As they emerged from Pegasus's portal, they were met with a sight that froze them in their tracks. Paris had transformed into an apocalyptic nightmare. The city had been set on fire, the glow of flames casting eerie shadows all around them. Explosions ripped through the air, reverberating in their chests. But worst of all, the terrified screams that pierced the night, echoing from all directions.
Adrien's heart pounded in his chest as he stood there, his eyes locked onto the chaos. It was a scene straight out of his darkest nightmares, a horrible tableau of destruction and suffering. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if the Angel of Darkness was back, although he knew, logically, that it was impossible. The akuma, the man, was gone, killed by his own hands. Still, this scene felt strangely familiar.
Adrien glanced at Marinette, who was standing at his side and, for a second, he was captivated by her beauty. She was nothing short of breathtaking. Her long, cascading brown hair framed her face in a curly half-up, half-down hairstyle adorned with peacock feathers. She wore a long, shimmering blue dress with split flutter sleeves that flowed like liquid silk and a daring thigh-high split that exposed her left leg. He couldn't help but marvel at how it seemed to elongate her already beautiful legs, which were even more accentuated by the blue heels she wore. The shoes themselves were adorned with feathers, identical to the ones in her hair. He couldn't help but wonder how she intended to fight in these, but he knew better than to underestimate her, or the magic of the miraculous.
A pair of comfortable, magic high heels. I've seen it all now.
With every movement, the fabric of her gown seemed to come alive, catching the light and shifting through a mesmerizing palette of greens, yellows, blues, and browns. Her mask seemed to be crafted from the same material, but it was her blue eyes, accentuated by eyeliner and a subtle touch of gold eyeshadow, that drew him in the most. Adrien struggled to find the words to describe her. Gorgeous didn't seem like enough because, in his eyes, there was no one, nothing, quite as beautiful as she was in this world. He probably was the lucky one in their duo, as she was his once again. His partner, his Lady, the love of his life.
Marinette stared at the nightmarish scene in front of them, her eyes mirroring the same shock and fear he felt. He didn't need to ask; the memories of their last battle haunted her too, even more so than him.
He couldn't do this again. Couldn't bear the thought of losing her once more, not after they had finally found their way back to each other. The memories of the fight, her death, and the years of pain that had gnawed at his soul had left scars too deep to ignore. He couldn't go through this again. Couldn't watch her fight, watch her die. Couldn't lose her.
With a determined grip on her shoulders, he pulled her closer, his hands trembling ever so slightly. She let out a small gasp, surprised.
"You can't stay here," he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I need to bring you somewhere safe, now."
"Chat…"
But before she could utter another word, Chat Noir's gloved hand, gentle yet firm, came to rest on her cheek. She couldn't help but herself pressed against his palm, letting out a small sigh.
"I just got you back," he continued. "I'm not losing you again. I can't."
"I can drop her somewhere right now," Pegasus proposed, already opening a portal.
But Marinette gripped Adrien's arms, shaking her head. "No. I can do this."
"M'lady…"
"Nathalie was right. I need to do this."
"I can't lose you again," he repeated, whispering.
Marinette wanted to tell him that she would return unscathed, that she would fight her way back to him. That everything was going to be alright. But she knew the risks. Knew that their love, no matter how strong and deep it was, was not a guarantee of safety. Otherwise, they would've never ended up in this situation in the first place.
Besides, Nathalie's words echoed in her mind—she had to fight, not only for herself but for the control over her life that had been stolen from her. She needed to take it back. Take back her power, her strength, her life, her soul. She needed to fight, and face those responsible for the nightmare her life had become. It wouldn't necessarily heal her. Wouldn't and couldn't repair anything, but in her mind, it was a step in the right direction. And, to be completely honest, she would lose her mind, stuck somewhere, all alone. She didn't want to stop and think about the past seven years. She needed to keep moving, needed to have some sort of purpose.
"Chaton, I have to do this," Marinette repeated, her gaze unwavering as she locked eyes with him. "I have to."
