Adrien wasn't exactly thrilled about the night they had planned. Truth be told, he was never particularly excited about a night out clubbing. Despite frequently finding himself in different bars, it felt more like a chore, something he was obligated to do. After all, what else was there to do on the weekends? At twenty-six years old and still single, skipping the whole club scene would only leave him with a pretty empty social life. After all, most of his friends were in relationships and therefore occupied on the weekend.
Truthfully, he yearned for something else. He wished he could stay in on a Saturday night, cuddled up with the most stunning girl the world had ever seen, watching movies together. In his most vivid dreams, he could almost picture it, catching faint whispers of her voice and the lingering sensation of her touch. However, like all dreams, it remained frustratingly out of reach. And often, they would morph into horrible nightmares, with Marinette's once bright smile fading, replaced by empty eyes and blood pouring out of her mouth, eyes and ears, her voice, distorted and strangely sounding like his own, saying that he failed to protect her.
Adrien shook his head, trying in vain to escape these intrusive thoughts. The fatigue only made it harder to escape the memories of Marinette. And needless to say, despite the trip to Paris being uneventful, he was pretty tired. He'd briefly talked to Viperion and Minotaurox, and ran around a little, hoping to see Hawkmoth in the flesh, but nothing happened. Paris was the same as always; destroyed, full of misery and, somehow, of hope for a better day.
And then he came back, only to find Nino and Alya acting in such a particular way. The moment they walked into the apartment after their brunch, Adrien immediately knew something was off. At first, he thought that they had gotten into a fight, but it seemed to be about him. They pretended that everything was fine, but whenever they thought he wasn't looking, they would exchange sidelong glances before grinning back at him like maniacs in the fakest way Adrien had ever seen. And he was a model! If someone knew how to fake happiness, it was him!
Now that he thought about it, it reminded him of the times when they used to watch over him, keeping an eye out when he went overboard with partying or drugs. He didn't like that. Not at all.
So, Adrien's enthusiasm for this particular activity was pretty much nonexistent. If it had only been Nino, Alya, and himself—and if he had managed to steal a moment for a quick nap—, he might have been a bit more excited. But instead, Lila, Reid, Dylan and Victoria were joining them, and it made him want to die. He wasn't sure he could be around her a whole night.
"Reid just texted me," Nino said as they stood in front of the club. "They'll be here in a few minutes."
Alya's eyes widened, a wide smile stretching her face. "Great! This is amazing! So fun, so … great! Yeah, it's great! Isn't it great, Nino?"
What the hell? Adrien thought.
"Hey Al, not sure if I heard you right, do you think this night will be great by any chance?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, with a hint of something that looked like fear in her eyes. "Absolutely! So great! I mean, there's no reason for it not to be great, right?"
"Babe, you might want to calm down," Nino calmly stated, intensively staring at her. "Like, right now."
Alya nodded, the movement exaggerated in a way that made Adrien furrow his brows. "Right, yeah. Calming down now."
"OK," Adrien sighed, grabbing the back of his neck. "Seriously, I'm asking you again, what's going on with you two?"
"Nothing!" they exclaimed simultaneously, their synchronized denial doing nothing but raising Adrien's suspicion even more.
Well, that's almost insulting.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid?"
"Of course not, sunshine! There's nothing—" Alya began, but Nino cut her off, taking charge of the situation.
"OK, you're right," he said, continuing even though Alya looked at him in a way that seemed to plead for him to shut up. "Something's going on, yes, but we'll tell you tomorrow, alright? I promise. But for tonight, let it go. Deal?"
Adrien hesitated for a second, caught between his desire to uncover the truth and his trust in his friends. At least, he knew he was right; something was definitely going on. But was it worth pushing the investigation further or should he respects their request and wait until the next day? After all, it was only a couple of hours and it couldn't be that bad…
"OK, deal," Adrien relented, his decision made just as another voice called out Nino's name.
"It's showtime," he heard Alya muttered under her breath. For a second, he wondered what she meant, but he didn't have time to dwell on the words further, as his attention was instead captured by Victoria's presence.
