Trigger warning: There's a heavy scene in this chapter which contains not only self-harm, but it's also kind of gory with blood and mentions of puking. If you'd rather skip this part, the scene starts at [A piercing scream escaped Marinette's lips] and is safe to read again at [It was a small container…].
Marinette rushed into the alley just in time, her transformation fading away the moment she was out of sight. She let out a frustrated sigh, closing her eyes and pressing her head against the cool brick wall as the pain surged through her body. It had been so nice to be free of it for a moment. To move freely without the need to take some kind of medication. It had been nice to just … be. It had given her a precious taste of her old normalcy, but now, the pain had returned with a vengeance. She winced, realizing that she was long overdue for her pills. Her muttered curses echoed in the narrow alley.
"Are you alright?" Duusu's concerned voice filled her thoughts as the kwami hovered nearby.
"I'm fine," Marinette replied through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry, I don't… I don't have any food with me. I didn't think about it, and I don't know what to do, I—"
"It's okay!" Duusu interjected, stopping Marinette from spiralling. "We can find a place with food. I do have a preference for almonds, but I'll settle for anything!"
Marinette managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Duusu. Let's find you some almonds, then. We need to hurry, though, Chat is waiting for us."
Together, they hurried through the alley and emerged onto an empty street. Marinette's limbs screamed in protest as she sprinted toward the nearest restaurant. The place was cozy, adorned with lush plants trailing along the walls, and every table was filled with half-eaten meals, which had been abandoned by fleeing customers and staff.
"This is perfect!" Duusu exclaimed, diving headfirst into a bostock pastry.
Marinette nodded, her gaze darting to the windows as she paced anxiously while Duusu devoured the food. She couldn't see the ongoing battle, but she could hear it—the clashing of Chat Noir's baton against Hawkmoth's cane, their screams of rage. It was horrible on its own, but knowing that they were actually father and son…
Marinette's phone began to ring. She initially ignored it, assuming it might be a client calling from Los Angeles, but when it rang a second time, she cursed under her breath. Retrieving it from her pocket, she glanced at the Caller ID and froze.
Dr. Duchaine.
What the hell?
"What's going on? I don't have much time," Marinette snapped as she answered.
"Don't hang up! I know where your earrings are!" Nathalie's urgent voice came through the phone.
Marinette's mouth fell open in shock. Duusu, who had finished eating, stared at her, her eyes full of unspoken questions.
"I'm ready to go," she told her.
"Where?" Marinette asked Nathalie eagerly, her mind racing with possibilities.
She could save them all. She could bring back Pegasus, Polymouse, Minotaurox, King Monkey, and all the civilians who had been killed. She could heal the damages caused by Hawkmoth's acts. She could prevent them all from suffering the same fate she'd been the victim of. Her heart started pounding in her chest. She could…
"They're inside of you," Nathalie said, interrupting her train of thought.
There was a beat of silence, and then, "Excuse me?" she whispered, her heart skipping a beat.
What? Tikki echoed in her mind.
"I found Lila hiding at James Turner's place. We, uh, talked, and she ultimately told me the truth. Gabriel and her have hidden the earrings inside of you. So, if Tikki ever came out, they just had to …," Nathalie trailed off, hesitating.
But Marinette knew what it meant. She could imagine the scene vividly. "They just had to take them out," she concluded in a hushed voice.
"Yes, they couldn't really lose them this way."
Marinette's heart clenched painfully at the revelation. She shouldn't have been surprised. Lila's friendship had always been fake. Dylan's love wasn't real. And yet, the most vulnerable part of her, Victoria's part, still cried out at the betrayal. They had never cared; Marinette had been nothing more than a pawn in their game. A pig on its way to slaughter. They had cared for her, protected her, and helped her, all the while patiently waiting for Tikki to appear and then seize Marinette's earrings, opening her up and probably killing her in the process. Marinette knew damn well, without a shadow of a doubt, that Lila wouldn't have been careful. She would have made it as painful as possible as she'd taken the earrings from … where exactly?
