A/N: In case you missed it, I posted a one-shot outtake from the previous chapter, a little "What if" exploring what might have happened if Chat had accidentally kissed Marinette after feeling the baby move for the first time. Check it out on my profile if you're interested!
Also wanted to add a trigger warning here: this chapter deals with a temporary death, and explores that a bit more intensely here than in POC, due to the perspective change.
The day of the double fashion show finally arrived just a week later. Marinette and the other interns had their own smaller show taking place in the late morning, while the main show where Adrien was modeling was happening later in the evening. Adrien felt quite cross when he realized the preparations required of him meant that he'd have to miss Marinette's show, which she had been preparing for over the past several months now.
After wishing her luck in the morning, he began his long day of work, keeping the news channels covering the early show on his phone as he sat for makeup. He smiled as he watched a model walk one of Marinette's designs. Pride filled him as he listened to the glowing commentary; he wanted nothing more than for this show to propel her into the next stages of her career, as he knew she'd been hoping for.
The show was ending when he received an akuma alert at the top of his screen. Damn it, he needed to take care of that. He stood up, making his normal excuses to leave the prep room.
The map with the location of the akuma flashed on his screen, freezing him as he was exiting the building. It was showing a spot that was only a block away from Marinette's show. Fear for her and the baby broke through his normal pre-fight excitement and his heart started racing as he hurried to transform and make his way across the city.
She'll be fine, he told himself. She'll use Trixx to get away if the akuma comes near.
Still, he felt an urgency that wasn't typical for him as he finally came into view of the akumatized villain – Terra Firma, he heard as she screamed out – who was creating rifts in the earth that shook the ground like earthquakes. He had a brief intrusive thought that hey, this one had a name that actually wasn't too bad, but then he recognized the location of Marinette's show as the area where the fight seemed centered, and had to tamp down his escalating nerves in order to focus.
Scarabella had arrived already, and was trying to maneuver the woman away from the fleeing crowds, but the damage she was causing was spreading quickly. The streams of dirt and rocks the villain was sending out were impacting the surrounding buildings, creating chaos as citizens attempted to escape.
Chat leapt into the fight with a forced smile and an even more forced pun, trying to grab Terra Firma's attention, but found himself having trouble staying concentrated, staying Chat, as he scanned the immediate area.
Focus, he told himself desperately, the best, the only, way to protect them is to end this fight as soon as possible.
He also told himself it was a good thing that he didn't see Marinette anywhere. Still, in a moment where Scarabella took on the brunt of the attacks, Chat found himself launching towards the staging area, hoping Marinette would be hiding inside.
He pulled a few people out of their trapped location within the tent, but otherwise saw no sign of anyone else. He raced back out to join the fight once again. He and Scarabella tried to flank the woman, but her blasts of earth made it difficult to get close. Chat tried to lose himself in the fight like he normally did, dodging Terra Firma's fissures and occasionally snaking in a blow with his staff when she was off balance, but he couldn't keep his head in the game.
Chat and Scarabella danced with Terra Firma as she sent destruction throughout the square, but they were unable to land a finishing blow. Her earth attacks made closing with her difficult and the heroes had to act defensively, buying time and dodging the massive rocks and rents in the street.
Suddenly, Terra Firma sent a huge blast of coherent rock and earth screaming toward Chat, and he had no choice but to dodge. He briefly considered using his cataclysm to destroy the missile, but there just wasn't enough time. The attack missed him by bare centimeters as he felt the wind of its passing ruffle his belt tail.
I've got to ask Plagg if the tail is entirely necessary – another intrusive thought as he landed on his feet with his signature catlike reflexes.
He began to deliver yet another taunt to keep the akumatized villain focused on him, but in the cacophony of screaming and shouts echoing through the square one particular cry sent ice through his veins.
Please, not her.
He scanned the square frantically for the source, and then he saw her. Up on a balcony of a nearby building, Marinette stood with a small group of people, holding her shoulder in an odd way as debris fell from the roof of the building above her.
