A Reversal Of Roles

by hawkflight of riverclan

A look at how The Reverser episode could have gone, had his powers worked a bit too well. When both of Paris's heroes fall, who can even hope to rise up against the villain? Maybe, just maybe, the ones who caused all this in the first place.

2. Repair, Repairing, Repaired

Warnings for this chapter: Chloe being a good person, crippling guilt and self hatred, unhealthy dependency on bad people, pain, headcanons, Hawkmoth is not an entirely bad awful person (but if I ever rewrote this, he probably would be because wow).

Chapter Two: Repair, Repairing, Repaired

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Someone was crying.

That was the first thing he noticed as the fog began to clear from his head. It was quiet, but clear. A soft sniffling, joined occasionally by little hiccups. What was going on? Was something wrong? Nathaniel tried to move, to sit up and see, but then came the pain. He gasped, head spinning.

Fire raced through his arms and head, and his chest burned. His legs were sore, and his face was tender, slight pain shooting through it when his expression shifted. His breathing came in light gasps, and his head still spun, everything tilting. His breath caught in his throat, stagnant, all the while he tried to force his lungs into motion.

"It's alright, don't move." A voice, one he didn't recognize, spoke softly. "You are safe. Just breathe."

He tried to open his eyes, but shut them quickly. It was too bright. Who was talking? The voice was kind, but he didn't recognize it. He needed to know who it was, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even open his eyes. Everything was just too much. The second person, the one who was crying, sniffled, and spoke.

"Is... is he okay, master?"

Nathaniel paused, fighting through the remainder of the haze in his head until he recognized the speaker. It was high pitched and female... It wavered slightly. He knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn't place it. He was sure he knew her though... What was her name? It was on the tip of his tongue...

"He will be, Tikki." The other voice said, still gentle. Still safe. "The damage isn't as bad as it could have been. Thanks to your interference, he should finish his recovery in just a few minutes."

Tikki. That was it. Her name was Tikki, and she was Ladybug's friend. And Ladybug was... Marinette? And then... something else happened. It was just out of reach... Marc, Reverser, Marinette, Tikki, and… and Adrien. Everything snapped into place with a suddenness that shocked him, his interactions with Adrien flashing through his mind. Cruel laughter, crueler eyes. Blows to his face, claws, fingers, digging through his arms and shoulders and face. What had simply felt like needles at the time had been fingers, digging into him, tearing him apart- A hand around his throat, tightening, squeezing, blocking the air from his lungs.

He gasped, jerking halfway upright, before he cried out in pain and fell back to the floor. A hand lightly touched his shoulder, and he screamed. He tried to shift away from the hand, but he couldn't. He couldn't move. He was tired, and he hurt. He'd almost died. The realization shocked him back into stillness, knocking the breath from his lungs once again. He trembled, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Shh... It's alright. You are safe now." The voice had no malice in it. Not even a trace of the anger he'd heard from everyone for the past while. Everyone aside from Tikki, that is. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that it really was okay. That whoever this person was really didn't want to hurt him, and that he really was safe, and that everything was okay. Besides, Tikki was with him. He could trust Tikki, and if she thought it was okay, then it was. He needed to believe that. He wasn't sure what He'd do otherwise.

Nathan cracked his eyes open, finally able to look without the light burning his eyes. An old man was sitting cross-legged beside him, presumably the owner of the voice. Tikki was hovering over the man's shoulder, still crying and sniffling, eyes overly bright. She looked tired, and worried. It took a moment before he realized that Plagg was there as well, sitting quietly on the man's other shoulder. The sight of the black cat-like creature sent him reeling, shifting back slightly before his strength left him again. He stared though, and Plagg blinked at him, before turning away. The creature floated away sullenly, until he was out of view.

"How are you feeling?" The man asked, tearing Nathaniel's attention away from Plagg. It was awkward to try and stare after him from the ground anyway.

"I-I..." he started, voice cracking, throat raw. He swallowed, before trying again. "B-bad. Is... what happened?" How am I alive?

The man smiled sadly.

"You already know the identities of both Chat Noir and Ladybug, and you have seen both of their Kwami, and spoken with one. Before you learn anything else, I must ask that you swear to never tell anyone else, or talk of this again. Aside from speaking with Marinette, Tikki, Plagg, Adrien, or myself, of course."

He tried no to let Adrien's name bother him, but it did. Just the thought was enough to send him reeling. Still, he nodded. He needed to know what was going on. He hadn't been planning on saying anything about this anyway.

"Tikki, just as Ladybug can, is able to use her abilities as a failsafe. A lucky charm," the man began. "However, if she acts alone, she usually goes... overboard. It also drains her, and she barely has the strength to do anything afterwards. If she does too much, goes too far... the consequences on her would be terrible. There have been times when her Miraculous holders have disappeared for days, even up to two weeks, because the strain of using her abilities alone was too much. She has been forbidden to use it, except for in the most dire of circumstances. She considered saving you to be worth the risk."

Nathaniel tilted his head to look at her, taking in her exhaustion and weakness. She'd saved him? He smiled at her. Or, well, he tried to. He could feel it falling flat.

"T-thank you," he whispered instead, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Tikki."

"Of course," she said. "I couldn't let him... l-let him kill..." She began to cry again, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "But I let him h-hurt you so much, because I couldn't g-et him to stop, and... and now h-he's..."

She looked across the hall, and Nathaniel followed her gaze. His breath left his lungs in a soft 'oh', eyes widening as he saw it. A large metal dome took up part of the hall, fenced off from the rest of the area. There was a door, which was currently closed, set into it. It was dark, and looked... It looked like a one room prison. And Adrien was in there.

He paled, ice washing down his spine. Adrien. He was right there, so close. The source of the laughter, of the claws digging in his skin, the hand around his throat-

"Breathe," a calm voice ordered. He blinked, realizing he hadn't been. He sucked in a shuddering breath, turning his head from the prison. If that's how he reacted being separated from Adrien, being completely cut off from him, how would he react when he saw him again? In person, up close? He didn't want to. He couldn't. Not now. Not for a while.

Nathaniel hissed through clenched teeth and slowly sat up. His head spun, but somehow he already felt better than when he first woke up. Both Tikki and the old man seemed to want to stop him, but they let him move. That… that was a good thing, right? They would stop him if they thought there was a problem, so… it was okay. He'd be okay. He glanced down, taking in the bandages wrapped around his arms. Even without them, he felt like he'd be… alright. Still sore and stiff, and still tired, but… he didn't feel too hurt. At least, not as much as he thought he should be. After what had happened… he shouldn't be alright. Not in any sense of the word. So... why was he okay…?

"Why... why am I not..."

"My lucky charm," Tikki said. "It trapped him, and it helped you."

"And you could barely get to me afterwards," the man reminded her, a hint of anger slipping into his voice. It sounded like it was born more from concern than anything else… "Just a bit more and even you could have fallen unconscious along with him."

She had risked herself that much... for him? And... he was okay. Not entirely, but that was to be expected. Even being here was far more than he would ever have imagined. There had been a chance he'd never wake up again. And he wouldn't have, if Adrien had gotten his way.

"However," the man continued, voice softening as he spoke to Tikki, "as everything worked out... you did a good job." He looked back to Nathaniel. "She healed the worst of the damage, but, as you have undoubtedly noticed, there is still some that she did not heal. And there will be aftereffects of her lucky charm being focused on you, but they should be fading. Things like exhaustion, light sensitivity, perhaps some lingering pain unrelated to your wounds... small things like that. You have some remaining injuries, but nothing too worrying."

Nathaniel looked over to Tikki again, and she smiled. She stayed quiet though, landing on the man's shoulder. Nathaniel took a deep breath, looking at the ceiling. He didn't want to think about this... about how hurt he was, or about Adrien. About Marinette, or about... Marc. His head snapped up, though he hadn't even realized he'd let it droop down again. He locked eyes with the man sitting beside him, fear shooting down his spine.

"Marc," he breathed. "Reverser. Is he still-?"

"He is…" Tikki whispered. "Without a Ladybug, we can't stop him."

Nathaniel frowned. "And Marinette is..."

She nodded, eyes shining with sadness. Nathaniel paled. Without someone to use Ladybug's Miraculous, they couldn't purify the Akuma. They couldn't fix anything. Everything would just... stay broken. Forever.

"Then, we need someone else to do it. I can't... we can't let this happen. We have to... we have to stop it."

The man nodded, but there was an odd look in his eyes. Interest. Curiosity.

"Yes. We will need to find a temporary Ladybug and," he hesitated for a moment, before continuing softly, as if trying to keep Nathaniel calm, "and if we are able to, a Chat Noir."

Nathaniel shivered. Why? Why couldn't he even hear the name?

"But, if I may ask, why do you care so much?" The man continued, "Why are you risking your life? Why have you been running around the city, putting yourself in so much danger?"

Nathaniel hesitated. What? Of course he cared. People were being twisted around into things they weren't, people were dying. Of course he cared. But... that wasn't all. That wasn't the only reason.

"...Because... It's my fault," he whispered. He expected anger or disappointment, but they showed no sign of either. Tikki just looked concerned. The man... he didn't show his feelings, face calm. They were both silent, so he took it as an offer to continue. "I-I didn't mean to, but I hurt him, and now he's... gone. I think, maybe, it was a trick? W-we were both misinformed, I think- …but that isn't an excuse."

He dropped his gaze to the ground.

"I hurt him. Pushed him too far. So it's my fault this is happening, that people have died, and A-Adrien and Marinette are how they are. I should've seen it, I should have known that this could happen. I-I've been where he is, a-and I know what it's like, but I didn't-" His voice cracked, tears in his eyes. "It's my fault he's hurting. My fault he's going to be hurting. That other people are hurt, o-or dead, or worse." He fought to lift his gaze back up to them. "So I have to help fix it. I have to."

The man nodded thoughtfully, eyes narrowed in concentration. He thought he could see something else there as well... empathy? Understanding?

"Is it really?" he finally asked. "Is it really just your fault? Is the blame really only yours to bear?"

Nathaniel paused. That wasn't the question he'd been expecting.

"Yes." Of course it was. But... he'd been tricked too. Did that really matter though? His actions had been his own, and he'd been the one to push Marc too far. But maybe... "There... there might have been someone else, someone might have tricked us, but... I was the one that pushed him over the edge. If I didn't, then this all wouldn't have happened."

"If you know there are other factors, why do you insist on taking all of the blame?"

"I..." Because he had too. He didn't have any other answer.

"Do you still want to help after your recent experiences?"

"O-of course I do."

"Then, promise me, that when this is over, you will return this to either me or Marinette."

Nathaniel was about to question what he was talking about, before the man held out Ladybug's Miraculous. He froze. What? His hand went to his pocket, finding it empty.

"I apologize for taking them, but I needed to know they were in good hands."

"...What are you talking about?"