"Do you know more precisely where they are?" Marinette asked, her voice hoarse.
"In one of your upper arms. She didn't tell me which one," Nathalie replied.
There was a beat, and then, "Why are you doing this?"
The question busted out of her without a second thought. She needed to understand the motivations behind Nathalie's actions, to know if the small amount of trust she had in Nathalie was justified or if she had a deeper agenda. To be honest, Marinette wasn't sure which option she preferred.
Nathalie sighed deeply. "Because I care about you. How could I not? I've spent years with you, talking to you, listening to your dreams and fears. I've never felt good about this plan, but despite everything, despite having no memories and enduring terrible things, the person you are deep down has never changed. And I've just… I've learned to love you."
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. "I love you"—such easy words to say without really acting on them. Love was easy to feign or convince oneself of. True love, whether platonic or romantic, was selfless. It was a force that compelled you to protect the other, to wish for their happiness and love in return. This, whatever it was, wasn't love. Maybe Nathalie truly believed that it was. Perhaps she didn't know what real love felt like, but it definitely wasn't like this.
"You say that, and yet you never stopped this."
Nathalie's voice crackled with remorse. "No, I didn't. But… Well, I want to help you now. I found Lila. Made her tell me where the earrings are. And now, I hope that you'll be able to fix everything I've helped mess up."
Marinette let out a bitter snort as tears welled up in her eyes. Obviously, despite everything, she was the one who had to fix everything now.
"Good luck, Vic… Marinette. Good luck, Marinette," Nathalie wished, her voice filled with regret.
Marinette hung up without uttering another word. She knew what she had to do, even though she despised it.
You don't have to. You can continue with Duusu and then … , Tikki's voice trailed off.
No, Tikki. I have to, Marinette responded resolutely. Too many of them are dead. We need to save them.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Duusu asked, her eyes filled with concern.
Marinette examined her arms, trying to determine which one held the hidden earrings. Both were covered in scars and upon inspection, she couldn't detect any unusual bumps under the skin.
With trembling hands, Marinette seized a kitchen knife from a nearby table. "Nope," she admitted, her voice quivering. "But I have to."
Summoning all her resolve, Marinette muttered under her breath, "Don't think about it. Just do it," as she aimed the knife at her left upper arm. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew there was no turning back now.
"I can do this. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…" she repeated to herself, trying to drown out the fear and pain that threatened to overwhelm her. She took a deep breath, and then…
A piercing scream escaped Marinette's lips as she felt the knife cutting through her skin, a hot sting of blood flowing from the incision. Her vision blurred as the pain intensified, but she didn't dare stop. She continued cutting, opening up her entire upper arm right at the bicep. The pain was excruciating, and she bit down on her lip to stifle her cries, immediately tasting blood. Duusu's voice grew increasingly frantic, but her words and meanings were completely lost to Marinette in the haze of the pain.
Marinette staggered backward, collapsing unceremoniously into a chair. With a trembling hand, she set the bloody knife down on the table and began searching under her skin with two fingers. Her screams and tears intermingled, her face drenched in sweat. Nausea churned within her, but she ignored it. She had to find the earrings, they had to be there! But the truth struck her like a bolt of lightning; they weren't there. She had the wrong arm.
"No, no, no, no…" she muttered, her fingers frantically moving beneath her skin. "Damn it!"
Then, unable to hold it back any longer, she retched, her stomach emptying its contents onto the floor. When she was finished, she remained immobile for a moment, her gaze fixed on the pool of blood at her feet. Her heart raced erratically as she slowly looked up, staring at the skin dangling from her arms.
Marinette…
I'm fine, Marinette cut her off, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand and inadvertently smearing it with blood. You'll come out once I get them out, right? I'm not doing this for nothing?
Tikki hesitated for a second, then finally said, Yes.
Promise?
I wish I could say no so that you would stop doing this to yourself. But yes, I promise.