Time seemed to slow for Adrien.
He needed to get them away. She clearly hadn't transformed – why hadn't she transformed?
He left the fight, pushing himself across the square with his baton and aiming for the balcony.
Marinette's cry came as a warning, "CHAT! WATCH OUT!"
Adrien twisted around in the air, dodging an onslaught of rocks and earth that had been aimed directly at him. Scarabella was right there to intercept, and as soon as Terra Firma switched her attention away from him, Adrien was moving again towards the balcony.
He just needed a minute to grab her –
The earth rumbled, and Adrien was forced to change directions once again as the ground shattered beneath his baton. He leapt at Terra Firma, frustration and primal protective rage giving him strength and speed as he pelted her rocks back at her with his baton, causing her to briefly retreat with an outburst of anger. Adrien landed back on what remained of the square, only to have the ground tremble beneath him, screams coming from behind him, from Marinette's direction.
He whirled around, stark fear shooting through him, cutting through the confidence given by his suit, as the balcony she was standing on crumbled before his eyes.
Time slowed down again.
No.
No!
He propelled himself toward her, sheer terror giving him speed. He launched himself from the earth, dodging rock and debris. A chunk of pavement hit his shoulder, but he felt no pain, only cursing as it briefly slowed him down. Adrien rolled, and launched himself forward, certain he'd get there in time.
He didn't.
She was too far away.
"MARINETTE! NO!" The words ripped from his mouth in an agonized shout. Time continued to crawl, his attention completely on the falling form he was too far away to catch.
He watched in horror as the balcony collapsed, burying the woman he loved and their unborn child.
He was too late. He was too slow.
He had failed.
Adrien's everything fell to the ground, a cloud of dust billowing out from the building's destruction.
Adrien crashed to the pavement, rolling automatically with the impact.
He couldn't hear, he couldn't think.
He felt numb as he reached the pile.
He scrabbled toward the rubble, vaguely conscious of Scarabella calling out to him and the sounds of the ongoing fight in the periphery of his reached the rubble and attacked it, heaving aside chunks of rubble in his frenzy.
He had to get them out.
He had to save them.
She had to be okay.
Scarabella's voice hardly registered. "Chat, stop! She's gone! We need to –"
No.
She couldn't be gone.
He just had to find her. There was just too much in the way –
"Cataclysm!"
Before he could do anything with the destructive power flowing to his hand, Scarabella grabbed his arm, yanking it back. "She's gone, but I can bring her back, Chat. I can bring her and everyone back, but I need your help. I can't defeat this one alone."
Adrien shrugged her off, but as he prepared to bring his hand down, he noticed a spot of color in the rubble. Tears stung his eyes and he sank to his knees to bring up a tiny object, inconsequential to anyone but him and the woman he was dusty and ripped, but he recognized it immediately; Marinette's rose hair clip he'd given her.
He stared at it blankly for only a second; he'd been too numb to realize that he'd picked it up with his power activated.
It blackened in his hand, turning to ash as it disintegrated. His hand clenched automatically, in some attempt to hold on, but the remains drifted away on the wind.
Adrien sat there for a moment, hand clenched as bitter tears fell from his eyes.
They're gone.
I failed.
At that moment, Adrien knew despair. He had tried. Adrien had tried so hard.
And it hadn't mattered.
Adrien had failed the ones most important to him.
But he could fix this. He had to make this right.
He rose to his feet, suddenly energized.
He hadn't failed them.
Not yet. He had time.
Scarabella could fix this. He couldn't let them down.
"Let's finish this."
Chat Noir attacked.
Chat fought with an intensity he'd never felt before. The stakes had been high in the past; people often disappeared or were turned into stone or strange objects during akuma attacks. This was nothing new. But none of those people had ever been her. Never before had the lives of those so close to his heart rested entirely on his ability to finish a fight.