The man smiled. "I am giving you the opportunity to use them, just for today. Just to stop the latest threat to Paris."

Nathaniel's mouth went dry. He glanced to Tikki, who was staring determinedly at the ground.

"We both talked about it," she said. "You're the best option we have access to right now. If it can't be Marinette... the other people who could do it aren't here. And we don't even know if they're still... them. Or even where they are. We need someone now, so... it needs to be you."

He swallowed, though it did nothing to relieve the lump in his throat. He couldn't do that, could he? It wasn't his role. It wasn't his power to use. It was Marinette's Miraculous. But... she couldn't use it. Or, at least, she wouldn't. He didn't even know where she was, and convincing her to take them back would be difficult, if not impossible. But even so, he couldn't be the only option. He couldn't be. He would mess up, or lose the Miraculous, or fail, or something. And... Hawkmoth would see him. Hawkmoth would notice him, and Reverser would come after him again, and... to be honest, he wasn't sure if he trusted himself with this kind of power. He trembled.

Nathaniel had been Akumatized, he'd tasted a piece of the power that the Miraculouses held, but he knew that what he'd had was a mimicry. A small drop of what he could have if he took the Miraculous. It had just been a cheap imitation. Deep down, part of him longed to have that kind of power again, but the rest of him... he couldn't. But that other, traitorous part of himself wanted it, wanted it so badly that it hurt. He blocked the thoughts out. He couldn't give into that, he couldn't let himself-

But this wasn't the same as it was with Hawkmoth.

This wasn't like that, it wasn't some kind of false power given by Hawkmoth, it wasn't made to hurt or to control him. It was a Miraculous, and it needed to be used. It couldn't really hurt... it couldn't be a bad idea. They both wanted him to, and he wanted- no, needed to. So they could save the city. So they could stop Hawkmoth. So his chest will stop aching, so it would stop caving in on itself without Hawkmoth's artificial powers to fill the void inside him, so he would stop hurting, because it hurt to feel so empty, to be so human after being something else-

He shook his head, trying to clear it. That wasn't true. Maybe it felt true sometimes, but it wasn't. He hadn't been more. Hadn't been better. He hadn't been anything besides human. If anything, he'd been worse. He wouldn't do this just to satisfy himself, to ease that feeling of emptiness. It was almost funny, how he'd managed to block it out until now. He'd almost convinced himself it was gone, and now they were presenting him with a Miraculous. Would he even be able to give it back...? He didn't know, and that terrified him.

He couldn't risk using it. No, that wasn't right... He couldn't risk keeping it.

"Nathan?"

His head snapped up again, and this time he let out a yelp of surprise, jumping back as he came face to face with Tikki, who was hovering right in front of him. Her eyes were wide and her face filled with concern. He blinked, head spinning from the sudden interruption and scattering of thoughts.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Y-yeah," he stammered. "Just... I don't think I can. I can't use the Miraculous."

And how that hurt to say...

She blinked, face twisted in confusion. The old man's eyes narrowed, examining Nathaniel again. "Why not?"

He looked away from them, and from the prison. He couldn't tell them. He hadn't told anyone, aside from others who already knew, people that felt the same way. He couldn't tell them. Tikki would be disgusted. She wouldn't want him near her. And the man... he would probably be angry. Angry that he'd almost given a Miraculous to someone so broken, angry that he'd helped him, angry that Tikki hadn't let Adrien finish him off-

He bit down on the side of his hand, the pain grounding him in the present, in what was happening now, instead of what happened then. If he explained, it would be bad. If he didn't, it would still be bad. They'd be angry at him for not telling them. So, if either way they would hate him... shouldn't he be honest about it? They could spread the information around, sure, but half the city probably knew, either from being Akumatized themselves or hearing it from those who had been.

So if it didn't make a difference either way, why shouldn't he be honest?

"It's... complicated. There's something like... like a hole. In my chest, or my h-head. Or both." he started, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn't want to see it when their expressions turned from confusion to hatred. "It started after... after Hawkmoth gave me powers."

He heard them shift, and he tensed. There was only silence after that though, so he let himself relax. As much as he could, at least.

"It won't go away," he continued. "I can ignore it sometimes, but it's always there."

"And... what is it?" Tikki asked, voice wavering. "What does it do?" He couldn't tell what she was feeling. He swallowed, trying to find the right words.

"It wants," he whispered. "I don't feel whole a-anymore. It's always there, empty, like someone took something out of me. Hawkmoth gave me powers, and when they were taken back, it didn't… it didn't fix me. I-I'm still messed up, a-and broken, and I just... The hole is where they were, a-and it feels like they should still be there, and it hurts that they aren't anymore." His voice wavered, and he could feel their stares burning into him.

"A-and I would never go back to Hawkmoth, but..." he trailed off. Finally, just loud enough that they could hear, he whispered, "what if a Miraculous makes it go away? What if I use it and it fixes me? Only when it's activated? Or, it doesn't, but I still can't… What if I can't give it back to you?"

There was silence. A silence so sharp and thick that it suffocated him, forced itself down his throat, blocking anymore words from escaping him. They weren't responding. Why…? He'd expected something. Yelling, maybe. Cold, quiet whispers. Footsteps as the man walked away. Anything. Just as he was about to risk looking up, something small slammed into him. He flinched back, expecting pain to follow, but... nothing else happened. He looked down to find Tikki clinging to him, crying. She was... hugging him? Nathaniel let out a shuddering breath, placing a trembling hand over her to return the gesture, and looked up.

The man's face was carefully neutral, but there were subtle signs of what he really felt. His mouth twitched downwards slightly, and there was something in his eyes. It wasn't malicious though, more... sympathetic? Guilty? He met Nathaniel's eyes.

"I am... sorry," he murmured.

"I'm sorry too!" Tikki yelled, still clinging to him.

His eyes stung, tears blurring his vision. What was this? This wasn't what he was expecting. This wasn't the reaction he'd thought they would have. Why weren't they upset? Or, they were upset, but not... They weren't angry, or disgusted, or afraid, or disappointed. Just… sad. He wasn't sure if this was better or worse. He couldn't tell. He wasn't even sure why. He just didn't know.

"What...?" he whispered, voice catching in his throat. "Why would you be..."

Tikki looked up at him with tearful eyes.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I didn't know t-that you were hurting, and Marinette didn't know either and we didn't help. We could have helped!" Her voice was rising. "And now y-you're saying your broken, and..." She trailed off. After a second, she looked down and continued, voice soft, "You sound like Chloe. When she talks about you. But you can't. You can't believe her."

How did she know about- no. If she was always with Marinette, then of course she'd know. Of course she would have heard. But... did he really sound like that? What did Chloe always say? That he was broken? Disgusting? That he was corrupted. Disgraceful, stupid, damaged, awful, evil. He shivered. He… he did believe that. Maybe not all of it, but most of it. The bits that mattered. What she said... he hadn't even realized that it was the same as what he thought about himself. He almost felt like laughing, but he started crying instead. How had he not noticed? Every time she said those things he denied it, but here he was, believing the same things. They agreed on something after all.

"I agree with Tikki," the man said. Nathaniel's head snapped up. "I do not see a broken man when I see you. Dented perhaps. But that can be fixed."

He held up the Miraculous. "This... well. If you do not believe you are able to, then we can try to find another user. However, who knows how long that would take. It has already been too long. Reverser has sown chaos and death into the city. We need someone, at least one, to stop him. You can use this, or you can search for someone else. But please, think carefully.

"I believe, even after having just met you, that you can be trusted. If you find yourself unable to return it to me, know that I will be able to take it from you." His eyes sparkled. "I don't believe that will be necessary, however. And neither does Tikki. She wouldn't let you use her Miraculous if she didn't trust you."

Nathaniel blinked, looking down at Tikki. She trusted him? It did seem that way... Maybe he could do this? Maybe, if the man really could take it back, just in case he couldn't return it. He could try, at least. Part of him rejoiced at the thought, eager to see if it would help him. He ignored it.

"Tikki?" he asked. She nodded, smiling at him.

"I trust you. You aren't as bad as you think. I believe in you, okay?"

He looked at the man, suddenly realizing that he didn't know his name. "...Sir?"

The man smiled. "You can call me Fu."

"Right. Fu... If I tried, just for a second... could you be ready, just... just in case?" He swallowed thickly, regretting the question as soon as he spoke it, though he wasn't sure why. His hands clenched into fists.

There was hesitation in Fu's eyes. Nathaniel wondered about what the man could really do, but just knowing that Fu would be there, that Fu would be ready to stop him, somehow, if he did something wrong, or take them back... It was reassuring, somehow. Even if it was a lie, which it could very well be, it was something to fall back on.

"Alright," Fu finally said. Nathaniel took a deep breath.

"Thank you. I... I'll try, then. If you want me to."

Without another word, Fu offered him the earrings. He took them with trembling hands, looking them over. He didn't even have his ears pierced or anything, how was he expecting to be able to try this? Just then, he noticed you could clip them on. He frowned. He was sure they hadn't been clip-ons earlier. Trying not to think about it, he put them on.

He immediately felt stupid. He also had no idea what to do next.

"Um..." He felt his face flare, a dark blush spreading over his cheeks. "What do I do now?"

"Now," Tikki said, "just say 'spots on!'"

The heat in his face intensified, blush darkening.

"R-really?" They both looked at him seriously. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. And then he remembered something. "...What about Plagg? What will he do?"

Fu frowned. "There isn't time at the moment to find someone to fill that role. We have to do this now."

Tikki paused, before she started to speak. Her voice was quiet and hesitant, and her gaze was on the ground.

"But... there's always a Chat Noir to help me," she said. "Me and Plagg are a team. I don't know if I can do this alone."

"We don't have anyone else, Tikki. You'll have to do it alone this time."

"Master," she said calmly, looking the older man in the eyes. "you wouldn't let Marinette and me go alone. You wouldn't let Ladybug do it alone. Because... we can't do it. We're a team."

"Yes, but without someone else to assist us, there is no Chat Noir to help you. There's no one to use Plagg's Miraculous."

"Yes, there is." A sudden voice sounded from behind him. He jumped, turning his head. Plagg hovered in the air, looking simultaneously empty and determined. Nathaniel's heart sped up, but he wasn't afraid. Plagg wasn't really to blame for anything. He'd been a victim too.

"And who is it?" Fu asked, looking genuinely curious and hopeful.

"Him," Plagg said, gesturing to Nathaniel. Fu's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"He's already going to use the-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know," Plagg hissed. "But if you're not going to look for someone else, and Tikki wants help, then let him use both of us."

Tikki and Fu both looked shocked. Nathaniel paused. You could use two Miraculous at once? What would that do to you? ...What would you be able to do?

"Are you serious?" Fu asked, voice stern. "You know what happens if your Miraculouses are used by one person. That is exactly what Hawkmoth wants to-"

"But this isn't Hawkmoth!" Plagg yelled, tone desperate. "You trust him, you said so yourself!"

