I'd like to preface this chapter by saying that I have not and will not watch the Origins episode until it comes out in France. Therefore, this story might contradict what has recently become canon (I honestly have no clue though), so please don't be too bothered by this. Also, please try to keep all spoilers out of reviews and comments. It's greatly appreciated by me and others who are waiting to see the Origins episode. :)

As soon as Marinette made it home, she was ambushed by her parents. "We heard about the attack at school," Sabine exclaimed. She examined her daughter for any cuts and bruises. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."

"Mama."

"Oh Tom, what if she's hurt. Should we call a doctor?"

"Mama."

"I don't know if I could live with myself it she got hurt."

"MAMA!"

Sabine and Tom turned to their daughter. "I'm fine," Marinette smiled softly. It warmed her heart to know that her parents cared so much, but they were overreacting. She was fine. Marinette was a little worried though that if they ever found out she was Ladybug that they would absolutely flip!

Sabine and Tom hugged their little girl tight. She was the most precious part of their lives. The thought of losing her was too much to bear. Every parent felt the same way. Marinette hugged her parents back and even Tikki got in on the hug from inside Marinette's purse. Once everyone had calmed down, Marinette told her parents she had some "work" to do and walked upstairs.

Once Marinette got safely into her bedroom, she opened her purse and Tikki came barreling out. "Tikki, this has gotten out of hand!" Marinette moaned. She tossed her backpack into the corner. "No akuma has ever been this insane. And even worse, he has Adrien!"

Marinette's thoughts rushed back to the sweet, innocent boy who had been the subject of her admiration since they first met. He had already been under a lot of stress after his father randomly appeared at the photoshoot. He probably was sitting home, alone and depressed, when Chat Blanc attacked. Adrien was the perfect victim since a tiny boy like him wouldn't stand much of a chance against a powerful was a mouse up against a vicious cat.

"I'm going to save Adrien!" Marinette vowed. "I'll meet Chat Blanc as Marinette just to make sure Adrien is okay and then right after, I'm going to transform and purify that akuma. I'm sure Chat Noir is suffering just as much as the rest of us. He's my partner. I can't let this go any further."

"That's the spirit!" Tikki smiled, clapping her hands. "You just needed a little time to think and now you're ready to go. You really are a great Ladybug!"

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette giggled. It felt good to laugh after a stressful day. It gave Marinette hope for the future. She couldn't stress over this akuma attack. In less than a week, everything would be back to normal and she and Chat Noir would be laughing about it like it was a joke. Everything would be fine.

"I'm gonna take a nap," Marinette yawned. "Can you wake me up at 9:00?" Tikki nodded and Marinette got into her bed. It was going to take a lot of energy to keep up with Chat Blanc. Marinette predicted she was going to have a busy night.

Tikki woke Marinette up at 9:00 on the dot. Marinette jumped out of bed and grabbed her purse. Tikki flew inside. Then, Marinette walked downstairs quietly. Her parents had already finished closing up the bakery for the night and were watching TV in the bedroom. They couldn't hear Marinette leaving the house. She just prayed they wouldn't spy her walking away outside from their window. Marinette opened the bakery's front door and snuck out.

She entered the park and stood in front of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue. It was 9:15. She was extremely early, but she didn't want to take any risks. Tikki poked her head out of the purse. "Is he here yet?" she asked. Marinette shook her head. "He might not be here for a while, but you need to stay hidden. I don't want Chat Blanc to freak out and figure out I'm Ladybug. He might hurt Adrien and if anything happens to you, then there is no Ladybug to save the day."

"Got it." Tikki sank back into her fabric hut, but she listened closely to what was going on outside.

Marinette checked her phone. It was 9:30 now. The park was completely empty. The moon was out, but dark clouds covered its light. There was no one walking around, so the entire area was eerily silent. The whole environment had a creepy, ominous feeling. Marinette wished she was sitting safe in her room or running across the roofs of Paris with Chat Noir. She would feel safer then.

A sudden shadow appeared, looming over Marinette. With a gasp, she turned around and looked at the top of the statue. On top stood Chat Blanc in a triumphant pose. He seemed excited and had a jolly smile. His hair was even messier than usual and his eyes appeared to glow. For a moment, he looked like the normal Chat Noir who was just excited to be running around outside. Marinette half-expected a cat pun to come out of his mouth.

"Heya, Princess," Chat Blanc purred, jumping down beside her. "I had a feeling you'd come early. You couldn't wait to see me?"

