Chapter 3

Chat Noir made the dash across Paris his desperation brought concern to the faces of the civilians he passed. On any other occasion he would have made jokes or acknowledged them, but his mind was too busy whirling to even register that the people of Paris were even there. It took him ten minutes to make it back to Marinette's balcony and he refused to waste a second, he leapt into her room and made for her desk. He slid the cup quickly over a bolt of fabric he picked up from the floor securing it with a rubber band, trapping the butterfly in the glass. He climbed back out onto the balcony prepared to jump away when something crashed into his shoulder with such force it knocked him into the ground. Confused Chat turned to see what had hit him and was frozen at the sight of Hawkmoth himself.

"I'm going to need that Akuma now" Chat thought he felt a sense of familiarity at the coldness of the voice coming from his arch nemesis, but he couldn't place it. "Give me the butterfly and I'll let you keep your miraculous. For now at least" Chat tightened his grip on the glass in his hands and held it close to his chest.

"My friend needs this, you don't know what you've done" Chat hoped to plea to whatever humanity Hawkmoth had left in him, but he was devastated that the villain only lifted his cane threateningly.

"Oh I have an idea, so you can either give me that akuma or I will take it from you." Chat didn't hesitate he was on his feet attempting to jump away again. Hawkmoth let out a cry in rage as he attacked the feline hero again hitting Chat on his side the cat didn't fall to the balcony he plummeted to the ground. The people on the streets ran screaming as they laid eyes on the fall hero and the villain above him.

Hawkmoth leapt to the ground beside the hero who was cringing in pain, form the hit and the fall. "Lets see if you really have nine lives?" Hawkmoth unsheathed a sabre from his cane and made to strike the hero.

"I'll give you my miraculous" The words came out in one agonizing breath. "Let me help her, and I will give you my miraculous. No more fighting" The cat lifted himself to his hand and knee's the jarred akuma still pressed with one arm to his chest. He pushed himself shakily to his feet.

"Why should I trust you to give up your miraculous?" The temptation flittered about Hawkmoth's voice, this would work better than his plan.

"She's dying, I can't lose her. I'd give anything not to lose her" A different kind of pain oozed from Chat's voice, even at just the thought his physical pain was overcome by the emptiness he's sure would follow the loss of his Ladybug. Hawkmoth understood and did something he never thought he would, he relented.

"Fine" Was all he said, Chat Noir snapped his head up meeting the villain's eyes. "Go there, remove your miraculous and leave. I have no interest in you" He gestured to the alleyway that ran alongside the Dupain-Cheng patisserie, Chat nodded. He could hardly believe he was doing this, but he felt he had too.

"Claws In" He whispered once he was hidden in the darkness of the alleyway.

"Kid you're being stupid, you can't do this" Plagg was pleading. "You can't trust him, if he has the miraculous it's half of what he wants!"

Adrien hadn't considered that giving up his miraculous meant giving up Plagg too. His eyes hovered to the trapped butterfly in this hands and he looked back to Plagg. "What happens if we can't help Ladybug?" His voice was strained to steadiness but Plagg knew Adrien was breaking. "Her Kwami said it's happened before, what will happen to her?"

"you can't think like that kid, this is bigger than the two of you" Plagg didn't want to tell him the truth, he could hardly believe his chosen was going to hand his power over to the enemy. "You have to keep fighting, even if Ladybug can't"

"You don't understand Plagg. She's not just Ladybug, she's my friend. I know her family, her friends… I know her" He paused, the thought of her loss left him feeling empty again. "If she's gone, everyone will suffer, Paris will suffer, her family, her friends and I'll suffer for it" Plagg stared at his chosen. Plagg could feel Adrien's desperation, his desire to help Marinette and his love for Ladybug.

"You really love her" Plagg had dozens of chosen ones, many Chat Noir's through history had proclaimed their love for Ladybug. They were always taken by her tenacity and passion but rarely had he seen a Chat Noir still feel such a desire to protect and serve his Ladybug. The feelings were nearly foreign to him. So many Chat Noir's through out history confused lust and love, but his chosen, his Adrien was choosing Ladybug, no he was choosing Marinette above himself, above his own needs and desires. Adrien was sacrificing his freedom for the woman he had fallen in love with.

"I'm sorry Plagg, I must be such a disappointment" Adrien wouldn't meet his Kwami's eyes now, but the little cat fairy floated down to his chin poking his nose.