"Plagg," Tikki murmured, "do you really-"

"Yes," he interjected. He looked at Tikki with wide, haunted eyes. "Think of Marinette. She needs you. And Adrien needs me."

Tikki hesitated, then simply fell silent, looking at the ground. Nathaniel couldn't help but think he shouldn't be here, shouldn't be listening in on their discussion. It sounded almost like a family matter, somehow. Fu was looking more and more betrayed. More stern.

"I cannot let you do this. Giving more than one Miraculous to someone at once, especially if it's you two, could lead to-"

"Horrible, terrible things. We get it. But it could help us save everything. It depends on the user, and you trust this one. Unless you were lying?" Plagg was visibly angry at this point. Nathaniel shifted uncomfortably. Should he leave them alone? Should he stay?

"I meant what I said, but I refuse to let anyone use two of them at once. I will not allow this, and that is final."

Plagg looked ready to argue, but Tikki gently shushed him, a hand on his shoulder.. Plagg deflated, staring at the ground. He was silent for a moment, before he looked up at Nathaniel. His eyes were sharp, but he seemed... dull.

"...Just get him back for me. Okay?" he muttered, before sullenly zipping away, pointedly refusing to sit near Fu. A weight settled into Nathaniel's stomach. There was... there was a lot riding on this. A lot of people would be counting on him.

Hawkmoth would see him, Reverser would be after him, he didn't know how to do anything… He had to save Marinette, and Adrien, and everyone. This was going to be difficult... but he had to try. If he could even handle the Miraculous, that is. And if he succeeded in beating the Reverser... well, hopefully he'd be able to give it back to Fu. But before he could worry about that, he had to actually try. He waited a moment, but noone spoke. Finally, he looked to Tikki.

"Tikki...? Are you... good?" he asked softly. She turned to him, a strained smile on her face.

"Go ahead whenever you're ready."

He took a deep breath, pushing all feelings aside. "Then, Tikki... spots on?"

She glowed for a moment, before she dissolved into raw light, which swirled around his head before disappearing into one of the earrings. He expected it to be at least similar to the transformation he'd undergone when he'd received powers from Hawkmoth, but it wasn't. A comforting warmth spread throughout his body, focusing on his chest, or perhaps his heart? He could feel a wave of something, almost like a summer's breeze, wash over him, and his hair was pushed out of his face. And then it happened. Power flared to life in his chest. It was... different than before.

Hawkmoth's abilities had been nearly intoxicating, a buzz of energy that pushed you to use it. It gave you a feeling that you could do anything, and there wouldn't be a consequence. You could have anything, destroy anything, be anything. This, an actual Miraculous... It wasn't something he felt he had to use. It was more of a comfort, a steady feeling that it would be okay. The hole inside his chest lessened slightly, but the ache was still there. Disappointing, painful, but probably for the best. The Miraculous was calm, unlike the static of Hawkmoth's powers. It was... nice.

He opened eyes he hadn't quite noticed he'd closed, looking down at himself. A dark red outfit covered him, black spots running across it in symmetrical patterns. Three dark circles were spread in a pattern on his chest that was achingly similar to the spots of color that had been on the chest of the Evillustrator suit. Gloves covered his hands and a good way up his wrists, growing darker the closer they got to his hands, the fingertips a deep black. He shifted, pausing at the sound of rustling fabric. Looking over his shoulder, there were two grey lined, translucent strips of silky fabric falling from his shoulders, almost like an insect's wings.

He could feel a mask pressed onto his face, which he refused to compare to the feeling of Adrien's claws around his eyes, and there was a weight on his head. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a hat, not unlike the one he'd had when... Nathan paused. The similarities between this and the Evi- the Illustrator's outfit were... noticeable. To him, at least. Three circles on the chest, darker towards the hands and feet, a mask, even the same hat. It was... well, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

He looked up at Fu, who seemed to be examining him, eyes narrowed.

"Fu?"

The man's expression softened. He stood up where he'd been sitting on the ground.

"It has been a few hours since Reverser was created. He managed to hit both Marinette and Adrien in the first. ...Do you know what to do?"

Nathaniel hesitated. "I know what to do. I'm just... I'm not so sure that I can do it."

"I believe in you. It is unfortunate you do not have more time to prepare, but the city has suffered enough for today. Or, rather, tonight."

Nathaniel's eyes widened. That was right. It had been getting late before he'd been... well, since he'd lost consciousness, so now...

At least no one would be able to see him as he messed up.

"You should go. Find him." Fu paused then, before smiling. "Remember to catch the Akuma. Marinette let her first one go. I am correct in assuming you remember that event, right?"

Fu's eyes sparkled, his voice lighter. Nathaniel smiled, knowing the old man was probably trying to reassure him. He was right... The first day the two heroes had appeared, it had ended in a disaster. They'd fixed it later, of course, but... knowing they had made a mistake, one that resulted in the chaos letting an Akuma go caused? Somehow it made him feel... better. If even they messed up, it would be okay for him to make mistakes too. Just as long as he managed to fix them afterwards.

"Thank you, Fu. For everything," he said. Somehow, the man had helped him in several ways. Fu nodded, and gestured for him to go. So he did.

He walked towards the exit, avoiding looking at Adrien's prison, feeling somehow more confident and more anxious as he did. Walking in a heroes suit, even if it was real, was... embarrassing. He hadn't thought of it that way before, but it was. He stopped at the doors, taking a few calming breaths and forcing himself to relax. After a moment, the door was open, and he was standing outside, the cool night air caressing his face.

It was dark out, but there were enough lights that he could see fine. The streets were empty, people taking shelter from Reverser as well as simply going home, since it was so late. He felt a sudden pang of worry. Were his parents okay? ...What did they even think had happened to him? Should he even tell them part of the truth? That he'd been running through the city and putting himself in danger? That he'd almost died? Should he tell them about what he'd seen?

The people getting shot, the ones crying or fighting, or simply walking away from it all? The ones running away, or watching, holding on to the belief that their heroes will come and save them? It was all... too much. It felt like too much to say to anyone. Fu, Marinette, and even Adrien, they would know, as well as Tikki and Plagg. But... should he try to even talk to them after this was over?

Maybe he shouldn't. But... he wanted to. Well, he'd like to talk to Marinette and Tikki, at least. Maybe even Fu. The other two... He could live without talking to them, at least for a few weeks. ...Or months. Even the thought of seeing Adrien made his heart pound and his shoulders tense. But this wasn't what he should be thinking about right now. He needed to focus.

He looked around, but he was slowly realizing that he didn't know where to go. Where would Reverser be now? He supposed he'd just have to look around. See if there was a disturbance anywhere. He glanced down at the yo-yo at his side, before looking up at the rooftops around him. He knew that Marinette and Adrien would often traverse the city by rooftop, and it would certainly be faster than the streets, but he wasn't quite confident in his ability to jump from each roof to the next without falling to his death. But... he was going to have to somehow fight Reverser, so... shouldn't he try practicing?

With a deep breath, he unhooked the yo-yo from his side and flicked it as if it was an ordinary toy. It seemed surprisingly normal. He looked up to the building across from him, trying to determine how best to do this, before shaking his head. This was why he wasn't a good choice. One reason, anyway. It wasn't even one he usually considered, but... he just didn't have the confidence. He didn't have the right mindset, and he didn't know how to find it. Evillustrator did, he'd been able to do it, but... Nathaniel wasn't him. Not anymore. Never again.

Mind made up, he hooked the yo-yo back onto the thin belt he'd overlooked before, and started moving on foot. It felt almost stupid, to be dressed as a hero, to be a hero, but to move down the street as if everything was normal. Still, it was the only way he was semi-comfortable with at the moment.

He kept his eyes and ears open, trying to find even a hint of Reverser's presence whether it was actually him or just the people he infected. It was surprisingly quiet, though. Usually there were a lot of people out at night. Having a psychotic villain terrorizing the streets was apparently a sure way to make the city, or at least this part of it, seem desolate. Usually the Akumatized people were stopped pretty quickly, though there were exceptions, like... himself (though he hadn't caused nearly this much damage. Or, really, much at all). Reverser had existed for a few hours, though he wasn't sure how many. How long had he even been unconscious?

There was just so much to think about, now that he was alone.

The warm, gentle power of the Miraculous pulsed, sending a wave of comfort sweeping through him. He gasped softly, the turmoil of thoughts and feelings in his head calming into a slow trickle. The warmth faded, until it was only in his chest again, around his heart. The feelings, brief though they had been, had conveyed one simple message. You aren't alone. It wasn't a message as much as it was an impression. A feeling, or perhaps an idea. He placed a hand over his heart and focused, trying to discern exactly what had happened. It took him a moment before he realized what it was.

Tikki.

She was part of this, somehow. It had been her light that activated the Miraculous in the first place, so it just made sense for her to still be there, even if she wasn't beside him. And, apparently, she could give him impressions, or feelings. ...Was she in his head? The thought would normally have sent him into a panic. The idea that someone could be in his mind the way Hawkmoth had been, how it sometimes felt like he still was, usually terrified him. But, somehow, now? With Tikki? It was more comforting than anything else.

He turned a corner, simply wandering, but he froze. There was someone else, walking with their back turned to him. She was looking around, her movements slow, but purposeful. She had familiar, blonde hair, tied up in a neat bun. Her clothes were ruffled, but the outfit and the hair made it impossible to not recognize her.

"Chloe?" he asked, unable to keep the name from slipping out. She jumped, turning to face him, and as she did, Nathaniel's blood ran cold. Her eyes were lined with dark circles, the sign of Reverser's influence. He tensed, waiting. What would she be like? Chloe was... awful. He'd seen the effects of good turned bad, and it did seem like everything about a person was flipped around, but... what did it do to her? Was she better? Worse?

Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, her face clear of disdain for the first time looking at him since... since forever. Whether that was because she didn't recognize him or because of Reverser's influence he couldn't tell. Not yet. Her gaze was sharp and clear, examining him from head to toe, as if trying to determine who he was. Was it really that hard to figure out? Though, he supposed he hadn't recognized Marinette or Adrien until they had been stripped of their disguises, so... perhaps it was another power of the Miraculous?

"...Yes?" she asked, voice soft. It was such a stark difference compared to her usual tone that it shocked him. "What is it? Who are you?"

He hesitated, relaxing slightly. Unlike the others, she seemed more… pleasant.

"Are you okay?" he found himself asking. She seemed surprised.

"Um, yes. I am." She glanced around at the empty street. "But I can't say the same for anything else. Everyone is... hurting. I've been helping, where I can, but... There's so much."

Hearing her speak about this without disgust or anger, but instead sadness, sympathy, and regret... It was weird.

"You're a hero, right?" she asked. He nodded hesitantly. "Can you help, then? Can you stop him and fix everything?"