"Let's go with that…" Marinette replied slowly. Part of her wanted to joke around since Chat Blanc was acting so casual. It was almost like being around the normal Chat Noir. But she stopped herself. He was an akuma and would be unpredictable. It was like the time with Nathanael when he became the Evillustrator. He was kind and loving at first, but one wrong comment sent him into a frenzy. Akumas shouldn't be messed around with.

"I'd love to show you what you came here for, but I'm afraid this isn't the right spot," Chat Noir grinned. He scooped up Marinette bridal style and jumped to the sky. Marinette screamed, not ready to suddenly be airborne. Chat Noir laughed as he jumped off windows and trees until finally they were on top of a familiar building. It was the College Francoise Dupont, Marinette's own school.

"Why are we here?" Marinette asked cautiously. Chat Blanc began to walk circles around her. "I thought being here would put you more at ease…" he explained. Marinette could feel his eyes on her like he was closely examining her. She worried that he had some kind of trick up his sleeve.

"I'd feel a lot more at ease if you stop pacing around like that."

"Sorry, Princess. How rude of me."

"Now take me to Adrien. I know he isn't up here. What are you planning?"

"I'm offended that you think so low of me. I might be a bit intimidating, but I'd never go back on a promise."

"Then why don't you pay up?" Marinette huffed. Chat Blanc was truly frightening. He maintained a casual, joking attitude but Marinette knew that was a façade. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She believed that after seeing what he did to Mr. Agreste the night prior. Chat Blanc was smiling at her, but it was an empty smile. It had no soul.

"I will," Chat Blanc grinned. One of his fangs had something red on the tip. Marinette prayed that it wasn't blood. "You're so impatient."

"Show me Adrien," Marinette demanded. "If anything happened to him, I won't forgive you. Why did you hurt him? He doesn't deserve this! Give him back!"

In her head, Marinette was praying for Adrien's safety. "Please, please be okay," she begged. "I need to see him. I have to know he's alright." Marinette was trembling. There were tears in eyes. Her thoughts were consumed with Adrien.

"Oh, you're too kind," Chat Blanc bowed. "You have high praise. I didn't know you cared so much or is that just an act? No one seems to really care about me. At least you try and pretend. To my father, even that wasn't worth the effort."

"W-what are you talking about?"

There was a bright white swirl of light around Chat Blanc. Marinette covered her eyes afraid and was afraid to open them again. "Don't wuss out now," Chat Blanc hissed. He grabbed Marinette's hands and removed them from her face. She noticed that his hands were soft, but as cold as ice.

"Surprise, Princess!"

Marinette collapsed onto her knees. Her mouth was open, but no words came out. Time seemed to slow down. It couldn't be. It was impossible.

"A-Adrien…" Marinette managed to get out. Standing in front of her was a familiar figure. He was tall with perfect, blonde hair. His skin was lightly tanned and he had an angelic expression. It was Adrien.

But those eyes. They weren't his. They had cat-like slits and were a dark, ominous green. Those weren't Adrien's eyes.

"This is impossible," Marinette thought. "How didn't I notice? He was Chat Noir the entire time. It can't be. Impossible..."

But it was. All her memories of Adrien and Chat Noir rushed into her head. They always seemed to mysteriously leave class at the same time. When she talked about akumatized classmates, Chat Noir somehow always knew who she was talking about. She and Adrien both had the same lame excuses for disappearing which their friends accepted as the truth. Chat Noir moved with the kind of confidence and poise only an elite model could have. The dots began to connect.

Chat Noir really was Adrien.

"And I broke his heart and now he's become this… this monster." Marinette slowly stood up. "No… Adrien is no monster. Chat Noir isn't a monster either. He's a hero. This isn't him. He's being controlled by an akuma. I have to save him. I have to…"

Marinette examined Adrien's body for a possible akuma hiding spot and came up with the same results as before. Nothing. There was no place that stood out. Adrien had no significant object on him. There was nothing for her to break open and let the akuma out. Where could it be?

Then, Marinette realized that wasn't the only strange thing. It shouldn't have been possible for Chat Blanc to turn back into Adrien and still retain his miraculous powers. From his eyes, she could tell he still had them. He had only partially detransformed. Was that even possible? Was this what happened if you had two miraculouses?

She looked down at his familiar, black ring. That was the first miraculous. Her eyes traveled to the brooch on his neck. It was shaped like a butterfly with a pearl in the middle. That must be the second one, Hawk Moth's. Marinette understood that she wouldn't be able to purify the akuma yet. She would have to strike Chat Blanc down a notch before that could happen. Instead, she would have to go after his miraculouses. By decreasing his power, she would have a better shot at finding the akuma.

