equal even when the rest of Paris doesn't believe it. I want someone who will take me home when I'm drunk and hurt and clean me up, and you're so damn respectful about it. I want you, Luckybug, and if you're too blind to see that then there's nothing I can do about it." She's up in his face, and he's looking down at her with something indescribable in his eyes, and she shouldn't be this close. She shouldn't want to be this close, but as she says all this she realizes that it's true. She does want him, when the only person she should be wanting is Percy. She shakes her head, stepping away and flinging herself off the building, twisting her body up and over and running into the sunset.
A/N: Wow, where did all that angst come from? Eleven o' clock writing session, huh? I literally wrote Catalyst, Kalapin, and this in one weekend. Reverse writer's block? The quality is probably crap, which is why I try not to re-read anything I've written after posting it, kind of like when you don't listen to your recorded voice because it sounds super weird. Aiming for this to be finished up by Valentine's Day! Thank you guys so much for reading!