"...I'll try," he offered. He couldn't promise that he would, not when there was such a large chance of failure. She seemed a bit concerned by his hesitance, but she perked up nonetheless. He almost felt like laughing. Not that it was funny, but just because it was so weird. Well... maybe it was a little funny. Would she remember any of this after it was over? Would anyone?

Would Marinette remember abandoning Tikki? Would Adrien remember what he'd done? Would Chloe remember feeling pity? Would that officer recall shooting into the crowd? He knew Marc would remember, all the Akumatized people remembered, but this was different. But these were questions for later. They'd hopefully be answered soon anyway.

"Chloe," he started, and she seemed confused again. Her eyes focused on his face, as if trying to place him. Suddenly it dawned on him. He was acting like he knew her. As the mayor's daughter, most people recognized her by sight alone, but they wouldn't act so familiar with her. Shoot. "Do you know where Reverser is?"

She paused. "I… he was over near my house, last time I saw. He flew past and… I think he threw something at me? He kept going after that."

That covered how and when she got hit. By her ruffled appearance, it did seem like she'd been out here helping for a while. Reverser could be long gone by now, but it was his best, and only, lead so far. What happened to villains shouting their presence from the rooftops? Reverser seemed much more quiet and subtle- well, unless he had a hero in his sights and Hawkmoth yelling about it in his ears, that is. It made sense, seeing as Marc was usually hiding in corners, silently observing or writing. Waiting. Unless something bad happened... like destroying his work.

Nathan pushed away another sharp sting of guilt, clearing his thoughts. He looked back to Chloe, giving her a hesitant smile. He wasn't going to forgive her for anything because of whatever she did now, even if she did help both him and others. This wasn't even really her. She probably wouldn't have cared, but this version of her did. He couldn't forgive her, but he couldn't be a jerk to her either.

"Thank you," he said, determining the path he should take to get to his destination quickly. He gave her a lame wave and took a few steps back in the opposite direction she'd been going. It wasn't really that he wanted to get away from her, but this was actually the way he needed to go. That didn't mean he wasn't a bit unsettled when she followed him.

Maybe she just decided to go somewhere other than... wherever it was she'd been going. But no, she followed him, even as he turned a few corners. She was always just a few steps back. Even if she wasn't going to scream at him, or hurt him, or even look at him in a way that made it seem like she was trying to light him on fire with her mind... It felt weird to be around her, and even worse to have her be following him like this. ...Maybe her being so different was part of why it was so off.

After another minute, the feelings started to become too much, even with the occasional reassuring feelings that were somehow conveyed to him by Tikki and the Miraculous, and he stopped, spinning around to face her.

"Why are you following me?" he asked, being sure to keep his voice calm and level, more out of an unwillingness to sound freaked out than he was afraid of sounding angry. She blinked, stepping back slightly. He hesitated. Why would she? He didn't think he'd looked upset, but... maybe he had? Or, maybe it was just something that this version of Chloe did. He didn't really know her, he knew the... the real Chloe. Was it wrong to think of these other versions as fake? He didn't even know.

"What?" she asked, before clarity dawned on her, and she looked down at the ground. "Oh. I... wanted to come. To help."

He blinked. This was weird. All the people Reverser influenced were just off. Wrong. They didn't fit with what he knew. Chloe wasn't this. She wasn't a quiet, helpful girl who just wants everyone to be okay. She was cruel. She was self-centered. She ordered everyone around and expected everything to go her way. When it didn't, she punished everyone around her, even when it was her fault. He thought he'd be happy if she changed. If she was better, and didn't treat everyone like they were less than they were for no reason. He'd thought that he would be happy. He'd never thought that he'd miss her.

But he almost did. Because this wasn't right. It wasn't right for people to be twisted around like this. It wasn't... this wasn't okay.

"...It's dangerous," he finally said. That was true, at least. "You could get hurt."

"So could you," she replied, a hint of her usual self back in her voice. The kind of tone where you know that you've won an argument, but just a bit off. They hadn't even been fighting over this. "You could be hurt, Ladybug and Chat Noir get hurt, people are getting hurt. Everyone is getting hurt."

He couldn't argue with that. But she... well. Reverser hadn't really hurt anyone, had he? He's used his powers, and everyone has been hurting each other. Chloe had already been hit, so... could you get hit twice? Maybe? Wouldn't that turn you back to normal? It would make sense, if you could even be hit twice in the first place. Which... didn't actually make sense.

"Why do you want to help so much?" As soon as the question left his lips he winced. That was the most hypocritical thing he could have asked. He didn't have the right to ask anyone that, not after everything that had happened today. "N-nevermind, that's stupid. I'm bad at this."

She frowned.

"Don't say that. The more you talk about yourself like that, the more you'll believe it." Her voice was soft and gentle, and had a touch of worry. Stunned, he didn't respond. Coming from anyone else, it would've been fine. Coming from Chloe... it was shocking. "Anyway, if you really don't want me there that much, then I'll leave. But if you'll let me, I'm coming with you."

He hesitated. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he should be doing. But he needed to figure it out fast. He looked up at the sky, frowning as he realized how high the moon was. It wasn't midnight, and wouldn't be for a while yet, but it was getting late. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he wavered on his feet for a moment before he snapped back to alertness with a sudden jolt of power from the Miraculous. Huh. That was nice, at least. He wasn't going to collapse from exhaustion.

Nathaniel looked back to Chloe, her eyes determined and... open. She seemed earnest, and... he didn't really have the right to turn her away. Besides that, he'd feel better with help. Tikki was amazing, yes, but having someone actually by his side would be nice. And Chloe could help, she'd done so before. He just had to let her.

Slowly, he nodded. "Okay. Okay, you can come. If you really want to."

She smiled. It wasn't a smirk or a grin. It wasn't sly or malicious. It was just an honest, happy smile. Tentative and warm and real.

"Then let's go fix everything, hero."

---

Chloe jogged alongside... whoever this was, heading toward her home. She was glad he was letting her come, though the way he acted... it worried her. He was oddly familiar, and the way he'd spoken earlier made it sound like he knew her. That was confusing, as she couldn't really place anything about him. It all seemed to just... slip from her mind. That was fine. It was annoying, and it was a bit worrying, but that was only part of it.

He acted like he wasn't sure of anything he was doing. Like he didn't even really believe in himself or what he could do to help. It was like he was marching to his death, certain of failure, but needing to do it anyway. But if that was true, then... well, it wasn't good. If he couldn't do it, if he couldn't stop Reverser, then what would they do? From what she'd heard from a few people she'd helped get to somewhere safer, Ladybug and Chat Noir had disappeared. They just suddenly vanished, and never came back.

This new hero looked similar to Ladybug, but was he able to fix everything? Could he purify the Akuma? He had the yo-yo, so he probably could. ...She hoped he could, anyway. Even if he didn't believe in himself, she had to believe in him. And she would help. Maybe that would count for something. It was the absolute least she could do, to make up for everything she'd done... before.

What had she been thinking back then? She'd tormented so many people, she'd hurt them. Even after being Akumatized, she'd just lashed out more. It'd hurt, but that wasn't an excuse to take it out on others. But that's what she'd done. She'd never cared, never stopped to think that maybe she should stop, even when the people around her, even those not targeted, seemed to be on the verge of a break down. She had never even realized why that was, or stopped to notice how her friend, the only person that ever really stood by her side, was hurting too. Chloe's heart ached at the thought of Sabrina. How could she have been so cruel to her? To everyone? They had all been affected by her words, even when they weren't a target. Because... they had all been included. They had all been Akumatized at one point or another, so of course her words had stung. Of course they were all hurt by her.

Looking at the masked boy a bit ahead of her, the one that seemed to know her, even if she couldn't place him, she had to wonder. Could he be one of those people? The people she mocked and yelled at. The people she had encouraged to bring themselves harm? Death? Maybe. He did seem a bit disturbed by her presence. But on the other hand, he'd allowed her to come. He wasn't being mean or defensive or any of the other things she'd expect from someone she knew. He just seemed so familiar though...

She looked around. They were getting close to her home. The last place she knew Reverser had been. The moment when she'd suddenly... changed. She wasn't completely stupid. She knew what that meant. She had been hit by Reverser, and as soon as everything was fixed, she would go back to normal. She would just... stop caring. Maybe she could keep herself under control, or this would convince her to improve herself. She wasn't going to try to keep everything from being fixed, but she didn't want to go back to being... herself.

But she would. She frowned, trying to push her thoughts aside. She looked back to the nameless hero. Well, for all she knew he was nameless.

"So... do you have a name?" Chloe asked, if only to break the silence. "A hero name, I mean."

He looked over at her, face pinched in a hesitant confusion. He remained quiet, but seemed to be considering. She didn't push, remaining quiet as he thought. Finally, he shook his head. Chloe frowned, catching sight of the red earrings he wore. So it wasn't a coincidence, then. All the similarities he had with Ladybug were because... he had her Miraculous.

"No," he murmured. "I didn't really have time. It doesn't really matter, anyway. This is the only time I'm going to do this."

She nodded, head spinning. Why did he have Ladybug's Miraculous? What did he mean this was the only time he'd do this? Who was he? She bit her lip, wondering whether she should question him or keep silent. Which option was better?

"What is it?" he asked, still walking, but his steps had slowed, looking at her warily. She started, opening her mouth to say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. She could ask. It wasn't like he was going to turn on her or something, it would be fine. So why did she feel so worried? He stopped completely, and it took her a moment to realize that she had stopped as well. Well, no point in trying to hide it now…

"Your… or rather, Ladybug's, Miraculous. You have the earrings," she mumbled, looking down at the ground. In the light of a lamppost they were passing, the sidewalk sparkled. She focused on it, instead of what she was saying. "Why do you have them? I'm sorry, it's just... with everything going on... what happened to Ladybug?" Was it you?

She heard him shift, and couldn't help but flinch back slightly. The one thing, the one and only thing she missed about herself right now, was not being so worried. So afraid.

"She's... she'll be okay," he murmured. "She got hit by Reverser, but she's okay. But she didn't want to come because of the way she was changed. Chat noir," his voice wavered slightly on the name, "he got hit too. He can't come."

She looked up at him. Can't come? He'd said Ladybug didn't want to come, but Chat Noir... he couldn't? Why not? What was keeping him away? The hero looked uncomfortable, turning away.

"They'll be okay. They'll all be okay," he whispered, and she couldn't tell if he was reassuring her or himself. He closed his eyes and just breathed for a moment, relaxing gradually. He glanced back at her, smiling. "We should go. We have to fix this."

---

They were both angry.

Hawkmoth was constantly grumbling and yelling in his mind, calling for Paris's hero's, ordering him to cause more and more panic to draw them out. The voice had gone from kind and haunting, something that soothed his thoughts and drew him in, to a grating whine that scraped along his skull. It hurt. He didn't understand how it worked, but Hawkmoth's voice and the faint presence he could feel in the back of his mind sent nails racing through his head. He could almost feel Hawkmoth's frustration, and he did his best to send Hawkmoth his annoyance in return.