Terra Firma was a devastating opponent. As she grew more confident in her akuma-given powers, she threw larger and larger attacks at the pair of heroes, destroying whole sections of the city in her quest to satisfy whatever petty grievance Shadow Moth exploited to turn her into this monster.
Chat didn't care. He fought in silence.
This wasn't a game. Not this time.
Chat narrowly avoided a flying section of an apartment building, and smoothly turned his dodge into an attack, snaking his baton between walls of earth thrown up by the desperate former Parisian. Chat Noir slammed the butt of his baton into the villain's chest.
Terra Firma staggered back and gasped. Chat closed with her and raised his hand, ready to call out his power. He didn't know what the akumatized item was this time, but that would hardly matter if he simply destroyed her entirely.
I've got to end this. I've got to save them. If I Cataclysm her right now, this will all be over. They'll be safe.
He hesitated. What was he doing? This wasn't him.
He changed targets, destroying the ground beneath her and trapping her instead. Scarabella leapt close, using her lucky charm to pinpoint the akumatized item, and within moments, the fight was done.
The ladybugs from the cure had barely disappeared before Adrien was in the air, searching frantically around the newly-repaired balcony.
Where was she?
WHERE WERE THEY?
A thousand gut-wrenching scenarios flew through Adrien's head.
What-if-what-if-what-if–
What. If.
But then he saw her.
He finally saw her standing on the street below, looking lost.
Time once again resumed its normal pace.
He breathed again, seemingly for the first time since he saw them fall as he finally saw her again. He ran to Marinette, sweeping her off her feet as he used his baton to clear out of the area.
She held him tightly as he landed them both in a nearby alley, out of sight of any prying eyes. Wasting no time, he wrapped his arms around her, not even caring that he was supposed to be Chat Noir at the moment.
She's alive. They're alive. Everything is okay. He hadn't failed. They were fine.
He repeated the words in his head as he strived to believe them.
Marinette hugged him back briefly before pushing out of his arms, the confusion clear on her face. "Chat, I don't understand. What's going on, is there an akuma around? You need to go back –"
It was a reminder he needed. He was still Chat Noir. But right now he didn't care. His only concern was for her and their baby.
He didn't know what he looked like at the moment, but something in his expression gave her pause, and her confusion turned quickly to concern. "Are you alright?"
No, he wanted to say.
I just watched you die and I couldn't do anything about it.
His arms remained on her shoulders as he struggled for words.
Eventually, he decided that no reaction was the best. I'm Chat Noir right now, he told himself, firmly. Even though Chat and Marinette had become closer friends as of late, he didn't trust himself at the moment to keep his emotions in check, and to keep Chat Noir properly separated from himself.
"Yeah, princess, I'm fine. You were right, there was an akuma. It was just a difficult one."
Images of her falling from the balcony flashed through his mind, and he struggled to push them away. He let the feel of her shoulders beneath his hand ground him. She's okay.
He needed to pull himself together. He looked her up and down, his concern shifting as he suddenly wondered if there were any lingering effects.
"I took you away because I think you should go get yourself checked out. You got caught up in the attack, and I think it would be a good idea, just in case. For the baby." He tried to control his breathing, choosing to believe that this was only an excuse he was coming up with to have taken her away, and not an actual worry. He violently shoved down the urge to go with her. Everything would be fine.
She was fine, damn it.
"I think Adrien would agree with me," he added.
Her gaze held his, the worry clear there and in the twist of her mouth. But it seemed as though that was directed at him, rather than herself, where it should be. He must be doing a poor job of hiding his emotions."Alright, Chat."
He needed to leave, before he made any more mistakes. "I should go."
His eyes snagged on the rose pin in her hair, looking just as pristine as when he'd given it to her. He didn't realize he was reaching for it until he felt the cloth petals brushing against his gloves. He was taken away briefly by the memory of that pin disintegrating, blowing away in the breeze and some small piece of him expected it to turn to ash once again. He snatched his hand back quickly, leaving with a quick extension of his baton.