"Why so silent?" Adrien cocked his head in confusion. "I thought you'd react a lot differently. It's no fun if you're quiet."

"Why?" Marinette whispered softly. "Hmm?" Adrien said, cupping his ear and pretending to be unable to hear. "What was that, Princess?"

"Why?!" Marinette exclaimed. She stepped towards him and her presence was so fierce, he moved backwards. "Why did this happen to you? You're better than this! You're the kind-hearted hero who's saved Paris countless times! You're the ideal student that everyone wishes they could be! You're the nicest guy in Paris!"

Adrien scoffed. "You're like everyone else," he sneered. "You can only see what's on the outside. You see only what you want to. Sorry to disappoint, but this is the real me. Better get used to it."

"This isn't what you want."

"How would you know what I want? You don't know anything about me, do you?"

"I know this isn't what Paris wants. I know this isn't what your friends want. And I definitely know this isn't what Ladybug wants."

Adrien's body stiffened at the mention of her name. "Is that it?" Marinette pressed further. "Is she why you're like that? Is it because she said she loved somebody else?"

"Shut up!"

In the blink of an eye, Adrien had grabbed Marinette's arms and pinned them behind her back. "Say anything more and I'll kill you," he whispered into her ear. His breath was hot on her neck. Marinette was really crying now. There were red lines on her face from where the tears had traveled. Her lips had a salty taste and her eyes were puffy. She let out a sad sob, "Why?"

Adrien let Marinette go and she fell onto the ground. "Why?" he laughed. "Because I'm going to change this wretched place. I'm going to make it better. It'll be a place where I can be happy. After so long, I'll finally be happy."

"I didn't know…" Marinette said. "You were so sad and I didn't notice. Is it all because of Ladybug because if it is, I know how we can make things better. Please trust me. Believe in me!"

"If she was my only problem I wouldn't be standing here, now would I?" Adrien retorted. Marinette was silent. The problem was deeper than she imagined. "No, it's so much more than that," Adrien seethed. "After my fight with my father, I realized that I've only done things for others my entire life. I lived to please everyone but myself, how disgusting. I guess you could call this 'personal retribution'. I'm going to solve all my problems and you can't stop me."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Marinette cried. "You have friends that care about you and Ladybug who loves you more than you think. You don't have to face this alone. We can help you! We're here for you!"

"You can't do anything…" Adrien trailed off. His voice held a hint of sadness. "I have to do this on my own. The wounds are too deep." He put his hand over his heart, almost like he was protecting it. "These scars are too old to heal."

Another memory brushed through Adrien's head. It was a normal night, cloudy with a bit of rain. He sat with his stuffed bear in a giant, comfy chair in the living room. There was an old picture book on his lap. It was one of his favorites. Adrien couldn't read all the words quite yet, but he loved the pictures. He flipped through the pages eagerly. Each one was new and exciting even though he had read the book a thousand times. Once he was finished, he stood up on his chubby, toddler legs to get a new book. He lept out of the chair to go to his bedroom.

That was when the front door loudly slammed shut. "Daddy!" a young Adrien smiled eagerly. He hadn't seen his dad all day. The child ran down to greet his father. "Daddy! Daddy!" Adrien expected to be welcomed by his father's warm smile and strong arms, but instead he was met with a sad, expressionless face.

Adrien watched his father set his wet umbrella in the bin by the door. He was wet from the rain, but it didn't seem to bother him. Gabriel wasn't wearing his glasses like normal. Adrien could see them sticking out of his father's pocket. Adrien set down his teddy bear and grabbed onto his father's coat. "Daddy?"

"Adrien, you should get to bed," his father whispered. His voice was hoarse. Adrien tugged on his father's coat in frustration. "But I don't want to go to bed," he whined. "I want Mommy to read me a story. Please!"

"Adrien, go to your room!" The intensity of Gabriel's voice frightened Adrien. The young child quickly let go of his father and backed away. "I-I'm sorry," he cried, tears forming in his tiny, green eyes. "I didn't mean to make Daddy mad." He grabbed his teddy bear and ran up the stairs. He sat down on the staircase and hugged his teddy bear. He pretended that he went to his bedroom.

Adrien heard his father sink down against the door. Muffled sobs came from the front room. "Why?" Gabriel muttered, his head in his hands. "Why did you leave? Please… please come back. Without you, I…" The words turned into tears. It was the first and last time Adrien had ever heard his father cry. It was the first day Adrien lived without his mother. It was the first day he discovered what sadness truly was.