Reverser growled, crouching on his glider, glaring down at the chaos riddled street below. A few people were scrambling around despite the late hour and how long he'd been terrorizing the city, all of them poisoned by his powers, all twisted around in the latest bid to cause enough chaos for the heroes to return. They all deserved it. None of them did. No, no, that wasn't right. All of them did. All of them. None of them.

He hissed, closing his eyes and grasping for the center point of his power, deep inside his chest. Behind the warm, horrifying- amazing well of power that he'd been gifted with was a fountain of anger. Hatred. He let it wash over him, drowning out the thoughts that continued to plague him. They'd continued since he'd become better, become Reverser, all seemingly his own but going against everything he was.

That was why he was angry. One reason, anyway. Hawkmoth was upset that he couldn't have what he wanted - the Miraculouses - especially after being so close with Ladybug. Reverser, however, didn't really care. Not exactly, anyway. He wanted to find them, yes, but more so he could stop. He knew Hawkmoth would take away his powers if he failed, or Ladybug would, so he was going to get the Miraculouses, but after that? He just wanted to get justice for what had happened to him and then rest. Keep the powers, but not on a leash. Not doing some task for someone else. Just able to... exist. Maybe his vengeance could be thrown out the window…

He just wanted to stop hurting.

He was fine.

"Reverser," the sharp, angry voice of Hawkmoth drove ice-pics into his head. He winced, looking up though there was little point. "Do something more. Draw them out instead of just floating there! Get the Miracu-"

"Yes, Hawkmoth," he whispered, voice echoing though it should be clear. It was distorted. Off. Wrong. No, it wasn't. It was fine. "I'll get them, just calm down. Your voice feels like a bunch of lumberjacks chopping up my head."

To his surprise, Hawkmoth was silent, the world returning to normal as the purple mask dissolved into the air. He frowned, casting around in his thoughts, trying to find any sign of Hawkmoth's presence. Reverser... couldn't find him. That wasn't right. That was bad. That was good. He hesitated, before he sent his hovercraft sliding forward gently. No response. Usually he could feel Hawkmoth there, watching, even when he wasn't talking to him, but now he was just... gone. He was alone again.

Part of himself, the part that was wrong, rejoiced at that, growing louder and more insistent. The rest of him, though... he felt lonely. He wasn't empty, but there was a point in his head that had something missing. An hole where there should be something. Where Hawkmoth's voice should be. Where his presence should be.

He shivered, a wave of cold washing over him. It was uncomfortable, distracting. Suddenly he regretted his words. He could've dealt with the painful sound of Hawkmoth's anger, he could have handled it, and now he was alone again. He'd take being yelled at, he'd take being ordered around, he'd take the anger, disappointment, and impatience. He'd take it all, and he'd be happy with it, because the longer he waited, the longer he was alone, the more insistent the ache became. It grew bigger, gnawing at the edges of his mind. He'd been thinking about how he didn't want to listen, had Hawkmoth somehow heard? Was he ever coming back? Or was Marc going to be alone- no, not Marc, Reverser, or- maybe not? He couldn't even think anymore.

His thoughts came in a jumbled mess, more confusing than helpful. Pain blossomed in his head, growing from a pinprick of discomfort into a tidal wave, pulsing with every breath he took or movement he made. It was burning, spreading, killing-

If he did what Hawkmoth wanted, would he come back? Would he fix him? Could he fix him? Could he make it stop hurting so much? No, he can't. Of course he could. He would. Maybe. He just had to do what Hawkmoth wanted. He just needed to get the Miraculouses, and then Hawkmoth would come back, and he wouldn't be alone, or hurting. He'd be whole again. He would be complete again, because this wasn't complete. He wasn't complete. His chest was aching, caving in on itself. Was he even breathing? No, he wasn't. That wasn't right, it was bad. Bad, bad, bad... He sucked in a shuddering breath, black spots dancing in his vision.

He meant to go, to start moving, he needed to go, he needed to find the hero's, but he didn't. Instead of sending his glider forward, he collapsed. He fell to his knees, cradling his head in his hands. His vision blurred, and for a moment he thought maybe Hawkmoth was going to speak to him again, and he felt so hopeful, until he felt a tear trailing down his face. It wasn't him, wasn't the blurring light of the mask, just Reverser's sight being obscured by tears. They came faster and faster and faster as he cried, tears falling onto his glider, staining the white portion black with a dark liquid. Were those really his tears? They looked like ink.

Reverser gasped, struggling to breathe. His head, his chest, they were burning. They hurt. He was breathing again, wasn't he? Yes, yes, he was. So why did it still hurt so much? His thoughts were scattered and jumbled, worse even than after staying up three nights in a row, caffeine the only thing even allowing you function.

The hole was tearing at his skull and his mind, reaching its tendrils down through his neck and into his lungs, his heart. His core, the powers that were so beautiful, so wonderful, was now cold and jagged, shriveling in the pit of emptiness and pain he was drowning in.

Marc sobbed, curling in on himself and shivering. If he could, he would scream. Let the world hear how much agony he felt. Maybe he was. He couldn't even tell. His ears were ringing. He was too cold. It was too hot. Why was Hawkmoth just leaving him here? He was supposed to understand. He was supposed to help him, and Reverser was supposed to… supposed to do what? Find something? Get something. Get... the Miraculouses. That was it.

He needed to take them from the heroes that had claimed them. Then Hawkmoth would come back. He was sure of it. Hawkmoth would return, would fix him, if he just got the Miraculouses. He would. He had to, because Reverser needed him to. Marc needed him to come back for him. So Reverser had to get up. He needed to cause a disaster, hurt someone, or threaten them, or- or destroy something. He needed to do something. So he had to get up. Get up, get up, get up!

He pushed off the glider, trying to support himself, but his arms buckled beneath him. He shuddered in a crumpled heap, black tears leaking out of his eyes. His head spun. Everything hurt. His hands were shaking. That was bad. Shaky hands meant bad penmanship. Bad handwriting. Bad writing. Bad, bad, bad, bad. He gasped for breath. Why was this so hard? Why was this so difficult? Why wasn't Hawkmoth helping him?

He whimpered, curling up as his head pulsed. Did Hawkmoth hate him? Is that why this was happening? Was he doing this? Was it all on purpose? Was that why he wasn't coming back? Was this all some sort of punishment for something? What was even happening to him? Was he dying? Could he die here, like this? Would that be better than going through more of this? Where was Hawkmoth? Where was he? Why wasn't he coming back? He needed him to come back. He needed Hawkmoth.

Please come back. Please.

He was burning from the inside out, insides charred and crumbling, the rest of him cold and caving into the broken, hollow thing he had become. His bones were pulsing, shuddering under his skin, threatening the break into splinters. His core was shivering, shaking, on the verge of breaking apart. His head pounded, his mind spun and whirled. It ached and ached and it was splitting apart. His skull was peeling away from itself, separating into thin sheets of bone, before cracking, the shards digging into his brain and borrowing out of his head. Shards of ice continually weaved their way in and out of his chest, offsetting the fire, his ribs were pressing into each other, trying to either break each other or merge into one. He couldn't tell which it was. He needed help. He knew death might be better, but he was too scared to die. So he needed help.

Please.

Please, please, please, please, please-

"P-ple-ase," he whimpered, eyes squeezing shut. His voice was filled with cracks and static, stuttering and wavering, the sound dying as soon as it left his lips. "P-please. Hawkmoth, please. He-lp m-me."

And suddenly, there was the faintest whisper of a presence in his mind, brushing over the gnawing void and soothing it, a rush of comfort smoothing over the tattered edges of his core. His eyes snapped open, and he let out a sob, more of relief than anything else, as his vision was tinted with purple. Hawkmoth's presence settled back into his mind, right where it should be, drawing the jagged edges of the hole it had left behind back around it, slowly closing up the gaps. The pain faded gradually, far too slowly, but through it all gentle waves of comfort rippled through him. Reverser smiled shakily.

"Th-thank-"

"Shh. Don't talk. You'll probably just work yourself up again." Hawkmoth's voice was, despite his expectation, soft. He'd expected the now familiar angry, grating tones, but it was calm and soothing. There was a faint touch of something else in his voice. Something unstable. It wavered, just slightly. He tried to decipher the emotion, and came up with… concern.

Reverser shifted slightly, maneuvering his arms to push himself up. They were still shaking too much, too weak to support him. He couldn't do it. He couldn't do anything. If he couldn't do it, would Hawkmoth leave again? He would, and then he would just be hurting again, and alone, and Hawkmoth wouldn't come back this time, and-

"Peace, Reverser. Calm, deep breaths. Just focus on calming yourself down. You won't be able to do anything if you're in this state."

Reverser took a deep breath, eyes sliding shut. He focused on breathing, like he was told. Maybe... it would be okay after all? Hawkmoth wanted him to calm down, and he was trying to, so... it would be okay. He let himself relax and focused on calming himself. On recovering. He finally realized how good he was feeling, compared to a few minutes ago. After the confusion and pain and fear, the peaceful, complete feeling of bliss from the return of the soft waves of power of his core was just intoxicating, even more so than before. Having Hawkmoth back, to have that reassuring whisper in the back of his mind, was, despite the fear of being abandoned once again, of great comfort. The order to rest, breathe, and calm down was definitely something he could do. Laying there, above a wailing city, with his power and his core and Hawkmoth just being there and occasionally making himself known through soft words and gentle waves of comfort through his mind. If time stopped here, if this was forever, he would be okay with that. If the moment could be drawn out for eternity, he would accept it in a heartbeat.

But of course, it had to be ruined. He'd known it earlier. He'd known and he'd acted because of it. Nothing lasted forever. Such a shame though, that this couldn't.

---

Gabriel took a deep breath, withdrawing from Reverser's mind. Why did all of the people he gave Akuma's to insist on being so difficult? He'd been trying to push Reverser to do more, to do bigger things, to draw more attention, for hours. He'd had to drag over a chair a while back, because his legs had started aching from standing there for so long. He'd been trying to get Reverser to draw out Ladybug and Chat Noir, and he just continued in his subtle, quiet tricks.

Gabriel would admit he'd gotten a bit too angry, had let a bit too much of his frustration bleed through the link he shared with Reverser and all the others, but he'd forgotten that that could have such a bad effect on the Akuma's vessels.

He hadn't meant to hurt Reverser, not really. Yes, he was frustrated with him, but he hadn't meant to cause him pain. He had done so on purpose sometimes, more often than he would like to admit, and he didn't feel much regret for those actions. While he didn't necessarily like causing needless pain, what he'd done to the others on occasion had been necessary. Harming Reverser... well, it wasn't. So when he'd oh so gently told Gabriel about how he was hurting him, he'd pulled away. He wasn't sure how strong his presence in the others mind was, or how much discomfort he was causing, as it was different for each individual person, some having stronger mental links with him for reasons he wasn't quite sure of. Because of this, he withdrew from Reverser's mind completely.

