The Wicked
Chapter Eight: Redemption
Stepping through the layer of rising fog, Ladybug and Chat Noir slowly approached the wicked ones atop the abandoned building the former Akumatized now called their own. Rain began to fall from the darkened sky as lightning flashed among the clouds and thunder bellowed. Kim, Aurore, Jean, Bethany, and Jalil stood their ground, as did the Miraculous.
"This ends here," Kim confidently declared.
"Better make it quick," Chat Noir replied with a smile. "Cats and rain don't really mix well."
"A clown until the end," Aurore scoffed as she slowly backed into a thick bank of fog.
"What happened to that little slut in the fox outfit?" Kim spoke up once more. "I thought she'd want to die with you two."
"I'd worry more about the five of you," Ladybug smirked. "Tell me, what do you think will happen after you give Hawk Moth what he wants?"
The fog suddenly spread throughout the entire area, leaving the Miraculous in darkness. All but Aurore and Kim charged forward, determined to kill their opponents as quickly as possible. However, they quickly discovered there was no one in the veil of fog.
"They're gone!" Bethany furiously cried out. "No sign of them!"
"What?" Kim gasped, scanning the area and attempting to see through the fog. Before he could focus his eyes, a blast of blinding light flooded the entire rooftop and burned through the fog. "Jean, use your lightning!"
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Chat Noir's voice taunted. "And Aurore probably agrees."
Kim shot his head back to see the blurred image of his partner in the arms of the feline Miraculous as he stood atop the ledge. "You bastard!" he screamed. "Let her go!" Kim then felt his bow slip from his hands, hearing it shatter seconds later. "What?" Before the young man could respond, he felt his arms and wings restrict as an unseen force pulled him chest-first onto the ground.
"That's our cue," Chat happily announced as he lunged back and dropped from the rooftop with Aurore in his grip.
"Aurore!" Kim screamed in defeated rage. "Jean, now!"
Heeding his commander's order, Jean focused his blurred vision and releasing a blast of lightning at what had to be Ladybug. However, his attack did nothing but soar through the wind. Before the young man could rationalize what was happening, he felt a gentle yet firm hand touch his shoulder. "Hey, big boy," a woman's voice whispered into his ear as his hands were grabbed and pulled behind his back. Damn it, Jean declared. I can't shock her without frying myself now.
"Get away from him!" Jalil commanded as he charged towards his ally. However, before he could reach his target, Ladybug jumped into his path, grabbed him by the shoulders, and threw herself to the side, forcing him to take the brunt of the impact when they hit the ground.
"You bitch!" Bethany screamed as she began to charge towards her hated rival.
"Beth, no!" Kim cried out, his arms bound by an unbreakable wire. "Get me out of this! You can't take her alone!"
"…But she doesn't have her yo-yo!" the dark-haired girl replied as she made her decision. "And she's down. I'll end this now!" Ignoring her orders, Bethany continued her charge. "This ends here, Ladybug! Once they see how weak you are, they'll throw you aside like they did to me!"
Leaping back onto her feet, Ladybug charged towards Bethany without hesitation. Unwilling to remain idle, Jean closed his eyes and concentrated his powers to release an electric blast that jolted both him and his captor, forcing the Miraculous to release him. The young man immediately ran towards Ladybug, though his body was still surging with painful electrical currents.
"Jean, stop!" Bethany's voice cried out from behind the former Akumatized, instilling fear and doubt within him. Had he made a mistake? Freezing in place, Jean turned around to see Volpina blowing into her flute. "Sorry, sweetie," she taunted him in her natural voice.
Before Ladybug and Bethany could collide, the Miraculous dropped into a sliding kick that successfully tripped her opponent. Jean turned back and prepared another blast of electricity, only for Volpina to tackle him. Ladybug then grabbed her foe and pinned her down.
Jalil finally rose to his feet to see Bethany and Jean on the ground and at the mercy of their opponents. At this point, Jean couldn't handle another electrical blast, and Bethany wasn't strong enough to match Ladybug by herself. "Kim, what should I do?" Jalil called out, unable to make a decision.
"Save Jean!" the blond young man ordered as he continued to struggle. Jalil nodded and turned towards Volpina. "No! No, find Aurore. We can't win this without her."