He was barely aware that he had made it back to the main show location. He stopped by his team to give some further excuse he didn't even remember before turning right around, ignoring their protests. He hailed his car, making sure the news had started covering the attack so he had a reason to know what he'd seen, and what Chat had done, what he had done. After climbing into the car, he called Marinette.
She'd only just answered when he started talking. "Please tell me you're okay."
"Yes, I'm okay." Her voice was an anchor, immediately bringing him back down to earth.
"I'm on my way in my car; can you get to the corner near the Boucherie?"
"I can get there."
He dropped his phone into his lap after hanging up, silently urging the car to go faster as he stared out the window. He couldn't explain why he needed to see her again, despite knowing she was safe after leaving her as Chat. All he felt was the overwhelming need to hold her, to confirm that everything that happened had been miraculously healed.
He had to push down the impulse to immediately leap out of the car and wrap her in an embrace when Marinette came into view standing on the corner. He'd been careless enough already that day. He merely opened the door for her as she climbed in.
He took her into his arms immediately, unable to wait any longer. He squeezed his eyes shut as he repeated the now-familiar chant in his head – she's okay, she's alive, they're okay.
"I saw you in the news video, and I was afraid –" Unable to finish the thought, he went silent, forcing back tears and letting her go to move back so he could see her fully. He figured he must look like quite a mess, as her face pinched with worry and her hand came up to brush his cheek. It was so like her, always worried for someone else instead of herself. He brought his face down, meeting her lips with his in a desperate kiss as he tried to convince his heart that she was alive and safe.
Marinette pulled his head down to her chest when they parted. Adrien closed his eyes as he listened to her heartbeat, her hands running through his hair.
"Scarabella and Chat saved the day like they always do. This happens all the time, and it's always fixed in the end."
He was used to dealing with the fallout of the destruction caused by Shadow Moth's akumatizations. Those around him, even his closest friends, even Chat himself, had often been caught up and made to disappear in one way or another. But he had never felt this way about anyone. Never before had he taken much time to consider what would happen if they failed, not with as strong as his faith was in Ladybug and her miraculous cure.
This felt different. "I've never had to watch you die before."
She was quiet for a time. "I know. I'm so sorry."
It was soothing to feel her hands move gently through his hair. He felt a slash of guilt; she was the one who died, and yet she was the one comforting him. He straightened.
"Why didn't you transform?"
He was angry with her. The realization took him off guard, but it struck him at that moment. Why hadn't she transformed? Adrien knew it was unfair of him to question her, she had just died, after all, but he couldn't help his emotions at that moment. She knew the risks. She was carrying their child. What was she thinking?
He pushed the feeling down. He trusted her. He'd fought beside her for over a decade, and if she hadn't transformed then, she had her reasons. He loved her, both as Marinette and as Ladybug. On top of that, she was there, and he hadn't been.
The anger dissipated, leaving him feeling an odd sense of relief.
"I…I don't know. It's a bit hazy; I don't remember exactly what happened. Did you say there was a video?"
Adrien nodded, but felt tense as he looked at his phone, bringing up the video he had found on his way over. He hadn't actually watched it beyond confirming that it had her fall and him calling her name. He knew he'd screwed up. How would she react? After watching the video, would she figure out that he was actually Chat Noir? That he'd fruitlessly compromised himself to try to save her, even though Scarabella would have cured away any harm after the battle? When Marinette took the phone and hit play, he averted his eyes, not wanting to watch. Thankfully, she left it on mute.
After getting through the first part of the recording, Marinette spoke, her voice soft. "I must have gotten trapped up there by the doors. I probably couldn't transform with so many people around. I wouldn't want to reveal myself. I'm sure I believed Scarabella and Chat would get through it on their own."
Adrien didn't reply.
Eventually, Marinette turned the phone screen off. Her first question was hesitant. "How did you know I was up there? The video isn't clear." Perhaps he hadn't been as obvious as he'd thought.