It wasn't something he normally did, he couldn't remember ever doing it, actually, as it was never needed. Even when he stopped using the Miraculous, he still retained the connection and kept at least a sliver of his attention on what they were doing. But... for this situation, he felt it was the best action to take.

He stood from his chair, taking another breath, trying to soothe his frustration. He'd contact Reverser again when he was calm and collected. Perhaps putting forward the effort of making Reverser more comfortable would inspire him to be more open to hearing what Hawkmoth wanted him to do. Or just do anything for him at all, as it seemed this one was a bit... unenthusiastic, despite being one of the closest to ever getting a Miraculous. He growled in frustration as he recalled just how close he was.

Ladybug had offered her Miraculous. Reverser had almost taken it, but then that other boy rushed in and dragged her away. Gabriel recognized him, and that just made the situation worse. He was the one that Gabriel had made into the Evillustrator so long ago. A disappointment, really. He'd had so much potential, but even made into someone new, even given powers, he'd wanted to waste everything he'd been given. He'd been rather difficult to control, but Gabriel had managed it eventually. Evillustrator took first place when disobeying him was concerned. And, as a result, he was the one that Gabriel had purposefully hurt the most. Maybe he hadn't hurt him enough.

He cut that train of thought short, breathing deeply and pacing the floor. His butterflies, for they weren't Akuma's, not yet, not truly, scattered around the room. He knew he didn't need to worry about stepping on them or otherwise harming them, they were linked to him, in a different way than Reverser was, but linked nonetheless. He would know if they were in danger, even from him, and they knew how to avoid trouble.

He continued to pace the floor, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself. This wasn't something he did often, trying to contain his anger instead of using it, but if there was a chance it would help Reverser to listen, then he'd try. And, if he was being honest, he didn't really want to hurt anyone while he wasn't trying to.

Tentatively, hesitantly, he felt Nooroo reach out to him from his Miraculous. Gabriel paused in his pacing. Usually Nooroo kept his presence as subtle as possible, after Gabriel had snapped at him so many times. For him to reach out now was strange. Strange enough for Gabriel to listen to what he wanted to say. After not receiving some kind of punishment or backlash, Nooroo's touch on his mind strengthened and solidified, washing over him, soft and comforting. His anger, the fire he'd failed to calm, flickered and died. He relaxed slightly, calm, before he stiffened.

"Nooroo, you're usually so quiet. Why help me with this?" he spoke aloud, a bad habit gained through being alone so often, though he didn't need to be audible to be heard by Nooroo. The Kwami didn't respond for a moment, just barely a second of hesitation, before feelings of urgency bled over their link. He thought Gabriel needed to hurry? Nooroo was never eager for him to fulfill his plans. Joining the urgency was... worry. Concern for... for Reverser.

Gabriel's blood ran cold.

He spun toward his window, rushing to the chair in the center of the light (little though it was this late at night) and knocking it aside. He grasped the Miraculous' power and tapped into the link he shared with Reverser, gasping in shock and agony as just a sliver of what Reverser was experiencing flowed to him. He stumbled, wavering and unsteady on his feet, suddenly regretting knocking his chair away, as more and more of it bled into him, all too happy to devour him as it was doing to Reverser. Desperation, sadness, fear, panic, hysteria, cold, pain, agony, so much pain, and... betrayal. Loneliness. So deep and so insistent, that he forgot for a moment that the feelings weren't his. He felt enough loneliness and pain everyday anyway, for this to be his reality. And then Nooroo all but screamed in his mind, forcibly splitting Gabriel's feelings from Reverser's.

Gabriel panted, dazed, slowly realizing that he was on the ground. What… what was that? It took a moment before the knowledge sunk in. That was what Reverser was going through. That was what he was feeling. All that pain, all that fear and desperation, that betrayal, that was all from Reverser. His own power, his core, seemed to be part of the problem, destabilizing. Unraveling. And Reverser's mind…

Gabriel knew that after an Akuma left, being cut off from the powers caused problems, though he didn't know what sort of problems they were. Being cut off from him, as he was to Reverser almost as a Kwami was for a Miraculous bearer… perhaps that also caused problems. And if that was what was happening now…

This was his fault.

He wasn't fixing it.

He needed to. He had to do something before this got any worse.

Gabriel closed off his mind, making sure that he wouldn't be overwhelmed again, and tentatively tapped the link again. He could tell that Reverser was unstable, but he wasn't feeling it anymore. He wasn't hindered by the torrent of emotion and pain that he could almost feel, but kept out of reach from himself, but… he could almost feel Reverser begging. Begging for… for Hawkmoth to come back.

Unbidden, tears stung Gabriel's eyes. He let his presence flow to Reverser, opening a channel to speak to him. He did his best to send comfort, as Nooroo did for him just moments before. It wasn't his strong suit, but he was trying his best. The reaction was immediate.

Reverser latched onto the link, soaking in the comfort. He opened his eyes, and Gabriel could finally see what Reverser was seeing, an effect of his powers, through the purple tint of the mask that appeared whenever he spoke to his people. It appeared that Reverser had collapsed... It was a good thing his glider hadn't fallen in his panic. If it had... Reverser started speaking, voice weak and ragged.

"Th-thank-"

"Shh. Don't talk," Gabriel said, doing his best to ignore the rock that had settled in his stomach. Reverser shouldn't be thanking him for anything. "You'll probably just work yourself up again."

Gabriel didn't doubt that it was a possibility. He tried to keep his voice steady and calm, but worry seeped into it. It was like... Reverser's state, whether it be emotional, mental, physical... it was all unstable. He hadn't quite picked up on it before, but now that he was paying attention, it was clear. Was that an effect of his base personality, or was it something Reverser had developed on his own? He could feel the other begin to stir, panicked and desperate, and he sighed. He didn't want to wait anymore, but he couldn't let Reverser damage himself further, and honestly, if he fought in this state, he doubted the fight would last long. So, he did the best thing he could think of.

"Peace, Reverser. Calm, deep breaths. Just focus on calming yourself down. You won't be able to do anything if you're in this state."

Reverser's eyes slid shut. Gabriel let the mask from his face fall, cutting off his ability to speak to the overshadowed. That was the term he used for them. The people he sent Akuma's to weren't the same people as they were when they received their powers. Or, well, that wasn't entirely true. They were the same, but they were changed in ways that almost made them separate people. Their personality became focused on what they were thinking, what they were wanting, when he gave them their abilities. They were the same, but focused on one, or sometimes several, things. Their wills were changed slightly, usually more pliable when Gabriel was concerned, but that wasn't set in stone.

They were different. Very, very different. Why else would any of them do half the things they do? None of, or at least most of, them would have never done what they had if they were completely the same. Overshadowed had made sense to him. Overshadowed by him, the Akuma, their own desires and thoughts. But they were the same people.

He hesitated, making sure Reverser seemed okay before he focused inward. He reached out to Nooroo's faint presence and did his best to give a gentle offering of gratitude. After a moment, Nooroo responded with a small ripple of relief and thanks. Nooroo always worried about the overshadowed, even after the Akuma's were gone. Gabriel sometimes wondered about that, and the apparent problems that came after the loss of their powers. But... he didn't really want to know. Yes, he wondered. Yes, he wanted to know what he was causing, how they were affected, and if they were okay. But he didn't want to have that knowledge keeping him up at night- not that he ever managed to sleep anyway; not with all the other things he'd done (and what he hadn't yet managed to do) haunting him. One day, he would ask Nooroo what happened to them. But for now... well, Nooroo was able to worry enough for the both of them.

Gabriel sighed, pulling his chair back into the moonlight. He sat, closing his eyes and focusing on Reverser again. This had been the first time that he'd pulled away completely, and it had ended in a disaster. Was that simply because of how naturally unstable Reverser was, or would it happen to them all? He wasn't going to test that out on them, but he had to wonder. He sent another wave of comfort and reassurance through the link, and with it, an apology. Reverser had been heading to do what he wanted right before he'd left him, and even if he hadn't been, even the sliver of it all that Gabriel had felt was horrible.

It was horrifying to think that at any time, he could do it again. What would have happened if Nooroo hadn't gotten him to return to Reverser when he did? Would it have become even worse? Would it have gone too far, becoming permanent or doing lasting damage? Would it have driven him mad?

Would Reverser - this child - have died?

Gabriel pushed the thought away, but not fast enough. A bit of his guilt, shame, and worry flowed through their link. He wasn't expecting an answer, but Reverser gave one. A light, quiet response. It was a message of acceptance and reassurance. Comfort and peace. Warmth, rest, and power. Gratitude. It took Gabriel a moment to unravel the combination of thoughts and feelings, but finally, he managed it. Reverser was sharing his peace. He wasn't angry. He didn't hate him, or even truly blame him, for what had happened. Gabriel had been forgiven as soon as he had returned.

Gabriel froze, vision blurry with not yet realized tears, ones that never quite became a reality. There wasn't any other response. At this point, Reverser was stable, and his emotional state had clearly leveled out again, even going back to positive. What he had sent Gabriel, that glimpse of contentment, was evidence of that. But... it wouldn't hurt to let him rest, for just a little longer. Just in case. Gabriel settled in his chair, and prepared to wait.

---

Nathaniel looked around, eying the sky warily. They'd met up with some people, the first he'd seen tonight besides Chloe, on the streets a while back who told them they'd seen Reverser a few blocks away from where they were. They'd slowed their pace after that, cautious. He hadn't caught sight of Reverser yet, but Nathaniel didn't want to be caught off guard. He didn't want to be hit by his powers. He didn't want to know what it would do to him.

After a moment, Chloe tapped his shoulder, pointing up to the air. He followed her finger, ignoring how her touch made his skin crawl, and peered into the sky. There, just a little ways off, was Reverser's glider, hanging still in the air. He squinted, trying to make out Reverser himself, but he couldn't see him. After a moment, he finally saw the faint form laying on top of the glider. He frowned, confusion and slight worry stirring in his chest.

He glanced at Chloe, eyes widening in surprise as he saw her expression. Her eyebrows were drawn together, and her mouth was drawn into a slight frown. Her eyes were shining. He stared, trying to discern what she was thinking. She looked worried. Worry, concern, empathy, all things that he'd never associate with her before this. She looked sad, but more for Reverser than anything else. That was something he could understand, at least. With every new Akuma, he felt an ache in his chest unrelated to his own experiences.

He looked back up at the glider, which seemed far too still, and bit his lip. Something was wrong… It didn't take long to reach the glider, or, the ground beneath it, at least. And now… how was he even supposed to do this?

"Chloe?" he murmured, not looking away from Reverser. He saw her turn to him out of the corner of his eye. "Do you have an idea? About what to do?"

