And we are back in business! Thank you all for your patience and kind words! Forgive me for not replying to them until now. They really did encourage me to get my butt in gear and finish this. I hope that you like this chapter, it got a little crazy and wrote itself. It was far from what I was originally going for, but I liked it. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and happy new year!
Until next chapter.
-Ghost
Chat hummed cheerfully to himself as he leap from rooftop to rooftop. So far, the day was off to a lovely start. His father had remarkably given him the weekend off, and he fully intended to use his rare free time to make good on his deal to Marinette. Alya's party drew closer, and even if she didn't admit it, Chat could tell the young seamstress was starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline. Well, that what he's here for. He perched on lamp post, unzipping his pocket and squinting slightly at the hastily scrawled list she had handed him. Most of the items were easy, red and black thread ( two spools black, three red), black ribbon (one and a half yards), which he knew exactly where to find, but her last request left him baffled. Two yards of black lace. La Petite Chemise doesn't carry it, she had written. So you'll have to go to Boutique Noir.
He didn't need to go all the way across town for that. His father had a favorite fabric store that he went to for experimenting just a few blocks away. The older man may have most of his materials imported and designs copied and recreated by others, but he always believed in giving the prototypes a personal, hand-stitched feel. The shop was lacking nothing, and only carried the very best quality. Perhaps Marinette hadn't heard of it? It's target audience was for designers in the elite category, so he supposed it was normal to assume she didn't run in the same crowd. Silently, he dropped behind the store and released his transformation. It was time to go shopping.
Adrien stepped onto the white marble floor, carefully letting the glass door swing shut behind him. One of the sales ladies looked up from her current client to greet the new customer. Her face lit up with recognition and she smiled broadly, though it felt slightly fake to Adrien."Oh, Monsieur Agreste! Bienvenue! I'll be right with you."
"No need," Adrien responded with a half smile, half grimace as all the heads in the shop whipped around at the sound of his name. "I know exactly what I need."
The woman smiled brightly again. "Very well, sir. Let us know if you require any assistance."
Adrien nodded in thanks before setting to work. Where was the lace? He saw some white lace in the back with flawless silk and satin, a section of the store Adrien knew was aimed towards wedding ensembles, and several sample dresses were displayed around it to trigger inspiration. They had shelves stacked to the ceiling with neatly folded charmeuse silk in every color you could imagine, and some you couldn't. There was rich velvet, vicuna and even wool and furs. He had been here many times with his father, but was usually bored out of his mind and didn't really pay much attention the the scenery. It was something to behold, he had to admit, and also bloody irritating. How was anyone supposed find anything in this jungle of couture? Lace, lace, lace, he hummed to himself. He had seen other colors in categorized sections of the store, like the wedding one, but he had yet to find any black.
"Are you finding everything alright?" an annoyingly squeaky voice spoke from behind.
He yelped in surprise, so deep in thought he had not heard her approach. He whirled around, coming face to face with another sales girl. She smiled with that same fake you better fucking buy something because I want to keep my job smile. "Um, yea I actually could use some help with something." he spoke, recovering from his start.
Her too-much-lipstick smile widened. "Of course, sir! How may I assist you today?"
He pulled out the list from Mari. "I'm looking for some black lace, do you carry it here?"
"We certainly do! It's one of our sectional items. Come with me."
Adrien sighed in relief. "Thank you!"
He followed her deeper into the store, taking a moment to appreciate the elaborate outfits displayed all around him as he walked.
"Here we are, sir!"
Adrien's relieved smiled contorted on itself in horror.
"You'll find just what you're looking for in lingerie! We have black lace in all materials and patterns. Shall I help you choose some?"
Adrien blinked around him in terror. The fabrics in this section were all light and sheer, and the displays made him choke. His eyes instantly flew to a black, lace ensemble that left very little to the imagination. It hardly covered anything, and the bright green embroidery gleaming across it reminded him a bit too much of...himself. As his eyes traveled down, all the blood in his body followed suit. Across a rather personal area, green letters had been stitched. Chat Noir's it read, followed by a cheeky little paw print. It was daring, it was sexy, and he really, really shouldn't have imagined Marinette in it.