The brass-armored young man turned around sharply and charged towards the stairs, intending to attack Ladybug along the way while her hands were full. Volpina looked towards her partner, but knew there was nothing she could do: Jean couldn't be allowed to get back up. "Ladybug, run!" she cried out.
Smiling to herself, Ladybug jumped to her feet, maintaining her hold on her opponent. "Jalil, catch!" she called as she pushed Bethany towards the behemoth. As Jalil halted to avoid harming his partner, a charged kick knocked him off-guard and nearly caused him to collapse. Stumbling forward, Bethany stopped herself from collapsing.
"Points for chivalry, big guy," Chat Noir happily declared from behind his battered opponent. "But you need to keep an eye on your surroundings."
Glancing behind, Bethany's heart began to pound. "Ladybug's gone!" she cried out. "Look everywhere!"
"Now!" Chat called out as he ran towards Jean, prompting Volpina to leap off her opponent. Before the sorcerer could prepare another blast of energy, the feline Miraculous grabbed him and leapt over the side of the building.
"So, a copycat, a pharaoh, and a fox," Volpina taunted her remaining opponents. "Wanna see who comes out on top?"
Grabbing onto a ledge, Ladybug thrust her body in through a broken window, making sure to avoid any detection. Nice work, kitty, she said to herself as she admired her partner's work. Not far away, Aurore struggled to push herself up as Chat Noir's staff pressed down on her back while held firmly in place between the two walls. The sound of footsteps caused the blond young woman to shoot her head upward. "Who's there?" she called out.
"Aurore?" Marinette called back, her voice quiet and timid. "Is that you?"
"Who the hell is that?" Aurore snarled as she continued to struggle.
"It's Marinette Dupain-Cheng," the raven-haired girl replied. "Remember? We go to school together." Rounding the corner, Marinette gazed at her old friend. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you?" The young woman ran to Aurore's side and attempted to move the staff.
"What are you doing?" the trapped villain snarled.
"I'm gonna get you out," Marinette answered. "But this thing won't budge!"
"Why would you try to help me?" Aurore demanded. "I'm just a monster in your eyes."
"That's not true," Marinette answered as she continued to struggle. "You were Akumatized. That doesn't mean anything. You're my friend, Aurore."
"…That's right," the blond slowly began to remember. "You were one of the only ones who didn't treat me like a freak. You even offered to help me when I came back to school. But, why'd you come here? Are you here to take pictures? Maybe put 'em up on the Ladyblog or something?"
"I came because I heard you were in trouble," Marinette declared as her muscles strained. Her voice was sincere and filled with concern. "You've been missing. When I saw the storm, I thought Hawk Moth took over again. I can't blame you: It's not like the others really gave you a chance. But I'm here now. Everything's gonna be okay."
"You shouldn't be here, Marinette," Aurore sorrowfully declared. "Just go. Save yourself. I'm not worth it."
"Yes you are! Stop saying things like that. I'm your friend. I won't abandon you just because you made some mistakes. We'll get through this together. Friends don't need reasons or proof. Now, push!"
Aurore felt hot tears begin to well up in her eyes. "You…You really care? Why? What am I worth to you?"
"Aurore, Hawk Moth filled your head with doubt. He's not your friend. You're not a bad person, and it's not too late to fix everything. The other kids will forgive you too. They'll know you were sick. None of this is your fault." Aurore froze, her jaw dropped, as a gentle light began to shine inside of her. The light was small but warm, and it felt like redemption. "Don't give up! We'll get through this!"
"Marinette, I'm sorry!" Aurore finally cried out, filling the empty room with silence. "For everything! I'm sorry. Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't my enemies…They tried to save me from what I was becoming…I see that now. Marinette, I'm sorry."
"…There's nothing to be sorry for," Marinette answered as she gently stroked Aurore's cheek. "Everything's going to be okay. Close your eyes, Aurore."
Sniffling and sobbing, Aurore nodded her head and closed her eyes. Within seconds, the staff retracted and lifted up off of the suffering young woman's back. Opening her eyes, the tearful girl saw Ladybug's hand reaching out to her. "Ladybug?" she asked.
"Come on, Aurore," the Miraculous warmly declared with a smile on her face. "It's over now."
Though she was filthy and felt unworthy, Aurore accepted the hero's hand and, with her help, stood up once again. "Ladybug, I'm sorry," she whispered as tears streamed from her eyes and mucus drained from her nose. Every word was getting harder and harder to choke out, but she couldn't stop. "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry."