"I know."
And she knew he truly understood. After all, she could feel it all—his pain, his fear, his love, his trust. It washed over her, somehow overwhelming yet comforting at the same time.
"But I don't have to like it."
"No, you don't," she agreed softly, her heart aching in response.
"Guys, we need to hurry up," Rena pressed, flute in hand.
But Chat Noir remained rooted in place. "Do something for me, will you?" he implored, one hand resting over his heart. "Use it. Use it all. Take everything I'm feeling and create something that will stay with you."
Marinette hesitated. She hadn't planned on using her power on herself. She'd wanted to use it for something important, bigger than this. But before she could respond, he continued, his voice tinged with an unspoken fear.
"I don't know what's going to happen out there and I can't bear to watch history repeat itself. I need to know that you won't be alone, no matter what."
Because somehow, they might end up separated. Might end up too far away to react if the other got hurt. Might end up dead. How could she refuse, knowing what happened the other time?
"Okay," she accepted, nodding slowly.
He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
Then, in a gesture that caught her entirely off guard, he reached into his pocket and took out a small, familiar trinket—the lucky charm she had given him what felt like an eternity ago, back when they were still kids. She looked up at him, surprised, only to find a shy, heartfelt smile gracing his lips.
"I always have it with me when I transform," he confessed as he gave her the bracelet and closed her hand in a fist around it. "I needed you by my side. Figured it could give me a little luck."
"I love you," she blurted out without thinking.
He blinked once, taken aback by her spontaneous confession before a radiant smile spread across his face. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes. "I love you too."
"Dudes, not to be rude, but—"
"Right, right, yeah," Chat said, shaking his head. "M'lady ?"
She nodded, plucking a feather from her fan and clutching it firmly in the hand that didn't hold the lucky charm bracelet. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to be enveloped by Chat Noir's emotions. While he might have expected her to focus on his fear and worry, she consciously chose to harness his love instead. A sentimonster created from his fears might provide protection, but it could act unpredictably. What she wanted was a creature born of his love for her, which the dept of shook her. It would undoubtedly be so, so much more powerful.
"Bring my creation to life."
She opened her eyes just in time to witness the lucky charm disappears. In the very next moment, a figure materialized next to them. It stood as tall as Chat Noir but was devoid of any facial features. It was the simple outline of a male form, illuminated by different colours. With each blink, it changed between multiple shades of blue, white, pink, red, and purple. The sentimonster put one hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze as though to say it was right there.
Marinette looked at Chat Noir, a question in her eyes. He gave her a small smile before nodding, silently approving.
"Pegasus, lead the way," he then told Pegasus, who immediately sprang into action.
They leaped down into the street and dashed through the bedlam. The civilians were all around them, crying and screaming, but they couldn't stop to help them. It was a stark and unsettling change for Marinette. They had always prioritized civilian safety before, but now things had taken a grim turn. They needed to stop the villains from claiming more lives. The deceased were beyond help, and the professionals would do their best to tend to the injured. Their mission now was to protect those nearest to this new akuma threat.
"What happened?" Chat Noir asked Pegasus as they sprinted through the chaos.
"Hawkmoth's been sending waves of akuma in the past few hours. They were weak, and easily controllable without causing any casualties. But about an hour ago, he …," Pegasus trailed off as they vaulted over a fallen body before continuing, his voice strained. "Well, we didn't expect it. It seemed powerless at first and didn't even acknowledge our presence. We followed it around, making jokes, but it remained calm. Then, it changed. The purple butterfly appeared, and it unleashed a massive energy ball that disappeared. A second later, a park twenty minutes from there exploded."
"So, we don't know where its attack will strike next?"
"No."
"Any casualties?"
"Too many to count. We can't evacuate everyone in Paris."
"And among the team?"
Pegasus sighed, his voice trembling slightly. "Minotaurox and Polymouse are gone. Only Caprikid, Rooster Bold, and Miss Hound were injured when I left, but they should recover."