She hummed, looking back up. Asking her for advice was something he'd never thought he would do. It was an entire day of new experiences, apparently.

"Lucky charm? Or just calling him down? He'd probably listen, since he'll want the Miraculous," she suggested. He nodded. It made sense really. He looked over, opening his mouth to thank her, before pausing. Now that he really looked, he could see how tired she was. He couldn't see any circles under her eyes, the dark rings hiding everything. But that didn't really matter; there were other signs.

Her shoulders were slumped, and her eyes, though still glimmering and expressive, were slightly dulled. And, well, it was late. Anyone would be getting tired. He was sure that without the Miraculous, he would be exhausted.

"Chloe, if you..." he hesitated, trying to pick his next words carefully. "If you're tired, you can go. If you need to."

She glared at him, somehow raising an eyebrow at the same time.

"I'm fine. If I need to go, then I will. I promise," she sighed, looking up at the glider. "But I need to help with this. It's, um. It's my fault, really. I… I tricked Marc, or Reverser, or whatever, and another guy from my class. I… I didn't think, and now with all of this stuff… It's my mess. I'd like to fix it while I can actually realize that."

Nathaniel was silent. Her words were so very similar to his, the sentiment almost the same as his own. It was strange to hear that coming from her. Then, there was also her admission. He'd guessed that she was the one that caused the mess he and Marc were in, but to hear her say it… He couldn't help the anger that boiled up in his chest. It must have shown on his face, because her eyes widened and she stepped back. He took a breath, trying to quell the feeling, but it was just so frustrating. She still couldn't see that her actions had consequences. Well, now she could, but only after being changed completely.

Chloe, actual, real Chloe… She still did all these things, lashing out at everyone around her, mocking, belittling, and hurting everyone, and just as she said, she just couldn't comprehend that anything was her fault. She couldn't see that she hurt people. Hurt him, Marinette, Marc, all of them, even Adrien and Sabrina, the only friends she had. She just didn't understand! She couldn't understand. He closed his eyes, trying to slow the torrent of thoughts in his head.

A flow of calm washed over him from the Miraculous, from Tikki, supposedly. She sent reassurance, taking each thought and filing them away. She soothed his anger, calming him. He relaxed, sending a quick 'thank you' to her, or, he tried too. He wasn't quite sure how this whole thing worked, but he could almost feel her there, smiling and saying, 'you're welcome'. He... he adored Tikki. He hadn't really thought about it, but he really did adore her.

Slowly, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Chloe was cowering, head ducked and eyes shut tight. He froze, guilt washing over him. He did this. He hurt her, somehow, even if just from reacting as he did because of her confession. He'd been terrified of the same thing while talking to Fu and Tikki. And... he'd reacted so poorly when she confided in him.

"I'm… I'm sorry," he whispered. She looked up hesitantly. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know why I..." His words caught in his throat. It was a lame apology, but she smiled at him regardless, though it was strained.

"It's... it's alright. It's fine." She looked away, biting her lip. "So… ready to get this all over with?"

He hesitated, before giving in and nodding.

---

Chloe watched the hero as he unhooked his yo-yo from his belt. He was definitely someone she knew. Someone who had experience with her. His reaction to what she'd said... that wasn't just someone who was upset that she'd caused this, that was someone who had dealt with her before, who had seen everything she'd done, who was absolutely fed up with her. It was someone who always needed to deal with the problems she'd caused.

Sure, anyone could be upset that she'd caused this disaster, but his eyes, right before he'd shut them… he knew her. He knew what she did, a lot of it, she was certain. He had a right to be angry. He had a right to hate her. She blinked away tears. She didn't want anyone to hate her, it hurt far too much, but she deserved it. She really did.

She'd hurt so many people. And… she only felt bad under what was practically a spell.

She was broken.

All the people she'd accused of being the same were in perfect condition compared to her. She was far, far beyond shattered. She had to wonder... could she still be salvaged? Was it too late? Chloe bit her lip. Maybe... maybe, if she could remember how she felt now, she could be better when she went back to being herself. It was possible. And, if it wasn't, she liked to think that this, helping fix this one mistake, would count for something. And…

"I'm-" she cut herself off as he looked at her, surprised, yo-yo in hand. He waited, guilt flashing over his face as he took in her hesitation. He still felt bad then… just another way she'd hurt him. She swallowed, glancing away. "I just want to say, before we do this, and I go back to… to not caring, I'm sorry. For everything I've done. To you, and to everyone else. I'm sorry."

"You-"

"I don't know who you are, but…" she tried to find the words, tears stinging her eyes, "I think that I know you, so I know I must have done something, and-"

"Okay. It's okay," he murmured, stepping closer and hesitantly placing a hand on her shoulder. She trembled, flinching slightly. "It's okay, alright? Don't… don't cry."

He was lying. He had to be. None of this was okay.

"No," she whispered, "it's not. Be honest, please. I've hurt you, haven't I?"

He paused, as if he were searching for the right words. He seemed to debate with himself, before he slumped slightly. He glanced away from her, looking at the ground.

"Yes," he murmured. "I know you. I've seen what you do."

"So why did you let me come? If you know me, why let me come with you? Why would you let me stay around? I don't understand, I-"

"Stop." It was only a whisper, but she fell silent as completely and suddenly as if it had been a shout. After a second, he continued. "It's… it's true that you do bad things, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't angry, or fed up with what you do. You've hurt a lot of people. You've actively targeted me and my friends. Most of my memories of you are just… cruel. You purposefully hurt everyone around you, even the ones you call friends. But I don't… I didn't really have the right to try to turn you away.

"Right now? You're helping people. You're trying to fix things. You've even helped before, when you were… different. And you're doing it again."

She looked away. "I'm only here because of Reverser. Once it's fixed, I'll just be... me. I've helped, sure, but mostly out of necessity or pride. I didn't care, not completely. Not the way I should. And after we do this, I might not even care anymore, or even remember caring, or-"

"And what are you doing about that? What are you doing right now?"

She opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat. She didn't know what he wanted to hear.

"You're doing this. Yes, you are being affected by his powers, but you're fixing it. You care, you want to keep caring, and making up for what you've done. And you know you probably won't if we manage to win. ...Let me guess, if you could, you would fix everything... except for yourself. You feel like it would be better for everyone if you stayed this way."

She hesitated, before nodding slowly. Was she that transparent? He took one of her hands in his. Her hands were trembling. Or, perhaps, that was him. She wasn't sure whether she should pull her hand away or not, or if she should say something, but he started talking again before she could decide.

"But… here you are, practically sacrificing yourself," he said. "If we fix this, then you, how you are right now? You'll disappear. That's… almost like death, I think. But you're doing it anyway. And why? To save everyone. To help people. You could have hid, or just let me go alone. But you wanted to help me stop him, cutting your time even shorter. You're doing this at your own expense, to help people who might not remember, or might not even care, because you know it's the right thing to do.

"And sure, you're only fixing a problem you yourself helped cause, but… the fact you're sacrificing so much for it? You don't have to. Again, you could have let me do this alone. I think… anyone sacrificing that much to save people… aren't they a hero?"

Chloe froze, breath catching in her throat.

"I'll admit, I was... not a fan of you coming. I didn't want you around. But… I couldn't leave you behind. Besides, like I said before, I don't have the right to turn you away. And I believe you can help. You've helped Ladybug and Chat Noir several times. You haven't handled it well, but you've helped, and you've succeeded. And now you have more to lose, you think it would be better for you to stay this way, but you're still here. You're still helping. You're still trying. You aren't hiding. You aren't making the most of this. You aren't just waiting. You're still here. If nothing else, be proud of yourself for that."

Chloe began to shake, and without thinking, she pulled him into an embrace. He froze, before slowly wrapping his arms around her. Tears began to stream down her face, and she buried her face in his shoulder. She knew all of that, but hearing him say it? It was like she finally realized what it all meant. She knew she was going to go back to normal, she knew she was going to die, but now it was actually real.

The hero, and she really, really needed to name him, just let her cry, rubbing light circles into her back, humming softly. She sobbed, choking on air. This was it for her. This was all she'd do. Chloe wouldn't die, but... wasn't this the same thing? The feeling and thoughts that made up her mind would disappear, and go back to what they were before. She wouldn't exist anymore, not like this. She would die.

She could stop it, keep the hero from fixing this. She could keep herself alive. But she wouldn't, because that was the wrong thing to do. She could leave now and hide, or she could go try to make the most of her current mindset. But she couldn't really. She couldn't leave this as it was. She needed to help. She had too. But… she wanted to stay as she was.

'...aren't they a hero?'

She trembled, remembering what he'd said. Was that true? Was she... a hero? She didn't think so, but... maybe he did. That would be nice. To have someone who thought that, even if they were mad at her, or even hated her. It would be nice for them to be able to see her that way, through all her flaws... It was reassuring, at least. To have someone who could see any good she did, even with the bad blemishing it all.

"O-okay," she finally said, pulling away and rubbing at her eyes with her hands. "I'm okay now."

"Really?" he asked, unsure. "If you… I hide things. When I'm not doing okay, I usually try to hide it, and deal with it on my own. I never tell anyone, I just vent through art, or music, or something. But... that's lonely. It's not good for me, I think. So if you aren't okay, it's alright. You don't have to hide it. You can tell me, and I won't tell anyone else, promise." He hesitated, looking away. "You don't have to say anything either, though. I-it was just a thought."

She smiled. She... she wasn't okay, not really. But she was better than before. Besides, it wouldn't matter soon anyway.

"It's alright," she said. "Honestly, I'm doing better than I was. You've... really helped me. Maybe that will pay off, after this is over." She hoped it would.

He nodded, glancing back into the sky. She followed his gaze, frowning. Reverser's glider was still there, hanging frozen in the air. She'd honestly expected it to be gone, but... there it remained. That didn't feel right. No villain just sat there for so long unless they were waiting for something, or there was something wrong. She looked back to the hero, and his face was thoughtful. Was there something underneath that though? Was he, as he'd said, hiding behind a mask?

She couldn't stop thinking about what he'd told her. And then something in his words finally caught up to her. He vented through art…? Like painting, or drawing? There was something so familiar about that, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He probably shouldn't have said it. No matter how much they wanted too, people weren't meant to know the identities of their heroes.

"Hero," she murmured, "I think there's something wrong. He's been there for too long."

He nodded, once again unhooking his yo-yo from his belt. "Yeah. I… I don't think Hawkmoth would allow that unless there was a problem."

She smiled sadly. They both knew that, then. He spoke like he'd had experience with Hawkmoth, as she had. Just how many people had been Akumatized in all? She didn't even know.

"...Remember," she said, "you'll only have five minutes."

The hero took a deep breath, and summoned a lucky charm.

---

"Reverser, are you stable?"