Ladybug gently wrapped her arms around the suffering young woman and hushed her lovingly. "It's okay now," the Miraculous promised. "Aurore, I didn't know how to help you before, but I think I can now. Will you trust me?"
"…Yes," Aurore exclaimed as she held her hero and felt her long hair against her hand. "Please, Ladybug. Please, save me."
Slowly pulling back, Ladybug smiled and placed her hands on the young woman's face. Closing their eyes, the two leaned together and felt a brilliant white light wash over them. Even without her yo-yo, Ladybug felt the powers she had been given shatter the darkness in her old friend. Black tears poured from Aurore's wide-open eyes as she let out a great sigh of relief. In that instant, the Akuma's hold was broken. "Time to Purify," the Miraculous whispered.
Aurore's skin slowly returned to its warm, Sunkist sate as the blood upon her cheeks faded and her hair grew full and healthy yet again. All the pain, sorrow, anger, and fear washed away, and she could finally see clearly again. "…Thank God for you," she whispered in awe.
"You can go home, Aurore," Ladybug warmly promised. "Chat Noir, Volpina, and I will take care of everything." Aurore let out a joyous chuckle of great relief. "Go home to your family, and don't look back, okay? I'll come see you later, and so will Marinette." Smiling with absolute joy and peace, the blond young woman nodded her head, turned around, and ran back to her loved ones.
Flipping into the air, Volpina eluded another blow from Jalil. Bethany desperately attempted to catch her foe, but failed every time. With the Miraculous distracted, Kim began to slip out of his fed. Before he could, however, he felt a strong hand grab his shoulder. The embrace quickly turned into a grapple around his chest, and the young man felt himself lift into the air.
"Boss, no!" Bethany cried out, taking her eyes off Volpina. Looking at her commander as he slowly faded from view, the young woman saw none other than the fox Miraculous carrying him away.
Jalil finally delivered the fatal blow he had been attempting for so long, only for it to pass through Volpina's face. With a smile, the Miraculous dissipated like smoke into the air, leaving Jalil and Bethany alone.
"Jalil, I don't know what to do!" Bethany exclaimed, her tone growing increasingly worried and frantic. "We have to save them…I can't be alone!"
"You're not alone," Jalil replied, turning his head towards his ally. "I'm right here beside you. We'll stop them, together. We'll go into the building and find Aurore. She should still be there. Then we'll get Jean back. I promise I won't leave your side."
"Thank you," Bethany graciously whispered as she quickly hugged her dear friend. "I'm so glad I can trust you. You can see past all the ugly…"
Crashing through the glass wall of a lower floor, Chat Noir guarded Jean from the impact and glass. Inside, the entire floor had fallen to neglect and desolation: Chunks of ceiling tile, broken pieces of foundation, overturned tables and chairs, and bricks from broken walls lined the filthy floor. The two separated once they hit the ground, but the Miraculous recovered faster and managed to escape without his opponent noticing. "Jean?" Adrien called out, catching the young man's attention. "Jean! Oh, god!" Rushing to his classmate's side, the blond young man stretched out his hand.
"W-who is that?" Jean asked as he struggled to his feet. "Adrien Agreste? What are you doing here?"
"Jean, you've been missing for days," Adrien exclaimed as he took the frightened boy's hand. "Nobody's heard from you. What happened?"
"…Just get away from me," Jean demanded, turning away from his former classmate. "You don't want anything to do with me. Trust me on that one."
"Jean, we've known each other for years," the blond insisted. "You're a good guy. Why would you…"
"Because you don't know all of it!" the unhappy young man finally snapped. "Okay? I'm totally messed up! I only show the good side, but there's this, I don't know, freak, this monster inside of me! Maybe it is me…I don't know. All I do is hurt those around me. I thought it would be better if I stayed away, but it only got worse."
"Jean, you isolated yourself," Adrien declared as he slowly walked closer. "All these faults you see in yourself? They're not real." Jean turned his head toward his old friend for a second before turning back towards the wall. "I've never gone through what you have…But I know what it's like to hate part of yourself. You probably think you've fallen so far you can never get back up…But that's not true. Jean, you're sick…You've been sick for a really long time, but you've never asked for help because you thought it was just you. You convinced yourself that you were the problem, and not your guilt."
"Just shut up!" Jean begged as he turned around and threw a discarded plate at the wall beside Adrien.
