Standard disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and am not affiliated with them in any way.

Issues

"It's Ladybug! Jumping above! The power is on when things go wrong!" -Miraculous Theme

Chapter 10: In Which There Are Consequences

Ladybug stared at Hawkmoth in horror. While she was still in shock, he lifted up the hatch to her room and dove down, pulling her along with him. Only once they'd gotten past her bed and computer did the reality of the situation grab ahold of her. She dug in her heels, frantically pulling on her yo-yo string to stop him.

"MOM! DAD! RUN!" she screamed desperately. She heard noises below and her father calling her name hopefully. "NO! RUN!" she shrieked. Hawkmoth was pulling her along, as though she was little more than an annoyance, already at the top of her stairs, ready to go down and akumatize her parents right in front of her—

"NOOO!" Ladybug launched herself at Hawkmoth, attaching herself to his neck and trying to grab his brooch. He grabbed her hand with his free one, but they were already over-correcting, and they both tumbled down the stairs in a heap. Her head hit the wall hard. And she was already weak and dizzy from the akumas. Oh God, Oh God, noooo… her head was spinning so much…. Mom! Dad! No!

"Marinette?!" she heard her father call.

Hawkmoth stood, pulling her yo-yo string off himself while she was still too dazed to stop him. He chuckled lowly at the thought of what he was about to do to the superheroine.

"Your daughter has been very-badly behaved this evening, Mr. Dupain—," he stopped at the sight of who else was in the room with them. "YOU."

Adrien clutched a large blanket around himself and backed away from his father, white and shaking. Hawkmoth advanced on him ruthlessly, all thoughts of akumatizing Ladybug's parents forgotten in the face of this new prize.

"Plagg, claws out! Claws out!" Adrien cried frantically, stumbling backwards. He transformed into Cat Noir, but even from where she was on the ground, Ladybug could see that he was still out of breath and trembling as he held his baton in front of himself defensively.

"Traitor," Hawkmoth snarled and knocked the stick out of his hands with a single swipe of his cane. "You dare stand before me—!"

"You think I'd be proud to have a supervillain for a father?" Cat Noir shouted, as he stumbled back and tripped on the coffee table, falling onto it.

Tom Dupain stepped towards them. "That's enough—" Hawkmoth narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Papa, no!" Ladybug cried, scrambling to her feet. She swung her yo-yo at Hawkmoth again, just barely catching his hand before he could swing the cane at her father.

"You're starting to bug me!" Hawkmoth spat at her, thrusting out his hand at her again. She yelped as she was swarmed by akumas once more. To her dismay, she heard her parents cry out as well. NO! She couldn't let him—Through the akumas, she saw Hawkmoth grab Cat Noir by his bell. "Let's go have a chat, shall we?" he hissed at his son. Cat managed to grab his baton, but his eyes widened as he felt the pressure around him shift.

Ladybug leapt at Hawkmoth desperately, just barely grabbing his arm before she felt that same sucking, stretching feeling as the world pressed in all around her—and pop! They were out again and she finished tackling Hawkmoth. Or would've, if the man hadn't somehow suddenly stepped out way at the last moment, turning as she struck him and using her own momentum to knock her away. She bounced and rolled to a stop. Dammit, he was good.

She shook her head to clear it again and looked around. They were back in Hawkmoth's lair again, all darkness and cold light. She breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully this meant he'd given up on akumatizing her parents. Strangely, she didn't see Volpina or Money Bags anywhere—

"Ladybug!" she heard Cat Noir cry.

She looked up to see Cat Noir dueling with Hawkmoth, the baton and cane ringing eerily each time they met. Cat was already out of breath, and completely on the defensive. She sprang up to help him, flinging her yo-yo at Hawkmoth just as he managed to knock the stick out of Cat Noir's hands again. Her yo-yo wound around his waist and she jerked him back, just as he kicked her partner to the ground.

Hawkmoth snarled at her and somehow managed to get his feet back underneath himself as she rammed her knee into his stomach. She was expecting him to be down from that one, so she was completely unprepared for the uppercut that took her in the chin. She went flying and landed bonelessly. She struggled to get her bearings back, but even Cat Noir's livid scream was distant in her ears.

"Weren't you the one who taught me to never hit a lady?" he yelled, furiously attacking his father. Hawkmoth backhanded him almost casually and sent a swarm of akumas to surround him. Cat curled into a ball against their attacks, screaming defiance and clutching his head against the invasive emotions.