"You will never disappointment Adrien" It was one of the few times Plagg truly felt something for his chosen. In that moment he wanted to do whatever it would take to make Adrien feel better, to prove to him that he wasn't a disappointment. "I understand, do what you have too. I'll be waiting for you though" Never in history had a miraculous holder given up their power and had it returned, but Plagg had faith that Adrien could do it, he wasn't being given or taken he was being traded for the greater good and Plagg would surrender to that.

"I will get you back Plagg. I promise" With that Plagg was gone as Adrien slipped of his ring. He set it in the middle of the Alley on the ground and ran. He ran out the back of the alley and to the subway, praying he was making the best decision given the circumstances.

Adrien felt like a piece of him was missing, he had never imagined giving up Plagg would leave him feeling so empty. He looked at the akuma fluttering in the cup as he stood on the train heading back to the Guardian.

"What took so long my boy" Master Fu asked as Adrien ran through the door. "What has happened, where is Plagg?" the mans voice grew concerned but Adrien just handed him the trapped akuma and went to Marinette's side taking her hand. She was still laid out across the floor of the mans tea room, Adrien was surprised to find her hand was cold. His heart dropped when he realized how pale she was, even her lips were a ghostly shade.
"She's still alive, just in a deep sleep to help her body cope" Master Fu explained. Adrien watched the man as he sat across from him on the other side of Marinette. Adrien watched as he let the white butterfly out of the glass but capturing it in his own hands. Adrien was shocked as the man ripped the butterfly in pieces and put it in his mortar and began grinding it with the other ingredients he'd tossed in previously.

"What are you doing?" Adrien asked giving Marinette's hand a light squeeze.

"He's making a salve to help put the piece of Marinette's soul back" It was Tikki that spoke up, she was nestled under the chin of her chosen to scared to put distance between them. "Adrien, what happened to Plagg?" Adrien met the little red bugs eyes and he was her fear and he had to look away.

"It was Plagg or Marinette, and I had to help Marinette" he whispered to the little bug. "I think Plagg understood"

"I don't understand, he's gone?" Tikki's eyes bubbled with tears now as she stared at him and Adrien let out a sigh.

"I went to fetch the akuma and Hawkmoth was there for it, so I made a deal with him" As Adrien said it aloud he was suddenly filled with shame realizing he didn't fight nearly as hard as he should have. He felt like he should have done more, pushed harder, been stronger.

"You gave up your miraculous for Marinette" Tikki's was filled with an emotion that confused Adrien. She wasn't angry with him? She should be furious! But she wasn't her eyes were filled with adoration. "How do you feel about Ladybug?" The question surprised Adrien, what did it matter?

Master Fu removed the damp cloth from Marinette's forehead and rubbed the salve he had been grinding on her forehead and then wrapped it with gauze. "This will take time to help, but it will make a difference. Thank you Chat Noir for returning a piece of her soul, she would have been lost without it."

"Wait her soul?" Adrien was confused and starting to feel a little dizzy. The weight of everything that had happened in the past few hours was beginning to catch up to him.

"Adrien, how do you feel about Ladybug?" Tikki for the first time left her chosen and was in front of him now. Adrien put out his hand so she could rest on his palm.

"Ladybug? I think she's incredible. She brave and strong! She's so smart, she always has idea's to stop the akuma's. She's so beautiful and I just love her" Adrien got a dreamy look in his eye as he talked about Ladybug, and Tikki felt his adoration for her.

"That is great! Now Adrien, how do you feel about Marinette?" Tikki's tone softened as she questioned him. Adrien looked at the unconscious girl next to him and he felt a flood of different emotions.

"I want to protect her, even if it means my life I want her to be safe and happy" He looked down taking a deep breath in and letting it out. "she's amazing, she has so much talent! I just wish she saw herself the way her friends do, the way I do" Tikki glowed with pride, Adrien had to do a double take. This little bug fairy was actually glowing a vibrant bright pink, and she was bright. Tikki flew back to Marinette landing on her chosen's head sitting on top of the gauze, and Marinette's body began to glow with the same pink light. Adrien looked down at his hand holding hers and realized he was glowing with the same pink light. "What is happening?" He asked lazily, his eyes began to feel heavy.

"Just lay down, you're fine" He felt like he'd been dropped in a pool, the voice was so distance and his body felt so light, like he was floating away, and then everything was gone.