"You've spent so much time hating and fearing everything inside that you can't even see the good that's in there!" Adrien declared, standing his ground. At that, Jean froze. "It's easy, isn't it? If you're the one at fault, you've always got a reason to torment yourself. You can do that instead of picking yourself up and trying again. Yeah, you messed up a few times…so have I. And yeah, it's hard to come back from that…It's hell sometimes. But you can't let your guilt swallow you. You have to let go. You've forgiven other people, why not yourself?"
Jean's gaze shifted to the ground as his old classmate's words began to sink in. "Because…if you knew what I've done, what I've tried to do…and why I did it, you wouldn't think there was anything good inside me," he finally confessed, unable to stop the hot tears welling up in his eyes.
"Honestly? I've done some pretty terrible things too," the blond hero confessed. "I've lied, cheated, beaten up people who didn't really deserve it…I've hurt people. We all have our reasons, but that's not all we are. I've seen how you are at school, Jean: You take everything on yourself. You're afraid of how other people will see you, so you try too hard every single day. When you push yourself that far and that hard, you'll buckle. All the pressure you carry finally broke you…but you blame yourself for it. Sometimes, you need to accept that you need help: That you're not in control. It might feel wrong, but it might be the only way." Jean looked into Adrien's eyes and saw sincerity and truth staring back at him. "Please, let me help you. I can help you think clearly again. We can make all of this okay. But you have to trust me, alright?"
"…You can really make it stop?" Jean finally gave in. "You can take these powers from me?" Adrien nodded his head with great weight. "…Okay."
"Close your eyes," Adrien instructed, prompting Ladybug to enter the room. His eyes closed, Jean took in deep breaths as he awaited the relief he had prayed for so long. "Hold out your hand, Jean."
Jean nodded his head and extended his right hand. Soon, he felt a warm hand, draped in a snug glove, rest upon his dry, cracked palm. "Hello, Jean," Ladybug gently spoke up. The young man felt his heart begin to pound as the desire to pull away or electrocute the Miraculous began to rise inside of him.
"Trust me, Jean!" Adrien begged. "Please, she's not here to hurt you!"
"He's right, Jean," Ladybug assured the terrified boy. "Do you remember when you first became Dark Sorcerer? When it was over, no one blamed you. Do you remember? I carried you to the ambulance and sat beside you. I never blamed you…and I don't blame you now. None of us do. You're in pain, Jean. Please, let me help."
His body trembling, Jean felt tears streaming from his eyes as the taste of blood began to return to his mouth. Still, he swallowed hard and agreed: "…Okay," he whispered, his voice filled with fear.
Gently tightening her grip around the young man's hand, Ladybug slowly lifted their hands to Jean's heart. "Let it go, Jean," she whispered, her voice like that of a loving mother. "Let it all go. I'm here with you now…Everyone forgives you." A radiant white light filled the former villain from the inside, driving out the darkness and power he had longed to rid himself of for so long. Letting out a great sigh of relief, Jean dropped to his knees and coughed up the last of the Akuma's darkness, which faded into nothingness.
"Jean, you're free," Adrien warmly declared. "Please, start seeing your doctors and therapists again. They're telling you the truth."
"…Okay," Jean finally gave in. "Thank you, both of you. Ladybug, I'm so sorry I hurt you and Cat Noir. I'm…"
"Don't worry about it, Jean," Ladybug warmly declared as she placed her hand on the young man's shoulder before helping him back onto his feet. "We've forgiven everything. The Akuma manipulated you. But it's over now. Go home, Jean…Try to find your happiness again."
"I will," the young man promised. "And, maybe you guys are right…Maybe I'm not so bad." Smiling for the first time in so long, Jean departed from his friends and made his way back to his home, and to the world.
"You remember that too, Adrien," Ladybug reminded her partner.
"I do," Adrien answered with a smile as he returned to his Miraculous form. "But it still hurts…that nobody gets the name right."
With that, Ladybug returned her partner's staff, and the two parted ways to finish their crusade. Meanwhile, Volpina touched down with Kim atop a larger building that nearly touched the clouds. Still bound by Ladybug's yo-yo, Kim struggled and swore as Volpina slowly approached him.
"I know you're confused and angry," the fox Miraculous warmly declared as she slowly walked around the young man. "I've heard of you, Kim. They said you were one of the best…What happened to you? What made you want to give it all up?"