"I see no lady," Hawkmoth said, looking at Ladybug with his lip curled. "Just a pesky insect that needs to be squashed." He shifted his grip on his cane and advanced on the fallen superheroine. Cat Noir's eyes widened as he realized what Hawkmoth intended to do.

"Father, NO!" he yelled, trying to get up and swiping at the akumas surrounding him. They avoided him easily, diving back and forth to touch him again and again and again, making him feel angry, alone, helpless, miserable—even his new powers couldn't get them all! "No, stop! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

"Yes, you will," Hawkmoth said with satisfaction, relishing his imminent victory. He didn't stop, or even turn to acknowledge the boy on the floor. "Anything and everything I want, whenever I want. Like the perfect son you were meant to be." He tapped the jewel on his cane once, and another akuma flew up, darker than the rest, fluttering towards Cat Noir. Cat stared at the butterfly in utter despair.

That—that was what he wanted?

Ladybug turned her head at her partner's cry, still dazed, even with her Miraculous working hard to fix the damage. Vaguely, she wondered why Hawkmoth kept hitting her in the head. Was he trying to knock her earrings out by sheer force? Aw, hell, he might be… he'd certainly tried stranger things….

She felt herself focus as a large shadow loomed over her and looked up to see Hawkmoth raising his cane above his head, a victorious sneer already on his face. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her eyes widened. MOVE, LADYBUG!

"CATACLYSM!"

She stared in horror as Hawkmoth froze in place. Every single akuma in the room abruptly dropped to the floor. Ladybug didn't dare breathe. Her gut churning, she watched as a sickly, faded grey spread over Hawkmoth's dark purple outfit, cracking and crumbling off him as it went. It spread through his whole body, including, Ladybug realized with rising bile, to his head. As his cowl disintegrated around him, he gave one shallow, stuttering breath, and collapsed to the floor.

Behind him stood Cat Noir, his hand still outstretched and raised to where the center of Hawkmoth's back had been. Cat stared at the open space where the villain had been standing, and his whole body started shaking.

And then they heard a loud crack! as the Moth Brooch split right down the middle.

As if that crack had been a signal, the akumas suddenly shot into the air, whirling around the room, faster and higher than ever before. Soon, she couldn't even see the individual butterflies. She could see, however, when Cat Noir fell to his knees, his transformation falling away as he gazed down at his father in shock.

Then the akumas started dropping. Not all once, but random, individual ones would suddenly dive down to the people below. Ladybug winced and cried out as the sparks of despair, rage, and other dark emotions seeped into her mind once more. Desperate, she spun her yo-yo above her as a shield. But Adrien didn't look like he could move, much less protect himself. Gritting her teeth, she prepared to call on her power—

"DON'T USE THE LUCKY CHARM!" Plagg's voice shouted at her. She looked over to him. He was flopped on the ground beside Adrien's shaking form, looking utterly spent. It seemed to have taken everything out of him to warn her. Wheezing, he struggled to raise his head and look at her. "Don't… you won't…."

His voice faded away as he collapsed from exhaustion, but Ladybug got the picture. If she used it now, it wouldn't work. Not against all of them. In fact, if this growing unease in her gut was any indication, there was something much darker at work here that would take advantage of her powers as soon as she used them. The akumas started dropping faster, some of them even getting through her defense. She looked down to see her suit was already half-black; the darkness slowly crawling up her body to claim her.

We have to get out of here! She thought desperately. Gingerly, she scrambled over Hawkmoth's body (pointedly not looking at the man) and tried to grab Adrien, who was now curled up on the floor. The akumas seemed to be focusing on him especially, and his body was already almost completely covered. He must be totally overcome by negative emotions! Not that she could blame him, she couldn't imagine what he was going through right now, but—

"Adrien!" she cried, trying to get him to respond. She spun her yo-yo shield, but it didn't help much; they were both already covered in the butterflies. "Adrien," she tried again, grabbing his arm, "c'mon, we have to get out—"

"Go, Ladybug," she heard him rasp out.

"Get up, c'mon! I'll help you!"

"Leave me here."

"WHAT?" she cried. "No way!"

"You need to get out."

"Not without you!"

"Ladybug," he whispered, finally raising his head to look at her. "I'm already gone." She stared at him in horror as he glared up at her. Instead of their usual iridescent green, his eyes were a bright, cold purple. And even as she watched, the darkness covering his body started to bubble, changing his form.

"No," she cried softly, choking on her tears. He closed his eyes and turned away from her, grimacing in pain.