She looked divine. Her outfit hugged her figure perfectly, but it wasn't just the external appearance—granted, absolutely stunning—that caught his attention. There was an undeniable aura, a light that shone from within, drawing him in like a moth to a flame. As she walked by, heads turned, captivated by her beauty. It surprised him how unaware she seemed to be of the attention she garnered. And when she waved at him—at them, he reminded himself—, a smile illuminating her face, he found himself unable to look away, not even for a second.
Despite his fascination, guilt washed over him, so powerful that he could've drowned in it. How could he feel this drawn to another woman when his one true love had met such a tragic fate? No woman had ever before caught his eyes like Marinette had. And yet, he couldn't deny how he felt while looking at Victoria. He wondered if her uncanny resemblance to his lost love made it somehow acceptable or, most likely, even worst.
She must be rolling in her grave. I'm sorry, m'lady.
"She would want you to be happy, dude," Nino had once told him. "She wouldn't want you to be like this. You're allowed to move on with someone else."
"I can't do this, Nino. Not right now, not ever. She was it. There's nobody else after her," he'd immediately answer.
As the trio walked towards them, Adrien couldn't help but reflect on that old conversation. He'd never, not even once, contemplated the idea of moving on with someone else. He couldn't even fathom the thought of falling in love with another girl the way he did with Marinette. That kind of love was rare, the type people desperately pursued without ever truly attaining. It was the love that remained elusive, yet ever-present in everyone's dreams. But what they didn't know was that this type of love, once found, was much more painful to lose.
But maybe, just maybe, he could learn to love someone else. After all, most people were content with a love that wasn't all-consuming. They were satisfied with their partner, and with the life they built together. Maybe, someday, that could make him happy too.
"Hey, guys! It's so nice to see you all," Reid said as they reached them, and Adrien noticed Lila's subtle cringe. Clearly, she wasn't agreeing with her boyfriend's enthusiasm. "Ready to have some fun?"
"Sure!" Nino replied when both Adrien and Alya seemed unable to answer. "Where's, uh, where's Dylan?"
"Oh, he's going to join us later. He's busy with something," Victoria answered.
"OK then, let's go!"
As the group moved forward into the club, Adrien found himself walking side by side with Victoria. He didn't miss the way Lila would sometimes turn to glance at them as if making sure that her best friend wouldn't disappear under her watchful eyes. But Adrien didn't pay much attention, more focused on the way Victoria had to press against him as they stepped into the crowded room.
Suddenly, a rush of air hit them, carrying with it a familiar and enchanting scent. The sweetness of ripe peaches and succulent strawberries intertwined with a delicate hint of lavender, reminding him of happier days. Adrien immediately froze, his heart tightening with a mix of sorrow and nostalgia. He could still clearly see Marinette applying her favourite perfume, one she particularly liked because she knew how obsessed he was with it.
There was a movement in the crowd, pushing Victoria away slightly and snapping Adrien out of his trance, and the scent vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. Adrien shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and followed the rest of the group as if nothing had happened. But the pain lingered in his heart and he wondered if it was Marinette's way of punishing him for his previous thoughts.
"You won't really move on with someone else, right kitty?" her bloody phantom whispered in his mind. "Promise me you won't forget me, not after how you failed to save me."
I need a fucking drink.
—
"No, no, you have to answer!" Alya screamed over the music. "That's how you play the game!"
Victoria threw her head as she laughed. "I can't! Seriously, kiss, marry, or kill Hawkmoth, Voldemort, or Aro from Twilight? This isn't fair, Alya!"
"Actually, there's one clear answer: kill Hawkmoth, kiss Aro, marry Voldemort."
Victoria finished her drink and shook her head, a playful expression on her face as she lifted one hand in mock disagreement. "Yeah, no, I need an explanation on the whole marry Voldemort thing. How is he a more suitable choice than Aro?"
"Tom Riddle was hot, and I never said it had to be when he looked like a snake," Alya explained with a grin.
"OK, that's actually a good argument."
"I know, thanks. Hey, have you seen my boyfriend?"
"No," Victoria said, her gaze scanning the crowded room. "Last time I saw him, he was getting pretty intense on the dancefloor. He loves to dance, doesn't he?"
"Girl, you have no idea," Alya sighed with a fond smile. "He's got some serious moves. What about yours, is he still coming?"
Victoria simply shrugged as she looked at her now empty drink, a contemplative frown on her face. "I guess. He got held up with his dad or something. They're pretty close, those two."