Hawkmoth's voice bled through his mind, and he nodded. He'd had more than enough time to recover. Honestly, he wouldn't mind being able to rest longer, but he needed to get back to work. Hawkmoth wasn't the most patient person, and he'd already let Reverser heal(?) before sending him to hunt down the Miraculouses again. That was more than he'd ever expected. And… really, he just wanted to keep Hawkmoth from getting angry again.

So far, nothing bad had happened since Hawkmoth had returned. His voice remained calm, no longer sending sharp pinpricks of pain through his mind. His presence had been stable, not withdrawing or trying to overpower Reverser's own will.

But… the fact that it all could happen again, that at any moment Hawkmoth could let his presence bleed over the edges of his mind, sending pain rippling through him, or even leave completely, and he would be alone, screaming in agony as he was consumed by something he didn't understand, until he was reduced to nothing…

The fact that Hawkmoth could choose to do either of those things again, at any time… That's what motivated him to stand. His legs were a bit shaky, and his hands trembled slightly, but he was okay. He'd recovered besides that, and he was sure he could do this. The recent experience also seemed to have straightened out his thoughts as well, the contradicting feelings, opinions, and ideas gone. That was good, but… for some reason, it felt like a loss.

Reverser looked around at the city below, blinking as a faint voice called out from the street, seemingly behind him. He spun his glider around, squinting down at the people below. They were the only two of them on the street now, and he had to wonder how long he'd been allowed to rest. People could evacuate fast, but... just how long had Hawkmoth allowed him to sit here? And... how long had he been allowed to sit in agony? It couldn't have been long. He couldn't have survived that for long.

He crouched, trying to make the people out better in the dark, before he froze.

There was Chloe, and someone else he couldn't quite place, but clearly had a Miraculous. And based on his clothes, it was Ladybug's. It made sense for someone new to have claimed it, seeing what had happened to the original. Purple bled into his vision.

"Reverser, he has it," Hawkmoth whispered in his mind, anticipation dripping from his voice. "Go."

"Yes, Hawkmoth," he murmured, the familiar phrase falling from his lips without a thought.

He let his glider fall, dropping from the sky. Air whistled past as he fell like a stone, feet remaining planted on his glider as the street grew ever closer. Chloe and whatever this new Ladybug called himself backed away slightly, moving to opposite sides of the street. He hissed, focusing on the hero. That was the one he needed. Chloe didn't matter. He'd already hit her anyway.

"Who are you?" he demanded, examining the new hero now that he was closer. The suit had some major differences to Ladybug's, the spots set in patterns and the red of his suit darkening to a near black at his feet and hands. He had a buret, and translucent, rounded fabric falling down his back, like insectile wings. His hair was brushed to the side, the red darkening to black at the tips. Something about him was so familiar, but Reverser couldn't place it, any details or connections falling from his mind.

"Who am I?" The other repeated, tilting his head slightly, before shrugging. He was trying to act relaxed, but Reverser could see the stiffness in his posture, the anxiety in his shoulders. "Sorry, I don't have a name. I'm only doing this once."

Reverser glowered. "At least you have that part right."

Without another word, he lunged forward, reaching for the nameless hero. The boy's eyes widened, and he ducked out of the way at the last moment. Reverser hissed, conjuring a plane and sending it whistling through the air towards the hero's chest. He twisted to the side, ducking as Reverser sent another towards his head. There was fear in his eyes, but with it came exhilaration.

"Reverser, don't fool around," Came the warning tone, a hint of the anger Reverser had been introduced to returning to Hawkmoth's voice. Fortunately, it only caused a slight discomfort, opposed to pain. Reverser growled, swinging a fist towards the hero, summoning a plane into his other hand and thrusting it towards the hero as he dodged the first blow. He all but collapsed in his effort to dodge, scrambling farther away on the ground.

Reverser growled, holding his hand out to the hero, as if to help him to his feet.

"Do me a favor," he said, words barely comprehensible due to how distorted they'd become, "and give up the Miraculous."

The hero shook his head, standing up and taking a step back.

"No. You know I won't do that," he said. "How about you give up the Akuma, and end this peacefully?"

Reverser flinched, instinctively reaching for his core. He wouldn't give this up. He didn't think he was even able to at this point. And if he wasn't giving up his powers, he wasn't going to give up his quest. He wasn't going to give Hawkmoth a new reason to discard him. To hurt him.

He didn't respond to the hero, instead sending his glider forward in a sudden burst of speed, arriving in front of the nameless boy and slamming a fist into his face. It wasn't how he would prefer to fight, he would prefer not fighting at all, like what happened with Ladybug (after he'd hit her, of course), but time had shown... mixed results when it came to using his powers on heroes. What had happened to Ladybug would be ideal, but Chat Noir... not so much.

He was still trying, of course, but… he couldn't let himself fail. He needed to be more active in this fight, rather than simply hoping he'd land a hit with his planes, and that it would have an effect that would help him. As it was, however, he just wasn't suited for combat. His knuckles stung, and his hands pulsed with pain. The hero had it worse though.

He stumbled back, letting out a surprised cry of pain, a dark, gloved hand shooting up to his face. He wavered on his feet, clutching the side of his face Reverser had struck. The hero looked up as he shot forward on his glider and danced back, avoiding Reverser's attempts to land another blow. Hissing in frustration, he summoned two planes, throwing one towards him, waiting until he'd dodged to throw the other, hoping to intercept the hero as he continued to evade. Why wasn't he fighting?

He glowered at the hero, examining him. What was he planning? What was he trying to accomplish just by dodging? This fight wouldn't get anywhere if this was all that they did. He needed to do something more, before the hero decided to really fight. Reverser glanced around, but the street was empty. There was nothing and no one to use to his advantage. The only person besides himself was the hero in front of him. A sudden thought occurred to him, a memory of two people scattering below him. One was the hero, the other… it was Chloe.

His blood ran cold.

She'd been here, standing with the hero to call him down, before they'd separated. If she was with him, it wasn't a stretch to think that they'd teamed up. It had happened before, something Chloe had never let them forget. So that in itself wasn't odd. The problem was, then, the question of where she had gone. Was she important to the hero's plan? It was either that or she'd abandoned him. Poisoned by Reverser's powers or not, he doubted it was the second option. That wasn't like her, and for some reason, it didn't sound like her opposite either.

He glanced around warily, eying the hero who seemed content to leave him be. That wasn't right.

"Where is she?" he asked slowly. The hero, who really needed a proper name, leaving him nameless just wouldn't do, blinked, before smiling softly. ...Perhaps Red could serve as a stand in name, until he chose a proper one? Red... it definitely fit, at least. He'd never been very good with names.

"I don't know, actually," he said. "Is it my turn to ask a question?"

Reverser didn't respond, opting to look around again. Knowing she was here, but nothing of her location, tools, or even her current personality, was unsettling. He felt like he was being watched from all sides, eyes burning holes in his clothes, charring his flesh. He'd never liked attention, he'd always done his best to keep everyone's eyes off him, save for a select few. Now, he didn't even know for sure if he was being watched or not. Somehow, in some small way, that was actually worse.

"Reverser, it doesn't matter where she is. Are you going to let them best you by playing hide and seek?" Hawkmoth reprimanded, snapping Reverser out of the faint stirrings of panic he'd allowed himself to fall into. He shook his head, clearing it. She didn't really matter that much, did she? He just needed the Miraculous. As soon as he had that he could go, and leave Chloe behind.

His eyes snapped back to Red, who seemed to sense the thoughts in Reverser's head. His face settled into a mask of concentration, only the faintest hints of apprehension in his eyes. Reverser narrowed his eyes, trying to find a good opening.

Red was doing a decent job, in that he seemed to actually know what he was doing. His posture was a bit off, as if he wasn't quite experienced, but was familiar with it. Reverser leaned forward slightly, moving as if to attack Red's right side. As soon as Red moved to avoid the attack, he swerved to the left, sweeping out his foot and slamming it into Red's ribs. He was flung to the side, falling onto the ground and rolling. Reverser steadied himself on his glider, and then carefully approached. Inside, anticipation buzzed in his chest. He was so close. But he knew what usually happened to the others who were Akumatized. He couldn't let his guard down now.

"Hurry, Reverser!" Hawkmoth edged him forward, voice filled with equal measures of excitement and impatience. "Get them, before he gets up again!"

Reverser stopped at Red's side, letting his glider lower and rest upon the ground. He didn't dare step away from it, but he needed to be able to actually reach Red, who was already starting to push himself up. Reverser reached out and grabbed his arm, roughly pulling him closer. He reached out to take the earrings, when he noticed the spots on them. There... there were only two. He froze, and as he watched, one of the remaining dots flickered out, a small beep sounding out as it vanished. Red... he'd used the lucky charm already. But... if that was true, where was it?

Reverser snapped out of his thoughts, just a second too late, as Red grabbed his wrists and pulled. Reverser cried out in shock as he was pulled from his glider, colliding with Red and leaving them both sprawled out on the ground. Panic seized him immediately. He needed to get back to his glider, that's where the Akuma was- he needed to get to it, needed to protect it! If Red managed to break it… He pushed himself away from Red, desperation overriding even his need to get the Miraculous. Red dragged him back away from it, though, and Reverser kicked at him, hissing.

"Reverser, the Miraculous!" Hawkmoth snapped. "The glider doesn't matter right now!"

He winced, but twisted around to face Red, who had kept a hold on him. He growled, lunging at him. There would be less than a minute until Red would be forced to revert to his normal form. What had Red's plan been anyway? And... where was the lucky charm? If the Miraculous was losing power, then he had to have summoned one... Red's eyes flicked to the side, looking behind Reverser. Fear ran its icy claws down his back.

He spun around, eyes widening as he saw it. A bolt, almost like an arrow, pierced the middle of his glider as he watched. The glider tore, as if some force was ripping it apart, glowing as it collapsed back into a shredded book, bolt in the center. A small, purple butterfly wavered in the air, hesitating before flying away. Reverser launched himself forward, reaching out for it, but it was too late. Hawkmoth's presence flickered in his mind, before cutting out entirely. It felt different than the last time, more natural, less painful, but it was still unpleasant. And it terrified him. It was an empty, yawning space that threatened to overtake him again.

He watched, numb, as Red caught the Akuma. The last dot on his earrings began to flicker. If Reverser could just get them, then... then what? He could feel himself fading away already. A pure white butterfly fluttered from the yo-yo, and Chloe appeared on the street, finally coming out of her hiding place. She held a small device, and as he looked closer he realized it was a crossbow. So... Red was buying time until she had a clear shot. They wouldn't have wanted to hit him, so it was just a gamble on whether she'd get an opportunity to shoot before Red's time ran out.

Chloe looked at him warily, though not unkindly. That would change soon. He knew what was next. Red flung his yo-yo into the air, and it began to glow.

It flared white, and the light enveloped everything.

---

Alright! There's only one more chapter! I'll put it up in a few days, same as this one. In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you think!