"Go, Bugaboo," he gasped out, "only you can save me."

She stepped back, closed her eyes, and finally saw everything with perfect clarity.

Panicked, injured, and half-akumatized herself, her Lucky Charm would never be enough to save them both. She would need to go and heal herself, while the akumas dispersed themselves all over Paris. And she would have to fight them all, one by one, saving Paris without her beloved, fun-loving Cat by her side.

Because, once he was also healed, Cat Noir would be standing in front of her, not beside her. Those purple eyes glaring at her. His warm laughter turned ice cold. His baton turned against her.

His claws at her throat.

Oh, she saw it all clearly, this destiny that had been chosen for them.

Adrien at school, cold to the pity of their classmates for his loss. Her, unable to confront him without revealing their identities. Forced to watch the boy she had once loved become dark and warped. His light-hearted jokes becoming snide comments. Open laughter turned to cruel snickers. Unmoved if he hurt someone. Not caring if he made someone cry. Every warm smile turned into a smirk. The puns he had once loved, now mocked with his own mouth. All of their happy memories, tainted and thrown out like garbage.

Or maybe he'd return to being homeschooled; completely cut off from the rest of the world like his father had wanted. And she would only see him whenever he wanted to fight her….

And Oh, God, she'd have to fight him. She have to fight Adrien. Cat Noir. Over and over and over again until one of them won. He'd be a villain a thousand times worse than Hawkmoth had ever been.

The Cataclysm, used on helpless civilians. Everything he'd ever had cause to hate in his life; utterly destroyed with no inhibitions.

Including her.

Dark Cupid? Oh, this would be a thousand times worse. He knew her now. He knew her feelings for him, and would use them against her ruthlessly.

This was why they weren't supposed to reveal their identities, she realized. Not even to a trusted partner. Nowhere would truly be safe for her until he was defeated. This had happened before; this dance of destruction and creation. The Cat against the Bug. It hadn't always ended well (flashes of explosions and screams flickered through her brain) but if she believed in herself—She threw her head back and sobbed.

Trust yourself! Tikki had chirped at her that first day. And Marinette had, and had gone on to save Paris and become a superhero… and everything had been okay. It could be that way again.

It'll all work out. Just go, she seemed to hear Tikki say. You'll save him eventually. It'll all be okay in the end.

But it wouldn't be, she argued as she opened her eyes and watched the rest of Adrien's prone form get consumed by the darkness. He'll still be alone. All alone now, because of me. He's the boy who had everything. And nothing.

'Eventually' was a long time to hope no long-term damage was done. And he was so close to breaking already.

No.

If he was close to breaking, she'd hold him together with her bare hands if she had to!

I'm sorry, Tikki, she thought as she stepped forward again, oblivious to the akumas surrounding her. I tried to tell you before. I'm not cut out for this superhero business. She could feel her powers reacting; pushing her to leave, to save Paris like she was supposed to. Instead, she knelt beside Adrien, pulling him into her lap. To her surprise, the darkness melted away from his face as soon as she touched him.

Oh, thank you, Ladybug thought. I get to see him one more time.

His eyes fluttered open. Purple, not green, but she could recall perfectly what they were supposed to look like.

"What are you doing?" Adrien whispered hoarsely. "You need to—"

"I'm not leaving you," she said simply. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she bent down and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

Her heart pounded as the fire in her veins increased. Fine. Let the akumas have me. She felt a jolt as he reached up to clutch her, kissing her back desperately. Let Paris burn. They'll find another superhero. They always do. They'll defeat us. She cradled him, pulling him closer and never breaking their kiss. She thought she heard him murmur something against her lips, but the pressure in her head and her chest was increasing. It would overpower her soon….

I will not leave him. I would never abandon the one I love to the darkness.

It can take us both.

I choose him.

I love you, Adrien. My Cat Noir.

Goodbye.

The pressure all around her burst, and she cried out as white-hot heat surrounded them.

Master Fu paced in his apartment restlessly. Too much had been going on today. Wayzz was positively zipping around with worry. Even the kwamis who weren't activated were buzzing in their box. More akumas lately. The feeling that something had changed in the dynamic between the holders of the Cat Ring and Ladybug Earrings. (He still smiled at that one. He'd been anticipating it for a while now, and it wasn't a dark aura... plus, they were teenagers! Ah, young love!)

