Lost in his troubled thoughts, Adrien almost didn't notice the movement of a figure jumping across the night sky and landing on his roof. He saw the blur out of the edge of his vision and looked up in confusion. Was that Ladybug? he wondered. Having a chance to see her would certainly help improve his mood, even if it almost certainly meant there was a villain to fight.
He was about to turn around and find Plagg so he could transform when a figure suddenly flipped through the air, landing on the open window sill above him. He looked up in surprise at a frightening visage. Her face and eyes were blood red surrounded by a tangle of jet-black hair that seemed to wave about her freely, with simple, round, black earrings in each ear. On her torso was a huge symbol of a heart, broken down the middle with a jagged black line. From her hands to her elbows were red gloves, as well as the boots that reached her knees, and all the rest was black. Strapped to her left thigh was a long pouch with a broken heart prominently displayed on it as well. He stumbled back in shock and fear.
"So, you think it was fun to toy with my emotions, Adrien?" the figure spoke in a tormented voice, like she was constantly choking back tears, "Do you still want to dump me?"
"M-Marinette?" Adrien's eyes grew wide as recognition came to him. He stepped back further, stumbling more. "You've been akumatized!" he shouted in horror. I never wanted this to happen… he chided himself, not Marinette…
"I'm not Marinette anymore," Marinette jumped down from the window, her tortured voice sending sharp stabs of guilt through Adrien's heart, "now I'm Heartbreaker. I found someone who cared about my feelings, enough to help me do something about it, unlike you."
"Please, Marinette," Adrien begged her, hesitantly stepping closer, wishing he could get through to her, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you!"
"Shut up!" she shouted, her face changing from sadness to intense anger. Moving almost too fast for him to see, she hopped forward with one leg while the other struck out, hitting him square in the chin. He grunted in pain, his teeth clacking together loudly, as he was sent sprawling backward, skidding across the ground.
Adrien rubbed at his chin, wincing at the pain as moved his jaw around. Well, it's not broken. "I'm sorry," he bit back the pain, but his voice was strained, as he tried sitting up, "I'm so sorry…"
"Not yet," Heartbreaker reached into her pouch, pulling from it a terrifying dagger with a black handle and a blade that glowed with a pulsing, crimson light. She stepped forward, standing directly over him, dagger poised above his heart. "But you will be," she promised.
This was it. Short of transforming right in front of her, there was nothing Adrien could do to escape. On the one hand, he knew he had to. He was Cat Noir, it was his job to stop the supervillains and help Ladybug save the day. On the other, he knew this whole situation was his own fault. Akumatized villains never killed their targets directly, so he knew whatever that dagger would do to him, Ladybug would be able to reverse the effect. He was willing to accept whatever it was Marinette was planning to do with it; he deserved this for what he had done to her. Ladybug would just have to find another hero to help her tonight.
Surprisingly, the strike never came. Heartbreaker knelt over him for a moment, poised to strike, but then she held back. In her eyes was a look of recognition, like she had seen something in him that prevented her from plunging the dagger down, no matter how much she wanted to. Finally, her hand began to retract.
"Yes, Hawk Moth," he heard her say, communicating with her master. She stood up, drawing her hand back and returning the dagger to her pouch. She gave him one last, intense look before jumping back out the window.
Hawk Moth watched helplessly as Heartbreaker flipped into Adrien's room. Luckily, her power would not cause permanent injury to him, though it wouldn't be pleasant. He should never have used his power again, not after the last time it put Adrien at risk. Yet, if he succeeded, it will all have been worth it. Surely Adrien would forgive him once his mother returned to them, and they could be a whole family again.
Heartbreaker was taunting Adrien now, and Hawk Moth could see the fear in his son's eyes. How could he put him through this? He's been so clueless about his son's life, if only he had known what he had been up to tonight, this might never have happened.
"Shut up!" Heartbreaker shouted at Adrien, aiming a kick at his chin.
"No!" Hawk Moth shouted, trying to get Heartbreaker to listen to him again, "Leave him alone! You're supposed to get me the miraculous!" It was no use, though, she was still ignoring him. Her will was too strong right now, with her tormentor in her sight; nothing could stop her.
"I'm sorry, son," Hawk Moth said, closing his eyes, blocking out the image of his pleading face as he looked up at the villain towering over him.
Then… a moment of hesitation. Heartbreaker's will wavered, and her hand faltered. At the moment of truth, she held back from striking. Hawk Moth jumped at this opportunity, finding his way into her mind once again, forcing his own agenda on her.
"Enough of this," he commanded, grateful for the opportunity to take control again, "You need to draw Ladybug and Cat Noir to you, now! Or I'll take away your powers!"
"Yes, Hawk Moth," she submitted. Heartbreaker turned away from Adrien and jumped back out the window as Hawk Moth breathed a sigh of relief.
With an expert flip, Heartbreaker landed on the slim sill of the open window to Adrien's room. He was standing right there, looking up at her in surprise and fear. She relished that expression on him as he stumbled back.
"So, you think it was fun to toy with my emotions, Adrien?" her voice came out with surprising calm but laced with venom, "Do you still want to dump me?"
"M-Marinette?" he exclaimed, stumbling back more, "You've been akumatized!"
"I'm not Marinette anymore," Heartbreaker jumped casually down from the window, "now I'm Heartbreaker. I found someone who cared about my feelings, enough to help me do something about it, unlike you."
"Please, Marinette," Adrien begged, taking an uncertain step forward, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't want to hurt you!"
"Shut up!" she shouted. With a quick hop forward her leg shot out and kicked him right in the chin, sending him sprawling on his back. She could hear Hawk Moth's voice suddenly protest – why does this bother him so much? – but she brushed it off.
"I'm sorry," Adrien said weakly, trying to lift himself into a sitting position on the floor, "I'm so sorry…"
"Not yet," Heartbreaker reached a hand into her pouch, pulling out a dagger and readying it as she took a couple steps forward, standing directly over him, "but you will be."
She looked down at his face, relishing the look of fear in his eyes. Despite his fear, he didn't avert his gaze, rather he met her stare, unflinching, with a look of… acceptance. He was scared, but he was willing to accept whatever fate she had in store for him.
Heartbreaker's hand wavered. Her intense sadness and anger was once again penetrated by memories of love that she had once felt. Those eyes, those beautiful green eyes, had once given her such joy when they focused on her. Looking at them now, seeing the look of repentance in them, of true regret for his actions, her despair almost seemed to melt away. As much as she wanted to drive her dagger into his heart, somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
At that moment, Hawk Moth broke through her will again, and now she could no longer ignore his voice. "Enough of this," he said, "You need to draw Ladybug and Cat Noir to you, now! Or I'll take away your powers!"
"Yes, Hawk Moth," she acquiesced, drawing her hand back and putting the dagger away. She took one last look at those eyes, then turned around and leapt back into the night.