Warmth, he felt so warm and at peace. He couldn't feel anything but not in a empty way he felt like he was finally hole, like every piece of him had come together and he could be himself. When he moved to open his eyes he was blinded by white light and covered his face immediately to shield himself from the blinding light. It took him time for his eyes to adjust and he still had to squint but he was able to sit up and look around. It was white, he couldn't tell if there were walls or just space. He turned quickly and something red caught his eye across this strange room. "Ladybug!"

He ran to her stumbling; his body wasn't ready to cooperate with all the sudden movements. As he reached her he instead saw Marinette. "Marinette" he whispered taking her hand again. He wasn't sure if he took her hand to comfort her or himself but he hoped that it would do both.

"Chat?" Her voice was weak and cracked, but her eyes fluttered and snapped shut quickly. Adrien moved to he would block some of the light from her eyes. "Chat?" She whispered again her voice growing a little stronger.

"Not anymore M'lady" He whispered back giving her hand a small squeeze to assure her she wasn't alone here. Her eyes opened again and found his face, he heard the gasp that escaped her lips and he suddenly felt self-conscious 'What if she's disappointed it's me?' he thought.

"It's been you? Mon minou" Marinette felt her heart pounding. This revelation was overtaking all her senses and drowning the pain she had been feeling. She felt a warm serenity fill her and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze in return and she sat up slowly. "It's really been you? All this time?" She couldn't believe it, her love had been her partner, the man who fawned over her, made horrible jokes and swore to protect her.

"I hope it's a good surprise" Adrien muttered feeling his confidence leave him. He rubbed the back of his neck, his nervous tick.

"I just can't believe it" She whispered and looked down at his hand holding hers. Suddenly the calming warmth that filled the air was sucked away and replaced with cold. "What's happened?" Marinette looked around and then to Adrien and she realized he looked upset. 'He was hoping Ladybug would be someone better' The dark thought whispered in her ear. Where had that come from? Did it matter the voice must have been right, Adrien was hoping for a better Ladybug. As the doubt filled her the room changed again, the blinding white faded to gray like thick snow clouds that kept the light from reaching the earth. 'They don't want you' The voice again, as it spoke Marinette felt like ice was growing in her chest, the cold heaviness she thought might crush her.

Adrien looked at Marinette, her face looked broken. Her beautiful blue eyes had dulled. 'She was so happy a moment ago' He thought studying her expression he saw a tear trickle down her cheek. Then he did something out of character for him well out of character for Adrien at least he leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek right over the path of her tear. He wasn't sure if he could make her happy, but he never wanted to see her cry.

Marinette looked up at him stunned. 'it's a lie' Her feelings for Adrien overtook the voice in the back of her mind and she wrapped her arms around him. He did the same for her and he held her close and tight. He was afraid that if he let her go she'd disappear, or maybe it would be him that disappeared he didn't know. What was this place anyway?

"Marinette?" A voice echoed through the space. "Adrien, come back now" It called softly, the voice felt familiar. He looked to Marinette who looked back to him and she whispered. "Tikki" And then there was a flash of pink light again and Adrien opened his eyes and found himself laying on the floor in the tea room of the Guardian's home.

He let out a groan and tried to sit up but his head was spinning so fast he had to stop. "What happened?" He was confused, he remembered Ladybug, and Marinette. Ladybug IS Marinette! He thought urgently and she was dying because of Hawkmoth. He pushed himself up the rest of the way. There she was, on the floor next to him she looked at peace, her face had color again and she even had a small smile gracing her lips. He let out a sigh of relief.

"We're not out of the woods yet, but I think she will be okay" It was Master Fu who spoke, Adrien turned to look at him getting woozy again from the fast movement. "Take it slow, we used a lot of your energy. You will be fine but it will take some time for you to feel quite right again"

"My energy?" Adrien was confused, was he dreaming again?

"Your love for Marinette, it's not often that the one who is known for destruction can create such positive energy. I suspect it's because she has strong feelings for you in return" Adrien still didn't understand what this Kwami was talking about, but she had said that Marinette had feelings for him, HIM of all people. By Plagg's cheese he didn't know how he got so lucky.

Hawkmoth entered the ally and picked up his new miraculous the smirk on his lips filled with triumph. He slid the silver ring on his finger and the little black cat kwami made his appearance.

"Oh hey, are you lost? I don't think the circus is in town" Plagg snarked at the purple colored villain.

"Talk all you want little kwami, but you're mine now" With that Hawkmoth and Plagg vanished.