But then Cat Noir had been on the news, visiting a civilian girl that Master Fu had recognized as Ladybug. He'd sighed and resigned himself to scolding them later about keeping their secrets safe and maintaining awareness… but then the girl had been kidnapped. And then later that day, Wayzz had freaked out, saying the Cat's powers had been utilized without a transformation. (This news made him frown. The boy had always been a wild card with his heritage, but he'd seemed so promising….) And then, a few minutes ago, the Cat's secondary power had also been used! (What was the boy thinking? Was he trying to kill himself?) He'd even managed to feel Hawkmoth's dark power once or twice in all of this, and the man had been meticulous in cloaking everything he'd done up until now.

And now, now there was no calming his kwami down, so Fu had elected to join him. He'd been a Miraculous wielder too long to be completely comfortable with standing on the sidelines, but he had to trust them. There was no doubt they were facing Hawkmoth right now. He'd know soon enough if they were up to the task.

"NOOROO!" he heard Wayzz scream, and spun around to face his kwami. Wayzz was staring into the nothingness that only he could see, but his tiny face reflected his horror. "The boy—he used the Cataclysm on the Moth Brooch!"

No…! Master Fu closed his eyes as agony washed over him. "Can you still sense Nooroo?" he asked, trying to hold onto that last sliver of hope.

Despair flooded him when Wayzz shook his head and floated down to slump on the mats on the floor. "I can't sense him at all," he whispered mournfully. "I think the Miraculous was broken."

Fu knelt beside his kwami, unable to offer anything other than support for his oldest friend. Despite the kwamis's near-constant bickering and years-long feuds that sometimes happened, there was a bond there. A strong one. And Nooroo had been such a gentle soul. Patient and kind, and always eager to help. To know that their friend had spent the last months of his life abused and twisted by a madman, only to be killed by one of the people who was supposed to be saving him….

"We must capture the Cat," Master Fu said decisively. "Before any more harm is done. I should've sealed his powers long ago."

"But Master, what about his Ladybug?" Wayzz asked, no doubt a bit nervous about going after the two most powerful Miraculous.

"We can only hope Marinette has seen him for what he truly is now," Fu said, praying fervently that some higher power was listening and would show the girl the truth. But even he was nervous. She was young and driven by her emotions, and by all accounts, the boy was good-looking and quite the charmer. He'd thought them a perfect match at the time, but if the boy had been turned to darkness, corrupted by power….

A wave of pure energy rippled through the room.

Fu gasped as old aches and pains from injuries long-since-passed were suddenly washed away. Before him, Wayzz shot up, his eyes golden and glowing for a moment, before he managed to get control of his powers once more. Against the wall, the box that contained the Miraculous that weren't activated shook and burst open, the two remaining kwamis popping out in twin streaks of orange and yellow light.

The fox kwami started laughing. "Oh my, oh my!" she said, chasing her tail in delight.

The bee, however, looked less impressed. "Was that what I thought it was?" she asked Master Fu.

"I believe so," he said nervously.

"True love's kiss!" the fox squealed, hearts in her eyes. "And it was strong enough to wake us all up!"

"You say that like it's a good thing," the bee argued. "If it woke us up, it's woken up a lot of other things too, remember?"

"All the better for us to be awake," the fox said with a shrug. She sidled up to the bee slyly. "Tell me you haven't been itching for a good fight."

The bee shrugged. "So what's got you buzzing, Guardian?" she asked Master Fu as he started nervously pacing again. "Don't you humans usually go ga-ga for true love?"

"It is not the emotions, but who they are attached to that worries me," he said.

"Ooo, an evil couple?" the fox asked, getting excited again.

"No, Trixx, the girl is pure," Wayzz calmly corrected the fox. "Surely you felt it?"

"Oh, I sure did!" Trixx said, spinning in delight. Then she gasped. "Maybe we'll even get to see… an ascension!" She squealed with delight.

"But her beloved may have turned to darkness," Fu explained. "He just willfully destroyed a Miraculous." The fox and bee kwamis gasped.

"Whose was it?" the bee demanded.

"Nooroo's Moth Brooch. Just now," Fu told them. The fox's eyes filled with tears, but the bee looked angry.

"Send me out," she demanded. "I'll see to it—"

"I am not sending anyone out for revenge," Master Fu said firmly. "If anything, we must contact the girl and get back the boy's Miraculous before—"

"Whoa, whoa," Trixx said. "He has a Miraculous and he just destroyed another one? Who are we dealing with here? A collector?"