"Gone?" Rena Rouge repeated, her voice heavy with sorrow as she ran alongside Marinette.
"Yeah. We hadn't lost anyone since Ladybug…" Pegasus glanced at Marinette. "Well, I guess we hadn't really lost anyone before. But everyone's already exhausted. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."
They finally came to a stop in the middle of a road where the remaining heroes were locked in combat with the towering akuma. It stood taller than the nearby building and bore a striking resemblance to Ryukomori, one of Kagami's previous akumatized forms. Its form was cloudlike, filled with thunder and lightning, and lacked any discernible human features. The creature suddenly raised its arms, conjuring a menacing ball of energy, crackling with thunder and lightning. Then, just as Pegasus had described, it vanished. Everyone around them froze for a moment, awaiting the impending explosions. And then, the sound reached their ears. They all turned their heads, witnessing a nearby hospital erupting into a cataclysmic explosion, taking everyone inside with it.
"Holy fucking shit," Carapace muttered, his voice laden with disbelief.
"Who's this?" King Monkey, his body smeared with ashes, asked as he stood nearby, pointing at Marinette.
Vesperia, Ryuko, Purple Tigress, and Viperion all turned to gaze at her. While the three women wore slightly puzzled expressions, Viperion froze momentarily before a warm smile spread across his lips. By the way he looked at her, Marinette could say that he knew the truth. A part of her yearned to embrace him—to embrace them all—but the timing was all wrong, and, to be completely honest, she was taken aback by his appearance. She knew he had been injured during their battle against the Angel of Darkness, but she had no idea how severe it had been. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed at his scarred face. And he apparently wasn't the only one who had changed drastically. Vesperia was bearing a large, jagged scar that traversed her face and vanished beneath her suit, while Ryuko's right arm was absent, replaced in her transformation by a long, sleek prosthetic that ended in a sword where her hand should have been.
Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette caught a glimpse of Pigella, her back pressed against a wall, clutching her abdomen, her hands stained with blood. Standing atop a building was Bunnyx, passively observing the scene. The superhero nodded once at Marinette, igniting a flash of anger within her. How dare she? Bunnyx must have known the truth all along, had been aware of the pain they would endure, and yet she had done nothing. Nothing to help her, to save her. Save them all.
She couldn't mess with the timeline, Tikki said in her head.
Don't tell me there wasn't a better one, she bitterly answered.
"She's, uh …," Chat Noir began, glancing at Marinette. "It's a long story. But she's here to help us."
"She's not Mayura, is she?" Purple Tigress questioned, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Marinette.
Chat Noir simply raised an eyebrow, an unimpressed look in his eyes. "Seriously?"
Purple Tigress was about to answer when the akuma suddenly let out a deafening roar that sent shockwaves through their eardrums. They all immediately clamped their hands over their ears, desperately trying to shield themselves from it. It was as if the sound alone could shatter their very souls. Marinette had never heard something like this before and prayed to never do so again. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the akuma stopped screaming, but their ears still rang from the assault.
"Can you stop doing this?" King Moneky yelled, clearly frustrated.
The akuma seemed to look at the monkey hero, though it was hard to tell for sure since it was devoid of eyes. But the eerie sensation of its attention sent shivers down Marinette's spine.
Something's about to happen, she realized, without really knowing how or why.
She glanced at Chat Noir, who was already staring at her, the same fear in his feline eyes. Clearly, he'd felt the same thing. And then, they were proved right as the akuma began shaping a smaller sphere of destructive energy, its attention still fixed on King Monkey, and now Pegasus, who'd moved to stand next to his friend.
Marinette was about to cry out a "Watch out!" and surge into action, but Chat Noir was faster. In a swift, synchronized motion, both he and the sentimonster seized her and yanked her away, shielding her with their bodies, Carapace doing the same for Rena Rouge beside them.