"Go to Hell!" the blond young man hollered. "You don't know anything!"
"Have it your way," Volpina replied, her voice more disappointed than cold. Opening her palm, the young woman blew an invisible pile of dust from her hand, creating a thick cloud of blue, glittering smoke.
"Kim, she's gone," Alya declared as she stepped through the smoke and sat down beside her old classmate. "How'd we wind up here?"
"Alya, right?" Kim asked, his struggling coming to an end.
"Don't pretend like you don't remember," the African-American young woman jokingly answered. "We've been in the same homeroom for years. Then, you just stopped showing up." Kim lowered his gaze slightly. "Are things really that bad, Kim? What turned you back into Dark Cupid?"
"It's the way it has to be," Kim answered, his voice weaker than before. "What do you care?"
"I thought we were friends," Alya responded. "I didn't know you hated me so much."
"I don't…I don't hate you," the young man reluctantly declared. "I just want to be left alone. That's all."
"Since when?" Alya continued to push. "You used to love hanging out, doing dares, pulling pranks. What changed?" Kim ignored the question, choosing to stare at the ground in front of him. "…I know she hurt you…I know you put your heart out there, and she stomped on it. You feel like crap, like everybody's laughing at you behind your back. Something like that? You decided to take yourself out of the game so nobody would ever beat you again. That doesn't feel so good, does it?"
"No," Kim answered as he closed his uncomfortably hot eyes.
"What made you give up on yourself, though?"
"…I don't know. Lots of stuff, I guess. It was just easier, getting pissed off at everybody else. It helped me forget what a loser I am."
"You're not a loser. People would tell you that and you'd always tell 'em where to go. Sounds like you're your own worst critic."
"Maybe. What's the point of trying, though? There's always somebody better. Even when I win, when I walk off the court, I'm always alone."
"Your friends always came to your games," Alya assured the young man. "I was always there, wasn't I? I know you want someone to love: Someone to love you back. I want that too…But it doesn't always work out. I know Chloé hurt you. She's hurt me too. You remember when I became Lady Wi-Fi?"
"Yeah," Kim couldn't help but snicker. "That was…really somethin'."
"They called me a monster…Said I should drop out of school and move away…They said I'd never be worth anything."
Kim turned towards Alya. "…I didn't know that," he confessed.
"What's worse is, I believed them," Alya continued. "It was so easy to shut everybody out after that…but even if I was safe, it was still lonely. And, when you've been lonely for so long, you start to hate it, and you start to hate yourself. Is that how Hawk Moth makes you feel? Like everyone but him is your enemy? That he's protecting you from that part of you you're afraid of?"
"…Yeah," Kim choked out.
"You don't need him. You know people will forget. You know you can fight your way out and keep going. Even when the odds were against you, you never backed down. Why don't you try one more time?"
"I don't think I can."
"I know someone who can help you." Alya reached into her pocket and pushed a button on her smartphone. "Do you trust me?"
"…Eh, why not?" Kim answered. "I've got nothing else to lose."
"Close your eyes, Kim," Alya instructed her friend.
As soon as Kim agreed and shut his eyes, he felt the ties that bound him vanish, and a warm hand gently stroked his cheek. That touch made it difficult to think pain existed in the world. "Hi, Kim," Ladybug warmly greeted the boy she had once saved. "Are you ready to let go and try again?"
"You sure you want that?" Kim asked, remembering all the hideous things he had done. "I sure as hell wouldn't give me another chance."
"What can I say?" Ladybug let out a slight chuckle. "I like to see the best in people, including myself. If I can forgive you, why can't you?" Kim lowered his head in shame. "If you can let go and trust other people again, then I can take this pain from you."
"…You can do that?" Kim asked, his heart pounding with a hope he had long forgotten. The young man allowed tears to flow from his eyes as the promise of redemption soothed his ailing soul. "But…what if it goes wrong again?"
"It won't," Alya assured her friend. "Trust us."
"Okay," Kim gave in. Ladybug waved her yo-yo in front of the young man, and bathed him in white light. Within that instant, the angry, wounded child inside of Kim found peace and comfort as his wounds quickly began to heal. By the time it was over, the blond young man let out a sigh of relief and slid to his side, inadvertently taking refuge atop Volpina's leg.
"You're okay, kid," the fox Miraculous warmly declared. "Now let's get you on your way home."