Her hands shook uncontrollably, but she knew she had to see it through. Marinette nodded to herself, mustering her courage, and then repeated the process on her right upper arm. The pain seared through her once again, and she let out another agonized scream as the knife pierced her skin, but she pressed on. There was no other choice.
Setting the knife aside once more, she cast a hesitant glance at the bloody mess all around her, pretty certain that she was about to be sick once more. She took a deep breath, determined to push through the nausea, and resumed her search for the earrings. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips and black spots appeared in front of her.
"I can, I can… Fuck, I can't do this anymore!"
"Yes, you can!" Duusu said. "You're almost there!"
"No, no, I…"
She stopped herself as her trembling fingers, as if by some kind of miracle, made contact with something hard. For a brief moment, she wondered if it was a bone, but rapidly disregarded the idea. With a surge of adrenaline, she gripped it tightly and began the slow, agonizing process of extraction. She yelled in pain, but eventually got it out, bringing it in front of her eyes to examine the foreign object.
It was a small container, an implant that certainly didn't belong in her body. Made of medical-grade silicone, it was pristine white. Marinette could almost sense Tikki buzzing with energy inside her mind as she opened the case. A flood of emotions then welled up inside her, a mixture of joy, relief, disbelief, and sadness, as she stared at the two small red earrings adorned with black polka dots before her.
Tikki?
Put them on now.
What?
I need you to put the earrings on.
Marinette carefully removed the brooch, Duusu disappearing inside, and set it down next to the knife, before obediently following Tikki's instructions. Her arms were shaking uncontrollably as she put on the earrings, and a second later, a radiant white light enveloped the room. A searing pain erupted within her mind and she gripped her head between her hands, screaming. But just as swiftly as it had begun, everything came to a sudden halt, leaving her dizzy. Or perhaps it was from the loss of blood. Nevertheless, the room plunged back into darkness, and the pain in her head vanished and was forgotten as Marinette saw Tikki hovering in front of her.
The little red kwami hadn't changed, obviously. Tikki blinked a couple of times, as though trying to adjust to everything before her eyes finally landed on Marinette.
"Marinette!" she cried out, darting toward her chosen with lightning speed and nuzzling against her cheek.
"Tikki," Marinette sobbed, gently caressing the kwami's head with one trembling finger. "Hi."
"I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry, Marinette. I just wanted to save you!"
"I know, Tikki," Marinette reassured her, forcing her back to look at her in the eyes. "I'm not mad at you, I promise. You saved me."
"I wish I could've done more," Tikki lamented, fiddling with her tiny hands. "I wish you didn't have to endure this for so long."
Marinette let out a heavy sigh. "We'll discuss this later."
"Okay," Tikki nodded. "But I need you to understand, Marinette, it was never about me feeling safe for you. It was about you feeling safe."
Marinette furrowed her brow, confused. "I did feel safe."
"No, not really."
"What do you mean? That when I was at home with them, just watching movies, I didn't feel safe? Or when we travelled, or had breakfast together, or—"
"Did you feel safe when you thought you were obligated to have sex with Dylan?" Marinette flinched at Tikki's words. "Did you feel safe when you felt as though Lila was a bit too overprotective of you? Did you feel safe when you went to see Dylan's family? When you felt like they never wanted you to go anywhere by yourself, except to meet clients and go to your psychologist?"
"Tikki—"
"Did you?"
"I… I didn't feel unsafe either, just irritated." She paused before whispering, "I didn't know, Tikki. If I did, I would've done something, right?"
"Oh, of course, you didn't know, Marinette. But deep down, I could sense something was bothering you. You weren't safe and you knew it. If it had only been about me, I would've come out the second Adrien took you back to the apartment, when you were alone with Alya, Nino, Reid, and him. I would've come out and talked to you. But you didn't feel safe at that point. You didn't feel safe until you figured out Adrien's identity."
Marinette recalled Tikki's reaction to her and Adrien's hug in her bedroom.
Finally, Tikki had whispered in her mind. Now, the only thing missing are my earrings.
"Oh…"
"And then, I knew I would be able to come out."
"As soon as I got the earrings on."