"Adrien?" Marinette said, snapping him back to reality. He needed to stop thinking about the past. It was over. All the mistakes had already been made. Now, he had the opportunity to fix them. Adrien took his hand away from his heart and clenched it into a tight fist.

Marinette noticed that even if for a brief moment, Adrien had returned to normal. Something inside him stirred. Something deep inside his heart made him forget his anger and hatred. Yet, his heart also fueled the fire. His feelings made him angry and dangerous. Adrien's hovered over his chest almost like it was protecting something.

"Could it be?" Marinette wondered. "Is the akuma inside his heart?" It seemed impossible, but Marinette didn't know the limitations of the butterfly miraculous. Maybe it did have that power and at this point, it was the only theory that seem plausible. "If it's inside his heart, how am I supposed to deevilize it?"

Adrien looked down at Marinette who was lying pathetically on the ground. "She looks worried," he noted. "Maybe she does care. But one person can't change anything. She'll have to get left behind. Sorry Marinette." There was another bright glow and Adrien turned back into Chat Blanc. A terrifying thought entered Chat Blanc's mind. "She's a hindrance. I have to get rid of her. She knows too much."

An internal battle began in Chat Blanc's head. "She's obviously worried about you. You can't kill her. She's done nothing wrong."

"But she holds you back. She makes you remember the past and question your actions. You can't hesitate anymore. There's no going back."

"Look how brave she is though. She came up here to face you because she cared about Adrien. She's your friend, your ally."

"Please don't go," Marinette said suddenly. She got up and crossed her legs shyly. "I know this might not mean much to you now, but I want you to know in case something… happens." She took a deep breath. This wasn't the moment she had always dreamed of, but she had to do it now.

"Adrien, I love you."

"Lier," Chat Blanc replied automatically. "You can't trick me."

"I'm not trying to. Adrien, I've loved you since the day we met. I love you so much that every time I get close to you my stomach turns to knots and I can barely breathe. I have your pictures all around my bedroom. I read every magazine article you're in. I have your schedule hanging from my ceiling for god's sake."

Chat Blanc was quiet. He couldn't tell if this was an attempt to make him weak or her true feelings. Once he saw the pink hue on Marinette's cheeks and heard the anxiety in her voice, his heartbeat began to quicken. Somehow, he knew her confession was real.

"Now you definitely can't kill her."

"Marinette, you have to leave now." Chat Blanc quickly grabbed her and jumped down to the ground. He set her on the cobblestone pavement and looked her in the eyes. "Get out of my business or you're going to get hurt," he warned. "I've trusted you with this information, but that doesn't mean we're friends. I don't have friends anymore. One false step and…" Chat Blanc held up his hand which began to emanate a black glow. Marinette knew exactly what that meant.

Chat Blanc ran away into the night. Marinette moaned and leaned against a nearby building. "This can't be happening…" she groaned. Tikki poked her head out of the purse. "Marinette, this is getting really bad," she frowned. "We can't wait any longer. You have to stop him."

"You're right," Marinette agreed. "But I'm exhausted. As soon as I wake up tomorrow, I'm going after him. This all ends tomorrow. I want my Adrien and Chat Noir back."

As Chat Noir ran away, he tried to shake Marinette from his thoughts. Her cute pigtails and sweet face had imprinted themselves in his mind. There was something about her that was oddly familiar and alluring. She was a distraction, but he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Damn it," Chat Blanc cursed. "Stop thinking about her and start focusing on your next goal. Ladybug."

Chat Blanc had already dealt with his father and now there was one thing left on his list. He needed his queen at his side. He allowed her to run around for long enough. Actually, he was surprised she hadn't chased after him since the incident at the Eiffel Tower. He expected her to fall right into his trap, but she hadn't.

Chat Blanc chuckled to himself. "Of course she didn't. You know she's smarter than that. That's one of the reasons you fell in love with her in the first place." Chat Blanc had a dreamy expression. The akuma hadn't changed the way he felt. He loved Ladybug with all his heart and soul, but if she tried to stop him, which he knew she would, he wasn't afraid to counterattack. With all his new power, he would overcome her.

Chat Blanc looked out at Paris which had already settled for the night. "It's too quiet," Chat Blanc mused. "How about I call Ladybug out of hiding?" He called forth his cataclysm and set his paw on the roof of the building he stood on. He jumped into the air and onto a nearby building as he watched the old one begin to crumble. People ran out, screaming and flailing their arms. In mere minutes, the building was nothing but rubble.

"Excellent. I doubt Ladybug will be able to ignore this. She'll definitely come out to play tomorrow."