"Do you like that, sir?" The girl spoke, noticing his fixation. "It's one of the newest designs we've come up with. Many ladies are quite a fan, and it adds to the fantasy."
Adrien still hadn't found his voice.
"Margot! What are you doing with Monsieur Agreste?" the sales lady from earlier asked in somewhat of a breathy panic, making a beeline for them.
"Oh, him? I was helping him find some lace, and he seems to fancy this particular getup."
The lady looked like she was about to faint, her smile very strained. She spoke through her teeth. "Margot, I highly doubt that was the kind of lace he was looking for."
She sent Adrien a nervous look. Adrien awkwardly looked away, trying to hide an unwelcome visitor, which was still making an appearance, despite the humiliation.
"It's fine," he finally croaked. "Any black lace is good, I think."
She pinched her nose. "Margot, how about you help Louis at the counter? I'll finish off here."
Margot shrugged and turned back towards the front of the store. "Doesn't matter to me."
The sales lady sighed. "I am so sorry for any embarrassment, sir. She's, uh, she's new. Now, what was it you needed?"
Hastily, Adrien grabbed the first folded swatch of lace he could reach, trying to cover his crotch. "I'll take two yards of this."
"Of course, sir, and it will be half price to show our apologies. Will there be anything else?"
"Um, yea," he handed her the list. He wasn't really up to making anymore stops. "All of that. And, uh," he pointed sheepishly at the Chat Noir display. "Is that for sale?"
Chat had to say he was grateful for the sheer tightness of his suit. It did a marvelous job of concealing the evidence from the incident at the shop. However, he still felt it might be wise to go home a take care of things before returning to Marinette. Going back to her in this condition seemed… wrong. Not to mention disrespectful, even if she couldn't see. He would know and was just not something he was willing to do. Only stopping at one place had left him plenty of time. Marinette would never need to know. His trip home lacked the merit of his usual jaunts through town, but it still did not escape a pair of angry, gray eyes.
"That stupid cat," Felix hissed to himself. "Nothing more than a perfect example of abused power."
Chat still hadn't shaken off the shame by the time he set off for Mari's again. She was his friend for fuck's sake. How could he think about her like that? And then he'd gone and bought the blasted thing. He told himself it was to prevent Chat Noir from becoming some girl's "fantasy", but he knew that wasn't entirely true. Plagg had a field day at the boy's expense, knowing full well what had gone through his head. Chat could still feel him snickering in the ring. Rolling his eyes, he glanced up towards the sky, praying for something to get the whole situation off his brain.
In hindsight, he realised he really should have been more careful what he wished for.
He'd heard the whizzing, but he had no time to react. The flying object collided with his head and sent him tumbling of the roof and to the waiting street below. He cried out, wincing in pain and managing to grab onto the ledge with his claws, saving himself from the fall. Adrenaline coursing, he swiveled his head around frantically, trying to see his attacker, or what had hit him. He heard a low chuckle to his right, and yanked his head towards the noise. It definitely wasn't a nice chuckle he decided. It was cold and cruel and somehow familiar. Peeking out from the shadow of a chimney were two, almost glowing purple eyes. He swallowed hard, trying to pull himself up. The eyes stood up slowly, and as Chat Noir had feared, they were connected to a body. Two white booted feet stepped towards him, with a sickening swagger. They stopped. The akuma bent down, picking up a gold staff. He gasped, finally seeing exactly who this stranger was. No. Please no. His shock caused his hold to slip and he fell back to the edge, his claws scraping the shingles. He took in the akuma standing before him, his throat becoming tight.
"You're...you're…" his voice failed him.
The akuma stepped towards him, smirking as he roughly grasped his wrist and yanked him up to eye level. He wanted to see Chat's fear. He wanted to revel in it. He chuckled again.
"That's right, little one. I'm Chat Blanc."
"Where is he, Tikki?" Marinette thumped her fingers impatiently on her desk. "He's been gone for over an hour."
"Well, you did send him halfway across town," the kwami replied helpfully. "And maybe the lines are long."
"I suppose," the girl agreed. "But he's Chat Noir. I've seen him go across all of Paris in less than twenty minutes."
"Maybe he got distracted?"
Marinette huffed. "Knowing him, probably."
And distracted he was.