"Save the others," Kim whispered as he slowly drifted away to sleep. "Promise me."
"We promise," Ladybug and Volpina declared in harmony. With that, Kim finally fell into a peaceful slumber. It had been so long.
"Volpina, will you bring Kim back home?" Ladybug said just above a whisper, her voice gentle and at peace. "Chat and I can take it from here."
"I'm not leaving you," Volpina angrily declared.
"There's only two left," the ladybug Miraculous warmly replied. "You've done enough. Kim and his family need you now…Besides, I don't want you to fight or worry anymore."
"…You don't have to look out for me, Ladybug," the fox Miraculous argued, her anger having faded. "I'm not a kid anymore…I'm just like you."
"I know," Ladybug answered. "And that's why I want you to go. You can still walk away from the violence. That's what I've always wanted for you."
Looking down at Kim, Volpina let out a low groan, lifted the young man up in her arms, and looked at her oldest and dearest friend, seeing past the stray lock of hair that had fallen in her face. "We'll finish this later," she feigned anger. "I still owe you for that lame note."
Ladybug and Volpina shared one more smile before the fox Miraculous leapt effortlessly into the air and disappeared into the rain and mist. The ladybug Miraculous continued to smile warmly until a single tear slid from her eye, as she knew this was only the beginning for Alya.
Descending the stairs, their minds on rescuing their allies and preparing for the Miraculous' next strike, Bethany and Jalil searched every corner. Hearing his friend sniffle just before several drops of blood fell to the cold, filthy floor, the brass-armored young man paused for a moment. "You okay, Beth?" he asked, trying to keep his voice down.
"I'm fine," Bethany answered, her breath somewhat heavy. "Just getting tired. What about you, Jalil?"
"Don't worry about me," Jalil answered in a strong voice. "I'm the one looking after you, remember?"
"We're family now," the pale young woman replied. "We look out for each other. When Hawk Moth takes us back, he'll look after all of us."
"You're wrong," Chat Noir's voice called out from somewhere in the shadows, causing the two to jolt and search the area. "Hawk Moth doesn't care about anything but himself. He'll break every promise he's made to you. I know you think the world's given up on you, but that's not true. That's the idea Hawk Moth and the Akuma burned into your minds. Please, try to think: The Akuma is a disease."
"Show yourself!" Jalil commanded, his mouth suddenly tasting of blood. Bethany began scanning the area, her neck turning and jolting in every direction.
"Please, this isn't the way!" the Miraculous continued to plead as he silently shifted his location. They're not gonna listen to me if they're together, Adrien explained himself to Plagg. They're toxic to each other. "We can talk this out, I swear."
Suddenly, Chat Noir felt an impact near him, followed by a flurry of glass shards that knocked him off-balance and caused his hold on the roof to break. Twirling as he fell, the feline Miraculous landed on his feet, only to face Jalil's brass-armored barrage. Chat blocked most of the punches, though his arms soon began to throb. Smiling a wicked smile, Bethany ran to her ally's side and delivered a blow to the hero's left eye, stunning him and leaving him open to Jalil's next strike. Chat felt his back violently smash into the already frayed wall as his wounded eye began to bleed and burn. It's not their fault, the Miraculous told himself, even as the pain tore through his body.
"Take his ring!" Bethany exclaimed as her heart began to pound.
Opening his good eye, Chat Noir watched as blood began to drip from the young woman's nose. Oh, god, he exclaimed to himself. The Akuma's killing them. Please… Closing his eyes as Jalil's hand drew closer to his ring, the young hero remembered what Ladybug had told him.
Time seemed to slow as Adrien's younger eyes opened up. Glancing down at himself, the little boy saw that he was dressed all in black, and that a black aura seemed to radiate from his body. Then, two voices, like those of angels, called his name. Turning from the darkness, Adrien saw his mother, as radiant and beautiful as he remembered her, and Ladybug, as majestic and lovely as she had ever been. Each woman smiled and held out their open hand to him. At first, the blond boy smiled and ran towards those he loved, only for his gaze to fall upon his claws as they radiated with destructive energy. "Adrien," Ladybug and Emilie lovingly called. "Let it go. Leave your fear and guilt behind you. Come into the light." Feeling a great weight lift from his shoulders, Adrien let out a childlike laugh of absolute joy as the darkness began to fade and his race towards his loved ones began.