"Shell-ter!" Carapace screamed, but it was too late.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The akuma's ball of thunder, energy, and lightning that he'd meticulously crafted disappeared for a split second before reappearing in a horrible, horrible explosion, much too close to them. Those still standing were all propelled to the floor as the world around them exploded, the shock, the noise, the heat, all too much.
And then, a deafening silence descended upon them, and Marinette didn't dare to breathe, didn't dare move, afraid of what she might see.
I wasn't ready. I shouldn't have come here. This is too much, I can't handle it.
You'll be fine, Marinette. Just take a deep breath.
I can't, Tikki.
"M'lady, are you okay?" Chat Noir's panicked voice asked her, and some of the weight on her shoulders disappeared.
He's okay, he's okay, he's okay.
She nodded slowly, her eyes finding his in the dim, smoked aftermath.
"Are you?"
"I'm fine."
He stood up and extended one hand, offering support as she followed suit. Marinette inhaled deeply, her gaze scanning the scene for signs of her fellow heroes. Purple Tigress, who had an unconscious Pigella cradled in her arms, was running into an alley, disappearing into it. Rena Rouge and Carapace stood nearby, visibly shaken but physically unharmed, thank God. On the other side of the street, Vesperia, who was holding her head, was sitting next to Viperion and Ryuko, all three of them seemingly disoriented but otherwise safe. And finally, perched on her rooftop, Bunnyx stared at the place where King Monkey and Pegasus had stood, sorrow etched across her face. Because there was nothing left of them.
Marinette's gaze flicked to Viperion, frowning as she blinked back the tears that threatened to escape. Why hadn't he used Second Chance? Why hadn't he put an end to this madness? As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned toward her, slowly shaking his head.
"He's too exhausted, and so are their kwamis," he cried out, pointing at his bracelet and then gesturing vaguely toward the two women next to him.
Marinette clenched her fists in frustration. They were adults, for crying out loud. They had been able to maintain their transformations and wield their powers multiple times long before their battle against the Angel of Darkness. And yet, some of them were now so drained that their kwamis couldn't even grant them their powers. How were they supposed to put an end to this nightmare?
"Chat Noir!" Vesperia's voice pierced the tense air from across the street. "We've used our powers, but nothing's working! We don't know what to do!"
They exchanged desperate glances, their hearts pounding in their chests. At least the akuma no longer seemed interested in them, its attention seemingly fixed on the night sky.
"Rena?" Chat Noir muttered, carefully watching the akuma.
"On it."
In the blink of an eye, her miraculous melody conjured a mirage—the heroes, both those fallen and still standing, now stood in multitudes, each of the copy poised for combat. But the akuma remained unfazed.
"Damn it," Carapace muttered, and Marinette turned around to see what had caught his attention.
A group of civilians—four kids and seven adults—were emerging from a nearby house. The youngest, barely three years old, was screaming hysterically, and Marinette's heart clenched in her chest. She couldn't bring them back if the akuma decided to focus its next attack on them.
"Go," she told Carapace.
He didn't need to be told twice. Without hesitation, Carapace sprinted toward the civilians. "Shell-ter!" he shouted as the civilians immediately sought refuge behind him.
Then, with a synchronized nod, the heroes—and the sentimonster—sprang into action. They moved as one, their strikes precise yet futile. Rena's illusions danced around the akuma, distracting it, but none of their attacks did anything. They fought with every ounce of strength, running, kicking, and punching, but their efforts were in vain. Made of clouds, unwilling to listen to any of them, this enemy was a fight they didn't know how to win. Its attacks were too strong, were killing way too many people all around Paris, and its occasional scream pierced their eardrums, always leaving them momentarily disoriented.
Marinette vaulted through the air, narrowly avoiding debris. Her mind raced, searching for answers. What was the akuma's objective? Where was its akumatized object? It hadn't demanded Chat Noir's miraculous, hadn't issued any commands, or even spoken a word for that matter. It merely wreaked havoc, inflicting as much destruction as possible.