Chat Blanc picked him up once more, tattered and torn, and flung him to the ground. He hissed in pain, but wouldn't give his opponent anymore satisfaction. He forced himself to swallow the blood in his mouth, refusing to spit it out where it could be seen. The white cat jumped down and joined him in the otherwise vacant alley.. Chat Noir glared, rising to his feet with narrowing eyes and blood stained fangs bared.
Chat Blanc simply smiled in a feux pleasantry. "You know, even though I've always hated you, I have to admit, I'm a little starstruck to meet you in person."
Chat Noir only growled in response. His tail flicked dangerously on it's own.
"But don't get the wrong idea, kitty cat. I know you. I know what you are."
The two began to circle each other.
"You know nothing." Looking back, Chat realized he didn't recognize the voice that came out of his mouth.
"Wanna bet?" he lunged towards Chat's neck with a yowl, but the black cat was ready and dove out of danger, his teeth snagging then biting deep into the other cat's shoulder. He pulled back savagely, leaving a gaping wound to drip crimson down the flawless, white suit. "You bastard!" Chat Blanc snarled, swiping at his face with razor sharp claws. Blood instantly bubbled up and began to drip down his cheek like distorted tears. Chat bit back a scream, going in for another hit. "I only wish I was."
But Chat Blanc was a quick learner it seemed, and he wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. He grabbed Chat Noir by the neck as he lundged and slammed the back of his head to the brick wall behind him. Chat's vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground, Chat Blanc standing over him, a terrifying gleam in his violet eyes. Chat Noir struggled to refocus his vision. "You're not the hero you think you are." he spoke, giving him a gruelling kick in the stomach. Chat Noir wheezed, coughing up blood. "You have the power to destroy anything you touch, and yet you use it so carelessly. You have never once taken it seriously, bringing ruin to anything that suits you." he kicked him again.
"But Ladybug's...magic," he coughed out, crying out when it earned him another kick.
"Yes. Her magic does restore what you destroy. But the first time you used your cataclysm, you didn't know that it would. You were willing to use your cataclysm on an akuma victim!"
Beyond angry, he scooped Chat's limp body, ruthlessly sinking in his claws, and threw him into the wall on the other side.
Chat Noir was somewhat delirious now, high on chemicals his brain was releasing in a desperate attempt to save him. Chat Blanc sounded far away. All you do is kill and destroy! His voice echoed from somewhere. Some adrenaline junkie like you should never have been given such power! It should have been given to me!
Chat Blanc charged towards him again, but he couldn't make his body react. All I do is kill and destroy, his own voice chanted in his head. Kill and destroy, kill and destroy, kill and destroy.
He glanced down at his ring, and then to the gold one on Chat Blanc's finger. Kill and destroy, kill and destroy, kill and destroy...
Chat Blanc leapt.
The ring tightened around his finger.
"Cataclysm."
Marinette had fallen asleep on her keyboard, the boredom of waiting on Chat had eventually won over. Tikki giggled at the impressive string of drool that hung from her mouth.
The kwami turned her attention back towards Marinette's computer, where she had been entertaining herself by watching some cheesy romance film. Tikki had always been a sucker for romance. The cheesier the better. Cheese always brought back good memories.
But just as the girl was about to confess her feelings to her true love, the channel switched to an emergency news broadcast. Tikki sighed sadly in disappointment.
The anchorwoman appeared on screen, Tikki knew her, but could never remember her name. But she did have a very...lively daughter.
"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A larger than life cat fight has broken out on the south side of the city. Chat Noir appears to be fighting another cat akuma, and blood has been shed. With still no sign of Ladybug, police have cleared out the area." The camera cut to a white Chat Noir standing over a limp black one. Blood stains drenched the white suit, and yowls of pain could be heard. The black cat lunged up weakly with his claws, seizing the opportunity to sink into his throat. Tikki gave a cry of terror. "Marinette! Wake up!"
Ladybug's heart was pounding almost painfully in her chest. She didn't know what was happening. The bloody,black cat on the news was not her Chat Noir. He was gentle and caring. He would never hurt anyone. Her yoyo flew from her hand almost as fast as it returned as she flew through the city. She had to get there before it was too late. Before there was damage that even she couldn't repair.