"Yes."
"How did you know that?"
"I'm not sure. The miraculous is part of me, and without it, I felt too incomplete. Besides, I fused with you while you were wearing the earrings. Perhaps I needed to end it the same way it started."
"Maybe," Marinette murmured, her head and eyelids growing heavy. "Tikki, I don't feel so good."
"Oh, oh my, of course!" Tikki exclaimed, suddenly noticing the copious amount of blood surrounding them and staining Marinette's clothes. "Hurry up, transform, you'll feel better! That's easy for me to heal; it's just … superficial."
"Superficial?" Marinette repeated with a small snort.
"Compared to your other injuries? A hundred times, yes."
"You don't need to eat?"
"I'm fine, I've had more than enough time to recharge. Go!"
"Okay, okay. Tikki, spots on!"
The power enveloped her and immediately, Marinette felt the surge of energy. She sensed the magic coursing through her veins, erasing the pain. Her vision cleared, the black spots and blurriness vanishing. It had felt nice to transform with Duusu, but with Tikki… It felt like coming home after a tiresome journey.
As she stood up, feeling stronger than ever, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a nearby window. Her transformation had undergone some changes. The familiar pigtails were gone, replaced by a long black ponytail. She could've cried as she saw herself with her natural hair colour.
Her outfit was still predominantly red, but black had become more prominent, covering her upper body like a bodysuit. She touched it, realizing it felt like armour. It made sense, she thought. Both her and Tikki wanted her to be a bit more protected this time around.
"Let's do this," she said to herself.
Marinette took the brooch, concealing it inside her yo-yo, and smiled to herself. She was ready. She could do this.
She ran outside and used her yo-yo to vault over a building. It might have been unnecessary, she could have easily run through the alley, but the sensation of flying and falling was something she had unknowingly missed.
As she soared through the night sky, she spotted Hawkmoth pinning her partner to the ground. She saw the sinister smirk on his face as he reached for Chat Noir's ring. Anger surged within her chest as she witnessed the man who had shattered her life about to triumph over the man she loved.
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of news helicopters rapidly approaching, their cameras capturing not only the unfolding drama below but also her unexpected return. But she chose to ignore them. If they wanted to put themselves in danger, then so be it. They were well aware of the risks and for now, she had other things to think about.
Ladybug touched down amidst the gasps of the onlookers, but she paid them no attention, instead immediately assuming a defensive stance, her eyes locked on her worst enemy.
"Move away from him. Now."
Both men turned their attention toward her. Time seemed to halt for a second as they both froze, staring at her. But while Chat Noir beamed with love and pride, Hawkmoth's eyes widened in fury.
"No!" he screamed, lunging toward her.
It was the opportunity Chat Noir had apparently been waiting for. In an instant, he sprang to his feet and, with a swift motion, delivered a powerful punch to Hawkmoth's face. The blow sent the villain flying several metres backward, and he landed on his back, but he didn't stay down for long. He quickly got up, his eyes darting between the two heroes standing side by side in front of him.
"I've got like, a million questions for you," Chat Noir murmured to Ladybug, a smirk dancing on his lips.
"Save them for later, mon chaton," she replied with a faint smile. "Let's end this once and for all."
"You don't have to tell me twice."
In perfect harmony, they launched themselves at Hawkmoth, forcing him onto the defensive. Seven years ago, the villain might have stood a chance. He was younger and stronger, sure, but above all, the heroes still had their innocence and their blind trust in the world. But long gone were the young, unbroken souls. Life had done this to them. He had done this to them.
For a brief moment, the face of Emilie flashed through his mind. He could almost hear her asking him to stop, but he pushed it aside. He needed to bring her back, no matter what. He'd gone too far to stop now. But he apparently wasn't the only one ready to risk it all now.
The fire burning in Ladybug's eyes was impossible to miss. Her determination and fury radiated from her with an intensity that was undeniable. He had always known that she was strong, perhaps even more so than him. But he'd also known that her heart was kind, reluctant to harm anyone. She used to see the best in everyone. Yet, looking at her now, Hawkmoth realized that this had changed. And while he had some concerns about it, his apprehensions weren't solely for Ladybug because Chat Noir… Chat Noir was not simply scary; he was utterly terrifying.