"It's almost one?"
"Don't ask me questions."
Alya laughed as she quickly surveyed the club. Adrien was at the bar, fetching some refills. Nino was somewhere on the dancefloor, grooving to the rhythm like his life depended on it. Lila and Reid were tucked away in a corner, lost in their own world as they passionately kissed.
Mission accomplished, she thought.
From the moment they entered the bar, Alya knew she needed a moment alone with Marinette. More precisely, she needed a moment with Marinette without Lila scrutinizing their every move like a hawk.
She couldn't forget what Nino had said about Lila being involved in this whole mess and although she wished it wasn't true, she couldn't deny the truth any longer. Lila had to know. And now that she thought about it, there were so many little signs that made it so obvious. Especially once they got into the club.
Lila had made a point of sitting near her friend, despite Reid being sat on the other side of their VIP table. Whenever they tried to talk to Victoria, Lila would quickly jump in, stopping Victoria from answering herself. At first, she didn't seem to mind all that much-or maybe she was used to it. After a drink, though, the situation subtly shifted. Victoria would roll her eyes at Lila's intervention, but still wouldn't say anything about it, turning to talk with Reid instead, the only one she seemed to be allowed to talk to.
After that, Alya made it her mission to get everyone drunk. She wanted them to loosen up, shed their inhibitions and most importantly, leave them alone. At first, Lila resisted, but under the combined efforts of Reid, Victoria, Alya, and Nino, she eventually gave in. And then, her mission became a resounding success. She just hadn't expected Nino to fall for it so easily too, but after all, he needed to loosen up and forget everything for a little while, too.
"Alright, change of subjects, do you speak any other languages?" Alya asked Victoria, her subtlety thrown out the window. But hey, Victoria was pretty drunk; she probably wouldn't notice how out of the blue the question was.
"Hmm, I do, actually!" Victoria answered. "I mean, I speak a bit of Spanish, but just enough to get by, you know? And Lila's been teaching me Italian. Oh, and French."
Although Alya was already aware of the truth, it still felt like a small victory. Of course, Marinette could speak French! But hearing her confirm it as Victoria made Alya feel so damn good.
"Oh, French, really?" she asked, trying to sound as unsuspicious as possible.
"Yeah, it's a bit of an unusual story. I was in a car accident a few years ago and I ended up in a coma. When I woke up, I could speak fluent French. My doctor said it sometimes happens, but …," she shrugged. "I can still speak it, but I hardly get the chance to do so nowadays. No one around me speaks it anyway." She paused and took a sip of her drink. "You know, the weirdest thing about it is that my whole family was American, everyone told me that I used to only speak in English and yet, I had to almost completely relearn it. It's crazy, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," Alya said, shaking her head, shocked by the lies and realizing that this was probably the least horrible out of all of them. "And you don't even have an accent!" she exclaimed with a fake laugh, despite genuinely wondering where her accent was.
"Well, I used to have one, just like yours, actually. But it disappeared after not speaking French for a long time. Dylan says it sometimes slips back, but less and less every day."
"It's crazy," Alya reiterated. "Eh bien, si un jour tu veux parler français avec quelqu'un, n'hésite pas à m'appeler!"
Victoria smiled. "Avec plaisir!"
"Oh, Adrien, thanks!" Alya exclaimed as he came back, interrupting their conversation and handing them their refills. "So, Vee, dear, what do you think of Chat Noir?"
"Alya, what—" Adrien began to say, but Alya waved him off, effectively silencing him.
"The superhero? I mean, he's handsome, that's for sure," Victoria laughed, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
Alya glanced at a blushing Adrien, a smug look on her face, before turning her attention back to Victoria.
"He's pretty popular among the ladies, you know."
Victoria laughed. "I bet. I can't say that I'm surprised."
"Hey, Alya," Adrien interjected, his red face evident even in the dimly lit room, "Nino's waving at you over there."
"That's my cue!" she said as she stood up, pausing for a second to whisper in Adrien's ear. "Saved by the bell."