With a beaming, confident smile, Chat Noir thrust open his eyes, revealing two radiant, nearly shining feline eyes as white as snow with icy-silver irises, none of which bearing any sign of injury. Within that instant, the feline Miraculous shattered the darkness that used to weigh him down, and revealed the true state of his costume: A pure, flawless display of weightless energy focused into a one-piece uniform emblematic of a feline warrior and guardian of justice shined under an unseen light. As his domino-mask became spotless and white, Chat felt his long blond hair straighten, grow, and spread down to his mid-back. Jalil and Bethany found themselves paralyzed as something truly magical transpired before their very eyes. As white energy began to flow from and around his clawed hands, the feline Miraculous outstretched his arms and reached through his opponents. No longer bound by his fear or limited faith in his powers, Chat Noir felt the darkness within his old friends shatter and transform into a mist that passed through their bodies. No longer a force of destruction, the Cataclysm had purified what was once darkness.
"Good job, kitty," Ladybug warmly declared as she remained perched atop a broken window pane.
As the white light continued to grow, both Miraculous entered into its glow and found themselves in their human state, alone with those they had battled against. Walking over to the nervous, unhappy young man Jalil had returned to being, Marinette took a seat beside him as he skipped stones on a sea of light. Walking through the outline of a doorway, Adrien walked over to Bethany as she sat upon a bed of light, accompanied by stuffed animals she had loved as a child.
Looking at Bethany, her skin pale, her bloodshot eyes moist and weary with too many sorrows for a girl her age to carry, her dark hair long and unkempt, and her body lightly shaking from fear and lack of sleep, Adrien immediately remembered their first encounter all those months ago. Her fear and anger finally became too much for her, and Hawk Moth preyed on it. Even after the Akuma was gone, though, she never truly found peace. She had been lying and faking her smiles ever since. "Hey, Beth," the young man said in a gentle, caring, and sincere voice. "You mind if I sit here?"
Her tired, reddened eyes shifting upward towards Adrien, the suffering young woman tightly squeezed her stuffed bunny to her chest and nodded her head.
"Thanks," Adrien replied s he sat on the edge of the bed, giving Bethany enough space to feel safe. The young man let out a sigh and looked around the white room. "I won't ask how you're doing…because I know it's been pretty hard for you lately. Am I right?" Bethany hid her face in her stuffed companion's soft head and nodded. "Are you alone a lot, Beth?"
"…Yeah," the girl quietly sobbed.
"You've probably gotten used to it, huh? You spend so much time alone, then when people finally do come around, you just want them to go away." Met with no response, the young man cupped his hands and let them rest atop the mattress between his spread legs. "Are your parents still fighting?"
Bethany nodded her head as she bit her lip. "My dad started making comments about the way I look again," she finally spoke up. "I hate it when he does that…I think it was better when he just didn't say anything at all."
"But does he do anything to try to help you?" Adrien inquired. Bethany shook her head. "Have you been feeling bad about the way you look?"
"I always do," the miserable young woman answered plainly. "Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I start to feel sick…Then I think about the kind of person I am, and I just wanna die."
Adrien's eyes reflected a look of empathy as he turned to his old friend. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?"
"No…and when I do, I have nightmares," Bethany confessed. "Sometimes it gets so bad I can't even eat."
"You're afraid," Adrien concluded. "And you're in pain. That's why Hawk Moth came to you, isn't it? He probably made you feel better for a time, like things were getting better. That's why you wanted to be with him again, right?" Bethany nodded her head in shame. "Hawk Moth won't help you, Beth. I know some people who will, though." The young woman hid her face once again. "You're not a bad person, Beth. You're not well. You've been suffering for so long, and that suffering made you hate yourself…And the more you hate yourself, the less control you have over what you say and do." Once more, there was silence, but that silence held in it some hope. "Ladybug and Chat Noir forgive you…I don't know if you believe in God, but He forgives you too. He knows you've been sick. Please…talk to me: Talk to someone. I don't want you to be alone anymore."
"…Why would you want to help me?" Bethany finally asked, looking up from her comfort object.
"Because I've been where you are," Adrien confessed with a slight smile. "I used to hate myself so much, and I thought keeping it to myself made me a better person…But I was wrong. And I know we're not that close, but I don't want you to be alone anymore, Bethany. I know a place you can stay, a great therapist you can talk to, and I'll give you my number if you ever need me."