Then it dawned on her. She halted in her tracks, her sentimonster standing beside her. The akuma targeted everything and everyone, save for one person—Chat Noir.
"Its trying to isolate him," she whispered to herself.
But worse of all, it was working. Viperion, Ryuko and Vesperia's strength was wavering, and for the first time in years, Marinette heard the telltale beeping of a miraculous. She wasn't sure which one it was. Was it coming from Ryuko, who lay on the ground, coughing after falling debris had struck her? Maybe it was Viperion, who was cradling her in his arms. Or perhaps it came from Vesperia, whose exhaustion was obvious by the way she almost fell down, Chat Noir catching her with one arm.
She glanced at Carapace who, to her left, remained in his protective stance, his arms trembling. Behind him, the civilians were crying, but Carapace didn't really pay any attention to them, as his gaze was fixed on his lover.
Because the akuma had finally seen through their ruse. It strode calmly toward Rena Rouge, its hands gathering energy for a new attack.
"Rena, you have to go!" Marinette cried out desperately.
"What? I can't leave you!" Rena Rouge protested.
"Go, now!"
Rena began to argue, but her words were cut off by Bunnyx, who had descended from her rooftop perch. She grasped Rena around the waist and opened the Burrow, revealing multiple timelines, most bathed in sunlight.
"Trust me, Rena. You won't be of use much longer if you stay here," Bunnyx said with conviction, her grip firm on Rena's waist. But then, her gaze shifted toward Marinette, and she paused. It was clear she had sensed the resentment and anger coming from her former leader.
Marinette seethed, her frustration and bitterness reaching a boiling point. Bunnyx's actions felt like a betrayal to Marinette. A violation of the trust she had placed in her so long ago.
"I did what I had to do," Bunnyx explained, her tone apologetic as she echoed Tikki's words, "I couldn't mess with the timeline."
Marinette clenched her fists. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that Bunnyx had made decisions that she couldn't possibly understand or accept, all in the name of preserving the timeline. Yes, a small part of her understood the sacrifices her old friend probably had had to make. Being the sole protector of time must have been hard. But Marinette had endured so much, and lost so much, and she was done feeling sorry for others.
"Fuck you, Alix," she spat.
Bunnyx winced, her eyes reflecting a hint of remorse, but she seemed to accept Marinette's rage. She nodded once before pulling a reluctant Rena through the Burrow, the portal closing behind them. Marinette was left standing there, a whirlwind of emotions churning within her. She knew Bunnyx actually felt bad about everything that had happened. She could feel her guilt, but it wasn't enough.
"You're okay?" Chat Noir asked, landing gracefully next to her.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice quivering. "What—"
"Chat Noir," a voice suddenly called out, echoing with a commanding tone.
They both turned their attention back to the akuma, an eerie purple butterfly now illuminating what seemed to be its face. Adrien felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that Hawkmoth was addressing him directly.
"I'm aware of your heart's desires, Chat Noir. For years now, I've felt your pain, your agony. With one single wish, I can set everything right. I can erase it all, start from scratch, bring everyone back and end this suffering. Hand over your miraculous, and we can put an end to this. No one else needs to die."
"Go to hell, Hawkmoth," Adrien spat out, his body shaking.
He knew the truth, knew his father was behind the akumatizations, the horrors, and the pain. Yet, the little boy inside him still struggled to accept this devastating reality.
Without even realizing it, he moved slightly in front of Marinette, but the action seemed to draw Hawkmoth's attention, and the purple mask began to glow brighter as the villain observed them intently.
"I see," Hawkmoth hissed through his akuma. "I guess I'll have to deal with you two myself, then."
Adrien realized that his father must have been there all along, lurking in the shadows, because, without warning, Gabriel materialized on the ground near his akuma. With a snap of his fingers, he released his victim, who appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties. The man looked bewildered, then screamed in terror as he saw the villain standing next to him.
"What happened?" he stammered in confusion, but they all ignored him.