Adrien furrowed his brows in confusion. He couldn't quite grasp Alya's intentions. First, she insisted on buying drinks for everyone, and now she was trying to play matchmaker between Victoria and his alter ego? It made no sense to him. He couldn't possibly move on from Marinette with her doppelganger, especially one who already had a boyfriend! Sure, he thought she was absolutely stunning, but that was it. He would never dare make a move; gosh, he felt ashamed just thinking about it.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he turned his attention to Victoria, who was staring at the dancefloor, her eyes slightly blurred from the ridiculous amount of alcohol Alya had given her. He looked at her hair, which she had tied back while dancing, and for a fleeting moment, Adrien imagined the brown hair turning black and the ponytail transforming into two pigtails.
No! He scolded himself mentally, shaking his head. She's not Marinette. Stop it.
Victoria turned to look at him as though she had noticed that something was wrong. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but then her expression shifted, and she looked away. Adrien felt his heart tighten in his chest as once again, guilt washed over him. It was his fault that she was so uncomfortable around him. Maybe there was a way to make the situation better. After all, Nino had been right. It wasn't her fault that she looked like Marinette. It was definitely the most cruel joke fate had ever played on him, but Victoria wasn't to blame for it. He glanced at Plagg, who hiding in the comfort of his black shirt. The little creature pointed at Victoria before doing thumbs up, silently encouraging Adrien to do something.
"Hey, Victoria!"
The girl jumped, apparently surprised to hear him shout her name. He gestured for her to come closer and she moved slightly over the table, a shy smile on her lips, and maybe it was just the alcohol, but her cheeks were definitely red.
"Yeah?"
"I'm really sorry about the other night. We shouldn't have reacted so strongly."
"No, no, no!" Victoria responded, frantically waving her hands, and Adrien was grateful for his heightened hearing, thanks to his years as Chat Noir. "Lila should've prepared you better. I can't imagine how much of a shock this was. I mean, to be honest, she told me I looked like this girl, but I thought she was exaggerating."
Adrien widens his eyes in shock. "You never saw a picture?"
"No, Lila … anyway. Is it really that intense?"
"You have no idea," he replied in a lower tone which she definitely couldn't hear over the noise.
Victoria was about to say something when her phone flashed with the alert of a new message.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she stood up. "My boyfriend's outside, I'll go meet him. We'll be back in a few minutes!" she claimed, her attention fixed on her phone as she typed a response to Dylan.
"Sure, no—" his voice trailed off, the words dying on his lips as a beam of light illuminated Victoria, revealing her belly through the sheer fabric of her dress.
There was so much blood, staining his hands in an indelible way that he could never erase. The world around him seemed to blur and he didn't notice Rena Rouge and Carapace running to them, nor the sound of the sirens growing louder, as all of his attention was focused on the love of his life who lay broken between his trembling arms. Why wasn't she crying out in agony?
At any other time, Adrien would've been overjoyed. He would have been ecstatic to find out that Ladybug and Marinette were one and the same. It should have been the fulfillment of his wildest dreams. But instead, what should've been the happiest day of his life had turned into something he never could've imagined, not even in his worst nightmares, bringing with it unbearable pain.
"Baby, please, breathe," he whispered in a desperate plea, the tears blurring his vision. "You need to breathe, m'lady. Please, Mari, don't leave me."
His heart raced, and panic threatened to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to scan her body again, shutting out the cries, screams, and questions from his teammates. All he wanted was to shake Marinette, to perform CPR until she started breathing again—anything to bring her back to life, back to him. But he dared not move her, not with that huge piece of glass piercing through her stomach.
"Do something!" he suddenly screamed out to no one and everyone. "You can't be dead, you can't be dead, please…"
Adrien's whole world seemed to come to a complete halt as he stared at the girl in front of him. The one whose deep scars had been briefly visible, which gave him just enough time to see that they were right where Marinette's possibly worst injury had been. His gaze lifted to her face as visions flashed through his mind, alternating between Marinette's broken body and Victoria's healthy figure, the two images interchanging and overlapping.
"Guys, she looks a lot like Marinette."
"She's amnesiac."
"Something's weird. Wayzz said she was disfigured by fire, but Adrien, this wasn't her main injury and you know it. Her face was bruised, but still perfectly recognizable."
"What? Adrien, don't you see? What if she's…"
"Something's going on, yes, but we'll tell you tomorrow, alright?"