He tried to keep a check on his emotions. "You can hear Chat Noir yell your name when he runs over." Marinette stayed quiet, and he could feel her eyes on him.
He fought with what he wanted to say.
"I can't –" I can't watch you die again. She didn't know he was Chat, so he couldn't explain the full weight of it.
"I won't—" I won't stand by if you're in danger like that again. No, he couldn't say that either.
He felt desperate, taking both of her hands in his. "Please, just transform next time. It wouldn't reveal you were Ladybug, just Silver Spectre."
Marinette gripped his hands as she looked at him sadly. "I can't do that, Adrien. If Shadow Moth found even that out, he might target me and find out I'm Ladybug."
Frustration leaked from within him. "I know, I know. I just… I don't want to watch that happen again." His hand went to her bump.
Marinette placed her own on top of his. "I'm okay, Adrien. We're okay. As long as we have Scarabella and Chat, everything can be fixed."
Everything can be fixed.
Except, that wasn't fully the truth though, was it? It was the thought that had kept him panicked even after the cure had passed over. "There have been loopholes before." He moved his thumb in a circle on her stomach, the proof of his words kicking lightly against his hand.
"This was life, Adrien. This was different."
"Your loophole might be life, Ladybug, but what about Chat Noir? What if he has some kind of loophole too?" If the Power of Creation had a creation-related loophole, wasn't it possible the Power of Destruction had one related in a similar way? He knew he would have trouble forgetting the sight of her rose clip crumbling in his hand.
"No, Adrien. He doesn't. It's not like that." Marinette's response was unyielding, and he yearned to borrow from the strength of her belief.
She paused for a moment. "Are you…upset with Chat Noir? His reaction was a bit intense, but we're just friends, and though he's my partner, he doesn't know I'm Ladybug."
The relief that she didn't seem to suspect him along with the thought of being jealous of himself jerked him out of the dark place he'd been falling into, and he was forced to stifle a laugh. "No, I'm not upset. I'm actually glad that he's around, especially when I can't be. I'm just worried about you, Marinette." That statement didn't come close to fully explaining his thoughts, but once again keeping his identity a secret got in the way. He distracted himself by asking another question. "Should you talk to your doctor about today?"
He half expected her to push back, but felt relief when she didn't. "I will, but I'm sure it's fine. We would have heard by now about long-term effects from akuma attacks on pregnant women. But I will call."
"Thank you."
"You need to go back. And I need to get back to work. I'm still hoping to come see you at your show. Hopefully this attack will distract the reporters so we can be done quicker."
He could barely think about the show, but after kissing her once more, he opened the divider to tell his driver to take them back.
"Be careful, Marinette." He told her before she left the car.
"I will."
Adrien leaned his head back as the car took him back across town, closing his eyes and consigning himself to the images that continued to flash in his mind.
Nathalie Sancoeur watched the screen over the shoulder of the man who was both her boss and long-time friend. Like the heat from sun-drenched asphalt, the anger that radiated off of Gabriel Agreste was palpable.
"After all this time, I came so close today, Nathalie. I was certain there was something off about Chat Noir. I thought I had them." His fist slammed into the desk, though Nathalie didn't flinch as she stood with her hands behind her back. She had gotten used to dealing with his temper over the years, though even she admitted it seemed quite potent at the moment. She didn't blame him; they both were beginning to get desperate to accomplish their goal of obtaining Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous'.
Footage from the akuma attack appeared on the screen, the angles changing often as the many cameras already on scene for the fashion show were able to capture the fight. The two of them watched Scarabella arrive, taking on the akuma by herself before Chat Noir joined in. At first, the fight seemed the same as the myriad other battles spanning the past ten years; Scarabella took the lead while Chat disappeared, returning with trapped Parisians from the Fashion Show backstage.