He had been holding back, perhaps trying to shield his partner from this new, darker side of him she had never seen before. However, any semblance of restraint had now vanished. His eyes had grown darker, and darkness seemed to emanate from within him, like an aura of raw power. He no longer merely bore the miraculous of destruction; he had become destruction incarnate.
Desperation flowed through him as he tried to counter their relentless onslaught. Ladybug's yo-yo lashed out with precision and ferocity, while Chat Noir's staff struck with ruthless efficiency. But Hawkmoth was no pushover. With renewed determination, he attacked, but Ladybug darted toward him, easily dodging the blasts of energy he fired, while Chat Noir closed in from the side, his staff spinning lethally.
"Lucky charm!" Ladybug suddenly screamed out, and a black and red net materialized into her waiting hands. At that moment, Hawkmoth realized, without a shadow of a doubt, the outcome of this battle, but he refused to accept it.
"I won't go down that easily," he defiantly spat at them.
Chat Noir couldn't help but smirk. "We're not expecting you to."
His rage boiling over, Hawkmoth unleashed his butterflies in their direction. But the two heroes expertly evaded the swarm by gracefully leaping into the air. And then, once back on the ground, they used their weapons to deflect with terrifying accuracy the last of the butterflies.
"You have no idea what you're doing!" Hawkmoth yelled at them. "I could bring peace to this world. I could erase everything, and make the world good once more. I could bring back everyone, give you everything, I could…"
"You talk too much," Chat Noir interrupted him, nodding once at Ladybug.
She immediately reacted to his signal, launching her yo-yo. It wrapped around Hawkmoth's arm, and she yanked him off balance with a powerful tug. At the same time, Chat Noir dashed forward with blinding speed. His staff extended, and he landed a bone-breaking blow to Hawkmoth's side, sending him sprawling. The villain didn't have time to react that Chat Noir was on top of him and with one last, powerful strike, he knocked done Hawkmoth's cane from his grasp, breaking his hand in the process. Then, Ladybug's net ensnared him completely. Hawkmoth fought, trying in vain to escape, but the net held him down firmly.
"You're done, Hawkmoth!" Ladybug declared as the two heroes closed in on the trapped villain.
"No!" he yelled, his eyes blazing with fury.
Chat Noir reached a hand inside the net and with a swift motion, snatched the locket brooch. With sweat trickling down their faces, the two heroes stood over Gabriel Agreste, who simply lay there on the ground… He had failed, yet there was no plea for mercy, not a hint of guilt or fear. He simply looked at them with deep hatred in his eyes.
"It's not over," he muttered.
"Yes, it is," Chat Noir retorted, and then, for good measure, he leaned down to whisper in Gabriel's ear, "Father."
Gabriel froze. "It's impossible," his eyes widened as he scrutinized Chat Noir from head to toe, the magic of the miraculous seemingly fading as he finally recognized Adrien beneath the mask. "What are you doing? Don't you want to save your mother?"
"Not at any price. This has never been the answer."
"You're a disgrace!" Gabriel screamed. "I will never stop fighting for her!"
"Then you can plan your little revenge in prison." Chat Noir sighed and turned to look at Ladybug. "Do your thing, m'lady."
Marinette nodded, her gaze locked onto Gabriel, the man who had destroyed her life. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of emotions coursing through her. Hatred, anger, sorrow, and a spark of hope all swirled within her, threatening to overwhelm her.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and silently sent out a plea to anyone who might be listening in the universe. She begged them to give it all back to her. Her identity, her soul, her heart. She wanted back what had been stolen from her, and from everyone in Paris; Their life.
Tears welled up behind her closed eyelids, and she released a shuddering breath. Then, with newfound determination, she opened her eyes, and her voice rang out, her hopes, pains, fears and loves evident in two simple yet powerful words.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"