It was a chance Adrien was already sitting down because otherwise, he would've collapsed on the floor. It was like he could see clearly for the first time as the pieces of the puzzle finally seemed to fall into place. They shattered through his illusions, breaking the spell that kept him captive. Each truth as they revealed themselves seemed more painful, and he clutched his shirt in his fist. He could almost hear and feel his thoughts crashing against each other, revealing what he had been too blind to see.
Bang. An uncanny resemblance.
No, no, no.
He staggered as he walked to the dancefloor. But when had he stood up?
Bang. An undeniable attraction.
It's impossible. It can't be.
He moved through the dancers, heading for the backdoors, ignoring their insults as he rudely pushed them aside.
Bang. Too many coincidences.
Marinette…
He didn't notice Alya or Nino calling his name or following him. All he wanted, all he needed, was to get out.
Bang. A familiar scent. Bang. The scars. Bang. A terrible accident, seven years ago. Bang. An amnesia. Bang. Lila being involved. Bang, bang, bang.
You're alive?
Adrien stumbled outside, his hands trembling as he clutched his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. A fine layer of sweat covered his face while his heart pounded erratically in his chest.
"You need to breathe, sunshine," someone said, and Adrien could've sworn it was Alya, but his vision remained blurred, unable to focus.
"Dude, you're having a panic attack, we're here, everything's going to be fine."
"It's her," he managed to whisper, his eyes wide with disbelief. "It's her."
"Dude—"
"It's her, Nino!" he screamed, his voice filled with anguish. "The scars on her stomach, it's where that damn glass was!"
"Adrien, we—"
"And you know! Both of you did!" he yelled, seeing red. "How could you let me spend the night with her, with all of them, without telling me it's Marinette? What have they done to her? I swear to God, I'll kill them all!"
"We didn't say anything because we knew you would react this way! If you could just listen—"
"Plagg, claws—"
"Adrien, no!" Nino cried out, scanning the area to make sure no one overheard them. Thankfully, no one sober seemed to be willing to hang out behind the club. He continued, both hands on his best friend's shoulders. "It's Marinette, yes, we know, but she doesn't! She's an amnesiac, remember? She doesn't know any of us, she's Victoria now."
"But…" Adrien trailed off, his anger vanishing as fast as it had come, giving way to exhaustion and confusion instead. "I don't understand."
Back against the wall, he allowed himself to collapse to the ground as the tears began streaming down his face. He tried to keep his composure for a good five seconds before violent sobs started racking his whole body.
"I can't…," he began saying but stopped himself as he started uncontrollably shaking.
Nino sat beside him and passed an arm around his shoulders, holding him close. "Let it all out. We're here, you're good. Everything's gonna be fine."
Adrien cried for what seemed like an eternity. He cried for the injustice, for the pain they had both endured. Cried for the life they had lost and what someone, somewhere, had put them through. He cried for the person they once were and for the people they had become. He cried for him, for her, for them.
It took him a couple of minutes before he was able to calm himself down. A sob would sometimes shake him here and there, but eventually, he managed to lift his glossy red eyes to look at his best friends who were both already staring at him with tears in their eyes.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, ashamed of his outburst.
"Don't be," Alya said, her voice filled with her own anguish. "Never be sorry for your emotions."
Adrien finally noticed how hard Plagg purred in his shirt, and with a shaking hand, he caressed the small head, finding a hint of comfort in the gesture.
"You're gonna be OK, kid," the kwami promised but somehow, Adrien doubted it. How could he ever be fine? Knowing that Marinette had been alive all those years, without any of her memories and going through god knows what alone… It was another kind of agony.
Adrien could barely manage a nod as he wiped his tears. He stared at his hands for a moment before asking in a small voice, sounding like a scared child: "It's really her?"
"We're waiting for Max's confirmation, but… yes, sunshine. Victoria Lynch died when she was a child. It's Marinette. Now, listen to me," Alya said as she saw in his eyes that he was about to spiral out of control again, crouching down in front of him. "As of right now, we're not sure what happened exactly, but we're investigating. Trust me, I know how hard it is. Just ask Nino, I've been doing everything I can to not completely lose it today! But I swear Adrien, we will find out what happened to her and Tikki."
"And then what?"
Alya paused while a small and tired grin stretched her face. There was something akin to disbelief with a mix of joy in her voice when she replied; "And then we bring our girl home."