Chat held on tight to the akuma's neck, staring intently in his eyes as he waited for the rings power to take effect. But where anything else would've been left to dust and rubble in moments, the white cat simply grinned wickedly, completely unharmed. From where Chat's hand was planted on the villans throat, streaks of black webbed out like veins under his suit. Chat Blanc's grin widened. They swiftly flowed down his shoulder and through his arm as if drawn by some sort of magnet. The gold ring on his finger glowed, and absorbed the streams of black.
His eyes shone with energy. "Oh come on!" he laughed. "Did you honestly think that would work? I'm Chat Blanc for God's sake. I'm immune to your destruction, you idiot. I absorb it."
Chat Noir stared up at him in disbelief. No.
He sank his claws into Chat's chest, drawing him roughly to his face. "I was right about you. You just tried to kill me." he held up his glowing ring on his other hand. "Seems only fair that I return the favor."
Chat Noir panted, no longer feeling the pain from the claws embedded in his chest. "I… I didn't...I'm sorry...I-"
"Don't you dare say that you're "sorry". I know damn well you're not," Chat blanc hissed dangerously. "You never think about any of the consequences of your reckless actions!"
He threw Chat against the wall of the alley one last time. His back hit the bricks with a sickening thud. He crashed motionless to the ground. Chat Blanc strut towards him, the stolen cataclysm danced darkly between his clawed fingers.
Blood spilled into his eyes, and he struggled to focus. But his vision was blackening, and his body screamed at him to give up and rest. It was a lost cause. He tried to think of his Lady as his eyes fluttered closed. He thought of her bluebell eyes, her bright and carefree laugh. The way her hair was always in pigtails. It all seemed familiar to him, as memories from his life began shooting through his mind. He had seen all of these things somewhere else. But where?
His consciousness slowly faded, and Chat thought of nothing more.
Something wet hit his face. Once, twice, three times. He was desperate to figure out what, but his eyes refused to open. A thousand questions rushed through his mind as more of him came to. Where was he? What had happened to him? There was a voice somewhere close. A painfully familiar voice that he simply couldn't place. It was broken. Pleading. He wanted nothing more than to comfort it. He was being held by someone, he noticed after he felt himself be moved. Was it his mother?
Something buried itself in his neck, the cries were closer now, louder. His jaw and throat quickly became sticky and wet.
"Please wake up," the voice seemed to be sobbing now. "Please don't leave me, Chat. I'm so sorry. I wasn't here and this happened to you. Please wake up."
Chat Noir pried open his eyes, his vision slightly blurry. He saw red. Red and black.
"L-ady…?" he rasped.
The girl wrapped around him jerked up. But her eyes were firmly squinted shut and did not open. "Chat!" her hands blindly went out and felt at his face. "I was so scared you were gone. I was able to restore everything and heal you but then you didn't wake up and it felt like such a nightmare." more tears leaked out of her closed eyes, her voice cracked. "I almost didn't get here in time." her voice was a mere whisper. " I almost lost you."
"Why won't you open your eyes?" he asked, somewhat afraid of her response.
She wiped her tears and sniffled. "You uh, you used your cataclysm. Your transformation fell."
Sure enough, Adrien looked down to see himself, perfectly fine in his civilian clothes. Plagg sat silently on his shoe, looking at him with an expression he couldn't read.
"Your kwami told me it was okay to stay with you."
"Oh," was all Adrien could muster. "Won't you turn back soon too?"
Her hand darted up to her earrings, which Adrien could see had two spots left.
"Yes. But I needed to make sure you would be okay."
Despite the circumstances, Adrien felt warmth in his chest at seeing how much she really did care for him. But it was short lived. Memories from the fight had been fighting for his focus since he woke up, and his resolve to ignore them was weakening. He swallowed. "What happened to Chat Blanc?"
Ladybug shifted almost uncomfortably. "His name is Felix. And he's fine. My lucky charm healed him as well." She said nothing else.
"Ladybug, what-,"
She stood up aburptly. "I have to go," she said almost sorrowfully. "Keep him safe, Plagg."
He watched as she grabbed her yoyo. Within a moment, she was gone.
Plagg floated up grimly, not looking at him in the eye. "Let's go home, kid. We need to talk."