"…You'd do all that for me?" Bethany asked, her heart beginning to beat a little faster. "But I'm not worth it."
"Yes you are," Adrien declared as he gently placed his hand on the young woman's. "Leave Mistake behind, Beth. Please, trust me."
Speechless and divided, Bethany looked over her shoulder once, then turned her eyes to the young man standing before her. "…Okay," she surrendered.
Adrien then stood up and gave the girl his hand. Smiling for the first time in so long, the young woman took the boy's hand, and finally found her way to a new home, not knowing she now had a new sponsor.
Sitting down next to Jalil, Marinette watched the pebbles skip across the sea. "You're not alone, you know," she declared. "You have so many talents and opportunities, Jalil."
"What's that worth, though?" the young man sighed.
"I know you're lonely," Marinette replied, her voice full of empathy. "I know you and your dad don't see eye-to-eye, but he's trying, Jalil. I know it's hard, but it's no one person's fault. Doesn't Alix miss you?"
"…Maybe," the young man answered with uncertainty.
"Can you tell me why you chose the queen?" the dark-haired girl continued after a moment of silence. "…And why you've never opened up to anybody else?"
"…Does it really matter?" Jalil refused. "You don't even know me, Marinette. We were never friends in the first place. Why do you care now?"
"Because I wanted to help you in the past, but I couldn't get close to you," Marinette confessed. "But we're here together, now. You keep to yourself so much, but I think that's why things haven't been working out. Look, I'm the biggest dork at school. If you tell me anything, what's the worst that could happen?"
Jalil paused for a moment before thinking over what the dark-haired girl had told him, and letting out a chuckle. "That's true," he finally replied. "You are a dork…Alright." An uneasy smile formed upon Marinette's face as she struggled to remain supportive. "Well, starting out, I thought I was just like everybody else…The older I got, though, the more messed-up I turned out to be. I didn't mean it to be that way, but I just couldn't fit in."
"How does that make you messed-up?" Marinette asked, her voice sincere. "Maybe you were just different. That's not a bad thing."
"I was obsessed with Egyptology the whole time I was going through school," the redheaded young man elaborated, his voice reflecting self-disgust. "The Weighing of Hearts, burying people alive… Who wants to go out with a guy who sounds like a psychopath?" At that comment, the young man chuckled, though Marinette didn't seem amused.
"Do you always make cruel jokes about yourself like that?" the young woman replied with compassion in her voice. "Jalil, you were really interested in that subject. Maybe you didn't know how to focus on other things or when not to talk about it, but that doesn't make you a freak or anything like that. You're a nice guy. Is it possible you just weren't comfortable with people getting to know you?"
"…I don't know," Jalil confessed, closing his weary eyes behind his glasses. "I mean…What if what's inside is worse than all that? I just feel like I make people uncomfortable."
"I do that too," Marinette comforted the young man. "If you're anything like me, when someone asks you to leave them alone, you probably feel like the worst person on Earth. Then, you start to feel hurt because you opened yourself up and that person didn't like it."
"Yeah…Yeah, I'm the same way…" Jalil's defenses began to go down. "Huh…maybe we're both dorks."
"Hmm, may-be," Marinette jokingly agreed. "But that's not a bad thing. Maybe there's more dorks in the world than there are other people. Aren't those the type of people you'd like to get to know, though? I'm sure you're not the only one interested in Egyptology. Just give other people a chance…Give you a chance, Jalil. It's not what about those other people thought."
"Maybe you're right," the young man decided, his tone growing warmer. "Thanks, Marinette. Is Bethany still here?"
"A friend of mine sent her home," the dark-haired young woman answered. "I think they talked everything out. She's gonna start talking her problems out…But I think it helped both of you having each other." Jalil allowed a little smile to cross his lips. "She really seems to look up to you. Maybe the two of you have some things in common."
"Thank you," the redhead warmly declared. "I was wrong about you, Marinette: You're not a dork. And…I might think about starting that club you talked about. I'll call Bethany when I get home."
"I'm sure she'll like that," Marinette gently replied. "Get home safely, okay?"
"You too," Jalil agreed. "And…tell Ladybug and her sidekick I'm sorry. And, let her know I'm done chasing that queen. She's a little too old for me." Marinette smiled and placed her arm on the young man's shoulder just as their white realm faded.