But as the fight dragged on, it became clear that something had indeed distracted Chat Noir. Though Scarabella remained focused, Chat began trying to leave the fight, running for something that remained out of the camera's line of view. Every time one of Terra Firma's attacks drew him back in, he seemed to grow angrier and more desperate to leave.
A particularly strong barrage of stone and earth crashed into a nearby building, causing a collapse. Nathalie would have paid it no mind if it weren't for the slightly-muffled shout that came from Chat Noir, who must have been behind the hiding cameraman. He came into view at a dead sprint before disappearing into the cloud of dust obscuring the fallen building.
Something had been over there. Someone, perhaps? Nathalie placed a hand briefly on Gabriel's shoulder. "Hold there. Rewind and increase the volume."
At her words, Gabriel stilled; where previously he had been viewing several video feeds at a time, he singled out this one individual feed she indicated.
With the video replaying louder, this time they could make out the words, "Marinette, NO!" There was a level of agony in his voice that indicated the importance of this name. Gabriel replayed the video, isolating the sound, and then once again for certainty. The name was familiar, Nathalie realized, recognizing it herself in connection to the location of this attack. Gabriel rewound to the section of video capturing the fall of the building, and this time Nathalie noticed the balcony falling, bringing multiple people down along with it. Zooming in on the feed allowed them to see that one of the figures was pregnant.
Gabriel's voice was calm, though she could hear the excitement that laced the edges of his words, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng works for the company as an intern, correct?"
Yes, she thought the name had rung a bell; an intern working for the company. A name she recognized from Adrien's school days as well. "Yes, Sir. She would have been present at the location for the fashion show put on by the interns and employees in your office."
Gabriel brought his hand up to touch the butterfly miraculous pinned to his shirt as he began to smile at the screen, which moved on to show Chat fighting as though his life depended on it.
"Excellent."
A sliver of unease slipped through a crack in her ever-present stoicism. "What are you thinking, Gabriel?"
"Obviously, this Marinette is of great importance to Chat Noir. I can use her to bring him to me."
"She's pregnant, Sir."
Gabriel's mind was clearly going in a different direction from her own. "Yes, interesting, that is. Perhaps he is the father? That would make her an excellent target. Do we know anything about the woman's marital status?" He seemed to grow excited for a reason she could guess; they might have just uncovered Chat Noir's identity.
Nathalie pulled up the employee's file on her tablet. "No, Sir; she's single according to her tax form." Disappointment ghosted over Gabriel's expression, but she could see the plans forming in his eyes. She hesitated before continuing, "Are you sure we should target a pregnant woman?"
Gabriel's face immediately darkened as he stood, towering over her. "I will not let this opportunity pass me by. I will do everything I can to bring Emilie back. She has spent too long wasting away with no improvement, and I cannot afford to lose this chance because you are suddenly feeling regretful."
His anger suddenly dissipated, transforming back into the cool exterior he most often wore. "You know why we are doing this. You've been with me every step of the way. I know how much she meant to you as well."
They watched each other in silence.
Finally, Nathalie dipped her head.
Gabriel nodded back and turned away, clasping his hands behind him. "What we do now doesn't matter. This world will be erased when I make the wish and return her to us. I will be the only one that will bear the burden of remembering what we've done to accomplish it."
Inch by inch, Nathalie felt her own icy barrier slide back into place.
Only one thought made it through as her hand brushed the broken peacock miraculous pinned to her chest.
What would Emilie think of her now?
A/N: I originally had copied the same ending section with Gabriel and Nathalie from POC, then decided I needed to explore this a bit further. I hope you like the addition of this! I actually like Nathalie, though she really is left without many options here, due to how far she's already come. Thanks in part to my husband and his help with editing, this chapter came out a lot more angsty than I'd originally planned. I do have an art piece I commissioned that goes along with this chapter, which you can see as the cover of this story, or also on the copy of this story on my AO3 page (Ladynoir_Fan). I'm also super excited that I will have another piece for the next chapter, and I'm hoping it will be ready by the time I post next week! Please let me know what you thought in a comment!
