Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or elements relating to Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Miraculous: Borderline

Chapter 16: Caught Off Guard

Hawk Moth paced in his underground chamber, his thoughts awhirl.

When he'd first found Adrien in the foyer, Hawk Moth had felt an incredible surge of fear for his son.

What if Adrien had been caught in the crossfire? What if something had happened to him?

Hawk Moth would've never forgiven himself if that had happened.

Hawk Moth raised his head and looked at the two chambers in front of them. Emilie Agreste rested in one of them, and Nathalie Sancoeur rested in the other. Both of them were a reminder of his ultimate goal and of how far Hawk Moth was willing to go to save them.

But what if Adrien hadn't been in danger from the crossfire after all? Because he'd actually been part of the battle itself?

Because he actually was Cat Noir?

Hawk Moth stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyebrows drawn down in a harsh frown. He had suspected Adrien before, but had realized that it couldn't be him when Cat Noir appeared to save Adrien. Adrien couldn't possibly have the power to be in two places at once, so Adrien couldn't be Cat Noir.

But what if Hawk Moth had overlooked something? Miscalculated something?

Could he have made a mistake?

Hawk Moth strode over to the sky window and looked out at the city.

There was only one thing Hawk Moth could think of that would prove Adrien's innocence once and for all. Hawk Moth tightened his hand on his cane and turned to look one last time at the two chambers of his loved ones.

Hawk Moth felt conflicted. If Adrien failed his test, then Hawk Moth would be forced to make a decision.

Offer Adrien a chance to fight by his side. Or take him down once and for all.

Marinette hummed as she put the final touches on her designer jacket.

"There," Marinette sighed contentedly.

She carefully draped the jacket over the back of her chair and stood back to survey her work. The jacket was sequined in light pink sparkles and had small flowers sewn into the high collar.

All in all, it wasn't the best of Marinette's work but it wasn't bad either.

Marinette started putting away her designer materials and tucking away the excess fabric into the drawers in her desk. Her hand brushed against a picture that had fallen off her bulletin board.

Adrien.

Marinette slowly lifted the picture up closer and looked at it for a long moment. It was the picture of Adrien when he'd posed for a photo-shoot in the park. Alya had been there, and Manon, Marinette's little charge.

Marinette blinked back her tears and quietly slid the picture into the drawer and shut it.

Pollen flew over to take a look.

"Marinette," Pollen started to say when someone knocked on the rooftop.

Marinette stared at the hatch for a moment, her mouth agape.

Who could that be, knocking on the hatch leading to the rooftop?

Marinette slowly climbed up the ladder. Her senses were on hyper-alert, and Marinette could feel the rough wood sliding under her palms as she cautiously climbed up to the top.

Marinette hesitated, then she lifted the hatch open.

"Hello?" Marinette called as she emerged onto the roof.

A movement caught her eye and she turned to see the person she least expected to see visit her on a rooftop.

Hawk Moth.

Marinette stared in shock for a few seconds. No one said anything. Hawk Moth made no move towards her.

Honestly, Marinette couldn't think what to say. She'd just fought Hawk Moth a few days ago, and for Hawk Moth to appear in front of her again, within the same week, was more than just unusual.

It was bizarre. Abnormal. Unfathomable.

Something was wrong.

Hawk Moth spoke, his grey eyes never leaving Marinette's face. "I have to show something to you."

Marinette opened her mouth to refuse. Her hand half went to the Bee miraculous clipped under her hair. But something stopped her.

Maybe because Marinette saw an opportunity to see what Hawk Moth had to show her, to find a better way to take him down. Maybe because she was tired of being left in the dark.

Or maybe because of Hawk Moth's tone. He sounded different. Pleading. Sad.

Desperate.

So Marinette took a chance.

Chloe Bourgeois flipped over a chimney roof and launched herself into the air, feeling the wind beat against her face as her yoyo whipped out to hook onto the rooftop across the street.

She was looking for Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Chloe had tried to convince herself that she was having fun. That she was doing great. That she was as good a Ladybug—maybe even better—than Marinette had been.

But even Chloe couldn't lie to herself.

She'd messed up a lot, having screwed up saving people, talking to people, and protecting people. Chloe had thought that she'd be a natural at being Ladybug. After all, she'd excelled at being Queen Bee, and Chloe had a lot more flair and style than Marinette.

But it turned out that being Ladybug wasn't just about having flair and style. Being Ladybug was difficult and stressful, and Chloe had to admit that she could never replace Marinette, let alone be better than her.

Chloe had to find Marinette and correct this before it was too late.

But even though Chloe relentlessly combed the Parisian streets looking for Marinette at the bakery, at the school, even at Chloe's home, she couldn't find Marinette anywhere.

Chloe felt panicked, as if she were a bird being caged in. No matter how hard Chloe tried to shake her feeling of anxiety, she felt like if she couldn't find Marinette soon, it would be too late.

"Marinette, where are you?" Chloe whispered as she landed on a building's spire.

Her eyes scanned the city below her. There were mothers pushing around their strollers in the afternoon sunlight, couples strolling along the sidewalks laughing with each other, and commuters hurrying home to their loved ones.

But no Marinette.

End of Chapter 16: Caught Off Guard