"No, Trixx," Master Fu said with a sigh. "Nooroo was captured by dark forces a little less than a year ago. The villain twisted him and made him send out evil powers instead of good. I sent out the Cat Ring and Ladybug Earrings to combat him," the fox and bee both swore fluently in Chinese, making Wayzz facepalm, "but they hadn't been able to find the villain until tonight."

"Wait, so this boy has Plagg?" the bee scoffed. "Ha! Just wait around. Plagg will have him trip into a sewer or walk under a falling tree or something. You know he doesn't put up with that."

"Plagg and the boy actually have a good working relationship," Wayzz said softly.

The bee raised an eyebrow. "And you're sure he's evil?" she asked Master Fu incredulously. "Stinky-Cheese Brain and I don't get along, but he knows how to spot a dark soul. Comes from being evil himself."

"Pollen, be nice," Trixx chided. "We've all had bad Chosen before. Right, Snow Queen?" She smirked and the bee looked away, grumbling. The fox turned back to Master Fu. "As for dealing with Plagg's Chosen, I volunteer! You know I'm the best one for this job! ~Can't destroy what isn't really there!~" she sang. Master Fu considered it. As far as powers went, Trixx had a point. Illusions were the best foil for someone who could only destroy.

"There is still the issue of the girl," he mused. "Considering she has strong feelings for the boy, she will try to defend him with everything she has."

"So, give me to someone close to her," Trixx said with a shrug. "Someone who'll be able to see through his façade. If we can get her to doubt him enough…."

"Hmm," Fu said, considering. "There is a girl who might fit your interests and our needs. But she will have to be tested." He warned Trixx, before she could go into spasms of delight. "And I'm not certain I should be sending you out anytime soon anyway," he added, remembering their other problem. "Nooroo's master was able to create an akuma of your Miraculous and set it against Ladybug and Cat Noir. Multiple times. They will likely attack you and your Chosen on sight."

Trixx's jaw dropped and she positively steamed with fury. "HE DID WHAT?"

The bee smirked at her. "Looks like you won't get to play this round after all."

"VENGEANCE SHALL BE MINE!"

Fu sighed. "I already told you, I'm not sending anyone out for—"

"BESMIRCHING MY GOOD NAME!"

"Oh, please, who do you think you're fooling, fox?" Pollen scoffed. "What good name? You take delight in dragging it through the mud yourself!"

"EXACTLY!" Trixx cried, rushing up to her friend. "YOU MUST AVENGE ME, POLLEN! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO HAVE THE FUN OF DOING IT MYSELF!"

Pollen rolled her eyes. "Do you have someone in mind for me?" she asked Master Fu.

"I have tested several people," he admitted. "They all failed."

"Whatever," she said carelessly. "Just make sure they're strong enough to go up against the Cat. I do not wanna put up with Plagg's smug face if he manages to defeat me again. And pick somebody normal this time."

"Oh please," Wayzz said quietly, rolling his eyes. "The last time we picked you 'somebody normal,' he threw the Bee Comb into the bottom of a river because he couldn't deal with you anymore."

"He was an artist!" the bee exclaimed.

"Musician," Wayzz corrected her.

"Same thing! They can't have thin skin like that! He never would've survived getting his feelings hurt if I hadn't toughened him up!"

"Actually, Pollen," Master Fu said, thinking hard and finding all the pieces fit. "How would you like a wielder who does need to be taught a lesson?"

The bee kwami smirked. "Bring it on."

"I warn you, she'll be hard to deal with," he said. "Out of all the candidates I tested, she failed the hardest. You will have to teach her compassion. Respect."

Pollen turned around. "See the stinger?" she said slyly. Fu chuckled.

"She is also responsible for many of the akumas that Nooroo was forced to corrupt," he added. "So, it is a bit of poetic justice that she be the one to clean up the mess." The fox kwami snickered at the smirk on the bee's face now.

"Take me to this princess, Guardian," she demanded. "I'll turn her into a queen."

End Chapter 10.

A/N: Please don't kill me. I am gonna continue this story (Let's face it, I can't leave it there, OMG), but I need to take a short hiatus to get everything back on track and deal with RL for a bit, and this is a good place to stop. I'll know soon if I'm gonna continue this here, or start a Book 2 instead, and I'll update as I know more. (Please note that I will also be submitting other stories that have nothing to do with this one! The sequel will be clearly marked if it's not already attached to this story!) As always, your opinions and reviews are highly regarded and deeply loved, so if you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions, I promise, I am a nice person. (Though Adrien may argue that point….)