"Wasn't the life I gave you good enough?" Gabriel questioned, his voice eerily calm. Adrien felt a surge of panic, wondering if his father had somehow uncovered his secret identity. His heart pounded in his chest as Gabriel approached them, his father's words cutting through the air like a knife. "You had money, friends, love. I provided you with everything you could've asked for. I've been nothing but generous to you."
The realization that his father wasn't talking to him, but to Marinette, left him momentarily speechless. The man before him seemed entirely deluded, utterly unaware of the torment and suffering he had inflicted on Marinette, let alone the pain he had caused his own son.
"You can't be serious," Adrien hissed through clenched teeth, unable to believe the utter lack of empathy in Gabriel's words. He instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, Marinette doing the same thing behind him.
"Generous?" Marinette replied behind him, her voice laced with barely restrained rage. "You took everything from me."
"And I could give it all back if Chat Noir stops being selfish and hands me his miraculous."
In perfect unison, Adrien and Marinette shot back defiantly, their voices resonating with unwavering resolve, "Never."
"You both will regret this."
Before they could do anything, Hawkmoth unleashed a barrage of butterflies, aiming to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. They both somersaulted out of the way, but Marinette's sentimonster was overpowered by the butterflies as it collapsed on the ground.
"I release you from existence," she said as she watched the butterflies attempting to eat it.
Hawkmoth was desperate, fighting with everything he had. He sent wave after wave of butterflies, distracting the two heroes and then attempting to hit them with his cane. And while the two original heroes fought valiantly in perfect sync, it was clear they were struggling. Hawkmoth's calculated moves and relentless attacks kept them on the defensive, unable to plan anything and to properly fight back.
"We can't keep this up," Chat Noir grunted after destroying with his cataclysm his fourth group of butterflies.
"I know!" Marinette replied, fending off a new group with her fan. "Maybe we can—Attention!"
Hawkmoth swung his cane toward them. Reacting quickly, they both leaped in opposite directions to avoid the deadly strike. It was a close call, and the ground trembled from the sheer force of the impact.
However, just as they landed, Marinette's miraculous began to beep insistently. She gasped in surprise, her eyes widening at the unexpected sound. It shouldn't have been happening. She had used her power for an extended period, but only once!
You haven't used a miraculous in years, Marinette, Tikki reminded her. And Duusu hasn't been active for a long time either. You're both exhausted.
I can't go away now!
Hawkmoth already knows your identity.
It's not the point, I need to help Chat Noir.
Then go feed Duusu. You don't have a choice.
"Fuck!"
"Go!" Chat Noir told her, nodding. "I'll be fine!"
She cursed one last time before retreating into the nearby alley, leaving the battlefield behind, unable to shake her feeling of helplessness. She found a momentary hiding spot, away from the gaze of the other exhausted and injured heroes who could only watch in horror as Chat Noir battled against Hawkmoth. Each blow and energy blast exchanged between them seemed to take its toll, but Chat Noir's determination burned fiercely.
As the intense battle raged on, just when it appeared that Chat Noir might gain the upper hand, Hawkmoth unleashed a devastating wave of energy from his cane. It struck Chat Noir with immense force, sending him sprawling backward. He hit the ground hard, his chest aching from the impact, and struggled to catch his breath.
Hawkmoth advanced, his triumph evident in his sinister demeanour. He loomed over Chat Noir, his cane positioned menacingly over his fallen adversary. "You mangy cat," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "I always knew I would defeat you one day."
"You won't win," Adrien grunted through gritted teeth.
Hawkmoth snorted, his cold laughter filling the air. "Looks like I already did."
With a sinister grin, Hawkmoth prepared to seize Chat Noir's miraculous, a determined glint in his eyes. But just as he reached for the ring on Chat's finger, a sound pierced the air, a sound that hadn't been heard in seven long years. A hushed gasp swept through the civilians and injured heroes as they turned their eyes toward the source of that familiar noise. For it was a sound that once brought hope to the entire city of Paris.
The distinctive whir of a yo-yo.